Search For Truth

                                                 

SEARCH FOR TRUTH What is the most astonishing thing in the world? Everyone has his own answer. Perhaps you relate a personal experience, or perhaps you cite one of the marvels of nature. Or perhaps you think of some scientific invention or modern medical cure. Yamaraja asked the same question to King Yudhisthira over 5000 years ago Yudhisthira answered, "The most astonishing thing in this world is that, though each person knows for certain that every living body is mortal and must pass away to the kingdom of death, still, each man thinks that he himself is an exception to the rule, and thus he spends his life as if it were never to end. That indeed is the most astonishing thing in this world." Yamaraja, the king of death and a( great devotee of the Lord (Mahabhagavat) was testing the wisdom of his son Yudhisthira, also a great devotee of the Lord and future king of the whole world. Yamaraja was satisfied with his son's answers. This incident is recorded in the Mahabharata, a chronicle of historical events of the country called Bharat, written by Vyasadeva to illustrate through historical events the nature of the world and the value of correct action by man in the world. Countless times, this work gives unparallelled examples of wisdom, which startle even the most sophisticated intellects of today. — Startling because they are true, both for then and now. The facts are clear. Everyone is going to die, and you also are going to die. Maybe not immediately but. sometime in the not-too-distant future. Of course, everyone knows that all men are mortal, but no one likes to be reminded of the fact, especially when it concerns himself; and even if one thinks about the problem, what is the use? When we think, we find no answer. Our reaction is to forget, to try to forget. And that type of reaction to the problem of life and death is the most remarkable thing in the world. Living and dying in this state of forgetfulness, like everyone in the material world, is called maya. Maya means "that which is not." Illusion. A hoax. Yet somehow we all learn to live with that illusion. How amazing! Animals and plants live and die, but do not have the ability to ask why. Therefore they cannot be blamed for wasting their lives. Human beings however have the intelligence both to ask why and to reach a real solution. If you have not yet applied your intelligence in this direction, you should start now. Don't waste your human life. Don't be an animal. Realize your full potential. Face the facts of life. If you have sometimes thought, but could not find answers, do not be discouraged, for this is the hardest problem of all — which has perplexed the minds of men since the beginning of time. Even our modern brains and computers cannot give a satisfying explanation, and for this reason, in spite of our advancement on material lines, everyone is still dissatisfied. Philosophers, politicians and priests have not found the answer. So you're not alone, but don't give up. It's the only thing that will put your mind at peace. The human being, beyond performing the animal activities of eating, sleeping, mating and defending, should ask and find answers to the following questions: 1. Who am I? 2. Where do I come from? 3. Why am I here? 4. Why do I die, and what happens after? These are short, simple questions, but the attempts to answer them have filled libraries. You may now ask, "Why should we go to all this endeavour?" The reply is this: when you find correct answers to these questions, then you will know exactly who you are, what your purpose is in your short span of life, and how you must act in daily life; and you can live your life with the certainty and conviction that you have the right path of action. When you find the correct answers, you will experience complete satisfaction and peace — no more anxiety at the ups and downs of life, the cruelty of fate and the blind hand of destiny. Satisfaction is what everyone desires. This endeavour is a necessity.

But is a real solution possible if so many people have tried and failed in the past? To say "no" may be the fashionable answer, but who can remain content with that? One is left with unresolved anxiety and ultimate depression. To say "yes" may sound like false optimism, in the face of common experience, where our leaders give only examples of exploitation and violence to imitate, and when the great thinkers of our time cannot convince those leaders otherwise. Optimism may be out of fashion, but why not put a little faith in your own abilities? Why not experiment a little, expand your experience by investigation of your self? Have faith in your intelligence, judgement, intuition and willpower. Until now, you have been using your intelligence in service of bodily demands. You are a servant of your body. You are playing the role of a highly developed animal. Why not utilise another potential within your self, and transcend maya.

