Madhu Pandit - Krishna voice 2009 06(jun)

June 2009Vol 10, No. 6

Rs.15

ISKCON’S SRI SRI KRISHNA BALARAMA RATHA YATRA IN JAYANAGARMay 23, 2009

Chief Guest Sri Ananth Kumar(H’ble MP, Lok Sabha, Bangalore

South) delivers the inaugural speech

At the inaugural ceremony, Guest of Honour Sri Vijay Kumar (MLAJayanagar) and Sri R Ashok (H’ble Minister for Transport, Govt of

Karnataka) with Sri Madhu Pandit Dasa (President, ISKCON Bangalore)and other senior ISKCON devotees.

The ratha is drawn through the streets ofJayanagar by eager devotees who cameout in throngs to see Their Lordships andoffer their prayers and devotion.

Krishna Voice, June 2009 3

His Divine Grace A. C. BhaktivedantaSwami Prabhupada, Founder-Acharya of the International Societyfor Krishna Consciousness, came toAmerica in 1965, at age 69, to fulfillhis spiritual master’s request that heteach the science of Krishnaconsciousness throughout the English-speaking world. In a dozen years hepublished some seventy volumes oftranslation and commentary on India’sVedic literature, and these are nowstandard in universities worldwide.Meanwhile, travelling almost nonstop,Srila Prabhupada moulded hisinternational society into a world wideconfederation of ashramas, schools,temples and farm communities. Hepassed away in 1977, in Vrindavana,the place most sacred to Lord Krishna.His disciples and followers are carryingforward the movement he started.

June 2009Vol 10, No.6

CONTENTS

The Soul’s Fall 4

Srila Prabhupada Speaks Out 8

When Science Points to Spirituality 10

Defining the Divine, East and West 12

Cover pages-4 Text pages-20

Published and owned by Sankirtana Seva Trust,editing by Chamari Devi Dasi.Layout, design and graphics by ISKCON DesignGroup, Bangalore.For all information contact: Editor, KrishnaVoice, SST, Hare Krishna Hill, Chord Road,Bangalore - 560 010 INDIA Phone: 91-80-23471956, 91-80-2357 8346 Fax: 91-80-2357 8625.© 2009 Sankirtana Seva Trust, Bangalore. AllKrishna art and the works of Srila Prabhupadaare © BBT International.All rights reserved throughout the world.Reproduction in any manner is strictlyprohibited.Printed for ISKCON, Bangalore, at ManipalPrinters (P) Ltd., Manipal.

Please chant...

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare HareHare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

...and be happy!


The Soul's FallResponding to our desire, Krishna gives us a chance to forget Him.

A lecture given in Tokyo, on April 20, 1972by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Founder-Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousnesssri-suka uvaca

atma-mayam rte rajan parasyanubhavatmanahna ghatetartha-sambandhah svapna-drastur ivanjasa

Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said: O king, unless one is influenced by the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead,there is no meaning to the relationship of the pure soul in pure consciousness with the material body. Thatrelationship is just like a dreamer's seeing his own body working.

—Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.9.1Many people inquire, "How did the living entity, who was with Krishna, fall into the material world?" That questionis answered here. The living entity's condition is simply the influence of the material energy; actually he has notfallen. An example is given: The moon appears to be moving when clouds pass in front of it. Actually, the moonis not moving. Similarly, the living entity, because he is a spiritual spark of the Supreme, has not fallen. But he isthinking, "I am fallen. I am material. I am this body."The body has no connection with the soul. We can experience this. The body is changing, dying, but I am thesame. The idea that we have a connection with the body is due to the handling of the illusory energy of Krishna.That illusory energy develops when we forget Krishna.In other words, our illusory identification with the body is simply due to our forgetfulness. We wanted to forget;we wanted to give up Krishna and enjoy the material world. Therefore Krishna is giving us the chance. For example,when you play a part in a drama, if you feel, "I am king," then you can talk very nicely. And if you feel, "I amKarandhara*," then you cannot play a king so nicely. The feelings must be there. If you are playing the part of aking, you must believe you are the king and have his courage. You have to forget that you are Karandhara. Thenyou can play the part very nicely, and the audience will appreciate. But if you think simultaneously, "I am Karandhara,and I am playing the part of the king," then you cannot play.So because we wanted to play the part of Krishna, the enjoyer, Krishna is giving us the chance—"You feel likeMe." The feeling that "I am master, I am king, I am Krishna, I am God" is created by Krishna: "All right. You wantto play the part of a king. I shall train you in such a way."The director of a play tries to create the feelings within you for the part you are playing. In my younger age I playedin a drama about Lord Chaitanya. Our director, Amritlal Bose, repeatedly said, especially to me, "Feel like that."So when we performed under his direction, all the people in the audience were crying. The play was artificial, butthe effect on the audience was so nice.Similarly, we have nothing to do with the material world, but we have been trained by the illusory energy in sucha way that we think, "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am a brahmana," "I am a shudra," "I am this," "I am that,""I have to do this," "I have so many duties." These are all illusions. We have nothing to do with all this nonsense,but still we are taking it very seriously: "I have to do like that. I am this. I am that."That is explained here. Atmamayam rte rajan parasyanubhavat-manah: "Unless one is influenced by the energyof the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there is no meaning to the relationship of the pure soul in pure consciousnesswith the material body."The example is given of a man dreaming. "Oh, there is a tiger, a tiger! Save me!" He is crying. An awake manobserving may say, "Where is the tiger? Why are you crying?" But the dreaming man is actually feeling, "The tigerhas attacked me."Therefore this example is given: na ghatetartha-sambandhah. There cannot be any meaning of the relationshipof the soul and the body except that it is like a dreaming man creating a situation. He is dreaming there is a tiger,and he is creating a fearful situation. Actually there is no cause of fear. There is no tiger. The situation is createdby a dream.Similarly, we have created the material world and material activity. People are running around—"Oh, I am the*A disciple in the audience.

