Monthly Archives: July 2015

Raising our children in Krishna consciousness

by

Hare Krishna.

27th July, 2015. Gurgaon.

I regularly hear parents complaining that their children don’t listen to them or they do not have basic etiquette while talking to parents or siblings, everything is about their own self.

Some examples

During a recent house program a Mataji marveled at the 8 year son of a devotee couple, how effortlessly he sat through the whole  1.5 hours program and completed his homework without any protest. Mataji recollected that before coming to this program she yelled at her 15 year old daughter to study for her class test next day. She was exasperated just narrating it. Being the father of a teenage girl my own self, I could relate to her frustration.

Few months back a worried father called up to seek help as his son seems to be trading illegal substances in his first year at college.

Another father shared how his son is ‘printing’ currency notes on his home printer and trading it just for ‘kicks’.

Are we willing to change for our children’s sake ?

The real surprise is that when I ask the parent if they would be willing to change for the sake of their children, they think of my changed lifestyle,  and the generally the answer is a polite N0!

The problem is that we, as parents, are ourselves so busy in so-called `enjoying my life’ that we are also guilty in neglecting our duty of raising our kids properly. In many cases the material life has become so busy, with both parents working hard, children are bound to get neglected. Of course, today the whole atmosphere is polluted with exposure from TV, mobile and now the final nail has been stuck by internet. Most of the digital games to promote hatred and violence in our young children. But all this should mean more care and protection and not less.

In my little experience I have found that where both the parents are devotees, children usually come up nicely as both role models are similar. Issues crop up where only one of them, mother or father, is practicing  Krishna consciousness. At times children become confused but generally stay grounded and pick up some or many good habits depending upon many factors. Since kids spend most  time with Matajis, it becomes more challenging if mothers are not devotees. Any devotee must spend a lot of time with his kids. Sometimes the devotees get so busy in their own sadhana that they forget about sharing love and preach to their own kids, may be because of resistance from the other half. For example: a father must listen and play with kids and in some plays introduce Krishna consciousness. We have to make an effort to change their thinking, their thought process and make them ready to face both material world and progress in spiritual world. But the big problem is where both parents have no idea about spirituality, it is a big gamble for them in today’s environment.

Many times we forget that our children imitate and absorb more from our own behaviour. They carefully observe how their parents behave with each other, with them and with the outside world. We cannot teach them to be polite and then fight like cats and dogs in front of them. They will not ‘hear’ us if we don’t ‘hear’ them. I am also learning all this the hard way.

I spoke to Shyamsundar Prabhu and sought his views as Prabhuji was himself raised in a Krishna consciousness family and now he is a proud father of two very well raised kids. Prabhuji stated:  We need to comprehend our kids’ strengths and weakness. The parents must see whether to plug weakness of your child so that it doesn’t become impediment in the path of their spiritual progress or harness their strength so that they become more fixed in bhakti and weaknesses get effaced over a period of time. For example: my son was very good in reading but had low attention span. I gave him KC books and made the glories of Krishna so interesting for him that his concentration span increased by leaps and bound. I focused on his weakness of concentration: read Krishna book to him; exchanged kathas and learning from each kathas. On the other hand my daughter had interest in music and food but totally disinterested in philosophy discussion. So all I did was to use her strength in music and recognition by others to motivate her. She is now learning the importance of humility that she has to sing for the pleasure of the Lord and devotees and not for her own recognition.

Prabhuji also stressed that we should never loose hope that your kids won’t come in Krishna Consciousness. Keep trying. But do not push too hard that chord breaks. It should be subtle and slowly if there is resistance. Patience pays. For kids to respect, the kids must look up to us and have higher standards so that they have something to achieve as benchmark. Both, parents and kids, should be able to push each other to have mutual respect and love for each other.

 Srila Prabhupada wrote many letters to his disciples on raising the kids and I am sharing some.

What is the aim of married life ?

The aim of married life is to produce nice children, Kṛṣṇa conscious children. That is the best service to the human society: produce nice children. Don’t produce cats and dogs. That is my request. Otherwise don’t produce. Remain separate. Separate means there is no separation, but don’t produce children. That is my request. Putrārthe… Pitā na sa syāj jananī sā syāt. The Bhāgavata says, “One should not become a father, one should not become a mother, unless they are able to protect the children from the imminent danger of death.” What is that? The cycle of birth and death. If you can train your children to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then your child will go back to Godhead in this life. That should be the aim. As you will try to go back to Godhead in this life, similarly, you shall take charge of your children that he can also go in this life back to Godhead. The mother’s and father’s duty should be that “This child is born out of my womb, and this is the last phase of his life, to come into this womb of any animal or man—no more material body.” That should be the responsibility of father and mother. That is the direction of Bhāgavata. (Paramananda & Satyabhama’s Wedding — Montreal, July 22, 1968: )

Who should beget children ?

If you and your wife want to have children for raising them in Krishna Consciousness, and if you are prepared to take the full responsibility for delivering them from the clutches of birth and death, then I have no objection. (Letter to Sri Govinda — Jaipur 20 January, 1972)

How to raise them ?

