Blog Posts

A humble Vaishnava is like salt

4/5/2023

I had been regularly visiting Kishinev in Moldova for the last 23 years - until the pandemic came. Being a neighboring country of Ukraine, the devotees have the same fresh and enthusiastic spirit and eagerness for Krishna consciousness as in Ukraine.

Now, during the first week of April, I finally had an opportunity to visit once again - after a long five years had passed. And it was such a joyful reunion - full of sweet and affectionate exchanges...!

Practical Tools to Cultivate Respect within Marriage

4/1/2023

I enjoyed the fact that the pandemic was over, and I finally could travel again to all the different places which I had not been able to visit for the last few years. One of those communities was Sofia in Bulgaria which I visited during the last week of March.

A lifetime has come to an end

3/23/2023

In mid-March I spent ten days at my mother's house near Tuebingen. My mission was to sort out some of her belongings after she had left her body in October last year, and to sell off some of her more valuable furniture and other possessions.

Caught in a vicious circle

3/14/2023

This year I had decided to spend Gaur Purnima in Istanbul - a place where I had never visited before. I had met Nrsimha Krishna Prabhu, the Regional Secretary, at the ILS in 2020, just before the pandemic started. Already then he requested me to visit, and finally now I found an opportunity to do so.

Srila Prabhupada: "You must kiss her!"

3/3/2023

My time in Mayapur during January and February was intense but blissful. I offered five courses over 5 weeks, followed by the False Ego course in February, which is always most popular and well attended. Around the same time we observed beautiful festivals in Mayapur - the Pushya Abhishek, Vasanta Pancami celebrating the first day of spring, Advaita Acarya's appearance and Lord Nityananda's appearance. In mid of February the ILS (International Leadership Sanga) took place which was a wonderful opportunity for me to be on my stall from early morning to evening, connecting with leaders and general devotees while offering the four books I have published so far. It was great - like being on Sankirtan! I was invited to give a presentation on the topic of "Prajalpa - it will Destroy this Movement", which was well attended and received, being so immensely relevant, especially at the present challenges ISKCON is facing.

Chanting with genuine longing for Krishna

1/1/2023

For the first time after the pandemic, we could once again conduct our 3-day Holy Name Retreat at Ekachakra in December, over Christmas - a program which has over the years become very dear to my heart. Leaving behind the hustle and bustle of busy Mayapur and going into seclusion for several days while giving our undivided attention to the holy name allowed us to enter another reality - eternal reality: my relationship with Krishna through chanting His holy name.

Why men become increasingly irresponsible

12/11/2022

After spending a week in Vrindavan, I took a flight from Delhi to Dhaka on the 30th of November. I had not been able to visit Bangladesh during the pandemic, so it was exciting to finally meet the devotees again - after three years of separation...

Massaging each other's false egos

11/23/2022

After my mother's departure from this world I flew back to India on the 9th of November and was immediately engaged in conducting various preaching programs. After the intense experience of taking care of my mother during her last days and arranging her funeral celebration, it felt good to enter a different headspace and thus gain some distance to the past impressions.

My mother's extraordinary funeral celebration

11/9/2022

Already a few days before my mother passed away, I meditated on arranging a special and unique funeral celebration in her honor - as an expression of my gratitude and love for her, and also for preaching purposes. Funerals are always excellent opportunities to preach; in this moment, people are more sober and a little introspective, sometimes contemplating life and its higher purpose, and what happens after death.

The glorious departure of my mother

11/1/2022

I was winding up my tour around Australia and New Zealand spending the last two weeks in Brisbane, offering a few more lively programs in devotees' homes and getting ready for yet a new chapter to unfold...