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On the order of his spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, Sankarshan Prabhu has dedicated his life for the most urgent work of spreading Krishna consciousness all over the world. The more that Krishna consciousness spreads, the more that the suffering, scarcity, and hate on this planet will be replaced with bliss, abundance and love. This is a golden opportunity for us to do the highest good for all living beings and receive the special blessings of the Lord. Therefore we should, as much as possible, sacrifice our time, energy, and resources to assist Sankarshan Prabhu in his most important work. If you would like to help out to any extent, little or big, kindly inform Sankarshan Prabhu of your desire. |
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Wednesday 31 October 2007 from The Hague, Netherlands -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Thought: Ultimate Yoga Knowledge Revealed in The Hague--Offer the Material World to Krishna By force of our flight schedule we were required to make an overnight stop in the Netherlands before continuing on to Sofia, Bulgaria. This arrangement was Krishna's greatest blessing upon us because it gave us the opportunity to share the topmost secrets of the self-realization science with the people of the Netherlands. There was a wonderful gathering of eager listeners to hear about why the practice of yoga is essential in this human form of life. I spoke from chapter eight of the Bhagavad-gita and described the six chakra yoga system and the bhakti yoga system. Both of them are recommended in the Vedic scriptures. The bhakti yoga system is especially recommended because it is the most practical and effective yoga system for this age. The six chakra yoga system to be fully effective requires that one completely give up all forms of contact with the material society. But in the bhakti yoga system one can remain fully in contact with the material society. How is one able to do this without having his spiritual consciousness drained? The answer is very simple. The bhakti yogi remains in contact with the material world but spiritualizes it by offering it to Krishna. Sankarshan Das Adhikari
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Tuesday 30 October 2007 via mobile phone en route to Amsterdam -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Thought: Back on the Road Life is great when you are Krishna conscious. That's why I want to see the entire world become Krishna conscious, so everyone can become happy. It's 6:31 am on 29 October 2007. I'm here at the airport in San Antonio, Texas waiting for my flight to Minneapolis from where I will catch a flight to Amsterdam. After a twelve day layover at our headquarters in Austin, Texas, it's back on the road again, this time for three months to finish up my round-the-world lecture tour, sharing the secrets of unlimited happiness in seventeen different countries. With sincere thanks I offer my humble obeisances at the lotus feet of my eternal spiritual master, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who has so kindly saved me from the repetition of birth and death and blessed with the order of doing the same for as many as possible of the souls who are suffering in this material existence just like I was. Sankarshan Das Adhikari -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: Changing Bodies and the Soul If the soul remains unchanged but only the body changes, please explain to me how understanding, knowledge and wisdom come into this equation. When I was a child I had a different body, different mind, knowledge, wisdom, and understanding etc. compared to the body I have now. Along with my mind, understanding and wisdom that I have now, are not all these things, i.e. mind, wisdom, knowledge, etc, making up the soul? Are we realizing our true self as we gain more knowledge and accept Krishna as the Supreme Controller? When we take a step closer to Krishna acknowledging that He is the Master Controller of the soul, is the soul awakened? Does the thus-awakened soul then begin to guide our intellect and in turn, our actions toward the direction of the soul (atma) i.e. preparing the soul for our new bodies? Or are Krishna and the soul different? Please help. Discovering myself, Veeren Rampersad -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Answer: Regaining Your Original Spiritual Body It is a fact that the soul remains unchanged and that only the body changes. The intellectual faculties are part of the subtle body. The soul is covered by the both the subtle body--composed of mind, intelligence, and false ego--and the gross body--composed of earth, water, fire, air, and ether. The gross body changes, and the subtle body also changes. Meanwhile throughout all these changes, the soul remains unchanged. The true self is realized when you understand that you are not your gross or subtle body and that you are an eternal spirit-soul, servant of Krishna. The awakening of your actual self is experienced according to your degree of surrender at the lotus feet of the Lord. Once you are fully awakened, you are completely freed from the chains of the material nature--birth, death, old age, and disease. Krishna then guides you at every step how to safely return to your original, eternal identity as a participant in His transcendental pastimes in the spiritual world. For such an awakened soul there is no question of taking another material body. His eternal spiritual body becomes revived and he enjoys an eternal life, full of bliss, and knowledge in the association of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is very, very important to note in this connection that Krishna and the soul are different. Although qualitatively one, they are quantitatively different. In other words they are not one and the same; they are one and different. It they were one and the same it would not be possible to render loving service to the supreme person as was done by Arjuna and Hanuman. Loving service means that three things must exist: the servitor, the served, and the service. Sankarshan Das Adhikari |
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Monday 29 October 2007 from Bhaktivedanta Ashram-Austin, Texas USA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Thought: Existence is Exciting When we get back to life's basics we become completely free from all types of distress. Indeed, our life becomes an exciting adventure at every moment as we re-establish our eternal servitude relationship with Krishna or God, the source of all existence. This is exciting because existence itself is exciting and because through loving devotional service to the supreme person we become gradually re-situated in our natural original consciousness. In other words all the anxieties and stress that we face on a daily basis are simply due to the unnatural coverings which have contaminated our consciousness. When those coverings are removed we find ourselves swimming in an ocean of unlimited transcendental bliss. Sankarshan Das Adhikari -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: Should I Quit my Job? I have been attending local ISKCON congregational programs regularly, which gives me immense peace of mind and pleasure. But when I get back to my job (company job), which is the source of my bread and butter, I really feel disillusioned and not comfortable. So is it time that I should quit my job and give my full concentration to spiritual life? I have also family responsibilities, with my two daughters still to get married. Kindly give your suggestions, Your servant of servants, Shyamsunder -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Answer: Do It For Krishna As long as you have family responsibilities, you must remain at your job. So there is no question of giving up your job. You cannot renounce your material duties. You can however become internally renounced by offering yourself fully in Krishna's service. As long as we have material bodies we require some means of livelihood. If you will fully offer yourself to Lord Krishna 24 hours daily, whatever means of livelihood you adopt will not be an impediment for your Krishna consciousness. Job means earning money. And if that money is spent 100% in a Krishna conscious way, you will always feel blissfully connected with Krishna, even when you are working your job. So now you must master the art of how to spend your money perfectly in the Lord's service, without misspending even a small portion of it on material sense gratification. This will completely relieve you from your current sense of anxiety at your job. Sankarshan Das Adhikari |
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Sunday 28 October 2007 from Bhaktivedanta Ashram-Austin, Texas USA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Thought: Planetary Respiritualization ISKCON's Founder-Acharya, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, has given us the seemingly impossible duty of bringing about the complete respiritualization of planet earth. This is not his invention. He has simply passed on to us the order coming down from Lord Krishna Himself in His most merciful manifestation, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. We are ordered to bring in the full manifestation of the Vedic age, even though we are in the midst of the most materialistic age of Kali. If we can pull this off, this will be greatest paradigm shift in history One may be baffled by this and wonder, "How could I even dream about dedicating my life to such an impossible goal?" The answer is that along with the order of the spiritual master comes the potency to successfully carry that order out. In other words the order itself contains the full power for its own successful implementation. One simply must have full faith in the order and be fully dedicated to the order. By doing so one becomes fully empowered to successfully execute the order. Those who put their faith in the order and dedicate their lives to it become empowered to fulfill it according to the degree of their dedication. Sankarshan Das Adhikari -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: Why Does Krishna Wear a Peacock Feather? Prabhu, why does Sri Krishna wear a peacock feather in His hair instead of other kinds of feathers? Pradip -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Answer: Because It's So Beautiful Krishna always wears a peacock feather in His hair because He is very fond of the peacock feather. Krishna or God is a person. He has likes and dislikes. Because He has likes and dislikes, and because we are part of parcel of Him, therefore we also have likes and dislikes. Because He has a taste for decorating Himself with a peacock, He does so. When we consider how beautiful is the peacock feather, we can immediately understand why Krishna likes it so much. Sankarshan Das Adhikari |
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Saturday 27 October 2007 from Bhaktivedanta Ashram-Austin, Texas USA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Special Announcement: For determining what time you should call go to: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Friday 26 October 2007 from Bhaktivedanta Ashram-Austin, Texas USA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Special Announcement: Important Correction below. Check the time using Houston not New York! For determining what time you should call go to: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Thought: |
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Thursday 25 October 2007 from Bhaktivedanta Ashram-Austin, Texas USA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Special Announcement: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Thought: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Sankarshan Das Adhikari |
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Wednesday 24 October 2007 from Bhaktivedanta Ashram-Austin, Texas USA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Thought: Resolving the Science/ Religion Controversy Nowadays there is a great divide between what is called science and what is called religion. For some this divide means that religion is in error. And for others this means that science is in error. So what is the reality? If both of them cannot be right, then either of them or both of them must be wrong. The split between science and religion has led to endless debates, philosophical struggles, and even legal battles in court. The actual relationship between science and religion is quite different from what most people think. This is so because truth is one; it cannot be two. If it is two, it cannot be truth. To understand this properly we must understand the real meaning of the terms "science" and "religion", not the distorted understandings that are being propagated by the so-called modern thinkers. The word science comes from the Latin world "scientia" which means "knowledge." And the word "religion" comes from the Latin "religare" which means "reconnect." Just as the honey in a jar is only fully realized when it is tasted, knowledge of the Absolute Truth is only fully realized when we reconnect with it. The more we connect with it, the more we understand it. And the more we understand it, the more we will want to connect with it. So science is theoretical understanding of the Absolute Truth and religion is practical realization of the Absolute Truth. Just like in a chemistry course we learn that H20 = water in the lecture and then practically apply it in the laboratory, science is theoretical and religion is practical. Both are necessary aspects of fully experiencing and comprehending the Absolute Truth. Real science encourages religion, and real religion deepens our scientific understanding. So there is no question of which religion somebody belongs to. A person is either connected to the Absolute Truth or not connected to the Absolute Truth. They are either religious or irreligious. And there is no question of religion and science having two different explanations of reality. They are both necessary aspects of realizing the one truth. Sankarshan Das Adhikari -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: Who Created the Creator? Here are some questions posed by my friend which I couldn't answer: What is the purpose of a creator? Who created the creator? For what purpose did the creator create the universe and the beings in it and expect the beings to show allegiance to Him? It is as if the creator loves being worshiped and adored. Is He so egoistic or does He have an inferiority complex that He creates the universe to make people believe in His existence and worship Him?" I request you to please enlighten me on these. Ashutosh -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Answer: The Creator Here are your friend's questions with answers: Question: What is the purpose of a creator then? Answer: His only purpose is to enjoy. Question: Who created the creator? Answer: The creator. That's why He is the creator. If someone else created Him, that someone else would be the creator. Question: For what purpose did the creator create the universe and the beings in it and expect the beings to show allegiance to him? Answer: For His enjoyment. Question: It is as if the creator loves being worshiped and adored. Answer: Yes. That is His position. Question: Is He so egoistic or does He have an inferiority complex that He creates the universe to make people believe in His existence and worship Him?" Answer: He is egoistic. That is His position. The King has the right to unlimitedly enjoy His kingdom, not others. Sankarshan Das Adhikari |
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Tuesday 23 October 2007 from Bhaktivedanta Ashram-Austin, Texas USA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Thought: Flying in the Sky of Unlimited Bliss Every form of pleasure in this material world has its point of exhaustion. The pleasure seeker finally reaches a stage where he can enjoy no more and he has to go somewhere else looking for pleasure. Such a situation where we cannot find anything permanently enjoyable is not very satisfying. No matter how much we gloss over the suffering conditions of material existence trying to make them appear pleasant, still in the final analysis we must admit the suffering condition of this material existence. Therefore what we need is a type of pleasure that never becomes worn out, a well that never runs dry, so to speak. That unlimited pleasure is available to each and every one of us. In fact, it is our natural birth right. Just as a bird is meant to fly in the sky, we are always meant to fly in the sky of unlimited bliss by reviving our now dormant Krishna consciousness. Is there scientific proof? Yes, there is! The scientific proof is the transformation of consciousness personally experienced in due course of time by anybody who seriously adopts the pathway of Krishna consciousness as taught by its greatest exponent, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Sankarshan Das Adhikari -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: Communication with Other Religions What is your opinion about the cooperation between religions? Isn't it better to work together for the salvation of mankind instead of arguing on religious topics? What should be the attitude of the devotees to the other religions and spiritual paths? Hristo -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Answer: For Real Cooperation... The only way that real cooperation can happen is for everyone to recognize that there is no such thing as many religions, that religion is one, to become a pure lover of God. As long as we think "this religion and that religion" any co-operation that may be attempted will be superficial and will not last. Working together for salvation means that everyone must agree what is salvation. Until there is common understanding of what salvation is, we cannot work together for the salvation of mankind. Our attitude to religious people outside of Gaudiya Vaisnavism is that we sincerely appreciate whatever they are doing and teaching which is in accordance with the Bhagavad-gita, and we are very sad with what they are doing and teaching which is against the principles of the Bhagavad-gita, for example--cow killing. Bhagavad-gita is not presenting a relative man-made religion. It is the words spoken directly by God Himself, Lord Sri Krishna. Therefore of all scriptures it is the most perfect and the most authoritative. Religion is not relative. It is absolute. It is a scientific principle. The word "religion" comes from the Latin word "religare" which means to reconnect. So religion means to reconnect with God. Any process that reconnects us with God is religion. And any process which does not connect us with God is irreligion. Sankarshan Das Adhikari |
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Monday 22 October 2007 from Bhaktivedanta Ashram-Austin, Texas USA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Thought: Special Thanks to Our Readers I would like to take this opportunity to offer my sincere thanks to all of you wonderful souls around the world who have been participating in this e-course by reading our materials, by inquiries, and by following the instructions you have been given. It is because of your appreciation of my humble efforts to serve my spiritual master's mission that this course is going on. Were it not for your participation there would be no Ultimate Self Realization Course. Therefore I very, very much appreciate each and every one of you and am wishing you the very best in your spiritual progress. Please do not hesitate to contact me if there is any way I can be of service to you in your spiritual life. Sankarshan Das Adhikari -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: Bhagavad-gita--ABC's or King of Education? It is said that the Bhagavad-gita is the ABC's of spiritual life. It is also said that Srimad Bhagavatam is the masters level and that Caitanya Caritamrita is the PhD level. Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita 9.2 that "This knowledge is the king of education, the most secret of all secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct perception of the self by realization, it is the perfection of religion. It is everlasting, and it is joyfully performed." If Bhagavad-gita is Raja Vidya-the king of knowledge, then why do we say that it is the ABC's of spiritual life? Your aspiring servant, Bhaktivinode das -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Answer: Both You have raised a very interesting question. How can the Bhagavad-gita be considered ABC knowledge, introductory knowledge, and at the same time the most advanced knowledge? Is this contradictory? No. It is not contradictory. Since Krishna declares the Bhagavad-gita to be the king of knowledge, the highest level knowledge, we cannot doubt this. But then how can it be simultaneously ABC level, introductory level knowledge? The answer is quite simple. The Bhagavad-gita is the introduction to the highest level of knowledge. Srimad Bhagavatam and Sri Caitanya Caritamrita also present the same highest level of knowledge. The difference is that they go deeper and deeper into it. We can understand a simple analogy in this connection. If you develop a relationship with the king, the first thing is that you are introduced to him. Then you develop a personal relationship with him and later on an even more personal relationship with him. At all three stages you are associating with the king: introductory level, personal level and more personal level. In a similar way we associate with the king of knowledge in an introductory way in the Bhagavad-gita, in an advanced way in the Srimad Bhagavatam, and in even a more advanced way in the Sri Caitanya Caritamrita. Sankarshan Das Adhikari |
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Sunday 21 October 2007 from Bhaktivedanta Ashram-Austin, Texas USA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Thought: Global Leadership for a Troubled Age This planet is desperately lacking leaders. The persons who are now leading the human society are completely disqualified. Therefore the entire global society has been plunged into an ever-increasingly chaotic situation. In spite of so much bad news going on everywhere all around the world, the good news is that the Vedic wisdom, especially the Bhagavad-gita and the Srimad Bhagavatam, gives us everything we need to know in order to to clean up the mess that the leaderless human society has gotten itself into. So we should look to see who are those persons who are the living embodiments of the Vedic wisdom. These person are known as acharyas, ideal spiritual teachers. It is such persons that we should follow, not the cheaters and rascals who pose as leaders simply for their own sense gratification. Sankarshan Das Adhikari -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: Spirituality at Home It is wonderful to read your articles about Krishna consciousness and get your mail every morning. Thanks for helping us grow spiritually in this material world. I would really appreciate if you could please reply to my following questions: 1)How can I practice spirituality at home among the materialistic members of the family? I would like to thank you in advance for sparing some time and all your co-operation. |
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Saturday 20 October 2007 from Bhaktivedanta Ashram-Austin, Texas USA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Thought: Tasting the Ultimate Nectar There is nothing sweeter than chanting the holy names of God in a mood of loving devotion because such chanting brings one into direct contact with the Supreme Person Himself. Such chanting is best done in the early morning hours before sunrise when the material world is not offering many distractions to lure the mind away from Krishna's holy names.  From the great acharyas we have learned the system of chanting on japa beads. This system of chanting on beads amplifies the power of the mantra and thus helps one to go deeper into a state of transcendental meditation. Taking the japa beads in one's right hand beginning just next to the end bead, one utters the Hare Krishna mahamantra on the first bead and then moves to the second bead on which he again chants the mahamantra, etc, etc. In this way after chanting on 108 beads the devotee completes one round or one mala. (The 109th bead is called the end bead and is not chanted on. It simply serves as a marker to let you know where to begin and end each round.) After completing the first round the chanter then turns the beads around and goes back in the opposite direction to chant the second round and continues going back and forth until he completes at least 16 rounds. In the above illustration the chanter has almost completed one round and is chanting the last few beads before he completes the round. For more information about chanting please consult the following article: http://ultimateselfrealization.com/articles.php?articleId=56 Sankarshan Das Adhikari -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To hear a sample round go to the following links: Chanting Hare Krishna Japa -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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Friday 19 October 2007 from Bhaktivedanta Ashram-Austin, Texas USA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Thought: Keeping a Cool Head in the Combat Zone To become Krishna consciousness in this grossly materialistic age of Kali is tantamount to declaring war against the material energy. Thus the sincere devotee of the self-realization science finds himself in a combat zone on a regular daily basis. This is why strong sadhana (devotional practice) is required. This strong sadhana fortifies the devotee against the attacks of the material energy. It enables him to always keep a cool head in spite of so many disturbing circumstances. The devotee wants to stay fixed in Krishna consciousness, but the material nature is constantly trying to destroy his Krishna consciousness. The material nature tries to induce him to engage his mind, words, anger, tongue, belly, and genitals in sense gratification. But the self-controlled devotee uses them only in the service of the Lord. In this way by taking shelter of the Lord, he becomes a conquering hero who defeats the enemy attacks and successfully manifests Krishna consciousness, even though he finds himself deep within enemy territory. Sankarshan Das Adhikari -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: What is My Ecstasy? Can I ask you a question, please? Do you think I am in an ecstatic mood, which is beyond my rational thinking and self-control? I am sure you are one who cares for all people in this world. Regards, Sree -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Answer: Real or Imaginary There are two kinds of ecstasy: real and imaginary. There is material ecstasy, which comes as a result of good karma. It happens when your material desires are being fulfilled. However this kind of ecstasy is always temporary because it is alternated with material miseries such as miseries of the body and mind, miseries caused by other living beings, and miseries caused by natural disturbances. Since it is not permanent, it is always tinged by the deep-seated anxiety of knowing that it won't last. Therefore it is not real ecstasy. It is only a shadow of ecstasy. The real ecstasy is experienced by those who fully awakened their dormant enlightened consciousness by re-establishing themselves in the devotional service of the Lord 24 hours a day under the expert guidance of the bona fide spiritual master. The test of which type of ecstasy you are experiencing is to see whether or not you have become free from all types of material desires, even the subtle ones such as profit, adoration, and distinction. The bona fide spiritual master does in fact care about the welfare of all beings. This is why my guru, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, has ordered me to spread Krishna consciousness all over the world. Sankarshan Das Adhikari |
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Thursday 18 October 2007 from Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Thought: Millions of Times Better Than Sex 17 October 2007--We are here at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam awaiting our afternoon flight back to the USA after the most ecstatic preaching tour of eastern Europe. It was capped off last night by a very well received lecture I gave to a temple room packed full of young people at the Hare Krishna center in Riga, Latvia. Latecomers could hardly squeeze in the door. My student, Ugis, who owns Riga's leading radio stations announced my lecture on the air for an entire week attracting Riga's youth to find out how to achieve unlimited happiness. I explained to them scientifically who they really are beyond their material bodies and taught them the practical techniques for achieving that supreme state of happiness which is millions and millions of times greater than any pleasure of this world, even the pleasure of sex. The Riga youth were very impressed and asked many sincere questions. Many of them purchased Bhagavad-gitas and other transcendental literatures at the conclusion of the lecture. I hope and pray that the many seeds of Krishna bhakti planted in their hearts will soon fructify. Sankarshan Das Adhikari
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Wednesday 17 October 2007 via mobile phone en route to Riga, Latvia -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Thought: End to Global Conflict At the present moment the entire human society is embroiled in conflict in varying degrees on all levels. Husbands and wives are sometimes in such conflict that it leads to ghastly murder scenes. When even friends are in conflict, how much conflict is going on between enemies? Communities are in conflict. Nations are in conflict. The list goes on and on. Conflict resolution has now become such a top priority in today's conflict ridden society that organizations have been formed simply for the purpose of researching and promoting conflict resolution. But yet in spite of so much research and effort to find the solution for conflict, we see the conflicts are still going on everywhere throughout the entire world with ever-increasing intensity. In other words, we are not making progress in the field of conflict resolution. The reality is that, taken from the global perspective, conflicts are increasing both in number and in intensity. So what can be done? Is it hopeless? No, it is not. The underlying foundation of existence is harmony because the Supreme Person is full of love for all living beings. He is never at odds with the living beings. He is always their well-wisher. Therefore if we can simply harmonize our thoughts, words, and deeds with Him and always act as His harmonizing instruments, we will become powerful catalysts for restoring peace and harmony to the human society. And if enough people start doing this, the entire world will gradually become conflict free. Sankarshan Das Adhikari -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: What is Consciousness? Namaste. Will you please enlighten me on the concept of consciousness? Thanks and regards, Haresh -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Answer: The Sense of "I Am." Consciousness is the sense of "I am", which you possess. Just like you asked me to enlighten you regarding what is consciousness. This means you have a sense of being a person who wants to be enlightened. It is this sense of individuality that is your consciousness. Sankarshan Das Adhikari |
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Tuesday 16 October 2007 from the ISKCON center in Kaunas, Lithuania -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Thought: Pollution Solution  Today we are living in a world which is becoming increasingly polluted. We are gradually turning our entire earth planet into a toxic waste site. Even though so many people are talking about cleaning up the environment, no one is able to do anything to effectively turn the tide of the times towards a cleaner global atmosphere. The forces of greed forge ahead impelling us for the sake of quick material profit to continue polluting our atmosphere more and more and more until it becomes too late.But there is a solution to the pollution. This solution requires that we understand the root cause of the pollution. The root cause is that our  environment is heavily polluted on the subtle plane, the plane of consciousness. The phenomena we experience on the gross plane are the result of what is there on the subtle plane. Whatever is there on the subtle plane will naturally also be manifested on the gross plane. The subtle pollution is our selfish, greedy desire to lord it over this world as if we were its masters and owners.So the pollution solution begins with understanding that Krishna or God is the proprietor of everything. In fact, Krishna directly states this in the Bhagavad-gita, that He is the owner and enjoyer of everything. If we clean up our consciousness by understanding, thinking, speaking, and acting in harmony with the principle of Krishna's proprietorship, the external atmosphere of planet earth will naturally, gradually become very clean and nice. Air pollution, water pollution, noise pollution, social pollution, etc will be relegated into the history books. The entire earth will be transformed into a paradise. May that day come soon! Sankarshan Das Adhikari -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: Room for Hope? I have one important question. How to defy our destiny? Am I really falling short of my expectations or am I falling short of Krishna's expectations? Your servant, Vishal -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Answer: Unlimited Room for Hope There are two entirely different destinies awaiting you. And you have full freedom to make your choice. One is on the spiritual plane and the other is on the material plane. Your destiny on the material plane is to experience birth, death, old age, and disease repeatedly for an unlimited number of births through 8,400,000 different species. And your destiny on the spiritual plane is to live in full freedom an eternal, ever-youthful, all-blissful, all-existence, in the wondrous divine atmosphere of the spiritual sky. So which destiny do you prefer? You have to make your choice. If you prefer to remain within the confining chains of karma, you do this by dedicating your life to the principle of material sense gratification both for yourself and for those with whom you associate. And if you prefer the unfettered freedom of eternal spiritual existence you must take training in the self-realization science from a bona fide spiritual master. Krishna would like you to return to His abode for eternally rendering Him loving service. But He does not force Himself upon you. Know for certain that whichever pathway you choose to follow will take you to your particular destination, either the repetition of birth and death or the supreme bliss of pure Krishna consciousness. Now which one will it be for you? Sankarshan Das Adhikari |
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Monday 15 October 2007 from the ISKCON center in Kaunas, Lithuania -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Thought: Nothing Sweeter! Today we are heading out from Kaunas to New Goloka en route to Riga, Latvia from where we will fly onwards to our home base in Austin, Texas. This concludes the first leg of our current around-the-world lecture series tour. After twelve days in Austin we will resume our world tour with a lecture series in Bulgaria and Romania and possibly Macedonia. From there it will be on to the Middle East and further eastward to India, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji before returning to North America. What could be more enlivening than traveling and preaching all over the world for bringing life to a world which is drowning in ignorance? As confirmed in chapter 18 of the Bhagavad-gita there is nothing more pleasing to the Lord than this. Therefore there is also nothing more pleasing to the devotee. In other words as the Lord is pleased, so the devotee is pleased. This is the secret of how to always taste unlimited happiness: Simply always give pleasure to the Lord 24 hours a day. Capitalizing on this ultimate success formula, throughout the ages great transcendentalists have given up the so-called comforts of home life for lives fully dedicated to awakening this sleeping world from the slumber of Maya or illusion. There is indeed nothing sweeter than this! Sankarshan Das Adhikari At the Vedic Culture Center in Kaunas:
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Sunday 14 October 2007 via mobile phone on the road to Kaunas, Lithuania -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Thought: It Was Worth It! On Friday 12 October, we headed out by car on a three hour drive to Visaginas, a small Lithuanian town way out in the forest. It was a dark, dreary, rainy, cold, nasty day. This was a stark reminder of the nature of this material existence. After we arrived I was wondering why we had taken so much trouble to come to this remote place. After all, we were comfortably situated in Kaunas, and my lecture series was being very nicely received there. But once the devotees assembled in the apartment of Dina Bandhu Prabhu and I led Hare Krishna kirtan and started explaining the timeless message of the Bhagavad-gita, the transcendental magic once again happened and I could feel how we were entering into the transcendental dimension beyond time and space. And I knew that it was worth it! Why did I ever doubt it? Sankarshan Das Adhikari
Teaching Bhagavad-gita in Visaginas, Lithuania
Eager Hearers
There is Nothing Sweeter
Loving Farewell
We Can Never Forget Such Sweet Devotees -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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Saturday 13 October 2007 via mobile phone on the road to Visaginas, Lithuania -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Thought: Entering the Realm of Inconceivable Sweetness Everyone is hankering to taste the sweetest nectar at every minute, but unfortunately practically no one knows how to taste it. This is why we need a bona fide spiritual master. The spiritual master is that person who knows how to taste the supreme nectar of love of God at every minute and is fully dedicated to teaching us how to also taste it. Because people are ignorant of how to taste this supreme nectar they invent so many other ways to try to taste it. But in each and every case when all is said and done they come back to the position of frustration. So why be frustrated now or in the future? Why not take shelter of a bona fide spiritual master today and enter into the realm of inconceivable, never-ending, ever-increasing sweetness? You've got nothing to lose except for your anxieties, and a life of unlimited bliss to gain. I was one of the most fortunate souls who gained the association of such an authentic spiritual master, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. We took full advantage of his divine association by fully surrendering ourselves at his lotus feet. He then taught us how to taste this inconceivable nectar and ordered us to share it with the entire world. If you like, you can also learn how enter into that realm of inconceivable sweetness. It's up to you. Take it or leave it. But always remember that you are most cordially invited to enter this wondrous dimension. When you are ready to take it, we are ready to give it to you. Sankarshan Das Adhikari
Tasting the Sweetness in Kaunas, Lithuania -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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Friday 12 October 2007 Sharing Ultimate Nectar in Vilnius, Lithuania
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Thursday 11 October 2007 from ISKCON center, Kaunas, Lithuania -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Thought: Auspicious Rainbow 10 October 2007--Traveling by car last night to Vilnius, Lithuania to give an evening lecture on the Bhagavad-gita I witnessed the most beautiful and complete rainbow I've ever seen in my entire life. I took it as an auspicious omen of wonderful things to come. It was clearly visible for a full 180 degrees with both ends touching the ground. It was so long I could not fit it in one photograph. Therefore to give you a chance to see it I made a movie of it, which is available through the link below. Another thing that made it especially auspicious was that there was another more subtle rainbow running parallel to it just above it. This second rainbow was not clearly visible in the photograph or movie clip. Wanting to take full advantage of the auspiciousness which is now in the atmosphere, this morning I prayed to Sri Sri Nitai Gauracandra, the deities of our Kaunas, Lithuania temple that the entire world can very soon be inundated with a tidal wave of Krishna consciousness. The world is suffering due to a lack of Krishna consciousness. If the people can somehow or other be introduced to this sublime knowledge, they will become delivered from all anxiety and illusion. Please help me to spread this Krishna consciousness by posting links to www.backtohome.com as much as possible all over the internet. The more web sites that have links to us, the more the search engines will point to us and the more people will find us. Sankarshan Das Adhikari
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Wednesday 10 October 2007 from ISKCON center, Kaunas, Lithuania -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Thought: Krishna's Mercy at the Russian Border 8 October 2007--Krishna really blessed us while we were crossing the Russian border to re-enter Lithuania. Our Russian driver, Lila Avatar Prabhu, drove us from Kaliningrad to the Russian border at Sovetsk where we were to walk with our luggage across the bridge over the Neman River to the Lithuanian side where our Lithuanian driver, Kedaranath Prabhu, was waiting for us. We cross the border on foot because getting a car across the Russian border is a much more time consuming red tape process that going across as a pedestrian. Even though the simpler pedestrian-style crossing is also always a hassle due to the lording-it-over-mentality of the Russian border guards, once you get past that quagmire, walking crossing the bridge over the Neman River is a pleasant experience. This time however was different. On our drive from Kaliningrad to Sovetsk it had been raining the entire time. The sweet devotees in Kaliningrad had kindly supplied with raincoats. And just before reaching the border crossing Lila Avatar stopped at a grocery store and got plastic bags for covering our luggage and our feet. At the last minute before getting out of the car at the border, the rain all of sudden intensified like anything. We sat in the car carefully donning our raincoats and tying plastic bags on our feet while Lila Avatar hopped out into the rain to remove our luggage from the trunk and quickly cover it with plastic bags. Then with full rain armor we headed out to the border guard station, luggage in tow, into the deluge. By the time we finished our hassle with the border guard hidden behind tinted glass who demanded documented evidence of our flight from Riga to Amsterdam in order for us to leave Russia, the rain had stopped and we could see through the parted clouds a beautiful blue sky opening up on the Lithuanian side of the border. Even though there were so many water puddles we had to walk through or around, we crossed the bridge without experiencing even as much as one drop of rain water. Once we were safe and dry in Kedaranath's car on the road to Kaunas, the blue sky immediately disappeared and the rains came pouring down again sometimes with great fury with winds so heavy at times that debris was being blown across the highway in our path. The moral of the story? Always chant Hare Krishna. Spread it everywhere. And always depend on Krishna. He will never let you down. He will always take great care of you. Sankarshan Das Adhikari
Bridge at Russian Border in Sovetsk Answers According to the Vedic Version: |
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Tuesday 9 October 2007 via mobile phone on the road to Lithuania -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Thought: The Ultimate Meditation Because Krishna's name and Krishna Himself are one and the same, there is therefore nothing sweeter and more relishable than Lord Sri Krishna's name. This means that the perfection of the tongue is to chant "Hare Krishna", and that the perfection of the ears is to hear "Hare Krishna". It also means that the perfection of the mind is to be completely, totally absorbed in chanting and hearing the Hare Krishna mantra: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna Some people argue that this is restrictive and sectarian. But since everything that exists can be found in the Krishna's name, there is nothing at all restrictive about exclusively focusing your consciousness on this sound vibration. Try to carefully understand that absorption in His name is the ultimate meditation, the supreme perfection. When you become fully absorbed in Krishna's name, you've reached the topmost platform of spiritual enlightenment. |
