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Question: Does the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra do any practical good for the world?

Certainly. As most of us know, the fundamental problem in economics is to

reconcile the unlimited desires of people with the limited resources of the world.

All of us perpetually seek happiness by fulfilling our desires. Two conflicting forces

within our hearts determine our desires: the centrifugal force that allures us to external objects

and the centripetal force that draws us inwards to the Lord within. The centrifugal force is

multiplied manifold by the western culture in which the ads, the billboards, the music, the movies

all seduce us toward external pleasure. So, the centrifugal force often becomes the driving force of

our lives. Consequently, the haves exploit the resources of the world disproportionately, leaving

little, if any, resources for the have-nots. For example, the US has 5% of the worlds population,

but consumes 30% of the worlds resources and

produces 30% of the worlds waste. If the whole world

started consuming the way the US did, we humans

would need three to five planets. Needless to say, we

have only one planet. Can political changes like, say,

displacing the US from its present unilateral superpower

status solve this problem? No. Because the US has

already exported its consumer culture all over the

world, so that whoever gains financial and political

power will end up doing what the US is doing now. We

see this in India already to some extent. Those who have

made it big over the past two decades of globalization

have increased their consumption dramatically (perhaps

disastrously would be a more appropriate word)

The only real solution to the current economical and ecological mess is to recognize and address

its cause: the aggravated centrifugal force. Throughout the world, India is famed as the

motherland of deep spiritual wisdom and profound mystical experience. Why? Because the Vedic

wisdom-tradition of India has developed time-tested spiritual technologies like meditation, prayer

and yoga for activating the centripetal force and thus gaining access to inner happiness. The Vedic

wisdom-tradition declares that the chanting of the Hare Krishna mahamantra is the most practical

and potent way to connect us with the Lord within, who is an inexhaustible source of ever-

increasing happiness. So today when humanity critically needs to equip itself with non-material

forms of enrichment, if it is to avoid self-destruction, why should India continue to neglect its

unique national legacy and acceding mutely, nay joyfully, to cultural takeover by the

West? Instead, by learning and sharing the spiritual technology of chanting, Indians

can do the greatest practical good for the world.