The story on how and when I contacted Srila Prabhupada

 In 1971, never in my life of 25 years, did I ever imagine what I was about to experience. However, I will talk about that event later in this essay. 

Back in 1969, after I returned from the Vietnam War, I still had 1 year left in my USA Army obligation, and I had just gotten married to an absolutely beautiful person, who was 4 years younger than I. I was 23, and she was 19.  I did not know then, but she would be very instrumental, in I meeting Srila Prabhupada in 1972.  In fact you can say, it is because of here that I met Srila Prabhupada.  If It was not for her, I would not be writing this story you are about to read.

Back then, the “Hippy” phenomena was in full swing, and Hollywood Blvd was lined with what was called “Head Shops”,  the word “Head” meant you were a marijuana smoker a “Pot Head”.  Every Friday, and Saturday, the freeway entrances  on to Hollywood and Sunset Blvd’s where jam ’ed like you would not believe. And then Hollywood and Sunset Blvd.’s where bumper to bumper, loud rock and roll  music, honking car horns, screaming and shouting out from the open windows. And the sidewalks, were a parade of young men and women, with all kinks of hippy dress, a men with long hair made it hard to tell if it was a woman or a man, if you were viewing them from the back. 

So, in the last 6 months of 1968 through all of 1969, I would pass by the devotees doing Sankirtana on Hollywood Blvd, every  Saturday night.  So gradually, both of us were unknownall hearing the Holy Name, due to  the mercy of Lord Caitanya.  The devotees were a sight to see, I could not even imagine, why there was all these young women and mean, dressed in what obviously, cut sheets in 3 colors.  Some men had white or saffron; and the women wore light yellow sheets, with their heads cover.  And who was that old man, in a robe, painted on a poster, on a long 1 X ½ inch long stick. Yea! That brown skin old man, on the poster, and they were all jumping up and down, and singing in a language that was foreign and sounded weird.  And the strange drums, and actually nice sounding hand cymbals.  They all seemed like they were on LSD, I thought.

Then came the day, when my wife and I stopped to listen; and how did I react when a young tall skinny man approached me holding a magazine in his right hand.;  Well, you can surely say, that I acted “demonically”; kind of like Jaya and Vijaya,  towards the devotees.  I was very offensive, used extremely foul language, to a young devotee who approached me.  I screamed at him,

 “Get the F*** out of my face, you! weird mother f*****”.”, crazy son of a b****.”

I was So, hostile, and loud, that it seriously frightened this young devotee, as he jumped back in fear.  My wife pulled me back, and said,

“Stop that, these are actually very nice people.”

My other contact, was when I was a student at LACC in 1970, where I experienced a Sankirtana party of around 15 to 20 devotees, each and every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, in front of the Arch-Ways and steps, where after all classes are over for the day; at 3 pm; masses of students would pass under these Arches that lead to the parking lot across the street.  I experienced this Sankirtana for a year and a half.

 At first, I just ignored them, and walked past them.  Eventually, I started to stop in front of them, and listen to the kirtana; and eventually, I started to sway back and forth, with the rhythm.  However, when they approached me, I would walk away.

Having straight “A’s) for 3 semesters, and on the Dean’s List, I transferred to UCLA, and on the first day of the first trimester in 1972, I met the devotees again; but this meeting was going to be special, and I did not know it.

In the Bhagavad-gita 7.16 4, Kåñëa says,

“O best among the Bharatas, four kinds of pious men begin to render devotional service unto Me—the distressed, the desire of wealth, the inquisitive, and he who is searching for knowledge of the Absolute.”

Though, I was born in a poor 90 percent Indigenes Indian (Yaqui-Aztec), Mexican Family; good fortune, was going to happen this particular week; and I had no clue as what was going to happen on my first day of University education, what to speak of later that week.  Of course, this is all in-hind-sight; but it is my personal experience.

I was at the checkout counter, of the UCLA book store, which was on the right side and first floor of this beautifully architecture library, overlooking a large area covered with grass, trees, and walkways.  was 1972, my first day as a student of Mathematics and Physics, at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA).  In the student book store, I was waiting in the checkout line, to pay for my math and physics books needed for my classes that first tri-semester.  I noticed this book at the checkout counter entitled “Bhagavad-gita As It Is”, and was intrigued by its dust cover picture of these two dazzling decorated warriors, on a fantastically looking chariot, drawn by 4 white horses who were decorated as well.  They all were also looking ferocious too. 

 One warrior had his bow and an arrow drawn, and the other one, the chariot-driver, struck my eyes, because he had a bluish complexion, and he had a halo, like lighting surrounding his face, in all directions.

One of the books, my wife had told me that this Kåñëa Book, her best friend and her, would take LSD, and read the stories for hours at a time.  The other book, was very difference, one was in English with a title of KṚṢṆA, and the other one Bhagavad-gita As It Is, had some kind of strange script, all these ‘wiggly’ curves.  I naturally became confused, and did not buy any of them.

As you walk out of the book store, you have to walk down, for about 20 feet, on a slopping sidewalk, that goes West.  Then you have to turn “Right”, and you go down another sloping sidewalk, for about 90 feet.

Before I continue with this story, I have to tell you another story.  I have to explain, my first ever encounter with the Holy Name, in this life time.  Back in my child hood, in 1952 to 1954, there was TV serial adventure show, playing every week, by the name “Ramar of the Jungle.”  They made a total of 52 episodes. It was about a doctor from the USA and his similar educated partner.  His nick-name was “Ramar”, however, every time they would call his mane, it sounded like “Rama”. 

At school the next day, my friends and I were saying, because he was kind of like a hero to us.

“Did you see Rama of the Jungle last night?”

“Yea, do you remember when Rama throws that spear, and it went So, far, and it stuck on the bad guys back.”

“Yes, Rama is far-out.”

“I want to be like Rama.” (see Video of First Episode)

There were 2 kinds of episodes, those in Africa, and those in India.

In the India episodes, when Ramar needed wisdom to solve the problem he was trying to solve, he would go into the forest, and in a secluded place he would stop and wait for a while, the then suddenly, POOF! Everywhere around him,

“A big round cloud, with light coming from the back of the cloud, and floating about 3 feet above the ground, appeared”

“Right in the middle of this cloud was a n old man with a long white beard, sitting cross legged, dressed in white with a turbine on his head.”

As this white cloud appeared, there was this music, that I have never ever heard.  In hind-sight, I remember, a Vina, tabla, harmonium, and cartels; playing a soft melody.

I may have called out the Holy Name of “Rama”, I estimate at least, 52 episodes times up to 9  utterances of “Rama” for each episode, giving at total of at least 458 time?

When I lived in Vrindavan, my God Brother Mahanidhi Swami, told me he had the same experience.

Now we can get back to the story of my first day of my UCLA education.  Up until then, I was experiencing the Holy Name sound vibration; kind of line preparing me  to what was going to transpire.

The only way I can say this, is to exactly repeat my experience.

As I started to exit the book store entrance, I started to hear this music as I have described, in the India Ramaz episodes, that I heard back in the 1950’s.  In my mind I said “Oh shit that is the same music I remember when I was a small body in the show Ramaz of the Jungle.”.  The sound, sounded like it was coming from my right, So, I walked down the first side walk, could only then turn right and I headed to main walkway which was, like I said, about 90 feet away. 

As I walked down that side walk, I was very peacefully, listening to the soothing music, with my ears; while at the same time wonder who was playing this music.

So, when I reached the large walk way, I know I would have to look left or right to see where this music was coming from; for it was definitely not coming from in front of me.

I get to the “T” intersection, I turn my head and looked to my Left, in the Western direction, and it was obvious that the music was not coming from that direction.  So, I in my mind, I thought that I would surely see who is playing that music, when I would turn my head to the Right,

I twisted my head to the Right, AND THE MUSIC STOP.

I did not hear any music what So, ever, all I could see up the walk way, about 150 feet in the distance, were 2 devotees, standing underneath a big tree, and they were talking to this one student.  There was also, a few other students, who were looking and listening to the conversation.

I wanted to know who and what these two devotees, dressed in robes are.  So, I approached this one devotee, I asked him for his name, and he said it was “Madhukantha Dasa”.  So, I said to him,

“I just heard some music, where you playing this music somehow on portable tape player?”, and he said “No”.  I then said,

“I just heard that older gentleman, talking to a Christian, and I determined that your associate was talking about ‘God’.”

“Anyways, at the Book Store, I noticed one of your books was in English, and the other one was in English too, but had a script of some language I have never seen before.  So, which of these books, should I buy, So, that I can read and understand who you people are”

He then replied,

“No! leaves those two books there for someone else.  Here is a card, inviting you to our Sunday Feast; and here is our address, where you can come any time, and purchase the books, at our book store that contains other books, and thing.  Go buy a book there, and if you come, at 7 am, there is a lecture you can hear.”

So, I said I would come, on Tuesday or Thursday, when I do not have classes. 

Being curious about the Sanskrit that afternoon I made my mind up to go to the UCLA Department of Linguistics, to ask about what is this Sanskrit.

I went to their head office, and asked the secretary, if I may see someone who could explain to me what is Sanskrit.  I was going to sit down in a chair to wait.  Just now before I sat down, I looked up at the wall across from me, and on the wall was this very large, poster like Box-pyramid-chart, that filled the wall from top to bottom, and left to right; it was simply gigantic.  Each box was labelled with a name of a language, with a sample of its script, and a line above the box, leading to the language(s) of it source(s). and a line below, indicating that it was the source of a language(s).

I looked at the box labelled English, and it indicated one of its sources being “Latin” which I already knew, in addition, the West Germanic language of the Indo (Sanskrit)-European language family that is closely related to the Frisian, German, and Dutch (in Belgium called Flemish).  So, I immediately went to the top of this chart to see what was written at on the top box of this pyramid-chart.  It was labelled “Sanskrit” and had the same script as in the book. I was amazed to find out, that according to this Universities Linguistics department, “Sanskrit” is the source of all languages on this Planet Earth. This department was not so convinced that Sanskrit had no source, because they drew a line up to a box above Sanskrit, and it simply had a big question mark (?)

I said to myself in my mind,

“If Sanskrit is the source of all languages on this Planet Earth, then what was the civilization that spoke and wrote I; and what kind of information does this civilization and Sanskrit have to say?”

So, one day I went, to the temple, and  when I arrived, I looked for Madhukantha, and when I found him, he then introduced me to this one young devotee, who introduced himself as “Rameswara”.  He was then a brahmacari, before he became a “Go-dasa”.  Madhukantha told him that I wanted to buy some books.  That caused this brahmacari, to express a lot of enthusiasm, chanting “Jai”, “Hari-bol”, as he pulled out his key chain, and opened the door to the book-store.  He convinced me to buy several books.  I walked out, clutching to my chest, the Bhagavad-gita, the two big Kåñëa Books, the Teachings of Lord Caitanya, and Nectar of Devotion, 3 packs of Incense, and 2 posters, which were rolled up nice and tight with rubber bands.  Not knowing the prices, I handed over  a $20 bill, and he said thank you!

He had no bags to put all this stuff in, So, I had to clutch everything close to my chest, tight and nicely organized, So, that I could walk back to my car that was parked on the curb in front of the Temple.

As I was leaving, this young lady, very pretty and attractive, passed by, and noticed that I was leaving, and she said,

“Prabhu! The class is in the Temple Room over there.”

I then thought in my mind, “WTF is she calling me Prabhu”; so, I continued to think,

“Oh yes, that devotee, told me there would be a lecture, So, let me go hear this lecture and I will find out what these people are all about.”

So, I proceed to the Temple room, which was behind two sets of double doors, separated by a small room, that on the left, and there was a door, and on the right, a bathroom (I did not know then), and a narrow hall way.

Behind the double door leading into the Temple (which I did not know anything about any kind of temple in Los Angeles): I was hearing drums, cymbals and singing, and as I approached the doors, the music stopped, and I could then hear loudly, “Jai”.  “Jai”, and “Jai” over and over, every 3 or So, seconds.

In Bhagavad-gita 7.16 Lord Kåñëa says,

“O best among the Bharatas, four kinds of pious men begin to render devotional service unto Me—the distressed, the desire of wealth, the inquisitive, and he who is searching for knowledge of the Absolute.”

