Tribhuvannatha Memoirs

Lord of the three worlds

This is a dedication to my teacher Tribhuvannatha Prabhu, a well known saintly Hare Krishna devotee born in 1952 in Longford, Ireland as Thomas Kevin Heggarty. He met the Hare Krishna devotees while living in London in the late Sixties. As with many of his contemporary youth, he held a great dissatisfaction with material life. Investigating alternative philosophies and cultures he was deeply impressed with the writings of the Hare Krishna movements founder A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (affectionately known as Srila Prabhupada ). Tribhuvannatha soon visited the temple and was immediately inspired to move in. He took up the discipline of Bhakti yoga with a youthful enthusiasm and conviction that continued to touch the hearts of others throughout his life.

Though only seventeen, he was a natural leader and extended selfless love and care for visitors to the temple and for his fellow brothers and sisters who resided there. From morning to night, rain or shine, they would dance and chant along Oxford Street and around London.

Tribhuvannatha Das was the name given to him at his initiation as a disciple of Srila Prabupada. Following the missionary spirit of his teacher to broadcast spiritual wisdom and the chanting of the Hare Krishna ‘Maha mantra’, Tribhuvannatha embarked upon numerous transcendental adventures all around the world. He was the first person to be in charge of ‘Bhaktivedanta Manor’, a country mission donated by George Harrison, he opened a temple in Edinburgh and arranged large Hare Krishna festivals all around the UK. He then spent some years in India and travelled to the Middle East where amidst heavy fighting he arranged the first Arabic Publication of the philosophical classic ‘Bhagavad-Gita as it is’ before being held captive for a month in Beirut.

Later on Tribhuvannatha revived the Hare Krishna festivals around the UK and also returned to Ireland where he stayed for five years looking after Inish Rath Island temple situated amidst a rich history of previous ancient monastic settlements and sacred sites on the enchanting waters of Lough Erne. During this period he also opened a cultural centre in Dublin. 1995 saw the first big festival tour in East Africa where Tribhuvannatha lead a group of devotees around Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi and Zambia in a big bus. It became an annual event with huge crowds attending the free festivals. A temple was consequently opened in Kampala city, Uganda, expanding to include a nearby farm project and school. He also inspired the opening of a second school in Kisumu, Kenya where many poor street children are given food, shelter and education.
Tribhuvannatha Prabhu left this world on 16th October 2001. In the end, when his body was frail, his spirit and insight shone stronger than ever. His two wishes were that the festivals would continue and that devotees would care for one another. Right up to the last he was meditating on the orders of his spiritual master and the welfare of others. We would like to thank him for being a great inspiration and example. He demonstrated that the real value of human life is spiritual and taught us ‘not to take the illusion too seriously’.

Hare Krishna
Om Tat Sat.

For more information on Hari-Krishna Festivals visit http://www.hkfestivals.org

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Tribhuvenatha Memoirs

The Perfect Swan If we give a swan milk mixed with water the swan will take the milk and leave aside the water. Similarly, this material world is made of two natures- The inferior nature and the superior nature. The superior nature means spiritual life, and the inferior nature is material life. Thus a person who gives up the material part of this world and takes only the spiritual part is called paramahamsa. “The teachings of Queen Kunti”

As with many other fortunate souls here in Ireland I was introduced to Radha and Govinda at the island temple of Innish Rath by Tribhuvenatha, In my case over twelve years ago. I recall on that day discussing “The Aquarian gospel of Jesus Christ” with him along with Buddhism and other aspects of Eastern spiritual life, he had deep insights to offer into each topic and I quickly realised that I was in the presence of a person who commanded such a lot of respect simply by being his warm genuine courteous self. As it is ever true that the only way to teach is by example, I now understand the extent to which his “example” has indeed been a guiding light not only to people in his country of birth, Ireland, but also throughout the many different lands in which he preached.

We met each other on our travels over the years on several occasions, mainly in the Temple in Nairobi Kenya and around Kampala city centre in Uganda where he was involved in spreading Srila Prabhupadas work. I also met him in Ireland occasionally and he would come and stay as a houseguest and encourage me to publish my little magazine “the Madha Govinda Emerald” for the local devotees. I vividly recall greeting him as he arrived outside the big tent pitched inside the Glastonbury 2000 music festival, I bent down to touch his feet and he brushed my hand away before I could pay my respects to him in this way.

I first became aware of his deteriorating health at that time as we talked in private he explained the situation with the malarial infection from Africa and the whole story about his recurring illness since. I introduced the electronic Hulda Clarke Zapper to him and we did three sessions immediately in an attempt to kill off any parasites flukes or worms infestation which he may have picked up on his travels.

One should meditate upon the supreme person as the one who knows everything, as He who is the oldest, who is the controller, who is smaller than the smallest, who is the maintainer of everything, who is beyond all material conception, who is inconceivable, and who is always a person. He is luminous like the sun, and He is transcendental, beyond this material nature. One who, at the time of death, fixes his life air between his eyebrows and, by the strength of yoga, with a undeviating mind, engages himself in remembering the Supreme Lord in full devotion, will certainly attain to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

The Glastonbury Sunrises and Sunsets over the next few days were spectacular; we all basked in the glorious sunshine as the devotees singing merged with thousands of other sound vibrations vortexing across the sacred landscape. Where had all the famous bygone Glastonbury festival mud larks and torrential downpours gone ?. The Sankirtana party played on and on as the incense burned and Tribhuvenatha smiled as he preached.

I took an amazing photograph of a double rainbow arched directly over the large canvas tent with the big “HARE KRISHNA” letters on the roof making it visible from our own campsite half a mile up the field. As I had no advance knowledge of his being at the festival nor the health background from Africa at the time, I felt proud to have assisted him in some small way, I later posted him some information concerning water, parasites and other health topics which we had discussed.

I suppose a year passed by following the festival before I heard the news that cancer had been diagnosed. I then started to contact other devotees to find out what the exact situation was and what if any medication or treatment had been recommended and by whom?. I eventually learned that Tribhuvenatha had undergone a scanning diagnosis in Harley street, then after being advised that he had “advanced stomach cancer” he had chosen to travel to Brazil and was currently staying in the Healing camp of “John of God”.

Following several weeks in Brazil he decided to return to Europe and I was fortunate to make contact with him at this time. I explained over the phone that I operated a small clinic helping people with cancer and other health challenges. I urgently invited him to come over as soon as possible so that I could explain alternative courses of treatment rather than the standard western methods of surgery and chemotherapy, which he had refused against the various doctor’s advice on several occasions by that time.

When he finally arrived to stay with me in Ireland we began to detoxify his body with herbal formulas, living water, fresh fruit and vegetable juices, enzymes, wheat grass juice and Kombucha tea drinks and baths. I explained the importance of the fifteen or more mercury amalgam fillings that he had in his mouth, and produced lots of information for him to study concerning related cancers and other health issues traced directly to mercury amalgam poisoning. He decided to go ahead with a full removal of all metal fillings to be replaced with white non toxic plastic, and this we arranged over three consecutive days visits to the dentists. I ensured that the dentist used the correct “mouth dam” and other safety procedures as outlined in Hulda Clarkes fourth consecutive book on this topic “The Cure for all Advanced Cancers”.

Tribhuvenatha took all the herbs and Juices in good spirit without complaint over the following week, he had lost his mobile phone on his journey to Ireland, and I explained to him that this was actually a blessing as he would no longer be micro waving his brain with every phone call. I also explained that he might be in a better position to slow down and get some rest and sleep. I felt that he was showing signs of improvement as he had a healthy appetite and was feeling no pain. I strongly encouraged him to stay and rest for a few weeks at least as the devotees of Innish Rath were on hand to cook his favourite prasadam, and the combination of healthy Summer sun in Ireland plus lots of sleep and recuperation were just what his body needed. However, he declined my offer and decided to return to Brazil where he had witnessed what he described as amazing testimonials by other devotees to the healing powers of “John of God”.

I could of course only respect his wishes and thanked him for his association and the chance to serve him in some small way during what proved to be the closing months of his life. I ensured that he had an adequate supply of herbs and minerals for several months, and I later shipped further supplies out to Brazil. Theses herbs must have been beneficial as Giri informed me that at the time of leaving his body and to the best of my knowledge throughout his entire illness he suffered no great pain.

As one of his last written communications before leaving his body he sent a E-Mail to Peter Moran who had accompanied him throughout his stay in Ireland. He trusted that the Radha Govinda Temple and the Innish Rath Community of Devotees would remain and flourish; he also thanked me for my assistance. May he watch over us and guide us in our efforts to serve.

Hare Krishna,
Grahame Whitehead