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Srila Prabhupada challenges the modern idea that the scientists can solve the mystery of life. Dr. Singh. Scientists are in the process of trying to create life. Srila Prabhupada. "Process of"! "Trying to"! That we kick out; that we do not accept. A beggar is saying, "I am trying to be a millionaire." We say, "When you become a millionaire, then talk. Now you are a poor beggar; that is all." The scientists say they are trying, but suppose I ask you, "What are you?" Will you say, "I am trying to be..."? What are you now? That is the question. "We are trying" is not a proper answer, what to speak of a scientific proposition. Dr. Singh. Well, although they haven't been able to create life so far, they say that soon they should be able to do so. Srila Prabhupada. Any rascal may say that. If you say, "In the future I shall be able to do something extraordinary," why should I trust or believe you? Dr. Singh. Well, the scientists say they have done so much in the past and they will accomplish more in the future. Srila Prabhupada. In the past there was death, and people are dying now. So what have the scientists done? Dr. Singh. Helped them. Srila Prabhupada. Scientists have helped to minimize the duration of life! Formerly men lived one hundred years; now they seldom live more than sixty or seventy years. And the scientists have discovered atomic energy; now they can kill millions of men. So they have helped only in dying. They have not helped in living, and still they dare to declare that they will create. Dr. Singh. But now we have airplanes and -- Srila Prabhupada. The scientists cannot stop death, they cannot stop birth, they cannot stop disease, and they cannot stop old age. So what have they done? Formerly people used to become old, and nowadays they are becoming old. Formerly people used to become diseased, and now they are becoming diseased. Now there is more medicine -- and more disease. So what have they accomplished? Scientists have not helped improve the order of the world. We are going to challenge all the rascal scientists who say that life has grown out of matter. The fact is that matter has grown from life. (Life Comes Life)

The following is an exceprt from the Introduction to the Bhagavad-gita As It Is by HIs Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder and spiritual master of the Hare Krishna movement, where he explains the true meaning of the world "religion" and how we misunderstand it to be a mere faith. The Supreme Lord and His transcendental abode are both sanatana, as are the living entities, and the combined association of the Supreme Lord and the living entities in the sanatana abode is the perfection of human life. The Lord is very kind to the living entities because they are His sons. Lord Krsna declares in Bhagavad-gita, "sarva-yonisu...aham bija-pradah pita." "I am the father of all." Of course there are all types of living entities according to their various karmas, but here the Lord claims that He is the father of all of them. Therefore the Lord descends to reclaim all of these fallen, conditioned souls to call them back to the sanatana eternal sky so that the sanatana living entities may regain their eternal sanatana positions in eternal association with the Lord. The Lord comes Himself in different incarnations, or He sends His confidential servants as sons or His associates or acaryas to reclaim the conditioned souls. Therefore, sanatana-dharma does not refer to any sectarian process of religion. It is the eternal function of the eternal living entities in relationship with the eternal Supreme Lord. Sanatana-dharma refers, as stated previously, to the eternal occupation of the living entity. Ramanujacarya has explained the word sanatana as "that which has neither beginning nor end," so when we speak of sanatana-dharma, we must take it for granted on the authority of Sri Ramanujacarya that it has neither beginning nor end. The English word "religion" is a little different from sanatana-dharma. Religion conveys the idea of faith, and faith may change. One may have faith in a particular process, and he may change this faith and adopt another, but sanatana-dharma refers to that activity which cannot be changed. For instance, liquidity cannot be taken from water, nor can heat be taken from fire. Similarly, the eternal function of the eternal living entity cannot be taken from the living entity. Sanatana-dharma is eternally integral with the living entity. When we speak of sanatana-dharma, therefore, we must take it for granted on the authority of Sri Ramanujacarya that it has neither beginning nor end. That which has neither end nor beginning must not be sectarian, for it cannot be limited by any boundaries. Yet those belonging to some sectarian faith will wrongly consider that sanatana-dharma is also sectarian, but if we go deeply into the matter and consider it in the light of modern science, it is possible for us to see that sanatana-dharma is the business of all the people of the world -- nay, of all the living entities of the universe. Non-sanatana religious faith may have some beginning in the annals of human history, but there is no beginning to the history of sanatana-dharma because it remains eternally with the living entities. Insofar as the living entities are concerned, the authoritative sastras state that the living entity has neither birth nor death. In the Gita it is stated that the living entity is never born, and he never dies. He is eternal and indestructible, and he continues to live after the destruction of his temporary material body. In reference to the concept of sanatana-dharma, we must try to understand the concept of religion from the Sanskrit root meaning of the word. Dharma refers to that which is constantly existing with the particular object. We conclude that there is heat and light along with the fire; without heat and light, there is no meaning to the word fire. Similarly, we must discover the essential part of the living being, that part which is his constant companion. That constant companion is his eternal quality, and that eternal quality is his eternal religion. When Sanatana Gosvami asked Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu about the svarupa of every living being, the Lord replied that the svarupa or constitutional position of the living being is the rendering of service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If we analyze this statement of Lord Caitanya, we can easily see that every living being is constantly engaged in rendering service to another living being. A living being serves other living beings in two capacities. By doing so, the living entity enjoys life. The lower animals serve human beings as servants serve their master. A serves B master, B serves C master and C serves D master and so on. Under these circumstances, we can see that one friend serves another friend, the mother serves the son, the wife serves the husband, the husband serves the wife and so on. If we go on searching in this spirit, it will be seen that there is no exception in the society of living beings to the activity of service. The politician presents his manifesto for the public to convince them of his capacity for service. The voters therefore give the politician their valuable votes, thinking that he will render valuable service to society. The shopkeeper serves the customer, and the artisan serves the capitalist. The capitalist serves the family, and the family serves the state in the terms of the eternal capacity of the eternal living being. In this way we can see that no living being is exempt from rendering service to other living beings, and therefore we can safely conclude that service is the constant companion of the living being and that the rendering of service is the eternal religion of the living being. Yet man professes to belong to a particular type of faith with reference to particular time and circumstance and thus claims to be a Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist or any other sect. Such designations are non-sanatana-dharma. A Hindu may change his faith to become a Muslim, or a Muslim may change his faith to become a Hindu, or a Christian may change his faith and so on. But in all circumstances the change of religious faith does not effect the eternal occupation of rendering service to others. The Hindu, Muslim or Christian in all circumstances is servant of someone. Thus, to profess a particular type of sect is not to profess one's sanatana-dharma. The rendering of service is sanatana-dharma. Factually we are related to the Supreme Lord in service. The Supreme Lord is the supreme enjoyer, and we living entities are His servitors. We are created for His enjoyment, and if we participate in that eternal enjoyment with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, we become happy. We cannot become happy otherwise. It is not possible to be happy independantly, just as no one part of the body can be happy without cooperating with the stomach. It is not possible for the living entity to be happy without rendering transcendental loving service unto the Supreme Lord. >>> Ref. VedaBase => Bg-1972: introduction

