Once in the material world, we are bound by karma "good and bad", based on our impious and pious actions.

THE WISE NEVER BLAME OTHERS FOR WHAT HAPPENS TO THEM IN THE MATERIAL CREATION

By Śrīla Bhakti Vijñāna Bhāratī Gosvāmī Mahārāja

"I firmly believe that whatever has transpired, is only an outcome of my previous karmas "pious and impious" activities in current and past lifetimes".

No one else is responsible or to be blamed for this. We all get "exactly" what we deserve, no more or no less.

Whenever the great wise Vedic personalities experienced any opposition, condemnation, false accusation, and so on, they simply saw it as the fruit of their own karma, rather than blaming anyone as a culprit.

The twelve mahājanas (great, wise personalities) exhibited the ideal of focusing their mind (chitta) on the end-goal / subject at hand.

Similarly, being the follower of their lotus divine or holy feet, I consider the dealings that were meted out to me solely as the fruit of my previous karma.

There is no other person to be held as the culprit or responsible for this." (End of quote)

Once in the material world, we are bound by karma good and bad based on our impious and pious actions.

Everything that comes to us (the jiva soul) who is contained first in a "subtle material body", and  "rewarded or punished" with a particular "gross material body", based on our actions, all stems from our past actions, "good and bad", we "chose" to participate in.

Everything we get in this material world we MUST pay for eventually, and every action we do, we are either rewarded or punished for.

As the saying goes -

"What goes around comes around"

Srila Bhaktivenode Thakur prayed to the Lord that he could always remain in presents of devotees while the past enormous bank balance build up of past pious and impious actions from billions of lives gradually unfolds on him.

Srimad Bhagavatam explains our material universe is deep inside a larger universal Body called a Brahmanda. as the below painting reveals

Srimad Bhagavatam explains our material universe is deep inside a larger universal Body called a Brahmanda.

There are an unlimited amount of Brahmanda egg shaped universes coming from the Bodily pores and breathing of Maha-Visnu the creator of the material creation (mahat-tattva) 

The Brahmanda universal body is made up of 7 layers of material qualities both gross and subtle that surround and encase our small inner secondary material universe, that is 4 billion mile in diameter known as Bhu-Mandala.

However, I can see why some scholars claim there are 8 layers of material qualities, they also include the diameter of our small 4 billion mile inner material universe that houses its 14 planetary systems as one of layers making it 8 to them.

They then multiply the size of our 4 billion mile diameter universe by 10 to get the diameter of the first layer "earth" matter.

But the figure is actually 7 as follows-

1 -10×4=40 billion miles in diameter thick (earth)

 2 - 10×40=400 billion for (water)

3 - 10×400= 4000 (4 trillion) (fire)

4 - 10×4 (trillion)=40 trillion (air)

5 - 10x40= 400 trillion (sky)

6 - 10x400=4000 trillion (4 quadrillion) (false ego)

7 - 10×4 quadrillion=40 quadrillion (total material energy)

So our Brahmanda universal  shell that our small 4 billion mile diameter secondary universe is deep within, is 44 quadrillion 444 trillion 444 billion miles in diameter, or double that figure if measured from one side of the inner edge of our secondary universe inside the Brahmanda.

If this description was drawn to proper scale, our inner Bhu-Mandala universe would appear almost invisible at the center to us because of the massive size of the Brahmanda universal shell we are in.

Our 4 billion mile diameter universe is deep inside, and surrounded by a greater universe called a Brahmanda that is 44 quadrillion 444 trillion 444 billion miles in diameter as paintings reveal.

Why ISKCON devotees are not interested in daily worship of the demigods including Siva.

The reason why devotees in "The International Society For Krsna Consciousness" (ISKCON), are not interested in demigod worship or even the daily worship of Lord Siva.

The world wide Hare Krsna Movement makes life simple for those interested in spiritual life. 

There is nothing spiritual about worshiping demigods, one goes to the demigods in an attempt to gain material benedictions. 

Srila Prabhupada - "These demigods are worshiped mostly by those who are in the lowest categories of the mode of darkness or ignorance. Other demigods, like Brahmā, Śiva, Sūrya, Gaṇeśa and many similar deities, are worshiped by men in the mode of passion, urged on by the desire for material enjoyment. But those who are actually situated in the mode of goodness (sattva-guṇa) of material nature worship only viṣṇu-tattvas. Viṣṇu-tattvas are represented by various names and forms, such as Nārāyaṇa, Dāmodara, Vāmana, Govinda and Adhokṣaja." (SB Canto 1 Ch 2 Text 26)

Srila Prabhupada - "Worshiping the multidemigods for material gain is practically a perversity of religion. This sort of religious activity has been condemned in the very beginning of the Bhāgavatam as kaitava-dharma." (SB Canto 1 Ch 2 Text 27)

The Bhagavad Gita condemns the worship of demigods for material purposes. 

