Ultimate Self Realization

Material happiness can only satisfy us temporarily. It does not any bring permanently existing happiness. Therefore it is called capala sukha, flickering happiness. It comes into being for a short period of time appearing very nice, and then it fades away. If you want to permanent happiness, you need to come to the platform of your eternal spiritual being. You need to reconnect with your eternal identity as a servant of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It's there and only there that you will discover and relish ever-lasting, ever-increasing happiness. Srila Prabhupada Opens the Door to Unlimited Bliss Answers by Citing the Vedic Version: Question: What is Consciousness in Full? What is consciousness in full? Rotimi O. Answer: Full Consciousness Means Krishna Consciousness Self consciousness, family consciousness, and national consciousness are various degrees of consciousness, but they are all still only partial consciousness. In other words, they are all incomplete. Whe

After suffering for countless eons of rotating through the 8,400,000 species of life in this material world, a most fortunate soul who is blessed by the special mercy of guru and Krishna is blessed by being rescued from his suffering by being engaged in the unlimitedly blissful service of Lord Sri Krishna. If you would like to also be so fortunate, it is not at all difficult. Simply chant Krishna's name with faith and engage yourself in Krishna's service under the guidance of the expert spiritual master. You will happily wake up the find yourself swimming in an ocean of inconceivable nectar. Vishnujana Swami Describes the Inconceivable Nectar of Krishna Consciousness Answers by Citing the Vedic Version: Question: What is Consciousness? Is consciousness the characteristic of the soul or of the mind? Goloka Das Answer: Characteristic of the Soul Consciousness is a characteristic of the soul. Sankarshan Das Adhikari

On Friday 26 June 2015 I was blessed with the greatest good fortune of meeting with two of the dearest devotees of my entire life, His Grace Amarendra Prabhu and his good wife, Srimati Gayatri devi dasi. I am eternally indebted to these great souls for how much they helped me in my spiritual life when I was a young devotee. When I was young brahmacari monk in 1973 I joined with the two of them in Gainesville, Florida. We were a three person preaching center, and they were just like a mother and father to me. I had so many wonderful Krishna conscious experiences in their association that I can hardly begin to describe them here. But at least may it suffice for me to say for now that Gayatri taught me what it means to be a soft-hearted devotee of the Lord and she gave me my first cooking lesson, teaching me how to make cauliflower pakoras, and Amarendra taught me the art of how to preach strongly, intelligently, and coolly to defeat opposing arguments. Recently Gayatri almost died. But

We, the Hare Krishna people, are on a mission to save the world. Not only are we out to save the world, which is truly the most noble sentiment; we are the most fortunate souls who have been blessed by the greatest spiritual master in history, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, with the precise formula of how exactly this entire planet can factually be saved as soon as possible. This can be achieved by the wide scale dissemination of the science of Krishna consciousness. Now the only trick that remains for us is how to convince the entire world to take up the process of Krishna consciousness as soon as possible. This is the gargantuan challenge that we face. Devotees Gathered to See Us Off at the Airport Melbourne, Australia--25 June 2015 Answers by Citing the Vedic Version: Question: Why Not Spiritual Bodies in the Material World? Why does Krishna gives us material bodies when we desire to come to this world? I mean He can allow us to come to this world

The Krishna conscious lifestyle is the most satisfying of all life styles because one who in is engaged fully in Krishna consciousness is purely acting 24 hours daily for the welfare of all living being. What could be a greater feeling of satisfaction and fulfillment? Krishna consciousness is the ultimate perfection of existence. To be fully absorbed for one's entire life in giving it to others is the perfection of compassion. The ideal example of a life of compassion is Srila Prabhupada seen below ministering to the troubled youths of the sixties in America. Srila Prabhupada Lives for the Welfare of All Tompkins Square Park--New York City-1966 Answers by Citing the Vedic Version: Question: What's Wrong With Desire to Be Supreme Enjoyer? You said the following, ''We begin our sojourn here in this material existence because of our lusty, selfish desire to be the Supreme." A question may be raised that when Krishna has a desire to be supreme, we glorif

Leave behind your anxiety, fear, hate, delusion, temporality, and illusion. Come on a fantastic, most exhilarating journey to your inner self situated far far beyond the constrictive, debilitating confines of time and space. Your inner self is who you really are. You are not the external covering, your temporary material body. You are an eternal, youthful, spiritual being qualitatively one with God. So come out of foolish misidentification with your outer shell and emerge as liberated soul overflowing with eternity, knowledge, and bliss. You owe it to yourself. Don't cheat yourself. Journey to the Inner Self Lecture--Urban Yoga Center Melbourne, Australia--23 June 2015   Answers by Citing the Vedic Version: Question: What is the Origin of Krishna? What is the origin of Krishna? Your servant Answer: Krishna is the Origin of Krishna Since Krishna is the source everything and everything includes Krishna, Krishna is the origin of Krishna. In other words, He is self-mani

Real love does not exist in this material world. Real love is pure love devoid of any tinges of selfishness or greed. We begin our sojourn here in this material existence because of our lusty, selfish desire to be the Supreme. What we call love is only lust masquerading as love. And when our selfish desires are not satisfied out lust is transformed into anger. This is described as follows in the Bhagavad-gita: kāma eṣa krodha eṣa rajo-guṇa-samudbhavaḥ mahāśano mahā-pāpmā viddhy enam iha vairiṇam "The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: It is lust only, Arjuna, which is born of contact with the material mode of passion and later transformed into wrath, and which is the all-devouring sinful enemy of this world."--Bhagavad-gita 3.37 Srila Prabhupada describes in his purport to this verse that wrath is then transformed into illusion, which keeps us bound up tightly in this material existence. Since it is lust that causes us to fall down into this this material world, lust is ou

Why should I be Krishna conscious? What's in it for me? The answer is very simple. There's nothing more fun. Actually there is nothing anywhere in all existence that is any fun except for Krishna consciousness. So if you want to have a good time, if you don't want to miserable, you've got no choice except to surrender yourself fully at the lotus feet of Lord Sri Krishna via the transcendental medium of the bona fide spiritual master. Vishnujana Swami Ecstatically Chants Hare Krishna Answers by Citing the Vedic Version: Question: Why Only Chapter Five in the Brahma Samhita? Why only Chapter Five is mentioned in the Brahma Samhita book? I am confused why other chapters are not included in Brahma Samhita book. Sunil Answer: The Other Chapters Were Lost Chapter Five is the only chapter that is currently known because the other chapters have been lost. Chapter Five was discovered 500 years ago by Lord Caitanya when He was touring South India. He found it in th

Here in Melbourne each time I give a lecture I am blessed with a mountain of questions regarding the absolute science of Krishna consciousness. Answering these questions is an exciting challenge as I try to answer them in such a way that the audience will be guided properly and also inspired to seriously take up the pathway of Krishna consciousness. Regarding questions and answers Srila Prabhupada explains as follows in his purport to Srimad Bhagavatam 1.2.5: "The whole world is full of questions and answers. The birds, beasts and men are all busy in the matter of perpetual questions and answers. In the morning the birds in the nest become busy with questions and answers, and in the evening also the same birds come back and again become busy with questions and answers. The human being, unless he is fast asleep at night, is busy with questions and answers. The businessmen in the market are busy with questions and answers, and so also the lawyers in the court and the students in th

Melbourne is one of the ultra-sweet spots on our around-the-world lecture tours. It never fails to deliver the nectar. Why? Because there are so many devotees here eager to hear about and chant Krishna's glories. Such an atmosphere is not in the material world. It is in the spiritual world. You can create this same atmosphere wherever you are all over the world. All you have to do is to become very eager to hear and chant the glories of that most amazing person who has unlimited power, beauty, renunciation, knowledge, wealth, and fame. That person who is within everything and at the same time has all of existence within Him. His name is Krishna because there is no one more attractive than Him. He defeats all other beautiful things by His absolutely unparalled beauty. Lecture: How to Be Always Enthusiastic in Krishna Consciousness Melbourne, Australia--18 June 2015 Ecstatic Home Program Lecture Melbourne, Australia--19 June 2015 Answers by Citing the Vedic Version: Que

It is not difficult to remain always enthusiastic about the process of Krishna consciousness if you remember that Krishna is there simply waiting for you to give Him your love so that He can reciprocate with you. Srila Prabhupada personally told me, "Continue enthusiastically as you are doing and surely Krishna will bless you." It is not difficult to give Krishna your love. Even a child can do it. Krishna confirms this in the Bhagavad-gita 9.26: patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktā prayacchati tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam aśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ "If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water, I will accept it."" Anyone in any part of the world can do this. Before eating offer your food (no meat, fish, egg, onions or garlic) to Krishna with love, and you will then experience Krishna's wonderful mercy when you eat those thus transcendentalized, sanctified foods. Srila Prabhupada Prepares an Offering for Krishna Answers by Citi

In Bhagavad-gita 17.14 Lord Sri Krishna instructs that austerity of the body consists in worship of the Supreme Lord, the brahmanas, the spiritual master, and superiors like the father and mother. In this connection Srila Prabhupada explains that the wife of the spiritual master who is not a sannyasi is to be accepted as one's mother. Therefore just as one follows the instructions of his guru and offers respectful obeisances bowing down at his feet, if his guru has a wife, she should be accepted is his guru mother or guru mataji, and he should also take her instructions and offer respectful obeisances to her also bowing down at her feet. This is Vedic etiquette and will facilitate one's rapid advancement on the path of Krishna consciousness. Sudama and Krishna Went to the Forest to Gather Firewood on the Order of Their Guru Mataji Answers by Citing the Vedic Version: Question: How to Always Taste Nectar in Krishna Katha? I've read that we should keep listening to

One becomes perfect in Krishna consciousness by taking shelter of the bona fide spiritual master through the process of initiation and by always being obedient to his instructions. So the formula is quite simple. But this simple process becomes difficult if we complicate it by our mental concoctions, imagining the way that we think this process should be instead of accepting it the way it actually is. This is like instead of following the perfect recipe in the cook book we want to concoct our own recipe. Such a tendency is a manifestation of our false pride. To avoid this tendency we must hear faithfully from the spiritual master and neglect the foolish ramblings of our minds. Srila Prabhupada at New Vrindavan, West Virginia USA Answers by Citing the Vedic Version: Question: Is Preaching or Chanting More Important? Is preaching what realizations of the science of Krishna you have more important than chanting? D.P. Answer: Without Chanting Preaching is Imperfect Telling others

The key to making rapid advancement on the path of Krishna bhakti is to take shelter of those devotees who are more advanced in Krishna consciousness than we are, because simply by their blessings, their well-wishes, one can become solidly fixed in Krishna consciousness. In this connection we should always remember this verse (Sri Caitanya Caritamrita Madhya Lila 22.54): ’sādhu-saṅga’, ‘sādhu-saṅga’—sarva-śāstre kaya lava-mātra sādhu-saṅge sarva-siddhi haya “The verdict of all revealed scriptures is that by even a moment’s association with a pure devotee, one can attain the topmost perfection of Krishna consciousness". It is sometimes said, "Man, is a social animal." Because our nature is to always want to be in the association of others , if we properly utilize this nature by always associating with advanced devotees as much as possible, we naturally rapidly advance on the ultimate pathway of self-realization, the pathway of Krishna consciousness. Devotees Take Advan

There are many types of scarcity, which are presently plaguing the world society. For example, there is an acute water shortage in an ever-growing number of places in the world and also in numerous locations an inadequate food supply. But the greatest shortage of all is the lack of Krishna consciousness. The ramifications of this shortage is far more devastating than the combined effects of all the other shortages. This is why Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati said that the only real scarcity in the world is the lack of Krishna consciousness. In this connection it should be noted that in Bhagavad-gita 9.22 the supreme supplier of all necessities, Lord Krishna, guarantees no scarcity for His devotees: ananyāś cintayanto māṁ ye janāḥ paryupāsate teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham "Those who always worship Me with exclusive devotion, meditating on My transcendental form—to them I carry what they lack, and I preserve what they have." So if we can simply awaken the worl

For one who is Krishna conscious there is no such thing as a problem because for him every moment, no matter what is happening, is a golden opportunity to go closer and closer to Krishna. For him the dualities of good and bad, happiness and distress, poverty and wealth, sickness and health, etc. are appearances only on the bodily platform because by seeing the constant loving influence of Krishna in every situation he experiences the ultimate beauty at every moment. For such a genuinely spiritually enlightened person there is only one problem: how to deliver all the suffering souls of this material world back to home, back to Godhead. Because he accepts this problem as his life and soul he becomes a most dear associate of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Sri Krishna. Krishna, the Bestower of Unlimited Grace Testimonial From Acharya Das I have been a subscriber to this course since September 2003 and have seen the number of subscribers grow from a few hundred to now o

Here in Shah Alam, Malaysia we are staying in an apartment which overlooks a Muslim mosque. It's quite a contrast to be worshipping Sri Sri Radha Damodar in our apartment in the ecstatic way that was taught to us by Srila Prabhupada and then to notice the Muslim mosque outside of our window. We appreciate that the Muslims have built so many magnificent mosques in glorification of God. Both types of worship are approaching the Supreme Lord because there is only one God. Just as within a nation there can only one supreme court, similarly there can only be one Supreme Being, even though He may be known by many different names. The difference between our worship and their worship is while they recognize that God can be addressed by ninety-nine different names, we know that because God is unlimited He therefore has unlimited names. While we recognize their ninety-nines as legitimate, we are still awaiting that happy day when Muslims all over the world will accept that Krishna is a bona

According to the theory of pantheism everything is God. There is no separate God who is the source and proprietor of everything. The pantheists simply take the universe to be God. Those of a pantheistic mindset are dazzled by the glitter of this material world taking it to be the all-in-all. Nowhere is this more apparent than in Hong Kong. On 10 June 2015 while en route from South Africa to Malaysia I stopped in Hong Kong to give a lecture, "ISKCON, A Loving Family to Unite the Entire World," at the ISKCON temple there. While walking to the temple I snapped a photo (shown below) as I was witnessing the Hong Kong glitter and feeling sorry for the billions of souls who are lost in this material world completely razzle dazzled by its bewildering spell. The lecture was very well received. At the end of my lecture we completely sold out of every copy of my new book, "Truth Works", that I had brought to the lecture. Lost Souls Razzle Dazzled by the Glitter of Hong Kong

In this material world all are lost souls wandering aimlessly birth after birth through the 8,400,000 different species of life. Sometimes they are demigods. Sometimes they are ordinary humans. Sometimes they are plants. Sometimes they are animals. In all cases they are out of touch with the actual meaning of their existence. Thus they must continue suffering in so many ways. Therefore the greatest necessity is that they should get the road map to eternal freedom, i.e. they should be taught the art of how to fully surrender themselves to Lord Sri Krishna. This and only this will liberate them from their suffering and enable to regain their original all-blissful consciousness. Giving the Road Map to Eternal Freedom Pretoria, South Africa--Monday 8 June 2015 Answers by Citing the Vedic Version: Question: Why Problems in this World? Why are there so many problems in the material world? Your servant, Bhakta Shashank. Answer: Because We Are Forgetting Krishna? There are so man

I have sad, heart breaking news to report. Sriman Brahmananda Prabhu, one of the very first devotees who surrendered to Srila Prabhupada in 1966 in New York has now passed a few days ago from this world in the holy land of Vrindavana. This news brought tears to my eyes as I remembered this great Vaisnava. Before the Srimad Bhagavatam class we sang the song "Ye Anilo Prema Dhana" to lament our separation from this great Vaisnava. Brahmananda Prabhu was chosen to be the first temple president soon after Prabhupada started ISKCON in New York and was subsequently given other positions of authority in Prabhupada's movement. Very personal exchanges, both while in proximity and through correspondence, testify to the fact that Srila Prabhupada and Brahmananda Prabhu were close. This is a matter of public record: Prabhupada’s faith in Brahmananda as a highly capable assistant and the love shared between the two manifested early in the movement’s history. Here are Brahmananda Prab

This planet is progressing rapidly into an ever more and more chaotic situation. Therefore it is of the utmost urgency that we have to aggressively promote this Krishna consciousness movement as the only practical solution for this world's ocean of difficulties. In the days of Vedic culture the entire global family was prosperous, peaceful, healthy, and happy. It is intolerable to see to what depths of depravity and despair the world has presently sunk. Therefore as a matter of compassion we must now turn this world upside down by full steam ahead bringing back the happy days of Vedic culture. Super Ecstatic Hare Krishna Kirtan Will Deliver the Universe Answers by Citing the Vedic Version: Question: What is Service to Krishna? Gurudeva, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. May I humbly request you to elaborate on meaning of seva, service to Lord Krishna? Thank you, Your servant, Makarand Answer: Hearing and Chanting His Glories, Etc

By Krishna's grace three devotees accepted initiation on Sunday 7 June 2015 in Lenasia, South Africa. Bhakta Shailen accepted first initiation and has thus now become Syamakunda Das. And my disciples, Padasevana das and his wife Premabhakti devi dasi, took a big step forward in their spiritual lives by accepting brahminical initiation. The formal commitment of initiation is one of the most essential items on the path of Krishna consciousness because without taking shelter of a bona fide spiritual master with the solemn vow of initiation, nobody can become solidly fixed in Krishna consciousness. Chanting on the Beads of a New Initiate Bhakta Shailen Becomes Syamakunda Das Performing a Fire Sacrifice Ceremony for the Initiation Initiates Place Bananas in the Sacrificial Fire  Answers by Citing the Vedic Version: Question: Anger Blocks the Ecstasy of Chanting While chanting sometimes I get into a zone of rage or fretful irritation/ anger, especially for a very

In this material world quite often things go wrong and sometimes really, really wrong, especially in this most materialistic of all ages, the age of Kali. How you deal with these trials and tribulation will either make or break you in your Krishna consciousness. The key thing to remember is to always see them as the special blessing of Krishna to remind you that this material world is not your actual home and that you have no other shelter except for Him. So the next time you get exasperated do not fret and fume. Remember Krishna, and thank Him for His reminder. Then you will see how easily the problem will be solved. Instead of being overwhelmed by your difficulties, dance on them like Krishna dances on the head of the Kaliya serpent having a great time and you'll have a great time too, even during periods of great difficulty. Krishna Dances on the Head of the Kaliya Serpent Answers by Citing the Vedic Version: Question: Meaning of Meditating on Krishna's Lotus Feet

There is nothing sweeter than being a devotee of Krishna. It's so wonderful that even Lord Sri Krishna Himself becomes His own devotee so that He can increase His own happiness ten million times. This is why Krishna came again as Lord Caitanya 500 years in Navadvipa, India to taste the sweetness of devotion to Krishna and to simultaneously flood the universe in a tidal wave of love of God, pure Krishna consciousness. That tidal wave of pure love began 500 years with an amazing kirtan of Lord Caitanya and His associates. (This kirtan is described in Sri Caitanya Caritamrita, Adi Lila, Chapter 13, Text 32.) It's ripple effect is now picking up more and more momentum due to the unparalleled mercy of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and his followers, the devotees of ISKCON. Soon that tidal wave will sweep the entire universe bringing about the greatest paradigm shift in universal history. The Kirtan That Is Delivering the Entire Universe Testimonial fro

The current slate of world leaders do not have even the slightest idea of how to govern the world properly so that people all over the world can be happy. They try to govern on the basis of law, not on the basis of love. This is their big mistake. On 11 September 1975 Srila Prabhupada was personally invited by the prime minister of Mauritius to visit his country. Srila Prabhupada accepted his invitation and arrived on 30 September 1975. Upon his arrival he was received by several leading gentlemen of this country and spoke the following words: "Vedic society is based on the principle of love -- between husband and wife, father and son, the king and the citizens, and so on. Civilization must be founded on love, not law. By law you cannot make a person love you. First he must love you, then he will gladly follow your law. Modern civilization lacks this basis of love, so everything is superficial and false. But if devotion to Krishna is made the basic principle, then people will be

Do not remain a stone-hearted impersonalist. Come out of the shell of impersonalism and fully, completely, totally give your heart to Krishna. He's so beautiful. He's so wonderful. He's so unbelievably amazing that He will entirely, wholly, thoroughly, utterly, absolutely, perfectly, and unreservedly dazzle your brain at every second. Of all persons He is the topmost, and He is incomparably sweet. There is no one who can love your better. Therefore the only sane thing to do is to unconditionally absorb yourself in loving service to Krishna for all of eternity. Krishna Beckons You to Return to Him in Goloka Vrindavan Answers by Citing the Vedic Version: Question: What Does Krishna Feel If We Love Him? Lord Krishna is not so pleased when a person connects with Him out of awe and fear. So what is His feeling when a person connects with Him out of love and devotion? Sunil Answer: He Feels the Greatest Heart-Melting Happiness Krishna has been waiting for millions o

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami explains that a person who does not have a spiritual master is like a dog without a master and that a person who does have a spiritual master is like a dog with a master. I have personally witnessed the graphic contrast between the pitiful, lean and thin, diseased, under-nourished street dogs in Vrindavan and the jolly, healthy, stout and strong well-fed, well-cared for dogs who walk with their masters on Mumbai's Juhu beach. It is indeed quite a striking contrast. When you have a bona fide spiritual master you have the guidance and the blessings you need for a wonderful, blissful eternal existence. But when you don't have a bona fide spiritual master you are lost in the cycle of repeated birth and death with no hope of ever escaping the miseries of material existence. Therefore all those who are seeking real happiness in life must take shelter of a bona fide spiritiual master. Srila Prabhupada Instructs His Disciples Answers by

It is simply too painful to see how miserable the entire world society is at the present time. The entire human population has gone insane having been totally carried away by the bodily conception of life. Due to their gross violation of the laws of nature they are going to be dragged down to the animal kingdom in their next lives. Therefore I am hankering like anything for that the glorious day when the entire world will awaken to the liberating message of Lord Sri Krishna. My life is dedicated to doing whatever I can do to help bring about this direly needed global awakening of Krishna consciousness. Please, my dear readers, you also fully dedicate your lives to this Krishna consciousness world deliverance mission. Home Program--Vacoas, Mauritius--1 June 2015 Testimonial From Anjana Gopika Devi Dasi Since 2013 I have been reading "Thought for the Day", an important component of the Ultimate Self Realization Course. My Gurudeva, His Holiness Jayapataka Swami Mahar