Young Keith Ham

Outline of this chapter:

Keith Gordon Ham, born September 6, 1937, in Peekskill, New York
Childhood and strict Baptist upbringing.
Education.
"I've met Christ here in a way I never knew him, to be real."
High School.
Summer 1953: Keith stricken with Polio.
"The life of the party" "who always keeps the beer bottles empty."
College.
Discovering the pleasures of the flesh.
1961: Keith and Howard involved in sex scandal; quit graduate school.
Return to New York City.
Keith and Howard: "A couple of wild and crazy guys!"
Tripping on LSD.
Spiritual seekers.
October 1965: India.
July 1966: Meeting Swamiji.
Decorating the "temple."
Confined in a mental hospital.
September 23, 1966 (Radhastami): Keith becomes Kirtanananda Das.
The Sunday "Love Feast."
Kirtanananda Establishes ISKCON Montreal.
Swamiji has heart attack/stroke; Kirtanananda serves as nurse.
Swamiji returns to India with Kirtanananda.
August 28, 1967 (Janmastami): Kirtanananda becomes a Swami in Vrindaban, India.

Srila Prabhupada and Kirtanananda Swami, undated.

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