Ultimate Self Realization

On Sunday 28 September 2014 we went with a group of devotees from various nations on Govardhana Parikrama, a truly delightful experience. Our first stop was the lake known as Kusum Sarovara, one of the many places where Krishna had pastimes with the gopis 5,000 years ago. Lord Caitanya also took His bath here five centuries ago. Our next stop was a spot along the parikrama path where Govardhan is just starting to manifest from within the earth. There I related, as given in the Garga Samhita, the amazing story of Govardhana's appearance in Sri Vrindavana Dhama. Further along the trail we came Manasi Ganga a wonderful lake where Krishna had many sublime pastimes including a hilariously funny boat pastime with the gopis. That pastime is as follows: Srimati Radharani and the gopis came to the bank of the large lake named Manasi Ganga and wanted to take a boat across. They were carrying their yogurt pots and other milk preparations. Krishna who was disguised as a boatman told them He w

The planet earth is now overburdened with a growing number of demoniac men whose only happiness in life is exploiting, abusing, and torturing others. Even the so-called nice people routinely engage in killing their own children through abortion and eating their own mother, the cow. So, it is indeed a most pitiable situation that we now face all over the planet earth. Therefore we are praying in the mood of Prahlada Maharaja that all the envious persons may become pacified and that everyone should become fully happy by engaging themselves in the devotional service of Lord Sri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Ecstatic Kirtan on the Bank of the River Yamuna Brahmanda Ghat--27 September 2014 Relishing Krishna's "Earth in the Mouth" Pastime Brahmanda Ghat--27 September 2014 Answers by Citing the Vedic Version: Question: Should Devotees Get Tattoos? Dear Srila Gurudeva, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to S

The devotee of the Lord cannot tolerate the suffering of the millions and billions of people who are living without Krishna consciousness and degrading themselves by overindulgence in sense gratification to take birth in the 8 milion varieties of lower species in their next life. Due to his compassionate nature he is pained greatly to see this. Therefore he fully dedicates his life for making the entire world Krishna conscious so that the people can be fully happy in this life and have their next life in the spiritual world with Lord Sri Krishna. Sankarshan Das Adhikari With Srila Prabhupada in His Room at Radha Damodar Temple Sri Vrindavana Dhama--26 September 2014 Answers by Citing the Vedic Version: Question: Do Hindus Worship Idols? Sir, I have many Abrahamic friends who always ask me why you Hindus worship idols even it is condemned in your scriptures. They quote, "Na tasya pratima asti" from the Yajurveda saying that it means that God has no form. I know

On 24 September 2014 we blessed with the opportunity to visit the topmost of all holy places in all of existence, Radha Kunda, the bathing pond of Srimati Radharani, which has been so wonderful glorified by Srila Rupa Goswami as follows: "The holy place known as Mathura is spiritually superior to Vaikuntha, the transcendental world, because the Lord appeared there. Superior to Mathura Puri is the transcendental forest of Vrindavana because of Krishna's rasa-lila pastimes. And superior to the forest of Vrindavana is Govardhana Hill, for it was raised by the divine hand of Sri Krishna and was the site of His various loving pastimes. And, above all, the superexcellent Sri Radha-kunda stands supreme, for it is overflooded with the ambrosial nectarean prema of the Lord of Gokula, Sri Krishna. Where, then, is that intelligent Person who is unwilling to serve this divine Radha-kunda, which is situated at the foot of Govardhana Hill?"--Nectar of Instruction, Verse 9 Just bei

The pure devotee conquers the world within by fully engaging all of his senses including the mind in the service of Krishna. And he conquers the world without through his perfect example and his powerful words by attracting the entire world to take the process of Krishna consciousness. Therefore he is called a goswami, one who has fully conquered his senses, and jagad-guru, one who can deliver the entire universe. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Srila Prabhupada--Spiritual Master of the Universe Answers by Citing the Vedic Version: Why I Unsubscribed: I Believe that God is Formless I have dropped out of your course because I do not subscribe to the view that it is impossible for God to be formless. A formless God assumes form for the benefit of humanity. This is my personal belief. T.P.K. Answer: Beliefs Are Imperfect. Vedic Knowledge is Perfect. We are all certainly free to believe in whatever choose to believe in. But such believing does not make a thing true. I may be a

