Opposing Irrationalism

Bhagavad Gita As It Is

Chapter 16. The Divine And Demoniac Natures

TEXT 7

Those who are demoniac do not know what is to be done and what is not to be done. Neither cleanliness nor proper behavior nor truth is found in them.

In early February, 2015 Islamic State released a 22 minute video depicting the burning of a captured soldier.

Jordanian and U.S. officials promised swift action to the execution of  First Lt. Muath al-Kasasbeh.

This clearly does not conform to Islam. The development of Islamic Antinomianism is developed where jihadhi adherents rule ex cathedra.

To another example: In September, Sheikh Abu Muhammad al-Adnani, the Islamic State’s chief spokesman, called on Muslims in Western countries such as France and Canada to find an infidel and “smash his head with a rock,” poison him, run him over with a car, or “destroy his crops.”

In reality the United States has been attacking it’s own citizens with Chemical Assault Scorched Earth openly since June 17, 1987.

I know this first hand since the attack is imposed over only one person myself  Bhakta David Nollmeyer.

Blythe Hay Bales

Blythe Colorado River Canal

The hay supra will burn you hand to the touch. The Colorado River is contaminated from Blythe, California running towards Mexico.

This action is the result of a Gay Militia operating form LAPD. The allegation is that Cambridge Law School are the Origin or proximate cause. It appears also that Islamic State fighters themselves are recruited with this Gay Militia.

In Texas yesterday Gay Marriage was halted in Travis County after one ceremony.

This alter ego confrontation will damage civilization further.

How to Discharge Devotional Service

NoD 6-1970: How to Discharge Devotional Service

Chapter Six
How to Discharge Devotional Service

Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé states that his elder brother (Sanätana Gosvämé) has compiled Hari-bhakti-viläsa for the guidance of the Vaiñëavas and therein has mentioned many rules and regulations to be followed by the Vaiñëavas. Some of them are very important and prominent, and he will now mention these very important items for our benefit. The purport of this statement is that Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé proposes to mention only basic principles, not details. For example, a basic principle is that one has to accept a spiritual master. Exactly how one follows the instructions of his spiritual master is considered a detail. For example, if one is following the instruction of his spiritual master and that instruction is different from the instructions of another spiritual master, this is called detailed information. But the basic principle of acceptance of a spiritual master is good everywhere, although the details may be different. Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé does not wish to enter into details here, but wants to place before us only the principles.

He mentions the basic principles as follows: 1) accepting the shelter of the lotus feet of a bona fide spiritual master, 2) becoming initiated by the spiritual master and learning how to discharge devotional service from him, 3) obeying the orders of the spiritual master with faith and devotion, 4) following in the footsteps of great äcäryas (teachers) under the direction of the spiritual master, 5) inquiring from the spiritual master how to advance in Kåñëa consciousness, 6) being prepared to give up anything material for the satisfaction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Çré Kåñëa (This means that when we are engaged in the devotional service of Kåñëa, we must be prepared to give up something which we may not like to give up, and also we have to accept something which we may not like to accept.), 7) residing in a sacred place of pilgrimage like Dvärakä or Våndävana, 8)  dealing with the material world only as far as necessary, 9) observing the fasting day on Ekädaçé, and 10) worshiping sacred trees like the banyan tree.

These ten items are preliminary necessities for beginning the discharge of devotional service in regulative principles. In the beginning, if a neophyte devotee observes the above-mentioned ten principles, surely he will quickly make good advancement in Kåñëa consciousness.

Transition States

Bhagavad Gita As It Is

Srila Prabhupada

Chapter 15. The Yoga of the Supreme Person

Chapter 15, Verse 1.
The Blessed Lord said: There is a banyan tree which has its roots upward and its branches down and whose leaves are the Vedic hymns. One who knows this tree is the knower of the Vedas.

Chapter 15, Verse 2.
The branches of this tree extend downward and upward, nourished by the three modes of material nature. The twigs are the objects of the senses. This tree also has roots going down, and these are bound to the fruitive actions of human society.

Chapter 15, Verse 3-4.
The real form of this tree cannot be perceived in this world. No one can understand where it ends, where it begins, or where its foundation is. But with determination one must cut down this tree with the weapon of detachment. So doing, one must seek that place from which, having once gone, one never returns, and there surrender to that Supreme Personality of Godhead from whom everything has began and in whom everything is abiding since time immemorial.

In Social Systems Theory bifurcation means branching. In the Vedas the term anga means branch. This process is also called a phase transformation.

According to Butz (1997), “ A system moves from a previous order to a new and more complex order by virtue of a chaotic transitory period.”

According to Prigogine and Stengers (1984), this fluctuation or singular moment or bifurcation is inherently impossible to predict as to whether the transition will be towards higher states of order or disintegrate into chaos.

Hence, the system may be reacting to external, internal, vertical, and horizontal pressures as it attempts to survive.

Transitions are weak links in a system whether it is an organism or level of human organization.

One can observe that a baby calf or deer may have only seconds or minutes to get it’s legs after birth to avoid the wild predators that are only meters away.

Gaudiya Vaishnavism has a very long lineage. It has been nearly extinct several times as previously to the time when Krishna spoke the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna.

There has been many angas or branches since Bhaktivinoda revived Gaudiya Vaishnavism just over 100 years past.

One may observe the different camps diksa – ritvik, and mathas as the Caitanya Nsringha and IPBSYS or Pure Bhakti.

There are several lines operating under what is diksa ISKCON currently.

­SRI SANMODANA BHASYAM

Bhaktivinoda Thakura

Excerpts

The word bhava indicates the jiva's forcible subjection to
repeated births in this world.   Bhava is a continuous cycle of
birth and death called mahadavagni (blazing fire), a raging
conflagration that cannot be extinguished by any means other than the congregational chanting of Krsna's holy name. 

    A question may arise at this point:  when one is at last
enlightened about his svadharma or eternal function as a liber­ated
soul, does he then cease chanting Krsna's holy name?  The
answer is no; the stoppage of chanting never occurs, because
chanting God's name is verily the soul's sva-dharma. The phrase
sreyah-kairava-candrika-vitarana confirms this by specifically
conveying the sense of the eternal activity of the spirit soul in
his original spiritual condition.

     Jivas who are enslaved by maya prefer to enjoy material
life, and this desire perpetuates their bondage to the cycle of
birth and death.  This the root cause of the threefold miseries.
But when the spirit soul becomes disgusted with material
enjoyment and re-dedicates his time and energy to Lord Krsna's
loving service, he reaps the greatest benefit. This benefit is
compared to a the cluster of pristine white lotuses, for just as
the moon's soothing rays  cause the white lotuses to blossom, the
rasaladen rays of the chanting of the holy name stirs the en­folded
petals of the lotus of the jiva's good fortune, causing it
to open.

    As it is said, "devotion gives birth to devotion": the
sincere and faithful devotee must therefore follow the principles
of elementary bhakti by regularly hearing and chanting the holy
name until the first light of pure devotion begins to dawn in the
heart. The closed lotus flower touched by the moon's rays
awakens in full bloom, and similarly, when the congregational
chanting of the holy name spreads the rays of bhava (the essence
of hladini) and impregnates the soul's heart, rati (conjugal love
for Sri Krsna) then lights up his consciousness, bestowing the
highest benediction.  This is what is meant by the "rays of the
benediction moon."

Sri Caitanya – caritamrta Adi lila 1.16

Çré Caitanya-caritämåta, Ädi-lélä 1.16

Srila Prabhupada
—
Mäyäpur, April 9, 1975

Santoña: "In a temple of jewels in Våndävana, underneath a desire tree, Çré Çré Rädhä-Govinda, served by Their most confidential associates, sit upon an effulgent throne. I offer my humble obeisances unto Them."

Prabhupäda:

dévyad-våndäraëya-kalpa-drumädhah-
çrémad-ratnägära-siàhäsana-sthau
çrémad-rädhä-çréla-govinda-devau
preñöälébhiù sevyamänau smarämi
[Cc. Ädi 1.16]

So, description of Våndävana, Våndävana and Rädhä and Kåñëa situated there. The Våndävana... Vana means forest, and vånda means tulasé. Mostly there are tulasé plants and other trees also, but all the trees are living desire trees, spiritual. They can serve Kåñëa in any way, desire. They have become trees by their voluntary desire. They're all spiritual beings—there is no force—but everyone has got a particular tendency to serve Kåñëa in a different way. So these trees and plants, they are also living beings. They are not ordinary living beings, but they have decided to serve Kåñëa by supplying fruits and flowers. They want that service. Everyone has got his particular propensity. So someone is serving as the land there, someone is serving as the throne, someone is serving as the supplying agent of fruits and flowers, someone is engaged in His service as the gopés, confidential servitors. The cows, calves, everything—they are all different living entities. They are not made of these material things, material body. Änanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhävitäbhis täbhir ya eva nija-rüpatayä kaläbhiù [Bs. 5.37]. They are all also expansion of Kåñëa's pleasure potency. In one sense they are also Kåñëa; they are not different from Kåñëa. Çakti-çaktimatayor abheda: "The power and the powerful, they are not different, identical." Just like the sun and the sunshine. So in the sun globe there is heat and light, and the sunshine, there is heat and light. So, so far heat and light is concerned, they are one. Similarly, Kåñëa and Kåñëa's pleasure potency, änanda-cinmaya, ahlädiné... It is already described, rädhä kåñëa-praëaya-vikåtir hlädiné-çaktir asmät.

So whatever description is there of Våndävana, that is expansion of Kåñëa's pleasure potency. They are not different. Therefore in the beginning it is said, dévyad, "shining," or "divine," "transcendental." So we should not consider Våndävana as ordinary forest. Here we have got Våndävana on this planet. That is also not ordinary forest. The exactly the same Våndävana as it is Goloka Våndävana... There is no difference. Therefore Narottama däsa Öhäkura says that

viñaya chäòiyä kabe çuddha ha 'be mana
kabe häma herabo, çré-våndävana
Viñaya chäòiyä.

Our present position is that we are materially diseased, so we have to become free from the material disease. Material disease means sense gratification, and the most formidable disease is sex. This is called material disease. So viñaya chäòiyä. We have to be, become free from the contamination of viñaya, material enjoyment. This is the statement of Narottama däsa Öhäkura.

viñaya chäòiyä kabe çuddha ha 'be mana
kabe häma herabo çré-våndävana

"When my mind will be cleansed of all material desires, then I shall be able to see what is Våndävana." It is very difficult to see Våndävana with material desires. Bhakti means the first qualification is to become free from all material desires.

Sarvopädhi-vinirmuktam.
sarvopädhi-vinirmuktaà
tat-paratvena nirmalam
håñékena håñékeça-
sevanaà bhaktir ucyate
[Cc. Madhya 19.170]

anyäbhiläñitä-çünyaà
jïäna-karmädy-anävåtam
änukülyena kåñëänu-
çélanaà bhaktir uttama
[Brs. 1.1.11]

You know all these definition of bhakti given in our Nectar of Devotion. So spiritual life means free from material desires. And material desires mean just to hanker after sense gratification. This is material desire. When we have no more desire for sense gratification, then we should think that we are on the spiritual platform.

So this description of Våndävana is spiritually described; therefore in the beginning the word is used, dévyad. Dévyad means divine. Kåñëa says, janma karma ca me divyam [Bg. 4.9]. This is not ordinary material thing. So desire tree also described in the Brahma-saàhitä: Cintämaëi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-våkña [Bs. 5.29]—the same kalpa-våkña-lakñävåteñu surabhér abhipälayantam, lakñmé-sahasra-çata-sambhrama-sevyamänam. This lakñmé-sahasra-çata-sevyamänam is described here as preñöhälébhiù sevyamänau. Preñöha-älébhiù. Preñöha means very dear, and älé means gopés, associates of Rädhäräëé, friends. So they are all Lakñmés, goddess of fortune. Lakñmé... You have heard the name Lakñmé, Lakñmé-Näräyaëa, associates of Näräyaëa. Kåñëa is Näräyaëa. So all these gopés, they are expansion of Çrématé Rädhäräëé, the original Lakñmé. This is spiritual world. It is not impersonal, neither niräkära, formless. Everything form, but that form is different from this form. That form is sat-cid-änanda form—eternal, full of bliss, full of knowledge. This is not this material form. When we speak of formless, that means without any material form. Formless does not mean Kåñëa and His expansion, they are formless. They are not of material form. Aprakåta, not material. Here everything is prakåta. It is not, neither, eternal nor blissful nor full of knowledge. It is temporary, full of ignorance and always miserable, this form. We can understand it.

So that is just opposite. This form is temporary. Everyone knows this form will be finished. Antavanta ime dehä [Bg. 2.18], Kåñëa says. This body is antavat. Antavat means it will be finished. It grew at a certain date, and it will increase, it will stay, then it will dwindle, then it will produce some by-products and then vanish. This is called ñaò-vikära, six kinds of changes of the material body. Of the spiritual body there is no such change. That is the difference between spiritual body and material body. Therefore it is called sat. Sat means eternal; there is no change. Just like Kåñëa. His body is sac-cid-änanda; therefore He never grows old. You'll never find a picture of Kåñëa that He has grown old. No. There is no change. Advaitam acyutam anädim ananta-rüpam ädyaà puräëa-puruñam [Bs. 5.33]. Puräëa-puruñam means the oldest person. Because Kåñëa is the origin of everything... Sometimes they consider, "Because God is very old, therefore He must have big, big beard and..." That is imagination. Here you find the real description of God: advaitam acyutam anädim ananta-rüpam ädyam [Bs. 5.33], "Original," Puräëa-puruñam, "the oldest of all," nava-yauvanaà ca, "but His bodily feature is just like a fresh young man." That is Kåñëa. You'll never find Kåñëa... Kåñëa, when He was in the battlefield of Kurukñetra, He was a great-grandfather, but you'll find a young boy. That is Kåñëa. So that is eternal.
Now our body is not sat. Kåñëa's body is sat, cid, änanda. Our, this material body—asat. And because we have got... Asat means temporary, that will not exist. And because we have accepted this material body, therefore we are full of anxiety. Ultimately, what is our anxiety? We are always trying to... This is called struggle for existence, survival of the fittest. So we are trying to become the fittest, to exist. But that is not possible in this body. That is not possible, because it is asat; it is not sat. And because the struggle is that we want to exist in this body, therefore there is anxiety. Asad-grahät sadä samudvigna-dhiyäm asad-grahät [SB 7.5.5]. The çästra says that we are always full of anxieties. Why? Now, asad-grahät: "We have accepted this body, which will not exist." Asad-grahät. These are facts. Study çästra in that way. Why we are full of anxiety? Because we have accepted this body.

So our main business is how to get out of this entanglement of this temporary body. The people are not very seriously thinking, neither they have got sufficient knowledge how the temporary body is obtained, how it is changed, another temporary body, and there are 8,400,000 different forms of body, and we are changing one after another. Why this disease? "If I am, my position is, as I understand from Bhagavad-gétä, na hanyate hanyamäne çarére [Bg. 2.20]—I am not destroyed after the destruction of this body—why I am in this position that I have to change my body?" Tathä dehäntara-präptiù [Bg. 2.13]. This is intelligence. When you come to this intelligence, then athäto brahma jijïäsä; then the inquiry about spiritual life begins. But unfortunately, we are in such a civilization that we have no time to think of this great dangerous position of changing body one after another, and we have accepted it that "There is no remedy; we have to change or die for good." These theories, this ignorance, is going on, and Kåñëa consciousness movement is the only movement which is trying to educate man to this standard of knowledge, that he may at least think that "I am not this body, as I understand from the çästras. I am within the body. So how I can become free of this material body?" That is our real problem. Janma-måtyu-jarä-vyädhi-duùkha-doñänudarçanam [Bg. 13.9].

So if we take it very seriously, then we become gradually advanced and eligible or fit candidate to go into the spiritual world—dévyad-våndäraëya-kalpa-drumädhaù. We can go there. That is wanted. Be serious. Don't be misled by the allurement of mäyä. Remain strong. And then, in this life, you'll be able to become fit candidate to go back to home, back to Godhead. Dévyad-våndäranya-kalpa-drumädhaù. You'll also be one of the associates of Kåñëa, as you desire. Kåñëa will give you the opportunity to serve Him as you desire. If you want to serve Him as a gopé, you'll get that position. If you want to serve Him as cowherds boyfriend, you'll get that opportunity. If you want to serve Kåñëa following the footsteps of mother Yaçodä, accepting Kåñëa as your son, you'll get it. Accepting Kåñëa as your son, Nanda Mahäräja following... We have to follow their principles, not that "I shall become Nanda Mahäräja" or "I shall become Yaçodä," "I shall..." No, that is Mäyäväda. You have to follow how they are loving Kåñëa. You have to learn that. Then you'll get the chance of Kåñëa's association.

Dévyad-våndäraëya-kalpa-drumädhaù, preñöälébhiù sevyamänau smarämi. The Gauòéya Vaiñëava, generally, following the footsteps of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu, they aspire to become one of the assistants of the gopés. There are others also who like to be the assistants of the cowherd boys. So our Gosvämés, Rüpa Gosvämé, çré rüpa sanätana bhaööa raghunätha, they were all the assistants of the gopés. Gopé-bhäva-rasämåtäbdhi-laharé-kallola-magnau muhur vande rüpa-sanätanau raghu-yugau çré-jéva-gopälakau. These six Gosvämés, rüpa sanätana bhaööa raghunätha çré jéva gopäla bhaööa däsa raghunätha, they were all very, very big men, not ordinary men—ministers, zamindars, learned scholars. They were not ordinary men. And they gave up everything. Tyaktvä türëam açeña-maëòala-pati-çreëéà sadä tucchavat. Just like Rüpa Gosvämé, Sanätana Gosvämé, he was, they were ministers in the government of Hussain Shah.

Raghunätha däsa Gosvämé was the only son of his father and uncle, very, very big zamindar, landholder. Twelve lakhs of rupees' income. Five hundred years twelve lakhs—twelve crores now. He was so rich man. Similarly, Gopäla Bhaööa Gosvämé, Çréla Jéva Gosvämé, they were very, very learned. Jéva Gosvämé was the nephew of Rüpa Gosvämé, very learned scholar. So either scholar, rich men, big politician—all of them gave up their occupational, material occupational duty and joined Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu in His saìkértana movement. So they were always absorbed in the gopés' activities, always thinking. Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu was always thinking of Çrématé Rädhäräëé's activities, and the Gosvämés, they were also thinking of the gopés' activities. Gopés' activities means to assist Çrémad-Rädhäräëé how to serve Kåñëa. Preñöälébhiù sevyamänau. They are always ready.
So in this way there is the description of the spiritual world. You just have a glimpse of the spiritual world, how they are perpetually enjoying blissful life with full knowledge. That is described here. Dévyad-våndäraëya-kalpa-drumädhah-çrémad ratnägära-siàhäsana-sthau. There the siàhäsana, the throne, that is also spiritual. That is not material. Everything spiritual. Simply in different capacity they are serving. There the water is also spiritual. So this spiritual realization, if we get the opportunity fortunate enough, then naturally we shall aspire to enter into the spiritual world. Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura said, kåñëera saàsära kara chäòi' anäcära: "If you want to enter into this association of spiritual kingdom, then practice here the family of Kåñëa." Just like here we are trying to be family members of Kåñëa. Here Kåñëa is sitting, Rädhä-Mädhava is sitting on the throne. He is the enjoyer, and we are trying to serve Him so that He may very nicely enjoy. This is called Kåñëa family-center, Kåñëa. Just like in ordinary family the head man is there, and he is the chief man, and all other—his wife, children, servants, and other friends, associates, even animals, cats, dogs, cows—everyone is serving the center point, master. Similarly, our Kåñëa family means Kåñëa is the master, and He is the supreme enjoyer. Bhoktäraà yajïa-tapasäà sarva-loka-maheçvaram [Bg. 5.29]. And if we understand this point, that Kåñëa is the center, He is the enjoyer, and we are meant for serving Him for His enjoyment, that is Kåñëa family….

Message of Thakur Bhakti Vinode

Back to Godhead Volume 1 1944

Abhay Charan De

Message of Thakur Bhakti Vinode

"There is no other way out of this great ocean of Nescience except the unalloyed mercy of the Absolute Godhead. Living entity although superior in nature in comparison to the nature of matter, he is by association dependant and weaker than the material nature. The Absolute Godhead is the creator of all entities, He is the maintainer and deliverer of all entities. The innumerable living entities are infinitesimals and Godhead is Infinite. The infinitesimal living entity is therefore subordinate to the Infinite and as such he is transcendentally the eternal servitor of the Absolute

Godhead. The Supreme Spirit Godhead is the ultimate rest of all entities. This material world is a construction of the material energy and the material existence of the living entity is a sort of punishment just like a prisoner. The punishment is due to forgetfulness of Godhead by the living entity. And therefore there is no deliverance of the living entities from the clutches of Nescience save and except by the revival of his sense of Godhead. Those who have forgotten the relation of Godhead are only the prisoners of this Material world and those who have not forgotten Him are the liberated souls.

"The conditioned souls who are bound up by the material energy can get rid of prison life by the mercy of Godhead if he prays for it by penance and service. Great Sages and Messiahs of the world have devised various ways and means for this self-realisation of the living entity and all such means can be grouped into three different channels namely good work, knowledge and devotion.
"There are many sub-divisions within good works such as the system of four castes of four orders of life, sacrifice, austerity, charity, penance and various such things. And there are scriptures wherein the respective results of all the above mentioned good works are illustrated and explained. If those results are again analysed and scrutinised, we can understand that higher station of life such as one in the Heaven, opulence in this material world, power, deliverance from miseries and diseases or attainment of higher standard of services are the net results of the above good works. And by separating the one of higher standard of services, we can only understand all other results as one of material world. As such all the results pertaining to the material energy which can be attained by the performances of good works, are but temporary and subject to exhaustion. In order of mundane time and space, created by the Material Energy, everything is limited by the laws of Nature. So all these limited acquisitions cannot help us in our attempt to get rid of the conditional life on the contrary the temporary good results of these good works bind us more strongly within the limits of material energy.

The ultimate end of attaining higher status of life is to obtain sufficient time for culture and performances of higher duties. The system of the four castes and four orders of life as introduced by the religion of the Hindus, is designed to mould up the character of the respective performers for higher duties and thus to give them ample chance for cultivating spiritual knowledge. If therefore any one who even after obtaining higher standard of life as well as sufficient leisure, does not culture this higher duties namely the cultivation of spiritual knowledge and philosophy, then according to the opinion of Bhagvats, the labour and energy lost in this direction is spent up for nothing. And in most cases it has been found that those who have obtained sufficient rest and comfort after performances of hard labour, have mostly squandered away the valuable time and energy thus obtained in different occupations other than spiritual culture. This fact proves conclusively that good works cannot give any one the ultimate goodness that is freedom from the bondage of conditioned life.

"Cultivation of higher spiritual knowledge which discerns the matter from spirit does not also help us in the achievement of the highest goal. By this culture of spiritual life one can realise only one's self, as distinguished from gross matter, and can also understand that the spirit soul is above matter as ignorance of this fact makes him bound to undergo the rigours of conditioned life. This self-realisation may help one for attaining the marginal position between material and spiritual existence but this does not mean actual spiritual life and its spiritual activities without which the spirit soul cannot obtain the highest bliss. This marginal state of life may be called the life of self-satisfaction as distinguished from the life of self-realisation which means engagement in the transcendental activities of the spiritual world. Self-satisfaction without this self-realisation (attachment for spiritual activities) does not bear any substantial fruit.
"The quality of spiritual activity is so much attractive that it attracts even the most self-satisfied spiritualists and thus engages them in the spiritual activities as distinguished from the material activities.

"Thus the result of good works, when it gives sufficient leisure for the cultivation of spiritual activities and spiritual knowledge it is then and then only that good works or cultivation of spiritual knowledge can be accepted as means to the ultimate goal. Therefore devotional activities only can lead us to the spiritual activities and nothing else. Good works or spiritual knowledge under the guidance of devotional activities can be helpful for spiritual activities but devotional activities even without the help of good works or spiritual knowledge can alone help us in the attainment of spiritual life.

"The Personality of Godhead Sree Krishna informed Uddhava that neither good works even without any desire for fruitive action, nor spiritual knowledge, nor the system of caste and creed nor the studies of scriptures, nor penances, nor even renunciation can satisfy Him, as do the devotional activities themselves.

(Transformed into English by the Editor from Bengali.)

All Glory to Sri Guru and Gauranga
BTGPY1c: "BACK TO GODHEAD"
"BACK TO GODHEAD"

(in devanägaré:)
vande 'haà çré-guroù çré-yuta-pada-kamalaà çré-gurün vaiñëaväàç ca
çré-rüpam sägrajätaà saha-gaëa-raghunäthänvitaà taà sa-jévam
sädvaitaà sävadhütaà parijana-sahitaà kåñëa-caitanya-devaà
çré-rädhä-kåñëa-pädän saha-gaëa-lalitä-çré-viçäkhänvitäàç ca

The man having forgotten himself as the son of Godhead, has forsaken his real constitutional nature. He has misidentified himself with everything non-godly and therefore manipulates a material existence conducted by the mind and the six instrumental senses. He is concerned only with his material coverings of gross body and the subtle mind but cannot see either himself or his so-called numerous fellowmen. This is what we mean by Nescience which is darkness. The man having designated himself with the relation of his vehicular body and the finer elements of mind and ego etc., like the motor-car driver who has identified himself wrongly with the motor-car itself, has manufactured a civilization which is self contradictory and self denial.
His so-called rationality having not gone far above the rationality of the lower animals, he laments at the death of his fellowmen or at the loss of his own things which he has never witnessed by real experience. This is what we mean by Nescience which is darkness. He slightly feels only and that after the death of his fellowmen that the body loses something that moves it just like the driver moves the motor-car, but still due to the darkness of Nescience he never concerns himself with the driver of the body but takes care superficially only for the body or the mechanical car.
In the darkness of Nescience he is fully amazed with mechanism of the gross body just like a boy who is amazed with mechanism of the motor-car, but he hardly tries to understand that without a driver any amount of astounding mechanical arrangement of the motor-car or that of the human body, it cannot move either of them even by an inch. This is what we mean by Nescience which is darkness.
The defect of the present day civilization is just like the above. This is actually the civilization of Nescience or illusion and has, therefore, civilization been turned into militarization. Every one is fully concerned with the comforts of the body and everything related with the body and no body is concerned with the Spirit that moves the body although even a boy can realise that the motor-car mechanism has little value if there is no driver of the car. This dangerous ignorance of humanity is a gross Nescience and has created a dangerous civilization in the form of militarization. This militarization which, in softer language, is nationalization, is an external barrier to come to an understanding of human relation. There is no meaning in a fight where the parties do fight only for the matter of different coloured dresses. There must be therefore an understanding of human relation without any consideration of the bodily designation or coloured dresses.

"BACK TO GODHEAD" is a feeble attempt by the undersigned under the direction of His Divine Grace Sri Srimad Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Prabhupada, the celebrated founder and organiser of the Gaudiya Math activities-just to bring up a real relation of humanity with central relation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
That there is a great and urgent need of a literature like this is keenly felt by the leaders of all countries and the following statements will help much in the procedure.

Some time back a bold statement by the Metropolitan of India in the form of Moral and Spiritual Re-armament movement, was published in the Hindusthan Standard, in which the reverend Bishop declared that "INDIA GUIDED BY GOD CAN LEAD THE WORLD BACK TO SANITY."
The President of the United States of America in a message to the Senate stated that "the underlying strength of the world consists in the moral fibre of citizens. A programme therefore of moral re-armament for the world cannot fail, to lessen the dangers of armed conflict. Such moral re-armament, to be most highly effective, must receive support on a world wide basis."

The Ex-president of the United States of America Mr. Herbert Hoover sent a message in a citizen's meeting in New York which included the following words. "What the world needs today is to return to sanity and moral spiritual ideals. At the present moment, nothing so concerns mankind."
Some 236 members of the British House of Commons jointly affirmed that spiritual principles which are common heritage of all people, are more fundamental than any political or economic issue. They also strongly affirmed that there is urgent need to acknowledge the sovereign authority of God in home and nation to establish that liberty which rests on the Christian responsibility to all one's fellowmen and to build a national life based on usefulness, unity and faith.
Sir Stafford Cripps the Lord Privy Seal of Britain in a meeting of Christians sometimes in the month of September 1942, said that the Kingdom of God would be accomplished through the Divine Power of love and he declared that "the tasks before us are, first so to conduct ourselves as individual Christian that in spite of the difficulties of our surroundings, we may work towards the establishment of the Kingdom of God throughout our country and the world and second, so to influence and change our social-economic and political environments as to encourage both ourselves and others to take to the Christian way of life."

The horrors of the war are pinching every one and all in the world and a statement of Mr. Windel Wilkie after his return from Russia, will tell the story of all other countries in the world. He stated that "Five million Russians have been killed, wounded or missing. At least sixty million Russians are slaves in the Russian territories controlled by Hitler. Food in Russia this winter will be scarce, perhaps worse than scarce. Fuel will be little known this winter in millions of Russian homes. Clothing except for the army and for essential war workers has nearly gone. Many vital medical supplies just do not exist."

What is true for the Russian people is also true for other people, as we Indians are feeling the same scarcity, the same want and the same disgust.

The disgust of the war is well summarized by the Foreign Secretary of Britain Mr. Anthony Eden who said that "this time we have to finish the job properly. We will not tolerate this business every twenty years. When the job is finished we must see that they cannot start it again. That is the will of the nation and the united nation."

The Archbishop of Canterbury in his recent broadcast in London said, "In every quarter of earth men long to be delivered from the curse of War and to find in a world which has regained its peace, respite from the harshness and bitterness of the world they have known till now. But so often they want the Kingdom of Heaven without its King. The kingdom of God without God. And they cannot have it."
"OUR RESOLVE MUST BE BACK TO GOD. We make plans for the future for peace amongst the nation and for civil security at home. That is quite right enough and it would be wrong to neglect it. But all our plans will come to ship-wreck on the rock of human selfishness unless we turn to God. BACK TO GOD, that is the chief need of England and of every nation."

And lately Sir Francis Younghusband while speaking at World Congress of Faiths said that, "that now religion is everywhere attacked brutally, we, look to India the very home of religion for a sign." Sir Francis pleaded that India, by her example might show the world how religion can be the most potent of all uniting forces in the conduct of human affairs."

Sir Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan the great Hindu philosopher addressing a crowded public meeting in Calcutta recently, observed:

"At a time like this when there is poverty, malnutrition of body and mind, when many people do not know what it is to have a cooked meal, or to lie on soft bed, when millions of homes turn into homes of hunger and prisoners of poverty, religious men will have to address themselves to the task of removing them."

"Today the world was noisier, more controversial and violent. There was more hope and more uncertainty, more aspirations and more frustration. And the years that intervened (from the last war) showed the bankruptcy of any spiritual value. The Versailles Treaty, the League of Nations, and the Disarmament Conference failed because they had not the back ground of public opinion to sustain them. This war, when it would be won, would prove to be the breeding ground of other wars if the peace was not saved. It could happen only if powerful nations ceased to take pride and glory in their possessions which were based on labour and tribute of other weaker nations. This perhaps was what Sir Harcourt Butler meant when he said that the principles of Hinduism contained the essential elements for the saving of world civilizations."

In another meeting the same philosopher pointed out, "We have to defeat tyranny in the realm of thought and create a will for world peace. Instruments for training the mind and educating human nature should be used to develop a proper social outlook without which institutional machinery was of little use."

These psychological movements of the leaders of all countries-combined with the orders of my Divine Master Sri Srimad Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Prabhupada has led me to venture to start a paper under the above name and style "BACK TO GODHEAD" which implies all the words that we may intend to say in this connection.

India has been politically subjugated so to say for the last one thousand years but very few have been able to exploit her spiritual resources up till now which are measured unlimited by the spiritual masters. Politically India may ask all so-called foreigners to quit the shores of India but spiritually she did never ask any body to do so nor she will do so even now. She will rather invite all the so-called foreigners to come and exploit the spiritual resources of India's advancement and this transcendental exploitation will not only enhance the glory of India but will also enrich the glory of the whole world for unity, faith and humanity.
It may not be out of place to mention herein that His Divine Grace Sri Srimad Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswaty Goswami Prabhupada, just before his departure from this mortal world, wrote me a letter from Puri dated the 3rd December, 1936 directing me towards my duty in fulfilling His mission in the world for propagating the religion of Divine Love as propounded by Lord Chaitanya. In course of writing that letter, He wrote the following lines amongst other things.

"I am fully confident that you can explain in English our thoughts and arguments to the people who are not conversant with the languages of other members."

"This will do much good to yourself as well as your audience."

"I have every hope that you can turn yourself a very good English preacher if you serve the mission to inculcate the novel impression to the people in general and philosophers of modern age and religiosity."

And when I was consulting my well wishers and friends who are able to help me in this great adventure, all of them encouraged me in this connection. His Grace Sripad Bhakti Saranga Goswami Moharaj the Preacher-in-charge for the Western countries appointed by His Divine Grace who has recently returned from London preaching work to his headquarter, very kindly sent his blessing from Sri Nityananda Gaudiya Math in his letter dated the 15-3-43 in the following words amongst other things:-

"I know that His Divine Grace used to admire your intelligence and it was His earnest desire that the world outside be benefitted through your writings in English."

Under the circumstances since 1936 up to now, I was simply speculating whether I shall venture this difficult task and that without any means and capacity; but as none has discouraged me including late Prof. Nishikanto Sanyal and Spd. Vasudev Prabhu (now Puri Moharaj), I have now taken courage to take up the work. Late Prof. Sanyal used to encourage me always by publishing my articles in his "Harmonist" and sometime back he wanted to give me the charge of the paper which I could not accept due to personal considerations.

But at the present moment my conscience is dictating me to take up the work although the difficulties are not over for the present situation arising out of War conditions.

I wish that every one who is enlightened and educated of all nationality, may take active interest in this periodical publication for wide circulation as this paper will contain only the transcendental messages of the great savants of India and specially of Lord Chaitanya, the Godhead Incarnate Who descended for the deliverance of all fallen souls in the present age. My duty will be simply to repeat in the "BACK TO GODHEAD" just like an interpreter what I have heard from and what I have been ordered to deliver by my great spiritual master H.D.G. Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Prabhupada. Nothing will be manufactured by me by my mental concoction. Such words will descend as Sound Transcendental and when they are given proper serving reception by the aural channel, surely they will act like medicine to carry all back to home and "BACK TO GODHEAD."

It is proposed that at least part by part issues of this literature shall be published every year and the subscription is fixed up at Rs. 6/- per annum in India or fifteen shillings per annum abroad. The writers of this paper will be mostly those who have dedicated their lives, resources, intelligence and speeches for the service of the Absolute Personality of Godhead and for the welfare of all entities. The readers will therefore derive the highest amount of benefit by their association if they will simply sacrifice a little time for the service of Godhead as will be directed in this paper from time to time. Surely they will go back to Godhead and the present rotten world will be transformed into the Kingdom of God as they will learn to acknowledge the sovereign authority of God in home and outside.

The subject matters delineated in the pages of "Back to Godhead" may seem to be very dry in the beginning as the messages are from a different sphere altogether but still we have to give attention to the messages if we really mean to cure the disease of Nescience and go "BACK TO GODHEAD." Sugar-candy is never sweet to those who are suffering from the disease of the bile. But still sugar-candy is the medicine for bilious patients. The taste of sugar-candy will gradually be revived if the bilious patient goes on taking sugar-candy regularly for the cure of the disease. We recommend the same process to the readers of "Back to Godhead."
Godhead is One without a second and all living entities are His eternal subordinate transcendental servitors. Realisation of this transcendental relation, will be the attempt of this paper and therefore there is no bar for any one in the world irrespective of colour, creed and nationality, to go back to Godhead.

Abhay Charan De,
Editor and Founder.
BTGPY1d: Godhead and His Potentialities

Guru Puja - Guru Nistha

I offer my humble apologies for not being able to post for Janmastami and Guru Puju appropriately.

This small video reflects what I believe what is not mature in myself and the Krishna movemenet writ large. This is guru nistha; Steady Faith in the guru and his words that he can delivery one to Krishna.

yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado

yasyaprasadan na gatih kuto ‘pi

dhyayan stuvams tasya yashas trisandhyam

vande guroh sri-charanaravindam

By his grace we gain divine benevolence.

Without his grace no progress can be made.

Always I offer him all accolade.

To his auspicious feet I pay obeisance.

Bhakta David