This is the opinion of Krsna stated in Bhagavad Gita-

"Men in this world desire success in fruitive activities, and therefore they worship the demigods. Quickly, of course, men get results from fruitive work in this world." (Bg 4.12)

"Those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires surrender unto demigods and follow the particular rules and regulations of worship according to their own natures." (Bg 7.20)

"Endowed with such a faith, he endeavors to worship a particular demigod and obtains his desires. But in actuality these benefits are bestowed by Me alone." (Bg 7.22)

"Men of small intelligence worship the demigods, and their fruits are limited and temporary. Those who worship the demigods go to the planets of the demigods, but My devotees ultimately reach My supreme planet." (Bg 7.23)

"Those who worship the demigods will take birth among the demigods; those who worship the ancestors go to the ancestors; those who worship ghosts and spirits will take birth among such beings; and those who worship Me will live with Me." (Bg 9.25)

Neither the hosts of demigods nor the great sages know My origin or opulences, for, in every respect, I am the source of the demigods and sages." (Bg 10.2)

"O Krsna, I totally accept as truth all that You have told me. Neither the demigods nor the demons, O Lord, can understand Your personality." (Bg10.14)

"There is no being existing, either here or among the demigods in the higher planetary systems, which is freed from these three modes born of material nature." (Bg 18.40)

"Those who are in the modes of passion and ignorance worship the forefathers, other living beings and the demigods who are in charge of cosmic activities, for they are urged by a desire to be materially benefited with women, wealth, power and progeny." (SB 1.2.27)

Why is the Hare Krsna mantra known as the maha-mantra, the greatest of all mantras, is most important to ISKCON devotees?

Srila Prabhupada - "Yes, Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that God has millions and billions of names, so any name is as good as Kṛṣṇa, it doesn't matter."

Devotee - "So then why are we concentrating on just chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra?"

Srila Prabhupada - "Because we are following in the footprints of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu He who only chanted these holy names-

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna 
Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare.

So this is why we are chanting this maha mantra. Therefore we request you most humbly, there is no loss on your part, but the gain is immense. 

If you take to this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, then gradually your misconception of this life will be cleared off. You will understand your real identity and you will act in that way. And the process is so nice, you can still remain in your business, that doesn't matter, simply you have to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. 

Suppose you are walking on the street. If you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, nobody is taxing you, nobody is bothering you. But if by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, if you derive some benefit, why do you neglect it? That is our submission." (Lecture to Students M.I.T. Boston, May 05, 1968)                                                                                      
Of all mantras in the Vedas, one is called the maha-mantra, or great mantra-

Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna 
Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama
Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

The simple translation to English of this maha-mantra is-

''Oh my Lord, Oh energies of the Lord, please my Lord engage me eternally in your devotional service''.

harinama harinama harinama eva kevalam
kalau nastyeva nastyeva nastyeva gatir anyatha

"In this Age of Kali there is no other means, no other means, no other means for self-realization than chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name of Lord Hari."

Srila Prabhupada - ''There is only one religion in the world to be followed by one and all, and that is the Bhāgavata-dharma, or the religion which teaches one to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead and no one else." (SB Canto 1 Ch 2 Text 27)

SB Canto 1 Ch 2 Text 26 - "Those who are serious about liberation are certainly nonenvious, and they respect all. Yet they reject the horrible and ghastly forms of the demigods and worship only the all-blissful forms of Lord Viṣṇu and His plenary portions.

Prabhupada's purport - "The Supreme Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is the original person of the Viṣṇu categories, expands Himself in two different categories, namely integrated plenary portions and separated parts and parcels.

The separated parts and parcels are the servitors, and the integrated plenary portions of viṣṇu-tattvas are the worshipful objects of service.

All demigods who are empowered by the Supreme Lord are also separated parts and parcels. They do not belong to the categories of viṣṇu-tattva.

The viṣṇu-tattvas are living beings equally as powerful as the original form of the Personality of Godhead, and they display different categories of power in consideration of different times and circumstances.

The separated parts and parcels are powerful by limitation. They do not have unlimited power like the viṣṇu-tattvas. Therefore, one should never classify the viṣṇu-tattvas, or the plenary portions of Nārāyaṇa, the Personality of Godhead, in the same categories with the parts and parcels.

If anyone does so he becomes at once an offender by the name pāṣaṇḍī. In the age of Kali many foolish persons commit such unlawful offenses and equalize the two categories.

The separated parts and parcels have different positions in the estimation of material powers, and some of them are like Kāla-bhairava, Śmaśāna-bhairava, Śani, Mahākālī and Caṇḍikā.

These demigods are worshiped mostly by those who are in the lowest categories of the mode of darkness or ignorance.

Other demigods, like Brahmā, Śiva, Sūrya, Gaṇeśa and many similar deities, are worshiped by men in the mode of passion, urged on by the desire for material enjoyment. 

But those who are actually situated in the mode of goodness (sattva-guṇa) of material nature worship only viṣṇu-tattvas. 

Viṣṇu-tattvas are represented by various names and forms, such as Nārāyaṇa, Dāmodara, Vāmana, Govinda and Adhokṣaja.

The qualified brāhmaṇas worship the viṣṇu-tattvas represented by the śālagrāma-śilā, and some of the higher castes like the kṣatriyas and vaiśyas also generally worship the viṣṇu-tattvas.

Highly qualified brāhmaṇas situated in the mode of goodness have no grudges against the mode of worship of others.

They have all respect for other demigods, even though they may look ghastly, like Kāla-bhairava or Mahākālī. 

They know very well that those horrible features of the Supreme Lord are all different servitors of the Lord under different conditions, yet they reject the worship of both horrible and attractive features of the demigods, and they concentrate only on the forms of Viṣṇu because they are serious about liberation from the material conditions.

