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Presenting the World's Leading Self Realization Training  System Guiding Thousands Around the Globe to the Highest Enlightenment

Under the guidance and inspiration of ISKCON Founder-Acharya: His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Dedicated to bringing about  a spiritual revolution for the enlightenment of all living beings on the planet
 

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150 New Lectures Now Posted Online

Sankarshan Prabhu has just returned from a four month around-the-world lecture tour. He gave 150 lectures on the ultimate self-realization science, in 13 countries and 36 cities, towns, and villages. Now all of these lectures are posted online for your enlivenment and enlightenment. Surf on over and check them out! They are available at:

http://www.spiritual-revolutionary.com/lectures.htm

You can listen to them online or download them onto to your computer or mp3 player to hear them later on for you convenience.

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Today's Thought for the Day

A Thrill at Every Moment

It's 5:50am on 30 January, 2006. I've finished chanting 16 rounds of the Hare Krishna mantra on my japa beads. I've woken the deities, offered mangala arati and Tulasi arati. I've also cooked the breakfast offering. Now it's my writing time, time to compose "Thought for the Day." What a sweet and wonderful part of my regular daily routine this has now become for the last three years! I have no magic formula. I simply honestly present the wonderful realizations and experiences I am having as a dedicated disciple of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

By his causeless mercy any ordinary person, such as myself, can live the most extraordinary life of transcendental adventure, a thrill at every moment. All you have to do is read Srila Prabhupada's books and follow Srila Prabhupada's books. This can be done in any situation in any part of the world. Your life will be unlimitedly sublime. I guarantee it.

Sankarshan das Adhikari

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Questions and Answers from Sankarshan Prabhu's Correspondence:

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How to Achieve Self Realization?...

How can I achieve self realization? What is the benefit of chanting Hare Krishna? Which is the best time for chanting?

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Amazing Things...

The means of becoming self-realized is to fully surrender yourself at the lotus feet of Lord Sri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If you will carefully study the Bhagavad-gita At It Is, by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, you will gain complete understanding of how to become fully self-realized.

You may obtain a copy at your nearest ISKCON center. There is a world wide directory given here:
http://www.iskcon.com/worldwide/centres/index.html

Read the Bhagavad-gita and regularly attend the programs at your nearest ISKCON center. In this way you will learn everything you need to know for achieving spiritual perfection.

Chanting will clean all the impurities out of your heart. It is best to chant the Hare Krishna mantra at least 16 rounds daily on japa beads in the early morning before you begin your daily activities.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari
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Preparing for My Next Lecture Tour

A layover, time off from my vigorous schedule of traveling and preaching, is welcome. I can focus on various health issues that are affecting this material body that I am lugging around. Plus this layover is a excellent opportunity for introspection.

We must always analyze if we are serving the mission of our spiritual master in the best possible way. To serve his orders in a way that gives him the most pleasure is the purpose of our existence. The surrendered disciple lives for nothing else. His only desire is to please his spiritual master. So we have to always make sure that we are doing the best possible service for our spiritual master.

In this connection Srila Prabhupada explains,

"A disciple should always remember that by serving the spiritual master he can easily advance in Krishna consciousness. All the scriptures recommend that it is by pleasing the spiritual master and serving him directly that one can attain the highest perfectional stage of devotional service."
from purport to Srimad Bhagavatam 4.28.34

It is no doubt enlivening to think of and make preparations for my upcoming European Lecture Tour. But it is all equally enlivening to do everything possible to please Srila Prabhupada right now by my every thought, word, and deed.

Sankarshan das Adhikari

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Questions and Answers from Sankarshan Prabhu's Correspondence:

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My Pleasant Surprise...

I am getting your Thought for the Day messages regularly. I enjoy reading them first thing in the morning. Whenever I have a question, to my pleasant surprise, I find the same answered for somebody else.

Thank you very much for your wonderful service.

A devotee.

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Amazing Things...

I am very happy that you are enlivened by our humble attempt to present Lord Sri Krishna's teachings. As soon as we try to sincerely glorify the Lord all kinds of amazing things start to happen.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari
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150 New Lectures Now Posted Online

Sankarshan Prabhu has just returned from a four month around-the-world lecture tour. He gave 150 lectures on the ultimate self-realization science, in 13 countries and 36 cities, towns, and villages. Now all of these lectures are posted online for your enlivenment and enlightenment. Surf on over and check them out! They are available at:

http://www.spiritual-revolutionary.com/lectures.htm

You can listen to them online or download them onto to your computer or mp3 player to hear them later on for you convenience.

