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Read more articles by the devotees in each issue of the Matchless Gift magazine. Buy the new issue, or receive new issues monthly here with our Uttama subscription The Art of Transcendental Book Distribution Srimati Dora reveals the inner mood of sankirtana If, like me and the devotees in the BLISS temple, you had the chance to cross over the wonderful teachings of Srila Prabhupada, if they have changed your whole life, if they made you a better, sober human being... then automatically the question should be, "how can I serve this person who gave me pretty much everything that I need?" How can we please Srila Prabhupada? Well, first of all, don't think you can, in any way, pay your debts to Srila Prabhupada. You are such a tiny, minute spirit soul that you cannot even hope for it... and He is the dear-most friend of Krishna, God. But, if you want to show Him your love, your appreciation, there are many things you can do. Before anything else, chant Hare Krishna. But, also preach those teachings, spotless teachings, and distribute profusely His books, all around the world. Make this mission your life and soul, from now on think only, "how will those people, just like you, get the chance to associate with His Divine Grace Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada?" Usually, when we want to associate with someone, we need to see that person, have conversation with that person in real life, and sometimes give direct service to them. In the case of associating with Srila Prabhupada, at this particular moment, you cannot get this type of association. Bodily association. His Divine Grace departed this material world on November 14, 1977 in Vrindavan, India. In our days, if you have the desire to associate with Srila Prabhupada, it can be done through His vani. Vani means instruction, or the vibration, the words... not the physical body. Actually, this vani, these words are not different from the spiritual master. We don't really mind about the physical body, of course it should not be neglected, and the body of the spiritual master is not material, but we have to understand that Srila Prabhupada is always present– His words are not different from Him. Just like Krishna was also present in the material world, and He spoke the Bhagavad-gita to Arjuna. The "material" presence of Krishna and the Bhagavad-gita you are hopefully reading now are not different from Him, the Supreme Person. Now if a devotee has a doubt about anything, any subject matter, he can always ask the devotees who are more advanced, or go through these divine literatures and get direct guidance from the spiritual master. We also have to understand that the devotees of Srila Prabhupada who are repeating or explaining the teachings are also not different from Him. So, not only do we get knowledge, but also we get to have personal instructions at any moment of our lives. The basis of this Krishna consciousness movement, the prophecy known by all the devotees spoken by the divine mouth of Sri Caitanya Himself is: prithivi-paryanta yata ache desha-grama sarvatra sancara haibeka mora nama "In every town and village of the world, the chanting of My name will be heard" (Caitanya Caritamrita, Antya 4.126) Usually, the process is that if someone hears about Krishna, automatically he will want to chant His Names, and if someone hears constantly, he will also want to chant constantly. In my journey of Krishna consciousness, I've met two great devotees who never associated by vapu (physical presence) with Srila Prabhupada. His Grace Purujit Dasa Prabhu came across the Bhagavad-gita As It Is and started chanting automatically without anyone telling him to do it, and by doing so, he became one of the greatest preachers on behalf of his Spiritual Master. Janardana Dasa Prabhu also read the first canto of Srimad Bhagavatam and started chanting the Holy names of Krishna. In the Bhagavad Gita (18.69) the Lord says: na ca tasman manusyesu kascin me priya krtamah "There is no servant in the world more dear to me than He, nor they will be one more dear." Here, Krishna says that no one is dearer to Him than the one who preaches His glories. This text from the Bhagavad-gita says, "Preaching is the best service to the Lord. The Lord will immediately be extremely satisfied with one who engages in the service of preaching Krishna consciousness. This is confirmed by the Lord himself in Bhagavad gita (18.69) na ca tasman manusyesu kascin me priya krtamah: 'There is no servant in this world more dear to Me than he, nor will be there be one more dear.' If one sincerely tries his best to spread Krishna consciousness by preaching the glories of the Lord and His supremacy, even if he is imperfectly educated, he becomes the dear-most servant of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is bhakti. As one performs this service for humanity, without discrimination between friends and enemies, the Lord becomes satisfied, and the mission of one's life is fulfilled." Trying our best, in this context, means that our mind should be always absorbed on how to preach this Krishna consciousness movement, because Krishna can see our desires and if we really try, he will help us and give us intelligence to preach his glories. It doesn't matter if one is imperfectly educated because this is a transcendental service to Krishna, and bhakti doesn't depend on anything material. In any condition you can love God. ahaituki aprati yayatma suprasidati (SB 1.2.6). Here, Srila Prabhupada says, "without discrimination between friends and enemies" and how I relate this to book distribution is that we can easily try to distribute books and be stuck in the mental platform sometimes. I have one friend who was sometimes complaining that he is too much on the mental platform and he makes many discriminations, asking himself before approaching someone, "does this person have money, a wallet? Who looks spiritual... etc." Of course, we don't have the vision of a pure devotee, that everyone is a spirit soul, part and parcels of Krishna, but we can fake it for book distribution and try not to discriminate according to the body, we can be surprised sometimes very young girls and boys give nice donations but because they look so small we can think that they have no money; homeless, or very dirty people also. The thing is that we are not controlling who will take a book, but the Supersoul inside their heart is determining if they will be inspired, or not. This meditation is very helpful to be detached from the results of wether we will distribute a book or not, our business is to put as much enthusiasm as possible to glorify our spiritual master, Krishna and the teachings. I personally don't like to analyze, and instead go to everyone, and analyze afterwards. I get more surprises in this way and also it adds more austerities to the service to approach people who we think will never take a book. The most important thing is to try to connect with them on anything. The karmis are doing many different things when walking... sometimes they are eating, so I approach them by saying, "Oh, salt and vinegar crisps are my favorite ever, you have great taste!" They can find it funny and be attracted in this way. Everyone wants to be loved in the material world and everyone wants to be important so if you can make them feel like God in a very short time, they are more likely to take a book from you. People are also very much attached to their kids or dogs, so, what I do is give all the attention to their beloved with as much enthusiasm as possible, and most of the time they like it. I make them feel like their children are the most beautiful human beings and that their dog is the most funny ever, and most of the time this works very well. I like to imagine that book distribution is like a theatre. You have to see yourself as an actor playing a role. We are just acting as instruments in the hands of Krishna. These books, they have to be distributed, and they will be distributed, so we can decide whether we want to be part of Krishna's plan or not. On book distribution, Krishna can also be very challenging. It's, of course, not the easiest service to be outside in the karmi world, but it is very satisfying to Krishna and Srila Prabhupada, so we have to do it. The satisfaction you get after one book distributed, or after an ecstatic day on sankirtan is indescribable. Srila Prabhupada gave somw advice that I really absorbed since I first started distributing books; those people we are approaching are the most beautiful, the most intelligent and the most rich. Of course, we know, or we try to realize that they are mudhas, and they are simply wasting this precious human form of life. I personally put out a lot of enthusiasm, feeling, and movements when I compliment them, even though sometimes there is nothing to compliment. We all want to be Krishna, and be in the center, so for a few hours the karmis should have 100% of our attention. Book distribution can be very challenging. The weather difficult, the people can be very rude, sometimes they don't even look at you, sometimes they ask many questions but they are actually just making you lose your time (agents of Maya to stop the book distribution), so we have to be careful and focus on the fact that Prabhupada wants as many books distributed as possible, and our little preaching of 5 minutes will not do anything... but millions of books distributed can create millions of devotees in the next 10,000 years. Our vision should be expanded, and we should not hanker to transform them immediately. The words of Srila Prabhupada will act in due course of time. So, those little austerities, they should be done to please the spiritual master because actually any little austerities we do in Krishna consciousness is rewarded by being peaceful and blissful in our daily practice. The nature of the conditioned soul is to be puffed up, but if we change this mentality; that we are big preachers, that we are doing so many books; then the service becomes more enjoyable. You become more and more satisfied when you realize a little bit that Krishna is in control, and your only concern is that, 'this book distribution is my duty, let me do as perfect as possible, let me engage all the parts of my body, my intelligence, my mind on how I can please my spiritual master' and you will become verrrrrrry satisfied. If you understand, just a little bit, that you are a servant, a soldier in the mission of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, then you can change your whole mindset, and when you go on book distribution, you know you are a soldier on the battlefield and Maya is kicking you from every side, but because you are protected by Krishna, nothing can harm you. Here are nice quotes about preaching that are very inspiring to me: "It's the duty of every disciple to preach Krishna consciousness, the brahmacaris should go morning and evening to beg and bring everything to the Spiritual Master." "Instruct everyone to preach." "A devotee who tries to preach is first class." Prabhupada speaks about the devotees who are self satisfied. We shouldn't think that by simply chanting 16 rounds and following 4 regulative principles, we have attained perfection– the actual purpose of these rules and regulations is actually to be able to preach, since it is the essence of Krishna consciousness. "Devotee must preach, that will give him advance in self realization." And lastly, one aspect of book distribution that is probably my favorite, is taking everything from the karmis! Before, I was afraid to ask for big donations, thinking that they would not take a book, but then I remembered how much money I used to spend as a karmi. And I also realized that even the ones who say they have no money, still have money to spend on drinks and other sinful activities. We should be bold, and we should always remember that everything belongs to Krishna, especially their money. They are directed by their mind and they need to be guided, so they need a firm hand, we should not be shy. Another thing that gives me enthusiasm about taking all their money is that Prabhupada always says that everything should be first class for Krishna; the deities, the dress, the foodstuffs etc.. and in order to make everything first class for Krishna, you need laksmi. So, if we have some kind of a goal to expand, have big deities with beautiful dresses, hundreds of preparations for festivals, etc., it gives encouragement. While at the same time, we shouldn't be attached, and whatever they give is also okay. Krishna is in control of what we need and don't need. HARE KRISHNA

Love what we do? Why not support us by purchasing the newest edition of our in-house Krishna conscious magazine, MATCHLESS GIFT Hearing and Chanting Krsna's glories - The red line connecting all religions vyasa puja Srila Prabhupada has given us knowledge on all topics of life. What is our duty in life, who are we really, how to act in daily life, how to act for liberation and ultimately, how to attain eternal life by awakening our forgotten relationship with Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. All of these topics and many more are scientifically presented in Srila Prabhupada's books. The essence of every book he has written is clearly presented, and unlike some cheating yogis that wrap the explanation of Absolute Truth in clever philosophical word jugglery that only serves to confuse the reader, Srila Prabhupada always stays clear with his conclusion: Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, you are His eternal part and parcel and your duty is to serve Him. vyasa puja Krsna is God. That is clear from his books. Srila Prabhupada perfectly explains how and why Krsna is God and backs up all his claims by quoting evidences from the Vedic scriptures and explanations from other greatly exalted personalities, pure devotees of the Lord Krsna. The volume of Srila Prabhupada's literatures is so vast that sometimes, when a curious seeker starts dipping his toes into the transcendental ocean of nectar within his books and teachings, he may find himself overwhelmed with many instructions, new names of unknown people, strange new words in an unknown language of sanskrt that will completely twist your tongue while trying to pronounce them. Due to all of these completely new things suddenly emerging in one's consciousness and mainly due to a gross lack of knowledge, the curious reader may find it difficult to grasp the whole idea of Krsna consciousness. Of course, due to Srila Prabhupada's infinite mercy, the essence is always clear even to a newly baked devotee; Chant Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. While the essence is clear, the entire process might however still be blurry and unclear, due to one's limited ability of grasping such elevated topics of Krsna consciousness. The process of devotional service is very scientific, consisting of nine processes of devotional service. The first two processes start with the most basic of human abilities; Hearing (Sravanam) and Chanting (Kirtanam). Srila Prabhupada explains in this way: "These nine. So the first principle is sravanam, it is said. Sravanam means hearing, that's all. The first principle of practicing this yoga, bhakti-yoga, beginning, "practicing yoga in full consciousness of Me." This yoga practice begins simply by hearing. You have got these ears. You simply just lend your ears and you become yogi. And as soon as you become experienced in hearing, you become a preacher--kirtanam. Immediately. One who has heard nicely, he will try to become a kirtaniya, or preacher. That is natural." And another quote: We should know in perfect consciousness that human life is bestowed upon the conditioned soul to achieve spiritual success and the easiest possible procedure to attain this end is to chant the holy name of the Lord. – Srimad Bhagavatam 02.01.12 This is the purpose of religion, to hear and speak about God. As we are engaging our mind in hearing and speaking about God, the next natural development will be thinking of Krsna, called Vishnu Smaranam. If you speak about Krsna and hear about Krsna, then what else is there to think about. You will think about Krsna as well. This is the third step, and the steps continue one after the other. In the introduction to the Bhagavad Gita one can read: "These nine processes, of which the easiest is sravanam, hearing Bhagavad-gita from the realized person, will turn one to the thought of the Supreme Being. This will lead to nisala, remembering the Supreme Lord, and will enable one, upon leaving the body, to attain a spiritual body which is just fit for association with the Supreme Lord." A devotee can fully engage himself in all nine of these processes or just one of them, either one of these processes is fully potent and the devotee can reach full perfection. Based on these instructions, an intelligent person can understand the importance of remembering God at the time of death. This is the essence of Krsna consciousness and the conclusion of all the Vedic knowledge, to remember the Supreme Personality of Godhead at the time of death and go back Home back to Godhead. Actually, this is the conclusion of all religion. Religion means to know God and to love Him. This is the essence of all religion. Even though there are many different religious practices and it may sometimes be difficult to see the similarities in them, we must agree that the point of all religion MUST be to know God and Love Him, atleast if we want to accept it as a real religion. All real religion is revealed from God Himself, either directly through His instructions or His messengers. Therefore one can not manufacture some religion, since God is controlling the means of understanding and approaching Him. For this age called the Kali yuga, where religious qualities are at their lowest and sinful qualities are rampant and growing, the perscribed process for understanding God is the chanting of God's holy names. Harer nama ... This means every true religion should make this their center of action. It does not matter under which name the followers know of God, be it either Christ or Allah or Buddha, provided the followers are sincere, they should be inclined towards chanting of the holy names of God, Krsna, the all attractive Supreme Person. This factual process is recommended many times through in different religious scriptures, as it is stated here by Allah in the Holy Quran for example; "Call upon Allah or call upon the Most Merciful. Whichever name you call - to Him belong the best names.'" Surah Al-Isra (17:110)" To help the reader realize the importance of chanting or calling upon the Holy names of God, the same instruction is repetated again in the Al-A'raf chapter: "And to Allah belong the best names, so invoke Him by them." (7:180) By invoking the Holy names of God, the mind will naturally also start to think of God. The more we do it, the more we become absorbed in rememberance of God. As stated earlier this is the natural progression in spiritual practice, hearing, chanting and then remembering. Hints of this are also revealed in the Quran: “Allah says: Remember Me, and I will remember you.” (2:152) and “Truly it is in the remembrance of Allah that hearts find peace” (13:28). By rememberance of God, the Purest "Al-Quddus" (الْقُدُّوسُ), we ourselves are becoming purified. By becoming increasingly purified, our hearts soften and real love of God is awakened. This is the practical proof of the potency of the spiritual process - our material attachment must decrease and our spiritual attachment - love for Krsna, must increase. This is the real purpose of all spiritual or religious practice and it is once again confirmed in the Holy Quran: “O you who believe, let not your wealth and your children divert you from the remembrance of Allah. And whoever does that, then those are the losers.” (63:9) From these beautiful quotes we can all understand that God wants us to always chant His holy names and remember Him, even in the midst of all material temptations and difficulties. This same instruction is given in the Bhagavad Gita as well, where the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krsna says: "Always chanting My glories, endeavoring with great determination, bowing down before Me, these great souls perpetually worship Me with devotion." (9.14) A devotee of the Lord and the Lord Himself are one. That oneness is however internal, meaning the devotee has no seperate desire other than to serve the Lord. The devotee will never do anything that goes against the instructions of God and therefore whatever Krsna says, the devotee repeats the same instruction as it is. This is the same for prophet Mohhamed (peace be upon him) as stated by one of his companions; “O Messenger of Allah, the laws of Islam have become many for me, so tell me something which I can cling on to.” He replied: “Always keep your tongue moist with the remembrance of Allah.” (Tirmidhī 3375). The same istruction was given for the most crucial time of life, the time of death. Because this is the last thing we should be doing in this life, that makes the activity the most important! The prophet had spoken thus; Muʿādh ibn Jabal said: “In my last conversation with the Messenger of Allah, I asked him: ‘Which deed is the best and most beloved to Allah?’ He replied: ‘That you die whilst your tongue is moist with the remembrance of Allah.’” (Ibn Ḥibbān) It may be surprising that this is the conclusion of the Quran and the Vedas as well, however if we engage ourselves in deep exploration and study of any religious scripture, provided it is a real religion, we will find that the conclusion is the same. It must be the same, that is a fact, since all religion comes from God. In a discussion about this very point, Srila Prabhupada was discussing with Allen Ginsberg, an influential musician and one of the leaders of the hippie movement. Allen Ginsberg asked: But what do you do when different religious groups claim to be the center? Srila Prabhupada: No, we welcome every religion. We don't decry any religion. Our point is the love of Godhead. Or Krsna is love, all-attractive. So we want to be attracted by Krsna. Just like a magnetic force and iron. Unless iron is rusty, it is automatically attracted by the magnetic force. Similarly, we are contaminated by material coverings. So we are trying to make it rustless so that immediately we shall be attracted. This is the program. Krsna is all-attractive. That is a fact. And we are attracted. But being covered with this rust, we are, instead of being attracted by Krsna, we are being attracted by maya. This is our whole program. So our central program is how to love Krsna, or how to love God. So we want to see... That is the Bhagavata definition, that how much you have enhanced your love of God. You call Krsna or something else, that doesn't matter. Phalena pariciyate. The result. Your religious principle, what is the result? Are you enhancing your love for God or dog? That we want to see. If you are enhancing your love for God, it is all right. We don't say anything. But if... People should learn how to love. That is the perfection of life. That we are teaching." Further on, Allen Ginsberg is wondering what if someone finds love in the sabda (sound) of Allah's name instead of Krsna's name. Srila Prabhupada explains: If that sabda, of course, identifies with God, we have no objection. That Caitanya Mahaprabhu said that namnam akari bahudha nija-sarva-saktis. God has many names. God is attractive, His name is also attractive, because He's not different from His name. If you have got exactly the same attractive name, we have no objection. We simply say, "You chant God's name, holy name." Then you become purified. That is our program. We don't say that you change your Christianity. No. We don't say. If you have got a nice name, all-attractive name, in your scripture--don't manufacture but authorized--then you chant that. We simply request, "You chant." The same instruction was given also by Jesus Christ, who is at this time perhaps the most famous devotee of God: "Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Matthew 6:9-13. Since glorifying the holy name of Krsna is the conclusion of all religions, this is also the essential message of all the great empowered preachers of Krsna's message. Unfortunately this fact is difficult to understand for one who is infested with a secterean vision, and this is the main problem in religious circles that keeps us divided, even though we all have the same goal, to love God. We generally tend to think that every religious preacher has come to this world in order to rebel against the previous religions and establish his religious process as the only means for God realization. Factually however, since God is one for everyone and the mission of His devotees is to spread His teachings, these great devotees such as prophet Mohammed and Jesus Christ are all cooperating in fulfilling the mission of God. Jesus came to give us the moral basics how to live and to tell us God is good, after him came prophet Mohammed to expand on the teachings of Jesus even further, providing greater instructions about worship, daily religious practice and to put more importance on the Holy name of Krsna. So it can be understood these two great devotees were not infact competing against each other as can be observed today in some of their followers, but were doing the exact opposite, cooperating in elevating the masses of humanity to a higher, spiritual life. The minor details of worship and philosophy may be different, but the essence is the same. Every devotee appears in this world for this very purpose and in the same spirit of co-operation, on September 1st 1896 in Kalkutta, there has been a divine appearance of the greatest devotee of Krsna. Known and loved by his relatives and friends under the name of Abhay Charande, later known as A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada, had not spent a single moment in his life without engaging himself fully in the worship of the Lord Sri Krsna. Since his tender youth, Srila Prabhupada would play with dolls of Krsna and Radha and organize small scale ceremonies of worship so that all the neighbourhood children could participate in this divine activity, worshipping Krsna in love and devotion. In the very late stage of his time here, Srila Prabhupada traveled across the world from India all the way to America, whereupon arriving, he has simply continued what he was already doing from his very first moment here with us - Spreading Love of God and engaging everyone in worship of Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Previously religion has told us that God is good. Now, Srila Prabhupada has told us HOW good is God. This is the next step from previous religious understanding, the full perfect knowledge from Krsna, about Krsna. By Srila Prabhupada's infinite mercy, a sincere spiritual seeker can easily advance to the highest perfection of life, to live eternally in pure BLISS and pure Love of Krsna.

Love what we do? Why not support us by purchasing the newest edition of our in-house Krishna conscious magazine, MATCHLESS GIFT Dear Srila Prabhupada, from the pitch-dark dirt of sinfulness accumulated for millions of lifetimes on my soul, you have picked me up and placed me in the association of your faithful servants. By your mercy this Krishna consciousness movement has spread to every town and every village and daily more and more people are coming in contact with that beautiful yuga dharma of harinama sankirtana. May it increase more and more. By your mercy, devotees are advancing in their realization and purity and thus are becoming your faithful represenatives capable of giving shelter to fallen souls like myself. So many have come! Without such mercy manifested through your faithful servants and followers I am a non-entity fit to be forgotten in the waves of samsara never to be mentioned by name by any decent human being. Oh Prabhupada, you have a genuine love for Krishna and thus every word you speak is so precious to me being saturated with pure emotion for the Lord. Similarly, you have a genuine love for your own guru maharaja, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura, which you have proven by living your life for him and for him only. Thus you are showing us by your practical example in relation to your guru maharaja, how we can approach you, our dear spiritual master. Thinking of your devotion and sincerity, I hear my own glorification of you as a mere barking of a dog and lament it nothing but disturbs your pure uninterrupted samadhi on Krishna. I lament over this and lament over my own position -the lowest of mankind incapable to reciprocate the flood of beneditions you have showed to me. Unfortunately even in this I take great pride. Lowest of mankind. That is my disease. vyasa puja Your every step is a dance and your every word is a song, all for the pleasure of your beloved Krishna. O master, I weep bitterly since I have not developed even a droplet of the love you feel for Him and thus have become a disgrace and disappointment to you. How can I ever associate with you, oh purest of the pure, the sum total of all demigods? Taking my hand you are strongly dragging me to Him, your eyes full of compassion, but I want to stay and falling madly with that attractive girl of the name Maya I am seeing my human form of life expiring in front of my own eyes. Will you come again as you did unlimited number of times and lift me with your sweet words full of Krishna consciousness that are piercing my contaminated heart like arrows dipped in poison? Indeed, Krishna katha feels like a poison to an envious wretched soul like myself. Still you are feeding me with this poison risking your reputation of being called a poison-giver. Will you look at me again after you catch me in Maya's embrace fully absorbed in the hypnotising movements of her temporary fleeting beauty? Keeping firm faith in the unlimited stock of your compassion that your heart is made of, I fall at your feet begging for your mercy. Please engage me in your service.

Love what we do? Why not support us by purchasing the newest edition of our in-house Krishna conscious magazine, MATCHLESS GIFT You are alive Every eye blink Full of prema Full of love Every snap and lip lick Your loyal disciples relish the details and thank Krishna for technology so that you fill our screens, our eyes, our hands, our noses, everything Sometimes in pictures and without physical presence in the way we're used to, speculation can take over One can protect one's own insecurities and judgements as if they're from you, to one but when one watches you, one's eyes widen Never have I ever seen a Being like Prabhupada Like a father, but better like a grandfather, but better like a friend, a guide, a true master who else would I bow down for? Never taught such things submission was always unspeakable but to you, your disciples give it all but for you, your disciples leave all and gain all. Partaking in your teachings thank you, thank you. Dear Srila Prabhupada mere words cannot describe the gratitude growing deep inside ever lower than your grace happily, and sometimes not so but who cares. You are the spiritual master, may I make you proud. Hare Krishna

This is an article from the Matchless Gift magazine. Please support us by purchasing the latest edition, or becoming our Patreon. By Nityananda Dasa Prabhu The war between two neighboring countries, Russia and Ukraine is still raging in full swing. With many thousands of men losing their lives on the line and many more being wounded or suffering from frostbite and limb loss, the tensions are steadily escalating. hanas attacks israel As Russian troops pushed forward on the offensive, they have captured a small village by the name of Andriivka, boldly claiming it belongs to Russia from now on. As the tide of battle kept flowing, the outcome changed and the Ukrainian forces were able to re-capture the same land, again claiming it to be a part of Ukraine. As a sign of victory they have very happily raised a Ukrainian flag over the village. How many more times will the land be reclaimed in the name of nationalism? What does Srila Prabhupada say on the topic of nationalism? Hamas attacks Israel. Srila Prabhupada: "Yes. Wrong civilization, rascal civilization. And this is due to this rascaldom called nationalism – “This is my land.” At any moment a person will be kicked out by death, but still he claims, “It is my land.” Janasya moho ’yam aham mameti. This is the illusion. Nothing belongs to him; still he is fighting, “This is mine. This is mine.” “I” and “mine” – identifying oneself with the body and wrongly conceiving that “This is mine.” This is the basic principle of a wrong civilization. Nothing belongs to us. I have come here to Switzerland. Suppose I remain here for one month and I claim, “Oh, this is mine.” What is this?" Srila Prabhupada's words always put everything into perspective. If I came to your house as a visitor and started claiming that your possessions belong to me now, you would surely have me punished by law for stealing. You may even show me all hospitality and may even say "make yourself feel at home" but that does not mean I can literally feel myself at home and think, "now everything belongs to me", I am still a guest. Srila Prabhupada continues the conversation: "So, similarly, we come to this world as guests. We come to the womb of a mother and live here for seventy years or so. And we claim, “This is my land.” But when did it become yours? The land was there long, long before your birth. How has it become yours? But people have no sense. “It is mine – my land, my nation, my family, my society.” In this way they are wasting time. These things have been introduced by Western civilization. In the Vedic civilization there is no such thing as nationalism. You won’t find it there. Have you seen the word “nationalism” in the Bhagavad-gita? No such thing. Nationalism is the idea of tribes. In Africa there are still groups of tribes. Nationalism is the most crude idea of civilization. It is nothing but developed tribalism. Modern man is not advanced in civilization. This nationalism is another form of tribalism, that’s all." Now we can understand the problem. Me and mine, and if you want what is mine then I fight and go to war with you. As we all know, in every war there are casualties. But why must there be all this bloodshed and killing of seemingly innocent people? This will be very clearly explained in the next portion of this conversation: "Disciple: Today, so-called civilized people are actually just cannibals because they maintain themselves on eating the cow. Srila Prabhupada: Yes. And they are suffering. Therefore you’ll find that in recent history, every twenty-five years there is a big war with mass slaughter of people. Nature does not tolerate animal slaughter. Now India has learned to slaughter animals, imitating the Western countries. And now there is war between India and Pakistan. During two wars between Pakistan and Hindustan, millions of people were killed unnecessarily, without any gain." It seems we have come to the root of the problems; the merciless slaughtering of animals. Nature does not tolerate animal slaughter, that is a fact. In nature everything is already perfectly arranged for complete sustenance of all beings. However, when we foolishly claim ownership of something that doesn't belong to us, this disrupts the natural balance and we must suffer the consequences. If I claim your house now belongs to me just because I have come for a visit, you will immediately be disturbed and probably call the police. Similarly, Krsna, who is the real controller of nature has already arranged the punishment with the laws of nature that demand balance for anything we have done against them. For killing, we must also be killed in return. For this purpose, the scientists, being forgetful of Krsna have created a very effective nuclear bomb, making killing very easy. Everyone will be killed by the arrangement of nature. The Russian people will be killed and the Ukrainian people will also be killed. And the nuclear bomb will turn everything into rubble. The land that both parties are fighting over has been rubble at one point, then it has been built up for some time, and now it has again been demolished into rubble. Ukrainian soldiers have very proudly erected their flag over these pieces of rubble, but there is no benefit over this endeavor. They may even re-build the village, but in due course of time, it will again be demolished into rubble. Not just the village, but the whole Earth and also the whole Universe. Krsna explains how it works: "O son of Kunti, at the end of the millennium all material manifestations enter into My nature, and at the beginning of another millennium, by My potency, I create them again." (BG 9.7) Therefore, in one sense, everything in this world was rubble and it's going to return back to rubble. From this perspective, we are literally just fighting over dust and pieces of rock, which make the whole fighting endeavor look very silly. When we realize the impermanence of this world, only then will we be able to redirect our attention to the permanent world of Krsna. And then, instead of aimlessly fighting, we will co-operate and help each other in going back Home back to Godhead. hamas attacks israel Get the Matchless Gift magazine issue 4, OUT NOW!

Love what we do? Why not support us by purchasing the newest edition of our in-house Krishna conscious magazine, MATCHLESS GIFT Sitting here now, Srila Prabhupada, and trying to think of how to write this vyasa puja offering to you. Should I write poetry? Should I express my feelings? Should I glorify your qualities, or compose some prayer in the style of the previous great acaryas? A devotee is meant to be poetic, but I am not a devotee, so my poetry is more like the braying of an ass. The poetry of self-realised souls like yourself, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Srila Narottama Dasa Thakura are worthy of describing the nature of pure devotees like yourself, Srila Prabhupada. How can I express my mundane, conditioned feelings for you, srila prabhupada? What is the use? You are constantly in ecstasy of pure love of Krsna, and mundane feelings are insubstantial to you. They are like the feelings in a dream. Your qualities are innumerable, and limitless. So I have not the ability or time to glorify them sufficiently. Oh prayers, oh poetry, my obeisances unto you! Please excuse my inability to compose you. But now, wherever I stay, I can serve Srila Prabhupada, the most perfect pure devotee, by distributing his teachings, and I think this is sufficient for me. Because I cannot compose anything to glorify you, Srila Prabhupada, I have taken the guidance of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura in his song, Boro Sukher Khabor Gāi: 1) I have come to bring good news: Srila Prabhupada has opened a marketplace of the holy name, starting in New York and stretching across the whole universe. 2) He is selling the holy name in that marketplace for the price of only one’s faith. 3) Srila Prabhupada, the representative of the most mericiful lord Nityananda, is selling the holy name to the devotees after preaching to them so expertly. 4) O brother, if you want the holy name then come with me. We must go to that great soul, Srila Prabhupada. We can go to him simply by reading his books. 5) You will get the name of Krishna, I will take my commission and all of our desires will be fulfilled. 6) Srila Prabhupada is greatly merciful. Taking only one’s faith, He gives the highest ecstasy. 7) If He sees only once tears in the eyes while chanting the name “Gaura” then He gives everything to that person. Srila Prabhupada takes even a little service as a great deal. 8) He gives the pure teachings of Krishna to everyone not caring for their birth, wealth, knowledge and strength. He gives the highest love of Krishna even to the most fallen westerners, and his mercy continues even if we sometimes forsake him. He is always available. 9) Now, giving up the illusory snare of Maya, either remain in household life or in the forest as a sannyasi, for no more troubles remain. 10) There is no more fear of the age of Kali. the merciful Srila Prabhupada gives the holy name to even the candalas, or those even lower, who do not at all know of the Vedic principles. Murderers, thieves, cow-eaters, women hunters, Srila Prabhupada makes no discrimination. 11) “Except for the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada there is no other shelter!”

Love what we do? Why not support us by purchasing the newest edition of our in-house Krishna conscious magazine, MATCHLESS GIFT nama om visnu-padaya krsna-presthaya bhu-tale srimate bhaktivedanta-svamin iti namine namas te sarasvate deve gaura-vani-pracarine nirvisesa-sunyavadi-pascatya-desa-tarine vyasa puja I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who is very dear to Lord Krsna on this earth, having taken shelter at His lotus feet. My respectful obeisances are unto you, O spiritual master, servant of Sarasvati Gosvami. You are kindly preaching the message of Lord Caitanyadeva and delivering the Western countries, which are filled with impersonalism and voidism. O rascal mind, just worship the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada, which make one fearless. Srila Prabhupada, your name is Abhay, one who has no fear. And your name is also Caranaravinda, which are the lotus feet of Lord Krsna. You take shelter at Krsna’s lotus feet and that is why you fear nothing. Let us at this most auspicious and glorious day of your divine appearance in this world, and all the other days of our lives, meditate on your lotus feet, which are the transcendental ship that will enable us fortunate souls, who have obtained this rare human birth, to cross over this ocean of worldly existence through your transcendental and holy association. Day and night I remain sleepless, suffering heat and cold, wind and rain, praise and infamy, pleasure and pain. For a bit of flickering happiness I vainly serve wicked and miserly men. Please engage me in your service, Srila Prabhupada. There is no assurance of real happiness in all of one's wealth, youthfulness, sons, and family members. There is no assurance of any youthfulness, neither is there assurance of this material body itself. Nothing will exist as we see and desperately try to enjoy it in this realm of matter, trying hard and harder, simply to experience unavoidable reversals. Our beauty, health, wealth, the material life itself is tottering like a drop of water on a lotus petal; Srila Prabhupada, you have kindly, like a true friend and our always well-wisher, revealed these truths to us. You shake us by your thundering sweet voice: “Rascal, wake up!” And we do. Therefore, we shall always aspire to serve and worship your divine lotus feet. I, lowly Makhancora dasa long and desire to engage myself in hearing your glories, chanting them, constantly remembering you and offering prayers to you, serving your lotus feet and the lotus feet of your sincere servants, worshiping you with flowers and incense and completely offering you my very self. Kindly hear my prayer and bestow a speck of dust of your lotus feet on my head. Unqualified as I am, I took shelter of Govinda dasa and his song to be able to offer this humble homage unto you. You have glorified all the predecessor Acaryas and Vaisnavas beyond any limits and you are glorified millionfold more for doing so and for giving the matchless gift of Krsna consciousness to the world. Kindly excuse my offences and mercifully keep me as a menial servant of your dear servants. All Glories to you, Srila Prabhupada! Hare Krsna!

Love what we do? Why not support us by purchasing the newest edition of our in-house Krishna conscious magazine, MATCHLESS GIFT This is a composition I came across one day while searching through Your books on an old dusty shelf in a neglected corner of a temple room, and I felt that it contained everything I could possibly say about You, Srila Prabhupada, in the most simple way. My love for You is simple, my faith in You is simple, and You've reciprocated with me by making my whole life, my whole heart, and my whole purpose equally as simple. Drowning in an ocean of confusion and contradiction, I desired to just become simple. You represent real simplicity, and taught us by practical example that within that simplicity... rests all the imports of the Vedic literature. You are the most beautiful, and all my senses have become perfect by associating with You. You fulfill the desires of everyone and are full of compassion for the fallen, conditioned souls. vyasa puja 1. All I know about Srila Prabhupada, I know just by His mercy. 2. All I know about Srila Prabhupada is His mercy. 3. All there is to know about Srila Prabhupada is that He is mercy. 4. All I can ever know about mercy is known when I know Srila Prabhupada. 5. I can never know anything other than by Srila Prabhupada's mercy. 6. I can never know anything other than Srila Prabhupada's mercy. 7. Srila Prabhupada's mercy is all there is to be known. 8. Everything is included in Srila Prabhupada's mercy. 9. Krsna is included in Srila Prabhupada's mercy.

Matchless Gift magazine #4 Matchless Gift is our official BLISS e-magazine. 120 pages of original Krishna conscious content inspired by the teachings of His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. This issue contains the following articles: 1. Danger of Mental Speculation by Purujit Dasa 2. Sankirtana Stories 3. Sri Radha by Red Willow 4. Biography of Srila Prabhupada 5. Ricky Tricky Comics 6. World News: Russell Brand Accused of Rape 7. World News: Fighting For Rubble 8. The Art of Transcendental Book Distribution by Bhaktin Dora 9. Srivas Thakura Unjustly Defamed by Purujit Dasa 10. Enchanted Forest Poem by Red Willow 11. Krishna Is The Greatest Scientist by Mark Gerard Keenan 12. Prabhupada's Health Remedies 13. Undying Eternal Spirit Soul lecture by Purujit Dasa and many more... All accompanied by colourful AI illustrations, high-quality photographs of our preaching in BLISS. Don't miss out on this wonderful issue!

In each issue of the Matchless Gift magazine, the BLISS devotees write articles. Please support us by purchasing the latest edition of the magazine, or become our Patreon! Our Most Important Business By Red Willow mataji Within our daily practice, we may find ourselves going through the motions, hoping that one day we will wake up with a taste for the holy name, or that we will spontaneously experience ecstatic emotions, maybe even get a glimpse of the spiritual world. After understanding so many ins and outs of the philosophy… even after following the process very strictly, or at least to the best of our ability. Certainly, just as any other activity we perform, there is a tendency to settle into complacency, and such is also the case with our devotional service in practice. It is not that we are purely practicing, we are practicing contaminated Bhakti, mixed devotional service, it is not pure. If it were completely pure, para bhakti, then this tendency for complacency, idleness, and moroseness would not be present. "The word paraya is very significant. Para bhakti, or spontaneous love of God, is the basis of an intimate relationship with the Lord. This highest stage of relationship with the Lord can be attained simply by hearing about Him (His name, form, qualities, etc.) from authentic sources like the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam, recited by pure, unalloyed devotees of the Lord." (SB 3.9.5, Purport) So, para bhakti, unmixed, spontaneous devotional service, is the BASIS of an intimate relationship with Krishna. We have not yet approached the base-line of our real relationship with the Lord. We are simply following mechanically, hoping that by these various practices, some significant feeling will arise. After all, we are promised by our Spiritual Master that simply by hearing about Krishna from authentic sources and from a pure, unalloyed devotee (such as Himself) we can attain the highest stage of relationship. So, what is this hearing? Does it mean that we read, and listen to the sastra as much as possible? Do we simply play a YouTube video of Prabhupada's lectures and wait for our real identity and activity to become revealed to us? Or, do we read Prabhupada's books, letters, and conversations.... And then, we have attained the highest stage of relationship with the Lord? It is simple, right? Prabhupada says it is simple, so is this our idea of simplicity? Does simple mean that it is really that easy? Let's try to understand what real hearing is first. business To hear is different from listening. "Activities such as seeing and hearing are actions of the senses meant for receiving knowledge, whereas moving, speaking, evacuating, etc., are actions of the senses meant for work." (Bg 5.8, Bg 5.9, Bg 5.8–9) Hearing involves being "receptive," and being receptive indicates that one must be submissive, open to assimilating possibly unpalatable information, yet willing to accept and apply what is presented. "Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, in propagating the bhagavata-dharma, or activities of the devotees, has recommended that people submissively hear the message of the Personality of Godhead. The essence of this message is Bhagavad-gita. The lowest amongst human beings can be delivered by this submissive hearing process only, but unfortunately they even refuse to give an aural reception to these messages, and what to speak of surrendering to the will of the Supreme Lord?" (Bg 7.15, Purport) To listen is not the same as to hear… hearing involves a submissive attitude, listening is more passive and impersonal, and ultimately, hearing denotes surrender. Therefore, Arjuna addresses Krishna, "Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure because of miserly weakness. In this condition I am asking You to tell me for certain what is best for me. Now I am Your disciple, and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me." (Bg 2.7) We can learn about how to properly hear by taking the example of Arjuna. Only once he fully surrenders, and accepts Krishna as the Supreme Brahman, and as his Spiritual Master, does Krishna begin to instruct Arjuna and thus Krishna speaks the Bhagavad Gita. Arjuna begins to actually hear from this point; after total surrender, which is his conscious choice, it does not happen by chance, or accidentally, it also does not happen blindly, Arjuna makes an intelligent, informed choice to surrender, and at once he is eligible to receive the knowledge of the Bhagavad Gita. "Arjuna has now turned his face towards his eternal friend, Krsna, and is understanding the Bhagavad-gita from Him. And thus, hearing from Krsna, he can understand the supreme glories of the Lord and be free from lamentation." (Bg 2.22, Purport) Hearing begins when we accept a Spiritual Master and take direction from Him. Not simply by listening, nor simply by chanting can we attain the highest stage of relationship with the Lord; He is not so cheap. "When one accepts Krsna as an ordinary man, the Gita loses all importance." (Bg 2.12) It's significant to note that the Spiritual Master, if considered to be an ordinary man, will not yield the same results as are guaranteed to one who takes shelter of Krishna and the Spiritual Master in full knowledge of their superior position. Neither Krishna, nor the Spiritual Master are to be considered as ordinary human beings. This offensive approach will not help us on the path towards pure, unalloyed devotional service. "By execution of devotional service under the guidance of the spiritual master, one becomes free from all material attachment, attains steadiness in self-realization, and acquires a taste for hearing about the Absolute Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna." (Bg 4.10) So, to be “under the guidance of the Spiritual Master” means to understand that He is not an ordinary man, He is to be considered as good as God. To be under His guidance means that we must properly hear from Him, and that hearing entails a few things… a submissive and receptive attitude, surrender to a Spiritual Master as the ultimate authority, acceptance of the Spiritual Master and His instructions as being as good as instructions delivered directly by Krishna Himself and practical application of those instructions. Not so easy, this hearing process, eh? "The Lord therefore says to Arjuna, tac chrnu, or "Hear from Me." No one can be a greater authority than Krsna, and therefore by hearing from Him one receives the greatest opportunity to become a perfectly Krsna conscious person. One has therefore to learn from Krsna directly or from a pure devotee ––– and not from a non-devotee upstart, puffed up with academic education." (Bg 7.1, Purport) Okay, so hearing is a much more dynamic activity than it is commonly taken to be. Such also is acceptance of a Spiritual Master. To accept a Spiritual Master means that we must hear from Him. And this means that we must not only accept that He is not an ordinary man, or that He is as good as God, or even that what He speaks is completely perfect and for our very best interest. We can understand these things theoretically, and think that we, therefore, have accepted a Spiritual Master. But, unless we properly hear from Him, then we cannot consider ourselves disciples. To hear means more than to comprehend His message. It means to surrender to His instructions and fully apply them, despite all challenges. We must take His instructions as our very life and soul. That is real acceptance...that is actual initiation; the awakening of transcendental knowledge. "This unmixed devotional service is transcendental and is called para bhakti. It alone can promote a person to the transcendental kingdom of God. Such a transcendental kingdom is not a myth, but is as factual as the moon. One must have transcendental qualities to understand the kingdom of God and God Himself." (SB 2.8.14, Purport) How serious are we about reviving our transcendental qualities? "The word parena is very significant. Para means "transcendental, untinged by material contamination." Full consciousness that one is an eternal servant of the Lord is called para bhakti. If one has any identification with material things and executes devotional service for attainment of some material gain, that is viddha bhakti, contaminated bhakti. One can actually become liberated by execution of para bhakti." (SB 3.24.45, Purport) How serious are we about returning to our original, pure condition, about liberation from the bodily conception of life, about entering into an eternal relationship with Krishna? This requires total and complete surrender. Only this surrender can move us from our stagnation, our complacent condition, our moroseness, and our idle disposition. There is a good reason why Srila Prabhupada coined this as the Krishna Consciousness MOVEment. We must allow ourselves to be moved by the mercy of the Spiritual Master, and we must make moves towards receiving that mercy, otherwise we may forever fool ourselves into believing that we are progressing on the path, when in fact, we have not even come to the baseline from which spontaneous loving devotion can blossom. We could very well spend millions of lifetimes stuck in this lingo. To hear about the glories of the Lord under the guidance of a bona fide Spiritual Master is such a multi-layered process and although it may be simple, that simplicity is so completely full of depth and we should familiarize ourselves with its intricacies so that we may be able to one day truly taste the bliss of pure devotional service. Read more in issue 3 of the Matchless Gift magazine

This is an article from the Matchless Gift magazine. Please support us by purchasing the latest edition, or becoming our Patreon. What is the difficulty? Just surrender already! By Red Willow mataji Since we were small children, we have been forced to surrender in so many ways, by our parents, our siblings, and by nature's laws. Our whole lives have been spent in practicing this intrinsic process, whether we are consciously aware of it, or not. We have come into this world with a strong desire to control, to be the Lord of all we survey. We want to control outcomes, other people, our direct environment, the natural cycles of time and weather, the economic and climatic situation, hunger, pain, the aging process... and ultimately we want to control death (or better yet, do away with it all together). We all want to have some semblance of control over these aspects of our lives, isn't it true? So much time and money are wasted in this pursuit–the entire world economy is banking on this human tendency continuing, unimpeded! The majority of us are thinking only of ourselves and our own comfort–that is how we were conditioned to perceive this human experience, by our relatives and by the larger society, after all. What will it take for us to unlearn this toxic behavior? Why are we like this anyways? "Everyone is trying to lord it over the material nature. That is lust. Now, the ant is trying to lord it over the material nature in his own way, and the big politician, he is trying to lord it over the material nature in a different way. Everyone is trying. So that lording it over the material nature is the sign of lust. So you can take it for granted that anyone who is within this material world, he has got that contamination of lust, maybe manifested in different degrees." (Lecture by Srila Prabhupada, BG 3.31-43, Jan 1, 1969, Los Angeles). So, what is the difficulty? Srila Prabhupada says it is lust only. We are in this material world because we are lusty, we hanker after that which is not ours to enjoy; Krishna's property, Krishna's energy, Krishna's superior position. In short, we want to become Krishna, but because we can never become Krishna, because we are eternally servant of Krishna, we are given the facility by Krishna to play out these desires here in the material world. It is almost laughingly childish. Surrender seems so risky to us, it means that we must give up our need to control... everything! Give up the possibility that we may...this time...actually....be able to enjoy fully and without consequence. Our family life, our individual lives, our travels, our retreats, our relationships, our many adventures. Human life is all about enjoying as much as possible, (at the expense of others) right? Truthfully, we are in control of nothing, we are absolutely helpless and, deep down, everyone knows this, but most never start to investigate the nature of this helplessness. Although it may sound drab, this is actually the shining beginning of our spiritual life. So, we must come to this point where we ask, 'why? Why am I suffering in this material world, why am I in so much pain, why do I have to die, why is it so difficult just to be alive?' And then, 'who am I?' And, 'what am I supposed to do to address this helpless condition I find myself in?' "The devotee who becomes helpless by the will of the Lord is more fortunate than those who are born in good families. The fallen devotees born in a good family may forget the lotus feet of the Lord because they are less fortunate, but the devotee who is put into a forlorn condition is more fortunate because he swiftly returns to the lotus feet of the Lord, thinking himself helpless all around." (SB, Purport, 1.5.19). Our helplessness is our great fortune! We are simply incapable of controlling everything, just like a child is taken charge of by his parents, because they know that, 'this child is completely helpless.' So, also, Krishna is full of compassion and He sends his very dear friend, the bonafide Spiritual Master, to take us by the hand and guide us back to safety. He is the only one we can fully trust. He is like our Mother or Father...as a small and helpless child, what other choice do we have? There is no alternative, we must accept His shelter if we want to solve the problems that we are all plagued by. If everyone in this material world is contaminated by varying degrees of lust, how can we ever really trust any other conditioned living entity? They are bound to disappoint us, hurt us, mislead us, or exploit us, in one way or another. And if we cannot trust, then there is no question of surrender. To give up everything, including our very selves, requires a foundation of trust. This is precisely why Krishna sends his representative in the form of the Spiritual Master. Because without this manifestation of divine mercy, we have no real chance of approaching the platform of surrender. The bonafide Spiritual Master is not a conditioned living entity, he is eternally liberated, eternally absorbed in Krishna Consciousness. The Spiritual Master is never forgetful of Krishna or his relationship with Krishna, nor is He touched by lust, not even in the slightest. For an authentic process of surrender to initiate, we need to become related with the bonafide Spiritual Master, such as Srila Prabhupada, by the means of hearing. We must hear from Him with a submissive attitude, an open heart and mind, a willingness to apply His instructions. But, over time, many lifetimes, we have built up these automatic defenses that react quite cunningly to the threat of total annihilation of our false ego. Surrender means: the annihilation of our false bodily-identity. It does not mean to lose anything of value, it means to do away with what is not and to welcome what actually is. We have identified with so many illusory manifestations of the material energy since time immemorial, becoming entangled in this temporal dream-land, orchestrated by maya. But this is not who we really are! When our survival-mode kicks in, we scarcely even notice it... it is such a familiar old friend. There is only one way to override this automatic response, and that is by begging. Begging the mercy of the Spiritual Master, sincerely crying out for help. Only then can we begin to restore our lost memory of our true identity, of what actually IS. Śrī Īśopanisad declares, om pūrnam adah pūrnam idam pūrnat pūrnam udacyate pūrnasya pūrnam ādayā pūrnam evāvaśisyate "The Personality of Godhead is perfect and complete, and because He is completely perfect, all emanations from Him, such as this phenomenal world, are perfectly equipped as complete wholes. Whatever is produced of the Complete Whole is also complete in itself. Because He is the Complete Whole, even though so many complete units emanate from Him, He remains the complete balance." So, everything is provided, there is no lack. The whole process from start to finish is available to us through the agency of the Spiritual Master who is dispatched by Krishna Himself to deliver the fallen souls. Whatever we may have, Krishna preserves, and whatever we think we lack, Krishna is providing that, "But those who always worship Me with exclusive devotion, meditating on My transcendental form—to them I carry what they lack, and I preserve what they have." (BG 9.22) There is a complete and perfect answer for solving our most fundamental dilemma, that 'I am trying to enjoy as God, but my attempts are all being frustrated by the hand of Maya.' The Spiritual Master gives us instructions that can realistically be followed by us, for the particular time, place, and circumstance. It's not as if we have been left to fend for ourselves here in this world of temporality. Krishna is always thinking how to get us back Home. He is a person with feelings after all, He is not some heartless, vindictive... jerk. Krishna wants us to have the opportunity to surrender, and so, although we may reject that opportunity again and again, it will continuously present itself. Krishna is supremely compassionate... we cannot even understand. This is the kind of person that we want to surrender unto, and the Spiritual Master makes it simple and clear.... 'Just follow me and I will take you to Krishna. You have forgotten the way, but I have not forgotten.' He does not manufacture anything new, he simply is repeating what he has heard from his Spiritual Master, all the way up to Krishna Himself. "Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear." (BG 18.66) This is our guarantee from Krishna Himself. We have more to gain than we could ever lose through the process of surrender. And although it may not seem that way to us at first, the more we practice this begging process, the more we align ourselves with Krishna in the center, the more it becomes clear that this is the only way for us. Surrender is essentially an intrinsic aspect of our lives because this is the natural position of the individual spirit soul, we are designed to serve. Designed to submit to Krishna's will, designed to surrender to this eternal dance. Once you taste a morsel of the bliss derived from the awakening of Krishna Consciousness, nothing artificial will ever satisfy you again. And if we want to go on increasing this taste, there is only one method– just surrender! Matchless Gift issue 3, OUT NOW!

This is an article from the Matchless Gift magazine, where in each issue, the BLISS devotees write articles on world news. Please support us by purchasing the latest edition of the magazine, or become our Patreon. Do you think that you could maybe take some rest? Come and lie down, take a listen in my chest? Because Vishnu lives at the core of my heart. Vishnu is and Vishnu starts. Oh Vishnu, I sing to you. Just to say, oh Lord, thank you. These are the lyrics from Sinead O' Connor's, song, "The Vishnu Room" from the album, I'm Not Bossy, I'm the Boss. Sinead O'Connor, a celebrated and beloved singer, famous for her song, "Nothing Compares 2 U" and for tearing up a picture of the Pope on the Saturday Night Live show, recently left her body. Thousands of people gathered at her funeral to honor the singer for her musical talent and personality. Wikipedia gives the following summary of her achievements: "Shuhada' Sadaqat (born Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor; 8 December 1966 – 26 July 2023), known professionally as Sinéad O'Connor, was an Irish singer, songwriter, and activist. Her debut studio album, The Lion and the Cobra, was released in 1987 and charted internationally. Her 1990 album, I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got, was her biggest success, selling more than seven million copies worldwide. Its lead single, "Nothing Compares 2 U" was named the year's top world single at the Billboard Music Awards. O'Connor had chart success with Am I Not Your Girl? (1992) and Universal Mother (1994), both certified gold in the UK, Faith and Courage (2000) certified gold in Australia, and Throw Down Your Arms (2005) went gold in Ireland. Her career included songs for films, collaborations with many other artists, and appearances at charity fundraising concerts. O'Connor's 2021 memoir, Rememberings, was a bestseller." Carrie Brownstein, Sleater-Kinney guitarist, and fan, said about her: "I knew I’d never be as brave as Sinéad O’Connor, I would never defy a TV network, a country, a religion. Her boldness was not merely performative, nor was it costume or cultural currency. Most of us couldn’t sacrifice like she did, at the expense of careers and livelihoods, our own hearts. O’Connor had guts and grit and a voice rooted in a deep ache, her singing winged and weighted, a bird clutching a stone. Fierce fragility. No one sounded like Sinéad O’Connor – and no one ever will." What is interesting for us, the devotees, is that Sinead at one point showed her appreciation for the Krishna consciousness movement. Besides the Vishnu room song, she writes the following on her online blog: "I loved Hinduism (I can’t bear ‘isms’ though) since I was in London.. and always had earmarked it for study but not got around to it. " This echoes the words of Srila Prabhupada, who, on countless occasions made it very clear that Krishna consciousness cannot be confined to any sectarian religion. For example, he writes: "...a living entity develops a sort of complexity by material association, and the illusory encagement of the material body is accepted as an actual fact. Under such false complexity, the living beings under different categories of life become illusioned in different ways. Even in the most developed stage of human life, the same illusion prevails in the form of many isms and divides the loving relation with the Lord and thereby divides the loving relation between man and man." (SB 1.7.7 purport) Actually, as admitted by many scholars and historians, the word "Hindu" came about when the inhabitants of Afghanistan could not pronounce the name of the river Sindhus. They used to address the people on the other side as "Hindu," and the term was never meant to designate anyone based on religious consideration. In fact, all religious denominations are just names. The true religion is one—to love God, to love Krishna. However, people have created so many isms just so they don't have to love God. Srila Prabhupada says here that such a narrow-minded understanding of religion simply divides the love people have for God with the increase of subsequent quarrels amongst men themselves. In her post, Sinead expresses her dislike of such a sectarian vision of religion and regrets not studying Krishna consciousness in more depth. She continues: "If it was good enough for the Beatles too… it must be good enough for anyone else. Like.. George Harrison was not a stupid man." Here, she refers to another singer, George Harrison, who happened to be a personal friend of Srila Prabhupada and who helped to print Srila Prabhupada's "Krsna Book" (a book named Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead). Srila Prabhupada, at one point, wrote that although George is not initiated formally, he considers him to be more than his disciple. George, due to his sincerity and influence, helped Srila Prabhupada in the propagation of his movement in its early stages. He donated his house in London to the devotees (Bhaktivedanta Manor nowadays hosts thousands of people every year), produced the famous Radha Krishna album by recording classic Vaisnava prayers, and implemented the Krishna-conscious message that Srila Prabhupada shared with him into his music. Here, we see that the influence of George rubbed off on Sinead as well. She says George was not a stupid man, and Srila Prabhupada also at one point appreciated George's intelligence: "One intelligent boy -- you have heard his name, George Harrison -- he's one of the greatest musicians at the present moment, of the world...So he's becoming -- he's very intelligent -- so he's becoming interested. Now recently he has given us a house in London which is fifty-five lakhs." (Conversation with Sridhara Maharaja – June 27, 1973, Navadvipa) Sinead then continues: "Ah no but.. then last year I started reading a book about The Bhagavad Gita which is one Hindu sacred text. It's a section, I think… from a larger text called The Mahabharata. It's the coolest take ever on life and death there is. And on being whom you were born to be. (within the boundaries of human decency). Transcendence is the thing that helps you manage the fear of life and death.. is what I picked up.. transcendence in the Gita fashion.. from what I can glean.. is always living in every moment the certainty that you are in ‘the heavens’ or whatever you might call it.. and the earth at the same time. that the largest part of you. Your everliving soul.. lives constantly there and here so that almost. There is no such thing as death. Death is just taking your clothes off..." Sinead is using here the analogy of seeing the body as mere clothing for the soul. This same analogy is used by Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita: vasamsi jirnani yatha vihaya navani grhnati naro 'parani tatha sarirani vihaya jirnany anyani samyati navani dehi As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul similarly accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones. (Bg 2.22) Srila Prabhupada comments on this verse as follows: "Change of body by the atomic individual soul is an accepted fact. Even modern scientists who do not believe in the existence of the soul, but at the same time cannot explain the source of energy from the heart, have to accept continuous changes in the body that appear from childhood to boyhood and from boyhood to youth and again from youth to old age. From old age, the change is transferred to another body." (Bg 2.22 purport) Although we see people simply on the bodily platform as men, women, Hindus, Muslims, blacks, and whites, the body is a mere instrument used by the soul. So long as the soul is "wearing" the body, the body is considered very important in human society, but as soon as the soul leaves, the body has no value, and it is either burned or thrown into the grave. Sinead then mentions that this is a similar teaching to what Lord Jesus was teaching. She writes: "..Thats kind of what Jesus was saying I guess, but from a different angle.. " Srila Prabhupada also connects the teachings about the eternality of the soul and about the non-permanence of the material body found in the Bible with the teachings of the Bhagavad-gita: "Just like the flavor, the aroma, of a rose flower is carried by the air, and if the air passes through us we also experience the rose flavor. Similarly, when we die, this material body is finished. "Dust thou art, dust thou beist." This is made of five elements: earth, water, air, fire, ether. So the..., so far earthly materials are concerned, that is mixed up. Somebody burns this body, somebody buries or somebody throws it for being eaten by the animals. The three systems in the human society... Just like in India, Hindus, they burn the body. So the body comes transformed into ashes -- means earth. Ash means earth. Those who are burying the bodies of their forefathers, the body turns into dust, as the Christian Bible says, "Dust thou art." (Bhagavad-gita 6.35–45 – February 20, 1969, Los Angeles) Sinead then compares the name of Krishna to the name of Christ. She writes: "...even Krishna is just the same name as Christ." Srila Prabhupada, in a conversation with a Christian priest, explained that "Christ" is another way of saying Krsta, and "Krsta" is another way of pronouncing Krsna. He says: "Jesus said that one should glorify the name of God, but yesterday I heard one theologian say that God has no name -- that we can call Him only "Father." A son may call his father "Father," but the father also has a specific name. Similarly, "God" is the general name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose specific name is Krsna. Therefore whether you call God "Christ," "Krsta," or "Krsna," ultimately you are addressing the same Supreme Personality of Godhead. (SSR 4a: Krsna or Christ -- The Name Is the Same) Sinead continues: "Anyway.. the Hindu music.. oh my God… it can do strange and wonderful things to you… Karnamritia Desi’s Devaki is a piece from the Gita. I think. Certainly from Hindu scripture about the conception and birth of Krishna. Wait till you hear the words… " Sinead shares her impressions and appreciation after hearing a song by Karnamrita Dasi (a devotee and a successful professional singer, who implements Krishna-conscious themes into her music). Certainly, hearing Krishna conscious music can do strange and wonderful things to you. Namely, it can immediately lift you on the transcendental plane and liberate you from material existence. What could be more wonderful than that? Sinead then again draws parallels with the Christian teachings: "...their equivalent of the Holy Spirit is the gorgeous Vishnu guy you see in the background of the photo of me with guitar on site .. Guess what??? They say he lives in the core of all people’s hearts. How cool is that??? And… he’s blue! and he has four arms! and wears tons of makeup.. and has a wife who is also a goddess!" This is yet again the correct understanding from Sinead's side, which resonates with the explanation Srila Prabhupada himself gives: "The Absolute Truth is manifested in three features: Brahman, Paramatma, and Bhagavan. Bhagavan is the personal feature, and the Paramatma, situated in everyone's heart, may be compared to the Holy Spirit." (TQE 6c: Origen: The Original Christian Mystic) Sinead writes: "So much more cheerful than Christianity can sometimes be. They say if when you’re dying you focus on Krishna you will end up with him.. thats why I got Vishnu painted on my wall, because I wanna end up with him, and I figure its a bit of a stress prolly when you’re dying, trying to remember what to focus on... so when I’m an old lady and it’s time to go I’ll be pointing my bed at my Vishnu mural, which was Painted by a wonderful young man by the name of Shane Berkery, and telling everyone to stop crying and let me enjoy the journey. I think Devaki is Krishna’s mum but I dunno… tellin you this so you know who the words are talkin about… But go to YouTube. and watch it. Someone’s put beautiful images to it. So much more uplifting than crucified horribly murdered poor men. I promise you. The song will change your life when you see the images too." Indeed, the paintings of Krishna and His incarnations and His devotees were masterfully crafted by the early disciple of Srila Prabhupada and they are considered to be the "windows to the spiritual sky." Sinead is also telling us about her room, where her friend Shane painted the famous picture from the cover of Srila Prabhupada's, Sri Isopanisad. She hopes to look at this picture at the time of death since being absorbed in the thoughts of the Lord at the time of death guarantees liberation and attainment of His eternal company in the spiritual world. This, yet again echoes the teachings of the Bhagavad-gita: am yam vapi smaran bhavam tyajaty ante kalevaram tam tam evaiti kaunteya sada tad-bhava-bhavitah tasmat sarvesu kalesu mam anusmara yudhya ca mayy arpita-mano-buddhir mam evaisyasy asamsayah "Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, O son of Kunti, that state he will attain without fail. Therefore, Arjuna, you should always think of Me in the form of Krsna and at the same time carry out your prescribed duty of fighting. With your activities dedicated to Me and your mind and intelligence fixed on Me, you will attain Me without doubt." (Bg 8.6-7) Srila Prabhupada comments on these verses as follows: "The process of changing one's nature at the critical moment of death is here explained. A person who at the end of his life quits his body thinking of Krsna attains the transcendental nature of the Supreme Lord, but it is not true that a person who thinks of something other than Krsna attains the same transcendental state. This is a point we should note very carefully. How can one die in the proper state of mind? Maharaja Bharata, although a great personality, thought of a deer at the end of his life, and so in his next life he was transferred into the body of a deer. Although as a deer he remembered his past activities, he had to accept that animal body. Of course, one's thoughts during the course of one's life accumulate to influence one's thoughts at the moment of death, so this life creates one's next life. If in one's present life one lives in the mode of goodness and always thinks of Krsna, it is possible for one to remember Krsna at the end of one's life. That will help one be transferred to the transcendental nature of Krsna. If one is transcendentally absorbed in Krsna's service, then his next body will be transcendental (spiritual), not material. Therefore the chanting of Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare is the best process for successfully changing one's state of being at the end of one's life. (Bg 8.6 purport) At the moment, it is not clear how Sinead departed. Perhaps we will never find out. Was she looking at the picture of Vishnu as she described in her blog a few years ago, or was she diverted by the material energy to think of something else? It is difficult to say, but as a general principle, Srila Prabhupada emphasizes the fact that one's thoughts at the time of death are the accumulation of thoughts one has during his or her lifetime. We must therefore strive to be Krishna conscious as much as possible while our body is healthy. Death can come at any point and take us by surprise. At the time of death all the bodily functions are disrupted, and the mind is not in a proper condition. Thus disturbed by the bodily situation, one may not be able to remember the Supreme Lord. Maharaja Kulasekhara, a great devotee, therefore prays, "My dear Lord, just now I am quite healthy, and it is better that I die immediately so that the swan of my mind can seek entrance at the stem of Your lotus feet." He uses this particular metaphor because the swan, a bird of the water, takes pleasure in digging into the lotus flowers; its sporting proclivity is to enter the lotus flower. Maharaja Kulasekhara says to the Lord, "Now my mind is undisturbed, and I am quite healthy. If I die immediately, thinking of Your lotus feet, then I am sure that my performance of Your devotional service will become perfect. But if I have to wait for my natural death, then I do not know what will happen, because at that time the bodily functions will be disrupted, my throat will be choked up, and I do not know whether I shall be able to chant Your name. Better let me die immediately." Another point Sinead raises is her disenchantment with some of the Christians' obsession with the gruesome torture of Lord Jesus. Srila Prabhupada several times stated that this is not a pastime to be meditated upon. No one meditates on the death of one's beloved. In a letter to a disciple, Srila Prabhupada notes: "Generally the Roman Catholic religion depends on this Crucifixion incident in the life of Lord Jesus Christ, but I think depiction of this incident simply stimulates the tensions of difference of opinion, and difference of religious principles, between the Jews and the Christians. My idea is that if simply by narrating the Crucifixion incident of Lord Jesus Christ, the Roman Catholic Religion can spread to such a wide area of the world, how much there is great potency of spreading our Krishna Consciousness by depicting hundreds of thousands of such incidents like Rathayatra. There is not one incident like Rathayatra, but there are many hundreds of thousands of incidents in different appearances of the incarnations of Lord Krishna. In different cities and different centers we can introduce such multi-pastimes ceremonies of Lord Krishna. And certainly people will be engladdened to observe such transcendental and happy ceremonies. So in Los Angeles, as promised by Mukunda, you try to construct a grand temple and then we shall introduce gradually many ceremonial functions, which the people will be so glad to enjoy. (Letter to: Aniruddha -- Montreal 7 July, 1968) We are confident in saying, based on Sinead's own statements in her blog, that she would surely enjoy the observance of happy Krishna conscious ceremonies such as Ratha Yatra, Janmastami, Govardhana Puja, etc. Unfortunately we were not able to reach her to invite her. We pray that her appreciation and desire for such devotional service will be further increased by the Lord in whatever position she is at the moment. Sinead concludes her blog post by inviting everyone to listen to Karnamrita's song, and not only that, she posts Srila Prabhupada's translation of the verse from the Srimad Bhagavatam that Karnamrita expertly turned into a song: "...so here’s the words… in english.. but on the track its Sanskrit.. Blow you away…so while we miserable sinners catholics get born in all horror and sin and how bad we are etc… this is how Hindus see conception and birth of souls. “The demigods and great saintly persons showered flowers in a joyous mood, and clouds gathered in the sky and very mildly thundered, making sounds like those of the ocean’s waves. Then the Supreme Personality Of The Godhead, Vishnu, who is situated in the core of everyone’s heart, appeared from the heart of Devaki in the dense darkness of night, like the full moon rising on the eastern horizon, because Devaki was of the same category as Sri Krishna.” Of course, Krishna is not just an ordinary soul, nor is His birth controlled by the material nature like ours is. Nor is the eternal soul ever born. Krishna appeared from the heart of Devaki, because Devaki was a pure devotee of the Lord. Srila Prabhupada comments on this verse as follows: "As stated in the Brahma-samhita (5.37): ananda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhavitabhis tabhir ya eva nija-rupataya kalabhih goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhuto govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami. This verse indicates that Krsna and His entourage are of the same spiritual potency (ananda-cinmaya-rasa). Krsna's father, His mother, His friends the cowherd boys, and the cows are all expansions of Krsna, as will be explained in the brahma-vimohana-lila. When Brahma took away Krsna's associates to test the supremacy of Lord Krsna, the Lord expanded Himself again in the forms of the many cowherd boys and calves, all of whom, as Brahma saw, were visnu-murtis. Devaki is also an expansion of Krsna, and therefore this verse says, devakyam deva-rupinyam visnuh sarva-guha-sayah. At the time for the Lord's appearance, the great sages and the demigods, being pleased, began to shower flowers. At the seashore, there was the sound of mild waves, and above the sea there were clouds in the sky which began to thunder very pleasingly. When things were adjusted like this, Lord Visnu, who is residing within the heart of every living entity, appeared in the darkness of night as the Supreme Personality of Godhead before Devaki, who appeared as one of the demigoddesses. The appearance of Lord Visnu at that time could be compared to the rising of the full moon in the sky on the eastern horizon. The objection may be raised that since Lord Krsna appeared on the eighth day of the waning moon, there could be no rising of the full moon. In answer to this, it may be said that Lord Krsna appeared in the dynasty which is in the hierarchy of the moon; therefore, although the moon was incomplete on that night, because of the Lord's appearance in the dynasty wherein the moon is himself the original person, the moon was in an overjoyous condition, so by the grace of Krsna, he could appear as a full moon. To welcome the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the waning moon became a full moon in jubilation. Instead of deva-rupinyam, some texts of Srimad-Bhagavatam clearly say visnu-rupinyam. In either case, the meaning is that Devaki has the same spiritual form as the Lord. The Lord is sac-cid-ananda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1], and Devaki is also sac-cid-ananda-vigraha. Therefore no one can find any fault in the way the Supreme Personality of Godhead, sac-cid-ananda-vigraha, appeared from the womb of Devaki. Those who are not in full knowledge that the appearance and disappearance of the Lord are transcendental (janma karma ca me divyam [Bg. 4.9]) are sometimes surprised that the Supreme Personality of Godhead can take birth like an ordinary child. Actually, however, the Lord's birth is never ordinary. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is already situated within the core of everyone's heart as antaryami, the Supersoul. Thus because He was present in full potency in Devaki's heart, He was also able to appear outside her body. One of the twelve great personalities is Bhismadeva (svayambhur naradah sambhuh kumarah kapilo manuh / prahlada, janako bhismah [SB 6.3.20]). In Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.9.42), Bhisma, a great authority to be followed by devotees, says that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is situated in the core of everyone's heart, just as the sun may be on everyone's head. Yet although the sun may be on the heads of millions and millions of people, this does not mean that the sun is variously situated. Similarly, because the Supreme Personality of Godhead has inconceivable potencies, He can be within everyone's heart and yet not be situated variously. Ekatvam anupasyatah (Isopanisad 7). The Lord is one, but He can appear in everyone's heart by His inconceivable potency. Thus, although the Lord was within the heart of Devaki, He appeared as her child. According to the Visnu Purana, therefore, as quoted in the Vaisnava-tosani, the Lord appeared like the sun (anugrahasaya). The Brahma-samhita (5.35) confirms that the Lord is situated even within the atom (andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham). He is situated in Mathura, in Vaikuntha, and in the core of the heart. Therefore one should clearly understand that He did not live like an ordinary child in the heart or the womb of Devaki. Nor did He appear like an ordinary human child, although He seemed to do so in order to bewilder asuras like Kamsa. The asuras wrongly think that Krsna took birth like an ordinary child and passed away from this world like an ordinary man. Such asuric conceptions are rejected by persons in knowledge of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Ajo 'pi sann avyayatma bhutanam isvaro 'pi san (Bg. 4.6). As stated in the Bhagavad-gita, the Lord is aja, unborn, and He is the supreme controller of everything. Nonetheless, He appeared as the child of Devaki. This verse describes the inconceivable potency of the Lord, who appeared like the full moon. Understanding the special significance of the appearance of the Supreme Godhead, one should never regard Him as having taken birth like an ordinary child. (SB 10.3.9-10 purport) Sinead O' Connor's life seemed to be full of challenges and upheavals. She has criticized the spread of child abuse in a major religious institution in front of millions of TV viewers and was thus ostracized and criticized by the followers of the Catholic Church. Abusing innocent children in the name of religion is indeed the greatest possible abuse of power and we stand by Sinead and agree that such a corrupted religious institution should be criticized. People who raise objections to such vicious crimes should never be ostracized. It is said that the backlash that followed her expressed statements influenced Sinead's life negatively and she suffered mental health problems. Furthermore, her teenage son committed suicide, and this has further made her life extremely difficult to cope with. At any rate, her glorification of Krishna consciousness in this blog that we have analyzed here will not go in vain. Reading Srimad-Bhagavatam and sharing the verse with the public and her fans will go a long way. Even reading one line from these transcendental books brings so much benefit for the casual reader. Srila Prabhupada says: "If one reads one line of this literature, although it is presented in broken language, but if he simply hears there is "Krsna," then his sinful activities immediately vanquish." (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.5.9–11 – June 6, 1969, New Vrindavan) He also emphasizes the need for the devotees to distribute books widely: "We are printing so many books. For spreading this knowledge, that must be distributed. Home to home, place to place, man to man, this literature must go there. If he... If one takes one book, at least one day he'll read it: "Let me see what is this book I have purchased the other day." And if he reads one line his life will be successful -- if he reads one line only, carefully. This is such literature. Therefore book distribution I am giving so much stress. (Bhagavad-gita 16.9 – February 5, 1975, Honolulu) It is especially noteworthy that Sinead, following in the footsteps of George Harrison, shared with others the glorification of Krishna. Even though she might have not been a devotee or could not make more spiritual progress, the very act of sharing Krishna consciousness will make her pure and perfect. Srila Prabhupada explains: "...if one engages not only in hearing but in trying to broadcast the message of devotional activities as well, or if he engages himself in helping the missionary activities of Krsna consciousness, he gradually feels spiritual progress. This advancement in spiritual life does not depend on any kind of previous education or qualification. The method itself is so pure that by simply engaging in it one becomes pure." (Bg 9.2 purport) Let us wish this nice soul all the best on her way to meet her beloved Vishnu. Buy the Matchless Gift magazine for more Krishna conscious content