Tag: elephant

What does it mean to over endeavor? How do I know if I’m over endeavoring?

What does it mean to overdo effort? What does it mean to over endeavor? How do we know if we are putting our effort in the wrong direction? What is the antidote to this tendency?

KV Rao, 17 Mar 2015

Hare Krishna Dear Devotees!    

Please accept my humble obeisances!

All glories to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu!

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

All glories to your devotional service!

Please help me to understand – how does one know that one is over endeavoring?

Haribol!

your servant,

KV Rao

Premananda Das, 17 Mar 2015

Please state context over endeavoring  for?

your servant 

Premananda das 

Bhakta Sunil, 19 Mar 2015

Hare Krishna Rao Prabhu

Please accept my humble obeisances

All Glories to Srila Prabhupada

One can know that one is over endeavoring for material things if one is not ready to give 100 % of one’s capacity to serve and please the Lord

For example , if one’s devotional routine involves chanting a particular number of rounds , but if one has a lingering thought of say, watching a cricket match and then does less rounds and switches on television to watch cricket , then it is over endeavoring mundanely

Sincerely hoping this helps to dispel your doubt

humbly,

Bhakta sunil

Shridhar Das, 26 Mar 2015

Hare Krishna,

I agree with the above answer too. As per my recent hearings, I feel that lack of determination for executing spiritual activities concludes in over-endeavouring for material activities. 

Spiritual activities surely includes a wide range of activities but from my current experience I am able to recall how maintaining a bimonthly sadhana chart, consisting of a sheet with various columns like date, wake up time, sleeping time, no of rounds chanted until a particular time, duration of hearing and reading, helps to keep track of spiritual determination. 

I fill this out on a regular basis and on the weekend submit it to my counsellor who expertly studies and accordingly guides for the next session. It is an amazing way of introspecting our spiritual endeavour and exposing the mind’s entanglement.

your servant

Shridhar das

Mahabhagavat Das SDA, 26 Mar 2015

Hare Krishna Sriman Rao,

Please accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Gurudeva.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

There are various levels of over-endeavor for material benefits. At the extreme edge of spiritual perfection, a liberated soul sees anything more than keeping body and soul together as over-endeavor. In fact, Vasudeva Vipra, a great Vaishnava, went further than that – he had some worms attacking his body, and if they fell off, he would pick them back up and put them on his body, because he was on the platform that actually his body was food for worms anyways, and why should he deprive them of their rightful share of food. (CC Madhya 7.137-138)

Most of us are not on that platform, and it is foolish to try to pretend to be on some higher level than one is.

What is “minimum necessity” for me, may be overindulgence for another, and what is minimum necessity for another may be “too much sense gratification for me”. On the other hand, no one else knows what and how much I need… Some people require 20 helpings of food to feel satisfied, another requires just one. The elephant needs hundreds of kilos of food and the ant needs just one grain or so, ultimately it is a very personal thing.

Srila Gurudeva was once asked the question “how do I know if I am making spiritual progress” and Srila Gurudeva answered “to the extent you feel less attracted to material sense gratification, you can know that you are making spiritual advancement” (both question and answer paraphrased, not literal quotes). Another time, he answered this question as “when you take some food, do you have to wait for someone else to tell you that you are full? No! You know when you are full”.

You know enough about your needs, about the ideals of spiritual life and enough about Krishna consciousness that you should be able to answer this question for yourself and recognize when you are over-endeavoring or not.

This is confirmed in the scripture, shastra:

bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir

 anyatra caiṣa trika eka-kālaḥ

prapadyamānasya yathāśnataḥ syus

 tuṣṭiḥ puṣṭiḥ kṣud-apāyo ’nu-ghāsam

Devotion, direct experience of the Supreme Lord, and detachment from other things — these three occur simultaneously for one who has taken shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in the same way that pleasure, nourishment and relief from hunger come simultaneously and increasingly, with each bite, for a person engaged in eating. SB 11.2.42

I will not quote the purport, but I invite everyone to please read the purport at:

http://www.vedabase.com/sb/11/2/42/

In any case, the time is right now to be initiated by a bona fide spiritual master so that such things will not bother you – service and instructions directly received in spiritual life and followed carefully will sustain and satisfy one to the fullest possible extent.

For example, in response to a recent report, my spiritual master wrote to me:

“

Simply continue with your sincere efforts

to serve Guru and Gauranga and everything

will work out wonderfully.

“

And I shall hold on to that instruction which I have received personally. 🙂

Sincerely,

Mahabhagavat Das

Brhadnath dasa, 27 Mar 2015

Hare Krishna Shreyas prabhu, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Gurudeva. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Your words that lack of determination for executing spiritual activities concludes in over-endeavoring for material activities, are indeed very true, but we somehow find some excuse to be in this . Some devotees do talk about the benefits of sadhana chart, but somehow I did not seek their help. Please share the sadhana chart, if possible in the format, for the benefit of others. And also, please allow me to submit my chart to you  to help me.

your servant, 

Brhad nath dasa

Bhakta Sunil, 29 Mar 2015

Hare Krishna everyone

I came across following lines from the book “Nectar of Devotion” both set of lines from Text Two , which I understand would help in this topic :

“Jīvasya tattva jijñāsā: the real purpose of life is to inquire about the Absolute Truth. If our endeavor (prayāsa) is not to inquire about the Absolute Truth, we will simply increase our endeavor to satisfy our artificial needs. A spiritual aspirant should avoid mundane endeavor.”

“Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura writes in his Anuvṛtti commentary that too much endeavor to acquire knowledge on the part of mental speculators or dry philosophers falls within the category of atyāhāra (collecting more than needed). According to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the endeavor of philosophical speculators to write volumes of books on dry philosophy devoid of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is entirely futile. The work of karmīs who write volumes of books on economic development also falls within the category of atyāhāra. Similarly, those who have no desire for Kṛṣṇa consciousness and who are simply interested in possessing more and more material things—either in the shape of scientific knowledge or monetary gain—are all included under the control of atyāhāra.”

Regards,

Bhakta Sunil

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The Profession of Confession and Atonement

In many religious traditions, there is the concept of confessing and atoning for sins. But why do people keep sinning and keep confessing, keep atoning? What is the use of such confession and atonement? What can be done to completely get out of this nasty habit of committing sinful activities?

Some souls accept the authority of God in theory, but not in practice. In the article “Love of God, The Ultimate Variety“, I wrote about fear vs. love… who fears God? One who does not properly follow the instructions of God must necessarily fear God. Just like ordinary citizens are not afraid of the police, but the thief is.

The idea is that just as there is the state law, there is also God’s law. And just as someone who flouts the state law becomes a criminal or an outlaw, similarly, one who flouts God’s law also faces reactions. And depending on the severity of the crime, the reactions can be rather heavy.

In some traditions, practically all religious traditions, there is the idea of “atonement” or in Sanskrit “praayaschitta”. This has been formalized in so many different ways, for example, Christians often go to Church and then confess their sins to the priest. The priest says “OK, repent by doing this and this”, or maybe a Hindu might go to the temple and the priest might tell her “give this and that charity to such-and-such to atone for this sin”.

The atonement is supposed to release the soul of the sinful reaction for a much lower “cost”…

Confession, useful, but is it enough?

But even with or without atonement, though there is hellish punishment that purifies the sinner of the sinful reactions, the soul commits sin again, after all the purification! Why is this?

Do you know what the problem is?

क्‍वचिन्निवर्ततेऽभद्रात्‍क्‍वचिच्चरति तत्पुन: ।
प्रायश्चित्तमथोऽपार्थं मन्ये कुञ्जरशौचवत् ॥ १० ॥

kvacin nivartate ’bhadrāt
kvacic carati tat punaḥ
prāyaścittam atho ’pārthaṁ
manye kuñjara-śaucavat

Sometimes one who is very alert so as not to commit sinful acts is victimized by sinful life again. I therefore consider this process of repeated sinning and atoning to be useless. It is like the bathing of an elephant, for an elephant cleanses itself by taking a full bath, but then throws dust over its head and body as soon as it returns to the land.

https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/6/1/10/
An elephant bathes in the water

Let’s examine the elephant… the elephant goes to the river and takes a bath in the river. Then the elephant comes out and pours dirt, sand and dust on itself after it comes out. Now, the wildlife experts may say why the elephant is doing that, how it protects its skin etc., but let’s just keep to the spirit of the example here.

An elephant dusts itself with mud

If we treat a confession or atonement as a bath, then why is it that people perform the required atonement and then sin again? Why do you need to take a bath again and again? Because you got dirty again after the last bath!

In the material world, dirt is unavoidable, our very bodies are quite dirty, and need to be cleansed again and again. But what about the spirit soul? Is the spirit soul not clean originally?

Hindus bathe in the Ganga to atone for their sins

Is it a good thing to become a professional at confession and atonement? There is no doubt that God is infinitely merciful… and can forgive unlimitedly. Does anyone think that God is such a fool as to accept repeated confessions of a professional sinner without giving the proper reactions to maintain fairness? God is also unlimitedly wise!

In the Srimad Bhagavatam, the highly intelligent Maharaja Parikshit and Shukadeva Goswami had this wonderful conversation on this topic. To this question, the answer given was:

Śukadeva Gosvāmī, the son of Vedavyāsa, answered: My dear King, since acts meant to neutralize impious actions are also fruitive, they will not release one from the tendency to act fruitively. Persons who subject themselves to the rules and regulations of atonement are not at all intelligent. Indeed, they are in the mode of darkness. Unless one is freed from the mode of ignorance, trying to counteract one action through another is useless because this will not uproot one’s desires. Thus even though one may superficially seem pious, he will undoubtedly be prone to act impiously. Therefore real atonement is enlightenment in perfect knowledge, Vedānta, by which one understands the Supreme Absolute Truth.

https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/6/1/11/

But knowledge enough is not sufficient, one must act on that knowledge, Shukadeva Goswami continues…

My dear King, if a diseased person eats the pure, uncontaminated food prescribed by a physician, he is gradually cured, and the infection of disease can no longer touch him. Similarly, if one follows the regulative principles of knowledge, he gradually progresses toward liberation from material contamination.

https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/6/1/12/

One should go beyond the lifestyle that produces sinful desires…

तपसा ब्रह्मचर्येण शमेन च दमेन च ।
त्यागेन सत्यशौचाभ्यां यमेन नियमेन वा ॥ १३ ॥
देहवाग्बुद्धिजं धीरा धर्मज्ञा: श्रद्धयान्विता: ।
क्षिपन्त्यघं महदपि वेणुगुल्ममिवानल: ॥ १४ ॥

tapasā brahmacaryeṇa
śamena ca damena ca
tyāgena satya-śaucābhyāṁ
yamena niyamena vā

deha-vāg-buddhijaṁ dhīrā
dharmajñāḥ śraddhayānvitāḥ
kṣipanty aghaṁ mahad api
veṇu-gulmam ivānalaḥ

To concentrate the mind, one must observe a life of celibacy and not fall down. One must undergo the austerity of voluntarily giving up sense enjoyment. One must then control the mind and senses, give charity, be truthful, clean and nonviolent, follow the regulative principles and regularly chant the holy name of the Lord. Thus a sober and faithful person who knows the religious principles is temporarily purified of all sins performed with his body, words and mind. These sins are like the dried leaves of creepers beneath a bamboo tree, which may be burned by fire although their roots remain to grow again at the first opportunity.

https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/6/1/13-14/

It is commonly seen that even priests, supposed to be God’s representatives, sin, what to speak of the lay person! This means that even though one may lead a very closely regulated lifestyle, the desire to sin can still remain hidden as a root within the heart. So what is the ultimate solution?

केचित्केवलया भक्त्या वासुदेवपरायणा: ।
अघं धुन्वन्ति कार्त्स्‍न्येन नीहारमिव भास्कर: ॥ १५ ॥

kecit kevalayā bhaktyā
vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ
aghaṁ dhunvanti kārtsnyena
nīhāram iva bhāskaraḥ

Only a rare person who has adopted complete, unalloyed devotional service to Kṛṣṇa can uproot the weeds of sinful actions with no possibility that they will revive. He can do this simply by discharging devotional service, just as the sun can immediately dissipate fog by its rays.

https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/6/1/15/

So therefore, it is impossible to be completely pure without being a pure devotee of God. Without being a pure lover of God, one cannot escape this sin. In fact, when one is rendering devotional service, at that time it is impossible to sin, because where is the time and the energy to perform sinful actions?

So therefore, instead of sinning and confessing, sinning and confessing, sinning and atoning, sinning and atoning, one should seek to develop pure uncontaminated Love of God in a practical way, which is the only way to be free of the desire and tendency to sin.

My spiritual master says it best “it’s hard to hit a moving target, so keep moving for Krishna, if you give illusion an inch, you will lose your life!”

Supreme Conviction and Supreme Reciprocation – a Poem by Saritha Devi

A poem written by a devotee for Bhakta Prahlada & Lord Narasimha

Poetic Service

Saritha Devi, 06/06/2019 

Dear Devotees,

Hare Krishna to all.

Just a small poetic service to Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva and Prahlada Maharaja :-

Supreme Conviction and Reciprocation:

When great pure soul Prahlada Maharaj

Was tormented by demonic nature

offered to bodily agony and hellish setting

and subjected to fatality with sharp arms,

dumped under giant beings, the elephants and thrown from mountains

strived to kill the great soul in thousands other ways,

still the great soul proved his purity and stable in his conviction for Lord

demonic efforts were in vain due to Lord’s compassion to his servant.

One grand evening, Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva incarnated from a pillar

in His violent form with fire eyes, sharp tongue, fearful face, with terrible teeth,

His body expanded till sky like a moon with His opulence

to dawn the demonic aura in this world

And to bring sunshine of peace and assurance in devotees’ lives

to answer His servants’ prayers with His great mercy by laying His kind hands

—

your servant,

Saritha

Vishwajit Bhadrashetty, 06 June 2019

Wonderful poem Sarita mataji

May God bless you

Sincerely,

Vishwajit 

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Can animals, birds, insects, plants be liberated from material existence without attaining human form?

Lipsa, 27th November 2013

Hare Krishna
Please accept my humble obeisances
All glories to Srila Gurudev and Srimati Gurumataji
All glories to Srila Prabhupada

I have a doubt in Krishna Book. Kindly clarify…

Chapter 6:

“When flowers and fruits are offered to Krishna, the tree that bore them also receives much benefit, indirectly………

…… Undoubtedly all the gopis and cowherd boys and cows who served Krishna in Vrindavana with love and affection were liberated from the miserable condition of material existence.”

Can a tree or cow or any other animal be liberated by the mercy of the Lord without attaining a human form of life?

Thank you.
your unworthy servant,
Lipsa

Sudeep Manchanda, 27th November 2013

Hare Krishna,

Please accept our humble obeisances.

If I remember it correctly I have heard in a lecture that these trees and cows are not ordinary, there are very special and have Krishna’s special mercy.
And when one has Krishna’s mercy anything is not impossible.

For example the lila, where Gajendra who was in an elephant body was liberated, but he was an exalted devotee of the Lord and hence has his special mercy.

For an ordinary jiva who is conditioned and trapped in the cycle of birth and death, we can say that they need to first attain a human body to be able to practice bhakti.

Please correct if I am wrong.

your Servant,
Sudeep Manchanda

Mahabhagavat Das SDA, 28th November 2013

Dear Mother Lipsa and Bhakta Sudeep,

Can a tree or cow or any other animal be liberated by the mercy of the Lord without attaining a human form of life?

To be noted that Tulasi devi or Vrinda Devi is an eternally liberated pure devotee appearing in the material world in the form of a plant/tree so that ordinary persons may have something wonderful to offer to Krishna.

It is rare, but possible…

Yes, the example is a dog who was liberated by Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu by taking coconut scraps from His hand, this He did because His devotee Sivananda Sen was very much merciful to the Lord – the entire pastime is in Chaitanya Charitamrita Antya Lila Chapter 1, specifically CC Antya 1.17-1.33.

Sincerely,
Mahabhagavat Das

Lipsa, 28th November 2013

Hare Krishna Mahabhagavat Das Prabhuji and Sudeep Prabhuji
Please accept my humble obeisances
All glories to Srila Gurudev and Srimati Gurumataji
All glories to Srila Prabhupada

Thank you for enlightening me on this subject.

Reading the verses 1.17 – 1.33 from Chaitanya Charitamrita Antya Lila Chapter 1 was really ecstatic. Thank you Mahabhagavat Das Prabhuji for mentioning about it.

Every verse is full of spiritual knowledge. Whoever reads it immediately feels the need to develop an attachment to this sublime process. I am mentioning a few lines from the text that I liked the most.

Text 24:
…. He thus offers to become the dog of a Vaisnava. There are many other instances in which the pet animal of a Vaisnava was delivered back home to Vaikunthaloka, back to Godhead. Such is the benefit of somehow or other becoming the favorite of a Vaisnava. ….

Text 30:
Seeing the dog eating the green coconut pulp and chanting “Krishna, Krishna” again and again, all the devotees present were very much surprised.

Text 32:
This is the result of sadhu-sanga, consequent association with Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and promotion back home, back to Godhead. This result is possible even for a dog, by the mercy of the Vaisnava. Therefore, everyone in the human form of life should be induced to associate with devotees.

Thank you.
your unworthy servant,
Lipsa

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