Ultimate Self Realization

Sometimes when we lose something which is very valuable and necessary for us, such as our wallet, it becomes such a great disturbance that our entire consciousness becomes absorbed in finding that missing thing. For example, even while eating we may think of that missing thing instead of our meal. Or we may awaken in the morning to find ourselves wondering where is that missing valuable as the only thing worth thinking about. In the same way we should realize that we have lost the absolutely most essential valuable item of our existence, the association of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna, and we should thus intensely absorb our entire consciousness in finding that sublime all-merciful Supreme Personality of Godhead, searching, searching, searching for Him everywhere until finally we are reunited with Him in our svarupa, our eternal relationship with Him in the spiritual sky. Srila Prabhupada Reveals Krishna in Montreal Answers by Citing the Vedic Version

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada writes in his purport to Srimad Bhagavatam 1.6.38 as follows: "No one can be truly happy within the material world. Srila Narada Muni, in order to enlighten the miserable inhabitants, wanders everywhere. His mission is to get them back home, back to Godhead. That is the mission of all genuine devotees of the Lord following the footsteps of that great sage." Srila Narada Muni is one of the predecessor acharyas in our line of disciplic succession. Therefore our duty is to follow in his footsteps by fully absorbing ourselves in the mission of delivering all the conditioned souls within this material world back to home, back to Godhead. Srila Narada Muni is Out to Save the World Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: Are the All the Gods Supreme? Dear Srila Gurudeva, Please accept my humble obeisances. I read in a recent reply that Lord Buddha is an incarnation of Lord Krishna. I feel that the variety

The proud, successful materialist laughs to see how much better off he is than those who are suffering in destitute impoverished conditions. But he does not realize that his successful position is only temporary. He is briefly enjoying the result of his previous pious activities while engaging in all sinful nonsense. He does not realize that as soon as his pious karma is exhausted he will be dragged down by the stringent laws of nature into a pitiable condition. In this connection there a Bengali proverb as follows: ghute pore gobar hase "When the dry cow dung is burning in the fire, the wet cow dung laughs." The materialistic person is laughing like wet cow dung. He does not realize that soon he will be dry and he will be tossed into the fire. Dry Cow Dung Goes into the Fire Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: Are there Five or 118 Basic Elements? Could you please highlight the relationship between the five material elements described in the Bhagavad-gita

Did you know that you have a severe birth defect? That birth defect is that you have a mortal body. Your original body is eternally youthful, full of knowledge, and full of bliss. But your present body is defective in so many ways. It has imperfect senses, it gets old, and it dies. So instead of remaining in this defective condition birth after birth, revive your original Krishna consciousness and regain your original perfect body in the spiritual sky. We Are Caught Up in the Cycle of Birth and Death Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: Why Innumerable Living Entities? My question is: Why has Lord Krishna created innumerable living entities for His service? What is the need of innumerable servants? Countless living entities means, countless suffering, countless planets, countless management, and countless problems. To solve these countless problem there are countless incarnations of Krishna. Your servant Jagdish Answer: For Krishna's Unlimited Enjoyment The mo

We have the solution to all of the world's problems. Therefore we have the most awesome responsibility to educate the entire world population in the science of Krishna consciousness. Somehow or other we must awaken them to knowing who they actually are as pure spirit-souls and being who they actually are as Krishna's eternal servants. We have only two duties: to become fully awakened ourselves in Krishna consciousness and to awaken all others to to most sublime, happy state of pure Krishna consciousness. To successfully carry out these two duties we can accept any means. We have no interest in wasting our time in other so called duties. Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: Is Lord Buddha Krishna's Incarnation? Dear Gurudeva, Is Lord Buddha an incarnation of Lord Krishna? I read that Lord Buddha is an incarnation of Lord Krishna. But this is difficult to believe because Buddhists do not believe in deity worship. They think the universe has come out from n

