#TGLIFE: Jagrui 2018 will focus on the topics the ‘Happiness Revolution' as well as ‘Power of Habits'. Could you elaborate?
HH Bhakti Rasamrita Swami: The world has seen many revolutions- politically, socially, culturally, economically, technologically, but none of these have actually succeeded in making people really happy. This is because none of the revolutions were based on eternal spiritual principles. To make people truly happy through bonafide spiritual methods constitutes a happiness revolution. Humans are creatures of habits. We live and act according to our habits. Understanding how to develop right kind of habits and avoid the harmful ones, can unleash a positive power that will significantly enhance the quality of our life and eventually help us attain perfection.
What is the most important thing that today's youth need to know and do?
Youth is a very productive, yet impressionable phase of life. If youthful energies are wrongly directed, it is a great waste. These energies can be gainfully harnessed by taking up spiritual practices to create the foundation for a complete, happy life.
How do students from IITs and other institutes, respond to your lectures?
Response varies depending on the mental makeup of the students. There are some who are not interested but there are also a large number of students who become genuinely inspired when they obtain this transcendental knowledge.
After completing BE from M S University Baroda and MBA from Bombay University you were working in a multinational bank. What made you turn to ISKCON?
I had a village friend who gave me the Bhagvad Gita to read and he introduced me to the devotees of Lord Krishna in ISKCON. I soon became convinced about the philosophy as it answered numerous questions I had. After that, there was no looking back.
What does Sanatana Dharma preach?
Sanantan Dharma refers to our eternal dharma. It is the process of re-establishing the eternal relationship of the eternal soul with the eternal source of everything Lord Krishna. It is not a narrow, sectarian idea. It is universally applicable philosophy for everyone, regardless of caste, creed, nationality, etc.
In 1996, you were part of the programme to travel to 250 cities to conduct debates in around 5000 colleges and universities in India and Nepal. Tell us more about the experience.
This was a very exciting project, since we were about to reach out to so many college students all over country on the occasion of the birth centenary of the Founder Acharya of ISKCON, His Divine Grace A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in 1996. It took more than a year for a small team to do this. We also involved many other devotees to travel and speak to the students about the essay contests, lectures and debate competitions on topics that were thought provoking, relevant and which would give students an understanding of spiritual knowledge.
You are also involved in the Gokul Dham project near Belgaum. Could you tell us more about this?
Gokul Dham is envisioned as a self-sufficient eco-village on principles taught by our founder Acharya, Srila Prabhupada. The motto is, ‘simple living, high thinking'. It is meant to be a beam of light to demonstrate to the world that we do not actually need all the things that we think we need to be happy. By living a simple, natural way of life, in devotion to Lord Krishna, society can live very happily and peacefully.
