If in the beginning there was only Lord Krishna, why did He create the universe and the human beings?  He advises everyone to follow the Gita by surrendering to Him, but at the same time He creates His inferior, illusory energy known as Maya that deludes everyone.  Is this considered to be a testing phase for human beings? If yes, then what is the need of doing all these things if finally everything is going back to Him?

ANSWER GIVEN BY SANKARSHAN DASA ADHIKARI  read more »

"If death takes place, let it take here. There is nothing to be said
new. Whatever I have to speak, I have spoken in my books. Now you try
to understand it and continue your endeavour. Whether I am present or
not present, it doesn't matter. As Krishna is living eternally,
similarly, living being also lives eternally. But "one who has done
service to the Lord lives forever." So you have been taught to serve
Krishna, and with Krishna we'll live eternally. Our life is eternal. A
temporary disappearance of this body doesn't matter. Body is meant for
disappearance. So live forever by serving Krishna."

(Vrindavan, May 17, 1977)...Srila Prabhupada.

This is the sacred month of Damodar (also known as Kartik) on the Vaisnava lunar calendar.  It comes every year in October-November.  It is a very spiritual month when devotees are encouraged to go to Vrindavan, India to spend the entire month engaged in devotional service in Lord Sri Krishna's sweet transcendental abode.  For those who cannot go to Sri Vrindavan Dham it is advised to create a very spiritual, Vrindavan-like atmosphere in their place of residence.  They should try to attend their nearest ISKCON temple as much as possible where the singing of the Damodarastakam prayers are sung every evening along with a ceremony of everyone offering a small candle or ghee wick before the Deity.   If one cannot get to the evening program at the temple one can sing Damodarastakam and offer a candle at home. The Damodarastakam is as follows:

?r? D?modar?s?aka

Text Two
rudanta? muhur netra-yugma? m?jantam  read more »

Why live an ordinary, drab, hum drum existence when you can live a life which is absolutely ecstatic at every minute in direction communion with the source of all existence?  The only reason that anybody would opt for the ordinary, drab, hum drum existence is that they don't know any better.  My spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, calls this a "poor fund of knowledge."  In other words their knowledge bank account has insufficient funds. 

To prepare oneself for the next life is common sense, and it is a
principle of the Vedic civilization, but presently people throughout
the world do not believe in a next life. Even influential professors
and other educators say that as soon as the body is finished,
everything is finished. This atheistic philosophy is killing human
civilization. "

(His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada - Caitanya
caritamrta, Adi-lila 9.43, purport)

Because Krishna's name and Krishna Himself are one and the same, there is therefore nothing sweeter and more relishable than Lord Sri Krishna's name.  This means that the perfection of the tongue is to chant "Hare Krishna", and that the perfection of the ears is to hear "Hare Krishna".  It also means that the perfection of the mind is to be completely, totally absorbed in chanting and hearing the Hare Krishna mantra:

How can I control temptations when it comes to material success or looking at nice prasadam?

There is nothing wrong if you are attracted to Krishna prasadam.  It is a very nice attraction.  Simply take whatever prasadam you can easily digest and not beyond that.  Overeating, out of greediness leads to sickness and disease.  Therefore one should always control his tongue in the matter of eating by only taking Krishna prasadam and by taking only as much as required.

Answer given by : H.H. Sankarshan Dasa Adhikari

How can I control the anger within me and how to be selfless when I deal with the outside world?

Anger comes from unfulfilled desires.  When things don't go the way we want them to go, we become angry.  The easy way to conquer over anger is to stop seeing everything from the angle of what you want.  If you will try to see everything from the angle of what Krishna wants, you will easily conquer over anger.The desire for material success becomes purified by offering the results of that success in the service of Krishna.  Arjuna was thinking that he did not want material success on the battlefield.  But after Krishna ordered him to fight the battle, he did so on the order of the Lord and achieved great success, which was fully offered in Krishna's service.

Answer given by : H H Sankarshan Dasa Adhikari