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 […]
Man looks to woman, and woman looks to man. The teachings of the boy devotee Prahlada Maharaja explain that we’re looking for love in the wrong place.
Satyaraja dasa addresses a gathering at the Whole Life Expo in New York City. Thank you for allowing me to speak at the 1985 Whole Life Expo. I would like to ask you all to reflect for a moment on the implications of the word whole. What does it mean to be truly whole? That […]
A look at the worldwide activities of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) Italians Gain Spiritual Perspective on Animal Rights Florence, Italy—Animal-rights activists recently met at ISKCON’s Villa Vrndavana rural community here to discuss the spiritual dimensions of the animal-rights movement. Participants included members of the Italian Vegetarian League, the Italian League for Animal […]
Betrayed by the Basic Four Four? Three? Whatever the count, a balanced diet should nourish not only the body but the spirit as well. by Visakha-devi dasi I remember how we learn about it in elementary school. Mrs. Pile had a colorful, authoritative chart divided into four sections—the Basic Four. Twenty-two young, innocent faces gazed […]
William James’s “Soul Theory” seemed imposing at first—as imposing as William James Hall must have looked to my grandmother. As it turned out, James was pretty close to home. by Mathuresa Dasa Gammy, my grandmother, had a passing acquaintance of sorts with William James, the great American psychologist and philosopher. She owned a two-century-old white […]
Dirty Illusions This is the continuation of a conversation between His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and a guest—Dr. Christian Hauser, a psychiatrist—which took place in Stockholm in September 1973. Srila Prabhupada: I am prescribing, “Chant Hare Krsna.” If you say, “Hare Krsna,” immediately the relief begins. And if you say, “No, no, I […]
A mother-to-be ponders karma, reincarnation, and devotional service to Krsna. by Visakha-devi dasi When, one crystal-clear morning in January of 1982, my husband Yadubara and I first learned that we were parents-to-be, we had many of the usual questions first-time parents have. But since we were devotees of Krsna, the answers to our questions were […]
Eons ago a wonderful incarnation of God revealed the relation between divine anger and transcendental love. by Dvarakadhisa-devi dasi Ferocious beauty. Red eyes glare out from a fearsome visage that writhes with rage. The form is massive. The powerful arms thrash in all directions. The being appears to be half man and half lion, with […]
Transcendental Commentary on the Issues of the Day The Intellectual Animal by Rupanuga dasa Eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. These propensities are common to the animal, including the human animal. Especially for humans, fulfilling these propensities creates a constant challenge: how to eat well, how to sleep comfortably, how to make more suitable arrangements for […]
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare In Sanskrit, man means “mind” and tra means “freeing.” So a mantrais a combination of transcendental, spiritual sounds that frees our minds from the anxieties of life in the material world. Ancient India’s Vedic literatures single out one mantra […]
Love Feast One of the more important public services of the Krsna consciousness movement is to hold festivals. Our Sunday festivals usually consist of a discourse, a drama, or the celebration of a special event, such as the anniversary of the appearance of Lord Krsna or the victory of Lord Rama over Ravana. But at […]