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Bhakthi Vriksha User Guide
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Bhakti Vriksha
User Guide
Shraddhavan
Bhakti Vriksha User Guide – Shraddhavan
Contents
The Transcendental Gardeners ........................................................................................ 3
Preface ................................................................................................................................. 5
Bhakti vriksha - Summary ................................................................................................. 6

Objective ....................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................. 6
Guidelines for Shraddhavan Level............................................................................................................................... 6
Vyuha .......................................................................................................................................................................... 10
Suggestions to help members commit to Shraddhavan level ................................................................................... 11
Preparatory notes for Bhakti Vriksha Sevak ................................................................ 14

Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................... 14
Lesson 1: Difference between animal and human life .............................................................................................. 15
Lesson 2: Source of knowledge ................................................................................................................................. 18
Lesson 3: Who am I? .................................................................................................................................................. 24
Lesson 4: Why am I suffering? .................................................................................................................................. 27
Lesson 5: What is this material world ....................................................................................................................... 34
Lesson 6: Who is God? .............................................................................................................................................. 43
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Lesson 7: Lord Caitanya and sankirtan ..................................................................................................................... 48

Lesson 8: Glories of the holy name ........................................................................................................................... 52
Lesson 9: Vyuha ......................................................................................................................................................... 57
Lessons ............................................................................................................................... 59
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................... 59
1. Difference between human and animal life .......................................................................................................... 60
2. Source of knowledge .............................................................................................................................................. 62
3. Who am I? .............................................................................................................................................................. 65
4. Why am I suffering?............................................................................................................................................... 67
5. What is this material world ................................................................................................................................... 69
6. Who is God? ........................................................................................................................................................... 71
7. Lord Caitanya and sankirtan ................................................................................................................................. 74
8. Glories of the holy name ....................................................................................................................................... 76
Annexure 1 - Recommendation sheet for Shraddhavan ......................................................................................... 78
Annexure 2 - Attendance Sheet ............................................................................................................................... 79
Version 2.0
2|Page ISKCON New Rajapur Jagannatha Dham, Bengaluru

The Transcendental Gardeners

Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu says to all the people of the world
ekalä mäläkära ämi kähäì kähäì yäba

ekalä vä kata phala päòiyä viläba (CC Adi lila 9.34)
ataeva ämi äjïä diluì sabäkäre
yähäì tähäì prema-phala deha’ yäre täre (CC Adi lila 9.36)
ataeva saba phala deha’ yäre täre
khäiyä ha-uk loka ajara amare (CC Adi lila 9.39)
“I am the only gardener. How many places can I go? How many fruits can I pick and distribute? Therefore I
order every man within this universe to accept this Kåñëa consciousness movement and distribute it
everywhere. Distribute this Kåñëa consciousness movement all over the world. Let people eat these fruits and
ultimately become free from old age and death.”
Suno suno Nityananda, suno haridasa,

Sarvatra amara ajna koroha prakasa,
Prati ghare ghare giya koro ei bhiksa,
Bolo Krsna, bhaja Krsna, koro Krsna siksa (Caitanya Bhagavata Madhya-lila 13.8-9)
“O hear Me, hear Me Nityananda! Hear Me Haridasa! Simply disseminate My order everywhere. Go from
house to house and beg the residents as follows: Speak about Krsna, worship Krsna and teach others about
Krsna.”
In Sri Godruma-Kalpatavi, Bhakti Vinoda Thakura, one of the pioneering acaryas of our parampara, describes
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the structure of the Nama Hatta. The spirit of his endeavor exactly matched the mood of Lord Nityananda, who
was personally ordered by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Thakura established over five-hundred Nama Hatta
sangas (associations).
Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati instructed his disciples to broadcast the glories of Sridham Mayapur and
Navadvip parikrama, to print books and establish Nama Hatta. Of these three activities, brhad mridanga, or the
massive distribution of books has been considered the primary method of expansion. But nowadays with
ninety-eight percent or more of our devotees being congregational members, Nama Hatta is more relevant to
ISKCON today than it was at the beginning of our movement.
In a letter Srila Prabhupada appreciates home preaching, “Your home to home preaching is very good. The
important thing is to make arrangements that they hear and chant. That will make your preaching successful.
Once they begin chanting then automatically they will want to follow the rules and regulations, attend arati,
take prasadam, etc.” (Letter to Tusta Krsna Maharaja, 9th January, 1976)
In the introduction to the translation of Sri Godruma Kalpatavi HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja says that, “In
this modern age it is most practical to apply the Nama Hatta form of preaching - cultivating people through
small groups formed of the congregation. Nama Hatta groups can begin anywhere, without restrictions,
whereas in a temple there are so many restrictions, not only spiritual but also material, in the sense that so
many expenses must be met.
Today we have different kinds of Nama Hatta programs, such as counsellor groups, Bhakti Vrikshas and various
other groups, all of which are included in the broad category of the Nama Hatta.”

Implementation of Nama hatta for the present time in the form of Bhakti Vriksha was introduced by HH
Jayapataka Swami Maharaja. The Bhakti Vriksha program’s structure follows the same format as Srila
Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s Nama Hatta organization, adapted for the current times.
Inspired by Srila Prabhupada and HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja a team of devotees in ISKCON New Rajapur
Jagannatha Dham (NRJD), Bengaluru have made an insignificant attempt in compiling this user guide for the
benefit of the devotee community.
This user guide has been produced to help Bhakti Vriksha sevaks to help their members to systematically
advance spiritually.
Devotees who have any queries, suggestions or would like to seek any clarification on this Bhakti Vriksha user
guide or congregational preaching may reach out to us on [email protected].
Your servants,
Caitanya Avatari Das and Rasamayi Devi Dasi
(On behalf of the Editorial team, ISKCON - NRJD, Bengaluru)
P.S.: If you are interested in successfully implementing Bhakti Vriksha in your Yatra / area please contact the
Congregational Development Ministry (phone: +91 (3472) 245619, email: [email protected])
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Preface
In the introduction to the Bhagavad Gita As It Is, Srila Prabhupada writes
tasmat sarveshu kaleshu

mam anusmara yudhya ca
mayy arpita-mano-buddhir
mam evaishyasy asamsayah
“Therefore, Arjuna, you should always think of Me in the form of Krsna and at the same time carry out your
prescribed duty of fighting. With your activities dedicated to Me and your mind and intelligence fixed on Me,
you will attain Me without doubt.” (BG 8.7)
“He (Krsna) does not advise Arjuna simply to remember Him and give up his occupation. No, the Lord never
suggests anything impractical. In this material world, in order to maintain the body one has to work. Human
society is divided, according to work, into four divisions of social order – brahmana, kshatriya, vaishya and
sudra. The brahmana class or intelligent class is working in one way, the kshatriya or administrative class is
working in another way, and the mercantile class and the laborers are all tending to their specific duties. In the
human society, whether one is a laborer, merchant, administrator or farmer, or even if one belongs to the
highest class and is a literary man, a scientist or a theologian, he has to work in order to maintain his
existence. The Lord therefore tells Arjuna that he need not give up his occupation, but while he is engaged in
his occupation he should remember Krsna (mam anusmara) (BG 8.7). If he doesn’t practice remembering
Krsna while he is struggling for existence, then it will not be possible for him to remember Krsna at the time of
death. Lord Caitanya also advises this. Therefore we have to practice remembering the Lord always, twenty
four hours a day, by chanting His names and moulding our life’s activities in such a way that we can remember
Him always.” ICDD B eng al ur u
The commitment level to practice Krsna consciousness varies depending upon the involvement of the
practioner and also the help/guidance given by the Bhakti Vriksha sevak /Bhakti Vriksha sector sevak. Whatever
may be the level of commitment Krsna Himself promises in the Bhagavad Gita, “There is no loss or diminution
in this endeavor and even a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most fearful type of
danger.” (BG 2.40)
In order to encourage the members to systematically advance spiritually, different shiksha-levels of

commitment and standards of devotional service are recognized by ISKCON. These standards are prescribed
for the devotees who are practicing Krsna consciousness from home . The shiksha program helps the
congregational devotees to consolidate and increase their spiritual practises.
The different shiksha-levels of commitment and standards prescribed are:
• Shraddhavan
• Krsna / Gauranga Sevak
• Krsna / Gauranga Sadhak
• Srila Prabhupada Ashraya
• Sri Guru Charana Ashraya
• Diksha
This implementation guide covers the requirements and standards of devotional service for Shraddhavan level.

Bhakti vriksha - Summary

Objective
Everyone has a natural tendency to love Krsna. In a lecture dated May 1st, 1973 at Mumbai, Srila Prabhupda
has said “…natural tendency for, to love Krsna is there in everyone's heart. So our Krsna consciousness
movement is how to invoke that natural tendency to love Krsna. That is our business…”. The objective of the
Bhakti Vriksha program is to invoke this natural tendency.
This Bhakti Vriksha user guide focuses on how the Bhakti Vriksha sevak can conduct the various Bhakti Vriksha
sessions to systematically helping the members’ spiritual growth. It lists the preparatory activities to be carried
out upfront by the Bhakti Vriksha sevak, typical Bhakti Vriksha program structure and time to be allocated for
each component, activities to be included within each component and how the progress of the participants
could be tracked on an ongoing basis.
Introduction
Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu predicted that His Sankirtana movement would spread to every town and village
and that the whole world would be flooded with Love of Godhead. Prithvite ache yata nagaradi grama /
Sarvatra pracara haibe mora nama (Caitanya Bhagavata Antya 4.126). Srila Prabhupada wanted to carry out the
instructions of his spiritual master to preach in the English speaking world and he was the one empowered to
accomplish Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s prediction that His holy name would spread all over the world..
Srila Prabhupada published many Krsna conscious books. Millions of his books were distributed yet there were
not as many devotees to match the number of books that had been distributed. Srila Prabhupada says, “Now
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just like we are selling millions of copies of these books, they are reading, and how many of them coming
forward? So it requires training. Training is essential to make them Krsna Conscious.” (Srila Prabhupada,
evening darsana, Bombay, 14th August, 1976)
This Bhakti Vriksha user guide is a humble effort by Bhakti Vriksha practitioners to systematically spread Krsna
consciousness by empowerment. The whole subject is logically presented for a fresher to start his Krsna
consciousness path and progressively advance by regular guidance and mentoring by the Bhakti Vriksha sevak.
Towards this, these logical topics presented would help the new member to be more committed and fixed up
in Krsna consciousness in a very informal/friendly environment.
Guidelines for Shraddhavan Level
Srila Prabhupada in his lecture dated 12-Dec-1972 at Ahmedabad, says, “Çraddhä is the beginning of
everything…” In another lecture dated 25-Nov-1974, “One will develop çraddhä, faith. Çraddhä bhaktir
anukramiñyati — from faith, bhakti develops [Bhäg.3.25.25]. Hearing from devotees makes one inclined to
become Krsna conscious. Ädau çraddhä — faith is the beginning of spiritual life. If you want to develop your
spiritual life more and more, then satäà prasaìgät, you have to associate with devotees — ädau çraddhä tataù
sädhu-saìgaù [Cc. madhya 23.14].”
The following guidelines, program schedule, compilation of topics along with lead question and Srila
Prabhupada’s teachings relevant to the topic would help the Bhakti Vriksha sevak to be well prepared for the
weekly meetings. This will also help them to be focused on the subject for discussion. This would help the
Bhakti Vriksha sevak to guide his members to become a Shraddhavan. Also this guide provides the
recommended standard and required tips to get a new member to this level.

Ambience
The Bhakti Vriksha sevak/host has to create the ambience and mood for devotion before the members start
coming in for the weekly program. A simple yet attractive altar could be set up in a place where everyone can
have darshan. It would be nice if the program could be held in the same room where the altar is. This would
bring a nice spiritual atmosphere and facilitate the members to offer arati (ghee lamp/incense-agarbatti) to
their Lordships while kirtan is going on.
The altar could have deities of Their Lordships Gaura-Nitai and Jagannath-Baladev-Subhadramayi. If deities are
not there, photos of Radha-Madhav, Panchatattva, Narasimhadev and Guru-parampara could be setup.
Soft kirtan of Srila Prabhupada can be played in the background. Srila Prabhupada kirtan is preferable because
we have seen how powerfully it influences the new members’ consciousness. The whole environment gets
spiritualized. The strong spiritual vibration in this environment is experienced and appreciated even by
newcomers.
A few Krsna conscious materials like Back to Godhead, handouts, magazines etc may be kept for those
members who come early, to browse through. The MOST IMPORTANT THING is to start the program ON
TIME – start at the TIME COMMITTED. This is very important because the members also realize that we
respect and value their time.
Seating arrangement
The Bhakti Vriksha sevak/host could layout the mats or carpets for people to be seated. Chairs could be kept
for those people who cannot sit on the floor. The idea is everybody should feel comfortable and wanted, so that
theylook forward to the weekly programs enthusiastically.
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The Bhakti Vriksha sevak could request the members to be seated in a circlular fashion. This helps in the
interacting with everyone.
Program schedule
The program schedule could be explained to all the members before the program starts. Based on the
convenience of the members the components of the program could be interchanged except ice-breaker. The
purpose of having these interactive programs is to make the members participate and get involved. Keeping
this in mind the program components can be interchanged.

Recommended Program Schedule
Activity Description Time spent
Kirtan & arati 15 Min
Ice breaker 15 Min
Interactive session 60 Min
Japa 15 Min
Importance of preaching 15 Min
Prasadam 15 Min
Total 2 Hr 15 Min
Kirtan
Kirtan, like in any ISKCON program, involves a lead singer and the group singing responsively. We could sing
the invocation prayers to Srila Prabhupada, Panchatattva mantra and Hare Krsna maha-mantra.
The sheets having Srila Prabhupada’s pranam mantra, Panchatattva mantra and Hare Krsna maha-mantra have
to be circulated in the language which the members are comfortable in reading. The tune should be simple for
everyone to follow. During kirtan the members could be encouraged to offer agarbatti to the photos/deities in
the altar.
Ice breaker ICDD B eng al ur u
Ice breakers could be questions, games or anything which reveals interesting details about people’s history,
thought process, life and values, and can sometimes provide insights into their personality. This would help
the Bhakti Vriksha sevak to assess how much a member can absorb and therefore mentally plan the interactive
session accordingly. Every ice breaker should have a conclusion and interface with the topic for the week’s
discussion. For further details, “The Book of Ice-breakers” published by ISKCON Congregational Development
Ministry could be referred. Sample ice breakers for each week for this level have been provided for reference.
Interactive Session
The interactive session is based on the passage which is generally from Srila Prabhupada’s books and his
teachings. The Bhakti Vriksha sevak has to circulate the lesson sheet, consisting of a passage for the week with
lead questions, excerpts from the books ‘SriNamamrta’ and ‘Preaching is the essence’ book. This has to be in
the language in which the member is comfortable in reading. The discussion should be in the language which
all the members understand.
The members could be asked to read one paragraph each. After which they could be given 5 minutes to read
the whole passage by themselves before starting the interaction. The questions given under Discovery,
Understanding and Application are lead questions for better facilitation. They could be broken down into
smaller questions based on the passage for better interaction with the members. As a takeaway the Bhakti
Vriksha sevak has to summarise the right Krsna conscious message.
The Bhakti Vriksha sevak could start the session by requesting the participants to share what was discussed in
the previous week. The revision of what was covered in the previous week could also be used as the topic for
the ice breaker session.

The Bhakti Vriksha sevak could also suggest that the members read any particular section from Srila
Prabhupada’s books and share the important points during the session.
Application part of the interactive session is an important component of Bhakti Vriksha. During this session
members learn to practically implement the topic they discussed in their day to day life. The Bhakti Vriksha
sevak should inspire every participants to shares their views in response to the Application questions. The
Bhakti Vriksha sevak can provide a tailor made solution for each member’s practical application. If required, the
tailor made solution could be discussed with the members individually.
It is prudent to follow a prescribed flow of activities in each Bhakti Vriksha session. Given the varied kinds of
persons (with different tastes, attitudes and levels of understanding) who attend these sessions, it is important
that the topics follow a pre-defined flow. Also, it must be ensured that not too many new subjects are
introduced or sought to be discussed in these sessions, otherwise it would make it difficult for the participants
to absorb and thus feel left behind.
As one looks through the topics covered in the lessons across various weeks, it is clear that almost every week
new action items will be introduced. These action items include increasing the number of rounds of chanting,
Srila Prabhupada’s books to be read, offering bhoga to the Lord, and teaching to cook ekadasi items, etc.
For every lesson the most relevant teachings of Srila Prabhupada has been attached. This would facilitate the
Bhakti Vriksha sevak to prepare for the program.
Japa
Before the Japa Session, the Bhakti Vriksha sevak could read the excerpts from the “Namamrta” book in the
lesson. This would help the devotees appreciate the importance of chanting the Lord’s holy name.
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Since most of them may be participating in the satsang for the first time, it is best to explain about the japa
beads, how to hold them and how to start chanting. Depending upon the response from the group, we could
distribute the japa beads to the members and start chanting – may be a few beads or half a round and then
increasing the same to a whole mala during the weeks to come.
Before starting the chanting of Hare Krsna maha-mantra together, first they could repeat after you Srila
Prabhupada’s pranam mantra once and Pancha-tattva mantra three times. In the beginning, it is not necessary
to explain about Srila Prabhupada’s pranam mantra or Pancha-tattva mantra. In course of time, the Bhakti
Vriksha sevak can reveal at the appropriate time or if a member asks, he/she could be explained.
After a week or two, Bhakti Vriksha sevak could enquire if they would want to try chanting at home. Whoever
shows positive response could be given a mala to purchase. Also tell them they could use that mala in the
future programs as well. If there are any new visitors or participants, the members already chanting can be
encouraged to guide them. In this way they get a feeling of being a part of the program and from the very
beginning they are engaged in service which in turn will help them to develop a service attitude.
Importance of Preaching
An extract from the book “Preaching is the essence” has been included in the lesson. The Bhakti Vriksha sevak
reads from this so that from the very beginning the members get to appreciate the glories of preaching. By this
the members feel enthused to share their knowledge in Krsna consciousness with others, inspire them and
bring them to the programs.

Prasadam
Prasadam could be planned depending on what time the program is held. If it is held in the afternoon or early
evening, then simple prasadam like fruit salad or Mayapur khaja or anything simple but not heavy could be
offered. In case it is a late evening program, and people need to travel far after the program, a light but
sumptuous dinner could be planned. It’s better not to set a high standard of providing an elaborate dinner.
People may hesitate to have the program in their house if they think they may need to maintain that standard.
Attendance Sheet
The Bhakti Vriksha sevak has to fill the attendance sheet for the week immediately after the members leave.
During the week the Bhakti Vriksha sevak has to update the Sector sevak about the program. The Sector sevak
would guide appropriately.
(Refer to Annexure 2 for a sample of the Attendance Sheet)
Follow-Up
It is suggested that during the week, the Bhakti Vriksha sevak could be in touch with the members in order to
build a friendly relationship with them.It could be either on phone or meeting them personally. When a good
rapport is established, it is easy for the Bhakti Vriksha sevak to guide them in their spiritual journey. Whenever
the Bhakti Vriksha sevak plans his visit, he should carry some Gaura Nitai mahaprasadam. It is easier to
convince a new member by the mercy of Gauranga Mahaprabhu’s mahaprasadam.
Vyuha
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A vyuha program involves the participation of two or three Bhakti Vriksha groups together in a combined
program. This program is a break in the format from the regular Bhakti Vriksha programs. The members need
to have something different and relaxing periodically. This would also encourage them to be more participative
and involved in the Bhakti Vriksha meetings.
Here we actually try to put all our past eight weeks of spiritual learning into practice. We are a part of the Lord
and our constitutional position is to serve Him-to get this in action, the Bhakti Vriksha sevaks need to provide
an opportunity for all their members to serve the Lord to the best of their capacity. For example some
members could be engaged in inviting people for the program, some could be involved in purchasing, some in
altar decoration, some in cleaning the area and so on. The Bhakti Vriksha sevak has to assess their capability,
take directions from the Sector sevak and allot them services accordingly. A meeting should be arranged a week
before the program to discuss and allot responsibilities and services based on the members’ skills and interests.
By doing this, the members could be inspired to participate in all the Bhakti Vriksha programs and actively be
involved in the discussions.
Certificates could be issued to those members who are regularly chanting at least one round of the Hare Krsna
maha-mantra, attending the programs regularly and reading Srila Prabhupada’s books. The Bhakti Vriksha
sevak should speak to the members individually to share the importance of consolidating and committing to
the Siksha standards. Thus he should encourage them to take-up such spiritual commitments. The
recommended standards for Shraddhavan level are mentioned in Annexure 1. Cultural activities could also be
planned for the vyuha to drive home some scriptural points.
10 | P a g e ISKCON New Rajapur Jagannatha Dham,

Bengaluru
Vyuha Schedule
Description Duration
Tulasi Arati and/or 15 minutes
Kirtan
Gaura Arati/Maha Arati 30 minutes
Lecture by Yatra 45 minutes
Sevak/Sector Sevak
Siksha Ceremony 15 minutes
Culturals 30 minutes
Prasadam 45 minutes
Total timing 3 hrs
Tulasi Arati And/Or Kirtan
If you can train the members in Tulasi arati you can set this agenda as a part of your program, otherwise you
can have ISKCON standard kirtan.
Gaura Arati/Maha Arati
If you can train the members in Gaura arati then you can circulate the Gaura arati sheet and sing Gaura arati
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as a part of this program else you can sing ISKCON standard kirtan as mentioned in the beginning.
Lecture
Yatra sevak or the most senior member of the yatra can deliver the lecture. The members’ details could be
provided to them so that they can appropriatelyhelp them. (For more information please refer to the lesson
plans for vyuha 1 in the next Chapter.)
Siksha Ceremony
The most important part of this program is to encourage your members to commit to a spiritual standard. Brief
them the importance of taking such spiritual commitments and the benefits they would reap by making such
commitments. Ensure the recommendation sheet is filled once the member commits to the spiritual standard .
In recognition of their commitment a certificate is awarded during the vyuha.
(Refer Annexure 1 for a sample of the Recommendation sheet for Shraddhavan)
Suggestions to help members commit to Shraddhavan level
The prime objective at Shraddhavan level is to make the members chant at least one round, i.e., one round
indicates chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra 108 times using the chanting beads.
In order to achieve this, inspiring aspects and benefits of chanting on a regular basis could be shared.
As per Padmapurana

Bengaluru
Chanting Rama’s name 3 times = Chanting 1000 names of Vishnu (Vishnu Sahasranam)
As per Caitanya Caritamrta
Chanting Krsna’s name once = Chanting Rama’s name thrice
Therefore chanting Krsna’s name once = Chanting 1000 names of Vishnu
The time required to chant Vishnu sahasranama is around 30 minutes. Just by chanting Krsna’s name once one
can obtain the entire benefit of chanting Vishnu’s sahasranama, which takes at least 30 minutes.
Chanting Hare Krsna maha-mantra once will be equal to chanting Vishnu Sahasranama at least 5 times. To
chant Vishnu sahasra nama 5 times it would take at least 180 minutes. Chanting of Hare Krsna maha-mantra
108 times would give us the benefit of chanting Vishnu sahasrama more than 540 times (108 * 5). But
chanting one round of Hare Krsna maha-mantra takes only 6 minutes. To chant Vishnu sahasranama 540 times
will take at least 270 hours.
So chant Hare Krsna and be happy ☺!
Thus one can understand the unlimited benefits of chanting Hare Krsna maha-mantra daily at least 108 times.
Also inspire them to read the book Hare Krsna challenge regularly. You can read some interesting points and
share with them and also ask them to share some points during your follow-up call or visit. In this way you
could always give your association to your members. This will help him to constantly be in touch with his
members and clarify any doubts orquestions that may arise.
The following books could be suggested to members who show more interest to read:
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• Chant and be happy

• Krsna Consciousness - The Matchless Gift
• Krsna, the Reservoir of Pleasure
• On the Way to Krsna
• Raja - Vidya: The King of Knowledge
By doing this, the members could be inspired to participate in all the Bhakti Vriksha programs and actively be
involved in the discussions.
Culturals
It is a wonderful service where the relationship between members could become strong. It is also an
opportunity to build a nice Krsna conscious relationship with members and their family.
Follow-up table
The appended follow-up table would help the Bhakti Vriksha sevak assess his members against the expected
Shiksha standards. It would also reflect where the member needs to focus. Accordingly the Bhakti Vriksha
sevak could tailor-make a Krsna conscious solution for them.
Follow up should be based on the discussions and doubts raised by the member in the session. Based on your
observations guide them appropriately to help them take up the process practically. If there are any specific
concerns of the member which he / she may not want to discuss during the session, they may be addressed at
the time of follow up.
Bengaluru
Attached is a matrix that captures the gist of how each of the Bhakti Vriksha sessions can be structured. Along
the X-axis (horizontal plane) is the listing of each week’s session. On the Y-axis (vertical plane), the
components to be discussed in the Bhakti Vriksha session are listed.
For Example – In the 1st week, it is suggested that the following topics (topics with a tick mark) are to be
included and discussed as part of Week 1 Bhakti Vriksha program.
Topics ! \Weeks-> Week 1

New Members introduction
(in case new member joins)
Ice breaker Question
Kirtana
Sri Namamrita
Japa
Interactive Session
Questions & Answers
Application part
Preaching Session
Prasadam
Members Chart(Refer Tab)
BTG Article/KC Book
As a standard process, certain topics will be part of all BV sessions. These topics include icebreaker, kirtan, Sri
Namamrta, interactive session, questions & answers, application part, preaching session and prasadam.
As one looks through the sheet across various weeks, it is clear that almost every week; there will be new
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topics that will be introduced. These topics include chanting, Srila Prabhupada’s books to be read, offering to
the Lord, teach ekadasi cooking etc.
This sheet will thus help the Trainer in preparing for each session.

Bengaluru
Preparatory notes for Bhakti Vriksha Sevak

Introduction
This chapter provides the lesson plans for the Bhakti Vriksha sevak’s reference for each week’s program.
The ‘Flow of the Program’ defines the topic for the week and also the topics already discussed in the previous
sessions. It includes the Aim (what message is sought to be conveyed to the participants), the Ice-breaker question
followed by the topic for the week and direction of the discussion.
Further, the chapter also includes a set of teachings by Srila Prabhupada relevant to the topic being discussed for
that week.
The Bhakti Vriksha sevak could use these notes in preparing for the said week’s session. It lays out the boundary of
issues and topics that need to be touched upon for the respective week. It is strongly recommended that the week’s
discussions are centered on the points listed under points and flow for the week - in this chapter. If the discussion
is found to be meandering beyond these points, the Bhakti Vriksha sevak should re-direct the same and bring back
the focus to the key points suggested herein.
It is suggested that the Bhakti Vriksha sevak takes a print of these lesson plans prior to the respective week’s
session, read the materials a number of times to assimilate his thoughts and thus mentally prepare on how he
would want to facilitate the Bhakti Vriksha session. The Bhakti Vriksha sevak could make his own notes which
would include examples, stories and realizations that will strongly drive home the message and topics for the week
among the participants.
These lesson plans are meant only for the Bhakti Vriksha sevak and need not be shared with the participants.
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14 | P a g e ISKCON New Rajapur Jagannatha Dham, Bengaluru

Lesson 1: Difference between animal and human life

Flow of the Program
The first week starts with the most basic question, i.e whether humans are better than animals.
Aim
The aim of the week is to make the participants understand that human beings must ask relevant questions -
questions that are related to spirit and not matter. Also we give some of the most important questions one should
ask as a human being.
Icebreaker
Question: If you were given an opportunity to take another birth, what would you want to become?
Summary: The members may prefer to be born in different species or would like to have different characteristics.
In India generally most of them would prefer to be re-born as a human being. The Bhakti Vriksha sevak should
conclude at the end of the session stressing on the rarity of human birth and the purpose for which human life
should be utilized.
Points and flow
• How do you distinguish between animals and human beings?

• Human being is a rational animal.
• He asks questions – animals do not ask questions.
• The more questions he asks, greater would be the advancement.
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• Similarities between animal and human – Eating , sleeping , mating and defending.
• Questions beyond these 4 things are intelligent questions.
• According to Shastra one who asks these higher questions begins human life.
• Lord says more intelligence is given to the human being to ask higher questions.
• Conclude that as human beings we should ask relevant questions. Example of some relevant questions:
Who am I? Who is God? What is the relationship between God and me?

Srila Prabhupada Lectures
From: Conversation at Airport, October 26, 1973, Bombay
Prabhupada: So our Krsna consciousness movement is to educate people to understand the value of life. The
modern system of education and civilization is so degraded that people have forgotten the value of life. Generally,
in this material world everyone is forgetful of the value of life, but the human form of life is a chance to awaken the
importance of life. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is stated, parabhavas tavad abodha-jato yavan na jijnasata atma-
tattvam. So long one is not awakened to the consciousness of self-realization, the foolish living entity, whatever he
is doing is defeat for him. This defeat is going on in the lower species of life because they cannot understand what
is the value of life. Their consciousness is not advanced. But even in the human form of life, the same defeat
prolongs, that is not very good civilization. That is almost animal civilization. Ahara-nidra-bhaya-maithunam ca
samanya etat pasubhir naranam. If people are simply engaged in the four principles of bodily demands-eating,
sleeping, mating and defending -- that is visible in animal life also, so that is not very advancement of civilization.
So our attempt Krsna consciousness movement is to educate people to come to the responsibility of human life.
This is our Vedic civilization. The problem of life is not the difficulties for a few years of this duration of life. The
real problem of life is how to solve the repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. That is the instruction in the
Bhagavad-gita. Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanudarsanam [Bg. 13.9]. People are embarrassed with so
many problems of life, but the real problem of life is how to stop birth, death, old age and disease. So people are
callous. They have become so dull-headed that they do not understand the problem of life. Long, long ago when
Visvamitra Muni saw Maharaja Dasaratha, so Maharaja Dasaratha inquired from the Visvamitra Muni, aihistam yat
tam punar janma jayaya (?): "My dear sir, the attempt that you are trying to conquer over death, how that business
is going on nicely?
Is there any interruption?" So this is our Vedic civilization, how to conquer over birth, death, old age and disease.
But at the modern time there is no such information, neither anybody is interested. Even big, big professors, they
do not know what is there after life. They do not believe even that there is life after death. So this is a blind
civilization going on. We are trying our bit to educate them that the aim of life, especially in the human form of
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life, is different from the bodily necessities of life: eating, sleeping, mating and defending. In the Bhagavad-gita also
it is said, manusyanam sahasresu kascid yatati siddhaye: [Bg. 7.3] "Out of many millions of persons, one may
attempt to become successful in his life." Siddhaye, siddhi. This is siddhi, how to conquer over birth, death, old age
and disease. And manusyanam sahasresu kascid yatati siddhaye. The modern civilized man is so dull, he does not
know what is siddhi. They think that "If I get some money and one bungalow and one car, that is siddhi." That is
not siddhi. You can get a few years a very nice bungalow, a car, nice family. But any moment this arrangement will
be finished and you have to accept another body. That you do not know. And neither they do care to know it. So
they have become so dull-headed, although they are very much proud of education, advancement of civilization.
But we are protesting.
-------------------------------------------------
From: Garden Conversation – June 9, 1976, Los Angeles
Nalinikantha: "The happiness perceived with reference to the sense objects by contact with the body can be
obtained in any form of life, according to one's past fruitive activities. Such happiness is automatically obtained
without endeavor, just as we obtain distress."
Prabhupada: Thank you. So here in the material world happiness means sense gratification, that's all. So Prahlada
Maharaja said, "The happiness of sense gratification, obtainable in any form of life..." The birds, beasts, human
beings or even the demigods, cats, dogs – everyone has got the happiness of sense gratification, namely eating,
sleeping, sex and defense. That is obtainable everywhere. But the spiritual happiness, that is obtainable in human
form of life. Therefore the human being from childhood... Kaumara acaret prajno dharman bhagavatan iha [SB
7.6.1]. From the very beginning of childhood. Why so early? Durlabham manusam janma. This human form of life
is obtained after many, many births' evolutionary process. And adhruvam. There is no certainty that I shall live so
many years. Although it is estimated that one is expected to live for at least hundred years -- that is estimation --

but at the present moment at least, nobody is living up to that. So even there is such indication, still, there is no
guarantee. We can die at any moment. Adhruvam, but arthadam. Although it is adhruvam -- there is no guarantee -
- but whatever period we get, we can utilize it for the best purpose. Arthadam. We can gain the ultimate goal of
life, arthadam. That is... He is giving stress. Arthadam means spiritual realization. That is arthadam. Otherwise we
remain like animals. The animal has also sense gratification process: how to eat, how to sleep, how to have sex and
how to defend. So sukham aindriyakam daitya. He is addressing his friends as daitya, "sons of the demons." He is
addressing his father as "best of the demons." (laughs) There are two classes of men: deva and asura. Dvau bhuta-
sargau loke daiva asura eva ca [Bg. 16.6]. In this material world there are... (aside:) Why not Dr. Wolfe may come
here, bring his chair here? You can sit down there. You can bring your chair. So this sense gratification is
available. Visayah khalu sarvatah yat. These are called visaya. Visaya means sense enjoyment. So visayah sarvatah
syat. In any form of life these four principles are there. Eating arrangement is there. (aside:) Come on. Sleeping
arrangement is there. The bird, he is not anxious about eating, sleeping, mating. It is already there. He has got a
nest above the tree. At night he is very safe and sleeping nicely. And in the morning, he knows, somewhere there is
some fruit, he'll get his food. He's not anxious. He goes anywhere. And for mating, the male and female bird are
always together. The pigeons, they are having every hour, four times, five times, mating. So that arrangement is
always there. And defense? They are on the ground.
As soon as there is some man, immediately they go up, defense. So they know, everyone knows, how to enjoy this
visaya-eating, sleeping, mating and defending. So the sastra says, visayah khalu sarvatah syat. "These four
principles of necessities of the body are available anywhere." Either you are born as a human being or a cat or a
dog or a bird or beast or demigod, these are available. So we should not bother about these things.
The arrangement is already there. By the grace of God, things are already there. So Narada Muni said, "Don't
bother about these things." Tasyaiva hetoh prayateta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatam upary adhah [SB 1.5.18].
So we are wandering within this universe in different forms of life, in different planets, upary adhah, upari, adhah,
upper planetary systems, down planetary system. We are having these facilities in different standard. The
demigods, they have got their different standard of life, thousands and thousands of times better than ours. We
have got better standard of life. Just like the Americans, they have got better standard of life than the Indians. So
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this higher standard, lower standard, but whatever standard may be, the thing, the taste of material enjoyment, is
there. Sex intercourse in the human form of life and the sex intercourse of the dog on the street, the taste is the
same. Taste is not changed. You put any eatable either in the gold pot or in the iron pot: the taste is the same.
Therefore visayah khalu sarvatah syat. The taste of these sense enjoyable things are the same everywhere.
Therefore he says sukham aindriyakam yat...
---------------------------------
From: Room Conversation with Ratan Singh Rajda M.P. “Nationalism and Cheating” – April 15, 1977, Bombay
Prabhupada: So Caitanya Mahaprabhu declares that bharata-bhumite manusya-janma haila yara: [Cc. Adi 9.41]
"Anyone who has taken birth as human being, not cats and dogs..."
Cats and dogs, they simply jump whole night: "Gow! Gow! Gow!" That is another... We find so many dogs, whole
night busy, watching.
Whose property he is watching? But he... He has got this business, very busy. As soon as some motorcycle or
some..., "Gow! Gow! Gow! Gow! Gow! Gow!" watching, watching, watching. So therefore this is business of cats
and dogs. But human being's business is different.
Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, bharata-bhumite haila manusya-janma yara: [Cc. Adi 9.41] "Anyone who
has taken birth as a human being in India, bharata-bhumi..." Janma sarthaka kari' kara para-upakara: "First of all
make your life perfect" -- you have got the opportunity, Vedic culture -- "and then distribute the knowledge all
over the world for doing good to the whole human society." That will glorify the prestige of India. So why not
continue this? Let there be an institution fully following the principles of Bhagavad-gita, (Bhagavad-gita As It Is.)

Lesson 2: Source of knowledge

Flow of the Program
Link
In the previous week we spoke about relevant enquiries. We know we need to ask higher questions and in this
week we see where we can seek the answers for these questions.
Aim
The aim of this week is to make the participants understand that the real answers can be found only in the
shastras. The goal of this week is to get commitment from every member that they will read atleast one page of
Srila Prabhupada’s books everyday.
Icebreaker
Question: If you have a doubt whom would you ask? Why?
Summary: Members’ answer should be linked to the point that we should ask relevant questions to relevant
source of knowledge. For example to understand a mathematical problem we should approach one who knows
math. Similarly to understand the spiritual questions we need to ask a relevant spiritual source, and not anyone
and everyone.
Points and flow
• Veda means knowledge. Any real and absolute knowledge is Veda

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• So we should strive for absolute knowledge

• Ways of attaining knowledge - Pratyaksha, Anumana and Shruti.
• Pratyaksha - knowledge acquired through our senses. But this has four defects
1. Senses are imperfect, for example, our eyes cannot see without light
2. Propensity to commit mistakes, for example, we see the Sun as a small disk
3. Propensity to be illusioned, for example, seeing a mirage
4. Propensity to cheat
• Anumana - knowledge through speculation. For example when there is smoke there may or may not be a fire.
• Shruti – knowledge through sound or hearing. This is perfect when it comes from an authority, for example
only a mother can say who the father is. Similarly only Vedas can explain what spirit is? Krsna Says in Bhagavad
Gita that “By all the Vedas, I am to be known. Indeed, I am the compiler of Vedanta and I’m the knower of the
Vedas.” (Refer BG 15.15)

Excerpt From: Caitanya Caritamrita, Aadilila, Chapter 5 Text 14 – purport
The disease of the modern civilized man is his disbelief of everything in the revealed scriptures. Faithless
nonbelievers cannot make progress in spiritual realization, for they cannot understand the spiritual potency. The
small fruit of a banyan contains hundreds of seeds, and in each seed is the potency to produce another banyan tree
with the potency to produce millions more of such fruits. This law of nature is visible before us, although how it
works is beyond our understanding. This is but an insignificant example of the potency of Godhead; there are
many similar phenomena that no scientist can explain.
Everything, in fact, is inconceivable, for the truth is revealed only to the proper persons. Although there are
varieties of personalities, from Brahmä down to the insignificant ant, all of whom are living beings, their
development of knowledge is different. Therefore we have to gather knowledge from the right source. Indeed, in
reality we can get knowledge only from the Vedic sources. The four Vedas, with their supplementary Puräëas, the
Mahäbhärata, the Rämäyaëa and their corollaries, which are known as småtis, are all authorized sources of
knowledge. If we are at all to gather knowledge, we must gather it from these sources without hesitation.
Revealed knowledge may in the beginning be unbelievable because of our paradoxical desire to verify everything
with our tiny brains, but the speculative means of attaining knowledge is always imperfect. The perfect knowledge
propounded in the revealed scriptures is confirmed by the great äcäryas, who have left ample commentations upon
them; none of these äcäryas has disbelieved in the çästras. One who disbelieves in the çästras is an atheist, and we
should not consult an atheist, however great he may be. A staunch believer in the çästras, with all their diversities,
is the right person from whom to gather real knowledge. Such knowledge may seem inconceivable in the
beginning, but when put forward by the proper authority its meaning is revealed, and then one no longer has any
doubts about it.
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Excerpt From: Lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam 1.2.26 – Nov 6, 1972, Vrindavan
But actual life, this human form of life, is meant for to get out of this darkness of material world. Tamasi mä jyotir
gama. This is the information, Vedic information: "Don't remain in this darkness." Darkness, this, this material
world is dark. Just like night. It was dark. actually it was dark. And because the sunshine is there, now we are
seeing each other. Actually it is dark. And dark also—ignorance. We do not know what is the aim of life.
Therefore, the whole world is darkness. And the Vedic information is: "Do not remain in the darkness. Come to
the light." But that education is wanting. That is called mukti, to get out of the darkness of ignorance and darkness
of this material world. So mumukñava, if one is serious to go out of this darkness to the light, then his duty is to...
Excerpt from Lecture on Bhagavad Gita Introduction – February 19 – 20, 1966, New York
The whole Vedic knowledge is infallible. There are different examples how we take Vedic knowledge as infallible.
Take for example, so far the Hindus are concerned, and how they accept the Vedic knowledge as complete, here is
an insignificant example. Just like the cow dung. The cow dung is the stool of an animal. According to småti or
Vedic wisdom, if one touches the stool of an animal he has to take his bath to purify himself. But in the Vedic
scriptures the cow dung is stated as pure. Rather, impure place or impure things are purified by touch of the cow
dung. Now if one argues how it is that in one place it is said that the stool of the animal is impure and another
place it is said that the cow dung which is also the stool of an animal, it is pure, so it is contradictory. But actually,
it may appear to be contradictory, but because it is Vedic injunction, therefore for our practical purposes we accept
it. And by that acceptance we are not committing mistake. It has been found by modern chemists, modern science,
one Dr. Lal Mohan Gosal, he has very minutely analyzed the cow dung and he has found that cow dung is a
composition of all antiseptic properties. So similarly, he has also analyzed the water of the Ganges out of curiosity.
So my idea is that Vedic knowledge is complete because it is above all doubts and all mistakes. So, and Bhagavad-

gétä is the essence of all Vedic knowledge. The Vedic knowledge is therefore infallible. It comes down through the
perfect disciplic succession.
Therefore Vedic knowledge is not a thing of research. Our research work is imperfect because we are searching
everything with imperfect senses. Therefore the result of our research work is also imperfect. It cannot be perfect.
We have to accept the perfect knowledge. The perfect knowledge is coming down, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-
gétä, just we have begun, evaà paramparä-präptam imaà räjarñayo viduù [Bg. 4.2]. We have to receive the
knowledge from the right source in disciplic succession of spiritual master beginning from the Lord Himself. So
Bhagavad-gétä is spoken by the Lord Himself. And Arjuna, the, I mean to say, the student who took lessons of the
Bhagavad-gétä, he accepted the whole story as it is, without any cutting. That is also not allowed, that we accept a
certain portion of Bhagavad-gétä and reject another portion. That is also not accepted. We must accept the
Bhagavad-gétä without interpretation, without any cutting, and without our own whimsical participation in the
matter because it should be taken as the most perfect Vedic knowledge. The Vedic knowledge is received from the
transcendental sources because the first word was spoken by the Lord Himself. The words spoken by the Lord is
called apauruñeya, or not delivered by any person of the mundane world, who is infected with four principles of
imperfectness. A living being of the mundane world has four defective principles of his life, and they are 1) that he
must commit mistake, 2) he must be sometimes illusioned, and 3) he must try to cheat others, and 4) he's
endowed with imperfect senses. With all these four principles of imperfectness, one cannot deliver the perfect form
of information in the matter of all-pervading knowledge. The Vedas are not like that. The Vedic knowledge was
imparted in the heart of Brahmä, the first created living being. And Brahmä in his turn disseminated the knowledge
to his sons and disciples as they were originally received from the Lord. The Lord, being pürëam or all-perfect,
there is no chance of His becoming subjected to the laws of material nature.
Excerpt from Lecture on Bhagavad Gita 1.13 – 14 – July 14, 1973, London
So less intelligent class of men, they cannot understand Kåñëa. Therefore çästra says, ataù çré-kåñëa-nämädi na
bhaved grähyam indriyaiù [Cc. Madhya 17.136]. These indriya, these material senses, cannot speculate to
understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is not possible. Çrama eva hi kevalam [SB 1.2.8]. That is
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simply laboring, wasting time. Kåñëa should be understood as Kåñëa says. He can explain Himself. Nobody can
explain. Because our senses are imperfect. We are deficient by four kinds of faults. We commit mistake; we are
illusioned; with imperfect senses, we try to speak transcendental knowledge; therefore cheating. With imper...
They will say, "Probably," "Maybe." This is the so-called scientists' language. That means imperfect knowledge.
Still, they want to teach. This is cheating. Knowledge must be perfect. Then you can teach others.
So our process is to receive the perfect knowledge from the perfect source and distribute it. We don't manufacture
knowledge. Therefore we are presenting Bhagavad-gétä as it is, as it is. The Bhagavad-gétä is already perfect. Why
shall I interpret with my imperfect senses? This is cheating. But people want to be cheated. Vaïcita-vaïcaka-
sampradäya. The whole world is full of cheaters and cheated. Because we want to be cheated, there are so many
cheaters. They don't want real thing. Here is the real thing, Bhagavad-gétä, the Supreme Personality of Godhead
speaking personally about Himself. Why should we interpret? Does it mean that the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, the supreme authority, left something unexplained to be interpreted later on by some rascals? No. But
the rascals dare; they interpret. That is cheating. That is another fault. There are 640-45 editions of Bhagavad-gétä.
Simply cheating. Amongst them, there are big, big scholars. Not scholars. All rascals, but they cheat. They pose
themselves as scholars and people want to be cheated, so they take their words. So they cannot understand Kåñëa.
Cheated. They take the shelter of the cheaters. Therefore they are cheated.
So the mäyä is very strong. Mäyä always dictates so that we may be cheated: "Why you are taking Kåñëa as the
Supreme Personality of Godhead? Don't take. He is ordinary man. You can be also equal with Kåñëa. You also
become God. You become also incarnation." This is going on. And people flock there because they want to be
cheated. What Kåñëa says, they will not accept it. Kåñëa says, sarva-dharmän parityajya mäm ekaà çaraëam: [Bg.
18.66] "Only take to Kåñëa consciousness." Sarva-dharmän. Because any dharma which is not approved by the
Supreme Lord Kåñëa, that is not dharma. Dharmaà tu säkñäd bhagavat-praëétam [SB 6.3.19]. A human being or a
demigod or very exalted person cannot manufacture dharma. That is not possible. Real dharma is given by the
Supreme Personality of Godhead Kåñëa, and that real dharma is stated in the Bhagavad-gétä: sarva-dharmän
parityajya mäm ekaà çaraëaà vraja [Bg. 18.66]. "Just surrender unto me." This is real dharma. Surrender to Kåñëa
and follow His instruction; your life will be perfect. Because you follow the perfect instruction, therefore you are
also perfect. Simple process. To become perfect, we have to follow the perfect instruction.
So in the Bhagavad-gétä there is perfect instruction. And if we take it as it is and follow it, then we become perfect.
To become perfect is not very difficult job. But because we don't want to become perfect, because we want to be
cheated, we do not become perfect. This is the difficulty. So we should know from the very beginning that Kåñëa is
transcendental. And all His activities, they are all transcendental. Although Kåñëa appears just like ordinary human
being... He does not appear like ordinary human being because Kåñëa, when He was three months old only, He
killed the Pütanä räkñasé. A three month's old child cannot kill such giant demon. It is not possible. Kåñëa, when
He was six or seven years old, He lifted the Govardhana Hill. So what is the difficulty for Kåñëa? If Kåñëa can float
big, big gigantic planets in the air just like cotton swab floating, so is it very difficult for Kåñëa to lift a mountain
with His hand, with His finger? That is not difficult for Kåñëa. But those who want to be cheated, when Kåñëa
shows His transcendental strength, they don't believe it, another cheating. They, they'll admit, "Oh, these are...
What is called?
Devotee: Mythology.
Prabhupäda: Mythology. As if Vyäsadeva wrote this Çrémad-Bhägavatam to put before these rascals some
mythology, some imaginary things. Just see how they want to be cheated. Such an exalted personality like
Vyäsadeva, who has given us the Vedic literature, he presented something which is imaginary. What business He
has got? Therefore sometimes these cheated people, they deny to accept that Bhägavata is written by Çré Vyäsadeva.
But those who are actually äcäryas, those who can guide us, like Çaìkaräcärya, Rämänujäcärya, Madhväcärya, big,
big..., Caitanya Mahäprabhu, they do not say like this, that "It is mythology. It is imaginary." They accept as it is.
So we have to follow these mahäjana. Mahäjano yena gataù sa panthäù dharmasya tattvaà nihito guhäyäm [Cc.
Madhya 17.186]. We have to follow great personalities, äcäryas. äcäryavän puruño Veda. One who has got, one who
has taken shelter of äcärya, bona fide spiritual master, he knows. Äcäryavän puruño Veda. Because he is receiving
the right knowledge from the right source, äcärya... Evaà paramparä-präptam imaà räjarñayo viduù [Bg. 4.2].
Äcärya means by disciplic succession. As Kåñëa says, disciplic succession, all the äcäryas will say the same thing.
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They will not change, they will not interpret. They can explain. But the original fact is not distorted. That is äcärya.
Äcärya will never say that "Kåñëa is material. Kåñëa... There was no such thing as Kåñëa. There was no such battle,
Battle of Kurukñetra. These are all imaginary." So if we don't want to be cheated, then we should take Kåñëa as He
is presenting Himself and as it is confirmed by the äcäryas. Then our knowledge is perfect. So here it is said,
tataù çvetair hayair yukte

mahati syandane sthitau
mädhavaù päëòavaç caiva
divyau çaìkhau pradadhmatuù [Bg. 1.14]
Kåñëa and His devotee Arjuna, they are on the same platform. Therefore Mädhava and Päëòava. They blew Their
transcendental conchshells. This is not ordinary. (reads from purport:) "The sounding of the transcendental
conchshells indicated that there was no hope of victory for the other side." This is the sounding. Divyau. They are
also sounding their conchshell, even Bhéñma, but that cannot be compared with the conchshells of Mädhava and
Päëòava. Arjuna, associates, they are also equally powerful. Nobody can be associates of Kåñëa without being very,
very much advanced. Just like fire can mix with fire, similarly water can mix with water; similarly, unless one is
transcendentally advanced, he cannot be associate of Kåñëa. Çréla Narottama däsa Öhäkura sings,
gauräìgera saìgi-gaëe, nitya-siddha kori mäne,

se jäy brajendra-suta-päç
Gauräìgera saìgi-gaëe.
Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu, Kåñëa, and His associates,
çré-kåñëa-caitanya prabhu-nityänanda
çré-advaita gadädhara çréväsädi-gaura-bhakta-vånda

[I offer my obeisances to Çré Kåñëa Caitanya, Prabhu Nityänanda, Çré Advaita, Gadädhara, Çréväsa and all others in
the line of devotion.]
All the devotees. So Narottama däsa Öhäkura says, "So all these associates of Caitanya Mahäprabhu should be
known—they are also of the same category." Gauräìgera saìgi-gaëe, nitya-siddha kori mäne. This word nitya-
siddha is significant. Nitya-siddha and nitya-baddha. There are two kinds of living entities. Nitya-baddha means
ever-conditioned. Ever-conditioned means those who are in this material world, they do not know when they came
in touch with this material world. Neither they do know when they will be liberated. They are called nitya-baddha,
ever-conditioned. And similarly, there are nitya-siddhas. Nitya-siddhas means they never come in contact with this
material world, and even they come here for some business, they do not forget their position. That is nitya-siddha.
Try to understand. There are two kinds of living entities: nitya-siddha, nitya-baddha. Nitya-baddhas are within this
material world. Beginning from Brahmä down to a small ant, insignificant ant, they are all nitya-baddhas. Anyone
who is in this material world—nitya-baddha. And nitya-siddhas, they belong to the spiritual world. They never
come in contact with this material world, and even they come for some business under the order of the Supreme
Lord, they do not touch these material qualities They remain always transcendental. As Kåñëa remains always
transcendental, even though He is in this material world, similarly, Kåñëa's nitya-siddha associates, they are also
transcendental. They never touch this material world.
Excerpt from Lecture on Bhagavad Gita 2.8 – 12 – November 27, 1968, Los Angeles
Devotee: "Never 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 [Bg. 2.12]." Purport: "In the Vedas, in the Kaöha Upaniñad, as well as in the Çvetäçvatara Upaniñad, it
is said that..."
Prabhupäda: (correcting pronunciation) Çvetäçvatara. There are many Upaniñads, they are called Vedas. Upaniñads
are the headlines of the Vedas. Just like in a chapter there is a headline, similarly these Upaniñads are the headlines
of the Vedas. There are 108 Upaniñads, principal. Out of that, nine Upaniñads are very important. So out of those
nine Upaniñads, Çvetäçvatara Upaniñad, Taittireya Upaniñad, Aitareya Upaniñad, Éçopaniñad, Éça Upaniñad,
ICDD Beng alur u
Muëòaka Upaniñad, Mäëòükya Upaniñad, Kaöhopaniñad, these Upaniñads are very important. And whenever there
is argument on some point, one has to give reference from these Upaniñads. If one can give reference from the
Upaniñads, then his argument is very strong. Çabda-pramäëa. Pramäëa means evidence. Evidence... If you want to
gain in your case... Just like you have to give very nice evidence in a court, similarly, according to Vedic culture,
the evidence is pramäëa. Pramäëa means evidence. Çabda-pramäëa. There are three kinds of evidences accepted by
the learned scholars in Vedic culture. One evidence is pratyakña. Pratyakña means direct perception. Just like I am
seeing you, you are seeing me. I am present, you are present. This is direct perception. And there is another
evidence which is called anumäna. Suppose in that room, and I am coming just now, I do not know whether any
person there is or not. But there is some sound, I can imagine, "Oh, there is somebody." This is called anumäna. In
logic it is called hypothesis. That is also evidence. If by my bona fide suggestions I can give evidence, that is also
accepted. So direct evidence, and, what is called, hypothesis or suggestion evidence. But the strong evidence is
çabda-pramäëa. Çabda, çabda-brahman. That means Vedas. If one can give evidence from the quotation of the
Vedas, then it has to be accepted. Nobody can deny the Vedic evidence. That is the system. How it is so? Caitanya
Mahäprabhu has given very nice example. That is in the Vedas. Just like we keep conchshell in the Deities' room.
Conchshell is considered very pure, transcendental; otherwise, how we can keep before Deity and you blow
conchshell? You offer water with conchshell. How you can offer? But what is this conchshell? The conchshell is
the bone of an animal. It is nothing but bone of an animal. But the Vedic injunction is that if you touch the bone of
an animal, you'll have to take bath immediately. You become impure. Now one may say, "Oh, this is contradiction.
In one place it is said that if you touch the bone of an animal, then you have to purify yourself by taking bath
immediately, and here, the bone of an animal is in the Deities' room. So it is contradiction, is it not? If bone of an
animal is impure, how you can place it in the Deities' room? And if bone of an animal is pure, then what is the
meaning of becoming impure and take bath?" You'll find similar contradiction in the Vedic injunctions. But
because it is said by the Vedas that bone of an animal is impure, you have to accept. But this bone of an animal,
conchshell, is pure. Just like sometimes our students are perplexed when we say that onion is not to be taken, but
onion is a vegetable. So çabda-pramäëa means the Vedic evidence should be taken in such a way that no argument.
There is meaning; there is no contradiction. There is meaning. Just like several times I have told you that cow
dung. Cow dung is, according to Vedic injunction, is pure. In India it is actually used as antiseptic. In villages
especially, there is large quantity of cow dung, and they're, all over the house they have smeared to make the house
antiseptic. And actually after smearing cow dung in your room, when it is dried, you'll find refreshed, everything
antiseptic. It is practical experience. And one Dr. Ghosh, a great chemist, he examined cow dung, that why cow
dung is so much important in the Vedic literature? He found that cow dung contains all the antiseptic properties.
In Äyur-Veda, cow dung dried and burned into ashes is used as toothpowder. It is very antiseptic toothpowder.
Similarly, there are many things, many injunctions in the Vedas, which may apparently appear as contradiction, but
they are not contradiction. They are on experience, on transcendental experience. Just like a father says to his child
that "My dear child, you take this food. It is very nice." And the child takes it, believing the father, authority. The
child knows that "My father..." He is confident that "My father will never give me anything which is poison."
Therefore he accepts it blindly, without any reason, without any analysis of the food, whether it is pure or impure.
You have to believe in such a way. You go to a hotel because it is licensed by the government. You have to believe
when you take foodstuff there it is nice, it is pure, or it is antiseptic, or it is... But how do you know it? The
authority. Because this hotel is authorized by the government, it has got license, therefore you believe. Similarly
çabda-pramäëa means as soon as there is evidence in the Vedic literature, "This is this," you have to accept. That's
all. Then your knowledge is perfect because you are accepting things from the perfect source. Similarly Kåñëa,
Kåñëa is accepted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Whatever He says, it is all right. Accept. Arjuna said at
last, sarvam etad åtaà manye [Bg. 10.14]. "My dear Kåñëa, whatever You say I accept it." That should be our
principle. Why should we bother about researching when the evidence is there from the authority?
So to save time, to save trouble one has to accept the authority, actual authority. This is the Vedic process.
ICDD Beng alur u

Lesson 3: Who am I?
Flow of the Program
Link
In the last couple of weeks we spoke about relevant enquiries and where to seek answers for these enquiries.
This week we will address a most basic question “Who am I?”
Aim
The aim of this week is to make the participants understand that we are not this body but we are spirit souls.
When we die only the body dies and not the soul, which is eternal.
Ice Breaker
Question: When was the last time you enquired to find out about something which you did not know? What was
it and whom did you ask?
Summary: We ask so many questions to so many people. But have we ever asked the question “Who am I?”
Have we ever given time to understand this most important question?
Points and flow
• Difference between a living person and a dead body. (What happens when someone dies? Some inner force
leaves.) For example, a car cannot run without a driver, just as the body cannot function with out that inner
force, which we call the spirit soul. ICDD Beng alur u
• What is the difference between spirit soul and the material body? The spirit soul is eternal; the soul is
invisible to material eyes. It is indestructible and is atomic in size ,it cannot be destroyed or cut into pieces.
• We should clearly convey the message that we are not the body, and we are the spirit soul. (You could refer
to Srila Prabhupada’s lectures on BG 2.13.)
• Also when we die we take another body we are not finished with death. It is like changing a shirt. (You could
refer to Srila Prabhupada’s lectures on BG 2.22.)
• Soul is situated in the heart. (You could refer to BG 18.61, 15.15.)
• Consciousness is the symptom of the presence of the soul in the body. Understanding that “I am the spirit
soul and not the material body” is the first step in Krsna consciousness.

Excerpts from Bhagavad Gita Lectures - Bhagavad-gita 2.25 -- August 28, 1973, London
Devotee:
avyakto 'yam acintyo 'yam

avikaryo 'yam ucyate
tasmad evam viditvainam
nanusocitum arhasi [Bg. 2.25]
"It is said that the soul is invisible, inconceivable, immutable, and unchangeable. Knowing this, you should not
grieve for the body."
Prabhupada: They are going? So why don't...? No prasada?
avyakto 'yam acintyo 'yam

avikaryo 'yam ucyate
tasmad evam viditvainam
nanusocitum arhasi [Bg. 2.25]
So Krsna began this teaching to Arjuna first of all, asocyan anvasocas tvam prajna-vadams ca bhasase [Bg. 2.11].
"You are talking like learned scholar, but you are lamenting on the body, which is not at all important."
Nanusocanti. Here also the same thing. Tasmad evam viditvainam, this body, na anusocitum arhasi. Do not be very
much serious about this body. The soul is the subject matter to be considered. But the modern civilization, they are
concerned with this body. Just the opposite. Krsna says: Because the soul is immortal, therefore tasmad evam
viditva, understanding of this principle, enam, this body, na anusocitum arhasi. The real factor is the soul. We have
to take care of the soul, not of the body. So far body is concerned, there are pains and pleasure like climatic
ICDD Beng alur u
changes. Agamapayinah anityah, such bodily pains and pleasures come and go; they are not permanent. Tams
titiksasva bharata. So you have to learn how to tolerate these bodily pains and pleasures, but you have to take care
of the soul. But the modern civilization, they have no knowledge of the soul, what to speak of taking care of it, and,
like animals, they are in the bodily concept of life, taking much care of the body, but they have no information of
the soul, and what to speak of taking care of it.
This is the lamentable condition of modern civilization. Animal civilization. The animals simply take care of the
body, has no information of the soul. So this civilization is animal civilization, mudha. Mudha means animal,
asses. Now if we say to the people in general they'll be angry upon us, but actually this is the position. Yasyatma-
buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke [SB 10.84.13]. I've several times explained this verse. Yasya atma-buddhih. Atma
means self; buddhi, has taken this body as self. Yasyatma-buddhih. But what is this body? The body is nothing but
a bag of tri-dhatu, kapha, pitta, vayu, and its by-products. By mucus, bile and air, by interaction of these three
things... Just like this material world, this house. What is this house? Tejo-vari-mrdam vinimayah. Anything in
this material world, what is that? Tejo-vari-mrdam vinimayah. An exchange of fire, water, and earth. Tejo-vari-
mrdam vinimayah. Exchange. You take earth, you take water, mix them, and put it into the fire, it becomes brick,
then powder it, it becomes cement, then again combine them, it becomes a big skyscraper building. So as this
material world, anything you take, it is simply a combination of these three ingredients, plus air and sky for drying.
Air is required for drying. So combination of the five elements. Similarly, this body is also combination of five
elements. There is no difference. But because in the big skyscraper building there is no soul, it stands in one place,
but the body has got the soul, therefore it moves. That is the difference. The soul is the important thing. But they
do not know. Just like we have manufactured the airplane and there is no soul, but another soul means the pilot.
He takes care of it. He drives. Therefore, it is moving. So without soul, there cannot be any movement. Either the
thing must have soul or some other soul will take care of it. Then it will move.Therefore, the important is the soul,
not this material body.

So anyone who's accepting this material body as very important... Just like the other day, some rascals came. They
were very much eager for feeding this body. Those who are starving, starvation... Starvation of the bodily concept
of life. But there is spiritual starvation. That we are not taking care. Material starvation may be there, but actually
that is not a problem because there is sufficient arrangement for maintaining this material body. Real starvation is
of the soul. The soul is not getting spiritual food. Here, in this meeting, this is meant for giving to the starving
spirit soul. And as soon as you get some spiritual food, then we become happy. That is the situation. Yayatma
suprasidati. Unless you get spiritual food there cannot be satisfaction of the real soul. The same example, within
the cage there is the bird. If you simply wash the cage very nicely and cover it and paint it and the bird within the
cage is crying, starving... What is this civilization? Similarly, we spirit soul, we have been encaged within this body,
so our natural aspiration is to get freedom from this encagement. As much as the bird is struggling to get freedom
from the cage. Similarly, we are also, we are not happy being encaged. Yesterday we learned from Bhagavad-gita
soul's position is sarva-gatah. Soul can go anywhere. That is, it has got the freedom. Those who are spiritually
advanced by yogic mystic power, they can also move anywhere he likes. Anima, laghima siddhi. There are still
yogis in India who early in the morning takes bath in four dhamas: Hardwar, Jagannatha Puri, Ramesvaram, and
Dvaraka. There are still yogis. Within one hour, they'll take bath in four places. Sarva-gatah, the speed. They'll sit
down in one place and by yogic process within few minutes will get up and dip in here, in this water. Suppose in
London you dip, take your dip in the Thames River, and when you get up you see in Calcutta Ganges. There is
yogic process like that. Sarva-gatah. So the spirit soul has got so much freedom, sarva-gatah, anywhere he likes he
can go. But this impediment is this body which is checking our freedom. So if you get rid of this material body and
be situated in spiritual body... Just like Narada Muni, he can move anywhere, he's moving, his business is moving.
Sometimes he's going to Vaikunthaloka or sometimes coming to this material loka. He has got spiritual body; he's
free to move anywhere, spaceman. They are trying to travel in the space by machine. There is no necessity of
machine. Yantrarudhani mayaya [Bg. 18.61]. The machine is made of maya. But you have got your own power.
That is very speedy. So it is being checked. Therefore one should be very much careful how to get the soul out of
this encagement of this material body. That should be our first concern. But those who are simply concerned with
this body, they are no better than the animals, cows and asses.
Sa eva go-kharah ICDD Beng alur u
yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke

sva-dhih kalatradisu bhauma ijya-dhih
yat-tirtha-buddhih salile na karhicij
janesv abhijnesu sa eva go-kharah [SB 10.84.13]
Go-kharah. Go-kharah means asses and cows.
So this civilization, modern civilization, having no information of the soul, it is simply a pack of animals only,
that's all. Therefore they do not care what is the resultant action of their activities, they do not care for pious, piety
and vicious activities. They take everything... That is asuric civilization.

Lesson 4: Why am I suffering?

Flow of the Program
Link
In the previous week we discussed about “Who Am I?” Today we will discuss about “Why there is suffering?”
What is the reason for suffering?
Aim
The aim of this week is to make the participants understand that as long as we are in this material world we will
undergo suffering. (Give a brief introduction of the spiritual world – you could refer to BG 15.6.) We can be
happy only by going back to the spiritual world.
Also discuss about the 4 miseries and 3 categories of suffering.
Icebreaker
Question: Can you share with us one happy incident and one challenging situation?
Summary: Life is a combination of happiness and distress. All of us undergo suffering. Nobody can deny that we
have problems in life. This week we will understand the cause of suffering.
Points and flow
• All of us have problems. ICDD Beng alur u
• Problems can be classified into three categories.

1. Adyatmika - problems arising from one’s own self. Example – problems caused by the body and mind.
2. Adibhautika - problems arising from others. Example - Ants or Mosquitoes or other people.
3. Adidaivika - problems arising from nature. Example – Flood, tsunami.
• Request the participants to share different kinds of suffering they undergo in their lives. Help them identify
the real problems and explain how these are common to all.
• The real problems are birth, death, old age and disease. All other problems are relative. (Explain with
relevant references from scriptures how these are the real problems in our life.)
• Animals can neither understand nor question about these real problems. Example - Goat in slaughterhouse.
• Emphasize on Yudishthira Maharaja’s answer to the Yaksha (detailed in the lesson) as to how we never think
about the real problem.
• Conclude with the analogy of the fish out of water.

Extract from Bhagavad Gita As It Is – BG 2.8 Purport
The problems of material existence—birth, old age, disease and death—cannot be counteracted by accumulation of
wealth and economic development. In many parts of the world there are states which are replete with all facilities
of life, which are full of wealth and economically developed, yet the problems of material existence are still present.
They are seeking peace in different ways, but they can achieve real happiness only if they consult Kåñëa, or the
Bhagavad-gétä and Çrémad-Bhägavatam—which constitute the science of Kåñëa—through the bona fide
representative of Kåñëa, the man in Kåñëa consciousness.
If economic development and material comforts could drive away one's lamentations for family, social, national or
international inebrieties, then Arjuna would not have said that even an unrivaled kingdom on earth or supremacy
like that of the demigods in the heavenly planets would be unable to drive away his lamentations. He sought,
therefore, refuge in Kåñëa consciousness, and that is the right path for peace and harmony. Economic development
or supremacy over the world can be finished at any moment by the cataclysms of material nature. Even elevation
into a higher planetary situation, as men are now seeking on the moon planet, can also be finished at one stroke.
The Bhagavad-gétä confirms this: kñéëe puëye martya-lokaà viçanti. "When the results of pious activities are
finished, one falls down again from the peak of happiness to the lowest status of life." Many politicians of the world
have fallen down in that way. Such downfalls only constitute more causes for lamentation.
Therefore, if we want to curb lamentation for good, then we have to take shelter of Kåñëa, as Arjuna is seeking to
do. So Arjuna asked Kåñëa to solve his problem definitely, and that is the way of Kåñëa consciousness.
SB2.2.6
evaà sva-citte svata eva siddha

ätmä priyo 'rtho bhagavän anantaù
ICDD Beng alur u
taà nirvåto niyatärtho bhajeta

saàsära-hetüparamaç ca yatra
TRANSLATION
Thus being fixed, one must render service unto the Supersoul situated in one's own heart by His omnipotency.
Because He is the Almighty Personality of Godhead, eternal and unlimited, He is the ultimate goal of life, and by
worshiping Him one can end the cause of the conditioned state of existence.
PURPORT
As confirmed in Bhagavad-gétä (18.61), the Supreme Personality of Godhead Çré Kåñëa is the all-pervading
omnipresent Supersoul. Therefore one who is a yogé can worship only Him because He is the substance and not
illusion. Every living creature is engaging in the service of something else. A living being's constitutional position is
to render service, but in the atmosphere of mäyä, or illusion, or the conditional state of existence, the conditioned
soul seeks the service of illusion. A conditioned soul works in the service of his temporary body, bodily relatives
like the wife and children, and the necessary paraphernalia for maintaining the body and bodily relations, such as
the house, land, wealth, society and country, but he does not know that all such renderings of service are totally
illusory. As we have discussed many times before, this material world is itself an illusion, like a mirage in the
desert. In the desert there is an illusion of water, and the foolish animals become entrapped by such an illusion and
run after water in the desert, although there is no water at all. But because there is no water in the desert, one does
not conclude that there is no water at all. The intelligent person knows well that there is certainly water, water in
the seas and oceans, but such vast reservoirs of water are far, far away from the desert. One should therefore search
for water in the vicinity of seas and oceans and not in the desert. Every one of us is searching after real happiness
in life, namely eternal life, eternal or unlimited knowledge and unending blissful life. But foolish people who have
no knowledge of the substance search after the reality of life in the illusion. This material body does not endure

eternally, and everything in relation with this temporary body, such as the wife, children, society and country, also
changes along with the change of body. This is called saàsära, or repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. We
would like to find a solution for all these problems of life, but we do not know the way. Herein it is suggested that
anyone who wants to make an end to these miseries of life, namely repetition of birth, death, disease, and old age,
must take to this process of worshiping the Supreme Lord and not others, as it is also ultimately suggested in the
Bhagavad-gétä (18.65). If we at all want to end the cause of our conditioned life, we must take to the worship of
Lord Çré Kåñëa, who is present in everyone's heart by His natural affection for all living beings, who are actually the
parts and parcels of the Lord (Bg. 18.61). The baby in the lap of his mother is naturally attached to the mother, and
the mother is attached to the child. But when the child grows up and becomes overwhelmed by circumstances, he
gradually becomes detached from the mother, although the mother always expects some sort of service from the
grown-up child and is equally affectionate toward her child, even though the child is forgetful. Similarly, because
we are all part and parcel of the Lord, the Lord is always affectionate to us, and He always tries to get us back
home, back to Godhead. But we, the conditioned souls, do not care for Him and run instead after the illusory
bodily connections. We must therefore extricate ourselves from all illusory connections of the world and seek
reunion with the Lord, trying to render service unto Him because He is the ultimate truth. Actually we are
hankering after Him as the child seeks the mother. And to search out the Supreme Personality of Godhead, we
need not go anywhere else, because the Lord is within our hearts. This does not suggest, however, that we should
not go to the places of worship, namely the temples, churches and mosques. Such holy places of worship are also
occupied by the Lord because the Lord is omnipresent. For the common man these holy places are centers of
learning about the science of God. When the temples are devoid of activities, the people in general become
uninterested in such places, and consequently the mass of people gradually become godless, and a godless
civilization is the result. Such a hellish civilization artificially increases the conditions of life, and existence
becomes intolerable for everyone. The foolish leaders of a godless civilization try to devise various plans to bring
about peace and prosperity in the godless world under a patent trademark of materialism, and because such
attempts are illusory only, the people elect incompetent, blind leaders, one after another, who are incapable of
offering solutions. If we want at all to end this anomaly of a godless civilization, we must follow the principles of
revealed scriptures like the Çrémad-Bhägavatam and follow the instruction of a person like Çré Çukadeva Gosvämé
who has no attraction for material gain. ICDD Beng alur u
Extract from Bhagavad Gita Lectures – Bhagavad Gita 1.10 – July 12, 1973, London
So actually, either in this material world or in the spiritual world, all planets, Vaikuëöha planets or kuëöha
planets... Here in this material world, kuëöha planets. Kuëöha means anxiety. Here, in any planet you go, the
anxiety will be there. This is material. Sadä samudvigna-dhiyäm asad-grahät [SB 7.5.5]. Why anxiety? Because we
have accepted something asat, which will not stay. But we are eternal, we want to stay. Our natural position is
eternity. So we don't want this temporary body. Therefore we try to save the body as much as possible. But it will
not be saved. Because we have accepted something nonsense, which is not compatible with our existence. The
modern civilization, they do not know it. They think it that death is natural sequence. It cannot be avoided. No. It
can be avoided. It can be avoided. But these rascals, they do not know how to avoid it, although it is mentioned in
the Bhagavad-gétä how you can avoid death. Birth, death, old age and disease, these are the problems, but they do
not know how to solve these problems. They are simply engaged in some temporary business. And they are
fighting. They are making plans. They are making diplomacy. But in the real problem they do not touch, neither
they know how to solve it. But this Kåñëa consciousness movement can solve it. These rascals may understand this
fact, that this Kåñëa consciousness movement is not a sentiment, so-called religious movement. It is a scientific
movement to solve all the problems of life. This is Kåñëa consciousness.
Duùkhälayam açäçvatam [Bg. 8.15]. Simply working hard day and night, then there is, child is sick, then wife is
not satisfied, the servant is not satisfied... So many things, problem. But if there is Kåñëa in the center, the all
problems will be solved. But people do not know this. They think that "I shall be happy with wife, children,
servants, house, and this and that." No. That is not possible. Therefore one should be in gåhastha-äçrama. Not only
in family life. Family, the dogs have got family life. He has got wife, children. The cats and the hogs, a big family.
Because a hog begets, at a time, one dozen children. What you beget? You are afraid of begetting one child even.
This contraceptive method. But they are not afraid. They beget one dozen children at a time, twice in a year. So to
live with family, wife, children... Then the hog accepts family life. No. That is not family life. You live with wife,
children, peacefully, if you like, but bring in Kåñëa in the center. That is gåhastha-äçrama.
Arjuna is talking of the ultimate good. But he is talking ultimate good with the point of view from material
conception. He does not know... He knows, but he is playing the part of a person who does not know that ultimate
çreyas, ultimate good, is Kåñëa. Ultimate good is not that "We live with family—that is good." No. When you live
with family because you cannot renounce, so that is allowed. But you live with family with Kåñëa. So Kåñëa is
there, but he is thinking in terms of material role, that "If my kinsmen are dead, I kill them, then where is my
good? It is no good. What shall I do with the victory and happiness? Where is happiness? I cannot live without
them." This is the conception. Ataù gåha... Ataù gåha-kñetra-sutäpta-vittair janasya moho 'yam [SB 5.5.8]. This is
illusion. Everyone is trying to become happy with society, friendship and love, children, wife, friends, money and
house and land. This is the conception of material.... So Arjuna is thinking in material concept of life. He is not
thinking that "My ultimate good is to satisfy Kåñëa." This is the Bhagavad-gétä's purport. That is Kåñëa
consciousness. One has to change to satisfy Kåñëa, not to satisfy himself or the family or the society or the nation,
no. Whether Kåñëa is satisfied, that is the criterion. That is ultimate good. Kasmin tuñöe jagat tuñöam. If Kåñëa is
satisfied, then other things will be automatically satisfied. But they do not know. They are thinking that "I can
bring Kåñëa in the midst of my family provided Kåñëa helps me to enjoy this material life." They are thinking like
that. That is ärta. But that is also good. Just like Dhruva Mahäräja
Extract from Bhagavad Gita Lectures – Bhagavad Gita 2.8 – 12 – November 27, 1968, Los Angeles
Without understanding our real position we are perplexed with these all worldly problems, which are all false.
Janasya moho 'yam ahaà mameti [SB 5.5.8]. Moha, moha means illusion. This is the illusion. So everyone is under
this illusion. So one who is intelligent, if he can understand that this worldly position is simply illusion... The, all
the thoughts which I have concocted, based on the principle of "I" and "mine," this is all illusion. So one, when
one is intelligent to get out of the illusion, he surrenders to a spiritual master. That is being exemplified by Arjuna.
When he's too much perplexed... He was talking with Kåñëa as friend, but he saw that "This friendly talking will
not solve my question." And he selected Kåñëa... Because he knew the value of Kåñëa. At least, he ought to have
known. He is friend. And he knows that Kåñëa is accepted... "Although He is acting as my friend, but by great
authorities Kåñëa is accepted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead." That was known to Arjuna. So he said that
"I'm so much puzzled that I cannot understand. Even accepting that I shall be victorious in this battle, still I shall
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not be happy. What to speak of being victorious on this planet, if I become the king of all other planets or if I
become a demigod in the higher planetary system, still this distress cannot be mitigated." You see?
Extract from Bhagavad Gita Lectures – Bhagavad Gita 2.13 – August 19, 1973, London
Because we are eternal. That should be the question, that everyone wants to live eternally, nobody wants to die.
Everyone. If I come before you with a revolver, "I shall kill you," you shall immediately cry, because you do not
want to die. This is not very good business to die and take birth again. It is very troublesome. That I know
imperceptibly, that "If I die, I will have to take place again in the wombs of the mother, and maybe nowadays
mother (is) killing the child within the womb. Then again another mother." This process is going on. So that
trouble, being killed, to live within the womb of the mother, these things are very troublesome. We have got in the
sub-consciousness all this trouble. Therefore we do not want to die. Because we have to again accept another body.
And the process of accepting the body is very long and very troublesome. We know all these things. Therefore we
do not want.
So therefore the question is that I am eternal and why I have been put into this temporary life? This is intelligent
question. This is the problem. But these rascals, they have set aside this real problem. They are thinking how to eat,
how to sleep, how to have sex, how to defend. Even if you eat nicely, if you sleep nicely, but ultimately you'll have
to die. The problem is there. But they are careless about this real problem. They are very much alert in the
temporary problem. So temporary problem, actually there is no problem. The birds, beasts they also eat, sleep, they
have sexual intercourse and they defend. If they know all these things without becoming a human being, without
having sufficient education or so-called civilization, how to live, how to sleep, how to defend. If they can live, so
what is your problem? These things are not problems. The rascal says, "Overpopulation, this..." These are not at all
problems. The real problem is that "I do not want to die. Why death comes, takes place?" This is real problem. But
the rascals do not know it. They think these are problems, temporary things. He will live for fifty years and
maybe.... That will be explained in the next verse, mäträ-sparçäs tu kaunteya çétoñëa-sukha-duùkha-däù [Bg. 2.14].

Just like we are, temporarily, we are placed with so many problems Suppose there is severe cold. So it is also a
problem. We have to search out nice coat or fireplace and... These are problems. If they are not available, then we
are in distress. These are problems also. But these problems are temporary. Severe cold, winter, has come and it
will go. That is not permanent problem. Permanent problem has been due to my ignorance, I am taking birth, I am
accepting death, I am accepting disease, I am accepting old age. This is real problem. These are real problems.
Therefore Kåñëa has said, janma-måtyu-jarä-vyädhi-duùkha-doñänudarçanam: [Bg. 13.9] "Actually those who are
in knowledge, they should see all these four problems, birth, death, old age and disease."
BG2.13 lecture
dehino 'smin yathä dehe

kaumäraà yauvanaà jarä
tathä dehäntara-präptir
dhéras tatra na muhyati
[Bg. 2.13]
So dhéras tatra na muhyati. It is very simple thing. Suppose a young man, a boy, changes his body, bodily
symptoms. Just like a boy has no mustaches or beard, but all of a sudden the hairs grow. Does he cry, "Oh, why I
am growing hair? Why I am growing?" Because that is the necessary change of body. Why he should be perplexed,
"Why my body is changing?" Similarly, my body is changing, this body to another body, I am dying. Why shall I be
perplexed? The intelligence is that "What kind of body I am going to get?" That is intelligence. Otherwise why one
should be perplexed? Dehäntara-präptiù.
If you prepare yourself... Just like in childhood, boyhood, if you prepare yourself, nicely educated, then you get
nice job, nice situation, you will be happy. Preparation for the next life. Similarly, if you prepare yourself in this life
for going back to home, back to Godhead, then where is perplexity? There is no perplexity. "I am going to Kåñëa I
am going back to home, back to Godhead. Now I will have not to change material body. I will have my spiritual
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body. I shall now play with Kåñëa, dance with Kåñëa, eat with Kåñëa." This is Kåñëa consciousness movement. This
is Kåñëa consciousness. Prepare yourself for the next life. Don't be... The man, dying man cries because maybe he is
dreaming next life, horrible life. Because according to karma... Those who are very, very sinful, they cry, because
they see horrible scenes at the time of death, and he is going to accept some type of body... But those who are
pious, those who are devotees, they are dying without any anxiety. They are dying. The death may take place...
The example is given that... Foolish people may say that "You devotees, you are dying, and the sinful men, or non-
devotees, they are also dying. So where is the difference?" No, there is difference. There is difference. This has been
described by the example: just like a cat catches its cub and catches the mouse. So formerly we see that the cat has
caught the mouse in the mouth and the cub also in the mouth, but there are difference of catching. The cub is
feeling pleasure, "My mother is carrying me." And the mouse is feeling death knell, "Oh, now I am going to die."
This is the difference. So although a devotee is dying and nondevotee is dying, there is difference of feeling at the
time of death. Like the mouse and the cub. And don't consider that both of them are dying in the same process.
The process may be same, but the situation is different.
Tyaktvä dehaà punar janma naiti mäm eti kaunteya [Bg. 4.9]. The formula is there. Kåñëa says, janma karma me
divyaà yo jänäti tattvataù. Simply if you try to understand what is Kåñëa, divyam. They are all divine,
transcendental. Kåñëa's activities, Kåñëa's appearance, Kåñëa's worship, Kåñëa's temple, Kåñëa's glories—everything
transcendental. So if one understands these things or tries to understand, even he does not understand, tries to
understand, then he becomes liberated from this process of birth and death. Kåñëa says. So become very serious to
understand Kåñëa and remain in Kåñëa consciousness. Then this problem, birth, death, old age and disease will be
solved, automatically, very easily. There will be no problem.
That is the function of the human life, to understand that "I am eternal." Kåñëa says that "In the past we existed, in
the present we are existing, and in the future we shall continue to exist." Then why I have got this type of body by
which I am actually, not actually, superficially I am not existing. So this is the problem. A dhéra means a sober man

will think of this problem, that "I want to live. Why death takes place? I want to live very healthy life. Why disease
comes? I don't want to become old man. Why old age comes?" Janma-måtyu-jarä-vyädhi [Bg. 13.9]. These are the
problems. So solve this problem simply by taking to Kåñëa consciousness, simply by understanding Kåñëa. And for
understand Kåñëa, the Bhagavad-gétä is there, so nicely explained.
So make your life successful, that "I am not this body." Simply by understand... "I am not this body. I am embodied
within this body, encaged. But I am not this cage." Just like a bird is within the cage. The cage is not the bird. But
foolish persons, they are taking care of the cage, not of the bird. The bird, out of starvation, is suffering. So we are
suffering spiritual starvation. Therefore nobody is happy in this material world. Spiritual starvation. Therefore we
see in an opulent country like America, enough food, enough residence, enough material enjoyment, still they are
becoming hippies, all over the world. They are not satisfied, because it is spiritual starvation. Materially we may be
very opulent, but if you starve spiritually, you cannot be happy. This is the process.
So spiritual rejuvenation required. Ahaà brahmäsmi: "I am not this body. I am Brahman, spiritual soul." Then you
will be happy. Brahma-bhütaù prasannätmä na çocati na käìkñati [Bg. 18.54], samaù sarveñu... Then there will be
equality, fraternity, brotherhood. Otherwise it is all bogus, simply high-sounding words. There cannot be all these
things. Come to the spiritual platform, brahma-bhütaù prasannätmä na çocati na... [Bg. 18.54], samaù sarveñu
bhüteñu. Then you can see equally. Otherwise you will see that "I have become human being. I have got my hands
and legs, and the poor cow has no hands and legs. Kill him and eat." No. Samaù sarveñu bhüteñu. Asamata.
Unequality. Why? What right you have got to kill another animal? Because you have no vision of equality, for want
of Kåñëa consciousness. Therefore so-called education, culture, fraternity, in this material world, all these are
bogus, humbug. Simply Kåñëa consciousness is the right subject matter to be studied by sane, sober, dhéra. Then
the society will be happy; otherwise not. Thank you very much. (end)
Extract from Bhagavad Gita Lectures – Bhagavad Gita 3.27 – January 1, 1976, Madras
Kåñëa therefore presents that "Your real problem is birth, death, old age, and disease, your real problem. You are
making solution of all the problems by scientific advancement, by education, by so on, so on, political maneuver,
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everything. It is all right, but how you are going to solve this problem—janma-måtyu-jarä-vyädhi-duùkha-
doñänudarçanam [Bg. 13.9]? How you'll solve this problem?" Actually human life is meant for solving this
problem, not this temporary problem. Temporary problem will go on. If you don't solve this problem, janma-
måtyu-jarä-vyädhi, then any form of life, there will be problems. Even if you are elevated to the heavenly planets,
there are also problems. Indra is not very happy there, the king of heavenly planet. Although the higher planets,
the duration of life, the standard of civilization, standard of comforts many, many thousand times greater than
here, but the same problem—janma-måtyu-jarä-vyädhi—is there. You cannot avoid it.
But actually our problem is that I... Nobody wants to die, that's a fact, but death is enforced. No young man wants
to become old man, but it is enforced. You cannot avoid it. So we should understand—this is sense—that we are
not independent. That's a fact. Prakåteù kriyamäëäni [Bg. 3.27].
Extract from Bhagavad Gita Lectures – Bhagavad Gita 4.3 – March 23, 1974, Bombay
We should be very serious about the problems of life, janma-måtyu-jarä-vyädhi [Bg. 13.9]. That is spiritual
advancement. Unless you come to the serious point, unless you have become very intelligent, that "I do not want
to die. Why death is there...?" This is intelligence. You may solve your temporary problems, but you cannot, by
your so-called materialistic activities, solve the problem of death. Nobody wants to die. Måtyuù sarva-haraç ca
aham. Death will come. But the people have become so much unintelligent, they do not take up seriously the real
problems. Just like animals. The animal is being taken to the slaughterhouse. And one animal enters to the
slaughterhouse store, livestock store, and all the animals enter. He does not know that "This, I have to stay here for
being killed." He does not know. This is animal. Similarly, if you do not take these problems seriously, you are no

better than animal. However you may be advanced for these bodily comforts, you are animal. Yasyätma-buddhiù
kuëape tri-dhätuke [SB 10.84.13]. Kuëape tri-dhätuke, this bag of three elements, kapha-pitta-väyu. If I think that
"I am this body, and the comfort of this body is my happiness"—sa eva go-kharaù [SB 10.84.13]. You are not better
than animal. This is animal conception of life. You must know that "I am not this body. I am spirit soul.
Circumstantially, I have been put into this body, and again I'll be put into another body. So what is the solution of
this problem?" That is Bhagavad-gétä. That is Bhagavad-gétä. If you understand fully what is Bhagavad-gétä, what is
the teachings of Bhagavad-gétä, then these questions, the answers are there. You'll find.
Extract from Bhagavad Gita Lectures – Bhagavad Gita 4.10 – Public Meeting – May 25, 1974, Rome
Prabhupäda: (lecture translated into Italian throughout) Ladies and gentlemen, I wish to thank you for your kindly
participating in this festival. This Hare Kåñëa movement is a spiritual movement. There is spirit soul within the
body, and the material body is covering, just like shirt and coat, of the spirit soul. The spirit soul somehow or other
is encaged within this material body. The problems of life there are many, but they are pertaining to the body. Real
problem is how to get the spirit soul out of this material encagement. The body has got attachment for material
enjoyment. Therefore in this verse it is said, véta-räga, how to become detached from this material attachment.
Räga means attachment; véta-räga, giving up this attachment. Véta-räga-bhaya-krodhäù [Bg. 2.56]. Bhaya means
fearfulness, and krodha means anger. Because we are attached to the material enjoyment, we are also very much
always fearful how our enjoyment may not be disturbed. And if our material enjoyment is not fulfilled, we become
angry. This is our position on account of this material body. Therefore spiritual culture means how to get out of
this attachment, fearfulness and the position of becoming angry.
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Lesson 5: What is this material world

Flow of the Program
Link
In the previous weeks we discussed about relevant enquiries, where to seek answers for the enquiries, such as
“Who am I?” “Why am I suffering?” Today we will discuss about “What is this material world?”
Aim
The aim of this week is to make the participants understand that the material world is dukhalayam and
ashashwatham.
Icebreaker
Question: What do you do or where do you go when life becomes stressful and monotonous?
Summary: After giving a patient hearing to the members, the Bhakti Vriksha sevak should conclude reiterating
that human life is repetitive and monotonous by its very nature. Further, getting stressed and trying to re-charge
is the vicious cycle of life.
This week we will understand the nature of this material world and how to get a permanent solution for our
problems.
Points and flow

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• The Bhakti Vriksha sevak can ask the members what everybody wants in their life. The answer is happiness.
(Drive the discussion to get the answer as happiness.)
• Are we happy all the time?
• Where can we find the real enjoyment? In the spiritual world.
• Do we belong to the spiritual world and how are we connected to that world? (Refer to BG 14.4 as mentioned
in passage.)
• What is real enjoyment? The real enjoyment comes by serving the Lord. (Use the tree anology.)
• Our constitutional position is to serve. So when we serve the right person, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead (watering the roots), then we become naturally happy.

Extract from Bhagavad Gita Lectures - Bhagavad-gita 7.5 -- February 20, 1974, Bombay
Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.) Translation: "Besides this inferior nature, O mighty-armed Arjuna, there is a
superior energy of Mine, which are all living entities who are struggling with material nature and are sustaining the
universe."
Prabhupada:
apareyam itas tv anyam

prakrtim viddhi me param
jiva-bhutam maha-baho
yayedam dharyate jagat
So last night we discussed about the material energy and came to the conclusion that life is not made out of
matter. Matter is product of living force or living entity. Today it will be little disturbing. Anyway, we shall
explain. (aside:) No. That's all right. Let them go with their festival. Don't disturb.
Apara and para. Apara means inferior, or material, and para means superior, or spiritual. The spiritual force behind
is moving the material world. Yayedam dharyate jagat. Jagat means gacchati iti jagat, which is moving or going
forward. Everything is moving. All these planets are moving. Your earthly planet is also moving -- within twenty-
four hours covering 25,000 miles, day and night. The whole material planets, earthly planets, you have 25,000
miles, and this is rotating. Similarly every planet is rotating. The sun is also rotating. Yasyajnaya bhramati
sambhrta-kala-cakrah. The sun is also having a duration of life, and it will rotate, then it will be finished.
Everything in the material world, it has got a date of birth, it lives for some time, it grows or changes the body, and
produces some by-products, then dwindles, and then vanishes. This is called sad-vikara, six kind of changes of
anything material. That is called jagat. Gacchati. But there is a moving force. Just like the motorcar is going,
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gacchati. But the motorcar is not moving without any driver. There is a machine, first-class machine, Rolls-Royce
car, Cadillac car, good machine, but the machine is useless unless there is a driver. The aeroplane is moving, but
without the pilot it cannot move. Therefore material elements, however, I mean to say, wonderful it may be, it has
no value without the spirit soul. That is the explanation here. Apareyam.
Krsna has explained the material elements: bhumir apo 'nalo vayuh kham mano buddhir eva ca. But these material
elements cannot work independently. It must be added with the superior energy, or the living energy, jiva-bhutam
maha-baho yayedam dharyate jagat. This Bombay city is important because there are so many living entities.
Otherwise, where there are no living entities... Even in Bombay, there are some open land. What is the value?
There is no value. Therefore the conclusion should be that material elements may be wonderful, but it has no value
without the touch of living entities. The modern scientists, they cannot understand that there is living, spiritual
energy behind this material energy. Therefore it is moving. They are... Just like a child cannot understand that the
motorcar or the aeroplane is moving because there is driver and the pilot. Foolish children may think, "Oh, how
the motorcar is going on?" The motorcar is not going on independently. That the child does not know. Therefore,
those who have no information of the spiritual energy behind the material energy, they are children, foolish
children. Mudha. They have been described as mudha.
na mam duskrtino mudhah

prapadyante naradhamah
mayayapahrta-jnana
asuram bhavam asritah
[Bg. 7.15]

Therefore foolish persons who cannot understand that behind this gigantic material energy there is the spiritual
energy, supreme spiritual energy, Krsna... They have no inform... Therefore in the previous verse, we have
discussed,
manusyanam sahasresu
kascid yatati siddhaye
yatatam api siddhanam
kascin mam vetti tattvatah
[Bg. 7.3]
Ordinary persons, they cannot understand that behind this gigantic, wonderful material energy, there is the
supreme energy, spiritual energy, Krsna. They cannot understand. Just like the child cannot understand that the
motorcar is not moving independently, but there is a driver. These foolish, materialistic persons, they cannot
understand. Mam ebhyah param avyayam. They cannot understand. Tribhir gunamayair bhavaih. They are
bewildered by the three modes of material nature, finding out. Big, big scientists, big, big philosophers, big, big
workers, they are simply studying the material energy, but they have no information of the spiritual energy.
Here, from the Bhagavad-gita, you can understand that this material energy is inferior, apareyam. Apareyam. You
cannot produce living force by combination of material energy. That is not possible. But they are... Because these
foolish persons, they are missing the spiritual energy, they are thinking, "By chemical reaction or by combination
of matter, some living force is coming out." Just like if you mix acid and alkaline, there is some reaction and there
is some movement. They are thinking like that. No. It is not that. The material energy is being pushed forward by
the spiritual energy. Jiva-bhutam maha-baho. Jiva, living force. Jiva-bhutam maha-baho. And because the spiritual
force is there, the material world is working. This is the conclusion. Not that the material force is working
independently. Apareyam itas tu anyam. Anya means it is different. It is not material energy. Anyam, completely.
Prakrti. But it is prakrti, not purusa. Purusa means the worker. Purusa is Krsna. Purusa is Krsna. As it will be
admitted by Arjuna after hearing Bhagavad-gita, purusam sasvatam. Param brahma param dhama pavitram
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paramam bhavan, purusam [Bg. 10.12]. "You are purusa." Purusa means enjoyer, and prakrti means enjoyed. So
here jiva, the living entities, they have been described as prakrti, not as purusa. The Mayavadi philosophers, they
think that living entity is purusa, the Supreme, but that is, that is not the fact. Prakrti. Prakrti means subordinate.
Energy acts under the direction of the Purusa. Prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah [Bg. 3.27]. Just like
a machine is made by a person, and the machine is working. That machine is working, that is prakrti, but who has
made the machine or pushing on the machine, that is purusa.
So prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah. When you set up the machine... Just like electricity. You set up,
machine will work. But the setter, or who first sets the machine, pushes on the machine, that is a purusa. Similarly,
the whole material world is working very nicely, wonderfully, but behind that machine, behind that working, there
is Krsna. Mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram [Bg. 9.10]. Just like electric powerhouse. You see the
machine is going on. Kat-kat-kat-kat-kat-kat, it is going on. But there is a supervising engineer. He's looking that
whether the machine is rightly going on, if there is any defect. If there is oil required, he's putting some oil or
something else. So the supervisor is the engineer. Similarly the whole machine of this material world... Or this
material... You do not try to study the whole material world, but you study your own machine, this body. This
body is also machine. Yantrarudhani mayaya.
isvarah sarva-bhutanam
hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati
bhramayan sarva-bhutani
yantrarudhani mayaya [Bg. 18.61]
This is a yantra, this body. Just like somebody seats you... Just like a child is seated on the car, and the car is
moving. There are many examples. Similarly, this body is given by material energy. Yantrarudhani mayaya. This
body is given by maya, but within the body... Dehino 'smin yatha dehe [Bg. 2.13]. Dehi, within the body, the living
spirit, or living soul, is sitting there. And because we are under the control of maya, we wanted it, such a, such a

body, so Krsna has given. Anumanta. He has given order to maya, that "This living entity wants to enjoy this
material world under certain body. So you give him this body." Just like a pig. He wanted to eat everything and
anything, without any discrimination. So, by the order of the Supreme, anumanta, upadrasta..., He orders to the
maya that "You give him a body, a vehicle, a machine of pig body, so that he can very nicely eat stool."
So this is karma, karma-vada, that I want to possess a certain type of machine, or body, and Krsna, Isvara, is within
everyone's heart. He understands, "He's persistent to get this machine. All right. You get this machine." This is
called janmada(?)... Tatha dehantara-praptih. In this way, we are desiring something in this life, and the next life is
being prepared. And that next life or this life, it is just like machine. It is made by the material nature under the
order...
mayadhyaksena prakrtih
suyate sa-caracaram
hetunanena kaunteya
jagad viparivartate [Bg. 9.10]
This is the fact. So Krsna is the original purusa. Prakrti, the material energy is also prakrti, subordinate to Krsna,
and the spiritual energy, the living entities, they are also prakrti, but they are superior prakrti. Inferior, not...
Inferior matter. Just like we are handling matter, we are getting matter. We are getting cement, we are getting
bricks, we are getting iron and combining them, and making a very, very high skyscraper building. So the material
energy is also Krsna's, and the spiritual energy, the living entity, that is also Krsna's energy. So..., but they are
working for satisfying their senses. Therefore superior, jiva-bhutam yayedam dharyate... They are handling the
material energy. The same living entity, when he understands his constitutional position, that "I am part and parcel
of Krsna," mamaivamso jiva-bhutah [Bg. 15.7], then he'll work for Krsna. Then the same energy spent for building
skyscraper building will be utilized to build a nice temple for Krsna.
This is proper utilization of energy. When the energy of Krsna, the spiritual energy of Krsna or the living entity,
works for Krsna, that is healthy condition. Just like part and parcel of my body, this finger. When this finger works
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for me... I want the finger: "Come here. Work some here." But if the finger is not in healthy condition, it is painful,
it cannot work, that is not normal condition. The normal condition is the finger is to work for my body. Similarly,
we, being part and parcel of Krsna, when we are engaged in Krsna's service, that is our normal condition, our
healthy life. Therefore Krsna says that "These foolish creatures, mudhah, who are thinking that ‘We shall work for
sense gratification,' they are mudhas." Na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah [Bg. 7.15]. The
animals cannot understand this constitutional position of the living entity. Because this material world means all
the living entities, they have come here for satisfying their senses. And in different grades of life they are satisfying
their senses. Either as Brahma or the worm in the stool, they are satisfying their senses, different senses. That is
material life. And when one understands that "I am part and parcel of Krsna. My duty is to serve Krsna," that is
normal life. That is actually spiritual life. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adah. When we forget to
serve Krsna, that is material life. And when we serve Krsna with love and affection, understanding that we are very
intimately related, part and parcel, that is spiritual life.
This is the difference between material life and spiritual life. When one works for his own sense gratification, that
is material life. And when works for Krsna's satisfaction, that is spiritual life. That is spiritual life. It is very easy to
understand. We are working, we are servant of somebody. All these people who have gathered here, nobody can
claim that "I am not servant." Everyone is servant -- servant of the society, servant of the family, servant of the
country, servant of dog, servant of cat. Everyone is servant. That is misplacement. But actually he is servant of
Krsna. When he forgets that he is servant of Krsna, he becomes servant of so many maya. But when he understands
that "I am servant of Krsna, and, becoming servant of Krsna, I can become servant of others also," that is called
Krsna consciousness. This is the movement of Krsna consciousness. Everyone is a servant, but he is serving
wrongly. His service is misplaced. We are simply educating people that "Your service being misplaced; therefore
you are not satisfied, neither your master is satisfied. Nobody's satisfied." For example... I have repeated this
example many times. Even Mahatma Gandhi, the great servant of India He served India so nicely. Still, the master
was not satisfied, and the master killed him. He wanted to serve his country, but the result was that his
countrymen killed him.

So this service is frustration. If you go on serving the material world, you'll be frustrated, in this way or that way.
But if you serve Krsna, the same service applied to Krsna, your life will be successful. That is Krsna consciousness
movement, that ser..., you cannot avoid service, but service other than Krsna will be frustration. But you serve
Krsna, you'll be satisfied, the Supreme Lord will be satisfied, and your life will be successful.
Thank you very much. (end)
Extract from Bhagavad Gita Lectures – Bhagavad Gita 13.1-2 – August 10, 1973, Paris
Everyone in this material world, they are, everyone is trying to become enjoyer, the first-class enjoyer, number one
enjoyer. But it is not possible. Nobody can enjoy. Only Kåñëa is the enjoyer, and if we cooperate with Kåñëa,
through His enjoyment, we can enjoy. This is our position. So this is real knowledge.
Every rascal is trying to become enjoyer. This is the material world. Everyone is after sense. Even the so-called
prakåti, woman, the propensity is to enjoy. Puruña. Therefore here in this material world, even though a woman is
dressed like a woman, his mind is puruña. He wants, she wants to enjoy. Here the woman wants a man. Although
superficially it is supposed that man is the enjoyer, the woman is enjoyed. but actually the woman also wants to
enjoy the man. That is mäyä. A prakåti cannot enjoy, become puruña. So in the Bhagavad-gétä, the living entities are
described as prakåti.
So this material world is created by God to give us facility to work as I desire. But I must have the jurisdiction of
my work. That is the... Jurisdiction my work. Just like the agriculturist, they have got their own land, demarcated.
This much, my land, this much, his land, this much..." And he works, tills the field, produces food grain, according
to his capacity. Similarly Kåñëa has given us different fields of activities. That is this body. Idaà çaréraà kaunteya
kñetram [Bg. 13.2]. Idaà çaréram. So from the çaréra, we expand many other things. That also becomes kñetram.
So this is the purpose of creation. Kåñëa gives us full facility. I want to work in this way. All right, you work. Kåñëa
says that you don't work. This will not make you happy. You are asking Me facilities to fulfill your desire under
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certain condition. That you may have from Me. I can give you. But you'll never be happy." That is Kåñëa's order.
You'll never be happy. How I shall be happy? Sarva-dharmän parityajya mäm ekaà çaraëaà vraja [Bg. 18.66].
You'll be happy only by this process. Simply by this process. If you manufacture, by your fertile brain, that: "I shall
be happy in this way and that way," you'll never be happy. If you want to be happy at all, then this is My
instruction: sarva-dharmän parityajya mäm ekaà ça... [Bg. 18.66]. Kåñëa is repeatedly saying this to everyone.
But he'll not do that. He'll say: "Kåñëa, give me this facility. Give me this facility. I shall cut throat of this man, and
enjoy." "All right, you cut throat." That also Kåñëa gives. Kåñëa's very, what is called, thankless task. Somebody
wants to cut my throat, and I want, nobody may cut my throat. Kåñëa has to adjust. He give me facility and he'll
save also the man who is praying: "Sir, please save me from this cutting." Kåñëa... Éçvaraù sarva-bhütänäà håd-deçe
'rjuna tiñöhati [Bg. 18.61]. So this is going on.
The purpose of creation is to give the conditioned soul, the rebellious soul, who, being prakåti, whose nature being
constitutional nature is that he should be enjoyed by Kåñëa, but he has taken the wrong direction, that "I'll not be
enjoyed by Kåñëa. I shall become Kåñëa." This is... All these people, all these living entities who are in this material
world, their determination is that: "Why I shall serve Kåñëa? I shall become Kåñëa." This is the disease. And to give
us... Because He wants to become Kåñëa. He cannot become Kåñëa. But he is persisting. Kåñëa is giving this facility.
That platform of facility, material facility, is this material world. This material world.
This is the purpose. But nobody knows. Ask anybody. They'll say, "God created this universe or this cosmic
manifestation." That's a fact. But why He created? That why question is answered in the Bhagavad-gétä. Everyone
wants to enjoy this material world according to his whims and purpose. Kåñëa gives facility to everyone. So that
facility is given according to his desire, a particular type of body. One who wants to eat anything nonsense, no
discrimination, so he's allowed to get a body of a hog. Because a hog can eat even stool. He has no distinction. Here
is halavä, here is stool. But he'll like to eat stool. That is hog life.

Similarly those who are very much fond of eating meat and blood, they're given the body of tiger, hogs, dogs, This
is nature's law. But they do not know. They do not know. They think that: "Now I am enjoying, according to my..."
That is not enjoyment. Is that very nice food? But he's thinking, a flesh-eater, a meat-eater is thinking, he cannot
eat meat a one. He mixes with some vegetable. Then he can eat. Is it not? If you say all these meat-eaters: "Don't eat
vegetables or grains. Simply eat meat." That they cannot do. They cannot do. Ninety percent, ninety percent, he'll
eat other things, grains and vegetables. And maybe ten percent or twenty percent, meat. Although we are not meat-
eater, I have seen. A little piece of meat... [break]
Where the tiger is coming? That he has no brain to understand. Why there are so many varieties of life? Because
according to... Just like your... In a, in a city, there are many varieties of apartment. As you are able to pay for it, or
in a shop, in a store, there are many varieties of articles. But you have to purchase according to the price you can
pay.
Similarly all these varieties of bodies are there according to my desire. Kåñëa... That is stated in the Bhagavad-gétä,
you know: yanträrüòhäni mäyayä. Éçvaraù sarva-bhütänäà håd-deçe arjuna tiñöhati, The Lord is situated in
everyone's heart. Arjuna tiñöhati. Bhrämayan sarva-bhütäni yanträrüòhäni mäyayä [Bg. 18.61]. Bhrämayan. He is
causing to wander all over the universe all living entities, riding on a car or machine. This machine is this body.
Now I am walking, I am going here, preaching. What is the machine? The machine, first machine is my body. So
who has given me this body? Mäyayä. Mäyä, the illusory energy, has given me this body. My real body's spiritual
body. Karmaëä daiva-netreëa jantur deha upapattaye [SB 3.31.1]. These are ver, Vedic versions. We are not
speaking unauthorized. Karmaëä. As you are working, or as you desire to work, then similar type of body will be
given to you. By nature. You are, you have got this body by nature. Mäyayä, yanträrüòhäni mäyayä.
Kåñëa doesn't make your body. You desire. Kåñëa orders mäyä, the prakåti, material nature: "You give him such
kind of body." Mayädhyakñeëa prakåtiù süyate sa-caräcaram [Bg. 9.10]. Prakåti's not working. Prakåti has given me
this body not out of her own accord. Kåñëa has ordered: "Give this person, this living entity, such a body." Maybe
it is Brahmä's body. Maybe it is ant's body. Maybe it is demigod's body. Maybe it is the body of the worm in the
stool. Different kinds. Eight million, four hundred thousand species of body. These bodies, we are getting
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according to our desire. Because except Kåñëa consciousness desire, all desires are subjected to the material
conditions.
And as soon as we get Kåñëa consciousness desire, we get immediately free from this transmigration of the soul
from one body to another. Tyaktvä dehaà punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. If you become simply Kåñëa consciousness,
then no more botheration of changing this body. You get your spiritual body, go back to home, back to Godhead.
Thank you very much. (end)
Extract from Bhagavad Gita Lectures – Bhagavad Gita 13.1-2 – September 24, 1973, Bombay
So people, they want to enjoy life within this material world, but actually there is no enjoyment in the material
world. Because, Kåñëa says, there is birth, there is death, there is old age, and there is disease. So where is your
happiness? After all, you have to die. Suppose I make very good arrangement, very nice house, very nice bank
balance, very nice wife, children, everything, but death can come at any moment. Then where is your perfection? If
after so much hard labor everything is ready for enjoyment, but I am called by Yamaräja... Måtyuù sarva-haraç
cäham [Bg. 10.34]. Death takes away everything. Therefore you cannot say the arrangement you made for happy
life is perfect. That is not perfect. But foolish people, they do not know what is perfection. They simply want
superficial, temporary happiness, never mind what will happen next life or few years after.
Just like children, they want to play without caring for future life. But it is the duty of the guardians to engage them
in education so that in future they may be happy. Similarly, all the great sages, saintly persons, just like Vyäsadeva,
Närada, Devala, Asita, many, many great saintly persons, sages... Even Kåñëa the Supreme Personality of Godhead
comes to give us instruction so that we can become eternally happy.

Extract from Bhagavad Gita Lectures – Bhagavad Gita 13.2 – April 4, 1972, Melbourne
What we are seeing in this material world? Something material and something spiritual. Material means which has
no sense or which has no moving power, and spiritual means which has got sense and which has got moving
power. That is the difference between material and spiritual. So if we try to understand simply our body, actually
that is meditation. Meditation means to understand, "what is this body and what I am." If you know these things...
But that comfortableness or uncomfortableness is not permanent, that the summer season does not continue
permanently, neither the winter season continues permanently. It comes and goes. So there are so many things.
They come and go. And being attached to so many things, I become comfortable or uncomfortable. Therefore
Arjuna was advised that täàs titikñasva bhärata. This material world is like that. Pains and pleasure, they come and
go. They stay for some time, and again go away. But we cannot give up our duty. That is not possible.
Extract from Bhagavad Gita Lectures – Bhagavad Gita 13.3 – August 11, 1973, Paris
If you become a devotee, pure devotee, without any motive, then Kåñëa is sitting within your heart. He says: teñäà
satata-yuktänäà bhajatäà préti-pürvakam [Bg. 10.10]. "Persons who are twenty-four hours engaged in My service
with love and faith," buddhi-yogaà dadämi tam: "I give him such intelligence by which he can come back to
home, back to Godhead." He'll give you. Because He knows. But if you don't like to take His instruction, then He
gives instruction to the material nature to get you all right.
And what is the main business of material nature? Just to beat you with shoes. That is nature. Therefore we are
suffering in this material world. Because we have taken shelter of the material nature. Sadä samudvigna-dhiyam
asad-grahät [SB 7.5.5]. We have taken shelter of this material nature; therefore, we are full of anxieties and full of
miserable condition of life. This is the position. So long you'll be under the control of the—you are under the
control. You cannot be independent. You rascal, don't think that ever you shall be independent. Your position is to
remain dependent. If you don't depend on Kåñëa, then you have to depend on the material nature, that's all. You
cannot become independent. That is not possible. ICDD Beng alur u
Extract from Bhagavad Gita Lectures – Bhagavad Gita 13.3 – September 26, 1973, Bombay
So as soon as that individual soul is seriously engaged in hearing about Kåñëa, immediately the dirty things within
his heart becomes cleansed. Ceto-darpana-märjanaà bhava-mahä-dävägni-nirväpanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. And as
soon as the heart is cleansed, his all problems of this material world is solved. Bhava-mahä-dävägni-nirväpanam.
Because he understands. Cleansing the heart means to understand that he is not Kåñëa. He's part and parcel of
Kåñëa. His duty is to serve Kåñëa. This is cleansing of heart. So long it is not cleansed...
Extract from Bhagavad Gita Lectures – Bhagavad Gita 13.4 – August 12, 1973, Paris
So material nature is actually the field of activities in our conditioned life. We have—manaù ñañöhänéndriyäëi
prakåti-sthäni karñati [Bg. 15.7]. In the fifteenth chapter you'll find it, that, who are these living entities, we? Kåñëa
says, mamaiväàço: "They are all my parts and parcels." Mamaiväàço. Just like father and the son. A father has got
many sons. Similarly, we are all sons of God. Mamaiväàço jéva-bhütaù [Bg. 15.7], sanätanaù. Sanätanaù means
eternally. It is not that we are now part and parcel and after liberation we'll become one, or equal, the Mäyävädé
theory. No. That is not. Therefore this very word is used, sanätana, eternally. Eternally, we are part and parcel.
Then why they are not with You? Why they are here in this material world? Now manaù ñañöhänéndriyäëi prakåti-
sthäni karñati [Bg. 15.7]. They have preferred to enjoy this material world, to lord it over the material world.
Therefore, mind and senses, manaù ñañöhänéndriyäëi , with these senses and mind, karñati. manaù ñañöhänéndriyäëi
prakåti-sthäni. Karñati [Bg. 15.7], karñati means struggling. Struggle for existence. This is our position. We are part
and parcel of Kåñëa. Now we have given up by misuse of our independence. We wanted to imitate Kåñëa. Kåñëa is
the supreme enjoyer, so when we become envious of Kåñëa, tän ahaà dviñataù krurän [Bg. 16.19], the demons are
envious. They want to become Kåñëa. Therefore, you will find so many demons. They will say, "Why Kåñëa is

alone God? I am God, you are God, all of us, we are God." So they are demons. So demons cannot be allowed in
the spiritual world. They are sent in this material world.
Just like in some places I've heard in Europe there are many places, where the gamblers and the drunkards,
without any license, they can go on with their business. Is there any place like that? Huh?
Bhagavän: Yes.
Prabhupäda: What is the name?
Bhagavän: Monte Carlo.
Prabhupäda: Yes. So we are given this place, Monte Carlo (laughter). Go on with your sinful activities without any
license, go on. Demons. They'll not hear. They'll not accept Kåñëa as the advisor, instructor.
na mäà duñkåtino müòhäù

prapadyante narädhamäù
mäyayäpahåta-jïänäù
äsurià bhävam äçritäù [Bg. 7.15]
The äsurià bhävam äçritaù means demons. There are two classes of men, demon and god. Not the Godhead, God.
Those who are Vaiñëavas means obedient to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they are also god or godly. And
those who are not obedient, they are demons. This is the difference between demon and God or godly. So there are
two classes of men always in this material world. In the spiritual world, they are all gods, godly. Kåñëa is the
Godhead and all living entities there, they are godly.
A person, when he becomes ghostly haunted, he speaks all kinds of nonsense. So mäyä grasta jévera sei däsa
upajaya. Those who have come to this material world under the influence of the external energy of Kåñëa, mäyä,
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they are all madmen.
It is not çästra, it is the opinion of medical science also. The medical science. In India there was a case, a murderer.
So his pleader, lawyer pleaded that "This man, when committed this murder, he was insane." So the judge called
for the civil surgeon to examine him whether he has got such tendency, insanity. So he gave evidence, "My lord, so
far my knowledge concerned, I have tested so many men, everyone is insane. It is a question of degree. Now if you
consider that he was insane, you, that is your business to punish him, or not punish him. But so far my knowledge
is concerned, I have studied so many men and I have found they are all insane." Actually that is the position.
What does it mean, insanity? When his brain is not acting nicely. That is insanity. So anyone who is in this
material world, they are against God consciousness. That is the sign of insanity. He's under the strict regulation of
God, still he defies, "There is no God. There is no God, I am God." This is insanity.
Extract from Bhagavad Gita Lectures – Bhagavad Gita 13.4 – September 27, 1973, Bombay
At the present moment we are now jéva-bhüta. Because we are in this material world, because we have got this
material body, our present position is jéva-bhüta. But when we surpass, when we transcend this material concept of
life, the bodily concept of life... And that can be done very easily if you engage in the service of Kåñëa.
Is it very difficult to be engaged in the service of the Lord? Not at all. Not at all. Why? Man-manä bhava mad-
bhakto-mad-yäjé mäà namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. You are seeing Kåñëa here, and you can think of this Kåñëa always.
There is no tax and there is no loss. Suppose if you come to the temple and you get the impression of Rädhä-Kåñëa
so nice and if you keep within you heart... But that can be kept when you love. Just like if you love somebody, you
always keep within your heart the form of your lover. Similarly, if you develop love of Kåñëa, premäïjana-cchurita-
bhakti-vilocanena santaù sadaiva hådayeñu vilokayanti [Bs. 5.38]. If you have actually developed love of Kåñëa then

you'll be able to keep Kåñëa always within your heart. That Kåñëa wants. Man-manä: "Always think of Me." Man-
manä bhava mad-bhakto mad-yäjé mäà namaskuru [Bg. 18.65].
So to become devotee is not at all difficult. Without doing anything, if you simply follow this instruction of Kåñëa,
man-manä bhava mad-bhakto... Simply you think of Kåñëa. Here is Kåñëa. If you come in the temple, you get
impression of Kåñëa. Kåñëa is not nirakara. Here is Kåñëa's akära, dvi-bhüja-muralé-dhara. Avajänanti mäà müòhä
mänuñéà tanum äçritäù [Bg. 9.11].
The rascals, they think that "They are worshiping a man. Kåñëa was historical man." No. That is avajänanti mäà
müòhäù. They are rascals. Kåñëa comes to become visible to you so that you can understand what is Kåñëa. So five
thousand years Kåñëa advented Himself, and He remained just like a human being. He took part in the battle of
Kurukñetra. So... He was dancing, He was playing in Våndävana so that you may be attracted, you can understand
what is Kåñëa. Therefore Kåñëa came. But we are so unfortunate. Although Kåñëa comes Himself to show Himself,
show His activities, His power, His opulence, His beauty, His message, still, we miss Kåñëa. This is our misfortune.
Why? Na mäà duñkåtino müòhäù prapadyante narädhamäù, mäyayäpahåta-jïänäù [Bg. 7.15]. Although Kåñëa is
present, Kåñëa is manifesting Himself, but mäyayäpahåta jïäna, mäyä is so strong that it is taking away our
knowledge of Kåñëa.
Therefore if you want to get out of these clutches of mäyä... That is also given by Kåñëa. Mäm eva ye prapadyante
mäyäm etän taranti te: "Anyone who surrenders unto Me fully, he can get out of the clutches of mäyä." Then he
can be engaged fully in Kåñëa's service. Then his life becomes successful. Thank you very much. Hare Kåñëa.
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Lesson 6: Who is God?
Flow of the program
Link
In the first few weeks we discussed about some relevant questions such as “Who am I?” “Why am I suffering?”
“What is this material world” and this week we will try to understand “Who is God?”
Aim
The aim of this week is to make the participants understand who is God and if He can be given a name that fully
represents Him, it is Krsna.
Icebreaker
Question: Who is the most powerful person you have come across in your life and why do you consider him /
her powerful?
Summary: We are always attracted to someone due to some quality- fame, wealth, beauty, knowledge, strength,
etc. This week we will discuss about the Person who has all the good qualities in full.
Points and flow
• Meaning of the word ‘Bhagavan’.
• All wealth – He owns everything. Example: The city of Dwaraka was the most opulent city had innumerable
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palaces; each palace was exquisitely decorated and filled with gems etc.
• All strength –He killed Putana when He was just 3 months young!
• All fame – the whole universe knows Him; the Srimad Bhagavad Gita is famous all over the world, and is
being read for over 5000 years.
• All beauty – Everyone is attracted to Him. He is eternally 16 years old.
• All knowledge – He knows everything, there is nothing which is unknown to Him.
• All Renunciated – Even though He is the cause of this entire creation yet He is not influenced by this material
nature.
• If a name can be given to God, it is Krsna - “ALL attractive”

Extract from Srimad Bhagavatam Purport - SB 10.10.38
Unless delivered or blessed by a devotee, one cannot realize that Kåñëa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Manuñyäëäà sahasreñu kaçcid yatati siddhaye. According to this verse of Bhagavad-gétä (7.3), there are so many
siddhas or yogés who cannot understand Kåñëa; instead, they misunderstand Him. But if one takes shelter of a
devotee descending from the paramparä system of Närada (svayambhür näradaù çambhuù [SB 6.3.20]), one can
then understand who is an incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In this age, many pseudo
incarnations are advertised simply for having exhibited some magical performances, but except for persons who are
servants of Närada and other servants of Kåñëa, no one can understand who is God and who is not. This is
confirmed by Narottama däsa Öhäkura. Chäòiyä vaiñëava-sevä nistära päyeche kebä: no one is delivered from the
material conception of life unless favored by a Vaiñëava. Others can never understand, neither by speculation nor
by any other bodily or mental gymnastics.
Extract from the book Civilization and Transcendence – Chapter 11 – Feel the Oneness … with a difference
Of course, in the spiritual world there often seems to be no difference between the master and the servant. For
instance, Kåñëa's friends the cowherd boys—they do not know that Kåñëa is God. They play with Him on equal
terms. When Kåñëa is defeated in play, He has to take His friend on His shoulder and carry him. The friends do not
know who is God and who is not God. So that is the advanced spiritual conception. Of course, the difference is
always there between God and the part-and-parcel living entities, but by the influence of God's internal potency,
the understanding is covered. We can attain that position after many, many lives of pious activities. That is stated
in the Çrémad-Bhägavatam [10.12.11]:
Extract from the Book Science of Self Realization – Chapter 7 – Exploring the Spiritual Frontier - An Awareness
of What is Best and Most Beautiful
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Mr. O'Grady: Who taught God?
Çréla Prabhupäda: No. First of all there is the question who is God. Then we shall ask who taught God. The
Vedänta-sütra says, athäto brahma jijïäsä: now we should inquire who is God. Unless you know who God is, how
can you raise the question of who instructed God? If you don't know God, the question does not arise who
instructed God. Is this not so?
Mr. O'Grady: Yes.
Çréla Prabhupäda: Who God is, is explained in the Brahma-sütra. Janmädy asya yataù: [SB 1.1.1] God is He from
whom everything emanates. That is God—the Supreme Being from whom everything emanates. Now, what is the
nature of that Supreme Being? Is He a dead stone or a living entity? That is also explained. Janmädy asya yato
'nvayäd itarataç cärtheñv abhijïaù svaräö (Çrémad-Bhägavatam 1.1.1): the Supreme Being is fully cognizant of
everything, directly and indirectly. Unless He is fully cognizant of everything, He cannot be God. Then the
question that you raised comes, Who taught God? And that is also answered. Svaräö: He is fully independent. He
does not need to take lessons from anyone. That is God. If one needs to take lessons from others, he is not God.
Kåñëa spoke the Bhagavad-gétä, and He did not have to learn it from anyone. I had to learn it from my spiritual
master, but Kåñëa did not have to learn it from anyone. One who does not need to take lessons from others is God.
Mr. O'Grady: Where does human love come in?
Çréla Prabhupäda: Everything is coming from God. Being part and parcel of God, we manifest partial love because
the original love is there in Him. Nothing can exist if it is not in God; therefore love is there in God.
Extract from the book Journey of Self Discovery – Chapter 4 The Spiritual master – Show-bottle Spiritualists
Exposed
Sréla Prabhupäda: That is our test—you have to develop love for God. We don't say that you must follow
Christianity or Mohammedanism or Judaism or Hinduism. We simply look to see whether you are developing your
love of Godhead. But they say, "Who is God? I am God." You see? Everyone is taught nowadays that everyone is
God.
Journalist: Have you seen pictures of a smiling man with a mustache and a pushed—in nose? Before he died, he
said he was God.
Çréla Prabhupäda: He was God? He was another rascal. Just see—this is going on. He was making propaganda that
he was God. That means that people do not know what God is. Suppose I come to you and say that I am the
President of the United States. Will you accept me?
Journalist: [Laughs.] No, I don't think I would.
Çréla Prabhupäda: These rascals! The people are accepting them as God because they do not know what God is—
that is the problem.
Journalist: It's just absolutely absurd that somebody comes along and tells you he's God.
Çréla Prabhupäda: But whoever accepts him as God is just as much a rascal. The man who says he's God—he's
rascal number one. He's a cheater. And the man who is cheated—he's also a rascal. He does not know what God is.
He thinks that God is so cheap that you can find Him in the marketplace.
Journalist: Of course, the Western concept is that man is created in the image of God. Consequently, God must
look somewhat like man.
Çréla Prabhupäda: You have got so many scientists. So just find out what the actual image of God is, what His form
is really like. Where is that department? You have got so many departments—research department, technology
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department. But where is that department that researches what God is? Is there any such department of
knowledge?
Journalist: There's no God department working tonight—I'll tell you that right now.
Çréla Prabhupäda: That is the difficulty. But the Kåñëa consciousness movement is the department of how to know
God. If you study with us, then you'll not accept any rascal as God. You'll accept only God as God. We are teaching
about another nature, beyond this material nature. This material nature is coming into existence and again
dissolving, but God and His spiritual nature are eternal. We living entities are also eternal—without any end or any
beginning. This Kåñëa consciousness movement is teaching how we can transfer ourselves to that eternal, spiritual
nature where God is residing.
Extract from the book Transcendental Teachings of Prahalada Maharaja – Chapter 6 Krsna Consciousness: The
Perfection of Mercy
"My dear friends," Prahläda says, "give up this demoniac life. Give up this nonsense." The belief that there is no
God is the demoniac feature that Prahläda Mahäräja requests his friends to give up. Because they were born in the
families of demons and were being instructed by demoniac teachers, Prahläda's friends were thinking, "Who is
God? There is no God." We find in the Bhagavad-gétä that people of this mentality are called miscreants, for they
always try to make mischief. They may be very well educated lawyers, for example, but their plan is to cheat. We
have practical experience. These lawyers are highly educated with so many qualifications and are nicely dressed,
but their mentality is more base than that of a dog. "This man has some money, so let us conspire to cheat him."
They are simply miscreants.
What are they cheating for? Simply for sense gratification, just like an ass who does not know the purpose of life.
He is kept by the washerman, who loads his back as much as possible. In this way the ass works the whole day
with this burden simply for a few morsels of grass. Similarly, materialistic people work very hard simply for a little
insignificant sense gratification. Therefore they are compared to asses. They are always planning something
mischievous. They are the lowest of mankind because they do not believe in God. Why? Their knowledge has been
plundered by the influence of the material energy. Because they deny the existence of God, illusion impels them:
"Yes, there is no God. Work hard and commit sins so that you may go to hell."
Prahläda Mahäräja requests his demoniac friends to give up this idea that there is no God. If we give up this
nonsensical idea, then the Supreme Lord, who is beyond our perception, will be pleased and show His mercy to us.
Extract from the book Quest for enlightenment – Chapter 6 Thomas Aquinas: In Search of Divine Essence
Thomas Aquinas (1225?—1274) was the leading Christian philosopher of the middle ages. He led an austere life as
a celibate monk, writing prolifically and teaching widely.
Disciple: Thomas Aquinas compiled the entire Church doctrine in Summa Theologiae, which constitutes the
official philosophy of the Roman Catholic Church. Aquinas did not make Augustine's sharp distinction between
the material and spiritual worlds, or between secular society and the city of God. For him, both material and
spiritual creations have their origin in God. At the same time, he admits that the spiritual world is superior to the
material.
Çréla Prabhupäda: Christ is accepted as the son of God, and if the son can be seen, why can't the Father be seen? If
Christ is the son of God, who is God? In the Bhagavad-gétä, Kåñëa says, ahaà sarvasya prabhavaù: [Bg. 10.8]
"Everything is emanating from Me." Christ says that he is the son of God, and this means that he emanates from
God. Just as he has his personality, God also has His personality. Therefore we refer to Kåñëa as the Supreme
Personality of Godhead.
Disciple: Concerning God's names, Aquinas writes: "Yet since God is simple and subsisting, we attribute to Him
simple and abstract names to signify His simplicity, and concrete names to signify His subsistence and perfection;
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although both these kinds of names fail to express His mode of being, because our intellect does not know Him in
this life as He is."
Çréla Prabhupäda: One of God's attributes is being. Similarly, one of His attributes is attraction. God attracts
everything. The word kåñëa means "all-attractive." What, then, is wrong with addressing God as Kåñëa? Because
Kåñëa is the enjoyer of Rädhäräëé, His name is Rädhikä-ramaëa. Because He exists, He is called the Supreme Being.
In one sense, God has no name, but in another sense He has millions of names according to His activities and
attributes.
Disciple: Aquinas maintains that although the names apply to God to signify one reality, they are not synonymous
because they signify that reality under diverse aspects.
Çréla Prabhupäda: God's names are there because He has different features and activities.
Disciple: But Aquinas asserts that no name belongs to God in the same sense that it belongs to creatures.
Çréla Prabhupäda: The names of creatures are also derived from God. For instance, God appeared as the boar
incarnation, and therefore a devotee may be named Varäha däsa, which means "servant of God in His boar
incarnation." This name is not created; it refers to the activities of God.
Disciple: Aquinas believed that names of God that imply relation to creatures are predicated of God temporarily.
He writes: "Though God is prior to the creature, still, because the signification of 'Lord' includes the idea of a
servant and vice versa, these two relative terms, Lord and servant, are simultaneous by nature. Hence God was not
'Lord' until He had a creature subject to Himself.... Thus names which import relation to creatures are applied to
God temporarily, and not from eternity, since God is outside the whole order of creation."

Çréla Prabhupäda: God is always existing as the Lord, and His servants are existing everlastingly with Him. How
can He be the Lord without a servant? How can it be that God has no servants?
Çréla Prabhupäda: Why? If God is active and has created the entire universe, what is wrong in addressing Him
according to His activities and attributes?
Disciple: Aquinas claims that the very essence of God is the sheer fact of His being, the fact that He is.
Çréla Prabhupäda: He is, certainly, but "He is" means that He is existing in His abode with His servants, playmates,
hobbies, and paraphernalia. Everything is there. We must ask what is the meaning or nature of His being.
Disciple: It seems that Aquinas was basically an impersonalist.
Çréla Prabhupäda: No. He could not determine whether God is personal or impersonal. His inclination was to serve
God as a person, but he had no clear conception of His personality. Therefore he speculated.
Disciple: In the Vedas, is there an equivalent to "He who is"?
Çréla Prabhupäda: Oà tat sat is impersonal. This mantra, however, can also be extended as oà namo bhagavate
väsudeväya. The word väsudeva means "one who lives everywhere" and refers to Bhagavän, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. God is both personal and impersonal, but the impersonal feature is secondary. According
to Bhagavän Çré Kåñëa in the Bhagavad-gétä:
brahmaëo hi pratiñöhäham amåtasyävyayasya ca

çäçvatasya ca dharmasya sukhasyaikäntikasya ca [Bhagavad-gétä 14.27]
"And I am the basis of the impersonal Brahman, which is immortal, imperishable, and eternal and is the
constitutional position of ultimate happiness" [Bhagavad-gétä 14.27]. What is the purport to that?
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Disciple [reading]: "The constitution of Brahman is immortality, imperishability, eternity, and happiness. Brahman
is the beginning of transcendental realization. Paramätmä, the Supersoul, is the middle, the second stage in
transcendental realization, and the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the ultimate realization of the Absolute
Truth."
Çréla Prabhupäda: That is divine essence.

Lesson 7: Lord Caitanya and sankirtan
Flow of the program
Link
Last week we discussed about who is God and what His qualities are. This week we shall discuss about the
golden avatar of the Lord and his mission for the Kali yuga.
Aim
The aim of this week is to make the participants understand that Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Krsna himself and he
has given us the process of chanting the holy name. The members should get the clear message that we should be
chanting at least 1 round everyday.
Icebreaker
Question: Who is your best friend? Why?
Summary: We are always close with someone because they are dear to us, they like us and always think good for
us. Today we will discuss who is our real friend - the most compassionate Person.
Points and flow
• Avatar means to “descend down”.

• Qualities of an Avatar.
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a) Described in the Vedas.

b) Comes in different colors, features, forms in different yugas.
c) He comes with his associates.
• Purpose of an Avatar is to protect devotees and destroy demons.

• In Kali yuga Krsna comes as Caitanya Mahaprabhu who is golden in colour (described in shastra) and will
spread the glories of Krsna.
• In Kaliyuga every one of us has some demoniac qualities. Caitanya Mahaprabhu uses a special weapon -
“Sankirtana yagna” to remove our demoniac qualities.
• Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the most merciful of all the avatars, thus worshipping Him is easy. We can keep a
picture of Panchattva and chant the holy name of the Lord. In this yuga only smart people take up this
process.
krsna varnam tvisakrsnam
sangopangastra parsadam
yajnaih sankirtana prayair
yajante hi sumedasah [SB 11.5.32]
• Sankirtan means to glorify the Supreme Lord.

• In Kali yuga there is no way other than chanting the holy name of the Lord.

Extract from Bhagavad Gita Lectures – Bhagavad Gita 7.2 – March 10, 1975, London
Nitai: "I shall now declare unto you in full this knowledge, both phenomenal and noumenal, by knowing which
there shall remain nothing further to be known."
Prabhupada:
jnanam te 'ham sa-vijnanam

idam vaksyamy asesatah
yaj jnatva neha bhuyo 'nyaj
jnatavyam avasisyate
So Krsna is personally speaking about Himself as we understood in the previous verse, that asamsayam samagram
mam yatha jnasyasi tac chrnu [Bg. 7.1]. Asamsayam, without any doubt. If we speculate about God, that will never
be sufficient. Not even we can touch the precincts of the knowledge. If we want knowledge without any doubt,
asamsayam, samagram, and complete, then we must hear from God Himself. This is very easy to understand. By
hypothesis, by speculation, you cannot understand anything. It must be known scientifically, and this science can
be understood if a person knows the science. So who can know God better than God Himself?
Therefore our process is -- we have repeatedly explained this -- that we do not speculate about God. Just like there
are so many others, theosophists and theologists, they're speculating what is God. They don't accept... God
personally explaining, they would not accept. They would simply speculate. This is their disease. When God is
explaining Himself in the Bhagavad-gita... Rather, they will mislead the readings of the Bhagavad-gita in different
interpretation, but they will not accept what is being taught by God Himself. This is their misfortune. "Why shall I
accept Krsna as God?" Although He has proved Himself when He was present by the qualification which God
needs...
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To become God is not easy thing. There are some qualification, yesterday we discussed, that He must be the
richest, He must be the most powerful, He must be the most famous, He must be the most learned, He must be the
most beautiful, and He must be the most renounced. This is the definition of God. A poor man, begging from door
to door, he cannot become God, as it is misconceived, daridra-narayana. Why Narayana can be daridra? What is
this nonsense? He is the richest. He is the richest. And why He can, He will be daridra? The argument is forwarded
that "God is in everyone's heart; therefore everyone is God." What is this argument? Everyone's heart, God is there.
God said, isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]. Where God says that because isvara, the
Supreme Being, is situated in everyone's heart, therefore everyone is God? What is this argument? Where Krsna
says that because isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61], therefore everyone is God? Is that
very sound argument?
So this is going on. They do not know what is God, and still, there are so many incarnations of God. And foolish
people accept that "Here is an incarnation of God." He does not know what is God, and he accepts, "Here is
incarnation." We do not do so. If there is incarnation of God... That is mentioned in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Their
activities are mentioned, wonderful activities. We accept Lord Ramacandra as God, Lord Krsna as God, Caitanya
Mahaprabhu as God, because They are mentioned in the sastras, all the incarnations, even this age. One may say
that "Lord Ramacandra is accepted God, Lord Krsna is also accepted, but Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He is the greatest
devotee of God, but..." There are some persons in the Nimbarka-sampradaya, they put this argument. But Caitanya
Mahaprabhu's name is there in the sastra, many Upanisads, especially in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, that in the Kali-
yuga this incarnation of God should be worshiped. What is that description?
krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam
sangopangastra-parsadam
yajnaih sankirtana-prayair
yajanti hi sumedhasah [SB 11.5.32]

Clearly Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Krsna-varnam tvisa akrsnam. He is Krsna. Or krsnam varnayati, iti krsna-varnam.
Srila Jiva Gosvami, the most authoritative acarya of our sampradaya, he has explained like this. Krsna-varnam
means always chanting Hare Krsna. Krsnam varnayati, describing Krsna, "Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna." This is
description of Krsna, addressing Krsna. So therefore krsna-varnam, or varnam means category. Just like brahmana-
varna, ksatriya-varna. So in that way krsna-varna means He is Krsna, in the category of Krsna. Either you take this
meaning or that meaning, krsna-varnam. But Krsna is black, and He is tvisa, by the complexion, akrsna. Akrsna
means not Krsna. Now, there are so many colors. So everything is akrsna. That color, all the colors are mixed
together, it becomes black. Otherwise there are many different colors. So akrsna means different color, "not krsna,"
not black. So what is the actual? That we have to refer to sastra again, that Krsna, in how many categories of color
He appears? That is stated in the Bhagavatam. When Krsna was born, then Gargamuni was calculating about His
horoscope, and he said to Nanda Maharaja that "This, your child..." Idanim krsnatam gatah. Suklo raktas tatha pita
idanim krsnatam gatah. "Your child had formerly white color." White color... Sometimes some critics criticize us
that "Krsna everywhere He is black. Why in your temple white?" But it is said that sukla, suklo raktas tatha pita
idanim krsnatam gatah: "Your son had other colors also, white and red and yellow, and now He has assumed
blackish color."
So Caitanya Mahaprabhu, tvisa akrsnam. He is not blackish. Then He must be other form, sukla, rakta, or pita. So
He assumed the pita, yellowish color. Therefore tvisa akrsnam. Tvisa means by complexion. So krsna-varnam,
krsnam varnayati, iti krsna-varnam, or krsna iti krsna-varnam, and tvisa, by complexion, akrsna, pita, idanim pita-
varnam. Pita-varna gaura, golden avatara. And sangopangastra-parsadam. He is always surrounded by associates,
specially by Sri Advaita, Gadadhara, Srivasadi. Sri Krsna Caitanya, He is Krsna, then Nityananda, then Advaita,
then Gadadhara, then Srivasa, and many other devotees always followed. That is the life of Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu. Wherever He went, many followers chanting Hare Krsna, plus these principal associates were with
Him. Therefore sangopangastra-parsa... And these sanga upanga were His astra. Astra, astra means weapon.
God advents for two purposes. What are the two purposes? Paritranaya sadhunam. Just to give relief and deliver
the devotees. The devotees are always anxious to see God, so God comes down to give relief to the devotee, being
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present before them. Paritranaya sadhunam. Another: vinasaya ca duskrtam, to annihilate the demons. So there...,
for annihilating, for killing, you require weapon. Krsna has His weapon, sudarsana-cakra. Lord Ramacandra has
His weapon, bow and arrow. What is the weapon of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu? Sangopangastra-parsadam. His
associates are His weapons. This is astra. Because in the Kali-yuga they are so fallen, even they are demons, they are
third-class, fourth-class demons. (laughter) So they need not be killed. They are already killed. Their mode of life,
their atmosphere, they are always dead. Just like we see so many demons. So what is there to kill them? They are
already killed. They have no life. So this killing process in Kali-yuga is to kill their demonic propensities. And how
to kill that demonic propensities? By spreading Hare Krsna movement. This is astra. Otherwise to kill them is not...
By life, it is not difficult. One slap is sufficient. You don't require other weapon. But real Krsna comes to kill or to
give protection -- because He is Absolute, it is the same thing. If He is killing some demons, He is giving him
protection. He stops his demonic activities further, to implicate himself in more trouble. Therefore when Krsna
kills one demon, that means He saves him. He saves him. The Absolute, this is Absolute. Either He protects His
devotee or kills the demon, the result is the same. Therefore He is called Absolute.
So in this age, Kali-yuga, to kill the demons means to stop their demonic activities by the astra, kirtana, hari-
ssankirtana, which is spread by His associates. Nityananda Prabhu, Advaita Prabhu, Srivasadi Gaura-bhakta-vrnda,
they are going door to door, country to country, city to city, and saving the demons from being implicated more
and more in material existence. Therefore this is the astra. Astra means the killing. Real purpose... The living entity
is eternal. How he can be killed? Na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. So to kill means to kill his demonic
nature. Otherwise how he can be killed? Ya imam... There is a verse that anyone who knows that the living entity is
never killed and... A living entity does not kill anyone; neither a living entity is ever killed. One who knows this, he
knows. So that is the position. So killing does not mean that killing the living entity. That is not possible. Na jayate
na mriyate va. Killing means to kill his demonic activities. Stop. Killing means stop acting.
So sangopangastra-parsadam. This is the description of the God, Krsna, in this age. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam sangopangastra-parsadam [SB 11.5.32]. And how to worship Him? What is the process?
Yajnaih sankirtanaih. That's all. You keep Caitanya Mahaprabhu's Deity and chant and dance -- your life is
successful. So easy. We are worshiping Radha-Krsna. That is very difficult. But if we keep Caitanya Mahaprabhu
with His associates, this Panca-tattva, Gaura-Nitai, Gaura-Gadadhara, or Panca-tattva, and worship Him according
to the sastra description... The sastra description is yajnaih sankirtanaih. This is yajna. Life is means for performing
yajna. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said yajnarthe karma. You are very busy. Yes, you should be busy always, twenty-
four hours. For what purpose? Yajnarthe, not for your sense gratification. That is devotional life. Yajnarthe karma.
Karma. We are not dull matter. We have got our flexible hands and legs to work. People think that "These Krsna
conscious men, Hare Krsna people, they are escaping." What is that, escaping? We are not escaping. We are
practically taking the real activities. Param drstva nivartate. Although people see that we do not work, we do not go
to the factory, we do not to the mine, we do not go to the so many, so many things, or professional. We do not
become lawyer, engineer. They say that we are escaping. No. You see we are always busy, twenty-four hours busy. I
am old man of eighty years; still, I am busy. I am traveling all over the world, writing book at night, talking with
visitors, and so many things. You can see. So where we are escaping? We are the most responsible worker. So the...
What is the difference? The difference is all people are engaged for sense gratification. We are engaged for
satisfying Krsna. But activities are there.
So when you engage yourself for satisfaction of Krsna... Yajna means satisfaction of Krsna, or Visnu. Visnur
aradhyate pantha nanyat-tat-tosa-karanam. This is called yajna. Yajna means worshiping Lord Visnu. Tat-tosa-
karanam, acting for His satisfaction.
Extract from Bhagavad Gita Lectures – Bhagavad Gita 7.2 – March 10, 1975, London
So do anything. If Krsna is satisfied, that is yajna. That is yajna. And one should live for that purpose. Yajnarthe
karmano 'nyatra loko 'yam. Work very hard, but yajnarthe. And if you work so hard like ass and cats and dog
simply for satisfying your tongue or belly or the genital, a straight line, then you are going to hell. Yajnarthe
karmanah anyatra karma-bandhanah. Then you are becoming bound up by the laws of nature. If you eat and sleep
and act like dog, then become dog next life. And if you act like god, then you'll get god, very easy thing. So
whatever you like, you can do. But the sastra gives you direction, yajnarthe. "Act, work, work hard for pleasing the
Supreme Lord." Yajnarthe. Otherwise you will be bound up in the cycle of birth and death. Don't do it.
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So this Krsna consciousness movement is teaching this education, that perform... You cannot escape it. You cannot
say that "You are interested. You can do. We are not interested." If you are not interested, then you are living a
very risky life because you have to change your body. Dehantaram. You can see. There are examples of so many
types of body. Now, suppose if you live at the risk of your life and next life you become a tree, stand up for five
thousand years in the snow, scorching heat, scorching, blasting and so many disturbances, and you cannot move
an inch, and people may cut down you, your leaves, your trunk, or you, they are cutting so many... What is that
life? And if you think, "No, I am living for five thousand years," what is the use of living such five thousand years?
No. Don't risk life. Karma-bandhanah. If you don't perform yajna, if you don't try to satisfy the Supreme Lord...
Just like if you don't try to satisfy the government, then it is your risky life. You cannot say that "I am living very
happily." Because you are cheating government or do not following the laws of the government, that is very risky
life. Similarly, if you do not perform yajna, you cannot avoid it. Saha-yajnah prajah srstva. You are, you have got
this human form of life for performing yajna.
So in this age, in Kali-yuga, it is very difficult to perform other yajna. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Krsna, has
appeared to accept your yajna, to deliver you, and the yajna process is very easy: yajnaih Sankirtanaih. That's all.
Simply perform. Wherever you live, at home or outside home, just keep a picture of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and
chant Hare Krsna mantra before Him. Then your life will be successful.

Lesson 8: Glories of the holy name
Flow of the program
Link
We saw that in Kali yuga chanting the holy name of the Supreme Lord is the only way. Today we will discuss the
importance of chanting the holy name.
Aim
The aim is to further stress the importance of chanting and explain the glories of the maha-mantra.
Ice Breaker
Question: What is the simplest thing you have ever done in your life?
Summary: In Kali yuga the simplest process of chanting Hare Krsna maha-mantra gives the highest perfection in
life.
Points and flow
• Qualities of Kali yuga - People are short lived, misguided, have very less time for spiritual life, etc
• Without Krsna consciousness there will be no peace or prosperity.
• In Kali yuga the only process is to chant the holy name of the Lord. There is no other way.
• In one sense Kali yuga is the best yuga because the process of achieving the highest goal is very simple.
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The Vedic Literature
—“Thus he is the actual seer who worships, in the form of spiritual sound vibration, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, Vishnu, who has no material form.” (Srimad Bhagavatam 1.5.38)
—“In this age of Kali there is no alternative, there is no alternative, there is no alternative for spiritual progress
other than the holy name, the holy name, the holy name of the Lord.” (Brihan-naradiya Purana)
—“In this age of Kali, intelligent persons per-form congregational chanting in order to worship the incarnation of
Godhead who constantly sings the name of Krsna. Although His complexion is not blackish, He is Krsna Himself.
He is accompanied by His associates, servants, weapons and His confidential companions.” (Srimad Bhagavatam
11.5.32)
—“My dear king, although Kali-yuga is full of faults, there is still one good quality about this age. It is that simply
by chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the
spiritual kingdom.” (Srimad Bhagavatam 12.3.51)
—“...in the age of Kali, one can satisfy and worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, simply by chanting
His holy name.” (Narayana Sanghita, quoted by Srila Madhvacharya in his commentary on the Mundaka
Upanishad)
—“Those who are advanced and highly qualified and are interested in the essence of life know the good qualities of
Kali-yuga. Such people worship the age of Kali because in this age, simply by chanting the Hare Krsna maha-
mantra, one can advance in spiritual knowledge and thus attain life's goal.” (Srimad Bhagavatam 11.5.36)
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—“Devotional service, beginning with chanting the holy name of the Lord, is the ultimate relig-ious principle for
the living entity in human society.” (Srimad Bhagavatam 6.3.22)
—“O king, constant chanting of the holy name of the Lord after the ways of the great authorities is the doubtless
and fearless way of success for all, including those who are free from all material desires, those who are desirous of
all material enjoyment, and also those who are self-satisfied by dint of transcendental knowledge.” (Srimad
Bhagavatam 2.1.11)
—“The Absolute Truth is Sri Krsna, and loving devotion to Sri Krsna exhibited in pure love of Godhead is always
achieved through congregational chanting of the holy name, which is the essence of all bliss.” (Bhakti Vriksha
Caitanya-charitamrita, Adi-lila 1.96)
—“O Hari-nam [the holy name]! The tips of the toes of Your lotus feet are constantly being worshiped by the
glowing radiance emanating from the string of gems known as the holy Upanishads, which are considered the
crown jewels of all the Vedas. You are eternally adored by liberated souls such as Narada and Shukadev. O Hari-
nam! I take complete shelter of You.” (Rupa Goswami's Namashtaka, text 1)
—“Chanting the holy name is the chief means of attaining love of Godhead.” (Jiva Goswami's Bhakti-sandarbha,
text 270)
—“If one chants the holy name of the Lord, even in a helpless condition or without desiring to do so, all of the
reactions of his sinful life depart, just as when a lion roars, all the small animals flee in fear.” (Garuda Purana)
—“Simply by chanting the holy name of Krsna, one can obtain freedom from material existence. Indeed, simply by
chanting the Hare Krish-na maha-mantra one will be able to see the lotus feet of the Lord.” ( –Caitanya
charitamrita, Adi-lila 7.73)

—“I do not know how much nectar the two syllables 'Krsna' have produced. When the ho-ly name of Krsna is
properly chanted, it appears to dance within the mouth. We then desire many, many mouths. When that name
enters the holes of the ears, we desire many millions of ears. And when the holy name dances in the courtyard of
the heart, it fully conquers the activities of the mind, and therefore all the senses become inert.” (Rupa Goswami's
Vidagdha-madhava 1.15)
—“O my Lord, Your holy name alone can render all benediction to living beings, and thus You have hundreds and
millions of names such as Krsna and Govinda. In these spiritual names You have invested all of Your
transcendental potencies, and there are no hard and fast rules for chanting these names. O my Lord, out of
kindness You enable us to easily approach You by chanting Your holy names, but I am so unfortunate that I have
no attraction for Them.” (Sri Shikshashtakam, text 2)
Extract from Bhagavad Gita Lectures – Bhagavad Gita 2.12 – Public Lecture with German Translation
Throughout – September 10, 1969, Hamburg
The process is very simple and easy because you can remain in your occupation, in whatever position you are.
Simply you chant the holy name of God. Not only Hare Kåñëa. You can chant the holy name of God, Christ. Christ
is also the same as Kåñëa. So do it. There is no expenditure, but the profit is very, very great.
Extract from Bhagavad Gita Lectures – Bhagavad Gita 2.13 – Public Lecture with German Translation
Throughout – September 10, 1969, Hamburg
Prabhupäda: You chant slow. There is no harm. Either loud or slow, it doesn't matter, but you chant the holy name
of God.
Prabhupäda: Yes. By chanting the holy name of God, you associate with God. God is absolute. He's not different
from His name. So when you chant God's name means you immediately become in touch with God. And by
chanting more and more, your association becomes more and more intimate. Then everything is disclosed to you.
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That is stated in the Bhagavad-gétä:
If you keep in touch with God with faith and love, then God is within yourself, He'll give you intelligence how you
can go back to home, back to Godhead. There are many different processes or yoga system to be in touch with
God, but for the people in this age, this is the easiest method, to be in touch with God simply by chanting His holy
name.
Extract from Bhagavad Gita Lectures – Bhagavad Gita 2.59-60 – April 29, 1966, New York
Simply by chanting the holy name of God—either this Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare/ Hare
Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare, or any name of God in any language, that doesn't matter... But this is
recommended because Lord Caitanya Himself chanted this holy name. Therefore it is better recommended. But it
doesn't matter. But if you think, "Oh, this holy names were chanted by the Hindus, so I, I wish to chant in my own
way," that is also recommended. But how the matter has been simplified, that for attainment of spiritual life people
have to undergo so many years under penance and regulation, and here is only, only thing is, that you simply
chant the holy name of the Lord. Then everything will come to you automatically by and by. Because in this age
penance is not at all possible. Nobody can undergo any penance. But without penance, without sacrifice, from
history, from books, from scripture, we understand nobody has attained spiritual perfection. So we require to
undergo some sort of penances. That penance is that engage our senses not in the process of sense gratification but
in the process of serving the Supreme Lord, dovetailing, dovetailing our independence, our consciousness, to the
supreme consciousness.
Extract from Bhagavad Gita Lectures – Bhagavad Gita 3.21 – 25 – May 30, 1966, New York
Yaj-jihvägre näma tubhyam. Aho bata çva-paco 'to garéyän yaj-jihvägre näma tubhyam: "A person, whatever he may
be, even he is very low born, but if he utters the holy name of God by his tongue, he becomes the glorious person."

Çva-pacaù ataù. Çva-paca. Çva means dog, and pacaù... Pacaù means one who eats dogs. In India the dog-eaters are
considered to be the lowest class of men, dog-eaters. So çva-pacaù. çva-pacaù means the dog-eaters. So even the
dog-eaters, even if he is a dog-eater, it doesn't matter. If he can chant the holy name of Lord, then he becomes
glorious. Aho bata çva-paco 'to garéyän yaj-jihvägre näma tubhyam. So this Hare Kåñëa chanting is glorious, and
anyone who chants this, he becomes glorious.
Extract from Bhagavad Gita Lectures – Bhagavad Gita 4.5 – June 10, 1968, Montreal
Prabhupäda: As the necessity of the time. Sometimes He appears as svayaà bhagavän, sometimes He appears as
plenary expansion. But svayaà bhagavän or plenary expansion, there is no difference. Just like in the present age,
Kåñëa has appeared as holy name. So we should not consider that holy name of Kåñëa is less important than Kåñëa.
The holy name of Kåñëa is as powerful as Kåñëa. Nämnäm akäri bahudhä nija-sarva-çaktis taträrpitä. All the
potencies of Kåñëa is there. As soon as we are able to chant pure name... Pure name means offenselessly. We have
discussed several times that there are ten kinds of offenses in the matter of chanting this holy name. And if we be
careful to avoid those ten kinds of offenses, then pure, we can appreciate the purity of Kåñëa's name. Kåñëa's name
is always pure. Nitya-mukta-çuddha-abhinnatva-näma.
Extract from Bhagavad Gita Lectures – Bhagavad Gita 7.1 – May 24, 1975, Fiji
So our this propaganda, "Chant the holy name of God"... So somebody may decline that "Why shall I chant the
name of Kåñëa? This is Hindu name," or "Indian name." But Caitanya Mahäprabhu says that if you decline to chant
the particular name "Kåñëa," then if you have got your name of God, you can chant that also. We are not dogmatic.
If you have got actually the name of God, you chant that. That is His instruction.
So our request is to everyone—I think there should be any objection—that "You chant the holy name of God."
This is Kåñëa consciousness movement. If you have got your own name of God, you chant that. If not, what is the
objection? Take this name, "Kåñëa," and chant. Why there should be objection? This is not dogmatism. We give
freedom. We do not give. Caitanya Mahäprabhu gives that God has got many name. Why not? Just like one man in
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the family—somebody is calling him father; somebody calling him brother; somebody calling him by his name.
There are so many ways to call the same man. Similarly, if you have got a name, holy name of the holy father, you
chant that. This is our propaganda. Harer näma harer näma harer nämaiva kevalam [Cc. Ädi 17.21]. This is the
recommendation in the Vedic literature, that in this age, this age of differentiation, this age of fight, quarreling,
misunderstanding, if I say, "This is the name of God," and you say, "No, this is the name of God," then there will
be fight. So better, Caitanya Mahäprabhu gives here, that whatever name you have got... But it must be God's name,
harer näma, not your manufactured name. It must be authorized God's name. You chant that.
Extract from Bhagavad Gita Lectures – Bhagavad Gita 7.1 – October 9, 1975, Durban
Näma cintämaëiù kåñëaç caitanya-rasa-vigrahaù pürëaù çuddho nitya-mukto 'bhinnatvän näma-näminoù [Cc.
Madhya 17.133]. When we chant Hare Kåñëa, this means Kåñëa is dancing on my tongue. Otherwise why these
people are chanting twenty-four hours, "Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa"? If you ask them to chant some
other name, "Mr. John, Mr. John, Mr. John," it will be not possible. He will be tired: "No more." But you go on
chanting Hare Kåñëa twenty-four hours. You'll never feel tired. That is the proof that the holy name of God and
God is nondifferent.
Extract from Bhagavad Gita Lectures – Bhagavad Gita 7.3 – March 29, 1971, Bombay
Prabhupäda: ...yaù smaret puëòarékäkñaà sa bähyäbhyantara-çuciù çré-viñëu çré-viñëu çré-viñëu. By chanting the
holy name of Lord Viñëu, one becomes purified in whatever condition he may be. Apavitraù pavitro vä, either he is
pure or impure, sarvävasthäà gato 'pi vä, any condition of life, if he chants the holy name of Viñëu, then he
becomes immediately purified internally and externally.
Extract from Bhagavad Gita Lectures – Bhagavad Gita 7.8 – February 23, 1974, Bombay

That is stated in the çästra: ataù çré-kåñëa-nämädi na bhaved grähyam indriyaiù [Cc. Madhya 17.136]. With our
these present senses we cannot understand what is the holy, transcendental name of Kåñëa. Therefore sometimes
we are misunderstood, that "Why these people are chanting Hare Kåñëa?" So... Because ordinary man or ordinary
senses cannot understand the value, the nature of the name, therefore çästra says, ataù çré-kåñëa-nämädi. Nämädi,
beginning from name. We can realize God by chanting name. Because abhinnatvän näma-näminoù. Näma
cintämaëiù kåñëaç caitanya-rasa-vigrahaù [Cc. Madhya 17.133]. These are the description of the çästras. Näma, the
holy name of the Lord, is completely spiritual. Näma cintämaëiù kåñëa. He is... Näma is, name is as good as Kåñëa.
Näma cintämaëiù kåñëaç caitanya-rasa-vigrahaù. Those who are chanting Hare Kåñëa mahä-mantra without any
offense, they are tasting spiritual nectarine. Just like Rüpa Gosvämé has written a çloka that "If I could possess
millions of ears and millions of tongues, then I could enjoy what is the transcendental mellow in chanting Hare
Kåñëa mahä-mantra. But that is not possible for ordinary human being in the beginning. Therefore çästra says, ataù
çré-kåñëa-nämädi na bhaved grähyam indriyaiù [Cc. Madhya 17.136]. These impurified senses cannot appreciate
the value of the holy name of Kåñëa. Näma-ädi, His name, His quality, His pastimes, His form, His activities...
There are so many things, beginning with näma, Hare Kåñëa mahä-mantra. As we go on chanting, Hare Kåñëa, Hare
Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare/ Hare Räma, Hare Räma ,Räma Räma, Hare Hare, and as we become purified... The
more we chant, we become purified. Ceto-darpaëa-märjanaà bhava-mahä-dävägni-nirväpaëaà çreyaù-kairava-
candrikä-vitaraëaà vidyä-vadhü-jévanam [Cc. Antya 20.12].
So this is the process. So those who are not even inclined to chant this holy name of Hare Kåñëa mahä-mantra,
although there is no loss and there is no expenditure... Anyone can chant. It is freely distributed by Caitanya
Mahäprabhu. Anyone can take the chance of chanting Hare Kåñëa. Automatically... Sometimes we find friends on
the street. Simply by seeing us, they chant "Hare Kåñëa." So that is a good sign. They are learning the value of Hare
Kåñëa mahä-mantra. So in this age the chanting of the holy name is very, very important. Kalau nästy eva nästy eva
nästy eva gatir anyathä. For God realization.
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Lesson 9: Vyuha
Vyuha Schedule
Description Duration
Tulasi Arati and/orKirtan 15 minutes
Gaura Arati/Maha Arati 30 minutes
Lecture by Yatra 45 minutes
Sevak/Sector Sevak
Siksha Ceremony 15 minutes
Culturals 30 minutes
Prasadam 45 minutes
Total timing 3 hrs
The detailed process and topics to be covered as part of the vyuha have been covered in the previous Chapters.
Aim
Inspire the existing members to continue attending the program and guests (especially family members of the
Bhakti Vriksha attendees) to come for the program. ICDD Beng alur u
Recap the important points discussed in the previous 8 weeks.
Points and flow
• Welcome the members from all the Bhakti Vriksha groups.

• Ask a few questions from topics covered during the last 8 weeks.
• Request the members to share their experiences and realizations. This would inspire the guests to attend the
future programs.
• Share the importance of the holy name after consolidating the responses from the participants.
• Summarise the lessons covered in the previous weeks.
In the first week we discussed that human life is meant for asking relevant questions.
Then we discussed about the source of knowledge which are the Vedas
As the purpose of human life is to enquire we discussed various topics like
o Who am I?
o Why am I Suffering?
o What is this material world?
o Who is God?
o Who is Lord Caitanya?
o Glories of the holyname
• By discussing these topics we are now aware of the secrets by which we can live happily in this material
world.
• The prime secret of happy living in this world is to connect with the Supreme Lord.
• That process by which we can get connected to the Supreme Lord is chanting the holy name of the Lord.

• As the first verse of “Sikshastaka” mentions that chanting cleanses our heart just like cleaning the dust
accumulated on a mirror. We could quote these slokas to establish the importance of the Hare Krsna maha-
mantra.
• “Harer nama Harer nama Harer namaiva kevalam…” (Båhan-näradéya Puräëa)
Hare Kåiñhëa Hare Kåiñhëa

Kåiñhëa Kåiñhëa Hare Hare
Hare Räma Hare Räma
Räma Räma Hare Hare
iti ñoòaçakaà nämnäà

kali-kalmaña-näçanaà
nätaù parataropäyaù
sarva-vedeñu dåçyate
(Kali Santarana Upanishad)
• Conclude by making everyone chant Srila Prabhupada pranam mantra, Pancha tattva mantra and Hare Krsna
maha-mantra a few times.
• Request for comments or concerns.
HARE KRSNA
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Lessons
Introduction
In this chapter, the Lessons and the “Sri Namamrta” and “Preaching is the essence” for each of the initial 9 weeks
Bhakti Vriksha sessions are provided. Following are the lessons from week 1 to 9.
These lessons along with the extracts from “Sri Namamrta” and “Preaching is the essence” may be printed upfront
and shared with the participants during the weekly session. It is suggested that all the participants read through
the lesson during the weekly program. Subsequent discussions and questions, will be centered on the lesson.
The Bhakti Vriksha sevak should moderate the discussions based on his advanced preparation and the lesson for
the week.
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1. Difference between human and animal life

A small child walking with his father goes on inquiring constantly. He asks his father so many odd things, and the
father has to satisfy him with proper answers. When I(A Sadhu narrates) was a young father in my householder
life, I was over flooded with hundreds of questions from my second son, who was my constant companion. One
day it so happened that a bridegroom's party was passing our tramcar, and the four-year-old boy, as usual, inquired
what the big procession was. He was given all possible answers to his thousand and one questions regarding the
marriage party, and finally he asked whether his own father was married! This question gave rise to loud laughter
from all the elderly gentlemen present, although the boy was perplexed as to why we were laughing. Anyway, the
boy was somehow satisfied by his married father.
The lesson from this incident is that since a human being is a rational animal, he is born to make inquiries. The
greater the number of questions, the greater the advancement of knowledge and science. The whole of material
civilization is based on this originally large volume of questions put by young men to their elders. When elderly
persons give the proper answers to the questions of the youngsters, civilization makes progress, one step after
another. The most intelligent man, however, inquires about what happens after death. The less intelligent make
lesser inquiries, but the questions of those who are more intelligent go higher and still higher. (Adapted from
Science of Self realization Chapter 1 – Learning the Science of the Self)The first aphorism in the Vedanta-sutra is
“athatho brahma jijnasa”. In the human form of life one should put many questions to himself and to his
intelligence. In the various forms of life lower than human life the intelligence does not go beyond the range of
life's primary necessities — namely eating, sleeping, mating and defending. Dogs, cats and tigers are always busy
trying to find something to eat or a place to sleep, trying to defend and have sexual intercourse successfully. In the
human form of life, however, one should be intelligent enough to ask what he is, why he has come into the world,
what his duty is, who is the supreme controller, what is the difference between dull matter and the living entity,
etc. There are so many questions, and the person who is actually intelligent should simply inquire about the
supreme source of everything: athatho brahma jijnasa. A living entity is always connected with a certain amount of
intelligence, but in the human form of life the living entity must inquire about his spiritual identity. This is real
human intelligence. ICDD Beng alur u
It is said that one who is simply conscious of the body is no better than an animal, even though he be in the human
form. In Bhagavad-gita (15.15) Sri Krsna says, sarvasya caham´ hrdi sannivisto mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam´
ca: "I am seated in everyone's heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness." In the animal
form the living entity is completely forgetful of his relationship with God. This is called apohanam, or
forgetfulness. In the human form of life, however, consciousness is more greatly developed, and consequently the
human being has a chance to understand his relationship with God.
In the human form one should utilize his intelligence by asking all these questions, who am I? Why am I suffering?
Who is god? These are inquiries about atma-tattva — self-realization. The conclusion is that unless a living entity
is inquisitive about self-realization he is nothing but an animal. (SB 4.25.26)
Discovery
1. What is the similarity between human and animal life?
2. Is man different from animals?
Understanding
1. Are we using our intelligence for the purpose it is meant for?
2. Why is there a difference between the development of consciousness of animals and humans?
Application
You have come to this program with certain expectations. Do you think your expectations were met?
If yes to what extent? If no? What else did you want in this program?

SRI NAMAMRTA
The medicine of the mahä-mantra is delivering thousands of Jagäis and Madhäis:
Narottama däsa Öhäkura sings: hari hari viphale janama goìäinu: "My dear Lord Kåñëa, I have simply wasted my
time." Why? manuñya-janama päiyä, rädhä-Krsnanä bhajiyä, jäniyä çuniyä viña khäinu
"Because I have received the human form of life, which is meant for understanding Kåñëa, yet I have simply wasted
my time by not taking advantage of this opportunity. I have done everything but worship Rädhä-Kåñëa. Therefore I
have taken poison knowingly."
When one takes poison knowingly, he commits suicide, and not taking advantage of the human form is something
like that. If we do not understand Krsna in this life, we are knowingly taking poison. This material life is just like a
blazing forest fire. Eating, sleeping, enjoying sex and defending are the main material activities. When we are
engaged simply in these things, our hearts are always burning as if we had taken poison. How can we be cured?
(Adapted from Teachings of Lord Kapila – the son of Devahuti)
PREACHING IS THE ESSENCE

Out of compassion for living entities, the sadhu preaches:
The symptoms of a sädhu are that he is tolerant, merciful and friendly to all living entities. He has no enemies, he
is peaceful, he abides by the scriptures, and all his characteristics are sublime.
A sädhu, as described above, is a devotee of the Lord. His concern, therefore, is to enlighten people in devotional
service to the Lord. That is his mercy. He knows that without devotional service to the Lord, human life is spoiled.
A devotee travels all over the country, from door to door, preaching, "Be Krsna Conscious. Be a devotee of Lord
Kåñëa. Don't spoil your life in simply fulfilling your animal propensities. Human life is meant for self-realization, or
Krsna Consciousness." These are the preachings of a sädhu. He is not satisfied with his own liberation. He always
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thinks about others. He is the most compassionate personality towards all the fallen souls. One of his
qualifications, therefore, is käruëika, great mercy to the fallen souls.... He is merciful because he is the well-wisher
of all living entities. He is not only a well-wisher of human society, but a well-wisher of animal society as well. It is
said here, sarva-dehinäm, which indicates all living entities who have accepted a material body. Not only does the
human being have a material body, but other living entities, such as cats and dogs, also have material bodies. The
devotee of the Lord is merciful to everyone—the cats, dogs, trees, etc. He treats all living entities in such a way that
they can ultimately get salvation from this material entanglement.
(Adapted from Srimad-Bhägavatam 3.25.21)

2. Source of knowledge
What are the Vedas? The Sanskrit verbal root of Veda can be interpreted variously, but the purport is finally one.
Veda means knowledge. Any knowledge you accept is Veda, for the teachings of the Vedas are the original
knowledge. In the conditioned state, our knowledge is subjected to many deficiencies. The difference between a
conditioned soul and a liberated soul is that the conditioned soul has four kinds of defects. The first defect is that
he must commit mistakes. To err is human. This is one defect of the conditioned soul.
Another defect: to be illusioned. Illusion means to accept something which is not: maya. Maya means "what is
not." Everyone is accepting the body as the self. If I ask you what you are, you will say, "I am Mr. John; I am a rich
man; I am this; I am that." All these are bodily identifications. But you are not this body. This is illusion.
The third defect is the cheating propensity.
Everyone has the propensity to cheat others. Although a person is fool number one, he poses himself as very
intelligent. Although it is already pointed out that he is in illusion and makes mistakes, he will theorize: "I think
this is this, this is this." But he does not even know his own position. He writes books of philosophy, although he
is defective. That is his disease. That is cheating.
Lastly, our senses are imperfect. We are very proud of our eyes. Often, someone will challenge, "Can you show me
God?" But do you have the eyes to see God? You will never see if you haven't the eyes. If immediately the room
becomes dark, you cannot even see your hands. So what power do you have to see? We cannot, therefore, expect
knowledge (Veda) with these imperfect senses. With all these deficiencies, in conditioned life we cannot give
perfect knowledge to anyone. Nor are we ourselves perfect. Therefore we accept the Vedas as they are.
The Vedas are not compilations of human knowledge. Vedic knowledge comes from the spiritual world, from Lord
Krsna. Another name for the Vedas is sruti. Sruti refers to that knowledge which is acquired by hearing. It is not
experimental knowledge. Sruti is considered to be like a mother. We take so much knowledge from our mother.
For example, if you want to know who your father is, who can answer you? Your mother. If the mother says, "Here
is your father," you have to accept it. It is not possible to experiment to find out whether he is your father.
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Similarly, if you want to know something beyond your experience, beyond your experimental knowledge, beyond
the activities of the senses, then you have to accept the Vedas. There is no question of experimenting. It has already
been experimented. It is already settled. The version of the mother, for instance, has to be accepted as truth. There
is no other way.
If you make experimental endeavor, you come to the same conclusion, but just to save time you should accept. If
you want to know who your father is and if you accept your mother as the authority, then whatever she says can be
accepted without argument. There are three kinds of evidence: pratyaksha, anumana and sabda. Pratyaksha means
"direct evidence." Direct evidence is not very good because our senses are not perfect. We are seeing the sun daily,
and it appears to us just like a small disc, but it is actually far, far larger than many planets. Of what value is this
seeing? Therefore we have to read books; then we can understand about the sun. So direct experience is not
perfect. Then there is anumana, inductive knowledge: "It may be like this"-hypothesis. For instance, Darwin's
theory says it may be like this, it may be like that. But that is not science. That is a suggestion, and it is also not
perfect. But if you receive the knowledge from the authoritative sources, that is perfect. If you receive a program
guide from the radio station authorities, you accept it. You don't deny it; you don't have to make an experiment,
because it is received from the authoritative sources.
Vedic knowledge is called sabda-pramana. Another name is sruti. Sruti means that this knowledge has to be
received simply by aural reception. The Vedas instruct that in order to understand transcendental knowledge, we
have to hear from the authority. Transcendental knowledge is knowledge from beyond this universe. Within this
universe is material knowledge, and beyond this universe is transcendental knowledge. All this knowledge is there,
but how will you make experiments? It is not possible. Therefore you have to take the assistance of the Vedas. This
is called Vedic knowledge. (Adapted from the Introduction to Isopanishad by HDG A.C. BhaktiVedanta Swami
Prabhupada)
The disease of the modern civilized man is his disbelief of everything in the revealed scriptures. Faithless non-
believers cannot make progress in spiritual realization, for they cannot understand the spiritual potency. The small
fruit of a banyan contains hundreds of seeds, and in each seed is the potency to produce another banyan tree with
the potency to produce millions more of such fruits. This law of nature is visible before us, although how it works
is beyond our understanding. This is but an insignificant example of the potency of Godhead; there are many
similar phenomena that no scientist can explain.
Everything, in fact, is inconceivable, for the truth is revealed only to the proper persons. Although there are
varieties of personalities, from Brahmä down to the insignificant ant, all of whom are living beings, their
development of knowledge is different. Therefore we have to gather knowledge from the right source. Indeed, in
reality we can get knowledge only from the Vedic sources. The four Vedas, with their supplementary Puräëas, the
Mahäbhärata, the Rämäyaëa and their corollaries, which are known as småtis, are all authorized sources of
knowledge. If we are at all to gather knowledge, we must gather it from these sources without hesitation.
Revealed knowledge may in the beginning be unbelievable because of our paradoxical desire to verify everything
with our tiny brains, but the speculative means of attaining knowledge is always imperfect. The perfect knowledge
propounded in the revealed scriptures is confirmed by the great äcäryas, who have left ample commentations upon
them; none of these äcäryas has disbelieved in the çästras. One who disbelieves in the çästras is an atheist, and we
should not consult an atheist, however great he may be. A staunch believer in the çästras, with all their diversities,
is the right person from whom to gather real knowledge. Such knowledge may seem inconceivable in the
beginning, but when put forward by the proper authority its meaning is revealed, and then one no longer has any
doubts about it.
(Excerpt From: Caitanya Caritamrita, Aadilila, Chapter 5 Text 14 – purport)
Discovery
1. What do you understand by Veda?
2. What are the four defects?
3. Mention the 3 kinds of evidences for attaining knowledge?
4. What is the disease afflicting modern man with respect to the scriptures?
5. Which is the right source from which we have to gather knowledge?
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Understanding
1. Is there any difference between Vedic knowledge and material knowledge?
2. Of the 3 kinds of evidences for acquiring knowledge which is the best?
3. Whom should we consult to gather the real knowledge? Why?
4. Why is revealed knowledge unbelievable in the beginning?
Application
1. Is Vedic knowledge scientific? Substantiate.
2. Is it possible to make it a part of our day to day activites?
SRI NAMAMRTA
Perfect knowledge (and thus perfect activities) is derived from chanting the maha-mantra:
Cetah means "knowledge." Without perfect knowledge, one cannot act perfectly. The real source of knowledge is
the vacah, or sound vibration, given by Vedic instructions. Here the word vacah, or vibration, means the Vedic
vibration. The origin of creation is sound vibration, and if the sound vibration is clear and purified, perfect
knowledge and perfect activities actually become manifest. This is enacted by the chanting of the maha−mantra,
Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama,Hare Hare.
(SB 4.24.43)


Hearing (and chanting) the Vedic literature will bring peace and prosperity to the world:
O King, it is therefore essential that every human being hear, glorify and remember the Supreme Lord Personality
of Godhead always and everywhere.
And for hearing only, all the Vedic literatures are there, compiled by authorized persons like Vyäsadeva, who is the
powerful incarnation of Godhead. And as it is ascertained that the Lord is the Supersoul of everything, He should
therefore be heard and glorified everywhere and always. That is the special duty of the human being. And the
human being, when he gives up the process of hearing about the all-pervading Personality of Godhead, becomes
victim to hearing rubbish.... It is said here that it is incumbent upon the human beings to hear because the
scriptures like Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhägavatam, etc., are made for that purpose. Living beings other than human
beings have no capacity to hear such Vedic literatures. If the human society gives itself to the process of hearing the
Vedic literature, it will not become victim to the impious sounds vibrated by impious men who degrade the
standards of the total society. Hearing is solidified by the process of chanting. One who has perfectly heard from
the perfect source becomes convinced about the all-pervading Personality of Godhead and thus becomes
enthusiastic in the matter of glorifying the Lord. All the great äcäryas, like Rämänuja, Madhva, Caitanya, Sarasvaté
Öhäkura or even, in other countries, Muhammad, Christ and others, have all extensively glorified the Lord by
chanting always and in every place. Because the Lord is all-pervading, it is essential to glorify Him always and
everywhere. In the process of glorifying the Lord there should be no restriction of time and space. This is called
sanätana-dharma, or bhägavata-dharma. Sanätana means eternal, always and everywhere. Bhägavata means
pertaining to Bhagavän, the Lord. The Lord is the master of all time and all space, and therefore the Lord's holy
name must be heard, glorified and remembered everywhere in the world, and that will bring about the desired
peace and prosperity so eagerly awaited by the people of the world.
(SB 2.2.36)
ICDD Beng alur u

3. Who am I?
Who are you?... Are you your body? Or your mind? Or are you something higher? Do you know who you are, or
do you merely think you know? And does it really matter? Our materialistic society, with its unenlightened
leadership, has made it virtually taboo to inquire into our real, higher self. Instead we use our valuable time
maintaining, decorating, and pampering the body for its own sake. Might there be an alternative?.
The first step is to know the difference between a living body and a dead body. What is the difference? The
difference is that when someone dies, the spirit soul, or the living force, leaves the body. And therefore the body is
called "dead." So, there are two things: one, this body; and the other, the living force within the body. We speak of
the living force within the body. That is the difference between the science of Krsna consciousness, which is
spiritual, and ordinary material science. As such, in the beginning it is very, very difficult for an ordinary man to
appreciate our movement. One must first understand that he is a soul, or something other than his body.
You can understand at any moment, but it requires a little intelligence. For example, as a child grows, he becomes
a boy, the boy becomes a young man, the young man becomes an adult, and the adult becomes an old man.
Throughout all this time, although his body is changing from a child to an old man, he still feels himself to be the
same person, with the same identity. Just see: the body is changing, but the occupier of the body, the soul, is
remaining the same. So we should logically conclude that when our present body dies, we get another body. This is
called transmigration of the soul.
The first thing is to understand that you are a spirit soul. And because you are a spirit soul, you are changing your
body. This is the ABC of spiritual understanding. So, when your body is finished, annihilated, you are not finished.
You get another body, just as you may change your coat and shirt. If you come to see me tomorrow wearing a
different shirt and a different coat, does that mean you are a different person? No. Similarly, each time you die you
change bodies, but you, the spirit soul within the body, remain the same. This point has to be understood; then
one can make further progress in the science of Krsna consciousness.
The spirit soul is invisible to our material eyes. It is atomic in size. After the destruction of the gross body, which is
made up of the senses, blood, bone, fat, and so forth, the subtle body of mind, intelligence, and ego goes on
working. So at the time of death this subtle body carries the small spirit soul to another gross body. The process is
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just like air carrying a fragrance. Nobody can see where this rose fragrance is coming from, but we know that it is
being carried by the air. You cannot see how, but it is being done. Similarly, the process of transmigration of the
soul is very subtle. According to the condition of the mind at the time of death, the minute spirit soul enters into
the womb of a particular mother through the semen of a father, and then the soul develops a particular type of
body given by the mother. It may be a human being, it may be a cat, a dog, or anything.
The soul is present in the heart of the living entity, and it is the source of all the energies for maintaining the body.
The energy of the soul is spread all over the body, and this is known as consciousness. Since this consciousness
spreads the energy of the soul all over the body, one can feel pains and pleasures in any part of the body. The soul
is individual, and he is transmigrating from one body to another, just as a person transmigrates from babyhood to
childhood, from childhood to boyhood, from boyhood to youth, and then to advanced old age. Then the change
called death takes place when we change to a new body, just as we change our old dress to a new dress. This is
called transmigration of the soul.
People should first be taught what they are. Are they their bodies, or something else? That is the beginning of
education. Now everyone is educated to think he is his body. Because someone accidentally gets an American
body, he thinks, "I am an American." This is just like thinking, "I am a red shirt," just because you are wearing a
red shirt. You are not a red shirt; you are a human being. Similarly, this body is like a shirt or coat over the real
person--the spirit soul. If we recognize ourselves simply by our bodily "shirt" or "coat," then we have no spiritual
education.
(Adapted from Science of Self realization Chapters 1 & 2)
Discovery
1. What is the difference between a living and a dead body?
2. What are the different transformations that happen to a person in the course of his life? From infancy to death?
Understanding
1. Is it difficult to perceive the fact that we are something other than the body? Why?
2. How can we understand that though we grow from infancy to old age still we are the same person?
3. Can we understand the fact that the soul is transmigrating?

Application
When we lose someone who is dear to us why are we affected so much?
SRI NAMAMRTA
The processes of jïäna, yoga, meditation and pious activities are not as effective in cleansing the heart as chanting
the holy name
Ceto-darpaëa-märjanam: [Cc. Antya 20.12] one has to cleanse his heart. There are different processes to cleanse
the heart—the jïäna process, the yoga process, the meditation process, pious activities. Karma also cleanses the
heart. If one acts very piously, his heart will gradually be cleansed. But although these processes are recommended
for cleansing the heart, in this age they are all difficult. To follow the path of philosophical knowledge one must
become a very learned scholar, one must read so many books, one must go to learned professors and scholars and
speculate. One must search out a person who has seen the light. So these are all philosophical processes.
Meditation is also a recommended process. One should question, "What am I?" Just consider: Am I this body? No.
Am I this finger? No, this is my finger. If you contemplate your leg, you will see, "Oh, this is my leg." Similarly,
you will find everything to be "mine." And where is that "I"? Everything is mine, but where is that "I"? When one
is searching for that "I," that is meditation. Real meditation means concentrating all the senses in that way. But that
meditation process is very difficult. One must control the senses. The senses are dragging one outward, and one
has to bring them inward for introspection. Therefore there are eight processes in the yoga system. The first is
controlling the senses by regulative principles. Then sitting postures—that will help to concentrate the mind. If
one sits leaning over, that will not help; if one sits up straight, that will help. Then controlling the breathing, then
meditation, then samädhi. But today these are very, very difficult processes. No one can immediately perform
them. The so-called yoga processes are fragmental—only the sitting postures and a few breathing exercises are
practiced. But that cannot bring one to the perfectional stage. The actual yoga process, although a recommended
Vedic process, is very difficult in this age. Similarly one can try to get knowledge by the speculative philosophical
process: "This is Brahman, this is not Brahman, so what is Brahman? What is spirit soul?" Such empiric
philosophical discussion is also recommended, but it is useless in this age.Therefore Caitanya Mahäprabhu—not
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only Caitanya Mahäprabhu but also the Vedic literature—says:

harer näma harer näma / harer nämaiva kevalam
kalau nästy eva nästy eva / nästy eva gatir anyathä [Cc. Ädi 17.21]
Kalau means "in this age." Nästy eva, nästy eva, nästy eva—three times nästy eva. Eva means "certainly," and nästi
means "not." "Certainly not, certainly not, certainly not." What is that "certainly not"? One cannot realize oneself
by karma. That is the first "certainly not." One cannot realize oneself by jïäna. That is the second "certainly not."
One cannot realize oneself by yoga. Certainly not. Kalau. Kalau means "in this age." Kalau nästy eva nästy eva
nästy eva gatir anyathä. In this age one certainly cannot achieve success by any of these three methods. Then what
is the recommended process? Harer näma harer näma harer nämaiva kevalam. Simply chant the Hare Krsna
mantra. Kevalam means "only." Simply chant Hare Kåñëa. It is the easiest and most sublime process. This is
recommended, practical, and authorized. So take it. Accept it in any condition of life. Chant. There is no
expenditure, there is no loss. We are not chanting a secret. No. It is open. And by chanting you will cleanse your
heart. (The Science of Self-Realization)

Preaching the knowledge of the living entity’s spiritual existence is the highest welfare work
... [the living entity] must preach this knowledge [of self-realization] after perfecting himself and understanding
his own position as an eternal Sevak of Kåñëa. Preaching this is showing real mercy to living entities. Other types of
humanitarian work may be temporarily beneficial for the body, but because a living entity is spirit soul, ultimately
one can show him real mercy only by revealing knowledge of his spiritual existence. As Caitanya Mahäprabhu says,
jévera 'srarüpa' haya-kåñëera 'nitya-däsa.' "Every living entity is constitutionally a servant of Kåñëa." One should
know this fact perfectly and should preach it to the mass of people. (SB 4.29.1b)

4. Why am I suffering?
Every human being suffers in this material world. No one can claim that he is not suffering. That is not possible. In
this material world, there are three kinds of suffering: adhyatmika, adhibhautika, and adhidaivika. These are
miseries arising from the material body and mind, from other living entities, and from the forces of nature. We may
suffer mental anguish, or we may suffer from other living entities--from ants or mosquitoes or flies--or we may
suffer due to some superior power. There may be no rain, or there may be flood. There may be excessive heat or
excessive cold. So many types of suffering are imposed by nature. Thus there are three types of miseries within the
material world, and everyone is suffering from one, two, or three of them. No one can say that he is completely free
from suffering.
What is the problem of our lives? That we do not know. Modern education never gives enlightenment about the
real problem of life. That is indicated in the Bhagavad-Gita. Those who are educated and are advancing in
knowledge should know what is the problem of life. This problem is stated in the Gita: one should always see the
inconveniences of birth, death, old age, and disease. Unfortunately no one pays attention to these problems. When
a man is diseased he thinks, "All right. Let me go to the doctor. He will give me some medicine, and I will be
cured." But he does not consider the problem very seriously. "I did not want this disease. Why is there disease? Is
it not possible to become free from disease?" He never thinks that way. This is because his intelligence is very low-
grade, just like that of an animal. An animal suffers, but it has no sense. If an animal is brought to a slaughterhouse
and sees that the animal before him is being slaughtered, he will still stand there contentedly eating the grass. This
is animal life. He does not know that next time it will be his turn and he will be slaughtered. I have seen it. In a
Kali temple I have seen that a goat was standing there ready to be sacrificed and another goat was very happily
eating the grass. Similarly, Maharaja Yudhisthira was asked by Yamaraja, "What is the most wonderful thing in
this world? Can you explain?" So Maharaja Yudhisthira answered, "Yes. The most wonderful thing is that at every
moment one can see that his friends, his fathers, and his relatives have died, but he is thinking, `I shall live
forever."' He never thinks that he will die, just as an animal never thinks that at the next moment he may be
slaughtered. He is satisfied with the grass, that's all. He is satisfied with the sense gratification. He does not know
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that he is also going to die.
My father has died, my mother has died, he has died, she has died. So I will also have to die. Then what is after
death? I do not know. This is the problem. People do not take this problem seriously, but the Bhagavad-Gita
indicates that that is real education. Real education is to inquire why, although we do not want to die, death comes.
That is real inquiry. We do not want to become old men. Why does old age come upon us? We have many
problems, but this is the sum and substance of all of them.
The sages of India had developed a different kind of civilization, which enabled them to know themselves. They
had discovered that we are not at all material entities, but that we are all spiritual, permanent, and indestructible
servants of the Absolute. But because we have, against our better judgment, chosen to completely identify ourselves
with this present material existence, our sufferings have multiplied according to the inexorable law of birth and
death, with its consequent diseases and anxieties. These sufferings cannot be really mitigated by any provision of
material happiness, because matter and spirit are completely different elements. It is just as if you took an aquatic
animal out of water and put it on the land, supplying all manner of happiness possible on land. The deadly
sufferings of the animal are not capable of being relieved at all until it is taken out of its foreign environment. Spirit
and matter are completely contradictory things. All of us are spiritual entities. We cannot have perfect happiness,
which is our birthright, however much we may meddle with the affairs of mundane things. Perfect happiness can
be ours only when we are restored to our natural state of spiritual existence. This is the distinctive message of our
ancient Indian civilization, this is the message of the Gita, this is the message of the Vedas and the Puranas, and
this is the message of all the real acaryas, including our present Acaryadeva, in the line of Lord Caitanya.
(Adapted from Science of Self realisation – Chapters 2 & 5.)
Discovery
1. Mention the 3 kinds of suffering
2. What is the real problem of our lives?
Understanding
1. Why is it that though we see many people suffering and we ourselves are suffering we are not looking out for a
solution to end these sufferings?
2. How is the analogy of aquatic animal out of water applicable to us?
Application:
1. Do you have any experience or realization that when you engage in devotional service even for a moment you
forget about yourself and your surroundings? Do you wish this feeling would go on eternally? Please share
2. How many times have you felt helpless in a situation and therefore got frustrated? Do you think you should have
acted differently why/ why not?
SRI NAMAMRTA
By performance of saìkértana-yajïa, the congregational chanting of the holy name, people will be happy
economically, politically, socially, religiously and culturally:
In the present age of Kali there will eventually be a great scarcity of water (anävåñti), for the general populace, due
to ignorance and the scarcity of yajïa ingredients, will neglect to perform yajïas. Srimad-Bhägavatam therefore
advises: yajïaiù saìkértana-prayaiù yajanti hi sumedhasaù. After all, yajïa is meant to satisfy the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. In this age of Kali, there is great scarcity and ignorance; nonetheless, everyone can
perform saìkértana-yajïa. Every family in every society can conduct saìkértana-yajïa at least every evening. In this
way there will be no disturbance or scarcity of rain. It is essential for the people in this age to perform the
saìkértana-yajïa in order to be materially happy and to advance spiritually.
(SB 5.4.3)
PREACHING IS THE ESSENCE ICDD Beng alur u
The devotees who, out of compassion, preach are as confidential to the Lord as Lord Brahmä:
A pure devotee of the Lord like Brahmä and persons in his disciplic succession are always unhappy to see the
perplexities of the conditioned souls, who are suffering the onslaughts of the threefold miseries which pertain to
the body and mind, to the disturbances of material nature and many other such material disadvantages.... The
devotees of the Lord who voluntarily take the responsibility of raising the foolish materialistic sense enjoyers are as
confidential to the Lord as Lord Brahmä.
(SB 3.9.8)

5. What is this material world

The meaning of life is to enjoy. But now you are on a false platform of life, and therefore you are suffering instead
of enjoying. Everywhere we see the struggle for existence. Everyone is struggling, but what is their enjoyment in
the end? They are simply suffering and dying. Therefore, although life means enjoyment, at the present moment
your life is not enjoyment. But if you come to the real, spiritual platform of life, then you'll enjoy.
In the material world everything is made of dead matter; therefore it is simply an imitation. The reality of things
exists in the spiritual world. Those who have read the Gita can understand what the spiritual world is like, for
there it is described:
paras tasmat tu bhavo 'nyo / 'vyakto 'vyaktat sanatunah
yah sa sarvesu bhutesu / nasyatsu na vinasyati
"Yet there is another nature, which is eternal and is transcendental to this manifested and unmanifested matter. It
is supreme and is never annihilated. When all in this world is annihilated, that part remains as it is." (BG 8.20)
Scientists are attempting to calculate the length and breadth of this material world, but they cannot begin. It will
take them thousands of years simply to travel to the nearest star. And what to speak of the spiritual world? Since
we cannot know the material world, how can we know what is beyond it? The point is that we must know from
authoritative sources.
The most authoritative source is Krsna, for He is the reservoir of all knowledge. No one is wiser or more
knowledgeable than Krsna. Krsna informs us that beyond this material world is a spiritual sky, which is filled with
innumerable planets. That sky is far, far greater than material space, which constitutes only one fourth of the entire
creation. Similarly, the living entities within the material world are but a small portion of the living entities
throughout the creation. This material world is compared to a prison, and just as prisoners represent only a small
percentage of the total population, so the living entities within the material world constitute but a fragmental
portion of all living entities.
Those who have revolted against God--who are criminal--are placed in this material world. Sometimes criminals
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say that they don't care for the government, but nonetheless they are arrested and punished. Similarly, living
entities who declare their defiance of God are placed in the material world.
Originally the living entities are all part and parcel of God and are related to Him just as sons are related to their
father. Christians also consider God the supreme father. Christians go to church and pray, "Our Father, who art in
heaven.', The conception of God as father is also in the Bhagavad-gita (14.4):
sarva-yonisu kaunteya / murtayah sambha vanti yah
tasam brahma mahad yonir / aham bija-pradah pita
"It should be understood that all the species of life, O son of Kunti, are made possible by birth in this material
nature, and that I am the seed-giving father."
According to Vedic civilization, the perfection of life is to realize one's relationship with Krsna, or God. In the
Bhagavad-gita, which is accepted by all authorities in transcendental science as the basis of all Vedic knowledge, we
understand that not only human beings but all living entities are parts and parcels of God. The parts are meant for
serving the whole, just as the legs, hands, fingers, and ears are meant for serving the total body. We living entities,
being parts and parcels of God, are duty-bound to serve Him.
Actually our position is that we are always rendering service to someone, either to our family, country, or society.
If we have no one to serve, sometimes we keep a pet cat or dog and render service to it. All these factors prove that
we are constitutionally meant to render service, yet in spite of serving to the best of our ability, we are not satisfied.
Nor is the person to whom we are rendering that service satisfied. On the material platform, everyone is frustrated.
The reason for this is that the service being rendered is not properly directed. For example, if we want to render
service to a tree, we must water the root. If we pour water on the leaves, branches, and twigs, there is little benefit.
If the Supreme Personality of Godhead is served, all other parts and parcels will be automatically satisfied.
Consequently all welfare activities as well as service to society, family, and nation are realized by serving the
Supreme Personality of Godhead.

This Krsna consciousness movement is not blind religious fanaticism, nor is it a revolt by some recent upstart;
rather, it is an authorized, scientific approach to t0he matter of our eternal necessity in relation with the Absolute
Personality of Godhead, the Supreme Enjoyer. Krsna consciousness simply deals with our eternal relationship with
Him and the process of discharging our relative duties to Him. Thus, Krsna consciousness enables us to achieve the
highest perfection of life attainable in the present human form of existence.
When a soul wants to enjoy this material world, forgetting his real home in the spiritual world, he takes this life of
hard struggle for existence. This unnatural life of repeated birth, death, disease, and old age can be stopped when
his consciousness is dovetailed with the supreme consciousness of God. That is the basic principle of our Krsna
movement. (Adapted from Science of Self realisation)
Discovery
1. Are we enjoying?
2. Do you feel like a prisoner?
Understanding
1. What is the perfection of life?
2. Is it really possible to do all welfare activities by serving God?
Application
What are the practical ways of dovetailing our consciousness with the Supreme consciousness?
SRI NAMAMRTA
Dealings with the material world for spreading the Krsna Consciousness movement are spiritual, as long as one
daily chants sixteen rounds of the mahä-mantra
In our preaching work, we deal with so much property and money and so many books bought and sold, but
because these dealings all pertain to the Krsna Consciousness movement, they should never be considered
material. That one is absorbed in thoughts of such management does not mean that he is outside of Krsna
consciousness. If one rigidly observes the regulative principle of chanting sixteen rounds of the mahä-mantra every
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day, his dealings with the material world for the sake of spreading the Krsna Consciousness movement are not
different from the spiritual cultivation of Krsna Consciousness.
(SB 5.16.3)

For preaching Krsna Consciousness, any material facility may be employed:
One should not give up anything which can be utilized in the service of the Lord. That is a secret of devotional
service. Anything that can be utilized in advancing Krsna Consciousness and devotional service should be
accepted. For instance, we are using many machines for the advancement of our present Krsna Consciousness
movement, machines like typewriters, dictaphones, tape recorders, microphones and airplanes. Sometimes people
ask us, "Why are you utilizing material products if you condemn the advancement of material civilization?" But
actually we do not condemn. We simply ask people to do whatever they are doing in Krsna Consciousness. This is
the same principle on which, in the Bhagavad-gita, Krsna advised Arjuna to utilize his fighting abilities in
devotional service. Similarly, we are utilizing these machines for Kåñëa's service. With such sentiment for Kåñëa, or
Krsna Consciousness, we can accept everything. If the typewriter can be utilized for advancing our Krsna
Consciousness movement, we must accept it. Similarly, the Dictaphone or any other machine must be used. Our
vision is that Krsna is everything. Krsna is the cause and effect, and nothing belongs to us. Kåñëa's things must be
used in the service of Kåñëa.
(Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 14)

6. Who is God?
Parasara Muni, a great sage and the father of Vyasadeva, who compiled all the Vedic literatures, gave the following
definition of God:
aisvaryasya samagrasya / viryasya yasasah sriyah
Jnana-vairagyayos caiva / sannam bhaga itingana (Visnu Purana 6.5.47)
Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is thus defined by Parasara Muni as one who is full in six
opulences--who has full strength, fame, wealth, knowledge, beauty, and renunciation.
Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the proprietor of all riches. There are many rich men in the
world, but no one can claim that he possesses all the wealth. Nor can anyone claim that no one is richer than he.
We understand from the Srimad-Bhagavatam, however, that when Krsna was present on this earth He had 16,108
wives, and each wife lived in a palace made of marble and bedecked with jewels. The rooms were filled with
furniture made of ivory and gold, and there was great opulence everywhere. These descriptions are all given vividly
in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. In the history of human society we cannot find anyone who had sixteen thousand wives
or sixteen thousand palaces. Nor did Krsna go to one wife one day and another wife another day. No, He was
personally present in every palace at the same time. This means that He expanded Himself in 16,108 forms. This is
impossible for an ordinary man, but it is not very difficult for God. If God is unlimited, He can expand Himself in
unlimited forms, otherwise there is no meaning to the word unlimited. God is omnipotent; He can maintain not
only sixteen thousand wives but sixteen million and still encounter no difficulty, otherwise there is no meaning to
the word omnipotent.
These are all attractive features. We experience in this material world that if a man is very rich, he is attractive. In
America, for instance, Rockefeller and Ford are very attractive because of their riches. They are attractive even
though they do not possess all the wealth of the world. How much more attractive, then, is God, who is the
possessor of all riches.
Similarly, Krsna has unlimited strength. His strength was present from the moment of His birth. When Krsna was
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only three months old, the Putana demon attempted to kill Him, but instead she was killed by Krsna. That is God.
God is God from the beginning. He does not become God by some meditation or mystic power. Krsna is not that
type of God. Krsna was God from the very beginning of His appearance.
Krsna also has unlimited fame. Of course, we are devotees of Krsna & know of Him & glorify Him, but apart from
us, many millions in the world are aware of the fame of the Bhagavad-gita. In all countries all over the world the
Bhagavad-gita is read by philosophers, psychologists & religionists. We are also finding very good sales with our
Bhagavad-gita As It Is. This is because the commodity is pure gold. There are many editions of the Gita, but they
are not pure. Ours is selling more because we are presenting the Bhagavad-gita as it is. The fame of the Bhagavad-
gita is Krsna's fame.
Beauty, another opulence, is possessed unlimitedly by Krsna. Krsna Himself is very beautiful, as are all His
associates. Those who were pious in a previous life receive an opportunity in this material world to take birth in
good families and good nations. The American people are very rich and beautiful, and these opulences are a result
of pious activities. All over the world people are attracted to the Americans because they are advanced in scientific
knowledge, riches, beauty, and so on. This planet is an insignificant planet within the universe, yet within this
planet, one country--America--has so many attractive features. We can just imagine, then, how many attractive
features must be possessed by God, who is the creator of the entire cosmic manifestation. How beautiful He must
be--He who has created all beauty.
A person is attractive not only because of his beauty, but also because of his knowledge. A scientist or philosopher
may be attractive because of his knowledge, but what knowledge is more sublime than that given by Krsna in the
Bhagavad-gita? There is no comparison in the world to such knowledge. At the same time, Krsna possesses full
renunciation (vairagya). So many things are working under Krsna's direction in this material world, but actually
Krsna is not present here. A big factory may continue to work, although the owner may not be present. Similarly,
Krsna's potencies are working under the direction of His assistants, the demigods. Thus Krsna Himself is aloof
from the material world. This is all described in the revealed scriptures.

God, therefore, has many names according to His activities, but because He possesses so many opulences, and
because with these opulences He attracts everyone, He is called Krsna. The Vedic literature asserts that God has
many names, but "Krsna" is the principal name.
Actually God has no particular name. By saying He has no name, we mean that no one knows how many names He
has. Since God is unlimited, His names also must be unlimited. Therefore we cannot settle on one name. For
instance, Krsna is sometimes called Yasoda-nandana, the son of mother Yasoda; or Devaki-nandana, the son of
Devaki; or Vasudeva-nandana, the son of Vasudeva; or Nandanandana, the son of Nanda. Sometimes He is called
Parthasarathi, indicating that He acted as the charioteer of Arjuna, who is sometimes called Partha, the son of
Prtha.
God has many dealings with His many devotees, and according to those dealings, He is called certain names. Since
He has innumerable devotees and innumerable relations with them, He also has innumerable names. We cannot hit
on any one name. But the name Krsna means "all-attractive." God attracts everyone; that is the definition of God.
We have seen many pictures of Krsna, and we see that He attracts the cows, calves, birds, beasts, trees, plants, and
even the water in Vrndavana. He is attractive to the cowherd boys, to the gopis, to Nanda Maharaja, to the
Pandavas, and to all human society. Therefore if any particular name can be given to God, that name is "Krsna."
(Adapted from Science of Self Realization)
Discovery
1. What is the definition of Bhagavan?
2. What does 'Krsna' mean?
Understanding
Explain how each opulence is applicable to Krsna
Application
Is Krsna a sectarian name?
SRI NAMAMRTA
The Krsna Consciousness movement is killing the demoniac mentality of the people by the chanting of the holy name
Whenever God incarnates He has two missions, as stated in the Bhagavad-gita. There Krsna says, "Whenever I
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appear, My mission is to deliver the pious devotees and to annihilate the demons." When Krsna appeared, He had
to kill many demons. If we see a picture of Viñëu we will notice that He has a conchshell, lotus flower, club,& disc.
These last two items are meant for killing demons. Within this world there are two classes of men—the demons
and the devotees. The devotees are called demigods; they are almost like God because they have godly qualities.
Those who are devotees are called godly persons, and those who are nondevotees, atheists, are called demons. So
Kåñëa, or God, comes with two missions: to give protection to the devotees and to destroy the demons. In this age
Caitanya Mahäprabhu's mission is also like that: to deliver the devotees and annihilate the nondevotees, the
demons. But in this age He has a different weapon. That weapon is not a club or disc or lethal weapon—His
weapon is saìkértana movement. He killed the demoniac mentality of the people by introducing the saìkértana
movement. That is the specific significance of Lord Caitanya. In this age people are already killing themselves.
They have discovered atomic weapons with which to kill themselves, so there is no need for God to kill them. But
He appeared to kill their demoniac mentality. That is possible by this Krsna Consciousness movement.(Adapted
from the Science of Self-Realization)

Readers of Krsna literature can attain the ultimate goal of human life:
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kåñëa, is always full of six opulences—namely complete wealth, complete
strength, complete fame, complete knowledge, complete beauty and complete renunciation. The Lord appears in
different complete, eternal forms of incarnation. The conditioned soul has immense opportunity to hear about the
transcendental activities of the Lord in these different incarnations. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said, janma karma ca
me divyam [Bg. 4.9]. The pastimes and activities of the Lord are not material; they are beyond the material
conception. But the conditioned soul can benefit by hearing such uncommon activities. Hearing is an opportunity
to associate with the Lord; to hear His activities is to evolve to the transcendental nature—simply by hearing. The
conditioned soul has a natural aptitude to hear something about other conditioned souls in the form of fiction,
drama and novel. That inclination to hear something about others may be utilized in hearing the pastimes of the

Lord. Then one can immediately evolve to his transcendental nature. Kåñëa's pastimes are not only beautiful; they
are also very pleasing to the mind. If someone takes advantage of hearing the pastimes of the Lord, the material
contamination of dust, accumulated in the heart due to long association with material nature, can be immediately
cleansed.... Conditional life is due to this contamination only, and as soon as it is cleared off, then naturally the
dormant function of the living entity—rendering service to the Lord—awakens. By developing his eternal
relationship with the Supreme Lord, one becomes eligible to create friendship with the devotees. Mahäräja Parékñit
recommended, from practical experience, that everyone try to hear about the transcendental pastimes of the Lord.
This Krsna treatise is meant for that purpose, and the reader may take advantage in order to attain the ultimate goal
of human life.
(Kåñëa, Chapter 7)
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7. Lord Caitanya and sankirtan

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the golden avatara, appeared in India nearly five hundred years ago. It is the custom in
India that when a child is born, an astrologer is called for. When Lord Krsna, the supreme personality of Godhead,
appeared five thousand years ago, Gargamuni was called by His father, and he said, “This child formerly incarnated
in three complexions, such as red and golden, and now He has appeared in blackish color.” Krsna’s color is
described in the scriptures as blackish, Just like the color of a cloud. Lord Caitanya is understood to be Krsna
appearing in golden complexion.
There is much evidence in Vedic literature that Caitanya Mahaprabhu is an incarnation of Krsna, and this is
confirmed by scholars and devotees. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is confirmed that the incarnation of Krsna, or
God , in this present age, Kali-yuga, will always engage in describing Krsna, He is Krsna, but as a devotee of Krsna
He describes Himself. And in this age His bodily complexion will not be blackish.
Another feature of this avatara is that He is always accompanied by His associates. Krsna, or God, comes with
two missions: to give protection to the devotees and to destroy the demons. In this age Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s
mission is also like that: to deliver the devotees and to annihilate the nondevotees, the demons. But in this age He
has a different weapon, That weapon is not a club or disc or lethal weapon- His weapon is the Sankirtana
movement. He killed the demonic mentality of the people by introducing the Sankirtana movement.Therefore, in
the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is said that this is the incarnation of God in this age. And who worships Him? The
process is very simple. Just keep a picture of Lord Caitanya with His associates. Lord Caitanya is in the middle,
accompanied by His principal associates- Nityananda, Advaita, Gadadhara, and Srivasa.
Anyone can have His picture in his home, chant this Hare Krsna mantra, and thus worship Lord Caitanya. That is
the simple method. But who will capture this simple method? Those who have good brains. Without much bother,
if one simply keeps a picture of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu at home and chants Hare Krsna, then one will realize
God.
In this age, those who have sufficient intelligence take to this Sankirtana movement, and they advance very
quickly.Lord Caitanya is called, “the golden avatara.” Avatara means “descending, coming down.” Just as one may
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come down from the fifth story or the one–hundredth story of the building, an avatara comes down from the
spiritual planets in the spiritual sky.
The avatara for this age, Lord Caitanya, is described in Vedic literature. We cannot accept anyone as an avatara
unless he has the symptoms described in the scriptures. Krsna Himself came to teach us how to surrender. His last
instruction in the Bhagavad-gita is to surrender, but people – mudhas, rascals said, “Why should I surrender?”
Therefore, although Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Krsna Himself, this time He teaches us practically how to execute the
mission of the bhagavad-gita.
Caitanya Mahaprabhu gives us the opportunity to reach God directly When Rupa Goswami, the principal disciple
of Lord Caitanya offered a nice prayer to Lord Caitanya. This prayer says:
Namo maha-vadanyaya / Krsna-prema-pradaya te
Krsnaya Krsna-caitanya-Namne gaura-tvise namah
My dear Lord, You are the most munificent of all the incarnations.” Why? Krsna-prema-pradaya te: “You are
directly giving love to God. You have no other purpose. Your process is so nice that one can immediately learn to
love God. Therefore You are the most munificent of all incarnations. And it is not possible for any personality
other than Krsna Himself to deliver this benediction; therefore I say that You are Krsna.” Krsnaya Krsna-caitanya-
namne: “ You are Krsna, but you have assumed the name Krsna Caitanya. I surrender unto You.”
So this is the process. Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Krsna Himself, and He is teaching how to develop love of God by a
very simple method. He says simply to chant Hare Krsna.
Harer nama harer nama /Harer namaiva kevalam
Kalau nasty eva nasty eva/Nasty eva gatir anyatha
“In this age, simply go on chanting the Hare Krsna mantra. There is no other alternative.”
The chanting process offered by Lord Caitanya for achieving love of God is called sankirtana. sankirtana is a
Sanskrit word. Sam means samyak-“complete.” And kirtana means “glorifying” or “describing.” So complete

description means complete glorification of the Supreme, or the Supreme Complete Whole. It is not that one can
describe anything or glorify anything and that will be kirtana. From the grammatical point of view that may be
kirtana, but according to Vedic system, kirtana means describing the supreme authority, the Absolute Truth, the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is called kirtana.
(Adapted from Science of Self realization Chapter 5 – The appearance of Lord Caitanya)
Discovery
1. Who is an avataar?
2. How can we understand a person is avataar?
3. Why does Krsna come as an avatar?
Understanding
1. Why is Caitanya Mahaprabhu considered an avataar?
2. What do you understand by Demoniac mentality?
3. What is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's medicine for the Demoniac mentality?
4. What is the meaning of sankirtana? What is its aim?
5. What type of people will take up to the process of sankirtana? Why?
Application
1. Do you feel that "Love of God" is the topmost aim of life? Why or why not?
2. Have you experienced any change in your life since you have started attending this program?
3. Do you agree that all of us have partly demoniac mentalities? What steps can you take to purify your mind?
SRI NAMAMRTA
Krsna came again as Lord Caitanya to teach us the path by which to cross the ocean of Kali-yuga:
When Krsna appeared, He gave His orders (He asked all living entities to surrender unto Him), and when Krsna
Himself appeared as a devotee, as Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu, He showed us the path by which to cross the ocean of
Kali-yuga. That is the path of the Hare Krsna movement. When Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu appeared, He ushered in
the era for the saìkértana movement. Chanting of the Hare Krsna mahä-mantra is potent always, but it is especially
potent in this age of Kali. Therefore Çukadeva Gosvämé, while instructing Mahäräja Parékñit, stressed this chanting
of the Hare Krsna mantra.
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kaler doña-nidhe räjann / asti hy eko mahän guëaù

kértanäd eva kåñëasya / mukta-saìgaù paraà vrajet
"My dear King, although Kali-yuga is full of faults, there is still one good quality about this age. It is that simply by
chanting the Hare Krsna mahä-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the
transcendental kingdom."
(S.B. 12.3.51)

The main business of a preacher is to introduce saìkértana:
Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu is the most benevolent personality in human society because His only desire is to make
people happy. His saìkértana movement is especially meant for the purpose of making people happy. Cc. Ädi 9.45
Although Lord Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu and His devotees in disciplic succession can defeat all kinds of learned
scholars, scientists and philosophers in arguments, thus establishing the supremacy of the Personality of Godhead,
their main business as preachers is to introduce saìkértana everywhere. Simply to defeat scholars and philosophers
is not the occupation of a preacher. Preachers must simultaneously introduce the saìkértana movement, for that is
the mission of the Caitanya cult. (CC. Ädi 16.8)

8. Glories of the holy name

prayenalpayusah sabhya / kalav asmin yuge janah
mandah sumanda-matayo / manda-bhagya hy upadrutah (S.B. 1.1.10)
"O learned one, in this iron age of Kali men have but short lives. They are quarrelsome, lazy, misguided, unlucky
and, above all, always disturbed."
The people in this age are very short-lived and slow in understanding spiritual life. Actually, human life is meant
for understanding spiritual values, but because everyone in this age is a sudra, no one is interested. People have
forgotten life's real purpose. The word manda means both slow and bad, and everyone in this age is either bad or
slow or a combination of both. People are unfortunate and disturbed by so many things. According to Srimad-
Bhagavatam there will eventually be no rain and consequently a scarcity of food. The governments will also levy
very heavy taxes. The characteristics of this age predicted by Srimad-Bhagavatam are already being experienced to
some degree. Since Kali-yuga is a very miserable age, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is Sri Krsna Himself, advises
everyone simply to chant Hare Krsna.
Although God has given us all facilities to live peacefully on this earth, cultivate Krsna consciousness, and finally
to come to Him, in this age we're unfortunate. We are short-lived, and there are so many people without food,
shelter, married life or defense from the onslaughts of nature. This is due to the influence of this age of Kali.
Therefore Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, seeing the dreadful situation in this age, emphasized the absolute necessity
for cultivating spiritual life.
The Hare Krsna mantra is specifically mentioned in many Upanisads, such as the Kali-santarana Upanisad, where it
is said:
hare krsna hare krsna / krsna krsna hare hare
hare rama hare rama / rama rama hare hare
itisodasakam namnam / kali-kalmasa-nasanam
natah parataropayah / sarva-vedesu drsyate ICDD Beng alur u
"After searching through all the Vedic literature one cannot find a method of religion more sublime for this age
than the chanting of Hare Krsna."
"'My dear King, although Kali-yuga is full of faults, there is still one good quality about this age. It is that simply by
chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the
transcendental kingdom.'" (SB 12.3.51)
The universal religious practice for the Kali-yuga is the chanting of the holy name.
The religious practice for the age of Kali is to broadcast the glories of the holy name. Only for this purpose has the
Lord, in a yellow color, descended as Lord Caitanya.
In this age of Kali the practical system of religion for everyone is the chanting of the name of Godhead. This was
introduced in this age by Lord Caitanya. Bhakti-yoga actually begins with the chanting of the holy name, as
confirmed by Madhvacarya in his commentary on the Mundaka Upanisad. He quotes this verse from the Narayana-
samhita:
dvapariyair janair visnuh / pancaratrais tu kevalaih
kalau tu nama-matrena / pujyate bhagavan harih
"In the Dvapara-yuga people should worship Lord Visnu only by the regulative principles of the Narada-pancaratra
and other such authorized books. In the age of Kali, however, people should simply chant the holy names of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead." (Çré Caitanya-caritämåta Ädi-lélä 3.40)
In Kali-yuga, simply by chanting the holy name one can attain the goal of life.
[Karabhajana Rsi to Maharaja Nimi]:
" 'Those who are advanced and highly qualified and are interested in the essence of life know the good qualitles of
Kali-yuga. Such people worship the age of Kali because in this age, simply by chanting the Hare Krsna maha-
mantra, one can advance in spiritual knowledge and attain life's goal.' " (Çrémad-Bhägavatam 11.5.36)

Discovery:
1. What is the name of the present yuga? What are the qualities of people in this age?
2. What is the one good quality of this age?
3. In which upanishad is the Hare Krsna Maha-mantra mentioned? Why is it so important in this age?
Understanding:
1. What other methods of self-realization do you know about?
2. Why is chanting of Hare Krsna the most sublime method?
Application:
Do you believe that the Hare Krsna maha-mantra will help you on the path to life’s goal? How do you plan to
implement this method in your life?
SRI NAMAMRTA
Method of Chanting the Holy Name
The chanting of the holy name is not, however, a mechanical process depending merely upon contemplative
prowess. It is a devotional art, a form of prayer, and thus one must chant with reverence and devotion. The Hare
Krsna mantra is a prayer for protection and deliverance, a prayer to the Lord for His divine presence and for the
opportunity to serve Him. Chanting is compared to the helpless cry of a child for its mother. It is a prayer from the
core of the repentant heart. It is chanted, therefore, in humility. Once, in a state of devotional ecstasy while in the
company of two close followers (Svarupa Damodara Gosvami and Ramananda Raya), Sri Caitanya described the
quintessential importance of chanting with the mood of humility. He said, "One who thinks himself lower than the
grass, who is more tolerant than a tree, and who does not expect personal honor but is always prepared to give all
respect to others can very easily always chant the holy name of the Lord." Commenting upon this famous verse,
Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami, author of Sri Caitanya−caritamrta, declares, "Everyone please hear me! String this
verse on the thread of the holy name and wear it on your neck for continuous remembrance. One must strictly
follow the principles given by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu in this verse. If one simply does so, certainly he will
achieve the ultimate goal of life, the lotus feet of Sri Krsna."
(Sri Namamrta – Introduction)
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Unless one is empowered by the Lord, one cannot spread the holy names throughout the world:
To deliver people in regions throughout the Universe who could not meet Him, Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu
personally entered the bodies of pure devotees. Thus He empowered living beings His pure devotees by manifesting
in them so much of His own devotion that people in all other countries became devotees by seeing them.
Unless one is empowered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu, one cannot spread
the holy names of the Hare Krsna mahä-mantra throughout the world. Persons who do so are empowered. So they
are sometimes called äveça-avatäras or incarnations, for they are endowed with the power of Çré Caitanya
Mahäprabhu.
(CC Antya 2.14)
Devotees must chant the Païca-tattva mahä-mantra before every preaching function:
We must strictly follow the principle of offering our respects to the Païca-tattva, as summarized in the mantra—
çré-kåsëa-caitanya prabhu nityänanda çré-advaita gadädhara çréväsädi-gaura-bhakta-vånda. At the beginning of
every function in preaching, especially before chanting the Hare Krsna mahä-mantra ... we must chant the Païca-
tattva's names and offer our respects to them.
(CC Aadi 8.4)

Annexure 1 - Recommendation sheet for Shraddhavan
I, ___________________________________ am committed to chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra atleast

108 times or one round in a day.
I also confirm that I have read Hare Krsna Challenge (book) by Srila Prabhupada.
In addition to the above I have reading the following books of Srila Prabhupada:
a) ___________
b) ___________
c) ___________
d) ___________
e) ___________
Name and signature of the new devotee
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Name of the Bhakti Vriksha sevak
Signature of the Bhakti Vriksha sevak

Annexure 2 - Attendance Sheet
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Bhakti vriksha - Summary ................................................................................................. 6

Preparatory notes for Bhakti Vriksha Sevak ................................................................ 14

Lesson 7: Lord Caitanya and sankirtan ..................................................................................................................... 48

2|Page ISKCON New Rajapur Jagannatha Dham, Bengaluru

The Transcendental Gardeners

ekalä mäläkära ämi kähäì kähäì yäba

Suno suno Nityananda, suno haridasa,

3|Page ISKCON New Rajapur Jagannatha Dham, Bengaluru

Caitanya Avatari Das and Rasamayi Devi Dasi

(On behalf of the Editorial team, ISKCON - NRJD, Bengaluru)

4|Page ISKCON New Rajapur Jagannatha Dham, Bengaluru

tasmat sarveshu kaleshu

In order to encourage the members to systematically advance spiritually, different shiksha-levels of

The different shiksha-levels of commitment and standards prescribed are:

5|Page ISKCON New Rajapur Jagannatha Dham, Bengaluru

Bhakti vriksha - Summary

Guidelines for Shraddhavan Level

6|Page ISKCON New Rajapur Jagannatha Dham, Bengaluru

7|Page ISKCON New Rajapur Jagannatha Dham, Bengaluru

Recommended Program Schedule

Activity Description Time spent

Kirtan & arati 15 Min

Ice breaker 15 Min

Interactive session 60 Min

Importance of preaching 15 Min

Ice breaker ICDD B eng al ur u

8|Page ISKCON New Rajapur Jagannatha Dham, Bengaluru

9|Page ISKCON New Rajapur Jagannatha Dham, Bengaluru

(Refer to Annexure 2 for a sample of the Attendance Sheet)

10 | P a g e ISKCON New Rajapur Jagannatha Dham,

Tulasi Arati And/Or Kirtan

Gaura Arati/Maha Arati

(Refer Annexure 1 for a sample of the Recommendation sheet for Shraddhavan)

Suggestions to help members commit to Shraddhavan level

11 | P a g e ISKCON New Rajapur Jagannatha Dham,

As per Caitanya Caritamrta

Chanting Krsna’s name once = Chanting Rama’s name thrice

Therefore chanting Krsna’s name once = Chanting 1000 names of Vishnu

So chant Hare Krsna and be happy ☺!

• Chant and be happy

Topics ! \Weeks-> Week 1

13 | P a g e ISKCON New Rajapur Jagannatha Dham,

Preparatory notes for Bhakti Vriksha Sevak

14 | P a g e ISKCON New Rajapur Jagannatha Dham, Bengaluru

Lesson 1: Difference between animal and human life

Points and flow

• How do you distinguish between animals and human beings?

15 | P a g e ISKCON New Rajapur Jagannatha Dham, Bengaluru

Srila Prabhupada Lectures

From: Conversation at Airport, October 26, 1973, Bombay

From: Garden Conversation – June 9, 1976, Los Angeles

16 | P a g e ISKCON New Rajapur Jagannatha Dham, Bengaluru

17 | P a g e ISKCON New Rajapur Jagannatha Dham, Bengaluru

Lesson 2: Source of knowledge