The history of Satang America may date back to the 18th October 1945, the day on which Ray Archer Hauserman and Edmond Joseph Spencer took initiation at Pabana, India, under the mastership of Sree Sree Thakur AnukulChandra, – Fulfiller the best and the founder of Satsang. These two persons stayed with Thakur in Satsang both at Pabana and Deoghar till the sad demise of Sree Sree Thakur https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satsang_(Deoghar) in 1969, though in between Hauserman in 1948 and Spencer in 1959 came to America for short periods. During their stay in America, they influenced some people in the ideology of Sree Sree Thakur and made them His disciples. Mr. Hauserman was educated at Jefferson College of Washington and Mr. Spencer was educated at Harvard and was a young philosopher. Both of them came to India as employees in American Field Service in Ambulance Division, during the Second World War and took the opportunity to meet Sree Sree Thakur. Satsang America A-Brief History
Through them, many Americans came for a visit to Satsang Ashram at Deoghar, India, in the ’40s ’50s, and ’60s including the mother of Hauserman, and were impressed by the inordinate love of Sree Sree Thakur and took initiation. One such person was David Lutman who as a passionate devotee of Sree Sree Thakur in 1956 tried to materialize His mission after going back to America. There were many others of the sort. Thus went on, if not regular, preaching of the ideology of Sree Sree Thakur in the USA.
In 1970, being blessed by Sree Sree Baroda the then guide (Acharya) of Satsang after Thakur, Dr. Rebati Mohan Biswas reached New York and with much toil initiated some Americans in the Holy Name of Sree Sree Thakur.https://gyanajyoti.com/2020/07/12/purusottamfulfiller-the-best-of-age/ He also with much effort did his P.H.D on Thakur’s philosophy from the University of the USA. Few American devotees of Sree Sree Thakur helped him a lot in this regard. Some important people of America also came to know of Sree Sree Thakur and his mission by this.
After having a long experience of 25 years with Thakur and having extensive involvement in different works of Satsang, Hauserman went back to America in 1970 after Sree Sree Thakur left this Earth. He, with the association of Bob Cumming and Neil Sheldon and few others established Satsang Center in the residence of Bob Cumming at Manhattan and named it as The Community of Lovers of Existence’. Afterward, the center was shifted to Lower Manhattan with the help of John Kaltenbach. At that time the work of Satsang flourished much by the staunch association of Neil and Lee Selden, Penny Thompson, Don Booth, Jay Gordon, Dolores Danish, Frank and Louis Cafone, David and Gisela Lichtgarn, Andre Louis, Hari Narayan Chakravarty, Ed Spenser, Kerry Brace, Jeffery Renert, Bruce Beaver, and others. This is perhaps the second phase of the Satsang movement in the USA. In 1972 the same center was shifted to the Queens area of New York. Again in 1976, it was shifted to Kew Gardens of New York and it was named Satsang House. It was a registered body by that time and the President of the board was John Booth. Satsang America A-Brief History.
In 1976 Rev. Kajol Da the third Son of Sree Sree Thakur along with his mother (The Second wife of Sree Sree Thakur) and his son (Bapun Babu) visited New York in the context of the heart operation of his son. It is understood that he also initiated some people there in the Holy Name at that time.
During 1976 many Americans also visited Satsang Ashram at Deoghar in India. Among them was Bob Hauserman (The Elder brother of R.A Hauserman) who being very much impressed by the personality of Rev. Dada (The present Acharya Guide) and invited him to visit the USA.
After returning to America from Deoghar, Kerry Brace, David and Gisela Lichtgarn, Jeffery Renert and others established another Satsang center at Hartford, Connecticut by focusing on Sree Sree Baroda as the guide (Acharya) of Satsang. As far the information goes this was not registered and the work of the Satsang continued without much progress. Satsang America A-Brief History.
After almost a long period of silence, some Asians particularly Indian, Bangladesh, and Nepal-based followers of Sree Sree Thakur staying all over the USA along with American followers have started the celebration of the Birthday Anniversary of Sree Sree Thakur since 2005. They have also been observing periodic Satsang sittings. Being blessed by The Present Acharya (guide of Satsang Rev. Dada, the followers of Satsang are going on observing the Birthday Anniversary of Sree Sree Thakur since 2010 annually. In 2014 a registered body known as ‘Satsang America’ has been formed under the workmanship of a Board of Directors and has a website named www.satsangamerica.org has been created. The followers of Sree Sree Thakur are now trying very hard to find an own house to continue with day-to-Day Satsang activities. Pray Thakur, they may come out successful.
“Bande Purusottama”