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Tribhuvanatha Dasa
by Brishabha Dasa

I was very saddened to find out via Chakra of the passing away of my elder godbrother Tribhuvanatha Dasa. I am one of those who knew him from Bury Place, London, where I joined the Hare Krishna movement in 1972.

Having not seen him in person for about 10 years, as I have lived in Birmingham since leaving ISKCON around 1981, my memories are of him as a healthy man.

I am, by my own admission, a karmi, only chanting about 4-6 rounds of Japa a day. A few devotees I have met again over the years appear to not want to associate with me due to, I believe, fear of material contamination. I feel this because I also felt the same about other people 20-25 years ago. Their thinking, I believe, goes thus;

"If I associate with this person for too long, his karmic desires will infect me and hinder my spiritual progress." Tribhuvanatha Dasa never thought like this and he was always willing to give advice no matter how busy he was. When I met him for the last time it was at Birmingham University at one of those travelling festivals he organised. He is one of my many shiksa or instructional gurus.

All devotees are the friends of everyone. But some even rarer devotees radiate a aura of love for others that one can instinctively feel inside! Dear Tribhuvanatha was like that, as are also probably hundreds of others in ISKCON, yet still most rare in human society!

I too have a serious stomach complaint which, I feel, has not been properly diagnosed and which keeps me awake every night such I generally only sleep for a maximum of two or three hours in one go. So I might have some idea of what pains dear Tribhuvanatha Prabhu was going through? I know he has gone to a better life, perhaps even Krishna Himself! My one wish is that I just might be as fortunate as him and, just maybe, see him in person again.

Your servant
Brishabha Dasa.

© CHAKRA 26 October 2001