In a transcendental discourse between Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Sri Ramananda Raya, one of the greatest devotees of the Lord, the Lord inquired from Ramananda Raya: "What is the highest standard of education?" Ramananda immediately replied that the highest standard of education is to know the science of Krsna.Prabhupada, Teachings of Lord Caitanya, p. 282.1 Srimad-Bhagavatam says that Vasudeva (another name of Lord Sri Krsna or God) is the ultimate object of knowledge:

 

             vasudeva-para veda vasudeva-para makhah
             vasudeva-para yoga vasudeva-parah kriyah
            vasudeva-param jnanam vasudeva-param tapah
             vasudeva-paro dharmo vasudeva-para gatih

 

"In the revealed scriptures, the ultimate object of knowledge is Sri Krsna, the Personality of Godhead. The purpose of performing sacrifice is to please Him. Yoga is for realizing Him. All fruitive activities are ultimately rewarded by Him only. He is supreme knowledge, and all severe austerities are performed to know Him. Religion [dharma] is rendering loving service unto Him. He is the supreme goal of life." [S.B. 1.2.28-29]
The process of realizing Him is to render unalloyed devotional service (bhakti) unto the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krsna, and His bona fide representative, the spiritual master in disciplic succession. Lord Sri Krsna declared to Arjuna: "My dear Arjuna, only by undivided devotional service can I be understood as I am, standing before you, and can thus be seen directly. Only in this way can you enter into the mysteries of My understanding." [Bg. 11.54]
The conditioned living entities should perform yajnas (sacrifices) for the satisfaction of Visnu (Krsna). Visnu is also called Yajnesvara, the Lord of all sacrifices. In Bhagavad-gita the all-merciful Sri Krsna says to Arjuna: "O best of the Kuru dynasty, without sacrifice one can never live happily on this planet or in this life; what then of the next?" [Bg. 4.31] Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the mercy incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Sri Krsna, introduced the sankirtana-yajna (the chanting and glorification of the names of God) 500 years ago for the deliverance of alI men in this age of Kali. The Lord's incarnation is mentioned in the Srimad-Bhagavatam as follows:

 

         krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam sangopangastra-parsadam
        yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi su-medhasah

 

   "In this age of Kali, people who are endowed with sufficient intelligence will worship the Lord, who is accompanied by His associates, by performance of sankirtana-yajna." [S.B. 11.5.32] Srila Prabhupada states: "Kirtana means Hari-kirtana, glorification of Hari, Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and no other kirtana is recommended."A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, "Lord Caitanya: the Golden Avatara," Back to Godhead no. 39, p. 9.6 It is also stated in the Brhan-Naradiya Purana:

 

           harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam
        kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha

 

   "In this age of Kali, the only means of deliverance is chanting the holy name of Lord Hari, Krsna. There is no other way. There is no other way. There is no other way."Brhan-naradiya Purana, 18.1267 This process of Hari-kirtana is to chant the maha-mantra (the great chanting for deliverance): Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. In the Padma Purana it is stated: "There is no difference between the holy name of the Lord and the Lord Himself. As such, the holy name is as perfect as the Lord Himself in fullness, purity and eternity. The holy name is not a material sound vibration, nor has it any material contamination."Padma Purana 8 How the holy name of the Lord can be chanted constantly is mercifully described by Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself in His Siksastaka: "One can chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking himself lower than the straw in the street; one should be more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all sense of falseprestige, and should be ready to offer all respects to others. In such a state of mind one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly."Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Siksastaka, verse 3.9
   We therefore humbly request everyone--scientists, philosophers, businessmen, politicians, etc.--to please chant the rnaha-mantra: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. This will cleanse the accumulated dust from the heart and lead to the understanding of Krsna consciousness, the supreme absolute science, the ultimate goal of life.