So we continue with our discussions from the book Die Before Dying. Bhaktisiddhanta used to say, pran acche var sehetu pracar, meaning those who have life can preach, or preaching has to be done with a sign of enthusiasm, utsaha, a sign of hopefully knowledge, understanding, jnana and vijnana – theoretical knowledge as well as realization. Svadu, svadu pade pade. As one is preaching more and more, one feels more satisfied, one feels more enthused, one feels more inspired, because as you share something, the transcendental system is such that as you share, you'll be given more. Especially as we study and try to develop ourselves with the intention that we want to be better servants or more profound instruments, then we'll find that Krsna will facilitate us in so many ways beyond what we would normally expect.

Now when we think in terms of life, there are many ways of looking at life. I was just thinking earlier about how disease is very complex, because it has it's sociological, physiological, genetic, and so many different aspects. And the hallmark is that it's very complex. So sometimes we can say disease is due to an imbalance of metals and nutrition in the body, or disease is to parasites. And sometimes we can say disease is due to improper balance of the airs in the body. Srila Prabhupada explains that mental illness is due to improper balance of air in the body. Well all of things are part of it, all of these things are true, and all of these things can be a different way of looking at disease. We know it means that there is an imbalance, and the imbalance should manifest in various ways.

So today's discussion looks a lot at air, breath, prana, life-force. Like in the story of Dhruva Maharaja. Dhruva was a very young yogi, ascetic, and he was very determined to try to get a kingdom. And he went through all these amazing austerities. So he was able to have direct control of the prana or life-force within his own body to such an extent that by controlling that life-force, he was able to influence the collective prana in the entire universe. This is the wholographic aspect – by analyzing one part, you can understand the whole, or how one is connected with the whole. So some aspects of quantum physics looks at some of these issues also. But it's part of higher reality, that energy is connected and everybody is connected and consciousness is connected, because we're all connected with the same Godhead. And the soul is the same in everyone. And the physical body is there, the dehe, but also there is the subtle body, linga-sarira. So this subtle body is not limited like the physical body. It's not confined by geographical situations or the normal physicality.

So Dhruva controlling the prana within himself affected the universe in such a way that the devas, the demigods became disturbed, there own influence was being altered. So we want to talk today in our meditation about breath – Life is Simply So Many Breaths. When we're born, it's already arranged how we're going to leave, and we have so many activities we do in that interim. But so much of it is breaths, and after so many breaths, we take our last breath.

Let us just do a little short experiment. Let's see who can hold their breath for 30 seconds okay. Inhale, take a deep breath, and then just hold it. 1, 2, 3 .... (counted to 30). Who made it to 30? Alright, most of you. Deep breathers (laughter). Now if we said 30 minutes (laughter), we'd all be down. If we said 3 minutes perhaps.

So you can see how breath is so essential. We can go quite a while without drinking something, liquids, any kind of liquids, we can go quite a while without eating anything – the past few days they've had me on a juice fast, and I was thinking well it's not as difficult as a dry fast, but of course it's not the same as being able to eat and to chew something. But the body can go on for a very long time without chewing anything or eating anything. As a matter of fact some people sometimes can't even swallow and they have tubes in them that gives them various types of nutrients, etc. And you can go a long time just by taking water. Now if you stop eating, you stop taking water, after a while of course you're going to die. But you can't even go hours without breathing. You can't go an hour without breathing, down to minutes. That's how essential that air is.

When we do finally leave the body, we take our last breath, and with those last breaths, it carries the soul on to its next destination. So those breaths are in connection with your consciousness. And so how our last breath is going to be, the consciousness that's there is going to escort – literally – the soul to it's next existence.

Now Srila Prabhupada, founder of ISKCON, explains that we see in the Vedic sastra that those who are engaged in sinful life or in sense gratification are engaged in bisaya. Just like the story in the Bhagavatam of Puranjana, it's explained that his name itself means one who is the enjoyer of the body, enjoyer of the senses. So the bisayis, they're actively just living for eating, mating, sleeping, and defending. For them, life is nothing more than that – how to find ways to expand as much as they can, by whatever means is necessary. They're thinking that, “I must find better ways to eat, more active ways to mate, and to be very expert in defending what I've conquered or stole or borrowed or possessed. So these things are going on in the animal kingdom, so obviously human life is more than just eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. When we think of the Goswamis, one of the most amazing things we think about them is how they've conquered over all of these vegas. The six vegas,

vaco vegam manasah krodha-vegam

jihva-vegam udaropastha-vegam

etan vegan yo visaheta dhirah

sarvam apimam prthivim sa sisyat

that one can conquer over these vegas, vaco vegam manasah krodha, one who can conquer over anger, one who can conquer over greed, one who can conquer over the pushes of the tongue, pushes of the belly, pushes of the genitals, one who can conquer over the senses that are pushing, pushing, demanding, saying, “I want gratification.” So being a yogi, connecting, and being a spiritualist, is not only conquering, but rising above the demands of where one is a slave of these particular pushes. Goswami means one who has conquered over the senses.

So the Goswamis, they were conquering over these things. Nidra, atyahara, and hara – conquering over sleep and overendeavoring for gratification and overeating, eating, etc. And it wasn't like they were just planning, “Let me minimize my eating, let me avoid sleeping, let me avoid going to the lottery, let me avoid going to the prostitute ...” This wasn't a reflection. It was that they were so absorbed in doing spiritual activities, so absorbed in positive things, there was no reflection, there was no time for such. So they were sleeping so little because they just didn't have time. They were eating so little because they were so fulfilled, there was no time, but there was also very little desire for basic things for maintaining the body.

The other day when I was going through this fast, I was trying to be very active. I was just saying how that – especially when I fast from everything, from water, food, a dry fast, I want to be very active because I find when I'm active then I think less about the fact that I haven't eaten. Usually when people fast, they tune down and whatnot, but I – for years and years I would fast on ekadasi from food and water. Now this fast I was thinking I shouldn't fast so much, being a diabetic the body goes through too many shifts. But I was always kind of minimized the difficulties of fasting trying to be even more active than I would normally, or at least as active. So I would have many things to do that day. So my whole day was just filled up, and the next thing I know the day is over and the next day I'm eating. The worst thing, I find, is when you don't do anything, and then you're just thinking, “Oh. Five more hours before I break the fast.” (laughter) Like on Janmastami, Radhamastami, so many of these special days when we're fasting and I think it's very hard for devotees who just kind of think, “Oh, how many hours before I have to eat?” But when you're active, you're cooking, you're dressing the deities, you're reading, preaching, doing bhajan, kirtan, whatever, before you know it the day is over. So again it shows how kala, how time is so much influenced by what is going on in the consciousness.

So Prabhupada says that one who is involved in sense gratification, they're enthusiastically using what is understood as rupa, the body, gandha, smell, sparsa, touch, sabda, sound, and rasa, taste, that all aspects of their bodies and their dysfunctions of the body is for pursuance of sense gratification. So this is the bisaya, that life is just pursuing sense gratification with great eagerness and not being so much concerned about the affects it has on the environment, the effects on others, not being focused on any sense of community, one is focused only individualism and materialism, and considering that as long as he or she has something for him or herself, that life is wonderful.

So life is wonderful if you have sufficient to eat – eat whatever you want, sleep as long as you want, mate with as many entities as you can, and engage in other kinds of promiscuous things. As sadhus, as saints, our duty is how we can restrict and even minimize and some cases eradicate the demand for some of these issues. Where one is not confined or imprisoned by the demands of the senses, but where the mind is acting as the controller rather than the slave of the senses. We've said many times how the senses are like giving orders to the mind. When the mind is not strong by intelligence, then the mind goes right into trying to see how to compensate or fulfill the desires of the senses.

Now when we talk about life – what is life? We're looking at life in many ways, but we're looking at life now as the body that's there and in ayurvedic medicine or in the Vedic cosmology also, we understand that the body is comprised of tri-dhätu or 3 major elements. Some of you are familiar with ayurvedic science, so that's kapha ... pitta ... and väyu. What are those things? Yes, bile, mucus, and air.

“Just as the body is a bag comprised of air, mucus, and bile.” And we cherish it because when we're using it we try to make it nice. We do plastic surgery, we wear certain things to make us look fatter or smaller or according to what we feel we want to do. If we feel we're too short, we'll wear things to make us look taller, if we feel we're too tall we do things to make us look shorter. If we feel we're too dark, we'll wear something to make us look lighter. If we feel we're too light, we get a suntan to try to look darker. If we feel that [things] are not in the right place, we get plastic surgeries, we have the nose changed, this changed, that changed, altered.

So the tendency is to really to focus on thinking that one is the body. But this body is just mucus, bile, and air. Of course when it's turned [inside-out] you see how it really looks. You cut yourself or you have an accident (inaudible) we see that the organs are just amazing, and it's just flesh and blood and the whole bit. That's the same thing we try to squeeze and hug and paint up, and do everything nicely in different ways. And that's there. Just like a car, you fix it up. But what is that car? It's just metal, steel, and whatever, but outwardly, when it's all together, it has a certain appearance. But it's also all relative, because different are relative according to the culture. In some countries to have very big ears is considered very beautiful. And in some tribes, people expand the ears when they're small babies to make them very big, or the lips. They put a plate on the lips to make them look very big and it's considered beautiful. In some places like in the Chinese culture it's considered beautiful when women have very small feet. And so young girls would have their feet bound where they would literally go through pain so that the feet would look small. So it's considered to be attractive and sensual, and the men would be very excited. “Oh! She has very beautiful, small feet.” (laughter) According to the culture there are some differences, so it's all relative. Where it could be seen as somewhat attractive in one place is not in another.

I remember once when Umapati went with me to Africa – he's American and worked in France for a long time and he was coming to help us in the French African countries. And I remember the first thing he said when he got off the airplane into the airport, going to immigration. He said, “Oh. The concept of beauty is totally different here.” And he was talking about weight, because what is considered to be beautiful here in terms of size, in Africa would be considered to be skinny. You'd better get some food in you. (laughter) Because it's considered if you're big, then you're eating good and you're healthy. As you see the people who are most famous and most respected, when it comes to considerations of beauty, you'll see the kings and queens are healthy. (laughter) They sit on their thrones and (inaudible) and they're big, they're spread and it's considered that they're doing good. Life is good, they're eating nicely.

Then in America , some of the models work out in the gym every day, because they're so particular about what they eat. Some time back when I was in Los Angeles and I was talking to Cher . And as we ended the conversation, we gave her some maha sweets from the temple, and immediately she (inaudible). She was wondering how many calories are there (laughter). Then I realized that these famous people, especially the entertainers, they have to be so careful about keeping their bodies fit in terms of what the standard is because if not, then society will not look at them, or they will not seem to get the fame. Just like when Elvis Presley got really fat, he wasn't in the public hardly at all. I mean just imagine if Madonna all of a sudden just sprouted out 230, 250 pounds. It just wouldn't be the same, because for the average person's conception, sensual, sexual, thin, beautiful as she does her gyrating or whatever, if she's doing that at 300 pounds (laughter), it wouldn't quite work. So for them it's a major part of their life to suffer in trying to keep the body skinny.

So how we torture ourselves in trying to improve on our eating, sleeping, mating, and defending, and trying to help others to be envious of us. Because when you think about it, greatness in material culture means that you have so many people envious of you. The more people who are envious of you, the greater you are. This is one of the reasons that Princess Dianna was so famous, because practically every woman in the world was envious of her. They were thinking, “Yes, I'd like to live in a palace. I'd love to have servants doing everything, putting my shoes on, cleaning my nails, brushing my teeth, and then putting millions of dollars of jewelry on me, and have people have my picture all over the place, and a driver and very royal arrangements.” So that's there.

Envy is an aspect of honoring – you don't envy a homeless person. You feel sad for them. So one is famous in the material world, material culture mainly means – especially Western culture – it means you're very individualistic, it means you're very self-centered, usually for materialism, because that's what works in material culture now. Basically what works in Kali Yuga is to be selfish, to have greed, is to be concerned about yourself, to do whatever you can and use it for you, and to have many people envious of you because you are great, you are successful, you're famous, you're beautiful, etc. The more beautiful someone is, the more people would like to be like that, the more they're envious of that person, the more wealth, etc.

So this tridatu, kapha, pitta, and vayu is what the body is really made of – mucus, bile, and air. Now this air, though, is important. Just like I'm noticing with the cancer, I have like a shortness of breath. And when the cancer seems to be more stronger, more active, it's like the breath is a little shorter, which seems to suggest that the energy level is different and it's manifesting in some shortness of breath.

Bhagavatam explains that there are five different kinds of prana, 5 distinct, different types of air that are circulating in the body that have an influence on consciousness. And practically all major religious traditions and cultures, there's also a significant emphasis on the power of the life-force, in terms of bringing into the world and it's departure. But there's even a name for that life-force – different names, but meaning the same thing. We wrote about this in one of our “Sacred Teachings” books - most of you know because some of you are involved in martial arts and things also. Just like in China , this life-force or prana, as we say in Vedic culture, is called chi. We know that people being able to master chi can kill you or they can heal you, or they can knock you over – it's just so powerful. In Japan it's called ki. In Islamic traditional religion, sufism – bharaka, and in one of the Native American Indian traditions it's called Juaquin. In one of the African traditions it's called megbe, in the Kabbalah in Jewish tradition it's called yeshod, and it goes on and on. The same energy, same life-force, but is called something according to that tradition and the same thing is being discussed.

So I want to read briefly. It's a rather short meditation, “Life is Simply So Many Breaths.” Think of all the things we do in the years that we live – all the education, all the jobs and money that we pursue, all the things we do for our house, all the things we do for our children, for our husband, for our wife, for our partners, and we go on and on and on. Everything we do socially, politically, culturally, it all started with breath, and it's going to end some time when we take the last breath. Just as if you held your breath, so if you no longer have the use of breath, you die. Sometimes when someone is unconscious, we do CPR. So we try to revitalize that person by taking some of our breath to stimulate their breath, and if successful we get the person to breathing again on his or her own, or someone loses breath when they're in the hospital and the medics come and give the person oxygen. The idea is to get that person breathing on their own so that breath goes on again. But when the breath stops, then we know, “Oh. Okay, now this person is gone.” Because at some point when there's no more breath, then it means they took their last breath and the air takes the soul away.

I was reading many years ago how it's been calculated the difference of weight – very, very subtle – when the soul is in the body and when the soul goes. And people who see death – maybe some of you have seen somebody die right in front of you, and you see them as they gasp and take that last breath. Sometimes you can feel the presence of the soul leave the body. And according to the quality, the adhikara of the individual determines how the soul leaves – whether it leaves through the anus, the mouth, or through the top of the head. So according to the level of piety determines also how the soul goes.

We were reading the wonderful book on the biography of Gour Govinda Maharaja, and it was discussing about one of his relatives, I guess his great grandfather, who was an amazing Vaisnava. He's in a family of very advanced sadhus. And his father was one of those yogis, spiritualists – great grandfather that is – who had the power and the sakti of control of prana within his own body that he could decide when he was going to die. And this has been the case of some of yogis who have had such power of control of life and death that they felt – they had a certain time that they're going to die and they are having discourse or they're in the house or they're around well-wishers and they just go. They take their last breath and the soul goes.

So he had that kind of power, that influence, and that control, and was so aware that he was more than the body. And of course he had such higher consciousness. So he informed the well-wishers and relatives, and they were altogether in the house doing bhajan and then he told them, “Okay, I'm going to go.” He told them the day he was going to go, the approximate time, and they were all doing bhajan, accepting that he was going to leave, honoring his decision, and recognizing of course his unusual power. And then just like he said – he was there, bhajan was going on, and took his last breath and he left.

So like in the case of Dhruva, where one's consciousness can be so advanced that they have not only control of the physical body or the vegas, controlling such, the pushes that are normally there enslaving others, but the consciousness is so sharp and pinpointed, they can even decide and determine by the blessings of the Lord when to leave, etc. And there are some rare entities who are aware of when they came into this universe and while they are here, they are in tune with what is going on in the higher realms, and when they leave they return to such kingdoms, such environments. The nitya siddhas are aware and they purposely tune themselves down while they are here in the material world. They take on humanlike attributes so they can preach and help and relate, but at certain points, especially when there are times when they go to nirjana bhajana, when they are at about the point of leaving their body, then sometimes they go into a samadhi where they're physically here, but they are no longer relating to the orthodox patterns of the material world.