The basic idea of raising children as they are described in the Vedic literature is that from birth till the age of five years the parents may be very lenient with the child. From the ages six to ten they should tighten the discipline of their child, and from the ages of ten till the sixteenth year the parents should be as strict as a tiger with their child so that he will be afraid to be disobedient at all. Then after the sixteenth year the parents shall treat their child as a friend, and the child is allowed to gradually develop his adult responsibility and independence. (Letter to Vibhavati – Los Angeles 15 July, 1969)

Please also take care of the children. They are our future hopes, and the adolescent age is the most dangerous age. It is the turning point of one’s life. In this age, if you take care of the children, surely they will come out first class Krishna Conscious devotees. (Excerpt from a letter written to Hayagriva — London 7 November, 1969)

Don’t neglect them for any cause.

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 19, 1972,….. For you, child-worship is more important than deity-worship. If you cannot spend time with him, then stop the duties of pujari. At least you must take good care of your son until he is four years old… These children are given to us by Krishna, they are Vaisnavas and we must be very careful to protect them. These are not ordinary children, they are Vaikuntha children, and we are very fortunate we can give them chance to advance further in Krishna Consciousness. That is very great responsibility, do not neglect it or be confused. Your duty is very clear. (Letter to Arundhati — Amsterdam 30 July, 1972)

Can they be trained ?

Pradyumna: “Children who appear in such families fortunately generally imitate such worship of the Deities, even in the way…”

Prabhupāda: Children’s nature is to imitate, because they have to learn. So nature has given them the propensity to imitate. So the first imitation begins from the parents. So if the parent is nice Kṛṣṇa devotee, naturally the children become devotees. That is the opportunity of taking birth in a Vaiṣṇava family. So you are all Vaiṣṇavas. If your children do not become Vaiṣṇava in the future, then it is a great, I meant to say, fault on your part. So you should be very cautious, careful, that children are not going astray, they are becoming actually Kṛṣṇa conscious. That means you have to imitate, er, you have to be devotee, and they will imitate. By imitation, imitation, imitation, they will come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then they will never give it up. (Lecture on SB 2.3.15 — Los Angeles, June 1, 1972)

I want hundreds of children !

Regarding the child problem: I may inform you that all our children born of the Krishna conscious parents, they are welcome and I want hundreds of children like that. Because in future we expect to change the face of the whole world, because child is the father of man. Anyway, I have seen Malati is nursing her child so nicely that she attended my meeting every day and the child was playing and she never cried. Similarly, Lilavati’s child also never cries or disturbs the meeting. Lilavati was always present with her child, so it depends on the mother. How to keep the child comfortable, so that it will not cry. The child cries only when it feels uncomfortable. The child’s comfort and discomfort depends on the mother’s attention. (Letter to Krsna Devi — Montreal 21 August, 1968)

So we see that being a parent come with lots of responsibility and that should not mean just pushing Krishna consciousness down their throat or giving up when we face resistance. Specially in a family atmosphere one has lead with more effort and humility. We should see ourselves more as a caretaker whom Krishna has handed over these special souls for some time. Even when we face resistance we should continue our efforts with lot of affection and productive time, they will bear result. We should see such circumstances as Krishna’s special mercy on us that He has given us some challenging situation which is good for our own spiritual progress, on job training! All this may involve praying and then striving to inculcate more compassion, humility, intelligence, affection, a softer heart, patience, faith in Krishna and much more but don’t we all hanker to have these very qualities as a devotee!

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

All glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga.

Daksa curses lord Siva

by

Hare Krishna.

28th July, 2015. Gurgaon.

Photobucket

I continue to hear the most amazing seminar given by HG Srimati Mataji on ‘demons in Krishna’s pastimes and the anarthas they represent’. four days back I heard a beautiful interactive discussion during the seminar with Srimati Mataji, HG Madhavananda Prabhuji and other very realised, and fortunate, devotees.

This particular discussion was part of ‘Krishna kills Kamsa’. The reference of pastime of Dakṣa and lord Siva came to discuss the anartha of pride, coming from karma and jnana.

Here is the relevant section from Srimad Bhagavatam to refresh that incident which led to Daksa cursing lord Siva.

When Daksa, the leader of the Prajäpatis, entered that assembly, his personal bodily luster as bright as the effulgence of the sun, the entire assembly was illuminated, and all the assembled personalities became insignificant in his presence. Influenced by his personal bodily luster, all the fire-gods and other participants in that great assembly, with the exceptions of Lord Brahmä and Lord Siva, gave up their own sitting places and stood in respect for Daksa.

Daksa was adequately welcomed by the president of the great assembly, Lord Brahmä. After offering Lord Brahmä respect, Daksa, by the order of Brahmä, properly took his seat.

