Quintessence Touchstone for the Inquisitive rāja-vidyā rāja-guhyam pavitraḿ idam uttamam pratyaksyāvagamaḿ dharmyaḿ su-sukhaḿ kartum avyayam

Jan/Feb/Mar 2007 RETURNING TO THE SPIRITUAL PLATFORM This conversation between His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada and reporters took place in Melbourne, Australia, on June 29, 1974. Inside this issue: Reporter 1: Your Divine Grace, often when way to achieve this liberation from matter? Is people pursue what you term "spiritual life," chanting the only way to be "situated on the Srila Prabhupada Speaks out 2 they seem to forget about pursuing the things of spiritual platform"? this world—making this world comfortable. Srila Prabhupada: Yes. Chanting the Hare Inquiries into the Absolute 3 Srila Prabhupada: Making this world mantra means chanting the holy names Peace-Part 2 3 "comfortable"? That will never be possible. Do of Kåñëa, the Supreme Lord, and , or you understand this? Let us say you take a fish Mother Harä, the Lord's personified spiritual Pride Goes Before a Fall 4 out of-the water and put him on the land. Now, energy. So chanting Hare Krsna means you you may give the fish a lovely velvet cushion Response to Criticisms of 6 come into direct association with the Lord by Rasa Lila and everything nice. But will the fish be com- taking shelter of His spiritual energy. Hare fortable? Kåñëa: "O Lord, please engage me in Your devo- Holy Places of -Remuna 8 Reporter 1: No. He'd be out of his element. tional service. O devotional, spiritual energy of Veggie Corner 9 Srila Prabhupada: Similarly, we living entities the Lord, please let me take shelter of You." are spirit soul. So being in this material body in Being situated on the spiritual platform means Lessons from the Gita 10 this material world—this means we are out of you take shelter of the Lord's spiritual energy. our element. For instance, when you approach a heater, you Pearls of Wisdom 10 But unfortunately, our system of education is so are taking shelter of the heater's heating energy. Pitfalls of Leadership 11 dull that the authorities do not know that we are Similarly, when you approach Kåñëa, you are not this body—we are spirit soul. They are pre- taking shelter of His spiritual energy. Editor’s Jottings 11 senting themselves as big, big philosophers and What’s New in Universities 12 big, big statesmen and big, big social planners. Or take the example of the sun, the great fiery Yet they are forgetting the real thing: that we are planet. When you approach the sun, you are not this body but spirit soul. Today even the taking shelter of the sun's heating and lighting leader is accepting this material body as his real energy. Is it not? When you are in the sunshine, self. And he is thinking, 'These bodily comforts in one sense you are in the sun. Of course, in will make me happy." But that cannot be. Be- another sense you are not actually in the sun— cause the body and its comforts are made of because the sun's fiery temperature is so high matter—and we are spirit soul. that had you been actually in the sun, you would Consider the same example: if you take the fish have been immediately blown up, burned into from his natural environment, the water, and put ashes. But still, when you take shelter of the him on the land, hell never be happy. Similarly, sunshine, you take shelter of the sun. as long as you continue to have this material body, you cannot enjoy real, eternal happiness. So Kåñëa, the Supreme Lord, is situated as the And you will have so many problems. The main supreme fire. Whatever we are experiencing is a problems are birth, death, old age, and disease. spark of His energy. And just as we can enter And these problems are due simply to having into the sun's all-pervasive fiery energy, even this material body. though the sun itself is ninety-three million miles Therefore, an intelligent man should know that away, so similarly, even though the Lord is very "You may give a fish out of water a "I am not this body; I am spirit soul. My natural far away, we can take shelter of the Lord's all- lovely velvet cushion and everything field of activities is on the spiritual platform. If I pervasive spiritual energy simply by chanting nice. But will the fish be can somehow return to the spiritual platform, His holy name—because Kåñëa, being absolute, comfortable? then I will be happy." So the sum and substance is not different from His name. Therefore, if you Similarly, we living entities are of this Krsna consciousness movement is to chant the Hare Kåñëa mantra without offense, spirit soul. So being in this material educate people in how to be situated on the spiri- then you directly associate with . This is Kåñëa body in this material world—this tual platform, how to be happy. liberation from matter. Spiritual liberation, situa- means we are out of our element.” Reporter 2: Your Divine Grace, do you think tion on the spiritual platform. that chanting the Hare Krsna mantra is the only Contd on Pg 5 Page 3 Quintessence HH is a disciple of His Divine Grace AC INQUIRIES INTO THE ABSOLUTE Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. He travels frequently dis- Answers by His Holiness Romapada Swami seminating the science and of the Vedic scriptures to students and other educated audiences around the world. Q) I would like to really understand what humility is. Can humility, the focus is on one's own inadequacies rather than upon you please explain the same to me? Krishna's mercy; 'I' am in the center, not Krishna. That is the crucial distinction. Humility is often mistaken to simply be some sort of meekness in behavior. Vaishnava humility is, however, a completely spiritual In a previous issue, we discussed the example of re- quality, not a material one. It comes from understanding one's garding his burning down Lanka. He did many other mighty real self in relation with God. Real humility is the understanding tasks such as crossing over the ocean, and even carrying Lord that one is but an instrument or ordered servant of the Supreme across the stone bridge and bringing Lakshman back to Lord: "I do not have any good qualities whatsoever; on my own life. But he was not in the mood of a doer; it was by the power of strength I cannot accomplish anything independently, and I am of Rama's Holy Name alone that he was able to accomplish these no special significance in the vastness of creation. My only quali- feats and he was simply an order carrier. fication is the order of my spiritual master and Krishna. By Their potency I may be empowered to do anything as They wish." Srila Prabhupada himself was such an example of perfect humil- ity. At an advanced age, he single-handedly pioneered and estab- Srila Prabhupada defines humility as "not hankering for the satis- lished a world-wide movement, and accomplished many hu- faction of being honored by others." (Bg 13.8 p) Thus a manly impossible tasks. But he passed on all the credit to his vaishnava does not endeavor to prove his/her worth to others or spiritual master and admitted that his only credit was that he fol- to themselves; they simply endeavor to serve and please Krishna. lowed his spiritual master's instructions and repeated his words Ironically, when the meaning of humility is not properly under- with strong faith. He never attracted any attention to himself, so stood, one could be "acting humbly" just to attract others' atten- much so that most people did not even know his name or who he tion to appreciate how so-called humble one is! was! The 'founder of the movement' was all they knew, and he was content simply to popularize Hare Krishna and In the mood of real humility, one can act very boldly and confi- canvas for Krishna. dently. On one's personal behalf, a vaishnava is very meek and tolerant, but when Krishna's service demands a humble vaisnava You are welcome to send in your questions to HH Romapada Swami at will do the needful in a complete mood of service. In mundane [email protected] with the word "Question" included in the subject line.

