Tattvavicharana: Forum: Perfect Question, Perfect Answers

Tattvavicharana: Forum: Perfect Question, Perfect Answers - Recent Posts http://absolute-truth.net/forums/ Tattvavicharana: Forum: Perfect Question, Perfect Answers - Recent Posts en Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:39:52 +0000 Lndasa on "Did all the jivas come from spiritual world?" http://absolute-truth.net/forums/topic/did-all-the-jivas-come-from-spiritual-world#post-95 Mon, 08 Feb 2010 06:58:44 +0000 Lndasa 95@http://absolute-truth.net/forums/ Some devotees in Sydney, Madhudvisa explained, had been propagating the theory that since no one falls from Vaikuntha, the conditioned souls must have fallen from the Brahman effulgence. When I arrived here in Sydney, I was asked the same question that Subal Maharaja asked you, and I proceeded to answer in your like fashion. This caused some disturbance amongst all the devotees, for previously Mohanananda, Upendra and others were teaching something else. That is, we never had an active relationship with Krishna, and they substantiated their point from the Krishna book, the chapter entitled. "Description of Autumn" first three pages, and Brahma-samhita, by your guru maharaja, purport to Mantra Sixteen. The discrepancy is this: Do the jivas exist before coming to this material world as pencils of rays emanating from the Brahman or did we, before falling into this material world, have a manifested pastime with Krishna on Goloka or Vaikuntha, in any of the five major rasas or any other minor rasa? Before the very first falldown, were we with Krishna in our manifested spiritual body in Vaikuntha or Goloka, or did we have an unmanifested spiritual body and not have a personal relationship with the Lord? If we did not have any personal relationship with the Lord, then how could we 'regain our lost Krishna consciousness'? Madhudvisa concluded his letter: I know that this question is arising all over the society and being answered in so many different ways. Please, I pray that I be worthy of your answer. I have looked for the answer to this question in your books, but incompetent as I am, I cannot seem to find the answer. For me it is sufficient to know that my only shelter is at your feet. But for the consistency of this pure and imperishable science, I beg you to answer this question in detail. If you desire, we can print up your answer and distribute this to the worldwide centres. ----- Srila Prabhupada maintained the lives and affairs of his disciples all over the world by his correspondence. Receiving a letter from Srila Prabhupada was a significant event for a disciple -- the instructions it contained were as effective as a personal visit. Moreover, within ISKCON Prabhupada's will was so powerful that a single letter from him would establish a policy for years to come. This was particularly so with Prabhupada's response to philosophical points. Srila Prabhupada had read Madhudvisa's letter enquiring into the origin of the living entities, and dictated a lengthy reply to his secretary, Syamasundara. When Madhudvisa Swami received Prabhupada's detailed three-page response, he copied it and sent it out to all the Australasian centres. In the letter, entitled "Kaka taliya nyaya -- Crow and Tal-Fruit Logic", Srila Prabhupada shed light on the controversy about whether the conditioned souls fell from the Brahman effulgence or from Vaikuntha. He wrote: We never had any occasion when we were separated from Krishna. For example, one man is dreaming, and he forgets himself. In a dream he creates himself in different forms -- "Now I am the king". This creation of himself is as seer and as the subject -- or the seen -- two things. But as soon as the dream is over, the "seen" disappears. But the seer remains. Now he is in his original position. Our separation from Krishna is like that. We dream this body and so many relationships with other things. First the attachment comes to enjoy sense gratification. Even when we are with Krishna, the desire for sense gratification is there. There is a dormant attitude for forgetting Krishna and creating an atmosphere for enjoying independently. Prabhupada had consistently taught that souls have the option of exercising their freedom even in the spiritual world, and hence of falling into the illusion of material existence. Since the soul is a spiritual part of God, he has inherent independence or free will, which he can misuse. Prabhupada reiterated this point in his letter: At the edge of the beach, sometimes the water covers the sand on the shore, and sometimes there is dry sand; the ocean is coming and going. Our position is like that, sometimes covered, sometimes free, just like at the edge of the tide. As soon as we forget, immediately illusion is there, just as when we sleep, a dream is there. We cannot say, therefore, that we are not with Krishna. As soon as we try to become the Lord, immediately we are covered by maya. Formerly we were with Krishna in His lila, or sport. But this covering of maya may be of very, very, very, very long duration; therefore [in the interim] many creations are coming and going. Due to this long period of time it is sometimes said that we are ever conditioned. But this long duration of time becomes very insignificant when one actually comes to Krishna consciousness. It is like in a dream: We are thinking it is a very long time, but as soon as we awaken we look at our watch and see it has been a moment only. Prabhupada gave another example from the Srimad-Bhagavatam: Krishna's friends were kept asleep for one year by Brahma, but when they woke up and Krishna returned before them, they considered that only a moment had passed. Prabhupada further explained by citing yet another example -- that of Jaya and Vijaya, the two gatekeepers at a gateway to Vaikuntha, who once refused entrance to the four great sages, the Kumaras, and were subsequently cursed by them to fall to the material world: So this dreaming condition is called non-liberated life, and this is just like a dream. Although in material calculation it is a long, long period, as soon as we come to Krishna consciousness this period is considered a second. For example, Jaya and Vijaya had their lila with Krishna, but they had to come down [to the material world] for their little mistake. They were given mukti, merging into the Brahma-sayujya [Lord Krishna's impersonal effulgence], after being killed three times as demons. This Brahma-sayujya mukti is non-permanent. Every living entity wants pleasure, but Brahma-sayujya is minus pleasure; it consists of eternal existence only. So when those who get Brahma-sayujya mukti do not find transcendental bliss, they fall down to make a compromise with material bliss, for example, by founding schools and hospitals. So even Lord Brahma is still material and wants to lord it over the material world. He may come down to become a germ, but then he may rise up to Krishna consciousness and go back home, back to Godhead. This is the position. So when I say "yes, there is eternal lila with Krishna", that means on the evidence of Jaya-Vijaya. Unless one develops full devotional service to Krishna, he goes up only to Brahma-sayujya but falls down. But after millions and millions of years of keeping oneself away from the lila of the Lord, when one comes to Krishna consciousness this period becomes insignificant, just like dreaming. Because he falls down from Brahma-sayujya, he thinks that this may be his origin, but he does not remember that even before that, he was with Krishna. So the conclusion is that whatever may be our past, let us come to Krishna consciousness and immediately join Krishna. With a diseased man it is a waste of time to try to find out how he has become diseased; better to spend time curing the disease. Prabhupada illustrated this point with an allegorical story: On the top of a tree there was a nice tal fruit. A crow went there and the fruit fell down. Some pandits -- big, big learned scholars -- saw this and discussed: "The fruit fell due to the crow agitating the limb." "No, the fruit fell simultaneously with the crow landing and frightened the crow so he flew away." "No, the fruit was ripe, and the weight of the crow landing broke it from the branch." And so on and so on. What is the use of such discussions? So whether you were in the Brahma-sayujya or with Krishna in His lila, at the moment you are in neither, so the best policy is to develop your Krishna consciousness and go there [back to Godhead] never mind what is your origin. The precise details of the soul's fall, Prabhupada explained, would perhaps continue to be an enigma. But his conclusion was clear: Brahma-sayujya and Krishna lila -- both may be possible. But when you came down from Brahma-sayujya or when you came down from Krishna lila, that remains a mystery. But at the present moment we are in Maya's clutches, so at present our only hope is to become Krishna conscious and go back home, back to Godhead. The real position is servant of Krishna, and servant of Krishna means in Krishna lila. Directly or indirectly, we are always serving Krishna's lila, even in dream. Just as we cannot go out of the sun when it is daytime, so where is the chance