A Letter from Jivananda Prabhu

Dearest Srila Prabhupada,

Please accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Your Divine Grace! All glories to my most merciful Guru-maharaja! All glories to Gauranga!

It would appear that I sit in my nine-by-six-feet cell at Oregon State Penitentiary (OSP), but I’ve gone within, where I sit at your lotus feet in my heart to write this letter.

Oregon State Penitentiary

Srila Prabhupada, by your causeless mercy we have been given so much facility to study and practice Krishna consciousness here at this prison. The devotees who come to lead our Hare Krishna Worship Services stand at our book- and CD-locker and marvel, looking through books they’ve only heard about but never seen, their eyes wide as they say, “You have more books than any temple library I’ve ever seen!” They see over three hundred CDs of music and lectures. Yes, Srila Prabhupada, all your lectures are here, and so many DVDs as well.

That is the selfless service of the ISKCON Prison Ministries. The devotees have been so kind to us, and they care for us so much! So many have found Krishna here at the OSP, and they are taking their Krishna consciousness to the streets, staying in touch with Bhakta Jerry and Chandrasekhara Prabhu, who help and encourage them in their practice.

Now that they’ve got out of prison, they are staying in touch with me as well, and I relish their association through their letters. As new men find Krishna, it’s just like finding Krishna all over again for me too. I get to see Krishna through their eyes.

Oh, I’ve seen them shed tears, thanking Krishna for bringing them to prison; they realize that if they had not ended up in prison, they might never have found Him.

It looks like a prison, but it’s really a holy dhama—because you have come here in your books, CDs, and DVDs.

We have fruitful interfaith talks with Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, even Wiccan witches, all of whom relished the fact that bhakti is the highest and only way to revive our dormant love of God. They love to come to our Hare Krishna Worship Service and chant and dance with us.

Your books take us to the land of transcendental love and devotion, which is so vast. As long as we keep this knowledge between our ears and deep within our hearts, it’s not like we’re in prison at all—because our cells have become temples; the yard, Lord Krishna’s garden; and the whole prison, Goloka Vrndavana. Haribol!

All of this is happening just by one spark of your boundless mercy. Thank you, Srila Prabhupada, for leaving us with only one desire: more service. Please bless us with service to the devotees of ISKCON Prison Ministries; they are helping thousands of souls come to Krishna, encouraging them and caring for them. We beg for the glory of their service, and service to the new bhaktas. Haribol!

Your most humble servant,
Jivananda dasa

• You find other letters from Jivananda Prabhu at this address:
  www.dandavats.com/?p=4552