Making the Best Use of a Bad Bargin
I can see from the comments we are getting here at www.
krishna.org that the vast majority of people are under the impression that somehow we can turn this world into a happy, peaceful place. They seem to be thinking this is the purpose of religion and spiritual life.
When people come to understand there is a God, and He is all-powerful, their natural tendency is to try and get God to help them solve their problems of life.
So many people write: “Will Krishna help me get a promotion at work,” or “Will Krishna help me pass my exams.” or “Will Krishna find me a nice wife…” It is endless. It seems that everyone wants Krishna to do something for them and they are asking me how they can get Krishna to do these things for them…
In one sense this is good. Of course Krishna is God and He can do anything, and it is the nature of someone who believes in God to turn to Him in times of need. This is also good. Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita (7.16):
O best among the Bharatas [Arjuna], four kinds of pious men render devotional service unto Me–the distressed, the desirer of wealth, the inquisitive, and he who is searching for knowledge of the Absolute.
So there are four types of good people who turn to Krishna or God and perform devotional service: one who is distressed, one who wants money, one who is inquisitive and the one who is searching for knowledge of the absolute.
Krishna goes on to say that of these four types of people the one who is searching for knowledge of the absolute is the best because his motivation is a genuine search for spiritual knowledge. Still Krishna says the other three types: the ones who are distressed, who want money and who are inquisitive; are all great souls, because when they have some need they turn to Krishna for it.
But these three types of people are not really rendering pure devotional service. When they need something they approach Krishna and ask him for it. But they are pious, they believe in Krishna but they want to use Krishna to satisfy their own desires in the material world.
There is a very nice story that illustrates these people. There was once an old lady who lived in the forest. Every day she would go out into the forest to collect a big bundle of wood to burn in her cottage for cooking and for keeping warm. So one day she had collected a very big bundle of nice dry wood and was carrying it on her back when suddenly it fell off he back, it was very heavy. So she called out “Oh God help me…” And God appeared in front of her and asked, “You called, what do you want?” So she asked God, “Can you please help me get this bundle of sticks on my back again…”
So you see this is not very intelligent. All the old lady could think about was getting the sticks back to her cottage so she could get the fire going and start the cooking… So when she got the chance to see God, instead of asking for something really valuable, all she could think of was “Please get this bundle of sticks on my back again…”
Of course this is not going to help her in the long run. She will get the sticks back to the cottage and light the fire and do the cooking and burn the sticks and will be out in the forest again the next day looking for more sticks. And that is the nature of this material world. Nothing is permanent here. But we are looking for a permanent situation.
And all these questions I am getting: “Will Krishna help me pass my exams, Will Krishna get me a promotion at work, Will Krishna find me a nice wife…” It is all the same as this old lady asking God to put the heavy bundle of sicks on her back again.
Practically everyone is “worshiping” God in this mood. The Christians are praying to God, “Give us our daily bread…” It is always “Give me this, give me that…”
However as devotees of Krishna our idea is completely different. We know things are going on in this material world as a result of our karma and are not very concerned about changing that. Whatever is meant to come will come, whatever position in the world we are meant to have that will be, we don’t care for that. All a devotee cares about–in whatever position of life of situation he finds himself in–is how to serve Krishna, how to please Krishna.
A devotee never wants to take service from Krishna. He never wants to ask Krishna for anything. he wants to render service to Krishna. That is why Krishna consciousness is called “devotional service.” Krishna consciousness means to engage our mind, our body, our senses; everything, in the service of Krishna. And if we can do that then we will become happy. Because our natural, eternal constitutional position is that we are servants of Krishna.
A devotee is not very concerned about anything else because he understands that these things are not under his control. Things are happening in our lives. People are coming into our life and people are leaving our life. Sometimes we are rich, sometimes we are poor. Sometimes we are happy, sometimes we are sad. These things are coming and going like the waves in the ocean. Just like you can not stop the waves in the ocean and you can not stop the tides coming in and going out similarly in our lives these situations will be constantly changing. Happiness and distress, heat and cold, poverty or good fortune. It is going on according to the modes of material nature and according to our karma. It is fixed up and we have no control over it. There is no point trying to change it…
The best way is to simply accept things as they unfold and not be attached to any particular position and simply, “make the best use of a bad bargain.” Having a material body is a bad bargain, but we can use this material body in the service of Krishna and that is making the best use of it.
I do not really know how to express this as what I am speaking here goes so much against all the modern education and brainwashing we have all been subjected to. But really we can not change our material situation very much. The mood of the devotee is to simply accept the material situation he finds himself in and engage himself in the service of Krishna.
I am trying to express that this material world is not our home, we do not belong here. We are spiritual living beings, all part and parcel of Krishna. We belong in the spiritual world, in the Kingdom of God, serving Krishna there. That is our home, that is where we can be eternally happy. We can not be happy here in this material world any more than a fish can be happy if you take it out of the water and provide it with all riches and comforts on the land. The fish is a creature of the water. He belongs in the water. There is no way he can be happy out of the water.
Similarly with us. We are spiritual living entities, we belong in the spiritual world, we can not be happy out of the spiritual world. Here in the material world we are exactly like the fish out of the water. We can’t breathe here… Our nature as spirit souls is sat, cit, ananda. It means we are eternally young, we are full of knowledge and our nature is to be ever increasingly blissful. But here, in the material world, we are covered by and are identifying with this material body which is just the opposite. It is asat–getting old and dying; acit–full of ignorance and nirananda–full of distress. So like the fish out of water here in the material world we living entities are our of our natural environment and no matter how much money or how many beautiful women or how many followers we get there is no way we can be happy here. Just like there is no way the fish can be happy out of the water. The only way is you have to put the fish back in the water.
For us the only way is we have to get out of this material world and go back home, back to Godhead. And to do that we have to stop asking Krishna for things and instead ask Him to engage us in His service. Instead of asking Krishna to do things for us we need to be learning from Srila Prabhupada how we can do things to please Krishna…
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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Hare Krishna.
I feel blessed that your blessings and spiritual love and affection are spontaneously pouring on me by the Lord Krishna’s Grace in the form of spiritually prosperous emails.
My questions are automatically being answered in each mail.
HARE KRISHNA. HARE KRISHNA. HARE KRISHNA. HARE KRISHNA.
I respectfully have a question and with a submissive attitude, I really need to know something. I have a desire to set up some speakers and play the Hare Krishna chant that I heard on You-Tube and like a lot; and have Prabhupada’s articles and books to distribute; and sometimes turn off the music and chant myself; and try to engage passerby’s in responsive chanting; and under the influence of the “higher taste” interject the chanting with spoken little messages, like ” in this age of quarrel, it is recommended to chant the holy names of God” then return to chanting and then interject another quote, like “Chant Hare Krishna and be Happy. I want to engage this kind of loving service to Krishna as a way of life in my upcoming retirement. Will Prabhupada be pleased?
Yes. Prabhupada will be very please. DO IT! Maya will not be pleased so expect some resistance. But keep chanting Hare Krishna and distributing Prabhupada’s books to the people in general and Prabhupada will be VERY PLEASED with you…
I agree that pure devotional service to Krishna is very rare; more along the lines of being an ideal rather than something realized in this life; something to aspire towards. Chant and be Happy. At first, you may not be able to do 16 rounds per day – but chant as much as you can and read the Bagavad Gita and books by Sri Prabhupada. Learn to prepare Prasadam in your home. Dedicate everything to Krishna. Think of Krishna constantly. To me, knowledge of this way of life is a spectacular, precious gift. We could preach this message to those that have arrived at the heaven of Jesus Christ and set them upon the path back to Godhead; so great is this message.
Pure devotional service is rare, but not because it is difficult. It simply requires surrender. But we do not want to surrender. For one who agrees to surrender to Srila Prabhupada it is very easy. So it is not at all an ideal that can not be practically realized in this life. Krishna consciousness is a very real, tangible and practical process to self-realization and it is the only method of self-realization and spiritual advancement that is practical in this Kali-yuga. So we have to surrender to the basic things at least: chant at least 16 rounds of the Hare Krishna mantra every day, strictly 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. Anyone can do these things, they are not difficult, it simply requires surrender. Of course we are attached to sense gratification, so in that sense giving up sense gratification can be difficult. But that is tapasya, austerity, and tapasya is required for making advancement in spiritual life. So we have to surrender to the slight suffering that we may undergo for chanting at least 16 rounds of the Hare Krishna mantra every day and following the regulative principles, and we have to be prepared to spend the time to read Prabhupada’s books. So if we surrender to these things then becoming a pure devotee, completely Krishna conscious in this life and going back home back to Godhead in the next life is a very easy thing to achieve.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
My dear Madhudvisa dasa, Since I have accepted your answer and realized 16 rounds per day each and every day with seldom exceptions, I have become much more peaceful. I don’t yet keep fully the four regulative principles on account of illicit sexual activity; but feel that chanting is an empowerment to help with that. Would you kindly enlighten me concerning the relationship between Krisna and Jesus Christ. Jesus said, no man comes to the Father but by me and I cannot understand how that fits with Krisna who is eventually accessible to anyone who thinks of him with constant devotion and worships him with love. To those, he gives the understanding by which they can come to him – not necessarily through Jesus Christ. How did our spiritual Master Prabhupada answer this when he came to a Christian country in the first place? I am beginning to believe that Jesus is an empowered incarnation of Krishna and elevates sinners to the threshold of devotional service. From that point Hare Krishna mantra takes over to flesh out the devotional service. Am I correct? Please teach me about what our dear Master taught on this point as I believe Prabhupadha must have had all this understood, of course, before ever coming here to deliver the Western countries.
Hare Krishna Steve
Yes. Krishna appears Himself and sends His empowered incarnations and representatives time and time again because the nature of the material world is to degrade everything. So Krishna comes, or His representative comes, like Lord Jesus Christ, and establishes the religious principles, but in time the followers deviate from the true teachings and the religious institution becomes corrupt and materialistic. So there is a constant need for Krishna to appare again or send His representatives to again reestablish the pure religious principles. So Lord Jesus Christ is one of these empowered representatives of Krishna, we accept him as shaktievasa-avatara, empowered incarnation, and he reestablished the religious principles at that time and in that place where he was preaching. But the teachings of Lord Jesus Christ are not timeless, there was a time when they did not exist and there will be a time when they will become so perverted and distorted by the followers misunderstanding of them that they will become useless and irrelevant.
So the point is Jesus is not the only son of God, that is a mistaken understanding. Krishna has unlimited sons, and He empowers unlimited representatives to present His message in all the societies, communities, countries, planets and universes. The creation of the Lord is far to big to be covered by one Lord Jesus Christ.
So the point is for the current age the only practical method of making spiritual advancement is the chanting of the holy names of God:
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
So keep on chanting Hare Krishna and read Prabhupada’s books. Prabhupada will answer all your questions, much better than I can answer them, if you take the time to seriously read all his books.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Hare Krishna
We belong in the spiritual world, in the Kingdom of God, serving Krishna there. – please explain me more . I want to know more about Krishna Kingdom .
You have to experience it by becoming Krishna conscious yourself. So become Krishna conscious and you will experience it. Chant at least 16 rounds of the Hare Krishna mantra every day, strictly follow the four regulative principles: no illict sex no meat eating, no gambling and no intoxication and read Srila Prabhupada’s books at least 1-2 hours a day. This is the beginning of the path to understanding it.
Hare Krishna
Thank you for enlightening me.
Radha Krishna 🙏
Hare krsna Prabhu , I have been following the four principles , also I have been chanting at least 16 rounds . Please advice me further .
Very good, keep on doing it and also read Srila Prabhupada’s books at least 1-2 hours a day and follow the instructions that Prabhupada gives you as you read his books.
How nicely said < well done!
Thank you so much for everything! Hare Krishna …. want to get closer to this Krishna movement please help.
Hare krishna
My search for God is not for wealth health knowledge or something materialistic things…..
I’m searching God because I’m feeling lost….
I’m always feeling why God sends me down to this planet.
Whatever the main thing is now i am totally confused to whom should I make relationship is He Krishna or Is He Jesus or Is He one of my known Spiritual Master who teach meditation with some powerful yogic energy transmission called The Pranahuti.
Bible said only Jesus is lord and God and all are evils except Jesus….
I’m very much scared off this thing…..
Total confusion destruction is going inside my mind…..
My soul need God and I know this but I’m helpless….
I have visited many prayer meetings I have seen many miracles there….
I have visited many meditation sessions
But I’m very much losted…..
Plz it’s a really very emergency a kind of spiritual emergency….
Plz help me…..
Hare krishna
You need to read Prabhupada’s books:
https://krishnastore.com/books-srila-prabhupada-om-21_38.html
That is the only way you will be able to come to your senses and see things as they are. So do it. Get Prabhupada’s books AND READ THEM.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Human. nature is ask for more more more.After realisations only we could think about Krsna.Until then material desires only dominates.youngters like material enjoyment only.They get bored about God.what to do? they never lisen any advice.How could we change them?
Don’t worry about changing them. CHANGE YOURSELF!!!!!
Some children are innately interested in God..like I was from very young age 7 atleast.
Also my parents were spiritual people who listened to bhajans and lectures and took me to Bhajans and satsangs and temples. They also recieved saints at our home and served them.My brother also bought me A mar Chitra Katha magazines as a child. My mum bought me The Ramayan and I myself bought many spiritual books since then and absolutely learnt alot more about Krishna from books by A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada The Founder Acharya of ISKCON.
You be spiritual and involve yourselves as family in spiritual activities regularly including charitable causes , inviting senior devotees and swami to give talks regularly in your home ( indeed every house owner should do this)..your children will recieve immense incalculable benefit from these holy activities.
I must share that in life , my spiritual knowledge has been my greatest help ..no matter what I have been through.
So as a parent it is essential to expose children to these Spiritual teachings. HariBol! JAI!
how we can do things to please Krishna…
Read Srila Prabhupada’s books, that will please Krishna, and as you read Prabhupada’s books you will find all the practical details as to how you can live your life in such a way that your every activity is pleasing to Krishna.
Yes we want to change this world as Krishna did ,he has his sudarshana chakra and what we have
14 June 2017
Hare Krishna.
Namaskarams.
You enlightened comprehensively how to lead life with much detachment to the material world and engage mind in devotion to Lord Krishna without asking Him for any material favors and all He will take care of. It is true to some extent but not entirely as masses do not engage in spiritual mind sincerely and look to material wealth and need revolutionary Krishna consciousness. Such spirit must be promoted and bringabout spiritual wisdom for world peace and happiness basing on Jeevatma-Paramatma basic concept.
Hare Krishna
Respectable Shri Madhudvisa dasa,
This is a life changing article. The title itself says it all, and is nicely backed by striking examples and analogies. I am sharing this with the people I know, who would instantly benefit from this analysis.
There is only one point that I am a bit confused about. Per your article, our material world miseries are a direct result of our karma and we cannot change that. However, from what I’ve read in past is that Lord Krishna will impose destined miseries to the devotees at an alleviated fractional intensity. In other words, I so far thought that true devotees undergo the same number of miseries, but at a deeply discounted extent. Please enlighten us regarding this misconception. Thank you.
Best regards, and Hare Krishna.
Jigish Vaidya
Hare Krishna
Devotees, real devotees, do not undergo any miseries. They know and realize they are not the material body so they are not affected by any misery the body may be going through. Real devotees are always very happy in Krishna consciousness.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Hare Krishna Madhudvisa Dasa, and all glories to Srila Prabhupad!
Completely enlightened with your explanation. Your kindness and care to all believers is a striking reminder of a great Guru you really are! Thank you, and Hare Krishna!
Hare Krisna!
Well explained. I totally got this when I read the Bhagavad Gita first time. And it was very obvious that you simply stop “begging” for this or for that. Just rediscover your true position to serve Krishna and you will be taken care of automatically.
Hare Krishna, I am very much glad to read about Krishna daily. I had improved a lot and improving more day by day under Krishna consciousness. Hare Krishna..
will god help me in my exams?
We don’t ask Krishna to help us. We ask Krishna to engage us in His service. So a devotee’s only prayer is “My dear Lord please engage me in Your service.” We want to work for Krishna, we do not want to ask Krishna to work for us.
Krishna is Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Bhagavad Gita Is the most sublime scripture given to the humanity for guidance and betterment. Just reading and imbibing the message Gita is enough and there is no need to read other voluminous scriptures.
Bible says that you cannot serve two masters at the same time, which implies you cannot serve both God and personal interests in the world. Both are contradictory to each other. The materialistic world and service to the Spirit of God, are contrary to each other. It is for human beings to strike a balance between the two.Bhagavad gita also says that a devotee should live in solitary places with dislike for the society of men and women.
“Bhagawad gita says that devotees should stay at solitary places….with dislike to society of men and women”. This version is not correct. One would stay in a society, pray Lord Krishna, to give him positive thinking about fellow human beings and help the needy for their survival, as there is Krishna in every living soul.
Hare Krishna.
Devotee has to avoid the association of non-devotees. Krishna is in the heart of the vicious snake and the tigers in the jungle, but we don’t want to associate with vicious snakes or tigers…
Devotee wants to live in the society of devotees only. Because we become like the people we associate with. If we associate with non-devotees then we will become non-devotees.
For preaching of course we preach to the non-devotees. But we have to learn the art of preaching to them without taking their association.
So this is all a great science and Srila Prabhupada teaches it very expertly in his books. Please read Srila Prabhupada’s books and learn the science of Krishna consciousness from him.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Namaste Madhudvisa Ji. On Wednesday night my younger son who is honest a very good child ,never ever troubled or bad mouthed any one , very subtle and wise, was hijacked but unhurt …so how can I make use of this bad situation..he seems ok externally..better than us..I was happy that he was unhurt but after 2 days I am furious at this world for punishing him for no fault of his..so how can I console myself and control my anger towards that particular race who did this to my son..
Hare Krishna Kalpana
Yes. This world is a crazy place. Devotees accept everything as Krishna’s mercy and Krishna’s plan. So it is Krishna’s mercy that your son was not harmed. We do not understand what is Krishna’s plan. It is a sign that at any moment we can be killed in the material world. So it is a wake up call for you. As the father of your son it is your responsibility to instruct your son in such a way that this will be his last birth in the material world. You have to instruct him so he can become a pure devotee of Krishna and this incident shows us that he could be killed at any moment. So for devotees we do not mind if the material body is killed. We do not care for that. But we do care what our consciousness is at the time of death. So you can think about these things.
The reality is our material bodies can be killed at any moment and we have to be ready at any moment to remember Krishna and go back home, back to Godhead.
Of course there are exceptions for pure devotees but generally speaking what happens to us in the material world is caused by the reactions to our actions in the past and in previous lives. So your son is very good now, but that does not mean that he may not have some sinful activities in his previous lives. So we have to understand like this.
It is like in Srimad-Bhagavatam when Dharma the bull was attacked by Kali although it is clear that he was attacked by Kali when he was asked by King Pariksit “Who did this to you?” He would not say it was done by Kali. So devotees see like this. They see in the material world everything is moving under the direction of the three modes of material nature. So everyone is being forced to act by the modes of material nature. So we do not blame the actor. There is the apparent cause and the remote cause. So a devotee sees the remote caused and does not care for the apparent cause. It is a great science and everything is described in Srila Prabhupada’s Srimad-Bhagavatam. I can not describe it all here. Please read Srila Prabhupada’s books and you will come to understand everything very clearly.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Jai Sri Krshna Jai: I have a question although I have not yet read this newletter just sent. But one paragraph states that Lord Krshna will help. I am trying hard to become a Krshna devotee and doing my maha mantra. I have to find an apt by Sept 29th within a week or so. I have not found nothing and keep asking Lord Krshna to find something for me and/or guide me. Nothing has happened. Wht should I do. Can’t wait as time is on my hands and I could living in my van. Please help and guide me fast. I love the news leters so much. thakns.
