Ultimate Self Realization

There are 8,400,000 different forms of life in the categories of fish, plants, worms and reptiles, birds, beasts, and humans. Out of these 8,400,000 different forms this human form is a very rare opportunity to get out of the cycle of birth and death. Therefore those who are actually intelligent take full advantage of this rare opportunity and fully qualify themselves for going back to home, back to Godhead by taking shelter and initiation from the bona fide spiritual master and then being fully obedient to him. This is simple formula for achieving the highest perfection. Now That You've Got a Human Form, What to Do? Video for the Day Krishna Removes All Obstacles Answers According to Vedic Wisdom Question: Who is the Demon in the Kali Yuga? Srila Gurudeva, according to the different yugas or ages there are demons. For example in the Satya yuga there is Hiranyakasipu, in the Treta yuga here is Ravana, and in the the Dvapara yuga there is Duryodhana. So my question is...

In this material world, which is not our real home, people tend to take the land of their present birth as their actual home, even though they have thousands and millions of births in thousands and millions of places. Thus it clearly seen that their material conception of home is fallacious. Our real home is that place from which we have originally come. That place is the spiritual world. The human form of life is an opportunity given by God for us to get back to our original home by the process of bhakti yoga, dovetailing all of our thoughts, words, and deeds with the pleasure of that Supreme Person, who is the origin of our existence. Why Suffer Here in the Material World? Come Back Now to Your Real Home! Video for the Day Our Wonderful Lord Brahma Answers According to Vedic Wisdom Question: Why Do Devotees Suffer from Health Issues? Recently I have come across a few cases where people were suffering from serious health issues. A few of them are ISKCON members also, wh...

Krishna wants to have a fully reciprocal loving relationship with each of us. Thus He has made Himself fully available to us in the form of His name. Therefore if we will chant His name with complete, total love and devotion, He will fully bestow His unlimited causeless mercy upon us. This is why we should take our chanting of japa very seriously as the most important thing we do every day. In this way if we will always prioritize our japa, we will make very rapid progress on the most sublime pathway back to home. back to Godhead. So what we are we waiting for? Let's chant the highest possible quality japa we can muster every day starting today and henceforward for our entire lives. In this way we will reap the highest benefit. Connecting with Krishna is Unlimitedly Blissful Video for the Day Krishna Acts Through His Expansions Answers According to Vedic Wisdom Question: Requirements for Second Initiation? Dear Gurudeva, All Glories to His Divine Grace Srila Prabhu...

On 6 January 1972 Srila Prabhupada wrote a letter to one of his leading disciples in which he stated, "As much as possible read, chant, and preach. This is our life and soul. If we keep to this simple formula, there is no doubt that we will be victorious wherever we go and and very soon we shall become the only religion in the world." So this is our duty to obey these instructions. If we do so, very soon Krishna consciousness will indeed be the world religion and our planet will be blessed with an amazing era of peace and prosperity that will last for thousands of years. Therefore, each of us should diligently engage in chanting Hare Krishna, reading Srila Prabhupada's books, and preaching as much as we possibly can. This will guarantee our perfection and bestow the highest good fortune upon the entire world population. Hare Krishna Kirtan Can Unite the World Video for the Day With the Infinity of the Worlds in the Pores of His Hair Answers According to Vedic ...

Just as the sun emanates its rays all over the universe, Lord Sri Krishna is emanating from Himself an infinite number of living beings all over existence. His purpose of doing so is to facilitate His enjoying an unlimited number of loving relationships. What He desires is to have a deeply intimate loving relationship with each and every one of His beloved expanded parts and parcels. So this is why we exist. We exist simply for loving Krishna. There is no other reason for our existence. Therefore when we love Krishna we enjoy inconceivable sublime happiness at every minute and when we do not love Krishna there is absolutely no way that we can ever experience any genuine happiness, although we foolishly again and again imagine that we are doing so. Krishna's Abode: the Land of Unlimited Bliss Video for the Day Everything is Krishna's Expanded Energy Answers According to Vedic Wisdom Question: Take Birth Again for Preaching? Hare Krishna Dear Srila Gurudeva and Sri...

Our duty is to save ourselves and save the world. To whatever extent we have succeeded in saving ourselves, to that extent we will be potent for saving the world. Therefore, not only for own sake but also for the sake of all the lost, fallen souls of this material world, we should be diligently striving for one hundred pure bhakti within our hearts at every minute. This will give us the greatest potency for making the entire world Krishna conscious as soon as possible. There is truly no lifestyle more invigorating and fulfiling than this. This is absolutely the greatest bliss. Therefore all thoughtful persons should immediately dedicate themselves for attaining pure devotion as soon as possible as well as for making the whole world Krishna conscious as soon as possible. This will be the most ecstatic, enlivening existence that one could ever imagine. It can be ours right now if we will simply put our consicousness in the right place. Only our lack of faith is holding us back. Lord C...

Lord Sri Krishna is blessing us unlimitedly at every minute. We simply must learn the art of appreciating His pure love and always fully reciprocating with His pure love. This will be the perfection of our existence and the complete total destruction of all our distress. So we should not hesitate to fully surrender ourselves unto Lord Sri Krishna right now. That we still continue hesitating to fully surrender to Krishna is our greatest blunder. So it's time for us to wake up, to come to our senses, and to fully absorb ourselves in loving and serving Lord Sri Krishna in all times, places, an circumstances for now and for all of eternity. Krishna Is Unlimitedly Blessing Us At Every Moment Video for the Day Durga is Not the Supreme Person Answers According to Vedic Wisdom Question: How to Join ISKCON? How to join and do work for your ISKCON mission? Subash Answer: Report to Your Nearest ISKCON Center If you would like to work for our mission, we heartily welcome yo...

Why suffer here unnecessarily in this rotten material world when we can return to our original, all-blissful home in the spiritual sky? Even though we most foolishly abandoned our eternal home in Lord Sri Krishna's abode in a vain attempt to try to enjoy separately from Him, Krishna is very kindly bestowing His unlimited mercy upon us to facilitate our coming back to Him. Let us all now take full advanage of His mercy and make our lives perfect. This is really the only sensible thing that we can do. Anything else is sheer madness. Goloka Vrindavan, the Land of Unlimited Bliss Video for the Day Returning to the Supreme Abode Answers According to Vedic Wisdom Question: How to Control My Mind? Hi, Sir. I'm so happy and my mind is cool with your Thought for the Day. But I need some suggestions for controlling my mind because it keeps running away. How to control my mind? Phani Gopal Answer: Chant Hare Krishna and Avoid These If you will chant at least 16 round...

In his purport to Bhagavad-gita 18.26 Srila Prabhupada wonderfully describes how Krishna's devotee is always enthusiastic: "A person in Krsna consciousness is always transcendental to the material modes of nature. He has no expectations for the result of the work entrusted to him, because he is above false ego and pride. Still, he is always enthusiastic till the completion of such work. He does not worry about the distress undertaken; he is always enthusiastic. He does not care for success or failure; he is equal in both distress and happiness. Such a worker is situated in the mode of goodness." So now we have to train ourselves to always be like this. This will be the perfection of our existence. Krishna's Devotees are Super Enthusiastic Video for the Day Krishna's Amazing Pastimes Dominate the Mundane World Answers According to Vedic Wisdom Complaint: Krishna is Not Correct It is not correct for Lord Krishna to ask me to make choices: “Do you...

When my our most beloved ISKCON Founder-Acharya, His Divine A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who is my most beloved spiritual master, wrote a Vyas Puja homage to his spiritual master he prayed, "Save me a fallen, Your Divine Grace." In this way Srila Prabhupada, even though a fully liberated soul, is teaching us struggling, neophyte devotees what our mood should be. We should always as much as possible be praying to Lord Sri Krishna and to our spiritual master to save us from our fallen position of being caught up in the cycle of birth and death here in this material world due to our stubbornly holding onto our so many material desires. If we are always in this "save me a fallen" mood, we will always be solidly fixed on the transcendental platform in ecstatic Krishna consciousness. Krishna Saves His Devotee from the Ocean of Birth and Death Video for the Day Krishna is the Support of All Existence Answers According to Vedic Knowledge Question: How ...

In this world there is nothing more sublime, pure, and wonderful than the association of Krishna's devotees because such association, if taken in the proper manner, bestows the highest benediction upon the conditioned living beings who are currently caught up in the cycle of repeated birth and death. Such association liberates us from all suffering and delivers us back to our original identities that we once had in the spiritual world before we fell down into this rotten material existence. Therefore we must always take advantage of this greatest of all blessings, the association of Lord Sri Krishna's devotees. This will enable to quickly and easily attain the supreme perfection of going back to home, back to Godhead. Devotee Association is Simply Wonderful Video for the Day Blessed by Srila Prabhupada Answers According to Vedic Knowledge Question: Should We Give Up Sex? My wife and I have lost interest in material desires like big car, big house or luxury life...

The current world atmosphere is becoming more and more godless with every passing year. This is why our modern day society is facing more and more horrific, nightmarish, disastrous situations. The only real solution for the problems of the world is to put God back in the center of every aspect of the human society. This is our mission. If only the world leaders would hear from us and accept our guidance. This would solve all the problems of the world. We Need to Put Krishna or God Back in the Center Video for the Day Most Perfect Realization of the Absolute Truth Answers According to Vedic Knowledge Question: What Does Enjoy with Krishna Mean? We hear often that one should not enjoy separately from Krishna. So what does it mean to enjoy with Krishna? Rupa Manjari Devi Dasi Answer: It Means to Give Service to Krishna Srila Prabhupada has very nicely answered your nice question as follows: "Real happiness is to enjoy with Rama, enjoy with Krishna. What is th...

The American nation is shocked that on 14 February 2018 at a high school in Parkland, Florida a disgruntled former student using an AR-15 rifle killed 17 people and wounded 16. Government officials are saying that this was caused by insufficient laws. But we students of the Vedic literature know that this is not the real underlying cause. What goes around comes around. When a school is turned into a slaughterhouse it is a karmic reaction for our regularly sending cows to the slaughterhouse. The way it works is this: When we send our mother, the cow, to the slaughterhouse, we will also be forced by law of karma to send our children to a place that becomes a slaughterhouse. Therefore the real solution for such violence is that we must stop sending the cows to the slaughterhouse. What Goes Around Comes Around Video for the Day Amazing Krishna is Self Manifested Answers According to Vedic Knowledge Question: Depressed and No Job I am really depressed and have no job. What sh...

By diving deeply into the ocean of Krishna's unlimitedly relishable holy names one experiences his true self beyond his temporary, rotting material body. He experiences his actual self, which is eternal, full of bliss, and full of knowledge. So who is that ignorant fool who would not want to take advantage of this sublime process of chanting the holy names of God? Devotees Chant Hare Krishna in Great Ecstasy Video for the Day Seeing Krishna Within and Without Answers According to Vedic Knowledge Question: How to Surrender to Krishna? My Dear Respected Gurudeva, Please accept my dandavat to your lotus feet. All glories to His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada. I am reading the book "The Second Chance" where the glories of the holy name is on every page. Srila Prabhupada repeatedly states Krishna's wish is that we give up all so-called religions and simply surrender to Him. This sounds simple. But then how I do really surrender to Him? I pray every day t...

Today, 14 February 2018, is Shiva Ratri, the appearance day of Lord Shiva. Srila Prabhupada describes the relationship between Lord Krishna and Lord Shiva as follows: "Lord Krishna is also known as avatari, which means, 'one from whom all the incarnations emanate.' In Bhagavad-gita (10.8) Lord Krishna says, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate: 'I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me.' Thus Lord Krishna is the origin of everyone's appearance. As far as this material world is concerned, Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva are all emanations from Krishna. These three incarnations of Krishna are called guna-avatars. The material world is governed by three material modes of nature, and Lord Vishnu, Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva respectively take charge of the modes of goodness, passion and ignorance." Lord Shiva is described as follows in the Brahma-samhita, Chapter 5, Text 45: kṣīraṁ yathā dadhi vi...

Srila Prabhupada states that our real mission is to deliver the world by preaching the message of Krishna to others, but that the highest realization is to save oneself. This makes perfect sense because if you haven't saved yourself, how can you save others? You can only give Krishna to others if you have Krishna yourself. Therefore the foundation of our world deliverance mission is to awaken Krishna consciousness within our own hearts. If we do not do so, there is no question of a world deliverance mission. Our mission can only be successful to the extent that we have awakened Krishna consciousness within our own hearts. So this must always be our first focus. Srila Prabhupada Wants Us to Krishnize the World Video for the Day Regain Your Original, Natural Beauty Answers According to Vedic Knowledge Question: Why Should I Accept that Krishna is God? Why should I accept that Krishna is God? Your student Answer: He is the Source of Everything We know that Krishna ...

Srila Prabhupada has given us the order to deliver the world by making everyone Krishna conscious, an incredibly herculean task no doubt. We cannot do this alone. That would be impossible. But if we can get sufficient help, it is possible that we make a significant impact on global history for delivering countless millions of people from being forced to go down to the animal kingdom in their next lives due to their unrestricted indulgence in sinful activities. Therefore we are approaching you humbly with folded palms begging you to please assist us in our world deliverance mission. There are four ways that you can be of assistance. The first way is to volunteer your time (either full time or part time) to work alongside us in our various missionary activities such as temple service, book distribution, and public chanting. The second way is give financial support for funding our missionary activities. Ideally those who would like to serve in this way should join our monthly donor p...

Srila Prabhupada very wonderfully explains as follows the highest ecstasy, to be mad after God: "So the Bhagavad-gita is the science of how to know God. The preliminary science. If you want to know more, then read Srimad-Bhagavatam. And if you are in intense love with God, read Caitanya-caritamrita—how your love for God can be still more intensified. That is Caitanya-caritamrita. So Bhagavad-gita is the preliminary book: to understand God and surrender. And from the surrendering point, further progress—that is Srimad-Bhagavatam. And when the love is intense, to make it more intensified—that is Caitanya-caritamrita. Caitanya Mahaprabhu was mad after God. He cried, śūnyāyitam jagat sarvaṁ govinda viraheṇa me: 'I find everything vacant without Krishna.' That is the supreme ecstasy. So these things cannot happen without love. If you love somebody and he's not there, you find everything vacant. So Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu felt this way about Krishna—lover and beloved. Śūn...

Things are not always smooth and easy here in this material world. Sometimes we face very, very difficult situations. While such times are psychologically devastating for materialists they are the greatest window of opportunity for the spiritualists. This is so because the spiritualists see the loving hand of Krishna blessing them in all situations here in this material dimension, both when times are good and when times are bad. In this way for the spiritualist there is never any situation when things are truly bad. He simply fully utilizes each and every situation he finds himself to advance himself further and further on the path of spiritual realization so that every soon he can become fully awakened by attaining the perfectional stage of pure love of God. Isn't this what we should all be living for at every minute? Krishna and the Gopis Video for the Day Capture Krishna With Your Loveay 10 February 2018 Answers According to Vedic Knowledge Question: How to Apply B...

The path of spiritual awakening has four stages: 1. Unconscious incompetence 2. Conscious incompetence 3. Conscious competence 4. Unconscious competence In the beginning we are doing so many things wrong, making so many mistakes, but we don't realize it. We are blind to our mistakes. Once we take seriously to the path of spiritual awakening we are blessed by the spiritual master and the senior devotees by being corrected again and again for our mistakes. In this way we become conscious of our incompetence. And in this way we become more and more humble. This is very good for us. By taking very seriously the corrections received we gradually become more and more free from making mistakes and we achieve the stage of conscious competence. The final stage, the perfectional stage, is when we attain absolutely pure love of God and we spontaneously are doing everything perfectly. At this stage of unconscious comeptence we are automatically always doing the right thing. So the nex...

Remaining in material consciousness means torturing yourself. And there is not much more to be said in the connection. Why would someone choose to experience temporality, ignorance, and misery when they could instead be tasting eternality, bliss, and knowledge? The only reason this is going on all over the world with practically the entire human population is due to miseducation. People have been trained in the wrong way. Therefore our program is to re-educate the entire human population so that everyone can experience genuine peace and happiness at every minute. Kindly fully dedicate your life for assisting us in our global re-education initiative. If you do so, this will immediately liberate you from material consciousness and situate you solidly on the transcendental platform. Krishna Wants You to Come Back Home Video for the Day Amazingly Adorable Krishna Answers According to Vedic Knowledge Question: How Envy Manifests in Spiritual World?​​​​​​​ Srila Gurudeva, Ple...

Our mission is to attract the whole world to Krishna because this will solve all the problems of the world making everyone in every corner of the world unlimitedly happy. Factually, whether they know it or not, everyone is already attracted to Krishna. It is just at the present time everyone here in this material world is manifesting their attraction by running madly after Krishna's shadow, the material energy. If someone were to offer us a delicious meal and the shadow of delicious meal, which would we prefer to accept? The choice is obvious. We would accept the delicious meal. So now through the process of education we have to guide the people how to factually experience the greatest pleasure of Krishna directly instead of His shadow, this material energy. If we are fully convinced and determined to enlighten them, we will be successful in our mission of attracting the whole world to Krishna. So now taking complete shelter of Guru and Krishna we must simply act intelligently and...

The impersonalists accept that God exists. But they say that He has no form, no personality, no qualities, and no activities. He is simply the oneness and He is not really He. He is really just "it." Such so-called acceptance of God is useless because you cannot have a loving relationship with such a God. The ultimate conclusion of the impersonalists is that we are all God. But since God means the Supreme, who is one without a second, if we are all God then factually there is no God. Thus impersonalism is simply covered atheism. Lord Sri Krishna and the Gopis Lecture by Sankarshan Das Adhikari: The Appearance Day of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Click here now to hear the lecture. Video for the Day The Supreme Lord is a Cowherd Boy Answers According to Vedic Knowledge Question: How to Deepen My Mood of Bhakti?​​​​​​​ Hare Krishna Dear Srila Gurudev and Srimati Gurumataji, Please accept my humble obeisances, All Glories to Srila Pabhupada I have a question...

Many people nowadays foolishly adopt atheism because they were not taught about God in a logical, scientific way. The beauty of Krishna conscious philosophy is that we scientifically, logically understand why God must exist, as the original source of all existence. Since it is scientifically observable that nothing comes from and that everything comes from something, there must therefore be an original something from which everything has come. And since the original source must have within itself everything which it is able to emanate, and since so many persons have come from that original source, that original source must necessarily possess personality and hence be a person. Congratulations! If you have followed my line of logic, you have just scientifically understood God. Lord Sri Krishna and the Gopis Video for the Day Rise Early for Unlimited Bliss Answers According to Vedic Knowledge Question: How to Serve the Devotees?​​​​​​​ Since I heard it explained that the...

At the present moment there is a devastating drought in Capetown, South Africa, a city of four million people. The lack of rainfall is so acute that their water reservoir is on the verge of completely drying up. Officials there are predicting that by April 16 of this year (2018) the water taps throughout the entire city will be turned off. There will no more water. They are completely perplexed what to do about this situation because they factually have no solution. We, the followers of the process of Krishna consciousness, however, are not perplexed by this situation because we know exactly what is the cause of this drought and what is the solution for this drought. In this connection our beloved Founder:Acharya, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktvedanta Swami Prabhupada writes as follows in his purport to Srimad Bhagavatam, Ninth Canto, Chapter 1, Text 17: "In these days of drought, people can gain relief from scarcity of rain and food by the simple method of the Hare Krishna yaj...