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A very interesting revelation from a conversation between Shrila Prabhupada and his disciples in Hawaii. Let us know what you think about this in the comments! Richard Nixon, the 37th president of the United States Prabhupada: So these are signs of fall down. This American nation, if their young men are becoming so irresponsible, careless, then what is the future? Their father and grandfathers built up this American state so nicely by their labor, hard labor, and these boys will spoil it. Now to speak the truth, all the students who have come to me, they are spoiled; simply saved by Krishna consciousness. Do you agree to that? Devotee (1): Yes. Prabhupada: So if you actually want to do something for your country, this is the only, only means you can save your country. Such a great nation, they are neglecting, and this rascal Nixon, he is engaged in Vietnam. He does not see what is happening in his own country. Such a rascal he is. Simply for self-aggrandizement. And anybody stands for presidency, he’ll be killed. Any good man that stands for presidency, he’ll be killed by Nixon and company. It is very sinister, this Nixon. I am very doubtful that he has killed all these Kennedys. These big, big men, Kennedys, are killed, but no information was given what was the matter, how he was killed. There was no inquiry. Gaurasundara: Yes. There was inquiry. Prabhupada: Hm? Gaurasundara: But not very . . . it took a long time, years, five, six years after President Kennedy. They made a law that the report could not be released for, I think, seven years. (break) Prabhupada: My point of view that if America becomes actually sane man, then the world will be happy. Because they are after America. America, in so many ways they are helping other undeveloped countries also, with foodstuff, with money, with assistance. That’s very nice. And still in America there is so much vacant land. You can produce huge quantities. This is their bad politics. Why they do not allow the congested countries like China, India come here and be engaged in agriculture? By God’s arrangement there is no scarcity. It is by our arrangement there is defect. God can main . . . my Guru Maharaja used to say: "There is no scarcity; only scarcity is Krishna consciousness." HONOLULU - May 11, 1972

Here is a world news article, on the Israel-Palestine conflict, written by Bhakta Maxim for the 18th edition of the Matchless Gift Magazine. In a land sacred to over a third of the global population, a conflict rages, tearing apart communities, sowing seeds of hatred and causing death too numerous to count. A struggle that has spanned generations, continues to inflict suffering on countless souls. Yet, from the perspective of Krishna Consciousness, this earthly battle over territory reveals a profound misunderstanding of our true spiritual nature and purpose. The ongoing Israeli-Arab conflict has been one of the most painful and long-lasting struggles in the modern world. It revolves around territorial disputes, national identity, and religious convictions. At its core, both sides claim divine justification for their fight over control of the ‘Holy Land’, citing their religious texts and God’s will as justification for their claim. However, from the perspective of the Hare Krishna movement, this struggle over land is deeply misguided and misaligned with true spiritual principles. As devotees of Lord Krishna, we recognize that attachment to material possessions, including land, is a source of great illusion and suffering. In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna teaches: “A person in full consciousness of Me, knowing Me to be the ultimate beneficiary of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods, and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attains peace from the pangs of material miseries”. (5.29) This teaching reminds us that true peace and fulfillment cannot be found in controlling earthly domains, but in cultivating our relationship with Krishna. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada elaborated on this point: "We are not this body. We are spirit-soul, part and parcel of Krishna. Our real business is to serve Krishna." From this perspective, we can see that both Israelis and Arabs, in their fervent struggle for land, are mistakenly identifying with their temporary material bodies and nationalities, rather than their eternal spiritual nature.  Lord Krishna advises:  "For the soul there is neither birth nor death at any time. He has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain" (BG 2.20).  This verse again reminds us that our true identity is not tied to material bodies or the physical land we occupy. Our attachment to worldly possessions - including land - is futile and illusory, for our true nature is spiritual. When seen through this lens, the Israeli-Arab conflict, and most other conflicts for that matter, are revealed as childish, yet horrendously painful, squabbles centered around illusory conceptions of identity. Both sides seek control over a patch of earth, but from the Vedic perspective, as Shrila Prabhupada explains: “Ownership of land is a fallacy because the actual proprietor of everything is God." Both Israelis and Arabs claim to fight for God and what they believe is His will. However, Shrila Prabhupada warns of the dangers of misappropriating religion for worldly purposes. He states, "Religion is not meant for opposing others, but for understanding God and realizing the relationship between the soul and the Supreme Being." This universal love of God extends to all beings, regardless of their faith or nationality. The idea that Krishna would sanction violence against His own creation for the sake of earthly borders is a grave misinterpretation of spiritual truth. Srila Prabhupada often emphasized the unity of all living beings under God's love: "Krishna claims everyone to be His son. He says, aham bija-pradah pita: 'I am the seed-giving father of all living entities.' (Bhagavad Gita 14.4) Therefore we are all brothers, and Krishna is the supreme father." This points to a higher truth, the Absolute Truth, that God desires unity and harmony, not division & violence. In fighting wars over land, the fighter overlooks this fundamental principle of God-consciousness. True religious practice involves serving God through love for all living entities. In Krishna Consciousness, we find that false ego and material attachments are the root cause of conflicts and suffering. Srila Prabhupada explains that "All material activities are tinged with selfish desires, and that is the basis of conflict in this world." When individuals or nations claim that their violent actions are justified by divine will, they are often driven by material ego and wilful misinterpretations of religious texts. Fighting in the name of God for political or territorial gain is a form of spiritual violence and a misunderstanding of God’s true nature. Krishna clearly defines His desires:  "One who is not envious but who is a kind friend to all living entities, who does not think himself a proprietor, who is free from false ego and equal both in happiness and distress, who is always satisfied and engaged in devotional service with determination and whose mind and intelligence are in agreement with Me - he is very dear to Me." (BG 12.13-14).  This verse demonstrates that qualities such as compassion, humility, and renunciation of material possessiveness are central to a life devoted to God. If both sides of the conflict embraced these values, they would see that war and violence are the antithesis of true devotion. The resolution to this conflict lies not in military might or political maneuvering, but in a collective spiritual awakening. By recognizing our shared identity as eternal servants of Krishna, we can transcend the artificial divisions that fuel this conflict. The Vedic scriptures offer a blueprint for peaceful coexistence: "One who sees the Supersoul accompanying the individual soul in all bodies, and who understands that neither the soul nor the Supersoul within the destructible body is ever destroyed, actually sees." (Bhagavad Gita 13.28) Both Israelis and Arabs need to turn to the real purpose of religion: love of God and love for all His creations. Shrila Prabhupada encourages us to "chant the holy names of God, live simply, and practice love and kindness toward all." This is the foundation of peace. However futile our contribution is to this conflict, as followers of Lord Krishna, we call upon all parties involved in the Israeli-Arab conflict to look beyond the temporary designations of nationality and religion. Instead, we urge them to recognize their shared spiritual essence and the futility of fighting over land that ultimately belongs to no one but God. In the words of Shrila Prabhupada: "We are preaching this Krishna consciousness movement to bring about actual peace in the world. Unless there is Krishna consciousness, there cannot be peace." Let us work together to create a world where the sound of bombs is replaced by the melodious chanting of the Holy Names, where borders give way to bridges of understanding, and where the love of God unites all in harmony. This is the true fulfillment of the Divine Will - a world of peace, compassion, and devotion to the Supreme Lord. Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

The following is the purport from the 10th Canto of the Shrimad Bhagavatam. The spiritual master is sometimes glorified as sarva-devamayo guruh (SB 11.17.27). By the grace of the guru, the spiritual master, one can understand the different kinds of devas. The word deva refers to God, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the original source of all the demigods, who are also called devas. In Bhagavad-gita (10.2) the Lord says, aham adir hi devanam: "I am the source of all the devas." The Supreme Lord, Vishnu, the Original person, expands in different forms. Tad aiksata bahu syam (Chandogya Upanisad 6.2.3). He alone has expanded into many. Advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam (Bs. 5.33). There are different grades of forms, known as svamsa and vibhinnamsa. The svamsa expansions, or visnu-tattva, are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whereas the vibhinnamsa are jiva-tattva, who are part and parcel of the Lord (mamaivamso jiva-loke jiva-bhutah sanatanah [Bg. 15.7]). If we accept Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead and worship Him, all the parts and expansions of the Lord are automatically worshiped. Sarvarhanam acyutejya (SB 4.31.14). Krishna is known as Acyuta (senayor ubhayor madhye ratham sthapaya me 'cyuta [Bg. 1.21]). By worshiping Acyuta, Krishna, one automatically worships all the demigods. There is no need of separately worshiping either the visnu-tattva or jiva-tattva. If one concentrates upon Krishna, one worships everyone. SB 10.1.56 purport

Check out this video on the Expand the Bliss channel, based on Shrila Prabhupada's December 26th 1966 Bhagavad Gita, 9.34 class. Here's the link :)

Every morning at the B.L.I.S.S temple, as part of our Mangala Arati program, we offer our obeisances to the sacred Tulasi plant. She is very dear to Krishna and bestows devotional service on all conditioned souls. Here are the lyrics and translation to this wonderful devotional song. Our Krishna Prema Mataji taking care of Tulasi Devi vṛndāyai tulasī-devyai priyāyai keśavasya caviṣṇu-bhakti-prade devī satya vatyai namo namaḥ I offer my repeated obeisances unto Vrnda, Srimati Tulasi Devi, who is very dear to Lord Kesava. O goddess, you bestow devotional service to Lord Visnu and possess the highest truth. namo namaḥ tulasī kṛṣṇa-preyasi namo namaḥ rādhā-kṛṣṇa-sevā pābo ei abilāṣī O Tulasi, beloved of Krsna, I bow before you again and again. My desire is to obtain the service of Sri Sri Radha-Krsna. ye tomāra śaraṇa loy, tara vāñchā pūrṇa hoy kṛpā kori' koro tāre vṛndāvana-vāsi Whoever takes shelter of you has his wishes fulfilled. Bestowing your mercy on him, you make him a resident of Vrndavana.   mora ei abhilāṣa, vilāsa kuñje dio vāsa nayana heribo sadā yugala-rūpa-rāśi My desire is that you will also grant me a residence in the pleasure groves of Sri Vrndavana-dhama. Thus, within my vision I will always behold the beautiful pastimes of Radha and Krsna.   ei nivedana dhara, sakhīra anugata koro sevā-adhikāra diye koro nīja dāsī I beg you to make me a follower of the cowherd damsels of Vraja. Please give me the privilege of devotional service and make me your own maidservant.   dīna kṛṣṇa-dāse koy, ei yena mora hoy śrī-rādhā-govinda-preme sadā yena bhāsi Dina Duhkhi Krsnadasa prays, ''May I always swim in the love of Sri Radha and Govinda.   yāni kāni ca pāpāni brahma-hatyādikāni ca tāni tāni praṇaśyanti pradakṣiṇaḥ pade pade By the circumambulation of Srimati Tulasi Devi all the sins that one may have committed are destroyed at every step, even the sin of killing a brahmana.

Hell isn't such a far fetched thing when you look at it scientifically. I would be angry too if I missed the opportunity of the human form. Animals are beautiful creatures right? Beautiful, conscious creatures of almost innumerable varieties of colors, shapes and sizes. There's not so much difference between us and animals. It's actually only a question of the body. But we are not the body, we are the consciousness, the living force within the body. That consciousness is the same in every living thing, so how come one consciousness is in an animal body and another is in a human body? Although some animals may seem majestic, their life is actually rather hellish. The consciousness inside those beautiful bodies of animals is actually alarming. How can the consciousness be comfortable in such a condition of life? When human beings don't have access to clean facilities, or they begin to fight and hunt each other, or they are uneducated, these are considered distressful conditions of life. It naturally follows that the consciousness must undergo some kind of trans-formative process at death to be reincarnated in such a hellish body of an animal. For example, a tiger may seem at first glance like an attractive creature. It's powerful and beautifully designed with stripes unique abilities of strength and agility, it's mysterious and sly. But try to imagine if you yourself took it's position in your present level of awareness for one day. You'd be practically unable to handle such a disposition, as you'd find yourself running around on all fours naked, eating raw meat, licking yourself all day and killing opposing tigers for your mate. Would it be a very nice proposal if i forced you to enter into such a life from your present one? I don't think you could say with any confidence you'd be very eager. But this is actually our position. We are forced, at the end of this body, to enter into a new body based on our present activities. There are varieties of material enjoyments in this life, which are founded upon four principle facilities; eating, mating, sleeping and defending. depending on the ways in which we attempt to enjoy our present bodies and the world around us, nature arranges another material body just suitable for one's desire in the next life. The consciousness is eternal, it's lasting throughout all the changes of bodies in life, from childhood to youth-hood till old age, so what is the difficulty in understanding that at the end of the body, the consciousness will take yet another body. This is a very logical conclusion, and it is a plain truth. Even in this life, we are forced to enter a different body every day based on previous activities and desires. Besides the day-today process of foodstuffs replenishing the skin cells, the desires of a person create bodies for him to enjoy in the future. Let's say a young man wants to study and become a martial artist. When he first desires to become such a practitioner of the martial arts, he'll have the body of a young man. But as he grows and tries to fulfill that desire, his mind and body change through strict discipline. His strength will increase and his mind will become more agile as it becomes accustomed to the maneuvers and strikes. The mind carries the desire of the person like the wind carries the flavor of a flower. If we see that a desire carries one through changing bodies even within our present experience, it is undoubtable that a desire will carry a person to the next form of body. In the Bhagavad-Gita, the process of that transmigration is explained by Sri Krishna, the personality of Godhead, Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, O son of Kunti, that state he will attain without fail. [BG 8.6] Yet another reason to cut down on the sugar. For example, one may have enjoyed surplus foodstuffs without discrimination, like meats, intoxicants and other abominable things, instead of the foodstuffs that were intended for mankind to eat, such as fruits, grains, vegetables and milk. Throughout his whole life, he was indulging in gluttonous activities, meditating about those activities, hankering for food, and molding his life in such a way that he could eat unlimitedly. Such a person would find his existence even easier and more fulfilling in the body of a hog, because a hog can eat even stool or rubber tires and be satisfied, and a pig enjoys eating large portions all day. Those desires and thoughts that the consciousness spent it's duration in a certain body meditating on will create another body by the arrangement of material nature just according to how that soul has earned and deserves. Yet a hog's body is full of suffering. It's practically forced by nature to live in an unclean place, eat unclean things, and be subject to the limited consciousness that is innate in any animal. It may have been the soul's desire, but that doesn't mean that such an existence is at all pleasant. How is it that the consciousness, which we can see presides at one point in a human form, is forced into such an animalistic and crude body? It takes a trip to hell. Hell is not some fairy-tale that is whimsically imagined for the purpose of scaring youngsters to accept some dogma or a place for people to send their enemies with a curse, but hell is a factual and unavoidable reality. Hell is the natural byproduct of the spirit soul's desire to enjoy material nature. When we want to enjoy material life, we must take a material body, which takes the form of a demigod all the way down to the lowest forms of germs and worms, according to one's respective karma. In hell, the advanced human consciousness is tortured, according to one's karma, in such a way that his consciousness will not mind being forced in the body of a lower creature like a dog or a hog. A dog is very happy with his condition of life, although we see that such a condition is deplorable. This is because that condition is far better than the hell he had just been in. We can see that consciousness is affected by the circumstances it finds itself in in this very life. The consciousness of a person can shrink if it is shocked or tortured. "If you just chant 16 rounds..." The law of conservation of energy is the final proof that the energy of consciousness is transferred to another body at the destruction of the present body. The question is, how can such an advanced consciousness become so animalisticly simple and limited? That same energy that was working in such a complex way, experiencing a palette of emotions, pains, pleasures and finer sentiments becomes so basic it communicates by simply barking or snorting. Hell becomes a natural explanation. The consciousness must undergo some kind of transformation in order to exist in such a low body like that of an animal. So when the Hare Krishna's warn you about hell, don't take it as fanaticism, take it as a scientific and logical fact.

There are many qualities required for sincere devotees to develop in order to become fixed in Krishna consciousness. In this extract of chapter 16 of Teachings of Lord Chaitanya, Conclusion of Teachings to Sanātana Gosvāmī, Srila Prahupada highlights the necessary mood for success. Krishna consciousness The word ātmā also means “an endeavor.” In every practice there is some endeavor, and the ultimate endeavor is the endeavor to reach the highest perfectional stage of devotional service. In Śhrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.5.18) it is stated that one should try to attain the highest goal, which cannot be attained either in the higher or lower planetary systems. The idea is that material happiness and misery are automatically available in all planetary systems in the course of time, but the highest achievement, devotional service, cannot be attained anywhere without endeavor. Therefore in the Bṛhan-nāradīya Purāṇa it is said that one who is serious about understanding the highest perfectional stage of devotional service can become successful simply by his endeavor. One cannot attain the highest perfectional stage of devotional service without personal endeavor. As Krishna states in the Bhagavad-gītā (10.10): teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ   bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ   yena mām upayānti te “To those who are constantly rendering devotional service to Me with love, I, who am situated in everyone’s heart, give the intelligence by which they can make undeterred progress in devotional activities.” The word ātmā also means dhṛti, “patience and perseverance.” By patience and perseverance one can achieve the highest stage of devotional service.

The following is an excerpt from the Prologue of Shrila Prabhupada's book Teachings of Lord Chaitanya. There is no difference between the teachings of Lord Chaitanya presented here and the teachings of Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita. The teachings of Lord Chaitanya are practical demonstrations of Lord Krishna's teachings. Lord Krishna's ultimate instruction in the Bhagavad-gita is that everyone should surrender unto Him, Lord Krishna. Krishna promises to take immediate charge of such a surrendered soul. The Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is already in charge of the maintenance of this creation by virtue of His plenary expansion, Ksirodaka-sayi Vishnu, but this maintenance is not direct. However, when the Lord says that He takes charge of His pure devotee, He actually takes direct charge. A pure devotee is a soul who is forever surrendered to the Lord, just as a child is surrendered to his parents or an animal to its master. In the surrendering process, one should (1) accept things favorable for discharging devotional service, (2) reject things unfavorable, (3) firmly believe that the Lord will always protect His devotee, (4) feel exclusively dependent on the mercy of the Lord, (5) have no interest separate from the interest of the Lord, and (6) always feel meek and humble. The Lord demands that one surrender unto Him by following these six guidelines, but the unintelligent so-called scholars of the world misunderstand these demands and urge the general mass of people to reject them. At the conclusion of the Ninth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krishna directly orders, "Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me alone, and offer obeisances unto Me alone." By so doing, the Lord says, one is sure to go to Him in His transcendental abode. But the scholarly demons misguide the masses of people by directing them to surrender not to the Personality of Godhead but rather to the impersonal, unmanifested, eternal, unborn truth. The impersonalist Mayavadi philosophers do not accept that the ultimate aspect of the Absolute Truth is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If one desires to understand the sun as it is, one must first face the sunshine and then the sun globe, and then, if one is able to enter into that globe, one may come face to face with the predominating deity of the sun. Due to a poor fund of knowledge, the Mayavadi philosophers cannot go beyond the Brahman effulgence, which may be compared to the sunshine. The Upanishads confirm that one has to penetrate the dazzling effulgence of Brahman before one can see the real face of the Personality of Godhead. Lord Chaitanya therefore taught direct worship of Lord Krishna, who appeared as the foster child of the king of Vraja. Lord Chaitanya also taught that the place known as Vrndavana is as good as Lord Krishna because, Lord Krishna being the Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead, there is no difference between Him and His name, qualities, form, pastimes, entourage and paraphernalia. Lord Chaitanya also taught that the mode of worshipping the Lord in the highest perfectional stage is the method practiced by the damsels of Vraja. These damsels (gopis, or cowherd girls) simply loved Krishna without any motive for material or spiritual gain. Lord Chaitanya also taught that Shrimad-Bhagavatam is the spotless narration of transcendental knowledge and that the highest goal in human life is to develop unalloyed love for Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Lord Chaitanya's teachings are identical to those given by Lord Kapila, the original propounder of sankhya-yoga, the shankhya system of philosophy. This authorized system of yoga teaches meditation on the transcendental form of the Lord. There is no question of meditating on something void or impersonal. When one can meditate on the transcendental form of Lord Vishnu even without practicing involved sitting postures in a secluded place, such meditation is called perfect samadhi. That this kind of meditation is perfect samadhi is confirmed at the end of the Sixth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gita, where Lord Krishna says that of all yogis, the greatest is the one who constantly thinks of the Lord within the core of his heart with love and devotion. On the basis of the shankhya philosophy of acintya-bhedabheda-tattva, which maintains that the Supreme Lord is simultaneously one with and different from His creation, Lord Chaitanya taught that the most practical way for the mass of people to practice shankhya-yoga meditation is simply to chant the holy name of the Lord. He taught that the holy name of the Lord is the sound incarnation of the Lord and that since the Lord is the absolute whole, there is no difference between His holy name and His transcendental form. Thus by chanting the holy name of the Lord one can directly associate with the Supreme Lord by sound vibration. As one practices chanting this sound vibration, one passes through three stages of development: the offensive stage, the clearing stage and the transcendental stage. In the offensive stage of chanting one may desire all kinds of material happiness, but in the second stage one becomes clear of all material contamination. When one is situated on the transcendental stage, one attains the most coveted position -- the stage of loving God. Lord Chaitanya taught that this is the highest stage of perfection for human beings. Yoga practice is essentially meant for controlling the senses. The central controlling factor of all the senses is the mind; therefore one first has to practice controlling the mind by engaging it in Krishna consciousness. The gross activities of the mind are expressed through the external senses, either for the acquisition of knowledge or for the functioning of the senses in accordance with the will. The subtle activities of the mind are thinking, feeling and willing, which are carried out according to one's consciousness, either polluted or clear. If one's mind is fixed on Krishna (His name, qualities, form, pastimes, entourage and paraphernalia), all one's activities -- both subtle and gross -- become favorable. The Bhagavad-gitas process of purifying consciousness is the process of fixing one's mind on Krishna by talking of His transcendental activities, cleansing His temple, going to His temple, seeing the beautiful transcendental form of the Lord nicely decorated, hearing His transcendental glories, tasting food offered to Him, associating with His devotees, smelling the flowers and tulasi leaves offered to Him, engaging in activities for the Lord's interest, becoming angry at those who are malicious toward devotees, etc. No one can bring the activities of the mind and senses to a stop, but one can purify these activities through a change in consciousness. This change is indicated in the Bhagavad-gita (2.39), where Krishna tells Arjuna of the knowledge of yoga whereby one can work without fruitive results: "O son of Pirtha, when you act in such knowledge you can free yourself from the bondage of works." A human being is sometimes restricted in sense gratification due to certain circumstances, such as disease, but such proscriptions are for the less intelligent. Without knowing the actual process by which the mind and senses can be controlled, less intelligent men may try to stop the mind and senses by force, but ultimately they give in to them and are carried away by the waves of sense gratification. The eight principles of shankhya-yoga -- observing the regulative principles, following the rules, practicing the various sitting postures, performing the breathing exercises, withdrawing one's senses from the sense objects, etc. -- are meant for those who are too much engrossed in the bodily conception of life. The intelligent man situated in Krishna consciousness does not try to forcibly stop his senses from acting. Rather, he engages his senses in the service of Krishna. No one can stop a child from playing by leaving him inactive; rather, one can stop the child from engaging in nonsense by engagimg him in superior activities. Similarly, the forceful restraint of sense activities by the eight principles of yoga is recommended for inferior men; superior men, being engaged in the superior activities of Krishna consciousness, naturally retire from the inferior activities of material existence. In this way Lord Chaitanya teaches the science of Krishna consciousness. That science is absolute. Dry mental speculators try to restrain themselves from material attachment, but it is generally found that the mind is too strong to be controlled and that it drags them down to sensual activities. A person in Krishna consciousness does not run this risk. One therefore has to engage one's mind and senses in Krishna conscious activities, and Lord Chaitanya teaches one how to do this in practice. Before accepting sannyasa (the renounced order), Lord Chaitanya was known as Vishvambhara. The word visvambhara refers to one who maintains the entire universe and who leads all living entities. This very same maintainer and leader appeared as Lord Sri Krishna Chaitanya to give humanity these sublime teachings. Lord Chaitanya is the ideal teacher of life's prime necessities. He is the most munificent bestower of love of Krishna. He is the complete reservoir of all mercies and good fortune. As confirmed in Shrimad-Bhagavatam, the Bhagavad-gita, the Mahabharata and the Upanisads, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna Himself, and He is worshipable by everyone in this age of disagreement. Everyone can join in His sankirtana movement. No previous qualification is necessary. Just by following His teachings, anyone can become a perfect human being. Anyone who is fortunate enough to be attracted by Lord Chaitanya is sure to be successful in his life's mission. In other words, those who are interested in attaining spiritual existence can easily be released from the clutches of maya by Lord Chaitanya's grace, now presented in book form as Teachings of Lord Chaitanya, which is nondifferent from the Lord. The conditioned soul, engrossed in the material body, increases the pages of history by all kinds of material activities. Teachings of Lord Chaitanya can help the members of human society stop such unnecessary and temporary activities and be elevated to the topmost platform of spiritual activities, which begin after liberation from material bondage. Such liberated activities in Krishna consciousness constitute the goal of human perfection. The false prestige one acquires by attempting to dominate material nature is illusory. Illuminating knowledge can be acquired from Teachings of Lord Chaitanya, and by such knowledge one can advance in spiritual existence. Everyone has to suffer or enjoy the fruits of his activity; no one can check the laws of material nature that govern such things. As long as one is engaged in fruitive activity, one is sure to be baffled in the attempt to attain the ultimate goal of life. I sincerely hope that by understanding Teachings of Lord Chaitanya human society will experience a new light of spiritual life, which will open the field of activity for the pure soul. om tat sat A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami 14 March 1968 (The Birthday of Lord Chaitanya) Shri Shri Radha-Krsna Temple New York, N.Y. TLC Prologue

Is there such a thing as perfection? Do you want a perfect answer? Yes? If yes, then there must be perfection. If my answer is imperfect then there is no need to answer. If whatever answer you have is imperfect then it's not valid. Is there such a thing as perfection? Do you want a perfect answer? Yes? If yes, then there must be perfection. If my answer is imperfect then there is no need to answer. If whatever answer you have is imperfect then it's not valid. When you say there is no perfection, that means your answer is imperfect and thus it has no value. To make your statement valuable there must be perfection. Then your statement can make sense. In order to be spiritually perfect there are many requirements: one has to completely give up meat eating, illicit sex, gambling, intoxication and sleeping, basically any kind of sense gratification. You have to give up everything for Krishna, you have to give one hundred percent of everything to Him and nothing for yourself. Whatever you do, eat or even think of, everything you do for Him only: "Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer or give away, and whatever austerities you perform—do that, O son of Kunti, as an offering to Me." [BG 9.27] When you read all these regulations, initially it seems impossible to do that. What? No eating and sleeping? Are you crazy? Well yes, I am crazy, that is the qualification. Of course you don't do that artificially, but by acquiring higher taste which makes you overcome all these lesser enjoyments, like it says in the Bhagavad-Gita, "The embodied soul may be restricted from sense enjoyment, though the taste for sense objects remains. But, ceasing such engagements by experiencing a higher taste, he is fixed in consciousness." [BG 2.59]. Just like when you are in love with somebody, you don't feel distressed or even hungry, because you are fully absorbed in thought of that person. This simple, material example gives you a hint that it is possible to overcome. Another example is when you play video-games like I used to do; I hardly thought of eating, being tired or even going to have a pee. But can we achieve all that? Take this example: you are doing a test. In order to reach one hundred percent you must get 10 marks. The first time, you only do 7 marks. "Okay, Let me improve." So then you do 9 marks. Great, Just one point from achieving the perfect result. And finally... 10 marks. So your score is perfect. Then you have a bigger test where 100 marks is the perfect full score. So you do the same. Bingo, again you get one hundred percent. Then there is a test with 1000 marks, 10,000 marks or 1,000,000 marks etc. Each time you can get a perfect score. It's just relative. Perfection is possible In any of those cases. And what's the process? To give up the lower taste and achieve the higher one. How? Chant Hare Krishna! It sounds odd, all this simply by chanting? Some things might sound simple, but can have a big impact. Sometimes one sentence or even one word can change our whole life. You say one bad word to your brother and it can completely change your relationship forever, in bad way. But the Hare Krishna maha-mantra - Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare/ Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare - can change your whole life in good way. Even though bad things might happen while chanting and practicing this maha-mantra: if done sincerely, Krishna will guide you and help you in such a way that you spiritually progress. Even bad things can make you progress. Never mind how simple it sounds, just try it out and Krishna and Shrila Prabhupada will help you.

Today marks the auspicious event of the disappearance of Haridasa Thakura. Haridasa Thakur has been initiated by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu as namacarya. This is because he preached the glories of the chanting of the holy name. Here are some quotes about this most exalted personality, to inspire you to chant. "Although Ṭhākura Haridāsa happened to take his birth in a Muslim family, he was elevated to the post of nāmācārya by Lord Caitanya due to his rigidly attended principle of chanting three hundred thousand holy names of the Lord daily: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. And because he chanted the holy name of the Lord constantly, it is understood that in his previous life he must have passed through all the ritualistic methods of the Vedas, known as śabda-brahma . Unless, therefore, one is purified, one cannot take to the principles of Kṛṣṇa consciousness or become engaged in chanting the holy name of the Lord, Hare Krishna." (Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 6.44, Purport) "The Lord may dictate to tigers and other jungle animals not to disturb His devotee. Haridāsa Ṭhākura, a great devotee of Lord Śrī Caitanya, used to live in such a cave, and by chance a great venomous snake was a co-partner of the cave. Some admirer of Ṭhākura Haridāsa who had to visit the Ṭhākura every day feared the snake and suggested that the Ṭhākura leave that place. Because his devotees were afraid of the snake and they were regularly visiting the cave, Ṭhākura Haridāsa agreed to the proposal on their account. But as soon as this was settled, the snake actually crawled out of its hole in the cave and left the cave for good before everyone present. By the dictation of the Lord, who lived also within the heart of the snake, the snake gave preference to Haridāsa and decided to leave the place and not disturb him. So this is a tangible example of how the Lord gives protection to a bona fide devotee like Ṭhākura Haridāsa." (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.2.5, Purport) "Haridas Thakur chanted 3 lakhs of names each day, that means 16 names in the mantra, 108x16 or 1,728 names in each round of mala, dividing 300,000 by 1,728 comes to roundabout 175 rounds on beads daily. And for us it is even difficult to chant 16 rounds! That is why Haridas Thakur is namacharya. We find in Chaitanya Charitamrta information that both Lord Chaitanya and Haridas Thakur were constantly absorbed in chanting the Hare Krishna mantra: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare/ Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare." (Srila Prabhupada Letter, January 2, 1972) "The transcendental qualities of Haridāsa Ṭhākura are innumerable and unfathomable. One may describe a portion of them, but to count them all is impossible." (Caitanya-caritāmṛta Antya 3.95)

Vaisnavas only take Krishna prasadam. This is food which has been offered to the Lord and thus spiritualized. As today is the auspicious appearance day of Shrila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, we have shared with you a beautiful prayer writen by him, about the glories of Prasadam. The devotees at B.L.I.S.S London recite this prayer every time they take Prasad. Caitanya Mahaprasad bhai-re! sarira avidya-jal, jodendriya tahe kal, jive phele vishaya-sagore ta’ra madhye jihva ati, lobhamoy sudurmati, ta’ke jeta kathina samsare O brothers! This material body is a network of ignorance, and the senses are one’s deadly enemies, for they throw the soul into the ocean of material sense enjoyment. Among the senses, the tongue is the most voracious and verily wicked; it is very difficult to conquer the tongue in this world. krishna bado doyamoy, koribare jihva jay, swa-prasad-anna dilo bhai sei annamrita pao, radha-krishna-guna gao, preme dako caitanya-nitai O brothers! Lord Krishna is very merciful—just to control the tongue He has given us the remnants of His own food! Now please eat these nectarean grains while singing the glories of Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha and Krishna, and in love call out “Caitanya! Nitai!”

Today is the appearance day of Lord Vamanadeva! Also known as Balibandhana, he is the swarf incarnation of Lord Krishna, who appeared in Treta Yuga, after Lord Nrismha. Below is a letter from Shrila Prabhupada to one of his disciples, about Lord Vamanadeva. Montreal 3 July, 1968 My Dear Satsvarupa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 28, 1968, and I thank you very much for it. Regarding Bali Maharaja: He is born in the same atheistic family of Maharaja Prahlada. He happened to be the grandson of Maharaja Prahlada, and as his great grand-father, Hiranyakasipu was very powerful, and as there was animosity between the demigods and the demons, Bali Maharaja also defeated the demigods several times, and was occupying all the planets. At that time Vamanadeva appeared as the son of Kasyamuni. Bali Maharaja was very charitably disposed. Sometimes the atheists are also very charitable. Persons who believe that we are doing pious activities, making charities and welfare work to the human society, why should we bother about God?–such persons even though very moral and pious in the estimation of the material world, are also demons, on account of their apathy for Krishna Consciousness. So, Bali Maharaja was a man of that type. Under the circumstances he was not averse to accept charity and other pious activities. He was being guided by his spiritual master, Sukaracharya. Sukara means the semina. In other words, one claims to become acharya on the principle of being born of a Brahmin father. They may be called sukaracharya, or acharya or preacher not by disciplic succession, but on the right of heredity. In India there are still superstitions that one should be initiated by such sukaracharya family. They are called generally as the jatigosain. Jatigosain means the caste spiritual master. All over India, especially in Bengal, this jatigosain spiritual mastership is very prevalent. But really goswami means one who is master of the influence of different senses, namely the influence of tongue, the influence of mind, the influence of anger, the influence of belly, the influence of genital, and the influence of talking. So one who is master of these influential webs of sense gratification, he is called goswami. Goswami is not by hereditary chart. So Sukaracharya posed himself as such goswami spiritual master. He had many mystic powers, therefore he was considered to be very influential spiritual master of the demons. So when Vamanadeva appeared, Bali Maharaja was attracted by His beauty as a Dwarf Brahmin, and as he was charitably disposed, he wanted to give Him some charity. But Sukaracharya, being elevated in mystic yogic powers, he could understand that Vamanadeva was Visnu. And in order to favor the demigods, He had come there to cheat Bali Maharaja in the shape of begging some charities. Bali Maharaja was puffed up with his material vanities, and Vamanadeva as He is Visnu, all-peaceful, without interrupting his attitude, just approached him in the form of a Brahmin, Who has a right to beg something from the princely order. And the principle orders also are always disposed, to make charities to the Brahmins. Question, para. 2, answer: Sukracarya as spiritual master of Bali taught him that everything should be offered to Visnu. But when Visnu actually appeared before Bali, he was afraid of Bali Maharaja’s charitable disposition. He warned Bali Maharaja that this Vamanadeva had come there to take everything from him in the shape of charity, therefore he should not promise Him to give anything. This advice revolted Bali Maharaja because he was formerly instructed that everything should be offered to Visnu, now, why Sukaracharya was asking him not to act by his previous instructions? Sukaracharya was afraid of his own position. He was living at the cost of Bali Maharaja, so if Vamanadeva would take away everything from Bali Maharaja, he was thinking how he would live. That is a materialistic temperament. The materialist does not want to serve or to give to Visnu, because he thinks that by giving away to Visnu he will be put into poverty-stricken condition. This is materialistic estimation. But actually that is not the fact, as it will be evidenced by the dealing of Bali Maharaja and Vamanadeva. Question 1, answer: That is the materialistic way of worshiping. Materialists are always careful for maintaining his material status quo first, and then please Visnu. Although they profess to be devotees of Visnu. Therefore the Krishna Consciousness persons are greater than such materialistic worshippers. Materialist person perform all pious activities or devotional activities for some material gain, and as soon as there is any hindrance in the path of material gain, they at once become demon. Therefore bhakti means without any material desires. That is the sign of pure devotee. He has no motive to satisfy his material desires by devotional service. Question 2, answer: That is just his military spirit, that Bali Maharaja says “If He be the illustrious Lord Visnu not desirous of foregoing His own fame, He shall wrest from me this earth after slaying me in battle, or He shall be slain by me.” The last portion of this question is not very clear. Question 3, answer: Why Bali Maharaja is considered a Mahajana: Bali Maharaja is Mahajana because he wanted to serve Visnu by disobeying his non-bonafide spiritual master. As explained above, Sukracarya was hereditary spiritual master by seminic succession. But Bali Maharaja first revolted against this stereotyped seminic succession spiritual master, and therefore he is Mahajana. Srila Jiva Goswami has described in his Karamasandharvha that one should be anxious to accept a spiritual master who is bona fide in spiritual knowledge. And if need be one should relinquish the connection of hereditary spiritual master and accept a real bona fide spiritual master. So when Sukaracharya advised him contrary to his previous instructions, specifically, he checked Bali Maharaja in the matter of worshipping Visnu, and thus Sukaracharya became at once fallen down from the position of becoming a spiritual master. Nobody can become a spiritual master who is not a devotee of Visnu. A brahmana may be very expert in the matter of performing Vedic rituals, accepting charities, and distributing wealth–all these are exalted qualifications of the brahmanas, but the Vedic injunction is, in spite of possessing all these qualities, if somebody is against Lord Visnu, he cannot be a spiritual master. So when Sukaracharya advised Bali Maharaja against Visnu, he at once became unqualified for becoming a spiritual master. Bali Maharaja disobeyed such unqualified spiritual master, and therefore, he is accepted as Mahajana. Mahajana means a personality whose footprints should be followed. So, his exemplary behavior in rejecting a non-Vaisnava spiritual master being ideal to the bona fide students, he is considered a Mahajana. If Jadurani wants to paint the picture of Bali Maharaja, it should be like this: 1) The hall must be very nicely decorated, & princely hall, 2) in one side of the hall, the royal throne should be presented as vacant, and 3) Bali Maharaja should pose himself bowing down before Lord Vamanadeva, and Vamanadeva should be painted with one leg on the earth; and one leg high in the sky; and one leg coming out of his navel, and put on the head of Bali Maharaja. This means the charity of one’s possessions is not full for the Spreme Personality of Godhead, but when one’s personal body and head is given to the service of the Lord, then one becomes perfect in offering everything to the Lord. This is called complete surrender of everything that a devotee may possess. Bali Maharaja may be shown as not more than 40 years old, very nice looking king, well dressed like the royal order, and with mustache and no beard. Sukaracharya should be wearing a Saivite tilaka, and also Maharaja Bali can have a Saivite tilaka, until after he meets with Vamanadeva, and then you can change Bali Maharaja’s tilaka into a Vaisnava one. Yes, Pradyumna is typing that 3rd canto and will send you soon. Hoping you are all well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami P.S. While posting this letter, I have received your letter by 2nd July, 1968. I am glad to learn that Kirtana process in the Park is going on well as you received $50.00 last Sunday. This is very encouraging as in N.Y. also they are following the same process with success. I have received one letter from Rayarama as he is not going to Boston but he is in L.A. He will write you. Regarding immigration, I am sending here with the copy of the letter addressed to Mr. Hamilton. I think you should see Mr. Hamilton & take from him written letter advising me the right direction. I don’t want to see the U.S. Counsel.