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On behalf of his Godbrothers and Sisters in Memory of Chaitanya Simha

14 November 2015. 76 years ago today, a boy named John was born in an insignificant bump in the road called Moose Hill, Ontario, in Canada. He grew up on a farm where his parents raised cows for slaughter. Later, he left home and travelled to Port Hardy, at the north end of Vancouver Island. He was into all kinds of intoxication,

But one day, a friend sent him Srila Prabhupada's Bhagavad-gita As It Is. After reading it, John

decided to go to Vancouver and spend his Christmas holidays at the Hare Krishna Temple on 16th and Burrard. He went out every day with another new bhakta, named Roger. John soon became known as Krishna John and was a popular sight on the corner of Georgia and Granville, happily distributing Srila Prabhupada's books and Spiritual Sky incense.

The tale unfolds that Srila Prabhupada heard about Krishna John in Vancouver and his architectural and engineering knowhow. He sent for him to come to Los Angeles and design an incense-making machine for Spiritual Sky incense factory. Pleased with the results, Srila Prabhupada asked him to stay and complete the L.A. temple construction for Sri Sri Rukmini Dwarakadish. He also designed and built the first Chakra in North America to grace the top of the temple, and Prabhupada was so pleased. During this time, he because first, and then brahmana initiated, and Srila Prabhupada gave our Krishna John the name of Caitanya Simha das.

One day, Srila Prabhupada called him to his room and told Caitanya Simha of a new building that had been purchased in New York City; a 13-story tall building, ISKCON's first big building in New York. Prabhupada was excited, just like a small child. It was an old nursing home, in bad repair, and needed to be completely rewired and new plumbing throughout, and so many major renovations had to be made. Caitanya was about to say that it would take a year to complete the transformation, when Srila Prabhupada said, "I am scheduled to be in New York in 6 weeks..." Caitanya Simha packed up his small family and moved to New York in the morning. 6 weeks later, Srila Prabhupada arrived on schedule, and the temple was finished.

From there Prabhupada sent him to Bhaktivedanta Manor for some reconstruction work, then to Bombay, to complete the construction of the Juhu Beach temple and the guest house and Prabhupada's living quarters. Then on to land which had been donated in Gujarat, where Caitanya started an ISKCON farm and built a temple, and a goshalla with 8 cows.

Once that project was up and running, Srila Prabhupada requested him to go to Hyderabad farm, a 600-acre project in South India which was in trouble. Caitanya rescued the farm, planted the land, developed cow protection, established the temple and Deity worship, all for Srila Prabhupada, his beloved guide and spiritual master. During that time, he heard that Srila Prabhupada was in Vrndavan, very ill and soon to be leaving his body. With no money and great difficulty, he travelled to Vrndavan in the hopes of seeing his master one more time. By the time he arrived, early in the evening, just days before Srila Prabhupada's departure, he was told that Prabhupada was no longer seeing any devotees. The doors were closed and he could not get in.

While he and his family were standing outside Srila Prabhupada's windows which overlooked a small garden, suddenly the heavy drapes were pulled aside and the French doors were opened, and they could take a last personal darshan of their beloved Srila Prabhupada. No one else was there. Later Bhavananda Prabhu told them that the doors and windows had been closed for many weeks, but suddenly Srila Prabhupada ordered them to be opened. Jaya Srila Prabhupada!

Just days after Caitanya returned to Hyderabad Farm, Srila Prabhupada left for his nitya lila and returned to Krishna's lotus feet. Although many left, Caitanya understood that Srila Prabhupada remains always with us in his books, his vani, tapes, lectures, and the worldwide association of devotees. Srila Prabhupada is ever-present in his mission to follow in Lord Caitanya's footsteps and to distribute Krishna in the form of His Holy Name to every town and village around the globe. He kindly allows and encourages us to assist in this mission, and so Caitanya Simha Prabhu did just that, carrying on to assist in establishing temples and communities in Bangalore, Bhadrak, Bhubaneswar, and then to Sri Mayapur dham. He designed and built the beautiful fountain, which graced the front lawn of Mayapur for so many years. He helped with Srila Prabhupada's Samadhi and most recently with the TOVP, Srila Prabhupada's most ambitious project to date.

Today, Caitanya Simha Prabhu has left his body in Sri Mayapur dham, in the month of Kartik, after calling out to Srila Prabhupada. One of his last visitors was Bhakta Roger (for many years now His Grace Riddha Prabhu, his sankirtan buddy from Georgia and Granville days. What a full circle!

Caitanya Simha has always given his all to his beloved spiritual master. Prabhupada called him again and again and he did not ever hesitate to do whatever was asked of him. Now is the final great test, and he is ready and surrendered to go wherever Srila Prabhupada is calling him next...on to the next big project Prabhupada has waiting for him or right back Home to Godhead, whatever Prabhupada wants.

This is the amazing legacy that Srila Prabhupada has given us. When one small boy from Moose Hill, Ontario, with such a seemingly inauspicious beginning, can leave material life forever, and return finally to the spiritual world. This is the amazing gift that Srila Prabhupada has given each and every one of us. We have only to follow the example of Caitanya Simha Prabhu and surrender to Prabhupada's lotus feet.

Hare Krishna!
Written by
Racitambara devi dasi