Week 1

Sri Namarta - The Nectar of the Holy Name Page 113 By performance of Sankirtana -yagna , the congregational chanting of the holy name , people will be happy economically, politically,socially, religiously and culturally. Bhag.9.20.24 – 26 (9.3, p. 108) Yagna must be performed, for otherwise people will be entangled in sinful activities and will suffer immensely. Therefore the Krsna consciousness movement has taken charge of introducing the chanting of Hare Krsna all over the world. This Hare Krsna movement is also yagna , but without the difficulties involved in securing paraphernalia and qualified Brahmanas. This congregational chanting can be performed anywhere and everywhere. If people somehow or other assemble together and are introduced to chanting Hare Krsna,Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna Hare Hare / Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare, all the purposes of yagna will be fulfilled. The first purpose is that there must be sufficient rain, for without rain there cannot be any produce.(annad bhavanti bhutani parjanyad anna sambhavah). All our necessities can be produced simply by rainfall(kamam vavarsa parjanyah), and the earth is the original source of all necessities.(sarva kama dugha mahi) ….. Then the earth will certainly produce all the necessities of life, and people will be happy economically, politically, socially, religiously and culturally. Everything will be in proper order.

SPIRITUAL EDIFICATION : 1 FROM THE SCIENCE OF SELF REALIZATION BY HIS DIVINE GRACE A.C. BAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI PRABHUPADA Page 2 Who are you ? Are you your body ? Or your mind ? Or are you something higher ? Do you know who you are. Or do you merely think you know? and does it really matter ? Our materialistic society, with its unenlightened leadership, has made it virtually taboo to inquire into our real, higher self. Instead we use our valuable time maintaining, decorating, and pampering the body for its own sake. Might there be an alternative? This very important Krishna consciousness movement is meant to save human society from spiritual death. At present human society is being misled by leaders who are blind, nor they do not know the aim and objective of human life, which is self-realization and the reestablishment of our lost relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the missing point. The Krishna consciousness movement is trying to enlighten human society in this important matter. According to Vedic civilization, the perfection of life is to realize one’s relationship with Krishna, or God. In the Bhagavad-Gita, which is accepted by all authorities in transcendental science as the basis of all Vedic knowledge, we understand that not only human beings but all living entities are parts and parcels of God. The parts are meant for serving the whole, just as the legs, hands, fingers, and ears are meant for serving the total body. We living entities, being parts and parcels of God, are duty-bound to serve Him. Actually our position is that we are always rendering service to someone, either to our family, country, or society. If we have no one to serve, sometimes we keep a pet cat or dog and render service to it. All these factors prove that we are constitutionally meant to render service, yet in spite of serving to the best of our ability, we are not satisfied. Nor is the person to whom we are rendering that service satisfied. On the material platform, everyone is frustrated. The reason for this is that the service being rendered is not properly directed. For example, if we want to render service to a tree, we must water the root. If we pour water on the leaves, branches and twigs, there is little benefit. If the Supreme Personality of Godhead is served, all other parts and parcels will be automatically satisfied. Consequently all welfare activities as well as service to society, family and nation are realized by serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Discovery 1. What is the aim of life? 2. What is the Krsna consciousness movement trying to do?

Understanding 1. 2. 3. 4.

What is wrong with our materialistic society? What does the Vedic civilization say about the perfection of life? Why is it necessary to serve God? What example illustrates this? How can we perfectly serve and satisfy everyone in this world? Why is it not possible to do so in any other way?Illustrate with an example.

Application 1. Have you attended any other self-realization program so far? If so, please share your experiences. 2. Which part of this program do you like very much and why?

Preaching is the Essence His Divine Grace A.C. Bhakti Vedanta Swami Prabhupada Page 4

The Lord has inaugurated the Hare Krsna movement for the benefit of human society Whenever the principles of religion deteriorate and the principles of irreligion increase, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Hari, appears by His own will. In the present age , the Supreme Personality of Godhead has appeared as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to inaugrate the Hare Krsna movement. At the present time, in Kali - yuga, people are extremely sinful and bad… They have no idea of spiritual life and are misusing the benefits of the human form to live like cats and dogs. Under these circumstances Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has inaugurated the Hare Krsna movement , which is not different from Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If one associates with this movement, he directly associates with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. People should take advantage… and thus gain relief from all the problems created in this age of Kali.