 Krishna
Dharma Dasa
Writer and broadcaster
A grihastha (married) devotee with three children, Krishna Dharma established
the Manchester temple in 1986 with his wife Cintamani-dhama dasi.
In November 2001, Krishna Dharma and Cintamani resigned from running
the Manchester centre to concentrate on writing, broadcasting, increased
family committments and an alternative
health business.
Krishna Dharma often appears in the media; several of his articles appear
in the ISKCON UK Comment section.
He also has his own website at www.krishnadharma.com.
"My first contact with Krishna consciousness came when I was at school.
I remember seeing a copy of BTG. Inside the front cover there was an advertisement
for the book 'Easy Journey to Other Planets'. Seeing this I quickly put
the magazine down. I had been trained in the modes of modern scientific
and rational thought - how could anyone journey easily to other planets?
The picture of a yogi somehow bursting out of his skull and zooming off
into space made me laugh.
Some years later, however, things had changed. I was a merchant navy
officer, earning a big salary, travelling the world, thinking of marrying
my girlfriend - and suffering like anything. Existential questions haunted
me. Who was I? Why was I miserable? Why indeed did I exist at all? I had
read widely - devouring books of philosophy and eventually spirituality
- but without finding any answers.
Then I met the devotees. Hitchhiking one day on the south coast I was
picked up by a disciple of Srila Prabhupada. When he heard that I was
looking for a spiritual community - a decision I had recently reached
- he offered to take me to Bhaktivedanta Manor. And that's where it all
began.
I immediately took to Krishna consciousness, feeling at once a great
relief from my miserable condition. I had plenty of questions - still
being heavily influenced by my scientific background (grammar school,
college and all that) - but I was impressed by the devotees' answers.
Especially impressive for me was listening to Srila Prabhupada speak.
I only heard tapes - it was 1979 when I joined the temple - but I found
his preaching incredibly powerful and convincing. Before long I had left
my girlfriend (in fact she left me on the day I shaved off my hair and
beard), joined the 'bhakta programme' and decided that I had at last found
my true vocation.
My first seven years as a devotee were mostly spent on 'travelling sankirtana',
i.e. distributing books and collecting funds. During those years I took
initiation from two senior devotees who sadly are now no longer within
ISKCON. After marrying in 1985, I came with my wife to Manchester, where
we began the Manchester centre in 1986. We acquired the Mayfield Road
property in 1987 and gradually developed the project since then."
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