BHAKTA DAS PART 8 --- Finding Srila Prabhupada and the First Days in Krishna Consciousness

In Part 8 of the Bhakta Das interview series, Canurari Das, interviews Bhakta Das, also known as William Benedict, about the first days of his life in Krishna consciousness and the moment he recognized Srila Prabhupada as his spiritual master. The conversation returns to Bhakta Das's first meeting with the devotees in Laguna Beach in 1969. He recalls meeting Durlab, whose presence affected him more deeply than anything he said. Durlab was speaking with an intelligent atheist, quoting Bhagavad Gita while the atheist quoted Marx, Trotsky, and other materialist thinkers. Coming from a Christian background, Bhakta Das experienced the exchange as a debate between divine truth and worldly temptation. Bhakta Das says that when he approached Durlab, he began to shake, his hairs stood on end, and when he looked into Durlab's eyes he felt he was seeing beyond time and space. At first he thought Durlab might be the guru he had been seeking. When he asked directly, "Are you my guru?" Durlab said no and pointed to a large photo of Srila Prabhupada above the Mystic Arts store. Bhakta Das says that the moment he saw Prabhupada's photo, he felt Prabhupada reach out from the picture and claim him: "You are coming with me." His faith was immediate. Durlab taught him the Hare Krishna maha-mantra and told him to return the next day to go to the temple. Bhakta Das remembers asking how much the mantra cost, because other spiritual groups were charging for mantras. When Durlab told him it was free, it confirmed his feeling that God would not charge money for spiritual truth. That night, an atheist took him to a Denny's and tried to persuade him not to follow the devotees, offering travel, women, LSD, and material enjoyment. Bhakta Das felt he was being tested, like Jesus being tempted in the wilderness, and he had no interest. The next morning, after sleeping on the beach and swimming in the ocean, he discovered that a silver crucifix he had kept was gone. Internally, he felt that Lord Jesus had guided him to Prabhupada and completed that part of his journey. Bhakta Das then describes his first prasadam at the Los Angeles temple in 1969. He remembers samosas, pakoras, halava, sweet rice, vegetables, fruit salad, and nectar, saying the prasadam was so powerful it felt like spiritual LSD. He connects this with Gargamuni, the LA temple president, whose love for excellent prasadam helped create the atmosphere of the early temple. The interview explores how Krishna consciousness answered his search. Bhakta Das says he did not first understand the philosophy in detail; he simply knew Prabhupada was his guru and that whatever Prabhupada taught, he would accept. Learning that God is a person, with a form, home, friends, associates, and pastimes, filled him with joy. He wanted everyone to know, and was shocked that family and friends were not interested. He also speaks about his family's reaction. His father thought he was crazy, while his mother was relieved that Krishna consciousness got him away from drugs but upset when he refused college and work in favor of chanting. She eventually put his clothes outside and told him to leave. Sitting on the sidewalk with nowhere to go, he kept chanting. Soon after, a family friend offered him a job in Alaska. The money he earned there was donated toward the down payment on the Los Angeles temple on La Cienega, the first building ISKCON ever bought. Bhakta Das recalls early Laguna Beach temple life: a small group of devotees, daily sankirtan, selling magazines, collecting donations, Sunday feasts, and strict discipline. He remembers being corrected constantly by senior devotees and learning to respond, "Yes, Prabhu." Internally he sometimes resisted, but he practiced surrender because he wanted to become Prabhupada's disciple. He says he never felt he gave anything up; he became happy. He reflects on LSD-era realizations and says Krishna consciousness confirmed his understanding of karma, reincarnation, responsibility, and the need for a spiritual master, while revealing what he had not known: Krishna, Rama, Vrindavan, the cowherd boys, the gopis, and God as an eternal youthful person who sings, dances, plays music, and enjoys. The final section turns to Los Angeles temple memories. Bhakta Das remembers Vishnujana as temple commander and sankirtan leader, with a beautiful voice, immense energy, and complete absorption in devotional service. Vishnujana inspired everyone to sleep less, chant more, serve more, and hold nothing back. Bhakta Das recalls being told to speak publicly on his first LA sankirtan outing and later crying deeply when Vishnujana took sannyasa and left. He names many early LA devotees, shares a vivid Karandhar story, and remembers ecstatic aratis after long days of sankirtan, with Vishnujana and several women devotees leading kirtans. He describes feeling as if Krishna were hugging him as he danced.