In this age

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The only sacrifice recommended in this age is the chanting of the Hare Krsna

mantra because in this age it is not possible to accumulate the needed funds

for performing sacrifices, not to speak of finding expert brahmanas who can

chant the mantras perfectly.

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 4.4.32

 

 

 

Those who are intelligent should know that in the Kali-yuga there is no

possibility of performing the Vedic sacrifices. But unless one pleases the

demigods, there will be no regulated seasonal activities or rainfall.

Everything is controlled by the demigods. Under the circumstances, in this

age, in order to keep the balance of social peace and prosperity, all

intelligent men should execute the performance of sankirtana-yajna by

chanting the holy names Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare

Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. One should invite people, chant Hare

Krsna, and then distribute prasada. This yajna will satisfy all the

demigods, and thus there will be peace and prosperity in the world. Another

difficulty in performing the Vedic rituals is that if one fails to satisfy

even one demigod out of the many hundreds of thousands of demigods, just as

Daksa failed to satisfy Lord Siva, there will be disaster. But in this age

the performance of sacrifice has been simplified. One can chant Hare Krsna,

and by pleasing Krsna one can satisfy all the demigods automatically.

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 4.6.53

 

 

 

In this age it is very difficult to leave home and go to the forest or the

Himalayas to adopt the processes of austerity. Indeed, it is almost

impossible. If one is even advised to give up meat-eating, drinking,

gambling and illicit sex, one will fail to do so. What, then, would a person

do if he went to the Himalayas or Kulacala? Such acts of renunciation are

not possible in this age; therefore Lord Krsna has advised us to accept the

bhakti-yoga process. Bhakti-yoga will automatically liberate a person from

the dualities of life. In bhakti-yoga, Krsna is the center, and Krsna is

always transcendental. Thus in order to transcend dualities, one must always

engage in the service of the Lord, as confirmed by Bhagavad-gita (14.26):

mam ca yo 'vyabhicarena

bhakti-yogena sevate

sa gunan samatityaitan

brahma-bhuyaya kalpate

"One who engages in full devotional service, who does not fall down in any

circumstance, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes

to the level of Brahman."

If one is factually engaged in the service of the Lord, bhakti-yoga, he will

automatically control his senses, his tongue and so many other things. Once

engaged in the bhakti-yoga process with all sincerity, one will have no

chance of falling down.

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 4.28.37

 

 

 

The word pala-paitrkam refers to an offering of flesh in oblations to

forefathers. Formerly, such an offering was allowed, but in this age it is

forbidden. In this age, Kali-yuga, everyone is expert in hunting animals,

but most of the people are sudras, not ksatriyas. According to Vedic

injunctions, however, only ksatriyas are allowed to hunt, whereas sudras are

allowed to eat flesh after offering goats or other insignificant animals

before the deity of goddess Kali or similar demigods. On the whole,

meat-eating is not completely forbidden; a particular class of men is

allowed to eat meat according to various circumstances and injunctions. As

far as eating beef is concerned, however, it is strictly prohibited to

everyone. Thus in Bhagavad-gita Krsna personally speaks of go-raksyam, cow

protection. Meat-eaters, according to their different positions and the

directions of the sastra, are allowed to eat flesh, but never the flesh of

cows. Cows must be given all protection.

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 9.6.7

 

 

 

In this age it is very difficult to follow thoroughly the regulative

principles and studies of the Vedas which were formerly recommended.

However, if one gives aural reception to the sound vibrated by great

devotees and acaryas, that alone will give him relief from all material

contamination. Therefore it is the recommendation of Caitanya Mahaprabhu

that one should simply hear from authorities who are actually devotees of

the Lord. Hearing from professional men will not help.

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => NOD 10 Hearing

 

Now, altogether there are dasa-vidha-samskarah, ten kinds of purificatory

processes. So, in this age it is very difficult to follow them. but if one

chants the Hare Krsna maha-mantra without any offense, under the guidance of

a spiritual master, all these samskaras automatically become fulfilled, and

one returns to his original, spiritual position.

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Civilisation And Transcendence 10: The Process of

Purification

 

 

How can the peaceful varnasrama-dharma be revived when people are so

harassed in this age? It is virtually impossible. Therefore the system of

bhakti-yoga, the chanting of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, should be adopted.

The whole aim of bhakti-yoga is to satisfy Visnu.

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => TLKapila Vs 14

 

According to the Vedas, a city is in the mode of passion, and a forest is in

the mode of goodness. The temple, however, is transcendental. If you live in

a city or town, you live in a place where passion is predominant, and if you

want to escape this, you may go to a forest, a place of goodness. God's

temple, however, is above passion and goodness; therefore the temple of

Krsna is the only secluded place for this age. In this age, it is not

possible to retreat to a forest; nor is it useful to make a show of

practicing yoga in so-called yoga societies and at the same time engage in

nonsense.

Therefore, in the Brhan-naradiya Purana it is said that in Kali-yuga, when

people are generally short-lived slow in spiritual realization, and always

disturbed by various anxieties, the best means of spiritual realization is

chanting the holy names of the Lord.

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => PoP 3: Learning How to See God

 

 

 

Practically speaking, this process is not very easy in this age of Kali. In

Srimad-Bhagavatam a description is given of the people of this age. Their

duration of life is said to be very short, they tend to be phlegmatic and

slow and to sleep a great deal, and when they're not sleeping, they are busy

earning money. At the most they only have two hours a day for spiritual

activities, so what is the hope for spiritual understanding? It is also

stated that even if one is anxious to make spiritual progress, there are

many pseudo-spiritual societies to take advantage of him. People are also

characterized in this age as being unfortunate. They have a great deal of

difficulty meeting the primary demands of life -- eating, defending, mating,

and sleeping -- necessities which are met even by the animals. Even if

people are meeting these necessities in this age, they are always anxious

about war, either defending themselves from aggressors or having to go to

war themselves. In addition to this, there are always disturbing diseases

and economic problems in Kali-yuga. Therefore Lord Sri Krsna considered that

in this age it is impossible for people to come to the perfectional stage of

liberation by following the prescribed rules and regulations.

Thus out of His causeless mercy, Sri Krsna came as Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu

and distributed the means to the highest perfection of life and spiritual

ecstasy by the chanting of Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/

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

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => RV 1: Raja-Vidya: The King of Knowledge

 

 

 

With the sword of remembering Krsna, you can cut the hard knot of material

life." The best way to remember Krsna is to always chant Hare Krsna, Hare

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

Take this sword of chanting the maha-mantra; in this age it is the only

means for cutting the knot of material life.

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Dharma,the Way of Transcendence 10: The Sword of

Remembrance

 

 

If you open a varnasrama college, there will be no student. Because they

will think, "What is this nonsense, varnasrama? Let us learn technology. We

shall get good salary. We shall earn money." Yes. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu

immediately said, eho bahya, age kaha ara. In this age it is not possible,

varnasrama-dharma.

 

-- SB 6.1.24 Lecture

Chicago 8 July 1975