We see in Prabhupada's last days or last weeks, how when people would come in or say different things, we saw sometimes a different level of response that we would normally see. Somebody would just say something about a cow and Prabhupada would go into tears like it was a surabhi cow. Just little things that would be there would just immediately stimulate or refresh him with his identity in the Spiritual Kingdom . In the Bhagavatam it explains how when Madhavendra Puri saw the black rain cloud and he went into trance just thinking that Krsna is Ghanasyama, blackish like a black rain cloud. And just by seeing that, he just went into trance. So we see that sometimes paraphanalia, like in the case of the 4 Kumaras just smelling the tulasi leaf that was offered to the Lord, something in connection can stimulate consciousness in such ways.

Well the pure souls tune themselves down so they are less responding in such ways. We saw Prabhupada make extra effort not to show his ecstasies. But there were times when it was overwhelming and it was obvious. Like the time in Atlanta when he was talking about the deities of Gaura Nitai and then he went into trance. One or two of the leaders once told me how when I would write these letters to Prabhupada, he would read them after taking lunch, the secretaries would bring them in – the letters I would write about preaching in the communist countries. So one letter I had in one report is that Tamal Krsna Maharaja came in and brought my letter and told him that Ghanasyama – which was my earlier name – his reports have arrived. Prabhupada said immediately bring them. These were the last days, weeks – last months actually. And so one of the devotees told me how as I was describing certain things, distributing the books and difficult situations, how Prabhupada went into a trance. Prabhupada said, “... and he does not know the language, he is dark colored, a different race than these countries, he is going without food, water, fruit sometimes, whatever, and the books are getting out.” Of course in those days, the Communist Block was the Communist Block. We were taking risks of being in prison or risking our lives. And so Prabhupada was saying, “... and the books are going, going, gone...” and he went into trance. So there were times when Prabhupada was chanting Jaya Radha Madhava, etc.

But his concern was not to show ecstasies or to show his level of unfoldment, but to share so everyone can come to the level of being able to experience the higher realms of spirituality. And as Vaisnavas we even go out of our way to not to show because the idea is that so many people do not have – and even pseudo-Vaisnavas – who are not on that platform may be more prone to pretend if physical show of purity is considered to be the standard.

We know from Nectar of Devotion, of Rupa Goswami's writings and some of the Goswami's writings, that there are certain symptoms that one may undergo as they are experiencing bhava or what to say of prema. So the hair standing up, voice choking up, rolling on the ground, losing consciousness, even death. These are some small symptoms of ecstasy. And so there are times when people want to seem that they are overtaken and possessed with divine endowment and they're just rolling on the floor or go through like an epileptic fit, suggesting that they're experiencing ecstasy, and sometimes it's just show.

The acaryas and the high-level sadhus would of course evaluate a person and could judge whether someone was just pretending or whether they were in higher state. I haven't finished the whole book yet, but I know from this biography of Gour Govinda Maharaja and some of the devotees who used to be around him, Bhagavata Prabhu, one of my godbrothers, would mention sometimes how there were times when they saw Gour Govinda Maharaja just completely unconscious or completely in a trance state. And there were times when they took him to a hospital and they thought he was ill, but he wasn't ill, he was in trance.

Life is Simply so Many Breaths. So when something happens to the breath, as one leaves the body and one engages in deep chanting and meditating, as one goes into different altered states, advanced altered states, then the breath is affected in such ways also.

“What we call life is really the activities performed by different species as they struggle to avoid their inevitable death.” Now we also that literally thousands of species have become extinct. So life was there for them, but now not only is life gone, but the whole species has disappeared. Usually we think of extinction we think of the very obvious – dinosaurs. We don't see dinosaurs walking down the street and we rarely see some replica of them in museums, but just think how such creatures were very, very numerous and we don't see one of them. So not only does life leave for a particular entity of a particular species, but sometimes the entire species is no longer there.

“What we call life is really the activities performed by different species as they struggle to avoid their inevitable death.” So different cultures, different communities have their different ways of how they're struggling and how they struggle determines what is considered to be life. For somebody who is very poor, their struggles – life is harder for them. Eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. Somebody is considered to be quite endowed with wealth, that means eating, sleeping, mating, and defending for them is not such an issue.

“They try to avoid or cheat all-devouring death by focusing on eating, sleeping, mating, and defending...” as if they can keep on doing these things, then life is going to go on. “It is true that for the survival of each species all of these areas are important to fulfill and to maintain, however, they still do not check death from attacking and defeating the members of each species. When someone has few or no obstructions in their eating, sleeping, mating, and defending, it is considered by social standards that they are having a good life. As we measure time we think of how long or how much longer an entity has in his present body. We reflect on events and activities associated with an entity or entire species. In 24 hours some species are born, reproduce and die, while other species live for hundreds of years.” So some species, just in 24 hours they take their first breath, they literally reproduce, they deteriorate, and they die. And others it could take hundreds of years before they take their last breath.

“However in either case, it's all relative to the nature of the living entity. Life is simply so many breaths. When we take our last breath in this body, the soul departs and petitions for it's next existence. The whole of creation simply endures during the breath of Maha Visnu.” Now just think about that. As it's withdrawn and when He inhales and exhales. Just think that all of what is going on – esoteric – in all of the universes and all the many, many yugas, etc. that life is going on, different interactions, arrangements, and relations – that all of that is Maha Visnu inhaling and exhaling. When inhaling, it's all over, exhaling – it's all there. Just like we took a little breath in and out. We held our breath. So [imagine] if we exhale and we create universes and universes of millions and billions of people and things going on. And we inhale and we wipe them all out. The power – the arrangement of the power of breath. So we are all maintained and supported by Maha Visnu's inhaling and exhaling. This is of course an aspect of God that is creating and annihilating or eliminating the universes.

“In the Spiritual World there is no deterioration of the body, no death and no time. Everything has always existed and always exists. Yes, events and activities are variegated, everfresh, full of joy and eternal. The material world is called kuntha, a place of misery and anxiety. While the Spiritual World is called Vaikuntha, which is a place of no suffering and of course no anxieties. Bhaya or fear pervades all atmospheres in the material universe...” So there are such things that are called sokha or lamentation, lamenting. “...which lead us to try to speed up or slow down or stop various events from happening. For some, kala or time is their best friend, because in time something wonderful or pleasant will happen for others or for oneself.”

What's example for somebody who may see time as their best friend, something wonderful is going to happen in the future? What's an example? A promotion, yes. In 6 months I'm going to get a promotion. So they're seeing that time is going to be their best friend, because in 6 months they're going to get a bonus or promotion. They're going to get an extra $20,000 bonus. You'd like that new job, huh? You get a raise, double your salary – they don't double salaries these days do they? (laughter) You're lucky if you have a job that gives you a 10-, 15-, $20,000 bonus. So you know that it's going to come and you're excited.

What's another example where one is anticipating with great enthusiasm? Retirement, yes (laughter). Retire. Then after people retire they get sad (laughter), what am I going to do with myself. I was reflecting on some statistics in business, especially (inaudible), so many high-level CEO's (Chief Executive Officers), especially for men since women have more of a social support system, that high-level CEO's after they retire, many of them, their life span is only 5 to 7 years. They lose a sense of identity, or they realize that all they thought was happening so wonderfully that it's not quite what they thought, or they're watching the organization or business change, different from what they can control, whatever. But more than likely it means that they have identified so much with their identity as being the controller of that, when they don't have that, they lose identity, they lose sometimes, the desire to live. And so it's not so long before they take their last breath.

“The fears associated with the constant uncertainty about the future...” – now the other the thing is also for some people the fear or time just puts them in anxiety, because what's expected is inauspicious. Like I'm dealing with now, it looks like my cancer is trying to accelerate again. So in some ways time is wonderful, because I have time to try to be more mindful and do what I can, while I can. But in another sense, if it keeps on like this, in time I'll take my last breath.

“For some kala or time is their best friend...” – I don't look [like] it though, do I? (laughter, devotees respond, “No, not at all”) I mean in terms my prosthesis when I'm walking, so I'm on a cane now and 2 crutches and gradually learning how to walk ... gained a little more weight but something else is going on. The diabetes is going – well that's a little awry. Some things are in place and other things are out.

“For some kala or time is their best friend, because in time something wonderful or pleasant will happen. For others time is their worst enemy, for in the future they will experience some great misfortune. However, for all species or entities that do not become Krsna- or God-conscious, time will prove to be an ultimate enemy in disguise.” That means for anyone who doesn't pursue a God-conscious lifestyle, ultimately, time will be a big enemy for them, because in time they're going to have to get reciprocation for all of the sinful things that they've done. Their karma is going to come on them.

“For those who do not pursue self-realization, they will be chastised and thrown into other material bodies to experience once again birth, death, old age and disease. For those who become self-realized, they can return to the Spiritual World in the Kingdom of God , where there is not deterioration of body, no death, no time. Everything is always...” – it's hard to imagine an environment where everything always was, always has existed and always will. When we're in an environment where there is no death, there's no deterioration, then our whole conception of life and relationship and association is different - different shades of experiences.

“Everything has always existed and always will exist in the Spiritual World. Yes, events and activities are variegated, everfresh, full of joy and eternal. For some unfortunate souls who in the future must experience some specific chastisement, penalty or difficulty, reflecting on the future brings us greater and greater anxieties or fears.” An example is like the story of the Beggar we read, how chronic disease is like a death sentence, or like an inmate or prisoner being sentenced to die.

“An example is the inmate on death row who has been sentenced to death in one month, or the hostage who receives the news that he or she will be assassinated in 24 hours. Even the worker who finds out that he or she must start working with a team of colleagues in one week, who will give him or her hell, or experience tremendous anxiety.” Sometimes you have different projects and you think, “Oh my God. I've got to work with these guys? I've got to work with this group of people? Uh!” And you're just in anxiety as it comes closer and closer to when you all have to team together. And of course if it's good association, you're thinking in terms of time and anticipating the wonderful experience that's going to come soon.

“Others who anticipate a great boon, reward, or auspicious accomplishment are very excited as they contemplate and anticipate the future. For example the prisoner who learns that he or she will be paroled in one month, the hostage who finds out that he can return to his family in 24 hours, and the worker who is informed that he will be promoted to the position of CEO in one week.” Just imagine how happy somebody is in hearing that in one week's time, you are going to be in charge of this organization. The person is always thinking how they're going to get on other people's case. “Yes, I'll be in charge.” They take out their grudges and start thinking, “Okay, I'll be in the big office.” (laughter) Put up a sign, a nice sign, bigger than that one that's up there. Change my cars now. I don't mind spending the money now. Change my letterhead, my card, so I do it joyfully. And in the fact the CEO has to get a new car. I can't be seen in this car (laughter). Then unfortunately they may think, “I've got to get a new wife now.”

“Just imagine how much excitement and happiness the residents of the Spiritual World as they are constantly having this knowing that every future experience will be an encounter that will be more rewarding and fulfilling than previous encounters. The more rewarding the future events will be, the greater the anticipation, excitement and joy. As we have stated, in the Spiritual World there is no deterioration of body, no death and no time. Everything has always existed and will always exist. Yes, events and activities are variegated, everfresh, full of joy and eternal.

“In the material world as time is ticking away some people are very excited about some temporary boon, reward, or achievement, while others are in great anxiety about future chastisement, punishment or penalty. All will ultimately experience kala (time that is) as most cruel if the real purpose of life, liberation, is not realized, because the ultimate reward or results will be another material body, in one of the material universes that are mainly designated or designed to facilitate the living entities and species in their endeavor to run away from the eternal home, the Kingdom of God.”

Then I include this meditation by mentioning about Prahlada Maharaja. “Prahlada Maharaja emphasizes that we must not waste this life and it's valuable time.” Remember how Prahlada Maharaja, even though he's so young, he was a kid, he was emphasizing that one should not procrastinate, one should not wait, one should immediately involve themselves in the pursuance of God-consciousness. So even as a child, we must ultimately pursue a more meaningful life.

“Khatvanga Maharaja became fully God-conscious in just moments.” So one doesn't always – we see sometimes it may take lifetimes or it can take moments like in this case. “We don't have to procrastinate or involve ourselves in superfluous activities. For the materialist who will encounter temporary as well as ultimate punishment, temporary and ultimate anxiety will be there rewards.” That's for the Puranjanas or the basayis, sense gratifiers.

“But the rewards will be different for the devotees of the Lord who contemplate on a future in which they can return to the Spiritual World, a place in which there is no deterioration of body, no death, no time, where everything has always existed, and always will exist, because the events and the activities are always variegated, everfresh, full of joy and eternal.

“All species and entities should use this life for what it is really meant for, rather than just for eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. Not just wasting so many breaths and encountering varieties of temporary happiness and distress...” – chopla sukha. It's there, but (gurudeva snapped his fingers) it comes and goes quickly.

“We should use life as a divine opportunity to become deathless in a timeless existence where we can eternally participate and breathe in the nectar of Krsna katha, bhakti-rasa. I am that lowly Beggar, who will soon give up his last material breath to humbly breathe in the nectar of Krsna's aroma.”

So what we discussed in this little reflection is - we're looking at pran acche var sehetu pracar, where Bhaktisiddhanta is saying that one must have life to preach. Svadu, svadu pade pade, and as we are preaching and sharing, we feel more enlivened, we have more to give, and hopefully with more potency as we become more realized. In all traditions, religions, and cultures also, there is some emphasis on the significance of breath. We gave the example in the case of Dhruva Maharaja, how by controlling the prana within himself, he was able to influence the prana within the whole of creation. So we all have that potentiality or that potency of having more control of what's going on within our own consciousness that can affect the entire universe or the world around us, what to say of our institutions, our communities, and our families.

We mentioned how basayis and Puranjanas are eager to just fulfill the demands of the senses – eating, sleeping, mating and defending. And how the body itself is tri-dhätu, just really comprised of mucus, bile and air. Our meditation was dealing mostly with the air aspect or breath. When we are born, breath is there. When we leave, we take the last breath and the soul is carried on by the breath.

And then we looked at different things in relationship to kala or time and how, for some, time is very wonderful, because in time, many wonderful things will come upon them based on good karma. What has been said and done and what has been put into motion will bring all kinds of auspiciousness. So we gave some material examples with anticipation, enthusiasm and joy. Then we have other cases where, because of some inauspiciousness around the corner, that there's going to be chastisement, punishment, or there's going to be suffering. Visvanatha Cakravarti talks about this in terms of the klesas or different types of miseries and distresses. We have sin that's manifested in prarabdha and aprarabdha, that there are some inauspicious things that have come upon us already. We've already experienced the duality of the suffering from that, and there are certain things that are around the corner that in the future we will have to experience. So in some cases we know of it or are cognizant and other cases we are not. In some cases we are aware that we made some offense and now we're going to have to pay for it, or there's something we've done and pretty soon we're going to reap the results. In other cases we realize that, because we've done the right thing or we've been recognized as a high achiever in some way, that we are excited about what we're going to benefit from that.

So the conclusion of this is that as we take our last breath or look forward to taking the last breath, it should be with anticipation and excitement. Because kala should mean for us – the future should mean for us – that we will be able to receive the benefits of quality devotion that we've engaged in during this lifetime. And so we don't have to fear about being snatched by Yamaraja and his attendants, nor do we have to fear about having to take another material body. But our excitement and joy should be that as time goes on and as we come to the ultimate time arranged where we leave the body, that we will be able to go back, back to the Kingdom of God , in the Spiritual World where we were saying there is no death or deterioration. Everything is eternal and full of joy, the asraya-tattva, the Divine Abode of Love.
So for a Vaisnava, meditating about any aspect of the future should be exciting as long as our past and present has been quality offerings of devotion. And where not, then we should also be in fear because we should realize that we are going to be accountable for any deviations or any sinful things that we've been engaged in. Hare Krsna.

So any questions or any comments anyone has?

Q: Hare Krsna. You said that a Vaisnava should be enthusiastic about the future, but sometimes we look at ourselves and we so many anarthas in my heart, and you feel that my spiritual life is going to be big, big struggle for me in the future. So in that circumstance, how can we be enthusiastic, because you know that we are to work on a lot of difficult things to become a devotee?

Gurudeva: We can't be so enthusiastic. We can't be so enthusiastic, if utsaha, enthusiasm will be artificial. If we're enthusiastic about all the sins that are going on in our life or all the nonsense going on in our mind, no we can't be spiritually enthusiatic. We can be enthusiastic in some mundane way. But our spiritual enthusiasm will be so much based on our spiritual growth.

Just like say if you're married and you have a young son. So can you be enthusiastic in seeing your son just go into one crime after another crime? Not if you're a good father or a concerned parent. So you'll be concerned but you won't be enthusiastic. But say you're the same father, same son and that son is a wonderful achiever, he's a gentleman, he's doing good in sports, doing good in school, he is very respectful, so many different, nice attributes, ethical, moral, etc., then you're enthusiastic about the present of how he's doing, and you're enthusiastic considering that with all hopes that he'll carry on these qualities in the future and into manhood – go through different rites of passages, samskaras, and come out of it with great character.

So we can't be so enthusiastic if our present is not in align to what we would really want, and to work with that then one has to try to change what is going on in the present, so that they are not so possessed with anarthas. Just keep in mind, what we give the most time and energy to is what you're going to get more of. So if you're an alcoholic and you're taking so much alcohol and you're thinking that, “Well in the future I'm going to give up alcohol.” Oh. Haribol. Good luck. You're smoking and you're so absorbed in smoking, you're thinking, “In the future I'm going to give up cigarettes.” But the future is an extension of the present. If he hasn't started giving it up now, what guarantee is he going to give it up later? It's going to become harder later. He'll be more habituated to it. But if you were smoking 2 packs of cigarettes and now you're smoking one, then you're smoking one a day, you can have enthusiasm that soon, I won't smoke any. You can be enthusiastic and think, “Well I've come from 2 packs to 1 pack.”

Like when I first put on this prosthesis, I was thinking how could anybody walk in something that's as heavy as 4 legs (laughter). It's 3 or 4 times heavier than a normal leg. I thought this is impossible. Then I started walking on it with the 2 crutches – well, I was in a wheelchair, then the 2 crutches, and now the last few days, I'm just walking on a cane. I'm about to fall every few minutes, but (laughter) I'm learning some balance in that sense. So I can be enthusiastic and think, “Okay, it won't be too long that I'll be jumping up and down again. I'll be outrageous.” Then you're all jumping up in the kirtan. So I can feel enthusiastic by the increment of steps that have taken place. So when we see certain temporary victories, we can be enthusiastic about a long-term victory.

Q: (inaudible) You mentioned earlier about someone who changes their inner self can change the cosmos... and then beyond that, if one person can do that then what happens when you've got multiple people doing that and how do they interact?

Gurudeva: That's a very good question. It's already happening now. Think how what we normally consider to be a healthy life. It's so much based on the fads, it's so much based on the tradition, so much based on culture, it's so much based on what famous people do. The power that entertainers, musicians, actors, and sportsmen have – especially now in today's society – is overwhelming. Some entertainers start dressing a certain way and you have literally hundreds and millions of people who start dressing in that way. You have a very famous actor who starts driving a certain kind of car and you have now millions of people trying to get that car. I mean I can't believe it. There's a special car people are driving now that looks like a tank – Hummer? I mean it's unbelievable. Many years ago people wouldn't think that kind of car would be considered to be prestigious. [It would be] something small and unique-looking, something that's big and gross and looks like a bulldozer. But because – it's of course built strong – but also because some famous people have spent their money for it, and now it's prestigious. When you see that car come down the street, you look in it almost to see who's driving it. And if you see it in somebody's yard you think they're doing well (laughter). The other day, one of the aspiring disciples from Cleveland a couple of months ago, he came to Gita Nagari in one of those things. I was thinking this is the first time we've had one of these cars here in Gita Nagari (laughter). First I was wondering whose car is this? Then I thought okay. He's into finance and he's doing good. And down the street somebody has one and I was thinking what are they doing.

So the point though is that already we see how especially people who are watched a lot, thought about a lot, how their energy affects so many others. But we all have that power that within each of us, as we control our own lives and consciousness, we have so much ability to affect millions of people. And you've seen from revolutionists, from civil rights leaders, from the spiritualists, even the politicians, what to say of entertainers, how there are times when a person is so fixed in he or she is doing, so focused on a certain vision – that means they have so much within themselves, in their own constitution, and it's that that then influences others to accept their vision.

So we all know this but sometimes we minimize how it happens and how much each of us have the ability to create the kind of community and even the kind of world. Now because unfortunately so many people are misusing their energies for promiscuousnness, or they're being controlled by the propaganda and by the fads, so they're putting into the atmosphere all of these mantras, all of these songs that are degrading, dress styles that are sensuous and doing things that do not reinforce community, or are not healthy for the ecology, not healthy for their own bodies, what they eat, the way they mate, defend – all of these things.

Now because you have so much of that aggregating, then we have what we have to deal with now – we have waves and waves of difficulties that we have to move through. So when you try to educate someone and you try to work on yourself even, you're having to work on yourself while you're being bombarded by a general current of negativity. Now because of that, it's important for healthy sanga or healthy gatherings of like-minded people, because as each individual is working on his or her own sadhana or spiritual struggle, towards the sadhya, toward the goal, then they are helped and supported by the energy and consciousness that's involved with those who they associate with who have some similar aspirations.

Just like these little gatherings we're having now, or we have at other places, they are seemingly small, but important in that it helps each person when he or she goes back now to work or home or does whatever he has to do for the whole week, that it gives them some stimulation and it's like charging the individual up because from that they've gotten spiritual and conscious nourishment. And many times we find that especially with leaders who start off with really good intentions, and then we start seeing them sell the people out or we start seeing them deviate. Or a lot of times it happens that previously they were reinforcing themselves, building themselves, protecting themselves, and being more concerned about controlling the energies within them, and then later as they get so busy doing things, or as they have so much success, they start minimizing self-nourishment, they start minimizing self-protection, reinforcing and charging themselves. Or they don't have a protocol in their lives that allows them to get rejuvenated, and then you start seeing them deteriorate, even though previously they had a certain fortitude.

So especially with leadership, one has to be even more careful because you are involved with people often who may have lower energy, or you're trying to raise – or you're going into environments trying to act as a steward. But while going into those environments you realize that you're being bombarded by the negative patterns. And so to help you have to be like a good nurse or a doctor. You can't do that and deal with disease if you're diseased yourself. So you know disease is there so you have to protect yourself. So while trying to help the patient, you don't become inflicted with the disease.

Mother Mandikin: Yes, Gurudeva. Thank you for helping through the breath situation about 5 years ago when my mother passed, and yet she was holding on to me as her breath went away. I didn't become all bent out of shape, and my brother was downstairs making all the arrangements for the material stuff and since then they've steadily gone down, and I have come up in the community as getting another branch. So I want to ask the Institute to help to serve prasadam which is going out today [it's called] Leave No Child Behind. The second thing...

Gurudeva: Is it focused more on children? The grant?

Mother Mandikini: For the parents. They find that that's where the problem is...

Gurudeva: And then for parents to then be able to help the children?

Mother Mandikini: ...help the children, because they're coming through with a test and if they don't pass that test, then they're really going to do something disruptive. So hopefully tomorrow (inaudible) can help me with the prasadam and receive the laxmi for it. The second thing I want to ask you about is what do you think about Michael? Do you think he's being suicidal now with all this material...

Gurudeva: Michael Jackson?

Mother Mandikini: Michael Jackson. All this material [he had and look at] what it's gotten him now – it disappeared, and he didn't hold on to any spirituality.

Gurudeva: Has he been tried yet? I'm out of the loop with the news these days.

He's in trial now and it keeps coming back to the same boy.

Gurudeva: Well time will show what the judicial system will – how it will prevail in his case, but we do see a theme there. You can have so much and so much faith and it can go overnight, or you can become infamous overnight. Look how previous President Nixon was president of the so-called most powerful country in the world – America – at a time when America was really out there in it's influence and domination. And after he left the office, he became extremely depressed and died a very kind of sad life. So you can – and there are many, many cases of that, where someone has tremendous influence or tremendous wealth, tremendous fame, and a few or even one mistake and to the degree that they were famous, they become infamous. They become known for that mistake, because they're more in the public, more in the light, etc.

When we are having so many people honor us worship us, depend on us, it's a huge calling, and it can do very unusual things to people. Many of you know, you either lecture or maybe in the past you were entertainers or you have done things where you're in front of a big audience. It's like a drug. Especially when you've got so many eyes and people who are just at your mercy so to speak. So it's very difficult and we have to have our hearts go out for those kind of people who become so famous like that and not understand all the other aspects that's involved with that – that they are karmically responsible for so many things. If their singing those mantras that are full of degradation, to the degree that they inspire people for social degradation, they are karmically held for that, to the degree that they help motivate others, they benefit. And then sometimes because of the strain and the stress from those kinds of jobs, without some spiritual fulfillment and some healthy support system, it's almost inevitable the person is going to take more support from drugs – just pump themselves up so they can go on making themselves available for others to be happy.

I mean – and it's a rough schedule. You've been on the circuit, moving around, lecturing, entertaining or being in a band or something, and every place you go, you have to perform your best. Say like in a play, no matter how good your play was last week, now you're in another location and you have to give your best. So there's very little downtime in that way, and it burns people out. That's why most of the people in those entertainment industries, their lives are a total wreck.

So Michael Jackson's case is kind of typical of what can happen. A life that's full of variegatedness, full of seemingly certain incoherences, fame, and also a lot of attention based on that fame. It also shows that everybody is needy, everybody is looking for innocence, affection, and love, and we can find it in perverted ways and we can find it in unhealthy ways. History will reveal what really happens and what the situation is. More than likely here's someone who has to be out there all the time and to be very “on the mark”, but who really has a rather innocent nature, and is actually rather pious. So because of that and because of not having a strong enough spiritual support system or whatever, then he may have found himself finding interest and innocence with young boys. You know and some – that's perverted of course, really unfortunate, but it probably has to do with being so much into a life of having to be out there and a life of a lot of buerocracy and whatnot and then just kind of retreating to a childlike environment where he's got his own little fairyland world and all that comes along with that. But his case will come out more and more in the coming days. Any other question?

Question: Maharaja, could you share with us some of your vision, long-term and short-term projects for the Institute for Applied Spiritual Technology?

Gurudeva: I would like to ask you guys to share yours. It's all up to yourselves – which you're concerned with. We started the Institute for 2 or 3 basic reasons. Ekendra mentions it – Madhava mentions it in the Spiritual Warrior I, questions and answers. We were – you know I spent most of my time first in America for a while as a brahmacari, and then in most of the communist countries, and then in Africa for 10, 12 years. So at one point, you know, we had all these temples we built in Africa , farms, we even started some boutiques and clinics and stuff, and – like now we've got some places where we have free clinics. We're stuck now trying to send a lot of equipment to Ghana to open up another free clinic.

So we got to a point that you know things were happening. We had 10 temples alone just in Nigeria – or 12. Five or 6 in Ghana, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Monrovia – land, temples, projects, on and on. So I think it was after our visit to President Kaunda, who was then President of Zambia and was President of the OAU. We were meeting many presidents, giving them books, and talking to them and some typical things. So I think it was after that meeting we were thinking that, but what have we done in America ? I would come back to America for a visit and then I would go. I didn't have any GBC obligations. My hands on work was with Africa at that point. But I'm born in America . I have some obligation obviously. But especially I was thinking that I would like to find more ways to reach the people who are not coming to Krsna consciousness. And I was thinking in America we don't have so many professional people on a massive scale coming. And I noticed that we don't have so many minorities. So I was trying to think well, Washington is a place where – I don't know, what is it 85% African American? What's the percentage of Blacks here in Washington ? Seventy-five, 80%. So I thought Washington would be a good place and we already had, you know, we had a restaurant here and a boutique and a few things that were going on.

So my concern was how to do more outreach where people wouldn't have to immediately go to the temple to be overwhelmed – because people are very ethnic-conscious, especially Americans. Americans are very puffed-up. So the tendency is to go to the temple and they see mostly Indians and they think, well this is just a Hindu organization. Or if they're around other minorities they may think this is just for Europeans or whatever. So I thought, “Okay, how can I try to create some situation that will first try to reach mainly professional people,” and then, “How can I use my own body to try to reach people of ethnic background, ethnicity of color.

So I started then kind of pushing myself more in terms of my African connection as an African High Chief, and I started dressing in my African regalia sometimes, etc. But the main thing I was doing was trying to go out in the community and to present topics that – it didn't matter who it was – if they were sane, they'd have an interest. And then just try to use that topic to give a transcendental perspective. You know, whatever it may be – parenting, male-female relationships, health, it didn't matter. Whatever it was – abortion, sex-life, anything. I just used the topic and we would announce it. I think we were having the meeting every Wednesday, but once a week – and to draw people in the community to come to hear.

So we started off very small scale because we didn't have anything. It was just Yasoda, Ekendra, Vrajalila, and Mahamantra had come later, and we just had – we were living in a basement of somebody's house, not far from Walter Reed Hospital . It had one window that you hold up like a basement window, and we did everything there. It was like that was our temple, that was our kitchen, that was our living quarters. Women just had a little sheet for their area and we were in the other area and we all slept on the floor. And you could only come in from the back, you know, you go down like a cellar. This is how the Institute started.

But we started with the idea – I was thinking, “How do you start a movement or an enterprise – spiritual enterprise, organization – without money, without facility, without man or woman power?” So the idea was if you have a topic that will draw people, use somebody else's place. Use a place where people can frequent easily and you just start building it up.

So Cintamani I think later came from some of the cultural events we were having. She was then going to Howard [University], finishing up her PH.D degree. So I think she was the one – my memory is bad, but if I recall. I think Vrajalila will write all this up –and Malati [Manjari] in the biography. So she arranged for us to use a room at Howard. So now here we had a room and a place that people could come to easily, and you know with facility and we didn't have to pay. So here we had – although we didn't have any facility ourselves, and we were even totally embarrassed to bring anybody to where we lived. I mean there was no question that when you tell somebody that this a nice philosophy, a nice organization, movement, and nice spiritual people, and all we have is a little basement where 4 or 5 of us are living in such a way. Even the air quality was bad.

So as that started and a handful of people would come – first we just had a little room, and then... we got an auditorium. Now all while we're doing this, now here I was unknown, right – and even now, like for instance now, there's no reason why by now we should have been on the Oprah Winfrey Show, doing national television shows – I do it every other place in the world. National television, the top news programs, top radio shows, top talk shows in practically every country in the world I go to except America – and I'm American. But it's hard because where do I fit in? I'm like an African, Hindu, cultish swami, which some people would think. I've got all these books out, talking about all these topics and I don't fit into a normal pattern. Now if I was a revolutionist, a cultural nationalist, if I was just a Christian minister or whatever, doing what I'm doing, it would be easy to get more air, but because I don't fit into people's patterns it's a little difficult in that sense.

So here I had to start off in an environment where, not only did I not have any GBC responsibilities, did not have any disciples, I did not have any money, I wasn't known, and I was giving the philosophy that most people would consider to be just too unusual, or would not even want to come that close. Many pious people if they knew what the philosophy was, they would accept it – that's if they could hear it.

So the idea was to use other people's facilities and use arrangements that could amplify the message outside of what was in one's own resources. You know, so you try to campaign something, you try to do propaganda, so my idea was okay, radio – since I do television and radio – I can't do so much television here, but let me do radio. So then I started doing a lot of radio shows. And then we would time some of them so we would do a radio show a day or 2 before the meeting that we would have once-a-week. And it got to a point – I remember one time we did 2 or 3 radio shows in one week, and one radio show the day before, maybe that morning before, and we invited people to come down, that I'd be personally speaking and available to answer questions or whatever that evening at Howard. And that evening we had like – you know we had a room that was normally for 200 people – and that evening we had a group of like 500 people who just came from all over the place. And we had to shift into another facility. Then later we got an auditorium. So we could accommodate as many people as we could.

But it started off like that, with no facility, no money, no notariety, etc. But just an idea in this way, and how to get around the things that would cause people not to want to understand Krsna consciousness. So I thought, “Some people don't want to approach it because of the way we dress, for some people, because of the fact that they won't take the time to come to a temple.” For many, to come all the way out to Potomac , it causes great difficulty to come – even for those who know the place. Unless you have a car, it's a little difficult. So I started looking at the reasons why people wouldn't say yes, and how to get around it. And then from that we started meeting once a week. Every week we would have a different topic. This is the first book that came out – Spiritual Warrior I is all the lectures that came from that series, and Spiritual Warrior II. We have a new edition now of Spiritual Warrior II. All of those are lectures that we were doing once a week that later were put together into a book.

Now from those lectures, we made maybe 50 or so, 60 devotees – people who became directly involved and then later took initiation. And of course many of you that's how many of the Institute devotees how they came. And practically all the devotees were professionals. They were involved in their professions. And we once asked, even in the case of Ekavira – he was an accountant – I remember once we were in Gita Nagari I asked, and once here, how many would have come into Krsna consciousness if they new initially that I was a Hare Krsna devotee and that this is what you know they were being given? And 98% of the devotees said no, they wouldn't have joined. And now those same devotees are maintaining deities and Temple President in Detroit and devotees were maintaining Gita Nagari, and some of you are here, and some are in other parts of the world now, from the Institute activities.

So it gave me an arena to experiment some, an I'm an independent person so that was sort of natural in that sense. And it allowed me to make a major attempt in trying to particularly reach out to the African American community who had very little interest in Krsna consciousness. It just seemed too foreign, it was very little reason for them to consider joining or even to investigate it. And by also having the African connection and being a political activist and social reformer, and speaking on topics that were relevant, it helped many people to see this is kind of the next step for me. Because most people that were attracted were African Americans who were already studying yoga, who were involved in metaphysical teachings, some of them had been initiated in different groups – Muktananda, Sri Chinmoy, practically all of them had been involved in either some kind of wholistic activities, and almost all of them had been involved previously in revolutionary politics.

So I attracted African Americans who I felt were pious and were literally stuck and didn't know it. And I felt Prabhupada, Krsna allowed me to reach out and to give them that next higher thing. They were African Americans who had been hearing again and again, you know, the cultural rap to the point that it had become like okay, one lecture then another lecture. They'd go on and they'd hear about afrocentricity and hear this, that... and then they began to realize, hey it's about theo-centricity. It goes beyond just the body platform. Body identity kind of helped them to straighten up from the drugs in some cases or promiscuous activity, to work on their health, their diet, all of these things.

And so it was a prime target of people who had undergone some austerities. Just like you know, I'll mention a few. Just like Ananda Rupa and Ranti Deva and people like that, I mean they've been engaged in, you know, yoga and meditation groups and initiated by different gurus for quite some time. Like Madhva[Madhvacarya] here, you know he had been in Buddhism, you know, for years and years. I mean all of them had been involved in practically some kind of connection in that sense, some alternative thing.

And I think it was no accident that the way we approached – that's why it was kind of easy because, just like some of them, like Jambavati and a few others, you know, they didn't have to meet me personally. They just saw me on television and like in the case of Jambavati, saw me on television and she realized she had been seeing me in dreams. And I have many disciples, not many, but some disciples around the world heard my voice or they see me – and we had that with Prabhupada because of a connection from a previous life.

And so Cathy Hughes helped a lot, her radio shows and her television, and some of them came through television. Ekavira heard me on radio and the voice just captured him. Just like Prabhupada's voice captured me. Before I physically met him, I heard his voice. So in one sense we can say that they were already my disciples, but they were waiting for the message to appear so they could come forth in that way.

So now the nature of the Institute – what was doing? So it was doing health things, it was focused on Hatha Yoga and alternative health concerns, it was focused on trying to have programs at different people's homes, and the idea is those who have their professions, how to use their professions in Krsna consciousness.

But the biggest issue was how to keep the balance between maintaining your financial, material concerns and to still find ways to go on with your spiritual life. That's been the biggest struggle for most of the Institute devotees – is that practically everybody has a fulltime job. And how to do that and at the same time, keep your priorities in Krsna consciousness. Other devotees came, like Garuda and Aja so they came through the martial arts aspect. So at one point we had a Dojo, we had a Martial Arts Institute in Takoma Park . We had Nsringadeva there, and so it was arranged so there would be I think 2 days of the physical martial arts, and 1 or 2 days of the philosophy. And so they came in through that door, and now Aja's taking care of the books and one of our main editors, and Garuda is, you know, totally absorbed in deity worship and also cooking here. And so they came in that way. They didn't come through the Howard or the afrocentric aspect. They came through outreach.

And others came who were also involved in New Age groups, alternative groups, promiscuous activities. They had friends or others who made a connection. Now for some people that chased them away. For some people in white bodies, just being around so many people in black skin is uncomfortable, you know. That's just how people, you know, are brought up. I remember having one rather nice devotee, just before I started the Institute and he once came to see me and he said, “Maharaja I really can't work with you – I can work with you, but you know, I'm not comfortable being around so many Black people.” And I respected him, because he was honest. You know it was a whole new experience for him, that the restaurant we had would serve as a preaching center, in the lower Capitol Hill area, and the majority of devotees there were in Black bodies. And it was so unusual for him just to be around – I mean hopefully he's grown out of that now, but he wasn't able to – it was an issue for him.

Then in some cases, as you all get a little older, some of you are not married and you start looking out for a husband or a wife. And in most cases, the best way to find a husband or wife – more guarantee that it's going to have longevity – is a person who has many similarities [as you]. The more you are alike in so many ways, the more likely it's going to be that partner is going to be a good partner. Unless you are highly, highly spiritual, nothing else matters. It doesn't matter what ethnicity, it doesn't matter your political persuasion, economic background, none of that. But there are going to be a whole lot of times when that spiritual life is going to be not quite so prominent and your ethnicity is going to kick in. And so some how if you prefer this or that and you like this kind of music or you have this idea about time and space or whatever and the other person is different, when you're not so Krsna conscious, all that's going to kick in. And if it's not so similar, there's going to be problems.

I mean, I arrange – I honor lots of interracial marriages, but I also understand to the degree that people are not highly spiritual, it's going to be a problem, because you need to have as many similarities in their relationship as possible. Now sometimes people are more similar of different races than of the same race. But if there are not tremendous similarities, then that's going to kick in and it's going to cause a problem. So I've seen many – not many - but I've seen several people who are professionals, who are in the Institute who are no longer participating because, one, as they look around they didn't see a real prospective husband. And I can understand that, I mean it's an issue. And it's a real issue. If you're going to be a part of something, you give your life to it, you also want to see that you're going to have a mate that you can share that experience with. And I've seen some who came from the New Age background, several were professionals and who I know could have stayed if they could have had a mate that honored the same philosophy, that the chemistry worked. And that's why when I seem to be joking, but I'm serious as hell, when we have these big festivals and I say this is the time that you can also get a mate. And it always works. I mean every major festival we've had, there's at least a couple of people who then say well, you know, we're pursuing a relationship now. This recent festival we had with all these devotees coming from 25 different countries was beautiful in so many ways. In so many ways you can say it was beautiful. So another way is that some people found someone who they're communicating with now. Let's hope it turns into something that's fulfilling. And one of the things that (ianudible) were the bhakti vrksas or the nama hattas or whatever – just going to the temple, is that people should be able at some point to find a mate, to find a partner in those environments. You don't want to find a lifetime partner in a bar, in a cabaret or even in the movies. You go to the movies, “I'm going to find my soulmate in the movies.” (laughter) Goodluck. If you're trying to be spiritual, you're more likely to find someone in an environment that's about the kind of things that you are trying to be about.

