Krsna cures Kansr/cancer

[krsnaraja]

Devotees and Health

By Rohininandana Dasa

eat right, exercise, die anyway

When I first lived in a Hare Krishna temple, another new devotee, whom I'll call "Bhakta Michael," won my admiration for his complete neglect of his health and hygiene. I had learned that the self was different from the body, but not knowing how to apply that understanding, I thought Bhakta Michael must be an advanced soul. As I read Srila Prabhupada’s writings, however, and understood more about the real transcendentalist’s attitude toward the body, I gave up my admiration for abuse in the guise of detachment.
Prabhupada would sign his letters, “I hope this meets you in good health.” He was concerned that his disciples led a healthy life, including cleanliness, exercise, and a proper diet. When an early disciple became ill, Prabhupada advised him, “Your first business is to look after your health, because if you don’t feel well everything will be topsy-turvy.” He would sometimes tell sick devotees to suspend work and take complete rest.

Sometimes Prabhupada would recommend special diets, which might include barley, fruit, milk, or raw cereals soaked in water overnight. Diet, after all, can be the mother of either health or disease. Prabhupada also gave medical advice for conditions ranging from a toothache or an infected finger to constipation or jaundice. If an illness was serious he suggested consulting “some approved physician.” To one disciple, who was making money for Krishna through business, Prabhupada wrote, “You must have the best kind of treatment available, and you can spend from the money you are collecting on behalf of Krishna.”

As for surgical operations, he was wary. As far as possible, he said, operations should be avoided. But “when there is no alternative, of course we have to take shelter of such demonic treatment.”

Prabhupada said that his own body was “a broken old house.” He would often say he could pass away at any moment. But he wanted his disciples to live for a long time “to push on this Krishna consciousness.”

Above all Srila Prabhupada advised his disciples to depend upon Lord Krishna. “Actually, medicine is not the remedial measure for our bodily troubles unless we are helped by Krishna. Therefore, whenever there is bodily trouble we may adopt the prescribed methods of medical science and depend upon Krishna for His mercy.”

As we may err on the side of neglecting the body, we may also be too concerned about pampering it. As a new devotee I was impressed by the vitality of a devotee who worked at our London restaurant, then called Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise. He looked the picture of health as he chewed ginseng and punched the till ("cash register") keys.

We lived in the same house, and I felt awed by his vibrant health. He worked out on dumbbells, humidified his bedroom by putting damp cloths on the radiator, avoided eating salt, sugar, and milk products, took a variety of vitamins and mineral supplements, and “never” got ill.

Seeing my struggles with one bout of flu after another, he convinced me to try a course of vitamins. I spent $45 and didn’t notice much difference except that my urine turned bright yellow.

That devotee went to live in the States, and a year later I was sorry to hear he had contracted leukemia. It took only six months for his strong body to become an uninhabitable wreck. When he died I gave up my attempt to achieve perfect health.

Srila Prabhupada referred to the body as vyadhi-mandiram, “a temple of disease.” He said that as long as we have a material body there must be some kind of trouble, but because the body is external we should not be very much disturbed by it.

In a lecture Prabhupada was comparing disease to “Maya’s agent.” Even Krishna, he said, was attacked every day by Maya’s agents, what to speak of Krishna’s devotees. “But,” he continued, “Krishna promises, ‘My devotee is never vanquished,’ so therefore our business is to become His devotee. Then everything will be all right.

www.krishna.com/devotees-and-health

[krsnaraja]

Perfect Health


from Back To Godhead Magazine #20-12, 1985

Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami

My spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, would always close his letters to his disciples with the phrase “Hoping this meets you in good health….” Of course, everyone wishes good health to those they love. But what actually constitutes good health? There are many different opinions.

For years Americans have heard that a balanced diet must include meat. The National Academy of Sciences has long recommended minimum daily requirements of vitamins and minerals. But controversy abounds. Recently the Academy advised lower recommendations. The American Heart Association advocates stricter dietary controls. Evidence from the American Medical Association linking a vegetarian diet to better health prompted the meat and dairy industry to advocate a slackening of government supervision of diet.
It isn’t surprising that in the face of today’s many divergent views on health the public takes its own course. Time and time again we engage in activities that we know are hazardous to our health. As psychiatrist Norman Tamarkin attests, “We don’t take care of ourselves, we drug ourselves, we overeat, we don’t exercise enough; It’s bound to have a depressing effect. It generally lessens our resistance to emotional stresses as well as physical viruses.”

To live a satisfying life in perfect health is possible, but one must have actual knowledge of the body and the soul and of the purpose of health. This knowledge is given in the Vedic literature. By turning to the Vedas, we can go beyond the confusion caused by shortsighted views of health and happiness.

In the Bhagavad-gita Lord Krishna; the Supreme Personality of Godhead, explains that although we are eternal by nature, we are presently dwelling inside temporary material bodies. It is by ignorance and illusion only that we accept the body—so prone to disease and discomfort—to be our self.

To render loving devotional service to Krishna is the ultimate goal of life, and it is toward that end only that we should maintain good health. To remain fit in body and mind in order to better practice Krishna consciousness is the ultimate purpose of health. We should not keep healthy just so we can better enjoy sex or gain an edge on our business competitors. Rather than pursue those short-term, illusory pleasures, we should keep healthy for the pleasure of Krishna.

Essential to health is diet. But whose authority are we to trust when it comes to selecting a diet? In the Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krishna describes various diets and their effects.
Everything in the material world, Lord Krishna explains, acts under the influence of three factors, or forces, known as the three modes of material nature. These three modes—goodness, passion, and ignorance—and their interactions create the great variety of thoughts, feelings, and sensory perceptions that we experience in material consciousness. Just as the three primary colors—yellow, red, and blue—combine to produce all other colors, so the three modes of material nature—goodness, passion, and ignorance—combine to create all the varieties, gradations, and nuances of our experience. And that includes diet.



