Ultimate Self Realization

By force of our flight schedule we were required to make an overnight stop in the Netherlands before continuing on to Sofia, Bulgaria. This arrangement was Krishna's greatest blessing upon us because it gave us the opportunity to share the topmost secrets of the self-realization science with the people of the Netherlands. There was a wonderful gathering of eager listeners to hear about the why the practice of yoga is essential in this human form of life. I spoke from chapter eight of the Bhagavad-gita and described the six chakra yoga system and the bhakti yoga system. Both of them are recommended in the Vedic scriptures. The bhakti yoga system is especially recommended because it is the most practical and effective yoga system for this age. The six chakra yoga system to be fully effective requires that one completely give up all forms of contact with the material society. But in the bhakti yoga system one can remain fully in contact with the material society. How is one able to d

Life is great when you are Krishna conscious. That's why I want to see the entire world become Krishna conscious, so everyone can become happy. It's 6:31 am on 29 October 2007. I'm here at the airport in San Antonio, Texas waiting for my flight to Minneapolis from where I will catch a flight to Amsterdam. After a twelve day layover at our headquarters in Austin, Texas it's back on the road again, this time for three months to finish up my round-the-world lecture tour, sharing the secrets of unlimited happiness in seventeen different countries. With sincere thanks I offer my humble obeisances at the lotus feet of my eternal spiritual master, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who has so kindly saved me from the repetition of birth and death and blessed with the order of doing the same for as many as possible of the souls who are suffering in this material existence just like I was. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Answers According to the Vedic Version: Que

When we get back to life's basics we become completely free from all types of distress. Indeed, our life becomes an exciting adventure at every moment as we re-establish our eternal servitude relationship with Krishna or God, the source of all existence. This is exciting because existence itself is exciting and because through loving devotional service to the supreme person we become gradually re-situated in our natural original consciousness. In other words all the anxieties and stress that we face on a daily basis are simply due to the unnatural coverings which have contaminated our consciousness. When those coverings are removed we find ourselves swimming in an ocean of unlimited transcendental bliss. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: Should I Quit my Job? I have been attending local ISKCON congregational programs regularly, which gives me immense peace of mind and pleasure. But when I get back to my job (company job), which is

ISKCON's Founder-Acharya, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, has given us the seemingly impossible duty of bringing about the complete respiritualization of planet earth. This is not his invention. He has simply passed on to us the order coming down from Lord Krishna Himself in His most merciful manifestation, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. We are ordered to bring in the full manifestation of the Vedic age, even though we are in the midst of the most materialistic age of Kali. If we can pull this off, this will be greatest paradigm shift in history One may be baffled by this and wonder, "How could I even dream about dedicating my life to such an impossible goal?" The answer is that along with the order of the spiritual master comes the potency to successfully carry that order out. In other words the order itself contains the full power for its own successful implementation. One simply must have full faith in the order and be fully dedicated to the order. By

While the vast majority of the present human society remains engrossed in economic development and sense gratification and their concomitant miseries of birth, death, old age, and disease, the enlightened sages, out of compassion, fully dedicate themselves to the thankless task of trying to deliver the unenlightened from their suffering by spreading the Krishna consciousness movement all over the world. Why is this most glorious task considered thankless? This is so because, especially in the developed countries, most people do not realize that they are in a suffering condition. They think that as long as they have ample facility for eating, sleeping, mating, and defending, life is great. They don't realize that at any moment their comfortable nest will be disrupted and they must face the reactions to all of their sinful activities. So instead of trying to insure a blissful future for themselves they spend off the results of their pious activities as quickly as possible. As s

I could never stomach taking my goal in life simply to be a well respected man within the contemporary society. Why? Because I could clearly see that the contemporary society is going way off the track. It's insane. It has made nothing short of a royal mess out of this world. My conscience sought a much deeper meaning and purpose to existence. I could see a society that was grossly out of harmony with the very source of its existence. I knew that I had one duty and one duty only: to reach a state of perfect harmony with the source of all existence and help everyone else to do the same. In spite of my innumerable disqualifications, out of His causeless mercy, the Supreme Lord blessed me with the shelter and guidance of a bona fide spiritual master, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada removed my ignorance with the light of transcendental knowledge and taught me how to do exactly what I was hankering to do. For this I am eternally indebted u

Here at Bhaktivedanta Ashram during our brief stopover on our around-the-world lecture tour I have been rising at 2am to have wonderful uninterrupted japa before beginning our morning program of worshipping Sri Sri Radha Damodar and studying the Srimad Bhagavatam. These moments in the early, early morning directly associating with God, Lord Sri Krishna, are undoubtedly the sweetest nectar. Who could be a more wonderful person to meet with? He is the reservoir of all good qualities and of all opulences. He has so kindly manifested in the form of His holy names so that anyone who would like to directly associate with Him can easily do so. Considering that this opportunity to chant the Hare Krishna mahamantra is the greatest good fortune millions of times more auspicious than achieving all the wealth, power, and fame of this material world, who would not agree to chant these unlimitedly sweet nectarean names? Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Ra

Nowadays there is a great divide between what is called science and what is called religion. For some this divide means that religion is in error. And for others this means that science is in error. So what is the reality? If both of them cannot be right, then either of them or both of them must be wrong. The split between science and religion has led to endless debates, philosophical struggles, and even legal battles in court. The actual relationship between science and religion is quite different from what most people think. This is so because truth is one; it cannot be two. If it is two, it cannot be truth. To understand this properly we must understand the real meaning of the terms "science" and "religion", not the distorted understandings that are being propagated by the so-called modern thinkers. The word science comes from the Latin world "scientia" which means "knowledge." And the word "religion" comes from the Latin

Every form of pleasure in this material world has its point of exhaustion. The pleasure seeker finally reaches a stage where he can enjoy no more and he has to go somewhere else looking for pleasure. Such a situation where we cannot find anything permanently enjoyable is not very satisfying. No matter how much we gloss over the suffering conditions of material existence trying to make them appear pleasant, still in the final analysis we must admit the suffering condition of this material existence. Therefore what we need is a type of pleasure that never becomes worn out, a well that never runs dry, so to speak. That unlimited pleasure is available to each and every one of us. In fact, it is our natural birth right. Just as a bird is meant to fly in the sky, we are always meant to fly in the sky of unlimited bliss by reviving our now dormant Krishna consciousness. Is there scientific proof? Yes, there is! The scientific proof is the transformation of consciousness personally expe

I would like to take this opportunity to offer my sincere thanks to all of you wonderful souls around the world who have been participating in this e-course by reading our materials, by inquiries, and by following the instructions you have been given. It is because of your appreciation of my humble efforts to serve my spiritual master's mission that this course is going on. Were it not for your participation there would be no Ultimate Self Realization Course. Therefore I very, very much appreciate each and every one of you and am wishing you the very best in your spiritual progress. Please do not hesitate to contact me if there is any way I can be of service to you in your spiritual life. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: Bhagavad-gita--ABC's or King of Education? It is said that the Bhagavad-gita is the ABC's of spiritual life. It is also said that Srimad Bhagavatam is the masters level and that Caitanya Caritamrita is the P

This planet is desperately lacking leaders. The persons who are now leading the human society are completely disqualified. Therefore the entire global society has been plunged into an ever-increasingly chaotic situation. In spite of so much bad news going on everywhere all around the world, the good news is that the Vedic wisdom, especially the Bhagavad-gita and the Srimad Bhagavatam, gives us everything we need to know in order to to clean up the mess that the leaderless human society has gotten itself into. So we should look to see who are those persons who are the living embodiments of the Vedic wisdom. These person are known as acharyas, ideal spiritual teachers. It is such persons that we should follow, not the cheaters and rascals who pose as leaders simply for their own sense gratification. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: Spirituality at Home It is wonderful to read your articles about Krishna consciousness and get your mail

There is nothing sweeter than chanting the holy names of God in a mood of loving devotion because such chanting brings one into direct contact with the Supreme Person Himself. Such chanting is best done in the early morning hours before sunrise when the material world is not offering many distractions to lure the mind away from Krishna's holy names. From the great acharyas we have learned the system of chanting on japa beads. This system of chanting on beads amplifies the power of the mantra and thus helps one to go deeper into a state of transcendental meditation. Taking the japa beads in one's right hand beginning just next to the end bead, one utters the Hare Krishna mahamantra on the first bead and then moves to the second bead on which he again chants the mahamantra, etc, etc. In this way after chanting on 108 beads the devotee completes one round or one mala. (The 109th bead is called the end bead and is not chanted on. It simply serves as a marker to let you know where

To become Krishna consciousness in this grossly materialistic age of Kali is tantamount to declaring war against the material energy. Thus the sincere devotee of the self-realization science finds himself in a combat zone on a regular daily basis. This is why strong sadhana (devotional practice) is required. This strong sadhana fortifies the devotee against the attacks of the material energy. It enables him to always keep a cool head in spite of so many disturbing circumstances. The devotee wants to stay fixed in Krishna consciousness, but the material nature is constantly trying to destroy his Krishna consciousness. The material nature tries to induce him to engage his mind, words, anger, tongue, belly, and genitals in sense gratification. But the self-controlled devotee uses them only in the service of the Lord. In this way by taking shelter of the Lord, he becomes a conquering hero who defeats the enemy attacks and successfully manifests Krishna consciousness, even though he

17 October 2007--We are here at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam awaiting our afternoon flight back to the USA after the most ecstatic preaching tour of eastern Europe. It was capped off last night by a very well received lecture I gave to a temple room packed full of young people at the Hare Krishna center in Riga, Latvia. Latecomers could hardly squeeze in the door. My student, Ugis, who owns Riga's leading radio stations announced my lecture on the air for an entire week attracting Riga's youth to find out how to achieve unlimited happiness. I explained to them scientifically who they really are beyond their material bodies and taught them the practical techniques for achieving that supreme state of happiness which is millions and millions of times greater than any pleasure of this world, even the pleasure of sex. The Riga youth were very impressed and asked many sincere questions. Many of them purchased Bhagavad-gitas and other transcendental literatures at the conclusion of

At the present moment the entire human society is embroiled in conflict in varying degrees on all levels. Husbands and wives are sometimes in such conflict that it leads to ghastly murder scenes. When even friends are in conflict, how much conflict is going on between enemies? Communities are in conflict. Nations are in conflict. The list goes on and on. Conflict resolution has now become such a top priority in today's conflict ridden society that organizations have been formed simply for the purpose of researching and promoting conflict resolution. But yet in spite of so much research and effort to find the solution for conflict, we see the conflicts are still going on everywhere throughout the entire world with ever-increasing intensity. In other words, we are not making progress in the field of conflict resolution. The reality is that, taken from the global perspective, conflicts are increasing both in number and in intensity. So what can be done? Is it hopeless? No it

Today we are living in world which is becoming increasingly polluted. We are gradually turning our entire earth planet into a toxic waste site. Even though so many people are talking about cleaning up the environment, no one is able to do anything to effectively turn the tide of the times towards a cleaner global atmosphere. The forces of greed forge ahead impelling us for the sake of quick material profit to continue polluting our atmosphere more and more and more until it becomes too late. But there is a solution to the pollution. This solution requires that we understand the root cause of the pollution. The root cause is that our environment is heavily polluted on the subtle plane, the plane of consciousness. The phenomena we experience on the gross plane are the result of what is there on the subtle plane. Whatever is there on the subtle plane will naturally also be manifested on the gross plane. The subtle pollution is our selfish, greedy desire to lord it over this world

Today we are heading out from Kaunas to New Goloka en route to Riga, Latvia from where we will fly onwards to our home base in Austin, Texas. This concludes the first leg of our current around-the-world lecture series tour. After twelve days in Austin we will resume our world tour with a lecture series in Bulgaria and Romania and possibly Macedonia. From there it will be on to the Middle East and further eastward to India, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji before returning to North America. What could be more enlivening than traveling and preaching all over the world for bringing life to a world which is drowning in ignorance? As confirmed in chapter 18 of the Bhagavad-gita there is nothing more pleasing to the Lord than this. Therefore there is also nothing more pleasing to the devotee. In other words as the Lord is the pleased, so the devotee is pleased. This is the secret of how to always taste unlimited happiness: Simply always give pleasure to the Lord 24 hours a day. Ca

On Friday 12 October, we headed out by car on a three hour drive to Visaginas, a small Lithuanian town way out in the forest. It was a dark, dreary, rainy, cold, nasty day. This was a stark reminder of the nature of this material existence. After we arrived I was wondering why we had taken so much trouble to come to this remote place. After all, we were comfortably situated in Kaunas, and my lecture series was being very nicely received there. But once the devotees assembled in the apartment of Dina Bandhu Prabhu and I led Hare Krishna kirtan and started explaining the timeless message of the Bhagavad-gita, the transcendental magic once again happened and I could feel how we were entering into the transcendental dimension beyond time and space. And I knew that it was worth it! Why did I ever doubt it? Sankarshan Das Adhikari Teaching Bhagavad-gita in Visaginas, Lithuania Eager Hearers There is Nothing Sweeter Loving Farewell We Can Never Forget Such Sweet Devotees Answers A

Everyone is hankering to taste the sweetest nectar at every minute, but unfortunately practically no one knows how to taste it. This is why we need a bona fide spiritual master. The spiritual master is that person who knows how to taste the supreme nectar of love of God at every minute and is fully dedicated to teaching us how to also taste it. Because people are ignorant of how to taste this supreme nectar they invent so many other ways to try to taste it. But in each and every case when all is said and done they come back to the position of frustration. So why be frustrated now or in the future? Why not take shelter of a bona fide spiritual master today and enter into the realm of inconceivable, never-ending, ever-increasing sweetness? You've got nothing to lose except for your anxieties, and a life of unlimited bliss to gain. I was one of the most fortunate souls who gained the association of such an authentic spiritual master, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupa

Sometimes people wonder how I could totally absorb myself 24 hours a day in constantly traveling all over the world to distribute Krishna consciousness. They ask me, "Don't you get tired?" The insider's secret in this connection is that the more you give Krishna, the more get Krishna. In other words, the more I do this, the more I get energy and enthusiasm. Spreading Krishna consciousness is not an energy depleting or draining activity. It is an activity that energizes you more and more the more you engage in it. It's something like having a special mystical kind of money which when spent becomes even more. Normally when we spend money our bank account shrinks. But Krishna consciousness is like a bank account that increases and increases the more you spend it. So the point is that when it comes to Krishna consciousness you can never lose. You are always a winner who goes on gaining more and more and more ad infinitum. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Sharing Ultimate Nec

10 October 2007--Traveling by car last night to Vilnius, Lithuania to give an evening lecture on the Bhagavad-gita I witnessed the most beautiful and complete rainbow I've ever seen in my entire life. I took it as an auspicious omen of wonderful things to come. It was clearly visible for a full 180 degrees with both ends touching the ground. It was so long I could not fit it in one photograph. Therefore to give you a chance to see it I made a movie of it, which is available through the link below. Another thing that made it especially auspicious was that there was another more subtle rainbow running parallel to it just above it. This second rainbow was not clearly visible in the photograph or movie clip. Wanting to take full advantage of the auspiciousness which is now in the atmosphere, this morning I prayed to Sri Sri Nitai Gauracandra, the deities of our Kaunas, Lithuania temple that the entire world can very soon be inundated with a tidal wave of Krishna consciousness. The wor

8 October 2007--Krishna really blessed us while we were crossing the Russian border to re-enter Lithuania. Our Russian driver, Lila Avatar Prabhu, drove us from Kaliningrad to the Russian border at Sovetsk where we were to walk with our luggage across the bridge over the Neman River to the Lithuanian side where our Lithuanian driver, Kedaranath Prabhu, was waiting for us. We cross the border on foot because getting a car across the Russian border is a much more time consuming red tape process that going across as a pedestrian. Even though the simpler pedestrian-style crossing is also always a hassle due to the lording-it-over-mentality of the Russian border guards, once you get past that quagmire walking crossing the bridge over the Neman River is a pleasant experience. This time however was different. On our drive from Kaliningrad to Sovetsk it had been raining the entire time. The sweet devotees in Kaliningrad had kindly supplied with raincoats. And just before reaching the border c

