| His Grace Pariksit Dasa (Dr. Patrick Kodwin) was born in Ghana, West Africa. He graduated from Cape Coast University, Ghana, in 1977 with Bachelors in Science (chemistry) degree, and a Diploma in Education with emphasis on teaching chemistry and mathematics. His pursuit of science brought him to graduate school at Brandeis University, Massachusetts, USA in 1978, where he completed a Ph.D. program in organic photochemistry in 1984. He joined ISKCON in 1991 after hearing the recording of lectures given by H.H. Bhakti Tirtha Swami. He was given first initiation at Silver Spring, Maryland, USA in June, 1994, and second initiation at Gita Nagari Dhama, Port Royal, Pennsylvania, USA in June,1996 by HH Bhakti Tirtha Swami. He and his wife, Anasuya Devi Dasi (current temple president, ISKCON Harrisburg), were personal servants for H.H. Bhakti Tirtha Swami at Gita Nagari from 1995 to 1997. Then he managed the audio ministry for HH Bhakti Tirtha Swami, converting and editing over 860 lectures from cassette tape to computer. Then he sent the audio files to btswami.com where they are available currently. He is also an accomplished musician with three Krishna Conscious record albums to date. For employment, he was chemistry professor in universities in Washington DC, Maryland, and finally in Pennsylvania. He retired from teaching in 2018, Penn State University in Hazleton, Pennsylvania being the last place of employment. He currently preaches at a number of ISKCON temples in Pennsylvania and Maryland, and also does bhakti vriksha courses through teleconference. He is actively involved in music composition, arrangement and recording of Indian and Western fusion devotional music, and meditational, relaxational instrumentals.
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