# Back to Godhead Magazine #53 *2019 (02)* Back to Godhead Magazine #53-02, 2019 PDF-View Welcome This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the first temple of the International Society for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness in the UK. After many struggles, the three devotee couples who traveled to London from America were eventually able to invite Śrīla Prabhupāda to London to install Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Deities, whom he named Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Londonīśvara. Devakī Devī Dāsī tells of the early days of ISKCON London and of its current projects. Among the important calendar events that coincide with this issue are the appearance anniversaries of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Lord Rāmacandra, as well as the celebration known as Śiva Rātrī, dedicated to Lord Śiva, whose unique position among exalted personalities in the Vedic tradition causes much confusion. In Śiva, the Supreme Vaiṣṇava, first-time contributor Gaura Śaraṇa Dāsa seeks to bring some clarity to the issue. Caitanya Caraṇa Dāsa, who's regular articles often draw spiritual lessons from the Rāmāyaṇa and the Mahābhārata, turns to a different source this time: modern researchers into past-life memories. In A Case of Muslim-to-Hindu Reincarnation, he lays out compelling evidence that, as Lord Kṛṣṇa tells us in the *Bhagavad-gītā*, we have lived before and will continue to live after leaving our present bodies. Hare Kṛṣṇa. —*Nāgarāja Dāsa, Editor* Founder's Lecture: The Test of Intelligence *Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that understanding spiritual life does not depend upon "material brain substance."* > om ajñāna-timirāndhasya > jñānāñjana-śalākayā > cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena > tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ > dhyeyaṁ sadā paribhava-ghnam abhīṣṭa-dohaṁ > tīrthāspadaṁ śiva-viriñci-nutaṁ śaraṇyam > bhṛtyārti-haṁ praṇata-pāla bhavābdhi-potaṁ > vande mahā-puruṣa te caraṇāravindam > [SB 11.5.33] > tyaktvā su-dustyaja-surepsita-rājya-lakṣmīṁ > dharmiṣṭha ārya-vacasā yad agād araṇyam > māyā-mṛgaṁ dayitayepsitam anvadhāvad > vande mahā-puruṣa te caraṇāravindam > [SB 11.5.34] > he kṛṣṇa karuṇā-sindho dīna-bandho jagat-pate > gopeśa gopikā-kānta rādhā-kānta namo 'stu te > tapta-kāñcana-gaurāṅgi rādhe vṛndāvaneśvari > vṛṣabhānu-sute devi praṇamāmi hari-priye This is *ahaituky apratihatā.* The devotional service cannot be checked by any material impediment. It is not conditional, that "Because I am in this condition, I cannot execute devotional service." No. Anyone, in any position, in any circumstances, he can become the greatest devotee of the Lord—if he desires. > sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo > yato bhaktir adhokṣaje > ahaituky apratihatā > yayātmā suprasīdati > [SB 1.2.6] The real aim of life is how to get satisfaction, full, complete satisfaction. And that satisfaction, complete satisfaction, can be achieved only by prosecution of devotional service. There is no other method. If you want to be happy, free from all cares and anxieties, then you have to engage yourself in devotional service of the Lord. That will make you free from all material anxieties and all material miseries. We are all seeking after that position, how to become completely happy. Our whole struggle for existence... Anyone, in any place, any country, they are all struggling for existence, either human being or animal or birds or beasts, how to become happy. This happiness of the mind, *ātmā,* is only possible when we are engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the only remedy. There is no other alternative. So Lord Kṛṣṇa said that, > yadā yadā hi dharmasya > glānir bhavati bhārata > abhyutthānam adharmasya > tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham > [Bg 4.7] "My dear Arjuna, whenever there is discrepancies in the matter of execution of real purpose of life..." That is called **dharma*. Dharma,* this word, either you take it "religion" or "duty" or "nature," as you like, but, as explained before, *dharma* means your actual, constitutional position. It is nothing artificial. The example again I am repeating: just like fire is hot, warm; fire has light. You cannot separate light from fire or heat from fire. Therefore heat and light is *dharma*. That is its real religion. So our *dharma,* living entity, that is defined very nicely by Lord Caitanya. Our *dharma,* or religion, is to obey the orders of the Supreme Lord, to become..., to engage ourself in the loving, transcendental service of the Lord. Whenever this principle is crippled or checked by our material activities... Just like at the present age they have no idea what is God. They are asking, "What is God?" and they are proud of their education. Just see. This is the godless..., result of godless civilization. This is discrepancy of *dharma.* So at this age, at this stage, when people have forgotten God, when they are speaking that "God is dead," now this *Bhagavad-gītā* or this Hare Kṛṣṇa *mantra* has descended, just like Kṛṣṇa says, > yadā yadā hi dharmasya > glānir bhavati bhārata > abhyutthānam adharmasya > tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham > [Bg 4.7] "At that time, I appear." So this is... Kṛṣṇa has appeared in His holy name, Hare Kṛṣṇa. There is no difference between this holy name Kṛṣṇa and the person Kṛṣṇa, because Kṛṣṇa is absolute. There is no difference between His name, between His form, between His quality, between His pastimes, between His abode, between His entourage. There is no such difference. Materially there is difference. I am Indian, I am person, and my place, India, is different. You are American. You... This is all designation of this body. So Kṛṣṇa says that *yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati, tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham.* Now, this **sṛjāmi*,* this word, is used in Sanskrit, "something manufactured." Something manufactured. Just like I make this spectacle case. Or you make. This is called **sṛjāmi*.* But actually we understand like that, but here **sṛjāmi*,* this word, as explained by Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa, a learned scholar, who said that *sṛjāmi* means *prakaṭāmi*[?], "I appear." Now, if you say this word means "manufactured"... The Māyāvādī philosopher, they take advantage of this word, and they say that "Kṛṣṇa or anyone," I mean to say, "incarnation of God, that is created." That means they understand that as so many material things are created... Anything which we find here in this room, that is created. This Dictaphone, this microphone or anything, that is created. But here, if you say this word in that sense, that "Kṛṣṇa is created. Anything created, that is material. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is also material," then you will be in misunderstanding. Here... Just like if you say that "I create," that means you exist before creation. Is it not? If I say, "I have created this glass case, spectacle case," that means before creation of this case, I was existing. You cannot deny it. So how this is possible, that if this case says that "I have created this case"? No, that is not... One cannot say, "I have created myself." It is impossible. Similarly, when Kṛṣṇa says that "I...," *tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham...* This *ātmānam* means body, *ātmānam* means the mind, or *ātmānam* means the soul. But He is the Supreme Soul, so how He creates His soul? And He is nondifferent, absolute. Therefore the interpretation given by Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa, that "I create" means "I appear," "I create My appearance." Just like sun creates its appearance. The sun is there already, but when sun appears, it means that you can say like that, that "Sun creates its appearance." And why does He create or appear? That is explained in the next verse, > paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ > vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām > dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya > sambhavāmi yuge yuge > [Bg 4.8] "In every millennium, every *yuga...*" There are different periods, just like in the whole year there are different periods in your country called summer, winter, fall, spring. They are coming by rotation. Similarly, there is rotation of time, which is divided into four millenniums called Satya-yuga, Tretā-yuga, Dvāpara-yuga and Kali-yuga. So Kṛṣṇa says that *dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge.* Now, one may inquire that "Kṛṣṇa appeared in the Tretā-yuga. And when He is going to appear in the Kali-yuga?" That is also mentioned in the *Śrīmad-*Bhāgavatam*,* that in the Kali-yuga there are three different incarnations mentioned in the *Bhāgavatam* or any other authentic Vedic literature. One incarnation is Lord Buddha, and another incarnation is Lord Caitanya, and another incarnation, in the last stage of this age, is Kalki, so far we get from the authority of *Bhāgavatam*. So we have to accept according to the authentic scripture who is incarnation. We cannot accept anyone who claims that "I am also incarnation." No. In the *śāstras* there are symptoms foretold of the incarnation. Just like about Lord Buddha there is mention, "In such and such place, in such and such form, in such and such activity, Lord Buddha will appear." Similarly, about Lord Caitanya is there. Similarly, there is a description about Kalki. So far Lord Buddha is concerned, in the *Bhāgavatam* the name of the mother of Lord Buddha is mentioned there. And the activities is also mentioned, what are his activities. The activities are not very pleasant. *Sammohāya sura-dviṣām* [SB 1.3.24]: "The Lord will appear as Buddha in order to *sammohāya,* bewilder, the atheist class of men." Atheist class of... His activities were to cover the atheist class of men, those who do not believe in God. Yes. Lord Buddha said, "Yes, there is no God. There is no God. There is void only. But you believe me, what I say." Just see. He is incarnation of God, and the people amongst whom he is preaching, to them he is saying, "There is no God," but he is God. Is it not a process of cheating? Yes. So this process of cheating is not exactly cheating; it is for the welfare of the so-called atheistic persons. Just like sometimes father cheats the son. The son is insisting to get one thousand-dollar note, and the father asking, "My dear son, please deliver it." "No, I shall not." So father gives him one lozenges: "My dear son, will you like to take this lozenges?" "Yes, give me." "But you must have to give me that paper." "All right, take it." So this kind... [break] ...is not actually cheating, but father knows that "This boy will destroy this one thousand dollar, so it is necessary to give him that two-cent-worth lozenges and take out that one hundred- or thousand-dollar-worth paper." Similarly, when people become too much atheistic, so, in order to bring them back to the understanding of God, there is sometimes necessity like this. Now, those who follow the Buddha philosophy, they say that "There is no soul. There is no God." But there are thousands and thousands of temples of Lord Buddha, and they worship. Especially in the countries like Japan and China and Burma there are thousands of temples, and they exactly worship in the same way as we are worshiping Jagannātha. The lamp is given, the candle is burned, they offer very respectfully, and there are *brahmacārīs, sannyāsīs.* The whole principles is there. But officially, there is no question of God. So this is mentioned in the *Bhāgavata.* Similarly, Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya is also mentioned in the *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,* > kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ > sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam > yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair > yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ > [SB 11.5.32] Now, Kṛṣṇa will appear in the Kali-yuga. His symptoms are this. Just like Lord Buddha's symptoms were described, similarly, Lord Caitanya's symptoms are also described. What is that? That *kṛṣṇa-varṇam:* "He belongs to the category of Kṛṣṇa Himself," or, in other way, "He is always chanting 'Kṛṣṇa.' " *Kṛṣṇaṁ varṇayati, kṛṣṇa-varṇam.* Kṛṣṇa... His business is simply to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. *Kṛṣṇa-varṇam.* And *tviṣā akṛṣṇam:* "By His... But His complexion is not *kṛṣṇa,* black." Lord Caitanya appeared very fair complexion, very nice, golden color. You have got pictures of Lord Caitanya, very beautiful. He was very beautiful figure. *Kṛṣṇa-varṇam tviṣā... Tviṣā* means "by complexion." *Akṛṣṇa.* Therefore His another name is Gaurasundara. Gaurasundara means very fair complexion. *Sundara* means beautiful, and *gaura* means fair. The another name is Gaurasundara, or Gaurāṅga, "whose body is very fair." So *kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam* [SB 11.5.32]: "He is always accompanied by some associates," especially Lord Nityānanda, Lord Advaita, Śrīvāsa, Haridāsa, like that. You have seen the pictures. He is chanting and dancing with the associates and others. When Lord Caitanya was present, whenever He would go, wherever He would go and..., His attitude was dancing: "Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa..." And He was so beautiful and attractive that people would follow. Thousands and thousands people will follow, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Even Lord..., Nawab Hussain Shah. And when He started this movement in Bengal He was a boy of twenty years old. So, so many people were following. So Nawab Hussain Shah inquired his minister, "Who is this person, that He is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and so many people are following Him?" So the minister was Hindu. He thought that "He is Muhammadan king, so he may not like this movement." Therefore he wanted to hide it: "My Lord, you have misinformed. He is not very important man. Some, I mean to say, people are crazy fellow. They are following. Not... A few only, not many." The Nawab replied, "No, I know it certainly, but you don't try to hide the fact. He must be a great personality. Otherwise why so many people are following Him?" That was his remark. Similarly, Lord Caitanya, wherever He went, that was... *Sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam:* "always followed by many associates." These are the symptoms. And how to worship that Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, in this age? *Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ* [*SB* 11.5.32]: "This form of the Personality of Godhead is worshiped by the intelligent class of men," *su-*medhasaḥ*. Su* means very good, and *medhasaḥ* means brain, brain substance. One who has got very good brain substance, they will understand this *saṅkīrtana* movement nicely. Just like in our India, especially in Bengal, sometimes they say a dull-brained man, "Oh, you have got cow dung within your brain. You have no brain substance." Actually a man becomes intelligent by the greater amount of brain substance. It is a psychological fact. It is called celebrum... Doctor knows. What is called? Doctor: Cerebrum. Cerebrum cortex. Prabhupāda: Yes. So psychology... I was student of psychology in my college life. Dr. Urquhart said, I remember still, that the brain substance of man has been found up to 64 ounce, while brain substance of woman has been found, highest, 34 ounce. Therefore woman class [laughs] is not so intelligent as man. There is no question of competition. It is actual, scientific fact. Anyway, the word *su-medhasaḥ... Su-medhasaḥ* means one who has got good brain substance. But one thing I must explain here. So far spiritual life is concerned, it does not depend on the material brain substance. It is different thing. It is spiritual platform. It has nothing to do with this bodily construction. You must remember. We don't make any distinction that a man can be better Kṛṣṇa consciousness than woman. No. A woman can be better Kṛṣṇa consciousness, because they are very simple. They can accept any religious system. Generally the women, they accept it, because they are very simple. They have no crooked mind. Sometimes they are exploited, therefore. So in the spiritual platform there is no such distinction, although in the material... Just like the bodily construction of man is different from woman, similarly, the brain substance may be also different, but that does not disqualify any woman for spiritual advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is clearly defined in the *Bhagavad-gītā:* > māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya > ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ > striyo śūdrā tathā vaiśyās > te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim > [Bg 9.32] "It doesn't matter whether one is woman or a mercantile class of man or a *śūdra.* It doesn't matter." Because these classes are understood less intelligent. But Kṛṣṇa is opening the path for everyone. *Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya.* If one accepts Kṛṣṇa very seriously, *vyapāśritya... *Vi*-pūrvaka... *Vi** means... *Vi* means "specifically," *vi, viśeṣaṇam, viśeṣaṇam,* "particularly." *Āśritya,* if he takes shelter of Kṛṣṇa specifically, then either he may be woman or he may be *śūdra,* or laborer class, or may be mercantile class—it doesn't matter—he or she can go to the highest perfection. *Kiṁ punar brāhmaṇāḥ bhaktyā bhaktā rājarṣayas tathā* [*Bg* 9.33]*. Puṇya. Kiṁ punar brāhmaṇāḥ puṇyāḥ.* And what to speak of the intelligent class? Even this class also elevated to the highest position. So there is no such question. But here the word used, *su-medhasaḥ,* in the particular sense that for worship of God there are different methods, different religious system, different methods, different churches, different mosque, different temple. Even accepting that this is Hindu philosophy, so Hindus, they have got many different processes. I think the Hindus have got so many different processes that it can outnumber all the different processes of the world. They have got so many processes. So *su-medhasaḥ* means for executing religious life, for achieving the highest perfection of life, one must be very intelligent. A fool cannot achieve the highest perfection of life. Just like a fool cannot be very prosperous even in this material world, similarly, a fool also cannot make any progress in the spiritual world. So *su-medhasaḥ* means one should be little intelligent. What is that intelligence? Now, if I have got the easiest path to achieve the highest perfection of life, why shall I take a path which is not very sure? This intelligence required. Now, Lord Caitanya, as He is described, if you accept*.**.**.* We are explaining that *paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām, sambhavāmi yuge yuge* [Bg 4*.*8]*.* So Lord appears in this age also*.* And according to *śāstra,* authentic scripture, He has appeared as Lord Caitanya*.* So if we accept this principle on the method of authentic scripture, that is our intelligence*.* That is our intelligence*.