“The philosophical and religious works published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust provide a golden opportunity to Western philosophers, scholars, and people in general to drink deep at the celestial fountain of ancient Indian philosophical and spiritual wisdom.” Dr. L. S. Varshneya Chairman, Department of Hindi Dean, Faculty of Arts Allahabad University Allahabad, India “We are […]
I can see my body, and in a way I can see my mind and intelligence. Now then, what about the “I” who’s doing all this seeing? Can I see the “I”? by Amogha Dasa As we all know, the organ for seeing is the eye. The eye catches the light rays reflected by whatever […]
“What is that force without which a living body becomes a dead body? That’s the one thing the experts can’t quite put their finger on.” by Mandalesvara dasa What is life? … A child is born. You can see his natural luster, feel the warmth of his body, hear his crying. All his vital functions […]
Fifty centuries ago a great sage looked into the future and told us just what to expect. . . An address based on the Srimad-Bhagavatam of Krsna-Dvaipayana Vyasa, given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in Los Angeles during the summer of 1974. tatas canu-dinam dharmah satyam saucam ksama daya kalena balina rajan […]
Old age means a bit more than having to cut out baseball and tennis. It means we’re going to die. So before we get too far along in years, we have to start a spiritual fitness program. We have to exert ourselves strenuously for self-realization.
King Pariksit was cursed to die within seven days. Yet he took it all as Krsna’s will, and at once he went to the Ganges to fast till the fatal moment. On hearing the news, great sages came from all over the universe to witness his passing.
You are trying to know things rationally, but you are not going to the proper teacher. That is one more kind of ignorance—because you do not know that you are imperfect.
In this Sixth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita, the Lord explains that the eightfold yoga system is a means to control the mind and the senses. However, this process is very difficult for people in general to perform, especially in this age of Kali [quarrel and hypocrisy].
God, Karma, and the World Do you remember 1968—when churches offered “sanctuary” to draft resisters? I was in Boston at that time, and there it was big news for a while, part of the protest against the Vietnam War. Every few days you’d see in the headlines that yet another young man was telling the […]
The Transcendental Pastimes of Lord Krsna “The whirlwind demon intended to take Krsna up in the sky and kill Him, but Krsna was simply enjoying the ride….” by Drutakarma dasa When Lord Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, came to this earth five thousand years ago, He played as a cowherd boy in the north […]
Taking Shape A report from the birthplace of the Hare Krsna movement. by Mandalesvara dasa On a verdant stretch along the bank of the Ganges, in India’s province of West Bengal, lies the village of Mayapur. As history shows, Mayapur has long been a center for spiritual understanding and culture. Here, in 1486, Sri Krsna […]
A look at the worldwide activities of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) 66 Million Books Now In Print Just-released Bhaktivedanta Book Trust figures (for the period October 1966 to March 1978) show that Srila Prabhupada’s translations of India’s Vedic literatures now appear in some twenty-seven languages and have gone well over the sixty-six-million […]
On the United Nations This conversation between His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and Mr. P. Sharma, a former United Nations worker, took place in Paris. Srila Prabhupada: Suppose I ask the United Nations, as an organization, to explain the purpose of this cosmic manifestation. I am created a man, another is created an […]
Some personal recollections by his disciples. The first day I saw devotees chanting was October 16, 1966. They were at Tompkins Park in New York City. Initially I was captivated by the dancing. Some minutes later, though, I noticed Srila Prabhupada. He was sitting inconspicuously on the ground at the edge of the circle of […]
by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura (translated from the Bengali by Jayasacinandana dasa). O Lord, there is nothing that I call “mine.” You alone are my father, friend, and brother. My friends, wife, sons, and daughters are actually Your servants and maidservants. So whatever care I take for them is only to please You. If I go […]
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare Q. What is the Hare Krsna maha-mantra? A. A mantra is a transcendental sound vibration that delivers the mind from material anxieties. Of all mantras, the Hare Krsna mantra is the maha-mantra, the great mantra. Composed entirely of God’s […]
“With promiscuity as a norm and even a commodity, no wonder it’s hard to draw the line between ‘tolerable’ and ‘criminal.’ “ Child prostitution is on the rise in cities all over America. Los Angeles police estimate that in their city alone, more than three thousand boys and girls under fourteen are involved, and for […]
With oil running out and no substitute in sight, we need more than stopgap solutions. by Balavanta dasa Recently thirty-five of the world’s leading scientists met at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and predicted that our civilization will definitely run out of oil by the year 2000. Corroborating this warning, the Institute of Human Relations, […]
VedicViews on Western Thinkers Carl Jung (1875 -1961) Psychologist Carl Jung felt he had searched for his real self in past lives but had “not fulfilled the task” and never would. (A discussion with His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.) Hayagriva dasa: Carl Jung once asked himself this question: “Have I lived before in […]