The demigods, even to the stage of Brahmā, the supreme of all the demigods, cannot offer liberation to anyone. Hiraṇyakaśipu underwent a severe type of penance to become eternal in life, but his worshipful deity, Brahmā, could not satisfy him with such blessings.

Therefore Viṣṇu, and none else, is called mukti-pāda, or the Personality of Godhead who can bestow upon us mukti, liberation. 

The demigods, being like other living entities in the material world, are all liquidated at the time of the annihilation of the material structure.

They are themselves unable to get liberation, and what to speak of giving liberation to their devotees. 

The demigods can award the worshipers some temporary benefit only, and not the ultimate one.

It is for this reason only that candidates for liberation deliberately reject the worship of the demigods, although they have no disrespect for any one of them.

Text 27

"Those who are in the modes of passion and ignorance worship the forefathers, other living beings and the demigods who are in charge of cosmic activities, for they are urged by a desire to be materially benefited with women, wealth, power and progeny."

Prabhupada's purport - "There is no need to worship demigods of whatsoever category if one is serious about going back to Godhead. 

In the Bhagavad-gītā (7.20,23) it is clearly said that those who are mad after material enjoyment approach the different demigods for temporary benefits, which are meant for men with a poor fund of knowledge.

We should never desire to increase the depth of material enjoyment. Material enjoyment should be accepted only up to the point of the bare necessities of life and not more or less than that.

To accept more material enjoyment means to bind oneself more and more to the miseries of material existence. More wealth, more women and false aristocracy are some of the demands of the materially disposed man because he has no information of the benefit derived from Viṣṇu worship.

By Viṣṇu worship one can derive benefit in this life as well as in life after death. Forgetting these principles, foolish people who are after more wealth, more wives and more children worship various demigods. 

The aim of life is to end the miseries of life and not to increase them. For material enjoyment there is no need to approach the demigods. The demigods are but servants of the Lord. 

As such, they are duty-bound to supply necessities of life in the form of water, light, air, etc.

One should work hard and worship the Supreme Lord by the fruits of one's hard labor for existence, and that should be the motto of life. One should be careful to execute occupational service with faith in God in the proper way, and that will lead one gradually on the progressive march back to Godhead.

Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, when He was personally present at Vrajadhāma, stopped the worship of the demigod Indra and advised the residents of Vraja to worship by their business and to have faith in God.

Worshiping the multidemigods for material gain is practically a perversity of religion. This sort of religious activity has been condemned in the very beginning of the Bhāgavatam as kaitava-dharma.

There is only one religion in the world to be followed by one and all, and that is the Bhāgavata-dharma, or the religion which teaches one to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead and no one else.

Texts 28-29

"In the revealed scriptures, the ultimate object of knowledge is Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead. The purpose of performing sacrifice is to please Him. Yoga is for realizing Him. All fruitive activities are ultimately rewarded by Him only. He is supreme knowledge, and all severe austerities are performed to know Him. Religion [dharma] is rendering loving service unto Him. He is the supreme goal of life."

Prabhupada's purport - "That Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, is the only object of worship is confirmed in these two ślokas. In the Vedic literature there is the same objective: establishing one's relationship and ultimately reviving our lost loving service unto Him. That is the sum and substance of the Vedas.

In the Bhagavad-gītā the same theory is confirmed by the Lord in His own words: the ultimate purpose of the Vedas is to know Him only. All the revealed scriptures are prepared by the Lord through His incarnation in the body of Śrīla Vyāsadeva just to remind the fallen souls, conditioned by material nature, of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead.

No demigod can award freedom from material bondage. That is the verdict of all the Vedic literatures. 

Impersonalists who have no information of the Personality of Godhead minimize the omnipotency of the Supreme Lord and put Him on equal footing with all other living beings, and for this act such impersonalists get freedom from material bondage only with great difficulty.

They can surrender unto Kṛṣṇa only after many, many births in the culture of transcendental knowledge. One may argue that the Vedic activities are based on sacrificial ceremonies. That is true. But all such sacrifices are also meant for realizing the truth about Vāsudeva.

Another name of Vāsudeva is Yajña (sacrifice), and in the Bhagavad-gītā it is clearly stated that all sacrifices and all activities are to be conducted for the satisfaction of Yajña, or Viṣṇu, the Personality of Godhead.

This is the case also with the yoga systems. Yoga means to get into touch with the Supreme Lord. The process, however, includes several bodily features such as āsana, dhyāna, prāṇāyāma and meditation, and all of them are meant for concentrating upon the localized aspect of Vāsudeva represented as Paramātmā.

Paramātmā realization is but partial realization of Vāsudeva, and if one is successful in that attempt, one realizes Vāsudeva in full. 

But by ill luck most yogīs are stranded by the powers of mysticism achieved through the bodily process.

Ill-fated yogīs are given a chance in the next birth by being placed in the families of good learned brāhmaṇas or in the families of rich merchants in order to execute the unfinished task of Vāsudeva realization.

If such fortunate brāhmaṇas and sons of rich men properly utilize the chance, they can easily realize Vāsudeva by good association with saintly persons. 

Unfortunately, such preferred persons are captivated again by material wealth and honor, and thus they practically forget the aim of life. This is also so for the culture of knowledge. 

