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A recent statistic about life coaches states: "Aided by low barriers to entering the profession, coaching has grown into an industry of more than 53,000 practitioners worldwide in 2018. In the US alone, its market value exceeds $1 billion." Nowadays we may all be familiar with the term "life coach" as a person who helps us progress in life, get out of a rut, become financially successful etc. Or perhaps it brings to mind some very loud individuals who motivate others with insults and take large fees for doing so. The industry of life coaching is growing tremendously because the effects of the present time are that people will suffer more and more the degrading nature (now everyone has the experience of the global pandemic COVID , which has caused great suffering to everyone in some way or other), other living beings in the forms of war and harassments, and their own bides and minds being malnourished and worked half to death. In times of distress we look to guides for answers and help. But we should know what real help is. A life coach is basically a modern term for a guru, which is the Sanskrit name for a spiritual master. In anywhere in the world there is always some suffering. The difference between today and ancient Vedic India is that people approached bona-fide spiritual masters coming in disiplic succession for solving their problems rather than some coach who got some cheap certificate or some "verified" check on their twitter account. What is a spiritual master? The very term itself is the meaning. When we want to hear from a spiritual master we should be inquisitive about spiritual life. Spiritual life means something different to material life. In material life we are concerned with our body and our mind. We try to make our body healthy and fit by exercise and diet, and we keep our mind engaged and distracted by relationships with the bodies of others, work in the material world, and desires for enjoyment of the senses. So keeping the mind and body healthy is not spiritual life; the soul is beyond the mind and the body. The soul is who is observing the mind and body. Without the soul in the body, the mind and body no longer works. So the soul is what is important. The soul is the owner of the mind and senses, and simply by taking care of the mind and body is like taking care of a dress. If we neglect the soul body within the dress we will feel dissatisfied and eventually die. Similarly, if we neglect the soul we will not feel satisfied despite all efforts to please our body and mind. In approaching a guide to solving the problems of life, or a spiritual master, therefore, we can know that he is not a master of the spirit if he equates spiritual life or practice with maintenance of the body and even the mind. We can know he is a cheater if he never speaks about the goal of spiritual life, which is the attainment of devotional service to Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Material life means service to the mind and the body, but spiritual life means service to the spirit. And the supreme spirit is Krishna. By serving Him, who is the absolute whole, of which me, you and everyone and everything is a part and parcel, everyone is served on the spiritual and material platform. So-called spiritual masters who talk of the body and mind as the emphasis while neglecting Krishna do so in order to generate name, fame and a comfortable material situation. By preaching about maintaining our material situation, such so-called life coaches actually condemn us to waste our life, but nonetheless he misleads himself and others away from Krishna, which is the cause of our suffering in the first place. A real spiritual master is not liked by the general mass because the general mass of people are not ready to accept Krishna. If one is actually serious to stop the sufferings of the body and mind, he cannot adjust it by material means, or by material friends, or health of the body, or even encouraging words. He can become free from the suffering once he realizes his eternal relationship with Krishna. Having realized this, he no longer has to deal with his temporary body, mind, or rascal cheaters in the forms of bogus spiritual masters.

There are many groups of devotees and people in general who are making big fire sacrifices nowadays, spending and collecting lots of money, fruits, milk products and time to arrange for such displays. But is this at all authorized by the Vedic scriptures? Of course, such sacrifices are prescribed in the Vedas, and in our Krishna consciousness movement there are certain ceremonies, like initiation and marriage ceremonies, which are permitted by Srila Prabhupada, the founder and guide for all aspiring devotees. But what about fire sacrifices for health, good crops, and other benefits? Let's hear from the Srimad-Bhagavatam. karmany asminn anasvase dhuma-dhumratmanam bhavan apayayati govinda- pada-padmasavam madhu We have just begun the performance of this fruitive activity, a sacrificial fire, without certainty of its result due to the many imperfections in our action. Our bodies have become black from the smoke, but we are factually pleased by the nectar of the lotus feet of the Personality of Godhead, Govinda, which you are distributing. PURPORT The sacrificial fire kindled by the sages of Naimisaranya was certainly full of smoke and doubts because of so many flaws. The first flaw is that there is an acute scarcity of expert brahmanas able to carry out such performances successfully in this age of Kali. Any discrepancy in such sacrifices spoils the whole show, and the result is uncertain, like agricultural enterprises. The good result of tilling the paddy field depends on providential rain, and therefore the result is uncertain. Similarly, performance of any kind of sacrifice in this age of Kali is also uncertain. Unscrupulous greedy brahmanas of the age of Kali induce the innocent public to such uncertain sacrificial shows without disclosing the scriptural injunction that in the age of Kali there is no fruitful sacrificial performance but the sacrifice of the congregational chanting of the holy name of the Lord. Suta Gosvami was narrating the transcendental activities of the Lord before the congregation of sages, and they were factually perceiving the result of hearing these transcendental activities. One can feel this practically, as one can feel the result of eating food. Spiritual realization acts in that way. The sages of Naimisaranya were practically sufferers from the smoke of a sacrificial fire and were doubtful about the result, but by hearing from a realized person like Suta Gosvami, they were fully satisfied. In the Brahma-vaivarta Purana, Visnu tells Siva that in the age of Kali, men full of anxieties of various kinds can vainly labor in fruitive activity and philosophical speculations, but when they are engaged in devotional service, the result is sure and certain, and there is no loss of energy. In other words, nothing performed for spiritual realization or for material benefit can be successful without the devotional service to the Lord.

There is sometimes some debate whether the priority in our lives should be independent living, high thinking, with emphasis on the raising and protecting of cows. Some devotees especially hold the conception that devotees preaching in the cities should leave and live peacefully according to the Vedic standard with a cow and a farm. But Srila Prabhupada clarifies the misconception in this purport by point out the priorities. dharmah padaikena caran vicchayam upalabhya gam prcchati smasru-vadanam vivatsam iva mataram The personality of religious principles, Dharma, was wandering about in the form of a bull. And he met the personality of earth in the form of a cow who appeared to grieve like a mother who had lost her child. She had tears in her eyes, and the beauty of her body was lost. Thus Dharma questioned the earth as follows. PURPORT The bull is the emblem of the moral principle, and the cow is the representative of the earth. When the bull and the cow are in a joyful mood, it is to be understood that the people of the world are also in a joyful mood. The reason is that the bull helps production of grains in the agricultural field, and the cow delivers milk, the miracle of aggregate food values. The human society, therefore, maintains these two important animals very carefully so that they can wander everywhere in cheerfulness. But at the present moment in this age of Kali both the bull and the cow are now being slaughtered and eaten up as foodstuff by a class of men who do not know the brahminical culture. The bull and the cow can be protected for the good of all human society simply by the spreading of brahminical culture as the topmost perfection of all cultural affairs. By advancement of such culture, the morale of society is properly maintained, and so peace and prosperity are also attained without extraneous effort. When brahminical culture deteriorates, the cow and bull are mistreated, and the resultant actions are prominent by the following symptoms. SB 1.16.18

Here is one of many ecstatic clips of the BLISS devotees taking London by storm with the Holy name of Krishna. Please share this with your friends to help spread the wonderful chanting of Krishna's name all over the world.

His Grace Purujit dasa encountered a friendly but slightly challenging Muslim man on the streets of Startford and entered into a conversation about how knowledge is preserved in the Islamic and Vedic traditions, and the Muslim man, as you'll see in the following clip, was very receptive. This video has reached as of current 250,000 views on Facebook and is still rising.

Have you every watched one of those compilations of celebrities whom many of us know from movies, television, music and so on, and whom we often aspire to emulate, admitting that although they had become very famous and wealthy they were deeply unhappy? It is a shocking phenomenon since our entire educational system, our societies prerogative, our upbringing, aims to become material successful. In the material world no-one can be happy by relationships or an increase of power and wealth, because everyone’s desire here in the material world is to be the lord, controller and enjoyer. When one becomes successful, has some wealth, some power, or some position in society, then his relationships become a source of unhappiness for him since even his father, mother, friends, siblings and children want his material assets for their own enjoyment. He cannot have real relationships at any stage because when he is poor he is neglected by everyone, especially the opposite sex for whom he so desires, and when he attains some material property everyone simply wants to exploit it. Since he cannot have loving relationship with his material assets in the forms of money and property, and his relationships with the other living entities are also non-existent, a so-called successful man in this material world actually becomes increasingly dissatisfied the more he tries to be happy. This can be practically examined in the lives of the rich and famous who realize through their so-called success that all these worldly things cannot bring them the answers or relief that they so much desire. Many of them give advice on how to become happy; they say to be authentic to oneself, to do what one likes to do the most, to not aspire for more and more but to be content with what we already have. Although this may sound like a wonderful solution for the sentimental, those who can see things as they are will be able to detect the flaw: No-one in the material world knows who they actually are, what they actually want or what the real goal of their life is, since everyone is identifying with the temporary material body, of which they are not. This body is a just a covering, and the senses which we try to satisfy are just like dresses on the consciousness, or the real self. The objects of “happiness” here in the material world, including the illusory relationships, will be all be taken away by inevitable time. So this advice offered by the celebrities is only an attempt at more material happiness in the forms of mundane philanthropy for the coverings of peoples temporary bodies and minds. The real self can be satisfied only by devotional service to Krishna, which is entirely on the spiritual platform, where there is no question of love or relationship or service in exchange for anything. Such devotional and transcendental relationship between the soul and the super-soul, Sri Krsna, is causeless and eternal, and at that stage only can be a person be fully satisfied without any trace of mundane anxiety.

Our Dhananjaya prabhu is a very enthusiastic book distributor; in other words, he spends most of his day outside in all kinds of weather facing all kinds of opposition in order to distribute the wonderful books of Srila Prabhupada, which explain the goal of life and the science of God with perfect philosophy. He rushed excitedly into our room recently to tell us this interesting tale from the streets. Please give it a watch all the way through! https://youtu.be/nF7LrY82P0M

In previous ages elevated priests were capable of chanting mantras according to specific rhythmic and metric regulations that practically enabled them on the subtle level of existence. Vedic mantras are practical; they are not just some empty ritual. By perfecting the chanting method, qualified priests, otherwise called Brahmanas, could manifest powerful weapons, rejuvenate animals very lives by generating a brand new body, and even kill a dangerous person on the spot. During the present age the traditions and standards for these Brahmanas have been lost, and all that remains are their unqualified descendants, who simply wear the appropriate dress, and sometimes are even seen to participate in Brahminical functions, but who actually have no qualification. Quite the opposite, they indulge in all kinds of rascal activities. Their only qualification is the 2-cent thread that they wear to signify their birth in a hereditary Brahmana family. As such, the efficacy of their chanting is diminished entirely and they cannot produce any good result. A Brahmana is only a Brahmana by his qualities, not his birth or the institution he is a part of. In the present age, that system of chanting has been replaced with a far easier and more widely available method called sankirtana, which anyone and everyone can participate in regardless of birth or even qualification. The chanting of Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare is free from such tight metric rules and careful pronunciation guidelines as were in the previous ages. One can simply chant Hare Krishna at his own pace and be attentive to the sound vibration, and that will purify his consciousness to the level of even a Brahmana, or in other words someone who has control over their mind, can tolerate anything against themselves, is forbearing, truthful, clean and is full with knowledge both material and spiritual. If even a small portion of the society comes to this platform the world can be saved from ruination. The chanting is just suited for the present age because nowadays people are very much eager to enjoy themselves rather than take up any kind of regulated life for spiritual advancement. Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has therefore introduced sankirtana, which can be done in a happy mood by chanting different melodies in different tempos with various instruments, and one can dance very ecstatically with other chanters, enjoying full transcendental bliss at every moment. The practically of Vedic mantra is fully manifested in the chanting of Hare Krishna because not only can one transcend his lower nature, but he can attain the stage of being able to directly perceive, serve and love the Supreme absolute truth, Lord Sri Krsna. In an age where people want to go to festivals, nightclubs, dance halls and the like, the Hare Krishna movement is the perfect alternative for those who do not want to spoil their valuable life in mind-altering drugs, liver-breaking alcohol and illicit relationships that generally end in heartbreak, disease, cheating, rape or even death, but rather reach the highest and most perfect spiritual enlightenment.

In the Purport below His Divine Grace A.C Bhakivedanta Swami Prabhupada explains how everyone can satisfy their individual desires by becoming Krsna conscious, how nothing is left out of taking up to Krsna consciousness. sriyo nivaso yasyorah pana-patram mukham drsam bahavo loka-palanam saranganam padambujam The Lord's chest is the abode of the goddess of fortune. His moonlike face is the drinking vessel for eyes which hanker after all that is beautiful. His arms are the resting places for the administrative demigods. And His lotus feet are the refuge of pure devotees who never talk or sing of any subject except His Lordship. PURPORT There are different classes of human beings, all seeking different enjoyments from different objects. There are persons who are seeking after the favor of the goddess of fortune, and for them the Vedic literatures give information that the Lord is always served with all reverence by thousands and thousands of goddesses of fortune at the cintamani-dhama,* the transcendental abode of the Lord where the trees are all desire trees and the buildings are made of touchstone. The Lord Govinda is engaged there in herding the surabhi cows as His natural occupation. These goddesses of fortune can be seen automatically if we are attracted by the bodily features of the Lord. The impersonalists cannot observe such goddesses of fortune because of their dry speculative habit. And those who are artists, overtaken by the beautiful creation, should better see to the beautiful face of the Lord for complete satisfaction. The face of the Lord is the embodiment of beauty. What they call beautiful nature is but His smile, and what they call the sweet songs of the birds are but specimens of the whispering voice of the Lord. There are administrative demigods in charge of departmental service of cosmic management, and there are tiny administrative gods in the state service. They are always afraid of other competitors, but if they take shelter of the arms of the Lord, the Lord can protect them always from the attacks of enemies. A faithful servant of the Lord engaged in the service of administration is the ideal executive head and can well protect the interest of the people in general. Other so-called administrators are symbols of anachronisms leading to the acute distress of the people who are governed by them. The administrators can remain safely under the protection of the arms of the Lord. The essence of everything is the Supreme Lord: He is called the saram. And those who sing and talk about Him are called the sarangas, or the pure devotees. The pure devotees are always hankering after the lotus feet of the Lord. The lotus has a kind of honey which is transcendentally relished by the devotees. They are like the bees who are always after the honey. Srila Rupa Gosvami, the great devotee acarya of the Gaudiya-Vaisnava-sampradaya, has sung a song about this lotus honey, comparing himself to the bee: "O my Lord Krsna, I beg to offer my prayers unto You. My mind is like the bee, and it is after some honey. Kindly, therefore, give my bee-mind a place at Your lotus feet, which are the resources for all transcendental honey. I know that even big demigods like Brahma do not see the rays of the nails of Your lotus feet, even though they are engaged in deep meditation for years together. Still, O infallible one, my ambition is such, for You are very merciful to your surrendered devotees. O Madhava, I know also that I have no genuine devotion for the service of Your lotus feet, but because Your Lordship is inconceivably powerful, You can do what is impossible to be done. Your lotus feet can deride even the nectar of the heavenly kingdom, and therefore I am very much attracted by them. O supreme eternal, please, therefore, let my mind be fixed at Your lotus feet so that eternally I may be able to relish the taste of Your transcendental service." The devotees are satisfied with being placed at the lotus feet of the Lord and have no ambition to see His all-beautiful face or aspire for the protection of the strong arms of the Lord. They are humble by nature, and the Lord is always leaning towards such humble devotees. SB 1.11.27

Manu-smrti says that lust cannot be satisfied by any amount of sense enjoyment, just as fire is never extinguished by a constant supply of fuel. Frustrated by the process of mundane sense gratification, a bewildered living entity after many attempts to enjoy material nature desires to indulge in the highest perversion of religion by taking the position of the Supreme Godhead. To cover such an ugly and selfish pinnacle of material lust he becomes an attacker and a critic of the true sankirtana movement by claiming that the devotees are a bunch of fanatical zealots by surrendering everything including philantrophic and other mundane endeavors to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Instead, he claims one should surrender to the "unborn within" Krishna failing to assimilate that in Krishna who is constitutionally advayam (non-dual), there is no difference between within and without. All that is unborn within is the envy of such bewildered entity and when a pure devotional path of full surrender to the personality of Godhead is practiced and preached under the bona-fide guidance of the true acharya, the supreme personality of servitor Godhead, the ugly and selfish desire that resides within the foolish person's heart that is unborn within becomes born without and manifests as the so-called love for the material causes of nationalism, sectarianism and mundane philantrophy which divert the general public from the path of full surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One should dedicate one's everything for the service of Godhead. This is the true religion of the soul and such religion is updated regularly by the Lord and His pure representatives in various parts of the world according to the time, place and circumstances. Unable to appreciate such pure representatives of non-dual Godhead and victimized by the desire to instead take up the seat of Godhead, the impersonalists waste valuable time in the human form to disturb the cause of Godhead and His devotees who never partake in the mundane philatrophic actvities motivated by the desire to take up the seat of Godhead, who is the only giver of rewards and punishments for the living entities suffering under the laws of karma.

The root cause of material existence is the lack of faith in the Supreme Personality of Guruhead. Although externally professing to be staunch followers of the disciplic succession, unfortunate persons have no faith in the words of the Supreme Personality of Guruhead and thus they create innumerable obstacles on the path of bhakti for them and their followers. Instead they worship minor, less important men and equalize the Supreme Personality of Guruhead with them. No bona fide guru claims to be a successor of the Supreme Guruhead on the basis of his physical absence. In fact, there is no such physical nor spiritual absence. The Supreme Guruhead, just like the Supreme Godhead is identical with his vibrational representation and any bona fide preacher is the emblem of that understanding. But mundane people in the dress of devotees, who are overly attached to the material covering of the spirit soul that consists of skin, flesh, stool and bones unnecessarily mix the spiritual understanding with material concepts of life and thus create confusion for the general public and send them to the lower regions of hell. One must therefore make the Supreme Personality of Guruhead, his only and exclusive shelter and, initiated by his holy sound, spread the bona fide non-dual worship of the Supreme Lord Krishna far and wide.

Watch as the BLISS devotees take over the streets of London and awaken the hearts of many young boys and girls, making them all dance in ecstasy! Srila Prabhupada tells us about the importance of chanting: "To manage a sankirtana party nicely is more precious than all other activities. That is the verdict of Bhagavad-gita and the mission of Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu." Letter to Tamala Krsna – Bombay 13 November, 1975.