His Divine Grace A. C. BHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI PRABHUPADA
Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness IN THE GURUKULA SCHOOL IN DALLAS, TEXAS AND AROUND THE WORLD . . . HARE KRSNA HARE KRSNA KRSNA KRSNA HARE HARE HARE RAMA HARE RAMA. RAMA RAMA . HARE HARE
children's school of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, has one hundred children, ages 3-13, and thirty well-trained teachers. They rise early, bathe and attend early-morning worship of the Lord in the Guru kula temple. And later, during the day, the children study English, math and Sanskrit. Love of Kr~Qa is dormant in the heart of everyone. So when a child comes in touch with a natural way of life, full of good association, intelligent direction and worthwhile activity-in other words, when he comes in touch with Kr~Qa consciousness-his dormant love awakens. He becomes strong, self controlled, honest and satisfied. And when he grows up, he can become qualified to lead the world away from materialistic peril and into secure service to the Lord. Thus Gurukula is producing spiritual leaders for the world of tomorrow. Through Kr~Qa consciousness, anyone, of any age, can be as satisfied as the children of Gurukula. One need only chant the holy names of God, as found in the Hare Kr~Qa mantra- Hare Kr~Qa, Hare Kr~Qa, Kr~Qa Kr~Qa, Hare Hare/Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Ram a, Hare Hare-and get to know one's eternal relationship with Kr~Qa. A self-realized person must know what is Gurukula is one of more than eighty matter, what is spirit, and who is the worldwide centers of the International controller of both. Matter consists of Society for Krishna Consciousness, things that have no independent life, like which was established in 1966 by His stones, machines and even our very Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami bodies. Spirit is the living force. And the Prabhupada. This magazine, Back to controller of both is God Himself, Lord Sri Godhead, will tell you about the Hare Kr~Qa. The children at Gurukula ("the Kr~Qa movement and the philosophy of place of the spiritual master") are Kr~Qa consciousness. As you look cultivating self-realization by engaging in through it, on page 18 you'll find an practical service to Kr~Qa. Guru kula, the article telling you more about Guru kula.
BACK TO GODHEAD 1 BACK TO GODHEAD THE MA FOUNDER GAZ INE OF THE HARE KRISHNA MOVEMENT (under 1hc direction or His Oiv1ne Gruce Sri Srim;.d Bhak1isiddh:in1a Sarasv-.ati Pr;tbhupffda} CONTENTS I lis Oh'ine Grare A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupida " In the Beginning Was the Word" 3 by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada BHAKTIVEDANTA BOOK TRUST COORDINATOR llamsnduta dasa How the Tea EmTOR Jayadvaita dasa chings of Lord Caitanya Came to the Western World (part 3) 9 EDITORIAL BOARD Y:tduvnra driSa, ViS.ikhli-devi diisi, Jaylidvaita dasa by His Holiness Brahmananda Svami SANSKRIT EDITOR Jagannlilha dasa K~~l.'a Conscious Calendar PRODUCTION MANAGER Rlidhlivallabha dasa 15 ART DIRECTOR lndrapramada driSa The Basic Scientific Guidebook of II.WSfRATORS Muralidharn dasa. Bharadraja dasa, Yadura~i-devi dasi. l'aril<$it driSa Spiritual Realization-BHAGAVAD-GiTA AS IT IS 16 by Ruci dasa I'I!OTOGRAI'Ht:RS Bhlirgava dasa, Muralivadana dasa, Yaduvaru dlt~a. ViSlikhli-dcvi driSi TECI!NICIANS Madhusudana dli.Sa. Yamarlija dlisa. Gurukula 18 Gariylin dlisa, Cakradharn dlisa. by His Holiness SatsvarOpa dasa Gosvami Urukrama dlisa. Orville Grirfilhs. Viclor Gonzalez PROOFRf..ADERSSanto~a dlisa. Dravi<)a dli.Sa. Letters 24 Gopipara~adhana driSa, .layasacinandana dasa TYPt:COMPOSERS Rfll!iitmikli-dcvi dlisi, Mahrimliyli-devi dasi BACK TO GODHEAD Begins Its Tenth Year in the West 27 l'ublishcd monthly,$6.00 1>er year ($7.00 & outside USA). by the llhaktivcd:onHI Book by Jayadvaita dasa ~~ Trust, 3764 Watseka Ave .• Los t\ngcles. Calif. 90034. Editorial Oflici!S: 38 Tiffany Place, Brooklyn. N.Y. 11231. Cl974 Bhakti\
adies and gentlemen, I self. It is called priT"(ra, which means This verse indicates that God is all thank you very much for "complete," suddha, which means "free attractive because He is the richest of all, kindly participating in this from all material contamination," and He is the strongest, the most beautiful, sarikirtana movement, which 11itya, which means "eternal." Abltimrat the most wise, the most renounced and mis a movement for the vibration of tran viitr 11iima-niiminob means that there is no the most famous. scendental sound. Sound is the origin of difference between the name and the Our position- we human beings who all creation. That is admitted in the Bi person whose name we arc chanting. are sitting in this hall, as well as all other ble also. We are reading a passage from Thus when we chant the holy name of living beings-is that we are all sons of the Bible: God, like the name Kr~l)a, Kr ~l)a is per God. Kr~J:la states in Blragavad-gitii: [A disciple reads! The Gospel Accord sonally present. One need not chant the sa r11a-yo11i~u karmteya ing to Saint John. Chapter 1. " In the name Kr~l)a; one may chant any name mrirtayab sambltavallli yii/1 beginning was the Word, and the Word that he knows is God's. God has many tiisiitir bra/una maltad yo11ir was with God, and the Word was God. names, which may be chanted with the altatir by·a-pradab pita The sa me was in the beginning with same effect in different languages and in God. All things were made by him; and different countries. "It should be understood that all the without him was not anything made that The Father of Everyone was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light Actually God has no name, but names shineth in darkness; and the darkness are given to Him according to His ac comprehended it not." tivities. For example, we arc chanting This same principle is explained in God's name "Kr~l)a" because "Kr~J:la" the Vedic literature. Here it is said, " In means "all-attractive." How is God all the beginning was the Word, and the attractive? We can get some idea from Word was with God, and the Word was our conception of attractiveness in this God." Because God is the Absolute material world. One is attractive in this Truth, there is no difference between material world if he is very rich, very God and God's form, His qualities and powerful, very wise, beautiful, famous or H is word. Everything related to God is renounced. Thus one may become at also God. In the material world, name tractive in six ways. The Vedic literature and substance are different. For exam states: ple, when you are thirsty, if you simply utter the words "water, water, water," aisvaryasya samagrasya that will not quench your thirst. But in viryasya yasasab sriyab the spiritual world the name of God, or jtiii11a-11airiigyayos ciipi Kr~l)a, and the Supreme Personality of ~a!t(tiitir bltaga ititiga11ii Godhead arc the same. I shall quote one Sanskrit verse from the Vedas, which parallels this Biblical passage: niima cimiima(tib kmta5 caitanya- rasa-vigraltab plir(rab suddlto llitya-mukto 'blrimratviill 11iima-11iiminob ~ The purport of this verse is that the name of God is as powerful as God Him-
Pl"lOlos Bhfugavu dCi s.t species of life, 0 son of Kunti, are made possible by birth in this material nature, and that I am the seed-giving father." d)WOUVEMENT [Bg. 14.4] Thus according to the Vedic CJIA R ECXRISHNA conception, all living enticies in all .J..s.. forms of life are parts and parcels of God. Your Bible says that in the begin ..:JJJ..U'.I J}}.j.!)..lJ}' j,j ning there was only the Word and that :J:l/..llJJ the Word was God. Therefore, God ex j>..Jj_j.l}!Jj)~,j isted before the creation. And where did all the created creatures come from? ,~ 111/~(.\\\1 > < · 11~ - I-\ \II I''' \t 1 They came from God. Thus all of the 1 It~ I ~IHII I 8,400,000 species of creatures were made by God. He who creates must be the father, for even in the material sense, it is the father who creates his children. How can we deny that this is so? Here in the Bible it is said that all things were created by Him. One cannot whimsically deny the authoritative statements of the Vedas or the Bible. Therefore, He is the father of everything. When you go to the church, you pray, "Father, give us our daily bread." This indicates that He is the father of everyone. Therefore here it is clearly said, "All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made." This is perfect knowledge. In the Image of God The same ideas are also stated in the Vediinta-siUra, the most perfect philoso phy presented in the Vedic language. The Vediinta-satra says, athiito brahma jij'iiiisii: "Human life is meant for inquir ing about God." This Kr$t:ta conscious ness movement, therefore, is meant to enable one to understand God. This movement has been active in the Western countries only for the last six or A blissful devotee seven years, but it has been on this on a Paris street planet for the last five thousand years. advertises Srila Prabhupa.da's When I say "Kr~t:Ia consciousness," this forthcoming lecture. means God consciousness. Human life is meant for understanding God and be A crowd of 20,000 filled the Salle Pleyel, coming God conscious. An animal can the lar$Jest public hall in Paris, not possibly understand God. Our ad to hear Srila Prabhupada speak. vertisements have invited everyone to The picture at the far left of the stage this meeting to discuss something about shows devotees chanting Hare K r~f.la God, but only human beings have come, beneath the Eiffel Tower. not cats and dogs. The human life is a 0 chance given by nature with which co understand God, but if one does not fulfill this opportunity, his next life may not be that of a human being. The soul is within the body, and it is a part and
4 BACK TO GODHEAD parcel of God. If you can understand the the boy changes his body and gets a dif Life After Death soul, therefore, you can partially under ferent body-that of a young man, who stand God. Indeed, if you study yourself, in turn gets the body of an old man. Ev Death is but the destruction of this outer, to some extent you study God because ery one of us can consider himself in this gross material body. We all have ex you are a sample of God. In the Bible it way: "I had the small body of a child, I perience that although every night our is also said that man is made in the im had the body of a small boy, I had a body lies in bed, with my subtle body, age of God. Therefore if you study your youthful body, and now I have an old which consists of mind, intelligence and self-that study is called meditation body." By this simple study I can under ego, by dreaming I leave my bedroom then you can understand God. stand that I am different from the body. and go elsewhere. Thus we all have ex For those who are in the bodily con And I can also understand that because I perience of leaving our gross bodies and cept of life, the yoga system and medita am eternal, I was existing within all taking our subtle bodies to do something tion are very important for self-realiza these bodily forms. Therefore in else while the gross bodies are still here. tion. In fact, however, if you want to Bhagavad-gitii it is said, 11a ha11yate Therefore, I, the soul, am changing back understand yourself, you can do it very hanyamiillt sarire: after the destruction of and forth between gross and subtle easily by a very simple method. Just con this body, I, the soul, am not destroyed bodies. I dream with the subtle body, sider your finger and ask yourself but continue to live." As described tn and when the dream is over I return to whether you are your finger. The answer Bhagavad-gitii, the soul is eternal. the gross body. And the change that will be no. I am not the finger; it is my takes place when the subtle body carries 11a jiiyate mriyate vii kadiicin finger. Everyone, even a child, will say, the soul from one gross body to another niiyatil bh1itvii bhavitii vii 11a bluiyab "This is my finger, this is my hand, this is called death. ajo llityab SQSVQlO 'yatil p11rii!IO is my leg, my head." No one will say, "I The subtle body of mind, intelligence IIQ ha11yate ha11yamii11e sarire finger, I head, I leg." Therefore the con and false ego carries one to another body clusion should be that I, the soul, am dif "For the soul there is never birth nor according to the nature of his mind. The ferent from this material body. death. Nor, having once been, docs he mind is always full of thoughts, and at The material body changes because of ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, the time of death, according to those the presence of the soul. For example, a ever-existing, undying and primeval. He thoughts in which his mind is absorbed, child changes his body and gets a dif is not slain when the body is slain." the soul is given another gross body. ferent body-that of a young boy. Then (Bg. 2.20] This is explained in Bhagavad-gitii: yatil yariz vtipi smaratz bhavmiz tyajaty ame kalevaram tatiz tam evaiti kaunteya sada tad-bhava-bhavitab "Whatever state of being one remem bers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail." [Bg. 8.6] Thus bhava, the attitudes of the mind, carry one to the next gross body at the time of death. Bhagavad-gitti says that after death the soul gets another body (tatha dehtintara priiptib). What kind of body will one get? It is necessary to prepare oneself. Now, we can see that there are so many kinds of bodies. In the water there are 900,000 species, in the vegetable kingdom, among the trees and plants, there are 2,000,000 kinds of bodies, and there are also 11 ,000 species of in sects, 1,000,000 types of birds and 3,000,000 types of beastly bodies. There are 400,000 human species, and the civilized man is considered to be in the perfect bodily situation because nature gives us this human form of body to enable us to understand God. In other forms of life, there is no chance of understanding Him. Therefore, the duty of each of us, before our next death comes, is to understand God. If we simply misuse this body to live like cats and dogs, we arc missing our greatest chance. "Those who associate with the mode of indicates that before creation, transcen Because we are completely under the goodness are promoted to the higher dental sound existed. That word or tran control of material nature, we cannot planetary systems, those in the mode of scendental sound is not like material possibly say that we arc free. That is passion remain in the middle planetary sound, for if we associate with the tran stated in Bhagavad-gitti: systems, and those in the mode of ig scendental sound Hare Kr~l)a , we be norance descend to the lower planetary come purified and thus become tran prakrteb kriyamii11ti11i systems." [Bg. 14.18] Therefore, al scendental. To give a crude example, if gwzaib karmii1zi sarvasab though we may like to think that we are we put an iron rod into a fire , it will ahatiktira-vimzidhiitmii independent, these three modes of gradually become warmer and warmer kartiiham iti manyate nature have been carrying us from one until it becomes red hot. When it is red "The bewildered spirit soul, under the planet to another and from one body to hot, it will no longer be iron; it will be influence of the three modes of material another since time immemorial. We are fire. How has it become fire? By associa nature, thinks himself the doer of ac all eternal, but because our conscious tion with the fire. Therefore if you tivities that arc in actuality carried out ness has been polluted by these three simply keep yourself in touch with God by nature." [Bg. 3.27] There arc three qualities of nature, we have to undergo through the transcendental sound, modes of material nature, namely good repeated birth and death in the material gradually you will become godly, and as ness, passion and ignorance. When we world. Therefore, we should take advan soon as you become godly, you will be are under the control of material nature, tage of the opportunity afforded by the come the same in quality as God-full in we associate with these modes, or human form of life to become free from riches, full in power, full in knowledge qualities. As stated in Bhaga11ad-gitti: these material qualities and rise to the and everything else. Therefore the Vedic spiritual platform of God consciousness, instruction is, "Don't keep yourself in llrdlwmiz gacchanti sattlla-sthii or Kr~l) a consciousness. darkness. Come to the light." At the madhye ti~.thauti riijasii/z present moment, the entire world, for Getting in Touch with God jaghatzya-gu1Ja-ll{tti-sthti want of godly understanding, is in dark adho gacchami ttimastib "In the beginning was the Word." This ness. But since we have the privilege of
6 BACK TO GODHEAD As youthful American one? Eko bah1ina1i1 yo vidadluiti kama11: chac and European disciples one-God- is maintaining all the ocher listen intently, living beings. He is a person and we are Srila Prabhupada delivers persons, but because He is his message in English, the one who and a French disciple, maintains us, we therefore go co God to Jyotirmayi-devi dasi, beg for our daily bread. By constitu translates his words tional position, therefore, we are pre into French. dominated, and God is the predomina tor; we are very small, and God is very great. In the Vedic literature it is said, dhar At the present moment, however, we math tu sak$ad bhagavat-p rat~iUim: "Dhanna. are defying this position, and that is why or religion, consists of the codes given by we are in trouble. Our Kr~r:ta conscious God." To give a practical example, if ness movement, therefore, is educating one abides by che laws of che scace, then people to understand chat since chey are he is a good and peaceful citizen. You always subordinate co Kr~r:ta, if they sur may not like chc laws of the scace, but render to Kr~J)a they will be happy. Do if you do not follow them you will not remain in a rebellious condition of be punished. Similarly, if you do not life. Just surrender co God and you will follow the laws of God, you will be be happy. That is che final conclusion of punished. You may declare indepen Bhagavad-gua (sarva-dltarma11 parityajya dence, but there is no possibility of such mam eka1i1 saratlatil vraja). We are making independence. so many plans to become happy and chey are failing, but if Surrendering we cake chis plan, if we surrender co God, chen all our to the Supreme Person problems will be solved. Our Kr~r:ta consciousness Therefore, in conclusion, there is God, movement does not cry co make Hindus and God's word indicates that God is a into Christians or Christians into Hin person. As soon as we accept the word of dus. That is not our purpose. Our only God, we have to conclude chat God is a request to you is chis: every one of you, person. You are vibrating words and I try co understand God, love Him and be am vibrating words, and chis shows that happy. we are persons. The word of God and The final conclusion of Bhagavad-gitd this human form of life, we should not God Himself arc not different, yet God is chat if you want your mind to be stay in darkness, without knowledge of is a person, and He speaks. If He can peaceful, you should understand three che soul and God. speak, then He can also hear, smell, eat things: that God is the supreme enjoyer, As long as I think that I am chis body, and perform all other sensual activities. chat He is the proprietor of everything, I am in darkness. One who has a mate If He could not hear, then our prayers to and that He is the friend of everyone. If rial body has four needs-eating, sleep Him-"0 God, please give us our daily you very scientifically understand only ing, sexual intercourse and defense. Cats bread"- would be useless. Therefore these three things, then your life will be and dogs also cat, sleep, have sex and de from the statements of the scriptures successful. fend, but a human being should not be whether the Bible or Bhagavad-gitd-it is You can understand these simple educated only in these four principles of understood that God is a person like you. truths by chancing God's name: Hare animal necessities . The real need of As stated in the Vedas, 11ityo 11ityd11dri1 Kr ~ r:ta, Hare Kr~r:ta, Kr$r:ta Kr ~r:ta, Hare humanity is the need to understand God. cetanas cetarrd11am/ eko bahl111d1il yo vidadhati Hare/ Hare Rima, Hare Rama, Rama Therefore in every civilized human kaman. This verse indicates chat God is Rama, Hare Hare. Hare is an address to society there is some system of religion. the Supreme Being. Even in the diction the energy of God, Km1a means God, Whether it is Christianity, Moham ary it is stated that "God" refers co the who is all-attractive, and Rdma is also a medanism, Hinduism or whatever, in Supreme Being. We are all beings, but name of God. So in this verse-Hare civilized society there must be some God is the supreme being. Just as in ev Kr$r:ta , Hare Kr$r:ta, Kr$r:ta Kr$r:ta, Hare form of religion, and a human being is ery state there are citizens but there is Hare/ Hare Rima, Hare Rama, Rama supposed to follow the religious princi one chief citizen or chief executive, so Rama, Hare Hare-there are only three ples to have complete knowledge of God among the many living beings there is words: Hare, Kr~Qa and Rama. and himself, to know the relationship one supreme living being. Just as we are Therefore anyone can chant these three between God and himself, and to know living beings, God is also a living being, names-Hare, Knr:ta and Rama-and the goal of life. It doesn't matter whether and just as we are eternal, God is also make his life perfect. I hope that you one is Christian, Hindu or Muslim; the eternal. But God is one, whereas we are will join us in chancing this Hare Kr$r:ta real purpose of life is to know God. many. And what is significant about that mahd-mamra. @
BACK TO GODHEAD 7
How the Teachings of Lord Caitanya
I Lord Caitanya MaM prabhu, who is K~l)a Himself in the form of His own pure devotee. appeared 500 years ago in Bengal. India, to teach- by His own example-how one can become fully Kr ~ l)a conscious. The teachings of lord Catne to the Caitanya were recorded and transmitted by many faithful disciples. but they were virtually unknown in the West un til 1896, when SrUa Bhaktivinoda Thakura, a great spiritual master in the disciplic line from Lord Caitanya, published a short book enlitkxl Sri Calranya Mahaprabhu- His Life and Precepts and sent copies to the Western world. Srila Western World Bhaktivinoda foresaw a time when Easterners and Westerners would join in a universal method of spiritual realization by chanting the holyo name f God. Moreover, he predicted, "A personality will soon appear to preach the teachings of Lord Caitanya and move unrestrictedly over the whole world with His message:• (PART 3) After the disappearance of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, his son, Srna Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvaml Maharaja. a great scholar and pure devotee, continued to expand the mission of Lord Caitanya. He w rote many by His Holiness Brabmananda Svami books and established printing presses and sixty-four temples dedicated to preaching the message of K ~l)a consciousness. The following is the third of three articles depicting the pioneering efforts of SrUa Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Srtla Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami, and those who have followed them in spreading the benediction of K~l)a consciousness throughout the world.}
Instead of having his disciples retire to Westerners would embrace Lord remote holy places, Bhaktisiddhanta Caitanya's movement. But he would not sent them out to preach in the crowded live to see it, for his disciples were un cities, where the need was greatest. This able to establish anything substantial in required the introduction of some Europe. Even before leaving India on revolutionary practices, such as allowing their mission, the sannydsis were doubtful his sannydsis, his disciples in the re about attracting Europeans to Knl).a nounced order, to ride in automobiles. consciousness. After all, Europeans Until Bhaktisiddhanta's time, holy men were inveterate were restricted to walking or riding in whereas animal-drawn carts; automobiles were they them too extravagant. But if the preaching of selves were Lord Caitanya's message could be strict vegetarians. Yet Bhakti furthered by using automobiles, why siddhanta instructed that the should they be rejected? Here was a mission of Lord Caitanya could practical application of Bhaktivinoda's be executed in all circumstances. philosophy of renunciation, in which Srila Bhaktisiddhanta, therefore, nothing was to be used for sense grati was an actual acarya. An acarya is fication but everything could be em "one who teaches by his exam ployed for Knl).a's service. Bhaktisid ple." In this world there are dhanta also allowed his satmydsis to wear many supposed teachers, but sewn clothing. A smmydsi is discouraged invariably their private lives from wearing sewn clothing, to prevent are quite at variance with attachment to women, but this conces their teachings. Therefore a sion was made to enable his men to genuine dcarya, or ideal preach in respectable society in the big teacher, cannot be adjudi cities. cated or selected. "Acarya" In 1933 Bhaktisiddhanta sent out is not a material designa several teams of preachers to London tion or title, like president, and Berlin. He even managed, with chairman or professor; an acarya great difficulty, to send them money must have spiritual qualifications. from India to finance their preach An actual acarya must be spiritually ing. Bhaktisiddhanta was eager to ful empowered by the previous dcdrya be fill Bhaktivinoda's prophecy that cause of his total surrender to his spiritual master. This is illustrated in His Holiness Bralundnmrda Svdml served for several Bhagavad-gitd: among many candi years as the first president of the first ISKCON temple in the United States (while at the same dates, Arjuna alone received the ability time working as a teacher in the New York City to understand the mystery of God from LORD SRI Kl,t~~A CAITANYA public school syscem). He later became director of Lord Sri Krg1a-simply because he MAHAPRABHU ISKCON Press and in 1970 accepted the re alone was Kn1:1a's unalloyed devotee and nounced order of life. He was the fi rst devotee to introduce Kr~l)a consciousness in Africa. friend.
BACK TO GODHEAD 9 In 1936, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati from birth by Bhaktivinoda Thakura, this day Srila Prabhupada has instructed Thakura received a letter written by His Bhaktivedanta Swami was also fortunate his disciples to do just what he was doing Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta to be trained in Kr~l)a consciousness by as a child - to worship Radha-KnQa Swami Prabhupada, inquiring how he his own father. Deities and stage Rathayatra festivals all could be of service. Bhaktisiddhanta's Even in childhood, Srila Prabhupada over the world. reply may be considered crucial to the expressed the perfection of transcenden His Divine Grace dedicates his book mission of Lord Caitanya. Rather than tal devotion. Like Maharaja Parik~it, he Km1a, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, suggest something new, Bhaktisiddhanta worshiped the Deities his father had as follows: "To my father, Gour Mohan reiterated the order he had given to given him. He simply imitated the wor De (1849-1930), a pure devotee of Bhaktivedanta Swami at their first meet ship of Radha-Govinda he used to see in Knl)a who raised me as a Kr$1)a con ing: "Preach the teachings of Lord the nearby family temple. (Those early scious child from the very beginning of Deities of Srila Prabhupada's are still my life. In my boyhood ages he in worshiped today by his sister in Calcut structed me how to play the mrdanga [a ta.) As a child, Bhaktivedanta Swami drum for chanting Hare KnQa]. He gave would often spend his time studying the me Radha-Knl)a vigraha [Deities) to worship, and he gave me Jagannatha Rathayatri. Left: T he festival i.n San Fran cisco. Below: Devotees lift Lord Krsna, in ratha to duly organize the festival as my His form as LordJagannitha, to His pi~ce on childhood play. He was kind to me, and I H is float. imbibed from him the ideas later on solidified by my spiritual master, the eternal father." As a member of one of Calcutta's aristocratic families, Srila Prabhupada was given the best education. He at tended Scottish Churches College, run by British missionaries, where he Caitanya in English. You will be studied economics, philosophy and benefited, and everyone who hears you history. As a follower of Gandhi's non will be benefited." Obviously this in cooperation movement, however, Srila struction, given first in 1922 and again Prabhupada refused to accept his univer after fourteen years, was very important. sity degree. He married in 1918. An A fortnight later, Sri Srimad Bhakti astrologe!" foretold that Srila Prabhupada siddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja would in time become as wealthy as the Prabhupada departed from this earth. wealthiest man in India. Soon afterward, The stage had now been set for that great though still a young man, he was personage who would actually fulfill the selected to manage a well-known phar prophecy of Bhaktivinoda Thakura by maceutical laboratory. expanding the vigorous initial efforts of The all-important meeting with Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati and boldly Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati occurred in preaching the teachings of Lord 1922. [For a description of that meeting, Caitanya all over the world. Indian Railways Timetable. He would see Part 2 of this article, in Back to God see what trains were going from Calcut The Pure Devotee head No. 68.) Srila Prabhupada has ta to two other places: Vrndavana, the remarked that although others would One of the signs of a great devotee, a abode of Lord KnQa, and Puri, where ask many questions of the spiritual mahii-bhiigavata, is that he is generally Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu had resided. master simply to make an impression, he born into a family of devotees. Sukadeva After calculating the fares, he would asked only one: "How may I serve Gosvami was such a mahii-bhiigavata, for then scheme up different ways of raising you?" After that initial meeting, Srila his father was Srila Vyasadeva, the liter the money to go. Prabhupada spent several years develop ary incarnation of Knl)a who compiled Even as a boy, Srila Prabhupada ing his firm into a very successful busi all the Vedic literature. Another was showed a proclivity for preaching. In ness, but he never forgot Bhaktisiddhan Maharaja Parik~it, whose grandfather Jagannatha Puri, India, there is a yearly ta Sarasvati Thakura. He offered finan was Arjuna and whose grandmother was festival called Rathayatra, in which the cial support to Bhaktisiddhanta's Subhadra, Lord KnQa's sister. The great Deity of Lord Jagannatha (KnQa) goes Gauqiya Mission and introduced some of benefit for a child born in such a family on procession in a huge ratha, or float. So, Bhaktisiddhanta's sannyiisis to his busi is that he gets spiritual education right with a miniature ratha, Srila Prabhupada ness associates. Srila Prabhupada would from birth. The early lives of great devo would hold neighborhood processions, sometimes visit Bhaktisiddhanta's mis tees are often similar. Just as Bhaktisid invite all his family members and sion and discuss devotional philosophy dhanta Sarasvati Thakura was trained friends and distribute lots of prasiida. To with his disci pies, but when the devotees
10 BACK TO GODHEAD her husband from instructing their children in devotional principles. Then came some unavoidable business reverses, and so finally in 1959 Srila Prabhupada took sannyiisa (the re nounced order of life) from one of his sannyiisi Godbrothers and left home. He went to the holy village of Vrndavana, fulfilling his childhood desire. There he commenced writing and publishing several important books, in preparation for his voyage to America in 1965, which was to be the fulfillment of his spiritual master's order. [For a back ground description of Srila Prabhupada's writing and his work in Vrndavana, see "The Books of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada," in Back to Godhead No. 52, by the author of this article.] Pointing Out What America Had Missed Once in America, Srila Prabhupada in defatigably preached the teachings of Srila Prabhupada in Vrndavana. Preaching in Lord Kn1.1a's holy city. Lord Caitanya. This was, of course, the first time that we Americans had ever urged him to take initiation from "Personally, I have no hope of having heard of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. I Bhaktisiddhanta, Srila Prabhupada any direct service [to Kmta] for the will always remember the way Srila avoided it, admitting that he just liked to coming crores of births of the sojourn of Prabhupada would look at a picture of come and associate with the devotees. my life, but I am confident that some day Lord Caitanya he had brought with him Bhaktisiddhanta was very pleased with or other I shall be delivered from the from Vrndavana. He had it high on the this remark. Thus Srila Prabhupada mire of delusion in which I am at pres wall opposite his sitting place in his tiny never took a very active part in the ac ent so deeply sunk. Therefore let me New York apartment, and as he would tivities of the Gauc,liya Ma~ha . At one with all my earnestness pray at the lotus unfold the glorious teachings of Lord point, the disciples, understanding Srila feet of my Divine Master to let me suffer Caitanya, he would regard that picture Prabhupada's sincerity, encouraged him the lot for which I am destined for all with an expression of deep transcenden to become a full-time member and even my past misdoings, but to let me have tal love. It was that sublime feature to live with them, but then Bhaktisid this power of recollection, realized of Srila Prabhupada's that inspired me dhanta prophetically declared that it through the unflinching mercy of my to broaden my understanding of would be better for Srila Prabhupada to Divine Master, that I am nothing but a Mahaprabhu's teachings. remain apart. "One day he will join tiny servant of the Almighty Absolute Coming from the East at the age of fully and do wonderful things," Bhakri Godhead. Let me therefore bow down at 70, Srila Prabhupada had a great deal to siddhanta said. Then in 1933 in His lotus feet with all the humility at my say to us space-age Americans. He spoke Allahabad, where Srila Prabhupada was command." the truth. For example, here is what he living with his family, he became an ini In 1944, after Srila Bhaktisiddhanta's wrote in his introduction to The Nectar of tiated disciple of Sri Srimad Bhaktisid demise, Srila Prabhupada pursued his Devotion: dhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja. spiritual master's order by founding Back "As far as material necessities are con to Godhead. a fortnightly English paper cerned, the human civilization Following the Master's Orders at the that he himself wrote, edited and present moment is very much advanced In 1933 Srlla Prabhupada delivered an published. He was also its sole distribu in living comfortably, but still we are not address to a Gauc.liya Ma~ha convocation tor. His Divine Grace preached actively, happy because we are missing the point. honoring the appearance day of Srila using his home for frequent small func The material comfortS of life alone are Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. In tions consisting of congregational chant not sufficient to make us happy. The that speech Srila Prabhupada explained ing and authoritative discourses from the vivid example is America: the richest the meaning of iiciirya, and he also ex Vedic scriptures. But Srila Prabhupada's nation of the world, having all facilities pressed his deep devotion to his spiritual wife was of a different bent. She did not for material comfort, is producing a class master as follows: like these meetings and even prevented of men completely confused and frus-
BACK TO GODHEAD 1 1 trated in life. I am appealing herewith to i(r~l)a go together simultaneously. For urious Life style, the Swami declared such confused men to learn the art of example, seeing oneself in the morning rather ominously, 'He is cheating people, devotional service as directed in The means seeing the sunrise also; without but he will be cheated in a bigger way. Nectar of Devotion, and I am sure that the seeing the sunshine no one can see him When God meets cheats, he can be a fire of material existence burning within self. Similarly, unless one has realized better cheat than they.' " their hearts will be immediately ex Knl)a there is no question of self Srila Prabhupada did not come to tinguished. The root cause of our dis realization." America as a beggar. " I have come to satisfaction is that our dormant loving teach you what Challenging the Bogi Yogis you have forgotten," he propensity has not been fulfilled despite told reporters. "It is love of God." He our great advancement in the mate Srila Prabhupada was a blunt critic. His chose America of all places in the West rialistic way of life. The Nectar ofDevotion targets were all the things sacrosanct to because the entire world is following her will give us practical hints how we can us young American materialists: sense example of economic development. If he live in this material world perfectly gratification, mental speculation, sex, could succeed in making Americans take engaged in devotional service and thus meat-eating, skyscrapers, fast cars, the up spiritual life, then the rest of the fulfill all our desires in this life and the United Nations, nationalism, science, world would follow. This was his master next. The Nectar of Devotion is not pre space exploration, family and love, im plan for fu lfilling his spiritual master's sented to condemn any way of mate- personal spirituality and other gurus. He order. was against the entire modern civiliza The Hare Kn~;ta Explosion tion. He even discouraged us from eating in restaurants. One thing difficult for us Seeing the potential for spreading Vedic to accept in the beginning was his culture in America, Srila Prabhupada re unreserved criticism of other gurus. As quested his Godbrothers in India to help student-aged youths, we were skeptical him. But they were not interested, so of those who claimed to monopolize Srila Prabhupada founded his own anything, what to speak of the truth. We society in July of 1966. He called it the were tired of those who said that theirs International Society for Krishna Con was the only way. Our idea for eliminat sciousness, or ISKCON. There was some ing all the hatred in the world was discussion among his first students that simply to accept everything as good. Let "Krishna" was too sectarian a name for everyone do his own thing, we thought; the title of the Society-"the Inter you can follow or not, but you should national Society for God Consciousness" not criticize, especially in spiritual mat would be more readily acceptable. But ters. Srila Prabhupada swept away all Prabhupada wanted KnQa's name. this. He showed us how to discriminate " 'God' is the position, but God has a sensibly between true and false name, and His name is Kr~I:la. We know spirituality. Like Bhaktivinoda Thakura, who God is, so we want to call Him by who had courageously defeated a yogi His name,'' he explained. imposter who was imitating KnQa, Srila After opening the first ISKCON Prabhupada would not let us be center, in New York, Srila Prabhupada misguided by the "bogi yogis," as he called was invited by some students to come to Srila Prabhupida in America. A blunt critic. them. To this day Srila Prabhupada has the West Coast. He entrusted the continued to chide so-called gurus who responsibility for publishing Back to rialistic life, but the attempt is to give in mislead their followers from the path of Godhead to his disciples, a number of formation to religionists, philosophers devotional service to Kr~l)a, or God. whom he had ttained to go preach the and people in general how to love Knl)a. Here is a recent article from Time (Feb. teachings of Lord Caitanya themselves One may live without material discom 11, 1974): and establish centers. These early disci fiture, but at the same time he should "Trouble is stirring in Nirvana. A. C. ples were not very adept in quoting learn the art of loving Knl)a. At the Bhaktivedanta Swami of the Hare Sanskrit, nor in the procedures of Deity present moment we are inventing so Krishna movement, at a news con worship, nor even in following all the many ways to utilize our propensity to ference in Hong Kong last week, de practices of devotional life-but they love, but factually we are missing the nounced a rival guru: self-styled divinity were convinced. They opened several real point, Kr~l)a. We are watering all Maharaj Ji, 16, now counseling his dis more centers-in San Francisco, Los parts of the tree but missing the tree's ciples in California. The ascetic Swami, Angeles and Seattle; then in Montreal root. We are trying to keep our body 6t whose followers constitute a kind of and Vancouver; and soon in Buffalo, by all means, but we are neglecting to saffron-robed Hindu version of the Washington, D.C., and Boston. supply foodstuffs to the stomach. Miss Salvation Army, began by saying, Then Srila Prabhupada sent a group of ing Ktsl)a means missing one's self also. 'You've got to decide whether he is God, disciples to London. Whereas the ad Real self-realization and realization of or a dog.' Noting the young leader's lux- vanced Indian sannyiisis sent by Bhakti-
12 BACK TO GODHEAD siddhanta Sarasvati Thakura were una ble to accomplish anything in London for years, three American householder couples soon opened a thriving KH~a consciousness center in the heart of downtown London. It has since ex panded to include a temple and iisrama on a stately seventeen-acre manor just outside the city. With the world-famous musician George Harrison, the English disciples have recorded several records of Hare KH~a that have become hits all over Europe and even in Japan, and that have financed the publication of one of Srila Prabhupada's books. No wonder Srila Prabhupada proudly declared that these householders were far greater than many big sannyiisis. Srila Prabhupada's disciples have now opened almost fifty centers in America, and another fifty in half a dozen Euro pean countries, as well as Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Africa and South America. In these centers, Radha-Kr~~a Deities are very opulently worshiped, and there are feasts and Rathayatra festivals, with as many as 25,000 people attending. There are also classes for the public and all Srila Prabhupada in London. Ful filling his master's desires. important book distribution. This has all been accomplished solely by the effort of follow the four Vedic prohibitions head to settle the matter: "PRABHU Srila Prabhupada, who maintains close against meat-eating, illicit sex, gambling PADA. The word Prabhupada is a term contact with the administrators of all his and intoxication). Their conclusion was of the utmost reverence in Vedic temples. He writes up to twenty-five let exactly opposite to the teachings of Lord religious circles, and it signifies a great ters daily, both to give spiritual guidance Caitanya and the historic mission of saint even among saints. The word ac and to see to the Society's management. Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Bhaktisid tually has two meanings: first, one at In 1970 Srila Prabhupada formed dhanta Sarasvati Thakura. Thus Srila whose feet (piida) there are many prabht1s amongst his senior disciples a Governing Prabhupada found himself having to (a term meaning 'master; which the dis Body Commission (GBC), consisting of preach the teachings of Lord Caitanya to ciples of a gurt1 use in addressing each twelve zonal secretaries to administer his own God brothers, as if they were the other). The second meaning is one who KH~a conscious affairs in twelve dif same caste conscious briihma~s who have is always found at the lotus feet of Kr~~a ferent sections of the world and to continuously opposed Lord Caitanya's (the supreme master). cooperate in spreading the teachings of miSSIOn. "In the line of disciplic succession Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. This is ex They criticized Srila Prabhupada's through which K+$1)a consciousness is actly how Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, being addressed as "Prabhupada." They conveyed to mankind, there have been a who coined the title GBC, wanted his maintained that only Bhaktisiddhanta number of figures of such spiritual im Gauc,liya Ma~ha administered after his Sarasvati deserved to have that title and portance as to be called Prabhupada. departure. that His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktive Srila Rupa Gosvami Prabhupada ex danta Swami Prabhupada was being dis ecuted the will of his master, Sri Innovations by a Dyn amic Acarya respectful by proclaiming himself Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and therefore he Not only do Srila Prabhupada's Prabhupada. Actually, however, the term and his associate Gosvamis are called Godbrothers refuse to help Srila Prabhu "Prabhupada" came to be used because Prabhupada. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta pada spread the teachings of Lord some of Prabhupada's disciples wanted Sarasvati Gosvami Thakura executed the Caitanya, but they unfortunately criti to address their beloved spiritual master will of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, and cize his accomplishments. In the very with a term more respectful than therefore he is also addressed as Prabhu beginning they wrote from India that it "Swamiji" or "Guruji," which are used pada. Our Spiritual Master, Om simply wasn't possible to make devotees to address an ordinary sannyiisi. Then an Vi~l)upada 108 Sri Sri mad Bhaktive out of mlecchas (heathens who do not article appeared in an early Back to God- danta Swami Maharaja, has, in the same
BACK TO GODHEAD 13 way, executed the will of Srila Bhakti teachings of Lord Caitanya abroad. For couraging us by becoming life members siddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhu instance, he has set the minimum num of our great society, the International pada in carrying the message of love of ber of "rounds" to be chanted on the Society for Krishna Consciousness. In Kn~a to the Western world, and meditation beads at sixteen (approx Los Angeles many fathers and mothers therefore we American and European imately two hours of time) rather than used to come to see me to express their humble servants of His Divine Grace, the sixty-four rounds Srila Bhaktisid feelings of gratitude for my leading the from all the different centers of the dhanta Sarasvati had set for his disciples. Kql}a consciousness movement sankirtana movement, have followed in This is because Americans are generally throughout the entire world. Some of the footsteps of Srila Riipa Gosvami not inclined to lengthly periods of them said that it is greatly fortunate for Prabhupada, and prefer to address His meditation. This genius for adopting the Americans that I have started the Grace our Spiritual Master as Prabhu new ways to extend the teachings of Knl}a consciousness movement in pada, and he has kindly said "Yes.' " Lord Caitanya is the very qualification America. But actually the original father Next, the Godbrothers audaciously of a real iiciirya. Caitanya-caritiimrta de of this movement is Lord Knl}a Himself, claimed that Srila Prabhupada was mix scribes how Lord Caitanya devised since it was started a very long time ago ing boys and girls together, especially on many methods and even tricks, in par but is coming down to human society by the chanting and preaching parties. ticular His sannyiisa,just to get all opposi disciplic succession. If I have any credit Vedic culture rigidly controls the rela tion to become Kr~~a conscious. An in this connection, it does not belong to tions between men and women. If a girl iicarya does not follow hackneyed me personally, but it is due to my eternal even goes out of home alone at night, she methods; he introduces dynamic ways to spiritual master, His Divine Grace Orh is immediately rejected by her family preach Kr~~a consciousness. Unfor Vi~l}upada Paramaharhsa Parivra members. A sannyiisi cannot even speak tunately, however, those who do not jakacarya 108 Sri Sri mad Bhaktisid to a woman in a secluded place nor be have the conviction or spiritual potency dhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja alone with even his mother or sister. to spread the teachings of Lord Caitanya Prabhupada." Lord Caitanya would not allow a beyond their dutiful circle of pious Now Srila Prabhupada has brought woman to come near Him, even to offer widows j ust plod along in the same many of his disciples to India so that his obeisances, nor would He allow Himself stereotyped way and jealously criticize Godbrothers can see the results of his to hear the female temple attendants the real achievement. preaching for themselves, and a few of (diisis) singing religious songs. However, them are beginning to recognize that he The Great Personality what Srila Prabhupada found when he is actually the successor to Bhaktisid came to the U.S.A. was quite a different Innovation by an iiciirya does not adulter dhanta Sarasvati Thakura. style of life. Co-ed dormitories, legalized ate the teachings of Lord Caitanya. The While this article was first being writ abortions and free distribution of con goal remains the same, but only the ten, preparations for the first great traceptives are all part of the modern means are modified to suit the time, Mayapur pilgrimage were in full swing. permissiveness of Western materialistic place and circumstances. This On land purchased at the birthsite of civilization. Understandably, Srila enthusiasm for preaching is the very es Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Srila Prabhupada Prabhupada thought that as soon as he sence of the teachings of Lord Caitanya has initiated a project to build the tallest would introduce the four prohibitions, Mahaprabhu, who Himself even and most majestic temple in India, as all the early students would go away. preached to the animals in the forests. well as a Vedic University for students Americans were too accustomed to Srila Prabhupada's success in doing what from all over the world. Already one unrestricted mixing of the sexes for no other spiritual master has ever done is building has been completed. For this them all to become sannyiisis (lifelong simply due to his unflinching depen year's festival, devotees from ISKCON celibates) and to follow all strictures. dence on Lord Kn~a and the previous centers throughout the world will have Srila Prabhupada thought it better for iiciiryas. The evidence is found on page gathered for nine days of chanting, pro their spiritual life for them to marry and after page of Srila Prabhupada's books. cessions, lectures, films, exhibitions, restrict themselves to one husband or For example, he writes in his preface to organizational meetings and prasiida wife. But who would arrange for them to Bhagavad-gitii As It Is: feasting, as well as the bliss of associating marry? Being a sannyiisi himself, Srila "Our Kn~a consciousness movement with their beloved spiritual master and Prabhupada was forbidden to hav~ any is genuine, historically authorized, each other. Lord Kr~l}a says in Bhagavad thing to do with household life. But he natural and transcendental due to its gitii that His devotees like very much to was alone in America, so he overstepped being based on Bhagavad-gitii As It Is. It is be together. the rule and personally performed the gradually becoming the most popular mac-cittii mad-gata-priit~ii marriage ceremonies for his students movement in the entire world, bodhayantab parasparam according to Vedic rites. (Now that especially amongst the younger genera kathayantas ca math nityam disciples are qualified, all marriages tion. It is becoming more and more in t11~yanti ca ramanti ca are performed by ISKCON's temple teresting to the older generation also. presidents.) Older gentlemen are becoming in "The thoughts of My pure devotees Srila Prabhupada modified other terested, so much so that the fathers and dwell in Me, their lives are surrendered devotional practices to introduce the grandfathers of my disciples are en- to Me, and they derive great satisfaction
14 BACK TO GODHEAD and bliss enlightening one another and has been a revival of interest in their namas te siirasvate deve conversing about Me." (Bg. 10. 9) own Vedic culture. India will only be garlra-vii(li praciiri!ll.' the world if it It cannot be disputed that the great respected by the rest of nirvise~a-srinyaviidi personality predicted by Srila Bhakti spreads this spiritual culture. If India piisciitya-de5a-tiiri(le. vinoda Thakura is none other than His neglects this responsibility and tries only Divine G race A. C. Bhaktived anta to mimic Western materialism, India "I offer my humble obeisances to you, 0 Swami Prabhupada. He has traveled and will be an inveterate beggar nation. spiritual master, se rvant of Bhaktisid preached around the world almost 10 Thus, Srila Prabhupada should be dhanta Sarasvati. You are kindly preach times, he has opened centers in America, recognized as his country's foremost ing the message of Lord Caitanya Europe, South America, India, the Far ambassador. and delivering the Western countries, East, Australia and also Africa, and he Srila Prabhupada is the successor in which are filled with impersonalism and has written a score of best-selling books the disciplic line from Bhaktisiddhanta void ism." on the teachings of Lord Caitanya. It is Sarasvati Thakura because he has dedi The o pportuniry is now presented to quite understandable why Srila Prabhu cated his entire life to fulfilling his everyone, whether an ordinary karmi or a pada dedicates one of those books (aptly spiritual master's command. He has learned Satmyiisi, a briihma!IO or a sridra, entitled Teachings of Lord Caitanya) as raised the most unqualified candidates to American or Indian, to stand up and be follows: a position higher than those born in the counted in the Lord's legion of pure families of briihma!1as. To be able to devotees, with Srila Prabhupada as the DEDICATED TO follow and learn from such a rare tran commander-in-chief. Let us give up all scendental personality is an invaluable hesi tation, discard impure sectarian The Sacred Service opportunity. Disciples from all over the designations and surrender ourselves at of world, therefore, repeatedly offer their the lotus feet of the Lord's pure repre SRILA SACCIDANANDA obeisances to His Divine Grace as sentative. As the great sages of BHAKTIVINODA THAKURA follows: Naimi ~a raQ ya prayed to their spiritual master, Sukadeva Gosvami, let us also nama Olit vi~(w-piidiiya Who Initiated The Teachings of pray: "We think that we have met Your km1a-pre~ !hiiya blui-tale Lord Caitanya Grace by the will of providence, and srimate bhaktivediillta m thus we accept you as the captain of the sviimin iti niimine The Western World ship for those who desire to cross the {McGill University, Canada) "I offer my humble obeisances to His dangerous ocean of Kali [the modern age in 1896 Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta of materialism), which destroys all the The Year O f My Birth Swami Prabhupada, who is the most good qualities of a human being." dear to Lord K!" ~Qa on this earth because (Srimad- Bhagavatam, 1.1.22) Who he has taken complete shelter at the among us is so foolish as to hesitate The Legion of Pure Devotees Lord's lotus feet." needlessly and thus risk missing the Bhaktivinoda's philosophy of using ma Then they offer their obeisa nces with boat of transcendental perfection, K!"~ Qa terial things in the loving service of God another, even more telling verse. consciousness? 0 has been fully implemented by Srila Prabhupada. He purposely came to America because America has more at its disposal than any other country in the Krsna••• Conscious calendar world. Instead of wasting time and Hc.•rc Me ujXnmong ht;lod.Jy, .1nd iC'stovJ I ~ ior K~~"'' conscoou~ dcvnlre~ . DcvoteC'S at the ISKCON center nNrt•\t ynu woll gladly tell you more .tbout the me.tnong of these lestovJis. money going to the moon to collect rocks, that same organizing talent ca n be Decenber25 Deamber30 ~1 used to send souls back home, back to Ek~d.JsT BACK TO GODHEAD 15 The Basic Scientific Guidebook of Spiritual Realization BHAGAVAD·GITA AS IT IS by Ruci dasa Bhagavad-gita is the transcendental science of God spoken by the father of religion Himself, Lord Sri KnJ:la. lt is the es sence of all Vedic knowledge. By receiving Bhagavad-gita through the proper system, one can become cleansed of all sinful reactions and attain perfection in spiritual life. Lord Kmta says in Bhagavad-gitii: imari1 vivasvate yoga1i1 proktaviin aham avyayam vivasvan mmzave praha matzur ik~viikave 'bravit "I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, Vivasvan, and Vivasvan instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Ik~vaku . " (Bg.4.1) Srila Prabhupada, the author of Bhagavad-gitii As It Is. says that the Gitii was spoken to Vivasvin approximately 120,- 400,000 years ago and has been extant in human society for Lord Kr~~Ja instructed the science of yoga to the sun-god. two million years. It was spoken again to Arjuna 5,000 years ago because in course of time the succession was broken and the science appeared to be lost. Detecting that the purpose of posurc because of weakness. In this condition I am asking the Gitii had been scattered by demoniac commentators, You to tell me clearly what is best for me. Now J am Your Kr~t:la reestablished the disciplic succession 5,000 years ago disciple, and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct by speaking the Gitii to Arjuna on the Battlefield of Kuru me." (Bg. 2.7) k~etra . Arjuna's qualification for receiving Bhagavad-gita was Actua\\y, we should aH come to this stage of understanding that he was Kr~t:la's devotee and friend (bhakto 'si me sakha ceti) . that we are confused and that our best interest lies in accept His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivcdanta Swami Prabhupada ing a gona fide spiritual master who is in the line of Sri Kr~t:la translated the Gitii into English with authorized purports to so that we may solve the problems of life-namely birth, convey its meaning straightforwardly because almost every death, old age and disease-and go back home, back to God commentary on Bhagavad-gitii was the work of a self-moti head. The problems of life appear without our wanting them. vated scholar, yogi or politician who did not accept Lord Sri Is that not a fact? For example, no one wants to get old, be Kr~t:la as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such in come diseased or die, and if people fully understood the mis terpreters think that they can separate Kr~t:la's body, soul and eries of birth, they would be terrified of accepting rebirth. mind, for they do not know that Lord Knt:la is absolute. He is Yet these miseries are forced upon us. K r~t:la says in Bhagavad sac-cid-iinanda-vigraha: His body, soul and He Himself arc one. g itii,jatzma-mrtyu-Jarii-vyiidhi-dubkha-do~iinudarsanam: one should Kr~t:la spoke Bhagavad-gitii to Arjuna on the Battlefield of be aware of the evils of birth (jar1ma), death (mrtyu), old age Kuruk~etr:~ just before Arjuna was to take part in a civil war. (jara) and disease (vyadhi). The Ved ic wisdom recommends Kr~J:la wanted Arjuna to fight, for it was his duty as a service that to become free from these fourfold miseries, one should to the Lord. But Arjuna did not want to kill his relatives and approach a bona fide, Kr~t:la conscious spiritual master in the teachers who faced him on the battlefield. Arjuna, being thus line from Lord Sri Kr~t:la Himself. Otherwise, if one fails to confused, then accepted Lord Knt:la as his spiritual master: use his human intelligence to try to solve these problems, one is a miserly person (krpa11a) and meets his death just like cats kiirpa1_1ya-do$opahata-svabhava/1 and dogs. prcchiimi tviitil dharma-sarirttu4~ha - cetiib Throughout Bhagavad-gitii, and very elaborately in the Sec yac chreyab syiitz niscitmn bnlhi tan me ond Chapter, the Lord gives many examples to explain that 5i$yas te 'hath sadhi miitiz tviitiz prapamzam one is not the body but an eternal spiritual soul who is a part "Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all com- and parcel of God. He says that the soul existed always, and The warrior Arjuna, confused about his duty, accepted Lord One should be aware of the material miseries and use intelli Kr:?~a as his spiritual master. gence to become free from them. always will exist. The soul is traveling from boyhood to surrender to Kr~Q.a? The Gita answers this quite frankly. youth, then to old age, and so, similarly, the soul passes into Those who are actually learned leaders of society-great another body at death. The eternal (spirit) has no cessation, figures in history like Brahma, Siva, Vyasa, Devala, and the temporary (the body) has no endurance (nasato vidyate .Madhvacarya, Ramanujacarya, Sri Caitanya and many bhavo nabhavo vidyate sata~). The soul can never be killed by others-surrender unto Lord Sri Kr~!fa. But those who are anyone (viniisam avyayasyasya na kascit kartt1m arhatt). The soul only dressed like scientists, philosophers and leaders of never takes birth and never dies (na jtiyate mriyate va kadiicit). society for material gain do not accept the plan and path of He is unborn (aja), eternal (nitya) and ever-existing (sasvat). the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is undying and primeval. The soul is not slain when the Therefore, let us all worship Lord KH!fa and be happy and body is slain (na hanyate hattyamane sarire). go back to Godhead, for He is the cause of all causes (sarva In Bhagavad-gitti, Lord Sri Kr~Q.a explains karma-yoga.jiiiina kiirat;~a-karat;~am). He is the source of all spiritual and material yoga and mystic yoga system, but his final conclusive instruc worlds, and everything emanates from Him (aham sarvasya tions are as follows: prabhavo mat tab sarvam pravartate). He is the master and friend man-mana bhava mad-bhakto sarva-dharmtin parityajya of every living entity. mad-yiiji miim namaskum mam ekam sarar.am vraja To understand these ideas more fully, one may acquire a copy of Bhagavad-gitti As It Is, with its translations and elabor miim evai~yasi satyath te aham tvtith sarva-piipebhyo ate purports by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami pratijtine priyo 'si me mok$ayi~yami mii suca~ Prabhupada. His Divine Grace is an unalloyed devotee of "Always think of Me and become My devotee. Worship Me Lord Sri Kr~!fa who strictly follows the principles of disciplic and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me succession through which Bhagavad-gitti has been handed without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear down over the centuries. Therefore he presents the spiritual friend. Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender knowledge of the Gitii simply and clearly, without personally unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not motivated interpretations. Please read Bhagavad-gitii As It Is, fear." (Bg. 18.65-66)1 with its true devotional purports by Srila Prabhupada. And By surrendering unto the lotus feet of KHQ.a, we can be chant Hare KHQ.a, Hare Kr~!fa, Kr~Q.a Kr$1fa, Hare Hare/ come free from material bondage. Why, then, don't the phi Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Your life losophers, scientists, administrators and leaders of society will become sublime. 0 11' Whenever I see pictures of the Gurukula school in cording to the Vedic scriptures, which teach one Dallas, Texas, or whenever I am fortunate enough to how he can know himself to be eternal, blissful and visit there, I always think, " I wish I had gone to full of knowledge. Gurukula when I was a boy; I wish every child could There have been many favorable news articles go there:' When we first disciples joined the Hare written about this new educational project, but one Kr~oa movement in 1966, there was no children's criticism sometimes given is that Gurukula indoctri school; and besides, even then we were too old for nates children who are too young to resist its Gurukula. Gurukula, a school for children ages five to spiritual philosophy. In answer, we may note that any fifteen, was founded by the International Society for method of raising children is a kind of indoctrination, Krishna Consciousness in 1971. Why should we wish that every child could attend Gurukula? Because Gurukula is the only school teaching how to live ac- Dvlirakadhisa dasa offers a lamp to Kf$1)a. A child develops his natural love of God by caring for small Deities of the Supreme Personality. Many of the children have Sanskrit names, which are all different ways of saying "servant of Kf~l)a :· Honoring a saintly person. Gurukula children take pleasure in offering flowers and respect to Srlla Prabhupada during one of his visits to the school. 18 BACK TO GODHEAD even letting your child do and think whatever he and daughters of devotees who want their children likes. Whatever parents or instructors teach by their to be brought up in Kr~Q a consciousness. They are example, a child will take very seriously. In the im extraordinary children because their parents want pressionable, formative years, therefore, the Kr~Qa them to be liberated from further suffering and to consciousness movement is training children in the become eligible to enter the kindgom of God. Of perfection of religion. This training is hardly course, Gurukula is open to all children, regardless of reprehensible. Indeed, it's what the world needs. race, creed or financial position, but the fact remains So what goes on at Gurukula? First of all, as in no that the children attending Gurukula are actually ele other school, there is chanting of the holy names of vated souls in the bodies of children. The great sage Kr~Qa, dancing in ecstasy, and eating of prasada, food Jiva Gosvami said, "If a child is properly trained, he offered to Kr~Qa. In all these activities the children can become a great devotee of the Lord:' Therefore, have the company of many wonderful friends their any child who goes to Gurukula has the best of own age, who are all devotees of the Supreme Lord. friends-playmates who are always chanting about Bhagavad-gita tells us that if one seriously pursued and glorifying Kr~Qa and eating k($Qa-prasada. spiritual consciousness in his past life but did not The academic curriculum at Gurukula includes perfect his progress, in the next life he may take birth English, math, history and geography, but the in a family of devotees or advanced transcenden children also learn to read Sanskrit so that they can talists. Therefore, the children at Gurukula are not or understand the Vedic literature in its original dinary, or they wouldn't have been born as the sons language. Also, Gurukula stresses practical instruc- The Gurukula auditorium. This is one of two main buildings. The school also has an inner courtyard and a large open playground. One hundred children and forty adults Jive at Curukula. A God-centered English Jesson. Children at Curukula simultaneously learn about reading and the Absolute Truth. . I ~~~~l. Pholos VoMkh3·dOvl dMI BACK TO GODHEAD 19 Murallvadana dAsa Curukula awakens a child's true inner potential-the potential for spiritual Bhaktin Lisa Marie practices writing the enlightenment. Curukula, commented Sanskrit alphabet. Sanskrit, the original Newsweek magazine, is "a most convincing language of the Vedas, is the key to a vast sign that Kr~~a consciousness is here to stay." treasurehouse of spiritual wisdom. Chanting Hare K~r;~a is blissful! Shining with spiritual happiness, Curukula children spontaneously chant the holy names of Cod. Ideal teacher, ideal student. The teachers at Curukula teach by example as well as precept. 20 BACK TO GODHEAD tion in personal cleanliness. The teachers, who all mind. It is nothing less than bhakti-yoga, the revival live with the students at Gurukula, follow four rules: of the individual's loving relationship with God, no illicit sex, no meat eating, no intoxication and no which has now been all but totally forgotten by the gambling. Thus they are real teachers, and because world's great civilizations. of their dedication to Kr~Qa consciousness they can Where I went to school, and maybe where you offer real love and guidance to the children by help went to school-or where your child goes to school ing them revive their dormant love for God. now-the other kids were simply concerned with Someone may say that Gurukula is a very enjoying material life and didn't much care about specialized school, but when the Vedic civilization spiritual realization. Drugs and illicit sex were the was current, thousands of years ago, the spiritual norm, even in the grammar schools. Of course, I values taught at Gurukula were inherent in every learned many things in the schools and colleges I at educated person. So a Gurukula education is not a tended, but if I had not met His Divine Grace Srila sectarian creed or an artificial imposition on the Prabhupada, I would have wasted my life. Human Swinging the Deity of K~l)a. Through such God centered festival s, the children come to think of God as their best friend. Starting early in spiritual life. Va i ~r)a va dasa, age 4-1 /2, came to Gurukula from Pari s, France, where his father is president of the ISKCON center. BACK TO GODHEAD 2 1 Playing for K~Qa . Srila Prabhupada has said, "They have a playful nature. let them play and run :· Nandini dasi waters the tulasi, Lord K!1r:ta's favorite plant. The Vedic sc riptures say, "If someone sows a tu/asi tree somewhere, certainly he becomes devoted to lord Kr~ Qa :• A specimen of Gurukula art. 22 BACK TO GODHEAD life is actually meant for real izing oneself as a for the Kr~~a conscious devotees who are now the spiritual soul, and realizing one's eternal relationship older members of the Kr~~a consciousness move with God as His servant. Unless one learns who he is ment have indeed broken away from all the con in relation to the Absolute Truth, whatever he does taminating activities of materialism. Kr~~a conscious is simply a waste of time. ness is so pure that a devotee soon becomes very The science of God, learned in a nonsectarian way, hopeful of complete success, no matter what his as taught by Kr~~a conscious teachers, books, and past history. But we wish we had begun earlier, and life practices, takes years to mature. Those of us who naturally we wish others to have the chance. have come to Kr~~a consciousness at a late stage, We should be glad that in America such a pure too late to become proficient in Sanskrit and with so spiritual force is present to counteract the failures of many bad habits, are still fortunate, because Kr~~a materialism. Gurukula should be encouraged, and in consciousness acts so quickly. Anyone can see this, deed every parent should consider, " Why don't we send our child there?" One who is beyond sectarian ism and who sees the ultimate good for his child as spiritual happiness will be hard-pressed to find a better school than Gurukula. 0 His Holiness Sa /svarupa dasa Cosvami. one of 1he leaders of 1he Kr~f!a consciousness movemen/, is !raveling lhro llghoul /he Uniled Stales to introduce Kr$f!J conscious literature in major schools and libraries. He frequem ly visils the Gtlrukllla school in Dallas. Benediction. Srila Prabhupada, on a visit to Gurukula, hands out sweets to the students. Gurukulas around the world. Using the successful Dallas school as a model, ISKCON is starting several other Gurukulas in America, Europe and India. Here Gargamuni Svami leads Bombay Gurukula students in chanti ng Hare K r~ ~a and da ncing. BACK TO GODHEAD 23 Gratitude for Enlightenment women have many good qualities. In some respects, My dear Srila Prabhupada, they are even superior to men. For example, women May 1 take this opportunity to thank are generally understood to be more soft you for presenting Kr~oa conscious /:5ters hearted and therefore more receptive to ness so nicely. We are the most fortu The religious and spiritual ideas. However, nate generation in history, to be present editors of Back to Godhead welcome correspondence pertaining to the Vedic literature warns that women, when the gate to Enlightenment is spiritual enlightenment. All letters will more than men, are prone to thrown open in a simple way in which be receive personal replies. and corres misguided by desires for sense all may benefit-Service and Love grati pondence of general interest will be fication. The Vedic system. therefore, of God. published regularly. prescribes that a woman should Your students are setting the stan always be protected. In her childhood dard in worship, and your lucid books her father should protect her, in her youth have become the epitome of Transcen the same type of spiritual soul is pres her husband should protect her, and in dental Philosophy in this age. ent. There are 8,400,000 species of life. her old age her grown children or So I would like to inform you that I too according to the Vedic knowledge, but another guardian should protect her. In am entering into Devotional Service by there is only one type of spiritual soul in this way she will remain pure in con participating in sankirtana. In this way al l these different bodily forms. sciousness and be eligible to partici the prediction of Lord Caitanya will be Therefore, as stated in Bhagavad-gita, pate in a society based on spiritual fulfilled and the name of Kr~oa will be pa(l(jital) sama-darsinal): "A learned principles. If women are not protected heard in every town and village. person sees all living entities equally." in this way, they will become the Everyone will agree that this move (Bg. 5.18) unfor tunate victims of unscrupulous men ment is presenting the purest form of However, in one's personal dealings who will exploit them for sense grati bhakti, and thanks to you it is daily in one must generally observe some prac fication. We can see this actually hap spiring thousands in pure love of God. tical bodily distinctions. For instance. a pening in modern society. I am taking the advice of your disci self-realized devotee may wish to mar You will find that our Kr~oa con ple Kirtanananda Svami, who so gra ry and raise a family. But unless he sciousness movement restricts the ciously answered my question "How recognizes the obvious bodily dif association between men and women. does one begin Devotional Service?" ferences between male and female, This is not because of a "By chanting the names of God:' how could he possibly do so? hatred of women. Such control is necessary for a Richard White Men and women have different society of smooth progress in spiritual Clyde, Texas physical and psychological talents and realization. The Vedas say that a man is capabilities, and one should not ar Are Men and Women Equal like butter and a woman is like fire. The tificially try to ignore or negate them. in Kr~oa Consciousness? butter must melt in the association of Rather. all these talents and fire, and therefore they must be brought To the Editor: capabilities should be engaged in together only when necessary. The 1 have just fi nished reading another Kr~oa's service. For example, women basic principle of material existence is Back to Godhead. and I enjoy the are capable of bearing children, attachment for sexual enjoyment. When publication greatly. I have thought of whereas men are not. Where, then, is a man and woman unite, the knot of entering a temple and becoming a full the question of equality? Although material attachment tightens, and thus time devotee, but there is one major there is spiritual oneness, the bodily dif one becomes tied down to home, question in my mind in regard to Kr~oa ferences exist. Therefore the principles family, society, bank balance and so on, consciousness. I feel as though woman of the Vedic civilization prescribe dif and forgets the importance of self is regarded as lesser than man within ferent duties for men and women, ac realization. Therefore, sexual enjoyment Krsna consciousness. I have heard that cording to their respective natures. By and self-realization go ill together. she.is regarded as lesser in the temple. executing these duties in Kr~oa con In India our spiritual master is some I believe that we are equal. Please tell sciousness, both men and women can times criticized because he allows both me if 1 am wrong in my assumption. become spiritually happy and men and women to participate Bill Oliver spiritually perfect. fully in the Krsna consciousness movement. Marshallberg, North Carolina Kr~oa specifically says in Bhagavad According to his critics, this violates the gitfJ. (9.32) that a woman who surren Hindu social system. But the purpose of Dear Mr. Oliver: ders to Him in Kr~oa consciousness is this movement is not to establish According to the philosophy of fully eligible to go back to Godhead. the Hindu social system. The purpose is to Bhagavad-gita. upon which Kr~oa con There are many great women devotees, give everyone the opportunity to be sciousness rests, a living being is not such as Kuntldevi, Draupadi, come perfect in self-realization and the material body, but is the spiritual Yasodamayl and many others, whose devotional service to soul within the body. The distinctions glories are described in the Vedic Kr~Qa , the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such between man and woman, however, are literatures. Similarly, some of the most devotional service is fully spiritual, and simply material; they have nothing to advanced devotees in our present therefore everyone is equally eligible to do with the spiritual soul within. A Kr~oa Kr~oa consciousness movement are participate, regardless of race, na conscious person sees no difference women, and they are all respected and tionality or any other temporary mate between the spiritual soul in the body of appreciated for their spiritual advance rial designations. a woman and that in the body of a man. ment. Yours sincerely, In fact, he sees that even within animals According to the Vedic literature, Jayadvaita dasa 2 4 BACK TO GODHEAD We'd like to send you Kr~11a For those who want beauty. transcendental glories. We'd For those who want like to give you the pleasure knowledge. of associating with K~S~A For those who want spiritual constantly, through Kr~r:t a perfection. We'd li ke to send conscious tape recordings you what you've always and BACK TO GODHEAD, wanted- K~S~A. the magazine of the Hare K~S~A is the ultimate Kr~r:ta movement. source of everything, the With a Golden Avatar reservoir of all pleasure. He tape subscription, you can is present in His pictures, in hear the message of Kr~r:ta His pastimes, in the sound of His name, in consciousness directly from a bona fide spiritual master, a pure His philosophy, and descriptions of His devotee of Kr ~ r:t a-His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhuplida. Each week, you will receive lectures, ~ ------68 interviews, classes and intimate conversations with His Divine 0 Please send me the next twelve issues of Grace, all recorded only a few days before. What's more, with a l on to BACK TO GODHEAD, you'll read thought 1 Back to Godhead magazine at the yearly rate of subscripti provoking articles written by Srila Prabhupada and his disciples, 1 $6.00 ($7.00 outside USA). by great spiritual 1 Please send me a subscription to Srila I Prabhupada's daily lectures. masters of the past, I One Golden Ava1ar c;~sselle" week for and by modern I 0 4 weeks. 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Just mail the coupon from this page, and we will put Kr~r:ta / Address ------consciousness in your mailbox at home. It's as simple as that. 1 City State Zip 1 Hare Kr~r:ta. !------I BG. Bhagavad-gita As It Is The definitive English edition of this timeless guide to spiritual perfection. $11.95 hardbound fBGh) $7.95sottbound (BGs) TLC. Teachings of Lord FREEDOM Caitanya The life and precepts of Krsna's most merciful incarnation. described in brief. $6.95 hard· IN KNOWLEDGE bound "In this world, there is nothing so sublime and pure as transcen (TLCh), dental knowledge. Such knowledge is the mature fruit of all $4.95 soft· mysticism. And one who has achieved this enjoys the self within bound himself in due course of time."-Bhagavad-gita (TLCs) When one is situated in transcendental knowledge he need not search for peace elsewhere, for he enjoys peace within him self. Cultivate this transcendental knowledge. Read the books of CC. Caitanya-caritlmrta His Divine Grace A.C. 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The body is compared to a suit of Lord Sri Kr~Qa. the Supreme Personality of Godhead. clothing, and the spiritual spark of consciousness within the body is To understand Kr~Qa, however, first we must know ourselves. For like the person wearing the clothing. Just as we change our many, the very question "Who am I?" seems absurd. "Why, of clothing, we are also changing bodies. We see that a child grows course I know who I am;· we say. All right. then. Who are you? I reply up and becomes a boy and then an old man, and finally he dies. Ac - that I am Mr. Such and Such, I am a citizen of America, I'm married tually, however, the spiritual spark of consciousness never changes. and have two kids. I tell how old I am, what my religion is, what cor- What we see changing is the body. The soul wi thin is constant. poration I work for and so on. In other words. I circle around the Thus death, which to us appears final, is actually only another point. I know many things about myself. But who am I? That I can- change. When the body becomes old and worn ou t. the soul not say. changes to a new body, and thus the cycle of birth and death BACK TO GODHEAD, therefore, begins at this point. Before we can begins again. However, by understanding oneself to be different know what is important to us or what will make us happy, first we must know who we are. BTG, therefore, is a philosophical magazine. for this is the beginning of philosophy. Indeed. it is the very beginning of human life because only human beings can in quire about their identity; animals cannot. Animals can only eat, sleep, mate and defend. In fact, many animals do these things bet ter than we do. A pigeon, for example, cannot read Playboy, but it has sexual intercourse hundreds of times a day. A pig cannot read Gourmet, but although we would not agree with the pig's choice of delicacies, it knows how to eat with gusto. To inquire about one's real identity, however, and about the purpose of life, is the special prerogative of a human being. Human life truly begins. therefore. when one asks himself, "Who am I?" Because BTG deals with this essential question, it is therefore more important than magazines concerned only with the affairs of the material body. The purpose of BACK TO GODHEAD is to train the mind so that one can understand the self. How? BTG is not a magazine of specula tive theorie s. opinions and mental concoctions. It is intended to be a magazine of knowledge, and knowledge cannot be invented, but only discovered. What is the best way to discover who we are? BACK TO GODHEAD rests on the principle that the best way is to learn from a quali fied authority. Now, this may seem stuffy or dogmatic, but actually it is simple common sense. The quickest, surest way to get knowledge even about commonplace mundane affairs-to say nothing of self realization- is to get it from someone who already knows. For ex ample, if I want to know who my father is, the easiest way is to ask my mother. I could speculate or perform some research, but the One of the ori_ginal issues of Back to Godhead quickest. most certain and most direct way-indeed. the only way published by Srila Prabhupada in India (Delhi, July 1960). to be sure-would be to ask my mother. Similarly, to know some thing about calculus or chemistry we may consult a professor, to from the body, and by understanding the Supreme Self. or Kr~Qa , know the price of goods we consult a salesman, or to know the time one can become free from the repetition of birth and death and we ask someone with a watch. In this way, we very naturally rely return to his natural home in the spiritual world. The need for such upon authorities to get knowledge. transcendental realization-and the science of how to achieve it But where shall we find a genuine authori ty on spiritual life? We is explained in BACK TO GODHEAD. accept that the most reliable authority on spiritual truth is the an The founder and original editor of BACK TO GODHEAD-and its cient literature of India, the Vedic scriptures, especially Bhagavad eternal guide as well-is His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta gita and $rimad-Bhc'igavatam. Since time immemorial, the world Swami Prabhupada, the author of Bhagavad-gfta As It Is, K($(1a, has looked toward India as a center of spiritual culture. Long before Teachings of Lord Caitanya and many other English translations the birth of Christ, Socrates or even Moses, the great yogis and and summary studies of the ancient Vedic scriptures. Srila Prabhu mystics of India were exploring the territory of inner consciousness. pada fi rst started BACK TO GODHEAD in India in 1944, and later he And even then, these explorers used the Vedas as their maps. The continued it in the West. Ved ic literatures were committed to writing only 5,000 years ago, Srila Prabhupada first came to the United States in September of when they were compiled by the great sage Vya.sa, but actuall y 1965, and by October of 1966 he and his first American students they have no beginning, for they consist of eternal transcendental had begun the International Society for Krishna Consciousness in a knowledge. BACK TO GODHEAD. therefore, contains no speculations small storefront in New York City. Then, within only a few months, Srila Prabhupada spent almost the entire treasury of the new tem lay.1dvait ,1 dJsa is the Editor of Back to Godhead ple (and a tiny treasury it was) to buy two second-hand BACK TO GODHEAD 27 1944. So during my householder life I was printing this paper and GOOH€AO distributing it almost free-some [subscribers) were paying, and some of them were not. But I was trying my best at my cost:' The old Indian BTG appeared in newspaper form, twice a month. It contained English translations and purports of verses from impor ~ tant books like Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam, and it also featured in cisive articles dealing with current scientific, political and economic news in a Kr~Qa conscious way. Now, in the West, BTG continues to present articles taken from Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam, as well as news of the Kr~Qa consciousness movement and spiritual perspectives on current affairs . BTG has gradually grown in popularity, and it is being recognized as a unique journal of spiritual enlightenment. There is no room in BACK TO GODHEAD for mundane subjects. So many magazines deal with politics, economics, sports, electronics. fiction, sex. movies, cars and so on, but because they have no rela tionship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they simply A copy of the first issue of Back to Godhead published in the create a polluted atmosphere. Although they may be expertly writ· United States (New York City, October 1966). ten in language decorated with similes and metaphors, Srimad Bhagavatam condemns them as being no better than refuse, suita mimeograph machines. His spiritual master had always stressed ble only for men who are no better than crows. the importance of Kr~Qa conscious literature, and therefore within a short time the first American issue of BACK TO GODHEAD appeared. na yad vacas citra-padarh harer yaso It was a crudely mimeographed affair, hand-stapled by the devo jagat-pavitrarh prag{f)ita karhicit tees, but it conveyed the transcendental message of Kr~Qa con tad vayasarh tirtham usanti manasa sciousness. "Godhead is light," it announced. "Nescience is dark· na yatra harhsa niramanty usikk$ayal) ness. Where there is Godhead there is no nescience." "Those words which do not describe the glories of the Lord, who From its very start, the only purpose of BACK TO GODHEAD was to alone can sanctify the atmosphere of the whole universe, are con present k($f)a-katha, topics concerning Kr~Qa, the Supreme Per sidered by saintly persons to be like unto a place of pilgrimage for sonality of Godhead. "Blessings of Kr~Qa!" began an introduction crows. Since the all-perfect persons are inhabitants of the tran from the editors in the first issue. "BACK TO GODHEAD is a bi-monthly scendental abode, they do not derive any pleasure there:· (Srimad publication [now it is monthly) issued by the International Society Bhagavatam, 1.5.10) for Krishna Consciousness. This publication is principally con BACK TO GODHEAD. therefore, deals only with topics of spiritual cerned with promulgating through the medium of essays, poems value. Anything unrelated to Kf$Qa and the service of Kr~Qa is and articles the truths expounded by Lord Sri in the Kr~Qa rejected. Bhagavad-gita." The article then went on to explain that Kr~Qa is The purpose of BACK TO GODHEAD is to create a revolution-not the same Supreme Lord who is worshiped by different people a mundane political revolution, but a revolution in consciousness, a throughout the world by different names, for God is one and one revolution based upon the spiritual pleasure of understanding our only. relationship with Lord Kr~Qa and using everything in His service. After the introduction came the text of a lecture by Srila Prabhu· pacta. "Everything we have should be used for Kr~Qa," he said. "We tad-vag-visargo janatagha-viplavo should use our tongue to speak of Kr~Qa and to eat food properly yasmin prati-5/okam abaddhavaty api prepared and offered to Kf~Qa . We should use our eyes to look at namany anantasya yaso 'nkitani yat pictures of Kf~Qa, and our ears to hear a master speak of Kr~Qa. We S(f)Vanti gayanti g(f)anti sadhaval) should use our feet to walk to K[$Qa's temple, and our hands to hold the broom that sweeps the temple floor. We can use our nose to "That literature which is full of descriptions of the transcendental smell flowers offered to Kf$Qa. We can use our genitals to produce glories of the name, fame, forms and pastimes of the unlimited children whom we will raise in K[$Qa consciousness. Even if we Supreme Lord is a different creation, full of transcendental words cannot follow these suggestions, we can always chant, 'Hare directed toward bringing about a revolution in the impious lives of Kf~Qa, Hare Rama.' We must divert the mind from its material this world's misdirected civilization. Such transcendental engagements and put it into Kr~Qa consciousness. It is not recom literatures, even though imperfectly composed, are heard, sung and mended to meditate on formless void. The mind should be focused accepted by purified men who are thoroughly honest." on Krsna:· (Bhag. 1.5.11) wiih Srila Prabhupada's constant encouragement, the devotees Despite materialistic advancement, we have failed to create a managed to put together a new BTG more or less monthly. The world society of peace, amity and satisfaction only because we humble little magazine gradually grew more refined. Soon it was have neglectec the primary importance of a spiritual atmosphere of being printed by offset. and when a young arl student became one Kg;Qa consciousness. The living being is a spiritual soul, and of Srlla Prabhupada's first disciples, simple illustrations began to therefore material advancement alone cannot make him happy. But grace its pages. in the pure atmosphere that can be created by k($f)a-katha, topics His Divine Grace has often called BTG "the backbone of the related to Kr~Qa, the good qualities of humanity will certainly Kr~Qa consciousness movement:' He described its importance in a flourish. letter to his disciples in June of 1968. "I have entrusted BACK TO Whatever the leaders of society do, common people follow. GODHEAD into your hands:· he wrote, "because this paper is the Therefore, since America and the other highly developed Western beginning of my spiritual life. During the time of my guru maha nations are now leading the world in material advancement. we are raja's [spiritual master's) passing away, his last instruction to me hopeful that the honest and pure-hearted intelligentsia of these na was, 'You try to preach whatever you have learned from me in tions will recognize the need for the proper spiritual balance and English. That will do good to you and the people who hear you.' This will therefore attune their minds to spiritual realization by reading instruction was given to me in 1936, and I started this paper in BACK TO GODHEAD regularly. 0 28 BACK TO GODHEAD 'the face is the inde~ of the mind. Meet the bright faces of the Hare Kr~r:ta Movement. By the practice of bhakti-yoga one's mind is Experience the nectar of Kr~Da consciousness. The completely freed from material mental activities. disciples ofSrlla Prabhupada invite you to visit any of In that joyous state, one is situated in boundless the Sri SrT Radha-Kr~!Ja Temples around the world. transcendental happiness and enjoys himself through They are listed on page 2 of this magazine. transcendental senses. "When I read the Bhagavad-gita, I ask myself how God created the universe. Everything else appears to be supertluo~:' -Albert Einstein Bhagavad..gita As ltls The definitive edition of the world's oldest book on the science of knowing oneself. Published by the Macmillan Company. I ,000 pages, 68 full-color ill ustrations. Hardbound: $1 1.95, Softbound: $7.95 To order your copy of Bhagavad-gitii As It Is see page 25 of this magazine or pick up one at your nearest bookstore.