Resetting The Clock

“Always chanting My glories, endeavoring with great determination, bowing down before Me, these great souls perpetually worship Me with devotion.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.14)

The sun is such a central component of life on earth that man revolves his routine around its relative position. The demarcation of a day is based on the full cycle of a rise and set by the sun, and with that day comes the routine of work, leisure, play, interaction, travel, rest, eating, etc. Yet man doesn’t have to do things this way. After waking up in the morning, he could just continue on from the previous day, as if no time had passed, as if the calendar hadn’t rolled onto another day. The routine, though, brings regulation, and regulation brings the ability to achieve a larger stated objective through a methodical process. When that same methodology is applied to fulfilling life’s ultimate mission, that of achieving the perfect consciousness while quitting the body, the rising and setting of the sun turn into welcomed and anticipated events.

Imagine seeing a giant housing structure full of intricacy. There are many floors and rooms, and the layout is such that you can’t begin to imagine how someone thought up the architecture. But someone did indeed envision the plan, which they subsequently put into place through the work of engineers and builders. As they say, “Rome wasn’t built in a day”, the project takes dedication and effort through many days, building little pieces here and there. In one way, forgetting about the big picture can be helpful, for by giving attention to tiny components that should fit perfectly well together, the mind doesn’t get overwhelmed about the length of the project. If someone were to tell us during youth that school would take twelve years to complete and we knew what that meant, we’d likely not want to attend.

Instead, we take one year at a time, focusing on advancing to the next grade. The same pattern is followed in any large scale project. In software application development, there are many complexities that need to be worked out. The enterprise application isn’t built in a day, but through building a solid codebase, adding routines, testing them, redesigning for efficiency and then retesting, eventually a solid program is completed.

According to the Vedas, the oldest scriptural tradition of the world, there is an Absolute Truth, an entity who is beyond duality. The world we live in is filled with polar opposites: heat and cold, light and darkness, success and failure, and birth and death. The Absolute Truth is the entity that is above these dichotomies. He is the same in birth and death, in heat and cold. The relative conditions don’t matter to Him because He is situated in complete knowledge and bliss. As His existence stretches the bounds of time and space, He is eternal.

The human form of body is meant for understanding that Absolute Truth. Indeed, the search for pleasure is rooted in the desire to associate with non-duality, though the feverish worker may not be aware of this fact. The bliss resulting from innovation in technology, from finishing a difficult project, or even from enjoying with friends and family is derived from the inherent relationship every living being has with the Absolute Truth.

The questions remain: how to connect with the Truth and where to find Him? How do we know that the Truth is a He? Doesn’t the masculine delineation make the Truth the opposite of something else, namely the feminine? If we have an opposite, isn’t that a duality? The Absolute Truth is referred to as a male because of its position of dominance. Mutually contradictory attributes must exist in the Supreme Person; otherwise the lack of features would indicate a defect. Man is looking for perfection in a worshipable figure, someone without defects. The daily stories in the news reveal this inner desire of man. A noted inventor, technologist, politician, athlete, or celebrity is propped up to “rock star” status and adored for their achievements. If they should fall, have a slip up, the same adoring media will punish them relentlessly, looking for any way possible to release their hatred.

The perfect being is known as God to most, but the Vedas provide many more names and descriptions for Him. Moreover, the Vedas say that the human brain cannot conceive of God on its own. Man must consult someone who knows the Truth from having both accepted the information from their own spiritual guide and from practicing the regulative principles of freedom. The highest form of religious practice is equated with freedom because through connection with the Absolute Truth, the duality of the phenomenal world ceases to be inhibiting. The sunlight shining bright in the eyes in the morning inhibits the ability to drive and to see what’s up ahead, but this doesn’t mean that the sunshine is bad. It all depends on how one uses the material elements. Through following the regulative principles of freedom, the material elements fulfill their proper purpose to the individual.

“One who can control his senses by practicing the regulated principles of freedom can obtain the complete mercy of the Lord and thus become free from all attachment and aversion.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.64)

And what purpose is that? Not surprisingly, it is to help the individual connect with God. The bona fide guru learned from his guru the principles of bhakti-yoga, or devotional service. The guru’s chain of disciplic succession must originate with the Absolute Truth; otherwise the information presented will be based on mental speculation, which is flawed. The issue with following any regulative discipline is that the forces of material nature will operate all the same. If my goal is to lose weight, the enticements of sumptuous foods and late-night partying will get in the way of success. If my desire is to study for an important exam, then fatigue, inertia, and the allurements of relaxing without any pressures placed upon the mind can serve as wonderful distractions.

In bhakti practiced in a land conducive to illusion, the distractions are everywhere. The spirit soul has travelled through so many bodies in so many lifetimes that understanding the need for self-realization is rare enough. One who strives for understanding the position of the spirit soul, the essence of identity, is considered very fortunate. Once the sincere soul hears about the Absolute Truth and what’s required to connect with Him, they may accept the bhakti discipline in earnest, but the same past habits borne of attachment to use material elements for enjoyment in the absence of God’s association will still remain.

“After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 7.19)

In the pursuit for self-realization, for understanding the individual’s identity and how one is meant to be in God’s association, the repetition of days can be very helpful. In a life where one feels trapped, as if they are in a prison, the monotonous days can be too much to take. With the start of each new week, you have to go back to work, immerse yourself in the same arduous tasks from the previous week. The same goes for each new day. You have to shower, eat on time, do your chores, manage the home, keep family members happy, and follow so many other routine engagements just because another day has passed. The weekends and vacations are anticipated for the very reason that time loses its influence. The more the human mind can forget about the pressures that time brings, the more relaxed it will feel.

In bhakti, however, routine things that are monotonous can be turned around into pleasurable dependencies. The passage of time, the repetition of days, suddenly becomes a wonderful boon. The central component of the bhakti-yoga discipline is the chanting of the holy names, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”. The recommendation is that one chant this mantra for at least sixteen rounds a day on a set of japa beads. A japa mala consists of 108 beads, and chanting the mantra one time on each bead around the mala equates to one round. Therefore sixteen rounds means saying the mantra many, many times. Once finished with the daily routine, the same procedure must be repeated the next day, and the next, and so on.

But what if we didn’t have that routine, which is built on the passage of time as marked by the relative position of the sun? The opportunity for repeatedly reciting the holy name would go away. The chance to hear the sound of Krishna, which brings to mind the sweet vision of the Supreme Personality of Godhead smiling while holding His flute and giving that innocent glance that is both charming and inviting, would be missed. The most wonderful vision of the Supreme Lord in His form as Rama, holding a bow in His hands and waiting to defend and protect the innocent, receiving the service of Shri Hanuman and delighting in the company of Sita Devi and Lakshmana, would remain far away from the mind.

Chanting is the foundation stone of bhakti-yoga, and it is meant to act as a springboard. From chanting comes hearing. From hearing comes the accumulation of thoughts, ideas for new ways to potentially connect with Krishna, the Supreme Absolute Truth. With other activities, such as visiting a temple, reading a book about Krishna, cooking nice food preparations and offering them to the Lord to become prasadam, and singing along to kirtana songs, new aspects can be added to the routine.

From following a routine, habits develop. It is said that the habits one develops before they reach the age of thirty shape their behavior for the rest of their life. Therefore in the Vedic tradition, students are introduced to Krishna-bhakti as early as possible. There are other methods of self-realization, such as meditation, study of Vedanta, and fruitive work with the results renounced, but they each carry prerequisites. To meditate requires ideal conditions of peace and quiet, Vedanta study demands high intelligence, and fruitive work with detachment depends on knowledge of the impact of the work and the ability to carry out the functions properly.

All bhakti requires, however, is love. This love can be seen in even the child, so someone immature can take to chanting and dancing and be immersed in yoga. The aspect of spirituality that is applicable to the most number of people will be the best, and it will have God represented most fully. The holy name is non-different from Krishna, a truth proved by the fact that anyone can recite the holy name, even if they are unintelligent or unfamiliar with the principles of Vedic teachings.

From following bhakti, the dawn of each new day brings renewed hope, a chance to connect with Krishna again. The new day arrives without our desiring it, so this means that we will continue to get new opportunities in bhakti for as long as we shall so desire them. Just as the lotus flower opens at the sight of the splendorous sun, the sincere servant of the Supreme Lord wakes up every day with bright enthusiasm over their chance to tell their beloved just how much they love Him. At the end of life, that spiritual sunshine is met in His permanent home, with life’s mission fulfilled.

In Closing:

At rising of the bright sun we are glad,

But to repeat misery we are sad.

To man the sun is giver of light and heat,

But each day chores and tasks we must repeat.

Use the passing of days for your benefit,

So that best end you’ll meet after body to quit.

Daily chant maha-mantra rounds that are sixteen,

So that in your mind’s vision Krishna to be seen.

Take every day as giver of chance that is new,

To please the Lord of complexion dark blue.

Be Your Own Scientist

“In our Krishna consciousness movement, we have recommended that the neophyte chant at least sixteen rounds. This chanting of sixteen rounds is absolutely necessary if one wants to remember Krishna and not forget Him. Of all the regulative principles, the spiritual master’s order to chant at least sixteen rounds is most essential.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Chaitanya Charitamrita, Madhya 22.113 Purport)

The proponent of bhakti-yoga, which is the spiritual discipline following a mood of devotion directed at the Supreme Absolute Truth’s position as a personality, recommends that chanting the holy names is the best way for attaining realization of the self in the modern age. Specific acharyas, who lead by example in their quest to distribute the glories of bhakti to others, have more specific recommendations, targeted practices that can be implemented by anyone, removing some of the doubts associated with where to go next in the quest for enlightenment. The central practice, the one which all other rules and stipulations depend on, is the chanting of the maha-mantra, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, for at least sixteen rounds a day.

Chanting this mantra is difficult for someone who is not accustomed to reciting words derived from the Sanskrit language. In the beginning it is recommended that one recite the mantra very slowly so that they properly enunciate the words, enabling the ears to hear the sounds and soak in the spiritual nectar. From the requirement for deliberation can come the immediate fear relating to how one will ever be able to follow sixteen rounds as a daily routine. “It takes me forever to finish just one round, which is 108 recitations of the mantra. How am I going to find time to finish sixteen in one day? And say that I do accomplish the feat once, how can I continue that day after day? I don’t think I can do it. There must be some other way for self-realization. What if I chant another mantra? What if I chant just eight rounds and focus the rest of my time on other pious acts?”

While this rationalization may seem valid, there is no reason for the outright rejection of the sixteen-round recommendation, especially since it was first instituted by Lord Chaitanya, the preacher incarnation of Godhead and saint most effective at disseminating the glories of Lord Krishna, the Supreme Lord, to the masses. The efforts of His disciples and descendants further add to Lord Chaitanya’s glory, revealing His true power in getting others to awaken their dormant love for Godhead. The human brain is quite powerful, so much so that it can conduct miniature scientific experiments throughout the day. If that dedication to science is applied to the bhakti field, and specifically to the chanting recommendation, through experience one can not only elevate themselves to the position of chanting sixteen rounds daily, but they can be firmly convinced of the necessity of the practice.

How does this work exactly? In any activity that you take up, you have a resultant reaction. For instance, if you decided to eat at a particular restaurant one night, depending on what you pick from the menu, you can notice the reaction that follows. If you visit the restaurant in the future, applying tight controls on the experiment you can see if the same reaction comes from following the same behavior. We already perform these little experiments in our mind all the time, even if we’re not consciously aware of it. Taking a different route to work in the morning is a sort of experiment, with the measurable result being the amount of time it takes to get to the office. If the new route, the change to the otherwise controlled environment, consistently yields better results, behavior will be altered permanently.

In the arena of bhakti, instead of dismissing the chanting recommendation, one can try to increase the number of rounds recited daily and see what effect it has on life. Start off with dedicated chanting of just one round, repeating the routine the same way, at the same time, day after day. If the time of day chosen doesn’t yield benefits, pick another time. The human being develops habits through behavior, so if the habits are beneficial, one can follow pious behavior without consciously thinking about it. Just as getting up on time is a force of habit based on obligations, one can make recitation of the holy name for one round on a set of japa beads a sort of involuntary behavior.

To be able to retain the results of the scientific experiments within the mind, sobriety is required. Therefore accompanying the chanting recommendation is the restriction on meat eating, intoxication, gambling and illicit sex. Seems rather restrictive, but every recommendation exists for a reason. It is not just that one preacher decided he would scan his light of righteousness upon everyone and mark as many people sinners as possible. Something is a sin based on the negative effect it has on consciousness. As the boon of the human birth is the ability to find the highest bliss through transcendental association, whatever behavior prohibits that attainment should be avoided.

Once the chanting of the maha-mantra for one round daily becomes a habit, another round can be added on. The key, however, is to make sure that the number doesn’t ever diminish, for that will foil the experiment. If the controls are not tightly maintained, there is no chance of the results being worthwhile. The second round doesn’t have to come at the same time as the first round. The perseverant devotee can try different timings and routines to see what can be done to fit both rounds into a single day. Once the two rounds of chanting becomes a routine, a third round can be added, and so on.

The wonderful thing about following this routine is that we already know what results to expect. So many people have reached the platform of chanting the maha-mantra for sixteen rounds daily, and they love it so much that no amount of money will make them give it up. Instead, they look for even more ways to connect with God in bhakti. There is the offering of food preparations to the deity manifestation within the home or temple. There is the singing of songs congregationally with others. There is dancing to the songs and reading books about Krishna. The chanting routine only opens up so many other avenues, though it is never abandoned by the serious spiritualist.

Though we can take the word of the practicing devotee as authority, still the doubting mind needs convincing. Therefore through our own scientific experiments, tweaking the daily routine and finding what works, we can reach a stage of purity that is not found through any other endeavor. The feverish pursuit for material success attacks one’s honesty and compassion. Review the great entrepreneurs and businessmen of the past and you’ll see that they were quite brutal on many of their workers, not tolerating any blemishes or subpar effort. In business, bending the truth, acting harshly, negotiating with toughness, and trying to destroy your competitors are par for the course, almost requirements for success. Yet for all that effort, only material success is attained, which vanishes at the time of death.

In bhakti there is a similar pursuit for success, except one becomes purified of all vices and character flaws during the process. The necessary ingredient is sincerity. The more one is sincere in their service to Krishna and the spiritual master, the more they will get out of the process. The topmost transcendentalist is referred to as a paramahamsa, which means that they can extract the sweet nectar out of anything in life. Notice that the topmost spiritualist isn’t he who can find new ways to criticize others. That can be done by anyone, even the most ignorant hater. The truly enlightened see God’s influence everywhere and can appreciate everything He has to offer.

More importantly, the paramahamsa knows how to extract the topmost loving sentiments, the undying spark for transcendental action, from within everyone. That is a definition of a true saint. A saintly character is one who sees good in others and tries to help them, but the best saint is one who sees everyone with an equal vision and knows their true potential for serving Krishna, which makes both the Lord and the worshiper happy.

Question: What if I get to sixteen rounds and still don’t see any results?

What should the spiritualist do if they reach the sixteen round routine and still don’t find any results? It should be noted that there is no such thing as a utopia, even in spiritual life. The uniqueness of bhakti is that time and space have no influence. Time is the agent for change, causing misery when there is happiness and dissipating the sadness that comes from separation and loss. In bhakti, there is the eternal link to Krishna, so even separation can become a time of joy. The perceived loss of Krishna’s association only strengthens one’s mental attachment to Him. And since Krishna is absolute, thinking of Him is just as good as being by His side.

The most important barometer in bhakti practices is the change in behavior and how much Krishna is within the consciousness. If through chanting and following the regulative principles one is more in control of their senses, less angry, more determined to reach Krishna, less attached to material objects, and more appreciative of their spiritual guides, then progress is being made. If there are still issues in these areas, chanting still should not be abandoned. There is no loss on the yogi’s part, especially if they are sincere in bhakti. This is validated by Krishna Himself in the Bhagavad-gita.

“The Blessed Lord said: Son of Pritha, a transcendentalist engaged in auspicious activities does not meet with destruction either in this world or in the spiritual world; one who does good, My friend, is never overcome by evil.” (Bhagavad-gita, 6.40)

In any other area of endeavor, failure to complete the tasks results in a waste of effort, or a total loss. Perhaps there are some lessons learned about what not to do and some experience gained, but the object only half constructed has no value. On the other hand, in bhakti there is progress in terms of knowledge and temperament and also the house of devotion, wherein one keeps Krishna within their heart to be remembered and honored daily. Thus making an experiment out of bhakti and tweaking the procedures to meet the stated objective is always worthwhile, something every intelligent human being can take up and then monitor for progress.

In Closing:

Follow the same path to work day after day,

Let me try something new, a different way.

If my commute does improve this move,

Then going forward to use me it behooves.

In bhakti recommendation is holy name to chant,

Recite mantra daily even if you think you can’t.

Vow of one round daily first to take,

Add on later, see what effect it makes.

What can be the harm, in chanting no cost,

To see God soon, no chance of loss.

Language Learning

“The holy name of Krishna is transcendentally blissful. It bestows all spiritual benedictions, for it is Krishna Himself, the reservoir of all pleasure. Krishna’s name is complete, and it is the form of all transcendental mellows.” (Padma Purana)

You’re heading to a new country, but they speak a different language, so your excitement is a little tempered. There is so much you want to see and so many places you want to go, but in order to get around you need to make sure that you can ask for simple things. For instance, what if you want to take a taxi to a specific destination? What if you want to go to a restaurant? Better yet, what if you want to find out what that restaurant is serving, what their menu is like? Rather than carry a dictionary for translating or rely on your mobile phone’s app to do the quick conversion, a better option is to immerse yourself in the new language by listening to tapes. Coupled with the hearing is recitation, repeating the sentences and phrases you’ll need to utter when you go to the new country. Oddly enough, this simple formula can be used to find spiritual enlightenment as well.

How does this work exactly? For starters, the recitation program for learning a new language is effective for a reason. You can try to memorize the words and phrases you’ll need to invoke, but that information is very easy to forget. The process is like placing something into your memory that never gets extracted. It is sometimes said that certain people have better memory than others, but that is actually not the case. Memory increases with remembrance; a revelation that shouldn’t be earthshattering. If you have a specific incident or day in your life that you revert back to constantly within your mind, you will have no problem remembering it on the spot, should the occasion come up in conversation. On the other hand, someone else who was with you on that memorable day may not have ever gone back in time in their mind and relived the experience. Therefore, for them, remembering the incident will be very difficult.

If the foreign language is studied only theoretically, there is not much chance for forced remembrance. For starters, when would the need to invoke the words put to memory ever arise? If your time is spent speaking a specific language by necessity, why would you take the mental effort to think of a different language? Necessity is the mother of invention, so without a pressing need for speaking the new language, the relevant words won’t be remembered. The method of learning through hearing and speaking allows for the tongue to become accustomed to the phrases and the pronunciation. It’s almost like singing a song. You may not know what you are singing sometimes, but since you have heard the song enough, the specific lines start to play in your head. The repetition is so frequent and natural that it sounds like the song is actually playing for real on the outside.

Through enough practice, even the driver learns to operate their vehicle without applying conscious thought. You can drive to work every day without paying attention to the turns, the time, or your location on the road. This doesn’t mean that you are asleep or that you’re not able to deal with unexpected situations on the road. Rather, your brain has just been programmed, through enough practice, to automatically account for red lights, changes in the speed of the traffic, and the proper exits to take and streets on which to turn.

“After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.19)

Life’s most difficult task is to become reacquainted with God. This fact is confirmed through both outward perception and the authorized instruction passed on by Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We accept Krishna as God because the Vedas tell us as much, and since the Vedas provide so much other valuable information, we trust the information they provide. One person may be skeptical of the existence of God and the statements pointing to the fact in scripture and another person may believe in the same statements completely, but authority is presented in either situation. One person says to be religious and another says don’t, and they are both making assertions that they hope others will follow. Authority is determined locally by the individual’s trust in a particular entity and their words. The relevant entity’s position of authority is established through a track record of delivering on what is promised, on proving that your words are true.

In this respect the followers of the Vedas take the sacred texts of India and the people who sincerely follow its teachings as authority sources because of the effectiveness of the recommendations passed on. The Vedic seers all agree that in the present age of Kali, the fourth and final period of each cycle of creation, the only means for salvation is the chanting of the holy names of the Lord, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”. The skeptic will scoff at the suggestion to chant, considering it to be a mechanism targeted for the unintelligent who don’t know how to fill the void in their life. The skeptic might also take the recommendation to be dogmatic insistence aimed at converting the world to a specific religion.

Those who accept the Vedas, Krishna, and His treatise on spirituality known as the Bhagavad-gita as authority follow the chanting routine because it turns out to be extremely effective. The practice makes one an actual believer in God versus just a blind follower. Is one worse than the other? Shouldn’t believing in God be enough? Will not that safeguard from going to hell? Belief in the Almighty means that you acknowledge His existence, whereas chanting His names in a loving mood makes you aware of His capabilities, qualities, activities and divine nature. Familiarity with these features is far superior to basic acknowledgment because of the interaction of emotion it allows for. In every other area of endeavor, the experience is enhanced when emotions can be exchanged, when there can be vulnerability introduced and reliance on the target of service. Why should these properties be absent in spiritual life?

Finding and accepting real religion is so difficult precisely because the blissful exchange of emotion is missing in the lower rungs of worship. When learning the basics of the new language, putting to memory certain words will not automatically make them easier to remember. The mind drifts off to new areas of interest at every second, so to rein in the mind is very difficult. As a result, just accepting God’s existence and then never remembering Him doesn’t really do anything for consciousness, our state of being. On the other hand, chanting His names regularly at least makes the tongue familiar with the sound vibration representation of the Absolute Truth.

”Chant the holy names and you’ll gradually awaken sublime wisdom within the heart”, is the recommendation. The effectiveness of the chanting method can only be realized when the process is trusted and acted upon. This isn’t that difficult to do, as we extend faith to so many people already. We trust the airline pilot to take us safely to the intended destination, the pharmacist to not mess up when making our prescription drugs, the leader of the country to not destroy our economic system and make everyone destitute, and so on.

The person hesitant to accept the recommendations of the Vedas supports their viewpoint by relying instead on the past evidence of so many religious cheaters, who were either zealots looking to scare people or were simply after money. But upon second look we see that there is no cost imposed with the chanting recommendation. There is no loss on the worshiper’s part. Words are already spoken and songs already sung, so why not dedicate some time to reciting the most sacred formula? Chanting is a much better option than immersing oneself in literature that is difficult to understand or visiting a place of worship on a regular basis and not understanding what is going on. Active participation is what keeps the consciousness immersed in spiritual life, allowing for future remembrance to take place without difficulty.

To add further authority to the Vedic recommendation for chanting, there are countless historical personalities who followed the chanting routine and found complete happiness. From connecting with God in a mood of love, the spark of devotion lights up within the individual. This then leads to further anticipation in connecting with the beloved Krishna, who is the Supreme Lord in His form that displays His transcendental features fully. The sunlight, the wind, the amazing outer space and the incomprehensible material nature are but partial manifestations of Krishna’s energies, impersonal features that show that He exists. Just as the clouds part to reveal the splendor of the sun, when the ignorance borne of material contact dissipates, the individual soul sees the Supreme Lord in His blissful position, ready to connect with all His sons and daughters.

The holy name is the best way to awaken and maintain that connection, and the best way to hold on to the holy name is to hear it as often as possible. To hear it regularly, one can simply chant it. In this way even if the names of Krishna and Rama are foreign, as Sanskrit is the oldest language in the world, one gradually learns them and can invoke them without a problem. Chanting and hearing open the door to the world of bhakti-yoga, or devotional service, which is man’s real business, to be readily engaged in service to the one entity who is most deserving of it. Chanting, hearing, offering prayers, reading books, congregating with fellow devotees – these activities make up the bhakti discipline. Yoga provides a better future condition, one which takes care of both body and mind. Bhakti is the culmination of yoga practice, as it deals with the consciousness, which is the key ingredient to happiness.

“Always chanting My glories, endeavoring with great determination, bowing down before Me, these great souls perpetually worship Me with devotion.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 9.14)

Whether one is rich or poor, alone or with family, at work or relaxing, the consciousness can be trained to connect with Krishna through His names, thus resulting in a peaceful condition. Focusing on consciousness makes the difficult task of God realization a lot easier. All of these hidden secrets are revealed to those who take a sincere interest in Vedic teachings, the most important of which are presented by Krishna Himself in the Bhagavad-gita. In that work the Lord says that the devotees are always chanting His glories, dedicating their work to Him.

Hearing and repeating the phrases of the new language allows for quickly gaining a basic ability to survive in a foreign country. As God is the original proprietor, the person who has the rightful claim to all property, this entire world is His home. The language used to connect with Him is divine love, and the chanting of His names allow anyone to learn that language very quickly. The maha-mantra is the perfect prayer because it is free of personal desires, such as those relating to sensual enjoyments, the alleviation of distress through annihilation of material activity, knowledge of the absolute, and mystical perfection.

“The foreign language tapes just cover the basics, but in order to really learn I need to immerse myself in the new city and culture. How do I do that with Krishna?”

Chanting and hearing allow entry into bhakti-yoga, which can be practiced anywhere. Therefore there is no need to travel far to become immersed in the ancient art of divine love, which is the real business of the soul. The recommendation of the topmost Krishna devotees, the exalted spiritual masters, is that one chant the maha-mantra on a set of japa beads at least sixteen rounds a day coupled with abstention from meat eating, gambling, intoxication and illicit sex. The routine of bhakti-yoga allows for sufficient time to be spent in connecting with God, with the mind sober throughout the experience. The sober experience is easier to remember and more effective in changing consciousness. The spiritually surcharged consciousness then looks for more and more outlets to exercise devotion, thus paving the way for bhava, or full transcendental ecstasy. Since these changes can take place in any person at any time and at any place, the benevolence of bhakti and its beneficiary are revealed. The authority of bhakti’s greatest champions is also well-established. With all bases covered, why not at least try chanting Krishna’s names and become familiar with the language of divine love?

In Closing:

In foreign city’s culture one must immerse,

In order to get by, with others converse.

Rather than on dictionary and mobile apps’ suite,

Purchase language tapes and new phrases repeat.

From following this method faster you will learn,

So getting food and directions no concern.

In grander scheme of God we must know,

From bhakti knowledge and attachment’s seed grow.

The holy names recited with love bhakti’s language,

Accept this path for brightest future to salvage.

Meeting Minutes

“People can hold meetings to glorify the Lord in their respective languages and with melodious songs, and if such performances are executed in an offenseless manner, it is certain that the participants will gradually attain spiritual perfection without having to undergo more rigorous methods.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, Introduction)

In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy, the Kali Yuga, man is generally unfortunate, short-lived, and always under duress. Stress does not even have to be a bad thing, for anxiety, ulcers and constant pain and worry are much bigger problems than ordinary stress. To find relief from the struggles encountered daily, one need not look further than the heavens, the upper planetary realm where the Supreme Lord and the divine figures reside. From His causeless mercy, God makes the processes most effective at allowing others to know Him also the most readily available. This is a simple principle that should never be forgotten. The more difficulty there is in a religious practice, the further it is away from the constitutional position of the soul. Since the name, forms, pastimes and glories of the Supreme Being are what the spirit souls roaming the land of earth are meant to immerse their minds in, something as simple as an assembly held to discuss these aspects can provide full enlightenment. Eternal happiness can come about as quickly as attending a meeting and hearing what is discussed.

Why are we short-lived in the Kali Yuga? What is a yuga anyway? The Vedas are the ancient scriptures of India, and rather than be taken as a sectarian treatise targeted for a select few individuals, the correct viewpoint is to understand that the Vedas are all-inclusive; they are meant to be heard and understood by every class of men, from every type of background. We know that there must have been a point in time when the earth was created, for that is how objects around us come into being. Indeed, our current body was the result of past work performed, growth and development cycles that started before we even had the ability to remember things. We know from the authority of our parents that we existed within the womb for nine months and then finally emerged into a land unknown to us.

Just as the bodies of the living entities come into existence, so the entire cosmic manifestation goes through cycles of creation and destruction. It is said that Lord Vishnu, the four-armed form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, exhales just once to create the many universes. And when He inhales, everything gets destroyed. As time and space represent the limits to our understanding, they do not apply to the Supreme Lord or to the divine energy in general. Therefore there is actually not just one creation, as that would put God’s abilities under the jurisdiction of time. Rather, this world and other worlds go through cycles of creation, millennia of manifestations if you will. Each creation has an allotted time of existence, and to further understand the conditions in society and how to cope in it, there are divisions to this one time period, which is known as a yuga, or maha-yuga.

“The whole cosmic order is under Me. By My will it is manifested again and again, and by My will it is annihilated at the end.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.8)

The Kali Yuga is the last of the four divisions, and it is marked by the tenuous standing of dharma. Religiosity, piety, righteousness, or occupational duties – these are the many ways to translate dharma, though the word itself relates to an essential characteristic. As time goes by, man’s fealty to dharma, the established codes of conduct passed down by the authority figures, dwindles. In the Kali Yuga, dharma stands as a table with only one leg, with the other three wiped out in favor of vice, sin and overall debauchery.

The allure of sinful activity is that it will somehow bring happiness. “Just eat a little bit more. Just have some more beer. Just cheat on your wife this one time. Just make one more wager and then you’ll be satisfied.” Obviously, these temptations aren’t so fast to go away. By giving in to them what results is a loss of peace of mind and rationale. In a society where sinful behavior is rampant, there will not be any happiness. What’s even worse is that the symptoms will not be properly understood; recognizing them will not lead to a proper identification of the problem.

That adherence to dharma should diminish over time is not that surprising. In America, deference to pious behavior in society was much higher than it is today as recently as fifty years ago. In many communities, there was rampant poverty, also much worse than it is today, but since the families were more centered on religious life, the children had morals instilled in them. Hard work, discipline, respect for life and other values remained even in the harshest of conditions. As that adherence to piety gradually diminished, however, so did man’s ability to interact with his fellow man. Hence the Kali Yuga is known for quarrels erupting over the most trivial things. Cut someone off on the highway and you could trigger a meltdown from the other driver. Wear a jersey of a sports team that someone else doesn’t like and you can get beaten up if you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time.

So, what can be done to fix the problem? The holy names of the Lord, especially those found in the maha-mantra, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, are meant to deliver the fallen people of this age. How can these names be disseminated, and who will be willing to accept them, especially given man’s affinity for sinful life? The best way to spread the holy names is through congregational chanting, wherein groups of devoted individuals chant the sacred mantras in a call-and-response fashion. Bring the holy name to the masses and you will have a revolution in thought and behavior.

As people don’t like to be bothered in the street, another effective way to spread the glories of the Supreme Lord that everyone is inclined to worship is to hold meetings, public gatherings where discourses on Krishna philosophy, or bhakti-yoga, can take place. Krishna is the complete manifestation of the Supreme Lord. Shri Krishna is fully opulent, all-powerful, and has a transcendental sweetness that is unique. With karma, the expectation is to have a nice reward, a fruit at the end that tastes sweet. Since Krishna is the reservoir of all sweetness, there can be no tastier fruit than His constant association. The public assembly discussing Krishna’s nature, pastimes and teachings can bring that delight to a large number of people.

Why would people be interested in attending such gatherings? It is seen that there is already the tendency to congregate. The church is the weekly gathering place for the religiously inclined, and the bars and nightclubs the places to go to for fun and enjoyment. If these places don’t fancy you, then there are the coffee shops and restaurants. Irrespective of the nature of the place, the fatigued worker looking for relaxation enjoys getting out of the house and spending some time out in public with other people.

The Vaishnava gathering, the assembly where Krishna is talked about, provides the best of all worlds. The dedication to religion found in the church is present when discussing Krishna. In fact, the interaction is quite unique, as the verses from the sacred texts like the Bhagavad-gita, Shrimad Bhagavatam and Ramayana that are discussed can be studied over and over again, day after day, with new revelations revealed along the way. The more one practices bhakti-yoga and the more they hear about Krishna, the more the covering of nescience enveloping their soul comes off. Every individual life form is fully intelligent; we just don’t notice this because of the covering of maya. Even the ant is cognizant of Krishna’s status as the Supreme Lord, but due to past karma and the resultant reactions, the ant is in a form of body not conducive to acting upon the natural love felt within the heart for God.

The friendly atmosphere of the night club is also there in the Krishna gathering, except that there is no need for darkness. For the night club experience to be enjoyed, there must be intoxication. The music is so loud and the lighting so dim that the patrons really have nothing else to do except drink. If the lights were on bright and everyone could hear each other talk, what need would there be for inebriation? With the Krishna gathering, full sobriety is a prerequisite for understanding the truths of life espoused in the sacred texts. Moreover, the congregational chanting that takes place brings bliss and happiness to those who are not distracted in mind.

“If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit, or water, I will accept it.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 9.26)

The sumptuous food available in the restaurants can also be found in the Krishna gathering. Part of the typical worship program involves the offering of food to the deity of the Supreme Lord. It is said in the Bhagavad-gita that if anyone offers Krishna a leaf, flower, fruit or water, He will gladly accept it. This means that God cannot be invisible or formless. Moreover, He is a personality with arms, legs, ears and a mouth. He is different, however, in that His features are not limited. He is all-pervading and simultaneously situated in the spiritual sky of Goloka Vrindavana, so He can hear every prayer offered to Him and enjoy every tasty prasadam dish presented in a mood of love and devotion.

The offered food gets returned to the worshiper in a sanctified form, becoming prasadam, or the Lord’s mercy. This food is then distributed to the guests at the assembly. In this way there is a very simple formula for gaining enlightenment, happiness and a worthwhile occupation of free time. No matter what the person’s background, this simple formula can be followed. Chant a few mantras, listen to topics about Krishna, and eat prasadam. Who could be against this? The more these programs are done, the more they get repeated. In fact, people can follow the same formula in their homes, inviting their friends and family over for a night of Krishna-related fun. Why worship once a week when you can meditate on Krishna every day? Why just enjoy the restaurant food when you can taste Krishna’s mercy all the time? Why suffer the ill effects of intoxication when you can enjoy Krishna’s sweetness in full sobriety?

Though the sacred Vedic texts were composed in Sanskrit and its derivative languages, these gatherings need not be limited to a particular language. Across any land, amongst any group of people, the same subject matter can be discussed. This is what it means to be transcendental. Krishna is God for everyone, not just for the Hindus. Any type of food in the mode of goodness prepared even to the local style can be accepted by Krishna, for the Lord doesn’t just listen to the prayers of those residing in India. The gopis of Vrindavana always thought of Krishna when the Lord left for Mathura and Dvaraka. Were they bereft of His company? Did Krishna forget them? Did He not hear every single one of their prayers offered from many miles away? Krishna was always with them, even though physically He may have been many miles away.

Simply attending these assemblies on a regular basis can provide all perfection, without having to make any extraneous endeavor. No need to travel to the Himalayas, starve yourself for weeks on end, or quit your job and live as a mendicant. Other methods of spiritual life can certainly help, provided that the aim is genuine and authorized, but just following behavior that we are already accustomed to and prefer can bring the desired benefits. The key to the assembly, or any activity in bhakti for that matter, is the holy name. The aim of the gathering is to spread Krishna’s transcendental sound vibrations in a palatable way, in a manner that can be accepted, understood, and relished by every one of the participants. This way everyone can go home and eagerly anticipate the next meeting, the next time they will get to hear about their beloved Krishna.

In Closing:

To hear at meeting place should everyone gather,

About Him who has in His hair peacock’s feather.

The delight of Vrindavana, of Yadu’s fame,

Complete form of Godhead, Krishna is His name.

Gathering place you already prefer to go to,

Why not meet to discuss He of bluish hue?

Don’t need to quit your job or to the mountains run,

Chant Krishna’s names together and enjoy the fun.

In the present age of Kali man is unfortunate,

Forces of sin upon mankind do conglomerate.

No other way for salvation except chanting,

The holy names of the Lord, never forgetting.

Visit the Vaishnava assembly and the truth learn,

Invite people to the home and spiritual merits earn.

To the deity of Shri Krishna offer food in goodness,

Distribute prasadam, happily relish the sweetness.

Head Glorifier

“To become a servant of God is a great position. People are always trying to get some government post or some position in a reputed business firm because the service rendered in such positions earns great profits. Although we are very anxious to get good positions in the government service, we do not stop to think of getting a position in God’s service. God is the government of all governments.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Elevation to Krishna Consciousness, Ch 6)

In countries where the private sector of the economy is either tightly controlled or virtually nonexistent, the jobs coveted are those in government. A government worker is meant to be a servant of the people, acting at the pleasure of the executive, or the leader of the community. Because of who they serve and the importance of their position, these servants are glorified and held aloft for others to adore, worship, honor or influence. In the business community, the best workers are those who serve the interests of the proprietor fully, influencing the overall profit margin of the establishment positively. If such attention is given to servants of worldly institutions, why would it be absent when service is given to the proprietor of all energies, the Supreme Lord? Indeed, the position of “head glorifier”, or greatest servant of the Supreme Lord, is the best because it does the most good for the most number of people. Not surprisingly, such sincere workers are handsomely rewarded with the fruit of existence: unending devotion to the feet of the Supreme Lord.

Why does this fruit take precedence over all others? The mango tree is valuable once it grows nice mangoes that can be picked and eaten when ripe. The government, especially in its modern incarnation, where it plays a significant role in dictating outcomes to events, gets its teeth from the inflow of tax dollars, which are then distributed according to the schemes conjured up by the politicians. The business makes a dent when it offers a good or service that can be enjoyed by the common man. It is seen that the more a company can appeal to the common person, he who is not overly wealthy but still has appreciation for a good product or service, the more their profits will increase. The wealthiest businesses are not those who build products for the elite class; rather, ridiculously high profits come from satisfying middle class men, of which there are many more.

The Supreme Lord, who is described as Krishna among many other names in the Vedas, the ancient scriptures of India, holds the title to every piece of property. Though we can’t see the deeds, they exist nonetheless. Long before our present birth, the creation existed and its population roamed the earth. Similarly, long after we exit our present body, the same creation and population of creatures will be there. In this sense we only hold temporary leases on our possessions, for the original creator, the Almighty, directed His energies to have this temporary world manifest.

Why do we call this world temporary? Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His original Shyamasundara form, who has the bodily complexion of a dark raincloud and is exquisitely beautiful, has two distinct energies. To Krishna there is no distinction, for what need does He have for self-realization, study of scripture, or discrimination with respect to energies? Krishna can take a tennis racket and use it as a pencil or take a blade of grass and use it as a weapon. He is not limited in His attributes or in His exercise of objects of matter.

The delineated energies are meant to be understood by the conditioned living entity, he who takes birth without being asked and then subsequently tries to outrun oncoming death. In either case, material nature wins, as no one can stop birth or death except God Himself. The world is deemed temporary because its manifestation is not permanent. We see evidence of this in our own lives. Our childhood body is now dead and gone. We don’t mourn for this loss quite as much because our identity within our adopted life form continues until the time of death. Nevertheless, there is nothing we can do to get our childhood form back. No amount of scientific research, mental speculation, or meditational yoga can put our tiny soul back into the exact same form that we used to crawl around our parents’ living room floor.

We are just as helpless once death approaches, for nothing can be done to revive the exited form; hence the reason for so much sadness. Despite the temporary nature of the current manifestation of material elements, there is still a proprietor, someone who is directing the energies. Shri Krishna is that person, or if you prefer, “God”. Even the atheists acknowledge a higher power, though they don’t understand His personal aspect or the fact that He is not partial in His dealings. We can call the atheists stupid, but then all of us were “stupid” youngsters at some point. This doesn’t mean that hope is eternally lost for any soul. Rather, as more time goes by, and if the likelihood for having a fortunate meeting with a sincere soul devoted to the Supreme Lord increases, the covering of nescience can gradually dissipate, revealing full and complete knowledge.

Along the way, the serving propensity found within the soul, its true dharma, continues to shine. Even if God’s existence is completely denied, if the very mention of the word “God” sends shivers down one’s spine and puts a lasting frown on one’s face, the dharma of the soul is still revealed to some extent. Just as during the nighttime the effects of the sun’s influence are still present on earth, even during the darkest period of consciousness, where the natural intelligence of the soul is seemingly fully covered up, the individual’s propensity to serve remains. Dharma is an ever existing quality, an essential characteristic that cannot be divorced from an object. If it could, the object would lose its meaning. For instance, if fire were to lose its burning and heat properties, we could no longer call it fire. If you presented a pizza-lover with a fresh pizza pie, piping hot, they might eagerly anticipate the first few bites. But if while eating they notice that cheese, sauce and the crust are missing, their disappointment would result in remarks like, “This is not pizza. I don’t know what you call it, but it’s not pizza.”

If the soul did not exhibit a propensity to serve, it could not be called a soul. The Vedas describe Krishna has having a form that is fully knowledgeable, eternal and blissful, sach-chid-ananda. These properties are bequeathed to the spirit souls, who descend from Krishna. Therefore it is impossible for the soul’s inherent characteristics to ever vanish. Without full knowledge of God and His personal form, the service mentality carries the conditioned soul in so many directions. To earn money and enjoy the senses, service is taken up to a corporate entity. The proprietor of the business takes the risk of investing startup capital or going into debt for the express purpose of turning a profit. The businessman is not interested in securing jobs for a community or making sure that everyone can have a decent standard of living. Their primary concern is profit, and as long as steady profits are coming in, the business is doing its job.

Since the presence of workers can increase the scope and breadth of the offered service or product, and thus also the level of profit, business owners make the investment in human capital. The aim is to pay the workers as little as possible, for the more expenditure there is, the less profit there will be. But the workers are not robots that can be commanded on a whim. Rather, they expect to be compensated for their work. In this respect, the employee’s greatest protection against exploitation is their own self-interest and also the presence of many other businesses. One business may not pay workers much, but if they are threatened by other companies potentially stealing their employees, they will be forced to pay higher salaries. Hence through competition the resulting condition of a strong labor force that earns “decent” wages is created.

Since the business world revolves around profit, the employee who best contributes towards increasing productivity and the profit margin of the establishment gets rewarded with a higher position and increased salary. In this sense we see that the more service is offered to the proprietor, the more glorified the worker becomes. The principle applies to government service as well. It’s strange to think that the President of the United States is actually the head servant of the country, but by definition this is his role. Wherever he goes, “Hail to the Chief” introduces him, and onlookers hang on every word of his speeches. He flies on Air Force One and never has to pay for anything, but still he is engaged in meeting the interests of the citizens at large.

The people serving the head of the government become very important as well. The White House spokesperson essentially has to lie for a liar every day. With politics comes the requirement that promises be broken and dishonest things be spoken every now and then. The press doesn’t meet with the President face-to-face every day. Instead, a press secretary for the President meets with the media daily and answers their questions. The media won’t approach just any ordinary person on the street for information about the administration. They want to talk to someone who is tied to the President, who is faithfully engaged in his service. Because of his link to someone important, the servant of the White House becomes important as well.

When service in worldly affairs brings fame and adoration, why would not the same result follow service taken up for God? If we sincerely desire to be God’s best servant, the position will bring us the greatest reward. This is true not only because of God’s qualities, but also because of the inherent properties of the soul. As our dharma is to be a servant, nothing is better than serving the person we are meant to serve. When service is taken up for any person except God, the soul’s brilliant features are not seen. Similar to how the sun is covered by the clouds in the sky, when encased in a temporary form desperately seeking after paltry rewards the soul’s true brilliance gets masked.

On the other hand, the liberated soul is fully appreciated. We know this from the many historical examples of people who took up service to God and then subsequently became famous. What’s even more interesting is that the most wonderful servants are often more worshiped than the Supreme Lord Himself is. Shri Hanuman immediately comes to mind in this respect. He is considered the greatest servant of Lord Rama, the Supreme Lord’s avatara of a warrior prince who roamed this earth many thousands of years ago. Hanuman was technically a government minister, an emissary of the king of the Vanaras residing in the Kishkindha forest. During His first meeting with Hanuman, Shri Rama even noted that no king could ever get their business done without having a person like Hanuman working for him.

“O sinless one, certainly, how can any king accomplish his objectives if he doesn’t have such a messenger working for him?” (Lord Rama speaking to Lakshmana about Hanuman, Valmiki Ramayana, Kishkindha Kand, 3.34)

Did Rama then steal Hanuman’s services away from the king of the monkeys in Kishkindha? Here is the secret: serving God actually fulfills the interests of everyone else. By taking up the mission to find Rama’s missing wife Sita Devi, Hanuman simultaneously did good to the leader of his community, Sugriva. Though outwardly he was first and foremost Sugriva’s minister, Hanuman is forever known as Ramadutta, or a messenger of Rama. Hanuman is unmotivated in his intentions and uninterrupted in his service. Even though he eventually found Sita and played a vital role in the demise of her captor Ravana, Hanuman never stopped loving Rama. How could he abandon his dharma? Without devotion to Rama, Hanuman is not who he is. Since he can never abandon thinking about Sita, Rama and His younger brother Lakshmana, Hanuman can never cease to be glorious.

What does it mean to be a servant of God? Do we have to take on some brave task to get that position? While there are nine different processes of devotional service [hearing, chanting, remembering, worshiping, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering prayers, carrying out the orders of the Lord, becoming friends with Him, surrendering everything to Him], the ideal position of God’s servant is that of “head glorifier”. The best way to serve is to glorify, to increase the stature of the superior person. As Krishna is beyond description and is Bhagavan because of His stupendous feature set, there is really nothing to be gained on the Lord’s part through glorification. But since when did the position of the object of love ever stop a person from offering their love? Despite His standing, the Supreme Lord continues to be glorified by His most wonderful servants. In this area He is actually powerless, as there is nothing Sita and Rama can do to stop Hanuman from singing their glories every single day.

The head glorifier performs their duties by regularly chanting the holy names of the Lord, especially those found in the sacred maha-mantra, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”. This gift in the form of a mantra bestowed upon the dedicated servant allows for service to be conducted at any time of the day and at any place. The reward for this great work is full-blown bhava, or transcendental ecstasy. Relishing this taste is the real boon of existence, to be completely uninhibited in our loving dealings. In every other area of life, our emotions and the flow of service are interrupted or checked to some degree. For the head glorifier, there is no such thing as too much kirtana, or describing of the transcendental features of the most loveable object.

Though the position of “head glorifier” seems to imply that only one person can occupy the post, it is not so. In the spiritual land, the restrictions imposed by the laws of math and science are not present. One can actually mean two, and two can mean one. There can be millions of head glorifiers, who each have their own personal relationship with their most relishable form of the Supreme Lord. In Goloka Vrindavana, where Krishna Himself always resides playing His flute, the gopis serve as the head glorifiers. There are many gopis, but Shrimati Radharani is considered the topmost. The other servants sing of even her glories, thus showing that service in transcendental love brings endless opportunities for growth and expansion. Noting these properties, who would not want to covet this most wonderful position? Even if someone just sincerely thinks of taking the necessary training to one day accept the “head glorifier” post, they will succeed in life’s mission.

In Closing:

High position in government or business we covet,

Fame, attention and notoriety we get.

Reason for pursuit of post easy to understand,

Stature of proprietor increases with helping hand.

To increase profit, at office workers congregate,

Best employees the owner will highly compensate.

In spiritual life, servant is given best treatment,

To the Lord’s wishes they are always deferent.

Devotees like Hanuman are so exalted,

That greater than God they are sometimes treated.

Thus best position is to be head glorifier,

Just chant holy names, what could be easier?

Role as God’s servant provides many opportunities,

For endless offerings of love by both experts and newbies.

Strung Together

“O conqueror of wealth [Arjuna], there is no Truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.77)

Imagine someone giving you a handful of pearls as a gift. In this case the more appropriate description would be a “box full of pearls”. Why is that? Well, the number of pearls given is more than one, so in order to accommodate their inclination for rolling around, a box is required. The pearls are not stuck together; rather, they are little objects that tend to move on their own when placed on a flat surface. Since they are so small, just the slight tilt of the container or the blowing of the wind can cause them to shift in position. Therefore a box holds the separated, rolling pearls together. Now, will we be happy about this? Will we be glad that the individual pearls have been given to us, even if they are extremely valuable? Obviously the true value would come once the pearls are strung together. When they are on a string, the pearls can form a necklace and thus act as an object of beauty. In the absence of the string that ties everything together, the collection of pearls has a much lower value. This principle applies to the largest scale as well, for without the hand of the Supreme Spirit, nothing in this world would move. Therefore since everything is resting upon Him, He is the tie that binds everything. Without knowledge of His blissful form, pastimes, attributes, and most importantly, His names, no amount of accumulation of tiny pearls in the form of material opulence, sumptuous food, pleasurable experiences and romantic encounters can bring the soul the happiness it totally deserves.

How do we know how much happiness is due the soul? After all, don’t some people follow sinful behavior and thereby squander their opportunity for happiness? For instance, if one worker should show up to the job on time every single day, following a routine schedule aimed at carrying out their responsibilities, and another worker should be perpetually late, shouldn’t the tardy person be punished? In this sense, how can we say that happiness is always owed the soul, for it seems that the actions undertaken in life lead to the benefits or detriments received?

Such truths are certainly present for those operating under karma, or the system of fairness managed by the higher authorities. Karma is translated to mean “fruitive activity” in English because of how the Vedas, the ancient scriptures of India which first introduced the term “karma” to the world, refer to the results of action. Karma-phala, or the fruits of material activity, can be bitter or sweet in taste. Not every reaction is pleasant or even intended. For instance, the young child places the hand into the fire not knowing what will happen. The intention obviously isn’t for severe pain or the scorching heat of the fire to surround the skin. But regardless of the intention, the result will be the same.

Yet the soul doesn’t have to live under karma’s dictates perpetually. Rather, such action and reaction is only present in a land divorced of the personal influence of the Supreme Lord. God is everything. If He is the fountainhead of the material, marginal and spiritual energies, how can He ever be absent from any sphere? For those who want to neglect His supreme status, His stature as the most renounced, wealthy, strong, famous, knowledgeable and beautiful person, they are allowed to take birth in a land where finding God is very difficult. Indeed, the pursuit of self-realization is so tough that a living entity is considered fortunate if they are even able to realize the need for taking it up.

Obligations in other areas are much easier to accept. The child thinks their occupational duty is to play all day or do well in school. The husband thinks his duty is to protect his family and earn a good living. The mother thinks her duty is to take care of her children. Though these obligations are certainly worth accepting, we see that they serve as further stumbling blocks, distractions if you will, towards making full advancement in knowledge. With every obligation comes another obstruction in the path towards seeing the Supreme Lord. The obligations can provide so much daily pressure that the need to even worship or know God gets tabled indefinitely.

This reveals how karma influences behavior, how it ensures the living entity’s desire to forget God is granted. In its constitutional position, however, the soul is eternal, knowledgeable and blissful. These attributes are inherited from the Supreme Person, who possesses the same features but to a much larger degree. The soul is part and parcel of Krishna, or God, meant to remain in His association constantly. Based on its constitutional makeup the soul is due supreme bliss through divine association. In the absence of the association of the person who strings everything together, the little pieces of information and enjoyment found in a life governed by karma cannot take on their true value.

We see that in the absence of real religion, so many dharmas, or systems of maintenance, are put forth. This proves that mankind must have a guiding force to activity, for the ability to think rationally separates the human beings from the animals. Under rational thought, systems of maintenance are followed to allow for a more beneficial future to be experienced. When the ultimate system of maintenance is not bhakti-yoga, or devotional service, the resultant conditions will be checked in some way. They will result in the enjoyment of a tiny pearl versus having the entire necklace.

On television, sometimes public service announcements are aired, commercials not aimed at earning a profit. They are meant to teach lessons, instill values in the audience. The need for such an information transfer is quite obvious. Television is not meant to teach; it is meant to entertain. Indeed, the hearing process is the most effective at knowledge transfer, a secret well established in the Vedas, who were originally known as the shrutis because they were passed on through an oral tradition.

There was even once a humorous incident with Lord Rama, the warrior prince incarnation of the Supreme Lord who roamed the earth during the Treta Yuga, relating to the Vedas and how they are passed on through the hearing process. While residing in the forest of Dandaka with His wife Sita Devi and younger brother Lakshmana, a female Rakshasa by the name of Shurpanakha came by and wanted to enjoy conjugal relations with Lord Rama. That a woman would be attracted to the most attractive person in the world is not surprising, but the lengths to which this person went to secure that enjoyment is what was noteworthy.

Rama kindly rejected the woman, informing her that He was there with His wife, the princess of Videha. Though God can accept an unlimited number of devotees, wives, eternal consorts, and children, as Lord Rama He only accepts one wife. That’s how much He loves Sita Devi. When Sita hears the story of Tulasi Devi and how she is intimately related to Lord Vishnu, who is the same Rama residing in the spiritual sky, she looks at her husband and He blushes. He is so dedicated to His wife that He never wants her to think that He could ever be with another woman.

After being rebuked, Shurpanakha wouldn’t go away, so she decided she would get rid of her competition. Seeing the woman about to attack Sita Devi, Lord Rama looked at Lakshmana and counted the four Vedas on His fingers. The original scriptural tradition imparted by the Lord at the beginning of creation on Lord Brahma consisted of a singular set of pearls of wisdom known as the Veda. Subsequently it was divided into four branches to make it easier to understand. By counting off the four Vedas, or shrutis, Lord Rama was secretly referring to the ear. Then the Lord made a cutting gesture with His hands pointing to the sky. In this way the Lord instructed Lakshmana to cut off the witch’s ear. Lakshmana would listen to his brother and lop off the woman’s nose and ears as she tried to attack Sita. She then went running back to where she came from.

Television appeals to the emotional aspect of the human being, not the intellectual. Therefore service announcements through the medium of television are required to be able to cut through and affect one’s behavioral system, to alter thought processes. These commercials focus on different values such as being honest, staying away from illegal drugs, drinking responsibly, and so on. Each of these different values can be likened to the pearls rolling around in a box. They are wonderful in their own right, but without the thread to hold them together, there can be no tangible benefit realized. If one human being is honest and constantly worrying about obligations and another person is dishonest and has the same worries, what is the difference?

Under karma, the dishonest person would suffer in the afterlife, but the best the honest person could hope for is ascension to a more pleasant material circumstance in the next life. With knowledge of the string, the entity holding all the pearls together, comes the true benefit of human life. In His original form, God is described as being the most attractive person, a youth with a beautiful body blackish in complexion. He is the pleasure giver to the cows and the senses, and He is the all-knowing Supreme Personality. Though He is without a name, the people that know and love Him call Him Krishna because of His transcendental attributes.

In the Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krishna tells Arjuna that no truth is superior to Him, and that everything rests upon Him, like pearls on a string. Besides being a brilliant way to describe how everything in this world is related to the Lord, this information also corresponds nicely with one of the central practices of bhakti, the discipline aimed at connecting with Krishna. Since there are so many distractions in life, obstructions blocking even the recognition of the need to understand God, the best way to connect with the Lord is to chant His names. For the chanting to really become effective, it must be done regularly and in the proper mood. What better way to transform randomness and chaos into order and discipline than by using a string?

If we take the same set of pearls rolling around in a box that someone gave us as a gift and use it to chant Krishna’s names, the chore would be a little difficult. For starters, just picking up each pearl would be tedious. I pick one up, chant the sacred maha-mantra, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, and then put it down to look for the next one. What‘s to say that I’ll be able to pick one up quickly? How will I maintain a rhythm if I can’t even find a pearl to pick up? What’s more, how am I going to keep track of how many times I’ve recited the mantra?

An appropriate concern may be raised at this point. “If the aim of human life is to love God, what need is there to keep track of how many times a mantra has been recited? Shouldn’t the process be spontaneous and from the heart? Wouldn’t Krishna appreciate this more?” Actually, this is entirely correct. The highest stage of consciousness is where spontaneous loving attraction for Krishna is exhibited. The gopis of Vrindavana, especially Shrimati Radharani, are the experts in this field. Their love for Krishna is so spontaneous that they don’t even know that they are practicing bhakti, that they are superior to mystic yogis, mental speculators and fruitive workers. We can go around in circles, delving into an infinitely recursive loop of observation, and still never reach the end of the glories of the gopis.

Since our inertia in spiritual life has built up over such a long period of time, regulation and goals are required in the beginning stages of bhakti. If there is no attention paid to how many mantras are recited, how will the conditioned soul be able to tell if they are progressing on the path towards liberation, the end of the cycle of birth and death signaled by constant association with Krishna through His non-different forms like His names, pastimes and attributes? Therefore to make chanting easier and more effective, tiny beads are put together on a string to form what is known as a japa mala. Japa refers to silent recitation of a mantra, where the transcendentalist repeats the specific sequence of words either within the mind or silently to oneself. The mala is the rosary, or collection of beads.

So how many beads go into a mala? How does the chanting take place? Not surprisingly, there is a head bead, indicated by its larger size and also the colored strands of thread on top of it. For Vishnu-bhakti, devotional chanting aimed at realizing God in His original, personal form, the head bead is taken to be the Lord Himself. Therefore the mantra is not chanted on this bead. There are 108 other beads that make up the rest of the mala. On each bead the specific mantra is chanted and then the reciter moves on to the next bead. The 108 beads can represent different things, but for devotees of Krishna they symbolize the 108 principle gopis, or the topmost devotees of the Lord.

Whatever we think goes into religion and however complicated we think achieving success in it actually is, just chanting the maha-mantra repeatedly on a japa mala while sitting in front of a tulasi plant is enough to bring full enlightenment. How this actually works is known only to Krishna and the people who follow the chanting routine. Ordinarily, if we tell someone to sit in front of a tree and repeat a sound vibration over and over again, they’d tell us to get lost. After all, young children are given punishments that are similar to this, so how could the behavior be beneficial to adults that don’t misbehave?

As sound is the most powerful agent for change, by regularly reciting Krishna’s names, the sounds of the Absolute Truth enter the ear and get to work on dissipating the cloud of nescience surrounding the soul previously desirous of subjugation under karma. For the devotee in trance, or samadhi, karma no longer has an influence. The divine nature, which works directly under Krishna’s direction, takes over. Therefore, by knowing the string on which all the pearls are resting, the fountainhead of all knowledge, the most wonderful person in the world, everything we could ever want comes in the palm of our hand. And it all starts with the sacred set of beads held together on Krishna’s string.

In Closing:

Beads numbering one hundred eight on a thread,

With one bead representing Shri Krishna as the head.

Chant the holy names so that God you’ll understand,

Full enlightenment will come in palm of your hand.

Without God, information is in pieces disjointed,

Material enjoyments leave everyone disappointed.

Life is meant for pleasure, happiness the soul deserves,

Without bhakti, into temporary engagements one swerves.

But by source of everything finding,

Full happiness will we be enjoying.

Above Krishna there is no truth, everything He does bring,

Like the individual pearls resting comfortably on a string.

With each separate bead maintain routine we can’t,

But with japa mala, easier for holy name to chant.

Maunam

“Chaitanya Mahaprabhu recommends, kirtaniyah sada harih: one should go on chanting the glories of the Lord twenty-four hours a day. There is no question of becoming mauna, or silent.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.9.46 Purport)

The prescription given by Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the preacher incarnation of Godhead who kindly roamed the sacred land of Bharatavarsha around five hundred years ago, is that everyone should chant the maha-mantra, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, as often as possible and with as many accompanying people as possible, to gain spiritual enlightenment and salvation. The benefits derived from fruitive activity with detachment, study of Vedanta philosophy, disengagement from any type of work, and mystic yoga come more easily through the chanting process. Yet there was more to this recommendation than just finding a way back to God. The sankirtana-yajna, the most recommended sacrifice for the people living in the dark age of Kali, is the best way to keep the individual occupied throughout the day. Other methods of religion may come close, but they don’t carry the same property. An active person stays away from the mode of ignorance and has an easier time coping with life. Moreover, an active person who can steadily ascend the planes of consciousness to the spiritual level will be even better situated. The secret in sankirtana is that there is simultaneous elevation, detachment and happiness, with the individual not remaining idle for even a second.

Why is it harmful to remain inactive? Don’t we need our rest? To gain a better understanding, let’s work through a hypothetical scenario that most of us have dreamed about at one time or another. If an off-day is approaching, one free of obligations pertaining to school or work, where we don’t have to wake up at a certain time, falling asleep at night becomes a more involved task. After all, if it is “fun time”, what need is there for stopping? The relief from pressure results in a late night of having fun, whatever that “fun” may be. The next morning is where things get interesting. As Newton famously said, “a body at rest stays at rest”, after sleeping for so long during the night, it’s very difficult to break out of the comfortable state and get out of bed in the morning. On a typical day, there is a certain time that one must arise; otherwise they will not meet their obligations for the day. But what if we don’t have anywhere to go and nothing to do? This lack of pressure would be viewed as a good thing, no?

So, we end up staying in bed a lot longer in the morning. Maybe we just lie there or we turn on the television to watch some of our favorite prerecorded programs. Let’s extend the example out for the entire day. There is no responsibility whatsoever; we can do whatever we want. The body is telling us to remain in bed, so let’s go with that. The body in this case is simply the messenger for the senses, which constantly pull us in every which direction. Let’s say that we spend the entire day in bed watching television. Will this be beneficial or harmful to us in the long run? Will our state of mind be better at the end of the day or worse?

This pattern of behavior is almost never beneficial to the psyche. Why? Even minus the pressures and obligations, the individual soul, the instigator for activity, has a desire to perform work. The soul has an active propensity, which must manifest in one way or another. The consciousness indicates the primary desires of the soul, and since consciousness is even active while we sleep, we see that the soul and its active propensity always have an influence.

What’s interesting is that on days where we have to work or study for long hours, we probably feel much better at night. The ego is buoyed by a sense of accomplishment, thus the resting period at night is considered well-deserved. A day of silence and inactivity, on the other hand, doesn’t really lead to anything. At best, the body and mind get some rest, but the soul is left wandering for an active engagement, something to fill its time and meet its desire for service.

Precisely because of these concerns, good parents try to keep their children as active as possible. Children have much more energy than adults, so if that enthusiasm can be guided in the proper direction, the levels of productivity can be very high. Adults would have great difficulty attending classes during the same hours that children do, but since they are young, kids can handle the rigors of school placed upon them. Even when they leave school to go home, children are given homework to complete and extracurricular activities to take part in. A lazy child sitting in front of the television all day will not mature very well. Moreover, they will be more prone to despondency, lack of motivation, and depression.

These same principles carry over to the realm of spirituality, where the spirit soul seeks a higher engagement, one that transcends the temporary enjoyments and pursuits already encountered in material life. Interestingly enough, the superiority of an active lifestyle over a sedentary one can be scientifically explained. The Vedas, the ancient scriptures of India, reveal that material life is governed by three modes: goodness, passion and ignorance. Every body type assumed by a soul is made up of a specific combination of these modes, and hence the resulting activities also fall into these three categories. Laziness and inactivity belong to the mode of ignorance, which is also known as the mode of darkness. Not surprisingly, this is considered the lowest of the three modes and thus one that should be avoided. Ignorance is never beneficial towards advancement, so in spiritual life it leads to degradation of the consciousness.

“O son of Bharata, the mode of ignorance causes the delusion of all living entities. The result of this mode is madness, indolence and sleep, which bind the conditioned soul.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 14.8)

Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead and origin of Vedic wisdom, kindly reveals in the Bhagavad-gita that a person’s future destination is determined by their consciousness at the time of death. We see that young children are not uniform in their behavioral characteristics. Some are naturally drawn towards music, while others are quick to pick up talking and socializing. These inherent qualities are determined by past karma, or fruitive activity. With every action performed on the material plane comes a commensurate reaction. Karma can be stopped when the activities adopted are of the purely spiritual variety, wherein the soul tries to understand its constitutional position and what type of behavior that encompasses. With respect to karma, the mode of ignorance is the most detrimental. The development of consciousness ceases when one is constantly sleeping and drawn towards inactivity. Moreover, at the time of death, the gift awaiting the departing soul is demotion to a lower species, one more conducive to the types of activities the lazy person wants.

Fervent activity seeking a fruitive gain belongs to the mode of passion. Therefore passion is considered better than ignorance, for at least there will not be demotion to a lower species. Moreover, the individual remains fully engaged and thus avoids permanent depression. The harm with activity in passion, however, is that it results in a neutral state. One of the reasons why people take to spirituality is that they grow tired of the same things repeatedly occurring in life. After securing a nice job and family, the bewildered spirit soul may ask, “Is this all there is to life? Is there not anything else?” With young children, deciphering the repeating patterns in behavior and enjoyment is difficult. A child’s life is constantly changing; nothing remains steady. Each new year is always different from the previous. But in adulthood, not only can the days repeat, but so can the years. A mature adult can live the exact same year over and over again. This is what results with life in the mode of passion. Even at the time of death, the body awarded for the next life is of the same type; thus causing the cycle to repeat again.

“That knowledge by which one undivided spiritual nature is seen in all existences, undivided in the divided, is knowledge in the mode of goodness.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 18.20)

When there is interest in getting out of the cycle of passion, enjoyment, pain and further pleasure seeking, the mode of goodness is accepted. The mode of goodness represents the most basic level of spirituality, wherein one understands that they are not their body. The soul exists eternally, and it has an active propensity. When the spark of energy finds activities aimed at understanding the equality shared amongst all life forms, the resulting behavior falls into the mode of goodness. There is still action in goodness, but everything follows the guidelines of scripture. For instance, instead of giving in charity for a specific purpose or to gain acclaim in society, money is donated to worthy persons and without any expectation of reciprocation. Instead of ignoring the existence of God and just going about your life, regular sacrifices are performed which help increase one’s God consciousness. By following the mode of goodness, the spirit soul can ascend to a heavenly planet in the afterlife, where the level of material enjoyment is much higher.

To fully transcend karma, one has to rise above even the mode of goodness. To accomplish this there are many recommended activities, all of which fall into the spiritual category. As consciousness is the main factor in determining an individual’s future, if it can remain tied to something non-material, something fully spiritual, the future reward will bear the same properties. Since material life is fully binding and fuels the engine of reincarnation, there may be the temptation to simply renounce activity. In this respect, one can chant the sacred syllable om, which is an impersonal representation of the Absolute Truth, go off to a distant mountain and not talk to anyone. Just meditate all day, live on next to nothing, and have hardly any interaction with the outside world. If one can think of Brahman, or the Supreme Absolute Truth, at the time of death, they can merge into a light of transcendence, wherein individuality is lost, but so is the chance at rebirth.

The Vaishnavas, devotees of Lord Vishnu, who is the personal form of the Supreme Lord, do not recommend this path of maunam, or complete silence. For starters, taking to mystic yoga, meditation, or secluded chanting of om is especially difficult in this age. In the Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krishna details some of the requirements necessary for successfully practicing mystic yoga. The yogi has to find a secluded place, sit in a proper posture for a long time, and remain completely celibate. Nowhere does Krishna say that one should follow this yoga system for an hour a day and then do whatever they want the rest of the time. Rather, yoga is always a way of life, a way to link the individual soul with the Supersoul, or God’s expansion residing within the heart next to the individual soul.

The sankirtana path recommended by Lord Chaitanya falls into the category of bhakti-yoga, or devotional service. In this engagement, the soul remains fully active, never once settling for complete silence as a way of life. This doesn’t mean that one flies around from city to city to see the sites and catch the latest shows. Rather, the aim is to always glorify Krishna and His names. This is the main business of the soul anyway. In the absence of God consciousness, people will take to praising others they deem to be extraordinary or talented. And when there is no one to praise, the propensity gets flipped and results in hatred. One day the news media is praising someone and the next they are tar-and-feathering the same person.

With Krishna, the divine qualities are always present and so is the worthiness of worship. Therefore the living entity’s original position is that of servant of God. Since bhakti-yoga matches the natural propensity for service to the Lord, it is the highest engagement one can take up. With chanting the holy names of the Lord, the consciousness remains tied to God for a considerable period of time. Afterwards, the devotional mentality remains, as the consciousness becomes altered through the process. Therefore in bhakti one can be singing, dancing, cooking, eating, sitting silently, travelling, talking, or doing so many other things, while remaining in yoga the entire time. The same can’t be said of any other discipline of spirituality.

If we are supposed to love God, we might as well do it all the time. From the rising and setting of the sun comes the tendency to divide up the different responsibilities each day and assign a specific time for them. “Okay, this time is set aside for enjoyment, this time for work, and this time for religion.” Since Krishna is our best friend, it is ideal if we set aside the entire day for enjoying His association. As the holy name is not different from the person it addresses, simply reciting the word “Krishna” at any time can bring us the association of the beautiful darling of Vrindavana, who always holds a flute in His hands and wears a peacock feather in His hair. Through sankirtana, others get to hear the holy name as well. Thus the Vaishnava ensures that through their own dedication to self-realization other sincere souls can also find their true calling in life. Even if there is nothing to do on a certain day, one can chant for hours on end. If there are friends around, a small sankirtana party can be formed. The maha-mantra is very powerful in this regard. It can be recited over and over again, sung in many different tunes, and remembered repeatedly within the mind without any exhaustion whatsoever.

The chanting recommendation passed down by Lord Chaitanya and His followers is not meant to be a punishment. If a student acts up during class, the teacher may ask them to write a specific statement of contrition over and over again on the blackboard. The punishment is meant to act as a deterrent for future deviant behavior. The words of the sentence written out many times will hopefully sink in with the student and keep them from repeating the same behavior in the future. Though sitting in front of a deity and chanting the names of Krishna and Rama may seem like a forced punishment, a way to keep the soul away from the dangerous behavior of the mode of ignorance and the futile efforts of the mode of passion, the activity is actually the most beneficial in steering us in the right direction. The active propensity of the soul gets used for the proper purpose, and what results is full enlightenment and a desire to love so powerful that no one can stop it. For giving us this most potent method of spiritual practice we are forever indebted to Lord Chaitanya. He is Krishna Himself, so anyone who remembers Him before, during and after their chanting will gain His divine favor.

Shravanam Kirtanam

“Kirtanam actually means "describing." We can describe with music, words, pictures, etc. Shravanam goes hand in hand with kirtanam, for unless we hear, we cannot describe. We don’t need any material qualifications in order to attain the Supreme. All we have to do is hear from authoritative sources and repeat accurately what we hear.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Raja-vidya, Ch 4)

Kirtana is an age old method of worship made very popular through the Vedic tradition. The Shrimad Bhagavatam, the crown jewel of Vedic literature which expounds on the set of law codes and instructions passed down since the beginning of time from the Supreme Person Himself, has a section where bhakti-yoga, or devotional service, is described succinctly by one Prahlada Maharaja, who was a great king in his own right. At the time Prahlada was only five years of age, and when asked by his father what the most important thing he learned in school was, Prahlada responded by listing the nine principle processes of devotional service, of which shravanam and kirtanam were the first two. Though kirtana is commonly associated with chanting and singing about God, at its root the word means “describing”. Not surprisingly we see that the singing that goes on in kirtana parties is all about describing the glories of the Supreme Lord. Thankfully for the devotee and the listeners of the melodious singing, the glories of the person being described are endless. Therefore kirtana in bhakti automatically becomes an eternal occupation, one that can never fully attain its stated goal.

Isn’t this a bad thing? If our objective is to describe a particular entity and we know from the outset that we will never fully succeed in our venture, isn’t frustration thereby guaranteed? “If I’m trying to describe this person and I know I can’t do it properly, what is the point to even trying?” Unlike with any other attempt at glorification, kirtana in bhakti is beneficial at every step. The justification for taking the plunge into attempting to glorify the Supreme Person – who is described as neti neti in the Vedic literature, which means “not this, not that” – is that the process corresponds directly with the inherent properties of the soul, which is the source of identity within all individuals, including those not part of the human species.

Glorification of worldly figures, friends and family already takes place on a daily basis. It is the natural yearning of the human spirit to be free and to use that freedom to serve. To this end praising is a great way to serve the object of interest. Therefore it shouldn’t surprise us that in spiritual pursuits this serving through glorification would play an integral role. Just having respect for the Supreme Being represents one level of ascendency from the undeveloped consciousness present at the time of birth, but dedication to glorification extracts the full potential for the outpouring of loving emotion found within the worshiper. As an example of the influence the different levels of consciousness have on behavior, when we visit a temple and don’t necessarily know who or what we are looking at, our inhibitions in offering service may not be removed. We may be seeing others worshiping, kneeling down and singing, but we have no idea why any of this is going on. “Who is this person that everyone is so happily engaged in discussing about?”

Therefore uninhibited kirtanam must have a source, an initial spark and fuel to subsequently feed its continuation. This is where shravanam, or hearing comes into play. We know that the Supreme Person being glorified can be addressed as Krishna because the Vedas say so and also because of His all-attractiveness. He is described as Bhagavan because He is the most fortunate. He possesses the fortunes of beauty, wealth, strength, fame, knowledge, renunciation and wisdom to the fullest degree. Besides these distinguishable qualities, He is always adorned by His closest associates, those who never leave Him in terms of consciousness. Narada Muni, Kapila Deva, Yamaraja, Lord Shiva, Lord Brahma, Janaka Maharaja, Vyasadeva, Prahlada, Bhishma, Manu, and so many other exalted figures worship the Supreme Lord at all times. Since they are all mahajanas, or authorities on spirituality, their level of dedication only further solidifies Krishna’s status as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Bhagavan is considered the most fortunate because of the attributes He regularly exhibits and His reputation established by the words of great devotees. Yet His stature is further enhanced by the divine qualities of His dearmost friends. Shrimati Radharani is the emblem of chastity and virtue, as are the other gopis of Vrindavana. The six Gosvamis of Vrindavana and their followers represent the most intelligent collection of transcendentalists known the world over, and they all worship Krishna with their life and soul. In this way we can go on and on praising Shri Krishna, as the glories of His spiritual descendants know no end.

But where did we get all of this information from? How do we know so much about Krishna and the people who love Him? The hearing process, the fuel for the continuous drumbeat of hari-kirtana, provides a steady supply of information to the individual looking to rekindle their constitutional engagement of loving service. Irrespective of the body type, the natural penchant of the living being is to serve. When proper information is supplied through the hearing process, the glorification and service can be aimed in the proper direction, with the engine of kirtana revved up to full speed as a result.

Where do we go to hear information about Krishna? The Vedas, Puranas, Ramayana, Mahabharata and any literature that follows the same conclusion as the original Vedas are all considered Vedic literature. The tie that binds all of these wonderful works together is the subject matter of the information they present. In one sense, Vedic literature is itself kirtana, as it passes on detailed information about that person who is otherwise only known in the abstract: God. The commonality in all religions is the desire to serve the Supreme Person, but only in the Vedic tradition is detailed information provided about the glorious nature of God and why He is ever worthy of our time, effort and love. The Vedas don’t have just one Bible or Koran, but rather hundreds of works which are each complete in their own right.

The neti neti statements describing the Absolute Truth can be taken in a negative light by those who don’t understand its purpose. But to the devotees, neti neti is accepted as the most wonderful gift. Knowing that Krishna’s glories can never fully be enumerated, those anxious to serve God realize that they can spend the rest of their lifetime engaged in kirtana and never reach an end, never exhausting in effort or enthusiasm. What continually fuels their fire is hearing from the sacred texts, especially the Shrimad Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita, which safely house descriptions of God’s pastimes and His direct instructions.

“Always chanting My glories, endeavoring with great determination, bowing down before Me, these great souls perpetually worship Me with devotion.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.14)

Krishna Himself states in the Bhagavad-gita that the devotees, the great souls who fall under the protection of the divine energy through their devotion, always chant His glories and thus become dear to Him. Therefore we know from the person it addresses that kirtana is a wonderful process that should be engaged in by everyone. But what if we haven’t read Vedic literature? What if we don’t know the different songs and what they mean? Kirtana, aside from being open to practice in any age, is also universally accessible, especially thanks to the efforts of one saint, who was, not surprisingly, a direct manifestation of the same Shri Krishna. Lord Chaitanya, the preacher incarnation of Godhead appearing on earth some five hundred years ago, authorized one specific sequence of words to serve as the life of any kirtana party, irrespective of the group’s religious affiliation, level of familiarity with Vedic tenets, age or geographic location. The maha-mantra, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, can be chanted over and over again and provide perfection in results in every respect. Kirtana need not require any other mantra or sound vibration, for “Hare Krishna” can be chanted in any melody or rhythm. Indeed, the most benevolent saints are those who write songs glorifying Krishna and His different incarnations by putting words into a simple format that can be understood by the most number of people.

The original Vedas and the classic Vedic texts are composed in the Sanskrit language, which is known as the language of the gods. Needless to say, Sanskrit is one of the most difficult language to understand, for the words are very complex, with terms crunched together to ensure that the most information can be packed into each verse. In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy, where there isn’t the time available for fully understanding Sanskrit, kirtana is there to provide the same benefit, to act as a sturdy boat that can carry an unlimited number of passengers across the ocean of nescience. The songs composed by the saints of the bhakti school are aimed at making the names of Krishna accessible to everyone. Ironically enough, there is no degradation of the knowledgebase, as these songs are complete in the information they present. Goswami Tulsidas, who was especially devoted to Krishna’s form of Lord Rama, wrote a lengthy poem called the Ramacharitamanasa, which describes Rama’s activities and pastimes very wonderfully. Despite the poem’s length, it can still be sung and understood by a wide audience.

Similarly, the Bhagavad-gita, though in Sanskrit, can also be sung; thus allowing the hearing process to take over and provide further motivation to perform kirtana. In this way we see that Prahlada Maharaja did not just list the different processes of devotional service in any order or without thinking. Though surrendering unto God and worshiping Him at all times can provide the same benefits as any other processes of bhakti, hearing and chanting serve as the cornerstones because of their unique effectiveness. Just hearing about Prahlada’s pastimes and level of dedication to Vishnu, which is another name for Krishna, further endears the listener to the Supreme Person. Hearing about God and His devotees keeps the fire of devotion well lit within the belly, allowing kirtana to continue on and on with full vim and vigor.

“Prahlada Maharaja said: Hearing and chanting about the transcendental holy name, form, qualities, paraphernalia and pastimes of Lord Vishnu [shravanam kirtanam], remembering them, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering the Lord respectful worship with sixteen types of paraphernalia, offering prayers to the Lord, becoming His servant, considering the Lord one’s best friend, and surrendering everything unto Him (in other words, serving Him with the body, mind and words)—these nine processes are accepted as pure devotional service.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.5.23)

If we visit a Vaishnava temple and see that the person standing on the altar is holding a flute in His hands and has a smile on His face, we may be interested to know more about Him and why everyone is so given to glorifying Him. But when we hear that this person is known as Krishna because of His all-attractiveness, we become further interested in chanting. When we hear that Krishna, as a young child living in Vrindavana, would playfully go to the neighbors’ homes and steal from their stocks of butter, our interest further increases. When we next find out that the cowherd women who would complain to Mother Yashoda, Krishna’s foster mother, about the Lord’s stealing would then beg her not to punish Him, for even Krishna’s taking of their property was bringing them supreme joy, our attachment to performing kirtana further increases.

When we hear that Krishna, as a young child, lifted up a gigantic hill over His head to provide protection to the residents of Vrindavana from the torrential downpour vengefully instigated by Lord Indra, the king of heaven, the sweetness of our chanting “Hare Krishna” only increases. When we hear from the Bhagavad-gita that Krishna guarantees immunity from all sinful reaction for anyone who surrenders unto Him and abandons all other forms of dharma, or religiosity, our allegiance and firm faith in kirtana increase. When we learn that the same person standing on the altar holding the flute can accept a simple flower, fruit or some water as a gift, we will make sure that we offer Him something prepared with love and devotion every single day, with each offering accompanied by more and more glorification.

In this way we see that the more we hear about Krishna, the more attached we become to His lotus feet, which are the shelter for the saints and those who have abandoned the search for happiness in a material world full of dualities. Kirtana in bhakti knows no end, as the devotees who love Krishna never run out of affectionate feelings for Him. The most valuable boon offered by the most fortunate entity the world has ever known is the ability to continue kirtana. No other entity grants us the benediction of allowing our service to continue uninterrupted and without motivation. Only in bhakti-yoga, the ancient art of divine love, can the full potential for the outpouring of service found within the heart be met. Only with glorification of Krishna nourished by constant hearing does the human being make full advancement in consciousness, embarking on a progressive march which carries the soul towards the spiritual sky, the realm where the air is permeated with the sounds of Krishna’s flute and songs glorifying Him.

Taking and Giving

“Everyone is taking something from God, so why not give something? We are taking from Krishna so much light, air, food, water and so on. Unless these resources are supplied by Krishna, no one can live. Is it love to simply keep taking and taking and taking without ever offering anything in return? Love means taking and giving also.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Raja-Vidya, Ch 2)

At the heart of religious practice is the asking for benedictions from the object of worship. “Please Lord, let my team win the big game…Let me do well on this test…Ensure that my newborn child has a long and prosperous life…Let me never fall into poverty or be stricken with a terrible illness.” That these pleas are made is quite understandable and also indicative of a heightened level of consciousness. Only the fool, he who lacks even a basic understanding of the constant morphing of the nature around him and the guaranteed delivery of death, thinks that he can control everything through his own effort. Paurusham, or human effort, can only take us so far, for the higher powers are well beyond our control. Thus it is always beneficial to pray to God to help us through difficult situations. But we know from our own experiences that He has already given us so much. Therefore on the highest standard of worship there is both taking and giving. The taking part is easy, but the giving aspect is where we run into trouble.

Why are there problems with giving? The first issue relates to who should be on the receiving end of our donation of time, effort and money. Even in the non-profit sector of the economy, there have been many cases of fraud and abuse. If we donate our hard earned money to a worthwhile cause, we expect the recipient organization to utilize that money properly. Charitable organizations are expected to be legitimate, to deliver on their promises. When it comes to religion, giving to God is a little difficult because we aren’t necessarily sure who He is. There seem to be so many religions out there, with each group claiming that their worshipable figure is superior. Despite the apparent muddying of the waters, through careful analysis of how love works, we can make the right decision and thereby figure out to whom we should donate our valuable time and effort.

Real love operates through giving and taking from all parties involved. Just taking without giving is exploitation, a fact so nicely pointed out by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in his wonderful work, Raja-vidya, which is a summary review of the Bhagavad-gita, the famous Vedic scripture which presents concise and clear information on spirituality, the differences between matter and spirit, the effects that time has on the body, and most importantly, who God is and how man should worship Him. Since love involves both giving and taking, it would be safe to assume that a system of spirituality that incorporates these two activities to maintain a bond of love with the Supreme Lord would be a legitimate one.

Is there are any other way to worship God? Do any spiritual traditions espouse a belief that one should not love God? To test for validity, to see if the system in question incorporates love or not, we can review the common recommendations put forth. Based on the basic definition of a loving relationship, we can see that simply asking God for benedictions once a week in a place of worship doesn’t meet the standard of pure love. The consciousness of the worshiper in this case may be elevated and advanced beyond the animal’s, but the giving aspect is not there. We give to our children by taking care of them and sacrificing our money and time. The same goes with our spouse and elderly family members. Ironically enough, pets are given more attention than the Supreme Lord under the taking mindset. Prayers to God to grant wishes are made periodically, but pet owners bow down every single day to pick up the waste deposits left by their beloved animals.

Simple prayer seeking a personal benefit is not enough to constitute love. Another avenue of spirituality involves meditation. This is the path taken by those who are fed up with material existence, the constant ups and downs, the dualities that must be encountered on a daily basis, and the unwanted influence of the senses. Meditation is focus; reining in the mind from where it surely will wander off. But again, there is no giving in this discipline, as there is no identified recipient of the meditational efforts. Meditation practiced as yoga can involve different breathing exercises and sitting postures, but there is nothing offered for another entity’s benefit. This is the central component to the practice of giving in love; the offered item must be in the recipient’s benefit.

At this point, the astute observer may raise a few objections. “How can God be benefitted by anything we do? If He is God, shouldn’t He already have everything He needs?” As soon as we cross over this mental hurdle, we will be able to find the true pathway to spiritual freedom. In the Vedic tradition, the Supreme Absolute Truth, the person we refer to as God, is described as atmarama, or self-satisfied. He never lacks anything, but at the same time, He is full of bliss, or ananda. Therefore, by definition, He is capable of feeling pleasure and thereby being pleased. If God can be pleased, why can’t our efforts be the source of that pleasure?

To repeatedly attempt to put a smile on the face of the highest authority figure is the ideal role of the subordinate energy expansions emanating from the Absolute Truth. In His original form, God is described by the Sanskrit word Krishna, which means “all-attractive”. He is the reservoir of all energy, and the multitudes of tiny sparks represent His energy expansions; therefore there is an inherent relationship between the two distinct entities. When the sparks act in the service of the source, there is bliss and harmony for both parties. The source of energy feels the greatest pleasure when there is a loving relationship established with any and all of His sparks. Krishna’s most exalted associates are those who fully utilize their loving potential to seek the Lord’s pleasure. They not only take from Krishna, but they also constantly give Him so much through their loving glances, kind prayers, and overall dedication of time, effort and personal interaction.

Krishna transcends all sectarian and sentimentalist boundaries because of the universal nature of the engagement that seeks to please Him: bhakti-yoga, or devotional service. The religion of love is superior to any form of regulative practice because it is complete in every way; it is free of any defects and does not espouse any type of exploitation. Without establishing a loving relationship with the Supreme Being, there will always be a higher floor of spiritual practice to which one can ascend. The proof of Krishna’s divinity and His supreme status come from the results of practicing bhakti. For instance, we know that we love our paramours, friends and relatives because of the pleasure we derive from the give-and-take exchanges we have with them. Similarly, the love offered to Krishna brings the highest pleasure; therefore it can be understood to be the most advanced type of interaction, as one who is linked in consciousness to Krishna no longer has fear of punishment for transgressing the rules and regulations that go into establishing that relationship.

The beauty of devotional service is that it is not checked in any way. Our relationships with the creatures roaming the earth must end at the time of death, and they can also be dissolved prior to that through a disagreement or a failure of obligations expected from the counterpart being met. But with the Supreme Lord, the opportunities for service are endless. The most notable spiritual sparks, those who are purely Krishna conscious at all times, are so infused with love that not even Krishna can stop their donations of affection and surrender of their heartfelt emotions. Only in divine love is this powerful force witnessed, as no ordinary object could stir such passions within the individual that they continue with their service day after day, life after life.

With respect to Krishna being beyond requiring service, we can look to the interactions of the young child with their parents to see how superiors can be pleased. A young child will often paint pictures, make drawings, or create sculptures in school and then bring them home to the parents as a gift. “Mom, I made this for you. Dad, I hope you like this.” When these offerings are made with love and affection, the delight felt by the parent is unmatched. The constitution of the gifts is meaningless, as the parents already have everything they need in life. The child is incapable of making anything very wonderful, but just the sincere thought and the desire to give something to the elder is so nice and heartwarming that the parent becomes endeared to the child forever.

“If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit, or water, I will accept it.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.26)

In a similar manner, Shri Krishna, as the original father, is endowed with every attribute of opulence imaginable; thus He doesn’t require anything for His happiness. But if we, His children, out of love, offer Him a fruit, flower, a leaf, or some water, the Lord kindly accepts it. Indeed, He dashes to wherever the offering is made, enjoying the gift as if it were the sweetest nectar to be found in the world. Those whose eyes have not yet been anointed with the salve of transcendental love will never be able to understand how this works. Indeed, it takes steady practice in bhakti to become firmly convinced of Krishna’s statement in the Gita where He confirms the pleasure He derives from the sacrifices made by those who love Him.

Donations of time and money to our fellow man can bring personal satisfaction for some time, but with Krishna the giving can be endless. More than anything else, the one thing any person can sacrifice, irrespective of their position in life, is time. Time is best sacrificed when a good portion of the day is spent reciting the Lord’s names. In this regard, no sacred formula is more infused with the loving spirit, one that both takes and gives, than the maha-mantra, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”. What is the difference between chanting Hare Krishna and asking God for benedictions? In an ordinary prayer, the central component is taking. The desire to get something serves as the most common impetus for the initial jump into spiritual life. In the conditioned state, the living entity believes there is a difference between material and spiritual life. Typically, the material aspect of life takes precedent, and when there is trouble, as there is guaranteed to be, the toggle is switched to spiritual life, wherein the higher power is sought out for benedictions or the alleviation of distress.

“O best among the Bharatas [Arjuna], four kinds of pious men render devotional service unto Me—the distressed, the desirer of wealth, the inquisitive, and he who is searching for knowledge of the Absolute.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 7.16)

When Hare Krishna is chanted properly, the mood is one of love, where giving is as important as taking. Krishna’s name can be recited at any time and in any fashion, such as through singing or writing. Kirtana is typically equated with singing the glories of the Lord with others, but the word’s real meaning is “to describe”. Therefore even writing about the wonders of vishnu-bhakti, or devotional service, and the worthiness of worship of the recipient of the service, Shri Krishna, is considered kirtana. Chanting Hare Krishna itself is the very embodiment of describing the Supreme, as the name automatically carries with it the forms, pastimes, and attributes of the Lord.

The maha-mantra’s superiority over other religious formulas is found in the motive of the actor. There is no desire for alleviation of distress, the merging into an energy of nothingness, release from the cycle of birth and death, or the procurement of a grand opulence. Rather, when the mood of devotion reaches its peak, the motive of the actor is as pure and simple as the young child’s mindset is when offering service to the parents.

Bhakti-yoga is the religion of love because the fuel for action is the desire to associate with the reservoir of all pleasure, to be engaged in His service all the time, and to be allowed to continually glorify Him through kirtana. From these properties bhakti’s supremacy is fully established, and so is that of its prime beneficiary, Shri Krishna, who is actually not different from any other person’s conception of God. Whether we view the Lord as being impersonal, dull matter, nature, an old man with a beard, or a punishing force who tortures us in a lake of fire should we not accept Him, Krishna’s supreme position remains unchanged. But only through bhakti can we get a glimpse into the Lord’s true nature and thus derive the full benefit of our existence, which is to experience ananda of the spiritual variety. Rather than continue to exploit the wonderful benedictions already provided to us by the greatest order supplier, through a simple shift in consciousness, through both taking and giving, we can experience the full spectrum of enjoyment that spiritual life has to offer.

Practical Application

“The name of Krishna and Krishna are nondifferent, but we cannot realize this intellectually. We have to practice chanting Hare Krishna to realize it. When we actually advance in devotional service and chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra offenselessly, we will realize that Krishna and His name are nondifferent.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Teachings of Lord Kapila, Ch 12)

The most important tenet presented by those following the bhakti school of spirituality, or devotional service, is that the sound vibration representation of the Supreme Lord, i.e. the holy name, is non-different from the person it represents. Therefore simply repeating, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, with firm faith and enthusiasm is enough to realize the presence of God and take to His service for the rest of the time spent on earth. Such a practice will bring about a change in consciousness, with a resulting mindset being so pure that no amount of attack from the impeding forces coming from material nature, the body and the mind, or other living entities will ever break the devoted yogi from his connection to the Supreme Consciousness. While these principles are easy enough to describe and teach to others, real understanding only comes about through practical application. There is only so much that a mental exercise can do towards attaining the final goal. Time must be spent implementing these ideas for there to be results.

The simple example of acquiring a high school diploma illustrates the need for practical field work very nicely. At the most basic level, the passing of high school indicates that the student has achieved a certain level of understanding and thought, especially as it pertains to subjects like math, science, reading, writing and social affairs. But in order to complete high school, one must traverse upwards through the twelve grades eventually leading up to graduation. At the beginning of the process, we could tell the student what he or she needs to do in order to successfully complete the required courses, but the intellectual understanding wouldn’t bring about the proper mindset that is required at the end. For instance, we could tell a student that they will have such and such understanding at the end of the process, that they will be able to read properly and solve mathematics problems, but unless and until they take the courses and do the necessary work, they won’t be able to properly realize what this understanding entails.

As another example of the same concept, young children and adolescents are often told of the difficulties faced by parents. A good mother or father will constantly worry about their child. “Did they eat enough today? Are they doing their homework? What if they constantly defy my wishes and never do anything I ask of them? What will happen if they don’t pass their courses in school and don’t end up getting a good job later on in life? What if they never get married and have to live the rest of the life alone?” These worries are present to some degree or another in every parent, and simply understanding these fears prior to entering marriage and having children provides a good foundation for expectation.

Nevertheless, it is not until the first child is born that the person previously instructed on all the ins and outs of parenthood really gets a feel for what others go through. That first drive home from the hospital with your son or daughter sitting in the backseat immediately brings a desire to protect, wherein the interests of the newborn, helpless individual are taken to be of utmost importance. Every second is spent in the child’s company in the early years, with the primary intention of having them grow up to be independent. In this sense, the attached parent is only asking for future separation pain, for the child will grow up to be independent and not reliant on the parents for anything. Because of the desired result, the job of a parent, especially a mother, becomes the most thankless task, one that proves beneficial for the person being served, while ultimately leaving the loving parent all alone.

In the realm of spirituality, the answers to all of life’s puzzling questions, realizations that remove all doubts, can be found in bhakti, which is love or devotion to the Supreme Lord. While other processes of spirituality such as meditational yoga, intense study of the scriptures, and sacrificing the rewards of work to higher causes signal elevation in consciousness from the animalistic mindset inherited at the time of birth, it is not until the loving propensity of the soul is allowed to burst out and act without impediment that a permanent shift to a blissful consciousness can be achieved. Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the ideal candidate for receiving the endless love just ready to be supplied by the love-starved conditioned soul, who has been thrown around in the clothes dryer known as material existence for far too long.

While Krishna may be considered a sectarian figure, the god of the Hindus, His appeal is universal. The Supreme Lord, to be the most powerful and pervading entity, must be the worshipable figure for every single person. Just because one person is born in India and another in America doesn’t mean that they should have different objects of worship. After all, what is the difference in their makeup? If we were to switch the two people at birth, they could very easily grow up to become accustomed to their surroundings. Therefore a simple geographical shift can bring about all the requirements conjured up by those who take family lineage and place of birth to be the determinant factors for caste, stature and corresponding religion. Krishna is a Sanskrit word that means “all-attractive”; therefore His is the perfect name to use when addressing God.

The celebrated scriptures of the Vedic tradition, such as the Shrimad Bhagavatam and Mahabharata, describe Krishna as blackish in complexion, having the bodily hue similar to that of a dark raincloud. He wears a peacock feather in His hair and holds a flute in His hand. Instead of being invisible or an old-man, Krishna never ages in appearance. He always looks like he’s around sixteen years of age. In this way His attractiveness never diminishes. Since He is Bhagavan, He has full control over the attributes of beauty, wealth, strength, fame, renunciation and wisdom. He holds these qualities simultaneously and to the fullest extent. Proof of His abilities has been well-documented in the Vedic texts, which describe His innumerable pastimes enacted on this and many other planets. Since Krishna exists eternally, His activities know no end. Though He appeared on this earth five thousand years ago and took part in playful sports in the land of Vrindavana, Krishna’s pastimes never stop. Just as the sun is always rising in some part of the world, Krishna-lila is always taking place in some planet in the many universes in existence.

Bhakti-yoga allows the consciousness of the individual, who is always seeking a pleasurable object to focus on, to tap into the train of Krishna’s divine sports, a transcendental car that never stops; it just keeps on rolling along. This train can accept passengers at any time, and those who wish to remain onboard never have to depart. Every need and want is met, as the only desire is to associate with Krishna or one of His non-different forms known as avataras for all of eternity in a variety of transcendental mellows, or rasas. We like to travel and take up hobbies because the lifestyle we have at home sometimes becomes monotonous and boring. Yet if we were able to have all of our desires for variety and enjoyment met in one place, why would we ever want to travel far away? The bhakti mindset achieves this very condition, essentially turning the mind into the greatest amusement park, one filled with rides and attractions all related to Krishna and His exploits.

This all sounds wonderful, but how do we actually go about acquiring the proper consciousness? It is in this area that bhakti’s true supremacy is revealed. Unlike other rewards in the realm of spirituality which come about through strict regulation and difficult practice followed for an extended period of time, Krishna consciousness can come about in one second. As long as one constantly chants the names of the Lord found in the maha-mantra and refrains from sinful activities like meat eating, gambling, intoxication and illicit sex, there is every chance of a purified consciousness coming about in a very short amount of time. Even if one is averse to chanting the name of Krishna because it is viewed as sectarian, if there is another authorized name available to repeat which represents the same Supreme Lord then there is no harm.

The key is the holy name after all, as it represents the person that it addresses. The same can’t be said of any other entity or object. We may chant the word “television” over and over again, but that won’t put our favorite program on right in front of us. With Krishna, thoughts of His pastimes and the sounds of songs glorifying Him are not different from Him. The very name of Krishna is the Lord Himself. These concepts are certainly difficult to understand, especially for the conditioned soul who has been trapped in a cycle of birth and death fueled by the desire for material enjoyment since time immemorial. But through steady practice in bhakti, the realization of the potency of Krishna’s name can be had.

The solution of “chant Hare Krishna” applies to every situation. If there is poverty, the remedy is a purification of consciousness. Statistics show that in free countries poverty is almost always caused by poor life decisions, such as dropping out of high school and having children out of wedlock. Chanting the name of Krishna in the discipline of bhakti-yoga solves these problems because illicit sex is automatically eliminated, and the thirst for higher knowledge never ceases. The sincere soul will always want to increase their knowledge acquiring capabilities so that they can read and hear about Krishna even more. Indeed, the legendary acharyas loved Krishna so much that they dedicated their whole lives to describing His glories in book, poetry and song form. The length and breadth of the literature compiled by the vishnu-bhaktas, or devotees of Vishnu[Krishna], are unmatched in human history. Normally when a book is published or a newspaper article written, the relevance of the content is lost as time goes on. If the writer only focuses on current events or some specific political or social issue, once a new issue takes on a higher importance or when the matter in question gets resolved, the previously written words lose their importance.

With books about Vishnu there is never any chance of diminution in importance. The relevance of the compiled works remains for as long as God continues to be worshiped. A great example of this is seen with Shri Hanuman, the faithful servant of Lord Rama. Rama is non-different from Krishna; therefore His name is included in the famous maha-mantra, the sacred formula that purifies consciousness. Rama is also a historical personality who appeared on earth many thousands of years before Krishna’s advent in Mathura. Hanuman, as a faithful and dear servant, exhibited strong devotion and bravery in acting for Rama’s benefit. Therefore Rama granted Hanuman the boon of remaining on earth for as long as the Lord’s glories and pastimes, which are nicely related in the Ramayana poem, continued to be told on earth. Since the Ramayana is still glorified today, we can understand that Hanuman is still alive and deriving the topmost transcendental pleasure from hearing about his beloved Rama.

A fact which might get overlooked in all of this is that Hanuman’s relevance hasn’t decreased at all. Since he performed such wonderful service for Rama, he was obviously praised and adored during the Lord’s time on earth many thousands of years ago. But since he is always tied in consciousness to Rama and His inexhaustible activities, Hanuman remains relevant for as long as the object of his affection is glorified. Therefore simply through bhakti, which is Hanuman’s only engagement, the devotee’s thoughts, words and deeds remain ever worthy of hearing about. The works which describe Krishna’s glories and attributes are just as everlasting in their importance as is Krishna Himself. Therefore those who author these praises remain objects of worship for all of time.

“In this endeavor there is no loss or diminution, and a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.40)

Presented with the wonderful theoretical and historical evidence about bhakti, there really is no reason not to at least try the practices so fervently recommended by those who purified their minds by wrapping their thoughts and desires around the interests of the Supreme Lord. The name of Krishna is the key element; it can save us from any and all calamity. Only one who is extremely wise and lacking in false ego will have the fortitude and courage necessary to find eternal life in bhakti. The proof of the tangible results offered by devotion to Krishna is well-represented, but not until we actually take the steps ourselves to see what the fuss is about will we gain any benefit. With bhakti-yoga there is no loss, as Bhagavan becomes powerless when facing His dearmost devotees. Divine love is such a potent force that Krishna Himself cannot convince the devotees to stop their desire to serve Him. Therefore there is no chance for any sincere bhakta to fail in their endeavor. Just as Krishna cannot stop anyone from loving Him, He can’t allow anyone who is dedicated in their desire to perform bhakti to ever go permanently back to the miserable way of life that is the material existence.