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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.

Everybody is looking for love. Through conjugal relationships, family, friends, society, etc. In the material world, the most pleasurable means of exchanging affection is through a conjugal relationship, but why exactly is this union so pleasing, and what does a temporary relationship mean for an eternal spirit soul? The Trap of Material Affection Everything in this plane of existence is only a perverted reflection of what is found in the eternal, spiritual world. Prabhupada says, ' That relationship is pervertedly reflected in this material world. That relationship. Somebody is related with Kṛṣṇa as master and servant. That is reflected here also. There is master and servant, but both of them are cheating one another. The master is trying to exploit the servant, and the servant is trying to exploit the master. They are also forming unions, how to exact money from the capitalists, and the capitalists trying to exploit this labor from the laborers.' - Lecture on B.G August 4 1968 This mutual exploitation can also be used to describe conjugal relationships in the material world. The female is looking for protection, the male is looking for someone to Lord it over and both of them are after sex life. The illusory energy of the Lord (Maya) is described as being very sweet in the beginning and very bitter in the end. This illusory energy is what is keeping us in the temporary existence. We have a tendency to forget of our eternal nature, thinking: ‘I am a girl, I am a boy, I am so and so's husband, I am a cat or a dog.’ When we identify with the material nature, we become entangled in her intricacies, hankering and lamenting for things which are temporary and do not belong to us. Even when we do recieve Maya's benedictions, they can not give any real pleasure to us, as we have a spiritual nature. 'In our materialistic way of life, which is just like a desert, we are hankering after an ocean of happiness, but in the form of society, friends and mundane love we are getting no more than a drop of water' - Krishna Book, Chapter 20 In the spiritual world, Krishna has conjugal relationships, this is why we are also able to have this nice mellow between boyfriend and girlfriend or husband and wife. Nothing can exist in this material world without first existing in the spiritual world. The only difference is that Krishna, his associates and his pastimes are fully transcendental and pure whereas our activities are material and motivated by lust. Conditioned living entities look for eternal pleasure in the temporary material bodies of their counterparts, but this sense gratification is likened to the scratching of an itch. It is very temporary relief which agitates the senses even more, thus causing even more hankering and lamentations. The only way to find real pleasure is by serving our creator, Krishna. As when you water the root of a tree, all the leaves and branches are nourished, so when you please the source of all creation you, as his part and parcel, are also pleased. Now, renouncing everything in search of God sounds very difficult, and it is indeed an austere path, but not in the way you might think. anāsaktasya viṣayān yathārham upayuñjataḥ nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate prāpañcikatayā buddhyā hari-sambandhi-vastunaḥ mumukṣubhiḥ parityāgo vairāgyaṁ phalgu kathyate 'When one is not attached to anything, but at the same time accepts everything in relation to Kṛṣṇa, one is rightly situated above possessiveness. On the other hand, one who rejects everything without knowledge of its relationship to Krishna is not as complete in his renunciation.' Renunciation does not mean starving yourself, not speaking and not eating. Actually, Krishna consciousness includes sex, feasting and the best jokes. Real renunciation is to utilize everything in the service of Krishna. If one wishes to, he can get married and utilize his sex desire to create Krishna conscious children. Whereas a material relationship further entangles one in the web of material miseries, a Krishna conscious relationship is unbinding the living entities from the material nature. This is because rather than exploiting one another, the devotee couple are pushing each other to Krishna, the ocean of transcendental bliss. So if a life of celibacy sounds very unappealing to you, don't worry! Get yourself a Hare Krishna boy/girl and get outta here :D

Every month the B.L.I.S.S devotees put together a Krishna Conscious magazine of the name Matchless Gift. There is a variety of different pieces, ranging from recipes, funny stories, health advice and world news. Below is the World News feature, 'Water: A Slippery Problem,' written by Maitreya Rsi Dasa. You can find this article and many other wonderful discourses here , in the 11th edition of the Matchless Gift Magazine. And you can check out our online store for all the other editions of Matchless Gift, PLUS books, prasadam and more. Drought Darfur. 16 years. Hundreds of thousands of people killed. Many millions displaced. Why? A lack of water. It might not come as a surprise that without the most basic of survival needs, the problems in almost every facet of life increase. When people don’t have access to water, hell breaks loose. Interestingly enough, it was only in 2010 that the UN recognized water as basic human right.   In Darfur, droughts over a period of twenty years made life difficult, to say the least. Land became nigh unusable for the growth of crops, and famine was an ever present threat. The people of the region and those nearby as well started migrating to find habitable land. At the same time, the population naturally grew, and the lack of arable land meant that the increasing population faced even more difficulties, scarcity of food, and drinkable, if any, water. Alongside these environmental factors, immigrants from neighbouring countries who had similar climatic conditions but different religious views increased the population density further, and the aggregate of all these factors led to tension between the increasingly diversifying groups. The Sudanese government paid little heed to the cries of the people, and in 2003, conflict broke out between four factions of the region. The root cause of the following bloodshed which continues up to the present day can be traced back to a lack of drinkable water, expediting increasing tensions between societal groups.   Water is an essential part of life. Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita that the refreshing taste of water represents Him: raso’ ham apsu kaunteya ( Bg 7.8). It is so important that it represents God. And indeed, a human being can go little longer than a few days without this precious fluid. And yet, in countries that are not at brutal civil wars and who do not experience devastating droughts, water is taken as something for granted. Every year, the United States uses more than 22 trillion gallons of water. That’s 333 million Olympic swimming pools. I don’t know if that’s a helpful analogy, but, it’s a lot of water.   What’s more surprising than the overall quantity of water consumed by a single country is which sectors are responsible for consuming it. Six percent of the usage can be attributed to residential purposes. For many, this number doesn’t come as a surprise, since the idea that companies overuse water and resources is widespread. Those same people may then be surprised that only eight percent of the water usage can be contributed to commercial use. Indeed, 86 percent of water is used for another purpose. That purpose? Many of those reading this article will have never heard of it before: Alfalfa. Alfalfa is a particular kind of grass fed to cattle. That’s right: 86 percent of water use goes into maintaining the beef industry. Just one quarter pound hamburger alone takes 1,650 liters of water to produce. To put that in perspective, the average person is meant to drink 3.7 liters a day (although that number is not supported by Ayurveda). So for killing and eating our mother, the cow, who gives the all-substantive food of milk, we are willing to put at great risk the quintessence of life in material bodies: water. Modern civilization has it’s priorities ad absurdum.   At the present rate of water consumption, the world literally does not have enough usable water to sustain this usage rate for than 50 years in some of the major cities, according to Arnoldo Matus Kramer, the chief resilience officer for Mexico City, Mexico. Recently, the enormous city of Bengaluru in South India announced restrictions due to a complete lack of water.   This has many of the big minds of the modern era racking their brains for solutions to a surmounting global threat. However, the events and patterns previously described are not at all random, as some worldviews may have it believed. And yet, it is also not dependant on our fossil fuel consumption, as another would postulate. Rather, the lack of basic necessities is a consequence of a lack of God-consciousness and an increase of vice, or sinful activities. The symptoms of the age of Kali-yuga are precisely described in the Shrimad-Bhagavatam, an ancient text predating 5000 years. In the 12th canto of the great work, we find the following predictions:   “Harassed by famine and excessive taxes, people will resort to eating leaves, roots, flesh, wild honey, fruits, flowers and seeds. Struck by drought, they will become completely ruined.”   SB 12.2.9   Certainly, the startling predictions of this ancient scripture ring true in today’s arid climate. It is, of course, not only a great credit to the authenticity of the Vedic scriptures, but an alarm to change our patterns of behaviour and social, political, and personal trajectories in life if we want to avoid these ominous sufferings. There are various solutions emerging for the present water crisis, and one of the desalination; the process of extracting water from seawater, purifying it, and making it readily accessible. However, the process creates a harmful by-product waste called “brine”: an extremely salt-dense mixture that suffocates living organisms in the water it is dumped from the processing plants employing desalination. It seems that no solution will be able to fix the problem unless we find the root cause of the issue, lest we resort to metaphorically filling one hole by making another continuously. Shrila Prabhupada, a revolutionary in solving all world problems, and the spiritual master of the Hare Krishna movement, offers the following sagacious advice:   “So we are receiving heat from the sun. Similarly, we are receiving rains. Don't you think that we have to pay some tax? That is required. That is enjoined in the Vedic literature. You must. Therefore so many sacrifices are recommended. If you do not offer those sacrifices, then there will be irregularity of rain, irregularity of heat, excessive heat, excessive cold, and people will suffer. This is the process. They do not know it.”   Bhagavad-gita class 3.11–19 – December 27, 1968, Los Angeles   People are familiar with the concept of paying taxes: you use some resource, and that resource is provided by the government, who create the facilities for extracting that resource. People generally do not stop to think about how little of the resources around them are available, and the effects of their irresponsibly using them. How much less, then, do they think about where the resource itself comes from in the first place? In fact, all the resources of the material world are managed by the demigods, powerful personalities ordained by Krishna who administer the natural materials according to the sacrifices performed by the people. Much like if we don’t pay our taxes and dues, the government will no longer maintain the water line to our houses. Fares fair, as they say. “Offering sacrifices” doesn’t mean dragging people or goats up a large flight of stairs and taking their heart out, triumphantly holding it above your head. At least, this magazine wouldn’t be very popular