* Not that you have to become a great psychologist or a great scientist or mathematician*.* No*.* You have to take the orders of the authority*.* Just like you are driving car. It is written there, "Keep to the right." It does not require a very nice intelligence. You keep your car to the right, you are all right. But if you go to the left, you are fool number one. Why? It is di..., written there, "Keep to the right." Why you go to the left? That means you are fool number one. So this much intelligence we must have, that "Here is police direction, 'Keep to the right.' Why shall I go to the left?" This much intelligence can be had by any common man. So similarly*,* if the *śāstra* says that *yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ* [*SB* 11.5.32]*,* that "Those who are intelligent*,* they will perform worship of the Lord by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa*,*" this **yajña.*.. Yajña* means anything sacrificed for the satisfaction of Viṣṇu. That is called **yajña.* Yajña* means to satisfy the Supreme Lord*,* Viṣṇu. That is *yajña.* Now*,* in this age the Supreme Lord is satisfied simply by saṅkīrtana*,* or congregational chanting: Hare Kṛṣṇa*,* Hare Kṛṣṇa*,* Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa*,* Hare Hare / Hare Rāma*,* Hare Rāma*,* Rāma Rāma*,* Hare Hare. This is mentioned in the *śāstra*. > harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam > kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā > [Cc Ādi 7.76] In this age of disagreement there is no possibility of executing different process of self-realization. No. They say that there are as many paths as one can manufacture. It may be true. But in this age, *kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā,* "There is no other alternative, no other alternative, no other alternative in this age." Therefore an intelligent man will take up this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. That is the test of one's intelligence. And it is very easy. And by simply chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa you gradually develop your Kṛṣṇa consciousness to the highest platform. So one who has accepted the simply method recommended for this age, he is called the intelligent. That is required. That much intelligence we must have. So it is quarter past eight. I will stop here. Next meeting we shall explain further. Thank you very much. If there is any question, you can put. [break] ...you say like that, "Only persons who are joining this movement, they are intelligent, and others are not intelligent?" that is our challenge. Now you can defend on behalf of those who do not accept this proposal. This is my challenge. This is a fact. And as I... Now you can talk. It is very intelligent question also. And Janārdana will reply. Doctor: Nothing like this taken thrice [indistinct], it might happen [indistinct]. That experience [indistinct]. Prabhupāda: No, if*.**.**.* Our proposal is the *saṅkīrtanaiḥ,* the chanting, chanting of the holy name*.* So if somebody takes this principle, that "Well, we have got our holy name of God*.* We shall chant that holy name of God," so we have no objection*.* So that is not our objection*.* Our objection*.**.**.* Our submission is that "You chant the holy name*.*" Just like Lord Caitanya said, **harer nāma* *harer nāma* *harer nāma*iva kevalam* [*Cc Ādi* 7*.*76]*.* The *śāstra* says*.* So it does not mean *harer nāma* is only Kṛṣṇa*.* If you have got any other name of Hari, the Supreme Personality of*.**.**.* But that name must be actually the name of the Supreme Personality of God, as it is recognized by scriptures*.* You may have our own scripture, but if you have a name sanctioned by the scripture, that "This is the name of God," just like in Jewish scripture they say Jehovah... Similarly, in Christian scripture, if you have got name... Just like Buddhists, they have got God, or the Supreme—they accept Lord Buddha. Similarly, if you have got any other name of the Supreme Lord, you can chant. We are not insisting that you chant Kṛṣṇa. But if you have no specific name of God found in your authentic scripture, then what is the harm if you chant "Kṛṣṇa"? This is not very bad proposal. Any intelligent man... If you have, you chant. Our Lord Caitanya says that *nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktiḥ, bahudhā nija-sarva-śak*.**.**.*, tatrārpitā niyamitaḥ smaraṇe* [*Cc Antya* 20*.*16]*.* There are many names*.* As there are many potencies, there are many names also*.* Just like take for Kṛṣṇa*.* So Kṛṣṇa is not understood simply by uttering this word "Kṛṣṇa*.*" Kṛṣṇa is understood if you call "Govinda*.*" That is also Kṛṣṇa*.* If you call "Mādhava," He is also Kṛṣṇa*.* If you call "Vaṁśī-vadana," He's also Kṛṣṇa*.* So the aim should be that it is God's name, or the Supreme Lord's name*.* If the name is different in vibration or form, it does not matter*.* Guest: Is it simply the nature of the name *Kṛṣṇa* that this particular name is the most powerful? Prabhupāda: Yes. God... God's name is according to His action, God's name. Just like *Kṛṣṇa*. This *Kṛṣṇa* name is given... That is explained also: > kṛṣir bhū-vācakaḥ śabdo > ṇaś ca nirvṛti-vācakaḥ > tayor aikyaṁ iti kṛṣṇa paraṁ brahma > ity abhidhīyate > [Mahābhārata, Udyoga-parva 71.4] **Kṛṣ*ṇa* means... *Kṛṣ* means to become, to appear. *Bhū-vācakaḥ.* Or attraction. We have got attraction for material enjoying, and *ṇaś ca nirvṛti-vācakaḥ. Ṇa* means *ānanda.* And another meaning is negation. So "The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who, by His attractive features, by attraction of His bodily beauty, by attraction of His opulence, by attraction of His pastimes, so many things..." **Kṛṣ*ṇa* is all-attractive. And one who is all-attractive, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the meaning of "**Kṛṣ*ṇa*." Similarly, "*Go*vinda." That also has meaning. *Go* means cow, *go* means senses and *go* means land. So in these three features Kṛṣṇa can be applied. He gives pleasure to the senses; therefore He's *Go*vinda. He's very kind to the cows; therefore He's *Go*vinda. He is the proprietor of all land; therefore He's *Go*vinda. So in this way "*Go*vinda" means the Supreme Personality of *Go*dhead, "Kṛṣṇa" means the Supreme Personality of *Go*dhead. Similarly, if you have *go*t any word which means the Supreme Personality of *Go*dhead, you can chant. Devotee (1): Just like you mentioned [indistinct] that we chant the name of Rāma three times. Prabhupāda: The Rāma, that is also God's name. > ramante yogino 'nante > satyānande cid-ātmani > iti rāma-padenāsau > paraṁ brahmābhidhīyate > [Cc Madhya 9.29] *Rāma* means enjoy. We want enjoyment, but we do not know how we can have permanent enjoyment. When you have got permanent enjoyment by reciprocation of transaction with the Supreme, then that particular accepter of our reciprocation is called *Rāma*. That means by... We enjoy the loving exchange between God and ourself. That position is called *rāma.* But if you have no idea what is God, how we can exchange our feelings, then there is no question of *rāma.* *Rāma* means when we are in position of exchanging our loving attachment to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then He's known as *Rāma*. The capacity in which He accepts our service, loving service, is called *Rāma*, *ramante.* Devotee (2): You say that if we chant Rāma three times, it's equal to once chanting Kṛṣṇa. Now I don't understand... Prabhupāda: Why do you not understand? If I say that "If you give me three dollars, I shall give you this," then what is the difficulty to understand? Eh? Devotee (2): Yes. Is it just... Is it just in the potency of the name? Is that [indistinct]? Prabhupāda: No. As there are different things of different value, similarly, in each name there are potencies of the Lord. But there is degrees of potencies. Just like **rāma*-*līlā** and *kṛṣṇa-*līlā*,* pastime. Both of them are the same thing, God. But in the **rāma*-*līlā** you find less potential exhibition of the Lord, but in kṛṣṇa-*līlā* you find full potential manifestation of Lord. So degrees of potencies. Although it does not mean the Rāma is less potent. No. Rāma is also the same potency. But under circumstances He exhibits a partial potencies, not full potencies. But *kṛṣṇa-*līlā*,* you will find full potency. Just like Rāma, Lord Rāmacandra. He married only one wife, Sītā. But Kṛṣṇa married 16,108. Now, if you question why Rāma is so moralist, or whatever you like—He is sticking to one wife—and Kṛṣṇa is marrying sixteen thousand, that means you will... We say that God is omnipotent. That is a, I mean to say, qualification of God. So He is showing His omnipotency. That means why sixteen thousand? If He marries sixteen millions, sixteen billions, still, He is potent, full-fledged potency. So we cannot imagine even that how a person can marry sixteen thousand wives. This is inconceivable potency, to give an example of His inconceivable potency. And Rāma presented Himself as an ideal king. He did not manifest Himself as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but from symptoms of authentic literature we understand that He is God. But Kṛṣṇa personally said that "I am the Supreme Personality of God." *Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat asti kiñcid dhanañjaya* [Bg 7.7]: "There is no superior truth beyond Me." The Rāmacandra never said that, that... He never said that "I am God." But those who are intelligent, they understood that He is God. Pradyumna: I'd like to ask you about something, er, about the eternally conditioned souls and eternally liberated souls. I'd like to know what's the meaning of "eternal" in both those statements. Prabhupāda: Eternal means those who have not come in contact with this material nature. There are living entities, I mean to say, many, many more times than the living entities who are within this material world. They are in the spiritual world. Just like the number of population outside the prison house is very great, and the number of population within the prison house is very small, this material world is supposed to be the prison house. Those who are condemned, those who want to try to lord it over, they are imprisoned within the walls of material universes. So their number is very small. That is explained in the *Bhagavad-gītā,* that *ekāṁśena sthito jagat* [Bg 10.42]: "It is only a portion of My creation, little portion." This unlimited number of universes and their unlimited number of planets, and in each planet, unlimited number of living entities, all taken together is only a fractional demonstration, manifestation of the potency of the Lord. The major manifestation is in the spiritual world. So they are all liberated, *nitya-mukta.* All right. Have *kīrtana.* Chant. Fifty Years of Hare Kṛṣṇa in the UK: The London Story *What started with three intrepid devotee couples continues to grow year after year.* *Śrīla Prabhupāda considered London one of the most important cities in the world for spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness.* This December marks fifty years since the opening of ISKCON's first temple in London and the installation of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Londonīśvara. London plays an important part in ISKCON’s incredible history. *Fulfilling Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī's Instructions* Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura had desired the day that Kṛṣṇa consciousness would spread in the western world, and his son, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, Śrīla Prabhupāda’s spiritual master, carried the same desire, of which London was seen as an important city. In the 1930s he sent three of his experienced disciples (including two sannyāsīs) to London, and in 1933 they set up a center, the Gaudiya Mission Society, with a little success. Three decades later, Śrīla Prabhupāda, deeply inspired to fulfill his spiritual master’s desires, was confident that his disciples could firmly establish Kṛṣṇa consciousness in Europe as they had done in North America. He would begin by opening a temple in London. In 1968 three American married couples—Gurudāsa and Yamunā Devī Dāsī, Śyāmasundara Dāsa and Mālatī Devī Dāsī (along with their baby daughter, Sarasvati), and Mukunda Dāsa and Jānakī Devī Dāsī—at the request of their spiritual master, Śrīla Prabhupāda, left San Francisco for London to start a temple. They had set up a temple in San Francisco and had had close association with Śrīla Prabhupāda. Eager to establish Kṛṣṇa consciousness in London to please their spiritual master, they met with Śrīla Prabhupāda in Montreal to discuss plans for London, get his blessings, and practice *kīrtana* under his direction—*kīrtana* would be a fundamental aspect of the establishment of Kṛṣṇa consciousness in London. *A Pioneering Spirit* Once they arrived in London, the three couples struggled with no financial support. But they had complete faith in the blessings of Śrīla Prabhupāda. Although they had to live separately in different suburbs, they tried to maintain enthusiasm in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Driven by their pioneering spirit, they got together almost every day and either did *harināma-saṅkīrtana* (public chanting) or went to media offices or rock concerts to get attention. They organized London’s first Rathayātrā festival, on July 27, 1969. The procession started at Marble Arch and then proceeded to Trafalgar Square. Śyāmasundara Dāsa, a carpenter by trade, built the chariot for Jagannātha, Baladeva, and Subhadrā. These Deities, also carved by Śyāmasundara, are still worshiped in London today. Śrīla Prabhupāda instructed him to “make the Deities so beautiful that everyone will be attracted to them.” Just as when Kṛṣṇa appeared, He sent His devotees to come first, so before the Lord appeared as the *arcā-vigraha* [Deity], He sent the devotees who would arrange for and reside in His temple. —Mālatī Devī Dāsī *Meeting the Beatles* Śyāmasundara Dāsa wanted to befriend the Beatles as a way to help spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness in the UK. The Beatles had traveled to Rishikesh in 1967, in search of happiness and peace of mind. They returned to London with a taste for Indian spirituality to varying degrees, George Harrison being the most interested. In 1969 the devotees made various attempts to get the Beatles’ attention, such as bringing to Apple Records apple pies with the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mahā-mantra* on them. At a Christmas party at Apple Records, Śyāmasundara’s desire was finally fulfilled when he met George Harrison, who invited him to his house, and their relationship began. The Hare Kṛṣṇas gained national attention by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and befriending the Beatles. In a meeting with George, the devotees suggested that the Beatles' singing Hare Kṛṣṇa would help the holy names reach worldwide. But George insisted the devotees themselves record the chanting under the Apple Records label. And so, with George's help, they recorded the single “Hare Kṛṣṇa *Mantra*.” It was released in August 1969, a few weeks before Śrīla Prabhupāda’s arrival in London, and was an unexpected commercial success, reaching number twelve in the UK charts, with some success internationally as well. Devotees sang the record on the popular BBC TV show Top of the Pops. The single was on the chart for nine weeks. *ISKCON’s First Temple in the UK* Śrīla Prabhupāda regularly received updates from his disciples in London. He set the time for his arrival in the UK for early September 1969. In the continued attempts to find a property for a London temple, Gurudāsa met with an estate agent who had a five-story building in Bury Place, in Central London, near the British Museum. Money from sales of the “Hare Kṛṣṇa *Mantra”* record enabled them to rent the building and convert it into a temple. George Harrison said Apple Records would guarantee payments if devotees defaulted. When Śrīla Prabhupāda arrived in the UK for the first time in September 1969, both George Harrison and John Lennon were deeply impressed by him. John invited him to stay at his home in Tittenhurst Park with his disciples until the renovations in Bury Place were done, although with the condition that Prabhupāda's disciples help with renovations to his estate. They took him up on his offer, but by late October 1969 some devotees moved to Bury Place, and Śrīla Prabhupāda soon joined them, despite the noise of the renovations. Śrīla Prabhupāda’s disciples worked hard to get the Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa temple ready, demonstrating their willingness to do anything to please their spiritual master. Śrīla Prabhupāda also asked them to buy Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Deities for the opening of the temple, and he asked Tamāl Kṛṣṇa Dāsa, a disciple visiting London, to arrange invitation cards for the installation of the Deities on December 14, 1969—a date Śrīla Prabhupāda set without any Deities having yet been acquired. He also advised Tamāl Kṛṣṇa of the menu to be served to all the guests every evening of the first week at the new temple. After many months of effort, on December 14, 1969, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Deities were installed in Bury Place. Śrīla Prabhupāda named the Deities Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Londonīśvara, which means Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, the controllers of London. Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Londonīśvara have a special place in ISKCON history as the movement’s first full-size Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Deities. They are also unique in that They seemingly appeared by Their own will, manifested by Śrīla Prabhupāda’s strong desire for Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Deities in London. They were, unusually, not ordered by devotees but donated by a Mr. Goyal, an Indian gentleman who was himself looking for Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Deities for a Hindu center in East London. Śrīla Prabhupāda supervised Their installation ceremony, which was filmed by the BBC. By installing Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Londonīśvara, Śrīla Prabhupāda fulfilled a long-standing wish of the previous ācāryas. An authorized temple of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa was established, and Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī’s dream for London had been fulfilled. Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Londonīśvara are a direct manifestation of the ardent desire of Śrīla Prabhupāda. In that sense you might even call Them self-manifesting Deities. In reciprocation with Śrīla Prabhupāda, They themselves came to London. They themselves orchestrated the whole pastime and inspired the original owner to offer Them to Śrīla Prabhupāda.