# Back to Godhead Magazine #32 *1998 (02)* Back to Godhead Magazine #32-02, 1998 PDF-View ## Welcome, New Readers Whether you’ve studied *yoga* in depth, or simply felt some interest, this issue of *Back to Godhead* has something for you. Five hundred years ago, Lord Caitanya revitalized the practice of *bhakti* (devotional) *yoga*, as taught by Lord Kṛṣṇa in the ancient *Bhagavad-gītā* and other Vedic scriptures. In 1966, Śrīla Prabhupāda brought the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement from India to the West, and soon, by his efforts, *bhakti*-*yoga* began spreading all over the world. In this issue you’ll learn how *bhakti-yoga* begins with chanting God’s names. You’ll discover what the *Vedas* say about this easy but powerful process of meditation. And you’ll see how *bhakti-yoga* blossoms to encompass a rich, transcendent culture of spirituality. Enjoy these pages of art, cuisine, philosophy, literature, and personal experiences, all connected to Lord Kṛṣṇa through *bhakti*, the *yoga* of spiritual love. We’re happy to have you with us. To help you get oriented, we’ve included a Glossary on page 29. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Nāgarāja Dāsa, Managing Editor Our Purposes > • To help all people discern reality from illusion, spirit from matter, the eternal from the temporary. > • To expose the faults of materialism. > • To offer guidance in the Vedic techniques of spiritual life. > • To preserve and spread the Vedic culture. > • To celebrate the chanting of the holy names of God as taught by Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. > • To help every living being remember and serve Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead. ## Letters *The ISKCON Laity* I would just like to say how much I enjoy BTG. Each issue seems to have so much in it when it arrives. But it is never enough; I am always left wishing there was more. But I guess only one issue can come at a time! It struck me recently that we never see any articles in BTG from the ISKCON laity and there must be many more of us than there are devotees. It may well be that none of the lay members are qualified to say anything that could be printed in BTG, but perhaps our experiences within ISKCON and our meetings with Śrīla Prabhupāda would be of interest to some readers. It is just a thought, and I have enclosed a short piece that might be of some use. If not, please consign it to the waste paper bin! Hare Kṛṣṇa. Brian Fleming Abergate, Scotland *We plan to run the article in an upcoming issue.—The Editors* *Lunacy* I was amazed to read your editorial in the Sept./Oct. 1997 issue of BTG. Swami Prabhupāda claims that Neil Armstrong never landed on the moon. It was a grand illusion played out by the U.S. administration. Please bear in mind that your magazine is printed thanks to technology; Swami Prabhupāda flew to the U.S. to spread the message of Kṛṣṇa consciousness thanks to technology; I am sending this e-mail thanks to technology. You are entitled to your beliefs, but this sort of balderdash erodes the credibility of the movement and pushes you to the edges of the lunatic fringe. Sunil Shibad Mahim, Mumbai, India REPLY FROM JAYĀDVAITA SWAMI: You are bashing us for more than we said. On the basis of Vedic literature, Śrīla Prabhupāda indeed affirmed that the moon landing didn’t happen; Mr. Armstrong couldn’t have strong-armed his way onto the moon. But whether the landing was a U.S. hoax or the lunar explorers mistakenly thought they had gone there is a matter we left open. As for technology: Thanks to technology, King Kong climbed the Empire State Building, and Steven Spielberg’s aliens and dinosaurs walk the earth. Thanks to technology, people see heaven on LSD, born men become lovely women, and political propaganda bewilders entire nations. Thanks to technology… Shall we go on? By the way, speaking of the lunatic fringe, why do you suppose that the great conquerors of space, having spent billions to land on the moon, are now bypassing the moon and sending rockets off to Mars? *More on the Moon* I truly believe we did go to the moon and have gathered scientific data about the moon. I could say it confidently because of my education (M.S. in physics and M.S. in electrical engineering). What Śrīla Prabhupāda does not like is a heart, whether of a scientist or not, who does not know or love Kṛṣṇa. There is no need to go to moon or Mars, Śrīla Prabhupāda says. There is a need to become Kṛṣṇa conscious first. As Kṛṣṇa consciousness spreads, particularly among the leaders of a society, the society will have fewer problems. Suresh Vyas Albuquerque, New Mexico *Questions from a Life Member* In July 1978, just sitting in my house, I picked up a book bought for me by my son. The book was about Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. I read it and I was determined to read more. I went to the Hare Kṛṣṇa temple (Bhaktivedanta Manor), Letchmore Heath, for worship. I met some devotees there and they gave me some more books to read. These were *Teachings of Lord Caitanya* and *The Science of Self-Realization.* I read them both, which gave me a lot of strength to continue. By my determination I became a life member of ISKCON in May 1982. The devotees of this society render commendable services to mankind. His Divine Grace Śrīla Prabhupāda has enlightened the whole world by writing his books. He is still present. We can always associate with him through his instructions. These books and instructions give me that association and salvation. I appreciate Śrīla Prabhupāda's writings and instructions from the core of my heart, as well as his high position in the spiritual world. I am a retired person and strictly vegetarian, living with my wife. I have unshakable belief both in *Sanātana-dharma* and in vegetarianism. Some time ago I read about the Gaudiya Math, personalists and impersonalists and Māyāvādīs, what they are and their religious philosophy. I shall be very grateful if you could please put some light on this subject according to the Vedic scriptures. Hari Verma Southall, Middlesex, England OUR REPLY: The Gaudiya Math was the spiritual society set up by Śrīla Prabhupāda's spiritual master, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, to spread the teachings of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. After Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī left this world, the Gaudiya Math broke up into many smaller institutions, some of them still existing. Śrīla Prabhupāda later established the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, which is now spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world. Impersonalists, or Māyāvādīs, are philosophers who believe that the Absolute Truth is ultimately impersonal or void. All variety, they say, is but illusion (although they cannot clearly say where that illusion has its source). The personalist philosophers, in contrast, are those who recognize that everything—material variety, illusion itself, spiritual oneness, and spiritual variety—has its source in the Supreme Personality of Godhead. *Praises* I can fill up several e-mail letters praising BTG magazine. It always was a first-class publication, and the new format is superb. Everyone I know is impressed by it. In particular I have enjoyed the articles on holy places in India, and the ongoing series of translations of the *Mahābhārata* is absolutely delightful. Sam Richardson via the Internet *India First?* [In response to BTG’s announcement that henceforward we’re putting India first in our address list:] *Back to Godhead* is a magazine with a spiritual purpose. Once that purpose is achieved correctly by the reader or contributor, where BTG is printed or which center is listed first among many others around the world does not matter. Because the actual center of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is in our own individual hearts. It is a spiritual awareness. To think in terms of physical places is allowing our minds to be confined in a sense gratification, which is not the purpose why BTG was started. Alfa B. Saam Roermond, The Netherlands OUR REPLY: Yes, the place for Kṛṣṇa consciousness is in our hearts. But when we’re conscious of Kṛṣṇa, we also become conscious of the sacred places where Kṛṣṇa appeared and performed His pastimes. As Kṛṣṇa is spiritual, so too are the places connected with Kṛṣṇa, such as Vṛndāvana, Dvārakā, Kurukṣetra, and Māyāpur. Kṛṣṇa's places are dear to the hearts of Kṛṣṇa's devotees. And it is because of the presence of such places in India that we’re listing India first. *Muslims the Real Followers of Bhagavad-gītā?* I have gone thoroughly through all the issues of BTG this year, and I could to some extent know the essence of life. Sir, based on the knowledge gained, I have the following comment to make: In Dyaneshwari, Dyaneshwar Maharaj says that in spite of knowing the supremacy of Lord Kṛṣṇa, people worship demigods (the sun, moon, etc.) for exploiting the required *śakti* [power] from God. Kṛṣṇa says you need not go anywhere, just remember Me, but. … In this connection I would like to say: The Muslims are the real followers of *Bhagavad-gītā,* who only concentrate on their Allah (here, say Kṛṣṇa). Kindly offer your comments. > Dr. Suresh S. Mahalle, M.Sc., Ph.D., IARI > Extension Agronomist > Introduction Training Centre > Regional Agricultural Research Station > Karjat, Maharashtra, India OUR REPLY: According to the *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* (1.2.6): > sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo > yato bhaktir adhokṣaje > ahaituky apratihatā > yayātmā suprasīdati “The best method of religion is that by which one develops loving devotional service to the transcendent Supreme Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self.” Whether one is Hindu, Muslim, Christian, or whatever is of little consequence. The real purpose of religion. is to develop pure, unalloyed love for God. In the present age, the most recommended way to develop such love is to chant the holy name of the Supreme Lord. One should also give up four kinds of contaminating materialistic activities—gambling, intoxication, meat-eating, and illicit sex. There is no need to worship demigods. The Vedic scriptures recommend that we single-mindedly render devotional service to the Supreme Lord, especially by chanting the *mahā-mantra*: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. *Dating Human Existence* In the article by Ravi Gupta in the March/April ’97 issue, he writes, “Lord Rāma ruled during Tretā-yuga, some two million years ago.” According to all paleontologists, man evolved as Homosapiens with the current brain size only about 100,000 years ago. The evolutionary experts like Dr. Richard Leaky and all others estimate that mankind originated from Africa some 2.5 million years ago. Your writer only loses credibility when he uses numbers like two million years ago for Rāma’s existence. There is no scientific proof that Śrī Rāma existed in Ayodhyā that long ago. The question really is: Are the *Rāmāyaṇa* and the *Mahābhārata* historical facts, or are they fiction written to spread the word of God? Nirmal Ghosh via the Internet DRUTAKARMĀ DĀSA ADHIKĀRĪ REPLIES: There are two ways of getting knowledge about events in the distant past. One is the descending path of knowledge, by which we accept the statements of the Vedic literature as true because they come from a perfect source. The Vedic literature, especially the *Purāṇas,* tells us that human beings have existed on earth for tens of millions of years. These days, many people do not have much faith in the Vedic descending path of knowledge. Instead, they place their faith in the ascending path of knowledge, which relies on proposing various theories from material evidence. This path of knowledge, according to the Vedic epistemological principles, is unreliable because it depends on human beings, who are all subject to four defects: they have imperfect senses, they can be in illusion, they make mistakes, and they have the tendency to cheat. Archeology, the study of human antiquity, is one branch of modern science’s ascending path of knowledge. And generally we are led to believe that all the archeological evidence ever discovered supports the idea that humans like ourselves evolved from more apelike ancestors within the past 100,000 or 200,000 years. Archeology is certainly subject to the four defects just mentioned. Nevertheless, if we look into the entire history of archeology, and evaluate all the discoveries as fairly and objectively as we can, we find that over the past 150 years, archeologists and other earth scientists have uncovered a vast body of evidence consistent with Vedic accounts of extreme human antiquity. This evidence, reports of which can be found in scientific journals, takes the form of anatomically modern human skeletal remains and artifacts of human manufacture. This evidence has been eliminated from scientific discussion largely because it contradicts Darwinian evolutionary ideas. A detailed review of this astonishing evidence can be found in my book *Forbidden Archeology,* co-authored by Richard Thompson (Sadāpūta Dāsa). Those who read this book might develop a new respect for the historical accuracy of the Purāṇic histories, the *Rāmāyaṇa,* and the *Mahābhārata.* *Drutakarmā Dāsa (Michael A. Cremo) is a research associate with the Bhaktivedanta Institute and an associate editor for* Back to Godhead. *Please write us at: BTG, P.O. Box 430, Alachua, FL 32616, USA. Fax: (904) 462-7893. Or BTG, 33 Janki Kutir, Next to State Bank of Hyderabad, Juhu, Mumbai 400 049, India. Phone: (022) 618-1718. Fax: (022) 618-4827. E-mail: [email protected]* ## What Is the Hare Kṛṣṇa Movement? Founded in 1966 by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) carries on in the modern world a great ancient tradition rooted in the *Bhagavad-gītā,* the teachings Lord Kṛṣṇa spoke five millennia ago. The *Gītā* and the other Vedic scriptures declare Kṛṣṇa to be the original person, God Himself, who appears periodically in this world to liberate all living beings. Only five hundred years ago, Kṛṣṇa descended as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to teach the most sublime and effective means of meditation for the present day: the chanting of the names of God, especially as found in the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mantra*. Today members of ISKCON continue Lord Caitanya’s movement by distributing the teachings of Lord Kṛṣṇa and the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mantra* all over the world. *Pronunciation* We spell Sanskrit words and names by a phonetic system that lets you know how to say each word. Pronounce short a like the u in but, long ā like the a in far (and held twice as long as the short a). Pronounce e like the a in evade, long ī like the i in pique. Pronounce the vowel ṛ like the ri in rim, and c like the ch in chair. Pronounce consonants like ch, jh, and dh as in staunch-heart, hedge-hog, and red-hot. Pronounce ś and ṣ like sh. So for *Kṛṣṇa* say KRISHNA, for *Caitanya* say CHAITANYA. *Spiritual Names* Members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness receive names of Lord Kṛṣṇa or His great devotees, combined with Dāsa (Dāsī for women), meaning “servant.” For instance, the name Kṛṣṇa Dāsa means “servant of Kṛṣṇa.” ## Who is Lord Caitanya? *Understanding His position in the light of scripture and the teachings of previous spiritual masters.* ### A lecture given in Māyāpur, West Bengal, on March 2, 1974 ### by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami PrabhupādaFounder-Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness > jaya jaya mahāprabhu śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya > tāṅhāra caraṇāśrita sei baḍa dhanya “Let me offer glorification to the Supreme Lord, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. One who has taken shelter of His lotus feet is the most glorified person.” —Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 7.2 Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya is Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī spoke this verse: > namo mahā-vadānyāya > kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te > kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya- > nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ “O most munificent incarnation! You are Kṛṣṇa Himself appearing as Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. You have assumed the golden color of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī [Lord Kṛṣṇa's internal energy], and You are widely distributing pure love of Kṛṣṇa. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You.” Lord Caitanya is Kṛṣṇa Himself. In this age, known as Kali-yuga, Kṛṣṇa's direct incarnation is Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. This is also confirmed throughout the Vedic literature—*Mahābhārata, Purāṇas, Upaniṣads*. The essence of all Vedic literature is the *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,* and there also Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is accepted as the Supreme Lord: > kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ > sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam > yajñair saṅkīrtana-prāyair > yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ The *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* says that in the Kali-yuga the incarnation of Kṛṣṇa has a bodily complexion that is *a*kṛṣṇa*,* “not **kṛṣṇa*.*” The Sanskrit word *kṛṣṇa* means “black.” In the *śāstra,* the scriptures, it is said that Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, appears in the four *yugas,* or ages, in four different colors: > āsan varṇās trayo hy asya > gṛhṇato ’nuyugaṁ tanūḥ > śuklo raktas tathā pītaḥ > idānīṁ kṛṣṇataṁ gataḥ “Your son Kṛṣṇa appears as an incarnation in every millennium. In the past He assumed three colors—white, red, and yellow—and now He has appeared in a blackish color.” This verse was spoken by the learned *brāhmaṇa* Gargamuni during Kṛṣṇa's name-giving ceremony. In the Vedic culture, as soon as a child is born his horoscope is made and his past and future are calculated. Today, because of poverty and other reasons, practically no one does this. But this is one of the *saṁskāras,* or purifying rituals for human life. At conception there is the *garbhādhāna *saṁskāra,** while the child is within the womb there is a *saṁskāra,* and so on. In this way a human body is purified by ten kinds of *saṁskāras,* or purificatory methods. It is said, *janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ saṁskārād bhaved dvija:* “Everyone is born a *śudra,* a member of the unpurified caste, but by *saṁskāra* one becomes twice-born, or a *brāhmaṇa.*” Everyone is born from a father and a mother. Even cats and dogs have a father and a mother. Any life you get, there is a father and a mother. Therefore the *Prema-vivarta* says: > janame janame sabe pitā-mātā pāya > kṛṣṇa guru nahi mile bhaja hari ei “In every birth you’ll get a father and a mother. But in every birth you cannot get Kṛṣṇa or a bona fide spiritual master.” The perfection of human life is possible by the mercy of *guru* and Kṛṣṇa. And that mercy can be achieved in the human form of life, not in the life of cats and dogs. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is acting as both *guru* and Kṛṣṇa, or as the combination of the two. Kavirāja Gosvāmī, the author of *Caitanya-caritāmṛta,* first offered his obeisances to Lord Caitanya in the first verse of this chapter (*agaty-eka-gatiṁ natvā …*). After offering obeisances to the Supreme Lord, “the only hope for the hopeless,” now the author is again offering obeisances with the second verse: *jaya jaya mahāprabhu śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya.* *Prabhu and Mahāprabhu* Nityānanda Prabhu, Advaita Prabhu—any Vaiṣṇava, or devotee of the Lord, is addressed as *prabhu* (“Lord” or “master”). But Śrī Caitanya Mahā*prabhu* is Mahā*prabhu*, the “topmost *prabhu*, the master *prabhu*.” All others are servant *prabhu*s. For example, if you work in an office, you may consider your immediate boss your master, but he’s not the master. The managing director or the proprietor is master of the office. But, still, those who work under him—“sub-*prabhu*s”—are also called *prabhu*. All Vaiṣṇavas should be addressed as “Prabhu.” That is the etiquette. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Mahāprabhu because He’s the greatest master. > ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya > yāre yaiche nācāya, se taiche kare nṛtya “Lord Kṛṣṇa alone is the supreme controller, and all others are His servants. They dance as He makes them do so.” We are simply dancing in the material world, trying to be the master. Everyone is trying. Everyone wants to exploit the resources of the material nature, to become the master. That is the struggle for existence. I am trying to become the master, and you are trying to become the master, so there is a clash. I challenge you, “Why should you be the master?” And you challenge why I should be the master. That is going on. That is the nature of the material world. But if we accept that we are eternal servants and not the master, and that the master is Kṛṣṇa or Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu, then our problems are solved. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has sung, *jīv kṛṣṇa dāsa ei viśvās korle to ār duḥkha nāi:* “If you just understand that the spirit soul is the eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, you will never have any more sorrows.” That is the solution. Everyone wants to become the master, the **prabhu*.* You can become **prabhu*.* That is not extraordinary. Some way or other we are **prabhu*s.* Suppose I am a family man. I am managing my family, my wife, my children, my servants, my subordinates, so I may be **prabhu*.* In that sense I am a small **prabhu*.* Similarly, everyone is **prabhu*.* But there is the supreme **prabhu*,* the *prabhu* of all **prabhu*s.* That Mahā*prabhu* is Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya. He’s Kṛṣṇa. As it is stated in the *Brahma-saṁhitā: *īśvara*ḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ.* *īśvara* means “ruler” or “controller.” All of us are more or less little controllers or rulers, but not the absolute ruler. The absolute ruler is Kṛṣṇa. Similarly, the absolute *prabhu,* master, is Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. *Taking Shelter of Mahāprabhu* *Tāṅhāra caraṇāśrita:* Everyone is **prabhu*,* but when the *prabhu* takes shelter of the lotus feet of the Mahā**prabhu*,* *sei baḍa dhanya—*the *prabhu* becomes glorified. Don’t remain satisfied being a *prabhu* of your wife, children, family, country, or this or that, but try to become the servant of Mahā*prabhu*. *Tāṅhāra caraṇāśrita.* When you take shelter of the supreme **prabhu*,* Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahā**prabhu*,* then your life is successful. *Sei baḍa dhanya:* you are glorified. To become the servant of God, or Mahā*prabhu,* is very prestigious. It is not very easy to become the servant of Kṛṣṇa or Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So if one agrees to become the servant of the supreme *prabhu,* one’s life is successful. *Sei baḍa dhanya:* he is glorified. The Vaiṣṇava’s principle is to come to the platform of eternal servitude—not to become the master, but to become servant of the master. That is perfect philosophy. *Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ.* The *brāhmaṇa* is thinking himself the master of the *kṣatriya* [warrior] or the *vaiśya* [merchant] or the *śūdra* [laborer]. The *sannyāsī* [renunciant] is thinking himself the master of the *vānaprastha* [retired person], the *gṛhastha* [householder], or the *brahmacārī* [celibate student]. Similarly, the head of the household is thinking himself the master, and the *kṣatriya* king is thinking he’s the master. You are a master to some extent, but if you accept Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu or Śrī Kṛṣṇa as your master, your life is successful. That is the secret of success, as confirmed in the *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:* > ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā > varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ > svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya > saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam “The highest perfection one can achieve by discharging the duties prescribed for one’s own occupation according to caste divisions and orders of life is to please the Personality of Godhead.” Arjuna was a *kṣatriya;* his business was to fight. Why was he fighting the Battle of Kurukṣetra? To become the master of the kingdom. But he stayed eternally the servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is success. Don’t be satisfied simply to be the master of your material position. Try to become the servant of the supreme; then you are successful. Our mastership is relative; under certain conditions we become the master. But Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the master without any conditions. *Namo mahā-vadānyāya *kṛṣṇa-prema*-pradāya te.* Because He’s the master, He can distribute **kṛṣṇa-prema*,* love of Kṛṣṇa, very easily. Otherwise, *kṛṣṇa-prema* is very difficult to attain. Even understanding Kṛṣṇa is very difficult. > manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu > kaścid yayati siddhaye > yatatām api siddhānāṁ > kaścin māṁ vetti tattvataḥ Out of many millions of persons, one *may* try to make his life successful, and out of many such persons who have become successful in understanding their constitutional position, one *may* understand Kṛṣṇa. One *may* understand; there is no surety. To understand Kṛṣṇa is a very, very difficult job. > brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā > na śocati na kāṅkṣati > samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu > mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām To understand Kṛṣṇa and to understand the service of Kṛṣṇa is very exalted. One has to become *brahma-bhūtaḥ,* completely liberated. Then one can understand how to render service to Kṛṣṇa, *mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām.* But this difficult subject matter is given very easily by Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Therefore Rūpa Gosvāmī offered his first prayer to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu: > namo mahā-vadānyāya > kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te > kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya- > nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ “You are not only giving Kṛṣṇa, but You are giving *kṛṣṇa-prema,* love of Kṛṣṇa.” You may meet an exalted per-son, but to have an intimate, loving relationship with an exalted person is not very easy. But Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu distributed love of Kṛṣṇa to anyone. That is Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s contribution to human society. If you simply come under the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu, then love of Kṛṣṇa is very easily achieved. To come under the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu means you have Kṛṣṇa. That is the verdict of the scripture and *Caitanya-caritāmṛta.* Kṛṣṇa, Caitanya Mahā- prabhu, does not give anything else. He directly gives you Kṛṣṇa and love of Kṛṣṇa. *Glorious Navadvīpa* To award this greatest benediction to human society, Caitanya Mahāprabhu took *sannyāsa,* the renounced order of life, at the age of twenty-four in this land of Māyāpur, Navadvīpa. It is a very glorified place. It is not an ordinary place. The Vaiṣṇava devotee and poet Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura says, *gauḍa maṇḍala bhūmi, yeba jane cintāmaṇi tara hoy vrajabhūme vāsa. “*Anyone who understands the spiritual value of Navadvīpa lives in Vrajabhūmi, Vṛndāvana—Lord Kṛṣṇa's land.” There is no difference between Vṛndāvana and Navadvīpa, or Gauḍa-maṇḍala-bhūmi. That is the verdict of the *śāstra.* Read Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura’s *Prārthanā* and Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura’s *Prārthanā*. They are very, very valuable for advancement in spiritual understanding—especially Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura’s *Prārthanā*. By reading them, by understanding them, we can understand Kṛṣṇa very easily. Otherwise, it is very, very difficult to understand Kṛṣṇa. Big, big scholars, big, big *sannyāsīs*—they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. They think Kṛṣṇa is like us—a very great man, a politician, a historical person. Or they think of Kṛṣṇa as a debauchee because He associated with the *gopīs,* the cowherd girls, or because He married sixteen thousand wives. We shall be misled in understanding Kṛṣṇa if we try to do so by our own knowledge. We have to accept Kṛṣṇa through Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu advises everyone: > āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra’ ei deśa > yāre dekha tāre kaha ’kṛṣṇa’-upadeśa “Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa as they are given in the *Bhagavad-gītā* and *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.* In this way become a spiritual master and try to liberate everyone in this land.” Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa Himself. Because Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu came as a human being, people have misunderstood Him to be a human being. But He’s not human being; He’s the master of the human beings. Because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa very kindly comes when we are distressed because of violating the laws of religion. *Yadā yadā hi *dharma*sya glānir bhavati. Dharmasya glāni* means “deviation from the path of religion.” And what is religion? *Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam.* Religion means the laws of God. That is the simple definition of religion. The rules and regulations given by the Lord are called religion, just as the rules and regulations given by the state are called law. You cannot manufacture law. Similarly, you cannot manufacture *dharma*. Nowadays, in this Kali-yuga, rascals manufacture religion. But who cares for that religion? Or what will be the benefit of such religion? There will be no benefit. Today, so-called religious leaders even claim to be God. But Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu never manufactured religion, and to set the example He never said, “I am Kṛṣṇa.” Rather, when He was in Vṛndāvana some of the devotees praised Him: “You are Kṛṣṇa.” He blocked His ears: “No, no. Don’t say that,” indicating that to claim to become God or Kṛṣṇa is the highest type of rascaldom. Some Māyāvādīs, or impersonalists, claim, “Everyone is God. I am God, you are God.” They are all rascals. We do not accept such cheap “Gods.” No. We accept Kṛṣṇa. And we accept Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu as God on the authority of *śāstra* and the *ācāryas,* our predecessor spiritual masters. We follow in the footsteps of the *ācāryas.* Rūpa Gosvāmī says, *kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmne:* “Sir, You are Kṛṣṇa. You have come under the name of Kṛṣṇa Caitanya. You are so magnanimous that You are distributing love of Kṛṣṇa.” Without being Kṛṣṇa, how can one distribute Kṛṣṇa? Without being a millionaire, how can one distribute millions of dollars? Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu is so magnanimous that He is distributing Kṛṣṇa. So take shelter of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. You have come from distant places. You have spent much money to come here. Take advantage of this journey and chant *śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda.* Then you’ll get Kṛṣṇa, surely. This land is Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s birthplace. Anyone who takes shelter of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu is glorified. Thank you very much. ## Calendar Close-Up *Śrī Abhirāma Ṭhākura Disappearance Day: April 19* Śrī Abhirāma Ṭhākura was a great devotee and associate of Lord Nityānanda Prabhu. He was so learned in the scriptures and such a powerful preacher that atheists would flee from him. Śrī Abhirāma Ṭhākura lived in the village of Khanakula Krishnanagar, in what is now the Hooghly district of West Bengal. Lord Kṛṣṇa once told Abhirāma Ṭhākura in a dream that in a Deity form He was buried in Khanakula Krishnanagar. The next day Abhirāma and other villagers excavated the Deity of Gopīnātha and established His worship. According to the authoritative book *Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā,* which reveals the eternal identity of the associates of Lord Caitanya, Śrī Abhirāma Ṭhākura is the cowherd boy Śridhāmā in Lord Kṛṣṇa's pastimes. One day while absorbed in the mood of a cowherd boy, Abhirāma lifted a huge log, turned it into a flute, and played it. Abhirāma Ṭhākura had a whip named Jaya Maṅgala, and anyone he would touch with the whip would be filled with love for Kṛṣṇa. One notable beneficiary of the mercy of Abhirāma and his whip was the great devotee Śrīnivāsa Ācārya. When Lord Caitanya was residing at Jagannātha Purī, in Orissa, He ordered Lord Nityānanda to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness in Bengal, and He sent Abhirāma Ṭhākura and Gadādhara Dāsa with Him. A great festival is held in Khanakula Krishnanagar each year on the disappearance day of Śrī Abhirāma Ṭhākura. ## Lessons from the Road *Japa as Meditation* ### By Satsvarūpa Dāsa Goswami Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya had been a famous logician and teacher of the impersonal path, and his conversion to Vaiṣṇavism is chronicled in several chapters of the *Caitanya-caritāmṛta.* It is said of Sārvabhauma after his conversion, “He did not know anything but the service of the Lord, and he always chanted the holy name of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya … . Indeed, chanting the holy names became his meditation.” Meditation is the seventh stage in the eightfold mystic *yoga* system by which one gradually learns to sit still, control the breath, withdraw the senses from the world, fix the mind on one point, and eventually attain full concentration on the object of meditation. Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya attained that stage by concentrating on the Lord’s holy names. In Western countries, “meditation” has become a buzzword. In the 1960s the only meditation that people discussed was “Transcendental Meditation,” by which one could purchase a *mantra* and meditate on it twice a day. Now many other forms of meditation and “mindfulness” are popular both in Christian and non-Christian traditions. People meditate for a short time each day to relieve stress and augment health. Śrīla Prabhupāda said that serious *yoga* practice aimed at a spiritual goal is far too difficult in this age of distraction. Real meditation is full time. For those who chant the holy names, hearing *japa* (private chanting on beads) described as “meditation” may sound distasteful when considered alongside the other processes practiced these days, but *japa* is meditation, and to achieve the result we must do it with attention. Meditation involves controlling the mind, and that’s difficult, as anyone who has tried to chant realizes quickly. Therefore, we sometimes wonder whether it is necessary or helpful to study meditation techniques and bring them into our own practice. Śrīla Prabhupāda didn’t think so. Whenever devotees asked him how to concentrate on the holy name, he responded simply: “Just hear.” “But what about my mind?” “Just hear.” Prabhupāda knew that by chanting we would learn how to chant; the holy name itself would teach us. The *Bhagavad-gītā* assigns the path: “From wherever the mind wanders due to its flickering and unsteady nature, one must certainly withdraw it and bring it back under the control of the self.” Therefore, in the name of disinterest in other forms of meditation, we shouldn’t abandon the practices common to all forms. We should begin our daily *japa* by calming the mind. We should chant our rounds (of beads) in a sacred space and control the breath by the chanting. We should fix the mind on the syllables of the holy name. We should maintain good posture. In the early days at 26 Second Avenue in New York City, we would sit slouched over as Śrīla Prabhupāda gave his morning class. Once he stopped his lecture and asked us to sit straight. Although *bhakti-*yoga** does not involve sitting postures and breathing exercises, he said, it is still *yoga*. With the aid of these basic components of meditation, we can learn to become prayerful in our approach to the holy name. Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya was able to chant with no other thought than the name and Lord Caitanya’s mercy. Our biggest obstacles to chanting are indifference to the holy name and distraction. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura addresses these points in his *Harināma Cintāmaṇi,* suggesting that we chant in the company of devotees focused on the holy name. By learning to emulate their mood, we will learn to concentrate. He also suggests we chant in a secluded place. By accepting the discipline of a vow to chant, we will be forced to fix our attention. Gradually we will move from an hour spent chanting to two hours to four hours, and eventually we will chant constantly. And enthusiasm is vital. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura states: “Those who chant distractedly are always eager to somehow complete the fixed number of holy names and be done with it. It is important to concentrate on the quality of the chanting and not on trying to artificially increase the number of holy names.” He adds that we should utter and hear the name distinctly. It is only by the Lord’s mercy that distraction can be overcome. “Therefore it is essential to fervently beg for the Lord’s grace with great humility. This is the living entity’s only means of salvation.” Ultimately, our success in chanting will come from Kṛṣṇa's mercy, but while awaiting that mercy, we can continue to chant with enthusiasm and concentration and, as far as we are able, make the holy name the central focus of our lives. *Satsvarūpa Dāsa Goswami travels extensively to speak and write about Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He is the author of many books, including a six-volume biography of Śrīla Prabhupāda.* ## Lord Kṛṣṇa's Cuisine *Cooking Class: Lesson 34 The Burfi Family—Milk Fudges* ### By Yamuna Devi WHILE BENGALI MILK sweets such as *sandeśa* and *rasgullā* are made with *chenna* cheese (milk curds), milk sweets of northern India are made with *khoa,* milk boiled down to a fudgelike consistency. Add sugar to *khoa,* and you have classic plain **burfi*.* Other enduring varieties of *burfi* are almond, cashew, pistachio, coconut, squash, and carrot. Today, most *burfi* found in Indian sweet shops is not made with true **khoa*,* but with quick or instant mock *khoa* made by blending powdered milk with water, milk, or cream. *Burfi* made like this may look like the real thing, but its taste and texture fall far short. In home kitchens, the ratio of sugar to *khoa* in *burfi* varies from region to region. The recipes in the class textbook, *Lord Krishna’s Cuisine,* call for a small amount of sugar, showcasing the caramelized lactose sugars that intensify in flavor as the milk is reduced to a fudge. Add more as you please. *Perā* In the late 1960s, *perā* was one of the first sweets in the *burfi* family Śrīla Prabhupāda taught his disciples to make. In 1969 he taught a few of us how to make a Vṛndāvana sweet called Vṛndāvana Perā—melt-in-your-mouth milk-fudge balls rolled in sugar crystals. The recipe for it is on page 628 in the class textbook. If you are following this cooking-class series, make a few batches of *perās* using different types of sugar, such as fructose, Sucanat, brown sugar, date sugar, turbinado sugar, Florida Crystals, maple sugar crystals, or a local sugar used in your part of the world. Find the types you most want to use in the service of Lord Kṛṣṇa. *Kitchen Practice* To cook down milk to make *khoa,* the basis of *burfi*, takes time. So while making *khoa,* concentrate on the holy name. Listen to a tape of Kṛṣṇa conscious music or discourse. Watch the milk as it boils, and listen to the whisper of sound it makes in different stages of reduction. Relish the cooking, and think of pleasing the senses of the Lord. Think purity, quality, and cleanliness. *Yamuna Devi is the author of the award-winning cookbooks* Lord Krishna’s Cuisine: The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking *and* Yamuna’s Table. *She is a regular contributor to* The Washington Post *and* Vegetarian Times. *Double-Ginger Perā* (Makes 1 dozen pieces) > 1-inch piece fresh ginger, scraped > 3 cups milk > 2½ cups (600 ml) cream > 1½ tablespoons (22 ml) minced stem ginger or minced candied ginger > 2/3 cup (160 ml) sugar, preferably unrefined Finely grate the ginger, taking care to collect all of the liquid and fibers in a bowl. Transfer both the liquid and the fibers to a piece of cotton and wring out into a bowl as much ginger juice as possible. Pour the milk and cream into a large nonstick pan and place over high heat. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil and cook until the milk and cream are reduced to a thick cream sauce. Add the ginger juice, the stem or candied ginger, and the sugar. Reduce the heat to moderate. Stirring constantly, cook until the mass pulls away from the sides of the pan and holds its shape. Transfer to another pan or a tray and cool to room temperature. Divide into 12 pieces, roll into balls, and offer to Lord Krishna. ## Book Distribution *Solace for All* HERE ARE SOME experiences and realizations of devotees who give people Kṛṣṇa consciousness by giving them books by Śrīla Prabhupāda and his followers. *Death Wish Stopped* Once I was distributing Śrīla Prabhupāda's books in a small city in Belgium, and I met a woman who listened very emotionally as I showed her a book. She told me she didn’t need the book, because she had just bought some pills in the pharmacy (she showed them to me) and was on her way home to take them all at once and end her life. Shocked, I asked her why. She said her husband had died and she couldn’t live without him. I told her about reincarnation, and I explained that committing suicide would not solve her problems. I said that this knowledge was in Śrīla Prabhupāda's books and they would be a great help and shelter for her. She decided to read the book before taking the pills and asked me to come to her house so that she could pay for the book. After she had invited me to sit down, we started a conversation. She showed me photographs of her husband, and to my amazement I came across some pictures of she and her husband visiting Radhadesh [the main Hare Kṛṣṇa center in Belgium] during a marriage ceremony. I said, “Hey! That’s where I live! And the girl getting married there is my friend, and she’s also here in town right now.” I went to get my devotee friend. As we spoke with the woman, she gradually became more and more enthusiastic and bought all five books we had with us. She promised us she was going to throw the pills away, read the books thoroughly, and keep contact with the devotees. She kept her promise. Now she often visits the temple, and she opens her house for any devotee who wants to stay overnight or distribute books from there. Hāraprāṇā Devī Dāsī Radhadesh, Belgium *Pleasant Dreams* I met a woman in Dingolfing, Germany, who at first wasn’t interested in the books but then revealed she was very disturbed because her husband had recently died. I showed her a copy of Śrīla Prabhupāda's *Second Chance.* After looking at the cover, she became thoughtful and looked at me, pondering whether or not she should tell me her problem. She told me that her husband had been very cruel but she was such a faithful wife that even when he became terminally ill she nursed him until death. After his death she started having terrible dreams and then visions. She was regularly terrorized by his ghost. She had never believed in ghosts, but now she knew they exist. I gave her three big books, and since we were right next to my van, I also gave her a copy of *Reincarnation,* a German book by Rāja-vidyā Dāsa. About a year later I met her at the same shopping center. She told me she had become convinced by the books and when she started reading them in her room, her husband stopped visiting. She was very grateful, only lamenting that since reading the books, she could no longer relate to her mundane friends and their trivial talks in the workplace. Bhaktavatsala Dāsa adhikārī Nava-jiyaḍa-nṛsiṁha-kṣetra, Germany *Joyful Reunion* A few years ago in Norway I approached a woman in a parked car. She rolled down the window, and I handed her a book. On seeing the book, her face lit up and tears came to her eyes. She was so emotional she couldn’t speak for a few moments but just swayed back and forth. She then told me that twenty years ago she and her son had seen a group of devotees chanting in San Francisco. She was captured by the rhythms and the atmosphere of the chanting party, and without wanting to, she started to dance to the beat and couldn’t stop. Her son tried to stop her. “Ma, what are you doing?” After a while a devotee went over to her and gave her a book. Now, on meeting me and seeing the same type of book she’d received twenty years ago, she felt the same ecstasy again. As she was relating the story, she demonstrated the dancing. She bought two more books, and I went away thinking, “When will the day come when I will appreciate Śrīla Prabhupāda's books as she has—with joyful tears coming to my eyes upon receiving such a treasure?” Tapasa Dāsa adhikārī Stockholm *Navīna Nīrada Dāsa, a disciple of Harikeśa Swami, has been a leading book distributor for many years. He heads ISKCON’s book distribution ministry and travels worldwide to train and inspire book distributors.* ## Schooling Kṛṣṇa's Children *Spiritual Holidays* ### By Ūrmilā Devī Dāsī HOLIDAYS! A break from routine, a special mark on the calendar, a day that can absorb a child’s mind for weeks or more beforehand. Holidays connected with Lord Kṛṣṇa help children become absorbed in pleasing Him. The calendar of the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement overflows with days to celebrate. Major festivals commemorate the divine birth, or appearance, of Kṛṣṇa and His incarnations. Other festivals celebrate Kṛṣṇa's pastimes and the anniversaries of the appearance and passing of pure devotees of the Lord. Unfortunately, we might neglect to take full advantage of the intense spiritual effect Kṛṣṇa conscious holidays can have on a child’s life. On minor festival days, the occasion may pass by unnoticed, or there may be only a scriptural reading geared to an adult audience. Adults may even plan events mostly for adults. Children come to the adult gathering, but they simply learn that a holiday means being bored, or running and playing wildly. How can our children find the spiritual highlights of their lives in festivals? PLAYS: Putting on a play about the holiday is exciting for children. They love rehearsing, dressing up, and getting on stage. And they love pleasing the adults, who enjoy the plays in spite of (and to some extent because of) the imperfections. Older children can spend many weeks striving for professional results. They can also write or adapt a script, buy costumes and make-up, create the soundtrack, and so on. Children can also prepare a dramatic reading related to the holiday. Such readings require far less work for the adults directing the show, and absorb the children’s minds almost as much as a full production. PROJECTS: Every year at the Govardhana Pūjā festival, honoring Lord Kṛṣṇa's lifting of Govardhana Hill, our students make a small hill of papier mache over wire and balloons. We paint it and decorate it with plants, streams, pools, plastic or clay animals, and so on. (We make the pools from mirrors and the streams from tinsel over tin foil). One year, to celebrate Rathayātrā each student made his or her own cart from a shoe box and cardboard. We’ve also made dioramas inside boxes. A simple one- or two-day project: writing about the festival and then mounting and decorating the poem or essay. GAMES: To celebrate the appearance of Lord Varāha, the Lord as a giant boar who lifted the earth with His tusks, the children play “stick the earth on Varāha’s tusks.” Some years we have groups of students make a picture of Varāha and the earth and then play the game with the best picture. Last year our grown daughter drew Varāha, and the students competed for the best earth drawing. Then, blindfolded, each of us tried to tape the earth as close as possible to the tips of the Lord’s tusks. A simple prize awaited the winner. *KĪRTANAS*: Children love singing “Sītā-Rāma” on Lord Rāma’s appearance day, or whatever songs and prayers relate to the incarnation or event we are celebrating. Sometimes we make copies of a song in Devanagari, the original Sanskrit alphabet, to have the children practice their Sanskrit while they learn the prayer. STORIES: What is more fun for a child than a story? But so often we adults just read, without expression or explanation, from a book written for adults. If we dramatize a little, have lively questions and answers, and concentrate on the story line, children will be entranced. Today we also have many Kṛṣṇa conscious stories on audio and video tape. CHILDREN HELPING ADULTS: Children can decorate the temple, help with cooking a feast, and do extra cleaning at home or at the temple. If they worship a Deity of the Lord, they can make Him a special flower garland or a new outfit, or decorate His altar with flowers. Older children can help in many ways at the temple. FASTING: Fasting may not sound like fun for a child, but most children delight in performing some austerity for Kṛṣṇa. Many festival days call for fasting, either until noon or the evening. I generally ask children under age seven to eat, even if they want to fast. I encourage children over ten to try the fast, and I have *prasādam* available if they can’t stick to it. Children remember with fondness the first Janmāṣṭamī they fasted until midnight. GENERAL MOOD: We can find many more ways to include children in holidays. The real key is the mood of the adults. We need to remember that celebrating the glory of the Lord is for children too. In the next issue, we’ll look at celebrating secular holidays. *Ūrmilā Devī Dāsī and her family run a school in North Carolina. She is the major author and compiler of* Vaikuṇṭha Children, *a guide to Kṛṣṇa conscious education for children.* ## The Land, the Cows, and Kṛṣṇa *Māyā Writes the Script* ### By Hare Kṛṣṇa Devī Dāsī MAINE YANKEE, our state’s nuclear power plant, is going to shut down. Unsafe, they say. Thirty or forty years ago harnessing “the peaceful power of the atom” was the promise of the future. Promoters claimed, “Nuclear power’s going to be so cheap they won’t even have to bill you for it.” But thirty years later the dream is over. We’re not independent; we’ve been dependent on Maine Yankee. Cheap electricity? You call a $200-a-month electricity bill—for an apartment—cheap? And clean? Luckily, they’re shutting down the plant before we have a Chernobyl-style meltdown. Now all we have to worry about is thousands of years of radioactive waste. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Somehow our great breakthroughs in energy technology always end up causing unexpected trouble. Take petroleum. It was supposed to provide cheap, reliable energy. But then we discovered that supplies were limited and those who controlled the supplies raised prices. Our solution: develop other sources of petroleum. Experts have determined that Azerbaijan has enough oil to meet the entire energy needs of the United States for thirty years or more. So now we have no more problems with our petroleum supply—or do we? For starters, what about shipping it? *The New York Times* (September 21, 1997) says, “Depending on where the lines are laid, power over the West’s energy supply may fall to Chechen rebels, irredentist Armenians, government-connected cliques of Russian or Turkish gangsters, Iranian mullahs, Kurdish guerrillas or mercurial chieftains of the Avars, Lezgins, Swanetians and other Caucasian ethnic groups that nurse ancient grievances of which the outside world knows almost nothing.” It’s a front-page article subtitled “Pipe Dreams.” In fact our plans to live luxuriously on cheap energy are pipe dreams, fantasies. They are like movies—only you could never sell a movie with a plot like that to any Hollywood director. “Too complicated. No one would believe it. The script is too complex.” But there it is, too complicated or not. The scriptwriter is Māyā Devī, the embodiment of the Lord’s external energy. She controls all material activities, and she’s a great artist. Some artists use many themes in their work. Others present the same theme again and again in an endless variety of ways. That’s what Māyā does. Her theme: You can try to enjoy in this world, but you can’t win. There will always be a snare. Better to give up trying and surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Our technical solutions come and go, but Māyā always writes her script on the same basic plot line: First comes great hope for material progress. That develops for some time at the cost of immense energy and struggle. Finally the “progress” breaks down, causing great distress. If you know the basic script, seeing what’s going to happen next is easy. Māyā’s plots are always the same. Take the latest energy solution: fuel cells. Clean energy, no problem. Hydrogen and oxygen unite creating energy. Byproduct: water. So, no problem, right? But where do we get the ingredients? We can get oxygen from the air, but hydrogen must be “reformed” from another substance. It turns out the most practical substance for the base fuel is gasoline. “We already have gasoline everywhere,” said scientist Matthew L. Wald. “If you can actually reform gasoline, to give you hydrogen, that would be ideal. The infrastructure is already there.” And where will the petroleum for gasoline come from? Try Azerbaijan. You can chalk out the rest of the plot. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains it in a nutshell: “We are trying to exploit the resources of material nature, but actually we are becoming more and more entangled in her complexities. Therefore, although we are engaged in a hard struggle to conquer nature, we are ever more dependent on her.” Isn’t there any way out of this? Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that, too, “This illusory struggle against material nature can be stopped at once by revival of our eternal Kṛṣṇa consciousness.” Kṛṣṇa consciousness means acting in harmony with Kṛṣṇa's plan. Kṛṣṇa's arrangement for human beings is simple living and high thinking. He has given us the bull to provide transportation and to help us produce our food so that our spiritual life does not have to be distracted by worrying about international trade relations or high-level politics. So it’s really our choice. Should society start taking steps towards simple living and high thinking, or should we keep on the path of complicated living and low thinking? Should we try to mold our lives to Kṛṣṇa's plan, or should we keep letting Māyā write the script? *Hare Kṛṣṇa Devī Dāsī, an ISKCON devotee since 1978, is co-editor of the newsletter* Hare Kṛṣṇa Rural Life. ## Near Death While Out Chanting *Devotees are ready to take risks to assist the Lord in His mission* ### By Locanānanda Dāsa ALL GLORIES TO Śrī Kṛṣṇa *saṅkīrtana*, the chanting of the holy names of the Lord,” Yajña Puruṣa Dāsa and I recite as the D train makes its way toward midtown Manhattan. “*Saṅkīrtana* cleanses the heart of all the dust accumulated for years …” We’re leading a party of twenty-five enthusiastic devotees to Fifth Avenue, where Lord Jagannātha’s Rathayātrā parade will take place in just a few days. More and more devotees have been arriving daily from all over the country to attend the festival, and our *kīrtana* party is becoming more powerful and impressive. Jaded New Yorkers who have “seen it all” cannot help but notice our ecstatic chanting and dancing. The holy name is entering their hearts. I joined the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement in Paris, France, in 1970, and from the beginning I loved street s*aṅkīrtana—*going out with devotees to chant in public*.* Being in our early twenties, we could go out all day long to chant, dance, and tell others about Kṛṣṇa, without feeling the least bit tired*.* Our enthusiasm for *saṅkīrtana* was irrepressible, and when we tasted the sweetness of the holy name, we knew we’d been favored by Caitanya Mahāprabhu*.* Most important, by performing this *yajña,* or sacrifice, despite adversity, we were assisting our spiritual master, Śrīla Prabhupāda, in his mission to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness throughout the world*.