Ultimate Self Realization

Our present position is very precarious. We are caught up in the cycle of birth and death suffering like anything in the threefold miseries: miseries caused by the mind and body, miseries caused by other living beings, and miseries caused by natural disasters. Unless we take to the process of spiritual emancipation very seriously we will remain captivated in this hellish, nightmarish situation. Therefore we should take the awakening of our dormant Krishna consciousness as the primary goal of life in order to become liberated from this material prison and return back to our original home in the spiritual sky. Bhagavad-Gita Lecture-Burgas, Bulgaria-27 August 2017 Video For the Day Krishna Consciousness in the Country Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: Meditating on Guru During Japa? Hare Krishna. Dear Gurudeva and Guru Mataji, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. When I chant inattentive japa, I find it difficult to meditate

We live in a crazy world. The leaders are crazy, and all the people are crazy. Everything here is crazy. When we try to enlighten these crazy fools to save them from their craziness, they think that we are crazy. What can be done in such a helpless situation? We have to take shelter of Krishna. He will help us to be sane in this crazy world. And He will help us save some of these crazy souls and make them sane. We want to bring them all back to sanity. This is the mission givne to us by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Lord Caitanya's Most Glorious Sankirtan Movement Video For the Day Always Remember Krishna Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: Feeling Fearful Srila Gurudeva, it's raining a lot in Mumbai, and I am feeling very fearful. Please help. Sunil Answer: Just Take Shelter of Krishna Just take complete shelter of Krishna. He will always protect you. Sankarshan Das Adhikari

On Radhastami in 1973 in London Srila Prabhupada wonderfully spoke as follows: Therefore in Vrindavan you will see all devotees, they will address one another, "Jaya Radhe." Still. Because they know that "If Radharani is pleased, if I can please Radharani..." Radharani is presented, the original pleasure potency, always absorbed in thought of Krishna. So anyone who comes before Radharani to serve Krishna, oh, She becomes so pleased, "Oh, here is a devotee of Krishna." She immediately recommends, "Krishna, oh, here is a devotee. He is better than Me." This is Radharani. I may be a, not devotee. I may be most fallen rascal. But if I try to reach Krishna through Radharani, then my business is successful. Therefore we should worship Radharani first. That is our business. Instead of offering directly one flower to Krishna, you just put it in the hands of Radharani: "My mother Radharani, Jagan-mata, if you kindly take this flower and offer it t

Because of their intense compassion the devotees of Lord Sri Krishna are greatly pained to see the suffering of the souls who are caught up in the cycle of birth and death here in this material world. Therefore they dedicate their lives fully for as much possible making the world Krishna conscious. And because of their mood of compassion Krishna bestows His special mercy upon His devotees Krishna Is Greatly Pleased by the Compassion of His Devotees Video For the Day Beyond Happiness and Distress Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: What Does Prabhupada Mean? Srila Prabhupada says in a purport of Chapter 12 of the Bhagavad-gita that one can attain perfection simply by assisting the devotees of ISKCON. What did he mean by this? Your student Answer: Carefully Read and You Will Understand Srila Prabhupada makes it crystal clear. Here is what he states: "One who is not able even to practice the regulative principles of bhakti-yoga, under the guidance of a sp

Our most beloved Lord Sri Krishna, at the present moment we are helplessly drowning in this hellish material world caught up in the clutches of birth, death old age, and disease. We have no means of escaping this devastating quagmire by our own strength. Therefore we are totally dependent on Your mercy. You are indeed our only hope, and we thus beg you, "Please save us, please save us, please save us." Kindly heed our prayer and delivers us back to your eternal abode in that most wondrous spiritual sky. Krishna Is Calling Us Home Video For the Day Empty Prayer Room Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: Vedas Make One Demoniac? Can studying the Vedas lead to misunderstanding and make one demoniac like Hiranyakasipu? Your student Answer: Without Guru, Vedas Can Be Misused If one does not follow the Vedic injunction to study the Vedic wisdom under the guidance of the bona fide spiritual master, he may misuse the Vedic wisdom for his own demoniac purposes

This material world is no fit place for a gentleman's living, and there is not much more to be said in this connection. In other words, it a hellish nightmare even though it sometimes appears to be quite pleasant. The wonderful thing about Krishna consciousness is that it situates you beyond the disturbance, beyond the turbulence, because you become reconnected with your eternal loving relationship with Lord Sri Krishna, the most stupendously amazing Supreme Personality of Godhead. This relationship is so sublime and so beautiful that you become totally satisfied by it. What is happening in the material world becomes immaterial because it no longer personally pinches you. One however does feel greatly pinched to see the sufferings of all those who are not Krishna conscious. Thus he dedicates his entire life for trying to save them from the excruciating clutches of birth and death. This dedication makes him most dear to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Lord Sri Krishna appearing in His mos

Don't torture yourself, punish yourself, by not taking to Krishna consciousness. You are naturally Krishna's pure devotee, so why do anything else besides fully surrendering to Krishna? Nothing else makes any sense. Why would a fish want to suffer trying to live happily on the land, which is impossible for him, when he could be naturally and easily enjoying life while living in the water? This is simply a matter of common sense. Be Happy In Krishna Consciousness Video For the Day Nothing to Lose Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: Which is More Important? Which is more imporant: hearing, chanting, or remembering Krishna? Your student Answer: Hearing and Chanting Hearing and chanting is the foundation of remembering and are therefore more important. Sankarshan Das Adhikari

Today we are heading out on another lecture tour. This tour will take us to England, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, and India. We pray to Krishna that we will be successful in our mission to awaken the sleeping souls of this material world to Krishna because this is the only thing that can make them truly happy. All other pursuits besides Krishna consciousness are totally futile because they will simply ultimately make the people more miserable and frustrated. This is why we need, for benefit of all, to awaken the whole world to Krishna consciousness. Krishna Consciousness Will Change the World Video For the Day Whole World is Waiting Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: Any Way Besides Surrender? It's difficult to surrender to Krishna because there are so many conditions. The don'ts are too difficult. Is there any other way out of this material world besides surrender to Krishna? Your student Answer: You Could Suffer Perpetually Surre

This material world is a hellish nightmare, although sometimes we foolishly take it to be paradise. But ultimately the horrid nature of material existence reveals itself. And but if we take complete shelter of Krishna and our spiritual master, the bona fide representative of Krishna, everything will be alright. Upon leaving our present material body we will not take birth again here in this ghastly material existence. We will instead go back to home, back to Godhead to relish an eternal, all-blissful existence with Lord Sri Krishna and His beloved devotees in that most wondrous spiritual sky. This Is Where We Really Belong Video For the Day Solar Eclipse Memory Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: Difficulty in Chanting Dandavat pranam Gurudeva, How is your health? I am not able to control my mental stress in spite of chanting the maha mantra. I am fogged with so many mental problems and some times breathing becomes heavy. Kindly help me. Your obedient servant. M

There is never any reason to be morose because we are being bombarded by the unlimited mercy of Lord Sri Krishna at every minute. Therefore moroseness is simply a manifestation of gross ignorance. So don't be an ignorant fool. Always be a wise man by always remembering the unlimited kindness of our most beloved Lord Sri Krishna at every moment. Krishna is Stupendously Amazing Video For the Day Become Krishna Conscious Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: How Through Guru One Realizes God? My dear Srila Gurudeva, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. Your video for the day is becoming like a spiritual compass, guiding me to do more for Srila Prabhupada. Last month I began to reread Srimad Bhagavatam more scrutinizing. It's packed with so much nectar. I came across this which really inspired me: "Person Bhagavatam is the self-realized bona fide spiritual master, and through him only can one understand the lessons of Bha

The present day world leaders are not actual leaders. Rather they are mis-leaders because they are progressively step by step taking the world gradually into deeper and darker chaos. The only solution for this ever-worsening situation is Krishna conscious leadership. Only Krishna and His pure devotees can save the world civilization from eventual degradation into total anarchy. One Pure Devotee Can Save the World Video For the Day One Cloud Sky Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: One Round of Japa is Sufficient? If we chant just one round daily of the Hare Krishna mantra, will it be effective for our achieving spiritual perfection? Ritu Answer: At Least Sixteen Rounds Required Chanting one round of the Hare Krishna mahamantra daily on japa mala beads is a good beginning. This is 108 repetitions of this most sacred of all sound vibrations. When we chant it we are begging Krishna that we can fully surrender unto His instructions. In the Bhagavad-gita Krishna i

The devotee understands that on his own strength it is not possible for him to escape the cycle of birth and death. This can be compared to a person who is out in the water in the middle of the ocean where it is not possible to have enough strength to swim for the shore. The only hope for such a person to survive is if he is rescued by someone in a boat or a helicopter. Similarly the only hope for a conditioned soul who is drowning in the ocean of birth and death is to be rescued by the Lord or the Lord's devotee. Those Who Take Shelter Are Saved Video For the Day How to Conquer Calamities Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: How to Save My Parents? As my parents are against me I am not able to chant the holy name, Swamiji. My dad doesn't let me chant. He even kept the japa beads in a temple. He took away my Krishna book. I don't know what to do, Swamiji. But my wish is to bring my parents into Krishna consciousness. Please tell me some ways to brin

Our every day is dedicated to awakening pure love of God within our hearts and for sparking off a global spiritual revolution for bringing the human society back to their constitutional position as the eternal servants of Lord Sri Krishna. What could be a more blissful and enlightening lifestyle than this? We pity the poor fools who have not awakened their dormant Krishna consciousness, and thus we diligently strive every day to awaken them. May that day come soon. May that day come soon. Lord Sri Krishna, please bless us that that day may come very soon when the whole world becomes Krishna conscious! Lord Caitanya Wants to Deliver All the Fallen Souls Video For the Day The Blessing of Distress Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Problem: I Cannot Focus on My Career Hare Krishna. I read the Bhagavad-gita; I chant japa; I take prasadam; and I listen to Krishna conscious lectures. But I am not able to focus on my career and am confused about what to do. I feel that this wor

Srila Prabhupada saved me. I was a super idealistic youth during the 60's and early 70's, America's counter-cultural era. My life was dedicated to bringing about a love and peace revolution on planet earth. But the problem was that due to my being entangled in material sense gratification I was lacking these things myself. How could I bring love and peace to the world when I do not have these myself? But due to the sweet kindness of His Holiness Vishnujana Swami I was able to appreciate the necessity of becoming a disciple of the bona fide spiritual master. Thus I was accepted by Srila Prabhupada as his disciple on 12 August 1971 and was given the name "Sankarshan Das." Years later I read in Srila Prabhupada's books that Sankarshan means one attracts everyone. I was delighted with this discovery because my goal in life is to attract the whole world to Krishna consciousness. My Most Beloved Spiritual Master: His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupa

Here is an excerpt from a lecture by Srila Prabhupada in which he talks about Janmastami: So Krishna takes birth. That is Janmastami. So if anyone tries to understand why the Aja, the Unborn, takes birth, janma karma... And God, Krishna, who has nothing to do... That is the Vedic information. Na tasya karyam karanam ca vidyate. Why He has to do? Actually He hasn't got to do anything. He has to enjoy only. Just like we see the Deity Krishna is not working in the factory as a factory manager. He's enjoying the company of Radharani. We have to work. If we enjoy with our so-called Radharani, then we'll starve to death. We have to work. But God is not like that. Na tasya karyam karanam ca vidyate. Na tat-samas cabhyadhikas ca drsyate. These are the informations from Vedas, Upanisads, that He has nothing to do. Yes. That is real God. If God has to work, God has to do something, then what kind of God He is? Here, the so-called imitation Gods, even a rich man, he does not do anyth

Krishna clearly explains to Arjuna in the Adi-Purana: ye me bhakta-janāḥ pārtha na me bhaktāś ca te janāḥ mad-bhaktānāṁ ca ye bhaktās te me bhakta-tamā matāḥ "Those who are My direct devotees are actually not My devotees, but those who are the devotees of My servant are factually My devotees." Therefore if we want to be devotees of Krishna we must become the devotees of a bona fide spiritual master by fully devoting our lives to him. Disciples Are Totally Dedicated to Their Guru Video For the Day How to See Krishna Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: How to Deal with These Arguments? Srila Gurudeva, how to deal these arguments from a debate chat on the internet? Here's what was written on the chat: "Arun: How is Krishna's birth anniversary ascertained? 5,244th birth anniversary takes us back to Harappa period (around 2500 to 1750BC). How's this possible? Plus there must have been some geological and archaeological evidence to corrobora

Charles Darwin has it all wrong. We did not evolve from the monkeys. And the atheists have also got it all wrong. We did not come of nothing, nor will we return to nothing. We are all eternal spiritual beings, full of bliss and full of knowledge. By chanting Hare Krishna under the guidance of the bona fide spiritual master we will revive our eternal, fully cognizant, all-blissful spiritual identities. There is truly nothing greater than this! We Did Not Come from the Monkeys Video For the Day From the Forest of Delusion to the Forest of Vrindavan Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: Buddhist Nirvana and Krishna Consciousness Namaskar Gurudeva, I had couple of questions. Kindly enlighten me from solving these questions for me. Is achieving nirvana and Krishna consciousness the same thing? If not then what's different? Is either of them superior? Bhagavad-gita says many times that one should focus on the Supreme Personality and only then one will reach the tra

Srila Prabhupada was in the spiritual world and Krishna ordered him to come to this material and write books. Therefore there is no literature in the world that can be on the same level with Srila Prabhupada's books. If everyone will read Prabhupada's books, this world will be transformed into a paradise. Therefore we must flood this world with Srila Prabhupada's books. We must make them the most popular books in this world. Prahlada Distributes Bhakti Books in Mayapur Video For the Day The Glorious Srimad Bhagavatam Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: How Can Krishna Create Billions of Planets? Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. All glories to you. How do I understand that unlimited universes which contain unlimited tons of earth, water, fire, etc. all come from a person? How did Krishna create billions of sun's and other gigantic planets? This is inconceivable and bewilders me quite often. How to have full fai

Don't cheat yourself out of an eternal life, full of bliss, and knowledge. Surrender to Krishna and be the blissful, fully intelligent person that you are meant to be. It only due to ignorance that a person does not surrender to Krishna. Therefore let us enlighten the whole world now about this most amazing science known as Krishna consciousness. It will be the most revolutionary thing that ever happened in world history. May the Whole World Now Become Krishna Conscious Video For the Day The Glorious Srimad Bhagavatam Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: Déjà Vu and the Tatastha Region? Dear Prabhu, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada Hope this meets you in good health and wonderful bhajan. Thank you for your continued support and teachings. I wanted to ask you about the meaning of déjà vu. Recently I stayed in the Boston Temple and it all seemed already familiar in spite of me being there first time. I'm also getting seco

One of my most treasured memories from my 46 years in ISKCON is the time I went to jail for committing the" most heinous crime" of distributing Back To Godhead Magazine. I was distributing Back to Godhead, the world’s greatest magazine, at a parking lot in Leesburg, Florida back in the early 70’s feeling very eager to share Srila Prabhupada’s mercy with the suffering people of Leesburg. A police car pulled up. I was approached by a police officer and immediately put under arrest. In the squad car I was driven to jail and given my new home in a private cell. I was there locked up for 36 hours. In those days we used to give out prasadam candy when we approached people to warm them up to getting a book or a magazine. I did not eat any jail food. My diet was the prasadam candy that I had with me while distributing. I also used that candy for counting how many rounds I had completed while chanting japa on my fingers. Each time I finished a round I would move a piece of candy from

There is truly no one more stupendously amazing than Lord Sri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Lord Brahma describes a few of his unlimited inconceivably awesome, wondrous attributes as follows: aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti paśyanti pānti kalayanti ciraṁ jaganti ānanda-cinmaya-sad-ujjvala-vigrahasya govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi "I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, whose transcendental form is full of bliss, truth, substantiality and is thus full of the most dazzling splendor. Each of the limbs of that transcendental figure possesses in Himself, the full-fledged functions of all the organs, and eternally sees, maintains and manifests the infinite universes, both spiritual and mundane." --Brahma Samhita 5.32 Just imagine such a person! And just imagine the opportunity to become one of his intimate eternal associates! That is the process known as Krishna consciousness that we are teaching you every day in Thought for the Day. Take full advantage

My goal in life is to make the whole world Krishna conscious. Before I leave my present body I want to see that the whole world has become Krishna conscious. I want that all leaders in every facet of the world society should be devotees of the Supreme Lord. This includes and is not limited to leaders in the fields of government, education, business, science, and entertainment. It bothers me greatly to see a world in which so much abuse and cruelty is going on in an overwhelming scale, a world in which everyone is being dragged down to the animal kingdom or even lower in their next lives due to so much uncontrolled sinful activity. Therefore I want to be a force for change. I want to revolutionize the world. Someday the Whole World Will Be Drowned in Bhakti Video For the Day Be Who You Really Are Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: How Did You Break Maya's Bond to Become Devotee? Gurudeva, I came to know that you were a Christian before you became Krishna'

Fully detaching ourselves from the pains and pleasures of this material existence we should fully absorb ourselves in loving service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna and to his pure representative, the bona fide spiritual master. In this way we will become liberated souls no long disturbed by this pinches of this material energy. Our Real Home is With Krishna in the Spiritual World Video For the Day Unlimited Things to Say About Krishna Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: Why Not Aspire for Material Success? All respect to you. All of my family tell me that everyone of my friends, cousins and other relatives are earning so much wealth, they have got so much reputation in the society, so why don't you aspire to do something and reduce Krishna consciousness? How should I reply to them so that I can give a tight slap to them by using words? Aditya Kulkarni Answer: Material Success is Only Temporary Tell them that all of these achieveme

It is very rare for someone to take seriously to the process of Krishna conscious because the entire world population is completely caught in the maddened pursuit of material sense gratification at every minute. The foolish people think that they will lose out or miss something if they seriously take to the path of Krishna bhakti. They do not realize that the only thing they will lose by surrendering to Krishna is their anxiety. Krishna promises us that for those who surrender He will preserve what they have and provide whatever they lack. So there is absolutely nothing to lose by surrendering to Krishna except for our anxiety and absolutely everything to gain. Therefore who is that fool who will not surrender fully to Krishna? Krishna Relieves Arjuna from All Anxiety Video For the Day Transcend Your Body Answers by Citing the Vedic Version Question: Could a Monkey Have Written the Bhagavad-gita? Thank you, Gurudeva, for taking out the time out of your schedule and under

Srila Prabhupada explains as follows in his purport to Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 2, Chapter 8, Text 5: "It is said that a single pure devotee of the Lord can deliver all the fallen souls of the world. Thus one who is actually in the confidence of a pure devotee like Narada or Sukadeva Gosvami and thus is empowered by one's spiritual master, as Narada was by Brahmaji, can not only deliver himself from the clutches of maya, or illusion, but can deliver the whole world by his pure and empowered devotional strength. The comparison to the autumnal rain that falls on muddy reservoirs of water is very appropriate. During the rainy season, all the waters of the rivers become muddy, but in the month of July-August, the autumn season, when there is a slight rainfall, the muddy waters of the rivers all over the world become at once clear. By addition of some chemical, a small reservoir of water like that of a metropolitan waterworks tank can be cleared, but by such a tiny effort it is no

Being bedridden with a herniated disc has been a blessing in disguise. It has given me the opportunity to read a most wonderful book by my dear godsister, Visakha Dasi. Reading her book, "Five Years, Eleven Months and a lifetime of unexpected love”, has been the most wonderful, exhilarating experience for me. Visakha Dasi takes us not only on a mystical journey to spiritual India. She takes even more amazingly into the inner regions of her psyche as she undergoes the most astoundingly transformational metamorphosis of all: spiritual awakening. This book will remain as one of the greatest treasures in my personal library. I will always remember and reflect on her most wondrous experience and what I can learn from her for achieving my own perfection of consciousness. To get a copy of her book, click on this link. Her website is: www.Our-Spiritual-Journey.com Front Cover of Visakha Dasi's Book Video For the Day Awaken Your Krishna Consciousness Answers by Citing the V