—Murlī Manohara Dāsa, head pūjārī, ISKCON London In Śrīla Prabhupāda-līlāmṛta, by Satsvarūpa Dāsa Goswami, Yamunā Devī Dāsī shares her recollection: "Prabhupāda was looking at the Deities with complete devotion. He loved those Deities. He had commented about Their exquisite beauty and how They complemented each other. How sometimes Rādhārāṇī looked more beautiful but how Kṛṣṇa’s moonlike face and eyes were shining." At ISKCON London's twenty-fifth anniversary celebrations, Tamāl Kṛṣṇa Goswami said: "Śrīla Prabhupāda really did say that these Deities were the most exceptionally beautiful Deities. He had such special appreciation for these Deities. They are the first large Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa Deities worshiped in the western world. They are very, very special Deities." *Further Contributions from George Harrison* In 1970 George Harrison produced The Rādhā Kṛṣṇa Temple album with the devotees. In his solo recordings, many songs included devotional references, such as “My Sweet Lord” (referring to Kṛṣṇa), which had the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mahā-mantra* in the chorus. In that year, George also paid for the printing of Śrīla Prabhupāda's book Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. By 1972, ISKCON London, like ISKCON around the world, was growing rapidly, and the Bury Place temple was getting too small. A new building was required. George Harrison asked a British devotee, Dhanañjaya Dāsa, to find a large property not too far from London, and in 1973 George bought a manor house on seventeen acres in Hertfordshire. Later that year it was named Bhaktivedanta Manor. George gifted it to ISKCON, and it eventually became the headquarters of ISKCON in the UK. Śrīla Prabhupāda went there regularly to spend time with devotees. He said of George, “Because he has given shelter to Kṛṣṇa by providing this temple, Kṛṣṇa will surely provide shelter for him.” Just before Śrīla Prabhupāda left this world in 1977, he removed a ring from his right hand and told the disciples around him, “This is for George. Give it to him.” *The Spreading of ISKCON in the UK* In the 1970s, Kṛṣṇa consciousness spread throughout the UK. Book distribution, festivals, and talks at universities attracted many new members. Indian immigrants, many already worshipers of Kṛṣṇa, also became visitors and supporters when they came to know that there were temples in the London area. Throughout the 1980s, centers started in Belfast, Glasgow, Manchester, Newcastle, and the Midlands. Today, besides the temples, centers, and devotee-run restaurants throughout the UK, regular group meetings take place in more than fifty towns. ISKCON has also had considerable influence in developing the religious education curriculum taught in schools and has become respected in academic circles and institutions such as the Oxford Centre of Hindu Studies. ISKCON is the faith partner of Avanti Schools Trust, which provided the first state-funded Hindu schools in Britain, one of which was visited by the Queen. The schools draw upon the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava traditions practiced by ISKCON. *A New Home for Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Londonīśvara* In 1978 Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Londonīśvara, Jagannātha, Baladeva, and Subhadrā Devī, and Gaura-Nitāi moved from Bury Place to a six-story building in Soho Street, just off Oxford Street, where They still reside. One of the distinctive features of the Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Temple in Soho Street is that, although not the largest of temples, it is right in the center of the city, next to Europe’s busiest shopping street. This provides great potential for outreach, with thousands of shoppers and passers-by daily. The temple is also easily accessible to devotees by public transport. A vibrant hub of city preaching and Deity worship, it is an opportunity for devotees to practice Prabhupāda's recommended “simple living and high thinking” in one of the busiest cities in the world. When asked what makes ISKCON London a successful model, Jai Nitāi Dāsa, who has been the temple president since 2007, says, “Their Lordships have made the London temple a success. The location, the history, the desire of Śrīla Prabhupāda and the previous ācāryas to have something dynamic happen in London—all of these combined make this a place for amazing outreach. London is so cosmopolitan—a gateway from East to West and vice versa because so many people pass through. And as Śrīla Prabhupāda said, 'You can reach the world from Oxford Street.'” ISKCON London's head pūjārī and senior brahmacārī, Murlī Manohara Dāsa, joined the temple in 1990 at age twenty-four. He has served full time as a pūjārī since 1996. He too says the location of the temple is one of its success factors: “We are in the heart of London. Every day thousands walk past the temple, and every day many newcomers venture into the temple. Being on such a preaching frontline makes it a dynamic and exciting place to be.” *A Spiritual Oasis in the City* On the street level is Govinda’s Restaurant (the kitchen is located in the basement of the building), which opened in 1979 and is known as the oldest vegetarian restaurant in London. The restaurant, open seven days a week, has catered for celebrities and prestigious events such as London Fashion Week. Above the restaurant is the temple. Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Londonīśvara reside on one altar, Jagannātha, Baladeva, and Subhadrā Devī on another. Small Gaura-Nitāi Deities were installed in 1973, and Giri-Govardhana in 1983. The close physical proximity to the Deities provides for a very intimate viewing. On the next floor is Rādhā’s Boutique, which sells a wide variety of items. The floor above has seminar rooms for hosting a range of courses and other activities. On the upper floors are the women's and men’s ashrams and a tulasī greenhouse on the roof. The temple is open from 4:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. every day. In a central location in one of the most cosmopolitan and culturally diverse cities in the world, the temple attracts people of all backgrounds, races, and professions. Temple residents and core community members are from more than a dozen countries, serving together with a community spirit. Our Deities, Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Londonīśvara, have a magnetic force that inspires devotees to serve Them. Śrīla Prabhupāda said London is hell, and that's a fact. Yet Their enchanting smiles make living in hell seem like a blessing.—Murlī Manohara Dāsa Temple residents and a large community who live and work outside do the day-to-day running of the temple, book distribution, Deity worship, harinama-saṅkīrtana, outreach programs, and organization of major temple activities, events, festivals, and projects. The temple has approximately three hundred volunteers. In the pūjārī department alone there are around sixty volunteers a week, and as a team they offer forty-five hours of service each day. The temple offers a unique range of service opportunities for everyone to engage in according to their abilities, skills, and interests, even from the moment they enter the temple. Besides services physically at the temple, there are plenty of opportunities to serve from home, such as broadcasting, communications, event management, and graphic design. As such, the temple even has devotees currently serving from France, Scotland, and Śrī Lanka. Many things inspire me in my service, but perhaps mostly Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Londonīśvara Themselves. Śrīla Prabhupāda spoke of Them as being his favorite Deities, and They were also the first large Deities to be installed in ISKCON. So to have the opportunity to serve Them personally is a very great privilege.—Murlī Manohara Dāsa *A Focus on Outreach* Daily street chanting, prasādam distribution, and book distribution are a few aspects of Hare Kṛṣṇa culture the city has welcomed. Devotees perform harināma daily around London, with an impressively large saṅkīrtana party on Saturday nights through London's famed West End. The Hare Kṛṣṇa *mahā-mantra*, the happy devotees, and the unmistakable sounds of cymbals and drums are well known, and many people spontaneously join in the singing and dancing. A few years ago a survey asked visitors what were the iconic symbols of London. The top three responses were black cabs, red buses, and saffron-clad chanting Hare Kṛṣṇas. I am grateful to the London devotees for maintaining the daily harināma for so many years. By our doing harināma in London, Kṛṣṇa sent devotees, then we were able to get a temple. —Mālatī Devī Dāsī Book distribution, done by ashram residents and devotees living outside alike, is prominent. In recent years, there has been an increase in innovative ways to distribute books, including door-to-door, shop-to-shop, and fancy-dress book distribution, leading to increased participation. Spiritual education is also an important component of the temple’s offerings. In addition to morning classes every day, there are lunchtime and evening classes every Monday through Saturday, several weekday evening programs targeted towards newcomers, and two Sunday Feast programs—one for the devotee community and one for newcomers. There are also regular visits by schools, organized by ISKCON Educational Services, and the London College of Vedic Studies offers a number of philosophical, practical, and lifestyle courses. A Sunday school for children, named Kṛṣṇa Club, was also launched at the start of 2019. What makes ISKCON London a thriving community is the devotees and the serious levels of sacrifice to serve Their Lordships and Their devotees. The focus is on outreach and keeping things simple by focusing on prasādam distribution, book distribution, and harināma. —Jai Nitāi Dāsa Prasādam distribution remains a strong attraction at ISKCON London. Govinda’s Restaurant is open every day, serving a variety of succulent prasādam dishes to devotees, vegetarians, vegans, and passers-by. The restaurant kitchen is busy serving several other purposes as well. Imbibing the mood of Śrīla Prabhupāda, who wanted no one to go hungry within ten miles of his temples, devotees serve free breakfast and lunch prasādam generously every day to those coming to the temple. A Food for Life program, which has been running for over twenty years, feeds hot prasādam meals six nights a week to the homeless in a location in Holborn. Its efforts were officially recognized in December 2017 when the chief organizer of the London-based service, Acyuta Caraṇa Dāsa, was honored with a British Empire Medal (BEM) for voluntary and charitable services to homeless people. Now celebrating its fiftieth year, ISKCON London is looking to reflect on the past fifty years, celebrate achievements, take inspiration from the pioneering spirit of the early days, and continue to grow as a spiritual hub attracting more and more Londoners and passers-by alike in what is one of the world's most cosmopolitan and culturally diverse cities. Sidebar: "Kṛṣṇa Has Now Appeared in London" by Tamāl Kṛṣṇa Goswami (From Śrīla Prabhupāda Remembrances, Chapter 11) In London we had another interesting negotiation. By the time I got to London, in September of 1969, Prabhupāda was about to get 7 Bury Place. But what is a temple without Deities? Prabhupāda instructed us to install Rādha-Kṛṣṇa Deities when the temple opened in December, but we didn’t have any eeities, and he didn’t ask for any Deities to be made in India. How are you supposed to find Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa in London? We started to ask anyone and everyone. It was like a national alarm. “Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa please phone such and such number,” and that was the number of Mukunda’s wife, Jānakī. Week after week went by. Prabhupāda would call us and say, “Where are the Deities?” We said, “We don’t know where Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are.” Prabhupāda said, “You have to have Deities.” Finally, miraculously, when we were practically giving up, Jānakī got a phone call. Someone said, “We have Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Deities.” Immediately she informed Mukunda, and Mukunda and I went to this man’s house. The man took us into his study and said, “I have marble Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Deities. Would you like to look at Them?” Would we like to look at Them? Sure we wanted to look at Them! He took off the cloth, and we offered our obeisances. That was Rādhā-Londonīśvara. We said, “They’re beautiful, They’re so beautiful.” And They were beautiful. He said, “I’m considering giving Them to your temple.” We said, “Can we bring our spiritual master to see Them?” He said, “Yes, you can do so.” We raced out and immediately called Prabhupāda’s apartment near Regent's Park. He was resting, so we decided to go there. We went in and told him, “Prabhupāda, we found Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.” Prabhupāda immediately said, “Take me. I want to see Them.” So Prabhupāda, Mukunda, Śyāmasundara, and I, and maybe Gurudāsa, went in the temple van. By that time it was the early evening. Prabhupāda started to talk with this Indian gentleman in a very friendly way. The man said that these Deities were for some other society, but there was some difficulty and they could not use the Deities. Prabhupāda ignored that point and kept on asking the man, “Where are you from? How are you? How is your wife?” He had the man bring in his wife and children, and Prabhupāda blessed everyone. He was talking and talking. Finally, the man said, “Swamiji, don’t you want to see the Deities?” Prabhupāda said, “Yes, we can see the Deities.” It was nonchalant, as if he was not even interested. The man said, “Please, I want to show Them to you.” Prabhupāda walked over to Them and said, “Hmm,” turned around, walked back to the sofa and sat down again. The man said, “Swamiji, what do you think? Can you use the Deities?” Prabhupāda said, “They look like They may be used.” The man said, “Well, I’m thinking I can give Them to you.” Prabhupāda said, “Yes, we could accept Them.” He told us, “Go and see how heavy the Deities are.” Śyāmasundara and I went over, and I tilted Rādhārani and said, “Not very heavy,” although She was heavy. Śyāmasundara had Kṛṣṇa. Prabhupāda said, “All right, we’ll take Them now.” He said, “Pick Them up.” The man said, “Wait, wait, Swamiji, wait a moment.” Maybe he had an idea of recovering some of the cost. Prabhupāda said, “No, no, it’s no problem. These are American boys, they’re very strong.” We carried the Deities out, and the man was protesting, “Swamiji, Swamiji, one minute.” We walked to the van and put Them in. Prabhupāda sat in the seat next to the driver’s seat. He said to the man, “I’ll take care of the Deities. We’ll be in touch with you,” and then he said, “OK, let’s drive.” We drove off, and when we got around the corner, Prabhupāda said, “Stop the car.” We stopped, and Prabhupāda said, “Take the cloth off the Deities.” We took the cloth off, and with tears in his eyes Prabhupāda started to sing the prayers from Brahma-saṁhitā. He said, “Kṛṣṇa has now appeared in London.” *Devakī Devī Dāsī, a disciple of His Holiness Śivarāma Swami, holds a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Cambridge, where she first met ISKCON devotees, and a master's in public policy from King’s College London. She works full time as a business development professional. Her services at ISKCON London include heading up the Community Development Team, editing temple publications, and serving in the pūjārī department.* A Case of Muslim-to-Hindu Reincarnation *Research into past-life memories provides evidence for the transmigration of the soul.* by Caitanya Caraṇa Dāsa Analysis of evidence that withstands common objections to the tenet of reincarnation. Thousands of cases of past-life memories have been documented by pioneering researcher Dr. Ian Stevenson and others. When skeptics fail to explain away such cases, they generally resort to the fraud hypothesis. The parental fraud explanation holds that parents sometimes spin an entire story of their child's past-life memory and drill the child to perfection to play the critical part in the fraud. Stevenson, Jim B. Tucker, and other past-life researchers have carefully analyzed this possibility, and I present here a systematic summary of their analysis. What might the parents gain through a fraud? The possible gains can fall into three broad categories: *1. Validation of Personal Beliefs* Might the parents be driven to prove to others their own belief in reincarnation? Perhaps in some cases. But this motive is entirely inapplicable to the many cases found in America and Europe in which the parents didn’t believe in reincarnation. In fact, in many of these cases the parents had been predisposed by their religious teaching and cultural upbringing to explicitly disbelieve in reincarnation and so would have had reason to expose a fraud if it occurred, and not set one up themselves. And Tucker, who has focused on investigating cases primarily in America, has found a significant number of strong cases among such disbelieving parents. Even in the cases in Asia and other places where the parents believe in reincarnation, validating their beliefs is not particularly important for the parents because they, as well as most of the people in their social circle, believe in reincarnation implicitly. Because the parents rarely find their belief in reincarnation challenged, which is the norm in more westernized societies, they don’t feel any need to prove their belief, let alone orchestrate a fraud to prove it. Tom Shroder, an editor at the Washington Post, journalistically investigated Stevenson's past-life research and documented it in a fascinating book entitled Old Souls: The Scientific Evidence for Past Lives. Shroder wrote, “Family members admittedly interested in and open to the possibility of reincarnation had nonetheless refused to leap to any conclusions or embellish the child’s statements. If anything, they had played them down.” Moreover, a widespread belief among Indians, especially rural Indians, is that children who talk about their past life will die young. Stevenson stresses that he has found no statistical basis for this belief—the mortality rate of children who remember past lives is no higher than that of those who don’t. Still, most rural parents continue to believe this superstition, so they often discourage their children from speaking about the earlier life even when the children want to. Therefore it seems extremely unlikely that they would initiate a fraud that would require the child to speak about past-life memories repeatedly. *2. Monetary Benefits* Stevenson and all subsequent past-life researchers follow a standard policy of not paying parents for their interviews, as they want to ensure that the case doesn’t get corrupted; that is, the parents and other interviewees are not motivated to exaggerate or invent points in the hope of getting money. There is no monetary gain for the parents in the investigation. In fact, an investigation that extends for hours and hours constitutes a financial strain for some parents, especially those from poorer backgrounds who need to work throughout the day to make ends meet. Consequently, they sometimes even resent the precious long hours spent in giving exacting interviews to the researchers. In some of the cases, a child born in a poor family believes himself