Radhanath Swami and Professor Francis Clooney engaged in conversation at Harvard event.

The Bhakti Yoga Conference, titled “Grace in an Age of Distraction,” held from March 1 to April 11, 2025, in collaboration with Harvard Divinity School, welcomed thousands of participants from around the world. The series, featuring nearly 50 esteemed scholars, monks, yogis, and thought leaders, explored the transformative practice of Bhakti Yoga—the yoga of love and devotion.

“The feedback from all 48 speakers and 5000+ registrants has been overwhelmingly positive,” said conference organizer Jack Boken, also known as Happy Jack, “The speakers thoroughly enjoyed the experience of presenting and engaging with the conference community. The participants were so grateful to learn from such exalted spiritual teachers.”

On April 11, the initiative held its grand finale hosted on campus in collaboration with the Harvard Divinity School (HDS) and was viewed remotely by participants around the world. The program featured Radhanath Swami, Professor Francis X. Clooney, S.J., and a bonus speaker, Gauranga Das, from the Govardhan EcoVillage in India. Over 130 participants gathered in the very same room where His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada addressed a Harvard audience in 1968.

“In his inspiring speech, Radhanath Swami offered a profound vision of transformation rooted in spiritual values. He emphasized that genuine and lasting change in the world begins with a personal shift in one’s values, character, and philosophy,” noted Jack, “Dr. Francis X. Clooney’s remarks offered both a gracious acknowledgment of the spiritual and academic depth of the conference and a personal reflection on its impact.”

The program included a rendition of “My Sweet Lord” by George Harrison, during which the entire audience chanted “Hare Krishna” and “Hallelujah” together. The gathering also featured an engaging kirtan performed by HDS musicians, who played acoustic guitar, electric guitar, keyboard, cello, and vocals.

The Bhakti Conference was Jack Boken’s ambitious effort undertaken as part of his studies at Harvard. “Most senior theses in the MDiv program are 50-page essays, nothing as monumental as what Jack has done,” said Prof. Clooney, reflecting on the magnitude of the conference bringing together so many prominent speakers.

To watch all the speakers in the series and the finale gathering, readers can still register for the conference as a self-study experience. To register for free, click यहाँ. “The online videos are quite an extraordinary set of who’s who of almost everyone you would imagine to be a part of an event like this,” noted Clooney.

Readers can also stay up-to-date with Happy Jack and his work by following him online through his वेबसाइट, यूट्यूब, फेसबुक, और Instagram.

Photos courtesy of Mike Ritter.