Throughout the sastra we will find statements that being in a woman's body is a lower birth. Let us try to understand these statements more deeply.
I arrived in Goloka Dham on the 1st of October for yet another transcendental adventure - launching the course "Men in Spiritual Culture." Needless to say, I was very curious how it would be accepted.....
This was my first visit to Radhadesh as a preacher. I was scheduled to give the course "Women in Spiritual Culture" to the ladies of the community, over five days, three hours every day in the afternoon.
On my arrival in Berlin on the 15th of September I was welcomed by Julia Mataji at the train station. She had eagerly invited me to stay with her in her home, together with her four-year-old daughter Juno and her dog Freia.
I arrived in Cologne in the early afternoon of Radhastami, and after lunch I was invited to give the class for a little Radhastami program in the temple room. Since the auspicious day fell on a Tuesday not so many devotees were able to attend the program, and the main Radhastami festival was scheduled for the following Sunday.
Devotee Care has become a very relevant and widely discussed topic in ISKCON. We have realized that Devotee Care is extremely important for ISKCON to become a stable and strong society, and thus we have even established a GBC Committee for Devotee Care within the Strategic Planning.
I had decided to visit my mother for three days before embarking on my little preaching tour around Germany. The month of August is always a difficult time for her, since most of her assistants are on summer vacations.
After giving the course on spiritual culture to the ladies in Kharkov/Ukraine I once again remembered what a wonderful mother she had been, and I felt I should give her a little more attention now during her last phase of life. And even more though since I was coming to Germany anyway - for preaching. Living alone is rather difficult, especially at this final stage of life.
After giving the course on spiritual culture to the ladies in Kharkov/Ukraine I once again remembered what a wonderful mother she had been, and I felt I should give her a little more attention now during her last phase of life. And even more though since I was coming to Germany anyway - for preaching. Living alone is rather difficult, especially at this final stage of life.
The political tensions between Russia and Ukraine had increased, and the war in the Eastern part of Ukraine had become more and more fierce. Around 2600 people had lost their lives. Neighboring European countries and America had been pulled into the conflict through economic dependence and export of weapons, and fear of a full-fledged war was spreading. Some were even expressing that this could lead to a third world war.
Below is an article which I posted on dandavats some time ago. It was well received and read by more than four thousand devotees, and it was also posted on the GBC Conference.
A woman who has deep insights into the sweetness and beauty of spiritual culture would not be so pleased to be addressed as 'Prabhu'. She understands, that 'Mother' always includes being a master, but it expresses so much more than that: it also includes the selfless, affectionate mood of service which a true mother embodies.
A woman who has deep insights into the sweetness and beauty of spiritual culture would not be so pleased to be addressed as 'Prabhu'. She understands, that 'Mother' always includes being a master, but it expresses so much more than that: it also includes the selfless, affectionate mood of service which a true mother embodies.
During our Bhakti Sangam Festival in Almvik/Sweden an unfortunate incident took place - a passenger plane from Malaysian Airlines was shot down above the war zone in Eastern Ukraine, with none of the 298 people on board surviving.
Naturally I was concerned whether this could increase the tension in Ukraine to the point of even a fullfledged war breaking out, and for a couple of days I was wondering whether it was wise for me to return to Ukraine. But the devotees reassured me that everything was stabel and peaceful as always in Kharkov.
So I returned on the 22nd of July - just in time to prepare for yet another transcendental event: the two-week course 'Exploring the Roots of Spiritual Culture' for ladies coming together from various parts of Russia, Moldova and Ukraine.
Naturally I was concerned whether this could increase the tension in Ukraine to the point of even a fullfledged war breaking out, and for a couple of days I was wondering whether it was wise for me to return to Ukraine. But the devotees reassured me that everything was stabel and peaceful as always in Kharkov.
So I returned on the 22nd of July - just in time to prepare for yet another transcendental event: the two-week course 'Exploring the Roots of Spiritual Culture' for ladies coming together from various parts of Russia, Moldova and Ukraine.
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