Who are we trying to impress?

via KKS Blog by hina on 1/6/13

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 14 July 2012, Modra, Slovakia, Srimad Bhagavatam 1.1.1)

All throughout history, people have tried to impress other people. Some men have been wearing very high hats. Some ladies have been wearing very high heels. In some ways, people have tried to impress each other, generation after generation. Are we any different? Same thing all over again. This one has a beautiful T-shirt, that one a far-out tattoo. This one has very tight clothes. Yes, we are trying to impress but the center is the body.

It is said that the happiness of the body is very limited. Many of us we know that but then again maybe we don't know that. It seems that part of us knows it, and the other part really maybe doesn't know it. We are attracted to Krsna. Yes, we are these people. Everyone is looking at us Hare Krsnas and some people are thinking,'Crazy!'

And maybe they are right, but then again we are having a good time, because we like Krsna and we know that Krsna is spiritual, we know that his body is not material, it is never tired, it is not influenced by time. Krsna can eat unlimited and He does not  become fat, it's convenient. You never see Krsna running around the block, trying to stay fit. Krsna is always fresh!

Who are we trying to impress?

Abortion - the sinful act.

Ancient wisdom prevails

via KKS Blog by Ragalekha on 1/13/13

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 18 May 2012, Melbourne, Australia, Lecture at Bhakti Bhavana)

Transcribed by Yamuna devi dasi

It is so hard to do good things. You think you are doing good but it is so complicated to do good. It is so difficult to determine what is good and what is bad. Something looks extremely good and then after a while, you see, "Oh no! It was no good after all."

Modern ethics are always falling short. In general, you have an idea that it is good – to give to the poor. A lot of people would agree. But it is not necessarily so as many people will misuse it.

But whatever Krsna says, that is guaranteed. If you take the Bhagavad-gita then you are sure. It is so nice to live by the Gita; it takes us all away from this mental platform – deciding is it right or wrong!?

You see in Delhi railway station, you see everywhere on the walls: ABORTION and a telephone number. So it's going on, right? It is a good thing or bad thing, tell me?

Devotee: It depends.

Maharaja: Depends, ha?

Devotee: If you don't want and you can't give a good life to the child, it is better to not bring it into this world.

Maharaja: But how do you know what you can give to the child? You cannot be sure because maybe that child will get some blessing. Maybe the child is born in a very poor family by the side of the road and maybe I decided to drive past and pay for the education of the child.

So how do you know? Bhagavad-gita clarifies it completely, if we stick with that then NO PROBLEM. Krsna takes the responsibility. And of course in scriptures, the abortion is not allowed. By the scriptures, everyone who paints this kind of things on the wall is sharing the karma, even the person who takes the call, the receptionist, shares the karma. Everyone!

 

Ancient wisdom prevails

Not following the rules but yet transcedental

via KKS Blog by hina on 1/14/13

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 2 January 2013, Durban South Africa, Srimad Bhagavatam 12.8.46)

The general class of men don't know the ultimate goal of life and they remain bound up within the three modes of material nature. Sometimes, the word guna is translated as quality and in other times, it is translated as a rope for that which binds. So, the three modes of material nature are binding us. Although we say three modes of material nature in one breath, there is a huge difference between the various modes – there is an enormous difference between ignorance and passion and there is an enormous difference between passion and the mode of goodness.

The mode of goodness is in many ways parallel to the mode of pure goodness 'viśuddha-sattva.'For example, in our spiritual life there are many practices that we follow that are coming from the mode of goodness. The way we take bath, the way we eat, the standards of cleanliness in general;  these kinds of standards are all related to the mode of goodness. We are interested in eating things that are in the mode of goodness and offer it to Krsna (first), which is the ideal arrangement with prasadam, so that it is pure, transcendental and at the same time wholesome. That is our program, so therefore the mode of goodness is also part of spiritual life and it supports spiritual life.

Sometimes, we see transcendental personalities who are externally not adopting the mode of goodness. They are known as 'avadhūtaḥ' personalities who are not following the rules and yet they are fully transcendental because the essence is really the connection with Krsna. It is said that such transcendental personalities, who are not so careful about following all the principles of goodness, will never act sinful, because they will never act against the will of the Lord. They will never ever act in a way that is not pleasing to Krsna because a devotee naturally pleasing Krsna!

 

 

Not following the rules but yet transcedental

Evil thoughts and lust, devotee and Maya

Five methods of expelling evil thoughts: (Majjhima Nikaya 20)

1. gain another, wholesome object in mind (instead of one which caused these evil thoughts)
2. reflect on misery of these thoughts as unwholesome, blamable, leading to pain
3. pay no attention to them
4. consider the compound nature of them (analysis)
5. suppress and root them out with force of mind, teeth clenched, tongue pressed against the gums

Lust arises through unwise thinking on the allegedly agreeable and delightful: "One who accepts material sense objects as desirable certainly becomes attached to them. From such attachment lust arises, and this lust creates quarrel among men." (SB 11.21.19)

Methods of suppression:

1. Fixing the mind on an idea that arouses disgust
2. Contemplation of the loathsomeness of the body
3. Controlling one's six senses
4. Moderation in eating
5. Friendship with wise and good men (sandhu-sanga)
6. Right instruction
7. Praying for others (James 5:16)

Devotee and Maya

Devotee: Should we not be respectful to maya as the energy of Krsna?

Prabhupada: If you are respectful to Krsna, you are respectful to 
everyone. That is the qualification of a devotee. You are respectful 
even to an ant and what to speak of maya? Maya is one of the important energy of Krsna. Why should you not respect maya? Maya, Durga, we pray, "Durga" - srsti-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana-saktir eka chayeva yasya [Bs. 5.44] - when we pray Durga, we pray Krsna immediately. Because we have to see Krsna everywhere. We see the activities of maya. So we have to see Krsna immediately - "Oh, this maya is acting so nicely under the direction of Krsna." So offering to the police officer means offering respect to the government. So long the man is in the office, we offer respect. And without office. A gentleman offers respect either in office or not office. That doesn't matter. But actually if you offer to a policeman, maya means acting as police force. That means you offer to the government, respect to the government. This is the offering of respect. (Bhagavad-gita 6. 46-47 -- Los Angeles, February 21, 1969)

So we are praying to Krsna and Krsna's energy. If we pray to Krsna's 
energy, she is Krsna's energy, she will understand, "Now, he is now 
correct." So she gives facilities. She gives facilities, "Yes, now you 
can serve Krsna. I give you... I give you freedom. You are no more 
under my clutches." Mayam etam taranti te. Immediately you surrender to Krsna, you are immediately liberated. We haven't got to search out liberation separately. Immediately surrender to Krsna, immediately you are liberated, immediately, simultaneous. Mahatmanas tu mam partha daivim prakrtim asritah [Bg. 9.13]. At that time maya takes another feature. That is called yoga-maya. The same maya. Just like the same government laws acting in the prison house differently, and acting in the university differently. But the potency is the same. If we take protection of the civil laws, then you are happy. And if we take protection of the criminal laws then you are unhappy. That's all. So Krsna consciousness movement is that you have to take shelter of one of the potencies of Krsna. Better take the shelter of the spiritual potency. Then you become happy. You cannot be free. That is not possible. Just like you cannot defy the government laws. That is not possible. If you defy civil laws then you become subjected to the criminal law. You cannot say that "I defy government." That is not possible. Similarly, you cannot defy Krsna and Krsna's potencies. Better you take shelter of Krsna's spiritual potency and be happy. Mahatmanas tu mam partha daivim prakrtim asritah [Bg. 9.13], that is mahatma, who takes shelter of the spiritual potency of Krsna. And what is the sign? Bhajanty ananya-manaso. That is mahatma. He has no other business than to serve Krsna twenty-four hours. Then he is immediately mukta. That is not difficult. (Lecture on Science of Krsna -- Hyderabad, April 14, 1975)

Maya is very strong (BG 7.14). Who can fight with her? We will be 
defeated. But if we pray to her she will release us. Maya-sakti is an 
expansion of Sri Radha and we should pray also to Radha and Krsna for the same. This is the meaning of Hare Krsna mahamantra: to be removed from Maya's service and to enter Their service. Its influence depends on the depth of our realization. A renunciate especially should also have a respectful attitude to women understanding them to be representatives of Laksmi (married ones) (as per Manu samhita 9.26) and Devi (unmarried ones). Their blessings keep him free from maya, disrespect toward them causes his falldown.

Evil thoughts and lust, devotee and Maya

Many great personalities never failed to keep their words in the battle of Mahabharata. For great persons like Grandsire Bhisma the oath they have taken are more than their life. They keep their words even at the risk of their life and comfort.

The Supreme Lord is the ideal personality who fulfills the desires of all the living entities. Lord Krishna was ready to even break his promise of not using weapons when His devotee Arjuna was in danger. That's the love He has for His devotees. He is bound by the love of His dear devotees that He sells Himself to that love.

Yours
Dinesh

Love or Morality?