Universal Citizens Forum

The Hindustan Times of India disclosed news from London d/- 23-9-1958 as follows:


London, Sept. 23-The Commonwealth of World Citizens yesterday announced that "the first world-wide parliamentary general election in the history of mankind" will take place on Friday.


Voting for candidates will be by postal ballot among the something less than 1,000 "world citizens" in 42 countries.


The Commonwealth of World Citizens, proclaimed in being at Cardiff in 1956, exists "to exhibit a demonstration of world unity," its founder, British author and historian Dr. Hugh Schonfield states.


Candidates include a former Italian Senator, Dr. Mary Tibaldi Chiesa, of Milan, and an advocate of the Supreme Court of India, Dr. Sanjib Chaudhuri, of Calcutta.


The elected deputies will hold their first session as a parliament in Vienna in May, 1959.


Candidates are forbidden to campaign for election, and voters choose from a list of names with qualifications.-Reuter.


In response to this we beg to suggest to the public an ideal of universal citizen's forum for consideration and reaction. Edi.


1. One state. 
2. One language.
3. One religion.
4. One unit.
5. One goal.
6. One proprietor.
7. One culture.
8. One philosophy.
9. One standard.
10. One economy.


1. One state means that the whole world shall be controlled by one government. The experiment in India shall begin with unification of Indian states. Different provinces may exist as it is now but the government shall be one; there shall be no more existence of the state governments incurring unnecessary expenses for management.


2. One language for the world government shall be selected preferably English the most popular language of the world. In India the one language problem shall be solved by accepting Hindi in Sanskritised form and grammar gradually. It shall have nothing to do with the present Hindi grammar, which has no basic principle.


An authorised grammar on the basis of Sanskrit root shall be prepared and that shall be taught all over India. The spoken language may remain as it is current in the provinces but the written language shall be Sanskritised Hindi with Devanagri script.


Sanskritised Hindi means to learn Sanskrit through a common popular language so much so that through the Sanskritised Hindi grammar, Sanskrit language will be the ultimate goal of linguistic problem. English will continue to remain with the ideal of world state in future. So in India Sanskritised Hindi and English shall be compulsory subjects while original Sanskrit and the provincial language shall play the additional part.


3. One religion means one God and one scripture namely the Bhagwat Geeta. One God means the All Attractive Personality of Godhead Krishna in His Absolute form. The word Krishna is identical with the word God. Because 'Krishna' means that which attracts or that which negativises the threefold miseries of repetition of birth and death. Life is eternal and the aim of life therefore should be to make it free from all troubles of materially living conditions. The word Krishna aims this Perfection of life and the word God means the same thing because the idea of God worship means to attain a perfection of life.


Every religionist accepts the idea of God whether personal or impersonal. God is both at one and the same time. Krishna is in everywhere in His impersonal feature but in His personality He is present in his transcendental abode by His personal feature. That makes a complete God.


The Bhagwad Geeta claims every living being including the animals and other beings in all species of life-as the sons of Godhead. Therefore the idea of universal brotherhood is mentioned in the only scripture of the world-the Bhagwad Geeta. This book of knowledge shall be the subject matter of propagation.  


4. One unit means the diverse people of the states shall work only for the welfare of the state and not for individual benefit. There may be diversity of functions by different divisions of activities but aim of such activities shall be one means welfare of the state. As such there shall be four classes of men.


(A) The intelligent class of men with full knowledge of human necessities, as confirmed by previous sages.


(B) The statesmen class of men with full training of management about needs of all living being under the guidance of the intelligent class.


(C) The productive class of men namely, the agriculturists, the industrialists and the trading class of men-shall be controlled by the managing statesmen.


(D) The labouring class of men shall render services only to the above upper class of men. All the above classes shall be qualified by personal abilities without any reference to the origin of birth.


All the different divisions of classes are equally important as much as any part of the whole body is equally important for different services. The head and the leg of the body are equally important in relation with bodily functions and yet head is the most important part of the body to guide the whole bodily actions. The whole idea is to accept the theory of unity in diverse actions.


5. One goal means the activities of the people should be guided with reference to their eternal life. They should be made happy not only in this life but also in the next. Foolish people do not know this continuity of life like the foolish children are careless about their future prospect. The parents guide the foolish children and similarly the state shall guide the foolish people who have no knowledge of future life. There are two goals of life namely 
(1) fulfillment of immediate needs and 
(2) fulfillment of prime needs. Immediate needs are aimed at satisfaction of the senses and mind but prime need is the upliftment of the spirit soul.


People should be given all chances not only for fulfilling the present needs of the senses in a controlled manner but also to fulfill the needs of ultimate goal namely the spiritual upliftment.


6. One proprietor means that there shall be no individual proprietor of any property of the state. The state shall be the owner of all properties and citizens shall be the servitors only for the complete welfare. The idea is something like the joint family system in which no individual person is considered to be the proprietor and everyone does his bit of work for the total welfare and equal share of the benefit. The symbolic representative of proprietorship shall be dedicated to the Personality of Godhead in all different units of the state and every living being including the animals etc., shall have the right to live and prosper individually according to the laws. Nobody shall be absolutely free and yet freedom of action will be given to everyone. Everyone shall be the servant of the state and the state shall look after the citizens in complete harmony.


7. One culture means that the state shall encourage in every way to the development of spiritual culture. Every living being is a spiritual spark covered by the material body. So there is no difference between the learned and the fool, so far spiritual identity is concerned. The learned shall try to uplift the position of the fool by love and affection and shall not look down upon any living being. That shall be the cultural propaganda of the universal citizens forum. (To be continued)


Printed in The Back To Godhead Magazine, 1958. By ISKCON Founder Acharya A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

How Should One Cultivate Human Spirit

Culture of human spirit by the human being is the prime duty of humankind. All great thinkers, philosophers, reformers and persons who thought for the whole of human society in terms of its welfare in general, thought like it from time immemorial. Out of them those who were perfect perfect ly self realised soul or the perfect human being, recorded their self realised experience in the books of knowledge known as the Vedas or the scriptures. There are various types of attempts to understand the import of the Vedas by those who are not themselves beings and as such the books of knowledge have been again molded in the ways of the quality of imperfect interpreters.


Apart from all these controversial points, we may safely generalise that there are four different classes of human beings all over the world and they are (1) The intelligent class of men or good men or the Brahmins (2) The politicians or the ruling class of men, the men of passion or the Kshatriyas (3) The productive class of men or the men of mixed quality compounded of passion and ignorance called by the name of the Vaishyas and (4) The labour class of men or the men in ignorance called by the name of Sudras. And all of them are meant for co-operation for the common cause of cultivating human spirit. When they co-operate for the common cause there is harmony and progress but when they non-co-operate with one another there is unrest and trouble in the society.


At the present moment there is a tendency of non-co-operation between the different classes of men on account of their missing the common cause of human spirit and therefore there is prime need of a batch of intelligent class of men to combine together and thus educate the other classes in the matter of co-operation for human spiritual culture. The world is now dominated by the third-grade productive and fourth-grade labour class of men and there is scarcity of intelligent class of men and that of political philosophers also. Diplomats are not political philosophers. Without being guided by the intelligent class of men and political philosophers. The productive class of men and the labourer class of men have formed into groups of capitalist and communists ; both of them being practically disabled from the common cause of cultivating human spirit. These two classes of men are more or less concerned with the bodily necessities of life without reference to needs of the human spirit. The intelligent class of men can be interested only in the culture of human spirit and therefore there is need of the intelligent class of men to reform the diplomats, capitalists and the communists all over the world.


'HOW SHOULD ONE CULTIVATE HUMAN SPIRIT is a grand question by the modern materialistic man who had so long thought of the identity of the human being either with the human body or with the human mind. Some of us identified the living being with the human body and some of us speculated on the construction of the psychic activities in thinking feeling and willing and misinterpreted them with the human or living being. If we ask somebody what is his name, he at once answers that his name is John, he is the son of Frank, his native place is in London and his occupation is to earn money by hundreds of thousand. If he is further asked whether he is satisfied with his identification of the body as Mr. John Frank of London, certainly he will reply. If he is a sane man at all, in the negative.


Any man identified with the body or the mind is not at all satisfied because he is always troubled in the body and the mind in spite of his all endeavours to avoid them. The troubles are the three fold miseries of life. The first trouble is in relation with his body


namely that he may feel some sort of headache, fever, heat, cold and so forth which he does not want at all. The second trouble is in respect of his mind. Even if one is quite all right se far as his body is concerned, his mind may be in trouble for so many cares and anxieties.


In the modern set up of materialistic civilization nobody is free from cares and anxieties. There are so many great men in the modern world and almost all of them are so much troubled in the mind that they cannot sleep at night peacefully without being intoxicated by some artificial means. Insomnia is a disease for the man always troubled in the mind.


The third trouble is in our relation with other living beings. India thought that the arrangement of the Panchashila will allow her to live in peace and friendship with other nations of the world but in spite of her following a policy of neutrality, her immediate neighbour and friend China has occupied a portion of Indian territory and for this the mind of the Indian leaders is in trouble. We have nothing to do with politics in this connection but we have taken up this particular incident just to get an idea of our trouble in relation with other living beings. The Law court is another place where there is ample evidences of human trouble in respect of our dealings with one another. Even there is trouble in the dealings between husband and wife, father and son, friend and friend, man and animal and so forth and so on. It is concluded, therefore, that there are many troubles between one living creature, with another for want of the culture of human spirit.


And above all these troubles there is another insurmountable trouble imposed by the laws of nature, Famine, pestilence, war, earthquake, volcanic eruptions, flood and so many other things like that are always troubling the human being even though we do not want them. Big brains of world leadership are always busy to get rid of these troubles but so far they have failed to achieve any success over the threefold miseries for want of cultivating human spirit.


A living being's intuition is to get over all the above mentioned troubles of life and live in peace and friendship and the prosperity of eternal life and knowledge.


When I received the letter of invitation from Mr. Toshihiro Nakano, he expressed the following sentiments in his letter under reference. He wrote to say "This seems to be good opportunity for you to present your evidence by attending the glorious meeting to indicate that you have been lending every effort to attain the long-sought goal of securing the ultimate peace and infinite prosperity of humankind, a terrestrial paradise."


Living beings other than the human being, although feeling all the above mentioned troubles, are unable to take any measure against them. The human being is gifted with higher talented status of consciousness and he is always trying to get rid of all these troubles because he is meant for such realisation. Foolish human beings in the third and fourth grade of above mentioned classifications take it for granted that it is impossible to get over the troubles but the intelligent class of men do not give up the attempt and they do try it even life after life. There is no doubt that this congress is being organised only to fit out the ways and means of infinity prosperity which is the natural urge of a developed human being. The intelligent class of men probe into the psychic field in various ways to find out the right path of satisfaction. Such attempt in psychology for producing good poetry philosophy and thoughtful matter by the human being, has failed to achieve the end of his life namely peace, prosperity in eternal life, knowledge and happiness. When the living being admits failure both in the gross and subtle spheres of materialistic satisfaction, he is sure to search after the Human spirit which is transcendental to the gross and subtle material elements.


The identity of human spirit or the living energy of the living being is never to be identified with the body or the mind. Body and mind are two gross and subtle coverings of the living being. The doubtful scientist may make a dissection of the whole body in his biological research laboratory but be cannot find out the living spirit within the body. By dissection of the body we can see only that the body is something like reinforced structure of bones, marrow, nerves, muscle, skin, blood and secretion. The bones are the supporting pillars of the construction and the nerves are like the binding ropes? And on this superficial structure of bones and nerves there is the reinforced plastering with flesh and blood: There are different ventilating holes or windows of the body and from each of them always bad smell is emanating because all the secretions of the body are different grades of urine and stools. This obnoxious structure of the body is accepted falsely as beautiful without the knowledge of the beautiful human spirit now invisible with the light of matter. This obnoxious structure of the body is the germinating source and breeding ground of all kinds of diseases and when it is old enough and shattered by hard struggle for existence against the odds of the above mentioned threefold miseries, it is full of agrievement and the temple of diseases. The material scientist has no remedy for the wretched condition of life. To pull on with such a troublesome body is also another difficulty because the bodily needs are never to be satisfied. It is troublesome in every inch and with all, the whole false structure is susceptible of collapsing within a moment and that also without and previous notice.


Can the material scientist move this false body made of bones and nerves without the spiritual aid? No, it is not at all possible. Had it been possible to do so by the materialist, then he could move the railway trains without any steam or electric power. Even the steam and electric power is unable to act without the help of a living spiritual being.


They see to the wonderful acts done by the seemingly imperceptible spiritual living being but do not search after the wonderful actor playing the parts of this wonderful act. In the modern days of throwing sputniks in the outer space we are amazed to hear about the revolving of the space vehicle but we neglect to study the spirit behind the bodily structure of the man who works on the sputnik. Certainly the structure of the body as described above, of the sputnik man, is not at all different from that of another non-sputnik man. The difference lies in the qualities of the spiritual spark of the individual being and we have neglected to make a study of it. The body is a lump of matter and it is a burden of the conditioned soul like the fetters of a convicted prisoner of state.


The sum and substance of an analytical study of the physical and anatomical conditions of living beings is explained above. And the ultimate end of such body is to turn into moths, stool or ashes. The dead body is either buried in the grave to be transformed into moth, it is given to be devoured by other animals and birds and the result is that it turns into stool or it is burnt into ashes.


Such a constructive body certainly cannot be imperishable as some of us wrongly think of. We have to seek out the imperishable element beyond the body and that is the process of CULTIVATING HUMAN SPIRIT. And that is the function of the human form of life. Find out the permanent out of the perishable. They are busy in keeping up the perishable body by eating vitamin values. And what are these vitamins? They are after all different active principles of different grades of foodstuff. But on the ultimate analysis, however valuable a foodstuff is there, when it is cooked up as eatables it becomes decomposed in some hours. How is it then possible to keep fit the perishable body by eating such perishable vitamins? The sane man therefore does not try to keep up the body by artificial means, knowing well the sad end of the perishable body in spite of all endeavours. Such sane man makes the best of a bad bargain for the purposes of spiritual culture only and nothing more. The Bhagwat Geeta has given its final judgement that the body is undoubtedly perishable but the living entity embodied is eternal.


