Planet ISKCON

If we consider Lord Shiva to be the highest Vaishnava, vaishnavānām yathā śambhuḥ, why don’t we celebrate festivals like Mahashivratri? And there are so many Acharyas whose appearance and disappearance are mentioned—almost over a hundred—in the Vaishnava calendar. Yet Lord Shiva is not included in that. First, let’s look at it from three different perspectives.

The Vaishnava calendar was largely adopted from the Gaudiya calendar. And the Gaudiya Math, which largely existed in Bengal, in many ways solidified its organizational structure by adopting many of the festivals that were locally celebrated in Bengal. That’s why we have Katyayani Puja included within the Vaishnava calendar. Now, who celebrates Katyayani Puja? It is mainly Vrindavan devotees who celebrate it, although it is there in the calendar. That is more of a legacy—an artifact from the past—rather than something dynamic today.

So there have been various calendar committees within our movement to see what modifications should be made in the calendar and what should be continued. The point is: the calendar should not be seen as scripture. It is basically a circumstantial record of what festivals were considered significant, and what is considered significant will evolve with time. There are many places in India where, in temples, Shivratri is celebrated, and that is part of the local calendar.

Second, with respect to why Lord Shiva’s festivals are not included: within the tradition there has been a historical change—possibly in response to circumstances—about how the devatas are approached. In the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, there is a very natural and respectful acceptance of the worship of the devatas, even by the main characters who were Vaishnavas. So, who worships which deity was not a big issue. In the Mahabharata, Vishnu’s ashram is mentioned, Shiva’s ashram is also mentioned.

Over the centuries, especially as the Vaishnava sampradayas became more solidified, Shankaracharya introduced the Panchopasana. This had valid historical reasons, as he was trying to unify followers of the Vedic path under one broad umbrella. But the result was that confusion began about the interrelationship between the devatas and the Supreme Lord—about who is supreme and how worship of one should relate to another. To counter this, the sampradayas began to draw sharper demarcations: “We should worship only this deity and not others.”

Some traditional sampradayas would never go to a Shiva temple at all; if they went, even by mistake, they would fast. This resembles (not exactly, but somewhat similar to) a Christian-style exclusivity: just as a wife would not go to another man’s house, devotees considered that they should only worship their Lord. Even today, some modern Vaishnava leaders may go for interfaith meetings in mosques or churches but will not go to a Shiva temple.

However, Mahaprabhu did not exemplify such rigid demarcation. When He went to Bhubaneswar, He visited the temple of Lord Shiva. So, within ISKCON too, we need to understand that while at one time sharp demarcation served a purpose, if carried too far it can appear extreme—though there was some justification for it in its context.

On the other side, every tradition has to live within a particular environment and connect with people in that environment. As our movement is now becoming more mainstream and is seen as one of the leading Hindu organizations, sometimes we may also celebrate Mahashivratri, but in a way that focuses on glorifying Lord Shiva as the topmost Vaishnava. Respect for local customs is important.

Mahaprabhu also showed this principle. For example, He did not support the idea that Haridas Thakur should be barred from entering the Jagannath temple, but He did not fight against the temple authorities either. He respected both Haridas Thakur and the temple tradition. Similarly, in different places our leaders may choose whether to celebrate certain festivals or not, depending on the local situation.

So, not everything in a living tradition is monolithic. Depending on the dynamics of particular places and decisions of local leaders, some festivals may be celebrated and some may not. As individuals too, we may have to balance our cultural background and family expectations with our institutional practices.

That is why it is important to remember the distinction between principles and details. The principle is eternal, but the details—such as which festivals are celebrated and how much emphasis is given—can be adjusted according to time, place, and circumstance.

The post When we consider Lord Shiva to be the greatest Vaishnava why don’t we celebrate Mahashivaratri the way we celebrate the appearance and disappearance day of so many Vaishnava acharyas? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

devi krishna-mayi prokta radhika para-devata

sarva-lakshmi-mayi sarva kantih sammohini para

“The transcendental goddess Srimati Radharani is the direct counterpart of Lord Sri Krishna. She is the central figure for all the goddesses of fortune. She possesses all the attractiveness to attract the all-attractive Personality of Godhead. She is the primeval internal potency of the Lord.”

Srimati Radharani is the Supreme Goddess. She is most always seen with Lord Krishna. It is described that She is the Chief Associate and devotee of Lord Krishna, and topmost of all Goddesses.

Her name means the She is the most excellent worshiper of Lord Krishna. However, She is also an expansion of the Lord’s energy. Since She is also an extension of Krishna, She is the feminine aspect of God.

Thus, in the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition, God is both male and female. They are One, but Krishna expands into two, Himself and Radharani, for the sake of divine loving pastimes.

If They remained as One, then there is no relationship, there are no pastimes, and there can be no dynamic exchange of love. (Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila, 4.55-56)

This year I attended Radhastami at our Sri Sri Radha Madhava temple in Gianyar, Bali.

For the most auspicious celebration of Sri Radhastami, we read from Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto Two, Chapter Three: “Pure Devotional Service.”

TEXT 23

jivan chavo bhagavatanghri-renum
  na jatu martyo ’bhilabheta yas tu
sri-visnu-padya manujas tulasyah
  svasan chavo yas tu na veda gandham

TRANSLATION

The person who has not at any time received the dust of the feet of the Lord’s pure devotee upon his head is certainly a dead body. And the person who has never experienced the aroma of the tulasi leaves from the lotus feet of the Lord is also a dead body, although breathing.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

According to Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, the breathing dead body is a ghost. When a man dies, he is called dead, but when he again appears in a subtle form not visible to our present vision and yet acts, such a dead body is called a ghost. Ghosts are always very bad elements, always creating a fearful situation for others. Similarly, the ghostlike nondevotees who have no respect for the pure devotees, nor for the Visnu Deity in the temples, create a fearful situation for the devotees at all times. The Lord never accepts any offerings by such impure ghosts. There is a common saying that one should first love the dog of the beloved before one shows any loving sentiments for the beloved. The stage of pure devotion is attained by sincerely serving a pure devotee of the Lord. The first condition of devotional service to the Lord is therefore to be a servant of a pure devotee, and this condition is fulfilled by the statement “reception of the dust of the lotus feet of a pure devotee who has also served another pure devotee.” That is the way of pure disciplic succession, or devotional parampara.

Maharaja Rahugana inquired from the great saint Jada Bharata as to how he had attained such a liberated stage of a paramahamsa, and in answer the great saint replied as follows (Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.12.12):

rahuganaitat tapasa na yati
  na cejyaya nirvapanad grhad va
na cchandasa naiva jalagni-suryair
  vina mahat-pada-rajo-’bhisekam

“O King Rahugana, the perfectional stage of devotional service, or the paramahamsa stage of life, cannot be attained unless one is blessed by the dust of the feet of great devotees. It is never attained by tapasya (austerity), the Vedic worshiping process, acceptance of the renounced order of life, the discharge of the duties of household life, the chanting of the Vedic hymns, or the performance of penances in the hot sun, within cold water, or before the blazing fire.”

In other words, Lord Sri Krsna is the property of His pure unconditional devotees, and as such only the devotees can deliver Krsna to another devotee; Krsna is never obtainable directly. Lord Chaitanya therefore designated Himself as gopi-bhartuh pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanudasah (Cc Madhya 13.80), or “the most obedient servant of the servants of the Lord, who maintains the gopi damsels at Vrndavana.” A pure devotee therefore never approaches the Lord directly, but tries to please the servant of the Lord’s servants, and thus the Lord becomes pleased, and only then can the devotee relish the taste of the tulasi leaves stuck to His lotus feet. In the Brahma-samhita it is said that the Lord is never to be found by becoming a great scholar of the Vedic literatures, but He is very easily approachable through His pure devotee. In Vrndavana all the pure devotees pray for the mercy of Srimati Radharani, the pleasure potency of Lord Krsna. Srimati Radharani is a tenderhearted feminine counterpart of the supreme whole, resembling the perfectional stage of the worldly feminine nature. Therefore, the mercy of Radharani is available very readily to the sincere devotees, and once She recommends such a devotee to Lord Krsna, the Lord at once accepts the devotee’s admittance into His association. The conclusion is, therefore, that one should be more serious about seeking the mercy of the devotee than that of the Lord directly, and by one’s doing so (by the good will of the devotee) the natural attraction for the service of the Lord will be revived.

COMMENT by Giriraj Swami

This verse and purport are so deep. Practically the whole philosophy of Krishna consciousness is contained in this purport, and one could discuss it for many hours and days.

The first point—the most basic point—is that the living entity is not the body. The living entity is the soul within the body. The living entity in the material body has material desires for sense gratification and more subtle material desires that express themselves in mental speculation. After leaving the body, some unfortunate living entities end up as ghosts, in subtle, ghostly bodies, but they still have gross desires.

How does someone become a ghost? A typical way is that a living entity full of material desires becomes so frustrated and disappointed (which everyone is, to some extent) that he commits suicide. The result is that he gets a ghost body, a subtle body without a gross body. Krishna, the Supersoul, fulfills all desires. The person who commits suicide wants to be free from his gross body, so Krishna fulfills his desire and gives him a ghost body, a subtle body. But the frustration and disappointment that gave rise to the impulse to commit suicide came from strong material desires, and he still has the material desires but not a gross body through which to fulfill them. So he is even more frustrated. And so, the ghost will try to inhabit, or possess, someone else’s gross body in order to fulfill its desires through that person’s senses. Thus, ghosts are disturbing elements. They create fearful situations.

Another way a person can get the body of a ghost is if he is very attached to a thing or place—to his house, for example—and at the time of death thinks of that object of attachment. Yam yam vapi smaran bhavam tyajaty ante kalevaram / tam tam evaiti kaunteya sada tad-bhava-bhavitah: “Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail.” (Gita 8.6) Whatever you think of at the time of death will determine your next body. Now, if you think of your house at the time of death, you can’t get the body of a house, because that is not one of the species of life, but you can take birth as a ghost in that house. Therefore, many houses, especially big, opulent ones—mansions and castles—are reputed to be haunted by ghosts.

How can one be freed from ghosts? The chanting of the holy name is the best remedy for practically any ill in the world, and it is the remedy for being troubled by ghosts. Sometimes devotees take advantage of this fact. A large estate will be haunted and so people won’t want to buy it, but the devotees will see, “Oh, here is a good opportunity. We can get a major property to use in Krishna’s service for only a small sum of money, and as for the ghosts, we’ll just do hari-nama–sankirtana and the ghosts will go away and we will have a nice place for Krishna.”

In the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu Srila Rupa Gosvami composed a beautiful verse in which he says that one who is haunted by material desires can never experience the sweet taste of devotional service.

bhukti-mukti-sprha yavat
  pisaci hrdi vartate
tavad bhakti-sukhasyatra
  katham abhyudayo bhavet

“The material desire to enjoy the material world and the desire to become liberated from material bondage are considered to be two witches, and they haunt one like ghosts. As long as these witches remain within the heart, how can one feel transcendental bliss? As long as these two witches remain in the heart, there is no possibility of enjoying the transcendental bliss of devotional service.” (Brs 1.2.22) Pisaci means “ghost” or “witch.” Material desires are like ghosts that fill our minds with ideas foreign to us. In our normal consciousness we think in a certain way, but when a ghost possesses our mind, we think in a completely different way.

As spirit souls, we are all originally Krishna conscious, by constitution eternal servants of Krishna (jivera ‘svarupa’ haya-krsnera ‘nitya-dasa’). So, to desire anything other than to be a servant of Krishna or a servant of a servant of Krishna is like being haunted by a ghost. We get desires, ideas, for sense gratification, and instead of accepting Krishna as the supreme enjoyer, which is His constitutional position, we want to take His place and enjoy independent of Him. Such desires, such ideas, are foreign to our true nature. So, being possessed by these desires is like being haunted by a ghost.

Everyone in the material world is in a fearful position, and everyone needs shelter. Once, someone asked Srila Prabhupada, “What do you personally feel when you chant?” And Srila Prabhupada replied, “I feel no fear.” Every conditioned soul is fearful. If we think about it, we are always afraid. We can’t even count all the things we are afraid of all the time. The Bhagavatam (11.2.37) says that fear arises from thinking of things as being separate from Krishna.

bhayam dvitiyabhinivesatah syad
  isad apetasya viparyayo ’smrtih
tan-mayayato budha abhajet tam
  bhaktyaikayesam guru-devatatma

“Fear arises when a living entity misidentifies himself as the material body because of absorption in the external, illusory energy of the Lord. When the living entity thus turns away from the Supreme Lord, he also forgets his own constitutional position as a servant of the Lord. This bewildering, fearful condition is effected by the potency for illusion, called maya. Therefore, an intelligent person should engage unflinchingly in the unalloyed devotional service of the Lord, under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master, whom he should accept as his worshipable deity and as his very life and soul.” If we recognize that everything is related to Krishna and that Krishna is the supreme enjoyer, the supreme proprietor, and our best friend, we won’t be afraid; we’ll feel peaceful.

We need shelter, and we can get the shelter we need only from Krishna. But we cannot get Krishna’s shelter directly. We have no way to approach Him directly. Therefore all scriptures and bona fide acharyas recommend that to achieve the shelter of Krishna we should seek the shelter of a pure devotee who himself has achieved the shelter of another pure devotee who has achieved the shelter of another pure devotee—all the way back to Krishna. This is devotional parampara.

mahatmanas tu mam partha
  daivim prakrtim asritah
bhajanty ananya-manaso
  jnatva bhutadim avyayam

“Those who are not deluded, the great souls, are under the protection of the divine nature. They are fully engaged in devotional service because they know Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, original and inexhaustible.” (Gita 9.13) The great souls are not under the material energy. They are under the divine energy, the spiritual energy. And they achieve the shelter of the spiritual energy by taking shelter of a pure devotee who is under the spiritual energy, who in turn has taken shelter of a pure devotee under the spiritual energy, and so on, back to Krishna.

Srila Prabhupada was once invited to speak at the home of the wealthiest family in India then, the Birlas. I presented Mrs. Birla a list of topics on which Srila Prabhupada could speak (though I knew he could speak on any topic), and she chose “How to be Successful.” The invitees would be people who were already very successful, but her choice suggested that they wanted to become more successful—that they were not satisfied as they were. Thus they would want to learn the secret of how to become more successful.

At the program, Srila Prabhupada gave an interesting definition of success, one that we had not anticipated. He explained that everyone in the material world is under the control of the material energy, personified as Durga, who rides on her lion carrier and exhibits many arms with many weapons. He said that Durga holds a trident (trisula), which represents the threefold miseries of material existence, and that she pierces the conditioned souls with these miseries. And opposed to the material energy is the spiritual energy, personified as Srimati Radharani. Srila Prabhupada said that success in life means to transfer oneself from the control of Durgadevi, the material energy, to the shelter of Radharani, the spiritual energy. Of course, Durgadevi herself is serving Lord Krishna, but her service is to punish us conditioned souls who are under her control. She is the warden of the prison house of material existence, and success for a prisoner is to be released from the prison—not to get better facility within the prison house. Success is to be freed.

Srila Prabhupada’s definition was so intelligent and subtle. He was saying that success doesn’t mean to move to a better grade of prison: a better house, a better office, a better car—a better material position. Success means to get out of prison, and that is achieved by surrendering to Krishna, as stated by Him in the Bhagavad-gita (7.14):

daivi hy esa guna-mayi
  mama maya duratyaya
mam eva ye prapadyante
  mayam etam taranti te

“This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.”

We must take shelter of Krishna and move from the control of the material energy to the protection of the spiritual energy, Srimati Radharani. But we cannot do that directly. We do it by taking shelter of someone who has taken shelter of someone who has taken shelter of someone who has taken shelter of Srimati Radharani. That is parampara. We take shelter of Srila Prabhupada and of those working under his direction, just as he took shelter of his guru maharaja, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, and served him, and as Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura took shelter of his spiritual master, Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja, and served him—like that, all the way back to Krishna.

It is a simple process, but it requires humility. And that can be a problem—a big, big problem. We don’t want to submit, to surrender. When Hiranyakasipu asked his five-year-old son, Prahlada, “What is the best thing you have learned in school?” he thought his son would say something agreeable. Sometimes we may also ask a child, “What is your favorite subject?” and we would be shocked and dismayed if the child said, “The best thing I learned is how to cheat people and get ahead by pushing others into the ground.” We would wonder, “Where did he learn that?” Hiranyakasipu was the type who thought that being selfish and learning how to defeat others was a good thing. So when Prahlada replied, “The best thing I have learned is service to God [sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam],” Hiranyakasipu was shocked: “Where did you learn that? Who has spoiled your consciousness?”

The powerful tyrant accused the boy’s teachers, “You have taught him this nonsense, bhakti, devotional service to Lord Vishnu. You have spoiled his intelligence.” “No, we haven’t,” they replied. “He hasn’t learned devotional service from us or from anyone else. He seems to be naturally Krishna conscious.”

Then Hiranyakasipu asked his son directly, and Prahlada replied with a verse similar to the one quoted by Srila Prabhupada in the purport. First he said,

matir na krsne paratah svato va
  mitho ’bhipadyeta grha-vratanam
adanta-gobhir visatam tamisram
  punah punas carvita-carvananam

“Because of their uncontrolled senses, persons too addicted to materialistic life make progress toward hellish conditions and repeatedly chew that which has already been chewed. Their inclinations toward Krsna are never aroused, either by the instructions of others, by their own efforts, or by a combination of both.” (SB 7.5.30) Now, if one cannot become Krishna conscious by one’s own efforts, by the efforts of others, or by the combined efforts of oneself and others, how can one become Krishna conscious? It seems that all logical possibilities have been eliminated.

Then Prahlada said,

 naisam matis tavad urukramanghrim
  sprsaty anarthapagamo yad-arthah
mahiyasam pada-rajo-’bhisekam
  niskincananam na vrnita yavat

“Unless they smear upon their bodies the dust of the lotus feet of a Vaisnava completely freed from material contamination, persons very much inclined toward materialistic life cannot be attached to the lotus feet of the Lord, who is glorified for His uncommon activities. Only by becoming Krsna conscious and taking shelter at the lotus feet of the Lord in this way can one be freed from material contamination.” (SB 7.5.32) One cannot become Krishna conscious unless one has been favored by the dust of the lotus feet of a pure devotee who has nothing to do with the material world. By taking shelter of the lotus feet of a pure devotee—by serving the instructions of a pure devotee—one becomes free from anarthas, unwanted, miserable conditions. The miseries of birth, death, disease, and old age are all unwanted. And by following the pure devotee’s instructions, one becomes free from all unwanted, material desires, which bind us to material existence. One becomes free from everything unfavorable to Krishna consciousness.

Srila Prabhupada explains that Prahlada was indirectly telling his father, “You need not worry about becoming Krishna conscious, because one can become Krishna conscious only if one bows down to the lotus feet of a pure devotee, but you are too proud, so you will never bow down to a pure devotee. So, my dear father, you need not worry about becoming Krishna conscious. It just won’t happen.”

We tend to like to identify with Prahlada and to see other people as Hiranyakasipus, but if we—I shouldn’t speak for all of us, but many of us—if we look inside ourselves, we will see that we also are not that humble. We also have a little rebellious spirit. We don’t want to submit or surrender. We also have something inside us that thinks, as some people actually say, “I’ll never surrender. I’ll never submit.” Or, “I can surrender to God but not to any human being. I can serve God but not some human being.” But that false spirit of independence will not help us.

Given that we have so many doubts and reservations and rebellious tendencies, what hope do we have? The good news is that in this age of Kali, Sri Krishna came in the mood of Srimati Radharani. And as we read in the purport, Srimati Radharani is the tenderhearted feminine counterpart of Krishna. In The Nectar of Devotion also, Srila Prabhupada says that Srimati Radharani represents the compassionate nature of Krishna. Because Krishna is the father, He might be a little strict (which is sometimes necessary and beneficial), but the mother may be more compassionate, more understanding, more encouraging. Therefore devotees approach Krishna through Sri Radha. “Because Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it is very difficult to approach Him. But the devotees, taking advantage of His compassionate nature, which is represented by Radharani, always pray to Radharani for Krsna’s compassion.” (NOD Ch 22)

In addition to having other qualifications, Srimati Radharani is a maha-bhagavata. She sees that everyone is a better servant of Krishna than She. So if someone approaches Her with a desire to serve Krishna, She’ll very easily recommend the person to Krishna, and when Radharani recommends someone, Krishna is bound to accept, because ultimately Krishna wants to please Radharani. Transcendentally, Krishna comes under the control of Radharani. Thus in Radharani’s hometown of Varsana, the devotees have a saying: “Whatever Radha does, Krishna likes. Whatever Radha likes, Krishna does.” So, if Radharani wants Krishna to accept us, He will accept us.

