April 1 through June 30, 1966

The Bowery Summary

Beginning with the first meetings at the Bowery loft, more people attend the classes. Srila Prabhupada maintains contact with Dr. Mishra and occasionally visits Ananda Ashram on weekends. Harvey Cohen loans Srila Prabhupada his typewriter, and Paul Murray supplies a tape recorder for the classes. Paul expresses seriousness about becoming a Vaisnava and runs daily errands for Srila Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada attempts unsuccessfully to get free passage for Paul to go to India on the Scindia shipping line. At the end of April Srila Prabhupada vacates the room on Seventy-second Street. Around the beginning of May, Carl Yeargens, later to be initiated as Karlapati dasa, begins attending the meetings and donates a tape recorder. At the request of some students, Srila Prabhupada begins teaching Sanskrit. On May 9 fourteen men and women attend the class.

Srila Prabhupada begins the process of incorporating a society and gives Carl a copy of the Memorandum of Association of the League of Devotees, which he had used years ago in India, so he can consult with a lawyer. Srila Prabhupada discusses with Carl the use of the drug LSD and convinces him that it is unnecessary for spiritual revelation. Srila Prabhupada receives a letter from Mangalniloy Brahmacari in India, who offers to come to America to help in the mission.

On May 25 Srila Prabhupada holds consultations about incorporating the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Some days later, Srila Prabhupada meets with Stephen Goldsmith, a lawyer. This effort continues until July, when the society is registered.

At the end of May Paul's behavior becomes erratic due to intoxication. Srila Prabhupada looks for a new place.

In June the weather becomes very hot and attendance at the classes increases. On June 9 Srila Prabhupada receives the final letter from Sir Padampat Singhania refusing to help with purchasing a temple building. On Sunday June 12, Srila Prabhupada holds the first feast for the members of his fledgling society and cooks twelve different preparations. Sixteen people attend. On June 23 Mike, later to become Mukunda dasa, asks to become a Vaisnava and tells Srila Prabhupada that he will marry his girlfriend. Later on in September, at Srila Prabhupada's apartment on 26 Second Avenue, Mukunda and Janaki are married in the first wedding ceremony to take place in ISKCON presided over by Srila Prabhupada, although this event is not mentioned by Srila Prabhupada in the journal.