Tag: krishna

Is God present everywhere? How to understand this?

is God present everywhere? If yes, why can’t we find God? Why can atheists even argue that God does not exist? What is the qualification to see God personally?

Lipsa, 17th March 2013

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

Kindly clarify my doubt,

When Prahlada Maharaj replied his father that God resides everywhere, the father angrily asked whether his God was within one of the pillars of the palace, and the child said yes. At once the atheist king
shattered the pillar in front of him to pieces, and the Lord instantly appeared as Narasimha!

So does this mean that the Lord is within non-living objects also in the form of His material energy and He appears to favor His pure devotees? If it is true then is He in every object we see around us,
good or bad (like is He present in books, in the walls, in the things we use, etc…) ?

your unworthy servant,
Lipsa

Rathin Mandal, 18th March 2013

Hare Krishna,

Please accept my humble obeisances,
All glories to Srila Gurudeva and Srimati Gurumataji,
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

This entire manifestation is created by Sri Krishna. Energies of Krishna are of three types internal potency, marginal potency and inferior potency. In the spiritual world everything is created by internal potency. While this material world is created by inferior energy and we are part of the marginal potency. All this potencies come from Sri Krishna hence everything is part and parcel of him just like we are.

Something may appear non-living to us, but it is actually not. The Deities in temple are manifestation of Krishna in material world. Deities form is Krishna’s expansion as ‘archa vigraha’. You can read pastime of Lord as ‘Saksi Gopal’. Same is true with picture also. One should know that when he looks at the picture of Krishna, Krishna is also looking back at him. The book of Krishna is non-different from Krishna. Because all the words contained in the book emanate from Krishna. That is way we worship Bhagavat Gita, because it is a gift given by Krishna.

BG 7.5: Besides these, O mighty-armed Arjuna, there is another, superior energy of Mine, which comprises the living entities who are exploiting the resources of this material, inferior nature.
In the above verse Sri Krishna said that we being part of the superior energy have control over the inferior energy and hence we can use it to an extend. And we are using it to make building, aeroplane and weapons to kill. This clearly proves we have some control over the material energy.

This material is also created by Krishna, so He can use this energy to manifest Himself at any place He likes. But one should remember that the material energy cannot touch Sri Krishna because it is inferior to Him. This is confirmed in the following verse:
BG 4.13: According to the three modes of material nature and the work associated with them, the four divisions of human society are created by Me. And although I am the creator of this system, you should know that I am yet the nondoer, being unchangeable.

your Servant
Rathin

Mahabhagavat Das SDA, 18th March 2013

Dear Lipsa Mataji,

Hare Krishna!

Please kindly accept my humble obeisances.
All glories to Srila Gurudeva.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Yes, Krishna is present in non-living objects, inside every atom and within the space between the smallest particle (which is unknown as yet to the material scientists). As Rathin Mandal said, when it comes to the transcendental name, fame, pastimes, form, image, etc., of Krishna, then He is personally present, not just in the particles.

But if you take items such as laptops, electric cables, tables, chairs. mud, stones, toothbrush, toothpaste, walls, paper, etc.,

Here is what is said in the Bhagavad Gita As It Is:

Verse BG 7.7

mattaḥ parataraḿ nānyat

kiñcid asti dhanañjaya

mayi sarvam idaḿ protaḿ

sūtre maṇi-gaṇā iva

O conqueror of wealth, there is no truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.

From the purport etc., it is to be understood that while everything comes from God, everything is not to be taken as God, though it is a manifestation of God’s energy.

From purport to BG 7.4:
quote
The science of God analyzes the constitutional position of God and His diverse energies. Material nature is called prakṛti, or the energy of the Lord in His different puruṣa incarnations (expansions) as described in the Sātvata-tantra:

viṣṇos tu trīṇi rūpāṇi puruṣākhyāny atho viduḥ

ekaḿ tu mahataḥ sraṣṭṛ dvitīyaḿ tv aṇḍa-saḿsthitam

tṛtīyaḿ sarva-bhūta-sthaḿ tāni jñātvā vimucyate

“For material creation, Lord Kṛṣṇa’s plenary expansion assumes three Viṣṇus. The first one, Mahā-Viṣṇu, creates the total material energy, known as the mahat-tattva. The second, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, enters into all the universes to create diversities in each of them. The third, Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, is diffused as the all-pervading Supersoul in all the universes and is known as Paramātmā. He is present even within the atoms. Anyone who knows these three Viṣṇus can be liberated from material entanglement.”

unuote

From purport to BG 7.25:

quote

Also in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.14.7) there is this prayer by Brahma: “O Supreme Personality of Godhead, O Supersoul, O master of all mystery, who can calculate Your potency and pastimes in this world? You are always expanding Your internal potency, and therefore no one can understand You. Learned scientists and learned scholars can examine the atomic constitution of the material world or even the planets, but still they are unable to calculate Your energy and potency, although You are present before them.” The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Krishna, is not only unborn but also avyaya, inexhaustible. His eternal form is bliss and knowledge, and His energies are all inexhaustible.

unquote

Srila Sankarshan Das Adhikari, Srila Gurudeva wrote on 11 June 2012:

“It is God in the form of Ksirodakashayi Vishnu who dwells within every atom, not Garbhodakashayi Vishnu. The scientists have not been able to find Him through their gigantic atom smashing machine. The real God particle, Ksirodakashayi Vishnu, is so small that no matter how much they smash atoms to get smaller and smaller particles of matter they will still not be able to find Him. However, the Supreme Lord can easily be found within one’s heart and within every atom by one who has awakened his love for God. Therefore there is no need for a gigantic atom smashing machine to find God. All you need is love.”

I hope this helps.

Sincerely,
Mahabhagavat Das

Lipsa, 20th March 2013

Hare Krishna
Please accept my humblest obeisances
Glories to all devotees
All glories to Srila Gurudev and Srimati Gurumataji
All glories to Srila Prabhupada

Thank You Rathin Mandal Prabhuji, Mahabhagavat Das Prabhuji for the answers with references.

your unworthy servant,
Lipsa

Bhakta David, 22nd March 2013

Please accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

All glories to Srila Acaryadev and Srimati Guru Mataji.

All glories to Sri Sri Nitai Gauracandraji.

Hare Krishna

How do you top those answers? Perfect explanation supported by sastra and Gurudev.

Thank you to Lipsa Tripathy for asking this question. And thank you to Rathin Prabhuji and Mahabhagavat Prabhuji for their wonderful answers. I have learned a lot from the responses.

your servant,
Bhakta David

Please subscribe to daily inspirational emails from His Grace Sriman Sankarshan Das Adhikari (Writings and lectures archived at sda-archives.com), written fresh every day from his travels around the world sharing the highest spiritual knowledge with everyone. Sign up now at www.backtohome.com. com

Demons slain by Lord Krishna attained liberation?

krishna_playing_flute
Everything Krishna does is all-auspicious. Even demons slain by Krishna attain liberation.

 

Lipsa, 17th March 2013

Hare Krishna,

Please accept my humble obeisances
Glories to all the Devotees

All glories to Srila Gurudev and Srimati Gurumataji
All glories to Srila Prabhupada

I have one doubt. Please clarify it.

Have all the demons like Kamsa, Ravana etc., who were killed by Lord Sri Krishna or His incarnations, also attained liberation?

your unworthy servant,
Lipsa

Hemant Krishna Das, 18th March 2013

Yes all got liberation with the mercy of Lord Krishna as I heard in Hari Katha, that is, in Srimad Bhagavatam.

Hemant Krishna Das

Manmohan, 17th March 2013

Hare Krishna

All Glories to Srila Prabhupad
All Glories to Srila Gurudev and Gurumata

Lipsa Mata Ji,

All the demons who were killed by The Supreme Lord were Krsna Concious though they were thinking of Krsna as their enemy…
As Sri Krsna says in Bhgawad Gita “those who leaves this body thinking of me comes to me certainly” and they were not only thinking of Krsna but even killed by hands of Krsna so they do attain liberation….

Thank you very much
Manmohan

Rathin Mandal, 17th March 2013

Hare Krishna,

Please accept my humble obeisances,
All Glories to Srila Gurudeva and Srimati Gurumataji,
All Glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Demons who are killed by Krishna also receive liberation. In mode of ignorance, the demons come with envy to kill Sri Krishna. But still they are blessed with unlimited mercy of Supreme Personality of Godhead. For that moment of time, the demons receive direct association of Sri Krishna. In this way all their sins are washed out by Supreme Personality and they receive liberation.

In Krishna book, we can find so many references as how the demons were also bless by Sri Krishna. One such reference is when Putana came to kill Sri Krishna. Sri Krishna blessed her with status of mother and hence she was liberated.
“Although Pütanä was an evil spirit, she gained elevation just like the mother of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” (Krishna Book, Page 76)
Even when Sri Krishna danced on head of Kaliya naga, all his sins were reduced.
“While throwing up poisonous material from within, Käliya became reduced in his sinful situation.”

And how a sinful demon can also receive mercy from Supreme Lord is found in prayers offered by Nagapatnis. It is in chapter 16 of Krishna Book.

your Servant
Rathin

Lipsa, 20th March 2013

Hare Krishna

Please accept my humble obeisances
Glories to all devotees
All glories to Srila Gurudev and Srimati Gurumataji
All glories to Srila Prabhupada

Thank You Hemant Krishna Das Prabhuji, Manmohan Sharma Prabhuji,
Rathin Mandal Prabhuji for Your answers.

your unworthy servant,
Lipsa

Please subscribe to daily inspirational emails from His Grace Sriman Sankarshan Das Adhikari (Writings and lectures archived at sda-archives.com), written fresh every day from his travels around the world sharing the highest spiritual knowledge with everyone. Sign up now at www.backtohome.com.

Dealing with Doubt

Jessica M, 05th November 2012

What should one do when they begin to experience doubts while on the path to Krishna consciousness?
I have been chanting for five months now and reading the Gita As It Is as well. I don’t know any devotees in my area though and have a lot of curiosity and begin to find myself reading material that endorses a more impersonalistic viewpoint from which I first came from before learning about and accepting Krishna consciousness. I feel a bit torn…At first I felt so convicted, while chanting, and now I’m doubting things.
I would love to feel that sense of conviction, faith, again. Any advice?

Thank you. Hare Krishna!

Mahabhagavat Das SDA, 05th November 2012

Jessica,

Hare Krishna!

Thank you so much for writing in!

We welcome encouragement and support for Jessica from the global community here! Please don’t let her think that she is all alone on this path of Bhakti. This community is especially for those who live far from association of devotees, but of course, anyone who is genuinely desirous of spiritual advancement can benefit from this.

What you are going through is natural. I also came from a phase in life where impersonalistic philosophy dominated. As long as we are not fixed up in devotional service, this comes back again and again. It is a very seductive philosophy, because it encourages the material mind to remain as it is today, the undisputed master of the soul.

Whenever we think about something, one pragmatic thing to do is to assess who is to gain from a course of action. For example politicians push projects where they or their close circle will gain… actors promote goods which increase their own wealth, and so on, the world is full of such examples.

Impersonalistic philosophy does not have any genuine element of surrender to God… so that means the mind remains the master – the mind chooses what to do and what not to do, the mind disguises actions and thoughts and words as “realizations from the impersonal oneness”, but if we see carefully it is just rantings of the mind.

You should ask your doubts, specific individual doubts, the questions should be asked submissively so that those who have the knowledge are inclined and encouraged and pleased to share with you. When you get the answers, do your best to act on them. If you don’t act on the answers received, then they will remain mere theories.

Bhakti Yoga is very very personal, and it is experiential… what is involved for an experience to occur? Some effort! 🙂

So, why don’t you wholeheartedly participate in the activities of this group – this question is surely a start!

Sincerely,
Mahabhagavat Das

Virendra Trivedi, 06th November 2012

Dear Jessica,

Hare Krsna.

I asked similar question many years back to a senior devotee in a public forum and he gravely replied: “If you have doubt then come out challenging; willing to be defeated by authoritative reference and ready to be convinced by logical reasoning. This doubting phase is a dangerous situation. Don’t you know what Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita? Samsayatma vinashyati: The doubting soul is ruined. So don’t delay it. Act fast.”

So that is all I can advice you.

But here is something more I can tell you from my personal experience: I acted on his advice and I was saved from being ruined. To be defeated or corrected by devotees is also a very very good fortune which most people in this world do not have.

Just expose your doubts in this transcendental e-association of devotees as HG Mahabhagavat prabhu has suggested and see them replaced with your previous sense of conviction and faith once again. Participate in the association of devotees more often and their love will not let you feel torn anymore. You will certainly keep going higher and higher in spiritual life 🙂

Sincerely,
Virendra

Rahul Mangla, 06th November 2012

Hare Krishna,

Welcome to this wonderful group of devotees Jessica mataji. Please share your doubts in this group and I am sure your lost conviction and faith will return.

your servant,
Rahul

Rupa Manjari devi dasi, 06th November 2012

Hare Krishna

Dear Jessica

Please accept my humble obeisances,
All glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga!
All glories to Srila Prahbupada!

Doubts are natural on this process of devotional service and are nothing to be ashamed of.  When we first come to Krsna consciousness there is some faith called Sraddha, due to the association of some devotees or the holy named that incites are to take up the process, then there is a long process before we get to
nistha (firm unflinching faith).  We first have to go through the stage of sadhu sanga (associating with the devotees) bajana kriya, (we start taking up the process, taking shelter of a bona fide spiritual master), and the long desert of anartha avritti, the clearing of the unwanted things within the heart).  So during this stage doubts are natural, and clearing these doubts by making humble inquiries are all about  the process.

This Krishna conciousness process does not require blind – faith, in fact blind fact is actually discouraged, that is why the faith you see in advanced devotees are strong, it is based on realization through pratical experience. But I assure you they also had to go through the stage which we all are going through, the doubting stage. Even my beloved Spiritual master his Grace Srimad Sankarshana das Adhikari often speaks of the time he first came to Krsna consciousness – he was also influenced by the impersonal Mayavadi philosophy, and was reluctant at first to surrender to his now beloved Spirtual master  His divine grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

But through association, he especially mentions the association Visnujana Swami his faith increased to the stage he had firm faith in Srila Prahbupada and now look at him now!  Complete faith, no doubts to the point his only desire is to serve Srila Praahbupada, by bringing and guiding everyone to Krsna consciousness.  Every minute, every second, he is engaged in answering e-mails,  because his only desire is to clear up the doubts of all those who inquire from him so they can too progess and experience the sublime existence of being pure Krsna conscious.

Thus my spiritual master is constantly encouraging me to bring all my doubts to him.  Sometimes I brings my doubts up with other devotees  other devotees, and other times to my spiritual master. My spiritual master has a wondeful way of eradicating my doubts immediately but  some times it takes time, and it comes down to “lets just continue this process and then wait for Krsna to revealed the answers because this process is so potent and real, and tangible, and though sometimes the mind may decieve you to think otherwise, once someone begins they develop a higher taste, and so once they begin they can never fully go back to there original mindset, in other words, they  can not actually fully enter material existence again.  Many times I felt like running back to my christian ways going back to church, because of some aspects I could not yet understand, but it would take me only one hour in the church to realize they were missing the missing link which Krsna Consciousness has.  I see proof of this all the time when I am distributing books or prasadam on the street.  I meet many people who
have taken up the process before me, and for some reason or other, they stop, but the faith doesn’t go. They are so convinced of the authenticisty of Krsna consciousness, they still read Bhagavad-gita, or at least revere it, and tell others about Krsna consciousness, in contrast to those who leave other systems of religious practice which is based on blind faith,  often become athiests.

Personally I dabled a little bit in the impersonal philosphy, and my first doubt was, “This world is real but  temporary “I was convinced it was unreal, but inquires eradicated that doubt.  But the strongest doubts I had to deal with was my christian conditioning.  And with Krsna consciousness there is a lot of doubts that can come if you are from Christian background  the first of course being the deity form of the Lord which to a condition Christian is “idol worship”, and of course Krsna lets Maya test you a bit, to see where you go for shelter, whether you take shelter of your mind, or his devotees.  On this point though I inquired and I could therotically understand the post box anology, (as you send a letter through the post box, the Lord allows us to worship him through his  authorised diety form, it  is the Lord’s mercy because he appears to us in material form, because our eyes to not have the spiritual vision to see him),  but still some doubt was lingering but then one day nine months after I started taking up the process Krsna did something wonderful.  One of the devotees in my community was going to India and wanted me to take care of her Radha Krsna dieties.  She asked me to do arti everyday for them, offer, flower, ghee lamp and insense and of course offering of food.  They at first appeared just like statues but I stared doing arti for them and offerings, and by the end of the month I could actually realize the mercy of Krsna through his diety.  Through this intimate service I could experience a attraction for Radha and Krsna devoloping and so felt reciporaction from them.

The process of Krsna consciousness can sometimes be diffcult to understand intellectually but without a doubt if you give it some time you will understand it practically through experience, as Krsna says in Bhagavad-gita 9.2

raja-vidya raja-ghuyam
pavitram idam uttamam
pratyaksavagamam dharmyam
su–sukham kartum avayayam

“This knowledge is the king of education, the most secret of all secrets.  It is the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct perception of the self by realization, it is the perfection of religion.  It is everlasting, and it
is joyfully performed.”

So I wish to encourage you Jessica, we have all been there and are still there to various degrees, but if you inquire from devotees in this forum, and inquire from senior devotees.  I especially reccommend to humbly inquire from pure devotee becasue they can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth.  BG 4.34, “Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master.  Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him.  The self-realized souls can  impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth.”  So I especially enccourage you to bring you doubts to His Grace Srimad Sankarshan das Adhikari, with which you are already his student on his e- course.

You can e-mail him at sda@backtohome.com and I can guarantee he will be delighted to answer you inquiries.  Of course we are also happy to answer your inquiries to the best of our abilities.  Many of my doubts were cleared up just through inquring from devottees in my community, and a lot of mine are getting cleared up through this forum.
Some through direct inquiry and others through the inquiries of others.  And finally just keep with the process, eventually, everything will become revealed,

BG 10.10

tesam satata-yuktanam
bhajatam priti-purvakam
dadmi buddhi-yogam tam
yena mam upayanti ti

“To all those who are constantly devoted to serving me with love I give the understanding by which they can come to me.”

your servant
Rupa Manjari devi dasi

Shobha, 07th November 2012

Hare Krishna
Please accept my humble obeisances,
All glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga!
All glories to Srila Prahbupada!

Very nice answer. Thank you for sharing your realization.

your humble servant,
Shobha

Hemanga Das, 08th November 2012

Hare Krishna Devotees,

Please kindly accept my humble obeisances
All glories to Srila Gurudeva
All glories to Srila Prabhupada

It’s so enlivening to read devotee emails who are always up to guide others in spiritual path. Thank you Rupa Manjari Devi Dasi Mataji for sharing your experience.
This present Karthik month is like a Mega Sale.Any effort to chant more rounds or read Srila Prabhupada books will definitely help in spiritual advancement.Let’s all utilize this wonderful opportunity.

your servant,
Hemanth

Rahul Mangla, 10th November 2012

Hare Krishna to all devotees,

Please accept my humble obeisances!
All glories to Srila Gurudev & Srimati Gurumata.
All glories to Srila Prabhupad.

Please find below link which focuses on the detrimental effects of doubt in the path of devotion.

http://archive.org/stream/SriKrishnaKathamritaBinduIssue288/bindu288#page/n0/mode/2up

Hare Krishna,

your servant,
Rahul

Tirtharaja Dasa, 15th November 2012

Hare Krishna Jessicca,

When one starts experiencing doubts, that is a sign of making spiritual progress for the faith we have on Krishna is not blind faith but is faith with a purpose that is backed by Shastra (Krishnas own words or descriptions of
Krishna and the like) and emulated by great saintly personalities down the ions of time.

There is a very nice book on this matter and I advise that if you can gret a copy then get a copy immediately for it deals with this matter of doubt precisely. Conclusively we have to practically read all of Srila Prabhpuadas books but for starters this is a good starting point. The book is entitled Obstacles on the Path of Devotional Service by Srila Satsvarupa dasa Gosvami.

Just to give you a test, He writes quoting from Bhagavad-gita (7.27 purport) p. 2 “…Due to desire and hte, the ignorant person wants to come one with the supreme Lord (impersonalism) and envies Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead” One form this rebellion takes is doubts towards the teachings of the revealed scriptures and on the same page…Ignorant and faithless persons who doubt the revealed scriptures do not attain God consciousness; they fall down. For the doubting soul there is happiness neither in this life nor the next..”. further, “…The doubts that have arisen in your heart because of ignorance should be slashed with the weapon of knowledge. Armed with yoga, arise and fight.” and He concludes, … Meditation on these verses has been helpful in curing my doubt.

In his own words he advises…” Until one reaches the liberated stage, doubts will continue to come. They may not be serious, or they can become so grave that they can impede our progress. We should not hide the fact and bluff as if we are perfect. We have to learn how to deal with the obstacles on the path.

I hope this helps

your lowly servant,
Tirtharaja Dasa.

Sunil, 15th November 2012

Hare Krishna

Please accept my humble obeisances
All Glories to Srila Prabhupada

Respected Jessica I have read your question. I humbly suggest to you that you try to chant as attentively and sincerely as you can. Process of Chanting is like meeting with God through transcendental sound vibrations

And when you are free please give as much time as you can , to reading Srila Prabhupada’s books. If any question or doubt comes
to your mind while reading Srila Prabhupada’s books , please post them here

Regards,
Sunil Vaswani

Sanil, 17th November 2012

Hare Krishna Mataji,

Kindly accept my humble obeisances,

All glories to Srila Gurudeva

Following understanding helped me a lot:

o  Srila Prabhupada says in the purport of Bhagavad-gita that one with the conviction that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead will receive the maximum benefit of reading Bhagavad-gita.  So, I wanted to be convinced

o   When I searched, I found out that the acharyas in the disciplic succession, pray to Lord and also spread Krishna Consciousness not for any material achievement or sense enjoyment. In fact they have rejected all material
benefits on their path of spiritual progress.

o   Srila Gurudeva sacrificed everything material he had except a guitar, with which he had a strong attachment.  Later on Srila Gurudeva said that he even sold that guitar for paying the rent of the temple.  I just heard a seminar
of Srila Gurudeva in the net http://www.theultimateselfrealization.com in which he says the following in between the seminar:

“I have been married and my wife is sitting here now, Vishnupriya Devi Dasi. We married since 1984. That means almost 29 years married. We remain brahmachari the whole time, strict brahmachari. I am not saying that every householder should do that, because householder life is meant for producing children. But Prabhupada said if a householder does not want to have sex life, which is very good. They can remain brahmachari. They can do that. There is a very nice verse in Srimad Bhagavatam, 7th canto (SB 7.12.11). Srila Prabhupada talks about the rules and regulations for the householders and sanyasis. I recommend that all householders should study this verse very carefully.” So, I realised that they are selfless people; they are not interested in any material achievement or sense enjoyment. Hence, I did not find any reason why I should not believe them. I feel and understand the unlimited mercy and
blessings they shower when I associate with them.

o   I also noted that associating with devotees help me lot to be focused.  By this virtual network, it is very easy for me to have association all the time.

o  Also, I realized the importance to finalize what I need at the end. So, I came to following conclusion:

o   I don’t want to be a miser – since, miser is satisfied only when he satisfy himself.  The miserly satisfaction is incomplete and temporary and doesn’t provide any real satisfaction.

o   I wanted to be a selfless lover.  So, in that process, I understood and convinced that only Srila Prabhupada’s teaching can guide me to realize these goals.

o   I wanted to achieve perfection:  To achieve perfection, I am convinced about Srila Prabhupada’s teaching that:
v  I should fully surrender to a bona-fide spiritual master who is perfectly situated, so that I can get proper guidance.
v  I should offer everything to Krishna, and my only aim should be to satisfy the senses of Krishna.  So, I need to do everything very carefully and lovingly before I offer it to Krishna and I should not do anything which Krishna
doesn’t like.  And at the end, when I achieve this, I am convinced that it will help me in the following:

o   I will be in perfect love relationship with Krishna, since I am serving Him unconditionally.

o   I will love everybody and everything (and I will not hate anybody or anything) since I know that everything is Krishna’s energy and Krishna’s arrangement.

o   With Krishna’s mercy, I will be able to transcend all dualities.

o   I will achieve spiritual perfection and unlimited bliss, since I am doing everything perfectly and unconditionally and there is no sin associated with it, and lastly,

o   I am protected, since Krishna had declared it through Arjuna that my devotee will never perish.

your servant,
Sanil kumar
“Please subscribe to daily inspirational emails from His Grace Sriman Sankarshan Das Adhikari, written fresh every day from his travels around the world sharing the highest spiritual knowledge with everyone. Sign up now at http://www.backtohome.com”

Why Krishna likes Raas leela?

Why does Krishna like the Rasa Lila?

Pradnya, 15th September 2011

Hare Krishna,

Why Krishna likes Raass Leela?

Pradnya

Ashutosh pandey, 15th September 2011

Hare Krsna!

All glories to Srila Prabhupada

Krsna likes Rasa Leela because it gives pleasure to His devotees which is perhaps the source of Krsna’s pleasure Himself.

your servant,
Ashutosh

Mahabhagavat Das SDA, 15th September 2011

Hare Krishna Mataji,

Please accept my humble obeisances.
All glories to Srila Gurudeva.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Why does anyone like anything? Because it gives them pleasure. Every thing, for example, the color of clothes they wear on a given day, has an element of personal choice involved.

Krishna is the Supreme Enjoyer, Raas Leela is Supreme Enjoyment, therefore Krishna likes Raas Leela. But don’t think that any mundane person can enjoy this pleasure… Even though Krishna enjoys this pleasure, still He is always fully renounced, always Brahmachari. There is no mention of breakups and divorces and unwanted pregnancies and abortions and custody rights in the spiritual world. The attraction between boy and girl, man and woman in this material world is a perverted reflection of the pure unadulterated Love between Krishna and Radha, Krishna and the Gopis.

No mundane materialistic person can ever understand Rasa Leela, they can only misunderstand and they do. To understand Rasa Leela as interactions between ordinary boys and girls is the worst mistake one can make.

On a humble note, Srila Vyasadeva did not in fact consider Himself qualified to discuss Rasa Leela very much in detail, and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu only discussed Rasa Leela in the private company of pure devotees like Raya Ramananda.

Sometimes the spiritual masters give us a glimpse into this rare and mystical spiritual experience, for example, Srila Prabhupada has described this in his Krishna book, but it is an undeserved gift, and must be gratefully accepted with great endeavor for purification by trying to chant attentively and hearing the sound of the Mahamantra, following the regulative principles and hearing the vani of the spiritual master and following the spiritual master’s instructions carefully.

your servant,
Mahabhagavat Das

Ikshvaku das, 23rd September 2011

Hare Krishna , Prabhu, to you and all other revered devotees on this group , or anywhere else,
All Glories to Shri Shri Guru and Gauranga!
All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Please accept my humble obeisances

I am very pleased that I could participate in this group and reading discussions here really makes my day, and want to thank to all participating devotees.

Just 2 minutes ago , I sent one letter to another group of devotees dedicated to studying Bhagavad Gita As It Is
Few hours before , I read the your question thread here and wanted to say something , but was not sure what it was.

And it is this : the essence of Rasa Leela is hearing about Krishna in the company of devotees – just like this group offers. Or any other group of pure devotees offers. These groups are not something material that ends with death. The
friendship established here goes on eternally , ever sweeter , ever increasing Ocean Of the Transcendental Bliss of Sankirtana , As Lord Chaitanya describes in His Sikshastika.

Now to mundane eyes, the Rasa Leela appears like young boy dancing with young girls. But what mundane eyes fail to see is – what is THE BOY discussing with the girls. In the material universe , discussion during the dance is sex. But what
about Krishna and the Gopis discussing while they dance and kiss and hug each other : Sankirtan – Pure devotional Service. The essence of every kiss or hug between them , you also get in the gathering of devotees who engage in pure
hearing of Krishna. As Bhaktivinoda Thakura describes the development of Pure Bhakti from Shraddha to Prema, compared to sugar candy production : 1st it is molasses and in the end after several processes , it’s very concentrated sweetness.

Or the other example , The wings of Garuda. The sound of his wings is vedic hymns. In the same way , every Kiss of Krishna is very concentrated Sankirtan topics and emotions connected with the service which the Pure Devotees
render to Him. And who are the Gopis – The Gopis are the highest pure devotees.

Srila Prabhupada describes in Krishna Book that that night of Rasa Lila was the duration of Lord Brahma’s night – 4320000000 earthly years. But the topics the Gopis discussed with Krishna during this night of dance, the
hugs and the kisses between them were so sweet  , that to them , it felt just like an ordinary night. Does the mondane sex possesses such sweetness? no it ends in just few feeble seconds – Like Srila prabhupada said – Psh, psh, psh.

Srila Prabhupada further explains that there is original taste of Sex – Adirasa , which comes from the Spiritual world.
But in the spiritual world the nasty mundane process of sex is completely absent , although there are hugs and kisses.

Of course how can I disscuss the Rassa lila Dace properly , but but somehow your question evoked in me , a systematic picture , from what I have heard from the Guru Prampara so far. Although information given from them is surely unique , it’s
highly possible that due to my own missunderstanding , I’m not able to present it correctly. That’s why ,  that’s why- this is not directly an attempt to answer question ,
but it’s an attempt to present what I have understood this far , which may be be corrected or further described

your servant
Ikshvaku das
Sofia , Bulgaria

“Please subscribe to daily inspirational emails from His Grace Sriman Sankarshan Das Adhikari, written fresh every day from his travels around the world sharing the highest spiritual knowledge with everyone. Sign up now at www.backtohome.com“

Material Desires and the Purification Process

Francisco Valencia Berrueta, 05th September 2011

Hare Krishna Prabhus
All glories to Srila Prabhupada
All glories to Sri Krishna

A person in the purification process of Krishna Consciousness, I have some material desires such as money, health, so on, I’ve heard about the devotees of Krishna that one must ask to Sri Krishna instead of the demigods other persons or gambling. Is this a correct perspective?

All glories to the devotees of Krishna

your unworthy friend and servant
Francisco

Mahabhagavat Das SDA, 07th September 2011

Dear Francisco Prabhu,

Please accept my humble obeisances.
All glories to Srila Gurudeva & Srila Prabhupada.

The desire for money to serve Krishna is not material. The desire for health to serve Krishna is not material.

Yes, just as a child does not have to ask his/her parents to feed him/her, similarly, Krishna is our Supreme Father, we don’t have to ask Him for anything as He already knows what we need.

However, sometimes, when a child is sick, even the most loving parent does not feed the child the favourite food according to the medical needs of the child… in other words, even if child wants some type of food, the parent does not give. But this is only so that the child can be cured very fast. A foolish parent may give the child something against medical advice, but that may make the child even more sick.

Therefore, anyone on the path of devotional service, Krishna is directly sanctioning everything personally, it is the treatment, the perfect cure from material life. So, yes, it is not necessary to ask, because He knows everything already.

But if you do feel like asking, then please ask no one else but Krishna, because even while fulfilling the material desire, Krishna will take away all the material contamination… therefore he is known as Hari – the one who takes away. There are many such examples.

Under ANY circumstances please do not gamble. It is one of the 4 surest ways to remain in material misery, win or lose.

your servant,
Mahabhagavat Das

Krishna khushi priyasi, 07th September 2011

Hare Krishna mahabhagavat prabhuji
your answer is very influential.

hari bol

your servant
khushi

“Please subscribe to daily inspirational emails from His Grace Sriman Sankarshan Das Adhikari, written fresh every day from his travels around the world sharing the highest spiritual knowledge with everyone. Sign up now at www.backtohome.com“

Quicker Awareness of Dormant Love for God

Sunil, 9th August 2011

Respected Devotees and Disciples
Please accept my humble obeisances

Is it true that , Lord Krishna brings a person who sincerely tries not to misuse his or her independence and repents of past misuses of independence , in awareness of devotional service quicker than a person who does not try to stop misusing independence and does not repent for past misuses of independence

Sunil

Sanjay gupta, 9th August 2011

A person who sacrifice the fruit of his KARMAS can only be able to go krishna`s DHAM according to gita it is called KARMYOG..

Mahabhagavat Das SDA, 9th August, 2011

Dear Sunil Prabhu,

Please accept my humble obeisances.
All glories to Srila Gurudeva.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Yes, it is correct, but not because Krishna is unfair, but because the person is refusing to accept Krishna’s mercy. In fact, a person who does not try to stop misusing one’s independence is willingly requesting Krishna to keep one under the material energy, so Krishna, being the kind Father, obliges.

ye yathā māḿ prapadyante

tāḿs tathaiva bhajāmy aham

mama vartmānuvartante

manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ

As all surrender unto Me, I reward them accordingly. Everyone follows My path in all respects, O son of Pṛthā. BG 4.11

In other words, a person misusing one’s independence is choosing to surrender to Krishna’s external potency, therefore Krishna reciprocates accordingly.

A person who knows that past material activities were not so conducive to one’s own welfare or the welfare of others does not repeat them, of course, one is advised not to dwell on this all the time being paralyzed by the knowledge of what one may have done knowingly or unknowingly, it was all in ignorance. To dwell on the past or live in the world of the future is both to live in a dream, both are understood to be in the mode of ignorance, according to Bhagavad Gita. (Sunil Prabhu, please find that verse from BG and quote it along with the translation, this is a treasure hunt especially for you).

Mere repentance is not sufficient though… one is aware that a certain set of people go to the house of God every Sunday to repent and confess, but they come out and do it all over again. In fact, this is not limited to that one community. A certain community of people go to holy places, take bath in the Ganges, and then come back and carry on the same nonsense as before. Same thing with yet another set of people who go on pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina, come back and resume the original nonsense they were doing.

Such rituals of repentance and atonement, or “praayaschitta” are there in the Vedic scriptures, but the bottom line is that such repentance and atonement does not remove, from the core of the heart, the desire to commit sinful activities.

That is the unique beauty of the process of Bhakti… simply performing devotional service, the very core of the root of the desire to misuse one’s independence is uprooted. Of course, this takes time, but the process works, and we can see gradual progress and advancement if we sincerely stick to the orders of the bona fide spiritual master. But this is not simply a sentiment…

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 made a certain part of that bold, hopefully you will see what I am trying to say here.

Your servant,
Mahabhagavat Das

Tirtharaja Dasa, 9th August 2011

Hare Krishna,  All glories to Srila Prabhupada. May you all please accept my humble obeisances.

Yes, Krishna is also known as Hridayananda or the lord of the heart and one who gives eternal bliss to the heart. There has to be a concerted effort towards repentance and utter disgust to the sin so that it is not indulged in again. The human heart is filled with evil and thus needs cleansing.  Its not an issue of great mercy falling from the sky and making everyone’s heart pure merely by some sound vibration or activity on our part. The only requirement and the essence of all sadhana bhakti is to make our selves fine tuned and recipients of the lords service hence the offenceless, undeviated and consciencious  chanting of hare krishna maha mantra which SrilaPrabhupada compares to the earnest supplication of a child to the supreme to please engage him in His service. Gaura Hari bol.

Lowly servant,
 Tirtharaja Dasa.

Sunil,12th August 2011

Respected Mahabhagavat Das

Please accept my humble obeisances

I tried the treasure hunt. I found the following:

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Srimad Bhagavatam 4.29.2b

adṛṣṭaḿ dṛṣṭavan nańkṣed

bhūtaḿ svapnavad anyathā

bhūtaḿ bhavad bhaviṣyac ca

suptaḿ sarva-raho-rahaḥ

 

SYNONYMS

adṛṣṭam — future happiness; dṛṣṭa-vat — like direct experience; nańkṣet — becomes vanquished; bhūtam — the material existence; svapnavat — like a dream; anyathā — otherwise; bhūtam — which happened in the past; bhavat — present; bhaviṣyat — future; ca — also; suptam — a dream; sarva — of all; rahaḥ-rahaḥ — the secret conclusion.

TRANSLATION

Everything happening within time, which consists of past, present and future, is merely a dream. That is the secret understanding in all Vedic literature.

Mahabhagavat Das SDA,13th August 2011

Hare Krishna Sunil Prabhu,

Please accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

That is brilliant! Very good work!

I was thinking about this verse below Prabhu, but your find is very nice also, very pleasantly unexpected also. Thank you very much!

yayā svapnaḿ bhayaḿ śokaḿ

viṣādaḿ madam eva ca

na vimuñcati durmedhā

dhṛtiḥ sā pārtha tāmasī

 

And that determination which cannot go beyond dreaming, fearfulness, lamentation, moroseness and illusion — such unintelligent determination, O son of Pṛthā, is in the mode of darkness. BG 18.35

Your servant,

Mahabhagavat Das

Ashutosh, 13thAugust 2011

Hare Krishna!

All Glories to Srila Prabhupad

In this context the conversation between Vishnupriya and Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu… clearly mentions the reality of this worldly constitution….”All you see in this material world is false and simply a dream. Nothing other than Lord Krsna and Vaishnavas is real in this world”

This conversation is exceptionally dictates the need to attain the constitutional position for all Jiva…

Ys

Ashutosh

Should we worship the Demigods for Material Gains?

Manmohan, 19th January 2012

Dear Mahabhagavat Prabhu
 Please Accept My Humble Obeisances
 I have one query…
 We should worship Krishna for Spritual gains only can we pray the demigods for material benefits…
 What one should do if he is in needs of money to maintain his material and spiritual life…
 Manmohan.

Mahabhagavat Das, 26th January 2012

Dear Bhakta Manmohan,
Hare Krishna!
Please accept my humble obeisances.
All glories to Srila Gurudeva.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Good question! Understandable also why someone may ask this question.
The demigods are to be respected, never disrespected, but there is no need to worship them for any reason whatsoever, especially if one is in devotional service. They are like the individual government servants – what is it called when someone pays a policeman or government official to expedite some job for them? It is called bribery, corruption, etc.
It is not unreasonable to desire facility for spiritual life, BUT, for a devotee, there is no such thing as material life. Even though a devotee may appear to be doing the same things as a materialist, and externally appears to have the same outcomes, the consciousness of the devotee is different – the results are offered back up to Krishna always. The home is a temple, free time is opportunity to learn more, read more, teach more, chant more, serve more, no material sense gratification involved, even subtly. Of course, this is the goal, in our neophyte stage we may not always be 100% spiritual in focus, but we should certainly try and remind ourselves. In this connection, I learned a lesson today from my wife. She is away in South Africa caring for her father who is ill, and supporting her mother and brother with spiritual strength. She said today to me in a phone call “I was thinking that I hadn’t remembered Krishna for 15 minutes, or 30 minutes, so it was time to remember something about Him now”. So she is trying very hard even though it may get difficult sometimes. I will seek to emulate that exemplary behavior.

Krishna says this in the Bhagavad Gita:
kāńkṣantaḥ karmaṇāḿ siddhiḿ
yajanta iha devatāḥ
kṣipraḿ hi mānuṣe loke
siddhir bhavati karma-jā

Men in this world desire success in fruitive activities, and therefore they worship the demigods. Quickly, of course, men get results from fruitive work in this world. BG 4.12
Please read the purport, Srila Prabhupada writes strongly.
kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ
prapadyante ‘nya-devatāḥ
taḿ taḿ niyamam āsthāya
prakṛtyā niyatāḥ svayā
Those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires surrender unto demigods and follow the particular rules and regulations of worship according to their own natures. BG 7.20
Srila Prabhupada writes in the purport (I have made some portions *bold* for emphasis):
Those who are freed from all material contaminations surrender unto the Supreme Lord and engage in His devotional service. As long as the material contamination is not completely washed off, they are by nature nondevotees. *But even those who have material desires and who resort to the Supreme Lord are not so much attracted by external nature; because of approaching the right goal, they soon become free from all material lust. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is recommended that whether one is a pure devotee and is free from all material desires, or is full of material desires, or desires liberation from material contamination, he should in all cases surrender to Vāsudeva and worship Him.*
As stated in the Bhāgavatam (2.3.10):
akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā
mokṣa-kāma udāra-dhīḥ
tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena

yajeta puruṣaḿ param
Less intelligent people who have lost their spiritual sense take shelter of demigods for immediate fulfillment of material desires. Generally, such people do not go to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, because they are in the lower modes of nature (ignorance and passion) and therefore worship various demigods. Following the rules and regulations of worship, they are satisfied. *The worshipers of demigods are motivated by small desires and do not know how to reach the supreme goal, but a devotee of the Supreme Lord is not misguided. Because in Vedic literature there are recommendations for worshiping different gods for different purposes (e.g., a diseased man is recommended to worship the sun), those who are not devotees of the Lord think that for certain purposes demigods are better than the Supreme Lord.* But a pure devotee knows that the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa is the master of all. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi 5.142) it is said, ekaleīśvara kṛṣṇa, āra saba bhṛtya: only the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is master, and all others are servants. Therefore a pure devotee never goes to demigods for satisfaction of his material needs. He depends on the Supreme Lord. And the pure devotee is satisfied with whatever He gives.”
Therefore, simply depending on Krishna for everything is the best policy, even if we are not yet pure devotees…
Please let us know if there is any doubt. Bringing a doubt up against the light of the scripture extinguishes the doubt, just as light finishes darkness.
Sincerely,
Mahabhagavat Das

Bhavani devi dasi (SDA), 26th January 2012

Hare Krsna,
Please accept my humble obeisances.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
All glories to Sri Sri Guru & Gauranga
 
Thank you Mahabhagavat Prabhu for such a comprehensive answer to this most important question, that arises many times during discussions.  I greatly appreciate all the illuminating questions and answers here and want to thank everyone for their interaction.  Thank you.  Hare Krsna!  All glories to our beloved Srila Gurudeva.
Your servant,
Bhavani devi dasi (SDA)

Manmohan, 27th January 2012

Dear Mahabhagavat Prabhu
 Please accept my humble  obeisances
 bahot dhanyavad prabhu  ( Thank you very much Prabhu ) …
 Infact I was given a mantra by someone and i started chanting that…. but i was not feeling good from within and stopped chanting that mantra….
 Things are very clear now…
 Dandavat..
 Your Servant
 Manmohan

Mahabhagavat Das SDA, 27 January 2012

Very good Manmoham Prabhu, Hare Krishna Mahamantra includes all the Vedic mantras inside it, and by chanting you are in touch with the Boss of bosses of CEOs  of cosmic administration. 🙂 “krishna bhakti kaile sarva karma krita hoy” – Devotional service includes the benefits of all the other services.
Nothing else is necessary.

Premal, 05th February 2012

Hare Krishna Prabhuji
All glories to Swami Prabhupada
Please accept my humble obeisances
Prabhuji would impersonal liberation for people who want and worship different ways not knowing Krishna is the goal.

Example Jains,Buddha they think we ourselves are capable of God.
Are they lower than demigods worshippers?
Similarly nowadays Christians and Muslims and the Jews also feel differently like Christians have changed the scripture and the old scripture is not practised lately these people also are lower than the worshippers of demigods?
Jews I am not aware of their religion and Muslims have also majority now eat meat and worship impersonal Allah newly created by the people are they lower than demigod worshipers?
Ys servant
Premal

Mahabhagavat Das SDA, 06th February 2012

Hare Krishna Premal Prabhu,
Please kindly accept my humble obeisances.
All glories to Srila Gurudeva.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
As far as I understand, both the Jain and Buddhist traditions are impersonalist and voidist. But both of them are skilful ways to elevate persons gradually. For example, Srila Gurudeva often says in his lectures that Buddha, he played a trick. He attracted those who did not want to follow God, but he tricked them into following Him, an incarnation of God, so a little bit, their atheism was replaced by some little bit of faith.
Anyone who thinks that oneself is capable of being God, is in actuality, an atheist. This is according to Srila Prabhupada. We pray to him as someone who came to vanquish this nonsense “nirvishesha shunyavaadi” concepts.
Still, Srila Prabhupada respects the impersonalists also as transcendentalists, because at least they are above the level of animals in human form… even all genuine impersonalists strictly follow the 4 regulative principles of human life.
There is no point discussing too much who likes impersonal liberation, etc., it is sufficient for us to know that many of the demons who are killed by Krishna get impersonal liberation. So what is the value of this impersonal liberation if a demon can get it simply by being killed by Krishna? So why should I meditate and so on just to get the same destination as the demons liberated by Krishna? I have demoniac tendencies but I am not a demon by the mercy of Srila Gurudeva. So I shall simply serve Krishna and His devotees sincerely without worrying about ANY kind of liberation. One who serves 100% dedicated is factually liberated.
You have mixed some concepts…
The original teachings of Lord Jesus Christ are in line with the principles of pure Bhakti. Lord Jesus Christ is a pure devotee of Krishna. If someone has changed, that is their problem, not the problem with the faith as taught by Lord Jesus Christ. If someone is claiming to be following Lord Jesus Christ and is eating meat, as discussed on another thread, then they are simply still in the cycle of karma – karma chakra. They are simply getting good and bad reactions according to their activities, sometimes born as humans, then as animals until they exhaust their karmic debts to the souls they inconvenienced, plus any special treatments from Yamaraja’s department.
The Qu’ran teaches that God is a person, but the so-called scholars who claims that Allah is impersonal are not very well-versed with their own scripture. See this statement by Srila Gurudeva, answer to a question by a Muslim person “Why do you worship the form of God in the temple when God is formless?”
Srila Gurudeva wrote on 25th January 2012:
“If a Muslim asks such a question, he is not learned in his own scripture, the Qur’an clearly states as follows::
Wa lillaahil – Mashriqu wal-Magrib: Fa- ‘aynamaa
tu-walluu fa-samma Wajhul-laah
“To Allah belong the East and the West, and wherever you turn there is Allah’s face.”
–Qur’an 2.115
That Allah or God has a face means that He has a form because someone who is formless must also be faceless. God’s form-possessing nature is also confirmed in the Bible and in the Vedic scriptures.
Besides a wealth of scriptural evidence establishing that God has a form, we can also understand through logic that God must have a form. The logic is very simple: We cannot exceed God in any way. Therefore we cannot possess something that He does not possess. It’s not that we can have a form and He cannot. He must also have form. The difference is that His form is unlimited while our forms are limited. His form is the source of everything, and our forms come from His form.”
As to whether someone is lower or higher, we should know that everything other than Pure Bhakti, is “lower” and we should strive to raise ourselves to the platform of Pure Unmotivated Bhakti to Krishna in any of His names.
Hope this helps.
Questions for you, Bhakta Premal, in the spirit of helping you find answers to your own questions from inside, to be free from all doubts:

1. Are you chanting a minimum of 16 rounds per day of Hare Krishna Mahamantra? If not, what is your plan to get there?
2. Are you reading Srila Prabhupada’s books for minimum 30 minutes a day? If not, when can you start?
3. Are you following the 4 regulative principles of freedom? This is personal question for you, answer honestly in your heart.
4. Are you taking only Krishna Prasadam? If not, what is your plan to get there?

Sincerely,
Mahabhagavat Das
 
Premal, 07th February 2012

Hare Krishna Prabhuji
All glories to Swami Prabhupada
Please accept my humble obeisances
Prabhuji as you mentioned atheist is a person who thinks he can become god .
But does not impersonal and voidist claim to be becoming god these paths prabhuji are teachings to become god?
Ys servant
Premal

Mahabhagavat Das SDA, 07th February 2012

Hare Krishna Premal Prabhu,
Please accept my humble obeisances.
All glories to Srila Gurudeva.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
There is a subtle difference between impersonalism and voidism. Impersonalism means God is just energy, and to merge into that energy and lose our individuality.
Voidism means there is nothing, they claim that we think that something exists because we are in illusion, they want to make everything zero, become zero, end everything by becoming null, nil, void.
Both impersonalists and voidists, if they are even somewhat pious, can be rescued by Krishna consciousness from their ocean of ignorance.
So, are you asking these questions theoretically or do you have some impersonalists and voidists whom you want to attract to Krishna Bhakti? Every question, in order to personally realize the answer, must be followed by some action, to implement the answer. What is your action following these questions?
Sincerely,
Mahabhagavat Das

Premal, 07th February 2012

Hare Krishna Prabhuji
All glories to Swami Prabhupada
Please accept my humble obeisances
Prabhuji my actions are when impersonal path people take I was confused as impersonal was to merge with Krishna or the schools which say there is impersonal energy and they do not mention it as Krishna impersonal energy but just a formless energy and we can become god.
So the confusion was like this in my mind.
Ys servant
Premal

Why does the soul fall?

Cigdem, Jan 19 2012

All Glories to Sri Guru!

All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Krishna!

Dear Devotees!

According to the mail of Mahabhagavat Das from today, I have a question:

The spirit soul is sat-cit-ananda, eternal, full of knowledge, and full of bliss. Why and how does it fall into the trap of the material platform?

Thank you

Your servant

Cigdem Ongen

 

Nashvin, Jan 25 2012

Hare Krsna!

Please accept my humble obeisances.  All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

His Grace Sriman Sankarshan das Adhikari has answered this question as follows:

“We became envious of Krishna, infected with the desire that we should become God.”

(http://www.sda-archives.com/tftd/2005/oct/tftd_102205.html)

Also, here is an article I read on the website of His Holiness Jayadvaita Swami:

Where Do the Fallen Souls Fall From?

Your servant,

Nashvin

Mahabhagavat Das SDA, Jan 26 2012

Hare Krishna!

Nice answer from Bhakta Nashvin.

A couple more answers to this question, which Srila Gurudeva gives are as follows:

“Because the minute living being is qualitatively one with the Lord, who is unlimitedly independent, the minute living being naturally possesses a minute degree of independence. If he misuses this independence, he comes to this material world to try to enjoy separately from the Lord, and thus suffers miserably in the cycle of repeated birth and death. After doing so, if he is indeed fortunate, he comes into contact with the bona fide spiritual master, who enlightens him about his original position in the spiritual world and how to regain it. Then with the merciful blessings of the spiritual master, he returns to his original position in the spiritual world never to make the same mistake again. The living being may misuse his minute independence once, but after having learned his lesson, he will not misuse his independence ever again.”

http://archive.aweber.com/usr_course/SH7B/h/Saturday_5_February_2011_The.htm

And here is another answer:

“It is a fact that one is always free to opt out of the kingdom of God because the devotees there are not slaves. They have full freedom. They may make the mistake once out of curiosity of wondering what it is like on the other side of existence, but it is extremely unlikely that they would make the same mistake twice.

The living being came under the influence of Maya by the misuse of his minute independence. If the potential for misuse were not there, we cannot say that the living being has any independence. And if the jiva has no independence, there is no meaning to his existence. Love can only be expressed by a living being, who possesses independence. Without independence he is nothing more than a robot. It is not possible to have loving relationship with a robot.

This is why Krishna has given us independence. We can choose to love Him or to leave Him. He leaves it up to us to decide which we want. To understand how or when we fell into this material existence is a very difficult subject matter. The easiest program is to fully qualify yourself to regain your original position.

One major difficulty with this philosophy that we were not originally in the spiritual world is that time does not exist in the spiritual world. This means that once you attain it there will be no time that you were ever not there. In the other words, it will be impossible for you to have ever not been there. What this means is that actually we are always there. It’s just that right now we do not realize this. We are currently suffering from amnesia.

Once you regain it, you will then understand everything perfectly. If you are shot with an arrow, what is your first business? To understand where the arrow came from? No. Your first business is to get the arrow out of your chest. Then you can investigate where it came from in full detail. Right now you are pierced by the arrow of conditioned consciousness. Become free from this by total surrender at Lord Krishna’s lotus feet, and then you will understand everything perfectly. In short, go there and you will then fully understand.”

http://www.sda-archives.com/tftd/2007/mar/tftd_030207.htm

Your servant,

Mahabhagavat Das

Why does Krishna let trouble happen?

Pranathi, Dec 21 2011

Hare Krishna!

 Dandavat pranams to all the devotees

 All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

 I got an email from one of my friends, who is new to ISKCON and she asked me a question. I was wondering if anyone could please help me write a reply to her.

 “I have got a very crazy doubt. When some trouble happens we blame it on our fate. And when we come out of it safely we praise the Lord. But why does Krsna let trouble happen?”

Hare Krishna!

Regards,

Pranathi

 

Jagannatha dasa, Dec 22 2011

 Hare Krishna Pranathi,

 Thank you for this question.

 Your friend has correctly noted that this material world is suffering.  Srila Sanatana Gosvami asked Lord Caitanya, “Why am I suffering. Who am I?”  These questions are glorious; your friend is to be commended for asking these questions, because inquiry into the absolute truth is the purpose of human life.

The spiritual world is Vaikuntha.  Kuntha means anxiety, and Vaikuntha means without anxiety.  In contrast, this material world is described in Bhagavad-gita as duhkhalayam, miserable, and asasvatam, temporary.

So the question is why?  We were in the spiritual world where everyone is happy to serve the amorous pastimes of Sri Sri Radha and Krishna.  But we got envious that Krishna is the centre of everyone’s heart, and wanted everyone to focus their consciousness on us instead.

This material world is a product of Krishna’s illusory energy which lets us experience the illusion that my life is the most important thing.  We came here to forget Krishna, now Krishna has given us the facility to forget (BG 15.15):

sarvasya caham hrdi sannivisto

mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca

vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyo

vedanta-krd veda-vid eva caham

“I am seated in everyone’s heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas, I am to be known. Indeed, I am the compiler of Vedanta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.”

In short, the answer is that if we want to remember Krishna, He lets us be happy in our natural position of devotional service to His lotus feet, by the divine grace of our spiritual master.   If we want to forget God, then welcome to the material world, a world of hurt.  Therefore the conclusion is that once we learn the science of Krishna consciousness, we will never come back to this world of hurt (BG 8.15):

mam upetya punar janma

duhkhalayam asasvatam

napnuvanti mahatmanah

samsiddhim paramam gatah

“After attaining Me, the great souls, who are yogis in devotion, never return to this temporary world, which is full of miseries, because they have attained the highest perfection.”

Does this make some sense?

Your servant,

-Jagannatha dasa

 

Mahabhagavat Das SDA, Dec 22 2011

Hare Krishna Pranathi Mataji,

Please accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Gurudeva.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Your question is very nice.

Jagannatha Prabhu’s answer is a masterpiece as usual.

When you meet her in person, I would like to suggest one more approach to this question, which worked in my experience to provoke some thought on gratitude to Krishna, and get a discussion going.

Answer with a question:

Ask “Why is that very often, when some trouble happens, we blame it on Krishna, when we come out of it safely we praise our own prowess and expertise at solving problems, and we never see that Krishna helped us get out of it, and we never see that it may have been much worse than it was without His intervention?”

Sincerely,

Mahabhagavat Das

What attracts Lord Krishna’s Mercy?

Sunil, Nov 19 2011

Please accept my humble obeisances

All Glories to Srila Prabhupada

Please tell: What attracts Lord Krishna’s Mercy?

Regards,

Sunil

Jagannatha dasa, Nov 20 2011

Dear Sunil,

Please accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Gurudeva!

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

In a letter from 1971 in Delhi, Srila Prabhupada answers this question as follows:

Try to interest these students in our books. If you simply stick to the textbook teaching becomes very easy. Philosophy is the highest, but even higher than philosophy is practice of philosophy. So when your students apply Krishna philosophy to their lives, they will feel the beneficial result, and this will make your teaching work very easy. Just like you add hydrogen and oxygen and get water. So let them chant and learn Bhagavad-gita and they will get Krishna’s mercy.

Your servant,

-Jagannatha dasa

Spiritual Forms

Premal Shah, Sep 12 2011

Hare Krishna Prabhu

All glories to Swami Prabhupada

Please accept my humble obeisances

In the spiritual world are there spiritual bodies in all forms like mountains, rivers, lakes, ponds, streams etc.?

Your servant

Premal prabhuji

 

Mahabhagavat Das SDA, Sep 12 2011

Hare Krishna Premal Prabhu,

Please accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

All glories to Srila Gurudeva.

Yes, this is correct. In the spiritual world there is no inert matter. Every “thing” is an individual conscious living entity. The living entities are in the “swaroop” or original form, and take those forms to serve Krishna’s pastimes.

I heard a lecture by Srila Gurudeva, that there is full freedom to do what the devotee desires to serve Krishna… so it is not like someone is locked down, so the question arises, why everyone doesn’t want to be a Gopi? 🙂

For a pure devotee, it is all about Krishna’s pleasure… so some devotee *wants* to remain a cow, some devotee (notably, Lord Brahma and Sri Uddhava pray like this) prays to remain a blade of grass, yet others are streams, lakes, stones, rocks, hills, trees, birds, monkeys… and each one gives Krishna particular “rasa”, taste, flavour that only that particular living entity can give…

So at the moment, every living entity who is in material consciousness, Krishna is being deprived of that taste, that “rasa”, that particular type of enjoyment. So as devotees, we want Krishna to enjoy the full feast, smell the full bouquet, the perfect garland, so we are so eager that each person rediscovers their original identity and give Krishna that missing taste. Of course, Krishna is Atmarama, self-satisfied, still we are trying to please Him.

Your servant,

Mahabhagavat Das

 

Tirtharaja Dasa, Sep 12 2011

Hare Krishna Prabhu

Yes everything is spiritual and very aptly described by none other than Lord Brahma himself.

“I worship Govinda, the Primeval Lord, the First Progenitor Who is tending the cows, yielding all desires, in Abodes built with spiritual gems, surrounded by millions of Purpose-trees, always served with great reverence and affection by hundreds of thousands of Laksmis or Gopis.

I worship that transcendental seat, known as Sveta-dvipa where as loving consorts the Laksmis in their unalloyed spiritual essence practice the amorous service of the Supreme Lord Krsna as their only Lover; where every tree is a transcendental purpose-tree; where the soil is the purpose-gem, water is nectar, every word is a song; every gait is a dance, the flute is the favourite attendant, effulgence is full of transcendental bliss and the supreme spiritual entities are all enjoyable and tasty, where numberless milch-cows always emit transcendental oceans of milk; where there is eternal existence of transcendental time, who is ever present and without past or future and hence is not subject to the quality of passing away even for the duration of half a moment. That realm is known as Goloka only to a very few self-realized souls in this world.”

Always think and meditate daily on these words of Lord Brahma as found in the Brahma-samhita.

Be blessed.

Your lowly servant,

Tirtharaja Dasa.

 

Different ways to render devotional service

Sunil, Aug 28 2011

Please accept my humble obeisances

Which are the different ways in which one can render devotional service

Regards,

Sunil

Ashutosh Pandey, Aug 28 2011

Hare Krishna

All glories to Srila Prabhupada

*Sravanam kirtanam vishnoh, smaranam pada sevanam*

*archanam vandanam dasyam sakhyam atma-nivedanam*

*Sravanam* — by *hearing* the glories of Krishna from authorities (bona fide spiritual master or his representatives)

*Kirtanam-*by * congregational melodious chanting* of Hare Krishna Mahamantra

*Smaranam*- by *remembering* the pastimes of Krishna that you heard from authorities

*Pada Sevanam*- by offering *service to the lord’s lotus feet* (serving Vaishnavas, offering flowers, tulasi leaves etc.)

*Archanam – deity worship*(newbies can do the same with Photo-frames of lord or can perform worship of Gaura Nitai if allowed by authorities)

*Vandanam- praying *to lord for mercy (go in front of deities and say in your heart looking at them that you are here to be the object of His pleasure, tell me my lord how can I serve you, I am fallen but please engage me in your service and the service of your devotees, cry like a child…. it helps)

*Dasyam*- being *servant of the lord..*..perform duties of spiritual master…serve Vaishnavas….be humble like a blade of grass…tolerant like a tree..and think yourself to be simply insignificant

*Sakhyam- *being as a *friend *of Krishna glorify His name…tell about Him to others..how beautiful and merciful He is….

*Atma-nivedanam-* share your *thoughts and feelings* with the deities…confess your weakness…ask for mercy and promise yourself to rectify it…..

*As a practical guide::*

*Associate *with the devotees of the Lord Krishna

Read everyday (even one sloka or just two pages) of *Books *of Srila Prabhupada

*Chant *sixteen rounds of Hare Krsna mahamantra

*Diet *on Krsna prasadam——try to offer food to the lord in your home or whenever you get opportunity in temples

*Listen to the lectures* of Srila Prabhupada….or choose a bona fide master authorised by Srila Prabhupada if you like to listen in a particular language as Maharaja or Goswamis of ISKCON are from almost all parts of the world.

Out of this *Listening, Reading and chanting* are very important as these you can do wherever you are and whatever condition in you are living…… Whether in comfortable position or in times of pain….

Hare Krsna

YS

Ashutosh

Sunil, Aug 29 2011

Thank you Ashutosh Prabhu very much for your answer

Mahabhagavat Das SDA, Aug 29 2011

Very nice answers from Ashutosh Prabhu!

It is practically unlimited, in how many practical ways one can render devotional service…

Our collective mission is to take Krishna Consciousness to every living entity on this planet — so anything towards that goal is a service… speak about Krishna, show Krishna, give Krishna, share Krishna… and assist those who are doing it with body, words, and resources including time, money, facility, land, building, etc… whatever one can afford, whatever one has, engage wholeheartedly in service to the devotees of Krishna.

Your servant,

Mahabhagavat Das

Caste System – Four divisions of human society

Sunil, 15th August 2011

Respected Devotees and Disciples

Please accept my humble obeisances

I am not sure if you are aware and know about the caste system prevalent in India

If you do know then please answer the question:

Is the caste system which is prevalent in India, based on the four divisions of human society – as mentioned in Vedic Scriptures?

Sunil

jagannatha dasa, 15th August 2011

Please accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga!

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

The term caste is an english word.  In this context it is intended to refer to the concept of varna, or social divisions of society.  It is one half of varnasrama, the other consisting of spiritual orders of life.

According to Bhagavad-gita, 4.13

catur-varnyam maya srstam

guna-karma-vibhagasah

tasya kartaram api mam

viddhy akartaram avyayam

“According to the three modes of material nature and the work associated with them, the four divisions of human society are created by Me. And although I am the creator of this system, you should know that I am yet the nondoer, being unchangeable.”

Guna and karma are very significant here.  Guna is your qualities and karma, your work.  There is no mention of janma, or birth, therefore the caste system as it is sometimes known today, being based on birth alone is a deviation from Krishna’s arrangement.

Varnas are distinguished by quality of work and situation with regard to the modes of nature (gunas). The brahmanas are the intellectual class and their occupation is hearing Vedic literature, teaching Vedic literature, learning deity worship and teaching deity worship, receiving charity and giving charity.

Ksatriya are warriors, inclined to fight and lead others. They form the administrative or protective occupation according to the system of four social and spiritual orders.

Vaisya (Vaishyas) are members of the mercantile or agricultural class.

Sudras are member of the labourer class. They are meant to render service to the three higher classes, namely the brahmanas, the ksatriyas, and the vaisyas.

Your servant,

-Jagannatha dasa

Gopal Krishna Goswami, is a “Sannyasi” or renunciate monk. Monks like him adopt the entire world as their familyGopal Krishna Goswami, is a “Sannyasi” or renunciate monk. Monks like him adopt the entire world as their family

ashutosh pandey, 15th August 2011

Hare krsna!

All glories to Srila Prabhupad

In addition to above reply,

caste was divided scientifically as HG Tirthraj Pr mentions the slokas as they appear..but in this kaliyug everybody is like sudra….as there activity and work resemble to the class of sudra..

Also now a days in INDIA (or anywhere else if applicable) the caste system is no more according to the Vedic philosophy. It has become hierarchical which is not acceptable at all and has become the reason of differences in material context which is again the cause of sufferings. Hence Scriptures cannot be held responsible for problems as some think.

So Srila Prabhupad said that in ISKCON we are making Brahmanas who could work as the brains of this society…

hare Krsna

YS

Ashutosh

Manian VB, 15/08/2011

All glories to Srila Prabhupad

my obeisances to all devotees.

I regret to say that caste system prevalent in India is not based on vedic sysems. But a number of institutions in India teach and practice vedic system of Guruklam ( not caste system) and students grow up as very good citizens. All the political parties in our Country are afraid of taking the name : VEDA. But a small village in Karnataka ( Southern state of India) speak Sanskrit fluently and observe Vedic Rules. I am happy to say that Sanskrit (Vedic language) is spoken fluently in three villages in India, one in karnataka, Madhyapradesh and Uttar Pradesh where it is a spoken language amongst muslims also. You can go to the sites sankrit speaking villages in india and know about it.

your servant
Manian VB

Indresh and Kishori are in the “Grishastha Ashram” – they co-operate to raise children in Krishna conscious together, but still engage in missionary activities such as encouraging others to look into genuine spiritual life. With the results of their hard work, they support various spiritual projects around the world.Indresh and Kishori are in the “Grishastha Ashram” – they co-operate to raise children in Krishna conscious together, but still engage in missionary activities such as encouraging others to look into genuine spiritual life. With the results of their hard work, they support various spiritual projects around the world.

Tirtharaja Dasa, 18th August 2011

Hare Krishna Prabhu, kindly accept my humble obeisances. All glories

to Srila Prabhupada.

The caste system as practiced in India today has nothing to do with the four divisions of human society but is merely a pale shadow of the varna side of varnashrama dharma based on the bodily concept of jata. It is noteworthy to know that the four human divisions though divided according to qualification, quality, value and works have a literal representation of the complete human body in that the Brahmana’s represent the head, the Ksatriya’s the arms, the Vaisya’s the belly and Sudra’s the legs thus stressing that one part of society within the complete body of society cannot exist seperately and independently thus the head does not look down on the arms and the rest of the body nor vice-versa as inferior though each has a distinct function separate from other parts but are still inter-related and

interdependant. This is a systematic way of body and human society liberation both

individualy and collectively.

Hare Krsna.

Yls

Tirtharaja Dasa.

Radhika Raman Das and his wife Meenakshi are also Grihasthas, they work, maintain a household, dressed here in traditional clothing, also out on the street encouraging passersby to look into genuine spiritual lifeRadhika Raman Das and his wife Meenakshi are also Grihasthas, they work, maintain a household, dressed here in traditional clothing, also out on the street encouraging passersby to look into genuine spiritual life

Sunil, 19th August 2011

Respected Devotees and Disciples

Please accept my humble obeisances

I read all the answers and felt satisfied and clarified

Thankyou and Regards,

Sunil
Uttamananda Das is a Brahmachari, a celibate monk who dedicates all his time and energy to serving Krishna, serving in the temple of Krishna, and studying spiritual knowledge very carefully. Monks like Uttamananda follow a strict regimented lifestyle that frees up a lot of time and energy for spiritual pursuits.Uttamananda Das is a Brahmachari, a celibate monk who dedicates all his time and energy to serving Krishna, serving in the temple of Krishna, and studying spiritual knowledge very carefully. Monks like Uttamananda follow a strict regimented lifestyle that frees up a lot of time and energy for spiritual pursuits.

 

All photos by Rathin Mandal

Quicker Awareness of Dormant Love for God

Sunil,9th August 2011

Respected Devotees and Disciples

Please accept my humble obeisances

Is it true that ,  Lord Krishna brings a person who sincerely tries not to misuse his or

her independence and repents of past misuses of independence , in awareness of

devotional service quicker than a person who does not try to stop misusing

independence and does not repent for past misuses of independence

Sunil

Sanjay gupta,9th August 2011

A person who sacrifice the fruit of his KARMAS can only be able to go krishna`s DHAM according to gita it is called KARMYOG..

Mahabhagavat Das SDA,9th August,2011

Dear Sunil Prabhu,

Please accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Gurudeva.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Yes, it is correct, but not because Krishna is unfair, but because the person is refusing to accept Krishna’s mercy. In fact, a person who does not try to stop misusing one’s independence is willingly requesting Krishna to keep one under the material energy, so Krishna, being the kind Father, obliges.

ye yathā māḿ prapadyante

tāḿs tathaiva bhajāmy aham

mama vartmānuvartante

manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ

As all surrender unto Me, I reward them accordingly. Everyone follows My path in all respects, O son of Pṛthā. BG 4.11

In other words, a person misusing one’s independence is choosing to surrender to Krishna’s external potency, therefore Krishna reciprocates accordingly.

A person who knows that past material activities were not so conducive to one’s own welfare or the welfare of others does not repeat them, of course, one is advised not to dwell on this all the time being paralyzed by the knowledge of what one may have done knowingly or unknowingly, it was all in ignorance. To dwell on the past or live in the world of the future is both to live in a dream, both are understood to be in the mode of ignorance, according to Bhagavad Gita. (Sunil Prabhu, please find that verse from BG and quote it along with the translation, this is a treasure hunt especially for you).

Mere repentance is not sufficient though… one is aware that a certain set of people go to the house of God every Sunday to repent and confess, but they come out and do it all over again. In fact, this is not limited to that one community. A certain community of people go to holy places, take bath in the Ganges, and then come back and carry on the same nonsense as before. Same thing with yet another set of people who go on pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina, come back and resume the original nonsense they were doing.

Such rituals of repentance and atonement, or “praayaschitta” are there in the Vedic scriptures, but the bottom line is that such repentance and atonement does not remove, from the core of the heart, the desire to commit sinful activities.

That is the unique beauty of the process of Bhakti… simply performing devotional service, the very core of the root of the desire to misuse one’s independence is uprooted. Of course, this takes time, but the process works, and we can see gradual progress and advancement if we sincerely stick to the orders of the bona fide spiritual master. But this is not simply a sentiment…

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 made a certain part of that bold, hopefully you will see what I am trying to say here.

Your servant,

Mahabhagavat Das

Tirtharaja Dasa,9thAugust 2011

Hare Krishna,  All glories to Srila Prabhupada. May you all please accept my humble obeisances.
Yes, Krishna is also known as Hridayananda or the lord of the heart and one who gives eternal bliss to the heart. There has to be a concerted effort towards repentance and utter disgust to the sin so that it is not indulged in again. The human heart is filled with evil and thus needs cleansing.  Its not an issue of great mercy falling from the sky and making everyone’s heart pure merely by some sound vibration or activity on our part. The only requirement and the essence of all sadhana bhakti is to make our selves fine tuned and recipients of the lords service hence the offenceless, undeviated and consciencious  chanting of hare krishna maha mantra which Srila Prabhupada compares to the earnest supplication of a child to the supreme to please engage him in His service. Gaura Hari bol.
Lowly servant,
Tirtharaja Dasa.

Sunil,12th August 2011

Respected Mahabhagavat Das

Please accept my humble obeisances

I tried the treasure hunt. I found the following:

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 4.29.2b

adṛṣṭaḿ dṛṣṭavan nańkṣed

bhūtaḿ svapnavad anyathā

bhūtaḿ bhavad bhaviṣyac ca

suptaḿ sarva-raho-rahaḥ

SYNONYMS

adṛṣṭam — future happiness; dṛṣṭa-vat — like direct experience; nańkṣet — becomes vanquished; bhūtam — the material existence; svapnavat — like a dream; anyathā — otherwise; bhūtam — which happened in the past; bhavat — present; bhaviṣyat — future; ca — also; suptam — a dream; sarva — of all; rahaḥ-rahaḥ — the secret conclusion.

TRANSLATION

Everything happening within time, which consists of past, present and future, is merely a dream. That is the secret understanding in all Vedic literature.

Mahabhagavat Das SDA,13th August 2011

Hare Krishna Sunil Prabhu,

Please accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

That is brilliant! Very good work!

I was thinking about this verse below Prabhu, but your find is very nice also, very pleasantly unexpected also. Thank you very much!

yayā svapnaḿ bhayaḿ śokaḿ

viṣādaḿ madam eva ca

na vimuñcati durmedhā

dhṛtiḥ sā pārtha tāmasī

And that determination which cannot go beyond dreaming, fearfulness, lamentation, moroseness and illusion — such unintelligent determination, O son of Pṛthā, is in the mode of darkness. BG 18.35

Your servant,

Mahabhagavat Das

Ashutosh,13thAugust,2011

Hare Krishna!

All Glories to Srila Prabhupad

In this context the conversation between Vishnupriya and Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu… clearly mentions the reality of this worldly constitution….”All you see in this material world is false and simply a dream. Nothing other than Lord Krsna and Vaishnavas is real in this world”

This conversation is exceptionally dictates the need to attain the constitutional position for all Jiva…

Ys

Ashutosh

On Science and Mercy

Bhakti yogis dance in Hare Krishna Kirtan - experiencing the mercy, not possible by intellect alone
Bhakti yogis dance in Hare Krishna Kirtan – experiencing the mercy, not possible by intellect alone – taken at ISKCON Toronto, July 01, 2012

Jagannatha dasa, 02nd August 2011

Hare Krishna prabhus,

Please accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga!

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

I sent the following question to Srila Gurudeva.  Both the question I sent, and his answer are copied below.  I hope that this inspires you as it does me.

—

Dear Srila Gurudeva,

Please accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga!

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

hank you for blessing me with transcendental knowledge and with your example of pure love of God.

It is clear that Krishna consciousness is a science, but is Krishna’s mercy a part of the science, or is it beyond the science?

Please enlighten me with real understanding.

Your servant,

-Jagannatha dasa

—

My Dear Jagannatha,

Please accept my blessings.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Science is jnana or perfect knowledge of the Absolute Truth.  Krishna is that Absolute Truth and His loving mercy is even sweeter than knoweldge of Him. The Brijabasis do not know who is Krishna is.  They think that maybe He is a demigod.

But they love Krishna and have unlimited varieties of loving exchanges with Him.  This position of loving relationship with Krishna is higher than scientific knowledge of Him.

I hope this meets you in the best of health and in an ecstatic mood.

Your ever well-wisher,

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

—

Your servant,

-Jagannatha dasa

Premal, 2nd August 2011

Hare Krishna Prabhu

All glories to Swami Prabhupada

Please accept my humble obeisances

Would the brajvasis not know who is Krishna in spiritual world or only it is in material world due to Yogamaya?

Ys servant

Premal

Rama Sita, 02nd August 2011

All Glories to Srila Prabhupada,

All Glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga

Hare Krsna.

Thanks for that response. That is one reason why I subscribe to Sri Sankarshan Adhikari’s list.

regards

rAma

Sri Sri Radha Kshira Chora Gopinatha - the origin of science and givers of mercy - ISKCON Toronto
Sri Sri Radha Kshira Chora Gopinatha – The Origin of science and Givers of mercy – ISKCON Toronto

Mahabhagavat Das SDA, 24th April 2012

Hare Krishna Prabhu,

Please accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Gurudeva.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

I see that your question from 01 Aug 2011 remained unanswered.

Krishna never appears in the material world 🙂 Wherever He goes, is converted to spiritual world, where there is Krishna, that place is completely spiritualized, that is why when we chant Hare Krishna purely then we are not living in material world. So, even in the material world, the Vrindavan here is called “Gokula Vrindavan”, and the original topmost spiritual planet if “Goloka Vrindavan”. The specialty is that only in Gokula Vrindavan Krishna exhibits His baby and childhood pastimes. In Goloka Vrindavan, this is not present.

You mention “spiritual world” below, note that this consists of an unlimited number of spiritual planets, “Vaikuntha”. In all the planets except Goloka Vrindavan, the devotees know that Vishnu or Narayan or Narasimhadeva, They are Supreme Personality of Godhead, and there is a feeling of awe and reverence in those spiritual planets.

In Goloka Vrindavan, the residents are made to forget Krishna’s Supreme position for the sake of His pastimes, and in fact, even Krishna is not in the consciousness of being the Supreme, He is simply reciprocating with the devotees’ loving moods. The Acharyas describe Krishna as simultaneously both “sarvajna” or all-knowing, and “mugdha” or captivated… Krishna is completely controlled by His pure devotees’ desires always, and that is why Srila Gurudeva says that the relationship with Krishna is beyond science.

I hope this answers the question.

Sincerely,

Mahabhagavat Das

jagannath, baladeva,and subhadra, after Their snana yatra abhishek - ritual bathing - ISKCON Toronto July 01 2012
Sri Sri Jagannath, Baladeva,and Subhadra, after Their snana yatra abhishek – ritual bathing – ISKCON Toronto July 01 2012

Bhakta Jared, 24th April 2012

Hare Krishna!

Please accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Gurudeva.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

HARI BOL !  Wonderful !  AWESOME ! THANKS SO VERY MUCH,

Your Unprofitable Servant,

Jared

(Oneness=in Purpose)= Bhagavad-gita 18:66

Premal, 24th April 2012

Hare Krishna Prabhuji

All glories to Swami Gurudeva

All glories to Swami Prabhupada

I feel very inspired by your answer.

A question is still in my mind if the pure devotee is always wanting to serve Krishna does he not like living the Goloka Vrindavan topmost planet in spiritual world to come as a acharaya in the material world or does he like to come to get back the fallen souls for Krishna pleasure?

Ys servant

Premal

Mahabhagavat Das SDA, 24th April 2012

Dear Premal Prabhu,

Hare Krishna!

Please accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Gurudeva.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Yes, you are right, a pure devotee is never fallen, even if to untrained materially contaminated eyes, it may appear to be so. For example, the pure devotees who appeared in the western countries, they are sent there to make it easier for those in western material consciousness to accept the way they speak and express themselves. They are not in any way inferior to a pure devotee born in India, though actually pure devotee sees himself as very lowly always, even if he receives respect from others.

For example, it appears that Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura was born in an atheistic family and did not pursue devotional service until his thirties, but He is our Acharya, this means that He is, was, and will always be pure. A pure devotee acting as spiritual master is “Krishna Preshthaya”, that means sent by Krishna.

A pure devotee is not just thinking in the mind, a pure devotees every thought, word, and deed are devotional service, they do not do anything for their own satisfaction, everything only for Krishna’s satisfaction – and how to know if Krishna is satisfied – easy, if our spiritual master is satisfied then we should take that as Krishna being satisfied. If our spiritual master is dissatisfied, then we should understand as Krishna being dissatisfied. So our words and actions are very important.

We should be careful not to see anyone else but ourselves as “fallen” – especially never ever cast any shred of doubt on those who are ahead of us in devotional service in any way, birth, position, knowledge, service, or sincerity. Those who see others, especially other devotees as fallen have every risk of falling down themselves, because that consciousness affects us also.

Krishna confirms this Himself in Bhagavad Gita about persons engaged in devotional service – note Krishna is not saying “thinking” he specifically mentions service to Krishna “bhajate maam”:

api cet su-durācāro

bhajate mām ananya-bhāk

sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ

samyag vyavasito hi saḥ

“Even if one commits the most abominable action, if he is engaged in devotional service he is to be considered saintly because he is properly situated in his determination.” BG 9.30

In purport, Srila Prabhupada has explained:

“The word su-durācāraḥ used in this verse is very significant, and we should understand it properly. When a living entity is conditioned, he has two kinds of activities: one is conditional, and the other is constitutional. As for protecting the body or abiding by the rules of society and state, certainly there are different activities, even for the devotees, in connection with the conditional life, and such activities are called conditional. Besides these, the living entity who is fully conscious of his spiritual nature and is engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or the devotional service of the Lord, has activities which are called transcendental. Such activities are performed in his constitutional position, and they are technically called devotional service. Now, in the conditioned state, sometimes devotional service and the conditional service in relation to the body will parallel one another. But then again, sometimes these activities become opposed to one another. As far as possible, a devotee is very cautious so that he does not do anything that could disrupt his wholesome condition. He knows that perfection in his activities depends on his progressive realization of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Sometimes, however, it may be seen that a person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness commits some act which may be taken as most abominable socially or politically. But such a temporary falldown does not disqualify him. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is stated that if a person falls down but is wholeheartedly engaged in the transcendental service of the Supreme Lord, the Lord, being situated within his heart, purifies him and excuses him from that abomination. The material contamination is so strong that even a yogī fully engaged in the service of the Lord sometimes becomes ensnared; but Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so strong that such an occasional falldown is at once rectified. Therefore the process of devotional service is always a success. No one should deride a devotee for some accidental falldown from the ideal path, for, as explained in the next verse, such occasional falldowns will be stopped in due course, as soon as a devotee is completely situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.”

I hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Mahabhagavat Das

No one is excluded from experiencing the mercy - proof of the pudding is in the eating!
No one is excluded from experiencing the mercy – proof of the pudding is in the eating!

Colour of Lord Krishna and Meaning of Plenary Expansion

Sunil, 20th July 2011

Respected Disciples and Devotees,

Please accept my humble obeisances

On reading books of Krishna Consciousness I understand that amazing knowledge is shared in this group and I am thankful to all group members who do so

I would like to ask following two questions:

What is the colour of Lord Krishna? I think that I have read that Lord Krishna’s colour is black as cloud and in photos I have many times seen Lord Krishna is blue in colour, So I am confused

Please also tell what is meaning of plenary expansion

Regards

Sunil

Indira G, 20th July 2011

Please accept my humble obeisances

I dont know whether my answer will help you or not  but i think Shri Krishna , the brahma is symbol of infinity so he appears in color of some time in deep blue or some time in black, or some time in green all  dark shades of all three hues reminds us the unfathomable depth of brahma.

Thanks & Regards

Indira G

Mahabhagavat Das SDA, 21th July 2011

Dear Sunil Prabhu,

Please accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Gurudeva.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Thank you very much for your active involvement and participation. This shows that you are really engaging your intelligence in Prabhupada’s books.

Krishna’s color: Is not material in nature! It is a spiritual color, cannot be seen by anyone with material eyes. In various texts, Krishna is described as “blackish”, or “color of a newly formed rain cloud” or bluish in complexion, the color of the Tamal tree, etc. It is important to note that Krishna’s color is not static, for example, He may take the color that pleases Him most, and this could change – for example, the complexion of Radharani, or any other color that pleases Him. In deity form, it is said that the pure devotee sees Him as He is. So our goal should be to purify ourselves so that we may see Krishna face-to-face and see for ourselves what is really His color – as Lord Brahma says in the Brahma Samhita, and as Srila Gurudeva repeats often “Premanjana Chhurita Bhakti Vilochanena” – we can only see Him with eyes smeared with the ointment of Love, pure Love for Krishna. There is no mundane explanation for Krishna’s color. The impersonalists say that Krishna is a certain color because Krishna represents Brahman, but this is not correct. Krishna is the source of Brahman, the Brahmajyoti or Brahman effulgence emanates from His transcendental body, not the other way around – crude example: the sunshine exists because of the sun, not that the sun exists because of the sunshine.

Plenary expansion: Means expansion that carries the full potency of the original. This means that just because Sri Narayana is an expansion of Krishna, that does not mean that Sri Narayana is not all-powerful or omnipresent. Plenary expansion of Krishna means Vishnu-tattva. All the living entities are also expansions of Krishna, but we are not plenary expansions, we are jiva tattva, it means that we are one in quality with Krishna, that we are full of knowledge and bliss, but in quantity we are infinitesimal…

Dictionary meaning from dictionary.com is given below:

Origin: 1510s, earlier plenar  (late 13c.), from M.L. plenarius  “entire, complete,” from L. plenus  “full,” from PIE *ple-  “to be full”

as an adverb:

full; complete; entire; absolute; unqualified: plenary powers

attended by all qualified members; fully constituted: a plenary session of Congress.

As an adjective: full and complete in every respect

Your servant,

Mahabhagavat Das

SUPARTHA RUDRA, 21th July 2011

Hare Krishna Sunil Prabhuji,

Please accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Gurudeva.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada

The explanation given by Mahabhagavat Prabhuji is very nice and complete in sense.

With this may I most humbly add something that I recently read in this group?

It has been written by Jagannath Parbhuji. I’m just putting it below:

In Srila Prabhupada’s purport to Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya Lila Chapter 9,

text 144 he compares the qualities of Vishnu and Krishna.

“Lord Narayana has sixty transcendental qualities. Over and above these,

Krishna has four extraordinary transcendental qualities absent in Lord

Narayana. These four qualities are (1) His wonderful pastimes, which are

compared to an ocean, (2) His association in the circle of the supreme

devotees in conjugal love (the gopés), (3) His playing on the flute, whose

vibration attracts the three worlds, and (4) His extraordinary beauty, which

surpasses the beauty of the three worlds. Lord Krishna’s beauty is unequaled

and unsurpassed.”

From this it is clear that even though Lord Sri Krishna & His unlimited PLENARY EXPANSIONS are at the same plane but their moods (bhava) are different. Srila Prabhupad used to give the example of a Supreme Court Judge in the office (comparable to Lord Narayan) and that same Supreme Court Judge in his home( comparable to Lord Shri Krishna). In the Court room every body has respect with awe & reverence for the Judge. But in home that same Judge is enjoying sweet loving reciprocation with all the family members. That graveness of court room is not their in home. Similarly with Lord Shri Krishna the loving devotional service attitude dipped in either of the above-mentioned FOUR  TRANSCEDENTAL mellows can be sweetly reciprocated. But for us, we should consider ourselves as das anu das–servant of the servant of the Lord Shir Krishna and perform our devotional service following proper regulation prescribed in the scriptures under the expert and bonafide guidance of pure devotee (Spiritual Master) of Lord.

your servant,

supartha rudra

Sunil, 21st July 2011

Respected Devotees and Disciples

Please accept my humble obeisances

When I have read your answers I have felt satisfaction

Maybe this is what is called Relishing the nectar of transcendental knowledge

Regards

Sunil