But we must always remember that the human form of body is distinct from all other animal bodies. Biological and physiological features of the bodies of man and animal may be on the same level but psychologically there is great difference between the two classes of bodies. This distinctive feature of the human body is a special prerogative of the human body. It is explained in the Puranas that there are 84 lacs species of life in the biological evolutionary process. There are nine lacs of aquatic species of life, twenty lacs species of immovable plants and trees, eleven lace species of worms, ten lac species of birds, thirty lac species of beasts and four lac species of human beings. The highest class of human beings is the intelligent class of men as mentioned herein before. Such intelligent class of men cultivate the qualities of truthfulness, forbearance, restraint, simplicity, faithfulness, toleration, knowledge and conviction in the existence of God. Therefore to be situated in the highest developed consciousness of a human being is the highest cultural efficiency in the evolutionary process of the living being. Such intelligent class of men can churn out the human spirit from the inert material body as it is possible to churn out fat out of the liquid milk. Before churning of the milk it appears that there is no such thing as butter within the milk but after churning, the butter begins to float on the surface and it is collected for proper use. Similarly on the outward dissection of the human bodily structure we cannot see what is the human spirit but by culture of proper and systematic knowledge derived from the right sources we can gradually feel for it, think of it and work for it.*


[Draft of Lecture Meant to be Delivered at the International Congress in Japan 1961. Published October 1962 in ‘The Mother’ (India) by Aurobindo of the Aurobindo Ashram]


( To be Continued... )

Manifestation of Dharma in the Human Being

The word dharma translated into English as religion is not perfect. The exact meaning of dharma is characteristic. The living entity is constitutionally part and parcel of supreme personality of Godhead, Mamaivamso jiva-loke jiva bhutah sanatanah. . .(Bg. 15.17) as such, the characteristics of the Supreme personality of Godhead are present in the living entity as natural sequence. But the Supreme Personality of Godhead is vibhu or great, whereas the living entities are anu or the minute part. Therefore the characteristics of the living entities and the Lord, although qualitatively one, they are quantitatively different.

The characteristics of the Lord are present in unlimited quantity, where as the same are present in the living entity in very very minute quantity. In this connection, the example of the vast ocean water and a drop of it can be given. The taste of ocean water is salty. In the drop of ocean water this salt is present in minute quantity, whereas the amount of salt in the vast ocean is of unlimited quantity.

In English, religion means a kind of faith, but dharma does not mean a kind of faith, but it is a fact. A faith may be changed if the follower so desires, but dharma cannot be changed. When it is changed artificially, it becomes troublesome. therefore we learn from Srimad Bhagavatam that dharma is given to the living entities, especially the human being by God himself, and any other kind of dharma which is not given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead is rejected. In the Srimad Bhagavatam, 6th Canto, 3rd Chapter verses 19-22, it is said,

dharmam tu saksad bhagavat pranitam na vai vidur rsayo napi devah na siddha-mukhya asura manusyah kuto nu vidyadhara-caranadayah (19) svayambhur naradah sambhuh kumarah kapilo manuh prahlado janako bhismo balirvaiyasakirvayam (20) dvadasaiye vijanimo dharmam bhagavatam bhutah guhyam visuddham durbodham yam jnatva-mrtam asnute (21) etavan eva loke’smin pumsam dharmah parah smrtaha bhakti-yogo bhagavati tan-nama-grahanadibhih (22)

So dharma for the human society cannot be manufactured by any great saintly persons or the demigods or the sidhas or the asuras or the human beings and what to speak of others. The word “Hindu dharma” is not exactly derived from Vedic version, actually the dharma practised by the followers of the Vedas is called Varnasrama dharma.

Later on this Varnasrama dharma, as it was practised in India, was given the name “Hindu dharma” most probably by our neighboring Mohamedan countries. It is said that the people living on the other side of the river Sindhu, now flowing in Pakistan, were called hindus. So we cannot exactly follow what is the meaning of “Hindu dharma", but we can understand what is Varnasrama dharma. But this Varnasrama dharma can be applicable anywhere throughout the universe.

The whole universe or the material cosmic manifestations under the influence of the three gunas or material modes, as such the Supreme Personality of Godhead has given us the system of four Varnas-catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah (Bg 4.13) Therefore according to Visnu purana, every living entity or human being especially, has to follow this Varnasrama dharma. In the Varnasrama dharma, the principles are in terms of associating with the different modes of material nature. This is also confirmed in the Bhagavad Gita, how a living entity gets a particular type of body by associating with the modes of material nature. As it is already described, every living entity being part and parcel of God, the Supreme Personality of Godhead (Krishna), is the original father of all living entities. It is confirmed in the Bhagavad gita as follows

sarva yonisu kaunteya
murtaya sambhavanti yah
tasam brahma mahad yonir
aham bija pradah pita
(Bg 14.4)

The Lord says, ”My dear son of Kunti, all species of life in different forms are all my sons.” Now, here it is clearly stated that forms of the living entities (murtayah) are the sons of the Lord. The Lord also must have His transcendental form as it is described in the Brahma Samhita. Without the Supreme Father being the form, how can He have sons with forms?

isvarah paramah Krsnah
sac-cid-ananda vigrahah
anadir adir govindah
sava karana karanam
(Bs 5.1)

So the original Father, (isvarah paramah krsnah) has His original form. His form is, however, different from the forms of His innumerable sons in the material condition. In the material conditions, the spiritual sparks, namely, the living entities, are differently presented in different material forms, but none of them are sac-cid ananda vigrahah. In other words, the living entities are begotten by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as the supreme Father, and the seeds discharged within the womb of material nature and at the time of creation they come out in different forms of material bodies and then they are divided in different species of life. In the Bg. it is clearly stated that these living entities have different types of bodies and the cause is the living entities’ association with the different modes of material nature, karanam guan sango’sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu. (Bg 13.22) It is also stated in the Bg.:

Mama yonir mamad brahma

tasmin garbham dadhamy aham

sambhavah sarva bhutanam

tato bhavati bharatah

sarva yonisu kaunteya

murtayah sambhavanti yah

tasam brahma mahad yonir

aham bija pradah pita

(Bg 14.3-4)

The conclusion is that we are all sons of God, it doesn’t matter in what forms we are existing in at present. Our present existentional position is material concept of life. This material concept of life, namely thinking that I am not this body, is sheer ignorance or to remain in the modes of darkness. The whole world is now covered with darkness on account of this ignorance that I am this body. Anyone who is under such a concept of life that I am this body is called an animal.

yasyatma buddhir gunapetri dhatuke
sva dhih kalatradisu bhauma ijyadhih
yat tirtha buddhih salile na karhicij
janesv abhijnesu sa eva gokharah
(SB 10.84.13)

Go means cow and khara means ass. So this go-khara civilization thinking the body as the self, is very much strong at the present moment. Therefore combinedly, all intelligent persons throughout the world must try to awaken the real dharma or characteristic of all human beings. Everyone is under the bodily concept of live and is thinking that he is Indian, American, European, Hindu, Moslem, brahmana, ksatriya, or in greater conception, I am a human being, I am an animal, I am a bird, I am a beast, I am a tree, etc. Factually the living entities being in contact with material nature and born in different species of life, from the very beginning of creation, they are differently situated in different forms. Darwins theory of evolution is simply speculation and is therefore not correct. He has taken the idea from Vedic literature, but on account of his poor fund of knowledge, he could not explain the matter perfectly. He wanted to become a co-called scientist, independent of Vedic literature, and therefore he has missed the point and has misled the whole human society especially the Western world in the grossest way of material existence. The real evolutionary science is described in the Vedic literature, namely Brahma-Vaivarta Purana:

asitim caturas caiva laksan tan jiva jatisu
brahmadbhih purusaih prapyam manusyam janma paryayat
tad apy aphalatam jatam tesam atmabhimaninam
varakanam anasritya govinda carana dvayam

In the Padma Purana also, we get information that there are 8400000 different forms of life. Janma-paryaya means transmigration of the soul. The fact is that there are three material qualities, sattva, rajas and tamas, and when these three qualities are multiplied by three, they become nine qualities, and similarly nine multiplied by nine become a mixture of eighty-one qualities exactly like a color combination.

Originally there are three colors, red, blue and yellow,and if you mix them together, they become green, orange, pink and so many other colors. Similarly the combination of three qualities of material nature, sattva, rajas, and tamas, has created so many forms of living entities. Bg 14.5, it is clearly explained, sattvam rajas tama iti gunah prakriti sambhavah, the material nature consists of three modes, goodness, passion and ignorance.

When the living entity comes into contact with material nature he comes out in different forms of body. These forms of body are just like dream or likened to the forms of body in a dream. Sometimes the question is put forward as to when the living entity first contacted the material nature. There is no need of tracing the history of such contact as much as there is no need as tracing the history of dream. The SB says:

atma-mayam rte rajan
parasyanubhavatmanah
na ghatetartha sambandahah
svapna drastur ivanjasa
(SB 2.9.1)

So this atma maya means conditioned life. As soon as one forgets his constitutional position, he becomes illusioned by his own action, or in other words, as soon as the living entity forgets that he is part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead or His son, he is supposed to be in a dream. Therefore real propagation of religion or dharma should be how to get out the pure soul or living being from the cluthes of maya or illusion. The whole world is suffering under this illusion and therefore the most important task before the human society is to educate every human being that he is not this body but he is spirit soul, part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. All living entities are entrapped by this illusion and by the evolutionary process, namely by transmigration of the soul from one body to another. When the living entity comes to the status of the human being, it is the opportunity for his becoming free from this continued birth and death and again going back to home, back to Godhead. The matter is simplified in the statement of Bg.:

daivi hy esa gunamayi
mama maya duratyaya
mam eva ye prapadyante
mayam etam taranti te
(Bg 7.14)

That is to say, that the modes of material nature, known as gunamayi maya are very strong and it is very difficult to get out of the entanglement. But the Lord gives the remedy at the same time that anyone who surrenders to Him, mameva ye prapadyante, or anyone who surrenders voluntarily unto Krsna (isvarah paramah Krsnah), he becomes out of the clutches of the material entanglement. The surrendering process is actually the human civilization and that is real dharma of the human society and that is the basic principle of the Vedic culture as it is confirmed by the statement of the Lord.

Vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyo (Bg. 15.15) This Vedic culture is now being propagated under the name of the Krsna consciousness movement. It is scientific, authorised and practical. We have got practical experience of this fact. Four or five years ago in the material world, nobody knew what is Krsna. Since many hundred of years, Bg. was known to the Western countries and almost all scholars and religionists are interested in reading the great book of knowledge Bhagavad Gita. But such Knowledge, being presented by the Mayavad School, Krsna as never been appriciated. At the Present movement, we are presenting Bhagavad Gita As it is, without any so called scholarly mal interpretation. And in all parts of the world, this movement is being accepted, especially by the younger generation, which means that this movement has a great future for been accepted by everyone. In the Bhagvatam it is recommended that dharma in its confidential and essential form should be preached as follows:

etavan eva loke’smin pumsam
dharmah parah smrtah
bhakti-yogo bhagavati
tan-nama-grahanadibhih
(Bhag. 6.3.22)

This is the first class way of preaching dharma, namely, bhaktiyogo bhagavati, which begins by chanting His holy name, tannama-grahanadibhih. The same thing is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita,

satatam kirtayanto mam
yatantas ca drdha-vratah
namasyantas ca mam bhaktya
nitya-yukto upasate
(Bg. 9.14)

So we are preaching the essence of dharma, namely chanting the holy names of the Lord, the mahamantra, ”Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.”

This movement is now known generally all over the world as the Hare Krsna movement. This is confirmed in the Brhan-Naradiya Purana:

harer nama harer nama
harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva
nasty eva gatir anyatha

So anyone who is serious to preach real this movement. It is being accepted in America, Europe, Japan, Australia, Africa, South America and even in Russia. If India wants to be glorified, she must take to her original spiritual culture, namely to know the goal of life. They are thinking that they can be happy by material adjustment. But it has been proved that they have never been happy in the past by such attempts and therefore it is to be concluded that they will never been happy in the future by such attempts. We are attempting to spread this Krsna Consciousness in our humble way and if one conditioned soul is delivered from the clutches of Maya, we shall think our movement is successful. We think therefore that all religious communities from all over the world should take part in this movement. If not easily, they can take advantage of our dozens of voluminous books, such as :

1.Bhagavad-gita As It Is
2.Srimad-Bhagavatam
3.Teachings of Lord Caitanya
4.Nectar of Devotion (Bhaktirasamrta-sindhu)
5.Krsna, the supreme Peronality of Godhead
6.Sri Isopanisad
7.Easy Journey to Other Planets
8.Krsna Consciousness: The Topmost Yoga System,
etc, etc.

But our only request to all religious communities is to understand this movement and take part in it.

[This Appeared in Dharmaprakash, a Madhva Magazine Published in Madras]
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Founder-Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness

International Institution for God Consciousness

Teaching all over the world the scientific education to all people in the matter of understanding one God, one religion, one scripture, one hymn and one function.  

A man cannot be free from Fear, Bereavement, Anxiety, and Diseases, unless and until he knows his actual position as a living entity. He must, therefore, be educated about his real constitutional position. In knowing such constitutional position one has to learn about the controller above him; why he is controlled, why the laws of nature are so stern for him, why he is subjected to threefold miseries of life, what is the nature of his controller, what is this material nature, who is controlling the laws of material nature, what is the duration of life of everything manifested and what are the activities which keep everybody busy throughout day and night. Without knowing all these things in right earnestness, a man remains an animal in spite of his high academic education.  

The Sanskrit word Dharma is translated into English as religion but by such translation the import of Dharma is not clear. In English religion is some kind of emotional faith in a particular system of rituals or moral conviction. But the word Dharma does not mean such emotional awakened sense without scientific value. Religion or faith can be changed but Dharma cannot be changed. You cannot change the liquidity of water nor you can change the heat and light of fire. Water means liquid substance and fire means heating agent. Such co-existence of water and liquidity, or fire and heat, is eternal; and similarly we mean religion is that which cannot be changed by the living entity. Faith can be changed but Dharma cannot be changed. Therefore, we mean by religion, in pursuance of the root meaning of the word Dharma, as eternal relationship or eternal quality. On this principle there is only one religion of the entire human society. In other words Dharma or eternal consciousness of creative energy and sense of enjoyment by lording it over the material energy, is the eternal religion of every living being and this perpetual quality of the living being is never changed like temporary faith or emotion. One may change his faith from one ism to another but one cannot change the consciousness of creative energy and the sense of domination over other.  

In the living being, however, the consciousness of creation and sense of domination is not supremely manifested. Every one is moved by these two natural instincts of living conditions but nobody is the supreme conscious being or supreme dominator. Everybody tries to know more than others and dominate more than others and thus there is a regular competition in the fields of creative energy and domination; but nobody has come to the stage of the supreme. The Supreme is Summum Bonum and nobody is equal or above the Supreme Conscious Being and the Supreme Controller. The Supreme Conscious Being Who possesses the supreme creative energy and thus the supreme power of domination over all, is called the Supreme Enjoyer. This Supreme Enjoyer is nomenclatured in Sanskrit by the word KRISHNA the symbol of greatest amount of pleasure. He is the Supreme Living Entity and all other living entities are eternally parts and parcels of the Supreme. Individual living entities are happy in cooperation with the supreme and not independently. The whole world is moving by cooperation of greater and lesser personalities. Therefore, perfection of life is attained by cooperation with the greatest and not otherwise. This cooperative sense and its awakening in every individual living being, is the eternal religion of the living entity. It is not a question of faith but it is eternally dormant in everyone and the process of awakening this consciousness by systematic activities, is perfect religion and it is One in every living being.  

The material nature or cosmic manifestation is one of the energies of the Supreme Being and is dependent on Him. We can very well understand that our material body is a product of our energy. The material body takes its shape larger and larger from the very beginning due to the spark of living energy which also is the superior energy of the Supreme Being. And combination of these two energies, namely the superior and inferior, is manifested as the cosmic creation or material nature. And these two energies are limited within eternal Time. Within the Time factors superior energy acts and reacts upon the inferior energy matter. Such actions and reactions being limited by the Time factor past present and future all such activities are temporary whereas the other factors namely the Supreme Living Being, the individual living beings, the inferior energy material nature and Time factor all are eternal. Perfection of activities is attained by transcendental position of the living entities in cooperation with the Supreme Being.  

All these factors are systematically explained in the Bhagwat Geeta which is meant for all human being. The human being can utilize this great book of transcendental knowledge according to the direction of the author Sri Krishna inculcated in the book itself. One cannot understand Bhagwat Geeta by imperfect interpretations as fashion study. One can derive benefit out of it by accepting the whole thing in pursuance of the original student Arjuna. One who follows Arjuna is the perfect student of the Bhagwat Geeta. In all circumstances, therefore, the Bhagwat Geeta is the One scripture for everyone.  


The world is very much anxious to have One religion, one God, One Scripture and one harmonized activity, and the International Institution for God Consciousness is meant for that. Here is the thing everyone is hankering after, and let everyone be a member of this institution as student and he will make his life a complete perfection.

Written By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (1965)

World Pacifist and the Bhagavad-Gita

[Meeting with the Governor of Bihar, Jan. 7, 1968]

Sri Abhay Charanarvindo Bhaktivedanta who is now at Patna on a cultural and peace mission, met His Excellency the Governor of Bihar on the 18th January and discussed with him on the prime necessity of starting a spiritualising movement without infringing the principles of a secular state. He said that the world pacifists who are now trying to bring in an eternal peace in the world by spiritualism, will do well to understand the difference between spirit and matter. We have heard so many times the pacifists speaking of spiritualism as the basis of world peace and we think it is our duty to say something of spiritualism as we find it in the Bhagwat Gita and as it is practically demonstrated by Lord Chaitanya.

Sri Krishna, the author of the great Indian Philosophy Bhagwat Geeta, has elaborately discerned materialism from spiritualism. From Him we can learn that the material nature of which we are now made of, is different from the spiritual nature of which we are(?) actually the parts and parcels. He has stressed most vehemently in the beginning of the Bhagwat Gita that the living entity is eternal and does not annihilate on the annihilation of the outward coverings of the gross body and subtle mind.

To understand this we must know it well that the material nature is conducted under three modes namely material goodness, material passion and material ignorance. Matter being completely different from spirit, it will be a mistake on our part to accept material goodness as substitute for spiritualism. The three modes of nature (material) work sometimes jointly and sometimes separately.

Prevalence of material goodness is congenial to temporary peaceful atmosphere but we must know it for certain that this sort of material goodness is sure to be disturbed by the other two baser modes. The example of the playing children may be given here. The children while playing together sometimes quarrel with one another and fight. But after fighting for some time when they become tired of such fighting mode, they declare some sort of peace with one another and promise emphatically that thenceforward they shall play with peace and amity and shall cease to hurt one another.

We may tell the pacifists of the world that the peaceful atmosphere for which they are now so much anxious, cannot be achieved by the dual process of fighting and peace-making attempt of the children.

The goodness of Mahatma Gandhi should not be misunderstood as spiritualism. Gandhi's goodness exhibited as love for all, goodwill for all, tolerance for all and all such good and moral codes are not new to the world. There were institutions all over the world to preach all these pious qualities. Gandhi's success was not therefore due to all these pious wishes only but behind these good qualities was his spiritual strength. If we ignore his spiritual strength exhibited by his actions, mind and intelligence and simply take up outward activities, it will not be possible for us to adopt his means. We cannot accept one half of a thing without spoiling it.

Spiritualism, real and scientific can bestow on us eternal peace and happiness but that is not material goodness. The world is tired of fighting tendency as by the actual experience of the two great world wars. The people out of fear of the havocs of the war are now trying to take shelter of Gandhiji's material goodness of nonviolence but that is just like the fighting children's peacemaking attempt. Real spiritualism is transcendental. This transcendental process depends more on realization than on resolution. The other day Dr. P. C. Ghose in the pacifist's meeting said that unless they changed the whole outlook transcended the geographical boundaries and considered all people of the world as one there is very little hope for mankind.

This consciousness of oneness is possible by spiritual realization. In the Bhagwat Gita it is said that only the genuine learned person can see equally on a learned Brahmin, a cow, a dog or a Candala as one. We should not only change our outlook on all human being as one but we shall have to change our outlook on all living entities irrespective of the material coverings. The clear conception of changing such outlook is inculcated in the Bhagwat Gita. It is said that the Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna is the life-giving force and thus the Universal Father of all living entities and the material nature is the body and mind giving Universal Mother. If we want to change our outlook, therefore, for transcending the geographical as well as corporal boundaries then we have to do that by spiritual process and not by any amount material goodness. This spiritual process only saved India so long from the poison of provincialism and in the absence of that spiritual process India have now began to think in terms of provinces. This cannot be counteracted by any amount of goodness without spiritual activities.

Nonviolence is therefore a process of material goodness against the (?) violence. Violence is a product of the modes of passion and ignorance whereas nonviolence is a product of material goodness. Nonviolence and violence are therefore co-relative terms under the modes of the same material nature. Spiritualism is the process of invoking(?) the lost relation with the Universal Father. If we stick to materialism and its different modes of goodness passion and ignorance, it is not possible to attain spiritualism.

Lord Chaitanya practically taught all people of this process of spiritualism by His novel and yet original method of chanting the Holy Name of the Lord as is AUM in the Vedas. His philosophy is a combination of monism and dualism simultaneously i.e. He gave the finishing touch to the philosophies of all other previous Acaryas by the exposition of His philosophy of acintya bheda-bheda tattva or inconceivable one and different simultaneously. By this philosophy He actually confirmed the direct teachings of Bhagwat Gita and made it easy and practical for even by the common man without any mundane education. He represented Himself for the mass of uneducated people particularly of the present age although He was personally the most erudite scholar of His time.

Spiritual realization through the studies of Vedanta and allied scriptures, is very difficult nowadays. But yet the supreme realization is possible by the transcendental chanting process in this age. That is the recommendations of Lord Chaitanya in accordance with the Vedic principles.

Gandhiji in the latter part of his life began this transcendental chanting of the Name of the Lord and his famous chorus singing of RAGHUPATI RAGHAVA RAJA RAMA is quite well known to us. Lord Chaitanya did not put any barrier to any caste, creed or color for joining this transcendental chorus of chanting the Lord's name and he blesses all men to achieve the highest spiritual realization by this simple method. By this method of chanting every one will attain to the plane of pure consciousness. They shall be relieved of the pangs of a mechanical life of repeated birth, death, old age and disease. By this method of realization the supreme life of perfection by realizing God as He is, will usher in.

Mahatma Gandhi's preliminary attempt in the following four ways namely:—

1) Daily prayer and Sankirtana (chanting of God's Names) meetings followed by the recitation of Bhagwat Gita,

2) Reorganization fo the temple worship movements,

3) Upliftment of the falled people by the 'Harijan' movement.

4) Reorganization of the Caste-system movement, may be taken up immediately by the leaders of India.

These movements if systematically carried on will help very much in the spiritualizing process. They can be given a real spiritual shape in accordance with the principles of Bhagwat Gita and other authentic scriptures. And by doing so India's original culture will not only be revived and re-established but also will foster India's indigenous culture in other parts of the world. That will be a sort of cultural conquest of all world by India. By such conquest the people of the world will get relieved of the so-called material prosperity terrorized by atomic bombs.

(Fragment of an essay explaining the Yoga System.)

Krishna Consciousness movement is the highest yoga performance by trained devotional yogis. The yoga system, as stated in the standard yoga practice formulas given by Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita or what is recommended in the Patanjali yoga practice, is different from the nowadays practice of hatha-yoga as generally understood in the Western countries.

Real yoga practice means to control the senses and after such control concentrate the mind on the Narayana Form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krishna. Lord Krishna is the original Absolute Personality of Godhead and all other Vishnu Forms with four hands decorated with conch, lotus, disk and wheel are plenary expansions of Krishna. In the Bhagavad-gita it is recommended that one should meditate upon the form of the Lord. For pracitsing the concentration of the mind one has to sit down in a secluded place sanctified by sacred atmosphere and yogi should observe the rules and regulation of becoming a Brahmacari who lives strictly a life of self-restraint and celibacy. Nobody can practice yuoga in a congested city and living a life of extravagancy including unrestricted sex indulgence and adultry of the tongue. As we have already stated that yoga practice means controlling the senses, so the beginning of controlling the sense is to control the tongue. You cannot allow the tongue to taste all kins of forbidden food and drink and at the same time improve in the practice of yoga. It is very regretable a fact that many unauthorized and stray so-called yogis came in this country to exploit the leaning of the people for yoga practice. Such unauthorized yogis even dare to say publicly that one can indulge in drinking habit and at the same practice meditation.

Five thousand years before Lord Krishna recommended yoga practice to Arjuna but Arjuna flatly expressed his inability to follow the stringent rules and regulation of yoga practice. One should be very practical in every field of activity. One should not waste one's valuable time in practising some gymnastic feats in the name of yoga. Real yoga practice is to search out the four-handed Supersoul within one's heart and see Him perpetually in meditation. Such continued meditation is called samadhi. If somebody wants to meditate upon something void or impersonal, it will take very long time for achieving success in the yoga practice. We cannot concentrate our mind on something which is voidness or impersonal. Real yoga practice is to fix up the mind on the Person of four handed Narayana in the heart of everyone.

Sometimes it is said that by meditation one will understand that God is seated within one's heart. Even one does not know it still God is seated within the heart of everyone. He is not only seated in the heart of a human being but He is there within the heart of cats and dogs also. The Bhagavat Gītā confirms this by declaration of the Lord. Iswara the Supreme Controller Lord is seated in everyone's heart. He is not only in everyone's heart but he is also present within the atoms also. No place is vacant without the presence of the Lord. The feature of the Lord by which He is present everywhere is called the Paramatma. Atma means the individual soul and Paramatma means the individual Supersoul. Both Atma and Paramatma are individual persons. The difference between Atma and Paramatma is that the Atma or the soul is present only in a particular place whereas the Paramatma is present everywhere. In this connection the example of the sun is very nice. Individual person may [be] situated in one place but the sun, even though a similar individual entity, is present on the head of every individual person. In the Bhagavat Gītā this is very nicely explained. Therefore, even though the quality of all entities including the Lord is equal, the Supersoul is different from the individual soul by quantity. The Supersoul being seated in everyone's heart, He can witness everyone's activity past, present and future. In the Upanisads the Supersoul is stated as sitting with the individual soul as a friend or witness. As a friend the Lord is always anxious to get back His friend the individual soul back to home back to Godhead and as witness He is endower of all results of actions done by the individual soul. The Supersoul gives all facility to the individual soul for achieving whatever he may desire. But He instructs his friend and son that he may give up all other engagements and may simply surrender unto Him for perpetual bliss and eternal life full of knowledge. This is the last instruction of the Bhagavat Gītā, the most authorised and widely read book on all kinds of yoga system. The last word of the BG as stated above is the last word in the matter of perfect yoga system. It is further stated in the BG that a person who is always absorbed in Krishna Consciousness is the topmost yogi. What is this Krishna Consciousness? As individual soul is present by his consciousness throughout the whole body, similarly the Supersoul or Paramatma is present throughout the whole creation by super consciousness. This super consciousness cannot be imitated by the individual soul who has got limited consciousness. I can understand what is going on within my limited body but I cannot feel what is going on in other's body. I am present all over my body by my consciousness, but I am not present in other's body by my consciousness. The Supersoul or Paramatma being present with everyone and everywhere, He is also conscious of everybody's existence. The theory that the soul and the Supersoul is one is not acceptable because the individual soul's consciousness cannot act in super consciousness. This super consciousness can be achieved by dovetailing individual consciousness with super consciousness and this dovetailing process is called surrender or Krishna Consciousness. From the teachings of Bhag. Gītā we learn it very clearly that Arjuna in the beginning did not like to fight with his brothers and relations but after understanding the Bhag. Gītā, when he dovetailed his consciousness with the super consciousness of Krishna it was Krishna Consciousness. A person in full Krishna Consciousness acts by the dictation of Krishna. In the beginning of Krishna Consciousness this dictation is received through the transparent medium of spiritual master. When one is sufficiently trained and acts in submissive faith and love for Krishna, under the direction of the bonafide spiritual master, the dovetailing process becomes more firm and accurate. At this stage of the devotee in Krishna Consciousness, Krishna dictates from within. From without the devotee is helped by the spiritual master, the bonafide representative of Krishna, and from within He helps the devotee as Chaitya Guru because He is seated within the heart of everyone. To understand therefore that God is seated in everyone's heart is not perfection. One has to be acquainted with God both from within and without and has to take dictation both from within and without to act in Krishna Consciousness. This is the highest perfectional stage of human form of life or the topmost stage of all kinds of yoga systems. For a perfect yogi there are 8 kinds of super-achievements—one can become the smallest than an atom, one can become the biggest than the mountain, one can become lightest than the air, one can achieve whatever he likes, one can control over others like the Lord, and so on. But when one rises to the perfectional stage of receiving dictation from the Lord, that stage is more than the stage of material achievements as above mentioned. The breathing exercise of yoga system which is generally practiced is just the beginning of the system, meditation on the Supersoul is just a step forward, achievement of wonderful material success is also a step forward, but to attain direct contact with the Supersoul and take dictation from Him is the highest perfectional stage. The breathing exercise or meditation practices of yoga are very difficult in this age. Not to speak of this age, it was difficult even 5,000 years ago. Otherwise Arjuna would not have rejected the proposal of Krishna. This age of Kali is called the fallen age. At the present moment people in general are short living, very slow in understanding self-realization [several words illegible]. They are mostly unfortunate and as such if somebody is a little bit interested in self-realization he is misguided by so many rascals. The only way of realization of perfect stage of yoga practice is to follow the principles of Bhag. Gītā as practiced by Lord Chaitanya. It is the simplest and highest perfection of yoga practice. Lord Chaitanya practically demonstrated this practice of K. C. yoga simply by chanting the holy name of Krishna as they are mentioned in the Vedanta, S.B., and many important Puranas. The largest number of Indian follow this yoga practice and in U.S.A. also it is gradually getting ground in many cities like New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Sante Fe, Boston and Montreal. It is very easy and practical for this age specially for those who are serious about yoga success. No other process of yoga practice can be successful in this age. The meditation process in right earnest was possible in the golden age of Satya Yuga because the people in that age used to live for hundreds of thousands of years. If you want therefore success in practical yoga practice take to the chanting of Hare Krishna. . . . . .Hare and feel practically how you are making progress. One can know for himself how much he is making progress in practical yoga practice. In the Bhagwat Gītā this practice of Krishna Consciousness is described as Rajvidya or the king of all erudition, Rajaguhyam or the most confidential system of spiritual realisation, Pavitra or the purest of all pure, Susakham very happily performed and Avyam or inexhaustible. Those who have taken to this most sublime Bhakti Yoga system or practice of devotional service in transcendental love of Krishna can testify how they are nicely feeling about its happy and easy execution. Yoga means controlling the senses and Bhakti Yoga means [several words illegible]. We think in Krishna, we chant in Krishna, we live in Krishna, we eat in Krishna, we talk in Krishna, we hope in Krishna, we sustain [in] Krishna and we return to Krishna without any doubt and this is the substance of "Krishna Consciousness."

Om tat sat.

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami [words illegible]

Jan. 7, 1968

[lines written on left margins on pages 2 and 4 of handwritten copy]

Page 2: Just think of Me, just become a devotee of Me, just worship Me, just offer obeisances unto Me.

Page 4: 'Krishna Consciousness' is not manufactured by any man by mental speculation but it is the injunction of B.G. which says "man mana bhava mat bhakta mad yaji mam namaskuru.'

The Teachings of Prahlāda Mahārāja

Today I shall speak to you of the history of a boy devotee named Prahlāda Mahārāja. He was born in a family that was stubbornly atheistic. There are two kinds of men in this world: the demons and the demigods. What is the difference between them? The main difference is that the demigods, or godly persons, are devoted to the Supreme Lord, whereas the demons are atheistic. They do not believe in God because they are materialists. These two classes of men always exist in this world. At the present moment, due to the Age of Kali (Age of Quarrel), the number of demons has increased, but the classification has existed since the beginning of creation. The incident I am narrating to you occurred very, very long ago, a few million years after the time of creation.

Prahlāda Mahārāja was the son of the most atheistic person and the most materially powerful as well. Because the society was materialistic, this boy had no opportunity to glorify the Supreme Lord. The characteristic of a great soul is that he is very eager to broadcast glorification of the Supreme Lord. Lord Jesus Christ, for example, was very eager to broadcast the glorification of God, but demoniac people misunderstood him and crucified him.

When Prahlāda Mahārāja was a five-year-old boy, he was sent to school. As soon as there was a recreation period, when the teacher was away, he would say to his friends, “My dear friends, come on. We shall speak about Kṛṣṇa consciousness.” This scene is related in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Seventh Canto, Sixth Chapter. The devotee Prahlāda says, “My dear friends, this is the time, in this young age, to prosecute Kṛṣṇa consciousness.”

His little friends reply, “Oh, we shall now play. Why take up Kṛṣṇa consciousness?”

In answer to this, Prahlāda Mahārāja says, “If you are intelligent, then you must begin bhāgavata-dharma from childhood.”

The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam offers bhāgavata-dharma, or the process leading to scientific knowledge about God. Bhāgavata means “the Supreme Personality of Godhead,” and dharma means “regulative principles.” This human form of life is very rare. It is a great opportunity. Therefore Prahlāda says, “My dear friends, you are born as civilized human beings, so although your human body is temporary, it is the greatest opportunity.” No one knows the length of his life. It is calculated that in this age the human body may live up to a hundred years. But as the Age of Kali advances, duration of life, memory, mercy, religiousness, and all other such assets decrease. So no one has any assurance of long life in this age.

Still, although the human form is temporary, you can achieve the highest perfection of life while in this human form. What is that perfection? To understand the all-pervading Supreme Lord. For other life forms this is not possible. By the gradual evolutionary process we come to this human form, so it is a rare opportunity. By nature’s law, a human body is ultimately given to you so that you can promote yourself in spiritual life and go back home, back to Godhead.

The ultimate goal of life is Viṣṇu, or Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In a later verse Prahlāda Mahārāja will say, “People in this material world who are enamored with the material energy do not know what the goal of human life is. Why? Because they have been enchanted by the Lord’s glaring external energy. They have forgotten that life is an opportunity to understand the ultimate goal of perfection, Viṣṇu.” Why should we be very anxious to know Viṣṇu, or God? Prahlāda Mahārāja gives a reason: “Viṣṇu is the dearmost person. That we have forgotten.” We all seek some dear friend—everyone searches in this way. A man searches for dear friendship with a woman, and a woman searches for dear friendship with a man. Or else a man searches out a man, and a woman searches out a woman. Everyone searches after some dear friend, some sweet friend. Why? We want the cooperation of a dear friend who will help us. This is part of the struggle for existence, and this is natural. But we do not know that our dearest friend is Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Those who have read the Bhagavad-gītā will find this nice verse in the Fifth Chapter: “If you want peace, then you must understand perfectly that everything in this world and other worlds is the property of Kṛṣṇa, that He is the enjoyer of everything, and that He is the supreme friend of everyone.” Why perform austerity? Why perform religious rituals? Why give in charity? All these activities are meant for pleasing the Supreme Lord, and nothing more. And when the Supreme Lord is pleased, you will get the result. Whether you want to gain higher material happiness or spiritual happiness, whether you want to live a better life on this planet or on other planets—whatever you want you will get if you please the Supreme Lord. Therefore He is the most sincere friend. Whatever you want from Him, you can get. But the intelligent man does not want anything that is materially contaminated.

In the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa says that by pious activities one can elevate oneself to the highest material planet, known as Brahmaloka, where the duration of life is millions and millions of years. You cannot figure the duration of life there; your arithmetic will be ineffective. The statement in the Bhagavad-gītā is that the life of Brahmā is so long that 4,320,000,000 of our years are only twelve hours to him. Kṛṣṇa says, “Whatever position you want, beginning from the ant right up to Brahmā, you can have. But the repetition of birth and death will be there. However, if by practicing Kṛṣṇa consciousness you come to Me, then you don’t have to come back to this miserable material condition.”

Prahlāda Mahārāja says the same thing: We should search for our dearmost friend, Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord. Why is He our dearmost friend? By nature He is dear. Now, what do you consider the dearmost thing? Have you analyzed? You yourself are the dearmost thing. I am sitting here, but if there is a fire alarm I shall at once take care of myself: “How can I save myself?” We forget our friends and even our relatives: “Let me first of all save myself.” Self-preservation is the first law of nature.

In the grossest sense, the word ātmā—“self”—refers to the body. In the subtler sphere the mind or intelligence is the ātmā, and in the real sense ātmā means the soul. In the gross stage we are very fond of protecting and satisfying the body, and in a subtler stage we are very fond of satisfying the mind and intelligence. But above the mental and intellectual planes, where the atmosphere is spiritualized, we can understand, “I am not this mind, intellect, or body. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi—I am spirit, part and parcel of the Supreme Lord.” That is the platform of real understanding.

Prahlāda Mahārāja says that of all living entities, Viṣṇu is the supreme well-wisher. Therefore we are all searching for Him. When a child cries, what does he long for? His mother. But he has no language to express this. By nature he has his body, born of his mother’s body, so there is an intimate relationship with the mother’s body. The child won’t like any other woman. The child cries, but when the woman who is the child’s mother comes and picks him up, at once he is pacified. He has no language to express all this, but his relationship with his mother is a law of nature. Similarly, by nature we try to protect the body. This is self-preservation. It is a natural law of the living entity, just as eating is a natural law and sleeping is a natural law. Why do I protect the body? Because within the body is the soul.

What is this soul? The soul is a part of the Supreme Lord. As we want to protect the hand or the finger because it is a part of the whole body, similarly we try to save ourselves because this is the defending process of the Supreme. The Supreme does not need defense, but this is a manifestation of our love toward Him, which is now perverted. The finger and the hand are meant to act in the interests of the whole body; as soon as I want the hand to come here, it comes, and as soon as I want the finger to play on the drum, it plays. This is the natural position. Similarly, we are searching for God, to dovetail our energy in the service of the Supreme, but under the spell of the illusory energy we do not know it. That is our mistake. Now, in human life, we have an opportunity to understand our actual position. Only because you are human beings have you all come here to learn about Kṛṣṇa consciousness, about the real goal of your life. I cannot invite cats and dogs to sit down here. That is the difference between human beings and cats and dogs. A human being can understand the necessity of pursuing the real goal of life. But if he loses the opportunity, it is a great catastrophe.

Prahlāda Mahārāja says, “God is the dearmost personality of all. We have to search for God.” Then what about the material necessities of life? Prahlāda Mahārāja replies, “You are after sense gratification, but sense gratification is automatically achieved by contact with this body.” Because a hog has a certain type of body, his sense gratification comes from eating stool, the very thing that is most obnoxious to you. At once, after evacuating, you leave to get free from the bad smell—but the hog is waiting. As soon as you evacuate, he will at once enjoy. So there are different types of sense gratification according to different types of body. Everyone who has a material body receives sense gratification. Don’t think that the hogs eating stool are unhappy. No, they are getting fat in that way. They are very happy.

Another example is the camel. The camel is very fond of thorny twigs. Why? Because when he eats thorny twigs, the twigs cut his tongue, blood oozes out, and he tastes his own blood. Then he thinks, “I am enjoying.” This is sense gratification. Sex life is also like that. We taste our own blood, and we think we are enjoying. This is our foolishness.

The living entity in this material world is a spiritual being, but because he has a tendency to enjoy, to exploit the material energy, he has contacted a body. There are 8,400,000 species of living entities, each with a different body, and according to the body, they have particular senses with which they enjoy a particular type of pleasure. Suppose you are given thorny twigs to eat: “Ladies and gentlemen, here is very nice food. It is certified by the camels. It is very good.” Would you like to take it? “No! What nonsense are you offering me?” Because you have a different body from the camel, you have no taste for thorny twigs. But if you offer them to a camel, he will think it is a very nice meal.

Now, if the hogs and camels can enjoy sense gratification without great struggle, why not we human beings? We can—but that is not our ultimate achievement. The facilities to enjoy sense gratification are offered by nature, whether one be a hog, a camel, or a human being. So why should you labor for facilities that you are destined to receive anyway, by nature’s law? In every form of life the bodily demands are satisfied by the arrangement of nature. This gratification is arranged, just as there is an arrangement for distress. Do you like fever? No. Why does it come? I do not know. But it does come, does it not? Yes. Did you try for it? No. So how does it come? By nature. That is the only answer. And if your misery comes by nature, your happiness will also come by nature. Don’t bother about it. That is the instruction of Prahlāda Mahārāja. If you receive the miseries of life without effort, you will similarly achieve happiness without effort.

Then what is the real purpose of the human form of life? Cultivating Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Other things will be obtained by nature’s law, which is ultimately God’s law. Even if I don’t try, I will be supplied with whatever I am to achieve because of my past work and my particular type of body. Your real concern, therefore, should be to seek out the higher goal of human life.

[From Transcendental Teachings of Prahlada Maharaja. "Chapter One: The Dear Most Person" By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada]