In a few days, 2023 will be history. A New Year signals the arrival of something new, something fresh. But will 2024 actually see the arrival of something new or will it be the same old thing masquerading as new?

While presenting the teachings of Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu for the first time to the peoples of the Western world, Srila Prabhupada penned the following words:

“The conditioned soul, engrossed in the material body, increases the pages of history by all kinds of material activities. The teachings of Lord Chaitanya can help the members of human society stop such unnecessary and temporary activities and be elevated to the topmost platform of spiritual activities, which begin after liberation from material bondage. Such liberated activities in Krishna consciousness constitute the goal of human perfection. The false prestige one acquires by attempting to dominate material nature is illusory. Illuminating knowledge can be acquired by studying the teachings of Lord Chaitanya, and by such knowledge one can advance in spiritual existence.

“Everyone has to suffer or enjoy the fruits of his activity; no one can alter the laws of material nature that govern such occurrences. As long as one is engaged in fruitive activity, one is sure to be baffled in the attempt to attain the ultimate goal of life. I sincerely hope that by understanding the teachings of Lord Chaitanya presented in this book, Shri Chaitanya Charitamrita, human society will experience a new light of spiritual life, which will open the field of activity for the pure soul.” (Cc. Adi Introduction)

As I am writing this editorial there are two major armed conflicts raging in the world. The first is the Russia-Ukraine war, and the other is the Palestine-Israel conflict in the Gaza strip. Both have a potential to drag us into a full-scale World War III scenario. People all over the world are in panic, thinking about the untold suffering that is happening right now and to come in the future.

According to the Vedas, it is actually only an empowered being who can truly understand what is suffering and how to address it. Page after page of human history describes how darkness and gloom pervaded the land, and illusion (maya) reigned supreme. Bleached bones of armies littered the fields of almost every country. The cries of helpless animals being slaughtered and of helpless women being exploited caused the hearts of all spiritually enlightened to crack. The yellowing pages of history mock man’s folly with epitaphs of innumerable and vast empires rising and falling.

Real wisdom is in following the footsteps of an acarya, or a world teacher, who comes in the unbroken line of teachers. Such a teacher advises that this is a world of dreams, shadows of reality, phantasmagoria. The opulence of man, like health, wealth, beautiful body, high position, palatial buildings, automobiles, women, children, etc., are destined to vanish like the will-o’-the-wisp, or like so much sea foam dashed on the rocks. Just as seasonal flowers appear so beautiful and fragrant one day but are gone the next, so in this world either the flowers wither or the gardener himself must leave.

We are not these bodies, flesh and blood vehicles of pain and foolishness! We are spirit, eternal parts and parcels, servants of Sri Sri Radha-Krishna.

Here is a prayer worthy of being the harbinger of a fresh New Year:

O My Lord Sri Krishna, we are helpless and hopeless without Your mercy. Even with your blessings we are weaklings, and therefore we require special mercy. Please don’t let us be cheated by maya again. Please don’t let us be distracted by the cheap, glittering allurements offered us in the form of society, friendship, and love. They are like nonsensical toys meant to distract babies from their miseries, when actually the child cries out of hunger. We are hungering for service to Sri Krishna. O my Lord, we know that it is impossible even after millions of years to ever repay our debt to You, but somehow we must try. And that is our greatest fortune, our obligation to you.

—Shyamananda Dasa