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GLORIOUS LIFE OF A GLORIOUS DEVOTEE


"What is the value of a prolonged life which is wasted, inexperienced by years in this world? Better a moment of full consciousness, because that gives one a start in searching after his supreme interest." - Srimad-bhagvatam 2.1.12

THE WINNER OF HEARTS
Today is the disappearance day of His Grace Jayananda Prabhu. He left his body, a day before Narasimha chaturdashi in the year 1977. Jayananda Prabhu is an example of a perfect devotee whom every devotee should follow. Born as Jim Khor, Jayananda Prabhu became one of the intital and senior most disciple of Srila Prabhupada. He was a mechanical engineer by education but he chose a simple, humble profession of a taxi driver in order to be free from an artificial life of name and fame. He was already a kind of spiritual seeker therefore, as soon as he came in touch with Srila Prabhupada and the Krishna Conscious movement, he got hooked onto it and took it up with all seriousness right from day one. He was enthusiasm personified. Whether it was his chanting of his rounds, performing street Sankirtan, distributing books, distributing prasadam or cleaning the trash of the temple, he did every service with gratitude and enthusiasm. So much was his enthusiasm that anyone who came in touch with him naturally felt enthusiastic. Everyone loved to be with Jayananda. Everyone longed for the opportunity to serve alongside him because they knew that he had so much love and concern for every devotee and every person. He genuinely wanted people to take up Krishna consciousness. He was convinced that it was the most wonderful thing in the entire world. 

THE SPIRITUAL TAXI DRIVER
He would drive taxi throughout the day and gave his entire earning to run the San Francisco ISKCON center. His earning was one of the main source for the temple expenditure in those initial and crucial days. Whoever would sit in his taxi somehow could feel that this is not an ordinary taxi driver. They could sense that he was a special and a genuine person. Very often, these unknown people would open their hearts to him, reveal their problems and seek his counsel. In this way, Jayananda Prabhu would preach to hundreds and thousands of people. Krishna was arranging souls to come in touch with him and thereby giving them a chance to kick-start their spiritual life in his association. His material taxi driving activity became his spiritual preaching ground. And the next day, while giving the morning discourse to the devotees in the temple, he would share his experiences from meeting so many people and convince devotees that material life is suffering and the only bliss is in Krishna consciousness. 

THE BUSIEST DISCIPLE
Whenever Srila Prabhupada visited San Francisco, the first question he would ask was, "Where is Jayananda?". Srila Prabhupada had such deep love for Jayananda Prabhu. Prabhupada knew of his sincerity and his dedication. Jayananda Prabhu would be so busy serving Prabhupada's mission that he hardly had time for himself. When devotees would be sitting near Prabhupada and basking in his Sangha, Jayananda Prabhu would be busy serving in the background. Prabhupada would stop his discussion and tell devotees to call Jayananda Prabhu in the room. Devotees would with great difficulty find Jayananda Prabhu doing some menial service and bring him in the presence of Prabhupada. Prabhupada would be so happy to see his most sincere disciple, Jayananda. Jayananda Prabhu would come and sit at the back and as Srila Prabhupada would speak the philosophy, he would fall asleep. When devotees tried to wake Jayananda Prabhu, Prabhupada stopped them by saying, "Let him sleep. He needs rest." Prabhupada knew how hard working Jayananda was. Prabhupada had complete trust in him.

THE ONE-MAN ARMY
Jayananda Prabhu being the senior most devotee was made the temple president of the San Francisco temple many times. He would accept the post but as soon as he found any junior devotee who can be the temple president, he would make him the temple president and happily work under him. He had no attachment to posts and positions - all he wanted was the opportunity to serve. He had great faith in the power of Lord's prasadam. He would cook lots of prasadam, eat lots of prasadam and distribute lots of prasadam. He also had great faith in the Ratha Yatra of Lord Jagannath. Being a mechanical engineer, he single handedly designed the Ratha, made the Ratha with his own hands, collected donations for the Ratha Yatra, got permissions for the Ratha Yatra. Everything from the scratch to the end. Before the Ratha Yatra festival, he would work day and night without sleeping and without any trace of complaints or tiredness. On the contrary, he would be so grateful to be blessed with such a special service. Srila Prabhupada gave the entire credit for the successful Ratha Yatra festivals in San Francisco to Jayananda Prabhu. 

THE UNSTOPPABLE
In the year 1977 when it was time for the annual Ratha Yatra, he was detected leukemia. But that didn't stop him from his services. He didn't want the Ratha Yatra to get hampered because of his health. He spearheaded the Ratha Yatra celebrations that year also, completely neglecting his health. He told devotees not to tell Prabhupada about his having terminal cancer. After lots of persuasion, he reluctantly agreed to be hospitalised because he considered spending money to take care of his body as a sheer waste. Even in the hospital he kept preaching to the hospital staff till his last moment. Jayananda Prabhu was unstoppable in his service attitude. And finally, on this day, the day before Narasimha chaturdashi, he left this mortal world to join the spiritual world to serve His eternal Lord eternally.  

THE EVERGREEN HERO
Srila Prabhupada was so pained to hear about the departure of his most sincere disciple. But, he was also happy that Jayananda Prabhu had lived a glorious life. He had dedicated his money, his energy, his body, his very existence in the service of his Guru. What can be a more glorious life than this! Srila Prabhupada instructed all devotees to follow the exemplary example of Jayananda Prabhu. He also told devotees, that devotees of ISKCON for all time to come should observe the disappearance day of Jayananda Prabhu like any other Vaishnava Acharya of the past and that the photo of Jayananda Prabhu be placed prominently in every Ratha Yatra all over the world for all time to come. Such is the glorious life of Jayananda Prabhu. In just ten short years, he perfected his life by plunging fully in the process of Krishna consciousness without any hesitation. Let us seek the blessings of Jayananda Prabhu so that we too can whole heartedly surrender to the process of Krishna consciousness like he did and make our life successful. 

His Grace Jayananda Prabhu ki jai.

- Achyut Gopal Das

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