If shravanam is so important for a devotee and it is a primary requirement how about people who are deaf? How can such people benefit in their spiritual process? In what language do they communicate for spiritual upliftment? Do we have any program in place for such souls in Iskcon?
Signs Unto Krishna
When Dayal Gauranga Dasa first began visiting ISKCON’s Bhaktivedanta Manor near London, England, in 1980, he found that it was difficult for him to participate in temple activities and to connect with the community. And he wasn’t the only one.
There were many others across the country, and the rest of the world, for whom access to ISKCON temples was no easy feat.
For Dayal Gauranga Dasa was born deaf. Originally from Kenya, Africa, he was working in England as a teacher and assessor of British sign language, when he began learning about Lord Krishna and the Bhagavad-gita As It Is from his devotee brother Madan Mohan Dasa.
“When I started visiting the temple, and saw that there was no ISKCON Deaf Community, I decided that one had to be started because the cultures of deaf people and hearing people are more different than you might think,” he says. “Of course, we communicate with sign language rather than speech. But there are other, less obvious issues. For instance, deaf people get bored during a thirty minute mangal arati kirtan, because they cannot hear it.”
So at the age of twenty-five, Dayal Gauranga established the first ISKCON Deaf community, called ‘Signs Unto Krishna.’ The name stuck for fifteen years, until at forty he asked his guru Bhakti Charu Swami to give the group a new one. It was renamed the ‘Radha Krishna Deaf People Association,’ a moniker it continues to retain, through its new incarnation’s 10th anniversary in 2010.
The primary aim of the Radha Krishna Deaf People Association (RKDA) is to show deaf people everywhere that they can learn Krishna consciousness too, and are very welcome to visit temples and be involved in different services.
Dayal Gauranga has even invented a whole set of sign language words to make things easier.
“When I first started visiting the temple, the paid interpreter I attended lectures with found it difficult to sign the technical terms of Krishna consciousness,” Dayal says. “He would fingerspell many words that he himself didn´t understand, for instance ‘Chaitanya Charitamrta,’ and this slowed the fluidity of the interpretation. So I felt the need to create signs for technical Krishna conscious terms, just as Christians had created signs for their own terms.”
Many of Dayal Gauranga’s signs were based on inspiration from pictures—for instance, the sign for Krishna mimes holding a flute. Others were more difficult, such as prasadam, or more abstract terms that did not have pictures relating to them, like ‘Karma.’ Others were very creative: for instance, the sign for
‘Vrindavana,’ Krishna’s birthplace, includes signs for the words “swap” and “babies”—since Krishna was brought to Vrindavana and swapped for another baby—and ends with a ‘V’ shape.
Interpreting classes and events are easier today than they were in the earlier years, since Prema Pradipa Dasa—a hearing devotee who has studied sign language for many years—interprets instead of an outside interpreter without knowledge of ISKCON terminology. Still, difficulties arise.
“We always have to ask the temple authorities in advance for permission to have an interpreter present at classes, since sometimes they can distract the hearing devotees’ attention,” Dayal Gauranga says. “And we have to do the same with festivals, and to explain our needs clearly—for instance we need to make sure we can have an interpreter standing closer to us on the stage during performances so that we can see his interpretations clearly.”
But the biggest problem, Dayal Gauranga explains, is that there are just not enough interpreters at ISKCON temples. “Prema Pradipa is the only full-time devotee with sign language skills at the Manor, and he is overburdened,” he says. “We really need four or five interpreters. For example, there may not always be an interpreter around when a deaf devotee wants to hear a particular class, or they may miss an important announcement. Or they may not be able to take advantage of an opportunity to visit the holy places in India such as Vrindavana and Mayapur, because there are no interpreters available.”
As something of a remedy, RKDA arranges special programs for the deaf community at London’s Bhaktivedanta Manor and Soho Street temples, as well as at the homes of various deaf devotees. These programs include kirtan, lectures, and group discussion, all in sign language. RKDA also arranges special versions of certain festivals, such as Diwali, for deaf people, and produces special dramas about the pastimes of the Lord and his avatars using sign language.
Dayal Gauranga has also established a sign language and deaf awareness course for hearing devotees, to help integrate the two communities and to develop friendships.
“They can also buy our book ‘Sign Language in Hinduism,’ which brings together all the signs with Krishna conscious terminology that were dispersed across different formats,” he says. “As well as giving the deaf community access to ISKCON temples and communities all over the world, it allows deaf and hearing devotees to communicate.”
