# Back to Godhead Magazine #47 *2013 (06)* Back to Godhead Magazine #47-06, 2013 PDF-View Welcome Kṛṣṇa's deepest motive is His limitless love for His devotees. As Rasa Purusa Dasa shows in "Kṛṣṇa Controlled by Pure Devotees," Kṛṣṇa's devotion to His servants inspires Him to serve them, a reversal of His normal status, and a display of one His most endearing qualities. Hare Kṛṣṇa. —Nagaraja Dasa, Editor Letters *Qualifying to See Krsna's Beauty* I go to the temple regularly and also chant God's names, but still I cannot enjoy God's beauty. How can we enjoy His beauty? K. Jaisankar Via the Internet *Our reply:* What you mean by "enjoy His beauty" is unclear, but if there are deities at the temple you are going to, then God is there, and He is certainly beautiful. Perhaps the problem is that you don't yet have the eyes to see His beauty. A wonderful prayer says, "I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is Syamasundara, Kṛṣṇa Himself, with inconceivable innumerable attributes, whom the pure devotees see in their heart of hearts with the eye of devotion tinged with the salve of love." (*Brahma-samhita* 5.38) One has to be qualified to see God, what to speak of enjoy His beauty. He does not reveal Himself to everyone on demand. First one must become qualified, which means developing love of God and the exclusive desire to serve Him with love. The true devotee wants to attend to God's enjoyment, not enjoy God. Without becoming free from material desire, it is not possible to see and truly appreciate God's beauty. As stated in the prayer above, His attributes are inconceivable. First we have to chant His names, engage in His service, and purify our consciousness. Then gradually, in His own time, Kṛṣṇa will reveal Himself to us. Be patient. Take the time to chant with the intention to serve God, to share His holy name with others, and to understand who He is and what He wants. Then you will develop the qualification to get to know Him better. And to know Him is to serve Him with love. *Aliens Among Us I want to know, who is God?* Some people say that aliens came from the outer world and modified us, changed our thinking capability and made us human beings. If that is true, why did they do that? Are there really gods or an advanced species that can play with our minds? What is the purpose of our life? Why are we here? Jingyansu Choudhury Via the Internet *Our reply:* This planet is an alien place for all of us because we are from the spiritual planets; we don't belong here, where there is birth and death, disease and old age. We are eternal parts of the Supreme Person. We are the same in quality as God—eternal, full of knowledge and bliss—but we are minute and He is unlimited. From Himself, God emanated all of us, desiring to eternally enjoy with us in all kinds of relationships. But we decided we wanted to be in the supreme position, so He sent us here to the material world to pretend to be God and attempt to enjoy without Him. We keep trying, but with only dissatisfaction as the result. All relationships here are temporary and difficult, promising love but ending with frustration. We are meant to finish our business here and get out of this situation. We souls in the human form of life are more intelligent than animals and are therefore responsible for our actions. If we are always thinking of what we can get for ourselves, we suffer bad karmic reactions. If we instead inquire about our real position as God's loving servant, we can get help from His representatives, who teach us how to rectify our mentality and actions. Our original consciousness is to know that we are the eternal servants of God. That consciousness is now polluted by contact with our material situation. We can learn the arts and science of transcendental activities meant to please Him, called **bhakti*-*yoga**. The word *yoga* means "to connect," and *bhakti* is devotional service. Modern times are tough on our consciousness, with so many distractions. Therefore, the Lord Himself recommends that we chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra to keep connected with Him all the time. The vibration is identical to Kṛṣṇa, since He is absolute. If we go deeply into the chanting, we can revive our original Kṛṣṇa consciousness. God, Kṛṣṇa, is foreign to us only because our spiritual vision is clouded. Try the chanting, and read Kṛṣṇa's instructions in the *Bhagavad-gita*. They are practical, doable advice on how to transcend this material world and return to Kṛṣṇa in our original home. *Why Chant?* I want to know what is beyond life and death and why we chant God's name. What proof do we have for any of this? Prasad Renuk Via the Internet *Our reply:* The human form of life is the jumping off point for the spiritual platform, and it begins by enquiry into the Absolute Truth. If we don't get involved in the progression from material to spiritual, we will return to this temporary material existence. There is life after death, which can be a life free of old age, disease, and death. The Vedic literature gives direction on what we have to do to become transcendental to the selfish, envious material consciousness that keeps us here. We have to change our consciousness to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or God consciousness, by glorifying Him and remembering Him and our position as His servant. Chanting God's name is the rec-ommended process to revive our lost pure consciousness. So we encourage everyone to chant Krsna's holy names all the time. The proof of the effectiveness of the chanting can be seen in the expansion of the chanting all over the world since Prabhupada introduced it outside India in 1965. Nothing can compare to the amazing life-changing effects of chanting this mantra anywhere at anytime. Regardless of nationality or other bodily designation, people's hearts are becoming cleansed, and their natural love of God is awakening. Please try chanting and experience it yourself. Chanting is the seed of the science of self-realization, and you need to experiment to see the result. *Replies were written by Krishna.com Live Help volunteers. Please write to us at: BTG, P.O. Box 430, Alachua, Florida 32616, USA. Email: editors @krishna.com.* CORRECTION In your "Welcome" for the September/October issue, you say that Malati's Dasi's Jagannatha deity was discovered before Brahmananda Prabhu discovered Madana-Mohana. I don't think this is accurate. Prabhupada left for San Francisco in January of 1967, and almost immediately after that Brahmananda received the phone call from Sarna offering the devotees a gift, which turned out to be Madana-Mohana. Probably around that same time, on the West Coast, Gurudasa discovered Kartamisayi (plastic blue Kṛṣṇa). Malati found Jagannatha soon after Kartamisayi. Jagannatha was installed in late March, in time for the Western world's first Rathayatra in July. Jagannatha was most likely the first installed deity in ISKCON. Unless there is evidence to the contrary, I am quite certain this is the order of things. —Satyaraja Dasa Founder's Lecture: Krsna's Other Worshipers *Some indirect worshipers of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Srila Prabhupada explains, don't understand the Supreme Lord directly but appreciate some aspect of His greatness.* > jñāna-yajñena cāpy anye > yajanto mām upāsate > ekatvena pṛthaktvena > bahudhā viśvato-mukham > [Bg 9.15] Now, those who are directly worshiping the Supreme Lord, Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, they have been described as *mahātmā.* And there are others, worshipers; they cannot conceive of the Supreme Personality of Godhead directly on account of less..., on account of being less advanced. Therefore they have been described here *anye,* "others." So others, they worship the Absolute Truth in three different ways. The first-class others... Amongst the others, there is first class, second class, third class, as amongst the direct worshipers there..., there are first class, second class and third class. In every, I mean to say, department, as you have got experience in the material world, there are things first class, second class and third class. Even in this whole material world is under first class, second class and third class. The first class is mode of goodness, the second class is mode of passion and the third class is mode of ignorance. Simi..., in every department, more or less, there are three classes. So amongst the persons who worship the Absolute Truth not directly as the Personality of Godhead but as *ahaṅgrahopāsanam... Ahaṅgrahopāsanam* means taking himself as the Supreme. This we have already explained, that taking himself as the Supreme means, as the part and parcel of the Supreme, if we study myself, then I can understand also what is God. The only difference is: quantitatively, God is great and I am small. Otherwise, so far quality is concerned, that is one. So this *ahaṅgrahopāsanam,* that is number one. Then next *upāsanā,* next worship, is *ekatvena pṛthaktvena* [Bg 9.15]*. Pṛthaktvena* means pantheism. Just like there are persons who worship any demigod as God. Their opinion is that there are different forms of God, so any form we accept as God and worship, we shall be benefited. We shall approach the highest perfection. That is another section. So this can be adjusted that God is everywhere. That... There is no denying this fact, because by His energy, He is everywhere. Just like we are His energy. Living entities, they are superior energy of God. *Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām* [*Bg* 7.5]*. Parām* means superior. So we are also energy. So energy and the energetic, they're one. Just like the sun and the sunshine, they're not different. So wherever the sunshine is there, there is sun. You cannot deny that. Wherever the sunshine is there, there is sun. Similarly, wherever the energy of God is there, there is God. So in that way, everything is God. *Pṛthaktvena.* Everything... Pantheism. These are different processes. But these processes one has to transcend. Just like simply studying the sunshine is not complete study of the sun. Although sunshine is not different from the sun, still, if you simply study scientifically, scientifically, what is the molecules, what are these rays, where this brilliant illuminative thing... So many things you can go on studying. That is also, one sense, studying sun, but not sun also. So *pṛthaktvena* and *viśvato-mukham.* *Viśvato-mukham* means the universal form. Just like it is stated in the *śāstras,* the hills, oh, they are bones of God. The trees and grass and, I mean to say, vegetation, vegetation, they are just like hairs on the body of the Lord. So the, the ocean is the navel of God. In this way there are description. The highest planet, Svarga..., Brahmaloka, oh, that is the head of God. The lowest planet, Pātālaloka, that is, I mean to say, sole of the God. These things are described, the whole universal form. So somebody prefers the universal form, somebody prefers that "All, everything, whatever we see, it is God," and somebody prefers that "I am God." So these are different methods of appreciating God. But they're also accepted, because they have taken into the line. They are better than who are just like animals, simply eating, sleeping and defending and mating. But those who have taken either of these, *jñāna-yajñena, pṛthaktvena* and *viśvato-mukham...* So those who are impersonalist, they prefer these three processes. And those who are personalist, they prefer directly to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. So they're all transcendentalist. They're on the line. But here in the *Bhagavad-gītā,* those who are directly worshiping the Supreme Lord, they have been described as *mahātmā.* And those who are worshiping in other processes, they have been described, *anye. Anye* means others. So they have not been given so much importance, although they have been accepted. They have been... Because they have come to the line. Because... Suppose you are accepting the universal form of God. That is a fact also. Because the universe, this manifestation of the universe, is also manifestation of the energy of God. And the energy of God and God is not different. So therefore one who takes the manifestation of the energy as God, he's not mistaken. That is also true. Because there is nothing beyond God. If you think, "I am God," yes, you are also God. Because there is nothing beyond God. *Ahaṅgrahopāsanam.* If you think everything is God, that is also true. Because in the higher conception, there is nothing beyond God. *Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. Sarvam,* everything. But the Vaiṣṇava, those who are personalist, they take it in a different way. Why? Because in the *Bhagavad-gītā* it is said by the Lord, *mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagad avyakta-mūrtinā:* "I am spread all over the universe, all over the manifestation, in My impersonal feature." *Mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni nāhaṁ teṣu avasthitaḥ* [Bg 9.4]: "Everything is resting on Me, but I am not there*.*" *Paśya me yogam aiśvaram* [*Bg* 9*.*5]*.* So this simultaneously one and different, this philosophy, is accepted by Lord Caitanya, but it is also accepted in the *Bhagavad-gītā,* that *mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya* [*Bg* 7*.*7]*.* But this form, these two hands, with flute, Kṛṣṇa, form of Kṛṣṇa, there is nothing beyond this. So one has to come to this point. You may go in different way, accepting yourself as God, accepting everything as God, accepting the universal form of God. If you make actually progress, then you have come to this point. *Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ.* Again He says *mahātmā.* When he comes to that point of Kṛṣṇa, *bahūnāṁ janmanām ante...* [Bg 7.19]. This process you have to proceed, you have to make progress, many, many births. That is line. You have taken the line, that's all right. But it will take some time. Not in one life you'll come to that point. So therefore in the *Bhagavad-gītā* it is said that *bahūnāṁ janmanām ante*.