BACK TO GODHEAD is the monthly journal of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. When Srila Prabhupada began the Society (in New York City, in 1966), he put into writing the purposes he wanted it to achieve. They are as follows: 1. To systematically propagate spiritual knowledge to society at large and to educate all […]
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness was formed in 1966 by Prabhupada A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, who came from India on the order of his Spiritual Master to preach love of God to the people of the West. Prabhupada is in a line of disciplic succession going back directly 500 years to the time when Lord […]
“Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion—at that time I manifest Myself.”
Can an elephant feel sorrow? Do butterflies have worries or aspirations? Can you embarrass a squirrel, or a tiger, or a whale? What do animals think about?
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, is also known as Syamasundara, “the dark, beautiful boy”. Whenever He plays His flute in His transcendental abode, Vrndavana, all the residents become enchanted by the sound .
Lord Jagannath is especially liberal and accessible to the aspirant devotee of Godhead. As for the history of the Appearance of the merciful Lord Jagannath, our spiritual master, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, has often told the incident.
Modern scientists say there is no brain behind the creation. How foolish they are. If we see a painting, we would not say, “There is no brain behind this artistic work. It is so wonderfully painted, yet it has been created automatically. There is no artist.”
Temple needs wood! . . . Temple needs wood!” As the call echoes across our snowcapped farm, four men and two boys hop on an ox-drawn sled and head into the forest.
The devotees’ happy, smiling faces, their enthusiasm, and their music all attracted me deeply. Suddenly I felt that I’d like to be a part of this group. I let the idea pass, but I purchased a set of three Krsna books from one of the devotees.
Kali’s spirit of quarrel and hypocrisy pervades even religion and gives God a bad name. Church picnics, hayrides, and bingo parties introduce many of us to drinking, sex, and gambling, Kali confirms us as meat-eaters by serving us the flesh of cows.
“The recommended process for God realization in this Age is chanting of the Hare Krishna Mantra: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.”-A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Real devotional service begins when one understands, “Because God is so great, I should serve Him. Why am I uselessly rendering service to this world? Why not render service to God?” That stage is called dasyam, or servitude. That is the beginning of bhakti-yoga.
Although Lord Krsna is the original person and the oldest of all, He is always in the fresh bloom of youth, enjoying affectionate dealings with His devotees, whom He attracts with His unparalleled beauty and enchanting personality.
I had a dream. I was traveling, trying to reach some distant destination, but I kept being delayed. My airplane arrived at the first stop on time, but when I tried to connect with a further flight I was unable to go on.
Following a religious tradition observed for thousands of years in Jagannatha Puri, India, the devotees of the Hare Krsna temple here celebrated their seventh annual Ratha-yatra Chariot Festival recently.
Krsna means “the all-attractive one,” and Rama means “the all-pleasing one,” and Hare is an address to the Lord’s devotional energy. So the maha-mantra means, “O all-attractive, all-pleasing Lord, O energy of the Lord, please engage me in Your devotional service.”
What is ego? I am pure soul, but with my intelligence and mind I am in contact with matter, and I have identified myself with matter—and this is false ego. I am pure soul, but I am identifying falsely.
Om is a manifestation of the Supreme Lord in the form of sound vibration. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita. So, Hare Krsna and om have practically the same value, but chanting Hare Krsna is easier.
It is not God’s plan that you suffer; you suffer because you violate God’s laws. He is controlling everything, but He has given you minute independence: you can either follow His laws or violate them.
I was born in Aravade, a small village in the Indian state of Maharashtra that differs little from more than seven hundred thousand others in India. After I graduated from high school, my family sent me to Bombay to study chemistry in college. But my college career was not to be.