or herself to be the reincarnation of a deceased member of a wealthy family. Might the parents be contriving such a relationship to get money from the wealthy family? Possibly. But general patterns in the detailed case histories show that even when the poor parents develop a relationship with the wealthy family during the investigation, very rarely do these parents ask for gifts from the wealthy family—and even rarer are the occasions when they actually do get gifts. So overall there’s no monetary benefit for the parents in contriving these cases. *3. Fame or Prestige* Might the parents be setting up the fraud to gain fame and prestige? Possibly. But again, detailed analysis of case patterns shows that in most cases the parents don’t appear eager to publicize their child’s past-life memories. Even when the children speak about a past life, the parents, being believers in reincarnation, accept that their child must have been somebody in a previous life and don’t bother about who he or she was. So they don’t pay much attention to the details spoken by the child. In a few cases, the child requests repeatedly and insistently to be taken to the arena of the previous life and even threatens to go off alone if the parents do not take him or her there. Only in such cases do most parents start broadcasting the details to check if and where the person described by their children existed. Prestige as a driving motive of the parents is plausible in those few cases in which the child claims to be the reincarnation of a celebrity. Consequently, researchers always treat celebrity reincarnation claims with extra skepticism. But most of the children with spontaneous past-life memories recall fairly normal lives as ordinary, unknown, or little-known people. Such claims, even when proven to be true, don’t bring any prestige at all. Thus, in a majority of the cases no tenable reason seems to exist for parents to commit a fraud. Additionally, there are two strong arguments that go against the fraud explanation. *1. The Practical Difficulty in Executing a Fraud* To pull off a fraud would involve a. Onerous drilling of the child: The parents would have to drill the child, repeatedly and thoroughly, to make him or her tell the same false story accurately over and over again and feign the apt emotions that go along with the story. Such meticulous drilling would be extremely difficult and troublesome; but it might still be possible when the child is old enough to be drilled. However, in many cases the children start speaking about past-life memories as soon as they learn to talk. This early age seriously problematizes the fraud hypothesis, as Shroder points out in his book Old Souls: “That extraordinarily young age made the idea of some form of fraud almost unthinkable. . . . Believing that a child could learn and repeat complex, accurate biographies at an age when his peers are struggling to learn the names of colors is almost an absurdity.” b. Ensuring the collusion of multiple witnesses: In many of the past-life-memories cases, more than a dozen witnesses report having heard the child’s statements or seen the child’s recognitions and emotions, or both. Making all these people give a consistent deceptive account would require not just fraud but a systematic and intricate conspiracy. As the parents don’t gain anything tangible by proving that the cases are true, it seems extremely unlikely that they would go through the massive effort necessary to organize a conspiracy. *2. The Displeasing and Embarrassing Behaviors of the Children* Most important, in several cases the parents find the child’s past-life memories displeasing and even embarrassing; they explicitly wish their child to be "normal" and try to make that happen. In such cases, the fraud explanation fails completely. Why would the parents set up a fraud by which they would lose face? *A Case with Displeasing Behavior: A Muslim-to-Hindu Reincarnation* In an article in the Journal of Scientific Exploration, Vol. 4, No. 2, 1990, University of Virginia researcher Antonia Mills provides an overview of various cross-religious Indian cases, that is, Hindu-to-Muslim or Muslim-to-Hindu, and then provides a detailed analysis of one Muslim-to-Hindu case. Mushir Ali Shah, the eldest son of the fakir Haider Ali Shah through his second wife Najima, had lived with his parents in the town of Kakori near Lucknow, in Uttar Pradesh, India. He worked as a horse-cart driver carrying fruits or vegetables from Kakori to the market in Lucknow. On June 30, 1980, when he was about twenty-five years old, a tractor struck him and his mango-filled cart, killing him on the spot. The fatal accident occurred half a kilometer from the village of Baj Nagar, on the road from Kakori to Lucknow. Naresh Kumar Raydas, the third of four children of Guru Prasad Raydas, was born in Baj Nagar, which is about five kilometers from Kakori, in April 1981. 1. When Naresh started speaking at the age of two, he would often repeat, to his parents’ puzzlement, the words "Kakori, Kakori" and also "karka, karka," which means "horse-cart" in the local dialect. 2. Around the same age, he would kneel down at home as if to perform namaz, the Muslim form of ritual prayer, and would stop if he noticed that he was being observed. 3. The fakir from Kakori, who maintained his family by begging alms and offering blessings, would come to Baj Nagar and to Naresh’s house every Thursday. When Naresh learned to walk, he would follow the fakir to the next two or three houses and then return to his own home. Although his parents told him to address the fakir by the Hindu term for a mendicant, baba, he would address him as Abba, the Urdu word for "father" used by Muslims and some Hindus in that area of Uttar Pradesh. 4. By August 1987, when Naresh was about six, he would repeatedly say that he was a Muslim from Kakori. One day when he saw the fakir, he again called him Abba and asked him, "Don't you recognize me? In my house there are five neem trees. I was hit by a tractor." He asked the fakir to take him home, a request the befuddled fakir refused. 5. The next morning, Naresh compelled his mother to take him to the fakir's house in Kakori. Once in Kakori, he led her unguided through a part of the town that neither he nor his mother had seen before, until they reached the fakir’s house. There Naresh again called the fakir "my Abba," and he referred to the fakir's wife Najima as Ammi (Mother). He also recognized Mushir's brothers and a sister who was present along with her husband, whom he called by his name—Mohammed Islam. He asked Najima, “Where is my younger brother Nasim?" When she told him he was sleeping, Naresh went to him and woke him up. As Nasim was trying to gather his wits, Naresh hugged him and started kissing him. When asked how many brothers and sisters he had, Naresh answered, “Five brothers, six sisters. One of the sisters is a stepsister.” This was correct in relation to the time when Mushir was alive. When Najima pointed to her six-year-old daughter Sabiah, born three months after Mushir’s death, and asked who she was, Naresh replied, "She was in your stomach at that time." 6. Naresh also correctly identified Mushir’s suitcase among the five metal suitcases inside the house and accurately described its contents before it was opened. 7. The fakir and his wife also noted that Naresh had a slight depression near the middle of his chest at the same place as Mushir's chest wound from his fatal accident. 8. Naresh recognized many of the people from Kakori who had gathered at the fakir's house. He even asked the wife of a man named Zaheed whether she had returned to the fakir the three hundred rupees he (Mushir) had deposited with her husband. Mushir had indeed deposited that amount with Zaheed, who had returned it three days after Mushir’s death. 9. When the fakir’s family prepared to send Naresh back with five rupees, he demanded, "What do you mean? That you will send me off without giving me tea and eggs?" Mushir had been very fond of tea and eggs, and used to have them every day. Naresh’s demand for eggs was significant because his family, being vegetarian Hindus, did not eat eggs. For our analysis, the critical point of this case is that the two families belonged to two different religions that have had a long history of tension in India. So, neither of the families was interested in establishing any reincarnational connection with each other. Mills explains in her article that in many of these cross-religious cases, both the Hindu and the Muslim families tried to suppress the child’s speech and behavior: “Hindu parents of a child who claimed to be a Moslem generally tried to take measures which they hoped would erase the child's previous-life memories. The techniques used included simply ignoring the child's claims, teasing, piercing the child's ear, turning the child on a potter's wheel, and taking the child to an exorcist out of fear that the child would go mad. One Moslem family tried a combination of rotating the child counter-clockwise on a millstone (to 'undo' his past-life memories), tapping him on the head, and beating him.” Might Naresh’s family have been interested in proving their belief in reincarnation? Possibly, but what interest would Mushir’s family have had in joining the fraud? Their religion opposed belief in reincarnation. So if religious bias had played any role here it would have made them deny or even disprove reincarnation. When the fakir was asked about his response as the case had unfolded, he said that he had not believed in reincarnation before this case. During his weekly visit to Baj Nagar when Naresh had identified himself as his son, he had felt deeply troubled. Unable to sleep that night, he had prayed at midnight, "Allah, what is this mystery?" The next day when Naresh came to his house and recognized several people and things correctly, he felt that Allah had solved the mystery for him: Naresh was indeed his son Mushir, reborn. Najima, though initially shocked that an unknown Hindu boy was claiming to be her son, soon became convinced by his many correct recognitions. When they recounted these events, both of them were moved to tears and the fakir's voice trembled with emotion. Thus the sheer force of the recognitions transformed their attitude towards reincarnation from disbelief to belief. The reactions of Mushir’s other family members were revealing and reflective of the general Muslim attitude towards reincarnation. Mushir’s sister Waheeda described how Naresh had correctly identified her by stating, “You are my sister." But when asked about her conclusion from the recognitions, she replied bluntly, "We don't believe in reincarnation." In general, what was typical among Muslims was not just denial of reincarnation but denial even of the permission to investigate the possibility of reincarnation. Researchers sometimes faced covert or overt opposition from the Muslim community when they attempted to investigate past-life-memories cases involving Muslim children. Thus, in Mushir’s case the parental fraud explanation fails utterly. It is apt to sign off with a quote from Shroder: “Neither self-delusion, intentional fraud, peer pressure, nor coincidence could explain how the children Ian [Stevenson] investigated could have known all that they knew about strangers who’d died before they were born.” *Caitanya Caraṇa Dāsa, a disciple of His Holiness Rādhānāth Swami, serves full time at ISKCON Chowpatty, Mumbai. He is a BTG associate editor and the author of twenty-five books. To read his other articles or to receive his daily reflection on the Bhagavad-gītā, "Gita-Daily," visit gitadaily.com.* *This article was adapted from his book Demystifying Reincarnation.* Śiva, the Supreme Vaiṣṇava *When devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa venerate Śiva as the greatest devotee of the Lord, they are offering him the highest praise.* by Gaura Śaraṇa Dāsa Devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa honor Lord Śiva for his celebrated qualities and his exalted status in the hierarchy of beings. *Śrīmad-*Bhāgavatam** is an amazing collection of the glories and activities of Śrī Kṛṣṇa and His devotees, the Vaiṣṇavas. The *Bhāgavatam* (12.13.16) declares Lord Śiva to be the greatest of all Vaiṣṇavas: *vaiṣṇavānāṁ yathā śambhuḥ*. Lord Śiva’s special position, his post, his personality, and his activities are fascinating to know. The following is a short collection from the *Bhāgavatam* of various attributes and activities of Lord Śiva. *Śiva’s Position* Śrīla Prabhupāda writes, 1Lord Śiva is not actually like a living entity [jīva], but he is not the Supreme Personality of Godhead. His position is somewhere between Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and Brahmā, the living entity. Lord Śiva is therefore explained in *Brahma-saṁhitā* (5.45) in this way: > kṣīraṁ yathā dadhi vikāra-viśeṣa-yogāt > sañjāyate na hi tataḥ pṛthag asti hetoḥ > yaḥ śambhutām api tathā samupaiti kāryād > govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi Lord Śiva is considered to be like yogurt (dadhi). Yogurt is nothing but transformed milk; nonetheless, yogurt cannot be accepted as milk. Similarly, Lord Śiva holds almost all the powers of Lord Viṣṇu, and he is also above the qualities of the living entity, but he is not exactly like Viṣṇu, just as yogurt, although transformed milk, is not exactly like milk. (4.30.24, Purport) Learned scholars in transcendental subjects have carefully analyzed the summum bonum Kṛṣṇa to have sixty-four principal attributes. All the expansions or categories of the Lord possess only some percentages of these attributes. But Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the possessor of the attributes cent percent. And His personal expansions . . . possess up to ninety-three percent of these transcendental attributes. Lord Śiva . . . possesses almost eighty-four percent of the attributes. (1.3.28, Purport) Lord Śiva is considered the father of this universe, and material nature, or goddess Durgā, is considered the mother. Śiva is neither the Supreme Lord nor a jīva (an infinitesimal spirit soul, the category to which we belong). Śiva is the form through which the Supreme Lord works to inject the living entities (jīvas) into this material world. *Śiva’s Post—A Guṇāvatāra* Lord Śiva is in charge of the tamo-guṇa, the mode of ignorance, and is thus in the category of incarnations known as guṇāvatāras. Sūta Gosvāmī says, "The transcendental Personality of Godhead is indirectly associated with the three modes of material nature, namely passion, goodness, and ignorance, and just for the material world's creation, maintenance, and destruction He accepts the three qualitative forms of Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva." (1.2.23) As the god of annihilation, Śiva is responsible for destroying the universes during the partial and complete devastations, which occur respectively at the end of each day of Brahmā and at the end of his life. Śrīla Prabhupāda writes, "The dissolution of the three worlds is effected by the incarnation of darkness, Rudra [Śiva], represented by the fire of eternal time which blazes over the three worlds." (3.11.28, Purport) Śukadeva Gosvāmī says, "Thereafter, at the end of the millennium, the Lord Himself in the form of Rudra, the destroyer, will annihilate the complete creation as the wind displaces the clouds." (2.10.43) *Śiva’s Personality—Āśutoṣa* From being simple-hearted to being tricky, from being easily pleased to blazing with anger, Lord Śiva displays many facets of personality, all in the service of his dear Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. He exhibits dependence on Kṛṣṇa and His devotees as well as surrender and service to them. One of the prominent attributes of Lord Śiva is being quickly pleased with anyone. Amongst all the demigods, Lord Śiva can be pacified even by the lowest class of men, who need only offer him obeisances and leaves of a bael tree. Thus his name is Āśutoṣa, which means that he is pleased very quickly. Being Āśutoṣa, Śiva is approached by various types of beings—demigods, demons, pious and impious human beings, devotees of Kṛṣṇa, and so on. However, as Lord Śiva knows the intentions of everyone, he tricks the demons, satisfies the materialists, blesses the simple-hearted with devotional service to the Supreme Lord, offers heartfelt benedictions to devotees, and associates with advanced devotees. In this way Lord Śiva blesses different people according to their position and at the same time exhibits his devotion unto the Lotus feet of the Supreme Lord. *Śiva’s Mercy on the Vaiṣṇavas* Although Lord Śiva bestows benedictions upon devotees and demons alike, there is a gulf of difference in the way he blesses them. He is always pleased with the pure devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa, as he himself says: > yaḥ paraṁ raṁhasaḥ sākṣāt > tri-guṇāj jīva-saṁjñitāt > bhagavantaṁ vāsudevaṁ > prapannaḥ sa priyo hi me “Any person who is surrendered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, the controller of everything—material nature as well as the living entity—is actually very dear to me.” (4.24.28) How much he is pleased with Kṛṣṇa’s devotees can be seen in how he sometimes appears before them even uninvited. For example, the Pracetās were the ten sons of Prācīnabarhi, a king in the dynasty of Dhruva Mahārāja. Before taking charge of the kingdom, they went to perform devotional austerities to please Lord Kṛṣṇa. Knowing this, Lord Śiva came before them to bestow his mercy upon them by guiding them in devotional service. Thus He taught them the *Rudra-gīta*. (Canto 4, Chapter 24) Similarly, Lord Śiva came to Mārkaṇḍeya Ṛṣi, a great devotee of the Supreme Lord, glorified his devotional attributes, and gave him benedictions of knowledge, renunciation, realization of Kṛṣṇa, and the post of spiritual master of the Purāṇas. (Canto 12, Chapter 10) *Śiva’s Mercy on the Demons* Although Lord Śiva is easily pleased and his mercy is easily available to Kṛṣṇa’s devotees, demons and others have to undergo at least some endeavor to please him. He uses these demons to show his dependence upon his worshipable Lord Kṛṣṇa. He also tricks them by offering them benedictions that seem to favor them but ultimately lead to their destruction. Śālva, Rāvaṇa, Bāṇa, Jayadratha, and Kāśirāja were among the various materialistic and demoniac people eventually destroyed even though they had summoned Lord Śiva by their austerities and received benedictions from him. Śiva appears before demons in an official capacity, as required by his post. One example is the demon Vṛkāsura, who worshiped Lord Śiva by offering pieces of his own flesh as oblations into fire. When Śiva did not appear before him, Vṛka prepared to cut off his own head. Then the supremely merciful Lord Śiva rose up out of the sacrificial fire and stopped him, offering him whatever boon he chose. Vṛka said, “May death come to whomever I touch upon the head with my hand.” Upon hearing this, Lord Śiva seemed somewhat disturbed. Nonetheless, he was obliged to reciprocate and vibrated oṁ to signify his assent, granting Vṛka the benediction with an ironic smile, as if giving milk to a poisonous snake. Wicked Vṛka tried to test the benediction by putting