* Now, twenty-seven years later, we’re out for street *saṅkīrtana* in America. As our chanting party rises out of the subway into the midday sun, we form two lines before heading to the front of the public library at 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue. Despite the ninety-degree heat, we dance with abandon and loudly chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mantra* for all to hear. After about an hour, a policeman tells us we’ve been chanting in a “quiet zone” (in midtown Manhattan?) and should move up the street. So we head north across 42nd Street. It’s my turn to pass out books, and I decide to first get a drink at the water fountain in Bryant Park, next to the library. My thirst quenched, I start to rejoin the devotees, but a businessman seated in the park on a green folding chair calls me over. He asks some philosophical questions, and I’m happy to answer from what I’ve learned from Śrīla Prabhupāda's books. Suddenly, I’m feeling sick, light-headed. Fearing I might have heat stroke, I excuse myself from our conversation. The businessman offers me his chair, accepts a booklet on the teachings of Prahlāda Mahārāja and an invitation to Rathayātrā, and then leaves the park. I sit down, but there’s no relief. Soon I’m kneeling on the pavement trying to get comfortable. I don’t have the strength or balance to rise to my feet. Now I’m lying on the stone, and a policeman orders me to lie on the grass like everyone else. I stumble over to the wide lawn, but the sun makes me feel worse, so I move over to a shaded area and lie down on some matted vines. It’s cool, and I start to feel a little better, but within a moment a gardener rushes over to me holding a sign he has pulled from the ground. It reads, “Do Not Lie on the Vines.” Another policeman comes over to order me off the vines and onto a bench. I comply, and a sympathetic woman offers me something to drink, assuming I might be diabetic. I thank her with a Prahlāda pamphlet. Now I’m feeling so alarmingly bad, I ask someone to have the policeman call an ambulance. Disgusted as I lie on the stone path amid cigarette butts and other filth, I begin to think of the *saṅkīrtana* party, wondering if they will soon return this way. I hope to hear the sound of cymbals at any moment. Several policemen are standing around me now. I’m clutching my beads, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa to myself, and wishing that by Kṛṣṇa's grace some devotee might come by and help me out. I overhear a conversation between a policemen and a passerby: “Do you know this person?” “Yes. He’s from our temple.” “Where’s your temple?” “At 305 Schermerhorn Street in Brooklyn.” I look up and see a devotee standing over me. I’ve never seen him before. He just happened to be passing through the park. “Are you leaving your body or something?” he asks. “The best thing to do is just chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.” Introducing himself as Indranuja Dāsa, he sits next to me, and we chant together, waiting for the ambulance to arrive. I think, “Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He has sent this nice devotee to help me prepare to go back to Godhead.” But then my material attachments start to hit me. “If I’m leaving my body,” I think, “I’ll be losing the association of my friends and family.” Anxiously, I begin to consider the pastime of Bharata Mahārāja, whose path back to Godhead was blocked by his attachment to a deer, which he remembered affectionately at the time of death. “If death is taking me now,” I think, “I have to fix my mind on Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.” I picture the temple’s Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Deities wearing a beautiful red and black outfit with jewels and gold trim. As I remember Kṛṣṇa in this way, tears fill my eyes. My life is now completely in Kṛṣṇa's hands, and if Kṛṣṇa desires, I can leave my body at any moment. *The Diagnosis* The ambulance finally arrives, and Indranuja comes with me to the hospital. The doctors and nurses all want to know why a man my age is chanting and dancing on Fifth Avenue. I tell them Lord Caitanya wants us to spread love of God in this way. “You’re having a heart attack,” one of the doctors says. “It runs in your family, but if you agree we can perform a procedure right now to save your life.” As they describe the details of catheterization and angioplasty, Indranuja Prabhu passes out. With no time to waste, I sign the release. I’m quickly wheeled into the operating room, where the procedure is to be performed. In angioplasty, a probe enters the coronary arteries and chambers of the heart, releasing dyes that can be monitored on a TV screen. As expert as the doctors at Bellevue Hospital are, they have no information about the invisible soul residing in the region of the heart. Their knowledge is limited to auricles and ventricles. Forced to lie motionless on my back for more than two hours, I softly chant the *mahā-mantra* on my beads. At one point the pain in my chest is so excruciating that a nurse has to give me a massive dose of morphine just so I can breathe. I feel like I’m having a second heart attack right on the operating table. By the time I’m on a bed in the intensive care unit, I realize that not only did I not go back to Godhead, but instead I’m forced to endure a severe karmic reaction for some sinful activity. Or perhaps it’s Kṛṣṇa's mercy to make me more serious about spiritual life. Either way, I’m determined to get back to spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness as soon as I’m well enough. I want to continue to fulfill the order of my spiritual master to chant, dance, become purified, and engage others in the *saṅkīrtana* movement, which is meant to uplift all of human society. *Sure Destination* Lord Caitanya predicted that the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mantra* would be chanted in every town and village in the world. Echoing that prediction, Śrīla Prabhupāda has written, “In all the cities, towns, and villages on the earth, from all the oceans, seas, rivers, and streams, everyone will chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa.” In a mood of pure devotion Śrīla Prabhupāda prayed to the lotus feet of the Lord: “As the vast mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu conquers all directions, a flood of transcendental ecstasy will certainly cover the land. When all the sinful, miserable living entities become happy, the Vaiṣṇavas’ desire is then fulfilled.” The more one is dedicated to the *saṅkīrtana* movement, the more one may be called upon to take risks for the mission of the spiritual master. One may even have to put one’s very life on the line. Being prepared to sacrifice everything to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness guarantees that at the moment of death we will go back home, back to Godhead. We don’t have to worry about our next destination. By Kṛṣṇa's arrangement we’ll give up our useless material bodies under the most auspicious conditions and return to the spiritual world. Not forgetting the service we have rendered to Him in this lifetime, the Lord will enter our minds to steady our meditation on His lotus feet and draw us into the eternally blissful association of pure devotees engaged in His loving service. When we take every opportunity to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness and discuss topics of Kṛṣṇa, we will never have to fear coming back to this temporary world of flickering happiness. *Locanānanda Dāsa regularly leads out chanting parties in New York City, where he has been living since 1982.* ## Śrīla Prabhupāda Speaks Out *“We Are Offering, ’Here is God’ ”* During a morning walk in Los Angeles on June 25, 1975, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami speaks on the value of Kṛṣṇa consciousness with Dr. J. Stillson Judah, then of the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California. Śrīla Prabhupāda: Neither the theosophist nor the theologian has a clear idea of God. Do you agree? Dr. Judah: I would make a distinction between *knowing* God and *knowing* *about* God. There is knowledge *about* God in various books, but one does not know God unless one somehow experiences God. I feel that this is the one thing the *bhakti* movement of Śrī Caitanya has done: it has allowed its devotees to experience God, to know Him personally in a way that changes their lives. Śrīla Prabhupāda: That is the Vedic civilization. Dr. Judah: Yes. Śrīla Prabhupāda: *Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum.* Materialistic persons do not know Viṣṇu, or God, nor do they know that the ultimate goal of life is to know Viṣṇu. That knowledge is essential to human life. But it is missing. People do not care to know the ultimate goal of human life. That is their defect. Nobody cares to know, especially in this age. So that is the defeat of human civilization. They have come to the human form of life. Now they must know what God is. Otherwise, it is defeat. Dr. Judah: That’s true. Śrīla Prabhupāda: The opportunity is given by nature, which grants the human being good consciousness to know God, Visnu. Now, practically, especially in the Western world, no one can say what is God. Dr. Judah: That is quite true. Śrīla Prabhupāda: So, if we are offering, “Here is God,” why do they not accept? What is the objection? Dr. Judah: I think the great problem in the Western world is that it has always been involved in materialism. Śrīla Prabhupāda: That means the people don’t want to know God. That is a very horrible condition. Dr. Judah: That’s true. Śrīla Prabhupāda: Not only horrible—it is the animals’ condition. People who do not want to know God are just like the animals. Animals are uninterested in God. They have no church or temple. But in the human society, whether one is Hindu or Muslim or Christian, there is some arrangement for understanding God. Now people are also neglecting that, all over the world. The Communists hate to say anything about God. So ultimately people are coming to such a condition—no word about God. So that is the condition of ordinary persons today. Now, apart from them, the theologians and theosophists are at least trying to understand God. But they cannot know God definitely. So why don’t they accept knowledge from us? We are offering, “Here is God.” Why should they object? If you do not know something and if I give you the information, why should you not take it? Dr. Judah: That’s a good question. Śrīla Prabhupāda: For example, to gain higher technological knowledge, people from India go to foreign countries. One can take knowledge from anywhere. There should not be sectarianism: “Oh, why shall I take knowledge from here and there?” Wherever knowledge is available, we should take it. That is the real position of the seeker of knowledge. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says, “If in a pot of poison there is a little nectar, take the nectar.” And *amedhyād api kāñcanam:* “If there is gold in a filthy place, take the gold.” Not that the gold has been polluted because it is in a filthy place. If there is some gold in the filthy place, don’t hesitate. Take it. And *nicād apy uttamāṁ vidyām.* Generally, people used to take education from *brāhmaṇas.* So Cāṇakya Paṇḍita advises, “If actual education is available from a lower-class man—a *śudra* [laborer] or *caṇḍāla* [outcaste]—take it. Accept him as your master.” And *strī-ratnaṁ duṣkulād api.* In India, according to Vedic civilization a young man marries a girl only after scrutinizing her family tradition. But Cāṇakya advises, “If a nice, educated, beautiful girl comes even from an abominable family, accept her.” *Ratnam* means “jewel.” If the girl is like a jewel although born of a low family, accept her. One should accept anything very good, even if it is available from an undesirable place. So if you are actually seeking God and God is available from the Vedic literature, why don’t you accept it? Why you should refuse that knowledge? That is not a very good sign. Dr. Judah: No, that is true. Śrīla Prabhupāda: So we are offering God. Why should people not take seriously what we are offering? Now, people may object, “Kṛṣṇa is Indian, Kṛṣṇa is Hindu, so we shall not accept Him as God.” But in the *Bhagavad-gītā* it is written *śrī bhagavān uvāca:* “God said.” So the verses are the words of God. And Kṛṣṇa says, *mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya:* “There is no element superior to Me.” Only God can say that. You may not like the word *Kṛṣṇa,* but take the words of God. Who can be superior to God? Dr. Judah: That’s true. Śrīla Prabhupāda: So in this way you can read the *Bhagavad-gītā* and remove the word *Kṛṣṇa,* and it is still God’s word. It is all factual knowledge. So why should people not take the science of God from *Bhagavad-gītā*? Dr. Judah: Yes. Śrīla Prabhupāda: God can say, “There is no principle superior to Me.” And that is stated in *Bhagavad-gītā:* > mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat > kiñcid asti dhanañjaya > mayi sarvam idaṁ protaṁ > sūtre maṇi-gaṇā iva “O conqueror of wealth, there is no truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.” Every word here is God’s word. You may accept Kṛṣṇa as God or not, but the words are God’s words. That is *Bhagavad-gītā.* ## The Religion for this Age *It’s available to everyone, it’s simple and joyful to perform, and it works.* ### By Prabhupādācārya Dāsa THE VEDIC scriptures prescribe for each age a particular religious practice by which people can attain the goal of life—love of God, or pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The religious process for each age suits the resources and capabilities of the people of that age. Each age, or *yuga,* lasts hundreds of thousands of years, and we are now in the last of the cycle of four ages. The prescribed religion for the first age (Satya-yuga) was meditation, for the second (Tretā-yuga) performance of sacrifice, and for the third (Dvāpara-yuga) elaborate worship of the Deity in the temple. The prescribed religion for the present age, known as Kali-yuga (“the Age of Quarrel”), is the chanting of the holy names of the Lord. The *Bṛhan-nāradiya Purāṇa* (3.28.126) states: > harer nāma hare nāma > harer nāma eva kevalam > kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva > nāsty eva gatir anyathā “In the Age of Kali the only means of deliverance is to chant the holy name of the Lord, chant the holy name of the Lord, chant the holy name of the Lord. There is no other way. There is no other way. There is no other way.” *For Everyone in all Ages* Although all the religious processes mentioned in the *Vedas* are authorized, having been given by the Lord Himself, only one—**harināma-saṅkīrtana*,** the chanting of the holy names of the Lord—is effective for everyone at all times and places. People have become self-realized by *harināma-saṅkīrtana* throughout the ages. It has been and still is the most effective means for achieving spiritual perfection and seeing the Supreme Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, face to face. *Hari is a name for God, *nāma* means “name,” and *saṅkīrtana* means “congregational chanting” or “glorification of the Complete Whole [Kṛṣṇa].” People today would do well to learn about the *harināma-saṅkīrtana* religious process, which is both practical and pleasurable. Chanting the names of the Lord doesn’t cost anything, and one can do it anytime and anywhere. Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu introduced the religious process for this age five hundred years ago. His followers in disciplic succession have continued to spread His teachings to this day. As recorded in the *Caitanya Maṅgala,* a sixteenth-century biography on Lord Caitanya, the Lord Himself predicted, “My commander-in-chief devotee [*mora senapati bhakta*] will spread the chanting of the holy names around the world.” His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, the founder-*ācārya* of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, fulfilled that prediction. *The Principle of Sacrifice* To understand the importance of accepting the religious process prescribed for the age, we need to understand the principle of *yajña,* or religious sacrifice. The Vedic scriptures teach us to show our appreciation and gratitude to the Lord, who alone provides us the necessities of life. We do this by performing *yajña,* or sacrifice. Pious souls naturally feel gratitude and devotion for the Lord, and they willingly perform *yajña.* Impious nondevotees, on the other hand, claim that material nature is all in all and that thanking God is useless. Spiritual life begins when one appreciates Lord Kṛṣṇa and worships Him by the methods of sacrifice He has prescribed. Lord Kṛṣṇa says in *Bhagavad-gītā* that by performing *yajña* one receives all material and spiritual necessities of life. And by neglecting *yajña*, He says, one becomes liable for punishment and wastes the valuable human form of life: “My dear Arjuna, one who does not follow in human life the cycle of sacrifice thus established by the *Vedas* certainly leads a life full of sin. Living only for the satisfaction of the senses, such a person lives in vain.” *The Benefits of Chanting* The main benefit of chanting is that one gradually develops pure love of God, the ultimate goal of life. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu explains that chanting cleanses the mind and “extinguishes the blazing fire of material existence,” in the form of the miseries of birth, old age, disease, and death, all caused by our false identification with the material body. By reawakening our dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we come to understand our real identity as eternal servants of Kṛṣṇa and naturally develop progressive spiritual qualities such as patience, humility, tolerance, fearlessness, and freedom from anxiety. Having cleansed the mind of the dirt of materialistic thoughts, feelings, and desires, the chanter begins to taste the transcendental sweetness of the holy names. Pure devotees of the Lord have compared the spiritual happiness derived from chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa to “an ever-expanding ocean of spiritual bliss.” That happiness—the real happiness we all seek—is available to anyone who takes up the practice of chanting the holy names. Lord Caitanya taught the essence of sincere chanting: > tṛṇād api sunīcena > taror api sahiṣṇunā > amāninā mānadena > kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hari In this verse Lord Caitanya reveals the proper mood for performing *harināma-saṅkīrtana:* “One should consider oneself lower than the straw in the street, one should be more tolerant than a tree, and one should be prepared to offer all respects to others, without desiring respect for oneself. In this mood, one can chant the holy names of the Lord constantly.” *The Hare Kṛṣṇa Mahā-mantra* Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught that God has hundreds and millions of names, such as *Kṛṣṇa* and Govinda, and one can chant any of them and receive immeasurable spiritual benefit. He Himself specifically taught the chanting of the *Hare* *Kṛṣṇa* *mahāmantra* (“the great chant”): *Hare* *Kṛṣṇa*, *Hare* *Kṛṣṇa*, *Kṛṣṇa* *Kṛṣṇa*, *Hare* *Hare* / *Hare* *Rāma*, *Hare* *Rāma*, *Rāma* *Rāma*, *Hare* *Hare*. *Kṛṣṇa* means “the all-attractive person,” *Rāma* means “the highest pleasure,” and *Hare* refers to Lord *Kṛṣṇa*'s spiritual energy (or, more precisely, His internal pleasure potency), known as Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. By chanting the mahā-mantra one can eventually achieve the highest perfection even in this lifetime. To benefit from chanting other Vedic **mantra*s*, one must chant with perfect meter and pronunciation and fulfill many other conditions not possible in the present age. One can reap the rewards of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, however, simply by chanting the *mantra* and hearing attentively. Anyone can chant at any time, in any condition of life. Lord Caitanya, in his treatise on chanting, known as *Śikṣāṣṭaka,* has written, “There are no hard and fast rules for chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa.” *Congregational Chanting* One can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa loudly in a group, softly to oneself, or even within the mind. Loud chanting has the added benefit of allowing other living beings to hear the holy names. This fits well with one of the characteristics of real religion: everyone should benefit from its performance. The *Vedas* proclaim, *sarve sukhino bhavantu:* “Let everyone be happy.” More than any other religious process, *harināma-saṅkīrtana* fulfills that need in human society. Lord Caitanya proclaims, “All glories to the congregational chanting of the holy names. It is the prime benediction for humanity at large because it spreads the rays of the benediction moon.” (*Śikṣāṣṭaka* 1) Devotees in the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement perform the traditional methods of congregational chanting called *kīrtana* and *bhajana.