for very long if that were the case. The process of sacrifice as enjoined in the Vedas means giving up a portion of our wealth and/or energy for the satisfaction of Vishnu, or Krishna, who is the original and actual proprietor and enjoyer of all that be. In bygone eras, sacrifice was a costly affair; unimaginable quantities of ghee (clarified butter), grains, and other valuables would be offered into fire. But now, the process has been made simple by the introduction of the harinam sankirtana yajna. Harinam sankirtan yajna means chanting and dancing to the Holy Names of Krishna, the supreme Lord, and the most efficacious names of His Lordship are Hare, Krishna, and Rama. Combined, these comprise the hare krishna maha-mantra⎯Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare⎯a far more economically viable alternative to the modern day water crisis than the costly job of desalination, plants costing around 300 million pounds to start up and thousands a day to maintain. Such short sighted projects become redundant in light of the knowledge of the Vedas: In charge of the various necessities of life, the demigods, being satisfied by the performance of yajna [sacrifice], supply all necessities to man. But he who enjoys these gifts, without offering them to the demigods in return, is certainly a thief. (Bhagavad-gita 3.12)Even if we produce such plants, we will be nothing more than highly technological thieves. Exploitation the resources of material nature doesn't just mean irresponsibly wasting them, or extracting them in ways which are unsustainable; using the elements of creation without acknowledging and appeasing the creator, Krishna, is just as reprehensible. It’s not at all an impossible task for people to gather together and united chant Hare Krishna, at the very least for the benefit of not suffering drought and famine. The chanting of Hare Krishna is actually meant for spiritual upliftment, not to solve any material problems, but material problems are solved as a natural consequence of people acting in accord with the laws of nature; principally, to live their lives in a way that is pleasing Krishna. In fact, recently, in 2015, South Africa’s Cape Town underwent unquenchable drought, and subsequently appropriate water sanctions were put in place. But as time progressed onwards of 2017, the drought also continued, and the sanctions only increased. On the first of January, 2018, the then-mayor of the city announced that they would be forced to shut off most of the municipal water supply if usage did not change. Shortly thereafter, residents being pushed into severe rationing of water, city-wide efforts were made on behalf of all the inhabitants to restrict the use of water. At the time of impending death and calamity, people learn how to work cooperatively.   But these threats are always present, whether or not we solve the problem of the worldwide water crisis, because the nature of the material world is that it is temporary, and we can be subject to it’s perils at any moment. Droughts, fires, earthquakes, storms, floods, wars, pestilence, and many other colorful unfortunate events await us if we do not urgently take up to the Hare Krishna movement. “In these days of drought, people can gain relief from scarcity of rain and food by the simple method of the Hare Krishna yajna. Indeed, this can relieve all of human society. At present there are droughts throughout Europe and America, and people are suffering, but if people take this Krishna consciousness movement seriously, if they stop their sinful activities and chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, all their problems will be solved without difficulty.” (Shrimad-Bhagavatam 9.1.17)

Have you noticed that we are living in a time of chaos? Have you noticed that degradation and distruction is taking place? Srila Prabhupada gave some terrifying predictions about progression of Kali Yuga in coversation with spiritualist Allen Ginsberg. Allen Ginsberg: What was the conclusion of Śaṅkarācārya? Prabhupāda: Śaṅkarācārya's conclusion was to defeat Buddhism. They do not know it, but actually, when there was too much animal-killing and people became almost atheist under the shadow of Vedic rituals, Lord Buddha appeared. He wanted to stop men from the sinful activities of killing unnecessarily under the plea of Vedas . So he invented that ahiṁsa , nonviolence. And... Because people will give evidence, "Oh, in the Vedas there is..." They were not following, actually, the Vedic rituals, but just like crooked lawyers take advantage of law books, similarly... Therefore, Lord Buddha said that "I do not follow Vedic rituals. I have nothing to do with Vedas . It is my own formula." So Jayadeva has written one prayer, because the Vaiṣṇavas can understand how God is playing. So he writes, nindasi yajña-vidher ahaha śruti-jātaṁ [Daśāvatāra-stotra 9] O Keśava! O Lord of the universe! O Lord Hari, who have assumed the form of Buddha! All glories to You! With your heart full of compassion, you decry animal slaughter performed according to the scriptural rules of Vedic sacrifice. "My dear Lord, now You have appeared as Lord Buddha. You are decrying the Vedic rituals." Śruti-jātaṁ. Śruti-jātaṁ means Vedic. Why? Sadaya-hṛdaya-darṣita-paśu-ghātam: "You are so much compassionate to see poor animals being killed unnecessarily." Keśava dhṛta-buddha-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare: "All glories to Jagadīśa. You have now assumed the form of Lord Buddha, and You are playing in pastimes." So Lord Buddha is accepted as incarnation of Kṛṣṇa. In Bhāgavata also it is stated. He is accepted as the tenth incarnation. Allen Ginsberg: Ah. Who was nine? Prabhupāda: Nine was Baladeva. Baladeva, Kṛṣṇa's elder brother, Balarāma. Allen Ginsberg: Then Buddha is one possible tenth. Prabhupāda: Not tenth. Buddha is ninth. Yes. Buddha is ninth. Baladeva is eighth. And the tenth is awaiting. Allen Ginsberg: Kalki. Prabhupāda: Kalki. Yes. Allen Ginsberg: Now, what is Kalki's nature? Prabhupāda: Kalki's nature, that is described