# Back to Godhead Magazine #44 *2010 (03)* Back to Godhead Magazine #44-03, 2010 PDF-View ## Welcome In the Founder's Lecture starting this issue, Śrīla Prabhupāda lays out the high qualification required to attain *bhakti,* pure love for God: One must give up all desire for material enjoyment. For most of us, that sounds like a tall order. In "Maya's Friend Norm," Padma Devī Dāsī explains that we react that way because Lord Kṛṣṇa’s material energy, Maya, covers our spiritual vision, deluding us spiritual beings into thinking we belong in the material world. The quest for material enjoyment becomes our goal in life. To overcome this delusion, we require Lord Kṛṣṇa’s help. In "Conviction," Ravīndra Svarupa Dāsa contends that the soul's connection with the Supersoul, a form of Kṛṣṇa within everyone's heart, is what inspires faith in the reality of God and spiritual existence. Spiritual conviction is also nurtured by contact with God's pure devotees and their instructions. In the Vaisnava tradition, to which the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement belongs, a person serious about spiritual progress receives initiation (*diksa*) from a *guru*, accepts the *guru*'s discipline, and learns spiritual truth from him. "In the Lap of Mother Nature" shows how a grand-disciple of Śrīla Prabhupāda looked at nature in the light of Prabhupāda's instructions and gained increased conviction about the truth of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Hare Kṛṣṇa. —*Nagaraja Dāsa, Editor* ## Letters *Relishable Reading* I just finished reading the article "A Successful Quest," by Daivisakti Devī Dāsī, in the March/April issue and wanted to tell you how much it touched my heart. I especially liked how she found the *Bhagavad-gītā* in the university library after all those years of reading other books, searching for this transcendental knowledge, and the part when she heard the hand cymbals and followed the sound. It reminded me of a time in my life when I also heard the hand cymbals and followed the sound, knowing it would take me to the devotees. It's very relishable reading the different arrangements Kṛṣṇa makes for bringing His sincere souls back to Him. Banke Bihari Dasi Surrey, British Columbia, Canada *New and Refreshing* Great editorial in the January/February issue! "Research, Me—Search and He—Search*"—*very well said. Bravo! My wife (Sakuntala Devī Dāsī), my twenty-four-year-old daughter (Śrī Rādhā-Govindanandini Devī Dāsī), and I always look forward to the new BTG because it makes so many interesting points and explores interesting stuff. Good going. Not the same old same made old, but new and refreshing people and expressions of *bhakti.* Thank you. Pandava Vijaya Dāsa Houston, Texas *Japa Is the Anchor* I would like to compliment BTG for the Jan/Feb edition, which was one of the best I have ever read. As far as I am concerned, *japa* is the anchor of *bhakti-yoga.* The article "Creating a Culture of Pure Chanting" was much appreciated. Also, concerning the article about Bhaktivedanta Hospital, I hope we will hear more about it in the future and that it might be a catalyst for similar hospitals throughout the planet. Daniel Joseph Haur Lostwithiel, England *Love and Bhakti* What is the difference between love and *bhakti,* and how can both be achieved? Adesh Shushil Via the Internet *Our reply: Bhakti* means "love" but refers to eternal love for Kṛṣṇa. Love in the material world is temporary. Love for Kṛṣṇa can be achieved by serving a *guru* who has *bhakti,* chanting the holy names of the Lord, serving the Lord's devotees, and performing devotional service. Real love here in the material world means giving Kṛṣṇa to others so they can also learn to love eternally. *Questions about Jnana-yoga* What is *jnana-yoga*? Does it require other types of yoga? What are the types of yoga? Is *jnana-yoga* similar to philosophy? Is it worth pursuing *jnana-yoga*? Who can attain it? Witt Keller Via the Internet *Our reply: Yoga* means to link to the Lord, and *jnana* means knowledge. So *jnana*-yoga is a process by which one links to the God through knowledge. This involves studying the scriptures, practicing austerity, and meditating on the self. One first understands that he is an eternal being different from the body. When one makes further progress, he understands the supreme as an impersonal entity free from material attributes. Understanding the personal form of the Lord is a higher stage of realization, attainable only through *bhakti-yoga.* Besides *jnana-yoga,* the other main types of yoga are *karma-yoga,* where one acts in this world but offers the fruits to God; *astanga-yoga,* where one meditates on the Lord by strict procedures like breath control; and finally *bhakti-yoga,* where one connects with God through acts of devotion, such as chanting His names, hearing about Him, and worshiping His form. It is not worth pursuing *jnana-yoga,* because it is a very difficult path. Only after many lifetimes may the *jnana-yogi* realize that the goal is Kṛṣṇa and begin to worship Him. But one can do that immediately by the simple process of *bhakti-yoga.* Kṛṣṇa explains this in the *Bhagavad-gītā* (12.4–5). *Chanting and Regulative Principles* It is said that by chanting we get a higher taste so that we lose interest in material things and thus we automatically start following the regulative principles. If this is the case, then what is the use of following the four regulative principles [no meat-eating, illicit sex, intoxication, or gambling] till we don't get a taste in chanting? Deepti Shah Via the Internet *Our reply:* When we get a higher taste by chanting, it becomes natural and easy to follow the regulative principles. We become more attached to Kṛṣṇa and detached from matter. But till such time, we should follow the rules, even though they may be difficult, because that way we show the Lord we are trying to give up sense enjoyment separate from Him. If we don't follow the rules, then chanting becomes even harder. It becomes like cooking but pouring water on the stove. Furthermore, for success in chanting, we have to avoid the ten offenses to chanting. One offense is to maintain material attachments, which would surely include not following the regulative principles. Omission: After printing the January/February issue, we learned the identity of the photographers and the locations of two photos of Śrīla Prabhupāda appearing in that issue. Yaduvara Dāsa took the cover photo at the Māyāpur Gaura Purnima festival in 1972. Visakha Devī Dāsī, his wife, took the photo accompanying Prabhupāda's lecture. That photo was taken at the ISKCON temple in Berkeley, California, in 1975. These photos are from a large collection preserved by the Bhaktivedanta Archives. All followers of Śrīla Prabhupāda are indebted to those who photographed him and contributed their photos to the Archives collection. It is BTG's policy to give credit to these photographers when we know their identity. ## Desire Nothing But Bhakti *Vrindavan, India, November 12, 1976* *To attain* bhakti, *or pure devotional service to the Lord, one must come to the point of desiring nothing else.* > matto ’py anantat paratah parasmat > svargapavargadhipater na kincit > yesam kim u syad itarena tesam > akincananam mayi bhakti-bhajam [Lord ‰sabhadeva said:] "I am fully opulent, almighty, and superior to Lord Brahma and Indra, the king of the heavenly planets. I am also the bestower of all happiness obtained in the heavenly kingdom and by liberation. Nonetheless, the *brahmanas* do not seek material comforts from Me. They are very pure and do not want to possess anything. They simply engage in My devotional service. What is the need of their asking for material benefits from anyone else?" —*Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* 5.5.25 Lord Rsabhadeva is an incarnation of Kṛṣṇa. He is explaining that devotional life, *bhakti-yoga,* is so exalted that persons engaged in it do not care for the heavenly planets, which are part of the material world, or for liberation. They consider those rewards insignificant. Prabodhananda Sarasvati, a follower of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, wrote *kaivalyam narakayate:* "The liberation of becoming one with the Supreme is as good as going to hell." And what did he say about the heavenly planets—Svargaloka, Janaloka, Maharloka, Tapoloka? *Tri-dasa-pura akasa-puspayate: "*They are as insignificant as an illusory flower in the sky." Suppose you go to Svargaloka and become Indra, the king of the heavenly planets. That is not a permanent position. By pious activities you can become Brahma, Indra, and so many demigods. You can hold such posts. But even if you go to Brahmaloka, the planet of Brahma, what is the benefit? You have to come back. Similarly, even you go to the Brahman effulgence, the impersonal spiritual energy emanating from Kṛṣṇa, you will eventually fall back to the material world. Therefore devotees are *akincana.* They neglect all these things. They don't care for them. *Karmis,* persons seeking material enjoyment, try to go to Svargaloka, the heavenly planets; yogis and *jnanis,* or impersonalistic philosophers, want to go to the *brahmajyoti,* the effulgence of God. But a devotee is not seeking relief because a devotee is not uncomfortable in the material world. Why? Because a devotee sees God, Kṛṣṇa, everywhere, and wherever Kṛṣṇa is present, then everything is all right. That is the view of someone engaged in devotional service to the Lord. > narayana-parah sarve > na kutascana bibhyati > svargapavarga-narakesv > api tulyartha-darsinah "Devotees solely engaged in the devotional service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayana [Kṛṣṇa], never fear any condition of life. For them the heavenly planets, liberation, and the hellish planets are all the same, for such devotees are interested only in the service of the Lord." (*Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* 6.17.28) Devotees are not anxious either to go to Svargaloka or to refrain from going. They are satisfied: "Wherever Kṛṣṇa keeps me, that is all right. Never mind whether it is heaven or hell." They feel that way because they perceive Kṛṣṇa within themselves and are concerned only with Him. Wherever the Supreme Personality of Godhead is present, that place is Vaikuntha, the spiritual world. The Supreme Lord is in every living entity's heart. Hogs and dogs have a heart, and Kṛṣṇa is present there. Does that mean that Kṛṣṇa is living with hogs and dogs? No. He is living in Vaikuntha. Wherever He may live, He lives in Vaikuntha. Similarly, the devotee lives with Narayana, or Kṛṣṇa, so there is no question of hell and heaven for the devotee. He is in Vaikuntha. If Kṛṣṇa is living in Vaikuntha, the devotee is also living in Vaikuntha. The devotees are concerned with Kṛṣṇa, Narayana. Therefore they are not afraid. The great sage Narada travels everywhere. He goes to hell, he goes to heaven, and he goes Vaikuntha to see Narayana. And as he travels, he chants and sings the holy names of the Lord. His business is to enlighten others. If he goes to hell, he advises the souls there, "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." And if he goes to Indraloka, the heavenly planets, he will advise the same thing. That is his business. Similarly, those who are preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness should not be afraid of hell or heaven. Wherever they go they simply preach, "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." That is their business. *Rejecting Material Desires* One has to become *akincana,* desiring nothing material, simply the lotus feet of the Lord. Our predecessor spiritual master Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura has written, *ha ha prabhu nanda-suta, vrsabhanu-suta-juta, karuna karoho ei-baro:* "O Kṛṣṇa, along with Rādhārāṇī, please be merciful upon me." *Narottama-dasa koy, na theliho ranga pay:* "I am fully surrendered unto You. Don't reject me." *Toma bine ke ache amara.* "I have nothing except Your lotus feet." This is the mood of *akincana:* "I have no other thing except You. So how can You reject me? Give me shelter." If I think that I have another shelter besides Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet, then I am not *a*kincana*.* I am *kincana*: I have some other hope besides Kṛṣṇa. *Akincana* means that my only hope is Kṛṣṇa. Kunti Devi in her prayers addressed Kṛṣṇa as *akincana-gocara:* "You are realized by a person who has no desire to possess anything else." And Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said, *niskincanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya. Bhagavad-bhajana,* worship of the Lord, requires one to be *niskincana,* which has the same meaning as *akincana.* If you want to enjoy something material, there is no question of *bhagavad-bhajana,* because if you have even a little pinch of desire to enjoy material comforts, you'll not be admitted into the pure service of the Lord. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, *sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja*. (*Bhagavad-gītā* 18.66) He instructs us to surrender fully unto Him. *Bhakti-yoga* begins when one thinks, "No more. Enough of this material enjoyment." One must even reject *brahma-bhutah,* the stage of Brahman realization, in which one thinks, "I am in the **brahmajyoti*.* I have become something important." No. Devotees reject even the **brahmajyoti*.* As Prabodhananda Sarasvati says, *kaivalyam narakayate:* "Existing in the *brahmajyoti* is like being in hell." This is the position of the devotee. *We Must Be Willing* *Bhakti,* devotional service, is not easy, but at the same time it is very easy. It is one moment's business. But we must be willing. Kṛṣṇa says, "Surrender unto Me." If we do that, then immediately we are on the *bhakti* stage. But we are not willing. Kṛṣṇa says directly, "Surrender unto Me," but people say, "When Kṛṣṇa is merciful to me, then I shall surrender." What is this nonsense? Kṛṣṇa is directly asking you. He has to become merciful again? What kind of mercy? These are all pleas. Actually the person doesn't want to surrender. "I shall not surrender unto You, sir. I shall make some pleas, some excuses. That's all." We do not know how many times we have been born and died, for millions and millions of years. Still, we are so shameless we want to do it again and again. We want to continue to enjoy material life, which is nothing but eating, sleeping, sex, and fear. This is every living being's business, from the small insect up to Brahma and Indra. People do not want to stop this business. They want to improve it. "I am eating now without any plate, but if I can eat on a golden plate, that is advancement." A gentleman is eating tasty dishes, and a hog is eating stool. The eating is the same; the difference is just a matter of taste. When we devotees are offered food on an airplane, we refuse it. We don't touch anything on the airplane because we know what it is. But the man next to us is happily eating the intestines of a hog. He is enjoying eating with his spoon and fork, and we are thinking, "Oh, what a nasty thing he is eating!" We should completely give up anything material. That is *niskincana.* We have no business with anything material, whether on a golden plate or on the street or on the floor. It does not make any difference. Our business is to accept *prasādam,* what Kṛṣṇa has eaten. We are not interested in the intestine of hogs, and we are not interested in tasty dishes like *halava* and *puris* if they have not been offered to Kṛṣṇa. We are interested to eat what has already been accepted by Kṛṣṇa. Those who eat *kṛṣṇa-prasādam* enjoy thousands of nice preparations. Why should we go to the restaurant? There are so many nice preparations offered to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is ready to accept from a devotee whatever he offers, within limits. There are people who say, "Whatever I eat I can offer." But that is not the process. The process is that you must offer Kṛṣṇa what He wants. When you invite someone to your home, you ask, "What can I offer you?" That is the etiquette. Not that the guest has to eat any horrible thing you offer. Kṛṣṇa says that he eats the offerings of His devotees. But the atheist says, "Oh, you are offering so many nice dishes, but they are still lying there in front of your Deity. He has not eaten." Such a person does not know how Kṛṣṇa eats. Kṛṣṇa can eat with His eyes. He can eat by touching. And even if He eats the whole thing, He can keep the whole thing present. The atheist cannot see this, but the devotee knows, "Kṛṣṇa is eating, and we shall take the *prasādam.*" *A Successful Life* We have to learn what *bhakti* is. If we advance in devotional service, then naturally we will lose our taste for the material world. We must know that by taking to devotional service we can leave the material world. The material world is the place where there is danger at every step. Everyone will have to die. So before death we must become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious. The end will come today or tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. Nobody will remain here. But success is to remember Narayana, Kṛṣṇa, at the end of life. We should practice that. Don't think, "I shall die tomorrow, but you are dying today, so I am better than you." Nobody will live here forever. Everyone will die, and we must be prepared for death. The devotee has no fear of dying, because if he is completely surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, then he is going back to Him—simply by surrendering to Kṛṣṇa. And how does one surrender? Kṛṣṇa says, > man-mana bhava mad-bhakto > mad-yaji mam namaskuru > mam evaisyasi satyam te > pratijane priyo ’se me "Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me, and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend." (*Bhagavad-gītā* 18.65) Kṛṣṇa is giving assurance. If we do only these four things, we will go to Him. The first is to always think of Kṛṣṇa. Anyone can do it. And everyone can offer Kṛṣṇa *patram puspam phalam toyam:* fruit, a flower, a leaf, or water. (*Bhagavad-gītā* 9.26) Everyone can hear from Kṛṣṇa to learn about Him. Where is the difficulty? The difficulty is that we want enjoyment in this material world. But the devotee is not attracted to the material world, including the heavenly planets. And the devotee is not attracted by liberation or yogic perfection. Persons who desire those things are never peaceful. Those who want material enjoyment work hard for material profit or promotion to the heavenly planets. Those who are after liberation undergo severe austerities and penance to enter the impersonal spiritual energy. And the yogis also work very hard. Yoga practice is not so easy, especially in this age. Our *bhakti-yoga* is so easy. Simply do the four things Kṛṣṇa asks. Take to *bhakti,* devotional service, and reject everything else. That will make your life successful. Thank you very much. ## "Surrendering to Kṛṣṇa Is Real Intelligence" *The following conversation between His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda and some of his disciples took place in January 1974 on an early-morning walk in Hawaii.* Disciple: Materialists think that everything in nature is meant for man, for his exploitation and enjoyment. Śrīla Prabhupāda: But when there is an arrangement there must be some higher supervision. You call it nature, and we accept that. In *Bhagavad-gītā* [3.27] Kṛṣṇa says, *prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah:* "Everything is being done by the direction of *prakrti,* nature." So nature is superior to you. You have to accept this, because you are being directed by nature. Disciple: The materialists hope to become superior to nature. Śrīla Prabhupāda: That is rascaldom, foolishness. Kṛṣṇa says, > prakrteh kriyamanani > gunaih karmani sarvasah > ahankara-vimudhatma > kartaham iti manyate The rascal's actions are all being dictated by nature, but he is thinking, "I am the lord." By self-conceit, he's falsely thinking, "I am controlling nature" or "I shall be able to control nature in the future." This is foolishness. This is rascaldom. Disciple: The scientists can give so much evidence that they have already achieved partial control over nature. Now we can fly all over the world? Śrīla Prabhupāda: Partial control means no control. We are controlled by nature; that you cannot deny. Now, the next question should be. How is nature working? That Kṛṣṇa also explains in *Bhagavad-gītā* [9.10]: *mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram.* "The material nature is working under My supervision." To a small degree, we are also supervising material nature. For example, here is some earth. We can take this earth and make it into bricks and build a skyscraper. It is not that the earth is going to become a skyscraper by itself. A living entity must utilize the earth to build the skyscraper. Another example is an airplane. It is simply a combination of various kinds of matter, but it has to be worked out by the manufacturer and flown by the pilot. Therefore the pilot of the airplane, or the manufacturer, is superior to the airplane itself. Now, the elements of material nature (earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence, and ego) are working together so nicely, just like a big machine, that anyone can see they are being manipulated by some living entity. And that entity is God, or Kṛṣṇa. So our position is that we are controlled by the material nature, and the material nature is controlled by Kṛṣṇa. One who is at all sensible will think, "After all, the Supreme Controller is Kṛṣṇa, so why not directly come under His control? Why not serve Him directly?" This is good sense. Disciple: The difference between Kṛṣṇa’s control and that of the material nature seems to be that Kṛṣṇa is benevolent but the material nature is not. Śrīla Prabhupāda: Yes. Material nature is just like a jail superintendent. If you don't care for the laws of the government, the laws of God, then you'll be controlled by the jail superintendent. That's all. You will be controlled; you cannot be free. This is your constitutional position. Disciple: We have the choice of being controlled either by love or by force. Śrīla Prabhupāda: Yes. When we decide to be controlled by Kṛṣṇa, it is out of love for Him. Similarly, you are being controlled by me, but there is no force. You serve me voluntarily, out of love. I am not paying you; still, when I ask you to do something you immediately do it. Why? There is love between us. Disciple: If a person actually understands the distinction between control by Kṛṣṇa and control by the material nature, is it possible that he will still choose to be controlled by the material nature? Śrīla Prabhupāda: Yes. He has already made that choice. But he's so foolish that he thinks, "I am now independent of the Supreme Lord." Because he's foolish he cannot understand that he is simply being controlled by an agent of God, the material nature. Although he is controlled at every moment, he is thinking, "I am free." Therefore he is in illusion. Illusion means believing something that is not a fact. So the materialists and so-called scientists who are thinking, "There is no God; we are independent" are simply foolish, childish rascals. That is why Kṛṣṇa uses the word *vimudhatma* to describe them. *Vimudhatma* means "befooled rascal." Disciple: Most people don't think life in the material nature is so bad. They think it's pleasurable. They think they're having fun. Śrīla Prabhupāda: Yes. That is another illusion. Unless one thinks material life is pleasurable, how could he tolerate it? When we see a pig eating stool, we say, "Ughhh!" But unless the pig thinks, "This is pleasurable," how could he eat stool? He is eating the most abominable thing, but he is thinking, "I am enjoying." This is *maya,* illusion. Disciple: Sometimes when we tell people this life is full of miseries, they say, "What do you mean?" Śrīla Prabhupāda: That is their foolishness. They cannot distinguish misery from happiness. They are being kicked by material nature, the agent of Kṛṣṇa. Because they are desiring in various ways to become controllers or enjoyers, they are being offered various types of bodies and suffering repeated birth and death. But because people have no sense, they think this material life is pleasurable. Now, as Americans, you may have so many nice facilities, but you cannot enjoy them. By nature's force you have to change your position. What can you do? Today you may be living in a nice apartment on the twenty-fourth floor of a skyscraper, and tomorrow you may become a rat in that apartment. It is not in your power to change the laws of nature. Actually, everyone is being controlled by the material nature at every moment. So an intelligent person asks how to get out of this material nature, how to end the suffering of repeated birth, old age, disease, and death. And Kṛṣṇa explains how to end this suffering in *Bhagavad-gītā* [7.14]: *mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te:* "As soon as the rascal surrenders to Me, he is out of the control of My material nature." Surrendering to Kṛṣṇa is real intelligence. ## The Divine Form *By Ananta Sakti Dāsa* *An artist realizes his dream of finding the perfect form.* During my school days in the 1960s, it wasn’t difficult to see that the modern education system was a kind of slaughterhouse for the mind and intellect, a place where individuals were reduced to packaged goods to be consumed by an exploitative society. At age fourteen I decided to become an artist/naturalist, which meant spending lots of time absent from school but present in my local library, and exploring riverbanks, shorelines, and wooded areas. In the library I met illustrious teachers every time I opened an art book. Great artists like Picasso, Da Vinci, Gaugin, Raphael, and the Pre-Raphaelites taught me so many lessons in the use of color, tone, composition, and most of all, imaginative expression. In the great outdoors, Mother Nature was a wonderful teacher who introduced me to the miracle of changing seasons, wherein infinite varieties of fascinating creatures coexist in an ecological wonderland. With so much inspiration available for a budding artist, where would I start? I thought I'd give the educational system another try, and I visited the local art college. The head of the Fine Art section was a waffling intellectual living on cloud nine, so I gave that a miss. The Graphic Design department was all about selling products and making a living, but at least that was practical. I enrolled, but the psychedelic generation I was a part of had a profound effect on my consciousness. I needed answers to the important questions of life: Who am I? Where am I going? What is the purpose of life? I concluded that art is best when it encapsulates the answers to these questions in a new and exciting way. But what are the answers? The Graphic Design department was just going to engage me in the advancement of consumerism, so I left. My best friend at that time was Ron Holbeche, a Christian mystic who painted vibrant canvases that were exhibited in the more progressive churches. He always talked to me of God and service to God. He was like my *guru* and always asserted, "Man was made to serve God." Ron and I both craved a vision of a perfect person, and we had our own conceptualizations of what that meant. Ron painted the silhouette of a young Adonis male filled with hundreds of bright rainbow colors, whereas I considered that a perfect person must be seen to contain a harmonious combination of aggressive logic and gentle intuition. I reasoned that to be complete, such a being would be androgynous. I decided to depict this ideal not as a hermaphrodite, but in a symbolic way, with half the body male and the other half female, much like the Siva-Sakti form seen in Indian temples. *Encounter with Lord Rama* At about this time, I built a tepee of the American Indian style, lived in a forest commune, and made an independent living as a portrait artist. I also specialized in designing and making fringed, beaded moccasins for the hippie community. It was a busy, productive life. Then, as if by divine providence, an art college friend, upon returning from a visit to Bangkok, gave me some rice-paper rubbings taken from bas-reliefs of divinities of the temple of the reclining Buddha. Although I didn't know it at first, the images depicted the pastimes of Lord Ramacandra. I immediately appreciated the combination of delicate exquisiteness and divine irresistible power that Ramacandra personified while upon His chariot, bow drawn, ready to slay His evil enemy. I started work on a series of highly detailed color studies based on these rubbings. I became obsessed and addicted to these forms. They represented sweet perfection to me. One of my friends, who had visited Kṛṣṇa’s holy town of Vrindavan, India, then told me that the divine person was Ramacandra, an incarnation of the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa. He gave me some Spiritual Sky incense (made by Hare Kṛṣṇa devotees) and advised me to offer a stick a day to the figure of Kṛṣṇa on the packet, which I did. Around this time I received a surprise visit from someone who had been given my address. Her name was Carol, and she was from the Hare Kṛṣṇa temple in Toronto. After introductions, she wanted to teach me a *mantra*. I responded by closing my eyes tight and repeating over and over again, with rapt attention, the words she gave me: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. As I was doing this, a beautiful bluish person of independent power, much like the figure on the incense packet, entered my consciousness. This person personified bliss and possessed a body of pure energy, just like liquid sapphire. I was stunned, blessed, and totally at a loss for words. Carol had introduced me to the chanting of the holy names, for which I am forever grateful. Soon after, I visited the Hare Kṛṣṇa temple in Watford, just outside London, and had *darsana* with the presiding Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Deities, Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Gokulananda. That was probably the greatest revelation I ever had. It seemed the ultimate deja vu experience, and my intuition made sense when the devotees explained that we all have an eternal loving relationship with God. It simply needs to be awakened by the glorification of His holy names. I joined the temple shortly after and received formal initiations. In the following years I had many opportunities to study and glorify the divine forms of the Lord in His multifarious aspects and also to do portrait studies of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Prabhupāda. *God's Unique Spiritual Form* Discovering the actual form of our most ancient of friends, that friend who has been patiently guiding and tolerating us since time immemorial, must surely be the greatest of all discoveries and experiences. Growing up in the patriarchal Christian tradition, I learned through art that God, being the original father, must look like a mighty yet old and bearded Anglo/European man. He casts stern glances in all directions while sitting on His kingly throne surrounded by angels and light. At slight provocation He hurls flaming thunderbolts at those who dare defy His authority. This anthropomorphic projection surely strikes fear and reverence into human hearts, but does such a contrivance inspire love? I think not. I found the Vedic viewpoint to be much more attractive on all levels. It teaches that God is beyond the influence of time, which is subordinate to Him. He therefore possesses an eternally youthful form of incomparable beauty in every detail, from His fine, curling, bluish black hair, to His radiant toenails, which defeat the luster of the most precious gems. Restless lotus-shaped eyes adorn His splendorous face. Every aspect of His form intrigues the eyes to an insatiable degree. Therefore the name Kṛṣṇa, meaning "the all-attractive," is surely a fitting name for God. As an artist I am concerned with dimensions. If we examine the dimensions of Kṛṣṇa’s divine form as revealed in the Vedic scriptures, we discover that many measurements differ from the human form. The most obvious differences are the size of His head in proportion to His body and that His hands reach to His knees. Indian sculptors who carve temple Deities use these dimensions, which are delineated in reference books. The measurements are exact and define divine Deity forms, thus setting them apart from any type of human form, although obvious similarities are there. In the sacred *Bhagavad-gītā* (9.22) Lord Kṛṣṇa says, "But those who always worship Me with exclusive devotion, meditating on My transcendental form—to them I carry what they lack, and I preserve what they have." And in the *Brahma-saṁhitā* Lord Brahma also assures us, "Only a person whose eyes are smeared with the ointment of love can see the beautiful form of Śrī Kṛṣṇa." Although I am unqualified to approach Lord Kṛṣṇa, Śrīla Prabhupāda's followers have mercifully engaged me in Kṛṣṇa’s service, in particular by depicting Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes and writing and illustrating books on the subject. For this blessing I am eternally grateful because a picture of Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes provides a view into the spiritual world. Therefore, as an ISKCON artist, I would like to offer the following recommendation: Suspend your disbelief, for with faith and an open mind, an apparent statue comes alive and a picture becomes a window to another world. Imagination and the spirit of devotional service give life to what appears to be the dull matter of this world. Therefore, in this mood let us serve Lord Kṛṣṇa, His devotees, and whomever we can, and be happy forever. Hare Kṛṣṇa. *Ananta Sakti Dāsa, initiated in 1979, lives in Borehamwood, England.* ## e-Krishna *Vaisnava Family Resources* www.vaisnavafamilyresources.org is the website of the Grihastha Vision Team (GVT), a group of devotee volunteers who provide resources to support married and prospective devotee couples. "A website is a good way to get information to a wide audience," said GVT volunteer Karnamrta Dāsa. "The site is a natural outgrowth of our desire to get the word out about the importance of living a spiritual life in the *grhastha asrama.*" The Grihastha Vision Team wants to help spiritualize your married life so that it will be an asset for your Kṛṣṇa consciousness. "On the website you will find articles supporting you in your marriage, including articles to help those facing martial difficulties," Karnamrta said. Browsing the site, you will find relationship tips and information about many aspects of maintaining a marriage. You will read about courses and upcoming events, as well as find links to videos and related websites. Read the biographies of team volunteers and review the strategies they employ to achieve the organization’s aims. Learn about the six vital ingredients of strong marriages and the twelve principles and values behind a Kṛṣṇa conscious family life. Karnamrta says the website was designed to educate. Its aim is to improve the condition of marriage and family life in the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, as well as in society at large. The GVT trains and provides mentors, and it spreads information to increase awareness of marital and premarital education. After coming across the website, devotees and others often contact the Grihstha Vision Team. "They appreciate our site very much," Karnamrta Dāsa says. "We get visitors from all parts of the world. Many people want to know how they can create similar programs where they live." Visit the website to make a donation, download some Vaisnava help for you and your family, or read the results of a survey mapping out devotee attitudes toward marriage. By Antony Brennan What do you like most about ISKCON's Rathayatra festivals? The Rathayatra festivals of ISKCON enable countless conditioned souls, like myself, to take part in *bhakti-yoga,* devotional service to God. Just by hearing the sweet chanting of Kṛṣṇa’s names sung by devotees, seeing the beautiful form of Lord Jagannatha, walking along the procession, pulling the cart, or tasting the delicious vegetarian feast, anyone can very easily make spiritual advancement by the causeless mercy of the Supreme Lord and His devotees. Of all the transcendental activities included in the Rathayatra festivals, my favorite is taking part in the lively *kirtanas.* Glorifying God, Kṛṣṇa, is very purifying. It awakens our natural loving propensity and gives us a taste of the real pleasure for which we all hanker. Bill Helminger Kenosha, Wisconsin What I like most about Rathayatra is that it gives nondevotees the wonderful chance to see Their Most Glorious and Beautiful Lordships in person and to see another side of ISKCON and ISKCON devotees. Very often, if you mention Hare Kṛṣṇa to nondevotees they will speak of people in orange or hippy-style clothing they have seen dancing in the street or distributing books. Sometimes the word *cult* or the opinion that we are a minority on the edge of society is mentioned. Rathayatra shows nondevotees that we are anything but a minority hippy group. ISKCON devotees come from all backgrounds and nations, are normal people from all levels of society, not a *cult*, and are growing in number every day. That I think is as valuable an experience for nondevotees as seeing their Lordships or hearing the name of Kṛṣṇa. Channah Mace London I like the large gathering of devotees chanting and singing the glories of Kṛṣṇa. It is great to see people in the street joining the devotees and having fun. The whole town or city where the festival is held seems to be purified by seeing the devotees. It is a very colorful and vibrant festival, and certainly a day to cherish in your life and look forward to every year. All glories to this great festival and all those who take part in it or just watch the parade. Ravi Singh London The Rathayatra festival is very amazing for me. At Rathayatra I saw Lord Jagannatha for the first time. I love to get the chance to pull the Lord of the Universe. All the people get the mercy of Jagannathaji. They give something to Him from their shops. At this year's Rathayatra, it seemed to me that Jagannathaji was smiling more at the end of the procession than at the beginning. And His turban was tilted, as if He was also dancing along with the devotees. Prajakta Sakhavalkar Nashik, India I enjoy being able to express my love for Lord Jagannatha, Lord Baladeva, and Subhadra Devi. It is a joyous occasion that brings together devotees from all around the globe. I want everyone in the world to know how much love I feel, and I invite them to join me in feeling only ecstasy. Indira Shanmugam Jersey City, New Jersey ISKCON Rathayatras are like a complete otherworldly experience of the transcendental kind. In my thirty years or so of being a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, I have participated in several Rathayatras in Zurich and Geneva, and lately I've attended two Rathayatra's in Prague, Czech Republic. It is the most transcendental street festival ever to be celebrated in the West—full of colors, fruits, and flowers falling from Lord Jagannatha's cart, thrown to the crowd by first-class *brahmana* Vaisnavas; blissful chanting and dancing; and all literally pulling together on the same rope. Whoever sees the festival, be he a gentleman or a ruffian, a Christian, Jew, Muslim or Buddhist—not to speak of the countless Vaisnavas throughout the world—all become spiritually healthy, wealthy, and wise. A true blessing for mankind. That is the festival of Jagannatha Rathayatra. Jaya Gurudeva Dāsa Prague, Czech Republic I like the rare opportunity to sweep the path in front of the *ratha* (cart) carrying Śrī Jagannatha, Śrī Baladeva, and Śrīmati Subhadra Devi. By receiving their merciful glance I feel so blissful and very blessed. There is no other occasion when the Deities come out in the public to claim the fallen souls by their merciful glance, and therefore it is our good fortune to participate in the Rathayatra festival. Because most of us are so engrossed in material activities, one should never miss the chance to take part in the ISKCON Rathayatra. It has a great potency to overcome our karmic reactions. Vaikunthesvara Balaji Dāsa Austin, Texas Rathyatra's gives an opportunity to fallen conditioned souls drowning in this material world to have *darsana* and the blessings of the Lord of the Universe and to interact with Hare Kṛṣṇa devotees chanting, dancing, and distributing books and *prasādam.