Where to start? How to begin? Without doubt, trying on your own will lead to failure and discouragement. Agree to take some help. Take the advice of authority, the authority of a thousand sages, the authority of five thousand years. The Mahabharat, which has pointed out the predicament of man, contains within it a vivid and common-sense analysis of life, death and duty in the world, in the form of Bhagavad Gita. The wisest men of all times, who came to the stage of complete satisfaction and peace, have accepted and praised the Bhagavad Gita. Its instructions are a guide for one on the path of realization. Bhagavad Gita is a philosophical treatise recited on the battlefield of Kuruksetra at the beginning of the war between the Pandavas and the sons of Dhrtarastra. The cause of this exposition is the crisis of values in the mind of Arjuna. Having to kill, not only enemies, but friends, teachers and relatives, Arjuna hesitates in his duty as a warrior. He can only take such drastic action if he is convinced that it is right. Sri Krishna, Bhagavan, the Lord Himself, taking the position of guru, explained to his intimate friend, devotee and disciple, the nature of life and death, the nature of the self, the world, the creator of the universes, and the activities incumbent upon man. Krishna explained truths which should serve as a basis for all of men's actions in this world. These words dispelled the confusion and doubts of Arjuna, and gave him the conviction to take positive action according to the Lord's desire. By acting thus, Arjuna became glorious. These same words have been the inspiration and guide for billions of people through the ages. Follow the same path, and you too can attain your glory. Bhagavad Gita answers the questions:

1. Who am I? Krishna first teaches Arjuna that a person is not his body or mind, but eternal spirit, which continues to exist through changes of body, through birth and death. The eternal spirit or self cannot be altered by any material condition; spirit cannot be killed or harmed. Death is simply a change from an old body to a new one. Since the body is not the self, one should learn to tolerate the miseries which affect the body, and to regard death as transfer rather than end.

2. Where do I come from? Who is the creator? Most people will be content to identify with their parents who gave birth to them or to the society or nation which protects them; and consequently they limit their duties to these masters. Unfortunately, these duties do not always seem quite relevant or correct, and thus these authorities must be challenged from time to time. Who is the final authority to whom we owe allegiance? Who or what is the final cause of not only ourselves, but all other living and non-living objects? Krishna answers: aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate "I am the origin of everything that be. Everything comes from me." And Arjuna confirms: param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan purusam sasvatam divyam

adi devam ajam vibhum "Oh Krishna, you are the Supreme Brahman, the ultimate, the supreme abode, the purest of the pure. You are the eternal, transcendental person, the source of all the devatas, the Supreme Lord without beginning." Krishna is the final cause of all living and non-living beings in all universes. He is the final authority whose order we should obey. For those who approach him in love, he is love itself.

3. Why are we here? What is the purpose of everyone's existence here? What is one supposed to achieve in this life? We are here for an education. We are here to learn how to use our intelligence properly and rise above animal existence. We are here to distinguish our real nature and purpose, as eternal spirit beyond dull matter. Having learned, we should act. Krishna directs: Man mano bhava mad bhakto mad yaji mam namaskuru "Engage your mind always in thinking of me, offer obeisances and worship me. Be my devotee." This constitutes our dharma, our duty in life, our natural path of activity which will bring contentment now, and permanent release from birth and death.

4. Where do I go when I die? Since every living being is actually spirit or eternal, each soul takes another body upon giving up the previous body at the point of death. The human being has a choice, however, of what activities to pursue, and by these activities he determines what he will attain in his next life. By performing activities which are forbidden by the Lord, one is forced to take a body in which one will suffer. By performing activities recommended by Krishna, one can transcend birth and death, and transfer oneself beyond the material universes to the abode of eternal bliss. By following the order of Krishna and serving him in complete surrender or love, the human being is guaranteed liberation from the material realm and can attain eternal blissful life. aham tvam sarvapapebhyo moksaylsyami ma sucah "By surrendering to me, I will deliver you from all sin and suffering. Do not worry." This is the process by which we can surpass birth and death and reach real satisfaction and peace. The process of surrender, called bhakti yoga, is the path of enlightenment for the fortunate and wise, bringing a life of freedom, peace and joy.

A Practical Guide for Aspiring Yogis Krishna, Arjuna, Bhagavad Gita, 5000 years ago.... "Times have changed. It's not practical now." That may be your argument. And a good point. The world has changed for certain, and for worse. How should one carry out surrender to Krishna in modern times? Dharma is unacceptable if it is impractical for time and place. The time is Kali yuga, the age of degradation, age of iron, age of quarrel and darkness, bent on final destruction. The place is everywhere. Anywhere in the global city. Everyone there needs help. The Lord teaches a dharma practical for each age In Satya yuga the process of spiritual life was meditation; in Treta yuga the process was homa (fire sacrifice); in Dvapara yuga the process was worship in the temple; and in Kali yuga the Lord advises kirtana (chanting the names of the Lord) as the practical process, as the yuga dharma. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who appeared five hundred years ago, popularised kirtana as the yuga dharma throughout India, and predicted its spread throughout the whole world as the universal spiritual process most effective in our degraded condition. Kirtana is both practical and effective, since it needs no other qualification than sincerity to have effect, and since it may be performed in any situation or at any time and all times with good effect. Any person at any place in the world can derive the benefits from chanting the name of the Lord. Kirtana is effective. What are its benefits? Practice of kirtana quickly leads one to full surrender to Krishna and pure, spiritual love, called prema.