Radhikesh Das is a disciple of HH Jayapataka PEACE-HOW EVERYONE WANTS IT BUT FEW KNOW HOW TO ACHIEVE IT-PART 2 Swami and has been practicing Krishna con- By Radhikesh Das sciousness for the past 20 years. He assists in 'Livehelp' at Krishna.com and lives in Iowa.

What is the most sought after commodity in the are there. Because he remains satisfied in the tran- world? What do people, from the politicians in scendental loving service of the Lord, he can re- the world to the participants in beauty pageants main steady, like the ocean, and therefore enjoy would like to have? Peace. We all want peace, full peace. Others, however, who want to fulfill which seems to be so elusive. We want to have desires even up to the limit of liberation, what to peace with other countries, or at least with speak of material success, never attain peace. neighboring nations, with our relatives, friends, with our neighbors, with our spouses and with One who gives up all objects of enjoyment but our own selves. We strive for it and ironically moves about without desires for them, being devoid of possessiveness fight for it. And finally we think we got it. But the peace we get does not and false ego, attains peace. The sthita-prajna renounces all sense ob- last long. It simply goes to pieces. Let us see what Krishna says about jects which come to him, except for bodily maintenance. He does not peace in . enjoy sense objects at all having no faith in them. Wherever he moves Previously we saw Krishna advising us to have a fixed mind and intelli- about, he remains devoid of possessiveness and false identity, and thus gence to achieve peace. He continues in Bhagavad Gita (2.70 and 2.71) attains peace. Maharaja Priyavrata is an excellent example of the person how to handle desires that disturb our mind and spoil our peace. herein described. Although he behaved as a pious but worldly king, he A person who is not disturbed by the incessant flow of desires – that was internally renounced and peaceful because his mind was fixed on enter like rivers into the ocean, which is ever being filled but never over- the Supreme Personality of Godhead. flows – can alone achieve peace, and not the man who strives to satisfy To become desireless means not to desire anything for sense gratifica- such desires. The objects of enjoyment enter into the sthita-prajna, the tion. In other words, desire for becoming Krishna conscious is actually man with steady consciousness, but he remains peaceful. The objects of desirelessness. Arjuna did not want to fight for his own sense satisfac- sense enjoyment come to the senses of the sthita prajna for his enjoy- tion, but when he became fully Krishna conscious he fought because ment, but cannot disturb him because of his satisfaction of realizing the Krishna wanted him to fight. For himself there was no desire to fight, bliss of atma. He remains undisturbed whether he gets objects of enjoy- but for Krishna the same Arjuna fought to his best ability. Real desire- ment or not. Thus he attains the stage of jnana. lessness is desire for the satisfaction of Krishna, not an artificial attempt A person fixed in Krishna consciousness is full in himself. He is not in to abolish desires. Thus to achieve peace, one should dovetail one’s need of anything because the Lord fulfills all his material necessities. A desires with Krishna’s. devotee loses all inclinations for material enjoyment although the desires ….More tips on peace in the next issue Page 4 PRIDE GOES BEFORE A FALL By Priya Rajagopal Priya Rajagopal is an aspiring disciple of HH Romapada Swami. She lives with her husband Aravind Mohanram in Shrewsbury, MA.

‘Pride goes before a fall’ is ber that behind all one's activities is the Supersoul, who is seated within an abbreviated ancient prov- the heart of every living entity and sanctions their desires and actions. erb that warns that often excessive pride will inevita- The doership mentality leads one to think that all of one’s accomplish- bly cause one to fall or fail. ments are simply due to one’s own endeavor and sows the seed of pride Every one of us has experience in one’s heart. Therefore, the first step in dealing with pride is to under- of this. We own something, we stand that “I’m not this body, I’m spirit and everything that is connected get something, we possess many to the body and by-products thereof are not mine”. The Supreme Lord is qualifications, we receive honor the ultimate proprietor and the jiva is simply a care-taker of the Lord’s and praise – naturally we become numerous gifts. proud. And, such pride often leads to humiliation, damaged relation- Pride: A Demoniac Quality ships or even self-destruction in the worst case. In this article, let us Lord Krishna explains (BG 16.4) that pride is one of the qualities that explore, through the eyes of the Vedic wisdom, belongs to those of demoniac nature. In his purport, Srila Prabhupada the root cause of pride, its consequences and notes, “The demoniac want to make a show of religion and advancement how to overcome this self-destructive quality. in spiritual science, although they do not follow the principles. They are always arrogant or proud in possessing some type of education or so Real identity: Who am I? much wealth.” The exhibition of false superiority is pride. This pride is false because one who has taken birth in the material world is in a fallen Before one understands what pride is, its cause situation, even in the best of cases. Lord Krishna further concludes in and consequences, one must understand one’s BG 16.10, that having taken shelter in pride, the demoniac, thus illu- real identity. Knowledge and realization of sioned, are always sworn to unclean work, attracted by the impermanent. one’s identity will remove ignorance and ulti- Srila Prabhupada explains in the purport that those “induced by pride mately pride. According to the Vedic litera- and false prestige, they create some principles of religion which are not tures, every living entity is a spirit soul (jiva), part and parcel of God, approved by the Vedic injunctions”. Later in BG 16.18, Krishna ex- possessing the characteristics of eternal existence, bliss and knowledge. plains that materialistic people, bewildered by pride become envious of However, because of the desire to enjoy independently of God, the jiva the Supreme Personality of Godhead and blaspheme the Vedic scrip- comes under the influence of material nature and acts under its spell. tures. When one is ignorant of one’s spiritual identity, all of one’s activities are in material consciousness, which lead to pride. On other hand, when In contrast to pride, humility attracts Krishna. In his purports to BG 13.8 one understands one’s spiritual nature and relationship with God, activi- and 15.5, Srila Prabhupada explains what is humility and why giving up ties that spring forth from such consciousness, leave no room for pride. pride is essential for establishing our forgotten relationship with Let’s now analyze why material consciousness leads to pride. Krishna,

Doership Mentality “Humility means that one should not be anxious to have the satisfaction of being honored by Have you ever noticed: in most cases, before one becomes proud, one others. The material conception of life makes us says things like, “I did this”, “this is my work” etc. These are manifesta- very eager to receive honor from others, but tions of one’s doership mentality i.e. “I’m the doer” or “I’m the cause from the point of view of a man in perfect and enjoyer of my activities and their fruits” and based on the false knowledge -- who knows that he is not this body sense of ‘I’. In Srila Prabhupada’s words, we think we are the “lord of -- anything, honor or dishonor, pertaining to this all we survey”. body is useless.” (BG 13.8 Purport)

In the Bhagavad-Gita (BG), Lord Krishna explains the cause of living “The first qualification in surrendering process entity’s doership mentality and who the actual doer is as follows, is that one should not be deluded by pride…One should know by the cultivation of real knowledge that he is not lord of “The spirit soul bewildered by the influence of false ego thinks material nature; the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the Lord. himself the doer of activities that are in actuality carried out by the When one is free from delusion caused by pride, he can begin the three modes of material nature.” – BG-3.27 process of surrender. For one who is always expecting some honor in this material world, it is not possible to surrender to the Supreme Per- False ego refers to the mis-identification with the body (or false ‘I’). son.” (BG 15.5 Purport) Because of false ego, the jiva considers himself the “karta” or doer, whereas in reality the jiva simply follows the dictates of modes of na- Example of Pride and Its Consequences ture. Pride is like intoxication. Just like an intoxicated man, a person who is Later in the Gita, Lord Krishna further explains that there are five fac- proud cannot check his senses. This intoxication and its consequences tors for any action: The place of action [the body], the performer, the are best illustrated by the history of Sage Durvasa, a great mystic various senses, the many different kinds of endeavor, and ultimately the and King Ambarish, a pure devotee of Krishna narrated in Srimad- Supersoul. So, the jiva is just one of the five factors. But, one who thinks Bhagavatam. Once when Durvasa arrived in the King’s palace, the King, himself the exclusive factor in actions (not considering the other factors, who was about to break his fast, respectfully invited the sage to eat first. especially the Supersoul, the ultimate cause) is in ignorance and be- Accepting the invite, the sage went to take bath, but did not return soon. comes entangled by the results of his work. So, one must always remem- Contd on Pg 5 Page 5 Quintessence

PRIDE GOES BEFORE A FALL Contd from Page 4

On the advice of learned scholars, in understanding of God, one can act for Him in a mood of humble service order to follow the formality of devoid of pride. Krishna says, breaking a fast, the King drank a little water. Durvasa, by his mystic “Therefore, O Arjuna, surrendering all your works unto Me, with full powers could see this and became knowledge of Me, without desires for profit, with no claims to pro- very angry. Invoking his mystic prietorship, and free from lethargy, fight.” – BG 3.30 powers, he created a fiery demon to kill the king. However, Lord One who implements this instruction of Krishna, following Arjuna’s Krishna, who always protects His example will never become proud, because he willingly gives up pro- devotees released His disc weapon, prietorship and desire for profit (honor, fame etc.). When one engages in which vanquished the fiery demon karma- as mentioned above, under the guidance of a bonafide spiri- and pursued Durvasa. Fatigued by tual master (BG 4.34), one first learns how to dedicate the results of the chase, Durvasa, who sought one’s activities to God. Gradually, by such sacrifice of fruits, one’s con- shelter at the feet of Lord Krishna sciousness becomes pure and one will reach a stage where one fully and failed, finally realized his mis- dedicates all of one’s activities and thus gives up all sense of doership take and asked for forgiveness from and pride. This perfectional stage of karma-yoga is bhakti-yoga or the King, as advised by Lord Krishna consciousness. Krishna. Thus, his pride was vanquished and he realized the true posi- tion of King Ambarish and the Supreme Lord. Concluding Remarks

There are important lessons for us from the story of Durvasa muni. Every one of us is endowed with many wonderful gifts by the Supreme When one thinks one is the proprietor of one’s insignificant material Personality of Godhead. When one uses these gifts in the cultivation of possesions such as education, wealth, beauty etc. – and in the case of spiritual realization, under proper guidance, one can rise to great heights, Durvasa muni, mystic yogic powers, one becomes proud. And, once just like a balloon which is blown by an expert can rise to very high pride develops, one starts to offend others. One thinks of oneself as altitudes in the sky. However, if one becomes proud of one’s spiritual great, and others who do not have such possessions as not worthy of accomplishments, such pride is like a needle which can blow up the respect, and indulges in insulting or offending them. The worst case is balloon, instantly resulting in its fall. In the case of materialists, who when one offends the Supreme Lord or still worse the pure devotee of misuse the gifts for their own enjoyment, pride kills them from the very the Lord, as in the case of Durvasa Muni. Thus, the consequence of beginning (closing their access to spiritual path), even while inducing pride is self-destruction. And, therefore, one must give up pride and them to falsely think that they have reached great heights. No amount of cultivate real humility. materialistic education (arts or sciences) can enable one to cross the ocean of worldly existence, which is full of misery. It is therefore futile Krishna Consciousness Eliminates Pride and foolish to pride on these. Rather, giving up pride, one must learn the art and science of Krishna consciousness and achieve that abode from The Supreme Personality of Godhead Krishna explains to Arjuna that if where one will never fall (Yad gatvä na nivartante tad dhäma pa- one acts for one’s own sense gratification, one gets entangled in the ramaà mama)! complexities of material existence or laws of karma. On the other hand, when one acts for the pleasure of Krishna, one is freed from karmic reactions (BG 3.9). To act for Krishna, one must know who He is. Srila Acknowledgements: Writings of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada used to say that many people understand that God is great, Swami Prabhupada and Lectures of HH Romapada Swami and HH but few know clearly how great He is! When one cultivates a scientific

Returning to the spiritual platform Contd from Page 1

Reporter 2: In all the scriptures that I have "Hindu," "Muslim," that is upädhi—it falls read, it's said that the disciple must remember short of the genuine spiritual conception. Just God's name constantly. So you say that the as God is one person, so genuine religion is one Hare Kåñëa mantra contains God's name. How thing. Designated religion—conceiving of "our do we know this? Christian God" or "our Hindu God"—falls Srila Prabhupada: How do you know your short. name? For example, now you are in a black coat. To- Reporter 2: My parents gave it to me. morrow you may be in a white coat. So I could Srila Prabhupada: Yes. You relied on your designate you as "black Mr. Such-and-such" or mother and father, on parental authority. Simi- "white Mr. Such-and-such." But there is no larly, you have to learn the Lord's name by need, because you are not actually that black or relying on spiritual authority. white coat. That black or white coat is not you, “The sun's fiery temperature is so Reporter 2: From the scriptures. but simply a circumstance. high that had you been actually in Srila Prabhupada: Yes. Similarly, due to our so-called sophisticated Reporter 3: Srila Prabhupada, what about mind, we say "Christian religion," "Hindu relig- the sun, you would have been im- other religions, like and . . . ion." To describe some particular historical mediately blown up, burned into Srila Prabhupada: There is no second relig- circumstance we may use these designations. ashes. But still, when you take ion. There is only one. That is the right idea; But religion is one thing. It means to glorify shelter of the sunshine, you take that is genuine God consciousness. God's holy name and abide by His laws. That is shelter of the sun.” Now, as soon as you designate "Christian," the spiritual platform Page 6 A GOD WHO DOESN’T DANCE: Premananda Dasa, a disciple of HH Niranjana Swami joined ISKCON in 1992. He has written A RESPONSE TO CRITICISMS OF LORD KRISHNA’S RASA LILA extensively on the principles of Gaudiya missi- By Premananda Dasa ology, Vaishnava prayer, and the avataras.

Please join me in a on dance. Srila Prabhu- encounter resistance to the rasa lila among Indian peo- pada said that the speech and body movement of the ple in particular. It is understandable and to a degree transcendental world are poetic and lyrical. ‘Every praiseworthy. Many educated and cultured people are word is a song; every step a dance’ [Brahma-Samhita: inclined to the mode of goodness. Consequently, they 56]. Chanting and dancing are essential elements of our are attracted to dharma, responsibility, and morality. teachings and practices. Chanting and dancing are the keys to the heart of our beloved Lord Krishna. The There is a deficiency in the mode of goodness, how- Lord says that the name of a person who once chants ever, and I believe that this deficiency contributes to His name enters His heart. And, it is in dance that confusion about rasa lila. In the mode of goodness, a Krishna simultaneously reveals His greatest charm, person becomes conditioned by the happiness that is beauty, compassion, and sweetness. derived from knowledge and moral religion. As a re- sult, that conditioning causes them to think that moral- For example, the first of Krishna’s pastimes that we ity is the last word in spirituality. celebrate during Kartika (Oct-Nov) is rasa lila, the great circle dance in the forests of Vraja between The rasa lila does not exemplify moralistic religion. It Krishna and the young gopis (cowherd damsels) on the is the pinnacle of pure theism, the highest expression of first full moon night of autumn. Next to Bhagavad-gita, the rasa lila is love of Godhead. Advocates of moral religion criticize rasa lila as im- probably Krishna’s most misunderstood pastime. Both are frequently moral, ungodly behavior. They believe that social roles should be dis- taken out of context. People with little understanding of the Vedic dip- tinct, clear and obeyed under all circumstances. God, they assert, exists lomatic code, and the divine sweetness of rasa often paint the Lord as a to set an example of how humans should behave at all times. bloodthirsty warmonger, or a lusty adulterer. So, let’s examine the logical consequences of this position. Social roles I cannot think of two pastimes of the Lord I’ve had to defend more of- should be distinct, clear and obeyed at all times. In the case of God ten. I have had to explain the moral and diplomatic circumstances sur- then, God should always act like God. He should not act in an ungodly rounding the Kuruksetra battle to American Ivy League college students fashion. who fear the use of religion as justification for inter-communal or inter- national conflict. And I’ve had to explain to mature members of the Therefore, God should always act Indian community that the rasa lila is an invitation to a plane of mysti- as the Master of all beings because cal intimacy, a plane of divine love beyond human morality. That it is He is categorically superior to us the rasa lila that makes Lord Krishna supreme and unique, that sets Him in all respects. He should never apart from His avatars. That indeed the rasa lila marks such act as a son of Nanda and Yasoda, avataras as servants of Krishna who relish facilitating the Lord’s Vrinda- barely toddling under the weight of vana pastimes. Nanda’s sandals perched upon His head as He brings the shoes to His Some time ago, I received an e-mail from an Indian gentleman who had father. He should never playfully read an essay posted on our temple web site regarding the rasa lila. He steal butter and yogurt and give it began by quoting a paragraph that I had written: to the monkeys. And He should never dance like a little puppet to "Many moralists accuse Krishna of adultery - dancing with other men's entertain Yasoda and her friends as wives late at night in the forest. Such people do not understand that they clap and sing His names. Krishna is not a human being. Therefore, He is not obligated to abide by He’s God after all. He’s the father human morality." of all living beings and He is com- pletely self-sufficient. He is not a He respectfully submitted his concerns: “There is one problem with this jester. These childhood pastimes are ungodly. argument in that Krishna being the Supreme Bhagavan has no duties assigned to HIM, yet HE engaged in various duties And what is Krishna doing frolicking with the cow- to ‘set an example’ to the people. This leads me to herd boys in the fields of Vraja? Why is He dancing believe that the Lord would never engage in activi- in imitation of the peacocks in the woods, delighting ties that set an amoral precedent.” the other boys who squeal with laughter? Doesn’t He know this is ungodly behavior? After all, He’s “This leads me to question the veracity of the conju- God. No one is His equal, so why is He playing like gal relationship between Radha and Krishna. I have a friend to these boys? Friendship is based on equal- read that Radha is not mentioned in many of the ity, and none of the boys can hold a candle to Him! texts and scriptures that describe the activities of the Lord. This is a folklore of romanticist poets to stir And this business of dancing with the gopis, we’ll public imagination and interest.” have none of this infidelity!

What this gentleman expresses is the tension be- If we take moralistic religion to its logical conclu- tween moral religion and divine love. Because there sion, what kind of God is left? A God with no are few dependable sources of values and ethics left sweetness. A God with no vulnerability. A God in our society, many people turn to religion to find with no playfulness. A God who doesn’t dance. them. They believe that religion derives its utility and power from its moral agency. This is why I Contd on Pg 7 Page 7 Quintessence

A RESPONSE TO CRITICISMS OF LORD KRISHNA’S RASA LILA Contd from Page 6

The rasa lila that we celebrate during the was already married to Devi. month of Kartika is not subject to the rules of He assured the sages, however, that in His next moral religion. Krishna tells us as much (Cc, appearance as Lord Krishna, they would take Adi 4.17-33). The pastimes of Vrindavana are birth, as gopis and He would then fulfill this based on pure theism, love of Krishna that is deepest, purest desire of their hearts. Rama is not motivated by awe or reverence of His di- the emblem of dharma, how could He tolerate, vinity but is enthralled by His character, His what to speak of facilitate, immorality? sweetness: Clearly, there are higher principles at play in the “All the universe is filled with the conception dance between Krishna and the gopis. of My majesty, but love weakened by that sense of majesty does not satisfy Me. If one Lord Krishna does not lack a moral compass. regards Me as the Supreme Lord and himself as But His is unique, surpassing even that of His a subordinate, I do not become subservient to Vishnu manifestations. The exchanges of love his love, nor can it control Me. In whatever in Vishnu lila are typically more reserved, more transcendental mellow My devotee worships Me, I reciprocate with formal. Distinctions are maintained. The jivas serve the Lord in the him. That is My natural behavior. ‘In whatever way My devotees sur- spirit of awe and reverence. Reverence means that there is some fear render unto Me, I reward them accordingly. Everyone follows My path involved. The servant does not wish to displease the all-powerful Mas- in all respects, O son of Prtha.’ If one cherishes pure loving devotion to ter. The Lord is friendly with some of His servants, but they are always Me, thinking of Me as his son, his friend or his beloved, regarding him- mindful of His superiority. There is no egalitarianism. And the Lord self as great and considering Me his equal or inferior, I become subordi- has one wife, The Goddess Devi. No one else comes near. nate to him. Devotional service rendered to Me by the living beings revives their eternal life. ‘O My dear damsels of Vraja, your affection As stated in Bhagavad-gita 4.11, Lord Krishna’s moral compass is tuned for Me is your good fortune, for it is the only means by which you have in a different direction: True Love, in all its forms. “As they surrender obtained My favor.’ Mother sometimes binds Me as her son. She nour- unto Me, I reward them accordingly. Everyone follows My path in all ishes and protects Me, thinking Me utterly helpless. My friends climb respects.” on My shoulders in pure friendship, saying, ‘What kind of big man are You? You and I are equal.’ If My beloved consort reproaches Me in a Lord Rama doesn’t say this. Nor does Avatara nor . sulky mood, that steals My mind from the reverent hymns of the . Only Krishna. Indeed, Krishna descends to inspire love beyond formal- Taking these pure devotees with Me, I shall descend and sport in vari- ity. Krishna allows us to fall in love with His sweetness. Sukadeva ous wonderful ways, unknown even in Vaikuëöha. I shall broadcast Gosvami explains (SB10.29.14), “O King, the Supreme Lord is inex- such pastimes by which even I am amazed. The influence of yogamäyä haustible and immeasurable, and He is untouched by the material modes will inspire the gopés with the sentiment that I am their paramour. Pure because He is their controller. His personal appearance in this world is attachment will unite us even at the expense of moral and religious meant for bestowing the highest benefit on humanity.” duties [dharma]. Destiny will sometimes bring us together and some- times separate us. I shall taste the essence of all these rasas, and in this The highest benefit for humanity is not morality, it is pure and intimate way I shall favor all the devotees. Then, by hearing about the pure love love of God. The Lord’s first twelve years of pastimes in Vrindavana of the residents of Vraja, devotees will worship Me on the path of spon- demonstrate this ultimate purpose. Let us not neglect the fact that after taneous love, abandoning all rituals of religiosity and fruitive activity.” Krishna left Vraja, He meticulously executed Vedic dharma.

Advocates of moral religion are welcome to worship a God who does The tension between moral not dance. Then they can be Christians, or , or Moslems. Or wor- religion and pure theism is ship Vishnu and learn to love God as their master or father, but they are not lost on Krishna or the not entitled to criticize the dharma of those attracted by the sweetness gopis in the prelude to the and intimacy of Krishna. It is indeed irreligious, immoral and ungodly rasa lila. The Lord played to criticize the dharma of others (Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur, Sri Krishna His flute in the forest, capti- Samhita). vating the hearts of the gopis, who dropped what- Many people worship Rama, but criticize ever they were doing, ig- Krishna believing Him to be an adulterer. noring their husbands, This is an example of moralistic religion brothers and fathers as they determining which to accept and which rushed into the dark night. to reject. People of this persuasion admire Rama because He descended to demonstrate Krishna greeted the gopis with a lecture on public safety and Vedic mo- the perfect execution of dharma. Rama’s rality: “This night is quite frightening, and frightening creatures are moral code was clear – the dharma sastras lurking about. Return to Vraja. This is not a proper place for women. and the Vedas. Followers of Rama admire Not finding you at home, your mothers, fathers, sons, brothers and hus- His nobility, intelligence, loyalty, and moral- bands are certainly searching for you. Don’t cause anxiety for your fam- ity. ily members. Now you have seen this Vrindavana forest, full of flowers and resplendent with the light of the full moon. You have seen the But how do these people account for Lord Ramacandra’s contribution to beauty of the trees, with their leaves trembling in the gentle breeze com- what they view as the delinquency of the rasa lila? During Rama’s ing from the Yamuna. So now go back to the cowherd village. Don’t exile in Dandakaranya forest, a group of sages approached Him. The delay. O chaste ladies, serve your husbands and children and calves.” sight of the Lord spontaneously inspired feelings of intimate divine love in the hearts of these renounced and wise saints. Lord Rama admitted For the complete article please visit: that, as a follower of the Vedas He could not fulfill their desires. He http://www.clubs.psu.edu/vedicsociety/Quintessence/articles/rasa_lila.htm Page 8 HOLY PLACES OF INDIA Remuna: the abode of the supreme thief Compiled by Priya Rajagopal

A holy place is not accessible to our gopis.” Ever since, worship of Gopinath deity has been carried material senses. Just like an oil film on in a very opulent way and many great devotees of the Lord covers the water underneath, one’s including Sri have come here to appreci- materialistic disposition completely ate and access the amazing spiritual potency present here. blocks the true vision of a holy place. A materialistic person sees only the Significance of the Name “Kshira-Chora”: The name means external things in a holy place, igno- "one who stole condensed milk." As related in Caitanya- rant of its inner spiritual potencies, Caritamrita (The biography of Sri Chaitanya), it is Srila Mad- just like one in material conscious- havendra Puri for whom the Lord stole the milk. Srila Mad- ness does not see the eternal soul havendra Puri was a pure devotee of Lord Krishna who lived in beyond the temporary body. One can 15th century. While living in Vrindavana, was gain access to a holy place only serving another Gopal Deity. One day, on his way to Orissa to through submissive hearing of tran- acquire sandalwood paste for his Deity, Madhavendra Puri scendental messages emanating from stopped at the Gopinath temple in Remuna. Seeing the wonderful the mouth of self-realized spiritual teachers in disciplic succes- offering of Kshira (condensed milk) made for Gopinath, Mad- sion. havendra Puri thought of offering the same preparations to his own Deity, Gopal. At once, he became ashamed for thinking of Remuna is a small village in Orissa about half way between Cal- tasting the Lord's food during the offering. Thinking he had com- cutta and Puri. The place is known for the famous Kshira-chora mitted a great offense, he left the temple immediately and went Gopinath temple. The name Remuna is derived from the word to a vacant marketplace to chant the names of the Lord. “Ramaniya” which means very beautiful. Later that night, Gopinath, who Kshira-Chora Gopinath temple did not see Madhavendra Puri’s The renowned Kshira-Chora Gopinath temple stands in an area actions in the same way, ap- by itself in the fields, about half a kilometer from the village of peared in a dream to the priest Remuna. Pilgrims come and go in a steady flow throughout the and told him that He had hidden day. a pot of condensed milk (out of the 12 pots offered by the Significance of the Deity: The priest) behind His cloth and main Deity of the temple, Gopi- informed him that he didn’t , is the Deity that Lord notice it, because of the Lord’s Ramachandra carved during Treta tricks. Gopinath told the priest Yuga (the 2nd of four in the cycle to deliver the condensed milk to of ages). While the Supreme Lord Madhavendra Puri. The priest Ramachandra and His wife, Sita did as told. Madhavendra Puri Devi, were living at Chitrakut, in felt great spiritual ecstasy to north central India, Lord learn that the Lord had stolen Ramachandra remembered His condensed milk for him. From The priest finds the pot pastimes as Lord Krishna. When that day onwards the Deity be- hidden behind the Deity Sita Devi requested the Lord to came famous as ‘Kshira-Chora narrate more, Lord Rama carved Gopinath’. some pictures of those pastimes in a black rock, which became the Deity of Gopala Krishna. Worship and festivals: Other than the main Deity, Gopinath, one Pleased to see all this, Sita Devi began worshiping the Gopal can also see of Govinda (“One who gives pleasure to the Deity at Chitrakut. After some days, they left the place and the cows and the senses”) and Madan-Mohan (“He who charms Cu- Deity worship was entrusted to Lord Brahma. pid”) on either side of Gopinath in the altar. According to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, these three Deities represent Sambandha In the thirteenth century, King Langula Nrshimhadeva from (our relationship with God), Abhidheya (activities for reviving Orissa while traveling to various holy places saw the Deity of that relationship) and Prayojana (the ultimate goal of such activi- Gopal at Chitrakut. That night the Deity appeared to the King in ties), the three categories of Vedic knowledge. The worship of a dream and asked to be taken to a more populated place. The the Deities begins early morning with chanting of the Holy King decided to take Gopal to Puri for His worship. names of the Lord. Every morning, the priests bathe and dress On the way, when they passed though Remuna, a beautiful vil- the Deities in full view of the congregated devotees. The evening lage of cowherds, Gopal again appeared to the King in a dream aarti (worship) is spectacular with kirtan (chanting) and tumultu- and asked to be installed and worshipped there. The queen, notic- ous worship of Their Lordships. During "Chandana-Yatra", the ing the carvings of the eight principal gopis (cowherd girlfriends) Deities are smeared with cooling sandalwood pulp ('Chandana'). accompanying the Deity, named Him Gopinath, "Lord of the Contd on Pg 9 Page 9 VEGGIE CORNER

Raw Mango Rice with Mint Raita Aarthi Soundararajan, works at • Heat the oil/ghee in a frying pan. Infosys and lives with her husband By Aarthi Soundararajan • Sauté the mustard seeds in the hot oil/ghee until they crackle. in Chennai, India. Add the chana dhal, urad dhal and groundnut and fry till golden Raw mango rice is a popular and tasty • brown. dish. Along with Mint Raita or fried papad it makes a delicious lunch. Since raw mango is rich in Vitamin C, it is good for health and is easily • Add a pinch of asafetida. digestible. Mint is a good appetizer and it gives flavor and improves the • Add red chili, green chili and curry leaves. taste. Even sick people can relish mint raita. • Now add the grated mangoes and fry well. • Now add the cooked rice, sprinkle turmeric powder and salt Preparation time: • Mix them well. 10 minutes

Cooking time: Note: 20-30 minutes For additional taste roast 1 tsp of fenugreek seeds (methi) and coriander Serves: 4 seeds (Dhaniya) in a dry pan and finely powder them. Now add this

powder to the rice. This will add flavor to the rice and also helps in di- Raw Mango Rice gesting.

Ingredients: Mint Raita 1. Basmati Rice or any long-grain white rice – 2 cups (500 ml) Ingredients: 2. Water – 4 cups (1000 ml) 1. Fresh Mint leaves – ½ a bunch 3. Raw Mango – 2 (Medium size) 2. Fresh Coriander leaves -¼ bunch 4. Chana Dhal (yellow split peas/lentil) – 2 tbsp (30ml) 3. Ginger – 1 small piece 5. White Urad dhal (white lentils) – 2 tbsp (30ml) 4. Green chili – 1 (seeded and 6. Red chilies – 4 chopped) 7. Green chilies – 2 (chopped length-wise) 5. Grated coconut – 1 tbsp (15ml) 8. Ground nuts – 2 tbsp (30ml) 6. Salt to taste 9. Mustard seeds – 1 tbsp (15ml) 7. Yogurt/Curd – 1 ½ cups 10. Asafetida – 1 pinch Method: 11. Curry leaves – 4-5 12. Salt to taste • Rinse the mint and coriander 13. Oil/Ghee to fry leaves well in water. 14. Turmeric powder – ½ tsp (3ml) • Blend the leaves with ginger, green chili, grated coconut and salt in a * tbsp -> Tablespoon, tsp -> Teaspoon food processor or blender until smooth. (If required, add a little cold water to achieve a runny consistency). Method: • Mix the paste with the curd and stir it well. • Wash, drain, and cook the rice and keep aside. (Make sure rice is not • Sauté the mustard seeds in the hot oil/ghee until they crackle and add over boiled, add just double the quantity of water to rice). it to raita. • Peel the mangoes and grate them. • Offer the mint raita with raw mango rice to Krishna and serve.

HOLY PLACES: REMUNA Contd from Page 8

The Nectar – Kshira: The condensed milk mentary on -. (Kshira), known as amrta-keli, is very famous because it is nectarean! The Gopinath Kshira is There is also Samadhi (tomb) of Srila Mad- a preparation of condensed milk, sugar, and havendra Puri about two hundred meters from cream with a sprinkling of raisins and is per- the Gopinath temple. One can also see Srila sonally tasted by Lord Gopinath Himself. So, Rasikananda’s Samadhi inside the Gopinath anybody visiting Gopinath temple cannot leave temple compound. Rasikananda was a foremost without tasting this nectar. disciple of Shyamananda, a follower of Lord Chaitanya and was engaged in worship of Other Places of Significance: Remuna has a Gopinath deity. He and his wife were known great spiritual significance in the life of for their dynamic preaching of Krishna con- Rasikananda’s Madhavendra Vaishnavas (devotees of Lord Krishna). It is sciousness. birthplace of many great devotees of the Lord Samadhi Puri’s Samadhi like Srila Sridhar Swami, Srila Baladeva How to Get There: The best way to reach Vidhya Bhusan. Sridhar Swami is the original Remuna is to take a train until Balasore, which commentator of Srimad Bhagavatam and is the nearest railway station. There are night Baladeva Vidhya Bhusan, a great spiritual mas- trains from Kolkata to Balasore. From Acknowledgements: Based on a lecture by HH ter in the line of Lord Caitanya, is the author of Balasore, one can get a taxi or bus to Remuna, Romapada Swami on “Glories of Remuna” and Govinda-Bhasya: a Gaudiya Vaishnava com- which is about twelve kilometers. an article, ‘A visit to Remuna’ by HH Bhakti Vikas Swami (BTG, Vol 28, Nov03, 1994) LESSONS FROM THE GITA– VERSE 16.4 Page 10 From Bhagavad Gita As it is– By His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

dambho darpo 'bhimānaś ca krodhaḥ pāruṣyam eva ca ajñānaḿ cābhijātasya pārtha sampadam āsurīm

SYNONYMS dambhaḥ — pride; darpaḥ — arrogance; abhimānaḥ — conceit; ca — and; krodhaḥ — anger; pāruṣyam — harshness; eva — certainly; ca — and; ajñānam — ignorance; ca — and; abhijātasya — of one who is born of; pārtha — O son of Pṛthā; sampadam — the qualities; āsurīm — the demoniac nature.

TRANSLATION Pride, arrogance, conceit, anger, harshness and ignorance — these qualities be- long to those of demoniac nature, O son of Pṛthā.

PURPORT In this verse, the royal road to hell is described. The demoniac want to make a show of religion and advancement in spiritual science, although they do not follow the prin- ciples. They are always arrogant or proud in possessing some type of education or so much wealth. They desire to be worshiped by others, and demand respectability, al- though they do not command respect. Over trifles they become very angry and speak harshly, not gently. They do not know what should be done and what should not be done. They do everything whimsically, according to their own desire, and they do not recognize any authority. These demoniac qualities are taken on by them from the beginning of their bodies in the wombs of their mothers, and as they grow they mani- fest all these inauspicious qualities.

PEARLS OF WISDOM THE EDUCATION TO END ALL MISERIES

A scholar once engaged a ferry boatman to row him across a river. Ob- lost. We’ll have to swim for it. Do you know the art of serving that his boatman was quite uneducated, the scholar began to swimming?” show off his own learning and simultaneously criticize the boatman. But the scholar replied, “I don’t know “My good boatman,” the scholar said, “just see how the first stars are how to swim.” appearing in the sky. We may observe the juxtapositions of planets and stars to a degree that is marvelous. Tell me, do you know the science of “Oh, sir,” said the boatman, “then astronomy?” one hundred percent of your life is wasted!” He then dove into the “No sir,” the boatman replied, adding that he knew little beyond rowing. river and began swimming, while the educated scholar drowned. “You don’t know astronomy?” the scholar said. “Poor fellow! Then your life is twenty-five percent wasted.” Thus, although a man may pretend to be educated, his education is Some time passed, and the scholar began commenting upon the various useless if he does not learn how to land formations around them, boasting that he was also a master of geol- save himself from the miseries of ogy. “Do you know the science of geology?” he asked. When the boat- life and ultimately from death man said he did not, the scholar declared, “Oh, then fifty percent of your itself. The Vedic literature refers life is wasted.” to a human being who does not use his human birth to solve life’s Then the scholar next launched into a dissertation on , and perplexities as a krpana, or miser. when the boatman admitted he knew nothing about it, the scholar an- The Garga Upanishad states: “He nounced, “Indeed, seventy-five percent of your life is wasted!” is a miserly man who does not solve the problems of life and who thus quits this world like the cats and Suddenly black clouds began pouring rain, and a squall rocked the little dogs, without understanding the science of self-realization.” ferryboat. Within minutes the storm became so serious that waves broke over the ferry’s sides, and the ferryman, seeing they would have to aban- don the boat, turned to the scholar and said, “Sir, I’m afraid this boat is Source: From an article by HH Satsvarupa Das Goswami, BTG#63, 1974 Page 11 Quintessence Pitfalls of Leadership By HH

Leadership has many pitfalls. One serious desire to help others. problem is the temptation for leaders to be- come autocratic or to act solely on the basis A third pitfall associated with leadership is of their own desires, aspirations and percep- the temptation to be bored, unenthusiastic, tions. Instead, leaders can view their role as and even depressed at times. Those who feel one of coordinating the activities of those for this way can lose perspective of their situa- whom they are responsible. To do so requires tion, forgetting the extent to which their the constant awareness of being a servant to lives are being guided, controlled and as- others. Being a servant entails keeping sisted by the Lord, whether they know it or abreast of the people's problems, needs and goals, in order to be not. Although some may not accept the exis- in a position to stimulate growth and develop useful projects tence of a God, it is a fact that higher forces do act upon every that enhance the quality of life. person's life Leaders can overcome some of these negative feel- ings by reflecting on the many wonderful situations God has A second pitfall for leaders is the tendency to take the benefits arranged for them, in contrast to the experiences of the average of leadership for granted, forgetting that most people do not person. Such thoughts can bring immediate relief, or even ex- share in the blessings and privileges inherent in such a position. hilaration, as these many blessings become apparent. One way to counteract this complacent attitude is to visit, from time to time, the various institutions for the less fortunate. For example, no matter what your level of leadership, you might HH Bhakti Tirtha Swami -a disciple of His Divine Grace AC Bhaktive- make periodic visits to hospitals, mental institutions, prisons or danta Swami Prabhupada and the founder of the Institute for Applied orphanages. Seeing such suffering can greatly increase your Spiritual Technology.

EDITOR’S JOTTINGS– Never “Out of Service”

Once, while at Penn State, I remember how I ran with all my life for about a mile from my lab to catch a bus to go home - this was toward the end of December when Penn State campus looks a ghost town - hardly a soul was there with almost everyone gone on vacation - and to make things worse, it was snowing heavily and close to midnight - somehow, negotiating the slippery ice, with a couple of painful falls, I managed to reach the bus - with great eagerness to get in, I knocked on the door - the driver, who had kept the door closed to ward off the harsh cold, was not in such a great mood as I was - he told me bluntly that the bus was "out of service" and that no other bus service was available that night. Already fatigued in sub-zero weather, I started feeling helpless - none of my friends who had a car were around and no cab service ei- ther. Desperate for some support, I turned to Lord Krishna and once again in the form of spiritual realizations He rescued me. And, with those realizations, I walked back home peacefully, oblivious of the external conditions.

The realization I had was related to what the bus driver told me - "this Maya is Krishna's material energy. So, if one is adamant about not serv- bus is 'out of service'" - this wasn't a true statement, because the bus ing Krishna, one has to serve Krishna's energy, in the form of one's own was doing some service - it was giving shelter to the bus driver! - apply senses or other living entities. the same statement to yourself, it doesn't make sense either - whether we like it or not, the fact is we are always in service. In response to Prabhupada continues, "When you serve maya then you get miseries. those who refuse to serve God, Srila Prabhupada explains that service is Just like a man who is serving in the prison house, he is also serving the the constant companion of living entity - we can never relinquish it - Government, but he is in misery...Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu said what changes is whom we serve. Prabhupada notes, jivera svarupa haya nitya-Krsna-dasa. He's eternally servant...When he's serving favorably, he is happy. When he is serving unfavorably or "The whole world is so made that the living entity must serve Krishna; being forced, that is not bhakti, that is maya. He has to serve. That is his otherwise he has to serve maya. It is the same example that the citizen constitutional position. Either outside or inside, but he cannot but serve of the state has to render service to the government in order to become Krishna." a good citizen. If one does not abide by the government laws then he is put into prison walls and forced to serve the government more tedi- So, going out of service is not an option for us - rather, as I saw last ously." night a sign on a cab in Boston, we should become "Serious about ser- vice" - toward Krishna, not maya! Page 12 Order your copy now! Srila Prabhupada-lilamrta: THE DEFINITIVE BIOGRAPHY

Deluxe, Two Volume Set Edition was among the first young Americans to assist Srila Prabhupada Publisher: The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada) in First issue: 1980; Reissue: 2002 his mission in the West. He is also the author Available for sale at: www.krishna.com of numerous books on Krishna consciousness.

Srila Prabhupada-lilamrita tells the story of a remarkable individual and a remarkable achieve- ment. The individual is A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada: philosopher, scholar, religious leader, saint. The achievement is the revolutionary transplantation of a timeless spiritual culture from ancient India to twentieth-century America. The first of two volumes begins with the story of the events leading up to Srila Prabhupada’s meeting his , an encounter that ignited in Srila Prabhupada a slow-burning flame of desire to take Krishna Consciousness to the Western world. The second volume begins in 1971. In the West, Srila Prabhupada had firmly established the Krishna consciousness movement, which his disciples were expanding in his absence. This volume chronicles Srila Prabhupada’s triumphant return to India and his plans for constructing temples in three crucial locations: , the center of India’s wealth and business; Vrinda- vana, the sacred village where Lord Krishna lives and sported; and Mayapur, the holy birth site of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who had inaugurated the Hare Krishna movement some five hundred years earlier.

NEWS FROM PSU

Matter does not matter, Spirit does!!

Toward the end of Fall'06, the Penn State Vedic Society, as part of its lecture series invited HH Romapada Swami as a guest speaker. His Holiness spoke on "Resetting Our Directional Compass: The Paradox of Progress" and the talk was very well at- tended. With an attractive audio-visual presentation, HH Romapada Swami discussed the challenges we face in the modern world. He explored how many scientific inventions, which apparently increased the comforts of man, have given rise to secondary prob- lems that never existed before. Aided by the wisdom from over 5000 year old Vedic scriptures, His Holiness explored the age-old process of improving the quality of our lives. During his stay at Penn State, His Holiness also gave Srimad Bhagavatam classes on "Purusa Sukta confirmed" every morning to the Vedic society members.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Lecture by HG Vrajalila Das on March 22nd 2007. Ram Navami Celebrations in the first week of April 2007. Lecture and home program by HH Romapada Swami on April 24th-25th 2007.

http://www.clubs.psu.edu/up/vedicsociety/

NEWS FROM OSU Page 13 Yoga Circle at The State University

The Yoga Circle at OSU is conducting a Bhagavad Gita study group this Win- Gurjeet Babbar, Tiffany Chuvalas, Marian ter Quarter. The course material and structure is based on the Bhakti-Shastri Ollybe, Bhavani, and Kala-nipuna Devi Dasi portions that cover the Bhagavad Gita. This structure and timeline gives par- participated in an International Festival on cam- ticipants a feeling of closure at the end of the quarter, although by then they pus on Feb 20th, putting up a book table, distrib- are clear that this great text is worth lifelong investigation. Students actively uting prasadam, and performing kirtana on stage. participate in an on-line email group during the week, and meet on Monday evenings for personal interaction and question-answer sessions. http://krishna.org.ohio-state.edu/

NEWS FROM MIT

In the month of February, His Grace Nimai Das gave a talk on ‘Pain & Suffering: God’s cruelty or Divine mercy’. The talk attended by inquisitive MIT students, presented the Vedic understanding of suffering and the role of God. A key point of the lecture was that suffering in this material world is a constant reminder for us, to make us remember that our real home is the spiritual abode. HG Nimai Nitai Das, a disciple of His Holiness Niranjana Swami, received his Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine from the Santa Fé College of Natural Medicine. He currently serves as the President of the International society for Krishna consciousness in Boston.

As part of the club’s special presentations designed for beginners, Aravind Mohanram introduced the MIT audience to the Bhagavad Gita and Vedic Literatures in two separate lectures. On the Gita, he spoke about significance of Gita in Vedic literature, its history, five subject matters and an overview of its 18 chapters. On Vedic literatures, he introduced the audience to the key texts and messages of the Vedas and shared with them the time-tested approach to under- standing and applying them. Aravind Mohanram is an aspiring disciple of HH Romapada Swami. He is a co- founder of the Bhakti-yoga club at MIT.

UPCOMING EVENTS AT MIT

Mar 15th : Stress Management: A Spiritual Approach by HH Romapada Swami Mar 22nd : Lecture by HG Nimai Nitai Das, Topic: TBD Mar 29th : Bhagavad-Gita on Soul Apr 5th : Bhagavad-Gita on God Apr 12th : Bhagavad-Gita on Material Nature Apr 19th : Bhagavad-Gita on Karma Apr 26th : Bhagavad-Gita on Time

Advisor: H H Romapada Swami Design and Layout: Padmaja Vittal Editor-in-chief: Aravind Mohanram Quintessence Team Cover Page Design: Priya Rajagopal [[email protected]]