Using sign language with subtitles, the book and accompanying DVD cover the central teachings of the Bhagavad-gita and elaborate on the practice of chanting the maha-mantra, as well as narrating several stories from the Bhagavatam.
The book was the result of many years of work, and was finally released two years ago with support from Bhaktivedanta Manor’s educational department and from the hearing, deaf and Hindu communities.
The book, and the RKDA itself, has been many deaf peoples’ only chance to become devotees. For instance, Nirmal Thakkar, who was born deaf in India, moved to the UK as a child, and grew up as a Christian, began visiting the temple when he desired to learn more about his Hindu background—but could not understand anything.
When Dayal Gauranga invited him to attend some of RKDA’s programs, however, he found like-minded association and was able to ask questions. He made many friends who regularly encouraged him on his spiritual path, and his life changed completely. Nirmal clarified many doubts he had had about his relationship with God and the problems of life that no other religion could answer for him. He was deeply inspired by the Bhagavad-gita, and now teaches it to others. He also married another deaf devotee, and they have a hearing son who at four years old can already sign ‘Hare Krishna.’
Without RKDA, the chances of any of this happening would have been extremely limited.
Dayal feels that RKDA is a success when he sees deaf people enjoying spiritual life. “We love to see the beautiful Deities,” he says. “We also love to cook for the
devotees and eat prasadam. And we like to listen to lectures and ask questions. Also, when deaf and hearing dance together, it’s a wonderful feeling. And during bhajans and kirtans, when the interpreter signs what the leader is singing like a poem, it’s fascinating and very enjoyable.”
As well as focusing on their local community, members of RKDA travel and make an impact overseas. In 2006, they attended the ‘World Federation of the Deaf’ (WFD) in Spain—a conference of deaf people from all over the world. When they arrived wearing dhotis and tilak, people immediately swarmed around them, wanting to take a photo with them and asking questions. And in 2007, they visited a deaf school in Indore, India, and taught the many inquisitive students there about Krishna consciousness.
The group is currently working on a summary of the Bhagavad-gita As It Is in sign language, which will be followed by a sign language DVD on vegetarian cooking. They also wish to start developing a network of deaf devotees all over the world.
In the future, Dayal Gauranga hopes to become a board member of ISKCON, so that he can bring deaf awareness to the Hare Krishna movement. “I feel that it is very important to be aware of deaf devotees’ different needs and to help, support and encourage deaf people in ISKCON temples all over the world,” he says.
History And Background

Radha Krishna Deaf Association is focused on raising awareness of Krishna consciousness for deaf devotees. We encourage deaf people to lead a spiritual life by being involved in festivals, events and workshops organised by us.
The thought of creating a deaf group for Krishna devotees originated when a devotee asked realised due to his deafness he faced problems when communitcating with hearing peoeple. He found the answers to his questions in “Bhagavad Gita” and he decided to share his knowledge with other deaf friends.
Radha Krishna Deaf Association... Through Years
You can read more about us by going through individual tabs below to see how Radha Krishna Deaf Association began originally, different activities we have been involved in and ideas we hold for the future.
How It All Started In 1978
Radha Krishna People Deaf Association started in 1978 when Dinesh asked himself “why am I deaf?” And thought of the problems he faced communicating with hearing people.
His brother (Mahesh) gave him book called “Bhagavad Gita – As It Is” where Dinesh found answers to his questions. Having been fully satisfied from the knowledge he gained from the book, he wanted to share this with other deaf friends. In the following 2 years Dinesh started attending Bhagavad Gita classes at Hare Krishna temple called ‘Bhaktivedanta Manor’ in Watford.
The Group Was Formed In 1980 - Celebration Of 10 Years In 2010 - 2011 And The Future
This year we are looking to expand even further and involve our members into range of activities. And we invite you to come along to RKDA events to meet new people, share experiences and much much more.
The unheard world of sound
Human beings are physically unable to perceive certain portions of the known vibratory spectrum. While extremely sensitive to sound waves of about 1,000 to 4,000 cycles per second (cps),man is all but deaf beyond 20,000 cycles per second. Dogs and cats, on the other hand, can hear up to 60,000 cps, while mice, bats, whales, and dolphins can emit and receive sounds well over 100,000 cps. In other words, there are definitely things we just don't hear. Vedic texts suggest that if this is true of hearing in the material sphere, how much more true must it be of sounds that exist beyond the material world -- sounds that we must distinguish ourselves, through spiritual practice, to truly hear.
Despite our inability to hear certain frequencies -- whether material or spiritual -- we tend to hear better than we see. This was recognized by psychologist Katharine Le Mee:

Thus, science has shown that our human senses are imperfect and limited, and that there is a world of sensual experience beyond human perception.Vaishnava scriptures confirm these limitations in man’s seeing and hearing and elucidate untold categories of spiritual sound.
http://kirtanretreat.com/kirtan/articles/69-world-of-sound
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9tr-9jzaog
Mr. Wong-- a Taiwanese deaf devotee, he has been come to our temple around 3 years, although he can not hear, he is still attracted by Krishna, and he chang maha mantra every day. this is what he would like to tell you......
how are you? I'm a Taiwan, I like to learn about Krishna , I often chant every day, hope you also practice hard.
There are many artist who can express their feeling in art
How many of us can hear the inner voice of the Lord that guides us at every step.
If we cannot then even we who have the organ of ear and can hear are considered deaf.
The internal organs perform all their actions owing to the
mere proximity of the Self, whereas the Self remains
unaffected and untouched by these actions. Good or bad
eyesight is due to the state of the eyes, deafness to the ears,
and so on; they do not affect the Self, the knower. Those who
know say that inhalation, exhalation, yawning, sneezing, etc.,
are functions of the life-breath, as also are hunger and thirst.
A story of a blind devotee
We have proved that God is existing. Then the next question is where is He ? Ofcourse, He is in the many temples of India. Many thousands throng the temple of Lord Balaji at Tirupati. We all undertake pilgrimage tour of temples, we make Theertha Yatras to visit the Holy Rivers of India. He must be there in all these places. But the animals and birds don't visit these places, so is there no God for them. There should be one for them also. The blind, deaf and other handicapped fellow beings can not see the Gods, surely they too must have One God. There is this story of a Brahmin in the Skanda Purana, who undertook a pilgrimage tour of temples and Holy Rivers, after leasing his house to some Pravakthas who had come to his village for a Bhagavatha Sapthaham.He managed to reach Kasi and went to take bath in River Ganga. To his surprise he found the Ganga to be dry. While he was wondering what is wrong, because his understanding was that Ganga will always have water in it,some punditas were coming after their bath in Ganga. He asked them where they took bath. They replied that Ganga is flowing with full majesty and they took their bath. Then our poor brahmin realised that he might have done some sin because of which he is not able to see Gangaji. He wanted to clarify it and went to one realised soul, who was calling for Ganga and the River goddess Ganga came for his service, all the Holy River Devatas were serving him in his Ashrama. Wondered, our brahmin asked him what he had done to get the services of these River Goddesses. That Punya Atma replied that he did not know anything, my father used to read Srimad Bhagavatham regularly and after he passed away, as I do not know how to read Bhagavatham, all I did was placing the Holy Book in the Pooja room and offer few flowers and Tulasi leaves to it every day. The brahmin realised his mistake, the Bhagavatha Sapthaham was going on in his village and he set out to see the Punya Theerthas,not knowing that where Bhagawan's stuthies are chanted, all the Divya Kshetras and Divya Theerthas assemble to give their blessings. But as we said earlier the blind can not see and the deaf can not hear the Bhagavatham Lectures. So our Gurujis say that the God can not be seen by our mortal eyes and even if Sound is Brahmam, "Natha Brahmam", it can not be heard by our physical ears.
mukam karoti vacalam
pangum langhayate girim
yat krpa tam aham vande
sri gurum dina-taranam
It is possible if we become obedient student of guru, then even though we may be dumb, deaf and dumb, still, we can become good lecturer. Mukam karoti vacalam, talk very much about Krsna. This is Krsna's grace, mukam karoti... Pangum langhayate girim, if one is lame man, he is made to cross over the hill, mountain. This is the mercy of guru.
So bhakti, or cultivation of spiritual knowledge, is never subjected by any material things. Ahaituky apratihata. No material thing can check us in our progress in Krsna consciousness. It is not possible. Never think like that. Simply follow the instruction of Krsna consciousness, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. Follow the rules and regulations and everything will be clear, very crystal clear. There will be no impediment.
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