Before taking his seat, however, Daksa was very much offended to see Lord Siva sitting and not showing him any respect. At that time, Daksa became greatly angry, and, his eyes glowing, he began to speak very strongly against Lord Siva. All sages, brahmanas and fire-gods present, please hear me with attention, for I speak about the manners of gentle persons. I do not speak out of ignorance or envy. Siva has spoiled the name and fame of the governors of the universe and has polluted the path of gentle manners. Because he is shameless, he does not know how to act. He has already accepted himself as my subordinate by marrying my daughter in the presence of fire and brahmanas. He has married my daughter, who is equal to Gäyatri, and has pretended to be just like an honest person. He has eyes like a monkey’s, yet he has married my daughter, whose eyes are just like those of a deer cub. Nevertheless he did not stand up to receive me, nor did he think it fit to welcome me with sweet words. I had no desire to give my daughter to this person, who has broken all rules of civility. Because of not observing the required rules and regulations, he is impure, but I was obliged to hand over my daughter to him just as one teaches the messages of the Vedas to a Sudra. He lives in filthy places like crematoriums, and his companions are the ghosts and demons. Naked like a madman, sometimes laughing and sometimes crying, he smears crematorium ashes all over his body. He does not bathe regularly, and he ornaments his body with a garland of skulls and bones. Therefore only in name is he Siva, or auspicious; actually, he is the most mad and inauspicious creature. Thus he is very dear to crazy beings in the gross mode of ignorance, and he is their leader. (SB 4.2.5-15)

“Daksa then cursed Lord Siva. Unable to tolerate this, Nandishvara, one of Lord Siva’s principal associate cursed Daksa and all the brahmanas present. Then, as a reaction the sage Bhrgu cursed the followers of Lord Siva.”

Brainstorm -1

The sage Maitreya said: When such cursing and counter cursing was going on between Lord Śiva’s followers and the parties of Dakṣa and Bhṛgu, Lord Śiva became very morose. Not saying anything, he left the arena of the sacrifice, followed by his disciples. (SB 4.2.33)

Srila Prabhupada writes in his purport for the above verse : Here Lord Śiva’s excellent character is described. In spite of the cursing and counter cursing between the parties of Dakṣa and Śiva, because he is the greatest Vaiṣṇava he was so sober that he did not say anything. A Vaiṣṇava is always tolerant, and Lord Śiva is considered the topmost Vaiṣṇava, so his character, as shown in this scene, is excellent. He became morose because he knew that these people, both his men and Dakṣa’s, were unnecessarily cursing and counter cursing one another, without any interest in spiritual life. From his point of view, he did not see anyone as lower or higher, because he is a Vaiṣṇava. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (5.18), paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ: one who is perfectly learned does not see anyone as lesser or greater, because he sees everyone from the spiritual platform. Thus the only alternative left to Lord Śiva was to leave in order to stop his follower, Nandīśvara, as well as Bhṛgu Muni, from cursing and counter cursing in that way.

Brainstorm -2

People’s association with karma and jnana is the result of attachment born from the prejudices of one’s nature that are produced from past karma and jnana…Karmis and jnanis disrespect Vaishnavas only due to this attachment for prejudices…Offenses at the feet of sadhus is due to being proud of one’s karma and jnana…(Such) worldly attachment is contrary to acceptance of Krishna’s undisputed supremacy, and it therefore does not allow the unfortunate living entity to fully surrender to the Lord. (Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s Sri Bhaktyaloka, “Sanga-tyaga”)

Srimati Mataji then asked the devotees to share there realisation or understanding from the above hearing.

Devotee 1: She shared how when she read the same pastime in Harivamsa Purana there was no mention of how Sati gave up her body and how Siva was offended and how it is given in complete detail in Srimad Bhagavatam. And without these details one could miss  the whole point from this pastime. So we are very fortunate to have Srimad Bhagavatam and Prabhupada commentaries.

Srimati Mataji then recounted the same day’s morning lecture which a Sanyasi, I couldn’t get the name, gave at the temple. Maharaj compared Srimad Bhagavatam to the other puranas. Maharaj stated that a major difference between other puranas and Bhagavata Purana  is that the Bhagvata purana is concerned only with glorification of Krishna and His devotees. This is a very common thing which is happening throughout the Bhagavatam. Where as there are different emphasis in other puranas, they basically talk about God, they are not talking about Krishna and His associates. In Bhagavatam we get the essence of all things.

The devotee then shared how so many people who have read shastra they keep on arguing about what they read, how their own understanding is right, I know this and I have read that…. but it is only after reading Bhagavatam does one get complete understanding and knowledge.

Srimati mataji added that in the teachings of Lord Kapila Deva in SB 3.29, Lord Kapila states that devotional service is never contaminated but the people who perform are! And they can actually perform it in eighty one different ways, eighty one different modes. (SB 3.29.10). Mataji said this is where the quality of humility comes in.

Srimati Mataji said that these days humility is going out of the window, and we can see how it is going out. Mataji asked ‘Why in the Vedic times, in the gurukul, students would clean everything, they will clean the toilets, they will clean their ashram, wash their own clothes – didn’t send them to a Dhobi.  Why ?  Because if we want the knowledge to manifest in our heart in a pure and simple way then there has to be humility. And by doing those menial services we imbibe that mood. That we are not someone special. Not like everyone else can clean the ashram and I can read a book! not like that. Mataji said that’s how we see that the real sadhus in Vrindavan they don’t have cleaners. They do everything themselves, they wash their own clothes, they don’t have cooks. I am Thakurji’s servant… I am living here as a servant….servant does these things…servant cleans the house…servant cooks for Thakurji, this is the mood.