Ricky Tricky has unexpected visitors! They ask many questions. Too many questions!

The following is an introductory class on the teachings of the Vedas and the basic philosophy of Krsna consciousness that took place in our BLISS London center.

Ricky Tricky strikes again with his skillful preaching tactics.

While reading through Srila Prabhupada's letters, I found His Divine Grace referring to a newspaper article about his movement. I found it an interesting idea to try to fish the article out and see what was it about. After a little browsing, here it is. I hope to find some more to add up to this series as these articles may provide some unseen photographs of Srila Prabhupada and his disciples and give us a glimpse into the contemporary perception of the Hare Krishna movement and the way Srila Prabhupada dealt with it. This article appeared in the 'Daily Californian' written by Harlan Jacobson, who was a senior in Psychology, on May 22, 1968. Here is an excerpt: 'This article is for those students who are dissatisfied with the gross materialism of life - even college life - and want something better. If you're the complacent type, cast your eyes elsewhere. In San Francisco at 518 Frederick Street, not far from the Haight-Ashbury dropouts, fifty young men and women have organized a religious commune that could change the world. It is called the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. It offers a most palatable and exciting presentation of the method and theory of God-Consciousness. The service I attended last Friday began as the last rays of the evening sun shone on the devotees. Its orange streaks lit up the dark rug and the paintings of Krishna which lined the wall. The carved altar was elaborately decorated with flowers and incense. The service, called Kirtan, officially began at seven o'clock with the blowing of a conch shell. For ten minutes prayers were chanted for the spiritual master, Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta. Then everyone began to repeat a chant called the Maha Mantra. It went: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare. They chanted with eyes closed, clashing cymbals, sitting cross-legged, dancing in ecstasy. The chanting, which continued for thirty minutes, was followed by a lecture on the Bhagavad Gita, and was followed again by another thirty minute chanting session. The chanting made me feel good. There was something in the sounds of the words that seemed to warm those who chanted them.' Srila Prabhupada writes in his letter: My Dear Harer Nama, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 24, 1968, along with the news article published in the Daily Californian, p.9, on Wednesday May 22, 1968. The pictures and the statement are very appropriate and I hope this article will attract the attention of many students. Actually this Krishna Consciousness movement is the greatest need of the present day situation of the world. It is authorized approved and very old, and practical. It can be accepted by any person in any part of the world; that is already tested. Now each one of us has got a great responsibility to spread this movement as far as possible and that is the greatest service to the suffering humanity. You are a student of psychology, so you can study this movement more clearly than others, and try to spread it to your best capacity. Regarding your 2 questions: For offering prasadam simply prayers to the Spiritual Master is sufficient. The process is that everything is offered to the Spiritual Master, and the Spiritual Master is supposed to offer the same foodstuff to the Lord. When a thing is offered to the Spiritual Master, he immediately offers to the Lord. That is the system, and as we come by parampara system, it is our duty to go through the right channel—namely, first the Spiritual Master, then Lord Caitanya, and then Krishna. So when we chant prayers, we do this, Bande ham Sri Guru . . . and gradually to the Goswamis, then to Lord Caitanya, and then to Radha Krishna. That is the praying system. But offering the prasadam to present everything before the Spiritual Master whose picture is also in the altar, means that the Spiritual Master will take care of offering the foodstuff to the Lord. Therefore simply by chanting the prayer to the Spiritual Master, everything will be complete. I think a copy of the Daily Californian in which the article has appeared may be sent to each center of our society, and by that they will be encouraged. If possible, kindly arrange this.

Maitreya rishi dasa explores all of the BLISS content in brief so give an overview of the vast library of multi-platform videos, e-books, podcasts, and much, much more.

We have heard many times that Srila Prabhupada is present in his books and if one reads his books one does not need anything else; just by reading he can make all perfection. In this conversation, Srila Prabhupada explains why it is not enough to simply read his books. Brian Singer: Do many people follow Krsna consciousness by reading books, in this method? Prabhupada: No, not only reading books. By practicing, by understanding, then it comes right. Brian Singer: But what proportion of those people, of all the people... Prabhupada: You... You cannot expect any good thing to be taken up by mass of people. That is not possible. In university, when matriculation candidates, there are so many. Then B.A. candidates, so many. And when you come to the M.A., Ph.D., a very few number. Doug Warvick: Why is that? Prabhupada: You cannot expect that everyone should be M.A., Ph.D. So Krsna consciousness is like that. It is not meant for ordinary persons. Those who are very intelligent, they can understand it. Ordinary men, they cannot understand even that he's not this body. What he will understand about Krsna? Therefore the beginning understanding is that "I am not this body." When you are firmly convinced about this science that you are not this body, then Krsna consciousness beginning. Brian Singer: And it's not necessary to live a temple life. Prabhupada: No, temple life is a... Just like if you go to school. Without school you can be educated. It is not that we..., unless you go to school you cannot be educated. But if you go to school you get greater facilities. And that is the way. Just like in our country Rabindranath Tagore, he never went to school. You have heard the name of Rabindranath Tagore? Pusta Krsna: Rabindranath Tagore. Prabhupada: Tagore. Devotee (2): He's a famous Indian poet. Prabhupada: So he never went to school, but Oxford University gave him Ph.D. That does not mean that "I shall also receive Ph.D. like Rabindranath Tagore. I shall not go to school." The general method is: one must go to the school. Exceptional cases, that without going to school one can become Ph.D.... But we should not imitate that, that "Rabindranath Tagore got Ph.D. without going to school. I shall sit down." But the fact is that even without going to school one can get Ph.D. That's a fact. But that is not the method. The method is that you must go to the primary school, then secondary school, then enter college, then take your degree. Then you become M.A., then Ph.D. That is the general process, step by step. And if you take the example of Rabindranath Tagore, that "He did not go to school. Then I shall not go to school," then you may be spoiled also, without going to school. That is the..., generally the case. >>> Ref. VedaBase => Room Conversation with Guests – April 22, 1976, Melbourne

His Grace Purujit dasa and Mairtreya Rishi dasa analyze a documentary made about the Hare Krishnas and try to bring people out of the non-Hare Krishna cult.

Maitreya Rishi dasa is once again pulling out some bewildering topics on the BLISS podcast, so be sure to check this one out to know if we Hare Krishnas have the got the whole wrong idea.

Ricky Tricky wants to introduce Krishna consciousness to his friends, but he wants to do it very smoothly without disturbing their feelings. He wants to relate to them so he speaks in their language, using the latest art of political corectness without freaking them out and giving them a wrong idea that Krishna consciousness is a fanatical belief. Let's see how he tackles this new adventure!

This is an episode of our Kick On the Face series which deals with the topic of demigods and demigod worship in detail. Also it clarifies a common misunderstandings about Hinduism. Please have a look.