A pure devotee of the Lord like King Kulasekhara does not pray to God for material wealth, followers, beautiful women or imitation peacocks because he knows the real value of such illusory shows, if he is circumstantially placed amidst such illusory things, he does not artificially try to extricate himself or condemn such illusions.…
All the press operations, including shooting with a copy camera, designing, spotting, stripping, printing, cutting and binding, are carried out by the disciples, with the intention of pleasing the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His pure devotee, Srila Prabhupada.…
ISKCON is working to fulfill Lord Caitanya's prophecy that in this Age of Kali the holy name of Krishna will be heard in every city, village and town. Srila Prabhupada left India, at the age of seventy to found the Krishna consciousness movement to execute this mission.…
Human education must not merely instruct us how to prepare for a job or how to speculate upon the imperfect views of great thinkers. Rather, it must enable us to solve the problems of life.…
Conversations about spiritual life between Bob Cohen, a young Peace Corps worker in India, and His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Recorded at the ISKCON International Center at Lord Caitanya's Birthplace, Mayapur, India…
What thoughts cross your mind when you are asked what you think or know about a Hare Krishna devotee? What is his background? Why is he a devotee? What are his cherished goals? How does he live his private life? What is a typical day for a devotee? Most people do not know the answers to these questions. In order to clear up these questions for a large number of people, we would like to present a typical devotee.…
When we think calmly and carefully about this wonderful universe, we can see that everything is working under the control of a supreme brain. The arrangements in nature are perfectly ordered. Things would be at random without the careful planning of a scientific and engineering brain.…
The characteristic of this Kali-yuga age is men become inclined toward four basic sinful activities that break the four pillars of religiosity, leading men into the darkness of passion and ignorance. These four degrading activities, are gambling, intoxicating habits, illicit sex, animal slaughter and eating of animal foodstuffs.…
The other day I was reading the paper, Moscow News. There was a Communist congress, and the President declared, "We are ready to take others' experience to improve." So I think the Vedic concept of socialism or communism will much improve the idea of communism.…
All the press operations, including shooting with a copy camera, designing, spotting, stripping, printing, cutting and binding, are carried out by the disciples, with the intention of pleasing the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His pure devotee, Srila Prabhupada.…
ISKCON is working to fulfill Lord Caitanya's prophecy that in this Age of Kali the holy name of Krishna will be heard in every city, village and town. Srila Prabhupada left India, at the age of seventy to found the Krishna consciousness movement to execute this mission.…
Human education must not merely instruct us how to prepare for a job or how to speculate upon the imperfect views of great thinkers. Rather, it must enable us to solve the problems of life.…
What thoughts cross your mind when you are asked what you think or know about a Hare Krishna devotee? What is his background? Why is he a devotee? What are his cherished goals? How does he live his private life? What is a typical day for a devotee? Most people do not know the answers to these questions. In order to clear up these questions for a large number of people, we would like to present a typical devotee.…
Who am I? Where did I come from before birth, and after death where am I going? What is this universe? Is it chaotic madness, or does it follow a plan? Why must I die? Grow old? Feel pain? Is there real happiness here? Or is it somewhere else?…
Most forms of meditation are virtually impossible to perform in the modern world, and therefore one should learn to meditate by the simple method of chanting and hearing the Hare Krishna maha-mantra.…
Back to Godhead magazine is for intelligent people only. To be intelligent, one need not have a university degree or engage in intellectual word jugglery because the higher intelligence required for understanding Back to Godhead is not a matter of mundane academic research. The really intelligent person is one who will accept information about God from higher authorities and regard the science of Krishna consciousness as valuable and important.…
"In the age of Kali (Quarrel and Hypocrisy) the chanting of the holy name is the best means of God-realization. There is no other alternative, no other alternative, no other alternative"…
Every summer in dozens of cities across the earth, Ratha-yatra—the Festival of the Chariots—blossoms like a multicolored lotus flower. Red, yellow, and green silk canopies tower above the chariots and sway serenely.…
The festival shows how Vedic concepts and the Vedic lifestyle are, ever relevant in guiding human society and in fulfilling man's quest for timeless knowledge. The festival is always "a surprise," both visually and culturally.…
In the tradition of Lord Caitanya, the Rathayatra Festival was celebrated by ISKCON devotees in Tokyo. The Supreme Lord Sri Krsna's realm is everywhere, and the chanting of the holy name Hare Krsna is universal because it is transcendental to all material designations.…
If the democratic form of government is to be at all meaningful, the voters must be qualified voters who know how to discriminate between a Madison Avenue illusion and a genuinely substantial political leader.…
The characteristic of this Kali-yuga age is men become inclined toward four basic sinful activities that break the four pillars of religiosity, leading men into the darkness of passion and ignorance. These four degrading activities, are gambling, intoxicating habits, illicit sex, animal slaughter and eating of animal foodstuffs.…
The other day I was reading the paper, Moscow News. There was a Communist congress, and the President declared, "We are ready to take others' experience to improve." So I think the Vedic concept of socialism or communism will much improve the idea of communism.…
There is enough energy--but we do not know where to get it or what nature's laws for its distribution are. And by wastefully exploiting whatever sources of energy we have found, we have technologically outfoxed ourselves, like the man who cuts off the branch of a tree, not realizing, until he hits the ground, that he was sitting on the branch.…
Long before the creation, personified Vedic knowledge existed. Great saintly persons accept these descriptions and the Vedic literature is still going strong all over the world. So where is the evidence that it has any cessation? Actually, there is no evidence of a beginning to it and no evidence of its end.…
One God--Lord Sri Krishna, one scripture--Bhagavad-gita As It Is, one hymn-Hare Krishna, one work-Loving service to the Lord and the result will be one World of peace and prosperity.…
I asked Haihaya whether the people of Mexico City were taking Krishna consciousness seriously. He replied, "Many of them come with beads and chant Hare Krishna just like full-time devotees. After they buy books, they always read them and ask for more. Also, many of them take to a vegetarian diet after hearing our philosophy."…
I attended the first meeting in the little storefront with two of my friends. I was surprised to see half a dozen people there. The storefront was narrow and squalid. There was no rug on the wooden floors and no decorations save one painting in the window of Lord Caitanya dancing with His disciples.…
Perhaps I misunderstand you, but I feel saddened when it appears to me that you espouse Krishna consciousness as the only path to the realization of God and, moreso, when you denounce as less worthy other philosophies which in fact differ only in aspect and reach the same ultimate goal.…
Distributing Back to Godhead, I could see many people around me in the position I used to be in--depressed, despite having made all arrangements for pleasure through music and drugs--and this made me more eager to give everyone the transcendental knowledge of my spiritual master's magazine.…