Krsna Consciousness means being conscious of Krsna or God.

Krsna is identified in the Vedic literatures such as the Bhagavad Gita as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Love of God is dormant in the heart of everyone, but unfortunately that love has become covered.

Instead, our consciousness has become diverted to so many other things such as how to eat well, how to have a nice house, how to have an exciting sex life, how to compete in the job market. But these things will not make us happy. Why? Because they are temporary.

We can’t be happy in these things because we are not the body. As Lord Krsna says in the Bhagavad Gita: “The unreal never was, and the real never ceases to be.” For something to truly satisfy us, it must be eternal.

Krsna is the Soul of all souls, and He is sat-cit-ananda, eternally full of knowledge and bliss. And He resides in the hearts of all. As He says in the Gita: “I am seated in everyone’s heart for helpfulness.” It is not that Krsna wants us to suffer. But because we are full of material desires, and have therefore developed a separatist consciousness - “I like this. I don’t like that. I want this. I don’t want that” – we undergo the pangs of repeated birth, old age, disease and death.

In Krsna consciousness we change our consciousness to one of loving surrender to the desires of Krsna. “Thank you, Krsna, for the present moment just the way it is.”

Lord Caitanya, the great apostle of Krsna consciousness, appeared in Bengal about 500 years ago. He taught that the single most important item of modern devotional practice is the chanting of God’s holy name. Devotees following in the line of Lord Caitanya particularly recommend the chanting of the Maha Mantra, or the Great Chant for Deliverance, namely:

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

These sixteen names of God cleanse the heart of the dust of materialism, which has accumulated there lifetime after lifetime. They help us realize our real, constitutional position as the eternal servitor of God.

To gain the greatest effectiveness from this chant, one should also refrain from the four pillars of sinful life: meat eating, illicit sex or sex outside of marriage, gambling and intoxication. One should also take the opportunity to hear from great devotees of the Lord, like Srila Kirtanananda Swami Bhaktipada, the present acarya or teacher of the League of Devotees, and Srila Prabhupada, the founder of the Hare Krsna movement. This will strengthen us in our determination to become fully Krsna conscious. Chant and be happy!"

Your well-wisher,

Radha Vrindaban Candra Swami