Part I
SAN FRANCISCO
How
does one go about telling the story of lives so selfless and dedicated
as those that served Swami Ashokananda? He expected that
self-effacement from them, and that is what they came up with. Much of
whatever I can say I have said in my book. Let me see what else will
come to mind. Al Clifton (Chidrupananda) and his daily life and special
projects have been described there. But words are not adequate to
indicate the kinds of problems he had to face, dealing with business
people and hired men and government bureaucrats and novices and so on.
If one says that Swami Ashokananda and he composed a "team" which
accomplished all the endeavors of the Vedanta Society of Northern
California, there would meaning in that, but it would imply a kind of
equality there never was: Al was always the servant.Part I
SAN FRANCISCO
One of the men who came early to the S. F. monastery (and left early) had expressed to Swami Ashokananda the need he felt to be outdoors, working on land, with his hands, and so on. For this and no doubt other reasons Swami looked for and found the property at Olema in Marin Co. Al was in the forefront of all this, and when the whole 2000 acres had been acquired, went to Washington to try to secure its future, as described in my book.
The next move was to take the newer men who had by now arrived: George, Del, Clair, Phil and others — to the property to "build" the monastery. This meant the remodeling of the big barn standing on the land near the creek into living and working quarters. The story of Olema is one I cannot tell, because I never lived there. I made only very occasional brief visits. Over the next many years all kinds of development was done: forest and stream management, soil erosion prevention, trail-making, bush and flower planting, a "Garden of 1000 Camellias", a fruit tree orchard, a bog planted to asparagus, fences, bridges, roads made or improved, celebrations held in specially dedicated spots. I do not know how to put individual names to any of these projects. Al was out there from time to time, working with the others. It was Clair (Asitananda) who did most of the engineering for the Women's Retreat House. When the Shafter sisters next door died, that house was acquired and made into the Men's Retreat. In later years as a young immigrant from Germany joined and used his engineering and other talents, he became Swami Vedananda. Phil Warren's exemplary life I saw only from a distance. After many years of tireless and devoted physical labor he spent much of his time more "quietly", raising donations from foundations for the hospitals and other medical institutions of India run by the Order. Tour guide for those who came to see the vast ashrama, he came to be admired by all and died quietly in the monastery. George remained Vimukta Chaitanya. Not strong by constitution and partially disabled by chronic illness, he was unable or unwilling to travel to India to take sannyasa. Kitchen and garden, house and visitors were, and are, his forte.
Meanwhile, back in "the City", Al, after repeatedly shoring up the Old Temple, rickety as it was becoming, spent hours poring over the elaborate plans for the New Temple on Vallejo Street and eventually supervising the first installment thereof. Years in the building, this structure was not the last of Al's projects, but it must have taken a great toll of his remaining energies. Swami Ashokananda passed away in 1969. Some years later Chidrupananda became a bed-patient in the Swami's former bedroom, Old Temple.
Other, newer men have carried on the work at the New Temple monastery, which has amounted to the familiar routines of worship, study, garden, housekeeping, maintenance, and public. I have a rollicking letter describing the first Brahmacharya ceremony, held in the New Temple in 1961 (which I might supply if anyone wanted it). Jim Kenney joined while they were still living in the Old Temple, went to India to become Swami Vedarupananda and then transferred to the Hollywood Center. By this time Swami Prabuddhananda had been in charge for some years. One of his recruits made musical contributions to the Society by his compositions and conducting and playing.
I was not around when Swami Ashokananda reached his last years, full of pathos, so I cannot say who they were who nursed him, but Al would have been one of the foremost; and when the latter in turn became a patient, he was served by Vedananda, Tyagisa and others.
By no means to be forgotten is the figure of Mr. E.C. Brown. He was not a member of the Order, but played key roles in the development of the Society. A member of the original monastery of Swami Trigunatita, Brown returned to lay life after the death of his guru, and many years later was brought back into the monastery by Swami Ashokananda. His story has to be pieced together from various sources. He was of importance in the forming of the lifestyle of San Francisco Monastery, and also served as President of the Society until his death.
BERKELEY (EAST BAY CENTER)
The only parts of the Berkeley Center's history which concern the American monks, are four that I know of. One is the planning and building of the temple, which was done before I arrived, and mostly by Swami Chidrupananda serving the plans of Swami Ashokananda. Others will have to relate that.
The next is the building up and maintenance of the garden, which was assisted from at least 1944 by members of the San Francisco monastery. John Dobson was the first, then I joined him, and later, Vimukta Chaitanya and others worked weekly in the temple garden. We would take bag lunches and spend the day in garden work, under the direction of Mrs. Hazel Messersmith, chief gardener. You may read of this in Six Lighted Windows. It went on for some years. Everyone loved and appreciated this extensive garden surrounding the temple, and I know that it had a special charm, charism, vibration or whatever it may be called. The labor of many, many persons, lay, student and monastic, over many years, went into the making of it.
The third element has to do with Adolph Gschwend (Prajna Chaitanya, later Swami Tarakananda). Adolph, one of the first students when Swami Ashokananda arrived, a member of the S.F. monastery, was assigned to live in the Berkeley Temple as its caretaker, with responsibility for much of the manual labor and receiving visitors etc. Probably he did this from soon after it was built until about 1948 when he was transferred to Sacramento to help with that work. He was a disciple of Swami Vividishananda. When Swami Shantaswarupananda arrived from India, it was he who became (sole) resident in the temple.
In 1958 (?) Swami S. fell on his knee while walking, on the sidewalk, breaking the knee-cap. He was in pain and semi-invalid for at least four months. I was sent from Sacramento to live with, nurse and attend on, him for that period.
In later years he had the assistance at various times of probationers, such as Jerry Petal (Now Brahmavidyananda of Hollywood) and other helpers. I know of no Western monks' involvement after that.
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