Ultimate Self Realization

As we go through life we are constantly having to make decisions whether to do this or that. The golden rule of thumb is always do what is favorable for your Krishna consciousness and to avoid that which is unfavorable for your Krishna consciousness. If you will always stick to this principle in all times, places, and circumstances, you are sure to achieve the ultimate success of going back home, back to Godhead when you leave your present body. Always Remember the Most Amazing Supreme Person Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: Why Do Initiated Devotees Fall Down? Dear Srila Gurudeva, Please accept my humble obeisances. Sometimes we see that even initiated devotee fall down in their practice of Krishna consciousness. Why does this happen? Your servant, Yamunadevi Answer: Inattentiveness Spiritual life is like a razor's edge. If there is a little inattention while shaving with a straight edge razor, immediately there will be blood. Similarly, if we are not always...

The current leaders of the world are completely incompetent and unfit to be in their leadership positions. The only person who is qualified to be a leader is that person who is capable of delivering his dependents from the cycle of birth and death. Anyone in a leadership position who is not able to deliver his dependents from birth and death should immediately step down from his position or take training how to become qualified to save his dependents. If they are willing to take the training, we have Prabhupada's teachings with which we can perfectly enlighten them. If they are not interested, they should resign from their posts. So the choice is theirs: submit to Krishna or submit your resignation. Training New Leaders in Austin Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: How to Be Free of Anxiety? Dear Guru Maharaja: Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. I have a few questions in my mind that require clarification. Why do people worry...

Every day you can personally connect with Krishna or God because He mercifully fully manifests Himself in the form of His name. Through loving devotion you can go deep into transcendental communion with Him every day while chanting: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Hare Hare Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. There is no reason to ever feel lonely ever again when you can directly associate with the Supreme Person at every minute. Krishna is Personally Present in His Name Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: How to Handle Loneliness? One thing that has been on my mind is that lately I look around me and I feel lonely. My friendships are changing as our interests are different and our focus is on different things and the focus is always about them. I notice the world around me and see so much time being wasted by people. It makes me sad and at times lonely. I see the stark differences all around and it's disconcerting. How should I handle thi...

Since time immemorial we have been caught up in the cycle of birth and death repeatedly suffering unbearable miseries lifetime after lifetime. Deep within our hearts we have been desperately awaiting that day when someone will come and liberate us from this hopeless quagmire. But because our nature is to enjoy and because the suffering has been intolerable, we fool ourselves into thinking we are enjoying when actually we are in the most miserable of all situations. This is called maya-sukhaya or illusory happiness. But now by the causeless mercy of Lord Krishna, the greatest saintly teacher has descended from the spiritual world to save us. His name is His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. He has given us many volumes of the most practical enlightening books ever written in the history of the world and has started a movement know as the Krishna consciousness movement for those who want to take advantage of his teachings. If we will read his books and participate in his...

Healing practitioners are everywhere, doctors, psychologists, psychiatrists, acupuncturists, herbalists, chiropractors, etc. But out of these thousands and millions of healers all over the world hardly anyone knows what is perfection of healing, bringing the self back into a state of perfect harmony with the Supreme Self. Therefore in spite of millions and billions of dollars being spent every year on health care we are still a global community of people afflicted with deluge of health problems. Of course just as death cannot be eliminated, disease also cannot be eliminated. Both death and disease are inseparable factors of the material nature. But through Krishna consciousness, the ultimate healing system, one can regain one's original transcendental body which is not subject to birth, death, old age, and disease. When the spiritual body is reactivated, its covering, the material body, naturally lives longer in a much healthier condition. So if you want to be healthy, the first t...

If we are ever going to have a peaceful war-free, terror-free world, we must stop terrorizing the animals. As long as we torture and terrorize these innocent creatures we must accept the karmic reaction of ourselves being tortured and terrorized. Therefore it is absolutely required for world peace that every government throughout the world must now criminalize the slaughterhouses. The heinous, atrocious murder of the poor animals must immediately be stopped. If this is not done, what lies ahead for the sinful cow-killing civilization is indeed very dark and inauspicious. Therefore out of kindness upon our fellow human beings we must convince them to stop murdering the innocent animals. The Cows Are Very to Lord Sri Krishna Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: Should a Devotee Aspire for Samadhi? Hare Krishna, Guru Maharaja, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. All glories to Guru and Gauranga. Should a devotee aspire for the samadhi sta...

