Holy Name Retreat
  • Retreat at Ekachakra
  • Registration
  • Ekachakra
  • Devaki dd
  • Diary
  • Recordings
  • Photos
  • Testimonials

Holy Name Retreat at Ekachakra

12/30/2015

 
How wonderful to be back in Mayapur.....!
It truly felt like coming home.....!
As every year it took a few days to settle in and get organised, and I was glad to have my two assistants Anna and Damodara-priya Matajis with me.
And we immediately prepared for the upcoming Holy Name Retreat at Ekachakra, which would conclude the year of 2015.....
A wonderful group of 31 devotees from all corners of the world decided to venture all the way to Ekachakra in order to embark on the transcendental adventure of deepening their relationship with the holy name. We spent four days out there - in seclusion, bathing our hearts in Lord Nityananda's mercy.
This year the cold season came a little later than usual, which was very convenient for us. Thus at the end of December it was rather mild for this time of the year.
Picture
This was my seventh time to conduct a retreat out here. Ekachakra Dham has become rather dear to me, and I was thoroughly looking forward to once again leave all usual distractions behind and simply dive into sharing thoughts and realizations on chanting the holy name, and endeavoring to apply them by calling out to Krsna - in japa aswell as in kirtan.
On the first day of arrival we went on parikrama, visiting some of the main places of Nityananda's pastimes. My favorite places are Lord Nityananda's very birth place with the big tree under which the visiting Sannyasi had requested Hodai Oja to give his son to him as assistant. A little further down the road is the tree where Nitai performed his childhood pastimes and dramas on Krsna lila, which also carries a special atmosphere and transcendental energy.
To this very day Ekachakra has preserved this very special mood of a holy Dham - simply because it is so remote, and thus not so many visiters are coming to upload their contaminations. Only very sincere devotees are accepting the tapasya of traveling all the way out there on bumpy roads, and this certainly helps to preserve the transcendental atmosphere. It is one of those more confidential and hidden Dham's.
Picture
Picture
Picture
I was amazed how far the construction of our ISKCON temple had progressed since my last visit ten months ago. The devotees had been working very hard in order to get the temple ready for the planned inauguration in mid of February.
During our retreat Sankarshan Nitai Prabhu, who is one of the Mayapur managers and also in charge of Ekachakra was out there, overseeing the construction of the temple. I invited him to give a morning lecture on the topic of the holy name to our group. And he gave such a wonderful and deep class - a perfect introduction to the retreat, touching on so many aspects of chanting the holy name. I was impressed about his deep realizations and insights.
Picture
Once again our time in Ekachakra was indeed a very transformational experience, with sweet evening kirtans, and such personal and intimate mood amongst the group of participants.
Gopal Prabhu from Hillsborough (North Carolina) shared the following experience:
"Learning to focus my mind, and more importantly, my heart, on the transcendental sound vibration of HARE KRISHNA was the most inspiring and terrifying experience of my life. I got real clarity on where I am in my devotional life, and I earned a real understanding of how to take steps to advance farther and faster, if I can muster up the sincerity. Perhaps this retreat was the greatest and most educational 4 days of my life. I strongly recommend anyone and everyone to experience this at least once in their lives."

Picture
Picture
​If just one person receives such experience, it is certain all worth while the effort.....

Returning to Mayapur it took me a few days to settle back into the mood here. I somewhat missed that sweetness and intimacy, and the nice evening kirtans...
Ironically enough, even as a full-time traveling preacher I feel a lack of good quality kirtan in my life.....

Your servant, Devaki dd

Comments are closed.

    Devaki Devi Dasi's Travel Diary

    Devaki Devi Dasi is sharing her realizations and adventures in her Traveling Diary.Welcome to relish this nectar!

    Archives

    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    March 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.