Spiritual Wisdom, deeply realised and condensed down to a few words. Easy to remember and apply to our own life…
Free Online Bhagavad Gita Course Series: Enroll Now - Ever felt like life’s a puzzle without a map? Batch 3 of our Bhagavad Gita 100-101 series is now open! From the basics of the soul and karma to a full 18-chapter deep dive, this online journey offers timeless wisdom for modern life.
Classes are free (donations accepted), interactive with personal Q&A, and include recordings and slides. Our round-robin format means you can jump in anytime!
Join us alternate Fridays at 8:30 PM EST. Your roadmap to clarity starts here.
Enroll now: dasadas.com/coursesEver feel like life is a complex puzzle, but you’re missing the box lid with the picture on it? You are looking for a spiritual anchor. Or you just want to understand why things happen. The Bhagavad Gita As It Is offers a timeless framework. It helps with navigating our world and transcend it to reach perfection.
We are thrilled to announce the opening of Batch 3 for our 100 and 101 series in March 2026. These courses are designed to take you from “curious beginner” to “informed practitioner” through 26, well-paced, structured, easy-to-digest sessions.
Bhagavad Gita Online Course BG 100: The Foundation (Level 0)
The “Big Picture” for those starting their journey.
This 6-session online course explores the core philosophical pillars of the Gita. If you’ve ever asked “Who am I?”, “Why is there suffering””, “Why do good things happen to bad people”. or “Why is time moving so fast?”, this is for you.
- 🎯 What: Online course discussing the main topics of Bhagavad Gita.
- ⏰ When: Alternate Friday Nights @ 8:30 PM EST (Toronto/New York time)
- 🌍 Not in EST?(Global Students: You can use Time.is to compare 8:30 PM Toronto time to your local city.)
- 🎓 The Curriculum:
- 100.1 Overview: Context, main topics, and modern relevance.
- 100.2 Jiva (The Soul): Who are you?
- 100.3 Prakriti (Material Nature): Where are you?
- 100.4 Karma (Action & Reaction): What are you doing and why?
- 100.5 Kala (Time): How does time affect you?
- 100.6 Bhagavan (The Supreme Origin): Why should you care?
- 100.1 Overview: Context, main topics, and modern relevance.
Upon completion, registrants are automatically enrolled into BG 101.
Bhagavad Gita Online Course BG 100: The Foundation (Level 0)BG 101: The Chapter Summaries (Level 1)
A journey through all 18 chapters.
This 20-session course offers summaries of every chapter, providing a clear path through the dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna.
- 🎯 What: Online course offering detailed summaries of the entire text
- ⏰ When: Alternate Friday Nights @ 8:30 PM EST
- 🌍 Not in EST?(Global Students: You can use Time.is to compare 8:30 PM Toronto time to your local city.)
- 🎓 The Curriculum:
- 101.1 – Ch 1: Observing the Armies
- 101.2.1 & 101.2.2 – Ch 2: Contents of the Gītā Summarized (Parts 1 & 2)
- 101.3 – Ch 3: Karma-yoga
- 101.4 – Ch 4: Transcendental Knowledge
- 101.5 – Ch 5: Karma-yoga – Action in Kṛṣṇa Consciousness
- 101.6 – Ch 6: Dhyāna-yoga
- 101.7 – Ch 7: Knowledge of the Absolute
- 101.8 – Ch 8: Attaining the Supreme
- 101.9 – Ch 9: The Most Confidential Knowledge
- 101.10 – Ch 10: The Opulence of the Absolute
- 101.11 – Ch 11: The Universal Form
- 101.12 – Ch 12: Devotional Service
- 101.13 – Ch 13: Nature, the Enjoyer and Consciousness
- 101.14 – Ch 14: The Three Modes of Material Nature
- 101.15 – Ch 15: The Yoga of the Supreme Person
- 101.16 – Ch 16: The Divine and Demoniac Natures
- 101.17 – Ch 17: The Divisions of Faith
- 101.18.1 & 101.18.2 – Ch 18: The Perfection of Renunciation (Parts 1 & 2)
Everything You Need to Succeed
We’ve designed this course to be as supportive as possible. Every enrolled student receives:
- 📅 Calendar Invites: Once registered, students will receive a recurring calendar invite to ensure you never miss a session.
- 💬 Personal Q&A: Every class reserves dedicated time for a personal Q&A session. This is your opportunity to ask questions, clarify points, and discuss the practical application of the knowledge.
- 🎥 Class Recordings: Re-watch at your own pace (minus the personal Q&A).
- 📊Course Slides: Access the visual materials to review key verses.
- 📝 Knowledge Quizzes: Link to an online quiz after each session to test your understanding.
Cost & Donations
In the spirit of sharing this wisdom freely, this course is offered free of charge. We believe that spiritual education should be accessible to everyone.
If you feel inspired to give, donations are gratefully accepted.
All contributions are used directly to spread the knowledge of the Bhagavad Gita. This helps those who otherwise can not afford a copy of the Bhagavad Gita As It Is.
The “Round Robin” Advantage
Don’t worry about “missing the bus.” Both BG 100 and BG 101 run on a continuous round-robin schedule. Join Anytime! You can enroll right now and jump into the current session. The course rotates in a way that it will revisit parts you missed. You can attend the full series at your own pace.
Ready to begin your journey? Register Now: dasadas.com/courses
2026 February & March – Travel to Vrindavan, Hyderabad, Ahobilam, Mumbai, Pune - In 2025, after an ecstatic Srila Prabhupada marathon in North America, I was able to serve in several cities. I will return to India from February to March 2026, visiting various pilgrimage sites and engaging in spiritual activities at ISKCON temples. Meetings are best scheduled for the morning at the respective ISKCON temples. Hare Krishna!Hare Krishna!
After an ecstatic 2025 Srila Prabhupada marathon in North America, I served in various cities. These cities include Toronto, Ottawa, Barrie, and Waterloo. It is a privilege to return to India, Sri Bharat Bhumi in February – March 2026.
- 20 – 27 February 2026, Vrindavan
- 28 February – 5 March 2026, Hyderabad
- 6-9 March 2026, Ahobilam
- 10 – 12 March 2026, ISKCON Juhu, Mumbai
- 12 – 16 March 2026, ISKCON NVCC, Pune
- 14 March 2026, Sri Nira Narasimha Yatra, Nira Narsingpur, Pune District
- 17-19 March 2026, Hyderabad
During this time, there will be:
- Visits to places of pilgrimage
- Hearing and Chanting about Krishna and His devotees
- Distribution of Spiritual Literature, such as Bhagavad Gita As It Is
- Service at Krishna’s temples
Anyone who wants to meet, the best time is during the morning hours 4:30AM-9:00AM at the respective ISKCON temple. Any meeting or engagement outside this, please check with me before.
Please bless me for a successful pilgrimage and service tour.
Thank you. Hare Krishna!
2025.68-110 + 2026.1 – Engaging Diverse Audiences & Achieving Sankirtan Goals in Extreme Cold Weather – Ecstatic 2025 Prabhupada Marathon! - In Toronto's brutal winter, Srila Prabhupada transforms the cold into spiritual gold by encouraging remarkable Sankirtan efforts, exceeding a total of 110 outings in 2025 against all odds for one humble warrior. Battling frigid temperatures and indifferent crowds, Srila Prabhupada tirelessly inspires diverse audiences, from skeptical Sikhs to curious Muslims. Each cold encounter becomes a lesson in humility to the Sankirtan warriors, the transient nature of recognition, and the deep connections formed within fleeting moments. Amidst dismissals and challenges, he ignites a spark of spirituality, guiding strangers towards timeless wisdom with every book offered. Dressed like a warrior against the harsh elements, the Sankirtan warriors are inspired into urgency into Srila Prabhupada's mission: spreading enlightenment, one icy encounter at a time.Dear Devotees,
Hare Krishna!
Please kindly accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
I pray that you are all well and in good health and spirits.
By your blessings I can join in this Hare Krishna movement, despite my disqualifications. Thank you!
Since I carefully started tracking my Sankirtan outings in 2017, I have completed over 950 outings! I started distributing books in 2009 though. By Krishna’s mercy, with some conservative estimates, I have been fortunate to be out on 1,144+ outings since 2009!
General Update:
What an ecstatic marathon this has been! At the beginning of November, I was 40 outings short of my annual target of 108. And there were so many challenges. My other services, commitments, and not the least, the frigid Toronto weather! But I’m happy to say that by your blessings, I have made it. I went out there 40+ times and also opened up my 2026 Sankirtan outings account!
In general, December is a cold month in Toronto. But usually the really cold weather only starts at the end of December. We got used to warm Decembers for many years. But this year, the polar vortex brought very extreme temperatures much earlier in the month. It also brought freezing rain, snow, and strong winds. The coldest temperature, with the windchill, that I went out in was -21C. I lasted about 30 minutes outside. I wore all possible winter gear. Then, I quickly sought warmth to continue.
Gratitude to my family for supporting my Sankirtan activities. Special thanks to my son Vitthal Bhakta who came out with me often. During the last few days of the marathon, it got extra cold, and I was out for longer. That extra support helped a lot.
Note: Photos are less, because, taking the hand out of the glove/mitten can mean an early break!
Cold Weather Sankirtan
How to keep going in the cold? Well, set a target, easy one, like, say, I will be out for 10 minutes. Then, once the 10 minutes are up and your mind reminds you? Say “I will ask those 3 people”, then “That one lady”, then “those 2 boys”, and then “that man”… and in this way, before you know it you have been out for an hour and never noticed the cold! But that is once you actually are well prepared for the cold.
If you are well prepared for the cold, then it is manageable. If it is not too cold, and it is only -3C or even Zero, you feel like Krishna is back. It seems like Spring has arrived. You have a spring in your step.
For aspiring cold weather Sankirtan warriors who don’t have a Canadian body, or a youthful body… Enduring extreme cold is challenging. Here is my clothing outline for the coldest of days. The trick is to dress in layers, many layers. The better dressed we are for the weather, the better we can serve.
- Torso: Long Sleeved Cotton T-shirt + 2 Warm Acrylic/Wool Sweaters + Hoodie + Inner Coat (3 layers + insulation) + Outer Long Winter Coat (4 layers + insulation) (rated -30C)
- Legs: Thermal Pants + Thick Jeans + Wind/Snow Pants
- Head: Winter Hat + Winter Pilot’s Hat (rated -30C)
- Hands: 1 Pair of Woollen Gloves, 1 Pair of Mittens (rated -30C)
- Feet: 1 Pair Cotton Socks + 1 Pair Woollen Socks + Winter Boots (rated -30C)
All that clothing weighs you down with it’s sheer weight. It’s not too different from the warriors putting on armor! 🙂 Gives a special meaning to the phrase “Sankirtan Warrior”.
As some smart Nordic person said… there is no such thing as bad weather, there is only poor clothing.
Of course, you need to be properly fueled up with Prasadam before heading out. Being out in the cold on an empty stomach is the worst thing.
Also, you need to make sure your books are properly accessible. Make sure it is possible to pull them out without having to take your mittens off. Once the fingers freeze, it’s time out!
It’s best to stay close to a place which is warmer, like a subway station, shopping mall, etc. Productivity is higher if we can slip in for a few minutes, get warm and then head back out again.
Of course, in that type of cold, it is not always possible to have long conversations! I know that the weather is harsh. I am there for a particular purpose. This purpose gives me the strength to tolerate the weather. But not my customers. They don’t know why I am stopping them. They don’t know what advantage they will get by speaking with me. I am just another pesky fellow in their way! I have to stay alert. I must keep it short. Somehow, I must try to make it so that they leave with a book or a mantra or goodwill.
Freezing rain is breathtakingly beautifu. However, it is quite deadly when the trees overloaded with ice crash down onto houses, roads, cars, people, etc.
Rewarding Nevertheless
But it is a most rewarding experience. Trying to convince someone to take something spiritual can be exhausting, but always exhilarating. It is said that for someone who endeavors in this way, they build their spiritual body. This happens one interaction at a time. One learns more in a few hours or days than one can in an entire lifetime! One learns about oneself so much. When I see some negative quality or trait, it is so easy to spot that very trait in myself! Would I stop? Would I speak to a stranger? Would I take something from them? Would I encourage?
Above all, there is great appreciation for someone who took something spiritual. It is such a blessing that I can play a role in their spiritual journey. And it is almost 100% sure that the specifics of this interactions will be forgotten. I will be forgotten in the sands of time. I will be just one of the anonymous servitors of that soul. Just like I have so many anonymous benefactors. I have benefited from their service. Now I can pay it onward.
New Audiences
In this marathon, there were the usual mix of people, rich, poor, simple, sophisticated, etc. There were Indians, Caucasians and more. But there were a few observations on new audiences who otherwise don’t resonate with our message…
Filipinos: Mostly simple working class people, they don’t resonate with a philosophical approach. They are simple people. But they are fluent with English. The message needs to be simple. The books need to be simple. Most of the books with high philosophy don’t resonate with them. They loved to read about Reincarnation (Coming Back, Beyond Birth and Death). Food (Higher Taste) also interests them. They also enjoy reading about Meditation (Chant and Be Happy). And they will open up the book right there and start to read. Most of the time, I started with “Do you like to read?” and showed them a book.
Muslim Afghans: These are mostly displaced persons, new to Canada. They are also simple people, but wary of losing their Islamic connection. So, I place emphasis on the brotherly affection between those from India and Afghanistan. I tell them that knowledge is knowledge, no matter which language it comes from. I reassure them that I don’t intend to take them away from Islam. It is true, Pure Bhakti is the highest form of Islam. I show them Sri Ishopanishad, and ask them if the verses don’t remind them of Allah. That approach resonated with many Bangladeshi Muslims also.
Africans: There are so many African people in Canada. I don’t mean just the descendents of those who escaped slavery in America. These Africans are younger, well educated and curious. Many of them are very fluent with English and they love to read. They are also simple and open. All I had to do was ask them if they like to read. I was respectful in answering their questions. Then, the book was theirs.
Chinese: This is most interesting. For years, I have tried to distribute Chinese Books and it was always very difficult. I live in an area that is full of Chinese people. But I think I have found a technique that works. Do not say anything. Just hold out the book. Make sure the title is clearly visible. Use both hands so they can read the title. When they take the book, one little nod a light bow, and the book is in their bag. Most of the Chinese people I met, even those who spoke English fluently, preferred to read Chinese books. But I saw that they were intimidated by the size of the Chinese Bhagavad Gita. The small books I had this time (all donated by devotees) were perfect. They would read the title and say to me “Magic of yuga? yes, good?”.
Christians: Considering that I distribute right next to a Baptist Church, people would ask me if this was about Jesus. I said yes, this book explained Jesus’ way. I said that this book helps them go deeper into the Bible because it is about God the Father. Of course, some Christians asked things like “spirituality, which spirituality”. Some seemed freaked out. It was as if they’d seen a ghost and quickly got away. I blame the dishonest or evil preachers for that reaction. “Chant and Be Happy” and “Higher Taste” are especially good because of the copious references to the Bible there. But when there was no chance – I reminded them of the commandment “Thou Shalt Not Kill”. I repeated Srila Prabhupada’s instruction. He said that anyone who claimed to be a Christian but consumed the flesh of animals is not a Christian. He stated that consuming the flesh of animals contradicts Christian values. That made an impression. Hopefully “Higher Taste” next! 🙂
Arabic: Arabic people are so much like Indian people. Most of them are not overly concerned about spiritual topics. But they love the cookbooks and books in Arabic. I just had to hold out the title to make it visible as they passed. They would break out into a BIG smile and stop to chat. Even the ladies with face coverings pushing strollers and managing so many kids.
Nepalis: I have never met so many Nepali boys in such a short time before! It was practically like distributing books in India. They needed no convincing. I just had to ask them “Do you want a Gita?” They would check with me “Are you selling or distributing?”. Of course I was not selling. And then they would send me a donation by eTransfer after. If I didn’t have a Gita, then I would say “based on the Bhagavat”. They would take a book like Second Chance. Very pious souls.
Outings Outline:
| 2025.69 – 15 Nov 2025 – Don Mills & Finch Books |
| 2025.70 – 16 Nov 2025 – ISKCON Brampton Class & Shastra Daan Collections |
| 2025.71 – 16 Nov 2025 – Don Mills & Finch Books |
| 2025.72 – 17 Nov 2025 – Don Mills & FInch Books |
| 2025.73 – 19 Nov 2025 – Old City Hall Books |
| 2025.74 – 22 Nov 2025 – Don Mills & Finch Books |
| 2025.75 – 23 Nov 2025 – Anglican Church + ISKCON Toronto Sunday Feast Distribution Incl. SD |
| 2025.76 – 24 Nov 2025 – Queens Park Station Books |
| 2025.77 – 25 Nov 2025 – Don Mills & FInch Books |
| 2025.78 – 29 Nov 2025 – Don Mills & Finch Books |
| 2025.79 – 29 Nov 2025 – Don Mills & Finch Books |
| 2025.80 – 30 Nov 2025 – ISKCON Toronto Sunday Feast Distribution |
| 2025.81 – 1 Dec 2025 – LinkedIn Distribution + Temple Distribution |
| 2025.82 – 2 Dec 2025 – Don Mills & Finch Books |
| 2025.83 – 3 Dec 2025 – ISKCON Toronto Temple Corridor Books |
| 2025.84 – 4-6 Dec 2025 – Montreal + Vermont Travel Distribution |
| 2025.85 – 7 Dec 2025 – ISKCON Toronto Sunday Feast Distribution |
| 2025.86 – 12 Dec 2025 – Don Mills & FInch Books |
| 2025.87 – 13 Dec 2025 – 65 Forest Manor Door to Door Books |
| 2025.88 – 14 Dec 2025 – ISKCON Toronto Books |
| 2025.89 – 15 Dec 2025 – Don Mills & Finch Books |
| 2025.90 – 16 Dec 2025 – Don Mills & Finch Books |
| 2025.91 – 18 Dec 2025 – Don MIlls & Finch Books |
| 2025.92 – 19 Dec 2025 – Don Mills & Finch Books |
| 2025.93 – 20 Dec 2025 – 25 Forest Manor Door to Door Books |
| 2025.94 – 21 Dec 2025 – ISKCON Toronto Sunday Feast Books |
| 2025.95 – 22 Dec 2025 – Don Mills & Finch Books |
| 2025.96 – 23 Dec 2025 – Don Mills & Finch Books |
| 2025.97 – 24 Dec 2025 – Finch Bus Station Books |
| 2025.98 – 24 Dec 2025 – ISKCON Toronto Books |
| 2025.99 – 25 Dec 2025 – Don Mills & Finch Books |
| 2025.100 – 26 Dec 2025 – Don Mills & Finch Books |
| 2025.101 – 27 Dec 2025 – 25 Forest Manor Door to Door Books |
| 2025.102 – 28 Dec 2025 – ISKCON Toronto Sunday Feast Books |
| 2025.103 – 29 Dec 2025 – Yonge & Edward + YD Square with VB |
| 2025.104 – 29 Dec 2025 – Nathan Phillips Square + Old City Hall with VB |
| 2025.105 – 29 Dec 2025 – Finch Bus Station with VB |
| 2025.106 – 30 Dec 2025 – Don Mills & Finch |
| 2025.107 – LinkedIn + WhatsApp Friends & Family Campaign – counted when distributed/donated out |
| 2025.108 – Don Mills & Finch Books |
| 2025.109 – ISKCON Toronto Corridor distribution |
| 2025.110 – Old City Hall Harinam + Books with VB, BMS and temple devotees |
| 2026.1 – Old City Hall Harinam + Books with VB, BMS and temple devotees |
New 42 2025 Outings
Total 110/108 outings in 2025, and 1/108 outings in 2026!
With the family at the St. John’s Anglican Church, after the Ordination of Reverend Dr. James Leatch, also seen Bishop Right Rev Kevin Robertson.
Diverse Interactions
Here are just a few of interactions that stood out… Note that I have had thousands of interactions, and noted a one-liner after each outing about those that stood out… Some of these are short. They show how little time one has to get a book out in the extreme cold!
The most common reaction that a book distributor faces is to be ignored. People pretend we don’t exist at all… either they are uncomfortable, in a hurry, or genuinely disinterested. So that is the most common reaction, and doesn’t count as an interaction. I counted hundreds or thousands of those in each outing.
A Sikh boy didn’t want to take anything because he said we worship stones and wood. He hadn’t heard of Guru Nanak visiting the temple of Lord Jagannath in Puri!
An Afghan man named Suleiman chanted names of Lord Ram very beautifully. We had a very sweet conversation on an unusually warm evening. He took 2 books.
A big part of book distribution in marathon is to collect donations from the congregations members. A lot of people each doing a little bit. I have no way to track these because the collection was centralized. Unless a transaction happens right in front of you, no way to see what actually happened. I was very conservative about counting these in my scores. But the congregation was very generous overall, they gave well over a quarter of a million dollars. Many different temples, including Toronto, Brampton, and other places. This is despite donor fatigue from being asked each year, year after year.
A running girl passing by said “I don’t need it but will take it” and ran off with a book!
A boy named Kamal, of Turkish heritage, he came to Canada about 4 years ago. Now he studies Computer Science and the more he studies the more disgested he gets. “What is the world coming to, what are we spending our lives on” he was thinking! He took books and promised to read and reach out.
A Muslim girl from Bangladesh was initially hesitant, but took an Ishopanishad when I showed her some of the verses. She bought the argument “Knowledge is knowledge”.
Ginger from Ukraine spoke of war, death, suffering, and so on. She said she didn’t know what can be done about all that. She did take books when presented as the only solution to all the problems. She liked that those who read will either stop such nonsense, or will not be affected by such nonsense.
I met Karthik, from Andhra Pradesh in a crosswalk, walking in opposite directions. I handed him a book and said he could donate if he wanted to, email inside. He’s a student and sent $40 by eTransfer! I was touched by his generosity.
This Dentist from Mumbai, Anil presently works at a Tim Hortons Coffee shop. I told him about my cousin who had to do the same things. He said he had many questions so took a Perfect Questions Perfect Answers.
Steve, who is from Gujarat, surprised me by taking a book when he heard “hey, knowledge is knowledge”. Usually Indian Christians rarely take books, in my experience.
Akshay took a book without a word, and said he wanted to join classes. He gave me $20 right away without hesitation.
Arash is from Afghanistan. He is not a quick reader. He knew about Shiva, Vishnu, Krishna, and the goddesses. I met him so many times during marathon. Always had a warm smile and a kind word for me. And even though he can’t read well, he took a book.
Enny born in Nigeria, now from Houston came here to study Computer Engineering. He was asking about the market for new graduates. I said not too good, thanks to AI. But he took a book. Franklin, his friend from Jamaica, also a student in the same class, actually took a SB 7.1! That was rare, to distribute a Bhagavatam on the street.
One boy asked me when I came to Canada, I said 2003. He said he was born that year, then he asked me how old I was. When I replied he said I was as old as his father. He then said he would never refuse anything his father told him to do. So he dutifully took a book.
Shane is a Seventh Day Adventist. He first apologized for the cans of beer in his hand. Then he told me he was giving it all up in the New Year. And he shared that he no longer goes to Church because he can worship any day of the week. I said reading this book as as good as going to church. So he took it.
Mohammed from Bahrain loves going to the Gym. I said this was not that kind of exercisy yoga. I said this was more internal. He said, yes, he is scared of that internal deep part. But since the book is in Arabic, he took it. And then he said “I will read, Inshalla”, and crossed… All this in about 10 seconds!
Every time we went door-to-door, the people overwhelmed us with their generosity. There was the lady who handed over all her week’s worth of groceries. The boys from India asked me to place the Gita in their altar. They hadn’t yet had a bath! Najib from Somalia donated generously. Sara from Ethiopia gave $50, and she is married to Christopher from Chennai who said “This is Gita. This is the best book!”.
One Chinese girl, said “I like to read, depends on the topic”. She was hooked in the Science of Self Realization, love at first sight. Took the book and immediately started reading. She kept reading as she stepped into the bus. She continued reading while she found a seat. When the bus took off, she was still reading with rapt attention. Wow! Srila Prabhupada ki kaya!
There was this Russian man who was attracted when I said “mystic secret knowledge.” However, he was disappointed when the book couldn’t teach him to fly. I couldn’t convince him that flying back home was better than flying like a bird in this world. But he knew that this was important, because all his arguments were quite inconsistent and he was laughing. But anyways, the bus came and he left.
Simple Spanish speaking lady took the book and said “nothing bad, right?” and started reading the book while crossing the street in the dark. I called out “careful!” but she was too engrossed in the book, though she made it safely across the street. Like anyone who can live in Srila Prabhupada’s vani is always safe in all situations, she was in safe hands.
Shivam and Krishnaa, a couple asked me what I was doing, and then Krishnaa took a BG Compact edition. She was an atheist before, just like me, and Shivam’s Mom is an ISKCON devotee in Nashik.
This man who looked like a ghost, white pasty skin, BIG eyes, half bald, open coat in the sub-zero weather… Lumbering gait, limping along… Reminded me of Frankenstein. He made his way straight at me, open mouthed, breathing hard, fixing his gaze on me without blinking! I must admit I was a little nervous. Then he took a book, smiled, and got on the bus. That man turned out to be a saint!
I asked an Indian girl alone at a bus stop where she was from. She looked exasperated as if I was some fellow trying to ask her out or buy her a drink. She said I am from this world. I knew she was from Gujarat from her accent. I replied that these books are from another world. She immediately replied “Let me take it then!”.
In my 40+ outings and meeting hundreds of Christians, I met only one Christian lady who eats no meat! I congratulated her. She was happy to know she was among the very few following the “Thou Shalt Not Kill” commandment.
Along the same lines, in an elevator between floors, I asked one Muslim boy what he thought of all the people claiming to be Muslim and then killing people to go to heaven. He said “They are not Muslim”. There is still hope for this world!
I did meet some people regularly. Like this man who was very short with me “I read books on my own terms”… after a few meeting he became very nice to me. Still didn’t take a book, but I will work on him the next time I see him! 🙂
One man I met at the Finch Bus Station carefully looked through each book I had in my hands… Some of the pictures freaked him out. He was especially disturbed by the Changing Bodies picture. The various species coming out of material nature endlessly picture also unsettled him. He loved Srila Prabhupada’s picture and he loved the picture of Mahaprabhu leading the devotees in Harinam Sankirtan. He took a CBH with tremendous gratitude, and thanked me for approaching him on that day!
One curious man near a bookstore asked me, “Why are you doing this?” I replied, “Because these books help anyone who reads them.” He took a small one and said, “To increase my chances of actually reading it.”
Stuti from Haridwar passed us by. Then came back, took a book, and promised to write to me and send me an eTransfer.
Two young girls at a bus stop were cautious, almost nervous when I approached them. One was in a white body, one in a black body. No one else was around, it was late and dark. Cold and windy. But as soon as I showed them the books, they immediately gravitated towards the books on reincarnation. Coming Back, Beyond Birth and Death, Second Chance… etc. You get the picture. They behaved very differently after, like they would with an old friend.
Salman from Kerala took a book, saying he only knows English and Malayalam. He didn’t respond to my Muslim greetings.
A father and son from Syria saw the books in my hands. They asked for them and took one book each. The father excitedly recommended a particular one to his son!
Anas from Mauritius wore no gloves! I asked him and he said he’s very new, still getting used to it all. He loved the example of how his Mom or Grandma can cook something special. No one else can ever replicate that same taste. He was intrigued with the ingredient beyond the ingredients. “Higher Taste” calling!
Hrithik from Bangladesh took the Bhagavad Gita and Krishna. He took beads too, which Brahma Prabhu offered to the deities. He promised to chant 2 rounds daily to start with.
This boy from Haryana couldn’t speak a sentence without using an expletive. He tried really hard controlling himself, seeing that I was with a child. Fortunately Vitthal Bhakta doesn’t understand any of that. But he was very open about his atheism. He said he didn’t believe all this. He said he did what the elders told him to do back home, but here he did whatever he liked. I tried to interest him in the difference between an animal. say a dog, and a human. He insisted there was no difference. I asked him so many questions about why no one wants to die, etc… Then he said he wouldn’t mind being a dog. They didn’t have to struggle so much. Their lives were so uncomplicated. At this point I remembered what Srila Prabhupada said to a boy who said he wanted to be a dog. So I touched him and blessed him that in his next life, he would be a dog. He seemed to be very happy with the blessing! Vitthal Bhakta was shocked I did that. But later I prayed for him. I hoped he would be born as a dog in the home of a Vaishnava. There, he would become purified by the dust of the Vaishnava’s lotus feet. I prayed that he would get Krishna Prasadam before and in his next human life. That’s the best I could do for him!
These are only a few of the many interactions… something about these stood out to me even now and I wrote them down for your pleasure. Please pray for everyone else who reciprocated with any devotee who was out on Sankirtan. They deserve your blessings. A few pictures attached.
Would you like to help? I can’t hit my targets alone. But you can help. You can donate for distribution in any region of the world. I will work to get your donation to book distributors in that part of the world. This way, we can make it easier for someone to get Srila Prabhupada’s books. Will you help?
All this is possible only by your encouragement and blessings! Thank you!
Do you want to be notified when I go out? Anyone you know? When I’m going out on Harinam, book distribution, or giving a class, I send out a notification. Please let me know… let us together flood this world with Harinam Sankirtan, Krishna Katha, and Srila Prabhupada’s books!
My 2025 goals summary is
- 110 Sankirtan outings – target exceeded
- 83 classes delivered – target exceeded, and
- 1662+ Bhagavad Gita or equivalent distributed (below target of 2330).
My lifetime goal of being an instrument in distributing 1 Lakh Gitas tracking is at 10,620+/100,000 (10.6% of goal).
My 2026 goals are, - 108 Sankirtan outings
- 100 classes, and being an instrument in the
- distribution of 3319 Bhagavad Gitas or equivalent!
I can only set goals and pray for mercy, then try my best. But the Vaishnavas and Krishna can help fulfill the prayer, enable the effort and make the target possible to achieve. Please bless me, because your blessings are certainly potent!
107 outings to go in 2026! Please bless me, please pray for me.
Please engage in acts of Harinam Sankirtan wherever you are!
This is written for your pleasure.
your servant,
Mahabhagavat Das
dasadas.com
P.S: If you wish to help me distribute Bhagavad Gitas, please let me know. Distribution can be arranged in a country of your choice. You can start with as little as 1 Bhagavad Gita. There are no upper limits! 🙂
P.P.S: Please forward to as many souls as you can with your personal note, where attention goes energy flows, so more and more souls may take up Harinam Sankirtan and Srila Prabhupada’s book distribution all over the world…
Why all the rules? Love, Rules, and Devotional Service. Understanding Bhakti. - Bhakti means loving devotional service to Krishna. Newcomers often raise questions about the necessity of rules. While there are numerous rules and guidelines, such as chanting sixteen rounds of the Hare Krishna mantra daily, these rules serve a vital purpose. They help those who have not yet cultivated pure love for God. Like caring for a loved one, these instructions are given out of deep love and knowledge, ensuring careful devotion. Ultimately, rules are like the handrails and supports, they guide us toward achieving the highest spiritual goal of love for God. Do you have a problem with rules in spirituality?I get this question a lot… Bhakti means loving devotional service to Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Bhakti means Individual, Spontaneous, Loving Devotional Service… So why all the rules?
Some people say “I love spirituality, but I hate organized religion”. And I get their sentiment. They want to love God and serve God. However, they hate the bureaucracy, the politics, and the behind-the-scenes ugliness that may lurk inside religious organizations.
Spiritual life is supposed to be free, and yet the rules!
There are so many rules. There is the chanting of sixteen rounds of the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra every day – 1728 Mantras minimum. Here’s the mantra.
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare
Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu even says that there are no rules…
CC Antya 20.16
নাম্নামকারি বহুধা নিজসর্বশক্তি- স্তত্রার্পিতা নিয়মিতঃ স্মরণে ন কালঃ ।
এতাদৃশী তব কৃপা ভগবন্মমাপি দুর্দৈবমীদৃশমিহাজনি নানুরাগঃ ॥ ১৬ ॥nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktis
tatrārpitā niyamitaḥ smaraṇe na kālaḥ
etādṛśī tava kṛpā bhagavan mamāpi
durdaivam īdṛśam ihājani nānurāgaḥSynonyms“ ‘My Lord, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, in Your holy name there is all good fortune for the living entity, and therefore You have many names, such as “Kṛṣṇa” and “Govinda,” by which You expand Yourself. You have invested all Your potencies in those names, and there are no hard and fast rules for remembering them. My dear Lord, although You bestow such mercy upon the fallen, conditioned souls by liberally teaching Your holy names, I am so unfortunate that I commit offenses while chanting the holy name, and therefore I do not achieve attachment for chanting.’
It’s clear, Mahaprabhu says “there are no hard and fast rules“. Yet in the same verse, Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu also mentions “offenses” to be avoided. What are those?
When we chant Hare Krishna or any other authorized names of God, we should strive to avoid all offenses. There are 10 specific offenses to be mindful of.
1) To blaspheme the devotees who have dedicated their lives for propagating the holy name of the Lord.
2) To consider the names of demigods like Lord Shiva or Lord Brahma to be equal to or independent of the name of the Lord Vishnu.
3) To disobey the orders of the spiritual master.
4) To blaspheme the vedic scriptures or scriptures in pursuance to the vedic version.
5) To consider the glories of chanting Hare Krishna to be an imagination.
6) To give some interpretations to the holy name of the Lord.
7) To commit sinful activities on the strength of the holy name.
8) To consider the chanting of Hare Krishna as one of the auspicious ritualistic activities which are offered in the Vedas as frutive activities (Karma kanda).
9) To instruct a faithless person about the glories of the holy name
10) To not have complete faith in the chanting of the holy name and to maintain material attachments, even after understanding so many instructions on this matter. It is also an offense to be inattentive while chanting.
Every devotee who claims to be Vaishnava must guard against these offenses in order to quickly achieve the desired success KRISHNA PREMA!!!
Padma Purana (Section: Brahma Khanda 25.15–18)
There are so many rules and regulations! This applies whether it is with cooking for Krishna, or worship of Krishna in Deity form. This applies to fasting, or ending one’s fast. This applies to reading or explaining scripture. In every aspect of Bhakti there are rules.
There are rules and regulations in the other religious traditions also. There is hardly a tradition without rules and regulations. And without rules and regulations, what is tradition anyways?
But the highest spiritual principle is pure love of God, so why all the rules?
After all, there are no rules and regulations in love, no?
But here’s the catch… We presently do not have any love for God!
We have only a blind, slavish servitude of our senses and mind!
The rules are meant for those who are not yet pure lovers of God. For the pure Lover of God, there are no rules.
Still, why any rules on the path of love of God?
Think of this situation…
Let us say you are responsible for caring for someone. Let’s say, a dear parent, or grandparent, a child, or even a pet…
Now, let’s say you need to entrust that loved one to me, a stranger. Let us say I can be trusted to be reliable with my care, but I don’t know your loved one. I don’t know what they need.
How many rules and regulations will you give me? How many guidelines? How much advice?
She doesn’t like this food… He is allergic to that medicine. She sleeps at this time. He gets agitated when someone does that! She loves it when you serve this food with that condiment… Here is the clothing. Here is the extra blanket. Here is the toy. Wake him up for his appointment. Take him to this place. Don’t leave her alone… Here is the medicine, and this is the right dosage, by the way. Here is this, and don’t forget that. Here is my phone number, call me if you need anything. Please be careful. Thank you soooo much!
Then, when I am alone with your loved one, will you call? Will you check up on how they are doing?
That is the intent of the rules and regulations in Bhakti also.
The rules are regulations are given to us by someone who loves God very very much. The spiritual master, who gives us the rules, is a confidential servitor of God, and knows God better than us. The saintly souls hand us the rules, for our own growth.
So, out of their love for us, and for God, they give us the rules.
The rules and regulations are simply a manifestation of the saints’ love for Krishna. When we adhere to them precisely, we can reach the same stage of love. Of course, we can’t remain only on the platform of rules and regulations. By the blessings of the spiritual master, we can develop the same individual, spontaneous, loving attraction to Krishna. We can exceed the standard of the minimum rules by their grace.
So, who will be so foolish as to not pay attention to the rules and regulations of the scripture?
Bg. 16.23
य: शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य वर्तते कामकारत: ।
न स सिद्धिमवाप्नोति न सुखं न परां गतिम् ॥ २३ ॥yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ
na sa siddhim avāpnoti na sukhaṁ na parāṁ gatimHe who discards scriptural injunctions and acts according to his own whims attains neither perfection, nor happiness, nor the supreme destination.
https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/16/23/
Bg. 16.24
तस्माच्छास्त्रं प्रमाणं ते कार्याकार्यव्यवस्थितौ ।
ज्ञात्वा शास्त्रविधानोक्तं कर्म कर्तुमिहार्हसि ॥ २४ ॥tasmāc chāstraṁ pramāṇaṁ te
kāryākārya-vyavasthitau
jñātvā śāstra-vidhānoktaṁ
karma kartum ihārhasiOne should therefore understand what is duty and what is not duty by the regulations of the scriptures. Knowing such rules and regulations, one should act so that he may gradually be elevated.
