The Golden Age..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....

This age is called Kali-yuga, or the dark iron age of quarrel and hypocrisy. It is considered a very unfortunate age as spiritual knowledge is covered and almost the entire population of the planet is performing in unlimited sinful activities.

As a result of this sinful activity there are many natural disturbances such as earthquakes, irregular rains and terrible diseases.

This situation has created a general climate of anxiety and despair. Because of this disturbed atmosphere it is difficult to practice most of the spiritual methods which are recommended in the great Scriptures of the world.

There is, however, hope. As the situation is so dark and because Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is so merciful He appeared on this planet five hundred years ago in India as Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to give the Yuga dharma, the recommended religious principles for this age.

The simple process given by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu for driving away the effects of Kali-yuga and reestablishing spiritual consciousness is to chant the names of God.

The same recommendation is given in many of the worlds great Scriptures. Lord Caitanya recommended that we chant a very special mantra, called the maha mantra, meaning the great chanting for delivering the mind, which is a universal and powerful combination of the names of God:

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

This chanting purifies the heart and mind and enables us to taste transcendental ecstasy on the spiritual platform.

As this chanting spreads more and more the dark iron age of Kali-yuga will be transformed into a brilliant Golden Age of spiritual reawakening.

• Chanting the Name of God

  As we are spiritually unqualified and very unfortunate in this age of Kali-yuga the process given by Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead for awakening our original spiritual consciousness is simple. He recommended that to make spiritual advancement in this age one should chant the names of God.

  The process of chanting the name of God is universal. Every religious tradition recommends chanting and glorifying the name of God.

  Krishna, appearing as Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu five hundred years ago in India, recommended that we chant a very special mantra which easily removes the bewilderment caused by this dark age of Kali-yuga. He recommended that everyone chant:
  
  

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

  This chanting is so powerful that anyone who takes to it seriously can immediately taste transcendental ecstasy on the spiritual platform.

  As soon as we taste this transcendental pleasure the so-called pleasures of the material world seem unattractive. Pleasure derived from this chanting is eternal and all spiritual knowledge will automatically be revealed from within the heart of any sincere soul who takes to it.

• Transformation of the Planet

  A distressful condition has been created on this planet as a result of the many sinful activities performed by the population in general. This has created a horrendous burden of global bad karma.

  The chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra on a grand scale will quickly counteract the accumulated bad karma and relieve the earth of her burden, thus bringing about a transformation of the planet.

  The result will be regular rainfall all over the planet, the climate will become very pleasant, the earth will produce abundant quantities of food grains, the cows will produce unlimited quantities of milk, the oceans and rivers will produce minerals, jewels and natural fertilizer and the forests will provide honey, fruits, flowers and medicinal drugs. Conflict and anxiety will disappear as Krishna becomes the central point of everyone's activities.

  The conditions on earth will become similar to those in the spiritual world and we will experience the "heaven on earth" which has been predicted in many of the world's Scriptures.

  As this chanting clears away the dust which covers our spiritual vision everyone will be able to see that the central point is Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead and will naturally want to serve Him.

  The planet will be transformed from this horrible iron age of Kali-yuga into a transcendental Golden Age simply by spreading the chanting of the Hare Krishna maha mantra.

• Cleaning the Mirror of the Heart

  Chanting the Hare Krishna mantra naturally awakens our dormant love for Krishna. Krishna consciousness is not an unnatural thing. This consciousness is the original consciousness of the living entity. It has simply become covered over by our association with the material energy.

  Our hearts are described as mirrors covered by dust and this chanting is the process which cleans away the dust from the mirror of the heart. When the dust is cleaned away we can see our original, spiritual self and our eternal relationship with Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

  This is our original natural position and in this position we can realize our true nature as an eternal servant of Krishna, full of pleasure and full of knowledge.

  When this consciousness is awakened one is no longer touched by the pains and pleasures of the material world. We are simply situated in our original, eternal, blissful condition.

• Service

  Everyone has a tendency to serve. We serve our employers, our parents, our spouse, our children, our pets and our senses. Practically every activity we perform is connected with service.

  Service in the material world is not satisfying because we become attached to the objects of our service. As everything in the material world is temporary it is inevitable that we must be separated from the objects of our service. Such separation from things we are attached to causes us to suffer greatly.

  For example, a rich man never wants to loose his money, however in the course of time it is taken away. This causes him great distress. Even if he keeps his money, at the time of death everything is taken away. He can't take anything with him and he has no idea what will happen to him, or his money, after death. Even though, from the material point of view, his life has been successful, he has wasted the great opportunity of a human birth. He did not develop spiritual knowledge and is ignorant of his destination at the time of death.

  All material service creates karma, both good and bad. The result is that we must continue to take birth in different bodies and suffer again and again birth, old age, disease and death.

• Serving Krishna

  If, instead of rendering temporary, material service we serve Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the result is different. Material service creates bondage to the material world, however, serving Krishna liberates us from the material concept of life.

  For anything offered to Krishna with love and affection, Krishna can reciprocate many millions of times over, both materially and spiritually. The basic principal involved is an exchange of love.

  Krishna is so kind that if anyone offers Him a leaf, a flower, fruit or some water, He will immediately accept it. The only condition is that these things should be offered with love.

  It is very easy to serve Krishna, for example, everyone is purchasing food and cooking it. The materialists purchase food because they think it will taste good and they cook it for their own pleasure. The devotees also purchase and cook food, however, their consciousness is different. They purchase the food for the purpose of making a nice offering for Krishna, they prepare the meal for Krishna and when the cooking is complete they offer it to Krishna.

  Because Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead has unlimited potencies He is quite capable of tasting the offering made with love by a sincere devotee. After Krishna accepts the offering the food becomes spiritual and eating such food enables us to advance more and more in spiritual life.

  Actually Krishna does not need to be fed by His devotees, He is completely self-satisfied but He accepts the devotion and love with which the offering s prepared.

  To an outsider the materialists purchasing and cooking of food may look similar to that of the devotees, however, the consciousness is vastly different. The materialists cook for their own pleasure therefore they create so many karmic reactions for which they must suffer in the future. The devotee, on the other hand, is doing everything for the pleasure of Krishna and therefore the result is transcendental. Instead of becoming entangled in more and more karmic reactions the devotees, as a result of their sincere loving offerings, become liberated from the material concept of life.

  By this simple process everything can be transformed from material to spiritual and our lives will become perfect.

  We can cook for Krishna, a builder can build a nice temple for Krishna, an accountant can do financial work for Krishna, an artist can paint pictures of Krishna, a gardener can grow nice flowers for Krishna, in fact almost any skill can be used in the service of Krishna. The result will be liberation from the suffering conditions of the material world

• Conclusion

  The process of Krishna consciousness is very simple and full of pleasure. The devotees, simply by chanting, dancing and feasting, and engaging their natural abilities in the service of Krishna very easily transcend the material concept of life and taste transcendental pleasure on the spiritual platform. They automatically loose their taste for mundane material activities and the desire to exploit the planet for their sense gratification. This simple process of Krishna consciousness can be performed by anyone at any time and in any place.

  As more people take to the chanting of Hare Krishna all the world's problems will be solved and a new Golden Age of spiritual reawakening will emerge.

  Our request is that everyone take seriously the chanting of the maha-mantra:

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

  And be happy!

NEXT: The Science of Mantra Meditation

Changing the Face of the Earth
The Changing the Face of the Earth campaign is a world-wide program to bring about a solution to the problems currently faced by this planet and her inhabitants.

The Environment and Economic Development
In this age of rapidly increasing technology and automation the impression is we have made great advanced and are now in a far better position than the "primitive" civilisations of the past.

Karma and Consciousness
The law of karma describes the universe as an interconnected network in which every action causes a reaction to occur in the future. Material scientists understand the gross manifestation of this law in the form of physics, however, they have no idea of the workings of the same law on a more subtle platform.

Vegetarianism and Cow Protection
People are generally unaware of the importance of cows. Cows produce, in large quantities, the miracle food, milk. Milk is produced from the blood of the cow, however she is happy to give her blood transformed in a peaceful, non-violent way in the form of milk.

Plain Living and High Thinking
It is possible to live a comfortable, simple life in harmony with nature. All that is required is some land, cows and food grains. With these three necessities we can obtain everything required for a simple life.

The Varnasrama Social System
There is a natural system of social organisation which can bring about a peaceful society where everyone is happy. This system is described in the timeless Vedic literature of India and it is called Varnasrama dharma.

The Golden Age
This age is called Kali-yuga, or the dark iron age of quarrel and hypocrisy. It is considered a very unfortunate age as spiritual knowledge is covered and almost the entire population of the planet is performing inunlimited sinful activities.

The Science of Mantra Meditation
Sparks are beautiful as long as they are in the fire. Similarly, we have to remain in the association of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and always engage in devotional service, for then we shall always be brilliant and illuminating.