Ultimate Self Realization

Today we are heading back to Russia where I will be giving a series of lectures, celebrating Srila Prabhupada's disappearance day, and also initiating a new disciple. It is always a great joy for us to return to Russia because of the wonderful loving exchanges we have with the devotees there. Even though where we go there is no temple and no material facilities, because of the loving relationships between the devotees it is very pleasing. As I have many times stated before, ISKCON is not the buildings or the properties; it's not the vehicles or the bank accounts or even the deities. ISKCON is the loving exchanges between the devotees. So even if we lose everything else and we have only the loving relationships between the devotees, ISKCON will not be dead. Just like recently in Kazachstan the demoniac Muslim government has taken away the land, the temple, and the homes of the devotees and left them with nothing. The devotees have been robbed of all material facilities by the r

Considering that all material attainments are only temporary and that the results of attaining spiritual perfection are eternal, it is simple common sense that the primary focus of our lives should be on spiritual awakening. Therefore we are behooved to not be neglectful and to manifest due diligence in regards to reviving our dormant Krishna consciousness. Any other course of action would be grossly foolish and a pitiable waste of this rarely achieved, most valuable human form of life. If we do opt to faithfully execute our duty of reconnecting ourselves with the Supreme Absolute Truth, we will be living in a sublime paradise at every minute even while surrounded by a hellish material atmosphere on all sides. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Lecture at Lithuania's Klaipeda University Chanting and Dancing Bliss Students Flood Book Table After Lecture... ...and Eagerly Purchase Our Books Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: Is No Chanting an Acceptable Path? I look

This human form of life is meant for becoming spiritually perfect. It is not meant for material advancement. Of course, whatever material advancement is favorable for advancing our Krishna consciousness may also be accepted. It is not that we have to abandon all comforts and live in caves. But at the same time we must be very cautious to not become intoxicated by material advancement considering it to be the end all and be all of our existence. We must very soberly realize that our most valuable human form of life can end at any time and finish up our business of becoming perfect in Krishna consciousness as soon as possible. Sankarshan Das Adhikari His Grace Sriman Sankarshan Das Adhikari 2008 Vyas Puja Homage E-Book is now online at: http://backtohome.com/vyas-puja/2008.pdf More Photos from Sri Vyas Puja Celebration Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: Isn't Everyone Equal? When it is said that we should be neutral in happiness and distress, doesn't this

The weather here in Lithuania is now cold, rainy, and ugly, and I am coming down with some sort of cold. But still the preaching must go on. The teachings of Krishna must be vibrated for the elevation of the world consciousness. When the preaching is happening the miseries cannot touch the consciousness because preaching the message of Lord Caitanya quickly elevates both the speakers and the hearers to the transcendental platform. I cannot imagine a life devoid of sharing and spreading this nectar. It would certainly be worse than hell. And, if I could preach in hell, hell would also be relishable. But to live without sharing and spreading Krishna consciousness would definitely be worse than hell and worse than death. Sankarshan Das Adhikari His Grace Sriman Sankarshan Das Adhikari 2008 Vyas Puja Homage E-Book is now online at: http://backtohome.com/vyas-puja/2008.pdf More Photos from Sri Vyas Puja Celebration Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: How to Work the P

My disciples here in Kaunas, Lithuania have done an excellent job of keeping me fully engaged in preaching Krishna consciousness every day by arrangingnged non-stop preaching for me. I am simply going from one program to another program to another program. There is nothing sweeter than traveling and preaching all over the world for strengthening the Krishna consciousness movement more and more so that some day its members will become so pure and spiritually strong that the world leaders will all be inspired by seeing their example to study the writings of Srila Prabhupada and utilize them for guiding their respective nations in an enlightening and progressive manner. Sankarshan Das Adhikari His Grace Sriman Sankarshan Das Adhikari 2008 Vyas Puja Homage E-Book is now online at: http://backtohome.com/vyas-puja/2008.pdf Sri Vyas Puja Celebration Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: Have You Realized the Absolute Truth? Can Absolute Truth be realized? If so, do you k

There is no reason at all to suffer in this miserable material existence because this is not our actual home. We are actually residents of that wondrous transcendental abode where all suffering is conspicuous by its absence, the Vaikuntha realm where the Supreme Lord eternally resides engaging in unlimited loving pastimes with His pure devotees. We simply must get back to our original enlightened nature, which we enjoyed eternally before we made the foolish mistake of playing with fire by our desire to see what it would be like if we were God. This is the forbidden apple that is mentioned in the Bible. We can enjoy unlimited happiness as a servant of God in His eternal kingdom. But there is one thing that we are not entitled to. We are not entitled to be God. Sankarshan Das Adhikari His Grace Sriman Sankarshan Das Adhikari 2008 Vyas Puja Homage E-Book is now online at: http://backtohome.com/vyas-puja/2008.pdf Sri Vyas Puja Celebration Answers According to the Vedic Version: Que

Because the spiritual master is a bona fide representative of Srila Vyasadeva, the literary incarnation of God who compiled the Vedic wisdom, when we worship the spiritual master our worship goes automatically to Srila Vyasadeva. Therefore we celebrate the appearance day of the spiritual master as Vyasa Puja. By worshipping the spiritual master on this most sacred of days we give the greatest pleasure to the Supreme Lord because He states that the person who is His devotee is not His devotee, that His real devotee is the devotee of His devotee. So this sacred act of worshipping the spiritual master enables us to become genuine devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna, by solidly connecting us with Him through the medium of the spiritual master, the bona fide representative of Srila Vyasadeva. Sankarshan Das Adhikari At the University of Vyatautus, the Great Kaunas, Lithuania--23 October 2008 Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: Who is Krishn

In this material world devastating experiences can occur at any second without warning. Therefore we must cultivate resilience, the ability to handle shocking experiences without being overwhelmed. The transcendentalist, the person who is fixed in Krishna consciousness, is fully equipped in this regard. Armed with transcendental knowledge he sees through the eyes of the scriptures how everything is happening within the perfect arrangement of Lord Krishna for the deliverance of the fallen, conditioned souls of this world back to home, back to Godhead. Therefore he never becomes bewildered or confused in any circumstance. He puts his complete faith and trust in Lord Krishna and is thus always able to remain peaceful. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: What is Faith? While learning how to practice Krishna consciousness I have realized that faith holds a very important position in our life. But unfortunately it is given a very perverted impressi

While the human society is being besieged by an overwhelming plethora of woes, its leaders are naively trying to solve them one at a time in an atomistic fashion that does take into account the underlying principle which is the root cause of all the problems. Such an approach will never be successful because it does not recognize the cancer, which if left unchecked will gradually dismantle the modern civilization. That cancer is the false sense of proprietorship. Even though we come to this world with nothing and leave this world with nothing, here we are in the middle claiming, "This is my property," and fighting over the stolen bread. We have to realize that nothing is ours, that everything is the property of that supreme person Who is the source of all existence. If we recognize the supreme proprietor and engage everything in His service, immediate world wide peace and prosperity will be the wonderful result. Now we simply must realize this ourselves as reflected in our

Our short overnight visit to Helsinki was indeed wonderful. Whenever I am at our ISKCON temple in Helsinki, Finland I feel that I am at home. It is being expertly and wonderfully managed by Sriman Tattvavada Das Brahmacari, a very dedicated preacher of Srila Prabhupada's movement. There is substantial crew of about 20 full time ashram members. These highly dedicated men and women work together extremely well in an ongoing program of serving the temple deities, Sri Sri Gaura Nitai and preaching Krishna conscious in Helsinki and throughout Finland. The ashram members also regularly go for training and inspiration to the most holy places in the entire universe, Sri Mayapur Dham and Sri Vrindavan Dham, which are apparently (though not factually) located in India. It is always a most delightful experience for me to association with a community of devotees who are strictly following the instructions of ISKCON Founder-Acharya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Sankarsh

