PRABHUPADA’S PIONEERS
Spiritual Journeys of His Disciples of New Raman Reti.
Interviews ~ Articles ~ Photos of Their Lives in Service
compiled and edited by
Sri Devi Dasi
proofreading: Vegavati Devi Dasi.
Jnanagamya Dasa
(eulogy given in Mayapur in 2015 by Rupa-vilasa Dasa)
Jnanagamya Prabhu and I first met in 1966, almost a half century ago now. We were college students at Florida State University and shared some classes, and were immediately attracted to one another due to a shared sense of bizarre humor. I was an English major and he was an art and cinematography student. He produced some strange and humorous art, ala Andy Warhol, in which he developed an evil cartoon character called Mickey Rat, who was the personification of commercial cynicism. He also did a canvas that I was so amused by, that he gave it to me. It was a view from space by aliens who were observing a drive-in movie theater and on the screen was an astronaut floating in space.
Later he became inspired to make some films. I was the writer and actor; he the cinematographer. We won some student film awards: In Lieu of McLuhan, Legend of the West, Flyboy Oboy were the titles. In Legend of the West, the chief character goes through an identity crisis in which he finally opts to become a robed religious leader. The charismatic leader suffers a “fall-down,” literally down a hill, with a dog tearing at his robes. Jnanagamya and I shared all the rites of passage of the 1960s: communal living, forays into LSD-induced mysticism, organic gardening, etc.
In the summer of 1971, I joined ISKCON in Tallahassee, Florida. John (Jnanagamya) was in New England, working a summer job. When he discovered that I had moved into the temple, he was aghast. He told me: “We can do this later when we’re old. Now is the time to make films and become famous.” Finally, he agreed to read The Bhagavad-gita. He stayed up all night reading it. The next morning, he showed up at the temple, raving about the universal form, saying that he wanted to join us and that he was convinced that Krishna was God and that Srila Prabhupada was his guru. He told me, “I just want to get high!” The temple devotees were a bit dubious, but admired his enthusiasm. He chanted for eight hours on beads that day non-stop. However, there was a problem: the GBC had shut down all the temples in Florida except for the Miami temple, and we were traveling to Dallas in a few days in a U-Haul It van. “You can’t do this to me!” he said.
On the day we departed, he packed a bag, kissed his wife (soon to become his ex-wife) goodbye, and left all of his art, home, cars, etc. behind. He jumped into the U-Haul It, shaved up in New Orleans, and later joined us in Dallas. There he assisted Vamanadeva Prabhu and others in various construction projects, which was one of his many talents: artist, builder, gardener, educator. He had absolute faith in Srila Prabhupada and was full of enthusiasm for Krishna consciousness.
At the end of Srila Prabhupada’s lecture in Dallas in 1975, when he spoke on Krsnadasa Kaviraja’s attachment and feeling for Radha-Madana-Mohana (CC Adi 1.15), some questions were raised at the end of the class. Among them was this one by Jnanagamya Prabhu, who was feeling inspired with feelings of gratitude towards his spiritual master: Jnanagamya Dasa: How can we repay you? Srila Prabhupada: You don’t require to repay. (chuckles) I am not giving you anything. It is Krishna’s property. You repay to Krishna. Chant Hare Krishna and He will be repaid. (pause) Nobody can repay. That is the… Therefore, it is better to remain always obliged. That’s all. That’s all right? Chant Hare Krishna.
Srila Prabhupada had seemed almost embarrassed by the question, not wanting to take any credit for having given us anything. He did not take even a scent of possession or credit for whatever we had learned, for whatever inspiration we felt. He saw it all as Krishna’s glory and gift. All he wanted us to do was to chant Hare Krishna. That would be payment. Still, as our spiritual master, it was his duty to remind us of our good fortune and further to remind us to remain always obliged to our spiritual master and Krishna. There was no way we could repay him for his causeless mercy on us; for what he had endured to create our good fortune; for the sacrifices he had made to bring us Lord Caitanya’s eternally auspicious message; and for his bringing us out of darkness to the light of Krishna consciousness. “Nobody can repay.” That was the fact, and at that moment, as he said it, we felt it.
Jnnagamya Prabhu remained always obliged throughout his life. He traveled widely and rendered services involving the creation of diorama museums in Detroit, in New Delhi, construction projects in New York at 55th Street, in landscaping and gardening at Bhaktivedanta Manor and Caitanya College. Wherever he went, he used his prodigious energy and enthusiasm to create and construct for Srila Prabhupada.
We kept in touch by e-mail and the occasional visit. On his last visit to the UK in 2007, we traveled together to Cambridge and wandered about, accompanied by his Gaura-Nitai Deities. He wanted Them to see the sights, he explained. It was eccentric: he set them up wherever we went and talked to Them with great respect. He had genuine affection for Them.
Our relationship was unique. We lived together for some time in Freeport, Long Island, in 1988. He built me a place to live in his garage. He was having some struggles at the time. As he built my dwelling, I read to him from Caitanya Caritamrita, and when he neared the completion of the construction, I remember how he dissolved in tears hearing of the mercy of Lord Caitanya. He fell to the ground weeping, and after that, he was back on track again, full of enthusiasm and hope. Many people found him tough to get along with. He was very opinionated and independent. Nevertheless, he accepted criticism and chastisement from me and always credited Candrika and me for bringing him to Krishna consciousness, even though it was actually Srila Prabhupada who had truly captured his heart. He was a loyal friend and always kind to me. His exterior could be rough, but his heart was always in the right place, full of affection and appreciation for Srila Prabhupada.
I talked to him on the phone about a week or so before he departed. I told him that I loved him and hoped that he would stay. He asked me to pray either for a quick recovery or a quick departure. He did not want to leave Mayapur under any circumstances. He was unafraid and ready to go, fully convinced that he was not that lump of pain he resided in. He had suffered many disappointments in life, but coming to Prabhupada and Krishna was not one of them. His faith was absolute; he left in that place where Mercy reigns supreme. He will be serving again in some capacity, wherever Srila Prabhupada needs him, I am sure. May all of you confer your blessings on this sincere soul and my dear friend. Hare Krishna!
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