* Seeing devotees immersed and enthusiastically engaged in chanting the holy names of the Lord inspires everyone, be they devotees or first-time attendees. The Lord comes out of His home and showers His special causeless mercy, giving everyone an opportunity to surrender unto Him and to understand the real mission of this human form of life. The festival gives a glimpse of the visionary mission of Lord Caitanya for spreading the holy names of the Lord in every town and village. For devotees it's an awesome opportunity to engage in different services to the Lord, such as book distribution, *prasādam* distribution, dramas, and *kirtanas.* It is a special program designed to cover many activities of Kṛṣṇa consciousness as introduced by Śrīla Prabhupāda. It gives a chance to call the Lord of the Universe into the heart of the devotees. It reveals the real bliss and pleasure of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Rasananda Dāsa New Delhi What I like most about ISKCON Rathayatra festivals is that I get a chance to work with other temple devotees in the same spirit as a family preparing for a grand wedding. Everyone serves with great enthusiasm and their best effort to please Lord Jagannatha. On festival day the fruit of our labor is manifest when we freely distribute our love for Lord Jagannatha via the media of *prasādam, kirtana,* art, drama, books, and dance. We share with newcomers, who otherwise would perhaps never receive Lord Jagannatha’s mercy in this lifetime. Saci Devī Dāsī Brampton-Mississauga, Ontario Canada The most lovable thing is the *sankirtana* in the streets. Everyone is singing the Hare Kṛṣṇa *maha-mantra* and dancing, and it seems like the whole of Baroda is participating. It reminds me of how beautiful it would look when Caitanya Mahāprabhu was leading the Rathayatra procession in Puri. Mala Sharma Baroda, India My dear friend had nurtured love for Lord Jagannatha since the early days of ISKCON and would always meditate on His sweet form before going to bed. He loved the painting of Lord Caitanya dancing in ecstasy in front of Lord Jagannatha's *ratha* and would embrace that image and place it in his pocket close to his heart and go to sleep. Once he revealed his heart while showing me one of his most cherished photographs amongst his very few of his initial days in ISKCON. It captured him lost in dancing in front of Lord Jagannatha's *ratha* at his first Rathayatra in Mumbai, with its twists and turns. Later he got initiated as Jagannatha Yatra Dāsa. Indeed the giant wheel of the *ratha* crushes the nocturnal demons in the heart on its journey through the ocean of mercy—the Vaisnavas! Saurabh Sharma Nashik, India ## Diksa Without Tapa: Initiation in Name Only *Voluntary restraint and the acceptance of discipline form essential parts of Vaisnava initiation.* *By Krpamoya Dāsa* Did you hear the story of the man who rode up to the gates of our Māyāpur, West Bengal, temple to sell ice cream? He had one of those tricycles you see a lot in India—the ones with a refrigerated box on the back. Nothing sells quite like ice cream on a hot day. Only he wasn’t selling ice cream at all. He opened the lid of the icebox, pulled out a hand bell and a bunch of papers, then began ringing the bell and calling out, "*Diksa! Diksa!*" ["Initiation! Initiation!"] He was selling *diksa* and, as it happens, was selling it very cheaply: "*Diksa doh rupya!*" or: "*Diksa,* two rupees!" Although those trained in the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement would not be interested in such "initiation," some visitors to the temple did gather around, examined the papers, and handed their money over. Such *diksas* are commonplace in parts of India. For a fee, a certificate of initiation is given, like a title deed bestowing a certain spiritual status and religious-community identity rights. A person receives a blessing and becomes an *adhikari,* "one who has been awarded the right." For a relatively modest investment of cash, you too can be a more qualified person than you were yesterday. What’s slightly more important is that you can tell others about your improved social status too. Your Diksa Certificate, signed in ink by the *guru*, can also get you in to certain places and is very handy when you want to go to particular parties or festivals. *England's Landless Aristocracy* Over here in England, we have a long history of mankind’s basic urge to own such deeds of entitlement. One of the formative episodes in the history of our nation was the Norman Conquest. Although it's hard for us to talk about any time when we’ve been beaten by the French, every English schoolchild knows the date of A.D. 1066, when the northern French invaded Britain, defeated King Harold in the Battle of Hastings, and never really went home. The victorious William the Conqueror commissioned the *Domesday Book,* a record of every village and field in the land. He then proceeded to apportion those villages and huge tracts of land to all his friends, bestowing upon them ranks and titles according to their respective landholdings. Thus the English aristocracy was born, with all its lords, earls, dukes, barons, and viscounts. Even today, nearly a millennium later, a mere two hundred English families still own half of the land in Britain. Yet over the centuries, many of the smaller aristocrats sold off their lands, holding on to only their hereditary title. Still later, even the titles were sold, bestowing upon the purchaser the distinction of a powerful traditional name, but with no factual wealth or power. Thus today, for a mere £2500, you can become known officially as Baron Such-and-Such, baron of three villages—but without owning the villages. You’ll receive an attractive, elaborately handwritten declaration scribed on vellum, sometimes dating back 300–400 years. You’ll have the legal right, under British law, to have others refer to you by your new name and to sign yourself as such on all official documents. Yet as for the land ownership that the title originally conferred on its owner, you’ll see none of that. No serfs will doff their caps as you ride your white horse into "your" village. You won’t get any tithes of the harvest either. Indeed, you won’t have any power over anybody or anything, except the power to look up from your sofa and gaze at your nicely framed certificate proclaiming you a member of the English aristocracy. *Diksa for Sale* Why am I giving you this English history lesson? Because just as powerless peerages are being sold on the Internet, conferring nothing on their owner but a new name and smug satisfaction, so *diksa* is now being sold for a few pounds—or sometimes nothing at all—conferring only the notion of spiritual or religious attainment. The tricycles have come West. *Diksa* is the process of being enlightened with transcendental knowledge and committing oneself to the spiritual path under the guidance of an authentic teacher. It is not something that can be purchased out of cold-box on the back of a tricycle. Its real price is commitment, demonstrated not only by an intellectual adjustment to one’s belief system, but by some form of voluntary restraint and the acceptance of discipline as essential parts of the effort required for inner growth. As in all areas of life: no pain, no gain. Such personal austerity, or *tapa,* is said to be the factual spending power of spiritually progressive people. *Tapa* is "the wealth of the *brahmanas.*" When Brahma, the original created being within the universe, was perplexed as to his origin and true identity, he tried by his own efforts to discover the truth. It was only after he heard the divine syllables *ta-pa* echoing from beyond the universe that he was able to comprehend that he should engage in meditation. In classical Vaisnavism, the *guru* does not award *diksa* unless the prospective disciple has demonstrated some personal *tapa.* Rising early, bathing, eating frugally from a diet regulated by vegetables, fruit, and grains, chanting the Lord’s holy names according to a numerical vow (in ISKCON that is sixteen times around 108 beads), engaging in menial service for the *guru*, abandoning sinful acts (such as intoxication, illicit sex, gambling, and eating of meat, fish, or eggs), and placing oneself at the beck and call of the spiritual master—all these are prerequisites for *diksa*. Without *tapa,* actual *diksa* cannot take place. Even if the external formularies are conducted and titles awarded, no substantial inner transformation actually happens. The book *Panca Samskara,* written in 1885 by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, explains the five essential components of Vaisnava initiation and answers the question why, after such initiation, some Vaisnavas are seen not to make progress: The answer is that Vaisnava *samskara* is the best, but at the present time it is practiced in name only. Both the spiritual teacher and the student block their own spiritual advancement by being content with only the external aspects of *samskara*. Today, the deeper significance of *samskara* is not understood. When the student submits himself to the teacher, the teacher gives panca-*samskara* and then abandons him. What good can come from panca-*samskara* of this type? Externally the student looks good, but internally there is nothing. The tongue utters the name of Hari … but the student is addicted to endless sinful practices. At night, he takes intoxicants and practices debauchery! O good teacher, how have you benefited your student? What is the difference in him before and after *diksa*? In fact, he is worse. He is a hypocrite. There is no remorse: "I am sinful. It is my fault. How can my sin be given up?" These days no one thinks like this when taking shelter of a spiritual teacher. Sinful activities are performed without the slightest concern. What misfortune! Why is this? Because the wrong kind of relationship exists between teacher and student. The *sastras* [scriptures] give rules to guide this relationship, but they are not followed. The student who is burning in the fire of material life, who analyses his predicament and concludes, "My relationship with material nature is not permanent; therefore I must take shelter of a spiritual teacher to obtain the feet of God," has reached the stage of faith and is qualified to take shelter of a spiritual teacher. The teacher should study the student for one year and observe his atonement. This is called *tapa—*the faithful soul’s first *samskara.