Diary

A little war adventure

3/7/2026

I was scheduled to visit Dubai for Gaur Purnima. It was my first visit to this part of the world, and the local leaders had arranged a variety of programs in the area. However, it all came a little different than expected....
After a couple of days, the war started to break out, and some US Military bases and ships around Dubai and other parts of the Emirates were attacked. Sometimes we heard heavy and close-by blasts taking down the missiles and drones – my host stayed near the port which was not such a safe location. So for the following two days we stayed home, and I offered all the programs online.

I don't want to have children

2/25/2026

My three months' stay in Mayapur was a busy, dynamic and blissful time, with lots of preaching engagements and programs - 5 weeks of courses, then various classes and, over and above, ecstatic festive events: the Pusya Abhishek with Radha Madhava in Their beautiful flower dress, Vasanta Panchami with Their stunning yellow outfit, Advaita Acarya's and Lord Nityananda's appearance, and the finale being the Kirtan Mela - the cherry on the cake!
HH Niranjana Maharaja's Vyasa Puja was one of the highlights for me – an opportunity to deepen my gratitude and dependence on his saintly self. He selflessly extended himself flooding our hearts with his love and devotion.

When chanting becomes a dry, mechanical duty

1/1/2026

On our arrival in Mayapur on the 30th of November we immediately dived into the preparations for the Holy Name Retreat at Ekachakra - our annual event of bliss and immersion into chanting the holy name - a program which over the years has become very dear to my heart.
We had a big group of 53 participants from every corner of the globe: North America, different parts of Europe, South America, Australia, Russia, Ukraine - and of course India. Every bed on the premises of the ISKCON temple at Ekachakra was booked. HH Candramauli Maharaja also joined our group and participated in the retreat, enlightening us in the morning classes in connection with the holy name. The mood was once again so wonderful - sweet and deep.
Especially those participants who agreed to switch off their phones and computers for the entire retreat could enter a different reality - the holy name alone being everything....

The sweetness when undergoing Chemotherapy

12/1/2025

I have been so terribly busy here in Mayapur, that I have not been able to keep up with writing....
At the end of November I visited the devotees in Trivandrum/Kerala for one week. It was my first visit to this community, and I felt immediately very much at home. Kerala seems economically better off than the rest of India – apparently the British established a good system for education, and many people work outside of India and have their houses here. The atmosphere is also more relaxed and cultured.
The community of devotees is not big but has a nice and personal atmosphere, with a main temple outside of the city with beautiful Krishna Balarama and Gaur Nitai Deities, and a good number of little preaching centres and nama hatta groups. We had a nice time churning different topics at various venues, and the devotees were eagerly accepting the books I have published.

Desiring to become an important person

11/19/2025

I spent one week visiting the devotees in Nigdi outside of Pune enjoying life in deep discussions with eager devotees. Although the community is not huge, nevertheless a good crowd assembled for every program, and devotees eagerly accepted the books I have published. The temple is a small version of Chowpatty, and devotees cultivate the same mood here - sweet, personal, with a humble service mood....
On the 12th of November I moved on to Chennai. Also here the devotees had arranged house programs, morning programs at the temple and a seminar on the false ego on Sunday which were well attended and received.

Cancer - a calamity or blessing?

11/5/2025

I spent two weeks during Kartik in Vrindavan, bathing in the nectar of saintly association during the morning programs while personally connecting with devotees from all around the globe during the day. Srila Prabhupada's disappearance was once again a wonderful festival, deepening our gratitude, meditation and love for Srila Prabhupada. In no other place of the world is Prabhupada's disappearance commemorated in such a festive mood and heart-moving Prabhupada Katha, with his personal quarters being transformed into an ocean of flowers....
My favorite holy place to visit is always Srila Prabhupada's quarters behind Krishna Balaram Temple - every single day I spent some time there chanting japa....

Showing off in kirtan

10/15/2025

It was the first time I managed to visit various temples in Delhi. They usually start with the Prabhupada Marathon already in mid Nov, and during Kartik many devotees spend time in Vrindavan, so it has always been difficult to find a date to visit. One of the senior brahmacaris who I met at the ILS in Mayapur coordinated programs for me at several temples while I was staying with devotees near the temple in Dwarka - a suburb of Delhi. Some of the highlights were my visit to Rohini temple where we had a well attended and appreciated evening program on the topic of deepening our relationship with the holy name, and my visit to the big main temple in East of Kailash where I was invited to give the morning class on Narottama Das Thakur's disappearance.

When resentments poison our heart

10/8/2025

After spending a week in Cologne/Germany, offering a couple of programs and winding up my time in Europe, I embarked on my tour around India with the first stop being the temple in Seshadripuram/Bangalore. Being located on a plateau in South India - 900 meters above sea level - Bangalore has a very nice climate and is moderate even during the hot time of the year, with around 30 degrees during the day, always a fresh breeze blowing and cool at night.

Powerful steps to transform our heart

9/23/2025

After spending one week in Zurich enjoying lively discussions in the association of eager devotees, I flew on to Copenhagen. I had visited here once before five years ago when I came during the pandemic to celebrate Janmastami with the devotees....
Some years ago, ISKCON purchased a nice house in a residential area of Copenhagen, with the temple room being in another building behind the main house serving as the abode of Sri Sri Gaur Nitai. A little court yard between the two buildings increases the temple's facilities. At the moment, a few elderly men are staying in the ashram, and a core team of several grhasthas regularly offer service in the temple. A good size congregation of Russian speaking, Danish, Nepali and Indian members participate in the temple activities.

Matchmaking - The obligation of the leaders

9/9/2025

After spending a busy week offering programs around Zagreb in Croatia, and visiting Ljubljana/Slovenia for Radhastami, I flew to Munich and travelled out to Simhachalam to attend a double-wedding. Balaram Pran Prabhu married Lalita Mataji, and Gauranga Gunarnava Prabhu tied the knot with Merilina.