Bhakti Center 2022 Annual Report

As I look back on 2022, and ahead towards 2023, a big part of me wants to share all the exciting things we ’ ve done and the even more exciting things we ’ re planning to do But as I sit with the experience of what it’s been like to navigate through not just the past year, but the past several years, a bigger part of me emerges that is more interested in sharing personal stories than in showcasing achievements And as I thought about making this report, my process of appreciating this past year shifted from trying to count the numbers, to noticing the depth of connection we create through small acts of coming together. In that sense our greatest achievements can’t always be tracked in a spreadsheet or checked off a task list or highlighted in a powerpoint. Our biggest goals aren’t the ones you can post on Kanban or a Trello board (yes, we use Trello!). Our true success is in the moments we spend cultivating our relationships, reminding each other of our purpose, and helping each other feel less alone in our spiritual pursuits.

It’s taking me time to settle into that, but I am appreciating the process And I hope it's making me a better leader I'm becoming more trusting in a Higher Plan, more grateful for the things that can’t be measured, and more excited to position myself as a servant of what the Bhakti Center needs to be for you, and partner with you to discover that together

When someone recognizes me on the subway and takes the time to share what Tuesday Night Kirtan has meant for them the past few weeks as they navigated a depressive episode Or when someone I’ve never met reaches out to share how Spirit Matters has become their daily spiritual foundation and sense of connection Or when I leave the Bhakti Center at 10:30pm on a Thursday and there’s still a group of people dancing away till I really don’t know when, because they just love having kirtan together as a family Or when we just take the time to visit someone else’s home, or call to see how they’re doing, or spend time talking about how you ’ re (really) doing, I’m reminded that we don’t always know the extent of the impact we ’ re making.

So if there are two things I want to share with you most, it’s the personal stories of people in our community, along with the reminder that YOUR story is OUR story. This year, rather than our typical end of year report, I want to simply share some of your stories, because you are the Bhakti Center. Your story, your vision, and your presence matters.

- Leslie Nilo

Every time I step over the threshold I always feel welcomed and cared for, the way one would feel upon returning home to family after being away for too long.

Leslie's story...

The Bhakti Center is my second home and that’s saying a lot considering I was born and raised in Hawaii. I moved to New York in mid-January of 2022 with the hopes of studying Ayurvedic Cooking with Divya Alter in person and although the course has remained 100% virtual, truth be told, I haven't moved back to Hawaii because the thought of being so far away from the Bhakti Center pulls my heartstrings.

I first heard about the Bhakti Center while listening to an interview Divya Alter gave on a podcast. The very little I knew about bhakti yoga came from reading The Journey Within written by Radhanath Swami, and funnily enough I had no idea of its connections to the Bhakti Center All I knew was that it piqued my interest to learn more about bhakti yoga so I registered for the first in-person program I could squeeze into my schedule, which happened to be Soul Talks. To this day, I still remember walking in through the front doors and feeling instantly at ease. Every time I step over the threshold I always feel welcomed and cared for, the way one would feel upon returning home to family after being away for too long

I started becoming a regular at Soul Talks and ventured on to other programs: Bhakti immersions, Thursday Night Kirtan, festivals, and community groups. When an opportunity to volunteer at the front desk came up I snatched it just so I could spend more time in my happy place. I found parts of myself light up in certain interests and allowed it to lead me to join the Bhakti Center’s Immersive Kirtan Training and also the Fall India Pilgrimage

Along the way, I heard about their ashram training program and was anxiously waiting for a spot to open up. A spot eventually did open up just as I returned to New York from the Fall India Pilgrimage I got off a plane from India and headed straight to the Bhakti Center to join their Ashram Training Program Being able to immerse myself so deeply allowed me to find even more parts of myself light up from being in the presence of the Bhakti Center’s awe-inspiring community.

Truly, the Bhakti Center is unlike any other place. To understand, you’d have to step over the threshold. A spot eventually did open up just as I returned to New York from the Fall India Pilgrimage I got off a plane from India and headed straight to the Bhakti Center to join their Ashram Training Program Being able to immerse myself so deeply allowed me to find even more parts of myself light up from being in the presence of the Bhakti Center’s aweinspiring community. Truly, the Bhakti Center is unlike any other place. To understand, you’d have to step over the threshold.

