To Speak Out Or Not?

Dear All,

Seeing so many so-called spiritual and religious organisations, a spiritually inquisitive person might get interested in following some of their activities. Ofcourse, the spiritually disinterested but scandal searching persons will also get interested, but they are not worth talking about much.

And then such interested persons might also come across one organisation criticising some of the others. This can arouse different reactions from different people. The typical reaction is (as far as I have observed) that "why should one organisation criticise others? Let them do their thing, and you do your own thing!"

However, instead of taking such a stance, wont it be better to hear out the criticism and then use one's intelligence to decide whether that criticism is based on scriptures or whether the criticism is based on personal understanding. Criticism based on a personal understanding (e.g. things like "in my opinion..") can be rejected outright because one should not be interested in the opinions of unauthorised persons. Just like a cricketer doesnt need to consider the opinion of the general mass of public as to how he should play the game.

However, any person interested in really understanding spiritual science should surely try to understand the criticism based on scriptural injunctions. Because all spiritualists have to follow the scriptures to be considered bona fide. They should be able to logically defend their activities based on scriptures. The interested and intelligent person can in most cases clearly see whether a particular criticism is logical or not. He will also understand that though superficially most organisations seem to be following some spiritual process or the other, there are still different levels of spiritual understandings.

The main point I want to say in this article is that just saying "let people do what they are doing and you do what you are doing" might sound very correct and open-minded and so on, but it doesnt necessarily help. Just some peace agreement between so-called spiritual organisations is not going to help the people in general.

People will only be helped if they take up the process that is recommended in the scriptures for this age, and hence is the most beneficial. Why should the general mass of people be deprived of the recommended process in the name of "you keep shut and I keep shut!" Thus, any organisation which claims to be spiritual, and which claims to be motivated by the spiritual welfare of the people, must take up the process recommended for this age of Kali and that is Chanting of the Holy Names of Hari! All spiritual organisations should be aware of this injunction of the scriptures.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

So, next time you come across someone crticising some other spiritual organisation, instead of criticising the critics, see if the criticism is based on scriptures. If yes, something to think about. If not, ignore.

Makes sense?

Ofcourse, you can make sure also that the scripture referred to is a bona fide scripture. But if the evidence is given from the Bhagavad Gita, MahaBharat, or Srimad Bhagvatam (or Bhagvat Puran), then there are no doubts.

Abhijit.

Let My Heart Be Warmed Again

Let My Heart Be Warmed Again

Many verses have I penned,
Various moods have flowed along,
With no mention of the Supreme Lord,
All but parts of some useless song.

Now that I try to write again,
Glorifications of that Supreme Lord,
The rebellious mind helps no more,
I find it hard, to even start.

And so I pray to that Supreme Lord,
Let my heart be warmed again,
Let it overflow with nectarean words,
To drench Him as will torrential rain!

Abhijit
April 23, 2007.

YOGA - For the pleasure of Sri Sri Gaura Hari!

Dear All,

I am writing this article on the request of dear Aman Prabhu :-) He is one of the wonderful devotees who stay in the Aundh Yoga! I plan to soon write a nice and long article on the Yoga. It is there in the heart, just not manifested yet on this blog :-) This particular entry will serve as a precursor to that long one.

As usual, I reached the Yoga at around 0515. The resident devotees were already chanting. They start their chanitng (preceded by the Chaitanya Shikshashtakam) at 0430! Phew! After chanting till 0630, we heard a Prabhupada lecture on the Srimad Bhagvatam! Jai Prabhupada! The ecstatic Mangal Arati starts at around 0715 followed by the ecstatic Narasimha Pranam and the Tulsi Vandana. That brings the morning program to an end. Technically. One most important part is still left. Ya, you guessed it! Prasadam!!! :-) While the morning program is going on, some devotees cook foodstuff for the pleasure of Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha KunjaBihari and Sri Sri Gaur Nitai! After the morning program, these preparations are lovingly offered to Their Lordships, after which the devotees eagerly honour and relish them!

Today, while we were honouring the Prasadam (Rajma, Kadhi, and Rice), sitting on the floor comfortably while other devotees were lovingly serving us Prasadam, we were discussing about what eatables to offer to the young corporate boys who would be coming today evening to attend our seminar! Aman Prabhu was really touched with this scene. In the background a beautiful Hare Krishna Kirtan was being played. All the residents of Yoga were planning for the seminar in the evening. Well, its not quite that simple. Actually, all these "Youth Of God's Abode" (YOGA) were participating enthusiastically in the great movement of Sri Chaitnya Mahaprabhu! They were trying to propogate it to more and more people. How to present it to the "outsiders" so that they also become "insiders" ;-) Superficially it might seem that they were trying to please their guests by taking care of all their needs like dinner, transportation, comforts, etc. But actually all this they were doing only with one desire in their heart -- to please The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri GauraHari!

Thus, in the midst of the very materialistic locality of Aundh, there is this miraculous lotus like Aundh Yoga! Where young devotees, including graduates from the best educational institutions, come together and try to practice very seriously, the transcendental and sublime process of Krishna Consciousness which is so dear to Srila Prabhupada and Lord Sri Gaura Hari!

Let us all come together and applaud these beautiful Youth Of God's Abode and pray to Srila Prabhupada that we can also get the dedication and Krishna Consciousness that these young devotees have developed!

Jai Srila Prabhupada!

Yours in the service of Krishna, Abhijit.

Invitation : Seminar on “Yoga for the Modern Age”

Dear All,

Aundh YOGA is conducting a seminar this Friday April 20, 2007, 8 pm, on :

“Yoga for the Modern Age”.

Last week we had a seminar on "Willpower To Excel!" It was very well received and everyone was eager to come again.

Therefore, if any of the readers of this blog entry knows of persons (including themselves) who might be interested in attending the next seminar, kindly let them know. Note that only males are invited.

The venue is:
A-16, Rajhans Residency, Near Medipoint Hospital, Aundh, Pune.


Thanks! Abhijit.

What Will You Do?

Dear All,

The question to ask oneself is "What will you do if it is proven beyond doubt that God exists?" The answer to this question will pretty much determine all your actions. A sane person will not have any hesitation in totally surrendering to the will of God once he is convinced beyond any doubts that God exists. However, only an insane person will rebel against God by not surrendering to God's will despite the fact that God exists.

Its very easy to understand this and it is very natural to surrender to God. Take this simple illustrative example. Suppose the President of India comes to your office. What will you do? Will you serve him? Or will you totally ignore him? A more realistic example... suppose you like a girl very much (and you are a boy ;-) ), then if she asks you to please do something for her. What will you do? I am sure you will make that task your highest priority :-) Anyways, these are just illustrative examples to bring forth the following point: that when there exists someone whom you respect a lot, or love a lot, its only natural to serve that person, either out of fear, or out of personal interest, or out of duty, or out of love.

So then, who but the insane will not serve God? Who is more respectable and lovable than Him? Thats why I asked this question first up "What will you do if it is proven beyond doubt that God exists?"

We find so many people who say "Ya Ya I believe in God!" And we all know that they wont serve God too much. Perhaps a ritualistic Arati in the mornings and evenings.. and some such thing. But the rest of the time they forget Him. They engage in all useless activities which in no way engage them in serving God. Have we all not seen such people? Again, this example is just to bring forth the point that even those who say that they believe in God, dont really do so.. Or if they really do, then they are insane to not totally surrender their will to the Will of God. If what I am saying is wrong, then why dont these people try to find out what the Will of God is? Why dont they try to understand the Bhagavad Gita? Or why dont they follow any devotional (or religious) principles strictly?

We must wake up people from this slumber of ignorance and insanity! Ask them, "What will you do if it is proven beyond doubt that God exists?" Will your life just go on as it has been for so many years? Or will it transform into a glorious life full of loving surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead?

An answer to this question will determine ones fate! A favourable answer will open the gates of eternal joy, but an unfavourable one will bury one deeper and deeper into the most abominable existence of material life.

As I keep saying so many places... the choice is ours!

Your servant in Krishna Consciousness,
Abhijit.

Bhoomi Pujan - Sri Sri Radha VrindavanChandra!

Hare Krishna!

ISKCON Pune is going to build a grand new temple in the Katraj-Kondwa area. It will be a temple of Sri Sri Radha VrindavanChandra! The Bhoomi Pujan ceremony was conducted on Wednesday, April 11, 2007. It was very well attended by devotees directly connected to the Pune Sri Sri Radha KunjaBihari Temple (Camp) and also by many other well wishers.



