Vedic Scripts, wisdom and facts

for those who are interested in ... understand time

Those were some impressive statistics he was putting out there to show how the body is connected to the planet. Way cool.
Bob H

bobhardee wrote:Those were some impressive statistics he was putting out there to show how the body is connected to the planet.  Way cool.
Bob H

nice that you liked it. Check when he says simple devotion may help people when iron age started, forget teaching them other things.

Please read books on the teachings of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

Iskcon sells His books online or in Iskcon temples. His books about Self Realization Science changed many people lives.

Book Bhagavad Gita As It Is and The Mahabharata war in this book translated by Srila Prabhupada from Sanskrit. This book is mentioned in the video.



I will leave you all in peace

devakas

We first joined Sant Mat back in the early 90s and took a year of following the path before being initiated when given the mantra which we mentally repeat daily. Even though this path is pretty straightforward - following it in todays world is a challenge. However, the basic principal of non-violence, abstinence of drugs, alcohol, dairy and meat, practicing the mantra daily to build one's relationship with the Divine are at the heart of it.

I have always enjoyed the various youtube videos and information you have provided in this thread devakas because of the quality of content. In much appreciation.. mahlo nui loa.

Thanks Carol!  This is nice article from my favorite magazine....  Hope you will find it informative.
Best
devakas

http://btg.krishna.com/ashtanga-yoga-kundalini-and-bhakti

Ashtanga-yoga, Kundalini, and Bhakti

By Jahnudvipa Dasa

A close look at the steps in the traditional yoga system shows why it's unsuitable for the modern age

The path of the classical yoga system described in the Vedic tradition is long and severe. Conceived by the ancient sage Patanjali, that system is called ashtanga-yoga, or the eightfold yoga system. It is a scientific, psychic method to gradually raise the consciousness to higher levels of awareness, culminating in samadhi. At that stage the self, realizing its own true nature, leaves its mortal shell and enters the liberated state. The eight progressive steps of the ashtanga-yoga system are yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, and samadhi. I will briefly describe each step and then contrast ashtanga-yoga with bhakti-yoga.

Yama and Niyama

The first two principles, yama and niyama, are the do's and the don'ts, and they are applicable not only in yoga but in all aspects of life, for regardless of whether one aims at success in material or spiritual life, the key word is renunciation. We can't fulfill our wishes or reach life's goal without being to some degree renounced. Our practical lives confirm this. As a child I had a friend who would save his pocket money. Instead of spending it all on sweets and cinema trips, as the rest of us would invariably do, he would hold back and eventually save enough to buy stereo equipment. I was most impressed by this. As far as I was concerned it was an almost unfathomable feat, because I could never save my money. I always spent everything I had at once.

Later in life this friend went on to become a successful doctor. In high school and college, while his friends were out partying and having fun, he would stay home to study and prepare for exams. I realized then that to obtain success in the long run, one has to renounce many short-term pleasures. To work towards a better position in adult life, one has to forego many of the immediate pleasures one is often pushed to pursue in youthful life. In other words, one has to be renounced. One has to be able to control one's senses. Without sense control there is no possibility of success in material or spiritual life.

To control the senses is the preliminary aim of any genuine yoga system, and in ashtanga-yoga this is accomplished in a diligent and systematic way. Yama, the first step, means avoiding things that hinder attainment of the goal. For example, one must give up things like illicit sex, TV, movies, intoxication, and certain foods, such as meat, fish, and eggs. These things pollute the consciousness, distract the attention away from the self, and place it on the bodily demands and other externals.

Niyama, the second step, refers to the beneficial activities—daily meditations, rituals, exercise—one has to perform to reach the ultimate goal of yoga, union with the Supreme.