So that was the idea – and we did that for a while. So at one point, we had an Institute building, then we had a 3-story building and next to it, we also had another house. And so we would have – which was I think 2-stories – at one point we had “Fireside Chats,” where we literally advertised for singles (laughter). We used to try all kinds of things in the early days of the Institute. And it was wonderful. And so we would literally sit around, in the wintertime, around a fireplace and we would have a devotee as a facilitator and we would emphasize singles for spiritualists. And we would have people who were involved in some spiritual path, who were single, who wanted to meet someone else who was spiritual on their spiritual path. And they would come, sit around, and have prasadam, and have a devotee facilitate the discussion with the idea of another way to bring people in and to facilitate them and help them.

So there were several different things we would do like that, from the cooking classes to – which was going on in those days – to the Dojo at the Martial Arts Institute. The idea was what are some pious areas, what are some dharmic things that can be done to help connect people with sanatana dharma? So now you all have to think of ways how to make it happen. It's a little more complex now, because now we're working out of [Madhvacarya's] house and it's really – and his children are smaller and we're here and it's really someone's house – [Madhavacarya] and Kunti's home. The Institute deities are here (Radha Gopinatha), I live here, so we say Institute still.

But basically the Institute was a functional place where a few people lived and it was ongoing people coming in and coming out, when we were in our “hay day.” It was nice because it was where people could just come in on their lunch break and come and take prasadam and go back to work, or if they didn't have a car they could come by public transportation. We were renting that building and once we lost that building, then Madhvacarya was so graceful, because at that same time we were making a transition to Gita Nagari. So we took some devotees to Gita Nagari and we got a place there – the house I live in now – and Madhvacarya, who had just recently gotten married, just said – he had already told me once in passing, just very lightly in his soft voice. He said well, “Maybe I could offer my house as the Institute?” So I just considered maybe he meant maybe a room he would use to put the altar in and we could function like that. And he had showed me – we drove by once and he showed me this vacant area in Harwood, and it was just like a forest. He said he was going to build a house here. So in the back of mind I forgot all about it. So just around the time we were ready to move, Madhvacarya had completed his house. And so those of you who know, he had this big house he had built on I think 6 acres of land. So then when we moved away from the Institute in the Capitol Hill area, then we shifted and him and his family just had 2 rooms, then we had the whole big house. It was a really nice facility, but the difficulty was it was take almost an hour for most people to get there.

So then we had now our own building, Madhvacarya's house, but our own facility, but far away. We built the whole basement as the temple area and everything – a lot of rooms. But only the most loyal people would come practically. So it got to a point where it's almost like the Institute now had just become the initiated Institute devotees who were coming for the programs, and coming to do deity service. We were there for several years, and then later we realized that we needed to come back into the city. So we had 2 other places from that. And then Madhvacarya rented a place because he bought the place in Gita Nagari and was going to build there. Then due to the needs of his children having to have special education, so then he bought this house that we're using now.

So as we build up again then we should be able to get a facility or even buy a facility or rent a facility that's more available for people to come and doesn't put the tax on their family like this also. Anyway this is part of the history of – some of the dynamics of the Institute.

Q: Would anyone like to ask a question? I've already asked a question.

Gurudeva: No, that's okay.

Q: I think about 10 years ago, I think it was on 10 th and E (Streets), there was a Krsna conscious Institute there and they had a book called Spiritual Warrior. The only thing that hit me out of it is about this life is illusion, and...

Gurudeva: That's good, that's (inaudible due to laughter)

Q: (inaudible) ever since then (inaudible) got into it, but a year ago, I was checking on some Buddhism. (inaudible) everything is illusion...understand that everything is illusion, so I'd like you to speak on that a little bit more, because...it's like I don't quite understand that. It seems that there's something gnawing at me to get an understanding of that because if we see it, it would be like (inaudible) or a paradigm shift. So for someone who's just trying to understand that... I mean is everybody here an illusion I'm looking at? How do you do that shift in perspective and flow with it comfortably. (inaudible)

Gurudeva: Okay. Yes. I think this is your first time here, visiting us. Yes. We're really happy that you're here and amazed at your questions and your concerns. First it shows how a little seed can plant and grow later. Now the illusion is just as we're reading this meditation and talking about the body, and that life is so much connected with air or with prana, that the body is temporary, it's the garments we have. But we may put on a black coat one day, a red coat or a white coat, or a pair of blue jeans or slacks, and we go inside of that and we use it. It's like walking into a building or entering into a car. Now some people have the tendency to think that they are the car. If you lean on it they get angry (laughter), and some people think that they are the clothes. Some people think that they are the clothes, the skin. So the same way as, just as we use the clothes and yes, it's a part of us and we even get influenced by the clothes we have. You feel a certain way, you put on a suit, you feel another way you put on a pair of jeans, feel another way you put on a pair of shorts. You put on a pair of sweats, sweatshirt, shirt and pants. So although that influences you, but you are not that. You're something that's using it. The illusion is, people are thinking that they are the bodies, when they're using the bodies. See the soul is really the real essence or the life-force, and the soul is neither European, American, African, Indian, etc. It's the soul that is using the garment – an African garment or a European garment. So similarly all matter, whether it's the matter of our bodies, of our car, or other kinds of material facilities, they're all being used by the entity. And according to one's consciousness determines how he or she is using that.

So the illusion is thinking that all of those physical things are in fact the all and all, and making life – as we were reading in the meditation – just focusing on trying to improve the physical things. Because all those physical things we only have for a while, and we're born without them, we come in the world with nothing, and we leave with nothing. So the illusion is so much thinking that this is all that there is. One or 2 last questions and we'll stop.

Nava Kisora: I was listening last week you spoke with emphasis on focus, particularly when you talk about – you also mention in your 4 principles of community, that the way we relate in the present with other devotees, we should also be understanding that that situation may be similar to the time of death in terms of our relationships. Where we're at now, we should also be considering about that. Could you address the principle of focus and priorities in a devotee's life? Some people say God, family, country, or job. Would you speak about the importance of that in a devotee's life?

Gurudeva: Yes. That principle that what we do, what you put your energy into you're going to get more of. So the idea is the kind of association you have every day is going to have a big influence on your consciousness, what you imbibe. And the way you take advantage of community will have an affect on your own level of enthusiasm and determination. If you associate with devotees who are weak, who are blasphemous, or who are hypocrites, then more than likely you will also begin to accept some of that, or become like such. If you associate with devotees who are adosa darsi, who are doubtless, fearless, and determined, and very eager to try to grow, then you will also pick up that as part of your consciousness. So one should always look and pursue association that will be exhilerating in that way, and try to become that higher association for others if possible and that will come back to you as well.

And being focused is very simple. It's just – when we have anything that we really want and we've really accepted that it's valuable to us, it's easy for one to become more determined and trying to be a part of that or attain that. We just have to have greater appreciation of the importance of spiritual life, and then we will become much more eager and determined to attain the goal. So I think we'll stop here.

So just keep in mind, we just looked at how you can look at disease in many ways, you can look at life in many ways. And to have life, pran acche var sehetu pracar, Bhaktisiddhanta mentions that you have to have life to preach. And real life as we understand more and more what the illusions are, real life means that we are able to touch the life of others and bring quality to the environment. And the breaths that we are taking that in each of those breaths, or the things that we do, that it's something that we can be excited that we're offering to guru and to Krsna. So we're looking at life as being so many breaths and going through a closer investigation of kala, of time, and how when we are engaged properly spiritually, then whatever happens in the future we're okay and we're excited because time for us is our friend. And when we are not doing things properly or having so much procrastination or anarthas or sins in our lives, then our future is kind of frightening to us, because what will happen and what can happen in the future can be very inauspicious. We all have the power – like Dhruva Maharaja – we have the ability, the prana within us to not only influence our immediate environments, but to influence the whole planet. As we become more aware and more sensitive and allow ourselves to become empowered, then the prana or the consciousness within each of us can have a bigger impact on the world.

In today's society there are so many people in prominent positions who have a lower consciousness, they're bringing down the world. They're bringing more social degradation. So there's a need for conscious-raising and it all starts of course, with ourselves.

ISKCON-Founder Acarya Srila Prabhupada Ki! Jaya!

His Holiness Srila Bhakti Tirtha Swami Maharaja Ki! Jaya!