- Kimberly Pham

Kimberly's story...

I am so grateful for the Bhakti Center’s offerings that allow me and others, no matter where we are, to connect with compassionate, welcoming teachers and devotees who inspire and remind us of truthful messages about our eternal, spiritual nature.

My name is Kimberly Pham and I grew up around the Bay Area in California and have just recently moved to Central Florida. Early on in life I ended up with a very impersonal relationship with God Disconnected and angry, I either blamed God for all my problems or only looked up when I needed wishes fulfilled

After graduating from UC Davis in 2019, I started my professional career but was severely struggling with balancing work, life, and mental health. I used overworking and people pleasing to fill the void in my heart, but my depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts only got worse. I was lost, confused, hopeless, and longing to find teachers and a community who had similar interests in self healing and spirituality.

My first introduction to Bhakti came when I found Jahnavi Harrison’s RISE EP. At the time, I had no idea what the Sanskrit words meant but my heart was attracted to the calming melodies and lyrical messages. My curiosity led me to discover Dayal Gauranga’s Instagram account where I found his post about the Bhakti Center’s online RISE platform which was launched during the pandemic Intrigued to find practical classes and people that would aid in my healing, I joined in October 2021.

Through the Bhakti Center’s classes, community groups like Beginning Bhakti and Bhakti Recovery, and the Spirit Matters podcast, I made friends online and even met up with two from Washington in person at Ratha Yatra 2022 in Los Angeles, California There, I experienced the Gita museum, visited the temple, met devotees, ate prasadam, sang and danced in kirtan, and met Radhanath Swami, all for the first time in just one weekend! The experience was sweet, special, and eye-opening. I had no idea that my path would lead me to the Bhakti Center, allowing my heart to transform and rekindle a personal relationship with Divinity.

Hitting one of my lowest moments turned out to be one of my greatest blessings because it became a catalyst for me to look within and dive deeper into my healing work. I am so grateful for the Bhakti Center’s offerings that allow me and others, no matter where we are, to connect with compassionate, welcoming teachers and devotees who inspire and remind us of truthful messages about our eternal, spiritual nature This community has given me a whole new perspective on life that truly shelters me with security, clarity, and joy Even though I haven’t yet visited physically, I am forever grateful to the Bhakti Center for being my spiritual home

Bruce's Kirtan Story

end of mine invited me to chant with people on the lower east side of Manhattan. "Chant, what?" I responded with my curiosity at full peak. He gave me a brief insight about chanting at the Bhakti Center, and I remember being open to the idea and thrilled to attend. Little did I know that over time it would open the door towards establishing a connection with God that had been very much forgotten It took a few months to cultivate the maha-mantra in my heart. I had never experienced such an expression of sound vibration I found myself at the Bhakti Center on a Thursday night for kirtan I was singing my heart out, connecting with fellow devotees and my soul, experiencing joy, smiling from ear to ear, and even crying moments. The more I kept coming to the Bhakti Center, the more I noticed my consciousness would change each time. I felt a sense of calm, peace, and this spiritual presence. I noticed women embracing women and men embracing one another and sharing beautiful, gentle, meaningful conversations Actions I seldom see in my day-today life. Seeing so much love shared in that temple in N.Y.C moved me deeply.

For the first two years, I had irregular attendance. In 2020 I decided to set a goal of perfect attendance for Thursday Night Kirtan. Then Covid-19 came along, and we all could no longer attend COVID did not put the slightest damper on my goal I had recorded multiple kirtans on my phone and with those recordings I was able to chant from the comfort of my home every Thursday from 7:00–9:00pm After a few months of chanting at home, I began to get so excited for Thursday nights again at the temple. The temple was going to open back up and resume kirtans The first night the Bhakti Center opened its doors back up, my commitment to attend Thursday nights was more vital than ever. Shortly after that, I began attending Soul Talk's regularly for several months. I have become a kirtan enthusiast taking lessons every week

I have been blessed to have growing relationships with the most beautiful people I'm realizing the depths of offering service and am currently trying to engage myself regularly in this endeavor In my humble pursuit to learn to reciprocate Krsna's love, I have grown in so many ways that I can no longer imagine a life without Krsna next to me.