In the Bhagavad-gita Krishna explains, “Foods in the mode of goodness increase the duration of life, purify one’s existence, and give strength, health, happiness, and satisfaction” (Bg. 17.8). These palatable and nourishing foods include grains, milk products, fruits, and vegetables. Foods that are overly bitter, sour, salty, dry, or hot are in the mode of passion. These foods disturb the mind and cause disease. We also read, “Food cooked more than three hours before being eaten, which is tasteless, stale, putrid, decomposed, and unclean, is enjoyed by people in the mode of ignorance.”

In commenting on these verses, Srila Prabhupada writes, “The purpose of food is to increase the duration of life, purify the mind, and aid bodily strength. This is its only purpose.”

So we should not eat just to gratify our tongues; rather, we should eat to have strength and vitality for serving Krishna. This is a very important factor in maintaining health. And the foods that give the most vitality are those which maybe eaten in natural form, such as fruits and vegetables prepared in salads or lightly steamed. (It is best to eat sparingly of fried foods and sweets.) By dieting according to Krishna’s instructions, we can best appreciate the purpose of eating. And of course everything one eats should first be offered to Krishna.
Good health results naturally when we live and eat in a regulated, spiritual lifestyle. When the mind is filled with spiritual thought and is thus free from greed and envy, the body will naturally be healthy and lustrous. The ancient sage Kardama Muni exhibited such a state of health even while practicing severe physical austerities:

His body shone most brilliantly, though he had engaged in austere penance for a long time. He was not emaciated, for the Lord had cast His affectionate sidelong glance upon him, and he had also heard the nectar flowing from the moonlike words of the Lord. (Srimad- Bhagavatam 3.21.45-47)

Devotees practicing Krishna consciousness today enjoy similar health. Srila Prabhupada, in Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, describes the benefits of Krishna consciousness to mental and physical health as follows:

"We have practical experience of this with our students in the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Before becoming students, they were dirty-looking, although they had naturally beautiful personal features; but due to having no information of Krishna consciousness, they appeared very dirty and wretched. Since they have taken to Krishna consciousness, their health has improved, and by following the rules and regulations, their bodily luster has increased."
Good health is the natural condition of the body, as is Krishna consciousness, and as one practices bhakti yoga, one’s health improves naturally. By chanting Hare Krishna and by avoiding sinful habits such as meat-eating, intoxication, illicit sex, and gambling, one can achieve far better results than he would by any concocted "health program."



www.krishna.com/perfect-health

[krsnaraja]

Krishna Consciousness Benefits Body and Soul

By Arnold A. Smith II, M.A.;D.D. (Ananta Sesa dasa)

Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies

Youngstown State University

Humans have a great fear of growing old. We worry about the loss of looks, stamina, and abilities. We are concerned about our declining health and ultimately, we are concerned about the fact that every day we grow older, we are moving one step closer to death.

People react to this fear in various ways. Some people accept the fact, but lament it; while others strive to hold onto their youth for as long as possible. In either case, the end result is misery.

In the first instance, the individual will sit idly by as their life slips away, and they will live in mortal fear of its passing—embracing every ailment and every pain as further reason to lament.


In the second instance, a person will dye their hair and undergo plastic surgery to maintain the illusion of youth. One will expend their lives in a mundane search of adventure, believing this to be the purpose of their existence, and not understanding the suffering they are bringing on themselves through such senseless activity.

No matter how hard one tries to escape it, aging and death are inevitable; but they do not have to lead to misery and suffering, nor do they need be a cause of lamentation. Krishna Consciousness can teach the reality of old age and death.

vediccare.org/krishna-consciousness-benefits-body-and-soul/

[krsnaraja]

Health Consciousness/Standard Devotee Diet

by The Hare Krishna Movement 
Once when Srila Prabhupada saw what was being served to the devotees, lavishly prepared multi-course lunches, he told the managers that it was too opulent. He said we should eat simply during the week with rice, dhal, chapatis and a little subji and once a week on the Sunday love feasts we could be more lavish. Today with more of us becoming Health Conscious, it is good to remember the very simple devotee diet that was recommended to us so long ago.

Standard Devotee Diet

Srila Prabhupada recommended a standard diet for the devotees, and instructed that all of the temples should follow it every day. That menu follows:

BREAKFAST:

Simple farina cereal with nuts and raisins

Milk (steaming hot), or yogurt in the summertime

Chick peas (raw, soaked overnight)

Ginger root (raw)

Oranges, apples and/or bananas
LUNCH:

Rice

Chapatis

Dal made with freshly ground ginger root and freshly ground spices

Subji made with ghee, freshly ground ginger root and freshly ground spices

BEFORE TAKING REST:

Milk (steaming hot)

Bananas

theharekrishnamovement.org/category/health-2/

[krsnaraja]

Disease

by Ravindra-svarupa Dasa

The heroes of my youth were the great healers of humanity. While it’s true that in those days I could be seen with other American boys paying homage to the likes of Elvis Presley and Joe DiMaggio, I rendered them only lip service. My real—if somewhat secret—devotion was reserved for a pantheon of great medical pioneers like William Jenner, discoverer of the smallpox vaccination; Robert Koch, who identified the tuberculosis bacillus; and Ignaz Philipp Semmelweise, who crusaded to save women from childbirth infection by teaching doctors to disinfect their hands. I avidly studied the life stories of these saviors and dreamed of becoming like them by slaying some modern scourge—leukemia, say, or coronary thrombosis. In my eyes there was no higher calling than to wage war on behalf of humanity against disease and death.