Due to the incompetency of an airport staff member in Copenhagen we were not allowed to board our 8:55am flight from Copenhagen to Helsinki. Not understanding properly the policy of the airline she represented, the lady at the gate confiscated our boarding passes and told us that our tickets did not allow us to fly. We were unnecessarily forced to go through a tremendous amount of hassle reclaiming our luggage, getting our tickets changed, and checking in for the second time for a later flight all for no reason. And all this was while Visnupriya Mataji was wheel-chair ridden and feeling very weak and sick. By Krishna's grace the wheelchair attendant, Salvatore, who was assigned to get Mataji to the airplane, did a tremendous job of dealing with this crazy quagmire in the most expedient manner possible. He situated Mataji in a comfortable, quiet private sitting room and even got her a blanket. He I and then went and took care of all the red tape within about an hour while Mataji wa

Today we are flying from Copenhagen to Helsinki. I never dreamed when we flew into Copenhagen on 1 October what would unfold here. What was supposed to be a three day stay turned into almost three weeks. I remember as we left the airport I was thinking that soon we would be back again at the airport to fly on to our next destination. I never envisioned that I would be forced to cancel so many lectures and completely re-arrange my preaching schedule. I could not foresee that I was going to spend the better part of my waking hours in hospitals. It was a graphic lesson for me that we are not the controllers. We are instead tiny servants in the hands of Krishna. He can do anything and everything that He wants to do with us according to His purposes to bring us back to His kingdom as soon as possible and also to engage us in bringing back as many as possible of the fallen, conditioned souls of this world back to His kingdom as well. We have to always be ready to engage in any way that Kris

According to Srila Rupa Goswami, the great authority on the bhakti yoga science: ādau gurv-āśrayam sad-dharma-pṛcchā "The very first step on the path of bhakti is to take shelter of a bona fide spiritual master and inquire submissively from him how to advance in Krishna consciousness." --Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.74 If one tries to avoid this step he cannot make any progress. It is further enjoined in this regard fin the Mundaka Upanisad that taking shelter of a bona fide spiritual master is an absolute must for one who is eager to realize God. And in the Eleventh Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, Third Chapter, verse 21, Prabuddha tells Maharaja Nimi: tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam "My dear King, please know for certain that in the material world there is no happiness. It is simply a mistake to think that there is happiness here, because this place is full of nothing but miserable conditions. Any person

The fact is that we are eternally connected with Krishna. It is impossible for us to become disconnected from Him. It is by His energy that we exist spiritually, and it is also by His energy that our material bodies are alive and functioning properly. We cannot exist even for a minute spiritually or materially without His mercy. So since we are already fully connected with Him 24 hours a day why then do we sometimes speak of having to connect with Him? The reason is that even though we are integrally connected with Him at every second we do not realize it. We have foolishly forgotten about Him Who is the very foundation of our existence. It is this forgetfulness of Krishna that gives us the sensation of being disconnected from Him. And in a real, practical sense this forgetfulness does make us disconnected because it prevents us from having a personal loving relationship with Him and casts us into an ocean of grief. The bhakti yoga system is a gift from the Supreme Lord Himself. It is

Based on the authoritative descriptions given in the Vedic literature we can understand how in due course of time this entire planet will be transformed by this Krishna consciousness movement. Therefore we can envision a respiritualized world: Where the entire human society lives together in perfect peace and harmony, Where all the leaders are fully absorbed in Krishna consciousness, Where nature reciprocates with the spiritually attuned consciousness of the human society by providing wonderful weather, clean air, clean water, along with ample fruits, grains, vegetables, dairy products, jewels, and gold for everyone's material prosperity, Where crime, immorality, and terrorism are conspicuous by their absence, Where people long healthy happy lives free of stress and anxiety without having to over-endeavor to earn their livelihoods, Where the animals are well-fed and jolly and are free from the fear of being sent to the slaughterhouse, And, where all the energy needs of the populat

A pure devotee of the Lord is someone who lives for the welfare of all others. He is always the most compassionate care giver dispensing the supreme medicine of Krishna consciousness for delivering the suffering souls of this age from their misery. There is nothing that compares to the compassion of the pure devotee. He is willing to take birth and birth to save those who are entangled in karma chakra, the wheel of birth and death. Because he has so fully dedicated himself to the deliverance of all others there is no one more dear to Krishna than he. Nor will there ever be anyone more dear. This is confirmed by Lord Sri Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita (18:68-69). If we are somehow or other fortunate to come into the contact of a such an exalted soul we should take full advantage of his mercy by humbly bowing down at his lotus feet and taking all instructions from him regarding we can be fully absorbed in the pure devotional service of Lord Sri Krishna. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Answers Ac

In this material world death can appear at any moment and instantly remove us from our present circumstances when we least expect it. Therefore we should never be overly excited or despondent over anything good or bad that happens to us in this world. Rather we should always remain transcendentally situated on the plane of Krishna consciousness far, far beyond the modes of material nature and their millions upon millions of varieties of interactions. This is the real platform of happiness. It can easily be attained by anyone who desires it strongly. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Vishnupriya Mataji Leaves the Hospital 14 October 2008 (the most auspicious first day of the sacred month of Kartik) Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: How to Concentrate Better on Krishna Consciousness? I am daily reading email from the Ultimate Self Realization Course. It is really useful. But I am not able to follow some practices strictly because of my strong list of sins and karma. I am not

In this world we cannot be certain about anything except inevitable death. Therefore there is a saying, "as sure as death." We make so many plans to do this or that, but at any moment those plans can be disrupted. Therefore this world, where we are always subject to the unknown, is always a place of anxiety. If we want true peace and happiness, we must come to the platform of genuine certainty. So where can we find that certainty? That real certainty is found only in Krishna or God. We can know for sure that His plans for us are always being flawlessly executed at every second. All we have to do is fully surrender ourselves to Krishna's plan for us whatever it may be. This is the perfection of our existence. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Rigshospitalet, Denmark's National Hospital Copenhagen, Denmark Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: If We Don't Eat Meat, Will the Animals Eat Us? It is said that we should follow the four principles of Vaisnavas. A

Jai Mataji Without your Mercy How can we get Mercy? and Without your Mercy what is the use of our body? Without your Mercy what is the use of our body? Why did we come to this material world? What did I do please tell me? What did I do please tell me? How can you make me a devotee? Can you make me a devotee? Can you make me a devotee? Please make me a devotee Please make me a devotee How to become a devotee? Please tell me. Otherwise what is the use of this body? Hare Krishna Jai Mataji Rigshospitalet, Denmark's National Hospital Copenhagen, Denmark Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: Four Principles of Elevation Hare Krishna, Please accept my humble obeisances. In the book "Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead", it is mentioned as follows: "There are four principles of elevation from conditioned life to the life of liberation which are technically known as dharma, artha, kama and moksa." What are these four principles? What are their

Although we have so many plans of what we are going to do in this world, at any minute those plans can be abruptly interrupted. I have been spending my days here at Denmark's national hospital giving my wife, Vishnupriya Mataji, some association while she recuperates from her brain hemorrhage. Yesterday the nurse informed me that I cannot use my mobile phone in Mataji's room that I have to go down to the hospital lobby to use it. So I did that to contact my disciple, Guru Das, to inform him of our new schedule for being picked up at the boat dock in Tallinn, Estonia. However, on the way back up the ninth floor in an elevator full of people the elevator got stuck for about twenty minutes. Many thoughts went through my mind at that time. I was thinking that here I am endeavoring to help Mataji regain her health but now in the midst of all this I could die in an elevator accident. What if the cable were to break and we were to drop to the bottom of the elevator shaft? I realize

Considering those things that are held to be the most desirable by the human society, there is no one who is in a more desirable, keener position than Krishna. Since He is God, He owns everything and everything exists simply for His enjoyment. Unparalleled in His magnanimity, He is the topmost friend of all living beings. This most inconceivably amazing person possesses unlimited power, matchless beauty, infinite knowledge, boundless riches, and immeasurable fame. And in spite of all this there is no one more renounced than He. For someone such as Krishna who certainly has it all, it would not seem possible that He could feel lacking in any way. But yet when Krishna considers Radharani He feels Himself to lacking because He sees that she is tasting more enjoyment by being His servant than He is tasting by being the Supreme Enjoyer. Therefore not to be outdone He adopts the mood and complexion of Srimati Radharani to becomes His own devotee and thus tastes the keenest, most desirable p