- Bruce Mussen

A story of transformation

by Erin Rudegeair

Almost 3 years ago now, I attended a day-long yoga retreat in Clinton Hill where Kishor Chandra led a workshop on kirtan and mentioned the Bhakti Center, and I immediately thought "I need to check that place out." And then the pandemic hit. I dove into online yoga classes, workshops, and trainings to try to pass the time productively, and a few months later I stumbled upon the online Beginning Bhakti Community Group with Tulsi Rani Meeting likeminded seekers and reading The Journey Within was just what I didn't know I needed during the darkening months of the first winter in lockdown

Fast forward to Spring 2021 and I jumped on one of the first in-person offerings at the Bhakti Center, a 1day Bhakti Immersion with Raghunath I didn't know anything about Raghunath or Wisdom of the Sages and I hadn't even heard of the Srimad Bhagavatam (I thought to myself, ' are they just saying a different name for the Bhagavad Gita?' Turns out, they were not!) Around the same time I enrolled in the Basics of Bhakti Lifestyle with Dayal Gauranga, which completely sold me My interest in Bhakti had already been peaked, but I wanted to know what it looked like to practice Bhakti on a daily basis

From there I signed up for the Yoga Teacher Training in the Fall of 2021, registered for the India Pilgrimage, and was lucky enough to visit the holy places and bathe in the Ganges river in January of this year

While I return to the Bhakti Center again and again for the programs, it's really the people that keep me coming back for more. Jillian, who is now a dear friend from the Yoga Teacher Training, was also in my Beginning Bhakti Community Group Taylor, who I met on the India Pilgrimage, figured out that he was in the Foundations of Kirtan training the same day as the 1-day Bhakti Immersion with Raghunath - we were in the same room singing kirtan together a year and a half before we met in India! Ari was also in that room, and now I get to see him on a weekly basis volunteering at the Info Table at Thursday Night Kirtan. What to speak of the teachers - Dayal, Kishor, Jamuna, Brinda, Tulsi Rani, Ragunath - who continue to guide me on this path

I am deeply grateful to everyone who has contributed to making the Bhakti Center what it is today - a place that I can truly call my spiritual home.

Erin is currently a Bhakti Center yoga teacher, Program Manager, and all around team player at the Bhakti Center

My spiritual journey began some years ago at home in Mumbai, India. In May of 2021, after getting married, I moved across the seas and made New York my new home. Our apartment here is very close to the Bhakti Center, so for the first time in a while, I was much closer, physically, to a temple. This was the perfect blessing for me, especially when someone very close to me departed from this world towards the end of 2021. It was during that time that I felt Radha Muralidhar Gaurachandra took care of me and gave me the emotional and spiritual strength to carry on. It was also at this time that my services in the deity department increased further and later during mid 2022, I was privileged to be given the service of Community Groups Coordinator which helped me become more involved in the outreach efforts of the Bhakti Center. I feel blessed everyday when I serve the deities, make garlands, give Srimad Bhagavatam class, or help coordinate groups for community building - all of which are the basis of my satisfaction and I deeply thank the Bhakti Center and all the devotees for helping me in this journey to help myself and others!

- Nandini Radhika

"While the Bhakti Center has been my spiritual home for some time, I’ve grown much closer to the community in the past year. The amazing yoga classes, kirtan and retreats all played a special role in that, and the endless support, love and dedication never go unnoticed. As soon as you step into the temple, it’s easy to feel the love from each soul smiling and greeting you. As the year took its toll on my family and I after losing my sister, being there always makes me feel at home. Being around the highest vibration gave me the power to continue elevating spiritually."

- Khumarie Devi Singh

We’re so excited about the Bhakti Center in 2023. This past year, we envisioned our Bhakti Center of the future - where we want to be in 5 years, what impact we want have in the community. Our plans fall into 3 areas: (1) a vibrant and highly engaged community, (2) a cultural center and (3) social engagement in New York City, bringing the beauty of Bhakti to those in need. Here are a few of the highlights of what you can expect in 2023:

Building a community with the skills to spiritually care for each other. This includes a series on spiritual care with practical tools to become spiritual care providers for those in need

More programs with senior Bhakti practitioners to inspire those who want to dive deeper into Bhakti philosophy and practices. 2022 programs like the 2 day retreat with Mahatma Das, the evening sanga with Bhakti Vijnana Swami, and the series with Yogesvara Das are examples of what you’ll see more of next year.

