Every summer for five years myself and about twelve people who are practicing or in some way connected to Chaitanya Vaishnavism meet at my parents house outside of Boston for a weekend of devotional fellowship and intellectual discussion. By the advice and guidance of HH Dhanurdhara Swami we started this gathering because we had noticed that there were many devotees in the Northeast of America engaged in higher education in a devotional context, and yet who had been estranged from the institution of ISKCON. We started these gatherings, then, to create a sanga (association) outside the walls of ISKCON, yet in an environment that is both devotional and appreciative of ISKCON. The result of these gatherings has been outstanding, and I think this year was our best.
Francis Clooney, Professor of Comparative Theology at Harvard University, came to speak about doing academics and the service of God. Clooney has been a Jesuit priest since he was 18 years old, and built a fantastic reputation as a comparative theologian, Sanskritist and scholar of Hindu theology. His latest work is on the great Sri Vaishnava theologian Vedanta-deshika. Clooney’s talk was a great inspiration—it was thoughtful and devotional. He explored his own life as a member of the Church, as an academic and his own realizations about being an academic engaged in the service of God. What he said resonated with the attendees because we are all doing academics in some form or another, and we also see our selves as engaged in service for Krishna.
This was the first year HH Jayadvaita Swami attended, and thankfully he enjoyed the gathering and has agreed to come in the future (Krishna and his busy schedule willing). His talk was about the history of schisms in the Christian Church; he argued that ISKCON is not different in its sociological patterns than other institutions. His talk was sobering, but informative.
Ekachakra prabhu, who is getting a PhD in Music-ethnocology, spoke about Kirtana, or glorification of God through song. It was a superb and critical examination the New Age kirtana scene. Ekachakra is a trained musician, both in Caitanya Vaishnava forms and Western performance. He brought his extensive knowledge and experience to bear on the issues involved in bringing Caitanya Vaishnava kirtana practices to the West.
Lastly, Ryan talked about Virtue Ethics, a school of Western ethics coming from Aristotle. Ryan has a PhD in Ethics from New York University, and is now a research fellow at Harvard University. He is a budding bhakta and a gentle soul. After his talk, we discussed the connections between Vaishnava Ethics and Virtue Ethics, of which there are many. This inspired us to think creatively about communicating Vaishnava ethical ideas in the context of Western philosophy.
Most importantly, Bhakta Yulin cooked amazing prasadam; three meals a day of the most wonderful dishes.
Based on my experience with this gathering over the past five years, I feel very strongly that it is essential that like-minded devotees gather together as often as possible to talk about their services in a systematic manner, and to take each other’s fellowship. If you would like more information, please contact Janakirama dasa.
