One of the ISKCON devotees who was initiated... moreHare Krishna!
One of the ISKCON devotees who was initiated by Srila Prabhupada writes:-
Can We Be Worse Now Than Before We Joined?
Vengeance, envy, anger,and discord are often higher within religious groups than elsewhere (“We have enough religion to hate, but not enough to love”). We need to be careful about this in Iskcon.
Recently I came across this quote.
"Religious people often become self-righteous, judgmental, resentful, condemning, etc. as they see more faults in man than other's see. Psychologists have noted that piety can easily become an unhealthy form of neurosis rather than a healthy form of religion."
As devotees, we are given standards to follow, standards which can backfire by becoming a criterion upon which we judge others. This will make us more judgmental, critical and sarcastic than before we joined Iskcon. Of course, if we are advancing properly we will become more introspective about our own need to improve. But the judgment of others often happens before the... less
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If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf,a flower,a fruit orwater,I will accept it
Abhishek Srivastava
Hare Krsna to all.
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I have searched for Temple in Frankfurt, but cannot find it.
Please help.
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Debashis Nandi
Spirituality is the journey that one undertakes to realise his true self and the very purpose of his being.
RCKD 108
Hare Krishna prabhu ji, PAMHO, AGTSP, prabhu ij i like the prabhupadabooks.com site, i got registered with my email id, after i got sign in i have have bookmarked a page and now how do i delete the bookmark again? next the audio lectures are not playing in Srila PRabhupada's lectures...
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August 5, 2017
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One of the ISKCON devotees who was initiated by Srila Prabhupada writes:-
Can We Be Worse Now Than Before We Joined?
Vengeance, envy, anger,and discord are often higher within religious groups than elsewhere (“We have enough religion to hate, but not enough to love”). We need to be careful about this in Iskcon.
Recently I came across this quote.
"Religious people often become self-righteous, judgmental, resentful, condemning, etc. as they see more faults in man than other's see. Psycho... moreHare Krishna!
One of the ISKCON devotees who was initiated by Srila Prabhupada writes:-
Can We Be Worse Now Than Before We Joined?
Vengeance, envy, anger,and discord are often higher within religious groups than elsewhere (“We have enough religion to hate, but not enough to love”). We need to be careful about this in Iskcon.
Recently I came across this quote.
"Religious people often become self-righteous, judgmental, resentful, condemning, etc. as they see more faults in man than other's see. Psychologists have noted that piety can easily become an unhealthy form of neurosis rather than a healthy form of religion."
As devotees, we are given standards to follow, standards which can backfire by becoming a criterion upon which we judge others. This will make us more judgmental, critical and sarcastic than before we joined Iskcon. Of course, if we are advancing properly we will become more introspective about our own need to improve. But the judgment of others often happens before the introspection kicks in.
Many devotees also deal with a greater sense of failure/guilt because we have extremely high principles to live up to. This can breed jealousy and envy towards those who we perceive are doing better than us. It also can cause us to feel disgusted towards those we perceive are not trying to follow Krsna consciousness well. We are supposed to serve those who have realized the truth and help those who are struggling, but those who do better than we, can easily become causes for envy and those who do not do as well can become causes for our judgments, ridicule or condemnation.
Added to the above is the fact that we are emotionally invested in Iskcon and when we see situations we feel are not in line with Prabhupada's desires, we can become spiteful towards the culprits, the devotees we believe are responsible for those sub-standards. This often results in critical or hurtful statements towards leaders, and/or divisiveness. It can also put a disciple in an awkward position when his guru makes such statements.
It is not impossible to create a temple in which we do more judging, condemning, and dividing than encouraging, accepting and supporting. This is not only sad but a huge failure.
Added to the list of potential religious pitfalls is fanaticism which then breeds intolerance. When this fanaticism reaches the level of "I only follow, serve, honor my guru," we have degraded ourselves to the level of neophytes in which discord is inevitable. We have been plagued by this to varying degrees, in the name of guru bhakti, since Prabhupada's departure.
When philosophy is put in the hands of preachers who spend more time dwelling on other's defects than their own, or who are willing to step on other's toes to serve their guru and Krsna, then we create a movement in which there are far more distrust and separation than the love and trust Prabhupada implored us to imbibe in our dealings.
Prabhupada's example was of acceptance, of building a house in which all could feel welcome, encouraged, and above all fully accepted with all our faults. Unless we follow this example, we run the risk of creating a movement which, along with spreading Krsna Consciousness, is spreading something toxic, and thus a movement in which good meaning people join and can soon become more critical, judgmental, resentful, guilt-ridden - or even depressed - than before because they are not finding acceptance and encouragement for who they are. Many have left Iskcon because of this. This is sad - and bad.
Of course, to root out this kind of negativity we must start with ourselves. Accept, appreciate, and encourage others. If something is wrong, correct with a heart to help, not condemn. Inspire more than criticize.
Many times Prabhupada said "Love and trust." I think we need a lot more of this.
All the activities are equally important, chanting, dancing prasadam, reading, hearing, etc. Nothing is more important or less important.
When we read from Srila Prabhupada's books, we have to accept everything he writes, not appreciate one portion of his books and reject the other portions, just because they are not at present 'interesting' or 'blissful' to me. In fact, if I find that some portions are not interesting or blissful that means I are not yet purified enough ... moreHare Krishna Krishnaputra Prabhu!
All the activities are equally important, chanting, dancing prasadam, reading, hearing, etc. Nothing is more important or less important.
When we read from Srila Prabhupada's books, we have to accept everything he writes, not appreciate one portion of his books and reject the other portions, just because they are not at present 'interesting' or 'blissful' to me. In fact, if I find that some portions are not interesting or blissful that means I are not yet purified enough to appreciate how it is also related to Krishna. Because everything Srila Prabhupada writes is only about Krishna - the 'philosophy', the 'pastimes', etc. and a devotee is interested in hearing everything about Krishna from the bona fide spiritual master.
That is the method prescribed in Bhagavad Gita, where Arjuna, a devotee of Krishna, says: "I accept everything You say to be true." (Bg. 10.14). Arjuna does not reject these verses, saying that Krishna only spoke about philosophy in 700 verses and there were no 'pastimes' in Bhagavad Gita. In fact, in the Srimad Bhagavatam, it is said that after Krishna disappeared, Arjuna was disheartened but found solace in the words of Krishna in Bhagavad Gita: "Now I am attracted to those instructions imparted to me by the Personality of Godhead [Govinda] because they are impregnated with instructions for relieving the burning heart in all circumstances of time and space." (Srimad Bhagavatam 1.15.27) http://prabhupadabooks.com/sb/1/15/27
This means when as we become purified, we will find even 'philosophy' related to Krishna 'blissful', and can 'feel' it as you say, just like Arjuna is feeling! When I am saying of 'philosophy' - I am meaning the whole thing given to us by Srila Prabhupada in his books/lectures.
Why do we only take Krishna's pastimes in Vrindavana with His cowherd friends as only His pastimes? Even Krishna's speaking to His devotee Arjuna on the battlefield is also among His pastimes. Why is this not considered a 'pastime'? This is like sahajiyas, who only take Krishna's rasa-lila as important and reject everything else Krishna does.
Moreover, a devotee takes all the books as instructions from his spiritual master and relishes them equally. Otherwise, Srila Prabhupada would not have wasted his time and energy writing 80+ books on Krishna Consciousness. He could have just written only 1 or 2 books like Krsna Book and the Bhagavad Gita.
When a person reads Prabhupada's books, his mind cannot get diverted into speculation. It is also practical devotional activity, not a waste of time. In fact, if he reads aloud Srila Prabhupada's books, that is also devotional service. He is chanting, hearing and remembering about Krishna when he reads Srila Prabhupada's books. If a person can read 24 hours Srila Prabhupada's books (Nityam bhagavata seva), that would be excellent, because 24 hours he will be doing chanting, remembering and hearing about Krishna. If a person always reads Prabhupada's books, there is no question of speculating or creating mental concoction, as you say. He is not even giving his mind the chance to speculate or imagine, because he is just hearing and remembering "as it is" from Prabhupada, not "speculating about Krishna".
In ISKCON, the problem is that they speculate and concoct, because they do not like to actually read Prabhupada's books, they rather like to change/edit his books as they find them not as per their thinking/imaginations....
Krishnaputra PrateekHare Krishna . You are right Prabhu . But i never said that any of Srila Prabhupada books are wrong or i am dis interested in any of his book !
Neither i accept some portion or reject other . All are right .
And i do agree that all the pastimes of Krishna are equal wether in Vrindavan or in Dwarika or at Kurukshetra or anywhere else .
But tell me what will you give to a illiterate person ?
He will better appreciate Pictures of Krishna , His Prasada , His Flowers , Hearing his Pastimes then His Phyloso... moreHare Krishna . You are right Prabhu . But i never said that any of Srila Prabhupada books are wrong or i am dis interested in any of his book !
Neither i accept some portion or reject other . All are right .
And i do agree that all the pastimes of Krishna are equal wether in Vrindavan or in Dwarika or at Kurukshetra or anywhere else .
But tell me what will you give to a illiterate person ?
He will better appreciate Pictures of Krishna , His Prasada , His Flowers , Hearing his Pastimes then His Phylosophy !
Believe it or not but where Science end there Arts begins !
What is the value of getting Knowledge of Recepies and kept as it is unleds one Cooks , Offer and Taste ?
Srila Prabhupada Himself told Bhagvad Gita is the ABCD and next comes Srimada Bhagvatam and other Puranas etc.
An illiterate person would less speculate then a literate one . By saying this i am not telling to be an iliterate . When i was child i used to think less and was in present always .
Anyway , i'm not perfect or a 100% self realized person .
But to me when i read more phylosophy it become very source of sspeculations for my mind so i have started taking less amount of phylosophy and read more Krishna Book and watch Little Krishna and to me its much more practical to take Prasadam , do Keertan and other services .
And life is more simple and conscious and stays in present moments then before .
Nor do i think that after going back to Home i will ever have phylosophical singing with Krishna and Family .
Actually, advancement in Krishna Consciousness depends totally on the mercy of the the pure devotee spiritual master. So, if the spiritual master is pleased by the sincere service rendered by the disciple, he will get all knowledge of Krishna from him automatically, whether or not he is literate or illiterate. If that happens, even an illiterate person he can appreciate everything of Krishna: His pastimes, His philosophy, etc.
The whole Krishna Consciousness is a science ... moreHare Krishna Krishnaputra Prabhu!
Actually, advancement in Krishna Consciousness depends totally on the mercy of the the pure devotee spiritual master. So, if the spiritual master is pleased by the sincere service rendered by the disciple, he will get all knowledge of Krishna from him automatically, whether or not he is literate or illiterate. If that happens, even an illiterate person he can appreciate everything of Krishna: His pastimes, His philosophy, etc.
The whole Krishna Consciousness is a science - the science of understanding and loving God. The 'arts' are also part of this scientific process of loving God. And Srila Prabhupada has written 80+ books to understand this science. All literate people at least should take advantage of these books and, of course, follow the instructions (surrender) in the books. Srila Prabhupada himself instructs: “You may please me the most by reading my books and following the instructions therein.” http://krishna.org/reading-prabhupadas-books-is-so-important/
And when one actually reads Srila Prabhupada's books, one will find the more he reads them, one will feel happier. The best way is to read them 'aloud', and not 'in the mind', so that we can 'hear' also. In this way, the mind will be not be stressed and will not run into speculations, as we will only be concentrating on 'hearing'. And then that will become a source of never-ending bliss!
Of course, the goal is to ultimately serve Krishna in the way of the residents of Vrindavana. If philosophy does not lead to devotional service of Krishna (chanting, prasadam, etc.) it is useless. That is why Srila Prabhupada's books are unique: the philosophy brings one to devotional service, as Krishna advises Himself: bhaktya mam abhijanati.
Another point is at the present moment, we are nowhere compared to the level of those devotees of Vrindavana: we should not jump up and consider ourselves fit to be on that platform of the residents of Vrindavana, who, it is said in the Krsna book, have achieved that stage of playing with Krsna as ordinary cowherd boys after millions of lives of pious activities. For that we have to strictly follow the path of the spiritual master, who leads us to the Six Goswamis of Vrindavana, and to Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, by whose mercy only we can achieve that stage.
Also, the Little Krishna TV series is not an authentic description of the Tenth Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam, and deviates in many ways from the accurate descriptions in Srila Prabhupada's Krsna book. So I would not pay much attention to the Little Krishna TV series as an authentic description of what Krishna actually did or what discussions He actually had with His friends and others, when He was visibly present on earth.
‘He, the
silversmith, put the metal into the fire and sat watching it’.
The lady read
this line from a scripture and was confused what it meant. She decided to go to
a neighboring silversmith and watch his work and inquire with him.
And that is
exactly what she saw the silversmith doing with the metal. He put the metal in
the fire and sat watching it. She asked him why did put the metal in the fire and
sat watching it. He replied that he was watching the metal so that he could
remove it at ... moreHare Krishna!
‘He, the
silversmith, put the metal into the fire and sat watching it’.
The lady read
this line from a scripture and was confused what it meant. She decided to go to
a neighboring silversmith and watch his work and inquire with him.
And that is
exactly what she saw the silversmith doing with the metal. He put the metal in
the fire and sat watching it. She asked him why did put the metal in the fire and
sat watching it. He replied that he was watching the metal so that he could
remove it at the right time so that it does not melt in the fire.
She suddenly had
an epiphany that God (Krishna) does the same to us. He, like the silversmith,
puts us in the fire called life’s circumstances and waits.
She then asked
the silversmith again, “How do you know when to remove it from the fire?”
The silversmith
replied, “That’s easy, when I can see myself in the metal, I remove it. It is
the sign that the metal is free of all impurities”.
The lady realized
that Krishna, too, does the same with us. He puts us in the fire of life and
waits till the He can see Himself in us. She realized that when we begin to manifest
divine qualities, which is the essence of who we are, then He pulls us out.
When the impurities of lust anger greed envy illusion madness have dissolved
then we can display our divine nature that is unconditional love for all,
humility, compassion, forgiveness, understanding, sharing, respecting and being
responsible for all.
The purpose of
the Krishna speaking the Bhagavad Gita is when one who yearns to know the Truth
about the self, God and his connection with God, then Krishna sends him a
teacher to learn the Truth. He doesn’t even have to go searching for a teacher,
the teacher finds him through Krishna’s Grace. And when the teacher has shown
him the Truth about the soul and Supersoul Krishna, then the job of the teacher
is to guide his student back to Krishna, to connect him to Krishna and not get
him attached to himself (the teacher).
Hence, the job of
Krishna is to send the true seeker to a teacher and the job of the teacher is
to direct the seeker back to Krishna. Such a teacher is a window through which
Krishna is seen through clearly. Srila Prabhupada is one such teacher who is a
window through which one can see Krishna clearly through.
But
unfortunately, we are getting attached to the means and not to the goal. The
goal is Krishna. The goal is to display the divine qualities which are hidden
behind the illusion of forgetfulness. The means is the teacher. With some
seekers, the teacher blows away the smoke which hides the fire to shine bright,
in some he has to wipe the dust from their mirror to see clearly and with
most of us he has to perform a cesarean to bring out the child from the womb.
But in all ways,
it is to bring out the divine qualities which are already existing within us
which is unconditional love for all beings, humility, compassion, caring,
understanding, sharing, respecting and responsibility for all beings.
It seems that we are taking the words out of context and twisting
them to mean something else instead of imbibing the essence of the story or
parable as a whole. The intention of sharing something on Krishna Connect is to
actually connect with Krishna through insights from one another and not to
agitate the minds of others.
Hence, I
apologize to all those, whose sentiments have been hurt, though that was not my
intention by sharing on this platform. I shall desist from sharing any more
insights hereafter as it is agitating some minds.
I have learned
from the Scriptures that one should imbibe the quality of a swan which can
separate the water from the milk and drink the milk, and the bird who can separate the wheat from the chaff.
Krishna says, ‘I
am seated in the heart of every being and guiding them onward towards their
destiny’. ‘Prakriti is acting under My supervision’. ‘Not a blade of grass
moves without My consent’.
The above statements
should make us realize that everything that is happening is perfect and nothing
is happening by accident or outside of Krishna’s plan. If we see any imperfection
in the world it is because of our imperfect vision. One who sees with the eyes
that have been anointed with the collyrium (kajal) of divine knowledge, sees
only Krishna’s perfection in the world, which an ordinary mortal sees as the
world gone out of control.
Krishna is not
only a Supreme Person, but He is personally looking after each and every one of
us. We have to have complete faith in Krishna that whatever He is doing in my
life is perfect and for my purification. He is each and every soul’s personal
companion.
When we criticize
or judge others, we must realize that the mind is judging and criticizing. The
mind thinks that other people are the cause of my misery, if not people, then
the Devatas or my body or my stars or past karma or time are responsible for my
distress.
But the
Bhagavatam describes that the only person responsible for our suffering is our
uncontrolled mind. Similarly, the Maitri Upanishad describes that don’t try to
change the world, transform your mind because your mind is your world and that
is an eternal secret.
The whole purpose
of Bhakti Yog is, by serving our guru, we surrender and transcend the mind and we learn to see Krishna within guru's heart
and slowly we learn to see Krishna in the heart of all beings.
A dog will
recognize his master in whatever way he dresses. The master may dress in robes,
suit & tie, or stand naked, but the dog will always recognize his master.
If we cannot recognize Krishna, our beloved master of all masters, when He comes in a
different dress or form, maybe from another religion or caste or even as a neighbor,
because their views do not reflect ours, then we are less than that dog.
“One who sees me
in all beings and all beings in Me, I am never lost to Him nor is He ever lost
to Me” (BG 6.30 and 4.35).
Without being attached to the means, it is not possible to attain the goal of becoming situated in Krishna consciousness. In fact, the process of Krishna Consciousness is so nice that it continues in the spiritual world also. In a way, the means of serving Krishna is the goal itself.
The comments made here were never meant for personal attacks, but to understand the philosophy of Krishna consciousness, as explained by Srila Prabhupada in his books. It is always better for any of us not t... moreHare Krishna!
Without being attached to the means, it is not possible to attain the goal of becoming situated in Krishna consciousness. In fact, the process of Krishna Consciousness is so nice that it continues in the spiritual world also. In a way, the means of serving Krishna is the goal itself.
The comments made here were never meant for personal attacks, but to understand the philosophy of Krishna consciousness, as explained by Srila Prabhupada in his books. It is always better for any of us not to mentally speculate about transcendental subject matters, since they are evan manasa gochara (beyond the scope of material senses), but to understand them as Krishna describes, through His pure devotee Srila Prabhupada.
Neither was it ever thought that Krishna has any imperfection in His creations, which are always all-perfect. He is personally looking over everyone's purification, and therefore He sent us Srila Prabhupada.
A Vaisnava is always humble and tolerant towards everyone, but never towards an offender to Krishna or His devotees, as exemplified by Lord Chaitanya. So when he encounters Mayavadi philosophers, who are the topmost offenders at His lotus feet, naturally his mind is agitated because His most beloved Lord's words are misinterpreted and misrepresented. Therefore, he judges and criticizes those who are trying to mislead others.
Krishna's form is eternal, as well as those of His innumerable expansions. They are never to be compared to mundane forms. All the bonafide religions speak of Krishna, although some scriptures provide more detail like the Vedas, which were directly spoken by Krishna Himself. Any so-called religion which speaks otherwise is simply cheating others, and only a person who is less than a dog can accept them.
It is not just a matter of repeating some verses of Bhagavad Gita like "One who sees me in all beings and all beings in Me, I am never lost to Him nor is He ever lost
to Me." a certain number of times that a person achieves uttama adhikari stage. It is achieved through actual surrender to the spiritual master by accepting his words as they are. Moreover, an actual person in uttama adhikari stage sees no reason to preach or speak or share with someone at all, since he already sees everything as perfect, being engaged in service of Krishna. If someone preaches, that is always from the madhyama adhikari platform. An uttama adhikari, acting from the same platform, can do nothing for propagating Lord Chaitanya's sankirtana movement of reclaiming all fallen souls back to Home. That is why all the bona fide uttama adhikaris in Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's movement voluntarily step down to the madhyama adhikari platform to assist Him in His perfect mission.
Reena MenonWhy Do Devotees Have a Negative Outlook on the Material World?
SRila PRabhupada: The actual fact is that this material world is a miserable, negative place, full of danger at every step. It is a temporary abode of death, birth, disease and old-age, home of suffering and pain only. To come to this platform of understanding of things as they are, is not a very common thing, and therefore such persons who attain to it, they are described as great souls
SRila PRabhupada: The actual fact is that this material world is a miserable, negative place, full of danger at every step. It is a temporary abode of death, birth, disease and old-age, home of suffering and pain only. To come to this platform of understanding of things as they are, is not a very common thing, and therefore such persons who attain to it, they are described as great souls
The mind wants to
enjoy the objects of the senses
The mind wants to
control and possess others and things of in this world
The mind wants to
show it is better than others whether it is possessions or beauty or
knowledge.
The first one displays a Tamasic nature in humans.
The second
on displays the Rajasic nature while the last one displays the Satvic tendency
in humans.
The last one is the most dangerous of human tendency because
the one... moreHare Krishna!
The mind has only 3 diseases.
The mind wants to
enjoy the objects of the senses
The mind wants to
control and possess others and things of in this world
The mind wants to
show it is better than others whether it is possessions or beauty or
knowledge.
The first one displays a Tamasic nature in humans.
The second
on displays the Rajasic nature while the last one displays the Satvic tendency
in humans.
The last one is the most dangerous of human tendency because
the one who is in Satvaguna gets attached to the idea of happiness and having
knowledge and so considers himself/herself better than others. S(he) thinks
that having knowledge of the Scriptures is the door to Vaikuntha and so has an
advantage over others.
But the enlightened, one who is situated on Brahmabhuta
platform has transcended all the above gunas. He has given up the attachment to
acquiring more knowledge and attaining happiness. He has realized that
Spiritual life is not about acquiring knowledge but giving up or transcending
it. He has to drop all the knowledge about good-evil, right-wrong, joy-sorrow,
honor-dishonor. He has found the bliss within himself and he sees everything is
perfectly happening as per Krishna’s will. He sees everyone is helplessly
acting according to their Prakriti (guna and karma) they have acquired and this
Prakriti is working under the supervision of Krishna and not a blade of grass
moves without His consent.
He understands that everyone is at different stages of
remembrance and forgetfulness (Illusion) as per the gunas predominant within
them. He realizes that he too has been through that process of spiritual growth
through many lifetimes. Hence he understands their confusion about the real and
unreal. He helps those who take his help and understands Krishna’s Grace in
those who don’t. He allows them to walk
their path because he knows Krishna is guiding them onward towards their
destiny as He is guiding his.
He realizes that he is nobody who knows nothing and if
Krishna wants him to be of service to others He will give him a sign. He is
ready and waiting to serve others unconditionally as a service to Krishna. He
realizes that he is just a puppet and Krishna is the puppeteer.
In a way, he also realizes that there is nobody but Krishna playing
different roles, sometimes of a hero or a villain, a victor or a loser, a victim or
a perpetrator. He is in disguise that nobody can recognize Him. Hence he does not criticize or judge anyone
Hare Krishna! less
Reena MenonMahesh Prabhu, because the person situated on the brahma bhuta platform realises that others are infected with the three gunas he tries to help them by preaching the transcendental knowledge... by enlightening them to forget and leave their own ideas about spirituality since they are contaminated and simply follow a liberated soul who has transcended the gunas.. It is common sense.. why would any serious spiritual aspirant give importance to the interpretation given by a person who is infected by these thre... moreMahesh Prabhu, because the person situated on the brahma bhuta platform realises that others are infected with the three gunas he tries to help them by preaching the transcendental knowledge... by enlightening them to forget and leave their own ideas about spirituality since they are contaminated and simply follow a liberated soul who has transcended the gunas.. It is common sense.. why would any serious spiritual aspirant give importance to the interpretation given by a person who is infected by these three gunas... why in the first place any serious seeker who knows that he is in any of these three gunas dare or think of interpreting the transcendental scriptures if he knows that this has to be acquired from a liberated soul... Why in the first place would he create parables and ideas if he knows he is in the conditioned state????
It is simply that we must first give up this notion of "I can interpret in my own way" if we want to be serious or if we respect the acharyas and understand that we are nothing... Otherwise "shramaeva hi kevalam" Total waste of time..
Prabhuji, you may have many fan following for your blogs and comments but as long as there are followers of Prabhupada we wont allow you to preach your philosophy in Krishna connect and misguide others.. You may think whatever you want...Hare Krishna less
Having knowledge of the scriptures is essential since that is what distinguishes a human being from an animal. An animal does not have knowledge of the scriptures nor of the regulated principles (dharmeṇa hīna paśubhiḥ samāna). The ultimate purpose of studying the scriptures is to understand Krishna (vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyo) (Bg. 15.15), since by understanding Krishna one can immediately become liberated (Bg. 4.9) and become eligible for going back to Godhead. Unless one accepts ... moreHare Krishna!
Having knowledge of the scriptures is essential since that is what distinguishes a human being from an animal. An animal does not have knowledge of the scriptures nor of the regulated principles (dharmeṇa hīna paśubhiḥ samāna). The ultimate purpose of studying the scriptures is to understand Krishna (vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyo) (Bg. 15.15), since by understanding Krishna one can immediately become liberated (Bg. 4.9) and become eligible for going back to Godhead. Unless one accepts the regulated principles mentioned in the scriptures, he can never be elevated from the animal status to the human status, what to speak of enlightenment and attainment of the Brahma bhuta platform.
Hence, a pure devotee has only one master, Krishna, whom he serves unconditionally, and because he understands the purpose of Krishna in coming into this material world, which is to reclaim all the conditioned souls back to Godhead, he preaches Bhagavad Gita As It Is, all over the world, judging and criticizing all the bogus interpretations.
Although Krishna helps to fulfill the desires of the conditioned souls, Krishna is still aloof from their activities and is not responsible for their enjoyment or suffering (na māṁ karmāṇi limpanti) (Bg. 4.14). The desires need to be purified, and a preacher of the Lord's glories, therefore, finds all ways and means to engage everyone in the service of Krishna.
This parable has been posted before, but worth reading from time to time.
This is one of the most beautiful Parables which comes very close to the message that Krishna gave 5000 years about our real identity and our connection to Him and to others beings. A must read.
Once upon no time, there was a little Soul who said to God,"I know who I am."
And God said,"That's wonderful! Who are you?"
And the Little Soul shouted,"I'm the Light!"
God smiled a big smile."That's right!"God exclaimed."You ... moreHare Krishna!
This parable has been posted before, but worth reading from time to time.
This is one of the most beautiful Parables which comes very close to the message that Krishna gave 5000 years about our real identity and our connection to Him and to others beings. A must read.
Once upon no time, there was a little Soul who said to God,"I know who I am."
And God said,"That's wonderful! Who are you?"
And the Little Soul shouted,"I'm the Light!"
God smiled a big smile."That's right!"God exclaimed."You are the Light."
The Little Soul was so happy, for it had figured out what all the souls in the Kingdom were there to figure out.
"Wow,"said the Little Soul,"this is really cool!"
But soon, knowing who it was was not enough. The Little Soul felt stirrings inside, and now wanted to be who it was. And so the Little Soul went back to God (which is not a bad idea for all souls who want to be Who They Really Are) and said,
"Hi,God! Now that I know Who I am, is it okay for me to be it?"
And God said,"You mean you want to be Who You Already Are?"
"Well,"replied the Little Soul," it's one thing to know Who I Am, and another thing altogether to actually be it. I want to feel what it's like to be the Light!"
"But you already are the Light,"God repeated, smiling again.
"Yes, but I want to see what that feels like!"cried the Little Soul.
"Well,"said God with a chuckle,"I suppose I should have known. You always were the adventuresome one."
Then God's expression changed."There's only one thing..."
"What?"asked the Little Soul.
"Well, there is nothing else but the Light. You see, I created nothing but what you are; and so, there is no easy way for you to experience yourself as Who You Are, since there is nothing that you are not."
"Huh?"said the Little Soul, who was now a little confused.
"Think of it this way,"said God."You are like a candle in the Sun. Oh, you're there all right. Along with a million, gazillion other candles who make up the Sun. And the sun would not be the Sun without you. Nay, it would be a sun without one of its candles...and that would not be the Sun at all; for it would not shine as brightly. Yet, how to know yourself as the Light when you are amidst the Light -that is the question."
"Well,"the Little Soul perked up,"you're God. Think of something!"
Once more God smiled."I already have,"God said."Since you cannot see yourself as the Light when you are in the Light, we'll surround you with darkness."
"What's darkness?"the Little Soul asked.
God replied,"It is that which you are not."
"Will I be afraid of the dark?"cried the Little Soul.
"Only if you choose to be,"God answered."There is nothing, really, to be afraid of, unless you decide that there is. You see, we are making it all up. We are pretending."
"Oh,"said the Little Soul, and felt better already.
Then God explained that, in order to experience anything at all, the exact opposite of it will appear."It is a great gift," God said, "because without it, you could not know what anything is like. You could not know Warm without Cold, Up without Down, Fast without Slow. You could not know Left without Right, Here without There, Now without Then."
"And so,"God concluded,"when you are surrounded with darkness, do not shake your fist and raise your voice and curse the darkness. Rather be a Light unto the darkness, and don't be mad about it. Then you will know Who You Really Are, and all others will know, too. Let your Light shine so that everyone will know how special you are!"
"You mean it's okay to let others see how special I am?"asked the Little Soul.
"Of course!"God chuckled."It's very okay! But remember,'special' does not mean 'better.' Everybody is special, each in their own way! Yet many others have forgotten that. They will see that it is okay for them to be special only when you see that it is okay for you to be special."
"Wow,"said the Little Soul, dancing and skipping and laughing and jumping with joy."I can be as special as I want to be!"
"Yes, and you can start right now,"said God, who was dancing and skipping and laughing right along with the Little Soul.
"What part of special do you want to be?"
"What part of special?"the Little Soul repeated."I don't understand."
"Well,"God explained,"being the Light is being special, and being special has a lot of parts to it. It is special to be kind. It is special to be gentle. It is special to be creative. It is special to be patient. Can you think of any other ways it is special to be?"
The Little Soul sat quietly for a moment."I can think of lots of ways to be special!"the Little Soul then exclaimed."It is special to be helpful. It is special to be sharing. It is special to be friendly. It is special to be considerate of others!"
"Yes!"God agreed,"and you can be all of those things, or any part of special you wish to be, at any moment. That's what it means to be the Light."
"I know what I want to be, I know what I want to be!"the Little Soul announced with great excitement."I want to be the part of special called 'forgiving'. Isn't it special to be forgiving?"
"Oh, yes,"God assured the Little Soul."That is very special."
"Okay,"said the Little Soul."That's what I want to be. I want to be forgiving. I want to experience myself as that."
"Good,"said God,"but there's one thing you should know."
The Little Soul was becoming a bit impatient now. It always seemed as though there were some complication.
"What is it?"the Little Soul sighed.
"There is no one to forgive."
"No one?"The Little Soul could hardly believe what had been said.
"No one!"God repeated."Everything I have made is perfect. There is not a single soul in all creation less perfect than you. Look around you."
It was then that the Little Soul realized a large crowd had gathered. Souls had come from far and wide ~ from all over the Kingdom ~ for the word had gone forth that the Little Soul was having this extraordinary conversation with God, and everyone wanted to hear what they were saying. Looking at the countless other souls gathered there, the Little Soul had to agree. None appeared less wonderful, less magnificent, or less perfect than the Little Soul itself. Such was the wonder of the souls gathered around, and so bright was their Light, that the Little Soul could scarcely gaze upon them.
"Who, then, to forgive?"asked God.
"Boy, this is going to be no fun at all!"grumbled the Little Soul."I wanted to experience myself as One Who Forgives. I wanted to know what that part of special felt like."
And the Little Soul learned what it must feel like to be sad. But just then a Friendly Soul stepped forward from the crowd.
"Not to worry, Little Soul,"the Friendly Soul said,"I will help you."
"You will?"the Little Soul brightened."But what can you do?"
"Why, I can give you someone to forgive!"
"You can?"
"Certainly!" chirped the Friendly Soul."I can come into your next lifetime and do something for you to forgive."
"But why? Why would you do that?"the Little Soul asked."You, who are a Being of such utter perfection! You, who vibrate with such a speed that it creates a Light so bright that I can hardly gaze upon you! What could cause you to want to slow down your vibration to such a speed that your bright Light would become dark and dense? What could cause you ~ who are so light that you dance upon the stars and move through the Kingdom with the speed of your thought--to come into my life and make yourself so heavy that you could do this bad thing?"
"Simple,"the Friendly Soul said."I would do it because I love you."
The Little Soul seemed surprised at the answer.
"Don't be so amazed,"said the Friendly Soul,"you have done the same thing for me. Don't you remember? Oh, we have danced together, you and I, many times. Through the eons and across all the ages have we danced. Across all time and in many places have we played together. You just don't remember."
"We have both been All Of It. We have been the Up and the Down of it, the Left and the Right of it. We have been the Here and the There of it, the Now and the Then of it. We have been the male and the female, the good and the bad; we have both been the victim and the villain of it."
"Thus have we come together, you and I, many times before; each bringing to the other the exact and perfect opportunity to Express and to Experience Who We Really Are. And so,"the Friendly Soul explained further,"I will come into your next lifetime and be the 'bad one' this time. I will do something really terrible, and then you can experience yourself as the One Who Forgives.
"But what will you do?"the Little Soul asked, just a little nervously,"that will be so terrible?"
"Oh,"replied the Friendly Soul with a twinkle,"we'll think of something."
Then the Friendly Soul seemed to turn serious, and said in a quiet voice,"You are right about one thing, you know."
"What is that?"the Little Soul wanted to know.
"I will have to slow down my vibration and become very heavy to do this not-so-nice thing. I will have to pretend to be something very unlike myself. And so, I have but one favor to ask of you in return."
"Oh, anything, anything!"cried the Little Soul, and began to dance and sing,"I get to be forgiving, I get to be forgiving!"
Then the Little Soul saw that the Friendly Soul was remaining very quiet.
"What is it?"the Little Soul asked."What can I do for you? You are such an angel to be willing to do this for me!"
"Of course this Friendly Soul is an angel!"God interrupted."Everyone is! Always remember: I have sent you nothing but angels."
And so the Little Soul wanted more than ever to grant the Friendly Soul'srequest."What can I do for you?"the Little Soul asked again.
"In the moment that I strike you and smite you,"the Friendly Soul replied, "in the moment that I do the worst to you that you could possible imagine ~ in that very moment..."
"Yes?"the Little Soul interrupted,"yes...?"
"Remember Who I Really Am."
"Oh, I will!"cried the Little Soul,"I promise! I will always remember you as I see you right here, right now!"
"Good,"said the Friendly Soul,"because, you see, I will have been pretending so hard, I will have forgotten myself. And if you do not remember me as I really am, I may not be able to remember for a very long time. And if I forget Who I Am, you may even forget Who You Are, and we will both be lost. Then we will need another soul to come along and remind us both of Who We Are."
"No, we won't!"the Little Soul promised again."I will remember you! And I will thank you for bringing me this gift ~ the chance to experience myself as Who I Am.
" And so, the agreement was made. And the Little Soul went forth into a new lifetime, excited to be the Light, which was very special, and excited to be that part of special called Forgiveness.
And the Little Soul waited anxiously to be able to experience itself as Forgiveness, and to thank whatever other soul made it possible. And at all the moments in that new lifetime, whenever a new soul appeared on the scene, whether that new soul brought joy or sadness--and especially if it brought sadness--the Little Soul thought of what God had said.
"Always remember,"God had smiled,"I have sent you nothing but angels."
Reena Menon
I am sharing the dialogues of the same conversation. Please read..
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June 22, 2016
Reena MenonConversation
with Indian Guests
April 12, 1975, Hyderabad
Prabhupāda: ...nānyat. Na anyat. So this is going on. And where is surrender? If you don't believe in Kṛṣṇa, don't surrender to Kṛṣṇa, then what is the meaning of this surrender? This is going on. Our, one swamiji, is there in Bombay, Cinmayananda. He is a big speaker in Bhagavad-gītā, and he has constructed temple-Śiva-liṅga, the genital of Lord Śiva. Just see.
Mahāṁsa: He said he has translated... His interpretation of Kṛṣṇa is that this "Kṛṣṇa me... moreConversation
with Indian Guests
April 12, 1975, Hyderabad
Prabhupāda: ...nānyat. Na anyat. So this is going on. And where is surrender? If you don't believe in Kṛṣṇa, don't surrender to Kṛṣṇa, then what is the meaning of this surrender? This is going on. Our, one swamiji, is there in Bombay, Cinmayananda. He is a big speaker in Bhagavad-gītā, and he has constructed temple-Śiva-liṅga, the genital of Lord Śiva. Just see.
Mahāṁsa: He said he has translated... His interpretation of Kṛṣṇa is that this "Kṛṣṇa means black. Black is ignorance. So Kṛṣṇa is ignorance."
Prabhupāda: Just see.
Guest (1) (Indian man): I think one of the best persons in Madras who is translating the Prita-Gītā (?), isn't it? Cinmayananda Swami.
Guest (2) (Indian man): Cinmayananda?
Guest (1): Yes. I have heard it.
Guest (2): Ramana Maharshi, (?) has...
Guest (1): Ramana Maharshi was a great man.
Prabhupāda: Rāmānuja bhāṣya is a fact.
Guest (1): Ramana Maharshi?
Prabhupāda: Ramana Maharshi? No, he did not.
Guest (1): The Ramana Maharshi is actually a... Read Bhagavad-gītā. He requested you, "You should always read it."
Prabhupāda: "Always read it," but he never preached about Kṛṣṇa.
Guest (1): Eh?
Prabhupāda: But he never preached about Kṛṣṇa. He may be always reading, but he did not know what is Kṛṣṇa. He never spoke that "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord," never spoke. So what is the use of reading?
Guest (1): Ramana Maharshi?
Prabhupāda: Ramana Maharshi, yes, I am speaking of Ramana Maharshi. He never preached about Kṛṣṇa's superexcellent position, never preached. This is going on. Everyone is taking advantage of Bhagavad-gītā and he's preaching in his own way, foolish way. "Own way" means foolish way. This is going on. You cannot... Suppose you have got your philosophy, but you cannot take my book and preach your philosophy. If you have got philosophy, you write your philosophy. Why do you take advantage of my book and misinterpret? This is cheating. Because my book is very popular, you take advantage of my book and preach your own nonsense philosophy. This is going on. If you want to smoke ganja, you smoke in your own hand. Why you capture my hand and smoke? What is this? So the ganja-smelling will be in my hand, not in your hand. This is going on. Why do they take advantage of Bhagavad-gītā and preach their nonsense philosophy? That is our protest. You preach your nonsense philosophy. We have no objection. But don't touch Bhagavad-gītā. This is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. What is the... Do you think it is honesty that you want to preach something of your own philosophy and you take advantage of my book and mislead others? Is that very good, honest business? This is going on. This is going on, very dangerous position. In our country, and what to speak of other countries, all these swamis, yogis, and politicians, and scholars, they are doing like this. Very dangerous position. Why should you touch Bhagavad-gītā? You speak, you preach, your own philosophy. There are so many philosophies. But our only objection is that "Why should you preach your nonsense philosophy through Bhagavad-gītā?" Do you think it is right?
Guest (1): It's not right.
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Guest (1): It's not right.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That you should understand.
Guest (2): ...not believe Kṛṣṇa and preaching Bhagavad-gītā...
Guest (1): The thing is Ramana Maharshi did preach Bhagavad-gītā. He had (inaudible) ...so he kept quiet.
Prabhupāda: Why should he kept quiet if he has read Bhagavad-gītā?
Guest (3) (Indian man): No. But, say, it's like this. Man who has understood philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā probably will not attach much importance whether it's Kṛṣṇa, Śiva or somebody else, once he has reached the supreme state.
Prabhupāda: No, if Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa says that "I am the supreme..."
Guest (3): Yes, He says...
Prabhupāda: So if you read Bhagavad-gītā, then you must accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme. Otherwise, what is the use of...?
Guest (3): No, thing is... is that Kṛṣṇa is not supreme. Just because somebody doesn't pronounce the name of Kṛṣṇa, that doesn't mean that...
Prabhupāda: That means he does not accept Kṛṣṇa as Supreme. Therefore he does not pronounce. That is the... If he understands that Kṛṣṇa is supreme, he should... Just like we have understood. We are chanting always, Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa... This is understanding, not, not... If you... Kṛṣṇa says, satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ [Bg. 9.14]. That is Kṛṣṇa. Satataṁ kīrtayanto mām: [Bg. 9.14] "Always chanting about Me."
Guest (3): Yeah, but, the thing is...
Prabhupāda: There is no "but." This is the instruction of Kṛṣṇa. You have to accept it. Otherwise, you don't read Bhagavad-gītā. That's all.
Guest (3): The question is...
Prabhupāda: It is, it... There is no question of "but." Kṛṣṇa says that man-manā bhava mad bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. If you do not do that, then what is the use of your reading Bhagavad-gītā? Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityaja mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja, mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te. If you do not follow these instructions of Kṛṣṇa, then where do you, why do you waste your time reading Bhagavad-gītā, and mislead others? That is our protest. All these misleaders... Perhaps, throughout the whole world, it is the first time—we are preaching Bhagavad-gītā as it is. We are the only institution in the world that we are preaching Bhagavad-gītā as it is, and people are liking it. Before that, for the last two hundred years, so many swamis, yogis and..., they tried to preach Hindu philosophy, Vaiṣṇavism. Not a single person was a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, not a single person. Now you see so many young men. Why? Why this difference? Because we did not present Bhagavad-gītā adulterated. Presented as it is, that's all. What is the use of preaching adulterated things? Everyone wants... That appeals as it is. Therefore we present Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. We are preaching the same thing—"Always think of Kṛṣṇa. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. You remember Kṛṣṇa always." This is the simplest process. You see all these young boys. They are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. And they are becoming purified from the mode of our life. And these swamis and yogis preached so many years, not a single person was purified. They were drinking; they were having sex. How they can be purified? And in India even, these things are going on, the land of Bhagavad-gītā, the land of Kṛṣṇa. If you want to read Bhagavad-gītā, you take it. You follow it. Then everything will be done. Kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā śaśvac-chāntiṁ nigacchati. Api te su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. These things are there. You may be fallen, downtrodden, but if you take to Kṛṣṇa's instructions, then kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā. Very soon you'll become... Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati [Bg. 9.31]. These things are there. And nobody is serious to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They'll talk all nonsense, but he'll not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is going on. So our task is very difficult, and especially all these prohibitive rules: no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, even up to smoking or chewing pan. So who will accept this philosophy? It is very difficult. Nobody can. Unless he is very serious about Kṛṣṇa, nobody will take. They have not taken. These principles are our Indian principles. Striyas-suna-pana dyutaḥ yatra pāpas catur vidhaḥ. But who is taking this? Now they are becoming expert in intoxication, drinking wine. You see. This is India's position. In Europe, America, they do that because there was no such philosophy. But India... Here it is said, yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya karmaṇām [Bg. 7.28]. That, nobody's interested. Everyone is doing all sorts of sinful activities. And Kṛṣṇa says, yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpam. He can understand Kṛṣṇa. But nobody is prepared to give up sinful activities. And how he'll understand Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa is not very easy to be understood. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye [Bg. 7.3]. One who is siddha, perfect, yatatām api siddhānām... [Bg. 7.3]. Out of many millions of siddhas, one can understand Kṛṣṇa. This is... These things are explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. But nobody cares for that. He lives in his own way, and he has become a big authority. That's all. This rascaldom is going on. Only these few European and American boys, they have taken my words seriously. And therefore, with their help, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is moving. Otherwise, where is Indian? You are young men. If I say, "You come and join us," you won't do it. But they have done it.
Guest (3): I have got lot of...
Prabhupāda: Yes. Everyone has got lot of responsibility. I know. But Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityaja mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. That is Kṛṣṇa's demand. Everyone has got a lot of responsibility.
Guest (3): I don't say responsibility.
Prabhupāda: Then?
Guest (3): I say they have got a lot of bhakti towards Kṛṣṇa because in the house, all of us are...
Prabhupāda: Then preach Kṛṣṇa's philosophy. That is Kṛṣṇa's order.
Guest (3): Daily we celebrate that Rādhā-kalyāṇa.
Prabhupāda: Why you play Rādhā-kalyāṇa? Preach Kṛṣṇa's philosophy. Why do you go to Rādhā? First of all try to understand Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā has never said about Rādhā. That is very confidential. So why do you jump to Rādhā? Has Kṛṣṇa said anything about Rādhārāṇī in the Bhagavad-gītā?
Guest (3): Even in the Bhāgavatam you don't see the...
Prabhupāda: No, Rādhā... There, Bhāgavata, there is. That is foolish proposition, "In the Bhāgavata there is no Rādhārāṇī." There is. But at least in the Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa has never said about His Vṛndāvana-līlā. No. That is very confidential. That is not for common man. The common man, first of all let him understand what is Kṛṣṇa. That is Bhagavad-gītā. That they do not understand. Even big, big leaders, politicians, scholars, they do not understand. Because they do not take to Kṛṣṇa's instruction, therefore they fail to understand. And what they'll understand about Rādhārāṇī? You... If you are my confidential friend, then I can take to my family. And if you are outsider, why should you expect to come into my family life? This is common sense. You do not understand Kṛṣṇa, and you want to understand Kṛṣṇa's dealings with Rādhārāṇī. That is very confidential. Rādhā-kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī-śaktir asmāt. You have to understand Kṛṣṇa, then His pleasure potency, hlādinī-śakti. The difficulty is that we do not want to become a regular student. Haphazardly, here and there, here and there, but I remain the same thing. It is a science. Jñānaṁ me paramaṁ guhyaṁ yad vijñāna-samanvitam. Tad vijñāna samanvitam. Jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānaṁ pravakṣyāmi anasūyave, yaj jñātvā na anyaj jñātavyam avaśiṣyate... [Bg. 7.2]. But the Vedas do not say like that. Vedas say, tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. If you are serious to learn about that, tad vijñāna. Tad vijñānaṁ, gurum evābhigacchet. You must go to a bona fide guru who can teach you. Nobody is serious.
That is the difficulty. Everyone is thinking, "I am free," although he is pulled by the ear by nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ [Bg. 3.27]. You have done like this, come on, here, sit down. This is going on, prakṛti. Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate [Bg. 3.27]. The rascal, befooled by his false ego, he is thinking, "I am everything. I am independent." Those who are thinking like that, they have been described in the Bhagavad-gītā, ahaṅkāra vimūḍhātmā. The false ego is bewildered and thinking, "What I am thinking is all right." No, you cannot think in your own way. Must think as Kṛṣṇa says, then you are right. Otherwise, you are thinking under the spell of māyā, that's all. Tribhir guṇamāyāir bhavair mohita, nā 'bhijānāti mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛti sūyate sa-carācaram [Bg. 9.10]. These things are there. Read Bhagavad-gītā thoroughly, follow the rules and regulations, then your life will be successful. And so long you have got, this is also right, that is also right, then you will not do the right. You will all be misled. That's all. That is not (indistinct). What Kṛṣṇa says, that is right. That should be the (indistinct). Otherwise you will be misled. So we are trying to preach this philosophy in that way. Maybe, very small number, but ekaś candras tamo hanti na cittara sahasra. If there is one moon, that is sufficient. What is the use of millions of stars twinkling. So that is our propaganda. If one man can understand what is Kṛṣṇa philosophy, then my preaching is successful, that's all. We don't want many millions of stars with no light. What is the use of millions of stars with no light?
That is Cāṇakya Paṇḍita's advice, varam eka putra na chavur kasatan api (?). One son, if he is learned, that is sufficient. Na chavur kasatan api (?). What is the use of hundreds of sons, all fools and rascals? Ekaś candras tamo hanti na cittara sahasras. One moon is sufficient to illuminate. There is no need of millions of stars. Similarly, we are not after many millions of disciples. I want to see that one disciple has understood Kṛṣṇa's philosophy. That is success. That's all. Kṛṣṇa says, yatatām api siddhānāṁ [Bg. 7.3], kaścid vetti māṁ tattvataḥ. So, first of all, to become siddha is very difficult job. And then, yatatām api siddhānām [Bg. 7.3]. There is still difficult job. So, Kṛṣṇa philosophy is little difficult to understand. If they are understanding so easily, that is not understanding. It is easy, it is easy, if you accept Kṛṣṇa's words, it is very easy. That is the difficulty. Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakta, mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru, always think of Me. So where is the difficulty? You have seen Kṛṣṇa's picture, Kṛṣṇa's Deity, and if you think Kṛṣṇa, where is the difficulty? After all, we have to think something. So instead of something, why not think Kṛṣṇa? Where is the difficulty? But he does not take seriously. He has to think so many things, except Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakta. There is no difficulty to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Not at all. But people will not take it, that is the difficulty. They will argue simply. Kūṭaka. Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakta, where is the argument against it? You are saying that, they may not think of Kṛṣṇa, they may not say about Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakta. This is argument, this is not philosophy. Philosophy is there, direct, you should do like this, that's all. You do it and get the results. You go to purchase something, the price is fixed, you pay the price and take it. Where is argument? If you are, if you serious about that thing, you may pay price and take it away. That is the advice of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī. Kṛṣṇa-bhakti rasa-bhāvitā-mati kriyatāṁ yadi kuto 'pi labhyate. If you can purchase somewhere the thinking of Kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa-bhakti rasa-bhāvitā mati.
That is, we have translated into "Kṛṣṇa Consciousness." If you can purchase this consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, somewhere, immediately purchase it. Kṛṣṇa-bhakti rasa-bhāvita-mati, kriyatām, just purchase, yadi kuto 'pi labhyate, if it is available somewhere. And if I have to purchase, then what price? Tatra laulyam ekaṁ mūlam. Na janma-koṭibhiḥ labhyate. If you want what is the price, he says the price is your eagerness. And that eagerness to obtain it, takes many millions of births. Why you want Kṛṣṇa? Just like the other day I said that if one has seen Kṛṣṇa, he will become mad after Kṛṣṇa. That is the sign. These boys are certified in their own country by the Christian priests that "These boys are our boys, they will never come into church, they are never interested about God, and now they are mad after God. What is this?" Because that is the price only to purchase Kṛṣṇa. To mad after Him. Where is Kṛṣṇa? He rādhe vraja-devike ca lalite he nanda-sūno kutaḥ. Where You are? Where You are? Śrī-govardhana pādapa-tale kālindī-vane kutaḥ. Are You under the valley of Govardhana Hill or on the bank of the Yamunā? Where you are? Ghoṣantāv iti sarvato vraja-pure. That was their Kṛṣṇa consciousness, simply wondering where is Kṛṣṇa, where is Kṛṣṇa, where is Kṛṣṇa. Ghoṣantāv iti sarvato pure khedair mahā-vihvalau. Madlike, vihvalau. Vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-go... This is, this price one takes, then you can get Kṛṣṇa, you can understand Kṛṣṇa. It is not so cheap, that anyone can comment on Kṛṣṇa, whimsically, and he becomes a devotee. That is not possible. That is going on. I can interpret in my own way. Kṛṣṇa says, mām ekam. (indistinct) Somebody is taking Kṛṣṇa is black, somebody is taking Kṛṣṇa as something else. Who says Kṛṣṇa is black? Who told me?
Mahāṁsa: Cinmayananda.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Kṛṣṇa means "black." Sapta nuraman pure sita kar baba. (?) One has studied all the Rāmāyaṇa, seven cantos, seven khandas, and he is asking, "Whose father is Sītā?" Sītā is a feminine, and the Rāmāyaṇa expert is asking, "Whose father is Sītā?" This is their education, they are becoming big lecturer on Bhagavad-gītā, he has understood Kṛṣṇa means "black." And people are following him blindly. Big swamiji is speaking.
Guest: Can we (indistinct).
Mahāṁsa: Kṛṣṇa means, actually in Sanskrit, one of the meanings of the word Kṛṣṇa...
Guest: That is...
Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa is all-attractive, that he will not explain. In the Brahma-saṁhitā, it is said, asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam kandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya-viśeṣa-śobhaṁ [Bs. 5.30]. Asitām, sundaram. He is blackish, but He is so attractive, more attractive than many millions of Cupid.
Guest: (Hindi)
Prabhupāda: No, no. Why you should commit offense like that? It is a great offense to decry Kṛṣṇa.
Guest: (indistinct) ...describe Him as blackish or black.
Prabhupāda: But why does he say Kṛṣṇa means black?
Guest: Kṛṣṇa means black, (Hindi) Somebody questioned me: "What is Kṛṣṇa means?" Then apart from this, Sanskrit reply he gave: "Kṛṣṇa means black also."
Prabhupāda: So why did he not say Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive?
Guest: As far as Kṛṣṇa's features are concerned, we know it is (indistinct) black. (indistinct)
Mahāṁsa: The last time we had come here, I had come to just see on the first day what he says. So on the first day he said that now we'll have a gītā-jñāna yajña, and he said we will take the ślokas which are suitable and which ślokas are not suitable...
Prabhupāda: Just see.
Mahāṁsa: ...we'll reject those ślokas.
Prabhupāda: Not suitable.
Mahāṁsa: I heard that with my own ears. He said...
Guest: From Bhagavad-gītā?
Mahāṁsa: Yes. He said "We will take the ślokas which are suitable and which are not suitable, we'll reject those ślokas."
Prabhupāda: Just see. He is to judge which is suitable, which is not suitable. Just see, this philosophy. Cinmayananda or any ordinary person, he has to judge which śloka is suitable, which is not suitable. That means he is more than Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa has spoken something unsuitable—which he can judge. This is the position.
Guest: I believe that in another sense whatever is written, we should take the sweet from the (?)...
Prabhupāda: There is no sweets...
Guest: ...and if there are some...
Mahāṁsa: Everything is sweet in Bhagavad-gītā.
Guest: ...the other part is there. (indistinct) ...that other part, that meaning be...
Prabhupāda: No. Other part, there is no other part. There is only one part. Just like Kṛṣṇa says that
na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ
prapadyante narādhamāḥ
māyayāpahṛta-jñānā
āsuriṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ
[Bg. 7.15]
So there is no other part. It is direct meaning. If anyone who has not surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, he is either duṣkṛtinaḥ, mūḍhāḥ, narādhamāḥ, māyayāpahṛta-jñānā, asuriṁ bhāvam.
Guest: (indistinct) Don't attack the part of death. (indistinct)
Mahāṁsa: He was going to (indistinct) ślokas. He said he will not accept ślokas which are, we can accept, those which we cannot accept we will...
Prabhupāda: Reject.
Mahāṁsa: We will go for the next one.
Prabhupāda: Just see.
Mahāṁsa: That was the reference. He was saying, "Now from today onwards, I will start on this chapter and we will go on to these ślokas." He was referring to these ślokas.
Prabhupāda: Now Kṛṣṇa has written Bhagavad-gītā, not written, has spoken Bhagavad-gītā, and He is speaking to me and I have to judge which is suitable? This is, is that my position?
Guest: Perhaps what happens here...
Prabhupāda: No perhaps. He says that "What is suitable, we accept. And not suitable reject." Now who will judge which is suitable and which is not suitable? That is the question.
Guest: Here (indistinct) comes just for one day or ten days that...
Prabhupāda: May no, what is your answer to this?
Guest: That is what I was answering.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Guest: What he does, each day he takes one śloka, and he just goes on giving discourse for an hour or what... (indistinct) ...he just has his discussion, "Now this śloka, we will take and we will discuss."
Prabhupāda: No, I have read some of his...
Guest: ...because his Gītā is there, all ślokas (indistinct)
Prabhupāda: He has said somewhere, I don't particularly know, "The Indian priests(?) think like that."
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In his Gītā, in the verse that describes how to meditate on the formless, he states that although it says in the Bhagavad-gītā that it is very difficult to understand the formless aspect, he says this was true five thousand years ago but now it is no longer true.
Prabhupāda: Just see.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I have read in his Gītā.
Guest: Five thousand years ago it must have been true but now...
Prabhupāda: No, no. There is the verse, kleśo 'dhikataras teṣām avyaktā-sakta-cetasām [Bg. 12.5]. So in explaining that śloka he said, "It was painful five thousand years ago, but it is not now painful. It has become easy." That means the version of Gītā can be changed after five thousand years. Then what is the importance of speaking by Kṛṣṇa if it is changeable like material things? then what is the authority of Kṛṣṇa? Is it changeable?
Guest: (Hindi)
Prabhupāda: (Hindi)
Guest: It is the interpretation of the...
Prabhupāda: Why interpretation?
Guest: (indistinct)
Prabhupāda: Interpretation, first thing is that: why interpretation? If the meaning is straight, just like in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ [Bg. 1.1]. And someone is interpreting dharma-kṣetre means this body. Why this interpretation? Eh? The dharma-kṣetra, kuru-kṣetra is still existing, the station is there. People are going as dharmakṣetra. Kurukṣetra (indistinct) ācāret... This is the Vedic instruction that everyone should go to Kurukṣetra and perform ritualistic duties, that is being done and it is written dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre [Bg. 1.1], why interpretation?
Guest: (Hindi)
Prabhupāda: (Hindi) You are more than Kṛṣṇa? You are so, you have got the audacity to speak more than Kṛṣṇa?
Guest: (Hindi)
Prabhupāda: Interpretation... (Hindi)
Guest: (Hindi)
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We have to go.
Prabhupāda: We are discussing the same thing, we go or not go. (laughter)
Guest: People are waiting.
Prabhupāda: (Hindi) You are a young man therefore I am requesting you: don't be misled by these blind leaders. Take Bhagavad-gītā as it is, and you'll be happy.
Guest: (Hindi)
Prabhupāda: The meaning is clear, very clear. There is no question of interpretation.
Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end) less
Prabhupāda: Everyone is taking advantage ofBhagavad-gītāand he's preaching in his own way, foolish way. "Own way" means foolish way. This is going on. You cannot... Suppose you have got your philosophy, but you cannot take my book and preach your philosophy. If you have got philosophy, you write your philosophy. Why do you take advantage of my book and misinterpret? This is cheating. Because my book is very popular, you take advantage of my book and preach your own non... moreAn excerpt from this conversation....
Prabhupāda: Everyone is taking advantage ofBhagavad-gītāand he's preaching in his own way, foolish way. "Own way" means foolish way. This is going on. You cannot... Suppose you have got your philosophy, but you cannot take my book and preach your philosophy. If you have got philosophy, you write your philosophy. Why do you take advantage of my book and misinterpret? This is cheating. Because my book is very popular, you take advantage of my book and preach your own nonsense philosophy. This is going on. If you want to smoke ganja,you smoke in your own hand. Why you capture my hand and smoke? What is this? So the ganja-smelling will be in my hand, not in your hand. This is going on. Why do they take advantage of Bhagavad-gītā and preach their nonsense philosophy? That is our protest. You preach your nonsense philosophy. We have no objection. But don't touch Bhagavad-gītā. This is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. What is the... Do you think it is honesty that you want to preach something of your own philosophy and you take advantage of my book and mislead others? Is that very good, honest business? This is going on. This is going on, very dangerous position. In our country, and what to speak of other countries, all these swamis, yogis, and politicians, and scholars, they are doing like this. Very dangerous position. Why should you touch Bhagavad-gītā?You speak, you preach, your own philosophy. There are so many philosophies. But our only objection is that "Why should you preach your nonsense philosophy through Bhagavad-gītā?"Do you think it is right? less
Once there was a Rock,
filled with countless atoms, protons, neutrons, and subatomic particles of
matter. These particles were racing around continually, in a pattern, each
particle going from "here" to "there," and taking
"time" to do so, yet going so fast that the Rock itself seemed to
move not at all. It just was. There it lay, drinking in the sun, soaking up the
rain, and moving not at all.
"What is this,
inside of me, that is moving?" the Rock asked.
"It is You,"
said a Voice from Afar... moreHare Krishna!
Once there was a Rock,
filled with countless atoms, protons, neutrons, and subatomic particles of
matter. These particles were racing around continually, in a pattern, each
particle going from "here" to "there," and taking
"time" to do so, yet going so fast that the Rock itself seemed to
move not at all. It just was. There it lay, drinking in the sun, soaking up the
rain, and moving not at all.
"What is this,
inside of me, that is moving?" the Rock asked.
"It is You,"
said a Voice from Afar.
"Me?" replied
the Rock. "Why, that is impossible. I am not moving at all. Anyone can see
that."
"Yes,from a distance,"the Voice agreed. "From way over here you do look as if you are solid, still, not moving. But
when I come closer—when I look very closely at what is actually happening—I see
that everything that comprises What You Are is moving.It is moving at incredible
speed through time and space in a particular pattern which creates You as the thing called 'Rock.' And so, you are
like magic! You are moving and not moving at the same time."
"But," asked
the Rock, "which, then, is the illusion? The oneness, the stillness, of
the Rock, or the separateness and the movement of Its parts?"
To which the Voice
replied, "Which, then, is the illusion? The oneness, the stillness, of
God? Or the separateness and movement of Its parts?"
And I tell you this: Upon
this Rock, I will build My church/temple/mosque/synagogue. For this is the Rock of Ages. This is the
eternal truth that leaves no stone unturned.
I have explained it all for you
here, in this little story. This is The Cosmology.
Life is a series of
minute, incredibly rapid movements. These movements do not affect at all the
immobility and the Beingness of Everything That Is (God, Krishna). Yet, just as with the
atoms of the rock, it is the movement which is creating the stillness, right
before your eyes.
From this distance, there
is no separateness. There cannot be, for All That Is is All There Is, and there is nothing else. I am the Unmoved Mover.
From the limited
perspective with which you view All That Is, you see yourself as separate and
apart, not one unmovable being, but many, many beings, constantly in motion.
Both observations are
accurate. Both realities are "real."
This is not a realistic example, and hence, not satisfactory. This is because, in reality, a rock cannot speak, what to speak of asking or even answering questions. Can you demonstrate such a real-life example?
If someone has the ability to speak or to answer a question, he or she must be a person. And a person can move, speak, talk, and do a lot of things. Hence, to compare God, the source of all the personality and movement, to a mere rock, which does NOT have and CANNOT give rise to any p... moreHare Krishna!
This is not a realistic example, and hence, not satisfactory. This is because, in reality, a rock cannot speak, what to speak of asking or even answering questions. Can you demonstrate such a real-life example?
If someone has the ability to speak or to answer a question, he or she must be a person. And a person can move, speak, talk, and do a lot of things. Hence, to compare God, the source of all the personality and movement, to a mere rock, which does NOT have and CANNOT give rise to any personality or movement on its own, is not a perfect analogy. The perfection of analogy is there when there is the greatest number of similar points.
Hence, God is the Supreme Personality, full with six kinds of personal opulences. And He is best understood when we submissively understand Him as He describes Himself in the Bhagavad Gita, not by our mental speculation.
Reena Menon
True.. Mental speculation means imperfect knowledge... Surrender to authority with complete submission knowing ones true identity is the only way to real knowledge.. All glories to disciplic succession.. All glories to SRila PRabhupada!! HAre KRishna.. Haribol!
This is a parable of a rock having a conversation with God.
According to Vedic understanding, all the elements (Earth Water Fire Air and Ether) are personified. In ancient days, the Aryans and Rajarsis, elevated human beings and great sages, used to see everything as persons. They saw everything in a personal way. They thought of the creepers, the trees, mountains and everything else in the environment as persons. They understood that they were all persons who, according to karma, are wand... more
Hare Krishna!
This is a parable of a rock having a conversation with God.
According to Vedic understanding, all the elements (Earth Water Fire Air and Ether) are personified. In ancient days, the Aryans and Rajarsis, elevated human beings and great sages, used to see everything as persons. They saw everything in a personal way. They thought of the creepers, the trees, mountains and everything else in the environment as persons. They understood that they were all persons who, according to karma, are wandering through the different species of life.
In the Mahabharata there are many stories of inanimate objects which have been personified, even the river Ganga is personified. The weapons with which the Kurukshetra war was fought are also personified. The trees which Krishna uprooted in childhood were the personification of Nala and Kubera who were cursed in previous incarnation.
Nothing is impossible for Krishna and everything comes from Krishna and is divine. We pray and worship the same stone out of which a sculptor has chipped out the unwanted pieces and made it divine enough to be worshipped by us, but we fail to believe the same stone which also part of Krishna divine energy cannot have a conversation with Him
Once again, we are missing the essence of the parable which is ‘Achintya Bheda Abheda Tatva’ – the simultaneous oneness yet separateness of All That Is, God, Krishna. We are simultaneously one yet separate from each other and from Krishna.
Can you give the reference to this "parable" from the scriptures? Because one can tend to make up any story with his own philosophy and then call it a "parable" from God, to make an innocent person believe what he is saying is actually said by Krishna.
Anyway, whatever it may be, the direct comparison, or rather, replacement, that is made here of Krishna with a rock cannot be denied, when it is said here:
""But," asked the Rock, "which, then, is the illusion? The oneness, the stillness, of... moreHare Krishna!
Can you give the reference to this "parable" from the scriptures? Because one can tend to make up any story with his own philosophy and then call it a "parable" from God, to make an innocent person believe what he is saying is actually said by Krishna.
Anyway, whatever it may be, the direct comparison, or rather, replacement, that is made here of Krishna with a rock cannot be denied, when it is said here:
""But," asked the Rock, "which, then, is the illusion? The oneness, the stillness, of the Rock, or the separateness and the movement of Its parts?" To which the Voice replied, "Which, then, is the illusion? The oneness, the stillness, of God? Or the separateness and movement of Its parts?"
We can see here that "Rock" has just been replaced by "God" in the second sentence, as if the workings of Krishna are exactly like a rock, whereas actually, a rock is insignificant in potencies with respect to Krishna, the Supreme Personality full of six kinds of personal opulences: all riches, all strength, all influence, all knowledge, all beauty, all renunciation (unlike a rock), as per Vishnu Purana 6.5.47.
So it not a good analogy at all. And to compare any other thing (living or non-living) to Krishna is to not know what is Krishna. Krishna is the Supreme, Asama-ürdhva. Nobody is equal to Him. Ekala īśvara kṛṣṇa, āra saba bhṛtya [Cc. Ādi 5.142]: Krishna is alone God and all others, they are subjects.
Where in the Vedas are all the elements (Earth Water Fire Air and Ether) personified? Rather, they have been described by Krishna as His inferior energy in these verses:
Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego-altogether these eight comprise My separated material energies. (Bg. 7.4) Besides this inferior nature, O mighty-armed Arjuna, there is a superior energy of Mine, which are all living entities who are struggling with material nature and are sustaining the universe. (Bg. 7.5)
So the material elements are inferior, since they lack consciousness unlike the living entities, and cannot give rise to movement or personality. Of course, whatever we see in the material world is the combination of the inferior material energy and the superior spiritual energy. But the movement is due to the living force, not the material energy.
It is also true that if Krishna chooses, He can infuse living entities anywhere, as He does while creating the living beings in the material world: It should be understood that all species of life, O son of Kunti, are made possible by birth in this material nature, and that I am the seed-giving father. (Bg. 14.4)
As far as the Deity in the temple, it is not just any rock, but is an incarnation of Krishna (arca-vigraha), carved and installed according to the authorized directions of the scriptures and the spiritual master. Hence, the Diety is Krishna, full with all the opulence possessed by Him.
Reena MenonHAre KRishna Prabhuji! All glories to you... Lord Krishna has given you such nice talent and potency to preach Krishna consciousness and dispel the darkness of mental speculation and misunderstandings that arise due to misinterpretations and word jugglery... The entire spiritual health of the modern society especially India is suffering due to this infection of mental speculation and has drowned the innocent souls in its deadly poison... You can see nowadays how bhagavat Gita is misused by many so-called sw... moreHAre KRishna Prabhuji! All glories to you... Lord Krishna has given you such nice talent and potency to preach Krishna consciousness and dispel the darkness of mental speculation and misunderstandings that arise due to misinterpretations and word jugglery... The entire spiritual health of the modern society especially India is suffering due to this infection of mental speculation and has drowned the innocent souls in its deadly poison... You can see nowadays how bhagavat Gita is misused by many so-called swamis and yogis to market their nonsense philosophy and how ramayan is misinterpreted by comparing Lord Ram's transcendental pastimes with mundane material qualities of good and bad in this material world.. This is all due to ignorance and lack of respect to the authority.. IT is such a great service from your part towards KRishna consciousness and towards all the souls who are seeking to know the absolute truth in their own imaginary ways... Thank you Prabhu for your service.. All glories to SRila PRabhupada!!! less
Sarnaduti Brahma
Hare Krishna Mataji! Dandavats! All glories to Srila Prabhupada and his sincere followers! Haribol! I have no qualification, but when I confront bogus philosophies, I try to remember you, Srila Prabhupada and his sincere followers and how they don't compromise, and miraculously I then get some strength! Please continue to guide me in the future! Haribol!
Reena Menon
Devotees like yourself are my hope and inspiration.... who fulfill SRila PRabhupada's desire... All glories to SRila Prabhupada!! Haribol!!
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