Since time immemorial we have been rebelling against the authority of the Supreme Personality of Godhead by foolishly thinking ourselves to be the Supreme. Because of this rebellious attitude we have trapped ourselves in the miserable cycle of repeated births and deaths. We have foolishly thought that by becoming independent of the Lord we could derive more happiness. But this has been a big mistake. Instead of happiness we have relegated ourselves to the miserable material existence birth after birth. Those who are wise give up their rebellious attitude and attain unlimited happiness through loving service to Lord Sri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.. Attain Unlimited Happiness By Serving Krishna Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: How to Get Krishna Conscious Leaders? What way can you find to get the leaders of this world today to understand that the politician par excellence, Lord Krishna, has already laid all the systems in place in the Bhagavad-gita

There is no reason for you to remain asleep within the modes of material nature. Wake up to your original identity as the eternal servant of Lord Krishna by calling out to Him to save you from this material existence. Krishna is most merciful. If you sincerely desire to be rescued from this material existence, He will surely save you. The All Merciful Lord Krishna Will Save You Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: Who is the Guru Who Delivers Us? May I know who is that bona fide spiritual master who will take the responsibility to take us back to Godhead? I am curious to know about this pure devotee. Nikhileswara Krishna Dasa Answer: The Pure Follower of Srila Prabhupada The great Vedic authority Srila Prabhupada has very nicely answered your question as follows in his purport to Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 2, Chapter 9, Text 43: "One who is now the disciple is the next spiritual master. And one cannot be a bona fide and authorized spiritual master unless one ha

I remember back in 1971 how amazed I was when His Holiness Vishnujana Swami told me, "You have to accept the spiritual master as good as God." Although I did not express it externally, my first reaction to this idea was disbelief. But when I ignored my fickle mind and thoughtfully analyzed this concept with my intelligence, it began to make a lot of sense to me. Because every word and action of the spiritual master is a pure manifestation of Krishna's teachings and Krishna's mercy, why he should not be taken to be as good as God? Later on I found that this principle is confirmed by Lord Krishna Himself in the Srimad Bhagavatam, 11th canto, chapter 17, text 27 as follows: ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān nāvamanyeta karhicit na martya-buddhyāsūyeta sarva-deva-mayo guruḥ “One should know the acharya as Myself and never disrespect him in any way. One should not envy him, thinking him an ordinary man, for he is the representative of all the demigods.” Spiritual Master is a

The Vedic wisdom repeatedly informs us of the absolutely necessity of accepting a spiritual master. Unfortunately at the present moment the world is greatly overburdened with a profusion of cheaters who present themselves as spiritual masters for the sake of their personal sense gratification. If one takes shelter of a spiritual master who is going to hell, one goes to hell with him. Therefore when one seeks a spiritual master he must be careful to find a real spiritual master, not a bogus charlatan. It is better to have no guru at all than to accept someone who is fool number one as your spiritual master. The real guru will teach you how to perfect your life and go back to Godhead at the end of your present lifetime. Srila Prabhupada, the Real Guru, Who Teaches Us How to Recognize a Real Guru Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: Should I Be Wary of Discussing My Beliefs Hare Krishna Gurudeva, I am a neophyte to the spiritual path and Krishna consciousness, and I e

Today here at Bhaktivedanta Ashram is the most auspicious appearance day of our beloved spiritual master, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the Founder-Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). His Divine Grace is dear to thousands and millions of people all over the world as the greatest exponent of the science of Krishna consciousness because it was he who in the brief time span of eleven years successfully established the Krishna consciousness movement all over the world. He will recognized in history as the savior of this universe because the influence of his teachings will gradually inundate the entire universe. There are no words to sufficiently honor him. It is to him that we are eternally indebted for liberating us from the miserable cycle of birth and death. Let us all be fully absorbed in eternally serving his universe-deliverance mission. Prabhupada Showers Mercy on the Entire Universe Answers by Citing the Vedic Versi

According to the Vaisnava calendar today is Krishna Janmastami here in Austin, Texas USA. This is the most auspicious day of the Lord's appearance in this world. Krishna is so kind that He descends from the spiritual world to display His amazing divine pastimes for attracting all of the souls of this material world back to His eternal abode. After first appearing with four arms in Kamsa's prison in Mathura, He manifested a two-armed human-like form as a baby and was then carried by His father, Vasudeva, to Vrindavan where He grew up with Nanda Maharaja and Mother Yasoda as His foster parents. His Vrindavan pastimes are a replica of His pastimes in His eternal abode in the spiritual sky, Sri Goloka Vrindavan. His Vrindavan pastimes are full of the most amazing splendor and have been remembered and worshipped for the last five thousand years. His Vrindavan pastimes will be eternally remembered and glorified by the self-realized souls. If you would like to make a Janmastami offe

The basic problem plaguing and torturing the modern human society is that we lack gratitude. We do not know how to live gratefully. We do not feel duty bound to reciprocate with the unlimited kindness that Krishna or God is giving us at every minute. We have no qualms about taking as much sense gratification as want. But when it comes to giving back to that Supreme Person, who is supplying us everything, we either enviously deny His existence or pester Him with our material desires. Thus we live miserly lives of ingratitude. Note the connection between the word "miser" and the word "miserable." It's our free choice to either live gratefully or ungratefully. The miserable ingrates have no one to blame except themselves. Those who live gratefully taste the Lord's sweet loving affection at every moment. Open Your Heart to Krishna Completely and You Will Taste His Unlimited Loving Affection Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: How to Be Joyful a

It's so sublime to live a life centered around Lord Sri Krishna. Our daily life here in Bhaktivedanta Ashram is ecstatic because it is completely centered around Krishna 24 hours a day. We rise early in morning at 2:30am to begin a five-and-a-half hours program consisting of chanting japa, studying verses, worshipping our Sri Sri Radha Damodar deities, singing and dancing in kirtan, and holding an enlightening and enlivening class on the Srimad Bhagavatam. Then it is time for a delicious, nutritious prasadam breakfast after which we begin our daily work activities. For me this means writing "Thought for the Day" and answering the many emails I receive every day. Alongside this there is much going on such as preparing for our next around-the-world lecture tour, and getting ready for the upcoming Janmastami celebration. Then comes a wonderful prasadam lunch and an afternoon of more writing and assorted other activities such as purchasing groceries for the Janmastami feast

To see things as they are we must purify our now polluted, distorted vision. As long as our vision is covered by the false conception of "I am the lord of all that I survey" we will not be able to see things as they are. To free ourselves from the false conception of being the lord we must understand who is the actual lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the source of all existence. By understanding Him properly under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master we will naturally surrender ourselves unto that amazingly glorious Supreme Person and our vision will become perfectly clear. We will have a splendorous undistorted vision of reality. Krishna Will Reveal Everything to You Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: Who is Qualified to be Guru? In Lesson C24 of the Ultimate Self Realization Course you wrote: "One does not need to be spiritually disadvantaged by the physical disappearance of a great spiritual master, such as ISKCON Founder-Acharya Hi

May all the inhabitants of all the many material universes now be blessed to join together in sankirtana, the congregational singing of the transcendental glories of the Supreme Lord. In this sankirtana all the residents of this material existence will be liberated from their entanglement in the cycle of birth and death. They will all be released from this hellish prison of material existence, and crossing the insurmountable Viraja River, the boundary between the material world and the spiritual world, they will all joyfully regain their lost positions in the transcendental pastimes of the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna. Krishna is Awaiting Your Return to His Abode Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: Krishna Known Before 5,000 Years Ago? Please accept my respectful obeisances. Krishna appeared on this earth around 5,000 years back. So before then were people aware that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead? Thanks and regards, Akshay Sood Answer: From the Beginning

There is nowhere where Krishna is not present. He's in the sky. He's in the trees. He's in the flowers. He's in the breeze. If you want to feel amazingly alive, always electrified by His divine presence, you must call out His names with pure love accepting Him as your only shelter. If you do so, you will enter into your eternal identity situated billions and trillions of light years beyond this universe and all the universes of this material existence. If you continue faithfully, patiently with this process of awakening your love of Krishna, your vision will gradually become more and more clarified reaching that magnificently splendorous point where you will be able to clearly see Krishna everywhere. Chant Krishna's Names With Pure Love and the Glorious Day Will Come When You Will See Him Everywhere Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: Vedas Are Trillions of Years Old? If you can show me one proof from comparative religion or world history to supp

Srila Prabhupada explains in this purport to Caitanya Caritamrita, Adi 7.163: "Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu has already sanctified the entire universe by His presence five hundred years ago, and therefore anyone who attempts to serve Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu sincerely by following in His footsteps and following the instructions of the acharyas will successfully be able to preach the holy names of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra all over the universe." This is incredibly amazing! By sincerely following Lord Caitanya according to the instructions of the previous acharyas one will be successful in spreading Krishna consciousness all over the universe. What an amazing goal to aspire for! One simply has to strictly follow the pathway of the previous acharyas, and then by the grace of Lord Caitanya and the previous acharyas he will inundate the entire universe with Krishna bhakti. Narada Muni, the Liberated Spaceman, Brought the Hare Krishna Mantra to the Earth Answers by Citing the

Our great hope is that some day soon the entire world will become Krishna conscious so that all of this chaos and suffering will end. We know that anyone who takes to Krishna consciousness will be unlimitedly blessed. Therefore our lives are fully dedicated for making this wonderful process available to as many people as possible all over the world. We know that by Lord Sri Krishna's grace even the impossible can become reality. So with great hope we continue in our humble attempt to awaken everyone to Krishna consciousness. Srila Prabhupada Interviewed by the Media Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: Is Personal Contact with Guru Required? Hare Krishna, Gurudeva, Is it necessary that the spiritual master should maintain personal contact with the disciple? I think direct contact between the spiritual master and the devotee will help the devotee to understand more about Krishna and Krishna consciousness. Is there any difference between chanting the Hare Krishna

We live in a unbelievably decadent age when those things that are unspeakably abominable become commonly accepted as standard every day affairs. Cows are being slaughtered by the millions with no consideration of the horrendous pain and suffering they must endure. We are even engaged in the massive slaughter of our own unborn children as if this murderous crime was of no more significance than blowing our noses and throwing away the tissue paper. People wonder why there is so much pain, terrorism, and economic devastation in the world. The answer is very simple. If we continue like this living in gross violation of the laws of God and the laws of nature, we must pay the price because what goes around comes around. We receive the good and bad reactions of our pious and impious activities. Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: How to Be Faithful While in Distress? Dear Maharaja, Please accept my humble obeisances. It is easy to read from the scriptures that we have to co

Nothing is happening by chance. Everything--the good, the bad, the beautiful, and the ugly--is going on in this world for serving life's ultimate purpose of reconnecting the lost souls with their original loving relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Those who are factually intelligent go with this existential flow while the fools get diverted by the eddy, the counter flow manifested as the demands of their whimsical senses. It makes no sense to get diverted by the counter flow because it goes nowhere. When we surrender ourselves fully to the flow of bhakti we will experience the highest pleasure at every minute in fully awakened transcendental consciousness, Krishna consciousness, and we will easily attain the supreme destination, Goloka Vrindavan. Go With the Flow of Bhakti and You Will Enter Goloka Vrindavan Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: How Can a Neophyte Serve the Guru? Please let me know that how can one surrender properly in Krishna

Devotional service is so wonderfully attractive that it even attracts Krishna. Krishna is so pleased by it that he reveals Himself to His devotee from within that devotee's devotional service proportionately according to the degree of that devotee's intensity of absorption in that service. So if you want to see God, all you have to do is fully engage yourself in His service. And then according to the degree of your surrender you will see God in your service and everywhere. The Most Amazingly Beautiful, All-Merciful, Astonishingly Sublime, Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: Who are the Seven Mothers? Hare Krishna, Gurudeva, According to the Vedic version we have got seven mothers. So can you explain about the seven mothers? Rubini Answer: Here's the List of the Seven Mothers The seven mother are listed in this verse by Canakya Pandita, which was quoted by Srila Prabhupada. ātma-mātā guroḥ patnī brāhm

Formerly this entire planet was united in one global, peaceful, loving family. The head of government was at Hastinapur, near what is now New Delhi. There was only one global culture whose religion was service to the Supreme Lord. Now, since the advent of Kali Yuga 5,000 years ago, that one-world, spiritually centered culture has disintegrated, and a highly fragmented multi-national, multi-cultural, and multi-religious world society based on greed and exploitation has emerged. There is no need for all of this divisiveness. If we can simply acknowledge that we all come from the same source, the same Supreme Person with unlimited names, and that we all share the same duty, to surrender fully unto Him in love and devotion, then the original world religion, which peacefully united all of humanity for millions of years, can be revived. ISKCON Devotees Chanting Hare Krishna to Revive the World Religion (Sankarshan Das Playing the Harmonium) Gainesville, Florida--February 1974 Answers

The Lord's devotee has no desire other than being absorbed twenty-four hours daily in hearing, chanting, and singing the unlimited glories of that amazingly resplendent Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is millions and billions of times more charming than all the opulences of this material existence. Therefore he turns his entire life into a beautiful song of love of God by always keeping himself fully absorbed in serving Krishna in all times, places, and circumstances. Come Back to the Beautiful Spiritual World Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: How to Serve Guru in Separation? My dear Guru Maharaja, Please accept accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. When the student or disciple receives instructions from the bona fide spiritual master how can he render service to his guru when they are not in the same place? Which is the best service to render to one's guru? Thank you delivering me from the miserable prison of this material

"Religion" is the world's most misunderstood and abused word. Real religion means the science of God, the process of fully reviving one's original pure identity by reconnecting oneself with the source of his existence. But instead, without ever understanding religion's real meaning, people take it either as a fable for childlike fools or as a divisive sect for fulfilling their temporary material desires. Thus they cheat themselves and remain perpetually in the darkness of ignorance miserably misidentifying themselves with the temporary material energy. This gross ignorance of the masses is not at all surprising because the same ignorance is there in the world's leaders. When the blind lead the blind where will they end up? In the ditch of a rotting, rapidly disintegrating so-called human civilization. When highly celebrated fools declare that the universe came out of absolutely nothing and are vigorously applauded by the insane masses, it's no wonder th

In this material world, whether we like or not, everyone--young, old, and in between--is living on the verge of death because death can come at any moment even when we least expect it. This means that whatever we may establish for ourselves here in this world is nothing more than a castle made of sand that will be completely washed away the next time the tide comes in. So whether one thinks that life ends with the death of the body or that one has an eternal existence beyond this body, there is no reason to take this spot life so seriously as the all in all. Castles Made of Sand Are Washed into the Sea Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: What Happens to Fallen Devotees? Please accept my obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. What happens to fallen devotees, that is those who are initiated into the spiritual life but being defeated by Maya go back to karmic material life? your servant Francisco Answer: They Never Forget the Ecstasy Srila Narada Muni, the

Drought and wildfires have led the US Department of Agriculture to declare the entire state of Texas a natural disaster area, Every day here in Austin the temperature has been rising beyond 105 degrees (41 degrees Celsius). We are experiencing skies that are almost completely cloudless and seeing no hope of rain any time soon. How ironic it is that just several months there was excessive rain and disastrous flooding of the Mississippi river just a few hundred miles east of here. One could wonder why there is such an imbalance in nature and if the scientists can do something about it. Can they make it rain where it is needed and not rain where it is not needed? Some scientists have promised us immortality. We wonder how they can do this when they can't even get us some rain. While material science has progressed in so many ways, it has not advanced to point of being able to cause rain to fall. But why should we worry about reinventing the wheel? There is already a science how t

When all hell breaks loose in this material world, as it often does, the pure devotee of the Lord is not surprised or bewildered because he sees how everything is taking place under the sublime, divine, and perfect arrangement of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In all situations the pure devotee is saved from psychological devastation because he constantly takes shelter of Krishna and is thus always transported into the supremely sublime dimension of Krishna consciousness where life is eternal, full of bliss, and full of knowledge. At the same time his heart bleeds with compassion to see how much the world population is suffering without Krishna consciousness, and he fully dedicates his life to saving them from illusion. The Pure Devotee, Although Fully at Peace Within, Is Most Perturbed to See the Suffering of Others. Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: Is ISKCON Membership Required? Dear Maharaja, Does one have to be initiated in order to preach Krishna Conscio

In the beginning of the ultimate self-realization pathway of Krishna consciousness the devotee feels some liking for Krishna. Gradually through associating with devotees and following the instructions of the bona fide spiritual master that liking becomes more and more transformed into love, until finally the devotee becomes fully surcharged with pure transcendental love of God. This is the supreme perfection of existence. It far surpasses all other levels of self-realization. No Consciousness Is More Amazing and Wonderful than Pure Love for Krishna Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: In What Mood to Remember Krishna? All glories to Srila Prabhupada! Please accept my respectful obeisances Thank you very much for the beautiful letter. You wrote me that I should always remember Krishna But I want to ask: In what mood must He be remembered and in what mood should I chant His holy names? Is there a difference in the attitudes of a neophyte and that of pure devotee? Ste

In this age of Kali demoniac mentality gradually becomes more and more predominant until it becomes so much out of hand that Krishna in the form of Kalki avatar personally comes 427,000 years from now to kill the demons and usher in a new pious age, the Satya yuga. But until then we find ourselves surrounded by an ever-increasingly demoniac world. How do we cope with this? It is not difficult. All we have to do is always remember that Krishna is the enjoyer of everything, the owner of everything, and the best friend of all living beings. If we simply always remember these three sublime truths, we will always enjoy unlimited peace within ourselves no matter what kind of crazy nonsense is going on in this treacherous material world. Always Remember Krishna You Will Always Live in a World of Bliss Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: How to Know that Gita is Authoritative? Please accept my humble obeisances My question is: How can we know that the Bhagavad-gita As It I

While a devotee is never proud of himself, choosing to always remain meek and humble, he is nevertheless very proud of so many things. He is proud of His wonderful Lord Sri Krishna, who is constantly showering unlimited mercy upon all living beings. He is the proud of his spiritual master, who is delivering him from the cycle of birth death. He is proud of the devotees who are sacrificing their lives to push forward the Krishna consciousness movement for the benefit of all living beings. He greatly loves his Krishna consciousness culture knowing it to be the prime benediction for humanity at large and thus proudly advertises it to the world by wearing tilaka and Vaisnava clothing wherever he goes. He joyfully joins the harinam sankirtan party to dance and sing the Hare Krishna mantra on the city streets. He approaches everyone with transcendental literatures describing the science of Krishna consciousness to give them the opportunity to be delivered from the cycle of birth and death.

The true meaning of science is to know things as they are. And the perfection of science is know perfectly the one truth, which is the foundation of all existence. The true meaning of religion is to live in a state of perfect harmony with that one foundational truth. Therefore, the perfect scientist must a perfect religionist, and the perfect religionist must also be a perfect scientist. Those who see a conflict between science and religion are not true scientists, nor are they true religionists. Krishna Reveals to Arjuna the Perfection of Scientific Knowledge Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: Why Isn't Just One Japa Round Sufficient? Please accept my humble obeisances. Since the Hare Krishna mantra is so powerful, why isn't one round of japa chanting equal to sixteen rounds? Why are we told to chant more and more, if it is so powerful? Why isn't merely one round sufficient, if it is so powerful? I understand that because we are not pure repeated chant