San Francisco, 1967
After her ten-day trip to New York, Joan returned to Oregon along with Mukunda and Janaki. Swamiji had asked the newly married couple to try to start a Krishna conscious temple on the West Coast, and en route they picked up two old friends, Sam Speerstra (later initiated as Syamasundara Dasa) and his girlfriend, Melanie Nagel (Malati Devi Dasi), as well as Joan's boyfriend, Roger Siegel. In Oregon’s quiet forests these three couples began chanting Hare Krishna together and Joan spent hours studying the first three volumes of the Srimad-Bhagavatam that Swamiji had written and brought with him from India. Before long the small group started a temple in San Francisco and soon Swamiji joined them. Attending his lectures, kirtanas, and informal gatherings, tasting the depth of his wisdom, the purity of his love, and the beauty of the Krishna conscious philosophy he presented and lived, Joan was captivated. She decided to become Swamiji's disciple.
On initiation, Joan received the name Yamuna Devi Dasi, and Roger, initiated at the same time, became Gurudasa. The next day Swamiji married them and explained how husband and wife should keep Krishna in the center of their lives, serve Him, and assist one another.
Yamuna: When Swamiji went on his daily morning walks anyone could go with him. So I was walking with him one morning and I said, “Swamiji, do you think sometime you could allow us to go to Vrindavan with you?” He turned around and said, “Yes, I will take you to Vrindavan one day, I will show you Vrindavan on foot.” I thought that was the most hopeful thing I had ever heard in my life. I was just waiting for that time to come.
By the time Swamiji left San Francisco in April, he had introduced Yamuna to traditional Vaishnava cooking, prasada distribution, singing devotional songs, and deity worship. Yamuna, an exceptionally sincere student, took up these devotional activities with care, attention, and love.
In May, Yamuna and Gurudasa received their first letter from Swamiji, sent from New York: “I have very good appreciation for both of you, Gurudasa and Yamuna. You are two good souls, now you have combined. Live peacefully, chant Hare Krishna, and be happy in your life.” (May 5, 1967)
The next month, Swamiji suffered a stroke and asked all his disciples to petition Lord Krishna with the prayer “My dear Lord, my spiritual master has not yet completed his work. Please protect him.” In the burgeoning Haight-Ashbury temple, Yamuna and the other devotees stayed up all night praying and chanting. They later received word from Swamiji: “Due to your sincere and ardent prayer, Krishna has saved my life.” To recuperate, Swamiji returned to India, and from Vrindavan wrote to Gurudasa: “Regarding Yamuna, your wife, I’ve got a very great regard, because she is a very sincere girl. I’m sure you should feel fortunate to have such a wife. Please offer my blessings to her, and always cooperate with your wife in the service of the Lord. You'll be happy eternally.” (August 24, 1967)
Inspired to please Swamiji and Lord Krishna, in 1967 the San Francisco devotees celebrated the Western world’s first Rathayatra. They reported to Swamiji: “It was wonderful! It was a beautiful day. The hippies loved it, and so many joined the procession that the parade had to move slowly.” Yamuna was on the cart, sometimes playing the harmonium and singing over the loudspeakers and at other times distributing flowers and cut fruits to people in the crowd.
His health restored, Swamiji continued to enhance his followers’ service to Krishna.
Yamuna: The very first decoration that was given to Lord Jagannatha was given by Swamiji in December of 1967 when he returned from India. He explained that we could make clothes for Lord Jagannatha, and he asked for volunteers to sew. Harsharani and I volunteered. So for the 1968 Rathayatra, Jagannatha, Subhadra, and Balarama were in red satin, and we got some wonderful garlands of fragrant flowers for their red turbans.
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