Heading Back to the USA

After 2 and a half months here in Europe we are heading back to our headquarters in the USA. The USA is a very special place on this planet because it was the USA that gave Srila Prabhupada the facility to start the Krishna consciousness movement. He tried for years and years in India to attract people to join this movement but not one person came. But after arriving in America in 1965 within one year he was able to successfully launch ISKCON, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, which is now powerfully pushing forward a worldwide spiritual revolution. Just as America has in many fields led the world, it is also America which has led the world on the pathway of Krishna consciousness, because it was the American devotees who traveled all over the world on the order of Srila Prabhupada and established this movement in every corner of the globe.

Here in this photo you can see Srila Prabhupada, a brave lone preacher, introducing his movement to the youth of America in 1966 in New York City's Tompkins Square Park

Srila Prabhupada in1966, at New York City's Tompkins Square Park

It is always with a sense of appreciation that I consider how America has rendered such nice service to His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada. It is a great credit to the American people that they were the first who seriously heeded the teachings of Srila Prabhupada.

Answers According to the Vedic Version

Question: Where Do I Begin...

Dearest Guruji,
Lately I have been straying away from becoming completely in bliss with God. I always tell myself I will have more time in the summer when school is out. I feel like I have no time. I feel a struggle between living in the material world and trying to surrender to God. I know it is my own material thoughts that tell me I have no time and I will get to it to the summer. But I want to start now. I want to be in complete bliss and complete happiness. But where do I begin? Why do I feel so restless? How do I know what will ease my restlessness?

Willing to learn and learn,

Your student

Answer: Rise Early and Chant...

The key is that you have to prioritize your spiritual life. Your material life comes and goes with the birth and demise of of your material body. But your spiritual life is eternal. Therefore your spiritual life is always more important than your material life.

Just like if you have a bird in a cage which is more important, the bird or the cage? You are a spirit-soul. You are like the bird. Your material body is like the cage. Your first business is to see that the bird is well fed. Once you make sure the bird is healthy, then you can see about polishing the cage.

Begin by rising early every morning taking your bath and chanting the Hare Krishna Mahamantra on japa beads. This will fix your mind in Krishna consciousness so that you can then engage in your ordinary daily duties while at the same time remaining fully absorbed in Krishna consciousness.

Your feelings of restlessness are natural because you are neglecting your primary duty. Now if you seriously take up this chanting process all of your restlessness will go away and you will become completely peaceful.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

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