We (all the devotees associated with the Aundh YOGA) assembled at the YOGA at around 0415 and then started from there for the new temple land in Katraj-Kondwa. We reached there by 0500. Already atleast 200 devotees had assembled there :-) Soon followed an absolutely ecstatic Mangal Arati led by His Holiness Lokanath Swami Maharaj! Those who have not experienced such spiritual events can quite easily consider my words as exagerations, but they can ask any other devotee too. And better still, experience the bliss themselves too. Devotees are more than eager to welcome them into this spiritual family of Devotees of Krishna!

After the Mangal Arati, at around 0600, we all started chanting. Such group chanting opportunities are also very special. In that serene and pure atmosphere of morning time, which is most suitable for spiritual activities, when the Holy name is chanted by hundreds of devotees simultaneously, it creates such potent spiritual sound vibrations that they directly transfer all present to the spiritual world! Indeed, the place where the Holy Name of Krishna is chanted congregationally is not different from the Kingdom of God! This is confirmed by the shastras (Vedic literature).


Thereafter the Bhoomi Pujan Ceremony started. It involved a Yajna (fire sacrifice). The Pujari kindly let us all know the history and significance of the Vaastu Shanti. He explained who is Vaastu, why we are pacifying him, and how is he looked upon as by the Gaudiya Vaishnav Sampradaya (i.e. by us ;-) ). Vaastu was a demon who once worshipped Lord Siva for a benediction that he should be able to eat the entire universe. And Lord Siva granted it to him. As expected, Vaastu started devouring all things in the universe. All the demigods and the other demons decided to come together and kill Vaastu. So, Vaastu then surrendered but he pleaded that some arrangement be made for his food. In response, the decision was made that whenever there will be any building construction activity, Vaastu will be offered the Prasad of the Supreme Lord Vishnu. This is called 'Vaastu Shanti", i.e. pacifying the hunger of Vaastu. This ceremony is done two times, once at the start of the construction activity and once at the end when the building is about to be used. The Gaudiya Vaishnavas look upon Vaastu as a Maha Bhaagavat!



The ceremony involved a Yajna as I already mentioned. The most important part was that the ceremony was presided over by Jagannath, Baladeva, and Subhadra!! Also, a beautiful deity of Lord Ananta was worshipped. Apart from that oblations were offered into the fire for various Vishnu forms of the Lord starting from Lord Achyuta and then followed by Lord Narsimha and others! Then oblations were offered for the great historic Vaishnavas (pure devotees). And finally for all the great Acharyas of the Gaudiya Vaishnava Sampradaya including ofcourse His Divine Grace Abhay Charanarvinda BhaktiVedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada!!!


Atfer the Yajna, Lord Ananta was installed in the Bhoomi. All ISKCON temples are constructed by founding them on the infallible support of Lord Ananta who is carrying all the planets in all the universes on his unlimited (ananta) heads! So, what is another temple for Him ;-) ? So, a trench was dug in which the Supreme Lord Ananta was installed and then He was covered back again by the mud. It was a most beautiful Lord Ananta deity. May He bless the new temple.

Soon thereafter His Holiness GopalKrishna Goswami Maharaj and His Holiness Lokanath Swami Maharaj and His Grace Bhimaa Prabhu spoke amongst others. Lunch Prasadam was also being served meanwhile. I am sure that all who attended this momentous occasion would have gone back home very much spiritually nourished.

All Glories to Sri Sri Radha VrindavanChandra! All Glories to Sri Sri Radha KunjaBihari! All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Your servant in Krishna Consciousness,
Abhijit.

Overcoming Sleep

Hare Krishna!

Overcomng sleep is one of the main obstacles in the path of my spiritual progress. All my life so far I have been used to sleeping unrestrictredly. And the reason always was "What will I do after waking up anyway?".

However, now-a-days, I have started attending the morning program at Yoga (more about Yoga in another article). I try to reach there before 0530. This is quite a feat for me and its very clear that I am able to do so everyday only by the grace of Srila Prabhupada.

As Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita, when one finds a higher taste, the lower tastes (or attractions) go away! Earlier I had nothing to do after getting up. Well, there were always some alternatives like trekking, playing, going for a picnic, etc. but all these occasions were few and far in between. This is another example of how for an activity one likes to do, one can get up early in the morning too :-) And Prabhupada has given all the world an option for developing the highest taste, love of God! All fortunate people will sooner or later discover this taste once they get in touch with Prabhupada through ISKCON. Let us pray that all people in the world become fortunate enough by getting the causeless mercy of Srila Prabhupada!

One important thing I have recently reaslised. That if I keep waiting for the opportunity to sleep, then it becomes very frustrating if I do not get the opportunity. In other words, if I am more sleep-conscious than Krishna conscious, then there is every chance that I will feel frustrated, grumpy, tired, and so on. However, if I reduce the priority of sleep and if I dont eagerly wait for the opportunity to sleep and instead become more and more eager to find an opportunity to serve Krishna, then my days become very very joyful and full of energy!

This gives us an indication of how Maya works through the mind. If I let my mind dictate to me that sleep is very important, or that I need sleep more than others, or that I am a new devotee so I can sleep more, and so on... then I will always be unenthusiastic about service to Krishna if it is hampering my sleep (sense gratification in general). However, if I dictate the mind to force it to act according to what I think is right (i.e. service to Krishna), then I can gradually get out of the clutches of Maya!

Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita, the uncontrolled mind is ones greatest enemy while the controlled mind is ones greatest friend. It is difficult to control the mind but it is possible by strong determnation. The choice is ours. Are we ready to take some pains for a higher goal? Are we ready to bear some temporary inconvenience for eternal joy? The choice is ours!

Your servant,
Abhijit.

Thoughts Thoughts Thoughts

Hare Krishna.

I recently heard from a devotee that there are 4 kinds of thoughts. Positive, negative, useless, and routine. Out of these positive thoughts are good, oviously. They pretty much refer to thinking of Krishna in one way or the other (favorably ofcourse :-) ) The routine thoughts are necessary. These are thoughts which we need for executing our day-to-day duties like job and household activities.. However the other two kinds of thoughts are absolutely unnecessary. Negative thoughts include things like envy, criticism, anger, lust, greed, and so on. And the useless thoughts include "who won the cricket match?" and so on.

So, once we know this classification of thoughts, we can now filter all our thoughts through this classifier :-) This way we will become more conscious of our thoughts and also be able to promptly replace the unnecessary thoughts (negative and useless ones) by the positive ones by chanting Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare!

Your servant, Abhijit.

H H BhaktiVikas Swami Maharaj's Love for Prabhupada!

Hare Krishna!

Last Saturday, I attended a Srimad Bhagvatam class given by His Holiness BhaktiVikas Swami Maharaj! He is known for his straight talk.. without mincing any words. And I love that :-) However, what I am touched most by is his tremendous love for Srila Prabhupada. One can see that in his words in his books. And I consider myself very fortunate to have personally witnessed that love yesterday.

To the left of H H BhaktiVikas Swami Maharaj was sitting Prabhupada (deity) on his Vyasasana :-) And a cooler was fanning him. Seeing this, H H BhaktiVikas Maharaj recited a story of a God Brother of Srila Prabhupada who was a wonderful devotee and who also made a lot of devotees. He was telling how his disciple used to fan him all night! And then he said jokingly "Electric fans have ruined Guru Seva!" :-)

Then he went on further and asked us all, "Have you seen how when Prabhupada used to give lectures, the GBC members used to fan him from both sides?" And as a result of this, devotees started fanning Srila Prabhupada from both sides by a chamara and a peacock feather fan! And only then was H H BhaktiVikas Swami Maharaj satisfied... This for me was such a beautiful expression of the immense love that Maharaj has for Srila Prabhupada.

Let us pray to his lotus feet that we all also get that sort of love for His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada.

Your servant, Abhijit.

Meaning of Absolute Truth : H H Romapada Swami Maharaj

Hare Krishna.

A few months ago I had asked H H Romapada Swami Maharaj some questions regarding the meaning of "Absolute Truth". He kindly replied to me. I am pasting that reply below.

Your servant, Abhijit.

Q: How can we understand the Absolute nature of Lord Sri Krishna? What do we mean by "Absolute Truth" and in what sense is Lord Sri Krishna the Absolute Truth? This question came to my mind when I overheard someone saying that all qualities in the material world are relative, i.e. to say someone is tall doesn't suffice because a person considered tall in India would be considered average height in USA.

Answer: Just as in the example you have given, everything in this material world is relative or dependent on something for its existence and definition. Similarly, conceptions such as darkness, coldness or pain are irrelevant without the opposite conceptions of light, heat or pleasure -- there is no absolute pain or absolute pleasure in our experience, it is only a question of relative perception. Another example: there is no meaning to the word or the concept of father independent of the existence of the relationship with a son/daughter and vice versa - therefore it is relative.

In contrast, Absolute Truth is that which does not depend upon anything or anyone else for Its existence. The definition of Absolute Truth (param satyam) is given in the first sloka of Srimad Bhagavatam - as the source everything in creation (janmady asya yatha), as being Completely Independent and fully Cognizant of everything both directly and indirectly. This Absolute Truth is Vaasudeva, Krishna and He is beyond the illusion of duality. Another way of understanding Absolute Truth is that all varieties are included and all contradictions are resolved within Him.

In this world, there is duality of matter and spirit - matter which is temporary, a source of misery and full of ignorance, and spirit which is trying to exploit this material energy. But there is no such duality in Krishna; He is Absolute Spirit, sat-cit-ananda vigraha. And His abode, the Vaikuntha planets in the spiritual sky, is also of the same Absolute nature, because there is no duality of matter and spirit. Everything there is also of the nature of sac-cid-ananda.

Ques Part 2: In this context, how are things absolute in the spiritual world? Even in the spiritual realm, the gopis are dearer to Krishna than anyone else, and even amongst the gopis, Radharani is most dear to Him. So, therefore there is relativity in the spiritual realm too.

Answer: There is certainly variety in the spiritual world, but not relativity as we speak of it in the mundane realm. As we have discussed in previous digests, Absolute is quite so often confused, by beginning transcendentalists, with some sort of homogeneous entity without any variegatedness, but this is not so. Those who are impersonalists have difficulty accommodating this because of their frustrated experience in the material world. Here, variety or multiplicity almost always brings quarrel, discrimination and misery, and so out of frustration and a poor fund of knowledge, they conclude that the Absolute must be devoid of any kind of variety or hierarchy.

But Krishna enjoys varieties of pleasures, and they are all of the same absolute nature - sat, cit and ananda. There are hierarchies in the spiritual world, as well - perfect, more perfect, and most perfect; pure, purer, purest, and even further ever-expanding degrees of purity and intensities of love. But they are all pure, and in that sense absolute. There is even so-called separation and lamentation in spiritual world, and even day and night, but these are all just different varieties of absolute pleasure.

The variegatedness of the Absolute is *VERY DIFFICULT* to understand from our present conditioned nature, and with a materially conditioned mind, but it is possible to understand by adopting a humble mood of service to the Absolute Supreme and by submissively hearing from those who know Him, the tattva-darshis. (BG 4.34)

From Dymanism to Super Dynamism!

Hare Krishna!

We all know that there are some tremendously talented indivisuals amongst the devotees of Krishna in ISKCON. Srila Prabhupada attracted the best of men and engaged their talents in the service of Krishna. He taught the sublime principles of Yukta Vairagya to the whole world. And who but the bitterly envious will question the one-pointed focus of the devotees in using all the available resources and talents in the service of Krishna? Who but the openly envious will point out the opulence of ISKCON as against the highest principles of devotional service? Who but the totally ignorant will say that all this opulence is not being used totally in Krishna's service? These people dont know that all that is, belongs to Krishna and its only proper use is to use it in His service.

Coming to the title of this article.. Dynamism. I'll give you my own humble example. Kindly pardon me if I sound immodest. That is not my intent... Now, before coming in touch with the devotees and taking up the Krishna Consciouness process more seriously, I used to play a lot of sports, used to go for treks, write poems, sing, do well in exams, and so on.. So, in the worldly terms, quite a dynamic person. However, now-a-days I have lost (almost :-) ) all interest in these activities when they are not related to Krishna. However, its not that I have stopped enjoying myself! Its not that I have become a dull guy. On the contrary, I have opened up even more! In the service of Krishna, one has to do all kinds of activities. And in fact, that only adds to the dynamism of a person!

A devotee can pretty much do everything under the sky expertly :-) He can cook, he can sing, he can play the kartals and mridangam, he can speak philosophy, he can preach, he can dance, and so on... How many non-devotees can claim that they can do all these things?

Therefore, Krishna Consciousness enhances ones dynamism to unthought of levels. Just see, that by the grace of Srila Prabhupada, I have been inspired to start writing again! I have not had to stop writing, but in fact have now a real purpose behind my words! To glorify the Holy Name of Krishna!! To glorify Lord Chaitanya's movement! And it is so purifying. Earlier I used to write for myself, now I write for the pleasure of Sri Sri Radha Kunjabihari! Isn't there a difference? And which is more dynamic? :-)

One must not be afraid of giving up lower attachments for higher goals. Thats what common sense teaches us, right? Then why are we attached to things that give personal sense gratification? Arent we convinced of the utter hopelessness of our existence? Arent we fully convinced that only the Holy Name can lift us out of this hopeless situation of repeated cycle of birth and death punctuated by birth, old age, disease, and death?

Lets rise from being an ordinary dynamic person to being a Super Dynamic person by applying our dynamism in the service of the Supremely Dynamic person Krishna and thus not only increasing our dynamism, but also the field of activities in which we can display it! Just like iron after coming in contact with fire aquires the qualities of the fire, any person who comes in contact with Krishna through His devotional service, starts aquiring more and more dynamism from the Supreme cause of all causes -- Krishna!!

Your servant in Krishna Consciousness,
Abhijit.

Do You Want To Make a Difference?

Hare Krishna.

Sometimes a person goes into a state where he thinks that "What I am doing in life is so important!" Unfortunately, because of the tremendously competitive culture created by the media, those who do not think that what they are doing is "important" are very miserable. They get tortured by their mind thinking about how to do "something that matters", or "something that makes a difference". These phrases are thrown around so much now-a-days that everyone thinks that he should become a very special person. They all want to become like the cinema heroes who rescue the whole earth from devastation! Though people might not speak these thoughts out, and not display their anxiety to others, they are continuously being tortured by their minds in some degree or other. Please be honest and think about it for yourself. I'll be honest and let you all know that I used to think like this :-)

Earlier in my life, I felt strongly about being a great lover of the nation! I wanted to die on the battlefield fighting for my country! Then as I kept thinking about things (thats one benediction Krishna has given me, I think a lot.. ofcourse, He has given me my everything :) ), I realised, that perhaps dying in the battlefield is not the best way I can serve my country. Perhaps there are better ways.. like?

Well, being a huge sports fan, I decided: I will one day take it upon myself to win India an Olympic Gold Medal!" And I got all passionate about it. And my mind tortured me about it. "Abhijit, Do something! Help the world! Have a purpose in life! Dont just exist!" Hmmm... Well, I was miserable :)

So, I have been honest with you, see.

Sometimes people get obsessed with what they think is the perfect goal of their life. Especially if they are enjoying a lot of success in what they do. Typical examples are sportstars, who say "I want to win the cricket match for India.. thats as far as my spirituality goes". They think that they are making a profound statement! But actually, is that the case? And the fans will go gaga over this statement. "Wow! Indian cricket is in very safe hands!" And the next thing they know is that India is out of the World Cup! Lost to minnows!

Another example is the technocrats. They think that by making better and better machines, they are doing such a great service to humanity! And the driving force in their life is to produce better and better machines. And they think that this is my religion! Actually, all specialists in various fields consciously or subconsciously start thinking that what they are doing in life is the most important activity. They think that giving time to any other activity is a waste of time! For them, their activity is the goal of their existence.

And as I said, the flip side is that others who are not experts, or who are not doing some glamorous thing, feel that they must also do something.. and they suffer..

All this is not to say that one should not try to help others (and oneself :) ). However, any honest man will agree that humanity is suffering even today. Even if India wins the World Cup, the humanity will continue to suffer. Similarly, despite tremendous development in medical science, humanity continues to suffer newer and newer medical problems. Despite advancement in the aviaiton industry, flights continue to crash. Despite so many social work organisations, people continue to die of hunger. Further, how is going to Mars going to solve the suffering of the humanity? Even if we are successful in establishing a community on Mars, what is the proof that people will become happy because of that?

Therefore we see that no person ever in history has done something that has eradicated misery totally. Those who think that they will be the first are in illusion. And those who are miserable because they cannot make any such claims are also in illusion. Why not wake up from this dream? Why not take stock of the situation? Why not accept that there can be no end to the sufferings of this world? Why not be really honest?

Only when we accept this, will we search for an alternative. Only when one accepts the problem, can one try to solve it. But if one is just adamantly not accepting the reality, how can he be helped? But once we accept the reality, then, to our great relief, we will rediscover the sublime process of Bhakti (Devotional Service to Krishna). We wont have to invent anything, just apply! And our lives will become sublime. Those fortunate people who come in contact with the devotees of Krishna, and who sincerely follow the process, irrespective of their material state, find joy and happiness and purpose and meaning in their lives. History is the witness. ISKCON is the living legend :)

The reason I am writing this article is just to point out that it is very dangerous for us to get into such modes (thinking that our day-to-day activities are the end in themselves). These activities are superficial, because they are at the level of the body. If one gets involved with them too much, or one gets a lot of success in those activities, or one starts running after success in these activities (usually because of wanting to become heroes in the eyes of all.. because of watching too many movies and sports..), then there is a danger of totally forgetting the reality. Our existence will become like that of the frog in the well. Our field of activity will become restricted only to that particular activity. We will forget the higher truths. And we will become miserable.

In the modern world, these bodily activities and achievements have been portrayed so glamorously that even a sane man will lose his sanity and run after them. It is very important for all of us to safeguard against the contaminating and bewildering effects of the association with materialistic people and their ways. It is almost impossible to avoid such association in the modern world, but fortunately we have the infallible shelter of Srila Prabhupada and the Holy Name!

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare!

Let us once again and again and again and again be grateful to His Divine Grace Dearest Srila Prabhupada for what he has done for us. Let us once again pray to him that we never leave the service of his lotus feet.

Srila Prabhupada Ki Jai!!

Your servant, Abhijit.

Are they really interested in the Bhagavad Gita?

Hare Krishna.

I was just wondering how fortunate we are to get such a clear understanding of the philosophy of the Bhagavad Gita. There is no confusion in our mind about the goal of life, and about the goal of the Bhagavad Gita.

I always knew in my heart that the Bhagavad Gita is THE book! I knew it all my thinking life (i.e. after the mind developed enough to think about it), even before coming in touch with Srila Prabhupada. And I am feeling so fortunate this moment that I am actually in a position to study and understand the Gita as it is from a pure devotee (Prabhupada) of the speaker of the Gita. Not only that, I can practically see how, by the mercy of Prabhupada, I am actually, in a minute way, living by the Gita. And I can also see that if I continue to follow Prabhupada's instructions, I will be able to follow the Gita more and more in my life. What amazingly great fortune.

How many so-called followers of the Gita can say that they are following (or trying to follow) in truth their own understanding of the Bhagavad Gita? How many can really get that satisfaction of following the Bhagavad Gita? Will it be too wrong to say that only followers of Prabhupada can very happily and honestly claim that they are following the Bhagavad Gita? Can those who try to eek out some other conclusion (other than Bhakti) from the Bhagavad Gita ever get its real spiritual benefit? Can they really get advanced spiritually by keeping Krishna as a secondary factor in their understanding of the Gita? If yes, where are the examples? Are the people who say that all the Gita is teaching is "All Gods are equal" or "Do your work and dont worry about the results" getting any spiritual bliss? "All Gods are same" effectively means there is no Supreme Person. And "Do your work and dont worry about the results" means purely material consciousness with no spiritual principles present.

And about the other paths explained in the Gita (which also ultimately lead to devotional service to Krishna as also explained in the Gita itself)... who can follow these paths in this age? Can you follow Dhyana Yoga? Well, people dont really know what it is! Because they really havent studied the Gita! But those who have, can they follow it? ARE they following it? And then there are those who very proudly say that they are following Karma Yoga. Do they know that Krishna is instructing them in the Gita to surrender all their activities to Him? Do they know?? And I dont think there are many who say they are Gyan Yogis :) because just like Dhyana Yoga, Gyan Yoga also involves austerities! Can they do? Can they?

So then, despite all these facts, why not intelligently take up the path of Bhakti which Krishna mentions all over the Gita as being the best? Why not? What is the problem? Isnt it that they are not really interested? Isnt it that they dont really care about what the Gita says? And if so, isnt this the most unfortuante fact? This world is full of people who are so unfortunate that they have no interest in the teachings if the Gita. Even if some people seem to have, they really dont, because if they did, they would have intelligently chosen Bhakti as their way of life.

Our dearest Srila Prabhupada has made this highest process so very easily available to us. We should be so so grateful to him. We should vow to dedicate our lives to him without whom our lives would have been useless.

All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!!

I beg and pray to him that he takes me totally under his infallible shelter and makes me his most menial and insignificant sevant.

Your servant, Abhijit.