Because today is a special day, Radhastami, we can approach Radharani directly—but even today it is through Her servants. Even when we are in the spiritual world, whenever that fortunate occasion arises, we will serve Radha and Krishna not directly, but under the guidance of Their servants. That is an eternal principle. There are different rasas, or relationships, that we can have with Krishna, but in whatever relationship we have, we will be under the eternal guidance of some eternal associates of Krishna. As Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says,

naham vipro na ca nara-patir napi vaisyo na sudro
  naham varni na ca grha-patir no vanastho yatir va
kintu prodyan-nikhila-paramananda-purnamrtabdher
  gopi-bhartuh pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanudasah

“I am not a brahmana, I am not a ksatriya, I am not a vaisya or a sudra. Nor am I a brahmacari, a householder, a vanaprastha, or a sannyasi. I identify Myself only as the servant of the servant of the servant of the lotus feet of Lord Sri Krsna, the maintainer of the gopis. He is like an ocean of nectar, and He is the cause of universal transcendental bliss. He is always existing with brilliance.” (Cc Madhya 13.80)

That principle, being the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of Krishna, the maintainer of the gopis, applies both in the conditioned state of sadhana-bhakti and in the liberated state of sadhya-bhakti, or prema-bhakti. It is an eternal principle. And we should welcome the opportunity to serve the servant of the servants. We shouldn’t think, “Oh, all right, in the stage of bondage I am in now, I guess I have to do it. It is the only way to get out.” Like, “Okay, I’m in prison now, so I have to do what the warden says, but once I’m out, that’s it. Then I’m free.” No. This is an eternal principle, and we should welcome it and relish it.

Srila Prabhupada paraphrased Srila Rupa Gosvami’s verse about being haunted by ghosts: “Anyone who has any desire or aspiration for satisfying his senses by becoming more and more important, either in the material sense or in the spiritual sense, cannot actually relish the really sweet taste of devotional service.” (NOD Ch 3) And in a class, Srila Prabhupada stated the same thing in a positive way: “The more you become the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of Krishna, the sweeter and sweeter and sweeter and sweeter devotional service becomes.” It is glorious to be the servant of the servant of the servant.

We want to take shelter of one who is niskincana, who has no material possessions. Yes, in India there are sadhus, saintly persons, who hardly have material possessions. But as Srila Prabhupada explains, niskincana also means one who is free from false proprietorship. Here we are in a beautiful temple, and if I think, “This is my temple,” that is false proprietorship. But if I think, “This is Krishna’s temple, and I am just a humble servant of His servants,” that is also niskincana. A pure devotee’s only possession, so to speak, is his or her service to the lotus feet of the Lord. And the more lotus feet we have to serve—the lotus feet of the servant of the lotus feet of the servant of the lotus feet of the servant of the servant of the lotus feet of Krishna—the richer we are in bhakti, which is the life of the living entity.

Today’s verse is one of a series that all make the same point: If we are not engaged in pure devotional service, we are dead. In other words, pure devotional service is real life, and anyone engaged in anything other than devotional service is just a walking, breathing dead body.
Srila Prabhupada has given us this life. He has given us this opportunity. Sri Krishna Chaitanya is Krishna but in the mood of Radharani, and in Her kindhearted, tenderhearted, merciful, compassionate mood of love and care, He has given us the easiest and most practical process for success in the present age: the chanting of the holy names.

harer nama harer nama
  harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva
  nasty eva gatir anyatha

“In this Age of Kali there is no other means, no other means, no other means for self-realization than chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name of Lord Hari [Krsna].” (Brhan-naradiya Purana 38.126) By chanting the holy names without offense, all the dirty things in the heart become cleansed (ceto-darpana-marjanam). Even if we have that little rebellious spirit—“Why should I surrender?”—by chanting, which is both easy and enjoyable, all these dirty things, these misconceptions and false identifications, are cleansed, and naturally we come to our real position as eternal servants of the servants of Krishna. So it is very easy. We just have to do it.

This is ultimately Srimati Radharani’s mercy. It is Her mercy that Srila Prabhupada came to America and gave us Krishna consciousness. In a poem he wrote on board the cargo ship he took to America, Srila Prabhupada wrote, krsna taba punya habe bhai, e-punya koribe jabe radharani khusi habe, dhruva ati boli toma tai: “O brothers, you will obtain your good fortune from the Supreme Lord Krsna only when Srimati Radharani becomes pleased with you.” First we must please Radharani. And how? By following the orders of the spiritual master, serving the mission of the spiritual master. We have everything—every opportunity. We have beautiful Deities; we have Srila Prabhupada, our founder-acharya; we have his instructions, his books, his translations of the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam; we have the holy name; we have the association of devotees—we have everything. We just have to take advantage, and that is why we are here.

Any questions or comments?

Child: How do you become the servant of the servant of the servant?

Giriraj Swami: She is a very intelligent young lady. Do you know what ISKCON is?

Child: Not really.

Giriraj Swami: ISKCON is the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, a spiritual organization founded by Srila Prabhupada. The temple where we are now sitting is part of that organization. You could say that the more senior devotees here who are steady in devotional service, in following Srila Prabhupada’s instructions, are servants of Srila Prabhupada, that Srila Prabhupada is serving the instructions of his spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta, and that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta is serving the instructions of his spiritual master. And so{,} [[fine as is]] by following the instructions of one or more of the solid devotees of Srila Prabhupada here, you are automatically serving the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant, going through the line all the way back to Krishna.

Gentleman: How can one overcome the fear of losing one’s identity and uniqueness by surrendering oneself to a pure devotee?

Giriraj Swami: Every living entity has a unique spiritual identity, and the process of Krishna consciousness means to discover what one’s unique, specific, eternal identity is. So you don’t lose your identity; rather, you discover your actual unique identity.

Just imagine Krishna’s situation. There He is in the spiritual sky, Goloka Vrindavan, surrounded by wish-fulfilling cows and trees and gems, being served by unlimited numbers of beautiful, pure, loving devotees. And off somewhere in a cloud is a bunch of angry, morose, belligerent souls, each determined that “I’m not going to serve Him.” Why should Krishna bother with them? Why should He even care? He is enjoying an eternal, celestial party. Why should He bother about us?

One answer is that each one of us is a unique living entity. No two of us are exactly the same. And so, when we are liberated, our mood of service to Krishna will be unique. This means that as long as we remain in the material world, Krishna in the spiritual world will be deprived of the particular flavor of loving service that each of us is meant to offer Him. Each of us has a specific, unique contribution to make to Krishna’s pleasure that no one else can make in the exact same way.

Even in the stage of sadhana-bhakti, we always have our individual preferences, but as devotees we give the highest preference to Krishna’s pleasure. Parents often sacrifice doing what they would ordinarily like to do, for the sake of doing what their children would like them to do. The parents are still individuals, but they give priority to pleasing their children. And when their children are happy, they feel happy. One reason we try so hard to have nice programs for children is that when the children want to come to the temple, even if the parents are feeling a little lethargic, the children will prevail upon them: “Come on, Mommy. Come on, Daddy. I want to go to the temple. I want to see the Deities. I want to sing and dance in the kirtan and arati. I want to meet the other children. I want to eat prasada.” And the parents will come, not because they don’t have their individuality, but out of love. They get more happiness when they see their children happy than when they do things for their own satisfaction that would leave the children feeling neglected. So in devotional service you remain individual, but you give preference to Krishna. And as you become purified, you actually experience more pleasure in doing what Krishna likes than you would get out of doing what you would ordinarily like for your own sake.

So, do not hesitate. Serving a pure devotee, serving a servant of the servants of Radha and Krishna, is not a matter of force—being forced into a mold without any freedom or individuality. Rather, it is an opportunity for the conditioned soul to realize his or her fullest potential, fullest individuality, and fullest freedom, in divine, ecstatic love.

Thank you very much.

Hare Krishna.

[A talk by Giriraj Swami on Radhastami, \August 30, 2009, San Diego]

By the mercy of Śrī Guru and Gaurāṅga, I am delighted to present my debut book titled Purity & Self-Control in Sādhana-bhakti. Why This Book? In today’s fast-paced and distraction-filled world, many sincere practitioners of bhakti struggle to maintain purity and steadiness in their sādhana. Even the most devoted sādhakas may unknowingly fall into subtle
Read More...

So, the general Hindu understanding is that Krishna is an avatar of Vishnu. This is also the understanding of the Madhva Sampradaya, with which we are connected. However, in our Gaudiya tradition, the understanding is that Krishna is the source of Vishnu. How, then, should this apparent contradiction be seen?

In the Vedic tradition, it is accepted that the ultimate reality reveals itself in many ways. Arjuna also acknowledges this in the Bhagavad-gita. After Krishna has spoken, Arjuna says: sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye—“I accept everything You say as true.” Yet at the same time Arjuna admits that even the devas cannot understand Krishna: na me viduḥ sura-gaṇāḥ—“the demigods do not know Me” (BG 10.2). And further: na hi te bhagavan vyaktiṁ vidur devā na dānavāḥ—“neither the gods nor the demons can understand Your personality” (BG 10.14). Ultimately, in 10.15 he declares: svayam evātmanātmānaṁ vettha tvaṁ puruṣottama—“You alone know Yourself, O Supreme Lord.”

Thus, the principle is that God is always greater than our conceptions of God. This is why it is important not to become arrogant or fanatical about our particular understanding. The reality of God will always be greater than our realization of Him.

Sometimes we may not even have realization—only conception. Our conceptions come from God, through revelation, but we try to grasp them with finite capacity. Now, the scriptures themselves are vast, and different traditions give prominence to different texts. This prioritization is called tāratamya—a hierarchy of authority. For example, in the Śrī Sampradaya the Vishnu Purāṇa is regarded as most important, whereas in our Gaudiya tradition the Bhāgavata Purāṇa is considered supreme.

Accordingly, depending on which revelation is considered central, the vision of the Absolute upheld in that scripture becomes ultimate within that tradition. The Bhāgavata Purāṇa itself states that Krishna is the source of all incarnations, and Gaudiya literature such as the Chaitanya-charitamrita explains this in detail.

Broadly, in the Vedic—and especially the Bhakti—tradition, devotees are encouraged to see the particular form of God they worship as the highest. Thus, Vishnu-bhaktas see Vishnu as supreme, while Rama-bhaktas see Rama as the source of all incarnations.

Sanatana Goswami’s Bṛhad-Bhāgavatāmṛta beautifully illustrates this. There, the devotee Gopa-kumāra journeys through the spiritual realms—Vaikuntha, Ayodhya, Dwaraka. In each he is ecstatic, but still feels an inner discontent: “I don’t fully belong here; there must be something more.” Finally, he realizes that Goloka Vrindavan and Krishna are the ultimate destination. Yet significantly, Sanatana Goswami describes that Vaikunthavāsīs consider Vishnu the source of all, Ayodhyāvāsīs consider Rama the source—all without dismissing them as “in illusion.” Rather, their devotion reflects the subjectivity of relationship with the Absolute.

This is why humility is essential in spiritual discussions. Achintya-bhedābheda—the philosophy of inconceivable simultaneous oneness and difference—helps us reconcile these perspectives. Sometimes we emphasize bheda (difference), affirming our tradition’s distinct understanding—Krishna as supreme. Other times we emphasize abheda (oneness), respecting the devotion of those who worship Vishnu or Rama as supreme.

Lord Chaitanya Himself demonstrated this. On His South India tour, He met two great Rama-bhaktas. One became attracted to Krishna-bhakti. The other remained deeply devoted to Rama but troubled by the idea that Ravana had touched Sita. Out of compassion, Lord Chaitanya searched the scriptures and showed him a Matsya Purāṇa verse proving that Ravana had only touched a Maya-Sita. That devotee remained a Rama-bhakta, and Mahaprabhu fully honored his devotion.

Similarly, Rupa Goswami highlights Krishna’s unique four mādhurīs—qualities not found in other forms of God. This is our Gaudiya emphasis. But other traditions, based on their scriptures and analytical frames, may highlight other qualities and arrive at other conclusions.

Therefore, there need not be conflict.

To summarize:

1. The absolute reality cannot be known with absolute definitiveness—God is always greater than our understanding.
2. Different scriptures emphasize different revelations, shaping different traditions’ views of the ultimate.
3. Because relationship with God is personal, subjective attraction determines which manifestation a devotee sees as supreme. Such subjectivity should be respected through the lens of achintya-bhedābheda.

The post Is Vishnu the source of Krishna or Krishna the source of Vishnu? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 21, No. 34
By Krishna Kripa Das
(Week 34: August 20–26, 2025)
London, Liverpool, Crawley, New York
(Sent from Brooklyn, New York, on August 30, 2025)

Where I Went and What I Did

The thirty-fourth week of 2025, I was traveling extensively. On Wednesday I took the Eurostar to London where I chanted Hare Krishna with Harinamananda and Nitai Prabhus. Thursday I gave Bhagavatam class at ISKCON London and took the train to Liverpool where I chanted Hare Krishna for 3 hours, joined by Barbara and Kazz to promote the Saturday Ratha-yatra. I spent that and the next night in the Manchester temple. On Friday, Christopher of France, now based in Manchester, came with me to Liverpool where we chanted Hare Krishna three and a half hours, joined by Katie for part of the time.

Saturday was the Liverpool Ratha-yatra, after which I caught a ride to Watford with Parasuram Prabhu at whose house I stayed the night. Sunday I went with Parasuram Prabhu to Crawley for the Ratha-yatra there. I was invited to lead kirtan on the stage and in the Ratha-yatra procession. Acyuta Charan Prabhu kindly gave a ride to Croydon, where I could catch a train to London and join Harinamananda Prabhu for an evening harinama. On Monday I chanted Hare Krishna on Oxford Street for an hour in the morning before taking the train to Gatwick to fly back to New York in the afternoon. Tuesday I participated in NYC Harinam for four hours in the afternoon and evening, as I usually do when I am in New York, that day in Union Square.

I share quotes from Srila Prabhupada’s Srimad-Bhagavatam, Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, and The Nectar of Devotion, and one of his lectures as well. I share quotes from Sri Caitanya-bhagavata by Vrindavana Dasa Thakura and its commentary by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. I share notes on classes by Jayadvaita Swami in London, Bhagavat Dharma Prabhu in Paris, and Natabara Gauranga Prabhu in Paris.

Many thanks to Barbara of Liverpool and Krishna Katha Prabhu, formerly of Belfast, for their kind donations. Thanks to Tripada Prabhu, ISKCON London receptionist, for transferring British currency to my virtual bank account, so I can buy travel tickets online with it next year. Thanks to Parasuram Prabhu for the ride from Liverpool to Crawley and accommodation for the night between the two Ratha-yatras. Thanks to Jude of Liverpool for the photo of the police taking prasadam at Ratha-yatra.

Itinerary

August 26–December 31: NYC Harinam
– September 17–24: Syracuse harinamas
– September 25–26: Philadelphia harinamas
– September 27: Philadelphia Ratha-yatra
– September 28: Delaware Sunday Feast and harinama?
– September 29–October ??: Serve Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami in Upstate New York

Chanting Hare Krishna in London

Harinamananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in London, and Italian tourists chant and dance (https://youtu.be/fAhAJMlId5s):

Harinamananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in London, and French tourists chant and dance (https://youtu.be/5uIqN9NmM9Q):

Harinamananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in London, and young women chant and dance (https://youtu.be/wxyFVe7mekI):

Harinamananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in London, and a guy dances with a girl on his shoulders (https://youtube.com/shorts/6XlAegU7yD8?feature=share):

Harinamananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in London, and a girl in a wheelchair dances (https://youtube.com/shorts/bf-x2swW1RM?feature=share):

Harinamananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in London, and people interact (https://youtu.be/dRdjk-aX3dQ):

Harinamananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in London, and young women dance (https://youtu.be/x631DVD3_ps):

Aniruddha Prabhu, also known as Indian billionaire Anil Agrawal, chants Hare Krishna in Guru Puja kirtan at ISKCON London (https://youtube.com/shorts/TgUBt2qigeg?feature=share):

I gave the morning class, and I was impressed seeing how serious the devotees are about advertising their programs, with screens visible from both the street and outside the temple room telling of upcoming events.

You can find their video of my class here (https://youtu.be/kLtT6jBommM?si=g72qCQoYF5RyYMTt):

Harinamananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna on Oxford Street on a Sunday evening (https://youtube.com/shorts/lSToIkQYjYc):

Harinamananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna on Carnaby Street, and people dance (https://youtube.com/shorts/ivLAMj_22P0):

Harinamananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in London, and people dance (https://youtube.com/shorts/2uDc4FtE6YE?feature=share):

I played the drum and chanted Hare Krishna for an hour by myself on Oxford Street in London on Monday before my afternoon flight to New York. 

A driver for Biofood came out of his vehicle with his hand in his bead bag and greeted me with “Hare Krishna!” 

Tomas of Lithuania said he went to a retreat held at Bhaktivedanta Manor and became attracted by Krishna consciousness four months ago. 

Since then his and his family visited New Mayapur in France, where the ox trainer is also Lithuanian. He also attended a program by Mahatma Prabhu at Reading, the closest devotional community to his residence. He is amazed to see how quickly his life is transforming in positive ways.

Chanting Hare Krishna in Liverpool

On my first day of harinama to promote the Liverpool Ratha-yatra, I was assisted by Barbara and Kazz. I had hoped to chant with the Liverpool brahmacaris, but they were too entangle in the logistics of the festival. Thus I ended up doing harinama with their most enthusiastic congregational members who were all women.

The second day Christopher, who I knew from France and who is now based in Manchester, joined me along with Katie, a local, who really enjoys kirtan.

Here Christopher chants Hare Krishna in Liverpool with Katie playing shakers in back, and a stag party and other passersby play shakers and dance (https://youtu.be/2kD-EpyHGlg):

Pancha Tattva Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Liverpool Ratha-yatra (https://youtu.be/r2Vko4J-mbA):

Here is the end of his kirtan in portrait orientation (https://youtube.com/shorts/lKfXGb6wPIg?feature=share):

Tribhangananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Liverpool Ratha-yatra (https://youtu.be/myJ8NMDTNJY):

Tribhangananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Liverpool Ratha-yatra (Portrait orientation) (https://youtube.com/shorts/98wKFMZeikg?feature=share):

Tribhangananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at end of Liverpool Ratha-yatra (https://youtu.be/wCzBtOOz8YM):

During the Liverpool Ratha-yatra, I would play the shakers, dance, and talk to people who were attracted to the chanting or the procession and give them “On Chanting Hare Krishna” and/or invitations to our local programs.

When I arrived in Liverpool the morning of the Ratha-yatra, I had seen some kind of demonstration outside the main train station. During the Ratha-yatra I met a women who was filming our kirtan. She told me she had been at the demonstration which I later learned was a notable anti-fascist (counter-) demonstration held to oppose a UKIP-organised “mass deportations” march at which eleven people were arrested. She was struck by contrast between the argumentative, angry mood of the demonstration and the happy, peaceful mood of our procession, and she said she was going to share videos of both to people and tell of her experience.

Subhadra chants Hare Krishna at Liverpool Ratha-yatra stage show (https://youtu.be/6ECTpokoncE):

Abhay Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Liverpool Ratha-yatra stage show, and many dance (https://youtu.be/E2-rrBeGLBI):

Parasuram Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Liverpool Ratha-yatra stage show, and many dance (https://youtu.be/OzAWH5_a8VY):

Here is more video of that lively kirtan in portrait orientation (https://youtube.com/shorts/fToyMFdZHxg?feature=share):

Many people were happy to experience the Krishna prasadam in Liverpool, including these two police.

I told a couple of the new people attending our devotional programs in Liverpool who had a great time chanting and dancing in the Ratha-yatra and its stage kirtans about the Birmingham 24-Hour Kirtan so they can increase their participation in kirtan next year, and they were very happy to learn of the event.

Between Saturday’s Liverpool Ratha-yatra and Sunday’s Crawley Ratha-yatra I rode in the back of Parasuram Prabhu’s van.

It was used for food distribution in Ukraine, and Para credited the Russians for the holes in the roof which provided illumination. 

On the way to Crawley, I could have all the pappadams I could eat for breakfast.

Chanting Hare Krishna in Crawley

I felt blessed to be able to lead the first kirtan on the stage before the Crawley Ratha-yatra and also the first kirtan in front of the cart itself. I have videos of subsequent kirtans.  

Acyuta Charan Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Crawley Ratha-yatra (https://youtu.be/KwPeyrXJQio):

Manjari Prema Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna at Crawley Ratha-yatra (https://youtu.be/O1VIEx64fxY):

Mandakini Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna at Crawley Ratha-yatra (https://youtu.be/Z-jt-IHhpg8):

Chanting Hare Krishna in New York City

Now our NYC Harinam party chants at four different locations, but originally for the first years, we were always at Union Square, and it was great to be back.

Here Gokulendra Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Union Square, and a passerby dances (https://youtu.be/HwJhaB4_Uuo):

Here Krishna Nandalal Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Union Square (https://youtu.be/gguRbgvQ5rM):

I also had the opportunity to chant Hare Krishna at Union Square (https://youtube.com/shorts/cP1HlSQvne0):

Insight

Srila Prabhupada:

From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.9.26, purport:

“The Lord is so kind that He is always prepared to help any living being attain spiritual enlightenment if he simply concentrates his mind to find out the source of his existence.”

From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.9.29, purport:

“Any person authorized by either the Lord or His bona fide representative is already blessed, as is the work entrusted to him. Of course, the person entrusted with such a responsibility should always be aware of his incapability and must always look for the mercy of the Lord for the successful execution of his duty. One should not be puffed up because he is entrusted with certain executive work. Fortunate is he who is so entrusted, and if he is always fixed in the sense of being subordinate to the will of the Supreme, he is sure to come out successful in the discharge of his work. Arjuna was entrusted with the work of fighting on the Battlefield of Kurukshetra, and before he was so entrusted, the Lord had already arranged for his victory. But Arjuna was always conscious of his position as subordinate to the Lord, and thus he accepted Him as the supreme guide in his responsibility. Anyone who takes pride in doing responsible work but does not give credit to the Supreme Lord is certainly falsely proud and cannot execute anything nicely. Brahma and persons in the line of his disciplic succession who follow in his footsteps are always successful in the discharge of loving transcendental service to the Supreme Lord.”

From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.9.32–33:

“Only when you attain that state of transcendental vision in which You see Me in all living entities as well as all over the universe, just as fire is situated in wood, will you be able to be free from all kinds of illusion. When you are free from the conception of gross and subtle bodies, and when your senses are free from all influences of the modes of material nature, you will realize your pure form in My association. At that time you will be situated in pure consciousness.”

From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.9.33, purport:

“The Mayavada school shudders at the thought of a service attitude in the living entity, not knowing that in the transcendental world the service of the Lord is based on transcendental love. Transcendental loving service is never to be compared to the forced service of the material world.”

“In transcendental loving service, the servitor is as free as the Lord. The Lord is svarat, or fully independent, and in the spiritual atmosphere the servant is also fully independent, or svarat, because there is no forced service. There the transcendental loving service is due to spontaneous love. A reflected glimpse of such service is experienced in the service of the mother unto the son, the friend’s service unto the friend, or the wife's service unto the husband. These reflections of service by friends, parents or wives are not forced, but are due only to love. Here in this material world, however, the loving service is only a reflection. The real service, or service in svarupa, is present in the transcendental world, in association with the Lord. The very same service in transcendental love can be practiced in devotion here. Thus one can become from from material contamination and be situated in full independence in association with the Lord.”

From The Nectar of Devotion, Introduction:

“The author of Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, Srila Rupa Gosvami, very humbly submits that he is just trying to spread Krishna consciousness all over the world, although he humbly thinks himself unfit for this work. That should be the attitude of all preachers of the Krishna consciousness movement, following in the footsteps of Srila Rupa Gosvami. We should never think of ourselves as great preachers, but should always consider that we are simply instrumental to the previous acaryas, and simply by following in their footsteps we may be able to do something for the benefit of suffering humanity.”

“in our mental activities we should always try to think of Krishna and try to plan how to please Him, following in the footsteps of the great acaryas and the personal spiritual master. There are activities of the body, activities of the mind and activities of speech. A Krishna conscious person engages his words in preaching the glories of the Lord. This is called kirtana. And by his mind a Krishna conscious person always thinks of the activities of the Lord—as He is speaking on the Battlefield of Kurukshetra or engaging in His various pastimes in Vrindavana with His devotees. In this way one can always think of the activities and pastimes of the Lord. This is the mental culture of Krishna consciousness.”

“From the date of initiation by the spiritual master, the connection between Krishna and a person cultivating Krishna consciousness is established. Without initiation by a bona fide spiritual master, the actual connection with Krishna consciousness is never performed.”

“Lord Caitanya states that it is a fortunate person who comes in contact with a bona fide spiritual master by the grace of Krishna. One who is serious about spiritual life is given by Krishna the intelligence to come in contact with a bona fide spiritual master, and then by the grace of the spiritual master one becomes advanced in Krishna consciousness. In this way the whole jurisdiction of Krishna consciousness is directly under the spiritual energy—Krishna and the spiritual master. This has nothing to do with the material world.”

“Actually, Krishna consciousness can be based simply on hearing, chanting, remembering, etc. Described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam are nine different processes, besides which everything done is unfavorable to Krishna consciousness. Thus, one should always be guarding against falldowns.”

“As long as one identifies himself as belonging to a certain family, a certain society or a certain person, he is said to be covered with designations. When one is fully aware that he does not belong to any family, society or country, but is eternally related to Krishna, he then realizes that his energy should be employed not in the interests of so-called family, society or country, but in the interests of Krishna. This is purity of purpose and the platform of pure devotional service in Krishna consciousness.”

From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 15.106, purport:

“Any devotee who believes that the holy name of the Lord is identical with the Lord is a pure devotee, even though he may be in the neophyte stage. By his association, others may also become Vaishnavas.”

From a class on The Nectar of Devotion in Vrindavan on November 13, 1972:

“We have to accept the principles laid down by the acaryas.”

“So we have no difficulty. Tandera carana-sevi-bhakta-sane vasa. That’s all. Let us follow the footprints of the acaryas, Gosvamis, and live together as sincere, serious devotees. Then our life is successful. It is not very difficult. . . . Simply we have to . . . become very serious and sincere. Then everything is all right.”

“So if our bhajana-kriya is proper and in the line, then anartha-nivrttih syat, then all the anarthas, unwanted things, bad habits, that will be immediately vanquished.”

“This society, Krishna consciousness society, is made just to create some devotees so that people, by the association of the devotees and following the footprints of the Gosvamis, they’ll be automatically elevated to the transcendental platform.”

“The India is made for doing good to others. India is not meant for exploiting others. That is not India’s mission. From the very beginning, from long, long distant place, people used to come here to learn spiritual advancement of life. It is said that Lord Jesus Christ also came here, and he lived here for twelve years. Similarly, many Chinese scholars and transcendentalists used to come.”

“That is the order of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, that those who are intelligent person, intelligent Indians, they should take advantage of the gifts of the great sages and saintly persons, make their life successful and preach the cult all over the world. That is the mission of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Our Krishna consciousness movement is meant for that purpose.”

“As a man’s mental disease is cured by the directions of a psychiatrist, so this sadhana-bhakti cures the conditioned soul of his madness under the spell of maya, material illusion.”

“The first principle is that every devotee must try to rise early in the morning. That is first business. This practice should be done first. No one should sleep more than six hours.”

“Sadhana-bhakti means we have to practice it. And it does not require much education. It does not depend on your riches, that you have to become a very rich man to follow the regulative principles, rise early in the morning.”

“Without practicing astanga-yoga, you simply practice the one simple thing, simply thinking of the lotus feet of Krishna always; then you become a first-class yogi.

“It is not our statement; it is Krishna’s statement.

yoginam api sarvesam
mad-gata antaratmana
sraddhavan bhajate yo mam
sa me yuktatamo matah

[Bg 6.47]

[And of all yogis, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.]”

“This Krishna consciousness movement is so nice that if we take it seriously, then immediately, on the first stage, we become a first-class yogi.”

“It is the duty of the spiritual master to engage his disciple’s talent in the service of the Lord so that constantly he can think of the Lord. This is spiritual master’s duty.”

“Some way or other, if you fix up your mind on the lotus feet of Krishna, that is perfection of yoga.”

“Regulative principle means authorized—as they are mentioned in the authorized scriptures and as it is confirmed by the spiritual master.”

“Who requires a spiritual master? One who is inquisitive of sad-dharma, not asad-dharma.”

“A man requires a spiritual master when he’s inquisitive to know about the transcendental subject matter.”

“Without bona fide spiritual master, you cannot go a step forward.”

“Just like Arjuna surrendered to Krishna. When he saw that ‘The questions which have arisen in my mind, it cannot be solved by ordinary person,’ therefore he selected. He told Him that ‘I can understand, without Your Lordship nobody can mitigate all the doubts in my mind.’”

“Arjuna accepted Krishna as Param Brahman; you accept Krishna as Param Brahman; then your study of Bhagavad-gita is perfect.”

“Krishna did not leave Bhagavad-gita to be understood by your commentation. Try to understand Bhagavad-gita as it is; you’ll be benefited.”

Comment by one devotee:

Srila Prabhupada always ends his lectures by saying, “Chant Hare Krishna.”

Vrindavana Dasa Thakura:

From Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 19.220:

“The words and activities of Vishnu and the Vaishnavas are incomprehensible. Only by their mercy can one understand them.”

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura:

From Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 19.230, commentary:

“Actual, pure, real knowledge manifests in the hearts of the living entities from the descriptions of the Vedas.”

From Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 19.233, commentary:

“The three separate manifestations—Sri Nityananda, Sri Advaita, and Sri Mahaprabhu—are the bridge for approaching the Absolute Truth. By following the conceptions preached by these three personalities, the living entities can easily cross the ocean of material existence.”

From Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 19.255, commentary:

“Prabhu Nityananda and Prabhu Advaita are the right and left hands of Gaurasundara. Therefore there is factually no possibility of any bad feelings or misunderstanding between Them. Both are intoxicated with love of God.”

Jayadvaita Swami:

From a class on Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 11.56 at ISKCON London on August 24, 2025:

Our qualification is not who we have descended from biologically but who we are following spiritually.

It is not that the medical board will ask you if your father is a doctor. You have to have your own qualifications.

Everyone is looking for Krishna, but some are looking in very much the wrong place.

I am not qualified to tell you how you can keep your children in Krishna consciousness, but there are very qualified people like Urmila Dasi and Radhika Ramana’s mother who can help you.

Our principles we do not compromise: Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

It is said that those who marry the spirit of the age will become widows because the age will be finished.

Our duty is not to make Krishna consciousness popular but to present what we have heard from authorities.

Srila Prabhupada said our business is not to please the crowd but to please the Lord and the spiritual authorities.

It is the nature of household life that you have less time to do outreach. For eight or ten hours you have to do what your boss wants, and then you go home and you have to do what your other boss wants.

If you want to reach the masses, reach the person closest to you, and then the next one, and the next one.

Give the real thing, and everyone will love you.

From Srila Prabhupada’s Kirtana Standards, p. 34:

“Revatinandana Dasa relates an instructive incdent: One devotee had picked up a chant in India: he krishna, govinda, hari, murari/ he natha, narayana, vasudeva. When Prabhu pada heard it, he called us into his room and said, ‘This is not a Vedic mantra; this is a cinema song. An intelligent disciple just takes whatever his spiritual master provides for him, considering that to be sufficient. There are many names of God you can chant, but it’s best to take what comes in disciplic succession and what the spiritual master introduces.’54”

From Srila Prabhupada’s Kirtana Standards, p. 43:

“Havi Dasa relates: In 1975 in New York, Citsukhananda started a kirtana, and in the middle of the kirtana he started to sing, ‘Jaya Jaya Sri Caitanya Jaya Nityananda Jayadvaita Candra Jaya Gaura Bhakta Vrinda.’ And Prabhupada immediately stopped him and asked him to chant Hare Krsna. ‘Don’t chant this. Chant Hare Krsna.’69”

From Srila Prabhupada’s Kirtana Standards, p. 50:

“‘Responsive chanting is very nice; one good singer may lead, and the others may join in. That is the system in India. It is very good for two reasons especially: One, the chanter gets to rest, so he does not become tired, and two, you get to chant and hear, that is the process.’ SP quote, 84”

Bhagavat Dharma Prabhu:

From a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 9.9.34:

King Saudasa spared the life of a raksasa, but he ended up killing a brahmana. Thus his mercy ended up getting him into trouble.

If I am a guru, I am also a servant. I try the best to help my dependents come closer to Krishna.

The Bhagavatam stresses that one should not play any kind of leadership role unless he can deliver his dependents from the cycle of birth and death.

If people are against our help, then we try to benefit them in a way that will not disturb them.

Natabara Gauranga Prabhu:

The maidservants of Dhruva Maharaja’s mother must have be highly elevated to understand that Dhruva had attained perfection from constant meditation on the Supreme Lord.

Our goal is to constantly remember Krishna.

We should think that although I cannot attain love of Krishna quickly, I can attain it.

Visvanath Cakravarti Thakura says we should have a strong conviction to attain Krishna in this life or the next.

-----

Once Puskara Prabhu, the Srila Prabhupada disciple and artist based in Alachua, taught me this verse about the power of the holy name, which explains why chanting the holy name is superior to other spiritual processes.

na niskrtair uditair brahma-vadibhis

tatha visuddhyaty aghavan vratadibhih
yatha harer nama-padair udahrtais
tad uttamasloka-gunopalambhakam

“By following the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies or undergoing atonement, sinful men do not become as purified as by chanting once the holy name of Lord Hari. Although ritualistic atonement may free one from sinful reactions, it does not awaken devotional service, unlike the chanting of the Lord’s names, which reminds one of the Lord’s fame, qualities, attributes, pastimes and paraphernalia.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.2.11)

Reproduced from the book, The Wonderful Glories of Sridham Mayapur by H.H. Bhakti Purushottama Swami, chapter entitled The Glories and Pastimes of Srimati Radharani.
 

The Wonderful Glories of Sridhama Mayapura Sri Mayapur-dhama, however, was Srimati Radharani’s own creation, to lure Krsna away from another lover. In the Ananta-samhita, Siva explains to Par vati why Srimati Radharani created merciful Sri Mayapur-dhama.

Lord Siva told Parvati, “As a bee plays in a lotus, Krsna was enjoying with Viraja in the pleasant forest groves of Vrndavana. Moon-faced, doe-eyed Radhika heard this news from one sakhi and hastily ran to find Krsna. Seeing that Radha was coming, Krsna suddenly disappeared and Viraja became a river. When Srimati Radharani arrived there, She could not find them. Absorbed in thoughts of Krsna, Radha began to think of how to attract Him away from Viraja. She gathered her sakhis together between the Ganga and Yamuna Rivers.

“She created a beautiful place, decorated with creepers and trees and filled with male and female bumblebees. Deer and bucks were happy enjoying as they wandered about, and the whole area was filled with the fragrance of jasmine, mallika, and malati flowers. That transcendental abode was adorned with tulasi forests and decorated with various groves. On Radha’s order, the Ganga and Yamuna, with their pleasant water and banks, acted as a moat to protect the garden. Cupid himself, along with springtime, eternally resides there, and the birds constantly sing the auspicious name of Krsna.

“Radha, dressed in colorful cloth, then began to play a beautiful melody on a flute in order to attract Krsna. Attracted by that melody, Krsna appeared in that enchanting place. Radha, the attractor of Krsna’s mind, seeing that Krsna had come, held His hand and experienced ecstatic delight. Then Krsna, understanding Radha’s mood, spoke in a voice choked with love.

‘O lovely-faced Radha, You are My very life. There is no one more dear to Me than You. Therefore I will never leave You. Just for Me You have created this wonderful place. Staying with You, I will transform this place, filling it with new sakhis and groves. The devotees will glorify this place as New (nava) Vrndavana. As this place is like an island (dvipa), the wise will call it Navadvipa. By My order, all the holy places will reside here.

‘Because You have created this place for My pleasure, I will live here eternally. Those people who come here and worship us will eternally attain our eternal service in the mood of the sakhis. O dear Radha, like Vrndavana, this place is extremely pure. If anyone comes here just once, he will obtain the results of going to all sacred places. He will quickly attain devotional service, which satisfies us.’

“O Parvati,“ Lord Siva continued, “I have described to you the reason for the appearance of Navadvipa. When heard by mankind, this narration removes all sins and bestows devotional service. Whoever rises early in the morning and with devotion to Gaura recites or hears this story of Navadvipa’s creation will certainly attain Gauranga.”

 

---

 

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Dear Prabhus: Jaya Srila Prabhupada! Let me share with you a small report of our humble service to the Srila Prabhupada ISKCON Mission. Introducing Krishna to Academia in Mexico and the World By Hare Krishna Dasa After 27 years of distributing books on the streets and preaching Krishna consciousness through the media in the famous
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By Jyotisvara dasa On 24th August 2025, the Institute for Science and Spirituality (ISS) Delhi hosted a landmark national conference titled “The Enigma of Perception (Pratyakṣa): Exploring the Science through the Lens of Indian Knowledge Systems” at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi. The event brought together eminent scholars, philosophers, and scientists to explore perception
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When new people come to bhakti, even after sincerely trying in their academic life, they may face some failures. In such situations, should we simply give them a supportive shoulder, or should we reach out with philosophy? I don’t think these two are mutually exclusive. Reaching out doesn’t mean only preaching philosophy—it’s just one aspect of our response.

In general, our mood should be to serve others. One important resource at our disposal is philosophy, but it is not the only one.

We should try to help them in whatever way we can. At the same time, we should recognize our limits—we are not therapists, nor can we take the place of family members. What we can do is be friends. We can give emotional support, but we should also be careful. If someone becomes emotionally dependent on us, we may not be able to be there for them constantly.

If a person is suffering from clinical depression, we are not qualified to treat them. But if they are experiencing routine sadness—say, after a failure—we can certainly offer motivational and encouraging words. We can try to energize them again, and that definitely is part of our service.

So, in our service mood, philosophy is like the primary tool in our toolkit, but not the only one. Developing a relationship, offering emotional support, and even practical assistance may also be required. For example, if someone loses a job, and in our community we know devotees with companies or contacts, we can try to connect them for practical help. Service can take many forms.

At the same time, we need balance. If in the many forms of support we provide, spirituality is completely absent, then the relationship becomes only material. If someone expects only emotional or practical help and shows no spiritual interest, we may eventually need to draw a line.

We need to avoid both extremes:

• One extreme is giving only philosophy—telling people just to chant Hare Krishna and everything will be fine, without offering any other support. This may help a few, but most will feel we are exploiting their pain to pull them into our path. That could actually push them away—becoming “anti-preaching.”
• The other extreme is giving only emotional or practical help. But how much capacity do we really have for that, and how long can we sustain it?

Therefore, some level of spirituality needs to be present in the support we offer. It may not be the first or most prominent component, but it should be there. Similarly, from their side, there should be at least some spiritual spark. Gradually—say after a few meetings—they should begin to show some spiritual interest. Otherwise, how long can we keep helping without that foundation?

This balance is also seen in Krishna’s dealings. For example, when Arjuna’s son died during the Kurukshetra war, Arjuna was devastated and even lashed out at his brothers, asking whether their weapons were just ornaments since none of them could protect his son. Krishna did not immediately give philosophy to Arjuna. Instead, He encouraged him with compassion, reminding him that bad things happen to everyone. The difference between the wise and the unwise is in how they respond to misfortune. The unwise act in ways that make things worse, while the wise act in ways that make things better. Krishna urged Arjuna not to speak words that would deepen his brothers’ pain, since they were also grieving. Krishna took a very humane and personal approach in that moment.

But later, in the Bhagavad-gita, Krishna did speak philosophy, inspiring Arjuna to do his duty. So, depending on the situation, Krishna used different tools from His toolkit—sometimes emotional, sometimes practical, sometimes philosophical—all with the purpose of uplifting Arjuna’s consciousness.

Similarly, we also need to use multiple tools. But we must remember that the ultimate purpose of our service and support is to help others grow in Krishna consciousness.

The post For those facing academic failures, should we preach to them or offer them emotional support? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

So, nowadays everybody gets distracted by social media, AI, and it’s difficult. How do we help them to be focused? Can we make Krishna Consciousness as attractive as, say, social media is addictive? It’s an ongoing challenge for everyone. I think the question many parents ask, or many people ask, you know, why are people so addicted to their phones? The question you should be asking is the other way around.

When the phones are so addictive, why is everyone 24 hours not addicted to their phones? It’s like, when there are so many things going wrong in everyone’s life, it’s not that why are so many people depressed, why is everyone not depressed? That is the question we should be asking. So actually the fact that despite social media being so attractive, despite AI being so captivating, despite the internet being so addictive, still people are looking for human contact, people are looking for some spiritual wisdom. The degree might be more, the intensity might be less, but the fact that we are looking for it means that there is a part of us that knows that there has to be something more meaningful in life.

That part of us may be buried deep, that part of us might be weak right now, and that part of us may not manifest because we have neglected it for a long time, but it is there within all of us. And it is that part of us that needs to be activated. So if we were going to play the game of stimulation, we are never going to say stimulation or pure material attractiveness, we are never going to match the material world.

But the question is, what is really meaningful in life? So we have to focus on how Krishna Consciousness brings meaning into our life. And people may or may not agree that this is the source of ultimate meaning. That’s okay.

But at least the practical level, when we understand that there is a divine reality, we understand that there are practices by which we can connect with the divine reality and experience the higher reality beyond ourselves, that brings a certain level of security in our life, that brings a certain level of direction in our life, that brings a certain level of purpose in our life. So these are the intangible gifts of Krishna Consciousness, which no amount of technology can offer us. So we cannot compete with technology or material progress on the basis of material attraction.

So one of my university talks is titled as Matters that matter more than matter. So start with, are there some things that matter more than matter? So I think the entire Western world is testament to that. As compared to the second world or third world, there’s far more progress here.

Material things are a lot better. And yet there is a lot of depression, stress, anxiety, addiction. So matter is not all that matters.

So what matters more and how can that be addressed? That is the key question which we need to focus on in our presentation of Krishna Consciousness. So Krishna Consciousness is not an alternative at the same level. It is a higher level alternative.

And that’s why we have to shift from the question of pleasure to the question of need. If pleasure is all that we are looking for, there are many people who are wealthy enough or in many countries there is enough welfare support available that people can just watch Netflix for the rest of their lives. But people don’t do that.

Even if people do on Netflix binge, they get sad because we don’t just want pleasure in our life. We want meaning. Now, it’s quite often when people don’t find anything meaningful to do or when they try to do something meaningful, it doesn’t work out.

Then they may gravitate towards pleasure again. But we don’t just live for pleasure. Yes, we want pleasure, but we want meaning first.

And eventually we want meaningful pleasure in our life.

The post How to deal with social media addiction? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

I had never been to the Sri Sri Radha Krishna Kanhaiya temple in Penang, Malaysia, but I was in for an ecstatic and wonderful experience. The temple itself is quite big and at the back there is a function centre with theater and guest rooms and a prasadam hall at the bottom.

To the side of that there is a multi-story ashrama with guest and meeting rooms and other facilities. The complex is an area that is specifically designated for temples and churches.

I was there during the beautiful Jhulan Yatra swing festival of Radha and Krishna and for Lord Balarama’s appearance day celebration. Our whole party had a blissful stay and I look forward to the next visit.

So when we face demanding situations, we feel agitated, anxious, and even if we try to remember Krishna, we still feel that emotion at that particular time, although it goes away after some time. So how can we deal with it at that time? See, there’s a fundamental misconception about the relationship between Krishna Consciousness and emotions. That the mind is mechanical as much as the body is mechanical.

So if the temperature drops, will the body feel cold? It will. Now, philosophically, I understand I’m not the body. That’s true.

I’m not the body, but I live through the body and the body is feeling cold right now. So we may have to wear warm clothes at that particular time. If somebody’s hand is fractured, then they have to wait for that hand to recover before they can function normally.

So what applies to the body also applies to the mind. That whenever there is some very stressful or distressful situation, that’s like an attack on the mind. And the mind will be shaken by that.

So there are broadly two levels at which Krishna Consciousness works with respect to the mind. When we talk about the mind, there is a subjective element and there’s an objective element. So for example, if I say that I’m really angry with you.

Now there is a subjective element to my anger. Now whatever you have done, there is some objective action you may have done. Now that action may be wrong and he may also feel angry about it.

But his anger may be lesser, mine might be more. His might be even more. So the degree of the anger is subjective.

But the cause of the anger, if you’ve done something wrong, there is an objective cause also. So the problem in the mind is that quite often the subjective and the objective gets mixed up. So our spirituality is meant to help us minimize the subjective.

So that we can actually focus on the objective and address the objective. So for example, Krishna tells Arjuna in 2.14 that there is the temporary appearance of happiness and distress. Therefore tolerate it.

Now when he is asking Arjuna to tolerate, what is he asking him to tolerate? Is he saying that all the Kauravas did so many atrocities towards you and your family. They tried to disrobe Draupadi. Tolerate it now.

Why are you fighting a war? Is he saying that? No. He is telling that tolerate the fact that you have to fight against Bhishma and Arjuna. Although they are worshipable for you, they have chosen the wrong side and it’s painful for you to fight against them but tolerate it.

Because you are fighting for a just cause. The Mahabharata war was a war for justice. A dharmic war.

So there is in that context, there is a subjective feeling of pain which Krishna has to be tolerated. But there is an objective cause of the pain which has to be addressed. So to come back to your point that when something has gone wrong in life, there is an objective issue.

So the objective issue is going to affect us. Now subjectively we might be disproportionately affected by it. And as we keep practicing bhakti, that disproportionate subjective effect will decrease.

That means the same thing which agitated us a lot previously will now not agitate us that much. But to expect that we never get agitated at all is just dehumanizing and it’s unrealistic. Because the mind is just as real as the body is.

And so as a solution part what we can do is, we try to find out ways in which we can quickly direct our mind towards Krishna. We can do many things but if there are particular kirtans which we like, particular songs which we like, particular shlokas which we like, particular philosophical points which we find persuasive, keep them accessible to us. So that at that time we can quickly turn towards them and get a better handle on our mind.

But getting a better handle on our mind does not mean the mind will become completely calm. There are two different degrees I said. One is that disturbing things happen and the mind gets disturbed.

The second is the mind is disturbed but we are not disturbed. So the more we realize ourselves spiritually, what will happen is we will not be disturbed even when the mind is disturbed. But there are disturbing things that happen in the world and they may cause the mind to be disturbed.

But we won’t be disturbed in the sense that we won’t be completely shaken up, completely devastated or shattered by it. So that’s an incremental way in which we learn to better respond to life’s challenges.

The post How to ensure that our mind is not disturbed when disturbing things happen? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

So I’ll rephrase your question, three parts in it. First is that the soul, basically based on the third chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, essentially does nothing. The soul acts through the mind and intelligence in this world and we don’t say that.

Second is that when people say that the soul does this, soul does that, we feel agitated by that. The third is that basically all that is happening, the soul is doing is there’s a borrowed consciousness here and apart from that, what we never purify the soul per se, what we purify is the subtle body. So there’s a pure consciousness, there’s a borrowed consciousness, a reflected consciousness.

Okay, so there’s three parts to it. Let’s start with the third part. First is this, there’s definitely a clear difference between conditioned consciousness and pure consciousness.

In fact, in the Bhagavad Gita itself, Krishna categorically says that there is a, what is the word for it? He says chitta is a transformation of material nature in 13.6 and 7 where he says so what we have in the material world is, he’s saying that consciousness is a product of material nature. So what is he referring to? He’s referring to conditioned consciousness over here. So what are the components of this consciousness? We have our convictions, we have our diksha and dvesha, sukha and dukha, corresponding experience.

So all that is referring to our conditioned experience. So a human male will be attracted to a human female or a human male will be attracted to human food and if the soul goes into say a hog’s body, it will be attracted to a hog female and hog food. None of this has anything to do with the soul.

So that particular part that it is the conditioned consciousness that is presently active and what we purify is the subtle body where the conditionings are present and because of which the consciousness gets misdirected. Correct. I’ll just say when you’re drinking that water, one more sentence if you allow me.

I can say one sentence. We say we are a spiritual being having a human experience. Similarly, a rat has a spiritual experience with a rat’s experience.

A rat is a spiritual being with a rat’s experience. So everybody has a is a spiritual being with the experience depending upon the subtle body. Correct.

So to equate our, so as far as purification is concerned, we may use the word, so often the confusion comes because we may use the word pure soul or great soul. Exactly. Now there is fundamentally in our philosophy, an unarticulated switching or unclarified, unemphasized, unexplored switching between using the term soul literally and metaphorically.

So for example, we may often say put your heart and soul in service. That is clearly, it is not that you take the heart and your soul and put it, cannot do that. So it is metaphorical usage.

So there is quite extensive implicit usage of the soul in the metaphorical sense. So when Krishna says Mahatma or Punyatma, so Mahatma, the soul is Anu. The soul is very small.

So what is Mahatma? It is the consciousness of the soul is fixed on the supreme reality. And that is how, because the consciousness evolved to appreciate and be absorbed in supreme reality, the soul is considered to be great. But Atma there has different meaning, isn’t it? Atma has many meanings.

So when he says Mahatma, he is not meaning a soul there. He is meaning Mahatma. It has many meanings, the word Atma, isn’t it? No, but no other meaning will work over there.

So great mind, great body, great intelligence, it has many different meanings, but no other meaning works over there. Are you saying that person has a great mind? No, no, no. My point is that the point that Atma has different meanings does not apply over here.

So what applies over here is a metaphorical sense. In the literal sense, the Atma can refer to the mind, the body, and the soul. It can refer essentially to what in Sanskrit, the word Atma often refers to what we conceive of as ourself.

That’s why we have the word Dehatmabuddhi. So where you think of the Deha to be the Atma or Kamaatmanah Svargapara. In the second chapter, Krishna says Kama is their Atma.

They think of their desires to be their very self. They define themselves by their desires. So Atma has many different meanings, I fully agree with you on that part.

But the literal meanings of the Atma, see the Atma as a term can point to many literal things. But it can also point to something non-literal. So literally it can point to the body, mind, or soul.

Philosophically accurate, it is normally the soul, but it can also refer to the mind, body, sometimes it can refer to the intelligence also at times. But it also, it means what you think of your very essence to be. So in that case, it can be also non-literal.

So Mahatma refers basically to the Atma being Mahaan. The Atma being Mahaan in the sense that Atma’s consciousness is focused on the Mahaan, the great reality. So Punyatma again refers in this case, the consciousness of the pious or pure.

So in that sense, when we talk about Atma in the non-literal sense, it is referring to what we think of as our essence, or what is the defining characteristic of someone, what is the defining characteristic of the consciousness of a person. So there are many things which are referred to that way. So the word like pure soul, great soul, they are very much acceptable and widespread usages in the tradition.

And they may not be understood by those who are using it to be non-literal. But they are non-literal. And now, that’s the first part.

So now the second part is getting agitated. I think there’s a lot of philosophical imprecision in, I won’t say incorrectness, but imprecision. In now, of course, there could be a debate between what is imprecision and what is incorrectness between people.

So but like, what is the adjustment and what is the deviation? One person may call it just I’m just adjusting for the same purpose. It’s a detail I’m adjusting. Somebody says no, it’s a principle you’re changing.

So I think, let’s give the benefit of doubt to people and assume that it’s a philosophical imprecision. So over a period of time, I have found that in our institution, because of the impetus or even the emphasis, pressure for preaching for everyone, there is a corresponding de-emphasis on philosophical precision. And there’s a lot of intentional or unintentional emphasis on utilitarianism.

That means whatever works. Like we say, utility is the principle. Now, those four things, preaching is the essence of all that.

Prabhupada never put them together as himself four statements. They’re attributed to him, but it’s not that he has put them together. So utility is the principle.

Now, each of those can be derived from different aspects of our philosophy, no doubt. It was four quotas. So now utility is the principle could be derived from yukta vairagya.

But utilitarianism can almost become like a use and throw kind of thing that has to be very carefully avoided that connotation. So that’s why I have found that to expect philosophical precision in the general classes is a bit of a unrealistic expectation that will put us only for agitation. Now, which points are important for us? We may try to clarify them with our circle of devotees.

But in general, in the devotee community, trying to emphasize will only alienate us. Especially when I go to preach to the university students. When I talk about the soul, how I direct them is purify your intelligence, strengthen your intelligence.

Through that you conquer the mind, do all those things which are required, so that you’re able to realize who you are. Correct. So I emphasize the importance of intelligence very much.

Very much. Because buddhi yoga, I used in the second chapter, buddhi yoga, Krishna says. That is perfectly fine.

That is perfectly fine. See, I’m talking about two different things. I was talking about you getting agitated when people speak.

So I would say that that is something which I should take it away. It is just the nature of a preaching movement. So there is, I was reading in a Christian academic article, that there is always a distance between the Christian scholars and the Christian teachers.

Those who are pastors and the priests and then leave alone the masses. So it’s almost like a two level Christianity. Now the pastors may try to correct some of the conceptions of the masses.

But then the pastors themselves may have some conceptions that the scholars may not agree with. So there is that multiple understandings of the same passage that is inevitable in religious communities. And we have to choose our battles.

Some people may consider some things to be extremely important. And they may emphasize that and they may want to correct that. But for others, they might just come up with nitpicking.

So if suppose somebody becomes a community leader, somebody becomes a spiritual master, they may say you should not use Hari bol. You should use only Hare Krishna mantra. Just say Hare Krishna.

Never greet people by Hari bol. You may say that Hari bol is an instruction. You’re telling somebody to say Hari.

It is not a greeting. So everybody has their things which they emphasize. Now there are places in the Shaitan Charitaam also where the Hari bol is used.

You can get into whether that’s a precise argument or not. But my point is that for everybody else, it does seem that you’re making a small thing very big. So that’s how it is.

And now going back to the point about what does the soul actually do? Well, I’ll start from the complete non-theistic idea, a non-spiritual vision. We’ll come increasingly closer to our vision. And keep your thing always at 13, 13, 13.

Keep that in mind. So from a philosophical, rational perspective, there’s a prominent thinker who said that there is no concept in the history of religion that is more dead than the idea of the soul. Because he said, at least with the idea of God, you can have some rational discussion.

With the idea of soul, it is an utterly useless idea. Because those who say, he’s talking primarily about Hindus, Buddhists say that there’s no soul ultimately. So Hindus say that you are the soul and you are nothing but the soul.

And then they say that the soul does nothing. So basically, it’s completely, you cannot argue with them about the reality of the soul. Because if every activity attribute to the brain, yeah, but the soul doesn’t do anything.

So they made the soul a completely, what is the word for it? It is a concept which is so elusive, that you cannot pin it down to refute it. From a psychological perspective, there are whole books written about this, how you know, the idea you’re not the body or the soul is a psychologically toxic idea. That is what leads to people, a body denying spirituality, that leads to people betraying themselves, because who they are physically, who they are emotionally, they all betray, because I am none of this.

So people let themselves get suffocated. People let themselves get abused. Because all this is happening to the body.

And somebody says, no, I’m an introvert, I need my space. No, but you’re not. That’s just your conditioning, stupid.

So you are the soul. And all this is something you have to give up. The more you identify yourself as an introvert, the more you are giving it to your conditioning.

Now, all this is, of course, misunderstanding of the philosophy. But my point is that a rigid separation between the soul and the body can be psychologically damaging for the individual who understands it. And it can be a very easy tool for psychological manipulation by the authorities.

There was a very prominent leader in Europe, a very prominent leader. He would just verbally and physically abuse his disciples. He had been a bodybuilder before.

So he would, when he would get angry at a disciple, just pick a disciple and throw him across the room. And several of his disciples would get fractured and everything. So he would say that, I want to force you through a hole so tiny that nothing except the soul will go through it.

And being ready to go through that hole is a test of your surrender. So that rigid separation, now at a philosophical level, we can see what is the precise understanding. But what I’m talking about is that from a rational perspective, as well from a psychological perspective, this notion is fraught with danger.

So, for example, you know, I have had many Western women telling me that it is in ISKCON that I came to know that I’m not the body. And it is in ISKCON more than in mainstream, everywhere else in society, that I’m constantly reminded I am the body. You are a woman, so don’t do this.

You are told you are not the woman, but you are a woman, so you don’t do this. Go here, don’t go there. So there is a significant, what they perceive as a double standard.

Now it’s not a double standard. It is a process that, okay, you are not the body, you are the soul. But to realize the soul, you have to follow certain practices.

And those practices may differ based on the body. So, when any philosophical concept is emphasized very strongly, how it is used or abused depends on the teachers. So, in Radha Gopinath temple, there was a question that many young people are coming nowadays, and they sometimes want to take selfies with the Lord.

So should we tell them not to take it? Radha Maharaj said that, yes, it’s not right to turn your back to the Lord. But he said, if we can make a notice over there, but nobody should tell people. Because once you tell that this should be stopped, then there are many people who take pleasure in imposing rules on others.

We can’t control how people will tell it to others. And many people may go with a bad taste in their mouth, and they may never come back. So they coming to the temple is more important initially, then they’re turning the back to the Lord.

Now, somebody else may disagree about this, and that’s okay. But this is a matter of priority. So where philosophical truths can be, or at least somewhat debated or debatable philosophical truths are capable of being misused in particular ways, we have to be very careful about what we emphasize.

Now, having said that, the 13th chapter is… Before you go there, can I just say one sentence here? I find that the Vedantists, they bring about a better picture, not the impersonalism, say Vedantists. They don’t talk about the soul directly, they talk about pure consciousness. You are that pure consciousness.

And then they say the source of that pure consciousness is the soul. They don’t go straightaway talk about soul. They emphasize, and they give a very beautiful analogy for this.

They say, there is a subject-object relationship. When I see this, this is the object and this is the subject. The subject and object are not always the same.

There’s a difference between the subject and the object. So my eyes is the subject, this mobile phone is the object. Similarly, go one step backwards.

My mind is the subject, my eyes is the object. Because I can see what my eyes is seeing. Then go backwards.

You are able to see what your mind is seeing, who is seeing that. That is consciousness. Beautiful way of expressing.

So this is the way I took to the Curtin University students. Excellent. See, that was the next point I was going to go to.

That in the Govinda Bhashya commentary on Vedanta Sutra, Baldev Dev Goswami addresses the question that, does the soul change or the soul not change? Because the Bhagavad Gita, for example, the soul is achala. In the second chapter, achalo yam sanatana. But then later on, it also says, the soul in goodness goes upward.

The soul in passion stays here. The soul in minerals goes downwards. The soul goes to the spiritual world.

So does the soul move or not move? And we also talk about the blossoming of consciousness or flowering of consciousness, the various stages. But that abhikaryo yam sanatana. Abhikarya is, the soul never changes.

So what does it, what changes? So the idea is that he says that there is, he uses particulars, jnana rupa and jnana svarupa. But without getting into those terms, he says that the soul doesn’t change, but the soul’s consciousness changes. And if the soul’s consciousness can evolve, it can devolve.

The soul’s consciousness is constantly changing. The pure consciousness. The soul’s consciousness means.

Which consciousness? The pure consciousness? The soul’s consciousness means the beam of light of energy that comes from the soul, which leads to the soul perceiving various things. So now the point is, if the soul is here, from there the beam of light comes up and then the beam of light passes through the subtle body, subtle body it goes outwards. So this consciousness as is manifested to us.

So the technically some commentators in Sankhya differentiate between chitta and chitta. Now chitta is a very complicated concept and in yoga sutra, it is, there are different understandings of chitta. But let’s take it that chitta is the original consciousness.

That is always pure. That is, but that pure consciousness is utterly inaccessible for us. What is accessible is chitta.

And chitta is constantly changing. So we say that we have to elevate our consciousness, purify our consciousness. So yes, see the Buddhists focus only on consciousness and not, they don’t consider soul at all.

Anattavada they have. Now sometimes we, we talk about consciousness and soul, but we don’t adequately differentiate between the two. So now from a philosophical perspective, there are in our tradition, some teachers who say the soul, the soul never falls from the spiritual world.

And they try to explain it by saying that the soul is even now in the spiritual world. But the soul experientially is where the consciousness is. And the consciousness is entangled in the body in the material world.

In that sense, we are in the material world. Now, I wouldn’t go that far. But my point is that it is true that the soul is ultimately where what we experience is the reality for us, at least at present.

And even in chapter 2 from 2.30 to all the 2.30, there is no way in the verses that is mentioning about the word soul. So what is the point of that? No, I’m just trying to say the word soul has not been used there. It is, Atma has never been 2.30, 2.40 everywhere.

So it is the emphasis is on consciousness. Interesting. Okay.

Let us think about that. Soul never been mentioned there. Abhinashita tad viddino, what is 2.18? Antavante me deha, nitya uktaha sharirenaha.

Interesting. Deha is used, Atma is not used anywhere. It’s an interesting observation.

So yeah, so the point is that, but you can, I can take the devil’s advocate and say the word chetana is also not used anywhere over there. Chetana or anything equivalent to consciousness is also not used over there. So it just says the embodied, dehi.

What that dehi is, is left ambiguous. And I would say that the, that chapter is referring more to the soul than the chetana. Because it says it cannot be cut.

2.17 talks about consciousness. It is saying that which pervades the body. It doesn’t use the word chetana.

Yeah. Yeah. No, no.

If you’re going to precise terminology, precise semantics, then Atma is not used, chetana is also not used. So some of them, some of the verses like 2.17 definitely seems to refer to chetana, 2.22, 2.23, that to give up one body, go to another body, that is not burned, that is not, that can, that can very well refer much more to the soul than the consciousness. Although it can refer to the consciousness also, but that’s a different discussion.

So my point is that how much is the soul involved? See there is the experiential understanding and there is the ontological understanding or lewd understanding, lewd understanding and the conceptual understanding. So for us, we understand the soul primarily from the perspective of our experience. We, I’m talking about we as individuals.

So we certainly have to take responsibility for our actions. So I certainly don’t agree with the idea that we are not the doers at all and the modes are only the doers. The Gita, that well-known verse 3.27 does not say we are not the doers.

All that it says is one who thinks he’s the doer is an illusion. So the Gita at the end says that in the 18th chapter towards the conclusion, Krishna tells Arjuna, now do as you desire. And Krishna also says, Arjuna also says, the whole point of the Bhagavad Gita is to guide us about what we do.

And if we absolutize the idea that we are not the doer, the whole purpose of the Gita gets defeated. So in the 18th chapter, in the five factors of action, in 1816, Krishna says that, one who thinks I am the only doer. That person is an illusion.

So we are doers, but not the soul doers. So I would say that, to say that the soul does nothing, there is definitely an element of philosophical truth to it. But that truth can be taken a bit too far.

And we have to qualify it with the understanding that each one of us has to take responsibility for our actions. And whether we use our intelligence or whatever we use for our actions. So whatever we use, we use our intelligence.

But ultimately, the soul, whoever it is, it is we who are responsible for our actions. And we will have to bear the consequences of our actions. And we need to take responsibility.

There is a difference between taking responsibility and taking credit. So now, when we desire to execute the actions, we understand that we can’t do much in material nature. And we need the help of Krishna to be able to do it.

Krishna through the material nature helps us to execute the actions. So in that sense, non-doership, if that is understood, so that we don’t become proud or arrogant, then that understanding of non-doership is okay. But if that leads to passivity or lack of responsibility, then that is not helpful.

Thank you.

The post Is the soul ever impure or is it only the subtle body that is impure? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

I visited ISKCON Malaysia’s New Godruma Dhama Farm, located in the surroundings of Lanchang, Pahang, about two hours from Kuala Lumpur. This beautiful property is rooted in the principle of simple living and high thinking.

Under the guidance of Simheswara Dasa, both the Director of New Godruma Dham Farm and Co-Regional Secretary for ISKCON Malaysia, the 400-acre farm—established on the 30th Aug 2013, is dedicated to cow protection, ecological farming, and spiritual practice based on Srila Prabhupada’s teachings.

By HH Sivarama Swami The ISKCON Deity Worship Ministry has recently published a position paper prohibiting the use of human hair wigs for deities and establishing synthetic wigs as the exclusive standard. The Minister of Deity Worship knows that I have always been and shall always remain supportive of the ministry and its purposes. Nevertheless,
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The purpose of this essay is to examine Kapiladeva’s gradation of bhakti-yoga: from devotion in the modes of ignorance, passion, and goodness, to the transcendental platform of pure devotion. By analyzing these levels and their philosophical and practical implications, we will see that although devotion may begin in a mixed state, its intrinsic nature gradually
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Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 21, No. 33

By Krishna Kripa Das
(Week 33: August 13–19, 2025)

Paris

(Sent from between Manchester and Liverpool, UK, on August 23, 2025)

Where I Went and What I Did

The thirty-third week of 2025, I lived at ISKCON Paris in Sarcelles, eighteen minutes by train north of Paris itself. In Paris I chanted Hare Krishna for three hours each afternoon, usually from 3 to 6 p.m., except on Thursday, when we chanted from 12 to 2 p.m. and 6:30 to 8 p.m. 

On Janmastami, we chanted from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. by the Indian shops.

August 2025 Purpose: To clarify ISKCON Deity Worship Ministry’s position regarding the use of wigs for deities and to establish the reasons for permitting only synthetic hair, not human or animal hair, for the deities in ISKCON temples. 1. Background Within ISKCON, the dressing and ornamentation of the deity is an important part of worship.
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In Alignment with ISKCON’s Spiritual and Vedic Values

Mayapur, 19 August 2025 – HariBol Foods, India’s foremost cruelty-free food brand recognized by the World Economic Forum, has announced a landmark partnership with ISKCON Mayapur, the global headquarters of ISKCON. Together, they will implement HariBol Food’s advanced AI- and IoT-enabled cow health monitoring ecosystem at ISKCON Mayapur’s go-shala, marking the beginning of a new era of transparency and spiritual engagement in cow care.

As part of this initiative, HariBol Foods will also provide a dedicated Mobile Healthcare Van to ISKCON Mayapur. This van will expand the scope of veterinary support for Mayapur’s cows – bringing preventive care, first aid, and emergency treatment directly where it is needed. The combined approach of on-ground mobile healthcare and digital IoT monitoring ensures comprehensive welfare for the cows, while creating a living model for ISKCON’s global go-shalas.

Rooted in Tradition, Enabled by Technology

HariBol Foods has pioneered transparent systems where consumers can trace their food back to source – whether milk, ghee, oils, or grains. At Mayapur, this same transparency will now be applied directly to cow protection.

Each cow will be equipped with an IoT-enabled collar tracking vital health parameters, with data stored securely and made available to devotees through HariBol Food’s “Live Farms” platform. Devotees will be able to view real-time updates, historical health indices, and veterinary interventions – making go-seva globally participatory.

The addition of the mobile healthcare van complements this ecosystem by ensuring that veterinary teams are always equipped to deliver timely interventions in the field. This dual model ensures that ancient principles of Ahimsa (non-violence) are safeguarded through modern systems that combine accountability, compassion, and precision.

A Model for ISKCON’s Global Go-Shalas

The initiative is designed to serve as a replicable model for ISKCON go-shalas worldwide. By combining digital transparency through IoT and direct intervention via mobile healthcare, ISKCON Mayapur and HariBol Foods are setting a new standard for cow care. Smaller temples and goshalas can adopt the system at different scales – mobile vans for outreach, IoT collars for monitoring, or both – ensuring accessibility across contexts.

Beyond immediate welfare, the platform also opens opportunities for research on Ahimsa dairy, sustainability practices, and policy-level advocacy for ethical animal husbandry. In the long term, this could connect ISKCON’s go-shalas in Vrindavan, Ujjain, New Vrindaban, and beyond into a single transparent ecosystem of cow protection.

Braja Vilas Das, Vice-Chairman of ISKCON Mayapur’s TOVP project, commented:

“ISKCON founder HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada envisioned that our communities would care for cows with the same devotion as Deities. By combining ancient wisdom with technology, we are making that vision accessible to every devotee worldwide. With the mobile van and IoT monitoring, care is not only heartfelt but also measurable – protecting cows in body while uplifting devotees in spirit.”

Mr. Yachneet Pushkarna, CEO & Director of HariBol Foods, added:

“This collaboration with ISKCON Mayapur represents a milestone for us. By providing a mobile
healthcare van alongside IoT-driven monitoring, we are building a holistic model of cow care that is both spiritual and scientific. Our vision is to see this platform become the benchmark for ISKCON’s go-shalas worldwide, blending tradition, compassion, and innovation into one seamless system.”

About ISKCON Mayapur

ISKCON Mayapur, the world headquarters of ISKCON, is home to the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium (TOVP) and one of the largest go-shalas dedicated to lifelong cow protection. It is a center of spiritual learning and practice, visited by millions of pilgrims annually.

About HariBol Foods

  HariBol Foods is a food innovation company inspired by ISKCON principles, dedicated to creating cruelty-free, sustainable food systems rooted in Ahimsa. Through its Live Farms technology, DNA-verified A2 milk, and traceable ecosystems for dairy and non-dairy products, HariBol Foods is reshaping how food and compassion converge in modern life.

For more information:

Website – https://haribol.in/
Contact – yachneet.pushkarna@haribol.in | +91 85869 06577

 

---

 

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I haven’t visited Kuala Lampur temple for many years. It has certainly changed since the last time because the old temple was completely pulled down and a new temple is now up in its place.

I was inspired to see the Their Lordships on the altars and see the magnificent temple room and all the other new facilities. I was invited to give the Sunday morning lecture, which was followed by kirtan and prasadam.

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The post Hindi – Srila Prabhupada Incredible life story and 8 life lessons || Chaitanya Charan appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

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The post Janmashtami – Why Krishna descends Varanasi youth Gita 4.8 – Chaitanya Charan appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

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हमको अक्सर यह बताया जाता है कि हम आध्यात्मिक जगत में थे और वहाँ से यहाँ आए। लेकिन भक्तिविनोद ठाकुर अपने तत्त्व-विचार में कहते हैं कि हम कभी भी आध्यात्मिक जगत में थे ही नहीं और वहाँ से पतन जैसी कोई चीज़ होती ही नहीं है। तो इसे कैसे समझा जाए?

असल में यह ऐसा विषय है जिसमें आचार्यों के वचनों में कुछ विरोधाभास जैसा प्रतीत होता है। इसलिए इसको समझने में सावधानी की आवश्यकता है।

अगर हम श्रील प्रभुपाद के वाक्यों को देखें तो उन्होंने भी इस विषय पर अलग-अलग स्थानों पर अलग तरह के कथन किए हैं। अधिकांश स्थानों पर वे कहते हैं कि हम आध्यात्मिक जगत से पतित होकर यहाँ आए हैं। लेकिन कुछ जगहों पर उन्होंने बहुत स्पष्ट रूप से कहा है कि आध्यात्मिक जगत से कोई पतन नहीं होता। जैसे, चौथे स्कंध में जय-विजय की लीला के प्रसंग में प्रभुपाद कहते हैं कि वैकुण्ठ से पतन नहीं होता।

इसी बिंदु को लेकर 1980 के दशक में ISKCON में काफी विवाद हुआ। तब तक प्रभुपाद इस जगत से जा चुके थे और संस्थान पूरी तरह स्थिर भी नहीं हुई थी। इसलिए यदि कोई भक्त प्रभुपाद से अलग कुछ बोलता था तो उसके विरुद्ध बहुत कठोर कार्रवाई होती थी। इसी समय दो विद्वान भक्तों ने एक पुस्तक लिखी जिसमें उन्होंने यह सिद्ध करने का प्रयास किया कि वैकुण्ठ से कभी भी कोई पतन नहीं होता। उसके उत्तर में GBC ने Our Original Position नामक एक पुस्तक प्रकाशित की।

लेकिन उसमें भी यह बात स्पष्ट नहीं हुई कि यदि हम यहाँ से वहाँ जाते हैं और फिर वहाँ से वापस पतन संभव नहीं है, तो हमारा वास्तविक आरंभ कहाँ से हुआ?

बल्देव विद्या भूषण अपनी टीकाओं में बताते हैं कि तीन बातें हैं –

1. हमें स्वयं स्मरण रहेगा,
2. अगर भोग करने की इच्छा भगवान से स्वतंत्र होकर उत्पन्न होगी,
3. तभी वह स्मृति भगवान की कृपा से प्रकट होगी – जैसा गीता में कहा है मत्तः स्मृतिर्ज्ञानमपोहनं च।

तो अगर हमें कोई विशेष स्मृति नहीं है तो इसका अर्थ यह नहीं है कि वह बात असत्य है। क्योंकि भगवान की इच्छा से ही स्मृति, ज्ञान और विस्मरण प्रकट होते हैं।

The post Hindi-How to understand contradictory statements of acharyas about the fall of the jiva? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Click here for more photos A lively tapestry of vibrant music, colors, and devotion unfolded at ISKCON temple in Houston. On a warm evening, over 10,000 enthusiastic devotees gathered to celebrate Janmashtami, the divine appearance of the Supreme Lord, Krishna. “It was a really a magnificent event,” said Sarang Thakur Dasa, ISKCON Temple President. “We
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Last year we observed Srila Prabhupada’s Vyasapuja at our Sri Sri Radha Gopinatha temple in Baha, Bali. This year all the devotees went to Sri Sri Radha Rasesvara temple and the celebration was in the bottom floor of the new temple building, although it is not fully complete yet.

Needless to say, it was a wonderful function with abhiseka, homages, puspanjali and Srila Prabhupada puja offered by His Holiness Subhaga Maharaja. The devotees performed ecstatic kirtan, which was followed by sumptuous prasadam that consisted of many preparations, including one of Srila Prabhupada’s favorites, tasty kachoris.

Notes on Srila Prabhupada Tributes 2025

I proofread Srila Prabhupada Tributes 2025 in two and a half days back in July. I took notes on some points that were striking to me in some way, either because they included new information or presented truths about Srila Prabhupada or his message in a creative way. I share with you to honor him on his appearance day. They are in the same order as in the book, by date of initiation, with the swamis first.

Umapati Swami:

“But, you ask, Why only Prabhupada? Other masters in our line also teach about Krishna. Yes my friend, but only one master sailed across the ocean in his old age just to deliver me. And I’m sticking with that one.”

Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:

“You turned me into a respectable person. Before I met you, I had many sinful habits, like the four sinful activities – illicit sex, meat eating, intoxication and gambling. I was a lost cause. But the first night I attended your class in the storefront on Second Avenue, I tasted bliss, and I felt I had been saved. Chanting in kīrtana with you brought me ecstasy. I was able to give up all my sinful activities in one night, and from then on, I have always tried to be a faithful servitor to you. I became your servant. I became your disciple after one night. Just by meeting you and joining you in kīrtana and listening to your lecture (although I couldn’t understand your accent so well), I became sworn to serve you always.”

Jayapataka Swami:

“We successfully registered a trust called Sarasvata Gaudiya Vaishnava Association (SGVA). Most of the Gaudiya Mathas have joined this institution, and we celebrate together the appearance day of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada and Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. We are also aiming to collectively honor their disappearance days. After we do our own celebration in the morning, we gather at one Matha or another to celebrate the particular event. In this way, we are trying to unify the disciples and followers of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada, as per your wish.”

Kavicandra Swami:

“At one point I thought I was a devotee, sometimes even thinking I was a ‘good’ devotee. Then I thought that I was trying to be a devotee. Now I wonder if I am even trying to be a devotee.”

“We can never repay what he has given, but fortunately he will accept our efforts to serve. Srila Prabhupada taught us everything from every angle in many different ways.”

Janananda Goswami:

“May you cast your glance on France and make us dance. I pray you please shower your glance of mercy on us all that we can continue on the path of becoming your unalloyed servants – fulfilling your desires to preach the sankirtana movement without the self-aggrandizing false ego that drives me on.”

Bhakti Caitanya Swami:

“My prayer on this most sacred day is that Lord Krishna gives me more intelligence so I can appreciate you more and more and reciprocate more and more. Let that be my meditation and the foundation of my life.”

Bhaktimarga Swami:

“Some have perished, some have stayed

Some are on a climb, some are delayed

Men and women, definitely aged

Surely all will be home, fully engaged”

Bhakti Ananda Goswami:

“When I showed my Dad, Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad-gita As It Is, his reaction surprised me. He said that all of the great German physicists knew these Sanskrit literatures because ‘that is where they got their ideas from’.”

Varsana Swami:

“In your collective body of ISKCON, we have the ongoing privilege of displaying our love and loyalty by cooperating among ourselves.”

Devamrita Swami:

“Because your boundless, steadfast compassion defied all odds, your apprentices and trainees can break free of the most severe penal servitude – no longer chained by lust, anger, greed, and envy – in the ultimate maximum-security prison that is the material nature.”

Bhakti Vikasa Swami:

“Book distribution and farms: these are our solid programs. They can change the whole world. The whole foundation of animal civilization can be destroyed.” (a Prabhupada quote)

Govinda Dasi:

“This Hare Krishna Mahamantra is the only weapon to defend against the demons of this Kali Yuga. Public sankirtan melts down the sinfulness of the culture—but it must reach the masses. It must be held not only in temples and homes, but in public places. While you were here, my dear Master, we did Harinama Sankirtan at every public gathering, every war protest, every rock concert, anywhere and everywhere, and we were on the streets of every major city for 6 to 8 hours daily—except Sunday when we had your ‘Love Feast.’”

Kanchanbala Dasi:

“The Admiral happened to discover Indrayumna Maharaja’s Bhagavad-gita class in session, and he joined in to hear.

“At the end, the Admiral raised his hand and said, ‘This is what I have been looking for.’ “All of a sudden, Indradyumna Maharaja received a call to come back, Srila Prabhupada is arriving in two days to Paris, as they were quite a distance away. The Admiral caught wind of it, and asked, ‘Young man, what is a Spiritual Master?’ Maharaja said, ‘Come with me and see.’ The Admiral was so inspired and moved, spontaneously grasping an opportunity to meet Srila Prabhupada.

“When they arrived in Paris, Srila Prabhupada heard about the Admiral and sent for him to come. The Admiral came in uniform decorated with stripes and medals, sitting with His Divine Grace. Srila Prabhupada spoke with him for two hours, preaching to him very strongly, ‘You are not your body, you are not an Admiral,’ The Admiral was hearing with rapt attention. Towards the end of the meeting, the Admiral addressed Srila Prabhupada, ‘My dear Spiritual Master, what chapter of the Bhagavad-gita should I focus on?’ Srila Prabhupada said, ‘Every day for the rest of your life you read the Ninth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gita. That is my instruction to you.’ On that occasion, Srila Prabhupada didn’t mention the 4 regulative principles and chanting 16 rounds.

When the meeting came to a close, the Admiral asked Indrayumna Maharaja, ‘What should I do now?’, and Maharaja said, ‘Bow down,’ which he very readily did.

Then, eight years later, while Indrayumna Maharaja was doing sankirtana, he met the Admiral again at a Military Parade in Paris. The Admiral caught sight of Indrayumna Maharaja and said, ‘You are the one who brought me to my Spiritual Master. I read the Ninth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita every day.’ He then asked, ‘How is my Spiritual Master doing?’ It was when Srila Prabhupada had already departed a few years ago. In a devastated state, Maharaja said, ‘I am so sorry to say His Divine Grace has left this world. He has gone back to Godhead.’ Immediately, the Admiral burst into tears. All along, to the end, His Divine Grace gave the final lesson to everyone, was the art of leaving this world remembering Krishna. How Srila Prabhupada had made such a heartfelt impression in one meeting with the Admiral and then he took shelter of Srila Prabhupada’s guidance. It was just so moving to hear.”

Locanananda Prabhu:

“I had no specific qualification to engage in any particular service, but I found my place doing Harinam Sankirtana on the streets of Paris. I was the tambourine man, and it was my role to watch for approaching police vehicles and warn the leader to stop chanting until they had passed.”

Sarvamangala Dasi:

“I am praying to never be bereft of your unfathomable kindness and brilliant enlightening guidance.”

