GLORIOUS KRISHNA

Did God create us?

Posted: 21 Jan 2012 11:20 AM PST


Q: Did Krishna create the jiva soul (atma)? Bhagavad-gita 2.12 says soul was never created. So is God only a maintainer? Is there a difference and gradation between Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavan. All the previous acharyas like Shankara, Ramanuja, and Madhva have talked about Vaikuntha. I have heard about Goloka Vrindavan only in ISKCON.
Hari Bol!
Answer: You are misquoting Bhagavad-gita 2.12. Krishna does not say that the soul is not created. He says that the soul is eternally existing. That is something different. Krishna says in Bhagavad-gita 10.8 that everything is emanating from Him. Therefore we can understand that the souls are the eternal creations or emanations of the Lord. Accepting the truth of both statements, it is very easy to understand that Krishna is eternally emanating the souls from Himself. So, the jivas, the souls, are not created by God at a certain point in time. They are eternally existing as emanations or creations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

It is not that only the devotees in ISKCON talk about Goloka Vrindavan. Millions of years ago at the beginning of universe Lord Brahma revealed the glories of Goloka Vrindavan in the Brahma Samhita as the topmost planet in the spiritual sky:

goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni tale ca tasya
devi maheśa-hari-dhāmasu teṣu teṣu
te te prabhāva-nicayā vihitāś ca yena
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

"Lowest of all is located Devi-dhama [mundane world], next above it is Mahesa-dhama [abode of Mahesa]; above Mahesa-dhama is placed Hari-dhama [Vaikuntha, the abode of Hari] and above them all is located Krishna's own realm named Goloka. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda, who has allotted their respective authorities to the rulers of those graded realms."

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

The Lake of the Mind will eventually Settle Down

Posted: 21 Jan 2012 11:21 AM PST



"During the japa session, as the mind howls, don't give up the chanting. However bad the mind's demands, don't give in; let's keep chanting till we complete our daily quota. The lake of mind will eventually settle down. But be rest assured, tomorrow as you sit for another japa session, the mind will once again agitate. Again the solution is the same; do not react."

HH Radhanath Swami

Vrindavan Daily Darshan - 21.01.2012

Posted: 21 Jan 2012 09:45 AM PST

Association with Krishna

Posted: 21 Jan 2012 09:46 AM PST

Krsna Prasad

Posted: 21 Jan 2012 09:38 AM PST



We are devotees of Krsna. We are meant for eating the remnants of foodstuff offered to Krsna… If you want to conquer the tongue, then you fix up your mind that you shall not take anything which is not offered to Krsna. Then your tongue will be controlled. Tara madhye jihva ati lobhamaya sudurmati. Tongue is the bitterest enemy of the living being. The tongue is dragging. Jihva. "Kindly give me this immediately. Kindly give me this wine immediately. Kindly give me this tea immediately. Kindly give me this cigarette immediately. Kindly give me this meat." Why? Control. Krsna says, patram puspam phalam toyam [Bg. 9.26]. So we have to take prasadam, eat Krsna prasadam. Then naturally the other things will be negativated.

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 1.21-22 — London, July 18, 1973

How to become Humble?

Posted: 21 Jan 2012 09:36 AM PST

Devotee: How to become humble?

Maharaj: Before coming to the ashrama your attitude towards the devotees were sentimental, somewhat sentimental. And now it is becoming practical. So there is a difference, that is because now you are seeing that from a distance when you looked at them it was so easy to look at everyone as pure devotees, address them as 'prabhu' and become prepared to do anything for them. But when you come close then you began to see that they have their defects, or their dealings sometimes are not that desirable. So whatever it is that you recognize, just as you are practicing to become a devotee, others are also practicing to become a devotee. So they may not be a pure devotee now but some day they'll also become pure devotees. Just as some day you'll also become a pure devotee. So be patient and tolerant. And I tell you the spiritual life is very, very purifying. It's very purifying. I have seen with time how devotees change. Like, I remember when I joined there was one devotee who was so obnoxious. He was very difficult and nobody used to like him. Because he was so cantankerous, quarrelsome, proud, but now that devotee…actually, those days nobody wanted to associate with him but today everybody, he has become so pleasant that everybody loves him.  So how did he change? Because he is practicing the process and the process is purifying. So the point is when you are in the association of devotees don't be critical, but be tolerant and maintain a humble attitude. Yes, when you are close to them you will find many faults with them but at the same time you can consider if they have those faults, how many faults you have? That is how we should maintain our humble disposition and maintain our tolerance. That's how you become humble, as you asked how to become humble.

- HH Bhakti Charu Swami

Knowledge and Devotion

Posted: 21 Jan 2012 09:34 AM PST



Question: Someone may have knowledge but if he doesn't have faith in the knowledge, [inaudible] because you were saying just knowledge is not enough. So if someone really has knowledge and has faith in it, he will definitely execute it also. So if one doesn't have faith then what he has done, studied or heard, can we really call it as knowledge?
BCS: Let's go back to that example I gave, knowledge of food and eating food. If you really have the knowledge of food then you will eat when you are hungry. You understand? Knowledge of the food means knowing the characteristic of food: what is the purpose of food? But just knowledge alone of the food is not enough. How to cook the food is not enough. You have to know how to satisfy your hunger. That is the purpose of food.

Question: In other words if someone has genuine knowledge he is going to be a devotee.
BCS: Yeah, right, devotion automatically has knowledge. Devotion is the mother. Bhakti Devi is the mother and she has two children, Jnana and Vairagya, knowledge and detachment. The person who is situated in pure devotional service he is in full knowledge and he is also detached from everything material.

Question: If someone has a, I mean he is not yet a pure devotee, fully purified, but he is engaged in devotional service and he is experiencing the bliss of devotional service. Such a person, if he doesn't cultivate knowledge at the same time side by side, so despite of being engaged in devotional service is it true that he can easily get distracted by other things?
BCS: Yeah. So, you see, at that stage of sadhana bhakti cultivation of knowledge is necessary. What you are saying is the stage of sadhana bhakti. He is not siddha. He didn't achieve perfection but he is practicing. So when you are practicing, what you are practicing? You have to understand that. Certain degree of knowledge is, cultivation of knowledge is necessary. Like, why do we have Bhagavatam class? We are not saying just always render service. We have called a Bhagavatam class. We have Bhagavad Gita classes. We have other arrangements for cultivation of or understanding the spiritual life.

HH Bhakti Charu Swami :: Srimad-Bhagavatam, 3th Canto, Chapter 24, The Renunciation Of Kardama Muni, Text 36

Krishna will give you the Chance!

Posted: 21 Jan 2012 09:31 AM PST

"Krsna will give you the chance,"   'All right, if you have got still desire for material enjoyment, do it.'
"I want to become a king."  'All right, become a king.'
"I want to become a dog."  'All right, become a dog.'
He gives you both opportunity. And we are doing that. We're doing that. We are rotating throughout the whole universe in different types of bodies just to fulfill our damned desires."

[ Srila Prabhupada lecture, Nairobi on 11.1.75 ]

Vaishnava Aparadhas

Posted: 21 Jan 2012 09:02 AM PST

Vaishnava Aparadh

"In Krsna consciousness every man is so important because all of the activities of a devotee of Lord Krsna is beneficial to all living entities."
SP letter to Sivananda (June 15, 1969)

The Greatness of A Vaishnava 
Quotes from Hari-Bhakti-Vilasa
1. Devotees of Hari are very rare in the age of Kali. The position of the devotee is more elevated than the position of Lord Brahma and Lord Rudra.
2. The presence of a devotee at the time of death elevates even the killer of a brahmana to the spiritual sky. (10.86)
3. If a dog-eater becomes a Vaishnava then he becomes more elevated than a brahmana, and if a sannyasi is devoid of devotion to Visnu then he considered to be more degraded than a dog-eater. (10.87)
4. Even at the time of total annihilation the devotees of Visnu do not fall down. That is why Sri Hari is known everywhere as infallible, all pervasive, and inexhaustible; therefore there is no need to fear a devotee. A devotee never inflicts pain on anyone. (10.101-105)
5. Those who worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Hari are the best of all people and no one is better than them in the three worlds. (10.110)
6. Those sinless, magnanimous Vaishnavas purify the entire creation therefore they are even better than the places of pilgrimage. (10.118)
7. Those who are My devotees are not actually My devotees, those who are My devotees of My devotees are real devotees. (10.133)
8. My devotees who are surrendered unto Me and free from attachment and disgust, envy and pride, sing My glory all the time. They never cause any harm to anyone. They are always engaged in worshipping My devotees and eager to hear about Me, they are the ones who always carry Me in their hearts. (10.145-146)

Blasphemy of a Vaishnava
You are always alert to see whether you are committing some offense. This is a very nice attitude. In rendering service to Lord Krsna and His representative, the Spiritual Master, we should always maintain this fearful attitude which means careful attention. This attitude will advance you progressively in Krsna consciousness.
SP letter to Gopala Krsna (April 21, 1970)

Quotes from Hari-Bhakti-Vilasa
1. When one blasphemes a Vaishnava he loses his religiosity, wealth, fame and children. (10.310)
2. If one beats a Vaishnava, blasphemes a Vaishnava, shows disrespect to a Vaishnava, gets angry upon a Vaishnava or does not express joy in seeing a Vaishnava, he goes to hell. (10.310)
Four Kinds of Blasphemy to a Vaishnava
1. To find fault with a Vaishnava for his apparent low birth.
2. To blaspheme him for his previous faults.
3. To blaspheme him for his accidental fault.
4. To blaspheme him for the faults that are almost rectified.
(from Harinama Cintamani)

What to Do If One Commits Vaishnava Aparadha
If by chance one commits Vaishnava aparadha then he must be forgiveness from the Vaishnava very earnestly holding his feet. A Vaishnava is very merciful so he will immediately embrace him and forgive him for all his offenses.
(from Harinama Cintamani)

Offering Praise to a Vaishnava
This is actually a devotee's business that everyone should appreciate the value of other devotees. Nobody should criticize anyone.
SP letter to Tamala Krsna (August 19, 1968)

Now that you have come to my house today, I have become glorified; my life has become completely successful. To be able to see a Vaishnava is as rare as the good fortune of seeing Sri Hari. I must have acquired immense piety, huge as the Meru mountain that's why I got to see a great Vaishnava like you."
Hari-Bhakti-Vilasa (10.337-338)

- Based on Vaisnava Etiquette Seminar by HH Bhakti Charu Swami

Overflooding the World with the Holy Name!

Posted: 21 Jan 2012 08:55 AM PST



"Somehow or other if you can engage them in chanting and dancing, the whole world will be united." [Srimad-Bhägavatam lecture, Bombay, December 27, 1974]

In the Caitanya Caritamrita Adi Lila 4.39-40 the mission of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu is explained

"Thus with two intentions the Lord appeared with His devotees and tasted the nectar of prema with the congregational chanting of the holy name. Thus He spread kirtana even among the untouchables. He wove a wreath of the holy name and prema, with which He garlanded the entire material world".

"If the surface of the globe is over-flooded with the chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra, the people of the world will be very, very happy. (Purport to SB 4.24.11)

So let us overflood the world with the holy names and weave a sankirtan wreath around it.

- HH Janananda Gosvami

Yuga Dharma

Posted: 21 Jan 2012 09:40 AM PST

harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha
        
"'In this Age of Kali there is no other means, no other means, no other means for self-realization than chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name of Lord Hari.' (Brihad Naradiya Purana.3.8.126; Caitanya Caritamrita 17.21)
 
This is the yuga dharma for the age of Kali. For the four yugas (Satya, Treta, Dvapar and Kali) there are four Dharmas. 
 
krte yad dhyayato visnum
tretayam yajato makhaih
dvapare paricaryayam
kalau tad dhari-kirtanat
Whatever result was obtained in Satya-yuga by meditating on Viṣṇu, in Tretā-yuga by performing sacrifices, and in Dvāpara-yuga by serving the Lord's lotus feet can be obtained in Kali-yuga simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.
(SB 12.3.52)
 
So Krte Yad dhyayato Visnum – In Satya yuga the process of deliverance was Meditation on the Lord. Does meditation mean sitting at one place and thinking of something or does it mean to make the mind vacant? To begin with, the mind's business is to think, so how can we make it vacant and stop thinking? Yoga is not the process of this age (kali-yuga) and we can consider why it is not a process for this age.
 
Yoga beings with leaving home and going to a solitary place. That is the pre-requisite for practicing yoga. Even better to go to the forest and best is going under the water and meditating which is not possible for people of this age. This yoga process is known as Astanga Yoga. (Asta – Eight; Anga – limbs/stages). The eight stages are:
 
1. Yama: External Purification, not only to have a clean body, wearing clean clothes but this also involves eating only Krishna Prasad.
 
2. Niyama: Internal Purification by following the rules and regulations (Cleaning the mind from all undesirable thoughts and prepare your mind to be clean).
 
3. Asana: This does not mean some physical exercise.  The purpose of asana is to utilize the body to reach the destination. For example, if you want to drive a machine, the first thing we have to do is sit properly in the right side. If we want to ride a plane, we have to sit in the cockpit and not in economy class seat and then we have to know how to ride the plane or if we want to ride a bicycle, we have to be seated in a proper position and should know how to use the machine in order to reach the destination. Similarly, this body is a machine. Yantra rudhani mayaya (BG 18.61). Yantra means machine, arudhani means to ride. So this human body is a very special machine, because when we get this machine, we can reach our ultimate destination, the spiritual sky, Goloka Vrindavan. In order to do that, we have to learn how to ride this machine.
 
4. Pranayama: Prana is actually the air which keeps the soul within the body. These airs control different activities. Don't we say the prana left, when somebody dies? So when the pranavayu left the body, it means the soul left. This Prana is synonomous to our breathing. Generally we think breathing consists of inhale and exhale. But Vedic understanding says there are 3 functions: inhale, exhale and retain. So the practice of yoga (umbaka) is actually meant to retain the life air within the body. The Purpose of pranayama is to retain life air within and stop inhaling and exhaling. This practically means to stop breathing by retaining the air.  
 
5. Pratyahara: When the yogis stop breathing, then they are able to withdraw their senses from the sense objects. What do the senses do? The senses are constantly running towards the objects of the senses. Then as a result one develops attachment for them.
dhyāyato viṣayān puḿsaḥ sańgas teṣūpajāyate
sańgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ kāmāt krodho 'bhijāyate
krodhād bhavati sammohaḥ sammohāt smṛti-vibhramaḥ
smṛti-bhraḿśād buddhi-nāśo buddhi-nāśāt praṇaśyati
While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops attachment for them, and from such attachment lust develops, and from lust anger arises. From anger, complete delusion arises, and from delusion bewilderment of memory. When memory is bewildered, intelligence is lost, and when intelligence is lost one falls down again into the material pool. (Bhagavad Gita 2.25-63).
 
So the yogi at that stage, he withdraws the senses from the sense objects. That means the eyes will be open, but the eyes will not register anything he sees. Sound will be there, ears will not register because we are not running to the sense objects anymore.
 
6. Dhyana: Then begins dhyana. When our senses are withdrawn from the sense objects, only then we are eligible to meditate. Otherwise everybody is meditating, but the problem is they are meditating on material objects like money, family etc but this Astanga-yoga is meant for meditating on the Supreme Lord. Where is the Supreme Personality of Godhead? Isvarah sarva bhutanam hrd-dese arjuna tisthati - He is seated in everyone's heart. (BG 18.61)
 
7. Dharana: This stage means focusing on the Supreme Personality of Godhead present in the heart and then when meditation is fixed that is called Dharana.
 
8. Samadhi: When one perceives the Supreme Lord in the heart, that is called Samadhi.
 
So this is astanga-yoga system. This is not only possible for us but it was not possible for people in treta yuga so Krishna devised the process of sacrifice.
 
Tretayam yajato makaih. This means sacrifice, yajna. Does sacrifice mean pouring some ghee in fire? Sacrifice really means giving up - for whom? For Krishna. This is for Krishna , this is not for me. This is how one used to reach to the point of realizing that even I belong to Krishna. My money is for Krishna. My children are for Krishna. My family, home whatever I have is for Krishna. Then finally even I belong to Krishna. That is the perfection of sacrifice in everything.
 
But in Dvapara people lost that ability to do that therefore Krishna introduced another process, Dvapare Paricaryayam – worship the Lord in the temple. That worship also was very elaborate. That we can see in ISKCON temples, although it has been simplified to a great extent, but we can see how difficult the process is. So temple worship includes getting up early in the morning at 3:30 AM, then take bath, then make arrangements for the Lord to wake-up. There were atleast 6 Arati's and we have to offer to the Lord 56 Bhogas. That is the process for Dvapara yuga.
 
In Kali-yuga we lost the ability to even worship the Lord properly, therefore the Lord gave a very simple process – yajnaih sankirtana prayair; yajanti hi su-medhasah – Those who are intelligent will worship Him through this chanting. (Srimad Bhagavatam 11.5.32).
 
Now just consider, to chant the holy name do we have to go to a forest? To chant the Holy Name do we have to perform sacrifice? To chant the Holy Name, do we have to visit a temple? No. We are all working and still practicing Krishna Consciousness and chanting the Holy Name. This way we can see, in this age of Kali-yuga, it is so simplified.
 
So this is how Krishna works. Krishna wants us to go back to Godhead. If the son goes away from the father, does the father make him feel very criticial and closes the doors for the son to return? No, the father will make all arrangements for the son to come back. Krishna is the Supreme Father and we are all His sons. That is the difference between Christianity and Krishna Consciousness. In Christianity, they think God has only one son but in Krishna Consciousness we have the clear understanding that not only human beings but every living entity is the son of God.
 
Therefore we see that as we are losing the ability to re-establish our relationship with Krishna, Krishna, the Supreme Personlaity of Godhead is making it easier for us. As we are becoming dull, incapable and diseased, the Lord is making the process easier and simpler so that everybody can benefit and go back to Godhead.
 
In other ages, we had to make elaborate arrangements. Eg: When Yudhistar Maharaj decided to perform Rajasuya Yajna, he sent Bhima, Arjun, Nakul and Sahadeva to four different directions to bring all the wealth to perform the sacrifice, bring so many qualified brahmanas and also to perform sacrifices we need pure ghee from cows. Then in Dvapara yuga we need to go to the temple where the deities of the Lord are there. But the chanting of Holy Name of the Lord can be performed by anyone, anywhere and just by hearing the Holy Name, people get purified. It is the perfect arrangement to help all living entities.
 

- Lecture of His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaj :: Damodardesh 20.01.2012


--
Yours
Dinesh
Blog:http://dinesh-krsna.blogspot.com


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