Ultimate Self Realization

In the Ādi-līlā Purāṇa there is the following statement by Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself, addressed to Arjuna: "My dear Pārtha, one who claims to be My devotee is not so. Only a person who claims to be the devotee of My devotee is actually My devotee." It is a fact that devotee association is the key for getting the special blessings of Krishna. Just like the other day on Gaura Purnima, the appearance day of Lord Caitanya, Gurumataji gave the most sublime instruction that all those devotees who were not fully engaged in doing service on that day should chant 64 rounds of Hare Krishna mantra japa. Those devotees who followed Gurumataji's instruction derived great, great benefit and got special mercy on most the auspicious day of the Lord's appearing as Lord Caitanya. They all practically experienced the most benefit of being the devotee of Krishna'a devotee. We should all learn from this and always be devoted to Krishna's devotees because only in this way can our devotion

The highest truth is not a mystery to us because Śrīla Vyāsadeva explains what it is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.1.2): dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo ’tra paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satāṁ vedyaṁ vāstavam atra vastu śiva-daṁ tāpa-trayonmūlanam “Completely rejecting all religions which are materially motivated, the Bhāgavata Purāṇa propounds the highest truth, which is understandable by those devotees who are pure in heart. The highest truth is reality distinguished from illusion for the welfare of all. Such truth uproots the threefold miseries.” So let us all now fully realize the highest truth by the authorized method revealed to us by Lord Sri Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita, which is complete, total surrender to Guru and Krishna by accepting their orders as our very life and soul. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Srila Vyasadeva Reveals the Highest Truth Answers According to the Vedic Wisdom Question: Why Can't I Realize My Non-Existence? In spirituality it is said that you are not the body or mind and that t

Our tendency when we are unhappy is to blame our unhappiness on the external situation. This could be the way that someone is treating us, a health issue, the weather, our financial status, or so many other things. Our tendency is to think that we will find happiness by adjusting the situation or removing ourselves from that situation. But nothing could further from the truth. The real cause of our unhappiness in any situation is simply our lack of Krishna consciousness. We are not connected with Krishna. As soon we reconnect with Krishna by being in a mood of serving Him with love we will be totally happy in any and all situations. So the next time you are miserable don't torture yourself. Simply give your love to Krishna and you'll be the happiest person in the whole world. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Prasadam Picnic at ISKCON Austin Answers According to the Vedic Wisdom Question: Why Are Spiritual Books Most Important? Why are spiritual books the most important in today's li

Today is the most auspicious occasion of Gaura Purnima, the transcendental appearance day of Lord Caitanya. If you are not engaged today in devotional service to Lord Caitanya, it is recommended that you should chant at least 64 rounds of Hare Krishna japa mala. We are most fortunate to blessed today by the unlimitedly auspicious opportunity of hearing Srila Prabhupada give a Gaura Purnima lecture in Mayapur, West Bengal, India, the birth place of Lord Caitanya. This lecture was recorded on 16 March 1976: Click here for Audio of Lecture Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: "In this way, my Lord, You have appeared in different incarnations—as human beings, as animals, as a great saintly person, as demigods and as a fish and a tortoise. In this way You maintain the whole creation in different planetary systems and kill the demoniac principles in every age. My Lord, You therefore protect the principles of religion. In the age of Kali You do not assert Yourself as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefor

In the Spring of 1971 I was staying with a friend named Mike Bridges in his apartment in Austin, Texas intensely desiring spiritual perfection. Seeing Lord Jesus Christ as a spiritually perfect being because of his total surrender to the will of God, I was seriously studying the Bible every day and begging God to guide me how I could be His perfect servant. Then on a most auspicious Sunday morning there was a providential knock on the door of Mike’s apartment. It was Mike’s friend, Margaret, who lived just down the street. She told us, “There’s a Hare Krishna swami in town, and he will be in my apartment in one hour.” So one hour later I made sure that I was there. And who did I meet but a very warm and friendly Hare Krishna devotee, His Holiness Vishnujana Swami. The swami had been ordered by his spiritual master to open ten temples. He has already opened the first of the ten in Houston, and thus had nine more to go. He had been inspired to come to Austin because he heard that there w

Our mission in this Krishna consciousness movement given to us by Lord Caitanya and Srila Prabhupada is to lead the world out of chaos. We are very pained to see how all the people in the world are spoiling their lives by totally absorbing themselves in material sense gratification and thus relegating themselves to take their next birth and many births thereafter in the animal kingdom. Thus we sing every morning, "bahir nṛsiṁho hṛdaye nṛsiṁhaḥ" which means, as explained by Srila Prabhupada in his purport to Srimad Bhagavatam, Fifth Canto, Chapter 18, Text 9, "Let Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva sit in the core of my heart, killing all my bad propensities. Let my mind become clean so that I may peacefully worship the Lord and bring peace to the entire world." We want to become pure devotees so that we can make the whole world Krishna conscious as soon as possible so that everyone can be peaceful and happy and qualified to go back to home, back to Godhead after leaving their present

In this material world it is very popular for people to hanker after a financially lucrative career such as being a scientist, a doctor, a lawyer, a businessman, a politician, a college professor, a Hollywood actor, etc. But they do not know that the ultimate career is to be a preacher of Krishna consciousness. Those who wisely choose this ultimate career may also for sake of earning a livelihood be scientists, doctors, lawyers, politicians, etc. But they do take this to be very important or significant. They take their real career to be preaching Krishna consciousness for the deliverance of the fallen souls of this material world back to home, back to Godhead. So we are inviting those who are not already doing so to fully dedicate their lives for making the world Krishna conscious. Revolutionize your heart, revolutionize the world. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Everyone is Blessed by Reading Prabhupada's Books Srila Prabhupada's Books Will Save the World Answers According to the Ved

On 21 March 2021 I accepted Lizette Monty, a realtor and certified yoga instructor from Miami, Florida, as my duly initiated disciple. She is now known as Lilasmriti Devi Dasi. It is very encouraging for me when people from the USA take this process of Krishna consciousness very seriously and become disciples because Srila Prabhupada was especially eager to make the American people Krishna conscious. That's why he came to America in 1965 to begin this movement. Srila Prabhupada's eagerness to make America Krishna conscious is nicely expressed by him in a morning walk conversation on 11 December 1973 in Los Angeles. Srila Prabhupada said, ""That is my ambition. I want to begin one revolution. Their godless civilization..., against godless civilization. That is my ambition. The America will be the best person to be educated in this line and to lead, to become the leaders. They're already leader, but they must be real leader now, so that the whole world may be happy.

The Srimad Bhagavad (11th Canto, Chapter 25, Text 18) gives us the philosophical, scientific knowledge which empowers us that if we ever get attacked by depression we can immediately kick it out of our hearts: sīdac cittaṁ vilīyeta cetaso grahaṇe 'kṣamam mano naṣṭaṁ tamo glānis tamas tad upadhāraya "When one's higher awareness fails and finally disappears and one is thus unable to concentrate his attention, his mind is ruined and manifests ignorance and depression. You should understand this situation to be the predominance of the mode of ignorance." So this depression comes when finds himself in the mode of ignorance. The good news is that this mode of ignorance, which devastates our consciousness, can immediately be overcome by remembering the astoundingly amazing name, fame, qualities, entourage, and paraphernalia of that all-beautiful, all-powerful, fully renounced, all-knowing, unlimitedly wealthy, totally renounced Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishn

Instead of living for your own pleasure, live instead for the pleasure of Lord Sri Krishna with your every thought, word, and deed in all times, places, and circumstances. You will be absolutely amazed by your transformation of consciousness. If you don't believe me, just give it a try and you will realize that it was the smartest decision that you ever made in thousands and millions of lifetimes. Sankarshan Das Adhikari When You Please Krishna You Become Unlimitedly Happy Answers According to the Vedic Wisdom Question: How to Do Some Good Work to the World? Hi Sankarshan Dasji, Namaskar, I got your email from one of your student, Param Bhatt, whom I was discussing about couple issues, and he felt you can answer those questions better. I am Indian, but living in Canada now and practicing physiotherapy. I want to do some good to world before I leave this body not because I want name or fame or money, but I just want to use my body wisely, and I can not get that motivation or don’t

Srila Prabhupada explains as follows in his purport to Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 3, Chapter 26, Text 57: "It is understood herewith that the faculty to discharge semen is the cause of death. Therefore, yogīs and transcendentalists who want to live for greater spans of life voluntarily restrain themselves from discharging semen. The more one can restrain the discharge of semen, the more one can be aloof from the problem of death. There are many yogīs living up to three hundred or seven hundred years by this process, and in the Bhāgavatam it is clearly stated that discharging semen is the cause of horrible death. The more one is addicted to sexual enjoyment, the more susceptible he is to a quick death." This is why those in Krishna consciousness very wisely never pass semen except in the case when they want to make their wife pregnant. This regulated passing of semen is allowed once in a month 4-6 days after the woman's menstrual cycle, that time when she is most likely to b

Srila Prabhupada explains in a question and answer session following a lecture on the Bhagavad-gītā given in Durban, South Africa on 11 October 1975: Indian man: Swamiji, I would like to ask you one question, and that is in this time of Kali-yuga, is it possible that a layman could see the Paramātmā with his naked eye? And if he can, what he has to do or what? Prabhupāda: So the Paramātmā cannot be seen with your naked eye. You cannot see anything with your naked eye. You are very much proud of your eyes, but you do not see things as they are. Just like you are seeing daily the sun. You see it is just like a disk, but it is not a disk. It is fourteen hundred times, fourteen hundred thousand times bigger than this planet. So you cannot see God, Paramātmā, by these eyes, these material eyes. You have to create your eyes. That is said, premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti yaṁ śyāmasundaram acintya-guṇa-svarūpaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi I

 Srila Prabhupada explains in a Bhagavad-gita lecture given on 4 September 1973 in London: "When the gopis were crying in separation from Krishna, that is greater happiness than meeting Krishna. This is Krishna philosophy." We can also understand this from our experience in this material world. When we are with persons we love there are loving feelings in our dealings with them. But when we are separated from them our loving feelings are magnified greatly in the pangs of missing them. This is why the highest ecstasy of Krishna consciousness is to feel separation from Krishna. Therefore the Six Goswamis kept themselves always in this mood of feeling separation from Krishna constantly searching for Him as described in this prayer by Śrīnivāsācārya. (Ṣaḍ-gosvāmy-aṣṭaka 8): he rādhe vraja-devike ca lalite he nanda-sūno kutaḥ śrī-govardhana-kalpa-pādapa-tale kālindī-vane kutaḥ ghoṣantāv iti sarvato vraja-pure khedair mahā-vihvalau vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-go

For Michael the highest truth is become one with everything. So he is fascinated to learn that there is a higher level of realization than merging into oneness. Here is the interview: https://youtu.be/aZ1Vm-i8S4Q Sankarshan Das Adhikari Michael Malone Answers According to the Vedic Wisdom Question: Kali Yuga Will End Early? Dear Guru Maharaj, Please accept my obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. In the Satvarupa Dasa Goswami book about Srila Prabhupada, it is written: "Everything is possible by the will of the Supreme Lord. Even with the acceleration of the Kali yuga the golden age can begin and people can breathe easier." My question is: Does this mean that if all the people in the whole world become devotees that Kali yuga will end faster than it should? Please, kindly enlighten me. Thank You so much for Your time. Your servant, Simona From Kaunas Answer: End on Time After a Wonderful Break My Dear Simona, Please accept my blessings. All glories to Srila Prabhupad

In his purport to Sri Caitanya Caritamrita, Adi Lila, Chapter Three, Text 12 Srila Prabhupada explains why Lord Sri Krishna comes to this world: "The descent of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Absolute Personality of Godhead, is very purposeful. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that one who knows the truth about Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s descent and His various activities is at once liberated and does not have to fall again to this existence of birth and death after he leaves his present material body. In other words, one who factually understands Kṛṣṇa makes his life perfect. Imperfect life is realized in material existence, in five different relationships we share with everyone within the material world: neutrality, servitorship, friendship, filial love and amorous love between husband and wife or lover and beloved. These five enjoyable relationships within the material world are perverted reflections of relationships with the Absolute Personality of Godhead in the transcendental nature. That Absolute Personal

The following conversation took place on a morning walk in Melbourne, Australia on 22 May 1975: Madhudviṣa: The question was, Prabhupāda, is it possible for a person to return to the spiritual world without taking initiation from a bona fide spiritual master? Prabhupāda: No, that is not possible. Therefore Rūpa Gosvāmī said, ā dau gurv-āśrayam. First business is to accept spiritual master. Ā dau gurv-āśrayam. Who will train him? He is already fool, rascal. He must be trained up. So he must be trained up by the representative of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore anyone is serious about escaping the cycle of birth and death and returning to the spiritual world must take initiation from the bona fide spiritual master. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Srila Prabhupada Giving Initiation Answers According to the Vedic Wisdom Request for Blessings Dear Srila Gurudeva,   Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet All glories unto you and Srimati Guru Mataji All glories to Srila Prabhpada I can't than

From time to time there are typos in "Thought for the Day", a misspelled word, a link going to the wrong place, etc. Does this mean that our message is no good? What do the scriptures have to say about such mistakes? The answer is given as follows in the Srimad Bhagavatam, First Canto, Chapter 1, Verse 11: tad-vāg-visargo janatāgha-viplavo yasmin prati-ślokam abaddhavaty api nāmāny anantasya yaśo 'ṅkitāni yat śṛṇvanti gāyanti gṛṇanti sādhavaḥ "That literature which is full of descriptions of the transcendental glories of the name, fame, forms, pastimes, etc., of the unlimited Supreme Lord is a different creation, full of transcendental words directed toward bringing about a revolution in the impious lives of this world's misdirected civilization. Such transcendental literatures, even though imperfectly composed, are heard, sung and accepted by purified men who are thoroughly honest." So whether with mistakes or mistakes our aim is to try to pull off a global

My spiritual master Srila Prabhupada has given me and his other disciples this order on 17 December 1973 in Los Angeles: "..become perfect in the understanding of this science and become guru and deliver the whole world." Because he gave this instructions to his many disciples does this mean that it is not my responsibility? Srila Prabhupada's spiritual master told many of his disciples to spread the teachings of Krishna consciousness to the Western world. But only one of them, our Srila Prabhupada, took it very seriously. Therefore I take very seriously this order I have received from Srila Prabhupada to deliver the world. Of course, by any calculation it seems to be totally impossible that the world can be delivered from chaos and made Krishna conscious. But yet this is the order I have received from Srila Prabhupada, to deliver the world. What is the hope for successfully carrying out this order given to me by my spiritual master. One point is explained by Srila Prabhu

Today I am sharing with you the most wonderful song by Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur, Kabe Ha'be Bolo Se Din Amar (When Oh When Will that Day Be Mine?). For the benefit of my readers who do not know the Bengali language I have sung it in English. It is truly one of the most inspiring, uplifting devotional songs ever written in the history of the universe. I have uploaded it to YouTube so that it is available for many people to hear and be inspired. Here is the link: https://youtu.be/SOLkt67fdWQ And here are the lyrics in Bengali and in English: Text One kabe ha'be bolo se-dina āmār (āmār) aparādha ghuci', śuddha nāme ruci, kṛpā-bale ha'be hṛdoye sañcār TRANSLATION When, oh when will that day be mine? When my offenses ceasing, taste for the name increasing, when in my heart will your mercy shine, when, oh when will that day be mine? Text Two tṛṇādhika hīna, kabe nije māni', sahiṣṇutā-guṇa hṛdoyete āni' sakale mānada, āpani amānī, ho'ye āswādibo nāma-rasa-sār

In Krishna consciousness each initiated disciple has his or her initiating guru who has accepted the responsibility to deliver them back to home, back to Godhead. The commitment of the the spiritual master is described as follows by Srila Prabhupada in a letter to Jayapataka Swami: "You have asked if it is true that the Spiritual Master remains in the material universe until all of His disciples are transferred to the Spiritual Sky. The answer is yes, this is the rule. Therefore, every student should be very much careful not to commit any offense which will be detrimental to this promotion to the Spiritual Kingdom, and thereby the Spiritual Master has to incarnate again to deliver him." (Letter to: Jayapataka -- Los Angeles 11 July, 1969) We also have other devotees who inspire us in our to service to our initiating spiritual master (diksha guru). These devotes are known as instructing spiritual masters, siksha gurus. For example, my wife, who is affectionately called "G