To simplify to the basics, Sri Caitanya gave one mantra freely which may be used as kirtana. Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare By reciting this mantra one becomes purified of all material desire and freed from all material suffering. By reciting this mantra one attains spiritual wisdom and ever-increasing bliss. One may chant this mantra with melody together with others or alone, or one may chant softly to oneself using beads (japa). One should chant regularly everyday, and if possible, one should chant all the time. One should chant humbly, begging to be the servant of the Lord.

The Question of Authority Everyone wants to be the boss. Some people are content to control a segment of the material world. Others pose as spiritual authorities. Some even claim that they are God. Who is the real spiritual authority? Whom should we listen to? The Lord himself is the final authority, the final master whom all must obey. One can identify the Lord by his characteristics, described elaborately in Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam. The teachings of the Lord, such as Bhagavad Gita, are also authority. The pure devotees, who realize the teachings in their own self, and who understand and impart his teachings without distortion or personal motivation, are also authorities. The pure devotees are recognized as such, not by any claim that they may make that they are God, but by their ability to show through their own conduct how to be a servant of God. They show by example (being acarya) how to surrender to Krishna, which is the essential message of the Bhagavad Gita. Since time immemorial, the teachings and realization have been passed down through guru to disciple in schools of authority or disciplic succession (parampara). Remarkable acaryas such as Ramanuja and Madhva have appeared in such lines of correct teaching. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who established the sankirtana movement as yuga dharma, appeared in a branch of the Madhva line. From Sri Caitanya the line has continued to the present day. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, comes in this line from Sri Caitanya.

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder-Acarya of International Society for Krishna Consciousness He appeared in this world in 1896 in Calcutta, India. As a young man, he met his spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur in Calcutta in 1922. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta, the foremost scholar and devotee of his time, had founded the Gaudiya Matha, an organization for spreading the teachings of Sri Caitanya and kirtana, with sixty-four branches in all parts of India. At this first meeting, his master requested him to propagate this spiritual science through the English language. In 1933 Srila Bhaktisiddhanta initiated him at Allahabad, and praised him for his ability to listen attentively. Remembering the first instruction of his spiritual master, in 1944 he started single-handedly an English fortnightly magazine called "Back to Godhead", and in 1947 the Gaudiya Vaisnava Society honoured him with the title Bhaktivedanta in recognition of his philosophical learning and devotion. At the age of 54 he retired from family life and finally settled in Vrndavana to devote his time to study and translation work. He accepted the sannyasa order in 1959. To fulfill the desire of his spiritual master, he began translating and commenting on Srimad Bhagavatam according to the traditional teachings of parampara. On completing three volumes of this work, he made his way to United States in 1965, determined not just to translate into the English language, but to have the Englishspeaking public take the message of the Lord to heart. With little support, financial or moral, he founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness in 1966, with the purpose of spreading Lord Caitanya's sankirtana movement to all parts of the world. He taught the process of bhakti yoga wherever there were hearers. Though over 70 years of age, he began travelling constantly to all parts of the world to preach, all the while continuina his translation and commentary on Srimad Bhagavatam (thirty volumes) and as well completing translation and commentary of Caitanya Caritamrta, a work on the life and philosophy of Sri Caitanya. These works have been highly praised by the topmost scholars for their authoritative presentation of bhakti, and have been translated into 25 languages. By reading his translations such as Bhagavad Gita as It Is or Srimad Bhagavatam one will understand that he teaches the same message as the past authorities: surrender to Krishna as the dharma for the conditioned souls.

Having established over 100 centers around the world and entrusting the responsibility to spread this movement to his disciples, he left this world in November 1977 in Vrndavana, India. To continue the line of authority he appointed eleven of his senior disciples as initiating gurus. Srila Jayapataka Swami, one of the eleven persons originally appointed by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada as initiating spiritual master, is the authorized initiating spiritual master for Malaysia, Thailand, Indochina, Nepal, East and South India, Southeastern U.S.A. and Chile and Peru in South America. Through the work of such dedicated followers, the desire of Srila Prabhupada to transmit the pure message of the Lord to every corner of the world is being fulfilled. The opportunity to hear the authoritative version, the real truth, is now available to all.