I entered college intent on medical studies, but a little over a year later abandoned that aim. I had not been fatally disheartened by my encounter with other premed students, profiteers eager to mint gold from disease. A book, rather, had destroyed my vocation and my faith.
Mirage of Health: Utopia, Progress and Biological Change is a pioneering study of medical history written in the late fifties by a physician named Rene Dubos. His conclusion devastated me: Progress toward some utopia of health is an illusion. Disease will never be “conquered.” Disease is so inescapable a part of our human condition that today’s remedies inevitably become the agents of tomorrow’s ills.

Using an abundance of historical evidence, Dubos shows how the diseases we suffer from arise out of the complex social, political, and economic dynamics of our particular society; as society changes, our ills change with it. Some diseases fade away, and others, out of the inexhaustible bounty of material nature, rise to take their place.

In modern industrial societies, as Dr. Dubos points out, we no longer suffer and die from smallpox, typhus, typhoid, diphtheria, and the other microbial plagues of the past. We have made “progress”: We suffer and die instead from cancer, coronary heart disease, emphysema, and mental disorders (with their attendant drug abuse and suicide).

According to Dubos’s analysis, even my boyhood heroes, those unswerving foes of deadly microbes, had little to do with the disappearance of infectious diseases. These afflictions were retired mainly by the social and economic reforms that followed industrialization. At the same time, that same process was ushering in a whole new set of scourges. And even those old diseases are by no means “conquered,” Dubos warns. They are merely held at bay (at a high price), and they can reenter human history any time the conditions are right.
I was undone by Dr. Dubos’s lesson. Medicine at once underwent a catastrophic devaluation in my eyes. I wondered why that should be. Dubos, of course, never claimed that medicine was useless, a waste of time. True, it may not save humanity, but it can save humans. That ought to be enough, I argued with myself. I could still live by ideals, modest though those ideals might be. Surely, real heroism lies in doing humbly what little good one can, without some fantasy of wide-screen, Hollywood heroics, soundtrack booming in the background. Be realistic: There are no saviors of humanity, because humanity will not be saved, and that’s that.

Still, I could revive no enthusiasm for medicine. The truth of the matter was that at heart I badly wanted to be saved from disease and death altogether, and I had possessed a real faith that scientific progress would, at the end of its struggle, win just that for all of us. To me it had been a foregone conclusion that through science and technology nature would be eventually conquered and tamed, made entirely serviceable to us, and we would live without worries in a manmade paradise on earth. Although I had never spelled out this conviction to myself, it had insensibly become my true faith, my religion.

How was it a religion? Religion and science—like faith and knowledge—are supposed to be opposites. Yet somehow science itself had be-come a religion—call it “scientism”—an ardent faith that progress in science and technology will so improve upon man and nature as to rid earthly life of all ills. This religion was—and still is—the true faith of America, the spiritual motor that drives its enterprises.
Where had I absorbed this religion? I had bowed before no altar, recited no creed, sung no hymns, enacted no rites. However, this religion does not need special buildings or ceremonies. As the true religion of America, it is woven completely into the fabric of life. I had absorbed it all along from my parents and teachers and friends, from the Cub Scouts and the Boy Scouts, from museums and theme parks, from My Weekly Reader and Reader’s Digest and Life and Post and Popular Mechanics. I had soaked it in from “Meet Mr. Wizard” and the unending iteration of corporate commercial slogans (“Progress is Our Most Important Product” and “Better Things For Better Living Through Chemistry”), from the biographies of my medical heroes, not the least from my hoard of science-fiction paperbacks.

The faith that formed America was a creation of the so-called Enlightenment of the eighteenth century. Eager to extend Newton’s success in describing nature in rational, mathematical form, a coterie of European thinkers battled to dethrone traditional religion and morality and replace them with empirical science and natural reason as the valid guides for human activity.

Unenlightened and superstitious Christians believed in a future millennium, a thousand-year kingdom of God on earth that would start with the prophesied second coming of Christ. That belief had to go. Yet the savants of the Enlightenment replaced it with their own secularized faith, their man-made millennium: Steady progress in science and enlightened reason would gradually bring the natural and human world totally under rational scientific control. Nature and society will be consummately engineered. Free from drought and flood, poverty and crime, disease and even death, man will have established on earth the kingdom of God—without God.
This was my faith, and I had lost it. Science would not save us; there was no “progress.” That explained my strong reaction to Mirage of Health.

In the years since I read that book I have come to recognize the striving for release from material nature, the struggle against disease and death, as profoundly and essentially human. It’s a struggle we cannot avoid. Even though we may be unaware of it, it drives and shapes our lives. For this reason, even popular culture is about serious things. It is not mere whimsy that leads people to describe Joe DiMaggio as a baseball “Immortal,” or makes them believe that Elvis Presley could not possibly have died. Operating with more sophistication, Enlightenment thinkers set themselves against religion, but they merely replaced salvation through Christ with salvation through science. They could not free themselves from the desire for transcendence, the urge to go beyond the limits of nature into everlasting life.

We are all transcendentalists at heart. The problem is that most of us are foolish ones, whose various schemes for liberation are doomed from the outset. We persist in worshiping idols and gods that fail. We engineer projects for salvation that only increase our bondage. Nature can send mile- high sheets of ice flowing over continents and level cities with a twitch, yet we embark on a quixotic war to conquer her. An ant-hill has as good a shot at it as “advanced civilization.” Or consider this: Survival is the primal urge of life, and for millions of years all organisms have struggled for survival, just as we now struggle. Now, look at the record. Where are the winners? In all of history, has anyone survived? The death rate is one hundred percent. It is a foredoomed attempt, but we cannot help ourselves.
We must be transcendentalists, but what makes us invest and reinvest in foolish, impractical schemes? Let me suggest the reason. At the root of our foolishness lies a dumb insistence in trying to actuate a self-contradiction, make real an absurdity: We want to transcend material nature, become free from her control, while at the same time we want to continue to enjoy and exploit her.

