Ultimate Self Realization

20 April 2014--Since we got to the airport very early at 5:00am for our flight from London to Helsinki this morning, there was hardly anyone there. This meant that we were able to joyfully breeze through security. But what made it even sweeter was that three security officials one after another said "Hare Krishna" to me. This is one of the reasons that I like to travel wearing tilaka and a dhoti. People will often recognize me as a member of the Hare Krishna movement. In India it's very common in the airports. But it was a really pleasant surprise in London. This was a most encouraging experience for me that this Hare Krishna movement is becoming now more and more acknowledged and appreciated in the world. If we keep expanding our influence like this, we can reasonably expect that someday the entire world will be Krishna conscious. What a glorious moment in history that will be. Final Lecture in Pune--27 April 2014 Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: He

After two super enlivening days of teaching the science of Krishna consciousness and blissful Hare Krishna kirtan in Pune, we headed out this morning for London with a sweet, heart warming send off from the Pune devotees. We look forward to our return to Pune in October. There is indeed nothing more wonderful than to hear and chant the glories of the Lord in the association of His pure devotees. These two days in Pune were a special blessing indeed! Departure from Pune--28 April 2014 Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: How to Overcome Devastating Fear? I need your guidance! For the past few months I have developed a strange fear within! Twice while sleeping I had strange dreams as though I am being possessed by ghosts! I never experienced such a thing ever, so I am very disturbed. I have been doing my puja regularly! Please help me overcome my fear! Hare Krishna, Summi A. Answer: Accept It as the Special Blessing of Krishna Becoming fearful is a wonderful oppo

If you want to taste the ultimate nectar of existence, you have to become Krishna consciousness. There's no two ways about it. You cannot remain on the bodily plane and experience transcendental bliss. Here in the Pune in the association of so many wonderful devotees we are blessed with an extraordinary opportunity to dive in the ocean of unlimited indescribable transcendental bliss. So what can I say to try to describe it? It is sweeter than the sweetest honey. Giving a Bhagavad-gita Lecture--27 April 2014--Pune, India Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: Aren't We All Intimately Related with Krishna? Srila Prabhupada said in one of his Bhagavad-gita As It Is videos that one cannot have an intimate relationship with Krishna if he's not a devotee of Krishna. However, aren't we all related to Krishna regardless of whether one is a devotee or not? Can you please clarify this confusion for me? Kartik Answer: Yes, But Nondevotees Don't Real

A wave of bhakti is currently sweeping the universe. If you would like to experience the true nectar that you are meant to experience by the mere dint of your existence, you need to catch this wave and ride it back to your original state of pure consciousness, that transcendental dimension where there is no sickness, no old age, and no death. To do this you need to findpeople who are practicing pure bhakti and take shelter of their association. This is what I did when I took shelter of my spiritual master, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, and his disciples forty three years ago in the spring of 1971. I advise you to do the same. Offering Guru Puja to Srila Prabhupada--Pune, India--26 April 2014 Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: Can A Man Prolong His Life? In the purport of Bhagavad-Gita 7.9 Srila Prabhupada says, "The duration of man's life is also due to Krishna. Therefore by the grace of Krishna, man can prolong his life or diminish

25 April 2014--After a tremendous spiritual battery recharge in the holy land of Vrindavan, we are back out on the world deliverance path on the order of our spiritual master, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada could not tolerate seeing the entire human civilization being dragged down to the level of hogs and dogs. Therefore he ordered us to save them by spreading this Krishna consciousness movement to every town and village on this entire planet. It is undoubtedly a herculean and seemingly impossible task. But by Krishna's grace even the impossible becomes possible. Therefore we undauntedly carry on with our missionary activities for making a spiritual revolution on this planet knowing that win or lose, our dedicated endeavor will give great pleasure to Srila Prabhupada and Lord Sri Krishna and thus attract their unlimited blessings upon us for our spiritual advancement of becoming fully qualified to go back home, back to Godhead. Teaching the

