On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, was killed by Derek Chauvin, a white police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, during an arrest for allegedly using a counterfeit bill. Floyd’s death triggered demonstrations and protests in more than 75 U.S. cities and around the world against police brutality, police racism, and lack of police accountability.
The world had not yet come out of a lock-down of more than three months due to COVID-19 pandemic, and this was another international issue the world is witnessing.
Not unlike the George Floyd protests in America, since December of last year, India was witnessing protests against the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Bill, just before the COVID-19 outbreak. In both America and India, and all over the rest of the world, countless incidents of such unrest have arisen, like forest-fires that nobody wants yet happen nonetheless.
Most people feel deep in their hearts that such riots, looting, and loss of life are unnecessary, but they do not know the secret for stopping them. They do not know the secret because they do not know who is the Cause of All Causes and what His solution is for living peacefully.
Vedic literature and the great sages have declared Lord Shri Krishna to be the Cause of All Causes, and He says in Bhagavad Gita, 8:15, that this world is full of miseries (duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam). We try to overcome one problem and there comes another problem. And sometimes the solution to one problem is the cause of another bigger problem.
People die longing for peace but they don’t see peace. One problem after another keeps coming. Only the name of the problem changes, but the actual problem remains. Sometimes it is an earth-quake, another time a tsunami, or famine or pollution or flood or fire or epidemic or pandemic or poverty or war or corruption or exploitation or this or that, and it never ends.
When we have some boil on the skin we may apply some ointment and the boil goes away only to return from some other part of the skin. But then we go to the doctor, who not only treats the symptom but also treats the cause of the boil. And that gives permanent relief from the problem. Similarly, when society faces some problems, people tend to find some immediate but temporary solution but never refer to a man of true knowledge who can solve their problems for good.
And who is the transcendental doctor that can cure the bhāva-roga? Who can cure the disease of being in this world of suffering? Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has sung in his famous “Gurv-aṣṭaka”:
saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka-
trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam
prāptasya kalyāṇa-guṇārṇavasya
vande guroḥśrī-caraṇāravindam
“The spiritual master is receiving benediction from the ocean of mercy. Just as a cloud pours water on a forest fire to extinguish it, so the spiritual master delivers the materially afflicted world by extinguishing the blazing fire of material existence. I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of such a spiritual master, who is an ocean of auspicious qualities.”
The spiritual master (guru) can not only take us to the spiritual world but can also cure bhāva-roga. Therefore Śrīla Prabhupāda, the Founder-Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in his seventies traveled throughout the world to enlighten people so that they can be relieved of bhāva-roga. He broadcast to human society at large the message of the Vedic scriptures, especially Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad Bhāgavatam.
It is said in Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 9.10.51,
“Lord Rämacandra became King during Tretä-yuga, but because of His good government, the age was like Satya-yuga. Everyone was religious and completely happy.”
And Śrīla Prabhupāda comments:
‘Among the four yugas—Satya, Tretä, Dväpara, and Kali—the Kali–yuga is the worst, but if the process of varnäshrama-dharma is introduced, even in this age of Kali, the situation of Satya-yuga can be invoked. The Hare Krishna movement, or Krishna consciousness movement, is meant for this purpose.’
Scriptures refer to this present millennium as Kali-yuga (the age of quarrel and hypocrisy) in which problems are more frequent than in past millennia. Srila Prabhupada offers two solutions. First, he emphasizes that the varnäshrama-dharma (a social and spiritual division of society) could be the best system of governance to eliminate the effects of Kali-yuga or the present problems of the society. This varna system (a social division of the society) is not like modern caste system based on birth in particular family or society and which was introduced by British in India rather it was based on one’s qualification and activities (cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ, Bhagavad Gita 4.13).
Just like students with higher merit in 10+2 grade get admission in the best medical or engineering college or students with good scores in college gets the best placement, in varnashrama system people with good qualities are honored irrespective of his birth.
Such social and spiritual divisions are natural and present in all societies. As far as one’s social status is concerned, there are differences but on the spiritual level, all are equal. Krishna says in Gita 5.18, “The humble sages, by virtue of true knowledge, see with equal vision a learned and gentle brähmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater (chandal)”. But on the bodily level, if any society artificially removes social hierarchy then there will be anarchy.
Imagine any country which has all subjects as prime ministers or supposes all subjects of the country are doctors only! Can such a society survive? Don’t we need prime minister, ministers, officers, servants, doctors, engineers, farmers, laborers, accountants, businessmen, sweepers, cooks, etc? Or another example is our body, though all body parts are of the same person, there is a division of labor, all parts of the bodywork differently for the sustenance of the body. Similarly, social divisions of society are needed for the perfect functioning of society. That is why Srila Prabhupada has stated that the introduction of Varnashrama-Dharma will invoke a situation like Satya-yuga in which all will be very happy. As it works on the inspiration of doing one’s duty without expectation of result (karmaëy evädhikäras te mä phaleñu kadäcana Gita 2.47), unlike modern society in which everyone is interested in one’s rights and results but not in duty. Moreover, the sole purpose of the Varnashrama system is to satisfy the Supreme Lord Shri Krishna and go back to one’s original home back to Godhead, Vaikunthaloka.
