WELCOME

In the lecture opening this issue, Srila Prabhupada begins by discussing the dangers of sinful life and then goes on to speak about pious persons. He quotes Lord Krishna, who says in the Bhagavad-gita (7.16) that among the poor, the distressed, the inquisitive, and the learned, only the pious turn to Him to fulfill their particular need.

A principle of the philosophy of Krishna consciousness is that pious persons in any religious traditions can gain immensely from what it has to offer. That’s why Krishna’s devotees, understanding that human life is meant for spiritual progress, try to carry everywhere the message of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Krishna’s avatar for this age. In doing so, they naturally interact with members of various religions.

The cover story in this issue is about taking Krishna consciousness to Punjab, a predominantly Sikh state of India. The Krishna devotees found a warm welcome and much enthusiasm for chanting the holy names of God, the essence of Lord Chaitanya’s movement.

In New York, Satyaraja Dasa often finds opportunities to discuss Krishna consciousness with his Jewish family, and in this issue we hear about one such exchange in his article “Six Essential Questions.”

Hare Krishna.-Nagaraja Dasa, Editor

Departments

Bhaktivedanta Academy

Letters

Vedic Thoughts

The Difference Between Bhakti and Karma

Practice for Amazing Results

Gopiparanadhana Dasa