There’s No Need to Leave Home and Join the Temple…
“The brahmana Kurma begged Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, “My dear Lord, kindly show me favor and let me go with You. I can no longer tolerate the waves of misery caused by materialistic life.” It appears that he was materially very happy. Now, being glorious, he wanted to leave all these material opulences. He wanted to travel with Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
It is not advisable in this Age of Kali to leave one’s family suddenly, for people are not trained as proper brahmacaris and grhasthas. Therefore Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu advised the brahmana not to be too eager to give up family life. It would be better to remain with his family and try to become purified by chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra regularly under the direction of a spiritual master. This is the instruction of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. If this principle is followed by everyone, there is no need to accept sannyasa.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said: “Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Sri Krsna as they are given in the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. In this way become a spiritual master and try to liberate everyone in this land.”
This is the sublime mission of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Many people come and inquire whether they have to give up family life to join the Society, but that is not our mission. One can remain comfortably in his residence. We simply request everyone to chant the maha-mantra: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. If one is a little literate and can read Bhagavad-gita As It Is and Srimad-Bhagavatam, that is so much the better. These works are now available in an English translation and are done very authoritatively to appeal to all classes of men. Instead of living engrossed in material activities, people throughout the world should take advantage of this movement and chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra at home with their families.
One should also refrain from sinful activities—illicit sex, meat-eating, gambling and intoxication.
Out of these four items, illicit sex is very sinful. Every person must get married. Every woman especially must get married. If the women outnumber the men, some men can accept more than one wife. In that way there will be no prostitution in society. If men can marry more than one wife, illicit sex life will be stopped. One can also produce many nice preparations to offer Krsna—grain, fruit, flowers and milk. Why should one indulge in unnecessary meat-eating and maintain horrible slaughterhouses? What is the use of smoking and drinking tea and coffee? People are already intoxicated by material enjoyment, and if they indulge in further intoxication, what chance is there for self-realization? Similarly, one should not partake in gambling and unnecessarily agitate the mind. The real purpose of human life is to attain the spiritual platform and return to Godhead. That is the summum bonum of spiritual realization.
The Krsna consciousness movement is trying to elevate human society to the perfection of life by pursuing the method described by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in His advice to the brahmana Kurma. That is, one should stay at home, chant the Hare Krsna mantra and preach the instructions of Krsna as they are given in the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu further advised the brahmana Kurma, “If you follow this instruction, your materialistic life at home will not obstruct your spiritual advancement. Indeed, if you follow these regulative principles, we will again meet here, or, rather, you will never lose My company.
”
This is an opportunity for everyone. If one simply follows the instructions of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, under the guidance of His representative, and chants the Hare Krsna mantra, teaching everyone as far as possible the same principle, the contamination of the materialistic way of life will not even touch him. It does not matter whether one lives in a holy place like Vrndavana, Navadvipa or Jagannätha Puri or in the midst of European cities, where the materialistic way of life is very prominent. If a devotee follows the instructions of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, he lives in the company of the Lord. Wherever he lives, he converts that place into Vrndavana and Navadvipa. This means that materialism cannot touch him. This is the secret of success for one advancing in Krsna consciousness.
At whosever house Sri Caitanya accepted His alms by taking prasadam, He would convert the dwellers to His sankirtana movement and advise them just as He advised the brahmaaa named Kurma.
The cult of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is explained here very nicely. One who surrenders to Him and is ready to follow Him with heart and soul does not need to change his location. Nor is it necessary for one to change his status. One may remain a householder, a medical practitioner, an engineer or whatever. It doesn’t matter. One only has to follow the instruction of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra and instruct relatives and friends in the teachings of the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. One has to learn humility and meekness at home, following the instructions of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and in that way one’s life will be spiritually successful.
One should not try to be an artificially advanced devotee, thinking, “I am a first-class devotee.” Such thinking should be avoided. It is best not to accept any disciples. One has to become purified at home by chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra and preaching the principles enunciated by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Thus one can become a spiritual master and be freed from the contamination of material life.
There are many sahajiyas who decry the activities of the six Gosvamis—Srila Rupa, Sanatana, Raghunatha dasa, Bhatta Raghunatha, Jiva and Gopala Bhatta Gosvamis—who are the personal associates of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and who enlightened society by writing books on devotional service. Similarly, Narottama dasa Thakura and other great acaryas like Madhvacarya, Ramanujacarya and others accepted many thousands of disciples to induce them to render devotional service. However, there is a class of sahajiyas who think that these activities are opposed to the principles of devotional service. Indeed, they consider such activities simply another phase of materialism. Thus opposing the principles of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, they commit offenses at His lotus feet. They should better consider His instructions and, instead of seeking to be considered humble and meek, should refrain from criticizing the followers of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu who engage in preaching. To protect His preachers, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has given much clear advice in these verses of Sri Caitanya-caritamata.
While on His tour, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu would spend the night at a temple or on the roadside. Whenever He accepted food from a person, He would give him the same advice He gave the brahmana named Kurma. He adopted this process until He returned to Jagannatha Puri from His South Indian tour.
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya 7.126-132
About the Author
HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Founded the Hare Krishna Movement in 1966 in New York. In only 11 years he spread the movement all over the world. He wrote more than 80 books including Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Sri Isopanisad. Prabhupada's books constitute a complete library of Vedic philosophy, religion, literature and culture.
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Hare Krishna Prabhuji. Please accept my humble obeisance.
Srila Rupa Goswami has also instructed us to associate with devotees in Sri Upadesamrta, and so all the Vaishnava Acharyas do. But I live in such a place where I cannot easily do devotee association. However I read Prabhupada books and try to chant minimum 16 rounds daily, follow the regulative principles, and listen to lectures or kirtans online whenever I get time. So is it possible to advance in devotional service if I do these things but cannot associate with devotees? Please tell. Kindly pardon if I made any offense. Hare Krishna.
Yes, of course you can Prabhu. When you are reading Srila Prabhuapda’s books that is direct and personal association with Srila Prabhuapda, with Krishna and with all the other great souls who appear in Srila Prabhupada’s books. And when you chant Hare Krishna you are associating with Krishna directly. And you can also hear Srila Prabhuapda’s classes, etc. So it is all the best sadhu sanga. Actually it is association with pure devotees of Krishna we need, not just association with any devotee. We need to find pure devotee association if we want to become ultimately pure devotees.
Thank you very much Prabhu 🙏🙏🙏 Hare Krishna 🙇🏻♀️🙇🏻♀️🙏🙏
Is it wrong to chant Hare Krishna if you are from another spiritual background or religion and have not yet pulled away from material things as a way to inspire one towards no longer being materialistic?
NO. Chanting Hare Krishna is all auspicious for everyone at every time. Please chant Hare Krishna in whatever situation you find yourself and you will see the sublime and blissful result in time.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Hare Krishna Prabhu
Please accept my humble obeisances
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
What are the ways at present in which one can give 50% of his income for Krishna Consciousness as ordered by Srila Prabhupada? Is it possible to donate money for printing of Srila Prabhupada’s books?
Yes. You can donate money for printing Prabhupada’s books, but you can preach yourself also, purchase the books and distribute them, that is better. And also you can spend for having Krishna conscious festivals and inviting the village people and distributing prasadam, having kirtan, etc… So you can spend the money yourself for preaching by purchasing books to sell and by purchasing bhoga to cook for prasadam distribution, having Kirtan festivals, etc.
Hare Krishna, Sir.
Is it out of the question to take a job in a supermarket where meats and wines are also sold? There are not many simple jobs around here.
You can take a job in a supermarket where meat is sold. There may be so many imperfections in doing our duty, but that does not mean we should give up our duty. So you have a duty to support your family, so you need to do some work, and if there is some imperfection in that work it does not mean you should give up the work. Maybe you would like a different job, but if that is the only job available then you have to take what is available.
I’m a house wife I love my husband a lot but I betrayed my husband i spelt with many men just becos my husband cheated me and he left me no where I also did the same thing.now I’m living with my husband but my husband Always fights with me that I’m prostitute..plis help me i didn’t do anything meanfully now I’m regretting it .plis tell me how will i come out from this sin and how can I become god devotee
The past we can not change, the future we can change. So just give up the bad habits and chant the Hare Krishna mantra at least 16 rounds a day, follow the four regulative principles [no illicit sex, no meat eating, no gambling and no intoxication] and become a pure devotee of Krishna. Cook nice foodstuffs for Krishna offer to Krishna and distribute the Krishna prasadam to your husband and family and this will help resolve any tension that is there between you and your husband.
Simply marvellous to have stumbled on these lines of the divine wisdom which help to clarify the best ways of advancing in Krishna Consciousness while striving to follow the teachings from one’s home theatre. Weare none of us here to change all things in rthe Matrix of our existential reality …which clearly we are not being empowered to do…but we can change our own selves by coming to certain realizations.and constantly seeking Sri Krishna’s guidance and direction to help us navigate in the Matrix of our interactions in the Dharma. We but feebly..and imperfectly understand the Dhamna ior spiritual laws and must ever seek divine guidance relying on our connectedness with the source rather than the sometimes flimsy links with a potentially wayward Guru. It is just like the Christian Church! No use being overwrought with the blameworthiness of the ministers. Many thans for this scintillating article!
How to join in ashram pls give details to
I’m in grief of my husband, as he passed away in last may, 4 months back. Pls suggest me what should I do to be engaged. I’m unable to decide. So kindly help me.
Hare Krishna
I am sad to hear of your husband’s passing. But that happens in the material world and we can not be very surprised.
The thing is to become Krishna conscious. As we become more and more Krishna conscious Krishna will give us intelligence and guide us as to what we should do. So please chant the Hare Krishna mantra at least 16 rounds a day, follow the four regulative principles [no illicit sex, no meat eating, no gambling and no intoxication] and read Srila Prabhupada’s books at least 1-2 hours a day. In this way you will gradually understand what is Krishna’s plan for you and you can then dedicate the remainder of your life for serving Srila Prabhupada and Krishna. That will be your perfection. In this way you will be able to remember Krishna at the time of death and Krishna promises in Bhagavad-gita that whatever one remembers at the time of death that state he will attain.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
i am Disappointed with my family, my wife allways qurrels with me,i am 40 years old and love married bramin with 8 years old son, my wife always goes with her does no take my any suggestion, not believe in truth and does not believe in hindu pati-patni relation, i beleive in God and do puja always, then i do not get any solution, so kindly help me,
Hare Krishna
Every one’s wife is like this.
You can not expect happiness in the material world from family life. This is just an illusion. It does not exist.
So just become a pure devotee of Krishna where ever you are.
Get out of bed before 4:30 in the morning, offer Mangal Aroti, chant at least 16 rounds of the Hare Krishna mantra every day, read Srila Prabhupada’s books and preach. And take whatever service your wife and family can offer to assist you in this otherwise just ignore them and get on with becoming a pure devotee of Krishna.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Then how do women become sadhvi’s.
Hare Krishna Priya
A woman is always under the care of a man, in her childhood she is under the care of her father, then she is under the care of her husband and later on under the care of her grown sons.
Of course this is a material thing and realistically this system has broken down now in today’s society because the women don’t want to be women, they want to be men. And this has destroyed everything as far as the social system is concerned.
Actually we are not these material bodies and there is no difference in Krishna consciousness for a man and Krishna consciousness for a woman. The process is identical for a man and for a woman. If you want to become Krishna conscious then start chanting the Hare Krishna mantra at least 16 rounds a day, strictly follow the four regulative principles: no illicit sex, no meat eating, no gambling and no intoxication and read Srila Prabhupada’s books. It is the same, it makes no difference if you are in a man’s body or a woman’s body.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Is it important for a woman to get married even if she has no desires?
Hare Krishna Priya
Yes. Women must get married. This is very necessary. Man may remain brahmacary but woman must get married.
But why women must marry
Women need protection. So in their childhood they are protected by father, then father hands them over to a suitable husband who takes charge of them and protects them. In her old age the woman is protected by her grown children.
If a woman is not protected she will be exploited. And we see so many examples of this in todays society. The women are being exploited because they don’t have husbands to protect them. It is a very horrible situation.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
But why women must get married
Women have to be protected and supported. They need a husband for protection and support.
I wan t to join with you in to this beautifull world. please help me in this??
Just chant Hare Krishna and read Srila Prabhupada’s books and follow the instructions you find Srila Prabhupada giving you as you read. You will be in Krishna’s world in no time…
Dear Guruji,
Why onions and garlics are not recommended in Hindu foods? Im very much spiritually inclined and
having very blessings of each and every God( Ram,Kali,Hanuman,Sai baba, Krishna,Murugan,Ganesha etc) and all these gods came in my life at every stage of my life and taught me dharmic deeds like Helping poor, think of only people below you, never think higher status people, you will get only insult.Do your duty with hard work which never fails.
But Im also born as human. Im a geminian with dual mind prone to get attracted by women.
But I pray god with my regular poojas for peaceful life. Please suggest Krishna`s solution for this
and Im planning to get married soon,engaged already.
Naveen
Hare Krishna Naveeen
Family man is very welcome as devotee of Krishna. So many great devotees of Krishna have been family men. So this is no disqualification at all.
As far as garlic and onions they are foods in the mode of passion and as such can not be offered to Lord Krishna. When we cook for Krishna we must use foods in the mode of goodness. That is grains, vegetables, milk products and fruits. These are all in the mode of goodness and can be offered to Krishna.
So the point is a devotee of Krishna will only accept Krishna prasadam. He never cooks for himself. He cooks for Krishna. So because Krishna does not accept food in the mode of passion like garlic and onions he does not cook it for Krishna, and because he only accepts Krishna prasadam, he does not eat anything prepared with garlic and onions.
It is not a very big thing to go without. There are many nice spices that can be offered to Krishna that have tastes much better than garlic and onions.
So the point is devotee cooks for Krishna and Krishna does not accept garlic and onions, so a devotee will not cook with them, because the whole point of his cooking is to please Krishna, and Krishna doesn’t like onions and garlic…
Hare Krishna prabhuji I downloaded shrila prabhupadas kirtan audio of chanting hare Krishna mantra and hears it regularly does it will benefit me for advancement in spirituality I read bhagwat Gita as well as bhagwatam 7th skandam but I am not blessed by any bonafide guru what should further I do plz help me
Read Srila Prabhupada’s books, follow the instructions you find Srila Prabhupada giving you as you read his books. You will find your guru and get his blessings in this way.
I actually want to join krishna consciousness movement because I want to be around devotees and spent my life chanting krishna’s name
I don’t know like I wanna feel that eternal happiness. I don’t know if my family will allow it or not. I want to utilize this human form of my body. I feel so happy when I am in a temple and as soon as I get out from there, it just feels so different. I don’t know what to do?
You can chant Hare Krishna anywhere and create that same spiritual feeling that you experience in the temples anywhere. Actually that is a more advanced stage of devotional service. In the beginning we can only appreciate that Krishna is in the temple but later on we can appreciate Krishna everywhere.
You can also make a temple for Krishna in your home. So in that way you can cook for Krishna in your home and have kirtans and arotis in your home every day. And you can have all the family members join in the kirtans and help cook for Krishna and in this way you can make your home into a temple and get that special spiritual atmosphere in your home also.
All these things you can learn by reading Srila Prabhupada’s books. Please read them.
The general instruction of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu is that we do not need to change our position in life, we do not need to live in a temple. All we need to do is to become Krishna conscious wherever we happen to be. And then when we become Krishna conscious we can become the guru for our family or village or whatever and encourage the other people around us to also take to Krishna consciousness…
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
If I don\’t want children (which I do not) and if I cannot have sex other then to have children… why would I have to get married?
Marriage is expensive and like… really hard to deal with. I can barely keep a friend let alone have any semblance of marriage, someone else in my house, touching my things! lol
Hare Krishna
For men marriage is not necessary. But for women they need to be married.
Generally speaking married life is a distraction from spiritual life because it is very much on the bodily concept of life and spiritual life is about getting off the bodily concept of life. But for one who has the desire for sex, for family life, etc, marriage is recommended and for such a person religious marriage is actually one of the samskaras, or spiritual reformatory processes.
For a married person having sex within marriage for the purpose of having children is authorized. But if one has sex outside marriage that is very sinful and will make spiritual advancement difficult.
So religious marriage allows a person to associate with a woman and have children and a family life which is within Krishna consciousness. And ultimately he will see that there is no happiness in this family life and will retire from family life with strong determination to make further spiritual advancement.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Hare Krishna Prabhu,
Does illicit sex mean sex outside marriage or also sex within marriage for pleasure?
Is watching pornography also illicit sex?
Is masturbation also illicit sex?
thank you,
arun
Sex is only for having children in marriage. Anything else is illicit sex. So yes, obviously, watching pornography, sex within marriage not for having children and masturbation are all illicit sex. It is only possible for a devotee to give up illicit sex. Because a devote experiences a transcendental pleasure which is unlimitedly greater than the so-called pleasure of sex in the material world. Because of experiencing this transcendental pleasure the devotee has no interest in sex except for the purpose of bringing children into the world who he will train as devotees of Krishna. So a devotee only works for Krishna. His only concern is what pleases Krishna, and when Krishna is pleased he is happy. A devotee knows that he is not this material body and he knows that trying to satisfy the senses of the material body through sex is maya, an illusion. There is no actual pleasure in this and it will simply entangle us more and more in the clutches of maya…
Hiiiii Author,
Hare Rama Hare Krishna 🙂
I have been in conscious of lord Krishna Paramadma for long time.
But my own family members even my mother and some friends are saying that
i am always in some other world. I agree with them. yes, I am always trying my best to be in my krishna.But i want to be practical in this material world also which i found difficult for me.
So please tell me am i wrong if i am not practical.
