On May 1, 1977, the day before the festival honoring the appearance of Lord Nrisimha, Srila Prabhupada’s dear disciple Jayananda Dasa passed from this world.
Shortly thereafter, Srila Prabhupada wrote in a letter, “Jayananda’s death is glorious. . . . He has left his body very wonderfully, and he has been transferred to Vaikuntha. . . . Everyone should follow the example of Jayananda. I am very proud that I had such a nice disciple. If possible Jayananda’s picture should be hung in the ratha [festival chariot] of Lord Jagannatha, and in all of our temples a day may be set aside for holding a festival in his honor, just as we do on the disappearance day of the other great Vaisnavas.”
Jayananda Prabhu was one of Prabhupada’s first disciples in San Francisco, the site of ISKCON’s second temple. During his years of dedicated service to Srila Prabhupada, he inspired many, many people, devotees and non-devotees alike.
Jayananda was the all-American boy. Handsome, strong, intelligent, born in a more than middle-class family, Jayananda (Jim Kohr) took a degree in mechanical engineering from Ohio State University. With a background like that, it is surprising that Jayananda ended up as a cab driver in San Francisco. Karandhara once asked him why he didn’t get a better-paying job. “I didn’t fit in with the upper class crowd,” he said.
Always introspective in nature, Jayananda felt empty and unsatisfied within himself during his college years. He would often say that he was “never happy” before joining Krishna consciousness. His depression was almost suicidal when, in 1967, he read a small article in a San Francisco paper, about an Indian Swami who had come to the Bay Area to propagate the chanting of the names of God. Jayananda recalled feeling a “ray of hope” when he read that article. Thinking the Swami may have something to offer, Jayananda made up his mind to attend the Swami’s lectures.
Srila Prabhupada’s early lectures in the Bay Area were mostly attended by hippies, and Jayananda was one of the only “straight” people there. Jayananda later recalled that, “I wasn’t much of a religionist, but I was attracted to Srila Prabhupada.” He was especially fond of attending the early morning lectures because at that hour, most of the hippies would be in bed. On some occasions Jayananda would be the only guest listening to Srila Prabhupada speak from the Bhagavatam.
Srila Prabhupada was always fond of Jayananda, and sometimes he would invite his budding disciple to take prasad with him in his room. “Srila Prabhupada would cook prasad and serve me,” Jayananda recalled. “He didn’t say anything – he just kept feeding me, and I kept eating.” Jayananda soon donated his life savings of $5,000 to Srila Prabhupada to help His Divine Grace print the Bhagavad-Gita As It Is. As more and more devotees joined ISKCON in the Bay Area, Jayananda continued to work as a cab driver and supported the Temple by contributing all of his earnings.
Jayananda knew how to attract people to Krishna consciousness with the prasadam weapon. When a new devotee came, for example, Jayananda would see to it that he was sumptuously fed with prasadam. When Jambavan Das was just becoming a devotee, Jayananda would bring him a plate of prasadam so big that he thought he could never eat it all. When he finally did finish the plate, Jayananda immediately put an identical plate down before him. “I can’t eat that,” said Jambavan. “Srila Prabhupada said that we should eat ’til we waddle like a duck,” said Jayananda. Jambavan would finish the second plate.
Another example of his attachment to Krishna consciousness is Jayananda’s love for kirtan (chanting). Jayananda was always eager to take the whole Temple out on hari-nama chanting parties. He had a special attraction for chanting in the streets. Whether kirtan was held in the temple or in the street, Jayananda could always be seen dancing and chanting enthusiastically.
Of all the processes of Krishna consciousness, Jayananda was most attached to preaching. Whether it was during the Sunday feast, while making incense runs, or while building Ratha-yatra carts, Jayananda was always trying to find some person with whom he could share his ecstasy in Krishna consciousness. His preaching was very simple and easy to listen to. “We just have to keep chanting and have faith in the Name.” “We just have to chant and take prasadam. Srila Prabhupada is so kind to give us such a simple process.”
Humility was certainly Jayananda’s most prominent quality. He treated everyone as his superior, even new devotees. He avoided praise like the plague. Devotees got to know that if they wanted to be around him, they’d better not praise Jayananda. Otherwise he would simply leave. He was very special, and yet no one paid any special attention to him. That was just the way he liked things.
Jayananda would use his personal charm with people to get them to give everything free or at a discount for Krishna. Without spending huge sums of money, he would personally collect nearly all the bhoga, flowers, lumber, paint, and everything else needed to put on Ratha-yatra each year.
Although he was a senior devotee and could have had anything he wanted, he always dressed in old dhotis and work clothes which he’d buy for one dollar per set at the Salvation Army thrift store.
Jayananda’s final meeting with Srila Prabhupada took place in New York City at the 1976 Ratha-yatra. When Prabhupada arrived at the airport, Jayananda drove the car to pick him up. Prabhupada was sitting in the back seat and he asked, “Who is driving?”
The devotees said, “This is Jayananda.” “Oh, I know Jayananda,” said Prabhupada. “He gave me $5,000 to print my Bhagavad-Gita.”
The ultimate expression of Jayananda’s fearlessness came at the end of his life when he was diagnosed with leukemia and cancer of the lymph glands. Even in his last few months in L.A. temple, Jayananda never succumbed to fear or self-pity.
The festival managers will readily admit that, without Jayananda’s presence, the first Ratha-yatra festival in L.A. would not have taken place in 1977. Thus he proved that by engaging in devotional service, one transcends even the fear of death.
Source: https://www.ramaiswami.com/jayananda-prabhu-disappearance/
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