April/May/June 2008 Welcome Dear Readers, Inside… In this issue, we focus on mind, mantra and gunas. Mind is our constant companion. And, whether we like it or not, it gives us The trouble and drains our energy! Gunas Mantra meditation (Japa and kirtana forms) is an increasingly popular ho- & Human listic therapy for mental illness and spiritual upliftment. Does it matter Behaviour what mantra one chants? In “Prescription for This Age of Dis- tress”, Srila Prabhupada explains the unique spiritual potency of the Hare 05 Krishna Maha-mantra and how to re- ceive it for best efficacy. Today, there is a growing concern about individual and collective psy- chological well-being. In “The Gunas and Human Behavior”, Vasudev das lucidly explains how the three gunas, sattva, rajas and tamas influence our consciousness and psychology in pro- found ways, providing insights into 07 subtle origins of human behavior and 09 how we may cultivate our own. Depression on Mental well-being is on the decline. In Tirupati “Depression on College Cam- College Campuses puses”, Swetha Ganeshan highlights a very disturbing trend: rapid increase in depression and other varieties of mental illness in today’s10 youth, and what can we do about it. 03 Srila Prabhupada Speaks Out There is no better way to nourish our body, mind and spirit than to create 04 Inquiries into the Absolute and be in an environment of pure, spiritual consciousness. Join us on a 03 tour to the sacred abode of Tirupati, located in the beautiful hills of South 04 Editor’s Jottings India, and experience upliftment! Hare Krishna. 06 Pearls of Wisdom - Aravind, Editor 04 04 Team 11 Lessons from the Gita Advisor : His Holiness Romapada Swami 12 Veggie Corner (www.romapadaswami.com) 06 11 Editor-in-chief : 13 Newsmakers Aravind Mohanram Editorial Assistant : Cover Page: Chanting and meditation on the transcendental sound of Krishna's Names liberates one from the miseries of the mind Jayant Palkar (and its gunas), and awakens pure, spiritual consciousness. 12 Artwork courtesy of The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc. www.krishna.com. Design & Layout : 13 Used with permission. Smitha Murthy & Priya Aravind www.quintmag.com Contact Us : [email protected] Srila Prabhupada Speaks Out Prescription for This Age of Distress Excerpts from a conversation with the Beatles (John Lennon, Yoko Ono, and George Harrison) that took place on Sept 14, 1969 in London Yoko Ono: If Hare Kåñëa is such a strong, for real or not? powerful mantra, is there any reason to chant anything else? For instance, you talked about Srila Prabhupada: It is not that you can go to songs and different mantras. Is there any point just any spiritual master. He must be a member in the chanting of another song or mantra? of a recognized sampradaya, a particular line of disciplic succession. Srila Prabhupada: There are other mantras, but the Hare Kåñëa mantra is especially recom- John Lennon: But what if one of these masters mended for this age. But other Vedic mantras who's not in the line says exactly the same are also chanted. But the chanting of the Hare thing as one who is? What if he says his mantra Kåñëa mantra is especially recommended for is coming from the Vedas and he seems to speak with as much authority as you? He could this age. This is stated in many Vedic litera- probably be right. It's confusing like having too tures…And, apart from the statements of the many fruits on a plate. Vedic literature, Lord Himself, in the form Kåñëa of Lord Caitanya, preached that everyone Srila Prabhupada: If the mantra is actually should chant the Hare Kåñëa mantra. coming through a bona fide disciplic succession, then it will have potency. “And, apart from the John Lennon: If all mantras are just the name statements of the Vedic literature, of God, then whether it's a secret mantra or an John Lennon: But the Hare Kåñëa mantra is open mantra it's all the name of God. So it the best one? Lord Kåñëa Himself, doesn't really make much difference, does it, in the form of Lord which one you sing? Srila Prabhupada: Yes. Caitanya, preached that everyone Srila Prabhupada: It does make a difference. Yoko Ono: Well, if Hare Kåñëa is the best one, should chant the For instance, in a drug shop they sell all types why should we bother to say anything else Hare Kåñëa mantra.” of medicines for curing different diseases. But still you have to get a doctor's prescription in other than Hare Kåñëa? order to get a particular type of medicine. Srila Prabhupada: It's true. You don't have to Similarly, in this age of Kali the Hare Kåñëa bother with anything else. We say that the Hare Kåñëa mantra is sufficient for one's perfection, mantra is prescribed in the çästras, or scrip- for liberation. tures…So, our consciousness philosophi- Kåñëa cal method is to follow the great personalities, George Harrison: Isn't it like flowers? Some- such as Lord Kåñëa, Lord Caitanya, and the body may prefer roses, and somebody may like great spiritual masters in disciplic succession… carnations better. Isn't it really a matter for the The Vedic injunction is sampradäya-vihinä ye individual devotee to decide? Isn't it just a mat- manträs te niñphalä matäù. If your mantra ter of taste, like choosing a flower? does not come through the disciplic succession, it will not be effective. A mantra cannot be Srila Prabhupada: But still there is a distinc- manufactured. tion. A fragrant rose is considered better than a flower without any scent…You may be attracted by one flower, and I may be attracted by an- Yoko Ono: If the mantra itself has such power, “You don't have to other flower. But among the flowers a distinc- does it matter where you receive it, where you bother with anything tion can be made. There are many flowers that take it? else. We say that the have no fragrance and many that have fra- Hare Kåñëa mantra is Srila Prabhupada: Yes, it does matter. For grance. sufficient for one's instance, milk is nutritious. That's a fact; every- perfection, for one knows. But if milk is touched by the lips of Yoko Ono: Is that flower that has fragrance liberation.” a serpent, it is no longer nutritious. It becomes better? poisonous. Srila Prabhupada: Yes. Therefore, your attrac- John Lennon: How would you know, anyway? tion for a particular flower is not the solution to How are you able to tell? I mean, for any of the question of which is actually better. In the your disciples or us or anybody else who goes same way, personal attraction is not the solu- to any spiritual master how are we to tell if he's tion to choosing the best spiritual process. Quintessence 3 Inquiries into the Absolute Answer by His Holiness Romapada Swami His Holiness Romapada Swami is a disciple of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. A Vaishnava monk for 35 years, His Holiness is a leader, scholar and an initiating spiritual master in the International society for Krishna consciousness. (www.romapadaswami.com) Part 1: What is the correlation between desires and Part 2: Also, do we have control over our desires thoughts? How are one's desires manifest into and thoughts? thoughts? We can have control over desires and thoughts, however it Thinking, feeling, and then willing are the sequential steps is also possible that our desires control us! Krishna ex- that lead connect thoughts to desires, and these are mani- plains that intelligence is superior to the mind, intelligence fested as activities of the mind. In its pure state, thinking, is superior to the mind, and the soul is even higher. One feeling and willing are all centered on Krishna and His ser- can thus steady the mind's functions with the help of spiri- vice. In the conditioned state, the mind is almost always tually strengthened intelligence. (See BG 3.42-43) The thinking about objects of the senses. The conditioned mind whole yoga process - whether it is bhakti-yoga, dhyana- is described as having a binary function - accepting and yoga or jnana-yoga - is aimed at controlling the mind. rejecting. Based on our likes and dislikes, we are always Throughout the Gita, Krishna often addresses this: Bg accepting some thoughts related to corresponding sense 2.58-64, 70, 6.5-6, 6.24-26, 8.6-8, 17.16 to name a few. objects which we consider desirable and rejecting others as undesirable. With practice, the mind can be trained to think only of beneficial thoughts and even better, Krishna-centered Bhagavad-Gita (2.62-63) describes that by contemplating thoughts. The sublime and most effective process recom- sense objects, attachment and desires develop; when the mended in this age for training the mind is chanting of the willful attempts to fulfill those desires are hampered, it fur- maha-mantra: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna ther leads to anger, bewilderment of memory, loss of intel- Krishna Hare Hare / Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama ligence etc. In turn, our thoughts reflect a composite of our Rama Hare Hare. Similarly by developing, in good asso- most prominent desires and activities. The mind is the root ciation, attachment for Krishna and things related to Him cause of all of these phenomena. effects detachment from lower desires. You are welcome to send in your questions to HH Romapada Swami at iskcondc @gmail.com with the word "Question" included in the subject line.