For the past twenty-six years, he has traveled worldwide, presenting the philosophy of Krishna Consciousness. Currently he is based in Australia and New Zealand, and frequently travels to India and the Orient on preaching missions . Devamrita Swami is currently the Chairman of the Governing Body Commission of ISKCON.

Early Years in ISKCON

After joining ISKCON, Devamrita Swami spent two years as a book distributing, selling the books of A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on the streets of New York. His health prevented a long career on the streets, and thus he moved to the ISKCON centre in Los Angeles, and began work as an editor for the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, a

In the late 1970's, Devamrita Swami headed to eastern Europe, to try and spread the philosophy of Krsna consciousness behind the iron curtain. Working under Harikesa Swami, he worked as a prominent organiser, giving assistance and guidance to many ISKCON centres throughout communist Europe. He continued in this way into the mid 1980's. He settled in New Vrndavana in the late 1980's, for approximately 13 years.

Through ISKCON's Teen Years

During some of the power struggles ISKCON experienced in the late 1980's, Devamrita Swami began to work under Kirtanananda Swami, who had left ISKCON, seizing ISKCON's New Vrndavana property in West Virginia. Kirtanananda Swami and his followers were excommunicated in 1987 . Devamrita functioned in an advisory capacity to the group, spokesman , as temple president of New Vrindaban, as personal envoy of Bhaktipada overseeing overseas projects and was also in charge of the counseling program . When the 1991 conspiracy to murder, racketeering and mail fraud charges moved Kirtanananda Swami into jail, ISKCON offered an amnesty to Devamrita, which he accepted.

During Devamrita's interfaith preaching push he and three other sanyasis (one of them female, Param Satya aka Supreme Truth Swami travelled to New Zealand. Initially they made no contact with ISKCON, and looked for suitable

They shaved their beards off, undressed out of their Franciscan cassocks, replacing them with dandas and Sanyasa dress. Devamrita Swami was put on probation by the Governing Body Commission and wasn't allowed to initiate until early 2002.

Throughout 1995 and 1996 preachers established themselves, Devamrita Swami being appointed regional secretary. Preaching increased as the keen swamis, headed by Devamrita Swami, pushed book distribution, rallying devotee support and earning admiration from the Governing Body Commission.

In Mayapur 1997, Devamrita Swami lobbied for authorization to initiate.

Present Day

Over the last ten years, Devamrita Swami has become an authority within ISKCON for his innovative techniques for spreading the philosophy of Bhagavad-Gita in a modern urban setting. Starting in Auckland, New Zealand, in the mid-1990's, Devamrita Swami started a centre called 'The Loft', which offered classes on the Bhagavad-gita, and philosophical discourses, followed by dinner. Over the years, the Loft has gone through various innovations, and the concept has spread to various centres throughout the world. These centres offer yoga classes, meditation and philosophy nights, and the classic Hare Krishna Sunday Feast. As a result of the success of these centres, Devamrita Swami has been asked on several occasions to give seminars during the ISKCON Mayapura festival, and other conferences, detailing the practical aspects to running a Loft styled urban centre for Krishna Consciousness.

Bibliography

• Devamrita Swami, Perfect Escape, 1994, Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, ISBN 9-171-49480-4. Commentary on spirituality of modern times
• Devamrita Swami, Searching for Vedic India, 2002, Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, ISBN 0-892-13350-3. Contemplating the vast ocean of India's Vedic culture
• Harikesa Swami, Varnasrama Manifesto for Social Sanity, 1981, Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, ISBN 0-892-13042-3. Edited by Devamrita Swami.
• Not That I am Poisoned (Introduction by Devamrita Swami)
• How to Love God by Kirtanananda Swami (Introduction by Devamrita Swami)

Filmography

• Holy Cow Swami (TV) (1996) .. interviews with Kirtanananda Swami, Devamrita Swami and several of his followers documenting evidence of kidnapping, child molestation, murder, and massive fraud.

• The Complete Prabhupada DVD Set (2005) .. includes newly discovered films of Srila Prabhupada in Germany, Mayapur, Sweden, Detroit and Los Angeles arranged chronologically

Further reading

• John Hubner, Lindsey Gruson, Monkey on a Stick: Murder, Madness, and the Hare Krishnas, 1988, Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, ISBN 0-151620-86-5. The "chilling" history of the movement documents drug-selling, wife-beating, child sexual abuse, rape and murder by New Vrindaban members. Photos.

Notes and References

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3.  
4.   "", The Charleston Daily Mail, 1987-09-18.
5.   "", The Charleston Daily Mail, 1987-01-07.
6.  "", The Charleston Gazette, 1986-06-08.
7.  
8.  
9.  "", The Listener, c1995.