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Today's Thought for the Day

Spiritual Hijacking Thwarted

Disciplic succession is the ancient system of one spiritual master passing on spiritual mastership to those of his disciples who are strictly following him. As my spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, states, "One who is now the disciple is the next spiritual master. And one cannot be a bona fide and authorized spiritual master unless one has been strictly obedient to his spiritual master." Srila Prabhupada did not name one successor to continue on as the spiritual master of ISKCON, the spiritual movement he created. Rather he said that all his disciples who strictly followed him would be his successors.

Now almost 30 years after his departure there are some persons outside of Srila Prabhupada's movement, ISKCON, who claim that a particular Indian swami, who is not a member of ISKCON, is the sole successor to the spiritual legacy of Srila Prabhupada. They claim that Srila Prabhupada's disciples are not his successors, that only their leader, this Indian swami, is Srila Prabhupada's successor. They demand that all of Srila Prabhupada's followers should now surrender themselves to this Indian swami.

I recently received an fraudulent email from one of the followers of this Indian swami. This follower was somehow or other able to temporarily hijack the email account of my students and signed the email to me with my student's name. (This illegal act was reported to legal authorities.) The email I received informed me that I do not have the shelter of a pure devotee of Krishna. He or she told me that the only way I can get the shelter of a pure devotee of Krishna is to surrender myself to their leader, the Indian swami.

This is not what I was taught by Srila Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada taught me that the spiritual master lives forever by his divine teachings, and that the follower lives with him. I am eternally under the full shelter and protection of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. I have not lost his shelter and, although I respect all others, I do not require the shelter of anyone else.

Others may be hijacked by such false propaganda, which goes against the Vedic teachings. But because I have the full shelter and protection of my spiritual master, in my case the hijacking was thwarted.

Sankarshan das Adhikari

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Questions and Answers from Sankarshan Prabhu's Correspondence:

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The Best Day of My Life!...

I'm honored and grateful for your guidance and your blessings. Just yesterday I was praying to lord Krishna and complaining to Him about how selfish people have become and how I don't think I'll ever get to know what real love is, and today He answered me through you. I am so happy. The day I signed up for this course was definitely the best day of my life!

Wishing you good health and a long life.

Hare Krishna

Mahima

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Make Each Successive Day Even Better...

Now that you've had the best day of your life, make each successive day even better by seriously taking up the process of Krishna bhakti.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari
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150 New Lectures Now Posted Online

Sankarshan Prabhu has just returned from a four month around-the-world lecture tour. He gave 150 lectures on the ultimate self-realization science, in 13 countries and 36 cities, towns, and villages. Now all of these lectures are posted online for your enlivenment and enlightenment. Surf on over and check them out! They are available at:

http://www.spiritual-revolutionary.com/lectures.htm

You can listen to them online or download them onto to your computer or mp3 player to hear them later on for you convenience.

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Today's Thought for the Day

Defeating Terrorism

One of the greatest fears of the modern day society is the fear of terrorism. Since September 11, 2001 the US government has spent more than $58 billion to combat terrorism. But in spite of such a huge amount of money being spent to combat it, it is still going on with great vigor. What's wrong? Why can't they stop it?

Leaders who are themselves guilty of promoting terrorism do not have the power to bring it to an end. These leaders have big, big conferences on how to stop terrorism. But when it comes time for their lunch they all dine on the bodies of terrorism victims, the poor innocent animals who are mercilessly murdered in the slaughterhouses.

How much are we terrorizing our four-legged and winged brothers and sisters? Let's look at some statistics. In the USA ten billion animals were killed in 2003. That's 27,397,260 animals every day, 1,141,553 every hour, 19,026 every minute. By comparison this makes 9/11 look like a Sunday school picnic.

Since what goes around, comes around and since he who terrorizes must be terrorized, we must reasonably expect to be the victims of terrorism as long as we continue to inflict terrorism on others. If we want to win the war of terrorism, we must first stop terrorizing the animals and unborn babies. Then we shall see some scope for a terror free world. Otherwise we can go on dreaming our lives away in a state of false euphoria until the next massive terror attack sobers us up a little bit.

