Pure Devotional Service Seminar

On May 29 and 30 in Lenasia, South Africa on the invitation of the local devotees I conducted an 8 hour seminar on pure devotional service. It was divided into four 2 hour sessions, two on 29 May and two sessions of 30 May. One may wonder how much there is to say about devotional service that one could go on talking about for 8 hours without it becoming boring. But the fact of the matter is that when pure devotional service is discussed in an authorized way according the revealed scriptures and the great saintly teachers of the past, the speaker, the inquirers, and the hearers, and the place where the discussion is being held are all elevated into the transcendental dimension which exists beyond time and space. Once one enters into that realm eight hours is nothing. Sukadeva Goswami described pure devotional service for 168 hours straight with any break when he explained to Pariksit Maharaja.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

Pure Devotional Service Seminar
Lenasia, South Africa--29-30 May 2010Sankarshan Das Pure Devotional Service Seminar

Answers According to the Vedic Version:

Questions: Why Does the One God Have Many Names?

All religions teach there is one and only one God. However, in Hindu religion people worship different gods and chant different names of God. Even Lord Krishna has thousands of names and different forms. And the ISKCON devotees teach us to chant Hare Krishna, which consists of more than one name of Lord Krishna. Why is it so?

Rohan

Answer: Why God Can't Have Many Names?

It's a fact that there is only one Supreme Being. There must be only one, because if He is not one without a second, He cannot be the Supreme Being. The Hindus are known for worshipping many gods, but these gods are not the Supreme Being. They are subordinate servants of the Supreme Being who assist Him in in His management of the universal affairs. Amongst the Hindus those who are well versed in the scriptures only worship the Supreme Lord. They do not worship the many different subordinate gods.

The Supreme Being is known by different names. That's a fact. If even an ordinary man of this world can be addressed by different names according to his different relationships, the Supreme Being certainly can also be addressed by different names according to His different qualities and different relationships. When we address Him as Krishna we are referring to Him as the All-Attractive One, and when we address Him as Rama, we are referring to Him as the Supreme Enjoyer.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

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