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The leaders of the world are tasked with a great responsibility in protecting the citizens and moving society progressively towards the goal of life. If they fail to do this, they can only be called misleaders, and that is the clear fact. It is said in Bhagavad-gita that simply by surrendering oneself unto the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality Krsna one can surmount the stringent laws of material nature. At this point a question arises: How is it that educated philosophers, scientists, businessmen, administrators and all the leaders of ordinary men do not surrender to the lotus feet of Sri Krsna, the all-powerful Personality of Godhead? Mukti, or liberation from the laws of material nature, is sought by the leaders of mankind in different ways and with great plans and perseverance for a great many years and births. But if that liberation is possible by simply surrendering unto the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then why don't these intelligent and hard-working leaders adopt this simple method? The Gita answers this question very frankly. Those really learned leaders of society like Brahma, Siva, Kapila, the Kumaras, Manu, Vyasa, Devala, Asita, Janaka, Prahlada, Bali, and later on Madhvacarya, Ramanujacarya, Sri Caitanya and many others -- who are faithful philosophers, politicians, educators, scientists, etc. -- surrender to the lotus feet of the Supreme Person, the all-powerful authority. Those who are not actually philosophers, scientists, educators, administrators, etc., but who pose themselves as such for material gain, do not accept the plan or path of the Supreme Lord. They have no idea of God; they simply manufacture their own worldly plans and consequently complicate the problems of material existence in their vain attempts to solve them. Because material energy (nature) is so powerful, it can resist the unauthorized plans of the atheists and baffle the knowledge of "planning commissions." Bg 7.15

Srila Prabhupada here explains about the basis of the Vedic civilization. The highest benefit that can be awarded to a human being is to train him to be detached from sex life, particularly because it is only due to sex indulgence that the conditioned life of material existence continues birth after birth. Human civilization in which there is no control of sex life is a fourth-class civilization because in such an atmosphere there is no liberation of the soul encaged in the material body. Birth, death, old age and disease are related to the material body, and they have nothing to do with the spirit soul. But as long as the bodily attachment for sensual enjoyment is encouraged, the individual spirit soul is forced to continue the repetition of birth and death on account of the material body, which is compared to garments subjected to the law of deterioration. In order to award the highest benefit of human life, the varnasrama system trains the follower to adopt the vow of celibacy beginning from the order of brahmacari. The brahmacari life is for students who are educated to follow strictly the vow of celibacy. Youngsters who have had no taste of sex life can easily follow the vow of celibacy, and once fixed in the principle of such a life, one can very easily continue to the highest perfectional stage, attaining the kingdom of the three-fourths energy of the Lord. It is already explained that in the cosmos of three-fourths energy of the Lord there is neither death nor fear, and one is full of the blissful life of happiness and knowledge. A householder attached to family life can easily give up such a life of sex indulgence if he has been trained in the principles of the life of a brahmacari. A householder is recommended to quit home at the end of fifty years (pancasordhvam vanam vrajet) and live a life in the forest; then, being fully detached from family affection, he may accept the order of renunciation as a sannyasi fully engaged in the service of the Lord. Any form of religious principles in which the followers are trained to pursue the vow of celibacy is good for the human being because only those who are trained in that way can end the miserable life of material existence. The principles of nirvana, as recommended by Lord Buddha, are also meant for ending the miserable life of material existence. And this process, in the highest degree, is recommended here in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, with clear perception of ideal perfection, although basically there is no difference between the process of Buddhists, Sankarites and Vaisnavites. For promotion to the highest status of perfection, namely freedom from birth and death, anxiety and fearfulness, not one of these processes allows the follower to break the vow of celibacy. The householders and persons who have deliberately broken the vow of celibacy cannot enter into the kingdom of deathlessness. The pious householders or the fallen yogis or the fallen transcendentalists can be promoted to the higher planets within the material world (one fourth of the energy of the Lord), but they will fail to enter into the kingdom of deathlessness. Abrhad-vratas are those who have broken the vow of celibacy. The vanaprasthas, or those retired from family life, and the sannyasis, or the renounced persons, cannot break the vow of celibacy if they want success in the process. The brahmacaris, vanaprasthas and sannyasis do not intend to take rebirth (apraja), nor are they meant for secretly indulging in sex life. Such a falldown by the spiritualist may be compensated by another chance for human life in good families of learned brahmanas or of rich merchants for another term of elevation, but the best thing is to attain the highest perfection of deathlessness as soon as the human form of life is attained; otherwise the whole policy of human life will prove to be a total failure. Lord Caitanya was very strict in advising His followers in this matter of celibacy. One of His personal attendants, Chota Haridasa, was severely punished by Lord Caitanya because of his failure to observe the vow of celibacy. For a transcendentalist, therefore, who at all wants to be promoted to the kingdom beyond material miseries, it is worse than suicide to deliberately indulge in sex life, especially in the renounced order of life. Sex life in the renounced order of life is the most perverted form of religious life, and such a misguided person can only be saved if, by chance, he meets a pure devotee. SB 2.6.20 purport

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Easy. Easy. Let's start with simple logic. It's not difficult. There is a section and there is a whole. A section is part of a whole. A whole is never a part of a section. For example: if we take a drop of a seawater, it's a section of the whole, the big sea. But if we say that now I'm holding a sea in my hand, that's kind of dumb, isn’t it? "Look, I have the sea in my hand!"—a crazy person, or a poet might say like that, but it's not reality. Now, in this world we see so many wholes and so many sections. Just like I can be called Mr. Thompson and be a section of the whole Thompson family. Or The Beatles—a famous rock'n'roll band—is a whole, and tiny little Ringo Starr behind the drums is its' section. There's a whole year—2012—ahead of us, and yet there are sections like January, February, March, April... etc. So wholes and sections. Is that cool? Ok. Ok. Now, let's go beyond the known, beyond the perception of our senses. Cuz pretty much all of the previous examples I gave can be perceived by our senses. "Senses? What do you mean?" Well, simple. Just like your eyes: a very important sense through which we perceive what we call a "reality." A reality? What is "reality"? Hold on a sec. Before we get into the "everything is relative man" game, let me express what's on my mind today. Is that alright with you? Thanks… So now, the beyond the known is a very dangerous zone—many of us have been cheated. Cheating basically takes advantage of our ignorance of the unknown. Like a cheater drug dealer cheats the people addicted to intoxication. In exchange for their money, he gives them what they think is heroin. But in reality, there's only very small percentage of pure heroin. Most of it is lots of junk—white powder or something like that—just so he can save as much of the pure heroin as he can, sell it to someone else and cheat him too. Of course, the addicts even know it's cheating, but they still they have to go and get it because they are forced to settle with whatever is available due to their habit. And that's our position, you see? Although we don't want to be cheated, we are forced to make solutions based on the unknown on a regular basis in our daily life whether we like it or not, because we are under the habit of identifying our true selves with these temporary bodies. (Kind of like when I tend to scream when someone chops off a part of my body?) How do you know that this particular college or job you're applying for will be ok for you? Still you have to pick something, otherwise your parents won't support you, or you end up homeless or something like that. I don't know what you do. Or, or.. I got it! You're supposed to select your mate. That's like super difficult, isn't it? Cuz in the present society there's so much ego going on and everyone wants to compete and screw others and so on and so on. Where's the guarantee that your mate will not turn out to be a real jerk, who just takes advantage and exploits your fine sentiments for his/her sense gratification? But some of us at one point realize, "I can't go on like this. I think I'm gonna connect with some other person and face the world like that, in two." And then you end up all confused, cuz you can’t find anyone due to the paranoia of being exploited. But at the same time, you need someone. In other words, there are instances where we are forced to deal with the unknown, whether we like it or not. So, now it is not a question whether it is important to deal with the unknown or not, it is a question of HOW to deal with the unknown, you see? We have to deal with it. Not the relative, computer-like yes/no, but a simple and all encompassing HOW. Say it again: "HOW." HOW are you? Doing fine? Ok. Carry on. So what is that beyond the known? Many things, but we want to go to the root. We don't want to be limited. You want to be limited? Well, I don't want to be limited, and you don’t want to be limited either, no matter what you say now just to distract me from what I’m trying to build here, tricky boy! Because the soul, or that which we are, is never limited. Whatever limitations are here are due to these bodily designations: man, woman, ugly, beautiful. Instead of seeing you as a beautiful and free personality with his/her beautiful individuality, they want to put you in a box: a woman. Or check this out: a man. So this is the nature of the soul, or that which we are, the unlimited consciousness within. Not supremely unlimited (cuz if that was the case, why would we end up here in the material world in the clutches of material energy, doing things which we don't like doing, right?), yet unlimited nevertheless. Unlimited in the sense of not being confined to these bodily concepts. So that root, what is that? That root is the total whole. Or The Total Whole. Like the ultimate, you know? Now, some of you might object that this smells like God! And you will try to kill the discussion (cuz that's all we're doing right now, you see? I'm not trying to convert you, nor force some dogma on you. Easy. Easy.) By saying: What if there's nothing like the total whole? What if what you call the "total whole" is yet another section of some other whole and that is a section of some more wholesome whole, etc. Nice one, but now, and this might sound surprising, cuz usually that’s what people ask us, not that we ask that, but: where's the evidence? You see, everything we say, provided we want to communicate of course, should be backed up by something we could both relate to. If we want to have a wonderful free style monologue just so that everyone can see how wonderful we are, that’s ok, but you can’t have that in two. You see? Like you have some faith, that's ok, but if you want to communicate that faith to me, I need it backed up by some sort of knowledge. Let's say I have faith to go to the beach, because I think we're going to enjoy it. Now, let's say you don't have that faith. Your faith is that you want to stay home and sleep; then I have to use some evidence. So I might say something like: Remember how we used to go to the beach last year, how cool it was? How you enjoyed it so much? And how you didn't want to go home as it was so cool and nice and wonderful and you name it. So now I'm using one type of evidence called history. In other words, I'm using previous experience to back up my present faith. This type of evidence very much dominates the present society. Like for example, because some people had a bad experience with people who claim to be worshippers of God (but in reality are simply using God to build their ego), when we, the Krishna devotees, approach them to chant with us, eat with us and enjoy the wonderful transcendental pleasures in Krishna consciousness with us, sometimes they frown. No, I don't believe in God. Because for them God means a cruel, dry person who has to go to work, just like many of us in the early morning subways, to take care of the world, punish the sinners and who actually does not want you to feel pleasurable and free, but quite the opposite, a God who wants you to be miserable and scared cuz He’s fed up of your messing up His plans. So naturally, when we say: Krishna is God, they immediately recollect that previous experience with a so-called priest, or a so-called Christian family member, or someone on the street who called you devil-obsessed for having some weird clothes on, or something extraordinary, which you thought was cool but he didn't like. So that is one type of evidence: history. This is very nice. But it is not perfect. Why? Because the experience upon which that history has been made might have been wrongly assessed. Actually, our experience is always limited, because, we gather such experience through our limited senses. But there are other types of evidence too. The sacred Vedas mention anuman, hypothesis. Going to the beach is cool, because if you stay home and sleep, you'll get depressed and lazy, you will fall into what we call the mode of ignorance—tamas. This is hypothesis. I’m giving you an argument. "If you do this, then this might happen." So direct experience, history, hypothesis; in this way we come to the most perfect evidence: sabda, or hearing the info from the perfect source, and keeping it perfect by not adulterating it. If I tell you that in the Vedas hypothesis is called anuman, and if I'm not lying, then you don't have to go and search for a dictionary of the Sanskrit language in a library and waste a whole day not being able to find one. No. And again, provided I'm not lying, if you simply trust that, "Ok this guy, he's a Hare Krishna devotee, I guess he kind of understands these kinds of things, let me put my trust in him on this," you will advance faster in your understanding, you see? It’s faster. Like the internet. Now, forget about the bad things for a sec. Who can deny the benefits which it provides? Just because the internet sometimes lies doesn't mean that you can’t find true things on it. And this is what it's all about. Instead of trying to gather all the sections of knowledge, (which is a totally futile attempt due to our limited position of NOT being able to even get to know all the sections of knowledge, what to speak of seeing them in an unbiased way, and what to speak of putting them and understanding them all in a context without using them just to build my own dogma) why not use time to find a perfect source, from which we can derive all of the knowledge? Have we tried? And if we did (cuz many people use it very cheaply the phrase, "Did that, done that.”), do we know what the process is for searching such a source? Do we know what the characteristics are of such a source? Yes, just for a sec, pay attention to the latter two questions. Hmm? So, the Vedas are considered to be the most authoritative source of knowledge in the world and we accept them as such through the process of sruti or hearing. Through seeing I cannot ascertain what’s behind a wall. Through hearing, though, I can see what’s behind a wall if someone from behind the wall tells me. One section of the Vedic literature is called Upanisad and in it there’s another subdivision called Sri Isopanisad, which deals specifically with the subject matter of the complete total whole. It says: om purnam adah purnam idam purnat purnam udacyate purnasya purnam adaya purnam evavasisyate “The Personality of Godhead is perfect and complete. And be-cause He is completely perfect, all emanations from Him, such as this phenomenal world, are perfectly equipped -as a complete whole. Whatever is produced of the complete whole is also complete by itself. And because He is the Complete Whole, even though so many complete units emanate from Him, He remains the complete balance.” (Sri Isopanisad, Invocation) So even though the Complete Whole is generating so many sections, it yet remains complete. Another characteristic of the Complete whole is explained in the following quote by Shrila Prabhupada in the purport to this verse: “The Complete Whole must have everything, both within our experience and beyond our experience. Otherwise He cannot be complete.” (Iso. Invocation purport) Now, let’s go back to the question why there has to be a Complete Whole in the first place. As mentioned in the invocation to Sri Isopanisad, because the Complete Whole is complete, the sections of the complete whole are also complete by themselves. In other words, because this world is relative, it's relative to something right? It is not relative just by itself. If it was relative by itself, we would call it absolute. So because it is relative to something, the things we see here must be included in that something. And because we see that everything here belongs to some whole, whether it's Montreal being part of the whole Canada, or you being a part of your whole family, everything that exists must be a part of the Complete Whole. This is the Complete Whole. So, when we say Krishna, we mean the Complete Whole. Not a Hindu or Indian god, not a religion, not a faith, not a sect(ion). You might call the total whole in a different way; Jehovah, Allah, or simply God, but that doesn't matter—this is just semantics. It's clear that the total whole is for all of us. It's not for me, it's not for you. It's universal, unlimited, complete and total. And because it's complete, unlimited and total, it must be a person. If it's not person, there's a flaw in its completeness. Then I myself, who is just like a little tiny nothing, am more than God becuz I’m a person? I am more than God, becuz I’m a person? He’s more than God, because he’s person? So we’re all persons and God is not? Then what kind of a looser God is? You see, then God is losing out on that wonderful pleasurable feeling of being a unique individual. So it is not like that. God is a person. So now, Krishna is not just an opinion, or yet another name, but it is the elaborate description of that person. From the Vedic literatures which our spiritual master Srila Prabhupada brought for us from the ancient times of a greatly advanced and sophisticated civilization, we can have a very clear idea how that person acts, how He looks like, how He is enjoying, that He's even enjoying in the first place, and also how we can develop our unadulterated love for Him: Krishna. For example, in another ancient scripture, called Sri Brahma samhita, which has been actually spoken billions of years ago at the beginning of this particular creation by the demigod-creator Lord Brahma, it is said that Krishna’s body is sad-cid-ananda: eternal, and full of knowledge and bliss. He’s engaged in tending cows, yielding all desire and His Divine Abode is built with touchstone and surrounded by desires trees and served by millions of Goddesses of fortune. Furthermore, He is the primeval Lord, adept in playing on His flute, with blooming eyes like lotus petals with head decked with peacock's feather, with the figure of beauty tinged with the hue of blue clouds, and His unique loveliness is charming millions of Cupids. Nowhere in the world (and this is not a puffed up statement, but you can make a test) is there any description of that Supreme Person as elaborate as in the scriptures such as the Brahma-samhita, Srimad-Bhagavatam or Srimad-Bhagavad-gita. There His different potencies, different energies and how they work together are explained in a scientific manner. It is explained there that this planet is just one among many millions of other planets, there are many millions and millions of universes just like this one we are in, and even though Krishna is completely conscious of everything in the material creation and is the Supreme controller of all that is, He is yet completely aloof and enjoying His transcendental pastimes in His Abode in the spiritual sky simultaneously. In order to have benefit of this great knowledge we have to go beyond our limited sense perception. Let’s not be like a blind man who is trying to understand the sun. Shrila Prabhupada has left behind these literatures for all the intelligent people of the world so they can quench their thirst for the whole knowledge and even go beyond and be situated on a transcendental plane of existence. So if you don’t want to be limited and if you no longer find happiness in these different sections of knowledge, please do not confuse this great movement for a sectarian movement, or a religious sect, which deals with only partial understanding, or an aspect of the absolute, or is appealing to a section of society only. No. Krishna consciousness is a universal science, and we are inviting everyone to bring whatever arguments they have, or whatever questions they have, and our master His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada is going to answer them personally from his books. Not in a fanatical way, trying to put down your character to shut you up, or distract your attention on some other point to confuse you in the way we are used to, not like that. But in what we might call a really scientifically based discussion on a human platform. The animals cannot take part in such a discussion, you see? Why? Because the animals are just not interested in solving the problem of death. Instead of wasting valuable time, it is better that such animal-like men go their way as they have still not asked about the real cause of our suffering. No, this is for the intelligent person, who asks himself: "I do not like suffering, still I suffer. Why? And more importantly How to avoid this?" Right? This is intelligence. How to avoid it? How to RELIEVE the suffering. Look at all the inventions, take the plane for example. Instead of suffering a long journey, they have invented a plane which takes you to Europe in a few hours. So of course, these inventions are not the ultimate solution. They are mere attempts to ease our suffering. The real suffering is death. Death makes all our happiness here in the material life meaningless, and some modern philosophers, like the existentialists for example, became so much aware of this fact that they lost all hope and some of them even committed suicide. But there’s no need to commit suicide actually. We should very soberly look at the problem and try to find a solution. This is called intelligence, and if you have come to this platform by now, then you will appreciate the gems Shrila Prabhupada has brought for the world. Just try touching them with your eyes gently and Krishna will touch your heart in person.

