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Krishna, Karma, Reincarnation and all that...

• Subject: Krishna, Karma, Reincarnation and all that...
• From: Paul M
• Date: Fri Jun 30 11:53:42 1995
• Message-Id: id549

>On Thu, 29 Jun 1995, Madhudvisa dasa wrote:
>
>> It's the same thing really... [but it's the soul that is immortal not the
>> body... the body rots in the grave while the soul goes on to heaven or hell
>> or to take birth again here...]
>
>It sounds like our beliefs a similar in many ways -- although I tend to
>believe that we will be re-created as perfect spiritual AND physical
>beings.  You talk of the physical world being a mirror of a perfect

>spiritual world.  This reminds me of some of Plato teachings --
>although my knowledge of him is somewhat hazy.

Yes. I have read some of the Greek philosophers also, but not very extensively.
They have a lot of ideas similar to those presented in the Vedic [and for that
matter Christian also] scriptures. This thinking of thoughtful people is also a
spiritual process. If one ponders the "Meaning of life" he has to eventually come
to the conclusion there is something more than eating, sleeping and sex... But it
may take a long, long, time... There are much more direct ways.

>
>Thanks for clearing things up -- I like that fact that you believe in a
>personal God as opposed to an impersonal enitity that absorbs our unique
>indentities.  I had assumed that achieving Godhead always meant losing
>one's identity!
>
>However I am slightly confused about one thing: just how does one know
>whether or not he is successfully following Krishna?

Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita:

                          tad viddhi pranipatena
                            pariprasnena sevaya
                          upadeksyanti te jnanam
                         jnaninas tatt va-darsinah

"Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master.
Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The
self-realized souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the
truth." (Bhagavad-gita 4.34)

In our present state we can't see Krishna. But if we can find a real spiritual
master. One who is self realized. He can guide us. That is the way...

>  ie: just how many
>"sins" (violations of the moral law) does one have to commit in order
>to be reincarnated as an animal?

It's all got to do with your consciousness at the time of death. If you're
thinking like an animal at the time of death your next body is an animals. Animals
think also, but only about food, sex, sleep and defending themselves... So if at
the time of death you are only thinging of these things you have wasted the great
opportunity of a human birth therefor your next body is an animal one.

If you are in "human" consciousness at the time of death then you can take birth
as a "human"... But if you are Krishna conscious, God consciousness, you can go to
the Kingdom of God and serve Him there...


>  Furthermore -- just how meticulous
>does one have to be in following Krishna's teachings in order to
>achieve Godhead?  Is there a way to judge ones own life in this
>manner?  And what exactly is the moral law that we have to follow -- is
>it based on our conscience or are there a set of "10 commandments" like
>in the Christian religion?

One has to become Krishna conscious. Because God fulfills our desires. If at the
time of death I still have a desire to enjoy sex in this world then Krishna will
give me a material body so I can fulfill my desires... So we have to get rid of
our material desires. That is not possible without something positive. We have to
do something, we have to work... So instead of working for ourselves we work for
Krishna. The activities may be the same, only the object is changed. I might like
to work in the garden, to grow flowers and vegetables... If I give the flowers to
my girlfriend and cook the vegetables for myself then I generate karma.. that is a
material activity and it increases my attachment to the material world. But if I
give the flowers to Krishna and cook for Krishna then my activities are
spiritual.. there is no karma... Such actions help me come closer to God and to
become detached from matter.



It's not that we cook for Krishna and starve ourselves! We cook very nice food,
offer it to Krishna and He tastes it by glancing over the food... But He leaves it
also as "prasadam" (Krishna's mercy) so we can eat too. So it's very nice. Just by
eating prasadam we make spiritual advancement.

And yes, we have four commandments (we call them "regulative principles"):

    1. No intoxication (alcohol, drugs, even tea and coffee, etc)
    2. No meat, fish or eggs
    3. No gambling
    4. No illicit sex (sex is for having children in marriage)

People often thing it is impossible to follow these rules, and it almost is
[ordinarily] in our society. You have to get a "higher taste" you have to be
experiencing a better pleasure from the spiritual platform, only then can you
really give up attraction for these things. There is great pleasure to be had in
serving God [Krishna] and one so engaged doesn't even think about the other
things... He's too busy serving Krishna anyhow. It's very nice.

Looking forward to your response.

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