According to Bhagavad-gītā there are eighteen items in culturing knowledge. By such culture of knowledge one becomes gradually prideless, devoid of vanity, nonviolent, forbearing, simple, devoted to the great spiritual master, and self-controlled.

By culture of knowledge one becomes unattached to hearth and home and becomes conscious of the miseries due to death, birth, old age and disease. And all culture of knowledge culminates in devotional service to the Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva.

Therefore, Vāsudeva is the ultimate aim in culturing all different branches of knowledge. 

Culture of knowledge leading one to the transcendental plane of meeting Vāsudeva is real knowledge. physical knowledge in its various branches is condemned in the Bhagavad-gītā as ajñāna, or the opposite of real knowledge.

The ultimate aim of physical knowledge is to satisfy the senses, which means prolongation of the term of material existence and thereby continuance of the threefold miseries. So prolonging the miserable life of material existence is nescience.

But the same physical knowledge leading to the way of spiritual understanding helps one to end the miserable life of physical existence and to begin the life of spiritual existence on the plane of Vāsudeva.

The same applies to all kinds of austerities. Tapasya means voluntary acceptance of bodily pains to achieve some higher end of life. Rāvaṇa and Hiraṇyakaśipu underwent a severe type of bodily torture to achieve the end of sense gratification.

Sometimes modern politicians also undergo severe types of austerities to achieve some political end. This is not actually tapasya. One should accept voluntary bodily inconvenience for the sake of knowing Vāsudeva because that is the way of real austerities.

Otherwise all forms of austerities are classified as modes of passion and ignorance. passion and ignorance cannot end the miseries of life. Only the mode of goodness can mitigate the threefold miseries of life.

Vasudeva and Devakī, the so-called father and mother of Lord Kṛṣṇa, underwent penances to get Vāsudeva as their son. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the father of all living beings (Bg. 14.4). Therefore He is the original living being of all other living beings. He is the original eternal enjoyer amongst all other enjoyers.

Therefore no one can be His begetting father, as the ignorant may think. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa agreed to become the son of Vasudeva and Devakī upon being pleased with their severe austerities. Therefore if any austerities have to be done, they must be done to achieve the end of knowledge, Vāsudeva.

Vāsudeva is the original Personality of Godhead Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

As explained before, the original Personality of Godhead expands Himself by innumerable forms. Such expansion of forms is made possible by His various energies. His energies are also multifarious, and His internal energies are superior and external energies inferior in quality.

They are explained in the Bhagavad-gītā (7.4-6) as the parā and the aparā prakṛtis. So His expansions of various forms which take place via the internal energies are superior forms, whereas the expansions which take place via the external energies are inferior forms. 

The living entities are also His expansions. The living entities who are expanded by His internal potency are eternally liberated persons, whereas those who are expanded in terms of the material energies are eternally conditioned souls.

Therefore, all culture of knowledge, austerities, sacrifice and activities should be aimed at changing the quality of the influence that is acting upon us. For the present, we are all being controlled by the external energy of the Lord, and just to change the quality of the influence, we must endeavor to cultivate spiritual energy.

In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that those who are mahātmās, or those whose minds have been so broadened as to be engaged in the service of Lord Kṛṣṇa, are under the influence of the internal potency, and the effect is that such broadminded living beings are constantly engaged in the service of the Lord without deviation. That should be the aim of life.

And that is the verdict of all the Vedic literatures. No one should bother himself with fruitive activities or dry speculation about transcendental knowledge. 

Everyone should at once engage himself in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. Nor should one worship different demigods who work as different hands of the Lord for creation, maintenance or destruction of the material world.

There are innumerable powerful demigods who look over the external management of the material world. They are all different assisting hands of Lord Vāsudeva. 

Even Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā are included in the list of demigods, but Lord Viṣṇu, or Vāsudeva, is always transcendentally situated.

Even though He accepts the quality of goodness of the material world, He is still transcendental to all the material modes. The following example will clear that matter more explicitly. In the prison house there are the prisoners and the managers of the prison house.

Both the managers and the prisoners are bound by the laws of the king. But even though the king sometimes comes in the prison, he is not bound by the laws of the prison house. The king is therefore always transcendental to the laws of the prison house, as the Lord is always transcendental to the laws of the material world." (SB Canto 1 Chapter 2 Text 26 to 29)**

Srila Prabhupada - "The dogs may bark but the caravan continues on."

Srila Prabhupada had a favorite saying - "The dogs may bark loudly but the caravan continues on uninterrupted"

The purport is, we should ignore envious delusional materialists, mayavadis and impersonalists, who, after getting sick of seeking out pleasure in this material decaying temporary universe life after life, then attempts to free themselves from the frustration of everything here being in an eternal state of decay, decline by attempting to enter or merge their consciousness into "a void of nothingless and none existence".

They believe this is where their consciousness, existing only as an individual by being embodied in as a material body, merges back into the "all pervasive oneness" of the void, from where they believe their consciousness originates from, and again no longer exists. (This is actually a discription of Buddhism too)

A devotee compares "impersonalist and materialists" to those who commit suicide. This is because most impersonalist and mayavadis do not believe they are a soul and instead believe they ARE the gross material decaying bodily vessel they are actually in.

They therefore deny God, as well as the soul they eternally are that is trapped within each material bodily vessel they take in the material creation.

Taking to Mayavadi philosophy by denying one's eternal loving personal relationship with God, and denying one's own eternal identity as an individual jiva soul, is compared to committing spiritual suicide.

Once we choose to enter the material creation, we are bound by karma good and bad based on our actions.

Everything that comes to us (the soul) contained first in a subtle material body, and then being rewarded or punished with a gross material body, all stems from our past actions we chose to participate in.

The material body we are in, was in a sense, created by our own past pious and impious actions that are now visiting us in the form of this gross material bodily vessel.

Srila Bhaktivenode Thakur prayed to the Lord that he could always remain in presents of devotees while the past enormous bank balance build up of past pious and impious actions from billions of lives gradually unfolds on him.

The meaning of "Sankirtan" by Srila Prabhupada.

Srila Prabhupada - ''When the superior energy is in contact with inferior energy, it becomes an incompatible situation. But when the supreme marginal potency is in contact with the spiritual potency, Harā, it becomes the happy, normal condition of the living entity''. (Cover of the "Happening Record Album" December 1966 New York City USA)

Srila Prabhupada explains the meaning of Sankirtan -

Sankirtan is translated to - "The congregational chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra"

Srila Prabhupada - ''The transcendental vibration when chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, is the sublime method for reviving our Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

As living spiritual souls we are all "originally Kṛṣṇa conscious entities", but due to our association with matter since time immemorial, our consciousness is now polluted by material atmosphere.

In this polluted concept of live, we are all trying to exploit the resources of material nature, but actually we are becoming more and more entangled in her complexities.

This illusion is called māyā, or hard struggle for existence over the stringent laws of material nature. This illusory struggle against the material nature can at once be stopped by revival of our Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not an artificial imposition on the mind. This consciousness is the original energy of the living entity. When we hear the transcendental vibration, this consciousness is revived. And the process is recommended by authorities for this age.

By practical experience also, we can perceive that by chanting this mahā-mantra, or the Great Chanting for Deliverance, one can at once feel transcendental ecstasy from the spiritual stratum.

When one is factually on the plane of spiritual understanding, surpassing the stages of sense, mind and intelligence, one is situated on the transcendental plane.

This chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare is directly enacted from the spiritual platform, surpassing all lower states of consciousness-namely sensual, mental and intellectual.

There is no need of understanding the language of the mantra, nor is there any need of mental speculation nor any intellectual adjustment for chanting this mahā-mantra.

It springs automatically from the spiritual platform, and as such, anyone can take part in this transcendental sound vibration, without any previous qualification, and dance in ecstasy.

We have seen it practically. Even a child can take part in the chanting, or even a dog can take part in it.

The chanting should be heard, however, from the lips of a pure devotee of the Lord, so that immediate effect can be achieved.

As far as possible, chanting from the lips of a nondevotee should be avoided, as much as milk touched by the lips of a serpent causes poisonous effect.

The word Harā is a form of addressing the energy of the Lord. Both Kṛṣṇa and Rāma are forms of addressing directly the Lord, and they mean "the highest pleasure, eternal." Harā is the supreme pleasure potency of the Lord. This potency, when addressed as Hare, helps us in reaching the Supreme Lord.

The material energy, called as mayā, is also one of the multipotencies of the Lord, as much as we are also marginal potency of the Lord. The living entities are described as superior energy than matter.

When the superior energy is in contact with inferior energy, it becomes an incompatible situation. But when the supreme marginal potency is in contact with the spiritual potency, Harā, it becomes the happy, normal condition of the living entity.

The three words, namely Harā, Kṛṣṇa and Rāma, are transcendental seeds of the mahā-mantra, and the chanting is a spiritual call for the Lord and His internal energy, Harā, for giving protection to the conditioned soul.

The chanting is exactly like a genuine cry by the child for the mother. Mother Harā helps in achieving the grace of the supreme father, Hari, or Kṛṣṇa, and the Lord reveals Himself to such a sincere devotee.

No other means, therefore, of spiritual realization is as effective in this age, as chanting the mahā-mantra,

Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa,
Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare,
Hare Rāma Hare Rāma,
Rāma Rāma Hare Hare.

(The "Happening Record Album" December 1966 New York City USA)

July 20th 2019, will be the 50th anniversary of the Apollo Moon landings. How much longer will ISKCON keep calling the Apollo missions between 1969 and 1972 to the Moon a hoax? Or was it really a hoax? Let's weigh up all the evidence on both sides.

Soon, July 20th 2019, will be the 50th anniversary of the Apollo Moon landings.

50 years has passed, how should we maturely understand this significant event of human history?

Many forget that over 450,000 people worked on Moon landing project between 1961 and 1972?

Was it all really a hoax 50 years ago?

Srila Prabhupada taught his disciples it WAS a hoax and that man never went to the Moon.

However, it is obvious he really meant the "subtle dimension" on the Moon invisible to our "gross material bodies" that is the heavenly realm called Chandraloka.

And even today knowing he meant the heavenly realm called Chandraloka, to question Prabhupada the Acharaya's authority and judgement from 45 years ago, many devotees today call you an offensive demon for questioning and doubting the Acharaya.

Prabhupada once said he is not God but Krishna's humble servant and that many things in Cosmology he did not know.

He said he did not know or understand how to draw of Bhu-Mandala our universe, he had an idea but was not sure

Therefore he sent Tamal Krishna Maharaj to Southern India in search of a learned Brahmin, who could TEACH us all about Cosmology from the Vedic point of view and what this small material universe we are in really looks like.

We do not want to sound like a fanatical fundamentalist religious cult who has no evidence to prove our claims, he once said

So lets be sensible here and not sentimental, fanatical or even Just follow blindly.

Even Prabhupada told us long ago, "question everything" including all Vedic teachings in order to understand.

ISKCON devotees and leaders in what is nearly 2020, cannot keep ignoring the overwhelming evidence from so many employees involved with the present day Space programs and Moon experdition projects of China, Japan, India, European Union, Israel, Russia, America and soon Australia.

The 2020s are going to be very revealing time within the field of space travel.

Even though we do NOT agree with what they are doing, we CANNOT deny what they have achieved.

For devotees, as Prabhupada taught us, it is all a big waste of time and billions of dollars.

This is because a devotee's ONLY real goal is to "get out of this mundane temporary decaying material creation", and not try to be comfortable here by traveling through the material universe (outerspace), attempting to build the Kingdom of God in the material universe without God.

There needs to be a serious review of ISKCON's stand on the Apollo missions to know the truth.

And at the sametime, show the greatest respect to Srila Prabhupada who has the eyes to see the Moon as Chandraloka, a heavenly planet and not the "gross moon" us humans on this Earth globe only see.

As time goes on, it will become more aparent that all evidence over the last 50 years, clearly proves man DID go to the Moon, but ONLY the "gross Moon" we see at night and NOT the "subtle Moon" where the heavenly atmosphere of Chandraloka exists.

ISKCON should prepare a statement before it become obvious they have gone to the Moon and will send manned missions to the Moon sometime in the 2020s, when many Countries, like China, India, Japan, Israel, USA, Russia and European Union will go there.

In fact the many Countries above are going there now with unmanned probes and have been doing so for years.

The Moon they have been going too, is "the gross Moon" we see on Earth".

We have to understand that Srila Prabhupada was originally ALWAYS referring to the "subtle heavenly realm on the Moon called Chandraloka".

In this regards, Prabhupada is right, man in their mundane material space crafts can NEVER enter Chandraloka in a "gross material body" or their "material space vehicals" they went to the Moon in.

On these points Srila Prabhupada  was right.

This is because there is a underlining "subtle material reality" or dimension exising in sub-space throughout all the material universe, not just on the moon either.

This subtle parallel reality is here on earth too, it is all around us and for one to enter this unseen dimension of space-time in the gross material body is NOT possible.

Therefore, to enter the heavenly atmoshere of Chandraloka on the Moon, is only possible in the subtle material body, NOT a gross biological body.

And that entry is based on pious and impious activities (karma) and NOT material mundane technology.

But as far as the "gross Moon" is conerned, they DID go and there and soon many Countries will be back there with manned missions, already they have sent many probes and rovers to the Moon in recent years.

Therefore "is it wise" to keep denying these facts in today's world of 2019?

Or will some devotees keep up the denial of Moon landings, regardless of Srila Prabhupada's comments that they did not go.

Many devotees who firmly believe Prabhupada's comments, still repeat his 45 year old seemingly out dated comments with devotees back then all in their mid 20s.

Many of those recorded conversations with Prabhupada frankly seem humorous today.

For example, comments like all Moon rocks came from Arizona and the Moon landings were all staged on a Movie set directed by Stanley Kubrick who made the 1968 Movie "A Space Odesey"

But with all due respects to Srila Prabhupada, often he said the Astronauts CANNOT enter the heavenly realm of Chandraloka, which is right however, he extended that fact to not going to the "gross Moon" as well.

The fact is, we can see the Moon in the sky, it is that Moon we call "the gross Moon"

And to believe it was all staged acted in Arizona, is simply based on lack of proper information about this new technology of space exploration by America.

It is obvious to intelligent people 50 years on, Prabhupada's strong views back then 45 years ago, needed deeper research and correction.

This is because many back then lacked the knowledge in the 1960s and early 1970s about this new science.

Also Srila Prabhupada was born in the 19th Century, before even airplanes existed,  let alone space travel that some foolish devotees even today believe is a hoax along with Satellites.

Therefore "every comment" he made claiming the Moon landings were "all bluff" and never happened, seems by the evidence today incorrect.

Why is that?

Back then not many understood or even believed in space technology in the 1960s and early 70s. This is because it was all a new pioneering industry, not properly understood or researched maturely by the young devotees back then, including Srila Prabhupada.

To be fair, Prabhupada's views on going to the Moon was both "right and wrong" in the following way -

1 - They never entered the heavenly dimension of Chandraloka that is impossible to visit in a gross material body and gross materialistic space crafts.

2 - They DID land on the "gross Moon" between 1969 and 1972 as CORRECTLY documented by the Apollo missions.

So it seems today in nearly 2020, the Moon landings will be historically seen as NOT "all bluff" or some silly hoax by future generations.

Like all new technologies, the 1960s and 70s were no different, it brought , doubt, disbelief, denial, scriptural prophecies and superstition and conspiracy theories.

Just like when electric wiring was introduced in 1882 to power electric lights. Back then also many feared this technology and were told the wires entering your house, will attract evil spirits to enter through the wiring.

Or when in December 1903, the Wright brothers first flew their plane, it was condemned as a prank by the Catholic Church and the work of the devil, because if God wanted man to fly, He would of gave him wings.

These are the facts.

https://theconversation.com/moon-landings-footage-would-have-been-impossible-to-fake-a-film-expert-explains-why-118426

Surrender to Krishna and His pure devotees NEVER means one loses their individuality and the unique sense of independent self.

The fact is God is more inclined to help those who FIRST do everything they can to help themselves, even if by others standards it may seem they have not done enough trying to help themselves.

Only then when one does their best (and we are all different) will Krishna help you when He sees you tried your best to remember the Lord.

This is because each jiva has their own independent individual personality and sense of self that allows THEM to ''choose'' to help themselves think of Krishna or ignore Him and His "pure" devotees.

Otherwise if Krishna does everything for you, how can there be genuine love? Real love is reciprocal, it is NEVER a one way street where surrender to Krishna takes away one's sense of self, individuality and personal contributions.

The "highest independence and surrender" is "choosing" to be fully dependent on Krishna but ONLY in the mood of reciprocation.

Just wanting to be Krishna's mindless "yes man" as many young immature devotees attempt, is the worst kind of impersonalism!

The freedom to EVEN stay in Vaikuntha MUST be the jiva's choice in reciprocation with Krishna because without free will and the ability to choose, there can be no real love.

Srila Prabhupada has said not even Krishna can force you to love Him, LOVE or service is based on free will and then reciprocation.

Srila Prabhupada told his disciples, if you love me then naturally I will love you. This is what reciprocation means.

Surrender does NOT mean one stops being an individual independent living entity with their own eternal unique sense of self expression that foolish impersonal sannyasis and gurus teach, sadly even in ISKCON and the Gaudiya Math.

I heard one nonsense sanyasi say to a congregational member " Come join our Temple and you do not even have to think, we will do that for you"

Be careful of such IMPERSONALISM in the disguise of Vaishnavism.

Never give up but educate yourself of what REAL spiritual life is so you do not get cheated!

Who cares what World organized religious sangas and their members think, they do NOT own Krishna as many of their immature leaders try to make out.

In fact, no matter what the material world throws at you or what past difficulties and fall downs you have experienced due in inattentiveness, NEVER give up!

The fact is Spiritual life is like learning to walk, when one falls over, you just get up again and again until you become strong enough in your Krishna Consciousness to NEVER again fall down.

For many of us, as Krishna says in Bhagavad-Gita As It Is, this WILL take many life times.

However, for the rare selfless dedicated souls out of the many thousands of ISKCON and Gaudiya Math devotees, this CAN take just one life time by the mercy of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Srila Prabhupada.

Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 6 Chapter 16 Text 37 says - ''Every universe is covered by seven layers—earth, water, fire, air, sky, the total energy and false ego—each ten times greater than the previous one".

This photo used below by devotees at the TOVP of a Brahmanda and its description is completely incorrect.

1 - The 7 layer descriptions are WRONG (And it is not 8 either  layers as they claim on drawing) Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 6 Chapter 16 Text 37 says - ''Every universe is covered by seven layers—earth, water, fire, air, sky, the total energy and false ego—each ten times greater than the previous one".

2 - The size of the inner universe is NOT to scale, if it was you could not even see our inner 4 billion mile diameter universe compared to the size of the 7 layers of material qualities that make up the massive Brahmanda surrounding our small universe within.

3. Our Earth planet is NOT flat as fools believe, nor is it Bhu-Mandala that is discribed as 4 billion miles in diameter, that is really our enter single material universe and NOT our Earth globe.

All photos showing the 7 material layers and their sizes on the photo below are totally wrongly and bogus.

To be very clear, our earth planet is  within one of the 14 Planetary Systems that make up the our small universe and is a round global sphere.

On the internet some devotees are not presenting Bhagavatam's description as it is.

They have the first layer WRONG, here is how it should be.

Earth is the first layer and is 10 times bigger than the size of our universe which is 4 billion miles in diameter.

1 - Earth quality. The first layer "Earth" is 40 billion miles in diameter which is 10 times the size of our small Bhu-Mandala Universe.

2 - Water quality. 400 billion miles in diameter which is 10 times the size of Earth quality.

3 - Fire quality. 4 trillion miles in diameter which is 10 times the size of water quality.

4 - Air quality. 40 trillion miles in diameter which is 10 times the size of fire quality.

5 - Sky quality. 400 trillion miles in diameter which is 10 times the size of Air quality.

6 - Total material energy quality. 4 quadrillion in diameter which is 10 times the size of Sky.

7 - False Ego quality. 40 quadrillion miles in diameter.

The full diameter size of our Brahmanda that incases, covers and surrounds our inner small 4 billion diameter Bhu-Mandala universe is 44 quadrillion 444 trillion 444 billion miles in diameter.

References Srimad Bhagavatam's 5th canto are in next post.

Billions of almost spherical universal bodies called Brahmandas, emanate from the Body and breathing of Maha Vishnu.

These massive Universes are called desribed as egg shaped universes called Brahmandas.

Furthermore, each Brahmanda Universe surrounds and encases a smaller Universe that exists deep inside the Brahmanda where Garbhodakashayi Vishnu and Lord Brahma reside.

This inner 4 billion mile diameter universe is called Bhu-Mandala and
houses the 14 Planetary Systems.

