It is Very Difficult to Escape from the Material World
In the previous verse (Bhagavad-gita 7.13) we have seen Krishna explain to His friend Arjuna that here, in the material world, everyone is enchanted by the three modes of material nature: goodness, passion and ignorance. Because of this influence of the three modes of material nature the people of the world are bewildered and blinded so they can not know Krishna who is beyond the modes of material nature.
After describing this almost hopeless conditon of the people of the world Krishna continues:
This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it. (Bhagavad-gita 7.14)
So although it is very difficult, almost impossible to overcome the three modes of material nature, for a devotee who is actually surrendered to Krishna overcoming the modes of material nature and crossing over them, going back home back to Godhead, becomes very easy.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead has innumerable energies, and all these energies are divine. Although we, the living entities, are part of Krishna’s energies and are therefore divine, due to contact with material energy, our original superior power is covered. Being covered by material energy, we cannot possibly overcome its influence.
Both the material and spiritual natures, being emanations from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, are eternal.
We, the living entities, belong to the eternal superior nature of Krishna, but due to contamination by the inferior nature, matter, our illusion is also eternal. The conditioned soul is therefore called nitya-baddha, or eternally conditioned. No one can trace out the history of his becoming conditioned at a certain date in material history. Consequently, his release from the clutches of material nature is very difficult, even though that material nature is an inferior energy, because material energy is ultimately conducted by the supreme will, which the living entity cannot overcome.
Inferior material nature is defined herein as divine nature due to its divine connection and movement by the divine will. Being conducted by divine will, material nature, although inferior, acts so wonderfully in the construction and destruction of the cosmic manifestation. The Vedas confirm this as follows: “Although maya [illusion] is false or temporary, the background of maya is the supreme magician, the Personality of Godhead, who is Mahesvara, the supreme controller.”
Another meaning of guna is rope; it is to be understood that the conditioned soul is tightly tied by the ropes of illusion. A man bound by the hands and feet cannot free himself–he must be helped by a person who is unbound. Because the bound cannot help the bound, the rescuer must be liberated.
Therefore, only Lord Krsna, or His bona fide representative the spiritual master, can release the conditioned soul. Without such superior help, one cannot be freed from the bondage of material nature.
Devotional service, or Krsna consciousness, can help one gain such release. Krsna, being the Lord of illusory energy, can order this insurmountable energy to release the conditioned soul. He orders this release out of His causeless mercy on the surrendered soul and out of His paternal affection for the living entity who is originally a beloved son of the Lord. Therefore surrender unto the lotus feet of the Lord is the only means to get free from the clutches of the stringent material nature.
The words mam eva are also significant. Mam means unto Krsna (Visnu) only, and not Brahma or Siva. Although Brahma and Siva are greatly elevated and are almost on the level of Visnu, it is not possible for such incarnations of passion and ignorance to release the conditioned soul from the clutches of maya.
In other words, both Brahma and Siva are also under the influence of maya. Only Visnu is the master of maya; therefore He can alone give release to the conditioned soul. The Vedas confirm this in the phrase tam eva viditva or “Freedom is possible only by understanding Krishna.” Even Lord Siva affirms that liberation can be achieved only by the mercy of Visnu. Lord Siva says: “There is no doubt that Visnu is the deliverer of liberation for everyone.”
So the summary is that the material energy, the three modes of material nature, although they are the inferior energy of Krishna, still the material energy is the energy of Krishna and therefore it is divine and also very, very strong. Because of this strong bewildering power of the material energy it is practically impossible for anyone to escape from the material world. However for a devotee who surrenders to Krishna, overcoming the modes of material nature and crossing beyond the material world to the spiritual world becomes very, very easy.
About the Author
Madhudvisa dasa My first contact with a Hare Krishna was a most merciful Mataji in Oxford Street, London who sold me a "Higher Taste" cook book in 1984 while I was on holidays there. I started seriously reading Srila Prabhupada's books in Australia 1985 and by 1986 Srila Prabhupada had convinced me "Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead" and "we should surrender to Krishna." I joined the Hare Krishnas in Perth, Western Australia in 1986. Since then I have been chanting Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, reading and distributing Srila Prabhupada's books and preaching as much as I can. That's my life and full-time occupation now really. I like it more than anything I've ever experienced before. Srila Prabhupada's books are so amazing... Even after reading them all many times they're still fresh and new. They are truly transcendental! That's it really. Now I'm just hankering to once again see the world chant Hare Krishna, dance and feast and float away in the ecstasy of Lord Caitanya's Sankirtana movement as it did in Srila Prabhupada's physical presence. Let the whole world drown in the ecstatic flood of love of Krishna!
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To Madhudvisa Ji,
I am just speechless to see your 100% faith and devotion towards Lord Krishna which I have seen in your answers to others queries. May Lord Krishna give me same faith and devotion towards him.
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare/ Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Sir, Kindly give a brief description of the spiritual world and the inhabitants there.
Kindly read Prabhupada’s books and find it there.
How does shapeless soul serves Krishna and did she remember her past in material world in spiritual world???
Soul is not shapeless. Soul has a spiritual form. And this material body is a covering over that spiritual form. So when we are reinstated in our original spiritual form we have our original spiritual body which is not shapeless. It is personal and has an eternal relationship with Krishna in love and service.
I am 61 and have realized krishna i am overwhelmed so happy so sad
Thank you for the emails. I would love to hear some further elaboration on how an incarnation/manifestation/expantion of Krsna can be considered in the mode of ignorance. I have heard this before concerning Lord Shiva.
Shiva is not Krishna…
Krishna is siddha-sattva, transcendental to the mode of goodness. Krishna is NEVER in the mode of ignorance nor is He connected with the material modes of nature in any way.
Shiva is Krishna transformed by contact with the mode of ignorance. So Shiva is not Krishna. The example is yoghurt is milk transformed. But yoghurt has completely different properties to milk and it can not be used in place of milk and while it is composed of milk only it can not be converted back to milk.
Chant Hare Krishna and you will come to understand all these things.
“Freedom is possible only by understanding Krishna”
Hare Krishna!
I keep thinking if I shouldn’t want or desire anything then I shouldn’t want to go back to Godhead or home. I also can’t understand the apologizes of breathing or by living other life dies as in the prayers of Kunti. Thank you. Hare Krishna
Yes. Devotees, actual devotees, they do not have any desire to go back to Godhead. Their desire is to serve Krishna only. So a devotee is happy to serve Krishna anywhere, wherever Krishna wants him to serve. If Krishna wants him to serve in Hell he will happily serve Krishna there, if Krishna wants him in the spiritual world he will happily serve Krishna there. Devotee is not actually in the material world. When he is serving Krishna, he is actually in the spiritual world and actually he has the potency to create the spiritual world also, anywhere, even in the material world.
Spiritual World is very good and without anxiety.There is transcendental love of God and everything is amazing.
But in material world everything is bad and there is an illusion pleasure and not at all real loving pleasure but in spite of this it is difficult to escape material world.
But we escaped spiritual world very easily even it was full of happiness.
How is it possible to leave good place easily as compared to bad place ?
Hare Krishna Vivek
It is the nature of the jiva souls to fall down. We are small, Krishna is unlimitedly great. But we are very small, very insignificant and we always have the possibility and tendency to fall down under the control of the material energy.
Yes. The spiritual world is a great place and the material world is a miserable place. But in the spiritual world there is only one master, Krishna, and all of us are servants of Krishna. So what happens is we are all part and parcel of Krishna. So we have the same qualities as Krishna, only Krishna has them in an unlimited, unfathomable quantity, and we have in a tiny, infinitesimal quantity. So Krishna is Paramisvara, the supreme controller. We also have this controlling tendency, but we are very small.
As Krishna is supremely independent we also have a tiny amount of independence. So independence means we can choose to do the right thing or the wrong thing. The right thing is to serve Krishna, the wrong thing is to reject Krishna and try and become the master ourselves. That is the demonic tendency.
So even in the spiritual world we still have this limited independence, we still have the ability to choose between serving Krishna and rejecting Krishna. Otherwise, if we did not have this freedom, there would be no love. If we were forced to love Krishna, forced to serve Krishna, that would be slavery, not love. So we always have that independence to reject Krishna.
Even in the spiritual world a living entity can develop the desire to become a controller like Krishna. It is impossible actually, because constitutionally Krishna is unlimitedly great and we are unlimitedly small. So constitutionally we are all eternally servants of Krishna. So it is by Krishna’s unlimited mercy that He creates this material world and His external energy, maya. By the mercy of maya we forget, our intelligence is covered, and we are bewildered by the illusion that we can become the lord of this material world.
So if a living entity rejects Krishna, if, instead of serving Krishna, he wants to collect servants for himself, then he is send here to the material world where he suffers and is hopefully ultimately rectified by maya.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Depriving the fundamental rights of another by force to suit one’s own enjoyment or so called pastimes is crime.
Our fundamental rights is given as our”eternal quest” while certain stake holders enjoy this denial and struggle to achieve both from perverted glee.
Crime never pays.
Who ever commits.
Hare Krishna
We are servants of Krishna eternally. That is our eternal occupation. So if we want to do something else that is unnatural. We don’t have any fundamental rights except to serve Krishna nicely. In this material world everyone is suffering because we have all rejected this natural position as servants of Krishna, we are all here trying to imitate Krishna… So we can not be like Krishna, that is not possible. Krishna is unlimited and we are insignificant. So we are illusioned, fooled. All our endeavours will end in frustration until eventually we realize we are eternal servants of Krishna and we again surrender to Krishna and serve him. That is our fundemental right, to be eternally engaged as a servant of Krishna.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Just like having the freedom to choose is the neutral “correct” position according to you, due to your pre-concieved notions about experiencing imperfect controllers in this material world, serving Krishna is the true correct position spirituality as he is perfect; the concept of anything perfect is imperceivable in material quality it is only possible after you understand Krishna’s nature.
You state… “So even in the spiritual world we still have this limited independence, we still have the ability to choose between serving Krishna and rejecting Krishna. Otherwise, if we did not have this freedom, there would be no love. If we were forced to love Krishna, forced to serve Krishna, that would be slavery, not love. So we always have that independence to reject Krishna. ”
How is that Love ? Either serve Krsna or be thrown into a material world of suffering until it becomes so unbearable you will again serve Krsna ? Its a complete contradiction what kind of limited choice is that then?
This is exactly like a Lover telling his wife yes you can leave me but i will arrange for you to suffer (terribly) until your only choice to end such suffering is to return to me. That’s a possessive psychopath.
This does not sound like the actions of a Loving God if you had such power would you stop the horrific suffering we see now on this planet I bet you would. Therefore how can one claim this is the result of a LOVING GOD?
One more point if the Jiva is eternal how can Krsna be the creator? The Jiva then is not eternal but has a point of birth a beginning so can never truly be eternal because there was a time when Jiva did not exist. ? These are some issues with the philosophy i have please answer these important points so i can understand how Krsna is a loving God.
No. This is love. You can choose between serving Krishna and trying to become Krishna yourself. Krishna means the enjoyer. So it is Krishna’s unlimited mercy to us, the fallen conditioned souls, who are trying to become the enjoyers, that he has created this material world where we can pretend to be the masters, but we are not the masters, so it is not Krishna, but it is our constitutional nature that we are eternally servants of Krishna, and we can only be happy serving Krishna, so obviously all our attempts at trying to become the master in the material world will fail.
It is an impossible hope. There can only be one master, and that master is Krsihna.
So in this material world everyone is trying to become the master, so they fight. So how can there ever be happiness if everyone is trying to become the master. It is impossible. That is why everything in this material world is doomed and why there will always be suffering and misery and unhappiness in the material world. It is just the way it is.
We are all eternally servants of Krishna and the only way we can be happy is by returning to our original constitutional positions as servants of Krishna and serving Him. There is no other way.
The other option is coming back into the material world life after life and suffering horribly over and over again.
That is just the way it is. Get used to it…
Thank you for the reply it’s very much appreciated. However,
you haven’t addressd my questions directly but rather indirectly you replied >
“We are all eternally servants of Krishna and the only way we can be happy is by returning to our original constitutional positions as servants of Krishna and serving Him. There is no other way.
The other option is coming back into the material world life after life and suffering horribly over and over again.”
My points > So how did we become unhappy then and want to become independent of Krsna or imitate him as you claim?
How is Krsna God if Jiva is eternal no point of creation as is Vaikuntha so the only creation appears to the material universe? Hardly an auspicious quality?
And my example of a man allowing his wife to leave him because she is unhappy only to arrange horrific suffering for her until her only choice is to return to him in order to get relief from his psychotic behaviour still stands…my point Krishnas punishment of eternal souls is not the behaviour of an all loving God.
Krishna does not punish anyone. We punish ourselves by trying to imitate Krishna. You need to understand we are servants, eternally. So when we want to imitate Krishna, we want to be masters, then that is impossible, we are servants eternally, that is our constitutional position, that is all we can do, serve Krishna.
As I mentioned it is Krishna’s great mercy that he provides us with this playground, the material world, so we can play god, try to be the master.
But material world is hell obviously, because everyone is trying to be the master, so everyone fights, no one can be happy here.
That is just the way it is. It is not Krishna’s fault. Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and we are His eternal servants. Finish. End. That’s it. And when we reject this, when we don’t want to serve Krsihna, then we will be miserable.
That is our independence. We can choose to serve Krishna or we can choose to serve maya [illusion] and indirectly serving maya is also serving Krishna. So that is our only option, the only way for us to be happy. So it is to our benefit and a symptom of Krishna’s unlimited mercy upon us that He tries to rectify us, His lost sons, by on one hand giving us the opportunity to play god in the material world, but of course that will always end in frustration for us, not because Krishna is causing that frustration, but because it is just not possible to be happy in a place where everyone is trying to be the master and everyone is fighting everyone else for lording it over the material world.
So you know, intelligent people, after many births of suffering in the material world, come to the conclusion that the solution is to surrender to Krishna an to serve Him, then we will be happy.
As far as the wife, husband can not force the wife to stay with him, if wife desires to leave, what can the husband do? Same with Krishna. Our relationship with Krishna is one of love, so love is voluntary. So if we want to leave Krishna, of course that is not actually possible, because we are all eternally part and parcel of Krishna, we can not leave Him. But it is Krishna’s great mercy on us, the fallen conditioned souls, that He creates this material world were we can to some extent play out our desires to try to enjoy separately from Krishna, to try to be the master. So material world gives us the chance to play out our material desires and also shows us, if we have half a brain, that this idea, trying to become the master, trying to lord it over the material word, trying to imitate Krishna, simply ends in unlimited suffering and pain.
So you know, this material world, it is an educational facility for the fallen conditioned souls, a place that gives us the chance of again reestablishing our original constitutional position as servants of Krishna.
You can’t complain and say you don’t like it. It doesn’t matter what you like. This is the way the material world is, and the reality is no one can be happy except by surrendering to Krishna and serving Krishna. And material world, ultimately, is to bring us back to this point of surrendering to Krishna. Of course most are stuck here more or less perpetually, the only chance of getting out of the material world really is the mercy of a pure devotee of Krishna like His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. So get his books and read them and take advantage of the great opportunity to get out of this horrible material world and go back home, back to Godhead…
HARE KRISHNA HARI HARI BHOL
Prabhuji,
Thanks for a nice topic. at this fag end of life, though serving in for 38 years, it is rather a difficult question to solve. Chanting is also hampered, concentration is losing, etc etc Kindly guide this fallen soul how to overcome this issue and fully DEDICATE THE BALANCE LIFE FULLY IN KC
hari namamrta dasa
Hare Krishna Prabhu
Yes. Of course as the body gets old everything deteriorates. But we have to just keep on chanting Hare Krishna and reading Srila Prabhupada’s books and serving Srila Prabhupada and preaching, etc. As long as there is life we can preach.
So the idea is we are not the material body. As our material body gets older and more troublesome that gives us a good opportunity to realize this.
We can take the example of Srila Prabhupada. His body was almost seventy years old when he left India for the USA. So from the material point of view he was suffering from many things. On the boat on the way to the USA he suffered two very severe heart attacks and there were at least two more heart attacks later on and so many other health and body problems. But Srila Prabhupada was determined to preach and he transcended all the bodily difficulties.
So we need to do that. Even though there are so many material difficulties we have to transcend them and continue chanting Hare Krishna and preaching.
Our material body will get old, get sick, and die. But we can not let this get in the way of our service to Srila Prabhupada and Krishna.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Hare Krishna Maharaj,
Thank you for the article.
Is there any reference or real life incident of people following Krishna consciousness and going back to God head. I am not talking about great Avatar like Srila Prabhupada or other advance devotees, as they are sent by God. But I am asking about any reference/ about a person, who was not aware of Krishna and later due to some good Association has come in contact with Krishna consciousness and has gone back to God head and have escaped from this material world. Request you to reply.
Yours sincerely Nagendra R P
Hare Krishna Nagendra
Yes. There are many examples. Please read Srila Prabhupada’s books and you will find. For example there is the hunter that Narada Muni met in the forest. Narada Muni was traveling through the forest and noticed there were many half-dead animals in traps. They were in great pain and after some time Narada Muni found the hunter who was causing all these animals to die in great suffering. So by the association of the pure devotee, Narada Muni, the hunter became a great devotee of Krishna. So the point is the association of a pure devotee of Krishna. The power of the association of a pure devotee of Krishna is very great. So that is required. Meeting a pure devotee of Krishna and surrendering to him and serving him.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Aloha; True enough Krishna says2Arjuna that nothing can be done by his own power to escape the power of Ahankara. But only by the mercy of a Devotee can one be relieved.
Now jump ahead 5,000 years and you can hear the Mgr. of BBT ,Rameshwara Swami , telling everyone that Srila Prabhupada told him~
“Anyone who does anything for the BBT, I will take them Back2Godhead in this life!”
~*~Good Luck Everyone~*~
There is an old Back To Godhead magazine article where you will find Hayagriva Das asking Prabhupada in Vrindavan~”You say this is the Sppiritual World. But how can it be the Spiritual World, as it is so dirty.” Srila Prabhupada answered~”How can you say it is dirty when every living entity here goes BackToGodhead in this life.”
Then Prabhupada said ~”Well almost every living entity. Perhaps the human beings whose buisness it is to keep the place clean may have to take one more birth as a hog to do some cleaning.”
Aloha; True enough Krishna says2Arjuna that nothing can be done by his own power to escape the power of Ahankara. But only by the mercy of a Devotee can one be relieved.
Now jump ahead 5,000 years and you can hear the Mgr. of BBT ,Rameshwara Swami , telling everyone that Srila Prabhupada told him~
“Anyone who does anything for the BBT, I will take them Back2Godhead in this life!”
~*~Good Luck Everyone~*~
Dear Madhudvisa Prabhu,
Haribol ?
Thank you for sending me your posts. They are to the point and very inspiring.
Yr servant,
Vamanadev ACBSP
Hare Krishna Prabhu,
Tomorrow there will be a solar eclipse. I want to know whether eclipse is auspicious or inauspicious? Whether we can see it or not with appropriate eye-glass?
Sorry, eclipse is gone now. Eclipse is inauspicious and we should not see it actually. But if you do see it then chant Hare Krishna Hare Krishna…
23 Nov. 2015
Hare Krishna Prabhu
Dear Sirs: Namaskarams.
I read with interest your Newsletter. You rightly said about the material world and its bondage to the human beings is inescapable. I well understood the following summery of the newsletter.
Quote:
However for a devotee who surrenders to Krishna, overcoming the modes of material nature and crossing beyond the material world to the spiritual world becomes very, very easy.
Unquote
As an ordinary human being with many weaknesses towards material world, I pray Lord Krishna sincerely and try to follow the spiritual guidelines to the extent possible to overcome such material bondage. Your Newsletter is a good inspiration to me with devotion to Lord Krishna to guide me at all times.
Hare Krishna Prabhu.
P. Satyanarayana. ISKCON Life Patron
thanks a lot prabhuji
Your clear explanations on how to surrender to lord starting from initial stages ,made my confusions less.. I’ll honestly try for that..
hare krishna sushma.
are there any devotees who are school teachers that would have suggestions for using spiritual principals without being overt. I want to improve behavior, of course, and just thought maybe like-minded teachers with experience could offer some suggestions.
You have to get the students to hear and chant Hare Krishna and get them to taste Krishna prasadam and get them to hear, read and discuss Srila Prabhupada’s books. These are the ways to help them advance in Krishna consciousness. If you want them to advance in spiritual life actually you have to engage them in these activities. There is no other way.
Hare krishna prabhuji,
I have been very much impressed from your regular email. I read them thoroughly. Thank you very much
I would like to know if somebody has had a glimpse of spiritual world and sees lord in everything ,what should be his next step?I mean that is the ultimate goal of human life and after experiencing God, there is no desire or goal that possibly motivates the person to work or study or perhaps enjoy any activity per say.Pursuit of any aim seems meaningless and futile.How should a person find meaning in life on this earthly plane?