I was not in need of wealth, nonetheless becoming wealthy, I could go with that.

But the other 3 kinds of human conditions were certainly there.  Moreover, at that time “the distressed” was a big-time situation for me.  My wife, had left me, and went away, to live with her lover, in the mountains of Northern California, where he had a Cannabis Farm.  So, you might say, this circumstance, was what is called the “kicker”; an unexpected and often unpleasant discovery or turn of events.  I had been suffering this experience So, much, that many nights before, I would wake up, and cry, and beat on my bed, shouting out,

“Why God!  Why is this happening to me!  Why God, Why!”

And in front of the bed, pinned to the door of the bedroom, was a poster of this man with folded hands, praying to a little boy, and this cow pouring milk on the head of this bluish colored boy.  Of course, at that time, I did not know anything about this poster that my wife had put on the bedroom door.

Previously, I asked her who these persons on the poster are.  She told me, that she did not know, and had bought it in a head-shop on Hollywood Blvd.  At that time, I did not know why I replied the way I did, but I said to her,

“Oh!  That man looks like a king, and that little boy, well I think he is an Alien from outer space, and He controls this Planet Earth.”

All that history as I have explained, brought me to the point in time, when I push the doors open, and what I saw with my eyes, kind of shocked me. 

My right eye, could see this old man, sitting on a lounge seat, that was on a raised platform made of marble, and he was murmuring some phrases, in a language I have never heard before. 

My left eye, had a vision that caused me to feel “fear”; it was the face of Lord Jaganath, and His big round Eyes. 

I am not shy, to say that my mind said at that moment “WTF”.

Right there and then, I actually, thought that I was about to enter an Alien Space Ship.  So, I looked around and down at the door jams, like you can do when you board an airplane, and was satisfied, that they were real, So, I then looked and stared at that old man to my right.  And as I gazed at him, wondering, who is this old man?  Çréla Prabhupada, turned and looked at me, and with the forefinger of his right hand, he motioned to me, to come and sit in front of him.  So, I walked around, devotees who were chanting something softly, as they were prostrated in front of this old man.  I did not even know he was an Indian from India.  I made my way up to the front of this old man, and I sat down.

I noticed, that all the men were on this old man’s right side, and the women on his left.  What made me feel odd, is that he pointed down to his left, and indicated that I sit right in front of him, along with all the women.  My hair was rather long, almost down below my shoulder blades; so maybe he though I was a women hippy; that is why he indicate I sit with the women. I will toot my own horn, and say, that since I was a veery handsome young man, maybe he thought I was a pretty woman, due to my long lair.  I was convicted.

I Looked at him very attentively, and listened to each and every word, that he spoke in English.  Eventfully, the lecture finished, and as I was walking out the double doors, when this devotee with a white sheet robe, (later on I understood this devotee what the biggest book distributer they had), came up to me and said,

“So, what did you think about the lecture; it was So, much nectar, right!”

Not wanting to show my ignorance, I told a lie,

“Oh Yes, that was a great lecture, really interesting, I hope to hear more.”

However, my mind said something else,

“Hey, I did not understand anything he said, because of his accent, I could not understand the English words he used, that were mixed with some other language, which confused me even more. I did not understand what he was talking about at all; his English with his Indian accent made it sound, at least to me, like a foreign language.”

This devotee, then invites me upstairs to have breakfast with the devotees.

It was early in the morning, I had gotten up at 5 am to drive across Los Angeles from the northern suburb, called La Canada Flintridge. And I was really, hungry; so, my mind said,

 “Why not?”

Hence, I when up to that room and sat down, and had a wonderful breakfast, at which I ate for the first time in my life a substance they called “Yogurt”.  I found it wonderful, and the cream of wheat was So, sweet, along with a banana, an apple, and an orange.

After breakfast, It was like all the devotees disappeared as they finished their breakfast.  Therefore, I proceeded to the front of this big building with tall fat round pillars, with several step-in front and sat on the top step.  L find out it used to be a Babtist Church), and read the Introduction, and at the when I finished, I said to myself in my mind,

“This is the information, and answers to so many questions, I have been seeking for, and have never ever been able to get or find”.

That is the story on how and when I contacted Srila Prabhupada.