Stories From the First Krishna West International Festival
Last month Nova Gokula of ISKCON Brasil hosted the very first Krishna West International Festival. Hundreds of devotees and friends from all over the world came to take part in classes and seminars, celebrations, and to engage themselves in Srila Prabhupada’s mission. We reached out to those who attended, and asked them to provide us with their thoughts and feelings on the Festival.
Below you can read what they had to say. Photos are included, or you can click here to view the Gallery.
The first Krsna West International Festival took place in a climate of great harmony and cooperation, contrary to some of the expectations that were raised during the planning of it.
The presence of H.D.Goswami was the link that united all the generations of devotees participating, from their spiritual brothers to the younger ones, all curious to know about the Krsna West program or how to be useful in its implementation in Brazil.
I summarize Krsna West in one word: compassion.
The program focuses on “preaching” so that it can efficiently reach each soul within its socio-cultural reality.
Despite being in a state of implementation, thus susceptible to adjustments, the Krsna West movement has already shown its importance and success, since it has reconquered many dissatisfied devotees with various aspects of the ISKCON institution and renewed the enthusiasm of many others, as it reveals a more humane, intelligent and sensible way of giving Krsna consciousness to people in general.
I believe that, at least in the face of the credentials of Krishna West’s proposal, of the current unfocused growth in the West, of the lack of other achievable proposals and of the desire expressed by a considerable portion of devotees dissatisfied with the current model of ISKCON in the West, leaders should give due attention and respect to the Krsna West program, analyzing it objectively.
I support the Krsna West movement, and as far as possible, I try to adjust its principles to my particular way of teaching Krishna Consciousness.
His servant,
Yamunacarya das Goswami