* Though the word *kīrtana* in its broadest sense means simply “glorification,” it often refers to group singing of Hare Kṛṣṇa accompanied by percussion instruments, such as gongs, drums (*mṛdaṅgas*), and cymbals (*karatālas*). During *kīrtana*, whether in the temple or outside, devotees usually stand or dance. One person leads the singing, and everyone else responds. Devotees hold *kīrtanas* in public places so that others may benefit by hearing the Lord’s holy names. Kṛṣṇa considers such unintentional hearing devotional service, and it entitles one to render more service in the future. *Bhajana* refers to the singing of devotional songs and prayers written by great devotees of the Lord. Devotees usually sit during *bhajanas,* which are often accompanied by melodious instruments such as the *tamboura* (a stringed instrument) or harmonium (a small hand-pumped organ), in addition to *mṛdaṅgas* and *karatālas.* *Private Chanting* Chanting softly for one’s own spiritual benefit is called *japa.* Śrīla Prabhupāda taught the traditional practice of chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mahā-mantra* on a string of 108 beads, often made from the wood of the sacred *tulasī* plant. Initiated disciples in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement vow to chant every day at least sixteen “rounds” (sets of 108). Beginners are encouraged to chant as many rounds as they can. It is helpful to chant a fixed number of rounds daily without fail (four rounds is a good starting point) and gradually increase to at least sixteen rounds daily. Śrīla Prabhupāda writes in *The Nectar of Devotion,* “It is better if one fixes up a regulative principle according to his own ability and then follows that vow without fail. That will make him advanced in spiritual life.” Chanting is easier in the association of devotees, and everyone is welcome to chant *japa* with devotees in any ISKCON center during the daily *japa* period (generally 5:30–7:00 A.M.). *Japa* can be thought of as “spiritual weightlifting”—the more you chant, the more you can chant. As we build our spiritual strength by chanting *japa,* we will gradually develop a desire for chanting and become joyful. Be patient, and don’t expect overnight results (though they’ve been known to happen). Be enthusiastic to chant every day and be confident that your faithful performance of the prescribed religious sacrifice for this age will please Lord Kṛṣṇa. *Chanting to Please the Lord* Most important is to chant with a sincere desire to serve and please Kṛṣṇa. Because the Lord has instructed us to chant His names, we can be sure He is pleased when we do so. And when He is pleased, we automatically become happy. Kṛṣṇa is the root of everything, so we benefit ourselves by pleasing Him, just as we nourish the leaves and branches of a tree by watering the root. We don’t even need to try for our own happiness in any other way. Everything is in the holy name, because the name is nondifferent from the Lord Himself. *Harināma-saṅkīrtana* is Lord Kṛṣṇa's greatest kindness upon the fallen souls of this age. He has given us an easy, effective means by which to please Him. *Prabhupādācārya Dāsa, a disciple of Śrīmān Vīrabāhu Dāsa, joined the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement in 1986. A small-business marketing consultant, he assists* BTG *in marketing and other areas.* Chanting aids—musical instruments, meditation beads, and so on—are available through the Hare Kṛṣṇa Catalog (see page 36). ## The Future Church of the World *The following, by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, a predecessor spiritual master of the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, is taken from an essay that first appeared in the Ṭhākura’s monthly journal* Sajjana-toṣaṇī*, published in the 1880s.* THE RELIGION preached by [Caitanya] Mahāprabhu is universal and not exclusive. … The principle of *kīrtana* as the future church of the world invites all classes of men, without distinction of caste or clan, to the highest cultivation of the spirit. This church, it appears, will extend all over the world and take the place of all sectarian churches, which exclude outsiders from the precincts of the mosque, church, or temple. Lord Caitanya did not advent Himself to liberate only a few men of India. Rather, His main objective was to emancipate all living entities of all countries throughout the entire universe and preach the Eternal Religion. Lord Caitanya says in the *Caitanya-bhāgavata:* “In every town, country, and village, My name will be sung.” There is no doubt that this unquestionable order will come to pass. … Oh, for that day when the fortunate English, French, Russian, German, and American people will take up banners, *mṛdaṅgas* [drums], and *karatālas* [cymbals], and raise *kīrtana* throughout their streets and towns. When will that day come? *The Great Chant for Deliverance* *An excerpt from Śrīla Prabhupāda's essay “Chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa Mantra”* THE TRANSCENDENTAL vibration established by the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare is the sublime method for reviving our transcendental consciousness. As living spiritual souls, we are all originally Kṛṣṇa conscious entities, but due to our association with matter from time immemorial, our consciousness is now polluted by the material atmosphere. … The chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare is the transcendental process for reviving this original pure consciousness. By chanting this transcendental vibration, we can cleanse away all misgivings within our hearts. The basic principle of all such misgivings is the false consciousness that I am the lord of all I survey. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not an artificial imposition on the mind. This consciousness is the original natural energy of the living entity. When we hear the transcendental vibration, this consciousness is revived. This simplest method of meditation is recommended for this age. By practical experience also, one can perceive that by chanting this *mahā-mantra*, or the Great Chanting for Deliverance, one can at once feel a transcendental ecstasy coming through from the spiritual stratum. … When one is factually on the plane of spiritual understanding, surpassing the stages of sense, mind, and intelligence, he is then on the transcendental plane. This chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mantra* is enacted from the spiritual platform, and thus this sound vibration surpasses all lower strata of consciousness—namely sensual, mental, and intellectual. There is no need, therefore, to understand the language of the *mantra*, nor is there any need for mental speculation nor any intellectual adjustment for chanting this mahā-*mantra*. It springs automatically from the spiritual platform, and as such, anyone can take part in vibrating this transcendental sound without any previous qualification. … ## Mahābhārata—The History of Greater India *Invincible Weapons For Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna* ### Lord Kṛṣṇa receives the Sudarṣaṇa discus, Arjuna the Gāṇḍīva bow. ### Translated from Sanskrit by Hridayānanda Dāsa Goswami *The sage Vaiśampāyana is telling the history of the Pāṇḍavas to their great-grandson, King Janamejaya. As the narration continues, Arjuna and Lord Kṛṣṇa, while on a pleasure outing to the Yamunā River, receive divine weapons from Varuṇa, the lord of the waters.* WHILE LIVING in Indraprastha, the Pāṇḍavas subdued other regional rulers by the order of King Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Bhīṣma, son of Śantanu, [and brought those regions within a peaceful and unified Pāṇḍava administration]. Taking shelter of Dharmarāja Yudhiṣṭhira, the king of virtue, the whole world lived happily, for people depended on the righteous deeds of the king, just as they depended on their own bodies. Yudhiṣṭhira, the noble Bhārata king, attended to his religious duties, economic policies, and personal desires in a balanced way, just as a man with acquaintances respects them as he does himself and yet sees them as different from himself. So ideal and balanced was the king in his worldly and religious affairs that religion, prosperity, and personal satisfaction seemed to incarnate on the earth in his person, although he was always apart from these three, as a fourth and transcendental being. The *Vedas* found in the king the supreme student, the grand rituals gained in him the best performer and patron, and the social classes found in him a pure-hearted protector. In his realm, wisdom gained a shelter, the laws of God found a true friend, and the goddess of fortune found a proper place to live. The king appeared nobler and finer in the company of his four brothers, as a grand ritual becomes lovelier when united with the four *Vedas*. Equal in splendor to Bṛhaspati, the leading priests headed by Dhaumya surrounded and assisted Yudhiṣṭhira. The eyes and hearts of the citizens rejoiced exceedingly in that king of virtue, as much as in the spotless full moon. The citizens delighted in their destined good fortune, and whatever they desired in their hearts the king endeavored to give them. The king was wise, his speech elegant, and never did he utter a word that was untrue, unkind, deceitful, or unbefitting. He wielded unusual power, but he found his pleasure in working for the good of all people and of his own soul. So did all the Pāṇḍavas rejoice in the goodness of their works, for the fever of personal ambition did not burn in their hearts. Yet by their personal prowess they instilled a fear of God in all the rulers of the earth. *The Excursion* After Lord Kṛṣṇa had been staying for some days in Indraprastha, Arjuna said to Him, “Kṛṣṇa, the hot days are here; let us go to the Yamunā River. We will enjoy there, Madhusūdana, with our close friends, and we’ll come back in the evening—that is, Janārdana, if you like the idea.” Śrī Kṛṣṇa said, “Yes, son of Kuntī, I also like the idea. Let us go with our close friends and enjoy in the water as we like.” After informing King Yudhiṣṭhira and receiving his permission, Arjuna and Govinda departed, surrounded by intimate friends. The area on the bank of the Yamunā featured large stocks of wealth, variegated garlands and necklaces, a large variety of excellent trees, both simple cottages and palatial estates like that of Indra, and a wide range of tasty food, drink, and other comforts. Indeed, that spot had everything needed for the enjoyment of Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa. Arriving there, the two friends and their companions entered the area, which was filled with all types of shining jewels, and they all began to play and enjoy as they wished. Some of the women sported in the forest, some in the water, and some in the nice cottages. They enjoyed especially wherever Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna went and always tried to please them. At the height of the excitement, Draupadī and Subhadrā offered gifts of priceless clothes and jewelry to all the ladies present. Some of the ladies danced joyfully, while others cried out in the joy of celebration. Some ladies laughed, and others drank fine beverages. Some ladies wept joyfully, some wrestled one another, and others had serious discussions in secluded spots. All around, the opulent forest was filled with the exquisitely rich sounds of flute, *vīṇā,* and *mṛdaṅga* drum. As the festival was thus progressing, Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, the darlings of the Kurus and Dāśārhas, went nearby to see a particularly charming area. Those two mighty souls who conquer hostile cities then sat down on most valuable seats. They enjoyed reminiscing about their many adventures and romances. *The Fire-god’s Request* As they sat together very happily, like the two Aśvin gods seated in heaven, a *brāhmaṇa* arrived and approached them. Standing tall like a big *śāla* tree, with tawny skin, a reddish mustache, an evenly proportioned body, and an effulgence like molten gold, he shone like the newly risen sun. He was dressed in black, with matted locks and a face as delicate as a lotus petal. Blazing with prowess, the tawny man came near Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, and the two quickly stood up to receive the radiant *brāhmaṇa*. The *brāhmaṇa* said to Arjuna and Lord Kṛṣṇa, leader of the Sātvatas, “You are the two great heroes of the world, standing here by the Khāṇḍava Forest. I am a *brāhmaṇa* who consumes immeasurable amounts, and I now beg you two, Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, that for once you offer me my full satisfaction of food.” Thus addressed, Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna said to him, “Tell us what food will satisfy you, and we will try to bring it.” The *brāhmaṇa* replied, “I do not eat ordinary grains, for you may know me to be the god of fire. Thus you should offer food appropriate for me. “Lord Indra always carefully guards this Khāṇḍava Forest, and because such a mighty person guards it, I cannot burn it. His friend Takṣaka the serpent always resides here with his associates, and for his sake thunderbolt-wielding Indra carefully guards this forest. Many other beasts are equally protected by this arrangement. I desire to burn the forest, but Indra’s might does not allow me to do so. As soon as he sees me blazing, he rains down water from the clouds, and I am unable to burn this desirable forest. But now that I have met you two, who can help me by your unique skill with weapons, I can burn the Khāṇḍava Forest, [which I have selected as my food]. With your supreme knowledge of weapons, you shall ward off the torrents of water and all the beasts on all sides.” Addressed thus, fearsome Arjuna replied to the sacred Fire, “I have many ultimate weapons of divine power, so I can battle many thunderbolt-wielding Indras. But, my lord, I do not have a bow that fits the strength of my arms and withstands my speed and power in battle. And when I am firing rapidly, I need an inexhaustible supply of arrows. Moreover, my chariot will not hold all the arrows I need. I would also request divine horses, white and as swift as the wind, and a chariot that rumbles like the clouds and shines as bright as the sun. “Similarly, Śrī Kṛṣṇa does not have a weapon equal to His strength, a weapon by which He will slay the serpents and ghosts in battle. My lord, you must declare the means by which to accomplish this task, so that I may ward off Indra when he sends showers into the great forest. Whatever is to be done by manly prowess, we two shall do, O Fire, but you, my lord, should provide the proper instruments.” *The Mighty Weapons* Thus addressed, the smoke-crested lord of fire fixed his mind on Varuṇa, desiring to see that lord of worlds. Varuṇa is the son of Aditi, and he is the god of the seas. Within his watery abode he understood that he was being thought of. He appeared to Fire, who welcomed him and spoke to the lord of the waters, who is the fourth among the leaders of the universe, being a protector and controller: “King Soma once gave you a bow and quiver. Please give me both of them at once, and also the chariot marked with Hanumān, for Arjuna will perform a great task with that Gāṇḍīva bow. And also, for my sake, please give the great disc to Śrī Kṛṣṇa.” “Yes, I shall give,” Varuṇa replied. Varuṇa then presented to Arjuna the amazingly potent bow, a weapon that always increased the glory and fame of its owner, for it could not be conquered by any other weapon, being the harasser of all arms, the great one among weapons, devastating to enemy armies. That one weapon was equal to a hundred thousand weapons, and it made its owner’s kingdom flourish. Multicolored with all the hues, smooth and shining, without a scratch or scar, it had been worshiped by the gods and Gandharvas since time immemorial. Varuṇa gave Arjuna that jewel of bows, two great quivers of inexhaustible shafts, and a chariot yoked to divine horses, its banner marked with Hanumān, the foremost of monkeys. The silver Gandharva horses were garlanded in gold. They moved at the speed of the mind or the wind and flashed like swift white clouds. The chariot had all necessary equipment. It could not be conquered by gods or demons, and it radiated light and reverberated with a deep rumbling sound. Its beauty captivated the mind of all who beheld it. Viśvakarmā, the lord of design and construction, had created it by the power of his austerities, and its form, like that of the sun, could not be precisely discerned. By mounting this chariot, as big as an elephant or a cloud and blazing with splendor, the Moon had overcome the wicked Dānavas. Atop this finest chariot rested a flagstaff that shone like Indra’s thunderbolt. It was made of gold and uniquely attractive. On the staff was the divine Hanumān, a transcendental monkey with the marks of the lion and tiger. Situated atop the chariot, he seemed to roar out and shine with power. On the flag were all kinds of powerful creatures, whose fierce roars destroyed the consciousness of enemy armies. Arjuna walked reverently around the unique chariot, which shone with variegated flags, and he offered his obeisances to the Supreme Lord and to the secondary Deities who had delivered the marvelous car. Tightly fitted with armor, his sword and wrist- and finger-guards in place, Arjuna mounted the chariot as a pious man mounts the celestial craft that takes him to heaven. Firmly grasping the divine and glorious Gāṇḍīva bow, which had been constructed long ago by Brahmā, Arjuna rejoiced. Bowing to the sacred fire, the hero then gripped the bow and, exerting his power, strung it with a proper cord. When mighty Arjuna strung his bow, the twanging sound was so piercing that the minds of those who heard it shuddered. Having obtained a suitable chariot and bow, along with two inexhaustible quivers of arrows, the son of Kuntī was now ready and enthusiastic to assist the god of fire, who then gave Lord Kṛṣṇa a discus whose hub was a thunderbolt. Holding again His eternal fiery weapon, which is ever devoted to Him, the Lord was ready to perform His pastimes. Fire then said to the Lord, “My dear Kṛṣṇa, slayer of Madhu, with this weapon You will undoubtedly conquer in battle, even against superhuman opponents. With this weapon You will be superior in battle to the human beings and even to the gods, and certainly the Nāgas, the Rākṣasas, the Piśācas, and the wicked Daityas—no matter how excellent Your enemy may be. Whenever You throw this weapon, my dear Mādhava, it will strike down the enemy in battle, without ever being struck, and it will always return to Your hand.” Varuṇa then gave Lord Kṛṣṇa a terrifying club named Kaumodakī, which roared like a thunderbolt and brought death to the wicked. Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna were enlivened by the gifts. Prepared with weapons, missiles, chariots, and banners, they said to Fire, “We are ready to fight, lord, even with all the gods and demons, what to speak of Indra, who desires to fight for the sake of a serpent.” Arjuna said, “When Śrī Kṛṣṇa, chief of the Vṛṣṇis, hurls His disc weapon, no one in the universe will stand unconquered. Taking the Gāṇḍīva bow and these two inexhaustible quivers of arrows, I too, O Fire, shall boldly conquer all the worlds in battle. My lord, we are ready to help you, and as soon as you like, you may surround the forest with a great fire. This very moment, blaze away as you desire!” *Hridayānanda Dāsa Goswami, who holds a Ph.D. in Indology from Harvard University, is Professor of Vaiṣṇava Theology at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California. He frequently speaks at universities and is translating the* Mahābhārata *and other Sanskrit works.* ## Every Town & Village *The worldwide activities of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON)* *World News* ### India ISKCON Nagpur has moved to a new, larger place, in the heart of the city. Construction of the temple in the 27-room building is scheduled for completion in March. ISKCON devotees took part in Kerala’s Onam float parade last September with a Rathayātrā cart bearing Lord Jagannātha, Lord Balarāma, and Subhadrā Devī. Popularly known as Kerala’s “harvest festival,” Onam marks the appearance day of Lord Vāmanadeva, Lord Kṛṣṇa's incarnation as a dwarf *brāhmaṇa.* Among the more than half a million people attending the parade were Kerala’s chief minister and his cabinet. Recent ISKCON Rathayātrās: Kurukshetra (September), Chandigarh (November), and Dwaraka (January). ISKCON’s new temple in New Delhi is scheduled to open on the appearance day of Lord Rāmacandra (Rāma Navamī), April 5. The Bhaktivedanta Swami Gurukula in Vṛndāvana is accepting applications for boys ages 5–14 for the 1998–99 school year (starts in July). Contact: Bhaktivedanta Swami International Gurukula, Bhaktivedanta Swami Marg, Vrindavana, Mathura UP, India; tel: +91-565-442-676; fax: +91-565-442-952; e-mail: [email protected] An eminent Muslim scholar visited ISKCON’s center in Juhu, Mumbai, last September for an interfaith dialogue. The scholar, Dr. Shuaib Sayed, from the Islamic Research Foundation, met with Airāvata Dāsa, head of the department of interfaith communications at ISKCON’s center in Māyāpur, West Bengal. ### United States ISKCON Honolulu won an award for its float in the Aloha Parade for the ninth straight year. Judges for the nationally televised parade presented devotees with the Board of Directors Award for their Rathayātrā cart, elaborately decorated with a wide assortment of tropical plants and flowers. Readers of *The Tucson Weekly* voted Govinda’s Restaurant in Tucson, Arizona, the winner in three categories in the “Best of Tucson” contest: Best Fine Dining, Best Vegan Selections, and Best Lunch Under $5. Devotee-run Govinda’s has been open since 1992. It is situated in the Chaitanya Cultural Center, a beautifully landscaped acre of oasis in the middle of the desert. Devotees at ISKCON’s Murari-sevaka farm celebrated, last November, the twentieth anniversary of the installation of their presiding Deities, Śrī Nitāi-Gauracandra. ### Great Britain Bhaktivedanta Manor, the Hare Kṛṣṇa temple outside London, hosted an Open Day late last year, with guided tours of the building and its estate. Visitors viewed Vedic sculptures, cooking demonstrations, and traditional and contemporary dance, music, and theater. The BBC World Service broadcasted a radio play last September about Lord Kṛṣṇa's advent. The play was performed by devotees from Bhaktivedanta Manor. Potential audience: 35 million listeners. ### Europe Rathayātrās held in Spain last fall: Madrid, Barcelona, and Torremolinos (Malaga). A September issue of *Time* magazine’s European edition ran the following letter from Bhakti Vikāśa Swami, a frequent contributor to *Back to Godhead:* McDonalds and Coca-cola symbolize a grossly materialistic civilization centered on profit making and mindless enjoyment. That America is foisting this type of anti-culture on other countries is nothing to be proud of. Traditional religious, family and social values are being crushed by the relentless steamroller of Western culture. Aestheticism and finer sentiments are subjugated to lust, violence and endless passion for material things. America, take another look at yourself, lest you go down in history as the most exploitive and intellectually decrepit civilization ever. Bhakti Vikasa Swami Baroda, India Devotees held a Rathayātrā festival in Sofia, Bulgaria, last September. ### Hong Kong ISKCON’s Hong Kong center celebrated its tenth anniversary this past November. ISKCON has been present in Hong Kong since the early seventies and at the present location for the past ten years. Former prime minister David Lange visited ISKCON’s New Varshan Farm last summer to see the progress on the new temple devotees are building there. The farm is near Auckland. While prime minister, Mr. Lange had been chief guest at the ground-consecrating ceremony for the temple. In an address following his tour, Mr. Lange told the devotees, “You are part of an international organization which has won great respect from people and has changed people’s lives through their devotion in extraordinary ways. I want to thank you for that and for the contribution you make to New Zealand.” ### Indonesia The island of Kalimantan (Borneo) is seeing a spreading of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, with devotees in the cities of Palangkaraya, Pontianak, and Botang. Ratna Puṣpitā Devī Dāsī, the first devotee from a Dayak family, has donated land for a temple. The Dayaks are the original inhabitants of Kalimantan. Bhakti Rāghava Swami, from Canada, spent a week last fall teaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness to the island’s eager new devotees. While in Indonesia he also met with the twenty-five or so devotees on the island of Lombok, in Western Lesser Sunda Islands, just east of Bali. ### Africa A radio program in Kaduna, Nigeria, aired a message of Kṛṣṇa consciousness last fall, through a reading from a book by ISKCON leader Bhakti Tīrtha Swami, followed by an interview with an ISKCON devotee. The program was broadcast by the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, said to beam the most powerful signal in Africa. ## Departures Lohitākṣa Dāsa, a disciple of Śrīla Prabhupāda's, left this world on November 29, in Śrī Vṛndāvana Dhāma, India. Lohitākṣa was well known in ISKCON for his talent as a Kṛṣṇa conscious actor. Since the early seventies, he took part in many dramatic presentations of Kṛṣṇa's pastimes, on some occasions with Śrīla Prabhupāda in the audience. Lohitākṣa rendered devotional service not only in New York but also in Europe. And in 1975 he served the Deities in Vṛndāvana. In his last days, he came from New York City to Vṛndāvana. He left this world a week later. BTG has learned of the passing away, some months ago, of Śrī Damodar Prasad Shastri. Shastriji was the Ayurvedic doctor who expertly and devotedly attended Śrīla Prabhupāda during Prabhupāda's last days on earth. ## Remembering Śrīla Prabhupāda *The Mercy of Caitanya Mahāprabhu* *A godbrother of Śrīla Prabhupāda's remembers their early friendship and their meeting again after many years.* *Dr. O.B.L. Kapoor, a scholar and devotee, and a friend of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, gave this interview at his home in Vṛndāvana, India, in October 1996. The interviewer, Hari Śauri Dāsa, served as Śrīla Prabhupāda's personal servant from November 1975 to March 1977. During that time, he kept a detailed diary that has become the basis of his multi-volume book* A Transcendental Diary. *(If you’d like a copy, please see page 33).* HARI ŚAURI DĀSA: I understand that you first met Śrīla Prabhupāda when he was a householder in Allahabad. Dr. Kapoor: I was with Prabhupāda for about eight years in Allahabad, from 1931 to 1939. We used to meet almost every day. I first met him in 1931 at the Rūpa Gaudiya Math [temple and *āśrama*]. The first time I saw him he was playing the *mṛdaṅga* [drum] at the **maṭha*.* There was a discourse that evening, and then **saṅkīrtana*.* After the *saṅkīrtana* the leader of the *maṭha* introduced me to him as a research scholar at Allahabad University and a disciple of Prabhupāda [Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura]. I had just taken *dīkṣā* [initiation] from Prabhupāda. After that meeting our acquaintance developed into friendship, and friendship developed into intimacy, and so on. We were very good friends. I used to call him Dada, “elder brother.” After 1939 we didn’t meet for almost twenty-nine years, because I went out of Allahabad. I joined the government service, and he remained there. After some time he took *sannyāsa* [the renounced order of life], and he was going about here and there, so we never met. We finally met in 1967, here in Vṛndāvana. In 1967 I retired and came to Vṛndāvana to settle down. One day I had gone to the Rādhā Dāmodara temple. [Bhaktivedanta Swami] Prabhupāda had come from the West, and he was staying in a room at the Rādhā-Dāmodara temple. I was sitting, waiting for someone, on the verandah just outside his room. And Prabhupāda came out. He was dressed in saffron. I had never seen him like that before. I had only known him as Abhay Babu, as a householder and a businessman. He was now in saffron with a *tridaṇḍī* [renunciant’s staff] in his hand, and two disciples in saffron were following him, like *sādhus*. I couldn’t recognize him; thirty years had made a difference in his appearance, and he was dressed in saffron. But he seemed to be looking, trying to recognize me. Then he hazarded a guess. He said, “Dr. Kapoor?” Oh, I recognized him from his voice! I said, “Abhay Babu?” And he embraced me. HSD: A very happy meeting. DK: Yes. He was going somewhere, but he canceled his plans. He took me inside the room and told me all about his preaching work in the West. He showed me the newspaper cuttings and so on. Very interesting meeting, very interesting. In Allahabad we used to meet almost every day. Sometimes he used to come to my place, but mostly we met in the Rūpa Gaudiya Math, in the evening during the discourse and *kīrtana.* HSD: Can you say something about how Śrīla Prabhupāda conducted his household affairs while he was also developing his spiritual life. DK: I didn’t know much about his household affairs, because we met mostly at the *maṭha* in the evening. He had a shop. He sold medicines, and he also manufactured them. Once he manufactured a tonic, and he gave it to me. I said, “That’s nice, this gift of yours. I must accept it. But I wish you would give me the tonic which you yourself take—the tonic of *kṛṣṇa-prema* [love of Kṛṣṇa].” He said, “I don’t have that tonic. But I have the formula.” I said, “Oh, wonderful! If it is not a secret, tell me what the formula is.” He said, “No, it is not a secret at all: > tṛṇād api sunīcena > taror api sahiṣṇunā > amāninā mānadena > kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ* This is the formula, and I am going to preach it all over the world.” *“One should chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind. One should be more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige, and ready to offer all respects to others. In that way one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly.” (*Śikṣāṣṭaka* 3) At that time I couldn’t recognize the significance of his words, but he *was* going to preach it all over the world. I thought it *was* just a casual statement. But now I look back, and I can see that he *was* even then thinking and planning to preach all over the world, which he did. HSD: Yes, very wonderfully. DK: Wonderfully. Ten years, I think, only. All the world over he preached. Almost a miracle. Almost a miracle. HSD: Unrepeatable. DK: Hmm. Unrepeatable. Even Emperor Ashok—he preached Buddhism, he was the owner of such a big empire—and even he couldn’t do as much as Prabhupāda did in ten years. HSD: You once told me that you saw a great change in Prabhupāda from when you knew him in Allahabad. DK: Of course, in one sense there was a world of difference between the Abhay Babu I had known and the Bhaktivedanta Prabhupāda I met in Vṛndāvana after thirty years. He was now the president of a huge organization, an international organization. He was preaching all over the world. All the same, he was as humble as ever. I could never have imagined that he could one day become Bhaktivedanta Prabhupāda. I could never have imagined. He was so simple. But, you see, he had the blessings of [Caitanya] Mahāprabhu. It is the blessings of Mahāprabhu that made him Prabhupāda. ## The Vedic Observer ### Transcendental Commentary on the Issues of the Day *Good Intentions* ### by Mathureśa Dāsa AT A PARK IN San Francisco a group of former Haight-Ashbury hippies serves free meals to the homeless. In a small town in northern Florida a young lady brings her playful poodle to the local retirement home to cheer elderly patients. In a Calcutta slum, saffron-robed missionaries open hospitals for the poor. The finest part of the human spirit takes satisfaction in doing good to others. Despite all good intentions, however, there are serious shortcomings to these noble efforts. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains, “Such an outlook of doing good to others in the form of society, community, family, country, or humanity is a partial manifestation of the original feeling in which a pure living entity feels happiness by the happiness of the Supreme Lord.” (*Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* 2.3.10, purport) Intuition of our original love for the Supreme “is expressed in the manner of altruism, philanthropy, socialism, communism, etc., by the undeveloped minds of less intelligent persons.” Because most people strongly identify with their own bodies, they selfishly seek bodily pleasure, much like animals. Philanthropy is a step or two above this animal platform. Instead of loving only his own body, the philanthropist expands his love to his community, his nation, to humanity, or to all living beings. He wants to feed, clothe, shelter, educate, and protect other bodies. His mind is still undeveloped, thinking, “I am this body, they are those bodies, and we’ll all be happy by serving the body well.” But he has raised himself from the animal platform to the platform of doing good. In Vedic terms, he has raised himself towards the mode of goodness from the modes of ignorance and passion. Despite his elevated position, however, the philanthropist is hardly better off than more selfish humans. Serving the body of society or the body of humanity doesn’t bring much more happiness than serving his own body. Nor is society or humanity satisfied. As pure spiritual entities, we are originally accustomed to the unlimited eternal happiness of serving the Supreme Person, Kṛṣṇa, of “feeling happiness by the happiness of the Supreme Lord.” No amount of bodily service can satisfy our eternal selves within the body, either individually or collectively. Nor do philanthropists have much success in serving the body. In America in the sixties there was a war on poverty, in the seventies a war on crime, in the eighties a war on drugs, yet poverty, crime, and drugs persist. They either won the wars or are still in excellent fighting condition, as they have been throughout history. In the *Bhagavad-gītā* (7.14) Lord Kṛṣṇa warns that without His assistance we cannot surmount the forces of His material nature: > daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī > mama māyā duratyayā > mām eva ye prapadyante > māyām etāṁ taranti te “This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is very difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.” The fundamental forces of material nature are its three modes: goodness, passion, and ignorance. The animals are directed, or forced, predominantly by passion and ignorance, while human beings are forced by increased amounts of goodness, up to the level of the philanthropist, who is admittedly very good. But here Kṛṣṇa indicates that material goodness is, as much as passion and ignorance, a force to contend within surmounting the miseries of nature, rather than a force liberating us from those miseries. Goodness not only fails to cure afflictions like poverty, but it diverts our attention from more serious ailments: The clothed, well-fed, and well-educated body grows old, gets diseased, and dies like any other body; the wealthiest philanthropist stays as much a target for suffering in the cycle of repeated birth and death as those he tries to help. The miseries of material life stay to remind us that by our very constitution we cannot live happily while forgetting the Supreme. Deluded and exhausted by the three modes of material nature, everyone is rendered incapable of understanding the inexhaustible Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, who is above the modes. “The best among the fools who are thus deluded,” Śrīla Prabhupāda says, “are those who engage in altruistic activities … Anyone who misunderstands the perishable body to be the self and who works for it in the name of sociology, politics, philanthropy, altruism, nationalism, or internationalism … is certainly a fool.” (*Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* 3.5.11, purport) For all his effort, the philanthropist becomes only the best of fools. The philanthropist has the praiseworthy ambition to free others from suffering. He just doesn’t know how. Kṛṣṇa says that alone we cannot surmount His material nature and its miseries but “those who have surrendered to Me can easily cross beyond it.” Those who surrender to God as His servants are quickly reintroduced to His spiritual nature, which is deathless and otherwise misery-free. In the spiritual nature, everyone feels happiness by serving