By
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
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The human society cannot anymore allow to continue a Godless society at the risk of decreasing truthfulness, hygienic principles, forgiveness, mercifulness, and as a result of this, gradually decreasing the duration of life, strength, and memory. The human society is gradually degrading in the matter of religiosity, justice, and “might is right” is gradually taking the place of morality and justice. There is practically no more... (break in tape)… degrading to the standard of sexuality, even less decent than animals. Even in ordinary dealings, a man cannot trust another man, because the cheating propensity of man has increased beyond imagination. Attraction of young boys for young girls is no more as a matter of love, but such attraction is only on the basis of sexual potency. As soon as there is slackening of sex life, there is immediately the divorce petition.
In India, which was one day the land of religion and brahminical culture, things have deteriorated to such an extent that a man in a higher caste is recognized simply by putting a piece of thread on the body as a sign of sanctity. The so-called swamis are cheating the public, because the public also wants to be cheated by cheap method of self-realization. They are practicing so-called yoga performances, for the matter of reducing fat, and keeping the body fit for sense enjoyment. If somebody has no sufficient money, it is very difficult for him to get justice from the court, and if anyone can simply bluff by so-called advancement of knowledge, he is offered the doctorate degree. If a man is poor, he is at once accepted as uncivilized. By frustration, people are gradually becoming communist and hippies, and the guardians of society must now take up the situation very seriously, without further delay.
This Krishna consciousness movement is meant for overhauling the whole situation. We are creating men of character. We are training up our disciples to become lover of God, or Krishna, and from the beginning, they are trained to refrain from the following four principles of degradation: non-vegetarian diet, sex life outside of marriage, intoxication of all sorts including even tea, coffee, cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, etc. and gambling.
The teachings of this movement are based on the authorized movement of Lord Caitanya, on the principles of Bhagavad-Gita as a beginning, Srimad-Bhagavatam as a graduation. We have our centers in various cities throughout the nation, in cities such as New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Boston, Buffalo, Honolulu, Tampa, and Santa Fe. Recently we have been invited from British Guyana in South America. In Canada we have centers in Montreal and Vancouver, and recently we have opened centers in London, England, and Berlin, Germany.
Krishna consciousness movement is the post-graduate study of religious principles. Religion is a principle for accepting the authority of the Supreme Lord, and it is adopted in every civilized human society in consideration of different circumstances. There are many religious principles, under different names, but the best religious principle is what teaches the follower to develop love of Godhead. Krishna consciousness is direct method of invoking the dormant love of Godhead. At the present moment, the people are so much religiously fallen that it is not possible to educate them from the very beginning, how to develop love of Godhead, but by the mercy of Lord Caitanya, this mantra, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare is invested with so much power that simply by chanting this mantra consisting of 16 names, one can achieve the highest perfection.
People are after getting liberated from the pangs of material existence. Lord Caitanya says that by chanting this Hare Krishna mantra, the first installment, benediction, is that his heart becomes cleansed of all misunderstandings, and immediately he gets free from the blazing fire of material existence. Gradually, after extinction of this material consciousness of life, he develops his spiritual life, or the activities of spiritual life. The dormant love of Godhead is there in everyone’s heart, but due to influence of material activities, the dormant love of God is distributed in various material actions. Real purpose of humanitarian activities is to come to the point of Krishna consiousness. Social conventions were adopted in different countries in order to reach to the point of Krishna consciousness. Unfortunately, they have deteriorated so much into Godlessness that they have now begun to say that God is dead, which is not actually the fact. They do not know. It is simply due to their ignorance only. They are clamoring that “There is no God... I am God... You are God... Why you are searching after God?... There are so many Gods loitering in the streets.” All these statement indicate that humanity has gone very lower and lower, and to raise them again to the real consciousness of life is to accept this Krishna consciousness movement. If therefore, Krishna consciousness is adopted by the human society, there will not only be revival of man’s dormant love of Godhead, but also simultaneously there will be real peace and prosperity of the entire human society. The method is very simple and it is authorized. Krishna consciousness is beneficial both ways, namely individually and collectively. Any other process of human welfare activities, unless it is accepted collectively by the whole community, nation, there is no possibility of benefit to the individual person. But Krishna consciousness being transcendental and spiritual it is absolute. Even if collectively it is not accepted, any person who has taken Krishna consciousness individually, he’ll feel himself happy and prosperous. So there is no loss in either ways. We therefore recommend that there is great benefit by chanting this Hare Krishna mantra. There is no tax, there is no loss. So we recommend everyone to chant this Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, and see the result. It is not that you have to take certificate from others whether you are feeling alright by chanting this mantra. You will feel yourself. Just like if you are hungry. If you are given food, you will know that you are getting strength, you are getting satisfaction, and your hunger is being decreased. Similarly, if you give a chance to chant Hare Krishna, there is no hard and fast rules and regulation, simply you have to chant. You can chant at any moment. It is not that you have to take your bath, or you have to go to the church or temple, then you can chant. No. There is no such condition. In any condition, either sleeping, or in awakeness, or in business, or walking on the street, or lying on the bed, you have simply to practice. And the mantra is so powerful that it will build up your character, it will bring peace and happiness, and your health will be improved. Everything you will find all right. So we request everyone to take this mantra very seriously and chant without any hard and fast rules. We have got our classes in so many cities. You can take advantage of the instructions and how the devotees are following the principles of Krishna consiousness and you will be happy and benefited. Thank you very much.
(Srila Prabhupada lecture, 1968)
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