We must trust the Supreme Personality of Godhead that whatever He plans for us is best. Due to our material attachments it is sometimes incomprehensible to us why He acts in certain ways. But from the revealed scriptures and great saintly teachers we learn that the Lord is acting perfectly for our highest self interest at every minute. Even though we have forgotten Him, He still takes us as His dearmost children and always is always lovingly making all arrangement to induce us to resume a life of devotion to Him so that we will become qualified to return to our original home in the spiritual world. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Vishnupriya Mataji Gives Her Realizations from an Ambulance Video Clip: http://www.backtohome.com/video/Mataji.wmv Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: How to Convince Atheists? How can a devotee convince atheists (especially scientific ones) about the existence of God? Should one even be concerning oneself with such affairs or should he just be fo

We make and execute our plans how we can serve the Lord to our best capacity. This is our duty. But at the same time we have to realize that at any time Krishna can override our plans with His plans. Just like at the present moment I was scheduled to be travelling and preaching in the Baltic states, but now by Krishna's arrangement I am here in Copenhagen serving a great Vaisnava, Srimati Vishnupriya devi dasi. Devotees in Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Russia were eagerly awaiting our arrival, but now we are forced by Krishna's plan to disappoint them at least for the time being. As it stands now, according to what the doctors have told us, Mataji and I will be able to travel to Lithuania for my Vyas Puja on 25 October and we will be able to preach in Lithuania for about a week plus spend a weekend in Russia. There will also be a couple of days in Riga, Latvia. But we cannot be absolutely sure. Everything is in Krishna's hands. We simply have to fully surrender

Vishnupriya Mataji is now hospitalized in Copenhagen at Denmark's national hospital know as Rigshospitalet, which means The Kingdom's Hospital in Danish. She is slowly recovering from the effects of a subarachnoidal hemorrhage, a ruptured blood vessel in the brain. Her brain remains full of blood from the bleed giving her nausea and a bad headache. Over several weeks these symptoms will subside as her body gradually absorbs the blood. In about two weeks the inside of her brain will be minutely examined to see if the point of rupture can be located. If found, the rupture will then be repaired through brain surgery. Such delicate surgical procedures are not without risk. So we are begging Krishna for His protective mercy in this regard. On Monday 6 October 2008, when she was being transported 150 kilometers from the hospital in Odense to the national hospital in Copenhagen, even though it was difficult for her to speak, Vishnupriya Mataji kindly shared with us, as captured in th

The lotus feet of Lord Sri Krishna are the most suitable boat for carrying us over this dangerous ocean of material existence. These sweet lotus feet carry us quickly and easily into the transcendental kingdom of God where life is eternal, full of knowledge, and full of bliss. In that amazingly splendorous spiritual sky there is no fear from any kind of danger because in that abode all types of dangerous situations are conspicuous by their absence. If we want to purchase a ticket for this ultimate voyage, we must pay the price. What is the price for this most valuable of all tickets? The price is quite reasonable. It is not unaffordable even for the poorest man. The price for this ultimate voyage back to home, back to Godhead is faith. One simply has to execute this process with firm faith that this Krishna consciousness will save him from all dangers. Through this sublime method one will then feel how at every moment he is being transported across the dangerous material ocean back t

This material world is full of uncertainties. Just when we feel that we have everything under control and our life is going on very nicely--Whamoo!--we get zapped by the exacting laws of the material nature. Even though they are very heavy, those times when disaster strikes are a golden opportunity for us to become very sober and see the material world for exactly what it is, a covering of the actual reality that lies beyond it. There is no need for us to become disturbed or carried away by the melodrama of this material existence. We simply need to situated ourselves far beyond it in a transcendental loving relationship with Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Then we can always feel transcendental happiness. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: What Does it Mean to Pray? I was very shocked and upset to hear that Vishnupriya Mataji has become ill and needs hospital care. I am keeping her in my prayers, for a fast recovery and good he