One crucial thing a yogi must avoid at all costs in ashtanga-yoga is sex. It is not possible to advance in this system unless one practices complete abstinence. In ordinary mundane life pleasures are mostly pursued outside of ourselves. We search for happiness in the body or mind by connecting the senses with objects or bodies outside ourselves, or we seek mental gratification in the form of name, fame, distinction, and power. The ashtanga-yoga system, however, gives entrance to the deeper pleasures that lie within the soul. But before one can access this hidden pleasure, one has to restrain the senses from their engagement in the external world. In other words, in the yoga system the happiness sought after is not the happiness that arises from sense gratification. Sense gratification is not considered genuine happiness, because it invariably leads to suffering.

ye hi samsparsha-ja bhoga
duhkha-yonaya eva te
ady-antavantah kaunteya
na teshu ramate budhah

"An intelligent person does not take part in the sources of misery, which are due to contact with the material senses. O son of Kunti, such pleasures have a beginning and an end, and so the wise man does not delight in them." (Bhagavad-gita 5.22)

Asana

This brings us to the third step, asana, known to most westerners as hatha-yoga. This discipline prepares the body to stay in different postures for long periods. The side effects include a healthy, slim body, but the real purpose is to gradually train the body to stay in the same position for hours or days and eventually even months and years. Until one can sit in the lotus position for hours and days without shifting and being uncomfortable, one cannot, for example, successfully raise the kundalini (more on that later).

Pranayama

After years and years of practice, the yogi who has trained the body to master the asanas, or the hatha-yoga system, will begin to work on breathing in the next step, pranayama. The aim of pranayama is, simply speaking, to gradually lower the breathing cycle. The Vedic tradition teaches that the lifespan of all living entities is predetermined by their number of breaths. By lowering the breathing cycle, accomplished yogis can prolong their lives by years—or even decades or centuries. This is necessary because becoming adept in the different disciplines of the ashtanga-yoga system takes a long time.

The Srimad-Bhagavatam relates the history of a prince named Dhruva Maharaja who went to the forest and took to this practice in order to meet Lord Vishnu. He practiced yoga so determinedly that he was eventually eating only leaves. He stood on one leg and practiced pranayama, gradually lowering his breathing cycle to the point of inhaling and exhaling only once in six months.

The true aim of pranayama, however, is more than just prolonging one's life. The real aim is to be able to sit in trance and meditate, first on the prana (life airs) and chakras (energy centers), then on the inner self, and finally on the Supersoul within the heart. By gradually extending the breathing cycle, one can subdue the actions of the body and mind. When the mind becomes still, one can turn it from being engaged in the external world to being focused within. We all know the expression "Take a deep breath" to calm the mind. It works.

Pratyahara

The yogi who has mastered breathing (by, as the Gita says, "offering the outgoing breath into the incoming") is ready to proceed to the next step. Called pratyahara, this is the stage where the senses are withdrawn from all external engagements. The self shifts awareness from the physical world to the inner world of the mind. The senses, which are absorbed in the objects and relationships of the physical world, are forced to retract and focus on the inner, psychic world. The world of the mind is subtle. Some people call it the astral plane. In pratyahara the consciousness goes from being absorbed in the external, physical plane to being absorbed in the internal, psychic plane. Transcendental to or above both these planes is the plane of pure consciousness, toward which the yogi strives.

Dharana

Through further hard practice, yogis able to maintain the focus of their consciousness progress to the stage of dharana, full fixation on the inner, subtle world of the mind. All sensual engagements have ceased, and the yogi perceives only the mind. There is no perception of sound, touch, form, taste, or smell, and thus no awareness of the external world. Only when one reaches the dharana state does dhyana, meditation, arise.

Dhyana

In the modern world people use the word meditation cheaply to describe almost any kind of concentration. Some people even think that to just sit down, relax, and let the mind wander is meditation, or if they are a little more advanced they think that focusing on a flame or a ring on the wall for five minutes is meditation. We should note, however, that in the classical yoga system described in the Vedic tradition meditation does not take place before one can completely cease all external sensual engagements and focus the consciousness on the self. Only then can one progress to the state of dhyana, or meditation.

Now the yogi begins to meditate—and discovers the soul, the real observer within. The soul finally observes its own self as an illuminating particle of consciousness within the heart. Understanding that this is the real self, the mature yogi also sees the Supersoul form of Krishna, who lives in the heart of all living entities. Sometimes pride or insufficient knowledge causes the yogi to mistake the Supersoul for his own self and conclude that he himself is the Supreme. The yogi who makes that mistake will not reach Vaikuntha, the spiritual planets where devotees eternally serve the Supreme Lord, but will go no further than impersonal Brahman, the Lord's spiritual rays. Thus the yogi who discovers God in the heart can either maintain a humble position and surrender to Him, or reach any goal up to liberation from the material world. This is the final test for the yogi: to attain a higher material position, merge with Brahman, or become God's servant. Whatever the yogi chooses at that point will be attained.

Samadhi

The yogi has now reached the state called samadhi, the final goal of meditation, and is ready to leave the body through the process sometimes called raising the kundalini. The yogi pushes the soul out through the top of the skull and goes wherever the consciousness is fixed at that moment. Histories of yogis described in Vedic literature show that the energy thus released is so immense that the body is sometimes consumed by fire. We learn from the Srimad-Bhagavatam that when King Dhritarashtra went to the forest to leave his body in this way, he started a forest fire. It was into this fire that his wife, Gandhari, and Queen Kunti, the mother of the Pandavas, entered together to gain release from their mortal bodies.

Only when one has reached the state of samadhi can one begin to raise the kundalini. The yogi pushes the life airs (prana) from the mula-chakra, the lowest chakra, gradually up through the other chakras of the body until it reaches the heart chakra. From its seat there, the soul rises to the highest chakra, at the top of the head. Pushing the prana up through the different chakras constitutes a kundalini rising. As the kundalini is rising, the pressure inside the body becomes so great that the yogi must use the mastered asana and pranayama techniques to block all the holes in body lest the soul should escape through any one of them. The Vedic literature calls the body "the city of nine gates" (anus, genitals, mouth, two nostrils, two ear holes, and two eyes).

This type of yoga is extremely difficult to practice in the modern age. The yogis of yore would go to the forest to practice ashtanga-yoga and leave their bodies.

The Yoga of Chanting

For spiritual perfection in the current age, Kali-yuga, the Vedic literature doesn't recommend ashtanga-yoga, a severe practice. Instead, it recommends the simple, sublime method of chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, which can be practiced anywhere, even in an apartment downtown. In fact, a person can benefit more from chanting the holy names of the Lord while sitting in a city apartment than from sitting in the Himalayas practicing ashtanga-yoga for 100,000 years, the general lifespan of people in Satya-yuga, when this practice was the norm.

Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita that one who practices bhakti-yoga can reap any result obtained from practicing any other yoga. And the Srimad-Bhagavatam (12.3.52) states:

krite yad dhyayato vishnum
tretayam yajato makhaih
dvapare paricaryayam
kalau tad dhari-kirtanat

"Whatever result was obtained in Satya-yuga by meditating on Vishnu, in Treta-yuga by performing sacrifices, and in Dvapara-yuga by serving the Lord's lotus feet can be obtained in Kali-yuga simply by chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra."

People in the present age are simply too disturbed to sit down and practice the ancient yoga system. Maybe a few yogis can still go into the Himalayas, sit in seclusion in a mountain cave, and practice this system, but for the people in general it is not possible. Nor are there qualified teachers to guide a serious student in this yoga process.

The fundamental difference between the ashtanga-yoga system and the bhakti-yoga system is that in the first, yogis try to elevate themselves by their own mental and intellectual endeavors. In bhakti-yoga we ask Krishna to pick us up and carry us back to Him. Srila Prabhupada likened the difference between the two methods to the difference in how a kitten and a baby monkey are carried by their respective mothers. The baby monkey holds on to its mother by its own strength. When the mother monkey jumps around from tree to tree, her baby can lose its grip and fall to the ground. The kitten, on the other hand, is carried to safety by its mother, depending solely on the mother's strength. In the same way, the bhakti-yogi, aware of being powerless without Krishna, depends solely on Him. Ashtanga yogis struggle to cross the ocean of material suffering by their own powers and have no guarantee of success. But someone who surrenders to Krishna can very easily cross over nescience.

daivi hy esha guna-mayi
mama maya duratyaya
mam eva ye prapadyante
mayam etam taranti te

"This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it." (Bhagavad-gita 7.14)

Bhakti-yoga is infinitely easier and more secure than manipulating the prana and chakras to push the soul through the top of the head at the final moment. In bhakti-yoga, Krishna helps His devotee reach the final goal.

"Speculation Is Neither Science Nor Philosophy"

http://btg.krishna.com/es/node/860

The following conversation between His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and some of his disciples took place in July 1975 on an early-morning walk in Chicago.



Srila Prabhupada: Where does Darwin begin?

Disciple: He begins in the ocean. He says that some fishlike animal climbed out of the ocean and began to breathe the air.

Srila Prabhupada: Then where did the ocean come from?

Disciple: He doesn't say.

Srila Prabhupada: Then his theory is not perfect.

Disciple: Scientists say there was great turbulence on this planet in the beginning. The oceans were stirring, and then some lightning charges occurred.

Srila Prabhupada: From where did the lightning come? And from where did the ocean come? Where is his philosophy? It is a speculation.

Disciple: They say it all began from a primeval explosion.

Srila Prabhupada: Then I ask the same question: Wherefrom did the explosion come?

Disciple: They say that the explosion took place at time zero.

Srila Prabhupada: Time zero?

Disciple: Time began then, at time zero. And they say that the question "What was before that?" is not a logical, sensible question.

Srila Prabhupada: Why?

Disciple: They say it's a question that should not even be asked.

Srila Prabhupada: No, then they are rascals. They are beginning from zero. How can you begin from zero?

Disciple: Everything comes from nothing then.

Srila Prabhupada: That is not philosophy.

Disciple: They say it all originates from a giant mass of primordial matter.

Srila Prabhupada: Then the same question arises: From where did the matter come?

Disciple: They say it's an accident.

Srila Prabhupada: So that is rascaldom. Where is the accident? Nothing is accidental. Everything happens by cause and effect. The Bible says that in the beginning there was God, or the word of God. So God was there. That is the beginning. In our philosophy, too, that is the beginning. The Srimad-Bhagavatam gives evidence: janmady asya yatah [1.1.1] . . . aham evasam evagre [2.9.33]. And the Bhagavad-gita: aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate [10.8]. This is our philosophy. Everything begins from God.

Now you can ask, "From where did God come?" But that is God. God is existing. He is not caused by any other cause. He is the original cause.Anadir adir: He has no beginning, but He is the beginning of everything. This is the conception of God given in the statements of Brahma: anadir adir govindah [Brahma-samhita 5.1]. That adi is the original person, Govinda, Krishna. We find this in the Vedic history. Brahma is there in the beginning. He is a deva, one of the demigods—the first demigod.

Now Krishna says, aham adir hi devanam [Gita 10.2]:

He is the cause of the demigods. He is the cause of Brahma also. So this is our philosophy. We don't begin from zero or from an accident.

Disciple: Darwin never tried to understand the Vedic philosophy.

Srila Prabhupada: No, no, he admitted that he speculated. He is not a philosopher; he is a speculator. He has admitted: "It is my speculation. I think like this."

Disciple: He started his speculation from the creation of life.

Srila Prabhupada: Anywhere, speculation is neither science nor philosophy.

Disciple: They call the Vedas speculation. They say the Upanishads are speculation.

Srila Prabhupada: No, no, no, not speculation. Sri Ishopanishad [Mantra 1] says, ishavasyam idam sarvam: everything is beginning from the isha, the supreme controller. Where is the speculation in the Vedas?

Disciple: They say the Vedas are written by man. Therefore they are imperfect.

Srila Prabhupada: What is your philosophy? It is written by man. What is the value of your philosophy? It is speculation. We don't say that the Vedas are written by man. They come from a transcendental source. The words spoken by the Lord are called apaurusheya, which indicates that they are not delivered by any mundane person.

They may say whatever they like, but we don't accept it. Suppose somebody says, "Your father's name is so-and-so." What is his authority to say what my father's name is? I know very well,

So their suggestion is like that: "Your father's name is this." Is that a very good suggestion? We can challenge: "You don't know anything about my family. How can you say, 'Your father's name is this?'"

Is it not rascaldom? You do not know anything about my family, and you say, "Your father's name is this." What is this logic?

Disciple: Darwin's whole theory rests on the fact that he showed bones and archeological evidence.

Srila Prabhupada: Anyway, it is not possible that he has seen all the bones. So taking it that he has studied by seeing the bones, I can say very easily that it is not possible for a person like him to see all the bones. That is my challenge.

He says, "Millions and millions of years ago . . ." But he lived for fifty years. How has he seen all the bones? He is a limited person.

Disciple: They admit they haven't found all the bones, but they say that what they have found is conclusive evidence.

Srila Prabhupada: But they cannot say that. If you have seen all the bones, then you can conclude. But they say some of the bones are missing. Therefore their theory is always imperfect.

Disciple: Just this year they found a skull that was millions of years older than any human skull they found before.

Srila Prabhupada: That's all right. But still they cannot say they have found all the skulls. They simply guess: "There is some gap of millions of years."

Disciple: They even say that the missing link is the most important part.

Srila Prabhupada: So that is not science. Therefore we say they are rascals. And other rascals will believe them.

there are many important answers on this page, scroll down to see links:

http://www.krishna.com/assorted-qa

 

Quantum Physics came from the Vedas: Schrödinger, Einstein and Tesla were all Vedantists.

How does quantum physics work, you may ask, what is it, and where does it come from?

In this article we discuss a very brief and simplified history of Quantum Mechanics and will quote what the founding fathers of this branch of science had to say about Vedic influence on the development of their theories.

We are not interested in new age mumbo-jumbo. We are interested in understanding what is real and what is false. This is why we, along with all other great minds, consult the Vedic texts. Please read on…

The famous Danish physicist and Nobel Prize winner, Laureate Niels Bohr (1885-1962) (pictured above), was a follower of the Vedas. He said, “I go into the Upanishads to ask questions.” Both Bohr and Schrödinger, the founders of quantum physics, were avid readers of the Vedic texts and observed that their experiments in quantum physics were consistent with what they had read in the Vedas.

Niels Bohr got the ball rolling around 1900 by explaining why atoms emit and absorb electromagnetic radiation only at certain frequencies.

Then, in the 1920′s Erwin Schrödinger (1887-1961), an Austrian-Irish physicist (pictured below), who won the Nobel prize, came up with his famous wave equation that predicts how the Quantum Mechanical wave function changes with time. Wave functions are used in Quantum Mechanics to determine how particles move and interact with time.


In the 1920′s Werner Heisenberg (1901-1976) (pictured Left) formulated his famous uncertainty principal, which states when a physicist attempts to observe a subatomic particle, the experimental apparatus inevitably alters the subatomic particle’s trajectory. This is because they are trying to observe something that is of the same scale as the photons they are using to observe it.

To be more specific, to observe something that is subatomic in size one must use a device (apparatus) that projects photons at the particle being observed. This is because the reception of photons by our retina is what we call vision. Basically, to observe something, we must bounce photons off it. The problem is that the photons disturb the subatomic particles because they are of the same size. Thus, there is no way to observe subatomic particles without altering their trajectories.

Bohr, Heisenberg and Schrödinger regularly read Vedic texts. Heisenberg stated, “Quantum theory will not look ridiculous to people who have read Vedanta.” Vedanta is the conclusion of Vedic thought.

Furthermore, Fritjof Capra, when interviewed by Renee Weber in the book The Holographic Paradigm (page 217–218), stated that Schrödinger, in speaking about Heisenberg, has said:
“I had several discussions with Heisenberg. I lived in England then [circa 1972], and I visited him several times in Munich and showed him the whole manuscript chapter by chapter. He was very interested and very open, and he told me something that I think is not known publicly because he never published it. He said that he was well aware of these parallels. While he was working on quantum theory he went to India to lecture and was a guest of Tagore. He talked a lot with Tagore about Indian philosophy. Heisenberg told me that these talks had helped him a lot with his work in physics, because they showed him that all these new ideas in quantum physics were in fact not all that crazy. He realized there was, in fact, a whole culture that subscribed to very similar ideas. Heisenberg said that this was a great help for him. Niels Bohr had a similar experience when he went to China.”

Consequently, Bohr adopted the Yin-Yang symbol as part of his family coat-of-arms when he was knighted in 1947.

read on: http://www.krishnapath.org/quantum-physics-came-from-the-vedas-schrodinger-einstein-and-tesla-were-all-vedantists/

Love Always
mudra

did you check other articles on this site?  there are other articles interesting also. Maybe for whole weekend.

best
devakas

amazing speech by HH Radhanadh Swami @ HSBC in London




I really bow to his hard work, role to make real changes, to his hard work and achievements to humanity..

for Beatles fans

Devotees and John Lennon () in his newly acquired Tittenhurst Park in Ascot

http://m.dandavats.com/?p=1914

Realistic Solutions

Realistic Solution for Diverse Humanity

from
http://www.godlikeproductions.com/forum1/message2061860/pg1


by His Divine Grace Shreela Bhakti Dayita Madhav Gosvami Maharaja

The following speech was delivered at a " Spiritual Summit Conference" held by The Congress of World Religions. The conference took place from October 22 to October 26, 1968 at the Birla Academy of Art and Culture in Calcutta, India. This conference was organized by Sh. B.K. Birla and his wife Smt. Sarla Devi This Spritual Summit Conference was sponsored by the Temple of Understanding. (Washington D.C. U.S.A).

Representatives of the different religious faiths of the world, namely- Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, Sikhs, Bahais, Jews, Confucians, Zoroastrians, etc. were invited to this summit.

Mr. Findly P. Dun, Secretary of the Conference came to invite Sreela Bhakt Dayita Madhav Gosvami Maharaja, and requested him to represent the Hindus. At the conference, Prof. Amiya Chakraborty of the New York State University, Dr. Houston Smith and other dignitaries had a detailed discussion with Him.


"I heartily welcome the organizers of this symposium in their attempt to explore an impartial and liberal approach to different views of religious faiths in this world and to find out how world-fellowship of different religions or a unity of hearts amongst human beings can be promoted. There are two ways of approach. (1) The sincere, real and practical approach having relation to the actual state of conditions and nature of human beings and, (2) An idealistic approach having little or no practical value merely indulging in the luxury of high-sounding words. If we sincerely want to obtain real and abiding effect, we should face facts boldly. The fact is that there exists no 100 per cent identity amongst individuals as they are conscious units having independence of thinking, feeling and willing, individuals, as a result of their different actions, achieve separate environments and paraphernalia. Every individual has his peculiar nature distinct form any other. So, obviously individuals will vary in their opinions and tastes and this is quite natural. It is an unnatural thing to attempt forcibly to encage individuals into one fold, faith or particular ideology. Accordingly cultivation of tolerance of others' views is essential for world-peace and unity. Indian sponsors of religion appeared to have got that insight and tolerance, hence many independent views have cropped up in India and have flourished simultaneously. Want of tolerance makes us sectarian and that spirit motivates us for forcible conversion of others which brings turmoil and unrest in the world. Religion should give equal scope to all the individuals for their respective spiritual development according to their attributes.

Indian saints have classified the nature of human beings in three broad groups-'Sattvika', 'Rajasika' and 'Tamasika'. Sattvika people are wise, sincere, generous and non violent. As such they have an altruistic mentality and render disinterested (*non-motivated) service. Rajasika people are egoists. However they are active and do good to others with the motive of getting a return of their actions for self-aggrandizement. They won't tolerate harm to themselves. They have got the spirit of taking revenge. 'Tamasika' people are indolent, out and out egoists and of violent temper. They are indiscriminate in their pursuit of enjoyment, they completely disregard the interest of others and will do anything to fulfill their selfish desires. So ,"Sattvika", 'Rajasika" and 'Tamasika' people vary in their tastes, habits and nature. Three forms of teaching religion have been prescribed for the three groups according to their eligibility, giving them scope for gradual elevation. These three modes of teaching are related to the apparent self, as such changeable. There are still higher and higher thoughts of religious existence which transcend those three qualities and relates to the eternal natural function of the real-self. If we want quantity, we must sacrifice quality and if we want quality, evidently we shall have to sacrifice quantity. Both cannot be achieved at one time.. However, the primary point to be noted here is that there should be tolerance amongst sponsors of different religious views and respect for other's views, as well as equal scope should be given to all for their spiritual upliftment from the respective status. Another point to be noted here is that we should have the patience to understand the underlying spirit of different religious faiths and not merely indulge in disputes in regard to the ritualistic aspects of religions which will certainly vary in different parts of the world in accordance with the change of climate conditions and environments.

Now-a-days, we find lack of discipline rampant in every sphere of human life-political, social, economical and even in educational. Student-unrest (youth-unrest) is one of the most serious problems of the day. It is extremely diffcult to proceed with the constructive work when people are prone to indiscipline. To fight against disruptive tendencies and indiscipline, a radical treatment of minds of the people is required. Here we feel the necessity of moral and spiritual values in human life. There are two ways of treating diseases-pathological and symptomatic. In pathological treatment root-cause of the disease is ascertained first and then the remedy is prescribed. The process of symptomatic treatment by be easier but it does not have a lasting effect, it may give temporary relief, while treatment through the pathological process brings about permanent relief.

To determine the root-cause of unrest we ought first to determine the meaning of the self. I strongly believe, that ignorance of our real-self is the cause of unrest, discord and anxiety. The real-self is not the physical tabernacle. It is something other than the gross and subtle bodies. We consider the body to be the person, as long as we observe consciousness in it. The moment the body is bereft of consciousness, it loses its personality. 'I' am 'I' when the conscious entity, i.e. the entity that thinks, feels and wills is present in me and 'I' am 'not-I' when it is absent in me. Hence the entity whose presence and absence makes me, 'me' and 'not-me' respectively, must be the person. The conscious entity (Soul) is designated as 'Atman' in Indian scriptures. 'Atman' is indestructible, it has no origin and no end. If we plunge deep into the matter, we can trace our existence with the Absolute Conscious Principle, whom we call Godhead, the Fountain Source of innumerable conscious units. Godhead is termed Sat-Chit-Ananda i.e., He is All-Existence, All-Knowledge and All-Bliss. Individuals are points of rays emanating from Him and as such one of His external co-existing potencies. Individuals cannot live independently. They are all interconnected and co-existing though retaining their own individual characteristics.

It has already been stated that differences in the individuals are unavoidable as they are conscious units. Now the problem is to find a common ground and interest for the solution of these differences. A sense of common interest can be fostered among individuals, if they know that they are inter-connected, are parts of one Organic System and are the sons and daughters of one Father. Here is the task of all religions; to teach people that all beings of the world are closely inter-related. Although steadfastness or firm belief in God (Nistha) according to some particular faith and eligibility of the individual is congenial for healthy spiritual growth of every individual, religious bigotry which begets enmity is condemnable, as it is against the real interest of the individual and society. Real religion teaches love for one another.

Lord Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu propagated the cult of all-embracing Divine Love which brings universal brotherhood on a transcendental plane. According to Him forgetfulness of our eternal relation with the Supreme Godhead, Sri Krishna, is the root-cause of all afflictions. Sri Krishna is God of all gods, Supreme Persona having All-Existence, All-Knowledge and All-Bliss, Beginningless yet the Beginning of all and Prime Cause of all causes. The word "KRISHNA" means One Who attracts all and pleases all by His Wonderful Enchanting Beauty, Majesty, Munificence and Supremacy and this denotes the highest conception of Godhead with all perfections. He is the Object of All-love. So, remembrance of Sri Krishna or God is the Divine Panacea of all evils. The easiest and most effective way of remembering God is chanting the Holy name which can be practiced by all, irrespective of caste, creed, age, health, economic, social and educational status at any place or time.

In the Vedic Cult we find the theory of the cycle of time within the period of infinite time, which has go four stages in accordance with the predominance of religiousness and irreligiousness. The four ages are designated as Satya, Treta, Dwapara and Kali. In Satya Yuga (The first age of the cycle or time) wisdom predominated in men an as such they were aware of the painful and transitory nature of the world and thereby were not fascinated by it; concentration without interruption was possible and meditation (Dhyanam) was prescribed as the common religion suitable for all. In 'Treta Yoga' (next spiritually degraded age of the cycle of time) when the slirit of activity predominated and people were attached to worldly objects, Yajna (sacrifice) i.e. offering of the things of attachment to the Lord, was prescribed as the common religion to divert the attention of the people form material objects of attachment and turn their minds towards Him. In 'Dwapara Yga" (next and more degraded age) when people were addicted to worldly objects and sensualism, 'Archana' ( worship of Deities) was prescribed as the common religion for gradual attainment of concentration of the mind by directing all the senses and objects of attachment to His service. In the present age 'Kali Yuga' ( the last and spiritually most degraded age of the cycle of time), when people are firmly attached to wordly objects, are too much given to sensualism and always diseases, they are incapable of performing 'Dhyanam' {Meditation), 'Yajna' (Sacrifice) and 'Archana (Worship of the Deities) rightly and as such chanting of the Holy Name of God is prescribed for them.

Today the world is taking tremendous scientific strides. Modern scientists are performing wonders. But I spite of their marvelous accomplishments and despite their pride in Twentieth Century civilization, it is puzzling to see that science is so much engaged in inventing destructive weapons like atom-bombs, etc. and thereby imperiling the whole human race. Any moment there may be a conflagration and the whole world may perish. Saints are deeply concerned as to how to avert such a calamity. Mere material scientific accomplishments are unable to save the world from such a danger. Of course, scientific inventions or achievements as such are not condemnable. Everything depends on the proper use of things. Science may be used for the god of humanity and also may be misused for the destruction of human civilization. It is imperative to consider the problem and diagnose the disease of conflicts and mutual distrust amongst nations and individuals. So long as nations and individuals have separate centers of interest, tension is inevitable. Nobody can avoid it.

This world is limited. When there are many claimants for one limited object, disputes amongst claimants are unavoidable. It is because of this that Indian saints differ from the leaders of the west or from the westernized leaders of our country in their manner of tackling the problem of peace.. In fact, the genuine saints of the world are wise enough to see the fundamental defect in the attempt of the so-called best brains to achieve world-peace. They assert with great emphasis that a practical solution of the problems is not possible so long as the individuals do not change their present craving for sensuous enjoyment and greediness for mundane wealth and direct their attention towards 'the Unlimited', the 'Infinite, 'the Absolute'. The heads of different religious groups should clearly and emphatically point out and teach their followers the painful and perishable character of worldly objects and the futility of sensuous enjoyment. They should create interest in man for the worship of God which brings about real happiness.

Unless and until the eternal relationship of the people is known to them and they realize that they cannot exist and be happy without the Godhead, Who is All-Bliss, they natural inclination of the people towards the Godhead and diversion of their attention from the material aspects of life cannot be effected. As long as people have the conviction that their only interest lies in material prosperity and sensuous enjoyment, discord cannot be avoided. Mere belief in the existence of God will be of great benefit to humanity be restraining people from committing sins and teaching man to do good to others. They will have fear of punishment for misdeeds and encouragement to seek reward for good deeds. Want of patience and tolerance originates from lust. Any activity which leads to the satisfaction of one's own gross and subtle senses is termed lust. Hindrance to the fulfillment of lust breeds anger and that brings conflict, and malice amongst individuals and nations.

So long as people do not understand that they are inseparably connected, and until the activities of the people are God-centered, mere sentimentalism or fictitious ideas will not be able to foster real love amongst individuals.

If we know that the infliction of harm to other animate beings is detrimental to our own interest and will bring harm in return, we will not be encouraged to harm any individual, nay even any sentient being of the world.

If we can love the Absolute Whole, I mean the Godhead, we cannot have the impetus to injure any of His parts. So, according to me or the teaching of Lord Gauranga, Divine Love is the best solution of all the problems of the worlds."



"A sense of common interest can be fostered among individuals, if they know that they are inter-connected, are parts of one Organic System and are the sons and daughters of one Father. Here is the task of all religions; to teach people that all beings of the world are closely inter-related. Although steadfastness or firm belief in God (Nistha) according to some particular faith and eligibility of the individual is congenial for healthy spiritual growth of every individual, religious bigotry which begets enmity is condemnable, as it is against the real interest of the individual and society. Real religion teaches love for one another. Lord Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu propagated the cult of all-embracing Divine Love which brings universal brotherhood on a transcendental plane.

(Srila Bhakti Dayita Madhava Maharaja )


"If one loves Krishna, he must love Lord Jesus also. And if one perfectly loves Jesus he must love Krishna too. If he says, "Why shall I love Krishna? I shall love Jesus," then he has no knowledge. And if one says, "Why shall I love Jesus? I shall love Krishna", then he has no knowledge either. If one understands Krishna, then he will understand Jesus. If one understands Jesus, you'll understand Krishna too"

(Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada - Room conversation with Allen Ginsberg, May 12, 1969 / Columbus - Ohio)

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