Ultimate Self Realization

Even though hedonistic activities can give us a quick thrill, it is better to avoid them because they keep us caught up in a false sense of bodily identification and thus lead nowhere except to darkness and death. It is better to forego these cheap pleasures and pursue the topmost pleasure, which is many times more enlivening than hedonistic pleasure. That topmost pleasure is reconnecting with the Supreme Lord, the source of all existence, through the process known as Krishna consciousness. The pleasure one can derive from Krishna consciousness is ultimately millions and billions times greater than the pleasure of hedonism. The only catch is that one has to be patient to taste it because while hedonistic pleasure comes instantly the pleasure of Krishna consciousness is gradually manifested according to the degree that one has awakened his dormant Krishna consciousness. If one can be patient, restrain himself from hedonistic pleasure, and steadily engage in Krishna consciousness, he is ...

If we are not tuned into the essence of life, there's no way we can be truly happy. We may kid ourselves for sometime that we are actually happy. But sooner or later our little charade will be finished, and we will realize that we are suffering like anything. So the best thing is to be proactive. Don't wait for disaster to strike before you connect with life's essence. Do it right now. Absorb your consciousness every day in connecting with the source of your existence, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, by deeply and devotedly meditating on the chanting of His holy names: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare You will feel always fresh and invigorated flying high in the spiritual sky. And you'll never die. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Author Explains Essence of Life 30 May 2010--Lenasia, South Africa Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: How to Convince Others? Kindly guide me to how to co...

The fast track to the supreme nirvana, ie. becoming perfect in Krishna consciousness, is to take complete shelter of Krishna's representative, the bona fide spiritual master, by fully absorbing one's life in serving his mission. It is not difficult to become situated in this perfect stage of consciousness. All one has to do is seek out the bona fide spiritual master and dedicate one's life fully to following his instructions. One should always pray to the spiritual master, "Please bless me and guide me how I can always serve your mission in the best possible way." Then when Lord Krishna sees that we are the completely sold out devotees of his devotee He will bestow upon us the highest benediction of pure love of Godhead. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Srila Prabhupada-- the Ideal Disciple of His Spiritual Master Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: How to Manifest Bhakti Enthusiasm? I am also a follower of Lord Krishna. My problem is that I feel a ki...

I dream of a world that is completely Krishna conscious, and I live my dream by every day doing whatever I can to make it happen. Why should I resign myself to living in a world of misery when I can ecstatically live my dream every day of helping to transform an ever-increasingly chaotic world into a spiritual paradise? How could such a seemingly impossible transformation take place? The answer is quite simple: One person at a time. If we can convince ourselves to take up Krishna consciousness, we can convince others also. And if we can convince those others that they should also convince others to practice and spread Krishna consciousness just as we are doing, a global spiritual revolution will be motion, which will one day completely inundate the planet earth. If such a revolution possible? There is no question of whether it is possible or impossible because it is already happening. The only question is whether or not you will join. Sankarshan Das Adhikari His Divine Grace Srila...

Whatever we do in Krishna's service should be done with love. Otherwise, if we simply serve the Lord mechanically, we will not get the desired result. We will not taste the bliss of Krishna consciousness and sooner or later we may even give up Krishna consciousness altogether. We should always remember what Krishna instructs us in the Bhagavad-gita 9:26: "If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it." Note that offering these items with love is a condition for their being accepted. If they are not offered with love we cannot necessarily expect that Krishna will accept them. The same principle of serving Krishna with feeling is expressed in the Christian Bible in the 100th Psalm: "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands!Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing!" Here again the principle is reconfirmed that we must serve the Lord with a loving, happy, grateful attitude. Sankars...

Our first birth is from our mother and father. After coming out of our mother's womb we are taught how to engage nicely in eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. But if this is all that we are taught, we are no better than animals because these four activities are the constant engagement of those souls who are presently embodied in the animal kingdom. If we want to rise beyond the animal platform, we require a second birth for entering into the transcendental existence. This birth is given at the time of initiation by the spiritual master who initiates us. The spiritual master is our spiritual father and the Vedic wisdom in our spiritual mother. Just as our mother and father give us a name at the time of our first birth, at the time of our second birth the spiritual master gives us a new spiritual name to remind us that we are not this body and that we are the eternal servants of Krishna. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Sankarshan Das Adhikari Initiates Anuradha devi dasi, Bhaktarupa D...

Modern day scientists claim that the universe began 14 billion years ago with a big explosion that they have named the Big Bang. Of course, they did not witness this Big Bang. They merely theorize that it must have happened because according to their calculations our universe is an expanding universe. But if we logically analyze the Big Bang theory, we can see that using it to explain the origin of the universe is problematic. The biggest problem is that we have never experienced an explosion that creates order. Explosions are very good at disrupting order, but they never create order. Therefore it is illogical to assume that our highly ordered universe has manifested from an explosion. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Scientists Claim the Universe Began With a Big Bang 14 Billion Years Ago Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: What is the Desire to Know Krishna? Is the desire to know Krishna something that burns our hearts in its own right or is it some kind of feeling ...

The ever-increasingly impersonal modern day world is plagued by troubled and broken relationships. Treasures like a happy home and intimate lifetime relationships, which were once taken for granted, are now becoming a rarer and rarer commodity. What is the cause of this global relationships meltdown? It is happening because we as a world society are moving every day further and further away from the God-centered conception of existence into the abyss of godlessness. For example, when the United States of America declared its independence from Great Britain in 1776 the concept of God was presented in its declaration of independence. But the European Union, which has come into being from series of treaties beginning in 1952, has intentionally omitted any reference to God in its documents. God is important, because He is the origin, the starting point, for all of existence. As soon as leave God out of the picture we eliminate the one thread that holds us all together as a cosmic family...

Recently one of our readers dropped out of our course with the comment, "It is the same trash repeated over and over again!" It is interesting to note that this was the second time he dropped out. This means that even though he describes Krishna's teachings as trash, he was attracted enough to the "trash" to sign up for a second time. So what we are to think? Are these teachings of the Bhagavad-gita trash? Whatever they may be, I know one thing for sure. They are the most powerful teachings for delivering one from all the miseries of material existence by bringing one into direct contact with the Supreme Person, the source of all existence. So whether they label Krishna's teachings as trash or as the rarest gem, whatever they label them I don't care because I am going to accept these teachings, follow these teachings, and propagate these teachings for the benefit of the human society until my last dying breath. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Answers Accordin...

Recently one of our dear subscribers dropped out of our course because she felt that we are not presenting here a God of unconditional love. She could not understand how a God of unconditional love could sanction a person's becoming an animal in his next life. She must have thought that such a God would be cruel. What she did not understand is that those who are more inclined towards animalistic activities are given by the Lord a better facility in their next life to fulfill their material desires. So such animal birth is for them a boon because they are getting the better facility for sense gratification that they desired. So, Krishna is not cruel. Like a loving father He is fully facilitating His beloved children according to their desires to enjoy and at the same time giving them all help in reviving their eternal relationship with Him. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: Is Transcendental Bliss Like an Erupting Volcano? Please accept...

As long as our tendency for love is tinged by even the slightest degree of selfishness it will never bring us permanent, lasting happiness. Real love is selfless service to the Supreme Being and through Him to all living beings. The atheist may claim that he loves everyone with the exception of God, that he does not need to love God because God does not exist. But let us see if he can purely love everyone without any thought of return. We challenge him to do this. Pure love or eternal love requires to be channeled through the central point from which all of existence has arisen. That original point is point is God, who must necessarily be a person in order to manifest so many unlimited millions and billions of persons from Himself. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: What is Love? Love for the Lord is the topmost priority. But what is love? Why is love the reason for everything? Why maya is entangled with love ? Should man love his near and ...

For a Krishna conscious person every moment is full of jubilation as he celebrates the transcendental reality that Krishna has blessed us with. He even sees the so-called reverse situations in a transcendental way that increases his Krishna consciousness. In other words even when disaster strikes the devotee sees what lesson he can learn so that he can be even more nicely and deeply absorbed in the ultimate samadhi, Krishna consciousness. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: How Are Life and Soul Related? What is the relationship between life and the soul? Manish Answer: Soul is Present Wherever There is Life Wherever life is present a soul is present. Therefore a devotee is highly respectful to all living beings. Sankarshan Das Adhikari

The key to rising above the influence of the three modes of material nature is to develop sastric vision. In other words, you have to see everything through the eyes of the scriptures. In this way you will have perfect vision of everything. When someone has defective vision they get prescription corrective lenses so can they see everything clearly. As soon as they put on their glasses, they immediately see the world in a much clearer, more wonderful way. Similarly, one who develops sastric vision by regularly reading and following the Bhagavad-gita and other revealed scriptures lives in an ecstatic reality which remains unknown to those whose vision is still blurred by the desire for material sense gratification. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Srila Prabhupada Imparts Sastric Vision to His Students Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: Why and How is Krishna the Supreme Cause? Thanks a lot for all the responses that you have given to me till now. I have two more questions. ...

Even for an aspiring transcendentalist because of material conditioning over many lifetimes sometimes the mind erupts like a volcano profusely spewing out all kinds of mental garbage. At times like these one is advised to ignore the mind and bring one's consciousness back to Krishna. If we indulge the mind in its eruption of madness, we run the risk of completely falling down from the spiritual platform. Therefore in times like these one is advised to discipline the maddened mind and bring it back to meditation on the transcendental name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In this way the volcanic mind will cool off, and one will again become peaceful and happy in Krishna consciousness. Sankarshan Das Adhikari When the Mind Erupts Like a Volcano Chant Hare Krishna Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: Difference Between Spirituality and Religion If religion means the connection between the Supreme Personality and the spirit soul, then what do we mean by the te...

One of the twenty-six qualities of a devotee is that he is kind. His kindness is called oceanic because it is all encompassing, in other words his compassion reaches out to all living beings within this universe and indeed even in the other universes. That kindness is the sublime gift of Lord Nityananda, upon whose request Lord Caitanya spared the two offensive devotees named Jagai and Madai and accepted them as His devotees. We should always therefore pray to be the representatives of the unlimited mercy of Lord Nityananda for everyone that we meet. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Lord Caitanya Spared and Delivered Jagai and Madai on the Request of the All-Merciful Lord Nityananda Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: How to Have a Crime Free Society? Many laws are being enacted to stop criminal activities. But criminality is increasing in the world. What is your opinion about this, and how can this situation be improved for a crime free society? Your servant Sheela ...

Some philosophers argue that there cannot be a supreme person, but that argument is not at all logical. To say that there is no supreme person is another way of saying that we are all equally situated, which is clearly not the case. We can see that all over the world persons possess different quantities of these opulences: power, beauty, renunciation, knowledge, wealth, and fame. It is not that everybody possesses the same amount of these opulences. So somewhere within all of existence there must a person who possesses a greater quantity of these opulences than anyone else. That person is the Supreme Person. I challenge all scientists, logicians, and philosophers to prove that such a person does not exist. Since each person possesses a different amount of these opulences, there has to be somewhere a Supreme Person. To know Him and love Him is the perfection of our existence. If you would like to know who He is, what He looks like, where He lives, and what He does, you've come to r...

In spite of the fanciful claims of the world-renowned physicist, Stephen Hawking, the universe did not come out of nothing. Scientific observation confirms that everything comes from something. And if we trace the chain of causality back to its beginning point we come to the cause of all causes. That cause of all causes is not nothing. It is something. Some argue that there is an infinite chain of causality with no beginning point. But even if that were the cause, there would still have to be an unmoved mover somewhere along the chain to set the whole thing in motion. This brings us back to again to understanding that there must an original cause of all causes to activate the cosmic manifestation. Who or what that cause is can be discussed at a later time. But the first point for understanding is that there must necessarily be an original cause. Hawking's idea of a causeless cosmos is fallacious. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Physicist Stephen Hawking Teaches a Mistaken Cosmic View An...

Stephen Hawking, a world famous theoretical physicist who has been described as the greatest mind on the planet, states "...the universe was spontaneously created out of absolutely nothing." But all around us we see that things came from something. It has never been scientifically proven that something can come out of nothing. So why should accept that the biggest something of which we have experience, i.e. our universe, came out of nothing? Such a conclusion is not at all scientific because real science can be proven and demonstrated. It is not mere fanciful imagination. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Physicist Stephen Hawking Describes Origin of Universe Answers According to the Vedic Version: Disagreement With Your Teachings I disagree with the anti-Advaitic teachings presented here. Advaita is, of all places, quite centric within the Gita. Phillip Response: You Have Not Properly Understood I beg to inform you that we are not presenting anti-Advaitic philosophy, phil...

Even though we are on the path of spiritual emancipation, because we are still coming out of material, conditioned consciousness we sometimes foolishly blame others for our spiritual deficiencies instead of taking responsibility for them ourselves. We may sometimes even go so far as to think that a particular person is my enemy and become fearful of how he or she may restrict our spiritual progress. Of course, this is utter foolishness. Nobody can restrict our spiritual progress. Our spiritual progress is entirely up to us. It cannot be hindered by anyone in any situation. In this regard we should always remember, "When I forget Krishna I am my own worst enemy, and therefore I should always remember Him in all times, places, and circumstances and thus remain always undefeatable by the material energy." Sankarshan Das Adhikari Haridham Das Interviews Sankarshan Das Adhikari 25 July 2010--Vancouver, Canada http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vD7JWqYtnug Answers According to the ...

There is another existence beyond this material dimension, a perfect place where life is eternal, full of knowledge, and full of bliss. That place is available to us at every moment. All we have to do to enter it is to properly attune our consciousness to it. The attuning process is known as transcendental meditation. And in this age the topmost system of transcendental meditation is the chanting of the Hare Krishna mahamantra: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. If one will set aside some quality every day, especially in the early morning, to deeply absorb his consciousness in the Hare Krishna mantra, he will feel how how is steadily becoming more and more situated in that all-blissful supreme state of existence far, far beyond the miserable ocean of birth and death. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Haridham Das Interviews Sankarshan Das Adhikari 25 July 2010--Vancouver, Canada http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vD7JWqYtnug Ans...

You have gotten this rare human birth after transmigrating though 8,000,000 births and deaths in the lower species. This human form is unique because it gives you an opportunity that you did not have in those other forms. It gives the opportunity to escape the cycle of birth and death and regain your original eternal, full-of-knowledge, and full-of-bliss form in that most wondrous spiritual sky. All you have really have to do is intensely desire to be liberated. If you will make just this one adjustment to your consciousness, the Supreme Lord will reciprocate by making all suitable arrangements for your emancipation as soon as possible. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: Frustrated Because of Not Being Rewarded My problem is that my hard work is not rewarded. When one hurdle is off the other one springs up. I can see no means of overcoming this problem. Kindly advise me. Suresk Answer: You Are Seeking the Wrong Rewards Instead of becomi...

There are many who claim that we are God and that we have just forgotten it. In other words, we are God, but at the present moment we are simply playing hide-and-go-seek with ourselves. Now all we have to do is come out of hiding and be God again. But this philosophy contradicts logic and also the conclusion of the Vedic scriptures. Such a philosophy may be attractive to those who are less intelligent that through a process of meditation they can become God. After failing in so many ways in this material world, this would certainly be an easy way to be successful, that all you have to do is meditate for six months and you become God. But God is always God. He does not have to meditate to become God. The Supreme can never be covered by forgetfulness of His eternal identity. In conclusion, our perfection is not to become God. Our perfection is to become a fully surrendered servant of God. The servant enjoys on an equal level with the master. So we should simply strive to fully surrend...

When one realizes his precarious position in this material existence and sees that the only means of escape is to awaken his dormant love of God or Krishna consciousness, he naturally wants to do so. And in order to be successful he must have an intense greediness to attain the platform of pure devotional service. Indeed it is this very greed which the is purchase price for obtaining Krishna. This is described very nicely as follows by Srila Rupa Goswami: kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa-bhāvitā matiḥ krīyatāṁ yadi kuto 'pi labhyate tatra laulyam api mūlyam ekalaṁ janma-koṭi-sukṛtair na labhyate "Pure devotional service in Krishna consciousness cannot be had even by pious activity in hundreds and thousands of lives. It can be attained only by paying one price--that is, intense greed to obtain it. If it is available somewhere, one must purchase it without delay."--Caitanya Caritamrita, Madhya Lila 8.70 So instead of being greedy for material sense gratification, if one he e...

If one tries to become self realized on his own, it will not be possible because the process of liberation can only be properly understood and imparted by someone who is already liberated. If the conditioned soul tries to become liberated on his own, because his method is conceived of within his conditioned consciousness, his concocted liberation method will not liberate him. He will remain within conditioned consciousness. This is why the Mundaka Upanisad specifies that if one wants to realize the highest truth it is compulsory, he must take shelter of a bona fide spiritual master. Simply by doing this, one's spiritual progress becomes very easy. In India we sometimes see that bicycle riders save themselves a lot of sweat and pedaling by grabbing hold of a truck and getting a free ride down the highway. So accepting a guru is something like this. As soon as we take shelter of a bona fide spiritual master our pathway to perfection becomes very easy. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Bicycle...

As the world society continues gravitating away from natural harmony of God consciousness towards increasingly indiscriminant selfish sense gratification, the world condition is becoming more and more unbalanced and precarious. The global leaders have no power to stop this madness because they themselves are mad. In such a condition our poor planetary society can do nothing except to gradually morph into a nightmare of gargantuan proportions. But despair not. There is good news. Even though the human society is being killed by the hedonistic poison of unrestricted sense gratification, there is an antidote for this poison. That antidote is the unlimited reservoir of pleasure that is experienced when one participates in the congregational chanting of the holy names of God. We invite you to taste this nectar and share it with everyone. Simply by this chanting the entire world can be saved. So kindly join with us in chanting and help us save the world. There is no greater welfare work t...

Why do we exist? Are we simply a product of Darwinian evolution? And if we are, does that mean that we are simply cogs in the cosmic evolutionary machine? And if that is true, why does the cosmos exist? When we ask such questions we wonder where to find the answers. How will we discover the purpose and meaning of our existence? The existentialists say that life has no meaning, that we simply imagine life has meaning in order to somehow or other get by. But if life has no meaning, it would not make sense for us to yearn to discover its meaning. If it were truly meaningless as the existentialists propose, we would be content with meaninglessness. But we are not content at all with meaninglessness. So what makes more sense is that we yearn to discover life's meaning because it does in fact have meaning. This indeed then is the proper understanding of reality. So how do we discover it's meaning? It is not difficult. Simply we have to sincerely yearn to discover life's meani...

Whatever talent or ability we have is a gift from Krishna. In fact Krishna directly declares in the Bhagavad-gita that He is the ability in man. This means that we should use these talents and abilities in His service. The more we thus glorify Krishna, the more we become glorious. Srila Prabhupada encouraged the Beatles to use to their musical talent for spreading Krishna consciousness and especially George Harrison followed this instruction. His song "My Sweet Lord", a song a separation from Krishna, became a million seller and helped people all over the world to become Krishna conscious. Sankarshan Das Adhikari George Harrison Performing With Neck Beads and an Image of Krishna on His Shirt Answers According to the Vedic Version: Challenge: Your Approach is Unenlightened Greetings, How would you evaluate most of your answers to questions? Are they sattvic--not bound to attachments and opinions, rajasic--bound by the attachment to opinions, or tamasic--bound by judgm...

Although in the short run evil sometimes defeats good, in the end good always triumphs over evil. This is so because pure goodness is the quality of the Lord's superior energy while evil is the product of the Lord's inferior energy. When a small candle is lit in a pitch black room, the candlelight illuminates the entire room. But when a small can of darkness is opened in a lit room it is immediately destroyed by the darkness. We can see from this simple example that light is more powerful than darkness. Therefore in the end light or goodness will always defeat evil or darkness. So now if we will with great determination broadcast the light of Lord Sri Krishna's teachings as far and as wide as possible, the whole world will become illuminated and evil will be completely defeated. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Krishna Tell Arjuna, "One who does good, My friend, is never overcome by evil." Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: Why is a Materialist Punishe...

In the Bhagavad-gita Lord Sri Krishna declares, "balaṁ balavatāṁ cāhaṁ --I am the strength of the strong." This means that whatever strength is possessed by those who are powerful is the potency of Krishna. Those who possess strength but do not acknowledge that it is the special gift of the Supreme Lord will eventually lose their strength. But those who possess strength, realize that it is a gift of God, and therefore utilize it fully in His service Lord will gain more and more strength. This is one of the amazing qualities of the divine process of devotional service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Arjuna Realized Krishna as the Source of All Strength and Became Victorious on the Battlefield Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: Affected By Material Association I am studying now. My classmates are not devotees. Because they are materialists by their association my consciousness is getting affected, and I am feeling weake...

One who is in constant contact with the Supreme Lord through the transcendental process of bhakti yoga or devotional service experiences the ultimate excitement and adventure at every moment. There is never a dull moment for such a fully surrendered soul. Such a person becomes fully enlightened with transcendental knowledge and fully connected with the Supreme Personality of Godhead within his heart, throughout the universe, and beyond the universe. Sankarshan Das Adhikari There is Nothing More Exhilarating Than Constant Connection with Krishna Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: Why is there Terrorism? I read your posts every day with great interest, and I really appreciate the enlightenment I receive. I have read that the whole world is described as "vasudhaiva kutumbakam" i.e. the whole world is one vast family. However, whenever I read the newspapers or watch the television, nearly every day I read that terrorists in various parts of the world are ki...

The topmost devotee is known as an uttama adhikari. He has firm faith in Krishna and is expert in logic, argument and the revealed scriptures. The potency of Krishna is acting so powerfully in him that he can deliver the entire world from illusion and bring everyone to Krishna consciousness. He is described in the following verse: śāstra-yuktye sunipuṇa, dṛḍha-śraddhā yāṅra 'uttama-adhikārī' se tāraye saṁsāra "One who is expert in the Vedic literature and has full faith in the Supreme Lord is an uttama-adhikārī, a first-class Vaiṣṇava, a topmost Vaisnava who can deliver the whole world and turn everyone to Krishna consciousness." --Caitanya Caritamrita Madhya 22.65) I was blessed with the greatest mercy of being accepted as a disciple of such an uttama-adhikari, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. And now on his order I have fully absorbed my life in pushing forward this Krishna consciousness movement all over the world for the deliverance...