Devotee 2: She stated that her understanding from the above is that its Pride which leads one to his downfall. Daksa is expecting respect from Siva, similarly if we have this kind of expectation that people should respect me then it is a sure sign that we will fall down.

Srimati mataji : I really like the input given by Bhaktivinoda Thakura about this attachment to karma and jnana. Daksha was really like a karmi, a first class karmi! So his whole analysis of Siva is through those lenses, Siva doesn’t follow rules and regulations, doesn’t take his bath, and all this stuff. He is looking at him through karma yoga.

Devotee 1 : And Daksa may be he thinking that Siva is making his daughter fall down by not following all the rules,  he is not taking bath and all, whereas Daksha had trained his daughter with such high standards!

Devotee 3: This devotee shared that she liked the first devotee’s point of Bhagavatam being so nice and we being so fortunate. She shared how in her initial days in ISKCON she had no ‘ruchi’ (taste) for reading Bhagavatam. Then one prabhuji told her that for increasing attachment, reading Bhagavatam, if we offer one Tulasi to Bhagavatam then Krishna becomes pleased because He is non different from Bhagavatam! And if you offer Tulasi every day then ‘ruchi’ will come. The devotee shared how she started doing it and she started getting taste. Within a short time she not  only developed a ‘ruchi’ for bhagavatam but was also received association so  many devotees who were all Bhagavatam lovers. Hari Bol !

Madhavanada Prabhuji : Srila Prabhupada writes that both his men and Dakṣa’s, were unnecessarily cursing and counter cursing one another, without any interest in spiritual life. Prabhuji quoted Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, who stated that, when people cultivate ‘information-collection’, they cultivate ‘jnana’, they cultivate ‘karma’, some behavioral patterns, without cultivating service to the Vaishnavas, then what happens is that they think that’s spiritual life. And they think that they have  become a judge of other people. Rather than they are trying to serve guru, it doesn’t mean that we should not read Bhagavatam- Prabhupada wanted every devotee to read it. But it is one thing to read Bhagavatam as a service to Prabhupada but many other people in the west, we used try to kind of  ‘master’ a book. Prabhuji stressed that we can’t ‘master’ Bhagavatam, we can serve the Bhagavatam by serving ‘bhakt’ (devotee) Bhagavat,  by preaching, by reading something and trying to help devotees with it.

Prabhuji cautioned that if we just read Bhagavatam only to gather some information, and not doing service, then the result is that we have something but what it turns into is pride! Prabhuji said that’s what it seemed to have happened here, Daksa was seeing that Siva is not auspicious, he wears skulls , doesn’t take bath and this and that. By some point of view of Shastra we can say that, the skulls are very inauspicious, not taking bath is very inauspicious and they have all this information. But because they are not doing service to the Vaishanavas they can’t understand it and they get involve in unnecessary quarrel!

Prabhuji said without service one may think that I am doing the same thing as this senior devotee. I am reading , he is reading, I am chanting, he is chanting but there is a difference in their mood. That devotees is doing it as a service to his guru. And if I am not doing it as a service then the result is I get very proud and then I start seeing faults in others, and feel that I have to correct others.

Devotee 4: This devotee said her that she felt inspired from the line ‘lord Siva felt morose and left the arena without saying any word to others or his disciples’. She shared that she thought that if we really know where we are, where do we want to go and  what we want to cultivate then we should not get involve in such things. People can curse and counter curse and if they don’t have faith in you, obviously Daksa had no faith in lord Siva, then just don’t say anything, let them think what they wish to think and just leave.

Madhavanada Prabhuji shared how one acharya has explained that Krishna told the Vrajavasis to close their eyes in both the pastimes of forest fires. But the in the second forest time the next verse stated that the heat was very intense. Prabhuji shared that he thought it was very interesting that though Krishna told them to close their eyes they could still experience the pain and the fire. Prabhuji stated that in a Similar way we may close our eyes to all these arguments we are told to but sometime we still feel the ‘burning sensation’ but like Lord Siva we should just walk away. The ‘burning sensation’ may be there but we should just leave.

Prabhuji shared another gem that Fakir Mohan Prabhuji shared with him that `amanina manadena’ (one should offer all respects to others and expect nothing in return) this is the secret Mahāprabhu has given for our bhajan. Prabhuji said if we just tolerate when other people offend us and we offer them respect then they will leave us alone and ignore us. They won’t take us very seriously. Then we can chant peacefully.  Others may think that O! he is not such a  maha pandit we thought so, actually I am the maha Pandita. We don’t need a big titles or others to say that he is very knowledgeable to grow in bhakti.

Devotee 1: She shared how she heard in a lecture by HH Radha Govinda Maharaj that his (Siva’s) part (or share) in the sacrificial fire,  lord Siva (in the above pastime), he really didn’t want it. Similarly at the time at the time of ‘churning of the milk ocean’ lord Siva didn’t come for drinking the Nectar. He is not interested.

