The importance of Hearing about Krishna
The Bhagavad-gita contains eighteen chapters containing a total of seven hundred verses. We have just gone through some important verses in the sixth chapter, so now we will move on to the seventh chapter. Srila Prabhupada titled this seventh chapter: “The Knowledge of the Absolute” and it begins with the following verse:
Now hear, O son of Prtha [Arjuna], how by practicing yoga in full consciousness of Me, with mind attached to Me, you can know Me in full, free from doubt.
In this chapter the nature of Krishna consciousness is fully described. Krishna is full in all opulences, and how He manifests such opulences is described herein. Also, four kinds of fortunate people who become attached to Krishna, and four kinds of unfortunate people who never take to Krishna are described in this chapter.
In the first six chapters of Bhagavad-gita, the living entity has been described as nonmaterial spirit soul which is capable of elevating himself to self-realization by different types of yogas. At the end of the Sixth Chapter, it has been clearly stated that the steady concentration of the mind upon Krishna, or in other words Krishna consciousness, is the highest form of all yoga. By concentrating one’s mind upon Krishna, one is able to know the Absolute Truth completely, but not otherwise.
Impersonal brahmajyoti (the destination of the impersonalists) or localized Paramatma (the Lord in the heart, the subject of meditation for the yogis) realization is not perfect knowledge of the Absolute Truth because it is partial. Full and scientific knowledge is Krishna, and everything is revealed to the person in Krishna consciousness. In complete Krishna consciousness one knows that Krishna is ultimate knowledge beyond any doubts.
Different types of yoga are only steppingstones on the path of Krishna consciousness. One who takes directly to Krishna consciousness automatically knows about brahmajyoti and Paramatma in full. By practice of Krishna consciousness yoga, one can know everything in full–namely the Absolute Truth, the living entities, the material nature, and their manifestations with paraphernalia.
One should therefore begin yoga practice as directed in the last verse of the Sixth Chapter. Concentration of the mind upon Krishna the Supreme is made possible by prescribed devotional service in nine different forms, of which hearing is the first and most important. The Lord therefore says to Arjuna, “Hear from Me.” No one can be a greater authority than Krishna, and therefore by hearing from Him one receives the greatest opportunity for progress in Krishna consciousness. One has therefore to learn from Krishna directly or from a pure devotee of Krishna–and not from a nondevotee upstart, puffed up with academic education.
In the Srimad-Bhagavatam this process of understanding Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Absolute Truth, is described in the Second Chapter of the First Canto as follows:
“To hear about Krishna from Vedic literatures, or to hear from Him directly through the Bhagavad-gita, is itself righteous activity. And for one who hears about Krishna, Lord Krishna who is dwelling in everyone’s heart, acts as a best-wishing friend and purifies the devotee who constantly engages in hearing of Him. In this way, a devotee naturally develops his dormant transcendental knowledge. As he hears more about Krishna from the Bhagavatam and from the devotees, he becomes fixed in the devotional service of the Lord. By development of devotional service one becomes freed from the modes of passion and ignorance, and thus material lust and avarice are diminished. When these impurities are wiped away, the candidate remains steady in his position of pure goodness, becomes enlivened by devotional service and understands the science of God perfectly. Thus bhakti-yoga severs the hard knot of material affection and enables one to come at once to the stage of understanding of the Supreme Absolute Truth Personality of Godhead.” (Bhag. 1.2.17-21)
Therefore only by hearing from Krishna or from His devotee in Krishna consciousness can one understand the science of Krishna.
So we see the only way one can understand Krishna consciousness is by hearing from a pure devotee of Krishna, and it is not very common to find a pure devotee of Krishna, we are very fortunate therefore that Srila Prabhupada has come to us and given us his books. Reading Srila Prabhupada’s books is hearing from a pure devotee of Krishna. So by reading Srila Prabhupada’s books we can become Krishna conscious.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
About the Author
Madhudvisa dasa My first contact with a Hare Krishna was a most merciful Mataji in Oxford Street, London who sold me a "Higher Taste" cook book in 1984 while I was on holidays there. I started seriously reading Srila Prabhupada's books in Australia 1985 and by 1986 Srila Prabhupada had convinced me "Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead" and "we should surrender to Krishna." I joined the Hare Krishnas in Perth, Western Australia in 1986. Since then I have been chanting Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, reading and distributing Srila Prabhupada's books and preaching as much as I can. That's my life and full-time occupation now really. I like it more than anything I've ever experienced before. Srila Prabhupada's books are so amazing... Even after reading them all many times they're still fresh and new. They are truly transcendental! That's it really. Now I'm just hankering to once again see the world chant Hare Krishna, dance and feast and float away in the ecstasy of Lord Caitanya's Sankirtana movement as it did in Srila Prabhupada's physical presence. Let the whole world drown in the ecstatic flood of love of Krishna!
