september back to godhead...september 2014 back to godhead 5 prasäda in front of altar? —r. m....

SEPTEMBER 2014 � BACK TO GODHEAD 1

BACK TO GODHEAD � SEPTEMBER 20142


Founded 1944. Vol. 11 No. 9 September 2014

C O N T E N T S

6A WORLD OF CHEATERS AND THE CHEATED

22

34EDITORIAL

10DON’T COMPROMISE YOUR PRINCIPLES

30EVERY TOWNAND VILLAGE

33VAIÑËAVACALENDAR

4LETTERS

24WISDOM NUGGETS FROMBHAGAVAD-GÉTÄ

Visit us at www.backtogodhead.in

14

28

23POEM

BACK TOGODHEAD

OUR PURPOSES• To help all people discern reality from illusion, spirit from matter, the eternal from the temporary.• To expose the faults of materialism. • To offer guidance in the Vedic techniques of spiritual life.• To preserve and spread the Vedic culture. • To celebrate the chanting of the holy names of Godas taught by Lord Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu • To help every living being remember and serve ÇréKåñëa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

F E

A T

U R

E S

D E

P A

R T

M E

N T

S

THREE MINDSETS

IN THE LAP OF MOTHER NATURE

WHEN OUR FAILURE IS A SUCCESS

10

24


FOUNDER(under the direction of His Divine GraceÇré Çrémad Bhaktisiddhänta SarasvatéPrabhupäda) His Divine Grace A. C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupäda -Founder-äcärya of The InternationalSociety for Krishna Consciousness

BTG INDIA: EDITOR Çyämänanda Däsa• ASSISTANTS Muräri Gupta Däsa,Mukunda Mälä Däsa, Nanda Duläl Däsa• EDITORIAL CONSULTANT CaitanyaCaraëa Däsa • PROOFREADERS RadhaPanicker, Revaté Vallabha Däsa,Gautam Saha• PUBLISHER Yudhiñthira Däsa (UjwalJajoo) • GENERAL MANAGERPänduraìga Däsa (Rajendra-kumar Pujari)• PRODUCTION Saccidänanda Däsa(Sanjiv Maheshwari), Sundar Rüpa Däsa(Sudarshan Sapaliga) •ACCOUNTSManjaré Devé Däsé (Mira Singh)• SUBSCRIBER SERVICES SangeetaLunagariya.OFFICE Back to Godhead, 33 Janki Kutir,Next to State Bank of Hyderabad, Juhu,Mumbai 400 049, India.

SUBSCRIPTIONS Back to Godhead ispublished twelve times a year. Subscriptionscharges (by courier)—one-year: Rs. 575/-,two-year: Rs. 1150/-, five-year: Rs. 2800/-(by post)— Rs. one-year: Rs. 300/-,two-year: Rs. 600/-, five-year: Rs. 1400/- You can start subscription from any month.Send the amount to Back to Godhead, 302,Amrut Industrial Estate, 3rd floor, WesternExpress Highway, Mira Road (E) 401 104.Tel: (022) 28457751. E-mail:[email protected]

To change your address or clear up anyquestions about your subscription, write toBTG Service Center & Marketing Office atthe above address.

We can answer your questions faster ifyou send a recent mailing label or invoice.Allow eight weeks for changes to show upon your mailing label.

PRINTING Magna Graphics Pvt. Ltd.,Mumbai.

© 2014 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. All rights reserved. (Trustee for the

Bhaktivedanta Book Trust: JayädvaitaSwami.) ISSN: 0005-3643. Published for TheBhaktivedanta Book Trust by Ujwal Jajoo ,33, Janki Kutir, Next to State Bank ofHyderabad, Juhu, Mumbai and printed byhim at Magna Graphics Pvt. Ltd. 101-C&D,Govt. Industrial Estate, Kandivli (W),Mumbai-400067, India. Editor: ÇyamänandaDäsa, Çré Çré Rädhä-Gopénätha Temple,Chowpatty, Mumbai- 400 007, India.

BACK TO

GODHEAD

The Magazine of theHare Krishna Movement

L E T T E R S

Assisted DeathWhat are your views on euthanasia?

—VikramOur reply (by Caitanya Caraëa

Däsa): According to the Vedic philoso-phy, we have to live in this body for aparticular period of time. And in thatperiod, there is a certain amount ofkarma (reactions in the form of happi-ness and distress) that we have toendure. If we try to avoid them prema-turely by destroying the body, we gainfurther karma. Why? Because we havedestroyed the body that was entrustedto us by God — it is as good as suicide.Whoever assists the patient in hisdeath — a doctor, friend, or a relative— that person also incurs karma.

The Vedic understanding is toallow nature to follow its course. Thismeans that we don’t accelerate ourdeath by taking substances that killour body, which is now known asmedically assisted suicide. Nor do weover-endeavor to prolong our life byputting artificial support systems fora very long time. If the doctorsdeclare that the body is dysfunc-tional, or it cannot survive without asupport system, then extending theperson’s life on that support systemis not recommended. If the soul isdestined to go to the next body, whystay attached?

There is, however, one form ofvoluntarily accepted death men-tioned in the scriptures, which mightseem like euthanasia but is different.It is called präya-vrataù. Präya-vrataùmeans a person decides to fast todeath. This is the religious method ofdeparting from the body. You maycall it suicide or you may call it

euthanasia. But when a person feelsthat he has no more desire to live, hetakes up an austere life and entersinto a state of religious or devotionaltrance through meditation. He thenshuts himself off from the world andgives up the body.

The important thing here is thatthe person does not take any artifi-cial substances to reduce his bodilypain. He does not violate any laws ofnature that invite karmic reactions.Fasting is a sacred activity, andusually people fast on Ekädaçés andother auspicious days. But when onesees that the body is no longercapable of functioning properly, hedecides to fast until death, not totorture the body, but to quit thebody in a dignified manner.

The practice of bhakti-yogaencourages one to absorb the mindin Kåñëa, which enables one totranscend all bodily pain and achievepurification of the heart. Of course,we understand how much pain aterminally ill patient has to undergountil he or she dies, and we don’twish to be hard-hearted by sentenc-ing people to suffering. But senti-mental or quick-fix solutions toavoid suffering may well end up inmaking the suffering worse. Coura-geously facing life’s challenges byabsorption in Kåñëa has muchgreater salvific benefits for thatperson, and it offers tremendousinspiration to others.

Closing Curtains while EatingWhy do we keep curtains or doors ofthe altar closed when we offer foodto the Lord or when we are taking

®


prasäda in front of altar?—R. M. Pujari

Our reply (by His HolinessRomapäda Swami Mahäräja):

According to Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu, it is an offense to offer theDeity food that has been seen byanimals or uninitiated persons. Inaddition, others should not directlysee the bhoga prior to its beingoffered to the Deity because wemay lustfully consider enjoying thatwhich is meant for Kåñëa, evenwithin our minds, and thus commitan offense. There is the story ofMädhavendra Puré, a great devo-tee, who felt he committed a greatoffense by desiring to taste thesweet rice before it was offered toGopinätha, the Deity at Remuëa inOrissa.

Çréla Prabhupäda taught us thatwe cover the tray of not-yet-offered food preparations from thekitchen to the altar with a cloth,and we offer bhoga with the altarcurtain (or door) closed to thepublic. Sometimes a half-curtain isutilized for this purpose, such thatthe Deity can be seen but theunoffered food items cannot beseen until the offering is completed.

The act of our eating is not aclean activity; thus we cleanse thearea fully wherever eating hastaken place after eating, and we donot eat in front of the deity.

Please write to us at:BTG, 3rd Floor, 302, Amrut Indus-trial Estate, Western ExpressHighway, Mira Road (E) 401104.E-mail: [email protected].

FOLLOW US ON

CALL US NOW.+91–9321977501,022–32556701

Email: [email protected]

Not getting your BTG?Complaints

about your subscription?

Check our Facebook page onwww.facebook.com/btg.in

BACK TO GODHEAD in

COLOR!We are happy to presentBack to Godhead in anupgraded format —

improved paper and allpages in color. We are sure

you will find it moreenjoyable to read.


Bhagavad-gétä 1.13-14, London, July 14, 1973F O U N D E R’ S L E C T U R E

(c) Dinodia Photo Library


Cheaters �� Cheated

tataù çaìkhäç ca bheryaç capaëavänaka-gomukhäùsahasaiväbhyahanyanta

sa çabdas tumulo ‘bhavat

tataù çvetair hayair yuktemahati syandane sthitau

mädhavaù päëòavaç caivadivyau çaìkhau pradadhmatuù

[Bhagavad-gétä 1.13-14]

Translation: “After that, theconchshells, bugles, trumpets,drums and horns were all of asudden sounded, and the com-bined sound was tumultuous. Onthe other side, both Lord Kåñëaand Arjuna, stationed on a greatchariot drawn by white horses,sounded their transcendentalconchshells.”

So these are various types ofmusical instruments like bugles,

drums, kettledrums, as they use inmodern days. Those instrumentsare no longer in use. By musicalinstruments, the soldiers are keptalive so they can fight nicely. Saçabdas tumulo ‘bhavat: “Whensimultaneously all the instrumentswere sounded, it become tumultu-ous.”

As you see in some pictures,

Kåñëa is driving four white horses.Kåñëa is transcendental. Näräyaëaùparo ‘vyaktät. Kåñëa’s body,Kåñëa’s activities, everything ofKåñëa, are transcendental. Theyare divyam, not of this materialworld. In the catuù-çlokiBhägavatam (2.9.33-36) it is said,aham eväsam evägre: “Before thismaterial creation, I was existing.”In the Vedas also it is said, ekonäräyaëa äsét: “Before creation,only Näräyaëa was there.”

So Kåñëa’s position is alwaystranscendental. He is not anycreation of this material world. Butbecause He comes just like ahuman being and acts also just likehuman being, those who are lessintelligent think of Kåñëa as ordi-nary human being. Avajänanti mäàmüòhäù (Gétä 9.11). Müòhäùmeans asses, or less intelligent

By His Divine GraceA. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami PrabhupädaFounder-äcärya of The International Society for Krishna Consciousness

F O U N D E R’ S L E C T U R E

If we are not serious about getting the real thing,we will end up getting what we deserve — a cheap thing.

A WORLD OF


class of men. They cannot under-stand Kåñëa’s position. Kåñëa’sposition is always transcendental.

A Transcendental ProcessThe process of bhakti is also

transcendental. It is activity inrelationship with Kåñëa. Thereforeit is not material. Mäà ca yo‘vyabhicäreëa bhakti-yogenasevate/ sa guëän samatétyaitänbrahma-bhüyäya kalpate (Gétä14.26). And thus to understandKåñëa, you need follow a transcen-dental process, which is bhakti-yoga. Therefore Kåñëa says,bhaktyä mäm abhijänäti (Gétä18.55). We just need to under-stand these simple facts: Kåñëa istranscendental, Kåñëa’s name istranscendental, Kåñëa’s form istranscendental, sac-cid-änanda-vigrahaù. Éçvaraù paramaù kåñëaùsac-cid-änanda-vigrahaù (Brahma-saàhitä 5.1). Kåñëa’s body is notlike ours. Our body is asat, acit andniränanda, just the opposite. Asatmeans temporary — it will notexist eternally. But Kåñëa’s body iseternal. And it is cit, full of knowl-edge.

The less intelligent class of mencannot understand Kåñëa. There-fore çästra says, ataù çré-kåñëa-nämädi na bhaved grähyamindriyaiù (Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu1.2.234). These indriya, or thematerial senses, cannot speculateto understand the Supreme Per-sonality of Godhead. Such effortsare çrama eva hi kevalam, or simplylaboring, wasting time. Kåñëashould be understood as Kåñëasays. He can explain Himself.Nobody can explain perfectly

because our senses are imperfect.We are deficient by four kinds offaults: we commit mistakes; we areillusioned; we have imperfectsenses; we have cheating propen-sity. Scientists may try to explainby using the terms, “Probably,”“Maybe,” and so on. That meansimperfect knowledge. Still, theywant to teach. This is cheating.Knowledge must be perfect. Thenyou can teach others.

Are you getting cheated?So our process is to receive the

perfect knowledge from the per-

But people want to be cheated.Vaïcita-vaïcaka-sampradäya: thewhole world is full of cheaters andcheated. Because we want to becheated, there are so many cheat-ers. They don’t want the realthing. Here is the real thing,Bhagavad-gétä, the Supreme Per-sonality of Godhead speakingpersonally about Himself. Whyshould we interpret? Does it meanthat the Supreme Personality ofGodhead, the supreme authority,left something unexplained to beinterpreted later on by somerascals? No. But the rascals dare;they interpret. That is cheating.That is another fault. There arearound 650 editions of Bhagavad-gétä — simply cheating. The au-thors are big, big scholars — notscholars, they are all rascals. Theycheat. They pose themselves asscholars and people want to becheated, so they take their words.Such people cannot understandKåñëa because they take theshelter of the cheaters. Thereforethey are cheated.

Mäyä is very strong. She alwaysdictates so that we may getcheated: “Why you are takingKåñëa as the Supreme Personalityof Godhead? He is ordinary man.You can be also equal with Kåñëa.You also become God. You be-come also incarnation.” This isgoing on. And people flock therebecause they want to be cheated.They will not accept what Kåñëasays. Kåñëa says, sarva-dharmänparityajya mäm ekaà çaraëam:“Only take to Kåñëa conscious-ness” (Gétä 18.66). Anything that isnot approved by the Supreme Lord

fect source and distribute it. Wedon’t manufacture knowledge.Therefore we are presentingBhagavad-gétä as it is. TheBhagavad-gétä is already perfect.Why shall I interpret with myimperfect senses? This is cheating.

Vaïcita-

vaïcaka-

sampradäya:

the whole

world is full of

cheaters and

cheated.

Because we

want to be

cheated, there

are so many

cheaters.


Kåñëa is not dharma. Dharmaà tusäkñäd bhagavat-praëétam(Bhägavatam 6.3.19). A humanbeing or a demigod or even a veryexalted person cannot manufac-ture dharma. That is not possible.Real dharma is given by the Su-preme Personality of Godhead,Kåñëa, and that real dharma isstated in the Bhagavad-gétä. Sarva-dharmän parityajya mäm ekaàçaraëaà vraja: “Just surrenderunto me.” Surrender to Kåñëa andfollow His instruction, and your lifewill be perfect. Because you followthe perfect instruction, thereforeyou are also perfect. It is a simpleprocess. To become perfect, wehave to follow the perfect instruc-tion.

Accept the Perfect InstructionIn the Bhagavad-gétä, you will

find the perfect instruction. And ifwe take it as it is and follow it,then we become perfect. Tobecome perfect is not very difficultjob. But because we don’t want tobecome perfect, because we wantto be cheated, we do not becomeperfect. This is the difficulty. Sowe should know from the verybeginning that Kåñëa is transcen-dental. And all His activities, theyare all transcendental. When Kåñëawas just three months old, Hekilled the räkñasé Pütanä. Anordinary three-month old childcannot kill such a giant demon.When Kåñëa was six or seven yearsold, He lifted the Govardhana Hill.If Kåñëa can float big, big giganticplanets in the air just like cottonswab floating, is it very difficult forHim to lift a mountain with His

hand, with His finger? That is not atall difficult for Kåñëa. But those whowant to be cheated, they don’tbelieve these stories when Kåñëashows His transcendental strength.They will call such stories mythol-ogy, as if Vyäsadeva wrote thisÇrémad-Bhägavatam to put beforethese rascals some imaginarythings. Just see how they want tobe cheated. Why should such anexalted personality like Vyäsadevapresent something imaginary?Therefore sometimes these cheatedpeople deny that Vyäsadeva wrote

the Çrémad-Bhägavatam. But the realäcäryas, like Çaìkaräcärya,Rämänujäcärya, Madhväcärya, andCaitanya Mahäprabhu, do not saythese stories are mythology. Theyaccept them as they are. So wehave to follow these mahäjanas, orgreat authorities. If we don’t wantto be cheated, then we should takeKåñëa as He is presenting Himselfand as it is confirmed by theäcäryas. Then our knowledge isperfect.

Thank you very much. HareKåñëa.


Ç Ä S T R A – C A K Ñ U

(c)

Din

odia

Pho

to L

ibra

ry


Ç Ä S T R A – C A K Ñ U

Don’t Compromise

Your Principles

“Always do what is right. It will gratify half ofmankind and astound the other.” — M a rk Twain

by Mahätmä Däsa

The first thing ÇrélaPrabhupäda explained to afriend of mine in their

three-hour meeting on how to runhis business was this: “Don’tcompromise your principles.”

Çréla Prabhupäda often said, “Inever compromised my principles.If I compromised I could haveattracted more people, but then Iwould have given them a watereddown product that would haveneither been genuine nor pure. Iwas not prepared to compromisemy principles even if no one joinedmy mission.”

The truth is that many peoplejoined his mission; and they joinedprecisely because he did notcompromise his principles!

My friend recounts that whenhis industry was going through

difficult times, his companycontinued to prosper and grow. Heattributes his success to religiouslyfollowing dharmic (higher order)principles. His companymaintained higher principles ofintegrity and morality than hiscompetitors. The result is that hiscompany continues to be a leaderin an industry where many havegone out of business.

The core principles of acompany are both the foundationsupon which the company is builtand the reason it exists. If theseprinciples are not service, integrityand dharmic based, the companycannot last. No company overtwo-hundred years old whose onlymotive was profit exists today.

There once were two sadhuswho lived by the sea in an area in

which many ships requiredguidance to safely navigate to theshore. The sadhus regularly helpedthese ships steer their way to landthrough difficult waters.Sometimes they were called torescue people whose boatscapsized.

The work of the sadhusattracted the attention of the localpeople. Eventually a group ofsupporters and volunteersconstructed a building on thebeach to better facilitate thesadhus and their work. Thebuilding provided shelter from thesun and rain, and served thetravelers and seamen who neededrest or medical attention after theirlong and sometimes strenuousjourneys.

However, boats did not travel in


this area all year long. Plus, whenthe seas were calm ships couldeasily navigate to shore withouthelp. So the sadhus and theirvolunteer help had much free time.To enjoy their time together, thevolunteers created recreationalfacilities in the building. Now theycould play games, watch movies,and socialize in a comfortableplace when there were nostranded ships to assist.

Emphasis slowly andimperceptibly started shifting toenjoying time together ratherthan helping others. As thishappened, the saving of shipsand travelers was being seenmore as an infringement on theirenjoyment than their raison dee’tre. After all, this workbrought in many unsavorycharacters that dirtied the placewith sand, mud, and water. Aswell, some of these fellowscould be a real nuisance to takecare of, and unpleasant to havearound. Plus, this took awayfrom their time to socialize. Amood of reluctance andinconvenience — evenresentment — over having tocater to these travelers wasstarting to replace their originalmission of service.

In due course of time, longafter the sadhus passed on, thework of saving ships andfacilitating travelers wasforgotten and the buildingtransformed into a full scalerecreational facility. Few peoplewere now even aware of theoriginal purpose of the building.Two sadhus however, who were

completely frustrated that theoriginal mission had been lost,decided to set off for another area,live on the beach, and continuethe work and mission of thefounding sadhus.

Guess what eventuallyhappened? The very same thinghappened again. The mission waslost in time and a few frustratedpeople left the organization to dothe work for which it was originally

intended. And over time thepurpose of that organization wasalso lost. Duryodhana of theMahäbhärata is a good example ofa highly capable leader who,

although understanding dharma,was willing to forget core principlesto fulfill selfish ends. As a result helost everything.

Rävaëa of the Rämäyaëa wasanother example. He alsounderstood dharma, but waswilling to compromise principlesbecause of his attraction to Sétä,the wife of Lord Räma. Bykidnapping Sétä he set himself on acourse of destruction.

When we step beyond thebounds of dharma (core principles)in an attempt to create success,we leave our circle of purpose andprotection. Just as Sétä, the wife of


Räma, was given protection withina safe circle drawn by her brother-in-law Lakñmaëa, we will remainsafe as long as we act within thecircle of dharma.

I witnessed extremelysuccessful projects beingterminated when Çréla Prabhupädabecame aware that core principleswere either being violated or wereabout to be violated. One timeÇréla Prabhupäda pulled out thedirector of one of his mostsuccessful projects, a move thatresulted in significantly reducingexternal results for the time being.He did this because the leader’sattitudes violated a core principleupon which Prabhupäda based hismission. He didn’t want “success”at the cost of violating dharma. Hewas absolutely confident thatgreater results would ultimately beachieved by remaining true to theprinciples upon which theorganization was founded.

The relationship between higherorder principles or practices andobtaining specific desired resultswas not always apparent to ÇrélaPrabhupäda’s managers. Thus,occasionally a strategy thatPrabhupäda employed wasquestioned by managers whodidn’t see how those higher orderprinciples or practices wouldproduce desired results.Prabhupäda explained that if whatyou are doing is dharmic, if it ispleasing God, you will achievesuccess beyond what seemspossible. The success comes byGod’s blessings.

He used to quote the Vedicverse, yasmin tuñöe jagat tuñöam: “If

God is satisfied, then the wholeworld is satisfied.” If you pourwater on the root, then it isautomatically distributed to everypart of the tree. God is the root.

Divine principles have their ownlogic. An example of this is theprinciple of building wealththrough giving in charity. Thosewho understand this principle

impoverished countries. “Give andyou shall receive.”

I personally witnessed howPrabhupäda never compromisedhis principles, even in thebeginning of his mission whenthere was little apparent success.From the days of struggle andpoverty to the days of massivesuccess, he was always the sameperson, someone dedicated to hiscore principles.

How Prabhupäda taught hisorganization to run was exactlyhow he lived his life.

QuotesOne who does good is never

overcome by evil.—Bhagavad-gita 6.40

Just like milk. We may addmore and more water to it forcheating the customer, but in theend it will cease to be any longermilk. Better to boil the milk veryvigorously and make it thick andsweet. That is the best process.

—Çréla Prabhupäda

One relative may be rejected tosave the family, and one familymay be given up to save a village.A single village may be sacrificedto save the state, and the wholeworld should be renounced tosave one’s soul.

—Cäëakya Paëòita

Mahätmä Däsa, a disciple ofÇréla Prabhupäda, joined ISKCONin 1969. He is well known inISKCON for his music and semi-nars. Visit his website:www.mahatmawisdom.com

know that benevolence is thefoundation of financial success forany individual or company. Wealthis given to those who give. In fact,Prabhupäda said that America’spreeminent position in the worldwas achieved because of thefinancial support they had given to

If God is

satisfied,

then the

whole world

is satisfied.”

If you pour

water on the

root, then it is

automatically

distributed to

every part of

the tree. God

is the root.


C O V E R S T O R YC O V E RS T O R Y


God is our supreme father,and one of His energies,nature, is our mother. A

mother nourishes her child withthe milk from her body, and shealso sees to the overalldevelopment of her child byimparting proper culture andeducation. Similarly MotherNature cares for her innumerable

Left: Now, our nextprogram will be to organizefarming land to set anexample to the world howpeople can be peaceful,happy, and free from allanxieties simply bychanting the Hare Kåñëamahä-mantra and living anhonorable life in Kåñëaconsciousness. (Letter,October 19, 1975)

Above: All the livingentities within the universeare conducted by the Vedicdirections, as a bull isdirected by the rope attachedto its nose. No one canviolate the rules laid down inthe Vedic literatures. To thechief person, who hascontributed the Vedas, weoffer our respect! (Çrémad-Bhägavatam 3.15.8)

Top: Kåñëa’s navel resembles a lotus, Heis garlanded with lotuses, and His eyes arealso compared to the petals of a lotus(älola-candraka-lasad-vanamälya-Vamçé).So if we simply think of only this oneverse, which describes Kåñëa’s body withreference to the lotus, we can meditate ourwhole life on how beautiful Kåñëa is, howwise Kåñëa is, and how Kåñëa manifestsHis creation. This is meditation—thinking of Kåñëa. (Teachings of QueenKunté, Chapter 5)


children by providing grains, fruits,flowers, and medicinal herbs, and sheshowers her motherly affection on us bygiving invaluable lessons, guiding us onthe journey of life.

During one rainy season, I got anopportunity to stay at a small villagenamed Galtare, 120 km north ofMumbai. I’ve had some attraction forrural life since childhood, and uponspending some time in the countryside, Icould understand why Çréla Prabhupäda

Above: Cow dung dried in the sunshine iskept in stock for utilizing as fuel in the villages.They get wheat and other cereals producedfrom the field. There is milk and vegetables,and the fuel is cow dung, and thus they areindependent in every village. There are handweavers for the cloth. And the country oil-mill(consisting of a bull walking in circle roundtwo big grinding stones, attached with yoke)grinds the oil seeds into oil. The whole idea isthat . . . the less we are anxious formaintaining our body and soul together, themore we become favorable for advancing inKåñëa consciousness. (Letter, June 14, 1968)

Top: We find that in Bhagavad-gétäLord Kåñëa advises go-rakñya, theprotection of cows. This is essentialbecause if cows are cared for properlythey will surely supply sufficient milk.We have practical experience inAmerica that in our various ISKCONfarms we are giving proper protection tothe cows and receiving more thanenough milk. In other farms the cows donot deliver as much milk as in ourfarms; because our cows know very wellthat we are not going to kill them, theyare happy, and they give ample milk.(Çrémad-Bhägavatam 9.15.25, Purport)

Right: When there isa river, one can takedrinking water, washhis clothes, bathe andso on, for that waterwill serve allpurposes. Similarly,if one worships theSupreme Personalityof Godhead, Kåñëa,all his goals will beachieved. (Caitanya-caritämåta, Ädi-lélä14.66, Purport)


Right: Human beings neednot eat animals. There are

ample food grains, milk,fruit, and vegetables so thatthe human beings as well as

the animals can eatsumptuously and to their

heart’s content. If all livingbeings are satisfied with food

and shelter and obey theprescribed rules, there cannot

be any disturbance betweenone living being and another.(Çrémad- Bhägavatam 1.4.12,

Purport)

quoted the English poet Cowper:"God made the country, and man-made the town." I could see how thematerialistic civilization prevalent incities makes us godless. In the city,not seeing the hand of God in anyaspect of life becomes natural. It isso easy to believe that industry andthe Internet fulfill our needs.Packaged foods give us the sensethat machines have manufacturedthem. Life goes on uninterruptedeven if no rain falls for many years.But in the village, one can experienceGod closely. There life is absolutelydependent on agriculture, whichdepends on rain, and rain dependson God.

When we’re close to nature, theintoxication of the materialistic wayof life gradually starts fading away. In

Above: "Stick to your own placeand grow your food. There is noquestion of transport. A littletransport is required, the bullockcart. Kåñëa was being carried on a bullock cart. There is no useof petrol. Simply use the bull. They are already there. Utilizethem." (Morning Walk, Rome, May 25, 1974) "They are simplymisusing their advancement, and they are satisfied when theyhave got a motorcar instead of bullock cart. That’s all. Theythink, ‘Now I am advanced. We had bullock carts, and now wehave got motorcars with three hundred thousand parts. Andevery part will give me trouble.’ And that is advancement."(Morning Walk, October 1–3, 1972, Los Angeles)


my experience, the knowledge enunciated inBhagavad-gétä, Çrémad-Bhägavatam, and ÇrélaPrabhupäda’s purports becomes clearer.

The chirping of the birds, the symphony ofthe running stream, the mooing of the cows,and the sound of the swift breeze provideinexplicable happiness to the ears. Seeing theunlimited blue sky above, the thousands ofstars at night, the giant mountains, the stretchof the green fields below swaying in the wind,and the love of a mother cow for her little calf

Right: When the flame in a lamp burns the wickimproperly, the lamp is blackened, but when thelamp is filled with ghee and is burning properly,there is bright illumination. Similarly, when the

mind is absorbed in material sense gratification,it causes suffering, and when detached from

material sense gratification, it brings about theoriginal brightness of Kåñëa consciousness.

(Çrémad-Bhägavatam 5.11.8)


Above: "We have to follow. If we follow the footprints ofgreat personalities, then there is no danger. Mahäjano yena

gataù sa panthäù. Just like in the villages there is a track. Onewho follows that track is not lost. Similarly, if we follow the

track of the mahäjana — on which a great personality hastraversed—then we’ll not fall." (Lecture on Çrémad-

Bhägavatam 7.9.10, Montreal, July 9, 1968)

is total perfection for the eyes. Themystical aroma of the soil, the scent ofclear pollution-free air, the smell offreshly bloomed flowers, and thefragrance of cow dung deeply purifythe sense of smell. The joy of touchingsoil, cows, green plants, and clear riverwater seems to reach even our souls.And the taste of fresh fruits,vegetables, grains, water, and pure cowmilk impels us to think how the artificialways of modern life give us untaintedmiseries in the name of happiness.

While living in the countryside, Itried to visualize Çréla Prabhupäda’spriceless teachings. And I reapedsatisfaction of the soul and enhanced


Left: "Just like the trees, plants, grass. Theycannot move. They have no legs. They have gotlegs, but they cannot move. They are eatingthrough the legs. Therefore they are called päda-pa,which means collecting water through the leg.’These trees are drinking water from within theearth with their legs. Therefore they push theirroots very deep to find out where is water. . . . Thisis God’s creation. We have to understand that."(Lecture on Bhagavad-gétä 13.4, Miami, February27, 1975)

faith. Understanding our supreme fatherbecomes easy when our mother, nature, givesus personal lessons as she holds us in her lovingembrace. In these pages, I have presented a fewof the numerous teachings that Mother Naturehelped plainly illustrate for me during my stay atGaltare.

Vamçé Vihäré Däsa, a disciple of His HolinessRädhänätha Swami, has a graduate degree incommerce. For the past thirteen years, he hasbeen serving on the staff of the Hindi edition ofBTG.

Left: "Just like the cow and bull. The bull helps, plowing.That is the original system. Now they have invented tractors,and the bulls are being killed. Why should they be killed?Engage them in tilling the field. They will have anoccupation. And the men also will have an occupation.There is immense land. So there will be no question ofunemployment." (Conversation, Melbourne, July 2, 1974)According to småti regulation, the cow is the mother and thebull the father of the human being. The cow is the motherbecause just as one sucks the breast of one’s mother, humansociety takes cow’s milk. Similarly, the bull is the father ofhuman society because the father earns for the children justas the bull tills the ground to produce food grains. Humansociety will kill its spirit of life by killing the father and themother. (Çrémad-Bhägavatam 3.2.29, Purport)

Above: The web is created by the spider, and it ismaintained by the spider, and as soon as the spiderlikes, the whole thing is wound up within the spider.The spider is covered within the web. If aninsignificant spider is so powerful as to act accordingto its will, why can’t the Supreme Being act by Hissupreme will in the creation, maintenance, anddestruction of the cosmic manifestations? (Çrémad-Bhägavatam 2.9.28, Purport)


There are three mindsets in this world: saàskåti,vikåti and prakåti. Saàskåti is the mindset whereyou keep your needs aside and focus on others

needs. Vikåti is the mindset where your needs takeprominence to the extent of even crushing othersneeds. This is called competition. And prakåti is themindset that is convertible into either saàskåti orvikåti. In the Rämäyaëa, Ayodhyä represents saàskåti,Laìkä represents vikåti, and Kiñkindhä representsprakåti.

When we love things and use people, leading tothe mindset of use and throw, we are following theculture of Laìkä. The law of coercing teaches onethat what is mine is mine, and what is yours is alsomine.

The law of sharing acts as a bridge across watersof frustration around the island of pride andloneliness, opening up the route to the mainlandgarden of love. When we follow the law of sharing,

Three Mindsets

V E D I C O B S E R V E RV E D I C

O B S E R V E R

by Çubha Viläsa Däsa

we are following the culture of Ayodhyä.Today these three mindsets have become three

value systems and therefore three lifestyles. Thegreatest hunger today is not the hunger of the belly,but the hunger of the heart. Today's education systeminforms us, but we need a system that transforms us.An uneducated heart competes, a half-educated heartcooperates, but an enlightened heart serves. Fromself-satisfaction comes contentment and fromcontentment comes the desire to serve.

All of us are in the category of prakåti. When wetilt towards vikåti, we create a Laìkä atmosphere inthe world. But when we tilt towards saàskåti, wecreate an Ayodhyä atmosphere.

Çubha Viläsa Däsa is a motivational speaker and aspiritual lifestyle coach. He is also the author of thesix-volume series Ramayana — The Game of Life(Book 1). His email: [email protected]

(c)

Din

odia

Pho

to L

ibra

ry


P O E T R Y P O E T R Y


S P I R I T U A L S C I E N T I S T

(c)

Din

odia

Pho

to L

ibra

ry


1. Within every adversity is anopportunity — the universe is auniversity

The Bhagavad-gétä begins withthe famed warrior Arjuna about toparticipate in a war that will annihi-late his entire clan. Thinking aboutthe upcoming fratricide, he suffersan emotional breakdown. Heattempts earnestly to reason hisway out, but emotion trumpsreason in the inner battle. Indespair, he turns to Kåñëa: “Help!”

Kåñëa, by His presence andpresentation, lifts Arjuna out ofboth the outer and the innerbattlefields. The supreme teachertakes His student to magnificentsummits of wisdom that the worldhas rarely scaled before or after.When they return to the battle-field at the end of the Gétä,Arjuna is intellectually illumined,spiritually strengthened andemotionally enlivened.

By thus transforming a battle-field into a classroom, Kåñëademonstrates that He can utilizeevery circumstance as a settingfor education. And the wisdomhe has provided through the Gétäcan enable us to similarly redefinethe various battle-like situationsthat confront us in our daily life.If we accept Kåñëa as our teacherby meditating on the Gétä, he willuse the unlikeliest of settings toimpart the most unforgettable oflessons. And our life-journey willtransform into an adventure inever-increasing wisdom.

In fact, Gétä wisdom explainsthat the world we live in is an

arena for our spiritual evolution.The universe is essentially a univer-sity. Every moment is an opportu-nity to grow in wisdom and love.

2. Be concerned, not dis-turbed, by change — the real youis indestructible

The world around us is subjectto constant change, change that isoften unstoppable, uncontrollableand unpredictable. Such changemakes us stressed and worried; wenaturally look for somethingunchanging for security. TheBhagavad-gétä explains that suchan unchanging reality lies withinus. We ourselves are at our coresouls, spiritual beings who areindestructible (2.13). None of the

weapons that can destroy ourbody and other material things caneven scratch the spiritual soul(2.22). No external change, how-ever threatening or devastating itmay seem, can harm our essence.Understanding this fills us with aprofound peace that equips us torespond maturely to externalchanges.

As we live and act in the world,we do need to be concerned aboutexternal changes. Due concernabout them helps us to thinkcalmly and respond intelligently.But if we become unduly excited,then our consciousness getscaught up in externals and we getattached to them. Thereafter,when things start going wrong, our

attachments don’t let us with-draw our consciousness fromexternal things and so we suffer.To the extent we rejoice whenexternal things go right, to thatextent we will be forced tolament when those things gowrong.

That’s why the Gétä (2.15)recommends that we avoidbecoming disproportionatelydelighted by pleasure or dejectedby pain, and thus keep growingspiritually amidst externalchanges.

3. Spirituality is the culmina-tion of science — become aspiritual scientist

Science progresses by firstassuming on faith that naturehas an underlying order and thenseeking to discover that order.

S P I R I T U A L S C I E N T I S T

To the extent

we rejoice when

external things go

right, to that ex-

tent we will be

forced to lament

when those

things go wrong.

We should

avoid becoming

disproportion-

ately delighted by

pleasure or de-

jected by pain.


Newton discovered gravity notmerely by observing the fallingfruit, but by his faith that a rationalorder in nature had caused thefruit to fall. Noted physicist PaulDavies acknowledges, “Even themost atheistic scientist accepts as

an act of faith the existence of alaw-like order in nature.”

Gétä wisdom takes this scientificfaith to its next level by pointing tothe person behind the order. Manyeminent scientists hold such an

inference to be not just reasonablebut essential. Why? Because themore science fathoms the laws ofnature, the more their intricacyand inter-relationship insists thatthey couldn’t have come bychance. Reputed Indian mathema-

tician Srinivasa Ramanujan put itwell, “An equation for me has nomeaning, unless it represents athought of God.” That God whogoverns nature, the Bhagavad-gétä(9.10) reveals, is Kåñëa.

Acknowledging the divine bringsmeaning not just to the naturalorder, but also to human affairs.The Gétä (15.15) indicates that thesame God who oversees insentientmatter also guides our conscious-ness towards its ultimate unfold-ing.

To facilitate our spiritual evolu-tion, the Gétä offers a time-hon-ored methodology of yoga thatoffers enterprising spiritual scien-tists experiential perception ofhigher spiritual realities. Just asscience confirms its theoriesthrough experiments, spiritualityconfirms its tenets through experi-ences.

Discovering the order thatencompasses all of existence —matter and consciousness — is theculmination of science.

4. Don’t let desires becomeparasites — be restrained toavoid becoming drained

Our desires can energize us,but if they are not regulated theyact like parasites and exhaust us.The Bhagavad-gétä (16.21–22)indicates that such desires thatimpel us to self-defeating actionsfall into three broad categories:lust, anger and greed. Lust andgreed often fuel our desires for themany worldly objects that enterour vision and imagination, be theyglitzy forms or gaudy products.These desires are innumerable andendless, and most of them areunrealistic that cannot be fulfilled.Consequently, a conscious orsubconscious irritation builds upwithin us. When this irritationbecomes intolerable, we succumb

Lust, anger and greed — the three parasites in the mind.


to anger, which perverts us intobecoming sulky (mentally angry) orsnappy (verbally angry) or evenbeastly (physically angry). In thisway, lust, greed and anger cumula-tively divert our focus away fromthe main goals of our life, bothmaterial and spiritual. The resultinginattentiveness makes us falter andblunder during the course of ourlife. As our plans misfire andbackfire, and nothing seems to beworking, we get mentally ex-hausted and exasperated. Just asparasites drain their host, so dosuch desires drain us.

That’s why it is prudent to berestrained. Being restrained doesn’tmean sentencing ourselves to a lifeof dry denial; it simply meanschoosing our desires judiciouslyand not letting the world foistdesires on us. By introspection wecan shortlist those of our desiresthat grow from our core; thatreflect our aspirations and talents;that propel us towards self-actual-ization.

5. Look at the mind before youlook with the mind

When a normally cordial friendsnaps at us for no reason, weunderstand sympathetically,“That’s due to a bad mood.” Wethen ascribe their irritability to theirmoody mind, thereby separatingtheir mind from them.

Differentiating between themind with its moods and theperson is something that we donot just with others but also withourselves. However, with ourselveswe usually do it after the event torationalize it: “I spoke like that

because I was in a foul mood.” Ifinstead we could catch our badmoods beforehand, we couldavoid much trouble.

Pertinently, the Bhagavad-gétä(14.22) urges us to first observe ouremotions and then decide whetherto act on them. This essentiallyinvolves looking at the mind insteadof looking with the mind.

Looking with the mind meansidentifying ourselves with themood of the mind and acting on it.It means using the mind as ourspectacles and letting its colortinge our vision.

Looking at the mind meanslooking first at the specs — itmeans becoming aware of ourfeelings and evaluating: “Are these

my authentic emotions comingfrom my core values and centralconcerns? Or are these just pass-ing fancies, kneejerk reactions toextraneous events, hormonalrushes that have little to do withthe essential me?”

By becoming introspective, wecan become selective about whichemotions we act on and thusbecome much more constructivelyproductive.

Caitanya Caraëa Däsa is theassociate-editor of Back toGodhead (US and Indian editions).To subscribe for his dailyBhagavad-gétä reflections, pleasesubscribe for Gitadaily on hiswebsite, thespiritualscientist.com.

His Holiness JayapatäkaSwami has translatedand commented uponVrindavane Bhajan, anearly work of ÇrélaPrabhupäda thatsignalled his purposeand mission in thisworld. An audio CD ofthese poems will belaunched duringJanmäñöamé 2014,and the money from the sales will go towards the building ofthe Temple of Vedic Planetarium in Mayapur.


M Y E X P E R I E N C E


Anyone who comes to ISKCONtemples is immediately exposed tothe chanting of the Hare Kåñëa

mahä-mantra. And those who are convincedabout the philosophy of Kåñëaconsciousness soon take up the practice ofchanting Hare Kåñëa a fixed number oftimes daily. If you have been practicing thismantra meditation for some time now, youmust have realized how difficult it is to keepthe mind fixed and focused on the holyname.

To improve the quality of our chanting,we need to make it the most importantpriority of our life. One reason manydevotees are unable to make this changecould be due to the fear of failure. ChantingHare Kåñëa can be the most humblingexperience, especially if we make it themost important goal of our life. Kåñëa isinaccessible to the conditioned souls; thosewho are not qualified do not get access to

When ourWhen ourWhen ourWhen ourWhen ourFailureFailureFailureFailureFailure isisisisisa a a a a SuccessSuccessSuccessSuccessSuccess

Where you turn towhen you fail in

devotional servicedecides the result.

by Vraja Bihäré Däsa

M Y E X P E R I E N C E


Kåñëa’s intimate association. Hereserves the right of not beingexposed to the conditioned souls.Thus chanting can expose us toour own disqualifications; chantingcan reveal to us that we are faraway from Kåñëa.

This realization can be a painfulexperience. To avoid thisrealization, we may prefer tobelieve that chanting is one of themany things to be done indevotional service. If we professthat chanting is the mostimportant activity, immediately weare exposed to the painful realityof our own poor chanting. It seemshypocritical that on the one handwe declare chanting to be most

sacred, but on the other hand, ouractions are contrary to the realitywe preach about. The more weglorify the holy names, the morewe have to face the stark truth ofour own inadequacies of chanting.And this revelation is painfulbecause we want to feel a sense ofself-worth and success in ourspiritual lives. Hence we avoiddiscussing the importance of goodchanting, because thesediscussions only confirm to us ourabject failure in our vow ofchanting.

The beauty of Kåñëa consciousprocess, however, lies inexperiencing this failure. If we can

truly feel that I am a failure inchanting, that feeling is a success.If we can feel lowly andinadequate, that is an excellentplatform to experience the sweettaste of Kåñëa. It is fifty percentsuccess; the other fifty percent isexperienced when we turn toKåñëa for help. Therefore to feel afailure and then turn to Kåñëa inour career as a chanter of HareKåñëa is spiritual success.

This is important because weattract Kåñëa’s mercy only whenwe humbly surrender to Kåñëa. Ifwe have a high estimation aboutourselves, how can we humbly begKåñëa for mercy?

Many times we tell other

devotees how fallen we are butthese expressions could be moreout of social etiquette rather thanheart-felt conviction. At suchtimes, humility, the most importantelement in the life of a chanter,remains only a theoreticalunderstanding. It is only jïäna, ortheoretical knowledge, and rarelydoes it translate into vijïana, orpractical realization.

Making chanting our numberone priority offers us a rare chanceto convert this knowledge intorealization. When we have a nobleaspiration to chant well, we will tryhard to achieve it. Certainly, wemay fail initially but good chanting

is not some yogic technique thatwe could acquire by some tips oracronyms to improve chanting.Most likely we may fall short of thestandard.

At this point in time, we haveto turn to Kåñëa and beg Him tohelp us chant well. The more weendeavor sincerely, the more we’llbe exposed to our own poorchanting. At this point, we wouldbe humbled. As Bhürijana Prabhusays in his book Japa, humiliationwould come before humility.

Therefore let us make chantingour number one goal. Never mindthe failure, for we shall failforward! Without this pureambition, our lives are hollow.Good chanting is the best ideal tostrive for; it is our connection toKåñëa. This sincerity will lead tohumility, and it is humility thateventually gives us a higher taste inthe process of bhakti-yoga.

An important point to note: it isimportant that our sense of failuremust compel us to turn to Kåñëa,and only then we can experiencethe sweetness. Otherwise, a senseof failure by itself leads todespondency. If we can rememberKåñëa as we fail, that failure is theultimate success.

Vraja Bihäré Däsa holds a post-graduate degree in InternationalFinance and an MBA from MumbaiUniversity. He serves as a residentmonk at ISKCON Chowpatty inMumbai and is an active teacher ofbhakti-yoga. You can read his dailyreflections onwww.yogaformodernage.com

We attract Kåñëa’s mercy only when we

humbly surrender to Kåñëa. If we have a high

estimation about ourselves, how can we

humbly beg Kåñëa for mercy?


Spreading Kåñëa’s Messageduring World Cup Football

According to book distributor Präëanätha Däsa,ISKCON devotees distributed approximately 8,000 ofÇréla Prabhupäda’s books in Portuguese, Spanish andEnglish all over the country during the World Cup thatwas held in Brazil recently. Large groups of harinäma-saìkértana parties traveled to all major cities whereWorld Cup games were held.

“As the saying goes, ‘Football is the mostimportant thing amongst things that don’t have anyimportance,’” says Çré Kåñëa Mürti. “It is niceentertainment, but it’s not going to change anyone’slife.” For the devotees, however, the World Cup waslife-changing, because it was a unique opportunity tobroadcast Lord Kåñëa’s names to huge numbers ofpeople from all over the world in one place at onetime. “And that is the biggest victory in this WorldCup, for us, and for Brazil,” says Çré Kåñëa Mürti.

ISKCON Devotee BecomesChaplain to Harrow Mayor

London, England: Ajay Maru, the first Gujarati Mayorof Harrow, selected Çrutidharma Däsa as the Mayor

EVERY TOWN & VILLAGE

darkness for the viewing eye, which is another partialexpansion of the sun. Similarly, material false ego, aparticular product of the Absolute Truth made visibleby the Absolute Truth, obstructs the individual soul,another partial expansion of the Absolute Truth, fromrealizing the Absolute Truth.

When the cloud originally produced from the sun istorn apart, the eye can see the actual form of the sun.Similarly, when the spirit soul comes out of his materialcovering of false ego by inquiring into the transcenden-tal science, he regains his original spiritual awareness.

Just as the sun can burn away the clouds thatprevent one from seeing it, the Supreme Lord (and Healone) can remove the false ego that prevents onefrom seeing Him. There are some creatures, however,like owls, which are averse to seeing the sun. In thesame way, those who are not interested in spiritualknowledge will never receive the privilege of seeing theLord.

—Çyämänanda Däsa

of the London Borough of Harrow. Çrutidharma is thepresident of ISKCON’s Bhaktivedanta Manor nearLondon, and this is the second time he will be servingas chaplain to a Mayor of Harrow.

The Truth Behind ....(Continued from page 34)

...


CENTRES IN INDIAFounder-Äcärya: His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivendanta Swami Prabhupada

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness

ANDHRA PRADESH: Hanumkonda—(08712) 77399;Hyderabad—(040) 2474-4969/ [email protected], Nellore—0861-2314577, 9215536589/[email protected]; Secunderabad—(040) 780-5232; Tirupati—(0877) 2231760/ [email protected]; Vijayawada—(08645) 272513/ [email protected]; Vishakhapatnam—(0891) 5537625/[email protected]; Warangal—(08712) 426182; ASSAM:Cachar—(03842) 34615; Guwahati—(0361) 254-5963/[email protected]; BIHAR: Patna—(0612)687637/ [email protected]; CHHATISGARH:Raipur—(0771) 5037555, 9893276985/ [email protected]; DELHI: New Delhi—(011)26288816/[email protected]; New Delhi—25222851,55136200. GUJARAT: Ahmedabad—(079) 26861945/[email protected], Baroda—(0265) 231-0630/ [email protected]; Dwarka—(02892)34606; Surat—(0261) 2765891/ [email protected]; VallabhVidyanagar—(02692) 230796; JAMMU & KASHMIR:Jammu—(0191) 2582306; Katra—(01991) 233047;Udhampur—(01992) 270298; KARNATAKA: Bangalore—(080) 23471956/ [email protected]; Bangalore—(080) 23565708, 9844234108/ [email protected]; Belgaum—(0831) 243-6267; Mangalore—(0824) 2423326, 9844325616; KERALA:Thiruvananthapuram—(0471) 2328197/ [email protected] PRADESH: Indore—(0731) 4972665; Ujjain—0734-235000/ [email protected]; MAHARASHTRA:Kaundanyapur, Amravati—07225202805, 09423127845/[email protected]; Beed—(02442) 231799/[email protected]; Chowpatty, Mumbai—(022)23665500/ [email protected]; Juhu, Mumbai—(022) 26206860/ [email protected]; Kharghar, NaviMumbai— 9820039911/ [email protected]; MiraRoad, Thane—(022) 28454667, 9223183023/[email protected]; Nagpur—(0712) 6994730,937015638/ [email protected]; Nasik—(0253)6450005/ 9623701409/ 9767953860; Pandharpur—(02186)267242, 9423335991/ [email protected];Pune—(020) 41033222/ [email protected];Solapur—9371178393; MANIPUR: Imphal—(0385) 2455693,[email protected]; Moirang— 795133; ORISSA:Angul—09437052142/ [email protected]—(0674) 255-3517/ [email protected]; Brahmapur—(0680) 2485720;Brahmapur—(0680) 2116100, 9437179400/[email protected]; Jagatsinghpur—(06724)238112/ [email protected]; Puri—(06752) 231440;PUNJAB-HARYANA: Amritsar—(0183) 2540177;Chandigarh—(0172) 2601590/[email protected];Kurukshetra—(01744) 234806; Ludhiana—(0161) 2770600,9815940005/ [email protected]. RAJASTHAN:Bharatpur—(05644) 22044; Jaipur—(0141) 2782765,2781860/ [email protected]; TAMIL NADU: Chennai—(044) 24530921; Coimbatore— (0422) 2574508/ [email protected]; HOSUR— [email protected]; Madurai—(0452) 2746472;

Salem—(0427) 2360012, 9442153427/[email protected]; Sri Rangam—(0431) 433945;Vellore—(0416) 2241654, 9790392143/[email protected]; TRIPURA: Agartala—(0381) 227053/ [email protected]; UTTARPRADESH: Allahabad—(0532) 2416718/[email protected]; Ghaziabad—(0120) 2824200,09310969623/ [email protected]; Jhansi— (0510)2443602; Kanpur—09307188117/ [email protected]; Lucknow—(0522) 2636500; Noida—(095120)2454912/ [email protected]; Varanasi—(0542) 276422; Vrindavan—(0565) 254-0021 (Guesthouse)2540022 [email protected]; UTTARANCHAL:Haridwar— (01334) 260818, 261116; WEST BENGAL:Haridaspur—(03215) 57856; Kolkata—(033) 40403300/[email protected]; Mayapur—(03472) 245239,245240/ [email protected]; Nadia—(03473)281150/ [email protected]; Siliguri—09800865104/[email protected]

2 Sep: Rädhäñöamé — Appearance of Çrématé Rädhäräëé5 Sep: Fasting for Pärçva Ekädaçé, (additional completefasting till noon today on account of LordVämanadeva’s appearance on the next day)6 Sep: Break fast (Mumbai) 06:24 am - 10:32 am, ÇréVämana Dvädaçé — Appearance of Lord Vämanadeva(fasting is done yesterday), Çréla Jiva Gosväméappearance7 Sep: Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura appearance. Fastingtill noon.8 Sep: Ananta Caturdaçé Vrata, Çréla Haridäsa Öhäkuradisappearance, Last day of the second Cäturmäsya month9 Sep: Çré Viçvarüpa Mahotsava, Acceptance ofsannyäsa by Çréla Prabhupäda, third month ofCäturmäsya begins (fasting from milk for one month)15 Sep: Çréla Prabhupäda’s arrival in the USA19 Sep: Fasting for Indérä Ekädaçé20 Sep: Break fast (Mumbai) 09:11 am - 10:30 am4 Oct: Çré Rämacandra Vijayotsava, Çré Madhväcäryaappearance5 Oct: Fasting for Päçäìkuçä Ekädaçé, Çréla RaghunäthaDäsa Gosvämé disappearance, Çréla Raghunätha BhaööaGosvämé disappearance, Çréla Kåñëadäsa KavéräjaGosvämé disappearance6 Oct: Break fast (Mumbai) 06:30 am – 10:27 am7 Oct: Last day of the third Cäturmäsya month8 Oct: Çré Kåñëa Çäradéyä Räsayäträ, Çré Muräré Guptadisappearance, Lakñmé Püjä, fourth month of Cäturmäsyabegins (fast from urad däl for one month)13 Oct: Çréla Narottama däsa Öhäkura disappearance

VAIÑËAVA CALENDAR

Sep 1– Oct 15, 2014


The TThe TThe TThe TThe Truth behind Fruth behind Fruth behind Fruth behind Fruth behind False Egoalse Egoalse Egoalse Egoalse Ego

We all know how many of the world’sproblems could be solved if the warringparties could resolve their ego problem.

Caligula, Nero, Genghis Khan, Hitler, Napoleon and afew names from our Vedic history like Rävaëa,Hiraëyakaçipu and Çiçupäla are all prime examples ofotherwise successful individuals with big ego prob-lems.

Now, brace for something shocking. TheBhagavad-gétä does not put only these characters inthe rogue’s gallery of big time egoists but squarelyputs all living entities — bar none — in the samecategory. But surely, you may protest, “I do not havean ego problem like Genghis Khan or Rävaëa. I ammerely a small fry.” Well, let’s analyze these so-calledsmall fries and see whether they are all innocent.

Let’s begin with a definition. Çréla Prabhupädawrites: “When we are materially contaminated, we arecalled conditioned. False consciousness is exhibitedunder the impression that I am a product of materialnature. This is called false ego.”

Thus, the bare acceptance of our material body asour real self is the evidence of one acting under theinfluence of the false ego. If this is the “false” ego, thenis there a “real” ego? Yes. The Båhadäraëyaka Upaniñad(1.4.10) states, ahaà brahmäsmi: “I am Brahman, I amspirit.” This sense of “I am” also exists in the liberatedstage of self-realization. This sense of “I am” is ego, butwhen the sense of “I am” is applied to this false body, itis called false ego. When the sense of self is applied toreality, that is real ego.

There are some philosophers who say we shouldgive up our ego, but we cannot give up our ego,because ego means identity. We ought, of course, togive up the false identification with the body.

The very first sign of the false ego trapping a livingentity is the identification of the living being withbodily relationships. This false ego associates withdifferent modes of material nature, and thus thesenses become attached to the modes of material

nature. The mind is the instrument for feeling differ-ent material experiences, but intelligence is delibera-tive and can change everything for the better. Theintelligent person, therefore, can attain salvation fromthe illusion of material existence by proper use ofintelligence. An intelligent person can detect theawkward position of material existence and thus beginto inquire as to what he is, why he is subjected todifferent kinds of miseries, and how to get rid of allmiseries, and thus, by good association, an advancedintelligent person can turn towards the better life ofself-realization.

Can Kåñëa, or God, also have a false ego?As explained in the Bhagavad-gétä (7.4), the sepa-

rated material energy of the Personality of Godhead iscovered by eight kinds of material coverings: earth,water, fire, air, sky, mind, intelligence and false ego. Allthese are emanations from the Personality of Godheadas His external energy. These coverings are just like thecovering of clouds for the sun. The cloud is a creationof the sun, yet it actually covers the eyes so that onecannot see the sun. The sun cannot be covered by theclouds. The cloud can at utmost extend a few hun-dreds of miles in the sky, but the sun is far greater atmillions of miles. So a hundred-mile covering is notsufficient to cover millions of miles. Therefore, one ofthe various energies of the Supreme Personality ofGodhead cannot, of course, cover the Lord. But thesecoverings are created by Him to cover the eyes of theconditioned souls who want to lord it over the materialnature. Actually the conditioned souls are covered bythe illusory creative cloud of matter, and the Lordreserves the right of not being exposed to their eyes.Because they have no eyes of transcendental vision andbecause they cannot see the Personality of Godhead,they therefore deny the existence of the Lord and thetranscendental form of the Lord.

Although a cloud is a product of the sun and isalso made visible by the sun, it nevertheless creates

E D I T O R I A L

(Continued on page 31)

september back to godhead...september 2014 back to godhead 5 prasäda in front of altar? —r. m....

Documents