* The word *tapa* is translated as "repentance, atonement, and the permanent impression of higher sentiment on the soul." *Tapa* applies not only to the body, but also to the mind and the soul. If it is only physical, in the form of branding or stamping [the custom of marking the upper body with the symbols of Visnu], then *tapa* has not actually taken place and religious practice becomes hypocritical. At the present time this kind of hypocrisy has weakened Vaisnava culture. Without *tapa*, or inner repentance, the soul cannot live as a Vaisnava. Without *tapa* the whole process becomes useless. Without *tapa* the heart remains impure. Therefore, good friends, seek atonement without delay! Such a seemingly alarmist judgment on the bad practices of Vaisnava *diksa* of the 1880s was intended to be a strong criticism of the *gurus* of Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's day. Yet it also stands as a permanent caution to any future would-be disciple collectors. Why such stern warnings from an otherwise compassionate and gentle Vaisnava? Because the tendency of many would-be prophets, philosophers, and messiahs—at least those directly desiring to be socially known as such—is to gather as many devoted followers as possible. And because the tendency of many of those would-be disciples is to achieve that status with as little pain and commitment as possible. These tendencies create the strong possibility that insincere *gurus* and uncommitted followers will find each other, a situation that has repeated itself down through the centuries. And the result is always that true and authentic *diksa* becomes obscured by popular misconceptions. *Westward Migration* For many centuries both the genuine Vedic system of *diksa* and its pale shadow were restricted to India. Since the 1950s, however, swamis, yogis, and *gurus* have been coming to the Western countries and offering various kinds of *diksa*. Finding their Western followers somewhat averse to *tapa,* they have trimmed their requirements to appeal to their audience. For many years the Gaudiya Vaisnavas, devotees of Kṛṣṇa in the line of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, were free from this practice. Represented by ISKCON through the personal vigilance of its founder-*ācārya,* His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, the Western Vaisnavas were held to the standard of *tapa* as prescribed in scripture. In recent years, however, there has been a marked increase in the level of *diksa,* with diminishing levels of requirements. As Gaudiya Vaisnava preachers attempt to emulate Śrīla Prabhupāda and his successes, they have begun to give "initiations" while leaving aside the traditional requirements of personal *tapa*, mutual scrutiny of **guru*-*disciple, and the normal levels of affectionate guardianship offered by the *guru* to the disciple after *diksa.* The result is a large increase in the number of those now holding spiritual names with the suffix Dāsa and Dasi. Unfortunately, like those barons and dukes with their framed certificates, those who have bought their *tapa*-less *diksa* may find that all that has changed is their name. *Krpamoya Dāsa, a disciple of Śrīla Prabhupāda, likes to conduct* Bhagavad-gītā *discussions for small groups of ISKCON members all over southern England. He is married with three children.* ## In Memoriam - Mahavisnu Goswami *His Holiness Mahavisnu Goswami* [Footnote on first page: *This article originally appeared in ISKCON News, the news agency of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, and was made available to BTG by special arrangement. For more news about ISKCON, please visit news.iskcon.com.*] His Holiness Mahavisnu Goswami passed away at the Bhaktivedanta Hospital in Mumbai, India, on January 25. He was ninety-one years old and ISKCON's oldest *sannyasi.* His Holiness had suffered from ill health for the past several years and was admitted to the hospital after a lung infection was discovered in late December. Back then, after suffering from fever and intense asthmatic attacks, he had already begun preparing for the end by leaving for Nasik, a holy city in Maharashtra where he was raised and in which Lord Rama enacted many of His pastimes. However, after some peaceful days there, during which his fever abated and his breathing improved, Mahavisnu Goswami suddenly began to experience sharp, convulsive pains in both legs. His disciples consulted with Bhaktivedanta Hospital doctors and returned him to the Mumbai hospital early on the morning of January 17. *Unafraid to Die* Remarkably, Mahavisnu Goswami seemed completely undisturbed by his imminent passing. "I have purchased the train ticket and am on the platform waiting for the train," he said. "When it comes, I will simply board. I am ready—we all must be ready when that train comes." "Those who are afraid to die, they die," he added. "Those who are unafraid to die, they never die—they live through the platform of devotional service." Famous for conducting Bhagavata Saptahas, during which he lectured on the *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* for six non-stop hours each day for seven days, His Holiness was known for his deep love of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books. Disciples say that in his last days, despite being rendered dazed and drowsy by prescribed painkillers, his level of spiritual consciousness continued to be astounding. "Every day, we would perform the *mangala-arati* ceremony and recite *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* at Guru Mahārāja’s bedside," says disciple and personal secretary Devakinandana Dāsa. "Sometimes he would be deep asleep, yet when we came to a particular verse, he’d suddenly open his eyes, smile, and remark, ‘Oh, this is a nice verse, Devaki,’ and repeat it aloud, before dropping off to sleep again as if nothing had happened. Often while he slept we would see his tongue moving rhythmically as if he was chanting, and when he awoke in extreme pain, his first words were always ‘Hare Kṛṣṇa ’ or ‘Rama Rama.’" This absorption in Kṛṣṇa consciousness remained until Mahavisnu Goswami’s very last moments. "Many devotees were present chanting *kirtana,*" says close friend Kavicandra Swami. "His eyes became clear as he looked around at everyone. He uttered the holy name and then left. It was the perfect end to a glorious life." Mahavisnu Goswami's body was transported to his beloved Nasik, where a *samadhi* (mausoleum) will be built for him. While the disciples Mahavisnu Goswami has left behind are undoubtedly aggrieved by their *guru’s* passing, he had been carefully preparing them for this moment for some time—and, of course, they take comfort in the knowledge that he is now with his Lord. *A Vaisnava from Birth* Devotees across the globe will remember Mahavisnu Goswami as a dedicated and powerful spiritual teacher who completed twelve world tours after accepting *sannyasa,* the renounced order of life, in 1991 at the age of 71. He was born into a family who had been Vaisnavas for eight generations, and was highly educated, with M.A degrees in English and Sanskrit and a fluency in those languages as well as Marathi, Hindi, Gujarati, and Urdu. In recent years he established a beautiful ISKCON temple in Dwarka and a community in Rajkot, Gujarat, where a grand new temple is currently being built. Despite his advanced age, frail health, and hectic preaching tours, Mahavisnu Goswami was always humble and accessible to everyone—he even insisted on washing his own clothes and cooking his own meals during his last years. Kind, loving, and supportive, he was a spiritual father figure for many devotees around the world. "We were fortunate to have such a soul among us, and I pray that I can follow in his footsteps," says Kavicandra Swami. Explaining the appropriate sentiments to be expressed when a great devotee passes away, he quotes Gaudiya Vaisnava *guru* Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvati upon the departure of his father and spiritual guide Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura: "Today is one of great happiness and not the slightest grief. Today our master has reentered the eternal pastimes of the Lord. Now it is our duty to remember his eternal position, name, qualities, form, and pastimes. Henceforth we will follow in his footsteps with even greater concentration." —By Madhava Smullen for ISKCON News ## Maya's Friend Norm *by Padma Devī Dāsī* The Vedic scriptures reveal that Mayadevi, Lord Kṛṣṇa’s deluding potency, works with certain energies that have the capacity to make material life seem like normal life. As we go about our everyday activities in the material world, we are continuously confronted with the *normal*ity, or *normal*ness, of material existence. In other words, we are constantly bombarded with the notion that material life, with all its mundane rationality, constitutes *normal* life and that this world is where we belong. As Śrīla Prabhupāda affirms, however, material life, which is devoid of love of Lord Kṛṣṇa and service to Him, is very ab*normal*. Within the material realm of existence, it is Mayadevi, the personification of Kṛṣṇa’s deluding potency, who convinces the materially embodied spirit souls that material life is normal. Consider the following conversation between Maya, Norm (a fictional character herein invented to represent Maya's ability to normalize material life), and John (who represents a typical materially conditioned person): Mayadevi: Hi, John, this is Norm. I told you about him. He’s one of my oldest friends. John: Hello, Norm. Maya has told me a little about you. You’re a psychologist, is that right? Norm: Yes … I work with people who have identity problems. I try to help them find themselves, to find their real selves. John: Oh … that’s nice. Do you use any particular methods in your work? Norm: Yes … Well, let’s say you were one of my clients. I would get you to think about what makes you feel the most normal. You know—in what circumstances do you feel the most habituated, the most ordinary? When is it that you feel the most comfortable? John: I guess that would be when I am working at the office … or when I am playing with the kids … stuff like that. Norm: But at which time do you feel the *most* normal, more than at any other time? John: Hmm … I suppose it’s when I think about how I have succeeded in creating a good life for myself and my family, how it’s given me a sense of belonging in this world … a sense of achievement. I think that’s it. It’s also knowing that I have done it all by myself—I didn’t have to count on anyone else to do it. Norm: Great! Well that’s who you truly are—a great achiever, capable of being successful in this world and independent of others. That’s who you really are, John, and you should be proud of it! John: Wow, I guess you really know your stuff! I always thought that my true identity lay somewhere deep inside myself, in a place that I could only access by meditation and yoga … you know… a spiritual type of thing. Norm: Well, John, the truth is that no one has ever found out who they are by doing yoga. It’s simply not the way. You need to find the thing that makes you feel familiar, when you feel the most relaxed and at ease. That’s when you are really in touch with yourself. John: Yeah … I suppose so … As a pure devotee of the Supreme Lord, it is Mayadevi’s service to Kṛṣṇa to deceive materially embodied souls into thinking that their identity is material instead of spiritual and that the material environment is their normal environment. The potency by which she deludes the soul into such thoughts is called *avaranatmika sakti*, an energy given by Kṛṣṇa that enables her to cover the individual soul’s original pure consciousness with whatever material desires are manifest within the individual’s heart. Mayadevi’s other potency, called *praksepatmika sakti,* enables her to pull or throw the spiritual soul down into the material world, immersing the soul in materialistic life. By the combination of these two potencies, Mayadevi very skillfully dresses up the material energy to delude the materially embodied person into a false sense of what is normal. Mayadevi’s *avaranatmika* potency instills the notion "I am comfortable within my current situation; everything is fine with my material life. Why should I change it?" As Śrīla Prabhupāda explains: This spell of *maya* is called *avaranatmika sakti* because it is so strong that the living entity is satisfied in any abominable condition. Even if he is born as a worm living within the intestine or abdomen in the midst of urine and stool, still he is satisfied. (*Śrīmad-Bhagavatam*, 4.7.44) In the Third Canto of *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* (3.30.4) Lord Kapila states that "the living entity, in whatever species of life he appears, finds a particular type of satisfaction in that species, and he is never averse to being situated in such a condition." Overcome by such an illusion, materially embodied beings cannot understand whether they are happy or distressed, fortunate or unfortunate, and so on. Nor can they understand that Mayadevi’s *avaranatmika* potency has debilitated their capacity to distinguish between what is false and what is normal. Thus the materially embodied person consequently endures Mayadevi’s faśade of ordinariness, rationality, and familiarity—i.e., normality. Primarily the *avaranatmika* potency infiltrates the materially embodied soul’s consciousness by means of some form of material identity. After collecting countless impressions