# Back to Godhead Magazine #58 *2024 (04)* Back to Godhead Magazine #58-04, 2024 PDF-View Welcome His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda founded the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement in the West while carrying out the order of his spiritual master, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, who requested him to deliver Lord Kṛṣṇa’s teachings to the English-speaking world. This past February, devotees around the world celebrated Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī’s sesquicentennial, the 150th anniversary of his birth. In this issue, Satyarāja Dāsa writes about a major part of his mission to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness—within and outside India—as taught and exemplified by Lord Kṛṣṇa’s avatar Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. All the gurus in Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s line, the Gauḍīya-sampradāya, teach that the goal of human life is to attain *prema-bhakti*, pure devotion to Lord Kṛṣṇa. In Śrīla Prabhupāda’s lecture in this issue, he speaks of the need to steadfastly practice *bhakti-yoga* to come to that stage. Lord Caitanya’s disciple Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī outlined the ascending steps to perfection in *bhakti*, and in this issue, Nandimukhī Devī Dāsi, originally from China, demonstrates the logic of these steps by showing a parallel progression in the life of an ancient teacher of Confucianism. In “The Ultimate Goal of Yoga,” Puruṣottama Nitāi Dāsa shows that Lord Kṛṣṇa’s teachings on yoga reveal the yoga of *bhakti* to be the highest of all. Hare Kṛṣṇa. —*Nāgarāja Dāsa, Editor* Q&A Isn’t spending hours uttering a mantra repeatedly a colossal waste of time? Not at all. In fact, repeated chanting of mantras is a valid and valuable investment of time for personal growth. Let’s imagine a group of people who don’t know how to read, who, in fact, don’t even know the concept of a language that utilizes symbols called letters to represent objects and concepts. How would these people see a book? As a random collection of papers bound together and having a certain weight and dimensions. Is their perception correct? Yes, it is. But is it complete? Obviously it isn’t. Now let’s imagine those with this imbalanced perception visiting a library. When they see readers sitting for hours staring at books, they are likely to censure the readers as time wasters. But are the readers wasting their time? Assuming there is some value in what they are reading, we would say they aren’t wasting their time. For the illiterate to understand this would require education in the concept of language and training in the technique of reading. Through the education, they will discover that the collection of papers is a gateway to a whole new universe of meaning, excitement, and fulfillment. Through the training, when they themselves enter into that universe they will appreciate that the book readers, far from wasting time, are rejoicing in that universe and equipping themselves with knowledge and skills for life in this universe. Now let’s apply this analogy to the chanting of mantras. Most of us lead our lives seeking material pleasures and never receive education about the higher, spiritual realities of life: the soul, God, and their joyful relationship. Nor do we receive training in meditation by which we can perceive and relish the refined delights of devotional remembrance of God. If we are fortunate enough to receive this spiritual education, then we will comprehend that a whole new universe of higher spiritual reality permeated with meaning, excitement, and fulfillment exists parallel to our universe of daily experience. And by spiritual training, we will discover that the repeated chanting of specified sound vibrations given in the Vedic wisdom literature is a sophisticated spiritual technique to enter this higher universe and equip ourselves with a broader perspective and a greater composure for living daily in our universe. The *Bhagavad-gītā* says that this higher perception is opened by philosophical education and devotional training, an important part of which is the chanting of mantras. Therefore, let’s cast aside the misunderstanding that chanters are engaging in a colossal waste of time and instead end the colossal lacking in the education and training by which we can open our eye of wisdom. Is there any practical use in knowing about the soul? Yes, there is immense, immediate use. Knowledge about the soul is not like knowledge about some abstract theoretical concept like a quark that has no bearing on our practical lives. Knowledge about the soul, being knowledge about our own selves, has immediate bearing on our lives. The answer to the seemingly abstract question “Who am I?” also determines the answer to the eminently practical question “How should I live?” Aldous Huxley put it well: “It is because we do not know who we are . . . that we behave in the generally silly, the often insane and the sometimes criminal ways that are so characteristically human.” o Suppose a group of children identify themselves with a humorous cartoon character and spend their time imitating the antics of that character. We would call that silly. o Suppose a group of teenagers identify themselves with a movie hero and spend their time imitating the dangerous stunts of that hero. We would call that insane. o Suppose a group of youths identify themselves with a villainous character portrayed as a hero in a movie depicting perverse values and spend their time imitating the sadistic, murderous ways of that villain. We would call that criminal. In all these cases, the individuals, by misidentifying themselves, miss out on the potentials of real life and harm themselves and others. The same holds true when we forget our spiritual identity as souls and misidentify ourselves with our material bodies. We miss out on the spiritual potential of life: the opportunity to experience everlasting divine happiness that is our eternal birthright. And by seeking pleasure in self-defeating indulgences like smoking and drinking, we injure our bodies, or by seeking pleasure in exploitative or abusive indulgences, we harm others and our ecosystem. Children misidentify with an entertainment character because that character’s life seems more exciting and adventurous than theirs. Similarly, we identify with our material bodies because material enjoyment available through the body seems promising. Sadly, however this promise turns out to be treacherous. Material pleasures—even the most glamorized among them—turn out to be disappointingly brief. Our material bodies, far from being sources of pleasure, turn out to be vulnerable to injury, disease, and destruction. Misidentifying with these fragile and doomed bodies turns out to be a painful illusion. When we become aware of our identity as souls and accordingly modify our way of life, then we become liberated from the painful illusion of bodily misidentification and reinstated in our true glory as indestructible, blissful souls—not only in the next world, but in this one as well. Founders Lecture Vrindavan, India—November 12, 1972 *Bhakti on the Transcendental Platform* Only by serious and sincere practice under regulations can one rise to the stage of pure devotional service. > asau guṇamayair bhāvair > bhūta-sūkṣmendriyātmabhiḥ > sva-nirmiteṣu nirviṣṭo > bhuṅkte bhūteṣu tad-guṇān “The Supersoul enters into the bodies of the created beings, who are influenced by the modes of material nature, and causes them to enjoy the effects of these modes by the subtle mind.”—*Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* 1.2.33 Because the individual soul wanted a certain type of enjoyment, the Supersoul, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is making such an arrangement. *Guṇamayair bhāvaiḥ.* That arrangement is made through material nature. *Bhāva* means “nature.” This nature is made of the three material modes: goodness, passion, and ignorance. In the *Bhagavad-gītā* (8.20) it is said, *paras tasmāt tu *bhāva*ḥ anyaḥ*. This material creation is called *bhāva*, but there is another *bhāva*, or nature, and it is *sanātana*, eternal. *Anya* means “other.” Avyakto ’vyaktāt *sanātana*ḥ. The *mahat-tattva*, the total material energy, is called *avyakta,* “unmanifest.” When it is agitated by the glance of the Supreme Lord, the three modes of material nature act. And by the interaction of these three modes of material nature, the whole cosmic manifestation comes into being. This is the fact of creation. The creation is like a machine, and the buttons are pushed by the Supreme Lord. Due to our ignorance, we cannot explain how nature is working. When asked to explain, we give an evasive reply. We see that from a seed a tree is coming, and then a flower is coming or a fruit is coming, and we can only say, “By nature it is coming.” But we cannot explain how it is coming. But there is an explanation. Here we have this tape-recording machine, but we do not know how it works; we push some button, and it is recording. But there is a great manipulation being done by the machine. That process we do not know. As soon as it is not working, because we are ignorant we go to the mechanic: “Just find out what is wrong.” The mechanic knows how it works. He puts the things in the right way, and again it works. We take the total world, and we may say it is working by nature. No. There is a brain behind it. There is a pushing of the button. That is explained in the *Bhagavad-gītā* (9.10): > mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ > sūyate sa-carācaram > hetunānena kaunteya > jagad viparivartate “This material nature, which is one of My energies, is working under My direction, O son of Kuntī, producing all moving and nonmoving beings. Under its rule this manifestation is created and annihilated again and again.” *Mayādhyakṣeṇa*. Kṛṣṇa says, “I am pushing the buttons.” His pushing of the buttons and the action of the machine are so subtle and so quick and so immediate that we cannot explain it. We think it is automatically done. So here, *asau guṇamayair bhāvair bhūta-sūkṣmendriya ātmabhiḥ*. The whole material creation is working because of a brain. This is not an evasive reply—“automatically.” What do you mean “automatically”? There must be somebody pushing the button, somebody working. There is a brain. That is real scientific study. *Guṇamayair bhāvaiḥ*. By the three kinds of energy—these qualities of nature (goodness, passion, and ignorance)—there is creation of the ego, then creation of the intelligence and mind, then creation of sky, then creation of air, then creation of fire, then creation of water, then creation of land. *Bhūta-sūkṣmendriya.* The senses are created, sense enjoyment is created, the sense objects are created, form is created, taste is created, smell is created. So there is great machinery. It is not that automatically everything has come out. Behind all these, different energies are working. *The Potency in the Seed* Kṛṣṇa’s energy is so powerful that He puts the potency in a seed. He says, *bījaṁ māṁ sarva-bhūtānām* (*Gītā* 7.10): “I am the original seed of all existences.” *Bīja* means “seed.” “I am the seed of whatever is coming out, or being manifested. It is manufactured under My supervision.” The seed of a banyan tree is a small grain, like a mustard seed. But you sow the seed, and a gigantic tree will come out. Unless the energetic tree is there within the seed, how does it come out? That is Kṛṣṇa’s energy working. Now, from that seed, first of all the trunk will come. Then the branches will come, then the twigs, then the leaves. Everything we see is wonderful. The *Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad* (6.8) says, *parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate* **svābhāvikī* jñāna-bala-kriyā*: “The Supreme Lord has diverse energies by which everything happens simply by His will.” In this sense everything is being manifest automatically—*svābhāvikī*, by Kṛṣṇa’s will. A creeper is trying to find a shelter. As soon as it finds a shelter, it immediately captures it. You have seen in Los Angeles, behind my house the creeper is taking shelter of the electric post and the wire and giving flowers and fruits—*svābhāvikī.* Now, you can say that the creeper has no eyes, so how is it seeing, how is it coming here and squirreling on the post? No. The energy is so perfect that—*svābhāvikī*—it is working like nature. Automatically. This is knowledge. *Svābhāvikī *jñāna*-*bala*-*kriyā*.* Everything is done by knowledge (*jñāna*), by power (*bala*), and by action (*kriyā*). We can see practically how the trees are growing, how your body and my body are growing. In the same way, everything is coming out. There was the father’s seed and the mother’s seed. Now, within the seed, all these arrangements of the veins, nerves, fibers, muscles, and everything else was there. You cannot explain how these veins are working. A little discrepancy of the working of the vein, and I suffered pain in my finger for so many days. Why was that? There was no regular supply of the energy. There was some disturbance in the openings of the veins and nerves. This is the medical science. But as soon as it is cured, the supply is there. It is like when a pipe is jammed and the water does not go and it creates a disturbance. *Kṛṣṇa Knows Everything* Similarly, everything is going on nicely in this great machine. And Kṛṣṇa knows everything. I do not know how the nerves in my finger became disturbed and how it became diseased and how it became cured and now it is all right. I do not know, although I claim, “This is my hand,” “This is my leg.” But I do not know. Therefore it is not my leg, not my hand. Similarly, I’m living in a room, a rented room, but it is not my room. If you study in this way you’ll find, *īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam* (*Īśopaniṣad*, Mantra 1)—everything belongs to God, Kṛṣṇa. But we are falsely claiming this body is ours. I do not know how it is working. I have been given the chance to live in this particular body. Kṛṣṇa is working. We want teeth to eat fresh flesh, so Kṛṣṇa gives us the tiger’s teeth, the tiger’s nails. But I do not know how the nails and teeth came into existence, how they are working, how they are set up. That I do not know. That Kṛṣṇa knows. How these senses are working, how the objects of enjoyment are supplied, that is all being arranged by Kṛṣṇa. *Sva-nirmiteṣu*. We wanted this kind of manufactured body, so Kṛṣṇa has given it to us through the agency of *prakṛti*, the material nature. I want a body like this to enjoy a certain standard of sense enjoyment, so I enter into this body. Kṛṣṇa also enters—as the Supersoul. *Sva-nirmiteṣu nirviṣṭaḥ.* Then *bhuṅkte bhūteṣu tad-guṇān.* Then what do I enjoy? I enjoy the actions and reactions of the three modes of material nature, that’s all. *Real Enjoyment* Actually, the enjoyment is in my mind. That is not enjoyment. Real enjoyment is when I am free from this embodiment of five gross elements and three subtle elements. I have entered into this, and I am enjoying the actions and reactions of these five gross elements and three subtle elements. Actually, it is not enjoying. That idea is called *māyā*. There is no enjoyment. It is enjoyment only in the mind. The mind is also a material creation. Real enjoyment is beyond the senses. That is stated in the *Bhagavad-gītā* (6.21): *sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tat*. Real happiness is not by these gross senses. By transcendental senses we can enjoy real happiness. Therefore, because we are not on that platform of enjoying the transcendental senses, we are trying to enjoy by these gross senses, and we are becoming baffled and frustrated. This is the cause of frustration, because that is not the platform of enjoyment. *Sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad buddhi-grāyam atīndriya* (*Gītā* 6.21)*. Atīndriya* means “beyond the senses.” The senses are covered. You cannot enjoy with covered senses. Suppose I cover your tongue with some cloth and then I give you a sweet—a *rasagullā*. Can you taste it? What will you taste? If you cover the senses, the real senses, and try to enjoy with that covering, what will you enjoy? That is not enjoyment. The tongue has to be uncovered. Then you’ll enjoy. You must uncover the senses. They are now covered by *upādhis*, or temporary material designations. Because I am in the bodily concept of life, I am thinking, “I am American,” “I am Indian,” “I am Hindu,” “I am Muslim,” “I am black,” “I am white,” “I am man,” “I am woman,” “I am a tree,” “I am this,” “I am that.” This is the meaning of “covered.” How can you enjoy with senses covered in this way? *Uncover and Discover* So you have to uncover. You have to discover. That discovering process is devotional service. The more you are engaged in devotional service, the more your senses become pure, or uncovered. And when they are completely uncovered, without any designations, then you are capable of serving Kṛṣṇa. At first you are in an apprenticeship. It is called *vaidhī-*bhakti**. It is an apprenticeship under *viddhi*, or rules and regulations. Real *bhakti*, or parā-*bhakti*—perfect, transcendental *bhakti*—is rāgānugā-*bhakti*. We have to come to rāgānugā-*bhakti* after surpassing *vaidhī-*bhakti**, the śāstric, or scriptural, process. The śāstric process is regulation; that is required. Without the śāstric process you cannot go to the *rāgānugā-bhakti* platform. But the śāstric process is *kaniṣṭha-adhikāra*, the lowest stage of devotional service. > arcāyām eva haraye > pūjāṁ yaḥ śraddhayehate > na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu > sa bhaktaḥ prākṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ “A devotee who faithfully engages in the worship of the Deity in the temple but does not behave properly toward other devotees or people in general is called a *prākṛta-bhakta*, a materialistic devotee, and is considered to be in the lowest position.” (*Bhāgavatam* 11.2.47) Generally, people come to this temple [of Rādhā-Dāmodara in Vrindavan] and they are very devoted to the deity. They offer their respects, flowers, and other things, make the regulative process, circumambulate. This is a nice beginning. But one has to go above this. One has to know who is actually a *bhakta*, a devotee. One has to do good for others. That is the middle-class devotee, *madhyama-adhikārī*. If I become satisfied only with the regulative principles for worshiping the deity in the temple and following the regulative principles daily but I have no other idea, then sa *bhakta*ḥ *prākṛta*ḥ smṛtaḥ. *Prākṛta* means on the material platform. Such a devotee can fall down at any moment because he’s on the *prākṛta* stage. *Prākṛta* means under the influence of *prakṛti*, the material modes of nature. *Prakṛti* is very strong. So any devotee can fall down if he remains a *prākṛta*-*bhakta*. He has to raise himself above this to the *madhyama-adhikāra* stage. Here it is said *sva-nirmiteṣu nirviṣṭo bhuṅkte bhūteṣu tad-guṇān*. We are not enjoying actually. We are enjoying the interaction of the three modes of material nature. As my Guru Mahārāja used to say, that is like licking the bottle of honey. That is not real honey. You have to open the bottle of honey and lick the real honey; then you’ll get the taste. That is advancement of spiritual knowledge. Therefore, if we do not associate with the advanced devotees, the *uttama-adhikārīs*, if we simply want to remain in the lowest stage of devotional service, then we are not making progress. Then we shall simply enjoy the material field, without entering the spiritual platform. *Bhuṅkte bhūteṣu tad-guṇān.* You have to rise above the modes of material nature. *Trai-guṇya-viṣayā vedā nistrai-guṇyo bhavārjuna.* That is the statement of the *Bhagavad-gītā* (2.45). The Vedic instruction is dealing with *trai-guṇya*, the three *guṇas*, the three material modes of nature. Kṛṣṇa tells Arjuna that he must become nis*trai-guṇya*; he must rise above the three material modes. When Kṛṣṇa was asking Arjuna to fight, Arjuna was on the *trai-guṇya* platform, the material platform. He was thinking, “How shall I kill my grandfather? How shall I kill my teacher? How shall I kill my brother? How can I kill my nephews?” This is *trai-guṇya*-vicāra, consideration on the material platform. Then Kṛṣṇa said, *nistrai-guṇyo bhavārjuna*: “Just become transcendental to the material modes of nature.” What did Kṛṣṇa mean? “I am asking you to fight. Do it.” That is *nistrai-guṇya*. *Guṇa* and *nirguṇa*—these two words are there in the Vedic literature. *Guṇa* means the three *guṇas*, the three material modes of nature. And *nirguṇa* means above these three material modes of nature. So actually, devotional service is above the three modes of material nature. *Sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate* (*Gītā* 14.26). *Real Bhakti* Being freed from the interaction of the three material modes of nature is the real, transcendental stage of devotional service. So we have to try to go to that platform. Otherwise, we shall remain a *prākṛta-bhakta*. As it is said here, *bhuṅkte bhūteṣu tad-guṇān*. We have to become transcendental to the three modes of material nature. That is not very difficult. One simply has to become very serious and sincere. That’s all. There are directions in the *śāstras*. Rūpa Gosvāmī has given instructions in *The Nectar of Devotion* on how to prosecute *bhakti*. He begins with the characteristics of devotional service: > anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ > jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam > ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu- > śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā “One should render transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa favorably and without desire for material profit or gain through fruitive activities or philosophical speculation. That is called pure devotional service.” (*Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu* 1.1.11). We have to begin from this *uttamā-*bhakti**. *Ut*tama** means *nirguṇa*, or transcendental. *Ut*tama**—udgata-*tama*ḥ. Ut means transcendental, when you surpass *tama*. *Tama* means this material world. That is *uttamā-*bhakti**. That is transcendental *bhakti*. If we execute devotional service with some material purpose, that purpose may be served, but we cannot rise to the transcendental platform. So we should be very careful that we may not take to devotional service with some material motive. Or even though you take to it in that way, still it is recommended that you prosecute, you go on, with devotional service by the regulative principles. Then you’ll come to the *uttama* platform. There is no question of disappointment, but we must know that if we remain on the material platform, then we have to take so much time. From the material platform we have to go to the spiritual platform. That means we require to follow the regulative principles very strictly and sincerely. Then we’ll be promoted to the *nirguṇa* platform. Without performing the regulative principles, one cannot come immediately, all of a sudden, to the *nirguṇa* platform. Maybe, by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, one can come, but the regular way is first of all, let us follow the regulative principles strictly. Then gradually we shall be purified and come to the spiritual platform. And that will be the success of our life. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Śrīla Prabhupāda speaks out *“Jesus Christ Is Not Part of the Material World”* *Here we continue an exchange that took place in Paris on June 15, 1974, between Śrīla Prabhupāda, two priests, and two Christian scholars.* Śrīla Prabhupāda: So all you nice gentlemen and ladies should accept what the *Vedas* say, because the *Vedas* emanate from God. In the words of *Vedānta-sūtra*, *janmādy asya yataḥ*: “Everything is an emanation from God.” Whatever exists has emanated from God. In the Bible, also, there is the statement “Everything that has been made comes from God.” So whatever exists emanates from God. Another Vedic injunction says it even more forcefully. *Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma*: “Ultimately, everything is the Supreme Brahman.” Everything is the Supreme Lord, in His impersonal feature. So the impersonal feature we are seeing all around us is an expanded energy of God, just as the sunshine is an expansion—the bodily rays—of the sun-god. Therefore, the *Bhagavad-gītā* says, *brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhāham*: “The foundation or source of the impersonal energy is God, Kṛṣṇa.” [To his Sanskrit editor:] Find this verse, *brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhāham*. Sanskrit editor: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda. From the fourteenth chapter of *Bhagavad-gītā*: > brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhāham > amṛtasyāvyayasya ca > śāśvatasya ca dharmasya > sukhasyaikāntikasya ca And the translation of Lord Kṛṣṇa's words: “I am the basis of the impersonal Brahman, which is the constitutional position of ultimate happiness, and which is immortal, imperishable, and eternal.” Father Fransard: Your Divine Grace, will you tell us how old are the oldest of the Vedic scriptures? How long have the *Vedas* existed? Śrīla Prabhupāda: They have existed from before the creation—*tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye*. [To his Sanskrit editor:] Find this verse: janmādy asya yato ’nvayād itarataś cārtheṣu abhijṣaḥ svarāt *tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye* muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ. Sanskrit editor: Śrīla Prabhupāda, that will be in the first chapter of *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam*, echoing *Vedānta-sūtra*: > janmādy asya yato ’nvayād itarataś cārtheṣu abhijṣaḥ svarāt > tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ > tejo-vāri-mṛdaṁ yathā vinimayo yatra tri-sargo ’mṛṣā > dhāmnā svena sadā nirasta-kuhakaṁ satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi And here is the translation: “I offer my obeisances unto Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the son of Vasudeva, who is the supreme, all-pervading Personality of Godhead. I meditate upon Him, the transcendent reality, who is the primeval cause of all causes, from whom all manifested universes arise, in whom they dwell, and by whom they are destroyed. I meditate upon that eternally effulgent Lord, who is directly and indirectly conscious of all manifestations and yet is beyond them. It is He only who first imparted the Vedic knowledge into the heart of Brahma, the first created living being.” Śrīla Prabhupāda: So this is Vedic knowledge. [Again to his Sanskrit editor:] Now read another verse, *aham ādir hi devānām*. Sanskrit editor: In the Tenth Chapter of the *Bhagavad-gītā* Kṛṣṇa says, *aham ādir hi devānāṁ maharṣīṇāṁ ca sarvaśaḥ*: “Neither the hosts of demigods nor the sages know My origin, for in every respect I am the source of the demigods and the sages.” Śrīla Prabhupāda: *Aham ādir hi devānāṁ maharśīṇāṁ ca*—“I am the source of the demigods and sages,” says the Supreme Lord. Similarly, in the Bible it is said, “In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God.” That is Vedic knowledge. That word—that divine sound—is the *Vedas*. So before the creation the *Vedas* were there. You cannot find the beginning of the *Vedas*. If you could find out when the creation began, then before that the *Vedas* were already there. Father Fransard: According to our understanding, God revealed Himself little by little, and then at a certain moment He revealed Himself in His totality. But in the Vedic literature it is said that the whole knowledge was given at the beginning—everything together. I very deeply respect your vast learning, and yet I’m asking that we should not say that the contents of these two bodies of literature—the Bible and the *Vedas*—are the same. The Bible and the *Vedas* are two different things. For another example, the verse you referred to—“In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God”—that is similar to what is taught in the *Vedas*, but if we take that verse and the rest of that chapter from the Bible and look at them closely, we find discrepancies, differences. Śrīla Prabhupāda: What discrepancies do you find? Father Fransard: For example, in that same verse and chapter the Bible also says that the word of God became flesh and this flesh was the son of God, Lord Jesus Christ. Śrīla Prabhupāda: That simply means that although Jesus Christ appeared in the material world, he is transcendental, not of the material world. Father Fransard: But we think that Lord Jesus was a human being. He was spiritual, but he was also part of the material world. Śrīla Prabhupāda: No. If anything, the material world is part of Jesus Christ, but Jesus Christ is not part of the material world. Father Fransard: We beg to disagree. We feel that Jesus had a human body, a material body. Śrīla Prabhupāda: That body appears human, but Jesus did not have material flesh and blood. If Jesus had had a material body, then how could he have manifested his resurrection? Father Fransard: Well, we would say that God could create a glorious resurrection of someone’s material body by His inconceivable power. Śrīla Prabhupāda: That is beside the point. These rascals who wanted Jesus Christ dead—why did they think they could actually accomplish this? Because they themselves also thought, “Jesus has a material body.” So Jesus bewildered them more, so that they would remain rascals. They would go on thinking that Jesus had succumbed to death at their hands and that he had a material body. Madame Siaude: Jesus bewildered them? Śrīla Prabhupāda: Yes, he bewildered them more, by saying, “All right, go on thinking like that.” That is their punishment. They remain always in darkness, thinking, “Jesus had a material body.” Father Fransard: Again, we respect your explanation, but we have another explanation. Śrīla Prabhupāda: But to give an explanation, we must rely on reason and evidence. You cannot explain all this whimsically. If Jesus Christ is the son of God, that means he has a spiritual body. Madame Siaude: Yes, we accept that Jesus Christ has a spiritual body, but we say that he also assumes a material body. Śrīla Prabhupāda: No. And another thing. You accept Jesus Christ as God’s only son. Do you not? And yet when you pray in the church you address God as “Our Father.” Then why do you say Jesus Christ is God’s only son, when you say in your prayer that everyone is God’s son? If you want me to address God as my Father, then I am also God’s son. So why do you say that Jesus Christ is God’s only son? Madame Siaude: Yes, we say that we are “adopted sons.” All of us are also God’s sons, but by adoption. Śrīla Prabhupāda: So these adopted sons’ bodies and Jesus’ body cannot be equal. The adopted son—not the real son—has a material body. A Pause for Prayer When the material life of a wandering soul has ceased, O Acyuta, he may attain the association of Your devotees. And when he associates with them, there awakens in him devotion unto You, who are the goal of the devotees and the Lord of all causes and their effects. O all-powerful one, I desire no boon other than service to Your lotus feet, the boon most eagerly sought by those free of material desire. O Hari, what enlightened person who worships You, the giver of liberation, would choose a boon that causes his own bondage? Therefore, O Lord, having put aside all objects of material desire, which are bound to the modes of passion, ignorance and goodness, I am approaching You, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, for shelter. You are not covered by mundane designations; rather, You are the Supreme Absolute Truth, full in pure knowledge and transcendental to the material modes. For so long I have been pained by troubles in this world and have been burning with lamentation. My six enemies [mind and five senses] are never satiated, and I can find no peace. Therefore, O giver of shelter, O Supreme Soul, please protect me. O Lord, in the midst of danger I have by good fortune approached Your lotus feet, which are the truth and which thus make one fearless and free of sorrow. –King Mucukunda *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* 10.51.53, 55–57 “I Carry What They Lack” By Suvarṇa Rādha Devī Dāsī and Brajanātha Dāsa Why does Lord Kṛṣṇa sometimes seem to fail in His promised support of His devotees? While speaking the *Bhagavad-gītā* to Arjuna, Kṛṣṇa makes some wonderful promises to His devotees. One of His promises is found in verse 9.22: > ananyāś cintayanto māṁ > ye janāḥ paryupāsate > teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ > yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham “But those who always worship Me with exclusive devotion, meditating on My transcendental form—to them I carry what they lack, and I preserve what they have.” In this verse the Lord uses two intriguing words: *kṣemam* and *vahāmi*. Śrīla Prabhupāda translates *kṣemam* as “protection” in his word-by-word synonyms and as “preserve” in the verse translation. The meaning is that Kṛṣṇa maintains His devotees even if they don’t expect anything from Him. The phrase *vahāmi* *aham* means “I carry.” This implies that He personally bears the burden of maintaining His devotees, like a father maintaining His family. He did not use the phrase *karomi* *aham*, which means “I do,” or dadāmi *aham*, which means “I give,” as these phrases are less appropriate. Kṛṣṇa protects a surrendered devotee, and both “I give” and “I do” are implied in “I carry.” Kṛṣṇa’s word choice here is sublime and impossible to beat. Still, Kṛṣṇa’s promise here may seem conditional because He says He will carry the *yoga-kṣema* (progress and maintenance) for us if we always think of Him. So, it looks like for Kṛṣṇa to maintain us, we have to do something, at least this is how *Gītā* 9.22 reads. However, from *Gītā* 5.29 we learn that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Controller and maintains us no matter whether or not we ask for His help. And He says in *Gītā* 9.29 that He is equal to all, but He adds, “But whoever renders service unto Me in devotion is a friend, is in Me, and I am also a friend to him.” The Lord is equal to all, but He reciprocates as we approach Him (*Gītā* 4.11). So, while Kṛṣṇa uses His material energy to provide for everyone in general, from *Gītā* 9.22 we learn that He personally carries what devotees lack and preserves what they have. Kṛṣṇa is called *bhūta-bhartṛ*, the maintainer of all living entities. But His support for His pure devotee (*ananya-bhakta*) is special and personal. Devotees have accepted service to the Lord as their duty in life. As said in the *Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad*, *bhakti* means devotional service to Kṛṣṇa. In this service, one gives up all kinds of designations and focuses exclusively on the Lord. This is called *naiṣkarmya*, freedom from karma (materially motivated action) and its reactions. Kṛṣṇa’s devotees are completely devoted to Him, and He is equally devoted to them. No other love relationship can even come close to matching the sweetness and ecstasy of the relationship between Kṛṣṇa and His devotees. In this intense love of the devotee for Kṛṣṇa, the devotee becomes Kṛṣṇa’s personal possession. Only a devotee can fully comprehend the profundity of these loving exchanges. Every living being is a dear child of the Lord and has full equal access to an intimate loving relationship with Him, which can be realized only by receiving the mercy of Kṛṣṇa’s devotee. That’s why there is nothing more profound than fully surrendering oneself to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa’s pure devotee. Does the Lord really carry the *yoga-kṣema* (progress and maintenance) of His pure devotees? To help us establish faith in Him, Kṛṣṇa demonstrated in many wonderful ways that He does so. Below are a few examples. *The Corrected Commentator* In an early lecture in New York, Śrīla Prabhupāda told the story of a *Bhagavad-gītā* commentator named Arjunācārya, who doubted what Kṛṣṇa was saying in *Gītā* 9.22. Now this Arjunācārya . . . That’s a very nice story. When he was writing commentaries, “Oh,” he thought, “how is it that the Lord will come Himself and deliver the goods? Oh, it is not possible. He might be sending through some agents.” So he wanted to cut *vahāmy aham*, “I bear the burden and deliver.” He wrote in a way that “I send some agent who delivers.” So that Arjunācārya went to take bath, and in the meantime two boys, very beautiful boys, They brought some very nice foodstuff, in large quantity. And in India there is a process to take two sides burden on the bamboo. Just like a scale, it is balanced. So these two boys brought some very highly valuable foodstuff and grains and ghee . . . And his wife was there. And the boys said, “My dear mother, Arjunācārya has sent these goods to you. Please take delivery.” “Oh, You are such nice boys, You are such beautiful boys, and he has given. And Ācārya is not so cruel. How is that? He has given so much burden to You, and he is not kind?” “Oh, I was not taking; just see, he has beaten Me. Here is the cane mark. Oh, see.” His wife became very much astonished. “Ācārya is not so cruel. How has he become so cruel?” She was thinking in that way. “All right, my dear boys. You come in.” And she offered them shelter. “No. We shall go, because when Arjunācārya comes, he will chastise Us.” “No, no. You sit down, take foodstuff.” She prepared foodstuff, and then They went away. When Arjunācārya came back . . . the wife said, “Ācārya, you have become so much cruel nowadays?” “Oh, what is that?” “Now, two boys, very nice boys, have brought so much foodstuff. You loaded it on Their heads, and They denied to take it, and you have beaten Them, chastised Them?” He said, “No. I have never done this. Why shall I do it?” Then she described, “Oh, such a nice, beautiful boy.” Then Arjunācārya understood that “Because I wanted that God does not deliver, so He has delivered these goods, and because I cut these alphabets, thinking that He does not give personally, He has shown that beating mark.” There is this incident in southern India . . . . That story is there. Of course, you may believe or not believe. That’s a different thing. But here the Lord says that “I personally deliver.” (Lecture on *Bhagavad-gītā* 9.20–22, December 7, 1966, New York) Gajendra’s Rescue The Lord’s captivating pastime with the elephant Gajendra is described in the Eighth Canto of *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam*. A crocodile grabbed Gajendra’s leg as he was playing with his family in a gorgeous lake abounding in lotus flowers. He and the crocodile engaged in a fierce struggle. There was no way to save Gajendra from the crocodile, and as he was losing the battle and was close to death, he thought of the Lord and prayed to Him. When Lord Viṣṇu descended from the spiritual world to save him, Gajendra, with tears of love and affection, plucked a lotus flower and presented it to the Lord, who then dispatched him to Vaikuṇṭha. *Sudāmā’s Riches* The Tenth Canto of *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* relates an interesting pastime of the Lord with His childhood friend and classmate Sudāmā. Later, as an adult, Sudāmā was a poor *brāhmaṇa* struggling for his livelihood, but he was distinctly content. One day, on his wife’s request, he went to Kṛṣṇa in Dwarka to ask for relief from their poverty. But after his wonderful meeting with the Lord, he did not ask for anything. Still, without his knowledge, Kṛṣṇa gave him immense wealth, which he discovered only upon returning home. *The Pāṇḍavas’ “Loss”* The Pāṇḍavas are also Kṛṣṇa’s pure devotees. He is their dear friend, but some