Mukunda Goswami
Encyclopedia
Mukunda Goswami is a spiritual leader (guru
) within the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
(popularly known as ISKCON or the Hare Krishnas).
Mukunda Goswami was born as Michael Grant in Portland, Oregon. After graduating from Reed College
he became a professional jazz musician and moved to New York in order to pursue his music career. In 1966 Michael met the Hare Krishna founder A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
and the same year became one of his first initiated disciples, receiving the sanskrit
name Mukunda Dasa.
Mukunda was a pioneer in the early days of the Hare Krishna movement. In 1967 he founded the first Hare Krishna temple in San Francisco and organized a major music event, called the Mantra-Rock Dance
. In 1968 A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada sent Mukunda to London
where he, with the help of other ISKCON devotees, opened the first ISKCON temple in England
. In London he met George Harrison
, who agreed to produce and release on Apple Records
two singles (Hare Krishna Mantra and Govinda
), performed by the Hare Krishna devotees from the Radha Krishna Temple in London. The Hare Krishna Mantra eventually reached #12 on the UK Singles Chart
and proved to be a significant event in the development of ISKCON, with the Hare Krishna devotees appearing on Top of the Pops
. Mukunda became a friend of George Harrison, who had an interest in Gaudiya Vaishnava (Hare Krishna) philosophy. They remained close friends up until the former Beatles' death.
In the 1960s Mukunda married Janaki, and they were sent to London together, but she left, and Mukunda remained single. In 1982 he accepted Sannyasa
(the renounced order of life) from Jayapataka Swami
. From 1984 to 1999, Mukunda Goswami served on the Governing Body Commission
as the ISKCON Minister of Communication. In the 1980s Mukunda established the ISKCON Communications Office in Los Angeles, and published the ISKCON World Review and ISKCON Communications Journal
(ICJ). Mukunda Goswami is still an ICJ Advisory Board Member. When the ISKCON organization was mired in legal troubles Mukunda worked at damage control, but finally grew tired of the pressure and left the position in hands of his assistants.
Since 2005 he stays at ISKCON New Govardhana community, near Murwillumbah, NSW, Australia.
ISKCON Guru System
ISKCON guru is permitted to initiate disciples in the system that is being used in International Society for Krishna Consciousness; this ISKCON Guru System has undergone a considerable evolution and reform since its beginnings in 1970s...
) within the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
International Society for Krishna Consciousness
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness , known colloquially as the Hare Krishna movement, is a Gaudiya Vaishnava religious organization. It was founded in 1966 in New York City by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada...
(popularly known as ISKCON or the Hare Krishnas).
Mukunda Goswami was born as Michael Grant in Portland, Oregon. After graduating from Reed College
Reed College
Reed College is a private, independent, liberal arts college located in southeast Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1908, Reed is a residential college with a campus located in Portland's Eastmoreland neighborhood, featuring architecture based on the Tudor-Gothic style, and a forested canyon wilderness...
he became a professional jazz musician and moved to New York in order to pursue his music career. In 1966 Michael met the Hare Krishna founder A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Abhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada was a Gaudiya Vaishnava teacher and the founder-acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, commonly known as the "Hare Krishna Movement"...
and the same year became one of his first initiated disciples, receiving the sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
name Mukunda Dasa.
Mukunda was a pioneer in the early days of the Hare Krishna movement. In 1967 he founded the first Hare Krishna temple in San Francisco and organized a major music event, called the Mantra-Rock Dance
Mantra-Rock Dance
Mantra-Rock Dance was a musical countercultural event held on , 1967, at the Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco. It was organized by followers of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness as an opportunity for its founder, Swami Prabhupada, to address a wider public, and as a promotional...
. In 1968 A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada sent Mukunda to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
where he, with the help of other ISKCON devotees, opened the first ISKCON temple in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. In London he met George Harrison
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
, who agreed to produce and release on Apple Records
Apple Records
Apple Records is a record label founded by The Beatles in 1968, as a division of Apple Corps Ltd. It was initially intended as a creative outlet for the Beatles, both as a group and individually, plus a selection of other artists including Mary Hopkin, James Taylor, Badfinger, and Billy Preston...
two singles (Hare Krishna Mantra and Govinda
Govinda
' and ' are names of Krishna, referring to his youthful occupation as a cowherd. He is regarded as the Supreme Godhead in the Vaishnava tradition and also by much of the pan-Hindu tradition...
