# Back to Godhead Magazine #45 *2011 (02)* Back to Godhead Magazine #45-02, 2011 PDF-View ## Welcome **Kirtana*,* the call-and-response singing of God's names, is growing in popularity in the West, especially among people with interest or experience in *yoga*. *Kirtana* lies at the heart of bhakti-*yoga*, practiced by members of the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. Though Śrīla Prabhupāda, the movement's founder, may not have been the first to perform *kirtana* in the West, he introduced and promoted it on a grand scale. And he more than anyone else explained the philosophical underpinnings of the chanting. In his lecture opening this issue, Śrīla Prabhupāda speaks on a verse from the Vedic scriptures that tells us that chanting the names of God is the only sure way to attain spiritual success in the current age. By chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mantra*, Prabhupāda explains, we can transcend the influence of the material energy and come to realize God in His fullness. When Prabhupāda arrived in New York City in 1966, he soon attracted young people to the chanting, and at the end of the year, he and his students recorded what was most likely the first *kirtana* album in the West. In "A Spiritual Happening on the Lower East Side," Satyaraja Dāsa tells the story of how that album came to be. Hare Kṛṣṇa.—*Nagaraja Dāsa, Editor* Our Purposes • To help all people discern reality from illusion, spirit from matter, the eternal from the temporary. • To expose the faults of materialism. • To offer guidance in the Vedic techniques of spiritual life. • To preserve and spread the Vedic culture. • To celebrate the chanting of the holy names of God as taught by Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. • To help every living being remember and serve Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead. ## Letters *Grassroots Kṛṣṇa Conscious Material* I loved the article "Becoming Wealthy On $2 a Day," by Dhanesvara Dāsa, in the November/December issue. It's true that the U.N. sets a false bar for poverty and for measuring "having enough." I loved the photos with the article, as well as the graphics for Jahnudvipa Dāsa's article on *yoga*. The piece on book distribution was also very nice. Overall, the whole issue is grassroots Kṛṣṇa conscious material. Job well done! Bhaktimarga Swami ISKCON Toronto *Indian-Greek Connections* Congratulations to Tattvavit Dāsa for writing the excellent article "Meditating on Kṛṣṇa In Athens," in the January/February issue. There are a lot of similarities between Greek and Vedic philosophy, and Tattvavit did a good job showing some of these similarities. The Greek concept of *logos* (the word) was very similar to the Vedic *vak.* The Greek "music of the spheres" seems to be the same as the Vedic *akasa vani* (sound or message from the sky). According to Voltaire, "The Greeks, before the time of Pythagoras, traveled into India for instruction. The signs of the seven planets and of the seven metals are still almost all over the earth, such as the Indians invented." I have no doubt that the ancient Greeks traveled to India for knowledge, and this explains the many similarities. David Hedges Fayetteville, North Carolina *Tone-deaf Bhakta* I am a fairly new *bhakta,* reading *Back to Godhead* regularly. I have one major question that has been plaguing me and hindering my further involvement. In the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement there seems to be so much emphasis on the musical glorification of Kṛṣṇa’s holy names. I have a complete lack of musical talent. In fact, any attempts of mine are sorely offensive not only to any present listeners but I fear unto the Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself. How am I to participate further in this movement? Bhakta Daniel Via the Internet *Our reply:* Many devotees can't carry a tune, but that doesn't matter at all. You probably won't be asked to lead the singing in the temple, but that's not necessary for your spiritual advancement. You can sing along with everyone else to the best of your ability. It is said that Prabhupāda's spiritual master, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvati Ṭhākura, would sometimes ask someone to lead the chanting who was not a good singer. He did this apparently for at least two reasons: (1) to remind the good singers that their musical ability was not the most important thing (so they shouldn't be proud of their beautiful singing), and (2) to remind everyone that it is one's devotion and not the musical quality of one's singing that pleases Kṛṣṇa. We can apply this principle to our spiritual life in general: If we offer the best we have to Kṛṣṇa with devotion, He will accept it. It can be somewhat disturbing to others if someone sings loudly out of tune, but if you sing along with others at a moderate volume, Kṛṣṇa will be pleased, and no one should be offended. *Who or What to Believe In?* It is very difficult for me to choose my creed—that is, which set of religious principles to follow. I am afraid to dedicate myself to abiding by some set of regulations because I am not sure that I am able to hold fast to those commitments and not change my mind and follow another way or abandon spiritual life altogether, in which case bad reactions may occur. In short, I am afraid to believe in God because I am afraid of offending Him by my improper actions or inaction, and hence the reactions may follow and make my condition even worse. Alex Via the Internet *Our reply:* Our relationship with the Supreme is based upon love, not upon the religious principles one accepts as a means of expressing that love. As in any loving relationship, each party is always looking out for the best interest of the other and doing everything within their power to give the other full protection from harm. It is only because of that deep loving relationship that the Supreme Lord, through the agency of His pure devotees who act as our teachers (*gurus*), gives guidance through religious principles for our purification and protection from sinful reaction. Lord Kṛṣṇa guarantees His full protection from sinful reaction to those who surrender their lives to their spiritual loving relationship with Him. He gives this promise at the end of His instructions in the *Bhagavad-gītā.* So you need not worry about taking to spiritual practice, for Kṛṣṇa is even more interested in our true well-being than we are. As our love for Him develops, under the direction of the qualified spiritual master, unwanted habits of sinful activity will naturally diminish, and we will begin to realize our true spiritual potential. The laws of nature already dictate that we suffer or enjoy according to the reactions to our activities. So what harm can there be in taking up a spiritual practice that will permanently end all good and bad reactions on the material plane? That you have such deep concern about offending God in the course of your spiritual pursuit and practice is evidence of your seriousness and sincerity. Such qualifications exemplify your eligibility for advancement in spiritual life. *Apology* In the last issue, my editorial mistakenly referred to Professor Thomas Hopkins as "the late professor." I'm happy to announce that the good professor, a longtime friend of ISKCON, is alive. When writing the editorial, I neglected to confirm what I thought to be true. I sincerely apologize to Professor Hopkins for my blunder. —*Nagaraja Dāsa* Founder's Lecture: The Path to Joyfulness Founder-Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness New Vrindavan, West Virginia, June 7, 1969 *Hearing and chanting about Kṛṣṇa frees us from material contamination and uncovers our original state of pure consciousness.* > harer nama harer nama > harer nama eva kevalam > kalau nasty eva nasty eva > nasty eva gatir anyatha "In this Age of Kali there is no other means, no other means, no other means for self-realization than chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name of Lord Hari [Kṛṣṇa]." —*Brhan-naradiya Purana* 3.8.126 This is a verse from Vedic scripture, *Brhan-naradiya Purana.* "In this age, if you want to realize yourself, then the simplest process is to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mantra*." The Hare Kṛṣṇa *mantra* has so much transcendental power that simply by participating in this chanting process, gradually you will come to the highest transcendental position. How does it happen? That is described in the *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* (1.2.17): > srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah > punya-sravana-kirtanah > hrdy antah stho hy abhadrani > vidhunoti suhrt satam "Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramatma [Supersoul] in everyone's heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted." Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is present before you in three features. You simply have to make your senses perfect to perceive Him. Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is a person—a person like you, like me. Just as we are facing each other, similarly, when you are spiritually perfect, you will be able to see Kṛṣṇa exactly like this, face to face. Kṛṣṇa is not impersonal, but He has an impersonal aspect. He is present in three features: by His personal feature, His impersonal feature, and His localized feature. By His personal feature He is always present in His abode in the spiritual sky, known as Kṛṣṇaloka or Vaikuṇṭhaloka. And by His impersonal feature He is present as the Brahman effulgence. You will find in the *Bhagavad-gītā* (14.27) *brahmano hi pratisthaham:* "I am the source of the Brahman effulgence." Similarly, in the *Brahma-saṁhitā* (5.40) it is stated, > yasya prabha prabhavato jagadanda-koti- > kotisv asesa-vasudhadi-vibhuti-bhinnam > tad brahma niskalam anantam asesa-bhutam > govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami "I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, whose effulgence is the source of the nondifferentiated Brahman mentioned in the *Upanisads.* Being differentiated from the infinity of glories of the mundane universe, it appears as the indivisible, infinite, limitless, truth." Like the sun, Govinda, Kṛṣṇa, has rays from His body. The sunshine is the rays of the body of the sun-god, which you are seeing every day. And you can see the sun globe. But if some day you get such scientific power that you can go through the sun planet, then you can see the sun-god there. It is not imagination; it is a fact. On every planet someone is predominant. On this planet the president of United States is a predominant personality. Similarly, in every planet there is a predominant personality, and the predominant personality in the sun globe is called Vivasvan. His name is in the *Bhagavad-gītā* (4.1): *imam vivasvate *yoga*m proktavan aham avyayam.* Kṛṣṇa says, "First I spoke this *Bhagavad-gītā*, bhakti-*yoga* (*imam . . . *yoga*m*), to the sun-god, Vivasvan." His name is there. Your president's name is Mr. Nixon. Similarly, on every planet there is a president, and the president of the sun is called Vivasvan. He spoke this *yoga* system to his son Manu, who is still present. He is known as the father of mankind. From the word *manu* has come "man." Manu then spoke this *yoga* to his son Iksvaku. In this way, by disciplic succession, either from the father to the son or from the spiritual master to the disciple, this knowledge is coming. It is called the *parampara* system. It is similar to the way you would know the name of your forefather. Your grandfather's grandfather's name was known to his son, then his son, then his son, then his son, then your father, then you. You cannot know directly; you have to know by the steps. That is the process. Similarly, you cannot imagine what God is. You have to hear from the disciplic succession coming from God. Then you will understand what God is. That is how to understand the personal feature of God. The impersonal feature of God is called Brahman. *Sarvam khalv idam brahma:* "Everything is standing on Brahman." Everything in the material manifestation depends on the sunshine. As soon as there is sunshine, there is green foliage. As soon as there is no sunshine, there are no leaves, there is no greenness. So everything depends on sunshine. And the sunshine depends on Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is the original cause of all causes. *God in the Heart* That is Kṛṣṇa realization. You can realize Him personally, you can realize Him impersonally, and you can realize Him as localized. *Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese ’rjuna tisthati:* "Arjuna, that Supreme Personality of Godhead is situated, localized, in everyone's heart." (*Bhagavad-gītā* 18.61) Consider the sun again. The sun globe is there, and the sun globe's effulgence is the impersonal representation of the sun-god. And suppose there are five million people standing in the sunshine. Everyone will see the sun above his head. That is localized. You go five thousand miles away and ask your friend here, "Where is the sun?" Your friend will say, "It is above my head." And you will see that it is above your head. As it is materially possible, why not spiritually? So spiritually, Kṛṣṇa is within your heart. You simply have to realize that. How can you realize it? That is stated in the *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* as I quoted earlier: *srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana-kirtanah.* If you chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mantra—even* if you do not realize its spiritual power, if you simply come here and chant and dance—you are getting piousness. You are becoming purified because you are chanting and hearing. This temple is here just to give you facility for your purification. Why don't you take advantage? I am very glad that you have all come, and it will further our enjoyment and pleasure if you come and join. Please come here, join here. We have a very nice arrangement. We supply *prasādam,* we have dancing, we have chanting. Why should you not come? And if you join us, then gradually you will realize what you are, what God is, what this world is, what your relationship with God and this world is. Then your life becomes successful. You'll not be confused. You will understand what is real life. Simply by the spell of the material qualities you have become covered. But if you come here, if you hear and chant, then gradually you will realize everything. Kṛṣṇa is within you. He is sitting within your heart as a friend, not as an enemy. Kṛṣṇa is always your friend. *Suhrdam sarva-bhutanam* (*Bhagavad-gītā* 5.29). You are searching out friends to talk with, to joke with, to love. Kṛṣṇa is sitting there for that purpose. If you make friendship with Kṛṣṇa, if you love Kṛṣṇa, then your life will be successful. You haven't got to search out any other friend. The friend is already there. Whether you are a boy or a girl, you will find a nice friend within yourself. That is the *yoga* system—when you realize this friend. This friend is so nice that as soon as you become a little inclined to hear about Him—about Kṛṣṇa, not any other nonsense talks, simply about Kṛṣṇa—then Kṛṣṇa will be so pleased. He is within us. But we cannot see Him, we cannot realize Him, due to our contamination. *Muddy Consciousness* We have contaminated ourselves with so many material desires. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is pure. Seawater is pure, but as soon as it touches the land, it becomes impure, cloudy, muddy. Similarly, your consciousness, because you are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, is as clear as Kṛṣṇa, but you have contacted the contamination of this material world, the muddy things of three qualities: ignorance, passion, and goodness. If you hear about Kṛṣṇa, these muddy things will be precipitated and they will be separated. Then, gradually, proportionately, as you clear these muddy qualities of the material nature, you come to pure consciousness. *Brahminical Qualities* First you come to consciousness in the mode of goodness. You thus become a **brahmana*.* What are the qualities of a *brahmana*? Lord Kṛṣṇa says in the *Bhagavad-gītā* (18.42), > samo damas tapah saucam > ksantir arjavam eva ca > jnanam vijnanam astikyam > brahma-karma svabhava-jam "Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, knowledge, wisdom, and religiousness—these are the natural qualities by which the *brahmanas* work." When you come to the brahminical stage, then you will be truthful. The first thing is truthfulness, *satyam.* Then *samam,* self-controlled. Then *damam,* the senses and mind are controlled. We are driven by the uncontrolled mind and uncontrolled senses. But when we come to the brahminical position, then our mind and senses become controlled. Just like our students, all our students—how are they controlling their mind and senses? They are also born in your country. They are also Americans. None of my students are Indian. But how are they controlling themselves to refrain from illicit sex life? How are they controlling themselves not to drink, not to take any intoxicants? How are they controlling themselves not to take part in gambling and meat-eating? You Americans are born eating meat. How have they given it up? Because they have come to the stage of brahminical understanding. Another brahminical quality is *titiksa,* tolerance. My students were practiced to all these habits, and by my word they have given them up. They may be feeling some inconvenience, but they are tolerating. That should be done. *Arjava* means simplicity. They have taken my words on simple faith. *Jnanam* means that they understand what Kṛṣṇa consciousness is, and *vijnanam* means that they are applying it practically in their life. *Astikyam* means that they believe in the *sastras,* the Vedic literature. *Brahma-karma svabhava-jam:* "This is the nature of a *brahmana.*" Therefore, as soon as I see these qualities in a student, I give him the sacred thread: "Yes. You are now recognized as a *brahmana.*" From the *brahmana* stage you have to become a Vaisnava. That is the transcendental stage. Chanting and hearing will raise you to higher and higher stages of life. The *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* (1.2.18) states: > nasta-prayesv abhadresu > nityam bhagavata-sevaya > bhagavaty uttama-sloke > bhaktir bhavati naisthiki "By regular attendance in classes on the *Bhagavatam* and by rendering of service to the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is almost completely destroyed, and loving service unto the Personality of Godhead, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable fact." *Bhagavata-sevaya* means to serve the Bhagavata. There are two kinds of Bhagavata: the Śrīmad-*Bhagavatam* and the devotee of the Lord. These boys and girls are engaged in reading the *Bhagavatam*, the *Bhagavad-gītā,* and other books that give them knowledge about Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And they have accepted a devotee as their spiritual master, and they are serving him. By this process, they will become fixed up in the transcendental loving service of God. *Coming to Joyfulness* > evam prasanna-manaso > bhagavad-bhakti-yogatah > bhagavat-tattva-vijnanah > mukta-sangasya jayate "Thus established in the mode of unalloyed goodness, the man whose mind has been enlivened by contact with devotional service to the Lord gains positive scientific knowledge of the Personality of Godhead in the stage of liberation from all material association." (*Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* 1.2.20) *Evam prasanna-manasah:* "In this way one becomes joyful." Joyfulness is our original consciousness, but due to our material contamination, we are not joyful. We are morose; we are full of anxiety. But as soon as we become freed from this material contamination, we are joyful. *Bhagavata-tattva:* the science of God. This is a science to understand God. There are different departments of science to understand different subjects. Similarly, you can understand *bhagavata-tattva,* the truth of God, by practicing *bhakti-yoga,* and you become joyful. Yes. This is practical. This is a great science. Don't be confused and frustrated. Take this. It is very easy. Come to this temple and chant and dance and take *prasādam* and be joyful and be happy. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Śrīla Prabhupāda Speaks Out *The Disunited Nations* This conversation between His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda and Mr. P. Sharma, a former United Nations worker, took place in Paris in 1974. Śrīla Prabhupāda: Suppose I ask the United Nations, as an organization, to explain the purpose of this cosmic manifestation. I am created a man, another is created an elephant, and another is created an ant. Why is this? The sun is rising on time, the moon is rising on time, seasons are changing. What is the purpose behind all this? Mr. Sharma: I think the United Nations would be at a loss to tell you. Śrīla Prabhupāda: So, people have become very dull in spite of their so-called education. Mr. Sharma: Oh, yes. Education today is merely book knowledge. Śrīla Prabhupāda: Such so-called knowledge is described in *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* as simply a waste of time. Although a person may execute his duties perfectly, if he doesn't understand the purpose of creation—if he doesn't awaken his Kṛṣṇa consciousness—then whatever he has done is simply a waste of time. So our point is that the United Nations is only wasting time. Even from the practical point of view, they are unable to accomplish anything. The original idea was to stop war. But there have been so many wars, and they cannot stop them. They call themselves the United Nations, but actually they are becoming disunited more and more. According to the *Bhagavad-gītā,* if they actually want peace they must know that Lord Kṛṣṇa (the Supreme Personality of Godhead) is the supreme enjoyer (*bhokta*), that He is the supreme proprietor (*sarva-loka-mahesvaram*), and that He is everyone's friend (*suhrdam sarva-bhutanam*). When they know this, Kṛṣṇa says, then there will be peace. Otherwise, their big conferences in big offices will never be successful. Mr. Sharma: That means everything belongs to God. That's the one fact they want to avoid. Śrīla Prabhupāda: Yes, that is their nonsense. The United Nations is simply an association of the cheaters and the cheated. Someone wants to cheat, and someone is being cheated. That is our opinion. So how can an association of cheaters and cheated do any good for human society? They are cheaters. They do not know how to attain peace, but they are claiming that they will bring peace to the world. Therefore they are cheaters. Mr. Sharma: Well, many people will say that the only things that matter are those that can be rationally explained. Anything else is beyond reason. Śrīla Prabhupāda: But our argument is quite reasonable. Everything in this room has been created. Isn't that so? Mr. Sharma: Yes. Śrīla Prabhupāda: The table has been created, the light has been created—everything has been created by someone. So how can you deny the fact that someone has created the whole universe? If you say it has come about automatically, that is rascaldom. Someone has created it. But who is that someone? We are not the creators. So we can understand that someone else has created this world. And then we have to ask, Who is the proprietor? Shall I be the proprietor or shall the creator be the proprietor? Mr. Sharma: The creator, of course. Śrīla Prabhupāda: So why are they claiming, "This is my country"? Mr. Sharma: Are you saying that the United States, for instance, doesn't belong to the Americans? Śrīla Prabhupāda: Yes. It doesn't belong to them. Yet these rascals are claiming, "This is mine. This is my flag." Therefore, they are all cheaters. And they are combining and trying to cheat others. The Americans are thinking, "How can I cheat the Russians?" And the Russians are thinking, "How can I cheat the Americans?" Is that civilization—to become cheaters and waste time in so-called conferences? Is that civilization? Mr. Sharma: No, not at all. Śrīla Prabhupāda: In America they cheated the Red Indians. They got the land, and now they are claiming, "It is mine." Well, where did you get this land? You cheated the Red Indians, and now you claim it is your land. All over the world this is going on. Napoleon thought, "France is mine." So, France is there, but where is Napoleon? Where is he living now? In France or in hell or in heaven? There are so many places and so many forms of life. In this body, in this life, I may be working as a nationalist—as a Napoleon or as a Gandhi or as someone fighting in the United Nations. But as soon as this body is finished, I'll get another body. So the whole duration of my previous life is simply wasted. Mr. Sharma: I see. Śrīla Prabhupāda: Simply wasted. They are simply wasting time. They don't have perfect knowledge—simply some utopian ideas. And they are passing as advanced in civilization. They should know what the purpose of life is—what our relationship is with this cosmic manifestation. There must be a creator. So who is that creator? What is my relationship with Him? But they are neglecting all these things and still passing as world leaders. Mr. Sharma: That's the worst kind of government. It seems that their standard is just as you've said: every nation for itself. Śrīla Prabhupāda: But a human being can get out of this illusion. There is sufficient knowledge, especially in the Vedic literature. So why don't they take advantage of this knowledge and make their lives successful? That is my proposal. We are spreading this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement only for this purpose. These people are missing the point and unnecessarily wasting their lives in illusion. So we are trying to save them—that is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. ## Does the Bhagavad-gītā allow for multiple interpretations? *Defending "As It Is"* By Abhijit Toley Scholars all over the world accept the *Bhagavad-gītā,* which talks about the all-encompassing Absolute Truth, as one of the most important books from India. Simple yet profound, easily accessible yet mystical, it continues to be the subject of myriad interpretations. But since the Absolute Truth, the subject of the **Gita*,* is one entity and not many, then logically the *Gita* must have only one ultimate conclusion. Śrīla Prabhupāda chose to name his commentary **Bhagavad-gītā* As It Is.* This presumptuous-sounding title puts off many. A common retort is, "How can one man have a monopoly on what the *Bhagavad-gītā* means?" However, by using this title Śrīla Prabhupāda wants to highlight that the *Bhagavad-gītā* has a specific message. And even more important, by using this title Prabhupāda wants to tell readers that his commentary presents that specific message as it is, without change. *Is the Bhagavad-gītā Ambiguous?* One common objection to identifying a single conclusion to the *Bhagavad-gītā* is that the book is ambiguous and can be interpreted in multiple ways. Without denying that some verses can be variously interpreted, one can still clearly understand the ultimate conclusion of the *Bhagavad-gītā* from its own unambiguous declaration of it. Because you are My very dear friend, I am speaking to you My supreme instruction, the most confidential knowledge of all. Hear this from Me, for it is for your benefit. 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. Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear. This confidential knowledge may never be explained to those who are not austere, or devoted, or engaged in devotional service, nor to one who is envious of Me. For one who explains this supreme secret to the devotees, pure devotional service is guaranteed, and at the end he will come back to Me. There is no servant in this world more dear to Me than he, nor will there ever be one more dear." (18.64–69) There can be no other interpretation of these verses than the obvious one: Become a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa and surrender completely to His sweet will. Since this is the summary instruction at the end of the **Bhagavad-gītā*,* all of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s other instructions must support and point to it. Not only that, the words *guhya-tamam* ("most confidential") appear three times in the *Bhagavad-gītā* (9.1, 15.20, 18.64), and in all three places the words describe knowledge about unalloyed devotional service to Kṛṣṇa. Śrīla Prabhupāda highlights this clear specific message—*bhakti*—throughout his commentary. But others contend that because the *Bhagavad-gītā* talks about other spiritual paths, these must be on the same level as *bhakti*. Lord Kṛṣṇa does indeed speak about *karma-yoga* (developing detachment from the results of one's work), *jnana-yoga* (philosophical speculation to discern spirit and matter), and *dhyana-yoga* (meditation to the realize the self and God). How then can we say that unalloyed devotion to Kṛṣṇa is the conclusion of the *Bhagavad-gītā*? Apart from the fact that the *Bhagavad-gītā* itself declares it so unequivocally, as noted above, a study of the *Bhagavad-gītā* reveals that all other processes Kṛṣṇa speaks of depend on *bhakti* for their practice and success. Here are a few examples: "Therefore, O Arjuna, surrendering all your works unto Me, with full knowledge of Me, without desires for profit, with no claims to proprietorship, and free from lethargy, fight." (3.30) "One who is in full knowledge and who is always engaged in pure devotional service is the best. For I am very dear to him, and he is dear to Me." (7.17) "After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare." (7.19) "And of all *yogis*, the one with great faith who always abides in Me, thinks of Me within himself, and renders transcendental loving service to Me—he is the most intimately united with Me in *yoga* and is the highest of all. That is My opinion." (6.47) Thus, we see that whether it be *karma-yoga* (3.30), *jnana-yoga* (7.17, 19), or *dhyana-yoga* (6.47), all depend on devotion to Kṛṣṇa. We find similar references throughout the *Bhagavad-gītā.* And at the end of the *Gita,* Lord Kṛṣṇa declares that *bhakti* is the single supreme conclusion, independent of any other process. *What About Intellectual Freedom?* Despite the evidence given above, some people refuse to accept that the *Bhagavad-gītā* has just one conclusion; they think that accepting this premise would preclude any intellectual discussion of the book. Fortunately, that's not true. Even though the conclusion is beyond all philosophical conjecture, being as bright and clear as the sun on a cloudless day, the complete text of the *Bhagavad-gītā* is like a gem-studded highway leading to the conclusion. Each verse is profound and can provide deep realizations, all in line with the conclusion. In fact, as one continues to follow the principles of the *Bhagavad-gītā*, the realizations become deeper and deeper still, each coming along with the thrill of a new discovery. Also, understanding the concepts of the *Bhagavad-gītā* stimulates the intellect. Figuring out how one concept leads into another, how the various concepts interrelate, how one concept explains another, and so on, is an intellectual adventure replete with astonishing discoveries and unexpected surprises. For example, while one is wading through the marshy land of so many types of religion, through the fog of so many clouding philosophies, trying to reach a clear conclusion about faith, the sunlight of transcendental knowledge imparted in the seventh chapter of the *Bhagavad-gītā* regarding faith in different types of people shows the way. Then the solid ground of the fourteenth chapter, about the three modes of nature, assures us that dry land is near. And finally, the discovery of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s discussion, in the seventeenth chapter, of faith in the different modes of nature takes us safely out of the marshlands of confusion, high and dry, with a clear understanding of faith. The essential teaching is that the best faith is that which is reposed in Kṛṣṇa. Such philosophical and intellectual excursions help us realize the conclusion of the **Bhagavad-gītā*.* And even the less intellectually gifted can understand the conclusion of the *Bhagavad-gītā* because Kṛṣṇa rewards the sincere student with the intelligence to do so (Bg. 10.10). Accepting the unambiguous conclusion of unalloyed devotion to Kṛṣṇa in the very beginning doesn't thwart intellectual pursuits. On the contrary, the *Bhagavad-gītā* is a treat for intellectuals who, using their intellectual muscles, wrestle to grasp the ever deepening profundity of Kṛṣṇa’s message. Their sincerity and devotion to Kṛṣṇa attracts His mercy, which then bestows the fruits of their intellectual labors. Kṛṣṇa encourages such use of intelligence by declaring that those who study the *Bhagavad-gītā* worship Him by their intelligence (Bg. 18.70). *Faithless Misinterpretations* Some people won't accept that the *Gita* has just one message because they think its words just can't be literally true, making the verses open to more than one interpretation. They find it hard to believe some of the things mentioned in the **Bhagavad-gītā*.* Many of the concepts stated simply in the *Bhagavad-gītā* are beyond the common man's perception. For example, the *Bhagavad-gītā* talks about heaven, hell, and the spiritual world, all three of which lie beyond ordinary perception. But taking the message of the *Bhagavad-gītā* "as it is" implies accepting as true the existence of heaven, hell, and the spiritual world. In fact, one of the most important messages in the *Bhagavad-gītā* is the call to get out of the cycle of repeated birth and death in the material world and go back to the spiritual world. Unless we accept the existence of the spiritual world, how can we take the message of the *Bhagavad-gītā* seriously, or "as it is"? Anyone who understands that the goal of life as stated in the *Bhagavad-gītā* is to get out of the cycle of birth and death will never propagate anything less than that in the name of the *Bhagavad-gītā*. But since many people don't believe the literal meaning of the words of the *Bhagavad-gītā*, too many commentaries on the *Bhagavad-gītā* do not highlight this goal enough. Instead, they may use the concepts described in the *Bhagavad-gītā* as mere management tips to become better leaders in the material world. Although the *Bhagavad-gītā*'s concepts can certainly help us manage our lives better, that is not their ultimate purpose. All such commentaries are not taking the message of the *Bhagavad-gītā* "as it is." *Inconceivable Kṛṣṇa* Some people don't accept the direct message of the *Gita* because they believe that the Absolute Truth is impersonal. Therefore, when Kṛṣṇa speaks of Himself (the person) as the highest truth, they take Kṛṣṇa as a metaphor representing the impersonal Absolute Truth. This bias distorts the "as it is" meaning of many *Gita* verses. These philosophers can't fathom how a person could possess the inconceivable opulence and powers described in the *Bhagavad-gītā.* For example, how could a person always be everywhere? Kṛṣṇa explains that He is everywhere in His unmanifested form—i.e., in the form of His unlimited energies—and at the same time, since He is the source of everything, He is always aloof from His creation (Bg. 9.4–5). Just like the sun, which rests in one place in the sky but pervades all of creation, Kṛṣṇa sits aloof from His creation but still pervades it. Philosophers overwhelmed by Kṛṣṇa’s mystic powers and unable to fathom them try to hide their bewilderment by lowering the status of Kṛṣṇa. Instead of the all-powerful person whose energies are all-encompassing and everywhere, they want Him only to represent an all-pervading impersonal entity. However, as soon as this is done, the message doesn't remain "as it is." Lord Kṛṣṇa addresses this problem: "Unintelligent men, who do not know Me perfectly, think that I, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, was impersonal before and have now assumed this personality. Due to their small knowledge, they do not know My higher nature, which is imperishable and supreme." (Bg. 7.24) The "as it is" meaning of "I" used by Kṛṣṇa throughout the *Bhagavad-gītā* is straightforward. Only a person (and not an impersonal entity) will speak in terms of "I" and "mine," as Kṛṣṇa does throughout the *Gita.* Moreover, only if Kṛṣṇa is accepted as a person and not as a mere metaphorical instrument does the conclusion of devotion to Kṛṣṇa makes sense. How can one love something impersonal? Thus, philosophers who don't accept that the Absolute Truth is the person Kṛṣṇa must forego the literal meaning of the *Bhagavad-gītā* and interpret it in many concocted ways. *Why Take the Message "As It Is"?* Some may raise the objection that even if the *Gita* has just one clear message, why must one take that message "as it is"? But that's like asking why you must take the doctor's prescription as it is. Why not interpret it the way you want? The answer is simple: Just as misinterpreting a doctor's prescription won't cure your illness, misinterpreting the message of the *Bhagavad-gītā* won't help your spiritual progress. Arjuna accepted the message of the *Bhagavad-gītā* as it is (Bg. 10.14), and so should we, if we are interested in achieving the desired result of studying and following it. The desired goal of the *Bhagavad-gītā* is to get out of the cycle of birth and death by reviving our dormant love for Kṛṣṇa. *The Essence of "As It Is"* Some people object to Prabhupāda's seemingly presumptuous use of "as it is" in the title of his commentary because it seems to imply that only his commentary is accurate, or that it's better than everyone else's. But any commentary on the *Gita* that sticks to Kṛṣṇa’s clear message is "as it is." Thus all commentaries by Vaisnava **acaryas*,* such as Ramanujacarya and Madhvacarya, are "as it is" commentaries. Although the commentaries by the different Vaisnava *acaryas* seem to differ from one another in some respects, they are all "as it is" commentaries because their conclusion is unalloyed devotion to Kṛṣṇa. Different *acaryas* preach the message of the *Gita* in different social and intellectual climates, and therefore emphasize the philosophical and practical details that most suit the times. But they all aim to bring many people to the concluding principle of the *Bhagavad-gītā:* unalloyed devotional service to Kṛṣṇa. A person clear about the *Gita's* "as it is" conclusion can easily identify commentaries that are not "as it is." Śrīla Prabhupāda deliberately used the phrase "as it is" in the name of his *Bhagavad-gītā* commentary, not to defy the revered Vaisnava commentaries, which are all "as it is," but to defy all those that do not highlight unalloyed devotion to Kṛṣṇa as the only conclusion of the *Bhagavad-gītā*. Prabhupāda's commentary title continues to shake up and entice all who come in contact with it. Freedom of expression is the *mantra* in today's world. Even the Absolute Truth has become a matter of opinion rather than a matter of fact. In such a setting, Prabhupāda's *Bhagavad-gītā As It Is* presents an outright challenge to the incumbent intellectual scene. One can't resist getting intrigued by such audacity. Only one who has something awesomely powerful up his sleeve can take on the whole world in this manner. Don't miss the opportunity to study Prabhupāda's *Bhagavad-gītā As It Is* and see for yourself how his commentary lives up to its catchy name. *Abhijit Toley is a member of the congregation of ISKCON's Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kunjabihari Temple in Pune, India. He works as a principal software engineer with Symantec Corporation in Pune.* ## Fame: A Misguided Quest *By Arcana Siddhi Devī Dāsī* *While the whole world runs after fame, the pure devotee runs away from it.* When I was eleven years old, I had one of those defining moments when an eternal-truth realization interrupts the motion picture of normal everyday life. I was a burgeoning pre-adolescent feeling awkward in my body. I'd just had bright, shiny metal braces put on my top teeth. To hide the metal, I developed a closed-lip smile. One morning I was feeling particularly self-conscious as I boarded the outdated yellow school bus. I was certain everyone was looking at me and laughing at my appearance. When I sat down, a strong thought came to me. “Probably each person getting onto the bus thinks everyone is looking at them. But I’m not noticing them, and probably nobody noticed me either.” My glimpse of the eternal truth that I wasn’t the center of the universe gave me a sense of temporary relief, yet the realization was incomplete. Although I knew I wasn’t the center, I didn’t have any conception of what or who the center was. Missing that piece of information left me feeling empty and deficient inside. A couple of years later, when my braces were removed and I developed more self-confidence, my mind created new desires. Now I wanted to be noticed. I wanted to be important. Pictures from *16 Magazine,* a popular teen magazine featuring rock and roll stars, covered my bedroom wall. I would lie on my bed daydreaming I was famous and could sing with my favorite stars. Much to my parents’ chagrin, to further my dream I bought an electric guitar and a small amplifier with money I earned baby-sitting. I learned basic cords and sang my much-loved tunes. Aside from fantasies of being a rock star, I became preoccupied with becoming popular. After having my “Aha!” moment on the bus, I now understood that most people are self-absorbed and if I really wanted to be noticed, I would have to distinguish myself from the run-of-the-mill teenager. I ran for a student-council office and won. I was elected president of the Thespian Club. I got important roles in all the high school dramas. When I tried out for cheerleading, I was chosen. My high school yearbook had more pictures of me than of anyone else. By all standards of measurement, I had become popular. I thought I was important. A sense of pride in my accomplishments infiltrated my heart and made me feel superior to other people. But my confidence and happiness were tenuous. They depended on short-lived external validation—applause after a theatrical performance, morning announcements recognizing something I had done, election victories, praise from my authorities. I became driven, like an addict, to increase the external validation. Like little drops of water in a desert, moments of recognition gave my life a sense of meaning and purpose because I needed to be somebody. My striving continued in college. Living amid thirty thousand students made my pursuit for notoriety much more challenging. But I did gain some recognition within my department of studies, as well as regionally outside the university. *Philanthropy and Disillusionment* During my years at the university, another shift took place. My philanthropic nature awakened, and I now wanted to be recognized as a person who helped people with fewer resources than me. I joined People Active in Community Efforts (PACE). I planted gardens at a center for the aged, read stories to children at a children’s hospital, and, most memorably, tutored incarcerated youth. It was they who made me wonder about the value of my philanthropic efforts. These street-smart young people took advantage of my naive nature and had me bring them cigarettes and candy in exchange for their very minimal cooperation. Disillusionment began to whittle away my enthusiasm. I was expending a lot of effort for so little reciprocation. My momentary satisfaction from helping others and from the recognition I received didn’t satisfy a deep inner yearning to find a lasting happiness. I became more aware of my inflated sense of self-importance. My conviction that I was so special was delusional, I realized. I began to see that, with the exception of my family and closest friends, I was no more than a blip on anyone's radar screen, a passing thought. The belief that I could find fulfillment through fame was crumbling like a neglected sandcastle on the beach. It was now blatantly clear that things didn’t revolve around me and I wasn’t able to make other people, or even myself, happy. Initially I thought the solution was to renounce the world. I fantasized about dropping out of school and finding a cabin in a desolate forest. But the impracticality of such a venture became obvious as I thought about how I would actually do such a thing. As I realized that my own efforts to find happiness were all being defeated, I became open to finding a teacher who could direct me to discover my purpose in life. By my good fortune I found my spiritual guide, Śrīla Prabhupāda, and entered a life of devotion to Kṛṣṇa. It was then that I understood the cause of my previous suffering, along with the remedy. The striving for achievement is a rudimentary quality of human life. But what we strive for and our motivation behind that endeavor will determine the value of what we do in this life. I could see how my past endeavors were all motivated to increase my status and sense of importance. I didn’t have to stop trying to serve humanity, but I had to understand how to serve humanity in a meaningful way, doing it for Kṛṣṇa’s pleasure and glorification rather than my own. When the hand assists the body by giving food to the stomach, the hand is benefited, because even though the food goes to the stomach, the nutrients are distributed to all the parts of the body. Similarly, by serving Kṛṣṇa, the absolute center of all worlds, we become nourished—body, mind, and soul. *Fame Follows the Devotee* After becoming a devotee, I read a story in the *Caitanya-caritāmṛta* that greatly impressed me. It told of a very elevated devotee named Madhavendra Puri. Once, while traveling from Vrindavan to obtain sandalwood for his Deity, Gopala, he stopped in Remuna, Orissa, to see the Deity Gopinatha. Madhavendra knew that this temple was famous for its delicious sweet rice, so when he saw a priest offering sweet rice to Gopinatha, he desired to taste it so he could cook it for his Deity. Since devotees don’t taste or meditate on enjoying food before the Lord has accepted it, Madhavendra Puri felt ashamed that such a thought had entered his mind. Even though his thought was free of any desire for personal enjoyment, he still felt he had committed an offense and immediately left the temple. That evening when the temple priest was lying down to go to sleep, the Deity Gopinatha appeared in his mind. Gopinatha told the priest He had hidden a pot of sweet rice behind the curtain and the priest should get up and take the pot to His dear devotee Madhavendra Puri. The priest found the pot of sweet rice and went out to the marketplace, calling out, “He whose name is Madhavendra Puri, please come and take the pot of sweet rice that Gopinatha has stolen for you.” Hearing this, Madhavendra Puri came out and humbly accepted the sweet rice. Knowing that news of this extraordinary event would quickly spread, and wanting to avoid any recognition or fame, he quickly left that place. One might wonder why, when the whole material world is running after fame, spiritually advanced persons run away from it. One reason is that they don’t want anything to distract them from their meditation on Kṛṣṇa, the reservoir of all pleasure. They are tasting happiness far greater than what one gets from any paltry pleasure in the material realm. Another reason is that pure souls, situated on the spiritual platform, are naturally free from the desire for fame, a product of the false ego. They have realized their true ego as eternal servants of the Lord. Those of us not on Madhavendra Puri's level of realization must work to free ourselves from impurities such as the desire for fame. Śrīla Prabhupāda warned that spiritual life is like "a razor's edge." By that he meant that to avoid accidents in our spiritual life, we have to be careful to understand the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness clearly and apply it correctly. One possible accident is to desire fame or cherish it if comes on its own. We must know that we can't take credit for anything we might be famous for because we can't do anything independent of Kṛṣṇa’s will. Kṛṣṇa teaches in the *Bhagavad-gītā* that while pursuing spiritual life, we must give up thinking we are the doer and the cause of the results of our actions. This false belief, accompanied by the desire for recognition, goes very deep. In material consciousness we are equipped with a false ego and desires that drive us to compete with others, including Kṛṣṇa, for the most prominent place on center stage. Over and over we try on different costumes, only to be frustrated with the role we play, until one day we are fortunate enough to meet an agent from the spiritual dimension. Only then can we understand that our happiness comes from cooperating with the Lord and serving Him in a loving relationship. *The Need to Chant* Because we are only tiny spiritual sparks, the material energy can cover our spiritual quality. It is in our best interest, therefore, to be very serious about devotional practices, especially the chanting of Kṛṣṇa’s holy names. Śrīla Prabhupāda said the chanting is our protection from the material energy. We can also recite prayers that remind us of our spiritual position as servants of the Lord. When Śrīla Prabhupāda came to the West, within a very short time he had thousands of surrendered and dedicated followers. He became a well-known spiritual teacher throughout the world. Yet he remained a humble servant of his spiritual processors and always gave credit to them for any achievements or accomplishments. Following in his footsteps, we can also do wonderful things to help spread Lord Caitanya’s mission. Strong spiritual practices and the association of advanced devotees will protect us from the desire to enjoy fame and its associates—profit, adoration, and distinction. Although such things may come into our lives, we will use them to glorify Kṛṣṇa. Śrīla Prabhupāda’s mercy has saved me and many others from lifetimes of trying to be somebody separate from our relationship with Kṛṣṇa. He gave us knowledge of our true identity as eternal servants in love with Kṛṣṇa, and he gave us a taste of spiritual happiness far greater than any pleasure found in material fame. *Arcana Siddhi Devī Dāsī was initiated by Śrīla Prabhupāda in 1976. She lives with her husband and son in Sandy Ridge, North Carolina, where she works as a family therapist.