gauragopala dasa 0 Report post Posted August 20, 2007 <TABLE id=HB_Mail_Container height="100%" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0 UNSELECTABLE="on"><TBODY><TR height="100%" width="100%" UNSELECTABLE="on"><TD id=HB_Focus_Element vAlign=top width="100%" background="" height=250 UNSELECTABLE="off">Today we heard the news that our godbrother and friend Vrsa dasa had passed away in Perth, Australia on Monday 6th Aug. at 8.30am. His private funeral was held last Friday. Vrsa is survived in Perth by his wife, his 14-year old son and 19-year old daughter, his 25-year old son and 28-year old daughter, his mother and father, his younger sister, and his eldest daughter, who gave birth to a son 5 hours before Vrsa's death. The following is written by Vrsa dasa, (Dr Wayne G. Moredoundt PhD, Curtin) "I joined the movement full-time in Melbourne, just before the first Australian Rathayatra, in Winter 1972, having travelled (hitch-hiked) from Perth with three friends. They also moved into the ashram, later taking the initiated names of Ganesa das, Atri dasi and Stradisha dasi. We four had been sharing a house at a Perth beachside location and, for some months, had been following the ‘regulative principles’ and chanting 16 rounds of japa a day. I had been aware of Iskcon for a few years before this time, and had chanted the Mahmantra sporadically (under the influence of the Beat poet, Alan Ginsberg) from around 1966-67. Seeing the devotees on the streets of Sydney, and attending my first Sunday feast, in September 1970, had provided further inspiration. I was initiated by Srila Prabhupada at the beginning of 1973, as one of a large group of new bhaktas, in a ceremony in the backyard of the old Sydney (Hereford Street, Glebe) temple. Others initiated at the time included: Ganesa and Sukla (initiated a few days earlier, in Melbourne) plus Balarama, Gaura Mandala Bhumi, Parambrahma, Somendranath (2nd), Stradisha, Atri, Gopikanta, Ramaprasad, Rukmavati, Gopal, Kamarupa, and others, whose names I cannot remember now. I served in Sydney 1973-75 (Double Bay, Bellevue Hill, Drummoyne, Alexandria), then in Melbourne (Burnett Street, St Kilda), where I helped renovate the (then newly purchased) Danks Street property. From 1977, I was at the Sydney temple (Buckingham Street, Surrey Hills); in 1978, I relocated to the newly-purchased Colo River farm (Bhaktivedanta Ashram); in 1984, I lived a few months at ISKCON Auckland; then to New Govardhana (late 1984), where I became headmaster of the gurukula; and returned to Sydney at the end of 1988." "In 1989, I studied law; in 1990, philosophy; both courses taught through the University of Sydney. In 1991, I commenced a B.A. at the University of Sydney, with a double major in History and Religious Studies. Graduated with First Class Honours in 1994, then moved to Perth at the end of that year. In 1995, I completed a one-year postgraduate course in Public History at Murdoch University. In 1996, I was granted a Commonwealth Postgraduate Award and commenced a PhD at Curtin University, through the South Asia Research Unit there. During the next few years, I also tutored in History and Politics at Curtin, while researching and writing my dissertation. In 2003, I submitted my thesis for examination, and was awarded my doctorate sometime after this." I remember the many evenings we discused the teachings of Srila Prabhupada and I thank him for those deep insights into the teachings of Krishna Consciousness all those years ago </TD></TR><TR UNSELECTABLE="on" hb_tag="1"><TD style="FONT-SIZE: 1pt" height=1 UNSELECTABLE="on"> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