Today we are leaving Vrindavan Dhama, the unlimitedly sweet transcendental abode of Lord Sri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Narottama Das Thakur, the great Vaisnava acarya, has instructed us that we should always worship this most amazing place. So whether we are here in Vrindavan or we are outside of Vrindavan, we must always keep this holiest of all abodes solidly situated in the cores of our hearts. In this way we will always be living in Vrindavan experiencing the sweetest happiness of constant association with Lord Sri Krishna, the Lord of unlimited varieties of transcendental pastimes. Talking About Krishna at Manasi Ganga--21 April 2014 Relishing the Nectar of Sri Vrindavan Dhama--14 April 2014 Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: What is the Meaning of Steadiness? My dear Gurudeva, In Bhagavad-gita 2.56 it is said that one should be undisturbed by happiness and distress. But what does it actually mean? For example: 1) If I pass my C

At the present moment the entire world is suffering greatly due to the complete absence of qualified teachers and leaders who can the guide people properly how to realize the purpose of their human form of life. Thus the entire human society remains on the animal platform and these poor untrained souls will descend into animal kingdom in their next births. It is a pitiful situation indeed. The Krishna consciousness movement has been started to bring a remedy to this deplorable nightmare by educating and guiding everyone how to become perfect in this life and go back to home, back to Godhead. Therefore we are requesting all thoughtful men and women to join this movement and assist us in providing proper leadership for the world. Addressing Gurukula Students at Sri Vrindavan Dhama, India--22 April 2014 Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: Negation of Matter Will Give Liberation? Gurudeva, Kindly enlighten me. Is it sufficient to get liberation simply by opposing

Krishna does not want to see the entire world population languishingly rotting in the cycle of repeated birth, death, old age, and disease. He wants everyone to be happy, overflowing with unlimited oceans of transcendental bliss. Therefore acting as Krishna's instruments we must fulfill His desire by making the entire world Krishna conscious. We are not speaking of any kind of military conquest. We are speaking about a cultural conquest in which the entire world population joyfully awakens to discover that unlimited peace, love, and happiness is their divine birthright. The whole world is waiting to us to lead them out of chaos. So now we must do our duty and save them. Guruvani Devi Dasi Distributes Krishna Conscious Literature in Austin, Texas for Global Respiritualization Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: Do You Recommend Any Other Gita Editions? Please tell me, in addition to Bhagavad-gita As It Is by Srila Prabhupada, which other editions of Gita are okay t

On Monday 21 April 2014 we tasted the sweetest of all varieties of nectar because it was on this day that we did Govardhan Parikrama, the circumambulation of Govardhan Hill. To experience first hand so many pastime places of Lord Sri Krishna around Govardhana Hill one after another after another and then to be fully absorbed in hearing about, glorifying, and remembering Krishna non-stop was a powerful, uplifting experience indeed. If you would also like to taste this sublime nectar, we invite you to come and be with us in Vrindavan on our next visit in September-October. We are arriving in Vrindavan on 8 September after spending four days preaching in New Delhi. And we are departing from Vrindavan on 10 October for three days of preaching in Pune before we head out for Europe on 13 October. Telling History of Govardhan's Appearance Sitting at Foot of Govardhan Hill--21 April 2014 Telling a Krishna Pastime at Manasi Ganga--21 April 2014 Ecstatically Approaching Govinda Kund

Saturday 19 April 2014 was a real transendental excursion for about 20 of us. We drove for many hours in a convoy of vans from Vrindavan to Jaipur, Rajasthan, the home of Lord Govinda, an ancient deity of Krishna originally installed by Krishna's great grandson Vajranab 5,000 years ago. Lord Govinda was rediscovered 500 years ago in Vrindavan by Srila Rupa and worshipped there with great opulence in a beatiful seven storied temple on which construction began around 1570. Less than 100 years later when the Muslim tyrant Aurangzeb sent his soldiers to destroy the deities and temples of Vrindavan, the king of Amber, Maharaja Jai Singh, rescured Lord Govinda and Vrindavan's main deties before the soldiers arrived to descrecrate Vrindavan. Lord Govinda was worshipped with great devotion in Amber. Later 11 kilomters away Maharaja Jai Singh built the city of Jaipur and established the worship of Sri Sri Radha Godvinda on his palace grounds there. The worship has been going on there n

In the material world people try to be happy by this means and that means. But all of their attempts are artificial due to their ignorance of who they are really. Because they misidentify themselves as being their material bodies they center their lives around bodily pleasure and thus they never experience real happiness. It's a pitiful situation in which they are entangled as they futilely try to be happy. We should try to help them become liberated from illusion and attain the real platform of happiness by reconnecting them with the reservoir of real pleasure, Lord Sri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Upendra Das Tells an Old Lady About Krishna Consciousness Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: Softheartedness Required for Spiritual Salvation? In Chapter One of the Bhagavad-Gita, Srila Prabhupada states many times that Arjuna is a softhearted devotee of the Lord and because of that he is eligible to receive transcendental knowledge. Would you explain

Don't cheat yourself out of unlimited bliss by going after the temporary pleasures of this world, which never satisfy you no matter how much you indulge in them. Material sense pleasure is literally only skin deep because while it may sometimes give a temporary sense of satisfaction to the material body or the subtle false ego, it can never give genuine satisfaction to the real self who dwells within the gross and subtle bodies. If you will take to the real pleasure of reconnecting yourself with the reservoir of unlimited pleasure, Lord Sri Krishna, you will live a profoundly abundant eternal existence overflowing with love, bliss, and cognizance. Exposing the Stupid Futility of Material Sense Gratification Srimad Bhagavatam Class--Sri Vrindavan Dhama--18 April 2014 Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: How the Only Enjoyer Can Be the Best Friend of All? My dear Gurudeva, In Bhagavad-gita 5.29 Krishna says that He is the only enjoyer. At the same time He also sa

When I was boy I remember that one day my father told me regarding his job as the plant engineer at Imperial Sugar in Sugarland, Texas USA, "They pay me to solve problems." So for my father problems were not really problems. They were instead his very means of livelihood. In other words, for my dad problems were money in the bank. Solving problems in the sugar plant was what made his job an interesting and exciting challenge for him every day and what got him paid. This same principle can be applied to the process of awakening our dormant Krishna consciousness. Every problem we face is another opportunity to overcome the influence of the material energy and come one step closer to Krishna. So instead of becoming bewildered by problems, we should embrace them as an exciting challenges that step by step will bring us back to our original loving relationship with Lord Sri Krishna. Relishing the Sublime Atmosphere at Vrinda kunda--April 2014 Answers by Citing the Vedic V

In this material world we are all being pierced by Durga Devi's trident. The three prongs of her trident are the threefold miseries of material existence: miseries caused by the mind and body, miseries caused by other living beings, and miseries caused by natural disturbances. The devotee, however, takes this threefold miseries trident differently. He sees that Durga Devi is a pure devotee of Krishna, who is always acting in accordance with the Lord's will to help the fallen living beings realize that this material world is not their real home so that they become serious to seek out their real home in the eternal spiritual sky. In this way the devotees sees these miseries as the Lord's benedictions delivered by His pure devotee, Durga Devi, and he patiently tolerates them without being disturbed. Durga Devi Pierces a Demon With Her Trident Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: What is Simultaneous Difference and Non-Difference? Please help me understanding t

15 April 2014--This morning after relishing Mangala Arati at Srila Prabhupada'a samadhi, when I returned to our quarters for the ecstasy of offering Mangala Arati to Sri Sri Radha Damodar I beheld through the trees the most beautiful shining full moon radiating in the sky reminding me of that unforgettable night 5,000 years ago when Krishna and the gopis danced the rasa dance for an entire nighttime of Lord Brahma in the beautiful moonlit night of Vrindavan. There is truly nothing sweeter than remembering Krishna and His pastimes. Stunning Full Moon Seen Through Vrindavan Trees--15 April 2014 Krishna and The Gopis--Rasa Dance--Sri Vrindavan Dhama Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: Will the Material World Eventually Be Deserted? Please accept my humble obeisance's, All glories to Srila Prabhupada!  Thanks for sharing the daily broadcast of the Ultimate Self Realization Course. We daily read and share the information received from you. One of our de

The simple formula for achieving perfect love, peace, and happiness is to carefully study the Bhagavad-gita and sincerely follow its teachings to the best of one's ability. Anyone who does this in any part of the world can quickly and easily attain the supreme happiness. This is why our mission is to enlighten the entire world with the teachings of the Bhagavad-gita. Bhagavad-gita Lecture--13 April 2014--Sri Vrindavan Dhama Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: Krishna Fulfills Material or Spiritual Desires? A number of desires may arise in one's mind while chanting. Does Krishna satisfy such people by fulfilling those desires? But if one knows that every living entity actually needs pure bhakti to be happy but is not able to control his unnecessary desires, which desire does Krishna fulfill? Thank you for teaching us how to remain dedicated to one's spiritual master by your own example. Your unworthy servant, Lipsa Answer: Krishna Fulfills Desire

On Friday 12 April 2014 we went with large group of devotees to Kamyavan on the far distant edge of Vraja. Kamyavan is so far away that is situated in the state of Rajasthan. The Adi Varaha Purana describes that this is a place where all the desires of the demigods and devotees are fulfilled. Therefore I advised the devotees to be especially careful while in Kamyavana to only have spiritual desires in their hearts. We first experienced the nectar of seeing the 5,000 year deity of Vrinda devi, the presiding deity of Vrindavan forest, offering her our obeisances, and hearing the eight beautiful prayers glorifying her. We then went to Vimala-Kunda, which is thus described: "It is said that Krishna had pastimes here with the daughters of Raja Vimala, the king of Sindh (which is now in Pakistan). They had their strong desire to be with Krishna fulfilled at this place and that is why this kunda is called Vimala-Kunda. This pastime is described in the Bhavisya Purana. King Vimal

In this material world death can come at any time even when we least expect it. Therefore it can be rightly said that we are all situated on the verge of death. Bhaktivinode Thakur advises that we should all become enchanted with the name of God, that we should dive deeply into the unlimitedly sweet nectarean mellow of the holy name of Krishna because this will save us from having to take birth again in this miserable material world. Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur--Great Acharya in Our Sampradaya Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: Who Should Be Guru? Please accept my humble obeisances. What is Srila Prabhupada's instruction on who should be guru, and why do gurus fall down? Michael Answer: Those Prabhupada Disciples Who Are Strictly Following Srila Prabhupada said that those of his disciples who are strictly following him should become gurus. Fall downs occur when one is not strictly following Srila Prabhupada and tries to do the service of being a spiritua

Srila Prabhupada wonderfully explains tolerance in his purport to Bhagavad-gita 2.45 as follows: "As long as the material body exists, there are actions and reactions in the material modes. One has to learn tolerance in the face of dualities such as happiness and distress, or cold and warmth, and by tolerating such dualities become free from anxieties regarding gain and loss. This transcendental position is achieved in full Krishna consciousness when one is fully dependent on the good will of Krishna." Srila Prabhupada says that one has to learn tolerance of the dualities of this material nature. And he also explains that through Krishna consciousness, i.e. being fully dependent on the good will of Krishna, one achieves the transcendental position beyond the dualities. So should we cultivate Krishna consciousness, or should we cultivate tolerance? The answer is that we should cultivate both because the more one is tolerant of the dualities, the easier it is to rememb

Fully surrendering to Krishna is so wonderful that it immediately frees you from all anxieties. As long as you maintain your own agenda, your own set plan on how you want things to happen, you must necessarily be in anxiety because you will have to always defend your agenda from all opposing agendas. Sometimes you will be successful, and sometimes you will not. But when you fully surrender to the amazing Supreme Lord Krishna by totally embracing His agenda as your own, there is nothing that can ever interrupt the happiness and satisfaction that you derive from your ongoing loving reciprocation with Him. Srila Prabhupada Teaches Full Surrender in Melbourne, Australia Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: What Is Ritvik Philosophy? I have started practicing Krishna consciousness from 6 months ago. And recently I have heard about ritvik philosophy. What is it? This is disturbing the entire devotee world. Shreenivasa Answer: A Sour Grapes Concoction of the Envious Ri

Just as a servant sometimes becomes envious of his master and thinks, "Why can't I enjoy like my master enjoys?", in a similar way when the living becomes envious of Krishna's being the master and desires to himself become the master, the living is captured by maya and falls down into material existence. kṛṣṇa bhuliyā jīva bhoga vāñchā kare pāśāte māyā tāre jāpaṭiyā dhare "When the living entity desires to enjoy separately from Krishna, the illusory potency of the Lord, maya, immediately grabs the soul in her clutches." But when such a captured soul comes in contact with a saintly teacher his original pure consciousness can be revived by engaging himself under the spiritual master's direction in the purificatory process of bhakti yoga, devotional service to the Supreme Lord. Srila Prabhupada is So Mercifully Saving Us At Radha-Damodar Temple--Sri Vrindavan Dhama, India Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: Who Can Bring Me K

There are two types of devotees: the sadhakas and the siddhas. The sadhakas are the neophytes who are still learning how to bring their uncontrolled senses under control, and the siddhas are the realized devotees who have fully mastered their senses according to the instructions of Srila Rupa Goswami as given in the first mantra of the Upadeshamrita as follows: vāco vegaṁ manasaḥ krodha-vegaṁ jihvā-vegam udaropastha-vegam etān vegān yo viṣaheta dhīraḥ sarvām apīmāṁ pṛthivīṁ sa śiṣyāt "A sober person who can tolerate the urge to speak, the mind's demands, the actions of anger and the urges of the tongue, belly and genitals is qualified to make disciples all over the world." Therefore to master the art of controlling one's senses is most essential for one who wants to advance solidly on the path of self-realization and fully realize Krishna the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus taking complete shelter of guru and Krishna the sadhakas should enthusiasti

One of the sweetest types of bliss is to relish ecstatic Hare Krishna kirtan while boating on the Yamuna River in Sri Vrindavan Dhama, and then after cleaning the heart very nicely with the Hare Krishna mantra to take the ultimate cleanse of bathing in the river Yamuna. Every time I immerse myself in her most sacred waters I come out feeling super exhilarated and surcharged in my practice of Krishna consciousness. We come to Vrindavan twice a year and we hope that you, our dear reader, can be with us on our next visit to Vrindavan so we can bathe together in this wondrous number one favorite river of Lord Krishna in which and by which He performed so many amazing transcendental pastimes. To co-ordinate your pilgrimage to Vrindavan with ours consult the following schedule: http://www.ultimateselfrealization.com/schedule Ecstatic Hare Krishna Kirtan on the River Yamuna Sri Vrindavan Dhama--6 April 2014 The Ultimate Cleanse--Bathing in the Yamuna River Feeling Really Good

There is nothing in this world more sublime than being in the transcendental abode of Lord Sri Krishna, Sri Vrindavan Dhama. In this amazing transcendental place Krishna is eternally engaged in His transcendental pastimes, which means that they are going on here right now at this this very minute for those who have the eyes to see them. For those of us who are not so fortunate to be able to directly perceive the Lord here engaged in His amazing adventures, we are blessed with the good fortune that hankering to witness these pastimes is as good seeing them. Therefore when one comes to Vrindavan he should intensely desire to connect with Krishna in every possible way: through His name, through remembering His pastimes, through remembering and following His teaching, through obeying the orders received from one's spiritual master, and through serving the Vaisnavas (the devotees of the Lord.) Giving Srimad Bhagavatam Class in Krishna Balarama Temple Sri Vrindavan Dhama--6 April 2014

We, the devotees of the Krishna consciousness movement have been charged with the assignment by our founder-acharya, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, to save the world from chaos and confusion by making it Krishna conscious. In this way we have been mandated to culturally take over the world by convincing everyone that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and that we all must surrender unto Him. So we must now intelligently and carefully engineer a world takeover by devising the ways and means to educate everyone throughout the world in the ultimate science of Krishna consciousness. This is no doubt a daunting, seemingly impossible task. But by the Lord's grace even that which is impossible can become possible, and by the Lord's special grace that which is remotely possible can become highly probable. Ecstatic Kirtan at Brahmanda Ghat Sri Vrindavan Dhama--5 April 2014 Relishing the Serene Atmosphere on the Yamuna Bank Brahmanda Ghat, Sri Vrinda