his hand on Śiva’s head. Terrified, Śiva fled and finally reached Lord Viṣṇu in Śvetadvīpa. Viṣṇu disguised Himself as a young student, went before Vṛkāsura, and bewildered him to put his hand on his own head, thus causing his destruction. (Canto Ten, Chapter Eighty-eight) Thus the benedictions Lord Śiva gives to the demons generally end up glorifying Viṣṇu as the ultimate protector. Śiva thus takes pleasure in praising his beloved Lord. *Śiva’s Anger* Another aspect of Lord Śiva’s personality is his anger. He exhibits anger as part of his position as the destroyer of the universe. His anger, however, is born out of his compassion as well as his intolerance in seeing conditioned souls wasting time by not taking to devotional service. In an episode related in the Fourth Canto, Lord Śiva once exhibited anger toward Dakṣa, a leading progenitor in the universe. Although Dakṣa insulted Śiva at a great sacrifice, Śiva's anger was aroused not because Dakṣa insulted him but because Dakṣa later caused the death of Satī, his own daughter and Śiva's dear devoted wife. When Śiva heard from Nārada Muni that Satī was now dead because of Dakṣa’s insulting her, Śiva became greatly angry and created Vīrabhadra from his hair and ordered him to kill Dakṣa. (Canto Four, Chapter Five) As a dutiful father and spiritual master of all beings, Lord Śiva uses anger to rectify people. In the context of the Dakṣa episode, he told Lord Brahmā that he doesn’t take the offenses of the demigods seriously, but punishes them only to reform them as a teacher. (4.7.2) In this way Lord Śiva uses his anger in the service of the Lord to rectify the living beings and never for his own ends. *Śiva’s Benevolence* When the demigods and the demons churned the ocean of milk (Canto Eight), deadly poison came out in the beginning. Being helpless, they all took shelter of Lord Śiva, offering him fervent prayers. Always benevolent toward all living entities, Lord Śiva said to his consort, Satī: It is my duty to give protection and safety to all living entities struggling for existence. Certainly it is the duty of the master to protect his suffering dependents. People in general, being bewildered by the illusory energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, are always engaged in animosity toward one another. But devotees, even at the risk of their own temporary lives, try to save them. My dear gentle wife Bhavānī, when one performs benevolent activities for others, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, is very pleased. And when the Lord is pleased, I am also pleased, along with all other living creatures. Therefore, let me drink this poison, for all the living entities may thus become happy because of me. (8.7.38–40) Śukadeva Gosvāmī relates, "Bhavānī, who knew perfectly well Lord Śiva’s mood and capabilities, gave him her permission." (8.7.41) Auspicious Śiva drank the poison for the benefit of everyone. The poison created a blue line on his neck that it is now accepted as an ornament of Lord Śiva. Śukadeva Gosvāmī comments: > tapyante loka-tāpena > sādhavaḥ prāyaśo janāḥ > paramārādhanaṁ tad dhi > puruṣasyākhilātmanaḥ "Great personalities almost always accept voluntary suffering because of the suffering of people in general. This is considered the highest method of worshiping the Supreme Lord, who is present in everyone's heart." (8.7.44) Thus Lord Śiva’s attributes of mercy, anger, and benevolence and his various activities display his great character and devotion to the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu. In his great devotional ecstasy, he even holds on his head the water that emanates from the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord (the Ganges). He is the epitome of devotion to Viṣṇu, and thus is the topmost Vaiṣṇava. Gaura Śaraṇa Dāsa Brahmacārī, a disciple of His Holiness Rādhānāth Swami, served at ISKCON Chowpatty (Mumbai) and the Govardhan Eco Village beginning in 2009 and is currently serving at the Bhakti Center in New York City, where he oversees the Deity worship and kitchen services. Sidebar: Abodes of Lord Śiva Maheśa Dhama In the *Brahma-saṁhitā* (5.43) Lord Brahmā lists three worlds: *devi-maheśa-hari-dhāmasu.* First is this mundane world we are living in. It is called *Devī-dhāma*, the abode controlled by Durgā Devī, or *Māyā*. It consists of fourteen planetary systems, described throughout the Vedic literature. Above *Devī-dhāma* is Maheśa-dhāma, the abode of Lord Śiva, one portion of which, called *Mahākāla-dhāma*, is enveloped in darkness. Interpenetrating this portion of Maheśa-dhāma shines Sadāśiva-loka, full of great light. Thus Lord Sadāśiva, the source of Lord Śiva, has his eternal abode outside the material world. Above *Maheśa-dhāma* is *Hari-dhāma*, or *Vaikuṇṭha-loka*, the transcendental abode of Lord Viṣṇu. Kailāsa in the Heavenly Planets Kailāsa, the abode of Lord Śiva in the heavenly planets, is described in *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam*, Canto Four, chapter six, when Lord Brahmā, accompanied by other demigods, goes to pacify Lord Śiva in his abode, Kailāsa. In verse 4.5.26, Maitreya Muni refers to this place as guhyakālayam, or the abode of Kuvera, the chief of beings known as Guhyakas. In *Śrī Bṛhad-Bhāgavatāmṛta* (1.2.94) Lord Brahmā describes this Kailāsa to Nārada Muni: "Lord Śiva, the husband of Umā, lives there as the guardian of Kuvera's side of the heavenly sphere. Accompanied by suitable attendants, he shows but a small fraction of his opulence." Instead of this Kailāsa, Lord Brahmā advises Nārada Muni to visit Śiva-loka situated outside the covering of the material universe. This is Sadāśiva-loka, referred to as Maheśa-dhāma in the *Brahma-saṁhitā*. Siva's Abode on Earth *Lord Śiva's abode of Kailāsa is also manifested in the earthly planetary system (Bhū-maṇḍala). In the Fifth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, chapter seventeen, Śukadeva Goswami describes Lord Śiva's worship of Śrī Saṅkarṣana (an expansion of Lord Balarāma) in region known as* Ilāvṛta-varṣa. *Yoga* Practice: Sincere and Show-Bottle *Though yoga's popularity continues to rise, like most things there's a right way and a wrong way to do it.* by Karuṇā Dhāriṇī Devī Dāsī Lord Kṛṣṇa's instructions to Arjuna enlighten us about what tried and true *yoga* practice really is. *Bhagavad-gītā* gives much information to help us in our steady spiritual progress, including warnings to guide us against deviation. To begin with, Arjuna asks Lord Kṛṣṇa to define a person who is genuine and accomplished in the practice: "What are the symptoms of one whose consciousness is thus merged in transcendence? How does he speak, and what is his language? How does he sit, and how does he walk?" (*Gītā* 2.54) In a series of verses, Lord Kṛṣṇa answers with a description of a perfect *yogi*: “When a man gives up all varieties of sense gratification which arise from mental concoction,” “when he is not disturbed by miseries,” “when he is not elated when there is happiness,” “when he is free from attachment, fear, and anger,” “when he is not affected by whatever good or evil he may obtain,” then “he is considered to be firmly fixed in perfect knowledge,” “he finds satisfaction in the self,” “he is a sage of steady mind,” and “he is firmly fixed in perfect Kṛṣṇa consciousness.” Kṛṣṇa’s description is inspiring, and it sparks the imagination. What a great self-transformation it would be to have these transcendental qualities! How wonderful to be a peaceful sage of steady mind! Moreover, Kṛṣṇa’s description suggests there is possible repose from the embarrassing miseries of our human lives. Yet the Lord swiftly launches a missile of caution in the midst of the description: "The senses are so strong and impetuous, O Arjuna, that they forcibly carry away the mind even of a man of discrimination who is endeavoring to control them." *(Gītā* 2.60) Has Kṛṣṇa gone off topic? Is He saying that an elevated *yogi* might succumb to personal weakness? Just when we were feeling a bit lofty, He cautions that there are possible deviations. He continues by describing the downward spiral of material sense attraction: "While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops attachment for them, and from such attachment lust develops, and from lust anger arises. From anger, complete delusion arises, and from delusion bewilderment of memory. When memory is bewildered, intelligence is lost, and when intelligence is lost one falls down again into the material pool." *(Gītā* 2.62-63) The epic conversation between Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna has taken a turn. Kṛṣṇa’s description of the sublime and steady (sthita-prajña) devotee has led to a step-by-step account of the calamity of attraction to sense objects. His answer to Arjuna’s sincere question has given a picture not only of perfected consciousness, but of obstacles to that perfection as well. At least this much we pick up from Kṛṣṇa's words: We may have more to learn about what tried and true *yoga* practice is. These are the topics at the close of chapter two of the *Gītā*. In chapter three, Kṛṣṇa goes on to discuss sincere and deviant *yoga* practices. *Show-bottle Practice* In chapter three we hear of something more harmful to ourselves than attraction to sense objects: materially motivated *yoga* practice. Consciously or not, a person may feel inspired to use *yoga* for reasons other than what the *Bhagavad-gītā* recommends. Śrīla Prabhupāda describes this as “show-bottle.” A pharmacist may keep a window display of bottles to attract customers. He will not keep authentic medicines in the window, but places some glass bottles with differently colored dyed waters or sugar pills there to give the effect of medicines. These are show-bottles. Regardless of how powerful or attractive, the work of the “show-bottle yogi” is always an artificial display of the practice, like the bottles in the window. Strength derived from *yoga* can be used to further material aims. The most pernicious aspect of this is when someone willfully poses as a *bhakti-yogi* by imitating surrender to God but does not follow the authorized scriptures. According to Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, such persons “simply create a disturbance in society.” One kind of deviation is just to be ignorant of the purpose of the practice; another is to be cleverly ignorant and collect a flock of ignorant followers. The Sanskrit term mithyācāra mentioned in the third chapter of the Gītā means pretender. A pretender who leads others is a false leader. Fueled by the potential for aggrandizements, false leaders coyly disseminate a crooked interpretation of the *Bhagavad-gītā* or other scriptures, changing the words of Kṛṣṇa to create a new brand of spirituality. Sometimes they sing a loud, bracing song to engage the holy names of Kṛṣṇa in their own song-and-dance routine. They may also lecture and make grave admonitions or describe saccharine personal narratives. Sadly, their brand of spirituality is their trap of self-interest. The sensual and sinful activities of their followers are the symptoms of "spiritual" leaders with motives fueled by ignorance. Śrīla Prabhupāda writes in his purport to *Śrī Īśopaniṣad*, *Mantra* 6: "Those who imitate an *uttama-adhikārī* [a top-level devotee] by flaunting a sense of oneness or fellowship but who behave on the bodily platform are actually false philanthropists. The conception of universal brotherhood must be learned from an *uttama-adhikārī*. . . ." Such false leaders may even carry an inner disdain for Kṛṣṇa and His pure devotees, though it may not at first be apparent. Śrīla Prabhupāda writes: There are many devotees who assume themselves to be in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and devotional service but at heart do not accept the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, as the Absolute *Truth*. For them, the fruit of devotional service—going back to Godhead—will never be tasted. Similarly, those who are engaged in fruitive pious activities and who are ultimately hoping to be liberated from this material entanglement will never be successful either, because they deride the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. In other words, persons who mock Kṛṣṇa are to be understood to be demonic or atheistic. As described in the Seventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā, such demonic miscreants never surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Therefore their mental speculations to arrive at the Absolute *Truth* bring them to the false conclusion that the ordinary living entity and Kṛṣṇa are one and the same. (*Gītā* 9.12, Purport) *The Sincere Sweeper* By comparison with the show-bottle *yogi*, in the third chapter of the *Gītā* Prabhupāda gives the sublime example of a street sweeper, a common sight in India. People pass the sweeper as they go to and fro, no one paying him any heed, and meanwhile he spends hours scraping together dirt and refuse. He serves with little profit, save possibly for the satisfaction of service well done—a clean street. To help us combat insincerity, Śrīla Prabhupāda has offered the striking contrast between the show-bottle *yogi* and the artless street sweeper. The tolerant surrender of the sweeper is akin to the service attitude of sweet *bhakti*. All living entities are part of the Supreme and are thus intended by their own constitution to humbly serve Him. *Bhakti* is never casual, nor is it self-serving. It requires all the gravity of self-surrender and sacrifice that a mother has for her child, or a lover for his or her beloved. When we deviate from **yoga*’s* true purpose, we go against our very own nature, because constitutionally we are servants of Kṛṣṇa. By willfully using the power of the *yoga* process to achieve some material aim for ourselves, we can develop character flaws, such as delusions of grandeur. We might also gain undue influence over others and the potential for enhanced sense enjoyment. *Yoga* is intended for a spiritual purpose, and the desire to use *yoga* for material gain makes us into rather peculiar *yogis*. An objective observer might even suggest that we have a psychological problem that needs to be reckoned with. Consider the life of the king named Śiśupāla, who tried to get the hand of Rukmiṇī Devī. She is the beloved eternal consort of Kṛṣṇa, but during His appearance on earth five thousand years ago, He had not yet met her when she was betrothed to Śiśupāla through a political arrangement made by her brother. Responding to her request, however, delivered to Him by a messenger, on her supposed wedding day Kṛṣṇa rescued Her from an assembly of rivals and placed Her on His chariot with Him. Śiśupāla was enraged. In foolish ignorance he vowed to do extreme mystic *yogic* penances in the forest to defeat Kṛṣṇa, even if it would take his entire lifetime. What he did not know is that it is impossible to be an effective rival of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Years later fate brought him to encounter Kṛṣṇa again, but Kṛṣṇa served him death for his ever increasing insults and offenses. Kṛṣṇa beheaded him with His famous Sudarśana disc, and Śiśupāla entered the brahmajyoti, Kṛṣṇa's all-pervasive spiritual effulgence. Uddhava, a cousin and intimate devotee of Kṛṣṇa, refers to Śiśupāla’s *yoga* practice while speaking to Mahātmā Vidura, Arjuna's uncle and a great devotee as well: "You have personally seen how the King of Cedi [Śiśupāla] achieved success in *yoga* practice [by entering Kṛṣṇa's *brahmajyoti*], although he hated Lord Kṛṣṇa. Even the actual *yogis* aspire after such success with great interest by performance of their various practices. . . ." *(Bhāgavatam* 3.2.19) Śiśupāla is an extreme example of how the same *yoga* practice that is Kṛṣṇa’s eternal prescription for mankind can be used for a purpose other than for what it is intended. Considering Śiśupāla’s envious motives, it may be observed that all forms of deviation from the original purpose of *yoga* are various degrees of ignorance or envy of God’s central position in the *yoga* system. Śiśupāla wanted to think of Kṛṣṇa as anything but central to his *yoga* practice. Still Kṛṣṇa liberated him. If Kṛṣṇa is that merciful to even an abusive enemy, then surely there is good hope for us yogis with less offensive material agendas. *Kṛṣṇa’s Promise* Kṛṣṇa talks about deviation from yoga practice in a number of places in the *Gītā*, but He also clarifies how to avoid deviation by determination in service. He makes a confidential promise: "Even if one commits the most abominable action, if he is engaged in devotional service he is to be considered saintly because he is properly situated in his determination. He quickly become righteous and attains lasting peace. O son of Kuntī, declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes." (*Gītā* 9.30–31) Kṛṣṇa finishes with “Declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes.” He makes this guarantee confidentially, only to devotees. *Karma* and the laws of nature are unforgiving for all who defy them, but for surrendered devotees, even the laws of nature can be adjusted. Śrīla Prabhupāda comments: "The material contamination is so strong that even a *yogi* fully engaged in the service of the Lord sometimes becomes ensnared; but Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so strong that such an occasional falldown is at once rectified." *(Gītā* 9.30, Purport) *The Superlative Purpose of Yoga* This article could be described as “moralizing.” There is little description of how to achieve love of God, only of the practice when it is misused. However, if we board a plane to go to London and the plane is actually on its way to New York, we hope that no one will patronize us by saying, “Oh, don’t be troubled; you’ll get there eventually.” Similarly, though truth is sometimes uncomfortable, the topic of deviance is put forward by Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself in the *Bhagavad-gītā*, and discussion of His instructions is **yoga*-siddhānta*, the last word in the perfection of *yoga*: "And of all *yogis*, the one with great faith who always abides in Me, thinks of Me within himself, and renders transcendental loving to Me—he is the most intimately united with Me in *yoga* and is the highest of all. That is My opinion." (*Gītā* 6.47) All forms of *yoga* inevitably bow their heads to this one truth: the constitutional nature of every living being is to love and serve Śrī Kṛṣṇa. If the risk of moralizing results in identifying what is love of Lord Kṛṣṇa, that risk is truly sublime. For absolute instruction, Lord Kṛṣṇa recommends that we approach a bona fide spiritual master, a *bhakti-yogi* exemplary in the practice of His teachings. In the *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* (6.14.5), King Parīkṣit says to Śukadeva Gosvāmī, "O great sage, among many millions who are liberated and perfect in knowledge of liberation, one may be a devotee of Lord Nārāyaṇa, or Kṛṣṇa. Such devotees, who are fully peaceful, are extremely rare." After quoting this verse while instructing Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "According to their *karma*, all living entities are wandering throughout the entire universe. Some of them are being elevated to the upper planetary systems, and some are going down into the lower planetary systems. Out of many millions of wandering living entities, one who is very fortunate gets an opportunity to associate with a bona fide spiritual master by the grace of Kṛṣṇa. By the mercy of both Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master, such a person receives the seed of the creeper of devotional service." *(Caitanya-caritāmṛta*, *Madhya* 17.151) The bone fide spiritual master comes to teach the brave about the uncommon true aim of *yoga*, which is to permanently rid oneself of the material body. His main purpose is to help us transfer out of this material world, not to hone some *yoga* skills to gain further ground here. He wants to attract us not to himself or to a life of sense gratification, but to the homeland in the spiritual sky where our souls thrive, where *bhakti* abounds. *Following Śrīla Prabhupāda* Śrīla Prabhupāda targeted in particular the impersonalistic and voidistic *yogis* in the Western countries, whom he considered ignorant of pure devotional service to Kṛṣṇa. In the beginning days of *bhakti-yoga* practice in the West, his disciples had little understanding of the Sanskrit language, so while the composition of a *mantra* dedicated to the *guru* is traditionally the task of a disciple, Prabhupāda had to write his own for his disciples to regularly recite. It consists of two Sanskrit verses, the second of which reads like a kind of mission statement: > namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe > nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe "Our respectful obeisances are unto you, O spiritual master, servant of Sarasvatī Gosvāmī. You are kindly preaching the message of Lord Caitanyadeva and delivering the Western countries, which are filled with impersonalism and voidism." Studying Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa cleanse our hearts to free us of impersonal contaminations that prevent straightforward practice. Reading about Prabhupāda's life is a sure way to understand the absolute standard of **bhakti*-yoga*. The *bhakti* exemplified by a pure devotee is like a potent, brilliant ray, and it can penetrate through a hundred thousand character defects that ordinarily lead to deviation on the path. Currently we can learn from the disciples of Śrīla Prabhupāda who practice to his standard. The example of these sincere devotees shows how *bhakti-yoga* compels the devotee on and on, no matter what obstacles the devotee faces. Thanks to their loyal endeavors, the ISKCON movement is a like a multipetaled lotus unfolding with effulgent new features year after year, inspired by the many instructions Śrīla Prabhupāda left for all of us. His followers have cleared a pathway of selfless service in love for the Lord, and on that trail we shall find what is authentic. Even a chronic deviant will want to dump the burden of material motivation in order to follow—sure-footed—back home, back to Godhead. *Karuṇā Dhāriṇī Devī Dāsī, a disciple of His Grace Vīrabāhu Dāsa, serves the Deities at ISKCON Los Angeles, where she joined ISKCON in 1979. She lives with her husband and daughter.* The Duty of One About to Die *How should we prepare for that final moment that will arrive for each of us?* by Kṛṣṇanandinī Devī Dāsī Once we accept the inevitability of our body's end, what should we do next? Death. We don’t like to talk about death. In fact, the topic is pretty much taboo in all contemporary societies. Why? Because death is, well, so final. It’s the end, and most people don’t know what comes after “the end.” Consequently, death is a fearful contemplation. We don’t know what happens after death. Or we wonder if anything happens. Another problem with death is that it is often accompanied by disease or pain. Even if the dying person does not experience physical pain, family and friends endure the emotional pain of separation or the unreasonable feeling of being abandoned by the beloved dying person. One famous American, Steve Jobs, cofounder of Apple computers, made an interesting observation: “Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it, and that is how it should be. . . . [Death] is life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new.” Mr. Jobs observed that many religious people don’t appreciate death even though their scriptures often indicate that death is the only door to heaven. The Vedas explain that the Supreme Lord created the material world and that everything created has a beginning and an end. People who have lived righteous lives on earth go to a heavenly planet in the material world after death, residing for thousands of years in delightful circumstances. Yet at the end of their allotted time, after the credit of their pious activities has been used up, they have to fall back down to earth. In contrast, Vaikuṇṭha, the eternal spiritual world described in the Vedas, is full of eternal, blissful, and fully conscious persons who interact with God purely, without any defects or deficiencies. Persons who have become completely free of all envy and other unwanted material qualities through practicing *bhakti-yoga* (devotional service), who have developed pure, uncontaminated love for God, go to the spiritual world, never to return to the material creation. According to the ancient Vedic scriptures, we are all spiritual beings and death is a consequence of our existence in the material world, right along with birth, old age, and disease. These miseries are all related to our body, which is not our true self. They are the real fundamental problems in this mundane world. And no matter what, they are inevitable. “Nothing is sure but death and taxes,” we’ve often heard. Cheaters may avoid taxes, however, but no one avoids death. Lord Kṛṣṇa says, “One who has taken his birth is sure to die, and after death one is sure to take birth again.” *(Gītā* 2.27) Due to its ubiquitous place in our world, death is frequently imagined as a personified force, sometimes known as the Grim Reaper. Death means the end of everything material we’ve accumulated, the complete and everlasting disconnection from "our" money, house, career, position, clothes, education, and family. Actually, from the time we are born our bodies are changing, getting ever closer to death. In that sense we start dying when we're born. I recently heard someone say, “Every day we get closer to the casket.” We start with the body of a baby, then move on to that of a small child, a youth, a mature adult, and finally an old person. Our body is changing at every moment, and the final change, the ultimate transformation for the present body, is death. Repeating a point made throughout the Vedic scriptures, Lord Kṛṣṇa tells us in the *Bhagavad-gītā* that after death we have to accept another body. So actually I (the person, the living force in the body) don’t die when my body dies. “For the soul there is neither birth nor death at any time. He has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.” (*Gītā* 2.20) The person, the living force, continues on in another body. Thus there is a difference between our body (the material vehicle we inhabit) and our self (the soul, or living force). *Facing Death Without Fear* Yet death does not have to be fearful or intimidating. And for some rare persons it is not. For example, five thousand years ago the emperor of the world, Mahārāja Parikṣit, learned that he had only seven days to live, due to a curse. Instead of resisting and lamenting, he accepted this as the divine arrangement of the Supreme Lord and went to the bank of the sacred Ganges River to seek out wisdom from spiritually advanced sages. His urgent question—“What is the duty of a person about to die?”—aroused interest from saintly people all over the universe, and they arrived by the hundreds to witness one of the greatest discourses of all time. The reality is we are all about to die. But unlike Mahārāja Parīkṣit, we generally don’t have the luxury of knowing when. It could be tomorrow, five years from now, or fifty years from now. It could be inside our residence or outside, during the day or night, while we are traveling or resting. Every human being, then, should be concerned about the emperor’s question: “What is the duty of a person about to die?” The old aphorism “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear” proved apt in Mahārāja Parīkṣit’s case. Providence arranged that the great devotee Śukadeva Gosvāmī arrived simultaneously at the bank of the sacred Ganges River. Upon his arrival, all the assembled sages conceded that Śukadeva Gosvāmī was the authority most qualified to answer the question. And his answer is timely and relevant for us all. His response is meant for every thoughtful human being: “O King, it is therefore essential that every human being hear about, glorify, and remember the Supreme Lord, the Personality of Godhead, always and everywhere.” *(Bhāgavatam* 2.2.36) Śrīla Prabhupāda writes in The Nectar of Devotion, chapter two: “So Śukadeva Gosvāmī has recommended to Parīkṣit Mahārāja that in order to be fearless of death, one has to hear about and chant about and remember the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, by all means. He also mentions that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is sarvātmā. Sarvātmā means 'the Supersoul of everyone.' Kṛṣṇa is also mentioned as īśvara, the supreme controller who is situated in everyone's heart. Therefore, if some way or other we become attached to Kṛṣṇa, He will make us free from all danger.” *The Duty: To Live in Kṛṣṇa Consciousness* It has been said that if you live each day as if it was your last, some day you'll most certainly be right. Śrīla Prabhupāda exemplified how to live and how to die. He died the same way he lived—in pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In every situation, he showed us how to hear about, glorify, and remember the Supreme Lord. Whether he was eating, walking, speaking to large or small crowds, writing books on spiritual science, guiding his young disciples, opening temples and schools, or traveling—until his last breath the founder-ācārya of ISKCON showed us how to live and how to die. Many of his disciples, including such noteworthy disciples as Yamunā Devī and Bhaktitīrtha Swami, followed in his footsteps, being contemporary examples of how to live fully in Kṛṣṇa consciousness until the end of the body. To hear about God, chant His names, and remember Him is to be in awareness of Him at all times. It is recognition of our natural position as His eternal servant, and it includes carrying out the responsibilities of that position. It is also the realization that forgetfulness of God is unnatural and painful. Therefore the duty of a person about to die—and that person is every one of us—is to live in full consciousness of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, by always hearing about Him, chanting His names, and remembering Him. *Kṛṣṇanandinī Devī Dāsī, a disciple of Śrīla Prabhupāda, is a Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE), a licensed minister of Kṛṣṇa consciousness in the state of Ohio, president of ISKCON’s Grihastha Vision Team, and co-director, along with her husband, Tariq Saleem Ziyad, of the Dasi-Ziyad Family Institute in Cleveland, Ohio.* The Art of Staying Positive *Some advice on finding encouragement when life gets us down.* by Mathurā Vāsī Devī Dāsī Guidance from Kṛṣṇa's teachings and His pure devotees can help us use challenging situations for our ultimate benefit. When I received a voice message from an old high school friend, I was overjoyed to hear from her after two decades. My glee was short-lived, however. When I returned her call, she gradually shared with me information about the many negative circumstances surrounding her. Clearly they had adversely molded her thoughts into detrimental self-limiting beliefs. Such obstructive concerns, which usually stem from dark trepidations, had been consuming her for the past few months. I was overwhelmed to witness her drowning in a well of negativity towards people, circumstances, and her own life. Her case is not unique. At some time in our life most of us face moments when we perceive things in a negative way, when we let apprehensions and doubts cloud our minds and lead us to irrational judgment. Many of us may occasionally think ourselves unworthy or engage in negative self-talk. In my experience, the moment we begin to feel resentment and hatred towards others or towards the way our own lives are shaping up, we must quickly seek bona fide guidance from wise, self-realized souls. *The Foundation* I wanted to give my friend an anchor and a direction. I wanted to tell her something that would stimulate her to shed her negative mindset and radically transform her vision of events, people, and circumstances. So I told her a little story: Most of us have a fierce battle going on inside us between two cats. One is evil—filled with anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, self-doubt, and egotism. The other is good—filled with joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. Which cat will win? *The answer is simple: The one we feed.* What is the food? The food is the decision we make, the choice we opt for. Which voice within my mind am I going to nourish and accommodate? Every choice makes one cat stronger and the other weaker. Every time we make a bad choice, we become more addicted to immorality because the bad cat becomes stronger and the good cat becomes weaker. Every time we make an ethically right choice, we come closer to liberation. If our default mindset is toward negativity, we’ll always see things in a bad way. The moment we become conscious of our choices and shift our focus from darkness to light, from despair to hope, we can start feeding the good cat. Then we can find the silver linings and live accordingly. Foundational beliefs and spiritual values are important. They keep us composed, allowing us to appreciate and celebrate the good and to process trials knowing they shall pass soon. As with most things, there are exceptions to this phenomenon. Elevated souls who have been practicing Kṛṣṇa consciousness for a long time will be purified of many of the effects of the lower modes of material nature, which inspire a host of negative qualities. Their purification occurs due to their conscious choice to sincerely practice the path of devotion, which illuminates their lives with unending bliss. Such pure devotees should be our role models. They can inspire us to be humble, and they can help us focus on the bright colors in the large canvas of life. *Tap the Source* The *Bhagavad-gītā* aptly describes the mind as restless and turbulent. It must be controlled to achieve the highest perfection. The Vedic scriptures caution us not to succumb to the mind’s myopic urge to seek instant pleasures, which many of us may be doing consciously or subconsciously. But if we do, we will frequently find ourselves trapped in a cage of pessimism, because situations get out of control, things go wrong, people behave unreasonably, and our mind tends to stick on the negativity around us. The mind can make heaven out of hell and hell out of heaven. The state of our mind determines the quality of our life. Our mind is the root of all thoughts and actions. It navigates our life. So it is crucial for us to learn to harness the power of the mind for our benefit. We need to critically evaluate its plans, which are often detrimental to our long-term self-interest. The mind proposes its ideas, desires, and views so subtly and irresistibly, however, that we rashly consider them to be our own and impulsively act on them. Only when hit with the consequences do we regret our imprudent decisions and behavior. When we consciously monitor our mind, we can judiciously reject the negative or complacent thoughts and replace them with positive ones. *Vedic Chronicles* When the demon Rāvaṇa kidnapped Sītā Devī, Lord Rāma's servitor Hanumānjī set out to look for her. He searched in all directions without success, but he did not lose hope or let frustration creep into his efforts. He was persistent. And with complete faith in God, while maintaining a positive outlook, he eventually succeeded in his endeavor. In another pivotal incident, the mighty warrior prince Arjuna became confused, bewildered, and filled with miserable thoughts before the epic Battle of Kurukshetra. When he completely surrendered to the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa, however, he was enlightened with real spiritual knowledge. As soon as he took shelter of God, all negativity vanished and the illuminating light of positivity flooded his soul. He received the highest transcendental knowledge and experienced newfound bliss. A classic example of optimism is King Bali. He did not feel dejected when the Lord assumed the form of Vāmanadeva to test him. He willingly offered himself and surrendered at God's lotus feet. Pleased by his positive attitude and virtues, the Lord granted Him benedictions. We can cultivate positive thinking. When we comprehend the purpose of our existence, positive thinking eventually becomes natural. We are all souls, spiritual beings, the beloved children of God, and are meant to rejoice in eternal loving exchanges with Him. When we train ourselves to see all events in our life as expressions of God’s love for us, and to make all our actions expressions of our love for Him, we tap our latent positive spiritual energy. Hence love of God is the source and essence of all positivity. *The Highest Test* Mahārāja Parīkṣit, a great saintly monarch, faced the highest test: a brāhmaṇa boy cursed him to die. The king knew he had only seven days to live. Now, this news did not cause him to grapple with fear, or to whimper, complain, or become morose. Rather he gracefully accepted it as the will of the Lord, as an opportunity to understand the purpose of his life. He renounced all his worldly opulences to nourish his soul by absorbing himself in hearing the glories of the Lord. He passed the greatest of tests and at the time of death attained His ultimate destination—he went back to Godhead in the spiritual world. The soul is an eternal spiritual person with a full existence beyond this temporary world. To attain our original identity, we must awaken the love for God that is always present in our hearts but now covered by illusion. Through patient and submissive service to the Lord, we can rekindle that sublime love. We can most easily and effectively experience God’s love for us and express our love for Him by chanting His holy names and associating with His pure devotees. Being omnipotent, God is fully present in His names, and by chanting them we gain the strength to reject negative thoughts. *My Friend's Relief* My talk with my distressed friend encouraged her to begin her spiritual journey in earnest. A month later, by the Lord’s mercy she had overcome her discomposure to a significant degree, owing to the magical potency of the holy name. Her example increases my faith in the principle that we can perfect the art of staying positive when we sincerely practice unalloyed devotion. Through our earnest attempt to use even unfavorable circumstances to purify our consciousness, we experience showers of love, peace, joy, and wisdom that wash away all the negativity from the mind. Our resulting expression of gratitude uplifts us to a higher realm, filled with the vibrant colors of success, positivity, and eternal bliss. *Mathurā Vāsī Devī Dāsī (Meghna Choudhury) is a life coach, spiritual counselor, author, and artist living in Mumbai.