Kṛṣṇa's senses with devotion. Forgetfulness of this original happiness throws us into the miserable material nature, forcing us to serve our own senses. Of course, many philanthropists and philanthropic organizations have religious affiliations and formally acknowledge the importance of worshiping God. But their activities most often stay on the platform of material goodness because of their vague or impersonal understandings of the soul and of God, the supreme soul. Even if, through great austerities, they raise themselves to a transcendental position, they return to the material nature for lack of shelter in service to the Personality of Godhead. While sometimes appreciating God’s position as the supreme creator and controller, these worshipers have little idea what He looks like, where He lives, how He dresses, what He likes to eat, or what He does in His spiritual kingdom beyond this material one. They therefore gravitate, in the name of serving God, towards serving in their goodness persons they do somewhat understand—the poor, the sick, the hungry and distressed—thus helping no one. They occasionally go so far as to say that the poor are God. “Those in goodness cannot understand the soul as a person,” Śrīla Prabhupāda warns. “This keeps them in goodness, and unless they are attracted by *kṛṣṇa-kathā* they cannot be liberated.” (*Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* 3.5.11, purport) *Kṛṣṇa-kathā* means hearing, discussing, and glorifying the Supreme Lord in His personal forms. Such glorification purifies one’s heart of all vague and impersonal conceptions of the Supreme. It powerfully impels one to render service to Him and to all living entities, whom Kṛṣṇa claims in the *Gītā* as His eternal individual parts. Devotional service to Kṛṣṇa reduces, then eliminates altogether, the material miseries. The best form of philanthropy, therefore—the only effective form—is to introduce oneself and others to the practice of *kṛṣṇa-kathā* and devotional service. All other forms of welfare must continue, but always accompanied by *kṛṣṇa-kathā* in order to develop and maintain the true perspective that doing good to others means helping them render devotional service with full knowledge and enthusiasm. Philanthropy without *kṛṣṇa-kathā* is futile. “Devotees are not unconcerned with the people’s welfare,” Śrīla Prabhupāda assures us. “They are always anxious to see how the people can be made happy both materially and spiritually.” (*Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* 4.14.7, purport) But they know that the root of all suffering is forgetfulness of our relationship with Kṛṣṇa, that the miseries of material life are designed to propel us towards remembering Him, and that those miseries stay insurmountable until we do so. ## Rāma-rājya Automatically ### By Hridayānanda Dāsa Goswami *A lecture given in Phoenix, Arizona, USA, on April 16, 1997, during the festival honoring the appearance day of Lord Rāmacandra.* WE ARE CELEBRATING this evening Rāma Navamī, the appearance day of Lord Rāmacandra. Many of you know quite well the history of Rāma. Very briefly, for those who may not be so familiar, we are celebrating the appearance in this universe of a very important incarnation of God, the Supreme Lord who came to the world as Rāma, or Rāmacandra, in the celebrated Raghu dynasty a long, long time ago, before recorded history in the Western sense of the term. Just as nowadays there are many bad leaders in the world, so also long, long ago there was a demon, or *asura,* named Rāvaṇa. The very name Rāvaṇa means that he made the whole world cry in anguish. Rāvaṇa had received a blessing from Brahmā, the engineer or secondary creator of the universe, that he could not be killed by any god. Rāvaṇa did not ask for immunity from death at the hands of human beings, because he had contempt for human beings. To understand this story, which traditionally has been understood as history, not as mythology, we have to also understand the picture of life that we receive in the ancient Vedic literature, which has come down to us from India. We find a much more cosmopolitan, sophisticated picture of the universe, not the provincial view we find in modern materialistic society—that we human beings are all in all. Modern scientists often ridicule former ways of thinking by saying that people believed the earth was the center of the universe and that all the planets went around the earth. Scientists laugh at this geocentric model. But they themselves have not improved upon this, because they are very much geocentric and anthropocentric, in the sense that, as far as they know, in the universe there is nothing but them; there is no life in other places. Sometimes they speculate that they may be discovering other planets, but as far as they know there is nothing else. They tend to ridicule the information we receive in ancient literature that the universe is filled with intelligent living beings. *Not Mythology* It should not be taken as mythology when we hear that long, long ago Rāvaṇa received a benediction from Brahmā that he would not meet death at the hands of the superior living beings who manage the universe. For example, an intelligent human being can understand that in this city, Phoenix, there are trained people managing. It’s not automatically that the lights go on, that the traffic lights work, that there’s electricity, that when you turn the switch on your tap, water comes out, that food is being delivered to the wholesale and retail markets in an orderly fashion, and so on. These things are not going on automatically. But from the point of view of a child or an animal these things are automatic. Similarly, this modern notion that all these forces within the universe—the cosmic lighting, the cosmic water supply, the wind, and so on—are working automatically is not an advanced or scientific notion; rather, it’s the view of a child or an animal. So we can see practically that people have now become like animals. That is stated in Vedic literature: > āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca > sāmānyam etat paśubhir narāṇām > dharmo hi teṣām adhiko viśeṣo > dharmeṇa hīṇāḥ paśubhiḥ samānāḥ The first premise here is that there is no difference between human beings and animals in the basic functions of eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. We eat, the animals eat; we sleep, they sleep; and so on. But *dharmo hi teśām adhiko viśeṣaḥ:* the particular superiority of human life lies in *dharma*. A human being has the capacity to ascertain and to willfully, consciously obey the laws of God. That capacity is normally absent in lower forms of life. And so a human being who is bereft of *dharma*—who in no way understands that there are laws of God and higher spiritual principles—is equal to an animal. This is ver*y* simple logic. If *y*ou s*a**y* in *a**b*str*a*ct terms th*a*t *a* is distinguished from *b* *b**y* *a* cert*a*in qu*a*lit*y* *y*ou c*a*n c*a*ll **y*,* then if *y*ou remove *y* there’s no further distinction. Then *a* equ*a*ls *b*. So *b*ec*a*use people now*a*d*a**y*s h*a*ve no sense of dh*a*rm*a*, the*y* *a*re equ*a*l to *a*nim*a*ls. The only *dharma* nowadays is that I have my rights. There’s no further talk of *dharma*. The discourse is in terms of rights. I have a right to do anything, whatever I want to do to enjoy my body. My body belongs to me. I can kill my baby if I like. I can kill animals if I like. I can do anything. Because people have become like animals, because they have no *dharma*, they cannot understand the intelligence behind the natural arrangements. *Universal Managers Seek Help* So there are **devatās*,* or gods, intelligent living beings who manage the universe, and long, long ago Brahmā gave the benediction to Rāvaṇa that he could not be killed by the **devatās*.* Rāvaṇa, being contemptuous of human beings, didn’t ask for protection from humans. The *devatās* prayed to the Supreme Lord, “Please come to this world playing the role of a human being, because that is a loophole in Rāvaṇa’s contract. Rāvaṇa can be killed by a human being.” The *devatās* wanted to maintain law and order without breaking Brahmā’s contract with Rāvaṇa. If you own a company and sign a contract with someone, even though the contract may not be favorable or may cause some harm, you want some solution that does not explicitly violate the terms of the contract, because law and order has to be maintained. So the request of the *devatās* is significant in that way. It is also significant that God—the Supreme Lord, Puruṣottama, Bhagavān—can come down to this world. After all, if you are the owner, if you create some enterprise and it is under your administration then no one can stop you if you want to go to your warehouse, your factory, your office, your clinic, or whatever. Who can stop you? So if Kṛṣṇa, or God, wants to come to this world, Kṛṣṇa can come. Now, as many of you know, God came and appeared as the perfect king, Rāma, and there are so many stories told in the history known as the *Rāmāyaṇa.* Somehow Rāvaṇa, this evil person, kidnapped the wife of Rāma, the famous Sītā, the ideal woman. She is called *jagad mātā,* “the mother of the universe.” On the pretext of rescuing Sītā, Rāma killed Rāvaṇa and saved the world. If you study the character of Rāvaṇa, you find that in many ways he was a very advanced, educated person. And his kingdom, Śrī Laṅkā, was very sophisticated. Even Hanumān, the great devotee of Rāma, was impressed by the cultural level of Laṅkā. There were all kinds of performing arts and culture and poetry, and very beautiful people. Everything was organized very nicely. The economy was flourishing. There was exquisite architecture. Practically in every sense it would have to be considered an ideal place to live. There was only one flaw in Rāvaṇa’s program, as Śrīla Prabhupāda repeatedly points out. The one mistake, the one fatal flaw in Rāvaṇa’s program of social development, was that he wanted to enjoy Lakṣmī (Sītā) without Nārāyaṇa (Rāma). Lakṣmī is the goddess of fortune, and her husband is Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Lord. When Kṛṣṇa was here five thousand years ago, He lived in Dvārakā, in Gujarat. So that place was also flourishing. The difference between Śrī Laṅkā and Dvārakā, or between Śrī Laṅkā and Ayodhyā, the kingdom of Rāma, was that in Dvārakā and Ayodhyā people were accepting Lakṣmī with Nārāyaṇa, whereas Rāvaṇa thought, “I will take Nārāyaṇa’s place. I will take Lakṣmī without Nārāyaṇa.” And therefore despite all his qualifications, he was destroyed. *Modern Rāvaṇas* It is plain to see that modern society tends more to the Rāvaṇa side, to take Lakṣmī without Nārāyaṇa. That is called secularism, and it is causing modern problems. Everyone knows how the world is becoming poisoned. From the environmental perspective, the world is being poisoned because people’s minds are poisoned by this evil thought that “I can take Lakṣmī.” The notion that “I can take Lakṣmī without Nārāyaṇa” is wrong. If we understand anything from the *Rāmāyaṇa,* from the glorious story of Rāma, we should understand this point. We should not try to take Lakṣmī in any way, shape, or form, without Nārāyaṇa. We should rather be like the Ayodhyā-vāsīs, the residents of Ayodhyā. They had not become like Rāvaṇa. They knew Lord Rāma as the proprietor of everything. From the Vedic point of view, the very first principle you find is that God is the supreme proprietor. The **Īśopaniṣad*,* among all the **Upaniṣad*s,* has a special place historically because it is the only *Upaniṣad* directly taken from the text of a Vedic *saṁhitā,* or treatise—the *Sāma Veda*. In the *Īśopaniṣad* the very first statement is *īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam*: “Whatever exists in the universe is the property of God.” And Lord Kṛṣṇa says in *Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-loka maheśvaram:* “I am the proprietor, the great Lord of all the worlds.” He also says, *ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate:* “I am the source of everything; everything emanates from Me.” Every word in the *Gītā* is significant. Kṛṣṇa says, *iti matvā bhajante mām:* “Intelligent persons worship Me.” This is the real point of the *Rāmāyaṇa.* We should clearly understand the fault of Rāvaṇa. He did not recognize the position of Rāma or Nārāyaṇa. *Becoming Ayodhyā-vāsīs* Let us take advantage of this occasion to remember Rāma and to rededicate ourselves to the real work of human life. *I*f you study Ayodhyā, you find that the residents were not impoverished. *I*t was the most opulent city. *I*t is not that by considering oneself a humble servant of Rāma one becomes a loser. We can identify in some way with the residents of Ayodhyā. We can see what their attitude was, how they were living. People talk about Rāma-rājya, the reign of Rāma. Of course, this is a controversial topic in *I*ndia nowadays. But at least if we want Rāma-rājya, we should begin with ourselves. We should ask ourselves, “How am *I* prepared to become an Ayodhyā-vāsī?” *I*t’s not simply a question of getting other people to do things; am *I* prepared to become like the residents of Ayodhyā? Am *I* prepared to act as a loving servant of Rāma the way those people did? The real way to have Rāma-rājya is to convince others to love Rāma and to act in this mood, as loving servants of God. The residents of Ayodhyā were prepared to do anything for Rāma. When He was exiled to the forest, they were all prepared to go with Him. He had to convince them to stay behind, to keep His city going. It’s not that they were prepared to worship Rāma only if they would get some opulence. They were prepared to give up everything in a moment to be with Rāma or to satisfy Rāma. They could do anything for the satisfaction of Sītā and Rāma. So when a significant portion of the people have this understanding, then automatically, naturally, there will be Rāma-rājya. *Hridayānanda Dāsa Goswami is translating the epic* Mahābhārata, *an excerpt of which appears in each issue of* Back to Godhead. ## The Right Medicine *We place our trust in healers of the body, but we lack faith in true healers of the soul.* ### By Devāmṛta Swami *In his book* Perfect Escape, *Devāmṛta Swami comments on the teachings of the saint Jaḍa Bharata to King Rahūgaṇa, found in the Fifth Canto of* Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. *Having heard from Jaḍa Bharata, King Rahūgaṇa is now speaking.* BECAUSE OF the material conceptions that have shackled my mind, I declare myself diseased. My body, made of matter, is full of dirty things, and my vision is polluted by pride. Your words of nectar are the right medicine for me, like vaccine for one bitten by a snake. Like cooling water, your instructions relieve one from the scorching fever of material attachment.” Have you ever known anyone afflicted with a terminal disease like cancer? Of course, in one sense everyone is a terminal case, as the death of the body is common to all. Nevertheless, we all want to live a full life span. Longevity is our expected privilege as members of the developed world. Just think what happens when an educated person of sufficient financial means receives a medical diagnosis that the end is near. Once the initial shock wears off, the person at once begins a desperate search for a brilliant doctor. We are all trained to believe that the frontiers of science will continuously offer new prospects for miraculous cures. A wealthy patient eagerly researches even the most remote leads. Consider, for example, the famous American basketball player Magic Johnson. When he learned he was HIV positive, he at once deployed his millions to seek out the premier AIDS specialists in America. No possibilities were left unexplored. Suppose you have bone cancer. Fortunately, friends in the alternative medical scene tell you of a doctor who has astonishing success reversing deterioration in patients who surrender to his or her radical prescriptions. Just visualize what your attitude would be upon arriving at the treatment center: “Doctor, I’ve heard all about your special therapy and its extraordinary possibilities. Conventional doctors have given me no chance to live, but I’ll do anything you say to save my life. Your reputation is famous throughout all the journals of alternative healing. Please treat me. At least put me on the waiting list. I promise I’ll follow your every instruction completely—no matter how much I have to change my living habits.” Bernie S. Siegal, alternative doctor and author, has sold millions of books recommending attitudinal healing. “Hope is therapeutic,” he sa*y*s. Although statistics show that a person with *x* number of terminal s*y*mptoms will die in *y* number of months, he tells of special possibilities. You could be among the e*x*ceptional cases—if *y*ou change *y*our mentalit*y*. He advocates love, laughter, and doing what *y*ou like to do. Especiall*y* *y*ou should “live life to the ma*x*.” Then *y*ou ma*y* qualif*y* *y*ourself for a complete remission, or at least a partial mitigation. People naturall*y* flock to him for personal care. Siegal says he wouldn’t describe himself as a consummate optimist. Early in his medical career, he saw that although he was trained to help people live, everyone in fact dies. So he feels that if he can spread some happiness amidst the anguish of life, he has made a significant contribution. “I’m a realist,” he said in a radio interview. “I know there’s pain and trouble ahead, but I choose joy. As Joseph Campbell said: ‘I’m here to participate joyfully in the sorrows of the world.’ Life is tough, but since I’m here for a limited time, I choose joy. That’s a choice we all have to make or we’re not going to be grateful for life or be happy.” Judging by sales of Siegal’s book, people appreciate his efforts. Like other alternative-medicine authors—Deepak Chopra, Larry Dossey, Andrew Weil—Siegal firmly insists on a reciprocal relationship of love and trust between the doctor and patient. The doctor must resonate with the patient’s inner nature, so that the patient can arouse the dormant inner strengths crucial for the healing process. The Western world easily accepts devotion to Siegal and his methodology. We cherish a doctor reputed for postponing disease and death. For a transcendentalist, however, the public’s attitude differs. Society has hardly any idea how to encourage a genuine spiritual teacher. We don’t understand the dynamics of the relationship between a bona fide spiritual guide and a student. Nor do we understand the goal of that relationship. Take for example Joseph Campbell, the famous popularizer of mythology. Commenting on Westerners’ seeking spiritual guides, the late scholar said: “I think that is bad news. I really do think you can take clues from teachers; I know you can. But, you see, the traditional Oriental idea is that the student should submit absolutely to the teacher. The *guru* actually assumes responsibility for the student’s moral life, and that is total giving. I don’t think that’s quite proper for a Western person. One of the big spiritual truths for the West is that each of us is a unique creature, and consequently has a unique path.” Yes, each of us is an individual. Kṛṣṇa, in the *Bhagavad-gītā,* confirms the eternal individuality of both the minute living entity and Himself, the Complete Whole: “Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be.” (2.12) Yet when living entities forget their relationship with the supreme source, they all suffer a common disease. Everywhere you’ll find the same plague: misidentification with the body and mind, concurrent with an intense struggle to live an illusory life separate from Kṛṣṇa, the Complete Whole. The *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* (5.5.18) warns that no one should become a spiritual teacher who cannot rescue a student from the cycle of repeated birth, disease, old age, and death. In fact, the text cautions that one should not even become a parent or a spouse if one cannot accomplish this most important task. Therefore, all Kṛṣṇa conscious literature advises that one not accept the tutelage of a spiritual guide without investigating whether he can indeed supply all the spiritual necessities. But when you find a doctor who can actually heal the tumor of material existence, why not humble yourself in love and trust? Doctors like Bernie Siegal aspire only to ease the pain in an admittedly tough and trouble-filled world. Certainly we do need to keep our bodies in the best possible health, and for talented medical help we should be grateful. But we should remember that even the most acclaimed doctors can offer only stop-gap measures in a temporary, precarious existence. For their critical aid in pursuing the ignorance that feels like bliss, we adore them. We desperately seek their guidance like drowning men battling for air. No arguments, just, “Doc, I know you can help me where all others have failed. Whatever you advise, I’ll do without argument.” Actually, everyone is a terminal case—the death rate is 100 percent. Yet fed by scholarly and popular misunderstandings, we fail to value real therapy, real medicine, and to take advantage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. “Physician, heal thyself.” Why merely take part in so-called joy in the sorrows of the world? Why not learn to rise above illusion and teach others to do the same? The *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* (5.5.4) says: “When a person considers sense gratification the aim of life, he certainly becomes mad after materialistic living and engages in all kinds of sinful activity. He does not know that due to his past misdeeds he has already received a body which, although temporary, is the cause of his misery. Actually the living entity should not have taken on a material body, but he has been awarded the material body for sense gratification. Therefore I think it not befitting an intelligent person to involve himself again in the activities of sense gratification by which he perpetually gets material bodies one after another.” Here we find a clear invitation to real welfare work: teaching others to avoid material existence altogether. That is the greatest gift. Rather than offering only temporary help, why not get to the root of the entire problem? Cure the bodily conception of life and alienation from the all-attractive reservoir of pleasure. King Rahūgaṇa next tells Jaḍa Bharata: “Whatever doubts I have regarding spiritual life I will ask you about. Although you have imparted to me mystic knowledge for my enlightenment, your meaning appears too difficult for my grasp. Please repeat your instructions in a simplified way so that I can digest them. I do have a very inquisitive mind, and I certainly desire a clear understanding.” The sage has adequately explained to the king a basic lesson in spiritual knowledge. A sincere student, however, does have the right to humbly petition the spiritual director for clarification. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the most profound art and science, and as such it requires continuous guidance through a heartfelt intimate bond between teacher and student. Contrary to foolish fears, the relationship does not resemble a dictatorship. For instance, Kṛṣṇa is the Complete Whole and therefore the original *guru*. Yet after speaking eighteen chapters of the most wonderful knowledge to Arjuna, Kṛṣṇa clearly indicated that Arjuna still had his options: “Thus I have explained to you knowledge still more confidential. Deliberate on this fully and do what you wish to do.” (*Bhagavad-gītā* 18.63) Kṛṣṇa lucidly delineates the results of all possible choices. Yet even the Supreme Infinite, the original teacher, does not interfere with the tiny independence of the minute, finite living entity. Those giving knowledge and guidance on behalf of Kṛṣṇa also do not wring submission and agreement out of potential students. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is a voluntary affair of devotional love and service. The best way for a newcomer to approach it is through careful deliberation. *Devāmṛta Swami, a disciple of Śrīla Prabhupāda's, joined the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement in 1973. He accepted* sannyāsa, *the renounced order of life, in 1982. He now teaches Kṛṣṇa consciousness in Australia, New Zealand, and the Orient.* ## India’s Heritage *A Blessed Departure* ### By Ravi Gupta 3:30 A.M. on Saturday the phone rang here in Boise. When my father, Ananta-rūpa Dāsa, picked up the phone, my aunt was on the line, calling from Delhi. “Get here as soon as possible,” she said. “Father is very sick. He’s in the hospital. He’s on a ventilator and in critical condition.” My father prepared for the worst. He packed several spiritual items to help my grandfather meet an auspicious death: tapes of Śrīla Prabhupāda chanting, dust from Lord Kṛṣṇa's holy land of Vṛndāvana, sacred water from 1,008 holy places that had been collected by devotees for Śrīla Prabhupāda's Centennial, and a picture of our Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Deities, Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Baṅkebihārī, who were so dear to my grandfather, Dr. Giridhari Lal Gupta. My father left alone on the next flight to New Delhi. By the time he reached Jaipur, Rajasthan, on Monday afternoon, my grandfather’s condition was slightly improved, and he was communicating through writing. My father spent half the night chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mahā-mantra* by his side, while my grandfather fingered his own beads. Beginning early Tuesday morning, my grandfather’s condition quickly worsened. A sudden detachment overcame him. He stopped responding to questions. Realizing the end was near, my grandmother, Revatī Devī Dāsī (formerly Ramavati Gupta), put on a tape of Śrīla Prabhupāda chanting. My father sprinkled Vṛndāvana dust on Grandfather’s body. My uncle, Dr. Sharad Gupta, placed a leaf from the holy *tulasi* tree on Grandfather’s forehead and sacred water in his mouth. Everyone gathered around the bed and chanted loudly with Śrīla Prabhupāda's tape, while my grandfather gripped his beads. The doctor came in and asked, “Why are you creating this noise?” The nurses also came in to make a few last checks and laughed among themselves about the “primitive” practices. After the doctors and nurses had left, the chanting intensified and went on for a long time. My father held the picture of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Baṅkebihārī before his father’s face. Grandfather opened his eyes for the last time and gazed at their Lordships’ forms. At 12:20 P.M., my grandfather mouthed the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mahā-mantra* and left his mortal coil. That evening my father spoke on the *Bhagavad-gītā* to all the relatives and friends who had assembled. He selected verse five of Chapter Eight: “And whoever at the end of life quits the body remembering Me alone at once attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt.” My father explained the special significance of Lord Kṛṣṇa's abode, as distinguished from the heavenly planets or the planets of the forefathers. Two weeks before his death, my grandfather had stopped eating. He had also distributed chanting beads to close friends and implored them to chant the holy name. And he had written in his diary, “I have said good-bye to all my friends and relatives. Now I say good-bye to my life.” By the mercy of the pure devotee Śrīla Prabhupāda and the instructions of the scriptures, he departed from his body in a most auspicious way. That is the power of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That night, my grandmother, searching for some solace and meaning, found it in a copy of *Back to Godhead* magazine she’d picked up from her shelf. It was the May/June issue of 1995. The page she opened to had a short description of the life of Jayānanda Prabhu, a disciple of Śrīla Prabhupāda's who had passed away a few months before Śrīla Prabhupāda's own passing. The description included part of a letter Śrīla Prabhupāda had written to Jayānanda Prabhu on hearing of his passing: “As you were hearing *kṛṣṇa-kīrtana* [chanting], I am sure that you were directly promoted to Kṛṣṇa-loka [Kṛṣṇa's abode]. Kṛṣṇa has done a great favor to you not to continue your diseased body and has given you a suitable place for your service.” My grandfather’s passing was distressful for those who knew him, but it showed the efficacy and value of Vedic culture and Śrīla Prabhupāda’s teachings. It also showed how much that heritage, in modern India, is being lost. *Ravi Gupta, age fifteen, lives at the Hare Kṛṣṇa center in Boise, Idaho, USA. The center is run by his parents. Ravi, who was schooled at home, is a third-year student at Boise State University.* ## Bhakti-yoga at Home *Austerity—Door to the Highest Pleasure* ### By Rohiṇīnandana Dāsa HAIR SHIRTS. Little sleep. Cold showers. Dry crusts. Contrition. Severity. No affection. No sex. No fun. These were some of the images the word *austerity* conjured up for me before I met Śrīla Prabhupāda, who attracted me to a life of *austerity* by teaching the secret of divine *austerity* (*tapo-divyam)*, or *austerity* for the pleasure of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Śrīla Prabhupāda pointed out that any reasonable person, whether materialist or spiritualist, will agree that the purpose of life is pleasure. Everyone wants to be happy; the only question is how to find pleasure that truly satisfies. He argued that all of us in the material world are more or less selfish but we don’t know our actual self-interest. Śrīla Prabhupāda explained that we are part of Kṛṣṇa, like leaves on a tree or fingers on a body. As the self-interest of a thirsty leaf lies in letting water find the tree’s root, and the self-interest of a hungry finger lies in putting food in the mouth, so our self-interest lies in pleasing Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa's interest is our interest because we’re never separate from Him. The *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* describes Lord Kṛṣṇa as *ātmānam akhilātmanām,* “the original soul of all living entities.” So to love Kṛṣṇa is natural. When we realize this truth, what may now seem an austerity will be a blissful act of love. The devotee sage Nārada says, *ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kiṁ/ nārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim:* “If I am worshiping Kṛṣṇa, what is the use of extraneous austerity? And if I’m not worshiping Kṛṣṇa, what is the use of my austerity?” Yet until I attain my natural, healthy state of pure love, I need to act in ways conducive to that end, to create an external and internal environment where love can grow. Śrīla Prabhupāda therefore taught that austerity means to voluntary accept some physical inconveniences for spiritual advancement. Whatever we wish to achieve involves some effort. But effort does not necessarily imply drudgery. As we learn the transcendental art of dedicating our lives to Lord Kṛṣṇa's service, an apparent hardship or problem can become a joy, a labor of love. We don’t need to go looking for difficulty. We’ll get it naturally, by our *karma*, just as we get ease. But austerity means performing our service to Kṛṣṇa despite any inconvenience that might come along. Śrīla Prabhupāda said there’s no need to undergo the austerities of bygone ages, such as meditating alone in the jungle, eating only roots and leaves, sitting surrounded by fire and the blazing sun in summer, or standing in freezing water up to the neck in winter. Rather, he taught the austerities outlined by Lord Kṛṣṇa in the *Bhagavad-gītā* (17.14–17): “Austerity of the body consists in worship of the Supreme Lord, the *brāhmaṇas,* the spiritual master, and superiors like the father and mother, and in cleanliness, simplicity, celibacy, and nonviolence. “Austerity of speech consists in speaking words that are truthful, pleasing, beneficial, and not agitating to others, and also in regularly reciting Vedic literature. “And satisfaction, simplicity, gravity, self-control, and purification of one’s existence are the austerities of the mind. “This threefold austerity, performed with transcendental faith by persons not expecting material benefits but engaged only for the sake of the Supreme, is called austerity in goodness.” Within the context of devotional service, this list of dos and don’ts—although in some ways resembling my original idea of austerity—becomes an exciting challenge. I’ve noticed that when I take up the austerities given in the list, I feel good, bright, and enlivened. I want to push forward along the spiritual path. I also feel cleansed. Divine austerity acts like an invigorating shower, refreshing and cleansing us, no matter how dirty we may be. The Sanskrit word for austerity—*tapasyā*—includes the concept of heat. As heat purifies gold and increases its luster, so austerity burns away the dirty coverings of the soul and brightens one’s spiritual luster. Furthermore, Śrīla Prabhupāda brought us a very special gift: the austerity called *harināma-yajña,* the sacrifice of chanting the holy name of the Lord. This transcendental austerity snaps material bonds, stimulates full life, opens wide the door to the highest bliss, and showers its practitioners with love. Our main austerity is to bathe in the brilliant waters of the holy name. *Rohiṇīnandana Dāsa lives in southern England with his wife and their three children. Write to him in care of* Back to Godhead. ## Vedic Thoughts The Lord is the bestower of all benediction. If someone gives something to the Lord, he is not the loser; he is the gainer by a million times. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda Kṛṣṇa, Chapter 11 Pure devotional service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot be had even by pious activity in hundreds and thousands of lives. It can be obtained only by paying one price—that is intense greed to obtain it. If it is available somewhere, one must purchase it without delay. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Padyāvalī Even if one distributes ten million cows in charity during an eclipse of the sun, lives at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamunā for millions of years, or gives a mountain of gold in sacrifice to the *brāhmaṇas,* he does not earn even one hundredth part of the merit derived from chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī Laghu-Bhāgavatāmṛta If one can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the controller of all controllers, one can understand everything else. Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad Every man should act like this: when he meets a person more qualified than himself, he should be very pleased, when he meets someone less qualified than himself, he should be compassionate toward him; and when he meets someone equal to himself, he should make friendship with him. In this way one is never affected by the threefold miseries of the material world. Śrī Nārada Muni Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.8.34 The highest worship is to worship Lord Viṣṇu [Kṛṣṇa], but even higher than that is to worship His devotees, the Vaiṣṇavas. Lord Śiva Padma Purāṇa Devotional service, beginning with the chanting of the holy name of the Lord, is the ultimate religious principle for the living entity in human society. Śrī Yamarāja Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.3.22 One who does not accept the transcendental form of the Lord is certainly an agnostic. Such a person should be neither seen nor touched. Indeed, he is subject to be punished by Yamarāja [the lord of death]. Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.167 ## From the Editor *Nothing that a Goat Won’t Eat* ACCORDING TO an Indian proverb, there’s nothing that a goat won’t eat and nothing that a madman won’t say. Madmen? Sometimes it seems like we’re living in a world of them, or at least a world of fools. The human impulse is to say something—anything. Something stupid, something contentious, something sweet, deceitful, smart, ridiculous, or empty. Big strings of words, amounting to nothing. It’s astonishing. Nearly as surprising: You can speak the most outrageous foolishness, and someone out there—most likely *many* someones—will for sure take it as sensible, even as urgently important. People babble on like sea waves, other people babble back. And soon you’ve got a tumultuous roar, of no significance at all. Babble on, Babylon. Behind those babbling tongues churn babbling minds, full of everything, empty of substance. For which the Vedic remedy is the chanting of the *mahā-mantra*: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. The purpose of the chanting is to pull the mind out of the din and fix it on one point: Kṛṣṇa. That point—Kṛṣṇa—is not merely a point, but the ultimate substance. The word Kṛṣṇa indicates the supreme reality, the Absolute, the original source of everything. More prec*is*ely, the word Kṛṣṇa *is* Kṛṣṇa. On the material platform, a word and what it stands for are different. On the spiritual platform, Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's name are the same. So by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, we leave behind the clatter of illusion and come in touch with Kṛṣṇa, the Absolute Truth. In the early stages of spiritual understanding, one realizes that Absolute Truth as an impersonal, all-pervading oneness. Further along, one perceives that Absolute Truth as the Supersoul, the source of all intelligence, the unseen guide within the heart. And when that unseen guide fully reveals Himself, one can see the Absolute Truth as the transcendent Personality of Godhead, free from all the grossness of matter yet tangibly real and specific in His unlimited names, forms, qualities, and pastimes. It is when we come to Kṛṣṇa that real talking begins. That talking is done by the greatest self-realized souls. And by those who accept, repeat, and relish the words of those realized souls and thus become realized themselves. Of course, those who babble on about nothing will think that whatever they’re buzzing about is of great consequence and that Hare Kṛṣṇa is for fools. Let them. Following in the footsteps of the Vedic sages, we’ll go on talking about Kṛṣṇa and chanting the *mahā-mantra*: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. —Jayādvaita Swami