Vishnu Prabhu:

“O Gurudeva, you’ve revealed to me my true home

Within this dark world I’ve no need to roam

Your teachings are a river, flowing endlessly bright

Guiding my soul through the shadows of night

You’ve opened my eyes to the beauty of grace

In my thoughts and deeds, I feel your embrace

You’ve allowed me to take on this artist’s role

But you’ve become the painter of my soul

Your compassion knows no bounds or end

A torchlight of hope, you constantly send

In our moments of doubt, your light breaks through

In the caves of our hearts where we can find you

From the day I found you it became my call

To learn your teachings, so I wouldn’t fall

You’ve silenced the chaos, bestowed on us peace

Because of your kindness, our love will increase

Echoes of your voice resonate in my heart

With each quoted sloka, I feel a new start

You’ve lifted my spirit, dispelled all my fears,

With a love that transcends all ages and years

No foes can deter the path that you’ve set

Your blessings direct us, we’ll never forget

Your mission was a tapestry woven so fine

through Sri Chaitanya’s mercy and parampara line

Through the ancient sages, profound and wise

You’ve revealed the truth that never dies

In the tangled web of this earthly plight

Your guidance shines brightly, a relentless light

In your teachings, all Vedic truths unfold

Every verse in your books is a treasure I hold

Your purports, a beacon, illumines the way

Turning night into day, and ending dismay

You’ve removed the veil of this temporal guise

Revealing the essence, where the eternal lies

With each page I turn, my heart becomes free

Freed by your wisdom, I can finally see

O guide of my heart, forever I’ll strive

To honor your teachings which are always alive

In your divine radiance, I’ll continually bask,

For you have the answers to the questions I ask

When fear looms large and illusions take hold

Your words are the fire, freeing us from the cold

You’ve driven away the demons of deception

With knowledge as armor, you’ve given protection

In the dance of existence, through pleasure and pain

Your love for Krishna has broken the chain

You saw we were imprisoned, slaves of our strife

Then you freed us, and revealed the goal of life

You appeared as the tsunami of the Bhakti sea

My beloved Gurudeva, you’ll always be

And chanting Krishna-nama I pledge to uphold

This sacred vow is worth more than gold

We must cherish your words, like the stars in the night

They guide our devotion, as our souls take flight

With your divine knowledge, we stand ever tall

In gratitude, to your Divine Grace, I surrender my all.”

Narayani Dasi:

“Nanda devi dasi came to Vrindavan to leave her body but it took 20 years for her to leave. Because of her disease, she could not chant properly, finish her rounds or go to the temple. Just before she left her body, she had a vision. She was walking on the path back to Godhead, and Srila Prabhupada was walking next to her. On both sides of the path were people criticizing her, saying things like, she didn’t chant her rounds properly, she is a woman so she can’t go back to Godhead, she didn’t go to the temple regularly… But then Srila Prabhupada turned to the people and said, ‘It’s ok. She is with me.’ Then the people on both sides of the path started praising her.”

Somadas Prabhu:

“I heard later when some of your disciples asked you if it was ok to pray to Lord Nrsiṁha Deva for your protection. You said we should pray to him for the protection of the spiritual master, for the protection of ISKCON, and the protection of all the devotees in ISKCON. . . . Also, I pray that all living entities become members of ISKCON so they get that protection. And I wish that all living entities develop pure love for Krishna and chant 16 rounds without offense and follow the four principles, Krishna if You so desire.”

Vishnugada Prabhu:

“During one reading of the Lilamrta, we came across an exchange between you and a professor during your visit to Philadelphia in 1975 to attend the first large Ratha Yatra festival on the East Coast. The professor entered your darshan with some of his students. When he was introduced as a professor of religion you requested he tell you his understanding of religion. He responded saying ‘no’ and that it would be better for you to tell him your understanding. At that, you turned to Svarupa Damodara Prabhu, sitting nearby, and said: ‘What do you make of this, a religion professor who can’t explain religion?’ Svarupa Damodara said: ‘I think this is a cheater Srila Prabhupada.’ At that there erupted a heated exchange between the two of you and the professor left.

“A devotee attending the reading became disturbed and confused hearing the pastime. He asked me: ‘What kind of Vedic hospitality is this, inviting someone to your place and then insulting him? Aren’t we supposed to treat even enemies with respect when they come as our guests?’ I responded that it was a good question, and I didn’t have a good answer. However, I suggested there was likely more to the story than what was included in the Lilamrta. I encouraged him to call Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu, who was present during the incident, since he might be able to give a more complete description of what went on. The call was made.

“Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu admitted he was the one who invited the professor. The professor’s name was actually Dr. Yadav, indicating he was a descendant of the Yadu dynasty, the family of Lord Krishna. Ravindra added that the next morning when he accompanied you on your morning walk, he apologized for inviting a professor who was not very respectful. You just chuckled, saying it was your business to chastise rascals.

“Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu then mentioned that some time later he met the same professor in Philadelphia. The professor eagerly inquired about you. When Ravindra updated him, professor Yadav spontaneously exclaimed: ‘Your guru saved me!’ and proceeded to explain that despite being born in an exalted family he had become involved in all kinds of degraded activities. But upon meeting you, Srila Prabhupada, your strong words shook him out of his illusion and were instrumental in bringing him back to an appreciation of the Bhagavat dharma of his roots. He then profusely thanked Ravindra Svarupa for inviting him for your darshan.

“We had a golden opportunity to learn from this encounter. It demonstrated to us that you are always fully transcendental and acting for a person’s ultimate benefit, even when we may not understand how. Although you are usually a cordial, charming, and attentive host, when the opportunity arose to elevate someone in Krishna Consciousness, that purpose was paramount. It was even more important than adhering to the rules of etiquette. The incident reminded us of your commentary when Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya asked Lord Caitanya why Sripad Isvara Puri kept Govinda, a person from a sudra background, as a disciple. You noted: ‘An authorized spiritual master is as good as Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If Hari is free to act as He likes, the empowered spiritual master is also free. As Hari is not subject to the criticism of mundane rules and regulations, the spiritual master is also not subjected.’ (CC Madhya 10.136) Like Narada Muni cursing the sons of Kuvera to extract them from their intoxicated lifestyle facilitating their meeting with Lord Damodara, your strong words brought the professor to his right consciousness.”

Sankarshan Prabhu:

“As a hippy singer/songwriter, I was on a mission to deliver the world from chaos. For this purpose, I wrote hundreds of songs and sang them in many different venues. But, because I was totally in a state of chaos myself, lost in material sense gratification, there was no question of my being able to do anything at all to deliver the world from chaos. After two years I finally realized my lost state. In an attempt to free myself from chaos, I was inspired by Lord Jesus, who prayed to be able to serve God’s will instead of his own will. Thus, I prayed to God to guide me how I could become His perfect servant. Krishna heard and answered my sincere prayer by sending your representative, His Holiness Vishnujana Swami, to Austin to open an ISKCON center. That most glorious sannyasi expertly guided me how to practice the sublime science of Krishna consciousness.”

Anuttama Prabhu:

“Srila Prabhupada, with each year that passes it becomes more and more obvious how dependent we are on your mercy, your teachings, and your example.”

“Thank you for guiding us via hundreds of recorded lectures, in which you at once plead, coach, embrace, and call out to each of us to come closer to you and to Lord Krishna.”

“But sadly, the world around us impels us to hurt ourselves and others. The world impels us to cheat. The world impels us to be full of hate and anger and jealously and envy. It is practically demanding that we do so. It is tempting us to do so. It is prodding us to do so. But you have given us the secret to rising beyond all that, the Lord’s holy name:

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna

Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama

Rama Rama Hare Hare”

“Srila Prabhupada, you were and are the perfect manifestation of authenticity. This is one of your greatest qualities – one that attracted thousands and today attracts millions to take shelter of you. If we want to be counted as among your followers, if we want to preach and teach and serve you and follow you, we too need to become authentic. Not shallow, and not proud; but to become humble Vaishnavas, trying our utmost to respect all others, to be kind to all others, and to be servants of all others.”

Jitamitra Dasi:

“I can thank you every day for having the great compassion to accept and trust me to be your disciple despite not knowing me personally. I will continue to try to personalize my relationship with you by always taking guidance through your instructions and by keeping my initiation vows as my most treasured possession that cemented our relationship in love and trust.”

Janakaraja Prabhu:

“Every time I chant, my faith is restored, my conviction that you have given the greatest gift that can heal the desert-like hearts of us conditioned souls.”

Vaisnavananda Prabhu:

“In July 1975, at an arrival address in San Francisco, he said that just as Krishna is in anxiety regarding the welfare of His devotee, so the spiritual master is in anxiety regarding the state of his disciples. Prabhupada told us that if we sincerely maintain our practice of Krishna consciousness but fail to return back home back to Godhead in this lifetime, that he will take as many births as needed to come back for us, but that we should not abuse that privilege and become serious in our sadhana bhakti.”

Ali Krishna Devi Dasi:

“First, you gave us yourself, a unique personality, full of countless exceptional qualities. You gave us the vision of your beautiful, timeless face, a face both old and young at the same time. You gifted us with your oceanic smile and your seriousness, your humor, and your gravity.”

“Another beautiful gift you gave us is our names. You gave each of us new names to call one another so that we could remember our true origin and the bond that unites us.”

“There’s some who claimed you bent the rules

To spread the yuga-dharma

Yet millions more you’ve lifted

From the wreck of Kali’s drama

And countless souls around the world

Are touched by your compassion

As they chant Lord Krishna’s holy name

Untouched by fad or fashion”

Badarayana Prabhu:

“There is the internal path of cultivation of bhakti, and there is the external path of delivering the conditioned souls. You desired that we cultivate these two paths simultaneously with tivrena bhakti-yogena, great force, intensity and dedication. You set the example as the acarya that we do so until our dying day. Your mood was imbued with love, compassion and urgency.”

“We now see that prophecy being realized with Tulsi Gabbard, a serious Vaishnavi, not only having run for POTUS [President of the United States], but now holding the highest position in US intelligence agencies. And Kashyapa Patel, as the head of the FBI, who in his first Congressional acceptance hearing declared for all the world to hear, “Jaya Sri Krishna.” Another powerful Vaishnava. And there’s Usha Vance, the vegetarian Hindu/Vaishnava wife of the current vice president JD Vance. How could it be that there are so many Vaishnavas in top positions of US government, who themselves have had their own internal great awakening, if not by the mercy, will and plan of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself the Supreme Personality of this age?”

Kadamba Devi Dasi:

“Thank you for your gift that I can never repay. Let my understanding and love for Krishna flourish under your guidance and protection.”

Citraka Prabhu:

“We are but fallen souls striving to follow your footsteps. We face internal challenges, grapple with the complexities of maintaining the integrity of your institution, and struggle with our own imperfections.

“We pray for your mercy to overcome these obstacles, to remain united as a spiritual family, and to continue expanding your mission with sincerity and dedication. We seek your guidance to navigate the turbulent waters of Kali-yuga, to deepen our sadhana, and to develop a genuine taste for the holy name.”

Govardhan Devi Dasi:

“Like the maha-mantra, your glories grow sweeter the more they are sung. What a gift you have given the world!”

“You told us that your Bhaktivedanta purports were your ‘emotional ecstasies’. I’ve always thought of that as referring particularly to the purports where you reflect on the Lord’s pastimes. It strikes me now, though, that your constant urging, through your Bhaktivedanta purports, that we strive to leave this material world and return back to Godhead is just as much a part of your repeated ecstasy.”

Dravida Dasa:

“The Hare Krishna movement’s a desire tree, whose fruits

Are all the splendid ways Lord Gaura’s army wins recruits.

To plant that tree upon the earth, from Krishna’s realm he came—

To Srila Prabhupada I bow, his glories I proclaim.”

“There have been many ups and downs, still, the unseen power, compassion of the Lord and of you, dear Srila Prabhupada, has kept me in the association of devotees.”

“ISKCON is the manifestation of your love for us and all the other parts and parcels of Lord Krishna.”

“The lesson I learned from associating with devotees is that humility is the greatest asset one can imbibe. Humility is the solution to all problems of life one has to solve in one’s sojourn.”

“On one of those days, as you sat serenely on your vyasasana, you told us while looking directly at me, ‘So one day you may feel no desire to chant Hare Krishna and no desire to do any service.’ This statement shocked me greatly because I wanted to do nothing else at that time. And then you continued, ‘Then you can pray to Mother Radharani, “My dear Radharani, I am feeling no desire to chant my japa and no desire to do any service. But please bless me that I may chant just one more round of japa and do some little service.”’ ‘If you can get a taste for that,’ you said, ‘you will never fall down.’ This made perfect sense to me. You continued and said something incredibly amazing to me still:

“‘Actually, that is the highest taste.’”

Ksetrajna Prabhu:

“One by one as they approached you out of curiosity or to inquire or to speak, they were won over to the path of devotion to Krishna.

“Thank you for allowing me to be amongst your miracles.”

Taraka Prabhu:

“Your blessings, too vast to ever recount,

Flow through our lives in an endless amount,”

“With boundless compassion, he reached every shore,

Welcoming all to Vaikuntha’s door.

Regardless of background, caste, or creed,

He called every heart to the spiritual need.”

“Yet never swayed from the truth’s clear stand,

Even among the elite of the land.

Like Vyasadeva, he built a family vast,

Disciples of disciples, a lineage to last.”

“To the spiritual master, our eternal guide,

Who channels Vyasadeva’s wisdom far and wide,

We offer our thanks, our obeisances pure,

For the path of truth that shall always endure.”

“Fortunate are we to serve your feet,

In your mission, our lives complete,

Your presence lingers, far and wide,

In words, in deeds, and by your side.

“In every book, in every line,

Your spirit lives, your truth divine,

In countless languages, your words do fly,

Transforming hearts, lifting them high.”

Trilokanatha Prabhu and Mahojjvala Devi Dasi:

“The sweetness of God is yours to bestow:

Like Mahaprabhu, you give the high to the low.

This understanding is what keeps us afloat.

In this material ocean, you captain our boat.”

“As we stumble and fall, in the midst of this maze,

Your words ring so true ‘be surprised at who stays!’

And still, amid grace, we fume, and we fuss.

Our prayer is that you will be patient with us.”

Moksalaksmi Devi Dasi:

“Thank you for all the incredible life experiences I have had because I chose to join and stay in your movement. It’s been an incredible life spent trying to serve you in some way or another.”

“You can either love it or hate it or both at the same time as you hate that you can no longer have those intimate quiet moments with the deities but you love the fact that your preaching, Srila Prabhupada, has been an unparalleled success. You have single-handedly put Vrindavan well and truly back on the map. You have reminded the whole of India about Krishna and turned Vrindavan from a quiet forgotten village into a hub of countless souls seeking out the mercy of Krishna and the incalculable benefits of Sri Vrindavan Dham.”

Sandamani dd:

“New devotees come from all walks of life

See the mundane world with its hatred and strife

Krishna Consciousness is the true alternative

Whether one is moderate, liberal or conservative.”

Satyaraja Prabhu:

“Clearly you are still with us, for you live in your instructions, and if you were not in some sense here, how could we write Vyasa-puja offerings? These offerings themselves are one of the many ways that your presence can still be felt throughout the world.”

Sriniketan Prabhu:

“Although for a conditioned soul the path back to Godhead appears very difficult, by the mercy of a bona fide acarya like yourself, the process becomes simple and blissful. In fact it is so completely satisfying that we don’t even care so much about going back to Godhead, as long as we can stay in your service and association. Because when we are in your association – you who are always absorbed in transcendental activities to please Krishna – this is actually as good as being back to Godhead.”

Narakantaka Prabhu:

“You once recounted how a priest, acting on his own accord, approached you and said, ‘Swamiji, I see a brightness in the faces of your students. How have you created this brightness?’ (Room Conversation with Dr. Karan Singh, November 25, 1971, Delhi).

I know precisely why: because you dwell within our minds.

Indeed, you own our minds.

That is why your devotees now possess such ‘bright faces.’ It is your brightness that shines through!”

Jagannathesvari dd:

“Every time I write a Vyasa-puja offering to you, it means one more year as your disciple. Each passing year tightens the bond and brings me closer to you and further away from distant memories of previous lifetimes in the material world. Every year increases my amazement at my good fortune to be your disciple. What are the odds? How is it possible that I have become an initiated disciple of the Jagat Guru, the person chosen by Lord Chaitanya to spread Krishna consciousness all over the world? It is inconceivable to my tiny brain. Every year increases my wonder, awe, gratitude and love for you.”

Atitaguna dd:

“In Kali-yuga there are not many good qualities. You gave us the only good qualities we have in this life.”

Gopimata dd:

“Thank you for your kindness and compassion. Thank you for your ability to see right through the tamasic layers that cover our pure soul. To us, these layers appear to be very complicated and important, but you see that they can be easily removed.”

My dear Srila Prabhupada,

Please accept my prostrated obeisances at your divine, merciful lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine Grace.

When I joined the Boston temple in 1969, Satsvarupa dasa was the temple president and also the editor of BTG, and he always wanted articles for the magazine. So I wrote one, entitled “The Genuine Spiritual Master,” and by the time the issue with my article reached you, in February of 1971, I was with you in Gorakhpur, India.

After reading my article, you called for me. The temple room was dimly lit—only some narrow shafts of light pierced through the slim openings in the wooden shutters along the side. Sitting alone on your raised cushion at the far end of the room, you were the very image of the eternal spiritual master, and your voice resonated with the truth of eternal time. I sat at your feet, eyes and ears wide open.

“I saw your article in Back to Godhead,” you said. “It was very nice. You should write. This is your first business. Go on writing. We require many, many such articles about Krishna consciousness. So you should devote yourself to writing.”

“I will try,” I said. “But why are you asking me? I have no special qualification.”

“We require many to do this work, and we need you also. So, you travel with me and I will guide you. You come and stay with me.”

I felt thrilled and honored. You had never before given me a direct instruction. In fact, we had hardly ever spoken, and now you were inviting me to stay with you so you could guide me in writing.

Over the years, you repeated your instruction for me to write. In a letter to me dated August 12, 1971, you wrote, “In the midst of your heavy duties, go on writing something glorifying the Lord and put our philosophy into words. Writing articles means to express oneself how he is understanding the whole philosophy. So this writing is necessary for everyone.”

In 1973 I sent you my Vyasa-puja offering, and on August 23, from Bhaktivedanta Manor, you sent me an encouraging note: “I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter and the nice Vyasa-puja offering you sent. I have sent it to Satsvarupa Goswami for printing in the BTG. Writing is a very important part of our work, and Satsvarupa is always anxious to have new material from the devotees for expanding the BTG. You have a nice talent for writing, and practice makes perfect, so continue. It will be appreciated.”

In recent years I have edited Life’s Final Exam: Death and Dying from the Vedic Perspective and written Watering the Seed—With Teachings from His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada; Many Moons: Reflections on Departed Vaishnavas; I’ll Build You a Temple: The Juhu Story; and Dancing White Elephants: Traveling with Srila Prabhupada in India, August 1970–March 1972. This year I submitted two articles to BTG, which have been accepted for publication, and I am in the last stages of completing my latest book, about meeting you and the devotees in Boston, April 1969–October 1970.

On this occasion I pray to you to bless me that I can continue to serve you, the devotees, and the world by writing about Krishna consciousness in the right consciousness. As you wrote in your commentary on Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya 19.132, “It is certainly not good to write literature for money or reputation, but to write books and publish them for the enlightenment of the general populace is real service to the Lord. That was Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī’s opinion, and he specifically told his disciples to write books. He actually preferred to publish books rather than establish temples. Temple construction is meant for the general populace and neophyte devotees, but the business of advanced and empowered devotees is to write books, publish them and distribute them widely. According to Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, distributing literature is like playing on a great mṛdaṅga. Consequently we always request members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness to publish as many books as possible and distribute them widely throughout the world. By thus following in the footsteps of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, one can become a rūpānuga devotee.”

I am assisted in my work by a team of expert editors, headed by Kalachandji dasa, and I request you to kindly bless them too.

Thank you very much.

Hare Krishna.

Your eternal, grateful servant,
Giriraj Swami

By Chintamani dasi Everyone always wanted Srila Prabhupada to come to their temple, especially if it was Janmashtami and Vyasa puja. We often didn’t know where Srila Prabhupada would go next, sometimes there wasn’t much warning. It was either by a letter or phone call to our Japanese temple that we found out the good
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Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 21, No. 32

By Krishna Kripa Das

(Week 32: August 6–12, 2025)

New Mayapur and Paris

(Sent from Sarcelles, France, on August 16, 2025)

Where I Went and What I Did

The thirty-second week of 2025, I spent five days in New Mayapur, attending the Balarama festival and staying for the initiation ceremony the following day. The first three days I was unable to go on harinama because I had no transportation, but the last two days I did harinama with Harinama Ruci. On Balarama Purnima we chanted in Tours for almost two hours, and a lot of people interacted with us. The next day we chanted in Amboise for about an hour and a half, and then I chanted for another forty minutes on my way to and at the train station. The last two days, I lived at ISKCON Paris in Sarcelles, eighteen minutes by train north of Paris itself. In Paris I chanted Hare Krishna for three hours each afternoon, usually from 3 to 6 p.m.

We were blessed to have three devotees from Amsterdam who love kirtan, namely Parividha Prabhu and Rati Manjari and Citralekha Devi Dasis, visit us on Monday, and they chanted for the deities and also came on harinama.