Society for Krishna Consciousness Standing together is better than standing alone. When a person begins spiritual life and follows the precepts of Bhagavad Gita, he will find greater success by practising in the association of like-minded aspirants and experienced guides. The Society for Krishna Consciousness is a registered organization formed with the purpose of bringing together those aspiring to be devotees of Krishna. The symptom of the spirit soul (atma) is consciousness, which is manifested even in our state of forgetfulness (maya). Linking that consciousness back to Krishna is called Krishna consciousness or bhakti yoga. The purpose of the Society for Krishna Consciousness is to foster Krishna consciousness or bhakti yoga in its members. The rules and activities of this Society are in accordance with the guidelines set up by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who established hundreds of similar organizations around the world under the name International Society for Krishna Consciousness, or lSKCON. The dedicated members of this society, to maintain purity, practise four kinds of abstinence: 1. no meat, fish, eggs, garlic, onions 2. no intoxications, including liquors of all sorts, drugs, smoking, tea, coffee 3. no illicit sex life 4. no gambling The dedicated members of this society, to nurture devotion to Krishna, participate in daily kirtana and chant a minimum of 16 rounds of japa of the Hare Krishna Mantra. As well they daily study the Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam for authoritative knowledge of the spiritual science. The institutions around the world include Radna Krishna temples, schools, asramas, farms, restaurants, free food distribution centers, and guest houses. These institutions sponsor festivals such as Rathayatra and Janmastami for the public, radio shows and radio stations for broadcasting the message of Krishna's consciousness, diorama displays of Krnsa's pastimes, dance, drama and other cultural shows, International Food Relief to collect donations for distribution of food in India, and massive programs for distributing Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam. The centers are many, and the numbers are growing daily. But the goal is one: unalloyed devotion to Sri Krishna, the highest welfare of mankind. You are invited to be a member of this organization, to share the spiritual program and goals of Krishan consciousness, and to find the answers to all the questions and put your mind at peace. If you find some initial difficulty in becoming a dedicated member of the society, do not be discouraged. This society offers many ways in which you can begin your spiritual life. In any case, begin chanting the Hare Krishna mantra, read Bhagavad Gita as It Is, and contact or visit the Society for Krishna Consciousness Malaysia for further information.

The Maha-mantra BY HIS DIVINE GRACE A. C. BHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI PRABHUPADA HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE The transcendental vibration established by the chanting of Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare is the sublime method of reviving our Krishna consciousness. As living spiritual souls we are all originally Krishna conscious entities, but due to our association with matter from time immemorial, our consciousness is now polluted by the material atmosphere. The material atmosphere, in which we are now living, is called maya, or illusion. Maya means "that which is not" and what is this illusion? The illusion is that we are trying to be lords of material nature, while actually we are under the grip of her stringent laws. When a servant artificially tries to imitate the all-powerful master, this is called illusion. In this polluted concept of life, we are all trying to exploit the resources of material nature, but actually we are becoming more and more entangled in her complexities. Therefore, although we are engaged in a hard struggle to conquer nature, we are ever more dependent on her. This illusory struggle against material nature can be stopped at once by revival of our Krishna consciousness. Krishna 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. And this process is recommended for this age by authorities. By practical experience also, one can perceive that by chanting this maha-mantra, or the Great Chanting for Deliverance, one can at once feel a transcendental ecstasy coming through from the spiritual stratum. When one is factually on the plane of spiritual understanding — surpassing the stages of senses, mind, and intelligence — one is situated on the transcendental plane. This chanting of Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare is directly enacted from the spiritual platform, and thus this sound vibration surpasses all lower strata of consciousness — namely sensual, mental, and intellectual. There is no need, therefore, to understand the language of the mantra, nor is there any need for mental speculation or any intellectual adjustment for chanting this maha-mantra. It springs automatically from the spiritual platform, and as such, anyone can take part in the chanting without any previous qualification, and dance in ecstasy. We have seen this practically. Even a child can take part in the chanting, or even a dog can take part in it. Of course, for one who is too entangled in material life, it takes a little more time to come to the standard point, but even such a materially engrossed man is raised to the spiritual platform very quickly. When the mantra is chanted by a pure devotee of the Lord in love, it has the greatest efficacy on the hearers, and as such, this chanting should be heard from the lips of a pure devotee of the Lord, so that immediate effects can be achieved. As far as possible, chanting from the lips of nondevotees should be avoided. Milk touched by the lips of a serpent has poisonous effects. The word Hara is the form of addressing the energy of the Lord, and the words Krishna and Rama mean "the supreme pleasure period." Hara is the supreme pleasure energy of the Lord, changed to Hare in the vocative. The supreme pleasure energy of the Lord helps us to reach the Lord. The material energy, called maya, is also one of the multi-energies of the Lord. And we, the living entities, are also the energy — marginal energy — of the Lord. The living entities are described as superior to material energy. When the superior energy is in contact with the inferior energy, an incompatible situation arises; but when the superior marginal energy is in contact with the superior energy, called Hara, the living-entity is established in his happy, normal condition. These three words, namely Ware, Krishna, and Rama, are the transcendental seeds of the Mahamantra. The chanting is a spiritual call for the Lord and His internal energy, Hara, to give protection to the conditioned soul. This chanting is exactly like the genuine cry of a child for its mother. Mother Hara helps the devotee achieve the grace of the supreme father, Hari, or Krishna, and the Lord reveals Himself to the devotee who chants this mantra sincerely. No other means of spiritual realization, therefore, is as effective in this age as chanting the maha-mantra: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare, Hare.