Don't ever be depressed. Instead, you should always be impressed with the unlimitedly amazing glories of Krishna, which He is personally manifesting within and without you at every minute. In other words if you are being constantly awed by the stupendous attributes of Krishna at every minute, you will always be so impressed that you will never have empty space in your heart for being even slightly depressed. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Blessed with the Chance to Speak About Krishna in Vrindavana Answers by Citing the Vedic Version: Question: Can Krishna Make Himself Formless? Srila Gurudeva, All glories to you! Is it possible for Lord Krishna to make Himself formless if He wanted to, since nothing is impossible for Him? Thank you for guiding me. Luis Answer: Yes, As the Impersonal Brahman Due to the inconceivable potency of the Lord it is possible for Him to do the impossible. In other words, He can be with form and without form both at the same time. And

The entire global society is spiraling down more and more into complete, total chaos and confusion. Due to an ever-increasing profusion of sinful activities nature is now becoming more and more out of balance. Thus, often there is excessive rain and deadly flooding, and often there is lack of rain, and the people and animals are tortured by severe drought. When the human society does not adhere to the laws of God it is natural they will be punished by nature's laws. However, there is good news. The good news is that by the wide scale congregational chanting of the holy names of God all of these problems can be solved. There is no reason for the human society to continue suffering like this. It is completely unnecessary. All they have to do is chant Hare Krishna or any bona fide name of God, and all of their many problems will be solved. This chanting will purify their hearts and enable them to easily come back to living in accordance with the laws of God. Sankarshan Das Adhikari

Lord Sri Krishna's lotus feet are the boat that will carry you back to the transcendental Vaikuntha realm, that place where there is absolutely no anxiety. By taking shelter of Krishna's lotus feet you will delivered from this material world where there is danger at every step. In this age Krishna's lotus feet are most powerfully manifested in the form of the Hare Krishna mahamantra. So if you will chant this most amazing of all mantras every day with love and devotion, your entering into the spiritual world at the time of death is guaranteed. Indeed by full absorption in Krishna's unlimitedly sweet names you will already be there with Him in His transcendental kingdom. So get on the boat by chanting, and stay on this boat by chanting. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Super Ecstatic Hare Krishna Kirtan Answers by Citing the Vedic Version: Question: Serve Krishna Theoretically or With Realization? Thanks for your enlightening messages. Today's Though-for-the-Day

Whether your like it or not, death is inevitable. It can come today, tomorrow, next week, or at any time without any warning. And since your state of mind at the time of death determines your next birth, whether in this material world or the spiritual world, this behooves you to prepare yourself properly for this most deciding moment of your life by always cultivating at every moment the mood of complete, total surrender at the lotus feet of Lord Sri Krishna through the transparent via medium of the bona fide spiritual master. Sankarshan Das Adhikari The Spiritual Master Saves His Disciples from Birth and Death Answers by Citing the Vedic Version: Question: How to Find a Guru? I've been following few spiritual practices such as yoga, meditation, nonviolence, puja etc. I have faith in Sai Baba of Shridi, but my faith is shaken sometimes when I'm into tough times. My mind is always filled with questions like "Who am I?", "What is the purpose of life?&

In this world everybody is more or less miserable. Some are more miserable, and some are less miserable. But everyone is experiencing varying degrees of anxiety. What people don't realize is that this misery is not inevitable. It is completely avoidable provided that one knows the art of how to avoid it. That art is called Krishna consciousness or atma-tattva, the science of the self. One simply has to realize who he is, the eternal servant of Krishna, and then go about being who he actually is by engaging in devotional service instead of foolishly trying to be something different, namely this material body and all of the false designations that accrue to it. The self is not the body. It is instead the eternal all-blissful, all-cognizant servant of Krishna who is at the present moment dwelling within the temporary material body. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Relishing Krishna Lila at Kesighat on the Yamuna Bank Answers by Citing the Vedic Version: Question: Why Krishna Created

How can we bring peace to world that is currently experiencing more and more senseless violence from terrorism? Srila Prabhupada said that just as in a jungle there will be ferocious animals, in a society where everyone is an animal there will naturally be terrorists. Therefore the real solution for terrorism is to elevate the world population through proper education to the human platform. In this way terrorism will naturally diminish and gradually disappear. In other words, we have to teach everyone that they are not their bodies and that the human life is meant for self-realization. As long as people remain on the platform of eating, sleeping, mating, and defending the world will continue to be plagued by terrorism. Therefore we must educate everyone now in the perfect science of Krishna consciousness. In this way everyone will become perfect in love of God. They can keep their current designations as Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, etc. There is no harm. But they must come to a

The sweetest, more relishable form of Krishna is His original form, which is manifested exclusively in Vrindavana. It is here in Vrindavana that Krishna eternally has His most intimate pastimes with the topmost of His devotees. Any devotee who aspires to serve and associate with Krishna in this topmost of all abodes is welcome to do so provided he has the same mood of total surrender to Krishna as exhibited by the Vrajavasis, the inhabitants of Vrindavana. The Vrajavasis will do anything to please Krishna without any concern for their own personal happiness or unhappiness. They simply want to see that Krishna is totally pleased in all circumstances. Because of their mood of total devotion to Krishna, Krishna becomes their personal property. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Lord Sri Krishna in Sri Vrindavana Dhama Answers by Citing the Vedic Version: Question: How to Stay Motivated? I have started my journey in Krishna Consciousness more than a year ago. I understand the basics

When anxiety attacks you, when you are bewildered by unfortunate circumstances in this material world, take solace of the fact that nothing can happen without the sanction of Krishna and that He is always the well-wishing friend of all living beings including you. By keeping this thought in mind in times of trouble, you will be able to pass through the difficult times without losing your Krishna consciousness. Indeed you will be able to use difficult times to increase your Krishna consciousness. In this way you can capitalize or take advantage of bewildering situations to become stronger and happier in Krishna consciousness. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Srila Prabhupada at Krishna Balarama Temple in Vrindavana Answers by Citing the Vedic Version: Question: Why Should We Follow Krishna? How to understand Krishna? Why should we follow Krishna? Because He is the Supreme? What do we need to do to follow Krishna? And where and when can we find Him? Sunil P. Answer: Because H

The time has come for all human beings on planet earth and indeed throughout the entire universe to unite under the banner of Lord Caitanya's movement, the congregational chanting of the holy names of God. May all Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Jews, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, atheists, and agnostics, etc. now become joined together in one huge loving global spiritual family based on this principle. This is what all the world leaders should now be pushing. Otherwise they should step down and let others who are pushing this agenda to take the leading roles in their respective countries. This is the only hope for today's rapidly disintegrating human society. I pray that everyone will hear this plea and that they will accept it by the thousands, millions, and billions. If they do so, we will very soon have heaven on earth. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Training the Next Generation How to Lead the World September 15, 2014--Sri Vrindavana Dhama Answers by Citing the Vedic Version:

On Sunday 14 September 2014 in Vrindavana I spoke to group of visitors from New Delhi, who had been invited to hear me by my disciple, Padmamalini devi dasi. I started my talk by explaining about the 8,400,000 species of life and how special is the human form because it is only in the human form that one can escape the cycle of birth and death. Pointing out how the modern human society has become lower than animals by not taking the pathway of self-realization, I strongly exhorted them to take the path of Krishna consciousness. What I said to them must have been blessed by Lord Krishna because it really clicked with them. They very enthusiastically joined with me in Hare Krishna kirtan and many of them purchased hard bound Bhagavad-gitas at the end of the program. May Hare Krishna kirtan and the books of Srila Prabhupada flood the entire universe continually like this. Sankarshan Das Adhikari A Morning of Bliss--14 September 2014--Sri Vrindavana Dhama Diving Deep Into Hare Krishn

There is nothing more ecstatic than the beautiful Srimad Bhagavatam. When it is spoken this purifies the heart of the speaker and the hearers. Indeed it is so powerful that that the entire universe becomes purified. Therefore our spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, instructed us that we must have a Srimad Bhagavatam class every morning. Those who cannot attend the class at their nearest ISKCON center due to time or location constraints can read the Srimad Bhagavatam on their own or with their family members. Or they can hear recordings of Srimad Bhagavatam classes or hear live classes via the internet. In this way, by regularly hearing the Srimad Bhagavatam all that is troublesome to the heart becomes destroyed almost to nil, and pure devotional service to Lord Sri Krishna becomes established within one's heart as an irrevocable fact. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Giving Srimad Bhagavatam Class---13 September 2014 Krishna Balarama Temple--Sri Vrindavana Dhama, India Answers by Ci

It is stated in Srimad Bhagavatam 5.5.18: gurur na sa syāt sva-jano na sa syāt pitā na sa syāj jananī na sā syāt daivaṁ na tat syān na patiś ca sa syān na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum "One who cannot deliver his dependents from the path of repeated birth and death should never become a spiritual master, a father, a husband, a mother or a worshipable demigod." And in the purport to this verse Srila Prabhupada explains, "Unless one is a pure devotee of Krishna, he cannot save himself from the path of repeated birth and death." Unless one can deliver himself from birth and death, how can he deliver others? Therefore unless one is a pure devotee one should not become a guru, a father, a mother, a husband, or any kind of leader. Where are the pure devotees today occupying these positions in society? They are nonexistent. Therefore the entire world is in chaos progressing quickly towards complete ruination. Sankarshan Das Adhikari The Topmost Pure Devotee, Who Can De

On Wednesday 11 September in Sri Vrindavana Dhama we took advantage of the cooler weather early in the morning to go with a group of my disciples on a transcendental boat ride on the Yamuna River. We had a super ecstatic kirtan, and then I explained how Krishna never leaves Vrindavan and how we can connect with Him through loving devotion and thus relish at every minute the unlimited nectar of His divine association. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Tasting the Bliss of Krishna Bhakti on the Yamuna River Sri Vrindavana Dhama--10 September 2014 Ecstatic Mellifluous Hare Krishna Kirtan Talking About That Most Amazing Person Named Krishna Answers by Citing the Vedic Version: Question: Are Relatives and Friends True Well-Wishers? It is generally seen in this material world that when a person is passing through very terrible phase in life, all his relatives, friends, etc. leave him and even try to exploit him and give him more troubles. On the other hand, when the same person u

Srila Prabhupada explains as follows in his purport to Srimad Bhagavatam 4.28.51: "When one becomes serious to follow the mission of the spiritual master, his resolution is tantamount to seeing the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As explained before, this means meeting the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the instruction of the spiritual master. This is technically called vani-seva. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura states in his Bhagavad-gita commentary on the verse vyavasāyātmikā buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana (Bg. 2.41) that one should serve the words of the spiritual master. The disciple must stick to whatever the spiritual master orders. Simply by following on that line, one sees the Supreme Personality of Godhead." From these poignant words of our most beloved ISKCON Founder-Acharya we can understand that full dedication to carrying out the instructions of Srila Prabhupada is personally meeting and seeing Krishna. Although this may not be understandable intellectually,

One of the most powerful spiritual masters in the history of the universe, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, established in the matter of eleven years from 1966 through 1977 an amazing movement that will go down in history for having brought about the greatest paradigm shift in the present age known as the Kali Yuga. This movement, known as the Krishna Consciousness Movement, was formally incorporated in New York in 1966 as the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. It rapidly grew from one tiny storefront at 26 2nd Avenue in New York City, to a global spiritual juggernaut with more than 550 centers, including 60 farm communities, 50 schools and 90 restaurants. This entire movement is based on the simple principle of pleasing Srila Prabhupada. Just as when we water the root of a tree all the leaves and branches are nourished, in a similar way when we give our loving service to Krishna we give our love to all living beings. The channel through which we give

If someone challenges you, "Who is this Krishna?", what can you tell him? You can tell him that since we see that every machine requires an operator and since we see how the universe functions as a gigantic machine, we can understand scientifically that there must exist a supreme operator to run the universal machine. To find out who is that supreme operator is the goal of the human form of life. Since that supreme operator fully reveals Himself as Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita there is no need for to search endlessly for Him. You can know Him simply by studying the Bhagavad-gita and chanting the Hare Krishna mahamantra. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Radha and Krishna With the Gopis Answers by Citing the Vedic Version: Question: Autodidactic For Obtaining Material Knowledge? Are guru, sadhu, and sastra (spiritual master, saintly persons, and scriptures) required to obtain material knowledge, or is being autodidactic or self-taught the best way of obtaining material knowle

Everyone loves a feast. And the ultimate feast is chanting the holy names of God. How is this possible? When we partake of a feast there are so many varieties of tastes and sensations in the different preparations. And they give us much satisfaction and enjoyment. Since all of these tastes and sensations originate in Krishna they are all fully present in Krishna. And since Krishna is fully present in the sound vibration of His name, all tastes, pleasures, and sensations are also fully present in the two syllables Krish-na. Therefore those who carefully chant the Hare Krishna mantra every day with love are rewarded with a sweet taste for Krishna's name which makes chanting this amazing mantra the ultimate love feast. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Bhaktivinode Appearance Day Lecture New Delhi, India--7 September 2014 Initiation Ceremony--ISKCON New Delhi, India--7 September 2014 Answers by Citing the Vedic Version: Question: Should I Bow Down to the Demigods? What sho

On Friday 5 September 2014 I gave a seminar called "Stress Free Success" at the Noida branch of Steria Corporation, a France-based international information technology company with over 20,000 employees. In the packed boardroom I explained to the employees that inner success is more important than outer success because inner success is permanent while outer success is only temporary. I taught the eager listeners that if they cultivate inner success, their outer success will follow like a shadow. And I cautioned them that if they only cultivate outer success, their life will ultimately meet with failure. There were so many wonderful questions at the end of my lecture that I was forced to go twenty minutes overtime to answer them. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Stress Free Success Seminar at Steria Corporation Noida, India--5 September 2014 Answers by Citing the Vedic Version: Question: Spiritual Growth Depends on Piety? Is a person's spiritual growth in any way dep

Sometimes when the miseries of material life become more than you can handle instead of allowing yourself to become depressed or even suicidal you should thank Krishna for giving you such a stark reminder that this material world is not your real home. In this way instead of becoming bewildered you can immediately come bouncing back to eternal realm of ever-increasing bliss which can be found there within your heart in your eternal loving relationship with Lord Sri Krishna. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Devotees Chant Hare Krishna in Ecstasy Answers by Citing the Vedic Version: Question: Difference Between Humility and Low Self-Esteem? Is there any essential difference between humility and low self-esteem? It seems that the dividing line between the two is very thin. How do we understand both and apply in our practical life? Your servant, Sushant K. India. Answer: Truly Humble Have the Highest Self-Esteem There is a gulf of difference between humility and low self-est

It is our greatest good fortune to be back here in the holy land of India, the favorite place of Lord Krishna in this universe and the home of countless great sages over many thousands and thousands of years. Coming in for a landing in at the New Delhi airport was a wonderful feeling of returning to my spiritual motherland. I am delighted that I will be absorbed here in Krishna consciousness for the next 5 five weeks. We are starting off our pilgrimage here in the capital, New Delhi, where I will be giving a series of lectures as follows: 5th September: Steria (India) Limited, Sector - 135, Noida. 3 to 4 PM. Lecture to Steria Employees on "Stress-free Success". 6th September: ISKCON Temple, Noida. 8 AM. Srimad Bhagavatam Lecture 6th September: ISKCON Temple, Sant Nagar, East of Kailash, Delhi 3 to 4 PM. Lecture in Brahmacari Ashram: "Vaisnava Aparadha." 7th September: ISKCON Temple, Sant Nagar, East of Kailash, Delhi. 8 AM. Srimad Bhagavatam Lecture followe

Srila Prabhupada explains as follows in his purport to Sri Caitanya Caritamrita, Adi Lila, Chapter 7, Text 72: "Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja comments in this connection, 'One can become perfectly successful in the mission of his life if he acts exactly according to the words he hears from the mouth of his spiritual master.' This acceptance of the words of the spiritual master is called srauta-vakya, which indicates that the disciple must carry out the spiritual master's instructions without deviation. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura remarks in this connection that a disciple must accept the words of his spiritual master as his life and soul. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu here confirms this by saying that since His spiritual master ordered Him only to chant the holy name of Krishna, He always chanted the Hare Krishna maha-mantra according to this direction." Therefore if we will follow the perfect example of Lord Caitanya by being fully obedient t

Of all the senses the tongue is the most voracious and uncontrollable. And when one's tongue is uncontrolled all of his senses become uncontrolled. Uncontrolled tongue means speaking all kinds of nonsense and eating all kinds of nonsense. And even for a devotee who restricts himself to eating only Krishna prasadam, uncontrolled tongue means eating more than is required to keep himself healthy and fit. So how does one bring his rascal tongue under control? The first thing is that he has to be serious about awakening his dormant Krishna consciousness. Then he must sincerely beg Krishna to help him bring his senses control while simultaneously endeavoring to the best of his ability to keep his senses especially his mind always nicely absorbed in Krishna consciousness. In this way by meekly begging for the Lord's mercy and sincerely endeavoring to the best of his ability, he will gradually become a master of the senses, a goswami, and will be liberated from the hellish position of