This was the answer I discovered. After my crisis of faith, I studied philosophy and religion for years; it was, in effect, a quest for successful transcendentalists. And I thought that I had finally discovered them at the vital center of the great spiritual traditions of the world. In spite of their differences in culture and style, they seemed unanimous in this: They agreed that to succeed in transcendence we must become free from the mentality of enjoyment and exploitation. All of them recognized the systematic endeavor to gain mastery over the mind and senses, to extinguish material desires, as necessary for real salvation or liberation of the spirit. These successful transcendentalists understand very well that material nature binds and controls us precisely through our desire to enjoy and exploit her. That desire is, there-fore, our ultimate disease. Cure that disease, we shall become free from disease and death altogether.
Eight years after Dr. Dubos destroyed my faith in material progress, Srila Prabhupada initiated me into the path of bhakti-yoga, transcendental devotional service. I was attracted by the magisterial way Srila Prabhupada exposed what he called “the illusory advancement of civilization.” On the street a Krishna devotee had handed me a tract containing these simple but impressive words of Srila Prabhupada: “We are trying to exploit the resources of material nature, but actually we are becoming more and more entangled in her complexities. Therefore, although we are engaged in a hard struggle to conquer nature, we are ever more dependent on her. This illusory struggle against material nature can be stopped at once by revival of our eternal Krishna consciousness.” Srila Prabhupada hadn’t done the research of a Dr. Dubos, but somehow he understood it all. His clarity astonished me.

Attacking the idols of scientific progress and other ersatz religions, Srila Prabhupada did not compromise in presenting the truth—if we want transcendence, we must become free from material desires. He was the only contemporary transcendentalist I’d encountered who did not offer any cheating religion, an accommodation with material ambitions for cheap popularity among the foolish.
My heroes still are those saviors who wage war on behalf of humanity against disease and death: Srila Prabhupada, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, Srila Rupa Gosvami, Thakura Haridasa, Madhvacarya, Narada Muni, and many others form my pantheon. These heroes have won the war against death because they have mastered the actual science of transcendence and delivered it to humanity.

In the meantime I credit Dr. Dubos with a good deal of prescience. Events have proven him uncannily accurate. Even as researchers in high-tech laboratories feverishly sought the “magic bullet” to destroy cancer, a brand-new plague erupted, surprising almost everyone. Studies predict that Acquired Immunity Deficiency Syndrome will have claimed about 400 million lives by the middle of the next century. Like horror films that spawn even more ghastly sequels, some old-fashioned diseases have begun staging spectacular revivals: A new, drug-resistant version of Koch’s bacillus threatens a tuberculosis epidemic in North America, where a remake of the scarlet fever microbe is implicated in a run of deadly cases of sudden, massive septicemia. Pediatricians report a steady rise in children with chronic bronchitis and asthma, apparently the result of pollution. Indeed, a family of new afflictions of the immune system, all apparently related to manmade chemicals in the environment, has led to the establishment of a new medical specialty called clinical ecology. Some studies show that in the industrial nations up to forty percent of all diseases are “iatrogenetic.” That means “caused by physicians.”

In Pittsburgh recently, a man survived seventy-one days on an implanted baboon’s liver, which was still in good shape at autopsy. Transplant technicians are planning farms where genetically engineered animals will grow crops of organs for use in humans; biomedical engineers are machining body parts out of space-age plastics and microchips. They’re promising immortality by the end of the next century.

www.krishna.com/disease

[krsnaraja]

Benefits Of Chanting Hare Krishna

1. Hare Krishna is one of the most important mantras in Hinduism and is devoted to the worship of Lord Krishna. Chanting this auspicious Mantra brings the powerful favor of Lord Krishna in the lives of devotees.

2. The positive vibrations of the words of this mantra resonate through the minds and bodies of devotees, making us aware of the supreme existence that is beyond the realms of common human thoughts.

3. Shri Krishna is quite gracious and devotees who religiously chant this mantra and offer worship to him can gain the Lord’s love and protection.

4. It purifies the mind, body and soul and removes negative thoughts. A person becomes enlightened by the power of the Shri Krishna maha mantra.

5. This mantra forms a kavach of protection around its chanters and protects them from the influence of all the evil around them.

[krsnaraja]

The prevention and cure for Kansr/Cancer is to sincerely chant:

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare

[krsnaraja]

Krishna Consciousness

Krishna consciousness, or bhakti-yoga, means how to act in harmony with ultimate reality—the Supreme Person. Bhakti—“devotional service”—is how the bhakta—“devotee”—and Bhagavan—“God, the possessor of all opulences”—relate.

We're all naturally Krishna conscious. In illusion, we think we’re the center of the universe, and our bodies are our real selves. Krishna consciousness means becoming free from that illusion, and experiencing our true blissful, eternal nature. It's a process that works. Anyone can do it.

Krishna consciousness is both a "practice" and the goal of the practice. The goal is to be Krishna conscious. The practice is to always stay conscious of Krishna.

[krsnaraja]

Mantra Meditation

The mind is always busy: It can’t be stopped. Meditation and yoga are for helping us rise above the mind’s chatter. What we meditate on now creates our future life.

'OK, birdie, now repeat after me—'Hare Krishna Hare Krishna. . .'