Sankarshan das Adhikari

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Questions and Answers from Sankarshan Prabhu's Correspondence:

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According to Zen Philosophy Everything Happens Automatically...

Zen people say that by sitting silently doing nothing spring comes and the grass grows by itself. They say that you have only to sit silently doing nothing, and everything goes on happening of its own accord. The spring will come and the grass will grow. In this way everything is going to happen automatically. You don't need to do anything.

If so then where does Karma stand? According to this theory we should be effortless.

Thanks,

With regards,

Sangita

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Zen Starvation...

Let the Zen philosopher get his nourishment without putting the food in his mouth and chewing it. Then we will see about taking his philosophy seriously.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari
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150 New Lectures Now Posted Online

Sankarshan Prabhu has just returned from a four month around-the-world lecture tour. He gave 150 lectures on the ultimate self-realization science, in 13 countries and 36 cities, towns, and villages. Now all of these lectures are posted online for your enlivenment and enlightenment. Surf on over and check them out! They are available at:

http://www.spiritual-revolutionary.com/lectures.htm

You can listen to them online or download them onto to your computer or mp3 player to hear them later on for you convenience.

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Today's Thought for the Day

Real Love

In this world, all too often, desiring sexual union with someone is considered to be love. "I love you. Will you be mine?" often means, "I am lusty to have sex with you. Will you get in bed with me?"

But this is not real love. Real love means to serve another without any thought of receiving anything in return. One of my readers complained that his happy marriage recently failed after he contracted a disease which made his face turn ugly. If we truly love someone, we will never abandon them under any circumstances.

Srila Prabhupada describes real love as follows,

"Even in this material world we can have a little sense of love. How is this possible? It is due to the presence of our original love of God. Whatever we find within our experience within this conditioned life is situated in the Supreme Lord, who is the ultimate source of everything. In our original relationship with the Supreme Lord there is real love, and that love is reflected pervertedly through material conditions. Our real love is continuous and unending, but because that love is reflected pervertedly in this material world, it lacks continuity and is inebriating. If we want real, transcendental love, we have to transfer our love to the supreme lovable object -- Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the basic principle of Krishna consciousness."

If I really love you or you really love me, then we will always agree to serve each other under any condition. This spirit is able to fully manifest only on the spiritual platform, where we no longer consider ourselves to be the center of the universe. It's only when we rightfully see God as the center of the universe that we can truly love.


Sankarshan das Adhikari

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Questions and Answers from Sankarshan Prabhu's Correspondence:

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Is the Spiritual World Only Achieved After Death?...

In the Introduction to the Bhagavad-gita, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada has explained that when one attains the highest truth one reaches the abode of Lord Krishna called Goloka Vrindavan. Is it possible to reach this supreme abode while we are alive, or is it possible only after we leave the material world at the time of death?

I had a discussion regarding this with some people who have also read the Bhagavad Gita and they said that it is only possible for great saints to reach this place and not normal people like us.

Kindly throw some light on this topic.

Thanking you,

Mahima

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Alive or After Death...

As described by Srila Prabhupada in his purport to Srimad Bhagavatam 7.4.34, there is one great devotee named Prahlada Maharaja who lives simultaneously in the spiritual and material worlds. So it is possible to achieve the spiritual world even while living in the present body.

Generally however, achieving the spiritual world means that after your present material body dies you achieve a spiritual body in the kingdom of God. Any normal person who fully surrenders himself to Lord Krishna under the guidance of bona fide spiritual master can achieve the spiritual world at the time of death.

Going back to Godhead is the real meaning of being normal. Those who do not do so are abnormal. Unfortunately at the present moment 99.999% percent of the world population is abnormal. No wonder so many weird things are always happening on this planet.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari
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The Perfection of Dedication

Dedication is the very substance of our being. It is the fiber of our existence. Everyone has a sense of dedication to something or someone. No one functions without some kind of dedication. A man dedicates himself to his family. If he does not have a family, he will keep a dog so he dedicate himself to the dog.

Because we do not know where to repose our dedication for achieving ultimate happiness, we dedicate ourselves in so many varieties of ways that ultimately do not satisfy us. The intelligent person will seek out where the best result can be obtained from his dedication. He then dedicates himself enthusiastically there and relishes the topmost happiness at every moment. The Vedic wisdom teaches where and how to dedicate ourselves in such a way that our dedication becomes universal and perfect.