* ## Artificial Life? Why Not Real Life? *Caitanya Carana Dāsa and Aja Govinda Dāsa* *Even from a scientific perspective—what to speak of a spiritual one—there's more to life than DNA.* “Scientists create artificial life,” declared newspaper headlines around the world in May 2010. Genome pioneer J. Craig Venter, the man behind the sensation, claimed, “This is a philosophical advance as much as a technical advance.” What exactly did Venter do? He: 1. Determined the sequence of the DNA in one of the world’s simplest bacteria, 2. Synthesized a copy of that DNA from components sold by a biological supply company, 3. Replaced the natural DNA in a living bacterial cell with this synthetic DNA. [See the "What Is DNA?"] Venter, like many modern scientists, believes in reductionism, the idea that all the features of a complex system can be explained in terms of (“reduced” down to) the properties of its simple components. Reductionist biologists hold that a living organism is like a computer: Just as the capacities of the computer can be explained in terms of the capacities of its components, the characteristics, traits, and behaviors of livings organisms can be explained in terms of their components, going down ultimately to their genes. As Oxford biologist Richard Dawkins noted, “The machine code of the genes is uncannily computer-like.” Applying the computer analogy to Venter's experiment, we can say that Venter has certainly not created the complete computer. What he has done—introducing a new genetic sequence within an existing living organism—is like replacing one chip within an existing computer with another chip. So, even from this reductionist viewpoint, he has not created life. That’s why Caltech biologist and Nobel laureate David Baltimore pointed out that Venter has "overplayed the importance" of his results; he "has not created life, only mimicked it." What if scientists someday use the biochemical components to create the entire cell? Would that amount to creating life? No, because that would just be like making the computer, not the person who would use the computer. Although reductionist scientists would have us believe that there is no such “person” and that life is just a product of bio-chemicals, living systems behave in ways fundamentally and inexplicably different from nonliving objects. Nonliving objects are created, deteriorate over time, and eventually meet with destruction. Living systems exhibit three additional features: maintenance, growth, and reproduction. A living human hand, if cut, can clot and heal itself; the most state-of-the-art artificial hand, if cut, cannot. The simplest unicellular organism can grow; the most sophisticated computer cannot. The most primitive living systems can reproduce; even the most advanced robots cannot. No wonder Boston University bioengineer James Collins candidly admitted, “Scientists don't know enough about biology to create life.” *The Program of Life* Eminent Oxford biologist Denis Noble, renowned for his contributions to physiology, has analyzed what is amiss in the reductionist portrayal of life. In his book *The Music of Life,* Noble points out an important problem with the notion of DNA as the “program or blueprint of life.” This notion that exalts DNA as the super-agent behind life is implicit in the current claims about creation of artificial life. Noble explains that the DNA is more like a database than a program; in computer terminology, a database refers to an organized storage of data, whereas a program refers to a list of executable instructions that achieve a specific objective. The DNA contains data only, but this data is useless unless it is read by “gene expression” cellular machinery that executes the “program of life” to build proteins. The database-like role of DNA is evident from the fact that the same gene sequence code of the DNA can be converted to different proteins according to the needs of the particular cell it is in. Therefore, the genes do not determine all the functions of the cell, but are simply templates interpreted into differently functioning and distinct proteins depending on the environment and need of the cell. To complete the computer analogy, then, the cell is a computer, the cell nucleus is the controller (the control unit that manages the operation of the cell), DNA is the database that contains genetic memory data, protein production is the program (the biological tasks to be completed to build proteins), the gene expression mechanism is the processing unit, and proteins are the output. *The Music of Life* Noble illustrates the limitation of the reductionist view by another intriguing analogy. Let us say a person relaxes at home by playing a music CD. Upon hearing the music, the person sheds tears. Alien scientists observing this scene might trace the cause of the tears back to the speaker system, to the CD player, to the CD, to the particular track being played. By their empirical scientific method, they hastily reason that digital information encoded in the CD track being played caused the music and the subsequent tears. We know better—the music does not originate from the digital data on the CD but from the musicians who recorded it onto the CD. And factors such as the listener’s memories attached to the song, and not the CD track itself, caused the emotions and subsequent tears. The music is independent of the CD, which is only one of the various forms of media that allow the music to be stored and replayed. The DNA-mania (a term coined by French philosopher Andre Pichot) of gene-centered reductionists is similar to the aliens’ hasty reasoning. Just as the aliens jumped to the conclusion that the CD is the cause of the music and the tears, some geneticists jump to the conclusion that DNA is the cause of our life, emotions, etc. However, the CD is only a digital media for replaying sounds. Similarly, DNA is only a biological media for recreating proteins used in cells. The CD cannot be considered music, and DNA cannot be considered life. They are both storage media, one digital, the other biological. As the CD is useless without the CD player, the DNA is useless without the cellular machinery that copies and converts the DNA into proteins. Although some scientists like Richard Dawkins would have us believe that DNA is the cause of life, others like Denis Noble have the more rational understanding that DNA is neither life nor the absolute cause of life, just as the CD music track is neither the music nor the primal cause of the music. Life is thus like music: neither can be reduced down to codes—biological or digital. Music does not originate from or depend on a digital media, such as a CD, and life does not originate from or depend on the biological media of DNA. *Life’s Origin* Then where does life originate? Just as music can only originate from a musician, life can only originate from a living person. That living person, according to the *Vedas,* is the spirit soul. The *Bhagavad-gītā* (2.17) explains that the soul is an irreducible eternal unit of consciousness. When the soul enters a biological medium such as our body, the body acquires apparent life. Just as a living person is necessary to play the CD in the CD player, the soul is necessary for the dead inert cellular machinery to read the DNA genetic code and run the biochemical processes that animate the cell. The soul is the cause of maintenance, growth, and reproduction, the features of living systems that defy reductionist explanation. The *Gita* (2.25) explains that the soul is “invisible and inconceivable,” implying that our senses and sense-created instruments cannot detect its presence. The *Gita* (13.33–34) also points out that the soul remains distinct from the body it animates, just as the sun is distinct from the space it illuminates. So, when a part of the body changes, the soul remains unchanged, just as when a component in a computer is changed, the computer user remains unchanged. Thus, in Venter’s experiment the soul animating the bacteria remained unchanged when the DNA within that bacteria was changed. Reductionist philosophers object to the existence of any non-material spirit animating the body because they hold that spirit, being fundamentally different from matter, cannot influence matter. The *Gita* agrees that the spirit soul can’t directly influence matter, but asserts that the Supreme Spirit, being the controller of both matter and spirit, can. The *Gita* (13.23) explains that spirit interacts with matter through the agency of the Supersoul, an expansion of God who pervades matter. In this connection, it is pertinent to note that Cambridge-educated researcher Stephen Meyer, in his book *Signature in the Cell,* describes how attempts of reductionist scientists to explain life in biological terms has paradoxically ended up showing the need for intelligence as the cause of life. For example, computer algorithms that attempted to simulate genetic information by random symbol generation achieved modest success only when they were intelligently directed toward a chosen target sequence. Thus, far from proving the efficacy of randomness, they ended up proving the necessity of intelligence in generating genetic information. Could the same apply in Venter’s case? Intelligent scientists working for decades with funding running into millions were able to synthesize only one of the simplest DNAs. What does that say about the intelligence required to synthesize DNAs as complex as the human genome? Author George Sim Johnson points out, “Human DNA contains more organized information than the *Encyclopedia Britannica.* If the full text of the encyclopedia were to arrive in computer code from outer space, most people would regard it as proof of the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence.” Obviously, then, the organized information in the DNA can be regarded as proof of a magnificent designing intelligence, as Meyer persuasively established in his book. This echoes the *Gita* (9.10), which states that material nature works under God’s supervision. *Playing God* Despite the attempt to play God by creating life, Venter has unwittingly played into the hands of God by providing evidence for His existence and intelligence. Historically, attempts to play God have repeatedly backfired. In new fields of research, scientists almost invariably promise future benefits, often sensational ones. However, the track record of such promises shows counterproductive, even devastating, consequences. In the field of genetic engineering itself, genetically modified (GM) food was advertised as the solution to world hunger, but it ended up causing starvation and death for hundreds of farmers in Maharashtra, India. These farmers were captivated by promises of pest-resistant seeds and high yields, but when the pests developed resistance to the seeds, the yields failed utterly. Moreover, because the GM seeds are designed to not give seeds, the farmers had no chance of a yield in the next season either. Afflicted by poverty, hunger, and hopelessness, multitudes of them committed suicide. Concerned with the health hazards associated with GM food, the European Union has banned its use. Non-government organizations are trying to curb GM food in other parts of the world. What are the possible dangers of “artificial life” research? Genome manipulation of the kind done by Venter can lead to the development of medicine-resistant variants of disease-producing microbes, which could trigger a pandemic. The genome Venter synthesized was copied from a natural bacterium that infects goats. He claims that before copying the DNA, he excised fourteen genes likely to be pathogenic, so that the new bacterium, even if it escaped, would be unlikely to harm goats. However, such measures might not be incorporated in future similar researches—either unintentionally or intentionally. Will we then see headlines of “artificial deaths,” deaths caused by human attempts at creating artificial life? While some may consider such a scenario unlikely and even unduly pessimistic, it is certainly a possibility. And perhaps contemplating the worst-case possibility is necessary to prevent it from becoming a reality. *Real Life* On a positive note, the “artificial life” news, by bringing to the forefront the age-old question of what life actually is, may prompt some soul-searching—at least figuratively and maybe even literally. Developing the computer analogy further, ISKCON scientist the late Dr. Richard L. Thompson (Sadaputa Dāsa), in his book *Maya: The World as a Virtual Reality,* explains how our entire present existence is like a computer simulation, a virtual reality. So as spiritual beings, the material existence that we are currently leading is itself an artificial life. From that perspective, the attempt to create artificial life within an artificial life is little more than an artifice. The alternative to such artifices is the spiritual technology described in the *Gita* that can enable us to progress from our current artificial life to our real life as eternal beings. If the energy spent on creating artificial life were directed to cultivate spiritual knowledge and practice, humanity would make quantum leaps in its understanding of life. The scientific establishment may or may not do this, but each of us individually can. Then we will no longer be taken in by overhyped reports about artificial life, because we will be constantly experiencing and relishing the meaning of real life—and will want to share that with everyone. *What Is DNA?* DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is a biopolymer, or a large molecule composed of smaller molecules (structures of atoms bonded together) that is produced by living organisms and is necessary for the development and functioning of every living cell. The shape of the DNA molecule is a double helix, resembling a spiral staircase. In the nucleus of each living cell are various threadlike DNA molecules known as chromosomes. (Each distinct chromosome in the nucleus has a duplicate. So, for example, human cells, which have twenty-three distinct chromosomes, have a total of forty-six in each nucleus.) Each chromosome is made up of sections called genes, which are biological units of heredity passed down from parent to offspring. The complete sequence of DNA—all the genes in all the chromosomes—is known as the genome and contains a few billion nucleobases (molecules that form the structural units or building blocks of DNA). The four types of nucleobases in DNA (adenine, guanine, thymine, and cytosine) act like the letters of an alphabet and pair together to form specific sequences to encode information used for building proteins (chemical compounds used by living cells). The actual production of proteins is done by “gene expression” machinery within the cell that makes copies of the DNA and uses the information therein to arrange amino acids (the building blocks of proteins) into the sequence and structure required for the protein under production. Each different gene results in a protein with a distinct structure and shape, and consequently a distinct function in the cell. *Aja Govinda Dāsa is a disciple of His Holiness Hanumatpresaka Swami and a graduate researcher at the University of Oxford studying for a degree in biology. He is a regular author and speaker for the Bhaktivedanta Institute Science and Spiritual Quest conferences, and is a teacher at the Finland branch of the Bhaktivedanta College.* *Caitanya Carana Dāsa is a disciple of His Holiness Rādhānatha Swami. He holds a degree in electronic and telecommunications engineering and serves full time at ISKCON Pune. His free ezine, "The Spiritual Scientist," gives a scientific presentation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. To subscribe, register at www.thespiritualscientist.com.* ## e-Krishna ISKCON Transcriptions—www.iskcon-transcriptions.com is a new website that brings edited transcriptions from seminars and lectures to a computer near you. Lectures and seminars occur regularly all over the ISKCON world. If we are not present, it's unlikely we will get to hear about the content. And even when we are present, memory does not usually serve as well as we would like. Ananta Vrndavan Dāsa created this website to share talks in a form you can use to research and browse. The site is fully searchable and contains references to Śrīla Prabhupāda's books. You can even search www.vedabase.com directly from this website. Transcriptions are available in English and Russian, with Spanish being added soon. You can leave comments about individual transcriptions, and you can even rate the website. Ananta invites your feedback to help him develop a more interesting and useful site. If you would like to help by transcribing lectures and seminars, click on the "Contact Us" button on the navigation bar at the top of the site and offer your assistance. "Any help is appreciated," Ananta says. "We can pay you for doing transcriptions, translations, and editing, or you can sponsor others to undertake the work." "I'm huge admirer of ISKCON seminars and lectures," Ananta says, "and I listen to them almost every day. Sometimes while hearing some amazing realization and philosophical points, I get this strong desire to share them with everyone. So with this in mind I decided to dedicate some of my time and energy to transcribing the most popular seminars and lectures for sharing." You can also "Share" what you find at iskcon-transcriptions.com on Facebook, Twitter, and a range of similar sites. Adding this social aspect to the site means you can discuss your favorite philosophical points with your friends. You can also save a lecture onto your computer as a PDF. "We can all work together to live and share this wonderful philosophy and culture," Ananta says. —*Antony Brennan* ## In Memoriam - Narayana Mahārāja Śrīpada B. V. Narayana Mahārāja, a prominent Vaisnava leader, passed away on December 29 in the holy city of Jagannath Puri, India. He was eighty-nine years old. The executive committee of ISKCON's governing body commission has issued the following statement: Dear Disciples and Followers of Śrīpada B.V. Narayana Mahārāja, Please accept our humble obeisances, all glories to Śrī Guru and Śrī Gauranga. We, the Executive Committee of ISKCON's Governing Body Commission, wish to express our bereavement on hearing of the passing of Śrīpada Narayana Mahārāja. As a disciple of His Divine Grace Bhaktiprajnana Kesava Goswami Mahārāja, the Godbrother and *sannyasa* *guru* of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder-*Ācārya* of ISKCON, Śrīpada Narayana Mahārāja had been a longtime acquaintance of our Śrīla Prabhupāda. Mahārāja assisted Prabhupāda in his early days in the United States, assistance for which Śrīla Prabhupāda had expressed his appreciation. At this time we remember Narayana Mahārāja as a dedicated and powerful preacher. He traveled around the world to deliver the message of *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* and spread Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission. He also translated important Vaisnava texts. Śrīpada Narayana Mahārāja lived a long and fruitful life in devotional service and was an inspiration to many. We pray the Lord will give comfort to his disciples and followers in this difficult time. On behalf of all the members of ISKCON, we offer him our respectful obeisances. > vancha-kalpa-tarubh yas ca > krpa-sindhubhya eva ca > patitanan pavanebhyo > vaisnavebhyo namo namah ["I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaisnava devotees of the Lord. They can fulfill the desires of everyone, just like desire trees, and they are full of compassion for the fallen souls."] The GBC Executive Committee, Madhu Sevita Dāsa Hrdaya Caitanya Dāsa Bhakti Caitanya Swami ## Transform Your Workplace into the Spiritual World *By Mahatma Dāsa* *No place in the material world is ideal for remembering Kṛṣṇa, but we can do things to improve our spiritual environment anywhere.* Recently, I was at a Kṛṣṇa conscious program in Tennessee where a devotee said that environment is more powerful than willpower. He later told me that he felt the environment at his workplace was not conducive for being Kṛṣṇa conscious. Kṛṣṇa consciousness was a natural practice in his home, but not at work. After speaking with him, I thought about his point further and considered it an important topic to address. In this article I’ll discuss environment versus willpower and how this relates to the workplace. *What’s the Ideal Environment?* Let’s start with the good news: We can be Kṛṣṇa conscious anywhere. Now here’s the bad news: There really isn’t an ideal environment for being Kṛṣṇa conscious. I hear you saying, “How can you say that? What about the temple? What about Vrindavan and Māyāpur? What about a Rathayatra festival?” Yes, those would seem to be ideal environments for developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But let me ask you a question: Does everyone who goes to Vrindavan or a temple or a Rathayatra become Kṛṣṇa conscious? Many people do, but one can fall into *maya*, illusion, even in the Lord’s personal presence. The panacea of this age of darkness (Kali-*yuga*) is the *maha-mantra*. Chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa is the *yuga*-*dharma,* the recommended religious practice for this age. The *Vedas* tell us that in this age, chanting the *maha-mantra* is the best way to be God conscious or Kṛṣṇa conscious. Does everyone who chants Hare Kṛṣṇa become Kṛṣṇa conscious? The impersonalists don’t. They chant to become one with Kṛṣṇa. I would be embarrassed to tell you how many rounds on my beads I have chanted in my life and not even thought of Kṛṣṇa, while His name was continuously coming from my lips. “Well,” you say, “at least you are chanting, and that will protect you from **maya*.*” Kṛṣṇa is there in His name, and yet my mind is off somewhere in *maya* land. Therefore, the reality is, I am not chanting attentively, nor am I thinking of Kṛṣṇa. And that’s not ideal. Lord Caitanya’s servant Kala Kṛṣṇa dasa was lured away by gypsies while traveling with the Lord. If traveling with Lord Caitanya isn’t an ideal environment, I don’t know what is. It doesn’t get much better than that. But even in that “ideal” environment, one can still choose to forget Kṛṣṇa. *Environment Is Not Everything* Prahlada Mahārāja was in the exact opposite situation. He was born into an environment far less conducive for Kṛṣṇa consciousness than any place you or I will ever be in. Prahlada’s atheistic father sent Prahlada to an atheistic school with the intention of training him to be a first-class atheist. Yet Prahlada remained completely Kṛṣṇa conscious. Although environment does affect you, environment alone doesn’t determine how Kṛṣṇa conscious you will or won’t be. What determines that? You do. *Check Your Beliefs* Have you ever felt you can’t be Kṛṣṇa conscious at work or in a particular situation? If so, look to see if this idea is based on the belief that to be Kṛṣṇa conscious, you need the “proper” or “ideal” environment. If this is your belief and work doesn’t fall into what you consider the proper environment, you will most likely resign yourself to the idea that your day at work is not going to be a Kṛṣṇa conscious experience. If this is how you feel, your beliefs need to change for you to be more Kṛṣṇa conscious at work. Let me ask you another question: If you think you can’t be Kṛṣṇa conscious at work, what happens? I would assume you don’t really try to be Kṛṣṇa conscious at work because, as you already know, you can’t. As soon as you say, “I can only be Kṛṣṇa consciousness in a favorable environment,” you create a self-fulfilling prophecy and limit your ability to always think of Kṛṣṇa. Be open to the possibility that you can be more Kṛṣṇa conscious than you might think while being in an environment that is not “ideal,” or possibly even “hostile.” In other words, you can be more Kṛṣṇa conscious at work than you think. After all, Kṛṣṇa is only a thought away. *Do You See What I See?* When I used to distribute Prabhupāda’s books, one meditation that inspired me most was to see everyone as devotees—devotees who had somehow forgotten they were devotees. I would see the little spark of a devotee in them, the spark that was buried under lifetimes of ignorance. As long as I saw that spark, I could relate to them in a much more Kṛṣṇa conscious way than I normally would. I’d like you to try this. Tomorrow, see everyone you come in contact with as a devotee who simply has forgotten that he or she is a devotee. If you do this, your whole day is going to be blissfully Kṛṣṇa conscious. When we change the way we look at people and things, the people and things we look at change. A variation of this is to practice seeing everyone as a spiritual being, or to practice seeing Kṛṣṇa in the heart of everyone. Don’t see man, woman, white, or black. If we remember to see everyone as a soul, and to see Kṛṣṇa in everyone and in everything, we’ll be Kṛṣṇa conscious at every moment. Kṛṣṇa is everywhere, even in the pages you are reading right now. Prabhupāda says that when we see Kṛṣṇa everywhere, we will be completely Kṛṣṇa conscious, just by seeing. You can also consider how the modes of nature are working. For example, when someone is angry, you can envision that person as a puppet being pulled by the mode of passion (described in Chapter Fourteen of the *Bhagavad-gītā*). When I was distributing Prabhupāda’s books and someone became upset with me for offering him a book, Kṛṣṇa often allowed me to see things exactly in this way. Consequently, I didn’t feel hurt or think that this soul is a bad person. I realized that the mode of ignorance is forcing this person to helplessly become angry. I also felt some compassion for him, thinking how miserable this person must be to become so easily upset. Every day, you can make an effort to see the world from a Kṛṣṇa conscious perspective, as in the examples mentioned above. Seeing through the eyes of the scriptures (*sastra-caksuh*) is recommended for seeing Kṛṣṇa everywhere. If you practice seeing through the eyes of the scriptures, you’ll have a completely Kṛṣṇa conscious day at work, or wherever you go. *Rise to the Challenge* The workplace can offer us the opportunity to practice qualities such as tolerance, discipline, forgiveness, kindness, and empathy. You can consider and reflect upon how an advanced devotee would behave if he or she were working at your job. How would a devotee you look up to react to the challenges, problems, anxieties, and stress you experience in the work environment? *What’s for Lunch?* What else could you do? You could distribute *prasādam*. Bring a few extra things for your co-workers to eat at lunch, things you think they would especially like. This will give you an opportunity to explain why you are a vegetarian and what *prasādam* is. Prabhupāda introduced *prasādam* as the “secret weapon” for giving people Kṛṣṇa. You could also bring flowers, garlands, or scents from your altar or the temple. *Give Kṛṣṇa, Get Kṛṣṇa* Śrīla Prabhupāda says that one of the best ways to be Kṛṣṇa consciousness is to give Kṛṣṇa to others. Prabhupāda once wrote me that the more we give Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the more we become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Kṛṣṇa dasa Kaviraja explains this idea in the *Caitanya-caritāmṛta.* He writes that as the devotees distributed the fruits of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they tasted those fruits more and more. *When you give Kṛṣṇa, you get Kṛṣṇa.* In 1970, I was traveling and distributing Prabhupāda’s books. This was the first time big books were ever distributed in large quantities in ISKCON. We wrote Śrīla Prabhupāda with the news, and he replied, “This is the symptom of an advanced devotee; he takes every opportunity to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness.” Prabhupāda says that we should strain our brain to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Why not discover what opportunities exist at work to give people Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Christians all over the world do this. Why shouldn’t we? *Some More Ideas* Here are a few more things you might want to try if you believe the atmosphere at work lends itself to these suggestions. Every week you could print out a verse or a saying from our scriptures and put it somewhere on your desk that is visible to others (perhaps frame it as well). This might stir up some interest and cause people to ask you questions about your beliefs. You can do the same thing with Kṛṣṇa conscious desk calendars that have a different quotation for every day of the year. If dress code allows, you can do this with a Kṛṣṇa conscious T-shirt. If you own your own business, you can have pictures of Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa conscious sayings on the wall. Another thing that will help you be Kṛṣṇa conscious at work is to pray to Kṛṣṇa for the people at your workplace. For example, you can pray that they become open to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If you see that happening, you can take advantage of the opportunity to introduce spiritual topics and even invite them to participate in some Kṛṣṇa conscious programs. Ultimately the best way to help people become Kṛṣṇa conscious is to be Kṛṣṇa conscious yourself. People are usually more impressed by who you are and what you do than by what you say. If people see something different or special about you, they are going to want to know your secret. When they find out, it might spark interest and faith in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Your behavior, qualities, and dealings with others are an essential aspect of your giving Kṛṣṇa consciousness at work. Obviously, there are many other ways to interest people in Kṛṣṇa. I brought up the above examples just to get your juices flowing—to get you thinking about what you might be able to do in your workplace. There are many opportunities to be Kṛṣṇa conscious at work. *You Don’t Win the Game on the Court* Ultimately, being Kṛṣṇa conscious in the workplace depends a lot on what you do when you are *not* at work, just as the success of an athlete depends on his personal practice. The more Kṛṣṇa conscious activities you do when you are *not* at work, the greater chance you have of being Kṛṣṇa conscious at work. *Devotee-owned Businesses* The purpose of this article is not to discount the reality that many of us work in environments that can make it a challenge to be Kṛṣṇa conscious. Ideally, it would be best to work in devotee-owned businesses and thus work in the association of other devotees. I always encourage devotees so inclined to develop businesses and companies that can employ other devotees. I also encourage all devotees (especially those who have successful businesses or well-paying jobs) to direct money beyond their regular donations into projects they have a special connection with or attraction for, or even to develop their own projects for spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When your work is directly connected to supporting something dear to your heart, it creates an inspiring connection between your work and your devotional service. *What’s the Bottom Line?* Heaven and hell are not only physical places, but states of consciousness. We have control over whether we work in hell or in heaven. *Mahatma Dāsa was initiated in 1970 by Śrīla Prabhupāda. He is co-director of Bhakti Life (www.bhaktilife.org), which offers workshops, retreats, and online courses. He lives in Alachua with wife, Jahnava Devī Dāsī, and their daughter, Brajasundari. You can visit him at www.mahatmadas.com* *This article was adapted from a chapter in the author's upcoming book,* *Living the Wisdom of Bhakti.* ## Queen Kunti's Amazing Plea *By Mukundamala Dāsa* *Why an exalted devotee asked Lord Kṛṣṇa to keep putting her into dangerous situations.* Most people worship God with a material motive. As Lord Kṛṣṇa explains in the *Bhagavad-gītā* (7.16), such people can broadly be classified into four groups: the distressed, the needy, the inquisitive, and those searching for knowledge of the Absolute. In most cases, they stop their worship as soon as they obtain their objective. They regard God as someone who can lessen their miseries and make their lives happy and peaceful. Still, Lord Kṛṣṇa considers them pious because in their hour of difficulty they have chosen to approach God and not someone mundane. (*Bhagavad-gītā* 7.18) Among all worshipers, Lord Kṛṣṇa singles out the person in full knowledge who always engages in His pure devotional service as the best. Persons in full knowledge, knowing Kṛṣṇa to be the cause of all causes, surrender unto Him. Their only purpose is to serve Kṛṣṇa selflessly with love and devotion. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa says of the pure devotee, "I am very dear to him, and he is dear to Me." (*Bhagavad-gītā* 7.17) A devotee who has developed intense love for Kṛṣṇa cannot live for a second without seeing or serving Him, the pain of separation from Him being too unbearable. *Queen Kunti's Exemplary Devotional Sentiments* One such devotee was Queen Kunti, the mother of the five Pandava brothers. The *Mahābhārata* explains how Kunti underwent great sufferings throughout her life. Before getting married, she gave birth to Karna, her first son. Being a maiden, however, she rejected him to save herself from social condemnation. Soon after getting married, her husband, Pandu, died, and Kunti raised her five children alone. Although Kunti and her sons were supposedly under the care of King Dhrtarastra, Pandu's elder brother, Duryodhana and the other sons of the king mistreated the Pāṇḍavas and even tried to kill them by several means. When Duryodhana tried to kill them by burning a house of shellac he had given them as their residence, Kunti and her five sons secretly escaped and hid in the forest. When Duryodhana arranged a gambling match to rob the Pāṇḍavas of all their wealth and possessions, the Pāṇḍavas were forced to take part in it. The match was rigged; the five brothers lost everything and were banished to the forest for a thirteen-year exile. During this period, Kunti stayed back in the palace and spent all those years without her dear sons. Finally, in the Battle of Kurukshetra, even though the Pāṇḍavas emerged victorious, Kunti bore the loss of many of her grandsons and other relatives and well-wishers. Despite all these reversals in her life, Kunti kept her faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and her devotion to Him. In the midst of all these troubles, she always sought Kṛṣṇa’s shelter. She never prayed to Kṛṣṇa for a peaceful life or for returning the kingdom to her sons. She never challenged Kṛṣṇa by asking why He allowed her family to undergo such suffering even though He was present. In fact, after the battle, when her sons regained their lost kingdom, she prayed to Kṛṣṇa for more calamities: > vipadah santu tah sasvat > tatra tatra jagad-guro > bhavato darsanam yat syad > apunar bhava-darsanam "I wish that all those calamities would happen again and again so that we could see You again and again, for seeing You means that we will no longer see repeated births and deaths." (*Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* 1.8.25) *Difficult Situations Stimulate More Love* Love in this world is evident in various ways between two individuals. Generally, the lover and the beloved like to spend all their time together without any hindrance. When some external forces—situations, relatives—threaten their relationship, their love only intensifies. The bond between them strengthens, and their relationship becomes sweeter and more dynamic. Devotees experience a similar kind of love dynamics in their relationship with Kṛṣṇa, the perfect loving relationship. Devotees always want to serve Kṛṣṇa directly, but to increase their love for Him, Kṛṣṇa sometimes puts them into difficult situations. He generally does this by adjusting the devotees' *karmic* backlog to bring them closer to Him. For pure liberated devotees, who have no *karmic* backlog, Kṛṣṇa puts them into the midst of great calamities to teach others by their exemplary faithful response. Those less accomplished on the spiritual path can thus learn how to face adversities with dignity and integrity. When facing difficulties, the pure devotee completely surrenders to Kṛṣṇa, sure of His protection. On encountering the Lord's loving reciprocation in such situations, the devotee's love for Him increases many times. Devotees realize that all past difficulties were great blessings because the Lord was always there, protecting them at every moment. *The Pain of Calamity Is Insignificant* Devotees consider the pain of calamity insignificant when compared to the pain of separation from the Lord. Those who can perceive the Lord's loving embrace during calamities will welcome them. They understand that the Lord is a loving father who will always give protection. They accept all situations in life gratefully, considering them Kṛṣṇa’s arrangement for their purification. In her prayers to Lord Kṛṣṇa, Kunti recalled the various miseries Duryodhana had inflicted upon her and her sons. When Draupadi, the Pandavas' wife, was being disrobed in front of the Kuru assembly, Kṛṣṇa miraculously saved her from humiliation by supplying her unlimited *sari*. During their forest exile, Durvasa Muni and his disciples came to their place upon Duryodhana's request, and Kṛṣṇa, by His mystic potency, saved them from the Muni's wrath. In the Battle of Kurukshetra, Kṛṣṇa became Arjuna's charioteer and guided him in overcoming mighty Kuru warriors like Bhisma, Drona, Karna, and Jayadratha. And when Asvatthama released the *brahmastra* weapon to kill the grandson of Arjuna within Uttara's womb, Kṛṣṇa covered the womb by His personal energy and protected the child. While remembering these events, Kunti realized that they could never have overcome these dangers without Kṛṣṇa’s presence. When Kṛṣṇa was leaving for Dwarka after installing Mahārāja Yudhisthira as the world emperor, Kunti submitted the above prayer before Him because she feared that now that they were comfortable in their royal position, she might forget Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, she prayed to Kṛṣṇa for more sufferings, which would help her continue to remember Him. *Kṛṣṇa’s Protection in Calamities* In the case of Kunti and the Pandavas, Kṛṣṇa saved them in extraordinary ways, using His mystic powers. Every time their lives were in danger, Kṛṣṇa protected them from death. The scriptures relate many stories where devotees have felt Kṛṣṇa’s protection in times of crisis. Devotees in recent times, too, have perceived Kṛṣṇa’s inconceivable protection in dangerous situations. In most cases, however, Kṛṣṇa’s protection may not come in the form of protection from death. A practicing devotee must firmly understand that the body is temporary and destined to perish. As spirit souls, we are distinct from the body, so we should not always expect that Kṛṣṇa will protect us from death. Real protection is the protection of our consciousness—of our devotional faith and our remembrance of Kṛṣṇa. By Kṛṣṇa’s mercy, a devotee who dies gets a favorable environment and good opportunities to continue devotional service in the next life. The greatest fear of a devotee is forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa, which keeps one in ignorance in the cycle of birth and death. Devotees do not mind going to hell if they can serve Kṛṣṇa there, but they will reject a life of heavenly delights devoid of service to Kṛṣṇa. As Lord Siva advised Parvati in the *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* (6.17.28): "Devotees solely engaged in the devotional service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayana, 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." *An Extraordinary Prayer* Not everyone can pray like Kunti—one needs a lot of courage to pray in that way. From Kunti's example, however, we can learn how to pray and the mood required. Lord Caitanya also has shown us the standard of ideal prayer: "O almighty Lord, I have no desire to accumulate wealth, nor do I desire beautiful women, nor do I want any number of followers. I only want Your causeless devotional service, birth after birth." (*Śikṣāṣṭaka* 4) We should stop asking for material benefits, which are temporary and illusory. We may sometimes pray for material things to aid our service to the Lord, but even such prayers should be accompanied by and subservient to the prayers that intensify our devotional service in any circumstance. Many people who claim to be religious pray for life's material necessities. Ignorant of a higher objective in life, they try to fulfill their utopian dreams in this illusory world. Kunti's prayer, therefore, is far superior to prayers offered to God asking for material rewards. Her prayer transcends all the selfish and ulterior desires that usually motivate the practice of religious faiths. *Mukundamala Dāsa serves full time at ISKCON Mumbai (Chowpatty). He is part of the India BTG team and teaches Kṛṣṇa consciousness to students.* ## A Spiritual Happening on the Lower East Side *By Satyaraja Dāsa* *Śrīla Prabhupāda and the first kirtana recording in the West.* The year is 1997, and Brahmananda Dāsa, one of Śrīla Prabhupāda's earliest disciples, is driving through a residential area in Miami Beach. He momentarily halts at a stop sign in his big van, which has a "Hare Krishna" sticker on its rear bumper. Conspicuously, a car follows slowly from behind. As it pulls up, the person in the passenger seat, a middle-aged woman, asks, "Brahmananda?" She is Carol Kallman. Driving the car is her husband, Alan. Together, they had produced Śrīla Prabhupāda's first album, *Krishna Consciousness*, some thirty years earlier. Before any of Prabhupāda's books were available for distribution, there was only this record album, and Brahmananda and the Kallmans were at the heart of it. Now, seemingly by happenstance, they would meet again, brought together by Kṛṣṇa, as they were in the past. *The Music Business* Neither Śrīla Prabhupāda nor the devotees were trying to procure a record deal. For decades, Śrīla Prabhupāda saw printing books as the mainstay of his mission, a vision bequeathed to him by his spiritual master, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvati Ṭhākura: "If you get any money, print books!" And further, "Preach in the English language." This was the mandate Prabhupāda's teacher had given him as far back as 1922, upon their first meeting. But during New York's cold November of 1966, Alan Kallman, a longtime record producer, happened to read an article in the hip downtown paper *The East Village Other.* He learned that the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, new to the West, was an age-old tradition in India. The article introduced the world—and Alan—to Śrīla Prabhupāda and the devotees, focusing on the mystical effect of their sacred singing. In fact, Alan was so intrigued by the article that he and his wife went down to see the devotees in Tompkins' Square Park, where they witnessed for the first time *kirtana,* call-and-response chanting, especially of the Hare Kṛṣṇa *maha-mantra:* Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. "I heard the chant and I gasped," describes Alan. "It was vibrant, from another realm. It gave me a strange feeling of something magical. This had to be my next record, I thought." Alan had owned Ribbon Records in the late 50s and early 60s, producing mainly rock and roll material, but the label didn’t have any hits. By the mid 60s, the company morphed into Pixi Records, which fared only slightly better. However, he enjoyed some modicum of success with his third venture: Happening Records. He used the label to produce a few spoken-word records, giving an audible forum to people like Timothy Leary, Malcolm X, and Mark Lane, who at the time was quite vocal in his theories about "the Kennedy assassination." Happening Records was a novel approach in the recording industry, and people were quickly catching on. Alan carefully considered what he had read about the Hare Kṛṣṇa devotees, especially about Prabhupāda, and concluded that they would be ideal for his new strategy in recording: They would chant and then explain the philosophy behind the chant. This, he knew, would play into his spoken-word technique like a charm. After a discussion with a few business partners, he decided to drop by 26 Second Avenue in New York City, the first Hare Kṛṣṇa temple, to propose his idea to Prabhupāda. Carol, his wife, called to make an appointment and got Brahmananda on the phone. After she briefly described their plan, Prabhupāda's young disciple agreed that it was a good idea and made an appointment for them to meet with Prabhupāda the next day. *Meeting Śrīla Prabhupāda* "We went in to meet this *guru*," says Carol, "and I didn't know what to expect. But Prabhupāda was delightful, charming. Alan told him the plan to make a recording of the chant along with explanation, to fit in with the spoken-word concept, and Prabhupāda loved it. He got so excited. He explained that the chanting is important but that the philosophy behind the chanting is equally important, so he would be happy to do both on the album. I'll never forget what he said after that: 'The most important thing you can do for Kṛṣṇa, or God, is to share His name with others.' He told us that Kṛṣṇa and His name are spiritually equal, the same, and that that's why the chanting is so effective. So he was really into making the album, which made Alan very happy, of course!" Interestingly, the night before the recording session, scheduled for two weeks after this initial meeting, in December, a guest walks in to 26 Second Avenue with a wooden percussive instrument resembling a *mrdanga,* the two-headed clay drum used in Vaisnava *kirtanas.