Mantra meditation is what the Vedas prescribe for this day and age. The single most highly recommended mantra—with the greatest ability to uplift our consciousness—is:

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Find out why this is the most recommended mantra for this day and age, and what makes it so effective. Hear explanations of the mantra's meaning, and why it is such a powerful prayer that it doesn't even matter if you know what it means. Here are also helpful tips on how to chant it, and many descriptions of the Hare Krishna mantra's many benefits.


www.krishna.com/mantra-meditation-0

[krsnaraja]

‘Hare Krishna’ is the mantra which is known to maximum number of western seekers thanks to the commendable work done by His Divine Grace A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad (founder of ISKON – International Society for Krishna Consciousness www.iskcon.com in spreading its awareness world wide. George Harrison, the popular singer of world famous Beatles group also devoted his entire life in spreading the awareness about this mantra.

“A mantra is mystical energy encased in a sound structure and each mantra contains within its vibrations a certain power. But of all mantras, the maha-mantra (the Hare Krishna mantra) has been prescribed as the easiest and surest way for attaining God Realization in this present age.”— George Harrison (1943-2001), in his autobiography :’I, me and Mine’


This mantra is known as the Maha-mantra of Kailyug (the supreme mantra of Kaliyug – the present era of machine where truth and righteousness are at their lowest level. ) It has been said that by repeating this mantra with faith and devotion, one can attain salvation and peace of mind.

” harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam kalau nasty eva nasti eva nasti eva gatir anyatha”

– A Sanskrit verse from Brhan-naradiya Purana which means

“In this age of Kali, there is no alternative, there is no alternative, there is no alternative for spiritual progress other than the chanting of the holy name, the chanting of the holy name, the chanting of the holy name of the Lord.”

The meaning of Hare Krishna Mantra

This mantra is made up of only three words : ‘Hare’, Krishna and ‘Rama’. ‘Krishna’ and ‘Rama’ are the name of Lord Vishnu – one of the mythological God in the trinity of Gods Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh. It is said that in every yug (era) Vishnu takes incarnation on earth to establish the law of truth and righteousness.

Ram is the name of the incarnation of Vishnu in the Treta yug ( you must have heard the famous story of Ramayana – the popular Indian epic. Rama is the hero of that epic. You can learn more about Ramayana here.

Krishna is the name of the incarnation of Vishnu in the ‘Dwaper yug’. He is the central character in the Mahabharata (pronounced approximately as Ma-haa-BHAAR-a-ta ) -the another popular epic of India (which incidentally is the longest epic of the world). Krishna is the most popular God of Hindu religion.

The Bhagawad Gita – the highly spiritual and mesmerizing conversation between Krishna and Arjuna( one of the bravest and famous character of Mahabharata ) on the battle ground of Kurukshetra is one of the most popular and respected religious books of World.

Both these words ‘Rama’ and ‘Krishna’ have become powerful and effective for the simple reason that for thousand of years millions of Hindus have been praying to God by chanting these two names. The faith, devotion and a pure spiritual feeling with which these two names have been chanted by all these devotees for so many years have made these words electrifying- charged with energy. Just repeating these names can take anyone into meditation quickly.

The word Hare has come from ‘Haran’ which means to take way or to end. So when one says hare Krishna, he requests the God (the supreme consciousness) to take away his sorrows , his shortcomings, his failures and pains. This Hare Krishna Mantra is actually a little prayer to God for taking away all the sorrows, pains and shortcomings of the chanter and provide him bliss and joy.

“Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare

Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”

Whenever you chant this mantra, always keep its meaning in mind. Chant this mantra with devotion and faith . While repeating his mantra request the God almighty to take away all your sorrows, pains and failures and give you joy and bliss.

It is the experience of many that when one repeat this mantra with full faith and with full awareness of its meaning, his/her whole being gets filled with Krishna Consciousness ( which is a name given to the feeling of bliss and joy one gets in repeating this mantra.)

This mantra is a very easy mantra. You can chant it anytime, anywhere. Give at least 15 minutes per day for this mantra repetition. Sit quietly in a comfortable position. Then either chant it silently or loudly. Repeat it with full awareness of its meaning which is ” O lord, take away all my sorrows, pains and shortcomings and give me bliss and joy”.

This mantra is a simple and effective meditation technique. Slowly you will start enjoying it as its repetition will give you a sense of calm and bliss.



www.meditationiseasy.com/meditation-techniques/hare-rama-hare-krishna-mantra-for-meditation/

[krsnaraja]

The Power of Krishna`s name
Close to Death

by Bhaktin Carol 
In 2002 my body was very close to death, by many accounts. I was laying in an emergency room, fully alert and conscious and hearing every word that was said, but was physically very injured. Doctors were looking in my eyes and telling me "treatment" was "not an option." I was too injured they said, they felt they could not repair me. They said the most they would do was begin to run tests, so they could tell someone what I had died from. They did not expect me to live.

I remember several teams of doctors came in, one team after the other, to look at me. At first I was examined quickly. One last doctor seemed to have a kindness in his eyes. Then he saw something the others hadn't seen, internal organs outside my body, and I saw the hope go out of his eyes.

They sent in a psychiatrist who said I was not thinking realistically if I thought survival was a possibility. He wanted me to accept that I would die soon.

Additionally I was suffering because I bled so much and was very cold, they had to remove fluid just so my lungs could inflate, and I was suffering because I had no family there with me, I felt very alone. They asked for next of kin, and my only living parent did not want to see me. My husband, who I had previously depended on for my strength, was the one who had performed the attack.


Before that day in the hospital, I had lead a very fearful life. Fear and panic had appeared frequently.What was going on then in the hospital was most difficult, it was emotionally very hard, and physically very unpleasant. The doctors said they wouldn't even treat me, I felt I couldn't do anything -- I could barely breathe, couldn't even move my body. I thought I would panic. I kept thinking I would have an attack of anxiety, that mentally I wouldn't be able to cope with the situation. And I was afraid that could be defeating as it would use energy I needed for other things.