** This is culture of spiritual knowledge*.* That's all right*.* But simply by culture of spiritual knowledge, without favor, without mercy of the Supreme Lord, you cannot approach the, I mean, ultimate goal*.* Therefore in the Eighteenth Chapter you'll find, *bhaktyā mām abhijānāti* [Bg 18*.*55]*.* These are all partial understanding of the Supreme. But if you accept this process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness*,* then you directly approach*,* directly approach the Su... Because after all*,* unless you approach to that point*,* that *vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti* [Bg 7.19]*,* "Here is Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa*,* Vāsudeva. He is everything"... So those who are intelligent*,* they take the root. You see? Therefore in the *Caitanya-caritāmṛta* you'll find in a very nice verse*,* *kṛṣṇa yei bhaje sei baḍa catura.* [Cc Madhya 19.151] *Catura* means very intelligent. One who worships Kṛṣṇa directly, he's very intelligent. Why he's very intelligent? He does not take so much roundabout way; he goes directly. If it is a fact that one has to come to this point for perfection of knowledge, why not take it immediately? I may not understand anything; I accept it. Let me accept it blindly. Some scientist and some layman... And the teacher says, "This is fire." Oh, scientist says, "Oh, I'll see the characteristics of fire. I must see. Then I shall accept." All right, you can see. And somebody says, "All right, you are teacher. You are saying it is fire. All right, I accept it." But the scientist, who after studying the characteristics fire may come to the fire, he'll also feel the warmth of the fire, the heat of the fire, the light of the fire. He'll also understand. And this man, blindly or by devotion, by love, accepts... The result is the same, because fire is fire. Either you blindly touch it or your scientifically touch it, fire will act. So this *Bhagavad-gītā* says that those who are trying to make a show of their knowledge, so let them do that. *Viśvato-mukham.* The universal form, pantheism, monotheism, monism—we have so many theories. But not atheism. You see? So they will have come to this point. And **sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ*.* Why does He say, *sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ*? Because the path is not very easy. Spiritual path and to attain complete perfection is not very easy, especially in this age. In this age we are not living for long time. We are not very intelligent. We may think that we are very intelligent, but we are not intelligent, because we do not know "What I am." Ask anybody, "What you are?" He has the conception of this body. Therefore he's not intelligent. As soon as one will say, "Yes, I am this, such-and-such gentleman, a son of such-and-such gentleman. My country is such and such," these are all false. So nobody knows it. Therefore one who does not know it... Sanātana Gosvāmī—we were teaching in the morning—he said that *grāmya-vyavahāre kahe paṇḍita:* "Even the laymen, the laymen, they call me a very learned man. I accept it. But actually, I am not learned man." Why? "Because I do not know what I am. If I do not know what I am, then what is the use of other knowledge?" So actually, the intelligent person who knows his real position, his constitutional position, and his relationship with Kṛṣṇa, then he takes directly this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And that is recommended in the *Bhagavad-gītā* and all scriptures. All scriptures. But if you want to go roundabout way, you can go, but you have come to this ultimate point. That is the conclusion. Then there are divisions of Vedic knowledge: fruitive activities, worship and knowledge. So Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is describing about the fruitive activities, sacrifice. In sacrifice we require so many things. *Dravya-yajña.* By material things... We require clarified butter, we require grains, we require *mantra,* chanting and fire. So many things we require. So Lord says, > ahaṁ kratur ahaṁ yajñaḥ > svadhāham aham auṣadham > mantro 'ham aham evājyam > aham agnir ahaṁ hutam > [Bg 9.16] "Now, all this paraphernalia for sacrificing a *yajña,* for performing a sacrifice—the fire, the butter, the clarified, the wood, and the *mantra* and other paraphernalia—everything is Myself. Everything I am." That's true, because everything is produced by His energy. Anything, whatever you take, that's a transformation of energy. *Parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktiḥ sarvedam akhilaṁ jagat* [Viṣṇu Purāṇa]: "Whatever you are seeing in the universal manifestation, they are simply manifestation of the different energy of the Supreme Lord." Just like in this room, this illumination is the energy of this light. Therefore we are seeing each..., one another. Similarly, as the fire is placed in one place but it distributes its heat and light, similarly, although the Lord is in His supreme abode, His energy is acting. The same example: just like the sun planet is far, far away, but its energy, sunshine, is all-over distributed, over the manifestation, material manifestation. *So He's everything.* > pitāham asya jagato > mātā dhātā pitāmahaḥ > vedyaṁ pavitram oṁ-kāra > ṛk sāma yajur eva ca > [Bg 9.17] Now He says, *pitāham asya jagataḥ:* "I am the father of this material world." How He becomes father? What is the definition of father? The father is who gives the seed. He is father. And again He says *mātā:* "I am mother also." What is the definition of mother? Mother receives the seed from the father, and the child is born. Similarly, this material energy is the mother, this... We have got this body from mother. So this matter, material covering, is the mother. And I am, I am spiritual spark, the seed. I am the part of Supreme. So the material energy is also the energy of the father, and as I am a spiritual spark, I am also a part of the Supreme. So He is my father and mother. Therefore somebody worships the Supreme Lord as mother, Goddess Kālī, or... That is materialism. Because in the present conception of our life, this body given by the mother is matter. Therefore worship mother means worship the matter. That's all. There are so many worship of mother. You worship your country. That is the same, material worship. This is called *śakty-upāsanā. Śakti. Śakti* means you are worshiping the energy of the Lord, not the Lord directly. You are worshiping the energy. All this nationalism or so many "ism" we have discovered, they are... Even the scientist. Scientist also, they worshiping the mother. He's finding out the complexities of the matter, so he's also worshiping mother. So materialism. This is called materialism. One who is worshiping the mother, material energy, he's called *śakta.* There are five stages of evolution: *śakta,* then *gāṇapatya,* then *saura,* then *śaiva,* then *vaiṣṇava.* In this way, there are five stages. So the impersonalist, they worship in five ways, *pañcopāsanā.* They are called *pañcopāsanā.* So one..., when he comes to the Viṣṇu stage, he comes to the real stage. But impersonal Viṣṇu, all-pervading Viṣṇu, but when he come to the personal Viṣṇu, then that is perfection of worship. So, so any kind of worship the Lord accepts, in this way*.* But that acceptance and devotional acceptance is different*.* If you are worshiping materialism, that's all right*.* You get material benefit*.* Actually you are getting*.* You are getting*.* But that is not spiritual*.* *Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham* [Bg 4*.*11]*.* One who worships the Supreme Lord materially, he gets material benefit. And one who worships spiritually, he gets spiritual benefit. But you cannot expect spiritual benefit by material worship. That is not possible. Everything accepted as the worship of the Supreme, but they have got different result also. Just like in the ordinary life: you are working in office as a clerk, you cannot expect the salary of the high court judge. How can you expect? As you are working, you'll get a salary. Similarly, everything is God. That's all right. Everything is government service. But a foolish constable is not equal to the magistrate. He can say, a constable also can say, that "I am in government service." That's all right. But you are not equal to the magistrate. You are not equal to the high court judge. You may be government servant. That's all right. So similarly, everything is worship of God. That's all right. But you cannot be equal to the supreme worshiper. *Na ca mām.* "There is nobody dearer than Me..., than he...," in the *Bhagavad-gītā* you'll find. So our ultimate aim is how to become in confidence of the Supreme Lord*.* So if you want to be in confidence of the Supreme Lord, then you have to take this devotional service*.* *Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti, yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ* [Bg 18*.*55]*.* The Lord says, "One can confidentially understand Me by *bhakti,* by devotional service, not by any other means." "Not by any other means." *Bhaktyā.* It is clearly stated. So if you want to be directly in touch, directly in touch with the president, then you have to work differently. And if you are satisfied to become a constable in the government service, that is a different thing. You cannot contact. So there, although everything is God worship, still, there are degrees, there are differences. We must remember. Then He says, > gatir bhartā prabhuḥ sākṣī > nivāsaḥ śaraṇaṁ suhṛt > prabhavaḥ pralayaḥ sthānaṁ > nidhānaṁ bījam avyayam > [Bg 9.18] The Lord says that *gatir bhartā. Gati* means "Everyone is coming to Me gradually," *gati. Gati* means destination. "They're all coming to Me." And *bhartā. Bhartā* means maintainer. God is maintaining us. God is maintaining us, and He's giving us chance, "All right. You come this way or that way, that way. That's all right. Come gradually, gradually. That's all right." *Gatir bhartā prabhuḥ. Prabhu* means He is the Lord. Nobody can be equal... Otherwise there is no question of worship. If you think that "I am God," so there is process of worship also: the, I mean to say, *ahaṅgrahopāsanam.* Just like we, devotees, we offer flowers to the Lord, they take the flower and offer to themselves. We offer the garland to the Supreme Lord in the..., on the statue, or the form of Lord. And they take the garland and put on his own neck. You see? So the question is that if you are God, then why you are worshiping..., why others not worshiping you? You are worshiping yourself. So what kind of God you are? Everyone worships, "Oh, I am the Lord. I am everything." So this is a sense that in that process one may understand, if one day comes into his sense, "Well, I am God. I am worshiping myself. But if I go to the street, nobody asks me. What kind of God I am?" So this sense should come. I may think, "Well, I understand that God lifted the hill. Kṛṣṇa, He lifted the hill at the age of seven years. Oh, I cannot lift even hundred pounds or fifty pounds. What kind of God I am?" So this sense should come. You can worship yourself as God. That's all right. That's a process. That process is to understand that you study yourself, and then you understand the real constitution of God, not that you become God. So these are different methods, of course. But we should not be satisfied simply by the methods. We should try to go further, on and on. Just like a little boy, he is promised by the father... He is in the eighth class. Father says, "My dear boy, if you can pass this eighth class, then I can make you a magistrate. I shall make you a magistrate." Boy is very enthusiastic: "I shall become a magistrate." You see? So similarly, these are some of the encouragement. And actual point is, that we have come to the last point, is *vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ* [Bg 7*.*19]*.* If you want to be the rare, great soul, then you have to come ultimate to Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord*.