Five thousand years ago Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, spoke the Bhagavad-gita (the Song of God) which contains information about God, the living entities, karma (action and reaction in this world), time, and the material energy.

The Bhagavad-gita is one of the Vedic literatures. The word veda (from which the word Vedic comes) means knowledge. The Vedic literatures deal with spiritual and material subject matters. The knowledge they contain is perfect, because of its perfect source. God, or God's devotees in disciplic succession from God.

The Bhagavad-gita teaches us that the soul is unbreakable, unchangeable, insoluble, everlasting, immovable, and neither burnt nor dried. l The Vedic literatures inform us that there are many eternal souls of whom the chief is Krishna, who is maintaining all of the other souls. The Bhagavad-gita explains that the body, which we (who are souls) identify ourselves with in the material world, is simply a machine. It is, of course, a very complex, wonderful machine. Nonetheless, it is still a machine.

In the way that one drives a car, the soul is driving the body. Unfortunately the soul thinks that it is the body, so the characteristics that pertain to a particular body are thought by the soul to be its characteristics. For example: if the body is white, has a gigantic nose, is female, and is born in the United States; the soul thinks that it is an American white woman that needs a nose job.

Because of the soul's identification with the characteristics of the body, he (the soul) identifies others according to their machine, body characteristics, and forms alliances and animosities accordingly. Thus he develops family attachment, racism, nationalism and even specism; which are all manifestations of the same disease misidentification of the self with the body). When the soul becomes Krishna conscious he no longer distinguishes between living entities because of the differences in the bodily encagement; therefore he sees the true equality of all beings.

The soul is situated along with God (the Supersoul) in the heart of this machine. The soul is driving this machine according to his desires. The Supersoul is observing the soul's actions, and waiting patiently for the soul to become frustrated in its attempts to enjoy through manipulating the machine body.

When the soul decides that its attempts at enjoyment have been futile and that all future endeavors will miserably fail, he may decide to seek out God. At this point Krishna sends His representative in the form of the spiritual master to guide the soul on its spiritual path. The soul, being covered by the material energy, is not capable of perceiving the existence and direction of the Supersoul who is situated next to him in the heart. Therefore the Supersoul directs His external representative (the spiritual master) to help the sincere searcher.

The Vedas call the present age the "Age of Kali" the age of quarrel. This age began approximately 5,000 years ago. In this age people are less for tunate, less intelligent, shorter lived, have shorter memories, and have weaker bodies. Good qualities such as sympathy for other seducation, truthfulness, cleanliness, forgiveness, and mercyare quickly disappearing. society is beset withcheating, diplomacy, and violence. The so called leaders of society are encouraging intoxication, illicit sex, gambling, and meat eating, which are considered the principles of irreligiousity.

There is one good quality in this age. That is, simply by chanting the Lord's names, one can escape the miseries of this age, and go back to the kingdom of God at the end of life. Krishna incarnates in every age to preach the religious practice that is applicable for that particular age. In other ages Krishna taught meditational yoga, or temple worship, or sacrifice.

Krishna appeared about 500 years ago as Lord Caitanya. This advent was predicted in the Vedic literatures more than 5,000 years ago. Lord Caitanya taught the religious practice recommended for this age, Sankirtana, the congregational chanting of the Lord's names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare rama Hare rama rama rama Hare Hare.

Devotees of the Krishna consciousness movement engage in the chanting of the Lord's names in public, distributing transcendental literatures (which encourage others to chant), and performing personal meditation on the Lord's names (called Japa). --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Anniversaries can be a time of stress for couples. Women worry that their husbands will forget all about them on that special day. Men worry that theyll forget and have to throw a gift together at the last minute. But it doesnt have to be this way. Whether youve just remembered your anniversary is tomorrow, or whether youve been thinking about it for weeks, here are seven never-fail ways to give your spouse an anniversary theyll never forget.

A romantic getaway - From a week long sailing vacation on the Greek Islands to a weekend trip to a local bed-and-breakfast, nothing beats a spontaneous romantic getaway on your anniversary. Dont be discouraged from this idea if you dont have a big budget. It doesnt matter how much the vacation costswhats important is that the two of you set aside time to be alone together and lose yourselves in that romantic mood, even if its just for a few days. A new place also helps rev up the romance by adding novelty and a touch of luxury.

A gift to remember - Forget the flowers, chocolates, and jewelry. Give your spouse a gift theyre not expecting this year. For him, its often best to give something special that corresponds to his interests. Has he always wanted to learn to fly planes or play guitar? Buy him some lessons. Does he have a favorite band? Get him concert tickets. Does he love sports? Get him great seats for the big match. For her, its all about demonstrating that youve put thought and time into the gift. Go through your photo albums. Make a collage of your marriagefrom your wedding day through important events like buying your house and the birth of your kids. Make the photos into a DVD movie or into a hardbound coffee-table book.

A surprise party - Planning a party is a great way to bring friends and family together to celebrate your love. It doesnt have to be an expensive partybut it does have to correspond to the interests of both. A dinner party, picnic-and-barbecue, pool party, or restaurant gathering are all great ideas. Unless youve got a big budget, keep it simplepaper plates and potluck are all fine.

Renew your vows - This is an extremely romantic idea, and one that doesnt have to break the bank. Gather your friends and family, a suitable vicar and renew your vows in a romantic place like a park, on the beach, or even in your home. Demonstrate to your spouse that youd marry them all over again. These can be as elaborate or as simple as you want. Some couples plan vow-renewal ceremonies as complex as the weddings themselves, while others make them very informal and inexpensive. Either way you do it, its sure to make for a wedding anniversary youll have trouble topping next year.

Write a love letter - Nothing says I love you like, wella letter that says I love you. Of course, its got to say a few other things, as well. But dont give up on this idea just because you arent a prize-winning writer. You dont have to write something brilliant, as long as its heartfelt. And believe me, your spouse will never notice any spelling mistakes if the words you use are sincere. Tell your spouse how attractive, sweet, or funny you thought they were when you met. Tell them how nervous you were on your first date. Tell them the moment you knew you wanted to marry them. Details are importantshow your spouse how clearly you remember those special times.

Watch your wedding video - If youre not up for a big night out or vacation this year, spend a night inside. Get some popcorn, put on slippers and sweatpants, and spend an evening watching your wedding video and leafing through your wedding album. Make sure the kids are at a sleepover or over at Grandmasthis night should be all about the two of you. If you prefer, cook a simple meal for dinneror order Chinese food. Above all, concentrate on each other and on your wedding day. It might be low-key, but it will set the stage for a perfectly romantic anniversary.

Pamper each other - An at-home spa day is a great way to have a wonderful anniversary. Spend an afternoon giving each other deep tissue massages and foot rubs. Dont forget to bring some adult toys to make your at-home spa treatments much more fun and memorable than an ordinary trip to the day spa!

The most important piece of advice I can give you about your anniversary is not to forget it! Mark your diary, calendar our whatever software you use to remember appointments and keep it in mind as the time draws nearer. However, even if you leave it until the last minute, you can still have a memorable anniversary. These creative anniversary ideas are sure to give you wonderful anniversariesat least for the next seven years.

Janette Vince is managing director of http://www.thanksdarling.com an online company offering a range of gifts and experience days for individuals and couples. For a range of leisure breaks visit http://www.thanksdarling.com/48-5.htm.