The Life And Times Of Bhakta Jim: As Told By Himself, With Elaborate Purports

In the last years of the 1970's I was involved with the Hare Krishna movement. If for some reason you weren't, this is the book that will tell you what you missed. After leaving the movement I wrote a memoir about it which I put in a box in my closet and mostly forgot. The Life And Times Of Bhakta Jim is based on that old manuscript, with new commentary that tries to look back on those days with understanding and humor.

If you ever wondered what Eat, Pray, Love would be like if it was written by a man be advised that this is NOT THAT BOOK.

Table Of Contents

1. Dedication
2. Epigraph
3. Writing My Own Hagiography
4. What To Expect From This Book
5. How I Got There
6. The Pleasure Of The Soul
7. I Become A Fringie
8. God On Parade
9. God Has A Birthday
10. I Meet Some Gurus (And Am Unimpressed)
11. Mother Mishrani Shaves Up
12. A Short Lived Spiritual Marriage
13. A Visit To The Women's Ashram
14. A Guru's Ultimatum: Don't Refuse The Mercy!
15. Bhakta Jim Joins The Bhakta Program
16. The Transcendental Drama
17. I Get An Apartment Near The Temple
18. The Bhaktas Visit A Farm
19. Bhakta Jim, Book Distributor
20. On Parade With The Black Muslims
21. The Coming Atomic War Of 1979
22. Janmastami
23. The Bhaktas Go To Jail
24. Bhakta Jim Gets Deprogrammed
25. Six Weeks Of Rehab
26. Kidnapping Mother Mishrani
27. Epilog

Appendix

1. Hare Krishna Beliefs
2. Fun With Sanskrit: A Glossary Of Hare Krishna Terms

What they're saying about BHAKTA JIM:

"Actually, Bhakta Jim, I can see that you're just trying to imitate Krishna. That apartment you have now is your Vaikuntha (spiritual world). You have your marginal potency, your bank balance. You just want to live in your Vaikuntha with your pleasure expansion, Mother Mishrani." -- Prahladananda das

"You're a good writer and your poetry quite nice, but this ability should be used to glorify Krishna." -- Pashupati devi-dasi

"I want you to know that ever since I met you I also have loved you. But what does real love mean. Real love is to help someone free from the suffering of this material existence, not causing more pain." -- Mishrani devi-dasi

"I've been trying to find some way in which you could go back to Godhead . . . I have come to the conclusion that it would not be the best thing for you to live in the temple. I think that the temple atmosphere would drive you crazy, because you still have so many material desires. So I want you to go to your job Monday, but I want you to give half of your income to the temple treasurer each month, following the example of Rupa Goswami. Twenty-five percent you should use for daily expenses, and the other twenty-five I want you to save because you'll be glad to have it someday . . . Also, I want you to have association of devotees. Keep attending the morning programs, like you have been doing. Don't wear your business clothes, but wear a dhoti and kurta and put on tilaka. I want you to rent a house near the temple, and some of the rooms will be for you to live in, and the rest will house the Bhakta program. You will not have to find this house, as Jaya Krishna is looking for one now . . . If you follow this program, I will initiate you in due time." -- Tamal Krishna Goswami

Visit this book's Google+ page: bit.ly/1ynLwua