* The Hare Kṛṣṇa *Mahā-mantra*: Our Ultimate Benefactor *As Śrīla Prabhupāda points out in a memorable talk, the mahā-mantra is "directly enacted from the spiritual platform."* By Satyarāja Dāsa The Vedic scriptures cite the indisputable authority of Lord Brahmā to establish the unique spiritual power of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. > harer nāma harer nāma > harer nāmaiva kevalam > kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva > nāsty eva gatir anyathā “In this Age of Kali there is no other means, no other means, no other means for self-realization than chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name of Lord Hari [Kṛṣṇa].” —*Bṛhan-nāradīya Purāṇa* 38.126 The Hare Kṛṣṇa *mahā-mantra*—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare—offers spiritual protection from the evil age in which we now find ourselves. Additionally, it is the best possible resource for those who seek genuine spiritual enrichment. The Vedas are emphatic about this point, as indicated in the *Kali-santāraṇa Upaniṣad* (part of the Kṛṣṇa Yajurveda):1 When the sage Nārada asked the creator of this universe, Lord Brahmā, how to navigate the turbulent waters of Kali-yuga, our current age of quarrel and hypocrisy, the answer was immediate and definitive: “Chant the holy names of the Lord, particularly Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. This collection of sixteen names is the only destroyer of sins in Kali-yuga. No other remedy can be found in any part of the Vedic literature." “In this way,” Brahmā concluded, “the illusory coverings of the soul (*jīvātmā*), which are composed of sixteen constituents, are automatically destroyed. At that time, Lord Kṛṣṇa fully manifests before the jīva, like the rays of the sun upon the removal of a cloud.” (verses 5–7)2 The sixteen constituents mentioned above are outlined in the *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* and refer to the five material sense organs (ear, nose, eyes, tongue, and touch); the five types of breath (*prāṇa, apāna, vyāna, samāna*, and *udāna*); the five working organs (hands, feet, tongue, genitals, and anus); and the subtle body (the materially conditioned mind, intelligence, and ego). The chanting of the holy name purifies all these components of the living entity’s existence, rendering each soul eligible for pure devotional service *(bhakti)*. That is to say, the Lord is properly served only with purified mind and senses, and the only way to attain such purification is through chanting His names. This is because the Lord is absolute, and so He and His name are identical. Thus, by chanting His name one directly associates with God Himself, and the consequent purification allows one further progress in spiritual life, ultimately resulting in love of God. *Three Special Words* The three words of the *mantra*—Hare, Kṛṣṇa, and Rāma—are in the vocative case, i.e., enunciated as a direct address. The Deities mentioned in the *mantra* are being implored, and not merely glorified as an abstract expression. Thus the mahā-*mantra* is a petition: “O energy of Kṛṣṇa, O Kṛṣṇa, please engage me in Your service.” “Hare” can refer to both Hari, or Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, and Rādhā, known as Mother Harā. When perceived in the latter sense, common in the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava tradition, it is an address to God’s energy, specifically His spiritual pleasure potency (*hlādinī-śakti*), who is also known as His female manifestation: Rādhikā. The word hari also means “thief.” In relation to Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, it refers to Their stealing of each other’s hearts, and the hearts of all living beings. “Kṛṣṇa” is a name of God meaning “the all-attractive one.” Here readers might protest: “If He is all-attractive, why am I not attracted to Him?” But do you know Kṛṣṇa? If you cannot see Him, how can you possibly be attracted to Him? For one who is in material illusion, unable to see Kṛṣṇa face to face (or to perceive Him properly), one might consider Kṛṣṇa’s qualities or characteristics. He is all strength, beauty, knowledge, wealth, fame, and renunciation—who is not attracted to any or all of these qualities? Thus, if one is not in the presence of Kṛṣṇa one will be allured by one of His characteristics. The word kṛṣṇa can also mean “blackish,” and in this sense it is indicative of His beautiful dark complexion. “Rāma” means “one who gives pleasure and enjoys life,” indicating that God is the ultimate enjoyer. It can refer to Balarāma, Kṛṣṇa’s first expansion and elder brother, or to Rāmacandra, an incarnation of Kṛṣṇa.3 More commonly, it refers to *Rādhā-ramaṇa-rāma*, or “Kṛṣṇa, the lover of Rādhikā.”4 The exact Hare Kṛṣṇa *mahā-mantra*, complete with the order in which the words are to be chanted, is revealed in an ancient text known as the Sanat-kumāra Saṁhitā (quoted by Dhyānacandra Gosvāmī in his *Gaura Govindārcana Smaraṇa Paddhati*, 132–133): > hare-kṛṣṇau dvir āvṛttau > kṛṣṇa tādṛk tathā hare > hare rāma tathā rāma > tathā tādṛg ghare manuḥ > hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa > kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare > hare rāma hare rāma > rāma rāma hare hare “The words ‘Hare Kṛṣṇa’ are to be recited twice; then ‘Kṛṣṇa’ and ‘Hare’ are to be recited separately twice. Similarly, ‘Hare Rāma,’ ‘Rāma,’ and ‘Hare’ are also recited twice. The *mantra* will thus be Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.” Devotees recite the *mantra* a fixed number of times every day on a string of japa beads and sing the *mantra* out loud congregationally *(kīrtana)*. Śrīla Prabhupāda describes the process of chanting: [inset] Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not an artificial imposition on the mind; this consciousness is the original energy of the living entity. When we hear the transcendental vibration, this consciousness is revived. . . . This chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare is directly enacted from the spiritual platform, and thus this sound vibration surpasses all lower strata of consciousness—namely sensual, mental, and intellectual. . . . As such anyone can take part in the chanting without any previous qualification. [end inset] *Jīva Gosvāmī’s Commentary5* While a number of spiritual masters throughout history have commented on the *mahā-*mantra** and given insights into its practice and meaning, Jīva Gosvāmī (c. 1513–1598), one of the preeminent philosophers of the Gauḍīya tradition, extrapolates a deep meaning that shows the inner core of the *mantra* and its most profound dimensions. In doing so, he uses several of the definitions given above for the three words, thus offering profound mystical insights into the implications of the names. Indeed, as Kṛṣṇa is the original source of all manifestations of the divine, and as He is known in the tradition as līlā-puruṣottama, or the supreme Godhead who manifests beautiful activity (līlā) for the pleasure of His devotees, Śrī Jīva, through each of the *mantra*’s sixteen words, overtly summarizes these divine pastimes. Thus in his *Mahā-mantrārtha* Dīpikā we find his explanation in consecutive order: 1. Hare: > sarva-ceta-haraḥ kṛṣṇas > tasya cittaṁ haratyasau > vaidagdhī-sāra-vistārair > ato rādhā harā matā “Kṛṣṇa steals everyone’s mind. Yet, due to Śrī Rādhā’s expert nature, She steals even His. She is thus known as Harā.” As Hari can mean “He who takes away,” or “thief,” Śrī Jīva here shows how this adheres in relation to Kṛṣṇa and the first word of the *mahā-mantra*, specifically when reading the first word as a reference to Rādhikā. Śrī Jīva indicates that as attractive as Kṛṣṇa is, Rādhikā is even more attractive. 2. Kṛṣṇa: > karṣati svīya-lāvaṇya- > muralī-kala-niḥsvanaiḥ > śrī rādhaṁ mohana-guṇā- > laṅkṛtaḥ kṛṣṇa īryate “He inexorably attracts Śrī Rādhā with the sweet sound of His flute music. For this reason the enchanting Lord is known as Kṛṣṇa.” Here Śrī Jīva uses the definition of Kṛṣṇa meaning the “all-attractive one,” showing how His attractive feature extends even to the supreme emblem of devotional service, Śrī Rādhā. 3. Hare: > śrūyate nīyate rāse > hariṇā hariṇekṣaṇā > ekākinī rahaḥ-kuñje > hareyaṁ tena kathyate “It has been heard that during Hari’s *rāsa-līlā*, the Lord kidnapped the doe-eyed Rādhā to be alone with Him in a secret forest bower. Therefore She is known as Harā.” Śrī Jīva here draws on one of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s most confidential pastimes, telling us that although Kṛṣṇa ostensibly ran off with Śrī Rādhā, that is precisely what She wanted. Thus Mother Harā is instead seen as having stolen away with Kṛṣṇa during the rāsa dance, giving special meaning to Her name Harā. 4. Kṛṣṇa: > aṅga-śyāmalima-stomaiḥ > śyamalīkṛta-kāñcanaḥ > ramate rādhayā sārdham > kṛṣṇo nigadyate “When Kṛṣṇa enjoys pastimes with Rādhā, Her golden hue sometimes takes on His darkish complexion. He is consequently known as Kṛṣṇa.” Here we see a play on the fact that Kṛṣṇa means “black,” wherein His illuminating and beautiful dark color influences even Rādhā’s resplendent golden hue. 5. Kṛṣṇa: > kṛtvāraṇye saraḥ-śreṣṭhaṁ > kāntayānumatas-tayā > ākṛṣya sarva-tīrthāni > taj-jñānāt kṛṣṇa īryate “To please Śrī Rādhā, Kṛṣṇa manifested in the Vraja area the most wonderful lake (Śyāma-kuṇḍa). Having accomplished this, He then called all the holy rivers to fill it. He is thus known as Kṛṣṇa.” Kṛṣṇa means “all-attractive,” so He was able to attract all of the world’s holy rivers to fill His Śyāma-kuṇḍa. 6. Kṛṣṇa: > kṛṣyate rādhayā premṇā > yamunā-taṭa-kānanam > līlaya lalitaś-cāpi > dhīraiḥ kṛṣṇa udāhṛtaḥ “Through Rādhā’s unequalled love, She enchants the Lord, who performs wonderful līlās on the banks of the Yamunā. Therefore those who consider deeply know Him as Kṛṣṇa.” Śrī Jīva indicates that Kṛṣṇa, as “the all-attractive one,” draws even Rādhā’s love into His heart of hearts. 7. Hare: > hṛtavān gokule tiṣṭhann- > ariṣṭaṁ puṣṭa-puṅgavam > śrī haris taṁ rasād uccai > rāyatīti harā matā “While in Gokula, Śrī Hari (Kṛṣṇa) killed the demon known as Ariṣṭāsura. When this happened, Śrī Rādhā cried out with great feeling. By so doing, She was able to steal His mind. She is thus known as Harā.” Bringing the most esoteric Rādhā-kuṇḍa episode into his commentary on the *mahā-mantra*, Śrī Jīva gives an example of how Rādhikā steals Kṛṣṇa’s mind and heart. 8. Hare: > hy asphuṭaṁ rāyati prīti- > bhareṇa hari-ceṣṭitam > gāyatīti matā dhīrair > harā rasa-vicakṣaṇaiḥ “With a fully loving heart, Śrī Rādhā sometimes quietly sings the glories of Hari, and sometimes She sings them aloud. Those who are expert in the secrets of divine sentiments call Her Harā." By such divine repetition, i.e., *japa* and *kīrtana*, Śrī Rādhā sets an example of how to steal Kṛṣṇa’s heart. 9. Hare: > rasāveśa-parisrastāṁ > jahāra muralīṁ hareḥ > hareti kīrtitā devī > vipine keli-lampaṭā “Because of Śrī Rādhā’s unwavering love, Śrī Hari becomes distracted, and His flute falls from His hand. At that time, desirous to enjoy with the Lord in His forest bowers, Rādhā steals His flute. That goddess is thus famously known as Harā.” The memorable episode of Rādhā stealing Kṛṣṇa’s flute is mentioned here. This is a well-known instance of Rādhikā as a “thief” (Harā), in which by taking a tangible item, She steals Kṛṣṇa’s heart. 10. Rāma: > govardhana-darī-kuñje > parirambha-vicakṣaṇaḥ > śrī rādhāṁ ramayāmāsa > rāmas tena mato hariḥ “Kṛṣṇa, who knows the art of the embrace, enjoys with Rādhā in the forest groves and caves of Govardhana. Thus He is known as Rāma.” “Rāma” is introduced as “that which gives Kṛṣṇa pleasure.” It refers to His divine pleasing exchanges with Śrī Rādhā. 11. Hare: > hanti du-ḥkhāni bhaktānāṁ > rāti saukhyāni cānvaham > harā devī nigaditā > mahā-kāruṇya-śālinī “Rādhā, who is most merciful, obliterates the miseries of Her devotees, affording them daily happiness. Therefore She is known as Harā.” Rādhikā steals away the miseries of the devotees. 12. Rāma: > ramate bhajato cetaḥ > paramānanda-varidhau > atreti kathito rāmaḥ > śyāmasundara-vigrahaḥ “When the devotees perceive Kṛṣṇa’s beautiful darkish form, their minds are always submerged in an ocean of joy. Therefore He is known by the name Rāma.” Kṛṣṇa means “black,” and Rāma means “pleasing.” Śrī Jīva combines the words to explain this truth of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. 13. Rāma: > ramayaty-acyutaṁ premṇā > nikuñja-vana-mandire > rāmā nigaditā rādhā- > rāmo yutas tayā punaḥ “Rādhā enjoys loving pastimes with Her infallible Kṛṣṇa in a secret part of the Vṛndāvana forest. Since He is always by Her side, exchanging deep pleasure through loving union, He is known as Rāma.” Śrī Jīva here suggests that the esoteric loving affairs of the divine couple know perfection in union and bring Them both unending pleasure. 14. Rāma: > rodanair gokule dāvā- > nalam aśayati hyasau > viśoṣayati tenokto > rāmo bhakta-sukhāvahaḥ “The devotee residents of Gokula cried due to fear of the forest fire, but Kṛṣṇa quickly swallowed it and gave them great joy by doing so. In this way He is known as Rāma.” He gives pleasure to His devotees and is thus known as Rāma. 15. Hare: > nihantum asurān yāto > mathurā-puram ity-asau > tadāgamad-rahaḥ-kāmo > yasyāḥ sā ’sau hareti ca “Śrī Kṛṣṇa went to Mathurā to kill the demons. Because of His profound love for Rādhā, however, He returned to Vṛndāvana. Therefore She is known as Harā.” Although Kṛṣṇa goes to other important places for the sake of others, Śrī Rādhā pulls Him back to Vṛndāvana with Her incomparable love. She is therefore the ultimate thief, stealing His heart. 16. Hare: > āgatya duḥkha-harta yo > sarveṣāṁam vraja-vāsinām > śrī rādhā-hāri-carito > hariḥ śrī nanda-nandanaḥ “When the son of Nanda (Kṛṣṇa) returned to Vraja, He thereby took away all the suffering of all the devotees who live there. By exhibiting such compassion, He stole the heart of Śrī Rādhā. Thus He is known as Hari.” In this last word of the *mahā-*mantra**, then, Śrī Jīva sees Kṛṣṇa rather than Rādhā, for He steals Her heart with His all-encompassing love. In other words, most commentators think that the "Hare" at the end of the *mantra* is yet another reference to Rādhā, but no, Jīva indicates that it is instead a veiled reference to Kṛṣṇa. *Benefits of Chanting* The above is an esoteric reading of the *mahā-*mantra**, meant to evoke the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa as a meditation for advanced students. For most of us, however, it is sufficient to understand that chanting this *mantra* will lead to love of God. Apropos of that fact, Śrī Jiva identifies and substantiates a number of other theological conclusions about the holy name. In his *Bhakti-sandarbha* (248), for example, he says that chanting relieves one of all sinful reactions (*papa-visodhana*) but that even this is not the ultimate result of the chanting process. Rather, he writes, chanting Kṛṣṇa’s name gives direct experience of God’s attributes (264) and awakens intense passion *(anuraga)* for Him, causing one to dance, cry, scream, and laugh like a madman (263). Jiva further tells us that singing the names out loud *(anugiyate)*, especially, is much more effective than quiet recitation—*japa*, which, as mentioned above, is also an essential practice. Jiva tells us that people who engage in loud chanting *(kirtana)* are humanity’s greatest benefactors (269). This latter point speaks to the profound phenomenon of *kirtana*, especially when enacted congregationally (saṅ*kirtana*), for if even nonbelievers merely hear the transcendental sound, they become purified and their spiritual life moves forward. This is why devotees go out into the streets (nāgara-san*kirtana*)—it is for the benefit of all souls. “Indeed, among all spiritual practices,” writes Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvati, “*sankirtana* is the best and foremost means of attaining the grace of the Supreme Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Other types of sadhana, or devotional practices, are worthy of being called such only if they favorably assist the performance of *sankirtana*; otherwise they should be known as obstructions to actual sadhana. Whether one is a child or an old or young man, male or female, learned or illiterate, rich or poor, beautiful or ugly, pious or sinful—regardless of the condition of life someone may be in—there is no spiritual practice for him other than Śrī Kṛṣṇa namasan?kirtana.”6 NOTES 1. This text is listed as number 103 in the *Muktika Upanisad,* which chronicles all legitimate Upanisads. It is thus accepted as authentic Vedic literature by all authorities on Indic religion. 2. Lord Brahmā, it should be noted, is the first teacher in the Brahmā-Madhva-Gauḍīya sampradāya. Thus it is significant that he was the first to specifically teach the importance of chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mahā-mantra*, a teaching he revisited and championed when he incarnated as Haridāsa Ṭhākura in Caitanya-līlā. 3. According to Śrīla Prabhupāda, there are two other ways to see the “Rāma” of the *mahā-mantra*: “Since Nityānanda is an expansion of Balarāma, Rāma also refers to Lord Nityānanda. Thus Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Rāma addresses not only Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma but Lord Caitanya and Nityānanda as well. (*Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta*, *Ādi-līlā*, Introduction) Rāma can also be seen as Paraśurāma, though less commonly: "So Lord Rāma and Lord Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Rāma, there is no difference between Them. When you chant the holy names purely, then understand that Lord Rāmacandra, Balarāma—any Rāma. The Lord came as Paraśurāma, Balarāma, and as Lord Rāmacandra. They are all the same." (Lecture, Sanand, Gujarat, December 24, 1975) 4. The Gauḍīya conception of Rāma in the *mahā-mantra* meaning Kṛṣṇa, the lover of Rādhā, is mentioned by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura: “According to the mood of aiśvarya [awe and reverence], ‘Rāma’ refers to Rāmacandra, the son of Daśaratha. According to the mood of mādhurya [love and intimacy], ‘Rāma’ refers to Kṛṣṇa, the relisher of Śrī Rādhā's association. Whenever the name 'Rāma' indicates service to Rādhā-ramaṇa Kṛṣṇa, then the word 'Hare,' the vocative form of Harā, refers to Śrī Rādhārāṇī, the origin of all spiritual potencies. Śrī Rādhā is known as Harā because She attracts the mind of Kṛṣṇa. Hari means 'attracter.' Hare is the vocative form of the word 'Hara'. There are three Rāmas—Rāma the husband of Sītā-devī, Rāma the husband of Revatī, and Rāma the lover of Rādhā.” (*Śrī Śrīla Prabhupāder Upadeśāmṛta*) 5. Jīva Gosvāmī's commentary is reminiscent of those of Gopāla Guru Gosvāmī and Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī, though Dāsa Gosvāmī’s has a more intimate and confidential component. Gopāla Guru Gosvāmī wrote two commentaries, one similar to Jīva’s and one that engages a pedagogical device in which he poses as a conditioned soul, beseeching the name to steal his mind (Hari) or attract his mind toward the all-attractive one (Kṛṣṇa). Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura’s commentary on the *mantra* is written in a similar pedagogical style. 6. Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvati, “Śrī Nama-sankirtana” in The Gaudiya, Volume 23, No. 10. Translated in Rays of the Harmonist, No. 19 (2009), 22–23. *COVER: The Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Deities at the main Hare Kṛṣṇa temple in London. Śrīla Prabhupāda installed Them in December 1969 and named Them Rādhā-Londonīśvara—"Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, the Lord of London." Please see the article beginning on page 26. (Photo by Harsh Sharma.)* Letters *USA Walk* The best compliment I can pay regarding Out Walking in the USA, by Bhaktimārga Swami [Sep/Oct 2018], is I didn’t want to see it end. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Sebastian Nunez Via the Internet *Freedom from Sin* I have done a lot of sins. How should I get out of them? Vaibhav Via the Internet *Reply:* It is a good sign that you want to become purified and not commit such actions again. For all of us, the heart needs to change, and the mind needs to be controlled. These things are achieved in this age by practicing *bhakti-*yoga**, the active *yoga* of devotional service. This service begins with the chanting of the holy names: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rā?a, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. These names of God can rid you of the reactions of past sinful actions, cleanse your heart, and fix your mind on your pure original spiritual self, which is part of God, Kṛṣṇa. This is the recommended process for purification. It requires regular chanting and reading of the *Bhagavad-gītā* and other Vedic literatures that remind you of your position as the loving servant of the Lord. We recommend chanting with others (kīrtana) as well as private chanting on beads (japa). You can take part with us in our morning services, held in our temples worldwide. Many temples have webcams, and you can take part through viewing the services online. We have Vedic books in over sixty languages. Please take advantage of this simple process and engage your senses and mind in these spiritual practices, which will cure the diseases of the heart and mind. *Worshiping Narasiṁha* Can I do Narasiṁha pūjā at home? If so, what is the procedure? Smita Deb Via the Internet *Reply:* If you are worshiping other Deities at home, Narasiṁha *pūjā* can be done in a similar way—bathing, dressing, decorating with flowers and jewelry, offering food, and so on. It is important to chant the proper *mantras*, which you can find at our temples and in the scriptures. You may want to watch the worship of Narasiṁha at our Māyāpur center in India. This can be seen on their webcam, which is always on. They have elaborate worship, and they have classes in Deity worship throughout the year. In general, the most important elements in worship of the Lord are regularity, cleanliness, and love, along with a respectful attitude of awe and reverence. *Why Only Kṛṣṇa?* Why should I worship only Kṛṣṇa and not any other god? Sudipto Chatterjee Via the Internet Reply: Kṛṣṇa says in the *Bhagavad-gītā* (10.2) that He is the source of the demigods. Therefore, just as we satisfy the leaves and branches of a tree by watering the root, we can satisfy all the demigods by worshiping Kṛṣṇa. We are reminded in the *Gītā* (7.20), "Those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires surrender unto demigods and follow the particular rules and regulations of worship according to their own natures." Further on, Kṛṣṇa says, "Endowed with such a faith, he endeavors to worship a particular demigod and obtains his desires. But in actuality these benefits are bestowed by Me alone. Men of small intelligence worship the demigods, and their fruits are limited and temporary. Those who worship the demigods go to the planets of the demigods, but My devotees ultimately real My supreme planet." So by worshiping Kṛṣṇa, we get the eternal benefit of being able to serve Him with love and devotion in the spiritual world. *Kṛṣṇa and Viṣṇu* Why is Kṛṣṇa considered above Viṣṇu? Viṣṇu is Kṛṣṇa. Aakash Via the Internet *Reply*: We have great faith in what Kṛṣṇa says in the *Bhagavad-gītā*, and He proclaims that He is the source of everything—all incarnations, energies, and expansions. He says that in His expansion as Viṣṇu He maintains the material worlds. As Śiva He destroys them. They are Kṛṣṇa, but without the full display of His opulence. Kṛṣṇa has unique pastimes, associates, and activities that identify Him as the original Personality of Godhead. If you study *Bhagavad-gītā* As It Is, by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, as well as his other writings, Kṛṣṇa's supreme position will become clear. *No Need for Drugs* Can I use drugs to see Kṛṣṇa? Christian Via the Internet *Reply*: There is no need to take drugs to see Kṛṣṇa. We are already intoxicated just being in this material world. We are thinking we are this body, but we are not. We are covered by the material energy, forgetting that we are spirit soul, part of Kṛṣṇa. So intoxication is a disqualification for seeing Kṛṣṇa. Our original consciousness is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which entails seeing and being with Kṛṣṇa eternally. Purification is necessary, not more intoxication. By linking to Kṛṣṇa by the recommended process of hearing and chanting, we will gradually revive our spiritual senses. Once they are engaged in devotional service, *bhakti*, then they begin to wake up and become clear again. When the eyes are filled with tears of longing for Kṛṣṇa, then we become qualified to see Him, if He desires to reveal Himself. When He is pleased with our endeavor to serve Him with love and devotion, He will reciprocate accordingly. He is very eager to be with His lost servants, and He will help you on the path of *bhakti*. Chanting His name is a very potent spiritual practice, and it easy for anyone to take part in. Please take advantage of our temples and join in this process. A Pause for Prayer I offer my obeisances to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, by whose mercy even an ignorant child can swim across the ocean of conclusions about the ultimate truth, which is full of the crocodiles of various theories. O my merciful Lord Caitanya, may the nectarean Ganges waters of Your transcendental activities flow on the surface of my desertlike tongue. Beautifying these waters are the lotus flowers of singing, dancing, and loud chanting of Kṛṣṇa’s holy name, which are the pleasure abodes of unalloyed devotees. These devotees are compared to swans, ducks, and bees. The river’s flowing produces a melodious sound that gladdens their ears. —Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī *Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta*, *Ādi-līlā* 2.1–2 Śrīla Prabhupāda Speaks Out *This is a continuation of a conversation between His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda and reporters in Melbourne, Australia, on June 29, 1974.* Śrīla Prabhupāda: So religion means to abide by the laws of God. That's all. It cannot be "Hindu," "Muslim," "Christian." Take the state law: in the state there are many persons, many citizens of the state—but the law does not stipulate that "This is for the Christians," "This is for the Jews," "This is for the black men," "This is for the white men." The law is not like that. The law is the same for everyone. You cannot say, "This is the black law," "This is the white law." No. That is not very scientific. The scientific understanding is that God is there and we are all under His law. God is great, we are His subordinates, and we have to obey His orders. That is the genuine spiritual platform. That is genuine religion. Am I right or wrong? Reporter 3: You're right. Śrīla Prabhupāda: Therefore you cannot say "Christian religion," "Hindu religion," "Muslim religion." Religion is religion. God is neither Christian nor Hindu nor Muslim. God is God. God is one. God is one. But we understand Him from different angles of vision. And those different angles of vision may be called "the Christian angle of vision" or "the Hindu angle of vision" or "the Jewish angle of vision" or "the Muslim angle of vision." But that is simply an angle of vision. Now, let us take the example of the sun. Here in Australia, June is a cooler month, and we may see the sun as not so warm. But you ask some African friend whether the sun is warm. "Oh, it is very warm." So his appreciation of the sun from his angle of vision is different from your appreciation here. But factually, the sun is one and the same. There is no such thing as the "Australian sun" or the "African sun." So factually, there is no such thing as "Hindu religion," "Muslim religion," "Christian religion." You see? These conceptions are all due to our sophisticated mind. Just as God is one, religion is one: you must know what God is, and you must know what His order is—and you must abide by it. Then you are religious. That's all. We are preaching like that. Reporter 6: So it seems you are saying, then, that by holding to their conception of a "Muslim" or "Jewish" or "Hindu" or "Christian" God, people are not actually realizing God. And yet one of the most important purposes of human life is to realize God, correct? Śrīla Prabhupāda: Yes. That is the only purpose. Except for fulfilling that purpose, anything we are doing is animalism. We are simply jumping about, just as the dog is jumping about, that's all. If we do not realize God, what is the difference between our life and a dog's? A dog is thinking, "I am a very stout bulldog." And a man is thinking, "I am a very well-to-do Dutchman." So what is the difference between the dog and the man? Their mentality is the same. The dog is thinking, "I am this body, "and the man is equally thinking, "I am this body." But when one understands, "I am not this body—I am a spirit, and I emanate from the supreme spirit," that is humanity. Reporter 6: So, Your Divine Grace, have you realized God? Śrīla Prabhupāda: What do you think? What is your opinion? Reporter 6: I can't say. Śrīla Prabhupāda: Then if I say "Yes," what will you understand? If you are not yourself expert, then even if I say "Yes; I am God realized," how will you take it as truth? If you do not know what God realization is, then how can you ask this question, and how will you be satisfied with the answer? Reporter 6: Well, what is God realization? Śrīla Prabhupāda: First make sure you understand this idea. Now, for instance, if one medical man asks another man, "Are you a medical man'." and the other man says "Yes," then the first man will understand by their exchange of technical terms whether the second man is truly a medical man. But unless one is himself a medical man, what is the use of asking another man, "Are you really a medical man?" So for you it is useless to ask about my having realized God, unless you are prepared to accept my answer. Are you? Reporter 6: Yes. Śrīla Prabhupāda: Then it is all right. I am God realized. I am seeing God at every moment. Reporter 5: Your Divine Grace, do you see meditation as a means to God realization? Śrīla Prabhupāda: Yes, meditation is also a means, but you cannot meditate now, because you do not know what God is. *Meditation* means meditation upon something or someone. But if you do not know what God is, upon what or whom will you meditate? First of all, you must know about God. For instance, we know about God, Kṛṣṇa, and in the *Bhagavad-gītā* Kṛṣṇa says, *man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ*: "Always think of Me." So we meditate upon Kṛṣṇa. This is perfect meditation—because meditation means to think of God. But if you do not know what God is, how will you think of Him? Reporter 3: Your Divine Grace, it is written in many scriptures that God is light. Śrīla Prabhupāda: God is everything. God is darkness, also. Therefore the *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* clearly defines God as "that being from whom emanates everything that exists." Light exists, yet darkness also exists. So just as light emanates from God, darkness also emanates from God. Reporter 5: Is meditation a way to see God inside yourself? Śrīla Prabhupāda: Yes*.* That is the proper definition of meditation*.* *Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ:* by concentrating their mind upon God, the *yogīs* try to see Him within their heart*.* But to concentrate your mind on God and ultimately see Him, you must first know what God is. In our institution, for instance, our students first learn what God is—God's attributes. In that way they can think of God. But if you have no idea of God, how will you think of Him? From the Editor *Forever Young* When people accustomed to the Judeo-Christian worldview encounter the claim that God is not a bearded, gray-haired old man but a charming youth, their response is usually one of skepticism. An elder person just seems a better fit for the position of creator and ruler of all that be. Granted, the Bible doesn't describe God as having the form of an old man. But because He's often depicted that way, that image influences how people think of Him. We Kṛṣṇa devotees' conviction that Kṛṣṇa is God rests especially on the authority of *sadhu*, *śāstra*, and *guru*, or the teachings of self-realized souls, the conclusions of the Vedic scriptures, and the corroborative testimony of the *guru* who represents those pure souls and scriptures. The scriptures are the primary source of evidence, and from them we learn not only about Kṛṣṇa's activities as God, but also exactly what He looks like. And the first striking feature of His appearance is that He looks young. The Brahma-saṁhitā and other scriptures describe Kṛṣṇa as nava-*yauvana*, or a "new youth." Śrīla Prabhupāda would generally characterize Kṛṣṇa as a youth of fifteen or sixteen years of age. Traditionally, a child's ages are divided into three periods: *kaumāra* (first five years), *paugaṇḍa* (next five years), and *kaiśora* (next five years). Then, at age fifteen, the child enters his or her sixteenth year and become a *yauvana*, or youth. Though Kṛṣṇa, to reciprocate the love of His pure devotees, exists in all His ages at once, we might call His eternal age early adolescence. The scriptures proclaim the unequalled beauty of Kṛṣṇa, and for millennia great devotee-poets have searched their minds and hearts for suitable metaphors to convey their appreciation of it. Intrinsic to His overwhelming beauty is His youthfulness. When we think of Kṛṣṇa enjoying with His devotees as a cowherd in the village of Vṛndāvana, His young age seems especially appropriate. But even elsewhere, such as Mathura, Dwarka, or even on the Battlefield of Kurukshetra, after about ninety years on earth, He appears as a fresh youth. What's even more surprising is that Kṛṣṇa as Nārāyaṇa (Viṣṇu), worshiped in majesty as the mighty ruler on innumerable Vaikuṇṭha planets, is also of youthful appearance. Imagine that you arrive in Vaikuṇṭha, a place of indescribable opulence, and are escorted through seven astonishing gates before arriving at the palace where the Lord sits on a splendorous throne—and He looks like a teenager. Actually, by the time you gain the Lord's audience you've already noticed that everyone in Vaikuṇṭha is young. With forms that resemble the Lord's, they are "just the age of growing youths" *(Bhāgavatam* 2.9.11). No one is old in the spiritual world. Youth rules! A simple explanation for the eternal youthfulness of the inhabitants of the spiritual world is that they all have spiritual bodies, which, unlike material bodies, are not subject to dwindling, death, and decay. Their eternal, fully conscious forms are made of spiritual bliss, exempt from the laws of material nature. Even if certain devotees there wish to display the forms of old people to serve Kṛṣṇa or any of His expansions or avatars, their old age is only a show and has none of the drawbacks of an old material body. Kṛṣṇa is the supreme resident of the spiritual world, and nurturing our devotion to His eternal youthful form will carry us beyond the world of inherently miserable bodies, young or old, to His lotus feet, the true fountain of youth. Hare Kṛṣṇa. —*Nāgarāja Dāsa, Editor* Vedic Thoughts All living entities are serving Kṛṣṇa in different ways, but when they are Kṛṣṇa conscious, their service is fully manifest. As a flower in the bud gradually fructifies and yields its desired aroma and beauty, so when a living entity comes to the platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the beauty of his real form comes into full blossom. That is the ultimate beauty and the ultimate fulfillment of desire. His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* 10.13.51, Purport Death is not at all pleasing, and since everyone is exactly like a condemned man being led to the place of execution, what possible happiness can people derive from material objects or the gratification they provide? Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* 11.10.20 Although capable of destroying all sins, the remembrance of Lord Viṣṇu is achieved only with extraordinary effort. On the other hand, one may perform kṛṣṇa-kīrtana simply by moving one’s lips, and thus this process is superior. Source Unknown Quoted in *Hari-bhakti-vilāsa* 11.453 When the flame in a lamp burns the wick improperly, the lamp is blackened, but when the lamp is filled with ghee and is burning properly, there is bright illumination. Similarly, when the mind is absorbed in material sense gratification, it causes suffering, and when detached from material sense gratification it brings about the original brightness of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Jaḍa Bharata *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* 5.11.8 The liberated jīva transcends the confines of his gross and subtle material bodies and acquires a spiritual form luminescent with transcendental luster. This is his intrinsic, supramundane identity. He is a perfect being and resides in the spiritual world, relishing sublime activities and divine bliss at every moment. *Chāndogya Upaniṣad* 8.12.3 Quoted in *Jaiva Dharma*, Chapter 17 In this Kali-yuga, of what use is a collection of hundred or thousands of other scriptures in the home of someone who does not have the scripture *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam*? *Skanda Purāṇa, Viṣṇu-khaṇḍa* 5.16.31, 40 Quoted in *Śrī Tattva-sandarbha*, Anuccheda 22 What is the value of religiosity, economic development, and sense gratification to one who has firm devotion for You [the Personality of Godhead], the root of all the worlds? Liberation sits in the palm of his hand. *Śrī Viṣṇu Purāṇa* 1.20.27 Knowing the glories of the transcendental name, please describe them. O Lord Viṣṇu, may we all attain good intelligence dedicated to You. *Ṛg-veda* 1.156.3 Quoted in Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa's commentary on Rūpa Gosvāmī's *Nāmāṣṭaka* 2 BTG53-03, 2019