Supporting our families with a Sunday school program for children. And since we ' ve experienced so many births recently, we’ll also begin to lay the groundwork for a school.

Partnering with nonprofits to provide education, teach cooking and provide vegan meals in schools. We’ll distribute meals twice a month in Tompkins Square Park and find ways to meet the NYC Mayor’s challenge to serve refugees in our community

Building a program of yoga and meditation which we can offer through partnerships with social service agencies

Our first step in supporting people in recovery begins with AA meetings returning to the building one day a week. And there will of course be lots of hearing and chanting including monthly 64 round days and a 12 hour kirtan

This is just a sampling of what you can expect from your spiritual home in 2023. And we hope you are also excited for whats to come This vision cannot be realized without each of you engaging in what resonates with you, and stepping up to help lead the charge. To get involved

…

Your Leadership Team

Executive Director: Dayal Gauranga das

Yoga Director: Kishor Chandra das

Community Care: Champakalata Sakhi devi dasi

Head Pujari and Senior Educator: Vasudeva das Head of Legal and Finance: Sundarnath das Director of Operations and Development: Karuna Nimai das

With this next chapter comes numerous possibilities for ways in which you can join us to serve, collaborate and help make this vision a reality

There are opportunities to: We are eager to engage with you on any level you may feel inspired!

Use your skills and talents through our Volunteer Program Provide donations that go towards supporting our numerous projects If you have extensive experience in a particular field, offer professional consultation in your area of expertise Apply to become a community group leader, ambassador, teacher or mentor Join our New York ashram community experience

In 2022 the Bhakti Center launched back into full scale operations, including re-establishing multiple free and public weekly kirtan events and wisdom sangas in-house, going full scale for our festivals (including over 600 people walking through our doors on Diwali!), increasing the number of daily inperson yoga classes, and expanding our reception hours to greet our guests and bring back a feeling of warmth and welcoming to everyone who visits.

We also hosted our first fundraiser in nearly two years, and we were overwhelmed by the outpouring of support. Our Love Means Service campaign had the most well attended fundraising event in our history and raised more funds in one night than we ever have before

So many of you came together to lend a hand and lift us up as we shared the expenses it takes to keep our operations running. While we opened our doors fully, we haven’t yet matched revenue numbers from previous years prior to the COVID lockdown, which means our expenses exceeded our income throughout the year. Thanks to your help, that deficit was greatly reduced.

In a mood of continuous transparency, we ’ re grateful to be able to share our financial figures over the past year, along with the good news that in 2023 we plan to remove our deficit completely.

Board of Directors

The Bhakti Center is based on the foundational teachings of His Divine Grace A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, and continues to be guided and inspired by his disciple, His Holiness Radhanath Swami (opp page), along with our dedicated Board of Directors

Vaisesika das Rukmini dasi Brahma Tirtha das

Vijaya Govinda das Yasoda Dulal das Sri Govinda das

Kaustubha das

Virabhadra Ram das Brajarni devi dasi

His Divine Grace A C Bhaktivedanta Swami

Dayal Gauranga das

"As the Bhakti Center is growing, many revelations are coming about how the Bhakti Center, although it is a wonderful place to give shelter to the people in New York City, is an international community. Because New York is an international city.

So many people go for some time to New York and then they go other places, and the success of the service of the Bhakti Center is not just for the people who stay, but it is wherever we touch people’s hearts.

I’ve seen devotees from the Bhakti Center and community members, for whatever reasons, relocate to other cities, to other countries, but through the connection of their hearts, through the connection of communications and virtual satsangas (community gatherings), we find that wherever they may go, they feel a spiritual home at the Bhakti Center, in the transcendent community of the Bhakti Center.

I’m very grateful for all those in the past, present and in the future who have given their hearts and their lives to serve the mission of the Bhakti Center

Although due to circumstances there have been changes, I see that all of these changes are actually opening doors to wonderful opportunities. I’m truly more hopeful and more happy to see the future of the Bhakti Center, through the participation of all of you.

With all my heart, I thank you "

- HH Radhanath Swami

Authentic spiritual education, experience & community.