begginers' guide to krishna consciousness

8/13/2019 Begginers' Guide to Krishna Consciousness

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Introduction

Human life is not meant for whimsical, mindless living, but for

understanding God - Krsna. Krsna can be understood by the process

of bhakti (devotional service). The most authorized bhakti cult

for this present age of quarrel and hypocrisy (Kali-yuga) is that

taught by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared in this world 500 years ago. He is

Krsna Himself and He taught the easiest method for self-

realization; namely the chanting of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra:

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare/Hare Rama Hare Rama

Rama Rama Hare Hare.

As Lord Caitanya predicted, the chanting is no longer confined to

the shores of India but has spread all over the world. His

Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada was empowered by

Lord Caitanya to single-handedly make this chanting process

universally popular.In pursuance of the teachings of Lord Caitanya, Srila Prabhupada

founded the International Society for Krsna Consciousness in New

York, in 1966. Srila Prabhupada passed away from this world in

1977, but the movement he started continues to grow.

Every day more and more people are taking interest in Krsna

consciousness. By reading the books of Srila Prabhupada and

associating with members of ISKCON many of them feel

inclined to take up Krsna consciousness in their own lives.

The practice of Krsna consciousness is very simple, but to learn

the techniques requires some initial guidance. Due to

circumstantial reasons (such as living a long distance from anISKCON centre), many persons eager to start practising Krsna

consciousness are not able to do so properly because of

insufficient personal guidance.

This book is meant especially for such persons. It is a practical

guide on how to chant the holy names, worship at home, apply

tilak, observe festivals, and so on.

Most of the material is applicable to all devotees, but some is

especially meant for those devotees living at home.

However, this book is not a substitute for personal guidance.

Personal guidance is essential for neophyte devotees to help

raise them to the transcendental platform. Srila Prabhupada

writes: "For one who does not take personal training under the

guidance of a bona fide spiritual master it is impossible to

even begin to understand Krsna." (B.g. 11:54 purport). So this

book cannot be more than a supplement to personal guidance. Even

from a practical point of view, the procedures of applying tilak,


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performing kirtan, etc., as outlined in this book, need to be

seen done by experienced devotees to get the idea properly right.

The instructions in this book are based on the practices of the

Gaudiya-Vaisnava sampradaya (the line of Vaisnavas coming from

Lord Caitanya) as expressed in such authorized books as the

Hari-bhakti-vilasa, Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, Sri Upadesamrta, etc.More specifically, the instructions given herein are based on the

teachings of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Prabhupada. Without deviating an inch from the previous acaryas

and timeless scriptures Srila Prabhupada presented Krsna

consciousness in a manner exactly suitable for modern mankind.

Along with guidance on basic Vaisnava practices, some useful

information of particular importance and interest for newcomers to

Krsna consciousness have been included. However, the philosophical aspects of Krsna

consciousness have notbeen

entered into in great detail, because the philosophy of Krsna

consciousness has been elaborately explained in SrilaPrabhupada's books. This book is for those who are sufficiently

convinced of that philosophy as to want to apply it in their

own lives. (To solidify the practices outlined herein, readers

are repeatedly urged to take up the study of Srila

Prabhupada's books as a daily function in their lives).

Through these simple practices of Krsna consciousness, any

person, regardless of age, caste, creed, sex or qualification,

can easily perfect their existence, develop pure love of God,

escape from the horrible cycle of birth and death, and prepare

himself to enter into the kingdom of God. The sankirtan movementof Lord Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu is now offering this

wonderful opportunity to everyone all over the world.

The compiler of this book, therefore, humbly entreats the readers

to take up Krsna consciousness very seriously.

Lord Caitanya said: "Wake up sleeping souls! How long will you

sleep on the lap of the witch called Maya? I have brought the

medicine for destroying your disease of material existence. It is

the chanting of the holy names of the Lord: Hare Krsna Hare Krsna

Krsna Krsna Hare Hare/Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare."

Understanding Krsna Consciousness As It Is

Everybody in India knows at least something about Krsna.

Unfortunately, certain unscrupulous persons have propagated many

false concepts about Krsna and about the process of bhakti. As a

result, most Indians, despite their natural Krsna conscious

inclinations, are confused about the real understanding and

practice of Krsna-bhakti. For them to take up Krsna consciousness


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in the actual bona fide manner, they will have to become aware

that many of the ideas they have heard about Krsna and Krsna

consciousness are, in fact, totally erroneous and misleading.

Some of the most prominent misconceptions are as follows:

1. Krsna is a mythological figure; He did not (and does not)

actually exist.2. Krsna was a great man but not the Supreme Personality of

Godhead.

3. Krsna was immoral.

4. There are many gods; they are all the same, and worship

of any of them is the same as worship of Krsna.

5. By meditation and spiritual practice any person can

become as good as Krsna.

6. It is not the person Krsna who is to be worshipped but

the unborn, eternal nature within Krsna.

7. When Krsna is merciful to me then I shall surrender to

Him.8. Bhakti is only a stepping-stone to the achievement of

jnana.

Although none of these ideas have any basis in reality, having no

support from any scriptures, and are in fact completely fallacious,

they have somehow or other become popular in Hindu society.

There are dozens of fancy sounding, erroneous theories like this,

propagated by envious people, whose only business is to make a show

of being religious, while diverting their followers away from the

actual goal of religion, which is to surrender wholly and solely to

Krsna, as the Lord Himself demands:

sarva dharman parityajya

mam ekam saranam vraja

aham tvam sarva papebhyoh

moksyayisyami ma sucah

"Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I

shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear."

(Bhagavad-gita: 18.66)

There are many such persons who appear to be pious and religious,

but who, if asked to accept Krsna as the Supreme Personality of

Godhead, the primeval cause of all causes, and to surrender unto

Him, bluntly refuse to do so. Such persons have been described by

the Lord Himself in Bhagavad-gita (7.15):

na mam duskritino mudhah

prapadyante naradhamah

mayayapahrta jnana


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asuram bhavam asritah

"Those miscreants who are grossly foolish, lowest among mankind,

whose knowledge is stolen by illusion, and who partake of the

atheistic nature of demons, do not surrender unto Me." (1)

Those who are interested in becoming pure devotees should be very

cautious of the contamination from non-devotees and false devotees.The two main deviations from pure devotional service are the

Mayavada doctrine and sahajiyaism.

Mayavadis are impersonalists, who refuse to accept the Personality

of Krsna as the Absolute Truth. Their aim is to "merge with God."

Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu clearly said: "mayavadi krsne aparadhi"

"Mayavadis are offenders to Krsna." (Cc, Madhya-lila, 7.129).

Srila Prabhupada explains why: "By covering the glories of the

Supreme Lord, the Mayavadi philosophers have done the greatest

disservice to human society." (Cc, Adi-lila, 7.120 purport). "The

Mayavadis praimary occupation is to offend the Supreme

Personality of Godhead, Krsna." (Cc, Adi-lila, 7.144 purport).However, this Mayavada philosophy is almost all pervasively

widespread in modern Indian thought. Srila Prabhupada said that,

"Impersonalism has killed India's Vedic culture."

(Conversations... 5/7/76).

Bhakti means surrender to Krsna, based on acceptance of His

supremacy, His transcendental personality, and His eternal

spiritual form. But Mayavadis preposterously seek to equate the

ordinary living beings with God; a proposition which undermines

the very basis of bhakti. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu therefore

warned that anyone who hears Mayavada explanations of scripture

is doomed; his spiritual life is ruined. (2)Sahajiyas are pseudo-devotees, who take the process of devotional

service to be something very cheap. Without following the

standard rules and regulations of devotional service, they

artificially consider themselves highly advanced, making a false

show of intense devotion.

There are still others who have commercialised Krsna consciousness

amongst the masses; such as unscrupulous professional speakers,

bhajan singers, comic book publishers and false gurus.

Although they may speak or sing of Krsna very nicely, their main

motivation is simply to make money.

Then there are numerous devotees who, despite coming in authorised

Vaisnava traditions, have compromised their beliefs and practices,

and have thus lost the essential spirit of

surrender to Visnu.

There are also votaries of the false incarnations of God; and, due

to the perverted atmosphere in this age of Kali, some of these

pseudo-incarnations have captured the sentiments of the foolish


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people to such an extent that their worship is often more popular

than that of the real God (Krsna). And the meaningless

pronouncements of such "gods" are taken as sacred philosophy by

their bewildered followers.

All these classes of nondevotees, semidevotees and pseudodevotees

may appear to be practicing bhakti, but because they aremisinformed, misdirected, materially motivated, and/or latently

envious of Krsna, all their prayers, mantras and pujas cannot be

accepted as actual bhakti by those who are experts on this path.

In the words of Srila Rupa Goswami:

sruti smriti puranadi

pancaratra vidhim vina

aikantiki harer bhakti

utpatayaiva kalpate

"Devotional service to the Lord that ignores the authorised

literatures like the Upanisads, Puranas, Narada Pancaratra, etc.,

is simply an unnecessary disturbance in society." (BhaktiRasamrta sindhu 1.2.101).

The position of modern day Indian religious culture is such that

real, authorised and bonafide practices are going on side by side

with all kinds of whimsical, distorted and imaginary beliefs.

There are so-called yogis, swamis, gurus, babas, "incarnations,"

miracle workers, fakirs and other classes of "godmen," teaching all

varieties of weird and wonderful things, with instructions on

anything and everything save and except surrender to Krsna, the

Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Indeed, that which is bogus has become commonplace, and the

genuine rare, so much so that the superficial appears to haveall but swamped that which is real. To the untrained, the

difference between the genuine, the partially genuine and the

false is not so apparent. From the external point of view, Krsna

consciousness appears to resemble "another Hindu group." As in

Krsna consciousness, many groups have their own bhajans, temples,

festivals, scriptures, gurus, tilak and so on. Therefore the

nondevotees, without going deep into the matter, prematurely

conclude that " all paths are the same." But there is a vast

difference between the path of pure devotional service to Krsna

and all other paths. The difference is that Krsna consciousness is

the only factual and complete reality, as enunciated in the

revealed scriptures and accepted by all authorities; because only

Krsna consciousness (especially as taught in the line of Lord

Caitanya) teaches how to be free from all personal motives, and

thus attain one's constitutional position as an eternal servant of

Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Srila Rupa Goswami has defined this superlative standard thus:


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anyabhilasita sunyam

jnana-karmady-anavrtam

anukulyena krsnanu

silanam bhaktir uttama

"One should render transcendental loving service to the Supreme

Lord, Krsna, favourably, without desire for material profit orgain through fruitive activities or philosophical speculation.

That is called pure devotional service."

It is essential for every aspiring candidate in Krsna

consciousness to understand this difference. This Krsna

consciousness movement is not just another "Hindu sect", nor is

it just "another opinion." The Krsna consciousness movement of

Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu is a cultural, philosophical, and

scientific presentation meant for the respiritualisation of the

entire world. It is destined to go down in the annals of history

as having saved human society in its darkest hour.(3) Krsna consciousness is a serious education,

not an ordinary reilgion." (Quoted from SSR). "This Krsna consciousness movement is genuine,historically authorised, natural and transcendental, due to its being based on Bhagavad-gita As It

Is. It is gradually becoming the most popular movement in the world." (Bhagavad-gita As It Is,

Preface). "This Krsna consciousness movement is meant for a complete overhauling of the whole

social, political, religious, moral, educational and hygeinic principles." (Srila Prabhupada letter,

18.1.69). "Our programme is sublime. Our philosophy is practical and authorised; our character,

the purest; our programme, the simplist; but our ultimate goal is the highest." (Srila Prabhupada

letter, 19.3.70).

Therefore Krsna consciousness is not just another "faith," derived

from some poorly informed religious sentiment. It is the science

of the Absolute Truth, being taught now as it has been since time

immemorial - because truth never changes, nor is it subject to theadjustments of "seasonal fashions." Krsna consciousness is reality

distinguished from illusion, truth distinguished from falsehood,

light distinguished from darkness. Attainment of Krsna

consciousness is the highest perfection, not even comparable to

any particular faith or philosophy of this material world.

Without developing a clear philosophical understanding of the

unique purity of Krsna consciousness, then simply learning the

techniques of devotional service (as outlined in this book;

performing kirtan, applying tilak, etc.) will not help very much.

Of course, activities in Krsna consciousness are always beneficial,

but, in order to make rapid advancement, attachment to mundane religious processes must be

given up. As stated in Bhagavad-gita;

18.66:

sarva dharman parityajya

mam ekam saranam vraja

aham tvam sarva papebhyo

moksayisami ma sucah


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"Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I

shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear."

To distinguish between what is genuine and what is bogus requires

some training; more so for those deeply steeped in devious

misconceptions. The best programme therefore is to study Srila

Prabhupada's books repeatedly and thoroughly (even if one cannotread many books, then Bhagavad-gita As It Is will suffice to

eradicate all doubts, for in this book Srila Prabhupada has

conclusively deliniated the superiority of pure devotional service,

and the inferiority of all other paths). One should also associate

with devotees who are firmly fixed-up in Krsna consciousness; those

who are free from all sentimental attachments to cheating in the

name of religion.(4)

Some quotes from Srila Prabhupada on these matters appear below:

"Srila Rupa Goswami advises that

devotees who have already tasted the nectar of devotion be very

careful to protect devotional service from such dry speculators,formal ritualistic elevationists and impersonal salvationists.

Devotees should protect their valuable jewel of spiritual love

from the clutches of thieves and burglars. In other words, a

pure devotee should not describe devotional service and its

different analytical aspects to dry speculators and false

renouncers.

Those who are not devotees can never achieve the benefits of

devotional service. For them the subject of devotional service is

always very difficult to understand. Only persons who have

dedicated their lives unto the lotus feet of the Supreme

Personality of Godhead can relish the real nectar of devotion."(From the "Nectar of Devotion" Chapter 34).

"The fact is that I am the only person in India who is

critisising not only demigod worship but everything that falls

short of complete surrender to Krsna. My Guru Maharaja never

compromised and I shall never compromise; similarly, none of my

disciples should ever compromise." (Srila Prabhupada letter,

19/1/72).

Footnotes:

1. Srila Prabhupada said, "This verse is very important" (Conversations).

2. Srila Prabhupada has firmly refuted the Mayavada

philosophy throughout his books, especially in his

purports to Bhagavad-gita As It Is. Following in the

footsteps of Lord Caitanya, he has explicitly, and in

great detail, exposed the falsity of Mayavada arguments

in his purports to Sri Caitanya Caritamrta, Adi lila,

Chapter 7.

3. This and the previous sentence are paraphrased quotes


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from Srila Prabhupada.

4. Cheating religion is called kaitava dharma. See

S.Bhag. 1.1.2.

1>+RNORMAL.STYPSDOWN@wqP5

Association with Devotees

The scriptures repeatedly emphasize the importance of associating with devotees (sadhu-sanga). It

is considered the very root of devotion, being the very cause of its sustenance and development.

Indeed; even after attaining perfection in Krsna consciousness, association with devotees is still

most essential. (1)

The two primary methods of associating with devotees are: hearing from and serving them.

Devotees living in or adjacent to ISKCON centres can easily avail of such opportunities. One

should specifically associate with those devotees who have made the determination to achieve

the lotus feet of Govinda. (2)

Those living away from ISKCON centres can keep in touch by visiting these centres as often as

possible. They can also correspond with devotees and take heart in the fact that by reading Srila

Prabhupada's books and serving his mission (especially by distributing his books) one is blessed

with his association. It should be noted however that Srila Prabhupada is always surrounded byhis loving followers, so we should not neglect the association presently available within ISKCON,

amongst his disciples and grand-disciples.

In the Vedic tradition, householders invite sannyasis and saintly brahmanas to their homes, feed

them sumptuous prasada, hear and enquire from them, chant Hare Krsna in kirtana with them,

serve them, and try to satisfy them in all respects. This is a form of sadhu-sanga which is very

pleasing and beneficial to all involved.

Srila Prabhupad has written (S.Bhag.3.16.9 purport ): If one feeds a brahmana or a

Vaisnava, it is better than performing thousands of sacrifices. In this age it is recommended that

Harernama (chanting the holy name of God) and pleasing the Vaisnavas, are the only means to

elevate oneself in spiritual life.

1>+) C:\APPS\WORD5\NORMAL.STYPSDOWN@wqP5 Creating a spiritualatmosphere at home

In Sanskrit there are two nomenclatures for householders, namely: "grhastha," - "one who,

though living with his wife and children, has self-realization as the goal of life," and other

householders, (ordinary materialistic people), known as grhamedhis. A grhastha's home is called a

grhastha-asrama. It is known as an "asrama" because it is meant for spiritual cultivation; with the

temple room as the most important place in the whole house.

The members of the family feel themselves servants of Krsna, performing everything as an

offering unto Him. Installing and worshipping the Deity form of the Lord at home is especially

conducive for cultivating such a devotional mood. Therefore worship of the Deity at home is

considered essential for grhasthas, who are otherwise prone to fall into sense gratification.

In order to spiritualize the home, pictures of Krsna and His pure devotees should be hung up.

Pictures of film stars, sport heroes, politicians and the like, have no place in a Krsna conscious

home and should be removed. Televisions can be used for showing Krsna conscious videos, but

generally they are simply a disturbance. Most homes would be a lot better off without them.

Listening to the radio and the playing of cinema songs are to be replaced with the singing of

Vaisnava bhajanas and playing bonafide bhajana cassettes.


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It is the duty of parents to train their children from a young age in Krsna consciousness. The

father has special responsibility as a guru to his wife and children.

Care of Sacred Items

Sacred items (such as spiritual books, puja paraphernalia, beads and bead bags, mrdanga, kartals

and pictures of the Supreme Lord and His devotees), should all be kept very carefully and

respectfully.They should be kept neatly and never put in a contaminated place or in proximity of unclean

things. After use they should be put away tidily and not simply left strewn here and there. They

should never be put on the floor or stepped over.

Cleanliness

In the Bhagavad-gita Lord Krsna mentions cleanliness as a divine

quality and as the symptom of a brahmana. He declares uncleanliness

to be a symptom of the demoniac. Caitanya Mahaprabhu listed

cleanliness as one of the twenty-six qualities of a devotee. And

Srila Prabhupada was so insistent that his disciples observe the

rules of cleanliness that he would severely chastise those amongst

them who were negligent in this regard.Rules of cleanliness form a very elaborate part of Vedic culture

which to expound on in detail is beyond the scope of this book.

But it should be understood that cleanliness is essential for all

devotees. Internal cleanliness is effected by constant chanting of:

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.

Externally, a devotee keeps his body, clothes, possessions,

residence and everything else always neat clean and tidy.

1>+7 NORMAL.STYPSDOWN@wqP 5 Ekadasi

Ekadasi is a day of fasting to be observed by all devotees. To fail to do so is a serious offence on

the part of the devotee. There are two Ekadasis in a month: on the eleventh day after the newmoon, and on the eleventh day after the full moon (Ekadasi literally means the eleventh

day).

Fasting may be full, without taking even water; or by taking only water; or by taking fruit only; or

at least by refraining from eating grains, beans, peas and dahl.

The following foods must be avoided: All grains (wheat, rice etc),

dahl, peas, bean type vegetables, mustard seeds, and their derivatives (wheat flour, mustard oil,

soya-bean oil etc.), and food items containing these products; (for instance, we should be careful

in using powdered spices, which, if mixed with flour, cannot be used on Ekadasi). The purpose of

fasting on Ekadasi is to increase our time for concentration on, and hearing about Govinda.

Ekadasi fast is broken the next day (Dvadasi), by taking prasada prepared with grains: The fast

must be broken within a specific time. For the dates of Ekadasis and the times for breaking fasts,

consult the Vaisnava calendar (available from any ISKCON centre). The specific calendar used by

ISKCON should be used, as calculation of dates for Ekadasi and other important festivals may

vary according to the system of calculation used by pandits in other sampradayas.

Appearance days of the incarnations of the Lord and of His great devotees, and days

commemorating special lilas, are observed as festivals by devotees. Participation in such festivals

revives and nourishes our devotion and are thus considered to be the mother of devotion. They


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are joyous occasions for all the devotees to come together to glorify the Lord. The temple room is

decorated; large quantities of sumptuous foodstuff are cooked, offered to the Lord and distributed

widely; and continuous hearing and chanting of the glories of the Lord and His devotees

surcharge the atmosphere with spiritual sound vibrations. Festival days are also suitable occasions

for offering new dresses to the Deities. This is a standard practice in well established ISKCON

temples.Many festival days are observed by fasting up to a certain time followed by feasting. On festival

days, suitable bhajanas are sung along with the Hare Krsna maha-mantra (for instance, on the

disappearance day of a great Vaisnava the song Je anilo prema dhana - a song of

separation from departed Vaisnavas - is sung. And so on). There is reading or recitation of the

appropriate pastimes. (For instance, on Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura's appearance day

we should read or recite His transcendental activities. On Govardhana Puja day, we read the

chapter entitled Worshipping Govardhana Hill from Srila Prabhupada's book

Krsna - The Supreme Personality of Godhead. And so on). There are also recorded

lecture tapes of Srila Prabhupada speaking on special festival days which are available as a series

entitled Festivals with Srila Prabhupada. Festival days are also very suitable for

enactment of devotional dramas, and for performing nagara-sankirtana.Following is a list of some of the major festivals which ISKCON devotees observe, beginning

with Gaura Purnima, the first day of the Gaudiya Vaisnava year. the exact date of each festival

can be found from the ISKCON calendar; like Ekadasi, the dates are calculated according to the

lunar calendar and thus varies each year on the solar calender.

Gaura Purnima

The appearance day of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Falls in late February, March or early April.

Fasting till moonrise, followed by Ekadasi type prasada, and a feast at noon the next day. Read

about Lord Caitanya's appearance in Sri Caitanya Caritamrta Adi-Lila Chapter Thirteen.

Rama Navami

Appearance day of Lord Ramacandra. Fasting until noon, then feasting. Read about Lord Rama in

Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 9 Chapters 10 and 11.Nrsingha Caturdasi

Appearance day of Lord Nrsinghadeva. Fasting until dusk, then feasting. Be sure to offer

panakam, a drink made from cool water, jaggery, lemon juice and ginger which is very dear to

Lord Nrsinghadeva. Read of His appearance in Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 7 Chapter 8.

Rathayatra

The day of Jagannatha Rathayatra in Puri. The Deities of Jagannatha, Subhadra and Balabhadra

are taken on a a ratha through the city, accompanied by chanting and dancing devotees. A festival

which Srila Prabhupada vigorously promoted all over the world. ISKCON organizes Rathayatras

on the Rathayatra day from its centres in Calcutta and Baroda; many other centres organize

Rathayatras on other days of the year. Read Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya lila Chapter 13.

Jhulan Yatra

A gorgeous five day festival in which the Deities of Radha and Krsna are placed on a swing,

decorated profusely with flowers, and gently swung to and fro to the accompaniment of kirtana.

A picture of Radha-Krsna may also be swung.

Lord Balarama's Appearance Day

The last day of Jhulan Yatra is Lord Balarama's Appearance Day. Fasting till noon, then feasting.

Be sure to offer honey to Balarama, He is very fond of it. Read from Balarama's glories in the Sri


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Caitanya Caritamrta Adi-lila Chapter 5, and also appropriate passages from Krsna - The

Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Janmastami

The appearance day of Lord Krsna, also known as Krsnastami and

Gokulastami. Fasting until midnight followed by Ekadasi style prasada. Read

extensively throughout the day from Krsna - The Supreme Personality of Godhead.Vyasa-puja of Srila Prabhupada

It is observed on Nandotsava, the day after the Janmastami, when Srila Prabhupada mercifully

appeared in this world. This is the most important festival of the year for all ISKCON members,

for without Srila Prabhupada's mercy none of us could have come to Krsna consciousness.

Vyasa-puja celebrations are conducted as follows: Morning fasting is observed. Devotees come

together to hear and chant about Srila Prabhupada and his glorious activities. Devotees may be

tired from the previous days Janmastami observance, but for this special day they shake off their

tiredness to glorify Srila Prabhupada. Readings are made from biographical works on Srila

Prabhupada ( such as "Srila Prabhupada Lilamrta") and from Vyasa-puja books (special books

compiled each year for the Vyasa-puja in glorification of Srila Prabhupada). Recordings of Srila

Prabhupada's bhajanas and lectures are played. Devotees, especially direct disciples of SrilaPrabhupada, speak about his glories and their appreciation of His Divine Grace.

At 12 noon, a great feast is offered simultaneously to the Deities and to the guru. This is followed

by puspanjali (an offering of flowers at the Vyasasana).

Each devotee is given a large handful of flowers. One devotee recites the guru-pranama mantra

(nama om visnu padaya ...) word by word. Word by word the assembled devotees repeat the

words after the devotee leading. At the conclusion of each prayer, the leading devotee says,

puspanjali. The assembled devotees repeat after him: puspanjali and

flowers are thrown in offering at the lotus feet of the guru. Then all the devotees prostrate

before the guru and offer obeisances. The whole procedure is repeated three times. After the

puspanjali, prasada is distributed.

All ISKCON devotees also observe the Vyasa-puja of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura.Programmes of fasting till noon then feasting are also observed for the appearance of Srila Gaura

Kisora Dasa Babaji and Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura.

Radhastami

The appearance day of Srimati Radharani is two weeks after Janmastami. Fasting till noon, and

feasting. Read about Srimati Radharani in Sri Caitanya Caritamrta, Madhya -Lila, Chapter 23;

verses 86-92; also "Krsna-The Supreme Personality of Godhead" in the chapter: "Deliverance of

the Message of Krsna to the Gopis."

Vamana Dvadasi

Appearance of Vamana Avatara. Read from Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 8, chapters 18-22.

Govardhana Puja, Annakuta Mahotsava and Gopuja

All performed on the same day. Govardhana Puja is the festival of worshipping Govardhana Hill.

Annakuta Mahotsava means to make a Govardhana Hill of prasada, worship it,

circumambulate the prasada hill, then distribute heaps of sumptuous prasada to one and all.

Gopuja means worship of the cows. See Krsna - The Supreme Personality of

Godhead Volume 1, Chapter's 24 and 25; and Sri Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya Lila

Chapter 4 verses 67-75.

Disappearance day of Srila Prabhupada


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Coming just after Govardhana Puja, this celebration is similar to the Vyasa-puja; but on this day

the feeling of separation from our beloved Srila Prabhupada is very strong. The disappearance

days of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, Srila Gaura Kisora Dasa Babaji and Srila

Bhaktivinoda Thakura are all similarly observed. Fasting till noon and then feasting.

Appearance of Sri Advaita Acarya

Fasting till noon and then feasting. See Sri Caitanya Caritamrta Adi-Lila chapter 6.Varaha Dvadasi

Celebration of the appearance day of Lord Varaha. See Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 3 Chapter 13

and 18.

Nityananda Trayodasi

Appearance of Lord Nityananda. See Sri Caitanya-Caritamrta Adi- lila Chapter 5.

Hearing from Advanced Devotees

nitya-siddha `krsna-prema'- sadhya kabhu naya

sravanadi-suddha-citte karaye udaya

(Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya lila 22.107)

Translation:

"Pure love for Krsna is eternally established in the hearts of theliving entities. It is not something to be gained from another

source. When the heart is purified by hearing and chanting, the

living entity naturally awakens."

This is but one of the dozens of verses from the scriptures which

emphasize the importance of hearing about Krsna from advanced

devotees.

Those who live close to ISKCON centres can avail of the

opportunity to attend classes on Srimad Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-

gita, conducted every morning and evening.

All devotees can avail of the several hundred recorded lectures of

His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. There is nocomparison to the transcendental sound vibration from the lips of

a pure devotee of Krsna. These lectures and also many bhajan and

kirtan cassettes of Srila Prabhupada, are available from BBT, Hare

Krsna Land, Bombay 400 049.

As much as hearing from bonafide devotees is purifying, hearing

religious discourses from impersonalists, psuedo-devotees, mundane

scholars, professional lecturers and other classes of nondevotees

is contaminating. The example is given in Hari-bhakti-vilasa of

milk touched by the lips of a serpent. Milk is delicious and

nourishing, but if a snake drinks that milk, the remaining portion

becomes highly poisonous. It may look the same and even taste

similar, but is no longer beneficial; it is poisonous. Similarly,

talks on Krsna or spiritual philosophy, dramas enacting the

pastimes of the Lord, songs glorifying Him, etc., if not performed

by authorised devotees, will have a disastrous effect on our

spiritual life. All devotees are warned to be very careful in this

regard.


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1>+ C:\WORD5\NORMAL.STYPSDOWN@wqP 5 Visiting Holy Places

There are many important Vaisnava pilgrimage sites spread all over India, and even today they are

well frequented by pious Hindu's. The propensity for travel and tourism is properly utilized by

visiting such holy places.

However, the scriptures advise us that the main benefit to be derived from such pilgrimages is to

associate with and hear from saintly persons residing in the holy places. Unfortunately, in themodern age, the importance of pilgrimage sites as places of spiritual instruction has been almost

forgotten.

Gaudiya Vaisnavas know Mayapura and Vrindaban (which from the external viewpoint appear to

situated close to Calcutta and Delhi, respectively) as the two most important places in the whole

universe, as they are the places of appearance and pastimes of Lord Caitanya and Lord Krsna.

ISKCON has very nice temples at both Mayapur and Vrindaban with facilities for visiting guests

and devotees. In both of these centres some learned and advanced devotees are residing who can

be consulted on all matters of spiritual knowledge and advancement. Both in Mayapura and

Vrindaban ISKCON conducts regular seminars and festivals. So all devotees are invited to come

and spend some time at the ISKCON centres in Mayapur and Vrindaban whenever they can.

Other holy places where ISKCON has, or is developing centres, are Tirupati, Guruvayoor, Puriand Pandarapur.

1>+C:\WORD5\NORMAL.STYPSDOWN@wqP5 Japa

Krsna-nama-maha-mantra ei ta svabhava

yei jape, tara krsne upajaye bhava

(Caitanya-Caritamrta Adi-Lila 7.83)

Translation: "It is the nature of the Hare Krsna Maha-mantra that anyone who chants it

immediately develops his loving ecstasy for Krsna."

Chanting Hare Krsna maha-mantra japa is essential for every serious devotee of Krsna. Even

though one may be busy with many duties, one must put aside some time every day for this

chanting of Hare Krsna.

Japa should be chanted using a japa-mala to keep a count of the number of times one is chanting.His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder-Acarya of ISKCON and

empowered propagator of the holy name in the present age, fixed 16 "rounds" (16 x 108 chants of

the Hare Krsna mantra) as the minimum for initiated devotees. Some newcomers to Krsna

consciousness find it difficult to chant sixteen rounds daily. Such persons may start by chanting

less rounds daily: eight, four, two, or at the very least one, according to their capacity. Then, as

they become accustomed to chanting, they may increase the number of rounds chanted daily, until

the prescribed number of sixteen is reached.

However, one should never decrease the number of rounds one chants daily. And after taking

initiation one should never chant less than sixteen rounds daily. However, chanting japa is not

simply a matter of finishing a certain number of rounds. Quality chanting will help us to make

rapid spiritual advancement. Good quality japa is chanted very distinctly, with feeling,

concentrating on hearing the holy name.

Nagar Sankirtan

Nagar sankirtan (also called "Harinam Sankirtan") means a group of

devotees going on the streets of the towns and villages to sing

loudly the holy names of the Lord, to the accompaniment of

mrdangas (drums) and kartals.


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This is a process Lord Caitanya personally propagated and

practiced widely. It brings the mercy of the Lord's holy names to

the spiritually dull mass of people and indeed, to all living

entities, who otherwise have no chance or inclination forKrsna

consciousness.

This public chanting purifies the contaminated atmosphere ofKali-yuga, and anyone who takes part in it becomes very dear to

Lord Caitanya. The more devotees that take part the better, but

if many devotees are not available even three or four devotees

can go, or even two - even one. Go on Harinam as often as

possible for as long as possible, with many devotees, and just

see how Lord Caitanya blesses you.

Authors Note

This book is especially meant for mass distribution in India. It

is suitable for translation into all the major Indian languages.

Editors of such translations may like to make some minor

adjustments according to the particular religio-cultural atmosphereprevailing in their language area.

Some of the topics covered herein are so basic as to be essential

in any beginners guide to Krsna consciousness. These include

performing kirtan, chanting japa, applying tilak, etc. I have

included certain other subjects which I personally feel to be very

important for beginners to get a strong footing in Krsna

consciousness from the very beginning.

These include the topics Understanding Krsna consciousness as

it is, Restricting Man-Woman Relationships and

others.

I have already produced a similar book in Bengali called Vaisnava Shikha O Sadhana (Vaisnava Teachings and Practices)

which was published in 1987 for distribution in Bangladesh.

I hope that some devotee preaching in the Western world can bring

out a similarly detailed guidebook, suitable for aspiring devotees

in the West. A Beginners Guide to Krsna Consciousness

could serve as the basis for such a book, but for those without

the advantage of an Indian cultural background, more explanation

as to why we do what we do will be necessary.

The Importance of Srila Prabhupada

The honorific title "Prabhupada" is properly used for designating those very great spiritual masters

who have made an outstanding contribution of literature and/or preaching to the world. Examples

are Srila Rupa Gosvami Prabhupada, Srila Jiva Gosvami

Prabhupada, and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada.

When members of ISKCON speak of "Srila Prabhupada" they refer to

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who is also

correctly addressed as "Srila Prabhupada," for he occupies a

unique position in the religious history of the world.


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In Srimad-Bhagavatam (1:5:11) Srila Vyasadeva states that the

Bhagavatam is "meant to bring about a revolution in the impious

life of a misdirected civilization."

Learned Vaisnava scholars have discerned that this statement of

Vyasadeva's clearly indicates Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Prabhupada, and no other, for it was he who five thousand years,after Srila Vyasadeva's compilation of the Bhagavatam, compiled

his Bhaktivedanta purports on Bhagavatam as his most important

contribution for the revolutionary respiritualization of the

entire human society, which had become plunged in the darkness of

materialism.

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu also predicted that His holy name would

be broadcast in every town and village of the world. The confidential

task of spreading Krsna consciousness all over the world was

entrusted to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta confirms that unless one is specifically

empowered by Krsna he cannot infuse Krsna consciousness into thehearts of the masses.

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, a great Vaisnava acarya who appeared

in the 19th century, predicted that; "Very soon a great

personality will appear who will spread Krsna consciousness all

over the world." That great personality is clearly His Divine

Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

Bhaktivinoda Thakura also said that the greatness of a Vaisnava

can be understood by seeing how many non-devotees he can convert

into Vaisnavism. Ordinarily, to bring even a highly qualified

person to Krsna consciousness is considered a very difficult

task. But Srila Prabhupada was so much empowered by Krsna that hewent amongst the most unlikely candidates - the hedonistic youth

of the Western countries - and made devotees by the thousands.

No one can fully understand the extraordinary task Srila

Prabhupada performed - going amongst persons with no standard of

Vedic culture, brought up in a society which vigourously promotes

meat-eating, illicit sex, gambling and intoxication, who had no

idea of how to receive a sadhu, and who were in almost every way

totally disqualified as candidates for spiritual life.

Srila Prabhupada not only went amongst such people,

but he gradually managed to train many of them to such an extent

that they are now accepted everywhere as first-class Vaisnavas

and preachers, qualified to impart Krsna consciousness to others.

Although theoretically any of the many Vaisnavas in India could

have spread Krsna consciousness all over the world, only Srila

Prabhupada actually did so. Only he had the sufficient faith in

the instructions of Lord Caitanya, the order of his spiritual

master, and the holy name of Krsna, to seriously attempt


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spreading Krsna consciousness outside of India. Only he had that

much compassion and vision to preach the message of Lord Caitanya

to those who most needed it.

Srila Prabhupada was empowered to spread Krsna consciousness in a

very practical and straightforward way, just suitable for the

modern world. Without changing or compromising the teachings ofKrsna consciousness even slightly, he preserved it's esoteric

truths in a clear and intelligable manner, which was at once

suitable for the layman and the scholar.

Srila Prabhupada personally oversaw the expansion and development

of ISKCON and set up the programmes which were to form the basis

of ISKCON's continued spreading: production and distribution of

transcendental literature, Harinam Sankirtan parties, temples and

asramas, prasada distribution, transcendental farm communities,

gurukulas, preaching to scientists and intellectuals, etc., etc.

Srila Prabhupada personally gave detailed directions in every

area of Krsna consciousness: how to worship Deities, how toconduct sadhana, how to preach, how to wear a dhoti, how to cook

for Krsna, how to chant mantras, and so on.

Srila Prabhupada is thus the Founder Acarya of ISKCON. Whatever

standards and instructions we have in ISKCON come from him.

Although both scripture and tradition offer various approaches to

Krsna consciousness, followers of Srila Prabhupada execute Krsna

consciousness as he showed them, knowing that Srila Prabhupada, as

a faithful follower of his guru and of the previous acaryas,

presented Krsna consciousness in the best way for the modern age;

a manner approved, ordained and blessed by the Supreme Lord Sri

Krsna Himself. Srila Prabhupada gave certain instructions which areabsolutely necessary for initiated disciples to follow if they at all

want to wish to claim to be serious devotees or genuine followers

of Srila Prabhupada. For instance; Srila Prabhupada demanded that

initiated devotees rise by 4.00am, attend mangala-arati, chant the

minimum of sixteen rounds of the maha-mantra every day, scrupulously

follow the four regulative principles, etc.

All such standards that Srila Prabhupada clearly defined are

standards to be followed in ISKCON. A rightly situated,

successful follower of Srila Prabhupada is simply a faithful

standard-bearer. He does not try to change or interpret the

standards and programmes given by Srila Prabhupada, for he knows

that what Srila Prabhupada has given us is perfectly complete and

completely perfect for the respiritualization of the entire human

society; not only now, but for the next ten thousand years.

The Daily Programme

In all ISKCON temples, devotees gather together in the mornings and evenings for a fixed

programme of spiritual practices. As much as possible, devotees living at home can bring their


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family members together for similar programmes. Having a fixed daily programme makes our

Krsna consciousness very steady and strong.

With slight variations, the timings of a typical daily schedule in an ISKCON temple are as follows:

Morning Programme

4.00 a.m. Devotees rise, take shower, put on tilaka and fresh

cloth4.30 a.m. Mangala arati

4.55 a.m. Prema-dhvani and Nrsingha Prayers

5.00 a.m. Tulsi arati

5.10 a.m. Japa Period begins

At this point the pujaris perform puja for the deities and

dress Them in fresh clothes.

7.00 a.m. Srngara arati (Greeting the Deities)

7.10 a.m. Guru Puja ( Worship of ISKCON Founder- Acarya

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada)

7.20 a.m. Srimad Bhagavatam class

8.15 a.m. Programme ends, devotees take breakfast prasadaand disperse for daily duties.

Evening Programme

6.50 p.m. Tulsi Arati

7.00 p.m. Sandhya Arati

7.25 p.m. Prema-dhvani and Nrsingha prayers

7.30 p.m. Bhagavad-gita class (About one hour)

Deity Worship, Puja and Arati

This is a very elaborate part of devotional service which can only

be briefly discussed herein. There is a book (called Arcana Paddhati-

The Process of Deity Worship) which elaborately describes many of the procedures in the worship

of Deities. However, these procedures are quite elaborate, and can only be properly learned bypersonal instruction. The outline given here will mostly serve as a guide for devotees living at

home (who may have an altar of pictures in

their home - not installed Deities). According to Hari-bhakti -

vilasa and other authorised sastras, different standards of worship

are acceptable in different circumstances. Therefore the worship of the Lord at home by a

householder may be suitably adjusted to his capacity and need not be like that in an opulent, well-

established temple.

The proper standard for Deity worship is to have regularly

installed Deities, worshipped strictly according to scriptural

directions; but many devotees are not ready orcapable of such

worship. It is for such devotees that these directions are intended. Anotherpoint is that there is no

single, clearly-defined

methodology of worship given in the scriptures. Therefore what has

been given here are very simple procedures which can be easily

followed by all. For instance, in the home situation it is quite

acceptable and normal for women to perform puja and aratis;

although it is unthinkable that they could do so in the famous


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temples of India. Nevertheless, even at home, women should not

engage in worship directly during the time of month they are

considered unclean.

However, although certain standards for householders may be

relaxed, they should not be skimpy or miserly in their home

worship. Unless one is completely poverty-stricken, he shouldarrange at least to use good quality incense, flowers etc.

Everything in the Deity room and all paraphernalia for worship

should be kept spotlessly clean. Brass and copper utensils should

be always bright and shiny. Deity dresses should be discarded and

replaced atthe first signs of becoming soiled and old.

The Deities Themselves, pictures, altar clothes, conches, cloths

used in arati, the floor and walls of the Deity room all need

regular cleaning.

Flowers used in worship are best removed from the altar at night.

Before offering arati or performing puja (and even before cooking

if worshipping installed Deities), a bath should be taken andfresh cloth put on. Silk is the best cloth for Deity worship;

cotton is also acceptable; polyester, terrycotton, and artificial

cloth/cotton-mixes are forbidden. Proper Vaisnava dress should be

worn (see section on Vaisnava Appearance), not Western-style.

Offering arati - general outline

The following items should be placed on a plate specially kept for

this purpose ("the arati plate"):

1. A conch for blowing 2. A cup filled with fresh water and a spoon

3. Incense - 3 sticks

4. "Pancapradip"- a ghee lamp with five wicks

5. A conch for offering water in and a stand to rest iton.

6. A container of water for offering

7. A small piece of cloth.Handkerchiefs are

commonly used. Varieties without printed writing on

them are the best. 2 or 3 should be kept only for

offering at arati. The handkerchief must be clean and

neatly folded.

8. A small plate of flowers

9. An oil wick, candle and matches

A camara (whisk) and peacock fan are permanently kept

in the Deity room.

The devotee who offers arati pays obeisances outside the Deity

room. Next, he performs acamana as follows: Taking the spoon

from the acamana cup in his left hand he places water from

the acamana cup in his right hand then sips it up in his mouth.

Then he says, "Om kesavaya namah" and places another drop of

water in his right hand. This procedure is repeated two more


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times; the second time after sipping water he says "Om

narayanaya namah," the third time he says "Om madhavaya namah."

The acamana cup is used throughout the arati to purify the hands

and all objects offered. To purify an object, simply put three

dropsof water on it.

After performing acamana, first purify the blowing conch (whichis kept just outside the Deity room); take it in the right hand

and blow three times. Purify it again (with water), purify the

right hand again with water and enter the Deity room. From

inside the Deity room open the curtains (which had hitherto

been closed) while ringing the bell. Upon seeing the Deities,

all the devotees present bow down and offer obeisances, then

stand up and begin kirtan. Place the arati-plate on a small

table, which is kept in the Deity room for that purpose. Now

purify the incense (with a drop of water at the base) and light

it. Best is to have an open oil lamp; next best is to use a

candle. Either an oil lamp or a candle should be lit withmatches immediately upon entering the Deity room. Or keep an oil

lamp permanently burning. Otherwise, use matches to directly

light the incense.

Purify both hands, and the bell; pick up the incense in the

right hand and the bell in the left and start to offer arati,

ringing the bell all the time, while offering each item. Each item

is offered by circling it in a clockwise direction around of the

picture or the Deity of each worshippable personality being

worshipped. After mentally taking permission from one's spiritual

master, offer each item first to Krsna, then Radha, then

Nityananda, then Caitanya Mahaprabhu, then Srila Prabhupada,then to one's initiating guru.

The items of puja paraphernalia are offered in the following order:

1. Incense

2. Ghee Lamp

3.Water in conch (this is a different conch to the one blown at the beginning of the

arati)

4. Cloth

5. Flower

6. Camara

7. Peacock fan

When offering water in the conch, after offering to each

worshippable person, pour out three drops into the water holder kept

for this purpose. After offering to all the worshippable

personalities, pour the balance of water in the conch into the water

container,then take the water container in the left hand, come to

the front of the Deity room, pour a little water into the palm of

the right hand, and throw it over the heads of the assembled


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devotees. Throw a few handfuls of water until all the devotees have

received a little water on their heads.

After offering the flowers, place one or a few at the lotus feet of

all the personalities worshipped on the altar and keep a few for

distributing to the assembled devotees. The camara and the fan are simply waved a few times in

the direction ofeach worshippable personality. In winter, when the cooling effect of

the fan is undesirable, it should not be used. Remember to purify

each item before offering it and to repurify the hand after

offering each item.

The arati is completed in about 20 minutes. The conch is blown

three times again, the kirtan comes to an end, prema-dhvani is

recited (see songbook), and the arati paraphernalia is removed for

cleaning. During the arati the pujari's attention should be

concentrated on what he is doing - worshipping the Supreme Lord. The

pujari's attitude is one of great awe and reverance.

Arati is sometimes offered with only incense, flowers andcamara. This is called a dhupa-arati. But all the items mentioned

above should be offerd at mangala arati and sandhya-arati.

Puja

In the scriptures many complex methods of puja are described.

Only a very basic outline of puja is given here, because doing

complex puja is not possible for all. The proper system is that

puja is learnt after receiving brahminical initiation; but for

beginning devotees, wanting to do simple daily puja at home, this

very much simplified outline is given. Direction is being given

for those worshipping pictures of the Lord: devotees worshipping

Deities of wood, metal, stone or brass should consult thebook"Arcana Paddhati" or an experienced pujari for guidance.

Puja is performed early in the morning, after mangala-arati, and

after cleaning all the pictures, the altar and the Deity

room. In the scriptures there are directions for worshipping with

five, ten, sixteen or sixty-four upacaras (items). The five items

are gandha (scent), flowers, incense, a single ghee lamp and

naivedya (food).

First, puja is offerd to the guru, then to Sri Sri Gaura Nitai,

then to Sri Sri Radha Krsna.

After worshipping the guru take permission from him to worship

Sri Sri Gaura Nitai and Sri Sri Radha Krsna. Worship with five

items is conducted as follows:

Prepare gandha (a paste of sandalwood and camphor; pink

sandalwood should be used, not the bright red variety). Then,

sitting on a mat on the Deity room floor, place the picture of the

guru on a small table in front of you. Put a little gandha on the

guru's forehead. Next, affix a fresh tulsi leaf to the guru's right


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hand using the gandha paste (tulsi is only offered to the feet

of the Visnu-tattva Deities; the idea of placing tulsi in the

guru's hand is that he will place it at the lotus feet of

Krsna). Next, offer incense, a ghee lamp, then flowers -as in

arati. After offering, flowers are placed at the lotus feet of the

guru. Next, place a freshly made garland on the picture of theguru (either the pujari or another member of the family can collect

flowers and make garlands). Now do the puja in the same way for the

Panca tattva, then for Sri Sri Radha Krsna. Now offer the naivedya

(bhoga foodstuffs). Either simple fruits, sweets, milk, etc., can be

offered, or cooked foods also. Now the puja is finished; arati

may now be offered.

Throughout the puja suitable mantras and songs in praise of the

guru, Sri Sri Gaura Nitai and Sri Sri Radha Krsna are chanted or

sung.

Reading Spiritual Literature

Reading is an extension of the hearing process; one gains knowledgeby receiving it from another. There is a vast treasure house of

Vaisnava literature. The most important of these books have been translated into English by His

Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Prabhupada.

Although Srila Prabhupada is no longer personally present with us,

everyone can directly associate with him by reading his books.

Srila Prabhupada was especially empowered by Krsna to present all

the subtleties of Vaisnava understanding in straightforward

English language, just suitable for modern man to comprehend.

Although there are many books available for devotees to read,

devotees who desire to easily grasp the essence of Krsnaconsciousness should concentrate on reading Srila Prabhupada's

books. Among the many books which he has translated, Srila

Prabhupada has said that the most important are Bhagavad-gita As it

Is, Srimad Bhagavatam, Teachings Of Lord Chaitanya and Nectar of

Devotion.

Reading of these Vaisnava literatures on a daily basis is essential

for all devotees. Read for one hour, two hours or at least half an

hour daily. Like all devotional activities, reading should be done

with deep concentration and respect, praying to guru and Krsna to

be blessed with the ability to understand such exalted subject

matters.

THE FOUR REGULATIVE PRINCIPLES

The four regulative principles of devotional service are:

1. No eating of meat, fish or eggs

2. No intoxication

3. No gambling

4. No illicit sex life


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These are the four pillars of sinful life. They directly destroy the four pillars of religion, namely

mercy, austerity, truthfulness and cleanliness. If one is sinful and has no mercy, austerity,

truthfulness or cleanliness, how can he advance in spiritual life? Therefore strict following of these

four regulative principles is a must for every devotee and indeed, for every civilized

human being.

Apart from meat, fish and eggs, garlic and onions are also forbidden for devotees, as are factory-made bread and biscuits and other food cooked by nondevotees. Actually, devotees only like to

take Krsna-prasada - food cooked specifically for the pleasure of the Lord and offered to Him

with love and devotion.

Intoxication includes not only alcohol, ganja and hard drugs, but also tobacco, pan, betelnuts,

betel powder, tea and coffee.

Along with gambling, all frivolous activities, such as watching TV, going to the cinema, mundane

sports and music etc., are not meant for devotees. Note that lotteries are gambling.

Illicit sex means any sexual relationships other than that within marriage for the purpose of

begetting Krsna conscious children.

Restricting man-woman association

pumsah striya mithuni bhavam etam

tayor aho hrdaya-granthim ahuh

ato-grha-ksetra-sutapta-vittair

janasya moho'yam aham mameti

Translation: "The attraction between male and female is the basic principle of material existence.

On the basis of this misconception, which ties together the hearts of the male and female, one

becomes attracted to his body, home, property, children, relatives and wealth. In this way oneincreases life's illusions and thinks in terms of I and mine.

Srimad Bhagavatam 5.5.8

In Vedic culture, association between men and women is not only restricted for brahmacaris and

sannyasis, but even for married couples. Of course, within marriage husband and wife must

associate; but that association should only be to assist each other in advancement in Krsna

consciousness. Unnecessary mixing, even between husband and wife, is the cause of falldown for

both. (This subject has been very elaborately discussed by the author in his book

Brahmacarya in Krsna Consciousness ).

Krsna conscious couples sanctify their conjugal relationship by uniting for the purpose of begtting

devotee children. Srila Prabhupada directed his householder disciples to each chant at least 50

rounds of japa to purify their minds before copulating. According to the consciousness of the

parents at the time of sex life, a suitable soul is attracted to the womb of the mother. So if the

parents beget offspring in Krsna consciuosness, their children will also be Krsna conscious.

In this modern, disturbed age, it is often very difficult for husband and wife to live peacefully

together. But if Krsna consciousness replaces selfish sense gratification as the basis of marriage,


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family life can be very pure and happy. Married life in Krsna consciousness is a greater subject

than can be dealt with in depth in this book. Persons desiring to spiritualize their home are advised

to contact mature, senior grhastha members of ISKCON for guidance and advice.

When to sing which songs

The following songs as indicated below are sung at specific times

in all ISKCON centres throughout the world. The songs are

identified by their first lines. The full texts of the songs are

found in the book Songs of Vaisnava Acaryas .

When to sing Song

Mangala arati samsara davanala lidha loka

After each arati namaste narasringaya

Tulsi arati tulasi krsna preyasi namo nama

Guru-puja sri guru carana padmaBefore honouring prasada sarira avidya jal

Sandhya arati jaya jaya gauracander aratika

Tulsi

Tulsi is auspicious in all respects. Simply by seing, simply

by touching, simply by praying to, simply by bowing before, simply

by hearing about or simply by sowing this tree, there is always

auspiscousness. Anyone who comes in touch with the tulsi tree in

the above mentioned ways lives eternally in the Vaikuntha world.

- Skanda Purana

Every devotee keeps at least one or two tulsi plants at home,waters them daily, and looks after them carefully. It is said that

where tulsi flourishes is a sign of bhakti at that place.

Tulsi arati is generally conducted in the temple room. Before

bringing tulsi in, the Deity room curtain is closed (because tulsi

should not be worshipped in front of the Deities). At the time of

arati, the pot in which tulsi is kept is decorated with a nice

cloth. Tulsi-devi is thus placed on a stand or table in the middle

of the temple room. As she is brought in one devotee chants the

following mantra and all the devotees chant responsively (this

procedure is repeated three times) :

vrndayai tulasi devyai priyayai kesavasya ca

visnubhakti prade devi satyavatyai namo namah

The specific song for tulsi arati is sung (see Songs of the

Vaisnava Acaryas) and the arati is conducted as follows.

The arati plate is made up with an acamana cup, a bell, three

sticks of incense, a ghee lamp and a small plate of flowers.

Matches or a lighted candle or oil lamp are also required.


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The devotee who is to offer the arati first performs acamana.

Then he offers lighted incense, then the lighted ghee lamp, and

then the flowers to Tulsi-devi by waving them in circles before

her. After the incense is offered it is put in an incense holder

to continue burning. After the ghee lamp is offered, it is handed

by the devotee offering the arati to another devotee, who thenbrings it to all the devotees present, who then touch their hand

first over the flame and then to their heads. After offering the

flowers, a few are placed at the base of the tulsi stem and the

rest are distributed to the devotees to smell.

When the tulsi-arati is completed, the devotees perform clockwise

circumambulation of Tulsi-devi, while chanting the following

mantra :

yani kani ca papani brahma hatyadikani ca

tani tani pranasyanti pradaksinah pade pade

followed by Hare Krsna kirtan.

A few more points about TulsiTulsi leaves are essential for Vaisnava puja. Tulsi leaves should

be collected in the morning using scissors which are specifically

used for this purpose only. Care should be taken not to hurt Tulsi-

devi (remember: she is not an ordinary plant - she is a great pure

devotee)

Tulsi manjaris (seed receptacles) should be cut as soon as they

appear. Otherwise many tulsi plants will start to grow everywhere

and it will become difficult to care for them properly. Also, early

cutting of manjaris helps tulsi to grow strong and healthy.

Tulsi should be kept in such a way and such a place that animals

don't disturb her (dogs actually like to urinate on tulsi and goatslike to eat her). She should be placed away from pathways so that

people do not thoughtlessly brush past her. Children (and adults

too!) should be trained to treat her respectfully. Tulsi does not

like the hot summer sun, so try to keep her in the shade.

Although tulsi has reputed medicinal qualities, devotees do not

think of her as medicine. She is a pure devotee and worshippable

by us. For devotees, cultivation of tulsi is for cultivation of

devotion and nothing else.

Tulsi leaves are offered in devotion at the lotus feet of Visnu-

tattva Deities and pictures and to no-one else. This means that

tulsi leaves are to be offered to the lotus feet of Krsna,

Nrsinghadeva, Lord Caitanya, Nityananda Prabhu, Advaita Prabhu

etc. but not to the lotus feet even of Radharani, Gadadhara

Pandit, Srivasa Pandita or to the sampradaya acaryas.

However, in Deity worship, tulsi may be placed in the right hand of

one's guru for him to offer at Krsna's lotus feet. Tulsi leaves

are also necessary for offering bhoga (foodstuffs) to the Lord.


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Vaisnava Appearance

Although dressing as a Vaisnava is not completely essential (inward consciousness being moreimportant than external appearance), it is very important. Just as a policeman in uniform is

recognised for what he is by the populace (and thus is dealt with by them in a particular way

according to his occupation), so a devotee proclaims to the world his commitment to Krsna

consciousness by dressing as a devotee. Devotees who dress as such regularly have the pleasent

experience of explaining why they are devotees to curious members of the public. Thus, dressing

as devotees gives us more opportunities to preach. Furthermore, by dressing as a Vaisnava, the

devotee takes the responsibility to act as a Vaisnava. One appearing as a sadhu is expected to

conduct himself in a dignified way; so dressing as a devotee helps the devotee to act in an

exemplary way. It is a fact that if we look like a Vaisnava, it helps us to feel like a Vaisnava.

On the other hand, Western dress (which has become so popular nowadays) automatically tendsto put us in a different frame of mind. Western dress is associated with Western standards, with a

lifestyle based on lust and greed; and is therefore best avoided. If one feels uncomfortable

appearing as a Vaisnava in public, he can dress like that at home, or at least when visiting temples

or at the time of practising Krsna consciousnsess at home.

Ideal Vaisnava appearance is as follows: For men: tilak, tulsi neckbeads, shaved head with

knotted sikha (sikha not more than one and a half inches wide). Householders living outside the

temple who feel constrained to keep a shaved head may have very short, neatly kept hair, but

never long hair, for long hair is considered objectionable by the followers of Sri Caitanya

Mahaprabhu. Face clean shaven, no beard, no mustache or sideburns. Dress -dhoti worn with a

kach (the folded cloth which is tucked in at the back). On the upper part of the body a traditional

style kurta and/or cloth top- piece. Turbans are also acceptable. T-shirts with non-devotionalpictures or words are not.

Thus neatly attired, the Vaisnava appears like a perfect aristocratic gentleman engaged in the

service of Lord Krsna.

For women: traditional Indian dress (sari) plus tilak and neckbeads. No Western fashions, no

loose hair; hair parting in the middle of the head and the rest of the body well covered in the

presence of men other than husband and sons.

1>+MD:\WORD\NORMAL.STYEPLX800@|P5 Caturmasya and Damodara vrata

Caturmasya is a four month period of austerity observed during the rainy season. Traditionally,

during the monsoon, those sadhus and sannyasis who travel from place to place to enlighten the

general populace stop their wanderings and remain in a holy place for four months to worship the

Lord with vows of austerity.

However, ISKCON members, on the order of Srila Prabhupada, do not stop their intensive

preaching activities during the rainy season and do not therefore observe very severe

Caturmasya vows. They observe the following dietary restrictions: in the first month one should


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not eat spinach. In the second month, one should not take yogurt. In the thiird month, one should

not drink milk. In the fourth month one should not eat urad dahl.

The Caturmasya period is reckoned from sayana ekadasi (in the month of Asada) to uttara

ekadasi (in the month of Kartika); or from Asadha purnima to Kartika purnima; or simply

during the solar months of Sravana, Bhadra, Asvin and Kartika (consult the Vaisnava calendar

for the exact dates).The fourth month of Caturmasya, Kartika, is dedicated to Lord Krsna in His Damodara form and

is known as Damodara month. "Damadara" is a name of Krsna referring to when He was tied up

with a rope around His stomach as a punishment by His mother, Yasoda.

This is a month during which many Vaisnavas go to reside in Vrindaban, following special vows.

In the temples, a picture of Damodara and Yasoda is placed on the altar and morning and evening

all devotees individually offer ghee lamps to the Deities (from outside the Deity room) while

congregationally singing the prayer "Damodarastakam." (see song book)

The Guru and InitiationNo one can become self-realised simply by reading books. Getting

extracted from maya's clutches is not easy. It is a path on which

tests and difficulties are certain. No one can enter the kingdom

of God on their own strength alone.

Therefore, all the scriptures emphatically state the absolute

necessity for all spiritual aspirants to accept the shelter of a

bona fide spiritual master.

Srila Prabhupada has said: "In every step of one's life the

spiritual master guides. To give such guidance a spiritual master

should be a very perfect man. Otherwise, how can he guide...? One

cannot deny the order of the spiritual master. Therefore, one hasto select a spiritual master by whose orders one will not commit

a mistake. Suppose you accept the wrong person as a spiritual

master and he guides you wrongly. Then your whole life is

spoiled. So one has to select a spiritual master whose guidance

will make one's life perfect. That is the relationship between

the spiritual master and the disciple: It is not a formality. It

is a great responsibility both for the disciple and for the

spiritual master." (Quotes from Srila Prabhupada Lilamrta, Volume

2, by Satsvarupa Das Goswami).

Within ISKCON at the present time, any disciple of Srila

Prabhupada who is in good-standing within the society, may be

approached and requested to initiate a candidate into Krsna

consciousness. "In good standing," means that he must have a

clean record of following the regulative principles, daily

chanting 16 rounds of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra on japa mala; a

good record of rising early and attending temple programmes,

steadiness in devotional service, philosophical fidelity with


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the tenets of Krsna consciousness; and is working within the

organizational framework of ISKCON, as accepted by the Governing

Body Commission.

According to Hari-bhakti-vilasa, a candidate for Krsna

consciousness should regularly hear about Krsna from a recognized

devotee for at least a year. During this period, a relationshipof guru and disciple may develop by service and enquiry. Then,if

the disciple feels confident that, "Here is a person who I can

surrender to, who can lead me to Krsna" he may approach that

devotee and pray to him for initiation.

Satisfied that the aspirant is serious and sincere, the guru may

then initiate him. Cheap, rushed initiations are therefore not

in order.

In ISKCON, because the initiating gurus are often travelling, and

the number of disciples may be many, a guru may have limited

opportunities to assess the character of a prospective disciple.

In such cases he may accept the recommendation of a seniordisciple (usually a temple president). And every candidate for

initiation has to pass a standard written or verbal test, so that

it is clear that he has an understanding of what he is doing.

Whoever one accepts as a guru in ISKCON he will give the same

basic instructions - those which were given to us by Srila

Prabhupada (i.e. rise early, chant 16 rounds, etc.). However, the

guru is a personal link to the parampara and prospective

disciples are strongly recommended to be very thoughtful in the

matter of accepting a guru. Although they may take advice from

others, they should also personally scrutinize the character of

a devotee from whom they are considering accepting initiation.Apart from the guidelines given above (for a devotee in "good

standing" within ISKCON) one should see how much the guru has

controlled the six urges, has developed the six positive

qualities, and is free from the six faults (see Nectar of

Instruction, verses 1-3, for a detailed explanation).

Furthermore, a disciple should see how much an initiating

spiritual master is attached to the process of devotional service

and the preaching of Krsna consciousness. One should also

understand that for a guru to have a big position and many

followers is not necessarily indicative of his advancement in

Krsna consciousness, or his ability to train disciples in

devotional service.

The guru-disciple relationship is ideally very close and

personal. Therefore, when selecting the person who is to be one's

spiritual master, one's worshippable guide, there are personal

considerations also. For instance, although the teachings of all

bona fide spiritual masters are the same, each spiritual master


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has his own personality and approach to guruship. Some gurus may

be very strict and demanding of their disciples; others may be

more liberal.

Some devotees thrive in a strict spiritual atmosphere; others

cannot adjust to such a situation and do better without being

highly controlled.Again, one guru may be very much inclined to Deity worship,

another to cow protection, another may have a special love for

kirtan, yet another may strongly emphasize transcendental book

distribution. (Actually, Srila Prabhupada so strongly emphasized

the importance of transcendental book distribution that all of

his disciples and followers are expected to share in that mood.

Still, some may be stressing it more than others). So,

considering one's own inclinations and phsychological make-up, he

may approach a suitable devotee for initiation.

Another important personal consideration is that it would

generally be wise to take initiation from a devotee who one willget a regular opportunity to hear from and serve. Also, a great

advantage is to take initiation from a devotee who speaks the

same language as the disciple!

Be careful of being pressured into accepting initiation from some

over-zealous disciples of his; that is not the correct process.

Those coming to ISKCON for spiritual shelter are entitled to

approach any thus authorized member of the society to grant

initiation to them.

Although thoughtfulness is required in the matter of initiation,

waiting an inordinately long time is also not generally

recommended. Generally, those who take up following the fourregulative principles and daily chanting of 16 rounds of the

maha-mantra, accept initiation within one to two years of having

taken up the process.

Below is a simple summary of the system of initiation (and

beyond) as approved by the ISKCON GBC:

1. A candidate starts associating with devotees.

2. At least six months after having started following the four

regulative principles, chanting sixteen rounds of Hare Krsna

maha-mantra japa daily, and hearing from senior devotees, he may

decide which senior devotee he wishes to be initiated by. He

should approach that devotee and a period of mutual testing

begins.

3. After another six months (minimum), if both parties are

agreeable, he may be initiated by that devotee. At that time he

will receive a spiritual name (diksa-nama).

4. The new initiate goes on hearing and chanting. After some more

time, if the disciple remains steady in devotional service,


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(usually at least one year), the spiritual master may offer him

brahminical initiation and Gayatri mantras.

One important point is that, apart from one's own initiating

spiritual master, one should continue to hear from and serve

other devotees (especially senior devotees) in ISKCON. Although

it is natural that one will have affection for his own guru, theVaisnava etiquette is that one should treat the guru's

Godbrothers as respectfully as the guru himself. Another

important point is that, if one has previously taken initiation

from a person who is not a bona fide, recognized Vaisnava, that

person can, and, (according to scripture), must be rejected, for

the sake of accepting a bona fide spiritual master. People who

already have such "gurus" are often afraid to give them up,

fearing retribution, but they need not worry. The scriptural

warning against leaving one's spiritual master does not apply in

the case of bogus gurus, and this is stated in the scripture

itself. Those who take shelter of a proper Vaisnava guru willcertainly be directly protected by Krsna (see Srila Prabhupada's

purport to S.Bhag.: 8.20.1, for further discussion of this

point).

"The Spiritual Master and the Disciple," published by the BBT, is

a comprehensive series of extracts from Srila Prabhupada's books

on this very important subject. It is recommended that before

taking initiation, every devotee should carefully study this book.

1>+"&&())C:\WORD5\NORMAL.STYPSDOWN*@wqP'&(5 ISKCON

ISKCON (The International Society for Krsna Consciosness) was founded in New York in 1966by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. It rapidly expanded to become a

worldwide confederation of several hundred temples and asramas, with affiliated farm

communities and gurukula schools.

ISKCON is based on the timeless teachings of Bhagavad-gita and Srimad- Bhagavatam, as

received in disciplic succession from Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Lord Caitanya appeared in Sri

Mayapura Dhama and promulgated the science of Krsna bhakti. He popularised the chanting of

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare/ Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare,

the maha-mantra (great chanting for deliverance) most effective in this age of Kali.

ISKCON's spiritual lineage is traced from Srila Prabhupada back through a chain of spiritual

masters, through Lord Caitanya, back through Madhvacarya, to Lord Brahma and ultimately to

Lord Krsna Himself. This principle of parampara (unbroken disciplic succession) is a major

hallmark of ISKCON's authenticity.

Managerially ISKCON is divided on a world wide basis into several zones (approximately thirty

at present). Each zone is overseen by a senior devotee. His position is Governing Body

Commissioner (GBC Officer). The highest managerial authority in ISKCON is the GBC body

(comprised of all GBC officers). The GBC body meets once yearly in Mayapur for reviewing and

planning the activities of the society. Decisions within the GBC body are made on a voting basis.


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Within each GBC zone there are several temples. Each temple is financially and to a large extent

managerially independent of all others. Thus, there is no one head office of ISKCON, although

Mayapura is considered to be the main spiritual headquarters in the world.

Each temple has a Temple President, who is its main officer and temporal authority. The GBC

officer regularly visits the temples in his zone to help ensure that spiritual standards are being

maintained, to see that management and development are going on nicely, and to co-ordinatepreaching within the zone.

Thus after the departure of Srila Prabhupada, there is no one leader of ISKCON. Srila

Prabhupada himself said that all his disciples - those that followed - would become the leaders in

his physical absence. He admonished his disciples to work together co-operatively to help spread

Krsna consciousness, and this order remains the key to the continuing spread of the movement.

We can understand what a responsible position the GBC officers hold by examining the

qualifications which Srila Prabhupada expected of them:

1. He must demonstrate exemplary personal sadhana by:

(a) verifiably chanting sixteen rounds per day.

(b) following the four regulative principle

(c) strictly following the temple programme, starting with mangala-arati, and(d) regularly reading Srila Prabhupada's books.

2. He must train all the devotees in his zone to maintain the above sadhana standard.

3. He must possess ideal character by:

(a) dealing in a straightforward way, free from duplicity.

(b) being able to give and take sadhu-sanga

(c) avoiding any offence to the Vaisnavas

4. He must be able to train and inspire others to preach and distribute Srila Prabhupada's books by

his instructions and personal example.

5. He must ensure that the temple and Deity standards are maintained, that accounts are paid

regularly, and that the devotional life in the temple is healthy.

6. He must

begginers' guide to krishna consciousness

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