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Mukunda Goswami ( , born April 10, 1942, Portland, Oregon) is a spiritual leader (guru) within the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (popularly known as ISKCON or the Hare Krishnas). Mukunda Goswami was born as Michael Grant in Portland, Oregon. After graduating from Reed College he became a professional jazz musician and moved to New York in order to pursue his music career. In 1966 Michael met the Hare Krishna founder A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and the same year became one of his first initiated disciples, receiving the sanskrit name Mukunda Dasa. Mukunda was a pioneer in the early days of the Hare Krishna movement. In 1967 he founded the first Hare Krishna temple in San Francisco and organized a major music event, called the Mantra-Rock Dance. In 1968 A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada sent Mukunda to London where he, with the help of other ISKCON devotees, opened the first ISKCON temple in England. In London he met George Harrison, who agreed to produce and release on Apple Records two singles (Hare Krishna Mantra and Govinda), performed by the Hare Krishna devotees from the Radha Krishna Temple in London. The Hare Krishna Mantra eventually reached #12 on the UK Singles Chart and proved to be a significant event in the development of ISKCON, with the Hare Krishna devotees appearing on Top of the Pops. Mukunda became a friend of George Harrison, who had an interest in Gaudiya Vaishnava (Hare Krishna) philosophy. They remained close friends up until the former Beatles' death. In the 1960s Mukunda married Janaki, and they were sent to London together, but she left, and Mukunda remained single. In 1982 he accepted Sannyasa (the renounced order of life) from Jayapataka Swami. From 1984 to 1999, Mukunda Goswami served on the Governing Body Commission as the ISKCON Minister of Communication. In the 1980s Mukunda established the ISKCON Communications Office in Los Angeles, and published the ISKCON World Review and ISKCON Communications Journal (ICJ). Mukunda Goswami is still an ICJ Advisory Board Member. When the ISKCON organization was mired in legal troubles Mukunda worked at damage control, but finally grew tired of the pressure and left the position in hands of his assistants. Since 2005 he stays at ISKCON New Govardhana community, near Murwillumbah, NSW, Australia. |
