# Back to Godhead Magazine #51 *2017 (06)* Back to Godhead Magazine #51-06, 2017 PDF-View ## A Pause for Prayer O Śrī Nārāyaṇa, O Puṇḍarīka-nayana (lotus-eyed one), O Śrī Rāma, O Sītā-pati (husband of Sītā), O Govinda, O Acyuta (infallible one), O Nandanandana (son of Nanda) O Mukunda (giver of liberation), O Ananda (personified transcendental bliss), O Dāmodara (whose waist Mother Yaśodā bound with a rope), O Viṣṇu, O Rāghava (descendant of Raghu), O Vāsudeva (son of Vasudeva), O Nṛhari (Nṛsiṁha), O Devendra-cūḍāmaṇi (crest jewel of the demigods), O Saṁsārārṇava-karṇadhāraka (captain of the boat for crossing the ocean of repeated birth and death), O Hari, O Śrī Kṛṣṇa, I offer my respectful obeisances to You. —Śrī Vaisnava (from *Śrī Padyavali*) ## Two Boys Who Found God *By Akshay Gupta* *Two histories among many from the Vedic literature that show the material and spiritual benefits of* bhakti*.* The Vedic literature presents many stories meant to enlighten us with transcendental knowledge and help us proceed along our spiritual path. One such story deals with a five-year-old boy named Dhruva. Dhruva’s father, King Uttanapada, had two wives, Suniti and Suruci. Dhruva was the son of Suniti, but his father preferred Suruci. One day, Dhruva wanted to sit on his father’s lap, but Suruci forbade him, claiming that only her son—Dhruva’s stepbrother, Uttama—could sit on the king’s lap. Suruci said that if Dhruva wanted to sit on the throne, he would have to worship God and take his next birth from her womb. When Dhruva heard this, he breathed heavily out of anger, and when he saw that his father was silent, he ran to his mother and told her what had happened. Greatly aggrieved, but not knowing a remedy for the situation, Suniti said, “My dear son, don’t wish for anything inauspicious for others. Anyone who inflicts pains upon others suffers himself from that pain.” (*Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* 4.8.17) This is a valuable lesson we can all learn. Even if people offend or anger us, we still shouldn’t wish anything inauspicious for them. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvati Ṭhākura, the spiritual master of Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, said, “Let me not wish anything but the highest good for my worst enemy.” Thus, regardless of the situations we find ourselves in, we should strive to have a compassionate spirit and wish the best for others. Besides, according to the laws of *karma*, whenever we harm someone, we are liable to experience that same harm so that we can learn to treat others more respectfully. *Off to the Forest* After some deliberation, Suniti confirmed what Suruci had told Dhruva: if he wanted to sit on the same throne as Uttama, he had to worship God. Hearing this, Dhruva set out for the forest with great determination to worship God and acquire a kingdom even greater than his father’s. Along the way, Dhruva encountered the sage Narada, who gave him valuable instructions and spiritual guidance. Narada initially tested Dhruva’s determination by urging him to tolerate his distress: > yasya yad daiva-vihitaṁ > sa tena sukha-duḥkhayoḥ > ātmānaṁ toṣayan dehī > tamasaḥ pāram ṛcchati “One should try to keep himself satisfied in any condition of life—whether distress or happiness—which is offered by the supreme will. A person who endures in this way is able to cross over the darkness of nescience very easily.” (*Bhag*. 4.8.33) Śrīla Prabhupāda comments: “Instead of being attached to the circumstantial happiness and distress resulting from pious or impious activities, if we want to get out of the clutches of this nescience, then whatever position we are put in by the will of the Lord we should accept. Thus if we simply surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, we shall get out of the clutches of this material existence.” Despite Narada’s instruction to tolerate his condition, Dhruva insisted on pursuing his plan to worship God in the forest. Narada told Dhruva that he should indeed take to the process of devotional service to the Lord, for by doing so one can fulfill all one’s desires. Narada then described the beautiful form of the Lord and gave Dhruva the *mantra* o namo bhagavate vasudevaya to meditate on, along with other instructions on devotional service. Narada then visited King Uttanapada, who was aggrieved because of his neglect of his own son. But Narada assured him that Dhruva would be taken care of in the forest while executing devotional service. Meanwhile, Dhruva was undergoing austerities so intense that they made the world shake, and the Lord Himself descended to stop Dhruva’s austerities. He appeared before Dhruva and broke his meditation. Upon seeing the Lord in front of him, Dhruva was overwhelmed with ecstasy so great that it made all forms of material happiness seem completely insignificant. He lamented having approached the Lord for material gain, and said that he had wanted a few pieces of broken glass but instead had come upon a diamond. Even though Dhruva originally approached the Lord for the material opulence of having a kingdom greater his father’s, he ultimately became disgusted with that desire. We can approach God to fulfill our material desires, but if we approach Him out of pure love, then we can experience an even greater sense of happiness and love. Moreover, the Lord is so merciful that even if we initially approach Him with a material desire, He will purify us, and we will come to the stage of being able to approach Him out of pure love. Even though Dhruva no longer cared about his previous material desires, the Lord fulfilled them nonetheless. He told Dhruva that he would receive not only his father’s kingdom but an entire planet. The Lord then returned to His abode, and Dhruva returned home, where his family members embraced him in great joy. As the Lord had promised, Dhruva came to inherit the throne of his father, who set out for the forest for spiritual life. *Satisfying Our Material Needs* Dhruva’s story shows that by taking to devotional service, we don’t miss out on having our material needs taken care of. There are also examples in history of saints who approached the Lord not, like Dhruva, for material gain, but out of pure love, yet by the Lord’s mercy they also received ample material facilities. One such story deals with another boy, named Prahlada, who was very devoted to Lord Kṛṣṇa. Unlike Dhruva’s father, Prahlada’s father, Hirayakasipu, was not a pious man. He terrorized the world and abused his own child. Hirayakasipu was so strongly opposed to Prahlada’s worshiping the Lord that he tried to kill him in many ways, including having his assistants stab Prahlada with sharp weapons, throw him from a cliff, and poison him. But the Lord always protected Prahlada, and finally, in His form as Nṛsiṁhadeva—His half-man, half-lion incarnation—He killed Hirayakasipu. The Lord then requested Prahlada to ask for a benediction. Prahlada was a pure devotee of the Lord, however, so he didn’t ask for any material benediction. He instead asked that his father be excused for his sins. The Lord fulfilled this desire, and He also gave Prahlada his father’s vast kingdom to rule for the rest of his life. From this story we can see that God will ensure that our material needs are met if we simply try to love Him. We can also learn that even though we may be going though difficulties or trials, God is always our friend and well-wisher. Kṛṣṇa tells His devotee Arjuna in the *Bhagavad-gītā* (9.31), *kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati*: “O son of Kunti, declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes.” Thus, a devotee of the Lord has nothing to fear even in the midst of dangers or obstacles, because Kṛṣṇa assures His devotees that He will ensure that they never perish. We can also learn from Prahlada’s example how to practice tolerance and forgiveness. Even if someone harms us or acts maliciously toward us, we can learn to tolerate these wrongdoings and wish the best for the perpetrator. *Success Through Bhakti* From the examples of these great saints who exemplify *bhakti-yoga*, or linking oneself with God through love and devotion, we can glimpse how bright our future can be if we take to the practice of *bhakti-yoga*. We will get all our material necessities taken care of by the grace of the Lord and begin to relish the spiritual happiness that comes from an exchange of love with Him. This spiritual happiness grows gradually. First, one has some initial faith in the process of *bhakti-yoga* and in God, and one starts to associate with those on the path. Then one seeks spiritual guidance from someone who is spiritually advanced, just as one goes to the university to learn from experts in various subjects. One begins to feel internal purification from the practice of *bhakti-yoga* and becomes cleansed of unwanted things in the heart. One becomes steady on the path of *bhakti-yoga* and relishes performing devotional activities. Soon after, one becomes attached to the Lord and experiences great ecstasy by serving Him. Ultimately, one feels such intense bliss that it is like swimming in an ocean of ecstasy. We can easily practice *bhakti-yoga*; we don’t have to enter the forest like Dhruva. The most basic element of *bhakti-yoga* is to chant the holy names of God, especially the Hare Kṛṣṇa *maha-mantra*: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. One can chant anywhere at anytime. By chanting we “cleanse the mirror of the mind” so that the pure happiness that lies within us can shine through. When a mirror is covered by dirt, it no longer shines, but when the mirror is cleaned, it regains its clarity. Similarly, our mind may be covered with different desires, fears, and misconceptions, but when we chant the *maha-mantra* those impurities are cleansed and our originally pure consciousness is revived. We can learn a lot from the stories of great *bhakti-yogis* like Dhruva and Prahlada. The most important lesson is that we should not neglect to take care of our souls. While caring for the body is important, only nourishing the needs of the soul will make us truly happy. Through *bhakti-yoga* our material needs will be met and we can develop the endless love for God that lies within us, and thus become eternally happy. *Akshay Gupta is a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.* ## Indra Introduces Counterfeit Sannyasa *Lord Brahma arrives at King Prthu’s Vedic sacrifice to put a halt to Indra’s misbehavior.* > yāni rūpāṇi jagṛhe > indro haya-jihīrṣayā > tāni pāpasya khaṇḍāni > liṅgaṁ khaṇḍam ihocyate *yāni*—all those which; *rūpāṇi*—forms; *jagṛhe*—accepted; *indraḥ*—the king of heaven; *haya*—the horse; *jihīrṣayā*—with a desire to steal; *tāni*—all those; *pāpasya*—of sinful activities; *khaṇḍāni*—signs; *liṅgam*—the symbol; *khaṇḍam*—the word khaṇḍa; *iha*—here; *ucyate*—is said. Whatever different forms Indra assumed as a mendicant because of his desire to seize the horse were symbols of atheistic philosophy. PURPORT: According to Vedic civilization, sannyāsa is one of the essential items in the program of the varṇa-āśrama institution. One should accept sannyāsa according to the paramparā system of the ācāryas. At the present moment, however, many so-called sannyāsīs or mendicants have no understanding of God consciousness. Such sannyāsa was introduced by Indra because of his jealousy of Mahārāja Pṛthu, and what he introduced is again appearing in the Age of Kali. Practically none of the sannyāsīs in this age are bona fide. No one can introduce any new system into the Vedic way of life; if one does so out of malice, he is to be known as a pāṣaṇḍī, or atheist. In the Vaiṣṇava Tantra it is said: > yas tu nārāyaṇaṁ devaṁ > brahma-rudrādi-daivataiḥ > samatvenaiva vīkṣeta > sa pāṣaṇḍī bhaved dhruvam > [Cc Madhya 18.116] Although it is forbidden, there are many pāṣaṇḍīs who coin terms like daridra-nārāyaṇa and svāmi-nārāyaṇa, although not even such demigods as Brahmā and Śiva can be equal to Nārāyaṇa. > evam indre haraty aśvaṁ > vainya-yajña-jighāṁsayā > tad-gṛhīta-visṛṣṭeṣu > pākhaṇḍeṣu matir nṛṇām > dharma ity upadharmeṣu > nagna-rakta-paṭādiṣu > prāyeṇa sajjate bhrāntyā > peśaleṣu ca vāgmiṣu *evam*—thus; *indre*—when the king of heaven; *harati*—stole; *aśvam*—the horse; *vainya*—of the son of King Vena; *yajña*—the sacrifice; *jighāṁsayā*—with a desire to stop; *tat*—by him; *gṛhīta—*accepted; *visṛṣṭeṣu*—abandoned; *pākhaṇḍeṣu—*towards the sinful dress; *matiḥ*—attraction; *nṛṇām*—of the people in general; *dharmaḥ*—system of religion; *iti*—thus; *upadharmeṣu*—towards false religious systems; *nagna*—naked; r*akta-paṭa*—red-robed; *ādiṣu*—etc.; *prāyeṇa*—generally; *sajjate*—is attracted; *bhrāntyā*—foolishly; *peśaleṣu*—expert; ca—and; *vāgmiṣu*—eloquent. In this way, King Indra, in order to steal the horse from King Pṛthu's sacrifice, adopted several orders of sannyāsa. Some sannyāsīs go naked, and sometimes they wear red garments and pass under the name of kāpālika. These are simply symbolic representations of their sinful activities. These so-called sannyāsīs are very much appreciated by sinful men because they are all godless atheists and very expert in putting forward arguments and reasons to support their case. We must know, however, that they are only passing as adherents of religion and are not so in fact. Unfortunately, bewildered persons accept them as religious, and being attracted to them, they spoil their life. PURPORT: As stated in *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam*, men in this Age of Kali are short-lived, devoid of spiritual knowledge, and susceptible to accept false religious systems due to their unfortunate condition. Thus they always remain mentally disturbed. The Vedic śāstras practically prohibit the adoption of sannyāsa in the Age of Kali because less intelligent men may accept the sannyāsa order for cheating purposes. Actually the only religion is the religion of surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We must serve the Lord in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. All other systems of sannyāsa and religion are actually not bona fide. In this age they are simply passing for religious systems. This is most regrettable. > tad abhijñāya bhagavān > pṛthuḥ pṛthu-parākramaḥ > indrāya kupito bāṇam > ādattodyata-kārmukaḥ *tat*—that; *abhijñāya*—understanding; *bhagavā*n—the incarnation of Godhead; *pṛthuḥ*—King Pṛthu; *pṛthu-parākramaḥ*—celebrated as very powerful; *indrāya*—upon Indra; *kupitaḥ*—being very angry; *bāṇam*—an arrow; *ādatta*—took up; *udyata*—having taken up; *kārmukaḥ*—the bow. Mahārāja Prthu, who was celebrated as very powerful, immediately took up his bow and arrows and prepared to kill Indra himself, because Indra had introduced such irregular sannyasa orders. PURPORT: It is the duty of the king not to tolerate the introduction of any irreligious systems. Since King Prthu was an incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, certainly his duty was to cut down all kinds of irreligious systems. (3) Following in his footsteps, all heads of state should themselves be bona fide representatives of God and should cut down all irreligious systems. Unfortunately they are cowards who declare a secular state. Such a mentality is a way of compromising religious and irreligious systems, but because of this citizens are generally becoming uninterested in spiritual advancement. Thus the situation deteriorates to such an extent that human society becomes hellish. > tam ṛtvijaḥ śakra-vadhābhisandhitaṁ > vicakṣya duṣprekṣyam asahya-raṁhasam > nivārayām āsur aho mahā-mate > na yujyate 'trānya-vadhaḥ pracoditāt *tam*—King Pṛthu; *ṛtvijaḥ*—the priests; *śakra-vadha*—killing the king of heaven; abhisandhi*tam*—thus preparing himself; v*icakṣy*a—having observed; *duṣprekṣyam*—terrible to look at; *asahya*—unbearable; *raṁhasam*—whose velocity; *nivārayām āsuḥ*—they forbade; *aho*—oh; *mahā-mate*—O great soul; *na*—not; *yujyate*—is worthy for you; *atra*—in this sacrificial are*na*; *anya*—others; *vadhaḥ*—killing; *pracoditāt*—from being so directed in the scriptures. When the priests and all the others saw Mahārāja Prthu very angry and prepared to kill Indra, they requested him: O great soul, do not kill him, for only sacrificial animals can be killed in a sacrifice. Such are the directions given by sastra. PURPORT: (4) Animal killing is intended for different purposes. It tests the proper pronunciation of Vedic *mantras*, and an animal being put into the sacrificial fire should come out with a new life. No one should ever be killed in a sacrifice meant for the satisfaction of Lord Vishnu. How then could Indra be killed when he is actually worshiped in the *yajna* and accepted as part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead? Therefore the priests requested King Prthu not to kill him. > vayaṁ marutvantam ihārtha-nāśanaṁ > hvayāmahe tvac-chravasā hata-tviṣam > ayātayāmopahavair anantaraṁ > prasahya rājan juhavāma te 'hitam *vayam*—we; *marut-vantam*—King Indra; *iha*—here; *artha*—of your interest; *nāśanam*—the destroyer; *hvayāmahe*—we shall call; *tvat-śravasā*—by your glory; *hata-tviṣam*—already bereft of his power; *ayātayāma*—never before used; *upahavaiḥ*—by *mantras* of invocation; *anantaram*—without delay; *prasahya*—by force; *rājan*—O King; *juhavāma*—we shall sacrifice in the fire; te—your; ahitam—enemy. Dear King, Indra's powers are already reduced due to his attempt to impede the execution of your sacrifice. We shall call him by Vedic **mantra*s* which were never before used, and certainly he will come. Thus by the power of our *mantra*, we shall cast him into the fire because he is your enemy. PURPORT: By chanting the Vedic *mantras* properly in a sacrifice, one can perform many wonderful things. (5) In Kali-yuga, however, there are no qualified *brahmanas* who can chant the *mantras* properly. Consequently no attempt should be made to perform such big sacrifices. (6) In this age the only sacrifice recommended is the *Sankirtana* movement. > ity āmantrya kratu-patiṁ > vidurāsyartvijo ruṣā > srug-ghastāñ juhvato 'bhyetya > svayambhūḥ pratyaṣedhata *iti*—thus; *āmantrya*—after informing; *kratu-patim*—King Pṛthu, the master of the sacrifice; *vidura*—O Vidura; *asya*—of Pṛthu; *ṛtvijaḥ*—the priests; *ruṣā*—in great anger; *sruk-hastān*—with the sacrificial ladle in hand; *juhvataḥ*—performing the fire sacrifice; *abhyetya*—having begun; *svayambhūḥ*—Lord Brahmā; *pratyaṣedhata*—asked them to stop. My dear Vidura, after giving the King this advice, the priests who had been engaged in performing the sacrifice called for Indra, the king of heaven, in a mood of great anger. When they were just ready to put the oblation in the fire, Lord Brahma appeared on the scene and forbade them to start the sacrifice. > na vadhyo bhavatām indro > yad yajño bhagavat-tanuḥ > yaṁ jighāṁsatha yajñena > yasyeṣṭās tanavaḥ surāḥ *na*—not; *vadhyaḥ*—ought to be killed; *bhavatām*—by all of you; *indraḥ*—the king of heaven; *yat*—because; *yajñaḥ*—a *na*me of Indra; *bhagavat-tanuḥ*—part of the body of the Supreme Perso*na*lity of Godhead; *yam*—whom; *jighāṁsatha*—you wish to kill; yajñe*na*—by performing sacrifice; *yasya—*of Indra; *iṣṭāḥ*—being worshiped; ta*na*vaḥ—parts of the body; *surāḥ*—the demigods. Lord Brahma addressed them thus: My dear sacrificial performers, you cannot kill Indra, the king of heaven. It is not your duty. You should know that Indra is as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Indeed, he is one of the most powerful assistants of the Personality of Godhead. (7) You are trying to satisfy all the demigods by the performance of this yajna, but you should know that all these demigods are but parts and parcels of Indra, the king of heaven. How, then, can you kill him in this great sacrifice? > tad idaṁ paśyata mahad- > dharma-vyatikaraṁ dvijāḥ > indreṇānuṣṭhitaṁ rājñaḥ > karmaitad vijighāṁsatā *tat*—then; *idam*—this; *paśyata*—just see; *mahat*—great; *dharma*—of religious life; *vyatikaram*—violation; *dvijāḥ*—O great brāhmaṇas; *indreṇa*—by Indra; *anuṣṭhitam*—performed; *rājñaḥ*—of the King; *karma*—activity; e*tat*—this sacrifice; *vijighāṁsatā*—desiring to impede. In order to make trouble and impede the performance of King Prthu's great sacrifice, King Indra has adopted some means that in the future will destroy the clear path of religious life. I draw your attention to this fact. If you oppose him any further, he will further misuse his power and introduce many other irreligious systems. > pṛthu-kīrteḥ pṛthor bhūyāt > tarhy ekona-śata-kratuḥ > alaṁ te kratubhiḥ sv-iṣṭair > yad bhavān mokṣa-dharma-vit *pṛthu-kīr*te*ḥ*—of wide renown; *pṛthoḥ*—of King Pṛthu; *bhūyāt*—let it be; *tarhi*—therefore; *eka-ūna-śata-kratuḥ*—he who