VOLUNTEERING INTERVIEW WITH JHULAN LILA DEVI DASI
The Community Newsletter team had a chat with Jhulan Lila devi dasi, sankirtan devotee and one of the current residents in the ladies ashram at ISKCON-London, to talk about her experiences in Krishna consciousness, the lockdown and the ladies ashram sankirtan activities. Community Newsletter team: Hare Krishna, thank you for speaking to us. For people that do not know you, where are you from and how long have you been staying in the ladies ashram at ISKCON-London? Jhulan Lila devi dasi: I was born in Switzerland but am originally from Sri Lanka. I have been staying in the ladies ashram at ISKCON-London for two years now. Q: How did you come into contact with ISKCON and Krishna consciousness? A: I came into contact with ISKCON through a very dear devotee. I always remember, without the mercy of this devotee I wouldn’t be in Krishna consciousness today. The most profound contact afterwards for me with Krishna consciousness was definitely Srila Prabhupada in his glorious Srimad Bhagavad-Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam, which changed my whole life systematically.
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Q: That’s really interesting. How have you been coping during the lockdown and any realisations you want to share about the lockdown? A: I have been coping during the lockdown surprisingly well. There were very intense, purifying times and there were wonderful and very ecstatic times. I never experienced so much depth in the relationships with the Deities and the other Vaishnavis before, here in the temple. It brought intimacy and gratefulness to Their Lordships to a next level. This lockdown allows us to have time to restrospect and reflect on ourseleves and where we are at in our spiritual lives. So, while we are walking through our own internal journeys of Krishna consciousness this lockdown brings us also closer to the journeys of other devotees through sharing and discussing Krishna consciousness with each other. I realised how deeply and personally Krishna takes care of every single soul with so much compassion and mercy, how careful and affectionate He reciprocates with each of our desires and challenges to bring us closer to Him That inspired me to care more personally and individually with other devotees according to their nature and character and in this way assist and serve Radha-Londonisvara’s will and desires. Krishna says in Bhagavad-Gita 9.22 “But those who always worship Me with exclusive devotion, meditating on My transcendental form, to them I carry what they lack, and I preserve what they have.” In this way all the devotees who meditate upon our Lordships in their hearts, who are missing Them greatly, will surely be carried back to the lotus feet of Radha-Londonisvara. Q: Since May as the lockdown rules have been a little relaxed, for example allowing people to visit parks more often, what have the ladies ashram been doing? A: The Srila Prabhupada’s Mission Group of the Ladies Ashram is going to the park twice a week for three hours to do harinama and book distribution with social distancing.
