Your Best Friend (Spirituality for the Modern Youth Series)

The Vedic texts are the panacea for all problems for all times; they give a crystal clear understanding of all the fundamental and essential truths of life including who we are, what the true goal of life is and how we can attain permanent happiness.

Unfortunately however, in the modern time, the Vedas have generally been misunderstood to be books of sentiment, blind faith or a bunch of empty rituals. And due to such preconceived misconceptions, the scientifically minded youth have reservations in even approaching them. Also, these texts being in intricate Sanskrit are not easily accessible to them.

With these considerations in mind, a need was felt for a systematic and scientific presentation of the five essential themes of the Bhagavad-gita ishvara (the Lord) jiva (the living entity), Prakriti (nature), kala (time) and karma (activity). A humble attempt towards making such a compilation was first made in 1994. These notes were based on the teachings of Srila Prabhupada, who is internationally acclaimed as an erudite Vedic scholar and as the greatest exponent of Krishna consciousness in the modern times. References were also taken from Back to godhead magazine articles and from discourses by senior devotees of ISKCON Prabhu and His Grace Krishna Smaran Prabhu. Those notes were refined over the years as we came to know more about the nature of doubts and questions that youths generally have.

Now we are presenting those refined notes in a handy form as series of five books, entitled the Spirituality for the Modern Youth (SMY) series. The books in this series are Discover Your-self Your Best Friend (the present volume), Your Secret Journey, Victory Over Death and The Yoga for the Modern Age.

We have been using these notes for vigorous youth preaching in ISKCON Youth Forum (IYF), Pune. IYF, Pune was started and is being run by the divine inspiration and blessings given by H. H. Radhanath Swami Maharaj, H. H. Gopalakrishna Goswami Maharaj, H. H. Lokanath swami maharaj, H. G. Devamrita Prabhu, devotees of Shri Shri Radha Gospinath Mandir, Chowpatty, Bombay and Shri Shri Radha Kunjabihari Mandir, Pune.

The approach of having a systematic presentation of the Bhagavad-gita has produced amazing results in effectively con-veying the message to the youth and inspiring them to take to Krishna consciousness seriously. IYF presently has hundreds of engineering students, who are chanting Hare Krishna and leading a pure life free from all bad habits like meat-eating, intoxication, illicit sex and gambling.

We hope that this book will therefore act as a beacon light for every sincere seeker of the truth, especially among the youth and the young at heart. It is our hope that the book will also serve as a useful guide for all preachers throughout the world in their attempts to take Krishna consciousness to the youth in particular and to the masses at large.

This book is noting but a systematic presentation of the remnants of the bold preacher, Srila Prabhupada, and my beloved spiritual master. It is therefore a humble offering at their lotus feet. We will consider our humble efforts successful if this endeavor can assist in fulfilling their pure desire to flood the entire world with Krishna consciousness.

**Contents and Sample Pages**