Madhavanada Prabhuji added that when demigods first went to Krishna, how we are going to solve this problem- poison came out.  Then Krishna said ‘go and ask lord Siva’. They approached lord Siva. Lord Siva told them why are you asking me ? You should ask Krishna. When demigods told him that Krishna told them to see him then lord Siva said Oh! I have service! He went with demigods and drank the poison instead of the nectar.

The devotee recounted how in  the class HH Radha Govind maharaj exclaimed ‘What a nice person!’. He just drank poison for the benefit of everyone but for the nectar he didn’t come. He doesn’t need anything he has got the Amrit (holy name).

This whole discussion felt so nectarean to my ears that I heard it repeatedly. Every time I will hear it, I would catch something new. Then I felt inspired to share it with everyone. I am sorry that this blog went too long, I hope, somehow, I am able to funnel this nectar into my childish words and serve you all in a small way.

All glories to Srimad Bhagavatam.

All glories to lord Shiva.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Maya consciousness vs Krishna consciousness!

by

Hare Krishna.

23rd July, 2015. Gurgaon

Srila Prabhupada on Krishna Consciousness Compared to Light
I am quoting some learning in  Q&As format from Srimad Bhagavatam 3rd canto chapters 24 and 25.

Q: What is the distinction between maya consciousness and Krishna consciousness ? 

Ans :

cetaḥ khalv asya bandhāya muktaye cātmano matam
guṇeṣu saktaṁ bandhāya  rataṁ vā puṁsi muktaye (SB 3.25.15)

Translation

The stage in which the consciousness of the living entity is attracted by the three modes of material nature is called conditional life. But when that same consciousness is attached to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one is situated in the consciousness of liberation.

Srila Prabhupada expands in his purport that : There is a distinction here between Kṛṣṇa consciousness and māyā consciousness. Guṇeṣu, or māyā consciousness, involves attachment to the three material modes of nature, under which one works sometimes in goodness and knowledge, sometimes in passion and sometimes in ignorance. These different qualitative activities, with the central attachment for material enjoyment, are the cause of one’s conditional life. When the same cetaḥ, or consciousness, is transferred to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, or when one becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, he is on the path of liberation.

Q: Which is the best Yoga system and what is its purpose ?
Ans : The best yoga is bhakti Yoga and its purpose is spiritual realisation.

śrī-bhagavān uvāca
yoga ādhyātmikaḥ puṁsāṁ mato niḥśreyasāya me
atyantoparatir yatra duḥkhasya ca sukhasya ca (SB 3.25.13)

Translation
The Personality of Godhead answered: The yoga system which relates to the Lord and the individual soul, which is meant for the ultimate benefit of the living entity, and which causes detachment from all happiness and distress in the material world, is the highest yoga system.
Srila Prabhupada writes in his purport : The yoga system, as here stated by the Lord, is meant to end all material happiness and material distress. The best yoga, as taught in Bhagavad-gītā by Kṛṣṇa, is bhakti-yoga….the yoga system is the science of the spirit. One practices yoga in order to attain perfection on the spiritual platform.

Q: How can I free my senses from the material contamination ?

Ans: By Devotional service.
devahūtir uvāca
nirviṇṇā nitarāṁ bhūmann asad-indriya-tarṣaṇāt
yena sambhāvyamānena prapannāndhaṁ tamaḥ prabho (SB 3.25.7)

Translation

Devahūti said: I am very sick of the disturbance caused by my material senses, for because of this sense disturbance, my Lord, I have fallen into the abyss of ignorance.

Srila Prabhupada explains in his purport : Here the word asad-indriya-tarṣaṇāt is significant. Asat means “impermanent,” “temporary,” and indriya means “senses.” Thus asad-indriya-tarṣaṇāt means “from being agitated by the temporarily manifest senses of the material body.” We are evolving through different statuses of material bodily existence — sometimes in a human body, sometimes in an animal body — and therefore the engagements of our material senses are also changing. Anything which changes is called temporary, or asat. We should know that beyond these temporary senses are our permanent senses, which are now covered by the material body. The permanent senses, being contaminated by matter, are not acting properly. Devotional service, therefore, involves freeing the senses from this contamination. When the contamination is completely removed and the senses act in the purity of unalloyed Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we have reached sad-indriya, or eternal sensory activities. Eternal sensory activities are called devotional service, whereas temporary sensory activities are called sense gratification.

Q:  What does it really mean when we read that God has no form?  And then why does God has so many forms?
Ans : No form means no material form.

Kardama muni prays to Lord in SB 3.24.31 that

tāny eva te ’bhirūpāṇi rūpāṇi bhagavaṁs tava
yāni yāni ca rocante sva-janānām arūpiṇaḥ

Translation

My dear Lord, although You have no material form, You have Your own innumerable forms. They truly are Your transcendental forms, which are pleasing to Your devotees.
Srila Prabhupada adds in his Purport :

In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is stated that the Lord is one Absolute, but He has ananta, or innumerable, forms. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam [Bs 5.33]. The Lord is the original form, but still He has multiforms. Those multiforms are manifested by Him transcendentally, according to the tastes of His multidevotees. It is understood that once Hanumān, the great devotee of Lord Rāmacandra, said that he knew that Nārāyaṇa, the husband of Lakṣmī, and Rāma, the husband of Sītā, are one and the same, and that there is no difference between Lakṣmī and Sītā, but as for himself, he liked the form of Lord Rāma.

In a similar way, some devotees worship the original form of Kṛṣṇa. When we say “Kṛṣṇa” we refer to all forms of the Lord — not only Kṛṣṇa, but Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Varāha, Nārāyaṇa, etc. The varieties of transcendental forms exist simultaneously. That is also stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā: rāmādi-mūrtiṣu. .. nānāvatāram. He already exists in multiforms, but none of the forms are material. Śrīdhara Svāmī has commented that arūpiṇaḥ, “without form,” means without material form.

The Lord has form, otherwise how can it be stated here, tāny eva te ‘bhirūpāṇi rūpāṇi bhagavaṁs tava: “You have Your forms, but they are not material. Materially You have no form, but spiritually, transcendentally, You have multiforms”? Māyāvādī philosophers cannot understand these transcendental forms of the Lord, and being disappointed, they say that the Supreme Lord is impersonal. But that is not a fact; whenever there is form there is a person. Many times in many Vedic literatures the Lord is described as puruṣa, which means “the original form, the original enjoyer.” The conclusion is that the Lord has no material form, and yet, according to the liking of different grades of devotees, He simultaneously exists in multiforms, such as Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Varāha, Nārāyaṇa and Mukunda. There are many thousands and thousands of forms, but they are all viṣṇu-tattva, Kṛṣṇa.

All glories to Srimad Bhagavatam.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

All glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga.

How to easily overcome material miseries ?

by

Hare Krishna.

9th July, 2015. Gurgaon

I was a preparing for a brief session on the second chapter of  book `Essence of Bhagavad Gita’ last two days on material miseries, namely adhyaatmik, adibhautik and adidaivik kleshas. As I was preparing for the class I thought that this particular session is getting more heavy in negativity. Some times we also hear that we have no solution to them and the only way is to tolerate them. I wrote about these three miseries in my last blog on how one can attain peace. But some piece seemed to be missing in my heart.

Hence it was a great coincidence that yesterday morning I read some wonderful verses in Bhagavatam, SB 3.25.23, 24 & 25 and their enlightening purports by Srila Prabhupada on this very same topic. They showed how simple and easy the process to overcome material miseries really is. It is we who have no faith in it.  This chapter is  very aptly named `The Glories of Devotional Service’.

mad-āśrayāḥ kathā mṛṣṭāḥ śṛṇvanti kathayanti ca
tapanti vividhās tāpā naitān mad-gata-cetasaḥ (SB 2.25.23)

Translation:
Engaged constantly in chanting and hearing about Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the sādhus do not suffer from material miseries because they are always filled with thoughts of My pastimes and activities.

Who can overcome the three miseries of the material world.

Sadhus or devotees of the Lord to overcome three miseries of the material world.
Srila Prabhupada writes in his purport that There are multifarious miseries in material existence — those pertaining to the body and the mind, those imposed by other living entities and those imposed by natural disturbances. But a sādhu is not disturbed by such miserable conditions because his mind is always filled with Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and thus he does not like to talk about anything but the activities of the Lord. Mahārāja Ambarīṣa did not speak of anything but the pastimes of the Lord. Vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane (Bhāg. 9.4.18). He engaged his words only in glorification of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sādhus are always interested in hearing about the activities of the Lord or His devotees. Since they are filled with Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are forgetful of the material miseries. Ordinary conditioned souls, being forgetful of the activities of the Lord, are always full of anxieties and material tribulations. On the other hand, since the devotees always engage in the topics of the Lord, they are forgetful of the miseries of material existence.

So what should we do to overcome these miseries ?

ta ete sādhavaḥ sādhvi sarva-saṅga-vivarjitāḥ
saṅgas teṣv atha te prārthyaḥ saṅga-doṣa-harā hi te (SB 3.25.24)

Translation
O My mother, O virtuous lady, these are the qualities of great devotees who are free from all attachment. You must seek attachment to such holy men, for this counteracts the pernicious effects of material attachment.

Prabhupada writes Kapila Muni herein advises His mother, Devahūti, that if she wants to be free from material attachment, she should increase her attachment for the sādhus, or devotees who are completely freed from all material attachment…… A person may be materially very rich, opulent or respectable, but if he at all wants to transfer himself to the spiritual kingdom, back home, back to Godhead, then he has to be freed from the puffed-up condition of material possessiveness, because that is a false position.

A pure soul who is prepared to be freed from this material entanglement must first of all be free from the association of the three modes of nature. Our consciousness at the present moment is polluted because of association with the three modes of nature; therefore in Bhagavad-gītā the same principle is stated. It is advised, jita-saṅga-doṣāḥ: one should be freed from the contaminated association of the three modes of material nature. Here also, in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, this is confirmed: a pure devotee, who is preparing to transfer himself to the spiritual kingdom, is also freed from the association of the three modes of material nature. We have to seek the association of such devotees.

Where to find such association?

Under ISKCON.

Prabhupada say ‘For this reason we have begun the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. There are many mercantile, scientific and other associations in human society to develop a particular type of education or consciousness, but there is no association which helps one to get free from all material association. If anyone has reached the stage where he must become free from this material contamination, then he has to seek the association of devotees, wherein Kṛṣṇa consciousness is exclusively cultured. One can thereby become freed from all material association’.

How is it possible? Give an example. 

Prabhupada explains ‘Because a devotee is freed from all contaminated material association, he is not affected by the miseries of material existence. Even though he appears to be in the material world, he is not affected by the miseries of the material world. How is it possible? There is a very good example in the activities of the cat. The cat carries her kittens in her mouth, and when she kills a rat she also carries the booty in her mouth. Thus both are carried in the mouth of the cat, but they are in different conditions. The kitten feels comfort in the mouth of the mother, whereas when the rat is carried in the mouth of the cat, the rat feels the blows of death. Similarly, those who are sādhavaḥ, or devotees engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness in the transcendental service of the Lord, do not feel the contamination of material miseries, whereas those who are not devotees in Kṛṣṇa consciousness actually feel the miseries of material existence. One should therefore give up the association of materialistic persons and seek the association of persons engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and by such association he will benefit in spiritual advancement. By their words and instructions, he will be able to cut off his attachment to material existence’.

Just reading these verses and their nectarean purports filled my heart with a feeling of spiritual bliss and more faith that as we progress in our devotional journey and take shelter of the lotus of Lord and His devotees then all miseries of the world become the size of mustard seeds. We must continue to seek and serve such devotees of the Lord and make our life successful.

My little session too ended on a positive note last evening as I now know of an assured solution to these three seeming insurmountable problems.

All glories to Srimad Bhagavatam

All glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Peace, not so elusive!

by

Hare Krishna.

2nd July, 2015. Gurgaon

Quotes-by-Bhakti-Charu-Swami-on-Establishing-Peace-in-This-World

I recently met an elderly mataji who excitedly shared how these days she is meditating on ‘om’ during her yoga sessions. When I asked her is it helping her, she replied that it is supposed to help her but nothing has happened yet.

Sometimes I also hear :

`beta, bhagawan to bahut duur hai, shanti mil jaye toh bahut hai’ (Son, God is very far, if I just get peace it is good enough for me!)

Few months ago I happen to meet mataji’s neighbour who, a little more openly, admitted that she has tried so many camps by various so-called spiritual organisations but peace seems to elude her, in fact she is becoming less peaceful by the passage of time! I asked her what was her experience during those meditation programs. She admitted that every single time she found it impossible to focus on ‘shunya’ (nothing) and her minds remained filled with all sorts of thoughts.

These days it has become very fashionable for new age gurus to focus and ‘teach’ general masses about peace. They employ various methods like meditation on formless god, meditate on ‘shunya’ (nothingness), try to see and meditate on ‘OM’ between the eye brows to imagining that we are sitting near a seashore, waves are coming, birds are flying…..we are a spirit soul and all is peaceful!

But we know from our own past experience that when we  attend these so called ‘meditation camps’, or sessions, the relief, if any, is temporary at best. Once out of the such sessions, one is back to the square one, the placebo effects rubs off fast.

What does it show ?

1. People, in general, are NOT peaceful.

2. The trend of people not being peaceful is increasing.

What is the problem ?

Srimad Bhagavatam, verse 5.14.25, says

kvacic ca śīta-vātādy-anekādhidaivika-bhautikātmīyānāṁ daśānāṁ pratinivāraṇe ’kalpo duranta-cintayā viṣaṇṇa āste.
Translation:
Being unable to protect himself from the threefold miseries of material existence, the conditioned soul becomes very morose and lives a life of lamentation. These threefold miseries are miseries suffered by mental calamity at the hands of the demigods [such as freezing wind and scorching heat], miseries offered by other living entities, and miseries arising from the mind and body themselves.
Srila Prabhupada emphasises in his purport that ‘The so-called happy materialistic person is constantly having to endure the threefold miseries of life, called adhidaivika, adhyātmika and adhibhautika. Actually no one can counteract these threefold miseries. All three may assail one at one time, or one misery may be absent and the other present. Thus the living entity is full of anxiety, fearing misery from one side or the other. The conditioned soul must be disturbed by at least one of these three miseries. There is no escape.’
Let us also see why do we chant Om, shanti, shanti, shanti at the end of so many puja and prayers and why does the word ‘shanti’ is repeated thrice. The word shanti is repeated thrice because we are all disturbed by these three kinds of miseries :

1. Adhyatmika : miseries inflicted by the body and mind itself, examples are fever, stress etc. 

2. Adhibhautika : miseries inflicted by other living entities, examples are mosquitoes, robbers, etc.

3. Adhidaivika: miseries inflicted by natural disturbances, examples are severe cold, earthquakes,  droughts or other natural disasters.

So we repeat ‘shanti’ three times to get relief from each of the above three types of miseries.

What is missing ?