Srimad Bhagavatam tells us there are billions of individual "Brahmanda Universes" however, the sizes of the each Brahmanda Universe and its small inner Universes inside it, varies in size.

For example, our inner Universe deep inside our Brahmanda called Bhu-Mandala, is one of the smallest and is "4 billion miles (500,000,000 Yojanas) in diameter"

According to Srimad Bhagavatam's 5th Canto, there are 14 Planetary Systems in our in our 4 billion mile diameter Bhu-Mandala Universe, but the amount may be different in others.

Within the stem of the lotus coming from the naval of Garbhodakashayi Vishnu, there are fourteen divisions of planetary systems created by Lord Brahma, and our earth spherical planet is situated in the middle of the stem.

Srila Prabhupada - ''We have to imagine that these universes (Brahmandas), which according to our limited knowledge are expanded unlimitedly, are so great that the gross and subtle ingredients—the five elements of the cosmic manifestation, namely

1 - Earth,
2 - Water,
3 - Fire,
4 - Air,
5 - Sky,
6 - Total material energy,
7 - False ego.

All are not only within the universe but cover the universe in seven layers, each layer ten times bigger than the previous one.

In this way, each and every universe is very securely packed, and there are numberless universes. All these universes float within the innumerable pores of the transcendental body of Mahā-Viṣṇu.

It is stated that just as the atoms and particles of dust are floating within the air along with the birds and their number cannot be calculated, so innumerable universes are floating within the pores of the transcendental body of the Lord. For this reason, the Vedas say that God is beyond the grasp of our knowledge. '' Krsna Book 87

We CANNOT see from one universe to another, this is because our individual universe is surrounded and encased by 7 thick material layers that is our outer egg shaped universe called a Brahmanda

And yes, it IS impossible to see the millions of other Brahmandas outside our inner universe (inside a massive Brahmanda) because of being surrounded by 7 thick material layers that only rare mystic yogis and advanced devotees like Arjuna can see and pass through.

So of course Krishna and Arjuna did not encounter such limitations we experience by the combination of these elements like earth, water, fire all gross elements as Bhagavad Gita explains.

Srila Prabhupada - ''The Lord is not visible to the eyes of ordinary men, those who are beyond the covering layers because of their transcendental devotional service can still see Him''. Krsna Book 87

We cannot see through our Brahmanda that surrounds and encases our small universe, Srila Prabhupada is clear on this

Srila Prabhupada - ''Lord Krishna and Arjuna crossed over the great region of darkness covering the material universes. Arjuna then saw the effulgence of light known as the brahmajyoti. The brahmajyoti is situated ''outside the covering of the material universes'', and because it cannot be seen with our present eyes, this brahmajyoti is sometimes called avyakta''. Krsna Book, 89

Srila Prabhupada - ''Each universe is covered by various layers of material elements (The 7 layers of the outer Brahmanda covering), and therefore although the universes are clustered together, we CANNOT see from one universe to another. In other words, whatever we see is within this one universe. In each universe there is one Lord Brahmā, and there are other demigods on other planets, but there is only one sun''.- Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 5 Chapter 21 Text 11, Purport

Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 6 Chapter 16 Text 37 -

''Every universe is covered by seven layers—earth, water, fire, air, sky, the total energy and false ego—each ten times greater than the previous one. There are innumerable universes besides this one, and although they are unlimitedly large, they move about like atoms in You. Therefore You are called unlimited [ananta]''.

PURPORT

This verse describes the coverings of the universe (saptabhir daśa-guṇottarair aṇḍa-kośaḥ).

The 7 layers covering and surrounding our inner Universe called a Brahmanda, is made up of

1 - Earth,
2 - Water,
3 - Fire,
4 - Air,
5 - Sky,
6 - Total material energy,
7 - False ego.

Beginning with the covering of earth, each covering is ten times greater than the previous one. Thus we can only imagine how great each universe is, and there are many millions of universes.

As confirmed by the Lord Himself in Bhagavad-gītā (BG 10.42):

athavā bahunaitena
kiṁ jñātena tavārjuna
viṣṭabhyāham idaṁ kṛtsnam
ekāṁśena sthito jagat

"But what need is there, Arjuna, for all this detailed knowledge? With a single fragment of Myself I pervade and support this entire universe."

The entire material world manifests only one fourth of the Supreme Lord's energy. Therefore He is called ananta''.

SB 1.3.2, Purport:

The first puruṣa is the Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. From His skin holes innumerable universes have sprung up. In each and every universe, the puruṣa enters as the Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu.

He is lying within the half of the universe which is full with the water of His body. And from the navel of Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu has sprung the stem of the lotus flower, the birthplace of Brahmā, who is the father of all living beings and the master of all the demigod engineers engaged in the perfect design and working of the universal order.

Within the stem of the lotus there are fourteen divisions of planetary systems, and the earthly planets are situated in the middle.

Upwards there are other, better planetary systems, and the topmost system is called Brahmaloka or Satyaloka. Downwards from the earthly planetary system there are seven lower planetary systems inhabited by the asuras and similar other materialistic living beings.

SB Canto 2

The universe is divided into fourteen planetary systems. Seven planetary systems, called Bhūr, Bhuvar, Svar, Mahar, Janas, Tapas and Satya, are upward planetary systems, one above the other.