in Bhāgavata. He will come just like a prince, royal dress with sword, and on horseback; simply killing, no preaching. All rascals killed. No more preaching. [laughing] That is the last. There will be no brain to understand what is God. Allen Ginsberg: There will be no brain to understand God? Prabhupāda: They will be so dull, so dull. It requires brain to understand. Just like in the Bhāgavata it is said that evaṁ prasanna-manaso [ SB 1.2.20 ] Thus established in the mode of unalloyed goodness, the man whose mind has been enlivened by contact with devotional service to the Lord gains positive scientific knowledge of the Personality of Godhead in the stage of liberation from all material association. "fully joyful," bhagavad-bhakti-yoga, "by practice of bhakti-yoga." Evaṁ prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ, mukta-saṅgasya: "and freed from all material contamination." He can understand God. Do you think God is so cheap thing, anyone will understand? Because they do not understand, they present something nonsense: "God is like this. God is like that. God is like that." And when God Himself comes, that "Here I am: Kṛṣṇa," they don't accept it. They'll create their own God. Allen Ginsberg: So Kalki comes at the end of the Kali-yuga? Prabhupāda: Yes. Allen Ginsberg: And is Kalki connected with the Kali-yuga cycle? Prabhupāda: Yes. Kalki, yes. Allen Ginsberg: So He would come at the end of Kali-yuga to end the yuga. Prabhupāda: Yes. Then Satya-yuga will begin. Allen Ginsberg: Then what begins? Prabhupāda: Satya-yuga. Allen Ginsberg: Which is? Prabhupāda: Satya-yuga, the pious. Satya-yuga. People will be pious, truthful, long-living. Allen Ginsberg: Are those people that remain, or whatever new creation comes out of the destruction? Prabhupāda: Some of them will remain, some of them. It will not completely extinguish. Some of them will remain, pious. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām [ Bg. 4.8 ]. In order to deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I advent Myself millennium after millennium. All miscreants will be killed, and out of them, there must be some pious... They remain. Allen Ginsberg: Do you think of this in terms of a historical event that will occur in the lifetime of your disciples? Prabhupāda: No. This will happen at least 400,000's of years after. At least. So by that time... Allen Ginsberg: They will go down, down, down for 400,000 years? Prabhupāda: Yes. So at that time my disciples will be with Kṛṣṇa. [laughter] Devotees: Haribol! Prabhupāda: And those who will not follow them, they will see the fun, how they are being killed. [laughter] Allen Ginsberg: Four hundred thousand years. Will people be still chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa in 400,000... Prabhupāda: No. Hare Kṛṣṇa will be finished within ten thousand years. There will be no more Hare Kṛṣṇa. Allen Ginsberg: Ah. So what will be left? Prabhupāda: Nothing. Left will be "I'll kill you and eat you, and you shall kill me, you shall eat me." That will be left. Allen Ginsberg: After ten thousand years? Prabhupāda: Yes. There will be no grain, no milk, no sugar, no fruit. So I have to eat you, and you will have to eat me. Full facility for meat-eating. [laughter] Full facility. Kṛṣṇa is very kind. He'll give facility: "All right. Why cows and calves? You take your own son. Yes. Eat nicely." Just like serpents, snakes, they eat their own offsprings; tigers. So this will happen. Allen Ginsberg: Kālī eats her own... Prabhupāda: Yes. And there will be no brain to understand, no preacher, nothing else. Go. Go to..., to the dog. And then Kṛṣṇa will come: "All right, let Me kill you so that you are saved." So... Allen Ginsberg: But you see it as actually a historical thing of ten thousand years for the chanting, of the diminishing chanting of... Prabhupāda: Yes. These are... Allen Ginsberg: Well, then do you think more people will chant Hare Kṛṣṇa or fewer? Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. More people. Now it will increase. Allen Ginsberg: Until? Prabhupāda: Up to ten thousand years. Allen Ginsberg: And then? Prabhupāda: Then diminish. Allen Ginsberg: So what is the purpose of, right now, a world increase... Prabhupāda: People will take advantage of this up to ten thousand years. Then they will... Allen Ginsberg: So this is like the last rope, the last gasp. Prabhupāda: [laughs] Last gasp. Yes. So the sooner we take to shelter, shelter of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is better. Allen Ginsberg: Well, then, according to Vedic theory, when did this yuga begin? According to this Vedic theory... Or... This is śāstra? Prabhupāda: Yes. Allen Ginsberg: When did this yuga...? Prabhupāda: Begin from this Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He introduced five hundred years ago, and it will continue now. Hayagrīva: Kali-yuga. Prabhupāda: Kali-yuga has begun five thousand years ago. Allen Ginsberg: Oh. Began five thousand years ago. Kīrtanānanda: But this wave within Kali-yuga, in which Hare Kṛṣṇa increases and then diminishes, is about ten thousand years, and that began five hundred years ago. Prabhupāda: Kali-yuga, the duration of life of Kali-yuga is 432,000's of years. Out of that, we have passed five thousand years. There is balance, 427,000's of years. Out of that, 10,000 years is nothing. Allen Ginsberg: Where is all this...? Prabhupāda: Vedic literature. Allen Ginsberg: What...? Prabhupāda: Padma Purāṇa. Purāṇas. Allen Ginsberg: Bhāgavata Purāṇa. Prabhupāda: Bhāgavata Purāṇa. Allen Ginsberg: Has the detailed analysis of what goes on within the Kali-yuga? Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Oh, yes, yes. I'll read you sometimes. Allen Ginsberg: There are translations of that. There are some translations of that. Prabhupāda: Yes. In the Twelfth Canto, the Kali-yuga descriptions are there. Allen Ginsberg: Twelfth Canto. Prabhupāda: Twelfth Canto. And you will find that all the descriptions are coming to be true. Guest (1): True. Prabhupāda: Just like there is one statement, svīkaram eva udvahe: "Marriage will be performed simply by agreement." Now that is being done. And lāvaṇyaṁ keśa-dharaṇam [ SB 12.2.6 ] A sacred place will be taken to consist of no more than a reservoir of water located at a distance, and beauty will be thought to depend on one's hairstyle. Filling the belly will become the goal of life, and one who is audacious will be accepted as truthful. He who can maintain a family will be regarded as an expert man, and the principles of religion will be observed only for the sake of reputation. "People will think that he has become very beautiful by keeping bunch of hairs." That is coming true. These are written there. All things are there in Bhāgavata history. Allen Ginsberg: Well, in the Bhāgavata Purāṇa is there also provision for the Caitanya cult? Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Oh, yes. Kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇam [ SB 11.5.32 ] . In the Age of Kali, intelligent persons perform congregational chanting to worship the incarnation of Godhead who constantly sings the names of Kṛṣṇa. Although His complexion is not blackish, He is Kṛṣṇa Himself. He is accompanied by His associates, servants, weapons and confidential companions. We have given that in that book, our Teachings of Lord Caitanya. That is the first quotation there. Allen Ginsberg: So it's on this quotation from Bhāgavata Purāṇa that Caitanya built His system? Prabhupāda: No, no. That is program already presented, and He came to execute the program. Just like our meeting is already programmed; I come and execute it. That's all. That was previous. Clearly it is said, " 'In the Kali-yuga the Supreme Lord comes as one who always chants the holy name of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself, whose complexion is yellow.' Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Eleventh Canto, Fifth Chapter, 32 verse." Allen Ginsberg: It's in there. Prabhupāda: So we have accepted Lord Caitanya as Kṛṣṇa not fanatically. There are evidences in Mahābhārata, in Upaniṣads, in Purāṇas, in Bhāgavata, in all Vedic scripture. Allen Ginsberg: Well, then, within this period of ten thousand years, only those who hear Kṛṣṇa's name and worship Kṛṣṇa by chanting... Prabhupāda: Yes. Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet [ SB 12.3.51 ]. My dear King, although Kali-yuga is an ocean of faults, there is still one good quality about this age: Simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom. That is also stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Allen Ginsberg: So only those who practice Kṛṣṇa chanting can attain mokṣa. Prabhupāda: They become immediately liberated and go back to home, back to Godhead. Allen Ginsberg: And everybody else gets involved deeper and deeper in the yuga. Prabhupāda: Yes, yes, yes. So if anyone believes in the śāstras, they should take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is intelligence, to take advantage of authorized scriptures. You'll find in the Bhāgavata, there is a history of Candragupta, and "The Yavanas will become kings." That means English occupation, Muhammadan occupation. Everything is there. (Room Conversation with Allen Ginsberg, May 13th 1969 )

Hari-sauri : They have a whole department called Artificial Intelligence. Prabhupada : Spending millions and millions in America. You know that? Where it is being done? Hari-sauri : I think he said it was in Boston. Prabhupada : In MIT. Hari-sauri : Yeah. And when he asked them what was the purpose, they said, "Well, it's fun." Prabhupada : Hmm? Hari-sauri : He asked what the purpose was, they said, "Well, it's fun." Prabhupada: Fun? Hari-sauri : Fun. Satsvarupa : Amusement. Hari-sauri : It's amusement. Prabhupada : But they unnecessarily spending money. So they have spent unnecessarily for the moon expedition. Money, if you do not know, you'll spend it for unnecessary purpose. That is they are doing. So give them brain, and this money can be spent for Krsna consciousness. They have got money. Why they are trying to manufacture artificial intelligence? What is the purpose? Tamala Krsna : They want to be able to imitate God. Prabhupada : Then God is there. [laughs] You have to accept. If you want to imitate God, then God is there. That is our propaganda, not this. Room Conversation – February 18, 1977, Mayapur

Bhakti Yoga has become a widely used term in the yoga community. But what exactly does the term refer to? Bhakti Yoga means linking everything we are and everything we possess–all of our potentiality–with the Supreme Absolute Truth through loving service. Bhakti Yoga means to nurture and uncover our forgotten relationship with Krishna, or God. 'Bhakti' is not a term that can apply to just anyone or anything one has attraction for. Bhakti is clearly defined by Krishna Himself in the Bhagavad Gita, therefore, 'bhakti' is reserved exclusively for Krishna, for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Krishna sings this truth: "Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend."–Bg 18.65. Krishna explains very lucidly that this entire yoga system culminates in Bhakti Yoga, and the conclusion of Bhakti Yoga is to simply surrender to Him: "Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear." (Bg 18.66) Srila Prabhupada provides further clarification in case it was not already clear enough, "One cannot render bhakti to any demigod. Bhakti can be rendered only to Visnu (sravanam kirtanam visnoh [SB 7.5.23]). Thinking the Absolute Truth to be without form, the Mayavadis say that the word bhakti can apply to any form of worship. If this were the case, a devotee could imagine any demigod or any godly form and worship it. This, however, is not the real fact. The real fact is that bhakti can be applied only to Lord Visnu and His expansions. Therefore bhakti-lata is drdha-vrata, the great vow, for when the mind is completely engaged in devotional service, the mind does not fall down. If one tries to advance by other means -- by karma-yoga or jnana-yoga -- one will fall down, but if one is fixed in bhakti, he never falls down." (SB 4.28.32, Purport) Only by bhakti can we stay high forever. In all other systems of yoga, unless one is fixed in devotional service to Krishna, they are incredibly vulnerable to fall down from their position. "The very word yoga means connecting link with the supreme being. We accept Krishna as the supreme being, and nobody is equal to him or greater than him. How he is supreme is lucidly explained in the Bhagavad-gita, and we try to revive our eternal relationship with him. In the Bhagavad-gita itself there are different processes of yoga systems, karma yoga, jnana yoga, dhyana yoga, hatha yoga, bhakti yoga and so many patterns of yoga. Others may practice different patterns of yoga, and we can understand that everyone is trying to pass on the path of yoga, but bhakti yoga is the ultimate goal, and if anyone is actually interested to understand God as he is, he has to come to the platform of bhakti yoga." (Srila Prabhupada's Letter to: Sri Krishna C. Batra  --  Vrindaban 8 December, 1975) One has to use her mind and all her sense faculties to link with Krishna. Just as she thinks of her lover in his absence–in the same sense she must always be thinking of Krishna... "where is He, what is He doing now, what is He wearing, how can I serve Him better? How lovely He is, how funny He is, how kind and compassionate He is, how beautiful He is, His eyes are like this, His hair is like this, etc.. "The basic principle of bhakti-yoga is to think of the Supreme Lord always. The Lord says in Bhagavad-gita (18.65), man-mana bhava mad-bhaktah: "Always think of Me." It doesn't matter which way one thinks; the very thought of the Personality of Godhead is the basic principle of bhakti-yoga." (SB 3.16.31, Purport) One has to use her body to link with Krishna. Maybe by painting His enigmatic pastimes, by dancing in kirtan, by cleaning the temple, or by cooking nice food for Krishna. There are so many ways to utilize one's body in the process of Bhakti Yoga. “A person acting in the service of Krsna with his body, mind and words is a liberated person, even within the material world.” (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.187) One has to use her sense of hearing to hear from the bonafide Spiritual Master, and to hear Krishna Katha–glorification of Krishna–or kirtan. One must dovetail her sense of sight to look upon the beautiful form of the deity of the Lord in the temple, or anywhere one may be–to look upon everything as coming from Krishna. One must use her sense of smell to inhale the incense and flowers offered to the Lord, one should engage the tongue in tasting the food offered to the Lord as prasadam, and in constantly chanting the holy names, "Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare...""Everyone is part and parcel of Krsna (mamaivamso jiva-loke jiva-bhutah), and therefore everyone’s senses are also Krsna’s. When we use the senses for Krsna’s service, we attain the perfection of life. Therefore, hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam bhaktir ucyate: when by our senses (hrsikena) we serve Hrsikesa, the real master of the senses, that service is called bhakti. This is a very simple definition of bhakti. Hrsikesa-sevanam, not hrsika-sevanam – service to the supreme master of the senses, not to the senses themselves. When we use our senses for sense gratification, we are in maya, illusion, but when we use our senses for the gratification of the master of the senses, that service is called bhakti." (Teachings of Queen Kunti, 6 – Master of the Senses, Purport) If one has proper intelligence, she takes to Bhakti Yoga knowing very well that her life is short lived, and full of inconveniences, miseries, and distractions... disease, old age, death. "From the highest planet in the material world down to the lowest, all are places of misery wherein repeated birth and death take place. But one who attains to My abode, O son of Kunti, never takes birth again." (Bg 8.16) There is no time to waste–one who is privy to waste precious time is the most unintelligent–for time is Krishna Himself. When we love someone, we don't want to waste their energy for nothing. "The culmination of all kinds of yoga practices lies in bhakti yoga. All other yogas are but means to come to the point of bhakti in bhakti-yoga. Yoga actually means bhakti-yoga; all other yogas are progressions toward the destination of bhakti-yoga. From the beginning of karma-yoga to the end of bhakti-yoga is a long way to self-realization. Karma-yoga, without fruitive results, is the beginning of this path. When karma-yoga increases in knowledge and renunciation, the stage is called jnana-yoga. When jnana-yoga increases in meditation on the Supersoul by different physical processes, and the mind is on Him, it is called astanga-yoga. And when one surpasses the astanga-yoga and comes to the point of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krsna, it is called bhakti yoga, the culmination. Factually, bhakti-yoga is the ultimate goal, but to analyze bhakti-yoga minutely one has to understand these other yogas. The yogi who is progressive is therefore on the true path of eternal good fortune. One who sticks to a particular point and does not make further progress is called by that particular name: karma-yogi, jnana-yogi or dhyana-yogi, raja-yogi, hatha-yogi, etc. If one is fortunate enough to come to the point of bhakti-yoga, it is to be understood that he has surpassed all other yogas." (Bg 6.47, Purport) So, for those of you who are highly intelligent, immediately take up this Bhakti Yoga, and test it out for yourself. See it's practicality, universality, see it's simplicity...and experience firsthand the bliss of Bhakti Yoga. Srila Prabhupada thus affirms, "Bhakti-yoga is the sunlike illumination for delivering the conditioned souls, whose general condition is described here. They have no eyes to see their own interests. They do not know that the goal of life is not to increase the material necessities of existence, because the body will not exist more than a few years. The living beings are eternal, and they have their eternal need. If one engages only in caring for the necessities of the body, not caring for the eternal necessities of life, then he is part of a civilization whose advancement puts the living entities in the darkest region of ignorance. Sleeping in that darkest region, one does not get any refreshment, but, rather, gradually becomes fatigued. He invents many processes to adjust this fatigued condition, but he fails and thus remains confused. The only path for mitigating his fatigue in the struggle for existence is the path of devotional service, or the path of Krsna consciousness." (SB 3.29.5, Purport) If you like this article, you can find the latest Matchless Gift magazine here.

Join us at B.L.I.S.S South London for two ecstatic days, Krishna Janmastami and Vyasa Puja, on the 16th and 17th of August this year. Krishna Janmastami marks the appearance of the supreme Lord Sri krishna, and the following day, Vyasa Puja, marks the divine appearance of our spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada. Here is the link to book for these auspicious events. BOOK HERE

The Gallagher brothers, Liam and Noel, are two of the biggest rockstars on the planet, taking inspiration from the Beatles amongst many other musicians. Here are some instances of the duo referencing Hare Krishna. In a 2013 interview for Fact Magazine, Liam Gallagher said 'We need to get back to Hare Krishna Land.' In 2004, the duo sang a cover of The Beatles' song 'I am the Walrus,' therefore 'singing Hare Krishna.' Liam Gallagher chants 'Hare Krishna.' Maybe one day we will see the Gallagher brothers in dhoti and Tilak.

The other day on book distribution, we spoke to a very curious girl who was asking all about karma. We spoke briefly about reincarnation, how to control the mind, whether or not we remember past lives. When she heard we serve a vegetarian feast each Sunday at our temple, the conversation switched to eating habits. She spoke of her flexitarianism, and noted that she tends to eat meat when she is feeling emotionally unstable. Funnily enough, Maitreya Prabhu had spoken earlier that day of the sense of control one gets from eating animals. What could be more controlling than eating another's life? She was very intrigued by this, and asked, "what is the karma of eating meat?". Let's turn to the authority and learn what meat-eaters can expect next lifetime*... Srimad Bhagavatam 11.5.14 Those sinful persons who are ignorant of actual religious principles, yet consider themselves to be completely pious, without compunction commit violence against innocent animals who are fully trusting in them. In their next lives, such sinful persons will be eaten by the same creatures they have killed in this world. Purport by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada In this verse we can clearly see the great discrepancies in those persons who do not surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His law. As stated in the Bhāgavatam, harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ: those who do not accept the supremacy of the Supreme Lord gradually become infected with the most sinful propensities that bring, in their turn, terrible suffering upon the nondevotees. In the Western countries such as America, many people proudly proclaim themselves to be most pious religionists and sometimes even prophets or representatives of God. Boasting of their religiosity, such foolish people experience no fear or doubt in cruelly slaughtering innumerable animals in slaughterhouses or on hunting trips for their whimsical sense gratification. In the state of Mississippi there are sometimes pig-killing festivals, in which entire families enjoy watching a pig cruelly butchered before their eyes. Similarly, a former president of the United States from Texas did not consider any social occasion complete without the slaughtering of a cow. Such persons mistakenly consider themselves to be perfectly observing the laws of God and due to such arrogant foolishness lose all touch with reality. When a man is raising an animal for slaughter, he feeds the animal nicely and encourages it to grow fat. Thus the animal gradually accepts its would-be killer as its protector and master. When the master finally approaches the helpless animal with a sharp knife or gun, the animal thinks, “Oh, my master is joking with me.” Only at the last minute does the animal understand that the so-called master is death personified. It is clearly stated in Vedic literature that cruel masters who kill innocent animals will undoubtedly be killed in the next life by a similar process. “‘That creature whose flesh I am eating here and now will consume me in the next life.’ Thus meat is called māṁsa, as described by learned authorities.” In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam this grisly fate of animal killers is described by Nārada Muni to King Prācīnabarhi, who was excessively killing animals in so-called sacrifices. “O ruler of the citizens, my dear King, please see in the sky those animals which you have sacrificed, without compassion and without mercy, in the sacrificial arena. All these animals are awaiting your death so that they can avenge the injuries you have inflicted upon them. After you die, they will angrily pierce your body with iron horns.” ( Bhāg. 4.25.7-8) Such punishment of animal killers may take place under the jurisdiction of Yamarāja on the planet of the lord of death. In other words, one who kills an animal or who eats meat undoubtedly acquires a debt to the living entity who has contributed his body for the satisfaction of the meat-eater. The meat-eater must pay his debt by contributing his own body to be consumed in the next life. Such payment of one’s debt by offering one’s own body to be eaten is confirmed in the Vedic literature. *that is, unless they change their fate by becoming Krishna conscious, giving up meat-eating and offering vegetarian food to Krishna, as He wants!

On the 20th of July 2025, the B.L.I.S.S temple visited the London Ratha Yatra. Here are some pictures from the event. The B.L.I.S.S congregation

Hear Srila Prabhupada give a purport on the Jefferson Airplane song: Somebody to love. Hear 'Somebody to Love.' Prabhupada : We are searching after a lover. That day the boys were singing, what is that singing? You said? Devotee : Yes. "You better find somebody to love." [laughter] Prabhupada : Jaya. Better find out somebody to love. That is the problem. That is the problem of this life. Everyone is there... Now, after disappointment they say that "I had tried to find out somebody, girl or boy, to love, but I was, I mean to say, frustrated, disappointed. Now I find the dog is the best friend." Yes. Actually, they say like that: "We find the dog is the best friend." Is it not? Yes. Why? Everyone is searching after to love somebody. That's a fact. Because we are lover. Our constitutional position is lover. Prahlada Maharaja says that Visnu..., your loving object is Visnu. So try to love Visnu, then your life will be successful. You'll feel satisfaction. Yayatma suprasidati. You'll feel, "Oh, I have got something now. Now I have got this loving object." In another place Prahlada Maharaja said, na te viduh svartha gatim hi visnu [SB 7.5.31]. [Persons who are strongly entrapped by the consciousness of enjoying material life, and who have therefore accepted as their leader or guru a similar blind man attached to external sense objects, cannot understand that the goal of life is to return home, back to Godhead, and engage in the service of Lord Visnu. As blind men guided by another blind man miss the right path and fall into a ditch, materially attached men led by another materially attached man are bound by the ropes of fruitive labor, which are made of very strong cords, and they continue again and again in materialistic life, suffering the threefold miseries.] They do not know what is their actual loving object. That is Visnu. And in the Vedic mantra, Rg mantra, it is said, tad visnoh paramam padam sada pasyanti surayah [Rg-veda 1.22.20]. [The lotus feet of Lord Visnu are the supreme objective of all the demigods. These lotus feet of the Lord are as enlightening as the sun in the sky.] Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.6.1 – May 8, 1968, Boston

Here Srila Prabhupada explains the nature of real philanthropy and a real philanthropist in one of his Bhagavad-gita purports. It's a stark difference to the ordinary conception of "good for others." This philanthropy is for the soul. Even Bill Gates can't match that. sarva-bhuta-sthitam yo mam bhajaty ekatvam asthitah sarvatha vartamano 'pi sa yogi mayi vartate He is a perfect yogi who, by comparison to his own self, sees the true equality of all beings, both in their happiness and distress, O Arjuna! (BG 6.33) One who is Krsna conscious is a perfect yogi; he is aware of everyone's happiness and distress by dint of his own personal experience. The cause of the distress of a living entity is forgetfulness of his relationship with God. And the cause of happiness is knowing Krsna to be the supreme enjoyer of all the activities of the human being, the proprietor of all lands and planets, and the sincerest friend of all living entities. The perfect yogi knows that the living being who is conditioned by the modes of material nature is subjected to the threefold material miseries due to forgetfulness of his relationship with Krsna. Because one in Krsna consciousness is happy, he tries to distribute the knowledge of Krsna everywhere. Since he tries to broadcast the importance of becoming Krsna conscious, such a preacher is the best philanthropist in the world, and he is the dearest servitor of the Lord. Na ca tasman manusyesu kascin me priya-krttamah (Bg. 18.69). In other words, a devotee of the Lord always looks to the welfare of all living entities, and in this way he is factually equally disposed toward everyone. He is the best yogi because he does not desire perfection in yoga for his personal benefit, but tries for others also. He is not envious of any of his fellow living entities. Here is a contrast between a pure devotee of the Lord in Krsna consciousness and a yogi interested only in his personal elevation. The yogi who has withdrawn to a secluded place in order to perfect his meditation may not be as perfect as a devotee of the Lord who is trying his best, in various ways, to turn every man toward Krsna consciousness. Srila Prabhupada—Bg 6.33