by Revatīnandana Svāmī

From ancient Vedic scriptures like Bhagavad-gita comes the message that our human life, with its developed intelligence, is meant for spiritual realization. These scriptures teach the principle that in the body there is an eternal unchanging soul who has a fully blissful relationship with the Supreme Soul, Lord Krsna, or God, that he has now forgotten. Because of this forgetfulness, we all undergo the inconveniences and miseries of material life, like old age, disease, apparent death and many others, and we lead lives that fail to give us enduring happiness or full satisfaction. Therefore Bhagavad-gita recommends that one seek out a spiritual master who has received the Vedic messages from a line of spiritual masters coming down from Lord Krsna Himself and from such a master learn the true nature of spiritual life and the most practical means of experiencing it.

The Vedas say that any society based on these principles of spiritual realization will automatically be peaceful and prosperous because spiritual culture naturally gives rise to simple and austere living with ever increasing satisfaction. People living in this spiritual way have little cause for envy or quarrel. Because their simple life takes only the bare necessities from the world, they do not disturb the natural harmony of God's material nature, which is meant to provide amply for all when undisturbed by greedy men. Moreover, Lord Krsna is pleased when fallen souls endeavor to associate again with Him, and so He sees especially to their needs, even when the general, godless civilization has put itself into difficulties. He also gradually reveals Himself to His devotees, and thus their happiness is ever increasing.