I want to introduce you to my good friend Dada Prabhakarananda –
Dada means a respected brother – he’s a selfless monk who has dedicated his life to others and who now is struggling to recover after major heart surgery. He is in critical need of our support. Since 1995, Dada made the whole world his family – generously sharing yoga and meditation practices with thousands of people. His humble personal needs were met through modest donations. He does not have the personal income, medical insurance, or relatives to take care of him that many of us take for granted.
Dada was born in the Philippines, grew up in Korea, and later studied in the USA. Dada has worked for twenty-five years as a much-loved and sincere Acarya (or teacher) of Ananda Marga. He has traveled and taught the spiritual wisdom of yoga in countries throughout Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East.
In Cairo, on September 8, Dada collapsed and lost coordination of his lower body, requiring someone’s support to stand. There was no choice other than to rush him to the hospital. Many tests were done and fortunately, his condition was stabilized. He was able to discuss options with the doctors, who strongly advised urgent bypass surgery of heart before his situation deteriorated further, due to seven arterial blockages.
Up to that time Dada’s costs were already around $6500 for medical tests, catheterization, ambulance, hospital stay, and medications. I am also a monk without personal income. I did my best to contact friends and colleagues and was so grateful that they covered most of this first amount with generous donations. However, we then had to urgently borrow $6100 to pay the deposit for the bypass operation, which was performed on September 15. Dada is now under care, awaiting more hospital tests and possibly further surgery.