4 minute read
OUTREACH
OUTREACH OUTREACH
2020 started in full force with regular outreach activities such as book distribution, harinamas, university programmes and weekly gatherings, and an India bhakti retreat. But many of the plans for the year had to be put on hold from March when the pandemic hit and the Outreach team had to quickly adapt to online outreach activities and rise to this new challenge. The team have been innovative, learning new skills and introducing new ideas to reach out to newcomers with successful results.
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India Bhakti Retreat
In January, the adventurous India Bhakti Retreat took place which was organised with the help of Champakalata Priya devi dasi. Dayal Mora dasa and Shyam Govinda dasa took a group of 24 people which comprised mainly of regulars from the Wisdom Wednesdays and Mantra Lounge programmes. Over sixteen days, the group visited the ISKCON Juhu temple in Mumbai, the Govardhan Eco Village just outside Mumbai, and the holy land of Sridhama Mayapur, West Bengal.
The retreat allowed all participants to deepen their interest in bhakti, to daily experience ecstatic kirtans, ask questions, and profusely discuss spiritual topics. The retreat was a full-on bhakti immersion and many reported that the retreat was life-changing overall.
Online Programmes
The range of online programmes during the pandemic have included: Wisdom Wednesdays: an outreach programme for newcomers with Shyam Govinda dasa and special guests every Wednesday at 6.00pm on the Bhakti Yoga London Facebook page. Spiritual Technologies: a new programme introduced in 2020 for Wisdom Wednesdays regulars who are interested in deepening their commitment to bhakti-yoga. It is facilitated by Shyam Govinda dasa every Thursday at 6.30pm on the Bhakti Yoga London Facebook page. Study of the Bhagavad-Gita: a detailed study facilitated by Dayal Mora dasa every Monday to Saturday from 11.00am to 12.00pm on the ISKCON-London Facebook page.
Contemplative, Reflective and Prayerful
Reading of Srimad-Bhagavatam: facilitated by Syama Kisora dasa and others on Monday to Friday from 1.15pm to 2.00pm on the ISKCONLondon Facebook page.
Daily Readings of Caitanya-Caritamrta:
facilitated by Syama Kisora dasa and Antoine Bour every Monday to Saturday from 5.30pm to 6.30pm on the ISKCON-London Facebook page. Recordings of all of these programmes are available on the respective Facebook pages.
“I join the online Wisdom Wednesdays and Spiritual Technologies every week. It brings like-minded spiritually curious folk and devotees together...Shyam Govinda dasa, who hosts the programmes, is always very inclusive and happy to be challenged and debate issues so you never feel like you can’t raise anything.” Dee Welihinda
During the summer, after some lockdown rules were relaxed allowing people to spend more time outdoors, the Outreach team started a new outdoor kirtan programme called ‘Free Spirit Sundays’ taking place in Soho Square Park, with social distancing measures in place. It took place on Sunday afternoons and many Wisdom Wednesdays followers took part. It quickly proved to be an attractive and inviting programme for devotees and passersby to come and join in the kirtan. Those that joined in found the Hare Krishna kirtan enchanting and meditative.
UK Padayatra
Due to COVID-19, the annual seven-day UK Padayatra event had to be cancelled. This event had been taking place annually since 2016, organised by Dayal Mora dasa and Parasuram dasa. The Padayatra team had a great alternative idea for the year and introduced one-day walks outside of London (which could technically still be considered a Padayatra according to the official ISKCON Padayatra standards) to different locations such as Dover, Eastbourne, Hastings and Hythe, and Seaford Seven Islands. These small group walks included harinama, picnic prasadam, devotee association and talks about Krishna in outstanding natural environments. They were powerful experiences for newcomers to taste the joy of devotion.
Bhagavatam Bites
During the lockdown, Jai Nitai dasa and Bhava Bhakti devi dasi êRúMAD BHìGAVATAM undertook a vow to read Srimad-Bhagavatam together three times a Second Canto Part One week, at least for 30 minutes, from Cantos 1 to 12. These readings are
His
shared live on the ISKCON-London Facebook page. Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami PrabhupÉda One gentleman who watched one of the readings left a comment saying he Translated from the original Sanskrit and explained brilliantly by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami PrabhupÉda, the most distinguished modern-day teacher was very inspired and ordered 28 Srimad-Bhagavatam Canto 2.1 books for of India's spiritual culture and philosophy. his business clients. The books he was sent were the special 50th Anniversary THE BHAKTIVEDANTA BOOK TRUSTTHE BHAKTIVEDANTA BOOK TRUST ISBN 978-91-7769-138-9 9 789177 691389 Includes DOWNLOAD code for complimentary ebook edition edition copies with Sri Sri Radha-Londonisvara on the front cover.
êRúMAD BHìGAVATAM
Second Canto Ò Part One
RœMAD BH“GAVATAM
Second Canto Part One
A
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupƒda
ISKCON LONDON 50th
Anniversary 1969 2019