Because Krishna's name and Krishna Himself are one and the same, there is therefore nothing sweeter and more relishable than Lord Sri Krishna's name. This means that the perfection of the tongue is to chant "Hare Krishna", and that the perfection of the ears is to hear "Hare Krishna". It also means that the perfection of the mind is to be completely, totally absorbed in chanting and hearing the Hare Krishna mantra: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare Hare Rama, Hare Rama Rama Rama, Hare Hare Some people argue that this is restrictive and sectarian. But since everything that exists can be found in the Krishna's name, there is nothing at all restrictive about exclusively focusing your consciousness on this sound vibration. Try to carefully understand that absorption in His name is the ultimate meditation, the supreme perfection. When you become fully absorbed in Krishna's name, you've reached the topmost platform of spiritua

In this world everyone is looking for happiness, but practically no one understands how to attain it. The difficulty is that they seek happiness in the wrong way. They try find happiness on the only platform that they know of, the material platform. Although we can certainly get quick pleasure on the material platform, such happiness is fleeting. It does not last for long. What good is material happiness? Even when we are enjoying it we are in the anxiety of knowing that soon it will end. So such happiness is not real happiness. It is simply another form of misery masquerading as happiness. Real happiness is experienced on the transcendental platform through the revival of one's original eternal identify. This revival of consciousness is achieved through associating with those who have already revived this eternal, blissful consciousness known as Krishna consciousness. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Explaining the Science of Consciousness Revival Enthusiastic Hearers More Enthusiast

Sharing the ultimate bliss of Krishna consciousness is always the most enlivening experience wherever I travel all over the world. But sharing it in Russia is especially sweet. Srila Prabhupada one time stated that preaching in the snows of Russia was sweeter than mangos. Even though it is too early right now for snow in this part of Russia, I am still seeing the truth in Srila Prabhupada's words. The Russian devotees are very eager to taste the bliss of Krishna consciousness. And the more I give it to them, the more I taste it. Therefore I keep coming back to Russia again and again for this most ecstatic of all activities: hearing and chanting the glories of Lord Sri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Sharing the Bliss of Krishna Consciousness in Sovetsk, Russia Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: How to Chant? Please give me advice on how to chant. I am of the Christian faith, but I realize that I need to initiate meditation

Friday 5 October 2007--We have just departed from Kaunas, Lithuania via automobile on our way to Russia. It is a sweet, wonderful feeling to be able to spread this ultimate self-realization science, the perfection of religion, in a country which for many decades was the bastion of atheism. That the Russian government, which once arrested, tortured, and even killed persons for practicing Krishna consciousness now allows devotees to openly practice Krishna consciousness is nothing short of Krishna's miracle. There is no obstacle so great that it cannot be melted by the unlimited mercy of Lord Sri Krishna. Therefore I am completely optimistic that this entire planet will someday be completely engulfed in a tidal wave of Krishna prema, pure love for Krishna. It is not a question of "if". It is simply a question of "when". Sankarshan Das Adhikari Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: How to Avoid Being Carried Away? Hare Krishna!!!!!

The biggest enemy we have on the pathway of self-realization is our uncontrolled senses. However, if the senses are properly controlled, they are valuable assets which can be engaged nicely in the Lord's service. Otherwise they are like venomous serpents, which can poison us and destroy our spiritual life. Therefore it is absolutely essential that the aspiring transcendentalist become an expert at always keeping the senses under control. So what is the art of doing that? The secret is that we have to always keep the senses engaged 24 hours a day in the service of Krishna. From the first moment of waking up in the morning, to the last moment of going to sleep at the end of the day, the devotee must be always engaging his senses as much as possible in the Lord's service. For example, you can immediately call out "Hare Krishna" upon awakening and in this way engage the tongue, ears, and mind in Krishna consciousness. You can then immediately take bathe to be able to cha