Back in the Day (Part 2)

So there we were on Forest Ave in Detroit. The first thing that happened to us was that we were able to stop all drinking, smoking and drugs– instantly!! Somehow we were released from the bondage. Of course, twice the first week I had to go out on the back porch and have one last embrace with my dear old friend, Marlboro, before we parted company for good.

There were three bedrooms in the house with big beds in them and we were given one, while Bhagavan das and Jagadisa lived in the other two with their wives, Krishna Bhamani dd and Laxmimoniji.

I was dead serious about leaving my carnal life behind and giving my entire life to devotional service. Every day I would renew my determination to surrender fully, and every day I would experience the presence of a well-wishing, supernatural force helping me.

Each time I would pray fervently to be engaged more in devotional activities, Krsna would act in such a way as to reveal Himself more and more and I would be convinced again that He was there behind the scenes helping me.

When we got back to the temple we had this huge (?) bag with all of our collections for the entire day in it. When we counted it the grand total was $35. We were in bliss. Krsna had really blessed us! People who are relatively new to the movement will find this particularly amusing … because nowadays I understand there are super-refined collectors who are quite capable of getting people all day to donate money and then come back to the temples with hundreds of dollars in one day.

I have never learned how to do this myself and actually in 40 years, I have never even “done” an airport. In the early days of the Krsna Consciousness movement, we approached people and very humbly asked them could they please give a small donation to help increase our movement. Hare Krsna!