Srila Gopala Bhatta Goswami is one of the six foremost direct disciples of Sri Caitanya prabhu, the six Goswamis of Vrindavana. Here is a compilation from the lotus lips of Srila Prabhupada regarding this great personality. At Rangakshetra, He (Lord Chaitanya) stayed for four months in the house of one Venkata Bhatta in order to spend the rainy season. There He converted the whole family of Venkata from Ramanuja Vaishnavism into Krishna-bhakti, along with the son of Venkata, a boy of ten years named Gopala, who afterwards came to Vrindaban and became one of the six Gosvamins or prophets serving under their leader Sri Krishna Chaitanya. Trained up in Sanskrit by His uncle Probodhananda Saraswati, Gopala wrote several books on Vaishnavism. Teachings of Lord Caitanya introduction. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thus, at the end of His twenty-fourth year the Lord accepted the sannyasa order of life in the month of Magha. After accepting this order He became a full-fledged preacher of the Bhagavata-dharma. Although He was doing the same preaching work in His householder life, when He experienced some obstacles to His preaching He sacrificed even the comfort of His home life for the sake of the fallen souls. In His householder life His chief assistants were Srila Advaita Prabhu and Srila Srivasa Thakura, but after He accepted the sannyasa order His chief assistants became Srila Nityananda Prabhu, who was deputed to preach specifically in Bengal, and the six Gosvamis (Rupa Gosvami, Sanatana Gosvami, Jiva Gosvami, Gopala Bhatta Gosvami, Raghunatha dasa Gosvami and Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami), headed by Srila Rupa and Sanatana, who were deputed to go to Vrndavana to excavate the present places of pilgrimage. The present city of Vrndavana and the importance of Vrajabhumi were thus disclosed by the will of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. SB Introduction --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu explained this mode of devotional service in three stages, and therefore these worshipable Deities were installed in Vrndavana by different Gosvamis. They are very dear to the Gaudiya Vaisnavas there, who visit the temples at least once a day. Besides the temples of these three Deities, many other temples have been established in Vrndavana, such as the temple of Radha-Damodara of Jiva Gosvami, the temple of Syamasundara of Syamananda Gosvami, the temple of Gokulananda of Lokanatha Gosvami, and the temple of Radha-ramana of Gopala Bhatta Gosvami. There are seven principal temples over four hundred years old that are the most important of the five thousand temples now existing in Vrndavana. Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Adi 1.19 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- sri-rupa, sanatana, bhatta-raghunatha sri-jiva, gopala-bhatta, dasa-raghunatha Sri Gopala Bhatta Gosvami, the forty-seventh branch, was one of the great and exalted branches of the tree. He always engaged in discourses about love of Godhead in the company of Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami. Sri Gopala Bhatta Gosvami was the son of Venkata Bhatta, a resident of Srirangam. Gopala Bhatta formerly belonged to the disciplic succession of the Ramanuja-sampradaya but later became part of the Gaudiya-sampradaya. In the year 1433 sakabda (A.D. 1512), when Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu was touring South India, He stayed for four months during the period of Caturmasya at the house of Venkata Bhatta, who then got the opportunity to serve the Lord to his heart's content. Gopala Bhatta also got the opportunity to serve the Lord at this time. Sri Gopala Bhatta Gosvami was later initiated by his uncle, the great sannyasi Prabodhananda Sarasvati. Both the father and mother of Gopala Bhatta Gosvami were extremely fortunate, for they dedicated their entire lives to the service of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. They allowed Gopala Bhatta Gosvami to go to Vrndavana, and they gave up their lives thinking of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. When Lord Caitanya was later informed that Gopala Bhatta Gosvami had gone to Vrndavana and met Sri Rupa and Sanatana Gosvami, He was very pleased, and He advised Sri Rupa and Sanatana to accept Gopala Bhatta Gosvami as their younger brother and take care of him. Sri Sanatana Gosvami, out of his great affection for Gopala Bhatta Gosvami, compiled the Vaisnava smrti named Hari-bhakti-vilasa and published it under his name. Under the instruction of Srila Rupa and Sanatana, Gopala Bhatta Gosvami installed one of the seven principal Deities of Vrndavana, the Radharamana Deity. The sevaits (priests) of the Radharamana temple belong to the Gaudiya-sampradaya. When Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami took permission from all the Vaisnavas before writing Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Gopala Bhatta Gosvami also gave him his blessings, but he requested him not to mention his name in the book. Therefore Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami has mentioned Gopala Bhatta Gosvami only very cautiously in one or two passages of the Caitanya-caritamrta. Srila Jiva Gosvami has written in the beginning of his Tattva-sandarbha, "A devotee from southern India who was born of a brahmana family and was a very intimate friend of Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami has written a book that he has not compiled chronologically. Therefore I, a tiny living entity known as jiva, am trying to assort the events of the book chronologically, consulting the direction of great personalities like Madhvacarya, Sridhara Svami, Ramanujacarya and other senior Vaisnavas in the disciplic succession." In the beginning of the Bhagavat-sandarbha there are similar statements by Srila Jiva Gosvami. Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami compiled a book called Sat-kriya-sara-dipika, edited the Hari-bhakti-vilasa, wrote a forword to the Sat-sandarbha and a commentary on the Krsna-karnamrta, and installed the Radharamana Deity in Vrndavana. In the Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika, verse 184, it is mentioned that his previous name in the pastimes of Lord Krsna was Ananga-manjari. Sometimes he is also said to have been an incarnation of Guna-manjari. Srinivasa Acarya and Gopinatha Pujari were two of his disciples. Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Adi 10.105 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In this connection it may be mentioned that sometimes the sahajiya class of devotees opine that Prakasananda Sarasvati and Prabodhananda Sarasvati are the same man. Prabodhananda Sarasvati was a great Vaisnava devotee of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, but Prakasananda Sarasvati, the head of the Mayavadi sannyasis in Benares, was a different person. Prabodhananda Sarasvati belonged to the Ramanuja-sampradaya, whereas Prakasananda Sarasvati belonged to the Sankaracarya-sampradaya. Prabodhananda Sarasvati wrote a number of books, among which are the Caitanya-candramrta, Radha-rasa-sudha-nidhi, Sangita-madhava, Vrndavana-sataka and Navadvipa-sataka. While traveling in southern India, Caitanya Mahaprabhu met Prabodhananda Sarasvati, who had two brothers, Venkata Bhatta and Tirumalaya Bhatta, who were Vaisnavas of the Ramanuja-sampradaya. Gopala Bhatta Gosvami was the nephew of Prabodhananda Sarasvati. From historical records it is found that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu traveled in South India in the year 1433 sakabda (A.D. 1511) during the Caturmasya period, and it was at that time that He met Prabodhananda, who belonged to the Ramanuja-sampradaya. How then could the same person meet Him as a member of the Sankara-sampradaya in 1435 sakabda, two years later? It is to be concluded that the guess of the sahijiya-sampradaya that Prabodhananda Sarasvati and Prakasananda Sarasvati were the same man is a mistaken idea. Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Adi 1.36

In 1976, Kula-Priya devi was kidnapped by the infamous Ted Patrick and his crew; the "deprogrammers.' This heinous group would abduct members of various religious movements, including Hare Krishna devotees, and coerce them to reject their respective faiths and practices by means of harsh and severe methods. Anxious parents, whose children had at short notice given up everything and taken to the spiritual life, where convinced their children had been "brainwashed." Kula-priya devi dasi was one such unfortunate devotee, and she pressed charges against Patrick after escaping the clutches of his team. Watch the press conference below for her full perspective. A 1980's edition of Back to Godhead explains the case very clearly: "Recently a federal judge approved a settlement awarding the International Society for Krishna Consciousness and one of its members $ 10,000 and court costs in a deprogramming case. U.S. District Court Judge David Williams signed the order ending a case that began more than three years ago when Madonna Slavin Walford, a Hare Krishna devotee, was abducted from her parents’ home in Arcadia, California, and driven to Northern California for a deprogramming. After the settlement Mrs. Walford said, 'I appeal to Americans everywhere, and particularly to parents of Hare Krishna devotees throughout this nation, to understand that this is not a cult. I am practicing a religion that is more than five thousand years old, a religion whose book of truth, the Bhagavad-gita, is sacred to more than six hundred million people on this planet.'" Srila Prabhupada, the founder of the Hare Krishna Movement on the wesern World and of the International Society for Krishna Conciousness, very nicely smashes the logic of these so-called "deprogrammers" in the conversation below. Ramesvara: "Ask your contact to comment or express his opinion of such things as that this is not a matter of religion; that there is resulting mental and physical harm; the right of self-determination means the right to have a free mind; destruction of the family unit..." Prabhupada: So if one has the right to have a free mind, why he cannot chant Hare Krsna? Ramesvara: Well, their argument is that we do not allow him to consider alternatives. Prabhupada: Then where is the question of a free mind? That means you brainwash. Ramesvara: Exactly. Prabhupada: Free mind means everyone has the right. That is free mind. If you force something, then where is the free mind? Ramesvara: So actually they are understanding that once you chant Hare Krsna, you will stop thinking about maya. Prabhupada: They're admitting. Ramesvara: They understand that... Their claim is that this chanting of Hare Krsna... Prabhupada: Is dangerous. (laughs) Ramesvara: ...is dangerous because it makes you stop thinking about so many other things. That is their... Prabhupada: That is our victory. That is victory because Narottama dasa Thakura said that visaya visanale, diba-nisi hiya jwale, taribare na koinu upay, golokera prema-dhana, hari-nama sankirtana, rati na janmilo kene tay: "This material world is the burning fire of anxiety. So in order to get rid of it, we have to take shelter of Hare Krsna mantra, which is imported from the spiritual sky." That is a fact. So as soon as you take shelter of Hare Krsna, naturally we are relieved from this blazing fire of material existence. Ceto-darpana-marjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. Finished. Bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam. Maha-davagni, this fire of material existence, finished. That's a fact. So they have pointed out. This circumstance, it is good. Yes. That is the position. Yes. Caitanya Mahaprabhu recommends that. In order to get rid of this blazing fire, harer nama harer nama harer nama eva kevalam [Cc. Adi 17.21]: chant Hare Krsna. January 9, 1977, Bombay

In recent years, many devotees have taken to the policy of compromising the classic look; specifically dropping the sacred marking on the forehead and other parts of the body. It comes to us as a surprise in the light of the following statements from Srila A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder of the Hare Krishna movement in the western countries. IF YOU DON'T ACCEPT, LEAVE US Prabhupada: Caitanya Mahaprabhu, when His students used to come without tilaka, so He refused to see his face. He refused to see his face. He said it is a crematory ground. Devotee (2): Why is that? Prabhupada: There is no "why." If you accept it, accept. If you don't accept, leave us, leave us. There is no "why." Devotee (2): Then that is... Prabhupada: You are not following strictly. You cannot ask why. Room Conversation -- June 26, 1975, Los Angeles DON'T JUMP OVER TO A HIGHER STAGE Sanketya. Just like sometimes on the street some outsider, seeing you, they chant Hare Krsna only by the symbolic, sanketya. Because they see: "They have got tilaka, kunti." Therefore these things are required. Don't become immediately paramahamsa -- no tilaka, no kunti and no bead bag. This is not good. Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.2.13 -- Vrndavana, September 15, 1975 FOLLOW IN THE FOOTSTEPS Pradyumna: Sadhu-vartmanuvartanam. Prabhupada: And you must see that what you are doing, that is according to the principle which all other sadhus and devotees do. They have tilaka, and you say, "I have no tilaka." That is not sadhu-marganu. Sadhu-marganugamanam. They have kanthi. You say, "I can avoid it." That is not sadhu-marganugamanam. So, from very beginning, if you disobey, then how you'll make progress? Then? Room Conversation -- January 27, 1977, Bhuvanesvara IT'S PART OF THE REGULATIVE PRINICPLES Pure devotee is always free from the four principle restrictions, and he has a tilaka on his forehead. At least these symptoms indicate one's purity in Krishna Consciousness. If one is not following these principles, he is not considered to be a pure devotee. Letter to: Gurudasa -- Allston, Mass 23 May, 1968 IT'S REQUIRED AND GOOD FOR PREACHING As soon as they see these Hare Krsna movement people, they also chant, "Hare Krsna," giving a chance to the others. The dress is also required. You should be always equipped with tilaka, kunti, and sikha, sutra. Then, as soon as a common man sees, "Oh, here is a Hare Krsna man. Hare Krsna," he'll chant. Automatically you give a chance to chant Hare Krsna. Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.28.19 -- Nairobi, October 29, 1975 AND IT LOOKS VERY NICE The newspaper reporters advertise about these boys and girls as the "bright faced,'' and actually it is so. By nature these American boys and girls are fair complexioned or white. They are beautiful also, and when they take to Krishna Consciousness with symbols of mala and tilaka they appear to be coming directly from Vaikuntha Planets. Letter to: Madhava Maharaja -- Los Angeles 21 January, 1970

"In God's Name" is a cool little movie that captures devotees in Australia in the golden age of ISKCON. Especially check out the ecstatic theatre about Lord Caitanya. Real gem.

The following is a conversation after a press conference in Chicago from 1975 with Srila Prabhupada who challenges modern ideas of how to solve exploitation of women in a society dominated by men. Prabhupada: Where is the independence of woman that she has to carry the weight of the pregnancy and the man is free? What is the answer to this question? Hmm? Answer Visakha. Visakha: A woman is trapped by her body. She has no choice. By her body she must. Prabhupada: So she is already dependent on nature's law that man is free from becoming pregnant and the woman has to take the burden. Then where is the independence, equal right? Equal right means sometimes man may become pregnant, sometimes woman may become pregnant, but why only woman should become pregnant and the man goes away and she has to take care of the children, beg from government or this and that? Is that independence? Eh? Satsvarupa: For them, the independence has become contraception. "I don't have to have the child," they say. Prabhupada: That means you commit another sinful activity. Then you become dependent on nature. You'll be punished. The punishment goes to you. In this way... And the whole thing becomes cumbrous. So where is the benefit of equal right, independence? Phalena pariciyate. We have to see the result of every action -- whether the result is beneficial. If the result is not beneficial -- the action is not beneficial. There is cases of rape cases. The victims are women. Why the victim is not man? Why? In every rape case the sufferer, or the victim, is woman. And why not the man? Jagadisa: Male means predominator, female means predominated. Prabhupada: Then? Where is the independence? Why artificial independence? Harikesa: In this brain weight matter, the sixty-four ounce and thirty-six ounce, is that every brain, male brain, is...? Prabhupada: No, no. Harikesa: No. That is what they think you've said, that every male brain is sixty-four ounces, every woman is thirty-six ounces. Prabhupada: No, no. The highest brain substance found in man is sixty-four ounce. Harikesa: They did not understand that. Nitai: He said it clearly. Prabhupada: And the highest brain substance in woman found, thirty-six ounce. So that proportion is always there. It may be twenty ounce, forty ounce, but brain substance in man is more than the woman. That is a fact, always. Harikesa: Is that in the Vedas also? Prabhupada: No, I am talking of the psychology. I have given the name, Dr. W.S. Urquhart. When I was student, he said. So he is a great authority in psychology. So I have given the date. But they say, "Now they have improved." Then what can be said? But they could not improve this position: they have become pregnant. For the last hundred and thousands and millions of years, in the history we hear that woman is pregnant. We never heard the man is pregnant. So where is the progress? If you are actually making progress, so millions of years ago, the history we hear... Even Ramacandra, millions of years, Lord Ramacandra. Sita became pregnant, not Ramacandra. If you take history, now where is the improvement? Millions of years ago, Ramacandra. Sita became pregnant, not Ramacandra. The law of woman's becoming pregnant, millions of years was there. And what improvement have they made now? They say, "We have made improvement." What is that improvement? Millions of years ago, Sita, she became pregnant, and Ramacandra did not become pregnant. Man did not. So what is the improvement at the present moment? Is there any instance, a man is now becoming pregnant. And not the woman? So where is the improvement? Jagadisa: Even all species of life it is the same. Prabhupada: Inauspicious? Brahmananda: In all other species... Prabhupada: Yes. Even in animals, the female animal becomes pregnant. That is the law. So where is independence? Let them pass resolution that "Henceforward, man will have to become pregnant." Is it possible? Jagadisa: Srila Prabhupada, the whole civilization, American western civilization, is now bewildered by this theory of woman's liberation. Prabhupada: But how they will be liberated on this point? First of all let me know. Jagadisa: They're simply crazy. Harikesa: They may bring up the argument that they are not concerned that they have to bear children just as long as they can be superior. Prabhupada: Oh. This argument is like: "You go on beating me with shoes; still I am independent. I don't mind you are beating me with shoes, but I am independent." It is the argument like that. Devotee (1): There were supposed to be some aldermen here, but one of them was a woman and it has been on the news already about what you've said and she doesn't want to come now. Prabhupada: Alderman? Brahmananda: They're like city council men. But in this case it's a city councilwoman. So she has refused to come because the comment... There has been a lot of publicity created. (laughter) So they are speaking on the radio that "The Swamiji has come to solve all the problems by saying that woman is inferior to men." Prabhupada: Yes, that's a fact. (laughter) So what the man says? Harikesa: They are being quiet. They are too afraid to say. Prabhupada: That means they are accepting. When they are quiet... Quiet means... Maunam samyati raksanam. If there is some argument and you remain quiet that means indirectly you accept. Harikesa: They are thinking that if the man were to speak out, then he would not be able to get his sex pleasure. The woman would withhold sex pleasure from the man if he were to speak out. Prabhupada: No, that is not possible. At least in America, I know, they pay man for sex pleasure. Is it not a fact? Eh? Jagadisa: I didn't hear, Srila Prabhupada. Prabhupada: Sometimes woman pays man for sex pleasure. Jagadisa: Sometimes, yes. Prabhupada: Yes. Brahmananda: Srila Prabhupada, there is one lady. She would like to come and see you. She is the mother of one of our devotees. But she is coming wearing tilaka and a bead bag. Prabhupada: Very good. (pause) But I am not speaking of my experience. When we speak, we speak from the sastra. So this woman's dependence is described in Manu-samhita. And there are many instances. Just like Kunti. Kunti was not ordinary woman. She was very learned, exalted woman. Brahmananda: This is one point, that in our devotional line there are spiritual leaders who have been women such as Kunti. She gave... Prabhupada: But still... Therefore I say. Still, she remained dependent on their son. That is is my proposition. Just like the sons, they lost the game and they were to be banished. Kunti was not banished. So when the sons went to forest, Kunti also followed because she thought that "I am widow. I am dependent on my sons. So wherever my sons will remain, I shall remain." She was not... She did not lose the game; neither she was ordered to go to the forest. Similarly, Sita, Sita, wife of Lord Ramacandra. Lord Ramacandra was requested by His father to go to the forest, not Sita. Sita was also a king's daughter. So she could go to her father that "My husband is going to the forest. Let me go to my father's house." She did not go. She preferred that "I shall go with my husband." So when husband said that "You are not banished. You stay at home," she said, "No. I am dependent on You. Wherever You shall go, I must go." This is Vedic culture. Brahmananda: Her chastity was her great virtue. Prabhupada: Yes, that is the thing. Brahmananda: Nowadays that is no longer true. Prabhupada: Nowadays may be different, but I am speaking of the Vedic ideas, that woman in all circumstances, unless the husband is crazy or something like that, mad, or..., in every case the instance is that wife is faithful and subservient to the husband. That is the Vedic culture. Even the husband goes out of home, vanaprastha, the wife also goes with him. When he takes sannyasa, at that time there is no accompaniment of wife. Otherwise in grhastha life and even vanaprastha life, the wife is constant companion and subservient. That is the history of Vedic culture. History, Gandhari, because her husband was blind, so when the marriage settlement was done, she was not blind, but she voluntarily became blind by wrapping cloth. Devotee (2): She remained with the cloth wrapped for her whole life? Prabhupada: Whole life. Devotee (2): Whole life. Prabhupada: She voluntarily became blind. And up to the last point of her husband's precarious condition, she remained with him. These are the examples. There are other examples. Damayanti. They became so poor that they had no clothing. So the one cloth divided into two, husband and wife. So these instances are in the Vedic literature, that wife remains always faithful and subservient to the husband. That is their perfection. Now the Americans may not like this idea. That is different thing. But we are speaking of the Vedic culture. And these are the instances, vivid instances. Why Sita accompanied her husband? And because she accompanied her husband in the jungle, the war between Rama Ravana became possible. And it is the advice that "When you go to other countries you should not take your wife." Pathe nari-vinarjitah. Because it may create some trouble. But still, the faithful wife goes with the husband. Brahmananda: You've used the example of this, that woman is less intelligent of the size of the brain, given by one professor in 1920. So they took offense to this because their idea is that what might have been scientific fact in 1920, in 1975 is not scientific fact. Prabhupada: Then where is the proof? From 1920 to 1975, where is a woman who is extraordinarily bigger than man? Brahmananda: Well, they might be able to bring some scientist who would say in 1975 that according to their calculations, there is no difference between the brain of a woman and the brain of a man. Prabhupada: Yes. Brahmananda: In other words, that, what is considered scientific fact, that changes according to the social ideas that are prevalent in a particular time. Prabhupada: No, no. Social ideas, there is no standard social idea. That is another thing. You can change in any way. But so far physiological conditions, that has not changed. The feature of the woman's body has not changed. So how the brain will change? The bodily feature of woman as it was in 1920, it is still going on. Outwardly we see. So how inwardly it is changed? In 1920 the woman was becoming pregnant; there is no change now that man is pregnant. So how you say there is change? Brahmananda: I don't know, but she said that they have spoken to scientists and that scientists say that the woman's brain... Now a scientist says a woman's brain and a man's brain is not different. Nitai: No, no. She said that even though the woman's brain may be smaller, that that doesn't make a difference in intelligence. Harikesa: No, they think it is the creases in the brain. Just like Einstein had a very small brain, but there were many creases, so they say that's why he was very intelligent, because there were creases. Prabhupada: But since 1920 to up to date in the history, there have been many great personalities or very prominent personalities, but where is the history that women are greater than the man or are equal to the man in the history? Satsvarupa: They have a standard answer to that that the women have always been oppressed, that the women could have become great philosophers and writers and politicians, but they were always kept in the home. So now they're going to change this, they say. It's only due to the man's oppressing them and keeping them down. Prabhupada: So this pregnancy is also pressing. The man has pressed to become pregnant? This is man's pressure or nature's? Brahmananda: Of course, they will try to stop that. Through contraceptive methods and abortion, they will try to stop having children. Prabhupada: But that is not stopping. That is artificially taking some other measures. That is not stopping. Harikesa: The two countries that have women as leaders are in the headlines all the time. Like Israel, Golda Meir, they are always war between there and Egypt. Brahmananda: Argentina also. Harikesa: Argentina, and India. Now there will be war. Wherever there is woman in charge, there is war, disruption. But they think because they are in charge, that proves they are equal. Prabhupada: I think in Indian history she is the first woman to be in charge of the state. Before her, there is no instance of woman becoming in charge. Brahmananda: In Sri Lanka also, they have woman in charge. That is also considered Indian. Prabhupada: According to Manu-samhita, which is Vedic laws, it is said that "Woman is not to be given freedom." They have to be protected. According to Vedic civilization, women, children, old man, brahmana, and cow -- they are to be given protection. The state should give protection. [break] ...the defect of modern civilization is that vox populi. Nitai: Yes. Prabhupada: Everything is passed by popular vote. But that is also defective. Brahmananda: You brought that out nicely by giving the example of Nixon. He received the largest popular vote of any president in the history, and he was also then pulled down. Prabhupada: Indira Gandhi also. She got the largest number of vote... Brahmananda: Even more than her father she received. Prabhupada: So what is the value of these votes? If, by vote, if you select a wrong man and again you try to drag him down, then what is the use of this popular vote? Even in Communist country, the, what is called, Krushchev? He was the head. Now nobody knows where he is. Brahmananda: Stalin also. He was... Prabhupada: Stalin died. Brahmananda: But after he died, they completely discredited him. They pulled down his statues and he was completely disgraced. Devotee: A nonperson, they call him. It's the word they give, like Krushchev also is a nonperson. Prabhupada: Non. Brahmananda: Well, they consider them not to have existed. Prabhupada: Oh. Brahmananda: It is such a... In that way they have disgraced... Prabhupada: Erased from the history. Brahmananda: Yes. (pause) Prabhupada: So it will create some agitation? Brahmananda: Yes. Harikesa: Oh, yes. Devotee: It was NBC? Brahmananda: No, it's a local station. Harikesa: They may put that on nationwide. It's such hot news. (laughter) Brahmananda: I was seeing in one of these Time magazines. On the rear page they're advertising a cigarette that is especially meant for women. It's a slimmer size. The larger size is for the men; the slimmer size is for the women. And the title of the advertisement, they show one picture of a woman cleaner, sweeper. She is cleaning the floors. This picture was taken in the 1920's. It was taken in Washington D.C. because in the background they show the capitol building is there in Washington D.C. So then they have a picture of a modern woman. She's sitting there looking very nice. And they say that "You've come a long way, baby." (laughter) Whereas in the 1920's you were sweeping the floors and now you're sitting on a throne. Prabhupada: "So you accept this cigarette." Brahmananda: Yes. "This cigarette is meant just for you to show that you're superior." Prabhupada: I think there was some objection, woman taking this objection, why woman's idol should be displayed in the shopkeeper's show windows. Brahmananda: The mannequins. Prabhupada: Yes. There was some protest. Generally, they keep the dolls of woman, beautiful woman. So there was some protest. Brahmananda: They even now have protested... Prabhupada: In advertisement also. Woman's pictures are so many. So why they are taking woman's picture? We also say that maidservant, 1920... Now she has become. Like the woman... There are many men like that. Why not men? Why they are taking advantage of the woman? Why there is no protest, that "Why you are taken?" There are many men who has improved from 1920 up to date. Why don't you give that picture. Why woman's picture? Where is the protest? Whenever there is some fashion dress, the woman's picture is given. Why? Is there any protest by the women for this that, "Why you are taking advantage of woman"? Jagadisa: These days the men are doing that also more and more, dressing up so fancy and getting their pictures in the magazines. Prabhupada: Of women? Jagadisa: Men also. Nowadays men are also doing that, thinking that it's so important to dress in fancy clothes. Prabhupada: No, dress, that's all right. But generally they present woman's picture. Brahmananda: Yes, they protest that this shows that woman is being exploited. Prabhupada: Yes. Brahmananda: Actually, they are just feeling frustrated because it is a fact that woman has been exploited by the men. So now they want to counteract this. Prabhupada: No, we don't say that woman should be exploited by men. We say the man should be responsible and give protection to woman. Brahmananda: But they feel so angry from the exploitation that they cannot accept that actually a man could protect them. Prabhupada: That is bad experience. But the ideal is different. Ideal is that man must be first-class and he must be responsible to take care of the woman, and she should be given all protection, all necessities. That is the duty of man. Just like father takes the charge of his daughter, similarly, husband should take charge of the woman. And similarly, elderly sons also took charge of the woman. The father never exploits the daughter. He gives all protection. That is the duty of the husband also. When she is grown up, she cannot remain under the protection of father. She is given, therefore, to a suitable boy to take charge. But the charge is the same, to give protection, all comforts. And because there is no first-class man to take charge of the woman, they are declaring independence. All the men are doing that. They keep girlfriend, make her pregnant, and go away, goes away. Brahmananda: In that sense we can say that the women are inferior, but the men also, they are not first-class. Prabhupada: That we also said, that there is no first-class men. So if there is first-class man, then whole question is solved. Jagadisa: The men are behaving just like dogs. Prabhupada: Yes. Brahmananda: Today in the hotel where we went there was one barber shop. And the name of the barber shop was "The home of the dog." Prabhupada: Accha? Brahmananda: Yes. Prabhupada: What is the meaning? Brahmananda: Well, the idea is that the haircuts of the men are so long, they look like... Prabhupada: Dog. Brahmananda: ...shaggy dogs. Prabhupada: After all, all these questions can be solved if people become Krsna conscious. There is no such discrimination. Panditah sama-darsinah [Bg. 5.18]. Samah sarvesu bhutesu. These distinctions are there on the material platform. On the spiritual platform there is no such distinction. Brahmananda: So that is something that the reporters did not understand. This point was not discussed very fully, that actually we don't, we are not unkind to women, we are not exploiting them as others do because one who is in the spiritual life he feels he is equal to... Men, women does not matter. Prabhupada: So you can write that spiritually, there is no such distinction. Spiritually, Krsna says that "Although there is distinction in the material field, low and high, but one who takes shelter of Me..." Mam hi partha vyapasritya ye 'pi syuh papa-yonayah, striyo vaisyas tatha sudras. Find out this verse. Brahmananda: mam hi partha vyapasritya ye 'pi syuh papa-yonayah striyo vaisyas tatha sudras te 'pi yanti param gatim [Bg. 9.32] "O son of Prtha, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth -- women, vaisyas, merchants, as well as sudras, workers -- can approach the supreme destination. Purport. It is clearly declared here by the Supreme Lord that in devotional service there is no distinction between the lower or higher classes of people. In the material... [break] ...than great jnanis and yogis." Jagadisa: But this point of Krsna consciousness is very difficult to understand, and it will only be possible for a very few persons to grasp this truth. Therefore you are encouraging us to introduce the proper social system so that gradually people may understand. Otherwise they could never accept Krsna consciousness. Prabhupada: Krsna consciousness is understood by the first-class men. In the social system, if we don't keep a first-class man, a section, then it will not be possible, socially. Or if next alternative, that everyone agrees to chant Hare Krsna, then it will be possible. That is the simplest method. You become first-class or last class; it doesn't matter. You take to this chanting Hare Krsna mantra, then you become equally in spiritual consciousness. So it is already published in the paper? Brahmananda: Well, all the radio stations are carrying it. And the TV will probably have it tonight. Actually, this one purport might clarify the disagreement. They may not be so angry. Prabhupada: Why do they not understand, by nature's discrimination the woman is put into greater difficulty by bearing child? Brahmananda: That is the one thing they cannot avoid. They cannot escape. Prabhupada: Why this arrangement is by nature? How they can change it? Brahmananda: Someone was telling me that there have been many instances that when women are being taken to the hospital to give birth to their children -- they're in the ambulance, and they are experiencing the pains -- that they are cursing their husbands, "Why you have given me this pain?" Prabhupada: Yes, because birth pain is very severe. Brahmananda: They vow never to have sex again at that time. But... Prabhupada: (laughs) That sloka I was... Trpyanti neha krpana bahu-duhkha-bhajah [SB 7.9.45]. To... The sex life and the aftereffects are full of miserable condition, so once they have sex life, they become, woman becomes pregnant, and the painful conditions are passed. But still, he or she is not satisfied, again takes the same thing, entailed by so many sufferings. Trpyanti neha krpana. Because he has no knowledge, he commits means the same thing again. Jagadisa: Chewing the chewed. Prabhupada: Both of them suffer. But irresponsible father avoids, then the both suffering comes on the woman. She suffers the pain, birth pain, and suffers to raise the children. And the man goes away. How they are going to solve this problem? What is their answer? They become dependent on the man during sex life and purchases the pain, birth pain, and accuses the husband. And then, when the child is born she has to take care. The father may go away. The mother cannot give up the care of the children. Out of affection, she is carrying two child. So these are the aftereffects. So can the woman avoid sex, which is entailed with so much sufferings? She submits. Where is the independent woman? Therefore, if one is spiritually advanced, then she becomes. Brahmananda: Then he becomes. Prabhupada: She can become equal with man. Spiritually advanced man and woman, they are equal. So long one is materially encaged, this is not possible. (pause) (Room Conversation after Press Conference -- July 9, 1975, Chicago)

We find many beautiful descriptions of Vrindavan, where the Lord enacted His transcendental pastimes 5000 years ago. Here is one from the Srimad-Bhagavatam, 3rd Canto, 2nd Canto, 27th verse: In His childhood, the Almighty Lord was surrounded by cowherd boys and calves, and thus He traveled on the shore of the Yamuna River, through gardens densely covered with trees and filled with vibrations of chirping birds. PURPORT Nanda Maharaja was a landholder for King Kamsa, but because by caste he was a vaisya, a member of the mercantile and agricultural community, he maintained thousands of cows. It is the duty of the vaisyas to give protection to the cows, just as the ksatriyas are to give protection to the human beings. Because the Lord was a child, He was put in charge of the calves with His cowherd boy friends. These cowherd boys were great rsis and yogis in their previous births, and after many such pious births, they gained the association of the Lord and could play with Him on equal terms. Such cowherd boys never cared to know who Krsna was, but they played with Him as a most intimate and lovable friend. They were so fond of the Lord that at night they would only think of the next morning when they would be able to meet the Lord and go together to the forests for cowherding. The forests on the shore of the Yamuna are all beautiful gardens full of trees of mango, jackfruit, apples, guava, oranges, grapes, berries, palmfruit and so many other plants and fragrant flowers. And because the forest was on the bank of the Yamuna, naturally there were ducks, cranes and peacocks on the branches of the trees. All these trees and birds and beasts were pious living entities born in the transcendental abode of Vrndavana just to give pleasure to the Lord and His eternal associates, the cowherd boys. While playing like a small child with His associates, the Lord killed many demons, including Aghasura, Bakasura, Pralambasura and Gardabhasura. Although He appeared at Vrndavana just as a boy, He was actually like the covered flames of a fire. As a small particle of fire can kindle a great fire with fuel, so the Lord killed all these great demons, beginning from His babyhood in the house of Nanda Maharaja. The land of Vrndavana, the Lord's childhood playground, still remains today, and anyone who visits these places enjoys the same transcendental bliss, although the Lord is not physically visible to our imperfect eyes. Lord Caitanya recommended this land of the Lord as identical with the Lord and therefore worshipable by the devotees. This instruction is taken up especially by the followers of Lord Caitanya known as the Gaudiya Vaisnavas. And because the land is identical with the Lord, devotees like Uddhava and Vidura visited these places five thousand years ago in order to have direct contact with the Lord, visible or not visible. Thousands of devotees of the Lord are still wandering in these sacred places of Vrndavana, and all of them are preparing themselves to go back home, back to Godhead.

In an excerpt from a Bhagavad-gita class given by Srila A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada explains that no-amount of counteraction can save us from danger if it is our destiny. This is especially applicable now when so many trillions of peoples hard earned money is going into vaccine production and the like. The medicine... A person is suffering from some disease, some fatal disease. If you think, "I shall engage first-class physician and I shall supply first-class medicine," if you think, "then the patient will be saved," no, that is not possible. That is not possible. We have got many experiences like that. Then no rich man would have died. Because he has got money, he can employ first-class physician, first-class medicine, and simply by engaging such things, counteracting, pratikaram, he cannot be saved. There are many examples like that. So the conclusion is, tavad vibho tanu-bhrtam tvad-upeksitanam [SB 7.9.19]: "If You neglect, if You have decided that this person, this child cannot be saved, then any amount of pratikaram will not help. Will not help." Therefore real pratikaram is Krsna. Real pratikaram is Krsna, counteractive. So better we take shelter of Krsna as Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg 18.66]. - Srila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita class, August 1st 1973, London.

Jesus Christ is an exemplary Hare Krishna Devotee. His teachings about the supreme Father, our relationship with him, and how to about our daily lives in a humble and God-consciousness manner is soemthing that we should all aspire to. Srila Prabhupada discusses in various incidences his exalted position and relationship to the Krishna consciousness movement. Please click on the images for links to the full audio conversations. (This only works on images related to the conversations) PREDICTION IN THE BHAVISYA PURANAM The following prediction of Jesus Christ is found in the ancient Vedic scripture known as Bhavishya Purana. Bhavishya means “future”, and Purana means “history”, so the name means the “history of the future”. The Bhavishya Purana was originally written 5,000 years ago by the sage Vyasa, who was the compiler of the Vedic scriptures. Usually Puranas are historical narrations of universal events that happened in ancient times, but in the case of the Bhavishya Purana, Vyasa is providing a narration of events that will happen in the future, beginning with the arrival of the age of kali yuga. The following is an excerpt from the Bhavishya Purana: Pratisarga Parva, Chaturyuga Khanda Dvitiyadhyayah, 19th Chapter, Texts 17 to 32. “Ruling over the Aryans was a king called Salivahana, the grandson of Vikramaditya, who occupied the throne of his father. He defeated the Shakas who were very difficult to subdue, the Cinas, the people from Tittiri and Bahikaus who could assume any form at will. He also defeated the people from Rome and the descendants of Khuru, who were deceitful and wicked. He punished them severely and took their wealth. Salivahana thus established the boundaries dividing the separate countries of the Mlecchas and the Aryans. In this way Sindusthan came to be known as the greatest country. That personality appointed the abode of the Mlecchas beyond the Sindhu River and to the west.” Once upon a time the subduer of the Sakas went towards Himatunga and in the middle of the Huna country (Hunadesh – the area near Manasa Sarovara or Kailash mountain in Western Tibet), the powerful king saw an auspicious man who was living on a mountain. The man’s complexion was golden and his clothes were white. “The king asked, ‘Who are you sir?’ ‘You should know that I am Isha Putra, the Son of God’. he replied blissfully, and ‘am born of a virgin.’ ” ” ‘I am the expounder of the religion of the Mlecchas and I strictly adhere to the Absolute Truth.’ Hearing this the king enquired, ‘What are religious principles according to you opinion?’ “Hearing this questions of Salivahara, Isha putra said, ‘O king, when the destruction of the truth occurred, I, Masiha the prophet, came to this country of degraded people where there are no rules and regulations. Finding that fearful irreligious condition of the barbarians spreading from Mleccha-Desha, I have taken to prophethood’.” “Please hear Oh king which religious principles I have established among the mlecchas. The living entity is subject to good and bad contaminations. The mind should be purified by taking recourse of proper conduct and performance of japa. By chanting the holy names one attains the highest purity. Just as the immovable sun attracts, from all directions, the elements of all living beings, the Lord of the solar region, who is fixed and all-attractive, attracts the hearts of all living creatures. Thus by following rules, speaking truthful words, by mental harmony and by meditation, Oh descendant of Manu, one should worship that immovable Lord’.” “Having placed the eternally pure and auspicious form of the Supreme Lord in my heart, O protector of the earth planet, I preached these principles through the Mlecchas’ own faith and thus my name became ‘isha-masiha’ (Jesus the Messiah).” “After hearing these words and paying obeisances to that person who is worshipped by the wicked, the king humbly requested him to stay there in the dreadful land of Mlecchas.” “King Salivahara, after leaving his kingdom performed an asvamedha yajna and after ruling for sixty years, went to heaven. Now please hear what happened when the king went to svargaloka.” Thus ends the second chapter entitled, “the age of Salivahara” of the story of Kali Yuga of the Caturyuga Khanda also called pratisarga-parva of the wonderful Bhavishya Maha Purana. PRABHUPADA CONFIRMS THE STATEMENT OF BHAVISYA PURANA Tamala Krsna: "What is the difference between a pure Christian, or at least a sincere one, and a sincere devotee of Krsna?" Prabhupada: No difference. Tamala Krsna: He says he read a passage of the Bhavisya Maha-Purana written by Vyasadeva three thousand years before Christ foretelling Jesus Christ's presence in the Himalayas in 78 of the Christian era, and his meeting with King Shalamoyi.(?) Are there any other prophecies in the Bhavisya Maha-Purana or in any other scriptures telling more accurately Jesus Christ's birthday? Prabhupada: Everything is accurate there. MESSIAHS There are three planetary systems, namely the lower worlds, the intermediate worlds and the upper worlds. The human beings on earth are situated at the beginning of the intermediate worlds, but living beings like Brahma and his contemporaries live in the upper worlds, of which the topmost is Satyaloka. In Satyaloka the inhabitants are fully cognizant of Vedic wisdom, and thus the mystic cloud of material energy is cleared. Therefore they are known as the Vedas personified. Such persons, being fully aware of knowledge both mundane and transcendental, have no interest in either the mundane or transcendental worlds. They are practically desireless devotees. In the mundane world they have nothing to achieve, and in the transcendental world they are full in themselves. Then why do they come to the mundane world? They descend on different planets as messiahs by the order of the Lord to deliver the fallen souls. On the earth they come down and do good to the people of the world in different circumstances under different climatic influences. They have nothing to do in this world save and except reclaim the fallen souls rotting in material existence, deluded by material energy. SB 1.19.24 IS JESUS GOD? Acyutananda: In India Christians say that Jesus Christ is God. Ravindra-svarupa: They're trying to substitute... In the beginning of the Bible it says that "In the beginning was the word, and the word was God." And modern-day translations, they have substituted the word "Christ" for "the word." So it says, "In the beginning was Christ, and Christ was God." So they're trying to make, they're trying in that way to make Jesus God. And that is the name, because they don't know what is that word. Acyutananda: Yes. Prajapati: We can understand this... Prabhupada: That is again another adulteration. Prajapati: It is adulteration, but the tendency is there because Krsna is a person. Because God is a person, they, everyone, wants to worship God as a person. It's the only way God can be worshiped. So because they do not know Krsna, they make Jesus God so they can worship him as a person. Prabhupada: That is also good. But do they do? Tamala Krsna: No. Prabhupada: Eh? Tamala Krsna: To worship means to follow the instructions, and they... Prabhupada: Do they follow? Tamala Krsna: ...do not follow the instructions. Prabhupada: Yes. The... Do they follow the Ten Commandments? Tamala Krsna: No. Prabhupada: Then? Trivikrama: They say, "You cannot. It is not possible. Only you have to accept Christ. Then you will be saved." Acyutananda: As Lord Zetland. Prabhupada: Eh? Acyutananda: Lord Zetland said, "It is not possible..." Trivikrama: It is not possible. Acyutananda: ...to give up meat and illicit..." Prabhupada: Then? Where is Christian? Tamala Krsna: We are. We are the Christians. Pancadravida: Well, they say then, "You can't do any of these things, so you have to accept Christ in your heart." Acyutananda: That was my challenge, that "We are doing them better than all of you, so you... That's..." Prabhupada: No, if you keep God or Christ within your heart, then your heart will be purified. That means you are cheating. Trivikrama: Yeah. Pancadravida: Yeah, that's what it boils down to. Prabhupada: You are all cheaters, not Christians, but cheaters. You do not keep in the heart Christ's name or God's name, but you keep your own ideas. Therefore you think it is impossible. Otherwise, your heart would have been cleansed. Ceto-darpana-marjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana-kirtanah hrdy antah stho hy abhadrani vidhunoti (suhrt satam) [SB 1.2.17] Anyone who is keeping Krsna within his heart, he becomes cleansed of all dirty things. And because the dirty things are there, that means he is not keeping. ONLY THROUGH ME Madhudvisa: She's asking how can we explain that Jesus said he is the only way? Prabhupada: Yes, he is the only way. We also admit. Because he is the representative of God, so if you want to approach God, you must approach through His representative. That is His version. "I am the only representative of God," then you have to reach God through him, that is fact. Prabhupada: Now, in the Bible, Lord Jesus Christ is described as the son of God. Now, so far I have heard, that it is claimed that he is the only one son of God. Now according to Bhagavad-gita, every living entity is son of God. Now how to adjust? If the Bible says that Lord Jesus Christ is the only one son, then how these so many innumerable sons can be adjusted? There is adjustment. There is very nice adjustment. One should know it. He is the only one son means one who can sacrifice his life for God, he is real son. And one who is simply taking from father, "Oh, God, give us our daily bread," and He is supplying and eating and enjoying sense enjoyement, he is not real son. The real son is he who sacrifices his life for glorifying his father. Similarly, anyone who will sacrifice his life... Of course, it is not required that everyone shall be crucified like Lord Jesus Christ, but he should sacrifice his energy for the Supreme Lord. And that person who has devoted his energy for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord, he is called Krsna conscious person. Prabhupada: Every one of us messiah. Anyone Krsna conscious, he's the messiah. Every one. Why one? All of us. Gaurangera bhakta-gane, jane jane sakti dhari, brahmanda tari saksi(?): "The devotee of Lord Caitanya, every one has so immense power that every one, they can deliver the whole universe." Gaurangera bhakta-jane, jane jane sakti..., brahmanda tari... That is Gauranga's men. Tamala Krsna: Only you are that powerful, Srila Prabhupada. We're like... Prabhupada: Why you are not? You are my disciples. Tamala Krsna: We're like the bugs. Prabhupada: "Like father, like son." You should be. Gaurangera bhakta..., jane. Everyone. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, amara ajnaya guru hana tara' ei desa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. He asked everyone, "Just become guru." Follow His instruction. You become guru. Amara ajnaya. Don't manufacture ideas. Amara ajnaya. "What I say, you do. You become a guru." Where is the difficulty? "And what is Your ajna?" Yare dekha tare kaha krsna-upadesa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. Bas. Everything is there in the Bhagavad-gita. You simply repeat. That's all. You become guru. To become a guru is not difficult job. Follow Caitanya Mahaprabhu and speak what Krsna has said. Bas. You become guru. VAISHNAVAS ALWAYS PERSECUTED I am obliged to your good daughter for awarding me a good degree as SWAMI JESUS which is actually a great honour for me. Some time the Lord speaks through innocent child and I take this honour as sent by Lord Jesus through an innocent child free from all formalities of the current society. Lord Jesus preached the message of God and I have taken up the same mission, and it would be a good luck for me if I can follow the foot prints of Lord Jesus who preached the message of God in spite of all persecution. Lord Jesus is a living example how one has to suffer in this material world simply for the matter of preaching the message of God. Letter to: Sally -- New York 19 November, 1965 So Vaisnava, Caitanya Mahaprabhu has taught us that how we shall preach this Krsna consciousness. Don't be disheartened because the police is obstructing, because the people are complaining. They will do that. Just like... Why this police and public? This poor, innocent boy, five years old, because he was chanting, his father became his enemy. His father, what to speak of others. So it is such a thing. In any... You try to trace out the history of the world, you'll find always persons who are for Krsna or God, they have been persecuted. Lord Jesus Christ was crucified, Haridasa Thakura was caned in twenty-two market places, Prahlada Maharaja was tortured by his father. So there may be such things. KRSTA Prabhupada: Very good. You know Greek language? Pater Emmanuel: Yes, I know. Prabhupada: So you know the word Christo. Pater Emmanuel: Yes, Christ. Prabhupada: Christo means Christ. Pater Emmanuel: Yes, Christ, Kriza (?), Kristos, who is Christ by oil. Anointed. Christos, Christ, means anointed. It's the same word. It's the same form. Christo and Kristos in Greek is the same word, anointed. Prabhupada: Oh, I see. So this Christo is the broken version of Krsna. Pater Emmanuel: Ah, yes, I see. Very good, very interesting. Prabhupada: Yes. Because in India still, when calling for Krsna, one says Krsta. And Krsta means the attractor, the Sanskrit meaning, attractor, one who draws, draws everyone nearer. That is the meaning of Krsna. And that all-attractive drawer is God. Pater Emmanuel: Yes, I think so too. Prabhupada: Yes. Therefore God's name is Krsta. So when Christ said that "My father, the Lord, hallowed be Thy name," that name is Krsta or Krsna. How do you think of it? Pater Emmanuel: Yes, I think that Christ, (German) German devotee: He says that Jesus as the son of God has revealed the name of God, yes, and his opinion is that we call name of God... The name of God is Christ. Prabhupada: The name of God is Christ. That Christ is another form of pronouncing Krsta. And Krsta is another form of pronouncing Krsna. Therefore God's name is Krsna. JESUS MADE A NEW RELIGION BECAUSE THE JEWS WERE KILLING Prabhupada: No, from the First Commandment it appears that they were not very enlightened because why does he say "Thou shall not kill"? That means they were killers. Dr. Patel: They were killing. (laughs) Prabhupada: They were killers. Dr. Patel: Otherwise, they would not have said, "Thou shall not kill." Prabhupada: Why the first commandment is there, "Thou shall not kill"? They were fighting and killing amongst themselves. Not very advanced nation. And he was horrified when he saw that the Jews were killing animals. Dr. Patel: In the temple. Prabhupada: In the temple. Prabhupada: You were... Two thousand years ago, Christ, he was born in Jewish family, he was horrified by seeing animal sacrifices in the synagogue. Therefore his first commandment is, "Thou shall not kill." He was so horrified. Why he has given this commandment? He was so much horrified. What is this? Therefore he gave up the Jewish religion. He started his own. This is the history. And he first commanded, "Thou shall not kill." Dr. Patel: And the Jews were killing the pigeons in the temple. Prabhupada: They are very expert in killing. Dr. Patel: I don't know how the religiosity could even... Prabhupada: So where is religion? HEAVEN THAT'S ALL Regarding the end of devotees of Lord Jesus Christ, they can go to heaven, that is all. That is a planet in the material world. A devotee of Lord Jesus Christ is one who is strictly following the ten commandments. Now just like in the commandment "Thou shalt not kill'' this is a moral instruction for the sinful man. Similarly Lord Buddha also emphasized ahimsa paramadharma "the highest religion is nonviolence.'' So these instructions are for the sinful men. When one is pious, instead of being sinful, he is promoted to the higher planetary systems like Janaloka, Mahaloka, or Tapaloka and they are above the planet Svargaloka. So persons who are cleansed of sinful life become eligible for spiritual life. From the instructions of Lord Jesus Christ we find that the stress is given to make men free from sinful life -- such as "Thou shalt not kill'' "Thou shalt not covet'' -- like that. Therefore the conclusion is that the devotees of Lord Jesus Christ are promoted to the heavenly planets which are within this material world. Lord Jesus Christ certainly finished the sinful reactions of his followers by his mercy, but that does not mean that he completely delivered them from the pangs of material existence. A person may be relieved from sins once, but it is a practice among Christians to confess sins and yet commit them again. By getting freed from sins and again engaging in them, one cannot attain freedom from the pangs of material existence. A diseased person may go to a physician for relief, but after he leaves the hospital he may again be infected due to his unclean habits. Thus material existence continues.