As the second solution, Srila Prabhupada writes further in the same purport to SB 9.10.51,
kaler doṣa-nidhe rājann
asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ
kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya
mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet
“My dear King, although Kali-yuga is full of faults, there is still one good quality about this age: simply by chanting the Hare Krishna mahä-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom.” (SB 12.3.51)
‘If people take to this saṅkīrtana movement of chanting Hare Krishna, Hare Räma, 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. Anyone, anywhere, can easily take to this Hare Krishna movement; one need only chant the Hare Krishna mahä-mantra, observe the rules and regulations, and stay free from the contamination of sinful life. Even if one is sinful and cannot give up sinful life immediately if he chants the Hare Krishna mahä-mantra with devotion and faith he will certainly be freed from all sinful activities, and his life will be successful. Param vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam. This is the blessing of Lord Rämacandra, who has appeared in this age of Kali as Lord Gaurasundara.’
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains, just as by the presence of Lord Rāmacandra, Tretä-yuga became like Satya-yuga, so by the chanting holy name of the Lord, this Kali-yuga will also become like Satya-yuga.
It is, therefore, said in Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 9.10.52 – 53,
“O Mahäräja Parikshit, best of the Bhārata dynasty, during the reign of Lord Rämacandra, the forests, the rivers, the hills and mountains, the states, the seven islands, and the seven seas were all favorable in supplying the necessities of life for all living beings. When Lord Rämacandra, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, was the King of this world, all bodily and mental suffering, disease, old age, bereavement, lamentation, distress, fear, and fatigue were completely absent. There was even no death for those who did not want it.”
Śrīla Prabhupāda writes: ‘All these facilities existed because of Lord Rämacandra’s presence as the King of the entire world. A similar situation could be introduced immediately, even in this age called Kali, the worst of all ages. It is said, kali-käle näma-rüpe kṛṣṇa-avatära: Kṛṣṇa descends in this Kali-yuga in the form of His holy name—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Räma. If we chant offenselessly, Räma and Kṛṣṇa are still present in this age. The kingdom of Räma was immensely popular and beneficial, and the spreading of this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement can immediately introduce a similar situation, even in this Kali–yuga.’
Such is the power of the presence of the Lord or His name as His name is non-different from Him (abhinnatvāṁ nāma-nāminoḥ, CC Madhya 17.133), presence of Lord’s name will also bestow similar benediction as stated above from SB 12.3.51-52.
As far as the various problems in the world are concerned, solutions suggested by world leaders have already been tried. And they have failed to achieve peace in the society. Therefore, ISKCON’s Founder-Ācārya Śrīla Prabhupāda started the Hare Krishna Movement in order to teach the world this simple yet 100% effective treatment for the bhāva-roga, a program to permanently end the problems of material life.
As Śrīla Prabhupāda’s servants in ISKCON, we make this humble request:
Let the people and world leaders try this simple method of chanting the holy name of the Lord “hare krishna hare
And this is not a post-dated cheque, it is a guarantee from Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu:
ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaṁ
śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇaṁ vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam
ānandāmbudhi-vardhanaṁ prati-padaṁ pūrṇāmṛtāsvādanaṁ
sarvātma-snapanaṁ paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam
“Let there be all victory for the chanting of the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa, which can cleanse the mirror of the heart and stop the miseries of the blazing fire of material existence. That chanting is the waxing moon that spreads the white lotus of good fortune for all living entities. It is the life and soul of all education. The chanting of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa expands the blissful ocean of transcendental life. It gives a cooling effect to everyone and enables one to taste full nectar at every step.” (Śikṣāṣṭaka 1, also CC Antya 20.12)
And also from Bṛhan-nāradīya Purāṇa 38.126
harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam
kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā
“In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy, the only means of deliverance is the chanting of the holy names of the Lord. There is no other way. There is no other way. There is no other way.”
This permanent relief and bliss is the experience of many devotees past and present. Don’t deprive people of real happiness. Give real happiness a chance. Give them Varnashrama-Dharma a system of good governance and holy name of the lord, the solution for all problems.
Dear Devotees,We hope you are well and progressing in your spiritual journey. We areexcited to…
Dear devotees, Namonamaha. Jaya Srila Prabhupada! Gopal Krishna Maharaj ki jaya! The ISKCON India Governing…
IISB members Basu Ghosh Das (ACBSP) and Krishna Kirti Das (Convenor, IISB) discuss Srila Prabhupada’s…
The proof of how dishonest the Poison allegations are is those who endorse this horrible…
Abstract In Kṛṣṇa’s Vedic civilization, upanayana — the investiture with the sacred thread and brahma-gāyatrī…