), performed by the Hare Krishna devotees from the Radha Krishna Temple in London. The Hare Krishna Mantra eventually reached #12 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
and proved to be a significant event in the development of ISKCON, with the Hare Krishna devotees appearing on Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
. Mukunda became a friend of George Harrison, who had an interest in Gaudiya Vaishnava (Hare Krishna) philosophy. They remained close friends up until the former Beatles' death.
In the 1960s Mukunda married Janaki, and they were sent to London together, but she left, and Mukunda remained single. In 1982 he accepted Sannyasa
Sannyasa
Sannyasa is the order of life of the renouncer within the Hindu scheme of āśramas, or life stages. It is considered the topmost and final stage of the ashram systems and is traditionally taken by men or women at or beyond the age of fifty years old or by young monks who wish to renounce worldly...
(the renounced order of life) from Jayapataka Swami
Jayapataka Swami
Jayapataka Swami is a Vaishnava swami and a religious leader for the International Society for Krishna Consciousness . He is a senior disciple of A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada...
. From 1984 to 1999, Mukunda Goswami served on the Governing Body Commission
Governing Body Commission
The Governing Body Commission is the managerial authority of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness . ISKCON's founder, A.C...
as the ISKCON Minister of Communication. In the 1980s Mukunda established the ISKCON Communications Office in Los Angeles, and published the ISKCON World Review and ISKCON Communications Journal
ISKCON Communications Journal
The ISKCON Communications Journal was a biannual journal established in 1993 as an academic journal of dialogue, focussing on issues related to missionary development in ISKCON and with issues of communication, administration, social development and education which affected mission in ISKCON...
(ICJ). Mukunda Goswami is still an ICJ Advisory Board Member. When the ISKCON organization was mired in legal troubles Mukunda worked at damage control, but finally grew tired of the pressure and left the position in hands of his assistants.
Since 2005 he stays at ISKCON New Govardhana community, near Murwillumbah, NSW, Australia.
Published books
- Mukunda Goswami & Drutakarma Dasa Chant and be Happy... The Story of the Hare Krishna Mantra. — 1st ed. — Los Angeles, CA: Bhaktivedanta Book TrustBhaktivedanta Book Trustthumb|300px|Books of BBTThe Bhaktivedanta Book Trust is the world's largest publisher of books concerning Krishna and the philosophy, religion, and culture of the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition of India . It was established in 1972 by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder-acharya of the...
, 1982. — xvi, 108 p. — (Contemporary Vedic Library Series). — ISBN 0892131187 - Mukunda Goswami Coming Back: The Science of Reincarnation. — 1st ed. — Los Angeles, CA: Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, 1982. — xvii, 134 p. — (Contemporary Vedic Library Series). — ISBN 0892131144
- Mukunda Goswami & Drutakarma Dasa The Higher Taste: A Guide to Gourmet Vegetarian Cooking and a Karma-Free Diet. — 1st ed. — Los Angeles, CA: Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, 1983. — xi, 156 p. — (Contemporary Vedic Library Series). — ISBN 0892131284
- Mukunda Goswami & Michael A. Cremo Divine Nature: A Spiritual Perspective on the Environmental Crisis / Foreword by William McDonough. — 1st ed. — Los Angeles, CA: Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, 1995. — xx, 108 p. — ISBN 0892132973 (hc). — ISBN 0892132965 (pbk)
- Mukunda Goswami Inside the Hare Krishna Movement: An Ancient Eastern Religious Tradition Comes of Age in the Western World / Foreword by Malory Nye. — 1st ed. — Badger, CA: Torchlight Publishing, 2001. — xxv, 278 p. — ISBN 1887089284
- Mukunda Goswami Miracle on Second Avenue: Hare Krishna Arrives in the West: New York, San Francisco, and London, 1966-1969 — 1st ed. — Badger, CA: Torchlight Publishing, 2011. — 440 p. — ISBN 9780981727349
Disciples in the media
- Krishna DharmaKrishna DharmaKrishna Dharma is a British Hindu scholar and author.Krishna Dharma is "the author of the world's most popular editions of India's great epics": the Ramayana: India's Immortal Tale of Adventure, Love, and Wisdom and the Mahabharata: The Greatest Spiritual Epic of All Time...
has translated the Vedic epics RamayanaRamayanaThe Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
and MahabharataMahabharataThe Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
, and has written articles for The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...