You Can Pronounce Krishna in Any Way: Prabhupada Speaks Out

PRONOUNCE OF KRISHNA

We don’t say, ‘Why you are chanting Krsna like this?’ We never say that. We simply say, ‘Please try to chant Krsna.’

Here we continue an exchange between His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and the poet Allen Ginsberg. It took place on May 12, 1969, in Columbus, Ohio.

Allen Ginsberg: O.K. So, Your Divine Grace, my original question was, Is the complicated ritual and the Sanskrit language–are they going to keep people from accepting what you’re …

Srila Prabhupada: No, no. We are translating, presenting everything in the English language. All our books are being published in English. Our magazine is in English.

Allen Ginsberg: But the question is, Is the mode of life that you are proposing adaptable to many, many, many people?

Srila Prabhupada: To that I say that this Krsna culture is not something that many, many people can immediately accept.

Allen Ginsberg: Yeah. But there is a thirst felt by many, many people for an alternative answer. For a better alternative system.

Srila Prabhupada: Yes. So if people are actually thirsty–if they are actually thirsty–then they can adopt this system given by the Supreme Lord. What is the difficulty there? There is no difficulty. So many American boys and girls have already adopted it, and they are not feeling any difficulty. They are feeling relief. In what respect is chanting Hare Krsna difficult? You are chanting.

Allen Ginsberg: Yes.

Srila Prabhupada: It is all in Sanskrit. What difficulty are you feeling?

Allen Ginsberg:I don’t feel too much difficulty, except aesthetically I do feel a difficulty. Yes, there is. The difficulty I feel is that there should be some flower of the American language to communicate in rather than …

Srila Prabhupada: Therefore, we are seeking your help.

Allen Ginsberg: Yeah. Well, I haven’t found another way. I still just stay chanting Hare Krsna.

Srila Prabhupada: That is also my view. I have come to America with this view: that America is at the summit of material civilization–they are not poverty‑stricken, you see?–and yet they are seeking after something. Therefore, I have come to offer, “You take this. You’ll be happy.” That is my mission.

And if the Americans take this Krsna consciousness seriously, then all other countries will take it, because America is leading at the present moment. So exalted persons like you should try to understand. What is the difficulty? There is no difficulty. Chanting Hare Krsna–anyone can chant. Even the little child is chanting. There is no difficulty. So, then, you were asking, How can this mode of living attract many people?

Allen Ginsberg: Well, mere chanting without the practice of a philosophy …

Srila Prabhupada: Philosophy is here. We are teaching Bhagavad‑gita. We are talking on Bhagavata philosophy. We are talking on Lord Sri Krsna Caitanya’s philosophy.

Allen Ginsberg: And you have a daily ritual. So my question, then, as it was originally when you first asked me what do I think …

Srila Prabhupada: Yes.

Allen Ginsberg: My question is this. Is the Caitanya‑Krsna ritual, as you have it here in this house and in the other asramas–is this something that a large mass of people can enter into?

Srila Prabhupada: In time, yes. Why not?

Allen Ginsberg: In America?

Srila Prabhupada: Yes. This we have already seen. Virtually all my students are Americans. And Krsna consciousness is spreading.

Allen Ginsberg: Yes, but what it requires is an adaptation to Indian dress and …

Srila Prabhupada: That is not very important.

Allen Ginsberg: And an adaptation to Indian food.

Srila Prabhupada: No, no. Indian food–it is not Indian food. Are you not eating fruits?

Allen Ginsberg: Yes, yes.

Srila Prabhupada: Then that is Indian food? Do you mean to say it is Indian food?

Allen Ginsberg: Well, the curried vegetable dishes.

Srila Prabhupada: Vegetables you may simply steam, if you like. That doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter whether you take our specific taste. No. That is not the program, that to become Krsna conscious you have to change your taste. No. We say what Krsna says in Bhagavad-gita. Patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati: “Anyone who is offering Me with devotion these vegetables, fruits, flowers, milk–I accept that.” So we are determined to satisfy Krsna, and therefore, we are selecting foodstuffs from these groups.

And these foodstuffs you are already accepting. Don’t you take vegetables? Don’t you take fruits? Don’t you take grains? So where is the new item? Now, insofar as cooking is concerned, you can cook according to your own taste. But the food groups must be these. Not flesh. Because Krsna does not say, “Offer Me flesh.”

This, very simply, is our program. And you are already eating grains, vegetables, and fruits, and you are drinking milk. So where is the difference? I don’t find any difference.

Allen Ginsberg: Well, I suppose not. You could say there is no difference, because the food is basically the same materially. It’s just a question of the style.

Srila Prabhupada: Yes. My style and your style may be different. That’s all right. In any event, to maintain health and keep body and soul together, you require eating, you require sleeping, you require mating, you require defending. We don’t say that you don’t do this.

Arjuna wanted to be nonviolent and not engage in defending. “Oh, what is the use of fighting?”

Krsna said, “No. It is required. You should.” Defending is part of this Krsna culture. So where is the difference? There is no difference. Simply we are adjusting things, so that you may become truly happy. Any intelligent man will accept this cultural idea. We are not prohibiting things, but rather, we are adjusting things. So there is no difficulty. Simply, intelligent persons like you should try to understand and take this idea and distribute it, because your country is wanting this.

Allen Ginsberg: But there is a limit to how much the pronunciation of Krsna will spread, I think. There’s a limit.

Srila Prabhupada: Hmm? No limit. You can pronounce Krsna in any way. For instance, K‑r‑i‑s‑h‑n‑a. You can pronounce Krsna in any way. Niyamitah smarane na kalah. No hard and fast rules, no limits.

Allen Ginsberg: The limit is people’s prejudice.

Srila Prabhupada: We don’t say, “Why you are chanting Krsna like this?” We never say that. We simply say, “Please try to chant Krsna.”

Allen Ginsberg: Or let us say there would be a limit until the word Krsna became as common in English as any other English word.

Srila Prabhupada: It is already in the dictionary. It is already in the dictionary. In all dictionaries you will find Krsna. What more do you want?

Allen Ginsberg: Something that will not disturb truck drivers.

Disciple: They can say Christ. They can say Krsna. It is the same.

Allen Ginsberg: That is true…. True. But they don’t say Christ. [Laughs.]

Srila Prabhupada: I have read one book, the Aquarian Gospel, wherein it is explained that Krist means love. Christ means love. And Krsna also means love. So from Krsna this word Krist has come. And in India sometimes people say Kristha. Instead of Krsna, they say Kristha. And in various regions has come the word Kestha. Generally, instead of pronouncing very precisely Krsna, if somebody’s name is Krsnacandra, they say, “Hey, Kesthara.”

Allen Ginsberg: Where is this?

Srila Prabhupada: In India everywhere. Kestha. So Kestha, Christ, Krist, Kristha, or Krsna–they’re in the same group. Pronouncing Krsna is not difficult.

Chanting Hare Krishna on Beads

Chanting Hare Krishna on Beads

We can follow Haridasa Thakura’s example, however, by chanting sixteen rounds of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra on our beads every day and offering respect to the Tulasi plant. This is not at all difficult for anyone, and the process of chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra with a vow before the Tulasi plant has such great spiritual potency that simply by doing this one can become spiritually strong.

BEFORE we chant EACH round CHANT:

(1) NAMA OM VISNU-PADAYA KRSNA-PRESTHAYA BHUTALE SRIMATE BHAKTIVEDANTA SVAMIN ITI NAMINE. NAMAS TE SARASVATE DEVE GAURA VANI PRACARINE NIRVISESA SUNYAVADI PASCHATYA DESA TARINE.

(2) SRI-KRSNA-CAITANYA PRABHU-NITYANANDA SRI-ADVAITA GADADHARA SRIVASADI-GAURA-BHAKTA-VRNDA.

NOW begin.
(3) HARE KRSNA, HARE KRSNA, KRSNA KRSNA, HARE HARE. HARE RAMA, HARE RAMA, RAMA RAMA, HARE HARE.

Note: start with BIG bead.
680724IN.MON Prabhupada: You BEGIN FROM THIS BIG BEAD, Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare, and then after finishing, begin second. In this way, there are 108, one, two, three. Come to this point, then begin from this point. Note: Don’t cross THE SUMMIT.(TURN ROUND IN OPPOSITE DIRECTION WHEN YOU REACH THE SUMMIT)

690325IN.HAW
Now you can chant, those who are initiated. (ceremony begins, chanting of om apavitrah) (break) …Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Then take another bead, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. In this way you come to this end. DON’T CROSS THIS SUMMIT. AGAIN BEGIN FROM THIS END. In this way chant daily sixteen rounds.

OUR OBEISANCES
Adi 7.4
“In the Age of Kali, people who are endowed with sufficient intelligence will worship the Lord, who is accompanied by His associates, by performance of sankirtana-yajna.” (Bhag. 11.5.32) Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is always accompanied by His plenary expansion Sri Nityananda Prabhu, His incarnation Sri Advaita Prabhu, His internal potency Sri Gadadhara Prabhu and His marginal potency Srivasa Prabhu. He is in the midst of them as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One should know that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is always accompanied by these other tattvas. THEREFORE OUR OBEISANCES TO SRI CAITANYA MAHAPRABHU ARE COMPLETE WHEN WE SAY SRI-KRSNA-CAITANYA PRABHU NITYANANDA SRI-ADVAITA GADADHARA SRIVASADI-GAURA-BHAKTA-VRNDA. AS PREACHERS OF THE KRSNA CONSCIOUSNESS MOVEMENT, WE FIRST OFFER OUR OBEISANCES TO SRI CAITANYA MAHAPRABHU BY CHANTING THIS PANCA-TATTVA MANTRA; THEN WE SAY HARE KRSNA, HARE KRSNA, KRSNA KRSNA, HARE HARE. HARE RAMA, HARE RAMA, RAMA RAMA, HARE HARE. THERE ARE TEN OFFENSES IN THE CHANTING OF THE HARE KRSNA MAHA-MANTRA, BUT THESE ARE NOT CONSIDERED IN THE CHANTING OF THE PANCA-TATTVA MANTRA, NAMELY, SRI-KRSNA-CAITANYA PRABHU-NITYANANDA SRI-ADVAITA GADADHARA SRIVASADI-GAURA-BHAKTA-VRNDA. SRI CAITANYA MAHAPRABHU IS KNOWN AS MAHA-VADANYAVATARA, THE MOST MAGNANIMOUS INCARNATION, FOR HE DOES NOT CONSIDER THE OFFENSES OF THE FALLEN SOULS. THUS TO DERIVE THE FULL BENEFIT OF THE CHANTING OF THE MAHA-MANTRA (HARE KRSNA, HARE KRSNA, KRSNA KRSNA, HARE HARE. HARE RAMA, HARE RAMA, RAMA RAMA, HARE HARE), WE MUST FIRST TAKE SHELTER OF SRI CAITANYA MAHAPRABHU, LEARN THE PANCA-TATTVA MAHA-MANTRA, AND THEN CHANT THE HARE KRSNA MAHA-MANTRA. THAT WILL BE VERY EFFECTIVE.

Why 108?
670218CC.SF
Now, so there are Upanisads. Generally they take eleven Upanisads primarily, but there are 108 Upanisads. Sometimes the explanation is given that “WHY WE HAVE GOT 108 BEADS?” “BECAUSE THERE ARE 108 UPANISADS.” SO CHANTING OF HARE KRSNA WITH 108 BEADS MEANS THAT WE ARE SURPASSING THE STUDY OF 108 UPANISADS. ANOTHER MEANING IS THAT THERE ARE 108 DAMSELS WHO SERVED KRSNA WITH ALL RESPECT AT VRNDAVANA. SO THAT IS ALSO ANOTHER EXPLANATION, 108. WE ARE SERVING KRSNA’S SERVITORS, HUNDRED AND…, CHIEF DAMSELS OF, AT VRNDAVANA. So these 108 Upanisads are described, isa kena katha prasna munda mandukyo taittiri… You can count how many: Isopanisad, Kenopanisad, Kathopanisad, Prasnopanisad, Mundakopanisad, Mandukyopanisad, Taittiriyopanisad. Then aitareyas ca chandogya brhad-aranyakam tatha. Then Aitareya Upanisad, Chandogyopanisad, Brhad-aranyakopanisad, Brahmokaivalyopanisad, Jabalopanisad. There are so many Upanisads, 108 Upanisads. Aruneyopanisad, Garbho, Narayano, Hamsa. This Hamsaduta, the name, the Hamsa Upanisad, it comes from Hamsa. Garbho narayano hamso binduro narada sikah. Sika-upanisad, Narada Upanisad.

Note: RESPECT FOR BEADS
710718IN.DET Lectures
Come on. Next. Who’s this? Oh, all right. Then how many still remaining? All right. (chants japa) First of all grains mixed up. (more japa) Come on. Take your. Come on. Whose beads are lying on the floor there? Whose beads? OH, YOU NEVER PUT IT IN THE FLOOR. WHEN THERE IS NO BAG, YOU PUT LIKE THIS.

Note: engaging the sense of touch by touching the tulasi beads–tulasi is a pure devotee of the Lord.
SB 9.4.18-20
Maharaja Ambarisa always engaged his mind in meditating upon the lotus feet of Krsna, his words in describing the glories of the Lord, his hands in cleansing the Lord’s temple, and his ears in hearing the words spoken by Krsna or about Krsna. He engaged his eyes in seeing the Deity of Krsna, Krsna’s temples and Krsna’s places like Mathura and Vrndavana, HE ENGAGED HIS SENSE OF TOUCH IN TOUCHING THE BODIES OF THE LORD’S DEVOTEES, he engaged his sense of smell in smelling the fragrance of tulasi offered to the Lord, and he engaged his tongue in tasting the Lord’s prasada. He engaged his legs in walking to the holy places and temples of the Lord, his head in bowing down before the Lord, and all his desires in serving the Lord, twenty-four hours a day. Indeed, Maharaja Ambarisa never desired anything for his own sense gratification. He engaged all his senses in devotional service, in various engagements related to the Lord. This is the way to increase attachment for the Lord and be completely free from all material desires.

BECOME SPIRITUALLY STRONG.
Antya 3.100
Haridasa Thakura used to chant the holy name on his beads 300,000 times daily. Throughout the entire day and night, he would chant the sixteen names of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra. One should not, however, imitate Haridasa Thakura, for no one else can chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra 300,000 times a day. Such chanting is for the mukta-purusa, or liberated soul. WE CAN FOLLOW HIS EXAMPLE, HOWEVER, BY CHANTING SIXTEEN ROUNDS OF THE HARE KRSNA MAHA-MANTRA ON BEADS EVERY DAY AND OFFERING RESPECT TO THE TULASI PLANT. THIS IS NOT AT ALL DIFFICULT FOR ANYONE, AND THE PROCESS OF CHANTING THE HARE KRSNA MAHA-MANTRA WITH A VOW BEFORE THE TULASI PLANT HAS SUCH GREAT SPIRITUAL POTENCY THAT SIMPLY BY DOING THIS ONE CAN BECOME SPIRITUALLY STRONG. Therefore we request the members of the Hare Krsna movement to follow Haridasa Thakura’s example rigidly. Chanting sixteen rounds does not take much time, nor is offering respects to the tulasi plant difficult. THE PROCESS HAS IMMENSE SPIRITUAL POTENCY. ONE SHOULD NOT MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY.

Note: why the devotees who have accepted the envious (wanting to be worshiped as good as God  – the position of acarya) role of so-called gurus and thus competeing against Srila Prabhupada in ISKCON have lost taste for chanting.

NoD 18
AS ATTACHMENT CAN BE INVOKED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF PURE DEVOTEES, SO ATTACHMENT CAN ALSO BE EXTINGUISHED BY OFFENSES COMMITTED AT THE LOTUS FEET OF PURE DEVOTEES. To be more clear, by the association of pure devotees attachment for Krsna can be aroused, but if one commits offenses at the lotus feet of a devotee, one’s shadow attachment or para attachment can be extinguished. This extinguishing is like the waning of the full moon, which gradually decreases and at last becomes dark. One should therefore be very careful while associating with pure devotees to guard against committing an offense at their lotus feet.

TRANSCENDENTAL ATTACHMENT, EITHER SHADOW OR PARA, CAN BE NULLIFIED BY DIFFERENT DEGREES OF OFFENSES AT THE LOTUS FEET OF PURE DEVOTEES. IF THE OFFENSE IS VERY SERIOUS, THEN ONE’S ATTACHMENT BECOMES ALMOST NIL, AND IF THE OFFENSE IS NOT VERY SERIOUS, ONE’S ATTACHMENT CAN BECOME SECOND CLASS OR THIRD CLASS.

DAILY WITHOUT FAIL
70-02-19 Letter: Sucandra
It is most important that our activities be regular or, in other words, on a schedule. EVERYONE SHOULD CHANT HIS BEADS SIXTEEN ROUNDS DAILY WITHOUT FAIL AND FOLLOW THE REGULATIVE PRINCIPLES STRICTLY. These basic Krsna Conscious duties are essential to be performed regularly, and they will give you the necessary strength of spirit to keep always fixed up in devotional service. As soon as a devotee is regularly engaged in this way, always engaged in Krsna Consciousness, Krsna will reveal the whole spiritual science from within the heart of such sincere devotee.

THIS IS THE ESSENTIAL PROCESS
70-03-06 Letter: Nityananda
PLEASE FOLLOW THE REGULATIVE PRINCIPLES STRICTLY, AND CHANT DAILY SIXTEEN ROUNDS OF BEADS REGULARLY WITHOUT FAIL. THIS IS THE ESSENTIAL PROCESS FOR DISSOLVING THE CLOUDS OF ILLUSION OR MAYA; AND WHEN THE CLOUD OF ILLUSION IS REMOVED, THEN WE CAN UNDERSTAND KRSNA CONSCIOUSNESS PERFECTLY AND THAT IS THE HIGHEST PERFECTION OF HUMAN LIFE. So be fixed in devotional service, chant Hare Krsna mantra and be happy. I am waiting to hear of your further progress in spreading this Krsna Consciousness movement for the benefit of all concerned.

HELP ME
73-01-09 Letter: Hasyakari (Howard Bernd), Rathangapani (Randy Buchert), Varuthapa
My request to all of you is that you very seriously stick to the principles of devotional service as you have learned them, and especially observe strictly the four prohibitions and without fail always chant at least 16 rounds on your beads daily. In this way you will be always happy.

Now you have got the golden opportunity of this human form of life, and it is not by accident that you have met your spiritual master, so if you are actually intelligent you will stick very tightly to your position of Krsna Consciousness and go back to home, back to Godhead. The essential point to remember is that you should try always to please your spiritual master under every condition. That means to follow his orders and instructions very carefully. MY FIRST INSTRUCTION TO ALL OF MY DISCIPLES IS THAT THEY SHOULD HELP ME SPREAD THIS KRSNA CONSCIOUSNESS MOVEMENT ALL OVER THE WORLD, UTILIZING THEIR ENERGY AS BEST THEY ARE ABLE TO DO IT. IN THIS WAY, KEEPING YOURSELVES ALWAYS ENGAGED IN KRSNA’S BUSINESS 24 HOURS, YOU WILL BECOME FREE FROM ALL ATTACHMENT TO MAYA BY KRSNA’S GRACE. JUST AS WHEN THE DARKNESS AND THE LIGHT COME TOGETHER, THE DARKNESS CANNOT STAND BEFORE THE LIGHT, SO MAYA CANNOT REMAIN IN THE PRESENCE OF KRSNA. ALWAYS REMEMBER THEREFORE TO CHANT HARE KRSNA AND THAT WILL SAVE YOU IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES WITHOUT ANY DOUBT.

HE MUST BE SURE TO KEEP HIS VOW.
NoD 7
In the Naradiya Purana it is directed, “One should not accept more than necessary if he is serious about discharging devotional service.” The purport is that one should not neglect following the principles of devotional service, nor should one accept the rulings of devotional service which are more than what he can easily perform. FOR EXAMPLE, IT MAY BE SAID THAT ONE SHOULD CHANT THE HARE KRSNA MANTRA AT LEAST ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND TIMES DAILY ON HIS BEADS. BUT IF THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE, THEN ONE MUST MINIMIZE HIS CHANTING ACCORDING TO HIS OWN CAPACITY. GENERALLY, WE RECOMMEND OUR DISCIPLES TO CHANT AT LEAST SIXTEEN ROUNDS ON THEIR JAPA BEADS DAILY, AND THIS SHOULD BE COMPLETED. BUT IF ONE IS NOT EVEN ABLE TO CHANT SIXTEEN ROUNDS, THEN HE MUST MAKE IT UP THE NEXT DAY. HE MUST BE SURE TO KEEP HIS VOW. IF HE DOES NOT STRICTLY FOLLOW THIS OUT, THEN HE IS SURE TO BE NEGLIGENT. THAT IS OFFENSIVE IN THE SERVICE OF THE LORD. IF WE ENCOURAGE OFFENSES, WE SHALL NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE PROGRESS IN DEVOTIONAL SERVICE. IT IS BETTER IF ONE FIXES UP A REGULATIVE PRINCIPLE ACCORDING TO HIS OWN ABILITY AND THEN FOLLOWS THAT VOW WITHOUT FAIL. THAT WILL MAKE HIM ADVANCED IN SPIRITUAL LIFE.

YOUR LIFE will be SUBLIME.
69-10-08.Krs Letter: Krsna dasa
“We request you to chant HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA, KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE, HARE RAMA HARE RAMA, RAMA RAMA HARE HARE, and your life will be SUBLIME.

YOUR LIFE WILL BE SUCCESSFUL

“710331LE.BOM Lectures
Or if you feel that you cannot read or you have no money to purchase book, never mind. Lord Caitanya has given you very simple path: CHANT HARE KRSNA, HARE KRSNA, KRSNA KRSNA, HARE HARE. HARE RAMA, HARE RAMA, RAMA RAMA, HARE HARE. IF YOU CHANT THIS MANTRA WITH FAITH AND DEVOTION, WITHOUT ANY OFFENSE, BUT SIMPLY BY CHANTING YOU WILL REALIZE YOURSELF, YOU WILL REALIZE GOD, KRSNA, AND YOUR LIFE WILL BE SUCCESSFUL. Ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam. These are the statements of Vedic literature. Simply by chanting Hare Krsna mantra, one can cleanse his heart of all the dirty things. And as soon as the dirty things are moved, then you become liberated. Bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam. Immediately the blazing fire of material existence is extinguished.

These are the processes recommended in the Vedas. We are simply preaching the authorized principles of the Vedas, and we request you all to accept it. Not accept it blindly, but take it with all your reason and intelligence. Just like Caitanya-caritamrta says,

caitanyera dayara katha karaha vicara vicara karile citte pabe camatkara

It is not that we are forcing something. By force you cannot do anything. That is artificial. That is not… But it is a fact that in everyone’s heart there is Krsna consciousness because that is pure consciousness. Because we are part and parcel of Krsna, naturally, just like father and the son, there is an eternal relationship. Similarly, Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, we have got eternal relationship with Krsna. That is now covered by the dirty things of maya. But as soon as we remove, we cleanse these dirty things from our heart, then immediately we can understand what is Krsna and what is our relationship with spirit.

nitya-siddha krsna-bhakti sadhya kabhu naya/ sravanadi-suddha-citte karaye udaya Everyone’s heart, there is Krsna bhakti. Otherwise, how these Europeans, Americans, Canadians, Japanese, they are taking to Krsna consciousness? We have Muhammadans also. Many Muhammadans, they are taking to Krsna consciousness. Therefore it is to be understood that Krsna consciousness, or love for Krsna, is existing in everyone’s heart. It is simply to be awakened. Nothing more. How it is awakened? Sravanadi-suddha-citte karaye udaya. if you simply give your aural reception to the Krsna katha. Krsna katha means what is spoken by Krsna, the Bhagavad-gita, and Krsna katha means speeches and words which are spoken about Krsna. The Srimad-Bhagavatam is also Krsna katha, and Bhagavad-gita is also Krsna katha.

THE PROCESS HAS IMMENSE SPIRITUAL POTENCY.
Antya 3.100 The Glories of Srila Haridasa Thakura
Haridasa Thakura used to chant the holy name on his beads 300,000 times daily. Throughout the entire day and night, he would chant the sixteen names of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra. One should not, however, imitate Haridasa Thakura, for no one else can chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra 300,000 times a day. Such chanting is for the mukta-purusa, or liberated soul. WE CAN FOLLOW HIS EXAMPLE, HOWEVER, BY CHANTING SIXTEEN ROUNDS OF THE HARE KRSNA MAHA-MANTRA ON BEADS EVERY DAY AND OFFERING RESPECT TO THE TULASI PLANT. THIS IS NOT AT ALL DIFFICULT FOR ANYONE, AND THE PROCESS OF CHANTING THE HARE KRSNA MAHA-MANTRA WITH A VOW BEFORE THE TULASI PLANT HAS SUCH GREAT SPIRITUAL POTENCY THAT SIMPLY BY DOING THIS ONE CAN BECOME SPIRITUALLY STRONG. Therefore we request the members of the Hare Krsna movement to follow Haridasa Thakura’s example rigidly. Chanting sixteen rounds does not take much time, nor is offering respects to the tulasi plant difficult. THE PROCESS HAS IMMENSE SPIRITUAL POTENCY. ONE SHOULD NOT MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY.

Do I have to give up my occupation to serve Krishna?

Krishna-Balaram-and-Cowherd-Boys-return-with-the-cows

Krishna does not suggest anything impractical

So Krishna is not advising Arjuna to simply remember Him and give up his occupation. No. Krishna never suggests anything impractical. In this material world, in order to maintain the body, one has to work.

Human society is divided into four divisions of social order: brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya and sudra. The brahmana class, or intelligent class, is working in one way, the ksatriya class or administrative class is working in another way and the mercantile class and laborers are all tending to their specific duties.

In human society, whether one is a laborer, merchant, warrior, administrator or farmer, or even if one belongs to the highest class and is a literary man, a scientist or a theologian, he has to work in order to maintain his existence.

Krishna advises Arjuna not to give up his occupation

Krishna, therefore tells Arjuna that he need not give up his occupation, but while he is engaged in his occupation, he should remember Krishna. If he doesn’t practice remembering Krishna when he is struggling for existence, then it will not be possible for him to remember Krishna at the time of death.

Lord Caitanya also advises this. He says that one should practice remembering the Lord by chanting the names of the Lord always. The names of the Lord and the Lord are nondifferent. So Lord Krishna’s instruction to Arjuna to “remember Me” and Lord Caitanya’s injunction to always “chant the names of Lord Krishna” are the same instruction. There is no difference, because Krishna and Krishna’s name are nondifferent.

Remembering Krishna while working

Therefore we have to practice remembering Krishna always, twenty-four hours a day, by chanting His names and moulding our life’s activities in such a way that we can remember Him always.

How is this possible? The acharyas give the following example. If a married woman is attached to another man, or if a man has an attachment for a women other than his wife, then the attachment is to be considered very strong. One with such an attachment is always thinking of the loved one. The wife who is thinking of her lover is always thinking of meeting him, even while she is carrying out her household chores. In fact she carries out her household work even more carefully so her husband will not suspect her attachment.

In the same way as the married woman who is attached to another man is remembering her lover constantly but she is still carrying out her duties in her husband’s house, we should constantly remember the supreme lover, Sri Krishna, and at the same time perform our material duties very nicely.

A strong sense of love is required here. If we have a strong sense of love for the Supreme Lord then we can discharge our duty and at the same time remember Him. But we have to develop that sense of love for Krishna.

Arjuna, for instance, was always thinking of Krishna; he was the constant companion of Krishna, and at the same time he was a warrior. Krishna did not advise Arjuna to go to the forest and meditate. When Lord Krishna explained the meditational yoga system to Arjuna he says that the practice of this system is not possible for him.

“Arjuna said, O Madhusudana, the system of yoga which you have summarized appears impracticle and unendurable to me. For the mind is restless and unsteady.” (Bhagavad Gita 6.33)

The best yogi

However, Krishna replies to Arjuna, encouraging him:

“Of all yogis, he who abides in Me with great faith, worshipping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimatily united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.” (Bhagavad Gita 6.47)

So one who is always thinking of the Supreme Lord, Krishna, is the greatest yogi, the supermost jnani and the greatest devotee at the same time.

Krishna goes on to tell Arjuna that, as a ksatriya, he can not give up fighting, but that if he fights remembering Krishna, then he will be able to remember Krishna at the time of  death. However to do this one must be completely surrendered to Krishna in the transcendental loving service of the Lord.

We actually work with our mind and intelligence, not with our body.  So if our intelligence and mind is always engaged in the thoughts of the Supreme Lord, Krishna then naturally the senses are also engaged in His service.

Superficially it may appear that the activities of our senses remain the same performing devotional service to our activities in sense gratification, however the consciousness is changed. The Bhagavad Gita teaches us how we can absorb our minds and intelligence in the thought of Krishna. Such absorbtion will enable one to transfer himself to the kingdom of the Lord. If the mind is engaged in Krishna’s service, then the senses are automatically engaged in His service. This is the art, and this is also the secret of Bhagavad Gita: total absorbtion in the thought of Sri Krishna.

Try to advance spiritually

Modern man has struggled very hard to reach the moon, but he has not tried very hard to elevate himself spiritually. If one has fifty years of life ahead of him, he should engage that brief time in cultivating this practice of remembering the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

The easiest way

The easiest way to remember Krishna is hearing Bhagavad Gita from the realized person, this will turn one’s thoughts to the Supreme Being. This will lead toremembering the Supreme Lord, and will enable one, upon leaving the body, to attain a spiritual body which is just fit for association with Krishna in the spiritual world. Krishna says:

“By practising this remembering, without being deviated, thinking ever of the Supreme Godhead, one is sure to achieve the planet of the Divine, the Supreme Personality, O son of Kunti.” (Bhagavad Gita 8.8)
This is not a very difficult process. However, one must learn it from an experienced person, from one who is already in the practice. The mind is always flying to this and that, but one must always practice concentrating the mind on the form of the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna or on the sound of His name.
Controlling the restless mind

The mind is naturally restless, going hither and thither, but it can rest in the sound vibration of Krishna. One must thus meditate onthe Supreme Person; and thus attain Him. The ways and the means for ultimate realization, ultimate attainment, are stated in the Bhagavad Gita, and the doors of this knowledge are open for everyone. No one is barred out. Everyone can approach Krishna by thinking of Him, for hearing and thinking of Him is possible for everyone.

Even human beings in the lower statuses of life can attain the Supreme. One does not need highly developed intelligence. The point is that anyone who accepts the principle of bhakti-yoga and accepts the Supreme Lord as the summum bonum of life, as the highest target, the ultimate goal, can approach the Lord in the spiritual sky. If one adopts the principles enunciated in Bhagavad Gita, he can make his life perfect and make a perfect solution to all the problems of life which arise out of the transient nature of material existence. This is the sum and substance of the entire Bhagavad Gita.
Conclusion

In conclusion, Bhagavad Gita is a transcendental literature which one should read very carefully. It is capable of saving one from all fear.

“In this endeavor there is no loss or diminution, and a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear.” (Bg. 2.40) If one reads Bhagavad Gita sincerely and seriously, then all of the reactions of his past misdeeds will not react upon him. In the last portion of Bhagavad Gita, Lord Sri Krishna proclaims:

“Give up all varieties of religiousness, and just surrender unto Me; and in return I shall protect you from all sinful reactions. Therefore, you have nothing to fear.” (Bg. 18.66) Thus the Lord takes all responsibility for one who surrenders unto Him, and He indemnifies all the reactions of sin.We are very busy… Reading Gita is enough…

One cleanses himself daily by taking a bath in water, but one who takes his bath only once in the sacred Ganges water of the Bhagavad Gita cleanses away all the dirt of material life. Because Bhagavad Gita is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one need not read any other Vedic literature. One need only attentively and regularly hear and read Bhagavad Gita. In the present age, mankind is so absorbed with mundane activities that it is not possible to read all of the Vedic literatures. But this is not necessary. This one book, Bhagavad-gita, will suffice because it is the essence of all Vedic literatures and because it is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Bhagavad Gita — More important than the Ganges river

It is said that one who drinks the water of the Ganges certainly gets salvation, but what to speak of one who drinks the waters of Bhagavad Gita? Gita is the very nectar of the Mahabharata spoken by Visnu Himself, for Lord Krishna is the original Visnu. It is nectar emanating from the mouth of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the Ganges is said to be emanating from the lotus feet of the Lord. Of course there is no difference between the mouth and the feet of the Supreme Lord, but in our position we can appreciate that the Bhagavad Gita is even more important than the Ganges.

The Bhagavad Gita is just like a cow, and Lord Krishna, who is a cowherd boy, is milking this cow. The milk is the essence of the Vedas, and Arjuna is just like a calf. The wise men, the great sages and pure devotees, are to drink the nectarean milk of Bhagavad Gita.
One Scripture, One God, One Religion

In this present day, man is very eager to have one scripture, one God, one religion, and one occupation. So let there be one common scripture for the whole world--Bhagavad Gita. And let there be one God only for the whole world-Sri Krishna. And one mantra only-Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. And let there be one work only–the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Thank you for reading this newsletter. The next one will be called “The importance of the Disciplic Succession.”
First exam is coming!

Following that we will be having a little exam on “Introduction to the Bhagavad Gita“. So please read the newsletters carefully and if you have not read any of them please go back and read. I think you will enjoy the “exam,” I hope you will look forward to it and try your best to get the highest marks!

Author: Madhudvisa dasa

We are constantly Changing Bodies

Reincarnation

We are not these material bodies, we are the spiritual force, the spiritual spark, the soul within. These bodies are simply an outward dress only. As I change my clothes yet still remain the same person so I also change my bodies but I am still the same person.

I am not an Australian, an Indian, a man, a woman, a human being or an animal, I am eternally a part and parcel of the Supreme Person, Krishna, so I have the same qualities as Him, although He has the qualities in fullness whereas I have the qualities in minute quantity. These original pure spiritual qualities are now covered because I have accepted this material body and I am falsely identifying with it.

There is a spiritual evolution of consciousness. We get a particular type of body out of the 8,400,000 different species of life according to our karma. Every living entity is a spirit soul and that spirit soul takes shelter within a material body in this world according to its karma. The living entity who has taken shelter in the dog’s body is no different to the living entity in the human body. Only the consciousness is different. Each type of body is provided according to superior arrangement to allow a living entity to suffer or enjoy in a particular way according to what he deserves and desires.

This material world has been created by Krishna to allow us to fulfil our desires to enjoy separately from Him and to simultaneously frustrate us so ultimately we come again to our original pure consciousness of serving Krishna in the spiritual world. But while we have material desires to fulfil we have to remain within the material world and take birth again, and again, and again… This cycle of birth and death has been going on since time immoral and it is very difficult to trace out the beginning of our material life.

We are more or less stuck here perpetually, sometimes with a human body, sometimes with a dogs body, sometimes with a trees body and so on according to our karma. Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is Krishna Himself in the mood of a devotee, while instructing His principal disciple, Rupa Gosvami, said:

brahmanda brahmite kona bhagyavan jivaguru-krsna-krpaya paya bhakti-lata-bija

“According to their karma, all living entities are wandering throughout the entire universe. Some of them are being elevated to the upper planetary systems, and some are going down into the lower planetary systems. Out of many millions of wandering living entities, one who is very fortunate gets an opportunity to associate with a bona fide spiritual master by the grace of Krishna. By the mercy of both Krishna and the spiritual master, one such person receives the seed of the creeper of devotional service.” (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila 19.151)

This is a scientific process, we are travelling from one body to another, not only on this planet but on innumerable others as well. This earth planet is situated in the middle of the universe and above this planet there are seven levels of heavenly planets each progressively better than the previous one, similarly, below this planet there are seven levels of hellish planets and we, the spirit souls, are travelling throughout all these planets. Bhagavad-gita states(14.18):

urdhvam gacchanti sattva-sthamadhye tisthanti rajasahjaghanya-guna-vrtti-sthaadho gacchanti tamasah

“Those situated in the mode of goodness gradually go upward to the higher planets; those in the mode of passion live on the earthly planets; and those in the mode of ignorance go down to the hellish worlds.”

So according to our actions in this life our next body is determined. We have some control over our future. If we act sinfully we will be degraded in the next life to animal bodies or to the hellish planets to suffer, if we act in the mode of goodness we will be elevated with a birth in a wealthy family or a pious family or we may be transferred to the heavenly planets for a higher standard of life there.

We are responsible for our actions in the human form of life, this is the difference between a human being and an animal. The animals are simply eating, sleeping, mating and defending. These are the basic animal instincts. The human body, however, provides us with developed consciousness and a degree of independence. The tiger in the jungle has no choice as to his eatables, by his bodily constitution he has to eat flesh, he is forced to do so by nature. Therefore for the tiger or any other animal there is no question of sin because the animals don’t have any choice, they are simply working according to their nature to fulfil their base desires. But human life is different. We have a certain amount of freedom to chose our activities and we have developed consciousness to ponder on the more subtle questions which should interest any sane person. Questions like: Who am I? Why am I suffering? What is the purpose of life?

It is the primary purpose of human life to find the answers to these questions, the animal demands of eating, sleeping, mating and defending have to be met also, of course, but these demands are secondary. The real purpose of human life is to make a solution to the problem of repeated birth and death in the 8,400,000 species of life and to become liberated and enter into the spiritual world to re-establish our original lost relationship with Krishna.

If, in the human form, we concentrate only on the animal needs of eating, sleeping, mating and defending then we are no better than the animals, we are two-legged animals, and our next birth will be within the animal kingdom. If we fall again into the animal species of life it is the greatest loss. This human life is a great opportunity to make an end to the cycle of birth and death and it is a very rare opportunity. If you look at the total number of living entities on this planet compared to the number of human beings you will see that human life is very rare. If we loose the human form who knows how many thousands or millions of births we may have to suffer before again getting the chance of human life.

There are four primary causes of suffering in material life: birth, old age, disease and death. These sufferings are inevitable for all of us. We don’t like to be sick, we don’t want to get old, and we certainly don’t want to die. These suffering conditions are unnatural to us because the nature of the soul is to be sat-cit-ananda, to be eternally youthful, to be full of knowledge, and to experience full pleasure. This is our natural position, but here, in the material world, we are forced to identify with a body which is mortal, full of ignorance and full of suffering. We can never actually be happy if we identify with the body, if we think, “I am an Australian man, I am a women, etc.” So human life is meant for eradicating this bodily concept and coming to the point of understanding that “I am an eternal servant of Krishna and my business is to serve Krishna.” This is the perfect conclusion and if one is convinced of this and acts as a servant of Krishna, this will be the last body he has to take in the material world. At the end of this body he will be transferred to the spiritual world never to return to this miserable place of suffering.

na tad bhasayate suryona sasanko na pavakahyad gatva na nivartantetad dhama paramam mama

“That abode of Mine is not illuminated by the sun or moon, nor by electricity. One who reaches it never returns to this material world.” (Bhagavad-gita 15.6)

(An article by Madhudvisa dasa)

How I Discovered Krishna

Krishna & Arjuna

I live in the USA in Pennsylvania. It is a nice place and the people are also nice but they are not very open-minded. I will tell you about how I discovered Krishna.

Hello again.

I live in the USA in Pennsylvania. It is a nice place and the people are also nice but they are not very open-minded. I will tell you about how I discovered Krishna.

I was raised as a Catholic but there were many questions that remained unanswered and seemed contradictory.
Because of this I became a sort of atheist for many years. I believed in a higher power, but I could not accept the ‘God’ that my friends went to church an hour on Sunday for. When I held these beliefs, I was certain that nothing could change my mind, now that I was atheist I would never believe in God again.

However I was wrong. One day last month I was looking around the bookshelves when I came across a small book: The Bhagavad-Gita. This was a translation by Shri Purohit Swami. It was given as a Christmas gift to my Mother from an Indian friend of hers named Rahim. I did not know anything about the Bhagavad-Gita other than what I learned in my history class when we lightly brushed over it. I figured I would enjoy a read in verse, so I picked it up and read the first chapter.

This turned into the second, and then to the third. I was  so enthralled by what I was reading. It all made perfect sense. I finished the book over the first day and was completely awestruck with the idea of Krishna Consciousness. I realized that my belief in God had been completely restored. Srila Prabhupada says: “Certainly. You may be atheist or theist. The chanting is so powerful, the atheist will be theist. If you are atheist, you can try it. Yes?”

While I did not discover Krishna through chanting, I was changed nonetheless. The word was that powerful. I am trying to increase my knowledge in Krishna Consciousness every day. Reading Prabhupada’s Purports on the Bhagavad-Gita is very helpful and I am very glad that they are on the internet for all to see.

http://PrabhupadaBooks.com

I hope you enjoyed my story. Hare Krishna!

Dan

Srila Prabhupada’s Temple in Bangalore - INDIA

ISKCON TEMPLE - BANGALORE

Spread over 8 acres of land atop a hill, in the heart of Bangalore is ISKCON’s largest temple complex in the world. Also known as the Hare Krishna Hill, this is home to 5 temples of various forms of Lord Krishna: Sri Sri Radha Krishna-Chandra, Sri Krishna Balarama, Sri Nitai Gauranga, Sri Prahlada Narasimha and Sri Srinivasa Govinda.

Introduction

The temple complex which was inaugurated in May 1997 by the President of India, His Excellency Sri Shaker Deal Sharma, has been visited by over 5.1 million visitors since inception, including various dignitaries of the country. Mr. Ramakrishna Hedge, Former Chief Minister of Karnataka and Former Cabinet Minister, and a frequent visitor to Hare Krishna Hill since 1987, commented: “Every time I visit this incredible edifice, the abode of Sri Krishna, I experience a unique divine feeling. This temple represents the essence of all religions.”

