Letters From Prison Inmates About Bhagavad Gita As It Is

Two months prior to 2006 Gita Jayanti festival, Inice Krishna Conscious program on festival days in
requested inmates, who regularly write to me, tothe prison)
write down a few lines about how they receivedKrishna reveals Himself in Bhagavad Gita: I read all
the 1st copy of Bhagavad Gita As It Is and whatthe books on Buddhist philosophy and I was not
they learned from the Gita and what are theirsatisfied. As I read Bhagavad Gita As It Is,
favorite verses. I have tried to keep the inmatesKrishna began to reveal Himself to me and the
responses as it is in order to keep the originalityrealizations were so deep. The information of
of the text. The following is a compilation ofBhagavad Gita totally made Buddhist literature
inmate's quotes:seem weak. Besides reading Gita, I decided to
Supreme Knowledge: I got Bhagavad Gita As It ischant one round of Hare Krishna Maha-mantra. By
from the Vedic resources. I learned it is Divinedoing these two things I had a spiritual experience,
instruction for the battlefield of one's life to servethis is something I will never forget, something
the Supreme Personality of Godhead. My favoritethat has changed my life forever. (Kyle
verse is in chapter 9, This knowledge of Gita isWeatherwax, Mineral Wells, TX)
king of education, the secret of all secrets. It isGive up all forms of religion and surrender unto
the purest of all knowledge and because it givesMe: Once I was child in the juvenile lock up in the
direct perception of self realization, it is theOrange County, CA, where I met a long haired
perfection of all religion. This is Raja-Vidya asboy who would read Bhagavad Gita very nicely,
there is no higher knowledge than Bhagavad Gita.he had a name like Arjuna, may be it was John or
It is spoken on the battlefield of KuruksetraAaron. He would sit up perfectly straight and read
between Sri Krishna and His disciple friend Arjuna.the Bhagavad Gita and he would teach me how
(Mark Barnett, Canon City, CO, he is seriouslyto pronounce the Sanskrit. My favorite verse in
practicing Krishna Consciousness)the Gita is where Krishna says to Arjuna, give up
Bhagavad Gita must be understood in Disciplicall forms of religion and just surrender unto Me. (H.
Succession: I found a Bhagavad Gita As It Is in aSullivan, CA)
used bookstore, as soon as I saw it I purchasedEveryone has to follow Krishna's will: I received
it immediately, I was already familiar with Srilathe copy of Bhagavad Gita from H. G. Chandra
Prabhupada's books by reading BTG (Back toSekhar ACBSP in 2001. I have learned from the
Godhead Magazine), BTG was given to me byGita that I am not this body I am spirit soul, I am
sankirtana devotee. Under Srila Prabhupada'seternal and once dwelled with God. My goal is to
expert qualified guidance, I learned that Gita mustreturn home back to Godhead, and only way to
be understood in the disciplic chain of succession.do this is through devotional service unto Lord
When approached by a sincere student, a bonaKrishna; and I must become His devotee. To
fide guru transmits knowledge of the Absolutebecome Lord Krishna's devotee I must render
Truth, namely knowledge of soul, the relationshipservice unto Him and follow His will which is set
between soul and supersoul, understanding of theforth in the Vedic literature specifically set forth in
time activity and cosmic manifestation. Thisthe Gita. The basic of devotional service is the
knowledge is contained in the Bhagavad Gita, andhearing and chanting of Krishna's glorious pastimes
Bhagavad Gita must be accepted in the mannerand names and to follow the four regulative
Arjuna, disciple accepted from Sri Krishna theprinciples.
original guru. (Anonymous inmate, he holds a very