Krishna Voice, June 20096

manager. I am the factory owner. I am this, I am that. We know his politics. We have to defeat our competitors."All these things are created just as a man creates a situation in a dream—svapna-drastur ivanjasa.So when someone asks, "When did we come into contact with the material nature?" the answer is that we havenot come into contact. By the influence of the external energy we think we are in contact. Actually we are not fallen.We cannot be fallen. We have simply created a situation. Rather, we have not created a situation; Krishna hasgiven us a situation. Because we wanted to imitate Krishna, Krishna has given an opportunity: "All right. You wantto imitate. You want to be an imitation king on the stage. So feel like this. Play like this. Do like this. People willapplaud—'Oh, a very nice king.' "Everyone in the material world is playing some part. "I want to be prime minister." "I want to become a very bigbusiness magnate." "I want to be a leader." "I want to be a philosopher." "I want to be a scientist." They are tryingto play all these nonsense parts, and Krishna is giving the opportunity—"All right."But these things are all nonsense. Simply dreaming. When you dream, the next moment the dream is gone, andeverything in the dream is finished. No more tiger, no more jungle. Similarly, as long as the body continues, I think,"I am a responsible leader. I am this. I am that." But as soon as the body is finished, these ideas are gone.Krishna says, mrtyu sarva-haras caham: "I am death. I take everything away." Just think of our past life. SupposeI was a king or something like that. From Bhrgu-samhita it was ascertained that I was a big physician in my lastlife, with a spotless character, no sins. I don't know. It may be. But I have no remembrance that I was a physician.So what do we know? I might have been a very big influential physician, with a good practice, but where is it allnow? All gone.So our contact with matter is just like a dream. We are not fallen. Therefore, at any moment we can revive ourKrishna consciousness. We become liberated as soon as we understand, "I have nothing to do with matter. I amsimply Krishna's eternal servant." Sometimes when a fearful dream becomes intolerable, we break the dream.Similarly, we can break the material connection at any moment as soon as we come to the point of Krishnaconsciousness. "Oh, Krishna is my eternal master. I am His servant." That's all. That is the way.Actually we are not fallen. We cannot be fallen. The same example: Actually there is no tiger; it is dreaming.Similarly, our fallen condition is also dreaming. We are not fallen. We can simply give up that illusory condition atany moment.So if you study all these verses very nicely, you will get all this knowledge quickly. Now what is the purport?[A disciple reads:] "Maharaja Parikshit's question as to how a living entity began his material life, although heis apart from the material body and mind, is perfectly answered. The spirit soul is distinct from the materialconception of his life, but he is absorbed in such a material conception because of being influenced by the externalenergy of the Lord, called atma-maya. This has been already explained in the First Canto in connection withVyasadeva's realization of the Supreme Lord and His external energy. The external energy is controlled by theLord and the living entities are controlled by the external energy."Prabhupada: Krishna says, mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te: "As soon as one surrenders untoMe, he has no more illusion." People are conditioned, encaged. Mayavadis, or impersonalists, undergo austeritiesand penances just to become liberated. Yogis also try to become "one." So many endeavors are going on. Butthe simple process is that as soon as you surrender you are not fallen. "It was illusion. I was dreaming. I amKrishna's." By thinking in this way, one immediately becomes liberated. Immediately. Within a second.Liberation can be attained within a second, provided we abide by the order of Krishna. Sarva-dharman parityajyamam ekam saranam vraja. This is the position. We are not fallen. We are thinking we are fallen. So we have togive up this nonsense thinking. Then we are liberated.Is there any difficulty in understanding this point? Just see how important this verse is. It is already there, but youare not reading. Read each verse; read every day carefully. Try to assimilate, understand, and you will get moreprofit—every day a hundred yards forward. They are such important verses. How nicely composed by Vyasadeva!In two lines the whole thing is explained. This is called shastra.Read the purport.[The disciple reads:] "The external energy is controlled by the Lord, and the living entities are controlled by theexternal energy—by the will of the Lord. Therefore, although the living entity is purely conscious in his pure state,he is subordinate to the will of the Lord in being influenced by the external energy of the Lord. In the Bhagavad-gita (15.15) also the same thing is confirmed; the Lord is present within the heart of every living entity, and all theliving entity's consciousness and forgetfulness are influenced by the Lord."Prabhupada: Now, people may ask, "Why does Krishna within the heart give one type of consciousness to one


and a different type of consciousness to another?" That is His kindness. I wanted to forget Krishna, so Krishna isgiving the appropriate consciousness: "All right, you can forget Me in this way."The karmis, or ordinary materialists, the Mayavadis, and the so-called yogis wanted to forget Krishna. So Krishnais giving them intelligence: "All right. You forget Me like this." And if you want to revive your relationship withKrishna, He will give you intelligence. Dadami buddhi-yogam tam yena mam upayanti te: "I shall give you intelligenceto come to Me." Ye yatha mam prapadyante. As you want, Krishna gives you facility.Go on reading.[Disciple reads:] "Now the next question automatically made will be why the Lord influences the living entity tosuch consciousness and forgetfulness. The answer is that the Lord clearly wishes that every living entity be inhis pure consciousness as the part and parcel of the Lord and thus be engaged in the loving service of the Lordas he is constitutionally made; but because the living entity is partially independent also, he may not be willing toserve the Lord, but may try to become as independent as the Lord is. All the nondevotee living entities are desirousof becoming equally as powerful as the Lord, although they are not f i t to become so."Prabhupada: The living entity will never be God, but we see that by the influence of the illusory energy manypeople think, "I am God," or "I shall become God by pressing my nose like this." This is going on. But they willnever be able to become God. That is not possible. If everyone can become God, then there is no meaning ofGod.Karmis say, "I shall become a millionaire. I shall become a trillionaire. I shall become head of state. I shall becomeprime minister." They struggle to attain these things.And for yogis to think, "I shall become God" is simply another struggle. It is illusion. Krishna may give them someyogic success. In India there is a rascal who makes gold appear. And people are after him—"Oh, he is God, heis God." By producing a little gold, he becomes God.Another yogi makes two rasagullas [sweets] appear. So by producing two rasagullas, four cents' worth, he becomesGod. You see? This is illusion. I can purchase two rasagullas from the market for four cents, so he has becomeGod for four cents. People think, "Oh, he is God. He can produce rasagullas." They have no sense. I can producerasagullas in our kitchen. But rascals think, "Oh, this yogi is wonderful."So Krishna gives a person some power of yogic siddhi, or perfection, and the person thinks, "I have become God."And some flatterers think, "Oh, you are God." Such yogis are in the same dream as the karmis. And as soon asdeath comes, everything is finished—your Godhood and everything, finished. Now comes doghood. And anotherdream: "I am dog." First of all "I am God," then "I am dog." This is going on.Therefore Bhaktivinoda Thakura has said, (miche) mayar bose, jaccho bhese: "Why are you being washed awayby the waves of maya? Just stand up." (Jiv) Krishna-das, ei biswas, korle to ar duhkho nai. "Simply stay fixed onthis point: 'I am an eternal servant of Krishna.' Then there is no more dream." And if you allow yourself to bewashed away, Krishna gives you facility: "All right, come on. Be washed away."Then?[Disciple reads:] "The living entities are illusioned by the will of the Lord because they wanted to become likeHim. Like a person who thinks of becoming a king without possessing the necessary qualifications, similarly, whenthe living entity desires to become the Lord Himself, he is put in a condition of dreaming that he is a king. Thereforethe first sinful will of the living entity is to become the Lord, and the consequent will of the Lord is that the livingentity forget his actual life and thus dream of the land of utopia where he may become one like the Lord. The childcries to have the moon from the mother, and the mother gives the child a mirror to satisfy the crying and disturbingchild with the reflection of the moon. Similarly the crying child of the Lord is given over to the reflection, the materialworld, to lord it over as a karmi and to give this up in frustration to become one with the Lord. Both these stagesare dreaming illusions only. There is no necessity of tracing out the history of when the living entity desired this.But the fact is that as soon as he desired it, he was put under the control of atma-maya by the direction of theLord. Therefore the living entity in his material condition is dreaming falsely that this is 'mine' and this is 'I.' Thedream is that the conditioned soul thinks of his material body as 'I' or falsely thinks that he is the lord and thateverything in connection with that material body is 'mine.' Thus only in dream does the misconception of 'I andmine' persist life after life. This continues life after life, as long as the living entity is not purely conscious of hisidentity as the subordinate part and parcel of the Lord."In his pure consciousness, however, there is no such misconceived dream, and in that pure conscious state theliving entity does not forget that he is never the Lord, but he is eternally the servitor of the Lord in transcendentallove."Prabhupada: Thank you very much.

