Everyone

When I joined the Hare Krishna movement, something in Srila Prabhupada’s books intrigued me: God’s unlimited nature went beyond merely having innumerable forms; these forms, I was amazed to learn, often have numerous arms as well. India’s wisdom texts, in fact, describe a wonderland of beatific multiarmed beings.

During our devotional journey, we spiritual practitioners encounter many challenges that may make us believe that attaining love of God is an impossible feat. But studying the lives of great devotees fills our life with hope by assuring us that determined devotion always attracts Krishna’s attention. Bilvamangala Thakura is one celebrated devotee whose life teaches us that Krishna’s love for us is unconditional; He overlooks all our past transgressions and is ever ready to shower His affection on us.

Shaunaka continued: There is no one who knows more than the Lord Himself. No one is more worshipable or more mature a yogi than He. He is therefore the master of the Vedas, and to hear about Him always is the actual pleasure of the senses. – Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.25.2

When the 2017 Super Bowl game, the summit of American professional football, was held in Houston, a devotee convinced me and a few others to try to distribute Srila Prabhupada’s books at a huge pregame event downtown. Venturing into the passionate, teeming crowd, we sold a few books, but not so many. This experience reinforced what was already obvious: mundane sport certainly has a powerful allure.

With the successful worldwide celebration of ISKCON’s fiftieth anniversary in 2016, another semicentennial event naturally follows in its wake: commemoration of the founding of New Vrindaban in 1968, two years after ISKCON's founding.

ABOUT THE BOOK AND THIS EXCERPT

In its twelve verses, Sri Manah-shiksa presents a procedure for one to enter into and become absorbed in the pastimes of Sri Sri Radha-Krishna. It is intended especially for dedicated students seriously practicing bhakti-yoga and aspiring for advanced levels of devotion.

Every living being requires air to breathe, water to drink, food to eat, a place to live, and some work or activity. Any restriction on these for us is sure to raise our eyebrows, if not our anger.

"As soon as irrevocable loving service [to Lord Krishna] is established in the heart, the effects of nature's modes of passion and ignorance, such as lust, desire, and hankering, disappear from the heart. Then the devotee is established in goodness, and he becomes completely happy." – Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.19

[The Sanskrit verses, omitted here, are included in the printed magazine.]

(1)

Brahma said: Listen, O Marichi [a son of Brahma]. I will tell you about the Purana named Srimad-Bhagavatam, devoted to the subject of Brahman [with focus on Sri Krishna] and rendered by Vedavyasa.

(2)

Its eighteen thousand glorious verses in twelve cantos have the form of a wish-fulfilling tree and destroy sins.

(3)

Integrity is defined as (1) honesty and fairness, (2) adhering to moral principles and values, and (3) being whole. It also means (4) being sound and unimpaired, as in “the structural integrity of a building.” Here I focus on the third meaning of integrity, one that’s integral to the root of the word, namely, the state of being complete or whole, of being unified and undivided.