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EDITORIAL  Remembering Bahudak Dasa BY DHARMATMA DASA EDITORIAL, Mar 10 (VNN) — Sitting in a large circle with many others, at our first Sunday feast and contact with the Hare Krishna's, mother Lakhima and I took in the surroundings. Wonderful incense filled the air and around the room were beautiful posters of Krsna and His pastimes. Two boys dressed in orange began chanting the Hare Krshna mantra but they were a little off key and seemed not too certain of what they were doing. We were just about to get up and leave as "this Happening" just didn't seem to be, when from out side came a sweet and melodious sound accompanied by drums and cymbals. Bahudak with a huge smile on his face along with twenty singing and dancing devotees proceeded to weave between all of us guests and had us dancing and chanting like madmen within moments. Next he gave an inspiring and personal talk on the joys of Krshna Conscious life and then personally served us the most incredible foodstuffs we had ever tasted. He payed special attention to both of us and totally won us over with the help of mother Nirupama's strawberry malpura. So attracted were we that we came for mangala arotike the next morning and moved into the temple the following day and then I had the honor of being separated from my beard and shoulder length locks, by Bahudak and his accomplice Uttamasloka prabhu. Bahudak helped to make life in Vancouver temple joyous and ever-fresh. Our days were spent having ecstatic morning programs, huge bowls of halavah for breakfast, steet samkirtan and book distribution all day, and door to door in the early evening, returning to relish hot banana milk and Krsna book stories just before retiring. Bahudak was there for it all guiding and sweetly encouraging all the devotees with his trademark smile and kind words. He was a real Prabhupada man and fearless in his efforts to please him. In '72 we participated in what was called a "Gathering of the Tribes" at the Vancouver Colesium. We had a large booth set up with books, incense and prasadam. The headliners were the Rolling Stones and we were called up on the massive stage to warm up the crowd, and warm them up we did. Bahudak and the devotee band had the entire crowd on their feet chanting and dancing. It was an amazing experience for me as a new devotee. The Stones then came on and this was our cue to leave. When we tried to exit, the police told us to stay inside as a riot was in progress outside. The crowd had become ugly due to not being able to get inside to see the show. Bahudak calmly explained to the police chief that the kids liked us and let us try to quiet them with our chanting. The chief reluctantly said ok, but at your own risk. I have to say that it was very frightening leaving the safety of the building, but Bahudak assured us and told us to just have faith in the Holy Name. Bahudak led us through the no-mans land littered with hundreds of broken bottles to the police barriers and then right into the angry mob. It was incredibly tense but as we chanted some of the kids began to join in with us and little by little the mood of the crowd changed and they gradually began to dispurse. The next day an article in the paper read, "Krishna's help to quell riot." In those early days Bahudak prabhu taught, nurtured, inspired and gave so many of us a wonderful example of a Vaisnava devotee. I am thankful to have had his association. All glories to Srila Prabhupada by who's mercy even the most fallen can know the Supreme Lord. Your servant, Dharmatma dasa dgorrick@aol.com Contact VNN about this story  Send this story to a friend
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