In Focus: Tulasi Manjari Dasi.
By Anasuya Dasi
Q: Please tell us a little bit about yourself.
TM: I was born in Newcastle and lived there until my family moved to New Govardhana when I was two years old. I attended the Bhaktivedanta Swami Gurukula here, where I made many deep friendships.
Krishna gave me a beautiful, caring mother and three amazing younger siblings. As kids we would explore the farm, eating mangoes, swimming in the river and attending temple festivals. The farm was so much fun to grow up in.
Now that we are all a little bigger (maturity level, not height for me), we are beginning to realise how fortunate we are. My friends and I have active community roles, such as teaching, leading kirtana and temple service.
Last year at the Sacred Sound retreat, along with three others, I took first initiation from His Holiness Indradyumna Swami. I pray that Radha Govardhanadhari continue to send me Their mercy, always keeping me in the association of devotees for the years to come.
Q: Could you tell us about your work at the Bhaktivedanta Swami Gurukula?
TM: I graduated last year, with my class being the first HSC students to graduate from the gurukula. I personally couldn’t have done it without my amazing friends and teachers. Now I assist Mother Premavati teaching grade K-2 students. Mother Prema was my K-2 teacher at gurukula and now I get to assist her! I love my role and feel it is not just a job. It is also a service that I can offer to Krishna. These children are very fortunate and I feel equally fortunate to help teach them and contribute to encouraging the next generation in Krishna consciousness.
Q: What is your favourite devotional hero or heroine and why?
TM: I find I take inspiration from a variety of people: my parents, personalities in sastra and also many devotees from New Govardhana and around the world. However, three devotees that stand out for me are Srila Prabhupada, Indradyumna Swami and Aindra dasa.
Srila Prabhupada, despite his age and difficult circumstances pioneered Krishna consciousness in an unknown land. It is inconceivable, and I am forever grateful because he gave us Krishna and taught us the true goal of life.
Indradyumna Swami inspires me because he follows in Srila Prabhupada’s footsteps and travels around the world in all conditions to give this rare treasure of Krishna consciousness.
Aindra dasa exemplified commitment and dedication and inspired many to perform the yuga dharma for this age, connecting everyone through kirtana.
Q: Any tips on how you keep your sadhana strong?
TM: Waking up early helps me maintain my sadhana – there really is something special about the morning. It is also helpful to be honest with yourself and ask people for help if you are struggling. If it gets a bit difficult and I get busy with other things, I try to stand back and ask, “Are these things really more important than my relationship with Krishna?”
Being born into this movement, we can sometimes take Krishna consciousness for granted. However, there is a point in life when it’s not just your parents telling you, but you choose Krishna. So I often think of the goal and remind myself why I chose this life.
I remember hearing that “love is a verb”, in context to chanting japa. You can say you love someone, but without actions how true is it? You have a relationship with Krishna and your sadhana is a way of showing commitment and love. I think, “If I wasn’t allowed to chant or didn’t have Krishna in my life, what would life be like?” You inevitably realise that everything else is secondary.
Q: How would you like to see ISKCON improve
in the future, particularly for young devotees?
TM: I would love to see more well-established gurukulas, where teachers help students understand the importance of Krishna consciousness. We are told that we are the next generation who will carry on this movement. So we need to train youth how to do that and form supportive, sustainable communities that work together to educate people about this rare opportunity given by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.