Appeal to the World's Leaders

The Srimad Bhagavatam instructs that no one should become a leader unless they can deliver their dependents from the cycle of birth and death. In other words a leader is responsible not only for the current situation of his dependents; he is also karmically responsible for the destination they will achieve in their next birth as a result of following him. If a leader is not Krishna conscious, he is doing to greatest disservice to his followers because by his influence they are being driven down to the lower species in their next birth. He is also hurting himself because he will have to go there with them. Therefore we are appealing herewith to all the world's leaders to take up the path of spiritual emancipation for their own benefit and the benefit of their followers.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

Answers According to the Vedic Version:

Question: How to Balance Spiritual and Material Duties?

Dear Guru Maharaja,

All Glories to Srila Prabhupada. All glories to your Grace and all others in line of devotion. Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet.

I am told that Radharani and Radhika are somewhat 'competing' for Krishna's attention. But from my understanding they are the same, just different from different past times. So if they are the same [just different expansions], why this 'competition'?

In the purport to Chapter 10 Text 17 of the Bhagavad-Gita, Srila Prabhupada talks about "yoga-maya". Another devotee had tried to explain this concept of yoga-maya to me, but I am still having difficulty understanding it. So, what exactly is yoga-maya?

In the material world maya comes in many forms such as lust. and lust can be for many things. What is the best way to control this desire of lust [sexual, over-eating, lust for power etc.]?

Also, I am having difficultly balancing my spiritual practices [such as chanting and reading books like the Gita] with my prescribed duty as a high school student. I read somewhere that we are not supposed to give up our prescribed duty to practice Krishna Consciousness. Yet, my school work interferes with my spiritual practices, as do my spiritual practices keep me from my school work. I always try to put my spiritual practices [or at least my japa] before this other duty, is this the correct thing to do?

I often become very frustrated with situations that come up in my life, and then will get discouraged from Krishna Consciousness through my own self-doubt. This self-doubt often leads to other negative feelings like depression and anxiety. Is there something i can do to transform this self-doubt into something i can use for Krishna's service?

Thank you so much for your time, I have so many questions and it means so much to me that you continue to answer them and lead me to Krishna's light.

Always your humble servant,

Bhaktin Geri-Lynn

Answer: The Transcendental Sandwich

Radharani and Radhika are two names for the same person so there is no competition. There is however competition between Radharani and another gopi named Candravali. This competition is a special arrangement of the Lord to make the pastimes in the spiritual world more sweet and more relishable. It is not like any competition in this material because it is all meant for giving pleasure to Krishna.

We usually refer to the Lord's illusory energy as Maha-maya. However since even though it is material because it comes from the Lord, it is still considered spiritual and is sometimes is also called Yogamaya. This Yogamaya is the deluding potency of the Lord that bestows forgetfulness of the Lord on those who desire to forget Him.

Lust means a desire to gratify your senses. The senses are cruel masters because even though you may gratify them, they are still not satisfied. Just like if you scratch an itch it will simply become worse. It will not go away. But if instead of trying to gratify your senses you try to satisfy Krishna, because you are part of Krishna when He becomes satisfied you will automatically be satisfied. This is the simple, easy way to conquer over lust. Simply always think, speak, and act in a way that will be pleasing to Lord Krishna. In this way you will become completely free from the disturbance of lust and will be fully absorbed 24 hours daily in blissful Krishna consciousness.

Try to rise early and chant your prescribed number of rounds every day and your first duty. Once you have completed them you can read scriptures for a few minutes and then fully absorb your day in your academic studies. Then again before taking rest at night you may again read for few minutes from the scriptures. This is known as the transcendental sandwich program. You sandwich your worldly duties within Krishna consciousness.

Bring all of your doubts to me. Describe them to me and in detail and I shall evaporate them with the shining lamp of knowledge.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari