I am a Krsna devotee, also known as a Hare Krishna guy. To understand Krsna is not a very easy task. We have got more than one hundred books based on the ancient Vedic scriptures on this topic, where many of them have more than 1000 pages. I posted a Manifesto of Krsna consciousness earlier so if you’re interested you might complement my answer with the previous post also. I’ll try to briefly explain what we’re all about while hoping that it will stir up even more discussion. If you feel that you cannot accept some of the following, feel free to ask for more explanations.
The Krsna consciousness movement is a very important science of God, understanding what is God.
Of course, in every religion, this conception of God is there. Simply by understanding “God is great” is not sufficient. We must have knowledge about our relationship with God. Generally, we take it for granted that God is our order-supplier. We take it that God is great because of He… That is also not the conception of the atheist class of men. Those who believe in God, generally they approach God in distress when they’re in need of money, and somebody wants to study what is God out of inquisitiveness, and somebody wants to understand the science of God. There are four classes of men. They are called persons with pious activities in the background. Without pious activities on the background, nobody is interested in the science of God. And those who are unfortunate or impelled by impious activities, they do not believe in God. They never care for God. And this class of men is always known as the atheist class of men.
So, so far the atheist class of men, it is very difficult for them to understand. But atheist or theist, it doesn’t matter. Everyone is conscious. That is a fact. It doesn’t matter whether you believe in God or do not believe in God, but you are conscious. As soon as I pinch in any part of your body, you at once protest. You feel that “Somebody is pinching me. I am feeling pain.” This consciousness is there even in the animal or in man and everyone. Now, what is this consciousness? The Bhagavad-gita, the ancient Vedic scripture replies what is this consciousness. The Bhagavad-gita says, avinasi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idam tatam. That consciousness which is spread all over your body, that is eternal. How it is eternal? That also you can understand by practical experience. Just like in your childhood, there was consciousness. When you were in the womb of your mother, of course, at a certain stage there was consciousness. In your boyhood, there was consciousness. In your youthhood, there is consciousness, and as you make progress, in your old age, there is also consciousness. Now, your body is changing but consciousness is continuing. That you cannot deny.
Consciousness is eternal
Therefore the Bhagavad-gita says, avinasi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idam tatam. That consciousness is eternal, and that does not vanquish with the destruction of the body. Na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. Now as soon as this consciousness is over, the body is called the dead body. Now, what is this consciousness? This consciousness is the symptom of the soul. That is… Just like in a light, in a fire, there is a distribution of heat and light. Similarly, the spirit soul being present in your body, the consciousness is spread all over your body. This is a fact. Now, this consciousness is being carried.
More about Consciousness
Just like from your childhood this consciousness is being carried. From childhood body to boyhood body to youth-hood body, the consciousness is continuing. Similarly, this consciousness will also carry you in another body, and that transformation or transmigration from one body to another, it is called death. Death means when this body cannot be carried anymore, the consciousness has to be transferred to another new body. Just like when your garment is too old, it has to be changed; similarly, when this material body is too old to carry on, then this consciousness is transferred to another body and you begin another life. This is the process of nature.
So this movement, the Krsna consciousness movement, is the movement for purifying consciousness. If you take to this movement, it is very simple. It is simply sixteen words: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
Simply to chant these sixteen words. We are simply requesting you to chant these sixteen words. There is no loss on your part, but there is an immense gain. Why don’t you make an experiment? It is not very difficult. Similarly, although it is written in Sanskrit words symbolically, but it is vibration. It is a transcendental vibration. If you take to this vibration, then we become directly in touch with the Supreme Lord. That makes us purified. Just like if you go to the fire you become warm, similarly, if you be directly in touch with the Supreme Spirit, then our purification begins. So if you take to this movement, if you chant this Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, then this impure consciousness will be purified and you will know what you are. It is the process of cleansing the mind, cleansing the mind from all dirty things. And as soon as you are cleansed of all dirty things, then your material anxieties are immediately over. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita:
brahma-bhutah prasannatma
na socati na kanksati
samah sarvesu bhutesu
mad-bhaktim labhate param
[Bg. 18.54]
Brahma-bhutah means as soon as you come to the platform of your spiritual understanding, then immediately you get free from all material anxieties. Na socati na kanksati. You are no more hankering after any profit, neither you are very sorry when there is a great loss. Then you can see everyone on the equal level, and then your relationship or your lost relationship is again established with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Then your real life begins.