SRILA PRABHUPADA SPEAKS OUTSince When Have You Westerners

Accepted the Teachings of Christ?This exchange between His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and Carol Cameron, then a

master's candidate in anthropology, took place in Perth, Australia, on May 9, 1975.

accepted Christianity? What is your answer?

Carol: Right. It's true that the actual, original teachingsof the scriptures aren't enacted in Western life.

Srila Prabhupada: Just consider. The TenCommandments and then Lord Jesus Christ and hisdisciples had to tell these people, "Thou shall not kill."So, first of all, what kind of men were they—that LordChrist had to request them not to kill? That means theywere killers.

Suppose somebody's a thief and I give him some goodinstruction. I say, "You should not commit theft." Of

course, that instruction means, "As of now, youare a thief." Otherwise, why should I say,

"Thou shall not commit theft"?

A naughty child is disturbing everyone.So I am forced to say, "My dear child,please don't disturb everyone." Similarly,when Christ said, "Thou shall not kill,"that means he was speaking amongstpeople who were in the habit of killing.

Is it not?

Carol: Hmm.

Srila Prabhupada: Now, after takinginstruction from Christ, first of all they killed

Disciple: Srila Prabhupada, this is Carol Cameron, fromthe University of West Australia. For her master's degreein anthropology, she's writing a paper about the influenceof the Vedic culture on the West. So she would like toask you some questions.

Carol: Your Divine Grace, I would like to know why youinitially came to the West. I know a bit about yourbackground, but not very much. So I'd like to know whyyou saw the need to come to the West.

Srila Prabhupada: Yes. Not long ago I was speakingabout that. Of course, I spoke in very strong words.What I said was, "Western people are claimingto be very civilized—but I have got anobjection. That is why I have come tothe West."

For example, the animal killing. TheWestern people most ly ca l lthemselves Christians. Now, LordJesus Christ said, "Thou shall notkill." But the result, after the passageof two thousand years, is that thepeople of the Western countries arestill killing. So during all theseyears, when have they actually

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Christ. They let him be put to death. That means theycould not understand the instruction. Therefore, theirfirst business was to kill the instructor. And followingthat, two thousand years have passed—and still theyare killing. So, since when have they accepted theteachings of Lord Christ? Can you answer this?

Carol: So you think the Christian faith hasn't beenreflected in the behavior of Western people?

Srila Prabhupada: This is obvious. You are maintaininghuge slaughterhouses—regular killing. So although youtook instruction from Christ—"Thou shall not kill"—youfirst of all killed him, and still you are maintaining thiskilling business. You are killing the animals, and everynow and then you are declaring wars amongstyourselves.

So the killing business is going on regularly. Not just inbig wars but also in your regular daily life. You aremaintaining big, big slaughterhouses. So, again, sincewhen have you Westerners actually accepted theinstructions of Christ? That I want to know. What is thatdate?

Carol: Your Divine Grace, do you see any hope for theworld? We seem to be moving towards destruction.

Srila Prabhupada: First, you just explain.

Disciple: Srila Prabhupada is asking you, When didthis civilization actually accept the teachings of Christ?

Carol: When have they? Overall, never at all. Only insmall pockets. Overall, never.

Srila Prabhupada: Then why are you claiming that youare Christian? For instance, you are wearing a crucifix.You Westerners often keep or wear a crucifix, yet thatsign actually means that you killed Christ. The crucifixis the symbol that you so-called followers of Christ killedChrist. Many, many people in the priestly order carrythe crucifix. The crucifix is the sign that Lord JesusChrist was killed. Is it not?

Carol: It is, but that symbol is also used to signify histriumph, or resurrection.

Srila Prabhupada: [Warily:] Maybe. [Laughter.] Butmainly, that symbol shows how you killed Lord JesusChrist. That is the sign. That reminds you that you killedyour spiritual master. You accuse the Jewish people—"They killed him"—but you also killed him, and you arestill killing. Although, of course, you like to call yourselvesChristian. Therefore, I want to know—you are a learnedscholar—since when did you start abiding by the orderof Lord Jesus Christ? That is my question. Since when?

Carol: When did I?

Srila Prabhupada: Every one of you—throughout theWestern countries. And if you claim you have actuallyabided by the order of Jesus Christ, then why are you

systematically killing? The order is, "Thou shall not kill."

Carol: This matter reminds me of the Gita, you know?—where Arjuna is on the battlefield, about to commit anorganized sort of killing against his relatives.

Srila Prabhupada: No. Arjuna's relatives were on thebattlefield, attacking. The cows, pigs, and chickens arenot on the battlefield, attacking. You cannot compareArjuna's killing to your killing.

