Caitanya Dasi

On Feb 11th, I awoke to shocking news that a godsister, Caitanya [pronounced Chaitanya] dasi, passed on.
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Though I knew she had some health issues, I had no idea they were as serious as this - which is probably why I was startled when she left this world. 

That morning, my husband told me she was to have brain surgery to remove a tumor. I thought this was the cause of her death. But no. A fb devotee explained that her heart gave out - they never had the chance to do the surgery.
  
If ya have to go, the best way is when you can hear the holy names. And that is exactly how she went; hearing Prabhupada chant.  She also left on  Advaita Acaryas Appearance Day - which is an auspicious time to pass over. 

Caitanya dasi was/is a disciple of Srila Prabhupada..

Did you know she came from a wealthy family and gave it up to become a devotee? She was also an excellent cook for Krishna. Active in devotional theater, as well as singing for Krishna. So much more.



Pic of Michael Douglas, Caitanya dasi and other devotees -  taken during a movie they were all in, for a minute. Caitanya dasi met many very famous people, including rock stars, but was never tempted by those connections.

I can not claim to have been her close friend, yet not a distant acquaintance either. We were neighbors. Before that, I heard of her. Plus of an unusual experience she had. It's important to make sure these things are not just "what's going around," but true.

So I asked her directly.  When she visited the Laguna Beach temple [where I was living at the time.]

And Caitanya dasi told me a most wonderful story.  When giving birth to her twins, one was dying.

She prayed to Lord Narasimhadeva who actually appeared to her, and saved that twin.[She is NO sahajiya, does not have a pattern of this; it actually happened!]

I wondered, why does her leaving bother me this much? Well any should initially be unpleasant, of course. Yet I couldn't seem to shake it, nor rise above it. There felt to be more than that going on inside me. Had to think.  Here is what I now suspect it to be.: 

In addition to her current absence - because that is there - to me it's also a part of the break down of the old Movement! The way things were when Prabhupada was here. The spiritual family, breaking down.

If I close my eyes hard enough, I can almost hear / imagine Prabhupada calling her, as he did so many others who are slowly but surely leaving. Those names, those who helped build the original Movement, for Prabhupada of course, all have a special meaning to me..

I respected and admired her as well as all the service she did. Now, another devotee from the early days, strong in her sadhana, has bit the dust. sigh

I remember the first-in-my-life trip to California, New Dwarka/L.A.temple, where I moved. There was a "block party." The street was legally closed off so we could celebrate Janmastami.

Caitanya dasi was putting on puppet shows for the kids! I had a little baby at the time. Therefore this gave me hope that I was in the right place for children too..

With that said, it was good to read she actually was ready to go:  :

 One devotee wrote: "I'm feeling overwhelmed with emotion but I want to at this time say goodbye to my godsister and lifelong friend, Caitanya Dasi. She wanted to go, she was ready to go and now she's gone from a body that was a source of pain and suffering. She's free now to move on in her spiritual journey back to home, back to Godhead.  All glories to our spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada."

Govinda dasi wrote: "May she rest softly at the lotus feet of our Srila Prabhupada, this wonderful jiva known to everyone as Caitanya dasi Prabhu, a true disciple, a prabhu, dedicated to the lotus footprints of Srila Prabhupada , that great personality who is ever inviting us to join hin in lila."

Me: "May Lord Narasimha who protected one of her twins, now surround and protect Caitanya dasi, plus directing her on the other side. May she be serving Krishna "somewhere" out there, even better now with a new body, to always remember Krishna and never forget Him. Hare Krishna dear Caitanya dasi, who I was lucky to have gotten to know even a little. Such a strong, sincere, soul! May the maha mantra surround her: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare."

NaraDevi wrote: "Caitanya Dasi came to me in my dreams last night. She was young and so beautiful. She told me she felt so much better, and she led an ecstatic kirtan. She was with Stila Prabhupada. Can't remember details, but at least I remembered some of the dream. So no worries, she is happy and free of pain, and leading ecstatic kirtans everywhere she goes. All glories to your devotion and dedicated service to Srila Prabhupada, Caitanya Dasi, please come back and visit me any time you can. I remain your eternal servant." 

It is said by 'genuine' mystics, that one way to know if it is real, is that they are more likely to come to you in a dream 1 to 3 days after their departure, and not likely after that. Technically they can after, but a whole other topic. ha Anyhow, 1 to 3 days is the normal for a genuine visit, and it wasn't but one day when Nara had this happen!

Not saying I'm a big follower of psychis or mystics. I'm not. However, the science is still out there and practiced in India as a form of yoga. So some type or degree of it can happen once in a while to anyone. 

What's important is that she left hearing Prabhupada chanting, and on a very auspicious day!  Advaita Acaryas Appearance Day.

Caitanya dasi memorium - This includes some humor, bits of theater she was in, etc.


And here, Caitanya dasi speaks her memories of Prabhupada and the Movement in general. 

Lovely Poem: "At Last I am Finally Home,"by Caitanya Dasi - Sorry, video was deleted but I keep this here in hopes that one day it will be reposted 'some place.'

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