There is no mention of God in most of such discourses/solutions offered by these new age philosophers, gurus, etc. God, Krishna, is completely missing as each of the so-called guru tries to play or become God and/or they focus and impress upon the gullible people that they hold the power to bring peace in their lives, not God or His names or that the power lies in each one of us, anything but God.

What is the right way to get peace ?

Let’s read what Krishna says Bhagavad Gita 2.66

nāsti buddhir ayuktasya na cāyuktasya bhāvanā

na cābhāvayataḥ śāntir aśāntasya kutaḥ sukham

One who is not connected with the Supreme [in Kṛṣṇa consciousness] can have neither transcendental intelligence nor a steady mind, without which there is no possibility of peace. And how can there be any happiness without peace?

Srila Prabhupada boldly writes in his purport

Unless one is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no possibility of peace. So it is confirmed in the Fifth Chapter (5.29) that when one understands that Kṛṣṇa is the only enjoyer of all the good results of sacrifice and penance, that He is the proprietor of all universal manifestations, and that He is the real friend of all living entities, then only can one have real peace. Therefore, if one is not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there cannot be a final goal for the mind. Disturbance is due to want of an ultimate goal, and when one is certain that Kṛṣṇa is the enjoyer, proprietor and friend of everyone and everything, then one can, with a steady mind, bring about peace. Therefore, one who is engaged without a relationship with Kṛṣṇa is certainly always in distress and is without peace, however much he may make a show of peace and spiritual advancement in life. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is a self-manifested peaceful condition which can be achieved only in relationship with Kṛṣṇa.

Srimad Bhagavatam, verse 3.5.40, directly says

dhātar yad asmin bhava īśa jīvās tāpa-trayeṇābhihatā na śarma
ātman labhante bhagavaṁs tavāṅghri-cchāyāṁ sa-vidyām ata āśrayema

Translation

O Father, O Lord, O Personality of Godhead, the living entities in the material world can never have any happiness because they are overwhelmed by the three kinds of miseries. Therefore they take shelter of the shade of Your lotus feet, which are full of knowledge, and we also thus take shelter of them.

But then should only peace be the goal of a human life ?

In a conversation (London,1973) with a buddhist monk, Srila Prabhupada spoke:

Prabhupada: Sometimes we find that peaceful living is visible even in animal society. Just like the cows. They’re very peaceful. There are other animals, dogs and others. They fight. But hundreds and thousands of cows, they live very peacefully. Birds also… Just like the swans, they live very peacefully. So is that the highest goal of life, to live peacefully? Because that is also found in animal society. Is that the perfection of life?

Buddhist Monk (1): What we believe is that incomparable bliss and peace everlasting is the most perfect.

Prabhupada: That is… These are items. First of all you have to follow a perfect leader. Then whatever he says, that is perfect. So that peace, you have given a definition of peace. Krsna is giving definition of peace:

bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram

suhrdam sarva-bhutanam jnatva mam santim rcchati  [Bg. 5.29]

“I am the proprietor of all the lokas,” sarva-loka-mahesvaram, suhrdam sarva-bhutanam. “I am the friend of everyone.” Bhoktaram yajna-tapasam. “And I am the enjoyer of all fruitive activities.” Jnatva mam. “When one knows Me like that, he gets santi.”
This is the santi formula given by Krsna. One has to accept Krsna as the Supreme Enjoyer. Because He’s the proprietor of everything; therefore He should be enjoyer. And because everything belongs to Him — we also belong to Him — so suhrdam sarva-bhutanam, He’s friend of everyone. So these three things, if you understand-Krsna, or God, is the supreme enjoyer. He is the supreme proprietor, and He is the supreme friend of everyone — then you get santi. If we understand these three things only, then there is santi. Otherwise there is no possibility of santi.

Srila Prabhupada on Message of Krishna Consciousness

In the `journey of self-discovery’, Srila Prabhupada concludes that

So, you should try to love Krishna, and you will see how much you are satisfied. There is no other way to become fully satisfied. Earning great amounts of money will never give you satisfaction. …….So my humble request to you all is that you try to understand this sublime benediction of life, Krishna consciousness. Simply by chanting Hare Krishna you will gradually develop a transcendental loving attitude for Krishna, and as soon as you begin to love Krishna, all your troubles will be eradicated and you will feel complete satisfaction.

Did it ever happened en masse?

Yes. Srila Prabhupada tells us in his purport of SB 44.25.13

‘Indeed, during the time of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira or Lord Rāmacandra, people were free from all anxieties. There was not even extreme cold or extreme heat. The three kinds of miserable conditions — adhyātmika, adhibhautika and adhidaivika — were all absent during the reign of Lord Rāmacandra or Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira.‘

The elderly mataji I mentioned in the beginning is happily reading Ramayana these days. She had some attraction for Lord Rama and I was somehow able to convince her to start reading Ramayana in the Purushottam month. She has also promised to read ISKCON Bhagavad Gita once Ramayana is over.

So we discovered that we can not become peaceful without taking shelter of the lotus feet of Krishna and that peace in itself  is just a byproduct in the process of Krishna consciousness and it should not be the goal of our life.

All glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.