Teachers & Beggars

Tattva Newsletter #4 | September/October 2026

The past couple of months have been marked by extensive travel, taking me from South America to Australia, with stops along the way in Africa, Europe, and Asia. Travelling widely allows us to witness how spirituality finds expression in different cultural traditions, while remaining rooted in the universal spirit of joy and love. I now write from India, which, in many ways, is our spiritual headquarters. The sacred land of Vrindavana is our eternal home. Following an action-packed retreat here with 300 participants, I am taking some time to pause and turn inward. In these days I find myself immersed in the holy atmosphere of Vrindavana, seeking to realign, recharge, and reconnect with my deepest aspirations. I may travel the world as a teacher, but I enter Vrindavana as a beggar—praying for the grace to reawaken unbounded divine love.

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Spanning Continents

Following my South American adventure in August, I returned to London for Janmashtami, the celebration of Lord Krishna’s birthday. I have attended the festival at Bhaktivedanta Manor every year for more than four decades. Being there on this magical day offers an opportunity to reflect on my life’s journey and the many blessings that have brought me to where I am today. It also reminds me of my profound debt of gratitude to Bhaktivedanta Manor.

Just two days after the festival, I was off to South Africa, where the schedule is invariably action-packed. Our programme took us into schools in Soweto, universities in Durban, corporate settings in Johannesburg, and communities across several cities, including Cape Town. Two weeks after Krishna’s appearance comes Sri Radha’s appearance, affectionately dubbed the spiritual “after-party.” The celebrations certainly lived up to the name, as we danced and sang until our legs gave way and our voices gave out!

After a brief stopover in Addis Ababa and another in London, I headed east. Hong Kong was the first stop, followed by Singapore. There, we hosted several high-profile engagements, including events at the Indian Consulate and gatherings with entrepreneurs and social influencers. There is a palpable search for new paradigms in a world whose shape, even five years from now, is near impossible for anyone to predict.

From Singapore, my next flight took me to Perth, marking the beginning of my annual Australian tour. There is something distinctive about the Australian spirit: a deep-seated sense of ease, openness, and relaxed outlook on life. That quality was evident everywhere we went, from Perth and Melbourne to Brisbane and Sydney. In just over two weeks, we conducted more than 40 events. I’m not sure whether that pace is sustainable, but there is no doubt that the experience was deeply enlivening!

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WTB Community Anniversary

The auspicious day of Diwali marks the 1 year anniversary of our WTB Community. Today, the community is 8200+ members strong, coming from countries all over the globe. We’ve had 12 community calls, an active online forum, three full courses, and over 50+ course resources for teachers. Our first cohort of Changemakers have completed their 10 month journey and are finalizing their essays for our first ever WTB publication! Looking forward to seeing many new faces in our community calls and to plan for exciting new initiatives this year!

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NYC60 - Join Us!

27 Nov – 25 Dec 2026 | 60,000 Books. 60 Years. One Month. One City. One Love.

New York is where it all began. In 1966, in an obscure storefront on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, a spiritual movement took root that would go on to reach every corner of the globe. Sixty years later, I’ll be returning to New York to commemorate that historic beginning — and to help celebrate six decades of a movement that has transformed countless lives.

Our ambition is bold: to bring together a dedicated team to distribute 60,000 books across the Big Apple during the month of December. Come join the team, share the spirit, and help make history! Visit www.nyc60.com to find out more.

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Social Media, Smartphones & Spirituality

This was a beautiful conversation in Nairobi in which we discussed the defining challenge of modern society: how to remain truly present in a world designed to constantly distract us. I reflected on the influence of technology, social media, and instant gratification through the timeless wisdom of the Bhagavad-gita. By exploring the distinction between our virtual world, our external world, and our inner world, I examine why lasting fulfilment cannot be found through endless consumption and constant stimulation. Let us look beyond the distractions, reconnect with what truly matters, and discover how to go Beyond the Scroll.

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Upcoming Travels

• Delhi: November 20-23rd

• Mumbai: November 26th-29th

• New York: December 1st-25th

• London: December 26th-31st

  

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Releasing in January 2027!

This book offers a personal account of my journey through Harvard—not merely as an academic immersion, but as a spiritual and existential excursion. The first section reveals the human experience of a monk at university: weekly reflections, moments of intellectual disruption, encounters that unsettled me, ideas that illuminated me, and the ongoing dialogue between scholarship and spirituality. The second section contains eleven academic papers written during the year. You will notice a more formal approach in the writing, yet I hope it remains accessible, intellectually alive and spiritually chaste. Academia demands a different mode of authorship: not writing as an isolated voice speaking into silence, but entering the conversation—with historians, theologians, philosophers, critics, and centuries of accumulated argument.

I hope that Āśrama to Academia is as intellectually and spiritually generative for you as my time at Harvard University proved to be for me. May it open new horizons of inquiry and cultivate a lifelong passion for learning.

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Ask a Swami

If you have any questions you can post them on the WTB “Ask me Anything” forum, and I will be happy to answer!