By New Vrindavan Communications
Hladini was born on January 16, 1949. Her parents gave her
the name Linda Jury. Later, she received the name Hladini from her beloved Guru
Maharaja, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the Founder-Acarya
of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).
Hladini grew up in a suburb of Detroit with her older
brother and sister. She had many friends and lots of pets, including a dog
named Pepperdoodle and a frog named Herbie. She spent her summers at the
family’s vacation cottage. Hladini had a happy childhood.
In 1969, Hladini married Mike Ryon. Like many young people,
Hladini and her husband were searching for the truth and a sense of
fulfillment. Mike read different books about Zen, Taoism, and other eastern
religions to find answers to their many questions. After Mike read a book
entitled “The Wisdom of God” by Prabhupada, heard the devotees chanting the
Hara Krishna maha-mantra, and tasted the free vegetarian food they served, he was
convinced that he belonged with the devotees.
Mike and Hladini moved into the Detroit temple. At first,
Hladini joined the Hare Krishna temple simply because it was what her husband
had wanted. Soon, however, Hladini became convinced that the temple was the
right place for her. In March 1970, she wrote to Prabhupada and asked for
spiritual initiation. Prabhupada replied immediately by letter, in which he
gave her the name Hladini.
In 1972, Hladini and Mike moved to New Vrndavan. Later that year, Mike left New Vrindaban permanently, while Hladini chose to stay. New Vrindaban was her home. Soon, Hladini became one of the most popular devotees in New Vrindaban.
“I moved to New Vrindaban from Zambia [in southern Africa] in 1986 with my husband and four children,” said Manasa Ganga devi dasi. “Hladini blew my mind. I had never before met anyone who was so blissful. She always had a beautiful smile on her face and she was kind and gentle with everyone, especially the children. Hladini loved the children and encouraged them.” For eighteen years, Hladini lived and served in New Vrindaban.
In December 1990, Hladini made the painful decision to leave
the place that was so dear to her, and traveled to west Africa. The devotees
there so much appreciated Hladini’s service and inspiration that she was given
the honor of being the regional secretary. In this capacity, Hladini traveled
from center to center, teaching and assisting the devotees in every possible
way.
By the time Hladini reached Monrovia, the capital of
Liberia, the country was entrenched in a fratricidal civil conflict. The
warlords of the seven rivaling parties were fighting for power, while there was
wide-spread starvation amongst the people. Seeing the suffering of the people,
the devotees of the Hare Krishna temple in Monrovia approached the warlords and
arranged to start a Food for Life program.
The warlord who controlled Monrovia, Prince Johnson, agreed
to the proposal and the devotees began the free food distribution program.
Prince Johnson visited the temple more than once and accepted a Bhagavad-Gita
As It Is from the devotees.
As the war intensified, the US government ordered all US
citizens to evacuate the country. Hladini had to decide whether to stay in
Monrovia or return to safety in Nigeria. True to her nature, Hladini’s
compassion and mercy for others outweighed any concern she had for her own
safety. She opted to stay. Hladini was the only senior devotee in Monrovia, and
her presence gave solace to the native African devotees who could not leave.
On June 14, 1990, Hladini wrote in a letter to Radhanath Swami, a friend from New Vrindaban:
"[T]here is never a dull moment. Now I’m stranded in Liberia
in the middle of a war to overthrow the government. The airport has been seized
and they asked all Americans and foreigners to leave the country immediately.
American marines sent 6 battleships and 2000 marines to evacuate the citizens.
I’m just going to assist the devotees through the hard times. There’s scarcity
of food as all the roads are blocked and no supplies can come in. 150,000
people fled the country in the last few weeks. Every day at least 10 people get
beheaded and the rebels are still 35 miles from the city . . ."
Prince Johnson was killing all suspected friends and
soldiers of the former president. Johnson was also known for killing his own
men at a faster rate than the enemy. The warlord’s reputation for insane murder
bothered some of the devotees, who therefore wrote a letter to him saying that
he should stop killing people.
Johnson, who would not tolerate the slightest criticism of
his actions, was angered by the letter. A well-wisher passed a message to the
devotees that Johnson was likely to get rid of them. At that time, it was too
late to leave the temple and take shelter elsewhere, as many of the buildings
in the area were either destroyed or being controlled by Johnson’s troops. The
devotees stayed at the temple and left their fate in the hands of Lord Krishna.
On october
3,1990, the death squad arrived at the Hare Krishna temple in the
capital city of Monrovia in the early morning hours, and ordered the devotees
to come out. Seven devotees, five men and two women, exited the temple and
filed into the waiting jeep. They were driven a short distance to the Sturton
Bridge, where the devotees were forced out at gunpoint and herded onto the sand
next to the river. The leader announced that only the men would be killed. Thus
Hladini, a woman, knew she would not be killed.
As the leader raised his weapon to fire the first execution
volley, Hladini leapt forward and attacked him with her bare hands. She
shouted, “How dare you kill the devotees of Krishna? Better you kill me than
kill them!” Hladini was the first to be shot.
Suddenly, those two devotees heard gun shots from
the direction of the bridge. They saw that the captured devotees were being
shot by Johnson’s men. At daybreak, they came down from the tree. Instead of
going to the temple, they walked to the river where they saw Hladini’s sari
floating on the water. Hladini, along with the five male devotees, had become a
martyr of the Liberian War.
“When we heard in New Vrindaban that there had been a coup
in Liberia and Hladini was trapped, the whole community came together at the
Palace of Gold and prayed,” remembers Manasa Ganga. “When we heard Haldini had
been killed, it was a huge shock. We held a memorial service and everyone came
because she was one of the most loved devotees in the community. She always had
a smile on her face and she was always ready to help out.
“Nothing was ever a bother,” said Manasa Ganga with a sad
smile. “For Hladini, taking care of others was always a pleasure. That’s what
she gave her life for – taking care of others.”
New Vrindaban Community is located south of Moundsville –
Wheeling, off Route 250. For more information, contact (304) 843-1600 or visit
www.NewVrindaban.com
Chronological re-edition from: Dandavats.com
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