of going out of Krishna lila? Srila Prabhupada summed up by way of a few more potent analogies: The cloud may be there -- the sky may become very grey and dim -- but still the sunlight is there, everywhere, during the daytime. Similarly, because I am part and parcel of Krishna, I am always connected with Krishna. My finger, even though it may be diseased, remains part and parcel of my body. Therefore, we try to treat it, cure it, because it is part and parcel. So Krishna comes Himself when we forget Him, or He sends His representative. Awake or dreaming, I am the same man. As soon as I awaken and see myself, I see Krishna. Cause and effect are both Krishna. For example, cotton becomes thread, and thread becomes cloth. Still, the original cause is cotton. Therefore, everything is Krishna in the ultimate sense. When we cannot contact Krishna personally, we contact His energies. So there is no chance to be outside Krishna's lila. But we see differences under different conditions. To give another example: In the pool of water and in the mirror the same me is reflected, but in different reflections. One is shimmering, unsteady; one is clear and fixed. Except when we are in Krishna consciousness, we cannot see our actual position rightly; therefore the learned man sees all living entities as the same parts and parcels of Krishna. Material existence is impersonal because [in that existence] my real personality is covered. But we should think that because I am now covered by this clay, I am diseased. And we should think that I must get to business to get myself uncovered, not wonder how I got this way. Prabhupada's final advice on the issue left no doubts in Madhudvisa's mind: the efforts to comprehend the causal history of the jiva's falldown was ultimately a misuse of valuable time. Now the fruit is there -- take it and enjoy. That is your first business. God is not bound by cause. He can change [anything]; He is the cause of all causes. Now don't waste your time with this kaka-taliya-nyaya, "crow-and-tal-fruit logic". - From "The Great Transcendental Adventure" by HG Kurma Prabhu Abhishek on "Can we trust our senses entirely?" http://absolute-truth.net/forums/topic/can-we-trust-our-senses-entirely#post-82 Wed, 02 Dec 2009 05:23:14 +0000 Abhishek 82@http://absolute-truth.net/forums/ Yes. Very nice Practical Example!!! people say i did not experience some thing so i don't believe, but we have to hear the instructions from Bonafide Guru, not any body who is giving instructions for material benefit. Lndasa on "Can we trust our senses entirely?" http://absolute-truth.net/forums/topic/can-we-trust-our-senses-entirely#post-76 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:10:12 +0000 Lndasa 76@http://absolute-truth.net/forums/ "I have some disciples who are pilots or engineers of this big airline, Boeing 747 and so on. And they tell me that to a get license you had to learn how to fly without seeing! You had to fly only by instruments, because your senses will mislead you. At those altitudes and the varying pressures you may think you are going left, and you are going right. You may think you are going up but you are going down. Senses are adjusted for walking on the earth, not for 39,000 feet above sea level or 8,000 or whatever. So therefore you had to depend not on your senses but on the instruments. If the instrument says 'you are going up', you are going up. Whatever your ears are telling you, whatever your sense of balance is telling you, you have to watch the instrument. So, like that, even in spiritual life, we have to follow the shastra. Even if our sentiment tells us something else, or 'this is a very good thing', we have to follow the shastra, we have to learn to fly by the instrument. Fly by the guidance given to us by the Sadhu, Shastra and Guru. In this material world everything is relative and so is the material senses. So it will work only in certain situations. HH Jayapataka Swami Lecture in Potomac, USA September 30th, 2005 girimurari on "Was Yudhistra correct in Gambling?" http://absolute-truth.net/forums/topic/who-was-yudhisthira-in-his-previous-birth-and-why-he-had-gambling-tendencies#post-69 Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:20:34 +0000 girimurari 69@http://absolute-truth.net/forums/ Even a highly charactered person like Maharaja Yudhishtira gambled only shows material world is so strong !! Let it be. But they were all ultimately saved by Lord Krsna. No strengths of material world can doom devotees of Lord Krsna !! girimurari on "On keeping pets" http://absolute-truth.net/forums/topic/if-there-are-any-rules-or-regulations-in-terms-of-keeping-dogs-as-a-security#post-68 Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:12:18 +0000 girimurari 68@http://absolute-truth.net/forums/ Pet Dog puppies are expensive. They cost 10,000 to 20,000 rupees each. Dog culture is purely American origin. They have fashion shows for dog and bitches and award prizes for best looks and style. Dogs are richer than poor people in developing countries !! Lndasa on "Was Yudhistra correct in Gambling?" http://absolute-truth.net/forums/topic/who-was-yudhisthira-in-his-previous-birth-and-why-he-had-gambling-tendencies#post-62 Wed, 14 Oct 2009 05:17:29 +0000 Lndasa 62@http://absolute-truth.net/forums/ In actuality Yudhistra would not have gambled if he was fully conversant of the bhagavatha dharma which is higher than varnashrama dharma. But he was attached to his Dharma as he again did in the battlefield hesitating to tell a lie to Drona even when Lord Krishna instructed. A higher understanding is that it all happened by the will of the Lord. As they were all playing the role of his servants in accordance to the Lord's will. Pretty much similar to why Arjuna became despondent in the battlefield setting the scene for the advent of Gita. Krsnamitranitai on "Serving Parents or Serving God?" http://absolute-truth.net/forums/topic/serving-parents-or-serving-god#post-61 Sat, 10 Oct 2009 15:28:55 +0000 Krsnamitranitai 61@http://absolute-truth.net/forums/ Question: I can say I have practically no knowledge of the scriptures; but I believe in GOD - in all gods. Prior to coming to the US, I used to pray a lot. However, after coming here I have reduced that, apparently for no particular reason. But I have started praying to my parents, because I feel that by serving one's parents, one can serve God. I would like to understand what really is a person's duty - is it to serve God directly or to serve his parents and reach God through them? Answer:True service or proper service, to any being, can be rendered when we are in knowledge. Action done in ignorance, despite all good intentions, could turn out to be a disservice to others. For example, if someone is very ill, it would be a disservice to feed them opulent, fatty foods. Just as we acquaint ourselves with knowledge of the material world from the worldly authorities (physicians, scientists etc), in order to understand our ultimate duty in life and how we can serve others best, we need to acquaint ourselves with scriptural authority. When our actions are based on scriptural knowledge, they will be beneficial for all living entities. Any other man-made plan is bound to be defective and imbalanced. From scriptures, we learn that real service is done by serving the Personality of Godhead, Krishna, just as by watering the roots of a tree all the branches are automatically nourished. Any amount of extraneous care of the branches of a tree would be futile if the root is neglected, or if the branch is disconnected. Similarly Krishna is the source and sustenance of everything, and all the multitude of devas are the limbs of His body. The demigods, and indeed all living beings, can be satisfied by worshiping the Supreme Lord and by connecting them to His service. (Cf. SB 4.31.14) Thus, in answer to your question, our foremost duty is to DIRECTLY serve God by chanting His Names, hearing about Him and worshiping Him. This means that all other duties, such as towards one's family and society are not to be neglected, nor should they be done independently, but should be done AS A SERVICE to God. Service to one's parents is not only noble but an important duty for everyone. They have been the Lord's instrument in giving us the gift of human body, have nourished us and sacrificed much, at least for one's material well-being; in turn we express our gratitude through service and care. But what should that service be? Again, we learn from scripture that service to the material body, without caring for the spirit soul, is like saving the coat of a drowning man or like polishing the cage of a bird while neglecting to feed the bird. Thus a very important aspect of one's service to his / her parents is to facilitate their onward spiritual journey, if possible, by giving them the opportunity for performance of devotional service. Even if that is not possible, however, scriptures conclude that if one dedicates one's life to Krishna's service, out of affection for such a devotee, the Lord liberates not only their parents but many generations of his forefathers! This is the ultimate service one can render their parents. Answer By H.H Romapda Swami Krsnamitranitai on "Was Yudhistra correct in Gambling?" http://absolute-truth.net/forums/topic/who-was-yudhisthira-in-his-previous-birth-and-why-he-had-gambling-tendencies#post-57 Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:03:11 +0000 Krsnamitranitai 57@http://absolute-truth.net/forums/ Ans: Yudhisthira Maharaja is an eternal associate of the Supreme Lord, and a pure devotee. His participation in the gambling match was not based on any tendency for material sense-gratification on his part; rather, Mahabharata describes how, after deep consideration and being bound by religious obligations, he unwillingly agreed to the proposal for gambling. According to ksatriya codes, a ksatriya cannot refuse when challenged in a competition, for a battle or a game of dice. Besides, Yudhisthira Maharaja was personally invited by the elderly king Dhritarashtra, for 'a friendly match' and he could not refuse the King and was duty bound to comply with the invitation. On these grounds he agreed, although he was deeply unhappy to do so. Answer By: H.H Romapada Swami bmadhav on "Mercy Killing" http://absolute-truth.net/forums/topic/mercy-killing#post-55 Fri, 11 Sep 2009 06:49:11 +0000 bmadhav 55@http://absolute-truth.net/forums/ If a person is suffering for a long time, 'mercy killing' of that person is practiced in America. Won't that affect the spiritual life of the person being killed? How will it affect? Will the doctors also incur sin by this? Please clarify. Answer: For clarification sake, I am assuming that your use of the term 'mercy killing' is restricted to the category of medically assisted suicide. None of us have the right to take the life of another living entity, not only by ethical standards but by spiritual standards too; the only exception is when it is specifically sanctioned by scriptures and that also by the authorized upholders of law only. Suicide -- and therefore likewise 'mercy killing', by logical extension - is not condoned by scriptures. By prematurely terminating a person's life, it is to be understood that we are interfering with their karma. The intended purpose may be to put an end to the person's suffering; but due to lack of understanding the soul and its eternal nature such an action in fact prolongs the person's suffering. By nature's arrangement, the soul is awarded another gross material body after death. But when life is ended untimely before the end of one's allotted duration, as in a suicide for instance, it is understood that the person suffers for the remaining period without having the opportunity for getting another suitable body. The soul remains in the subtle body in a ghostly form, which is an unbearable condition of suffering. In addition, they still have to undergo, in their future life, the due reactions of karma which is the cause of their present suffering. Thus 'mercy-killing' is not so merciful, after all, and all parties involved incur stringent reactions. A greater act of compassion for the suffering person is to consider their ultimate well-being, both in this and future life, by providing spiritual care and facilitating their final days with some opportunity for devotional engagement such as hearing the Holy Names and glories of the Lord which alone can free one from the complicated meshes of pain and death. Krsnamitranitai on "On keeping pets" http://absolute-truth.net/forums/topic/if-there-are-any-rules-or-regulations-in-terms-of-keeping-dogs-as-a-security#post-54 Thu, 10 Sep 2009 05:03:05 +0000 Krsnamitranitai 54@http://absolute-truth.net/forums/ Q:I need more clarification on the topic of keeping pets (dogs and cats). My family and I live on a farm in Durban, South Africa. The crime situation is rather serious here, in terms of the womenfolk being held up at their homes. I would like to know if there are any rules or regulations in terms of keeping dogs as a measure of security. Ans:In the Vedic system, householders in general maintained domestic animals, especially cows and sometimes other animals such as dogs also. However, while such animals were maintained for particular purposes, they were not considered part of the household and would not be permitted within the house, the most obvious reason being cleanliness, as the householders were engaged in their religious duties, worshiping the Deities etc. There are specific injunctions that animals should not be allowed in sanctified places such as the temple room of the Deity or the kitchen where offerings to the Deity are cooked. Another important aspect for which Srila Prabhupada often downplayed the concept of keeping pets is the undue attachment one may develop for the pets on the bodily platform. This can be detrimental to one's spiritual cultivation and the classic example we know of is the story of Maharaja Bharata, who became so attached to his pet deer that he had to take birth as a deer in his next life. While maintaining the above concerns, keeping dogs for security purposes and offering them prasadam is not improper for a devotee. Answer By H.H Romapada swami. Krsnamitranitai on "On other traditions" http://absolute-truth.net/forums/topic/why-compare-and-contrast-with-the-teachings-of-other-sampradayas#post-51 Sun, 06 Sep 2009 18:04:54 +0000 Krsnamitranitai 51@http://absolute-truth.net/forums/ Q. Why does a particular sampradaya not just teach as it is what it believes in, instead of trying to compare and contrast with other sampradayas and constantly try to prove its view point or interpretation as the last word? A:I will not attempt here to speak for other traditions and schools of thought but contain this present discussion to our Vaishnava sampradaya. As you are probably aware, there are four Vaishnava sampradayas that are accepted as bona fide, based on the scriptural authority of Padma Purana - the disciplic lines descending from Brahma, Rudra, Kumaras and Sri (Lakshmi). There are subtle shades of variations among these four sampradayas based on their mood of worship and desired goal, but there are no serious clashes of a fundamental nature nor inherent disagreements amongst these four sampradayas themselves. As far as the overall Vaishnava theology, it is important to understand that the acharyas or preceptors coming in each of these sampradayas are not simply propounding their viewpoint or interpretation of truth. Rather they are representing an unbroken chain beginning from the Supreme Lord Himself, and are simply repeating His Absolute message. But when there appear other schools of thought that are not in line with the message of God, it is then that differences arise. For example, Krishna plainly and simply requests in Bhagavad-gita that we give up all other forms of religion and surrender to Him. But some scholar had interpreted it thus: "It is not to Krishna that we have to surrender, but to the unborn within Krishna." - which is far from the direct meaning of Krishna's statement. Besides, such an interpretation is not in line with sastras, because it is clearly and repeatedly mentioned throughout scriptures, and in the Gita itself, that Krishna is an Absolute Person, there being no difference between His inside and outside, as in the case of ordinary living entities. He *is* the Unborn, there is no unborn "within" Him. When there are such serious aberrations, and especially when innocent people are misled by such propaganda, there is a dire need for such theories to be refuted and the truth be told! Devotees of the Lord are least interested in endless logical debates and wranglings to prove their ideological superiority or to promote some personal agenda, although such motivations are not uncommon sometimes amongst intellectuals and dry scholars. Devotees, however, are simply interested in humble service to Godhead. In course of such service to the Lord, it behooves the acharya to distinguish and differentiate right from wrong pictures of Reality for the benefit of the disciples, as well as to establish that the teachings of the parampara are absolute (which they are), and not just another interpretation or theory among many others. It is their solemn responsibility not only to pass down this great science unadulterated but also to safeguard the truth from being misinterpreted or eclipsed by concocted forms of religion, and thereby becoming lost (as Krishna mentions in Bg 4.1-2). Truth cannot be established without dispelling illusion, the deep-rooted misconceptions and deviations from the original conclusion of scripture. (See SB 1.1.2) In speaking the Bhagavad-gita, the Lord Himself does this a number of times. He addresses some of the typical misconceptions and philosophies of the time, sometimes dismissing them as ignorant or not based on scripture, and at other times strongly condemning them as foolish and demoniac. He also points to different gradations or levels of self-realization and concludes that they all culminate in devotional service to Him (Some examples: 2.42-43, 6.47, 7.24, 12.1-5 etc.). His representatives are simply following in the same spirit. Far from being self-aggrandizement or criticism of others, their real motivation is compassion, just as you might call out to someone you see heading towards the cliff or strongly object when you see someone you love making a really bad decision. When a devotee sees how much the common people are in ignorance and are being misled by impersonalists, atheists, materialists and pseudo-spiritualists, and how much they are suffering as a result, the devotee is not content to simply present something that may be interpreted as "his viewpoint" but attempts to educate people in general on the Vedic authority, sometimes in the form of a strong and even at times a straightforward and forceful challenge of very harmful misconceptions. Answer By H.H Romapada Swami I hope this eases your doubt. Vishva Mitrah on "Women in Vedic culture" http://absolute-truth.net/forums/topic/on-unique-nature-of-women-and-need-for-protection#post-48 Tue, 01 Sep 2009 07:30:19 +0000 Vishva Mitrah 48@http://absolute-truth.net/forums/ Quality of shyness In class Prabhupada spoke at length on the need to properly protect women in order to have stability in human society. The verse described Draupadi as vama-svabhava, a soft-hearted woman. Observing that women in general are soft-hearted, but without the sharp intelligence of men, Prabhupada cited the example of Sita devi, who, being alone in the forest, was captured by Ravana. He is currently translating a section from the Ninth Canto about Rama-lila, and he told us that Sita, who is the internal potency of the Lord, could never be captured by Ravana. The Sita that was taken by the demon was a false, maya-Sita. Still, he said that the pastime was enacted to establish the precedent that a woman should always be under the protection of a husband. "So vama-svabhava. Women are very simple, soft-hearted. The whole idea is they should be given protection -- no freedom. That is injunction of the Manu-samhita. Na stri svatantryam arhati. Women should not be given freedom; they must be protected." In response to the complaint we often received outside India that we keep our women like slaves, Prabhupada said, "We do not keep our women as slaves. They're very respectful at home. The sons offer their highest respect to the mother. The husband gives the topmost protection to the wife." He explained that although Lord Rama could create many millions of Sitas, by the example of this lila, He demonstrated that it is the husband's duty to give protection to the wife at any cost. "For one woman He killed the whole Ravana's dynasty. This is husband's duty. So protection, not slave. The husband should give the wife the topmost protection, and the wife should be so faithful to the husband." He said that Sita-devi was videha-raja, a king's daughter. She could easily have said, 'My dear husband, You are going to the forest. I am king's daughter. I cannot take so much trouble. Better You go. Let me go to my father's house." Instead she said, "No, I shall take all the troubles with my husband." "This is faithfulness," Prabhupada said. Prabhupada informed us that when Bhismadeva was lying on the bed of arrows, sara-sayya, advising the Pandavas and the Kurus on many things such as religion, politics and sociology, Bhismadeva also confirmed the Vedic injunction that woman should always be protected very carefully. "There is one quality of shyness," Prabhupada said. "If you break that shyness of woman, it will be very dangerous. It will be very dangerous. So modern civilization is not strictly following the Vedic injunction. Therefore, especially I have seen in the Western countries, there is no home practically. There is no homely happiness, because women are allowed to mix freely and there is no protection. They are not married, there is no husband. The father also does not take care. As soon as the girl becomes fifteen, sixteen years, she goes away. Therefore I have practically seen there is no home, there is no peace in the Western countries. "These are very important things, that soft-hearted woman, vama-svabhava, they should be given protection. They should be trained up how to become faithful wife, affectionate mother, then the home will be very happy; and without happiness we cannot make any spiritual progress. We must be peaceful, this is the preliminary condition." Krsnamitranitai on "Is the caste system authorized by the scriptures?" http://absolute-truth.net/forums/topic/is-the-caste-system-authorized-by-the-scriptures#post-46 Sun, 30 Aug 2009 16:18:25 +0000 Krsnamitranitai 46@http://absolute-truth.net/forums/ The caste system, or more appropriately know in its original and god-given form as the varnasrama system, has been given by the Supreme Lord Himself for the smooth functioning of social order, where all members of all different tendencies are given the opportunity and training to advance spiritually, from their respective positions and occupations. Abuse or misuse of the system, as with any system, is bound to create anomalies. Answer By - H.H Romapada swami Lndasa on "Is the diety of the Lord different from him?" http://absolute-truth.net/forums/topic/is-the-diety-of-the-lord-is-non-different-from-him#post-44 Sun, 23 Aug 2009 13:44:39 +0000 Lndasa 44@http://absolute-truth.net/forums/ Q. Kindly inform me on what basis we identify Krishna/Bhagavan Vigraha, which is sat chit ananda, with deity/archa which is made up of matter. I want to know the Gaudiya logic and appropriate scriptural backing. The Personality of Godhead is the source of all energies, both material and spiritual. Because He is full of inconceivable potencies, God can convert His different potencies according to His own will, much as an expert electrician can employ the same electric energy for both heating as well as cooling purposes. For the Lord there is no difference between material and spiritual energies; that He can transform His energies as He wills is Srila Vyasadeva's sublime teaching of shakti-parinamavada. He is the controller of both energies, and He cannot come under their influence at any time, as we do. A fundamental and axiomatic principle in spiritual science is that unless one accepts this inconceivable nature of God's potencies, there is no way of understanding Him. The conclusion is that Krishna, being omnipotent, can transform matter into spirit and spirit into matter as He desires, and He can accept our service through any sort of medium. The Supreme Lord is called 'adhoksaja', which means One Who is beyond the reach of our mundane, imperfect senses. It is also stated that we can approach the Lord only by engaging our senses in His service. How are we to serve and learn to appreciate Him who cannot be perceived? Therefore, out of causeless compassion for the conditioned souls, Krishna appears in a so-called material form, just to become visible to and accept His devotees' service. Just as the Supreme Personality of Godhead accepts various incarnations, similarly He takes on forms made out of clay, wood, metal and jewels, which according to shastra is known as archa-vigraha. By doing so this does not mean that His sac-cid-ananda form has been touched by material influence. The archa-vigraha is not fashioned from an artist's whimsical imagination but is the eternal form of the Lord, confirming in exacting detail to scriptural injunctions. The Lord Himself personally descends in the archa-murti at the request of the acharyas, and invests all His spiritual potencies within the Deity. Thus the devotees get an opportunity to easily approach Him and serve Him even with their present material senses, thereby purifying and spiritualizing their senses. As Krishna explains in Bhagavad-gita, He is not visible to all (BG 7.25), but reciprocates according to a devotee's degree of surrender to Him (BG 4.11). Thus, to the degree of one's faith and devotion, one is able to perceive the presence of the Supreme Lord in His Deity form. There are many historical instances wherein the Deities have personal exchanges with the worshiper, talk to them and accept their offerings. But for one who considers Him to be merely stone or wood, He continues to remains so. Therefore scriptures warn us to carefully avoid such mundane perception of the archa-vigraha. (Isopanishad Mantras 5,8 purports, Padma purana, quoted in Cc Madhya 5.95-97, etc) by H.H. Romapada Swami Krsnamitranitai on "whether our consciousness is material or spiritual?" http://absolute-truth.net/forums/topic/whether-our-consciousness-is-material-or-spiritual#post-43 Wed, 19 Aug 2009 05:58:34 +0000 Krsnamitranitai 43@http://absolute-truth.net/forums/ Consciousness is concomitant with the soul; it is an attribute of the soul. In other words, consciousness itself is not a material element. When one falsely identifies oneself with the material energy, then one's consciousness is said to be materially engrossed. In that state, at the time of death the subtle body carries the soul to the next gross body. However, when one purifies his/her consciousness from material identification, then the soul returns to the spiritual world in spiritual or purified consciousness. Answer By H.H Romapada Swami Vishva Mitrah on "Why Indian people lack faith in scripture?" http://absolute-truth.net/forums/topic/why-indian-people-dont-lack-faith-in-scripture#post-38 Thu, 06 Aug 2009 03:44:37 +0000 Vishva Mitrah 38@http://absolute-truth.net/forums/ In his reply to Maharaja, Prabhupada reiterated the same view of recent Indian history that he had discussed with Hansaduta Swami before breakfast. "In answer to your question as to why the Indian population is so slack in spiritual life: during the British rule there was a secret policy by the British to cut down the Vedic civilization in India. There was a confidential policy by the British government to kill India's original culture and everything Indian was condemned. From the very beginning they took this position. In our childhood and boyhood we had to read some book by a Mr. Ghose called, 'England's Work in India.' The purport was that we are uncivilized and the British had come to make us civilized. Later on the policy became successful because in our childhood days any anglicized gentleman was considered to be advanced in civilization. "In Calcutta the Chowringee quarters were known as the English quarters and the neighborhood places were maintained very nicely. The Indian quarters were known as native quarters therefore even in our own city there was such a division as English quarters and native quarters. Anyway this policy became successful when our leaders took them as fact. Mahatma Gandhi wanted to refute this white prestigious position but he also failed because he did not understand spiritual culture or God consciousness. During the Moslem time, although sometimes fanatically, there were some cases of breaking the temple, but there was no such policy to kill the Indian culture. On account of this, during the Moslem period, even during the time of Aurangazeb, there were Indian Princes and political leaders like Sivaji and Jaya Singh." He concluded, "So it is a long process how Indians, especially educated Indians, have become victimized by the slowly deteriorating position of Indian culture, but there is no use tracing out the history but generally we have lost our own culture and our leaders are not very serious to revive our own culture to the point. But still the mass of people, not being very much advanced in education, stick to the Indian culture. For example, lakhs of people still visit Jagannatha Puri during the Rathayatra Festival, lakhs still visit the Kumbha mela, and lakhs still visit the holy places of India, but there is no encouragement by the leaders. It is only a continuation of the original culture." Krsnamitranitai on "How it is possible that the “blood from the battle field” can go up to sun?" http://absolute-truth.net/forums/topic/how-it-is-possible-that-the-%e2%80%9cblood-from-the-battle-field%e2%80%9d-can-go-up-to-sun#post-37 Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:08:28 +0000 Krsnamitranitai 37@http://absolute-truth.net/forums/ Even if we accept that the Sun is 100,000 yojanas above the earth, as indicated in the SB, we would not expect drops of blood to spray that high, given our understanding of the laws of nature. Therefore, if the drops did spray that high, it must have occurred in the context of some higher natural laws, perhaps pertaining to the heavenly planets. It is worth nothing that the battle between the demons and the demigods took place on the shore of the Milk Ocean, which is certainly a heavenly realm. The distance up to the Sun from the Milk Ocean must therefore be understood in terms of higher dimensional geometry and physics. It does not refer to distance in ordinary space from the surface of the earth globe as we know it. In fact, the distance to the sun must be defined in relation to the plane of Bhumandala, and in this context to say that the Moon is higher than the Sun does not contradict modern astronomy. If Bhumandala refers to the ecliptic plane, then the Moon does go higher than the Sun in some parts of its orbit. However, the sending of drops of blood from Bhumandala to the Sun still requires some physics which is unknown to us. Answer by H.H Romapada Swami bmadhav on "Are we the makers of our destiny?" http://absolute-truth.net/forums/topic/are-we-the-makers-of-our-destiny#post-34 Tue, 21 Jul 2009 15:22:46 +0000 bmadhav 34@http://absolute-truth.net/forums/ The concept of destiny has fascinated humans since time immemorial. Is our success predestined? Or is it in our hands? Most modern thought has deemed that our endeavor alone determines our success. But with competition intensifying, changes accelerating and many unpredictable and uncontrollable factors determining results in today's complex world, many people are reexamining this belief. For example, a brilliant student, despite diligent studies, gets average marks, whereas a mediocre student, with last-minute cramming, gets high grades. Why? Are we just unwitting players in a cosmic lottery, with chance as the supreme arbiter? Or are results handed down by destiny, under the sanction of a just God? Some people recoil at the very mention of destiny. They fear that lazy people may opportunistically argue, "As the result is predestined, why work hard?" and so become irresponsible and fatalistic. However knowledge of destiny does not justify fatalism because the Mahabharata clarifies, "Destiny determines the results of our actions, not our actions themselves." The Vedic texts explain that these two ideologies, karmavada (endeavor, karma, alone determines success) and daivavada (destiny, daiva, alone determines success) are the two extremes of the pendulum of human imagination. In reality, success requires both endeavor and destiny. For example, in agriculture, a good harvest requires both diligent ploughing and timely rains. Ploughing represents endeavor and rains signify destiny. Despite ploughing, no harvest can result, if there are no rains. Similarly sometimes, despite our best efforts, we may fail, due to adverse destiny. When people are uninformed about the role of destiny in determining results, failures make them feel hopeless, "I am worthless and cannot do anything well", even when they have the potential to perform in the future. Consequently today many of our brothers and sisters are unfortunately and needlessly suffering from mental problems like inferiority complex, low self-esteem, depression and self-pity. Lord Krishna gives us hope in the Bhagavad-gita by pointing out that though we don't determine the result, we do play a significant role. Going back to the farmer analogy, the farmer must plough the field for favorable rainfall to produce crops. Similarly we must endeavor for destiny to produce results. Hence the Gita urges us to perform our God-given duty without attachment. We need detachment because our material happiness and distress in this life are predestined by our own karma from past lives. We cannot change them no matter how hard we work. But by doing our present duties industriously and honestly, we can get our destined happiness. Also we can make for ourselves a bright future destiny, even if our present is bleak. Moreover, even at present, destiny limits only our material happiness, not our spiritual happiness. All of us have equal and complete opportunity to awaken our dormant love for God and experience oceanic happiness thereof. This supreme fulfillment is available at our tongue tips, just by the chanting of the Holy Names of God, Krishna. No inimical destiny can obstruct us in achieving divine bliss; rather when we take one step towards God, He takes a thousand steps towards us. Even a little spiritual dynamism brings enormous returns. And as we are intrinsically spiritual beings and as our lasting satisfaction comes from spiritual devotion, we can rejoice in knowing that our real happiness is not destined, but is in our own hands. Hence intelligent people are cautious to not let over-endeavor for flickering material aggrandizement deprive them of the time and energy to strive for lasting spiritual enlightenment. Let us therefore do our best (materially and spiritually) and leave the rest (to God faithfully). by Chaitanya Charan Das Vishva Mitrah on "Why sexual behaviour needs to be regulated?" http://absolute-truth.net/forums/topic/do-we-need-to-restrain-on-our-sexual-behaviour#post-33 Wed, 15 Jul 2009 04:44:14 +0000 Vishva Mitrah 33@http://absolute-truth.net/forums/ Srila Prabhupada warned that no-one can approach Krsna unless he has a background of piety. "Therefore we shall be very, very careful about impious activities. Impious activities, we know the four legs of impious activities: illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling. So therefore we should be very, very careful about these impious activities. You cannot make any spiritual progress by simultaneously acting impiously and at the same time ... Just like if you have got dry wood, then the fire ignites very easily. And if you bring wet fuel, it takes time. Of course, as soon as there is fire, the wetness of the fuel will dry, but it will require extra energy. And if you put dry fuel, then it ignites very easily. So in order to keep us dry without being wetted by the impious activities, then spiritual progress will be very quick. We should remember that." He explained that Lord Caitanya has warned against the attraction of women and money for one who wants to advance in Krsna consciousness. Prabhupada clarified that Lord Caitanya was not referring to a particular gender. "Woman means for man the woman is woman, and for the woman the man is woman; not that woman means a particular class. Woman means 'which are enjoyable.' So in this material world the man is enjoyable by the woman and the woman is enjoyable by the man. For both of them, visayinam sandarsanam atha yositam. Yosit means enjoyable. "This body is superfluous. The bodily structure, it can be changed. Perhaps you know, now in medical science they can change the woman's body into man's body, and the man's body into woman's body. It was formerly being also changed. In Bhagavata you'll find that in a garden where Lord Siva was engaged with Uma, husband and wife, all of a sudden many saintly persons entered to see Lord Siva. At that time Uma, Parvati, became very much ashamed. She was not very properly dressed. So immediately the saintly persons, they left, that 'Lord Siva is now in his private affairs.' So Lord Siva, to please Parvati, he immediately said, 'Hence forward, anyone who will enter this forest, he'll become woman.' So one king, with his party, without the knowledge he entered the forest, and all of them became women. "The idea is that the man's body can be transformed into woman's body, and the woman's body can be transformed into man's body. Because we are not this body. Suppose I have got this dress. This man's dress I can transform into woman's dress with a sari, but that does not mean I am woman. So every one of us living entities, we are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. The outward dress, man and woman, that is dress. Vasamsi jirnani yatha vihaya. We are changing this dress. So in this material world, because our mentality is to enjoy, therefore he is called purusa. Purusa means both men and women, because everyone has got the spirit, 'I shall enjoy.'" He told his attentive audience that by coming in contact with the modes of nature in the spirit of enjoyment we have therefore become polluted and subsequently obtained these material bodies. Therefore we have to come to the nirguna platform. "Nirguna means to associate with the Supreme Personality of Godhead or be engaged in devotional service. Immediately you can be placed on the transcendental platform as soon as you begin your devotional service. Avyabhicarena, without any deviation. Ananya-bhakti. Bhajate mam ananya-bhak. That is wanted." He went on to say that if we are simply interested in fulfilling the bodily necessities of eating, sleeping, sex and defense then we are called visayi. "So we should be very careful. Visayinam, a devotee, if he thinks, 'Oh, here is a nice woman. If I could enjoy her,' or 'Here is a nice man. If I could enjoy him.' This is visayi. Visayinam sandarsanam. To see one woman is not dangerous, but to think of enjoying, that is dangerous. Similarly, to see one man is not dangerous, you cannot avoid that, you are on the street here. But to see with the spirit of enjoyment, that is dangerous. So we should be very careful. That requires, I mean to say, training, very strong training in Krsna consciousness. Unless one is strongly in Krsna consciousness, that long habit of enjoying spirit cannot be given up." Lndasa on "Do we have free will?" http://absolute-truth.net/forums/topic/do-we-have-free-will#post-30 Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:01:24 +0000 Lndasa 30@http://absolute-truth.net/forums/ Q: Is it correct to say that the individual souls have natural inclination to enjoy independently? If yes, then what is the hope that the individual soul will ever become dependent and serve the Lord? How natural would that state be? Answer: No, it is not a natural inclination of the soul to enjoy independent of the Lord. It is the nature of the soul to be jubilant and to enjoy; as the Vedanta sutra says, anandamayo ‘bhyasat. But we have the choice to seek that enjoyment in service to Krishna or in forgetfulness of Him. What is natural for the soul is the propensity to serve. Our acharyas have taught that this is the ‘dharma’ or eternal occupation or natural inclination of all living entities. Just as the dharma of sugar is sweetness or the dharma of water is liquidity, similarly the nature of living entity is rendering service; but we have the choice - to voluntarily serve God or to serve something other than God. We can readily observe that everyone in this world, without an exception, is serving someone or something. But because it is not in relation to the Supreme, they find all their services to be unfulfilling, frustrating and baffling. It is the most natural state for the living entity to feel dependent on the Lord; in fact, we are dependent on Him for our existence in any case, whether we acknowledge it or not. What is unnatural is our forgetfulness, just as the frozen condition of water is an unnatural state, and as soon as normal conditions are restored, ice becomes liquid again. Living entities in their pure or natural state are called devotees. Q: Why is our free-will infinitesimally smaller compared to the Supreme free-will? Answer: Because we are infinitesimal. The Lord is vibhu, or Great, whereas we are anu, or tiny. Just as a drop of ocean contains much of the same chemicals as the ocean does but in minute quantity, similarly, as minute parts and parcels of the Infinite Lord, we possess in minute quantities all the qualities of the Lord, one of them being His Supreme free-will or independence. Lndasa on "Is Scripture the Basis of Everything?" http://absolute-truth.net/forums/topic/is-scripture-the-basis-of-everything#post-25 Tue, 14 Jul 2009 12:18:43 +0000 Lndasa 25@http://absolute-truth.net/forums/ Prabhupada said that just like a lawyer will go to the court and present before the judge the laws and the legal precedence. They can’t go to the judge and just say “Well, my dear lord, your honor, you know I think that this person should be set free regardless of what the law says because he is a nice guy, even though he is a serial killer.” Nobody is going to listen to such sentimental statements. Everything has to be backed up by legal references, evidences and so on. So in the same way, even in our spiritual life, whatever we do, we should be able to back it up with the words of the spiritual masters and with the advice or the examples of great devotees and saints lives. Sadhu-sastra-guru. Basis of everything is the scripture. Whatever the Guru or preacher says, everybody always has the rights to question that if; ‘what your saying is stated in the scripture, could you tell us where?’ Because that’s the way we substantiate everything with our vedic disciplic succession. We can’t do anything which is not supported by the Vedas and Prabhupada has stated it many times that in KC, we always follow the Vedic version. Lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam (10.20.16) by Jayapataka Swami Lndasa on "Can Karma act to a group?" http://absolute-truth.net/forums/topic/can-karma-act-to-a-group#post-24 Tue, 14 Jul 2009 11:54:54 +0000 Lndasa 24@http://absolute-truth.net/forums/ Question : What do the scriptures including the Bhagavad-Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam have to say about “collective karma”? Our individual karma is generated by our own intentional and unintentional actions but what about the actions we perform as part of a group or as a society? Does responsibility get assigned to each one of us? Particularly, in the context of the planetary environment, we have collectively made impacts on the earth and are now seeing the consequences. Answer: As member of any community, the actions of the individual members have a collective impact on the rest of the community. Even within a family, we can readily see that an action of one member affects the lives of other family members just by virtue of their connection to each other, and similarly our individual karmas impact each other also. We see this principle demonstrated in the Mahabharata - for the transgressions by Duryodhana and a few of his cohorts against the Pandavas and their chaste wife, the entire dynasty of Kuru had to pay the price for having stood by him and failed to check his sinful actions. Vedic social organization or Varnashrama is designed in such a way that by executing one’s own prescribed duties nicely, each member of society automatically contributes positively to the overall welfare of the society, not only human beings but even the animals, plants, environment, demigods and forefathers! Conversely when a member of the society deviates from his/her duties, it creates negative impact. In the modern paradigm of scientific research, we are discovering that it is impossible to test or predict what impact our actions might have down the road, and no one knows what they are supposed to do or not do. Contrastingly, those who execute their duties under proper guidance in the Vedic society, even if they themselves may not be learned or far-sighted enough to understand the consequences and they may also not be on the platform of pure devotion, they can still be confident that their actions are not detrimental but uplifting to all sections of society, simply because they are acting under the infallible direction of scriptures. Therefore, each person simply had to execute their own prescribed duty conscientiously. As far as assigning karmic reaction, although each person is responsible for his/her own action, much greater responsibility is placed upon the leaders of the society. The king or executive head, parents, teachers, husband and highly educated members of the society (brahmanas) are natural leaders because their actions and decisions guide and affect the lives of their dependents. Whatever great persons do, common people follow. (BG 3.21) Thus the head of state (or head of family or community) has great responsibility to set the right example and also to guide, facilitate and ensure that their dependents are properly engaged in their respective duties and do not get implicated in bad karma. According to Vedic social codes, the king has to bear one-sixth of the collective karma of his citizens! (Cf. SB 4.20.14 <a href="http://vedabase.net/sb/4/20/14/en" rel="nofollow">http://vedabase.net/sb/4/20/14/en</a>) We can see that it is quite a serious responsibility and therefore it was required that these leading members be conversant with standard scriptural codes and be guided by saintly persons. Conversely, a citizen benefits from the piety of the King, and the King benefits from the pious activities of the citizen. “Prthu Maharaja continued: Therefore, my dear citizens, for the welfare of your king after his death, you should execute your duties properly in terms of your positions of varna and asrama and should always think of the Supreme Personality of Godhead within your hearts. By doing so, you will protect your own interests, and you will bestow mercy upon your king for his welfare after death.” (SB 4.21.25) Regarding a King’s duty to spiritually elevate his citizens: “If a king neglects to give such instructions and is simply satisfied with levying taxes, then those who share in the collection-namely, all the government servants and the head of the state-are liable to share in the impious activities of the general masses. The laws of nature are very subtle. For example, if one eats in a place which is very sinful, he shares in the resultant reaction of the sinful activities performed there.” Similarly, it is warned that parents who beget children without discharging their responsibility to train them spiritually will have to bear responsibility for the karma of the children as well. The spiritual master also has to take on the sinful reactions of his disciples. (SB 5.5.18) Certainly, we are all individually fully responsible for our own actions due to our freewill, but those who are in such leading roles are held greatly accountable also. Individually it is our responsibility to choose as far as possible the right type of association and leadership which will not implicate us in further sins. There are examples within scripture of subordinates rejecting the king, spiritual master, father or husband under dire circumstances when such authority was leading them down the wrong path. (This, of course, should be done only with great caution and superior guidance and not whimsically.) There are also very instructive examples found in the Caitanya-caritamrita, in this case not just of sinful reactions but the much more serious consequence of offending great saintly devotees. (Please see Caitanya Caritamrita Antya Lila 3.147-164, 3.191-212; <a href="http://vedabase.net/cc/antya/3/en" rel="nofollow">http://vedabase.net/cc/antya/3/en</a> ) Both these incidents illustrate how when an advanced devotee of the Lord is insulted it has such serious repercussions that for one man’s fault the entire village or country can become afflicted. In the case of Ramachandra Khan, his entire village suffered as a consequence of his offense to Haridas Thakur and Lord Nityananda. Contrastingly, in the case of Gopala Cakravarti who also insulted Haridas Thakur, he was immediately dismissed and rejected by all the members of the assembly who knew of the grave danger in insulting saintly persons, and thus they were not implicated. “Wherever an advanced devotee is insulted, for one man’s fault the entire town or place is afflicted.” Cc Antya 3.164. Question :That leads to my second related question: If there is collective karma, how can one free oneself from the results of such karma? Answer: The process of getting relief from karma is the same - to surrender unto the Supreme Lord and to live in harmony with His instructions by being guided by His bona fide representatives and scriptures. We can also set a good example from whatever position we may be in and honestly discharge our responsibility towards our family members, friends and those that we may have some influence upon to guide their actions on the right path. As mentioned before, one should carefully avoid participating in or contributing to directly irreligious/sinful activities as far as possible. By taking steps towards leading such a pure life in service to the Lord and by taking up chanting of His Holy Names, one can become immune to all types of sinful reactions - Krishna promises to deliver such a surrendered soul. We can practically see that those who take shelter of the divine energy of the Lord can remain completely protected and transcendental even in the midst of great confusions and upheavals in the rest of the society around us; not only they remain unaffected but they can also extend great shelter to so many others around them. Collective Karma - HH Rompada swami maharaj Answers Lndasa on "Success formula in spiritual life?" http://absolute-truth.net/forums/topic/success-formula-in-spiritual-life#post-23 Tue, 14 Jul 2009 11:50:45 +0000 Lndasa 23@http://absolute-truth.net/forums/ I am successful only because I am following strictly the orders of my Guru Maharaja, and I do not deviate. Therefore people respect what I am saying and they listen because I do not say one thing and do another. So now you are doing my work and you shall be like me and be yourselves the worthy representatives of our disciplic succession. - Srila Prabhupada Letter to Madhudvisa 72-06-16 Lndasa on "Is Guru disciple relationship eternal?" http://absolute-truth.net/forums/topic/is-guru-disciple-relationship-eternal#post-22 Tue, 14 Jul 2009 11:44:25 +0000 Lndasa 22@http://absolute-truth.net/forums/ Devotee: We are often told, regarding the guru and the disciple, that if the disciple is not successful in becoming a completely pure devotee in this life, then the guru will return by taking another birth. But does the guru personally take another birth? Answer: The relationship must continue. Whether that particular soul who was delegated as the guru in his previous life will personally come whether he will again be sent or not there is no guarantee: but in any case the disciple will maintain his awareness of that higher connection. He will recognize it just as it was in former stages, although it may be in a different form. It will not be unknown to him. And he will also perceive that, "I am not unknown to my master." But the guru's external form may not be similar. Suppose a disciple takes his next birth in a particular country or a particular sect: the guru may also appear in a particular country or a particular sect, but that the disciple will again come in exactly the same position as before, that may not be. And that the guru will also come as he did previously in that fixed position that may also not be. But they will be able to recognize one another. The guru will know about the disciple's previous life, and the disciple will also think, "He knows everything about me." With such broadness of vision we are to look at our Guru Maharaj. So guru-tattva means that it is saksad-dharitvena: not only the person, but the person plus something more. And that arrangement is made by the Lord or His svarupa-sakti. But whatever the external circumstance, there will be no disturbance regarding the path for the disciple. Devotee: I don't know if this is correct, but I have heard it said that if the disciple is not spiritually successful, then the guru may not return back to Godhead, but may remain in this brahmanda (universe) He may not return to Krishna until the disciple can also go. Answer: If that is the case, then no guru can ever return to Krishna at any time, because the continuation of the disciples will go on so he will have no final result at any time in his life! But we cannot think that it is so. Sometimes he may be deputed himself, or others also may be deputed in that case. But the inner instruction and inner feeling and paraphernalia will be such that, in any case, the disciples will have no trouble: the officer may change, but the function will go on smoothly. So the guru may return as the nama-guru, the mantra-guru, or the sannyas-guru. They are all gurus, but we must recognize something similar in them, thus we are given the statement about the ontological aspect of guru saksad-dharitvena samasta: "I Myself appear as the guru, who is simultaneously and inconceivably one with and different from Myself." Krishna says, acaryam mam vijaniyat: "You should look there for Me. I am there. I am your Guru. With My different types of sakti, by the jivas' recruitment, or by any other way, it is My function to take you up to a different place. In every case I am there: I am there in My madhura rasa sakti, sakhya rasa sakti, vatsalya rasa sakti, dasya rasa sakti, and in a general way also." Sometimes one may be recruited by the Ramanuja sampradaya and then be converted to join the Krishna sampradaya, the Gaudiya sampradaya. That is also possible. We are to remember the eternal link. Devotee: So if someone says that the guru himself will personally come back, that is a mundane conception a wrong conception? Srila Sridhar Maharaj: Yes. The main thread is there, but it will not always appear in the same form. Although to the beginners one may say, "He will come back," ultimately we find that a disciple may even be transferred into another section, and then another section, so that he may gradually reach his destination. According to the unfolding of his inner necessity, this "departmental change" may occur. And he will always perceive his own guru in newer and newer ways: at first sight he perceived his guru to be of one type, then again, with progress, he will see the same guru in another way, and thereafter another new characteristic will be found in his gurudeva. The disciple will feel: "I could not detect so much in my guru in the beginning I saw him in one particular way but now I find that he is something more, and then he is still more." In this way there is divine unfoldment [evolution or development]. In this world there is [evolution], and in the higher domain also, there is [evolution]. So avesa: the guru is something like saktyavesa. There is the "chance contingency" saktyavesa who is deputed according to a particular time, place, or circumstance and there is also the permanent saktyavesa. But in all cases according to the necessity of the situation and by the divine dispensation of the Lord the disciple will be connected, and he won't feel any distrust: it is the presence within. He will quench the thirst for the full progress of his heart, there will be divine unfoldment [progress] within his heart, and again he will begin a new thirst. And that new thirst will be quenched by whom? By his guru. It will be quenched by his guru and he won't have any feeling of unscrupulousness or anything else. As his internal thirst is being satisfied, he will feel, "Here is my gurudeva." Wherever there is unfoldment [development], gradual unfoldment [progress] and full attention given to that then we can understand that, from the upper side, there is guru. Gurudeva is my guide, and as I progress, guidance of different types will be necessary for me always new guidance. My progress will take me into different places, and there a new type of guidance a new life will again come. In this way, dynamic life is going on, and the main thread is there: raso vai sah the pure rasa, pure ecstasy. And my inner heart will approve: "Yes, I want this! This is my fate! This is my fortune!" Otherwise, if any madhyama-adhikari is appointed as guru and has so many disciples and if he is to come back again and again then he could never enter into nitya-lila! That cannot be so. In any case, whoever is connected with a genuine guru will be satisfied, because the Lord is present there. So acaryam mam vijaniyat is not in name only it has a very specific purpose: acaryam mam vijaniyan / navamanyeta karhicit na martya-buddhyasuyeta / sarva-deva-mayo guruh Krishna says: "Don't try to limit the acarya! If you achieve a high position, will you then think that you have surpassed that acarya through whom you received your initial instruction in spiritual life? No. Don't think that there is less in him (navamanyeta). Don't consider him to be of lower position I Myself am there! I was there in your primary teacher, I was there in your college-level teacher, and I am there in your postgraduate professor too. So navamanyeta: don't only judge the external appearance. I Myself am your guide in different forms. It is I!" The acarya has more spacious characteristics than that of the ordinary, general Vaishnava (sarva-deva-mayo guruh). Krishna says: "For you, I am there. I am backing so many acaryas. There are so many acaryas, and I am working through them. The acaryas are like helmsmen in so many different boats, and I am the favorable wind helping those boats to make progress (mayanukulena nabhasvateritam). So don't limit the acarya. Try to see him on the same level as Me." Lndasa on "Does Krishna always protect his devotees?" http://absolute-truth.net/forums/topic/does-krishna-always-protect-his-devotees#post-21 Tue, 14 Jul 2009 11:40:10 +0000 Lndasa 21@http://absolute-truth.net/forums/ In Bhagavad-Gita Lord krishna says, kaunteya pratijanihi na me bhakta pranasyati: "My dear Arjuna, you may declare to the word that my devotee is never vanquished." Now, one may ask, why did krishna advise Arjuna to declare this? Why did he not declare it himself? The answer is that if krishna Himself made this declaration, it might be suspect, because krishna sometimes violate His own promise. But the promise of a devotee will never be violated. This is krishna concern. "Oh, my devotee has declared this. I must see that his words are kept." This is krishna's position because of his affection for His devotees. Therefore lord krishna said, you declare it. If I declare it, people may not believe it, but if you declare it they will believe you because you are my devotee." Even though Krishna may break His own promise, He want to see that the promises of his devotees are fulfilled. Therefore, we must take to Krishna consciousness and adhere to this consciousness under all circumstances, even in the most dangerous position. We must keep our faith in Krishna's lotus feet, and then there will be no danger. Lndasa on "Why women especially need guidance?" http://absolute-truth.net/forums/topic/why-women-especially-need-guidance#post-18 Tue, 14 Jul 2009 11:31:20 +0000 Lndasa 18@http://absolute-truth.net/forums/ It seems that the girls have less trouble surrendering. They just throw themselves in, crying, "Krishna! Krishna!" "Women are soft-hearted," Srila Prabhupada says, "but unfortunately they are fickle, too. They are quick to accept and reject. They come to Krishna consciousness quickly, out of sentiment, and then some boy comes along, and they reject everything. Men are not so quick to accept, but once they have accepted, they are more reluctant to reject. So the male is considered a higher birth because a man is more likely to understand Krishna consciousness and therefore remain steady. In Vedic culture, the woman is considered weak. Soft-hearted. She should be protected, not given freedom to roam about, like in this country. Therefore we are marrying our girls to nice Krishna conscious boys." - From the "The Hare Krishna Explosion" by HG Hayagriva dasa Lndasa on "Why no jumping of Krishna bead?" http://absolute-truth.net/forums/topic/why-no-jumping-of-krishna-bead#post-16 Tue, 14 Jul 2009 11:00:15 +0000 Lndasa 16@http://absolute-truth.net/forums/ anama madhyam akramya japam kuryat tu manasam madhyama akramya japam kuryad upansukam tarjanim tu samakramya japam naiva tu karayet ekaika manim angusthena akarsan prajapen manum merau tu langhite devi na mantra phala bhag bhavet Keeping the beads on the mid of one’s ring finger, one should chant in murmuring sound.One should not keep beads on the pointing finger and chant japa. Chanting japa with the pointing finger has been rejected. One by one, putting the beads inwards and chanting japa is recommended. Oh dear wife, one should not jump over the head of japa beads. Otherwise he will not get the results of his chanting. (Gopal Bhatta Goswami in Hari bhakti vilasa 17/114,115 from Siva agama) anguli agresu yajjapta yajjaptam meru langhane asankhyatan ca yajjaptam tat sarvam nisphalam bhavet One who chants japa holding the beads on the tip of the fingers, who jumps over the head bead or who chants japa without counting how much he has chanted, then that japa is said to be fruitless. (Hari bhakti vilasa 17/135 from Vyasa smrti) Lndasa on "What causes differences amongst living entities?" http://absolute-truth.net/forums/topic/what-causes-differences-amongst-living-entities#post-12 Tue, 30 Jun 2009 07:31:30 +0000 Lndasa 12@http://absolute-truth.net/forums/ One's family of birth & economic situation, education & intelligence, bodily characteristics & looks, enjoyment & suffering are predetermined at the time of birth according to his prarabdha karma. And through out his life it keeps changing according to the action he performs. As he sows so shall he reap. One's attitudes, behavior, character, tendencies and urges are decided by his previous lives samskaras (mental imprints) and his desires. And it keeps evolving under the influence of his surroundings. Vishva Mitrah on "What causes happiness & suffering?" http://absolute-truth.net/forums/topic/what-causes-happiness-amp-suffering#post-11 Tue, 30 Jun 2009 07:12:12 +0000 Vishva Mitrah 11@http://absolute-truth.net/forums/ The Happiness and suffering are caused by one's prarabdha karma. Every action we do has two effects namely the karma phala bija(resultant seed of action) and samskara phala (Impression on the mind). So both seed of action germinates, flowers and bears fruit in due course of time under favorable circumstances.