from the material world, the materially embodied person’s mind and intellect offer a type of "false identity package deal" to the pure spirit soul, based on these impressions. The inherently pure soul must thereby choose whether to accept or reject what is being offered. If the soul accepts the deal, Mayadevi’s *avaranatmika* potency makes the person’s choice seem like the normal, or natural, thing to do. Mayadevi thereby smoothes the soul’s path towards a life founded on a particular material identity. For souls who reject the deal, Mayadevi withdraws her potencies and allows them to progress toward realization of their spiritual identity, their actual identity. Such is the service of Mayadevi. *The Spell of Diversion* Through her *praksepatmika* potency, defined as her "spell of diversion" (*Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya* 20.6) Mayadevi throws spiritual souls down into material existence, compelling them to adopt reasons for remaining entangled in material life. By convincing them that spiritual life is for fools, the *praksepatmika* energy propels spiritual souls away from religious activities through aversive arguments. The *praksepatmika* energy thereby works as an antithesis to spiritual life by anti-normalizing or making unattractive the path of spiritual self-realization. The confused spiritual soul thereby learns to think of spiritual life as abnormal and unnatural, or perhaps as a life that befits fanatical, extremist, emotionally deprived, or less intelligent persons. At the very least, the materially embodied person who succumbs to the anti-normalizing influences of Mayadevi’s *praksepatmika* potency is overcome with the thought that "spiritual life just isn’t for me": Śrīla Prabhupāda writes, When somebody is trying to come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the *praksepatmika-sakti* will dictate, "Why are you going to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness society? There are so many restrictions there, so many rules and regulations. Better give it up." And the conditioned soul thinks, "Why, yes, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness is nonsense. Let me give it up." (*Dharma: The Way of Transcendence*, Chapter 10) Our conceptions of what constitutes our everyday mundane experiences are often distorted, perverted, and exaggerated due to the depth of our conditioning by the material energy. We perceive that we are experiencing the results of arrangements we ourselves have made for our own material prosperity, when in actuality we are experiencing reactions to our past sinful activities. Within this predicament we do our best to normalize our material indulgences and their subsequent consequences, according to the demands of our material senses. Such attempts by materially embodied souls to normalize their own suffering within the material world are also symptoms of contamination by Mayadevi’s *avaranatmika* and *praksepatmika* potencies. Pitifully, these two potencies end up dictating our own arguments in favor of material life. *Sophisticated Illusions* We would be wise to not underestimate the sophistication and strength of Mayadevi’s normalizing and anti-normalizing capacities, her ability to confuse us about what is normal and abnormal for the eternally spiritual person. She has the capacity to bewilder and thereby encumber both the beginner and those more advanced on the spiritual path. Even though we may have been devotees for many years, we still risk being exposed to these potencies and overcome by them. They often gain ground in undetected and unanticipated ways. "Maya, the energy underlying all material existence, is more subtle than ordinary phenomena." (*Śrīmad-Bhagavatam,* 10.85.44, Purport). Here's an example of the subtle effects of Maya's potencies: "Maya is so subtle that even if one is able to avoid hearing about sex, money, and atheists, and even if one joins a society of devotees, one may still become a victim of pride and hypocrisy." (*Narada-bhakti-sutra,* 4.64, Purport). The qualities of pride and hypocrisy are certainly ominous enough to transform a spiritualist into a materialist. In essence, the *avaranatmika* and *praksepatmika* potencies challenge our experience of normality. While we may be able to understand the philosophy of what constitutes normal (or spiritual) life and abnormal (or material) life, our everyday experiences may very well leave us confused. As people dedicated to advancing spiritually, we want to feel comfortable yet not lax; we want to be dedicated yet not fanatical; we want to be surrendered to spiritual authority yet still maintain some independence; and we want to be assured that we are on the right path yet also go our own way. Within such circumstances we do our best to identify the fine lines that separate our spiritual consciousness from our material consciousness. That is, we do our best to perceive what constitutes our normal consciousness and what constitutes our abnormal consciousness. Reliance on relevant knowledge from the Vedic scriptures can enhance our perceptions of such differences. According to Śrīla Prabhupāda, normal life means to love Kṛṣṇa. It means to experience the love that Kṛṣṇa has for us as parts of Him. It means to be attracted to Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes and to desire to please Kṛṣṇa. When we are influenced by Kṛṣṇa’s internal spiritual energy rather than by His external material energy, then we can be assured that we are experiencing normal life—spiritual life—which is synonymous with spiritual consciousness. By cultivating such an understanding of what is normal, what is usual, what is intrinsic to our spiritual selves, we can relinquish all of our cumbersome abnormalities and return to our inherent, peaceful existence of loving Kṛṣṇa. As Śrīla Prabhupāda said: We being part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, our natural tendency is to serve Kṛṣṇa. Natural tendency. It is not artificial. When you forget Kṛṣṇa, that is artificial. So our normal life means to love Kṛṣṇa, to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is our normal life. Without serving Kṛṣṇa our life is abnormal, madman’s life. (Conversation, 1975, Nairobi) *Padma Devī Dāsī is a disciple of His Holiness Prabhavisnu Swami. After completing her university studies in Australia, she moved to Vrindavan, India, where she hopes to stay. She plans to write and publish Kṛṣṇa conscious books.* ## Conviction *by Ravīndra Svarupa Dāsa* *Is certainty possible in an age of doubt?* Doubt is the motor of the modern mentality, the indefatigable engine that drives the spirit of our age. Doubt was honored with an early recognition in the essays of the Renaissance courtier Michel de Montaigne: "We are, I know not how, double within ourselves, with the result that we do not believe what we believe, and we cannot rid ourselves of what we condemn." During Montaigne’s time, religious wars of unbearable cruelty rent Europe. The absolute certainty of the raging antagonists began to taint conviction itself with bad odor. But Montaigne saw deeper. He decried the doubleness within the very certitude of the religious partisans. He recognized their zeal as a kind of cover up, overcompensation for a hidden, an unacknowledged, lack of faith: "We do not believe what we believe." In modern times, disbelief has so far entered into the essence of our existence that both faithlessness and faith have become fundamentally two varieties of faithlessness. It is the secret unbelief of true believers that energizes the armies of the night in Mathew Arnold’s 1867 poem "Dover Beach": The Sea of Faith Was once, too, at the full, and round earth’s shore Lay like the folds of a bright girdle furled. But now I only hear Its melancholy, long, withdrawing roar, And we are here as on a darkling plain Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight, Where ignorant armies clash by night. William Butler Yeats delivers the ominous news in his prophetic, apocalyptic 1919 poem "The Second Coming": Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity. Others, of course, celebrated unbelief—it bestows liberation—and proselytized it. Leave it to Friedrich Nietzsche to push it as a jagged little pill: "Convictions are more dangerous enemies of truth than lies." (Aphorism 483, *Human, All Too Human,* 1878) So it happened that, as a child of the times, and all too human, I swallowed the pill. I served at the altar of doubt. Unbelief became my credo. It took half a dozen years in academia for me to recognize that unbelief—skepticism, relativism, nihilism—had itself become dogma. Departments of religion were pledging themselves en masse to the hermeneutics of suspicion. To confess any conviction other than mistrust of all convictions was to court anathema. All joined in choir to hymn unwavering faith in faithlessness. This dogmatism began to rankle me. Something was wrong. I brooded, irritably. And then, my breakthrough: We doubters were failing at doubt. We had failed to take our doubt far enough. If we are going to be thoroughly skeptical, then we must be also skeptical about our own skepticism. If all things are relative, then so must be our relativism itself. I stated my case at an informal religion department gathering. "You must feel like you’re walking a tightrope over an abyss," responded a fellow grad student, only recently a nun. "Yeah, but I’m not sure there’s a rope either," I said. Everyone laughed. Let us be bold enough to remove the very ground we stand on and miraculously levitate on nothing. *Doubting Our Doubting* And so we come full circle. Doubting our own doubting, we find a surprise awaiting us: a tiny crack opens for the possibility of faith. Just the possibility. Even less—just the openness to the possibility. This turns out to be a crack even God can squeeze through. One thing led to another. Several years after the manifestation of the crack, I joined—to my permanent amazement—a high-demand "organized religion." A religion committed to preaching. Labeled by one academic as "evangelical Hinduism." (For a systematically misleading expression, this is spot on.) Then came a time, fifteen or twenty years later, when I realized I was utterly and completely certain that, as they say, "God exists." (For a systematically misleading expression, this is spot on.) I did not merely hold that a feasible case for divine existence could be made, that "God exists" can be reasonably affirmed, that the assertion is true with (of course) the possibility that it just might be false. Not at all. I was absolutely, totally certain. *This upset me.* I’m still a modern person. I assailed my own conviction: How could I be so sure? What right did I have to be so certain? How was it possible? How was I entitled to such a degree of certitude? What was wrong with me? I attacked my own faith, and it repelled my assaults. I couldn’t shake it. It was as if it were simply there of its own accord, an irrevocable fact; it really didn’t depend upon me. I put the matter before some judicious devotees. "It’s Kṛṣṇa’s causeless mercy," said one. "It’s a gift," said another. A Ph.D. who once taught Christian theology to divinity students, she cited the distinction between certainty and certitude. These conversations relieved me of my anxiety and allowed me to accept the gift wholeheartedly. Yet—not to look the gift horse in the mouth—I found myself still impelled to understand better what I had been given. *A Certain Place to Start* I began my inquiry with this question: Is there anything at all that every person can be absolutely certain of? The question, of course, summoned me back to the origins of modernity, to the very "father of modern philosophy," Rene Descartes, who turned Montaigne’s doubt into a methodology. Sweeping away, in his *Discourse on Method,* everything dubitable, he was left with only his own indubitable existence as a cognizant being. He could doubt everything except that he was doubting. *Cogito, ergo sum,* he famously wrote: "I think, therefore I am." Descartes explained that by "thought" he meant "what happens in me such that I am immediately conscious of it, insofar as I am conscious of it." His own existence as a conscious subject was absolutely certain. Here I got my own clue and cue: Start, like Descartes, with myself. But in this, it seemed to me, I was able to be more clear than Descartes. To "start with myself" means, to be precise, to start with *atman,* the conscious self. We commonly use the English "soul" or "spirit soul" to denote the same entity, but without the same clear meaning. The Sanskrit word **atma*n* (in the root form) or *atma* (in the nominative singular) is a noun meaning "the self." (The same word also serves as the reflexive pronoun, the "-self" in words denoting myself, yourself, herself, and so on.) When I take note, as Descartes did, of my own consciousness, I understand that I am aware, at least to some degree, of the *atman,* of myself as a conscious, experiencing living being, now bearing and animating a certain material body and mind. For two decades preceding my own Cartesian investigation, I’d been engaged in spiritual practices amounting to researching of *atman.* To try to understand my own certitude about God, I began to reflect upon those practices. *Atma-tattva,* the science of the self, like any science, presents itself first as a theory, a kind of picture or conceptual map, of spiritual reality. A theory, like a map, is the fruit of the experience of previous researchers, prepared as a guide for later explorers. The only purpose of theory is to guide practice, just as a road map is drawn up to assist in a successful automobile journey. *Atma-tattva* also includes practical instructions on how to undertake the spiritual journey, how to use the map correctly. It is, in this way, an applied science dedicated to the clarification and expansion of consciousness. We do not find any enterprise like this in modern Western philosophy. Modern philosophy certainly speculates endlessly about consciousness and experience, about knowledge and the knower and the known, but it has lost the applied element so prominent in the ancient classical traditions of Pythagoras, Parmenides, and Plato. There is now no distinctive "philosophical way of life." It’s just another job. *Applied Knowledge* I had taken up a tradition from India, yet it returned me to the very foundations of Western philosophy. When I recognized this, I felt that I’d come back home. The applied knowledge, the spiritual way of life, requires a commitment to a relatively rigorous and demanding discipline. This is called yoga. The discipline is required to remove the material veil so that one can attain direct experience of spiritual reality: of the *atma,* the self, and of Param*atma,* the Superself, or God. The necessity for such a disciplined life is stated succinctly in *Bhagavad-gītā* (14.17): spiritual knowledge depends on goodness, on *sattva.* If our awareness is covered by the material modes of passion (*raja-guna*) and ignorance (*tamo-guna*), we will not be capable of direct perception of *atma* and Param*atma*. Therefore, we who undertake this project live a regulated and radically simple life designed to minimize the demands of the senses, to decrease lust, anger, greed, and so on. Modern materialistic culture fosters values and activities that expand the modes of passion and of ignorance, so it is necessary to insulate oneself from its influence. Spiritual culture has the contrary aim of developing goodness and reducing passion and ignorance. After several decades of practice in *atma-tattva,* the science of the self, my own consciousness had become somewhat clarified and expanded. I had gained at least some awareness of my own spiritual identity and, along with that, of God. A master of yoga named Kavi has stated (*Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* 11.2.42) that for one practicing properly, three things develop simultaneously: devotion, direct perception of God, and detachment from everything else. This happens in the same natural way that for a person who is eating, satisfaction, nourishment, and relief from hunger increase together with every bite. In the yoga discipline, the practitioner realizes his or her own identity as *atma* and also encounters God initially as Param*atma*, as the interior, guiding Superself, the self of all selves. In this experience we find the Cartesian key. For knowing God, the Param*atma*, is something like knowing our own self. Thus the experience engendered total certitude in the experiencer. As one cannot doubt one’s own consciousness, when that same consciousness has expanded somewhat God becomes known as I know myself, for God is the very self of my self. Then I can no more doubt God’s existence than I can my own. I can, of course, doubt my experience of objects perceived in this world. It is possible, Descartes noted, that one is being deceived by some evil demon. (Here he anticipated the premise of *The Matrix* by some four centuries.) Even so, one still cannot be deceived about one’s own consciousness. Knowledge of God is not like knowledge of the external world, of this table I write on, of the garden outside my window, of the people relaxing in the garden. In this case, I am spirit knowing matter. There is a far more intimate connection between me and God: Not only are *atma* and Param*atma* of the same spiritual nature, but *atma* is part of Param*atma*. For this reason, once there is experience of Param*atma*, doubting God becomes impossible. After that expansion of consciousness, God remains part of the content of every experience I have. I experience my own being as part of God’s being. It is not that in this experience, I perceive something novel, like a new next-door neighbor or the latest cool thing from Apple. Rather, with consciousness purified and expanded, I now perceive what has always been there, merely unnoticed, unrecognized, unacknowledged. In this state of expanded consciousness, I am aware that I cannot see anything without God’s first seeing it, hear anything without God’s first hearing it, and so on. I cannot doubt God’s seeing and hearing anymore than I can my own. *Certitude in Other Traditions* The experience of *atma-*Paramatma, which renders doubting God’s existence as impossible as doubting one’s own, is evidently not exclusive to my own or historically related traditions. A natural and unwavering certitude concerning God has appeared in advanced practitioners in many theistic traditions. Those traditions may have various theories (theological doctrines) about God and the worshiper, but, so far as I can see, the simplest and soundest explanation for the experienced certitude of advanced practitioners everywhere is found in the understanding of *atma-*Paramatma. We can also conclude that we are made for belief, for conviction. There is no way around it. Herein lies the foundation, I propose, for authentic conviction, for conviction arising from the opening up of the self. Without that, we seem condemned to verify Montaigne’s observation: "We are, I know not how, double within ourselves." Authentic conviction may serve as antidote to the current global wars between modes of doubleness: Militant belief born from despair at its own unbelief clashing with militant unbelief born in denial of its own belief. *Ravīndra Svarupa Dāsa, an ISKCON guru and governing body commissioner, lives at the Philadelphia temple, where he joined ISKCON in 1971. He holds a Ph.D. in religion from Temple University.* ## Kṛṣṇa, Lord of Paradox *By Satyaraja Dāsa* A brief analysis of *Bhagavad-gītā* 9.4, 9.5, and 9.6. The *Bhagavad-gītā* is one of the world’s perennial wisdom texts. Because it offers knowledge of the Absolute Truth, some of its texts can be difficult to understand. Few are as difficult as verses four and five of Chapter Nine: "By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them. And yet everything that is created does not rest in Me. Behold My mystic opulence! Although I am the maintainer of all living entities and although I am everywhere, I am not a part of this cosmic manifestation, for My Self is the very source of creation." What is Kṛṣṇa saying here? First of all, He says that in His unmanifested form (*avyakta murti,* or Brahman) He pervades the universe. Clear enough: God is all-pervading. Then Kṛṣṇa says that all beings are in Him. Okay, if He's everywhere, then all beings exist in Him. No problem. But then it gets somewhat perplexing: He says He is not in them. This is the beginning of the difficult part. Anyone who has even casually studied the *Gita*—particularly Śrīla Prabhupāda's *Bhagavad-gītā As It Is*—knows that God is in everything as the Supersoul, known in Sanskrit as the Paramatma. So what does Kṛṣṇa mean by saying "I am not in them," when His presence in everything is confirmed throughout the Vedic literature? After He disavows his presence in all beings, He says that everything does not rest in Him. This is in stark contradiction to His statement in the previous verse, wherein He boldly declares the opposite. Even Baladeva Vidyabhusana, the renowned eighteenth-century Gaudiya Vaisnava commentator, asserts that this is a contradiction and that a serious student of the *Gita* must ask, "How might one resolve it?" Indeed, Baladeva suggests that when Kṛṣṇa says "Behold My mystic opulence" (*pasya me yogam aisvaram*), He is attempting to resolve the contradiction. Baladeva admits, however, that this is not resolution in any true sense but rather a proclamation that human words cannot actually explain the Lord: God has inconceivable potency (*acintya-sakti*). Clearly, God is not bound by our mundane sense of logic. He is the creator of logic and, as such, transcends it. Thus, He is the Lord of paradox. According to the dictionary, a paradox is a seeming contradiction that is nonetheless true; it is something that exhibits inexplicable or contradictory aspects. Here's an example from the poetess Mary Shelley: "The silence of midnight, to speak truly, though apparently a paradox, rung in my ears." We encounter a particularly glaring example of Kṛṣṇa’s paradoxical nature in the *Śrī Īśopaniṣad* (*Mantra* 5): "The Supreme Lord walks and does not walk. He is far away, but He is very near as well. He is within everything, and yet He is outside of everything." Śrīla Prabhupāda explains in his commentary: The contradictions given here prove the inconceivable potencies of the Lord. "He walks, and He does not walk." Ordinarily, if someone can walk, it is illogical to say he cannot walk. But in reference to God, such a contradiction simply serves to indicate His inconceivable power. With our limited fund of knowledge we cannot accommodate such contradictions, and therefore we conceive of the Lord in terms of our limited powers of understanding. For example, the impersonalist philosophers of the Mayavada school accept only the Lord's impersonal activities and reject His personal feature. But the members of the Bhagavata [Vaisnava] school, adopting the perfect conception of the Lord, accept His inconceivable potencies and thus understand that He is both personal and impersonal. The Bhagavatas know that without inconceivable potencies there can be no meaning to the words "Supreme Lord." But the two *Gita* verses in question are more than mere proclamations of God’s inconceivable potency. Let us look at these verses more closely. *Beyond Our Senses* By the term "unmanifested form" (*avyakta-murti*), Kṛṣṇa explains that although He is ever present, we cannot see Him with our gross senses. Śrīla Prabhupāda’s commentary illuminates this idea by way of a verse from the *Padma Purana,* averring that because Kṛṣṇa’s form, qualities, and pastimes are all of a spiritual nature, material senses cannot perceive them. But Prabhupāda quickly adds that when a soul in the grip of the material energy is awakened to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, full understanding and perception of Kṛṣṇa gradually come to the fore. In this initial verse, Kṛṣṇa tells us of His simultaneous transcendence and immanence: He is removed from matter and at the same time exists as its very basis. He referred to this complex relationship earlier in the *Gita* (7.4–5). He is removed from material world, although it rests on His energy. He is the source of the material world, and He maintains it, but He is not dependent on it, nor does it affect His essential nature. He is free from material nature, but material nature is not free from Him. This squares well with the commentary of the great tenth-century teacher Ramanuja, who writes that 9.4 can also read as follows: "All beings are supported by Me, though I am not supported by them." No contradiction there. In this way the commentaries of the great *acaryas* explain 9.4. But then we have 9.5: "And yet everything that is created does not rest in Me." A clear contradiction, as Baladeva Vidyabhusana has noted. There is an easy way to understand this. Kṛṣṇa is reminding us here of His transcendence. Although everything rests in Him, at least in the sense that everything is dependent upon Him, He is fundamentally aloof, existing in His own abode, beyond the material world. In his purport, Prabhupāda evokes the image of Atlas, who, lifting the world on his shoulders, seems tired, as if he can accomplish his task only with great struggle. Kṛṣṇa is not like that, Prabhupāda tells us. Rather, Kṛṣṇa’s involvement in the material world does not strain His energies one iota. In fact, He engages with matter through His manifestations as Brahman and Paramatma, leaving His original form free to enjoy transcendental activity in the spiritual world. To help us understand His inconceivable and mystical relationship with the material world, the Lord offers an analogy in the next verse (9.6), and here we might find at least partial resolution to the dilemma: "Understand that as the mighty wind, blowing everywhere, rests always in the sky, all created beings rest in Me." In other words, Kṛṣṇa is the backdrop that gives meaning to reality. He is like the thread that gives cloth its form and substance. Change cannot be perceived without the background of changelessness. A mirage has no meaning if there’s no desert backdrop. A movie cannot be seen without a movie screen. And without sky, the wind would have nowhere to blow. In the same way, though Kṛṣṇa is totally aloof—He is not in all beings and all beings are not in Him—He is very much here as well, fundamentally connected to everyone and everything as their very basis. *Dilemma Resolved?* Baladeva Vidyabhusana’s spiritual master, Śrīla Visvanatha Cakravarti Ṭhākura, raises a question that might serve as an addendum to the question of Kṛṣṇa’s inconceivability as expressed in these verses: Since Kṛṣṇa has explained, both by analogy and by describing His *acintya-sakti,* or inconceivable potency, how these *Bhagavad-gītā* verses might be understood, has He not already resolved the dilemma? Hasn’t His explanation made the inconceivable conceivable? "If so," Visvanatha writes, "then how is the Lord’s mystic power inconceivable, which He Himself claims it is by saying ‘Just see My mystic opulence’? After all, we now have a conceivable way of understanding His mystic power." Visvanatha Cakravarti then answers his own query: "The example of the sky is offered to give ordinary people an opportunity to begin to understand this subject." The operative word here is "begin." Without doubt, the subject of God and His inconceivable potencies is just that—inconceivable. All we can hope for is a hint, a taste, of that inconceivable truth. Indeed, Kṛṣṇa says that one can know Him as He is only by unmotivated devotional service (11.54). And even then, we can know Him only to the degree that He chooses to reveal Himself. In conclusion, let us say that, without doubt, the verses in question can be understood in a simple and straightforward manner. After all, Kṛṣṇa is clearly making a distinction between His manifestation as Brahman, or as an all-pervading force, and His underlying form as Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. By His impersonal manifestation and His expansive energy He pervades the cosmic creation. This is what He’s saying toward the beginning of these verses. But He still remains aloof—this is His way of pointing out that His all-pervasiveness does not co-opt His transcendent personality, the very source of creation. Prabhupāda alludes to this in his purport, when he says, "The planetary systems are floating in space, and this space is the energy of the Supreme Lord. But He is different from space. He is differently situated." So everything is in God’s energy, which is an aspect of His self-existent nature, but everything is not in Him as Bhagavan, the Personality of Godhead, who is totally "other." Though these verses can be understood in this way, in an ultimate sense they allude to the greater mysteries of God’s nature, and therefore Baladeva Vidyabhusana acknowledges their contradictory status. If one contemplates such mysteries under the guidance of a teacher in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, great truths will gradually unfold, and Kṛṣṇa will be revealed in His fullness. *Satyaraja Dāsa, a disciple of Śrīla Prabhupāda, is a BTG associate editor. He has written over twenty books on Kṛṣṇa conscious and lives near New York City.* ## In the Lap of Mother Nature *By Vamsi Vihari Dāsa* *Amid fields, cows, rivers, and mountains, the author finds himself closer to God.* God is our supreme father, and one of His energies, nature, is our mother. A mother nourishes her child with the milk from her body, and she also sees to the overall development of her child by imparting proper culture and education. Similarly Mother Nature cares for her innumerable children by providing grains, fruits, flowers, and medicinal herbs, and she showers her motherly affection on us by giving invaluable lessons, guiding us on the journey of life. During one rainy season, I got an opportunity to stay at a small village named Galtare, 120 km north of Mumbai, India. I've had some attraction for rural life since childhood, and upon spending some time in the countryside, I could understand why Śrīla Prabhupāda quoted the English poet Cowper: "God made the country, and man made the town." I could see how the materialistic civilization prevalent in cities makes us godless. In the city, not seeing the hand of God in any aspect of life becomes natural. It is so easy to believe that industry and the Internet fulfill our needs. Packaged foods give us the sense that machines have manufactured them. Life goes on uninterrupted even if no rain falls for many years. But in the village, one can experience God closely. There life is absolutely dependent on agriculture, which depends on rain, and rain depends on God. When we're close to nature, the intoxication of the materialistic way of life gradually starts fading away. In my experience, the knowledge enunciated in *Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhagavatam,* and Śrīla Prabhupāda's purports becomes clearer. The chirping of the birds, the symphony of the running stream, the mooing of the cows, and the sound of the swift breeze provide inexplicable happiness to the ears. Seeing the unlimited blue sky above, the thousands of stars at night, the giant mountains, the stretch of the green fields below swaying in the wind, and the love of a mother cow for her little calf is total perfection for the eyes. The mystical aroma of the soil, the scent of clear pollution-free air, the smell of freshly bloomed flowers, and the fragrance of cow dung deeply purify the sense of smell. The joy of touching soil, cows, green plants, and clear river water seems to reach even our souls. And the taste of fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, water, and pure cow milk impels us to think how the artificial ways of modern life give us untainted miseries in the name of happiness. While living in the countryside, I tried to visualize Śrīla Prabhupāda priceless teachings. And I reaped satisfaction of the soul and enhanced faith. Understanding our supreme father becomes easy when our mother, nature, gives us personal lessons as she holds us in her loving embrace. In these pages, I present a few of the numerous teachings that Mother Nature helped plainly illustrate for me during my stay at Galtare. *Vamsi Vihari Dāsa, a disciple of His Holiness Rādhānatha Swami, has a graduate degree in commerce. For the past eleven years, he has been serving on the staff of the Hindi edition of BTG.* ## From the Editor *Debt Relief* These days, advertisements for debt relief are everywhere. Some debt may be okay; it's part of living in a modern economy. The problem is, a lot of people get buried in debt—mortgages, medical bills, car loans, credit cards. When you're paying off credits cards with credit cards, maybe you need some help. The Vedic scriptures say we're all in debt as soon as we're born. We enter a world filled with things we can use, and we owe someone for them. From birth we're indebted to, among others, sages, demigods, plants, animals, family members, and society in general. The sages give us knowledge, most importantly spiritual guidance passed down through the centuries. They provide higher goals for humanity, delivered through scriptures just waiting for us to use as soon as we are able and willing. The demigods are higher beings who control everything in the universe under Kṛṣṇa’s supervision. We enjoy the benefits of the sun, moon, wind, and rain. The demigods supply all the products of nature, including our own bodies. Animals like cows and goats give us nourishment in the form of milk and its numerous byproducts. People keep pets because they derive some benefit from them, and wild animals like birds create an enjoyable atmosphere to lift our spirits. Trees give us shade, shelter, beauty, and the oxygen we need to survive. Our family members provide love, care, education, companionship, and financial assistance, sometimes accepting great sacrifice for our benefit. Reciprocation in the form of respect for parents has long been an essential part of any moral society. Besides moral traditions, an organized society provides many benefits that are absent when anarchy prevails. We don't need to create the social structure we're born into. It's there waiting for us, the result of the work of others, including our ancestors, to whom we're also indebted for family traditions and other kinds of heritage. A principle of Vedic culture is to acknowledge and reciprocate the contributions of others. People—that is, conscious living beings in various forms—fill and run the universe. From here on Earth and from out of the heavens, they provide everything we need to live in this world and pursue the ultimate purpose of our existence: loving union with Kṛṣṇa. How do we relieve the debts we owe to so many? The Vedic scriptures tell us how to repay specific debts as well as how to get full debt relief. We can repay the demigods by performing sacrifices described in the scriptures, our ancestors by getting married and carrying on the family line, and the sages by taking advantage of their wisdom. But there's a simpler way to repay everyone and at the same time fulfill our purpose as human beings. We can consolidate our debts and liquidate them all by devotional service to Kṛṣṇa, the supplier to all other suppliers. "One who has given up all material duties and has taken full shelter of the lotus feet of Mukunda [Kṛṣṇa], who offers shelter to all," says the great sage Narada, "is not indebted to the demigods, great sages, ordinary living beings, relatives, friends, mankind, or even one's forefathers who have passed away." Because all living beings are part of Kṛṣṇa, pure devotional service to Him is the one payment that repays everyone else. —Nagaraja Dāsa ## Vedic Observer Human prosperity flourishes by natural gifts and not by gigantic industrial enterprises. The gigantic industrial enterprises are products of a godless civilization, and they cause the destruction of the noble aims of human life. The more we go on increasing such troublesome industries to squeeze out the vital energy of the human being, the more there will be unrest and dissatisfaction of the people in general, although a few only can live lavishly by exploitation. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* 1.8.40, Purport Childish and foolish people are attached to materialistic, fruitive activities, although the actual goal of life is to become free from such activities. Therefore, the Vedic injunctions indirectly lead one to the path of ultimate liberation by first prescribing fruitive religious activities, just as a father promises his child candy so that the child will take his medicine. Śrī Avirhotra *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* 11.3.44 Lord Kṛṣṇa alone is the supreme controller, and all others are His servants. They dance as He makes them do so. Śrīla Kṛṣṇadasa Kaviraja Gosvami *Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Adi-līlā* 5.142 Simply by chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa one can obtain freedom from material existence. Indeed, simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mantra* one will be able to see the lotus feet of the Lord. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu (quoting His *guru*, Isvara Puri) *Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Adi-līlā* 7.73 Let me take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who has descended in the form of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu to teach us real knowledge, His devotional service, and detachment from whatever does not foster Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He has descended because He is an ocean of transcendental mercy. Let me surrender unto His lotus feet. Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya *Caitanya-candrodaya-nataka* 6.74 When spiritual knowledge is acquired through the process of negation (*neti-neti*), the Absolute Truth, which is transcendental to *maya,* is realized only partially. The variegated aspect of transcendence that lies much deeper within is not realized. If one who follows this process meets a personalist, self-realized Vaisnava *guru*, then only can he be protected from the *anartha* ["unwanted thing"] of impersonalism. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura *Bhakti-tattva-viveka,* Chapter 1 The syllables "Hare Kṛṣṇa " and so forth emanated from the mouth of Śrī Caitanya, drowning the universe in *prema,* love of God. Let these names be glorified! Śrīla Rupa Gosvami *Laghu Bhagavatamrta* 1.4 The Supreme Personality of Godhead appeared in His original form as a cowherd boy. Cheated and bewildered by His illusory potency, the world could not understand His true identity. *Śrī Kṛṣṇa Upanisad* 1.10