Two thousand years have passed, but to date you havenot been able to accept the instruction of Lord JesusChrist. And you are all claiming that you are Christian.But since when did you accept Christianity? That is myquestion. Because as far as I can see, you havedisobeyed the order of Christ. So now that two thousandyears have passed, when did you accept? Hmm? Whowill answer this question?

Disciple: Never.

Srila Prabhupada: Hmm?

Disciple: They never accepted.

Carol: Hmm. Your Divine Grace, what is the main partof your philosophy? Is it based on the Vedanta?

Srila Prabhupada: This is no question of philosophy.You Westerners could not accept Jesus' simpleinstruction. Where is the question of philosophy?

Carol: I think it is a question of love.

Srila Prabhupada: Yes. You Westerners have no love.You cannot understand the basic principle of life andmorality, Jesus Christ's instruction that "Thou shall notkill." So how can you become a philosopher?

Carol: How is the question of love to be understood?Between people, or through some sort of innercommunication with a higher self?

Disciple: Srila Prabhupada is saying that until weWesterners accept Christ's simplest, most basicinstruction about showing love to all God's creatures,we cannot talk about philosophy. Nor can we talk aboutlove.

Srila Prabhupada: You Westerners have no love,because you are accustomed to kill. Philosophy beginswhen you know that everyone is part and parcel of Godand everyone should be given full facility to live, withoutdanger of being injured or killed for anyone else'spersonal benefit. Panditah sama-darsinah: A pandita,a true philosopher or learned scholar, sees every livingbeing equally—as a spirit soul, part and parcel of God.So fools and rascals cannot become philosophers.Those who are learned scholars—thoughtful—they canbecome philosophers. But if one has no knowledge howto behave toward other living entities, what is the meaningof his becoming a "philosopher"?



Imagine a farmer who gets a Mercedes Benz as a gift.The only vehicle he has ever seen is a tractor, and theonly purpose he knows for any vehicle is plowing. Sohe hitches a yoke to his new Mercedes and startsdriving it over his field. Of course, not only does hisattempt at plowing fail; his new car malfunctions. Hebecomes totally frustrated—with himself, his car, andhis field.Ridiculous, we might say, that somebody would use aMercedes to plow. But could this be the story of ourlife? The Vedic scriptures—and the scriptures of all thegreat religions of the world—say that human life ismeant for achieving, not material enjoyment, but spiritualfulfillment. The Vedic scriptures further explain that thehuman body is a precious vehicle that the soul getsafter transmigrating through 8.4 million species. In allsubhuman bodies, the soul has access only to materialpleasure, through fulfilling the bodily demands of eating,sleeping, mating, and defending. All material pleasureis troublesome to acquire. Even when acquired, it isunsatisfying because of the body’s limited capacity toenjoy. And even this paltry pleasure is inevitably curtailedby disease and old age, and terminated by death.Only in the human body is the soul’s consciousnessevolved enough to access a superior source ofpleasure—love of God. The Vedic scriptures explainthat love of God enables the soul to attain eternalhappiness in the spiritual world, his original home.Achieving this love of God is the specific and exclusivepurpose for which the soul should use the human body.We can compare the subhuman bodies, which offerflickering bodily pleasures, to tractors meant for plowinga field. And we can compare the human body, whichcan offer the soul everlasting happiness, to a poshMercedes meant for a smooth ride. Using the humanbody for sensual pleasures is not much different fromusing a car for plowing.Because we see almost everyone around us pursuingmaterial goals—sex, wealth, luxuries, prestige, power,fame—we assume such pursuits to be the naturalpurpose of life. But, as the saying goes, “Do not thinkyou’re on the right road just because it’s well-worn.”Let the Facts SpeakWhen we use a Mercedes to plow, three things result:a spoiled field, a wrecked car, and a frustrated driver.Analogously, let’s see what science has discoveredabout using the human body only for sensual pleasure.Specifically, what happens to the environment (thefield), the human body (the car), and ourselves (thedriver)?The environment: Biologist E. O. Wilson, among manyother scient ists, has studied the complex

interdependence among various species in thebiosphere. He found that every species makes somecontribution to the ecology of the planet. For example,if vegetation decreases, herbivores suffer, thencarnivores. But he found that one species doesn’tcontribute to the ecology—the human species. If thehuman species became extinct, there would hardly beany problems for any other species or for the ecology.In fact, human extinction would solve most ecologicalproblems. The human species is arguably the mostintelligent species on the planet. Normally the moreintelligent the student, the more positive his contribution.Then why is it that, among all species, our humancontribution to the ecology is not the most positive, butthe most negative? Can it be that our contribution ismeant to be at a level higher than the physical?The human body: How do activities many considerenjoyable affect the human body? Smoking causeslung disease, drinking leads to liver diseases, eatingnon-vegetarian and junk food ruins digestion, and illicitsex—that perpetually over-hyped carnal pleasure—brings AIDS, an epidemic for which there is no aid.Modern society, education, and media indoctrinate usinto believing that material enjoyment is the goal of life.But this “enjoyment” causes our worst suffering. Couldit be that we are being tragically misled into abusingthe human body for activities it is not designed for?Ourselves: And what about the effect on ourselves?Scientists are still groping in the dark about who orwhat the self is. But one thing is for sure: the moremodern society neglects or rejects spiritual growth, themore trouble the self gets into. This is evident from ourspiraling mental health problems. The World HealthOrganization (WHO) has declared that mentaldiseases—stress, depression, addiction, psychosomaticproblems—will be the greatest health hazard of thecurrent century. Worse still, WHO statistics show thatover one million people commit suicide every year.That’s more than the total annual deaths from warsand crimes combined. And this figure is only the reportednumber of suicides.Mental disease and suicide have many causes. Butthe common origin is frustration in achieving one’sgoals, whatever they may be. When this frustrationrises to an acute and hopeless degree, one feels one’svery existence to be an agony. And the ending of one’sexistence appears to be the only solution. Why is it thatwe modern humans, the most “intelligent” among allspecies, are the only species whose members commitsuicide in such alarmingly high numbers? WHO callssuicide as “a tragic social health problem” and statesthat there is no proven cure for it. Could it be that thegoals society sets for us are incompatible with our

When Science Points to SpiritualityBy Chaitanya Charana Dasa

Modern research is confirming the Vedic viewpoint that human life is meant for more than the pursuit of material pleasure.