There is only one religion in the world. That religion is to love God, and it is the world religion. Every religious man will agree that the goal of religion is to love God. So why then do we have so many different religions in the world with people hating each other and killing each other in the name of religion? This is due to a sectarian misunderstanding of what is actual religion. Just as there is only sun in the sky although it has hundreds of different names according to the different languages of the world, in a similar way even though there are many different names of God according to the different languages of the world, there is only one Supreme Being, who is the source of all existence. Enough is enough. It's time to end all of this divisiveness. The time has come to lay aside all petty sectarianism and celebrate the universal nature of religion. Real religion brings everyone together because we are all children of the same father. It is only pseudo, cheating religion w...

In the powerful, enlightening devotional songs of the great Vaisnava acharya, Srila Narottam Das Thakur, we find the sweet, beautiful sentiment of transcendental lamentation. Even though Narottam Das is on the highest level of pure Krishna bhakti, in his song Iṣṭa-deve Vijñapti (Prayer to One's Beloved Lord) he humbly presents himself as someone who is completely bereft of Krishna consciousness: "hari hari! bifale janama goṅāinu manuṣya-janama pāiyā, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā, jāniyā śuniyā biṣa khāinu "O Lord Hari, I have spent my life uselessly. Having obtained a human birth and having not worshiped Radha and Krishna, I have knowingly drunk poison. "golokera prema-dhana, hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana, rati nā janmilo kene tāy saṁsāra-biṣānale, dibā-niśi hiyā jwale, jurāite nā koinu upāy "The treasure of divine love in Goloka Vrịndavan has descended as the congregational chanting of Lord Hari's holy names. Why did my attraction for that chanting never come...

Let's face it. The material energy is bewildering. To be stuck in a body that is getting old and dying is not fun. Plus on all sides we are surrounded by a chaotic world where we never know what is going to happen next. So how do we keep a peaceful, cool head in the midst of all this madness? It's very simple. You just have to have complete faith in Krishna that everything happening to you is for your ultimate benefit, that Krishna will never let you down, that He is your ultimate well-wisher, your best friend in all times, places, and circumstances. Never think that Krishna is letting you down or not being fair with you. Cultivate a vision that His loving hand is blessing you at every minute. Whether things seem good or bad, always have faith that Krishna is doing everything for your ultimate welfare, that He is always looking out for you like a loving father with your highest self-interest in mind. If you seriously cultivate this vision, you will never be bewildered even in ...

The world civilization is at the present moment being very much tortured and misled by decadent, incompetent leaders who cannot control their senses. Unless one can control his senses by keeping them always engaged in the service of the Lord, he is not qualified to take any kind of leadership position within the society. For the welfare of the human society there is an urgent need for there to arise now a class of persons who are able to keep their senses 24 hours daily absorbed in the service of God. Only such persons are qualified to lead us. Without such leadership the entire planet earth will simply degenerate into deeper and darker depravity over the course of time. This is what is happening now. So things have to now change dramatically if there is going to be any scope for ongoing peace, happiness, and prosperity on this planet. In short, we need a spiritual revolution, and we need it right now. Srila Prabhupada is the Ideal Leader for All Answers by Citing the Vedic Version...

The starting point for conquering over stress in this material world is to always remember that this material world is a mere shadow of the original reality, the all-blissful spiritual world. All the stress of material existence is happening due to bodily consciousness, the false concept that I am this body. So as soon as you assert the non-material existence of the self, you are on your way to conquering over the stress of material existence. And then when you strictly adopt the principles of bhakti yoga, the science of transcending your body and regaining your eternal spiritual existence, all the stress of material existence will gradually fade away until it reduces down to the point of nil. The bhakti yoga science begins with chanting and hearing the transcendental glories of the name, fame, form, pastimes, teachings, etc. of Lord Sri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So, do yourself the ultimate favor. Begin absorbing your consciousness in Krishna today. Your stress wil...