* Thank you very much. Tears of Sorrow, Tears of Gratitude: Seeing Krsna's Hand in the Tragic Deaths of Devotees *Sometimes it's hard to remember that every event in the life of aspiring devotees is an opportunity to deepen our love for Kṛṣṇa* SOMETIMES DEVOTEES meet with fatal accidents, as happened in June of last year when an air crash tragically killed eight dedicated members of the ISKCON Mumbai, Chowpatty, devotee congregation. As the community gathered to mourn the loss of their dear fellow devotees, one question arose repeatedly and insistently: "If Kṛṣṇa is truly the protector of His devotees, then how can we make sense of such a ghastly accident?" This question resonates far beyond any particular event and relates to the overall pattern of Kṛṣṇa's interactions with His devotees. Tragedies like these are, no doubt, emotionally devastating, even for spiritual leader of the Chowpatty devotee community, poignantly expressed this insight with the gentle exhortation: "Let your every tear be a tear of gratitude to Kṛṣṇa." How can we possibly be grateful to Kṛṣṇa in the face of great tragedy, especially when our fellow devotees are involved? Once we begin practicing devotional service to awaken our love for Kṛṣṇa, everything that happens in our life is an opportunity to go deeper into that love. For that we should be grateful—even when opportunities come in the form of heartbreaking tragedies—because love for Kṛṣṇa is indestructible, even by death. Let's understand this spiritual love better. *The Door Out of The Disaster Movie* All of us long to love and to be loved. Most of us seek love at the material level and thereby unwittingly become participants in a disaster movie. Disaster movies generally show people caught in some natural calamity, trying heroically to save themselves and others from impending doom. Though disaster movies may be popular, not many of the people who like them would want to find themselves in an actual disaster; there's no guarantee of a fairy-tale ending. Even fewer are the people who realize that all of us face a real-life disaster that's unfolding before our eyes. The name of this all-consuming disaster is the relentless approach of death: A hundred percent of the people reading this article will be wiped out a hundred years from today. Despite this hundred-percent casualty rate, most of us don't feel that life is like a disaster movie. One reason is that the movie of life unfolds in slow motion, allowing us to forget the direction of its motion if we want to. And we fervently want to. Why? Because the reality of death is inconvenient and unpleasant for us. It ruins our hopes for success and glory in the material realm. So we want to forget it. And forget we do. But even if we forget it, the disaster movie is real. And we are not spectators. We are actors who dream of being victors but end up being victims. This is our unfortunate fate as long as we seek love in the material realm. *Bhakti* shows us a way out of this doomed fate by connecting us with an eternal object for our love: Kṛṣṇa. This connection doesn't stop the disaster of death, but enables us to come out of its path. To understand how, we need to review the philosophical fundamentals taught in the *Bhagavad-gita*. *Resolving Our Essential Dilemma* The *Gita* (2.11-30) informs us that we as eternal souls can't even be touched, let alone destroyed, by anything material-even death. The *Gita* (18.65-66) further reveals how Kṛṣṇa offers us a standing invitation to a life of eternal love, a life outside the disaster-prone area of material existence. All we need to do is redirect our love towards Him. When we start redirecting our love devotionally, Kṛṣṇa expertly starts orchestrating our life and thereby providing us opportunities to increase our love for Him. Frequently, Kṛṣṇa's orchestration provides us increased means to practice devotional service. However, the world simultaneously allures us with promises of material pleasure and distracts us from using these devotional opportunities. This underscores our essential dilemma as aspiring devotees practicing spiritual life in material existence: We need to act on both the spiritual and the material levels. At the spiritual level, we try to increase our love for Kṛṣṇa by remembering Him internally and serving Him externally. At the material level, we act to use the material in service of the spiritual. Nonetheless, the material always has the potential to tempt us and mislead us away from Kṛṣṇa. Whatever attachments we have to the material are hazardous distractions on our spiritual journey. Throughout our lives we struggle to protect ourselves from these allurements. Kṛṣṇa helps us in our struggle by periodically showing us the insubstantiality of the material through the distress and disaster that characterize material existence. *Kṛṣṇa-bhakti* may or may not change the way material nature acts, but it definitely changes the way those actions of material nature affect us. So, although material nature may take its normal distressing course and cause tragedies even in the lives of devotees, the effect of such tragedies on devotees is different from that on nondevotees. For those who have lived in for-getfulness of Him, Kṛṣṇa as death comes to take away everything: as naked souls they have to go to the next life with nothing but the burden of their karma. For those who have been cultivating devotion, however, Kṛṣṇa as death takes away whatever may have caused distraction from the treasure of *bhakti*. This in fact is the vision with which Vyasadeva consoles Yudhisthira Maharaja, who is grieving the death of his young nephew Abhimanyu in the Kurukshetra war. In the Mahabharata, Vyasadeva says, "No enjoyment in this world would be able to entice Abhimanyu away from where he has now gone, O King. He shines like a god in a splendid new body. We should grieve for those still living rather than for those who have attained such an end." Thus, for devotees death is a transition that takes them from the arena of distraction to the arena beyond distraction or at least an arena closer to Kṛṣṇa. To our finite material vision it may appear that this transition takes place gracefully for some devotees; they may depart surrounded by other devotees chanting and praying for them. And, to our finite material vision, it may also appear that this transition happens in a dreadful way for other devotees; they may depart in a tragic airplane crash, or in some other shocking way. But our finite material vision doesn't show us how Kṛṣṇa is lovingly and expertly doing whatever it takes to clear off the residual distractions of those devotees and enable them to come closer to Him, undistracted. *The Vision of Faith* Of course, all of us have our own individual material distractions to remove, and Kṛṣṇa knows much better than us the best ways to increase our devotional focus. That's why—though we may not know why things happen in a particular way, or where exactly someone will go after death—we can be sure about the safety of those who place themselves in Kṛṣṇa's hands, for His are the safest of all hands. So we can be assured in our faith that Kṛṣṇa has guided, even escorted, our departed devotee friends to a level where they can focus primarily, or even exclusively, on their greatest treasure of devotion. Srila Prabhupada urges us to adopt this vision of faith in his purport to *Srimad-Bhagavatam* 3.16.37, after discussing how throughout history various exalted devotees have severely suffered; "Seeing all these reverses affect devotees, one should not be disturbed; one should simply understand that in these matters there must be some plan of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The *Bhagavatam'*s conclusion is that a devotee is never disturbed by such reverses. He accepts even reverse conditions as the grace of the Lord. One who continues to serve the Lord even in reverse conditions is assured that he will go back to Godhead, back to the Vaikuntha planets." It is natural that we agonize over the sudden loss of the company of our fellow devotees, and it is natural that we shed tears of sorrow. At the same time, death reminds us that we have been gifted with a treasure that survives, even trumps, death and that we need to urgently enrich our hearts with that treasure before it is too late. We feel grateful to Kṛṣṇa for having given us that treasure, for having connected us with devotees who by their living, and especially by their leaving, have increased our appreciation of the value of that treasure. Thus the sudden death of our fellow devotees causes us to shed tears of both sorrow and gratitude; sorrow because death has ended our connection with them in this world, and gratitude because Kṛṣṇa has given us the opportunity to connect with Him and His family of loving devotees at a level that death can never bring to an end. *Caitanya Carana Dasa is a disciple of His Holiness Radhanatha Swami. He holds a degree in electronic and telecommunications engineering and serves full time at 1SKCON Pune. He is the author of eleven books. To read his other articles or to receive his daily reflection on the* Bhagavad-gita*, '"*Gita*-daily, " visit thespiritual scientist.com* Frankenfish, and Why Some Edibles Just Aren't Good Food *Inadvertently, genetically modified food might scare people into sticking to what nature provides and Kṛṣṇa recommends.* *Just because humans can eat something, that doesn't mean they should.* RECENT ADVANCES in genetic engineering (GE) seem to twist nature's arm. Now scientists alter the genetic code within seeds or eggs to make "improved" plants and animals. Wealthy countries use special GE corn and soy to insure an enormous cash crop in the form of fodder for livestock and to make ingredients for processed fast food, such as the corn syrup in soft drinks. So far scientists have mastered a few crops, but will they revolutionize the food industry with an engineered fish? In December 2012, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced its intention to sanction the first transgenic living organism. GE opponents quickly dubbed it "the Frankenfish." It was invented by AquaBounty at their farm in Prince Edward Island, Canada. With headquarters in Maynard, Massachusetts, AquaBounty has been conducting fishy experiments since the early 90s. To produce the Frankenfish, the genetic material of cold water Atlantic Ocean pout (looks like an eel) is inserted into an artificially compressed salmon egg. The pout puts on fat faster than a salmon, hence the combination makes a fattier fish. However, the material from the pout doesn't exactly combine with the salmon's DNA. It is rejected, causing inflammation. A growth factor (GF-1) is then added to accelerate reproduc-tion of the inflammation. The fish grows twice as big and three times as fast as it would have without the engineering.1 With so many fast-food restaurants looking for a substitute for red meats, linked to obesity and heart disease, fish is in big demand. Because of overfishing, the ocean population of wild fish is predicted to become nearly extinct in this century. Fish farms are the future. Will the FDA approve the mass production of a manipulated living organism for human consumption? *Fears of the Frankenfish* Some internal biologists predict that eating the GE fish will cause allergic reactions and stomach ulcers. The FDA does not do any testing itself; all of the testing is left up to AquaBounty, which claims their fish is perfectly safe. Some environmental scientists say the new fish poses a danger to ocean fish. A Frankenfish loose in the sea would enter the food chain and quickly create an imbalance. After some decades native ocean fish would be wiped out.2 Those who wish for ethical treat-ment of animals complain that this fish will never spawn, swim freely, or live a full life span. And the poor creatures tend to develop birth defects from growth hormones, grow humpbacks, and develop jaw erosion or multisystemic focal inflammation.3 As sterile females with poor longevity, they will require gallons of antibiotics to remain alive in their small underwater fish farms. They will need to be harvested at an early age to prevent disease from establishing itself within the stock. Side bar *Selective Breeding vs. Genetic Engineering* Natural breeding crosses similar organisms. For example, two kinds of wheat, one that grows in winter and one that is abundant, may be crosspollinated to develop a plant that produces grain in cold regions. Most of our food is a product of development painstakingly guided by cultivators for thousands of years. Nature, however, will only allow two closely related plants to be crossed. There is no allowance for combining two unrelated species, as in the case of genetic engineering. According to Craig Holdrege, Ph.D., director of The Nature Institute, "To make a GM plant, scientists need to isolate DNA from different organisms-bacteria, viruses, plants and sometimes humans. They then recombine these genes biochemically in the lab to make a gene construct which can consist of DNA from five to fifteen different sources." A GM food plant has minute elements unnatural to its own biology. These elements are passed on to the organism that consumes it. How does that affect health? Additionally, the genes of the GM plant entering into any surrounding wild or cultivated species by pollination may threaten the quality of those species. The food chain of all living organisms would be altered in time. The difference seems clear. Selective breeding does not attempt to work outside the limits imposed by the order and balance of nature, whereas genetic engineering tries to cut her open and rewire her, with some dubious results. Although persons with a vested interest in GE choose to ignore these points, the traditional methods of plant and animal crossbreeding do not bear much resemblance to GE. Environmentalists predict disaster, animal rights advocates cry cruelty, and biologists describe possible health risks and lawsuits. Meanwhile the FDA announces they are on the verge of approval. Is there a veritable edible monster waiting for us in the basement of world food consumption? It would seem we need to ask ourselves a basic question before we can even begin to confront the lurking horror of the Frantional Journal of Biological Sciences, "There was a clear negative impact on the function of kidney and liver in rats consuming GM maize varieties for just ninety days." (A Comparison of the Effects of Three GM Corn Varieties on Mammalian Health, 2009) texture, moisture, color, aroma, and radiance. A tree-ripened mango has a glow, hue, and perfume that can attract attention from across a room. How many times have we had a meal with family or friends when someone remarked, "Wow, this tastes amazing!" Good flavor has integrity; it enthralls us because it contains vital subtle elements of the earth imparted to plants. Tasty and satisfying, simple fruits or vegetables can sustain the body and deliver vitality all day long. The ancient Vedas call this potency pustñ. Though generally translated as "nutrition," it is Mother Earth's gracious power, bestowed by the Supreme Lord, to sustain and maintain all living creatures. Srila Prabhupada comments on the inherent value of plants: "Krsna's arrangement is complete. The herbs, plants, trees, and creepers, they grow luxuriously and supply the needs of the human being. Every plant and creeper has got some service. We simply do not know how to use them. Experienced men, they collect so many ausadhi [herbs]. We are neglecting these herbs and vegetables, but because we do not know how to use them we are confronted with so many bills from the doctor." (Lecture, 1974) Our ability to discern how every vegetable and creeper has some service to offer human beings can be the dawning of spiritual awareness, as well as good health. In his purport to *Bhagavad-gita* 17.10, Srila Prabhupada writes, The purpose of food is to increase the duration of life, purify the mind, and aid bodily strength. This is its only purpose. In the past, great authorities selected only those foods that best aid health and increase life's duration, such as milk products, sugar, rice, wheat, fruits, and