This is one of my favourite episodes. Although Madi and I had a very different start in life, we both spent many years completely absorbed in the culture, philosophy, and community of the Hare Krishna movement. We also both shared similar experiences in later life that helped us make sense of our experiences and broaden our minds on many issues.

At 5 years old Madi was taken to America from Ireland by his parents and told he was going for a sleepover at a boarding school there and when he woke up the next morning, his parents had gone and he was on his own.

At 7, he was put into another school, this time in India. The boys and girls were not allowed to speak to each other, so when he grew up and started to become more interested in girls, he felt like they were speaking a different language.

He is now married and has children. He and his wife used to exchange glances across the temple room floor but never really spoke. They exchanged letters for about 10 years before seeing each other again in person and starting their relationship. Madi's experiences as a young person growing up and with his own parents, who separated, led him to a fear of commitment and also of abandonment which he had to overcome as he embarked on his own journey into family life.

University in California was a huge culture shock for him and he started to reassess all of the cultural and philosophical beliefs he had been handed as a child.

One of these beliefs was that a son was more valuable than a daughter, which is something his father told him when Madi had a girl as his first child. Having a daughter whom he loved so much made him challenge many views he previously held, realising they were misconceptions and ideas he felt no longer served him or his growing family.

It inspired him to sponsor a girl to pursue her education in India through a charity called FFLV and later to produce a CD album of all female artists dueting with him on a variety of devotional songs called Bhakti Without Borders. The album broke new ground as typically it was only male singers that produced albums or that led the singing in the temples. It raised a lot of awareness about gender equity and also money for the girl's education charity, going on to get nominated for a Grammy which was epic.

Madi has now found his own place within the faith and also in the broader world. He talks about finding your rung and living an authentic life as your own person and I think he is an amazing example of this.

I hope you enjoy it.

If you do please leave a review for the podcast on Apple podcasts or let us know your thoughts by email at hello@beinspiredfilms.com or on social media.

Madi Brinkmann - @unfilteredmadi @Madi Brinkmann

Ravinol Chambers - @beinspiredrav @Ravinol Chambers

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Episode ID: 1000606165880

GUID: 1cf98837-c2f4-4889-976c-3e1228ac804a

Release Date: 28/03/2023, 04:44:52