Although nothing compares to the excitement and adventure of being out there circling the globe on a multi-continent lecture tour, it is undoubtedly very beneficial for our good health and longevity to be back from the road for some time getting a more balanced, regulated diet and sleeping/waking pattern. It is something like a mountain climber coming down from the peak to spend some time at the base camp in preparation for his next climb. Of course, it is not that our Krishna conscious outreach program stops when we are back here at Bhaktivedanta Ashram. There are eight lectures given by my wife and I here every week, plus I have still have "Thought for Day" and the weekly lesson to write and a mountain of correspondence to respond to. (Since 2003 I have sent out 60,000 personal responses to emails that I have received.) Our next tour begins after Gaura Purnima on March 16 and will conclude on June 27. There is lot of work to do to get ready for Gaura Purnima and our next w...

There is absolutely no reason for you to continue suffering in the cycle of birth and death because all you have to do to escape is revive your original loving relationship with the Supreme Person, who is the source of all existence. It is not difficult. He has fully revealed how you can reconnect with Him in the Bhagavad-gita. All you have to do is read it carefully and follow His instructions. You will attain the supreme destination and will no longer see the repetition of birth and death. Krishna Awaits You in His Wondrous Eternal Abode Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: Which Rasa with Krishna Should I Seek? Please advise me which rasa (relationship) with Krishna I should seek. This is based on following excerpt written in Srila Prabhupada's purport to Bhagavad-gita, Chapter 4, Text 11: "In the transcendental world also, Krishna reciprocates with His pure devotees in the transcendental attitude, just as the devotee wants Him. One devotee may want Krishna ...

Krishna's message in its original pure form as it was spoken to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra is fully powerful for delivering the sincere follower back to home, back to Godhead. Unfortunately practically every edition of the Bhagavad-gita tampers with the words of Krishna. In the name of Krishna the rascal commentators present a so-called Bhagavad-gita which is completely different from the actual Bhagavad-gita and is therefore simply rubbish. Instead of presenting that the ultimate goal of life is to surrender to Krishna, they say that life's ultimate goal is to become Krishna. It is this desire to become Krishna that brought us here to this material world in the first place. And they have the outrageous audacity to teach that one should desire to become Krishna in order to get delivered from this material world. Instead of presenting the truth, they are presenting that which is completely opposite from the truth. If they want to present their nonsense theories,...

On 17 December 1973 in Los Angeles Srila Prabhupada gave this order to his disciples, "Become guru and deliver the whole world." Considering the current increasingly degraded world situation, this seems to be an impossible to fulfill order. But yet we hear in the Bhagavad-gita that wherever Krishna and Arjuna are present there will certainly be opulence, victory, extraordinary power, and morality. Therefore if we can be pure enough in our Krishna consciousness to solidly connect with Krishna at every moment, we will be experience amazing victories in our humble attempt to make the entire world Krishna consciousness. Srila Prabhupada Blesses World with Krishna Bhakti Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: Krishna Consciousness and Nonviolence? Dear Spiritual Master, Please accept my humble obeisances. Why is nonviolence not included as one of the pillars of pious activities, like Lord Buddha's first teaching of nonviolence and the Biblical teaching, "Tho...

Lord Caitanya has descended with the mission of delivering all the fallen, conditioned souls of this material world back to their original home in the spiritual world. By His divine mercy everyone throughout this entire universe can become peaceful and happy. Unfortunately due to their being so much misguided by foolish, materialistic leaders, the entire world population is at the present moment plunged into an ocean of illusion and anxiety. Even though they think themselves satisfied by temporary, illusory pleasure, the real fact is that no one is actually happy in this material world. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission is of the utmost urgency for bringing genuine sanity and happiness to a world that is becoming more and more bewildered with each passing day. This mission has now been entrusted to ISKCON, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Therefore, if the world leaders will now co-operate with ISKCON, a new era of peace and prosperity will manifest in e...

