$700 Billion Band-Aid

Now in the USA the leaders are planning a $700 billion bailout of the devastated US banking system. But their proposed solution is a band aid solution only. It does not deal with the underlying cause of the economic chaos. Their idea is to prop up valueless paper money with even more valueless paper money.

The modern day economic system is based upon putting our faith in valueless paper money. We are willing to work hard in exchange for it because we have faith in its future purchasing power. In other words, we have faith that in the future others will also have faith in this valueless paper money to give us something of value in exchange for it. But if somehow or other that faith is disrupted, the entire global economic system will be greatly endangered. And if that faith is destroyed, the world's economic system will experience a complete collapse leading to a total break down of the world civilization. Mere anarchy will be loosed upon the world.

So what is our protection against such an uninviting future? Instead of basing our socio-economic system upon humankind's unpredictable faith in useless paper currency, we should base it on those things which have actual value: tangible goods such as land, cows, water, grains, fruits, vegetables, wood, etc. This is why the traditional global economic system which has flourished for thousands and thousands of years on this planet, based on God-centered self-sufficient family farming is a far more stable and sustainable economic system.

So are we going to witness now the complete collapse of the world economy and human civilization? By Krishna's grace it will not happen, if and only if we take the present turn of events as our wake up call to bring the human society back to a simple, natural economic system based on seeing everything as the property of God and utilizing everything in His service. So I am hereby requesting the world leaders on all levels to kindly note the formula for peace and economic stability given by Lord Sri Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita and to rethink and readjust their priorities. That formula is given as follows in Bhagavad-gita, Chapter 5, Text 29:

bhoktaram yajna-tapasam
sarva-loka-mahesvaram
suhrdam sarva-bhutanam
jnatva mam santim rcchati

"If one wants to enjoy real peace and prosperity, He should recognize Me as the supreme enjoyer, the supreme proprietor of everything, and the ultimate well-wishing friend of all living beings."

The time has come now to fully mold our lives around the above words of the Lord and become free once and for all from the pangs of the material miseries.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

Answers According to the Vedic Version:

Question: Hare Krishna or Hare Rama First?

Hi Sir,

With full respect to Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada my question is:

The Mahamantra described in the Kali Santarana Upanisad is given as follows:

Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare

But ISKCON is mainly chanting the Mahamantra as follows:

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

Sir, another thing is that Lord Sri Rama is the first incarnation, not Sri Krishna. That's why Rama Nama has to come first. Sir, I think you can clear this doubt. Should we chant the Mahamantra following the Kali Santarana Upanisad, or should we chant it the ISKCON style?

Please take it an positive sense.

Expecting a reply.

Thanking you,

Sheejith K.C

Answer: Hare Krishna First is the Authorized Way

There are two different editions of the Kali Santarana Upanisad. The one which lists the Mahamantra as beginning with Hare Krishna is the authoritative edition. Also in reconfirmation of this fact, when God Himself appeared on this planet 500 years ago in the form of Lord Caitanya, He chanted the Mahamantra beginning with Hare Krishna. So the answer is that we are not asking anybody to follow the so-called ISKCON style of anything. ISKCON is not a religious cult. ISKCON did not come up with it owns style of chanting. ISKCON is composed of those persons who strictly follow the scriptures and the previous acharyas, the great saintly teachers who molded the Vedic civilization for millions of years.

Although Lord Rama appeared before the appearance of Krishna in which Krishna spoke the Bhagavad-gita to Arjuna, there is a previous appearance of Lord Krishna described in the Bhagavad-gita in which Krishna spoke the Bhagavad-gita to the sun god, Vivasvan. This prior appearance of Lord Krishna in this material world occurred long before the appearance of Lord Rama. So if you want to base your Mahamantra chanting preference on which of the two appeared first, you will chant:

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

Of course, if in spite of this you still prefer to chant.....

Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare

.....that's alright, because either way once you get rolling it's exactly the same Mahamantra alternating back and forth between Hare Krishna and Hare Rama. Or should I say, "between Hare Rama and Hare Krishna"? Do you get the point?

I hope this meets you in the best of health and in an ecstatic mood.

Always your well-wisher,

Sankarshan Das Adhikari