Journey To Light By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness om ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana-salakaya caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri-gurave namah "I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance, with the torchlight of knowledge." Everyone in this material world is born into ignorance, or darkness. Actually, the nature of this material world is that it is dark. It may be lighted with sunlight, moonlight, fire, or electricity, but its nature is dark. That is a scientific fact. So everyone born in this material world — from Brahma, the chief personality in the topmost planet of this universe, down to the ant — is born into the darkness of ignorance. Now, the Vedic injunction is tamasi ma jyotir gama: "Don't remain in darkness: come to the light." And for this, a spiritual master is needed. It is the duty of the spiritual master to open the eyes of the person in darkness with the torch of knowledge, and one should offer one's respectful obeisances unto such a spiritual master. People should not be kept in darkness; they should be brought into the light. Therefore, in every human society there is a religious institution of some sort. What is the purpose of Hinduism, Mohammedanism, Christianity, or Buddhism? The purpose is to bring people in the light. That is the purpose of religion. And what is that light? That light is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Srimad-Bhagavatam states, dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam: "The codes of religion are directly given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead."

Laws of Life In the state-there are laws that you must follow. The head of the state gives some laws, and if you are a good citizen you obey those laws and live peacefully. These laws may be different according to time, circumstances, or people — the state laws of India may not agree cent percent with the laws of the United States — but in every state there are laws that you must obey. One has to abide by the law. Otherwise one is considered the lowest in society, a criminal, and is subject to punishment. That is the general principle. Similarly, religion means to obey the laws of God. That's all. And if a human being does not obey the laws of God, he is no better than an animal: All scriptures, all religious principles are meant to elevate man from the animal platform to the human platform. Therefore,, a person without religious principles, without God consciousness, is no better than an animal. That is the verdict of the Vedic literature: ahara-nidra-bhaya-maithunam ca samanyam etat pasubhir naranam dharmo hi tesam adhiko viseso dharmena hinah pasubhih samanah Eating, steeping, sex, and defense — these four principles are common to both human beings and animals. The distinction between human life and animal life is that a man can search after God but an animal cannot. That is the difference. Therefore a man without that urge for searching after God is no better than an animal. Unfortunately, at the present moment in every state and every society people are trying to forget God. Some people publicly say there is no God; others say that if there is a God, He is dead; and so on. They have built such a so-called advanced civilization, with so many skyscraper buildings, but they are forgetting that all of their advancement is dependent on God, on Krishna. This is a very precarious condition for the human society.

Forgetting There is a very nice story that describes what happens to a society that forgets the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Once a rat was being troubled by a cat. So the rat went to a saintly person who had mystic powers and said, "My dear sir, I am very much troubled." The rat said, "A cat always chases me, so I have no peace of mind." "Then what do you*want?" "Please make me into a cat." "All right, become a cat." After a few days, the cat came to the saintly person and said, "My dear sir, again I am in trouble." "What is that trouble?"

"The dogs are chasing me." "Then what do you want?" "Make me a dog." "All right, become a dog." Then after a few days the dog came and said, "Sir, again I am in trouble." "What is the trouble?" "The foxes are chasing me." "Then, what do you want?" "To become a fox." "All right, become a fox." Then the fox came and said, "Oh, tigers are chasing me." "Then, what do you want?" "I want to become a tiger." "All right, become a tiger.." Now the tiger began to stare at the saintly person. "I shall eat you," the tiger said. x "Oh, you shall eat me? I have made you a tiger, and you want to eat me!" "Yes, I am a tiger, and now I shall eat you." Then the saintly person cursed him, "Again become a rat!" And the tiger became a rat. So, our human civilization is like this. The other day I was reading the World Almanac. It said that within the next hundred years people will be living underground — like rats. Scientific advancement has created the atomic bomb to kill men, and when it will be used people will have to go underground and become like rats. From tiger to rat. That is going to happen; it is nature's law. If you defy the laws of your state, you will be put into difficulty. Similarly, if you continue to defy the authority, the supremacy of the Supreme Lord, you will suffer. Again you will become rats. As soon as the atomic bombs explode, all civilization on the surface of the globe will be finished. You may not like to think of these things — they may be very unpalatable — but these are the facts. Satyam grhyat priyam grhyan ma priyah satyam apriyam. It is a social convention that if you want to speak the truth you should speak it very palatably. But we are not meant for social convention. We are preachers, servants of God, and we must speak the real, truth, whether you like or not. A godless civilization cannot be happy. That is a fact.

Awakening Love So we have started the Krishna consciousness movement to awaken this godless civilization. Just try to love God; this is our simple request. You have love within you — you want to love somebody. A young boy tries to love a young girl; a young girl tries to love a young boy. This is natural, because the loving propensity is within everybody. But we have created circumstances in which our love is being frustrated. Everyone is frustrated — husbands, wives, boys, girls. Everywhere there is frustration, because our loving propensity is not being utilized properly. Why? Because we have forgotten to love the Supreme Person. That is our disease. So the purpose of religion is to train people how to love God. That is the purpose of all religion. Whether your religion is Christianity or Hinduism or Mohammedanism, the purpose of your religion is to train you how to love God, because that is your constitutional position. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam [1.2.6] it is said, sa vai pumsam paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhoksaje. Now, in English dictionaries this word dharma, is generally translated as "religion," a kind of faith, but the actual meaning of dharma is "essential characteristic." For example, sugar's dharma, or essential characteristic, is sweetness. If you are given some white powder and you find that it is not sweet, you will at once say, "Oh, this is not sugar; it is something else." So sweetness is the dharma of sugar. Similarly, a salty taste is the essential characteristic of salt, and pungency is the essential characteristic of chili. Now, what is your essential characteristic? You are a living entity, and you have to understand your essential characteristic. That characteristic is your dharma, or religion — not the Christian religion , the Hindu religion, this religion, that religion. Your eternal, essential characteristic — that is your religion. And what is that characteristic? Your essential characteristic is that you want to love somebody, and therefore you want to serve him. That is your essential characteristic. You love your family, you love your society, you love your community, you love your country. And because you love them, you want to serve them. That tendency to engage in loving service is your essential characteristic, your dharma. Whether you are a Christian, a Mohammedan, or a Hindu, this characteristic will remain. Suppose today you are a Christian. Tomorrow you may become a Hindu, but your serving mood, that loving spirit, will stay with you. Therefore, the tendency to love and serve others is your dharma, or your religion. This is the universal form of religion.

Full Satisfaction Now, you have to apply your loving service in such a way that you will be completely satisfied. Because your loving spirit is now misplaced, you are not happy. You are frustrated and confused. The Srimad-Bhagavatam tells us how to apply our spirit of loving devotion perfectly: sa vai pumsam paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhoksaje ahaituky apratihata yayatma suprasidati That religion is first class which trains you to love God. And by this religion you will become completely satisfied. If you develop your love of God to the fullest extent, you will become a perfect person. You will feel perfection within yourself. You are hankering after satisfaction, full satisfaction, but that full satisfaction can be obtained only when you love God. Loving God is the natural function of every living entity. It doesn't matter whether you are a Christian or a Hindu or a Mohammedan. Just try to develop your love of God. Then your religion is very nice. Otherwise it is simply a waste of time (srama eva hi kevalam). If after executing rituals in a particular type of religion throughout your whole life you have no love for God, then you have simply wasted your time. And the method is very simple; just chant His holy names-Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Hare Hare/Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. The process of chanting the Hare Krishna mantra is universal. It is not Hindu, or Indian. The Sanskrit word mantra is a combination of two syllables, man and tra. Man means "mind," and tra means "deliverance." Therefore a mantra is that which delivers you from mental concoction, from hovering on the mental plane. So if you chant this mantra very soon you will find that you are coming from darkness to the light.

The Wise Man by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Since no one can trace the history of the living entity's entanglement in material energy, the Lord says that it is beginningless. By beginningless it is meant that conditional life exists prior to the creation; it is simply manifested during and after the creation. Due to forgetfulness of his nature, the living entity, although spirit, suffers all kinds of miseries in material existence. It should be understood that there are also living entities who are not entangled in this material energy but are situated in the spiritual world. They are called liberated souls and are always engaged in Krishna consciousness, devotional service. The activities of those who are conditioned by material nature are taken into account, and in their next life, according to these activities, they are offered different types of material bodies. In the material world the conditioned spirit soul is subjected to various rewards and punishments. When he is rewarded for His righteous activities, he is elevated to the higher planets where he becomes one of the many demigods, and when he is punished for his abominable activities, he is thrown into hellish planets where he suffers the miseries of material existence more acutely. Caitanya Mahaprabhu gives a very nice example of this punishment. Formerly a king used to punish a criminal by dunking him in the river, raising him up again for breath and then again dunking him in the water. Material nature punishes a->d rewards the individual entity in just the same way. When he is punished, he is dunked in the water of material miseries, and when he is rewarded, he is taken out of it for some time. Elevation to the higher planets or to a higher life status is never permanent. One must again come down to be submerged in the water. /"I-this is constantly going on in this material existence; sometimes one is elevated to higher planetary systems, and sometimes one is thrown into the hellish condition of material life. In this regard Caitanya Mahaprabhu recites a verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam taken from the instructions of Narada Muni to Vasudeva, the father of Krishna: bhayam dvitiyabhinivesatah syad isad apetasya viparyayo smrtih tan-mayayato budha abhajet tarn bhaktyaikayesam guru-devatatma (Bhag. 11.2.37) In this quotation from the nine sages who were instructing Maharaja Nimi, maya is defined as "forgetfulness of one's relationship with Krishna." Actually, maya means "that which is not." It has no existence. Thus it is false to think that the living entity has no connection with the Supreme Lord. He may not believe in the existence of God, or he may think that he has no relationship with God, but these are all "illusions," or maya. Due to absorption in this false conception of life, man is always fearful and full of anxieties. In other words, a godless concept of life is

maya. One who is actually learned in the Vedic literatures surrenders unto the Supreme Lord with great devotion and accepts Him as the supreme goal. When a living entity forgets the constitutional nature of his relationship with God, he is at once overwhelmed by the external energy. This is the cause of his false ego, his false identification of the body with the self. Indeed, his whole conception of the material universe arises from this false identification with the body, for he becomes attached to the body and its by-products. To escape this entanglement, he has only to perform his duty and to surrender unto the.. Supreme Lord with intelligence and devotion and with sincere Krishna consciousness. A conditioned soul falsely thinks himself happy in the material world, but if he is favored by the instructions of an unalloyed devotee, he gives up his desire for material enjoyment and becomes enlightened in Krishna consciousness. As soon as one enters into Krishna consciousness, his desire for material enjoyment is at once vanquished, and he gradually becomes free from material entanglement. There is no question of darkness where there is light, and Krishna consciousness is the light that dispels the darkness of material sense enjoyment. A Krishna conscious person is never under the false conception that he is one with God. Knowing that he would not be happy by working for himself, he engages all his energies in the service of the Supreme Lord and thereby gains release from the clutches of illusory material energy. In this connection, Caitanya Mahaprabhu quotes the following verse from Bhagavad-Gita: daivi hy esa gunamayi mama maya duratyaya mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te "The divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it." (Bg. 7.14) Caitanya Mahaprabhu went on to teach that for each and every moment he is engaged in some fruitive activity, the conditioned soul forgets his real identity. Sometimes when he is fatigued, when he is tired of material activities, he wants liberation and hankers to become one with the Supreme Lord, but at other times he thinks that by working hard to gratify his senses he will be happy. In either case, he is covered by material energy. For the enlightenment of such bewildered conditioned souls, the Supreme Lord has presented voluminous Vedic literatures such as the Vedas, the Puranas and the Vedanta-sutra. These are all intended to guide the human being back to Godhead. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has given further instructions by explaining that when a conditioned soul is accepted by the mercy of the spiritual master and is guided by the Supersoul and the various Vedic scriptures, he becomes enlightened and makes progress in spiritual realization. It is because Lord Krishna is always merciful upon His devotees that He has presented all these Vedic literatures by which one can understand his relationship with Him and can act on the basis of that relationship. In this way one-is gifted with the ultimate goal of life. Actually every living entity is destined to reach the Supreme Lord. Indeed, it is possible for everyone to understand his relationship with the Supreme. The execution of duties to attain perfection is known as devotional service, and in maturity such devotional service becomes love of God, the factual goal of life for every living being. Actually the living entity is not intended to achieve success in religious rituals, economic development or sense enjoyment. The living entity should not even desire, success in liberation, what to speak of success in religion, economics and sense enjoyment. One's real desire should only be to achieve the stage of loving transcendental service to the Lord. The all attractive features of Lord Krishna help one in attaining this transcendental service, and it is by such service in Krishna consciousness that one can realize the relationship between Krishna and himself. Concerning man's search for the ultimate goal of life, Caitanya Mahaprabhu relates a story from the commentary of Madhva which occurs in the Fifth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam (Madhu-bhasya, 5.5.10-13). This story involves the instructions of the astrologer Sarvajna to a poor man who came to him to have his future told. When Sarvajna saw the horoscope of the man, he was at once astonished that the man was so poor, and he said to him, "Why are you so unhappy? From your horoscope I can see that you have a hidden treasure left to you by your father. However, the horoscope indicates that your father could not disclose this to you because he died in a foreign place, but now you can search out this treasure and be happy." This story is cited because the living entity is suffering due to his ignorance of the hidden treasure of his Supreme Father, Krishna. That treasure is love of Godhead, and in every Vedic scripture the conditioned soul is advised to find it. As stated in Bhagavad-gita, although the conditioned soul is the son of the wealthiest personality, the Personality of Godhead he does not realize it. Therefore Vedic literatures are given to him to help him search out his father and his paternal property.

The astrologer Sarvajna further advised the poor man: "Don't dig on the southern side of your house to find the treasure, for if you do so you will be attacked by a poisonous wasp and will be baffled. The search should be conducted on the eastern side where there is actual light, which is called devotional service of Krishna consciousness. On the southern side there are Vedic rituals, and on the western side there is mental speculation, and on the northern side there is meditational yoga." Sarvajna's advise should be carefully noted by everyone. If one searches for the ultimate goal by the ritualistic process, he will surely be baffled. Such a process involves the performance of rituals under the guidance of a priest who takes money in exchange for service. A man may think he will be happy by performing such rituals, but actually if he does gain some result from them, it is only temporary. His material distresses will continue. Thus he will never become truly happy by following the ritualistic process. Instead, he will simply increase his material pangs more and more. The same may be said for digging on the northern side, or searching for the treasure by means of the meditational yoga process. By this process a person thinks of becoming one with the Supreme Lord, but this merging into the Supreme is like being swallowed by a large serpent. Sometimes a large serpent swallows a smaller one, and merging into the spiritual existence of the Supreme is analogous. While the small serpent is searching after perfection, he is swallowed. Obviously there is no solution here. On the western side there is also an impediment in the form of a yaksa, an evil spirit who protects the treasure. The idea is that a hidden treasure can never be found by one who asks the favor of a yaksa in order to attain it. The result is that one will simply be killed. This yaksa is the speculative mind, and in this case the speculative process of self-realization, or the jñana process, is also suicidal. The only possibility then is to search for the hidden treasure on the eastern side by the process of devotional service in full Krishna consciousness. Indeed, that process of devotional service is the perpetual hidden treasure, and when one attains to it, he becomes perpetually rich. One who is poor in devotional service to Krishna is always in need of material gain. Sometimes he suffers the bites of poisonous creatures, and sometimes he is baffled, sometimes he follows the philosophy of moni.sm and thereby loses his identity, and sometimes he is swallowed by a large serpent. It is only by abandoning all this and becoming fixed in Krishna consciousness, devotional service to the Lord, that one can actually achieve the perfection of life.