performed ninety-nine *yajñas*; *alam*—there is nothing to be gained; *te*—of you; *kratubhiḥ*—by performing sacrifices; *su-iṣṭaiḥ*—well performed; *yat*—because; *bhavān*—yourself; *mokṣa-dharma-vit*—the knower of the path of liberation. "Let there be only ninety-nine sacrificial performances for Mahārāja Prthu," Lord Brahma concluded. Lord Brahma then turned towards Mahārāja Prthu and informed him that since he was thoroughly aware of the path of liberation, what was the use in performing more sacrifices? PURPORT: Lord Brahma came down to pacify King Prthu regarding his continual performance of one hundred sacrifices. (8) King Prthu was determined to perform one hundred sacrifices, and King Indra took this very seriously because Indra himself was known as the performer of one hundred sacrifices. Just as it is the nature of all living entities within this material world to become envious of their competitors, King Indra, although king of heaven, was also envious of King Prthu and therefore wanted to stop him from performing one hundred sacrifices. (9) Actually there was great competition, and King Indra, to satisfy his senses, began to invent so many irreligious systems to obstruct King Prthu. To stop these irreligious inventions, Lord Brahma personally appeared in the sacrificial arena. As far as Mahārāja Prthu was concerned, he was a great devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; therefore it was not necessary for him to perform the prescribed Vedic ritualistic ceremonies. Such ceremonies are known as *karma*, and there is no need for a devotee in the transcendental position to execute them. (11) As the ideal king, however, it was King Prthu's duty to perform sacrifices. A compromise was therefore to be worked out. By the blessings of Lord Brahma, King Prthu would become more famous than King Indra. Thus Prthu's determination to perform one hundred sacrifices was indirectly fulfilled by the blessings of Lord Brahma. > naivātmane mahendrāya > roṣam āhartum arhasi > ubhāv api hi bhadraṁ te > uttamaśloka-vigrahau *na*—not; eva—certainly; *ātmane*—nondifferent from you; *mahā-indrāya*—upon the king of heaven, Indra; *roṣam*—anger; *āhartum*—to apply; *arhasi*—you ought; *ubhau*—both of you; *api*—certainly; *hi*—also; *bhadram*—good fortune; *te*—unto you; *uttama-śloka-vigrahau*—incar*na*tions of the Supreme Perso*na*lity of Godhead. Lord Brahma continued: Let there be good fortune to both of you, for you and King Indra are both part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore you should not be angry with King Indra, who is nondifferent from you. > māsmin mahārāja kṛthāḥ sma cintāṁ > niśāmayāsmad-vaca ādṛtātmā > yad dhyāyato daiva-hataṁ nu kartuṁ > mano 'tiruṣṭaṁ viśate tamo 'ndham *mā*—do not; asmin—in this; *mahā-rāja*—O King; *kṛthāḥ—*do; *sma*—as done in the past; *cintām*—agitation of the mind; *niśāmaya*—please consider; a*sma*t—my; *vacaḥ*—words; ādṛta-āt*mā*—being very respectful; *yat*—because; dhyā*yat*aḥ—of him who is contemplating; *daiva-hatam*—that which is thwarted by providence; *nu*—certainly; *kartum*—to do; *manaḥ*—the mind; *ati-ruṣṭam*—very angry; *viśate*—enters; *tamaḥ*—darkness; *andham*—dense. My dear King, do not be agitated and anxious because your sacrifices have not been properly executed due to providential impediments. Kindly take my words with great respect. We should always remember that if something happens by providential arrangement, we should not be very sorry. The more we try to rectify such reversals, the more we enter into the darkest region of materialistic thought. PURPORT: Sometimes the saintly or very religious person also has to meet with reversals in life. Such incidents should be taken as providential. (12) Although there may be sufficient cause for being unhappy, one should avoid counteracting such reversals, for the more we become implicated in rectifying such reversals, the more we enter into the darkest regions of material anxiety. Lord Kṛṣṇa has also advised us in this connection. We should tolerate things instead of becoming agitated. > kratur viramatām eṣa > deveṣu duravagrahaḥ > dharma-vyatikaro yatra > pākhaṇḍair indra-nirmitaiḥ *kratuḥ*—the sacrifice; *viramatām*—let it stop; *eṣaḥ*—this; *deveṣu*—amongst the demigods; *duravagrahaḥ*—addiction to unwanted things; *dharma-vyatikaraḥ*—violation of religious principles; *yatra*—where; *pākhaṇḍaiḥ*—by sinful activities; *indra*—by the king of heaven; *nirmitaiḥ*—manufactured. Lord Brahma continued: Stop the performance of these sacrifices, for they have induced Indra to introduce so many irreligious aspects. You should know very well that even amongst the demigods there are many unwanted desires. PURPORT: There are many competitors in ordinary business affairs, and the *karma-kāṇḍa* chapters of the Vedas sometimes cause competition and envy amongst **karmī*s*. A *karmī* must be envious because he wishes to enjoy material pleasures to their fullest extent. That is the material disease. Consequently there is always competition amongst **karmī*s*, either in ordinary business affairs or in the performance of yajña. Lord Brahmā's purpose was to end the competition between Lord Indra and Mahārāja Pṛthu. Because Mahārāja Pṛthu was a great devotee and incarnation of God, he was requested to stop the sacrifices so that Indra might not further introduce irreligious systems, which are always followed by criminal-minded people. (1) Why do the Vedic sastras practically prohibit the adoption of sannyasa in the age of Kali? (2) What is the only religion? (3) How should heads of state follow in the footsteps of King Prthu? (4) What are the purposes of animal killing in Vedic sacrifices? (5) Why should no attempt be made to perform big Vedic sacrifices in Kali-yuga? (6) What is the only sacrifice recommended in this age? (7) According to Brahma, what is the relationship between Indra and the demigods? (8) Why did Indra want to stop King Prthu from performing one hundred horse sacrifices? (9) Why did Lord Brahma personally appear in the sacrificial arena? (10) Why was it unnecessary for King Prthu to perform the prescribed Vedic ritualistic ceremonies? (11) Why, on the other hand, was it King Prthu's duty to perform sacrifices? (12) Why should be avoid counteracting reversals in life? Liberation Defined In the context of downplaying liberation, the personified devotional scriptures explain what it means. TEXT 173 > kathañcid bhagavan-nāmā- > bhāsasyāpi sa sidhyati > sakṛd uccāra-mātreṇa > kiṁ vā karṇa-praveśataḥ *kathañcit*—somehow; *bhagavat*-*nāma*—of the names of the Supreme Lord; *ābhāsasya*—from a shadow; *api*—even; *saḥ*—it (liberation); *sidhyati*—is attained; *sakṛt—*once; *uccāra*-*mātreṇa*—merely by uttering; *kim vā*—or else; *karṇa*—the ears; *praveśataḥ*—by entering. From even a shadow of the Lord’s names—if one somehow chants them but once, or merely if they enter the ears—liberation is easily attained. Commentary: If even after hearing how the previous verse defines liberation one still wants to know the means to attain it, from the present statement one can learn that devotees of the Personality of Godhead achieve liberation without separate endeavor, as a mere by-product of the practice of *bhakti*.** Furthermore, one’s service to the holy names of the Lord need not even be pure; simply **nāmābhāsa*,* the “shadow” of chanting the Lord’s names, earns one liberation*.* *Nāmābhāsa* resembles the shadow of a real object in the world*.* It is the unintentional uttering—in jest, contempt, or other moods of neglect—of sounds that contain the same syllables as Lord Viṣṇu’s names*.* Chanting or hearing *nāmābhāsa* even once results in liberation*.* This is stated in the Sixth Canto of *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* (6*.*3*.*24): > etāvatālam agha-nirharaṇāya puṁsāṁ > saṅkīrtanaṁ bhagavato guṇa-karma-nāmnām > vikruśya putram aghavān yad ajāmilo ’pi > nārāyaṇeti mriyamāṇa iyāya muktim “It should therefore be understood that one is easily relieved from all sinful reactions by chanting the holy name of the Lord and chanting of His qualities and activities. This is the only process recommended for relief from sinful reactions. Even if one chants the holy name of the Lord with improper pronunciation, he will achieve relief from material bondage if he chants without offenses. Ajāmila, for example, was extremely sinful, but while dying he merely chanted the holy name, and although calling his son, he achieved complete liberation because he remembered the name of Nārāyaṇa.” Also, at the beginning of the history of Satyatapā, *Śrī Varāha Purāṇa* (38.20) tells of a tiger that once approached a *brāhmaṇa* who was busy chanting *japa* while standing in water. The tiger wanted to eat the *brāhmaṇa*, but at that very moment the tiger was killed by a hunter. And because of hearing the names of the Supreme Lord from the mouth of the *brāhmaṇa*, the tiger was liberated. TEXT 174 > vicārācāturī-ramyo > mokṣo ’yam avadhāryatām > teṣāṁ veda-purāṇādi- > śāstrāṇāṁ hi yathā-matam *vicāra*—in discriminating reason; *acāturī*—to those who are not competent; *ramyaḥ*—attractive; *mokṣaḥ*—liberation; *ayam*—t*hi*s; *avadhāryatām*—please understand; *teṣām*—of these; *veda*-*purāṇa-ādi*—*Vedas,* *Purāṇas,* and so on; *śāstrāṇām*—scriptures; *hi*—certainly; *yathā-matam*—according to the opinions. Liberation, please understand, is attractive to those whose discrimination is poor. This is evident even from the opinions of the same Vedas, Purāṇas, and other scriptures that the proponents of liberation accept as authorities. Commentary: In philosophical debates, opposing sides from different schools of thought unavoidably base their opinions on their own assumptions. Buddhists, for example, assume that everything is but momentary and thus unreal, while the logicians of the Gautama school assume that whatever has perceivable qualities is real. A debate is effective when each side, rather than fight over these assumptions, accepts for the sake of argument the assumptions of the other side and works out their own arguments from that starting point. It is in this sense that the *bhakti-śāstras* accept the scriptural statements *yogīs* cite in support of their conviction that impersonal liberation is the final goal of life. TEXT 175 > so ’śeṣa-duḥkha-dhvaṁso vā- > vidyā-karma-kṣayo ’tha vā > māyā-kṛtānyathā-rūpa- > tyāgāt svānubhavo ’pi vā *saḥ*—it (*mokṣa*); *aśeṣa*-*duḥkha*—of all misery; dhvaṁ*saḥ*—the elimination; *vā*—or; *avidyā*—in ignorance; *karma*—of material activity; *kṣayaḥ*—the destruction; atha *vā*—or else; *māyā*-*kṛta*—created by Māyā; *anyathā*-*rūpa*—of false identity; *tyāgāt*—by abandoning; *sva-anubhavaḥ*—realization of one’s real nature; *api* *vā*—or else. Mokṣa, liberation, is the removal of all misery, or the stopping of illusory activities, or the self-realization that comes from abandoning the false identities created by Māyā. Commentary: These three alternative definitions of *mokṣa,* taken from various *śāstras,* are adhered to by those who strive for liberation. The logicians of Gautama’s Nyāya school hold that liberation is the removal of all kinds of misery, which they count as twenty-one. As the followers of Gautama say, *ātyantikī duḥkha-nivṛttir muktiḥ:* “Liberation is the complete stoppage of suffering.” A section of the *Vedānta* school says that liberation is the ceasing of illusion and thus of activity. And another party of impersonal Vedāntists, the “illusionists” (Vivarta-vādīs), define liberation as rejecting the false identity produced by the power of illusion and thus realizing oneself to be one with Brahman. The Vivarta-vādīs further describe the false identity of the illusioned soul in terms of dualities and the cycle of life and death. These impersonalists sometimes cite *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* (2.10.6) as the source of their definition. *Muktir hitvānyathā-rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ:* “Liberation means to give up other identities and assume one’s true essential identity.” TEXT 176 > jīva-svarūpa-bhūtasya > sac-cid-ānanda-vastunaḥ > sākṣād-anubhavenāpi > syāt tādṛk sukham alpakam *jīva*—of the finite individual soul; *svarūpa-bhūtasya*—which is his true identity; *sat*-*cit*-*ānanda*—eternally full of knowledge and bliss; *vastunaḥ*—who is an entity; *sākṣāt*—direct; *anubhavena*—by experience; *api*—even; *syāt*—can be; *tādṛk*—such; *sukham*—the happiness; *alpakam*—only meager. The happiness that arises from directly perceiving the true identity of the jiva soul—the entity composed of eternity, knowledge, and bliss—is actually meager. Commentary: The *mokṣa,* or liberation, conceived in the first two ideas cited above*—mokṣa* as the end of misery or as the end of the causes of misery—affords no positive happiness. This was not difficult to show. Furthermore, the happiness of self-realization presumed in the third theory of *mokṣa,* that of *vivarta,* is actually meager, as the *bhakti-śāstras,* in texts 176 through 196, now set out to prove. Compared to the bliss of performing pure devotional service and realizing the lotus feet of the Personality of Godhead, who embodies all the perfections of Brahman, realizing the identity of the *jīva* soul brings very little happiness. In fact, this so-called happiness of self-realization is nothing more than the negation of suffering; the scriptures refer to it as happiness only as a concession to the foolish. But at least the “happiness” of perceiving the *jīva* soul serves as a standard of comparison by which to think of the joy of pure devotional service to the Supreme Lord. TEXT 177 > śuddhātma-tattvaṁ yad vastu > tad eva brahma kathyate > nirguṇaṁ tac ca niḥsaṅgaṁ > nirvikāraṁ nirīhitam *śuddha-ātma*—of the pure self; **tat*tvam*—the reality; *yat*—which; *vastu*—entity; *tat*—that; *eva*—indeed; *brahma*—Brahman; kath*yat*e—is *ca*lled; *nirguṇam*—devoid of qualities; *tat*—that; *ca*—and; *niḥsaṅgam*—free from attachment; *nirvikāram*—unchanging; *nirīhitam*—inactive. That entity—the reality of pure self—is called Brahman. It is devoid of qualities, free from attachment, unchanging, and inactive. Commentary: The impersonalists might now suggest that, in contrast to the small happiness of realizing the minute jīva, the relish of perceiving the impersonal Supreme in liberation is unlimited. However, the *bhakti-śāstras* here point out that the Vivarta-vādīs’ own definition of the Supreme leaves little room in Brahman realization for happiness. According to them, Brahman is devoid of qualities such as compassion. It has no attachment to anything or anyone, including the pure Vaiṣṇavas. It undergoes no changes, such as the transformations of a heart melting in the ecstasy of love, and displays none of the dynamic varieties of opulence and sweetness shown by the Supreme Lord in His personal form. It is also inactive, which implies that it has no wonderful all-attractive pastimes. Thus the happiness of realizing Brahman cannot transcend the limits of impersonalism. ## Unity–Within and Without *by Caitanya Carana Dāsa* *When disagreement threatens the unity of a party searching for Sita, help arrives in an unexpected form.* The Ramayana features many intriguing group dynamics, among human groups, *vanara** groups, demon groups, and even groups comprising both humans and *vanara*s. In the group of *vanara*s that went south in search of Sita, divisive and cohesive forces are graphically evident. *The Search and the Schism* Rama and Sugriva, leader of the **vanara*s*, had formed an alliance: Rama would help Sugriva regain his wife and kingdom, and Sugriva would help Rama regain Sita, who had been abducted by the demon-king Ravana. Rama had done his part, and the now-enthroned *vanara* monarch Sugriva had started doing his part. He had organized his leading **vanara*s* into four groups and instructed them to go in the four directions to search for Sita. The search parties were asked to return within a month, with latecomers liable for severe punishment. Among the groups, the southbound group was most likely to locate Sita—Ravana had been seen carrying her southwards. This group had as leaders three great *vanara* generals: Agada, Hanuman, and Jambavan. Rama gave Hanuman a signet ring that he was to show Sita on finding her; the ring would assure her that its bearer was an authorized messenger of Rama. The southbound group searched vigorously for over six weeks, braving many dangers, but couldn’t find any clue to Sita’s whereabouts. And amidst the consequent disappointment, concealed tensions within the group came to the fore. The group’s three leaders had different things to commend them: age, lineage, and empowerment because of blessings. Jambavan was the senior by age and was accorded due deference. But his age had lessened his physical prowess. Agada was a valiant prince of a noble lineage, the son of the previous *vanara* monarch, Vali. But he was young, impetuous, and inexperienced. The fortunate Hanuman had received from the gods many extraordinary powers. But when he was still a mischievous child, those powers had made him into an innocent menace for forest sages, who cursed him to forget his powers until he would be reminded of them at a later, more opportune moment. Therefore, up to this point in the Ramayana, Hanuman hadn’t done anything extraordinarily heroic. Their search for Sita having drawn a blank, the disheartened *vanaras* discussed their next strategy: Should they keep searching? Or should they return, report their failure, and seek further orders? Agada, Vali's son, had pent-up resentment against Sugriva, who he felt had conspired to kill Vali. So the *vanaras'* current predicament triggered residual suspicions in him. Agada said that Sugriva would use their failure to find Sita and their delay in returning as justification for executing them. Venting his suppressed anger, he said that such excess wouldn’t be beyond someone who had conspired to kill his own brother. Agada concluded that fasting to death in the forest would be better than returning only to be executed in disgrace in front of their loved ones. On hearing Agada’s apprehension, the *vanaras* responded variously, discussing to and fro, until they split into two groups. One group agreed with Agada and resolved to fast to death. The other group sided with Hanuman, who underscored Sugriva’s fairness and assured that no one would be penalized for the delay. *Seismic Fault-lines in Relationships* Were Agada’s doubts about Sugriva justified? Yes and no. Sugriva had undoubtedly arranged to kill Vali. But he had done so not because he craved power, but because Vali had left him with no alternative. Vali had blown out of proportion an unfortunate misunderstanding with Sugriva. Without giving his brother any chance to clarify things, Vali had driven him to the forest, stripping him of all royal status and taking his brother’s wife for himself. Worse still, Vali had chased Sugriva far and wide with murderous intent. He had given up only when Sugriva sought refuge near a hermitage that Vali couldn’t approach due to a sage’s curse. Sugriva had tried repeatedly to reconcile with Vali, but Vali had instead rebuffed, rebuked, and threatened him. Seeing no other way to guarantee his life and regain his family, Sugriva had felt constrained to arrange for Vali’s death. Significantly, before his death Vali had reconciled with Sugriva, seeking his forgiveness and requesting him to treat Tara (Vali’s wife) and Agada kindly. Moreover, Vali had requested Tara and Agada to stay under Sugriva’s shelter and serve him as they had served Vali earlier. So the animosity between the two brothers had been fully dissolved before Vali’s death. Even after gaining the kingdom, Sugriva had shown no glee. Quite the opposite. Vali’s death had filled him with such deep remorse that he had desired to enter the funeral pyre with his brother’s corpse. He had been dissuaded only by the words of his well-wishers Rama and Lakmaa, who had reminded him of, among other things, his duty to his citizens. After reluctantly ascending the throne, Sugriva had carefully honored his dying brother’s request by being consistently considerate towards Agada. Moreover, presently, Sugriva had sent them on a mission to serve Rama, who would certainly not allow the unjust execution of anyone, let alone the prince. Unfortunately, none of this reasoning could allay Agada’s suspicions, disheartened as he was at their fruitless search. He chose unilaterally the extreme measure of suicidal self-mortification. It’s revealing that Agada’s suspicions came to the fore when their mission met with a reversal that bordered on failure. The mind often magnifies problems. The *Bhagavad-gītā* (6.6) cautions that our mind is presently our enemy. One of the ways it acts inimically is by distorting our perception—sometimes it trivializes big problems and sometimes it magnifies small problems. Sometimes, when faced with one big problem, it becomes so pessimistic and paranoid as to imagine other problems to be bigger than what they are. Thus does the mind escalate minor relationship issues. Relationships are often so subtle and multi-level that some small tensions can exist even in the closest relationships. But the mind transforms these tensions into seismic fault-lines that if unresolved can give rise to a relationship-shattering quake. *A Predator Turns Benefactor* Hanuman found himself in a delicate situation. Agada, the prince and heir, was leading the *vanaras* to mass suicide. Moreover, he was voicing serious accusations against the king. Still, Hanuman exhibited maturity in not going off the handle and counter-accusing Agada of treason. He understood that the prince’s words came from a hurting heart—he was still a youth, a bereaved son who had unexpectedly lost his father just a few months before and was now burdened by his failure in the leadership responsibility entrusted to him. That he had even accepted such a responsibility was laudable. With gentle words and sound arguments, Hanuman tried to persuade Agada. But, despite his best efforts, he couldn’t make any headway. Often when we do the best we can, God helps us do what we can’t. And his help may well come in the least expected ways—sometimes in ways that don’t look like help at all. For the arguing *vanaras*, divine help came in a scary form. While the **vanaras*’* talks had come to an impasse, suddenly a giant vulture emerged from a nearby cave. On beholding the *vanaras* sitting in a posture meant for fasting until death, he declared that he would soon feast on these *vanaras*. Agada saw this giant bird’s arrival as providence’s punishment for his failing to serve Rama’s purpose. Seeing this vulture reminded Agada of another vulture, Jatayu, who had died while trying in vain to stop Ravana from kidnapping Sita. The despondent prince mentioned to a neighboring *vanara* that in their service to Rama, they seemed fated to die unsuccessfully, as had the heroic Jatayu. On hearing the mention of Jatayu, the vulture froze. Recovering after a few moments, he asked about Jatayu, stating that he was Jatayu’s older brother, Sampati. Relieved and intrigued, Agada told the story of how Jatayu had attained martyrdom while trying to stop Ravana from abducting Sita. Sampati cried in agony and anger, lamenting that he hadn’t been able to protect Jatayu and couldn’t even avenge his death because he no longer had wings. Seeing that the *vanaras* were hearing sympathetically, he told how he had lost his wings. Long ago, the two bird brothers had in their youthful impetuosity decided to fly to the sun. When the sun’s heat started scorching them, Sampati shaded Jatayu with his wings. The heat burnt his wings and he fell to the earth, wingless and separated from Jatayu. While he grieved, a sage named Candrama solaced him with timeless spiritual knowledge and assured him that his adversity would give him an opportunity to serve the Lord, who would descend in future. As Sampati fell silent, Agada contemplated his words. It struck him that the far-flying Sampati might know the location of Ravana’s kingdom. When he asked Sampati, the vulture perked up, excitedly realizing that his destined opportunity had arrived: The *vanaras* were servants of Rama, the Lord’s current incarnation. Further, by helping Rama’s servants in finding Ravana, he could contribute to the cause of avenging Jatayu. Sampati told them that several months earlier he had seen Ravana carrying a beautiful woman southward through the sky. Informing the *vanaras* that despite his age he still had keen sight, he drew himself to his full height. Focusing his eyes across the ocean, he announced that Sita was there in Ravana’s kingdom, Lanka. The *vanaras* became elated. Their mutual differences forgotten, the two groups of *vanaras* jubilantly embraced and started planning their next move. Agada too put aside his suspicions. He had always wanted to serve Rama and hadn’t abandoned his devotion to Rama, even when doubts about Sugriva had overwhelmed him. Now that an avenue to succeed in his service to Rama had opened, he was able to push back his doubts about Sugriva. After this incident, Agada never succumbed to similar doubts about his uncle. In the climactic war, he fought faithfully under Sugriva, heroically felling many dreadful demons. And the other *vanaras* too never mentioned Agada’s accusations. Leaving the past behind them, they worked unitedly and successfully in Rama’s service. *A Big Problem Solved Through a Bigger Problem* The specifics of this story may not seem relevant to us when we face divisive tensions in our daily lives. But if we look beyond the specifics of the narrative to generic patterns, we can discern four stages that may well resonate with our experience: 1. A group of strong individuals come together for a challenging cause. 2. A reversal aggravates underlying tensions, creating a schism. 3. A bigger problem appears, bringing the group together. 4. In working unitedly, the group tackles the bigger problem along with the original problem. The turning point for the *vanaras* was an incidental, distress-triggered reference to Jatayu. Significantly, their comparing themselves with Jatayu revealed that they were still committed to Rama. And that casual expression of their devotion turned out to be life-saving and mission-saving. Hearing Jatayu’s name, Sampati turned from predator to benefactor and told Sita’s whereabouts. Still, even that turning point had initially looked like a worsening point. Sampati hadn’t seemed godsent; he had seemed devil-sent, being bent on devouring the *vanaras*. But despite appearances, behind the scenes things were moving by divine arrangement to assist them. And when they persevered, that assistance manifested itself. When we face problems while serving the Lord, we can’t know when and how a turning point may come. Even if things seem grim, we never lose until we lose hope. And even if we lose hope, our Lord doesn’t. He can work in the most inconceivable ways to give us hope and direction. While we work together, as we often must to achieve anything big, differences of opinion are inevitable. Focusing on the cause that brings us together rather than the factors that push us apart is vital for the group’s success or even survival. If we can voluntarily maintain this focus, that is the best. But if we somehow lose focus, problems seem to balloon. They compel us to choose between correcting course by uniting around the common cause or being ripped apart by the problem and the consequent exacerbated divisive forces. The best common cause is the cause of devotion to God, for He is the well-wisher of everyone, as the *Bhagavad-gītā* (5.29) states. And He engages His devotees as agents of His wisdom, helping them find their way through obstacles. *Interactions and Inner Actions* Successful teamwork rests on not just the interactions between individuals but also the inner actions within the individuals’ minds. This is seen from how Agada’s internal suspicion caused external dissension. Pertinently, devotion to God can unify us not only with others, but also with ourselves. That is, devotion can unite our present consciousness with our pure consciousness as spiritual beings, parts of God. We have a lower side that prods us towards shortsighted actions. And we have a higher side that inspires us towards nobler, farsighted actions that are truer to our essential nature and core values. Devotion to God activates and strengthens our higher side, gradually elevating and uniting our self-conception with our spiritual self. However, our lower side tends to minimize devotion, making us believe that worldly exigencies are far more important and urgent than any spiritual cause. And as such exigencies keep coming, one after another, they leave us spiritually disoriented and de-centered. Thus, we become vulnerable to divisive influences that aggravate worldly exigencies, thereby trapping us in a circle of spiritual distraction and worldly obsession. To avoid this trap, we need to use our intelligence, sharpened by regular study of scripture, to keep our devotion at the center of our heart and our relationships. When we keep ourselves devotionally grounded, we get the inner security to act maturely in outer relationships. We can firmly resist unwarranted suspicions and agreeably resolve warranted concerns. And adversities that could rupture unity can instead strengthen it if we see those adversities as spurs for focusing on God and the common cause of serving Him. * A humanlike monkey species. *Caitanya Carana Dāsa, a disciple of His Holiness Rādhānath Swami, serves full time at ISKCON Mumbai. He is a BTG associate editor and the author of eighteen books. To read his other articles or to receive his daily reflection on the* Bhagavad-gītā*, "Gita-Daily," visit thespiritualscientist.com.* ## Welcome This issue opens with a lecture by Śrīla Prabhupāda given at the New Vrindaban farm community, the subject of a feature article in our next issue, honoring its fiftieth anniversary. In this current issue, Prabhupāda speaks about expanding our love beyond our inner circle—to the whole world. The pursuit of ideals like universal love implies the conviction that human life is meant for personal improvement. *Back to Godhead* aims to help and encourage its readers in the spiritual endeavor, and in this issue Satyaraja Dāsa describes “Five Universal Stages” we can expect to go through when we choose to pursue a spiritual goal. Choice is the subject of Hari Parayaa Dāsa’s “Do We Have Free Will?” The obvious answer may seem to be “Of course!” But biologists have a different idea. When we decide to do something, material or spiritual, where we do it can have a greater influence on the outcome than we might expect. Kṛṣṇa Dhana Dāsa, in “The Dynamics of Environment,” looks to Vedic history for examples of wise choices about “place.” In “What’s Wrong with Using a Crutch,” Navina Syama Dāsa explains why it’s smart to get the help we need. Hare Kṛṣṇa. —*Nagaraja Dāsa, Editor* ## Relish the Bhagavatam In May 1975, Śrīla Prabhupāda requested the editors of *Back to Godhead* to run a serialized excerpt from the *Śrīmad-*Bhagavatam** in each issue. Two years later, when some disciples expressed concern about the editorial direction of the magazine, he reiterated that request. Also, when encouraging his disciples to write for BTG, he told them to read the *Bhagavatam* and express in their own words what they understood. We've published a summary of the *Bhagavatam* in this issue to encourage you to take the time to read this "ripened fruit of the Vedic literature." This phrase appears in the third of Śrīla Vyasadeva's three invocation verses to the *Bhagavatam*. The first line of the verse reads, *nigama-kalpa-taror galita phalam*: ["This Śrīmad-*Bhagavatam* is] the fully matured fruit of the desire tree of the Vedic literature." The voluminous Vedic literature contains books dealing with all the categories of knowledge required for progressive human life. It is compared to a tree, a coherent organism with a purpose (and not, as the less informed might conclude, an aimless, motely collection of books). From this "desire tree" one can pick various kinds of fruit according to one's wishes. All the parts of the Vedic tree serve to produce the prized fruit high at the top. While other parts of the Vedic literature serve their purpose by emphasizing *karma* (good works for material rewards) and *jnana* (higher knowledge), the *Bhagavatam* regards these as subordinate pursuits and focuses on *prema*: pure love of God. Verse three describes the *Bhagavatam* fruit as *drava*, "semisolid and soft and therefore easy to swallow." Vyasadeva tells us to drink its nectar. And Vaisnava commentators say that this fruit is unique in that it has no skin or seed. The main narrator of the *Bhagavatam* is Vyasadeva's son Sukadeva Gosvami. After hearing the *Bhagavatam* from his father, Sukadeva repeated it without change to Mahārāja Pariksit. And just as some fruits ripen better when a bird breaks the skin with its beak, causing oxidation, the *Bhagavatam* became even sweeter when spoken through the lips of the aptly named Sukadeva (*suka* meaning "parrot"). Sukadeva's *Bhagavatam* is available to us today in English—and many other languages—only because of Śrīla Prabhupāda's compassion and dedication. He arrived in America with three-volume sets of the First Canto and continued working on his translation and commentary until his passing in 1977. In a poem addressed to Lord Kṛṣṇa on arriving in America, Prabhupāda wrote: "The words of Śrīmad-*Bhagavatam* are Your incarnation, and if a sober person repeatedly receives it with submissive aural reception, then he will be able to understand Your message." Lord Kṛṣṇa's central message in the *Bhagavatam* is the revelation of the soul's intimate relationship with Him. The *rasa* (juice) of the fruit of the *Bhagavatam* is the various flavors of *Kṛṣṇa-bhakti* tasted by devotees in Lord Kṛṣṇa's pastimes. While this succulent fruit is available to all, it has to be received in the right way. A person standing on the ground receives a prized fruit from the top of a tree after it is passed down carefully from one person to another. Similarly, to access the sweet taste of the *Bhagavatam*, one must receive it in *parampara*—that is, from the authorized lineage of Kṛṣṇa's devotees. The name *Bhagavatam* means that it is about Bhagavan Śrī Kṛṣṇa and His devotees (*bhagavatas*). Also, it's a gift from Kṛṣṇa to His pure devotees, so only they can legitimately deliver it to others. Śrīla Prabhupāda was perfectly qualified to relish it and pass it on to us, and we can gratefully accept it to our eternal good fortune. —Nagaraja Dāsa ## Do We Have Free Will? *By Hari Parayaa Dāsa* *Modern biology suggests that free will is an illusion and that belief in it is similar to a religious belief. What does the* Bhagavad-gītā *say on this point?* *Biology and Free Will* The biological behavior of human beings is currently thought to be due to their genes, which encode proteins, which form functional blocks of neurons and other cell types, which form the brain and other tissues of the human body. [Cashmore, A.R. (2010), “The Lucretian swerve: The biological basis of human behavior and the criminal justice system.” Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 107:4499–4504.] Free will, or the capacity to make an independent choice, from a biological point of view is therefore an illusion given that behavior is not under the control of the person. In fact, in biology a person is not an independent entity, but a collection of genes, proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and water. How does it make sense to talk about free will of, say, a nitrogen atom or a bowl of pasta? Even biologists have a tough time acting like they don’t have free will, as Anthony Cashmore at the University of Pennsylvania astutely points out in a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. [Ibid.] He argues that belief in free will is equivalent to a belief in vitalism,* which is embarrassing for biologists who “proudly reject vitalism.” Even if there is something called free will, science cannot test the hypothesis “free will exists,” because free will means unpredictability. In a comment on Cashmore’s paper, Konrad Hinsen from the Centre de Biophysique Molīculaire in France wrote, The scientific method that we apply today, which is based on the formulation of hypotheses that are then tested by observation and experiment, cannot accommodate unpredictability. The statement that “property X is unpredictable” cannot be tested by observation and is thus not a scientific hypothesis. Moreover, even if property X itself is observable, its supposed unpredictability makes it impossible to formulate scientific hypotheses about it. As a consequence, free will cannot be integrated into any scientific model. [Hinsen, K. (2010), “A scientific model for free will is impossible.” Proc Natl Acad Sci USA107:E149.] The trouble with the concept of free will is that free will cannot obey physical laws or models—that is, it’s not a causal outcome of molecular events (if it were, it wouldn’t be “free”). Cashmore responds to Hinsen that as free will is not a testable property obeying physical laws, it is similar to a religious belief, definitely not something that ought to be accepted by scientists. Furthermore, according to Cashmore, our justice system is inherently flawed because it is based on free will. He writes, An individual cannot be held responsible for either his genes or his environment. From this simple analysis, surely it follows that individuals cannot logically be held responsible for their behavior. Yet a basic tenet of the judicial system and the way that we govern society is that we hold individuals accountable on the assumption that people can make choices that do not simply reflect a summation of their genetic and environmental history. As de Duve has written, “If … neuronal events in the brain determine behavior, irrespective of whether they are conscious or unconscious, it is hard to find room for free will. But if free will does not exist, there can be no responsibility, and the structure of human societies must be revised.” [de Duve, C. (1995), Vital Dust (Basic Books, New York).] It is my belief that, as more attention is given to the mechanisms that govern human behavior, it will increasingly be seen that the concept of free will is an illusion, and the fallacy of a basic premise of the judicial system will become more apparent. [Reply to Hinsen: “Free will, vitalism, and distinguishing cause from effect.” Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2010 107 (38) E150.] How does the process of evolution explain this illusory notion of free will? According to Cashmore, consciousness provides us with an apparent sense of responsibility, which benefits society even though it is a burden on the individual. Cashmore recognizes that punishment is meaningless given that an offender has no free will, but suggests that justice should be based on what’s necessary to maintain a degree of orderliness in society. Various scientists commented on Cashmore’s article, and he appears to convincingly rebut them. In one reply, he writes, “Thus Richard Dawkins writes scathingly [Dawkins, R. (2006), *The God Delusion* (Bantam Press, London)] about religious beliefs and yet in numerous interviews expresses his belief in free will. … The reality is that in this instance, the process of evolution has conned us into believing in free will.” This idea that we trick ourselves into thinking we made a “choice” was first proposed by Harvard psychologists Wegener and Wheatley nearly twenty years ago, [“Apparent mental causation: Sources of the experience of will.” Wegener, Daniel M.; Wheatley, Thalia; American Psychologist, Vol. 54, Jul 1999, 480–492.] with mounting recent experimental evidence that seems to support it [“A simple task uncovers a postdictive illusion of choice.” Adam Bear and Paul Bloom, Psychological Science, Vol. 27, Issue 6, 2016.]. The trouble is that neither theists nor atheists can operate without “believing” in their free will. Otherwise the entire act of living becomes superfluous. This is the sorry state of affairs that a human being is stuck with in the world. *Explanation of Free Will in the Gita and Bhagavatam* Somewhat similar to the biological worldview, in the *Bhagavad-gītā* the body is likened to a machine. A machine such as a car needs fuel to run. Similarly, the bodily machine needs food, drink, and a favorable environment to survive. But the *jiva*, being nonmatter, is distinct from the body and does not need the body to survive. The driver of a car doesn’t drink gasoline, and the *jiva* in the body doesn’t need food and water. Yet we (souls) all have the strong experience of thirst and hunger. The *Gita* explains that we are hallucinating that we are the bodily machine and therefore consider its needs our own. But this hallucination is far from the truth. The mind receives inputs from the senses (eyes, ears, nose, skin, and tongue). An intrinsic quality of sense objects (form, smell, taste, touch, and sound) is that they elicit attachment or repulsion in the mind. The mind desires to possess sense objects imagined to produce pleasure (attachment) and detests those that come in the way of that possession (repulsion). Incorrectly thinking that it is the body (this misidentification is called *ahankara*), the *jiva* considers these desires its own although they are actually born in the mind, which is separate from the *jiva*. The *jiva* is not enjoying or suffering, but rather thinking that the suffering and happiness born in the mind are its own. All actions are carried out by the body (which includes the senses) and the mind. The person is not mechanistically causing the body to work; that is, the *jiva* neither runs the heart nor flexes the muscles. Being nonmatter, the *jiva* is aloof. All these activities are carried out by the body alone (under the supervision of Paramatma, a partial expansion of Kṛṣṇa). When the body feels thirsty, it seeks out water. But the *jiva*, or soul, is not thirsty—it cannot actually taste the water, which is material. Rather, it is having an “experience” of tasting the water because the mind registers a sensory event and the *jiva* considers that event to be happening to itself. So long as the *jiva* is in the body and thinks it is the body, it is forced to be in this “hallucinatory” state. The **jiva*’s* hallucination is vividly demonstrated in the Fourth Canto of *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* with the allegory of Puraṣjana. There the *jiva* is shown to be directly under the control of the intelligence. The intelligence decides the appropriate course of action for the *jiva* by accepting or rejecting different actions proposed by the mind. A weak intelligence follows the mind’s whims easily, resulting in destructive behavior (such as immoral acts), while a strong intelligence enables resistance to the mind’s tempting proposals. But so long as the *jiva* identifies with the intelligence, it has no capacity to make independent decisions—i.e., it has no free will. We will call the control of the *jiva* by the intelligence in this way “outside-in” control. If we take the term free will to mean “inside-out control”—that is, the capacity of the *jiva* to control the intelligence—then a requirement for this is that the *jiva* has to recognize itself as separate from the intelligence. Śrīa Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa’s commentary on the *Bhagavad-gītā* sheds some light on the question of free will. *Bhagavad-gītā* 3.33 goes like this: > sadṛśaṁ ceṣṭate svasyāḥ > prakṛter jñānavān api > prakṛtiṁ yānti bhūtāni > nigrahaḥ kiṁ kariṣyati “Even the man in knowledge of scripture acts according to his desires. All men act according to their desires. What can instruction or threat of punishment accomplish?” This verse is somewhat similar to the question of judiciary punishment that Cashmore raises. Are men punishable for following their desires, given that these desires are born in the mind and are not the *jiva’s* own? As even scripturally knowledgeable persons are driven by their desires as if without free will, what can instruction or threat of punishment accomplish? Baladeva Vijdyabhuaa’s commentary reads as follows: Even a person who knows the punishment stated in the scriptures acts according to his evil nature—his sinful impressions which have been present since beginningless time. What then to speak of the person who does not even know about the punishment? All people follow their sinful desires, even though those desires cause destruction of the very goals they pursue—*artha*, *dharma*, *kama*, and *moka*. For a person devoid of association of saintly persons, even if he has knowledge of scripture, what can punishment accomplish? He will not be able to destroy the strong influence of those bad desires. The next verse is an injunction: > indriyasyendriyasyārthe > rāga-dveṣau vyavasthitau > tayor na vaśam āgacchet > tau hy asya paripanthinau “Attachment and repulsion are firmly fixed in each of the sense objects. Therefore one should not come under control of attachment and repulsion. They are the two obstacles.” Baladeva Vidyabhu?aa comments: If the actions of men were under the control of their sinful natures, then the positive and negative injunctions of scripture would be useless.… The scriptures, which direct one to associate with the saintly persons, will turn one away from, and make one detest, what is forbidden, even though it is pleasurable to the mind, by making one understand the undesirable consequences of the forbidden act. And they will also make one have attraction for and engage in acts prescribed by scripture by making one understand their favorable results, even though these may be unpleasant for the mind. Thus the positive and negative injunctions of scripture are not useless. If the *jiva* had no capacity to understand the consequences of harmful and beneficial actions, and to direct its intelligence accordingly, there would be no need for the knowledge of the *Gita* and the *Bhagavatam*. Thus, the *jiva* has the capacity to choose (inside-out), but it is limited by the information it receives (outside-in) to make that choice. When it receives the knowledge of *bhakti* it is presented, then the *jiva* learns about its identity as separate from the mind, intelligence, and body. It now has the option to choose between material activities and *bhakti*’s activities. The *jiva* of course does not become free from the body, but the mind, intelligence, and body now become vehicles in the *jiva*’s acquiescing to *bhakti*’s instructions. Now begins the struggle. The *jiva* has to make a daily choice to either serve Kṛṣṇa—i.e., to perform *bhakti*—or to serve Kṛṣṇa’s material energy, *maya*. By steadily progressing on this path, the *jiva* becomes transcendental to the *guas*—that is, free from the agitation caused by the material body, mind, and intelligence. Then the *jiva* is free from outside-in control; this is called the stage of liberation. In this stage the *jiva* is completely indifferent to (i.e., not controlled by) material happiness, distress, criticism, praise, friend, foe, activity, confusion, and illumination. The easiest way to become free from the tyranny of the body that suppresses the *jiva’s* capacity for inside-out control is to perform *bhakti*, as Kṛṣṇa explains in *Bhagavad-gītā* 14.26: > māṁ ca yo 'vyabhicāreṇa > bhakti-yogena sevate > sa guṇān samatītyaitān > brahma-bhūyāya kalpate “One who engages in full devotional service, unfailing in all circumstances, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman.” Performing *bhakti* not only frees one from the control of the *guas* but also makes one a surrendered associate of Kṛṣṇa. In this state the devotee is now controlled by prema, or love for Kṛṣṇa. The devotee still has the capacity to choose, but the choices available in the spiritual world are in the context of how to make Kṛṣṇa happy. Thus the *jiva* is dependent in its capacity to choose, whether in the material world or the spiritual world. In fact, in all of existence the only independent person with complete free will to do as He likes is Kṛṣṇa Himself. *A doctrine that ascribes the functions of a living organism to a vital principle distinct from chemical and physical forces. ## The Dynamics of Environment: A Factor for Assuring Success *By Kṛṣṇa Dhana Dāsa* *Spiritual teachers in the Vedic tradition have often shown great care in selecting the site of their endeavors.* I recently visited Śrīngeri, situated on the Tunga River amid picturesque mountains in the South Indian state of Karnataka. Ādi Sankaracarya, the eighth-century philosopher who propagated Advaita Vedanta and unified India culturally and religiously, chose the idyllic setting of Śrīngeri as the spot for his first *maha* (monastery). While I was there, far from the conveniences of life in a modern city, I wondered what made Sankaracarya choose this place? My curiosity led me to the secret, revealed by some of his followers as well as the spiritual mentors with whom I was traveling. Tradition has it that the Sankaracarya was on the lookout for a convenient holy place where he could establish an institution to spread his philosophy. When he came to Śrīngeri, he saw a cobra on the bank of the river Tunga spreading its hood over a suffering frog, shading it from the scorching midday sun. Struck by the uncommon sight of a predator safeguarding its prey, Śrī Sankaracarya was convinced that Śrīngeri, where divine love ensured mutual coexistence between natural adversaries, was the right place to establish the first of his four monasteries. His subsequent accomplishments are witnessed by history, hundreds of books, and thousands of disciples. From Sankaracarya's example we can learn an important lesson: Wisely choose an environment favorable for your activity. Environment is an invisible hand that shapes human behavior. We tend to believe our habits are a product of our motivation, talent, and effort. Certainly these qualities matter, but surprisingly, our personal characteristics tend to get overpowered by our environment, especially over a long period. Imagine trying to grow tomatoes outside in a Canadian winter. You could be the most talented farmer in the world, but it won’t make a difference. Snow is a very poor substitute for soil. If you want to maximize your odds of success, then you need to operate in an environment that accelerates your results rather than hinders them. Even a small change in environment can matter greatly. For example, a study by Brian Wansink at Cornell University found that people eat twenty-two percent less food by switching from twelve-inch dinner plates to ten-inch plates. Life is a game, and if you want to guarantee better results over a sustained period, the best approach is to play the game in an environment that favors you. Choosing a conducive environment for your activities, whether *yoga*, study, meditation, writing, cooking, or playing, can assure success. This is evident in the *Bhagavad-gītā* (6.11–12), where Lord Kṛṣṇa advises those who want to progress in *asta*nga-*yoga* to choose a proper place and seat for practice. > śucau deśe pratiṣṭhāpya > sthiram āsanam ātmanaḥ > nāty-ucchritaṁ nāti-nīcaṁ > cailājina-kuśottaram > tatraikāgraṁ manaḥ kṛtvā > yata-cittendriya-kriyaḥ > upaviśyāsane yuñjyād > yogam ātma-viśuddhaye “To practice *yoga*, one should go to a secluded place and should lay *kusa* grass on the ground and then cover it with a deerskin and a soft cloth. The seat should be neither too high nor too low and should be situated in a sacred place. The *yogi* should then sit on it very firmly and practice *yoga* to purify the heart by controlling his mind, senses, and activities and fixing the mind on one point.” *Historical Examples* We often find in the Vedic scriptures that a particular place or environment is chosen for greater effect. Kurukshetra was selected for the *Mahābhārata* war because it was a holy place. Śrīla Prabhupāda writes, The word *dharma-ketra* (a place where religious rituals are performed) is significant because, on the Battlefield of Kuruketra, the Supreme Personality of Godhead was present on the side of Arjuna. Dhtarara, the father of the Kurus, was highly doubtful about the possibility of his sons' ultimate victory. In his doubt, he inquired from his secretary Sanjaya, "What did they do?" He was confident that both his sons and the sons of his younger brother Pandu were assembled in that Field of Kurukshetra for a determined engagement of the war. Still, his inquiry is significant. He did not want a compromise between the cousins and brothers, and he wanted to be sure of the fate of his sons on the battlefield. Because the battle was arranged to be fought at Kurukshetra, which is mentioned elsewhere in the *Vedas* as a place of worship—even for the denizens of heaven—Dhtarara became very fearful about the influence of the holy place on the outcome of the battle. He knew very well that this would influence Arjuna and the sons of Pandu favorably, because by nature they were all virtuous. (*Gita* 1.1, Purport) Explaining the importance of Naimiaraya, the forest where Śrī Suta Gosvami spoke the *Bhagavatam* to an assembly of sages, Śrīla Prabhupāda writes, In the *Vayaviya Tantra*, it is said that Brahma, the engineer of this particular universe, contemplated a great wheel which could enclose the universe. The hub of this great circle was fixed at a particular place known as Naimiaraya. Similarly, there is another reference to the forest of Naimiaraya in the *Varaha Purana*, where it is stated that by performance of sacrifice at this place, the strength of demoniac people is curtailed. Thus *brahmanas* prefer Naimi?araya for such sacrificial performances. (*Bhagavatam* 1.1.4, Purport) In the *Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu* Śrīla Rupa Gosvami gives five potent items of devotional service: residing in Mathura, worshiping the Deity of the Lord, reciting *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam*, associating with devotees, and chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mantra*. These are so potent that a small attachment for any one of them can arouse devotional ecstasy even in a neophyte. One of these items is residing in Mathura, and its importance is mentioned in various scriptures. For example, “In the *Brahmana Purana* it is said that all the results of traveling on all the pilgrimages within the three worlds can be achieved simply by touching the holy land of Mathura.” (*The Nectar of Devotion*, chapter 12) It is also evident from the scriptures that formerly not only devotees of the Lord but even demoniac people were aware of the importance of choosing a proper environment for success. For example, Hiranyaksipu chose Mandara Mountain to perform austerity, and Ravana performed austerity on Kailasa Mountain. Of course, while the environment matters, what you do there is equally important. The *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* describes the scandalous activities of Nalakuvera and Maigriva in a holy atmosphere. Sukadeva Gosvami said: “O King Pariksit, because the two sons of Kuvera had been elevated to the association of Lord Siva, of which they were very much proud, they were allowed to wander in a garden attached to Kailasa Hill, on the bank of the Mandakini River. Taking advantage of this, they used to drink a kind of liquor called Varui. Accompanied by women singing after them, they would wander in that garden of flowers, their eyes always rolling in intoxication. (*Bhagavatam* 10.10.2–3) We also need to note that for a pure devotee of the Lord, environment doesn’t matter much. > nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve > na kutaścana bibhyati > svargāpavarga-narakeṣv > api tulyārtha-darśinaḥ “Devotees solely engaged in the devotional service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayana, never fear any condition of life. For them the heavenly planets, liberation and the hellish planets are all the same, for such devotees are interested only in the service of the Lord.” (*Bhagavatam* 6.17.28) Śrīla Prabhupāda, who was a "Vaikuṇṭha Man" (a description he used for his own *guru*), carried his own spiritual environment with him; wherever he would go, his spiritual consciousness permeated the atmosphere and entered into the hearts of others, often transforming them into devotees. Thousands of disciples from Western countries are evidence of this. *Vaikuṇṭha Atmosphere* In the *Bhagavad-gītā* (18.65) Lord Kṛṣṇa, revealing the topmost secret, asks us to become His devotees: > man-manā bhava mad-bhakto > mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru > mām evaiṣyasi satyaṁ te > pratijāne priyo 'si me “Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me, and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend.” These four limbs of devotional service can best be practiced if we choose the right place. And what better place than a temple? Among Śrīla Prabhupāda's many great contributions, his temples and devotional communities are very important because they facilitate the practice of devotional service for many spiritual aspirants. We can take advantage of them for our spiritual practices, such as chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, hearing the *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* and *Bhagavad-gītā*, and associating with devotees. Śrīla Prabhupāda said the temples were identical to Vaikuṇṭha. Let each of us take full advantage of these Vaikuṇṭha temples created for everyone by a "Vaikuṇṭha man," transport our consciousness to Vaikuṇṭha, and make our life perfect. *Kṛṣṇa Dhana Dāsa is the president of ISKCON Nasik, Maharashtra, India.* ## Letters *Why We Fear* What is fear, and what are the reasons for it? Please tell me how to overcome it. Ganesh Bhedas Via the Internet *Our reply*: Fear comes from not understanding that Kṛṣṇa is in control and is working through the material energy to give each of us *jiva* souls exactly what is best for us. We think we must control everything, but that's impossible. We try to make things work out just the way we want them to, thinking we will then be happy, but when we see that we cannot control things, we become fearful. Each of us has some idea of what things should look like for life to be good. We have a mental list of what God would give to us if He really had our welfare in mind. When we see things happening differently, we try to change the situation. When we can't do that, we become afraid. It is like trying to drive on ice: It is frightening because we can feel that we have no control and anything can happen. We have some idea of where we want to go, but we have lost control. But in reality God is arranging everything so that we have the realizations and experiences we need to make real progress in human life. He is arranging everything perfectly, and when we understand and accept that, then we become free from fear. We trust the "driver," and we can relax and leave the driving to Him. This is why Kṛṣṇa says in the *Bhagavad-gītā* (18.66): "Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear." If we leave the driving to Kṛṣṇa, then there is no need to fear. If we think we are in control, then Kṛṣṇa will let us drive, and in conjunction with the material energy we will experience again and again that we are on ice and cannot really control anything. Thus people in material consciousness, thinking they are in control of their lives, are always in anxiety—fearful because although they are trying to achieve some goal, they are not able to remove the obstacles they face or obtain the results they want. Things keep slipping and sliding out of their control. *Driving Our Thoughts* Does the soul (*atma*) drive our thoughts—i.e., our intelligence—and our body and its activities? Vinayaga Murthy Via the Internet *Our reply*: The material body is compared to a chariot. The horses are the senses, and the reigns are the mind. Sitting in the chariot are the intelligence and the *atma*, or *jiva* soul. The intelligence is supposed to hold the reigns and keep control of the mind and senses. It is also supposed to take guidance from the passenger in the body, the *jiva* soul. But often the intelligence is weak and the mind is left to do whatever it wants. The horses (senses) pull the mind around and take the *jiva* soul all over the place looking for the immediate and temporary pleasures for the body. If the intelligence is strong, it can control the mind and senses and engage them in more useful pursuits. And if the intelligence is very strong, it will take direction from the soul and the Supersoul (Kṛṣṇa in the heart). When that occurs, then the *jiva* happily controls the mind and senses and engages them in the service of Kṛṣṇa. In summary, who or what is driving our thoughts and actions depends on how strong the intelligence is and how able the *jiva* is in directing the intelligence, mind, and senses. *Conflict Between Inner and Outer World* I am losing my internal peace and crying a lot. There is a conflict between my inner and outer worlds. I want to mold myself according to this materialistic world but am unable to do so. Does Hare Kṛṣṇa have a solution to this problem? Hetal Via the Internet *Our reply*: You say you want to mold yourself according to this materialistic world. Why do you want to do that? People in the materialistic conception are only seeking happiness from matter and are completely unaware that they are actually spiritual by nature. Therefore they are always unhappy, and always driven by desire, greed, and lust. Why would you aspire for such a position? Although people in the material world look for happiness and may even appear happy, in reality they are always running after some shadow of happiness and are never satisfied. By aspiring to be like them, you are creating the very situation you are trying to avoid—endless tears and disappointments. In reality we are all spiritual beings. Our happiness comes from spiritual activities, from our connection with Kṛṣṇa. A fish needs water to be happy. If you give a fish a house, a car, and so on, but no water, the fish will not be happy. We need a spiritual connection to be happy. We require a loving relationship with Kṛṣṇa to be fully satisfied, so if we pursue material things, we will run and run but never achieve our goal. The solution to the problem you are facing is to begin chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare and to seek the company of persons looking for spiritual fulfillment. If you can go to a Hare Kṛṣṇa temple and do some service for Kṛṣṇa and the devotees, chant with them and learn from them, this will help you to overcome the sadness you are experiencing. Actually, that you are unable to fit into the materialistic mold is a sign that you are intelligent and are seeking the true meaning of life. Don't give up, but rather continue your quest. You will find great happiness when you are successful in your quest. *Why We Exist* Why did Kṛṣṇa create us souls? Swapnil Shrore Via the Internet *Our reply*: First of all, Kṛṣṇa wants to have relationships. His relationships can only be with spiritual entities, and so He expands Himself into many. All of His associates are expansions of Himself, but not all of them become affected by the material energy. The Lord has loving relationships with all the *jivas*, but some are intimate in their loving exchanges with Him, and some are attracted to the idea of being the Supreme and so have to enter the material sphere. They can reconnect with Kṛṣṇa after understanding their forgotten relationship with Him. Understanding the nature of the soul is easier if you consider the example of the sun and the sunshine. The sun is the source of the sunshine, and both are made of heat and light and exist simultaneously. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is the source of the *jiva* souls, and they exist simultaneously. Like Kṛṣṇa, we are spiritual, and our relationship with Him is eternal. The difference is in size. The sun is large and powerful and can burn your body to ashes in no time, but the sunshine contains only a small part of the sun's power. The relationship between God and the *jiva* is similar; He is all-pervasive and all-powerful, and we are tiny and subordinate to Him. Some souls want to enjoy like Kṛṣṇa, so He arranges for them to try to be the supreme controller in the material world. This attempt is uncomfortable and problematic for us, but the desire to enjoy is strong, and so in earnest we pursue that desire. Then we suffer because of identifying with whatever body we inhabit. Ultimately we realize our smallness in relation to the Supreme and reinstate ourselves in our natural position of serving Him. So we souls exist to enjoy with Kṛṣṇa in different relationships. Kṛṣṇa wants to have friends, lovers, playmates, parents, and so on, and we exist to fulfill His desire. If we become fixed in that understanding, we can resume our eternal position as His blissful associates. ## What’s Wrong with Using a Crutch? *By Navina Syama Dāsa* *When atheists decry religion as a crutch, most believers bristle. Perhaps we should agree instead.* While riding in the elevator at my workplace the other day, I noticed that one of my fellow passengers was supporting himself with a pair of crutches. I asked him why, and he responded that he had broken his leg while skiing. After the interaction, I found myself reflecting on the view that many people have of religion as a crutch. They mean it, of course, as a slight, implying that religion is for the weak, whereas the strong have no need for such artificial support. But I hadn’t viewed the man in the elevator with any disgust or reprobation, despite his use of crutches; rather, I thought it a most wise and appropriate measure. This realization prompted me to reconsider my standard response to the accusation about religion: instead of denying the charge, perhaps I could accept it, and just go on to explain how, under the right circumstances, a crutch might be just what the doctor ordered. So who needs crutches? By and large it’s those who have injured themselves in such a way that they can no longer function properly on their own. Thus they need some temporary help while they regain their natural, normal state. In the case of physical crutches, the injury is some fall or impact that damages a leg, and the crutches help one move about until the leg is healed. But what about the metaphorical crutch of religion? What is the injury that necessitates it? What does it help us do? And what is the healthy state that we hope to return to? Let’s address these questions in turn. First, the injury. Just because we look whole and healthy on the outside doesn’t mean we’re that way on the inside too. And the Vedic scriptures teach that something is indeed not right with us residents of this mortal realm—namely, our consciousness. We once lived happily in the kingdom of God as His sublimely satisfied but subordinate associates. When this dependent status became distasteful to us—for whatever reason—we then entered the material universe, free to pursue the goal of becoming mini-gods. Here, by virtue of our identification with matter, however, we are corrupted by all manner of vices—lust, anger, greed, pride, envy, illusion—and subject to all manner of limitations—old age, disease, death—that we never knew back home. Thus stunted by self-centered jealousy and all that it engenders, we mortals truly are disabled, at least as measured against our original glorious position. We’ve broken our ability to love God and, by extension, all of His creatures. *Walking with Help* So what does religion offer? The rules and regulations of scripture keep us from hurting ourselves more and help us gradually resume our normal activity of serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Following them may at times feel forced, artificial, or uncomfortable, but what else can an injured person expect? The very symptom of injury is that routine tasks become challenging. Think, for example, of people trying to walk for the first time after an accident: What was otherwise an effortless and fluid activity suddenly becomes stilted and awkward. But at least the crutches get them walking again. In like manner, religious practices get us loving again. As Śrīla Rupa Gosvami teaches, the positive activities—such as praying, reading about the dealings of God with His servants and devotees, and discussing topics of divine philosophy—all help restore us to our original state of constant absorption in Him. And the negative activities—such as giving up overindulgence, be it in food, sex, or sleep—are meant to protect us from disruptions to such absorption. Śrīla Prabhupāda once offered a different but equally apt analogy to illustrate this point: Sometimes the car becomes blocked. But some fellow pushes it. We have got this experience. What is that called? Chocked up? Then you get down and push the car and—*brut-brut-brut-brut-brut*—it goes. Similarly the *bhakti-rasa* [feeling of devotion] is there in everyone's heart. *Nitya-siddha Kṛṣṇa-bhakti.* Because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. . . . So the fact is that we have got devotion for Kṛṣṇa. That is a fact. But some way or other we are separated and we have forgotten. So as soon as, by this regulative principle, by the order of the spiritual master, by the injunction of the *sastras*, we begin devotional service... Just like our students do here. They are offering *aratrika*. They're offering dress, offering garland. These are the items of arcana [Deity worship]—hearing about Him, chanting about Him. This devotional service is the pushing process. And as soon as the energy comes, then automatically—*brut-brut-brut.* No more pushing. Automatically. This pushing process is required. (Lecture on *The Nectar of Devotion*, December 28, 1972, Bombay) In the spiritual world, our love flows toward God incessantly and automatically, like rivers flowing toward the sea. But here we’ve lost that natural inclination and need the various prescriptions and prohibitions of religion to jump-start our stalled hearts. What about when we’re fully recovered? Crutches, after all, are temporary and can—indeed should—ultimately be discarded. Can the same be said of religion? The answer (perhaps surprisingly) is yes. Just as physical crutches become superfluous once an injured leg has healed, so too can the metaphorical crutch of religious formalities be left behind when our hearts have healed. This progression is captured in Vaisnava theology in the distinction between *vaidhi-bhakti,* devotional service according to regulation, and *prema-bhakti*, devotional service in pure love of God. In the latter healthy and fully restored state, we serve God in spontaneous love during this lifetime and return to Him in the next. We no longer require any external aids or impetus. In fact, both types of crutches get in the way of normal functioning. The same regimens and restrictions that purify our consciousness and enable us to once again love God eventually become impediments to the purest and fullest expression of that love. Lord Kṛṣṇa pondered this paradox shortly before He descended as Caitanya Mahāprabhu, noting that practicing *vaidhi-bhakti* cannot fill one’s heart with the superlative mood of His associates in Vṛndāvana. Rather, He longs for fervid devotion untempered by formality. (*Caitanya-caritāmṛta*, *Ādi* 3.15–16) *Acknowledging Our Need* That said, however, the actions of one in the highest stages of devotion still tend to be in external conformity with religious rules. (After all, even people freshly off crutches spend most of their time walking in straight lines, neither running marathons nor doing cartwheels.) For one thing, “the learned Kṛṣṇa conscious person” voluntarily serves as an example and role model for those in less developed stages of spiritual life. (*Gita* 3.26, Purport) For another, expressing rarefied emotions does not, by and large, require deviating from scriptural norms. But advanced *bhakti-yogis* no longer have to struggle to redirect their hearts and minds away from matter and toward the divine; as a result, they no longer have to be conscious of the rules and can focus instead—exclusively and directly—on God Himself, trusting that whatever happens as a result is sure to be wholesome, auspicious, and in no way untoward. In short, the neophyte deliberately practices proper behavior to evoke the right mood, whereas the expert behaves properly as a matter of course because of having already attained the right mood. Religion then can be seen as analogous to crutches in terms of what necessitates its use, what purpose it serves, and when it can be left behind. Both help participants in some damaging misfortune to overcome their consequent disability and become healthy and independent once again. If in spite of this obvious utility, one disregards the rules and regulations of scripture, what can be said? If I were to see the man in the elevator prematurely cast aside his crutches and start dragging his leg, what would I think? He might claim that he was being strong and self-reliant, but I would think only that he was stubborn and shortsighted. After all, his rash act would merely aggravate his injury and delay his recovery. Similarly, what can we gain by denying the nature of our present fallen condition and rejecting the only real remedy? Only prolonged suffering and frustration. Instead of ignoring the guidance of scripture out of pride and immaturity, better that we humbly acknowledge our need for assistance and gratefully follow Kṛṣṇa’s instructions until we are once again walking—and even dancing—with Him in pure love. *Navina Syama Dāsa is a disciple of His Holiness Bhakti Caru Swami who lives in ISKCON's Rādhā-Kalachandji community in Dallas. He is a trial attorney with the US Department of Labor, and his daughters attend TKG Academy, a Hare Kṛṣṇa school where his wife teaches language arts.* ## Book Excerpt [Excerpted from *Our Family Business: The Great Art of Distributing Śrīla Prabhupāda's Books*, available from the Kṛṣṇa.com Store. The original material included three footnotes, and we've added a few here to aid newer readers.] *The Origin of Our Family Business* *by Vaisesika Dāsa* "Our family" refers to Lord Kṛṣṇa's devotees, and our business is to inform as many people as possible about Kṛṣṇa and His teachings. The Fords and Disneys of America, and the Tatas and Birlas of India, are successful family dynasties. The businesses owned and operated by these families have been around for generations. When it comes to longevity, however, Japan’s Hoshi family, which runs the Hoshi Hotels, is the oldest. The Hoshis opened for business in 718 AD, making their business the oldest family-run business in the world. They are fifty generations in! But is their hospitality business really the oldest? According to Vedic histories, Lord Kṛṣṇa started His family business at the beginning of creation when He poured Vedic wisdom into the heart of Brahma and empowered him with the knowledge to create a universe, where *jivas* could rectify their consciousness and return to Him. This was, of course, trillions of years before the Hoshi Hotel opened its doors. Brahma expanded his family and taught and empowered each of its members to learn what he had been taught and then to pass that Vedic knowledge on, intact, to subsequent generations. Brahma’s son, Narada, for example, became the mentor of Kṛṣṇa Dvaipayana Vyasa, who compiled, edited, and expanded the *Vedas* through his son and many disciples. Vyasadeva, eager to broadcast to the people of Kali-yuga the knowledge that would alleviate their miseries, engaged a scribe to write the *Vedas* down*.* He understood through his mystic vision and scriptural knowledge that the people of Kali-yuga would suffer from a variety of hardships caused by the maleficent influence of Kali, including diminished memory*.* He knew that in Kali-yuga, in order to remember and follow the *Veda’s* sacred teachings, humankind would need them in written form*.* The *Veda* was originally a single book, the Atharva *Veda*. To make it easier to teach and learn, Vyasadeva divided it into four parts—the *g, Yajur, Sama,* and *Atharva.* He then gave different disciples different parts of the *Veda* to teach. Some of them divided their parts further to facilitate their students’ learning and teaching. Later, Vyasa wrote the *Vedanta-sutras* “with a view to presenting just the cream of Vedic knowledge.”1 He also compiled the *Puranas,* Vedic histories that explain the *Vedas.* And he composed a “bridge book” to the *Vedas,* the *Mahābhārata,* which caters to Kali-yuga’s less philosophically inclined populace but also contains the *Bhagavad-gītā,* a digestible and succinct summary of Vedic philosophy. The *Gita,* after taking the reader through a step-by-step process of self-realization, finally reveals the goal of Vedic knowledge, *bhakti-yoga*, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, pure love of God. So from Kṛṣṇa to Brahma to Narada to Vyasadeva to Śrīla Rupa Gosvami sitting at Ter Kadamba2 and writing his books to Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura with his Vaisnava Depository to Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvati Ṭhākura and his own use of the *bhad-mrdanga*3 to our Śrīla Prabhupāda writing his Bhaktivedanta purports—all are in the same family business. Visit any BBT4 office around the world and you will find devotees who share in Vyasadeva’s mood and work ethic, and in Śrīla Prabhupāda’s desire that Kṛṣṇa consciousness be made accessible to everyone in every walk of life. In fact, the BBT is translating the *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* into so many languages that almost anyone in the world can read it—a feat Śrīla Vyasadeva would praise, because it fulfills the purpose of his work. In telling of Vyasadeva’s despondency after his having written down the *Vedas,* the *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* describes Vyasadeva’s purpose. When his *guru*, Narada Muni, appeared on the scene, Vyasadeva asked about the reason for his despair. Narada told him, “You have not actually broadcast the sublime and spotless glories of the Personality of Godhead. That philosophy which does not satisfy the transcendental senses of the Lord is considered worthless. Please, therefore, describe the transcendental pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa more vividly.” Vyasa accepted his *guru’s* advice at once. After attaining the perfection of meditation (*samadhi*) and directly seeing Kṛṣṇa, His potencies, and His pastimes, Śrīla Vyasadeva produced the *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam,* or *Bhagavata Purana.* This text is his own commentary on the *Vedanta-sutra* and is thus the distilled essence of everything he had written before. In it he purely described the Absolute Truth, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and His activities in vivid detail. Vyasadeva taught *Śrīmad-*Bhagavatam** to his liberated son, Sukadeva, and Sukadeva in turn spoke it publicly to Mahārāja Pariksit, who was sitting on the bank of the Ganges after having been cursed to die by a *brahmana* boy. Suta Gosvami, who was present while Sukadeva spoke, later repeated the *Bhagavatam* to an assembly of learned *brahmana*s and sages in the Naimiaraya forest. While introducing *Śrīmad-*Bhagavatam** to those sages, Suta said: “Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto him [Suka], the spiritual master of all sages, the son of Vyasadeva, who, out of his great compassion for those gross materialists who struggle to cross over the darkest regions of material existence, spoke this most confidential supplement to the cream of Vedic knowledge, after having personally assimilated it by experience.”5 Today’s distributors of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books, in that same mood of compassion, venture door to door or onto the street, to fairs, rock concerts, and shopping centers—anywhere they can find people in need of spiritual enlightenment—to join in the family business of presenting *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* to society*.* When they do so, they are serving an ancient line of succession of great souls that comes down from Śrī Kṛṣṇa through Brahma, Narada, Vyasadeva, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His spiritual descendants, down through His Divine Grace A*.* C*.* Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda and his disciples and their descendants*.* All of these personalities are actually spiritual entrepreneurs. Those devotees who today follow Śrīla Prabhupāda’s example and exhaustive instructions to expand book publication and distribution will be successful in their entrepreneurship, because they are backed by all of Kṛṣṇa’s eternal family members. *Value Added* Everyone loves a success story, especially a true rags-to-riches tale, in which someone starts with no money and no friends, but has a great idea and the determination to create a thriving enterprise. We come from spiritually humble beginnings, but with our family’s blessings, we can become spiritual entrepreneurs and make ourselves and others spiritually wealthy beyond anything we could imagine. I live in Silicon Valley, home of legendary successes like Hewlett-Packard’s William Redington Hewlett and David Packard and Apple’s Steve Jobs and Steven Wozniak. Both of these legendary success stories feature a couple of bright young people with a fresh idea and a desire to bring it out into the world. Both pairs of entrepreneurs started in dusty garages, emerging a few years later with a product that not only became a household name but also earned their inventors billions of dollars. Success stories like these provide impetus for thousands of would-be entrepreneurs who want to change the world and, while doing so, net themselves remarkable wealth and fame. Catering to the public’s taste for such romantic quests, in November 2010, *Newsweek* ran a story entitled “Amazing Late Bloomers,” chronicling thirteen luminaries who attained startling success after the age of sixty. Among these standout achievers was His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda. The article recounts how at the age of sixty-nine “Swami Prabhupāda” came alone to the United States on a freighter. He had no money (he had only seven dollars worth of unspendable rupees in his pocket) and no backers. Within twelve short years he circled the globe fourteen times, developed a worldwide spiritual movement, opened 108 temples, and wrote and published seventy books. Great Vaisnava *acaryas* like Śrīla Prabhupāda, whether they start their mission at the dawn of their lives or when they are older, are the premier entrepreneurs. Why? Because they bring to market the most valued product of all: the process for awakening love for Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Like conventional entrepreneurs, these *acaryas* often begin their campaigns in obscurity, sometimes even in isolated garagelike rooms. But instead of designing the gadgets of the future, these compassionate world teachers write books of profound spiritual wisdom; instead of writing complex computer code, they assemble the spiritual formulas found in the *Vedas* into contextualized *sutras—mantras* that free people from the miseries of birth, death, old age, and disease and transport them back to the spiritual world. Five thousand years ago, the venerable sage Vyasadeva sat meditating in a lonely mountain cottage surrounded by berry trees. In his solitude he compiled the epic *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam,* the hearing of which purifies the hearts of even its most downtrodden readers and quickly brings them to spiritual perfection. We have already mentioned Śrīla Rupa Gosvami as carrying on Vyasadeva’s spiritual entrepreneurship, but there are also Śrīla Sanatana Gosvami and the other Vṛndāvana *gosvamis.* These *acaryas* barely slept, and when they did, it was as mendicants under a different tree each night. But they wrote timeless spiritual instructions on palm leaves, divine poetry and prayers, works so practical yet sublime that they are able to touch the hearts of both refined scholars and simple laborers alike. The famous Vaisnava teacher and reformer Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvati Ṭhākura also sat alone for nearly ten years in a jungle hut in Māyāpur, West Bengal. There he completed a vow to chant one billion names of Kṛṣṇa. He emerged from this vow to travel and speak throughout India, establishing a network of sixty-four temples and spiritual communities. He also wrote hundreds of texts. But the most dramatic example of spiritual entrepreneurialism is on *Newsweek’s* list: Śrīla Prabhupāda. Starting from a small, bare, stone-floored room in the rustic village of Vṛndāvana, he actualized what he’d been meditating on since meeting his *guru*: writing and publishing the books that would enlighten the people of the West (and beyond) using Lord Caitanya’s teachings and then showing them how to practice those teachings—something no one before him had done. Working alone, with barely enough money to clothe himself, he poured out the contents of his devotional heart on a dilapidated typewriter. As mentioned in “Amazing Late Bloomers,” Śrīla Prabhupāda’s legacy is now world famous. From his early days at 26 Second Avenue to his phenomenal success at growing an international spiritual organization in twelve short years, Śrīla Prabhupāda’s accomplishments are legendary. Establishing the BBT is one of those accomplishments. The BBT helped fund the Matsya Project, which, along with grants from The Smithsonian Institute, saved thousands of translations of Vedic and Gaudiya Vaisnava scriptures from deteriorating and being lost forever. Matsya’s collection of treasured texts was stored on microfilm for future reference in the Vedic Library and Research Center, also funded by the BBT. The thousands of microfilms collected by the Matsya team are now in the care of the Bhaktivedanta Archives. BBT trustees also helped support Yamuna Devi’s writing of her award-winning cookbook, *The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking.* Today, decades after Śrīla Prabhupāda’s departure, the BBT remains vibrant and committed to publishing Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books in as many languages and formats as possible. As Nelson Mandela famously said, “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, he hears with his head; if you talk to him in his language, it goes to his heart.” The BBT strives to give people Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books in their native tongue as often as possible. The BBT demands state-of-the-art, eco-friendly technologies and materials from its printers. It works to serve the needs of thousands of book distributors worldwide, and as of this writing, publishes in eighty-six languages. Many of these translations are available both in print and as eBooks. In 2015, the BBT completed its translation, editing, and publishing of all of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books in the Russian language. Besides printing Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books, the BBT has also brought out a number of editions of important translations of Gaudiya Vaisnava texts, such as the *Brhad-bhagavatamrta,* the *Tattva Sandarbha, Śrī Kṛṣṇa-līlā-stava,* and the *Laghu-bhagavatamrta.* The BBT also funds scientific research projects, has held art seminars and international symposiums on book publishing and distribution, taught courses in book production skills, and especially, through its full-service website, Kṛṣṇa.com, fostered young talent interested in various aspects of publishing and Internet outreach. The BBT is home to the Bhaktivedanta Archives, whose mission it is to “collect, preserve, protect, and allow dissemination of” Śrīla Prabhupāda’s “teachings, images, and life’s work.” The Archives is constantly updating the media on which Śrīla Prabhupāda’s audio is stored and cataloguing and digitizing the literally thousands of photos of Śrīla Prabhupāda and ISKCON’s activities that have been collected since 1965. The Archives also offers both an online and offline version of the VedaBase, updating it regularly as more of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s letters are discovered or his audio digitally enhanced to fill in what was too hard to hear on tape. The global BBT has contributed substantially each year to help the construction of the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium (TOVP) in Māyāpur, one of the largest temple construction projects in the world. In fact, the BBT funded land purchases that have facilitated ISKCON’s growing communities. It has also funded the printing and free distribution of inspirational books, such as *This Is My Request.* The BBT has, in the past, given grants for the strategic distribution of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books in third-world countries—one year the BBT shipped 150,000 books to French-speaking Africa so that distributors there could get them out to the people in the cities and villages. Spiritual entrepreneurs such as Śrīla Prabhupāda and the other *acaryas* in our line carry a burden: they can see the degree to which people are suffering. They feel the responsibility and especially the compassion to try to relieve that suffering. Their teachings are authorized and empowered by Kṛṣṇa; when their writings go to press and hit the streets, people who read them begin to sing Kṛṣṇa’s names and practice devotional service. In this passage from a prayer Śrīla Prabhupāda wrote to Kṛṣṇa aboard the *Jaladuta,* just before disembarking on American soil, he disclosed to the world that he felt the burden to save people from their suffering: How will I make them understand this message of Kṛṣṇa consciousness? I am very unfortunate, unqualified, and the most fallen. Therefore I am seeking Your benediction so that I can convince them, for I am powerless to do so on my own. As is true of all great spiritual entrepreneurs, Śrīla Prabhupāda had full confidence in the product he was carrying, the transcendental incarnation of the Lord in the form of sound. He confirms this fact as his prayer aboard the *Jaladuta* continues: The words of *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* are Your incarnation, and if a sober person repeatedly receives them with submissive aural reception, then he will be able to understand Your message. One last point about Śrīla Prabhupāda’s “transcendental *plot*”: the word *plot* comes from the Old French com*plot*, “secret project.” Śrīla Prabhupāda’s project to distribute his books is a kind of secret project, because his books reveal to the world Lord Kṛṣṇa’s “most secret of all secrets.” What’s more, Śrīla Prabhupāda’s purports reveal to the world the confidential secrets in his own heart. Śrīla Rupa Gosvami tells us that spiritual disclosure is one of the six loving exchanges between devotees. Śrīla Prabhupāda writes, “If you love somebody, you must give him something, and you must accept something from him. You must disclose your mind to him, and he should disclose his mind to you.”6 So Śrīla Prabhupāda’s “*plot*” to distribute Kṛṣṇa consciousness to suffering humanity, his disclosure of the meaning of Kṛṣṇa’s teachings through his own “ecstasies,” his Bhaktivedanta purports, and his receiving donations of time and money and devotion in exchange, are expressions of his love for the fallen souls, his spiritual master, and ultimately Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself. In a letter to Satsvarupa Mahārāja dated January 5, 1976, Śrīla Prabhupāda discloses his mind to his faithful followers about the family business he left for us to manage: Our first business is this book distribution. There is no need of any other business. If this book distribution is managed properly, pushed on with great enthusiasm and determination and at the same time if our men keep spiritually strong, then the whole world will become Kṛṣṇa conscious. *NOTES* 1 *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* 1.2.3, purport. 2 A small forest in Vrindavan, near the village of Nandagram. 3 Literally "great drum." Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvati Ṭhākura coined this term to refer to the printing press. The sound of a drum accompanying public chanting of the holy names reverberates a short distance, but the "sound" of books can spread around the world and gain the attention of millions of people. 4 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. 5 *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* 1.2.3 6 *Civilization and Transcendence*, chapter 12, "How to Love God." *Vaiseika Dāsa moved into the ISKCON temple in San Francisco at the age of sixteen and, with the blessings of his parents, became a disciple of Śrīla Prabhupāda. He and his wife, Nirakula Devī Dāsī, also a disciple of Śrīla Prabhupāda, have developed an ISKCON spiritual community of three hundred families in Silicon Valley. He is an initiating guru and travels widely to teach the tenets of devotional service and the great art of distributing Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books.* ## Bhagavad-gītā: Five Universal Stages, From Existential Agony to Love of God *By Satyaraja Dāsa* *Lord Kṛṣṇa guides Arjuna —and through him, all of us —in the quest to conquer "the dweller on the threshold."* The *Bhagavad-gītā* is not just another religious text; nor is it merely a Hindu scripture. Rather, it provides what can be called applied spiritual technologies, or systematic procedures by which anyone of any religious faith can advance toward the ultimate goal of life. In other words, the *Gita* transcends its natural associations with India and with the sectarian boundaries within which most people would place it. Historically, the devastating battle referred to in its pages centers on two royal families and their dynastic concerns. Philosophically, however, the battle is our own—our true self's ongoing struggle against all our lower desires and passions. Arjuna, the hero of the *Gita*, represents all individual "selves," or souls, and his dilemma, as depicted in the text, brings to mind the proverbial “dweller on the threshold,” made famous in Edward B. Lytton’s Rosicrucian novel *Zanoni* (1842). This “Dweller” is characterized as a hideous creature with monstrous features, appearing before the book’s protagonist just as the latter enters an unknown, mysterious land. The creature tries to shake him up, to make him lose hope, and our hero, we know, will succumb if he is not fully prepared. The same is true for Arjuna. His lower nature tries to subdue his higher nature, as we see in the *Gita’s* initial chapters. Arjuna’s doubts and hesitancy are like a creature comparable to the Dweller, and his more noble nature, seen throughout his life, is the hero—both exist in the same body, as they do in all of us. The monster, then, is merely figurative, trying to defeat each person's inner spirit and the higher aspirations of each human heart. The difference here, however, is that both Arjuna and we are real. Like the temptations that came to both Buddha and Jesus, Lytton’s monster attacks when we want it least—when we try to pursue higher reality. The *Gita* addresses the specific obstructions that deter our progress and systematically educates us in how to defeat the creature, Lytton’s monster, rendering him ineffectual and impotent. *Guidance to the Goal* But, more, the text guides us, through pertinent instruction, to live in that higher, magical realm of the spirit, where negative “dwellers of the threshold” no longer exist. It is this that the *Gita* bequeaths to its most sincere readers, and it does so through five universal stages that all aspiring transcendentalists must one day go through, in one form or another: 1. Existential Agony As the *Gita* opens, we are introduced to the psychological and spiritual crisis of Arjuna, who represents all steadfast practitioners. Seekers tend to have reached a point of intense dismay as they realized that there must be something beyond the day-to-day, and felt overwhelming incompleteness. They gradually come to realize that this feeling will not go away without the presence of God in their lives. And so they embark on a spiritual journey. (The *Gita* lists three other mindsets that can lead to the spiritual quest: the desire for wealth, the thirst for higher knowledge, and wisdom.) 2. Preliminary Surrender Such inner anguish leads to a rudimentary form of surrender—a preliminary faith that inspires the will to make certain life changes and engage in corresponding practices that awaken devotion to God. Without that, one cannot progress on the path. At this point, as Kṛṣṇa tells Arjuna, one would do well to find a spiritual master, someone more experienced in the procedures of devotion. It is at this point, in fact, that Arjuna says: “Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure because of miserly weakness. In this condition I am asking You to tell me for certain what is best for me. Now I am Your disciple, and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me.” (2.7) Kṛṣṇa's first instructions, and all that follow, clarify one’s existence apart from the body: The living being is a spirit soul, encased in a material body, and his main function is to serve the Supreme Lord with love and devotion. 3. Passionate Search and Sincere Inquiry Such surrender is in itself liberating, and the spiritual aspirant begins to make substantial progress by approaching the teacher with pertinent questions, rendering service, and developing love for God by developing love for His dedicated servant, the spiritual master. At this level the science of spirituality begins to unfold. One learns how to read signs of advancement, as well as signs of faltering. Here, prayer and chanting the holy names of God become more meaningful too, and one is now able to effectively use attendant practices that nourish pure chanting. 4. The Dawn of True Knowledge The intricacies of God consciousness, including insight into the nature of the Supreme, gradually arise in the hearts of sincere practitioners. When Arjuna submits to Kṛṣṇa on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, the Lord reveals transcendental knowledge to him that few will ever attain. Arjuna learns how to see God in natural phenomena, as Kṛṣṇa explains how all things exist only because of His presence. Overall, such knowledge reveals that God manifests Himself impersonally as Brahman; pervades everything, from living beings to atoms, as Paramatma, His localized Supersoul expansion; and remains distinct as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, who cherishes intimate relationships of love with His devotees. 5. Love of God The *Gita* (18.66) finally promotes full dedication, for having pursued the science of transcendence, one finally is *able to fully surrender—*for one now knows what or whom one is surrendering to. This is not surrender in the negative sense, where one relinquishes free will and potentially becomes subject to abuse or exploitation. This is surrender to our own inner bliss, our natural, constitutional position as an eternal, loving servant of the Lord. *The New "Dweller"* 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. (10.8–11) This is the *Gita’s* ultimate teaching, in which a new “dweller” emerges in the life of the spiritual practitioner. The sincere soul gradually comes in touch with the Personality of Godhead, his eternal friend and ever well-wisher. By the *Gita’s* purifying principles, Lytton’s monster quickly disappears. He is replaced by Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme dear one whose love we have long forgotten. We now learn to love Him again, and start to remember that His love for us knows no bounds. *Satyaraja Dāsa, a disciple of Śrīla Prabhupāda, is a BTG associate editor and founding editor of the* Journal of Vaishnava Studies. *He has written more than thirty books on Kṛṣṇa consciousness and lives near New York City.* *This article was adapted from the author's book* Kṛṣṇa's Song: A New Look at the *Bhagavad-gītā, by Steven J. Rosen, available at amazon.com.* Founder's Lecture: Expanding Our Love *June 25, 1976, New Vrindaban, West Virginia* *With practice, we can become free from limited affection centered on the body and can then realize the ideal of loving everyone.* > ko gṛheṣu pumān saktam > ātmānam ajitendriyaḥ > sneha-pāśair dṛḍhair baddham > utsaheta vimocitum "What person too attached to household life due to being unable to control his senses can liberate himself? An attached householder is bound very strongly by ropes of affection for his family [wife, children, and other relatives]." —*Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* 7.6.9 This material life is our bondage. We may be in gold handcuffs or iron handcuffs, but that doesn't matter; in this material world we are handcuffed, imprisoned. Our aim of life should be to get out of this material bondage, or prison house. When Prahlada Mahārāja, who is speaking this verse, was asked by his father what was the best education he had received from his teachers, he replied *hitvātma-pātaṁ gṛham andha-kūpaṁ vanaṁ gato yad dharim āśrayeta* (*Bhagavatam* 7.5.5). Family life, Prahlada replied, is *andha-kupam*, a dark well. If a man has fallen into a dark well, it is sure death, *atma-ghatam*. Therefore, one should give up that life and take shelter of the Lord. Unless we are very cautious, family life is very dangerous for spiritual advancement. Therefore, according to the Vedic system, first of all one is trained as a *brahmacari* so as not to be attached to sex life. That is *brahmacari* life—celibacy. These boys here, these children, can be trained. The first training is *brahmacarya*. They are innocent. As you train them they will learn. To train the children as *brahmacari*s is essential. The purpose is that they may not to be attached to sex life. Sex life is allowed only to beget children. The Vedic injunction is that a man accepts a wife only to have good children. In the *Bhagavad-gītā* (7.11) Kṛṣṇa says, *dharmāviruddho bhūteṣu kāmo 'smi bharatarṣabha*: "I am sex life when it is not against the religious principle." According to the Vedic system, sex life is practically denied. But because we are now in the conditioned state, it is very difficult for us to completely deny sex life, so there is regulation. First of all the training is no sex life. If a young man can remain without sex life—*brahmacari*—that is very good. But if he cannot, then he can get married and live with a wife, but have sex only for progeny, not for sense enjoyment. If the man sticks to one wife and the wife sticks to one man, that is real married life. Then the husband is called a *brahmacari* even though he's a *gṛhastha*, and the wife is called chaste. This is human civilization. Formerly, if a man lived for a hundred years he would spend twenty-five years as a *brahmacari*, twenty-five years as a *gṛhastha*, twenty-five years as a *vanaprastha*, and the last twenty-five years as a *sannyasi*. In three of these *asramas* there is no sex life: *brahmacari*, *vanaprastha*, and *sannyasa*. Only the *gṛhastha* is allowed sex life. And that is restricted to begetting children. *The Value of Practice* So in the Vedic civilization, sex life is actually denied. It is allowed only in *gṛhastha* life, with restriction. Not that I have sex whenever I like. No. That is bondage. As long as we're attached to sex life, then we have to accept a material body. We should remember this. People are not educated to know the value of life, how life should be conducted, what is the aim of life. But everything can be done in accordance with proper human life. It is not difficult; it just requires practice. For example, you can practice lifting by taking a small calf on your back. You lift it as it grows, and when the calf becomes a very big bull, you can lift it. But all of a sudden, if you want to lift a big bull on your shoulder, that is not possible. But if you practice to take the little calf from the very beginning, it grows and your strength grows. It is a gradual process. The whole training in Vedic civilization is to avoid sex life. That is liberation. If I desire sex life some way or other, then I will have to take birth again in this material world to satisfy that desire. So the training should be how to give up this idea. And it is possible. If training is there, then it is possible. That is the instruction of Prahlada Mahārāja: *kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha* (*Bhagavatam* 7.6.1). From the very beginning, children should be trained up in this line. That is the responsibility of the father and mother. It is the proper use of their affection. But today the father and mother do not know the aim of life. Nor are they trained in how to train their children. But in this age, although training children is a very difficult task, at least if we teach our children to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa *maha-*mantra**, then everything is possible. That is the facility of this age. The children will be gradually trained to the highest perfection. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's benediction is there. *Ihā haite sarva-siddhi haibe sabāra*: Simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mantra*, you'll get perfection of life. (*Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya* 23.78) So don't be afraid and think, "Because we are in this age, we cannot be trained; it is very difficult." We can very easily chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa *maha-mantra*. That is a special concession of this age. These children were dancing and chanting. It is the duty of the parents to train the children in such a way that they get liberty in this very life. The father and mother should think, "This child has come to us. Now let us train him in such a way that he will get liberty, no more birth and death." That is the real responsibility of the father and mother. Everyone's duty should be to relieve the living entities from the clutches of birth and death. That is ideal civilization. *Sense Control* The whole training is how to control the senses, and the most powerful sense is the tongue. Sense control begins with the tongue. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura gives a description: *śarīra avidyā-jāl, jaḍendriya tāhe kāl*. This body is the cage. We are in the prison of this material world. How are we imprisoned? We have been given a material body. That is imprisonment. And we are very happy to keep the body very comfortable without knowing the aim of life. That is *avidya-jal*, a network of ignorance. And the senses are our greatest enemies. Unless we control the senses, we are put into this network of ignorance. And out of all the senses, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says the tongue is very greedy. *Ta’ra madhye jihva ati, lobhamoy sudurmati.* To control the senses means to begin with controlling the tongue. That is also a very difficult job. Therefore, to control the tongue the best thing is to take *kṛṣṇa-prasādam*. First of all, offer the food to Kṛṣṇa, and then take it. If we vow, "I shall not eat anything not offered to Kṛṣṇa," that will help us. Spiritual life begins with the tongue. You should restrict your tongue not to talk uselessly. You should simply talk of Kṛṣṇa or chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, read Kṛṣṇa books, and when you are hungry, take *kṛṣṇa-prasādam*. Then it will be possible to control the tongue. And if you can control the tongue, then you can control the other senses very easily. *Kṛṣṇa Is Present* Kṛṣṇa is so kind that from Vaikuṇṭha He has come here to this remote village in America. He's so kind—just to accept your service He has come here as the Deity. Don't think, "Here is a doll." No. Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, on the request of the devotee, has come. You should always remember this: "Here is Kṛṣṇa personally present." When Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw Jagannatha at the Puri temple, He immediately fainted. "Here is My Lord." That mood requires advanced understanding. But the preliminary understanding is "Here is Kṛṣṇa." Don't think that the Deity is a doll. Even if you think that the Deity is a doll, still Kṛṣṇa has come to you in the form of a doll so that you can see Him. Otherwise, Kṛṣṇa is always present everywhere, but we cannot see Him. As the Deity, Kṛṣṇa allows you to handle Him. Kṛṣṇa is everything, and He is so kind that He has come here to be seen by you, to be touched by you, to be dressed by you, to be decorated by you, to accept whatever you nicely offer with *bhakti*. Kṛṣṇa is not hungry. Kṛṣṇa has no food in His Vaikuṇṭha? No, He has food. He is supplying everyone food. So He has everything. We should always remember that He has kindly come for our benefit, so let us be always cautious and very respectful and offer the nicest *prasādam*, prepared with great attention. In this way, if we practice, then our life becomes very successful. Otherwise, we shall be very much attached, because we are *ajitendriya*—we cannot control our senses. That is very difficult. But if we take **kṛṣṇa-prasādam*,* although apparently we are greedy for eating, by taking *kṛṣṇa-prasādam* our greediness is neutralized. *Spreading Love* *Sneha* means affection. Everyone has affection. The cats and dogs also have affection. But our affection is wrongly placed. We are affectionate for the skin, for the body. This is wrong affection. Real affection is for the soul. That we do not know. We have no information. We love our child—that is very good. We don't love the soul, however, but the body. If your father is dead, you cry, "Father has gone away." Why do you think your father has gone away? The body, which you loved, is lying there. We do not know whom to love. If we want to actually love, let us love the soul. To love means to be concerned for the other person's benefit. That is real love. I love you for your benefit; you love me for my benefit. If I so-called love you for my benefit, that is lust. In this material world there cannot be love. It is not possible, because the so-called love is for our own sense gratification. A young boy loves a young woman for his sense gratification, not for her sense gratification. Similarly, she also. In this material world this cheating is going on. I want to satisfy my lusty desires, but it is going on in the name of love. There cannot be any love in this material world, because love is between spirit and spirit. But if we try to love the Supreme Spirit, Kṛṣṇa, then we shall understand how our love can be spread. When we come to the spiritual platform, then actual love begins. If we can love Kṛṣṇa, then, through Kṛṣṇa's love, we can expand our love for everyone. It is like when you water the root of a tree, the energy is expanded to the leaves, to the flowers, to the branches. If we actually love Kṛṣṇa, then we can expand our love. We are trying to spread this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement all over the world because of love. Someway or other we have come in contact with Kṛṣṇa. We understand that people are in *maya*, or in ignorance, and they do not know how to become happy. So our little attempt is "Let them become Kṛṣṇa conscious." This is being done out of love. Everyone is suffering for want of Kṛṣṇa consciousness; therefore we are taking so much trouble. Kṛṣṇa wants to deliver them, and if we work on behalf of Kṛṣṇa, that is love. We love Kṛṣṇa; therefore we work on His behalf. Everything is explained in our books. Our duty is to accept these books rightly and utilize them properly to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise we shall be on a platform of false love. We know the platform of false love: today a couple is married, but because their love is on the false platform, tomorrow they divorce. That is not love. That kind of love has no meaning; that kind of affection has no meaning. It is simply bondage. Our aim is to become free from this material bondage. Real *sneha*—real affection, real love—should be spread. And that can be done through Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise, it is all false. *Maya* is so strong that we are taking this false thing as reality. It is very difficult to give it up. That is explained by Kṛṣṇa: > daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī > mama māyā duratyayā > mām eva ye prapadyante > māyām etāṁ taranti te "This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it." (*Gita* 7.14) This—surrender to God—is the only religion. If we become pure devotees of Kṛṣṇa, then our love will be extended to everyone. Not only to my society, but to everyone. It is not that one thinks, "These are my children; those are others' children." No. All children. All human beings. Not only my countrymen—all other countrymen. Not only human beings, but even animals. That is *sneha*. It is not that I think, "I am safe, and let the animals be killed in the slaughterhouse." No, that is not love. Love means for everyone. *Real Love* Lord Kṛṣṇa says, *sama sarveu bhuteu—*equality for all living entities. That is real love. That is real concern, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. A lover of Kṛṣṇa will hesitate to kill even one ant. This child—if I like I can kill him without difficulty. But does it mean that I shall kill him? No. Similarly anyone can kill a small ant. But the ant is a living entity, part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, and therefore he should not be unnecessarily killed. We should be careful and not think, "Trample over the ants and let them be killed." No. Everything should be carefully done. Of course, we cannot stop this, but we should be careful, and if it is done, then if we remain Kṛṣṇa conscious Kṛṣṇa will excuse us. Therefore, if we walk, we shall walk for Kṛṣṇa. Then if some ants are killed—not knowingly, but unknowingly—then we are untouched by the sinful activities. Otherwise, it is immediately noted: "Here is a man who has killed an ant." Nature's law is enforced so minutely. Every minute the account is kept. But if you remain in the business of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you are excused for such accidental killing. Otherwise, everyone is becoming obliged. If I take one cent from you, I have to pay you, say, four cents—with interest, compound interest. This is the law. We are taking money from others. Unless we spend it for Kṛṣṇa, then we shall be obliged to return that money. We have so many obligations, beginning with obligation to the demigods and the great sages of the past. The great sage Vyasadeva has given us this literature. So we are obliged to him, indebted to him. We are indebted to the demigods. The sun is giving sunshine, at night the moon is giving its shine, and the cloud, controlled by Indra, is giving us water. So we are all indebted. Therefore there are many types of **yajna*s*, or sacrifices, mentioned in the Vedic literature. But if you perform one *yajna*—the Sankirtana-*yajna* of chanting Kṛṣṇa's names—then you become cleared of all debts. In this way we have to execute the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement very carefully, and the simple process is to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Thank you very much. ## The Conceivability of Consciousness *This conversation between His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda and Thoudam Singh, PhD, took place in Bhubaneswar, India, on February 3, 1977* Dr. Singh: Many of my scientific colleagues say that intelligence is simply a molecular interaction within the brain. Śrīla Prabhupāda: Some molecular interaction may be occurring, but the interaction is not simply molecular. Intelligence has to do with the soul, not simply with the brain. Dr. Singh: They say the brain is the source of intelligence. Śrīla Prabhupāda: No. Take electricity, for example. Electricity moves between gross elements and through a gross wire. But the electricity itself—it is not those elements, not that wire. It is subtle. Dr. Singh: Yes, it is subtle, but... Śrīla Prabhupāda: You cannot see this subtle thing directly; you can see it only when it interacts with something gross. But the subtle thing is independent and distinct from the gross things. Dr. Singh: That is actually true. That's a fact. For example, when we speak of Newton's law of gravitation, we can establish a mathematical formula, but we do not know how gravitation acts. Śrīla Prabhupāda: Not directly seen. Dr. Singh: Yes. Even though gravitation does exist, we can't really see it. Modern science admits that. Newton himself admitted that. Śrīla Prabhupāda: So although we cannot see the soul directly, why not admit that it exists? The soul is the most subtle, but we can see it through its effects. So why not admit it exists? Dr. Singh: Yes. Far too many scientists have left the soul out of their discussion of reality. Instead, they try to reduce reality to matter. And yet we see the existence of the soul. It is beyond our comprehension, but it exists. We should not ignore the soul simply because it is inconceivable. Śrīla Prabhupāda: Actually the soul is conceivable, because we can understand much about it by observing the way it interacts with matter. Yet largely the soul is outside our experience. Dr. Singh: Yes. Śrīla Prabhupāda: So the soul is not inconceivable. It is conceivable. Dr. Singh: Oh, yes. Again, if we take the example of physical phenomena and laws, we can perceive that they exist, but precisely how they exist we do not know. Śrīla Prabhupāda: That is another thing. But you have to admit they exist. And we have to accept that the soul exists. Dr. Singh: Yes. That is the missing point in modern science. Śrīla Prabhupāda: The mind exists, the intelligence exists, the sense of ego exists, the soul exists—although they are not entirely perceivable by our gross senses. Dr. Singh: So consciousness, the soul, exists—independent and distinct from matter. Śrīla Prabhupāda: Yes. This you have to bring into the scientists' discussion. Now they should begin to inquire, How does the soul enter the subtle material situation? How does the soul create and enter a subtle or mental body? And how does this subtle body create the gross situation, the gross body? At the present moment, the scientists are stressing the gross situation. But the subtle situation—they have no knowledge. And yet the subtle situation can be perceived. Dr. Singh: Yes, that is true. Śrīla Prabhupāda: So you have to convince other scientists. This subtle mental, intellectual, and psychological situation is so very important. It can carry the soul to the spiritual world. But one has to make himself fully spiritualized, fully devoted to the Lord. At the time you pass from your gross body, if you have made your subtle body fully spiritualized then it will carry you to the spiritual world. So just consider how critically important is this Kṛṣṇa conscious culture, this spiritual culture. Just consider. And yet these so-called scientists who are setting society's cultural tone—they know nothing of this true culture. Nothing. We can perceive two energies—*para* and a*para*, the higher and lower—spirit and matter. And we get confirmation from Lord Kṛṣṇa. In *Bhagavad-gītā* He discusses His two energies in these very terms, *para* and a*para*: higher and lower—spirit and matter. So the soul in the material world is situated between this a*para*, or inferior, material energy and the *para*, or superior, spiritual energy. This subtle situation, his subtle body, is his medium back to the spiritual world. If the soul makes his subtle body—his mind, intelligence, and self-identification, or ego—spiritualized, then he goes to the spiritual world. You see? If the soul spiritualizes his mind and intelligence and ego—if he focuses them on his actual, spiritual identity and his loving relationship with Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Spirit—then he will be transferred to the spiritual world. This you have to prove or demonstrate in scientific terms. These pseudoscientists are seeing simply the gross situation, the gross body. That's all. They see the gross body functioning for some time and then ceasing to function, and they think, "This person was living, but now he is s living no more." No, the soul is always living. But now he is being carried to another situation, another life, by the subtle situation he created in this life. These pseudoscientists are thinking, "This gross situation, this gross body, is finished—everything is finished." That's not the fact. Kṛṣṇa confirms, *tatha dehantara praptir dhiras tatra na muhyati*: "As the soul passes, in this lifetime, from a childhood body to a teenage body to an old-age body, so at the time of death he passes into still another body." Dr. Singh: That is a drawback in modern science. Śrīla Prabhupāda: Without this spiritual perspective, everything they say is a drawback. Simply bluffing. *Harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-gua*; anyone who does not use his human intelligence to spiritualize himself, to become a devotee of the Lord—his whole life is a drawback. Summary of *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* from the *Nārada Purāṇa* *Translation by Jan Mares* From *Śrī Bṛhan-nāradīya Purāṇa*, *Purva-bhaga* (“fore part”), *Bhad-upakhyana* (“the larger episode”), Part 4, Chapter 96. > (1) > brahmovāca > marīce śṛṇu vakṣyāmi > vedavyāsena yat kṛtam > śrīmad-bhāgavataṁ nāma > purāṇaṁ brahma-sammitam Brahma said: Listen, O Marici [a son of Brahma]. I will tell you about the *Purana* named *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam*, devoted to the subject of Brahman [with focus on Śrī Kṛṣṇa] and rendered by Vedavyasa. > (2) > tad aṣṭādaśa-sāhasraṁ > kīrtitaṁ pāpa-nāśanam > sura-pādapa-rūpo ?yaṁ > skandhair dvādaśabhir yutaḥ Its eighteen thousand glorious verses in twelve cantos have the form of a wish-fulfilling tree and destroy sins. > (3) > bhagavān eva viprendra > viśva-rūpī samīritaḥ > tatra tu prathama-skandhe > sūta rṣīṇāṁ samāgame O best of *brahmanas*, in the First Canto, in the meeting of Suta with the sages, the universal form of Bhagavan is described. > (4) > vyāsasya caritaṁ puṇyaṁ > pāṇḍavānāṁ tathaiva ca > parīkṣitam upākhyānam > itīdaṁ samudāhṛtam The virtuous [i.e., bestowing *puya*, or pious merit] stories of Vyasa, the Pandavas, and Pariksit are narrated there [in the meeting] in detail. > (5) > parīkṣic-chuka-saṁvāde > sṛṣṭi-dvaya-nirūpaṇam > brahma-nārada-saṁvāde > devatā-caritāmṛtam The conversation between Pariksit and Sukadeva [in the Second Canto] describes two types of creation, and the conversation between Brahma and Narada describes the nectar of the Lord's activities. > (6) > purāṇa-lakṣaṇaṁ caiva > sṛṣṭi-kāraṇa-saṁbhavaḥ > dvitīyo yaṁ samuditaḥ > skandho vyāsena dhīmatā The Second Canto of very intelligent Vyasa also describes the characteristics of the *Puranas* and the process of creation. > (7) > caritaṁ vidurasyātha > maitreyeṇāsya saṁgamaḥ > sṛṣṭi-prakaraṇaṁ paścād > brahmaṇaḥ paramātmanaḥ [The Third Canto tells of] the meeting between Vidura and Maitreya. It has a section on creation and ends with descriptions of Brahman and Paramatma. > (8–9) > kāpilaṁ sāṁkhyam apy atra > tṛtīyo ?yam udāhṛtaḥ > satyāś caritam ādau tu > dhruvasya caritaṁ tataḥ > pṛthoḥ puṇya-samākhyānaṁ > tataḥ prācīnabarhiṣam > ity eṣa turyo gadito > visarge skandha uttamaḥ The Third Canto also describes the [original] Sakhya of Kapila. Beginning with the story of Sati and the virtuous story of Dhruva, the supreme Fourth Canto narrates the virtuous stories of Prthu and Pracinabarhiat, and of the *visarga* [the secondary creation, by Brahma and others]. > (10) > priyavratasya caritaṁ > tad vaṁśyānāṁ ca puṇya-dam > brahmāṇḍāntargatānāṁ ca > lokānāṁ varṇanaṁ tataḥ [The Fifth Canto narrates] the virtuous story of Priyavrata and his dynasty, as well as the description of the universe with its *lokas* [worlds]. > (11–12) > naraka-sthitir ityeṣa > saṁsthāne pañcamo mataḥ > ajāmilasya caritaṁ > dakṣa-sṛṣṭi-nirūpaṇam > vṛtrākhyānaṁ tataḥ paścān > marutāṁ janma puṇyadam > ṣaṣṭho ?yam uditaḥ skandho > vyāsena pari-poṣaṇe The Fifth Canto also describes the stay in hell. The story of Ajamila, the progeny of Daka, the story of Vtra, and, at its end, the virtuous birth of the Maruts are spoken about by Vyasa in the Sixth Canto, which concerns the Lord’s comprehensive mercy. > (13) > prahlāda-caritaṁ puṇyaṁ > varṇāśrama-nirūpaṇam > saptamo gadito vatsa > vāsanā-karma-kīrtane The virtuous story of Prahlada and a description of *varnasrama* based on material desires are narrated in the Seventh Canto, O dear child, which concerns the description of materially motivated activities. > (14) > gajendra-mokṣaṇākhyānaṁ > manvantara-nirūpaṇe > samudra-mathanaṁ caiva > bali-vaibhava-bandhanam [The Eighth Canto] describes Gajendra's liberation, the *manvantaras* [periods ruled by the Manus], the churning of the ocean, and the bondage of the opulent Bali. > (15) > matsyāvatāra-caritam > aṣṭamo yaṁ prakīrtitaḥ > sūrya-vaṁśa-samākhyānaṁ > soma-vaṁśa-nirūpaṇam The Eighth Canto provides the story of Matsya as well as the story of the Surya-vasa [the dynasty of the sun-god] and gives the description of the Soma-vasa [the dynasty of the moon-god]. > (16–17) > vaṁśyānucarite prokto > navamo yaṁ mahāmate > kṛṣṇasya bāla-caritaṁ > kaumāraṁ ca vraja-sthitiḥ > kaiśoraṁ mathurā-sthānaṁ > yauvanaṁ dvārakā-sthitiḥ > bhū-bhāra-haraṇaṁ cātra > nirodhe daśamaḥ smṛtaḥ The Ninth Canto, concerning a description of dynasties, speaks of various *vasas* and their characteristics, O great sage. The story of Kṛṣṇa's childhood, His life in Vraja as a young boy, His life in Mathura as an older boy, His life in Dvaraka in His youth, and His removal of the earth's burden are remembered in the Tenth Canto in regard to the topic of annihilation. > (18–21) > nāradena tu saṁvādo > vasudevasya kīrtitaḥ > yadoś ca dattātreyeṇa > śrī-kṛṣṇoddhavasya ca > yādavānāṁ mithontaś ca > muktāv ekādaśaḥ smṛtaḥ > bhaviṣya-kali-nirddeśo > mokṣo rājñaḥ parīkṣitaḥ > veda-śākhā-praṇayanaṁ > mārkaṇḍeya-tapaḥ kriyā > saurī vibhūtir uditā > sātvatī ca tataḥ param > purāṇa-saṁkhyā-kathanam > āśraye dvādaśo hy ayam > ity evaṁ kathitaṁ vatsa > śrīmad bhāgavataṁ tava The talks between Narada and Vasudeva, between Yadu and Dattatreya [as an *avadhuta brahmana*], and between Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Uddhava, as well as the mutual end and liberation of the Yadus, are remembered in the Eleventh Canto. The future of Kali-yuga, the liberation of King Pariksit, the expansion of Vedic branches, the austerities of Markaeya, and the transcendent supreme glory of Lord Kṛṣṇa are described along with the enumeration of the *Puranas* in the Twelfth Canto. Thus I have narrated to you, O dear child, the *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam*, which concerns the ultimate shelter. > (22) > vaktuḥ śrotuś copadeṣṭur > anumoditur eva ca > sāhāya-kartur gaditaṁ > bhakti-bhukti-vimukti-dam One who speaks, hears, teaches, appreciates, and follows this summary narration will get devotion to the Lord, enjoyment in this world, and liberation. > (23–24) > prauṣṭhapadyāṁ pūrṇimāyāṁ > hema-siṁha-samanvitam > deyaṁ bhāgavatāyedaṁ > dvijāya prīti-pūrvakam > saṁpūjya vastra hemādyair > bhagavad bhaktim icchatā > yo py anukramaṇīm etāṁ > śrāvayec chṛṇuyāt tathā > sa purāṇa śravaṇa jaṁ > prāpnoti phalam uttamam If on the full-moon day of the month of Bhadra one places *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* on a golden throne, gives it as a gift to a *brahmana* with loving affection, worships him, and offers him clothes, gold, and other gifts, one will get the desired devotion to the Lord. Even by reciting or listening to this enumeration, one will achieve the supreme fruit of listening to that *Purana*. > iti śrī bṛhan nāradīya purāṇe pūrva bhāge bṛhad > upākhyāne caturtha pāde > śrīmad bhāgavatānukramaṇī nirūpaṇaṁ nāma > ṣaṇṇavatitamo dhyāyaḥ This is *Śrī* *Bṛhan-nāradīya Purāṇa*, Pūrva-bhāga, Bṛhadupākhyāna, fourth part, named "The Description of *Śrī*mad-Bhāgavatam," chapter 96 *Bhakta Jan Mares, born in Prague, Czech Republic, has been practicing Kṛṣṇa consciousness since 1993. He is a translator and editor for the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.* ## Vedic Thoughts Modern men want to see everything with their eyes, although they are not sufficiently qualified. Consequently, they disbelieve in the existence of the demigods or of the Supreme God. They should see through the pages of authentic scriptures and should not simply believe their unqualified eyes. Even in these days, God can also be seen by qualified eyes tinged with the ointment of love of God. His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* 2.6.29, Purport Actions performed only out of a sense of duty have their effect only on the mind, intelligence, and false ego, whereas actions done in love and devotion, with attachment to the Supreme, have their effect on the soul. Pure attachment, devotional service, emanates from the soul. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvati Ṭhākura *Uncommon Conversations*, Conversation 7 O learned Uddhava, those who fix their consciousness on Me, giving up all material desires, share with Me a happiness that cannot possibly be experienced by those engaged in sense gratification. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* 11.14.12 Association with a devotee, the mercy of Kṛṣṇa, and the nature of devotional service help one to give up all undesirable association and gradually attain elevation to the platform of love of Godhead. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu *Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā* 24.104 In an assembly of pure devotees, there is no question of discussing material subjects like politics and sociology. In an assembly of pure devotees, there is discussion only of the qualities, forms, and pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is praised and worshiped with full attention. In the association of pure devotees, by constantly hearing such topics respectfully, even a person who wants to merge into the existence of the Absolute Truth abandons this idea and gradually becomes attached to the service of Vasudeva. Jada Bharata *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* 5.12.13 A wise man who understands the Supreme falls in love with Him. *Brhad-arayaka Upanisad* 4.4.21 Let the poets continue to rave about poetry, and let the Vedic scholars incessantly praise the nectar derived from Brahman realization. I myself will take shelter of a beautiful youth who is decorated with a garland made of wildflowers, holding a flute to His blossoming lips. Śrīla Isvara Puri Śrīla Rupa Gosvami's *Padyavali* (36) He is neither large nor infinitesimal; yet He is larger and smaller than everything else. He is said to be devoid of color; yet He is dark blue, and the corners of His eyes are reddish. By the play of His personal powers, the Supreme Lord is known by contradictory designations. Yet He is the Supreme, and faults should never be ascribed to Him. In Him all contrary qualities combine. Kurma Purana *Brhad-bhagavatamrta* 2.2.179, Commentary ## Kṛṣṇa, Integrity, and Us *by Visakha Devī Dāsī* *Inner and outer integrity are essential to our individual practice of bhakti-yoga and to our devotional communities as well.* Integrity is defined as (1) honesty and fairness, (2) adhering to moral principles and values, and (3) being whole. It also means (4) being sound and unimpaired, as in “the structural integrity of a building.” Here I focus on the third meaning of integrity, one that’s integral to the root of the word, namely, the state of being complete or whole, of being unified and undivided. The word *integrity* comes from the Latin root *integer*, meaning "whole." Words with the same root as *integrity* are *integer* (a whole number as opposed to a fraction), *integrate* (to combine one thing with another so they become whole), and *integral*. *Integral*, interestingly, means “necessary to make a whole complete.” Look at how Śrīla Prabhupāda uses *integral* in his introduction to *Bhagavad-gītā As It Is*: *Sanatana-dharma* refers to that activity which cannot be changed. For instance, liquidity cannot be taken from water, nor can heat be taken from fire. Similarly, the eternal function of the eternal living entity cannot be taken from the living entity. *Sanatana-dharma* is eternally integral with the living entity. As spiritual beings, part of Kṛṣṇa, we are perfect and complete. This is established in the Invocation to the *Īśopaniṣad*: The Personality of Godhead is perfect and complete, and because He is completely perfect, all emanations from Him, such as this phenomenal world, are perfectly equipped as complete wholes. Whatever is produced of the Complete Whole is also complete in itself. Since we, as spiritual sparks, come from the complete person, Kṛṣṇa, we are also complete in ourselves. But when we’re separated from Him we feel incomplete; when we’re not separated from Him, complete. Not being separated from Kṛṣṇa means always serving Him with devotion. This service is called *sanatana-dharma* and is our eternal occupation. Thus, Prabhupāda writes, “*Sanatana-dharma* is eternally integral with the living entity.” Devotional service, or *sanatana-dharma*, is the eternal function of the soul, and when we spirit souls perform *sanatana-dharma* we experience our innate wholeness. So, *sanatana-dharma* is necessary to make a whole complete; it’s necessary for us to feel our completeness. *Sanatana-dharma* is integral to us. In other words, we, as *jivas*, are already complete and whole, but in the absence of *sanatana-dharma* we’re unable to feel that completeness and wholeness. And this is the unfortunate situation with the vast majority of the billions of people who inhabit this planet. This is why there’s rampant dissatisfaction and emptiness among people, dissatisfaction and emptiness that is unsuccessfully countered with material agendas, sometimes with violence, and is too often accompanied by boredom. People are bored by their work or studies and counter that boredom with entertainment that soon also becomes boring. What’s actually missing is the ultimate adventure: an exploration of devotional service to Kṛṣṇa, God. Śrīla Prabhupāda writes, Seekers of the Absolute Truth are never allured by unnecessary engagements in sense gratification because the serious students seeking the Absolute Truth are always overwhelmed with the work of researching the Truth. In every sphere of life, therefore, the ultimate end must be seeking after the Absolute Truth, and that sort of engagement will make one happy because he will be less engaged in varieties of sense gratification. (*Bhagavatam* 1.2.10, Purport) So, inner integrity means understanding that I am a spiritual being and that I can experience my wholeness, my integrity, by making Kṛṣṇa’s and his representative’s teachings one with my heart, that is, by engaging in serving Kṛṣṇa, by engaging in devotional service (*bhakti*). The Path to Inner Integrity > guru-mukha-padma-vākya, cittete koriyā aikya, > ār nā koriho mane āśā *guru-mukha-padma*—from the lotus mouth of the spiritual master; *vakya*—the words; *cittete*—with your he*ar*t; *koriya aikya*—making one; *ar*—anything else; *na*—do not; *koriho mane*—consider in the mind; *asa*—desires. "Make the teachings emanating from the lotus mouth of our spiritual master one with your heart, and do not desire anything else." (From *Śrī Guru-vandana*, by Śrīla Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura) If I don’t sway from this place of devotional service to *guru* and Kṛṣṇa, I can begin to feel some inner integrity, some inner completeness, and feel a unique and deep satisfaction. This feeling is my birthright, as I am—each one of us is—a spiritual being with this sort of inner integrity. We evoke our organic and ecstatic feeling of integrity by uniting our hearts and minds with the heart and mind of our *acarya*, Śrīla Prabhupāda. And this, indeed, is what Prabhupāda himself did—he united his heart and mind with the heart and mind of his preceptor, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvati Ṭhākura. Verse 41 of chapter two in the *Bhagavad-gītā* says in part, *vyavasāyātmikā buddhir ekeha* *vyavasaya-atmika—*resolute in Kṛṣṇa consciousness; *buddhi*—intelligence; *eka*—only one; *iha*—in this world. "Those who are on this path are resolute in purpose, and their aim is one." Śrīla Prabhupāda said that before he came to America to fulfill the desire of his spiritual master to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness to the people in the Western world, he had read the commentary on this verse written by Śrīla Visvanatha Cakravarti Ṭhākura. Prabhupāda said he was so moved by this commentary that it further fixed him in his resolve to follow Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvati Ṭhākura’s order. Śrīla Visvanatha Cakravarti Ṭhākura writes, Of all kinds of intelligence, the best is intelligence focused on *bhakti-yoga*. In *bhakti-yoga*, one’s intelligence becomes single-pointed, or fixed in determination. One thinks, “The instructions of my spiritual master to worship the Personality of Godhead by chanting, remembering, serving His feet and so on are my only *sadhana* [practice, means], my only *sadhya* [perfection, end], my only livelihood. I am incapable of giving up these instructions either in the stage of practice or in the stage of perfection. They alone are my object of desire and my only responsibility. Besides them I can desire no other responsibility, not even in my dreams. It is all the same to me whether I feel happy or unhappy, or whether my material existence is eradicated or not." Commenting further on this verse, Śrīla Prabhupāda says that accepting transcendental loving service to the Lord is our prime duty. (*Bhagavatam* 2.4.3–4, Purport) He also writes that, as souls who are not yet integral with the Lord (i.e., conditioned souls), we do not know "what is to be done and what is not to be done, but a person who acts in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is free to act because everything is prompted by Kṛṣṇa from within and confirmed by the spiritual master." (*Gita* 18.58, Purport) By acting freely in this way, in a way that’s confirmed by God and *guru*, one develops unalloyed devotion for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and then all exalted qualities such as religion, knowledge, and renunciation become manifest in that person. In this way, by performing *sanatana-dharma—*the practice of becoming whole or complete persons through inner integrity (using the third definition of integrity)—we also become honest and moral persons (the first definition). A person with inner integrity has certain symptoms, like the twenty-six qualities of a devotee listed in *Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta* (*Madhya* 22.78–80). Among other qualities, that person is self-disciplined, responsible, friendly, courageous, perseverant, honest, loyal, and faithful to *guru*, God, and their servants. Developing this inner integrity also means that our external lives become sound—we develop outer integrity (its second definition). *Outer Integrity* Each one of us is a spiritual being who’s temporarily living in a particular body with a particular mind. At some point along the road to complete integrity, we must become rigorously honest with ourselves. And then we must embrace all parts of ourselves with forgiveness and compassion (two attributes of one who has inner integrity). Śrīla Prabhupāda writes, “Everyone has to cleanse his heart by a gradual process, not abruptly.” (*Gita* 3.35, Purport) This is corroborated in the *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* (11.20.27–28): Having awakened faith in the narrations of My glories, being disgusted with all material activities, knowing that all sense gratification leads to misery, but still being unable to renounce all sense enjoyment, My devotee should remain happy and worship Me with great faith and conviction. Even though he is sometimes engaged in sense enjoyment, My devotee knows that all sense gratification leads to a miserable result, and he sincerely repents such activities. To put it differently, real beauty is in understanding one’s material position and acting accordingly for the pleasure of Kṛṣṇa, or in the words of the *Bhagavatam* (11.21.2), “Steadiness in one’s own position is declared to be actual piety, whereas deviation from one’s position is considered impiety. In this way the two are definitely ascertained.” As inner integrity has its symptoms, so does outer integrity, such as: one feels peaceful, content and satisfied with one’s position in life; one is interested in others and respectful and tolerant of them; one is cooperative and eager to share with others; and one has a feeling of belonging. This sort of integrity leads gradually to authenticity, or a oneness between one’s values and actions. *Communal Integrity* Going from inner to outer integrity, one naturally wants to progress to communal integrity, or unity in community. That, however, is not easy. Prabhupāda explains, “The whole atmosphere of the Age of Kali is magnified by the deluding energy, and the proportion of measurement is inexplicable.” (*Bhagavatam* 1.17.23, Purport) These are difficult times for promoting harmony in society. Yet there is cause for hope: “When there is sufficient austerity, cleanliness, mercy, and truthfulness, naturally Mother Earth is completely satisfied, and there is very little chance for Kali to infiltrate the structure of human society.” (*Bhagavatam* 1.17.42, Purport) Prabhupāda says that these four—austerity, cleanliness, mercy, and truthfulness—are the basic principles of religion and they prepare the ground for advancement in spiritual life. These principles develop from following the regulations that Prabhupāda requested all his followers to accept at the time of their initiation: no eating meat, fish, or eggs; no illicit sex life; no intoxication; and no gambling. With such a foundation, and with the purifying effects of chanting the holy names of God, there is hope for a unified community. These are some of the symptoms of integrity in a community: * Problems are acknowledged and dealt with. * All can express their feelings and thoughts. * Each person is valued. * Communication is direct, concrete, and specific. * Members get most of their needs met. * Members are free to be different. * Members do what they say they will do. * Rules require accountability and consequences. * Violation of others’ values leads to repentance. * Mistakes are forgiven and are learning tools. * The group exists for Kṛṣṇa’s pleasure. * All know they make mistakes and so are humble. * Fun and spontaneity abound. Such a community of devotees is pleasing to Kṛṣṇa, for He says, “My dear sons of the King, I am very much pleased by the friendly relationships among you. All of you are engaged in one occupation—devotional service. I am so pleased with your mutual friendship that I wish you all good fortune. Now you may ask a benediction of Me.” (*Bhagavatam* 4.30.8) *Sources of Guidance* People who lack inner integrity also lack humility and are fragile. Their pride is bloated and sensitive. Others are never treating them as respectfully as they think they deserve. They become consumed with resentments. They treat life as a battle and wall themselves off to information and feedback. In the words of the *Bhagavatam* (3.29.8): “Devotional service executed by a person who is envious, proud, violent, and angry, and who is a separatist, is considered to be in the mode of darkness.” Devotees with inner and outer integrity, however, build trust and enduring personal relationships with others. That means they themselves are fair, empathetic, honest, and trustworthy. They listen well. And it means they turn to Śrīla Prabhupāda and Kṛṣṇa for guidance and mercy. The *Bhagavatam* (4.11.13) tells us, “The Lord is very satisfied with His devotee when the devotee greets other people with tolerance, mercy, friendship, and equality.” The best way to learn how to have inner, outer, and communal integrity is emulate a person who truly has those qualities. > yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhas > tat tad evetaro janaḥ > sa yat pramāṇaṁ kurute > lokas tad anuvartate "Whatever action a great man performs, common men follow. And whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues." (*Gita* 3.21) *Visakha Devī Dāsī has been writing for BTG since 1973. Visit her website at our-spiritual-journey.com.* 2018 In Excess of Our Quota