By Jatayu dasa (SDG)
Over the years I have found that women in ISKCON are more often taking leadership positions due to their strong preaching endeavors. Below are appreciations of just a few women I have met in the past few years that have inspired me in my own pursuit of Krsna consciousness. This is certainly only a taste of the many women in ISKCON throughout the world that have struggled just as hard as their male counterparts. Some of the women I have met over the years do immense service, but whatever service they engage in they all have feelings, which should be respected. They also all have realizations that can help all of us in our own Krsna consciousness if we take the time to listen. Whoever they are; whatever they do, they are still devotees of Krsna which makes them glorious, the same as the men who are offering themselves to Krsna through their service. It is this loving service that Krsna responds to in a personal way; it is this loving service that was also gratefully accepted by Srila Prabhupada.
Bhaktin Sally from Denmark
Bhaktin Sally who was born and raised in Denmark has been a devotee for only a few years but is very determined to put Krsna in the center of her life. So one day, she told her husband and daughter that she was going to visit the Radhadesh Temple in Belgium. For eight days Bhaktin Sally spent a pleasant visit at Radhadesh. As she left she gave a cheerful Hari bol to all the residing devotees. While she was there the devotees spontaneously helped Sally who is advanced in years with supplying her basic needs such as fruit, milk and bottled water. They also made sure that she was safely escorted to and from the airport. She said that Radhadesh environment was wonderful, the devotees nice and the surrounding countryside beautiful. She originally got the idea of visiting Radhadesh from an article she read in a BTG magazine about Radhadesh. The article said that Radhadesh was a wonderful spiritual oasis. Bhaktin Sally said that this is more than true. She also said that she was very sorry to leave and to say good-bye to the beautiful deities, Sri Sri Radha Gopinatha. Although not in the best of health Bhaktin Sally visited the deities every morning, attended class every morning and visited the deities every evening during Gaura arati. “I will miss that very much,” she said during a phone call a week later. Her desire is to return soon with plans of staying for a much longer period. She hopes to do some regular service at that time.
Lalasamayi devi dasi from Radhadesh
In 1985 Lalasamayi devi dasi, who resides at the Radhadesh temple, received first initiation. A few years before, she saw the devotees for the first time while they were doing door to door sankirtan. Where they knocked on the door where she lived. Lalasamayi welcomed the devotees in her home. But as she was talking to them her husband said that if the devotees stayed any longer he would call the police. But she kindly reassured them that her husband would not do such a thing. Hari Sakti Dasa was one of the devotees present. The second time she saw them Lalasamayi bought her first book, ‘Science of self-realization.’ Then, after a third visit when the devotees explained the philosophy in more detail, Lalasamayi devi dasi decided to become a devotee herself. At 83 years old she is still an active preacher, still finds sankirtana her favorite preaching activity and assists her spiritual master, HH Bhakti Caru Swami whenever he visits Radhadesh. For 39 years she was married raising a son and a daughter. She said that the deities here, Radha-Gopinatha are so beautiful that They keep you in Radhadesh.
Madhyahna-lila Devi Dasi from Slovenia
During the 2007 summer festival at Radhadesh, the devotees had the pleasure of being the host to the Rasalila Dance Troupe from Slovenia. Among them though was an added surprise, Madhyahna-lila Devi Dasi, the temples’ head pujari. At first sight she appears somewhat shy but the devotees found her to be a very strong and determined devotee. They also found a highly intelligent devotee when she revealed that she received a B. A. in engineering and knows four languages. Originally from Croatia, she became a devotee in 1992, taking initiation from Krsna Ksetra Prabhu. Why did she become a devotee? After reading her first book, “Perfect questions, perfect answers,” she found Krsna consciousness to be a superior lifestyle. As head pujari her main responsibility is to see to the comforts of the temples deities, Pancha tattva, but she also enjoys outside preaching, like at the many Nama-hatta programs in the bigger towns surrounding the temple and in preaching to the 150 guests who visit the temple every Sunday. She smiles slightly when she says that she likes to work under stress, she likes the deep concentration required in such situations. She is the type of devotee that you can depend on to keep things going nicely, over a long period of time.
Urmila Devi Dasi from America
With a deep desire for educating ISKCON’s younger generation, Urmila devi dasi writes articles, gives seminars, raises funds and meets with educational leaders on all continents of the world. The devotees of Radhadesh were honored when she decided to visit them for the purpose of giving seminars and classes to the visiting Pandava Sena group from London who is also currently visiting Radhadesh. Her present service is developing a support system for parents and teachers for educating children. She does this through producing educational material for both parents and teachers, providing training, maintaining centers for both information and research and developing a system for fund raising for it’s long term maintenance. As a disciple of Srila Prabhupada who joined ISKCON in 1973, Urmila has for many years been considered a devotee of high integrity, pocessing deep spiritual realizations. Her first service was distributing her spiritual master’s books in Chicago’s airport which is where she first saw Srila Prabhupada in 1974. When asked, what is the most important advice she could give a new devotee she quickly responded, “Chant with attention, avoiding the ten offenses.” From Radhadesh, Urmila traveled to London, then India and on to New Zealand. ISKCON’s strength and purity comes from devotees like Urmila devi dasi and I am happy to have met her.