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Readers will find this work of value for many reasons. For those interested in the classical roots of Indian civilization, it serves as a vast reservoir of detailed information onvirtually every one of its aspects. For students of comparative philosophy and religion, the Bhagavatam offers a penetrating view into the meaning of India's profound spiritual heritage. To sociologists and anthropologists, the Bhagavatam reveals the practical workings of a peaceful and scientifically organized Vedic culture,whose institutions were integrated on the basis of a highly developed spiritual world view. Students of literature will discover the Bhagavatam to be a masterpiece of majestic poetry. For students of psychology, the text provides important perspectives on the nature of consciousness, human behavior and the philosophical study of identity. Finally, to those seeking spiritual insight, the Bhagavatam offers simple and practical guidance for attainment of the highest self-knowledge and realization ofthe Absolute Truth. The entire multivolume text, presented by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, promises to occupy a significant place in the intellectual, cultural andspiritual life of modern man for a long time to come. (More...)

So at least people will appreciate these boys. They do not smoke, they do not drink, they have no illicit sex life, they do not kill to satisfy the tongue. They are satisfied with natural food. And their ideals are very good. Who'll deny it? And the asset! They cannot estimate how much the devotee is in contact with Krsna the Supreme. They have no estimating power. So they will appreciate these external features. While I was going to Hawaii one clergyman was talking with me, and he said, "Swamiji, I have seen that your disciples have very nice glowing faces." "Yes certainly, they must be making spiritual progress." So it is not difficult. It is very easy. If you take to this, you have everything sublime, and your life becomes sublime. You don't have to give up anything. The material needs are there: eating, sleeping, mating and defending. That is not forbidden. But adjust it for Krsna consciousness. We cannot allow eating and mating like animals, cats and dogs, no. That is not possible. You'll eat and you'll mate, but just like human beings, civilized men. What is the distinction between animal and man, if we behave like animals? Krsna, God, is pure. So if you keep yourself in an impure condition of life then how can you make progress towards purity, the highest perfection of purity? In the Tenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita Arjuna is accepting Krsna as the purest of all: Param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhagavan. If you are going to reach the purest of all, how can you remain impure? And this voluntary restraint means tapasya. The Sanskrit word tapasya means voluntarily restraining or accepting some suffering condition. But that is not actually a suffering condition. Just like a patient. A doctor says, "You cannot take it." But he mentally thinks, "Oh, the doctor has restricted this. I am suffering." Actually he is being cured, but he thinks that he is suffering. And when he's cured, he says, "Oh, the doctor is a good friend. He told me not to indulge in this. Now I am cured." So tapasya means voluntarily accepting some so-called suffering. That is required to make advancement in Krsna consciousness: voluntary acceptance of so-called suffering. That suffering is for transcendental realization. That is good. It means your existence will be purified. And to purify existence means to advance in realizing unlimited happiness. And what is the disease? Disease means limitation of eating, limitation of sleeping, limitation of mating. Everything limited. A diseased man cannot have sex life unlimitedly. There is restriction. That restriction is for curing him. And the cure means he enjoys. Whatever you think is enjoyment must be unlimited. Eternal happiness, unending happiness. So to acquire unending, eternal happiness, if you have to accept some voluntary suffering in this life, you should do that. (More...)

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