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Purujit Dasa gives a class on the verse from the Bhagavad-gita As It Is by Srila Prabhupada.

Purujit Dasa explains in detail the flaw of equalizing Mayavada philosophy with philosophy of Krsna consciousness

In this podcast we are discussing life on other planets from the Vedic point of view.

Often, people simply dismiss the idea of God as a fairytale, an imagined old man who is simply a crutch for weaker minded persons. They say that because he cannot be seen he is a as good a imagined story character. Bu this is not a very good argument, and this article is a logical counter-argument to those who sentimentally avoid the topic of God. Is God a fairytale? I have heard this topic millions of times. "No, there is no God and let me be." But is that all? On what ground do you say there is no God? Have you been in every single corner of this planet, or what to speak of the universe? And what about other universes and planets? If you haven't, then you can't say He does not exist. Because you judge from the platform of the senses, you must first see or experience it. But consider this: In your whole life you would not be able to visit every corner of this planet, what to speak of other planets. Let's start smaller scale. Consider a big city like New York; there are so many streets there. Can you imagine going through every single street? Or visiting every single flat in those thousands of skyscrapers? And what about going underground dozens of kilometres? And to discover the depths of all those seas and oceans on the world? So you will not be able to find out everything with your eyes. Who is God actually? He is the supreme person. Do you want to say that the supreme person doesn't exist? How foolish. Is there no supreme person of New York? There is. It's the mayor. Is there no supreme person of the USA? There is. It's the president. So is there then no supreme person of all the universes, planets and the whole creation? It doesn't make sense. A big country is being run by the president, but this whole creation isn't? Such a denial is childish. There is a "supreme person" in every department and field. The same is for the whole creation, and that is the absolute supreme person. The Vedas say that His name is Krishna. Let's just kick out this is religion or faith. Just accept it theoretically and let's deal with arguments, not sentiments. If there is already such a person, does it mean he is alone? Is Donald Trump alone? No. He has his servants, citizens, constables, etc. That is why he is the president. A president is always ruling over somebody. So then the absolute supreme must also be ruling over people, and all those servants, citizens etc. are serving him. All of them cooperate on how to please the president. If they serve him, everything will be nicely supplied and taken care of without conflict, because by satisfying the supreme everybody is satisfied. If you meet the biggest superstar and you talk to him or you do something important for him, let's say you take a photo of him which later will circulate the world, then you have some credit there. Wouldn't you become joyous? You would. Then If you'd satisfy the absolute supreme then wouldn't you become even more joyous? The absolute supreme is always supreme. You can't become the supreme. The father is always supreme to his son. Not that the son becomes supreme to his father and becomes the father of his father. It is like that. If the son follows his father's directions, he doesn't lack anything and he is satisfied. If we do the same with the absolute supreme Lord Krishna, then we become truly satisfied. Because if you just satisfy the second to the supreme, the satisfaction on your side is not complete. There is still somebody whom you can satisfy even more. So if you satisfy that supreme person, Lord Krishna, then you can't satisfy anybody higher. Then naurally your satisfaction will also be the highest.

In the following conversation Srila Prabhupada gives an interesting challenge to the atheistic men about the existence of God. Devotee (3): Those persons who are atheistic, they say that God is created out of a necessity, that people have a necessity to have their father image, so therefore they create religion. This is their basic philosophy, that man creates his own religion. He creates it out of necessity. He needs a father image, so therefore he creates the idea of God. Prabhupada: Created? What is that? Devotee (3): No. They feel that we have created, man has created the idea of God out of necessity. Devotee (4): The atheists are saying that man needs God although there is no God. They are insecure in this world. Prabhupada: What is God? Devotee (3): They feel basically that it's an idea. God is an idea. Prabhupada: Why it is idea? Explain. What for this idea? Why this idea is necessary? Devotee (1): Basically I think because in the Western countries there's no conception of God. Prabhupada: They.... Those who have no conception, that is another thing. But those who talk of God, that there is God or there is no God, what is the conception of God? That is.... Why do they say there is no God? Why do they say there is God? Somebody accept there is God. Somebody does not accept. So, there are two causes. Hari-sauri: The basic principle is that God is there, so you either accept or reject Him. Prabhupada: Yes. (laughs) One is doubtful or one is convinced. God is there. One is doubtful, he says "There is no God." My question is why the question of God is there? Devotee (1): General consensus is that when one is in need of God, then they accept God. They don't think that out of knowledge... Prabhupada: Therefore I am asking what is the conception, why they need, why they do not need. First of all describe food. There is some idea, that food is like this. Then the question of food. If there is no need of food, then why is this food question? Devotee (1): Just like the child wants to be protected by the parent, they're thinking that..., therefore people are feeling that they want to be protected by God. The child is always seeking protection from the parent. Prabhupada: There is necessity of God. Just like the child, there is necessity of the parents, a parent is there. Similarly, you feel necessity of God, God is there. Feeling the necessity of parent, the parents are there. Similarly, if you feel necessity of God, then God is there. Devotee (1): They say that because people are feeling this necessity, it is a crutch. Prabhupada: No, no. Necessity means there is. Otherwise why necessity? When you feel hungry, the necessity of food, food is there. The necessity of light, the sun is there. Devotee (4): Do you mean, Srila Prabhupada, in order to conceive of something, a thing must be there? Prabhupada: There is no "conceive." Necessity. You require it. Just like when you're hungry you require food. Food is there. The eyes want to see; therefore the object of seeing is there. The hand wants to touch, so the object of touching is there. The nose wants to smell: the object of smell is there. So as soon as you feel necessity, the thing is there. Hari-sauri: And it's there even if you don't feel the necessity. Prabhupada: Ha? Hari-sauri: It's there even if you don't feel the necessity. Prabhupada: That is another tradition. First of all, as soon as you feel necessity, the object is there. Devotee (4): They say that necessity should not be God, but that it should be transferred to man. Prabhupada: I am not talking of God. I say as soon as you feel necessity, the object is there. Devotee (5): That necessity is our mistake. That is our insecurity. Prabhupada: So.... [break] ...that is mistake, then you are rascal, that's all. Mistake is committed by rascal. So you are rascal. If you commit mistake then you are rascal. Then don't talk, stop talking. (everyone laughs) Who is going to hear a rascal? (indistinct) [break] ...he is hungry, there is no necessity of food? Who's that rascal that says "No, there is no necessity of food"? He's feeling hungry, he wants to eat something, and if he says "No, there is no necessity of food," then is he not rascal? And if you say "Now we are feeling the necessity of food, but that is my mistake," is that answer? Devotee (1): They're feeling that some people have the necessity for God, but actually... Prabhupada: Why? That is the question. Why some people have? That means some people intelligent, some people rascals. That's all. This is wrong. Devotee (1): The question is, why some people are feeling a necessity for God? That is the question they ask. Prabhupada: That is the difference between rascal and intelligent. Just like in Hawaii Island, when the rascals were living, they did not feel the necessity of skyscraper. When intelligent Americans came, they feel the necessity. That is the difference. (everyone laughs) Is that all right? Devotee (1): Yes, Prabhupāda. Prabhupada: Necessity is the mother of invention. That is an English proverb. Is it not? So unless you feel necessity, you are rascal. Hari-sauri: Well, taking that the other way... Prabhupada: Dull matter. Dull matter. It has no necessity. It is dull matter. And as soon as you have got life, there is necessity. Without feeling necessity means dullness. Just like these Hawaiians, very nice. They did not think the necessity of the skyscraper, motorcar.... But when it was inhabited by the Americans, (indistinct) That is the difference between advanced and not advanced. Devotee (1): Can one say that necessity for eating, sleeping, mating and defending is animal life? The necessity for God is advanced life? Prabhupada: Certainly. Necessity means more you become advanced, the more necessity. Necessity mother of invention. Advancement, they are manufacturing so many things. There is no necessity of car, but people are advanced, they are inventing: "Now comfortably I shall..." So necessity means advanced life. No necessity means dull life. That's all. Devotee (1): The atheists fear that they've put the necessity on the wrong object. Prabhupada: That means they're rascals. If there is no necessity, that means dull life, dull brain. The madman will think there is no necessity of clothing: "I can remain naked." And actually remains. He's a madman. And a sensible man, he requires dress, nice dress, first-class dress. So this is the difference between intelligent and dull. Dull has no necessity. Intelligent has necessity. (Morning Walk -- May 28, 1976, Honolulu)

Srila Prabhupada is presenting the reality of God not as a mere belief or religion, but as a scientific fact. Here are some of the arguments he has presented in his purport to the first sloka of the Srimad Bhagavatam. It is natural that a philosophical mind wants to know about the origin of the creation. At night he sees the stars in the sky, and he naturally speculates about their inhabitants. Such inquiries are natural for man because man has a developed consciousness which is higher than that of the animals. The author of Srimad-Bhagavatam gives a direct answer to such inquiries. He says that the Lord Sri Krsna is the origin of all creations. He is not only the creator of the universe, but the destroyer as well. The manifested cosmic nature is created at a certain period by the will of the Lord. It is maintained for some time, and then it is annihilated by His will. Therefore, the supreme will is behind all cosmic activities. Of course, there are atheists of various categories who do not believe in a creator, but that is due to a poor fund of knowledge. The modern scientist, for example, has created space satellites, and by some arrangement or other, these satellites are thrown into outer space to fly for some time at the control of the scientist, who is far away. Similarly, all the universes with innumerable stars and planets are controlled by the intelligence of the Personality of Godhead. In the Vedic literatures it is said that the Absolute Truth Personality of Godhead is the chief amongst all living personalities. All living beings, beginning from the first created being, Brahma, down to the smallest ant, are individual living beings. And above Brahma, there are even other living beings with individual capacities, and the Personality of Godhead is also a similar living being. And He is an individual as are the other living beings. But the Supreme Lord, or the supreme living being, has the greatest intelligence, and He possesses supermost inconceivable energies of all different varieties. If a man's brain can produce a space satellite, one can very easily imagine how brains higher than man can produce similarly wonderful things which are far superior. The reasonable person will easily accept this argument, but there are stubborn atheists who would never agree. (SB 1.1.1 purport)

A new podcast from The B.L.I.S.S, concerning the rascal philosophy of Richard Dawkins and how fallible it is.

The Bhagavad-gita is the timeless classic of Vedic literature. Spoken more than 5000 years ago by Lord Krsna, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it offers interesting philosophical concepts. In the 16th chapter Lord Krsna is describing the nature of a demoniac materialistic living entity. We may relate the following verses to the threat of nuclear war ever present in our day and age. asatyam apratistham te jagad ahur anisvaram aparaspara-sambhutam kim anyat kama-haitukam etam drstim avastabhya nastatmano 'lpa-buddhayah prabhavanty ugra-karmanah ksayaya jagato 'hitah TRANSLATION "They say that this world is unreal, that there is no foundation and that there is no God in control. It is produced of sex desire, and has no cause other than lust. Following such conclusions, the demoniac, who are lost to themselves and who have no intelligence, engage in unbeneficial, horrible works meant to destroy the world." PURPORT BY HIS DIVINE GRACE A.C.BHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI PRABHUPADA The demoniac are engaged in activities that will lead the world to destruction. The Lord states here that they are less intelligent. The materialists, who have no concept of God, think that they are advancing. But, according to Bhagavad-gita, they are unintelligent and devoid of all sense. They try to enjoy this material world to the utmost limit and therefore always engage in inventing something for sense gratification. Such materialistic inventions are considered to be advancement of human civilization, but the result is that people grow more and more violent and more and more cruel, cruel to animals and cruel to other human beings. They have no idea how to behave toward one another. Animal killing is very prominent amongst demoniac people. Such people are considered the enemies of the world because ultimately they will invent or create something which will bring destruction to all. Indirectly, this verse anticipates the invention of nuclear weapons, of which the whole world is today very proud. At any moment war may take place, and these atomic weapons may create havoc. Such things are created solely for the destruction of the world, and this is indicated here. Due to godlessness, such weapons are invented in human society; they are not meant for the peace and prosperity of the world. (Bg 16.8-10) TO STUDY MORE NECTAR FROM LORD KRSNA'S FAMOUS BOOK PLEASE DOWNLOAD THE BHAGAVAD-GITA AS IT IS FROM OUR E-BOOKS SECTION.

People are talking about a Third World War, and all I can think is, "Again with this war nonsense?" The second World War just finished and there was a lot of agony: millions of people were killed. It seems like there's enough evil already, but no, It can't stop. People are talking about a Third World War, and all I can think is, "Again with this war nonsense?" The second World War just finished and there was a lot of agony: millions of people were killed. It seems like there's enough evil already, but no, It can't stop. Because war is going on always. There is always some kind of war going on somewhere, not only on this Earth planet but on all planets. The nature of this material creation is that we must fight in order to survive. One living entity is eaten by another living entity.  We fight because we want to artificially occupy the land which does not even belong to us. Everything is possessed by Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead. We just came across some property and claimed that "this is mine." Does just saying It mean I am the proprietor? Of course not. If you find some wallet on the street, you must understand that you have found it because somebody had already possessed it before. So all the creations and universes belong to Krishna, including the spiritual world. A person in full consciousness of Me, knowing Me to be the ultimate beneficiary of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods, and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attains peace from the pangs of material miseries. [BG 5.29] So, you might just so called find something, "oh, this is a nice car, let me take it." But why don't you ask the question, "who is the possessor of that thing?" Let's say you find him out, "Mr. John." Okay, now who possesses the materials for constructing that car? Who put them Into nature? Mr. John? Mr. Richard? No, It's Krishna. That is stated In the Bhagavad Gita. The proprietary is written right there. Just like you have on papers written, that this car belongs to you, in the same way, Krishna has said, "Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego—all together these eight constitute My separated material energies." [BG 7.4] And because of this false proprietary claim, there is war and conflict. "This is mine, this belongs to the Americans, this to the Indians and this to Africans etc. We fight like this because we want to exploit each other for resources and wealth. Krishna gives you a quota that you possess, and it that is confirmed in the Isopanishad, "Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself, which are set aside as his quota, and one should not accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong." [ISO 1] Considering Krishna is the proprietor of everything in this material world and the spiritual world, everything should used for His pleasure, isn't it? You have borrowed it and a borrowed thing should be returned back to the original proprietor. We must understand that all we have are from and for Krishna and we should used them in order to please Him, in the way He wants. Otherwise any kind of political strategies or organizations etc. won't help you to stop war. People serve their senses which can be never satisfied. The senses are masters you will never satisfy, and they will torture you, until the urge will increase and ultimately you could come to the point where you would even kill somebody just to satisfy those rascal senses. But Krishna is satisfied even if you offer Him a little water, some fruit, a leave or a flower with love. And because you satisfy the real master, Krishna, you will naturally be pleased, "oh, my master is satisfied." A servant is satisfied when his master is satisfied. In this way, we avoid unnecessary war due to constant and nonsense lusty desires. It's better to fight for pleasing Krishna the most and everybody can thus live a blissful spiritual live without any fear.

Back in the 70's Srila Prabhupada warned devotees on several occassions about the possible outburst of world war. Namely, he mentioned that the next world war would probably start between Pakistan and India. These two countries would serve as proxies and the real conflict and war would be between Russia and America. At that time, it was the cold war time and both countires were ideologically opposed as well. Russia as opposed to the States was staunchly communist until the late 80's. Many things changed since then. Communism is no longer prominent ideology in Russia and one of the last prominent Russian communist leaders mentioned the Hare Krishna devotees as main causes of the communism's fall. Indeed, the devotees in Russia have undergone severe austerities to distribute the message of Srila Prabhupada all across the country. Sometimes they would be arrested, sometimes even killed. Their preaching had a major impact on the Russian people which contributed to the fall down of the communist regime. "Distribute books!" was the most famous instruction Srila Prabhupada gave to all the devotees of the Hare Krishna movement. Also, in 1977, Srila Prabhupada stated the following about the world war three: Ramesvara: Now, what I am thinking is this, that you have mentioned many times, several times, that there is a conflict which is inevitable between Russia and America. Prabhupada: Hm. No, if they understand Krsna consciousness, both of them -- now we are publishing -- then there will be no conflict on... (Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara) Srila Prabhupada here states that if people in both countries Russia and America understand Krsna consciousness, there does not have to be a war. Did the world understand Krsna consciousness? Certainly there has been a tremendous change felt and although we might not see the connection right away, the rising interest in yoga, meditation, karma, reincarnation, mantras all over the world is remarkable and is directly caused by the sankirtana movement Srila Prabhupada has inaugurated. Still, there is a lot to do and we feel the need for more manpower in our preaching work since the devotees attention in later years has shifted from the real goal of the sankirtan movement. The real goal of the sankirtan is to introduce people of the world to the principles of unalloyed (namely unconditional) devotional service as taught to us by the most prominent disciples of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the six Goswamis. Anyone can become a devotee preacher if he simply and sincerely applies the principles of the bona fide acharya Srila Prabhupada in his life and teaches the same to his friends, relatives, etc. Just as with fire, there is a side effect in the form of a smoke, similarly, the sankirtana movement brings with it many auspicious and pious changes in people's life, increase in religious practices, morality, non-violence, scientific research, etc. There is no shortage of evidence for this in the sastras. However, sincere devotees must be careful to keep the fire burning. Without the fire, all these auspicious effects will also die off. A class of pure devotees who will distribute themselves to the masses of misguided population and guide them to the lotus feet of the Lord is needed and such class, even in small quantity is better than thousands of shooting stars. All the acharyas are praying for such devotees to manifest in this world so we can not only avert a nuclear holocaust but also get out of the holocaust of the samsara and help others to do the same.

Why it happens, and the solution for global peace.