This issue presents an excerpt from the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust’s new edition of the Ramayana, India’s cherished epic about the activities of Lord Ramacandra, an incarnation of Lord Krishna. The book showcases the unique art of Italian artist Parama Dasa. Artists have been painting scenes from the Ramayana for centuries, but it’s safe to say there have never been Ramayana paintings quite like these, produced with state-ofthe-art computer programs.
Besides extraordinary art, this issue also contains an article that’s mostly poetry. Kalakantha Dasa’s “The Cowherd Men Confused” is a poetic rendition of Lord Krishna’s pastime of lifting Govardhan Hill, which Krishna’s devotees will commemorate in late October.
This issue also touches on a musical theme: the use of music in spiritual pursuits. While attending a Bach concert with his brother, Satyaraja Dasa pondered the spiritual connections of both Western and Vaisnava music. His article “Bach to Godhead: Music and the Vaisnava Tradition” discusses the importance of music in the practice of Krishna consciousness.
Added to the mix of art, poetry, and music is an excursion into the paranormal, as Caitanya Carana Dasa explains how near death experiences point to the existence of the soul.
Hare Krishna. Nagaraja Dasa, Editor
Our Purposes
• To help all people discern reality from illusion, spirit from matter, the eternal from the temporary.
• To expose the faults of materialism.
• To offer guidance in the Vedic techniques of spiritual life.
• To preserve and spread the Vedic culture.
• To celebrate the chanting of the holy names of God as taught by Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
• To help every living being remember and serve Sri Krishna, the Personality of Godhead.