Ultimate Self Realization

There's no literature like the Srimad Bhagavatam anywhere in the vast universe. It's 18,000 verses are an unlimited ocean of honey oozing out of its pages to fill the ears of the conditioned souls with the profound enlightening teachings of how to gain the intimate personal association of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna in His transcendental pastimes in the Spiritual Sky. The icing on the cake is the Bhagavatam's 10th Canto which describes in detail Krishna's transcendental pastimes in Vrindavan. Srila Prabhupada instituted the Srimad Bhagavatam class as a regular daily function in the ISKCON temples all over the world. It was the first canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam that he brought with him when he first came to America in 1965. For those who follow Srila Prabhupada's instruction to study the Bhagavatam daily every morning is a fresh, exciting experience of going deeper and deeper into the sublime ocean of the Srimad Bhagavatam. Srimad Bhag

Like a blossoming lotus flower Krishna bhakti blossoms in nine different stages beginning with sraddha or faith and culminating in prema or pure love of Godhead. One who patiently sticks to the pathway of Krishna consciousness will gradually achieve prema, the topmost perfection of reviving their original forgotten relationship with the Supreme Lord, and be able to enjoy eternally His personal association. Here in Melbourne I gave a two part seminar on this amazing process of spiritual perfection on 28-29 December 2011. Sraddha to Prema Seminar  Melbourne, Australia 28 December 2011 Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: Remembering Krishna at Death? Dear Gurudeva, Kindly accept my humble obeisance We are in the Kali yuga. Therefore we have to give more importance for the material duties of wife, children, and their well being. Of course we perform our spiritual duties as you have taught us in order that we can reach God's lotus feet and avoid rebirth. Y

One of my favorite places to do home programs is Melbourne's Bhakti Bhavan. It is a small eight unit apartment building unofficially called as such, located two blocks away from ISKCON's temple in Melbourne, Australia. The unique feature of Bhakti Bhavan is that every apartment in the building is rented out by devotees. This means that when the devotees have their regular home kirtan programs there are no neighbors to make complaints about the kirtan. They can freely let their kirtans explode in ecstasy with no inhibition. The programs are so well attended that the devotees have to literally squeeze in. The space is so tight that we cannot bow down and offer obeisances to Srila Prabhupada, the acharyas, and Lord Krishna as we normally on such occasions. We have to offer our obeisances from a sitting position. Since not everyone can fit in the living room of the host apartment, those who cannot fit in attend the program from the porch by hearing and seeing through the windows.

It's time to get serious about spiritual life. Your material situation can end at any moment. What have you done to prepare yourself for your next life? Have you surrendered to Krishna? Have you taken shelter of a bona fide spiritual master? Your material qualifications will not save you at the time of death. Your only real asset at the time of leaving your body is how much you have genuinely developed your love for Krishna. So it's time now for you to fully focus your consciousness on attaining spiritual perfection. Bankstown, Australia Home Program 26 December 2011 Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: Preaching to "Jesus is the Only Way" People? Guru Maharaja, please accept my obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. When I go to preach some people say to me that Jesus is the only way. How can I explain to them about Sri Krishna? I want to take shelter of your lotus feet. Can you please accept me as your servant? D.J. Answer: Don't T

26 December 2011--Now we have departed from Govinda Valley and have arrived here in North Sydney for a brief two night stop before we head on to Melbourne for my week long lecture series there. Only the stone-hearted will fail to be enchanted by the sublime beauty of Lord Gopinath, the predominating deity of Sydney. He manifests inconceivable beauty for attracting all the fallen souls of the universe back to his unlimitedly sweet transcendental abode, Goloka Vrindavan, the topmost planet in the Spiritual Sky. Once we develop a feeling of attraction for Lord Gopinath or any one of the Supreme Lord's multifarious manifestations we will no longer be impressed by the razzle-dazzle glitter of this material world. Lord Gopinath Can Attract the Entire Universe Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: What Happens in the Spiritual World? My beloved master, Hare Krishna! My question today is: Does the Lord enact the same pastimes in the other Vaikuntha planets as He does in G

The beautiful, serene morning in Govinda Valley is a sweet reminder of the amazing transcendental pastime of Lord Sri Krishna in Vrindavan how one morning He got up from bed and blew His buffalo-horn bugle to call all of His cowherd boyfriends. After assembling the many thousands of His boyfriends each with their many thousands of calves, Krishna then headed out to the forest with His boyfriends, their calves, and His personal calves to enjoy a picnic in their company. If even this material forest, Govinda Valley, is so beautiful, we can hardly begin to imagine how beautiful and wonderful is the Vrindavan forest in the most sublime Spiritual Sky. Beautiful Govinda Valley Morning--25 December 2011 Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: How to Get Out of the Material World? Sir, Sorry to trouble your good self. I am not able to understand how to get out of this worldly environment. I am working in highly materialistic world. My family has its own demands. I want to get o

In this material world we can never know for sure what will happen next. Therefore we should always be ready for the unexpected and utilize whatever may happen to us in the service of Krishna. There are two things we know of for sure that will never change: 1. Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. 2. We are all His eternal servants. If we always think, speak, and act in terms these certainties, how happiness is certain. Unpacking the Secrets of the Bhagavad-gita Govinda Valley Retreat--24 December 2011 Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: How to Overcome the Fear of Death? Dear Gurudeva. Please bless me. My question is that death may come at any time. But still we have the fear of death. But is there any method by which we can overcome the fear of death? Kowsthub Answer: Surrender Fully to Krishna The way to overcome the fear of death is to become deathless by fully surrendering yourself to Lord Sri Krishna. Sankarshan Das Adhikari

Anybody with genuine compassion must find the current world situation to be completely unacceptable and intolerable. Such sensitive persons will thus naturally dedicate their lives for bringing about a positive change on this planet. To positively impact and uplift the global consciousness requires a proper understanding of the root cause of the global quagmire. The present day society is in chaos because it is not in harmony with the source of its existence. Unless you know where you came from, how can you know who you are and how can you be who you are? You clearly cannot. Therefore the knowledge of the Absolute Truth, the original generator of all energies, is the most essential knowledge for the entire human society to become peaceful, prosperous, and happy. Giving the Formula for Global Change Pretoria, South Africa--22 December 2011 Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: What is the Goal of Human Life? Please explain what is the goal of human life. Amit G. Ans

F or a devotee of Krishna life is very simple. It is not at all complicated. His life is simply to be Krishna conscious and make the entire world Krishna conscious. In this way he does the highest welfare work both for himself and for the whole world. Since happiness is experienced in proportion to the degree of how much we render selfless service to others, there is no one more happy than the devotee anywhere in the entire universe. Indeed, his happiness is fathomless and unbounded. Prabhupada Blesses the Whole Universe with Krishna Consciousness--San Francisco, Ratha Yatra Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: Meaning of Bona Fide Guru Please define the meaning of bona fide guru. Anupam R. Answer: He is Not a Rascal Like the So-Called Gurus The bona fide spiritual master is not a rascal like the profuse so-called gurus who are at the present moment so much misguiding the entire human civilization. He is described in the Srimad Bhagavatam 11.3.21 as follows: tasmād

Existence is by itself fully exciting, intriguing, and wonderful. Therefore all you have to do to be unlimitedly happy is to be your natural self. There is no need for anything extraneous. This means that anybody who is miserable is simply out of touch with his actual self. He is living in illusion, in unreality. If being happy is simply a matter of being natural, why is there so much misery in the world? The reason is that the modern day society is perpetuating a mass psychosis of bodily consciousness generation after generation, thus keeping everybody illusioned and miserable. This is why those who are learned and realized in transcendental knowledge fully dedicate their lives for awakening the dormant Krishna consciousness in the hearts of all living beings to save them from their unnecessary illusion and suffering. Another Ecstatic Home Program Pretoria, South Africa--20 December 2011 Farewell Kirtan as We Left the Home Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: Do Br

On Monday, 19 December 2011 in Pretoria we did a program at the home of Sundarananda Das and his wife Subhadra Devi Dasi. In South Africa, due to a tremendous upsurge in crime after the demise of apartheid, upscale residential neighborhoods are fortified like military bases. We could not just drive into the neighborhood. First we had to stop at the security gate manned by several guards. Our host was telephoned to make sure that were legitimate visitors. Then after registering we were issued a temporary security pass that enabled us to pass through two separate security gates. Finally after feeling like we had just crossed the Berlin Wall, we arrived at the program site. As soon as we entered we could feel the difference in the atmosphere. The heavy, high-security, paranoid, material atmosphere was immediately gone and was replaced with the bliss of the spiritual world. Some devotees were singing Hare Krishna kirtan as we entered. I immediately went before their beautiful altar and of

What is the difference between a materialist and and a transcendentalist? The materialist thinks that he will live forever, and the transcendentalist knows that he can die at any moment. The real fact is that death is sitting on your head at every moment and can take you at any time even when you least expect it. Therefore the wise man lives every moment in full Krishna consciousness knowing full well it could be his last moment. He never forgets that Krishna is his only shelter and his only protection from this dangerous, all-devouring ocean of birth and death. Initiation Lecture Pretoria, South Africa--18 December 2011 Blissful New Initiates: Dwarkadish Das and Madhava Das (left to right) Initiation Fire Sacrifice Ceremony (Fire Yajna) Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: Why Bhagavad-gita is Opposed? Please accept my obeisances! Why is it that this Bhagavad-gita knowledge, which is the highest of all wisdom, is opposed in highly developed countries such as w

Whatever you think of at the time of death will determine your next birth. If you think of your beloved dog, you will take birth in the womb of a dog mother in your next life. And if you think of God, you will go to God and become one of His eternal associates in His transcendental kingdom. Whatever you think of during your life as the most dear object of your affection is where your mind will spontaneously gravitate at the time of your death. Therefore those who are intelligent train themselves to always think of God offering all of their thoughts, words. and activities in His service. Such persons are sure to attain His kingdom at the time of death. Most Auspicious Hare Krishna Farewell Kirtan Solerino, Mauritius--17 December 2011 Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: How to Attain the Supreme Wisdom? Dear Gurudeva, Please accept my humble obeisances. I have the following questions: What is the supreme wisdom and how to attain it? What is the material nature?

To get a human birth is an opportunity that one only very rarely gets in the evolutionary cycle, which spans 8,400,000 different types of species. Rarer still is to be a human being who seriously pursues the pathway of spiritual emancipation to gain release from the cycle of birth and death. And even rarer than that is the spiritual seeker who gets the shelter of a bona fide spiritual master and thus is able to successfully gain release from the material existence. So if you find yourself in the category of someone who has been able to get the shelter of a bona fide spiritual master, kindly do not throw this opportunity away. Take advantage of this rarest of all opportunities and make your life truly and permanently successful. Teaching Krishna Bhakti at a Ma Kali Temple  Solerino, Mauritius--16 December 2011 Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: Why Did Sankara Spread Impersonalism? Why did Sankara spread impersonalism? D.P. Answer: To Partially Re-Establish Vedic

After a super ecstatic week of teaching the wonderful liberating science of Krishna bhakti here in Mauritius we are heading out today for South Africa to engage in the same awesome, enlivening activity there. Krishna consciousness has unlimited amazing opulences. One of them is that it is fully transcendental to this material existence. It can be practiced and taught in any and all times, places, and circumstances. We are unlimitedly fortunate to have received this sublime science from our eternal spiritual master, His Divine Grace Om Vishnupada Paramahamsa Parivrajakacharya 108 A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Revealing the Supreme Science at a Home Program Rose Hill, Mauritius--15 December 2011 Distributing Maha-prasadam--Phoenix, Mauritius At Sraddha to Prema Seminar--15 December 2011 Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: Help Me Conquer My Anxiety Thank you for your wonderful answers. At times I am in a lot of anxiety when I cannot complete my rounds o

On the one hand we are dedicatedly endeavoring to expand the ocean of the Krishna consciousness movement all over the universe for the deliverance of all living beings from the vicious, all-devouring cycle of birth and death. And on the other hand, we are also dedicatedly endeavoring like anything to entirely inundate our own hearts within the ocean of Krishna consciousness. This is inundation within and inundation without. To whatever extent we are able to inundate our hearts, to that extent we will be able to inundate the universe. And the more we inundate the universe, the more our hearts will be inundated with the sublime ocean of Krishna consciousness. So in this way, we continue daily in the ultimate adventure, relentlessly expanding the ocean of Krishna consciousness simultaneously within and without. Expanding the Ocean of Krishna Consciousness L'Esperance, Mauritius--14 December 2011 Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: When Can I Get Initiated as Your

There is no reason to remain trapped in this suffering world of birth, death, old age, and disease when all you have to do to get completely free from this misery is fly on Hare Krishna airlines back to Lord Krishna's eternal, all blissful transcendental abode, where you never get sick, get old, or die. To take off on this transcendental airplane simply chant the holy names of God with love and devotion. Last night (13 December 2011) we took the chanting of the holy names to the streets of a Mauritian residential neighborhood to give all the residents their free tickets to the supreme abode. Our transcendental procession, flowing down the streets like a river of nectar, was blessed with the presence of a a beautifully illuminated traveling altar replete with Sri Sri Gaura Nitai and Srila Prabhupada. It was a truly ecstatic evening! Flying High on the Hare Krishna Mahamantra Mauritius--13 December 2011 Taking Darshan of the Deities on Traveling Altar Hare Krishna Kirtan i

Why is it that even though life is meant for enjoyment that practically everyone in this material world is miserable? Even the wealthy, famous, and successful are miserable, so what to speak of those who are struggling every day like beasts of burden simply to fill their bellies and get a place to lie down and sleep at night. The reason that misery has become the common denominator of the human society is that everyone has a false conception of who they are. Everyone wants self-satisfaction, but since they do not know what is the actual self, even though they endeavor ever so strenuously for satisfaction, they never actually achieve it. It is something like trying to build up your bank balance by making deposits into the wrong account. It will never be successful. So if you want actual satisfaction, you need to know scientifically who are as an eternal spiritual being and then always act for your ultimate welfare by reviving your lost loving relationship with the Supreme Spirit, the

Nowadays on this planet the spiritual seeker is bombarded by an overwhelming profusion of spiritual masters to choose from to guide him on his spiritual enlightenment path. Unfortunately almost all of them are bogus because they do not guide their students to the highest truth, which has been so clearly been elucidated in the sublime Vedic wisdom. Instead of teaching their disciples how to become servants of God, they teach them that they are in fact God, which is a complete delusion. To teach that every individual living being is God is a round about way of teaching atheism, because if everyone is God, there is no Supreme God. Therefore the spiritual seeker is advised to only accept as his spiritual master that guru who is teaching him how to become a pure devotee of God. Diving Deep into the Nectarean Mellows of Kirtan Flaq, Mauritius--11 December 2011 Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: Chanting Extra Rounds for the Dear Ones? Thank you for guiding us through

The entire world is sleeping in the lap of illusion, and therefore everyone is suffering uncountable miseries unnecessarily. So somehow or other we must awaken them from their stupor and bring them back to their original, natural state of enlightened consciousness, know as Krishna consciousness. For this purpose we must accept all available means, whatever is the most practical, for bringing the attention of the world population back to the essence of their existence, namely to be always engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. On Mauritius National Radio--10 December 2011 Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: How to Achieve the Ultimate Goal? Dear Gurudeva, Namaste. I would like to humbly ask the following questions: What are the required conditions at different stages: 1) for getting started, 2) continuing progress, and 3) achieving the desired goal--in the abhyasa/ practice of awakening transcendental consciousness? How

When we experience drought even in a paradisial tropical island like Mauritius we can understand that the planet earth is becoming more and more in a perilous position. What good will all of our scientific technological advancement do if we don't even have rain? Without water we will also have no food. It's not that we can survive on computer chips and high speed internet connections. If we want to solve this problem we must know the root cause of water shortage. The modern day scientists say the cause is global warming. But while this may be a symptom of the problem, it is not the cause of the problem. The basic problem is an increase in sinfulness and the absence of the performance of sacrifice. We understand from the Bhagavad-gita that rain comes as a result of the performance of yajna or sacrifice. We also know from the revealed scriptures that the prescribed sacrifice for this age is the performance of the sankirtana yajna, the congregational chanting of the holy na

After enduring cold, rainy, nasty weather on our stopover in the UK while transiting from London's Heathrow airport and sitting for five hours with cold feet in London's Gatwick airport where the heat was not working, we are now a few hours away from sunny, tropical Mauritius. One could say, "Going to sleep in hell and waking up in paradise." Of course Mauritius is not really paradise, because people on Mauritius also have to endure the traumas of birth, death, old age, and disease. So why have I titled today's Thought for the Day in this way? The real version of going to sleep in hell and waking up in paradise is Krishna consciousness. As long as we remain in bodily consciousness, we are sleeping in hell. And as soon as we revive our dormant Krishna consciousness by chanting the Lord's holy names, we immediately awaken in paradise. Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: How to Convert to Hinduism? Hello. How does one convert to Hinduism? Kayden

All around us we witness a world society that is gradually disintegrating. It's falling apart at the seams. What is still holding it together at the present moment is the remnants of its former God consciousness. But that God consciousness is now being discarded more and more with each passing day and being replaced with secularism or godlessness. Krishna or God is the unifying principle which allows all of us to live together peacefully and happily. Without this center mere selfishness will become the norm and governments will simply be based on the Machiavellian principle that might makes right. Tyrannical governments will be the norm and the people in general will suffer like anything. The cure for all this madness is the wide scale introduction of the ultimate self-realization science, Krishna consciousness, which should be taught everywhere from the very beginning as the foundation for genuine education. Krishna consciousness means to recognize Krishna or God as the supreme e

For countless lifetimes we have been acting as rascals by defying the authority of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Because of our foolish rascal mentality we have needlessly suffered in the cycle of birth and death. So instead of punishing ourselves, we should be kind to ourselves by returning to our original, healthy, innate state of consciousness. In other words, we should give up our rascaldom and come back to Krishna consciousness. Krishna is Inviting You to Come Home Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: How Can We Not Merge Back into God? How is it possible that when Lord mentions he is the Source of everything, that I can be part and parcel of him and still be separate from Him? If He is the source, we were all in Him at some point and thus at some point will merge back with Him. In this way, the vasishtadvaita philosophy of Ramanuja looks logically correct! Thanks for your time and efforts in sending the daily mails. regards Prasad Answer: We Were Never M

In the first stanza of the Śrī Śrī Ṣaḍ-gosvāmy-aṣṭaka (Eight Prayers to the Six Goswamis) Śrīnivāsa Ācārya prays as follows: "I offer my respectful obeisances to the Six Goswamis of Vrindavan, namely Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī, Śrī Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, Śrī Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī, and Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī. They are always engaged in blissfully chanting the holy name of Krishna and dancing in ecstasy. They are just like the ocean of love of God, and they are popular both with the gentle and the ruffians because they are not envious of anyone. Whatever they do, they are all-pleasing to everyone, and they are fully blessed by Lord Caitanya. Thus they are fully engaged 24 hours a day in missionary activities meant to deliver all the conditioned souls in the material universe." I fall down at their feet and beg for their mercy that I can always be engaged in their service by being fully absorbed in assisting their mission. The Six

After a wonderful break from the rigors of the road we are heading out tomorrow (Wednesday 7 December 2011) for another around-the-world lecture tour. This time I will be speaking in Mauritius, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Chile, and Los Angeles before returning to our home base here in Austin on 14 January 2012. Traveling to spread the glories of Lord Sri Krishna is the sweetest, most exciting adventure. I am very thankful to my spiritual master, His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada, and to Lord Sri Krishna that I have been blessed with the opportunity to spread this sublime science of Krishna consciousness all over the world, both through the internet and through traveling. My Most Merciful Spiritual Master, Srila Prabhupada Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Appreciation: You Are Great Dear Spiritual Master, You are great. Without being citizen of India and born in a Hindu family, what you are doing as a Krishna bhakta, a devotee of Krishna, is unbelievabl

The entire Planet Earth has been plunged into a suffering condition, which is becoming more and more intolerable with the passage of time. Everyone is poisoned by the influence of the Kali Yuga, the Age of Kali, the age of quarrel and hypocrisy. The good news is that we have the antidote for this Kali poison. We have the message which can save the world. Therefore the great challenge which is now facing us is how to get this message of pure love of Godhead through to the entire human population so that they can properly understand and implement it. There is no challenge greater than this. All other challenges pale into insignificance in the presence of this challenge. Editor's Note: The Kali referred to in the above is not the female goddess Kali, who is a great devotee of the Lord. This Kali is the male personality, who is the personification of wickedness. The two names are pronounced differently. The "a" in name of male Kali is a short "a" and is pronou