selves and invite the frustration that leads to mentalhealth problems and ultimately suicide?See and BelieveHow does channeling human energy for spiritualelevation affect ecology, human health, and the self?Lets see what science says.Ecology: Most environmental problems have arisenfrom the materialism and consumerism that hasaccompanied the decline of spirituality and its inherentself-restraint. Therefore the following quote from AlanDurning of the World Watch Institute represents whatmany scientists consider to be the only hope for savingthe environment: “In a fragile biosphere, the ultimatefate of humanity may depend on whether we cancultivate a deeper sense of self-restraint, founded ona widespread ethic of limiting consumption and findingnon-material enrichment.” All forms of non-materialenrichment—prayer, meditation, yoga, chanting theholy names—clearly point to a spiritual dimension tolife. And this spiritual dimension is most comprehensivelyexplained in the Vedic scriptures. In fact, the Vedanta-sutra begins with a clarion call: athato brahma jijnasa,“Now therefore [now that you have a human body],devote yourself to spiritual enquiry.” (Vedanta-sutra1.1)Human health: The current epidemic of indulgence-born diseases shows that universal scriptural injunctionsfor self-restraint—sobriety (no intoxication) andcontinence (no illicit sex), for example—are soundhealth advice too. Herbert Benson of the HarvardMedical School, citing extensive research on the physicaland mental benefits of spiritual living, states that thehuman body and mind are “wired for God.” Not onlythat, a survey published in Reader’s Digest (January2001) stated that believers in God live an average ofeleven years more than nonbelievers.The self: And what about the self? Science has comeup with a precious finding: spirituality is a sure solacefor the self. Survey after survey has shown that spiritualpractices protect people from self-destructive behavior

and habits. Patrick Glynn of George WashingtonUniversity writes in his book God: The Evidence thatsurveys show that those who don’t attend spiritualprayer meetings are four times more prone to suicidethan those who do so. Further, the giving up of suchmeetings has been found to be the best predictor ofsuicide, better even than unemployment. These findingsindicate that spirituality provides inner joy, which freespeople from the uncontrollable and insatiable cravingfor external pleasures that leads to addictions andsuicides. Such findings have inspired some modernthinkers to echo the Vedic conclusion that spiritualityis not just a part of our life; it is the essence of our life.Stephen Covey, well-known author of the Seven Habitsseries, aptly remarks, “We are not human beings on aspiritual journey. We are spiritual beings on a humanjourney.”What Are We Waiting For?Science is clearly showing that human life spent formaterial enjoyment is ecologically, physically, andspiritually disharmonious and disastrous. Science isalso strongly indicating that when we strive for spiritualhappiness, we benefit our planet and our body too. TheVedic scriptures offer us a balanced program of materialregulation and spiritual growth for achieving the highestpotential of human life. Bhagavad-gita (6.17) statesthat regulation in eating, sleeping, work, and recreation,coupled with spiritual practices, paves the way tofreedom from all material miseries. The most potentand practical spiritual practice for the modern age isthe chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. Bychanting we can achieve a state of happiness that willfully satisfy us, and we will never be disturbed by anymater ia l upheava l . (Bhagavad-g i ta 6 .22)It’s time to stop using the Mercedes for plowing. It’stime to put our human vehicle into gear by chantingHare Krishna. Then we can speed along the highwayof devotional service, back to our long-lost home withKrishna.

Krishna Voice, June 2009 13Krishna Voice, June 200912

“The Bhagavad-gita teaches a pantheistic view of God,”he said, his confidence and years of learning clear fromhis authoritative tone. “The massive vishvarupa—Krishna’suniversal form, which encompasses all materialphenomena, including time—tells us much about God inthe Gita.”

His friend, another scholar of some renown, seemed todisagree.

“The Gita goes beyond pantheism. It shows us how toperceive God in all things. The Tenth Chapter, especially,shows us how Krishna is the superlative exemplar inseventy categories, how He exists in the perceivableworld.”

A third colleague gave his considered opinion as well:“The Gita ultimately teaches bhakti, devotion to Krishna,the supreme personal Deity. In this sense, it is not unlikethe great monotheistic traditions of the West. I think you’veboth missed the point.”

I was attending a panel discussion at a conference of theAmerican Academy of Religion, and as I sat back andlistened, I noted that all three scholars were correct, eachin his own way. I considered deeply their individualperspectives, and I realized something: The Gita has itall!

In the West, theologians tend to speak of God in threeways, using the terms pantheism, panentheism, andmonotheism, with a few variations in between. That is tosay, Western theology speaks of God (1) as impersonal,diffused throughout all we see and beyond, or as natureitself, (2) as existing both within and outside everything,or (3) as the Supreme Being, omnipotent, omniscient,and all the rest.

Those familiar with Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad-gitaAs It Is will immediately recognize the correlation betweenthese conceptions of God and Brahman, Paramatma,and Bhagavan, the three levels of Godhead expressedmost succinctly in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.11):“Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truthcall this nondual substance Brahman, Paramatma, andBhagavan.”

Pantheism and Brahman

Pantheism is understood in several related ways. Firstof all, pantheism equates God with nature, saying thatHe exists as everything and that everything is God. InGreek, pan = all, and theos = God. According to this view,the universe, including all matter and energy, is ametaphysical entity that is more than what we perceive.The pantheistic “God”—both impersonal and nontheistic(if we consider the usual sense of theism)—is entirelyimmanent, or close by, if only we had the eyes to see it.

The doctrine of pantheism often goes further, espousing“a belief that every existing entity is only one Being, and

that all other forms of reality are either modes (orappearances) of it or identical with it.”

This is clearly a Western articulation of God as Brahman.The Vedas describe Brahman as a transcendentimpersonal divinity. The Rig Veda, in particular, tells usin a prayer known as the Purusha-sukta (10.90.4) thatBrahman, here in a more personalized form, expandeda portion of Himself as the created world, where He exists,without personality or form, as its essence. This is perhapsthe earliest reference to pantheism—even if it doesn’tuse that word—in any religious literature, East or West.

In the Gita, one can find hints of pantheism (specificallyGod’s oneness with the universe) in the Seventh Chapter,where Krishna identifies Himself with various materialphenomena: He is the taste of water, the light of the sunand the moon, the sound in ether, the ability in man, andso on. A closer look, however, shows that these aremanifestations of His energy and He stands quite apartfrom them. Still, He does say that He is, in a sense,everything that exists (vasudevah sarvam iti), and theGita’s Ninth Chapter tends to confirm this fact. (See texts4, 5, 6, 16–18.)

The Lord elucidates His all-pervasive nature again inChapter Ten, identifying Himself with the best of everything:He is Shiva, the ocean, the lion, Garuda, the Himalayas,the letter A, inexhaustible time, Brahma, truth itself, victory,adventure, and so on. But clearly, again, this is not allthere is to Krishna, and He says so Himself by describingall of the above, and more, as a “mere indication” of Hisglory (esha tuddeshatah proktah, 10.40) and but a sparkof His splendor (mama tejo ’msha-sambhavam, 10.41).

A pantheistic view seems somewhat more apparent inthe Gita’s Eleventh Chapter, wherein the Lord revealsHis Universal Form (vishvarupa). Details of this formappear in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Second Canto,particularly in chapters one and six. Here we learn that“the gigantic manifestation of the phenomenal materialworld as a whole is the personal body of the AbsoluteTruth . . .” (2.1.24), and that, “the sphere of outer spaceconstitutes His eye pits, and the eyeball is the sun as thepower of seeing. His eyelids are both the day and night,and in the movements of His eyebrows, Lord Brahmaand similar personalities reside.” (2.1.31) In this way theBhagavatam goes on to deliver an elaborate meditationon the Absolute, allowing practitioners to virtually “see”Him in the material world.

However, the Bhagavatam (1.3.30) is clear: “Theconception of the virat universal form of the Lord, asappearing in the material world, is imaginary. It is to

enable the less intelligent [and neophytes] to adjust tothe idea of the Lord’s having form. But factually the Lordhas no material form.” Thus, the universal manifestationof the Supreme is meant to take practitioners from animpersonal understanding of the Absolute to a moredeveloped, personal conception of Lord, and to help themrealize that while He has no material form, He does havea spiritual form.

Because this universal vision of the Lord equates Godwith the phenomenal world—that is, as being whollyamalgamated with, or inseparable from, visible nature—it is a form of pantheism, and one needs to go further tounderstand God’s spiritual nature. A pantheist who failsto look beyond the complex, majestic manifestations ofmatter may even be regarded as atheistic, havingoverlooked their all-attractive, transcendent, personalsource.

That being said, a more liberal view of pantheism canalso be found in the teachings of the Gita. SrilaPrabhupada writes:

“Pantheism in its higher status does not permit the studentto form an impersonal conception of the Absolute Truth,but it extends the conception of the Absolute Truth intothe field of the so-called material energy. Everythingcreated by the material energy can be dovetailed withthe Absolute by an attitude of service, which is the essentialpart of the living energy. The pure devotee of the Lordknows the art of converting everything into its spiritualexistence by this service attitude, and only in thatdevotional way can the theory of pantheism be perfected.”

(Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.1.20, Purport)

Here Prabhupada suggests that the pantheistic perspectivemay be an imperfect preliminary stage that can lead toa more mature or complete realization of the AbsoluteTruth as something far greater than can be found inmaterial nature. This correlates with the Vaishnava viewof Brahman realization as a low-rung, impersonalconception of God.

Panentheism and Paramatma

While the Gita views pantheism as immature or incomplete,it more readily embraces a panentheistic view, seeing allthings as imbued with God’s presence and all things asbeing in God as well. As opposed to pantheism, whichsees God as everything, panentheism sees God ineverything (pan = all, en = in, and theos = God) oreverything in God. The word is used in both ways.

The term panentheism is attributed to German philosopherKarl Christian Friedrich Krause (1781–1832), who wanted

to reconcile monotheism and pantheism. From aVaishnava point of view, panentheism has someredeeming features. For example, Krishna says in theBhagavatam (11.15.35–36), “I exist within everything asthe Supersoul and outside of everything in My all-pervadingfeature.” The Gita (6.30) encourages us to see everythingin Krishna and Krishna in everything: yo mam pashyatisarvatra sarvam ca mayi pashyati. And the Brahma-samhita (5.35) tells us, “All universes exist in Him [Krishna],and He is present in His fullness in every atom.” Clearlythese are all panentheistic statements.

Now, for God to fit within everything He would have tobe smaller than the smallest, and for everything to fitwithin Him, He would have to be larger than the largest.He would have to simultaneously be both, inconceivably.In fact, this is precisely how He is described in numerousscriptural passages. The Svetashvatara Upanishad (3.9),for example, tells us that God is smaller than the smallestand larger than the largest (anor aniyan mahato mahiyan).The Gita tells us that God is both the smallest (anoraniyamsam, 8.9) and the greatest (vibhum, 10.12), andit also reveals that all beings are in Krishna (mat-sthani-sarva-bhutani, 9.4).

The alternate side of the same concept, that God is withineverything, brings us to the subject of Paramatma.Panentheism, in this case, might be considered a Westernequivalent for Paramatma realization, wherein one viewsKrishna (or His expansion Vishnu) as all-pervading—existing within every human heart and, indeed, withinevery atom. This is a more localized, personal feature ofthe Lord, as compared with the pantheistic Brahmanconception. But all is not so easy.

There are differences between panentheism, as commonlyunderstood, and the Vaishnava conception of Paramatma.While the similarity of “God in all” exists in both, Paramatmagoes much further, putting a “face” on panentheism’sGod. The critical factor here is form. Both the Gita andthe Bhagavatam (2.2.9–11), especially, are quite specificabout Vishnu as He appears in every atom: “He has fourhands carrying a lotus, a wheel of a chariot, a conchshell, and a club, respectively. His mouth expresses Hishappiness. His eyes spread like the petals of a lotus, andHis garments, yellowish like the saffron of a kadambaflower, are bedecked with valuable jewels, and He wearsa glowing headdress and earrings.”

Moreover, while the panentheistic view holds thateverything is in God and sometimes that God is ineverything, it is never quite clear about the relationshipbetween God perceived in nature and the transcendentbeing who is the source of all we see.

The Bhagavatam and the Gita give us a much moredeveloped, or shall we say sophisticated, idea about thissource. Those Vaishnava texts tell us that Krishna is theroot of all divine manifestations and that Paramatma is

Defining the Divine, East and WestBy Satyaraja Dasa


an emanation from that original source, partaking fullyof His transcendent nature. The omnipotent SupremePerson can reproduce His essential being by appearingin “an extended personal form of Himself,” asPrabhupada describes Paramatma. Thus, if we mayoffer new terminology to the Western theologicaltradition, let us call the theology of Paramatma “PersonalExtensionism.” This differs both from the view that Godis in one sense identical with all that is (pantheism) andthat He is impersonally within all things we see(panentheism). But this is still not monotheism proper.

Monotheism and Bhagavan

When scholars talk about “the three great monotheistictraditions,” they are usually not talking aboutVaishnavism or the tradition of the Bhagavad-gita.Rather, they are talking about Judaism, Christianity,and Islam. But if they would look just a little beneaththe surface, they would perhaps find the earliestmonotheistic tradition.

True, one should be cautious when applying the termsof one set of religious traditions to another with its ownhistory, insights, and ways of thinking about spirituality.People who identify with the Judeo-Christian traditionhave very particular ideas in mind when they refer tomonotheism, and that should be respected. The samemight be said about the terms pantheism andpanentheism. But given that caveat, the God of theGita is clearly a Supreme Being and the recipient ofmonotheistic worship: Krishna is described as God ofgods (10.14), the origin of all other gods (10.12), theprimeval person (11.38), the Lord of the worlds (5.29),the creator and sustainer of everything (8.9), and onand on. As Krishna says, no one is equal to or greaterthan Him (11.43).

Krishna’s supremacy is so blatant, in fact, that onewonders why there would be any question at all. Perhapsit is because He is contrasted with other gods—demigods, or specially empowered beings—who serveas universal administrators. Indeed, this is why variousforms of Indian religion are often described aspolytheistic, or endorsing the worship of many gods.But, at least in terms of the Gita, such charges cannotstand. Though other gods may exist, Krishna is clearlysupreme.

Biblical scholars might want to stop us here, claimingthat, since other gods are even acknowledged, theGita’s religion is not really monotheism in the traditionalsense of the word. It should be remembered, however,that early Israelite tribes practiced “monolatry” asopposed to strict monotheism: they worshiped oneSupreme God among many. And besides, as alreadystated, we use the term monotheism with caution.

It should also be noted that the Gita’s monotheism isdistinct, deserving terminology of its own. Apropos of

this, Graham M. Schweig, associate professor ofreligious studies at Christopher Newport University,Virginia, calls the Gita’s Vaishnavism “polymorphicmonotheism,” that is, a theology that recognizes manyforms (ananta-rupa) of the one, single, unitary divinity.

Since it is here stated that God has many forms, onecould superficially accuse the tradition of polytheism.But those who understand the tradition well know thatit hereby merely acknowledges God’s capacity to bein many places and forms at the same time. This is notto say that all forms are God’s. The Vedic literature isquite clear about what constitutes a form of the SupremeLord, and only those are to be worshiped.

The Gita promotes the worship of one SupremePersonality of Godhead, also known as Bhagavan.

But the monotheistic worship of Bhagavan, lovinglyadored as Krishna or Vishnu, is unique in the historyof religions, for here we actually get to see, or visualize,the Lord of our prayers. If the scriptures place a faceon Paramatma, as He exists within every atom, theydo so much more for Sri Krishna. Devotees becomeprivy to His numerous ecstatic features and His day-to-day activities with eternal associates in the spiritualworld.

Three Aspects of the Same Truth

I would agree with the three scholars mentioned in thebeginning of this article, accepting their diverse views.Like the first of these well-meaning men, I acknowledgethat the Gita promotes a type of pantheism, God’spresence as a metaphysical dimension of nature. ButI would hasten to add that the Gita’s pantheism goesbeyond the kind we usually hear about in the West. Itshows us that there is a person behind the divinityperceivable in the natural world. I agree, too, that theGita shows us a form of panentheism, sharing with itsreaders God’s immanence and how we might perceivethat immanence in our day-to-day lives. And finally, ofcourse, I agree with the third scholar most of all—thatthe Gita’s ultimate teaching is bhakti, or devotion to aSupreme Personal Godhead. This is the Gita’s crowningglory.

What I disagree with is how the three scholars addressthe Gita’s diversity. The Gita gives us several views ofGod, all legitimate and each revealing different aspectsof the divine. It’s not that if one of these aspects iscorrect then the others must be wrong. Rather, the Gitarevels in multi-faceted reality, taking its readers fromfundamental conceptions of the Absolute Truth toKrishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Brahman, Paramatma, and Bhagavan are three aspectsof that same Truth, manifesting variously according tothe realization and wisdom of the practitioner. Thosewho approach God through knowledge tend to realize


Jun 19 EkadashiJun 20 break fast

Jul 3 EkadashiJul 4 break fast

Jun 22 Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura - Disappearancefasting till noon

Jun 24 Jagannatha Puri Ratha Yatra

Fasting Festivals

His eternality aspect, and in perfection this is Brahmanrealization. Yogis and mystics meditate on the Lord inthe heart, and the highest point of such meditation iscalled Paramatma realization. This is where one realizesnot only eternality but the ultimate end of all knowledgeas well. Finally, the highest and most inclusive theisticpursuits culminate in devotion to God. Those who adoptthis process focus on Bhagavan, the worship of whomleads to divine love. Here one reaps the benefit of allother processes, affording the practitioner the zenithof not only eternity and knowledge, but bliss as well.This is the best that pantheism, panentheism, andmonotheism have to offer.1 H. P. Owen. 1971. Concepts of Deity (London:Macmillan).2 Philip Clayton and Arthur Peacocke, eds. 2004. InWhom We Live and Move and Have Our Being:Panentheistic Reflections on God’s Presence in aScientific World (Grand Rapids, MI.: Eerdmans).

3 One who sees “God as all” (pantheism) could easilymake the common mistake of identifying oneself withGod, since every individual is clearly part of “all.”Similarly, one who sees “God in all” (panentheism)might just as easily see the divine in oneself andmistakenly identify with God. But one who has theserealizations along with Bhagavan realization, worshipingGod in a spirit of monotheism, is less likely to fall preyto this misconception.4 Graham M. Schweig, “Krishna, the Intimate Divinity,”in Edwin F. Bryant and Maria L. Ekstrand, eds., 2004.The Hare Krishna Movement: The PostcharismaticFate of a Religious Transplant (New York: ColumbiaUniversity Press).5 Ultimately, as Dr. Schweig points out, the traditioncan be seen as polymorphic bi-monotheism, since itacknowledges a dual-gendered divinity whose ultimatemanifestation is Sri Sri Radha-Krishna. See ibid.

Distinguished VisitorsA study team sponsored by UNESCOvisited The Akshaya Patra ktchen inApril 2009. The Director of theInternational Institute of EducationalPlanning who led the delegation of41 members from 21 countries laudedthe services of TAPF.


In May 2009, Sri Yogesh Patel,Parliamentary Secretary -Tourism, Holy Places andPilgrimage Development, Non-resident Gujaratis Department,from Gujarat, visited the SriRadha Vrindavan-ChandraMandir, Vrindavan.

On April 29, 2009, the new roti-making machine sponsored by HPCL was inaugurated in the AkshayaPatra kitchen in Vrindavan. Sri B R Mandal, Chief Vigilance Officer of HPCL presided. The new machine

can prepare 12,000 rotis per hour.

News from Vrindavan


News from Mysore

(above) ISKCON Mysore conducted summer camps for school children during the summer vacation.The participants were treated to a pilgrimage to the Himavad Gopalaswamy temple as part of the camp.

(below)Children were trained in drama and Gita sloka chanting.


News from Hubli

On the occasion of SriNarasimha Jayanthi,a Narasimha homawas conducted atISKCON Hubli (right).

Hundreds of devoteesparticipated in the SriNarasimha Jayanthicelebrations (left).

At ISKCON Hubli,Sri Sri KrishnaBalarama areannointed withsandal wood pulpduring the ChandanaYatra to cool Themin the summer. (left)


Youth is the period of life between childhoodand adult age, when enthusiasm and vigour areat the highest. This is the best time to startlearning the more subtle truths about life, sothat the knowledge may be put to use as weprogress into adulthood.

The momentum of our life has increased overthe last 20 years and “stress” is a commonlyused word to describe what most of us feel on

the journey. Not just adults, but teenagers and children as well. Travelling across theglobe between 1965 and 1977, ISKCON’s founder acharya, Srila Prabhupada,transformed the lives of hundreds of disillusioned young westerners who had rebelledagainst the way that life had turned post World War II. He gave them hope withtranscendental knowledge from the Vedas, answering their innumerable queries onthe complexities of human life, the transmigration of the soul and reincarnation, thereality about the laws of karma and so on. He revealed the ancient and timelessknowledge of a highly civilized society in the Vedic times, thereby also quashing sometheories that the Vedas were meant for people of a particular time, place and nationality.

To help today’s youth cope with the vagaries of a life that is competitive and fast pacedwith the values of ancient but time tested wisdom, ISKCON Bangalore and its affiliatetemples have a unique program, Friends Of Lord Krishna (FOLK).

The FOLK program employs highly interactive sessions handled by experiencedfaculties who have graduated out of premier institutes such as the IITs and IIMs andwho have dedicated their lives for over 20 years to share the same joy which they haveexperienced in their lives. A typical program on a Sunday consists of Vedic wisdombeing imparted in a contemporary setting, in relevance to the current world realities.Solutions are provided to difficult problems that young people have to encounter intheir daily lives, such as how to manage stress, how to improve memory andconcentration, how to get rid of bad habits, how to excel in life, etc.

State-of-the-art facilities in the classroom infrastructure also ensure that there is nevera dull moment for the spirited youngsters. Every opportunity is provided to them toshowcase their talents and skills for the pleasure of the Lord. The youngsters are alsotaken through personality enrichment courses that explore their deeper selves andmake them more reflective and introspective—a real need in the current chaotic times.

There are varieties of opportunities that youth can practically involve themselves insuch as taking up some services for the pleasure of the Lord, by which one canexperience the truth not just theoretically but in reality too. More enthusiastic youngsterstake up book distribution, as they are keen to share this wonderful knowledge withother people who are unaware of this treasure.

What began as a small endeavour has now transformed itself into a juggernaut withmore than 1000 FOLK members and provided youngsters an opportunity to transformtheir lives.

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FOCUS, personalityenrichment workshop

A Sunday evening gatheringof FOLK members

The FOLK band performs at aFOLK get-together

FOLK Theatre membersperform during Gaura

Purnima festival

FOLK members in SrilaPrabhupada’s room at the temple


There are a million reasons to participate in our programmes!In order to guide the youth to find the way to a peaceful,meaningful and rewarding life and overcome dissatisfaction,quarrels, stress and other negative emotions.programmes bring the wisdom of ancient India will fill thisneed. The personality enrichment workshops, based onthese ancient texts, enable individuals from all walks oflife to become more focused, cultivate positive value

systems, develop interpersonal skills, increase operational skills and enhance personalgrowth.

Presently there are many programmes like Focus, Yoga Retreat, Art of Mind Control,Secrets of Success etc.

FOLK hostels are now open at multiple locationsacross the city, offering affordable accommodation tobachelors who wish to stay with like-minded peoplein an environment that is friendly, encouraging andcultured. A boon for people who want to make theirlife meaningful and are interested in higher taste andgood values, these residential havens help the youthdevelop emotional balance and hence concentratebetter on their studies / work as they will learn to manage stress better.

The delicious vegetarian cuisine — prepared with utmost cleanliness and served with lovethree times a day, is a delight.

FOLK hostel members live a healthy lifestyle in a no-smoke, no-drink environment. Theyhave access to spiritual practices which reduce the anxiety levels and hence help directtheir energy effectively.

Living with people from diverse backgrounds gives them an opportunity to improvecommunication skills, learn new languages, to share resources and hence build relationships.They also encourage the youth to develop training and teaming skil ls.

FOLK has i ts own interest ing websitewww.folknet.in. There are articles on Lord Krishna,Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Srila Prabhupada, scienceand spirituality and so on. A visitor can downloadSrila Prabhupada’s kirtanas, lectures and videos,daily quotes and wallpapers. There is also a gallerywith pictures of festivals and FOLK events.

FOLK Forum www.folknet.in/forum

The FOLK programme services include an online forum where one can get their philosophicalqueries answered. The queries are classified under various threads. These queries canbe viewed by all registered users.

Comments about FOLK events, the philosophy of Krishna Consciousness etc can be alsoposted on this forum.

FOLK Newsletter

There is also a fortnightly online FOLK newsletter which has updates on ISKCON Bangalore’sfestivals and other events.

For more information on the FOLK programmes, please contact: [email protected] 9902830818

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FOLK Theatre members perform playswith messages for contemporary life(above, right & below)

FOLK hostel members honouring prasadam

Members of one of theFOLK hostels in the city

Krishna Voice Monthly Magazine, June 2009 Vol10, No.6 Price Rs 15/-Posted on 5th or 10th of the Month at MBC, Manipal, License to post without prepayment No. WPP(CO-8), Reg No. KA/BGGPO2521/ 2009-11, Registered with Registrar of Newspapers for India under No. RNI 71022/99, Posted at MBC, Manipal, 576104.

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Career

Madhu Pandit - Krishna voice 2009 06(jun)