We are now concluding our second around-the-world lecture tour for 2011. It was the most wonderful, enlivening transcendental experience. I lectured on the science of Krishna consciousness and chanted Hare Krishna kirtan in the following fifteen countries: the United Kingdom, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, Bulgaria, Romania, India, Mauritius, South Africa, Australia, Argentina, Chile, and the USA. To experience first hand how all over the world people are seriously taking up the pathway of Krishna consciousness and to be allowed the privilege of being able to encourage them in this, is the greatest blessing I could ever imagine. I pray to be eternally engaged in serving the devotees like this. Now we are taking a couple of months off the road until after Gaura Purnima when we embark on our Spring 2012 around-the-world lecture tour. My thanks to all the devotees who helped and facilitated us all over the world in so many ways with accommodations, prasadam, transportation ...

Srila Prabhupada so wonderfully explains in his purport to Srimad Bhagavatam 4.12.36 as follows: "A Krishna conscious being is always engaged in planning how to take all of suffering humanity back home, back to Godhead. Even if one is not successful in reclaiming all the fallen souls back to Godhead, still, because he is Krishna conscious, his path to Vaikunthaloka is open. He personally becomes qualified to enter the Vaikunthalokas, and if anyone follows such a devotee, he also enters into Vaikunthaloka." This is so profound and so sublime. Simply by being compassionate upon the suffering souls of this material world by always endeavoring to bless them with this sublime ultimate self realization process of Krishna consciousness, the devotee becomes more and more dear to Krishna, who then blesses him with pure devotional service thus enabling and qualifying him for going back to home, back to Godhead. Sri Sri Radha and Krishna in the Spiritual Sky Answers by Citing the Ve...

The books of His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada are the most amazing and comprehensible presentation of the Vedic wisdom ever made available to the human society in the history of the universe. By the divine potency of his books the entire world is being inundated in a tidal wave of bhakti, which will bless the human society for at least 10,000 years. Even now the millions and millions of his books that have been distributed all over the world in so many different languages are having a powerful potency to hold off the debilitating and destabilizing effects of the Age of Kali. The efforts of the world's current political leaders to solve the world's problems are not successful because they do not understand the root cause of all the problems. Instead of solving the problems, their so-called solutions are actually making the situation worse and worse. Therefore we are making this urgent appeal to all of the world's leaders in all spheres of human activity t...

There are many doomsday would-be prophets who claim that according to the calendar of the Mayan Indians the world will end on 21 December 2012. The rumored 2012 Armageddon has become so popular that even a Hollywood movie has been made depicting the complete destruction of the world civilization in 2012. But what the naysayers fail to note is that even though the Mayan writings describe 21 December 2012 as the last day of their current time cycle, there are also dates mentioned in the Mayan writings of times far beyond 2012 such as a mention of the year 4772. In other words, 21 December 2012 is definitely not the calamitous end that so many are claiming that it is. The Vedic calendar authoritatively confirms that we have another 155 trillions years to go before this universe is destroyed by being inhaled into the body of Mahavishnu. If you chant Hare Krishna, you will be in Krishnaloka at that time. You won't have to worry about being sucked into Mahavishnu. 2012 Prediction Semi...

The greatest cause of suffering on this planet at the present moment is the slaughterhouses, in which thousands and millions of cows and other animals are regularly slaughtered to gratify the blood-lusty tongues of animal-like humans who do not know how to control their senses. Because we are terrorizing the animals in these slaughterhouses, as a karmic reaction we are now being terrorized in so many ways. Increased security will not stop the terror. The only solution is that we must now stop terrorizing these innocent creatures. If we will do so, the entire world will become peaceful. Unfortunately the foolish materially motivated politicians do not understand these simple truths of nature, and thus they lead us regressively day by day into deeper and darker chaos. Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: How Long to Reach the Clearing Stage? When will I cross from the stage of offensive chanting to the second stage of chanting, the clearing stage? Renu Answer: That's U...

On Sunday 8 January 2012 in Santiago, Chile the most auspicious initiation or spiritual rebirth of four sincere souls took place. When one takes initiation from the bona fide spiritual master he must vow to chant at least 16 rounds of the Hare Krishna mantra every day on his japa mala beads and to strictly avoid illicit sex, intoxication, meat eating, and gambling. The initiation ceremony was well attended with a packed audience who cheered in ecstasy as we gave each initiate his or her new spiritual name. By accepting initiation from the bona fide spiritual master and strictly following one's initiation vows, one attains deathlessness from the very moment of his initiation. Initiation Lecture to Four New Initiates 8 January 2012-Santiago, Chile (Left to Right: Iravati Devi Dasi, Jagat Kirti Das, Janardan Das, and Indriyesa Das) Giving New Name and Japa Beads to Janardana Das New Initiates Throw Grains in Sacrificial Fire Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: Why ...

One does not have to wait for death to enter into the kingdom of God. If one becomes a pure chanter of the holy names of God, he can actually enter into the kingdom of God even within his present body. This is described as follows by Srila Prabhupada in his purport to Srimad Bhagavatam 2nd Canto, Chapter 2, Text 30: "The first stage is the offensive chanting of the holy name, and the second is the reflective stage of chanting the holy name. The third stage is the offenseless chanting of the holy name of the Lord. In the second stage only, the stage of reflection, between the offensive and offenseless stages, one automatically attains the stage of emancipation. And in the offenseless stage, one actually enters into the kingdom of God, although physically he may apparently be within the material world. " So we don't have to wait for death to enter into the kingdom of God. We simply have to master the art of chanting the holy names of God without any offense. Enter the Sp...

There is truly nothing sweeter than remembering Srila Prabhupada. And there is truly no place sweeter to do that than at Prabhupada Night, a weekly nectarean event held every Friday evening at ISKCON's temple in Santiago, Chile. On 6 January 2012 I was blessed with the opportunity to be the speaker at Prabhupada Night. I decided to focus on that quality of Srila Prabhupada's which is the most sublime, namely his compassion. It is his compassion on the fallen souls that brought him to the West to start this movement. And it is his amazing compassion which attracted us to totally give our lives to him in a feeble attempt reciprocate with his compassion. Diving into an Ocean of Nectar on Prabhupada Night 6 January 2012-Santiago, Chile Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: Why is Regulated Chanting Required? Dear Gurudeva, Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet Why do devotees say, "regulated chanting the holy names" instead of just, "ch...

To fully connect with Krishna or God requires that one give up in overindulgence of the senses. One is allotted as his quota whatever sense gratification is required for good health and vitality and not beyond that. Overindulgence of the senses forces the consciousness of the spiritual aspirant to remain locked on the bodily platform, which keeps him bound up tightly in the cycle of birth and death. This is why those who take initiation from the bona fide spiritual master vow to abstain from illicit sex life. This means that if they are married they will have sex no more than once in a month when they are trying to produce a child and when they are not trying to have a child they will completely abstain from sexual intercourse. Those devotees who are not married totally abstain from sex. In this way one can focus his energy on Krishna instead of on material sense gratification and can enter eternally into the sublime, sweet happiness of Krishna consciousness, which is far superior to ...

Sometimes in Krishna's service we have to suffer from sickness, disease, or other types of maladies. This is not a surprise to the devotees because Krishna warns us of this in the Bhagavad-gita that these dualities of happiness and distress arise from sense perception and that we must tolerate them without being disturbed. Of course, this is not always an easy thing to do. But if we will take shelter of Krishna and beg for His mercy to remain absorbed in Krishna consciousness in spite of the disturbing situations, we will not lose our equilibrium, and we will discover a great sense of peace and happiness deep within ourselves in spite of the external turmoil. Initiation Ceremony Mendoza, Argentina-5 January 2012 Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: Fear for Well Being of Family Dear Spiritual Master, For the last few month, I am being suffered from a fear that if anything wrong happens with me or I die suddenly then what would happen to my wife, children. Is there a...

Hare Krishna kirtan is so sublime that no matter where we travel in this material world we are never separated from the ocean of bliss that is relished when one sincerely chants the holy names of God. Even though we were exhausted after traveling half way around the globe from Australia to Argentina we found great refreshing energy in the joyous kirtan of Lord Sri Krishna's unlimitedly sweet holy names. Diving Deep into the Kirtan Ocean Mendoza, Argentina-4 January 2012 Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: Becoming Free from Fear of the Future I always have fear of the future regarding my health, old age, and living happily in this world until death. And my mind is highly unstable because of which i am unable to concentrate on anything, and even unable to fix my mind on one thing to achieve that (materially). Please guide me how to overcome this. Thanks and reagards, Ravi K. Answer: Remember That You Are Not That Body This fear means you are indentifying with you...

When I was a young man in college, even though I excelled academically, I was thinking, "What is the use of working so hard to make good grades, to get a good degree, to get a good job, to get a good wife, to get a good house, and some good kids to simply at the end get a good coffin buried six feet under to have some good flowers put of my grave every year until my friends and family forget about me?" I just couldn't believe that life could be so bleak. So I set out in my heart on a quest to discover the true meaning and purpose of my existence. After many long, hard years of struggle that quest finally bore fruit when I found my spiritual master, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. He saved from this material repetition of birth and death and led me into the spiritual world, where life is eternal, full of knowledge, and full of bliss. Distributing Krishna Prasadam Sweetballs Melbourne, Australia-31 December 2011 Answers by Citing the Vedic Version...

The key to reviving your lost loving relationship with Krishna or God is simply to follow the instructions that He gives in the Bhagavad-gita. Just as to bake some banana bread you must carefully follow the recipe given in the cookbook in order to get proper banana bread, in a similar way if you will simply do exactly what Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita, you will experience the most amazing transformation of entering in the spiritual world within your heart even while you externally act dutifully and successfully in the material world. Teaching the Recipe for Ultimate Success Melbourne, Australia-1 January 2012 Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: How to Think of Krishna Always? Dear Sri Gurudeva, Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. My question is about my mind. I find it very difficult to control it. When I sing kirtan at the temple with other devotees or see Krishna photos I literally start crying and unable to co...

Why be bored or waste your time pursuing goals that will never give you lasting satisfaction? Those who are wise focus their lives instead on achieving the ultimate goal, the awakening of pure love of God within their hearts. By seriously pursuing this pathway they experience the supreme adventure within as they deepen their loving relationship with Krishna more and more and more over the vast span of eternity. Revealing the Supreme Adventure Melbourne, Australia-31 December 2011 Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: How to Overcome Anger? Gurudeva, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. I am bit short tempered. I easily get angry sometimes for no reason. How to overcome this anger? Manish B. Answer: Cultivate an Attitude of Gratitude The way to overcome anger is to cultivate and attitude of gratitude seeing everything that happens to you as the special mercy of Krishna to help you come closer and closer to Him. Sankarshan Das Adhikari

31 December 2011--Today in Melbourne, Australia I gave diksha, spiritual initiation, to six devotees. Spiritual initiation is the third step on the pathway to spiritual perfection. First one has faith. Then he associates with devotees. When he becomes convinced that he must fully surrender to Lord Krishna, he then accepts initiation from the bona fide spiritual master and learns from him the science of how to completely surrender to Krishna. Then he cleans the dirt out of his heart and becomes a solidly fixed devotee. After this he reaches the stage where he can relish all the activities of devotional service twenty four hours daily and becomes completely attached to Krishna. Then spiritual ecstasy awakens within his heart and he develops pure love of God. To attain this perfectional stage one must accept initiation from the bona fide spiritual master and faithfully follow his instructions. So we are very happy that these six candidates have now fully dedicated themselves to the proce...