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Hare Krishna prabhu,
On ekadashi in temple is it okay to cancel regular Bhagavatam class and instead chant 64 rounds of japa?
Thank you,
Your servant
No. Regular temple program will go on. Not that you cancel the devotional service because of Ekadasi… Devotional service will continue. The idea is to do more devotional service on Ekadasi not less. We get all the extra time, so you don’t need to eat and sleep on Ekadasi. So cancel your eating and sleeping then you will have plenty of time for the full temple program and for chanting 64 rounds.
Oho partha
Love to krishna
Hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare
Hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare
I m in krishna and krishna is in me
Hare Krishna Madhudvisa prabhu. Thank you for your valued emails l am keeping them.
You suggested that l get a set of Bhagavatam for Janmastami. I understand the books you recommend are original versions of Prahupad’s books. To me they are the only ones. I’ve now realised that my loved 1996 copy of Bhagavad gita is an imposter. It jumps from 6.47-7 with no 6.5 as well as other missing passages.
I am really not an lnternet person but when l find out very soon how l can pay money through this bloomin’ system l will get a Bhagavatam set. I do have a set of blueberry-sized Japa beads and about 7 other Krishna books. Wishing you peace and a long life.
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare Krishna Maharaj,
Thank you for the article. As you have said in earlier comments, reading Srila Prabhupada books will reveal all doubts. We all are fortunate to hear about Krishna and Srila Prabhupada.
Yours
Nagendra
I am very great full to u because through your help I am having a continuous connection with kc….Krishna is every thing hare Krishna
Is the brahmajyoti a temporary place where one eventually returns to the material realm to try again or is one eternally there? Does the “Buddhist void” actually exist, and if so is it on the material side or the Sp. Sky side. Seems to me if Buddha had performed a few miracles He could have taught Krishna Consciousness and convinced the masses about God rather than just stopping animal sacrifices. Thanks for your priceless info.! Does Jesus have His own planet for those into Him? Andy
Hare Krishna Andy
The brahmajyoti is a permanent place. It is the effulgence of Krishna. So as Krishna is eternal so His brahmojotyi is also permanent. But we are not satisfied to stay there. Our nature is sat cit ananda vigraha. It means we are eternal, full of knowledge and full of ever-increasing transcendental bliss and we have an eternally youthful spiritual form. But in the brahmajyoti we can only experience the sat and cit parts of this. In the brahamjyoti we can experience eternality and knowledge. But because there is no ability for us to express our personality or individuality there or any chance to associate with anyone else there we can not experience any real ananda and we can not experience our true spiritual form. So no one can actually be satisfied in the brahmajyoti for a long period of time. Because we want to express our individuality, our personality, we want to associate with others, and that is not possible in the brahmajyoti. So after achieving the brahmajyoti after so much penance and austerity the impersonalists again fall down to the material world…
As far as Buddha he is and incarnation of Krishna and he knows much better what is required than you….
As far as Jesus I do not know where he is now.
@madhudvisa das,
I have a problem regarding bhagavatam canto 1 volume 3. It starts from the thirteenth chapter but text no 1 is from dhritarashtra quits home and not vidura returns back home. A lot of texts have been skipped I think. I have downloaded from the links that you gave in an article, months ago. Can u tell me where to find the skipped parts (from”vidura returns back home to first class man”)??
Perhaps you can just give me the link. The page nos are correct but the headings are wrong.
please help!
Please compare with Bhagavatam at:
prabhupadabooks.com/sb
And let me know if it is the same or different.
As this is my exam time I am not able to read thethe gita but these mails help me to get a small glimpse..Thank you Guruji. I also wanted to ask one doubt that during chanting of hare Krishna mantra what must v think or focus in our mind?
Hare Krishna Sanjana
During chanting of Hare Krishna mantra we have to concentrate on hearing the sound vibration of the Hare Krishna mantra. The process is chanting and hearing the Hare Krishna mantra. That is all. We simply have to chant Hare Krishna with our tongues and hear the vibration of the Hare Krishna mantra with our ears. There is no focus except on hearing the vibration of the Hare Krishna mantra. Chanting attentively means we properly pronounce all the words of the Hare Krishna mantra and we properly hear the words. That is all. Mind will be automatically controlled. Not that we should think of so many things and just mechanically chant. No. We chant and hear the Hare Krishna mantra, that is all. Mind should be quiet.
Hello,
Has Krishna been reincarnated in our lifetime in the body?
Spirit greetings,
Erik
Hare Krishna Erik
Krishna has an eternal spiritual body. Krishna is always existing. It is simply a matter of developing the spiritual eyes so we can see Krishna and talk with Him.
Krishna appeared in Vrindavan 5000 years ago but even then not everyone could appreciate Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. To see Krishna actually one has to purify his eyes and the process for purifying our eyes Srila Prabhupada has very scientifically and elaborately explained in his great transcendental books.
So we need to read Srila Prabhupada’s books and follow the instructions we find Srila Prabhupada giving us as we read his books and then very soon we will be able to see Krishna in this very lifetime.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Thank you for your wonderful mails Prabhuji!
Hare Krsna
Thanks for the teachings. You have been very helpful in helping me, and I’m sure many others, in understanding Bhagavad-gita. I am chanting and am happier every day. Hare Krishna.
Hare Krishna Madhuvisa prabhu,
Thank you for the wonderful nectar you present us with your service uncontaminated with any trace ofmaterial desire. I have understood that developing pure love and devotion to Lord Krishna is the only requirement in becoming fully Krishna conscious and that this can be achieved by following the regulative principals and thoroughly reading Prabhupada’s book. I am not looking forward to getting initiated just out of whim or by someone’s recommendation but only when I truly believe and feel that I can totally commit and surrender to my Guru. So, far I haven’t felt this way. However, having a spiritual master seems to be stressed in Prabhupada books. I am a little but not so much worried that by my attitude I will not find my spiritual guru.
You will find your spiritual master in Prabhupada’s books…
Hare Krishna prabhu ji
all glories to srila prabhupad
all glories to lord Narsimha and prhalad maharaj
prabhu as i’ve told u some time back that I am reading srila prabhupad’s science of self realization, I read same thing in it that Krishna consciousness is the highest form of all yoga and one without personal sence graftification, loves Krishna is the highest of all, but all these topics are very breifly explained in it. I love reading srila prabhupad’s books and I want to tell u that today I heard a lecture of him on prabhupadvani.com his voice is something which I am not able to…you know…express in my words! My words will be less for it. Slowly slowly I am develouping a very good love towards srila prabhupada’s books and his vani. Once I read two very important things in srila prabhupad’s book that ‘spiritual master should be choosen very vicely after having proper and full knowledge of him and his character, as a TRUE(not fake) bonafide spirtiual master has seen the truth” another thing I read was that ‘if u truly love Krishna and want to surrender to him TRULY, then he will show you the path(he’ll give u the true spiritual master) these things which are sealed in my heart and mind by prabhupad are coming true slowly as yesterday I was searching about you, srila prabhupad and iskcon on the net and everything came in front of me. Somewhere I was very much feeling like happy, somewhere worried, somewhere shocked… . Yesterday I read about the 11 bogus so called gurus, about prabhupad’s physical disappearence, about iskcon’s history(the book’s author The Guru Business), your and jayadvita swami’s conversation, these four were the only things I read but nothing else and understood why u and prabhupad always warned me to stay away from bogus gurus. My love for Krishna is true and that’s why he send u and your advice to follow srila prabhupad and srila prabhupad… I was speechless yesterday but was feeling blessed that I am saved from bogus gurus… .
Thanku Thanku Thanku very much, may Krishna protect you and give you lot of more courage. I am with you always supporting you against bogus gurus. Today when I know who is srila prabhupad and who are iskcon(FAKE) gurus,
I VANSHIKA SURRENDER MYSELF TO SHRI SRILA A.C.BHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI PRABHUPAD.
once again thanku for opening my eyes through your websites and from now onwards I will never buy books from iskcon but from your websites.
Thankyou
Hare Krishna prabhu ji
Hare Krishna Prabhuji,
PAMHO,
Prabhuji during working situations I am not able to complete my 16 rounds everyday but I do the pending rounds of whole week on weekends together.
I am working in such a way that I dont get time to read Prabhupad books but somehow I can manage listening his lectures and kirtans on regular basis around 1 hour everyday.
Is it okay? I need mercy of true vaishnavas and Srila Prabhupad which I am begging but I am not able to improve it. 🙁
Hari Bol
Hare Krishna Mataji
It is good what you are doing but we always have to know what we are doing is not good enough and we must always be improving in our Krishna conscious activities. Krishna consciousness is like that. Anandam buddhi vardanam, an ever-increasing ocean of transcendental bliss. Krishna consciousness is always increasing. We can not stay in one place. We have to keep increasing it, keep on improving, keep on expanding our Krishna conscious activities. That is the way.
There is no way out of chanting at least 16 rounds of the Hare Krishna mantra every day. We have to do this. You can just get up early in the morning at say 4:00 am and chant Hare Krishna then. The early morning hours are the best time for chanting Hare Krishna and you will not be disturbed by anything else then.
So just know that you have to make time for these things every day, chanting at least 16 rounds of the Hare Krishna mantra and reading Srila Prabhupada’s books. Listening to Srila Prabhupada’s lectures is like reading his books because Prabhupada is speaking from his books in his lectures. So if you are listening to Srila Prabhupada’s classes 1 hour a day that is good, that is like reading. So the main thing is to find time to chant 16 rounds each day. It is very nice you are chanting the extra rounds on the weekend but ultimately you have to find the time to chant 16 rounds every day without fail.
You can do it and Krishna will help you do it if you just decide to do it. Krishna will help you.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Hare Krishna !
I would humbly like to add one more point. There are ten offenses which we should avoid while chanting the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra. To overcome this, we should seek the blessings of Sri Caitanya Maha Prabhu by chanting the Pancah Tattva first before we start the Maha Mantra.
Please correct me if I am wrong.
Hare Krishna.
Yes Prabhu, that is correct. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu is very merciful and He does not consider any offence. So even if we are committing many offenses when we chant Sri Krishna Caitanya Prabhu Nityananda Sri Advaita Gadadhara Gaura Bhakta Vrinda it has full effect. Offenses are not taken into consideration. Therefore before chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra devotees chant the Panca-tattva maha mantra…
Hare Krishna Prabhu
Please accept my humble obeisances
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
I’m relieved to know that hearing Srila Prabhupada is as good as reading Srila Prabhupada’s books because since I started doing job I’m finding it difficult on many days to read Srila Prabhupada’s books even for one hour as it takes me at least 4 to complete 16 rounds. But while going to and coming from job in the way I always listen to Srila Prabhupada and I always listened to Srila Prabhupada at least 1-2 hours daily apart from reading his books at least 1-2 hours daily when I was not doing job and still do this on holidays. Soon I will buy all the audio and video of Srila Prabhupada from Krishna Store as I get my salary.
It is very good news Prabhu, that you have a job and are planing to spend the money you get from the job on serving Krishna. That is very good. Perfect. Yes. If sometimes you do not have the time to read but you can hear from Prabhupada instead that is also very good. Main thing is we vow to chant at least 16 rounds of the Hare Krishna mantra every day and strictly follow the four regulative principles, so we must do that, reading we should do, but if we can’t some days then hearing from Prabhupada is also a very good thing.
Even I will do that Prabhu! Thank you so much!!!
Rukmini
Hare Krishna
Hare Krishna Prabhu ji.. once when I was 3 years old, asked my mother for a brother and my mother showed lord krishna , and told me, he is my younger brother. Since then krishna is my life, my playmate , my best friend. I wanted to to live a life of Sanyasi but by the consequences of nature perhaps I got married in March, 2013 .before that also I asked lord to stop my marriage if he thinks the relationship is not perfect for me. Though that was also a family of Vaishnavas ( surname Goswami) , my parents happily organized my marrriage for that reason only, after marriage I found , they never offer any food to lord krishna, they love to have meat. the laugh at tulasi mala, chandan, Lord krishna is my life, after marriage, I went to visit kurukshetra and my husband accompanied me, rather i must say krishna called me there. After our return my mother in law, insulted lord and kurukshetra dham. They force me to visit temple during periods, as my mother in law loves to break temple rules. She hates krishna katha and talks about money and other bad things whole day. I am dying every moment. Asking krishna to take me to him.. Prabhu ji, plz. tell me, what to do. What is my duty now.
Hare Krishna
This is the way of the material world unfortunately. Mostly it is full of demons who have no interest in spiritual life and who are fully engaged in all sorts of sinful activities.
Somehow you just have to keep chanting Hare Krishna and reading Srila Prabhupada’s books. I can not tell you exactly what you should do. Only you will know that. All I can say is you have to surrender to Srila Prabhupada and Krishna and take their guidance. Krishna will guide you from within your heart. We have to be tolerant and patient and remain on the transcendental platform and not let these people drag us down to the material platform.
As you read Srila Prabhupada’s books and as you chant Hare Krishna you are associating with Srila Prabhupada and Krishna and this pure association, pure sadhu sanga is very, very powerful. So simply increase your chanting of Hare Krishna and reading of Srila Prabhupada’s books and deal with your husband and his family respectfully but do not take their bad association. Take the association of Srila Prabhupada from his books and Krishna from the chanting of:
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
And you will be safe, you will be guided by Krishna, and Krishna will make adjustments in your life so that it becomes more conducive to practicing Krishna consciousness.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
how can i read bhagvad geeta please tell the process
Just read it. Surely you know how to read? Get Prabhupada’s Bhagavad-gita As It Is from http://www.KrishnaStore.com or read it online at http://www.PrabhupadaBooks.com...
i would like to know more about the lord chaithainya prabu.
Read Srila Prabhupada’s Teachings of Lord Caitanya and Sri Catianya-caritamrta. You can purchase at http://www.KrishnaStore.com or read online at http://www.PrabhupadaBooks.com
Thank you very much Prabhu!!!
Your mails and teaching is always online with the teaching of Srila Prabhupada!!.
Jai Jai Shri Shri Radha Krishnachandra!!
Hare Krishna,
Sujoy Goswami
I would like to know more about initiation, and how to get initiated, although I am regularly chanting as many rounds as possible within my work schedule.
You have to chant at least 16 rounds of the Hare Krishna mantra every day somehow or other no matter what the work schedule, etc…
And formal initiation is not a very important thing. The important thing is to actually have a bona fide spiritual master. So many are interested in this “initiation” that they will accept “initiation” from any conditioned soul who comes by carrying a danda… It is useless to get initiated from someone who is not a pure devotee of Krishna because if your guru is not a pure devotee of Krishna then there is no way you will ever be able to become a pure devotee of Krishna. So it is completely useless, completely hopeless.
So I suggest Prabhu that you read Srila Prabhupada’s books and chant at least 16 rounds of the Hare Krishna mantra daily and strictly follow the four regulative principles [no illicit sex, no meat eating, no gambling and no intoxication] and just come to know Srila Prabhupada better and better and try and understand what Srila Prabhupada wants you to do by hearing his instructions to you as you read his books. And if you can surrender to Srila Prabhupada and serve him and please him then you will have a real bona-fide spiritual master and that actually is the real initiation.
The real initiation is surrendering to the bona fide spiritual master and making his order your mission in life… That is actual initiation. So many sit in an initiation ceremony for some prestige or something, but they have no idea actually to surrender to the person they are getting initiated from. Or they take initiation from a conditioned soul who has no power to guide them back home, back to Godhead, and even if they do surrender to him it is useless, because he is not even powerful enough to guide himself back home, back to Godhead, what to speak of bring hundreds of disciples with him…
So Prabhu my suggestion is do not worry so much about this formal intiation. Try to become an actual disciple and servant of Srila Prabhupada.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa