“When one’s intelligence, mind, faith and refuge are all fixed in the Supreme, then one becomes fully cleansed of misgivings through complete knowledge and thus proceeds straight on the path of liberation.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 5.17)
Religious life is hard. Following principles requires discipline, which immediately attacks at the tendency towards accepting the path of least resistance. The pitcher on a professional baseball team must always be mindful of his mechanics, for otherwise he will develop bad habits in his pitching motion, which in turn will lead to poor performance. As in every type of endeavor the natural tendency is towards a lack of discipline, in order to meet a desired end, one needs to accept regulations and follow them. In the realm of spirituality, the highest state of enlightenment is not one where activity ceases. Rather, processes like meditation, which are built upon renunciation, are meant to establish a proper consciousness, which then automatically creates the conditions necessary for finding happiness in life.
And isn’t that what it’s all about, finding happiness? To reach this end, one must follow guiding principles. Say, for example, that our goal is to find an absence of activity. I have worked so hard at the office that when I get home I don’t want to do anything. My goal is to ease my mind by sitting in relaxation, perhaps watching some television, i.e. doing any activity that doesn’t put stress on the brain. Attaining this objective requires some discipline. Seems strange in a sense because the identified goal is to loosen restriction, to feel pleasure from the lack of pressure. Nevertheless, to realize the stated objective one must instill some regulation, which automatically introduces pressure.
Take falling asleep each night. Sleep is the essence of laziness; it is the lack of activity. Of course the vibrant spirit soul never ceases to be; so during times of rest the brain continues to operate. Sleep is supposed to be effortless though; no pressure at all. Ah, but when there is a stated objective to be reached, there must be discipline. If I have to wake up early the next morning to get ready for work, I must lay down in bed at a specific time the night before. In addition, real sleep requires falling into a state of slumber, preferably where there is rapid eye movement, which is the deeper sleep that provides the necessary rest. Simply sitting in bed wide awake will not do the same magic that falling asleep will.
So you’re lying in bed, just waiting to fall asleep. You have to reach the state of slumber at a certain time in order to get enough hours of proper rest. Proper rest allows you to be fully functional the next day. The longer you lay there in bed awake, the less time you will have for deep sleep, as the time for arising the next day is not up for negotiation. It is a fixed moment that must be respected, regardless of whether or not you actually fell asleep the night before. Being cognizant of this, you feel the pressure to fall asleep. You have to follow regulation; you must be disciplined in order to rest properly.
This also helps to explain why the casual nap is so much appreciated. In a nap, there is usually no set time for waking up or falling asleep. Should you lay down for a few minutes, that’s just fine. If you’re feeling really tired, you can rest for a few hours. No worries at all; no pressure. The same doesn’t hold true with the longer slumber that occurs each night as part of a routine.
The Vedas present several varieties of spiritual practice to be implemented by the living entity according to their maturation. For instance, if I don’t know anything about God and why I should worship Him, perhaps my initial regulation is to attend a house of worship on a regular basis. Become familiar with the process, see what practices others follow, and then hopefully spark an interest. If right from the very beginning someone were to tell you about Brahman, reincarnation, the properties of the spirit soul, the inclination towards service within every life form, and how material nature creates illusion for those who want it, the information could be too much to handle.
On the more advanced levels of spiritual practice, one follows meditation, which has a requirement of renunciation that is strengthened through knowledge. If I tell you to sit quietly on the floor for hours at a time and focus on a specific sound vibration, you may not be so willing to accept the instruction. “Why do I have to do this? I want to have fun? What is sitting like this and forcing myself to be quiet going to do for me in the long run? My time will be better served enjoying.”
Knowledge, or jnana, helps in accepting the need for renounced meditation. With jnana, one learns that the temporary enjoyments in a life filled with fruitive pursuits do not represent the pinnacle of existence. If I take part in an activity that I know will provide misery in the end with a little excitement sprinkled into the beginning, why should I waste my time? Every activity that is not related to the essence of identity, to meeting the needs of the spirit soul, will reach a similar destination.
If there is skepticism on this point, look at every successful person, spanning all the different modes of activity. The sports star who was ranked number one for so many consecutive weeks eventually falls off the radar, with every future introduction beginning with, “former world number one” or “this many time past champion”. The business mogul also must relinquish their title as wealthiest person in the world, as the stock market regularly fluctuates and no large venture is guaranteed interminable profits. Should one be fortunate enough to make it to the end of life without encountering too many failures, they still have to renounce everything upon quitting the body.
Through study of Vedanta, one learns that they are spirit and not matter. The individual has no business with something temporary, just as the adult knows they have no use for the toy blocks they used when they were a child. To feed the needs of the self, one can sit in quiet meditation and recite and hear the sacred syllable om, which represents the Supreme Absolute Truth. With jnana, the dedication to renunciation is solidified, making the meditation easier to follow.
“After being situated in this yoga practice and vibrating the sacred syllable om, the supreme combination of letters, if one thinks of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and quits his body, he will certainly reach the spiritual planets.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 8.13)
Is meditation the end? Should everyone renounce activity and not do anything? The meditation has a purpose. Though the Brahman realized soul at the end of life no longer has to accept rebirth, they don’t retain a spiritual identity. As spirit craves activity, eventually the same liberated soul will want to take action. Meditation in renunciation is actually not the end, but rather a means.
A means leads to an end, so what is meditation supposed to bring about? Just as jnana and vairagya, or renunciation, go well together, Brahman realization and dedication to bhakti-yoga, or devotional service, go hand in hand. If you realize Brahman through study of Vedanta and meditation coupled with renunciation, understanding the validity of devotion to the Personality of Godhead, Bhagavan, will be less difficult.
“Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 7.3)
In the Bhagavad-gita it is said that it is rare for someone to endeavor for self-realization and even more rare for the people in that small set to actually attain full success. The reason for the difficulty is rather obvious. The tendency towards lethargy, contentedness, complacency, and overall lack of effort is stronger than the tendency towards accepting discipline. The meditational yogi and the jnani show discipline in their dedication to concentrating on Brahman and Paramatma, the Supersoul residing within the heart. Through study of Vedanta one can learn Brahman, and through breathing exercises and sitting postures, one can realize the Supersoul, but only in devotion can one get the eyes to see Bhagavan, the complete representation of God.
Why the need for connecting with Bhagavan? Take every desire you have and aggregate them. Take every beneficial condition you’ve wanted to reach and know that they are rooted in the desire to connect with Bhagavan. Hard to notice that when you’re covered by illusion, but through following the authority of a spiritual master dedicated to Bhagavan, you can not only understand who Bhagavan is, but you can serve Him as well.
That service goes against what we’ve previously been taught. From the time of birth the general instruction is to seek out personal sense satisfaction or give service to our fellow man, but both are rooted in illusion. The personal senses belong only to the temporary body and the service offered to man is based on a distinction in external features. A poor man is materially impoverished while a wealthy man is well off, but this doesn’t mean that only the poor man should be served. Both groups are spirit souls, so service to bodily forms is based on a mistake.
The real aim of life, the purpose to having an existence, is to taste the sweet fruit of loving devotion to God. Love must manifest through activity; otherwise it only exists in a potential or unreal state. The activity doesn’t have to be carried out right away, but the sincerity of purpose must be there. If a helpless individual imagines themselves offering up service to the deity manifestation, the offering is as good as made. On the other hand, someone who says they love God but never thinks of Him, never worships Him, and never desires to please Him, is considered a pretender only.
King Janaka was an expert mystic who qualified himself for service to God. He did not desire the cessation of action. On the contrary, he continued with his occupational duties, carrying them out with detachment. He knew that he was Brahman, so there was no need for attraction or aversion. Through his practice in yoga, he became eligible to have the vision of the Supreme Lord in His form as Shri Ramachandra, the jewel of the Raghu dynasty. Janaka’s eyes feasted on the sight of Rama as the Lord entered the kingdom of Videha to take part in the bow-lifting contest to determine the husband for Janaka’s daughter Sita. Janaka made the best offering to God by giving away his precious daughter to Him. When Sita reached an age appropriate for marriage, the king felt like he was losing all of his wealth, but he still made the sacrifice. Through it he got to think of Rama constantly and continue his devotion in that way.
For the distressed, the end to the burden of action seems appealing, but there is no fun in losing your spiritual identity. What we’re really searching for is the purification of action, an enlivening occupation that keeps us connected with the reservoir of pleasure. As the conditions today are not conducive for practicing meditational yoga in the fully renounced spirit, the recommendation is to start with bhakti right away, even if one is in a contaminated state. The holy name is the pure representation of the personal form of Bhagavan, so whoever keeps company with it eventually sees the need for bhakti and basks in its open-ended nature. Regularly chant, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, and accept that dedicated engagement of bhakti-yoga, which was once thought to be unacceptable due to its perceived difficulty.
In Closing:
At start path of devotion difficult to accept,
From ignorance, divine path we right away reject.
Meditation is a way to give us a good chance,
To reach a better end, enjoyment to enhance.
Regulation must be followed in any pursuit,
To reach desired end must take discipline’s route.
Know that knowledge and renunciation should lead,
To God’s feet, spiritual senses to feed.
Previously unacceptable thus to become,
The only path, towards Shri Krishna run.
“Those miscreants who are grossly foolish, lowest among mankind, whose knowledge is stolen by illusion, and who partake of the atheistic nature of demons, do not surrender unto Me.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.15)
Why would this feature stand out? How many people do you know that treat a stranger just as well as they treat a friend? How many people view the cat, the dog, the elephant, the learned sage and the dog-eater as being equal on a spiritual level? The visible variety in outward forms makes acquiring the equal vision of a saint very difficult. For starters, why would we treat something as wild as a tiger the same as a human baby? They have very different inclinations. A tiger will jump at the chance to kill you, while the infant human is the essence of innocence.
The saints also know the true meaning of advaita. The Sanskrit term means “non-dual”, so one who understands it knows that God pervades all of space. We say that God is not personally present in a particular area because of our limitations. The sun sets at night, but it does not disappear. The position of the earth has changed, and because our sense perceptions are limited, we are no longer able to see the sun. This lasts for only a brief period, until the next morning.
The atheist doctrine is to gratify the senses as much as possible before death comes, for the afterlife is considered just a mythical concept concocted by spiritualists who couldn’t deal with death. But the flaw with this logic is that the life of hedonism proves to be miserable. If more drinking and 
“The original source of knowledge is the Vedas. There are no branches of knowledge, either mundane or transcendental, which do not belong to the original text of the Vedas. They have simply been developed into different branches, They were originally rendered by great, respectable and learned professors.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 1.4.23 Purport)
With respect to the Vedas, the authority is firmly established after following the foremost recommendations. The fear we may have of falling victim to a bogus system of religion is ameliorated by the stock of great leaders and pious men who have followed the original scriptures of India, whose most concise and complete treatise is known as the Bhagavad-gita. This sacred text starts off with an issue that every man must address at some point: death. Immediately, the speaker of the Gita, Shri Krishna, states that the soul is the essence of identity and that the body is temporary. The soul does not cease to exist after death nor did it come into existence at the time of birth. The soul is always there, regardless of whether we can see it or not.
Based on the modes adopted, a living being develops a certain kind of faith. In the lower species, the faith relates strictly to sense pleasures. The animals don’t know anything beyond eating, sleeping, mating and defending because their bodies are made up almost entirely of the mode of ignorance. In the human form of body, there is variety in engagement. Though the original Veda, which was passed on by the same Shri Krishna at the beginning of time, was meant primarily for those in pure goodness, this doesn’t mean that other living beings are left out.
Isn’t saying that we come from Krishna a dogmatic principle? The fact that there is an entity superior to us has no bearing on sects or traditions. We already know that death is superior to us because it forces us to exit a body when we don’t want to. The irrepressible forces of nature also influence our behavior. If we were superior to nature we wouldn’t have to wait for the sun to come up in the morning or be forced to go to sleep at night. At the same time, we know that we are dominant over dull matter, as we can tell our body where to move and how to act.
The same loss has occurred with the original set of information passed on by Krishna. Bhagavata-dharma is complete information because it helps the soul cope with a land where material nature has a dominating influence. With information on how to stop the influence of the senses, one can find the bliss that they are searching after. That being said, if one is given towards associating with one of the three modes of nature, they can grab ancillary information from the Vedas and use that to form their own system of maintenance. Hence you get different branches of knowledge.
Whoever connects directly with Krishna and accepts all of His instructions will learn that the soul’s only business is to connect with God and that through that established yoga one can acquire the knowledge necessary for dealing with life’s other issues. Arjuna, the recipient of the Gita on that famous day on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, used the sublime wisdom imparted to him to fight on without attachment in a difficult war. But more importantly he retained that information so that he could stay connected with Krishna. He who has the reservoir of pleasure at the forefront of their consciousness automatically stays in contact with the original source of supreme wisdom and thus has no reason to fear not knowing which path to take in life.
“The spiritually powerful message of Godhead can be properly discussed only in a society of devotees, and it is greatly pleasing to hear in that association. If one hears from devotees, the way of transcendental experience quickly opens to him, and gradually he attains a taste in knowledge that in due course develops into attraction and devotion.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 3.25.25)
The sincere spiritualist of the Vedic tradition practicing the highest system of 
The materialist has never tried bhakti, so how can they know what it is about? They have never spent time 
The mental plane studies external life and tries to make distinctions between this activity and that. When followed under the direction of the Vedas, the individual along this path can practically abstract every type of energy and perceive the oneness shared between all life forms. This singular energy is known as Brahman, or pure spirit. At the same time, knowledge about Brahman represents the limit to understanding through mental effort alone. That there can be variety in spiritual life remains a hidden fact, one which would actually bring the mentalist the happiness they crave.
Only in bhakti is God in His personal form the beneficiary. Only the transcendentalist following the principles of bhakti-yoga can taste the highest pleasure. The knowledge of every other type of system of maintenance is but an insignificant byproduct of the practice of devotion. On the outside the devotee may seem like a sentimentalist, but then why should there not be sentiment when looking at the beautiful, smiling face of 
“As there are symptoms for each and every man, in terms of his particular situation, similarly one who is Krishna conscious has his particular nature—talking, walking, thinking, feeling, etc. As a rich man has his symptoms by which he is known as a rich man, as a diseased man has his symptoms, by which he is known as diseased, or as a learned man has his symptoms, so a man in transcendental consciousness of Krishna has specific symptoms in various dealings.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, 2.54 Purport)
If we claim to have a particular illness but don’t have any symptoms, what effect does the illness have? I go up to my friend and say, “I have a cold.” He responds with: “Really, how bad is it? Are you coughing? Are you sneezing? Do you feel weak in the body?” I come back with: “No. I feel fine. Actually, I don’t have any symptoms of a cold at all.” The friend will certainly look at me funny. If I don’t have any of the symptoms of a cold, what good is claiming that I have one? The designation means something; it must have an effect for the claim to be valid.
For the sober person, however, the scientific basis for spirituality and its components is a refreshing departure from the “finger in your face” persuasion methods employed by some overzealous preachers. For a valid religion there must be a combination of both philosophy and sentiment, which the Vedas nicely provide. Those who are interested in this method of instruction can take the most valuable lessons from the Bhagavad-gita, a short treatise on spirituality that packs a powerful punch. Select pearls of wisdom from the Gita cannot be found anywhere else. And these truths are so profound that they will spawn endless thought and discussion, thus allowing for enlightenment to mature gradually, with knowledge increasing further with each passing day.
Bhakti-yoga is considered the topmost discipline because it connects with the Supreme Soul in His original form. That person the world refers to as God actually has spiritual attributes, features which are complete and inexhaustible. The more the features are defined, the more the abstract vision clears up, the greater the benefit received by the yogi. In other kinds of yoga, God in His personal form of Bhagavan cannot be understood. Perhaps in meditation there is the realization of this form of God residing within the heart, but the pleasurable interaction of emotion is absent.
Service to Krishna follows authorized methods, recommendations from those who follow bhakti-yoga themselves. It is not that one can just make up a type of behavior and then say they are serving Krishna. Service to man is not service to God because man has no idea how to serve anyone else if they don’t know how to serve God. On the other hand, service to Krishna automatically does the best service to man. How does this work exactly? For starters, bhakti-yoga sets the best example for others to follow. Pure sentiment can be matched by another person’s sentiment, which introduces competing beneficiaries. Denial of God’s existence is an even worse example because it is based on utter foolishness. The dedication that is shown in bhakti-yoga allows others to see that religion can be fun, that it can occupy one’s time, and that it can be done without motivation and without interruption. In no other sphere of activity is this seemingly paradoxical combination present.
The symptoms of the bhakti-yogi can also help us weed out the pretenders, the spiritualists in name only who put on the dress of a mendicant but then lead their followers astray. We can also better spot out those who cheat people by claiming that they are God or that they have become God through their meditation. By following bhakti-yoga – whose guiding principle is that one constantly chant the holy names, think about God, offer service to Him through worshiping in a formal way at regular times, and refrain from the activities that are most inhibiting to yoga practice: meat eating, 
"The Lord advised that Arjuna not be inactive, but that he perform his prescribed duty without being attached to the result. One who is attached to the result of his work is also the cause of the action. Thus he is the enjoyer or sufferer of the result of such actions." (Shrila 
The risk in following our own instincts is that we may not be as familiar with the nature of the task and the final end being supported as the proprietors are. The proprietors keep a big picture vision, while the workers are there to earn a paycheck. The worker enjoys time off and vacations, while the owner dreads these days, for they halt productivity. Think of it like the difference between the students and the teacher in a particular classroom. If there is a massive blizzard hitting the area that closes school, the students love it, but for the teacher there is not that much happiness. The class exists for a reason, to provide instruction to students, valuable information that they can hopefully use in the future. If class is cancelled, what benefit is there to be gained? The students, however, don’t know any better. Their position is completely different from the person providing the instruction, the teacher. Therefore, should the students act on their own whims, becoming attached to the outcomes, either favorable or unfavorable, they won’t be guided by the proper vision. Even a blind man can find the right way to go by chance, so not every divergence from instruction will lead to failure, but even the successes in these instances won’t correspond fully with the desires of the leader.
While the young child eventually matures into an adult and thus increases their intelligence, there is one person who never has to mature. He has always possessed complete knowledge and bliss. This means that He has never lost His intelligence, nor has He found periods of sadness that He needed to get out of. Moreover, He never takes birth or dies. He remains in His spiritual body for all of eternity.
When dharma is followed, there is no need for attachment to the result. For instance, if dharma calls for us to be honest in our dealings, to follow religious rituals and regulations on a regular basis, and to protect our loved ones, whether we receive successful outcomes or not is out of our control. Dharma comes from God, so He assumes the responsibility for the results coming from its practice. Moreover, when we act without attachment, we are not even the cause of the actions and their results. The person instituting the rules bears the burden of responsibility; and since He is the Supreme Person, He is more than happy to accept it.
The benefits of following dharma and remaining unattached to outcomes are nicely described in the Bhagavad-gita, the Song of God sung by 
On the other hand, if Arjuna followed his prescribed duties, which were originally put into place by Krishna Himself, the Lord would assume responsibility for the outcome. Arjuna had no reason to be attached to the results of his actions, for he would just be acting in the interests of the self. The self is the soul, or atma, which is the identifying agent within every life form. The real self-interest is to follow dharma, for the law codes handed down by God are meant for benefitting the soul only. The body is temporary, as are the senses. One who gives in to the temptations to violate dharma does so at the behest of the senses, which will eventually be discarded. Therefore the enjoyment that results will similarly be limited; it cannot transcend the bounds of birth and death.
“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)
How do we know that man is given to worshiping God, especially in His form of Krishna? How do we know that Krishna is God and not just some mythological hero of the 
What do the Vedas recommend? How are the Vedas any different from the other religious traditions followed around the world? In summary, the Vedas teach that the spirit soul is the essence of identity with any life form, and that this soul is naturally attracted to divine love, or devotional service. The tendency towards love is a byproduct of the soul’s blissful constitution. Just as a magnet automatically attracts those objects with the proper constitution, the giant spiritual force, who is most commonly referred to as God, attracts the sentiments of the pure souls, those who are not tainted by material contact or diverted by desires for personal sense gratification.
Since Krishna is the most attractive, He is the ideal object of worship. The Vedas also reveal that the tiny spirit souls are similar in quality to Krishna but that their quantitative powers are far inferior. In this way we can be considered similar to God but not totally equal to Him. There is a master-servant relationship, one which operates best when entered into voluntarily. There needn’t be any cajoling in the matter, for how could anyone who surrenders to someone so merciful and attractive ever end up the loser? We enjoy tasty foods because of the pleasure it gives us and our favorite music because of how it makes us feel. In the same way, we can worship God and sacrifice our efforts for His benefit simply because it will lead to our gain in the future.
No matter how far one falls from their constitutional position, however, the intrinsic properties of the soul cannot be hidden completely. Therefore the penchant to worship will be there in any realm, even if one is completely forgetful of God and His existence. Without worshiping Krishna, however, man will dedicate his service mentality to imitation gods, people and things that don’t possess the full feature set of attributes found in Krishna.
What does this worship bring? It can’t guide daily behavior, nor can it give a purpose to life. The mind, if anything, just tricks itself, sort of like how when we watch movies and television we imagine that what we are seeing is real. Once the show ends, however, the illusion dissipates. Similarly, once the association of the famed fictitious character is relinquished, the person is left to again search for their cherished object of worship. Moreover, these unreal characters cannot deliver their dependents from the cycle of birth and death.
How do we learn more about Krishna, especially if we have no knowledge of Him? The Vaishnava saint, the devotee of Krishna who abandoned the practice of assigning the “god” status to embodied beings, can teach others about vishnu-bhakti, or devotional service. The saints can be likened to television reporters broadcasting messages from a distant land. The difference is that the Vaishnava saints never fail in their recommendations nor will they ever lead anyone astray. For this reason they are equally as worshipable as Krishna. If they are fully immersed in bhakti, in constant Krishna consciousness, how can there be any difference between them and Krishna? Just remembering the gopis and their love for Krishna immediately brings the Lord’s association. In many respects the devotees are loved and adored more than Krishna because of the example they set for others.
“As a desire tree, whatever you want you can have from the Vedas. Veda means knowledge; it is so complete that whether you want to enjoy in this material world or you want to enjoy spiritual life, both kinds of knowledge are there. If you follow the Vedic principles, then you will be happy.” (Shrila 
Why different branches of Vedic knowledge and their different purposes exist shouldn’t be that difficult to understand. In virtually any field of endeavor there is regulation, a system of maintenance that, when followed, leads to a pleasurable condition. The interested parties may not particularly like the restrictions imposed on them, but they are willing to abide by them to enjoy the happiness that will come later on. For instance, going to school during youth, taking instruction during the daytime from teachers and then going home to finish homework are experiences that children don’t necessarily enjoy. Following this system, however, allows children to mature into educated adults capable of using their knowledge to earn a living.
After dharma comes artha, or economic development. The majority of the world’s governments and newsmakers remain primarily concerned with economics and the plight of the financially distressed. Without adequate food, clothing and shelter, the living entity divorced of God consciousness cannot have any type of enjoyable life. Therefore, after following religious law codes, the hope is to have life’s necessities met to a satisfactory level. In this regard the Vedas provide much knowledge, especially for how to increase food production or the output of business transactions as a whole. The dharma, or abiding principles, for members of the mercantile class, the vaishyas, is nicely provided. The basic principle is that for production to be high, it must be encouraged. The government is allowed to tax, but not to a point that further production is inhibited. The analogy most often cited is the behavior of a 
Within each of these areas there is much variety, and there are corresponding religious principles and recommendations aimed at achieving perfection. Even the famous Kamasutra, which elaborates on how to attain the highest sense pleasures, emanates from the Vedas, showing just how intricate and flawless Vedic wisdom is. For achieving material profit one is advised to worship different 
To understand more about Bhagavan through the mood of bhakti, one must know what He looks like, what His features are, where He lives and most importantly, how to address Him. These issues are covered in the Bhagavatam, which comes to us in the form of a discourse between a 
But bhakti is not like this at all. It is not meant to be practiced before or after anything else. Even a child can learn to love Krishna without reservation. It is revealed in the Bhagavatam that the holy name is the best way to connect with God in a mood of pure love, where there is no interruption in service and no motivation to find an end position. By regularly 
“Of course if one thinks that Bhagavad-gita and the Hare Krishna mantra are part of the Hindu system and doesn’t want to accept them because of this, he can nonetheless attend the Christian church and sing there. There is no difference between this process and that process; the point is whatever process one follows, he must become God conscious. God is neither Moslem nor Hindu nor Christian—He is God.” (Shrila 
These assertions seem well-founded enough. After all, based on a person’s consciousness and the level of interaction they have with a particular task, their psyche can be elevated to new heights. The recommendations put forth by societal leaders that encourage complacency and dependency on one’s fellow man for sustenance are fatally flawed precisely because of the deleterious effect they have on consciousness. When one doesn’t work for a living or simply remains idle all day, not only are they not producing anything tangible or beneficial to anyone else, but their consciousness is also being severely hampered, suppressed to the point that the natural blissful feelings resting within the heart are kept dormant. In this unnatural state, the bewildered soul erroneously looks for happiness through 
Based on empirical evidence gathered through personal observation and the teachings passed down by the great acharyas, we learn that there is actually no difference between the different religions. Where the Vedas do stand out, however, is in the level of detail, the comprehensiveness of information provided about material nature, the soul, the Supreme Soul, 
Everything is created by God, so whatever behavior is followed, including even inaction, is a form of worship. Vishnu-bhakti, or devotional service, is unique and thus worthy of being preached because it targets the interests of the Supreme Person, whereas other processes only address a specific energy. For instance, the atheist is strongly devoted to gross matter, elements which are accepted, manipulated and then ultimately discarded at the time of death. Matter in this model is superior to the living entity devoid of God consciousness, because the material elements remain in their form for a longer duration than the individual dedicated to them. The atheist isn’t aware of the eternal nature of the soul and the fact that they will have to associate with matter again in the next life due to their deep attachment to it.
Vishnu-bhakti, or Krishna consciousness, is aimed at understanding both the Supreme Person’s position as Bhagavan and the need to serve Him. God is described as Bhagavan because He is the most fortunate. He possesses the qualities of beauty, wealth, fame, knowledge, renunciation and strength to the fullest degree and at the same time. Despite His unique position, He doesn’t use His attributes to simply pump His fists and wield His authority over everyone. Indeed, such domination already takes place through the forces of nature, which will diminish everything acquired in every lifetime through the workings of all-devouring time, which envelop everything like a monster whose hunger can never be satisfied.
The living entities dispersed across the different worlds are also situated in ananda, but to a smaller degree. Therefore everyone is naturally inclined towards associating with God’s personal form, a vigraha that is eternal, knowledgeable and blissful. When in the conditioned state, the living entities, who are actually superior to matter, subordinate themselves to the workings of maya, or the illusory energy governing the material world. Therefore religion is put into place to break this attachment, to show everyone that there is a higher taste available, one that doesn’t have to diminish or be the source of any pain.
By the same token, one who claims to be religious and then knowingly kills innocent animals or blows up innocent women and children can’t be considered spiritually realized in the least. If such followers claim to be practicing a particular religion, it is to be understood that they are being guided by pure ignorance. The demoniac are so fallen that they take the ultimate aim in life to be the gratification of the senses at all costs. Therefore if they need to, they will find some way to claim that their way of life is religious and in line with the standards of their particular faith.
By understanding the principles of bhakti, we can realize that choosing between engaging in material activities and spiritual ones is not necessary. Under the bhakti model, even simple things like getting up in the morning and driving to work become spiritually infused. Worship of a formless God through quiet meditation and intense study of scriptures allows for a deeper understanding of the nature of spirit, and worship in a temple or church encourages glorification of the fountainhead of all spirit, God, in a localized area, but only through chanting the name of the Lord on a regular basis can we understand that He is a personal force that is all pervading. Therefore we can worship Him at all times of the day, wherever we are, and whatever we are doing. In this way the path towards achieving a permanent God consciousness can be laid down and tread without qualms.
“The Blessed Lord said: I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, Vivasvan, and Vivasvan instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Ikshvaku.” (Bhagavad-gita, 4.1)
The spirit soul is the guiding force to activity. This can be understood by devotee and non-devotee alike. When the soul is present within a body, the resulting life form moves, talks, studies, learns, eats, sleeps and does so many other things. But once the same soul exits the body, the form is deemed lifeless, dead, no longer useful. The visible elements are usually still present immediately after the soul’s departure, so we can understand that it is the owner of the body who really matters and not the outer ingredients that seemingly perform action. Therefore for a system of regulation to be superior and foremost, it must tackle the interests of the soul first, while giving secondary concern to the demands of the body.
Dharma is ever-existing and not determined by faith or allegiance to a particular figure. Since dharma as a term means the essential characteristic of anything, when applied to spiritual practice, it points to the set of rules and regulations aimed at maintaining the svarupa of the spirit soul, which is the essence of individuality and the spark of life within any independent form, including a plant, tree or animal. The dog, cat and 
The expression, “like a fish out of water”, explains a lot about spiritual life. The fish is given a specific body type by nature; it must live in the water at all times. The outer covering is so specifically crafted that as soon as the fish is taken out of water, it starts to panic, and if it doesn’t return into its natural environment shortly thereafter, it will die. Similarly, other species are meant to reside in specific habitats, eat certain types of food, and derive enjoyment through specific behavior. When taken out of their natural habitat, pain, discomfort, and even death can result.
When someone says they are not overly religious or that they don’t necessarily believe in God, it means that they follow some mentally concocted dharma. Since the real dharma of the soul is an eternally existing property, any manmade assumption relating to the foremost characteristic of the individual and the activities necessary for maintaining that property at the highest level will be flawed. Everyone is following some system of maintenance, irrespective of their acknowledgment or denouncement of 
The Bhagavad-gita, the Song of God and most concise treatise describing sanatana-dharma, actually addresses every relevant issue, including eating and sex life. Lord Krishna says that a yogi, one trying to connect the soul with the Supersoul, the expansion of God residing within the heart, should not sleep too much or too little nor should they eat excessively or in too low quantities. As far as sex is concerned, it should be reserved for the grihastha stage of life, which is the married, householder order. After one has sufficiently trained under a guru, or 
Though the resulting conditions may be contradictory, there is still a commonality shared in the systems that aren’t real dharma. They all aim to satisfy the gross senses of the body, a form which will be renounced at the end of life, a fact realized very quickly by the sober human being. Since sense demands rise and fall in intensity like the waves of the ocean and never remain completely at peace, the aims of the concocted dharmas are flawed from the very beginning. It is for this reason that so many new self-help books get published at regular intervals and find their way into bookstores. If the previous systems had proved beneficial, there would be no need to write new books espousing new beliefs.
The benefits of sanatana-dharma are twofold. First, the system addresses the essential characteristic of the soul. Dharma is applicable for every single person; man, woman or child. Loving God is an activity that everyone is naturally prone towards. Therefore the recommendation put forth by the Vedic seers that we regularly chant, “
Even in the rebel lifestyle, the one that says not to trust anyone over a certain age, there are guiding forces, rules and regulations to live by. Indeed, the very warning that one shouldn’t trust a certain person is itself a recommendation that is no different from a statement advising one to trust in a scriptural work or the words emanating from the lotus mouth of the bona fide spiritual master. One person says to follow and another says to reject, but in either case there is a recommendation made. One side bases their opinion off of the limited personal experiences accumulated over the very short time spent in the present body, whereas the other side trusts the opinion that has been passed down, tested, implemented and accepted by so many people spanning thousands of years on earth. Since the beginning of creation the makeup of society has constantly changed, and the people living within certain periods of time always thought they were the most advanced. Despite the changes to the outer world, the principles espoused by the bona fide teachers of spirituality haven’t changed and neither has the effectiveness of their recommendations.