What do you think about rules and regulations in spiritual life? Let me know!
Exploring our Origin, Past Life Memories and the Soul- Three Questions on the Gita - Are you ready? Unraveling the soul's origin sparks a provocative inquiry into our eternal essence. Souls emanate from Krishna, existing beyond creation, spiraling through lifetimes with desires entangled in material shackles. Memories of past lives lie buried, mostly to shield us from trauma, leaving lingering impressions as we cycle through bodies shaped by our will and divine sanction. Spiritual perfection delivers liberation, culminating in eternal pastimes with Krishna, where desire meets destiny. The journey demands a vigorous pursuit of understanding, action, and devotion—our only ticket home.
We had a few questions come up in Gita Class that I would have to ask you for the answers.
1.) Where did the soul originate?
Souls are eternal, just like Krishna. They originate as “emanations” or “expansions” from Krishna. There is no moment when they were created. Therefore, they are eternal. Krishna is eternally emanating us. Here is a crude example. Imagine a lit candle with a mirror in front of it. When did the reflection originate? Now in the case of our example, someone placed the candle and the mirror. They lit the candle. All this happened at a certain time. But if you conceive of the inconceivable, when the candle, mirror and flame eternally existent… then the reflection originated in the original flame, and will continue eternally. In our case, we are “separated expansions” unlike say Lord Narasimha, Lord Narayana, etc., who are “nondifferent” expansions.
Bg. 15.7
ममैवांशो जीवलोके जीवभूत: सनातन: ।
मन:षष्ठानीन्द्रियाणि प्रकृतिस्थानि कर्षति ॥ ७ ॥mamaivāṁśo jīva-loke
jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ
manaḥ-ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi
prakṛti-sthāni karṣatiThe living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.
https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/7/15/
Bg. 2.12
न त्वेवाहं जातु नासं न त्वं नेमे जनाधिपाः ।
न चैव नभविष्यामः सर्वे वयमतः परम् ॥ १२ ॥na tv evāhaṁ jātu nāsaṁ
na tvaṁ neme janādhipāḥ
na caiva na bhaviṣyāmaḥ
sarve vayam ataḥ paramNever was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be.
The philosophy of “achintya bheda abheda tattva”, inconceivable, simultaneous oneness and difference, is very deep. It can take us many, many lifetimes to fully understand it. But I don’t need to directly concern myself with all that. My job is to be a pure devotee acceptable by my spiritual master. He will cause everything to be revealed to me.
2.) How do people remember their past lives?
The spirit soul in the material world is encased in a subtle body. This body consists of the subtle material elements (mind, intelligence, and false ego). Now, this subtle body encasing the soul is suspended in 5 kinds of air. Each air is more subtle than the previous one: prana, apana, udana, vyana, and samana… This package is placed inside the heart of the living entity by the material nature.
eṣo ’ṇur ātmā cetasā veditavyo
yasmin prāṇaḥ pañcadhā saṁviveśa
prāṇaiś cittaṁ sarvam otaṁm prajānāṁ
yasmin viśuddhe vibhavaty eṣa ātmā“The soul is atomic in size and can be perceived by perfect intelligence. This atomic soul is floating in the five kinds of air [prāṇa, apāna, vyāna, samāna and udāna]. The soul is situated within the heart, and it spreads its influence all over the body of the embodied living entities. When the soul is purified from the contamination of the five kinds of material air, its spiritual influence is exhibited.”
Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad (3.1.9), quoted in https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/11/3/39/
When someone dies, the spirit soul leaves the gross material body. This body is made of the gross material elements earth, water, fire, air, and space. The soul remains cocooned inside the subtle body. It follows the various paths chalked out by Yamaraja into the next body.
Past life memories are usually buried or erased. This prevents trauma in the next life. For example helps avoid Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) cases. Consider what can happen if someone was a deer in their last lifetime. Suppose they remember when they were devoured alive by a tiger… Now think about this: If we remembered every single traumatic thing we ever experienced? These experiences span millions and billions of lifetimes… This is the mercy of the material nature under the direction of Krishna that we don’t remember past lives.
Young babies and small children are said to remember their past lives for some time. They forget as they grow up. Sometimes, remembrance of past lives is allowed for reasons that I know. One reason is to avoid the same mistakes again. There are also other reasons.
3.) This was about the impressions that people have based on their desires. We understand that people take another body, and they bring their impressions based on their desires with them. Can a person have a desire to not change into another body, meaning not wanting to come back? If they manifest it, then will it happen?
MBD: There is only so much we can control… “karmana daiva netrena jantar deha upapatti”. Our body is given by higher authorities according to what we desire and deserve, not just what we desire.
ŚB 3.31.1
श्रीभगवानुवाच
कर्मणा दैवनेत्रेण जन्तुर्देहोपपत्तये ।
स्त्रिया: प्रविष्ट उदरं पुंसो रेत:कणाश्रय: ॥ १ ॥śrī-bhagavān uvāca
karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa
jantur dehopapattaye
striyāḥ praviṣṭa udaraṁ
puṁso retaḥ-kaṇāśrayaḥThe Personality of Godhead said: Under the supervision of the Supreme Lord and according to the result of his work, the living entity, the soul, is made to enter into the womb of a woman through the particle of male semen to assume a particular type of body.
If we act in purely spiritual ways, then naturally the higher authorities will provide us with a spiritual body.
Bg. 13.22
पुरुष: प्रकृतिस्थो हि भुङ्क्ते प्रकृतिजान्गुणान् ।
कारणं गुणसङ्गोऽस्य सदसद्योनिजन्मसु ॥ २२ ॥puruṣaḥ prakṛti-stho hi
bhuṅkte prakṛti-jān guṇān
kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo ’sya
sad-asad-yoni-janmasuThe living entity in material nature thus follows the ways of life, enjoying the three modes of nature. This is due to his association with that material nature. Thus he meets with good and evil among various species.
This spiritual body has no flaws. Once a material body is obtained, no one can prevent its death. This is unless sanctioned by God or someone empowered by God. Not just by wishing or willing can we escape old age, disease, or death. “jatasya hi dhruvo mrtyuh” BG 2.27 One who has taken birth must die. One who has died must take birth again, until spiritual perfection is reached.
Bg. 2.27
जातस्य हि ध्रुवो मृत्युर्ध्रुवं जन्म मृतस्य च ।
तस्मादपरिहार्येऽर्थे न त्वं शोचितुमर्हसि ॥ २७ ॥jātasya hi dhruvo mṛtyur
dhruvaṁ janma mṛtasya ca
tasmād aparihārye ’rthe
na tvaṁ śocitum arhasiOne who has taken his birth is sure to die, and after death one is sure to take birth again. Therefore, in the unavoidable discharge of your duty, you should not lament.
This is why we bless “may you never take birth again”. If a person does reach spiritual perfection, then for one last lifetime, they will be transferred to a specific Universe. In that Universe, Krishna is performing His pastimes. These can be any of His expansions, depending on the love of the soul for a particular form of Krishna. They are born there and trained there. They reach their eternal competence. When Krishna winds up His pastimes, He takes that soul back to the spiritual world. The soul is in the specific eternal form that it has. This return happens without any birth. Then the soul experiences pastimes with Krishna eternally.
There are innumerable universes, and the Lord is appearing in one of these universes at every moment. Therefore His pastimes are called nitya-līlā, eternal pastimes. The Lord’s appearance as a child in the house of Devakī takes place continuously in one universe after another. Therefore, the devotee is first transferred to that particular universe where the pastimes of the Lord are current. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā, even if a devotee does not complete the course of devotional service, he enjoys the happiness of the heavenly planets, where the most pious people dwell, and then takes birth in the house of a śuci or śrīmān, a pious brāhmaṇa or a wealthy vaiśya (śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo ’bhijāyate). Thus a pure devotee, even if unable to execute devotional service completely, is transferred to the upper planetary system, where pious people reside. From there, if his devotional service is complete, such a devotee is transferred to the place where the Lord’s pastimes are going on.
My Guru Maharaja has expressed the desire to stay here till all the souls are delivered back! 🙂 We can see what Krishna does with Him. It is possible for Krishna to do anything. For example, He can keep a soul in the spiritual realm. He can also let them serve Him in the material world. Many of our Acharyas could go into the spiritual realm in their meditation. They could bring back tangible objects back to the material realm. Like jewellery, food, flower, perfume, etc. There are many pastimes where Krishna has done it also… Take for example when Krishna married the 16,100 princesses at once… His parents, priest, wives, and other relatives where all at once attending the 16,100 weddings! 🙂 Krishna’s associates live a most adventurous life!
I know these are deep, but they were discussing it was beyond my capacity of understanding
MBD: This kind of churning is required for a person to genuinely understand the philosophy. Then, when they practice sincerely, they will realize the philosophy for themselves. When someone applies themselves wholeheartedly with a combination of knowledge, action, service and humility, then they reach the Supreme Destination. Our job is to send everyone back home, back to Godhead. Back home to Krishna. Hare Krishna!
The greatest love letter in history? - This engaging exploration reveals the profound nature of what is the greatest love letter: the Bhagavad Gita. Initially perplexed by its inaccurate and dishonest translations, the writer eventually recognized the eternal and deep message of eternal love within it. Unlike conventional love letters, this sacred text transcends time, offering a deep, genuine, poetic understanding of love and connection. I invite you to find joy and solace by turning toward true love, emphasizing that despite life's turmoil, one can always return to the enduring embrace of this loving essence. Will you?What is the greatest love letter in history?
Would it be a letter from Frida Kahlo to Diego Riviera? Would it be Beethoven’s letter to his “Immortal Beloved”? Or would it be a letter from Romeo to Juliet, or from Juliet to Romeo?
I’ve read many of these letters myself. They were pale, untrue, and insipid. They do not compare to the greatest love letter of all time.
In fact, I discovered this love letter many many years ago, at the age of ten. I didn’t know what it was back then. I couldn’t understand it. It was in a language I didn’t fully understand, and the English translation confused me. Then I read another translation, then another, then another. Each was filled with contradictions and inconsistencies. Frustrated, I gave up after about fifteen tries with different English translations. Based on all these translations, I even wrote off the original as an absurd, useless piece of writing. But I must admit, was still intrigued by it.
Then, one day, I did get yet another translation. I had already made up my mind this would be another waste of my time. With low expectations, I read that one. I still didn’t understand it, but it seemed to make more sense than ever before. Then I read it again, and again, and again. I read that translation hundreds of times.
Now, after about 30 years of reading over and over again, I am convinced. Yes, this is the greatest love letter of all time. No, I haven’t fully understood everything yet. Or rather, it is so deep that many, many lifetimes of reading won’t be enough to fully plumb it’s depths. Yes, it’s that great.
What makes a love letter great? Well, it should be poetic, of course. It should be true, in the sense that the writer really meant what they wrote. And not just true in a fleeting moment of passion, but true forever. It should not be full of “sweet nothings” but it must be full of substance. After all, is love not eternal?
What is that love that changes with the seasons? What is love that fades with time? What is that love that ends with aging bodies and death? What is that love that does not endure?
What is great about this love letter? Is it that it is poetic, loving, and has endured millions and millions of years?
Anyone who reads this love letter, and understands it, falls head over heels in love. And that love causes them to rise, rise, rise above everything that is impermanent. This is a love that inspires countless sacrifices in millions. This is a love that is so great, that when someone associates with the smitten, they become smitten themselves. Indeed, this love is so contagious that no one can resist its clarion call, unless they dull themselves to it.
What is this love, and why is it so amazing?
Think about this… A lover separates from the beloved, and spends lifetime after lifetime separated, angry, envious, upset, sad. Millions of lifetimes… But the Beloved continues to love, continues to live in the heart of the lover. The lover goes through ups and downs. Sometimes the circumstances are fortunate, sometimes unfortunate. Sometimes the lover is happy, sometimes not. Sometimes the lover is angry, sometimes calm. But the beloved stays put. Continues to whisper loving guidance, with full freedom to the lover, to love the beloved or or leave the beloved.
In this love letter, the beloved discloses all.
- This is who you are, my dear lover
- You are inseparable from me, a part-and-parcel of myself
- You are indestructible, just like me, why do you feer?
- You dreamt that you can be happy without me, but are you happy?
- This is where you are now, living your dream, or is it a nightmare now?
- This is the nature of the world you inhabit, do you see as it is?
- Oh, how you are hopelessly entangled in the consequences of your actions!
- One action leads to a million reactions, and each reaction leaves behind a seed!
- Lost in the forest of your actions and reactions, you have forgotten yourself
- This is time, eternal time, absolute and relative, but how you are trapped!
- This is who I am, your best friend and well-wisher
- I am opulent in every respect, beauty, wealth, knowledge, fame, power, but I am renounced too!
- I am all-powerful, but never force myself upon you
- I know that you are unhappy and dissatisfied
- I know you feel empty and lost, tired and confused
- But you are a spark of my splendor!
- I can get you out of that mess in less than a moment, easy, will you come back?
- The love and joy you seek there can only be found with me, do you not see?
- This is where you can be, with me here is my world, also yours
- If you come back to me, you will have no troubles, no anxiety, no lamentation
- Let go of your false pride, dear lover, it has come between us, I forgive you
- You envied me, and you acted against me, but did it bring you any joy?
- But here is what I have done for you since time immemorial…
- This is what I will do for you forevermore
- I care for you, more than you can ever imagine, can you see?
- I hate to see you suffer, your suffering pains me!
- Will you come back my dear part-and-parcel?
- This is how you can come back, if you want to, will you turn to me?
- I will show you the way, every step of your way, here, follow me!
- I love you, even though I don’t need you, for I am self-satisfied
- No one can make you feel as good as I can, can you see?
- I am here, always available, should you ever care to turn my way
- I will forgive, forget, and arrange for your return, fear not
- But only if you want to come back, or else not.
- All will be forgiven and it will be as if you never left
- Love me or leave me, the choice is yours
- But I shall love you for ever no matter what, for you are mine and I am yours
This is a tiny fragment of the essence of that love letter, of course, I can’t do it full justice.
Why don’t you read it for yourself?
Will you read the best love letter of all time? It’s called the Bhagavad Gita, the Song of God. Let me know if you want a copy!If you have already read the Bhagavad Gita As It Is and want to help others get the same blessing. Will you help end all suffering for all?
Join the Mission: Distribute 100,000 Bhagavad Gitas Worldwide - I reflect on a transformative spiritual journey that began 25+ years ago with the Bhagavad Gita As It Is, from a monk in Mumbai. Initially skeptical, I engaged, allowing the Gita to purify my heart through countless readings. Inspired by my benefactor, I set a goal to distribute 100,000 copies of the Gita. Through persistent outreach, I have successfully shared over 10,000 copies worldwide but I recognize the challenge ahead. I invite you to join in this great mission. Can you see the potential for worldwide transformational change as each inspired individual can significantly impact countless lives? Will you help?Approximately twenty five years ago, I was a young, haughty engineer. I was also an atheist then. I got my copy of the Bhagavad Gita As It Is from a monk in Mumbai (then Bombay). He gave it to me free of charge. The story of my early spiritual journey is here.
The Perfect Escape Manual
I had read many editions of the Gita before, but they were more or less useless. I had discarded them. I had concluded that the Bhagavad Gita was complete nonsense. I planned to read and discard this one too. So I began to try and find the faults. This book ended up finding my faults, honestly.
My Journey with the Gita
As I travelled all over the world, my Gita went with me. Reflecting on the pure instructions of Krishna cleansed my consciousness. Reading the Bhagavad Gita hundreds of times, the clear writings of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada purified my heart. I wasn’t speaking to anyone about spiritual life during those years. It was just me and the book…It was many years until I actually came into the association of the devotees. It was not just philosophy, but also a full manual to living life in a joyful spiritual way.
That interaction with our unknown hero, the Hare Krishna monk, has been the single most transformational one in my life.
Paying It Forward: The 100,000 Gita Goal
I began to gratefully consider how to respond… I didn’t know by benefactor by name or by face. I didn’t have any contact information for him. While I couldn’t do anything for him, I decided to pay it forward .
Impulsively, I think, at first, but with great conviction after, I picked a target to distribute 100,000 of those Bhagavad Gita As It Is, or equivalent. I don’t know how I came up with the number. But now it’s ingrained. I have committed this to myself. I have committed this to God. I have given my word to my Guru. I have asserted it to so many others. I’ve got to do it, or die trying.
It’s got to be done, the 100,000 Gitas or equivalent. And after 18 years of trying, I’m finally past the 10,000 mark. So 10% there. It’s not totally hopeless.
Testing a New Approach
But recently, I began to have a sneaking suspicion that I couldn’t do it alone. So I decided to test it out.
I continued to distribute Srila Prabhupada’s books as I did, hand-to-hand, person-to-person. I went into apartment buildings. I went to street corners. I went to busy intersections with a lot of people milling about. I approached strangers late at night. I distributed books on buses, trains, planes. I called people. I wrote online. I mailed books to people I’d met. Sometimes they gave me a donation. At other times I covered the cost of the books myself.
As I approach the end of my corporate career, I realized something important. I can’t continue to cover the costs myself for much longer!
The Reality of Spiritual Book Distribution
I quickly discovered that it’s almost impossible to even give spiritual books away. People who are uninterested or against the ideas in the books just do not want them. And to someone who is interested, they will gladly donate generously. There are the friends and family who have donated so much. There is the lady who emptied her bank account on a late night for a book that cost $1. Recently an auto mechanic did the “give you everything in my account right now” thing.
I also compared my hand-to-hand distribution score with the score I got from others’ help. And in the last few years, others have helped me distribute more books than I have distributed myself!
So this boils down the book distribution project down to finding interested people. An interested person wants a book for themselves. Or someone interested wants to help me distribute them to others.
I can only hit the 100,000 goal with others’ help!
The Numbers Don’t Lie
On average, whenever I go out to distribute books, very few people interact with me. Usually, about one in a hundred people will engage with me in any way. The interactions are on a wide spectrum. Some are quite positive. Some are nasty. Of those who do interact in any way, about one out of ten will take a book. Mostly it’s a small book. Rarely it is a Bhagavad Gita. And even more rarely, someone will get a full set of books, like the Srimad Bhagavatam, or the Chaitanya Charitamrita. All in all, it takes me about 10,000 attempts to distribute the equivalent of a single Bhagavad Gita.
My lifetime total is 100,000 Gitas. The last time I counted, I had about 90,000 to go.
The Impossible Math
Simple Math tells me that it will take me about 900,000,000 attempts. That is 900 Million. The human population of our planet is 8.2 Billion. I will need to approach 1 out of every 9 people on this planet. All this to distribute the equivalent of 90,000 Bhagavad Gitas hand-to-hand! This still sounds possible somehow, through my website, through my various outings all over the world.
But, given that a successful book distribution takes around 10 minutes on average including the unsuccessful interactions… that is 900,000 minutes, or 15,000 hours. I can presently go out 108 times a year. If each of my outings were to last just 2 hours, I’d need to go out 7,500 times. And at my current rate, that would take me another 70 years. I’m already over fifty years of bodily age in my current lifetime… It is unlikely I will live to be 120 years old! And even if I were to live that long, my “useful lifespan” would be much shorter than that.
Long story short. I really can’t do this alone. I need help.
Why can’t everyone just get the Gita for themselves?
That’s a valid question. After all, God helps those who helps themselves, right?Why should I or anyone else go through all this trouble? There are some key reasons why someone can’t get the Gita themselves:
- They don’t know about it yet – that’s why we reach out relentlessly
- They haven’t found a genuine edition of the Gita yet – most versions are full of motivated concoctions – I had read so many editions before, but that monk helped me get the pure message of the Gita, so can we help others
- They just can’t afford it – I know many souls who just can’t afford to buy the book, in India, in Africa, in South America, and elsewhere
- They don’t realize the value of the Gita – there are many who can very well afford to buy a copy, but don’t know the value – giving them a taste of the Gita will help them tremendously, and they will support the cause themselves
A donated copy of the Bhagavad Gita removes those barriers. Distributors can freely distribute to anyone who is interested.
That monk gave me a copy of the Bhagavad Gita As It Is free of charge. Someone sponsored that copy. So I have yet another unknown benefactor!
Being an Instrument
So how to do it?
It is not that I have to personally distribute the Bhagavad Gitas myself. I just need to be an instrument in the distribution of the Gitas. We know that Krishna advised Arjuna “nimitta-mātraṁ bhava“, “be but an instrument” (BG 11.33). Since the instructions of the Gita apply to all of humanity, they also apply to me, and to you. We can all choose to be instruments in the hands of God.
How can we be an instrument?
I can be an instrument if I can inspire a lot of people, each doing a little bit! And you can be an instrument if you choose to help.
We can be like a scalpel in the hands of the expert surgeon. We can work to remove the cancer of a Godless society together.
An Invitation for you to Join
य इदं परमं गुह्यं मद्भक्तेष्वभिधास्यति ।
भक्तिं मयि परां कृत्वा मामेवैष्यत्यसंशय: ॥ ६८ ॥ya idaṁ paramaṁ guhyaṁ
mad-bhakteṣv abhidhāsyati
bhaktiṁ mayi parāṁ kṛtvā
mām evaiṣyaty asaṁśayaḥFor one who explains this supreme secret to the devotees, pure devotional service is guaranteed, and at the end he will come back to Me.
https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/18/68/
न च तस्मान्मनुष्येषु कश्चिन्मे प्रियकृत्तम: ।
भविता न च मे तस्मादन्य: प्रियतरो भुवि ॥ ६९ ॥na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu
kaścin me priya-kṛttamaḥ
bhavitā na ca me tasmād
anyaḥ priya-taro bhuviThere is no servant in this world more dear to Me than he, nor will there ever be one more dear.
You, my dear reader, can surely help. If you help me, then together, we can change another 90,000 lives at least. The collateral improvement from this can be much bigger. Each of those lives can impact another 90,000, and each of those another 90,000… Don’t you want to save the world with Krishna’s wisdom from the Bhagavad Gita?
We can distribute Bhagavad Gitas anywhere on the planet. Whether it is Africa, or North America, or South America, Europe, Australia, or Asia. Any country in the world. Any of the 90+ languages the Bhagavad Gita is now available in.
Will you please help? das@dasadas.com
2025.27-68 – Summer, Fall, Poland, Canada, India, Pre Marathon update - 2025.27-68 - This is only my second Sankirtan update of 2025, and there will be just one more 2025 marathon update after this... Lots of outings, lots of classes, online articles, service, mentoring, travel, etc., no time to write about it all promptly. But more and more engaged in sadhana and service than ever before, carefully tracked and measured. Feeling very blessed and grateful for it. 68 outings this year so far, 73 classes, 1027 Bhagavad Gitas. Please could you help?Dear Devotees,
Hare Krishna!
Please kindly accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
I pray that you are all well and in good health and spirits.
By your blessings I am able to participate in this Hare Krishna movement, despite my disqualifications. Thank you!
General Update:
You’re used to getting my Sankirtan updates via email. But it became really hard for me to manage all my different communications channels alone. So I will use my website as the primary channel and connect all other channels to it. I pray for your kind understanding. Thank you.
This is only my second Sankirtan update of 2025, and there will be just one more 2025 marathon update after this… Lots of outings, lots of classes, online articles, service, mentoring, travel, etc., no time to write about it all promptly. But more and more engaged in sadhana and service than ever before, carefully tracked and measured. Feeling very blessed and grateful for it.
Outings Outline:
| 2025.27 – 28 May 2025 – Old City Hall Harinam |
| 2025.28 – 31 May 2025 – MSF Old City Hall with VB and devotees |
| 2025.29 – 7 Jun 2025 – Waterloo Ratha Yatra Book Table |
| 2025.30 – 16 Jun 2025 – Warsaw Prosta & Zelezna Harinam + books |
| 2025.31 – 18 Jun 2025 – Warsaw Old City Harinam |
| 2025.32 – 23 Jun 2025 – YD Square Toronto RY Flyers Distribution |
| 2025.33 – 28 Jun 2025 – Avenue & Bloor Harinam Toronto MSF |
| 2025.34 – YD Square RY Flyer distribution |
| 2025.35 – 7 Jul 2025 – Toronto General Hospital Kirtan with Bhaktimarga Swami & Vaishnava Prabhu |
| 2025.36 – 12 Jul 2025 – Toronto RY Distribution |
| 2025.37,38 – 12 Jul 2025 Toronto RY Book Tent Distribution |
| 2025.39 ,40- 13 Jul 2025 Toronto RY Book Tent Distribution |
| 2025.41 – 19 Jul 2025 – Thunder Bay Ratha Yatra Book Tent Distribution |
| 2025.42 – 20 Jul 2025 – Thunder Bay Festival of Colors Book Tent |
| 2025.43 – 2 Aug 2025 – Stratford Vaishnava Sanga Harinam & Books |
| 2025.44 – 9 Aug 2025 – ISKCON Scarborough Ratha Yatra Book Table |
| 2025.45 – 10 Aug 2025 – ISKCON Toronto Sunday Feast Distribution |
| 2025.46 – 17 Aug 2025 – ISKCON Toronto distribution |
| 2025.47 – 23 Aug 2025 – Kensington Market MSF |
| 2025.48 – 24 Aug 2025 – Toronto Sunday Feast Distributon |
| 2025.49 – 31 Aug 2025 – Toronto Radhastami Distribution – SB Sets + BG |
| 2025.50 – 6 Sep 2025 – Cabbagetown Festival Book Distribution |
| 2025.51 – 7 Sep 2025 – Toronto Sunday Feast Bhadra Purnima |
| 2025.52 – 14 Sep 2025 – ISKCON Toronto Sunday Feast Distribution |
| 2025.53 – 15 Sep 2025 – Old City Hall Harinam |
| 2025.54 – 25 Sep 2025 – Old City Hall Harinam w/ Rahul |
| 2025.55 – 5 Oct 2025 – Hyderabad Nagar Sankirtan with Vishwa Kirti Prabhu ACBSP |
| 2025.56 – 6 Oct 2025 – P&T Colony Books – counted separately |
| 2025.57 – 7 Oct 2025 – Hyderabad Nagar Sankirtan with Vishwa Kirti Prabhu ACBSP |
| 2025.58 – 8 Oct 2025 – Hyderabad Nagar Sankirtan with Vishwa Kirti Prabhu ACBSP |
| 2025.59 – P&T Colony Books – counted separately |
| 2025.60 – 9 Oct 2025 – Hyderabad Nagar Sankirtan with Vishwa Kirti Prabhu ACBSP |
| 2025.61 – 12 Oct 2025 – ISKCON Juhu Books |
| 2025.62 – 13 Oct 2025 – ISKCON Juhu Books |
| 2025.63 – 16 Oct 2025 – Thiruvananthapuram Adi Keshava temple Books |
| 2025.64 – 17 Oct 2025 – P&T Colony Books |
| 2025.65 – 2 Oct – 18 Oct 2025 Continuous India distribution all day – counted separately |
| 2025.66 – 26 Oct 2025 – ISKCON Toronto Sunday feast distribution |
| 2025.67 – 30 Oct 2025 – Royal St. George College Talk & Books |
| 2025.68 – 2 Nov 2025 – ISKCON Toronto Sunday feast distribution |
New 42 2025 Outings
Total 68/108 outings in 2025
Here are just a few of interactions that stood out…
Poland was a delightful place for Sankirtan & Book Distribution!
Rahul joined me on Sankirtan one day at Old City Hall
Radhashtami blessings! Siddharth is a young man who I struck up a conversation with on Radhashtami, discussing the Bhagavatam. He surprised me with his openness and deep questions, and took a set almost right away! Doesn’t happen too often. I remain in touch with him… that day was blessed and 11 sets were distributed in that outing! Bright young people, looking for answers to the questions of life. Just the type of people Srila Prabhupada had in mind!
Ritiv, the man of questions, was referred to me because he was asking so many questions. And he joined the classes reading the books carefully and asking many questions. He writes “this class is changing me into the best version of me. I would be always grateful to Radha Rani for giving me this opportunity to better understand myself with the help of Bhagavad Gita”. Thank you Ritiv and the whole Parampara is rooting for our success, we’re only getting started!
YD Square is a loud space, Toronto version of Times Square experiences, I call it an assault on the senses. The square with gigantic screens, all sorts of sights, sounds, and smells. And a continuous stream of people moving through it in all directions. Distributing Ratha Yatra invitation cards was a fun and interesting experience there. I got to invite several who would otherwise not know about the festival. The ones I least expected to took the cards. That reminded me again that we’re not these bodies. Krishna consciousness operates on the level of the spirit soul.
The Toronto Ratha Yatra is really BIG in terms of the opportunity to distribute books. Even though we have been distributing extensively there, there are still repeat customers. And the festival gives the perfect atmosphere for spiritual discussions. It was good numbers for me personally, even though my time was fragmented in so many services.
In my first unexpected visit to Thunder Bay, I was delighted to join their Ratha Yatra celebration. With a team that is stretched thin, book distribution often doesn’t get the attention it deserves. Serving souls up there in the North was very inspiring. I know this is one reason why Krishna took me from a tiny village in South India and plonked me here in Canada!
The Vaishnava Sanga festival was in Stratford this year and the Harinam was as good as it gets. There were hundreds of devotees out on the streets of Stratford. But they were light on the book distribution side – with just a few books. So I added my own personal stock to the mix and together we all distributed many books.
The ISKCON Scarborough Ratha Yatra has been steadily building up. They have a nice focus on book distribution, led by Anuttama Prabhu and my Godbrother Sudarshan Prabhu. It was a pleasure and privilege to assist them with book distribution
The Kensington market in Toronto has its own vibes. Whenever I go there, I can be sure to meet some far out folks. The total number of books distributed has somewhat reduced there. This is owing to the gentrification. But Kensington remains a great spot to go out on book distribution!
Kensington is still a fun place for Harinam Sankirtan & Book Distribution
One of the summer festivals we go to is the Cabbagetown festival. Named after its frugal inhabitants who grew cabbages in front of their homes instead of lawns, that reputation persists. We were met by this keen bargain hunter, a gentleman who wanted the Bhagavad Gita in Tamil. He came and he went. The devotee he spoke to first refused to give him a Gita… He came back, and again. Finally he got a Gita for what he thought was a bargain price. But he didn’t know that he’s bargaining with the best bargainer in the business, Sri Krishna. I got my Gita for free around 25 years ago, and look where I am!
Friend in deed! Antariksh is a young devotee in the community. He brought some of his friends to me at the book table. He then asked me to recommend some books for them, which I did after asking them a few questions. He then ensured that these young men liked the books. And then, he bought the books for them. What a friend!
My new friend with a book to sober him up
On my trip from Frankfurt to Hyderabad, I sat next to a young man. The flight was full. The cabin crew served passengers with their German efficiency. I struck up a conversation. he was an ambitious engineer. Reminded me of myself a couple of decades ago. He worked fulltime and had a business in Hyderabad. He was looking for advice in running his business. The young man, Sai, later confided in me. Among other things, he regretted getting drunk on this day. Of all days, he felt it was unfortunate since he was to sit next to me. We spoke about spiritual life, Krishna, about Karma. We spoke about chanting Hare Krishna. But anyways, he took a book, gave me a generous donation in Euros.
These boys have a Japa circle of their own at ISKCON Juhu!
India Sankirtan is always ecstatic! The Nagar Sankirtan with Vishwa Kirti Prabhu (ACBSP) was a highlight. There was also the book distribution at the ISKCON temple book stalls. It was even more exciting out on the street. Coming from the west, it is relatively hard to get the books out! But not in India. One just had to stand somewhere with the books and souls would make a beeline for the books. One just has to scratch the surface, and almost everyone in India is Krishna Conscious.
Books fly out in India
Narayana is the owner of a motorcycle repair workshop. He pulled up on his sleek motorbike and I handed him a small book. He took out his phone and transferred the entire content of his bank account to my Sankirtan account! I struggled to find books to reciprocate with his generosity! I gave him a few extra copies. Narayana said he was going to make the books mandatory reading for his “boys” back at the workshop! I look forward to visiting that transcendental workshop in my next visit!
This gentleman teaches chemistry and is preparing to serve as an officer in the government.
BACE Power! All this time, I’ve been distributing alone at my spot at the P&T Colony 5-road-intersection… But this time, all of a sudden, some boys with Tilaka came and asked if they could assist. Turns out, ISKCON Attapur has opened a BACE not too far from there. Boys stay there, work, study, and practice Krishna Consciousness. These boys enthusiastically distributed all my books in a few minutes – no donations LOL! Clearly they hadn’t been trained in the art of book distribution! We can afford to give the books away. But we try to get whatever donation we can for the benefit of the recipient. I look forward to associating more with those boys in my next visit. And I heard there is another BACE from ISKCON Hyderabad not far away. Talk about ecstatic!
My enthusiastic book distributor friends from the BACE in P&T Colony Dilsukhnagar
This young reader, Krishna, is reading Srila Prabhupada’s book. He later brought a handful of rice as a donation in exchange for the book.
I have an inspiring Godsister named Guru Vandana Devi Dasi. She is a very sincere and serious devotee. She distributed an SB set, and let me be an instrument in her distribution. Of course, Sri Adi Keshava orchestrated all this, we were all just instruments.
Sriman Padmakumar is a retired chief engineer from the Kanyakumari district. He met us at the ancient Sri Adi Keshava temple in Thiruvattaar, Tamil Nadu, right on the border with Kerala. We were on yatra there with my spiritual master and Gurumataji. There he expressed a wish to get a Srimad Bhagavatam set in English. He told Mother Guru Vandana, who passed me the lead. We only had enough time to exchange numbers. Over the next couple of days, I coordinated with Padmakumar and India BBT. With the magic of electronic messaging and transactions… while I was travelling around… Padmakumar sent me a donation, which I forwarded to the BBT. The BBT shipped an SB set! And just like that, 1 SB set distributed while on pilgrimage!
These are only a few of the many interactions… something about these stood out to me even now and I wrote them down for your pleasure. Please pray for everyone else who reciprocated with any devotee who was out on Sankirtan. They deserve your blessings. A few pictures attached.
Now, here in Toronto we have welcomed the Srila Prabhupada marathon. This is the month where we try in a concerted way to distribute Srila Prabhupada’s books. Especially the Bhagavad Gita As It Is, we distribute as much as possible. At least in Toronto, most of the targets are achieved through collection of funds – shaastra daan. This is a good way for those who don’t distribute books to get involved in book distribution. But for me personally, it’s about going out regularly. It is a very purifying experience, especially in the cold weather of Canada. If it was not for the kindness of the followers of Srila Prabhupada, where would I be? Probably on the other side of the marathon. So I try my best to reach as many souls as possible.
Would you like to help? I can’t hit my targets alone. But you can help. You can donate for distribution in any region of the world. I will work to get your donation to book distributors in that part of the world. This way, we can make it easier for someone to get Srila Prabhupada’s books. Will you help?
All this is possible only by your encouragement and blessings! Thank you!
Do you want to be notified when I go out? Anyone you know? When I’m going out on Harinam, book distribution, or giving a class, I send out a notification. Please let me know… let us together flood this world with Harinam Sankirtan, Krishna Katha, and Srila Prabhupada’s books!
My 2025 goals summary is
- 68 Sankirtan outings
- 73 classes delivered, and
- 1027 Bhagavad Gita or equivalent distributed.
My lifetime goal of being an instrument in distributing 1 Lakh Gitas tracking is at 10,195/100,000 (10.2% of goal).
My 2025 goals are, - 108 Sankirtan outings
- 70 classes (exceeded), and being an instrument in the
- distribution of 2330 Bhagavad Gitas or equivalent!
I can only set goals and pray for mercy, then try my best. But the Vaishnavas and Krishna can help fulfill the prayer, enable the effort and make the target possible to achieve. Please bless me, because your blessings are certainly potent!
40 outings to go in 2025! Please bless me, please pray for me.
Please engage in acts of Harinam Sankirtan wherever you are!
This is written for your pleasure.
your servant,
Mahabhagavat Das
dasadas.com
P.S: If you wish to help me distribute Bhagavad Gitas, please let me know. Distribution can be arranged in a country of your choice. You can start with as little as 1 Bhagavad Gita. There are no upper limits! 🙂
P.P.S: Please forward to as many souls as you can with your personal note, where attention goes energy flows, so more and more souls may take up Harinam Sankirtan and Srila Prabhupada’s book distribution all over the world…
“Idol” and “Mythology” – Two words that are offensive to Vedic culture - Why should we avoid the terms "idol" and "mythology" when discussing Vedic culture? These terms undermine the Krishna and Vedic scriptures. Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Vedic scriptures expound the Supreme Absolute Truth and Universal history. The original misunderstanding stems from historical attacks on Vedic culture. What is actual idol worship? What is actual mythology? Read more to find out!These two words “idol” and “mythology” should be avoided like the plague when speaking about Vedic Culture. Vedic Culture means the culture that increases our love for Krishna. Never use the words “idol” and “mythology” when speaking about Vedic culture, or Vishnu / Krishna.
Unfortunately, this happens a lot in India, which is sad.
I give dictionary meanings, before elaborating further.
Idol: /īd′l/ A false god. One that is adored, often blindly or excessively.
Mythology: /mĭ-thŏl′ə-jē/ A body or collection of myths belonging to a people and addressing their origin, history, deities, ancestors, and heroes. A body of myths associated with an event, individual, or institution.
Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Krishna is known in other languages as Allah, Jehovah, Yahweh, and many other languages.
ईश्वरः परमः कृष्णः सच्चिदनन्द विग्रह:
अनदिरदिर् गोविन्दः सर्व कारण कारणं ।।१।।īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ
anādir ādir govindaḥ
sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇamKṛṣṇa who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes. https://vedabase.io/en/library/bs/5/1/
Krishna is the Supreme Absolute Truth.
This means that Krishna’s name, form, pastimes, paraphernalia, abode, associates, etc., are all on the Absolute platform.
नाम चिन्तामणि कृष्णस्चैतन्य रस विग्रहः |
पूर्ण शुद्धो नित्य मुक्तो अभिन्नत्वं नाम नामिनोः ||nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇaś
caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ
pūrṇaḥ śuddho nitya-mukto
’bhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ“ ‘The holy name of Kṛṣṇa is transcendentally blissful. It bestows all spiritual benedictions, for it is Kṛṣṇa Himself, the reservoir of all pleasure. Kṛṣṇa’s name is complete, and it is the form of all transcendental mellows. It is not a material name under any condition, and it is no less powerful than Kṛṣṇa Himself. Since Kṛṣṇa’s name is not contaminated by the material qualities, there is no question of its being involved with māyā. Kṛṣṇa’s name is always liberated and spiritual; it is never conditioned by the laws of material nature. This is because the name of Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa Himself are identical.’ https://vedabase.io/en/library/cc/madhya/17/133/
Take a second look at the dictionary meaning of “idol”…
Idol: /īd′l/ A false god. One that is adored, often blindly or excessively.
Nothing about Krishna is “false”. And there can be no such thing as “blind” or “excessive” adoration of Krishna. In fact, no matter how much we adore, it is always insufficient. Our problem is that we don’t adore Krishna enough. And we don’t adore Krishna sufficiently because we are blind. If we were not blind, we would be absolutely pure in our love of Krishna.
कृष्णे स्वधामोपगते धर्मज्ञानादिभि: सह ।
कलौ नष्टदृशामेष पुराणार्कोऽधुनोदित: ॥ ४३ ॥kṛṣṇe sva-dhāmopagate
dharma-jñānādibhiḥ saha
kalau naṣṭa-dṛśām eṣa
purāṇārko ’dhunoditaḥThis Bhāgavata Purāṇa is as brilliant as the sun, and it has arisen just after the departure of Lord Kṛṣṇa to His own abode, accompanied by religion, knowledge, etc. Persons who have lost their vision due to the dense darkness of ignorance in the Age of Kali shall get light from this Purāṇa. https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/1/3/43/
Now, to come back to the dictionary meaning of “mythology”…
Mythology: /mĭ-thŏl′ə-jē/ A body or collection of myths belonging to a people and addressing their origin, history, deities, ancestors, and heroes. A body of myths associated with an event, individual, or institution.
सर्वस्य चाहं हृदि सन्निविष्टो
मत्त: स्मृतिर्ज्ञानमपोहनं च ।
वेदैश्च सर्वैरहमेव वेद्यो
वेदान्तकृद्वेदविदेव चाहम् ॥ १५ ॥sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo
mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca
vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyo
vedānta-kṛd veda-vid eva cāhamI am seated in everyone’s heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas, I am to be known. Indeed, I am the compiler of Vedānta, and I am the knower of the Vedas. https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/15/15/
The Vedic Scriptures explain different aspects of Krishna. The Puranas are ancient history. So ancient and so broad that they encompass the entire Universe, and go back billions, even trillions of years. Who can comprehend that Universal range and time scale with our teeny little perspective?
Now, where did this misunderstanding come from?
Where did anyone get the idea to call images of Krishna as “idols” and the Vedic scriptures as “Mythology”?
The last surviving bastion of Vedic culture is what is current-day India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Indonesia, etc.
Vedic culture has been under attack for well over 3000 years. It is natural, because we are in the kaliyuga, the age of quarrel and hypocrisy. Vedic culture i the opposite of quarrel and hypocrisy
First, it was the advent of Buddhism, and Jainism. These are essentially either impersonal, voidist, or both, depending on the specific flavor. Both twisted the Vedic scriptures in different ways. Both were philosophically defeated and Buddhism was mostly driven out to the far corners of the world, away from India.
Buddhism was advented by Lord Gautama Buddha to originally to drive out a corruption in Vedic culture.
तत: कलौ सम्प्रवृत्ते सम्मोहाय सुरद्विषाम् ।
बुद्धो नाम्नाञ्जनसुत: कीकटेषु भविष्यति ॥ २४ ॥tataḥ kalau sampravṛtte
sammohāya sura-dviṣām
buddho nāmnāñjana-sutaḥ
kīkaṭeṣu bhaviṣyatiThen, in the beginning of Kali-yuga, the Lord will appear as Lord Buddha, the son of Añjanā, in the province of Gayā, just for the purpose of deluding those who are envious of the faithful theist.
The origin of Jainism was a corruption of the pure teachings and example of Lord Rishbhadeva, an incarnation of Krishna.
यस्य किलानुचरितमुपाकर्ण्य कोङ्कवेङ्ककुटकानां राजार्हन्नामोपशिक्ष्य कलावधर्म उत्कृष्यमाणे भवितव्येन विमोहित: स्वधर्मपथमकुतोभयमपहाय कुपथपाखण्डमसमञ्जसं निजमनीषया मन्द: सम्प्रवर्तयिष्यते ॥ ९ ॥
yasya kilānucaritam upākarṇya koṅka-veṅka-kuṭakānāṁ rājārhan-nāmopaśikṣya kalāv adharma utkṛṣyamāṇe bhavitavyena vimohitaḥ sva-dharma-patham akuto-bhayam apahāya kupatha-pākhaṇḍam asamañjasaṁ nija-manīṣayā mandaḥ sampravartayiṣyate.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued speaking to Mahārāja Parīkṣit: My dear King, the King of Koṅka, Veṅka and Kuṭaka whose name was Arhat, heard of the activities of Ṛṣabhadeva and, imitating Ṛṣabhadeva’s principles, introduced a new system of religion. Taking advantage of Kali-yuga, the age of sinful activity, King Arhat, being bewildered, gave up the Vedic principles, which are free from risk, and concocted a new system of religion opposed to the Vedas. That was the beginning of the Jain dharma. Many other so-called religions followed this atheistic system. https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/5/6/9/
Later invasions from the west
But then, there were the expansionist invasions by the zealots claiming to follow “Islam, the religion of peace”. Those invaders to the Holy Land of India were attracted by the wealth, the riches in the temples… But they were too uncivilized and uncultured to appreciate the nuances of Vedic culture.
So they started calling temple worship “idol worship” in their middle eastern languages, Arabic, Persian, etc. They started a systematic system of persecution, calling the followers of Vedic culture as “kafirs” or non-believers. They did not understand that Krishna is actually Allah Himself. This persecution conginues to this day, a thousand years on. For example in Pakistan and Bangladesh, followers of Vedic culture are still harshly persecuted.
The European powers made the most sophisticated attempts to culturally conquer the Vedic culture. They came to India about 600 years ago. They engaged in business and military conquest. They also sought to replace Vedic culture with barbarian European culture through an insidious system called “modern education”.
Indians have been conditioned to denigrate their own culture!
Indians began to speak Portuguese, Dutch, French, and English. They were made to forget their own languages, their own customs and refined practices. It was deeply rooted. The Europeans, especially the British, sought to vilify all Vedic practices through their Christian missionaries.
- Deity worship became “Idol Worship”.
- Krishna became a “tribal chieftain” or at best, a “Hindu god”.
- All the ancient historical texts like the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Puranas, became “Hindu myths”.
Vedic culture will rescue with world from its dense darkness. To revive the glorious Vedic culture, we must first reject this insulting word “idol” in relation to Krishna. We must also reject the derogatory “mythology” in relation to the Vedic scriptures.
What is idol worship then?
It is the worship of politicians, business people, actors, sports people, military leaders, etc. It is the worship of TV personalities and entertainers. The western world fully engages in idol worship daily. They do this through their thousands of TV channels, their movies, their books, newspapers, magazines, their marketplaces, and living spaces.
“Western Culture”, an oxymoron, means to worship the temporary bodies, through luxurious homes devoid of a culture of Krishna Consciousness. It means lavish bathrooms and swimming pools. It means arenas to celebrate war in disguise. It means a worship of their dogs and cats. It means the killing of cows and bulls, which are dear to Krishna.
Reject idol worship, by all means, but the form of Krishna is not an “idol”.
We can use the these words instead to describe images of Krishna:
- “Archa Vigraha” (अर्च विग्र:) – the Divine Worshipable Form of God
- Deity
- Divine Form of God
And what is mythology?
What is called “modern science” is mostly mythology. And the western version of “history” is mythology. Common uncultured rascals have been promoted as great personalities. Alexander “the great” was a looter and marauder. Napoleon was a low class murderer and looter. He conspired to become king of France after the French had executed their king and rejected the monarchy. Winston Churchill was a disgusting narrow minded bigot. He was a lying manipulator. He was not a great leader by any stretch of the imagination, because he was full of all vices.
Everything that opposes the pristine Vedic culture is mythology. This includes the spiritual texts of the Middle East, that were once great and pure. These texts like the Quran, Bible, etc., have been censored, edited and misinterpreted. They have lost spiritual value due to tampering. They are only good as political manifestos now. Even if the text is intact, the misinterpretation and misunderstanding of it has depleted its value.
So, yes, reject mythology also, but the Vedic scriptures are not mythology.
धर्म: प्रोज्झितकैतवोऽत्र परमो निर्मत्सराणां सतां
वेद्यं वास्तवमत्र वस्तु शिवदं तापत्रयोन्मूलनम् ।
श्रीमद्भागवते महामुनिकृते किं वा परैरीश्वर:
सद्यो हृद्यवरुध्यतेऽत्र कृतिभि: शुश्रूषुभिस्तत्क्षणात् ॥ २ ॥dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo ’tra paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satāṁ
vedyaṁ vāstavam atra vastu śivadaṁ tāpa-trayonmūlanam
śrīmad-bhāgavate mahā-muni-kṛte kiṁ vā parair īśvaraḥ
sadyo hṛdy avarudhyate ’tra kṛtibhiḥ śuśrūṣubhis tat-kṣaṇātCompletely rejecting all religious activities which are materially motivated, this Bhāgavata Purāṇa propounds the highest truth, which is understandable by those devotees who are fully pure in heart. The highest truth is reality distinguished from illusion for the welfare of all. Such truth uproots the threefold miseries. This beautiful Bhāgavatam, compiled by the great sage Vyāsadeva [in his maturity], is sufficient in itself for God realization. What is the need of any other scripture? As soon as one attentively and submissively hears the message of Bhāgavatam, by this culture of knowledge the Supreme Lord is established within his heart. https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/1/1/2/
You can call the Vedic scriptures as:
- The Yoga texts of India
- Vedas or Puranas
- Vedic scriptures
- Vedic literature
- Vedic History
Please give up the use of the words “idol” and “mythology” in relation with Vedic Culture! Hare Krishna!
The Simple Devotion of Haridasa Varya Prabhu - Haridasa Varya Prabhu, a humble and devoted soul, exemplifies the profound impact of simple devotion. Initiated at the age of 82, he lived a quiet life in Maharashtra, embodying true spirituality through daily chanting and reading. Despite illness, his dedication never wavered, demonstrating that it's never too late to pursue a spiritual path. Surrounded by supportive devotees, his sincere humility and consistent practice of chanting the Hare Krishna mantra brought him closer to Krishna, ultimately guiding him to spiritual perfection.Haridasa Varya Prabhu is not a well known devotee. He is not a Guru. He is not a big leader. He does not give classes. He does not write books. He did not take any tremendous vows. He did not commit to or achieve some ambitious project. He is a simple devotee. But his simple devotion earned him a place in the spiritual realm. Read more about the simplicity of this sweet devotee that made him dear to Guru and Krishna.
Born in 1941, Haridasa Varya Prabhu left for the spiritual world in 2025 at the age of 84. He was initiated quite recently, in 2023. How did he achieve this amazing feat, and that too “so quickly”?
Our hero was born in a pious Marathi-speaking family. It was in a little village in the Washim District of Maharashtra. He led a very quiet and simple life. Married, early, he had two sons and a daughter. I learned about this great soul through his daughter. She is a devotee named Shyama Gauri Devi Dasi. She is a disciple of His Holiness Radhanath Swami. When she spoke about her father, I was inspired and struck by the simple devotion of her father. I had to write about it.
A map of India highlighting the Washim District of the State of Maharashtra
Once, not long ago, a visiting preacher, Ram Narayan Prabhu asked this elderly gentlemen “How many rounds are you chanting?”. The answer came back “Five”. The preacher asked “How will you reach spiritual perfection by chanting only five rounds?”. He added “If you chant a sixteen rounds, I will arrange for your initiation”. Our elderly hero was incredulous “What, even I can get initiated?” – thinking himself so unqualified for spiritual initiation, nevertheless started chanting sixteen rounds of the Hare Krishna Mahamantra. Every single day our octogenarian hero would chant Hare Krishna. Minimum of 16 rounds. Every single day.
Baladev Prabhu is our hero’s spiritual guide. He served as “Atma Pradarshak Guru” and “Shiksha Guru”, the instructing spiritual master. He took great pains to craft a plan of spiritual practice suitable for an octogenarian. Another spiritual guide was Vednath Prabhu, the Bhakti Vriksha leader or the local community.
Simple things get harder in old age. That’s one reason to start as early as possible. But, our hero never skipped his rounds. Even in ill health. Even in pain. No matter how hard it got, there was no stopping until he got to the magic number 16 rounds.
When it came time to getting initiated, though, there was a problem. He couldn’t travel far. In fact, he barely traveled to a nearby village. So how would he get initiated?
His Grace Samika Rishi Prabhu is a disciple of Srila Prabhupada. When he heard about this sincere soul, he agreed to initiate him. Not only is Samika Rishi Prabhu an accomplished physician of the body, he also is a doctor for the soul. The spiritual master has over 50 years of dedicated service under his belt. He agreed to visit the little village in Washim, Maharashtra. He came just to initiate this sincere soul.
On the initiation day, everyone was moved by the sincerity of the octogenarian initiate! His simplicity and dedication were clearly seen by all. New initiates are required to take the following vows:
- To chant a minimum of 16 rounds of the Hare Krishna Mahamantra (1728 utterances of the mantra) every day.
- To follow these four regulative principles
- No illicit sex
- No gambling
- No meat eating
- No intoxication
When taking the vows to follow the regulative, our hero was embarrassed. He didn’t want anyone thinking he used to do these things before and would now abstain from them! So he took the vows somewhat like this:
“I don’t partake of illicit sex, gambling, meat eating, or intoxication” – deliberately using the present tense!
That simple innocence definitely brought a chuckle to everyone present!
His Grace Samika Rishi Prabhu initiated our hero with the name “Haridasa Varya Das.” This name means “The foremost among the servants of Sri Hari.” He took his spiritual life very seriously.
This was the daily schedule of Haridasa Varya Prabhu:
7:00 AM – rise, cleanse teeth, have breakfast, take a bath, apply Tilaka, recite his mantras at the altar. The mantras starting with the Ganapati Stotra and other mantras he was used to reciting since childhood.
8:00 AM – Chant 16 rounds of the Hare Krishna Mahamantra on meditation beads
11 AM – Lunch
12 Noon – Nap
2 PM – Read the Srimad Bhagavatam, at least 40 pages daily – make a daily record of his reading
4PM – Watch TV, speak with other villagers
6PM – dinner
7PM – Chant Hare Krishna some more
9PM – Rest
Handwritten notes example, containing the reading progress of His Grace Haridasa Varya Prabhu around the date of his departure
When he became sick closer to departure from his body, he chanted constantly, with or without beads. Even without beads, or while “asleep”, he would “move the beads”on a piece of cloth in bed.
Just before he departed, he did this:
- Asked for his beads
- Asked for a picture of Krishna to be brought before him. Not just any picture of Krishna from some magazine, but a picture of Sri Radha Pandharinath from ISKCON Pandharpur.
- He told his daughter-in-law “There are four personalities here. They have come to take me home”
- He asked to go outside in the sun, and spoke to passersby as if saying goodbye to everyone
- Took Krishna Prasadam
- A neighbor who had gone to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbha Mela gave him some Ganga Jal (water from the Ganga)
- Refused to go into his bedroom to sleep
- Sat down on a couch gazing at a picture of Sri Radha Vrindavan Chandra from ISKCON NVCC Pune.
- Told his daughter-in-law, “Yes, there are four of them who have come for me”
- Took his “bath”, a sponge bath from one of his daughters-in-law
- He departed just when his arms were raised to put on his shirt
Haridasa Varya Prabhu used to love to lead Harinam Kirtan in his own special way. Someone would hold a microphone close to his mouth and he would sing a simple song or two. His sincere Kirtan was appreciated by all.
This was one of his favourite songs:
तू माझा यजमान रामा, तू माझा यजमान ||धृ||
जननी जठरी रक्षियले मज,पोसुनी पंचहि प्राण ||१||
बाहेर निघता मातेचे स्तनी,पय केले निर्माण ||२||
ऐसे असता या पोटाची,का करू चिंता जाण ||३||
मध्व मुनीश्वर स्वामी रमापती,धरी माझा अभिमान ||४||
You are my Lord Rama, You are my Lord
In the womb of my mother, you protected me, you preserved my five life airs
When I came out, you caused milk to flow from my mother’s breast
When this is so, why shall I worry for my own sustenance
He read the entire Srimad Bhagavatam and the entire Chaitanya Charitamrita. He was on his second round of reading the Srimad Bhagavatam around the date of his departure.
He leaves behind his wife, Mother Damodar Priya Devi Dasi, also initiated by Samika Rishi Prabhu.
At the end, he pulled out an ace… attained perfection… whatever he did or not, at the end, he did. – Her Grace Rukmini Devi Dasi (JPS)
Haridasa Varya Prabhu, I pray at your lotus feet the next prayer taught to me by my spiritual master. I fall down in the dust of your lotus feet while praying this prayer to you. You have shown us by your personal example of humility, eagerness, consistency, and presence of mind. You have attained pure devotional service at the lotus feet of Sri Radha Vrindavan Chandra. You are very kind and merciful Vaishnava. Please grant this poor soul shelter at your lotus feet.
From Haridasa Varya Prabhu’s life, we get the following lessons:
- It is never too late to start – of course, start as early as possible, but start, and GO!
- When the disciple is ready, the spiritual master is sent by Krishna. In this case, Haridasa Varya Prabhu’s spiritual master came all the way from New Jersey, USA.
- Humility is a great asset – Haridasa Varya Prabhu considered himself unfit for initiation!
- Take spiritual practice seriously. It is potent. Chanting Hare Krishna. Reading Srimad Bhagavatam. Every bit counts!
- Focus consciousness on what is most important, and do it every day.
- Simplicity in spiritual life is a prized asset, we should cultivate this simplicity that allows us to chant always.
- Krishna is very kind and merciful, and His devotee is even more so. We see this from the example of all the devotees who encouraged Haridasa Varya Prabhu.
- The process of devotional service as given to us by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada works.
ये तु सर्वाणि कर्माणि मयि सन्न्यस्य मत्परा: ।
अनन्येनैव योगेन मां ध्यायन्त उपासते ॥ ६ ॥
तेषामहं समुद्धर्ता मृत्युसंसारसागरात् ।
भवामि न चिरात्पार्थ मय्यावेशितचेतसाम् ॥ ७ ॥ye tu sarvāṇi karmāṇi mayi sannyasya mat-parāḥ
ananyenaiva yogena māṁ dhyāyanta upāsateteṣām ahaṁ samuddhartā mṛtyu-saṁsāra-sāgarāt
bhavāmi na cirāt pārtha mayy āveśita-cetasāmBut those who worship Me, giving up all their activities unto Me and being devoted to Me without deviation, engaged in devotional service and always meditating upon Me, having fixed their minds upon Me, O son of Pṛthā – for them I am the swift deliverer from the ocean of birth and death.
And this beautiful verse…
अहो बकी यं स्तनकालकूटं
जिघांसयापाययदप्यसाध्वी ।
लेभे गतिं धात्र्युचितां ततोऽन्यं
कं वा दयालुं शरणं व्रजेम ॥ २३ ॥aho bakī yaṁ stana-kāla-kūṭaṁ
jighāṁsayāpāyayad apy asādhvī
lebhe gatiṁ dhātry-ucitāṁ tato ’nyaṁ
kaṁ vā dayāluṁ śaraṇaṁ vrajemaAlas, how shall I take shelter of one more merciful than He who granted the position of mother to a she-demon [Pūtanā] although she was unfaithful and she prepared deadly poison to be sucked from her breast?
Classes in Hyderabad, Pune, and Mumbai 2 – 18 Oct 2025 - This outline details the upcoming classes in India, with dates and locations specified. Any adjustments will be reflected on the webpage but will not trigger email notifications; registered participants will receive updates via WhatsApp. Locations include Hyderabad, Pune, and Mumbai, with some sessions providing audio recordings only and limited attendance. Additional information will be updated as available.Hare Krishna!
This is an outline of the upcoming classes in India. Any changes will be updated on this page, but will not result in an update email. WhatsApp updates will be sent to those registered for that.
| Date & Time (IST) | Location | Online Link if available |
| Monday 6 Oct 2025, 8:15 AM | ISKCON Hyderabad SB 5.12.15 | https://www.youtube.com/@ISKCONHyderabadAbids/streams |
| Tuesday 7 Oct 2025 | ISKCON Nizamabad Sharad Purnima Special Class in Hindi | |
| Friday 10 Oct 2025, 8:10 AM | ISKCON Pune SB 7.10.2 | https://www.youtube.com/@ISKCONNVCCPune/streams |
| Saturday 11 Oct 2025, 7:45 AM onwards | ISKCON Hinjewadi | https://www.youtube.com/live/0FVDtFurBSg?si=nCpyyUCQ-aPTd0xF |
| Saturday 11 Oct 2025, 5:00 PM onwards | Nityananda Namahatta Kothrud Home Program | https://youtu.be/Ch1e-fbfVxI?si=9AAnrc90CYH9LYj_ |
| Monday 13 Oct 2025 | ISKCON Juhu Mumbai SB 10.89.18, SB 10.89.19, SB 89.20 | https://youtu.be/M9Rq5L8ZC_I?si=BTJ_0ZBTXM2Bi-3p |
| Saturday 18 Oct 2025 | ISKCON Hyderabad SB 5.13.8 | https://www.youtube.com/live/GZJWAEngTI0?si=BsEewKl2ggKM52kZ |
How Spiritual Practices Combat Material Pollution - Hyderabad, like many other cities, is a vibrant chaos of litter. Dedicated street cleaners face a relentless battle against the chronic litterbugs who trash the city daily. Despite their morning efforts, the streets revert to their messy state by evening. This mirrors our spiritual lives where temporary cleansings fail to eliminate deeper impurities. The battle against sin and distraction is exacerbated by our habits that pollute consciousness. The antidote? Fully embrace Krishna Consciousness—an all-encompassing practice that brings clarity, purpose, and purity to both streets and spirit.I am here in India presently, the booming bustling messy city of Hyderabad.
Every morning, I walk back from the temple after the morning program. I admire the cleaners busily cleansing the streets of all sorts of garbage… pieces of paper, plastic wrappers, cigarette butts, and more.
They work quite hard, actually. They diligently sweep and clean up everything. They collect it all, put it into their carts, and take it all away. At about 8 AM in the morning, everything looks so neat and clean!
But come the afternoon, the streets look almost the same as they did before. This, despite all the hard work by the cleaners of Hyderabad!
What just happened?
Litterbug city
The culprits are the citizens (no offense intended) of Hyderabad! Most of them are chronic litterbugs… I saw one man on a motorcycle. He opens up a sachet of tobacco. He pops the contents into his mouth and discards the wrapper right there. All this while he is stopped in traffic.
A child peels the wrapper off a sweet. She pops it into her mouth. Then she discards the wrapper.
A street vendor is preparing some fruit for sale… He discards all the peels in a heap behind his cart.
A housewife has just swept her home, and she dumps the rubbish right on the street outside her house.
A man in a business suit is in a chauffeured car. He rolls down the tinted window of his fancy car. He out throws out an envelope, carefully torn into tiny bits. He spits out a stream of red tobacco induced liquid.
Boys light firecrackers on the street – it is a few weeks to Diwali. They’re getting a head start on the merriment… Every firework is left right there on the street where it went off… Bits of plastic, paper tubes, shredded paper.
Multiply that 11 Million times… the population of Hyderabad. It’s a recipe for one messy place!
Then the next morning, the cleaners will be at it again… sweep, collect, throw.
But Hyderabad looks as messy as ever, day after day. The rivers are open sewers, drains are clogged with plastic film… People have been spitting all over the place.
The cleaners don’t stand a chance, they are outnumbered!
Spiritual Cleansing, Materialistic Littering
On the spiritual path, people often engage in cleanups… Prayers, Purificatory rituals, penances, austerities… But sometimes we feel discouraged when there is no progress.
Let’s say someone prays or meditates (cleansing the consciousness) for 5 minutes, 20 minutes, or even two hours every day. Or more. What happens for the remaining time during the day?
It’s the same thing – gotta’ stop littering for the effects of the cleaning to show!
The streets of Hyderabad are cleaned each morning. But the actions of the chronic litterbugs make it seem futile. Similarly, our consciousness can be littered by where we choose to focus our attention.
It is important to focus our consciousness in a way that doesn’t litter our consciousness with more materialistic garbage.
The elephant’s bath
In a picturesque analogy from the Bhagavatam, King Parikshit makes this astute observation. He observes the souls passing in turn through regions of enjoyment and purgatory throughout the Universe. Souls are rewarded with heavenly pleasures for their pious activities, and punished for their sinful activities.
These pious and impious activities don’t cancel each other out. The after-effects of both must be experienced separately. Enjoyment for pious deeds, and suffering for the impious. And every such activity leaves behind a seed of future entanglement.
Many of us on the spiritual path are very keen to avoid the sinful activities. But all too often, we still fall victim.
क्वचिन्निवर्ततेऽभद्रात्क्वचिच्चरति तत्पुन: ।
प्रायश्चित्तमथोऽपार्थं मन्ये कुञ्जरशौचवत् ॥ १० ॥kvacin nivartate ’bhadrāt
kvacic carati tat punaḥ
prāyaścittam atho ’pārthaṁ
manye kuñjara-śaucavatSometimes one who is very alert so as not to commit sinful acts is victimized by sinful life again. I therefore consider this process of repeated sinning and atoning to be useless. It is like the bathing of an elephant, for an elephant cleanses itself by taking a full bath, but then throws dust over its head and body as soon as it returns to the land.
Many of us do the same… we engage in purification, and then we cover our consciousness with dirt.
What is that “dirt”… It is activities which cover our spiritual consciousness with material contamination. Think television, newspapers, mundane movies, games of crickets and soccer, video games, internet gossip and worse.
Why?
It’s so important to lose the habit of littering our consciousness!
Lord Krishna says this in His Song, the Bhagavad Gita, the Song of God…
विषया विनिवर्तन्ते निराहारस्य देहिनः ।
रसवर्जं रसोऽप्यस्य परं दृष्ट्वा निवर्तते ॥ ५९ ॥viṣayā vinivartante
nirāhārasya dehinaḥ
rasa-varjaṁ raso ’py asya
paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartateThough the embodied soul may be restricted from sense enjoyment, the taste for sense objects remains. But, ceasing such engagements by experiencing a higher taste, he is fixed in consciousness.
You see, the taste for sense objects remains. There is facility, there is time, and so, we fall headlong.
But is there a way to prevent this? How to avoid the fall?
केचित्केवलया भक्त्या वासुदेवपरायणा: ।
अघं धुन्वन्ति कार्त्स्न्येन नीहारमिव भास्कर: ॥ १५ ॥kecit kevalayā bhaktyā
vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ
aghaṁ dhunvanti kārtsnyena
nīhāram iva bhāskaraḥTranslation
Only a rare person who has adopted complete, unalloyed devotional service to Kṛṣṇa can uproot the weeds of sinful actions with no possibility that they will revive. He can do this simply by discharging devotional service, just as the sun can immediately dissipate fog by its rays.
The process of Krishna Consciousness is so sublime. There is Krishna Consciousness activity to immerse ourselves twenty four hours a day.
24/7 Spiritual Engagement
We can start with rising early for Mangala Arati. We can engage in a full morning program of hearing, chanting, and worship. Our consciousness becomes charged up with Krishna. We can then insert Krishna Conscious thoughts, words, and deeds throughout the day as we go about our duties.
And of course, someone who rises early is also forced to rest early. So much trouble avoided!
And of course, genuine spiritualists do not litter. Not their consciousness, not their homes, nor their streets.
Let us take advantage of this process! Want to avoid littering your streets of your consciousness? Want to know how?
P.S: I have nothing against the city or the people of Hyderabad. It is practically the same story in every village, town, or city in the world. It is the terrible practice of littering, both spiritual and material, but especially the spiritual littering that I’m advocating against.
Does an Employer take the Employee’s Karma? - A devotee grapples with the weighty concerns of karma and how it burdens employers through their employees' actions. His anxiety reflects a larger existential dilemma: can sincere devotion offset the negative karma from associates who resist spiritual growth? Replies from spiritual leaders emphasize that true surrender to Krishna liberates one from such burdens. However, they also underscore personal accountability in leadership roles, balancing professionalism and compassion. Ultimately, the discourse reveals a timeless struggle: navigating spiritual principles in the cutthroat world of business while striving to uplift those around you.Bhakta Sunil, 29 September 2014
Hare Krishna
Please accept my humble obeisances
All Glories to Srila Prabhupada
Prabhu ji I have few doubts
a) How much percentage of karma does employer take of each of his or her employee
b) If employer is sincerely practising Krishna Consciousness , though not at the place of work with employee ( not with employee , but on own ) then karma from employee to employer is reduced or nullified?
I am a bit worried because we have two employees at shop. I tried many times to directly or indirectly share Krishna Consciousness with them.
Sometimes they paid attention , but one of the employee returned the book which I gave and I am not sure if they practice God Consciousness.
At times I have noticed them behaving rudely or not giving due respect to customers. So I am worried if we have to take their karma.
I have put Prabhupada’s books and photos at place of work and often played kirtana at place of work
your insignificant servant,
Bhakta Sunil
Srivatsa Das, 03 October 2014
Dear Bhakta Sunil
Please accept my humble obeisances
All glories to Srila Gurudeva
The employer, if he is surrendered to Lord Krishna, he need not worry about karma, or law of nature or destiny and all such complications, since Krishna has already declared that His devotee never perishes. And also in BG 18.66, Krishna tells, “Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.” We will be free from fear up to the extent we have faith in the Spiritual master and Krishna. So it is very important to develop faith in them.
We cannot force anybody including our children to lead Krishna Conscious life unless they are attracted themselves to Krishna Consciousness. Everybody has been given the required free will to surrender to Krishna and they are supposed to use it for that purpose and unfortunately, they can even misuse it also by not surrendering to the Lord.
Regarding the rude behaviour, it can be due to many reasons. In this material world, a lot of people are frustrated due to many miseries, that could be one of the reason for their rude behaviour. But, in most of the cases, the problems can be solved just by hearing their worries patiently at suitable location. We need not talk in many cases, but sometimes we need to encourage them to talk. Just hear their worries patiently and attentively. Most of the times, they themselves will arrive at the solution and thank us too !!! or they will ask for some suggestion, then, at that time we can give some suggestions that can help them to lead a Krishna Conscious life. Sometimes, we may have to correct ourselves too based on their input, so we should be prepared for some adjustments. This is one way of solving the issue.
Sincerely,
Srivatsa Das
Bhakta Sunil, 04 October 2014
Thank you Srivatsa Prabhu
Superb answer!
your insignificant servant,
Bhakta Sunil
Gusti Nyoman Ambara, 04 October 2014
Hare Krishna!
Dear Sunil Prabhu
Please accept my humble obeisances,
All glories to Srila Gurudeva and Srimati Gurumataji,
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
I have no qualification at all to share my opinion with you, but I would humbly try to do it as per my capacity.
Srivatsa Prabhu have nicely given the explanation upon your doubts. It is true that if we are fully surrender to the Lord, we do not have to worry about karma and such things anymore. Always try to focus in making the Lord happy by executing our prescribed duties at our best and offered the result to Him no matter what it is. Then there will be no more anxiousness.
You also nicely show the symptom of a devotee by having compassion on your employees and try to share Krishna-consciousness to them. Indeed, it is the most important thing. I think you have correctly tried to do it by putting some Prabupada’s book and playing some kirtans at the place of work, because hearing (sravanam) is the most potent way for us to open our consciousness to Krishna. I myself also have proved this method. My mother started to chant Mahamantra on beads about a year ago. She told me that she was inspired to do so soon after she heard it played in my car stereo during our 8-hours journey from Bali to Surabaya.
If those things still do not work with your employees, I suggest you to give another try by using prasadam. It is also a powerful way to share Krishna-consciousness to the whole world. You can make some prasadam in the form of candies or sweets and put some of them at the place of work, so that your employees can have and taste them. You will gradually see the effect and surely you will no longer have any worries. Thank you very much.
your insignificant servant,
Gusti Nyoman Ambara
Bhakta Sunil, 06 October 2014
Dear Gusti Prabhu
Hare Krishna
Please accept my humble obeisances
All Glories to Srila Prabhupada
Thank you very much. Your answer is great!
Prabhu ji , I now understand that karma of one’s employee would not act for one who is practising Consciousness
Gusti Prabhu ki Jaya!
Your insignificant servant,
Bhakta Sunil
Tirtharaja Dasa, 07 10 2014
Hare Krishna Prabhu,
My take is from a different angle and might not be absolute but good for debate.
It is said that anybody in a position of leadership attracts both positive and negative karma in proportion to position held.
In a business situation if you are the chief executive then there definitely be a degree of karmic reaction just as much as the spiritual master who accepts a disciple has accruing karma until the disciple is liberated so in similar positions of leadership especially in situations where as devotees we are DE-facto spiritual masters, then there is definitely some accruing karma.
That’s why a devotee will not mind what position or circumstances he has in life but will always serve Lord Hari unconditionally.
Regards,
your Lowly Servant,
Tirtharaja Dasa.
Mahabhagavat Das SDA, 08 October 2014
Dear Bhakta Sunil,
Hare Krishna!
All these perspectives are wonderful. What I was feeling I was unable to articulate, until I read Tirtharaja Prabhu’s masterful writing. His response is befitting a senior devotee in our movement.
What I was thinking is that all those people we interact with, either as family members, community, relatives, colleagues from school, college, or work, we are already karmically bound with them. We have taken birth in similar circumstances just to enjoy or suffer collective karmas, and also repay various karmic debts. But this is a never-ending cycle… in this lifetime, we have some set of karmic debts to pay, in another cycle, it is some other set.
So, while it is true that as long as we are on the material platform, we are exchanging karmic debts, as long as we can leverage our present circumstances to drive devotional service, the situation cannot be rectified.
On a professional level, your staff need to get good training, good pay, etc., and in the worst case, if there is no progress or improvement, they would need to be fired, let go, etc. If I pay someone for a kilo of good vegetables and the person gives me only rotten vegetables, would I continue to pay that person? So inspite of giving good training, good pay, etc., if someone is not doing what I need done, then why should I continue to pay that person? Another example, ISKCON is building the Temple of Vedic Planetarium, the world’s biggest temple, we are taking full care that the engineers are qualified, the architects are qualified, the laborers are also fully qualified, the concrete is high quality, steel is perfect, etc. Of course, even though the workers are receiving payment, they are still getting the benefit of rendering devotional service.
In ISKCON Toronto, we are working on some school projects – the administrators, teachers, etc., need to be devotees, BUT they also must be professionally qualified in their specific field and be professionally competent… you could consider that, maybe there are professionally competent devotees who can also be your employees?
However, devotee or not, in the best case, even if your staff might not know or express interest in devotional service, if they are perfectly professional, and they facilitate your involvement in devotional service, they will also get some “ajnata sukrti”, or credit obtained by performing devotional service unknowingly.
Of course, you don’t expect that we will tell you how to run your business, right? You please take all these perspectives and do what is best for Krishna consciousness.
Sincerely,
Mahabhagavat Das
Bhakta Sunil, 18 October 2014
Thank you Tirtharaja Prabhu and Mahabhagavat Prabhu for discerning the conversation even further
I had heard in Bhagavatam lecture , that king collects karma from citizens and similarly for employers from employees
Thus I asked here to clarify
After reading Tirtharaja Prabhu and Mahabhagavat Prabhu’s reply , it further clarified what I understood in the lecture and what to do in such a situation
Tirtharaja Prabhu and Mahabhagavat Prabhu ki Jaya!
your insignificant servant,
Bhakta Sunil
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Madhvacharya’s Genius: A Solution for Managerial issues - Managing in religious organizations is uniquely challenging, with managers often facing burnout from balancing volunteer dynamics, demanding senior leaders, and resource limitations. There are other issues too, leading to dysfunctional management. This can hinder personal and spiritual growth. Implementing a rotational management system, like Madhvacharya’s, can combat burnout and foster healthier organizational environments, allowing managers, the organizaton, and the congregations to thrive.
He who is regulated in his habits of eating, sleeping, recreation and work can mitigate all material pains by practicing the yoga system. BG 6.17Have you ever met a dysfunctional manager?
Someone who has been managing up, managing down, managing sideways, somehow trying to get things to work but failing? In your temple, church, mosque or synagogue?
A manager can be any one of burned out, corrupt, entitled, or arrogant. It is possible that a manager in a religious organization has lost touch with the purpose of the organization… I discussed that in one of my previous posts. That article talks about whether it is possible for a genuinely spiritual organization to even exist.
Corporate vs. Religious Management
In the corporate world, managers have it relatively easy. After all, when things get sticky, they can choose to leave. They switch jobs or fire people. They can also switch roles. We concluded with the sage words of Srila Prabhupada on how to manage effectively. The essence is that the managers or leaders can’t lose sight of the spiritual goal, the main thing.
The dysfunctional manager’s dual persona
The confusing part is usually when we meet such a dysfunctional the manager as an individual. They are usually a perfectly nice person. But when we meet the individual in their role as a manager, they can be cold or calculating. They may behave as shrewd, political, or even diabolical. They might seem callous, jealous, or envious. Sometimes, they are angry, sad, frustrated, anxious, or exhibit other negative traits. Most of the time, they may come across as uninspired and uninspiring.
Challenges for Managers in Religious Organizations
Let’s face it. Managers in religious organizations have it tough.
Managing Volunteers
On the one hand, they manage an organization of volunteers. Volunteers can choose to accept what the manager is telling them, or do otherwise. Volunteers are few and far between. Volunteers are hard to fire. Every religious organization needs its volunteers.
Reporting to Senior Leaders
On the other hand, managers in religious organizations often report to senior religious leaders. These leaders can be very demanding and authoritarian. Some of them can be egotists, worse than leaders in the corporate or business world. After all, a person who actually believes he is worthy of his exalted position can be dangerous. This belief is downright perilous.
Resource and Donor Management
There are other constraints. Managing scarce resources is one of them. Keeping donors happy without pandering to their every whim is another difficult job.
The Consequences of Burnout
Continuously managing in this way leads to burnout. Managers lose their focus, their vision, and their enthusiasm. They end up acting in petty ways or developing serious issues like abuse of power, corruption, etc. Such managers land their organizations in hot water. Then, they cease to think or act “spiritual” by any stretch of the imagination. The news headlines reveal this all too often, unfortunately.
The Neglect of Personal Well-being
Mainly, the problem is that management stresses leave the managers no time and energy. Managers (often volunteers themselves) can’t take care of their own physical, mental, emotional needs. Most importantly, they can’t invest into their own spiritual needs. All too often, managers in religious organizers manage, manage, manage their way into personal destruction, disrepute, disgrace, and eventually oblivion.
The Difficulty of Finding Qualified Managers
Understandably, it is very hard to find a serious spiritualist who will take up management responsibility in a religious organization. So many individuals with integrity and capability refuse. The task is very challenging. As a result, all too often, someone ends up in the role who is not qualified to manage. This happens out of necessity or just convenience. Someone who happened to be at the right place at the right time. So, unfortunately, it so happens that a dysfunctional manager is often kept in the role for too long. To the detriment of the individual. To the detriment of the organization. And to the detriment of the congregation.
To a sincere but capable soul, accepting management responsibility with no end in sight seems like spiritual suicide.
Not just burnout…
There is a well-known saying that power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. This applies to all situations where someone has some power. But it is especially applicable to managerial situations in religious organizations. After all, a manager in a religious organization does have material power. This includes access to money, people, land, and resources. But they also carry the special cachet of being close to God.
To anyone who opposes a dysfunctional manager, that is a double jeopardy… They are dealing with someone who is undoubtedly very powerful. This person is also apparently very close to God!
And of course, all members of religious organizations are instructed to be subservient to authority! See the problem?
When someone has lost the mood of a servant
In all effective organizations, the leadership must keep the mood of being a servant.
Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, God Himself appearing in the form of His own devotee, famously said this:
नाहं विप्रो न च नरपति नापि वैश्यो न शूद्रो
नाहं वर्णी न च गर्हपतिर्नो वनस्थो यतिर्वा |
किन्तुप्रोद्यननिखिलपरमानन्दपुर्णाम्र्ताब्धेर्
गोपीभर्तुः पदकमलयोर्दासदासनुदासः ||nāhaṁ vipro na ca nara-patir nāpi vaiśyo na śūdro
nāhaṁ varṇī na ca gṛha-patir no vanastho yatir vā
kintu prodyan-nikhila-paramānanda-pūrnāmṛtābdher
gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ“ ‘I am not a brāhmaṇa, I am not a kṣatriya, I am not a vaiśya or a śūdra. Nor am I a brahmacārī, a householder, a vānaprastha or a sannyāsī. I identify Myself only as the servant of the servant of the servant of the lotus feet of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the maintainer of the gopīs. He is like an ocean of nectar, and He is the cause of universal transcendental bliss. He is always existing with brilliance.’ ” https://vedabase.io/en/library/cc/madhya/13/80/
God Himself is flawless in all respects, in every role. Yet, God’s illusory energy, Maya, she, is a formidable temptress. Maya can convince anyone of that which is not. A manager or a leader can be falsely convinced that they are not a servant.
दैवी ह्येषा गुणमयी मम माया दुरत्यया ।
मामेव ये प्रपद्यन्ते मायामेतां तरन्ति ते ॥ १४ ॥daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī
mama māyā duratyayā
mām eva ye prapadyante
māyām etāṁ taranti teThis divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it. https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/7/14/
It is very easy for anyone to fall prey to the illusory material energy. After all, religious organizations are not full of perfected beings, but those who are trying to become spiritually perfect! So, it is practically unfair for a religious organization to leave someone in a position of power for too long.
Madhvacharya’s Management Genius
Madhvacharya, an influential 13th Century Guru was a management genius. While his spiritual contributions are unparalleled, there is another amazing contribution. He presented a very intelligent management paradigm that religious organizations should take note of. He recognized all these problems and came up with a master stroke of a management strategy.
Madhvacharya disappeared from our view in the Himalayas at Badarikashram over 700 years ago. He went to associate with his Guru Sri Veda Vyasa. It is said that the spiritual master and disciple are still living there, up in the Himalayas. But the management system he put into place still continues to work in Udupi, at the Sri Krishna Matha.
The Rotating Management System
What is Madhvacharya’s management genius? He built 8 management teams under 8 capable leaders. Not one, not two, but EIGHT! He then put each team in charge of management of the temple for two years, on a permanent rotation basis. So one team takes charge, manages the massive temple for two years, then hands over to the next team… continuously rotating.
Benefits of Rotation
Each team gets 14 years to invest into their own physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. Then they sacrifice two years to serve at the temple… and then, before any of the above negative things start happening, they exit the main stage. They are now ready to recover, recoup, and reinvest into their spiritual core. They get a good 14 years to regroup, share reflections, and prepare for their next shot at the management service.
The Impact on Manager Motivation
Put yourself in their shoes. If you get 14 years to prepare for something, how eager and enthusiastic would you be? How hard-working, sincere, and serious would you be if you have just 2 years to actually do it? Many leaders don’t even get one chance to do the service, because after all, death appears to everyone. But if you do get more than one opportunity, we can be sure that the service will be always better.
The Importance of Rotation
There is no burnout, and no time to get involved in any detrimental activities. There is enough time to deeply ponder the purpose and mood and mission of the service. Religious organizations should take note of this. Any organization that does not follow such a rotation policy risks making the headlines for the wrong reasons. Do not keep a manager in a management role for too long. Find others, keep switching it up. Give everyone enough time to take care of their own health, physical, mental, emotional, and above all, spiritual.
Sri Krishna says this in the Bhagavad Gita…
युक्ताहारविहारस्य युक्तचेष्टस्य कर्मसु ।
युक्तस्वप्नावबोधस्य योगो भवति दु:खहा ॥ १७ ॥yuktāhāra-vihārasya
yukta-ceṣṭasya karmasu
yukta-svapnāvabodhasya
yogo bhavati duḥkha-hāHe who is regulated in his habits of eating, sleeping, recreation and work can mitigate all material pains by practicing the yoga system.
If you are a manager in a religious organization yourself, watch out!
You won’t get to your spiritual destination if you don’t take care of your spiritual growth. Managerial growth, or more fame, power, money or influence, is not the same as spiritual growth! Please guard your spiritual life with great attention!
I pray for your success!
Hare Krishna!
The author humbly expresses his gratitude to Sriman Ravindra Shyamsundar Joshi, his elder brother. His valuable feedback on this article addressed a key misunderstanding. It helped clarify that burnout was not the only cause of managerial issues in religious organizations.
India Trip 2-18 October 2025 - The author joyfully shares his upcoming journey to India from 2-18 October 2025, where he will immerse himself in spiritual practices centered around Krishna. He plans to visit sacred sites, engage in prayers, and connect with family and friends. This enriching experience promises to deepen his devotion and foster community service. Hare Krishna!Hare Krishna!
It is a great pleasure and privilege to be back in the holy land of Bharat Bhumi. Most of us also know this land as India.
When in India, I will be hearing and chanting about Krishna. I will visit some places of pilgrimage. Sincere and serious devotees have based their lives around hearing and chanting about Krishna in these places.
This is my schedule
- Till 29 September 2025, Toronto
- 30 September 2025, Travel Toronto – Frankfurt
- 1 October 2025, Travel Frankfurt – Hyderabad
- 2 October 2025, Hyderabad, Vijayadashami, Dussehra, the victory of Lord Rama over Ravana, Sri Madhvacharya’s Appearance Day
- 2 – 8 October 2025, Hyderabad
- 9 – 12 October 2025, Pune
- 12 – 14 Oct 2025, Mumbai
- 15-17 October 2025, Tiruvanantapuram / Trivandrum
- 18 October 2025, Hyderabad
- 18 – 19 October, Travel Hyderabad – Delhi – Toronto
- 19 October 2025 onward, Toronto
These are the planned activities
- Spend some time with my elderly parents.
- Attend the full morning program.
- Join Mangala Arati at 4:30AM .
- Engage in Japa, or chanting Hare Krishna.
- See Shringara Arati
- Offer Guru Puja to Srila Prabhupada.
- Attend classes on Srimad Bhagavatam at the nearest ISKCON temple with the devotees.
- Distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books.
- Read and Hear from Srila Prabhupada’s books.
- Sing in Harinam Sankirtan.
- Give Classes where possible.
- Meet, serve, and hear from my Guru – spiritual master and Guru Mata.
- Meet family and friends.
If you want to meet me when I’m in India, please write to das@dasadas.com. Meeting individually is not always possible. Nonetheless, I will try to invite you to any programs I am attending or serving at.
And just so you have some spiritual gain from viewing this post, some beautiful spiritual images to meditate on…
ISKCON Hyderabad View of the Altars
Presiding Deities of Hyderabad Sri Radha Madan Mohan
ISKCON NVCC Pune
Presiding Deities of ISKCON NVCC Pune, Sri Radha Vrindavan Chandra
Presiding Deities of ISKCON Camp, Pune, Sri Radha Kunjabihari
Courtyard of ISKCON Juhu, Mumbai
Presiding Deities of ISKCON Juhu, Sri Radha Rasabihari
Night View of ISKCON Trivandrum
Presiding Deities of ISKCON Trivandrum, Sri Krishna Balaram
Class on SB 8.7.40-42 21 Aug 2025 Online - Join us for an enlightening session on Srimad Bhagavatam verses 8.7.40-42 with HG Mahabhagavat Das. This uplifting discussion highlights Lord Shiva's selfless compassion and the importance of benevolence for all living entities. Don't miss this opportunity to deepen your understanding on August 21, 2025, at 7:20 AM ET!
A class recording will be shared after.Hare Krishna 🙏
Bhakti sanga Japa Conference Call Presents.
SPEAKER: HG Mahabhagavat Das
TOPIC:*Srimad Bhagavatam verse 8.7.40-42
DATE📆: Thursday, 21st August 2025
TIME⌚: 7:20 AM. ET USA/ 6:20 AM. CT USA/ 4:20 AM PST USA/ 12:20 PM UK/ 7:20 PM MYT/ 4:50 PM IST
Chanting Starts at 5:00 AM EST
Join by Zoom:
One tap mobile, +14086380968,,6818736022#,,1#,803604# US (San Jose)
Meeting ID: 681 873 6022
Password for all numbers: 803604
🌹Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare🌹
ŚB 8.7.40
पुंस: कृपयतो भद्रे सर्वात्मा प्रीयते हरि: ।
प्रीते हरौ भगवति प्रीयेऽहं सचराचर: ।
तस्मादिदं गरं भुञ्जे प्रजानां स्वस्तिरस्तु मे ॥ ४० ॥
puṁsaḥ kṛpayato bhadre
sarvātmā prīyate hariḥ
prīte harau bhagavati
prīye ’haṁ sacarācaraḥ
tasmād idaṁ garaṁ bhuñje
prajānāṁ svastir astu me
Synonyms
puṁsaḥ — with a person; kṛpayataḥ — engaged in benevolent activities; bhadre — O most gentle Bhavānī; sarva–ātmā — the Supersoul; prīyate — becomes pleased; hariḥ — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; prīte — because of His pleasure; harau — the Supreme Lord, Hari; bhagavati — the Personality of Godhead; prīye — also become pleased; aham — I; sa–cara–acaraḥ — with all others, moving and nonmoving; tasmāt — therefore; idam — this; garam — poison; bhuñje — let me drink; prajānām — of the living entities; svastiḥ — welfare; astu — let there be; me — by me.
Translation
My dear gentle wife Bhavānī, when one performs benevolent activities for others, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, is very pleased. And when the Lord is pleased, I am also pleased, along with all other living creatures. Therefore, let me drink this poison, for all the living entities may thus become happy because of me.
ŚB 8.7.41
श्रीशुक उवाच
एवमामन्त्र्य भगवान्भवानीं विश्वभावन: ।
तद् विषं जग्धुमारेभे प्रभावज्ञान्वमोदत ॥ ४१ ॥
śrī-śuka uvāca
evam āmantrya bhagavān
bhavānīṁ viśva-bhāvanaḥ
tad viṣaṁ jagdhum ārebhe
prabhāva-jñānvamodata
Synonyms
śrī–śukaḥ uvāca — Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; evam — in this way; āmantrya — addressing; bhagavān — Lord Śiva; bhavānīm — Bhavānī; viśva–bhāvanaḥ — the well-wisher of all the universe; tat viṣam — that poison; jagdhum — to drink; ārebhe — began; prabhāva–jñā — mother Bhavānī, who perfectly knew the capability of Lord Śiva; anvamodata — gave her permission.
Translation
Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: After informing Bhavānī in this way, Lord Śiva began to drink the poison, and Bhavānī, who knew perfectly well the capabilities of Lord Śiva, gave him her permission to do so.
ŚB 8.7.42
तत: करतलीकृत्य व्यापि हालाहलं विषम् ।
अभक्षयन्महादेव: कृपया भूतभावन: ॥ ४२ ॥
tataḥ karatalī-kṛtya
vyāpi hālāhalaṁ viṣam
abhakṣayan mahā-devaḥ
kṛpayā bhūta-bhāvanaḥ
Synonyms
tataḥ — thereafter; karatalī–kṛtya — taking in his hand; vyāpi — widespread; hālāhalam — called hālahala; viṣam — poison; abhakṣayat — drank; mahā–devaḥ — Lord Śiva; kṛpayā — out of compassion; bhūta–bhāvanaḥ — for the welfare of all living entities.
Translation
Thereafter, Lord Śiva, who is dedicated to auspicious, benevolent work for humanity, compassionately took the whole quantity of poison in his palm and drank it.
Purport
Although there was such a great quantity of poison that it spread all over the universe, Lord Śiva had such great power that he reduced the poison to a small quantity so that he could hold it in his palm. One should not try to imitate Lord Śiva. Lord Śiva can do whatever he likes, but those who try to imitate Lord Śiva by smoking ganja and other poisonous things will certainly be killed because of such activities.
How does the consciousness of the cook enter the food? And why should we avoid onions? - A thoughtful discussion about the impact of a cook’s consciousness on food, emphasizing the importance of Vedic principles in spiritual practice. They discuss why for tamasic foods like onions should be avoided, and how sincere prayer and love can influence family and promote a cuisine conducive to spiritual growth and devotion.Shivani Saxena, 5 July 2014
Hare Krishna,
My respected obeisances to You,
Srila gurudev and gurumata,
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Our food at home is cooked with onions, and it is prepared by a hired cook.
Prabhu, kindly explain in detail for how the consciousness of the cook reaches to the one who eats it? What can we neophytes do about it because we can not keep convincing people to avoid onion because its tamasic?
Editor’s note: Tamasic means “in the mode of ignorance or darkness”, something that decreases our chance of spiritual success.
Hari bol…
Shivani
Shridhar Das, 8 July 2014
Hare Krsna Mataji!
Please accept my humble obeisances!
All Glories to Srila Gurudeva!
All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!
I will try answering the question to my best:
Our food at home is cooked with onions, and it is prepared by a hired cook.
Prabhu, kindly explain in detail for how the consciousness of the cook reaches to the one who eats it? What can we neophytes do about it because we can not keep convincing people to avoid onion because its tamasic?
Answer. The Vedic science and explanation is a very subtle one. It is difficult to understand without purification. Most institutes do not accept it. They cannot experience it through their imperfect material senses. This inability is also the reason for the degradation of society. This can be another topic for discussion. Practicing Vedic science can confirm its validity. All the practicing souls are clearly concluding this through the results.
Our consciousness is added as an ingredient to the food. This is done by the same fire being used to cook. Exceptions include milk and fruit (Respected senior devotees kindly please confirm the same if correct). The main point is to read and understand BG 3.13.
The devotees of the Lord are released from all kinds of sins because they eat food which is offered first for sacrifice. Others, who prepare food for personal sense enjoyment, verily eat only sin. – Bhagavad Gita 3.13
Even assuming a food is free of someone’s consciousness, if it’s not offered it’s still full of sin. BG 3.13, especially the purport, needs to be carefully read and understood for the same which provides the logic behind it. But surely, subtle nature can’t directly be seen by material vision as so-called modern scientists demand.
Concerning the cook, we can beg to Lord in surrender. This allows us to receive the mercy to honor His remnants (sanctified food, prasadam). These remnants are potent in destroying innumerable sins. They are so potent that they can elevate a soul from a lower species of life. The soul can directly attain a human body. This applies to species like a bird or even lower. This is confirmed by Srila Prabhupada. Considering their other glories, why would Krsna not help the sincere devotees?
Onions are undoubtedly not good for progress in Krsna consciousness. If our family supports our path of bhakti, it can become a strong pillar for our career. It can also support any other duties of life. They will also understand how onion, garlic, mushroom, and meat act as poison to our progress. Krsna has given plenty of vegetables, fruits, milk, and grains. These can yield millions of tasty and nutritious recipes. Why focus so much on onion and garlic? They are full of stink, give foul breath, and are the source of lust. We cannot imagine offering a stink to Krsna. So by becoming convinced we may attempt to share the same with family. How to convince is another art and that is the talent of a preacher. In my case, I stopped taking any food. As a result, my parents were compelled to give up onion and garlic. I asked them to consume these but allow me to prepare my own food. However, there are better ways, as love works far better. Now I am working on the same. Senior devotees please guide on the techniques out of your experiences.
But prayers have worked for me. Even at my home, my mother was unable to cook due to medical conditions. All cooks who came and went by were meat eaters. I had no other choice but to offer. However, soon, a cook arrived who was Muslim. He rarely consumed meat and chanted the names of Allah before cooking. He recited them 500 times before sleeping. This was the best of a bad bargain. Currently, my mother is cooking as she is fine but again looking for a cook. I question every cook who approaches for cooking at our home “Do you consume meat?”. Then I received instructions from authorities. They said the cook must think that she is cooking for Krsna and be Krsna conscious. So I used to play melodious kirtans to the cook. I would talk about the Lord. Alternatively, I asked the cook to kindly adopt the required mentality. This was the toughest job. I made sincere efforts from my end. Also mataji, please read the following article. It explains why no Onions and Garlic. This will prove helpful in making efforts to avoid them.
I humbly request senior devotees to kindly put more light on this as well as correct my attempt as necessary.
your servant
Shridhar Das
Please subscribe to daily inspirational emails from His Grace Sriman Sankarshan Das Adhikari (Writings and lectures archived at www.sda-archives.com ), written fresh every day from his travels around the world sharing the highest spiritual knowledge with everyone. Sign up now at www.joincourse.com
Why do we put our hands up when we say “Haribol”? - A devotee inquires about the significance of raising hands during the chant "Hari bol." Another devotee explains that this gesture represents voluntary surrender, drawing inspiration from Lord Chaitanya. It enhances one's connection to Krishna, fostering sincerity and devotion. Ultimately, this practice brings individuals closer to their spiritual goals with heartfelt prayer.Shivani Saxena, 5 July 2014
Hare Krishna,
My respected obeisances to You,
Srila gurudev and gurumata,
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
If I may inquire: Why do we do hari bol in hands up position, what does it signify?
Hari bol…
Shivani
Shridhar Das, 8 July 2014
Hare Krsna Mataji!
Please accept my humble obeisances!
All Glories to Srila Gurudeva!
All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!
I will try answering the questions to my best:
1.Why do we do Haribol in hands up position, what does it signify?
Answers. One simple explanation for raising our hands when we say Haribol is because that’s what we read from Caitanya Caritamrta. The same applies when we chant Hare Krsna Mahamantra during lectures in unison or while singing arati. We read many times about Lord Chaitanya raising his hands up and blissfully chanting. He encouraged others to follow. We also follow His footsteps to convince Him that we are eager for the same taste, although far away.
What I was explained when I joined was it’s a sign of surrender. We all know what would happen if a criminal pointed a weapon at us. We would quickly raise our hands in surrender. He would force us by shouting “Hands up!” to make sure we obey his orders. Nevertheless, in bhakti the mood is of voluntary surrender. Out of love for the Lord, in surrender one chants Haribol!! Or during arati in the most surrendered mood. This is to convey one’s heartfelt prayers if the meaning of the song is understood. In the MOST surrendered mood, one prays: “Krsna, I am so helpless and such a fallen soul! Please help me surrender unto You!” or in the mood of glorifying Lord or His devotees. Ultimately, raising hands and singing puts the singer in a more surrendered state of mind. The more we surrender, the more Krsna is pleased with our sincerity despite difficulties. This helps us get closer to the ultimate goal.
your servant
Shridhar Das
Please subscribe to daily inspirational emails from His Grace Sriman Sankarshan Das Adhikari (Writings and lectures archived at www.sda-archives.com ), written fresh every day from his travels around the world sharing the highest spiritual knowledge with everyone. Sign up now at www.joincourse.com
Can Spiritual Organizations Truly Exist? - Is "spiritual organization" a contradiction? Spirituality is all about simplicity while organizations lean towards complexity. Combining them poses risks, like losing sight of true spiritual goals. Yet, if done right, organizations can help spread spiritual teachings and drive broader impacts. It’s all about focus! Do you see problems with spiritual organizations?“Spiritual Organization” – is that an oxymoron?
An oxymoron is when two contradictory words are used together. This can occur sometimes intentionally and sometimes by accident. Occasionally, it is not meant to be so, but hypocrisy is the cause.
In this case, we are aware of many spiritual organizations, think temples, churches, mosques, and so on… there are many. Some of them are spiritual, some religious, some both.
When I think about what spirituality is, and what organization must be, we wonder if they can ever go together.
Simplicity vs. Complexity
Spirituality means simplicity. For someone who is not simple, spiritual life is extremely complicated.
But organization means complexity… it is impossible to build and grow an organization without avoiding complexity.
On the other hand, without good organization, it is not possible to have a greater spiritual impact. Many pure saints have come and gone for thousands of years. Their existence remains a well-kept secret. They come, and they go, sight unseen. Almost no one knows about their teachings, instructions, or example.
Spiritual descendants of those simple saints often take a risk. They make the effort to organize and distribute their teachings on a wider scale. They regularly get sucked into the complexities of organizations. As a result, they sometimes lose sight of the simplicity that makes spiritual practice possible.
So this is the dichotomy… “spiritual” means simple, frugal, minimal, open, honest, etc.
But “organization” means people, money, structure, process, secrecy, and inevitably, politics.
Can spirituality exist in an organization? Can an organization fulfill spiritual goals?
How to properly understand this? How to reconcile these?
Let us examine both, and understand the risks better.
Spirituality
Spirituality means a pursuit that is non-material. A genuine spiritualist does not care for money, fame, power, influence, or any material trappings.
Organization
Organization means, fundamentally, some land or real estate, some money, and people… and some structure so that it can all be effectively governed.
In an organization, we need different types of roles. We need individual contributors. These include preachers, teachers, singers, cooks, cleaners, priests, musicians, etc. We also need managers, we need wranglers who can get things done. We need thinkers, we need executive leaders who can articulate a vision. And we need those who can execute on that vision. We need accountants, we need lawyers, we need marketing people too… we need fundraisers, we need people leaders and technically skilled leaders.
Amidst all of this, there is also a class of bureaucrats… people who can figure out a system and work it, to their advantage, to others’ disadvantage. There is also a rise of the people who don’t really contribute to the mission of the organization. They broker relationships, they broker rewards, they broker power and peddle influence. They also broker corruption. It is unavoidable, in any organization, even a spiritual organization. Even if there are parasites. Yes, we can strive to root them out, but it is often hard to tell. So we often tolerate them.
Why? Because a genuine spiritual process can transform even the most hardened materialist. So we have hope for them, even if we see through them. Even if we see their machinations, their schemes. Even if we must tolerate their shenanigans, while continuing to cultivate spiritual purity ourselves.
Srila Prabhupada spoke about this…
Just like a ripe mango and green mango. Green mango is the cause of ripe mango. But to taste ripe mango is better than unripe mango. Similarly, before attaining love of Godhead, you have got different stages. Just like the same mango, it passes through different stages, then one day it comes nice yellow color, fully ripened, and taste is so nice.
The same mango. The mango does not change, but it comes to the mature stage. So this . . . as this example, the mango is in the beginning a flower, then gradually a little fruit. Then gradually it grows. Then it becomes very tight, green, and then, gradually, it becomes little, little yellowish, and it becomes fully ripe.
This is the process of everything. In material world also, there are six processes, and the last process is vanquish. This mango example or any other material example, we can accept it so far the growth is required, concerned, but material example is not perfect. Just like mango, when it is ripe, somebody eats, that’s all right.
Otherwise it will overripe, it will decompose, it will fall down and finish. That is material. But spiritual is not like that. It is not finished. If you once come to the stage of mature stage of love, then that perfectional stage continues eternally, and your life is successful. Premā pum-artho mahān
https://vanisource.org/wiki/681018_-Lecture-_Seattle?hl=ripe|mango
Should we do away with organizations?
It is tempting to think in that way… no organizations, no money, no power, no corruption, no bureaucrats, no parasites, right?
The power, the money, the powerful, the influential, the famous, and the stars. We all know fame corrodes and power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.
No, because despite it all… Despite many challenges. By organizing ourselves better, we can help more souls advance spiritually. It is worth all the effort. Organization, sacrifices, and compromises make it possible, but only when we haven’t lost sight of the goal. Working together towards a common goal makes it possible, even if it is difficult to do so.
After all, one lone saintly person, how much can he do? How many souls can he reach?
So many saints have come and gone. Many have cried in the wilderness. Most are unknown. Those saints who took the time and trouble to organize did something tangible. Even if they had to distract themselves with the mundane temporarily, their efforts were worthwhile.
There is every risk that an organization becomes ineffective… That is a risk for any organization. Not just a danger for spiritual organizations.
I had written about this before. Srila Prabhupada wisely warned us against thinking that simply by being part of some organization we can advance spiritually…
But if we want to go to the spiritual platform, then these bodily demands, at least for the present, we have to regulate. We cannot enjoy material life without any restriction and at the same time we can stand on the spiritual platform. That is the whole thing. The difficult problem is there: we want to be spiritualist by speculation only. That is the whole tendency.
People are much interested in philosophical speculation without any practical life. In the modern world it is said, yaśo ‘rthe dharma-yajanam. This is the symptom of this age. Yaśaḥ arthe. I want to associate with some organization, spiritual, just for the sake of name: “Oh, I am attached to that such big organization.” But, so far my life is concerned, it is as it is. https://vanisource.org/wiki/660418_-_Lecture_BG_02.59-69_-_New_York?hl=organization
So? What is the conclusion?
Spiritualists, organize properly!
But how?
By making sure to keep the main thing the main thing!
I leave you with profound instructions from the great His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
The point is to be engaged in doing something for Krishna, never mind what is that job, but being so engaged in doing something very much satisfying to the devotee that he remains always enthusiastic.
He will automatically follow the regulative principles because they are part of his occupational duty–by applying them practically as his occupational duty, he realises the happy result of regulative principles.
So the future of this Krishna Consciousness movement is very bright, so long the managers remain vigilant that 16 rounds are being chanted by everyone without fail, that they are all rising before four morning, attending mangal arotik–our leaders shall be careful not to kill the spirit of enthusiastic service, which is individual and spontaneous and voluntary.
They should try always to generate some atmosphere of fresh challenge to the devotees, so that they will agree enthusiastically to rise and meet it.
That is the art of management: to draw out spontaneous loving spirit of sacrificing some energy for Krishna.
But where are so many expert managers? All of us should become expert managers and preachers. We should not be very much after comforts and become complacent or self-contented.
There must be always some tapasya, strictly observing the regulative principles
Krishna Consciousness movement must be always a challenge, a great achievement to be gained by voluntary desire to do it, and that will keep it healthy.
So you big managers now try to train up more and more some competent preachers and managers like yourselves.
Forget this centralizing and bureaucracy.
This is a cautionary note for all spiritual organizations.
The standard of education - We wake up to horrible headlines every day. People in leadership roles, people who are "highly educated" act in terrible ways.
We come up with band-aid solutions every day, whack-a-mole style. But have we examined the root cause of the problems we face in our world?
Could there be a problem with our education system?What does it mean to be “educated”? What is the standard of education? What is the bar? How do we know if someone is educated or not?
I was shocked and disgusted to see news like this in the media…
- Bengaluru student raped, blackmailed by college professors; three arrested
- Former professor charged with raping multiple victims from El Salvador
- Two women say Stanford and UC Berkeley professors raped them
- UP professor booked for raping female students
- Muslim Schoolteacher rapes and marries 12-year old student
- Mumbai Teacher Gave Student Anti-Anxiety Meds, Sexually Assaulted Him
How is it that teachers and professors did this to their own students?
We are very proud of our education system in the modern world.
We gush about our kindergarten, primary, secondary, tertiary education… about Montessori and Waldorf, and other types of education.
We talk about degrees, undergraduate, graduate, PhDs.
We talk about vocational training, we laud the trades.
And yet, on a daily basis, we see scandals in the world around us. They occur in the corporate world, the medical profession, business, and government…
There are many band-aid solutions floating around, but do we know the real cause?
Our education system is a failure
Why do I say that?
Because education is meant to produce cultured individuals of high character. Someone objects that this is a subjective thing. Who can define what is a “cultured” individual with “high character”?
That is yet another failure of our education system. We don’t even know what the definition of simple things is.
The definition of “well educated” has been known for millions of years.
If someone does not trust the pedigree of Vedic culture, there is more recent definition. More than 1,500 years ago, the great thinker Chanakya Pandit wrote:
mātṛvat para-dāreṣu
para-dravyeṣu loṣṭravat
ātmavat sarva-bhūteṣu
yaḥ paśyati sa paṇḍitaḥ“One who considers another’s wife as his mother, another’s possessions as a lump of dirt and treats all other living beings as he would himself, is considered to be learned.”
quoted by Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/9/10/27/
But there is hardly such a person trained by the modern education system… And if you can actually find such a person, that is in spite of their education. It is not because of their education.
We don’t teach such things in our education system. What do we teach?
We teach how to compete, how to defeat, how to win at any cost. We teach how to beg, borrow, or steal. We teach how to be passionate or ignorant, but never how to be “good”. We simply teach people how to make a dollar, or a rupee, or a pound or euro. That is not education!
Education means to raise a student above their low class impulses, to be good in the face of temptation! But it is impossible for our education system today to do any better.
The very definition of “goodness” is unknown in the modern world!
Here are a few definitions of “goodness” from the Vedic scriptures…
- nitya–sattva–sthaḥ — in a pure state of spiritual existence BG 2.45
- ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā – Those situated in the mode of goodness gradually go upward to the higher planets BG 14.18
- sattva–saṁśuddhiḥ — purification of one’s existence BG 16.1
- sāttvika – that which increases the duration of life, purify one’s existence and give strength, health, happiness and satisfaction BG 17.8
- na dveṣṭy akuśalaṁ karma kuśale nānuṣajjate
tyāgī sattva-samāviṣṭo medhāvī chinna-saṁśayaḥThe intelligent renouncer situated in the mode of goodness, neither hateful of inauspicious work nor attached to auspicious work, has no doubts about work. BG 18.10
There are many many wonderful definitions of what it means to be “good” in Vedic literature. When we look at the few definitions of “goodness” above, we see that our education system does not touch these at all:
- Spirituality
- Understanding of the evolution of the qualities of life
- Purification of our very existence
- Renunciation, Contentment, etc.
As a result, no matter how educated someone is, they inevitably indulge in this:
- Look upon other women (or men) as objects of their own gratification
- Covet others’ wealth and try to make it their own
- Emphasize and amplify the differences between others and oneself, treat others differently from how one would like to be treated
There is plenty of evidence to support the above claims.
Do you not see how things are in this world? Everyone is searching after one sexual experience after another… constantly, in real life, in the media, on social media, on the Internet… our society has become a cesspool of illicit sexual indulgence.
The men do not see other women as mothers. Nor do the women hold themselves in high enough regard to act and behave as mothers should. In fact, there is hardly any understanding of the exalted nature of mothers in our world! Some women, even elderly women, balk at being called “mother”, preferring to remain sex objects or identify with other designations.
With wealth, it is a free-for-all, “finders keepers losers weepers” goes the saying taught to tiny tots these days! No one sees others’ possessions as good as worthless. They are constantly envious of what others have, and how to take it from them, by hook or by crook. This goes all the way from individuals to corporations to countries!
And almost everyone treats everyone else differently from how they would like to be treated… There is widespread harassment, racism, sexism, ageism, nationalism, ableism, classism, and so much more.
The education sytem does not teach that we are all spirit souls, equal spiritually!
So, dear reader, our education system has failed.
We need to bring it back to this standard of education.
“One who considers another’s wife as his mother, another’s possessions as a lump of dirt and treats all other living beings as he would himself, is considered to be learned.”
All teachers, lecturers, instructors, professors, and other educators who can’t uphold this principle must be educated. They must reach the right standard before being trusted to educate anyone.
Until then, the education system will stay broken… and we will continually experience fresh horrors from the “products” of this demonic education system we push.
Anyone who can’t uphold the above principles must be seen as uneducated. They should not be given any position of leadership in any part of society.
Most of the modern leaders, including are uneducated, unfortunately. This includes this representative sample of those who lead our society today.
- Teachers
- Professors
- Politicians
- Business leaders
- Government leaders
- Scientists
- Researchers
- Doctors
- Military Leaders
- Engineers
- Architects
- Judges
- Lawyers
- Police Officers
- Accountants
- IT Professionals
- Corporate Leaders
- Social Workers
- Economists
- Religious Leaders
Can we wake up to the real standard of education?
Freedom through Genuine Spiritual Progress 