✍️ Daily Devotional Journaling Program

In ten days from now, on the disappearance day of Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Prabhupāda (and New Year's Eve), I’m going to host a daily devotional journaling program for anyone who’d like to join.

Program Overview

The program will begin on 31 December at 9 PM India time (other time zones below) and last 30 to 45 min.

The format will be very simple: we’ll gather on Zoom or YouTube, read some words from our guru-varga, and then quietly write for the remainder of the time. For now, I think it is good that we start small so that it won’t be difficult to maintain. Over time we can try out new things as the program evolves. I welcome your ideas and feedback.

Although this program will be focused on writing and journaling, you're welcome to engage in any other meditative practice of your choice, whether it's reading, chanting, painting, memorizing ślokas, etc.

If this time doesn’t work for you, you can still participate by following the replays on YouTube at your convenience.

I will send out the Zoom and YouTube links for the program before we begin each day in this WhatsApp group:

(If you have any ideas for a more clever name, please share them with me!)

In case you're interested to know about my personal plan for this program (will be trying out a five-year journal), I made a somewhat rambly video where I talk about my experience with doing group activities like this and explain why I find it to be the most reliable method for maintaining consistency. You can check it out here:

So, interested in joining me on this journey and forming a pact for mutual support? If you're in, leave a comment and share what you have in mind—I'm looking forward to hearing from you!

I’ll end this with some inspiring words from Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Swami Prabhupāda:

❝Realization means you should write, every one of you, what is your realization. What for this Back to Godhead is? You write your realization, what you have realized about Kṛṣṇa. That is required. It is not passive. Always you should be active. Whenever you find time, you write. Never mind, two lines, four lines, but you write your realization. Śravaṇam kīrtanam, writing or offering prayers, glories. This is one of the functions of the Vaiṣṇava. You are hearing, but you have to write also. Then writing means smaraṇam, remembering what you have heard from your spiritual master, from the scripture.❞

(From a lecture delivered on August 14 1972)

❝I am glad that you and the others are each writing one-hour daily essays. That is paramparā. All of our previous acaryas in our line have written substantially on the science of God-consciousness, so I would also like all my students to do this and I am very encouraged by this nice program you have initiated.❞

(From a letter written on November 9 1970)