I share quotes from Srila Prabhupada’s Srimad-Bhagavatam, Sri Caitanya-caritamrita and The Nectar of Devotion. I share notes on classes by Janananda Goswami, Agnideva Prabhu, Mandakini Devi Dasi, Devaki Devi Dasi, and Vigatsu Prabhu. I share quotes from Sri Caitanya-bhagavata by Vrindavana Dasa Thakura and its commentary by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati.

Thanks to Jiva Prana Prabhu, president of ISKCON Paris, for sponsoring my train from Amboise to Paris, so I could attend the harinama with Harinama Ruci there. Thanks to Devaki Devi Dasi for giving me a complimentary copy of her book, Sheltering Relationships. Thanks to Parividha Prabhu for taking the video of me dancing in kirtan.

Itinerary

June 19–August 19: Paris
August 20: London harinama
August 21–22: Liverpool harinamas
August 23: Liverpool Ratha-yatra
August 24: Manchester harinama
August 25: London harinama and flight to New York

Chanting Hare Krishna in New Mayapur

Agnideva Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in New Mayapur (https://youtu.be/xhdzmboNKBQ):

Rati Manjari Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna during Jhulan Yatra at New Mayapur (https://youtube.com/shorts/rf8VpI0R4as?feature=share):

Agnideva Prabhu chants Hare Krishna and “Yasomati Nandana” after Guru Puja in New Mayapur (https://youtu.be/m_ymEiXWoKM):

Svarupa Damodara Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at New Mayapur (https://youtu.be/nNNedXFt60E):

Mataji chants Hare Krishna at Jhulan Yatra in New Mayapur (https://youtube.com/shorts/AWtsfZcPxJQ?feature=share):

Taptakanchana Gauradhama Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at the end of the Jhulan Yatra and in the New Mayapur temple lobby (https://youtu.be/iAxpjlM0lL0):

Agnideva Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at New Mayapur the evening before Balarama Purnima (https://youtu.be/_YTGIAW07hM):

Janananda Goswami chants Hare Krishna before the deity greeting on Balarama Purnima in New Mayapur (https://youtu.be/oDK0IO2Kgu4):

“The cowherd girls said: ‘O friends, those eyes that see the beautiful faces of the sons of Maharaja Nanda are certainly fortunate. As these two sons enter the forest, surrounded by Their friends, driving the cows before Them, They hold Their flutes to Their mouths and glance lovingly upon the residents of Vrindavan. For those who have eyes, we think there is no greater object of vision. Dressed in a charming variety of garments, upon which Their garlands rest, and decorating Themselves with peacock feathers, lotuses, lilies, newly grown mango sprouts and clusters of flower buds, Krishna and Balarama shine forth magnificently among the assembly of cowherd boys. They look just like the best of dancers appearing on a dramatic stage, and sometimes They sing.’” (SB 10.21.7–8)

We read from Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto Ten, Chapter Two: “Prayers by the Demigods for Lord Krsna in the Womb.”

TEXT 18

tato jagan-mangalam acyutamsam
  samahitam sura-sutena devi
dadhara sarvatmakam atma-bhutam
  kastha yathananda-karam manastah

SYNONYMS

tatah—thereafter; jagat-mangalam—auspiciousness for all living entities in all the universes of the creation; acyuta-amsam—the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is never bereft of the six opulences, all of which are present in all His plenary expansions; samahitam—fully transferred; sura-sutena—by Vasudeva, the son of Surasena; devi—Devaki-devi; dadhara—carried; sarva-atmakam—the Supreme Soul of everyone; atma-bhutam—the cause of all causes; kastha—the east; yatha—just as; ananda-karam—the blissful (moon); manastah—being placed within the mind.

TRANSLATION

Thereafter, accompanied by plenary expansions, the fully opulent Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is all-auspicious for the entire universe, was transferred from the mind of Vasudeva to the mind of Devaki. Devaki, having thus been initiated by Vasudeva, became beautiful by carrying Lord Krsna, the original consciousness for everyone, the cause of all causes, within the core of her heart, just as the east becomes beautiful by carrying the rising moon.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

As indicated here by the word manastah, the Supreme Personality of Godhead was transferred from the core of Vasudeva’s mind or heart to the core of the heart of Devaki. We should note carefully that the Lord was transferred to Devaki not by the ordinary way for a human being, but by diksa, initiation. Thus the importance of initiation is mentioned here. Unless one is initiated by the right person, who always carries within his heart the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one cannot acquire the power to carry the Supreme Godhead within the core of one’s own heart.

The word acyutamsam is used because the Supreme Personality of Godhead is sad-aisvarya-purna, full in the opulences of wealth, strength, fame, knowledge, beauty, and renunciation. The Supreme Godhead is never separated from His personal opulences. As stated in the Brahma-samhita (5.39), ramadi-murtisu kala-niyamena tisthan: the Lord is always situated with all His plenary expansions, such as Rama, Nrsimha, and Varaha. Therefore the word acyutamsam is specifically used here, signifying that the Lord is always present with His plenary expansions and opulences. There is no need to think of the Lord artificially as yogis do. Dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa pasyanti yam yoginah (Srimad-Bhagavatam 12.13.1). Yogis meditate upon the Supreme Person within the mind. For a devotee, however, the Lord is present, and His presence need only be awakened through initiation by a bona fide spiritual master. The Lord did not need to live within the womb of Devaki, for His presence within the core of her heart was sufficient to carry Him. One is here forbidden to think that Krsna was begotten by Vasudeva within the womb of Devaki and that she carried the child within her womb.

When Vasudeva was sustaining the form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead within his heart, he appeared just like the glowing sun, whose shining rays are always unbearable and scorching to the common man. The form of the Lord situated in the pure, unalloyed heart of Vasudeva is not different from the original form of Krsna. The appearance of the form of Krsna anywhere, and specifically within the heart, is called dhama. Dhama refers not only to Krsna’s form, but to His name, His form, His quality, and His paraphernalia. Everything becomes manifest simultaneously.

Thus the eternal form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead with full potencies was transferred from the mind of Vasudeva to the mind of Devaki, exactly as the setting sun’s rays are transferred to the full moon rising in the east.

Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, entered the body of Devaki from the body of Vasudeva. He was beyond the conditions of the ordinary living entity. When Krsna is there, it is to be understood that all His plenary expansions, such as Narayana, and incarnations like Lord Nrsimha and Varaha, are with Him, and they are not subject to the conditions of material existence. In this way, Devaki became the residence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is one without a second and the cause of all creation. Devaki became the residence of the Absolute Truth, but because she was within the house of Kamsa, she looked just like a suppressed fire, or like misused education. When fire is covered by the walls of a pot or is kept in a jug, the illuminating rays of the fire cannot be very much appreciated. Similarly, misused knowledge, which does not benefit the people in general, is not very much appreciated. So Devaki was kept within the prison walls of Kamsa’s palace, and no one could see her transcendental beauty, which resulted from her conceiving the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Commenting upon this verse, Sri Viraraghava Acarya writes, vasudeva-devaki jatharayor hrdayayor bhagavatah sambandhah. The Supreme Lord’s entrance into the womb of Devaki from the heart of Vasudeva was a heart-to-heart relationship.

COMMENT by Giriraj Swami

We have gathered here at the lotus feet of Lord Krishna to remember and celebrate His appearance in this world. According to Vedic literature, Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead (krsnas tu bhagavan svayam). He is the Absolute Truth, the origin of all that exists. And He is realized in three features, nondual (advaya), as explained in Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.11):

vadanti tat tattva-vidas
  tattvam yaj jnanam advayam
brahmeti paramatmeti
  bhagavan iti sabdyate

“Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this nondual substance Brahman, Paramatma, or Bhagavan.”

Brahman is the impersonal effulgence that emanates from the transcendental form of the Lord; Paramatma is the localized feature of the Lord, within the heart; and Bhagavan is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krishna Himself, full in six opulences.

The form of Krishna is not material. Our bodies are material, distinct from the soul, which is spiritual. The Bhagavad-gita (2.13) explains,

dehino ’smin yatha dehe
  kaumaram yauvanam jara
tatha dehantara-praptir
  dhiras tatra na muhyati

“As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. A sober person is not bewildered by such a change.” The soul is a nonphysical, nonchemical particle of spiritual energy, and it is the soul that animates the body. As long as the soul is in the body, we say the body is alive. Actually, the body is never alive; the body is just a machine. But it appears to be alive when the soul is present to animate it. And when the soul leaves the body, the body has no capacity to act, to function, and then we say that the body is dead.

In conditioned beings, such as us, there is a distinction between the body, which is made of material energy, and the soul, which is composed of spiritual energy. But in the case of Krishna, there is no difference between His body and soul. Being absolute, His body and He are the same. In our case, there is a difference between us and the body, because our real identity is the soul. If someone’s father passes away, the son or daughter will cry, “Oh, my father has left. My father is gone.” Although the body of the father is there, why do we say, “My father has gone”? Intuitively we know, especially at a time like death, that the body lying there in the room is not the person. The body is just a bag of chemicals. The real person is the soul who has left the body, and so the children and other relatives and friends cry, “Oh, he’s gone,” because he is the soul, not the body.

But in the case of Krishna, He and His body are not different, because He is absolute. There is no difference between His inside and His outside. He is completely spiritual. The Brahma-samhita says, isvarah paramah krsnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah: “Krishna is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal, blissful spiritual body.” Anadir adir govindah sarva-karana-karanam: “He is the origin of all, but He Himself has no origin. He is the prime cause of all causes.” That is Krishna.

Everything we see in the material world has a cause. On a simple level, we can say, “I am caused by my parents” (or “my body is caused by my parents”). They in turn were caused by their parents, who in turn were caused by their parents. And if we keep going back, further, further, further, eventually we will come to the original cause, and that is Krishna (sarva-karana-karanam). He is the cause of everything—the cause of all causes. But He Himself has no cause.

This is hard for us to understand in the conditioned state, because everything material has a cause; everything has a beginning and an end. But Krishna has no beginning and no end; He is eternal (sanatana). Eternal means “no beginning and no end.” Even we, as spirit souls, are also eternal. We have no beginning and no end. Our life in a particular body has a beginning, which we call “birth” (or “conception”), and it has an end within a particular body, which we call “death.” But we, as spirit souls, have no beginning and no end, because we are parts and parcels of Krishna. We are of the same quality as Krishna, just in different quantity. The Lord says,

mamaivamso jiva-loke
  jiva-bhutah sanatanah
manah-sasthanindriyani
  prakrti-sthani karsati

“The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.” (Gita 15.7)

The living entity is an eternal, fragmental part of Krishna. This is the sublime philosophy of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu called acintya-bhedabheda-tattva: the “inconceivable simultaneous oneness and difference” of the living entity and the Supreme Lord. We are one in quality with the Lord but different in quantity—He is infinite and we are infinitesimal. Because we have the same qualities, we can have a relationship with Him. Unless there is some commonness, we can’t have a relationship. And because of the difference in quantity—He is the whole and we are the part—our relationship is one of service. It is the natural function of the part to serve the whole. For example, the hand is part of the body, so the function of the hand is to serve the body. If the hand doesn’t serve the body, there is something wrong; it is diseased or dead. So, our natural function is to serve Krishna (jivera ‘svarupa’ haya—krsnera ‘nitya-dasa’). And we are eternal, as Krishna is eternal, and our relationship, our service, is also eternal—it never ends.

Earlier we mentioned the three features of the Absolute Truth: Brahman, Paramatma, and Bhagavan. There are different classes of transcendentalists, who have different spiritual aspirations. Most people are materialists. They are not even interested in spiritual life. They just want to enjoy the world. But when one becomes a little more elevated, a little more purified in consciousness, one thinks of improving oneself spiritually. And when one becomes serious enough, one will actually enter into a discipline in a particular school of thought and practice. So, one category of transcendentalists is the jnanis. Their goal is to merge and become one with Brahman, the impersonal effulgence that emanates from the transcendental body of Krishna. And higher than the jnanis are the yogis. They want to realize the localized feature, the Lord within the heart (dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa pasyanti yam yoginah). And the highest are the bhaktas. They want to enter into a loving relationship with Bhagavan, Sri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Although in one sense, because the Absolute Truth is nondual (advaya), all transcendentalists are the same, still, from an analytical or objective point of view there are degrees of realization. As stated earlier, Krishna is sac-cid-ananda-vigraha. Sat means “eternal,” cit means “cognizant,” and ananda means “blissful.” The jnanis who attain impersonal Brahman realize only the sat feature, eternal existence. The yogis who realize Paramatma have perception of sat (eternity) and cit (knowledge), because they apprehend the individuality of the Lord in the heart. And the bhaktas have full realization of sat, cit, and ananda (eternity, knowledge, and bliss), because real happiness comes from loving relationships. Although one may say that there is a sort of bliss in impersonal Brahman, compared with the ecstatic happiness of loving service to Krishna it is insignificant. There are many statements in the shastra, the Vedic scriptures, to the effect that the happiness realized in relationship to Krishna is like an ocean and that the happiness of merging (or trying to merge) into impersonal Brahman is like a puddle of water in comparison.

tvat-saksat-karanahlada-
  visuddhabdhi-sthitasya me
sukhani gospadayante
  brahmany api jagad-guro

“My dear Lord, O master of the universe, since I have directly seen You, my transcendental bliss has taken the shape of a great ocean. Being situated in that ocean, I now realize all other so-called happiness, the pleasure derived from impersonal Brahman, to be like the water contained in the hoofprint of a calf.” (Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya 14.36) Practically, there is no comparison.

Furthermore, to realize impersonal Brahman is very difficult, especially in the present age. And even if one succeeds—or imagines that one has succeeded—there is every chance that one will fall down.

ye ’nye ’ravindaksa vimukta-maninas
  tvayy asta-bhavad avisuddha-buddhayah
aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah
  patanty adho ’nadrta-yusmad-anghrayah

“O lotus-eyed Lord, although nondevotees who accept severe austerities and penances to achieve the highest position may think themselves liberated, their intelligence is impure. They fall down from their position of imagined superiority because they have no regard for Your lotus feet.” (SB 10.2.32)

More likely, they just imagine that they have realized Brahman, but whether they have actually realized it or just imagine they have, because they have neglected the service of the lotus feet of Krishna they fall down (patanty adhah).

We, conditioned souls, are rotating in the cycle of repeated birth and death (samsara), and our goal is to gain release from this samsara-chakra. Such liberation is called mukti, or moksha. The impersonal type of liberation, in which the individual soul merges into the spiritual light, is very hard to achieve—if one can achieve it at all. But even if one does, it doesn’t last. Therefore the Bhagavatam says patanty adhah: they fall down. Why? Because they have no engagement in the transcendental loving service of the Lord.

Impersonal liberation is like going to sleep. Intelligent people can perceive that there is misery in material existence, and they want relief. That is one factor that may lead someone to consider spiritual life.  So, a person trying to achieve impersonal liberation is similar to someone who is suffering and tries to escape the suffering by sleeping—“The world is too much.”  Well, all right, you can temporarily escape the misery by going to sleep, but how long can you remain asleep? Eventually you will wake up, and the same miseries will be there.

And being suspended in the impersonal Brahman effulgence can be boring. It is a relief—it is definitely a relief—to be out of the material world, but eventually it gets boring. Someone may go on a cruise: “Oh, boy, I need to get away from things. Let me go on a cruise. I want to enjoy the sea.” And it may be nice for a while, but eventually one gets bored—just water and waves and wind. Eventually one wants to go back on dry land, even though the land is what one wanted to get away from. Although there was frustration and misery on the land, at least there was some stimulation, some variety.

The impersonal jnanis who want to merge and become one with Brahman eventually fall down (patanty adhah), because they become restless. They want some activity, and because they have no idea of the spiritual activities of Krishna consciousness, devotional service to Krishna, patanty adhah, they fall into material activities, and again they suffer, because the result of material activity is material misery.

So, why does the Lord descend? He is sac-cid-ananda-vigraha: eternal, full of knowledge and bliss. And He lives in His spiritual abode, where everything is eternal, full of knowledge and bliss. And He is served by great souls completely free of material contamination, liberated from the material bodies that cause so much pain. Why should the Lord come here at all? What does He have to gain?

Personally, He has nothing to gain. But He comes out of His mercy, to deliver us. The material world is compared to a prison house, and we, conditioned souls, are the prisoners. Like prisoners, we are restricted. We can’t just go anywhere and everywhere, wherever we want. Liberated souls can travel anywhere in the universe. They don’t need spaceships or any other such contraptions. They can move about freely. But we are bound. We are not allowed to leave this planet very easily, and even if we do, we don’t really have any other place to stay. So we are bound, and we have to suffer.

I mentioned the body, that there is so much pain in the body. Someone might think, “This swami is very negative about the body.” But the Bhagavad-gita says, janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanudarsanam: one should always perceive the miseries of birth, death, old age, and disease. You might say, “Why does the swami have to be so negative? I want to enjoy the body. I want to enjoy life. I want to enjoy the here and now”—which is good in a certain context—but if I ask any of you, “Truthfully, do you want disease?” “No.” “Do you want old age?” “No.” “Do you want death?” “No.” Well, that is what comes with the body. When you get a material body, those come in the package; they are what you get with it. You may think, “But there is so much happiness in the body. I can go surfing, I can go hiking, I can eat ice cream, I can drink and eat and enjoy with the body.” Well, yes, but it is not actually the body that enables you to enjoy; it is the soul within the body. All the parts of the body may be there when the soul departs, but where is the enjoyment? There is no enjoyment in the body after the soul leaves. We may think that we are enjoying with the senses, but it is actually because of the presence of the soul that we are able to enjoy and work and live.

The body is the medium for the conditioned soul’s experience. For example, I wear eyeglasses. I see through the eyeglasses—the eyeglasses themselves don’t see. Similarly, we have these sense organs—eyes, ears, nose, tongue, skin—and we perceive through them. They themselves cannot actually perceive. It is the soul that perceives—through the senses of the body. But we don’t need the body in order to perceive happiness. With the body, there is some perception of happiness—but with lots of pain.

There are different schools of philosophy—sad-darsana—and one philosopher has analyzed and concluded that the body is meant for misery. He gives the example of your little finger. How many ways can your little finger enjoy? Not many. And how many ways can it feel pain? So many. Even a little sliver or blister can be so painful. And the finger can be cut, burned, crushed. The body is so vulnerable. But the soul is not. As the Gita says, it can’t be cut, it can’t be burned, it can’t be made wet, it can’t be withered—it is beyond the range of material elements.

nainam chindanti sastrani
  nainam dahati pavakah
na cainam kledayanty apo
  na sosayati marutah

“The soul can never be cut to pieces by any weapon, nor burned by fire, nor moistened by water, nor withered by the wind.” (Gita 2.23) Without the body, the soul can enjoy freely, in every way, but without the pain.

And because the soul is part and parcel of Krishna, it derives its real happiness in relation to Krishna. We now are like fish out of water, because originally we come from Krishna, from the spiritual atmosphere, and we have come into the material world and are suffering in a foreign atmosphere. We are always restless, anxious, and fearful.

So, why does Krishna come? He comes to reclaim us, His lost children, to bring us back home, back to Him. That is why He comes. There is no other reason. There is nothing for Him here. He comes only for our sake.

Although He comes into the material world, He doesn’t come in a physical body. He comes in His original, spiritual form (sac-cid-ananda-vigraha). And Krishna in particular comes in a form that resembles a human being. “Man is made in the image of God.” That Krishna comes in a humanlike form is very good for us, because it makes it easier for us in human bodies to relate to Him.

anugrahaya bhaktanam
  manusam deham asthitah
bhajate tadrsih krida
  yah srutva tat-paro bhavet

“When the Lord assumes a humanlike body to show mercy to His devotees, He engages in such pastimes as will attract those who hear about them to become dedicated to Him.” (SB 10.33.36) He comes to reclaim us and deliver us, His lost children and devotees.

How does He come? He does not take birth like an ordinary human being, by seminal discharge. Rather, He manifests Himself, or appears.

ajo ’pi sann avyayatma
  bhutanam isvaro ’pi san
prakrtim svam adhisthaya
  sambhavamy atma-mayaya

“Although I am unborn and My transcendental body never deteriorates, and although I am the Lord of all living entities, I still appear in every millennium in My original transcendental form.” (Gita 4.6)

That is what we read tonight. It is a very esoteric subject, how the Lord appears. But He chooses a completely purified devotee and enters the mind of that completely purified devotee. The name of the devotee whose mind Krishna entered is given here—Vasudeva. And the state that enabled him to receive Krishna within his pure mind is called vasudeva, which means completely beyond the three modes of material nature, completely transcendental—the state of pure goodness, suddha-sattva. As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam, sattvam visuddham vasudeva-sabditam: completely pure consciousness is known as vasudeva.

sattvam visuddham vasudeva-sabditam
  yad iyate tatra puman apavrtah
sattve ca tasmin bhagavan vasudevo
  hy adhoksajo me manasa vidhiyate

“The condition of pure goodness, suddha-sattva, in which the Supreme Personality of Godhead is revealed without any covering, is called vasudeva. In that pure state the Supreme Godhead, who is beyond the material senses and who is known as Vasudeva, is perceived by my mind.” (SB 4.3.23, quoted as Cc Adi 4.66)

After Vasudeva received Krishna within his purified mind, or heart, he, by his spiritual power, transferred Him into the purified heart of Devaki. There was no seminal discharge. The process by which the Supreme Personality of Godhead was transferred from the heart of Vasudeva to the heart of Devaki is called diksa. Diksa means “spiritual initiation.” Diksa takes place between teacher, or guru, and disciple. When the guru is qualified enough, he can carry Krishna within his heart. And when the disciple is qualified enough, he can receive Krishna from the guru—through an exchange called diksa.

The process of diksa is essential for the realization of God (Krishna). There is an entire science of bhakti-yoga, described in Srila Rupa Gosvami’s Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, and it begins with this process. Guru-padasrayas tasmat: “One must accept shelter at the lotus feet of a spiritual master.” Krsna-diksadi-siksanam: “One must take initiation from him and receive instruction from him.” And visrambhena guroh seva: “One must serve him with intimacy.”

We cannot attain Krishna by our own efforts. We have to receive Krishna by the mercy of one who has Him. Thus Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, a great spiritual teacher, prays to the pure devotee:

krsna se tomara, krsna dite paro,
  tomara sakati ache
ami to’ kangala, ‘krsna’ ‘krsna’ boli’,
  dhai tava pache pache

“Krishna is yours; you have the power to give Him to me. I am simply running behind you shouting, ‘Krishna! Krishna!’ ” (Saranagati, “Ohe! Vaishnava Thakura”)

This act of diksa, as described in today’s verse, is really the culmination of a gradual process. It is not so easy that we just decide, “Oh, let me find a guru who has Krishna, and he will give Him to me, and my business will be finished.” We have to be qualified to receive Krishna, and the process of becoming qualified proceeds gradually. We have to work to come to that stage of purity where we can receive Krishna in our hearts—and not just receive Him in our hearts, but actually see Him face to face. After residing for some time in the heart of Devaki, Krishna came before her, and they saw each other face to face. She saw Him face to face, and He saw her. That is the perfection of Krishna consciousness.

So, we have to qualify ourselves. We have to cleanse the mirror of the heart (ceto-darpana-marjanam).

The process of purification varies from age to age. Although the basic process is the same—Krishna consciousness—in the present age the specific process recommended is to chant the holy names of the Lord:

harer nama harer nama
  harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva
  nasty eva gatir anyatha

“One should chant the holy name, chant the holy name, chant the holy name of Lord Hari [Krishna]. There is no other means, no other means, no other means for success in this age.” (Brhan-naradiya Purana 38.126)

“Chant” is repeated three times for emphasis. “You must do it, you must do it, you must do it.” There was once a cartoon in a newspaper, which depicted an elderly man sitting across from his wife. She was requesting him, “Chant, chant, chant,” and he was replying, “Can’t, can’t, can’t.” That is our misfortune. Shastra, scripture, tells us, “Chant, chant, chant” (harer nama harer nama harer nama), and for no good reason—just some causeless aversion—we say (not necessarily by our words but by our behavior), “Can’t, can’t, can’t.” “Can’t, because I am too busy.” “Can’t, because I prefer other things.” “Can’t, because . . .”—because, because, because. So harer nama harer nama harer nama is emphatic: chant, chant, chant. And kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva: there is no other way, no other way, no other way. Now, that phrase might conjure up images of a fanatical Christian insisting, “Jesus is the only way.” But this nasty eva, the “only way,” is a little different. (And we don’t want to presume that there is anything wrong with “Jesus is the only way,” either.) But in this context, nasty eva, “no other way,” has a special meaning.

In different ages, different methods for self-realization were recommended—in Satya-yuga it was meditation, in Treta-yuga Vedic sacrifice, and in Dvapara-yuga opulent temple worship. In the present age, however, harer nama, chanting the holy names of God, is prescribed. So, nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva means “not by silent meditation, not by elaborate sacrifices, not by ritualistic temple worship,” but by chanting the holy names.

The holy names are not sectarian. There are Christian sects in which practitioners constantly repeat the name of Jesus. We don’t say that you have to chant only the holy name of Krishna. You may chant any name of God. Because God is absolute, any name of God is as good as any other. But you should chant some name. The Muslim tradition also recommends chanting the name of God, of Allah. In Pakistan I came across a book titled, Ninety-Nine Names of Allah. In the Vedic tradition there is Visnu-sahasra-nama, “A Thousand Names of Vishnu.” So the principle of chanting the names of God is current in every tradition, but it is often overlooked. Then again, in any tradition, the majority of people are conventional. It is only the minority who are really mystical, or spiritual. But within the mystical, spiritual traditions, the chanting of God’s names is advised.

The process of chanting (sankirtana) cleanses the heart (ceto-darpana-marjanam) and makes it a fit place for the Lord to reside. That is what we have to do to prepare to receive Him. We have to chant. And chanting is pleasant, as I hope you have all experienced. It is pleasurable. That’s the other thing: although the results of Krishna consciousness are the highest, the process is also the easiest and most sublime. It’s almost too good to be true, but it is true. Chanting is easy and joyful, and at the same time it cleanses the heart (ceto-darpana-marjanam) and makes it a fit place for the Lord to reside. And that process is accomplished through diksa, the continuing process of diksa, which culminates in perfect realization of Krishna. And then, when one is fully purified and realized, Krishna can’t contain Himself within your heart. He becomes so pleased with your service and so eager to see and embrace you that He comes out of your heart. (Of course, at the same time, He also stays there.) In His own way, He comes out of your heart to look at you and touch you and embrace you and take you by the hand and invite you to come with Him to His eternal abode.

That is the perfection of Krishna consciousness, and it is possible for each and every one of us. We just have to make the effort to chant without offense, and remain encouraged and steady in that effort. And for that, we need association. In every endeavor one needs association. In every field there are associations of people engaged in the same endeavor, because they support each other. There is the chamber of commerce, the diabetes society, the birdwatchers association—there are societies for everything, because in association with others who are pursuing the same goal, we get encouragement to stay on the path and we learn from them, from their experiences, how to improve in our own efforts and quicken our progress. It is a natural thing—and essential. Once we become a little serious, once we develop a little faith and attraction, the next stage is to associate with devotees (adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sangah). That association will really help us.

Chanting is simple, but the real art of chanting is to hear the chanting. Anyone can chant mindlessly, “Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna . . .” and look at the trees, look at the moon, look at the newspaper, look at the television, but that’s not real chanting. Real chanting means to hear with one’s mind fixed on the sound. This is meditation, mantra meditation, and it takes practice. If you chant for five minutes, will you be able to keep your mind fixed on the sound of the holy name? It will be a challenge. Even one minute is a challenge, because the nature of the mind is to flicker. It is restless. It always wants to go every which way—like the wind. In the Bhagavad-gita, Arjuna says that it is harder to control the mind than to control the wind.

cancalam hi manah krsna
  pramathi balavad drdham
tasyaham nigraham manye
  vayor iva su-duskaram

“The mind is restless, turbulent, obstinate, and very strong, O Krsna, and to subdue it, I think, is more difficult than controlling the wind.” (Gita 6.34)

How can you control the wind? It is always going here and there. No one can stop it. So how can we control the mind? We can’t. Still, the Bhagavad-gita says it is possible—by practice (abhyasa) and detachment.

asamsayam maha-baho
  mano durnigraham calam
abhyasena tu kaunteya
  vairagyena ca grhyate

“It is undoubtedly very difficult to curb the restless mind, but it is possible by suitable practice and by detachment.” (Gita 6.35)

This is the suitable practice: hearing about Krishna consciousness and then chanting—and hearing—Lord Krishna’s name. We chant and we hear. We practice fixing our mind on the sound of the holy name of the Lord. That is our sadhana; that is our practice. And it is serious business, and hard work. As our spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, said, “Chanting is easy”—anyone can articulate the sounds of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna—“but the determination to chant [and hear with attention] is not so easy.” So that is what we need. We need that determination (drdha-vratah). And that determination develops in the association of devotees who are serious about chanting and hearing. Therefore the association of devotees is so valuable, and it is most important to maintain favorable relationships with devotees.

There are different offenses to be avoided when one chants. The main offense is to be inattentive while chanting, and another is to offend devotees. Devotees are our best well-wishers. They give us the holy name. They give us support in our efforts to chant. And if we offend them, we cut ourselves off from our best well-wishers, our best friends, our best support for the chanting. We cut ourselves off from the mercy that we so desperately need to progress. But if we pay attention to these two points—chanting attentively and maintaining favorable relationships with devotees—then gradually we can come to the stage of perfection. It takes time, but we can actually come to that stage when Krishna will enter our hearts. He is there already, but He will manifest Himself fully to us, and then, eventually, we will see Him face to face. So we should always, every spare moment, kirtaniyah-sada-harih, chant Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Whatever you do when you are not chanting should be to place you in a position where you can chant. You may say, “I can’t chant all the time. I have to work. I have to earn money. I have to pay the bills.” That is true, but what is the goal of it all? Why do you want a roof over your head? Why do you want food on your plate? Ultimately, it should be to keep your body and soul together so you can chant the holy names and realize God. That is kirtaniyah-sada-harih, to “always chant the name of God.” We have the body. We must take care of it. We must bathe and dress and eat and sleep. We must get the necessities of life. We must do it all. But why are we doing it? The goal should be to chant the holy names of Krishna and realize Krishna.

Krishna comes to give us this message, and if from this occasion, Sri Krishna Janmashtami, we can just take this message—take it in our heart—that will be the beginning of our perfection. We must take it in our heart and practice it and repeat it to others—repeat it both for the benefit of others and for our own sake. And the results will be glorious. Krishna’s purpose in appearing in this world will be fulfilled, and our purpose as human beings will be fulfilled. And we will all be happy in Krishna consciousness together. Hare Krishna.

Are there any questions or comments?

Guest (1): Christians believe in resurrection, and Buddhists and Hindus believe in reincarnation, but personally, I always ask myself, “What is the meaning of starting something and ending something? What is the meaning of several or many lives when we can be comfortable with maybe just one life? Why do we reach only after many lives?”

Giriraj Swami: That is a very good question. We agree with you completely. That is the whole idea. Especially now that we have come to this human form of life, which is achieved after many lifetimes, and especially now that we have come in touch with devotees who tell us about Krishna and the process of bhakti-yoga, we can and should complete our purpose in this world in this life.

labdhva su-durlabham idam bahu-sambhavante
  manusyam artha-dam anityam apiha dhirah
turnam yateta na pated anu-mrtyu yavan
  nihsreyasaya visayah khalu sarvatah syat

“After many, many births one achieves the rare human form of life, which, although temporary, affords one the opportunity to attain the highest perfection. Thus a sober human being should quickly endeavor for the ultimate perfection of life before his body, which is always subject to death, falls away. After all, sense gratification is available even in the most abominable species of life, whereas Krsna consciousness is possible only for a human being.” (SB 11.9.29)

And if we chant seriously—chant and hear and follow the regulative principles that support the chanting and hearing—we can achieve complete success in the same lifetime. And that should be our determination.

Still, the Bhagavad-gita explains that if by chance you are not completely successful, then in your next life you continue from where you left off in this one; you don’t have to start all over again. With anything material, you have to start all over again in the next life. In this life you might know seven languages, but in your next life, when you are born, all you can say is “Ga, ga, ga,” and you don’t even know ABC. Materially, whatever you acquire in this life is lost at the time of death. But whatever you gain spiritually through the practice of bhakti-yoga continues in the next life. Suppose in this life you complete only 50 percent; then in the next life you begin from 51 percent. You don’t have to start again from the beginning.

But still, we have the human form of life, and the association of devotees, so why should we take any chances? We should have that determination to be completely successful in this life, just like you said.

Guest (1): Why did we come here in the first place? Why do we have to go through so many lives?

Giriraj Swami: Actually, as mentioned, we all come from Krishna, but when we turn away from Him—when we forget Him and want to enjoy apart from Him—we come under maya and suffer in the material world.

krsna-bahirmukha hana bhoga-vancha kare
nikata-stha maya tare japatiya dhare

“When the living entity desires to enjoy separately from Krishna and turns away from Him, the illusory potency of the Lord, maya, immediately takes the soul in her clutches.” (Prema-vivarta)

But in that process, we don’t start at the bottom; we start at the top. We start as an elevated being on a higher planet. So we can reverse the process from that position and go back to Godhead. We don’t start as a germ or an amoeba. But if we are careless, we can keep declining and end up as an amoeba, in the body of an amoeba. But we don’t start at the bottom. We actually start at the top, and if we are attentive and vigilant, we can reverse the whole process in one lifetime. We don’t have to pass more than one life, and we don’t have to see any lower form of life.

Guest (1): Can we say that everything around us is energy—the material world? Animals, vegetables, minerals—everything is life, even if it doesn’t have consciousness by itself?

Giriraj Swami: Well, that is true—everything is energy—but as stated in the Bhagavad-gita, there are two kinds of energies. One is the material energy, and the other is the spiritual energy. The spiritual energy is conscious, alive. And the material energy is dull, dead.

bhumir apo ’nalo vayuh
  kham mano buddhir eva ca
ahankara itiyam me
  bhinna prakrtir astadha

“Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence, and false ego—all together these eight constitute My separated material energies.” (Gita 7.4)

apareyam itas tv anyam
  prakrtim viddhi me param
jiva-bhutam maha-baho
  yayedam dharyate jagat

“Besides these, O mighty-armed Arjuna, there is another, superior energy of Mine, which comprises the living entities who are exploiting the resources of this material, inferior nature.” (Gita 7.5)

What we see alive in the material world is really a combination of the spiritual and material energies—the spiritual spark within the physical body. And as long as the soul is present, there is consciousness. But an inanimate object—say, this piece of metal—has no consciousness. Of course, in an ultimate sense, we could say that there is consciousness everywhere, because Krishna is everywhere. He is expanded within the atoms and in the space between the atoms throughout the entire universe (andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham). But practically, in terms of individual consciousness, animals and vegetables have souls; they are a combination of matter and spirit. Minerals do not have souls; they are material energy. And then there is Krishna, who is completely spiritual.

Guest (1): Are there other forms of intelligence on other planets in the universe, or is it just here on our own planet?

Giriraj Swami: There is, in fact, even more advanced intelligent life on planets other than the earth. Everything is the creation of God. We don’t believe that anything has happened by accident or chance. God has created all these planets to provide different environments for different types of people. Just as there are different relativities on earth—Ojai or Santa Barbara may be relatively more congenial than Alaska or Antarctica—so there are relativities within the universe. Some planets are more heavenly, and some are more hellish. The earth is considered to be in the middle, though a little on the lower side. But there is intelligent life everywhere—and suffering everywhere—and everyone is ultimately meant to become God conscious and go back home, back to Godhead

a-brahma-bhuvanal lokah
  punar avartino ’rjuna
mam upetya tu kaunteya
  punar janma na vidyate

[The Supreme Lord Krishna said:] “From the highest planet in the material world down to the lowest, all are places of misery wherein repeated birth and death take place. But one who attains to My abode, O son of Kunti, never takes birth again.” (Gita 8.16)

Guest (2): You said that the only practice we need to do is chant the name of God. That seems to be asking God to receive from Him the grace of the holy name. But what can we do to prepare ourselves in everyday life to better understand and receive this grace?

Giriraj Swami: Yes, there are practices. Although chanting in and of itself is enough, there are disciplines that we can undertake to make it easier for us to get the full benefit of the chanting, to get the full grace of the Lord. There are certain personal restrictions. But the beauty of chanting is that even if it is hard at first to accept these restrictions, the process of chanting itself, the process of purification itself, will make it easier to accept them—to the point where we won’t even want to indulge in adverse activities anymore.

The first restriction is no eating meat. The second is no taking intoxicants. The third is no illicit sex—no sex outside of marriage, no frivolous sex. And the fourth is no gambling. If we are able to follow these regulative principles, our chanting will be more quickly effective, and we will be better receptacles for God’s grace.

And there are other things as well, such as getting up early in the morning. “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” The early hours of the morning, especially before sunrise, are considered the best for spiritual practice, and therefore we generally rise early. Some devotees, when feasible, get up at two. They may take rest at eight and get up at two. Otherwise, we try to rise by four. Initiated disciples have a certain quota of chanting, which takes about two hours to complete. So they rise by four and complete their quota of rounds between five and seven and still have the rest of the day ahead of them.

And the more serious you are, the more things you can learn to improve your practice. But if you can just manage those four restrictions—and get up early—you will be off to a good start. And if you want to know more, we have volumes of books . . .

Guest (2): Hard news. Thank you.

Giriraj Swami: I was going to ask if you were ready for the answer before I gave it, but I figured that you asked, and you seemed sincere, so I just said it.

But again, the good news is that if you chant, all the other things will become easier. That’s why we don’t emphasize the restrictions at first, because we know that if people just chant, they will lose interest in those indulgent acts, and they will become more and more eager to advance in Krishna consciousness.

Guest (2): Inshallah.

Giriraj Swami: When you said “inshallah,” it reminded me of a group of Ahmadiyya Muslims who would sometimes meet me at our Juhu Beach temple. They told me the same thing, that the prayers offered before sunrise—almost like we say, beginning an hour and a half before sunrise—are heard by God more than prayers offered later in the day.

Inshallah, or insha’Allah, means “if Allah wills.” Allah is a name of God, so insha’Allah means “God willing.” Of course, we also accept the name Allah. Allah is the same as Krishna. But our devotees in Pakistan, instead of “insha’Allah,” would sometimes say, “insha Krishna,” to mean the same thing—“God willing.”

Krishna Bhamini dasi: Maharaja, I was just going to give an example. In the beginning, some people think, “Oh, I have to be a vegetarian” when they hear all the negative restrictions. But the process of spiritual life is so pleasant that they experience a higher taste. They actually prefer our food, prasada, to other things they used to eat. And it is kind of like that with all of the seeming restrictions. As we chant and associate with devotees, we develop a higher taste.

Giriraj Swami: Good point.

Krishna Bhamini dasi: I was going to say one more thing. You already explained it. But in today’s world, fanatical Muslims, or fanatics in any religion, may be chanting God’s names, yet so much violence is going on. They may chant, for example, “Allah, Allah,” yet engage in so much violent activity. They are “God’s warriors,” so to speak. So, you have explained that there are ways to chant God’s names properly.

Giriraj Swami: Correct. One must avoid that offense of offending devotees, and devotees are there in every tradition. One may take the name of God in one’s own tradition, but if one is inimical to devotees in other traditions, that is an offense, not only against the devotees but against the holy name. And if one commits offenses against the holy name, one doesn’t get the benefit. In fact, it is described that when you offend devotees, the holy name is offended and withdraws its mercy. So even though such fanatics are mouthing God’s name, it is almost as if God has left. He has withdrawn His mercy from them, because they are offensive.

Of course, offending devotees is the worst, but offending anyone—causing pain to any living entity—is prohibited. That is the complete injunction. And that is one reason why we don’t kill animals or eat flesh.

So, it is not just a question of mouthing God’s name. One should be in the proper consciousness, the proper mood of service to God and to the devotees of God—in whatever tradition, culture, or community they may be. We should respect and appreciate all genuine devotees, servants of God, and encourage the devotees and chant the holy names. That will bring us all success, and one day the holy name will reveal Himself to us, and we will see Krishna face to face.

prabhu kahe,—“vaisnava-seva, nama-sankirtana
dui kara, sighra pabe sri-krsna-carana”

The Lord [Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu] said, “You should engage yourself in the service of the servants of Krsna and always chant the holy name of Krsna. If you do these two things, you will very soon attain shelter at Krsna’s lotus feet.” (Cc Madhya 16.70)

Hare Krishna!

[A talk by Giriraj Swami, September 2, 2007, Ojai, California]