Falling for Fido
The dog-food aisle runs the full length of the store, where, set against the back wall, one finds an equally long display: the meat cooler. Chickens, turkeys, pigs, cows, and sheep.
The Descent of God
Krsna points to this essential religion at the end of the Bhagavad-gita. “Abandon all varieties of religion,” He urges Arjuna, “and just surrender to Me”
Unholy Smokes
Six to nine times more addictive than alcohol, it is also eight times deadlier. Addiction to it is harder to treat and cure than addiction to heroin, and it leads to a higher incidence of fatality.
Heroism: The Urge for Cosmic Specialness
We feign indifference toward heroism while within we long for and quietly work at it. The main function of a cultural system, says Becker, is to provide us with an orderly vehicle for realizing our urge to heroism.
Watch Your Language
In the 1960s terms like yoga, karma, and mantra entered the American language. The rock ‘n’ roll culture of the hippies also popularized terms of Vedic spirituality, simultaneously creating new misconceptions.
A Mantra To Cure Madness
Anyone who identifies with the temporary material body, and thus works only for the satisfaction of the body and its extensions, disregarding the needs of the soul, is to be considered mentally ill.
Krsna or Christ—The Name Is the Same
When an Indian person calls on Krsna, he often says, “Krsta.” Krsta is a Sanskrit word meaning “attraction.” So when we address God as “Christ,” “Krsta,” or “Krsna,” we indicate the same Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Hallowed Be Thy Name
The Bible has nearly a hundred verses that praise the power, glory, and excellence of God’s hallowed name. The Bible’s authors obviously considered the holy name of the Lord very important.
Varnasrama-dharma
The four orders of social life called varna are scientifically arranged for the material progress of society, and the four spiritual orders called asrama are designed for natural progress in self-realization.
The Process of Surrender in God Realization
Surrendering all unto the Supreme Lord is a difficult if not impossible task for must people. This is because they are not aware of the peace such surrender brings.
The Time of Death
For the yogi his practice is most severely tested at the time of death. The Supreme Personality of Godhead says, “Anyone who quits his body, at the end of life, remembering Me, attains immediately to My nature; and there is no doubt of this.”
On the Constitution of the Soul
The soul can never be cut into pieces by any weapon, nor can he be moistened by the water, nor withered by the wind. This individual soul is unbreakable and insoluble, and can neither be burned nor dried.
Seeing the Bright Side of Illness
While writing this month’s column, I am confined with an illness that has stopped my normal work. It’s a discouraging, uncomfortable interlude, yet I am seeing how illness can also bring one valuable realizations.
Hunger: A Question Of Quotas
According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, the world is growing enough food to feed its 4.7 billion inhabitants; yet 460 million people are going hungry.
Milk — Religion You Can Drink
So draw your nourishment from the cow, say the sages—not by spilling her blood, but by drinking her milk—and listen to the messages of Godhead. There’s a limit to the amount of milk you can drink, but there’s no limit to how much you can hear about Krsna.
When Legislation Fails
The election year has ended, but the debates continue. And one of the most controversial issues is the role of religion in government. The Hare Krsna movement takes no side in the political battle, but it can offer thoughtful advice to help solve a complex problem.
Youth Suicide: Encounters With Hopelessness
Seeing only unhappiness in their futures young people are taking their own lives in numbers that are shocking. Surprisingly, many of the victims are quite well off in terms of material well-being and social status.
Flip Out and Stay
Realization is not something we learn in a book or hear in a lecture. Realization is living the life for which man is intended. Realization does not imply withdrawal; realization is leading life and meeting destiny with opened eyes.
Religion’s Ultimate Goal
Generally people pray, perform rituals, and so on, in hopes of attaining temporary goals: better health, a good marriage, success in business. But in Bhagavad-gita Sri Krsna advises that those who practice religious life by seeking material boons are missing the real point.
Overpopulation—A Popular Myth
Social scientists from around the world gathered in Mexico City last August to discuss the alarming growth of the world’s population.