Tag: selfish

Rapid fire questions… selfless service, amanina mana dena in marriage, Krishna Consciousness in a calamity, karma vs. compassion, free will, our anchor…

This article contains a series of questions and answers… it explores the essence of selfless service, emphasizing that true selfless action arises from a pure devotee’s desire to please Krishna, devoid of personal gain. It highlights how harmonious relationships are built on mutual respect. It also discusses how the Internal process of chanting Hare Krishna mbrings peace in challenging times. Understanding the difference between karmic reactions and divine mercy (kripa) allows devotees to perceive their experiences as opportunities for growth. Ultimately, it reinforces the concept of humility and service, reminding individuals of their role as servants of the lowliest servants in devotion to Krishna.

QUESTION 1) We talk a lot about selfless service, but can you pls tell one action devoid of gain in return?


MBD: Selfless service is not possible unless for a pure devotee, who does service for service sake. In all lower states of Bhakti, all service benefits the performer, even if it may benefit others. The higher the stage of the performer’s advancement, the more it benefits others. It benefits the performer less than it benefits others. Take any service. Krishna’s service to the living entities is always selfless. He does not need anything from anyone in return. Same with the spiritual master. He only seeks Krishna’s pleasure.

1.1) Can there be an action without result?


MBD: When you say result, do you mean “karmic” result? All action that is not purely transcendental has karmic reactions… everything in the modes. Devotional service has no karmic results. Still, there are devotional results. These start with the pleasure of Krishna and the purification of the heart of the devotee, etc.

(The question above is from before our discussion today.)

From what I have learned/heard: Anand/ Sukh (Bliss / Pleasure) is the ultimate goal of every action. So if the action is intended for the pleasure of the Lord, it is selfless. But if it is directed towards sense gratification or tries to satisfy sego, then it is selfish action.


MBD: Yes, you have the right understanding.

QUESTION 2) Does the phrase “amanina man dena…” apply in a husband/wife relationship?


MBD: Yes, it applies to all relationships. If 2 souls are perfectly in amanina (not expecting any respect), they experience a state of harmony. When they are in manadena (giving all respect), they are also in perfect harmony with the will of Krishna. They are thus very happy. Easier said than done.

QUESTION 3) In the most unbeatable calamity, what is your internal process in terms of Krishna Consciousness? What is the first thing that comes to your mind?


MBD: I chant Hare Krishna, if I can chant at all. In general, we are in good shape if we can make chanting the Lord’s name a reflex action. This should apply to anything that happens, whether good or bad. We can test how far we have come when something unexpected happens, good or bad.

QUESTION 4) How do we distinguish between the reactions of Karma from Kripa?


MBD: Kripa is undeserved, no one in material consciousness deserves it. For example getting Krishna Prasadam is a great privilege. You may have the karmic credits to be able to eat, digest, etc., but there is no karmic action that can “earn” you Krishna Prasasdam. Whatever our prarabdha is must be experienced without fail. Even pure devotees apparently enjoy or suffer karmic reactions. But Krishna gives them whatever is needed for others’ sake. This is to teach others by personal example. For devotees in the middle, Krishna can use karmic reactions to pat us on the back. He can also kick us in the butt, through maya or yogamaya. All devotional experiences, in general, are purely Kripa.

From what I have learned/heard: If something is happening to me/happened with me, it MUST be my prarabdh karma. But interpreting it as the mercy of the Lord helps. He is “kartum akartum anyatha kartum.” This helps to remain Krishna conscious in the moment. It erases the distinguishing line between karma and kripa.


MBD: That is where the attitude comes in. Whatever happened is by Krishna’s sanction. The devotee will see Krishna’s hand and understand the takeaway. The nondevotee will only try to adjust the situation to “avoid/improve/prevent/etc.” You are on the right track.

QUESTION 5) Do we really have freewill? (If Lord is the enjoyer/doer of all actions, and we are but a medium) So whatever “we think” has been done by us has actually been done by Him, no?


MBD: Knowing what you will do, and forcing you to do it are two different things. It’s like a parent. The parent knows what the child will do in a given situation. Nonetheless, they leave the child free in a limited way. This freedom allows the child to learn. In the material sense, Krishna is a non-doer. The 3 modes of material nature are set in motion by Krishna. They are the doer. In the devotional sense, Krishna does not know how exactly the devotee is going to serve Him. When Radharani cooks something, Krishna knows it will be amazing, but does not know what exactly it will be. He can know it if He wants, but Yogamaya overpowers His knowability. It is like Krishna’s Sarvajnata (all-knowing nature) and mugdhata (innocence) exist together. This would be a contradiction normally, but all contradictions converge and are resolved in Krishna.

QUESTION 6) What is that ONE anchor point to be aware of every time?


MBD: I am a servant of the servant of the servant. I serve at least as far as the extent of the current disciplic succession of Krishna. But I am a servant of all devotees, past, present, and future.

Why does Maya try so hard to take us away from Krsna?

Maya, the illusory energy, is also an energy of God. So then, why does Maya test us so hard? Why does the illusory energy try so hard take us away from God, even if we are trying to get closer to God? This doesn’t seem to make sense! Please explain!

Priya Sundari Devi Dasi, 12 Dec 2014

Hare Krsna Prabhus

Please accept my humble obeisances

All glories to Srila Prabhupada

All glories to Gurudev

All glories to Vaishnavas

I was listening to some lectures by HH Radhanath Maharaj and the importance of relishing the holy name and fighting against Maya to ensure we don’t fall prey and continue to increase our love and taste for the Hare Krsna Maha Mantra. 

I understand that Maya is the Lord’s external energy, so when she is a part of the Lord himself, why does she try so hard to take us away from Krsna? Is it purely because we’re in the material world? 

But it makes me think, do we not have enough miseries in this material world? Birth, Disease, Old Age and Death… so why then does Maya try so hard to take us away from the Lord even when we take shelter of his pure devotees? 

Apologies if my question has many parts to it and/or if I have misunderstood Maharaj’s lecture. 

Haribol 

your servant 

Priya Sundari Devi Dasi. 

*Krsne matir astu*

Jagannatha Dasa, 12 Dec 2014

to Satsang

Please accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to our beloved spiritual masters.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Thank you for the inspiring question.  I hope this reply will begin a chain of others sharing also!

Maya simply does quality control to make sure only pure lovers of the Lord and His devotees are in the spiritual world.  Others are filtered out into various regions of this material world to enact our selfish dreams, which are more like nightmares.  This can be gross as in the case of the animal forms, or subtle like humans or superhuman beings such as upadevas, demigods etc.  The pure devotees act for Krishna’s pleasure only, manifesting that determination according to their situation.  This is where duty comes in.  

For most of us, duty seems like a burdensome chore.  But for the mature devotees, duty is seen as with the eye of knowledge as the dependable means to get a good result for Krishna’s pleasure.  

saktāḥ karmaṇy avidvāṁso yathā kurvanti bhārata

kuryād vidvāṁs tathāsaktaś cikīrṣur loka-saṅgraham

As the ignorant perform their duties with attachment to results, the learned may similarly act, but without attachment, for the sake of leading people on the right path. (https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/3/25/)

Srila Prabhupada explains that the right path, mentioned here is Krishna consciousness.  Maya is what we make of her.  If we have the eyes of selfishness, greed and false ego, Maya acts as the three modes of nature to drive us circling about this karma chakra to get humiliated into humility.  From there we can chant the holy names and get purified.

tṛṇād api su-nīcena taror iva sahiṣṇunā

amāninā māna-dena kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ

One who thinks himself lower than the grass, who is more tolerant than a tree, and who does not expect personal honor yet is always prepared to give all respect to others can very easily always chant the holy name of the Lord. (https://vedabase.io/en/library/cc/antya/6/239/)

With the eyes of love of Krishna, Maya acts as the “three modes” of spiritual nature:

ānandāṁśe hlādinī, sad-aṁśe sandhinī

cid-aṁśe samvit — yāre jñāna kari’ māni

Hlādinī is His aspect of bliss; sandhinī, of eternal existence; and samvit, of cognizance, which is also accepted as knowledge. (https://vedabase.io/en/library/cc/madhya/6/159/)

In the final paragraph concluding the lengthy purport to this verse (Caitanya-caritamrta Adi-lila 4.62), Srila Prabhupada explains that these three modes are the internal energy of the Lord, and they manifest as the external energy in the forms goodness, passion and ignorance.  From the highest angle of vision, everything is coming to help us, even maya, but we need proper vision.  The devotees bless us with this vision.  These are great treasures, and like any treasure they take time to accumulate.  

your servant,

Jagannatha Dasa

Harihara Hota, 12 Dec 2014

Please accept my humble obeisances

All glories to Srila Prabhupada

All glories to Gurudev

All glories to Vaishnava Haribol 

The question regarding maya is most important to manage life in a spiritual way which has been idealized  by the revered Srila Prabhupada Maharaj.

Thank you for question

your servant

Harihara Hota

Mahabhagavat Das SDA, 13 Dec 2014

Dear Mother Priya Sundari,

Please accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Thank you for bringing this up. You may have heard answers to this and related questions, the answer by Jagannatha Prabhu is quite deep too.

Even thought birth, death, old age and disease affect 100% of the population, what percentage of the population even perceives them as evils? Even among devotees, how easy is it to slip into material consciousness? The pure devotee is giving us shelter, but are we really taking their shelter, or are we turning to our false ego and Maya for false shelter and temporary gratification?

I was scouring Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad Gita As It Is yesterday looking for what Krishna says and what Srila Prabhupada says:

1. Krishna mentions Maya in BG 7.14, where He simultaneously calls her “daivi” or divine and “duratyaya”, translated as very difficult to overcome, understand, to follow, or unavoidable, insurmountable, impossible to transcend, etc., except to those who surrender to Him.

2. We are in the material world because of one primary fault is us – we are “unsurrendered to Krishna”. In fact, we are envious of Krishna. The difference between jealousy and envy is that when I am jealous of you, I don’t like that you have what you have, or that you are what you are… but envy is more sinister. Envy means, I don’t like what you have, I don’t like who you are, I want you to not have it, I want it instead, and I don’t want you to be who you are, I want to be who you are instead. In other words, envy of Krishna means that the conditioned living entity wants to BE Krishna, kick Him out, and be Him instead. Seems very drastic, but that is why anyone is here, except of course the pure devotee, who has come here on a transcendental rescue mission. Our understanding is that this is the concept called “the original sin” by the Christians, “the forbidden fruit” is to partake of that envy of God.

3. Srila Prabhupada mentions in several one of his purports, but specifically one of them BG 3.17, that “By such clearing of consciousness, one becomes fully confident of his eternal position in relationship with the Supreme.”

4. So, in other words, the purpose of this “divine difficult” energy of Krishna is to clear the consciousness… so therefore, Maya’s purpose is to purify everyone of that terrible envy of Krishna… So, she promises everyone this land where they can think they are #1, but the problem is, she didn’t tell them there are countless such persons who want to be #1, and they are all fighting each other to be #1, case in point, our world. While they are here, she repeatedly pokes, prods, and gives correction to everyone who is here… Ultimately one among millions finally gets it and begins one’s journey back home, but it is Maya’s thankless job to purify that person also… she keeps poking and prodding to test if the person is “done”. When “done”, the person experiences Maya as “Yogamaya” as described in Jagannatha Prabhu’s email. To do her job effectively, she has to be terrible, scary etc… Vaisesika Prabhu says that Kali devi will not think twice about tearing out someone’s entrails and wearing it as a garland, that’s how “heartless” of a witch she is, as described in the songs of the Acharyas – but it is not that she is not doing her job or that she is not dear to Krishna!

I hope this helps?

your servant,

Mahabhagavat Das

Madumitha, 13 Dec 2014

Hare Krishna!

Please accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

All glories to Guru and Gauranga!

I came across a weekly lesson pertaining to this question. I hope this helps a little.

Here’s an excerpt from it:

I was there in New Vrindavan, West Virginia in the summer of 1972 when a young hippy asked Srila Prabhupada, “If our purpose is to go back to Godhead, why is Maya so strong?” Without the slightest hesitation Srila Prabhupada profoundly and poetically answered, “Because your purpose is not strong.”

In other words Maya, the Lord’s illusory energy, only has power over us to the extent that we are not determined to go back to home, back to Godhead. If we are determined to become fully Krishna conscious and not take birth here again in this material world, the material energy will be powerless to do anything to stop us from achieving our goal.

So instead of being weak in our determination, we must become powerful in our determination.

His Grace Sriman Sankarshan Das Adhikari, Weekly Lesson from the Ultimate Self Realization Course

The whole lesson is very enlightening. Here’s the link to read the entire lesson: http://www.sda-archives.com/tftd/course/C/C68.html

Thanks,

Madumitha

Gabrielė. 15 Dec 2014

Hare Krishna,

Please, accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Gurudeva and His students.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Could you please kindly answer to me, such a neophyte? 

If Maya tests if a person is “done”, so she is terrible, scary, etc. – does this process stop when one becomes a pure devotee or only at the moment of death?

Thank You,

your servant,

Gabriele

Shahvir Balaporia, 15 Dec 2014

Hare Krishna!

Please accept my humble obeisances

All glories to Srila Prabhupada

Isn’t Yogmaya akin to the Kundalini shakti (force) which the yogis practicing chakra meditation frequently refer to? It is said that once the Kundalini shakti is awakened & starts rising through the chakra system one attains all kinds of superhuman powers (siddhis) eventually culminating into the final stage of self-realization. I think this is Yogmaya at work. Kindly correct me if i am wrong.

your humble servant,

Shahvir

Mahabhagavat Das SDA, 15 Dec 2014

Dear Mother Gabriele,

Hare Krishna!

Please kindly accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Gurudeva.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

There is a gradual transformation in the experience of a person as they get gradually purified of material propensities… Srila Prabhupada gives the example of the jaws of a cat… to the mouse, they are the jaws of death, but to the kitten, they are the safest place in the world. In this case, the materialist is compared to the mouse, and the pure devotee is compared to a kitten. The process is very gradual, it is subtle – the individual who is trying notices that they are being tested even though others may not notice… if they don’t clear the hurdle with help of what they have learned so far, then other devotees also notice – a gradually widening circle of devotees, so that the aspiring devotee can get help. This happens to me all the time, I do get help from my friends and mentors if I cannot manage to resolve something by myself, it is a really wonderful process, I can vouch for that.

Sincerely,

Mahabhagavat Das

Mahabhagavat Das SDA, 15 Dec 2014

Dear Sriman Shahvir,

Hare Krishna!

Anyone who is not connected with Krishna has no experience or knowledge or understanding of Yogamaya. By observing the process of kundalini yoga as described by Sri Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita starting with the verse 6.11 through 6.32, there are no kundalini yogis in modern-day society, in fact, a kundalini yogi cannot have cannot have a home, a family, any money, no phone, no job, no arrangements for food and sustenance, no contact with society whatsoever. Anyone who is claiming to practice kundalini yoga in modern day society is, for want of a better word, a fraudster, or cheater.

Sincerely,

Mahabhagavat Das

Shahvir Balaporia, 15 Dec 2014

Hare Krishna!

Please accept my humble obeisances

All glories to Srila Prabhupada

Dear Mahabhagavat Prabhuji,

Thank you very much for your guidance.

your humble servant,

Shahvir

Priya Sundari Devi Dasi, 16 Dec 2014

Hare Krsna Prabhus 

Please accept my humble obeisances

All glories to Srila Prabhupada

All glories to Guru and Gauranga

All glories to Vaishnavas

My humble heartfelt thanks to all the devotees that have responded. Thank you Jagannatha Das Prabhu for the elaborate reply. It is my Guru Maharaj’s favorite verses, trinad api sunicena, taror api sahishnuna, amanina manadena, kirtaniya sada harih. 

All glories to all your service. 

Haribol 

your servant

Priya Sundari Devi Dasi

*Krsne matir astu*

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