Sankarshan das Adhikari

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Questions and Answers from Sankarshan Prabhu's Correspondence:

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Reincarnation...

I am about to start studying the science of Krishna Consciousness. Is it possible that you can help by enlightening me regarding reincarnation? What really is reincarnation is? How does reincarnation affect our soul?

Mother Alma

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You Are Changing Bodies...

Reincarnation is a very simple principle to understand. Just as you have changed bodies in this lifetime many times, from a baby's body to a little girl's body, from a little girl's body to a young girl's body, from a young girl's body to a teenager's body, from a teenager's body to a young adult body, etc--in a similar way you, the living being, have been changing bodies lifetime after lifetime.

Nature has facilitated you with many varieties of bodies to satisfy your desire to enjoy in many varieties of ways--sometimes as a human being, sometimes as a an animal, and sometimes as a plant. But in each and every bodily situation you have not been fully satisfied because your actual identity is situated far, far beyond the body. None of the millions of different types of bodies that you have accepted over millions of lifetimes could satisfy your desire for an eternal existence full of bliss and knowledge.

To achieve that platform you must realize that you are not that body, that you instead are an eternal spiritual being, the eternal servant of Krishna or God. And then under the expert of guidance of the bona fide spiritual master you should gradually master the art of rendering pure devotional service unto the Lord.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari
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The Ultimate Cure

We are a world lamenting our lost purity. Everywhere all around us are the mournful signs of a society gone astray. The air is polluted, the water is polluted, and our minds are polluted. The social fabric is falling apart at the seams. It's happening so slowly we can hardly notice it. But if we observe what's going on carefully and honestly, it becomes crystal clear. Order is gradually, gradually fading into anarchy.

Are you disturbed to hear such things? Don't be. This is medicine. We don't cure a disease by ignoring it. We cure a disease by knowing perfectly what it is and then attacking it head on with the proper medicine. That medicine is that we simply have to become reconnected with our original pure state of universal consciousness. This enlightened state of being is known as Krishna Consciousness.

Sankarshan das Adhikari

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Questions and Answers from Sankarshan Prabhu's Correspondence:

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Recognizing an Advanced Devotee...

I just wanted to say that I think I may have figured out how to recognize an advanced devotee. The advanced devotee is the one who can help you remember Krishna. I have read your "Thought for Today". Each time I read it I feel a connection to the spiritual world. I cannot explain it completely, but as I am reading I am in a sort of bliss. When I am finish reading, I feel as though I have returned from somewhere.

I have a few questions:

At the point of initiation does the spiritual master's love help the disciple to get more and more connected to Krishna through bhakti, devotion?

At the point of death of an initiated disciple does Krishna and the spiritual master come to take the disciple back to Godhead?

When I get initiated I am connected with my guru for eternity? In other words when I go back to Godhead, will I be there with my spiritual master?

Thank you for answering these questions.

Humbly,

Warren

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Srila Prabhupada is the Most Advanced Devotee...

Your realization is correct. The advanced devotee is the one who helps you to remember Krishna. Of course, I take no credit for being an advanced devotee. I take it that because my spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, is the most advanced devotee, his potency is acting through me, blessing and uplifting my readers because I am purely presenting his teachings without any adulteration.

I am very happy that you are feeling transported to the spiritual world when you read "Thought for the Day." This makes perfect sense to me because I am feeling transported to the spiritual world every day when I write "Thought for the Day." By the mercy of Srila Prabhupada something truly amazing is happening here.

Yes, at the point of initiation the spiritual master's pure love for his disciple helps the disciple to become more and more connected with Krishna through bhakti, pure devotion.

Yes, at the time of death the spiritual master does take the disciple back to Godhead provided he is fully surrendered to Guru and Krishna.

Yes, when you take initiation from Sri Guru you will be connected with him eternally as his disciple. You will serve him eternally in the spiritual world.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari
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http://www.ultimateselfrealization.com/Sign_Up/thought.htm

P.S. Sign up right now to make you don't miss a single issue of "Thought for the Day."

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150 New Lectures Now Posted Online

Sankarshan Prabhu has just returned from a four month around-the-world lecture tour. He gave 150 lectures on the ultimate self-realization science, in 13 countries and 36 cities, towns, and villages. Now all of these lectures are posted online for your enlivenment and enlightenment. Surf on over and check them out! They are available at:

http://www.spiritual-revolutionary.com/lectures.htm

You can listen to them online or download them onto to your computer or mp3 player to hear them later on for you convenience.

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Tasting the Sweet Nectar of Krishna Consciousness at Bhaktivedanta Ashram

Our headquarters here at Bhaktivedanta Ashram in Austin, Texas is a true oasis in the desert. Here everything connects with Krishna. I rise by 3:00am for my morning shower, chanting the Hare Krishna mantra for at least 16 rounds on the japa beads that were personally given to me by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, and for attending the morning devotional program.

The morning program we conduct every day was also given to by us with Srila Prabhupada. It is a very powerful, sweet, ecstatic meditation, a sublime series of transcendental events. At 4:30am we have Mangal Arati, an auspicious welcoming ceremony for the Lord. Then we worship the Lord's pure devotee, Srimati Tulasi Devi. Then while Mataji bathes and dresses Sri Sri Radha Damodar, I bathe and dress a deity of Srila Prabhupada, cook the breakfast, and work on "Thought for the Day." At 6:45am after the deities have been dressed and received their breakfast, we have a ceremony to greet them, after which I offer an arati to Srila Prabhupada called Guru Puja. Following this we have an intellectually stimulating Srimad Bhagavatam class and a delicious breakfast of Krishna prasadam (foodstuffs offered to Lord Krishna with love and devotion.)

At this point we enter into our regular daily activities in a blissful state of Krishna consciousness. You can also taste the sweetest nectar every morning by conducting a similar program in your home. Or you can attend the blissful morning program at your nearest ISKCON center. In this way you will quickly and easily advance yourself along the pathway back to home, back to Godhead.

Why suffer in a state of anxiety when you taste ever-increasing bliss day after day?

Sankarshan das Adhikari

Editor's note: For a listing of all ISKCON centers worldwide visit:

http://iskcon.com/worldwide/centres/index.html

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Does Krishna Reject Someone Who Doesn't Have a Guru?

I have a question regarding your teaching about the necessity of a spiritual master for us.

How can Lord Krishna who loves his people reject someone who comes to him, calls out to him even without a guru? What about the poor illiterate soul who has never had the chance to go to a guru or even listen to the words of Bhagavad-gita to know that he needs a guru?

We must be very careful not to criticize other methods or religions or pathways to God. In the end the objective must be met, not the method itself glorified. Please allow it to be a Krishna consciousness movement based on the original teachings of the Gita, rather than a ISKCON - consciousness movement.

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Krishna Blesses the Sincere Seeker with a Guru

Krishna doesn't reject anyone who calls out to Him. For those who call out to Him with a desire to master the art of complete surrender at His lotus feet, He blesses them by bringing them into contact with a bona fide spiritual master, who then teaches them how to master the art of complete surrender to Krishna.

You mention, "We must be very careful not to criticize other methods or religions or pathways to God." So how can we imply that there is a defect in teaching the necessity of having a guru? After all, Krishna directly states in the Bhagavad-gita Chapter 4, text 34:

tad viddhi pranipatena
pariprasnena sevaya
upadeksyanti te jnanam
jnaninas tattva-darsinah

"Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth."

You are stating that ISKCON is not presenting the original teachings of the Bhagavad-gita. Anyone with even an elementary knowledge of Sanskrit can clearly see that ISKCON is presenting the Bhagavad-gita in its original pure form without even the slightest tinge of deviation.

You have mentioned that we should have a Krishna consciousness movement, not an ISKCON consciousness movement. ISKCON means international Krishna consciousness society. So what you are saying is contradictory. You are saying, "We should have a Krishna consciousness society, not a Krishna consciousness society."

If you want to convince us that we are wrong, you will have to come up with far more coherent arguments than what you have presented thus far. Until then we will continue following the orders we are receiving from Lord Krishna through the guru parampara system started and maintained by Him.

I am hoping this meets you in the best of health and in an ecstatic mood.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari
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P.S. Sign up right now to make you don't miss a single issue of "Thought for the Day."

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A Devotee is Merciful

A devotee is merciful. He cannot tolerate to see the suffering condition of the world society. Thus the devotee dedicates his life fully to spreading the Krishna consciousness movement all over the world into the heart of all living beings. Because of his or her dedicated service on behalf of the Supreme Personality of Godhead there is no one more dear to the Lord than such a surrendered servant.

Sankarshan das Adhikari

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Is Krishna Consciousness Selfish?

If I chant the Hare Krishna Mahamantra and find the bliss, and if I seek to see the form of Krishna for the delight it will give me, am I not seeking to satisfy my senses and thus being selfish?

Your student.

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The Pure Devotee is Perfectly Selfless

The pure devotee is willing to suffer on behalf of Krishna. All he cares about is Krishna's pleasure. He chants not for his own pleasure. Rather, he chants to please Krishna. He is willing to serve Krishna eternally even if he never gets to see Him. He never asks anything in return for his service. This is true love of Krishna, the highest perfection of spiritual enlightenment.

Would you like to develop such pure love for Krishna?

Sankarshan Das Adhikari
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We are switching to a new email server to give you better service. If you want to continue receiving "Thought for the Day," you will have to re-enroll by signing up right now on our new mailing list. You may do so through the following:

http://www.ultimateselfrealization.com/Sign_Up/thought.htm

P.S. Sign up right now to make you don't miss a single issue of "Thought for the Day."

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Loving the Devotees of Krishna

I'm back now in my old home, Sri Sri Radha Kalachandji Dham. I lived here for many years in this awesome spiritual oasis located in the middle of the most unlikely neighborhood in east Dallas, Texas.

I first lived here in 1972 in the early pioneering days when we acquired these buildings from a Christian church, which was not drawing enough of a congregation. When we first moved in here we did not have any showers. I remember taking my morning bath cleaning myself with water from the bathroom sink.

Then I lived here for three years starting in 1978 when it went through rapid growth under the direction of His Holiness Tamal Krishna Goswami. I spent another five years from 1984 through 1989, when I lived as an ideal householder temple community member: rising early to attend the full temple morning program, working a job as a computer programmer, donating money regularly, and giving my spare time engaging in many varieties of services for the temple.

Many of my dear devotee friends from many years ago are still here. It is so enlivening to again have their transcendental association. The easiest way to develop our love for Lord Krishna is to churn the ocean of loving relationship with His devotees. Srila Rupa Goswami instructs us in the practical techniques of developing loving relationships with the devotees:

dadati pratigrhnati
guhyam akhyati prcchati
bhunkte bhojayate caiva
sad-vidham priti-laksanam

"Offering gifts in charity, accepting charitable gifts, revealing one's mind in confidence, inquiring confidentially, accepting prasadam (foodstuffs offered to Lord Krishna) and offering prasadam are the six symptoms of love shared by one devotee and another. " Nectar of Instruction, verse 4

Krishna is very far away and may still be a sometimes vague concept for us. But His representatives, His devotees, are here on the earth. We should take full advantage by developing sweet, loving relationships with all of Krishna's devotees. This will help us to advance very quickly on the pathway to spiritual perfection.

Sankarshan das Adhikari
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Am I Qualified to Know the Meaning of the Mahamantra?

As I chant the Hare Krishna mantra, I wish to know the meaning of its words, also its overall meaning. This would definitely make my chanting even more effective. Kindly explain it to me, if I am qualified to know it. Please excuse me if I have made a mistake in wanting to know the meaning without qualification.

Thanks and pranams,

Priya

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Your Sincerity to Know the Truth is Your First Class Qualification

Your question is praiseworthy. We are meant to do everything with knowledge, not blindly. Your sincerity to know the truth is your first class qualification.

Krishna and Rama are names of God, and Hare is the energy of God. So when we chant the maha-mantra, we address first the energy of the Lord, and then we address the Lord, to engage us in their pure devotional service.

The Lord has two kinds of energy: spiritual and material. At present we are in the clutches of the material energy. Therefore we pray to Krishna that He may kindly deliver us from the service of the material energy and accept us into the service of the spiritual energy. That is our whole philosophy. Hare Krishna means, "O energy of God, and O God [Krishna], please engage me in Your service."

It is our nature to render service. Somehow or other we have come to the service of material things, but when this service is transformed into the service of the spiritual energy, then our life is perfect. To practice bhakti-yoga [loving service to God] means to become free from designations like "Hindu," "Muslim," "Christian," this or that, and simply to serve God. We have created Christian, Hindu, and Islamic religions, but when we come to a religion without designations, in which we don't think we are Hindus or Christians or Muslims, then we can speak of pure religion, or bhakti.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari