Scroll down - here are just a few of the ways people say "Hare Krishna." They say it with...

relish
conviction
feeling
commitment
assuredness
confidence
gusto
certainty
beauty
vigour
ardour
music
surety
happiness
ecstasy
elation
pleasure
delight
glee
emotion
drama
spirit
joy
rapture
delight
pleasure
contentment
warmth
zeal
fullness

Published on 22 January, 2002 in the Hindustan Times

SAMA DARSHAN is the Sanskrit for 'equal vision' as found in Bhagavad Gita 5.18.

Here's an interesting excerpt from a purport in the 3rd Canto, Chapter 32, Text 22:

"There are two kinds of religious activities: one for material advancement and the other for spiritual advancement. By taking shelter under the lotus feet of Krsna, one is endowed with both kinds of prosperity, material and spiritual. Why then should one go to any demigod?"

Here's an interesting point made by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura:

"When anarthas are removed due to the chanting of the holy name, then Krsna's form, qualities and pastimes will automatically become manifested from the name. There is no need to make any endeavour to artificially remember the form, qualities and pastimes." (from his last will and testament)

This verse always stuck in my mind. I don't know why. I think it's poetic.

"The body that at first rides high on fierce elephants or chariots adorned with gold and is known by the name "king" is later, by Your invincible power of time, called "faeces," "worms," or "ashes." (3.12.22)

Published in the Hindustan Times on 12 November 2001

BEING 'PLUGGED IN' doesn't make for globalisation. It's a fact that those who own computers make up six per cent of earth's population, and less than four out of a 100 have Internet access. Even among seasoned web surfers, it is a growing concern that computers and the Internet are hurtling us headlong into the outer darkness of dystopia.

Quoting Srila Prabhupada selectively is generally a sign of intellectual dishonesty or mental laziness. However, there are exceptions, and the following often-cited phrase from Srimad Bhagavatam is one I've used time and again. It says a lot more to me than the literal meaning of the words:

"Anyone who is trying to be aloof from this Krsna Consciousness Society and yet engage in Krsna consciousness is living in a great hallucination, for this is not possible." [4.9.11/Purport]

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura talked of following Rupa Goswami as "our supreme desire." In his last will and testament he writes: "All of you preach the message of Rupa Goswami and Raghunath Das Goswami with great enthusiasm. Our supreme desire is to become the dust of the lotus feet of the followers of Sri Rupa Goswami."

In a purport in the Ninth Canto (51st Verse, 10th Chapter): "If people take to this sankirtana movement of chanting Hare Krsna, Hare Rama, they will certainly be freed from the contamination of Kali-yuga, and the people of this age will be happy, as people were in Satya-yuga, the golden age."

I feel I've been saved inasmuch as sinful activity in this age has to actually be performed. Thinking alone -- of sin - isn't enough. And here's the proof (from the Srimad Bhagawatam, First Canto, Eighteenth Chapter, Text number seven:

Srila Prabhupada is known for saying that temples aren't places for "lazies and crazies." This is a quote from the Narada Bhakti Sutra, "And Srila Prabhupada was also stern, cautioning his followers, 'An easy-going life and Krsna consciousness go ill together.' " Another quote we have heard is this. "There are three types of people: those who make things happen; those who watch things happen; and those who wonder, 'what happened?'"

Published 15 January 2002

IN 1825 the Reverend Robert Thomas Malthus predicted that within a century, the world's population would outstrip its food supply. Fortunately, history has proved Malthus wrong.

Published in the Hindustan Times on 8 January 2002

THE BHAGAVAD Gita, arguably the world's oldest book, gives humankind a formula for peace that is still relevant. The 29th verse, fifth chapter (bhoktaram yajna-tapasam, etc.), informs us that God is the supreme proprietor of everything.

Published 5 November 2001

THE CASE for vegetarianism is not just about compassion and animal rights. It involves money, health, species physiology, the environment, population pressure on world food supply and Vedic wisdom. Britons opting for vegetarianism each week are almost outnumbering Indian converts to flesh diets.

Published in the Hindustan Times on 20 October 2001

THE CONCEPTS of 'One and Different' are as old as the hills. Philosophers have grappled with them since the dawn of time. One wonders what does this seemingly difficult-to-grasp concept mean and why such apparent contradictions are (such as unity in diversity) still popular? Is there a spiritual dimension?

Published 23 October 2001

SERVICE IS a tricky word. It is our nature to serve something or someone - a child, a parent, a grandparent, a pet, a manager, a teacher, or an elder. Selfless service, one with no expectation of immediate return, is something that every parent experiences. But even parents expect or at least hope that when they are old and feeble, their offspring will look after them.

Published 11 October 2001

RESEARCH SHOWS that the countries with the largest percentage of women in business, government and education are Sweden, Norway, Denmark and New Zealand. But are these truly the marks of "freedom" and even if India comes further down the list, does that mean that its women are less free?

The Vedas teach that Krishna has an eternal, equal, female counterpart, Radha, who is the personification of love of God. God is, therefore worshipped in the dual Radha-Krishna form.

(This essay was published in the Hindustan Times, a leading Indian newspaper)

New Zealanders commonly say, "Good as Gold." It is interesting that goodness is so nonchalantly equated with gold.
In an interesting twist on the importance of money, Srila Prabhupada has interestingly pointed out how worthless money actually is. He told us that one who has a lot of money feels that the money is his most prized possession, and his dearest friend. Yet that very same money, if lost and in the hands of the man's competitor, can be the very same man's worst and most hated and feared enemy.

Addressing the bewildering thicket of fakes that sincere seekers often encounter, we can quote Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati from his will: "To be cheated by those who mislead people in the name of Hari katha, has become a sort of religion of this age."

Although this topic can be discussed at great length, one nice explanation was recently discovered and written about by Bhayahari dasa, a Washington, D.C. area devotee. He reiterates sastric evidence that compares the agriculturist, the rains and time. In order for grains to manifest and become harvestable and edible, the farmer has to sow seeds. Then there has to be rain, and lastly time must elapse in order for the grain to manifest. The planting can be compared to free will, and the rain to destiny.

Obviously Srila Prabhupada respected culture and used it to propagate ISKCON. He used the food culture, the hospitality culture, the fine art culture, dance culture, drama culture, arts culture, architectural culture, festival culture, interior design culture, clothing and fashion culture to spread the Krishna consciousness culture. But he said that REAL culture is the ?upliftment?