Everyone will face death, it’s just a question of death, whether it comes in the next 80 seconds, or not for another 80 years. Our attitude to death brings all sorts of choices… and we all know that the decisions we make today constrain our choices tomorrow. So how to live with a perfect balance between the long-term view and the short-term view?
When I reflect on these words, I see how true they are, whether for good or for bad – for example, a lot of people do stupid things because they think they can get away with it – after all, things are changing all the time, I may never see that soul again, so what does it matter how I treat them? Whether it is relationships, business, work, or just random acts of unkindness, this short-term view causes a lot of problems.
And then there are the fools who think they are pleasing God by dying in the process of killing others. There are no bigger fools, unfortunately, they are going to another place, not to the Kingdom of God.
However, the very same attitude, when applied to transcendence, gives a powerful sense of urgency, an impetus to act for the highest spiritual benefit.
Be prepared to die in the next 80 seconds, or live for the next 80 years.
On the other hand, someone who is too focused on the short term, but not the longer term, ends up in trouble as well. They may spend too much time in avoiding what needs to be taken care of, like a leaky tap or a broken tile… This also results in excessive sense gratification, or postponing important things that must be done diligently… as in the proverbial tale of the hare and the tortoise… the rabbit and the tortoise once had a race, the rabbit quickly bounded off and gained a big lead… he saw that the tortoise was far behind, so he decided to rest and relax and fell asleep. The tortoise meanwhile, kept going, and ended up winning the race by the time the rabbit woke up.
How to maintain that balance of paying attention to the short-term details while still keeping that longer term focus?
Well, first of all, know that you are eternal, you will never die, you may change your covering, your dress, your vehicle, your residence, but you will never die. So the consequences of all your actions will be seen, sooner or later. So that will surely avoid the temptation to be short-sighted.
न त्वेवाहं जातु नासं न त्वं नेमे जनाधिपाः । न चैव नभविष्यामः सर्वे वयमतः परम् ॥ १२ ॥
na tv evāhaṁ jātu nāsaṁ na tvaṁ neme janādhipāḥ na caiva na bhaviṣyāmaḥ sarve vayam ataḥ param
Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be.
And the other side? How to avoid being so long-term focused on the future that we ignore the here-and-now?
Remember that the here-and-now is what will take us to our destination – and the choices we make in the moment affect the choices that we have access to in future.
इति ते ज्ञानमाख्यातं गुह्याद्गुह्यतरं मया । विमृश्यैतदशेषेण यथेच्छसि तथा कुरु ॥ ६३ ॥
iti te jñānam ākhyātaṁ guhyād guhya-taraṁ mayā vimṛśyaitad aśeṣeṇa yathecchasi tathā kuru
Thus I have explained to you knowledge still more confidential. Deliberate on this fully, and then do what you wish to do.
Srila Prabhupada dives deeper in his wonderful purport…
Here the words yathecchasi tathā kuru – “As you like, you may act” – indicate that God does not interfere with the little independence of the living entity. In Bhagavad-gītā, the Lord has explained in all respects how one can elevate his living condition. The best advice imparted to Arjuna is to surrender unto the Supersoul seated within his heart. By right discrimination, one should agree to act according to the order of the Supersoul. That will help one become situated constantly in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the highest perfectional stage of human life. Arjuna is being directly ordered by the Personality of Godhead to fight. Surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead is in the best interest of the living entities. It is not for the interest of the Supreme. Before surrendering, one is free to deliberate on this subject as far as the intelligence goes; that is the best way to accept the instruction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such instruction comes also through the spiritual master, the bona fide representative of Kṛṣṇa.
If we reflect and act in this way, our life will be perfect, and death becomes immaterial, whether it comes in the next 80 seconds, or in the next 80 years.
When Dhruva Mahārāja was attempting to get on the transcendental plane, he saw death personified approach him. Not caring for death, however, he took advantage of the opportunity to put his feet on the head of death, and thus he got up on the airplane, which was as big as a house.
If vegetables have life and vegetarians eat them, then what’s the harm in eating flesh of birds and animals?
Rathin, 28/04/2015
Hare Krishna,
Please accept my humble obeisances,
All glories to Srila Gurudeva and Srimati Gurumataji,
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
I will humbly request all of you to enlighten me on this subject.
When I talk to my friends about non-veg. The very common excuse is that vegetables also have life.
Telling them about the consciousness of the body and offering food to Sri Krishna, is something beyond their comprehension.
I will like to ask you all, what else can be said in layman terms to help them understand their ignorance.
your servant
Rathin
Delicious Meal of Krishna Prasad – Pure Vegetarian Food Cooked With Love and Offered to Krishna
Sridhar Das, 28/04/2015
Hare Krishna!
Please accept my humble obeisances!
All Glories to Srila Gurudeva and Srimati Gurumataji!
All Glories to His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada!
If we read Srila Prabhupada books, especially The Hare Krishna challenge book, it clearly explains there. Jivo jivasya jivananam. In other words, the material nature is so designed that one living entity is food for the other. So therefore kill we have to. Howsoever, an intelligent human will prefer to commit necessary violence or take whatever is necessary from nature as goes the saying – one must consume as per one’s need rather than one’s greed.
The Hare Krishna Challenge
In fact animals are already doing that. So human has to commit violence. But if one can, more than maintain one’s life from such a variety of vegetarianism then why kill animals? We agree violence has to be done, but why commit unnecessary violence?
I find it important to make them realize through an example. Everyone can use their own and I generally say – if a thief hijacks your family one night and points the gun on your head and demands – your phone, money, jewellery, all valuables now or I shoot one or more of your family members, choose one!
There can be many versions. Some friend preached a family of 5 with a dog, the option being, one has to be shot down, choose one.
Now of course an intelligent person won’t let his/her parents off. He/She will prefer that which is less violent and more tolerable to the mind relatively.
Similarly, one should intelligently choose to kill plants (still unintelligent because this is also sinful and thievery, if consumed without thanking Krishna through the offering process).
Actually, if one performs proper farming then there is no killing incurred. The grains, fruits, etc. if pluck on the right time after a specific time period, there is no killing incurred and the quality is best too! Besides that, you take one and very easily we get another fruits from same tree. But if they take an animal, where do they get another so easily? Can they grow animals so easily like fruits? Why do they want to deprive animals of life? Why do they consider them devoid of emotions? A cow or any other bird feels same anxiety as a human does when their children are lost. If it’s all the same then why don’t they offer their own children for slaughter?
Sometimes they will say – we eat meat to become like a strong bull. But then where did the bull get all its nutrients from? Grass!!
Another point, if we study the nature and body of herbivores and carnivores ( intestine length, acid strength, teeth architecture, claws/nails, etc as given in Hare Krishna cookbook) it’s evident what we are meant to consume.
Moreover I was reading Back to Godhead magazine’s Jan/Feb issue where an aspiring devotee said that his wife forced their child to take meat for proper protein value, is that true? The answer was such people neglect the fact that along with protein, excess cholesterol and animal fat are also ingested into the human system resulting in fatal diseases as per many doctors. Also, to keep up the meat business, many industries drug the poor animals for better meat quality (I have watched many documentaries like “From farm to fridge”. Just imagine what effect this will have on consumers? Greenhouse is another result. Point is that nature provides sufficient milk, lentils, grains, nuts, fruits, vegetables and what not for a healthy human diet (includes proteins). Excess protein rather leads to severe body damage and damage to it’s immunity system.
Back to Godhead Magazine. Do you have a subscription?
If they love God or nature, if they respect all, they will respect God’s other equal children too than depriving them of rights to live on the same land just because they can’t speak human language or just because they can manage their living without working hard in coats and suits.
If they continue to keep slaughtering like this sinfully then as per nature’s law nature will also continue to slaughter them as Srila Prabhupada concludes through world wars/crimes going on day after day.
Slaughtered Slaughterer, or karmic reactions from killing
So, there are many such points that can be spoken strongly with faith and confidence, to the extent we are convinced about the disgusting nature of animal slaughtering and also to the extent we take shelter of Prabhupada’s teachings faithfully.
But if they can often be fed with sumptuous Krishna Prasadam, then that alone will act as the best counter, trust me!
your servant
Sridhar Das
Nashvin, 28/04/2015
Hare Krsna Rathin Prabhu!
If they do not see the spiritual perspective of offering food etc, you can propose something to them:
Living entities all survive by consuming the bodies of other living entities (either animals or plants). So, would they like to kill other animals themselves and eat them, or harvest some crops instead? There is a reason that families go pick strawberries together, but do not have excursions to the slaughterhouse…
your servant,
Nashvin
Premananda Das, 28/04/2015
Hare Krishna
In layman terms it is fact that “One man’s meat is another man’s poison.”When it rains the umbrella shopkeeper is happy that it keeps raining as more more umbrellas sells and he makes profit but the people who buy wish it does not rain.This is law of nature each person is dependent on someone one whether he likes it or not.
If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf,a flower,fruit or water,I will accept it.
It is clearly mentioned in this verse that without offering to Him every mouthful of food will keep the person entangled in birth and death. Krishna mentions leaf,fruit,flowers and water this He will accept.He does not mention meat ,fish and eggs.
Another point is when you have not created anything that means you are not the Supreme controller or owner.As Krishna is the Supreme proprietor we must agree to what He says in Bhagavad Gita as it is without interpretations.
The devotees of the Lord are released from all kinds of sins because they eat food which is offered first for sacrifice,others who prepare food for sense enjoyment verily eat sin.
The most important point in this verse is that these performances keep them aloof from all kinds of contamination of sinful association in material world.
Therefore in order for people to be happy they must be taught to perform the easy process of sankirtana-yajna,in full Krishna consciousness.Otherwise there can be no peace and happiness in the world.
You try your best to explain to him the method of real happiness and if he accepts it is the best welfare activity.
your servant,
Premananda Das
Manian VB, 28/04/2015
Hare Krishna prabhu:
Vegetable food also is a living being, but when offered to Krishna, the sin of eating it is removed and it gets purified. This is what our Guruji has said. Chant Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Manian VB
Nishima, 28/04/2015
Hare Krishna
Sripad Sankarshan Das Adhikari
The same question was being asked by me to HH Sankarshan Maharaj ji and He gave me the following answer:
My Dear Nishima,
Please accept my blessings.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
I am absolutely delighted to learn that our daily Krishna conscious broadcast, “Thought for the Day”, is enabling you to have Krishna conscious day every day. This is dream come true for me that I can be helping others in this way. It is surely the mercy of Lord Sri Krishna.
Regarding your question, Krishna orders us in the Bhagavad-gita that we can only take foods which have been first offered to Him. Since Krishna is a vegetarian, He will not accept any offering of meat. Therefore as the eaters of only Krishna prasadam we have no choice but to be vegetarians also. So actually we are not vegetarians; we are Krishnatarians, those who eat only the remnants of what has been offered first to Krishna.
I hope this meets you in the best of health
and in an ecstatic mood.
Your ever well-wisher,
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
—
Nishima
Mahabhagavat Das, 28/04/2015
Dear Sriman Rathin Mandal,
Please accept my humble obeisances.
All glories to Srila Gurudeva.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Your question is nice because I know that you are not unaware of the various reasons why meat is not recommended food. I also read with interest all the answers and was happy to read them, thank you to all who responded to Rathin’s request.
I was thinking you were asking “what might appeal to a person who is arguing only for the sake of arguing” or “what might convince a person who does not care about another living entity’s suffering”.
What’s in it For Me? This is what materialists care about.
My personal experience is that speaking to a materialist, pointing out what is in it for them has the greatest effect. Everyone is interested in “What’s in it for me” – “WIIFM”. So you can focus on health, how the educated and wealthy elite worldwide are switching to a vegetarian diet while the poor and uneducated are eating meat, how eating meat causes so many diseases like heart disease, hypertension, cancer etc., and so on, you can talk about the toxins released in the body as a response to fear of death, how those toxins cannot be removed from meat, etc.
All the arguments are there in the book “Higher Taste”, just familiarize yourself, and see which one works best with which person.
The Higher Taste. Get a Copy!
Above all the arguing etc. though, the best thing would be to give them the actual taste of Krishna Prasada, this works wonders, Srila Prabhupada starting the Hare Krishna movement by his Kirtan, classes, and his lovingly cooked Sunday feasts. The person who cooks your food influences your consciousness greatly, so why not take an indirect approach to increasing the spiritual intelligence of the poor meat eaters by giving them Krishna Prasada without necessarily telling them all about it?
Many advanced devotees have done this, and I was also a recipient of such mercy myself.
Sincerely,
Mahabhagavat Das
Bhakta Sunil, 28/04/2015
Hare Krishna
My respects to all readers
Regarding this topic , i had a debate with a social media contact and to convince him about importance of vegetarian food , i researched and gave him the following reply after which he did not debate further and was friendly too
——–
Dear , it is very nice that there is a tendency to not give pain to animals. But kindly note that denying the right to live defies mercy , irrespective of giving pain or not. For example , the punishment to a criminal for homicide is same irrespective of whether the homicide involves pain or not.
That one can eat plants does not imply that one can eat animals. Yes plants are also living entities.
Kindly note that meat is food in mode of ignorance.
Meat is also not easy on the GIT , as is known to medical science. Medical science provides documentation that Humans are biologically Herbivores. As pointed in the bottom line of the following article link by Physician (wonders never cease!) named Milton R. Mills : “Here’s another piece of information to digest: plant foods leave the body in 2 – 4 days; flesh foods leave the body in 5 – 7 days. If a clump of rotting flesh sits in your body for a minimum of 5 days, where do all the poisons, chemicals, and excessive hormones that flood the animal’s body at the time of death go? And we wonder why we suffer from degenerative diseases!”
“Clean India Campaign” can be linked linked to meat eating because cleanliness is not only physical but also internally of habits , of which meat eating habit is predominant
Meat eating in long run develops animalistic propensities of terrorism , violence , cruelty to fellow beings. No Meat= No killing = No mentality of violence = No terrorism/No violence
Vegetables , fruits , grains , milk are foods in mode of goodness and make one feel energetic and fresh
Yes eating vegetables is violence, and vegetarians are also committing violence against other living entities because vegetables also have life. But here, significantly, it is stated that every living entity has to live by killing another entity; that is the law of nature. One living entity is the life for another living entity. But for a human being, that violence should be committed only as much as necessary. Extra violence is against the law of nature.
If we will have mercy on the animals, mercy will be given to us. What goes around comes around. We should be merciful to the animals by not slaughtering them and giving them all protection. We should allow them to live peacefully and happily. The more we give mercy to others, the mercy will be given to us.
———
in a humble mood,
Bhakta Sunil
Sulakshana devi dasi, 28/04/2015
Hare Krishna,
Please accept my humble obeisances,
All glories to Srila Gurudeva and Srimati Gurumataji,
All glories to Srila Prabhupada
Yes, vegetables also have life. Therefore Vaishnavas offer their eatables to Krishna before they partake it. By offering the food to Krishna the food is sanctified and we are free from all the sin.
Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, lifts Govardhan Hill
The fruits and the grains when they are taken from the tree or a plant do not kill the tree. Typically when the grains are harvested the plant is usually dried up so in other words there is no killing of the plant or tree there. Of course every living entity subsists by killing another living entity. The consciousness in the plant life is very dormant compared to other higher moving living entities. Consuming animal flesh for one’s sustenance is much more sinful than consuming vegetarian meal. Also Lord Krishna says in BG that He will accept a flower or a leaf or fruit or water if one offers Him with love but He does not say that He will accept animal products.
your humble servant,
Sulakshana devi dasi
Nashvin, 30/04/2015
Hare Krsna!
Another thing you can query is:
If eating animals is equivalent to eating plants, why not eat humans as well then? 🙂
your servant,
Nashvin
Rathin Mandal, 03/05/2015
Hare Krishna,
Please accept my humble obeisances,
All glories to Srila Gurudeva and Srimati Gurumataji,
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Thank you everybody for giving me so many wonderful answers.
This enlightened me to a great extent
your servant
Rathin
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Death can come at any moment. We experience death regularly, whether of a fish that just got caught, or a person who died in a car accident, or someone who had a heart attack. Animals, birds, fish and insects can’t do anything about their death. But as humans, how can we prepare for death? How can we transcend it altogether?
My current office is near the waterfront. Some days when I can take a walk along the waterfront, especially in summer, I see these birds diving into the water. They look like Cormorants, but I’m not a bird expert.
The birds dive into the water and surface after a little while. Sometimes, they have a writhing fish in their beaks, which they then promptly swallow.
Cormorant with a fish in it’s beak
The fish was probably happily swimming around enjoying its fish life, until, out of the blue comes death. Of course, the fish can’t really do much about this, when death comes, death comes.
One summer day a couple of years ago, early into the pandemic, we were driving west on what is one of the busiest highways in the world, the Ontario 401. Suddenly, my map instructed me to take the next exit and took me a detour, which I followed… as we re-entered the highway at another point, I saw some vehicles on the empty stretch of highway behind me, they were stopped, and covered with tarpaulins.
Later in the afternoon, on my way back, I saw the vehicles still at the same spot, still covered with tarps. Clearly it had been a bad collision.
I continued to follow the incident, and found out it was an incident involving three cars. One eastbound car, for some reason, lost control and hit another eastbound one in the fast lane, which caused this second car to jump the barrier and land in the westbound lane – resulting in a head-on collision with a westbound car travelling in the fast lane.
Three people lost their lives in that collision, and death was almost immediate. The first responders had no chance, and had to cut open the cars to extract the mortal remains. It was surely gruesome.
I read about the people, a man in his forties in one car, and a woman in her thirties and her father-in-law in his sixties in the other car. I cannot imagine any of them expected to lose their lives on the 401 that morning.
Do we think any meal could be our last meal?
I wondered how their mornings were… did they have their breakfast their morning and say bye to their loved ones? What did they go through during those fatal moments? Did they feel a lot of pain? Did they have family members who were grieving for them? Did they have unfinished business? Maybe an incomplete project?
Death can come at any moment. No ordinary soul can predict the exact moment of their death. And when death comes, everything that was so important until the moment before ceases to matter. It’s just like when I live in an apartment with noisy neighbours and then move to another apartment, the noise in my previous apartment ceases to matter. What happens after death?
Death can come at any moment
Some say that we are just a bunch of chemicals, and nothing more significant than a halt of the electrochemical reactions in the body. Or in other words, after death, there is nothingness. But that logic is faulty on so many levels, after all, a bottle of chemicals doesn’t care about itself and other bottles of chemicals don’t lament it’s loss.
The logic that some combination of material elements somehow develops consciousness is faulty, as I wrote about Descartes’ ignorance about consciousness. His “cogito ergo sum” (I think, therefore I am) should have been something like “sum ergo cogito” (I am, therefore I think).
Actually, the law of momentum applies to us all – just like my baby body is “dead”, my child body is gone too. I still have memories of when I was a baby or a child, even though every single cell of my body back then is dead, this means that I transcend my body, more about that in detail another time.
Beyond Birth and Death. I am not this body.
But anyways, while the fish cannot do anything about their death, us, as human beings, with our highly developed sense of consciousness, can. We can inquire into our true nature, we can inquire into the Supreme Absolute Truth, indeed, human life begins only when we reach that stage of inquiring beyond eating, sleeping, mating, and defending, or rise above the animal propensities.
This stage is called “athāto brahma-jijñāsā“.
The human form is meant for the understanding of Kṛṣṇa consciousness (athāto brahma-jijñāsā), for inquiring about the Supreme Brahman. In the human form, everyone has a chance to understand the Supreme Brahman. The so-called leaders of human society do not know the real aim of human life and are therefore busy with economic development. This is misleading. Every state and every society is busy trying to improve the quality of eating, sleeping, mating and defending. This human form of life is meant for more than these four animal principles. Eating, sleeping, mating and defending are problems found in the animal kingdom, and the animals have solved these problems without difficulty. Why should human society be so busy trying to solve these problems? The difficulty is that people are not educated to understand this simple philosophy. They think that advancement of civilization means increasing sense gratification.
आयुर्हरति वै पुंसामुद्यन्नस्तं च यन्नसौ । तस्यर्ते यत्क्षणो नीत उत्तमश्लोकवार्तया ॥ १७ ॥
āyur harati vai puṁsām udyann astaṁ ca yann asau tasyarte yat-kṣaṇo nīta uttama-śloka-vārtayā
Both by rising and by setting, the sun decreases the duration of life of everyone, except one who utilizes the time by discussing topics of the all-good Personality of Godhead.
If I were to live every moment thinking that it could be my last, then certain longer-term things could not reasonably be done, but on the other hand if I don’t think about death then it will surely take me by surprise.
So how to live? My spiritual master gave me the perfect instruction in this regard.
My spiritual master His Grace Sriman Sankarshan Das Adhikari
He said, live as if you could die in the next 80 seconds or live for the next 80 years. And his life is a living proof of his instructions, so I choose to follow in his footsteps.
I remind myself that this life of mine can end at any moment, but I work diligently in Krishna Consciousness as if I have another 80 years to go.
Back in in 1874, Bhaktivinode Thakura wrote this sublime poem that gives us the formula for Supreme Spiritual Success! Jiva Soul, from Saragrahi Vaishnava
This is a poem by the great saint Bhaktivinode Thakura… from his 1874 work, “Saragrahi Vaishnava”
The Jiva Soul:
Alas for those who spend their days In festive mirth and joy. The dazzling, deadly liquid forms Their hearts fore’er employ.
The shining bottles charm their eyes And draw their heart’s embrace; The slaves of wine can never rise From what we call disgrace.
Was man intended to be A brute in work and heart? Should man, the Lord of all around, From common sense depart?
Man’s glory is in common sense Dictating us the grace, That man is made to live and love The beauteous Heaven’s embrace.
The flesh is not our own alas; The mortal frame a chain; The soul confined for former wrongs Should try to rise again.
Why then this childish play in that Which cannot be our own; Which falls within a hundred years As if a rose ablown.
Our life is but a rosy hue To go ere long for naught; The soul alone would last fore’er With good or evil fraught.
How deep the thought of times to be! How grave the aspect looks! And wrapt in awe become, O, we, When reading Nature’s books.
Man’s life to him a problem dark– A screen both left and right; No soul hath come to tell us what Exists beyond our sight.
But then a voice, how deep and soft, Within ourselves is left; Man! Man! Thou art immortal soul! Thee Death can never melt.
For thee thy Sire on High has kept A store of bliss above, To end of time, thou art O! His– Who wants but purest love.
O Love! Thy power and spell benign Now melt my soul to God; How can my earthly words describe That feeling soft and broad.
Enjoyment, sorrow — what but lots To which the flesh is heir? The soul that sleeps alone concludes In them it hath a share.
And then, my friends, no more enjoy Nor weep for all below; The women, wine, and flesh of beasts No love on thee bestow.
But thine to love thy brother man And give thyself to God. And God doth know your wages fair– This fact is true and broad.
Forget the past that sleeps and ne’er The future dream at all, But act in time that are with thee And progress thee shall call.
But tell me not in reasoning cold, The soul is made alone By Earth’s mechanic lifeless rules And to destruction prone.
My God who gave us life and all Alone the soul can kill Or give it all the joys above His promise to fulfill.
So push thy onward march, O soul, Against an evil deed That stands with soldiers Hate and Lust– A hero be indeed.
Maintain thy post in spirit world As firmly as you can, Let never matter push thee down– O stand heroic man!
O Sharagrahi Vaishnava soul, Thou art an angel fair; Lead, lead me on to Vrindavan And spirit’s power declare.
There rests my soul from matter free Upon my Lover’s arms– Eternal peace and spirits love Are all my chanting charms.
IS there life on the Moon? The Vedic scriptures talk about the Moon as a heavenly realm with celestial beings and soma drink, etc., we have had so many missions, why did they not find anyone there?
Partha Das, 7th October 2019
Hare Krsna,
Q) We heard of so many moon missions and the latest by India. So many satellites are orbiting the moon ? No life had ever been found till date on moon? However our scriptures talk of Chandra as a devta living with his associates on moon planet, drinking Soma rasa etc. How do we explain the contradictions?
Dandavats,
Partha Das
Anuradha, 8 October 2019
This is from Gurudev’s lesson. I have copied and pasted here , Think it answers.
—
Lesson Completed on 23 May 2016 in Kaunas, Lithuania
————————————————————–
Srila Prabhupada explains in his purport to Bhagavad-gita 8.25 that there is a higher class of living beings on the moon, although they may not be perceivable to our gross senses. He also mentions that Vedas teach a method of how one can go to the moon and get a moon body in his next birth. He points as well out the futility of this because eventually these moon beings have to come back to the earth. Considering all of these points we can easily see why doing austerities to get a moon body are not worth it. It is better we do austerities to attain the planet of Krishna because from that planet there is no coming back down to suffer once again on the earth planet or in any planet in this material world.
Thanks for the reply. Helpful. Dandavats, Hare Krsna.
Partha Das
Mahabhagavat Das SDA, 8 October, 2019
Dear Partha,
Hare Krishna!
In addition to this, we should think about situation on this planet… North America and Europe have very opulent countries, very rich and very different to many other countries in the world. But to enter into it someone needs a proper visa or permit. Without visa if someone even comes here (by hiding in some corner of an aircraft, for example, as one Indian man did some years ago), then they will only see the inside of a jail cell. Then they can come, be arrested, be sent back, and say “well, this Canada and USA and Norway and Germany, they are just jails, nothing more to it”. Our situation trying to go to the moon without authorization is somewhat like that.
Just like a smart adult can make a little child think that there is a monster behind the closet or the world ends at the front door (to prevent the child from harm or entering some unauthorized place), similarly, the higher beings led by Chandradeva and those entities can direct the spacecraft to the dark planets that are between us and the moon.
It is clear that one cannot enter the heavenly planets by mechanical means. Ravana tried to build a staircase to heaven, these are little Ravanas, they are not even as capable of that great demon. Happy Dussehra to everyone btw.
This Dussehra, I pray that just as Lord Ramachandra killed the demon Ravana on this day of Vijaya Dashami, similarly, Lord Rama may please kill this Ravana like mentality in our hearts, to enjoy God’s property separately from God. May Lord Ramachandra purify our consciousness.
In this connection, it may be noted that the moon is one of the heavenly planets. From the Vedic literature we understand that one who goes to the moon receives a life with a duration of ten thousand years in which to enjoy the fruits of pious activities. If our so-called scientists are going to the moon, why should they come back here? We must conclude without a doubt that they have never gone to the moon. To go to the moon, one must have the qualification of pious activities. Then one may go there and live. If one has gone to the moon, why should he return to this planet, where life is of a very short duration?
with regards,
your servant,
Sundar Gopal Das
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How to harmonize spiritual life and household duties?
Suryakant Vibhandik, 20 May 2019
How should I harmonize spiritual and household duties?
Suryakant
Heli Suthar, 21 May 2019
Hare Krishna, Dandavat pranam.
This same question was asked by me to one of the mataji in temple.. She gave the answer -you should do your household work but along with it you should also chant Krishna’s name in this way our work is purified and our spiritual life also progress… Also we should accept our family members as Krishna’s children and devotees ,and serve them with love ….so our service to Krishna’s devotees is also fulfilled When we serve devotees of Krishna, Krishna automatically gets satisfied
Hare Krishna Heli Suthar
Rupa Manjari devi dasi, 22 May 2019
Hare Krishna Please accept my humble obeisances All glories to srila Gurudeva All glories to Srimate Gurumata All glories to Srila Prahbupada
Wonderful answer, Would just like to add we make or homes a temple for Krishna. We keep Deity or picture of Krishna. . Krishna is the center as in the temple. We cook for Krishna, we clean this house (temple), Krishna’s house for Krishna, and we engage his devotees, the family members in Krishna’s service. When we realise this way doing household chores are ecstatic bliss, and believe me you will be chanting spontaneously when you do your chores.
If however we see it as our house, our family members, household chores will only be dry and a burden. And will do nothing to get us back to Godhead, but simply a waste of time.
So dive in, it’s wonderful, I personally don’t want to leave the house, so much wonderful service to do for Krishna there. I go out only to preach, to go to the temple, for Sadhu Sanga, and to purchase Bhoga and paraphernalia for Krishna.
your servant Rupa Manjari dd
Sacinandana Das, 24 May 2019
Hare Krishna.
Please accept my humble obeisances.
All glories to Srila Gurudev and Srimati Gurumata ji. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Bhaktivinod Thakur says that I do no work to maintain my household, I work to maintain Krishna’s household. For a devotee nothing is material, everything is spiritual. Like if a devotee is cleaning the house, he is not cleaning his house, he is cleaning Krishna’s house.
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Can life exist in other environments? Does life exist only on this planet and exactly as we know it? Could there be life on other planets? Are there of bodies that survive in harsh (to us humans) environments?
Recently, I came across a a piece that said something like “scientists have discovered a planet orbiting a star that may have conditions favorable for life”.
There’s an implicit assumption there, which says “life exists only on this one planet that we inhabit, and only in the ways we know”. This is a very myopic understanding. Why is that, you ask?
नैनं छिन्दन्ति शस्त्राणि नैनं दहति पावकः ।
न चैनं क्लेदयन्त्यापो न शोषयति मारुतः ॥ २३ ॥
The soul can never be cut to pieces by any weapon, nor burned by fire, nor moistened by water, nor withered by the wind.
Because life is actually spiritual in nature, and spirit souls have no need for any specific material circumstances to exist. Only bodies do.
भूमिरापोऽनलो वायु: खं मनो बुद्धिरेव च । अहङ्कार इतीयं मे भिन्ना प्रकृतिरष्टधा ॥ ४ ॥
bhūmir āpo ’nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva caahaṅkāra itīyaṁ mebhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā
Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego – all together these eight constitute My separated material energies.
अपरेयमितस्त्वन्यां प्रकृतिं विद्धि मे पराम् ।
जीवभूतां महाबाहो ययेदं धार्यते जगत् ॥ ५ ॥
apareyam itas tv anyāṁprakṛtiṁ viddhi me parāmjīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāhoyayedaṁ dhāryate jagat
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.
Souls can inhabit any type of body according to their “karmic earnings” – just like one person can afford to live in an expensive penthouse suite in a desirable location, another one in a sprawling estate, yet another in a shared apartment in a dilapidated building in an unsavory part of town, and yet another one has to just sleep on the side of the street.
Our bodies (I’m talking about human bodies here) consist primarily of water, about 50-75% water. There are also a lot of dissolved gases in there and many materials that qualify as “earth”. Our bodies take up some space, and for anyone who knows about all the amazing chemical reactions taking place inside, there is definitely “fire” inside our bodies too. But in our bodies, there is the mind, the intelligence, and the sense of identity.
And the spirit soul inhabits this body made of the material elements.
If you logically consider this, you will see that there could be bodies made predominantly of earth, very little water. There are gigantic bodies that take up a lot of space, and bodies that can hardly be seen under a microscope. Living entities can exist even where we cannot. Here is an example… deep within the earth, where there is no light, very little water, very high temperature, living entities still exist, “teeming with life” this article says. http://www.geologyin.com/2018/12/scientists-reveal-massive-biosphere-of.html
Why then would one assume that a body cannot exist without hydrocarbons or oxygen or a “comfortable temperature”? We may not be able to detect such a body ourselves with our current limited instruments, but logically, why should the presence or absence of certain chemicals or environmental conditions hinder the soul? There could be bodies made predominantly of air, or fire!
As on this earth planet we have a multivariety of living entities, we can understand from Vedic literatures that in the sun also there is a variety of living entities, but their bodies are made of fire, just as ours are made of earth
It may seem far-fetched, that there are living entities with bodies made of fire, but how about these bacteria that survive high temperatures we cannot?
How do we get there to these other worlds? It is not possible to go there by mechanical means, because of the “karmic credit balance” and also practically because a body designed for the earthly environment cannot survive the realities of other environments for too long. A deepwater fish cannot survive in a swimming pool. A freshwater fish cannot survive in the ocean. To survive fire, one needs a body made of fire, to survive gaseous environments one needs a body predominantly made of gases. These types of bodies may be outside of our immediate direct experience, but can we at least logically accept the possibility?
A decaying, limiting, embarassing body made of material elements does not befit the spirit soul, instead, through a process of spiritual purification, one can acquire a body that is purely spiritual, no material contamination. Would you like to obtain a spiritual body? Let me know!
The process of quitting this body and getting another body in the material world is also organized. A man dies after it has been decided what form of body he will have in the next life. Higher authorities, not the living entity himself, make this decision. According to our activities in this life, we either rise or sink. This life is a preparation for the next life. If we can prepare, therefore, in this life to get promotion to the kingdom of God, then surely, after quitting this material body, we will attain a spiritual body just like the Lord’s.
Please accept my humble obeisances!
All glories to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu!
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
All glories to your devotional service!
Please help me to understand this quote with examples: “misery begins when we endeavor for happiness” .
your servant,
Rao
nuria.k, 31st August 2015
Hare Krishna!
Please accept my humble obeisances,
All Glories to Srila Prabhupada
Do you mean material happiness?
aruni
Shreyas, 03 September 2015
Hare Krishna revered K.V Rao ji,
Please accept my humble obeisances and consider the below answer,
All Glories to His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada!
I am sharing what I recently heard while hearing a lecture from His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada, delivered on 9th Oct ’76, Aligarh, India (SB 1.2.5):
Solution:
When mind is engaged at the lotus feet of the Lord… As it is stated in the Śrīmad-Bha…, sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor (SB 9.4.18). When the mind is fixed up in the lotus feet of the Lord, then the words are used, the vibration of the tongue used… Vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane. Then the words are utilized for describing about the spiritual world. (coughs) The spiritual world is called Vaikuṇṭha. There is no kuṇṭha, anxiety. That is spiritual world. When you become spiritualized, brahma-bhutaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54), there is no more kuṇṭha. This is the sign of becoming brahma-bhūtaḥ. At the present moment we are jīva-bhūtaḥ. Manaḥ saṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7). Therefore our struggle for existence is with the mind and the six senses. But when your existence is spiritualized, then brahma-bhūtaḥ, you have no more anxieties. That is the sign. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na… Prasannātmā means na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54).
Problem (here’s the answer):
We have got two diseases in the material world. One is śocati and the other is kāṅkṣati. The things which we haven’t got, we desire to possess, kāṅkṣati. And the things which we possess, it will be spoiled, it will be lost. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says that everything in this material world is temporary: smaro nityam anityatam. So when we engage our mind in these temporary things, that is śocana and akāṅkṣa. And when we are elevated to the spiritual platform, then there is no more śocana and akāṅkṣa. This is the symptom. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati, samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu (BG 18.54). At that time it is possible to re-establish samatā. We are very much anxious to re-establish our universal brotherhood, but from the material platform it is not possible. Unless we come to the platform of brahma-bhūtaḥ, we cannot expect samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). These things are there in the Bhagavad-gītā.
So there’s no harm to endeavour for happiness, as long as the source and sink is Krishna Himself. Devotional Service is satisfying upto the degree it is selfless and uninterrupted. So if my happiness is based on something other than Krishna (selfish), then that means I am putting myself in the position of “I am the enjoyer”. This naturally isolates me from Krishna whereas the natural state is we are all parts and parcels of Krishna (mamaivamso jiva loke jiva bhutah sanatanah). Misery enters here and as my spiritual master states the word misery comes from the word miser. Examples are common. My phone gets lost or cracked I feel depressed and next day I blame Krishna for it and then I feel disinclined towards chanting my 16 rounds or instead of dancing with devotees in a kirtan or arati I remain spaced out. Or maybe skip the program too. This is because my happiness was based on that phone/car/person/job/glorification, etc. and whenever I wanted to feel happy, I depended on them.
And if Krishna is my source of happiness then I would have thanked that at least my bhakti is not lost or stolen.
Of course, it’s a matter of practice as we are daily doing but as we keep getting attached to derive happiness from Krishna, misery is reduced to that degree because we are being servants not misers. It’s all about channelizing our endeavours. We can rather hanker/lament for pushing forward the movement of Srila Prabhupada than for getting promoted in a job or getting a better salary, car or material circumstances.
However, the topmost state is when our only desire is to please guru, vaishnava and Krishna. Then our only misery is how can I please them and this misery is rather source of happiness at the same time, strengthening our Krishna Consciousness.
The Thought of the day at www.backtohome.com from Sept 1 2015, stating –
“If you are not tasting unlimited bliss at every moment, you are doing something wrong because to be constantly relishing unlimited nectar is your natural constitutional position”
helps a lot as a barometer.
Other thoughts at http://www.backtohome.com from Aug 28, Aug 22 2015 and other days are also good on misery/anxiety.
your servant
Bhakta Shreyas
Bhakta Sunil, 03 September 2015
Great answer Shreyas Prabhu
Shivani Saxena, 05th September, 2015
Very delightful representation Shreyas Prabhu.
Shivani
Mahabhagavat Das SDA, 10th September 2015
Dear Bhakta Rao,
Hare Krishna!
Thank you for your really insightful questions. In addition to the delightful answer by Shreyas, here is something from Srimad Bhagavatam, part of several verses from Prahlada Maharaja, speaking directly to Sri Narasihmadeva, along with translation and very apt purport by Srila Prabhupada…
(BTW, that entire chapter, SB 7.9 is highly nectarean, among my favorite sections from the Bhagavatam)
SB 7.9.20: “O great one, O Supreme Lord, because of combination with pleasing and displeasing circumstances and because of separation from them, one is placed in a most regrettable position, within heavenly or hellish planets, as if burning in a fire of lamentation. Although there are many remedies by which to get out of miserable life, any such remedies in the material world are more miserable than the miseries themselves. Therefore I think that the only remedy is to engage in Your service. Kindly instruct me in such service. ”
SB 7.9.24 “My dear Lord, now I have complete experience concerning the worldly opulence, mystic power, longevity and other material pleasures enjoyed by all living entities, from Lord Brahmā down to the ant. As powerful time, You destroy them all. Therefore, because of my experience, I do not wish to possess them. My dear Lord, I request You to place me in touch with Your pure devotee and let me serve him as a sincere servant. ”
SB 7.9.25
kutrāśiṣaḥ śruti-sukhā mṛgatṛṣṇi-rūpāḥ
kvedaṁ kalevaram aśeṣa-rujāṁ virohaḥ
nirvidyate na tu jano yad apīti vidvān
kāmānalaṁ madhu-lavaiḥ śamayan durāpaiḥ
Translation:
In this material world, every living entity desires some future happiness, which is exactly like a mirage in the desert. Where is water in the desert, or, in other words, where is happiness in this material world? As for this body, what is its value? It is merely a source of various diseases. The so-called philosophers, scientists and politicians know this very well, but nonetheless they aspire for temporary happiness. Happiness is very difficult to obtain, but because they are unable to control their senses, they run after the so-called happiness of the material world and never come to the right conclusion.
Purport:
There is a song in the Bengali language which states, “I constructed this home for happiness, but unfortunately there was a fire, and everything has now been burnt to ashes.” This illustrates the nature of material happiness. Everyone knows it, but nonetheless one plans to hear or think something very pleasing. Unfortunately, all of one’s plans are annihilated in due course of time. There were many politicians who planned empires, supremacy and control of the world, but in due time all their plans and empires — and even the politicians themselves — were vanquished. Everyone should take lessons from Prahlāda Mahārāja about how we are engaged in so-called temporary happiness through bodily exercises for sense enjoyment. All of us repeatedly make plans, which are all repeatedly frustrated. Therefore one should stop such planmaking.
As one cannot stop a blazing fire by constantly pouring ghee upon it, one cannot satisfy oneself by increasing plans for sense enjoyment. The blazing fire is bhava-mahā-dāvāgni, the forest fire of material existence. This forest fire occurs automatically, without endeavor. We want to be happy in the material world, but this will never be possible; we shall simply increase the blazing fire of desires. Our desires cannot be satisfied by illusory thoughts and plans; rather, we have to follow the instructions of Lord Kṛṣṇa: sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. Then we shall be happy. Otherwise, in the name of happiness, we shall continue to suffer miserable conditions.
I hope this helps!
your servant,
Mahabhagavat Das
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Please accept my humble obeisances.
All glories to Srila Gurudev and Srimati Gurumata.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Request your guidance in managing work life. We work with various types of people with different mentalities. When working with colleagues who are having selfish intentions, back biting attitudes and doing politics, how should a person in KC react. I try to be good to everyone, but sometimes end up retaliating to their behaviors and I later repent
Please advise how to handle such type of situations
your Servant,
Harish V
Brhadnath dasa, 15th January 2015
Hare Krishna,
Please accept my humble obeisances
All Glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.
When I joined at a new place among unknown colleagues, I faced one typical problem, our incharge would thrust work related to other seats to me in addition to my own work. My feeble protests were brushed aside. I also approached devotees, most of them advised to refuse, but that was not my forte. One devotee told me to strengthen my sadhana, viz. attentive chanting in the early hours,devote more time to listen to lectures. I followed and also shared the nectar from the lectures with my colleagues. Within one month the whole scenario changed. Now the additional work load got offloaded, and person concerned would come to me for guidance and I started sharing Prabhupada with them, by gifting them Bhagavad Gita As It Is
I suggest, to share the concerns of your colleagues, (whatever it is), don’t go into the shell and share Prabhupada with them. their is too much scope to reform some persons. Moreover, this will help you to empower yourself to practice bhakti consistently, irrespective of circumstantial feelings
Hope I make some sense
your servant,
Brhad nath dasa
Sacinandana Das, 16th January 2015
Hare Krishna Dear Devotees,
Please accept my humble obeisances.
All Glories to Srila Gurudev and Srimati Gurumata.
All Glories to Srila Prabhupada.
The more we give Krishna, the more we get Krishna. By giving Prasadam to our colleagues we are making them Krishna Conscious. We can ask them to chant Hare Krishna and taste the ultimate bliss. We also have to be careful to not let them know that Bhakti is more important to us than anything else.
your servant,
Sacinandana Das
Mahabhagavat Das SDA, 16th January 2015
Dear Sriman Harish,
Hare Krishna!
Please accept my humble obeisances.
All glories to Srila Gurudeva.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Your question is very pertinent. Many of us face this same situation every single day.
It is important not to get too emotionally invested with materialistic persons either lovingly or in distaste, because if we do, we will be dragged into material consciousness one way or the other.
In my personal work life, I try to stick to business only, but strive to be very professional and friendly without getting involved in their activities, for example, if we have some celebration, I don’t go with the colleagues to the bar, though I will stay in the office and clap and pat people on the back for a job well done.
Not everyone is ready for spiritual advice either, in fact, you can jeopardize your broader Krishna conscious service if you endanger your job by preaching inappropriately.
So, look at this… stay away from the envious, try to gently preach to the innocent…
If we are always exemplary, people will naturally come to us when they need spiritual guidance. It is not easy to change from one day to the next, but I can say that the process of devotional service, rising early, chanting our rounds, Mangal Arati, reading Srila Prabhupada’s books, taking only Krishna Prasada as far as possible, following regulative principles, etc., purifies us gradually and almost imperceptibly, but I can see many differences from years ago and today.
If sometimes, we fail, we should pick ourselves and try again without getting discouraged either.
Hopefully this helps!
Sincerely,
Mahabhagavat Das
Bhakta Sunil, 17th January 2015
Hare Krishna Harish Prabhu
Dandavat Pranams!
The earlier answers have provided best possible answers ,but to indulge in this topic i humbly put forth the answer in different words :
Dealing and associating are different. At work place you deal with non-devotees but do not take their association and where favorable , give your association
One point I remember about retaliating or not retaliating from Ultimate Self Realization emails , is that one choose one’s battles wisely ; if one can fight or correct then retaliate or else not to retaliate
If one is tolerant and could successfully ignore , then the back biters would get tired of the dirty politics and would soon stop. It is like test of getting agitated or not.
Regarding persons who are envious , backbiting , playing politics and blasphemous ; i remember a recent email from Ultimate Self Realization Emails as forwarded below , which I hope would help :
Answers by Citing the Vedic Version:
________________________________
Question: How to Handle Blasphemers?
________________________________
What should a Krishna consciousness person do if someone blasphemes against Lord Krishna or His devotees? Please guide me on ways to handle this especially when the person is unavoidable, like at home or in the office.
There’s another religion where even the slightest blasphemy would mean ghastly acts of terror by its followers and all this killing is justified. Isn’t it wrong to resort to such violent acts if someone blasphemes God?
Regards,
Kaushik
________________________________
Answer: Defeat Them, Leave the Place, or Tune Them Out
________________________________
If someone blasphemes Krishna or His devotee the best thing to do is defeat them philosophically. Convince them they are completely wrong to say such nonsense so that they will feel remorse and apologize. If this is not possible, one should immediately leave that place, because by hearing blasphemy one’s devotion to Krishna will be destroyed. If you are stuck with them like at home or in the office and you cannot convince them that they are wrong, you should block your hears rather than be polluted by hearing blasphemy. For example you can get a headset for hearing Krishna conscious lectures and Hare Krishna kirtan. In this way by tuning into Krishna katha you can tune them out. If you cannot tune them out with a headset, you should tune them out simply by putting your mind somewhere else.
Committing blasphemy is certainly a greatly sinful act. Even though even our scriptures say that blasphemers should be killed, this should NOT be taken literally in this age. This is so because on the plea of Lord Nityananda Lord Caitanya forgave the blasphemers Jagai and Madhai rather than killing them. In this age of Kali because everyone is a blasphemer, if we were to kill the blasphemers, we would have to kill everyone. So the conclusion is that instead of killing the blasphemers, we should kill their blasphemous mentality by the wide scale distribution introduction of Hari nama sankirtan (the congregational chanting of they holy names of God) and the wide scale distribution of transcendental literatures such as the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad Bhagavatam. This will bring about the much desired peace and happiness for the world.
I to faced similar problem and in my case it happened to be bit intense. So I wrote our gurudeva. The instruction given by our Gurudeva is available in the following link.
Please accept my humble obeiances.All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
I have also faced myself such situations some suggestions from my side would be identify and be aware of these kind of people while working. Do your duty to the best of your ability and have a good relationship with your superior.Keep focusing on your task don’t react too much to there politics, back bitting etc but keep a watch on their activities. Distribute Prasad if possible but dont preach too much.
yours Sincerely,
Acharya Das.
Harish V Menon, 19th January 2015
Hare Krishna,
Please accept my humble obeisances.
All glories to Srila Gurudev and Srimati Gurumata.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Thank you all for your wonderful guidance.
Haribol!
your Servant,
Harish V
Haladhar Das, 20th January 2015
Hare Krsna Harish ji,
Thank you for the nice question which definitely everyone goes through in his office life and beautiful answers given.
Just wanted to take the opportunity to add a little to already clarified discussion.
One thing is setbacks small or big, steadies or rather enhances one faith in sadhu, guru, shashtra like Lord Krsna already confirming this material world to be dukhalayam asasvatam temporary and full of miseries. And Srila Bhaktisidhanta Saraswati Thakur ji citing “This place is not fit for the gentleman”. So we should take all the negativity or unfavourable circumstances as sweet reminder to concentrate on the goal of human form of life, going back to Godhead.
e dhana, yaubana, putra, parijana
ithe ki ache paratiti re
kamala-dala-jala, jivana talamala
bhajahu hari-pada niti re
“What assurance of real happiness is there in all of one’s wealth, youthfulness, sons, and family members? This life is tottering like a drop of water on a lotus petal; therefore you should always serve and worship the divine feet of Lord Hari.”
Second thing is we have to understand and properly analyze through the eyes of scripture our favourable position vis-a-vis the position of non-devotees or materialists. We should have mercy on them and if feasible try to find out means to save them from their precarious position.
“Everyone is forced to act helplessly according to the qualities he has acquired from the modes of material nature, therefore no one can refrain from doing something, not even for a moment.” (BG 3.5)
So having mercy on the poor souls, trying to find out the means for utilizing a unfavourable circumstance in a favourable way. Like Srila Gurudeva HG Sankarshan Das Adhikari ji says a good sailor by adjusting his sails can sail against the wind also. Or a intelligent businessman makes profit in any circumstances, when the price is low, he buys and when the price is high, he sells.
Reading Srila Prabhupada Lilamrta helps a lot in keeping the devotional spirits high while dealing in such unfavourable or so called horrible situations, as after going through it (although its not mentioning every moment), we can know what a unfavourable situation means actually.
Hope it helps.
thank you.
your servant,
Haladhar Das
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
How could one convince anyone who is materially involved and see materialistic lifestyle as very normal due to the external atmosphere where most people from all the culture are very material and living life to the fullest in the material sense?
Sincerely,
Jaanvi
Premananda das, 28th February 2015
Hare Krishna
Please accept my humble obeisances
All Glories to Srila Prabhupada
According to the Bhagavad Gita 16.11-12 the demoniac are always after sense gratification and have concept of after life.They believe only in this life and make plans to enjoy this life to the utmost.
Their belief is any activity can be done there is no sin accrued and their is no karma .
Even at the point of death these foolish people ask the physical to prolong life for another 4 to 5 years as their desires are not fulfilled but fail to recognize that as soon as the notice comes by the laws of nature or destiny the physician will be unable to help him.
According to the Upanishad there are 2 birds sitting on the same tree one is enjoying or suffering the fruits of his activities and the other is witnessing all the activities.Unfortunately they do not believe in the concept of soul and Supersoul .
Even if they heard about this concept they do not beleive and have no conception of God.Their only wish is to fulfill their hundreds and thousands of desires and will use all the illegal ways and means to accumulate wealth and gratify their senses .
Honestly rather than convincing the materially involved people who due to external or illusory energy want to live life to the fullest if they are known to you feed them prasadam and pray to Srila Prabhupada .
As in if you hit your head on the wall it will hurt your head.
Therefore it is said you can lead the horse to water but can’t make him drink .
your servant
Premal
Bhakta Sunil, 28th February 2015
Hare Krishna mataji
Hope you are doing well
All Glories to Srila Prabhupada
Many of us are so accustomed or conditioned to lower tastes that it is not easy or quick for many of us to get convinced of taste higher than material pleasure which has become a culture as all in all meaning of living life to the fullest
It is a question of replacing low taste to high taste , for tasting cannot be stopped or renunciated , as Heart is by nature always pleasure seeking
You may try the following tips to convince of Higher Taste or the “Highest Pleasure” :
a) Establish your Divinity first and share as much as you know : For example you can cook and offer to Lord , then give them to “taste”. This is one of the easiest way to convince
b) You can show them transcendental art ( Photos from Iskcon Books ) and allow them to take Darshan from Iskcon Temple Direct broadcasts online
c) You can share poetic thoughts of Senior Devotees , which are easily imbibed or rhyming to the listener. For example “, quotes like “If you give mercy , you get mercy” , and “If you fail to plan , you plan to fail” , and many quotes and even understanding of Scriptures from Iskcon web-pages. Do research on Google
d) Play melodious kirtans and automatically they can listen
Depending on their reaction , you may down-titrate or up-titrate the transcendental prescription
Hope this helps,
your servant,
Bhakta sunil
Sacinandana Das, 28th February 2015
Hare Krsna Dear Devotees,
Please accept my humble obeisances.
All Glories to Srila Gurudev and Srimati Gurumata ji.
All Glories to Srila Prabhupada.
By performing Kirtan and giving Prasadam.
your servant,
Sacinandana Das
Jaanvi, 13th March 2015
Dear Prabhujis,
Hare Krsna
Thanks for sharing all your advice.
Sincerely,
Jaanvi
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