vegetables. ... All these foods are pure by nature. They are quite distinct from untouchable things like meat and liquor. Fatty foods, as mentioned in the eighth verse, have no connection with animal fat obtained by slaughter. Animal fat is available in the form of milk, which is the most wonderful of all foods. Milk, butter, cheese, and similar products give animal fat in a form which rules out any need for the killing of innocent creatures. Slaughter is the way of subhumans. Protein is amply available through split peas, dal, whole wheat, etc. Food is our most fundamental connection with the Supreme. God imparts the delicious mystery of exquisite taste and also the relief of hunger. He is our very power of digestion. By His grace we are enjoying life. Srila Prabhupada writes, According to Ayur-vedic sastra, we understand that there is a fire in the stomach which digests all food sent there. When the fire is not blazing there is no hunger, and when the fire is in order we become hungry. Sometimes when the fire is not going nicely, treatment is required. In any case, this fire is a representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. ... *Sabdadhibhyo 'ntah pratisthanac ca* [*Vedanta-sūtra* 1.2.27]: the Lord is situated within sound and within the body, within air and even within the stomach as the digestive force. There are four kinds of foodstuff-some are drunk, some are chewed, some are licked up, and some are sucked-and He is the digestive force in all of them. (*Bhagavad-gita* 15.14, Purport) Meanwhile the long-term effects of genetically modified (GM) foodstuffs on human health and the environment remain in question. As the fire of digestion, the Supreme Personality of Godhead doesn't have to efficiently digest foods not chosen by Vedic authorities as fit for human consumption. And chronic indigestion causes disease. We depend fully on food, yet with all of modern industrial enterprise we cannot devise anything that can take its place. No modern scientific laboratory equipped with chemicals, test tubes, and scientists with Ph.D.'s has ever invented a way to manufacture food in a tube. Certainly they try: to do so would be highly useful. Their efforts in the form of genetically modifying plants and animals have been arduous and even grotesque. Srila Prabhupada explains: Godless civilization-they can no more depend on the natural gifts. They think that by industrial enterprises they will get more money and they'll be happy And to remain satisfied with the food grains, vegetables, and natural gifts is a primitive idea. They say, "It is primitive." When men were not civilized, they would depend on nature, but when they are advanced in civilization, they must discover industrial enterprises. (Lecture, 1974) Since the dawn of history human beings have obediently cooperated with nature by becoming the cultivators of seeds, plants, and trees. Now they've become manipulators, violating the laws of nature, which are under the strict jurisdiction of the Supreme. Man is allowed to produce food in gracious cooperation with nature but is not allowed to exploit her resources to maximize profit or the slaughter of innocent creatures. *Food As a Loving Offering* According to the *Bhagavad-gita* (3.14), "All living beings subsist on food grains, which are produced from rains. Rains are produced by performance of yajna [sacrifice], and yajna is born of prescribed duties." Srila Prabhupada comments: Food grains and vegetables are factually eatables. The human being eats different kinds of food grains, vegetables, fruits, etc., and the animals eat the refuse of the food grains and vegetables, grass, plants, etc. Human beings who are accustomed to eating meat and flesh must also depend on the production of vegetation in order to eat the animals. Therefore, ultimately, we have to depend on the production of the field and not on the production of big factories.... The Lord can be satisfied by sacrifices: therefore, one who cannot perform them will find himself in scarcity-that is the law of nature. The Lord does not say that in order to ensure our survival we need to splice together the genes of several fruits and fishes. Rather, He recommends spiritual sacrifice. He is God, so supplying food to us, no matter how many of us there are, is never beyond His abilities. As Mahatma Gandhi said, "The world has enough for everyone's need, but not enough for everyone's greed." Srila Prabhupada and the *Bhagavad-gita* strongly recommend we seek the help of God for getting food. By doing everything we do to please the supplier of the raw ingredients, we transform the way we think of food, and the way we grow, cook, distribute, and eat it. Whatever food the devotee receives, he or she first offers it to Kṛṣṇa, who says in the *Bhagavad-gita* (9.26), "If one offers me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit, or water, I will accept it." Lord Kṛṣṇa asks only that our foods be offered to Him with love. Srila Prabhupada writes: "In this way our karma is neutralized, for from the very beginning we are thinking that the food will be offered to Kṛṣṇa. We should have no personal desires for the food. Kṛṣṇa is so merciful, however, that He gives us food to eat. In this way our desire is fulfilled. When one has molded his life in this way-dovetailing his desires to Kṛṣṇa's-then it is to be understood that he has attained perfection in *yoga*." (*The Perfection of Yoga*, Chapter 4). In the practice of *yoga*, eating a properly prepared meal is required for mental and physical health. What's more, it is an essential component for developing our feelings of love of God. Just as cooking a meal for someone you care about is a gesture of affection, cooking meals for the Lord is a special act of transcendental love. The devotee collects and prepares the best natural ingredients with respect for the source of those ingredients and then offers food to Kṛṣṇa with prescribed prayers. The devotee partakes of the freshly cooked meal with a grateful awareness born of sacrifice. For one who eats only fine food prepared and offered with love, a special appreciation for what is sacred and pure develops. Kṛṣṇa is the very taste and love in the food. Who can impart divine realization through the sensation of flavor? It must be someone at least as ingenious as the most ingenious scientist. Give credit where credit is due. Let's first determine what Kṛṣṇa wants to eat, what He considers proper food, and prepare our meals with Him in mind. Then there will no longer be any question or debate about what is food. We will be fully satisfied-and well fed too. NOTES 1. http://www.naturalnews.com/ frankenfish.html 2. http ://gmoinside.org/news/l237-2/ 3. http://www.naturalnews.com/ frankenfish.html *Karima Dharini Devi Dasi, a disciple of His Grace Virabahu Dasa, serves the deities at 1SKCON Los Angeles, where she joined 1SKCON in 1979. She lives with her husband and daughter.* Honest Happiness by Ravīndra Svarupa Dasa *A genuine spiritual path imposes stringent demands on its practitioners.* If we don't want to be cheated, we must accept one undeniable law of spiritual life. SATURDAY afternoon at the Krishna-Balarama Mandir in Queens, NY, toward the end of conducting a workshop in chanting (*japayoga*), I felt thankful-as indeed I had on similar occasions-to be able to present the participants with the kind and reassuring statement that Kṛṣṇa Himself offered His *Bhagavatam*. And my auditors, whose sincerity and seriousness had become evident to me, were similarly grateful. If we don't want to be cheated, we must accept one undeniable law of spiritual life. It is not possible to give honest and effective guidance in spiritual advancement unless one states clearly and emphatically, without hedging and weasel-wording, certain fundamental laws of spiritual life. Industrial engineers design effective power plants by complying with the laws of thermodynamics. In the same way, the "science of selfrealization," as Prabhupada called it, imposes equally stringent demands on its practitioners. Most of us have on some occasion felt oppressed by the constraints of the law. If we are honest, we still accept them. Otherwise, we cheat. The temptation is to get something for nothing. If we give in to this temptation, we become cheaters, and often cheated ourselves. The confidence man Joseph "Yellow Kid" Weil famously claimed that he never cheated an honest person. "Each of my victims had larceny in his heart," he observed. *Rolex or Bolex?* In the Philadelphia airport, I had occasion at one time to observe a pair of free-lance peripatetic sellers of watches working the crowds. They drew you aside and offered you a rare deal: a gleaming Rolex watch for a few hundred dollars, a tenth of the retail price. It was imperative to sell them quickly. Naturally you wondered how they were able to sell such expensive timepieces so cheaply, but by their haste, furtiveness, and weighty silences you were led to surmise that the chronographs were stolen goods. Of course, when you got home all delighted with your watch, closer inspection revealed not a Rolex but a "Bolex," and it soon fell apart. *Spiritual life has its Bolex dealers: all very difficult—a botheration.* But if someone else says, "You may do whatever nonsense you like, simply take my mantra," then people will like him. The point is that people want to be cheated, and therefore cheaters come. No sents self-realization; my left, sense gratification. Then: "This in an inverse proportion," and I begin raising my right hand. "Look at my right hand-self-realization is going up, and when you look at my left hand on the other side, you see sense gratification goes down." Indeed, they see my left hand going lower and lower. "And when sense gratification begins to rise"-the left hand begins going up-"see on the right how self-realization declines." Having, I hope, driven the point home, I conclude: "But this does not happen," and I raise both hands simultaneously. If we respectfully follow this law, then authentic spiritual life entails at the beginning, for almost everyone, a struggle with the mind and the senses. Prabhupada gave us ample notice. For example: To pursue the transcendental path is more or less to declare war on the illusory energy. When we accept any process of selfrealization, we are actually declaring war against maya, illusion, and maya is certain to place many difficulties before us. Therefore, there is a chance of failure, but one has to become very steady. Whenever a person tries to escape the clutches of the illusory energy, she tries to defeat the practitioner by various allurements. A conditioned soul is already allured by the modes of material energy, and there is every chance of being allured again, even while performing transcendental disciplines. This is called yogac calita-manasah: deviation from the transcendental path. (*Bhagavad-gita* 6.37, Purport) And: "Devotional service is more or less a declaration of war against the illusory energy. As long as one is not strong enough to fight the illusory energy, there may be accidental falldowns. But when one is strong enough, he is no longer subjected to such falldowns...." (*Gita* 9.30, Purport) Until a practitioner becomes, in Prabhupada's phrase, "fixed up," the war on mdyd, the struggle with the mind and senses, may lead him or her to discouragement, depression, and even despair. One may give up, or become conned onto some cheating path, *kaitava-dharma*. Honesty, freedom from duplicity, is the first requirement. When we teach and follow the path of honesty, however, we need to know what to do when we struggle and sometimes fail. *Hope for the Spiritual Struggle* This is why I was happy, on that Saturday in Queens, to be able to recall Kṛṣṇa's words to Uddhava. Here (*Bhagavatam* 11.20.27-28) Kṛṣṇa describes His devotee who is still struggling with the senses. The practitioner is committed to the path: His faith in the process of devotional service has been awakened (*jata-sraddho mat-kathasii*), and he is disgusted with all materialistic activities (*nirvinnah sarva- karmasuf)* In fact, he knows very well that sense gratification of every kind has only suffering to offer him (*veda duhkhatmakan kamari)*. Nevertheless, when it comes to giving up sense enjoyment, he finds himself unable Here we find Kṛṣṇa's clear portrayal of a divided, conflicted soul, one whose firm convictions and actual behavior are in conflict. Although a devotee assumes that Kṛṣṇa knows everything, it may still offer some succor to hear Kṛṣṇa Himself describe what he's going through. What, then, should one in such a difficult position do? In this case, Kṛṣṇa goes on to say, the devotee should continue in his worship and remain happy and undiscouraged (*tato bhajeta mam pritah*). Pritah may be a startling word here: The dictionary offers "pleased, delighted, satisfied, joyful, glad" as translations. According to the commentary, "The Lord here encourages such a devotee not to be overly depressed or morose but to remain enthusiastic and to go on with his loving service." Kṛṣṇa continues: The devotee should go on worshiping Him with faith and strong determination (*sraddhalur drdha-niscayah*). Though he may sometimes indulge in sense enjoyment (*jusamanas ca tan kaman*), he knows that it leads to misery and he repents (*duskhodarkams ca garhayan*). Interestingly, this statement of Kṛṣṇa's to Uddhava appears in paraphrase in Prabhupada's purport to *Bhagavad-gita* 3.31. Prabhupada does not identify the source of his statement, but its provenance is obvious: "In the beginning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one may not fully discharge the injunctions of the Lord, but because one is not resentful of this principle and works sincerely without consideration of defeat and hopelessness, he will surely be promoted to the stage of pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness." Here we find no duplicity about one's own shortcoming, nor any hostility toward the divine injunctions: there is honesty, and at the same time there is *pritah*, no consideration of defeat and hopelessness. There can be honest happiness yet—even in Queens. *Ravīndra Svarūpa Dasa has been an 1SKCON Governing Body Com-missioner since 1987, with responsibilities in eastern Pennsylvania and five European countries. He has published a number of articles about Gaudiya Vaisnava philosophy and about ISKCON. This article was adapted from his website, soithappens.com* The City of Virtue Resounds to Krsna's Names *ISKCON's New Vedic Cultural Centre, built over a span of seven years, is one of the largest temples in Pune.* By Romapada Dasa EACE AND HARMONY were the recurring themes as the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee, inaugurated ISKCON's new spiritual and cultural complex in the Indian city of Pune on February 24, 2013. After describing the founder-*ācārya* of ISKCON, Srila Prabhupada, as an "exemplary ambassador of Indian culture," the President called upon the movement to dedicate itself to the cause of humanity by spreading the message of peace, harmony, love, and compassion. Mukherjee further said that India is the place of the oldest civilization in the world and added, "The message of Indian civilization is that of compassion, sacrifice, and renunciation." Built over a span of seven years, the eight-million-dollar project, known formally as the New Vedic Cultural Centre (NVCC), is one of the largest temples in Pune, with a built-up area of over 200,000 square feet spread over six acres of landscaped gardens. The cultural complex comprises two temples and four sets of deities. The main temple, built using customary red stone and marble, was constructed in North Indian architectural style and houses deities of Radha-Vrndavanacandra, Jagannatha-Baladeva-Subhadra, and Gaura-Nitai, several murals depicting pastimes of Kṛṣṇa, and a magnificent temple hall with elaborate domes. The other temple in the complex, built using Kota stone (a fine-grained limestone), is a replica of the Balaji temple in Tiru mala and houses the deities of Sri Venkatesvara Balaji and His consorts Sridevi and Bhūdevi. The Centre includes a multipurpose hall for about two thousand people on the ground floor, an annadan (prasada-distribution) hall for three thousand, a residential complex for three hundred brahmacaris, several conference and seminar rooms, a gift shop, and a snack bar. Upcoming features include a fine-dining restaurant offering various vegetarian cuisines and a multi-media theater. *The History* Pune is an ancient city that has existed since 847 CE and was known at that time as Punyanagari, or "the city of virtue." It is situated 175 kilometers southeast of Mumbai and is the eighth largest metropolis in the country. The city was once the center of power of the medieval Maratha empire. In the twentieth century it grew to become a hub for nationalistic activities for achieving independence from British rule. Srila Prabhupada visited Pune in 1976 and stayed at the residence of Bahri Malhotra, a prominent businessman and famous philan-thropist. While staying in his house, Srila Prabhupada told him, "I want to have a temple in Pune. Can you please help me build one?" His Holiness Gopala Kṛṣṇa Goswami, ISKCON's governing body commissioner for Pune, met Mr. Malhotra every time he visited Pune. In 1982, Mr. Malhotra and his friend Ramesh Thakkar helped ISKCON rent a bungalow from a retired army colonel in a military area in Pune known as Camp. The devotees installed deities of Radha-Kunjabihari and Gaura-Nitai in the rented temple and started spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness from there. *Running Out of Space* His Holiness Gopala Kṛṣṇa Goswami invited His Holiness Radhanatha Swami to join him in developing the Pune temple. Beginning in 1994, Vrndavana Dasa and Kṛṣṇananda Dasa served as temple presidents for a few years and developed the congregation in Pune. In 1995, Radhesyama Dasa, a graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), came to the Pune temple to develop the youth congregation. He became the temple president in 1997. Under his leadership many innovative ideas took root. For example, he compiled introductory courses on the *Bhagavad-gita* for university students and set up youth hostels for devotee students, called Vedic Oasis for Inspiration, Culture and Education (VOICE). The congregation started swelling its ranks, and several home programs sprung up all over the city. Also begun were a counseling program to provide personal guidance and care for the needs of the congregation, and several corporate training programs on stress management and life management. Sunday classes took shape for young children, older children, adolescents, and the elderly. Soon, devotees and visitors Balaji after his death. Three years later, Dr. Bannerjee passed away, and true to his promise he left his property and Lord Balaji to ISKCON. He had the firm conviction that only the ISKCON devotees would fulfill his deep desire to glorify Lord Balaji after he had gone. A few weeks later, a small shrine was erected on the side of the main temple in the rented premises. Lord Balaji came to reside there to the delight of the devotees. Lord Venkatesvara Balaji is called sriyah-pati, or the husband of the goddess of fortune. By His mercy, the devotees suddenly had enough funds to consider building a more permanent center in Pune. The $200,000 dollars from the sale of the bungalow became the seed money for turning Srila Prabhupada's instructions in 1976 into reality. *Kṛṣṇa Sends the Perfect Team* Gopala Kṛṣṇa Goswami instructed the devotees to use the funds to buy land for a new temple. The devotees found a six-acre plot with a small hill on the Katraj-Kondhwa road in the suburbs of Pune. "We had no funds and no expertise, and no one on our team," remembers Radhesyama Dasa. "We did not even know where to begin. Then the Lord sent a team of professional devotees who were experts in various activities such as fund raising, construction, government liaison, event management, media, and publicity. By His divine arrangement we began building the new temple for the satisfaction and pleasure of Srila Prabhupada." started feeling the pinch. Sunday feasts and festivals were jam-packed. Devotees, congregation members, and visitors had to compete for every square inch of space. The 150 resident brahmacaris shared three or four rooms in a mood of great austerity in the service of the Lord. Concerned that space limitations were hindering attempts to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness, devotees prayed to the Lord to reveal His plans. *Balaji Makes an Appearance* Dr. Bamandev Bannerjee, an elderly eye-surgeon, was living alone in a big house. He had no children, and his wife had died a few years earlier. He visited the ISKCON temple in Pune and met His Holiness Gopala Kṛṣṇa Goswami. Dr. Bannerjee was highly impressed by the opulent and strict standard of deity worship in ISKCON, which followed the traditional pancaratriki system, and placed a request before Gopala Kṛṣṇa Goswami. "I have a large deity of Lord Venkatesvara Balaji in my house," he said. "But due to old age, I am not able to take care of the Lord. Can you please send some of your priests to look after my deities regularly?" Gopala Kṛṣṇa Goswami imme-diately instructed the devotees to visit Dr. Banerjee and worship His deities. The deity of Lord Balaji looked splendorous. He had an image of the goddess of fortune, Sri Laksmidevi, adorning His chest. He wore several necklaces reaching from His shoulders to His feet, had a high crown resting on His head, and sported a large tilaka mark on His forehead that partially hid His eyes-exactly as He looks in the holy dhama of Tirupati, where millions of pilgrims flock every day to have His *darsana*. Pleased with the efforts of the devotees, Dr. Bannerjee told Gopala Kṛṣṇa Goswami that he would bequeath his property to ISKCON if the devotees promised to continue to take care of Lord tor for the construction of the NVCC. Under his vision and leadership, several other devotees became inspired to join the team. He established two teams for fund raising. One, called the Patrons Care department, cultivated elite businesspersons to raise over $500,000. Another, consisting of six hundred congregation members, approached their network of families and friends for support. Over 40,000 families were engaged in supporting the temple, and they raised more than $400,000. "Lord Kṛṣṇa sent us an amazing team of architects, civil engineers, consultants, interior decorators, and many others who offered their services free in the service of the Lord," recollects Srigurcarana Dasa. "Another challenge was the huge amount of paperwork and permissions that were needed from state and local government to construct a building for public worship. Again, Lord Kṛṣṇa sent a team that was highly familiar with the way the government functions." The fund-raising drive was so successful that Gopala Kṛṣṇa Goswami once remarked to the devotees, "Not a single day did the construction stop because of lack of funds." *Capturing the Hearts Of Pune Residents* The fund-raising team decided that their campaign would be successful only if the residents of Pune learned about the project through a media and publicity blitz. They put up billboards on all major roads, and inserted advertisements and sponsored eight-page pullout supplements in India's largest-circulation English newspaper, the Times of India. They held a major event every year that attracted unprecedented media attention. The first year, a "Sudarshan Mahayajna" was organized at the construction site, with a gigantic altar that covered over five hundred square feet. The next year, the devotees staged a mega-play, called "Sambhavami Yuge Yuge," based on the Bhagavad-gita. Seen by thirty-five thousand people over seven days, the extraordinary and spectacular show had more than three hundred actors on a stage that was six stories high. It featured gorgeous costumes, enthralling music, captivating dialogues, and live elephants, and received critical acclaim from the media. The third year, the devotees organized a painting contest with 160,000 children from various schools in Pune that broke the Guinness World Record and received a mention in the book. "Puneities were flooded with regular news about the upcoming temple," says Radhesyama Dasa. "Over a four-year period, we cul-tivated major businesspersons not only to seek financial support but also to care for their spiritual life. Several supporters became practicing devotees and started regularly chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa maha-mantra." *Amazing Devotees, Amazing Stories* The dedication and determination of the devotees at the Pune temple to fulfill Srila Prabhupada's instructions to build a temple became the source of many interesting and remarkable stories. "One of our schemes-asking people to sponsor one square foot for $40-was so successful that over seven hundred congregation devotees got sponsorships from more than two thousand people," says Srigurucarana Dasa. "Even maids in devotee houses who were earning less than $200 a month started sponsoring a square foot. Many children saved their pocket money and sponsored a square foot." Kṛṣṇa Venu Dasa, an elderly devotee who is partially blind, once got into an elevator and started speaking to a man, who promised to donate $200. By the time they reached the tenth floor, Kṛṣṇa Venu had convinced him to donate $2,000. A young mother who had just given birth to a baby wanted to contribute her services to the temple. So determined was she that, just a few days after the birth of the baby, she carried the newborn infant on her shoulders and visited three hundred houses over three days to collect $2,000. While the interiors of the temple were being built, one of the contractors tried to use low-quality materials for the ceilings. As his workers began installing the ceiling, four huge monkeys suddenly arrived at the construction site and pranced around on the ceiling. It broke and came down with a crash, exposing the bad quality of the material being used. The contractor never used substandard material again. Following the scriptural guidelines for building a temple, the devotees installed beneath the foundation the deity of Ananta-sesa, the celestial thousand-headed serpent on which Lord Visnu lies down. Immediately after the installation, two large cobras came onto the property and started residing there. The devotees would often see the snakes slithering around the temple site, but they did not harm anyone. Many devotees felt a keen sense of protection whenever they appeared. The snakes disappeared from the land just before the inaugural event and have not been seen since. *The President of India Agrees To Inugurate the Temple* Gopala Kṛṣṇa Goswami invited the President of India to inaugurate the temple, and the President agreed to the request. With two months left before the inauguration, the devotees had to race to finish the construction. There were still many details to be completed, and the land around the temple looked like a massive construction site, with heaps of rubble and leftover construction material lying all around. The resident devotees then requested congregation devotees to help, and three hundred came every day after work to lift bricks, shift rubble, clear the ground, lay grass, and plant trees. Finally, on February 6, Lord Balaji was moved in a decorated ratha (chariot), followed by a huge procession from the old temple in Camp to the new temple. The pro-cession started a fifteen-day program of festivities, leading to the grand installation and abhiseka (bathing) ceremony for the deities on February 23. Around 40,000 devotees attended the event from all over the world. When the President of India for-mally inaugurated the New Vedic Cultural Centre, he said in his keynote address, "In the years that Swami Prabhupada spent spreading his simple message, he convinced hundreds of thousands of Indians and westerners about the profound value of his philosophy, which they embraced along with a Vedic lifestyle. Throughout his mission, Swami Prabhupada remained faithful to the guidance of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who had revitalized the bhakti-yoga tradition in the fifteenth century." "The NVCC project is meant for all audiences and age groups," com-mented Gopala Kṛṣṇa Goswami. "We have designed special activities, training and educational courses, community development programs, cultural awareness sessions, and many welfare projects. These activities, focusing on the all-round spiritual, social, and intellectual development of individuals, will reach out to children, youth, women, senior citizens, professionals, corporate houses, and other audiences." *Looking Forward* Defining the vision for the NVCC, Radhanatha Swami elaborates, "All philosophy, science, art, literature, architecture, music, dance, and drama are built on two principles: love for God and compassion for all beings. At the New Vedic Cultural Centre we will educate, train, and transform lives to bring out that divine potential within all of us. This will be the fulfillment of Srila Prabhupada's dream: to transform the whole world with the original culture of India." Just months after its inauguration, the temple has already become a major attraction in Pune. More than ten thousand visitors arrive every weekend. The recent Janmastami festival in August attracted over 100,000 visitors. The temple is a popular tourist destination and place of pilgrimage, thus fulfilling the desire of Srila Prabhupada. *Romapada Dasa (Ramesh Kallidai) has been a devotee in ISKCON since 1985. He was associated for over two decades with Bhaktivedanta Manor in London. He is the former Secretary General of the Hindu Forum of Britain, the largest umbrella body for British Hindus, and was appointed Commissioner of Integration and Cohesion by the British With its classic South Indian entrance gate (opposite page), the temple of Lord Venkatesvara Balaji (left) provides an eye-catching complement to the main temple. Above, a devotee offers respect to a Visnu form outside Balaji's private chamber. Secretary of State for Communities. He was a member of the London Criminal Justice Board's Independent Advisory Group, the Diamond Advisory Group at the Metropolitan Police London, and a cultural ambassador to the London 2012 Olympics. He migrated to India in September 2009 and currently works as Global Sales Engagement & Marketing Director at Fujitsu. He lives in Pune.* Kṛṣṇa Controlled by Pure Devotees *So deep is God's love for His devotees that He often acts as their subordinate.* IN THE *Srimad-Bhagavatam* (9.4.63) the Supreme Personality of Godhead says the following to Durvasa Muni, who had committed an offense against Maharaja Ambarisa: > sri-bhagavan uvaca aham bhakta-paradhino > hy asvatantra iva dvija sadhubhir grasta-hrdayo > bhaktair bhakta-jana-priyah "The Supreme Personality of Godhead said to the brahmana: I am completely under the control of My devotees. Indeed, I am not at all independent. Because My devotees are completely devoid of material desires, I sit only within the cores of their hearts. What to speak of My devotee, even those who are devotees of My devotee are very dear to Me." I will discuss three points from this verse. The first point is that Kṛṣṇa says that He is under the control of His devotees. The story of Maharaja Ambarisa, the emperor of the entire world, is a good illustration of this. Maharaja Ambarisa was a celebrated pure devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Kṛṣṇa. He considered all material opulence transitory and always engaged his senses and mind in the loving transcendental services of the Lord. The episode of Maharaja Ambarisa's life I will cite involves Durvasa Muni, a great mystic yogi who indulged in strict austerities and discipline. By virtue of his mystic power he could travel in space throughout the material and spiritual worlds and could prophesy that Kunti, adopted daughter of Kuntibhoja, would face a problem in conception. He therefore blessed her with the power to call any demigod of her choice. (As a result. Karna and three of the five Pandavas were born.) Though a powerful mystic, Durvasa Muni was not a devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Once, following Vaisnava tradition, Maharaja Ambarisa observed the vow of fasting completely, even from water, on every Ekadasi for one year. Ekadasi is the eleventh day of the waxing and waning moon and therefore occurs twice in every lunar month. It is known as *hari-vasara*, or Hari's day. Hari is Kṛṣṇa, so Ekadasi is especially dear to His devotees. The observance of the Ekadasi vow requires that one break the fast during a specified time period the next day, known as Dvadasi. On a Dvadasi in the auspicious month of Karttika, Maharaja Ambarisa, after worshiping Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa in the Madhuvan forest of Vrindavan, was just on the verge of breaking his fast when Durvasa Muni appeared on the scene. Because Durvasa was now Maharaja Ambarisa's guest, Vedic etiquette required that the king feed the sage before he himself ate. Prior to accepting the meal, Durvasa Muni went to bathe in the Yamuna River. He delayed his return, however, and the time for the king to break his fast was quickly passing away. Therefore, under the advice of learned brahmanas, Maharaja Ambarisa drank a little water just to formally break the fast. He then waited for the return of Durvasa Muni. By virtue of his mystic power, Durvasa could understand that King Ambarisa had drunk water without his permission. On his return, Durvasa, in a fit of rage, plucked a bunch of hair from his head and created a fiery demon to attack Maharaja Ambarisa. Lord Kṛṣṇa, who always protects His devotees, immediately sent His disc, the Sudarsana *cakra*, which vanquished the demon. The disc was then directed to Durvasa, who ran in all directions to save his life. He went to Brahmaloka, Sivaloka, and other higher planets. But when Lord Brahma and Lord Siva expressed their inability to protect him from the wrath of the Sudarsana *cakra*, he went to the spiritual world and surrendered to Kṛṣṇa in His form as Lord Narayana. Lord Narayana then spoke the verse above, the relevant lines here being "I am completely under the control of My devotees. Indeed, I am not at all independent." The Lord advised Durvasa to go to Maharaja Ambarisa without a moment's delay. Thus, to save his life, the great mystic Durvasa Muni had to surrender to Maharaja Ambarisa, a pure devotee. The Lord cannot tolerate an offense committed against His devotees. Another story of Ambarisa Maharaja is not a solitary incident of the Lord's placing His devotee in a position above Himself. For example. Lord Kṛṣṇa voluntarily came under the control of the Pandavas and their common wife, Draupadi. The five Pandavas brothers and their chaste wife Draupadi were unalloyed devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa, and in return Lord Kṛṣṇa always remained at their beck and call. Lord Kṛṣṇa virtually became the servitor of Yudhisthira, the eldest Pandava, when He took the role of a peace messenger in the Kuru court at Hastinapur. Lord Kṛṣṇa became the charioteer of Arjuna, the third Pandava, taking upon Himself to drive the fabled bowman's chariot, which flashed a banner depicting the legendary Hanuman. Kṛṣṇa stood on the chariot with a whip in His right hand and a bridle rope in His left, eager to obey His devotee friend Arjuna. In response to a command from Arjuna, Kṛṣṇa coaxed the heavenly horses and plunged the chariot in between the legions, enabling Arjuna to behold the war-minded. Queen Draupadi was draped in a single cloth when at the insistence of Duryodhana, his rabid brother Duhsasana tried to disrobe her in the Kuru court. At that tense moment, Draupadi remembered Kṛṣṇa, the Lord she adored and trusted, and immediately Kṛṣṇa came, unseen by others, unfolding a miracle in the court. There was no end to the uncanny garment Kṛṣṇa supplied relentlessly. Reams of cloth came away from Draupadi's body in brilliant colors, and soon three piles of shimmering cloth lay next to the gasping Duhsasana, who gave up his heinous pursuit. Draupadi did not stand naked before the courtier's hot gazes. She remained covered, her honor intact. Kṛṣṇa had stood up for her when the men in the assembly had not. *Devoid of Material Desires* The second point in the verse above is that the Lord told Durvasa Muni that He sits in the core of the heart of His devotees because they are "completely devoid of material desires." These words are very significant. A person in the conditioned state of material existence is full of desires to enjoy matter, whereas someone in the liberated state is full of desires to render devotional service to the Lord. The devotees of the Lord like Ambarisa, being completely devoid of material desires, are liberated and fully established in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Because of this transcendental qualification, the Supreme Lord is extremely favorable to the devotees, as confirmed by Srila Prabhupada in his purport to the verse under discussion. Lord Krsna's visit to two devotees in Mithila further corroborates this point. In the city of Mithila, capital of the kingdom of Videha, lived two great pure devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa. One was a poor *brahmana* householder named Srutadeva. Being satisfied with his lot, he endeavored only to earn enough to live. The other was a famous king named Bahulasva, who was as detached from material wealth as the *brahmana* and did not have any material ambition to extend his territories. Both the king and the *brahmana* were firmly fixed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Both devotees had vowed to regularly and enthusiastically worship the deity of Lord Kṛṣṇa in their respective homes, and hence they could not travel to Dwarka, the abode of Kṛṣṇa. Lord Kṛṣṇa, sitting in the core of the hearts of His devotees, could very well appreciate their sentiments. To bless them. He responded favorably and visited the city of Mithila along with a dozen topmost sages, including Narada, Vyasa, and Vyasa's son Sukadeva. At the outskirts of the city, a huge crowd afforded a splendid reception to the procession of Lord Kṛṣṇa. The king and the brahmana stepped forward and respectfully requested Lord Kṛṣṇa to visit their respective homes. Lord Kṛṣṇa succumbed to their desire. Just to please both of them, by His opulence the Lord expanded Himself and the sages, and in duplicate forms they all entered the houses of Srutadeva and Bahulasva simultaneously. Thus each of them thought that Kṛṣṇa and the sages were exclusively present in his house only. Lord Kṛṣṇa can go to any extent to fulfill the desire of His devotees. *Devotees of Devotees* In the third and final part of this verse, the Lord tells Durvasa Muni, "What to speak of My devotee, even those who are devotees of My devotee are very dear to Me." Pure devotees like Ambarisa Maharaja, being direct servants of Lord Kṛṣṇa, are dear to Him. When a neophyte becomes a devotee of a pure devotee, he not only becomes a direct servant of that pure devotee, but also becomes a servant of Lord Kṛṣṇa, indirectly. Though Durvasa Muni was not a devotee of the Lord, the merciful Lord through this verse implies that the offender Durvasa should become a devotee of Ambarisa Maharaja. Then, in the capacity of a devotee of the Lord's devotee, he would also become very dear to the Lord. It is gratifying to see how the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) has captured the philosophy of this verse. With its team of dedicated spiritual masters who are initiating new disciples, ISKCON is creating devotees of devotees, and they are very dear to the Lord. *Rasa Purusa Dasa, a disciple of His Holiness Gopala Kṛṣṇa Goswami, is a chartered civil engineer retired from the governmen t of Haryana. Now living in Mumbai, in the late sixties and seventies he was instrumental in the design and construction of the latest sacred Brahma Sarovar at Kurukshetra.* e-Krishna https://vaishnavsongs.iskcondesiretree.com/title-and-first-sentence/. Some web sites are simple and easy to use, but that doesn't mean they aren't useful and won't keep you coming back for more. Vaishnavsongs.com is a simple catalogue of songs, but is so useful you will come back often. Songs are an essential part of the practice of *bhakti*; we use them when worshiping the deities in the temple, when offering food to Kṛṣṇa, and when remembering and honoring the *acaryas*. Singing these songs is an act of devotion, and as this website reminds us, they transport our consciousness to higher levels of love of God. Vaishnavsongs.com contains a large collection of audio and video of all your favorites and more. Everything you need to find your way around is along the top menu bar. Wherever you are in the site the first tab. Home, will always bring you back to the beginning. The next tab. Song List, will take you to the main song list, containing hundreds of titles in alphabetical order. You can browse through the songs here to find ones you know by name, or check out ones that catch your eye. Each song title is a link to view the page where the song can be found in its original language and in English. If the song in the list has a picture icon of a CD with a musical note against it, this means there is a link to an audio file on the song page that you can listen to or download to your computer. Some songs have a number of tracks available by different devotees. If the song in the list has a picture icon of a filmstrip against it, this means a video of the song is available for you to watch. At the bottom of each song page is a set of social-media buttons that allow you to share the song with your friends on any of your social-media sites, or by email. There is also a link, "Download pdf," that you can click on to copy the song to your computer. On the right side of the page is a box titled Related Songs, which shows you other songs available from the same author or source. The next tab along the menu bar. Categories, takes you to a list of the songs by type or theme. The Composer tab lets you view the songs by the name of the author. The Download tab gives you a link to copy to your computer a songbook that contains many of the songs in the site. The Audio tab lets you view all the songs with sound files, categorized by composer, and the Video tab lists the available videos by song name. The last tab on the menu bar, Search, allows you to quickly find a song with a predictive search feature that finds the names of songs similar to the text you type. —Antony Brennan The Vedic Observer *Danger at Every Step* by Nikuhja Vilasini Devi Dasi IT'S EARLY March this year when I enter the doctor's waiting room. On the loudspeaker I can hear a speech, or so it seems. As I take my seat, I watch the waiting patients trying to strain their ears, their faces glued to the spot of the emerging sound. The receptionist nervously struts around inside her cubicle, oblivious of anyone's presence, and turns up the volume of the radio. I then realize it is the bail hearing of Oscar Pistorius, who has recently made international news headlines. Unfortunately, this time it isn't for being the world's fastest paralympian blade runner, but for being charged with murdering his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, on Valentine's Day. The shocking news has caused an inter-national uproar, with South *Africa under the spotlight.* The gold medalist who had made South Africans proud, who had been an inspiration for those with physical disabilities and an example of achieving success despite his shortcomings, has now caused heartbreak and confusion among all race groups in the country, especially his fellow people, the Afrikaners (the white race in South Africa, of Dutch descent). The people in the waiting room are Afrikaners who are alarmed and disturbed because the crime involved a famous role model of their race, someone of whom they were proud. The woman sitting opposite me says in a hushed voice, "What do you think? How could he have thought it was a burglar in the bathroom and shot four times through the door without even asking who was there?" Other patients, overhearing, shoot glances at her in disbelief. I feel their stares shift to me, but I remain silent. To share such an opinion in public without concrete evidence was surely courageous, and it initiated a discussion. "Without proof, it would be difficult to contradict his defense," remarks an elderly man. "With the rate of violent crime in our country, there is every reason for paranoia and rash behavior. Besides, a lot of people keep guns to defend themselves." The worried and disappointed looks on their faces show that besides the ailments for which they are visiting the doctor, they are suffering from something else as well-anxiety about this high-profile crime and danger in general in their country. Although statistics show that the rate of crime has dropped during the past year, this tragic incident is enough to remind them of their precarious situation. As I try to understand some of the jargon used in the hearing, I reflect on Lord Brahma's words in the *Srimad-Bhagavatam* (10.14.58): "In this world there is danger at every step." In the *Bhagavad-gita* (12.7) Lord Kṛṣṇa describes this world as *mrtyu-samsara-sagara*, an ocean of birth and death. And Srlla Prabhupada would refer to it as the slaughterhouse of material existence. Just as animals in a slaughterhouse make themselves comfortable, not realizing their imminent danger, we enjoy the comforts of material life while facing a similar predicament. SrIla Prabhupada sometimes quoted a Bengali song: "Because of a great desire to have all happiness in life, I built this house. But unfortunately the whole scheme has turned to ashes because the house was unexpectedly set on fire." Our bodies and possessions are all "set on fire" at death. If we focus our time and energy only on things that will eventually be set on fire, what kind of sanity is that? We are distracted in many ways by temporary pleasures and trivial pursuits that do not save us in a world where our path is set with thorns. This may sound pessimistic in a time when "positive thinking" has become the slogan for success. Yet in a place like South Africa, where looking over our shoulders has become a normal way of life, we are reminded more often of our unsafe position. The reality of danger glares in our faces. *Fallible Shelters* It's been a long wait to see the doctor, but no one seems to mind. The sounds of the bail hearing drift in the background. The patients are engrossed in a more relevant discussion-their views of the crime crisis, and their overall dissatisfaction of the state of affairs. With the Oscar Pistorius investigation, it seems the judicial system is on trial as well. I ponder over the fact that these people, like all of us, need to feel safe and secure, to be able to trust their superiors and depend on them for protection. But this need leads to frustration and disappointment. The Vedic scriptures assure us that we cannot place our faith in fallible human beings, nor can we hope for them to give us shelter. Still, in Vedic times qualified leaders, or ksatriyas, who were guided by the spiritually elevated brahmanas, gave protection to their citizens. They not only cared for their people's physical well-being, but also gave them direction in spiritual aspects of life. With God as the supreme protector and guardian, people sought refuge in His guidance and love. Thus, people lived in harmony and respect for one another, knowing they were all part of God's family. I am reminded of a speech given by Indradyumna Swami at a traditional national cleansing ceremony meant to restore the moral values of the nation. In the presence of the South African President, the king of the province of Kwazulu-Natal, and other prominent leaders, he explained that God is one, irrespective of what we may call Him. In a mood of universal brotherhood, he elaborated, "It is important to understand this, for to achieve perfect social cohesion we must transcend even our religious differences. In other words, we must unite on the spiritual platform by realizing we are all part of the greater family of God. When speaking of family, there is a saying that 'blood is thicker than water.' Family attachment is so strong. If we broaden our understanding that God is the Supreme Father and we are all His children, the bond among us will be very strong." The Vedic literature elucidates that there is hope for peace and unity if we see with equal vision, are guided by spiritually advanced persons, and abide by the laws of God. God's instructions are like boundaries that keep us safe by saving us from sinful life. As if reading my thoughts, the woman opposite me says, "It's unbelievable. The newspaper nowadays is painful to read. Car hijackings, burglaries, rape, murder—it's endless. What makes people do such things?" Thinking of how to explain simply what the Vedic scriptures reveal, I say, "Lust, greed, and anger blind them and drive them to do anything that will satisfy their desires. They do not understand that doing the wrong thing will make them suffer." "But they so easily get away with it," she interjected. "Ah, not for long," I say. "No one can escape the results of bad actions. I'm sure you've heard the biblical saying 'As you sow, so shall you reap.' It is a state-ment of the law of karma. One cannot escape reactions for bad acts, whether one pays in this life or the next." She nods her head in agreement. I use the opportunity to say more. "We can only depend on God in these situations and see that He is teaching us something. If we lead our lives with strong spiritual values, then we are not carried away by anger, lust, and greed. Society lacks these values and principles." "Yes," she agrees, "Jesus said love your neighbor as yourself." She clearly is getting the idea. After a while, she says, "South Africa is such a beautiful country. Warm, friendly people, perfect climate, diverse cultures, a Rainbow nation. If it I smile, knowing well there is no perfect place on this planet or anywhere else in the material world. No matter where we are, we are faced with the same troubles and frustrations, the same dangers lurking in the shadows. There are many stories of South Africans emigrating to other countries, thinking that the grass is greener on the other side, only to return after finding similar or different challenges. There is no escape. Birth, disease, old age, and death are inevitable. Yet, even in South Africa we are thinking that no danger will touch us, that it will happen to the next person. The influence of maya, the illusory energy that hides reality from us, is so strong that we think we will live eternally pursuing material happiness. The reality is that we are eternal spiritual beings, and true happiness can come only from our eternal spiritual relationship with God. It is the only permanent asset that will remain with us when all else is gone. This doesn't mean that this material world is devoid of value. It serves a purpose: It is meant for us to become detached from material pleasures and surrender to the Lord. We may see Kṛṣṇa's hand trying to reform us and life experiences teaching us lessons to grow towards Him. We may also see suffering as an impetus to become detached from material life, and a reminder that taking shelter of Kṛṣṇa will free us from maya's grasp. As Lord Caitanya said, "Kṛṣṇa is compared to sunshine, and maya is compared to darkness. Wherever there is sunshine, there cannot be darkness. As soon as one takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the darkness of illusion (the influence of the external energy) will immediately vanish." (*Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya* 22.31) The Hare Kṛṣṇa temples and centers are spiritual sunbeams, enlightening people about their true spiritual identities in relation to Kṛṣṇa, addressing the root cause of suffering and how to ultimately end it, and giving hope and shelter in a time when people are confused and lost. The spiritual programs, including prasada distribution, spiritual discourses, elabo-rate festivals, and chanting of the holy names, are meant to purify diseased hearts. When the condition of hearts changes, then only will there be unity, peace, harmony, and a crime-free world. While I'm seeing the doctor, the magistrate's voice booms over the loudspeaker. The Oscar Pistorius case is an alarm for South Africans to examine their fears, to see the reality of the material world, and to seek understanding into spiritual aspects of life. Again I reflect on Lord Brahma's words, which Srila Prabhupada frequently quoted: "For those who have accepted the boat of the lotus feet of the Lord, who is the shelter of the cosmic manifestation and is famous as Murari, the enemy of the Mura demon, the ocean of the material world is like the water contained in a calf's hoof-print. Their goal is *param padam*, Vaikuntha, the place where there are no material miseries, not the place where there is danger at every step." I leave the doctor's office feeling fortunate and peaceful and knowing that because "life's too short" and there's "danger at every step," I have to focus more on what's really important—my eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa, who is my most dear friend and well-wisher. *Nikuhja Vilasini Devi Dasi, a disciple of Giriraja Swami, lives with her husband and two children in Durban, South Africa. She writes for the local Hare Kṛṣṇa Newsletter and is writing books for children and young adults, which she plans to publish.* Srila Prabhupada Speaks Out: "Speculation Is Neither Science Nor Philosophy *Speculation Is Neither Science Nor Philosophy* *The following conversation between His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami. Prabhupada and some of his disciples took place in July 1975 on an early-morning walk in Chicago.* Srila Prabhupada: Where does Darwin begin? Disciple: He begins in the ocean. He says that some fishlike animal climbed out of the ocean and began to breathe the air. Srila Prabhupada: Then where did the ocean come from? Disciple: He doesn't say. Srila Prabhupada: Then his theory is not perfect. Disciple: Scientists say there was great turbulence on this planet in the beginning. The oceans were stirring, and then some lightning charges occurred. Srila Prabhupada: From where did the light-ning come? And from where did the ocean come? Where is his philosophy? It is a speculation. Disciple: They say it all began from a primeval explosion. Srila Prabhupada: Then I ask the same question: Wherefrom did the explosion come? Disciple: They say that the explosion took place at time zero. Srila Prabhupada: Time zero? Disciple: Time began then, at time zero. And they say that the question "What was before that?" is not a logical, sensible question. Srila Prabhupada: Why? Disciple: They say it's a question that should not even be asked. Srila Prabhupada: No, then they are rascals. They are beginning from zero. How can you begin from zero? Disciple: Everything comes from nothing then. Srila Prabhupada: That is not philosophy. Disciple: They say it all originates from a giant mass of primordial matter. Srila Prabhupada: Then the same question arises: From where did the matter come? Disciple: They say it's an accident. Srila Prabhupada: So that is rascaldom. Where is the accident? Nothing is accidental. Everything happens by cause and effect. The Bible says that in the beginning there was God, or the word of God. So God was there. That is the beginning. In our philosophy, too, that is the beginning. The *Srimad-Bhagavatam* gives evidence: *janmady asya yatah* [1.1.1] . . . *aham evasam evagre* [2.9.33]. And the *Bhagavad-gita*: *aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate* [10.8]. This is our philosophy. Everything begins from God. Now you can ask, "From where did God come?" But that is God. God is existing. He is not caused by any other cause. He is the original cause. Anadir adir: He has no beginning, but He is the beginning of everything. This is the conception of God given in the statements of Brahma: *anadir adir govindah* [*Brahma-samhita* 5.1]. That adi is original person, Govinda, Kṛṣṇa. We find this in the Vedic history. Brahma is there in the beginning. He is a deva, one of the demigods—the first demigod. Now Kṛṣṇa says, *aham adir hi devanam* [*Gita* 10.2]: He is the cause of the demigods. He is the cause of Brahma also. So this is our philosophy. We don't begin from zero or from an accident. Disciple: Darwin never tried to understand the Vedic philosophy. Srila Prabhupada: No, no, he admitted that he speculated. He is not a philosopher: he is a speculator. He has admitted: "It is my speculation. I think like this." Disciple: He started his speculation from the creation of life. Srila Prabhupada: Anywhere, speculation is neither science nor philosophy. Disciple: They call the Vedas speculation. They say the *Upanisads* are speculation. Srila Prabhupada: No, no, no, not speculation. *Sri Isopanisad* [*Mantra* 1] says, *isavasyam idam sarvam*: everything is beginning from the isa, the supreme controller. Where is the speculation in the *Vedas*? Disciple: They say the Vedas are written by man. Therefore they are imperfect. Srila Prabhupada: What is your philosophy? It is written by man. What is the value of your philosophy? It is speculation. We don't say that the *Vedas* are written by man. They come from a transcendental source. The words spoken by the Lord are called *apauruṣeya*, which indicates that they are not delivered by any mundane person. They may say whatever they like, but we don't accept it. Suppose somebody says, "Your father's name is so-and-so." What is his authority to say what my father's name is? I know very well, So their suggestion is like that: "Your father's name is this." Is that a very good suggestion? We can challenge: "You don't know anything about my family. How can you say, 'Your father's name is this?"' Is it not rascaldom? You do not know anything about my family, and you say, "Your father's name is this." What is this logic? Disciple: Darwin's whole theory rests on the fact that he showed bones and archeological evidence. Srila Prabhupada: Anyway, it is not possible that he has seen all the bones. So taking it that he has studied by seeing the bones, I can say very easily that it is not possible for a person like him to see all the bones. That is my challenge. He says, "Millions and millions of years ago ..." But he lived for fifty years. How has he seen all the bones? He is a limited person. Disciple: They admit they haven't found all the bones, but they say that what they have found is conclusive evidence. From the Editor *Who Will Carry You Off?* IN A PREVIOUS EDITORIAL, I wrote about our unconventional use of the word disappearance when referring to a pure devotee's death. Recently, I came across another way to refer to death when I read that someone had been "carried off by encephalitis." I winced at the thought of a personified disease carrying me off into the afterlife. I was reminded of the terrifying agents of Yamaraja, the lord of death, who arrived to escort the dying Ajamila to the region of the universe reserved for the sinful. Fortunately for Ajamila, he chanted God's name at the moment of death by calling out to his son named Narayana. On hearing Ajamila invoke the name of their master, the agents of Lord Visnu rescued him from sure misery in hell and gave him a renewed chance to perfect his life by attaining pure love for Kṛṣṇa. We should all be concerned about who or what will be carrying us off at death. Will we depart in comfort or in terror? Srila Prabhupada painted a memorable picture of the two faces of death, one seen by the devotee of the Lord, the other by the nondevotee. He gave the example of the opposite experiences of a kitten carried in the mouth of the mother cat and of a mouse in the same situation: The kitten feels comfort and security; the mouse, utter fear. Lord Kṛṣṇa tells us in the *Bhagavad-gita* that He is death. That's probably not the image that comes to mind when most of us think of Kṛṣṇa. But, after all, He is the ultimate controller of everything, so the length of time we spend in any body in countless lives is up to Him. If we use our present life to develop love for Kṛṣṇa, His embrace when our time comes will be one of infinite comfort. Of the many diseases and other candidates for carrying us off at death, a leading one today is heart disease. Many of us worry that our hearts might do us in, so we follow our doctor's advice. But if not heart disease, some other agent of Kṛṣṇa will do the job. We can't escape the inevitable. Despite apparently stunning advances in medical technology, we're not robots with replaceable parts that can just keep us going and going and going. Because the end of this body will come, we should be concerned primarily with another kind of heart disease: material desire within the heart-the result of which is not just one death, but repeated birth and death in this world. Only when that disease is cured will we escape any chance of death from any cause. Fortunately, the cure is readily available. We need only devotedly hear about Kṛṣṇa from the revealed scriptures through the medium of His pure devotees. At the beginning of the Tenth Canto of the *Srimad-Bhagavatam*, King Pariksit, nearing the end of his last days, encourages Sukadeva Gosvami to continue speaking about Kṛṣṇa. Topics about Kṛṣṇa, he says, are bhava-ausadha—"the right medicine for the material disease." By "material disease" he means the unnatural condition of the spirit soul in the material sphere. Even if we may be momentarily free of any specific bodily ailment, the body itself is a symptom of our unhealthy situation. Only "the killer of the soul," Pariksit says, will give up hearing topics of Kṛṣṇa, the final cure for all that ails us. —Nagaraja Dasa Vedic Thoughts The *Bhagavad-gita* (13.14) asserts that the Lord has His hands, legs, eyes, and mouths in every nook and corner of His creation. This means that the expansions of differentiated parts and parcels, called jlvas or living entities, are assisting hands of the Lord, and all of them are meant for rendering a particular pattern of service to the Lord. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada *Srimad-Bhagavatam* 2.2.1, Purport Anything done as sacrifice, charity, or penance without faith in the Supreme, O son of Prtha, is impermanent. It is called asat and is useless both in this life and the next. Lord Sri Kṛṣṇa *Bhagavad-gita* 17.28 O Kṛṣṇa and Balarama, we aspire to attain that place where You enjoy transcendental pastimes, and where there are beautiful surabhi cows with large horns. The Vedas describe that place as the transcendental abode of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who fulfills all desires. *Rg Veda* Quoted by Jiva Gosvami in his commentary on *Brahma-samhita* 5.5 The senses are symbolic representations of the demigods, and their natural inclination is to work under the direction of the Vedic injunctions. As the senses are representatives of the demigods, so the mind is the representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The mind's natural duty is to serve. When that service spirit is engaged in devotional service to the Personality of Godhead, without any motive, that is far better even than salvation. Lord Kapila *Srimad-Bhagavatam* 3.25.32 The illusory material nature attracts the minute living entity to embrace her, and as a result he assumes forms composed of her qualities. Subsequently, he loses all his spiritual qualities and must undergo repeated deaths.... The Personified Vedas *Srimad-Bhagavatam* 10.87.38 My dear Lord, O master of the universe, since I have directly seen You, my transcendental bliss has taken the shape of a great ocean. Being situated in that ocean, I now realize all other so-called happiness to be like the water contained in the hoofprint of a calf. Prahlada Maharaja *Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya* 14.36 Lord Kṛṣṇa is so exalted that He is more attractive than anything else and more pleasing than anything else. He is the most sublime abode of bliss. By His own strength, He causes one to forget all other ecstasies. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu *Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila* 24.38 Truth in a Nutshell *Four special verses in the* Bhagavad-gītā *and four in the* Śrīmad-Bhagavatam *lay out the fundamental teachings of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.* *By Satyaraja Dāsa* My mom always keeps peanuts around the house. Crack the shells open, and you find two peanuts inside. So much goodness in one little package: beneficial nutrients, plant proteins, fats, fiber, and plenty of vitamins, minerals, and bioactives. As I looked at the broken shells in front of me one day, my mind was drawn to four special verses of the *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* and four of the *Bhagavad-gītā,* each set often referred to simply as *catuSloki:* "the four verses." Śrīla Prabhupāda was the first to refer to them as "nutshell verses." Generally, scholars say that nutshells were first used as a metaphor in Shakespeare's Hamlet (in 1602), although some opine that such usage goes back much further, to the time of Pliny (23–79 CE). Whatever the case, the point is this: Anything that could fit in a nutshell would have to be very small—i.e., a few words, or a very brief explanation. In Vaisnava scriptures, particularly the *Bhagavatam* and the **Gita*,* we find nutshell verses that summarize the essential message. Famed scriptural commentator Śrīdhara Swami (circa thirteenth century) begins his gloss on *Gita* 10.8, the first of its **catuSloki*,* by mentioning the four-verse schema; Jiva Gosvami (1513–1608) gives an elaborate analysis of the *Bhagavatam*'s *catuSloki* in his *Krama-sandarbha* and *Bhagavat-sandarbha;* Śrīnivasa Ācārya (sixteenth century) wrote a commentary specifically on the four verses of the *Bhagavatam*; Visvanatha Cakravarti (1708–1754) and others, too, draw on this idea of four central verses in both the *Bhagavatam* and the *Gita*. Following in this tradition, Śrīla Prabhupāda often groups them as “four nutshell verses” in his writings. (See especially his commentaries on Śrīmad-*Bhagavatam* 2.9.36 and 2.9.44.) *A Look Inside* Let's now look at the nutshell verses of the *Śrīmad-*Bhagavatam** and the *Bhagavad-gītā.* First, the *Bhagavatam* (2.9.33–36): [Lord Kṛṣṇa says:] Brahma, it is I, the Personality of Godhead, who was existing before the creation, when there was nothing but Myself. Nor was there the material nature, the cause of this creation. That which you see now is also I, the Personality of Godhead, and after annihilation what remains will also be I, the Personality of Godhead. O Brahma, whatever appears to be of any value, if it is without relation to Me, has no reality. Know it as My illusory energy, that reflection which appears to be in darkness. O Brahma, please know that the universal elements enter into the cosmos and at the same time do not enter into the cosmos; similarly, I Myself also exist within everything created, and at the same time I am outside of everything. A person who is searching after the Supreme Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead, must certainly search for it up to this, in all circumstances, in all space and time, and both directly and indirectly. And then the *Bhagavad-gītā* (10.8–11): [Lord Kṛṣṇa says:] I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who perfectly know this engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts. The thoughts of My pure devotees dwell in Me, their lives are fully devoted to My service, and they derive great satisfaction and bliss from always enlightening one another and conversing about Me. To those who are constantly devoted to serving Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me. To show them special mercy, I, dwelling in their hearts, destroy with the shining lamp of knowledge the darkness born of ignorance. It should be clear that what these two sets of verses have in common, first and foremost, is that they reveal the identity of God Himself: He is Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. From the *Bhagavatam* verses we further learn that, in the beginning and in the end, only Kṛṣṇa exists. All the commentators, especially Jiva Gosvami and Śrīla Prabhupāda, offer numerous verses to support this contention, such as this verse from the *Maha Upanisad: eko vai narayana asin na brahma na iSano.* "Lord Narayana [Kṛṣṇa] existed before the material world was created, when there was no Brahma and no Siva." Jiva Gosvami cites this verse in his *Bhagavat-sandarbha* (96.11). All other phenomena, whether living or nonliving, spiritual or material, emanate from the Supreme Lord and wind up in Him. He is the source and origin of all, and He is their repose. This is not to say that His emanations are not real—they are real—but it is He who gives them their reality; He is the inner core of their existence. One who knows these truths, the *Bhagavatam* tells us, will pursue Kṛṣṇa in earnest, with no other interest. The first of the four *Gita* verses reiterates this point: Devotees engage in the Lord's service, desiring to attain Him and nothing more. But we are told more about these great souls. They think of Kṛṣṇa constantly and always engage in glorifying Him. Through these unmotivated and uninterrupted actions, they are blessed with knowledge of God, compliments of Kṛṣṇa Himself. Prabhupāda's commentaries on these verses clarify their full import, and he elaborates further on the *Bhagavatam* *catuSloki* in his commentary on Kṛṣṇa Dāsa Kaviraja Gosvami's *Caitanya-caritāmṛta* (*Ādi* 1.53–56). In fact, Kaviraja Gosvami tells us that "everything"—a far-reaching term, no doubt—is explained in those four nutshell verses: "The essence of Śrīmad-*Bhagavatam*—our relationship with the Supreme Lord, our activities in that connection, and the goal of life—is manifest in the four verses of Śrīmad-*Bhagavatam* known as the *catuSloki*. Everything is explained in those verses." (*Madhya* 25.102) 2014 A Pause for Prayer