Hare Krishna Shruti
We can only serve. That is all. That is what we do. So it is not a question of getting a glimpse of Krishna. No. It is a question of being engaged in the service of Krishna 24 hours a day 7 days a week. That is the purpose of our lives eternally. To be eternally constantly engaged in the service of Krishna under the direction of a pure devotee of Krishna. That is all. If we are fully engaged in serving Krishna under the direction of a pure devotee of Krishna that is the perfection of our lives.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Nice to motivate and reconnected to Sri Krishna
Hi, I have let the email of this article, sit undeleted in my Inbox, so that everyday, when I check my mail, I get reminded of it.
My original question, was going to be “Why can’t one achieve liberation from say Satyaloka, Brahma’s home planet?”. Or any planet higher up in the material world. But on a re-read, I see the article specifically stating that Brahma’s and Siva’s home planets are in the material world, and under the infulence of maya.
But now my question becomes, why Earth? Why do all souls need a human incarnation on earth, in order to attain liberation? Is it a test to decide their our true merit?
I recall reading something from Prabupada, that even the residents of Brahma and Siva’s home worlds, envy us, mere mortal humans, because we get the chance to leave the material world. But they, must still reincarnate at least one more time on earth to be liberated.
So what is so special about earth? Is it the closest to the Vaikunthas? Mention of the Vaikunthas has me thinking, can you move forward
toward Krishnaloka once you attain a presence in the Vaikunthas? What I mean is, if your soul is not good enough to be with Krishna, on Krishnaloka, but you still make it past the Brahman Effulgence into the Vaikunthas, do you ever have to come back to earth?
Hare Krishna, and may Visnu guide me to the Truth.
Hare Krishna Joe
It is not that it is impossible to go to the spiritual world from the heavenly planets. But it is more difficult than on Earth. Earth is a middle planet. So although basically the whole material world is suffering there are some apparently pleasing aspects some some apparently painful aspects.
So here on Earth we see both sides of the coin. We get to experience both the suffering and the so-called enjoyment. Whereas on the hellish planets there is only suffering and the people are just struggling always there and in the heavenly planets there is almost always material enjoyment. So both the constant suffering and the constant material enjoyment are not so conducive to spiritual advancement as the situation we have here on earth where we experience both the happiness and distress.
Of course this Earth is special in this universe because it is only on this Earth planet that Lord Krishna and Lord Caitanya appear. There are other incarnations of Krishna that appear on other planets in the universe but Vrindavan, Mathura, Mayapaur, Navadvipa, these places are on earth. So we are very fortunate to have taken birth on Earth, particularly at this time, so soon after the appearance of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and we are so fortunate to have come in contact with His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. We do not understand how fortunate we are.
We should take full advantage of this great fortune and become completely Krishna conscious in this life and go back home, back to Godhead…
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Jare krsna. Thank u for the beautiful explanation about krsna & his energies( maya & jiva) . But if we commit actions under the influence of the modes of nature, & repent later & surrender to krsna, still we will have to bear the consequences of the sins commited. Is there any fool proof way out of this cycle, or will krsna himself stand by us all the time?
Hare Krishna Namrata
Krishna consciousness is a foolproof way out of the cycle of birth and death. And when we become Krishna conscious we will then be free from the influence of the modes of material nature, so when we are Krishna conscious there is no question of the modes of material nature. Krishna consciousness is transcendental to [above] the modes of material nature. So we have to become devotees, then we will be transcendental to the modes of material nature and we will not fall down. That is the only way out. To become actually Krishna conscious, actually transcendental to the modes of material nature.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Respected master,
I have a brother who had a terrible accident few years back and lost his both leg. By only this reason there is always a sorrow in all of our heart. There is nothing in this world that can make his this life normal, except Krishna Consciousness and i know it very well. But it’s not happening. So prabhu tell me, what can i do?
You have control over your own life, you do not have the control over other’s lives. So what you can do is you can become a pure devotee of Krishna yourself by reading Srila Prabhupada’s books and actually following the instructions you find Srila Prabhupada giving you while you read them.
Do not worry if your brother has legs or not. It is only the material body. We are not the material body. We are the spirit soul within. He can hear and he can chant so he can become Krishna conscious, legs or no legs. So you become a pure devotee of Krishna yourself and then you will have some spiritual potency and you can introduce Krishna consciousness to your brother also.