Dr. Mural Menorah Joshi, Mrs. Rama Devi, Governor of Karnataka, Mr. HE.DO. Devegowda, former Prime Minister of India, Mr. I.H. Patel, Former CM of Karnataka, Mr. Rajinder Singh, Chief of the RSS and Mr. Ashok Singhal, President of the VHP are amongst the other dignitaries who have visited Hare Krishna Hill, seeking the blessings of the Lord. The distinct neo-classical architecture of the temple has attracted the interest of designers and artists from around the world. The design, which was developed by ISKCON devotees Madhu Pandit Dasa (President and Project director) and Jagatchandra Dasa, both graduates from the IIT Mumbai, combines elements of traditional South-Indian as well as modern styles of architecture in a harmonious blend, to provide a gorgeous residence for the Supreme Lord.

The temple complex is equipped with various facilities for the purpose of promoting the spiritual and cultural message of Lord Krishna and His pure devotee His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the Founder-Acharya and spiritual master of the entire ISKCON movement:

The Deities and Daily Programs

All activities on Hare Krishna Hill are centered around the principal Deities of Sri Sri Radha Krishna-Chandra. Beginning with the mangala-arati at 4:15 am, a typical day is filled with spiritually inspiring programs of aratis and kirtanas. The morning’s program includes a procession where devotees performing sankirtana, accompany the Deity of Srila Prabhupada on a palanquin to the various temples. The day ends with the festive shayana utsava, when the Lord tours His temple room on an ornamental palanquin before entering His sleeping quarters for rest. This daily utsava offered to the Lord is a unique feature of ISKCON Bangalore.

Free Prasadam for All

Every visitor to the temple receives a cup of free kichiri prasadam, made of rice and dahl. This is a humble attempt to fulfill the vision of our guru Srila Prabhupada, who, expressing utmost compassion, said in 1974: “God is the father; wherever there is the father, there cannot be hunger… No one within a ten-mile radius of our temples should go hungry.” The temple’s Pilgrims’ Prasadam Kitchen is provided with modern equipment to prepare large quantities of prasadam in a short time and can feed up to two thousand visitors per hour. Since May 1997, about 750 tonnes of prasadam have been prepared and distributed to the visiting pilgrims.

In addition to the free prasadam, this kitchen is also used to prepare varieties of sweet and salty items, which are offered to the Lord and made available as prasadam to the visiting pilgrims for a nominal price. ISKCON’s Bakery, which began operations only 2 years ago, is well-known in Bangalore for its eggless cakes and biscuits.

Puja on Birthdays of Donors

The temple was erected with donations received from nearly 25,000 donors in and around Bangalore city. These donors receive an invitation on their birthday to visit the temple along with their family and a special puja is offered to the Lord in their names.

Shata Koti Nama Japa Yajna

To promote world peace and harmony, a program to chant 1 Billion holy names of Rama and Krishna in the year 2000, on Hare Krishna Hill, was begun on January 1st this year. The venue for this program is the temple’s harinama mantapa, located just before one enters the first temple of Prahlada Narasimha. This mantapa is fitted with two sets of granite steps (each containing 108 steps) and on each step a pilgrim can chant the full Hare Krishna mantra once. To guide the pilgrim to chant properly, recorded chanting of Srila Prabhupada is constantly played from a CD player in the mantapa. After chanting on the 108 steps (which means after chanting the maha-mantra 108 times), the pilgrim enters the Narasimha temple through an exclusive entrance where he receives a free packet of a prasadam sweet. It has been observed that about 60% of the visitors choose to enter this mantapa and chant, before having darshan.

FOLK Program

The “Friends of Lord Krishna” (FOLK) program for bachelors between 19 and 29, has created a lot of enthusiasm for understanding the Vedic culture amongst the youth of Bangalore. This program is held on Saturdays and Sundays and consists of classes, discussions and practical sessions on Vedic philosophy and lifestyle. Meditation sessions are also held during these programs. Each program ends with a free prasadam feast.

Cow Protection

Vedic wisdom advocates cow protection as one of the primary elements necessary for a prosperous and healthy society. ISKCON Bangalore goshalla maintains 40 cows in its goshalla on Hare Krishna Hill. Milk from these cows is used to make various products for the service of the Deities.

Organic Farming

ISKCON encourages organic farming, in which grains, vegetables and fruits are grown naturally without the use of chemicals and fertilizers. ISKCON Bangalore’s 100-acre farm near Mysore, on the bank of the River Kaveri provides an active model of such farming. The farm’s products are made available in the temple’s natural foods shop on Hare Krishna Hill known as “Dharani”.

Dakshinakriti

ISKCON Bangalore has a scheme to promote and protect the traditional art and craft of South India. This project encourages and supports talented craftsmen by providing them an outlet for their work. It gives them an opportunity to sustain themselves through the creations of their artistic expression. Through this service, ISKCON Bangalore is bringing into focus the richness of Indian tradition and the need to recognize its importance in preserving our culture and heritage. The products made under this scheme are available at “Dakshinakriti”, the temple’s sculpture showroom.

Multivision Cinema

The Multivision Cinema at ISKCON Bangalore was conceived by devotees and produced in the United States. This is India’s first show combining visual projection and animatronics. The 14 projectors, Laser Disc players, the surround sound processors and the animatronics mechanisms are controlled by a special purpose computer which operates through electronic control units and software developed in Sweden. The 40-minute Cinema conveys a simple yet significant spiritual message and is priced nominally. Nearly 50% of the visitors to the temple choose to watch the cinema, which operates at specific times in the morning and evening.

Dwarakapuri

The temple complex also houses “Dwarakapuri”, a marriage hall with ultra-modern finishing and “Mathura”, a hall for seminars and conferences. These halls help generate revenue for the temple’s maintenance and preaching activities.

Bhaktivedanta Book Trust

The Bangalore branch of the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust is housed on Hare Krishna Hill and is involved in translating and publishing Srila Prabhupada’s voluminous works in the Kannada language. Eminent Kannada writers Prof. L.S. Seshagiri Rao, Prof. N.S. Laxminarayana Bhat, Dr. Shivarudrappa, Dr. A.R. Mitra and several others are involved in translating the books. Since 1985, 123,000 Kannada copies of the Bhagavad-gita alone have been printed and distributed by the BBT. In all, 430,000 pieces of literature have been distributed since May 1997. At present, 39 titles of Srila Prabhupada’s works are available in Kannada.

Goloka Seva Trust

The Goloka Seva Trust promotes and maintains the valuable art of incense (agarbatti) making, using purely natural ingredients. At present the Goloka Seva Trust produces 73 varieties of incense that is meant for worship. The trust also conducts in-house research to develop varieties of non-toxic user-friendly incense and related products. These products are also made available at the temple’s counters for the visitors.

Srila Prabhupada Museum

The construction of the Srila Prabhupada Museum is scheduled to begin shortly. This museum will also be an architectural marvel in itself and will be dedicated to creating awareness amongst the general public about the glorious contributions of ISKCON’s Founder-Acharya and spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada.

Plain Living and High Thinking

Plain Living and High Thinking in Hindu Culture

It is my ambition that all devotees may remain self independent by producing vegetables, grains, milk, fruits, flowers, and by weaving their own cloth in handlooms. This simple life is very nice. Simple village life saves time for other engagements like chanting the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra

Hyderabad 23 August, 1976

Auckland, New Zealand

My Dear Tusta Krsna Maharaja,

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter of 10 August 1976 and have noted the contents. Your idea and completion of the kirtana hall etc. is very nice. You can visit our farm projects at New Vrndavana and the New York Farm in Port Royal, Pennsylvania. They do everything very nicely and you can develop your farm on their model. That you are growing all your own grains is very good. It is my ambition that all devotees may remain self independent by producing vegetables, grains, milk, fruits, flowers, and by weaving their own cloth in handlooms. This simple life is very nice. Simple village life saves time for other engagements like chanting the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra.

Generally people are spoiling their lives for decorating the dead body and giving no attention at all to the spirit soul within. Our business is just the opposite, to give more time to the spiritual life and accept material necessities only as required. This makes life perfect. This is the Vedic way of life. We do not reject or accept anything until it is seen in the light of our Krsna Consciousness Movement. Anything favorable for Krsna consciousness we accept and anything unfavorable we reject, anukulasya sankalpah pratikulyam-vivarjanam.

Giving classes and holding feasts is our preaching. We should hold sankirtana as much as possible and distribute prasadam. Gradually when their heart is softened, then we will talk of philosophy, not in the beginning.

I have read your telegram of Vyasa Puja offering and I thank you very much for your nice feelings. I hope this meets you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS.hs

Hare Krishna In Every Town And Village

Hare Krishna In Every Town And Village - Devotees

So far a Temple place is concerned, even there is no place, we can sit down underneath a tree and chant as I did in New York. Krsna will give a nice place.

Bombay 24 November, 1970

My Dear Bali Mardan,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your two letters dated November 9th and 11th, 1970.

You had mentioned going next to Singapore from Hong Kong. Singapore is also a nice place for organizing a center. There are many Indians and they will support the Movement there. Yes. The several cities you mention are all important cities in the Far East portion. Originally they all had Indian culture. But I do not think you should spend your time at this stage of life in trying to learn so many different local languages. That is not practical for us. Our most successful program is to begin preaching with the help of an interpreter from the local people and later train up some intelligent men who speak English. When they are conversant with our philosophy, they can preach to the general public. The Hare Krsna Mantra is international mantra. Simply try to induce people to chant and they will understand everything. Externally, English language is understood everywhere.

Your enthusiasm for starting centers for educating the people of the world in this sublime Krsna Consciousness process is very good. You are actually authorized agent of my Guru Maharaja and through Him, Lord Caitanya. He predicted that in every town and village of the world His Name will be well known and you are trying for fulfilling His mission, certainly He will give you all strength and blessings. We simply have to work sincerely and automatically all other things will come. Recently one very responsible Indian gentleman was in our Temple in Sydney and he has given very good certificate for our activities there.

Regarding staying in the various Temples of demigods that is quite alright, but you should not take prasadam from the demigods if you are offered. Our method is to follow the system as it is done in Jagannatha Puri. There, the bhoga is first offered to Lord Jagannatha and then His Prasadam is distributed and offered to various demigods who reside in some nearby Temples. Then the remnants of such Prasadam may be taken by us.

So far a Temple place is concerned, even there is no place, we can sit down underneath a tree and chant as I did in New York. Krsna will give a nice place. You have been anxious to stick to fulfilling the desires of Krsna and Spiritual Master without deviation. Our technique is that we work sincerely and the dictation will come from within; Krsna is seated there.

Hope this will meet you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Sri Krsna Janmasthami 2013 — at Varsana Jardines Ecológicos.: Colombia

Beautiful celebration with Guru Maharaja in Varsana Jardines Ecologicos celebrating the birth of Sri Krsna, the appearance day of Srila Prabhupada, and Ratha Yatra

Their Lordships Sri Sri Gauranga Radha Vrajesvara

Beautiful couples in festival

Guru Maharaja in Varsana Jardines Ecologicos celebrating the birth of Sri Krsna

Protected cows

Guru Maharaja in Varsana Jardines Ecologicos celebrating the birth of Sri Krsna - Aarti 

Hare krishna song

Guru Maharaja seeing the progress of the construction of the trulys — at Varsana Jardines Ecológicos.

Raising Krishna Conscious Kids

Raising Krishna Conscious Kids

What a challenge, huh? Raising Krishna Conscious children has tested many. From observation of many devotee parents raising kids, I have come to see that being too extreme does not work if you want to raise balanced, Krishna Conscious children.

There is a famous saying, about tuning a musical instrument. It goes something like this: “If the string is not tight enough, it will not play. If you tighten it too much, it will snap.”

This can be analogous to many things in life, including raising children.

One nice way to raise children with Krishna, in a way they will appreciate, is to read Krishna Conscious story books with them, or even watch Krishna Conscious movies with them.


Krishna Conscious Videos

There are many Krishna Conscious videos suitable for kids. Some of these movies are actually really nice to watch, even for adults.

Little Krishna

One nice set of DVDs is the Little Krishna DVDs. It is a high-budget production made by Big Animation / Reliance, in connection with devotees at ISKCON Bangalore. It is a very well-done animation, with loveable characters (of course!). From the mischievous Krishna stealing butter with  his friends and the monkeys, to epic battle scenes with Krishna delivering justice to demons in self-defense, there are many cool scenes from the sweet to the awesome, from the fun to the funny, from the tear-jerking to the breathtaking.

Animated Ramayana – Warrior Prince

The Animated Ramayana is a classic. Many second generation devotees recall watching this movie many times, over and over again, as they grew up.

It is a $12 million dollar project. The animation style is a fusion style, consisting of 3 different schools of animation: Manga from Japan, Disney from the USA and Ravi Varma from India. The Warrior Prince is directed and conceived by Japanese master filmmaker Yugo Sako.

It is a pretty action packed movie, with many battle scenes.

Krishna Conscious Books for Children

There are many Krishna Conscious Story Books for children available. Here’s a couple for example:


Damodara – Glorified for Stealing Butter

This 31-page story book for children has lots of pictures and big text. It is the story of Damodara. Krishna’s is named Damodara for his pastimes of stealing butter and being caught by Mother Yasoda, who tied Krishna up with a rope around his belly. This is a beautiful story that shows the love between mother and son, and Krishna and his devotees.

Dhruva – the Star Devotee

This is the story of Dhruva. Dhruva is a prime example of a Vaishnava. From hearing about him, one can learn much about what it means to be a devotee of Krishna or Vishnu.

These are just some examples of fun ways to introduce your child to Krishna. Reading these stories and watching the videos can be an endearing experience.

SHANKARA: India’s Greatest Impersonalist Meditated on Lord Krishna

Srila Prabhupada chastises impersonalist yogis and swamis, the nominal followers of the ninth-century teacher Sankara, in this commentary on Sankara’s Meditation on the Bhagavad Gita: Fools rush in where angels fear to tread. Whereas Sankara, the greatest of the impersonalists, offers his due respects to Krishna and His book Bhagavad Gita, the foolish say that we need not surrender to the personal Krishna.

–1–
O Bhagavad-gita,
Through Thy eighteen chapters
Thou showerest upon man
The immortal nectar
Of the wisdom of the Absolute.
O blessed Gita,
By Thee, Lord Krsna Himself
Enlightened Arjuna.
Afterward, the ancient sage Vyasa
Included Thee in the Mahabharata.
O loving mother,
Destroyer of man’s rebirth
Into the darkness of this mortal world,
Upon Thee I meditate.
–2–
Salutations to thee, O Vyasa.
Thou art of mighty intellect,
And thine eyes
Are large as the petals
Of the full-blown lotus.
It was thou
Who brightened this lamp of wisdom,
Filling it with the oil
Of the Mahabharata. 

Purport

Sripada Sankaracarya was an impersonalist from the materialistic point of view. But he never denied the spiritual form known as sac-cid-ananda-vigraha, or the eternal, all-blissful form of knowledge that existed before the material creation. When he spoke of Supreme Brahman as impersonal, he meant that the Lord’s sac-cid-ananda form was not to be confused with a material conception of personality. In the very beginning of his commentary on the Gita, he maintains that Narayana, the Supreme Lord, is transcendental to the material creation. The Lord existed before the creation as the transcendental personality, and He has nothing to do with material personality. Lord Krsna is the same Supreme Personality, and He has no connection with a material body. He descends in His spiritual, eternal form, but foolish people mistake His body to be like ours. Sankara’s preaching of impersonalism is especially meant for teaching foolish persons who consider Krsna to be an ordinary man composed of matter.

No one would care to read the Gita if it had been spoken by a material man, and certainly Vyasadeva would not have bothered to incorporate it into the history of the Mahabharata. According to the above verses, Mahabharata is the history of the ancient world, and Vyasadeva is the writer of this great epic. The Bhagavad-gita is identical with Krsna; and because Krsna is the Absolute Supreme Personality of Godhead, there is no difference between Krsna and His words. Therefore the Bhagavad-gita is as worshipable as Lord Krsna Himself, both being absolute. One who hears the Bhagavad-gita “as is” actually hears the words directly from the lotus lips of the Lord. But unfortunate persons say that the Gita is too antiquated for the modern man, who wants to find out God by speculation or meditation.

–3–
I salute Thee, O Krsna,
O Thou who art the refuge
Of ocean-born Laksmi
And all who take refuge
At Thy lotus feet.
Thou art indeed
The wish-fulfilling tree
For Thy devotee.
Thy one hand holds a staff
For driving cows,
And Thy other hand is raised–
The thumb touching the tip
Of Thy forefinger,
Indicating divine knowledge.
Salutations to Thee, O Supreme Lord,
For Thou art the milker
Of the ambrosia of the Gita.

           Purport

Sripada Sankaracarya explicitly says, “You fools, just worship Govinda and that Bhagavad-gita spoken by Narayana Himself,” yet foolish people still conduct their research work to find out Narayana; consequently they are wretched, and they waste their time for nothing. Narayana is never wretched nor daridra; rather, He is worshiped by the goddess of fortune, Laksmi, as well as by all living entities. Sankara declared himself to be “Brahman,” but he admits Narayana, or Krsna, to be the Supreme Personality who is beyond the material creation. He offers his respects to Krsna as the Supreme Brahman, or Parabrahman, because He (Krsna) is worshipable by everyone. Only the fools and enemies of Krsna, who cannot understand what the Bhagavad-gita is (though they make commentaries on it), say, “It is not the personal Krsna to whom we have to surrender ourselves utterly, but the unborn, beginningless Eternal who speaks through Krsna.” Fools rush in where angels fear to tread. Whereas Sankara, the greatest of the impersonalists, offers his due respects to Krsna and His book the Bhagavad-gita, the foolish say that “we need not surrender to the personal Krsna.” Such unenlightened people do not know that Krsna is absolute and that there is no difference between His inside and outside. The difference of inside and outside is experienced in the dual, material world. In the absolute world there is no such difference, because in the absolute everything is spiritual (sac-cid-ananda), and Narayana, or Krsna, belongs to the absolute world. In the absolute world there is only the factual personality, and there is no distinction between body and soul.

–4–
The Upanisads
Are as a herd of cows,
Lord Krsna, son of a cowherd,
Is their milker,
Arjuna is the calf,
The supreme nectar of the Gita
Is the milk,
And the wise man
Of purified intellect
Is the drinker. 

Purport

Unless one understands spiritual variegatedness, one cannot understand the transcendental pastimes of the Lord. In the Brahma-samhita it is said that Krsna’s name, form, quality, pastimes, entourage, and paraphernalia are all ananda-cinmaya-rasa–in short, everything of His transcendental association is of the same composition of spiritual bliss, knowledge, and eternity. There is no end to His name, form, etc., unlike in the material world, where all things have their end. As stated in the Bhagavad-gita, only fools deride Him; whereas it is Sankara, the greatest impersonalist, who worships Him, His cows, and His pastimes as the son of Vasudeva and pleasure of Devaki.

–5–
Thou son of Vasudeva,Destroyer of the demons Kamsa and Canura,Thou supreme bliss of Mother Devaki,O Thou, guru of the universe,Teacher of the worlds,Thee, O Krsna, I salute.

          Purport

Sankara describes Him as the son of Vasudeva and Devaki. Does he mean thereby that he is worshiping an ordinary, material man? He worships Krsna because he knows that Krsna’s birth and activities are all supernatural. As stated in the Bhagavad-gita (4.9), Krsna’s birth and activities are mysterious and transcendental, and therefore only the devotees of Krsna can know them perfectly. Sankara was not such a fool that he would accept Krsna as an ordinary man and at the same time offer Him all devotional obeisances, knowing Him as the son of Devaki and Vasudeva. According to the Bhagavad-gita, only by knowing the transcendental birth and activities of Krsna can one attain liberation by acquiring a spiritual form like Krsna’s. There are five different kinds of liberation. One who merges into the spiritual auras of Krsna, known as the impersonal Brahman effulgence, does not fully develop his spiritual body. But one who fully develops his spiritual existence becomes an associate of Narayana or Krsna in different spiritual abodes. One who enters into the abode of Narayana develops a spiritual form exactly like Narayana’s (four-handed), and one who enters into the highest spiritual abode of Krsna, known as Goloka Vrndavana, develops a spiritual form of two hands like Krsna’s. Sankara, as an incarnation of Lord Siva, knows all these spiritual existences, but he did not disclose them to his then Buddhist followers because it was impossible for them to know about the spiritual world. Lord Buddha preached that void is the ultimate goal, so how could his followers understand spiritual variegatedness? Therefore Sankara said, brahma satyam jagan mithya, or, material variegatedness is false but spiritual variegatedness is fact. In the Padma Purana Lord Siva has admitted that he had to preach the philosophy of maya, or illusion, in the Kali-yuga as another edition of the “void” philosophy of Buddha. He had to do this by the order of the Lord for specific reasons. He disclosed his real mind, however, by recommending that people worship Krsna, for no one can be saved simply by mental speculations composed of word jugglery and grammatical maneuvers. Sankara further instructs:

bhaja govindam bhaja govindam
bhaja govindam mudha-mate
samprapte sannihite kale
na hi na hi raksati dukrn-karane

“You intellectual fools, just worship Govinda, just worship Govinda, just worship Govinda. Your grammatical knowledge and word jugglery will not save you at the time of death.”

–6–
Of that terrifying river
Of the battlefield of Kuruksetra
Over which the Pandavas victoriously crossed,
Bhisma and Drona were as the high banks,
Jayadratha as the river’s water,
The King of Gandhara the blue water-lily,
Salya the shark, Krpa the current,
Karna the mighty waves,
Asvatthama and Vikarna the dread alligators,
And Duryodhana the very whirlpool–
But Thou, O Krsna, wast the ferryman!
–7–

May the spotless lotus of the Mahabharata
That grows on the waters
Of the words of Vyasa
And of which the Bhagavad-gita
Is the irresistibly sweet fragrance
And its tales of heroes
The full-blown petals
Fully opened by the talk of Lord Hari,
Who destroys the sins
Of Kali-yuga,
And on which daily light
The nectar-seeking souls,
As so many bees
Swarming joyously–
May this lotus of the Mahabharata
Bestow on us the highest good.

–8–
Salutations to Lord Krsna
The embodiment of supreme bliss,
By whose grace and compassion
The dumb become eloquent
And the lame scale mountains–
Him I salute!

Purport

Foolish followers of foolish speculators cannot understand the meaning of offering salutations to Lord Krsna, the embodiment of bliss. Sankara himself offered his salutations to Lord Krsna so that some of his intelligent followers might understand the real fact by the example set by their great master, Sankara, the incarnation of Lord Siva. But there are many obstinate followers of Sankara who refuse to offer their salutations to Lord Krsna and instead mislead innocent persons by injecting materialism into the Bhagavad-gita and confusing innocent readers by their commentaries, and consequently the readers never have the opportunity to become blessed by offering salutations to Lord Krsna, the cause of all causes. The greatest disservice to humanity is to keep mankind in darkness about the science of Krsna, or Krsna consciousness, by distorting the sense of the Gita.

–9–
Salutations to that supreme shining one
Whom the creator Brahma, Varuna,
Indra, Rudra, Marut, and all divine beings
Praise with hymns,
Whose glories are sung
By the verses of the Vedas,
Of whom the singers of Sama sing
And of whose glories the Upanisads
Proclaim in full choir,
Whom the yogis see
With their minds absorbed
In perfect meditation,
And of whom all the hosts
Of gods and demons
Know not the limitations.
To Him, the Supreme God, Krsna, be all salutations–
Him we salute! Him we salute! Him we salute!

           Purport

By recitation of the ninth verse of his meditation, quoted from the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Sankara has indicated that Lord Krsna is worshipable by one and all, including himself. He gives hints to materialists, impersonalists, mental speculators, “void” philosophers, and all other candidates subjected to the punishment of material miseries–just offer salutations to Lord Krsna, who is worshiped by Brahma, Siva, Varuna, Indra, and all other demigods. He has not mentioned, however, the name of Visnu, because Visnu is identical with Krsna. The Vedas and the Upanisads are meant for understanding the process by which one can surrender unto Krsna. The yogis try to see Him (Krsna) within themselves by meditation. In other words, it is for all the demigods and demons who do not know where the ultimate end is that Sankara teaches, and he especially instructs the demons and the fools to offer salutations to Krsna and His words, the Bhagavad-gita, by following in his footsteps. Only by such acts will the demons be benefited, not by misleading their innocent followers by so-called mental speculations or show-bottle meditations. Sankara directly offers salutations to Krsna, as if to show the fools, who are searching after light, that here ls light like the sun. But the fallen demons are like owls that will not open their eyes on account of their fear of the sunlight itself. These owls will never open their eyes to see the sublime light of Krsna and His words the Bhagavad-gita. They will, however, comment on the Gita with their closed owl-eyes to mislead their unfortunate readers and followers. Sankara, however, discloses the light to his less intelligent followers and shows that the Bhagavad-gita and Krsna are the only source of light. This is all to teach the sincere seekers of truth to offer salutation to Lord Krsna and thus surrender unto Him without misgivings. That is the highest perfection of life, and that is the highest teaching of Sankara, the great learned scholar whose teachings drove the voidist philosophy of Buddha out of India, the land of knowledge. Om tat sat.

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada