A fish is just a fish…

Many people write asking why there are so many problems in the world and why Krishna is making them suffer and why they are not happy here in the material world. People do not understand that this material world is a place of suffering and death and that we can not be happy here. We are not meant to be happy here. The material world is not designed to make us happy, it is designed to frustrate us. This material ...Read More

The Hare Krishna’s in 1970 — CBS Word News interviews Rupanuga dasa

The Hare Krishna chant. As you walk the streets of some of America’s larger cities you will occasionally come upon a group of people garbed in apparel which makes you think of India. The heads of the men will be shaven with just one streamer of hair remaining. The group will be carrying out a slow, shuffling dance to the tune of the Hare Krishna chant. The International Society for Krishna consciousness is one of a number of new religious experiences ...Read More

Arjuna could not practice Meditational Yoga

Over the past few weeks we have been discussing the Sixth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita where Krishna instructs His friend and disciple, Arjuna, on the process of meditational yoga. Krishna has outlined the practice of yoga as sitting in the lotus position and meditating with half-closed eyes and He has explained that to do this one has to go to a solitary sacred place like on the bank of the Ganges River or the Himalayan mountains for example. It is not ...Read More

How to offer food to Krishna?

There is a common misunderstanding that devotees of Krishna are vegetarians. Actually this is not true. Even if one becomes a vegetarian eating vegetarian food is still sinful and will still cause karmic reactions and will still bind the person eating it to take birth in the material world over and over and over again and suffer perpetually. So simply becoming a vegetarian is not very helpful in spiritual life. in the Bhagavad-gita 3.13 Lord Krishna says: The devotees of the Lord ...Read More

Spiritual Advancement–The Simple Method

Sometimes it appears very difficult to make advancement in Krsna consciousness, and we become impatient. If we expect immediate results and they aren’t forthcoming, we can easily become discouraged. For those of us who are unable to live in a temple (or even near a temple), this is especially true. So what’s the solution? In November of 1969, while speaking in London’s Conway Hall, Srila Prabhupada stated the following: “The process is very simple. Just keep a picture of Lord Caitanya ...Read More

Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!

You have probably noticed “Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!” at the end of my letters. And some may be skeptical that simply chanting: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare / Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare will produce happiness. However happiness is one of the very first symptoms that becomes manifest in a person advancing in Krishna consciousness. And this is my practical, personal experience. Ever since I started chanting the Hare Krishna mantra it ...Read More

A regulated life is very important

“There is no possibility of one’s becoming a yogi, O Arjuna, if one eats too much, or eats too little, sleeps too much or does not sleep enough.” (Bhagavad-gita 6.16) If we want to become Krishna conscious we have to live a regulated life. We can not eat too much or too little or sleep too much or too little.  Too much eating means eating more than is required to keep the body and soul together. There is no need for humans ...Read More

Indian Sari’s – Traditional Ladies’ Attire for Temple, Party, or Street

What is a Sari? Saris, or Sarees, are traditional women’s clothing in India. They have been such for thousands of years. Saris are very beautiful, elegant and fashionable. In modern times, they have become used by people internationally, not just Indians. They have become a very recognized part of Indian culture, and even celebrities in the Western world have made appearances wearing Saris. A sari is pretty much a strip of cloth, wrapped around the waist, and donned in a particular way ...Read More

The Mind Can Be Our Friend or Our Enemy

Spiritual life begins when we can control our minds. Ordinarily the mind of a conditioned soul in the material world is completely out of control. For most people, rather than their mind being controlled their minds become servants of their senses. For example if one is walking down a street and sees or smells some very nice food then the tongue is sending messages to the mind telling it that it wants that food to satisfy the sense of taste. ...Read More

The Hare Krishna Explosion!

It is a wonderful story, how His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada came to the United States in 1965 and established the Hare Krishna Movement in the Western world. Of course there are many books by disciples of Srila Prabhupada describing this time but there is one very special book, “The Hare Krishna Explosion” by Hayagriva dasa which stands supreme above all the other books describing this amazing achievement of Srila Prabhupada. The Hare Krishna Explosion only deals with the ...Read More

The Peace Formula

“The sages, knowing Me as the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attain peace from the pangs of material miseries.” (Bhagavad Gita 5.29) Srila Prabhupada called this verse of Bhagavad-gita the “peace formula.” It seems appropriate that we hear something from Srila Prabhupada about how the world can be brought into a peaceful condition now as we seem to be practically on the ...Read More

Krishna Never Gets Old

There are some differences between Krishna and ourselves. Yesterday we saw that Krishna and Arjuna are both born around the same time but Krishna could remember everything He had done in all his previous ‘births’ but Arjuna could not. Actually we have trouble remembering even exactly what we did just a few hours ago. If I ask you what you were doing at exactly this time yesterday it may be difficult for you to answer immediately. You would have to ...Read More

Worshiping Demigods Works But…

“Men in this world desire success in fruitive activities, and therefore they worship the demigods. Quickly, of course, men get results from fruitive work in this world.” (Bhagavad Gita 4.12) Many people get confused when it comes to God and the demigods. Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and He is param-isvara, the Supreme Controller and there can never be any other controller equal to or greater than Krishna. However there are many other isvaras or controllers in the universe ...Read More

Krishna Responds to Everyone According to their Desires

“All of them–As they surrender unto Me–I reward accordingly. Everyone follows My path in all respects, O son of Prtha [Arjuna].” (Bhagavad-gita 4.11) Krishna is responding to everyone, devotee or non-devotee. He is revealing Himself or not revealing Himself according to the desire of the individual person. In another place in the Gita Krishna says: “I am within everyone’s heart and I am giving remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness.” So one may ask why would Krishna give anyone the ability to forget ...Read More

Arjuna is Krishna’s Friend Eternally

Krishna explains in the First Verse of the Forth Chapter of Bhagavad Gita: “I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, Vivasvan, and Vivasvan instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Iksvaku.” When Arjuna heard Krishna explain this he appeared to become bewildered. He was thinking that Krishna is his friend and they were both born around the same time so how is it possible that Krishna spoke the Bhagavad-gita to the ...Read More

The History of Bhagavad Gita

Sometimes it is good to ‘get back to basics’ on the philosophy of Bhagavad Gita. So I think a good place to start is the histroy of Bhagavad Gita. What is the Gita, where did it come from and how old is it? Firstly the title of Bhagavad Gita is two Sanskrit words. Bhagavad comes from the word Bhagavan which referrers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead and ‘gita’ means song. Sometimes we hear the Gita referred to in English as ...Read More

The Four Philosophies: Impersonalism, Yoga, Personalism and Voidism

Although there are thousands and thousands of philosophical and spiritual groups around the world most of them are following one of four basic philosophies: personalism, yoga, impersonalism or voidism. There are also a few other athiestic philosophies which try to explain the existence of the universe and the living entities without any spiritual connection but we will not discuss them here. All philosophers and followers of religion naturally question about the nature of the Supreme and they also question what is ...Read More

Television Interview With Srila Prabhupada

Krishna again came as Lord Caitanya to teach people how to surrender. And because we are following the footsteps of Lord Caitanya, the method is so sublime that even foreigners who never knew Krishna, they are surrendering. The method is so potent. So that was my purpose. Television Interview – ...Read More

George Harrison Interview: Hare Krishna Mantra–There’s Nothing Higher (1982)

DOWNLOAD The Hare Krishna Mantra by George Harrison and London Radha-Krishna Temple devotees was featured four times on England’s most popular television program, Top of the Pops, after rising to the Top 10 throughout England, Europe, and parts of Asia. If you open up your heart You will know what I mean We’ve been polluted so long But here’s a way for you to get clean By chanting the names of the Lord and you’ll be free The Lord is awaiting on ...Read More

Srila Prabhupada On Chanting Hare Krishna (MP3 Audio)

DOWNLOAD Krsna consciousness is not an artificial imposition on the mind. This consciousness is the original energy of the living entity. When we hear the transcendental vibration, this consciousness is revived. As explained on the cover of the record album, this transcendental vibration–by chanting of Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare–is the sublime method for reviving our Krsna consciousness. As living spiritual souls we are all originally Krsna conscious entities, but ...Read More

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