of His interactions with them may raise questions. For example, Kṛṣṇa did not give intelligence to Yudhiṣṭhira or his brothers to remember Him and call on Him for help when they were losing the deceptive dice game. Nor did the Lord turn luck in favor of Yudhiṣṭhira in the dice game to save the Pāṇḍavas. When Duryodhana tempted Yudhiṣṭhira by offering to return everything he’d lost if he would wager Draupadī (who always brought good fortune to the Pāṇḍavas), the Lord could have intervened and with His divine power could have made the dice roll favorable to Yudhiṣṭhira. When Yudhiṣṭhira lost all his wealth, he staked his brothers, himself, and finally Draupadī, and lost all to Duryodhana. Draupadī was dragged into the assembly, and Duryodhana asked his brother Duḥśāsana to strip her naked. She resisted desperately but was no match for Duḥśāsana. Raising her hands in supplication to her Lord, Kṛṣṇa, she begged Him to rescue her from sinking in the Kaurava ocean. He intervened only when she called Him in utter desperation. *The Lord’s Reasoned Responses* In the above pastimes, the Lord reciprocated and carried what the devotees lacked only when they approached Him. Does that mean His support for His devotees is not spontaneous? There are at least two ways to answer this question: (1) What goes on between a pure devotee and Kṛṣṇa is confidential, and (2) Kṛṣṇa may have a bigger and better plan. Only after Arjunācārya questioned the Lord’s promise “I carry what they lack” in *Gītā* 9.22 did the Lord deliver the foodstuffs. Arjunācārya’s striking out those lines was a signal to summon Kṛṣṇa’s grace. The Lord wanted to demonstrate that it is easy to get discouraged when things are going bad. But we shouldn’t lose heart, because Kṛṣṇa is at work in our lives, even in pain and suffering. Remember, next time you are in pain, it may be a signal for Kṛṣṇa’s grace. Gajendra’s material comforts appear to have been taken away by Kṛṣṇa, apparently contradicting what He says in *Gītā* 9.22. However, the following are some salient features of this pastime. In the course of Gajendra’s struggle with the crocodile, he had two important realizations: (1) “My friends and family cannot rescue me from this danger” (*Bhāgavatam* 8.2.32) and (2) “My only hope is the Supreme Person.” He fixed his mind within his heart and chanted a mantra he remembered from his previous birth (*Bhāgavatam* 8.3.1). After he remembered the Lord, he prayed to Him in intense love, and the Lord appeared before him and awarded him *sārūpya-mukti*, the liberation of having an eternal spiritual form like the Lord’s (*Bhāgavatam* 8.4.11–13). Animals are generally unintelligent and lack higher consciousness, but they can still take shelter of the Lord and qualify for His mercy. The Lord’s mercy is available to all living beings who sincerely seek it. Gajendra is an example of this. By the mercy of Kṛṣṇa he gave up his material attachments and took shelter of the Lord. When even demigods and great sages find it hard to realize the Lord (*Bhāgavatam* 8.3.6), how was it possible for Gajendra, an unintelligent animal, to do so? Gajendra had engaged in *ananyaḥ cintayantaḥ* (fixed concentration) on Kṛṣṇa in his previous life, and he did so again during his struggle with the crocodile. Despite Gajendra’s taking birth as an elephant, the Lord preserved his *bhakti* from his previous life as King Indradyumna. Kṛṣṇa delivered heavenly riches to Sudāmā even without his asking, because He felt obliged by the love of His pure devotee. He considered that He could not fully reciprocate Sudāmā’s pure love; He easily gave Him wealth, but saw it as inadequate reciprocation. Kṛṣṇa’s did not intervene to prevent Yudhiṣṭhira from losing the gambling match. The loss of the match and the Pāṇḍavas being exiled are external circumstances that serve as a canvas for a spiritual message, i.e., that Kṛṣṇa provides for and protects His devotee. Through so-called suffering, Kṛṣṇa draws a devotee closer to Himself, according to Śrīla Prabhupāda’s purport to *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* 10.14.8. Nonetheless, the Lord punished the Kauravas, the offenders of His devotees (the Pāṇḍavas), in the battle of Kurukshetra. By becoming Arjuna’s charioteer, He protected Arjuna and carried him to victory, confirming His statement in *Gītā* 9.22. Kṛṣṇa didn’t come at once to protect Draupadī because when Duśāsana tried to disrobe her, she tried to protect herself. She also pleaded to Bhīṣma and Droṇa for protection. Kṛṣṇa could have intervened even before Draupadī called on Him, because she is a pure devotee. But through this unpleasant incident the Lord wanted to demonstrate some spiritual truths. His conclusive promise in the *Bhagavad-gītā* is “Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.” As soon as Draupadī surrendered to Him, He protected her by manifesting Himself as her sari. He also showed that one can surrender to the Lord at any moment, regardless of past actions or circumstances. There is no need for other purificatory processes when surrendering to the Lord. The assembly applauded Draupadī’s chastity, and they censured the Kauravas for dishonoring a virtuous lady. This incident of Draupadī’s calling out to Kṛṣṇa and being rescued by her Lord has been immortalized in the *bhakti* tradition. It was her devotion that gave her strength of character. That foundational devotion reached its culmination and expression in her helpless prayer to Kṛṣṇa and His miraculous rescue. The Pāṇḍavas and Draupadī, by their unflinching faith in Kṛṣṇa, exemplified qualities of *ananya-bhakti*, or pure, one-pointed devotion. Never, even for a moment, did the Pāṇḍavas blame Kṛṣṇa for their trials, even though they knew He is the Supreme Controller. The Lord reciprocated and gave Himself, along with great material opulence, to the Pāṇḍavas. He taught us that when we surrender to Him, He gives us strength to face the trials and tribulations in our lives. He gives Himself to His *ananya-bhaktas*. *Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Example* Śrīla Prabhupāda literally begged for a free ticket to America. Finally, after repeated requests, he was given passage on a cargo ship. After two heart attacks at sea, Śrīla Prabhupāda landed in Boston in September of 1965, and until July of 1966 he had no proper place to stay. He faced further obstacles, such as cultural differences and a lack of funds, but he endured and eventually established the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) and spread the *Bhagavad-gītā’s* teachings throughout the world. Śrīla Prabhupāda being a pure devotee, one may question why Kṛṣṇa did not arrange for an easy passage with little to no begging and protection from a health scare? Why did Kṛṣṇa not provide for him? After all, he went to America to do Kṛṣṇa’s work. One answer is that although externally Śrīla Prabhupāda underwent great difficulties, he was always internally relishing loving exchanges with his spiritual master and Lord Kṛṣṇa. Also, if the lives of the great devotees were always smooth and without problems, one might falsely conclude, “This Kṛṣṇa consciousness is fine for the great pure devotees, but for a little fallen soul like me, it is not practical. The great devotees might not suffer, but I do!” Therefore, the lives of *ananya-bhaktas* are often scripted by the will of the Lord and Yogamāyā (His internal potency) to include suffering conditions in such a way that we will conclude, “Let me try to be Kṛṣṇa conscious in the face of adversity by taking shelter of Kṛṣṇa and His pure devotees, just like these great souls from history.” Kṛṣṇa reciprocates according to our love and personally takes care of His devotees—immediately or later—with their best interest at heart. For nondevotees, He does so through His material energy. Whatever circumstance the Lord chooses for us, we should accept it, tolerate it, and continue to serve the Lord with our heart and soul. After all, in our helpless condition here in the material world, we must depend fully on His mercy. Kṛṣṇa as the Supersoul within us witnesses all our acts. He imparted truth to Arjuna throughout the *Bhagavad-gītā*. He was Arjuna’s charioteer and guide in the Kurukshetra battle. Similarly, we are never alone. The Lord is waiting for us to remember Him in our activities as conscious, willing participants in His plans. When we act solely as Kṛṣṇa desires, someday we will directly see Him delivering what we lack and preserving what we have. *Sidebar: Darupadī Calls Out to Kṛṣṇa* Bound by morality, the Pāṇḍavas slowly removed their upper garments and threw them down. They sat silently as Dushashana approached the wailing Draupadī. The Kaurava took hold of the end of her cloth and pulled on it forcefully. Draupadī held her sari tightly in an attempt to protect herself, but it was useless. Her strength was nothing compared to Dushashana’s. She looked again at her five husbands. It was obvious that they could not help her. As Dushashana pulled harder, she looked around the hall like a frightened deer assailed by a lion. There was only one person now who could save her: Kṛṣṇa. The Supreme Personality saw everything and was always her shelter. Draupadī fixed her mind on Kṛṣṇa, threw up her hands and cried, “O Govinda! O Keśava! O beloved of the gopīs and Lord of Vṛndāvana! O Janārdana, You are the destroyer of all affliction. I am sinking into the Kuru ocean. O Lord, O soul of the universe, O creator of the world! Save me who am distressed and losing my senses in this evil assembly!” —From *Mahābhārata*, Retold by Krishna Dharma *Suvarṇa Rādhā Devī Dāsī, PhD, and Brajanātha Dāsa, PhD, both disciples of His Holiness Rādhānāth Swami, live in Longmont, Colorado, with their two daughters. They are active in book distribution and serving Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Govinda at ISKCON Denver.* Sacrificing for a Higher Cause By Caitanya Caraṇa Dāsa *To ensure its success, Kṛṣṇa’s plan for Karṇa’s demise was unknown even to Arjuna.* On the fourteenth night of the Kurukshetra war, the Pāṇḍavas lost a great hero and yet made a vital breakthrough. They attained this paradoxical victory-in-defeat through Ghaṭotkaca’s heroic martyrdom and Kṛṣṇa’s strategic expertise in exhausting Karṇa’s most deadly weapon. *Karṇa’s Onslaught* During the Kurukshetra war, the warriors usually followed the war code of ending their hostilities by sunset. However, on the fourteenth day, Duryodhana felt incensed that Arjuna had broken through his entire army and killed Jayadratha. Wanting to quickly counter that morale-shattering loss, he insisted that his troops keep fighting even after the sun sank below the horizon. On seeing Arjuna’s stupendous accomplishment, Karṇa felt mortified—especially because he could sense Duryodhana’s disappointed gaze upon him. Before that day, Karṇa had repeatedly boasted that he would kill Arjuna. Yet on that day he had failed not only to kill Arjuna, but even to stop Arjuna from killing his target. Feeling that he had terribly let down Duryodhana and wanting to make amends, Karṇa attacked the Pāṇḍava forces with unprecedented rage. By destroying multitudes in the Pāṇḍava ranks, he wanted to break their ranks and their spirits, thereby compelling Arjuna to challenge him. Then he would get the opportunity to redeem himself. But Karṇa hadn’t considered the Kṛṣṇa factor. During a war, warriors who do exactly what their enemies provoke them to do end up being easily manipulated by those enemies. That is a rookie mistake, a mistake that Kṛṣṇa wasn’t going to let Arjuna commit. When Arjuna urged Kṛṣṇa to drive his chariot toward Karṇa, Kṛṣṇa restrained him. “O Pārtha, the time is not yet right for you to face Karṇa. Let the formidable son of Bhīma, Ghaṭotkaca, face him first.” Arjuna looked quizzically at Kṛṣṇa, but sensing the firmness in Kṛṣṇa’s tone and countenance, he deferred to his friend’s decision. *Ghaṭotkaca’s Prowess* When Kṛṣṇa summoned Ghaṭotkaca, that mighty and massive demon came promptly. His hairless head, which reflected his name (*ghaṭa*: pot; *utkaca*: hairless) added to his fearsome appearance. Ghaṭotkaca had been born through Bhīma’s union with the demoness Hiḍimbī. When the Pāṇḍavas were in their first exile (hiding after the burning of the house of lac), her man-eating brother Hiḍimba wanted to devour the Pāṇḍavas and their mother. However, Hiḍimbī became attracted to Bhīma on seeing his physique and prowess. So, she warned him about her brother’s impending attack, and Bhīma slayed the demon after a brief but fierce fight. Hiḍimbī then beseeched Yudhiṣṭhira and Kuntī to sanction her union with Bhīma. On receiving their permission, she teleported Bhīma to a celestial garden where they sported together until she begot Ghaṭotkaca. In accordance with their agreement, she then returned Bhīma to his human family. Though Ghaṭotkaca hadn’t obtained many opportunities to meet his father and uncles, he had often heard from his mother tales of their valor and virtue. When they were compelled by Duryodhana’s obstinacy to fight a war against the Kauravas, he had immediately come to serve them, bringing with him an entire battalion of demon warriors. During the war, Ghaṭotkaca had repeatedly demonstrated his mettle, killing many famed Kaurava warriors and once defeating even Duryodhana himself. The great warrior Ghaṭotkaca now stood before Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, eager to do their bidding. Smiling warmly, Kṛṣṇa told him, “O Ghaṭotkaca, just see how Karṇa is destroying our armies. I don’t think anyone other than you is capable of stopping him. Please confront Karṇa and be the savior of our army today.” Ghaṭotkaca beamed on hearing Kṛṣṇa’s words. “Warriors live for opportunities to fight battles such as these. I am honored that you have chosen me to fight Karṇa. Today, the world will see a fight the likes of which have never been seen.” Bowing before Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, Ghaṭotkaca ordered his charioteer to charge toward Karṇa. Duryodhana had been observing Karṇa’s onslaught with delight. As Karṇa’s arrows sailed forth in endless streams and leveled the enemy forces in the thousands, Duryodhana felt his morale rising. But when he noticed Ghaṭotkaca advancing toward Karṇa, he frowned. Karṇa’s energy was best used for either destroying the Pāṇḍava forces or killing Arjuna. Wanting to conserve Karṇa’s energy, Duryodhana called the demon leader on his side, Alambhuṣā, and urged him to stop Ghaṭotkaca. The two demons fought furiously, using various weapons, maneuvers, and mystical illusions. They battered each other repeatedly, but Ghaṭotkaca’s superior strength and skill slowly gave him the upper hand. Noticing that his enemy was tiring, Ghaṭotkaca swooped in for the kill. After stunning Alambhuṣā with a bone-crushing blow, he took out his sword and lopped off Alambhuṣā’s head. Roaring in victory, he struck terror in the hearts of the Kaurava soldiers. Picking up Alambhuṣā’s bloodied head, he raced on his chariot to Duryodhana’s side. In a mocking tone, Ghaṭotkaca told the Kaurava, “It is said that one should never approach a king without any gift. Here is my gift to you.” With those words, he hurled Alambhuṣā’s severed head onto Duryodhana’s chariot. As the shocked Duryodhana watched, Ghaṭotkaca laughed thunderously and declared, “Just wait and watch; soon you will receive another gift: Karṇa’s head.” *Mighty Demon, Scary Illusions* Ghaṭotkaca charged Karṇa and challenged him to fight. Soon the two great warriors—demon and human—were engaged in a frightful fight. Sometimes Ghaṭotkaca’s strength seemed to be getting the better of Karṇa; sometimes Karṇa’s skill seemed to be getting the better of Ghaṭotkaca. Over time, Karṇa neutralized Ghaṭotkaca’s best weapons and even destroyed his chariot. Recognizing that he couldn’t win by normal means, Ghaṭotkaca started using mystical illusions. Suddenly the sky seemed to be filled with hundreds of Ghaṭotkacas, all charging toward Karṇa. With no way to discern which form was actually Ghaṭotkaca, Karṇa seemed overwhelmed. But he used his own celestial weapons to dissipate the illusions and leave Ghaṭotkaca’s armor pierced with deadly darts. Undaunted, Ghaṭotkaca continued his illusions. Sometimes he appeared in a form with many heads and arms, all attacking Karṇa. He changed the size of his form: sometimes appearing larger than a mountain, sometimes smaller than a dwarf. He changed his location: sometimes he seemed far away, showering arrows on Karṇa; sometimes he seemed to be right on Karṇa’s chariot, inflicting wounds with a sword. Sometimes he made countless demons appear, all seeking to devour Karṇa; sometimes he made countless beasts appear, all clamoring for Karṇa’s blood. The Kaurava troops were terrified, but Karṇa remained fearless. Continuously chanting sacred mantras and invoking celestial weapons, he thwarted all of Ghaṭotkaca’s attacks. Infuriated, the demon created his most fearsome illusion. He disappeared and showered weapons on Karṇa. Suddenly, a great red cloud appeared in the sky, emitting flashes of lightning and tongues of fire. Thousands of weapons fell like raindrops from that cloud, cutting the Kaurava soldiers in the thousands. Then thousands of demons fell from the cloud; even before they landed, they remorselessly hacked the remaining Kaurava soldiers. Being helplessly slaughtered, the surviving Kaurava troops couldn’t figure out whom to fight or even where to flee. In utter despair, they called out to Karṇa for help, begging him to employ his single-use *śakti* weapon. Karṇa hesitated, torn between his desire to win now and his desire to win against Arjuna in the future. Before he could make the decision, it was taken out of his hands. Amid all the darkness, devastation, and distress, he spotted Ghaṭotkaca bounding toward him with a blazing scimitar raised high. The demon was literally burning his way toward Karṇa; he seemed unstoppable. Karṇa felt that the stakes had changed drastically: it was no longer a choice between present victory or future victory; it was a choice between life or death. Hastily pulling out the *śakti* weapon and chanting the necessary mantras, he released it. The weapon, Indra’s gift to Karṇa, shot toward the demon, lighting up the firmament, eclipsing Ghaṭotkaca’s red cloud, and appearing like a sun speeding through the sky. Recognizing the weapon, Ghaṭotkaca realized that his end was near. Resolving to do a final service with his last breath, he used all his mystic power to increase his form many times over. As the arrow pierced through his heart and sped skyward toward Indra, Ghaṭotkaca died instantly. His giant body fell on the Kaurava forces, killing an entire division. *Kṛṣṇa’s Discreet Protection* The Kauravas roared, some in joy, some in relief. They gathered around Karṇa, praising him for his feat. Duryodhana was delighted to see the end of the demon, but he was annoyed that the demon had killed so many of his forces, not just while alive, but also while dying. On the other side of the battlefield, the Pāṇḍavas lamented Ghaṭotkaca’s death. Bhīma especially was disconsolate, feeling that he had failed to protect his own son. Arjuna too felt afflicted. How many of their sons would have to die before this war ended? First Irāvān, then Abhimanyu, and now Ghaṭotkaca. To everyone’s bewilderment, Kṛṣṇa celebrated: He laughed, clapped, and danced on Arjuna’s chariot. Flabbergasted, Arjuna said, “O Keśava, Your joy in this moment of grief is incomprehensible. Ghaṭotkaca was dear to all of us. How can You celebrate his death?” Touching Arjuna’s shoulder, Kṛṣṇa reassured him, “O Pārtha, I do not celebrate Ghaṭotkaca’s death; I celebrate your safety and victory.” Seeing Arjuna’s confused look, Kṛṣṇa explained, “From the day I came to know that Karṇa had acquired the *śakti* weapon, I have been worried. Karṇa reserved that weapon solely for killing you. Even you could not have countered it. Now that he has used and lost it, he is like a snake without fangs or a fire without flames. You will soon defeat him, and Yudhiṣṭhira will be crowned the world’s emperor.” Hearing Kṛṣṇa’s words, Arjuna pondered the power of the *śakti* weapon. Though he had known that Karṇa had acquired the weapon, he had presumed his weapons or armor would be enough to deal with it. Maybe he had underestimated the *śakti* weapon. If it killed Ghaṭotkaca, it was probably unstoppable. A question arose in Arjuna’s mind. If Karṇa had meant that weapon exclusively for his demise, why had he not used it until now? Kṛṣṇa knew Arjuna’s thoughts. Anticipating his question, Kṛṣṇa explained, “As your charioteer, I deliberately took you away from Karṇa and prevented a direct face-off between the two of you.” A flashback of his recent battles played in Arjuna’s mind. Just a few hours earlier on that very night, Kṛṣṇa had insisted that Ghaṭotkaca first challenge Karṇa. Several hours before that, when Arjuna had been racing to reach Jayadratha, he had been stopped by Karṇa. Kṛṣṇa had urged Bhīma to challenge Karṇa, thereby letting Arjuna press on toward Jayadratha. As he pondered all the times he could have faced Karṇa, he realized how Kṛṣṇa had discreetly yet definitely avoided a face-off. Another question arose in Arjuna’s mind. Why had Karṇa never insistently challenged him without being diverted by anyone else? As an honorable warrior, Arjuna would have been bound to accept the challenge. Seeing the gentle smile on Kṛṣṇa’s face, he understood that Kṛṣṇa as the indwelling Supersoul in Karṇa’s heart had deluded him. Whenever Karṇa had been challenged by any warrior from the Pāṇḍava side, he had felt outraged at that warrior’s temerity in challenging him. Always itching to prove his prowess, Karṇa had become so consumed by his craving to crush his challengers that he had forgotten to confront Arjuna. Appreciating the many ways, visible and invisible, in which Kṛṣṇa had protected him, Arjuna smiled gratefully. *Sacrifice Will Sacralize* As he thought again about Ghaṭotkaca’s death, Arjuna’s smile disappeared. Reassuring him, Kṛṣṇa said, “Do not lament the death of Bhīma’s son. He has attained an exalted destination. Whatever negative karma he had because of his demonic birth, Ghaṭotkaca has been cleansed of it by dying for the cause of dharma. He is in a much better place than while he was with us.” Kṛṣṇa’s explanation expands our vision of the situation, beyond the circumstantial war to the transcendental journey that every soul is on. If we limit ourselves to circumstantial analysis, we may think that Kṛṣṇa used Ghaṭotkaca as a pawn to be sacrificed for attaining victory. In terms of war ethics, such a gambit could well have been justified. War is a cruel business; it sometimes requires paying a heavy price to prevent a far heavier toll later. But Kṛṣṇa’s plan went far beyond the pursuit of circumstantial victory. The *Bhagavad-gītā* (5.29) describes that He is the well-wisher of all living beings. He wants the best for everyone and knows how best to cleanse everyone of the negative karma they are carrying from their previous lives. Ghaṭotkaca had undoubtedly served the Pāṇḍavas with great courage and character. Yet he couldn’t just wish away his demonic birth and the baggage that came with it. Some negative karma from his past lives had led him to be born in a species that is usually considered unfortunate. But he was fortunate to have been born not just in any demonic womb, but in the womb of a demon who wedded a virtuous Pāṇḍava. Thanks to that connection, he had gotten the opportunity and the impetus to fight for a virtuous cause. And he had served that cause gallantly. Still, not all the residues of our past negative actions can be removed by our present good choices. For Ghaṭotkaca, whatever negative karma remained was removed by his martyrdom. Great causes call for great sacrifices. And the Kurukshetra war was a great cause: it was meant to protect the world from unscrupulous power-grabbers and install virtuous rulers who could lead humanity to ethical growth and spiritual elevation. For fulfilling that purpose, Arjuna, being the world’s foremost archer, had a pivotal role. Ghaṭotkaca’s sacrifice didn’t protect Arjuna alone; it contributed to the good of the entire world. The principle of sacrifice applies to all of us. The *Gītā* (15.7) explains that we all are part of the Lord. And in His plan for the welfare of the world, we all have a part to play. Some of us may have bigger parts; others, smaller parts. While playing our parts, some of us may meet with success; others, with failure. Nonetheless, whatever be our parts and fates, we all will be blessed and elevated by playing our parts. But to play our parts, we may need to sacrifice some of our desires. Even if the sacrifice is painful, it will sacralize us—make us sacred—purifying us of the negativities that cover the divinity of our souls. Most of us will never be called upon to sacrifice as much as Ghaṭotkaca was. But whatever little sacrifice we are called to do, if we take it up unflinchingly we will contribute to creating a better future for the world and ourselves. *Caitanya Caraṇa Dāsa serves full time at ISKCON Chowpatty, Mumbai. He is a BTG associate editor and the author of more than twenty-five books. He has two websites: gitadaily.com and thespiritualscientist.com (the source for BTG’s “Q&A”).* The Mystery of Needing God by Dvijamaṇi Gaura Dāsa *If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world*.—C. S. Lewis Much scientific knowledge has emerged from centuries of dedicated research revealing the intricate workings of material nature. Our modern civilization has ascended to the pinnacle of advancement. We have vaccines, medicines, robotics, gene mapping, nuclear energy, social media, and so much more. There is no longer any need to rely on a Supreme Being to comfort us, some will charge. We have evolved by the power of material science. We are now liberated from the illusion of a father figure who will protect us from the distresses of life and give us hope for something beyond death. An educated skeptic will argue that “God” is a concept arising from the feeling of *need* for a father to look over us. Thus we create a Supreme Being in our minds in order to pacify this “*need*.” However, a spiritualist may rebut our skeptic friend and offer the following logic: a sense of *need*ing something may point toward a real—not imagined—necessity. The very word *need* indicates something required for our wholesome wellbeing. A simple example is the desire for water to drink every day. We may be in a desert where there is no water for miles around. We may even try to forget that water exists. But the *need* will not cease. We will always desire water because we *need* it to survive. So the feeling of *need* for water does not cause us to quest for something imaginary. Rather, it compels us to seek and obtain something true and essential. On the other hand, some “needs” are artificially created. For example, someone addicted to smoking cigarettes may feel the need for a cigarette, but that “need” is not an indication of something required for his or her well-being. Rather, the act of smoking has artificially taken the status of a need. According to Kṛṣṇa in the *Bhagavad-gītā* (3.40), *kāma* (material desire) captures and settles in three places in the body: the senses, the mind, and the intelligence. *Kāma* is a perverted form of the original energy of the true, eternal self: the energy of pure, selfless love. Abandoned original love becomes distorted and devolves into selfish desire. Since love is the primary activity of a living being, we cannot live without it. Out of pride, we may try to avoid love, thinking it to be an illusion or a trap, but the need for love remains. As long as the original love is forgotten, we remain subjugated by *kāma*, its corrupt counterpart. Selfish desire can be of varying degrees, from mild to very intense. When it is magnified, we are cast deeper into ignorance. Under the spell of ignorance, souls wandering in the material world become increasingly absorbed in matter. They think that by exploiting matter they will be satisfied. Through the active senses—the tongue, skin, eyes, ears, and nose—they try to enjoy themselves through external objects. They put themselves in the position of a dominator and consider that other persons or things are meant for their enjoyment. When our innate love is restored, there is no longer a selfish drive to exploit or dominate. Instead, one desires to please a benevolent master. This creates a most congenial mood of cooperation and fulfills the inherent need of the soul for loving relationships. Every soul’s closest relationship is with its very source—the Supreme Being, whose form is composed of eternity, knowledge, and bliss. We may conclude that everyone feels needs since it is our natural position to be dependent on *something*. When we transfer our dependence from the material nature to the spiritual nature by the proper method, our felt needs shift from material to spiritual. The quality and intensity of our spiritual desire depend on how far we are freed from the force of *kāma* and, concomitantly, on our development of actual love. *The Need for a Love Supreme* In Śrīla Prabhupāda’s words: Necessity means there is. Otherwise why necessity? When you feel hungry, the necessity of food, food is there. The necessity of light, the sun is there. . . . Necessity. You require it. The eyes want to see; therefore the object of seeing is there. The hand wants to touch, so the object of touching is there. The nose wants to smell; the object of smell is there. So as soon as you feel necessity, the thing is there. (Conversation, May 28, 1976, Honolulu) Prabhupāda continues by pointing out that the feeling of necessity is the cause of many inventions. Modern science has given rise to the invention of automobiles, airplanes, computers, and other amenities even when there was no absolute necessity for them. But these things have become necessities, suggesting that to feel the necessity for more developments is the symptom of advancement. Then he points to the ultimate development. First of all we have to understand that one who has no necessity, he’s in the lowest status. One who has got necessity, he is in higher status. . . . Then higher, higher, higher, higher—where’s the higher status? When you necessitate Kṛṣṇa. This is [the example of] Caitanya Mahāprabhu. *Śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvaṁ govinda-viraheṇa me.* That necessity, that “Without Govinda I’m feeling everything vacant.” That is necessity. That makes it finer. . . . If somebody whom you love very much dies, you think, “I don’t want anything. The world is vacant.” [Similarly, one may think,] “I’ve no necessity but Kṛṣṇa.” This is also necessity. So we have to see first of all necessity, then *quality* of necessity . . . No necessity means dull matter. Similarly, when there is no necessity of God, one is in the lowest stage of life, *narādhama*, animal, less than animal, *narādhama*, at least lowest of mankind. If he does not feel the necessity of God, that means lowest of mankind. Necessity of Caitanya Mahāprabhu also—a Vaiṣṇava says that “I have no more necessity.” But he has no more necessity of this false necessity, material world. Since we can suppose that the ability to fulfill needs is the mark of advancement, our need to have a protector watching over our fragile lives is not to be ignored. It is the very reason we create families, societies, and nations—to gain protection in our struggle to survive. Let’s assume that a supreme, all-knowing, all-good Being does exist. Since His existence is very subtle—not detectable by our material senses or by the exercise of our mind and intelligence—there must be some process by which our senses and sensibilities can be refined in order to achieve divine communion. This is what is meant by spiritual practice. So, are those who purify their existence through appropriate practice and behavior, aspiring for closeness to God, not to be considered advanced? Have they not come to the point of fulfilling the ultimate need? *The Most Refined Need* We see that everyone needs things. The quality of needs varies based on individual, social status, culture, and so on. A feeling of need indicates that there is an object to satisfy that need. The external needs of one who is spiritually attuned become fewer as the internal satisfaction grows. In general, human beings are considered advanced to the degree they are able to fulfill their needs. The approach to fulfilling needs differs greatly between theists and atheists. Theists see the fulfillment of needs in relation to the Supreme Being, whereas atheists consider themselves and society equipped to satisfy every human need. The most refined need is the spiritual need to revive one’s relationship with the Supreme Being, rendering subordinate all other needs. The various invented “needs” of material advancement cannot give ultimate satisfaction. Therefore, a materialistic society will go on generating more and more needs through economic and scientific development without reaching any end. The will to live well and find satisfaction is universal, and according to the Vedic wisdom, the *way* to get fulfillment is also universal. Thus it is possible to create a society founded on the recognition of both the material and spiritual needs of every individual. This is the purpose of revealed scriptures such as the *Bhagavad-gītā*—to guide us in fulfilling our deepest need and recognizing it in others. *Dvijamaṇi Gaura Dāsa, a disciple of His Grace Saṅkarṣaṇa Dāsa Adhikārī, joined ISKCON in 2008 after earning a degree in international politics from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia*.* He currently resides at ISKCON Kaunas, Lithuania, where he serves Śrī Śrī Nitāi-Gauracandra and Their devotees as a resident* brahmacārī*.* Book Excerpt *Golden Pieces of Advice* By Gaurāṅga Darśana Dāsa “Duly acknowledging and empathizing with the feelings of those in pain, instead of dismissing them, makes our hearts grow bigger and their hearts brighter.” *Excerpted from* Dhruva: Relationship and Success Sutras from the Story of a Celebrated Prince, *by Gauranga Darshan Das, published in India by Penguin Ananda. Available at Amazon.com.* This excerpt is from the first chapter and retains the book’s style for spelling and other considerations. King Uttanapada had two queens—the virtuous Suniti and the proud Suruchi. The king loved his younger queen, Suruchi, and neglected the older one, Suniti. One day, Uttanapada sat on his throne with Suruchi’s little son Uttama on his lap. Suniti’s son Dhruva arrived there and also attempted to get onto his father’s lap, but Uttanapada didn’t welcome him. Then, Suruchi, who was standing nearby, spoke harshly to Dhruva, saying that he was not qualified to sit on his father’s lap as he wasn’t born from Suruchi’s womb. Uttanapada was silent. Dhruva was broken-hearted. Dhruva’s emotions were soaring; he was a five-year-old child, and so they burst forth. With his maturity still ripening, coming to terms with the situation at hand was too difficult for him. To Dhruva, this wasn’t simply some embarrassment, but much more than that. His blood boiled in a fire of rage. He wanted to avenge Suruchi’s insult and was determined to teach her a good lesson. Bitter feelings towards Uttama, his stepbrother, had begun to emerge in Dhruva’s heart. Although Uttama was simply sitting on his father’s lap without hurting Dhruva, he still became an object of Dhruva’s envy. After all, he was sitting in a position that Dhruva desired. Wailing in pain, smoldering in anger and hissing like a serpent, Dhruva proceeded to his mother, Suniti, as she somberly awaited his arrival whilst being seated in her palace amidst several servants. Of what use are an opulent palace, lavish facilities and numerous servants when the people we love are indifferent to us? The news of the incident had already reached Suniti before Dhruva’s arrival. The neglectful behavior of Uttanapada was already something Suniti was dealing with. Now, she was seeing her son experience the same pain, and her grief surpassed all boundaries. Eventually, when Dhruva reached out to his mother for solace and shelter, Suniti lifted and placed him on her lap as tears kept rolling down his cheeks. Losing her patience, she began lamenting and thinking harsh words for her co-wife. She was consumed by grief, just like a forest creeper that is eaten up by a wildfire. Tears cascaded down her lotus-like eyes. How can a mother tolerate the pain of her beloved child? Suniti began breathing heavily. A remedy for the painful situation was beyond the reach of her thoughts. She was not a person who was interested in confrontation and complaints. However, being a glorious lady and a great devotee of Lord Vishnu, she was equipped with the maturity to handle the situation. She detected great disappointment in Dhruva—the reason he developed revengeful thoughts towards Suruchi and Uttama. She could sympathize and empathize with his emotions. Appropriate emotional support given at the right time facilitates deep, long-lasting relationships. Although it wasn’t difficult for Suniti to understand her son’s feelings, she prioritized the elimination of the overwhelming negativity in his impressionable heart. She considered subduing the revengeful thoughts in Dhruva’s mind to be her primary responsibility. Thus, she spoke some wise words to pacify her son. Empathizing with others’ problems is important in relationships, but instead of just stopping there, one should also attempt to bring them towards a solution. Negativity, when dwelled upon, only increases. Trying to divert the mind toward something positive makes the situation less painful and more hopeful. *First Piece of Gold* Suniti told Dhruva, ‘My dear son, please don’t wish ill fortune for others, even though they have caused you pain.’ What did Suniti mean by this? Should Dhruva not desire any harm for impolite Suruchi, the one who insulted him causelessly? The one who deprived Dhruva of his natural right to sit on his father’s lap? Yes, that’s exactly what Suniti said. Tolerating the trivial inconveniences others cause can make us tranquil, transform them in time, and leave a trail for others to tread. This was the point Suniti was making. But to Dhruva, who was fuming with a *kshatriya* spirit, this did not make much sense—he thought it was reasonable to maintain anger and revengeful thoughts against someone like Suruchi. *Second Piece of Gold* Suniti’s second statement was: ‘Dear child, please understand that anyone who inflicts pain upon others suffers oneself from that pain.’ Did this indicate that Suruchi’s wreaking of pain upon Dhruva and Suniti meant that Suruchi would suffer too, in the future? Even without Dhruva having to desire or act to harm her? No. The essence of what Suniti spoke was simply this: ‘We must have inflicted pain upon someone in the past and that pain is coming back to us through Suruchi.’ Suniti’s words reflected the reactionary chain of karma. Her spontaneous statements have profound meanings that can be soaked into our lives practically. We often blame, criticize and accuse others who have caused us pain through their words or actions. Of course, sometimes it is necessary to do so, but there’s something more significant that we need to understand from the situation. For instance, a thief needs to be pointed out and be duly punished for his theft. The punishment given to a thief is a reaction to his thievery and is meant to prevent him from stealing in the future. But does the punishment given to the thief fully compensate for the pain of the one duped? Although the victim may be pacified when they get their money back, the delay in retrieving the money would have left them worried and stressed. Now, let’s try peeling the skin of the scenario and get to its core. Why, in the first place, did the thief steal only from this person out of millions of other prospective victims? One answer is karma—the reaction to one’s past deeds, often called destiny or fate. Every action in this world results in a positive or negative reaction, depending on its nature. We reap the results of our actions through different agents—this is karma. Thus, the thief could be considered an instrument of the victim’s karma. This understanding, however, in no way minimizes the need to catch and punish the thief. A wrongdoer must be punished according to the severity of the misdeeds committed. What the thief did was undoubtedly criminal, and the reaction to what he did would certainly embrace him when dispensed by authorized agents. But Suniti’s second statement highlighted the victim’s balance of pain due to past misdeeds. This balance was settled via the medium of the thief. The laws of nature and the expert administration of Almighty God ensure that every wrongdoer experiences the reaction to their wrongdoings through various persons or situations. These may occur immediately or much later, perhaps even in another lifetime. Externally addressing the situations in life as far as humanly possible while internally reconciling them philosophically brings a harmonious balance to life. The extent to which one must address a situation depends on the extent to which one has been wronged, and one’s ability and preference to deal with it. While some people wish to aggressively fight for justice, others may effortlessly forgive and tolerate it. In this case, the mother and son had different ways of responding to the situation. Suniti chose to forgive and tolerate the pain caused by Suruchi and taught Dhruva to do the same. But Suruchi’s insulting remarks only spawned the seeds of revenge in Dhruva’s heart. Life’s situations are often not within our control but our response is. Thus, the first two pieces of advice Suniti gave Dhruva didn’t appeal to his heart, which was throbbing with pain. Fueled by passion, he was determined to prove his superiority to Suruchi. Others may trouble us but sometimes the trouble may simply be the fruit cultivated by our past karma. Such fruits may be offered to us by others or those we’ve offended—above all, they’re simply the Lord’s arrangement. So, refusing them is impossible. Therefore, we must not hate their giver. *Gaurāṅga Darśana Dāsa (www.gaurangadarshan.com), a disciple of His Holiness Rādhānāth Swami, is an educator and spiritual author. He is the dean of Bhaktivedanta Vidyapitha at ISKCON Govardhan Ecovillage (GEV). He conducts online and residential spiritual-education programs for children and adults at multiple places across the globe. He has lectured more than 7,500 hours and penned more than 33 books, including study guides, self-enrichment works, and children’s literature.* Our Inner Best Friend by Karuṇā Dhārinī Devī Dāsī *Though we rebellious souls neglect Kṛṣṇa, He never gives up on us, accompanying us always and everywhere in His form as the Supersoul.* There’s an old English saying: “Who has a friend with whom to share hath double cheer and half of care.” Its truth is our common experience. A kind, sincere friend is a cause of happiness and comfort, and the amiable relationships we keep with those around us assure us of the companionship we need in the struggle of life. Some friends are so tuned to each other that they can finish each other’s sentences; others toil endlessly to help their friend through problems or illness. Statistically, after the loss of a loved one a person is more likely to die before his or her time. People in long-term loving relationships are often said to be soul mates or kindred spirits. According to the Vedic scriptures, such relationships may even continue through cycles of reincarnation. Why are we so stirred by the power of empathy between ourselves and another? Could sweet communion with a beloved suggest a higher truth? The answer lies in understanding who we truly are. In the *Bhagavad-gītā* (13.2–3) Lord Kṛṣṇa tells Arjuna, “This body, O son of Kuntī, is called the field, and one who knows this body is called the knower of the field. O scion of Bharata, you should understand that I am also the knower in all bodies, and to understand this body and its knower is called knowledge. That is My opinion.” Paradoxically, in traditional Vedic culture, yogis aiming to “understand this body and its knower” often chose a life devoid of relationships. Even today, genuinely renounced persons, by virtue of their solitude, can advance to high levels of yoga meditation. They avoid distraction in the form of family and friends. Śrīla Prabhupāda describes yogis whose meditation is devotional as people certain of their association with God in the heart. He writes, “One must thus have firm conviction that Kṛṣṇa as Paramātmā will take care of a soul surrendered to Him. ‘I shall never be alone,’ one should think. ‘Even if I live in the darkest regions of a forest I shall be accompanied by Kṛṣṇa, and He will give me all protection.’’’ *Gītā* 16.1–3, Purport) *Accessing Antaryāmī in this Age* Though communion with Lord Antaryāmī, or Kṛṣṇa in our heart, was the goal of yogis in bygone ages, honest devotees today are wary of imitative yogis who claim to have achieved that goal. In ancient times people lived long lives and could sustain long periods of concentrated yoga practice. Moreover, their character was not contaminated by the sinful atmosphere of the present age. Still, for our education, descriptions of Paramātmā, the “Supreme Soul,” can be found throughout ancient scriptures. The *Bhagavad-gītā* and *Śrīmad-bāgavatam*, for example, contain hundreds of verses that speak of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His form as the Supersoul. *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* (2.2.9–12) gives a detailed description: His mouth expresses His happiness. His eyes spread like the petals of a lotus, and His garments, yellowish like the saffron of a *kadamba* flower, are bedecked with valuable jewels. His ornaments are all made of gold, set with jewels, and He wears a glowing head dress and earrings. His lotus feet are placed over the whorls of the lotuslike hearts of great mystics. On His chest is the Kaustubha jewel, engraved with a beautiful calf, and there are other jewels on His shoulders. His complete torso is garlanded with fresh flowers. He is well decorated with an ornamental wreath about His waist and rings studded with valuable jewels on His fingers. His leglets, His bangles, His oiled hair, curling with a bluish tint, and His beautiful smiling face are all very pleasing. The Lord’s magnanimous pastimes and the glowing glancing of His smiling face are all indications of His extensive benedictions. One must therefore concentrate on this transcendental form of the Lord as long as the mind can be fixed on Him by meditation. While meditation on the Supersoul is not easily achieved in the current age, the Age of Kali, the Vedic scriptures and those who present their pure teachings still instruct us to study and deliberate on just who the Supersoul is and what He does. Though the scriptures characterize people in this age as dull and without the skill of sustained concentration, the companion soul inside our hearts knows no such limitations. To compensate for our lacking, He manifests Himself externally in various ways, such as the bona fide spiritual master, the Vedic scriptures, and especially the congregational chanting of God’s names. He is fully present in the attentive, offenseless chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. *The Key to Friendship* Chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and helping to spread the chanting is called *saṅkīrtana-yajña* . *Yajña* means “sacrifice.” By taking part in this great sacrifice, we enhance our relationship with the Lord—and consequently with everyone else as well, because we’re all part of Him. The Lord in our heart sees no material designations and loves everyone we know more than we can possibly even try to. Out of His immense love, He can naturally nourish a superlative connection between us and all of His parts. In human friendships there will always be challenges. Even if we sincerely dedicate body, mind, and soul to someone, an ideal friendship or marriage is always temporary, in as much as our bodies are temporary. Still, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is right there in the heart of anyone we should happen to favor, and to adore Kṛṣṇa in the heart of others puts our relationships on a more informed level. It exalts and sanctifies any and every friendship. Attachment to enjoying sense gratification with other human beings leads to selfish relations with others’ bodies, causing regrettable confusion and emotional suffering. While neglecting the Lord in the heart causes suffering, developing our relationship with Him helps us reevaluate our matrix of material relationships. In the middle of a great battlefield, Arjuna was confused by the conflict with his relatives, but Kṛṣṇa spoke these transcendental, perfect words to him: “One who sees the Supersoul equally present everywhere, in every living being, does not degrade himself by his mind. Thus he approaches the transcendental destination.” (*Gītā* 13.29) *The Change of Heart* The Vedic literature characterizes the soul, the Supersoul, and their relationship with the analogy of two birds in a tree. One bird is ravenous, eagerly devouring one after another the tree’s berries, some nutritious, some poisonous. The other bird has no such desire. He simply watches, remaining neutral. So it is with the beloved Lord in the heart. In the *Bhagavad-gītā* Kṛṣṇa says of His presence in the body as the Supersoul that He is the transcendental enjoyer, the supreme proprietor, and the overseer and permitter. He gives us the intelligence to fulfill both ignoble and heavenly desires, or to opt for transcendental knowledge by which to develop self-realization. Another name for our inner best friend is *caitya-guru*, or the guru deep within us. He counsels subtly, without force, like a bridge offering a crossing. No matter how we respond, He is ever ready to interact again and again as our transcendental well-wishing friend. When we first turn our face toward Him by taking up the practice of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, *caitya-guru* encourages our beginnings from within. He may also send a most essential external agent called the *vartma-pradarśaka* guru, the devotee who first leads us to the path to Kṛṣṇa. This guru, a sympathetic devotee, tells us something about Kṛṣṇa or gives us Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books, nudging us along. Speaking kind words, offering us Kṛṣṇa’s *prasādam*, or inviting us to chant Kṛṣṇa’s names, the *vartma-pradarśaka* guru is a compassionate representative on Kṛṣṇa’s behalf. At the beginning of someone’s interest in Kṛṣṇa after meeting such a happy, generous devotee, he or she may consider, “Could I be like that? Could I be a devotee?” We pass through myriad lifetimes, repeatedly experiencing attachment, hatred, and inevitable suffering. Then one gentle moment with a devotee propels us on a course that overturns it all. A fortunate soul aspiring to get further mercy from Kṛṣṇa will seek initiation from a bona fide spiritual master. From this key agent of the Supreme Lord, one learns more and more about the activities of devotional service in this world and the spiritual world. Uddhava, Lord Kṛṣṇa’s close friend and devotee, says to Him in *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* (11.29.6), “O my Lord! Transcendental poets and experts in spiritual science could not fully express their indebtedness to You, even if they were endowed with the prolonged lifetime of Brahmā, for You appear in two features—externally as the *ācārya* and internally as the Supersoul—to deliver the embodied living being by directing him how to come to You.” A deep breath of fresh spring air does not revitalize as much as the Supersoul’s mercy. A forest after the first strong rain does not match its purity. The tenderness of the color of dawn is not subtle in comparison to it. A person’s taking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the most marvelous change. Sensing what the circumstances have to offer, the super-knower begins a series of incremental adjustments in that person’s life. “This person has taken notice of Me!” He exclaims. “I am here for him.” *Best Friends* The following verse of *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* (4.28.62) is an ancient confidential whisper to the spirt self from the most original voice. “My dear friend, I, the Supersoul, and you, the individual soul, are not different in quality, for we are both spiritual. In fact, My dear friend, you are qualitatively not different from Me in your constitutional position. Just try to consider this subject. Those who are actually advanced scholars, who are in knowledge, do not find any qualitative difference between you and Me.” For as long as we have taken on material bodies, this original voice has been with us. Though He is the all-powerful creator and sustainer of material existence, He mercifully goes with us; we do not flounder alone in the cycle of repeated births and deaths. The wisdom of history’s greatest transcendentalists has systematically determined what is His official position: our dearest and most beneficial friend lives within each of us as an undivided being, even while distributing Himself unlimitedly. Our inner best friend knows no limit to what is perfect companionship. He stays with us and knows the history of all our past lives. He was there when we sucked our thumb in a human womb. He was there later when we were insulted, bullied, and praised, when we fell terribly ill, and when we were reborn again in accordance with the unlimited desires and longings that enslaved us in one body after another. Kṛṣṇa—as the Supersoul or any of His innumerable forms—holds dear whatever little speck of love we may harbor for Him. He is engladdened by whatever service we render knowingly or unknowingly as we plod through the ages. This world is full of intolerable miseries, but the Lord never fails to offer us at every turn the best option to lead us to happiness. His seamless compassion within our hearts offers incremental upgrades for our betterment. By His mercy, one day we shall certainly regain our own original glorious, happy condition as His confidential servant. *Karuṇā Dhārinī Devī Dāsī, a disciple of His Grace Vīrabāhu Dāsa, serves the deities at ISKCON Los Angeles, where she joined ISKCON in 1979. She has also been distributing Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books since her earliest days in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. She lives with her husband and daughter.* Rūpa Gosvāmī’s Nine-stage Model of the Development of Bhakti: A Cross-validation by Nāndīmukhī Devī Dāsī *Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī’s model matches well with the life of an eminent teacher of Confucianism.* Over generations, Vaiṣṇava **ācārya*s* and scriptures have taught that *bhakti*, devotional service to the Supreme Lord, is the highest achievement any living being can aspire for, is the real solution to all the miseries seen in this world, and is universal, regardless of one’s gender, race, nationality, social status, and even species. *Bhakti* means that the motive underlying all one’s activities is simply to serve the Supreme Lord favorably, as He desires. There can certainly be circumstantial considerations, but a person who renders devotional service with a mature understanding of the spirit soul, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the relationship between them is not driven by egoistic, utilitarian impulses. Rūpa Gosvāmī, a foremost Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava *ācārya* in the sixteenth century, outlined in *Bhakti*-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.4.15–16) the development of *bhakti* with a nine-stage model: > ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu- > saṅgo ’tha bhajana-kriyā > tato ’nartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt > tato niṣṭhā rucis tataḥ > athāsaktis tato bhāvas > tataḥ premābhyudaṣcati > sādhakānām ayaṁ premṇaḥ > prādurbhāve bhavet kramaḥ “In the beginning there must be faith [*śraddhā*]. Then one becomes interested in associating with pure devotees [*sādhu-saṅga*]. Thereafter one is initiated by the spiritual master and executes the regulative principles under his orders [*bhajana-kriyā*]. Thus one is freed from all unwanted habits [*anartha-nivṛtti*] and becomes firmly fixed in devotional service [*niṣṭhā*]. Thereafter, one develops taste [*ruci*] and attachment [*āsakti*]. This is the way of *sādhana-bhakti*, the execution of devotional service according to the regulative principles. Gradually emotions intensify [*bhāva*], and finally there is an awakening of love [*prema*]. This is the gradual development of love of Godhead for the devotee interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.” While it may not be the only model in Vaiṣṇava scriptures that depicts the development of *bhakti*, this model was spoken of by Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself in His instructions to Sanātana Gosvāmī, the elder brother of Rūpa Gosvāmī (*Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā* 23.14–15). About two hundred years later, the model was expounded on with detailed descriptions by Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, a renowned successor to Rūpa Gosvāmī, in his book *Mādhurya-kādambinī* (“Cloud Bank of Nectar”). Bringing the practice of *bhakti* to his contemporary audiences, Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura described what *bhakti* looks like, how it evolves, and what the experiences of *bhakti* are at different stages. Notably, the model is versatile enough to help navigate the development of a profession other than *bhakti* or a self-identity other than a pure devotee of the Supreme Lord. More importantly, through the lens of the model one’s experiences in another profession or role can be borrowed to better understand and advance the development of *bhakti* and the formation of one’s self-identity as a pure devotee. In the following paragraphs, the model is applied to revisiting a few celebrated stories about the early childhood education of Meng Zi, an eminent teacher of Confucianism who lived in the fourth and third centuries BCE, as referenced in *San Zi Jing*,* a classical Chinese poem composed in the thirteenth century that has been one of the most popular texts for elementary education until recent times. *Śraddhā to Sādhu-saṅga* It is said that when Meng Zi was a small child, he and his mother lived close to a cemetery. Meng Zi observed the behaviors of the cemetery visitors and playfully imitated them. His mother saw this and thought that the situation did not provide good *saṅga* (association) for her young son, so she moved the family to a new home. The new home was close to a marketplace, and Meng Zi was exposed to the business dealings between sellers and buyers. He again playfully imitated them. His mother understood that this *saṅga* was not beneficial to her young son either, so she again decided to move. This time, the home was near a school. Meng Zi got the opportunity to get close to the students and teachers, observing proper conduct and good etiquette. In this way he moved from “*śraddhā*” to “sādhu-*saṅga*” (the association of scholarly and virtuous people). Aniṣṭhitā (Unsteady) Bhajana-kriyā In the association of scholarly *sādhus*, Meng Zi began his “*bhajana-kriyā*”; he went to school and performed his *sādhana* (practice) of study. However, he had *anarthas* (things undesirable for achieving the goal of one’s endeavor) in his heart; as a young child he liked to play more than to study and thus was inattentive in his *sādhana*. Anartha-nivṛtti Meng Zi’s mother was concerned about Meng Zi’s *aniṣṭhitā* (unsteady) *bhajana-kriyā*. One day, in front of Meng Zi she took a knife and broke a key component of her valuable loom. She told Meng Zi, in effect, “Your *sādhana* is without attentiveness and steadiness. Like this broken loom, it is useless.” Meng Zi was frightened and began to make an effort to be attentive in his *sādhana*, thus moving toward the stage of “*anartha-nivṛtti*.” Niṣṭhā, Ruci, Āsakti . . . Meng Zi later turned into an exceptional philosopher and preacher of Confucianism, considered second only to Confucius. Arguably, Meng Zi attained a type of *niṣṭhā* (steadiness) after his prolonged intense efforts to be attentive in his academic *sādhana*, and then a type of *ruci* (taste) for knowledge and wisdom, and, after this, a type of *āsakti*, by making knowledge and wisdom the object of his absorption. A Robust Model Meng Zi lived in a time and a place that were far distant from Rūpa Gosvāmī and Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura by both thousands of years and thousands of miles. Presumably, they did not take Meng Zi’s childhood experiences into consideration when composing Vaiṣṇava literature. Still, the nine-stage model is robust enough to capture the developmental trajectory shown in Meng Zi’s life. When we retell such stories through the model, elements critical to both secular endeavors and the practice of *bhakti* surface. For example, during the stages from *śraddhā* to *sādhu-sāṅga*, Meng Zi’s mother was sensitive and responsive to Meng Zi’s early display of *śraddhā* (faith, interest) in learning by observing and imitating people around him. To nurture his *śraddhā* and direct it to a purposeful end, Meng Zi’s mother tried her best to find him a *sādhu-saṅga* (wholesome neighborhood). In *Caitanya-caritāmṛta* (*Madhya-līlā* 22.87), it is similarly emphasized that a Vaiṣṇava should always avoid the association of ordinary people who are very much materially attached. Later, noticing Meng Zi’s unsteadiness in his *sādhana* of study and his indulgence in playing, his mother resolved to help him realize the importance of striving for attentiveness and steadiness in *sādhana*, even at the cost of her loom. The issue of unsteady devotional service is spotlighted as well by Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura in *Mādhurya-kādambinī* (Chapter Two). Specifically, he enumerates six types of unsteadiness, thereby encouraging his readers to effectively identify and address the issue. Obviously, there are also elements unique to the development of *bhakti* that are not found in other pursuits. As stated by Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, when one’s *bhakti* is at the stage of *āsakti*, one’s absorption in the Supreme Lord becomes more prominent than that in the way of practice (*bhajana*) (*Mādhurya-kādambinī*, Chapter Six). At the stages of *bhāva* and *prema*, one experiences the appearance of the Supreme Lord and direct contact with Him (*Mādhurya-kādambinī*, Chapter Eight). For those who pursue a goal other than *bhakti* (e.g., becoming a scholar, musician, politician, magnate, etc.) or lack an understanding of the personal aspect of the Supreme Absolute Truth, the notion of having direct interactions with the object of pursuit can seem unusual. Through these commonalities and differences obtained by applying Rūpa Gosvāmī’s model, we can better recognize the elements indispensable to the cultivation of *bhakti* and make use of existing experiences in other endeavors. *Bhakti at the Core* Inspirations and wisdoms can no doubt be found in teachings and examples across the board, from ancient histories to contemporary societies, from the East to the West, from the lives of celebrities to the lives of nobodies. Nonetheless, without a touch of *bhakti*, inspirations and wisdoms are like gorgeous flowers separated from the root, because *bhakti* is at the core of every living being’s very existence. Although pure love for Kṛṣṇa (*kṛṣṇa-prema*) is eternally established in the hearts of the living entities (*Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā* 22.107), a mature, pure devotee is rare to find (*Mādhurya-kādambinī*, Chapter One). Without his mother’s hard efforts and wise guidance during his early childhood, Meng Zi may not have become what he turned out to be. Likewise, without coming in contact with devotees and Kṛṣṇa, we would not get an idea of *bhakti*, let alone the impetus to turn to the *kṛṣṇa-prema* inherent within. Moreover, without the presence of devotees and Kṛṣṇa, we would not have an object of devotional service, without which *bhakti* itself would lose its meaning. “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-līlā* 19.151) Somehow or other, we receive this seed of the creeper of devotional service that is not only life-changing but also life-giving. Let us honor it, represent it, and share it to the best of our ability. * *San Zi Jing* (“Three-character Sutra”) comprises approximately ninety to one hundred stanzas, each of which has four lines. Each line comprises three Chinese characters, signifying the name “Three-character Sutra.” Meng Zi’s stories are referenced in the third stanza with twelve Chinese characters. *Nāndīmukhī Devī Dāsī (Yanying Wang), a disciple of His Holiness Romapāda Swami, was born and raised in mainland China. She came to the U.S. by herself in August 2014 and later came across Kṛṣṇa consciousness and devotees via a* bhakti-yoga *club at The George Washington University. She completed her undergraduate education in mathematics and biological sciences in mainland China and her graduate education in statistics in the U.S.* He Who Must Be Named By Nāraṅgī Devī Dāsī *An immensely popular book series hints (inadvertently, no doubt) at the power of chanting the Lord’s holy names.* I was a teenager when I read the Harry Potter books and was completely enamored by the love, courage, friendship, morality, and philosophy described in the series. I felt there were many lessons to be learned from not only the heroes but also the villains of the books. The villain known as “the Dark Lord” is ruthless, selfish, cruel, and exploitative. He fails to understand the notion of love in this world, and this proves to be his downfall, as love is the core principle that drives protagonists to fight him against all odds and in the face of extreme fear and loss. People are terrified to mention his name, so they refer to him as “he who must not be named” or “you know who.” I was fascinated by the idea that mentioning the name of the fearful, loathsome, cruel dark lord would invoke his presence and hence invoke intense fear and anxiety in the one saying his name. Any utterance of his name is alleged to bring inauspiciousness and misfortune upon the speaker and hearer and is thus strictly forbidden. *What’s in a Name?* One may question whether the importance of speaking or not speaking someone’s name is a credible idea. But consider that sound is an extremely powerful element that can either uplift or degrade one’s consciousness when allowed to enter through the ears. The importance of sound vibrations is extensively mentioned in the divine Vedic texts, which detail how the Supreme Person has encapsulated the entire Vedic knowledge in the transcendental sound *oṁ*. Sound is also the first element that enters the material world during its creation. Therefore ancient Vedic literature expansively mentions the importance of regularly reciting Vedic hymns, verses, mantras, and chants. Transcendental sound vibrations have immense power to uplift one’s consciousness and put a spirit soul in direct contact with God. The sacred *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* and many other ancient wisdom texts of India stress chanting the names of the Supreme Lord, who has infused His names with all His powers, potencies, energies, and auspiciousness. Thus the spiritual seeker who regularly recites His holy names will not only be freed from numerous sins and escape the bondage of the material world but also ultimately acquire the highest perfection of human life—love for the Supreme Lord. *Benedictions of the Supreme Lord* Unlike the Dark Lord of the Harry Potter books, the most merciful Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa is our best friend, our true well-wisher. A great benediction of Kṛṣṇa is that He appears in the form of His numerous names in the material world to give us His association. His holy names, unlike ours, are nondifferent from Him. These sound vibrations give incredible spiritual and material benefits when uttered and transform the impious hearts of those engrossed in the material world. Therefore He descends in the form of His innumerable names so embodied souls may chant those names and awaken their love for Him. His holy names describe His qualities, forms, pastimes, and relationships with His devotees. Those interested in discovering and developing their relationship with the Supreme Person make it a habit to chant His names on beads at least a certain number of times daily. This deeply calming, purifying, and empowering practice, called *japa*, helps to build a taste for serving the Lord in love. *Common Questions about Chanting the Holy Names* Who is eligible to chant the Lord’s wonderful names? Everyone, without consideration of race, caste, color, gender, wealth, education, beauty, etc., is qualified to uplift their consciousness from the most fallen state to the most divine by chanting. No impurities of body, character, heart, actions, or desires are considered a disqualification to take up the practice. How long do the effects last? The effects of chanting (or singing) the Lord’s holy names are eternal. All varieties of disagreeable qualities, numerous sins, unwanted desires, and impurities of the heart that are incompatible with the nature of the soul keep the soul bound in the cycle of birth and death. This bondage leads us to accept one body after another and keeps us circulating in this world. Chanting destroys all these obstacles and enables us to develop a deep connection with the Lord. What is the nature of the holy names? The holy names are transcendental and eternal because they are nondifferent from the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Lord. Therefore, uttering the Lord’s names keeps the soul truly satisfied while living in this temporary world of illusion. What does one experience by chanting the Lord’s names? One feels anchored, profoundly content, and deeply blissful by associating directly with Kṛṣṇa through His names. The soul encounters many disturbances while trapped within the body, but taking shelter of holy names eases these troubles. The Lord’s names are the light the soul needs to navigate through dark, difficult times. Can the Lord’s names deliver one at death? The devotees who spend their lives developing affection and attraction for Kṛṣṇa and His names can spontaneously utter those glorious names with their last breath and achieve the highest destination. Lord Kṛṣṇa promises this in the divine pages of the *Bhagavad-gītā*. Therefore, after a lifetime of sufficient practice, committed chanters, guaranteed entry into the supreme abode of Kṛṣṇa, have no fear of death. It is their ticket to the spiritual world, where they achieve their true form of eternity (*sat*), pure consciousness (*cit*), and bliss (*ānanda*). Is chanting the names an easy practice? Chanting the holy names can require some effort in the initial stages due to the distracted nature of the mind. However, the effort to control the mind and the struggle to develop a taste for the holy names are extremely purifying and help one navigate disturbances in this world with grace and poise. Which names should one chant? For the current age especially, the ancient Vedic scriptures prescribe chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mahā-mantra*: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. *Benefits of Mantra Meditation* • At the physical level, *mahā-mantra* meditation is scientifically proven to provide a restful and soothing state for the brain that increases its focus, sharpness, and energy. • On a subtle platform, vocal meditation by chanting the Lord’s names pacifies an otherwise agitated, anxious mind that is extremely difficult to control, thereby decreasing needless anxieties and worries caused by racing thoughts. Scientific studies have been conducted to prove the beneficial effects of this meditational technique. In 2021, W. J. Niva, et. al., published the randomized controlled trial “Mahamantra chanting as an effective intervention for stress reduction among nursing professionals.” They analyzed the levels of stress markers in the blood of two groups of people—those chanting and those not chanting—and concluded that chanting significantly reduced such markers among the chanters. Similarly, in 2022, A. Tseng published a narrative review (“Scientific Evidence of Health Benefits by Practicing Mantra Meditation”) in the *International Journal of Yoga* and showed not only a decrease in anxiety, stress, and burnout but also improved immunity, decreased hypertension, and overall improved quality of life with this technique. This was an extensive review that cited numerous other studies with similar conclusions in favor of mantra meditation. • Spiritually, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa is a cry of help to our supreme loved one and brings a profound sense of connection with the Supreme Lord, who is our father, mother, and maintainer. This practice gradually cleanses and upgrades the consciousness and ultimately helps one attain love for Him. In *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* (12.3.51–52), Śukdeva Gosvāmi mentions the spiritual/devotional benefits of chanting: > kaler doṣa-nidhe rājann > asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ > kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya > mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet “My dear King, although Kali-yuga is an ocean of faults, there is still one good quality about this age: Simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mahā-mantra*, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom.” > kṛte yad dhyayato viṣṇuṁ > tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ > dvāpare paricaryāyāṁ > kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt “Whatever result was obtained in Satya-yuga by meditating on Viṣṇu, in Tretā-yuga by performing sacrifices, and in Dvāpara-yuga by serving the Lord’s lotus feet can be obtained in Kali-yuga simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mahā-mantra*.” In *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* (1.1.14) ancient sages glorify the benefits of the Lord’s holy names: > āpannaḥ saṁsṛtiṁ ghorāṁ > yan-nāma vivaśo gṛṇan > tataḥ sadyo vimucyeta > yad bibheti svayaṁ bhayam “Living beings who are entangled in the complicated meshes of birth and death can be freed immediately by even unconsciously chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, which is feared by fear personified.” Our Supreme Lord is incredibly loving, merciful, and compassionate. Much like any parent, He is easily pleased and responds to the sincere call of a struggling devotee who endeavors to approach Him through His names and calls out to Him with affection and sincerity. Taking shelter of the Lord’s divine names is all-purifying, extremely auspicious, and our only hope of salvation. One of His prominent names is Śyāmasundara, “the Beautiful Dark-Blue One.” Therefore, we should chant, sing, and hear His names daily in a prayerful mood for the pleasure of “He who must be named.” *Nāraṅgī Devī Dāsī and her husband, Nāgara Candra Dāsa, both physicians, are disciples of His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa. They live in Jackson, Tennessee, where there is no ISKCON temple, but they lead a small congregation of devotees for classes, home programs, festivals, and book distribution. She writes a blog at https://narangi.substack.com.* The Ultimate Goal of Yoga by Puruṣottama Nitāi Dāsa *Lord Kṛṣṇa speaks about four types of yoga and what they’re meant to achieve.* Today yoga is a popular term not only in India but all over the world. But do people know what yoga is according to the Vedic scriptures, the source of the original teachings on yoga? And most importantly, do they know the ultimate goal of yoga? Political leaders, business tycoons, sports personalities, and celebrities of Hollywood and Bollywood have yoga in their daily routine. But for most of them, yoga is just a way to keep physically and mentally fit so they can lead a better life. There’s nothing wrong with having good physical and mental health, but yoga goes beyond that. The word *yoga* has its origin in the Sanskrit root *yuj*, which means to unite, add, or join. Now, the question is, “With whom am I to unite through the practice of *yoga*?” The *Bhagavad-gītā* explains that we should unite with the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa. This includes adding Kṛṣṇa to our current life and ultimately joining Him in the spiritual world, which is free from anxiety, suffering, and death. In the *Bhagavad-gītā* Kṛṣṇa delineates the meaning of yoga to Arjuna, elaborately explains the different types of yoga, and most importantly, identifies the ultimate goal of yoga. With a desire to give the topmost knowledge for the ultimate benefit of mankind, Kṛṣṇa speaks about *karma-yoga*, *jñāna-yoga*, *aṣṭāṅga-yoga*, and *bhakti-yoga*. When we go a little deeper than today’s common understanding of yoga and try to understand each of the yoga processes, we discover that we are all souls, Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord, and for our own good we should develop an eternal relationship with Him. Let us see how each yoga process takes us to Kṛṣṇa. *Karma-yoga: Offering Kṛṣṇa the Fruits of Our Actions* When we go through Kṛṣṇa’s teachings on **karma*-yoga* in the *Gītā*, we find that Kṛṣṇa eventually asks Arjuna to engage in activities for His pleasure and satisfaction. The word *karma* means “action.” None of us can live even for a moment without doing something. From the time we get up from bed to the time we go to sleep, we have to act. Even for our basic needs we have to act. If a plate of food is kept in front of us, the food won’t automatically jump from the plate into our stomach. We have to use our hands to pick up the food and put it in our mouth; then we have to chew it and swallow it. Only then does the food break down into the energy we need for our survival. To live in this world, our mind, senses, and body have to be dutifully engaged throughout the day. Yet some spiritual guides teach that in order to achieve liberation from material existence we have to stop all action (especially through perfect meditation), thus putting an end to karmic reactions. Kṛṣṇa, however, doesn’t ask us to stop performing actions. But because our actions determine our destiny, we must know what actions to perform. Therefore we must perform actions sanctioned in the scriptures. If we act against the scriptures and indulge in bad actions (*vikarma*), we invite misery. But if we do good karma, we get good results. Someone doing bad karma will eventually lead a hellish life of suffering and after death will go to hell to suffer more. But a person doing good karma will lead a happy life and after quitting the body will go to higher planets to enjoy heavenly pleasures. Still, whether we do good karma or bad karma, our actions keep us bound in this world, where we must go through the repeated painful cycles of birth and death. So, in the *Gītā* Kṛṣṇa advises us to engage in actions that will free us from material bondage. Such actions are called *akarma*. *Akarma* does not mean no action; it means not doing anything for one’s own pleasure but only for the satisfaction of the Lord. If one works with this consciousness and surrenders the results of one’s actions to the Supreme Lord, then one will not be affected by sin (or any karmic reaction) and will ultimately attain peace and bliss. “One who performs his duty without attachment, surrendering the results unto the Supreme Lord, is unaffected by sinful action, as the lotus leaf is untouched by water.” (*Bhagavad-gītā* 5.10) This doesn’t mean that one can intentionally commit sins and expect immunity from the consequences. The point is that one is protected from the reactions to sins committed unintentionally in the course of serving the Supreme Lord. Toward the end of Kṛṣṇa’s teachings on *karma-yoga*, He clarifies that He is the Supreme Lord to whom the results of all actions should be offered. “A person in full consciousness of Me, knowing Me to be the ultimate beneficiary of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods, and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attains peace from the pangs of material miseries.” (*Gītā* 5.29) *Aṣṭāṅga Yoga: Aspiring to See Kṛṣṇa’s Form within the Heart* Some fortunate souls eventually see the futility of material life and begin to understand that they are a soul distinct from the body. They also understand that they are not alone, because the Supreme Lord always resides within everyone’s heart. And they conclude that their most important requirements are spiritual and not material. So, instead of focusing their consciousness on the outside world, they try to withdraw their senses and focus on the Paramātmā (Supersoul) sitting in the heart. They understand the futility of trying to derive pleasure from the outside world. They understand that just as a fish out of water suffers and no arrangement can make it happy, we (the soul) suffer when our consciousness is turned away from the Supersoul. Persons with this understanding renounce worldly pleasures and begin meditating on the Supersoul within. As they begin reconnecting with the Paramātmā, they start experiencing happiness. This process of meditation is called *dhyāna-yoga* or *aṣṭāṅga-yoga*. The most advanced *aṣṭāṅga-yogī* slowly realizes that the Paramātmā in the heart is an expansion of Kṛṣṇa. While discussing *aṣṭāṅga-yoga* in Chapter 6 of the *Bhagavad-gītā* (6.47), Kṛṣṇa says that the topmost *aṣṭāṅga-yogī* always thinks about Him and meditates on Him. So, the final goal of *aṣṭāṅga-yoga* is to unite with Kṛṣṇa. *Jṣāna-yoga: Aspiring to Know Kṛṣṇa’s Supreme Position* The purpose of **jñāna*-yoga* as well is to come to the conclusion that Kṛṣṇa is our life’s goal. The word *jñāna* means knowledge, which can be material or spiritual. Material knowledge means any knowledge about the things of this world, but can be thought of especially as knowledge of challenging tasks such as how to write a complex computer program, build an AI tool, perform heart surgery, fly an airplane, or run a bullet train. Material knowledge is considered good because it helps us lead a better material life, but it cannot solve all our life’s problems. It does not tell us who we are, who God is, what this material world is, or why everyone here is condemned to die. Kṛṣṇa answers these important questions in the **jñāna*-yoga* section of the *Bhagavad-gītā*. Kṛṣṇa speaks about the living entity (*jīva*), material nature (*prakṛti*), and the Supreme Lord (*īśvara*). He explains that material nature and the material body are temporary and that, by repeatedly accepting material bodies in different species, the soul (*jīva*) has to suffer and die again and again. So, we *jīva*s should connect to the Supreme Lord, who will release us from material bondage and relieve us of material suffering. Kṛṣṇa explains that once we cultivate proper knowledge (*jñāna*), we come to understand the futility of material pleasures and the necessity of developing a loving and unbreakable bond with the Supreme Lord. Kṛṣṇa again reveals that He is that Supreme Lord: “Whoever knows Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, without doubting, is the knower of everything. He therefore engages himself in full devotional service to Me, O son of Bharata.” (*Gītā* 15.19). When we know Kṛṣṇa and our relationship with Him, we become free from all ignorance and all material pains. *Bhakti-yoga: Reviving Our Loving Relationship with Kṛṣṇa* During their discussion, Arjuna asks Kṛṣṇa to reveal the process by which one can easily and definitely attain Him. Understanding Arjuna’s heart and his desire to know the complete truth, Kṛṣṇa reveals the most confidential knowledge, which He calls *rāja-vidyā*, “the king of all knowledge.” He says that amongst all yogas, *bhakti-yoga* is topmost because by practicing it one can easily attain Him and the eternal spiritual world. *Bhakti* means giving our heart to Kṛṣṇa and being ever ready to do anything for Him as our beloved. Just as one gives up old clothes and never looks back at them, a *bhakti-yogi* gives up all worldly desires and never craves them again. Kṛṣṇa personally takes care of His dedicated devotees and provides them with everything. The loving Lord removes any ignorance in the heart of the devotee that is keeping him or her away from pure, complete love for Him. A devotee whose heart is free of all desire to enjoy this world derives great joy in chanting and singing the glories of Kṛṣṇa and becomes qualified to live with Him in His eternal kingdom. Kṛṣṇa explains how to attain this stage: “Engage your mind always in thinking of Me, become My devotee, offer obeisances to Me and worship Me. Being completely absorbed in Me, surely you will come to Me.” (*Gītā* 9.34) A devotee who attains Kṛṣṇa and enters His abode never returns to this world of suffering. *Making Kṛṣṇa Our Life’s Ultimate Goal* In the *Bhagavad-gītā* Lord Kṛṣṇa systematically teaches us that the final goal of all yoga—whether *karma-yoga*, *aṣṭāṅga-yoga*, *jñāna-yoga*, or *bhakti-yoga*—is to know and love Him. Arjuna approached Kṛṣṇa when he was utterly confused and had failed to determine whether certain actions were good or bad. Kṛṣṇa taught the *Gītā* to remove the dark cloud of ignorance covering his intelligence. At the end, Arjuna thanked Kṛṣṇa for removing his misplaced attachments, which were constantly troubling him. And understanding that Kṛṣṇa is the only fully capable master and knows what is best for him, he promised to act according to Kṛṣṇa’s wishes. Arjuna’s decision displays the highest perfection of yoga, which is to unite with Kṛṣṇa and work only for His desire and pleasure. For those who attain this stage, life is a constant celebration. *Puruṣottama Nitāi Dāsa is a member of the congregation at ISKCON Newtown, Kolkata. He writes at discoverursupersoul.com.* Penchant for Periodicals: Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī and the Popularization of Vaiṣṇava Magazines By Satyarāja Dāsa *A look into a key aspect of the mission to spread Śrī Caitanya’s teachings throughout India and beyond.* While the world is familiar with the incomparable work of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda (1896–1977), few are aware of his guru, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura (1874–1937). Nonetheless, Śrīla Prabhupāda attributes his own accomplishments and success to his spiritual master: “Practically there is no credit for me. If there is any credit it goes to my Spiritual Master, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Prabhupada, who is helping me by sending so many good souls like you in this movement. Whatever is being done, it is due to His Divine Grace only.” (Letter, March 26, 1969) And further, “So far I am concerned, I am a humble disciple of His Divine Grace, Om Visnupad Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja, who was the original pioneer of spreading this movement in the Western world.” (Letter, February 21, 1968) And, indeed, Śrīla Sarasvatī Ṭhākura’s accomplishments were many. The son of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura (1838–1914), who was the pioneering renovator of the Caitanya tradition in the modern world, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta was born Bimala Prasad Dutt and was clearly a prodigy from an early age. As one of fourteen siblings, it was Bhaktisiddhānta who was groomed by Bhaktivinoda to elucidate Śrī Caitanya’s teachings among the intellectuals of Bengal and ultimately bring these teachings to the Western world. Proficient in Sanskrit, Bengali, and English, Bhaktisiddhānta especially devoted his life to translating and commenting on the tradition’s elaborate philosophical texts and creating ashrams for serious practitioners to cultivate spiritual life. To this end, in 1918 he formed the Gauḍīya Maṭha, an institution dedicated to the dissemination of Vaiṣṇava literature throughout India, ultimately establishing sixty-four monasteries in the subcontinent and beyond. In the 1930s he sent several disciples to the West, beginning the work that Śrīla Prabhupāda would aptly continue, and consummate, in the 1960s. What is often left unsaid is Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta’s almost miraculous use of the printing press, which was relatively new in India at the time. His father had been an innovator in using the press to disseminate Vaiṣṇava teachings, printing books and journals in unprecedented numbers. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta picked up where Bhaktivinoda left off, effectively using the press for the mass production of books and especially periodicals, and that in several languages and with a passion and productiveness likely unparalleled in any venue or in any institution, before his time and after it. With periodicals, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta reasoned, he could not only serialize sacred texts, as Bhaktivinoda did in his earlier periodicals, but he could also speak to contemporary issues from a Vaiṣṇava perspective and even broadcast the work of the Gauḍīya Maṭha, apprising his readers of his Vaiṣṇava institution’s missionary work, which was growing prodigiously. Indeed, he famously referred to the printing press as the *bṛhat* (big) *mṛdaṅga* (drum). “When a *mṛdaṅga* resounds,” he said, “it invites people within earshot to come and hear the chanting of the divine name. Similarly, books go from person to person, resounding like a drum, informing them about *kṛṣṇa-nāma*, but even more efficiently.” His point was this: The “sound” made by the printing press is generally more effective than that made by an ordinary drum, for while a drum can be heard only for several city blocks, the press can be heard around the world. *Printing Pious Periodicals* In Germany, around the middle of the fifteenth century—i.e., shortly before Śrī Caitanya’s appearance in this world—an inventor named Johannes Gutenberg invented the first modern printing press. The Portuguese introduced the press in India nearly a century later, with St. Paul’s College in Goa manufacturing the first one. As a result, Portuguese missionaries printed the first book in 1557. It wasn’t until several centuries later, however, in the mid-1800s, that steam-driven cylindrical presses arrived from Europe en masse, revolutionizing the fledgling print industry in India. Thus, in 1854, when Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was a young man, Bengal’s publishing businesses took massive steps forward, producing a plethora of titles on various subjects—with precious few on Vaiṣṇavism. Texts about Caitanya or devotion to Kṛṣṇa were at that time virtually unknown in the Bengali printing world, for the predominating mandate for printed materials came from Christian missionaries and government institutions. The only publications on Caitanya and His philosophy were simplistic distortions coming from writers unaffiliated with any authorized disciplic succession (*paramparā*). This would change, of course, with the work of Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, who published Vaiṣṇava books and several periodicals. A periodical is anything that comes out periodically—daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, annually—whether a magazine, newspaper, or journal. The notion of the periodical goes back to the first century CE. The first modern magazine, utilizing a printing press, was published in Germany during the seventeenth century. The success of this publication led to the introduction of periodicals across Europe and then America and around the world. And so it was that, in the late nineteenth century, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura embraced modernity in colonial India by engaging the printing press in Kṛṣṇa’s service. At first he served as editor on the *Amrita Bazar Patrika*, one of the oldest daily newspapers in India. This periodical focused mainly on politics and was founded by Sisir Kumar Ghose and Moti Lal Ghose, two of Bhaktivinoda’s illustrious contemporaries.1 Soon, however, Bhaktivinoda and Sisir Kumar would coedit their own periodical, the *Gaura-Viṣṇupriyā Patrikā*, which included a more direct exposition of Mahāprabhu’s *bhakti* tradition, though it included articles from writers outside the tradition. The Ṭhākura’s work on that periodical flourished for several years, and then, in 1881, he decided to focus exclusively on his own journal, *Śrī* *Sajjana-toṣaṇī* (“The Source of Pleasure for Devotees”), which was dedicated to pure kṛṣṇa-*bhakti*.2 The journal saw sporadic publication until 1886, when it was published regularly for years to come. Realizing that Vaiṣṇava philosophy could be effectively propagated by the printed word, Bhaktivinoda established “the Vaiṣṇava Depository,” a library and printing press dedicated to presenting Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism systematically. Twelve-year-old Bimala Prasad—eventually to become known worldwide as Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura—assisted his father as proofreader, thus closely acquainting himself with the art of printing and publishing.3 This would soon serve the purpose of spreading *kṛṣṇa-bhakti* in an unprecedented way. *Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta’s Publishing Empire* In May 1913, shortly before the passing of Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, Bhaktisiddhānta obtained his blessings to establish a typesetting and printing press on a rented property near Kalighat in Kolkata (then Calcutta). He dubbed his new vehicle for distribution of *kṛṣṇa-bhakti* the “Bhāgavat Yantra,” which can be translated as “God’s machine.” He so revered the printed word that upon acquiring this press, and others in the future, he would conduct an “installation” ceremony as one would for a deity of Kṛṣṇa.4 With this press, publication moved forward without cessation. According to Bhaktisiddhānta biographer Ferdinando Sardella (Praṇava Dāsa): With this press he began producing Bengali publications of canonical Vaiṣṇava texts such as Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja’s *Caitanya-caritāmṛta*, to which he added the commentary of Bhaktivinoda (the *amṛta-pravāha-bhāṣya*) followed by his own brief purports (the *anubhāṣya*). In the course of his life, Bhaktivinoda had collected numerous rare books and manuscripts that awaited publication, and Bhaktisiddhānta was eager to produce them. In January 1914, when the Kalighat contract expired, he moved the press to Vrajapattan in Mayapur. Bhaktisiddhānta’s extensive use of modern printing methods provides a good example of his willingness to employ advanced technology and media in the effort to popularize Caitanya Vaiṣṇavism, and also indicates his ability to actively respond to a new environment—and to urbanized life. Not long after his father’s departure, Bhaktisiddhānta moved the press to nearby Krishnanagar, the administrative center of the district of Nadia. From there he continued publishing Bhaktivinoda’s *Sajjana-toṣaṇī*, at the time one of Bengal’s most established Vaiṣṇava magazines.5 After Bhaktisiddhānta took *sannyāsa* (1918) and founded his Gauḍīya Mission, he published tirelessly, with works in Sanskrit, Bengali, Hindi, Telegu, Tamil, Assamese, English, German, and more, perhaps 175 books in all. He trained numerous writers among his disciples, and found others who knew Gauḍīya philosophy as well, engaging them as editors and writers for his journals. In time, three big printing presses were at the service of his Gauḍīya Mission: the Bhagavat Press in Krishnagar (1914–15), the Gauḍīya Printing Works in Calcutta (1923), and the Nadiya Prakash Printing Works at Mayapur (1928). Shortly before his demise, the Paramarthi Printing Works began at Cuttack (1936). As press operations became more sophisticated and periodicals became increasingly in vogue, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī rose to the task, propagating the Vaiṣṇava tradition through numerous magazines. The Gauḍīya Maṭha’s periodicals began to flood the market. They produced no less than six regular periodicals in as many languages. *Sajjana-toṣaṇī*, or “The Harmonist”—started by Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura and continued by Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, as mentioned above—is but one example, though perhaps the most prominent. Originally a quarterly in Bengali, on September 4, 1934, it became a bimonthly, in both English and Sanskrit. The *Gauḍīya*, to cite another example, was a Bengali weekly initiated on August 19, 1922, printed from the Calcutta chapter of the *Gauḍīya* Maṭha. And then there was *Dainika Nadīyā Prakāśa*, started in March of 1926, published twice a week in English and Bengali from Sridhama Mayapur. From February 28, 1928, onwards, it was published six days a week and, for some sixteen years, daily.6 *The Bhāgavata* was inaugurated on November 8, 1931, from Śrī Naimiṣāraṇya Śrī Paramahaṁsa Maṭha, published in Hindi biweekly. *Kīrtana* was a monthly published from the *Gauḍīya* Maṭha’s Assam Goalpara Prapannāśrama in Assamese starting in September of 1932. *Paramārthī* was published in Oriya twice a month, on every Ekādaśī, from Śrī Saccidānanda Maṭha, also from 1932 onwards. With these periodicals Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta wasn’t merely conveying the teachings of Śrī Caitanya to his countrymen; he was preparing the Western world for the emissaries he would soon be sending to their shores. The magazines regularly included essays that explained the Vaiṣṇava worldview so that a Westerner could understand it as well. Here, then, we find Bhaktisiddhānta’s first deliberate efforts to globalize the Gauḍīya vision for a ready and waiting worldwide audience. Many foreigners, in fact, from both America and Europe, became subscribers to his journals and appreciated the effort, writing him letters that lauded his work. *Following His Lead* Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī seemed unstoppable, and indeed he succeeded in spreading Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism throughout the length and breadth of India, largely through his periodicals. In fact, on his instructions his disciples continued producing books and magazines long after his departure in 1937. Two primary examples would be the Bengali *Śrī Gauḍīya Patrikā*, founded in 1949, and the Hindi *Śrī Bhāgavata Patrikā*, founded in 1955. His Divine Grace Śrīla Prabhupāda edited and wrote for these two magazines before his journey West and, within two years of his arrival in America, revamped his own *Back to Godhead* magazine, founded in 1944, initially only in English.7 Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta would have been proud—BTG has sold millions of copies worldwide and continues on. Prabhupāda’s magazine was no doubt inspired by the life and instruction of his Divine Master, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, and it reflects his teachings and pure Vaiṣṇava way of life without deviation or compromise.8 Sidebar: Foreword to *The Harmonist* by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura *Vol. XXV, No. 1, June 1927, 441 Chaitanya-Era* The name of the Journal, the ‘Harmonist’, stands in need of a little explanation. ‘Sajjana-toshani’ the only Sanskrit name headed the paper when she used to appear in Bengali, and the same spirit and aims of the ‘Sajjana-toshani’ are to be continued though she has now put on the English garb. ‘Harmonist’ is the free English equivalent of the word ‘Sajjana toshani.’ This point will bear a little elucidation. The title ‘Sajjana-toshani’ was adopted to signify a definite purpose. The word ‘Sajjana’ is made up of two parts viz. ‘Sat’ and ‘Jana’. ‘Sat’ is ‘Godhead’ or the ‘Absolute Truth’. This is in accordance with the sruti Om Tat Sat). ‘Sat’ means the Ever-Existent, the Unchangeable, the One Spirit and Harmony Himself. The ‘Sajjana’ is one who belongs to and serves the ‘Sat’. ‘Toshani’ is in the feminine form and means one who is desirous of pleasing. The journal aims exclusively at pleasing ‘Sajjanas’. The feminine form of the word is indicative of her attitude of humility in regard to ‘Sajjanas’. The word ‘Sajjana’ is not really narrow in its denotation. To him who possesses the clearest spiritual vision all living beings without exception are ‘Sajjanas’. This is specifically borne out by the passage: > he sādhavaḥ sakalam eva vihāya durāt > caitanya-candra-caraṇe kurutānurāgam “Ye Sadhus, bidding farewell to everything from a distance, offer your hearts’ devotion at the Feet of Chaitanyachandra”. The ‘Harmonist’ as preacher of God’s Word has to be endowed with the requisite qualities. Her high mission is to please all living beings by conveying to them the Divine Message in the fitting manner. Her object is emphatically not to create rupture but to bring about harmony. This constitutes the vital difference between her and the elevationist or the Salvationist. Both of the latter fail to satisfy the hankering of the soul, because they only offer or withhold the things of this world. The elevationist (karmmin) attempts to do temporary good to himself or to a few at the expense of others. The object of all good work is at best merely temporary relief and even that is uncertain. All such efforts have, moreover, the invariable dark side. This is true of the so-called philanthropic endeavours no less than of our ‘*jajnas*’ that involve the direct sacrifice of animal life (*paśuyaī*). The Salvationist is a deluded, disguised seeker of his purely individual interest. Both the systems involve ultimate disappointment and confusion for all concerned. The Salvationist perched on the solitary height of his sterile, egotistic isolation is on reaching his goal condemned to a neutralized existence which is death in life. This prospect is not different from that of the Karmis who are equally deluded, and cannot do lasting good to anyone. The remedy that both of these propose for the ills of life is manifestly inadequate and even harmful. Their particularistic methods multiply hostilities and increase confusion. The object of the ‘Sajjana-toshani’ is the radical cure of evil. Her method is entirely different from those of the elevationist or the Salvationist. She is absolutely unselfish and impartial. . . . *Notes* 1. It was Sisir Kumar Ghose (1840–1911) who gave Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura the honorific “the seventh Gosvāmī,” indicating that his work was on a par with the famous Six Gosvāmīs of Vrindavan. See Rupa-vilasa dasa, The Seventh Goswami (Los Angeles: Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, 2024, reprint).. 2. See Jason D. Fuller, “Remembering the Tradition: Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura’s ‘Sajjanatoṣaṇī’ and the Construction of a Middle-Class Vaiṣṇava Sampradāya in Nineteenth-Century Bengal,” in *Hinduism in Public and Private: Reform, Hindutva, Gender, Sampraday*, ed. Antony Copley (New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2003), 173–210. See also Varuni Bhatia, “Devotional Traditions and National Culture: Recovering Gaudiya Vaishnavism in Colonial Bengal,” Ph.D. thesis, Columbia University, 2009; and Abhishek Ghosh, “*Sannyāsa* in Modern Caitanya Vaiṣṇavism: Three Pioneers and Their Unique Monastic Careers, 1895–1918,” *Journal of Vaiṣṇava Studies*, Volume 29, No. 1 (Fall 2020), 62. 3. Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī started a few of his own journals early on: *Bṛhaspati*, or “Scientific Indian,” was first published in October of 1896; *Jyotirvid* was a monthly first published in April, 1901, from Calcutta; and *Nivedana,* or “Sign Board,” was a weekly newsletter started in 1899. 4. See Gaudiya History: Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura (https://Gaudiyahistory.iskcondesiretree.com/tag/Bhaktisiddhanta-Sarasvati-Thakura/). 5. See Ferdinando Sardella, *Modern Hindu Personalism: The History, Life, and Thought of Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī* (New York: Oxford University Press, 2012), 86. That *Sajjana-toṣaṇī* was “one of Bengal’s most established Vaiṣṇava magazines” was significant. According to Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava scholars Tony K. Stewart and Hena Basu, there were as many as “122 titles of Vaishnava periodicals published in Bengal between 1856 and 1983.” See Hena Basu (ed.), *Vaiṣṇava Periodicals in Bengal: 1856–1983* (Kolkata: Basu Research and Documentation Service, 2009). Quoted in Ferdinando Sardella, “Religious experiments in colonial Calcutta: Modern Hinduism and *bhakti* among the Indian middle class” in *Scripta Instituti Donneriani Aboensis* (Ṛbo, Finland: The Donner Institute for Research in Religious and Cultural History, 2011), 370. 6. *Dainika* means “daily.” When asked why he printed a daily spiritual newspaper, Śrīla Sarasvatī Ṭhākura replied, “If an insignificant city can produce five daily newspapers, then why can’t we publish a newspaper every second about the eternal, ever-fresh transcendental activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His unlimited spiritual planet, Goloka Vṛndāvana?” The cover announced the periodical’s unique nature: *viśve ekmātra dainik pāramarthik patra* (“The only daily spiritual newspaper in the world”). Each issue consisted of eight pages. The front and back pages provided current news of Bengal’s Nadia district as well as international news. All other pages showcased spiritual teachings from the scriptures and the *ācāryas*. 7. At one point there were many foreign-language editions of BTG, including those published in German, Italian and Hungarian. Today, in addition to the longstanding English version, there are a few Indian-language editions, and the magazine thrives in the name of Śrīla Prabhupāda. He called it “the backbone” of his movement. 8. Just as Śrīla Bhaktivinoda would serialize his important works in *Sajjana-toṣaṇī*, along with presenting articles on Vaiṣṇava exegesis, history, and the practical application of Vaiṣṇava teaching, so too did Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta incorporate these important elements of spiritual life in his many periodicals—with the added dimension of social commentary and, as mentioned above, news articles about his institution. This is something that Śrīla Prabhupāda continued to do in BTG. In the early issues of the magazine, Prabhupāda serialized his own works, such as the *Caitanya-caritāmṛta*, *The* *Nectar of Devotion*, and *Śrī Īśopaniṣad*. Additionally, he would explain current events from a Vaiṣṇava point of view, including man’s first alleged forays into space and the consequences of World War II. Mindfulness in Kṛṣṇa Consciousness by Viśākhā Devī Dāsī *We derive the greatest benefit when we choose wisely what to fix our attention on.* Toward the end of the *Bhagavad-gītā* (18.72*)*, Lord Kṛṣṇa says to Arjuna, “Have you heard this with an attentive mind? And are your ignorance and illusions now dispelled?” Kṛṣṇa implies here that if Arjuna has indeed heard Kṛṣṇa’s many directives in the *Gītā*, then Arjuna’s ignorance and illusions will end. The key word is *eka-*agreṇa**, or heard with one-pointed, complete attention (*agreṇa* is related to *agra*, whose meanings include “foremost,” “best,” and “chief”). If Arjuna was not fully attentive, Kṛṣṇa’s words will not have the same effect. The principle of focusing the mind, of being attentive and controlling our thoughts, has implications beyond the obvious. We are in our present body, Kṛṣṇa says, due to our thoughts in our past life. “Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail.” (*Gītā* 8.6) Śrīla Prabhupāda comments, “One’s thoughts during the course of one’s life accumulate to influence one’s thoughts at the moment of death.” Thoughts are subtle but have a powerful influence. On one hand, what we think about is our independent, God-given choice. At anytime, anywhere, every one of us can bring our attention, our consciousness, to whatever we choose. On the other hand, what we choose to pay attention to can be a product of our conditioning and karma from our present and previous lives. Our current media-inundated culture is infamous for splintering our attention. As a result, mindfulness has become a popular method of reining in our wandering thoughts and fixing them according to our choice. Mindfulness, the basic human ability to be fully present in the moment, enables us to control our awareness of and response to situations and circumstances. In the *Gītā* (6.26) Kṛṣṇa tells Arjuna and all of us, “From wherever the mind wanders due to its flickering and unsteady nature, one must certainly withdraw it and bring it back under the control of the Self.” This is being mindful, and once we decide to become mindful—that is, once we want to choose what we pay attention to—the critical question becomes, What *should* I think of? What is in my best interest to pay attention to? To answer this question properly, we first must have an understanding of who we are, of our identity beyond the temporary body and mind we currently inhabit. *Knowledge that Makes All the Difference* Lord Kṛṣṇa teaches that we are not our body or mind but spiritual beings, *ātmās*. If we understand and accept this one basic fact, it will make all the difference, for we will realize that what our mind is ordinarily engrossed in—money, work, family, position, relationships, acquisitions—is ultimately not our top priority. It’s not that these material things are to be neglected or ignored—dealing with them well is necessary and important—but it’s that they are temporary and cannot bring us the full satisfaction we seek. When our attention is diverted to so many material things, we fail to achieve spiritual realization, the prime necessity of human life. We fail to understand who we are and what is best for us to do. The *ātmā*, the soul, is active and pleasure-seeking, which is why our body and mind are active and continuously seeking pleasure. That pleasure is found not in taking but in giving, in offering service. Of course, we’re already serving—our boss, our customers, our teachers, our family, our pets, and so forth—and such service may offer some satisfaction. But the ultimate service, which is fully satisfying, is called *bhakti*. It means to serve Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, with devotion. Kṛṣṇa says (*Gītā* 18.55) that we can understand Him only by devotional service in full consciousness of Him, and can thereby enter His eternal home. Such is the reward of *bhakti*, and it begins with attentive hearing. The apparently simple process of attentive hearing (which is actually more difficult than it appears) is transforming. Therefore Śrīla Prabhupāda writes, “The whole Vedic adventure is to draw one’s attention entirely unto the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa without any diversion.” (*Bhāgavatam* 2.4.1, Purport) To concentrate our attention, we need to control our mind and senses. Since our mind is often bombarded by stimuli from any number of sources, it easily darts off in any number of unhelpful directions. Kṛṣṇa says, “Those who are on this path are resolute in purpose, and their aim is one. The intelligence of those who are irresolute is many-branched.” (*Gītā* 2.41) By the material energy’s illusory potency, we’re faced with diverse allurements that can endlessly entangle us, and trying to understand and act in accord with our actual identity as spiritual beings, *ātmās*, is like fighting for eternal life against this onslaught. When we’re able to direct our attention spiritually by attentively hearing the message of Kṛṣṇa and His devotees, then Kṛṣṇa Himself is established within our heart. Of course, God, Kṛṣṇa, is already in our heart, but by turning our attention to Him, we come closer to realizing His presence there. *Kṛṣṇa Helps* This sublime process begins with us sincerely seeking a proper source to hear from, being eager to hear and learn, being curious, inquisitive, and submissive. These attitudes and qualities may seem difficult to attain, yet if we simply try, Kṛṣṇa, who is eager for us to come closer to Him, will help. He will give us a taste for hearing and serving, and that taste will in turn increase our desire to hear and serve. Śrīla Prabhupāda writes, “No one can give rapt attention who is not pure in mind. No one can be pure in mind who is not pure in action. No one can be pure in action who is not pure in eating, sleeping, fearing and mating. But somehow or other if someone hears with rapt attention from the right person, at the very beginning one can assuredly see Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa in person in the pages of the *Bhāgavatam*.” (*Bhāgavatam* 1.3.44, Purport) Simply making the sincere attempt to hear about Kṛṣṇa with full attention gives Kṛṣṇa the impetus to help us. And if, despite our efforts, our mind wanders off, in our frustration and remorse we can call out to Kṛṣṇa, feeling ourself helpless and unfortunate. Like a parent who is more attentive to a dependent child, Kṛṣṇa is more attentive to His dependent devotee, and a sincere cry from such a devotee can touch His heart. As we give Kṛṣṇa our attention, He may be more attentive to us. Our dormant heart will be moved. *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* (1.2.17) says, “Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramātmā [Supersoul] in everyone’s heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted.” By attentively hearing of Kṛṣṇa’s activities, we attract Kṛṣṇa’s attention. Our mind gradually becomes less distracted, more steady, and more satisfied. And Kṛṣṇa, situated in our heart, helps us spiritually progress on and on. *Types of Hearing* We can note that although indifferent hearing and attentive, active hearing may look the same, they are qualitatively different. Inactive hearing, like watered-down milk, fails to fully spiritually nourish us, while attentive hearing fills us with spiritual zest. Attentive hearing, a product of enthusiasm, evokes within us a thirst to comprehend the incomprehensible, and we find ourselves continually refreshed as we relish transcendence through our ears. Attentive hearing is like a reef that calms the violent waves of our distracted mind and redirects it toward Kṛṣṇa’s enchanting and variegated realm. As our thoughts settle and focus on Him, we are with Him and He is with us. Attentive hearing is wholehearted hearing; it is hearing while also deeply caring about, contemplating, and absorbing what’s being conveyed. It’s through attentive hearing that we enter into the spirit of the scriptures. Śrīla Prabhupāda writes, “If one with great care and attention takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, chanting the holy name and hearing Kṛṣṇa’s transcendental pastimes, his ignorance will be destroyed and his tongue enabled to taste the sweetness of the transcendental nature of Kṛṣṇa and His paraphernalia. Such a recovery of spiritual health is possible only by the regular cultivation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.” (*The Nectar of Instruction* 7, Purport) When we hear spiritual subjects attentively, both Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master become very happy, and their happiness is also our happiness. *Visakhā Devi Dasi has been writing for BTG since 1973. The author of six books, she is the temple president at Bhaktivedanta Manor in the UK. She and her husband, Yadubara Dāsa, produce and direct films, most recently the biopic on the life of Śrīla Prabhupāda* Hare Kṛṣṇa! The Mantra, the Movement, and the Swami Who Started It All*. Visit her website at OurSpiritualJourney.com.* From the Editor *Māyā’s Authorized Deceit* Two verses in *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* (2.5.13 and 2.7.47) tell us that Māyā Devī, the personification of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s illusory energy, is ashamed to stand before the Lord. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura comments, “Knowing that she deceives, she is ashamed to stand in His sight; like a deceitful woman, she stands behind the Lord.” Māyā deceives us souls in the material world, who are here because we choose to turn away from the Lord. Śrīla Prabhupāda writes, “The material world is an illusory energy to deviate the living entities from the path of self-realization.” (*Bhāgavatam* 8.19.21, Purport) What’s remarkable about Māyā’s feeling ashamed is that her deception is done as service to Kṛṣṇa, her master. Māyā is a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa and acts only according to His will. She knows, however, that Kṛṣṇa doesn’t like that she has to do the work she does, which involves not only bewildering us *jīva* souls but also giving us misery in numberless ways. So why does Kṛṣṇa allow it? For our reformation. Through His expansions, Kṛṣṇa creates the material world and all its workings for our benefit. In *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* (10.87.2) Śukadeva Gosvāmī tells Mahārāja Parīkṣit, “The Supreme Lord manifested the material intelligence, senses, mind and vital air of the living entities so that they could indulge their desires for sense gratification, take repeated births to engage in fruitive activities, become elevated in future lives and ultimately attain liberation.” Śukadeva Gosvāmī is replying to a question from Mahārāja Parīkṣit, who wanted to know how the *Vedas*, apparently ordinary words, can possibly describe the transcendental Absolute Truth. The import of Śukadeva’s reply is that the *Vedas* are not ordinary words. Like Kṛṣṇa, they too are transcendental, and Kṛṣṇa has empowered them to reveal ultimate truth to human beings, to whom he has given the mind, intelligence, and so on by which to comprehend the message of the *Vedas*. This shows that Kṛṣṇa is not indifferent to our suffering in the material world. It has a purpose, and we can understand it by studying the teachings of the Vedic literature, which Kṛṣṇa has kindly provided despite our rebellion against Him. Out of the many lessons given in the Vedic literature, an essential one to grasp is that the miseries of material existence are meant to inspire us to give up trying to enjoy the material world and turn to Kṛṣṇa. We can live happily forever in His world, but to do so we must qualify ourselves. Everyone there loves Kṛṣṇa with their whole being, and everyone there desires only to serve Him through loving exchanges with Him. Māyā’s job is to make sure we belong in Kṛṣṇa’s world. The miseries she sends us, under Kṛṣṇa’s ultimate supervision, are meant to prod us to take up the practices of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and move steadily forward. We must become free of all impurity in our heart and all attachment to whatever Māyā deceptively offers us. We must come to the point of relinquishing our false, material ego and discovering our true, spiritual ego as an eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. Our love for Kṛṣṇa must be natural, focused, and pure. Paradoxically, Māyā’s deceit can help us reach that goal by forcing us to strengthen our resolve to fully take shelter of Him. Hare Kṛṣṇa. —*Nāgarāja Dāsa, Editor*