SOMETIMES THE ARTICLES in BTG weave themselves around one theme without our intending it. We just put the articles together into an issue, and at the end we find that a theme has emerged. So it is with this issue.

The theme this time is death. Srila Prabhupada in his article talks about it. Ravindra Svarupa tells of his encounter with it. On page 41, death comes looking for a devotee in South Africa. In our article on Tulasi Devi, death comes again.

So for this page I knew fairly well what I would write about. Death…. death … But what would I say? How would I deal with it?

Simple: I put it off.

I knew I had nothing profound to say the profound points are made elsewhere. And I didn't want to say anything trite.

So I answered my mail. I cleaned up my office. I plunged into managerial decisions. Made some phone calls. Cleaned my office again …

And now it has come: the deadline.

And still, I confess to you, I'm not ready. I don't know just what to say. I don't feel prepared.

Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

Well…. That's always the right thing. Chant Hare Krsna and you'll think of Krsna. And when you think of Krsna, your problems are solved. And if they're not yet solved, then you chant some more…. Hare Krsna. Hare Krsna…. and your mind starts to become clearer. The dust disperses, the mirror of the mind starts to unfog … Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare…. You start remembering that Krsna is everywhere as the all-pervading Brahman, that He's within your heart as the Supersoul, and finally that in His most attractive, most splendid feature He's the Personality of Godhead, the eternal form of bliss and knowledge. Hare Rama, Hare Rama….

Krsna Himself is known as Rama, meaning "the reservoir of all pleasure," and He also appears as the incarnation known as Sri Ramacandra or, more simply, Lord Rama.

Rama Rama, Hare Hare. In each incarnation, Krsna reveals Himself to His devotees, performs wonderful pastimes, gives sublime instructions. He attracts the mind. And when we're attracted to Krsna when we revive our Krsna consciousness we're restored to our natural, eternal relationship with the ultimate source of all existence.

What then do we care for other things? Let us go on chanting and hearing the glories of Krsna all the way to our … to our … to our deadline.

Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

-Jayadvaita Swami