But if he does not take it then that is not your fault and it does not matter. There are so many people. You can preach to anyone. This idea of family is maya, illusion. We have no particular connection to these family members. If they have no interest in Krishna consciousness then we have no interest in the family. That is all. Our interest is in serving Krishna and Krishna’s pure devotees. Not the family.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Hare Krishna
very nice explanations.
thanku prabhu ji
deep respect…
Illuminating article, thank you Madhudvisa das Prabhu. I specifically loved the analogy “A man bound by the hands and feet cannot free himself–he must be helped by a person who is unbound. Because the bound cannot help the bound, the rescuer must be liberated.” Some curious aspirants accept a “guru” on sentiment, fashion or popularity, usually without being clear about one’s inner desires. I’ve always thought that if we do not check our material desires, we will be lead to materialistic teachers and so forth… Initiation by a truly liberated Guru is a very serious mutual commitment.
what does surrender mean practically.should we give up our jobs and renounce?or what?kindly guide me?
No. Surrender does not mean giving up your job. Surrender means surrender to Srila Prabhupada and follow his instructions. I say it all the time. I am surprised you do not know it. The beginning of surrender is to chant at least 16 rounds of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra every day and strictly follow the four regulative principles: no illicit sex, no meat eating, no gambling and no intoxication and to read Srila Prabhupada’s books at least 1-2 hours a day. This is the beginning of surrender. You have to do this, otherwise there is no question of spiritual life. And once you have surrendered to these points and are following them automatically Srila Prabhupada will guide you from his books and Krishna will guide you from within your heart and you will know what to do.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Jai Shri Krishna!thank u so much Swamiji.now i know how to start.
Hare Krishna,
Madhudvisa Dasa,
The article is outstanding simply.
Normally no one likes to surrender to anybody that is the basic nature. But the below quotes makes very clear why and to whom we should surrender.
“A man bound by the hands and feet cannot free himself–he must be helped by a person who is unbound. Because the bound cannot help the bound, the rescuer must be liberated”.
It also makes clear that we do not have otherwise any option then surrendering to lotus feet of lord as we are bound.
Thank you very much.
Hare Krishna
Our rascaldom is that we are arrogant toward Krishna. Just like the teenager who does everything against the advice of the father with the purpose of enjoying sexlife, intoxication etc.
I have not been getting regularly your articles on “LORD KRISHNA”. I shall be grateful if the same are sent uninterruptedly. Kindly enlighten me on whether a person who has committed countless sins in his life one after the other and seeks the shelter of the lotus feel of Sri Krishna, can he be delivered from the sins committed by him.
Yes. A person who has committed countless sins for many lifetimes can immediately be freed from all of his past sins by Krishna consciousness. So become a pure devotee of Krishna and the reactions to all your past sinful activities will be cleared away.
you are sending those e-mail ,keeping my with in the lord SriKrishna consciousness .
Thank You
Respected Dasji,
I have been very very much impressed from your regular email. I read them thoroughly.I want to see you
personally. Will it be possible? I f possible,where and when. Please suggest me.
Pranam
No. I am only available on email. You can see and meet Srila Prabhupada personally though, and he is so much, much better than me. Just get Srila Prabhupada’s books and read them…
Respected Master,
I agree. it is very difficult to escape from the three modes in this material world.You suggest to surrender,
I would like to know how to surrender, Is it by thinking of Visnu or Krishna in our mind always or by reading books on Krishna,What is the way to surrender? Please explain in detail. I am your Shishya and want to know more about Krishna, By reciting Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Mantra 16 times a day,
I read the article and it is very nice to read but how to follow to reach Krishna abode.
Regards,
Hare Krishna K.V.Rangaswamy
Hare Krishna
You have to find a bona fide spiritual master and surrender to him. I suggest you find Srila Prabhupada by reading his books and surrender to him.
It is not ’16 times a day’ it is 16 rounds a day. One round of the Hare Krishna mantra is:
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
chanted 108 times
So 16 rounds is the Hare Krishna mantra chanted 16 * 108 = 1728 mantras
It takes 2-3 hours, it usually takes me at least 3 hours.
So you can start with these things. Strictly following the four regulative principles: no illict sex, no meat eating, no gambling and no intoxication, chanting at least 16 rounds of the Hare Krishna mantra every day and read Srila Prabhupada’s books at least 1-2 hours a day. If you actually do these things you will find that everything becomes clear for you and Krishna will help you from within your heart.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
It is very easy to know krishna through this article
If God could be known through one article He would be a very small person.
But to know Him as The Supreme Personality of God Head but still approving the smallest of the smallest things is the cue.
Naren
It is very each to know krishna through this article
thanks