Before I went into the hospital, I contacted devotees. It was my second time in contact with devotees, the first brief contact had been 19 years earlier. Still they brought caranamrita and Tulasi leaves, and gave tapes of devotional music, including the maha mantra. Then the ambulance took me. For the first time in this life (!), I listened to the mantra and govinda prayers. I listened to them all day and all night, for weeks. I was too weak to speak, but I heard them with my ears.

I never did panic. Not once during months of being hospitalized. Also, I was not fearful of dying. I don't know how I would have felt before about dying, because I had not been in a situation like that before (in this life). I was trying to survive, but as I didn't know the outcome I didn't know what would happen.

It was the first time I had the mantra in this life. I felt very protected. For much of the time in the hospitals (I was in several), tubes fed me and gave oxygen, people turned me, I couldn't do much at all, sometimes I could barely open my eyes -- and yet I was given everything I needed, and I was healed.

I was given the maha mantra, I found I was drawn to it and could focus my thoughts on the sound of it. When my thoughts were focused on the Lord's names, the experience of pain became less prominent, and my fear of not being able to cope with the situation was gone. I became dependent on the mantra. I was comforted by it. After recovering, I began coming to the temple, associating with devotees, going to temple classes. In the past few years I've come to chanting 16 or more rounds daily and find chanting to be a very enjoyable, sheltering, very beautiful experience. I fell in love with the mantra.
It seems everything in my life changed at the time of that injury, when devotees and the maha mantra came into my life. The old life was ripped apart and taken away, but that is good because that was a dark, sinful, life. I forgave the ex-husband for what he did to me. (he is now in jail for a different activity). And have since found out it was a reaction due to karma. Now I am building a life of trying to learn about and serve Krishna. I am engaged to a very nice devotee, trying to live a life that is simple, and reading Srila Prabhupada's books. I chant.

I am grateful, so grateful to stand in the temple room and be in the presence of Sri Sri Radha Kalachandji. I felt protected by the mantra, and by the association of devotees, Tulasi. I've been given a chance to come to the temple, to be with devotees, and learn, still in this body.


www.krishna.com/blog/2010/07/7/power-krishnas-name

[krsnaraja]

Turning to the Beauty of Krishna

by Ajitananda dasa

The beauty found in this relative world pales before the beauty of Krishna’s perfect form.

People are very much enamored by the beauty of this world. The Vedic literature, however, offers us penetrating insight into the actual nature of material beauty. If people would take the time to hear from these revered sources, they would be surprised to learn that what is accepted as beauty within this world is but the pale, illusory reflection of the unlimited spiritual beauty of Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Of course, some would disagree with the idea that material beauty is false. The smitten young man sees his sweetheart as the epitome of loveliness, the scholar is moved by the rich imagery in a masterpiece of poetry, and the artist views the pastoral scenery as the handiwork of angels. In each case the viewer appreciates what he or she perceives to be true beauty. Why, then, is it said to be false?

The answer to this question is given in the Second Chapter of the Bhagavad-gita,where Lord Krishna tells Arjuna, “Those who are seers of the truth have concluded that of the nonexistent there is no endurance and of the existent there is no cessation. This seers have concluded by studying the nature of both.”

Material beauty is herein deemed false in the sense that its manifestation is very, very brief. It appears momentarily and then disappears like a mirage. The attractive young body becomes old and wrinkled; it dies, decays, and is eaten by worms. And the beauty of the poem. although preserved for some time in book form, must also perish, as must the flowered countryside, lost forever in the dark wells of time.

Material beauty also proves false when we look more closely or shift our perspective. If the young man, for instance, were to peel away the covering layer of skin on the alluring young body—the object of his attraction—he would immediately become repulsed, proving conclusively that material beauty is only skin deep. And the poem or country scene, appreciated at one moment as quintessential beauty, may be seen in the next as utterly devoid of all charm by the same admirer, who, having endured some emotional trauma, now sees everything much differently.

Finally, material beauty is false in that it can never fully satisfy the soul, and in time the young man desires another lover, the scholar purchases a new book of poems, and the artist goes on to view another scene, each searching for an absolute level of fulfillment that continually eludes him, even up to death.

All of these points are mentioned not to invoke a mood of gloom and despair but rather to illustrate that although our love of beauty is a perfectly natural sentiment we are looking for it in all the wrong quarters. As a miner carefully studies his maps before prospecting, we also must determine the whereabouts of true beauty if we wish to unearth this valuable treasure.

The Vedic literature tells us that the reservoir of beauty is Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is the Absolute Truth, or the source of everything. The relative beauty found in this world has its origin in Him, and ultimately we must turn to Him if we wish to realize our desire to know perfect beauty. In the Brahma- samhita.Lord Brahma eloquently describes the transcendental beauty of Lord Krishna:

I worship Govinda [Krishna], the primeval Lord, who is adept at playing on His flute, whose blooming eyes are like lotus petals, whose head is bedecked with a peacock’s feather, whose figure of beauty is tinged with the hue of blue clouds, and whose unique loveliness is charming millions of Cupids.

This factual description of Krishna’s spiritual beauty is not a whimsical creation of Brahma’s imagination. Rather, it was spoken by Brahma in a trance of self- realization, in which he saw the Lord standing before him face to face. In his next verse. Brahma continues to describe his vision, with notable reference to the eternality of Krishna’s form:

I worship Govinda. the primeval Lord, round whose neck is swinging a garland of jeweled ornaments, who is always reveling in pastimes of love. whose graceful, threefold- bending form of Syamasundara is eternally manifest.

As Krishna’s form is “eternally manifest” so is the beauty of that form, thus fulfilling the Bhagavad-gita’s definition of reality—that which has “no cessation.” Not only is Krishna’s beauty eternal, but it is also ever fresh, like an endlessly blooming springtime. A devotee never tires of viewing that divine form, which is so magnificent that Krishna Himself cannot estimate it for in one moment He measures, and in the next moment it expands unlimitedly, eluding even His vast capacity to understand.

Since Krishna is the Absolute Truth. His beauty is also absolute and is never canceled or diminished by closer examination or change in perspective. His form is the vessel of pure spiritual energy—eternity, knowledge, and bliss—and it is therefore beautiful through and through. Indeed it has been compared to the radiant vaidurya gem, which, although appearing differently according to the play of light upon its numerous colored facets, is extraordinarily beautiful from whichever angle it is viewed. Thus Krishna’s beauty is always appreciated by the countless pure devotees who inhabit the spiritual sky, some of whom regularly descend to this material plane to turn our attention back to Him.

Krishna’s absolute nature is also such that anything connected with Him, be it His name, form, words, pastimes, or paraphernalia. also exhibits His superlative beauty. In Srila Prabhupada’s book Krishna, this remarkable feature of Krishna’s personality is apparent in the following statement by a devotee, in which the beauty of the Lord’s flute-playing is feelingly described:

My dear friends, Krishna is so beautiful that the goddess of fortune always remains on His chest and He is always adorned with a golden necklace. Beautiful Krishna plays His flute in order to enliven the hearts of many devotees. He is the only friend of the suffering living entities. When He plays His flute, all the cows and other animals of Vrindavana, although engaged in eating, simply take a morsel of food in their mouths and stop chewing. Their ears raise up and they become stunned. They do not appear alive but like painted animals. Krishna’s flute-playing is so attractive that even the animals become enchanted, and what to speak of ourselves.

All of these features combine to make Krishna’s beauty fully satisfying. While material beauty offers momentary pleasure to the senses. Krishna’s spiritual beauty touches the very soul of the living being. thrilling him with a pleasure so wonderful that once having relished it he can never give it up. Srila Rupa Gosvami has therefore advised,

My dear friend, if you still have any desire to enjoy the company of your friends within this material world, then don’t look upon the form of Krishna, who is standing on the bank of Keshi-ghata. He is known as Govinda, and His eyes are very enchanting. He is playing upon His flute, and on His head there is a peacock feather. His whole body is illuminated by the moonlight in the sky.

The more a devotee appreciates Krishna’s beauty, the less he falls for the flickering attractions of this material world. Once, Haridasa Thakura, a great devotee of the Lord, was chanting Hare Krishna alone, absorbed in the beauty of the Lord’s holy name. An alluring young prostitute appeared and tried to divert him from his vow of chanting Krishna’s names 300,000 times daily. Haridasa’s attraction to Krishna’s beauty was so deep, however, that he remained unaffected by her advances. Instead, he converted the prostitute into a virtuous devotee greatly attached to the beauty of Krishna.

Although descriptions of Krishna’s beauty are fascinating, we may rightfully wonder how we can overcome our own attraction to the world’s enticements and achieve the coveted vision of Krishna’s spiritual beauty. We can begin by remembering that even the flickering beauty of this world has its origin in Krishna. The sunrise, the fragrant flower, the taste of water, or anything else of value can remind us of Krishna and thus act as an agent for our spiritual enlightenment.

Furthermore, by hearing and chanting about Krishna in the company of devotees and by worshiping His Deity form in the temple, we can accelerate our spiritual advancement. This combination of pleasurable devotional activities will very surely and effectively raise us to the platform of pure love for Krishna, enabling us to view Him face to face and enjoy the nectar of His moonlike beauty.



www.krishna.com/turning-beauty-krishna

[krsnaraja]

Chant Hare Krsna & be rid of Kansr/Cancer

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Krsna HHare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare

[krsnaraja]

The Origin of the Krishna Consciousness Movement

by Subhamoy Das

" If you open up your heart

You will know what I mean

We've been polluted so long

But here's a way for you to get clean

By chanting the names of the Lord and you'll be free

The Lord is awaiting on you all to awaken and see.
"
("Awaiting On You All" - from the George Harrison album All Things Must Pass)
GEORGE HARRISON MADE IT FAMOUS

In 1969, one of the Beatles, perhaps the most popular music group of all time, produced a hit single, "The Hare Krishna Mantra", performed by George Harrison and the devotees of the Radha-Krishna Temple, London.

The song soon topped the 10 best-selling record charts throughout UK, Europe, and Asia. Soon after the BBC featured the 'Hare Krishna Chanters', four times on the popular television program Top of the Pops. And the Hare Krishna chant became a household word, especially in parts of Europe and Asia.

SWAMI PRABHUPADA & THE KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS MOVEMENT

Swami Prabhupada, believed to be a pure devotee of Lord Krishna, laid the foundations of the Hare Krishna Movement by coming to the USA at the advanced age of seventy in order to fulfill the desire of his own spiritual master who wanted him to spread Krishna consiousness in the Western countries. Aubrey Menen in his book The Mystics, while writing about Prabhupadas' proselytization in the US, notes:

"Prabhupada presented them [Americans] with a way of life of an Arcadian simplicity. It is no wonder that he found followers. He opened his mission on the Lower East Side in New York in an empty shop, fitted with nothing but mats on the floor.

One of his earliest disciples, with the swami's permission has recorded an incident. Two or three were gathered together to listen to the swami, when an old grey Bowery drunk entered. He carried a pack of paper hand-towels and a roll of toilet paper. He walked past the Swami, placed the towels and the toilet paper carefully on a sink, and left.

Prabhupada rose to the occasion. 'Look,' he said, 'he has just began his devotional service. Whatever we have — it doesn't matter what — we must offer to Krishna.'"

THE HARE KRISHNA MANTRA

It was 1965 — the beginning of the "mid-twentieth century phenomenon" called the "Krishna Consciousness Movement". The "saffron-robed, dance-happy, book-hawking" Krishna followers burst upon the world with the refrain:

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Hare, Hare,

Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama, Rama, Hare, Hare

HISTORY OF THE HARE KRISHNA CHANT

Everyone knows this mantra as the anthem of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). However, the origin of this faith dates back to 5,000 years ago when Lord Krishna was born in Vrindavan to save the citizens from the tyrant King Kansa. Later in the 16th century Chaitanya Mahaprabhu revived the Hare Krishna Movement and preached that all can gain a personal relationship with the Lord through sankirtana, ie, a collective chanting of the name of Krishna. Many religious leaders kept alive the faith of "leading the people towards god through devotional songs and selfless Bhakti" — the way of devotion, and Swami Prabhupada, the founder of ISKCON is the most notable among them.


www.thoughtco.com/the-story-of-hare-krishna-mantra-1770623

[krsnaraja]

Chant and make your life sublime

The Vedas recommend that in the present age the most effective means for achieving self-realization is to always hear about, glorify, and remember the all-good Supreme Lord, who is known by many names. One of these names is “Krishna” which means “He who is all-attractive,” another is “Rama” which means “He who is the reservoir of all pleasure,” and “Hare” indicates the Lord’s inconceivable energy.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

This sublime chanting puts us directly in touch with the Supreme Lord through the sound vibration of His holy names and gradually awakens us to our original relationship with God. ISKCON’s primary mission is to encourage all members of the human society to devote at least some portion of their time and energies to this process of hearing and chanting about God. In this way they will gradually come to realize that all living beings are spirit souls, eternally related to the Supreme Lord in service and in love.

It is mentioned in the scriptures that Sri Krishna, the Reservoir of Pleasure, dances on the tongue of the chanter of His name. To chant and hear fixes the mind, in meditation, in direct contact with God. The mantra is not to be mistaken for an ordinary song or anything tinged with the mundane; it is a pure transcendental sound vibration of the Absolute and has been upheld as such since time immemorial by the great sages and Vedic scriptures.

Anyone who hears the chanting also benefits if he simply likes the sound of the chanting or he appreciates the sankirtana in some way or other. The holy name is compared to a fire; whether one is scientifically conversant with all the properties of fire or knows nothing about it, if one puts his hand in fire, he will be burnt. Sincere chanting and hearing of the mantra will cleanse the mind and elevate one and all to the natural original position of spirit soul.
Srila Prabhupada on Chanting

The transcendental vibration established by the chanting of

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

is the sublime method of reviving our Krishna consciousness. As living spiritual souls we are all originally Krishna conscious entities, but due to our association with matter from time immemorial, our consciousness is now polluted by the material atmosphere. The material atmosphere, in which we are now living, is called maya, or illusion. Maya means “that which is not.” And what is this illusion? The illusion is that we are all trying to be lords of material nature, while actually we are under the grip of her stringent laws. When a servant artificially tries to imitate the all-powerful master, this is called illusion. In this polluted concept of life, we are all trying to exploit the resources of material nature, but actually we are becoming more and more entangled in her complexities. Therefore, although we are engaged in a hard struggle to conquer nature, we are ever more dependent on her. This illusory struggle against material nature can be stopped at once by revival of our Krishna consciousness.

Krishna 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 this process is recommended for this age by authorities. By practical experience also, one can perceive that by chanting this maha-mantra, or the Great Chanting for Deliverance, one can at once feel a transcendental ecstasy coming through from the spiritual stratum. And when one is factually on the plane of spiritual understanding – surpassing the stages of senses, mind, and intelligence – one is situated on the transcendental plane.

We have seen this practically. Even a child can take part in the chanting, or even a dog can take part in it. Of course, for one who is too entangled in material life, it takes a little more time to come to the standard point, but even such a materially engrossed man is raised to the spiritual platform very quickly. When the mantra is chanted by a pure devotee of the Lord in love, it has the greatest efficacy on the hearers, and as such, this chanting should be heard from the lips of a pure devotee of the Lord, so that immediate effects can be achieved. As far as possible, chanting from the lips of nondevotees should be avoided. Milk touched by the lips of a serpent has poisonous effects.

The word Hara is the form of addressing the energy of the Lord, and the words Krishna and Rama are forms of addressing the Lord Himself. Both Krishna and Rama mean “the supreme pleasure,” and Hara is the supreme pleasure energy of the Lord, changed to Hare in the vocative. The supreme pleasure energy of the Lord helps us to reach the Lord.

The material energy, called maya, is also one of the multi-energies of the Lord. And we, the living entities, are also the energy – marginal energy – of the Lord. The living entities are described as superior to material energy. When the superior energy is in contact with the inferior energy, an incompatible situation arises; but when the superior marginal energy is in contact with the superior energy, called Hara, the living entity is established in his happy, normal condition.

These three words, namely Hare, Krishna and Rama, are the transcendental seeds of the maha-mantra. The chanting is a spiritual call for the Lord and His internal energy, Hara, to give protection to the conditioned soul. This chanting is exactly like the genuine cry of a child for its mother. Mother Hara helps the devotee achieve the grace of the supreme father, Hari or Krishna, and the Lord reveals Himself to the devotee who chants this mantra sincerely.

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

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

www.iskconbangalore.org/hare-krishna-mantra/