Thanks & Best Regards,
One of ur Follower.
Devotees are in a different world to the materialists. That is the way it is. The only way you can be in the same world as the materialists is by becoming a materialist. We don’t want to do that. So it is natural for a devotee to be in some other world than the materialists. That is a good sign and you don’t want to come back to the material world just to make the relatives happy.
I have to admit, before I got married recently, I seriously considered just abandoning my then girlfriend to move into a temple, justifying it in my mind like “She’s not a devotee yet, and her association, even though very favourable to Krishna Consciousness, will just bring me down.”
After praying to Krishna for insight on this matter, I was led to a bunch of passages in various books on this topic, and realized my error in trying to justify my impulses in the Name of Krishna. I realized that if I was lacking Krishna in my life, this was my own fault, and running away from my responsibilities to my girlfriend, even though I would be in physical association with devotees, would displease Krishna. If I cannot serve Krishna AND also be responsible about where my life choices and karma have led me, what’s to stop me from running away from the temple again when the going gets rough?
Thank you for posting wonderful articles like this! Hare Krishna!
Hare Krishna Prabhuji,
How is your Krishna consciouness life going on after marriage with your girlfriend, i have the similar situation so kindly guide me what to do .
I don’t know if Bhakta Chris will see this but hopefully he will and reply.
But the trick is you marry a girl who is a devotee and the reason you marry her is not for sense gratification but to serve Krishna.
Everything can be used for Krishna, and in Bhagavad-gita you will see Krishna is calling marriage vivaha-yajna. It is a purificatory process. So the idea is wife will help the husband in his Krishna consciousness and husband and wife together will worship Krishna with other family members also once you have some children.
So the point of Krishna conscious marriage is not sex, it is a man and a woman coming together to serve Krishna together and to have children and bring them up as nice devotees of Krishna. It is supposed to be grhastha-ashram. An ashram is a place where spiritual life is cultivated. So your ashram should be like a temple. It should be Krishna’s house, not your house and you and your wife should be servants of Krishna, the master of the house…
Then it will be very nice and in your ashram you will be able to bring many Krishna conscious children into the world and you will be able to create your own sankritan party…
Oh Eloise, how I truly can feel you pain. I am an 18 year old american male and feel I have lived my life in sin. I have engaged in stealing, lying, and other things. I felt as if Krsna would never accept me. But this particular verse got me threw it:
Even if you are considered to be the most sinful of all sinners, when you are situated in the boat of transcendental knowledge, you will be able to cross over the ocean of miseries. (Bg 4.36)
Krsna accepts all who come to Him. Also remember this:
Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear. (Bg 18.66)
Krsna says here that He will free you from ALL sinful reaction, not just a few. Just start chanting 16 rounds a day and be happy. That is what I have done, and I can tell you right now, it really works!
Good luck, and may you grow closer to KRISHNA!
being a young american woman, i feel up to my eyeballs in material sins. i am no virgin, nor am i a strict vegetarian. i wonder, does KRSNA love me? does HE know that i love HIM? I want my life to be good, but it is so hard to let go of everything i am comfortable in and give my life to KRSNA. I trust HIM, I love HIM, but i am afraid. i have sinned so much already in my young life, will KRSNA still give me a chance to love HIM?
peace be unto you all who love KRSNA and all who are lost in this big wide world
o dear eloise u being human ought to commit mistakes but being child of lord krishna no need to worry dont repeat the error
Oh Eloise, how I truly can feel you pain. I am an 18 year old american male and feel I have lived my life in sin. I have engaged in stealing, lying, and other things. I felt as if Krsna would never accept me. But this particular verse got me threw it:
Even if you are considered to be the most sinful of all sinners, when you are situated in the boat of transcendental knowledge, you will be able to cross over the ocean of miseries. (Bg 4.36)
Krsna accepts all who come to Him. Also remember this:
Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear. (Bg 18.66)
Krsna says here that He will free you from ALL sinful reaction, not just a few. Just start chanting 16 rounds a day and be happy. That is what I have done, and I can tell you right now, it really works!
Good luck, and may you grow closer to KRISHNA!
Hunter, you have given great points and I heartily agree. I am pondering your point at many levels.
somebody told me that we have to leave our parents for joining in iskcon is this required
No. It is not required to leave your parents to become Krishna conscious. You can become Krishna conscious in any condition of life.
Lord Krishna is in the front of every one of us, just whisper the maha mantra…
feel it in lips,.. it’s sweet like nectar!
hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare
hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare
Just trying to be a devote
Help me in this