A Glimpse into Devotional Life at
340 West 55th Street
BY: JAGANNATHA DASA (SDG)
The Hare Krishna Building - Manhattan, New York City
Sep 03, 2015 — NEW YORK (SUN) — Part One.
INTRODUCTION
Hare Krsna! The following may be considered a "worm's-eye" view of devotional life at the maha-temple in Manhattan, New York City. It is told from the perspective of a neophyte devotee who never achieved any important or elevated position within the International Society For Krishna Consciousness.
He was never any good at book distribution, or preaching, or learning sastra, or cooking or giving class or leading kirtana or even chanting the holy names - HARE KRSNA HARE KRSNA KRSNA KRSNA HARE HARE / HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE.
He was a resident of the Hare Krishna Building, 340 West 55th Street, New York, New York, 10019, during the years of 1978 and 1979. There were many other devotees who lived there before he moved in and after he moved out, and who had much more success in ISKCON and made much more advancement in devotional life.
What value is there, then, in hearing from someone fallen and insignificant?
He was there.
He has a desire to please the Vaisnavas and Srila Prabhupada and Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha Govinda by telling the truth about his hopefully Krsna conscious pastimes before he no longer resides in his present material body.
The Deities of Sri Sri Radha Govinda; Sri Sri Gaura Nitai; Sri Jagannatha, Sri Baladeva and Lady Subhadra; and Sri Nathji all can attest to the facts. Their Lordships all witnessed him rising early every day and attending the morning program and in the evenings attending the evening programs. They saw him attempting every day to serve the devotees and Srila Prabhupada and Their Lordships. They saw how his life changed for the better, how his eyes were opened and his heart cleansed, by the process of sadhana bhakti, also known as Krsna consciousness.
In this humble presentation he hopes to inspire just one devotee, just one sincere soul that resided at that place of pilgrimage, to write something of their experiences. There were hundreds of Vaisnavas that lived and served and chanted and danced and feasted in that great temple. Their pastimes are not only desired but, in the most humble manner possible, they are demanded. They must be passed on to the new generation of ISKCON devotees before they are lost. So many of the second and third generations have no idea of the immense magnitude of devotional service performed there - the truckloads of books distributed, the thousands of ecstatic kirtanas held, the many incredible prasadam feasts honored and the multitude of devotees made.
Volumes may be written in description of the transcendental happenings at this once vibrant center of spiritual activities in loving service to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada and Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha Govinda.
You will find here only a glimpse, a brief description, a faint impression of those memorable times. It is feared that we all may have to wait for some time for a full accounting from the real devotees that at one time called 340 West 55th Street their home. It is hoped that that is not the case. Let us pray to Sri Sri Radha Govinda that the wait is not so long. For the time being, this paltry narrative will have to suffice.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
The first time I visited a Hare Krsna center was in the beginning of 1978. A small group of friends convinced me to accompany them to the temple on 55th Street in Manhattan. We took the Manhattan bound L Train from Ridgewood to 8th Avenue and changed to the uptown A Train, and rode that to 59th Street. A short walk of four city blocks downtown on 8th Avenue and a right turn on 55th Street and half way up the block, and we were there. The building was located on the south side of the street. A very large vertical line of golden letters on the side of the building spelled out the words HARE KRISHNA. Below those transcendental words there was a yellow awning over the entrance doors with the words HARE KRISHNA CENTER.
At the entrance I hesitated for a brief moment. What I remember most, the very first and most lasting impression, was the lovely aroma permeating the entire atmosphere outside of the building. I did not know it then but it was the combination of incense and prasadam which immediately attracted me and made me want to enter and find out what smelled so good.
Lounge area on way to Temple Room
Once inside, the first place my friends and I visited was Govinda's Boutique, which was located just to the right of the entrance doors. Kapindra dasa prabhu was in charge of the store and he introduced himself to me. From that moment on until the moment I walked out of the store, the prabhu preached to me non-stop. He sold me the book Perfect Questions, Perfect Answers and a box of first class incense. He was very friendly and not a pushy salesman, and I left the store satisfied with my purchases even though I had no intention beforehand of buying anything. I didn't even know there would be a store inside of a temple.
Our next stop was the temple room. I removed my shoes and entered and bowed down following the example of my friends. There was a fire sacrifice taking place on one side of the temple room. Adi Kesava prabhu (Swami at the time) was officiating. I thought he was a young boy and was surprised that such a young American child could be speaking fluently in a language (Sanskrit) which I had never heard before and pouring liquids and tossing grains on the fire in the center of a roped-off area, and was actually in charge of the whole affair.
Even though everything about it was so foreign to me I had the distinct feeling of familiarity as if I had seen all this before, although I had never seen anything like it in this lifetime, and in my heart and soul I felt that I had finally come home. It all seemed so natural and it was that quick that I wanted to be a part of this, whatever this was.
Then there was singing and dancing (kirtana) and weird looking drums (mridangas) and little hand cymbals were being played. I was given a pair of the little cymbals (karatalas) and I could not keep the beat. A simple 1-2-3 beat and I could not get it right. How pitiful and spastic. I don't recall anything about the Deities on that first night and I apologize to Their Lordships. I do remember that in front of each of the Deities there was a male devotee standing on the side and facing the audience as a security measure in case someone tried to climb onto the altar.
Lord Jagannatha, Lord Baladeva & Lady Subhadra
After the kirtana there might have been a lecture, but I don't recall that at all. I do remember taking prasadam. There was a large room upstairs and we sat on the floor and ate. One devotee came and sat next to me and asked my name. I told him my name and I asked him for his name, and he told me to just call him Jack. We had a very nice conversation and he was also not a pushy type of salesman. We just conversed pleasantly about life in general and Krsna and devotional life. I was left with a positive impression about temple life. His initiated name was Jada Bharat dasa, my future god-brother.
Some things I heard while honoring prasadam - a devotee sitting nearby and preaching rather strongly to a small group. There was spicy hot coconut chutney which burned the lips. It burned my lips. When one of the guests mentioned to him that his lips were burning he explained that was because of the sinful activities of the guest. Another devotee entered the room and was speaking to another devotee. He had just returned from his first pilgrimage to India. He appeared very blissful as he described the beautiful peacocks, the numerous temples, and the streets full of devotees in dhoti and sari chanting the holy names - HARE KRSNA HARE KRSNA KRSNA KRSNA HARE HARE / HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE.
BECOMING A REGULAR
When I got back to my apartment that night I was a changed person. I started waking early in the morning and chanting the Holy Names. I wasn't chanting 16 rounds but I was chanting. My room had east facing windows and every morning I would watch the sunrise. I was writing poetry every day. I was a sort of hippie in those days - long hair, beard, marijuana, rock and roll music and so on. I was also into sports and health. I rode my bicycle everywhere. I played basketball on a daily basis. I was practicing a little hatha yoga.
Bhakta John, 1978
Every Sunday I attended the free love feast at the Manhattan temple. At first I went with a small group of friends but after a few weeks I was going alone. I never thought about not going. It became an important part of my life. I didn't know it, but I was being purified by engaging all my senses in serving Krsna by smelling the incense, seeing the Vaisnavas and the Deities, hearing the Holy Names, and tasting the prasadam.
I would always stop in at Govinda's Boutique and purchase a book and some incense. I purchased an orange t-shirt with Krsna's three-fold bending form known as Syamasundara holding a flute, with the word "Govinda" printed on it. I also purchased another orange t-shirt with Lord Jagannatha, Lord Baladeva and Lady Subhadra on the front with the words "Jai Jagannatha" printed on it. I would wear one or the other every time I visited the temple.
As my spiritual life was progressing my material life was changing. The people that I was living with were not appreciative of my new spiritual leanings and were really demonic, if you get right down to it. They were of the opinion that they already knew everything there is to know. I had to move out after they began stealing from me. I also lost my girlfriend, even though she was one of my friends that had convinced me to go to the temple in the first place.
Every Sunday I would attend the kirtana and lecture and then stand in line for the prasadam. One evening as I was standing and waiting in line and wearing my Govinda t-shirt, a devotee approached me and invited me to accompany him to a special room where I could take prasadam with a group of devotees. I followed him and he brought me to a room filled with devotees preaching to guests while taking prasadam.
All the Vaisnavas with dhoti and shaved head and sikha and tilaka sat on one side of the room and the guests sat on the other side facing the devotees. I sat down with my plate and observed and listened. I remember some of the devotees, all disciples of Srila Prabhupada, who were there: Praghosa dasa, Laxmi-Nrsimha dasa and Visnu Gada dasa. They were all enthusiastically preaching non-stop to the guests.
When I finished my plate of prasadam the devotee who had brought me there, Adhoksaja dasa, invited me to accompany him to another "special" room to hear from another devotee. He brought me upstairs to a small office where I met Niranjana dasa (now Swami). He spoke with me for a long time and basically defeated every argument that I had about not staying in the temple overnight. So I stayed.
To be continued.
Next installment – PART TWO, MOVING IN