* Although common at Hare Kṛṣṇa temples today, at the time it was unknown among Prabhupāda's followers. As the *kirtana* is about to begin, Prabhupāda notices it from his dais. His eyes open wide, and he gestures to Brahmananda to approach the young man with the drum and bring it to him, which he does. In a few moments, immersed in the *kirtana*, Prabhupāda is playing like a master musician, and the devotees are enthralled—this is a side of their *guru* they had not seen before. “We must have this drum for tomorrow’s recording,” says Prabhupāda, and Brahmananda convinces the instrument's owner to leave it with them for the recording session. The next day, the devotees make their way up to Bell Tone Studios, on 51st Street and Broadway, directly across from Colony Records, then a popular retail outlet for record albums. "Bell Tone was a hot studio," says Alan, "very much in demand at the time." Rupanuga Dāsa remembers going with Prabhupāda and the devotees to the studio. "We took my old Volkswagen camper," he says, "with Prabhupāda and some others. There must have been another car, too, or some devotees probably went up there by subway. It was a really cold day, and we couldn't go in right away. We had to wait in the lobby for a long time." Little Anthony and the Imperials, a major rock and roll group at the time, is recording and given precedence because of their celebrity. Since they will exceed their expected time limit by over an hour, Prabhupāda decides to go for a walk with the devotees while they wait. The entire troupe journeys to nearby Times Square, in the 42nd Street area. Brahmananda reminisces: Prabhupāda would point to various things in the Times Square area and make philosophical comments, noting the sophistication with which technology could be used for degradation and darkness. Finally, we came upon a huge Camel cigarette billboard, with real smoke blowing from a man's mouth. He said that this particular area was the world's center for sense gratification. At one point, a matronly lady, who seemed drunk, bumped into him, and she turned around and said, "Who are you?" He just answered, "I'm a Hindu monk." He smiled at her and we walked on. She wouldn't have understood that he was a Vaisnava, coming from a nonsectarian spiritual tradition, so he just said something she could understand, something within her radar. *Recording Spiritual Sound* They return to the studio ready to record. Prabhupāda sits on a mat in the center, accommodating the engineers who arrange the microphones and assign each devotee a place to set up according to his or her particular instrument. They want only two pairs of *karatalas* but approve the pair of rhythm sticks and several other instruments the devotees have brought. They also want some devotees to clap, to give the recording a live sound. "We started recording immediately," says Alan, "and Prabhupāda burst into the Hare Kṛṣṇa chant—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. His tone was exotic, deep, and mesmerizing. I had recorded a lot of people in my time, professional singers and so on. But Prabhupāda was especially captivating, infectious. He was born to do this. "Prabhupāda did about six different songs, traditional stuff from his lineage, but most of it didn't make it on the album. The tapes are lying around in a studio archives somewhere. Great stuff. We were mainly interested in the Hare Kṛṣṇa chant, though, which was becoming popular at the time." Rupanuga Dāsa shares some further details of the recording session: A man came around to check the instruments, to see how the microphones would pick them up and what the sound quality was like. I played two bells that sort of sounded like *karatalas;* Hayagriva was playing tambura; Rayarama played those South American wooden sticks; Kirtanananda played the harmonium, loaned to us by Allen Ginsberg, but he just pumped the bellows—he really didn't know how to play; and Prabhupāda played that two-headed Indian drum, so incredibly. There were some others too. I remember Brahmananda was clapping too loud, so an engineer came in to adjust the volume. We just kept playing, following Prabhupāda's lead. When we went overtime, Kallman, from the engineer booth, waved his hand to indicate that we should start wrapping it up. So Prabhupāda saw that and started going faster. Satsvarupa Dāsa Goswami gives further details in his *Śrīla Prabhupāda-līlāmrta:* Alan came out of the studio: “It was great, Swami. Great. Would you like to just go right ahead and read the address now? Or are you too tired?” With polite concern, pale, befreckled Alan Kallman peered through his thick glasses at Prabhupāda, who appeared tired, but he replied, “No, I am not tired.” Then the devotees sat back in the studio to watch and listen as Prabhupāda read his prepared statement. After reading it, the producer tells Śrīla Prabhupāda that they have about ten more minutes on side two to fill. He again asks Śrīla Prabhupāda if he is tired. Prabhupāda says that he isn’t and they start to chant again. This time he sang what was titled on the album as “Chant to the Mercy of the Spiritual Master.” We know it as “The Samsara Prayers.” After the song, which was done in one take, Śrīla Prabhupāda said, “Now we are tired.” The night was over. However, as the studio engineer replayed the take, Śrīla Prabhupāda stood up and started to dance to the song the devotees and he had just recorded. “Now you have made your best record,” Prabhupāda told Mr. Kallman as he left the studio for the freezing Manhattan evening. Prabhupāda got into the front seat of the Volkswagen bus while “The Hare Kṛṣṇa Chanters” climbed into the back with their instruments, and Rupanuga drove them back home, back to the Lower East Side. *Launching Book Distribution* This record was in fact the beginning of widespread book distribution in the West. Although Prabhupāda had brought a trunk load of his initial copies of the *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* from India, he sold them early on when the movement was just starting out. He had also brought copies of a small book (*Easy Journey to Other Planets*) and several pamphlets, but not enough for wide-scale distribution, which is what he wanted. It was this album that was sent to Macmillan Publishing Company (see BTG, May/June 2008), leading to a publishing deal that resulted in *Bhagavad-gītā As It Is.* Further, George Harrison procured a copy early on and contacted Alan to find out about the copyright, so he could use the *maha-mantra* on Apple's *Rādhā-Krishna Temple* album and eventually in his own song "My Sweet Lord." George later met the devotees and Prabhupāda in London, and he wrote the Preface to Prabhupāda's book *Kṛṣṇa: The Supreme Personality of Godhead,* one of Prabhupāda's first four books—all released after the *Happening* album. (The other three: *Īśopaniṣad, The Nectar of Devotion,* and *Teachings of Lord Caitanya.*) Indeed, because of the work of Alan and Carol Kallman—spurred on by the grace of Śrīla Prabhupāda—the Hare Kṛṣṇa *maha-mantra* was heard on radio stations and TV shows and read in popular media around the world before massive book distribution engulfed ISKCON and everyone else. *For this article the author is indebted to Satsvarupa Dāsa Goswami's* Śrīla Prabhupāda-līlāmrta; *Hayagriva Dāsa's* Hare Krishna Explosion; *and personal interviews with Brahmananda Dāsa, Rupanuga Dāsa, and Alan and Carol Kallman.* *George Harrison Remembers* "I bought the Hare Kṛṣṇa record in 1968 and John Lennon and I listened to it. I remember we sang the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mantra* for days, John and I, with ukulele banjos, sailing through the Greek Islands chanting. Like six hours we sang, because we couldn't stop chanting once we got going. As soon as we stopped chanting, it was like the lights went out. It went on to the point where our jaws were aching, singing the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mantra* over and over and over and over and over. We felt exalted; it was a very happy time for us." "I used to sing the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mantra* long before I met any of the devotees or long before I met Prabhupāda, because I had his first record then for at least two years. When you're open to something it's like being a beacon, and you attract it. From the first time I heard the Hare Kṛṣṇa chanting, it was like a door opened somewhere in my subconscious, maybe from some previous life." —*Excerpts from a 1982 interview by Mukunda Swami, which appears in the book* Chant and Be Happy ## How I Came to Kṛṣṇa Consciousness *Looking for the Place of No Misery* *By Upendra Dāsa* A search for the spiritual world, inspired by the words of an unwitting songwriter. I earned my degree in chemical engineering in 1970 and took up a job in a petrochemical company in Mumbai. I stayed in bachelors’ accommodations, and my life was not smooth. Eating in hotels, watching roommates fight over trivial matters, and being deserted by my best friends over some misunderstanding made me depressed and homesick. Though not at fault, I was blamed for a couple of mishaps in our factory. One day as I was returning from work, a furious elderly neighbor called me a dirty bachelor and blamed me for spoiling the children of the building. I did not understand what he was saying and why he was angry. It seemed everybody hated me. Later I came to know that one of my roommates had shown a nude calendar to the children. One day I thought, "Enough is enough." The next day was my birthday, and I decided to put an end to all my miseries by throwing myself under the train that passed nearby at 4:00 P.M. As I lay in my room alone waiting, I watched the clock tick second by second. Suddenly I heard a popular Hindi film song playing over a loudspeaker. In my present situation, its meaning hit me like a thunderbolt: "Come, I will take you to that far end of the sky where there are no miseries, no tears; there is love and only love.” I wondered, "Is there really a place like that? Should I end my life now, or look for that place? Is somebody offering to take me there?" Just then the doorbell rang. A ten-year-old girl who lived on the second floor was standing at the door, and she invited me to her house. I asked why. She said it was a surprise. How could I go to some stranger’s house on the invitation of a small girl, especially after being accused of trying to spoil the children. But the girl was persistent and stood there for a long time. I heard the four o'clock train pass by. The girl had foiled my plan. Her two elder sisters joined her. Now what? Maybe another round of dirty bachelor scolding awaited me. Let me get it done with. I went up to their home. What I saw there filled my heart with mixed emotions of shock, surprise, and joy. On a blackboard they had written in big letters "HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO BROTHER UDAY." My eyes filled with tears. Soon the girls’ father joined us and there was a mini birthday party. (Incidentally, the ten-year-old girl's name was Kirtana.) When I returned to my room, I was confused by the turn of events and decided to investigate the place "where there are no miseries; there is only love." I had a friend whose father supplied light and sound equipment for film shootings. My friend often attended shootings and knew people in the film industry. I requested him to ask the lyricist who had written the song in question what he knew about the place he wrote about. A week later my friend told me he had met the lyricist, who told him that I was a nut, a mad person. The films are a make-believe world, and there is no such place in this creation where there are no miseries. I was disappointed, but deep in my heart I felt there must be a place like that somewhere. I married in 1975, and a daughter was born to us in 1977. In those years I visited many missions—Rama Krishna Mission, Chinmaya Mission, Satya Saibaba Mission, and so on—but my question remained unanswered. By 1986 I had reached the top of the organization and started working like a donkey for twelve to fourteen hours daily. *Not Ready to Commit* In April 1991, my life began to change. I attended an eight-lecture course entitled "The Science of Self-Discovery," based on the *Bhagavad-gītā.* Govinda Dāsa of ISKCON conducted it, and at the end of the course he asked me to sign a form, committing to chant sixteen rounds of the Hare Kṛṣṇa *maha-mantra* daily and follow the four regulative principles: no meat-eating (as well as no onions or garlic), no illicit sex, no intoxication, and no gambling. I was not ready to sign it. About two years later I got the opportunity to attend two lectures by Devamrta Dāsa (now Bhakti Rasamrta Swami). I told him that the philosophy was very nice but I could not commit myself to all the regulative principles. He told me not to worry and asked if I could give ten minutes a day. "Ten minutes a day is not much," I said. "For a lifetime," he replied. I was shocked. That's a big commitment. But then I thought, "Whatever he wants me to do in those ten minutes will benefit me and not him. Moreover, he is a very calm, effulgent person, and intelligent, too. If I can get even a fraction of those qualities, then why not make the commitment?" I asked him what I should do in those ten minutes. He told me to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa *maha-mantra.* Thus I started chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa *maha-*mantra** daily. Those days I used to chant a Siva *mantra* and a *Ganesa* *mantra* for half an hour. I added the Hare Kṛṣṇa *maha-*mantra**, and soon the *maha-*mantra** replaced the other two *mantra*s. Within a couple of months, without any conscious effort, I stopped smoking, eating meat, and drinking alcohol. *Not Ready to Dance* One Sunday in May 1993, I visited ISKCON's Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Gopinatha Temple in the Chowpatty section of Mumbai. I stood aside and watched as devotees danced during the *arati.* Then His Holiness Rādhānatha Swami Mahārāja started his lecture. He began by describing how miserable this material world is. I agreed with him. Then he said, "But there is another place, where there are no miseries, no dualities; there is only transcendental love. That place is the abode of the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, our real eternal home. Going back home, back to Godhead, is the highest perfection of our life.” My heart leapt with joy. At last I had found the answer to my question. His class that day cleared many of my other doubts as well. After the lecture, Mahārāja led the *kirtana* and the devotees danced. Beginning in my college days, I had done lot of dancing at college election rallies, annual festivals, parties, and so on, and later during Ganesa festivals. I was sick of it. I could not reconcile myself to this dancing in the temple for spirituality. I tried to stand aside, but devotees kept pulling me among them. I decided to get out. I started moving backward through rows of dancing devotees toward the exit door. Mahārāja was pausing the *kirtana* regularly to tell the story of Draupadi being disrobed. “Duhsasana was pulling her *sari*, and Draupadi was frantically trying to hold on to it.” I was slowly approaching the exit door. “What was Draupadi’s strength compared to that of Duhsasana, who had strength of a thousand elephants?” I was almost at the door. “Draupadi realized the futility of her attempts to save herself and in the mood of helplessness and surrender raised both her hands and called out …” Just one more step, and I will be out the door, out of the temple, out into the material world forever. “O Kṛṣṇa! O Govinda!” I didn't know what hit me. I froze where I was. For a moment I forgot who I was, where I was, what I was doing. When I came to external consciousness, I found myself moving forward and backward with the devotees. Still not fully aware of what was happening, I looked around, and my eyes fell on Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Gopinatha. Gopinatha was mischievously smiling at me and seemed to say, "You fool, trying to get out? If you do, it will be biggest mistake of your life.” To my surprise I was enjoying dancing with the devotees. I knew now, "This is my home. This is where I belong." A Family for Kṛṣṇa I went home very excited by the experience and told my wife that I would like to go to this temple every Sunday. She did not like this idea. She was furious. We fought bitterly over the issue. Ultimately she dropped a bomb. “If you remain out of the house on Sundays, then I'm afraid that may be the end of our marriage.” Both of us fell silent. For two days not a single word was exchanged between us. I prayed, "O Lord! This is your problem. I don’t know how to solve it. The ball is in your court.” One day that week my wife asked me, "Are you going to that temple this Sunday?” I said yes. She said she would also go. She was curious to see what had attracted me so much. So the following Sunday we went to the temple together. On our way back home she said that she would go to the temple every Sunday even if I didn’t. Rādhā-Gopinatha solved my problem as only They could. Since then we have been part of this movement of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, in the mission of Śrīla Prabhupāda, under the guidance of His Holiness Rādhānatha Swami Mahārāja, and under the care of the devotees of Rādhā-Gopinatha. Soon after I joined this movement, my company wound up its business. I retired from my profession in 1996. My wife and I received our *harinama* initiation in 1995, and my wife got the name Saranagati Devī Dāsī. We received second initiation in 1996. Since 1999 I have been serving as a spiritual counselor for the Chowpatty congregation. Our daughter Candrika Devī Dāsī, who received her initiation in 1997, is happily married to Gauracandra Dāsa, who works in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, as a software professional and also renders service to the ISKCON temple there. I often travel to Malaysia and Singapore and get further opportunity to glorify the Lord. ## From Ritual to Spiritual *By Vraja Vihari Dāsa* *Why and how to go beyond the externals of religion.* Twenty-five-year-old Nitin Sawant, a software engineer, explains why he's disillusioned with religious rituals. "I was at a friend's wedding recently. The priest called upon the bride and the groom to perform holy rites, while the guests watched smoke rise from the sacrificial fire. The hall reverberated with the loud chanting of Sanskrit *mantras* by the priest sanctifying the marriage. Suddenly there was a protest. One of the guests, a Sanskrit scholar himself, was carefully hearing the *mantras* and was upset at the insensitivity of the priest. It seems the priest had been chanting *mantras* not connected to a marriage ceremony, and even included funeral *mantras*. A bigger shock for me was the callousness of the marriage party; they politely quieted the complaining guest and let the function go on unchanged. I left disappointed at the sham of a sacred wedding where no one understood or cared for the significance of the rituals." Nitin has reasons to be cynical. Since childhood he has seen increasing religious intolerance, global terrorism in the name of God, and corrupt clergy of various faiths. And even in India no one explains, for example, the rationale behind the pompous ceremonies performed during the annual festivals glorifying the ever-popular demigod Ganesa. *Why the Disillusionment?* Rituals, or prescribe procedures for worshiping God, are unique to each religious tradition. But these customs are often misunderstood and thus for many have earned a negative connotation. Adding to the problem is the fact that they tend to be used to serve purposes other than service to God. For example, they often help people express loyalty to a religion or gain acceptance within a community. Because rituals may be obligatory at various stages of life, they can consume substantial time, money, and energy. Intended to help us remember and serve God, they get diluted and are reduced to mechanical, repetitive acts. Not surprisingly, these blind rituals put off young, intelligent people like Nitin. *Reawakening Divine Love* The purpose of rituals is to reawaken the divine love of God within every living entity. The thick layer of material consciousness now covers that natural love. The founders and teachers of each faith therefore offer a set of rituals to help the followers gradually purify their consciousness of material contamination. For example, in the Vedic culture we perform the *arati* ceremony, during which a devotee offers water, a burning wick, fragrant incense, and other items to God, Kṛṣṇa. This ritual is intended to help the devotee realize that God is the source of fragrance, heat, and all other elements in the material creation. Devotees accept the *arati* ritual as an opportunity to acknowledge God's proprietorship and our dependence on Him for our basic needs. Through the *arati* ceremony, devotees offer the elements back to Kṛṣṇa, reciprocating with His kindness and expressing the intention to love Him. When we forget the divine purpose of rituals and get distracted by loud and grandiose externals, the rituals become an end in themselves. Like traffic laws, rituals have a purpose. Traffic laws help drivers reach their destination smoothly. But despite strictly following the traffic laws, a motorist unsure of the destination is eventually lost. Similarly, a performer of religious rituals who is unaware of the goal of going back home, back to Godhead, is lost in the material world. By keeping such a person bound in material consciousness, the rituals have the opposite effect of what they're supposed to achieve. *Can We Do Without Rituals?* While pursuing a spiritual life, some people drift to the other extreme and denounce rituals of any kind. They claim that since God ultimately sees our divine intention, rituals aren't necessary at all—any spontaneous outpouring of the heart is spiritual. Thus they reject profound sacred practices that over centuries have helped devotees connect to God. But for most of us, distracted as we are by worldly affairs, *ritual*s are essential. Rituals and other externals—gorgeous temples, beautifully decorated Deities, congregations engaged in singing and dancing—create a favorable ambience and stimulate devotees to go deeper to connect with God. An unclean place, irregular habits, and whimsical, aggressive behavior create negative energy, distracting the devotee from the *spirit*ual quest. Although the internal mood is critical in our communion with God, the external formulas, as presented through the *ritual*s, influence the internals. While substance is ultimately important, the form helps to carry and preserve it. If we blend *spirit* with *ritual*, we get *spirit*ual. *The Transformative Element* As properly performed rituals gradually do their work of purifying our consciousness, they become fresher and more meaningful each time we perform them. Although apparently repetitive, they are spiritually nourishing. For rituals to be transformative, they must include the element of remembrance of God. As stated in the *Padma Purana,* "Kṛṣṇa should always be remembered and never forgotten at any time. All the rules and prohibitions mentioned in the scriptures should be the servants of these two principles." In the spiritual world, devotees serve Lord Kṛṣṇa through a beautiful variety of rituals and services, such as offering *arati,* making garlands, and singing and dancing in joy for His pleasure. Rich spiritual love for Kṛṣṇa soaks each of these offerings. In the material world, by cultivating a desire to serve Kṛṣṇa while practicing the rituals, a practitioner's heart gets reformed: Selfish passions give way to the spirit of selfless service, arrogance transforms into humility, and envy becomes appreciation of others. *No Compromise* Devotees may sometimes adjust the rituals according to time, place, and circumstance, but they don't compromise on the essence. For example, when Śrīla Prabhupāda installed Deities in temples during the early days of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement in the West, he didn't have the priests and paraphernalia necessary to observe all the usual rituals. Instead, he conducted small but devotionally potent programs centered on the chanting of the holy names of the Lord. He adjusted the details without compromising the spiritual essence. If one can afford to, one should offer the best to Kṛṣṇa. But a person without such means can still offer Kṛṣṇa, with love and devotion, a simple leaf, flower, fruit, or water. (*Bhagavad-gītā* 9.26) Kṛṣṇa is known as *bhava-grahi,* which means that he accepts the love with which something is offered. Eagerness to please Kṛṣṇa is more effective in earning His favor than strict compliance with rituals, as shown especially by His Vṛndāvana pastimes. *Simplicity Versus Blind Rituals* Once Kṛṣṇa asked His hungry childhood friends to beg for food from some ritualistic *brahmanas* who lived nearby. The *brahmanas* were busy performing sacrifices and had arranged a variety of food as a part of the program. When the boys appealed to these men on behalf of Kṛṣṇa, they ignored the request. Kṛṣṇa is the goal of all Vedic knowledge and sacrifices (*Bhagavad-gītā* 15.15), but the vastly learned priests missed this point because of their absorption in the form of worship rather than the substance: Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa was willing to reward the *brahmanas* by receiving their offerings and giving them benedictions, which are the goal of sacrifices. But the false pride of material expertise blurred the hard-working *brahmanas*' vision of Kṛṣṇa. They were like a man who works so hard that he has no time to collect his paycheck. The boys were disappointed, but Kṛṣṇa encouraged them to now approach the *brahmanas'* wives, who were simple hearted and not well versed in Vedic rituals. In contrast to the husbands with their cold response, these women were overjoyed to hear Kṛṣṇa’s request and rushed to Him with all of the food offerings. Although their husbands, fathers, and sons tried to prevent them from going to Kṛṣṇa, they were unstoppable. Their example proves that simple acceptance of Kṛṣṇa as the most worthy object of love, along with an eagerness to please Him, attracts His attention more than ostentatious rituals. Later the men realized their folly. They glorified their wives and condemned their own learning, for it had blinded them to the loving service of Kṛṣṇa. By humbling the learned *brahmanas,* Lord Kṛṣṇa teaches us that rituals lose their spiritual potency when performed mechanically, without understanding their meaning and purpose. Mechanical practices are like an attractive but empty wrapper, devoid of the gift of love of God. Kṛṣṇa is our eternal loving father, waiting for us to return to Him. But spiritual joy eludes those who ignore reviving their relationship with Him. *Spiritual Practice for the Modern Age* Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the incarnation of the Supreme Lord for the modern age, presented the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa as the easy method to revive our relationship with Kṛṣṇa. As the very first effect, chanting cleanses the heart of material contamination. Thereafter, pure love of Kṛṣṇa gradually awakens. Unlike rituals, the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa is not constrained by considerations of things like time, place, and circumstance. But mechanical, parrotlike repetition of the *mantra* will not award the fruit of love of God. Śrīla Prabhupāda taught devotees to chant Kṛṣṇa’s holy names in the mood of a helpless child calling for its mother, for the call of a child in danger is not a blind ritual but an emotion-filled plea. Śrīla Prabhupāda writes, "There is a quality to such utterances [of the holy name] also. It depends on the quality of feeling. A helpless man can feelingly utter the holy name of the Lord, whereas a man who utters the same holy name in great material satisfaction cannot be so sincere." (*Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* 1.8.26, Purport) *A Need for Spiritual Education* The scriptures are filled with the prayers of great souls—Prahlada Mahārāja, Gajendra, and Kunti Devi to name a few. A devotee repeats these prayers, not as a stereotype ritual but with a desire to understand the content and feelings of the pure devotees offering them. With an enthusiasm to access the Lord's mercy, Kṛṣṇa conscious devotees invest their feelings into the prayers of great devotees, and they also offer their own prayers to Kṛṣṇa. A contemplative study of scriptures and a prayerful connection to God help devotees see all living entities as children of their compassionate Lord. This vision dissolves their false ego, softens their heart, and fills it with love and kindness toward all beings. If Nitin studies the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and spends time with practicing devotees, his doubts and misgivings about Indian spirituality will be allayed. Even when ill-informed religious fervor dominates the social scene, Nitin will realize that there is no need to discredit rituals altogether. Rather, through rituals he can learn to offer his heart to Kṛṣṇa. *Vraja Vihari Dāsa, MBA, serves full-time at ISKCON Mumbai and teaches Kṛṣṇa consciousness to students at various colleges.* ## From the Editor *Prabhupāda's Aphorisms of Logic* One of India's traditional philosophical systems is **nyaya*,* or logic. Although it is distinct from the *bhakti* tradition of the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, Śrīla Prabhupāda would often draw from it to make philosophical points. Here's a collection of his favorite *nyaya* aphorisms, along with examples of the points he would use them to illustrate. *aja-gala-stana-nyaya:* The logic of getting milk from the nipples on the neck of a goat. Goats appear to have nipples on their necks, but those "nipples" don't produce milk, and thinking they do is foolishness. To consider material nature the cause of creation is a similar kind of foolishness. *andha-pangu-nyaya* (or *andha-kanja-nyaya)*: The logic of the blind man and the lame man. If a blind man carries a lame man on his shoulders, by their cooperation they can move forward. Similarly, modern society can make great progress if the legs of Western technology support the spiritual vision of India. **baka*ndha-nyaya:* Duck, egg logic. A duck (*baka*) sometimes follows a bull, thinking the bull's testicles to be eggs, which the duck will be able to eat. In illusion, people often have faith in the impossible, such as when scientists persist in believing they will someday create life. *suptotthita-nyaya:* The logic of rising from sleep. When rising from the dream world of sleep, we at once remember who we are and go on with our normal lives. Similarly, when we transmigrate to another body, we immediately take up our new life. *ardha-kukkuti-nyaya:* Half-hen logic. A foolish person might think he can cut off a hen's head and get eggs without having to feed the hen. When hearing Lord Kṛṣṇa’s instructions in the *Bhagavad-gītā,* we can't pick and choose; to be successful, we must accept everything He says. *nagna-matrka-nyaya:* The logic of the naked mother. "Because a woman was naked as a child, she must be naked as an adult." This represents the mistaken notion that people cannot change. To the contrary, no matter how we begin our lives, the practice of *bhakti-yoga* can transform us into pure lovers of God. *sakha-candra-nyaya:* The logic of seeing the moon through the branches of a tree. This indicates seeing from a different frame of reference and refers to the use of analogies, which can help us see things differently. Prabhupāda used many analogies to explain difficult topics. *kupa-manduka-nyaya:* The logic of the frog in the well. This refers to the idea that a frog who has lived its whole life in a well cannot possibly understand the vastness of the ocean. Similarly, with our small brains and limited experience, we greatly underestimate the breadth and depth of God's creation, especially the spiritual dimension. *tandula-vrscika-nyaya:* The logic of scorpions being born from rice. Sometimes scorpions emerge from a pile of rice and thus seem to be born from the rice, when in fact they are born from eggs within the rice. We living beings may appear to be born from the material energy, but we are spiritual entities who originate from beyond it. *kaka-*tal*iya *nyaya*:* The logic of the crow and the *tal* fruit. This refers to useless arguments. A crow flew off a branch, and a fruit fell from the branch at the same time. What's the point of arguing whether the crow made the fruit fall by flying away, or the fruit fell and scared the crow away? Prabhupāda used this *nyaya* to illustrate the futility of arguing about why we left the spiritual world to come to the material world. We're here, and we should concentrate on getting out. —Nagaraja Dāsa ## Vedic Thoughts By intense service of the Lord, one can experience the presence of the Lord transcendentally. Therefore seeing the Lord means being engaged in His service because His service and His person are identical. The sincere devotee should go on with sincere service of the Lord. The Lord will give proper direction as to how and where it has to be done. His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* 1.6.22, Purport Coveted objects like wealth, fame, and material enjoyment make one forget Kṛṣṇa. As a result, misfortune and inauspiciousness arise. Only devotional service is the reservoir of all auspiciousness. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvati Ṭhākura *Śrī Caitanya-bhagavata, Antya-khanda* 9.114, Commentary There are no religious principles other than Vaisnava dharma. All other religious principles that have been or will be preached are either supportive or distorted forms of Vaisnava dharma. Whenever they manifest as supportive, one should respect them. Whenever they appear to distort Vaisnava dharma, one should cultivate one's own devotional service without being envious. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura *Jaiva Dharma,* Chapter 8 Kṛṣṇa is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead—the perfect and complete supreme master, who stays above the material energy. We demigods, who are parts of the parts of His incarnations, create this world with the aid of His potencies. Lord Brahma *Śrī Garga-samhita* 2.9.2 I am never manifest to the foolish and unintelligent. For them I am covered by My internal potency, and therefore they do not know that I am unborn and infallible. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa *Bhagavad-gītā* 7.25 Self-controlled persons are able to see the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who cannot be seen by material eyes or understood by the material mind, who has no material family, no material caste, and no material eyes, ears, hands, or feet, who is eternal, all-powerful, all-pervading, subtle, and unchanging, and who is the creator of all. *Mundaka Upanisad* 1.1.5–6 O Narada, I, along with Parvati, Kartikeya, and Ganesa, always chant the Lord's holy names. I do not consider a cloudy day to be a bad day. The day that passes without discussions of Lord Kṛṣṇa is actually a bad day. Lord Siva *Śrī Narada-pancaratra* 2.2.25