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When the weather allows, the devotees head to Hampstead Heath for harinama, sankirtan and prasadam distribution. And when it pours, our go-to spot is Oxford Circus. Krishna has provided a lovely little nook, right on the high street and yet slightly tucked away, nicely protected from the rain, where we go and bring life to the grey streets of London. Here are some of our recent adventures in Oxford Circus! Oxford circus

Today is Nityananda Prabhu's birthday! Nityananda is an expert carpender, and has recently completed the grow room project, which involved transforming one part of the garage into a perfectly equipped grow room for Tulasi. Check it out... If you want to support our work and this auspicious day, please kindly donate towards our temple, so we can continue to spread Krishna consciousness to the world and make our temple a hub for spiritual life. Thank you!

This is an article from volume 1 of the Matchless Gift magazine, a brand new Krishna conscious magazine designed, written and edited by the BLISS devotees. All funds go towards spreading Srila Prabhupada's movement. If you like what you read, please support us and buy a copy here! Those that are engaged in the activities of spreading Krsna consciousness, such as chanting, dancing and book distribution, may sometimes experience being challenged by opposing elements during their preaching endeavors. A frequent question that such persons may ask is how do you know, without a doubt, that Krsna is real and that you are not just simply wasting your time with your service to Krsna in the temple? It is very important to address these questions, since they may arise as doubts in the minds of practicing devotees. Fortunately for us, Krsna has revealed the liberating knowledge from the verses of the Bhagavad Gita, where He instructs the reader how to clear the mind from hankering, lamentation and doubt, "Just fix your mind upon Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and engage all your intelligence in Me. Thus you will live in Me always, without a doubt." (BG 12.8) In the purport to this verse, our Spiritual Master, His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada explains further on the position of a devotee, "A devotee does not live on the material plane – he lives in Krsna. The holy name of the Lord and the Lord are non-different; therefore when a devotee chants Hare Krsna, Krsna and His internal potency are dancing on the tongue of the devotee. When he offers Krsna food, Krsna directly accepts these eatables, and the devotee becomes Krsna-ized by eating the remnants. One who does not engage in such service cannot understand how this is so, although this is a process recommended in the Bhagavad-gita and in other Vedic literatures." We get to read some powerful statements here from Srila Prabhupada. Who can claim that the Supreme Personality, Krsna, God Himself, and His internal potency are dancing on their tongue? Since this is supposedly happening when we chant, one may ask,“how come we don't see them?” The simple answer is that we are not qualified. Our tongue is not pure. We can see this example even in the materialistic society, for example, if we want to see the King of England. You can not expect to just walk into Buckingham palace, into the confidential quarters of the King and demand to see the King. You will be stopped immediately in your tracks by so many guards and police. If this applies even in the material society with an ordinary King, then just think how much it must apply with the Supreme Personality, the King of the Universe, Lord Sri Krsna. Therefore we must become qualified first. Those that want to experience the Supreme Pure dancing on their tongue must also have their tongue supremely pure. This can be done in a very practical way, by offering our food to Krsna. “One who is accustomed to offering all his food to Krsna is called a devotee.” (Bg 3.14 Purport) When we offer a simple offering to Krsna, because He is supremely pure, anything in association with the pure gets purified as well. In the same way as the sun can purify urine from a dirty place and not be influenced, Krsna can purify and accept any amount of food offered to Him. Krsna is a person. That is why we say, The Supreme Personality of Godhead. And every person has his likes and dislikes. You have your likes and dislikes and I have my likes and dislikes. You may love the things I hate, and I may love the things you hate. Similarly, Krsna has His own likes and dislikes. If someone asks for a glass of milk and I bring them orange juice, that is not very nice, even though I may likeorange juice more than milk, but the person does not. Our service must be specifically dovetailed to the person that we are serving. Everyone is a unique personality. If you ask a person what they like to eat or how they want to be served, they will tell you. Krsna is not different, He has also told us in the Bhagavad Gita, “If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water, I will accept it.” (Bg 9.26) Krsna is a vegetarian, so the devotees also offer vegetarian food. There are many thousands of preparations to satisfy the transcendental senses of Krsna. But, does Krsna actually need our food? He is always served by millions of Goddesses of Fortune that are all very expert at preparing unlimited varieties of delicious food preparations, and Krsna can accept all of that. He is the source of everything; everything is emanating from Him, similarly, everything can return back to Him. Of course, Krsna does not need to eat. The soul is not dependent upon anything material, as it is transcendental above the material nature. However, for our benefit, Krsna accepts the food offered in love and devotion by the devotee. So, Krsna is desiring for our loveand devotion unto Him. All this talk about offering food has made me hungry. Which brings me back to my original question, how can we know that Krsna is real and we are not just wasting our time? On this topic of offering and eating food, the analogy applies as follows: As you eat food, one can immediately understand that he is being nourished as his hunger decreases. Similarly, with the process of Krsna consciousness, the more one surrenders and makes advancement in the path of devotional service, the more his materialistic desires such as lust and greed decrease and such a person becomes spiritually fulfilled and nourished. In the same way as we don't need some other person confirming that we are now feeling nourished by food, we can also experience spiritual nourishment practically, by applying the practice in our own life. As George Harrison used to say, "The proof of the pudding is in the eating." I can try my best and describe to you so many details and factors, but as long as you don't try the food yourself, you will never know of its real, factual taste. So you kindly eat this delicious pudding of Krsna consciousness and become Krsna-ized by tasting the ever increasing nectar of devotional service, ultimately reaching the utmost nourishment and satisfaction, manifested as pure love of God, where there is no such thing as doubt, fear or insecurity in the fully blissful heart of the pure devotee. Hare Krishna. Join us for a Love Feast every Sunday and taste the bliss for yourself!

MATCHLESS GIFT #2, a new Krishna conscious magazine based on the teachings of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada is here. This issue contains the following articles: 1. Technology of the Holy Name by Purujit Dasa 2. Krishna, the Perfect Life Coach by Maitreya Rsi Dasa 3. Equality or Injustice by Red Willow 4. Mass Psychosis by Nityananda Dasa 5. Ricky Tricky: God is Everywhere. Right? 6. World News: The Line: They Are Building What? 7. How I Came to Krishna Consciousness by Bhaktin Love and many more! Please purchase the new issue and support our preaching. Hare Krishna!

This is from the Matchless Gift magazine, volume 1. Matchless Gift is a brand new Krishna conscious magazine designed, written and edited by the BLISS devotees. All funds go towards spreading Srila Prabhupada's movement. If you like what you read, please support us and buy a copy here! poem A Part, Apart poem I sat by a tree and saw two pairs of feet Prefaced by bejeweled cows, hopping rabbits, frogs, peaches, peacocks, and buzzing bees I could but peer at those two feets Walking in unison, but walking isn’t the right word. Absolutely effulgent One, two golden pink Three, four, blue Unable to look up, near blinded by radiant light I saw then only eyes Lotus eyes Only believed by being seen The sweetest The kindest The strongest The most enticing The remedy for my poor, separated soul Her Grace, perfection in divinity and devotion, in absolute knowing, Sri Sri Radharani Gave me the grace of her transcendental words: “Trust Prabhupada,” she said. “He understands Us.” And so, with a heavy body, and a heart full of pain, an existence full of discomfort, and a linear path to detachment, to freedom, I continue. more like this in the Matchless Gift magazine

This is an article from the Matchless Gift magazine, volume 1. Matchless Gift is a brand new Krishna conscious magazine designed, written and edited by the BLISS devotees. All funds go towards spreading Srila Prabhupada's movement. Get your copy here! Mizzy: Will He Be a Swami One Day? TikTok, a social media where people post short videos to catch the attention of potential followers, and to simply get likes, has been recently acclaimed to be a culture-changing phenomenon, but it can also turn into a ticking bomb. Tick tock. Tick tock. For example, Mizzy, age 18, whose real name is Bacari-Bronze O'Garro from Stoke Newington, North London is using the app in a most unusual way. His cheeky face recently filled up the pages of all major London newspapers and tabloids and he even appeared on Piers Morgan's TalkTV show. He received all the hype, after he filmed himself entering a family’s home without the family's permission and while sitting on their couch. After entering the 2 million £ house of a banker and an interior designer with his two friends, he pretended to be looking for a study group and was opposed by the shocked owners. They are shortly seen in the video politely asking him to leave, pointing to their small children for his consideration. The mother, whose house Mizzy invaded, thought it was an attempted burglary. She said, ‘Mizzy has caused the family a lot of distress.’ We sympathize with her. Can we possibly imagine a situation where a random person off the street randomly walks into our house, sits on our couch, and yet we remain equipoised? Quite the opposite. In the age where burglary, knife crimes and psychopathic individuals running around has become a norm, it could be pretty scary. Piers Morgan, a famous British TV host, has told Mizzy he was a “complete moron” after the prankster defended his shenanigans by saying “I can do what I want.” Mizzy has been issued with a criminal behavior order at Thames Magistrates Court and fined £365. Many call the penalty ‘pathetic’ and lenient. The teenager, who is unemployed and on Universal Credit (the British welfare system), later said “UK laws are weak.” Joanne, who did not want to give her last name, said, “I've known Mizzy all his life and since he got into TikTok he's been nothing but trouble. There are lots of people around here who've been harassed by him in his videos. He's burst into people's homes, stolen their shopping or knocked them off their bikes. The police are always going to his house but so far they've not been able to stop him. The boy is a nightmare, this is a lovely area, but he ruins it for many of us. He needs to be kept away from here for our safety.” Francis, another neighbor, cried, “We've had enough of Mizzy, he needs to be excluded from this area.” A community protection order is not enough because he can't be trusted to behave himself. He might think he's being funny but he's ruining our lives. “Mizzy is a TikTok terror and a waste of space. Everybody around here knows what he's like. Lots of people are too afraid to go out and when they do, are always looking over their shoulders for Mizzy and his mates. Nobody has got a good word to say about him. We're sick and tired of his stupid behavior and these videos he makes.” All the neighbors spoken to by the media were too afraid to give their full names or be photographed and claimed that Mizzy was part of a larger group of well-known teenagers who help him make his videos. Ahmed, who lives along the same road as him, said, “There's a whole gang of them and they're all useless rules and regulations of the scriptures generally become as good as the father and mother, but children born illegitimately mainly become varna-sankara. The varnasankara population is irresponsible to the family, community and even to themselves." (SB 4.27.7 ) "Born illegitimately" means the parents have spontaneous sex life and these children are born by accident without their parents wanting them. Just think about it. They are an accident, an extra burden, a trouble. From their very birth the parents consciously or unconsciously infect them with the idea that their existence does not have a real meaning. Since the nature of the soul is that it is full of meaning, being part and parcel of Krishna, the supreme meaningful, the child tries to fight back by overcompensating for the lack of meaning to his very existence by creating as much commotion as possible. "I am important. Look at me!" Unfortunately, this further entangles him in the vicious cycle of being the fifth wheel in the society, since the society wants to protect itself for smooth running and smooth social intercourse. He is an immediate threat and he will be eliminated for the peace of all concerned. We call this second class intelligence. If one does not want to follow the authority, he is put into jail and must learn the hard way. The foolish idea of " I can do what I want" is a desperate attempt of the jiva soul to imitate his allpowerful master with the consequence of being put into an even more subjugated position. However, this propensity of entering other peoples' houses can be also found in the pastimes of great Krishna conscious sages such as Sukadeva Goswami or Narada Muni. They, of course, do not enter the houses of people with the intention of making funny Tiktoks. Their intention is to give them enlightenment in terms of Krishna consciousness. Just like Mizzy, they do not stay long. It is stated that Sukadeva Goswami, who is the speaker of the Srimad Bhagavatam, would only stay as long as it takes for a householder to milk a cow. This was not because Sukadeva Goswami was afraid of cops, but because he was afraid of material attachment. When a renounced person starts to meditate on the opulent life of a householder and wishes to enjoy as he does, he becomes fallen. For this reason a preacher of Krishna consciousness should never become over-dependent on the good will of his householder benefactors and he should take only what is required to keep his body and soul together from them never desiring their opulent position. Mizzy and many such varna-sankarite youths would do well if introduced to the wonderful life of a brahmacari or a sannyasi under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master. Due to their varna-sankarite nature, they have already experienced the bitterness of material existence, feeling unwanted and unloved. In fact, all of us will at one point realize this to be the true nature of material relationships when stripped of artificial pretensions. This is the way to become a prime potential for real spiritual life. One must be, of course, willing to be educated in the principles of Krishna consciousness. Such willingness can be awakened by hearing and chanting the holy name and taking the remnants of Krsna prasadam. There is evidence of this in the pages of Srimad Bhagavatam. Narada Muni, who later on became a famous traveling preacher, in his childhood was himself a varna-sankarite, but because he associated with pure devotees, heard their discussions and chanting, and because he took the prasadam they left for him, he became a highly elevated Vaishnava preacher. Perhaps Mizzy should also be informed about the benefits of prasadam and devotee association. Will anyone message him and inform him before he breaks into another house and causes further psychopathic traumas or perhaps even heart attacks? Matchless Gift issue #1 Buy it now!

This is an article from the Matchless Gift magazine, volume 1. Matchless Gift is a brand new Krishna conscious magazine designed, written and edited by the BLISS devotees. All funds go towards spreading Srila Prabhupada's movement. If you like what you read, please support us and buy a copy here! MAID Canada: Canadians Are Considering Killing Their Homeless Retired Army Corporal Christine Gauthier from Canada asked for a wheelchair lift to be installed in her home. She lost the use of her legs after suffering an injury during military training in 1989 and has been a target of great injustice. Gauthier, who competed at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Paralympics, testified in Parliament on December 1st 2022 that an unnamed Veteran Affairs case worker had offered in writing to provide her instead of the wheelchair lift, with the equipment needed to perform her own euthanasia. “I have a letter saying that if you’re so desperate, madam, we can offer you MAID, medical assistance in dying,” Gauthier, told a House of Commons Veterans Affairs Committee. MAID (medical assistance in dying) is a healthcare "option"available to Canadians at the end of life. It allows a capable adult suffering from a grievous and irremediable medical condition to voluntarily request medicine that will bring about their death. According to the provincial medical website, there are five phases of MAID to ensure that no one's life is terminated whimsically: Pre-contemplation — looking at and thinking about end-of-life care options Contemplation — getting information about end-of-life care options. Determination — assessment of eligibility and formal request for MAID Action — confirming the request and patient death Care after death — grief support Candidates are given a choice to move back and forth between the phases, or choose not to proceed at any point. To qualify for this service, people must meet all of the eligibility criteria set out by federal law in order to prevent indiscriminate "recommendations" for euthanasia. However, some human rights advocates and religious groups say the regulations are open to abuse and lack necessary safeguards. And it seems that some form of abuse of that sort took place in the case of Mrs. Gauthier. Testifying in her native French, Gauthier had written to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to express her concern over the incident. On December 2nd, Trudeau called the incident absolutely unacceptable” and went into greater detail about how his government should address the situation. “We are following up with investigations and we are changing protocols to ensure what should seem obvious to all of us,” Trudeau said. “It is not the place of Veterans Affairs Canada, who are supposed to be there to support those people who stepped up to serve their country, to offer them medical assistance in dying,” Trudeau continued, but did not make clear whether other departments should take charge of this responsibility. Assistance in seeking a medical death has been legal in Canada since 2016 for terminally ill patients but in 2022 the law was expanded to include a large subset of Canada’s sick and dying population. People with debilitating disabilities or those suffering from tremendous pain were added to the list of eligible patients and, as a fresh new addition, Canada plans to allow citizens with mental disorders to be added later in 2024. Furthermore, according to a recent Research Co. poll examining how comfortable Canadians are with its burgeoning euthanasia laws, one-third of people in Canada are okay with prescribing MAID to the country's homeless. Research Co. surveyed 1000 Canadians on May 5th and found that a staggering 28% of respondents said that medical assistance in dying guidelines should be extended to the homeless while 50% said those who are disabled should be also allowed access to the program. "Canadians are split when pondering if mental illness should be a justification for an adult to seek medical assistance in dying: 43% support this idea, while 45% are opposed. The federal government has delayed a final decision for eligibility related to mental illness until March 2024," Research Co.'s Mario Canseco wrote in a blog post from the self-described public opinion forum. Indeed, this great dilemma of whether a person's project called "life" should be terminated only because he is suffering a great pain, or whether we should let him suffer and die naturally, reaches beyond medical or legal considerations. The dilemma brings out a question more suited for philosophical circles. It presents a challenge to the vague and often cloudy understanding about the value and meaning of life itself that we have as a society. Why are we here? One can argue that all material life can be viewed as one big continuous pain since all we accomplish in our lifetime is taken from us at the time of death anyway. Is one morally entitled to kill another person when the person requests that? "Just like in your country the real policy -- to continue the Vietnam -- means they cannot manage these hippies, and they are trying to send them to Vietnam and kill them. That's all." Can we take our own life even if we did not give it to ourselves? What is life? What happens after death? Modern medical practitioners and politicians are not clear on these issues and therefore such discussions cannot attain Krsna simply by giving up the body. Krsna is attainable by devotional service. There is no other means for attaining Him. Acts such as suicide are influenced by the mode of ignorance, and in ignorance and passion one cannot understand who Krsna is." So the Lord does not approve of suicide even for spiritual purposes, what to speak of material reasons such as to avoid the painful condition of a diseased body? Srila Prabhupada explains: "So these rascals think, ‘If I suicide, if I commit suicide, and just have a knife on my throat, then all my pains and pleasures finished.’ No, that is not... He will be put into more pains and pleasure. Sometimes we'll have to accept - why "accept"; it is certain - the ghostly body. Because Krsna has given you, or maya has given, maya has given under the direction of Krsna, a certain type of body for enjoying for a certain span of life, you cannot finish it. If you disregard it, then, if you commit suicide, the result will be that you will not be allowed to accept another material body. You will have to remain in that subtle body. That is ghost. Ghostly life means one who has misused this life, this body, and by his whims he has killed this body. He becomes ghost. That means he will have to suffer for so many day, then he'll get another material body.” (The Nectar of Devotion – January 10, 1973, Bombay). In other words, by the law of karma one has been given a body for a specific amount of time and if one kills that body, one must become a ghost and then again take a material body and suffer whatever pain or a disease one was due. In fact Srila Prabhupada states in another lecture: "Just like a rascal or foolish man thinks that ‘I am suffering so much. Let me commit suicide, and it will be a great relief.’ It is foolishness. He will be put into further torture after this life. He will become a ghost.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam7.9.9 – July 4, 1968, Montreal). Just like you are put into a prison house for a certain number of months or years. Before that period, if you flee away, then you are again punished. Because you did not fulfill the terms of your prison life, then again you become a criminal. Similarly, those who kill another’s body, or those who commit suicide, they again become a criminal. Actually, this is simply propaganda, that people want to die. Nobody wants to die. Dying is unnatural because we are eternal spirit souls, who have become entangled inmaterial bodies due to our controlship mentality. Srila Prabhupada confirms: "Even a person or living being in the most wretched condition of life, if you propose that "Let me kill you," he'll not agree. Therefore the psychology is that every living being does not want to die. So..., but actually we are not subject to death or birth. That will be discussed. We have somehow or other, by chance or by coincidence, we have acquired this material body. Actually it is not by chance, but we wanted to lord it over the material world; therefore we have got this material body.” (Bhagavad-gita 2.15 – February 15, 1975, Mexico City). Euthanasia might be a convenient way to convince people to commit not-so-messy suicide, so those who have to take care of them, such as the government-run health care system, can be relieved of extra responsibility and basically a burden of unproductive citizens. According to Dr. Ezekiel J. Emanuel, a professor at Harvard Medical School, euthanasia is indeed "a way of avoiding the complex and arduous efforts required of doctors and other health-care providers to ensure that dying patients receive humane, dignified care." There seems to be a thin line between "assisted suicide"and plain murder. In fact, the line seems to be drawn by mere semantics. Sometimes, when an animal is suffering due to disease, it is killed and we call it "mercy killing." But can killing be an act of mercy at any point? Considering the life of a person whose future has been entrusted to a medical procedure of assisted suicide in the light of euthanasia's ghostly after effects, perhaps we should reevaluate our terminology. Srila Prabhupada makes common sense remarks on this issue in the following conversation: Srila Prabhupada: So this is nonsense. Mercy killing. Killing mercy. [laughs] Just see. The action is killing, and that is his mercy. This is their mercy. All contradictory. Killing by mercy? Mercy is killing? Hari-sauri: There's an example that's just going up to the courts now. There's one family, their daughter was being supported by one machine, so that one day they went in early and pulled out the plugs. So now they are being taken to court. They stopped the machine because she'd been in a coma for so long, so they just pulled out the plugs and everything, the machine. So that's what they call mercy killing. They don't like the doctors just to keep them there uselessly. Ramesvara: But then they want to kill the old people. This mercy killing, they think that "An old man is suffering, so let us kill him." Pusta Krsna: They think if someone dies in their sleep, they are very lucky. Prabhupada: It is dangerous to die here. Tamala Krsna: Not as dangerous as in Africa. I saw one movie, and there's one tribe, that when a man becomes very old... Prabhupada: Yes, I've heard of that. Hari-sauri: They throw him on the roof, and then eat him. Prabhupada: That is a feast. Tamala Krsna: Love feast. Prabhupada: Grandfather feast. Now great-grandfather feast. Cyavana: We're preaching to them, Srila Prabhupada. Trying to change them. Ramesvara: Also the Eskimos, when a man gets old, if he is an Eskimo, then he has to go out into the ice lands and wait for some animal to kill him. He cannot stay at home and be supported by the family. Bali-mardana: He eats too much, they say. Ramesvara: Too much burden. Bali-mardana: Because he's eating, and he is not able to go and hunt, they send them out to die. Prabhupada: The Communists also, they'll do. All old men should be killed. That time is coming. Don't become old. [laughter] Tamala Krsna: You are teaching us to remain young forever, Prabhupada. Svarupa Damodara: One must become Krsna conscious to become young. Prabhupada: So many difficulties will come unless there is Krsna consciousness. Therefore Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam [Bg 18.66], if you want to be happy. (Morning Walk – July 11, 1976, New York) Disregard for life, as already shown in the examples of animals killed on mass scale in the meat industry, or unwanted children aborted due to accidents, is now showing its teeth in the new ways introduced by the leaders of the present materialistic society in the form of the chilling cool of euthanasia. It seems like whenever there is some problem, killing is a fast solution. In history there have been many such examples, where the leaders avoid solving actual problems by brutal killing. Srila Prabhupada speaks of one such an example from the First World War: Prabhupada: One Mr. McPherson, Englishman, he was known to me. He was coming to my shop. He stated that in the First World War, he was in the war, service, and some Belgium refugees came to France because Marshall Foch, he was in charge of that area. And when he was informed that so many refugees, mostly women and children, they have come, so he became so much disturbed that "Where shall I give them shelter in this warfield?" His advice was that "Blow them. Finish." So they were blown up. This is a practical... In war field such things happen. "Who is going to take responsibility of so many women and children in this war?" They were blown up. They came to take shelter, but they were blown up. Such things happen in war. Yes. As another example of such barbaric mentality, Srila Prabhupada mentions the Vietnam war that took place inthe 1960's between USA and Vietnam, where thousands and thousands of people lost their lives. Prabhupada: Just like in your country the real policy -- to continue the Vietnam -- means they cannot manage these hippies, and they are trying to send them to Vietnam and kill them. That's all. That is the policy. They cannot manage. They cannot make them sane and normal condition. They have no such policy, neither they do know it. So what to do? "Blow him. We cannot manage them." Therefore they are continuing. That's all. This is the policy. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.2.1–5 – January 6, 1971, Calcutta) Krishna conscious devotees believe that every living entity, no matter what he or she is, is a part and parcel of God. One cannot claim to love God, but at the same time kill His parts and parcels. Krishna consciousness is therefore needed so we can avoid such killing trends as seen these days in Canada. Otherwise, we will soon have to look for a studio that can tattoo the preventive: "When I'm old, please don't kill me." on our foreheads to avoid the MAID's kind "assistance." Discover more articles like this in issue #1 of Matchless Gift

This is an article from the Matchless Gift magazine, volume 1. Matchless Gift is a brand new Krishna conscious magazine designed, written and edited by the BLISS devotees. All funds go towards spreading Srila Prabhupada's movement. If you like what you read, please support us and buy a copy here! Sankirtan Story: “Saved by Nityananda” by Maitreya Rishi Dasa Prabhu One time we were distributing books at a wild place in London. I think it's pretty much like the wild west of London. It's called Camden Town. It was towards the end of the day. And it was in the summer of last year. It'd been a very nice day and all the Brahmacharis were very ecstatic. This story, I think goes to show that we also encounter many difficulties and potential dangers while going and distributing the books. The material world is not exactly a place for saintly people. So there's one guy, he came to me at the end, a very tall man, about seven foot tall, huge guy, African English guy. And he seemed normal at first. I asked him if he was spiritual. And he said, “yeah, I do some meditation”. Eventually it came to the point where I asked him, as we do, for a donation for the book. At that point, he became very agitated that we were asking for money. He said, “you're spiritual, you're meant to be monks, so you shouldn't ask for money.” You know, a classic line. Apparently these people don't understand how printing works. If you print books, you have to pay money for that. So anyway, he became agitated. And he took the book from my hand, and he refused to give it back. And he just began to walk away. Then, our Nityananda Prabhu ran after him, very heroically, to reclaim Srila Prabhupada's book. Now, I don't recommend that anyone try this at home, unless you have the martial arts skills of Nityananda Prabhu. Nityananda caught him, and the guy pinned him up against the Camden bridge, pinned Nityananda Prabhu against the wall and raised his fist as if to punch Nityananda Prabhu in threatening, but the way he locked Nityananda Prabhu's arm was in such a way that Nityananda Prabhu could very easily use a Wing Chun manoeuvre and he switched who was on top in the grip, he flipped the table on the guy. This guy, his eyes widened and he threw his head back in surprise and realised who he was dealing with. Then he backed off. Nityananda Prabhu has a Wing Chun past. He was trained in the martial art of Wing Chun. He's basically like Bruce Lee. So we have a Bruce Lee in the temple and it's very helpful for dealing with situations like this. He knows many moves. So yeah, Nityananda Prabhu got the book, he recovered it. He threw it back to me as he was wrestling the guy, just imagine, you know, he threw the book. I caught it. That was my contribution. I managed to catch the book. At least I didn't drop it, like a fool. And then two people came and they broke up the fight. But then the guy came back half an hour later to start trouble. And he confronted us again. He actually appeared to be apologising, but he wasn't apologising. Nityananda Prabhu offered him some Prasadam, some laddu. And the guy just smacked it out of Nityananda Prabhu's hand, destroying the whole laddu. Then he came over to me because I was filming the whole thing. Which I have, by the way, maybe we will make it available on Facebook. And he came over to me, and I said “if you come closer, I will kick you.” And then he decided not to come any closer. He swore at us for a couple more minutes and then walked away. This is just one of the many confrontational pastimes we've had on book distribution, dealing with people, especially when it comes to asking for donations. Just imagine, we distribute the most amazing transcendental literature of Srila Prabhupada to save people from all sufferings. And then when we ask for a little donation so that we can help more people, they want to kill us. So anyway, I have to say, all glories to Nityananda Prabhu! He saved the book, and myself. Very exciting. Hare Krishna. For more sankirtan stories, buy the Matchless Gift magazine, out now. Issue 2 out on August 2nd!

It's all happening here at the BLISS London temple! New devotees, new projects (have you got our new magazine yet?), and a new instrument to upgrade our kirtans to the next level... We are so happy to have this beautiful harmonium which was purchased thanks to the kind donations of our dear friend and supporter. Check out the harmonium in the morning livestream below, in Jaya Radha Madhava. A heartfelt thank you to all our supporters who help us to spread this amazing humanitarian movement, Krishna consciousness. Anyone who is inspired to donate is welcome to do so here.

Most of us want to know how to be a good person. But how indeed? In this passage of the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna tells us the qualities and characteristics of those sincerely desiring to approach the process of knowledge, to discover the Absolute Truth. How to be a good person: answer from the Bhagavad Gita Chapter 13 Texts 8-12 Humbleness; freedom from hypocrisy; non-violence; forgiveness; simplicity; service of the Guru; cleanliness of body and mind; steadfastness; and self-control; dispassion toward the objects of the senses; absence of egotism; keeping in mind the evils of birth, disease, old age, and death; non-attachment; absence of clinging to spouse, children, home, and so on; even-mindedness amidst desired and undesired events in life; constant and exclusive devotion toward Me; an inclination for solitary places and an aversion for mundane society; constancy in spiritual knowledge; and philosophical pursuit of the Absolute Truth—all these I declare to be knowledge, and what is contrary to it, I call ignorance. Purport by His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada This process of knowledge is sometimes misunderstood by less intelligent men as being the interaction of the field of activity. But actually this is the real process of knowledge. If one accepts this process, then the possibility of approaching the Absolute Truth exists. This is not the interaction of the twenty-four elements, as described before. This is actually the means to get out of the entanglement of those elements. The embodied soul is entrapped by the body, which is a casing made of the twenty-four elements, and the process of knowledge as described here is the means to get out of it. Of all the descriptions of the process of knowledge, the most important point is described in the first line of the eleventh verse. Mayi cānanya-yogena bhaktir avyabhicāriṇī: the process of knowledge terminates in unalloyed devotional service to the Lord. So if one does not approach, or is not able to approach, the transcendental service of the Lord, then the other nineteen items are of no particular value. But if one takes to devotional service in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the other nineteen items automatically develop within him. As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (5.18.12), yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ. All the good qualities of knowledge develop in one who has attained the stage of devotional service. The principle of accepting a spiritual master, as mentioned in the eighth verse, is essential. Even for one who takes to devotional service, it is most important. Transcendental life begins when one accepts a bona fide spiritual master. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, clearly states here that this process of knowledge is the actual path. Anything speculated beyond this is nonsense. As for the knowledge outlined here, the items may be analyzed as follows. Humility means that one should not be anxious to have the satisfaction of being honored by others. The material conception of life makes us very eager to receive honor from others, but from the point of view of a man in perfect knowledge – who knows that he is not this body – anything, honor or dishonor, pertaining to this body is useless. One should not be hankering after this material deception. People are very anxious to be famous for their religion, and consequently sometimes it is found that without understanding the principles of religion one enters into some group which is not actually following religious principles and then wants to advertise himself as a religious mentor. As for actual advancement in spiritual science, one should have a test to see how far he is progressing. He can judge by these items. Nonviolence is generally taken to mean not killing or destroying the body, but actually nonviolence means not to put others into distress. People in general are trapped by ignorance in the material concept of life, and they perpetually suffer material pains. So unless one elevates people to spiritual knowledge, one is practicing violence. One should try his best to distribute real knowledge to the people, so that they may become enlightened and leave this material entanglement. That is nonviolence. Tolerance means that one should be practiced to bear insult and dishonor from others. If one is engaged in the advancement of spiritual knowledge, there will be so many insults and much dishonor from others. This is expected because material nature is so constituted. Even a boy like Prahlāda, who, only five years old, was engaged in the cultivation of spiritual knowledge, was endangered when his father became antagonistic to his devotion. The father tried to kill him in so many ways, but Prahlāda tolerated him. So there may be many impediments to making advancement in spiritual knowledge, but we should be tolerant and continue our progress with determination. Simplicity means that without diplomacy one should be so straightforward that he can disclose the real truth even to an enemy. As for acceptance of the spiritual master, that is essential, because without the instruction of a bona fide spiritual master one cannot progress in the spiritual science. One should approach the spiritual master with all humility and offer him all services so that he will be pleased to bestow his blessings upon the disciple. Because a bona fide spiritual master is a representative of Kṛṣṇa, if he bestows any blessings upon his disciple, that will make the disciple immediately advanced without the disciple’s following the regulative principles. Or, the regulative principles will be easier for one who has served the spiritual master without reservation. Cleanliness is essential for making advancement in spiritual life. There are two kinds of cleanliness: external and internal. External cleanliness means taking a bath, but for internal cleanliness one has to think of Kṛṣṇa always and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. This process cleans the accumulated dust of past karma from the mind. Steadiness means that one should be very determined to make progress in spiritual life. Without such determination, one cannot make tangible progress. And self-control means that one should not accept anything which is detrimental to the path of spiritual progress. One should become accustomed to this and reject anything which is against the path of spiritual progress. This is real renunciation. The senses are so strong that they are always anxious to have sense gratification. One should not cater to these demands, which are not necessary. The senses should only be gratified to keep the body fit so that one can discharge his duty in advancing in spiritual life. The most important and uncontrollable sense is the tongue. If one can control the tongue, then there is every possibility of controlling the other senses. The function of the tongue is to taste and to vibrate. Therefore, by systematic regulation, the tongue should always be engaged in tasting the remnants of foodstuffs offered to Kṛṣṇa and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. As far as the eyes are concerned, they should not be allowed to see anything but the beautiful form of Kṛṣṇa. That will control the eyes. Similarly, the ears should be engaged in hearing about Kṛṣṇa and the nose in smelling the flowers offered to Kṛṣṇa. This is the process of devotional service, and it is understood here that Bhagavad-gītā is simply expounding the science of devotional service. Devotional service is the main and sole objective. Unintelligent commentators on the Bhagavad-gītā try to divert the mind of the reader to other subjects, but there is no other subject in Bhagavad-gītā than devotional service. False ego means accepting this body as oneself. When one understands that he is not his body and is spirit soul, he comes to his real ego. Ego is there. False ego is condemned, but not real ego. In the Vedic literature (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 1.4.10) it is said, ahaṁ brahmāsmi: I am Brahman, I am spirit. This “I am,” the sense of self, also exists in the liberated stage of self-realization. This sense of “I am” is ego, but when the sense of “I am” is applied to this false body it is false ego. When the sense of self is applied to reality, that is real ego. There are some philosophers who say we should give up our ego, but we cannot give up our ego, because ego means identity. We ought, of course, to give up the false identification with the body. One should try to understand the distress of accepting birth, death, old age and disease. There are descriptions in various Vedic literatures of birth. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam the world of the unborn, the child’s stay in the womb of the mother, its suffering, etc., are all very graphically described. It should be thoroughly understood that birth is distressful. Because we forget how much distress we have suffered within the womb of the mother, we do not make any solution to the repetition of birth and death. Similarly at the time of death there are all kinds of sufferings, and they are also mentioned in the authoritative scriptures. These should be discussed. And as far as disease and old age are concerned, everyone gets practical experience. No one wants to be diseased, and no one wants to become old, but there is no avoiding these. Unless we have a pessimistic view of this material life, considering the distresses of birth, death, old age and disease, there is no impetus for our making advancement in spiritual life. As for detachment from children, wife and home, it is not meant that one should have no feeling for these. They are natural objects of affection. But when they are not favorable to spiritual progress, then one should not be attached to them. The best process for making the home pleasant is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If one is in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he can make his home very happy, because this process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is very easy. One need only chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, accept the remnants of foodstuffs offered to Kṛṣṇa, have some discussion on books like Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and engage oneself in Deity worship. These four things will make one happy. One should train the members of his family in this way. The family members can sit down morning and evening and chant together Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. If one can mold his family life in this way to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness, following these four principles, then there is no need to change from family life to renounced life. But if it is not congenial, not favorable for spiritual advancement, then family life should be abandoned. One must sacrifice everything to realize or serve Kṛṣṇa, just as Arjuna did. Arjuna did not want to kill his family members, but when he understood that these family members were impediments to his Kṛṣṇa realization, he accepted the instruction of Kṛṣṇa and fought and killed them. In all cases, one should be detached from the happiness and distress of family life, because in this world one can never be fully happy or fully miserable. Happiness and distress are concomitant factors of material life. One should learn to tolerate, as advised in Bhagavad-gītā. One can never restrict the coming and going of happiness and distress, so one should be detached from the materialistic way of life and be automatically equipoised in both cases. Generally, when we get something desirable we are very happy, and when we get something undesirable we are distressed. But if we are actually in the spiritual position these things will not agitate us. To reach that stage, we have to practice unbreakable devotional service. Devotional service to Kṛṣṇa without deviation means engaging oneself in the nine processes of devotional service – chanting, hearing, worshiping, offering respect, etc. – as described in the last verse of the Ninth Chapter. That process should be followed. Naturally, when one is adapted to the spiritual way of life, he will not want to mix with materialistic men. That would go against his grain. One may test himself by seeing how far he is inclined to live in a solitary place, without unwanted association. Naturally a devotee has no taste for unnecessary sporting or cinema-going or enjoying some social function, because he understands that these are simply a waste of time. There are many research scholars and philosophers who study sex life or some other subject, but according to Bhagavad-gītā such research work and philosophical speculation have no value. That is more or less nonsensical. According to Bhagavad-gītā, one should make research, by philosophical discretion, into the nature of the soul. One should make research to understand the self. That is recommended here. As far as self-realization is concerned, it is clearly stated here that bhakti-yoga is especially practical. As soon as there is a question of devotion, one must consider the relationship between the Supersoul and the individual soul. The individual soul and the Supersoul cannot be one, at least not in the bhakti conception, the devotional conception of life. This service of the individual soul to the Supreme Soul is eternal, nityam, as it is clearly stated. So bhakti, or devotional service, is eternal. One should be established in that philosophical conviction. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.2.11) this is explained. Vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam. “Those who are actually knowers of the Absolute Truth know that the Self is realized in three different phases, as Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān.” Bhagavān is the last word in the realization of the Absolute Truth; therefore one should reach up to that platform of understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead and thus engage in the devotional service of the Lord. That is the perfection of knowledge. Beginning from practicing humility up to the point of realization of the Supreme Truth, the Absolute Personality of Godhead, this process is just like a staircase beginning from the ground floor and going up to the top floor. Now on this staircase there are so many people who have reached the first floor, the second or the third floor, etc., but unless one reaches the top floor, which is the understanding of Kṛṣṇa, he is at a lower stage of knowledge. If anyone wants to compete with God and at the same time make advancement in spiritual knowledge, he will be frustrated. It is clearly stated that without humility, understanding is not truly possible. To think oneself God is most puffed up. Although the living entity is always being kicked by the stringent laws of material nature, he still thinks, “I am God” because of ignorance. The beginning of knowledge, therefore, is amānitva, humility. One should be humble and know that he is subordinate to the Supreme Lord. Due to rebellion against the Supreme Lord, one becomes subordinate to material nature. One must know and be convinced of this truth. Get your copy of the Bhagavad Gita HERE Come and study the Bhagavad Gita with us, every evening, from 6.30-7.30pm, on our Facebook livestream

How to become a guru? Srila Prabhupada describes the process of how one can become a bona fide guru. It is not by taking a guru course, but rather by a very simple method - by taking a bath in the pool of Vedic knowledge. What is the symptom of bona fide spiritual master? Everyone wants to become spiritual master. So that is also stated. Sabde pare ca nisnatam. One who has taken complete bath in the ocean of the Vedic literature, sabde pare ca nisnatam. Just like if you take bath, you become refreshed. If you take nice bath, you feel refreshed. Sabde pare ca nisnatam. Without refreshness, one cannot understand this sublime subject matter. And the guru, or the spiritual master, should be refreshed by taking bath in the ocean of Vedic knowledge. And what is the result? Sabde pare ca nisnatam brahmany upasamasrayam. By, after such cleanliness, he has taken shelter of the Supreme Absolute Truth, without any material desires. He has no more any material desires; he's simply interested in Krsna, or the Absolute Truth. These are the symptoms of guru, or spiritual master. Bhagavad-gita 2.13 -- Pittsburgh, September 8, 1972

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