Hare Krshna. from Bhaktin Marcy
Hare Krishan Bhaktin Marcy
We just have to accept that there will be inconveniences and problems here in the material world. That is the nature of the material world, problems. We have to make the best use of a bad bargain. So the first thing is to chant at least 16 rounds of the Hare Krishna mantra every day, to 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. First organize your life in such a way that you can do these things then there will be no problem. We do not pray to Krishna for solving our material problems. We just assume there will be material problems and amidst all the problems we chant Hare Krishna and distribute Srila Prabhupada’s books and Krishna prasadam to the fallen conditioned souls.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Hare Krishna Madhudvisa Dasa
Please accept my humble obeisance’s. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Thank you for your latest instalment of divine knowledge. We are unwell and Krishna through his mercy has given us the prescription to get well. We must take the medicine though otherwise we will remain unwell.
At one of our journey of self discovery sessions we talked about “why things don’t go to plan” and your latest instalment reminded me of that. I have my plans and God has his plans. It is wrong thinking when we expect God to use his power and our intelligence. This is not the way. We have to put our faith in Gods plan. Please keep your letters coming.
Haribol.
22 Aug. 2015
Prabhu Hare Krishna.
Sir: Namaskarams. The following concluding para of your article or newsletter on how a devote should act in bad situations of life is very much illustrative.
“For us the only way is we have to get out of this material world and go back home, back to Godhead. And to do that we have to stop asking Krishna for things and instead ask Him to engage us in His service. Instead of asking Krishna to do things for us we need to be learning from Srila Prabhuapda how we can do things to please Krishna”
God is there in every human-being. Human feeling of good or bad situation largely depends on one’s Karma (conduct) and his self realization on his role as to how he acted practically in every day’s life to handle each situation. God provided all answers on one’s introspection in handling each situation and take steps to correct them to positive situations and lead the life. Then Lord Krishna will come to his help entirely based on his Karmas. This is true what Bhagawad Gita preaches. If we adopt this spiritual principle all human-beings will be happy including wealthy millionaires and focus themselves on their detachment of material world and follow spiritual path.
Hare Krishna
Hare krishna please accept my humble obeisances, all glories to srila prabhupada. i am a fallen sinfull soul who has a burning desire to serve krishna but my environment is not ryt at all. i live with my family who are unfavourable to most of the precesses of devotional service as they have a christianity view about krishna. i used to do my own cooking and offer to the lord until my family said im waisting electricity and food and they dont like the smell of ghee which is very dear to krishna they criticise, i cant peform arti. nw i stoppef cooking im only buying wat i eat and i feel terrible. i dont touch their anything. i feel terrible and depressed also about not being fully engaged in devotional service(perfoming arti every day, offering food to the lord, listening to kirtan, burning incense ect) i dont have a stable job prabhu if i did i wouldve got myself an apartment where i can fully serve the lord with my fiance. prabhu please clarify this for me, is it wrong to ask the lord something we want to use in his service? as for me is it wrong for me to ask the lord for a stable job so i can get a house which il be able to have his altar, free to perform arti, cook prasad, burn incense, blow conch, chant hare krishna ect. please reply prabhu. i know krishna knows my desire to serve him and that i must be patient but i cant stand not being engaged i want to perfom arti i want to burn incense and cook with ghee i want to be engaged fully. im loosing patience im feeling depressed in this situation cos im not advanced. am i wrong to ask the lord to give me facilities for devotional service? i know only serving the lord will satisfy me
Hare Krishna
You do not understand that devotional service does not mean asking Krishna to give us things. It means using what we have got to serve Krishna. So it does not matter what is our position. It does not matter what the people around us are saying. We just have to chant Hare Krishna and serve Krishna in our present circumstances. And yes. We can work for Krishna. If you want to make a nice temple for Krishna then work for the money and make the temple. This requires your work. You have to work for it. That is the way. Krishna is not going to give us anything without us working for it. So we have to work for Krishna 24 hours a day. That is devotional service. And that working for Krishna can not be hampered by any material circumstances. So it is not that you need any particular material circumstances to enable you to serve Krishna. No. You can serve Krishna anywhere in any situation. So just look at your current situation and become fully engaged in Krishna consciousness in your present circumstances.
A devotee always feels that the position he is in is Krishna’s mercy. If you are not working for example that means you have 24 hours a day every day for chanting Hare Krishna and reading and distributing Prabhupada’s books. So you just have to become Krishna conscious in the current situation you find yourself in.
We have to be surrendered to Krishna’s plan. We have to pray to Krishna that “Please engage me in Your service.” That is all. Not that “Give me this, give me that, so I can serve You.” No. We do not need Krishna to give us anything to serve Him. Of course we can not even take our next breath without Krishna’s mercy. But even that the devotee is not concerned about, he does not mind. If Krishna wants me to live I will live, if Krishna wants me to die I will die.
So I suggest you take full advantage of the time you have and make sure that you are chanting at least 16 rounds of the Hare Krishna mantra every day and that you are strictly following the four regulative principles [no illicit sex, no meat eating, no gambling and no intoxication] and reading Srila Prabhupada’s books at least 1 to 2 hours per day. If you really strictly follow these things then you will get all inspiration and intelligence from Srila Prabhupada and Krishna and you will know what to do.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Pujya Madhudvisa dasaji,
Hare Krishna,
I agree that we should not demand any material thing from Shri Krishna. I think If I ask material things from Shri Krishna then I am beggar.
If one has to demand then he can ask for Shree krishna’s seva, smaran, sanidhya, darshan etc.
Hare Krishna
Prashant
Our only prayer to Krishna should be “Please engage me in the service of Srila Prabhupada…”
We can pray to be engaged in the service of Krishna’s pure devotees. That is the only prayer.
Hare krishna characters of devotees of krishna is similar to the krishna when the devotee fully surrendered to lord..as you said we should not expect anything return from krishna..we work to please krishna we should serve the others by thinking they all belongs to my krishna by this way definatly we can escaped from the maya..thank you for sending this letter guruji..
Hare Krishna.
Even i want to engage myself in the service of krishna and
i am ready to serve.
But what about my parents?
They expect totally different from me.
They expect me to earn a lot and fulfill their desires…
What should i choose first
my parents desire to earn a lot or my dream, desire and heartily willingness to serve Krishna…?
Hare krsna Ajaypal,
Please read Srimad Bhagavatam canto 6 ,Chapter 16
By the grace of Narada Muni ,the dead child was brought back to life and he instructed his socalled lamenting father and mother about the socalled familyrelations in this material world
6.16.4
by the mystic power of Narada Muni,the living entity reentered his dead body for a short time and spoke in reply to Narada Munis request.He said:According to the results of my fruitive activities,I,the living being,transmigrate from one body to another,sometimes going to the species of the demigods,sometimes
to the species of lower animals,sometimesamong the vegetables,and sometimes
to the human species.Therefore ,in which birth were these my father and mother?No one is actually my father and mother.How can i accept these two people as my parents?
so please read the whole chapter and your question is answered
haribol mohini murti dasi
Hare Krishna,
I have one question troubling me and I am not able to find an answer to it. I am very sure that Krishna loves us all equally. But then why has he pushed us out in this material world? HE is complete in himself, he does not need anything, but then why he created this world?
Please guide me.
Manu
Hare Krishna Manu
We have created this material world. Krishna has not created it. Of course Krishna has done it but it is done as a result of our desires. It is our desire to be happy independently from Krishna that has created this material world. Krishna does not want it. Krishna knows we can only be happy by serving Him. But when we reject Krishna and desire to become like Krishna then Krishna mercifully creates this material world. But it is created for us to enable us to try to fulfill our desires to become like Krishna. We want to become the master, we want to become the enjoyer, but Krishna is the master, Krishna is the enjoyer.
So it is Krishna’s great mercy that He creates this illusion, the material world, where we can act out our desires to become the master, to become the controller.
And everything we do here in the material world ends up in frustration and suffering. So gradually, after many many births, a thoughtful person realizes that it is better to surrender to Krishna and serve Krishna.
That is the purpose of the material world. And it is here and we are in the material world because of our desires. Not because of Krishna’s desires.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Thank you,my friend.Even if you don´t know me,I consider you as a friend of mine,because you took care of me,sending me nice letters to my email address…just to bring Krishna to my life.
I wish you a long healthy and happy life in this world,to be able to preach so sincerely to those who are waiting for Prabhupada in their hearts,even if they still don´t know him,but are looking for the truth.The only spiritual Truth posible in this material world.Sri Krishna is what we all need.Please,continue bringing love and happiness to our lives,dear devotee.Thank you for this website and for your fighting and efforts to maintain yourself clean from the corruption,in these sad days and years,without a real Iskcon, where we could meet each others to serve Rada and Krishna toguether,and practicing the Vaishnava association,in the middle of this desert.We are thirsty of this.Thank you for bringing us some spiritual water,Prabhu… I pray to the Only God Krishna to help
all the devotees,to be leaded by such souls like you,who always follow the footsteps of our dear Savoir Srila Prabhupada.I prefer to die right now,if I have to forget him for the rest of my life.I could not live without
thinking on serving him in my daily life.Thank you,for loving Prabhupada…I also love you and all the sincere devotees…HARIBOL
we have good or bad as a result of Karma. why a innocent young person go die. Is it a result of his Karma or his parent’s Karma. Is it the results of this life karma or past life karma ?
Why Prahlad need not Guru, God appear in pillar for Prahlad as Nar-singh incarnation.
If all people become Sanyasi who will produce thing to eat.? Can this world would be Heaven ?
If we could not control sex completely, person can not be pure devotee. but sex control is almost impossible in life, A male bee die after sex once.
King Pandu could not control sex and die immediately. Many Rishi, Muni, gods could not control sex.
There are no ‘innocent’ young persons. Taking birth in the material world means we are all criminals. This is the prison and one does not get put into the prison if he is innocent. There are an extremely small number of exceptions to this only when Krishna Himself comes as an incarnation or He sends one of His pure devotees to reestablish the forgotten religious principles. Otherwise there are no innocent persons in the material world. We are all guilty criminals.
Prahlada Maharaja had a guru. His guru was Srila Naraada Muni who instructed him for many, many years while he was still within the womb of his mother. So Prahlada was not without a guru.
It is not that all people will become sannyasis. There are four orders of life in the Varnasrama system and all orders of life, including the sannyasa order, are required for a healthy society to function.’
If one can not completely control sex life then yes he is not a pure devotee, but still he may be a devotee, so there is marriage so one can have some limited sex life.
Yes. It is very difficult to control sex life. But we have to try for that because sex life completely ties us down to the material bodily concept of life and will force us to remain trapped in the material world forever. If we can not control our sex desire then we will not be able to advance in spiritual life and will not be able to get free from the clutches of maya…
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Dear Prabu
Hare Krihna I am very pleased to receive your mail on this subject This article is so well written it helps one to become a devotee of Krishna rather than making Him as an order supplier It is a fact that when we become His devotees He looks after our interests I am a peaceful man today because of my association with ISKON
with warm regards Raman Rao
Hare Krsna Prabhuji! I have got a query, though not related to the above post. I have read somewhere in Srila Prabhupada’s books that if a person becomes a 100% pure devotee of LORD KRSNA, then the devotees family for 21 generations are liberated. My question is in case of a woman devotee who is married, does it refer to her father’s family or to her husband’s family? Plzzz do answer.
HARIBOL!
Hare Krishna Khusbu
You will find this explained in the Srimad-Bhagavatam Seventh Canto where Prahlada Maharaja is praying to Lord Nrsimhadeva for his father Hiranyakasipu. If a woman devotee becomes a pure devotee of Krishna then she has two families. She has the family at her father’s house and the family at her husband’s house. So as a result of her devotional service all the members of both families will be liberated for so many generations. It is such a powerful thing this Krishna consciousness. So the idea is that the best service to our families is to become a pure devotee of Krishna even if at times the family members seem to be against it, etc. If we persevere with our Krishna consciousness and become a pure devotee of Krishna then all the family members will get the greatest benefit. Becoming a pure devotee of Krishna is the best service we can render to the family.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
In the Bhagawat Gita I have started with Sankhya yoga the very begining. Whenever i am given a strong feedback from my boss I chant Na jayate mriyate was kadachit , nayabg ……Na hanyate hanyamane sharire. I am Atman. I think people of much higher spiritual power like Jesus Christ would be thinking some thing like this when he was crucified. Some people go confidently to the gullows knowing that yes ther is a life ahead. Krishna make me powerful to bare the hardships but make me humble so that some day if i reach a position of power I am humble to others. Hey krishna i give up meat so that i am not at least part of the pain suffered by fellow creatures but I have a long way to go. People call me a moron. May be i am one but i will be wour dasa like a watch dog at your door. I do understand i do not have the calibre to be Arjuna but I can try. As they say if u hitch ur wagon to the stars and u would reach somewhaere.
It is a very good philosophy: “if u hitch ur wagon to the stars and u would reach somewhere…”
We have to aim at the topmost goal. Pure love of Godhead, pure devotional service. If we aim for the top but are not completely successful still we will make very good spiritual advancement. And we may be successful also. So either way the result is good.
However if we do not aim very highly then we are never going to achieve very much at all.
So we need to take Krishna consciousness very seriously and aim at being pure unadulterated devotees of Krishna on the topmost platform… If we succeed that will be wonderful for us and for everyone else we come in contact with, and if we do not completely succeed then we will certainly make rapid spiritual advancement.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
is there only 12 bhagavadgeetha cantos? i just haave a doubt because i read only 12 chapters and ia very cuious to read so if you can could you please send me that.yaa what you said is really true everyone asks god for something material just to satisfy themselves but i think like we have to be always devoted to lord krishna and work for the satisfaction of lord krishna .
Yes. There are 12 cantos in Srimad-Bhagavatam. You can read it online at http://www.PrabhupadaBooks.com
A truly amazing article indeed. We should be the fourth kind of devotees, one searching for the Absolute’s knowledge. Thank you for posting this.
Hare Krishna.
HARE KRISHNA
I UNDERSTOOD GOD MAKES US HAPPY,WHEN WE LEARN HOW SERVE HIM.
Very nice article prabhuji. Such all srila Prabhupad says in this artical very powerful and useful our life.
In this article lord Krishna says there r four types of person who worship the god. My question is i m doing job in a small company. when i m visit other big company for official purpose, then i say to krishna, krishna when i m doing job such a big and nice company and at a nice position etc… but i m not demand to krishna please give me this job, this postiton and that.
So i m which categorize from four types of pepole. and how to please to krsna in our regular life.
Hare Krishna Prabhuji.
Hare Krishna Girija
It does not matter about what job we have in the material world. This world does not matter. The purpose of human life is to prepare ourselves for the next life. There is no point bothering very much about this life. We are only here for a few years and anything we achieve in the material world will be lost at the time of death. So it is a waste of time, bothering about life in this world. Of course we have to do our duty and do some job and make some money to support our families and ourselves, but we do not want to be too much absorbed in this.
We need to use this human form of life for making spiritual advancement. And you will find out how to do this by reading Srila Prabhupada’s books.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
WAITING FOR WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT, WILL BE VERY WISE…….
EVERYONE WANT’S HAPPYNESS, NO ONE WANT’S PAIN,
BUT YOU CANN’T HAVE A RAINBOW WITOUT A LITTLE RAIN….
very good strength build understandable explained story’s , I am very happy and blessed, since I have subscribed. Thk u very much …Hare Krishna
Ursila & fam.
Hare krisna prabhu,
It is very true. The moment i start thinking of krisna itself can felt a different feeling such as relax, no worries and so on which can’t be explained. However prabhu all the happiness of my lord, i just keep to myself which i can share. When i try explain to family members about materialistics world and whatever the needs here not going to give permanent happiness, they are thinking i behaving very smart. Anyway it not matter as how difficult situation i know the lord more worried for us and always with us. Thank u very much for writing such good article.
Hare Krishna ! Really good article. We ready this and get satisfied as what we should ask from God. But again and again as we face real life problems beyond our capacity we depend on Lord Krishna mercy to help him solve the same… This is inevitable untill our builtup is sufficient enough …
We are begging for material desire’s fulfillment to Krishna, even if they are not good for us he fulfills them beacuse he cant see us sad but as the time passes the material things vanish. So there is no benifit in begging for material desires to Krishna, if we had to get them we will get them and if not then we’ll not, its all upon our karmic reactions, so then lets devote ourselves and each & every karma of ours to Krishna then we will be freed from the cycle of birth and death, and will also get parmanent happiness.
Hare Krishna to all…
Hari bolo…!!!
Hare Krishna Vanshika mataji!
Why you no longer post events on KrishnaConnect?
Thank you so much. I look forward to reading your words and find them very uplifting and relevant for my situation. HARIBOL.
Hare krishna madhudvisa dasa prabhuji, thankyou for taking resolution that you will send the newsletters regularly everyday i was eagerly waiting for the newsletter and now also i will be eager to gain more knowledge regularly. Hare krishna
Hare Krishna Madhudvisa dasa ,
Thank you for the lovely and very informative article.
I have a question that I would like to ask.
It is mentioned in the article that we can never be happy whilst being in this material world.
If the karma that we possess is contributing to a lot of stress, pain, anger and frustration in our lives will we not become happier people when we serve Krishna?
Is it foolish to think that if we serve Krishna ask for happiness then we will become happier individuals and that our once bad karma we have can change to good karma hence leading to a bit of a happier life?
Much Love
Yoshan Nico Oree
Hare Krishna Yoshan
A devotee in Krishna consciousness is happy serving Krishna. Very happy. If we are actually purely practicing Krishna consciousness then we actually transcend the material world. Even though externally we may appear to be in the material world, if we are in Krishna consciousness, we are not in the material world, we are in the spiritual world. And the nature of the spiritual world is sat, cit ananda, it is full of unlimited knowledge, eternality and ever-increasing transcendental bliss.
So an actual devotee of Krishna is very happy. In fact happiness is one of the symptoms of a devotee of Krishna. If we are not happy we are not in Krishna consciousness. So you see a devotee is not in the material world, a devotee is happy.
If we are not happy then we have to understand that we have not yet reached the platform of Krishna consciousness, because one who is Krishna conscious is happy…
So devotees do not pray to Krishna to be happy… That is completely selfish and a completely materialistic desire. The only prayer a devotee every has is “Krishna please engage me in Your service”, or “Krishna please engage me in Srila Prabhupada’s service.” A devotee has no other prayer, no other desire than to be engaged in the service of Krishna and the service of Krishna’s pure devotees.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
pranam guruji!!
I am a decilple of lord Krishna, I am not sure even i am or not.
I want to share my feelings and want to come out of this confusion
i do the daily puja of laddoo gopal, I chant His name most of time even when I am doing my regular house hold works and talking to someone, while watching TV. But all the time I don’t realise that I am chanting His name.I feel there is something else inside me that is chanting His name coz I am busy doing my task.
So, I want to know is it ok ????
You can’t be a disciple of Lord Krishna. You have to be a disciple of a pure devotee of Lord Krishna. You need to have a bona fide spiritual master. We can not directly approach Krishna. We have to serve Krishna under the direction of a pure devotee of Krishna. This is the source of your confusion.
Hare Krishna,
I am ok with all the above powerful words. But, I am not able to adjust when the question of not asking to Krishna for his help/blessings, if all of a sudden somebody’s health problem occur which gives shocks to all concerned. On the other hand I totally agree with, we should not ask Krishna for all the good/luxury things in life, rather we should do our duty honestly.
Hare Krishna Rajanna
You should not be surprised when someone’s health suddenly fails. This is the way of the material world. Everyone is dying here. We are all dying. It is just taking different amounts of time for the different people to die, that is all. This material world is martya-loka, the place of death. So we should not be at all surprised when we see death staring us in the face, even if the person is a very dear relative or friend.
So a devotee actually does not see any point in praying to Krishna, asking Krishna to cure this friend’s disease, etc. He knows that ultimately everything is going on under the direction of Krishna. He also knows that Krishna is completely aware of his heart and desires and he does not have to tell Krishna what they are. The only prayer a devotee makes to Krishna is “Please Krishna engage me in the service of your pure devotee Srila Prabhupada.” That’s all. He wants the blessing of being always the servant of the servant of Krishna. That is all he prays for.
A devotee is not under the illusion that his friends and family members will never get sick, will never die, and that because he is a devotee Krishna will stop his family members from getting sick and dying. This is not the vision of the devotee. The devotee realizes that he is not the material body and his family members are also not their material bodies. The material bodies are simply outward dresses over the real person, the spirit soul. So as no one laments the destruction of a shirt or other item of clothing when it is old and worn out, and no one grieves for the owner of the item of clothing when the item of clothing is destroyed, a devotee does not feel for the material bodies of his family members, he knows the family members are not their material bodies, he knows they are the spirit souls within the bodies. So the devotee is concerned not with the welfare of the bodies, but with the welfare of the spirit soul. So the devotee can render the most valuable service to his family members by reminding them of their original eternal relationship with Krishna. So the devotee tries to awaken the family members Krishna consciousness and he is not surprised by the disease and death of the family members’ bodies…
Of course this consciousness can not be artificially imitated, and even for a devotee he does still feel attachment to friends and family members, still the reality is as I have mentioned here, and the reality is that we have to care for the spiritual needs of our family members and we have to be aware that their material bodies will get sick and will die and there is no point in praying to Krishna that “Please Krishna, save my family members from sickness and death.” That is not possible. The sickness and death are born with the material body. Because we have a material body then we are destined to suffer and enjoy a certain amount due to our karma. So that we have a material body means we have to suffer from disease and death. There is no way around this.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Dear Sir,
a great day to you. its wonderful to know and understand that so much can be done positively to improve my life. thank you. Hare krishna
My Respected Sri Madhudvisa dasa
JAI SHRIKRISHNH
I do offer my sadar pranam unto your lotus feet.
I am nobody here (On earth Planet) to agree or disagree on any of the point or situation.
As it has already been told by Krishnh that everything is predestined, whatever had happened, happening and to be happened is fixed.
But we come to know when it’s happened.
Every single event in all universes is a well laid plan of Krishnh.
Our birth, life, family, relatives, actions etc, etc…. have already been defined by him.
Krishnh never says NO. But ask him to do something is come to mind by his mercy/choice ONLY.
With Respect
NarendraKrishnh.
Hare Krishna Narendra
What you say is not true Prabhu. Actually Krishna has given us limited independence. It is true that our independence is very limited and it is true that because the activities we have performed in previous lives generate so many karmic reactions that we are forced to experience it can be said that we have very little if any independence. Actually we have no independence. We are only servants. We are always servants. But we can choose our master. We can choose to serve Krishna or we can choose to serve maya. That is our limited independence. So that choice is our choice. Krishna is not forcing us one way or the other. He is trying to educate us that choosing maya is not a good idea. But ultimately it is up to our limited independence if we are going to choose to serve Krishna or serve maya.
And it is not really as you say ‘our family has been defined by Him…’ This is actually the wrong understanding. We have defined our own lives in the material world because of our misuse of our minute independence. Krishna creates this material world to allow us to attempt to fulfill the impossible aspiration of becoming like Him. So whatever is our perverted desire Krishna is facilitating that. But these perverted things are not Krishna’s desires, they are our desires.
We are like Krishna in quality. The only thing is Krishna is unlimited great and we are unlimited small. So as Krishna is unlimited independent we also have independence but it is very limited. Still our independence is there and Krishna does not take that away from us.
Anyhow in short what you have written is wrong and if you want to understand things correctly I suggest you study the books of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
My Respected Sri Madhudvisa dasa
JAI SHRIKRISHNH
I do offer my sadar pranam unto your lotus feet.
I am not here to judge myself for a true or false.
Whatever mentioned in previous is not thoughts but the way I am leaving my life in present.
I do except whatever comes to me without having any thought in my mind. My belief is in Shri Krishnh for others I have faith in them.
Here is no choice for us and other beings on to be limited or unlimited independence except Shri Krishnh.
Whereas the so called karmic reactions are not collected by oneself choice.
Not creatures on earth planet even demigods are bound to act as per Krishnh’s choice.
We are bound to do what Krishnh has fixed for us on the very first time on creation.
Even Arjuna was instructed in Mahabharat that your weapons, power, and self efforts will not to contribute in the battle as all worriers has already been died by me and you have to act on this as per my choice.
With Respect
NarendraKrishnh
Hare Krishna Prabhu
Yes. Of course you are correct Prabhu. Everything is going on by the sanction of Krishna only. Without the sanction of Krishna nothing can be done. If Krishna wants something to happen it happens, if Krishna does not want something to happen it does not happen.
However within this framework Krishna still does give the living entities a limited amount of independence which He does not encroach on.
As Krishna is unlimitedly independent, we also have a limited amount of independence.
Our relationship with Krishna is one of love. You can not force someone to love you. Krishna does not force us to love Him. We always have the freedom to choose if we are going to serve Krishna or if we are going to serve maya. We are servants eternally but we do have the independence to choose our master. We can choose Krishna as our master or we can choose maya as our master. That is all. That is the limit to our independence. But we do have this independence and Krishna is not controlling our choice in this matter. It is our choice.
Of course Krishna is educating us, He is coming Himself personally and leaving His Bhagavad-gita and He is sending His pure representatives like Srila Prabhupada who give us guidance to surrender to Krishna. But we are independent in that we can choose to surrender to Krishna or choose to surrender to maya. That is our independent choice. It is not that Krishna is forcing us.
Of course if we choose maya it will ultimately be a disaster for us and all our plans will be ruined time and time again because actually it is not possible to be happy without surrendering to Krishna. So a thoughtful person, after many lives of suffering in the material world will realize that he should surrender to Krishna and will surrender to Krishna. But that is his independent choice, not Krishna forcing him.
But we are never actually independent. We can only choose our master, maya or Krishna. If we are in Krishna conscious we are serving Krishna, obeying His orders and if we are in maya we are serving maya, obeying her orders. All we can do is choose our master. We can never be independent.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
My Respected Sri Madhudvisa dasa
JAI SHRIKRISHNH
I do offer my sadar pranam unto your lotus feet.
You are a very respectable, noble, kind and holy soul.
With Respect
NarendraKrishnh
The Most Respectable Sri Madhudvisa dasa
JAI SHRIKRISHNH
I do offer my sadar pranam unto your lotus feet.
I am trying to read books and messages by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Also I am trying to read your messages too. Today, here I want to share something with you. Whenever I read books and messages by HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada then I feel (not prejudiced) that Sri Udhava is explaining the words exactly as happened at that time because the way by which explanations provided by HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada are very true. And such detailed explanations can be done ONLY by the soul who is really lives very close with SRI KRISHNH or I say it more correctly that is the soul most loved by SRI KRISHNH.
You too are a soul which is most loved by SRI KRISHNH.
Jai Shree Krsna,
Thank you for you lovely story which can awake once mind.
You have awaken me in nearest day i have actually started to say to krsna to give me a way whereas i never say because i know everything is happening is according to my krsna’s wishes so i accept always happily. I really thank you for waking me from this material world…
Jai Dwarikadhish………..
Hare Krishna prabhu ji,
Firstly thank you Madhudhvisa dasa ji and kalyani mata ji for understanding this query nicely and making me understand so well. i have understood what u said about karma, akarma & vikarma. I dont make any difference between rich or poor people. yes i also think that, if they dont have any knowledge about Krishna and they are entangled in their own action and reactions, both are poor and i have equal sympathy for both the categories. But i still have doubts, hope u understand this again guruji and will enlighten us.
the questions are :-
1) if i found someone lie on road, and is full of blood. he has gone though a very bad accident. nobody is there for help for him. what should i do? should i leave the person on road or think whatever is going to him is due to his karma and if i’ll do his help…we both have to take rebirth again…or should i take him to hospital as at that very moment , even a second is very crucial. in this situation i cannot offer him prasad.
2) If a man is trying to rape a woman, which is very common now a days in Delhi. what should i do? should i call a police and save her, or i should think like whatever is going with her is due to her karma only. God will take care of them Himself.
3) There is a lil girl whose family engaged in ironing clothes. she is in fifth class. her family dont have much money so that they can give her tutions. she also goes door to door to deliver the clothes. what should i do now? should i leave the situation like this or should i help her by helping her in studies and after that offering prasadam.
4) there are lot of pigeons, crows and sparrows come daily at my home balconi to take the food. one day, a pigeon was not well. he tried to fly again and again but couldnt. he sat at there only for two days. what should i do now? should i wait to die him like this or i should take him to doctor and do chanting and kirtan at front of him, so that if he would die, at least he could take birth of a human & can understand the science of God.
at these critical situations, how can i think like this? after knowing the science of God, after knowing that we all are not bodies but souls and we all have eternal relationship with each other. how can i leave these situations guruji ? i learnt how to love people by loving and serving lord only. i feel sympathy for them.
pls tell me guruji, i am humbly asking you. how can i be so selfish? i also want that everybody should serve LORD, they should live for Lord and die for Lord. pls enlighten me.
chant Hare krishna and be happy.
Hari Bol
Hare Krishna Gunjal
Yes. Of course a devotee feels sympathy and compassion for all living entities. But a devotee knows that he can not save the material body. He knows that the real object of compassion has to be the spirit soul that is present within the hearts of all living entities.
You have a very, very, very big job in front of you. And you know you have put yourself in a very high position. You are speaking as if by your kindness you can stop all the suffering in the world. It is of course a nice sentiment. But you can not stop any suffering in the world actually in this way. So many people open hospitals to cure the sick and schools to educate the uneducated and even sick bird shelters to help the sick birds get well. But this is all catering to the body only without providing any food for the soul.
Of course you are going to offer these people prasadam and let them hear the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra, so that is your main business, you are really helping the soul in this way.
Realistically there are plenty of schools and mundane charitable organizations and such organizations do nothing to help the spirit soul. They are only catering to the needs of the material body. So we have to cater to the needs of the soul. And everybody needs this. Not just the sick and uneducated and poor.
So the point is as devotees of Krishna it is not our business to do this humanitarian welfare work thinking that we can stop the suffering in the world, because in that way we can not. Our medicine is the kirtan and Prabhupada’s books and we need to administer that medicine not only to the poor and sick and uneducated but to the rich and healthy and educated people as well.
Of course if a devotee comes across some person in some distress he is naturally compassionate and will assist that person in such a way as to attempt to awaken his dormant Krishna consciousness, which is the only really beneficial welfare work there is. For that is welfare for the soul, not only the body…
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Hare Krsna MadhudvisaPrabhu
I think Gunjal was asking to help the disadvantaged AND AT SAME time in mood of Bhakti help them towards God – Krsna.
This surely is correct.
ie Offer practical help first to sustain the basic necessities of material life BUT AT SAME TIME in loving manner preach the most highest good – to reestablish the union with Krsna as the prime necessity of their lives.
Hare Krsna!
🙂
Hare Krishna Kalyani
NO, this is not the correct understanding at all. Everyone is disadvantaged, even the rich people, if they do not know Krishna. A devotee has no specific vision that the poor people are disadvantaged and the rich people are not disadvantaged. He sees everyone who does not know Krishna as equally disadvantaged.
So the devotee wants to give everyone Krishna consciousness. There is no point in serving the poor or serving the disadvantaged. There is no spiritual benefit in that. It is of course pious activity and it does generate good karma and that is generally why people are attracted to performing these philanthropic activities. It is not really to help the poor, but they know if they help the poor that is pious and that will generate good karma and in their future lives they may be born as wealthy people with good facilities for material enjoyment or be promoted to the heavenly planets, etc.
But a devotee absolutely does not want this good karma and does not want to perform this type of pious activity because for a devotee good karma is really just as bad as bad karma. Because the result of good karma and bad karma is the same, one has to take birth again in the material world. The difference is that if one has good karma it will be a good birth in a wealthy family, but if he has a lot of bad karma it will be in not a very good condition.
But from the perspective of the devotee both good karma and bad karma bind one to the material world. When you open a hospital for the sick and feed the poor then you are helping all these sick and poor people and the karmic reaction is that all those sick and poor people then have a debt to you. And the result of this is they all have to take birth in the material world again to pay you back that debt and you also have to take birth in the material world again to receive the payments from them. So this ‘good work’ is really bad for everyone concerned, because it binds everyone to the material world and forces them to continue the cycle of birth and death…
So a devotee does not do this mundane ‘good work’. It is completely pointless. People are hungry because of their karma. You can not change their karma by feeding them. You just create a huge web of more karma that you get caught up in yourself also and you get trapped in the material world forever…
As I said a devotee will have kirtan, distribute prasadam, and preach about Krishna. This is the real good work and will help everyone break the cycle of birth and death and go back home back to Godhead.
There are three types of work: karma, akarma and vikarma. Karma is good work which gives a good reaction, vikarma is bad work that gives a bad reaction and akarma is the work of the devotees that produces no material reaction. Because a devotee does not do anything for anyone in the material world. He does not do anything good nor does he do anything bad. He does not serve anyone except Krishna and Krishna’s pure devotee and this spiritual service is akarma, it means it does not generate any material reaction, therefore it does not bind one to the material world, it liberates one from the material world.
So a devotee will never be engaged in these mundane good works because these ‘good works’ are not good for anyone. They simply keep everyone, both the performer of the good work and the the recipients of the good work, perpetually bound in and complex web of karma in the material world, forever…
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Hare Krishna prabhu ji,
Please accept my humble obeiances,
I do chanting, listen kirtans,read prabhupada books and also follow four regulative principles sincerely. By doing all these things, I have a very deep feeling to spread this happiness all around the world. I have experienced , people do not get inspired by just talking them logically, they need love and affection, and when they feel cared by us then they automatically come at this path. There are many people who are deprived of basic needs also,they are just fighting for daily bread..it is really very difficult for us to convince that lord will give you bread you just focus on devotion of God. If I help them materially,if I give some education to them so that it will easier for them to earn bread.if I give them clothes or if I give them money for some health problem..
Is it correct or not? If i help lord creation, not in the mode of ignorance but in the mode ofgoodness…is this ishwar ki sewa or not? Mother redress also a sevant of god
Hare Krishna prabhu ji,
My last question was not completed due to some error,s I want to continue with it. I was saying mother Teresa was also servant to god and she devoted her life for leprosy pateints. she did ishwar ki sewa? If I would dovote my life in such mood at the same time involve in to bhakti, getting advance in bhakti..bcz this is my only motivation to live…i want to preach like this, by love , affection, care , fullfiling their needs n then taking them into the divine path of god…
…is this service of god? Ishwar ki creation ki sewa karna kya ishwar ki sewa hai?
I m waiting for your reply guruji
Hari bol
Hare Krishna Gunjal
Serving lepers is not serving God. It is serving lepers. This idea that serving man is serving god is completely bogus. If you want to serve God serve Krishna and to find out how to serve Krishna you need to take directions from Krishna’s pure devotee, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
So READ SRILA PRABHUPADA’S BOOKS!!!
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Hare Krishna Prabhu
No you are not correct. Helping someone materially will not necessary help them spiritually. But if you help them spiritually that will help them materially. So help them spiritually. Cook food, offer it to Krishna and feed them with Krishna prasadam. That helps them both spiritually and materially. Get them to read Srila Prabhupada’s books, get them to chant Hare Krishna, get them to offer obeisances to Srila Prabhupada and Krishna. This is our business. To propagate the Sankirtan movement. That is the best spiritual and material welfare work.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Hare Krsna Madhudvisa dasa prabhuji. You said “So help them spiritually. Cook food, offer it to Krishna and feed them with Krishna prasadam. That helps them both spiritually and materially. Get them to read Srila Prabhupada’s books, get them to chant Hare Krishna, get them to offer obeisances to Srila Prabhupada and Krishna. This is our business.” If I or we as devotees preach Krishna Consciousness as you said of chanting Hare Krsna and reading srila prabhupada’s books and more can we also help the poor along with these by giving daily food as prasadam to person i know is poor and help them in terms of shelter by inviting him to stay with me and clothing along with preaching Krishna Consciousness or just stick to preaching Krishna Consciousness.
Hare Krishna Avikam
We are not particularly interested in helping only the poor. Everyone is poor in spiritual knowledge. So we have to give everyone, rich and poor, Krishna consciousness, spiritual knowledge.
Due to their karma some people are poor and some are rich. We can not change that by feeding the poor. This whole feeding the poor thing is not what we do. We preach to everyone, not particularly the poor, everyone.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Hare Krsna Madhudvisa dasa prabhuji. That i understand that we should help both the poor and rich in spiritual knowledge and in krsna consciousness. and i never meant to say only the poor. but the poor are at a much more disadvantage than the rich. i mean sure we should help both the rich and poor in spiritual knowledge. But in the case of poor can’t we help them in basic necessities of life or should we help them along with krsna consciousness including feeding them i mean prasadam or no other food. sure in terms of prasadam we should give it to the rich. but when i mean helping the poor i mean helping them in basic necessities of life not just feeding them.
and i mean pure at a much more disadvatange than the rich in the practicing. or tell me otherwise.
sorry for asking something again but still if you can answer better or whatever reply you can as far as your knowledge and intelligence of krsna consciousness go.
This is all nonsense Hindusim rubbish.
I have already told you that we do not make any special effort to help the poor. Everyone is poor in spiritual knowledge and we are only interested in helping the people spiritually, it makes no difference if they are rich or poor. We don’t care about that.
The idea that you can help the poor is bogus. The poor are poor because of their bad karma. You can not do anything to help them. Except give them Krishna consciousness that will empower them to change their karma.
So this poor helping is all 100% bogus.
Hare krishna. When you say one should serve the deities and pray to the deities, does you mean to pray knowing that the deity is really Krsna or praying and serving the deities as symbols of Krsna. If the deities are really Krsna then is Ksna really the picture I have? I have heard that Krsna is non different from the books, images and deities, but can you further explain what that means?
Yes. Krishna is non-different from His deity for and Krishna is non-different from his picture form. That means the Deities are Krishna and the picture of Krishna is Krishna. They are not symbols of Krishna. They are Krishna. And you can offer food to the deity of picture of Krishna and He can eat the food you are offering in that form. We can not realized it in the beginning but as we become more advanced when we see the deity we will see Krishna and when we see the picture of Krishna we will see Krishna. He is there personally present and can accept our offerings.
hare krishna,
will krishna forgive us if,by the force of material world we commit an error in our daily life even after surrendering to lord?will he forgive us if we repent and ask him for forgiveness?
Yes. Krishna will forgive us. But we have to really sincerely try not to make the same mistake again and again and again…
We just have to sincerely regret our fall-down and firmly fix ourselves back up again in rising early in the morning, offering mangal aroti, chanting at least 16 rounds of the Hare Krishna mantra daily, strictly following the four regulative principles [no illicit sex, no meat eating, no gambling and no intoxication] and reading Srila Prabhupada’s books at least 1-2 hours a day. As soon as we are reinstated in following all these things again then that is sufficient atonement and we will just go forward again in Krishna consciousness…
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
hare krishna.
hare krishna,
it was really a wonderful article.i have a question?should we engage in a special service for lord krishna everyday or should we take every day-to-day actions,tasks and responsibilities of ours as service to krishna? please advice.
We have to engage in special service to Lord Krishna and his pure devotees like Srila Prabhupada every minute of every day. 24 hours a day. We should adjust our lives so we have no day-to-day actions, tasks and responsibilities that are not direct service to Krishna.
You can not take serving someone else as serving Krishna. You have to actually serve Krishna and Krishna’s pure devotee, Srila Prabhupada. If you serve someone else that is not serving Krishna and can not be taken as serving Krishna.
Things can be dovetailed in the service of Krishna. Like for example if you are working in the office, then you are working in the office for money. If they don’t pay you then you will no longer go to the office. So it is the money only that you are there for. So if when you get that money you use it for serving Krishna then that means all the time you spend working in the office for the money is now for Krishna because you are using the money to serve Krishna. You see.
If you have a family and a house then you can turn your house into a temple for Krishna, and you can install the deity of Krishna in one of the rooms of the house and consider that it is His house and then when you are working to pay for the rent of the house it is Krishna’s house and Krishna’s rent that you are paying. And because Krishna is the master of your house then whenever you cook in your house you are cooking for Krishna and when the cooking is finished you offer the first plate to Krishna. So that means even when you go to the store to purchase vegetables and grains to cook you are purchasing things to cook for Krishna.
And you can engage all your family members in serving the deity. Your wife and daughters can cook for Krishna and you can offer it to Krishna and the whole family can come together in front of the deity and have a nice aroti and kirtan and everyone can honor Krishna prasadam…
So in these and other ways you can transform your life so every action in your life becomes service to Krishna.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
thank u madhudvisa dasaji.i got my answer.
thank you again for all these wonderful writings ys
My Dear Madhuvisa Maharaj, you will alway be Maharaj to me ,thank you very much for this writing ,it is very important to understand this for our advancement in bhakti yoga,devotion service to Guru and to Lord Sri Krishna,here in this material world it is about our independent will and what we want,on the other hand ,Srila Prabhupada,s teaching are saying that this independent will ,which has been given by Lord Sri Krishna himself,is to be given up,for the selfless desire to please Guru and Lord Sri Krishna,in other words, we are coming to the platform of surrendering to the supreme will of Lord Sri Krishna, this is most pleasing to the pure devotee,Srila Prabhupada,your servant RadhaMadhava dasa
Hare Krishna
wonderful story… liked it very much.. let this Bhagwat dharma spread everywhere and you are doing great service to Krishna…
regards
DEV
Thank you Madhudvisa for adapted Srila Prabhupada Bhagavad Gita As it is 2.57, 2.58, 2.59 at your email. Taking in use.
Sir,
I totally agree with you when you say
“For us the only way is we have to get out of this material world and go back home, back to Godhead”.
Gita ch 9, sloka 11 says “Desiring the perfection to enter into Brahman, one practices celibacy”. The same message is there in sloka 15, valli 2, ch 1 of Kathopanishad. The entire Ashtavakra Gita advises one that one is not the body but the soul.
Adding up, it appears to me that it is wrong to beget children and leave them to live a life of wallowing in avidya, in ignorance of the true nature of reality or make the intelligent child (if you are lucky to have one) tread the
extremely hard path of practising Brahmacharyam and dhyan for spiritual enlightenment, meanwhile becoming unfit to be part of the modern society. May I please know what your take is in this matter.
Prabhuji,
sometimes I am very much in doubt about the concept of creation of this world
1) We know that god created everything and we have a part of god in us(in the form of paramatma). Then why should god create all negative feelings like lust, greed, anger.
Why can’t he engage people in doing hardwork and why can’t he make people eat only satvik food.
As everything is created by him, good and bad is in his control, why should he create bad
Hare Krishna!
We are all part and parcel of Krishna, expansions of Krishna. Krishna is great and we are very, very small. Still we are made from the same substance as Krishna, brahman. So as Krishna is supremely independent we also have a limited amount of independence. Of course if Krishna really wanted to force us He could but He has given us a little independence and we have decided to misuse that independence and instead of using our energy and intelligence to serve Krishna we have decided we want to enjoy separately from Krishna. We want to become like Krishna, the lord, the master. We do not want to be servants of Krishna.
So it is this misuse of our independence that has created all these negative feelings like lust, greed and anger.
This material world is created by Krishna of course, but Krishna creates it for us, so we can play here and pretend to be the lord and master. But it is a very frustrating place because we are all nitya krsna dasa, all eternal servants of Krishna, and here in the material world we have forgotten that and instead are trying to become happy by trying to satisfy our material senses. We have misidentified our material bodies as our selves and are trying to make the material bodies happy thinking if we satisfy the senses of our body we will be happy. But ‘we’ are the spirit soul, not the material body, and the substance that satisfies the soul is quite different from the things that satisfy the senses of the material body.
So it is because of our misidentification of our selves with our material body also that has created all these negative feelings…
So it is not that Krishna has caused us to experience these things. We are experiencing these negative feelings because we have misused our independence and instead of trying to serve Krishna we are trying to get other people to serve us…
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
pranam prabhuji all glories to our gurudev srila prabhupada
prabhuji pls tell are all the negative feelings that comes in our mind are they part of maha maya??but she is governed by sri krishna is it not??i am bit confused
Maya’s service is to test us to see how sincere we really are in Krishna consciousness. Yes maya is the servant of Krishna just like the police and the prison officers are servants of the government. The police are servants of the government but they appear to be very severe to the criminals. So we are criminals. We have rejected the service of Krishna. So it is maya’s job to punish us. And if we are trying to become Krishna conscious then it is maya’s job to test to to make sure we are very sincere, that we really actually want Krishna, not maya.
So as the police and the prison officers are governed by the government yet they appear to be quite sever to the criminals, maya is also governed by Krishna, but to us criminals maya appears very severe…
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Hare Krsna Madhudvisa Prabhu,
Please accept my most humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and to you.
Thank you so much for this wonderful article. Today was the very day I needed to read this and Krsna became merciful to me through you! I cannot thank you enough. Happiness and distress are really so temporary, and sometimes, even when we know this, we still try to find eternal happiness in this mortal world. How can we find something permanent in a world that is itself non permanent? It is impossible.
Just today I was feeling very upset and hopeless about my life – both spiritually and materially – but after having read your article, I feel much better and brighter. It’s always so nice to be reminded of our ABCs of Krsna consciousness which surely are the basics, but the most important for executing devotional service. Many times it is easy to forget the meaning of devotional service and enter the mood of “Krsna please serve me by making things easier for me – I just can’t be bothered to deal with my own karma.” It is so easy to forget that this is not pure bhakti.
Krsna explains so many things in the Bhagavad-gita, convincing Arjuna to just pick up his bow and arrow and to just fight. By the end, Krsna just says “mam ekam saranam” – just surrender unto Me. So many times we surrender in the “wrong” way and there can even be a tendency to get angry at Krsna if He doesn’t do what we wanted Him to do. It’s as if we expect Him to pay the price of our surrender.
This material world is purposefully made full of problems, just so that we can be reminded that we will never be permanently happy in a non permanent world, so that we will make our efforts to get out of here. Yet it is so easy to forget this and to think that we can try and solve our problems by asking Krsna to help us do it. When that happens, it makes me question whether we really are determined to go back to Godhead, i.e. are we really determined to get out of this world, knowing we can only be eternally happy serving Krsna back in our real home? Or are we still trying to push past the limits of this material world and endlessly try to be happy here knowing well (or even forgetting) that we can’t?
Thank you once again, Prabhu, for this nice article. It was just what I needed today.
Your servant,
Bhaktin Roma
Mil Gracias !!! Thak You So Much, for share this Beautiful and Enriching knowledge, enriches my mind, my heart and my soul.
I do appreciate all the e-mails you have send all ready for me, I do hope it remains this way, please Send Me More
My Best Regards
Concepcion !!! Chanting Hare Krishna for ever makes me so Happy !!!
amazing words prabu people’s are in reflection world and they think this is our home. from the starting movement of krsna consciousness i did what you sad in this article… But now am trying trying to become a devotee of devotee of krsna… this is best article to show material minds who are in this world.. there is no alternative what you said
Hare Krishna Prabhu ji,
All glories to srila Prabhupada ji,
In Bhagavad Gita, it is writtern that “a krishna conscious person has no attachment for the result but acts on behalf of Krishna alone. He engages in all kinds of activities, but is completely non-attached.”
how can i apply this in office ??? how can i do office work for krishna??? if i donate some part of my salary only in the mode of goodness as mentioned in Bhadavad Gita , is that means i am doing it for krishna??
Hari bol
Hare Krishna Gunjal
You are only working in the office because they give you money to work there. If they would stop giving you money then immediately you would stop going to the office….
So you are spending all that time and energy at the office only to make money.
Therefore if you use that money to serve Krishna then all that time and energy you are spending at the office becomes service to Krishna because when they give you money you will not spend it for yourself but you will use it for Krishna.
Actually how to spend it for Krishna, that is another question, but this is the principle. You are working at the office for mey onso if you use that money for serving Krishna then you are working at the office for Krishna.
It is not much use for a devotee to be giving some donations for some mundane charity in the mode of goodness. This may have some benefit for the karmis, but a devotee knows how to spend for Krishna directly…
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Wonderful introductory article. I am a newcomer and an eager to properly learn all! Please keep them coming! Thank you so much!
hare krishna
your “Making the best use of a bad situation” this article was a complete spiritual understanding of the supreme personality sri krishna towards his devotees. I really liked this article. My question to you is that if we are spiritual entities from spiritual kingdom of godhead, then why are we sent to this material world?, why are we let to live out of water? why didn’t krishna let us stay with him ???
Krishna wants us to stay with Him, but we misuse our independence and instead of wanting to serve Krishna we want to become the master ourselves. Which we can not be actually. We are eternally servants. So Krishna has created this material world where we can try to become the master but always become frustrated… So it was us that wanted to leave Krishna, not Krishna that wanted to leave us…
Thanks for clarification prabhu..
hare krsna prabhu
i am enng students ,2nd year mech branch .i am daily chanting 5 rounds and reading bagvatgita .i am hvng more dreams(aim) , but know i am discouraged that i will not acheive sucess in life .and i am not able to concntrte on my studies.
.prabhu what to pls tell me.
Hare Krishna Arun
Success in life means becoming Krishna conscious and remembering Krishna at the time of death and going back home, back to Godhead, back to Krishna. That is all. So simply concentrate on becoming Krishna conscious and other things will be OK.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
hare krishna prabhu, i m a newcomer in iskcon, and in very hort period i experienced a new feeling of happiness, and thank u very much for your letters, please continue…..
Dear brother
thanks for your great service and devotion and My quest for spirituality is growing day by day but I do have some query related lord Chaitanya mahaprabhu .therefore I request you to please start some things on electronic media to let us know about the saintly lord chaitanya
please keep sending the newsletters we read them all
Hare Krishna Guru ji,
Please accept my humble obeisance,
Thanks for sending such a real newsletter. yes this is true that this material world is not our real home. krishna loka is our real home i.e kingdom of Lord Krishna.
but this is really very difficult to make people understand. i can understand them bcz there were days when i was also one of them who was not dare to think like this. these things were like fake for me. i was so stupid, i used to think how can this be possible that just by serving krishna i can reach to spiritual world. i thought that these people just want to raise the no. of krishna followers(bcz in this kala yuga, most of the people are trying to get more people in their religion and their faith).these kind of thoughts used to come my mind.actually,this material world is full of clutches which do not allow us to think in a way in which we should think.
actually this is not our mistake. our conditioning or training is being done like this since childhood. our society, school, parents tell every time to make good grades bcz this is how we can get a good salaried job and have a honorable position in society. if you are a engineer or doctor, your image in society(mainly in middle class) is very honorable & i also experience this daily. my father used to say that if you people dont study now, it will be very difficult for us to choose a suitable boy for you. so i also thought by getting good qualification and good salary,me and my parents will always be happy and my all problems will be solved. but in the mean time i got lust, anger, greed ,envy and pride, bcz in this competitive world these four things are very easy thing to adopt.
and finally i got a very honorable job with good salary in a very good company. i got everything, good image in society and money too. but in office i got a very bad boss, this made me again sad.now i have everything, money as well as good image but agin i m not happy. i didnt want to go office, it was very frustrating to go and come back daily. then i thought, for this day i did so hardwork and again i am not happy. when will the day come, when i feel happy. these kind of thoughts started coming in my mind. then one of my brother(in office) told me to read bhagwad gita. i read this sacred book and i got my all answers. i felt so light. it was like a blessing from supreme God.
and now i laugh, i was searching happiness in this material world which itself is a world of duality.
yes guruji, you have given a very nice example of fish without water. our position is like this only. we cannot be happy here. and this we have to understand.
i think, these question “why we have come here” and ” we have done everything still we are not happy”….if these types of question starts arising in every mind…it means this is the first step to come in god consciousness.
i wish all people would start realizing their eternal relationship with Lord Krishna. and when they start doing this, i guarantee they will not ask anything from Krishna , they will only serve to Lord Krishna. i can only pray to God, please shower your blessing and mercy to them as u showed on me and make them aware of this nectar. Thank you Lord krishna.
pls show me direction how can i help them if i could???
Thank you guru ji.
hare krishna
Hare Krishna Gunjal
The more we become Krishna conscious ourselves the more capacity we will have to help others become Krishna conscious. So it is very important that we ‘save ourselves’ and make sure we are actually on the platform of pure devotional service ourselves and if we are naturally we will inspire others to become Krishna conscious by our example. So we have to be very careful that we are actually chanting at least 16 rounds of the Hare Krishna mantra daily, strictly following the four regulative principles [no illicit sex, no meat eating, no gambling and no intoxication] and reading Srila Prabhupada’s books at least 1-2 hours a day.
If we become completely immersed in Krishna consciousness then our hearts will become purified and we will become empowered to deliver Krishna consciousness to others. This is the way…
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dsaa
Hare Krishna Guruji,
this article is full of spirit, thank u very much for this wonderful article.
I understand that “material things are coming and going like the waves in the ocean. Just like we can not stop the waves in the ocean and we can not stop the tides coming in and going out.
But I want to ask one thing inspite of knowing that good and bad things are part of life, why we are not able to manage, when something is going wrong with us? why a person gets hyper when things are not going according to their wish. What to do when someone is not behaving properly even though we are continously being good to them.How to avoid such situations….
Hare Krishna Kusum
We can not do much about other people. If they are out of control then we can not do much about that except give them prasadam and get them to chant Hare Krishna and read Prabhupada’s books…. But sometimes they are not interested and there is nothing we can do about that. We have control over ourselves and we can follow Srila Prabhupada’s instructions in our own lives and become Krishna conscious ourselves. And the more we become Krishna conscious the more spiritual potency we will have to effect others. So by our spiritual potency we can influence others. But we have to become actually Krishna conscious to have spiritual potency. Therefore it is best to avoid such people as much as possible and try to develop our own Krishna consciousness. A devotee only wants to associate with devotees and only associates with non-devotees if they are interested in hearing about Krishna from him and does not associate with them for any other reasons.
Of course if you are working with non-devotees you have to associate with them but it is best to do it in an official way and only enough to get the job done and of course if you can get them interested in Krishna consciousness then you can answer their questions and give them some good guidance…
So you can just keep treating people nicely even if they do not treat you nicely and just don’t take any notice of their nastiness…. We can not let these things disturb our Krishna consciousness.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dsaa
Hare Krishna Guruji,
Thank you very much guruji for your guidance and support for clearing our doubts.
Madhuvisa, please don’t take offence at my posts. Most of the time to be honest you are asked very easy questions that can be answered from book. You may find some of my comments challenging but I am challenging I believe in good way.
I do enjoy reading your posts. Unfortunately the Hare Krishna movement is not what it was and some chief devotees actually left the movement. One chap I knew, who to me seemed sincere and dedicated, ended up working in a Garage! There are reasons for that and as devotee once pointed out, it is not because of Krishna, therefore we have to lay the blame at ourselves.
Hare Krshna Allan
Devotees leaving ISKCON and devotees leaving Krishna consciousness are two different things. Many people join ISKCON and never become devotees and then leave ISKCON. That is because what ISKCON is teaching today is very different from the pure devotional service that Srila Prabhupada is teaching in his books. And if someone actually becomes a devotee by reading Srila Prabhupada’s books and then joins ISKCON he will be dissatisfied because he will not find Krishna consciousness there so he will leave ISKCON, or be thrown out because they do not like devotees who are attached to Srila Prabhupada, so real devotees also leave ISKCON but they never leave Srila Prabhupada and Krishna.
Actually anyone who has had even a slight taste of Krishna consciousness can never leave Krishna consciousness because that little taste of Krishna consciousness is so much greater than any amount of material pleasure that in comparison material so-called pleasure is nothing. So once we have had a little taste of Krishna consciousness we can never be satisfied with material sense gratification again. So we may ‘fall down’ but we can never forget Krishna…
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Hare Krsna Prabhu ji, PAMHO
At times, when I read your article or for that sake any article supported by ISKCON, or hear lectures given by Maharaj and Prabhu ji it seems very easy to convince myself about the temporary nature of this material world and futility of all our effort in trying to improve the situation here but when I really get into trouble and it really drains my all attention and in spite of making my best effort I am unable to short it out I turn towards God for help. That times I find myself in a position where material impediments are blocking the path of my spiritual journey. How to convince myself in those situations, how to carry out my spiritual duties without getting affected by these temporary hurdles and setbacks? Please help and give some practical discourse on these issues.
Hare Krishna Anand
There will always be problems in the material world and we have to deal with them of course but we need to make our spiritual life the number one priority and not let anything distract us from chanting at least 16 rounds of the Hare Krishna mantra daily and following the regulative principles and reading Srila Prabhupada’s books daily. This is our life and if we neglect these things we are wasting our life and we can not expect anything to work nicely in our lives…
So you just need to become serious about Krishna consciousness and the problems in your life will fade away into insignificance….
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Madhudvisa Dasa Prabhu, Please accept my dandavat pranams. I would like convey my heartfelt gratitude for clarifying our doubts and enlightening us with real knowledge. You have all the mercy of Srila prabhupada in this service. Hare Krishna
Vijay
Are Krishna.
krishna brothers, I thank the Lord for this communication with you.
My concern is:
As I can do the will of Krishna.
How to serve Krishna.
For years I have called the name of the Lord, now I’m reading about him and are helping me a lot of the writing I’m told the Gita.
Now I’m like Arjuna.
That krishna continue pouring heavy rain of blessings.
Cristina de Jesus.
Dear Guruji,
Thank you so much for sending me those valueble messages,while i am going thro your mails i feel like Krishna directly speaking with me daily to take me to the correct path and to make me perfect.i want a small advice from you to start meditation, i am fed up of fighting with this meterial world and i want to set my mind on the god. to be free from all unwanted bonds in the mind and to control my sences, ill be really greatful to you if you could advise me to ged rid of this unnecessary pressure in my mind.
May the Krishna be with you forever.,,
Chant Hare Krishna mantra at least 16 rounds a day and strictly follow the four regulative principles [no illicit sex, no meat eating, no gambling and no intoxication] and make a serious program to read all of Srila Prabhupada’s books and your mind will be peaceful and free from anxiety in no time. But it may not be easy for you to do these things in the beginning. You have to become determined to follow the process even if following the process becomes very difficult…
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Guruji, Hare Krishna,
Its wonderfull massage for us to change from material life to spritual life. Hare Krishna … .. ..
hare Krishna Prabhu ji.
please tell me who was Arjun in his previous brith.
Arjuna is always Arjuna. This pastime of the Battle of Kuruksettra and Krishna speaking the Bhagavad-gita to Arjuna is going on constantly in different universes and Arjuna is always there with Krishna.
hare Krisha ( please accept my humble obeisances madhudvisa prabhu please keep sending more mail top me i have lorn a lot for the last new you send to me .) krishna consciousness is that pudding,and if one actually practices it seriously,one will see the powerful effect of it . thank you for sending these mails to me hat\re krishna navin sookraj
hare krishna
3 years ago ,i didnt know anything about krishna consciousness & absolute truth, i was heavily into making my career,studying e.t.c but slowly and slowy i heard an inner voice that this all was fake i should serve the god and so i decided that i would control my senses and i would serve the lord,
it was only after 2 years and that too by god’s grace that i was able to abstain from most of sennsual pleasures,but then it became very difficult to do the devotional service,the things i used to do with great ease like studying for exams,performing in competetions they became tough it was like my senses were retaliating and it has became very very difficult for e.g if i chant hare krishna hare krishna..constantly some thing from inside tries to stop me ,what should i do ,should i continue the devotional service even to whatever happens or there is still a better path ,i also meditate and exercise regularly and i have also read bhagvad gita plz be my guru and guide me
Hare Krishna Prabhu
What you are experiencing is maya trying to stop you from making advancement in Krishna consciousness. For a sincere devotee there will be so many challenges and tests that actually Krishna is putting in your path. The idea is He is testing you to see how sincere you really are to serve Him. So you have to pass all the tests by always remembering Krishna and never forgetting Krishna. The only important thing in our life ultimately is to become Krishna conscious. So we can not neglect the spiritual part of our life, and the material part of our life has to go on also.
You should expect these tests and be ready for them and be determined to pass them all by remaining always very fixed-up in Krishna consciousness. If you are very fixed-up in Krishna consciousness somehow the material side of your life will sort itself out without too much trouble from your side.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Please accept my humble obeisances Madhudvisa Prabhu. It’s absolutely true. The real scientific knowledge is in “Srimad Bhagavatam”, “Bhagavad Gita as it is” and all the books of Srila Prabhupada. One just have to read them seriously with a inquisitive mind & practically apply the instructions in ones life. Then gradually one will see the power of real Krishna consciousness science. Modern scientific knowledge is more or less based on blind faith and imperfect knowledge gathered from imperfect observation & senses. When I was in medical college, I used to passionately study the imperfect scientific knowledge in my medical books 18-20 hrs a day only to realize the limitations & flaws of modern day medicine. Only Srila Prabhupada books gave me the scientific answers that I was searching for. The proof of the pudding is in eating it. Krishna consciousness is that pudding, and if one actually practices it seriously, one will see the powerful effect of it in no time. Hare Krishna!
sir i just wanted to ask you that i am a boy 15 years old and i just want to know that am i right if i am just studying as hard as i can and just dont care for marks in the exams then am i rendering some sort of devotional service and making best out of bad.i never asked god for some material things. i am just keen to render some sort of devotional service . also i really like to study physics and maths[because i really find them interesting and even before reading bhagwad gita i had never studied to get marks but to get knowledge] and if i just study them seriously 24 hours and renounce results then will i make the best bargain from bad. also if i become a scientist in future and glorify lord by my work then will i again be rendering devotional service and making best of the worst? please my master tell me if i am right.
also, can you please tell me some other ways by which i can render devotionalservice
Hare Krishna Divyat
Yes. I was just reading this in the first canto of Srimad Bhagavatam. Srila Prabhupada says there that whatever knowledge you have then if you use that for glorifying Krishna then that is the perfection of that knowledge. And he specifically mentions that scientific knowledge should be used in the glorification of Krishna and that is very good. So if you have the tendency to be a scientist then for sure study it and understand what they are saying. But you should know that the science they will be teaching you is all imperfect because it is coming from their observations and experimentation through their imperfect senses. So you have to be very careful to not be brainwashed by them.
Actually modern science is more of a religion than real science. They have the basic underling ‘faith’ in evolution, and so many things in ‘science’ are shaped and influenced and trying to support this evolutionary understand of the creation and development of the universe…
But evolution simply did not happen at all, at least not in the way they think it did. It is not that single celled creatures gradually evolved and gradually became more complex and intelligent. No. The most intelligent and evolved person in the universe, Lord Brahma, was there right from the beginning when he was born on the top of the lotus flower that grew from the navel of Vishnu.
So mathematics may be one thing but most of science is actually completely wrong because in so many cases the basic “axiomatic truths” which they start with are wrong.
And the whole “scientific process” is biased against the idea of an intelligent creator directing the workings of the universe. Actually really the whole ‘religion’ of science is to prove that there is no God and everything happened by chance…
So you should not be very interested in studying their rubbish. It is far better to use your valuable time and energy in studying Srila Prabhupada’s books. That is the real science and if you actually seriously study Srila Prabhupada’s books and put into practice what you read in them in your life then you will become the most powerful scientist and will automatically be able to defeat these rascals calling themselves scientists…
So yes you can study their science a little bit to understand their faulty ideas but your main business has to be studying Prabhupada’s books and chanting Hare Krishna.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
thank you very much sir . i was also thinking that i should work and study science but that should be just side business but real motive should be to try and regain my lost relationship with lord. sir, i always think that jnana cant make you really transcendental but i take knowledge because i am eager to know about lord and jnana is of no use if you then just dont do devotional service and why i want jnana is that just i want to know.
sir please correct me if i am wrong but sir i want to say that science or to be more accurate physics does not say there is no god. it is meaningless people in media and politicians turn science to all these bullshits. all great scientists like newton,einstein,maxwell,faraday,etc never did say anything or make comments about discoveries and saying no god exists but i as a scientist just want to know how this lord made universe functions. actually present day science has not reached that high level that by scientific theories to explain soul we are just not even able to understand our planet or material things then how can we understand spiritual terms.that level us far far far away but it does exists as you and i know but idiotic scientists like stephen hawking dont. so i mean to tell that many theories we have made will certainly be wrong but true scientist knows that he will be wrong in many facts but he is just attempting to understand lord.so sir i say please even i evolution theory is wrong but it still was a very big enough attempt but materialistic scientists will think they are right and be living in ignorance but sir albert einstein was a really an ideal scientist who even after his discoveries still knew that he is living in ignorance. sir what i want to say that you and i are chatting through internet which such a wonder of science. so i just want to tell you that many scientific theories will be wrong or right but science is true as you cant say it is wrong. for example a television works on various theories of electromagnetism that i also dont know but all of them are true as television is reality and so algebra, calculas etc are also true as television is true.
what i want to say is that science today we study i surely not even 1 percent developed but we can develop it to study lord . as i read in first canto of srimad bhagwantam that all universe starts from the lotus flower whcih originates from nose of our great and respected lord krishna and there must some purely scientific theories to explain how it originates some formulaes corrolaries facts axioms for it. this has not been mentioned in vedas as it will be really really really really difficult enough for a dumb minded like us . if we just cant study all the vedic litertures as they are so many then how can we study lord by scientific theories which will be a billion times more than vedic literatures in number. also from BHAGWANTAM i read lord krishna was the first one to speak on topics of METALPHYSICS . so metaphysics is true and so a purely scientific explanation to lord is possible but is known only to him. so i want that we shall all render devotional service and become krishna conscious so that we can serve him and when we are in spiritual plane we shall try to begin the research on lord but presently we can just not do it as if we are not even able to remember lord then how is all process possible. this is my thinking sir but please please please please please please please please please sir i meant no DISRESPECT as i accept you as my BONAFIDE SPIRITUAL MASTER and this was just a question to you my master and please do tell me i am completely wrong as i just dont want to live in any kind of ignorance . please please tell me my lord if my thinking is right but if just feel that all vedic literatures are true and i believe in word to word of bhagwad gita and so i am completely spiritual and with this state i carry my scientific research in future if become a scientist then will i be krsna conscious or ignorant .
thousands of please to you master please tell me if my thinking is right.
I worship Lord Krishna,
How can I worship and get to know him more?
Read Srila Prabhupada’s books and find out…
Hare Krishna,
Madhudvisa dasa
I have been unable to edit my comments. Whenever, I click to edit – I see these words “You Do Not Have Permission To Edit This Comment. Please clear out so I can edit my comments. Thanks.
Hare Krishna,
Sara
I can not change this system… I am sorry.
Hare Krishna,
Madhudvisa dasa,
Thank you for informing me who are the BBT.
Hare Krishna,
Sara
Hare Krishna,
Madhudvisa dasa
Thank you for the clarification and information that you are giving us.
Who are the BHAKTIVEDANTA BOOK TURST run by Sura Das. I received a mail and invitation to become a member. Is this part of Krishna.org or a different organization?
Hare Krishna,
Sara
Hare Krishna,
Lissa
Yes, you should read the Gita with desire to understand it and try to apply it in your daily life.
Bhagavad Gita As It Is by Divine Grace Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada has been presented without the slightest taint of adulteration or personal motivation since orginally given by God/Lord Krishna to the Sun God, aeons ago.
“Bhagavad Gita is universally renowned as the Jewel of India’s spiritual wisdom spoken by Lord Krishna, The Suprme Personality of Godhead”.
The chanting of Maha Mantra – Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna
Hare Hare – Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare should be done 16 rounds daily in order to help us understand the Gita. Lord Chaitanya’s/Lord Krishna appearance half a century ago to engage us in chanting the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra.
There is no book which compares to the Gita. Lord Krishn/God gave the Gita to help us to cleanse our sins and to go back to our orignal abode – To heaven with God.
Those who sincerely read the Gita and follow all the precepts are cleared from attachment and sinful reactions. If you read strictly all the articles, question and answers of Madhudvisa dasa, you will not have a problem in understang the Gita. My greatest help is coming from reading Swami Prabhupada’s books and Madhudvisa dasa’s articles/informations. whenever, you have time please go to Krishna.org and read the articles.
Hare Krishna,
Sara
Hare Krishna Sara
The BBT are the people who are printing the changed editions of Srila Prabhupada’s books. They are connected with ISKCON and have so many problems these days unfortunately. The main problem is they have no interest in preserving and distributing the original teachings of Srila Prabhupada. They want to change the teachings of Prabhupada…
It is better not to have anything to do with them.
Madhudvisa dasa
Hare Krishna,
Lissa,
Lord Krishna is complete. He is the SuperSoul, the cause of all causes, etc. He doesn’t need anything from us. It is for our benefit that we do the 16 rounds of chanting daily to cleanse our sins. To understand Lord Krishna and our relation with Him, We have to read His book The Gita As It Is. Madhudvisa dasa has been advising us to do the Maha Mantra and follow the precepts if we want to be the devotee of Lord Krishna. To become the devotee of Lord Krishna is the highest gift from God. Without reading Swami Prabhupada’s books (those books are mostly the word of Lord Krishna) and chanting the Maha Mantra, we may not able to understand who we is Lord Krishna and why we are here.
Hare Krishna,
Sara
Hare Krishna Sara!
I am reading the book KRSNA written by Swami Prabhupada.
Is this a good book to start? It was given to my husband and I as a wedding gift.
It has been years. I could never read it before, but now I cant put it down.
I am so happy.
Hare Krishna,
Mahudvisa dasa,
Lord Krishna reincarnated many times for our cause.
His reincarnation as Parshuram, Gautauma, Christ? are aspects of Him. I believe, they are considered as demigods but not God as Lord Krishna/Rama and Caitanya. If there is an explanation from Swami Prabhupada on this issue, I would love to know.
Ekadasi – is the eleventh day that we have to fast from grains in order to increase devotion, according to Swami Prabhupada’s books. Is Ekadasi is the eleventh day of each month. Please give explanation.
Thank you for your understanding.
Hare Krishna,
Sara
Hare Krishna Sara
There are many different types of incarnations of Krishna and Srila Prabhupada explains this in great detail in the Adi Lila of Sri Caitanya-caritamrta. So you can read it to get more information. There are Visnu-tattva incarnations and They are actually the Supreme Lord and there are also empowered incarnations who are living entities, devotees of Krishna, who have been empowered by Krishna to perform some specific spiritual activities. Buddha is accepted as an incarnation of Krishna. There is some discussion as to exactly what type of incarnation he is but he is certainly an incarnation of Krishna. Srila Prabhupada accepts Lord Jesus Christ as an empowered incarnation. Which means he is a living entity but he is a shaktivesa-avatara, an incarnation who has been empowered with spiritual energy by Krishna. So he is a servant of Krishna, a devotee of Krishna and he is doing Krishna’s work. These empowered incarnations are not considered as demigods. A demigod is a different thing.
The Ekadasi is occurring twice every lunar month. The lunar month is divided into two fortnights, one starts with the full moon and the other starts on the no moon day. So Ekadasi is the eleventh day after the full moon and the eleventh day after the no moon day. There are some complications with the various astrological situations so sometimes the fasting is not observed on the Ekadasi but on the next day, the Dwadasi. So really you need to get a Vaisnava calendar to know exactly what days you need to fast on. You can search for ‘vaisnava calendar’ on google and you will find it for sure.
Hare krishna
thanks for such article,how can i devote my self in the service of krishna.
pls help me.
hare krishna
Just chant Hare Krishna and read Srila Prabhupada’s books. Krishna consciousness is a science, a process. You have to learn it. It takes time. It can not be answered in a paragraph. Prabhupada wrote 60 big books to explain this so read them… And chant Hare Krishna… And be happy….
Hare Krishna! Madhudvisa Prabhu,
your articles sums up very nicely the instructions written in Srila Prabhupada’s divine books. Please continue writing them. They are very helpful and authoritative.
your servant,
Aryan Krishna
Hare Krishna , Nice article, yes,very true. actually surrender complete surrender is the only way… need to perform the journey from me to him.. otherwise after complete surrender also, at sm moments people become careful about material desires. It is best to Leave everything on krishna, he will see each and every matter, and lets get busy with krishna only. each duty lying on us, is nothing but the duties given by krishna, lets try to do our work, without considering result as per suggested in Bhagvad gita.
Why does God care
if we chant 16 rounds everyday. Is this chanting for our benefit or for Krisha?
Chanting Hare Krishna is for our benefit but it pleases Krishna to see one of His lost sons who has forgotten Him again remembering Him and coming back to Him. Actually Krishna cares very much about us and that is why He comes to this world many times in many incarnations and sends His pure devotees to show us the path back home back to Godhead. But He has also given us some independence. We can choose to follow the path back home back to Godhead or we can choose to follow the path to Hell. The choice is up to us… But Krishna is happy if we choose to follow the path back home back to Godhead…
hare krishna,
sir, i do wanted to know about how can a person carry on his daily activities keeping lord krishna in mind ,i dnt understand the lover concept being given .Also , being a householder or a student how can one advance ahead in spirtual levels ,,i mean to say dnt we have to strive for higher goals,better living ,????pls do clear my doubts!!
At least surrender to the basic process of chanting at least 16 rounds of the Hare Krishna mantra daily and strictly following the four regulative principles [no illicit sex, no meat eating, no gambling and no intoxication] and read Prabhupada’s books for at least 1-2 hours per day. Without these basic things it is impossible.
Dear Prabhu,
Thank you for your response regarding termination of my baby, which has Trisomy 13 gene defect (no left or right brain hemispheres have developed).
I went to the hospital again today and even though they are still asking me to consider termination (at 20wks), I decided that we are going to see it through until the end. I don’t know what the future holds but as you said, it is for the Mother to nurture not murder dependent unborn child. It is for Krishna to decide what happens next and for me to learn whatever necessary lessons and work off some bad karma instead of acquiring more! If I had gone ahead with termination, I would always be looking over my shoulder wondering when that karma (that I was trying to avoid) PLUS the newly gained bad karma of termination, would come find me again.
I hope this may help someone else going through similar situation, it is not easy but material world is not meant to be…
Hare Krishna!
Hare Krishna, Prabhuji!
Your newsletters are pure nectar, they lighten my day. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge, and your words. I’ve decided to translate and convey the message of every newsletter you send to devotees here.
Your servant,
Alejandra.
Hari bol!
Hare krishna…
I have some doubt,Can i chant hare krishna maha mantra when i wear sandels..i hope i will get reply from u soon…
I like to read your newsletters daily..if it is possible can u send to me..prabhu.
Yes. Why not? There are no rules and regulations restricting where or how you can chant Hare Krishna… You can even chant Hare Krishna in the bathroom, but you can’t take your japa beads in there…
Dear Prabhu,
Thank-you for confirming that we can even chant in the bathroom, I have always felt bad about doing this! but it makes perfect sense that if Prabhupada said’ “Always remember Krishna” then of course that would have to include bathroom time!
Hare Krishna!
I got it means my mind is now saying ur right…
Things happened, are happening and will happen in our life according to our Karma. There is no point in changing the way things happen. The only thing we can change is our attitude by accepting them with calmness as we know Krishna is with us in the storm as much as in the pleasant day. So never forget this eternal Supreme Friend by chanting His holy name and constantly keep yourself enagaged in social service, taking His creations as He Himself.
Hare Krsna Hiiravatii Mataji,
Beautiful!- what you have concisely stated.
I totally agree and request Krsna to help us all do just what you have stated, come what may.
Hari Bol!
Hare Krishna Madhudvisa,
Really refreshing to hear about making best use of bad situation.As you rightly put it “searching for knowledge of the Absolute” is the best type out of 4 types.Even though I strongly feel asking Krishna for pleasures is not right,it is asking King who owns everything about 1 coin of gold.But there is always a fight/fix which goes in mind & which is as follows.
Can one ask Krishna to keep situations which tend to digress mind away?Even though the fact is one has to reap the effects +ive/-ive of previous karmas but once they happen one gets busy in fixing those problems as one lives in the AS- IS world & has to take care of grehasth (family);that is where knowingly/unknowingly one looses his focus of mind which should be on the lotus feet of Krishna.
So I ask Krishna to help me not get in situations where I might knowingly/unknowingly loose the actual cause of loving him.Just wanted to share my mind,not sure how mean I am by doing this.
It would be great if you throw some light about this.
Regards
Lalit
Hare Krsna Madhudvisa Dasa
Nice article ,thank you.
Just one observational point, a person may go through all catergories in his life:
“one who is distressed, one who wants money, one who is inquisitive and the one who is searching for knowledge of the absolute”.
Infact he most definately will fluctuate from one catergory to another in his life, but if he was genuinely interested in Spiritual advancement in the first place ,then his time will come when he will be considered to be in the best catergory – that of a seeker of knowledge of Absolute Truth and ofcourse will be one who practices the knowledge gained.
I make this point because the force of Maya and past life Karmic reactions will be acting on him.
Infact process of genuinely seeking knowledge & putting it into practice, propel one forwards to gain further knowledge and further refinement and perfection, loosening grip of Maya & reducing or nullifying Karmic reactions eventually.
It is a gradual process over many lifetimes to reach stage of the best category of devotee that turns to Krsna.
This is my understanding. Thank you once again for the article.
Hari Bol!
Hare Krishna Madhudvisa Prabhuji,
I am very happy to be reading your mails. Though i still have some contamination in my heart but as i am progressing i am confident that Krishna will ultimately remove all the impurities in me. I am really inspired by your mails. Thank you.
Your lowly servant,
Garima
Nice article. But how we can do things to please Krishna?
Hare Krishna Sandip
You have to find out how to please Krishna from Krishna’s pure devotee. So you can find the answers to your question in Srila Prabhupada’s books.
Basically Krishna is a person–He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead–not an ordinary person. But we are made in His image as it says in the Bible, so we are very tiny but we have the same sort of emotions and feelings as Krishna. So it is the same thing–pleasing Krishna or pleasing someone in the material world. He is also a person. So if your friend is coming to visit you you will cook some food that you know he likes and when he arrives at your house you will welcome him very nicely and offer him some nice food and drink and after some nice place to take rest.
So you do the same things for Krishna. You can install the Deity of Krishna in your house and serve Him just like you would serve a king if He was visiting your house. Krishna is more than any King so He should be offered all the best things. So you can cook for Krishna very nice foodstuffs and offer them to Krishna and then distribute the Krishna prasadam among your family members and friends and guests. That is a very nice way to serve Krishna. There are many ways. You can read about them in Srila Prabhupada’s books.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Hare Krishna,
Madhudvisa dasa
Krishna ‘s devotees are little Krishna in themselves. Because with krishna’s blessing, they are having eternal wisdom, humility, grace and honor to guide humans back to Godhead. With out Krishna’s teaching, society will continue to live in the Maya’s caste system. They will continue to be discriminated on their race, age, sex, income, looks, jobs, place you live, car you drive, clothes they wear, place they work, position they held, etc. there is no end to suffering.
People in the Material world live for power, money, position, recognition, honor, pride, control at the expense of others. Tyrant leaders stay in power by killing anyone who challenges them.
The biggest mishap of great religion is the lack of teaching in Reincarnation and teaching of Lord Krishna (Gita As It Is). Reincarnation is the greatest gift from Lord Krishna to humanity. Humans can come back to earth and learn God’s way to cleanse their sins and have eternal salvation and ascension.
Because, we decide to nurture our pride/ego rather than have faith in Lord Krishna’s teaching. We are here. However, being, Lord Krishna is mercyful, at present time, we are learning the Gita once again and take refuge in Lord Krishna’s feet.
Hare Krishna and Be Happy,
Sara T
.
May I ask… If we dont belong in the material world, then why are we here? Fish aren’t born on land to spend their lives looking for water. Why should we be born in the material world if we are fully only spiritual beings? You may say that karma keeps us reincarnating into this world, but why would the first human beings have entered it in the first place, unless we belong here? Also, if Krishna is all powerful God, why does he need our service for anything? Why cant He do it Himself? Were humans just created for slavery? Why should Krishna care what we eat, how much we chant His name, what we wear? Isn’t He beyond that? It sounds very egoic.
Thank you for taking the time to share these teachings.
Hi Mara
We are spiritual, like Krishna–but we are small and Krishna is great. The business of the small is to serve the great. Service is our eternal occupation. You can see that. Look around. Everyone is serving someone else. That is what people do. You serve your family, you server the boss at work, you serve your husband, you serve the customers if you are working in a store. There is no exception to this. We are servants eternally and our original natural position is to be servants of God.
We are all part and parcel of God, so we have the same qualities as God, but in a very small quantity. God is great and we are small. Still God is the Supreme Controller and we also have the controlling ability.
Sometimes we want to be the master not the servant. In the spiritual world that is not possible. There only Krishna is the master and everyone else is serving Krishna. So Krishna creates this material world as a place where we can come and “play god.” Here everyone is trying to become the master. But it is not possible really, it is all illusion, maya. The reality is that we are all servants of Krishna eternally. So while one can make a little success at becoming the mater here ultimately everything will end in frustration and suffering. So after going through this frustration of trying to become the master in the material world for many, many births a thoughtful person will come to realize that it is not possible to be happy in the material world and he will surrender to Krishna and go back home back to Godhead…
Actually Krishna does not need us to chant His name or serve Him. He is already complete and full. It is for our benefit that we chant His name and serve Him. If we do this we will be in our natural eternal constitutional position and we will be very happy. Anandam buddhi-vardhanam. “An ever-increasing ocean of transcendental bliss…”
I loved this article. It helped put things into perspective for me today. It was one of those off days that could have easily turn into a pity party. Better to ask where I’m needed to serve rather than feel sorry for myself – such a waste of time.
Hare Krishna,
I was a non-believer earlier but after facing lot of failures in life I turned to Krishna so I was distressed who turned to Krishna than I prayed for success however now after a month or so I realized that I am wasting my energy over praying for useless materialistic world so now i daily pray to Krishna that I want to be in his service irrespective of success or failure. infact I am happy for failing as it was my failures due to which I turned to him.
so for some it may begin as where we desire materialist things but gradually we understand what exactly we want.
dear prabhu ji,
hare krishna
i am new to ISKCON…but the krishna prayer,temples and everything of krishna have attracted me very much….as u said we should not engage in these material things….but whenever i go to temple automatically a list of demands come in my mind…how i can put myself away from these worthlesss things…….
Ask Krishna “Please engage me in your service…”
Dear Prabhuji,
Hare Krshna
What a nice and inspiring article on “Making the Best use of bad situation”.I have been associated with ISKCON for last 7-8 years but no one could explain Krishna Conciouseness and Service to the God without asking ,in such a beautiful manner as you have done.We are all human beings and keep trying & trying and truly Krishna helps only the true devotee.
With kindest Regards,
Your Servant
Raj
thank you
Hare Krsna Prabhu,
All glories to Srila Prabhupada
Excellent elucidation on what should be the state of mind of the devotee. The story aptly describes our current state. Due to ignorance we have conditioned ourselves to keep asking for favours from god. But reading Srila Prbahupada’s books helped us to rectify the error in our thinking and praying process. Your reiteration of the same thoughts really helped as mind keeps fluctuating and even if it knows this is wrong it keeps seeking.
Today while chanting I tried to fix my mind to say “O Krsna please keep me engaged in your service” but in the middle of chant the mind wanders and in a mean way again thinks of problems that we confront in life and asks for favour then again I consciously apologise to god and again bring it back to serving mode. But this continuous conflict keeps goin thorughout chant. This is due to the fact that we have conditioned our mind to beg. Beg for favours, beg for happiness, beg for comfort etc
To eradicate this begging habit will take long time only Krsna can help.
Once again thanks a ton for ton for your inspiring write ups which only goes to prove that assocaition of like minded devotees is so essential in spritual progress. I only pray to Krsna to keep me in such association
Hare Krsna
Mrs.Sudha Mehta
pamho madhudvisa prabhu agtACBSP thank you very much for your sadhu sanga and newsletter it help a lot to keep connect with truth agtys pranam
HARE KRISHNA MADHUDVISA DASA PRABHU JI,
I truly and sincerely accept that to be in amaterial body is abad situation and the best way to make use of is to do bhagwan”seva .It is our nature to keep on asking from lord krishna but one day with his mercy these desires gradually fades away and only we want from him is his seva.Then one is in a true stste of mind.HARIBOL AND PAMHO .EVERY TIME IREAD YOUR ARTICLE AND VERSES I FEEL IM PURIFIED.THANX
HARE KRISHNA
Pranam Madhuvisa Dasji
I am receiving your mails from very long time and I always receive the right mail at right time. Thank you so much. I agree that this a material world and all these relationships are there on earth only. In the end we will die and go in the feet of Lord Krishna. But still my mind troubles me a lot. I keep on remembering past and regret. Sometimes that regression turns into anger. I get angry very soon which I know and I don’t like but I cannot control. Please help me.
Hare Krishna Prachi Sharma!
Anger is very common in human beings. We can say that no one is free from anger, it is just little or much.
The fact that you do not like anger and want to control anger is the first step in overcoming anger. From my little experience, anger can be under control.
Basically, when we get angry, we easily lose our wisdom, we are easily illussioned and misguided. People have different ways to deal with anger. They either express it freely with everyone around resulting in hurting, fighting with others or they can hurt themselves by depressing it. The first way is of course not favorable. The second way seems too much suffering.
The best way to deal with anger is to transcend it. How? First, by simply watching with curiosity what is going on within your body and mind when you get angry. Just watch with patience and curiosity, do not try to get rid of it. Then the anger will go away by itself. Second, remember Krishna, chant His holly name to transcend the negative thoughts. Chanting will surely purify your mind.
Thank you for speaking your mind.
Chant Hare Krishna, be happy and make others happy also!
My mother has just said me a real story of a boy who was Krishna conscious. Thus it goes ” A boy was Krishna conscious. He had finished his 7 tests in engineering collage. He also passed the 8th test. The interviewers had come to provide them job. So they took all the interviews. The final was the behavior test. This boy’s mother had said him to wear shoes and go to collage. But he refused to do so. Instead he wore slippers and went to the collage. There the interviewers saw this and rejected him from the job.” Will this happen to me also. Due to this fact my mother is trying to remove me from Krishna consciousness. What should I do now? Even I am getting worried now. Please help me!
Hare Krishna Vinay
Just keep chanting Hare Krishna prabhu and reading Srila Prabhupada’s books. Krishna will guide you what to do, if you do not know what to do chant Hare Krishna more and read Prabhupada’s books more and you will soon know what to do…
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Hare Krishna!
Thanks for writing.
I’m a doubt about this question: must i leave the job to serve Krishna and go to the temple? In which way during my work i can serve God? I work for me, for have money to live.
Thanks
Hare Krishna Monia
No you don’t have to leave your job and live in a temple to serve Krishna.
It is a little hard to explain but you can work for Krishna at your job.
You say you are working for yourself so you have money to live, but you can change that consciousness. If you even set up a little alter with a picture of Krishna and Srila Prabhupada in your house and you consider it is Krishna’s house, not your house, which is true actually–everything is Krishna’s not ours–then you can work for Krishna to offer Krishna nice food and to pay for the bills to maintain Krishna’s house.
And you can cook for Krishna and offer to Krishna the nice things that you buy with the money you get from work and in this way you will actually be working for Krishna.
So it is a question of consciousness. You will still be working at work and living in the same house and paying the bills. But your consciousness will change. Instead of thinking “I work for me, for having money to live” you will be thinking “I am working for Krishna so I have money to serve Krishna…” And if you can actually really make this transformation of consciousness it will really change your life so much for the better I guarantee it.
This is actually the power of Krishna consciousness. Any apparently material thing can be transformed to spiritual by using it in the service of Krishna.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Thank you very much. I’ll follow your advice. My house is Krishna’s House and i need money to maintance it. I need money to maintaince my body to serve God. I understand!
Haribol
Hare Krishna prabhu.
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Your article is absolutely correct in addressing the problem that many of us see God as a merchant who only exists to fulfill our orders. We have forgotten our constitutional position as servants to the Lord. It is so evident that people only remember God when they need something or when things are bad. How many of us remember God when things are going well? How many of us thank God for his causeless mercy? As wyou noted things that happen to us are due to our karma and that whatever is going to happen will happen.
I remember a story I heard once from His Grace Sruitidharma prabhu (temple president of Bhaktivedanta manor in the UK) where a man prayed so intensely to God to win the lottery. After years he still didn’t win so he asked God why he hasn’t won. God replied: atleast buy a ticket first.
This just illustrates how sometimes some of us can just assume God will sort it out for me I don’t need to do anything I can be ignorant.
Krishna is already so kind he fulfills our desires yet some of us just want to turn to him for more and more.
We should try and think how we can try to become the servant of the servant.
Thank you for the article prabhu.
Haribol.
Your aspiring servant,
Jenny
I am very happy with how Lord Krishna is enhancing my life since I started chanting the Maha Mantra 16 rounds daily.
Questions are not important. Actions are the most important to receive fruits in our life.
Actions are Chanting of Maha Mantra daily 16 rounds with pure heart and reading the Gita and the 30 volumes of the veda. These actions will transform the world of maya into the world of bliss. We are very fortunate to have this web site and I thank Lord krishna for sending these people who are teaching us on Krishna consciousness. We have to get Krishna from our heart/inside with pure knowledge (Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, Right Concentration – The Nobel Eightfold Path). Educational videos are very helpful to understand Krishna, one should watch Ramayana, Mahabharata and Krishna by Indian version not made by others. Thanks.
Can I chant 16 rounds in that duration of 4 am to 8am? My mother has instructed me to study from 6 am to 7 am now. Because I am in 9th now. This is another problem for me. Again I am in a fix. Please help me!
Hare Krishna Vinay
You have the whole day and the whole evening to study. The morning time is for chanting Hare Krishna and for studying the Vedas. That is actually the most important thing. Of course your mother wants you to succeed at school but we have to succeed in Krishna consciousness… Of course you can be very successful at school also. There is no problem studying but you can not neglect chanting and reading Prabhupada’s books.
Yes. Actually you can chant Hare Krishna at any time. Chanting 16 rounds will take you 2-2.5 hours if you are concentrating so you can chant from 4:00 AM to 6:00 AM.
Just organize it so you are chanting 16 rounds of the Hare Krishna mantra daily, following the four regulative principles and reading Prabhupada’s books and somehow fit in your studies around this…
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Hare Krishna Prabhu,
it is said that Lord Krishna is all attractive. But then why doesnt he attract all people of the world? If we look at a beautiful woman we get so much attracted but looking at the picture of Krishna doesnt attract so much? why is this?
Hare Krishna Sunil
Krishna is all-attractive and what we are attracted to in the form of a beautiful women is but a tiny insignificant fragment of Krishna’s beauty. The problem is we are blind. We can not see Krishna. That is why we are not attracted by Krishna. It is a covering. Maya is like a covering so we can not see the beauty of Krishna. If we could see the beauty of Krishna then we would not be attracted by the so-called beautiful things of the material world.
We have come here to the material world because we have rebelled against Krishna. We do not want to serve Krishna, we want to become like Krishna. We want to become the Lord and Master. So maya has blinded us and sent us to the material world and here we are accepting things like a beautiful woman, who can not actually give us any real pleasure, as very attractive, and we are blind, we can not see Krishna.
So to see the beauty of Krishna we have to be cured from this blindness and the process is Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, “cleaning the mirror of the heart.” The heart is likened to a mirror. If the mirror is clean you can see a very clear reflection of yourself in the mirror. But if the mirror is covered with heaps of dirt you can not see anything. So currently the mirror of our hearts is covered by heaps of dirt therefore we can not see anything at all. So we have to remove all that dirt from our heart. And how to do that:
Chant: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
This is the process for purifying, cleaning the mirror of the heart.
The more you chant, the more your heart is purified, the more clearly you will be able to see Krishna, and the more you will understand and see how beautiful He is…
And when you can see the true beauty of Krishna then in comparison the so-called beautiful women of this world will be nothing at all.
Krisna is real, and He really is the all-attractive person. That means that He has all the beauty. How can we imagine that? How beautiful is Krshna? He is unlimitedly beautiful… But we are blind. We have to cure that blindness then we will be able to appreciate the beauty of Krishna.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Hare Krishna Madhudvisa dasa
While studying for my exams I find it difficult to chant hare krishna and concentrate on my study. In this way I will neither be able to concentrate on my
study nor on chanting. I am in a fix now! Please tell me what I should do!
Hare Krishna Vinay
Get up in the morning before 4:00AM and from 4AM – 8AM that is time for your chanting Hare Krishna, and reading Srila Prabhupada’s books. Do not think of your studies at this time. This time is for Krishna only. And then during your day you can do your studies. What is the problem Prabhu?
We are all like that. I have to do so many things. But I get up before 4:00AM and that morning time for me is for chanting Hare Krishna and reading Prabhupada’s books and after 9:00 AM I am doing so much service which is all connected with Krishna and preaching of course but for example if I am having computer problems I still get up before 4:00AM and forget about that and chant Hare Krishna. This is our life Prabhu, chanting Hare Krishna. Nothing is more important than that. Everything else in our life is not so important and can fit around this.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Pranam once again Madhudvisa dasa. I dont understand how knowing of the pastimes of krishna will create a tendency to misunderstand him?
Because without understanding Krishna, who is Krishna, what is the position of Krishna when people hear about Krishna’s pastimes in Vrindavan they misunderstand the position of Krishna. You know it Prabhu. India is full of Bhagavata-saptha reciters who immediately go to Krishna’s Vrindavan pastimes and particularly to the Rasa-Lila chapters and turn Krishna’s pastimes into something very mundane. You can never know or understand Krishna’s pastimes in this way. There is a process and one has to follow the process. If you refuse to chant Hare Krishna, if you have no taste for chanting Hare Krishna, then that is proof you do not understand Krishna.
Krishna is absolute. Krishna is non-different from His name. All of Krishna’s potencies in full are present in His Holy Names.
But practically everyone who simply goes to the Tenth Canto of the Bhagavatam and tries to understand the pastimes of Krishna without following the process of Saddhana-Bhakti under the direction of a pure devotee of Krishna misunderstands Krishna.
This is the history, you can see it all around you. In India you know there are so many Gurujis giving their discourse on the pastimes of Krishna and they are also off having their own rasa-lila with their own gopis. They do not understand Krishna. And you can not understand Krishna in this way, simply hearing of the pastimes of Krishna like this.
You have to hear in the right way from the right person and follow the right process if you want to understand Krishna…
And you will not be able to understand Krishna without chanting Hare Krishna in Kali-yuga. It is not possible. Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprahu has quoted this verse repetidly:
harer nāma harer nām harer nāmaiva kevalam
kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā
” ‘In this Age of Kali there is no other means, no other means, no other means for self-realization than chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name of Lord Hari.'”
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Thank you. But, is it possible for an ordinary person like me chant Hare krishna Mahamantra continuously the whole day? Then how did chaitanya mahaprabhu do that?
Hare Krishna Vinay
No. It is not generally possible for us to chant Hare Krishna 24 hours a day in the beginning nor is this recommended by Srila Prabhuapda. We must chant a minimum of 16 rounds of the Hare Krishna mantra daily and strictly follow the four regulative principles: No illicit sex life, no meat eating, no gambling and no intoxication. And with the other 21 or 22 hours we should be also engaged in Krishna’s service. The idea is to be engaged in serving Krishna and Srila Prabhuapda 24 hours a day. So that can be many things like cooking for Krishna, preaching for Krishna, distributing books for Krishna, reading Srila Prabhuapda’s books, worshipping the Deity of Krishna, cleaning the temple of Krishna, making websites for Krishna, etc.
So if we are fully engaged like this 24 hours a day it is like we are chanting 24 hours a day.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Pranam Madhudvisa dasa, I have downloaded krishna chalisa and is listening to it everyday. It is making me krishna concious very faster day by day than Hare krishna maha mantra does. Why it is happening like that? Please tell me.
Hare Krishna Vinay
I can guarantee Prabhu, if you do not have any attachment to chanting Hare Krishna you are not Krishna conscious. We have to become Krishna conscious and a symptom of that is we will develop a great attachment and feel at least some pleasure when chanting the Hare Krishna mantra. This may not be the case in the beginning. Because we have so many dirty things covering our hearts because of our sinful activities in this life and many previous lives in the beginning we have no taste for chanting Hare Krishna, but if we continue chanting Hare Krishna all the sinful things will be cleared out of our hearts and we will really start to feel attachment and great transcendental pleasure when chanting Hare Krishna. So please keep on chanting Hare Krishna and you will see it work in time.
You can know it for sure if you do not feel some pleasure from chanting Hare Krishna then you can not understand Krishna, and hearing the pastimes of Krishna as in the Krishna Chalisa while it is very nice, Krishna’s name is there and Krishna’s pastimes in Vrindavan are there–but the tendency will be to misunderstand Krishna and His pastimes as so many.
Most people misunderstand Krshna and are not Krishna conscious. Krishna understanding is not so easy as Krishna and His pastimes are confidential and Krishna only reveals Himself to His devotees.
If we want to know Krishna we have to find a pure devotee of Krishna and serve him and by his mercy and blessings we can come to understand something about Krishna.
Srila Prabhuapda is very mercifully giving his association and blessings to all. And he clearly prescribes chanting at least 16 rounds of the Hare Krishna mantra daily. This is required if you truly want to become Krishna conscious.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Dear Madhudvisa dasa,
Thank You for this knowledge. Currently i am in very bad financial situation. Yet, Krishna send your email at right time. i needed some depth and courage to go through the horrible financial loss. When i start thinking about spiritual world and how karma is the payback than it makes sense to me and i stop asking Krishna/god to fix my mistakes. Therefore, i currently do good karma which could/should let me in to better life in future and next life.
Thank You
Hare Krishna Mohan
Yes. Fortune comes and goes, but we need to serve Krishna in any condition of life. It does not matter if we are rich or poor. We can still serve Krishna. He is not asking a lot from us. Patram puspham phalam toyam, a little water a flower or a leaf offered in devotion with love. It does not require money.
There have been so many great devotees in the past who have been very poor and there have also been great devotees who were very rich. These material things do not matter in Krishna consciousness. We simply have to go on chanting Hare Krishna and serving Krishna in any condition of life.
There is no point in asking Krishna to improve our material condition of life. Rather we need to ask Krishna to always keep us engaged in the service of His pure devotee, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
thank you very much prabu. after reading this it make me realised that what must we ask Krishna and what not to.
In one sense this is good. Of course Krishna is God and He can do anything, and it is the nature of someone who believes in God to turn to Him in times of need. This is also good. Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita (7.16):
O best among the Bhāratas [Arjuna], four kinds of pious men render devotional service unto Me–the distressed, the desirer of wealth, the inquisitive, and he who is searching for knowledge of the Absolute.
So there are four types of good people who turn to Krishna or God and perform devotional service: one who is distressed, one who wants money, one who is inquisitive and the one who is searching for knowledge of the absolute.
I want to thank Mrs Shashika Jailal for her wondeful comment. I loved it and I wrote it down so that i can read it every morning and keep loving God. Thank you.
Lord Krsna The Supreme Personality of GodHead, who is called Bhagavan the Absolute and Supreme cause of all causes. HE is The Father of all living entities. The most awesome excellent Loving Father,dad,& best friend you could ever Imagine. He has a special lesson plan for each and everyone of his children. To really know Him as he is, causes us to never want to sperated from his presence ever. The reason why is because nothing can compare to the Love , joy , and how special you are and really do matter, and when we realize things and the order of the universe as it is, we want to go with Krsna and help all living beings and help Vishnu (Krsna) Destroy the Evil Race of Demonic selfish evil murdering beings who dash babies against the rocks drink the blood as a sacrifice to Baal whom they call God. Sri Madhudvisa dasa its all good and because Kesava Govinda Krsna is the most excellent father the very essence of divine love, all of us his children reach the ulltimate goal and return evenually to KrsnaLoka. For who is like god ? No One Except Him who I know and have known from the beginning as Well as Arjuna knew Krsna and Nara,Narayana! Hare Krsna OM all my love your brother and fellow servant Glen
Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet.
It’s a blessing reading your words !
I’m for ever greatfull to you.
Yours, in the service of Srila Prabhupada
your eternal servant
johannah
please help i recently read about the views on abortion me an my wife are twenty one years of age we just had a boy that has turned two months today an we have recently discovered she is pregnat again we are not very wealthy an i am the only one who works it feels like we have no choice but to get an abortion my wife is doing it regardless what i say an i feel sick about it even though i know we cant support it if we dont if krishna does not approve then were should i go
Hare Krishna Zakk
Abortion is murdering a child. So you and your wife please have your second child, do not kill him/her.
Child is not so expensive. Looking after two children is not much different than looking after one, particularly as they will be around the same age. I grew up as the eldest of seven children and my mother was having another child practically every year and we all lived very happily together in a reasonably small house. So two children is nothing.
And the sinful reactions for killing a child are very great.
If you wife is home looking after one child she may as well be looking after two children. It will give your other child someone to play with.
So please do not have an abortion…
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
This message is really a eye opening. This tells exactly how a breakdown can be used as break through.
Thank you for sharing Wisdom with us.
Hare Krishna Prabhu ji,dandavat pranam, all glories to Srila Prabhupad. Ur right Prabhu that there is no happiness in this material world & we should not hanker after the temporary satisfaction found here. As original Krishna conscious entities our only buisness in this world should be to serve Krishna. This is something which is expected from us by the Supreme Father. Hoping that u will continue to shower ur blessings on this fallen soul. Hare Krishna
Hare Krishna. I read this article in the morning and gave me a feeling of calmness. Thank you once again.
Hari Bol.
Please accept my respectful obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
I look forward to receiving your regular newsletters. I am positive that you have the blessings of all devotees that are logged onto this website.
My comment on this newsletter, is simply that, Krishna knows our needs. He knows what we donot have & will give us what we require, to live. Yes, we should not ask God , but trust that, he will provide for us. But, aside from our basic needs to live, what we should always ask Radha- Krishna, is for their blessings, in our spiritual endevour. I pray that Radha-Krishna, is present in my life & my family’s. Our problems in life are put there, to bring us closer to Krishna. We should accept our problems in the same manner as we accept our happiness, as both should bring us closer to Krishna.
Pranam Madhuvisa Dasji
I am receiving your mails from very long time and I always receive the right mail at right time. Thank you so much. I agree that this a material world and all these relationships are there on earth only. In the end we will die and go in the feet of Lord Krishna. But still my mind troubles me a lot. I keep on remembering past and regret. Sometimes that regression turns into anger. I get angry very soon which I know and I don’t like but I cannot control. Please help me.
rahe krishna
can you please explain how to perform pooja with proper upavas for janmashtami…i want to improve my level of pooja to krishna…please exlain all steps to be followed for the same…and how to do tulsi pooja..please do reply me…
radhe radhe
Hare krishna,
The mail was excellent. I do realize that detachment from the world and attachment only to krishna is the way to happiness but it isn’t easy to be detached. I would like to know if there a simple thing I can start doing to pleases krishna. I would love to do something that pleases God but I don’t know what. Please help me. Thank you.
Hare Krsna!
PAMHO.
This article really is great. After all, no matter how we plan for ourselves, KRSNA already had plan for us. So we don’t desire according to what we want but rather what KRSNA wants.
Thank you so much for sharing prabhu.
HARE KRSNA!
Hare Krishna,
Well various times i m facing problem because of lack of self confidence in me, after reading such quotes and following them help me to reiterate my mind.
thanks for sharing such a knowledga
Dear Madhudvisa Dasa,
I have small query not exactly connected to this topic but still it relates to Krishna consciousness.
As per Bhaghvada Gita, soul is everlasting and takes birth in physical form on this earth depending on the Karma of previous birth. Also if the soul has met the qualifications of Krishna Consciousness, he meets the abode of almighty GOD. But as per Bible there are only two births, one physical on earth & other in eternity (heaven or hell based on his karma during his physical birth).
Can you please Clarify this to me?
Thank you.
Hare Krishna.
Hare Krishna Dalbir
The Vedas is the authority. What Lord Jesus Christ has given is a very simplified version suited to the people he was speaking to. So he has made it Heaven and Hell and Earth. Very simple. But this idea of only one life is a more recent thing. The idea of reincarnation was also there in the early Christian writings but they were not put in the Bible. The compilaltion of the Bible was influenced by some political ideas so the reincarnation did not stay in it…
But in any case the Bible is not the standard authority, the Vedas is. And there is no confusion at all in the Vedic literature. The soul is eternal and is transmigrating from one body and the next body is determined by his consciousness at the time of death.
So what the Christians preach today about only two births is just plain wrong. It is not true. It does not make any sense. Lord Caitanya while preaching to Chand Kazi on the basis of the Koran stated that the scriptures of the meat-eaters are contradictory and that is very true. There are so many things in the Bible and the Koran that do not make sense, however you will find everything makes perfect sense in the Vedic literatures.
The Christians are very confused about the source of the living entity. Their idea is the new-born baby is pure and innocent. Somehow a new creation. So they think this birth is the beginning. So they have the idea of the beginning of the living entity, which is wrong. We, the living entities, have no beginning, we are qualitatively like God, Krishna. As God is beginningless and eternal so we are also beginningless and eternal. But God is unlimited and we are very tiny. That is the difference.
Actually the newborn baby has a history, a past, he has many previous lives, and he has done many things in the past. He may have done many sinful things or many pious things in his previous lives and he is carrying the reactions of all those activities of his past lives with him.
So a newborn baby is not actually innocent and pure. He is continuing his previous life. If he was pure in his previous life he will be pure now, if he was sinful in his previous life he will be carrying the reactions of his past sins with him.
At the other end of life the Christians talk of everyone either going to Heaven or Hell eternally after death. So it does not make sense actually from the point of view of logic. They say the living entity has a beginning at birth but no end. On the death end he is eternal but on the birth end he is a new living entity, created, born.
We know from Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita that if there is a beginning then there must be an end. So this Christian idea of the beginning of the living entity at birth and the eternality of the living entity at death is just wrong. It makes no sense logically even.
You will find so many contradictions like this in the Bible and the Koran.
So I hope this has clarified the points. You can not expect that everything in the Bible will be correct and fully explained. There are many, many different heavenly planets and many different hellish planets but the Bible simplifies it and just makes one heaven and one hell. So it is a simplification. If you want to know things in detail then you need to get that knowledge from the Vedic literatures.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
I love krishna asmy son
REV. SIR
Accept my pranam. After a prolonged waiting after all there is a encouraging letter in my mail box from you. Once in one of HIS dialogue SRI AUROBINDO said bad situations come to us not for harassing us but it comes to guide us to prepare ourselves for a better life. But now the question is how we accept the situation & how can we convert the bad things into good for us and for the society. What is the requirement for this? The one and only answer for this is IDEAL CONCENTRIC LIFE & ACTIVE LOVE TOWARDS THE IDEAL. In a bad time a person needs the words of the person who loves him. It may be his mother, father, child, wife or any friends. No doubt from them one can have a momentary pleasure but may not be able to utilize the situation. But if someone has active love to his IDEAL/SADGURU, through which all the complex of life got adjusted for the sake of wellbeing and real education takes place there. Concentric attachment with the ideal is the source of all knowledge and knowledge is the source of all happiness. Being adjusted and doing good to others is the way to move ahead with success. Just we have to change the way we think. One of our Hindi film songs says there is lots of sorrow in this world ,mine is too less. REGARDS
R K MANDAL
HARE KRSNA
Dear Madhudvisa,
thank you for the e-mail, i,d enjoyed it .
It is very insprialing , for this time of year. THANK YOU.
Hare Krshna – Madhudvisa dasa,
Sri Vyasadeva taught his son (Sukadeva Gosvami) not only the religious principles and spiritual values but also taught him the yoga system by which one can attain the spiritual kingdom (SB First Canto-Part two pp 80). Please explain the yoga system or which book to use from the Divine Grace A.C.B. Swami Prabhupada. Thanks.
Sara Tzeggai
Srila Vyasadeva taught his son Srila Sukadeva Gosvami the Vedic knowledge and what Srila Vyasadeva taught him he repeated when he recited the Srimad-Bhagavatam in front of the many saints and sages who had collected after King Pariksit was cursed to die within seven days by Sringi, the son of a brahmin. So what Srila Vyasadeva taught Sukadeva Goswami is exactly what Sukadeva Goswami teaches in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. So read the Srimad-Bhagavatam if you want to understand the teachings of Srila Vyasadeva. Not that I can give you a one sentence summary of eighteen thousand verses…
Hare Krishna,
Excellent way to tell people to come out of this mundane world. But one thing I have realized is the day I have tried to detach from this world i have become more emotional towards others. Even when I read Bhagwat and do kirtan tears starts rolling in my eyes. Madhu ji please tell what is happening with me. All I want to be in the feets of Shri Krishna and want to do the bhajans infront of others but I cannot call his name properly without crying.
Waiting for your reply!
Dear Madhudvisa Dasa,
Your article has really brought more light into my life. I believe that the problem of this world is because our education teaches us how to earn a living instead of teaching us how to live.
If your education teaches you how to earn a living, you become a slave to the body and a perpetual beggar who is always hungry for material things and therefore the daily prayer is to get daily bread; ‘GIVE ME THIS DAY MY DAILY BREAD” Meaning, “Give me all the material things the body needs to survive”
But,If your education teaches you how to live, you will realise your constitutional nature and realise that the essence of living is to serve God and render service to mankind and all your needs, not wants, will be provided to you by God.
Thank you for your inspiring message
Dr. Emmanuel Owusu-Ansah
Hare krishna Sir I read your newsletter & I liked it. It provides a great knowledge about the supreme personality Lord Krishna & spiritual science. I keeps faith in krishna & I am always happy. Your work is very good. I have Bhagvad Gita of shree prabhupada in gujarati & I am trying to read & grasp it.
HARE KRISHNA
Namasthe Madhuvisa das,
Your article was very beautiful and conveyed the meaning of sprituality.
Just wanted to know ways and methods to service lord krishna.
regards
priyanka
HK Gurudev,
it’s really true that we require the material of enjoyment from Lord Krishna for our own sense gratification and if we will not practice then the real time will come we will not be able to remind for what we came here.
The explanation given above is very clear and its a reminder again of the schloka ” Sai vai pumsan paro dharma, yado bhaktir adhokshaje…”. Thank you for instructions given to fallan soul like me.
i am devotee of vishnu murthy. i had read this mail and i liked it very much. i wanted to improve more attachment on lord. can you please suggest me how to improve affection on lord.
Hare Krishna – Madhudvisa dasa,
Every one has a problem. However, if we are engaged in the service of Lord Krishna, our problems will be solved by the Lord’s energy. I am experiencing it almost every day in my work. The chanting of Hare Krishna sixteen times daily is a bliss, that nurtures the body, the mind and the soul.
I am giving my obesience to Lord Krishna and all the selfless individuals who are teaching us on how to go back to our source. Thank you for the beautiful article that enhances the teaching of Lord Krishna.
Krishnam vande jagadgurum.
Sri Madhudvisa Dasaji,
Namaskar. A good article. It points to the principle of non-attachment to worldly things and events. A difficult thing indeed. The point well said that we have to engage ourselves in what pleases Krishna. If this would have been elaborated, that would have completed the article.
Regards,
Karthikeyan
hare krishna prabhu.. Your news letter has clarified so many doubts. And the examples that you have used are really amazing. Thank you.
Dear Madhudvisa Dasa:
All glories to Srila Prabhupada! Yes, making the best of a bad situation (or bargain). I am well acquainted with it, as are we all. I think about Krishna no matter what I am doing. Krishna is forever foremost in my mind, even when I behave and think like “it is all about me or mine” I know that really it is all about Krishna. I know we really are not supposed to be ultimately happy here and I know that life is variably happy and unhappy. I am trying to explain things to my soon-to-be 19-year-old grandson. He is going through certain stages we go through as teenagers. He knows how I feel about Krishna. I used to read Krishna Book when he was little. He knows about Hanuman. That is his nickname. On another note, I go to a library where there is a librarian from India named Mrs. Parthasarathi. Imagine! To me, this is direct communication from Krishna; that he is aware of all we do and he watches all of us. His communication can be so suttle. He is everywhere. He notices us and communicates with all of us. Madhudvisa, I am so grateful that I had a chance to communicate with you and your Krishna Store website a number of years ago. You have a valuable treasure of information to make us Krishna conscious, and I am so happy that Krishna became Srila Prabhupada and came here to teach Krishna consciousness to a world that had once again forgotten.
This is the first time i come here to comment the newsletter, but it is not the first time i comment the newsletter to others. Ever since i started receiving these beautiful and meaningful words, things have changed in my life. God does not give us what we want, but what is needed, and at one point in my life, all i needed was truthful words from God. And they came, through this crazy technology we are all used to nowadays. All i can think of is being grateful. It’s amazing how an enlightened soul can make the best use of everything presented at every moment. Thank you for these inspirational words. Oh, and i have one point to clarify in the Christian’s prayer. In Portuguese, it’s said more likely “Our bread of each day, you give us today”, which i understand more like becoming aware of what God give us everyday and more aware of the present moment which we can do whatever change that needs to be done for a better result in the material world. Thank you again for spreading the goodness of Srila Prabhuapda
Dear One-in-Krishna,
Your newsletter serves as a beacon of light. I also belong to the category of pious people seeking Krishna in times of distress. The amazing thing about this is my distress introduced me to Krishna. When my life hung by a thread and none could help ease my distress, I saw Krishna for what he was. The only truth. Everything else is so transient, which comes with death guaranteed. All the things that give me pleasure and pain are transient and undependable. I noticed or rather was given the grace to notice the fact that all through these days HE somehow stays just the same. All things are in him and he is in all things. There is not a single place where He is absent. All and everything is Krishna. Krishna Krishna Krishna. All others look different but in truth, Everything is Krishna in disguise. May He actually give us the ability to know this for a fact. May He give us this humble knowledge that He is our journey and destination. Hare Krishna.
hare krishna Madhudvisa ,
as always the letetrs i read rom you are gives some peace to me .as you said we have no control in this material world but to accept if its good or bad whatever happens .
I lost my wife 1 1/2″ year ago still i,am under in that depression what could have happened to her because i do nt know the real cause . Still i,am searcing for the reason whihc cna staisfy me and accept it but nothing is happening . pls can you help in this regard
This is a verry imp lesson that should be taught during our schooling time.Its relevance is very much in this world where all relatgionships are based on give and take and profit and loss only.
no way for somebody to make the whole world peaceful just because of the region and the climate or the environmental problem of each tribe eve in India some atrocities have been recorded so far and US recorded the worst in the whole world
thanks
Dear Madhudvisa Das,
I have gone through your article. I am also inclined nowadays to read Bhagvat Gita almost daily . It attracts me, meaning it gives me inner feel of satisfaction. I feel that after getting this human soul and body god has already expressed his kindness to us. Now, it is we who are to use this body and soul to fulfil His desires-to spread love and kindness to all. It is not proper that we are always in the mode of asking something or other from God related to worldly materials things . These desires are endless and we are submerged in this pool of desires. God is ever ready to grace us and does good for us always and is showering this on us every passing moment but we tend to ignore it and measure His divine gifts in terms of what He has given us in terms of our material desires.,,
hare krisna,thanks alot for the valuable idea,i am a devotee of my lord krisna(jagannath)but due to this busy life and responsibilities i never give time to my prabhu,please give some solution
thankyou very much for the mail that you have sent to me. it’s a great knowledge for me…^_^
prenam,
i want to know how we can serve loard krishna
Deaf Madhudvisa dasa:
Thank you for your enlightening letters. I find Krsna Katha to be my life-force
keeping me going in times of turmoil (as I am going thru at this time).
A page from the Gita, A verse from Srimad Bhagvatam, or a purport ofromSri Caitanya Caritamrta keep me centered in the worst of storms.
Thank you and
Thank You Blessed Srila Prabhupada
I really loved this article espescially the part about Us being the fish out of the water but merely chanting Hare Krishna mantra is enough to please Krishna or we have to chant other strotas such as Vishnu Sahasranaam or other devotional texts to render devotional service to Lord Krishna????
Hare Krishna!
i want to discuss some personal problem. I want to get rid of this problem and be Krishna Consciousness. How can i do that ?
Please help
thanks
vikram
The answer is always the same Prabhu.
You need to become a little serious to follow the process of Krishna Consciousness.
That is reading Srila Prabhuapda’s books, chanting the Hare Krishna mantra at least 16 rounds daily and following the four regulative principles [no illicit sex life, no meat eating, no gambling and no intoxication]
This will solve all problems without fail.
It may be a little difficult to force yourself to follow the principles in the beginning but if you do this and stick to the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra then soon you will be feeling some transcendental energy and that will give you strength and empower to solve your problems whatever they may be.
We need to get faith in this process of chanting Hare Krishna and do it and that will solve all our problems, not only our problems it will solve all the problems of the world.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Hare Krsna, thankyou for your service. The subject matter really touched my heart as living in this material world is so difficult when trying to detach from the general populace who don’t follow our 4 regulative principles. I find my main difficulty comes from my impatience in myself, as I want to help everyone in my family but how can I when we have long material history, full of my own faults (as well as theirs). I don’t have a spiritual master yet, and find the temple isn’t a place for talking about personal issues. Is there a kc devotee who I could email one-on-one, who I could get support from while I am going through difficult periods?
Jaya
Hare Krishna Jaya
We all go through personal difficulties but we need to start to learn to take shelter of Srila Prabhuapda and understand that these difficult periods in our life have a very simple solution. Chant at least 16 rounds of the Hare Krishna mantra daily, read Srila Prabhuapda’s books regularly at least 1 hour per day and strictly follow the four regulative principles. I guarantee if you do this then no matter what sort of difficulty you are in you will get out of it very quickly.
That is my personal position. I have also many difficulties sometimes and I have had so many problems but I know that I have the solution to any problem at all in chanting Hare Krishna and reading Prabhuapda’s books. I have proven it in my life so many times. I have been in very fallen conditions but this chanting and the association with Srila Prabhuapda through his books and audio and video recordings is really so powerful and if we take full advantage of this then we can very easily come back to the proper platform very quickly.
This idea of having a devotee to discuss your deep personal problems is not really necessary. Our problems are not very complicated. They always boil down to the fact that we are not chanting at least 16 rounds of the Hare Krishna mantra daily and we are not following the four regulative principles and we are not reading Srila Prabhuapda’s books at least one hour per day. And if we again start doing these things our problems go away…
Of course there are “devotees” who will refuse to do these things. They will chant one round or four rounds maybe and follow two or three of the principles or maybe they are just vegetarians… They will never solve their problems and talking to some other devotee will never help them also. At some point we have to take responsibility for our life and we have to decide from this day on I will chant at least 16 rounds of the Hare Krishna mantra daily and I will follow the four regulative principles and I will read Srila Prabhupada’s books at least one hour per day… And then while we do that our problems will be gone, and if we slip down again our problems will come back…
It really is so simple… Chant Hare Krishna and be happy! We just have to do it…
Madhudvisa dasa
Hare Krsna Madhudvisa dasa prabhuji. I have a question. When you mean any problem who mean any whether big or small. Lately a lot of small issues that should bother me bother me a lot. Like not being able to go on krishna.org or read about it in some places like some places in college especially non-class setting or some other small issues like these. Can you tell anything so that my mind don’t get occupied or worried of these type of small issues and not do anything else in life mainly chanting and reading books.
You have to keep your mind occupied with Krishna consciousness. You have to keep you body and senses engaged in practical service for Srila Prabhupada and Krishna. Krishna consciousness is a process of total absorption. We have to become totally absorbed in Krishna consciousness. So this is a science and you have to learn it. Srila Prabhupada is teaching us this science in almost 100 books. So if we want to learn the science we have to read the books and follow the instructions in the books if we expect it to work for us. So the first thing is you need to surrender to the very basic points. You have to chant the Hare Krishna mantra at least 16 rounds a day, you need to strictly follow the four regulative principles [no illicit sex, no meat eating, no gambling and no intoxication] and you need to read Srila Prabhupada’s books at least 1-2 hours per day. If you actually do this you will find all your problems will be answered or go away. So just concentrate on these things and everything will be OK.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Hare Krishna!Thank you very much for this wonderful article I read just a few minutes ago after chanting the holy Names of God for about two hours. I think that if I hadn’t met the devotees long time ago I would be dead now!Krishna consciousness is what makes me bear the weight of material life.I had been searching for the reason of my life for so long but whenever I thought I had found it, everything started going wrong again and again. There’s noone in this world who can quench our thirst but God. I don’t want anything at all. I used to pray to get something.I remember when I went to University…I was always asking God”Please help me with my exams” or when someone in my family was not very well I used to say”please give them health”. Then I started thinking I was searching for LOVE, REAL LOVE and I understood that we often love just because we receive something back.We want the others to be the way we are, we often make them feel guilty if they are not always there ready to satisfy our requests and so on…so I was asking everyone”what do you think? does pure love exist?”the answer came when I met the devotees and they started telling me about Krishna.Yesterday I had a long conversation with my father who is now 82 and has been searching for God since he was very young. He doesn’t want to surrender. He doesn’t want to understand that his body is aching because it’s getting older and older and that it’s just a sort of a coat we are going to live on the bank of the river one day and that we don’t know when eaxactly!God give us what we need, not more not less. we are not these bodies we are living in. We are souls, we are eternal and have got nothing to do with this world. Thank you very much! By chanting the Name of the Lord we’ll be free! hare Krishna. You servant Lucia (Lalita d.d.)
Hare Krsna,
Thank you for this teaching. I stopped “asking” and started listening years ago. Though this changed in my spirituality, I never fully understood why I felt this way. I didn’t start “listening” until after the first time I read Gita.
When I am sad, I rejoice in the karmic lessons and attempt to fully feel my sadness. When I am happy, I am thankful for the temporary distraction from the pain of this life and attempt to fully feel my happiness.
But most importantly, I try always to remember that all of this is just a passing moment… a passing opportunity to learn and to serve and to praise.
Thank you for clarifying my understanding with the words of God, for pointing out exactly where He told me to quit asking and start serving for the closest thing to true happiness here in this life and the steps toward returning to Him.
Hare Krsna!
Madhudvisa dasa,
Thank you for the inspiration and wisdom. I look forword to reading your letters in the year to come.
Dundavats
My question is: when somebody ( a employer) is stealing money of my services, and I asked this person, explaining why is belongs me and not to him, he refused to pay me. If I ask once more, probably I’ll have no more phone calls to work (I’m a free lance), but if I miss to repeat my ask, I fell that this person is unrespectfull, unpolite and no honest.
What’s the best to do? To renounce that money, to renounce the next works, or to renunce my complain ? What’s a devotee, that needs to survive in this material world, plein of social rules, can do in this case?
NINON.
Hare Krishna Ninon
This is not much to do with being a devotee. In this world if we are trying to run a business and maintain a family and so on we have two things going on, one is need to support the family and so on and the other is our spiritual life. This sort of question is not a spiritual question. You just have to work it out with him… But you should be chanting at least 16 rounds of the Hare Krishna mantra daily and following the four regulative principles and reading Prabhuapda’s books.
But this sort of thing will go on when dealing with so many rascals and cheaters in the material world. How to deal with these guys is a matter of business not devotional service.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Haribol!!
To all souls who are connected to this website and to all others as well.
I have been following Krishna cons. from last 2 years now by the grace of Krishna himself who is sitting in everyone’s heart and by the grace of A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada’s books.
With my understanding no place is impious or bad in this whole cosmic manifestation because it is all made by Krishna himself and we as part and parcel of him should only reside there, where our eternal father lives; as mentioned by Prabhu Madhudvisa dasa as well which is Goloka vrindavana.
And as Krishna said in B.G ( Goloka Eva Nivasethy Akhilatma Bhuta)please apologize me for incorrect words of Sanskrit as i am not carrying B.G at this moment; Anyways, now because we have fallen down here by our ignorance so with our devotional service we should make this earthly mother planet as Krishna’s own personal abode by Sankirtan, chanting and enjoying his pastimes.
And by doing our so called worldly duties we should remember Krishna in our heart 24 hours 7 days a week and having said that not just remember Krishna but also his teachings through Prabhupada’s literature which will make our mind body and soul pure and uncontaminated so finally at the time of leaving this body we will only remember our Krishna and finally he will come in his own Garuda plane and take us back to our home which is our own kingdom of God.
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare.
Hare Krishna Ankhur
You have said things very nicely here Prabhu. With this mood you can turn any place into Vaikuntha!
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Your servant
Madhudvisa dasa
Jay Shri Krishna
I have heard your preaching on U-Tube .I like god krishna and love Him but I have some doubts regarding the full meaning of ‘Krishna’.Will You help me to tell me what is the actual meaning of the word ‘Krishna’One thing more i want to like to be known by you why lord Krishna is in black while in other avatar he has fair complexion but in krishnaavatar he is in black complexion why? this question keeps disturbing me for a long time .I tried my best to get the answer of this question but all in vain .please solve my oproblem as I think that yoouare the only person who can quench my thirst of knowledge .
with best regards and Jay Shri krishna
Yours humble devotee
Moti Raj Sankhla
Hare Krishna Moti Raj
These things you can not really understand without becoming a devotee of Krishna. “The full meaning of Krishna” is not possible to write in a paragraph. Srila Prabhupada has written sixty big books to explain these things. You need to study these books…
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Truly wonderful thoughts on the comments by Lord Krishn during the great epic war of Kurukshetra. Hare Krishn with all the best wishes ahead in your mission of spreading Krishn Consiousness.
HARE KRISHNA! All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Excellent article again Prabhu!
Very glad that you are again writing! Inspiring are your articles as always and very encouraging they are to instil determination in us to try our best to somehow and anyhow keep spreading and broadcasting the message of Shri Krishna Chaitanya to anyone and everyone. Thank you very much. Your new year resolution shall help all of us to progress in Krishna Consciousness and will surely be pleasing to Dear Shri Krishna!
HARE KRISHNA!
Hare Krishna!
It is a wonderful message given very clearly, simple and neat, so that it can reach the children and the youth who are the most important people who should know about life. Specially today’s world is becomming worser and worser day by day, unless the children of the future dont understand the purpose of life, life in the future is going to be miserable.
Appreciate if more such messages with more information could be given, so that we can show it to our childern and slowly get them into Krishna conciousness.
Hare Krishna Prabhu!
Hare Krsna Prabhu,
Please accept my humble obeisances,
Your articles have refreshed my mind on the teachings of Sri Krsna. I chant mala everyday, though the number of rounds are not consistent these days. I do not get chance to go to satsang very often. Your article is a good way to keep in touch often wid vedas. Please continue to do so prabhu it’s really encouraging.
Haribol
Engage us in the service of lord krishna.
But tell me how to come out of issues with loved ones,so much of pain anxiety.Because of this we become very weak.We want to be in service of lord krishna.
Hare Krishna!
Hare Krishna Rajesh
You have to come out yourself.
It is important to serve Krishna. The relatives, the family, etc, that is not important. If they are interested in Krishna consciousness and together you can all have kirtans and offer bhoga to Krishna and take prasadam and read from and discuss the philosophy in Srila Prabhuapda’s books then that is perfect and they are wonderful. But if they are not interested you have to push forward with your Krishna consciousness. And if you follow the simple process of chanting at least 16 rounds of the Hare Krishna mantra daily and stick to the four regulative principles [no illicit sex, no meat eating, no gambling and no intoxication] and read Srila Prabhuapda’s books at least an hour a day then the knowledge of Krishna consciousness which is already within you will be awakened and you will see everything very clearly for yourself and Krishna from within your heart will guide you.
You simply have to follow the process and everything will become clear.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Prabhuji exactly what u say is 100% true.But each human being feels he is come like a blank slate and we can write what he want feel and see.But forget the Lord has HIS way ofmaking one realize that soone orLater turn toGodhead. This is precisely SRILA PRAHUPAD lived and preached and ISKOCN is following.The TRUTH has been laid out now it is upto devotee to takethe necter and try not to materialize the process while trying to following the path.
Dear Madhudvisa dasa,
Hare Krishna. I liked ur article very much & will give my best try to follow most of it to get out of this material world.
But I ve few doubts in my mind. I read Bhagavat Gita daily & in 3rd chapter Krishna emphasizes mainly on our Duty. Even Prabhupad stated in purport that, being in Krishna Conscious, does not mean leaving our duty & just chant the holy name. We must perform our prescribed duty & through Karma Yoga we can gradually enter to Gyana Yoga or Bhakti Yoga & attain perfection.
So I am concluding below things, by performing which I can maintain my livelihood, as well as progress in Spiritual Path, ultimately gets the liberation. (Kind of balancing between material & Spiritual aspects of life).
I will perform my prescribed duty with full dedication.
[In Profession life] : As I am a software engg. by profession, I will do my work (duty) at office with full concentration & dedication.
[In personal life] : I will chant my prescribed rounds, follow regulative principles, read BG & preach KC/distribute books, where ever I can to uplift the ignorant souls.
Please let me know if a person does the above things with full dedication, can he be considered to be doing devotional service & can he attain liberation, back to Godhead, Back to Krishna…
Hare Krishna Bikash Prabhu
You know Prabhu every Indian thinks that the most important thing Krishna stresses in the Bhagavad-gita is that “You should do your duty.” But actually that is not true. It does look like that. Because in Bhagavad-gita Arjuna is a ksatriya, a fighter, and his duty is to fight. All political avenues have been explored and there is no alternative to the fight. And it is Arjuna’s duty to fight. And Krishna is instructing Arjuna to fight.
But Arjuna becomes bewildered. Because, although it is his duty to fight, when he is seated on the chariot in the middle of the two armies, Pandavas on one side Kuravas on the other side and he looks everywhere on both sides and sees only friends and family members and his teachers. Everyone is related to him in some way. So he thinks that if they fight this will be a great disaster and even if he is victorious in the battle because so many friends and family members will be killed on both sides then life will not be worth living. So he decides, “Krishna I shall not fight.” And he proposes going to the forest and living under a tree… In this position Arjuna is quite bewildered and he does not know what to do. So he surrenders to Krishna. The relationship between Krishna and Arjuna changes. In the beginning of the discussion they were friends, but Arjuna becomes bewildered and does not know what to do so he accepts his friend Krishna as his spiritual master, as his guru and surrenders.
kārpaṇya-doṣopahata-svabhāvaḥ
pṛcchāmi tvāṁ dharma-sammūḍha-cetāḥ
yac chreyaḥ syān niścitaṁ brūhi tan me
śiṣyas te ‘haṁ śādhi māṁ tvāṁ prapannam
Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure because of weakness. In this condition I am asking You to tell me clearly what is best for me. Now I am Your disciple, and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me.
So you see what has happened here. Krishna has instructed Arjuna that he should do his duty as a Ksatriya and fight. But Arjuna realized that if he does that then it will be disastrous for his friends and family who will mostly all get killed. So he thinks that it would be better for everyone if he did not do his duty.
Arjuna says he is confused about his duty. So the real point here is that he is surrendering to Krishna and saying to Krishna “Please instruct me.”
So the actual point of the Bhagavad-gita, is really to surrender to Krishna in the mood of Arjuna, “Please instruct me.”
At this point it does not matter what Arjuna thinks is his duty. Actually at this point Arjuna is completely confused about his duty. On one hand he has the duty as a Ksatriya but on the other hand he has another duty to his friends and family and does not want to see them killed. So Arjuna is confused about his duty. So Bhagavad-gita is not actually about “doing your duty.” Arjuna does not even know what his duty is, so how can he do it.
The message of Bhagavad-gita is surrender to Krishna and get Krishna to instruct us, “please instruct me.”
So it is not that we know what our duty is and Bhagavad-gita is telling us that we must do that. No. Bhagavad-gita is telling us to surrender to Krishna and get Krishna to instruct us as to what our duty is. Of course for Arjuna he was speaking with Krishna directly, but for us Krishna advises that we approach him through His bona fide spiritual master and the spiritual master can let us know what we should do, what is actually our duty.
These things can be discussed very elaborately and for a long time but really the Indian idea that Krishna is telling Arjuna to do his duty is a very superficial understanding of the Gita. It is true of course. Because when Arjuna surrenders to Krishna Krishna does instruct him to fight. But Krishna could have also instructed Arjuna to leave the battlefield and Arjuna would have done that also. The point is Arjuna accepted Krishna as His spiritual master and agreed to do whatever Krishna instructed him to do.
So the real point of Bhagavad-gita is surrender to Krishna. Not doing one’s duty.
So if you surrender to Krishna and do what Krishna wants you to do then you will go back home, back to Godhead. If Krishna wants to send you there… You know it is all up to Krishna. If you are a good preacher Krishna may have another mission for you somewhere else in the material world… A pure devotee actually he does not care where Krishna sends him…
But in general your proposition is very nice. I suspect you will also get married somewhere in this scenario and have a family and you know Lord Caitanya recommends that one practise Krishna consciousness in his own position, not that one has to live in a temple and become a sannyasi or anything like that.
So I wish you all success in your life and hope my ramblings are of some use to you…
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Your servant
Madhudvisa dasa
Krishna may kill me, or He may protect me. He may make me destitute, or incredibly rich. In all circumstances, I remain constitutionally His part and parcel… Aham bramasmi, I am spirit soul. Sarvam Khalv Idam Brahma, all is part of Brahman. Jivera svarupa haya krishnera nitya das, The constitutional position of the living entity is as part and parcel of Krishna. Nityo nityanamam chetanas chetananam… We are minute eternal living entities and Krishna is the Supreme eternal living entity.
Janmadya yasya yatha… Krishna is the original source of all things…
Krishna is already giving us everything according to our work or karma what need is there to ask Krishna anything???
Aapko Dandvat pranam
Also dandvat pranam to all those who will read this.
It is nice to read this article. I agree with you that we waste our prayers for small material things, which are going to vanish one day, little realizing that we are lucky one`s to have this human life for serving Lord Krishna.
Prabhu ji, I even do not want to go to Goloka, our ultimate home, if Lord Krishna bestow on me Guru-Vaishnav-Thakur sewa & 24 hours continuous Harinam. Please tell me, if I am right or wrong?
Hare Krishna Ji
Seeker of Vaishnav`s charan dhuli,
Vaishnav`s Dasa-nu-das
Ras Bihari Das
(Rajan Nanda)
Chandigarh.
Hare Krishna Ras Bihari Prabhu
You are having the right idea Prabhu. Actually any place can be transformed into Goloka by the continuous chanting of the Hari-Nama and the association of the pure devotees. The idea is that we surrender to Krishna and do whatever Krishna wants us to do. So it is not so much that we want to go anywhere or do anything. We want to become souls surrendered to Krishna and do whatever Krishna asks us to do. If He wants us to go back home back to Godhead then we will happily go, however if Krishna wants us to go to hell and preach the Sankirtan movement there then we will very happily go to hell and glorify Krishna there.
It is a very subtle thing, because actually we are all part and parcel of Krishna. So if we can please the whole, Krishna, then all the parts and parcels [including ourselves] become automatically pleased. So the only way we can become happy actually is to make Krishna happy… Not that Krishna is not happy. Krishna is always happy… But His pleasure increases actually when He sees us, the fallen conditioned souls, serving Srila Prabhupada and therefore surrendering to Him…
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
krishna tells that if we want to get something we should work for it
and in the end never think about the result and leave it to him. wiht out thinking about the result how can we work????
and what if we dont get what we want even after a lot of hard work?
Hare Krishna Yashas
These things are a little difficult to understand coming from our materialistic education. Krishna is not exactly telling us as you say. What Krishna says is that we should work, we should perform our duties, but we should be unattached to the results of that work. He is telling us that we should work out of duty and not for the results of the work.
I understand your point, “How can we work without thinking of the result.” But this is called fruitive work, working for the fruits or the result, and Krishna’s whole message in the Bhagavad-gita is to give this type of work up.
So Krishna is advising that we keep working but we become unattached to the results of the work. Of course that is one stage. There are many stages but the final stage is to simply surrender to Krishna and work for Krishna. That is the best. And devotional service means working for Krishna.
And this working for Krishna is a different mentality, you say “what if we dont get what we want even after a lot of hard work?” and that is very understandable also, but if we surrender to Krishna and work for Krishna actually we don’t want to get anything from the work and we come to realize gradually that we are not actually the doer and the results are not actually under our control. We may work and there may be results or there may not be results. But the real point is we are working for Krishna.
That is why Krishna is instructing us to work without being attached to the results of the work in the Bhagavad-gita. It is preparation for working for Krishna, where the results are not even ours. If we work for Krishna the results are Krishna’s.
The whole thing is basically not possible to understand from the materialistic point of view and your confusion is not strange. Any materialistic person who reads the Gita will have the same confusion.
The Bhagavad-gita can not be understood simply by scholarship. One has to put the teachings of the Gita into practice in his life and realise them. Otherwise it can not be understood.
So I suggest you read Srila Prabhuapda’s Bhagavad-gita As It Is and from Srila Prabhupada’s purports you will understand all these points very nicely.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
praise to you!
Keeping in Krishna conciousness is easy, on my own.
When other people question my motives of non attatchment to the
hard work I do, often they think I want something in return.
I don’t.
I see many people who think it is Holy to pray for Things,
and the right outworking of their situation.
Always thinking of themselves.
Surrender, is what I do.
A pot to prepare Prasadim is a thing one may desire.
Work to earn it. A thing that is needed is provided when
it is for a pure purpose.
I thank you for your messages.
For now I am not so alone. Many in this area have fallen off, and
it is very difficult to find anyone who is willing to have fun and chant,
and share prescribed foods.
Many around me think that I believe in a myth, and call it a devil thing.
I am sorry for them,(only for a brief moment) but quickly move on. They will not even consider Bhagavad Gita, for they feel their scripture is the be all end all.
I do not argue. Krishna is my Lord first.
Hare Krishna!
hare krsna prabhu.pamho end AGTSP
as always very inspiring newsletter,
by the way ur newsletter is the only 1 which does not end up in trashbin.
mohini
HARE KRISHNA…………….
I do believe in Krishna.But i have an question i love a girl and she also love me …….. But i am alwaz in this tention that i dont want to lost her………….. please hepl me spiritually……..
Hare Krishna Aashu
This story has been repeated so many times. You know there are so many love stories like this. And most of them have tragic endings. That is the reality. Nothing in the material world is permanent. We need to re-establish our loving relationship with Krishna. You say “please help me spiritually” so I say “please chant Hare Krishna.” That will relieve your tension and help your relationship also. You have to accept the reality that nothing is permanent in the material world and you can not have a relationship forever with this girl. You will be separated at some time and that will be disappointing for you.
So at least you can understand in theory that you can have a loving relationship with Krishna that is eternal. And the perfection of your relationship with this girl is if you can both serve Krishna together.
So my suggestion is I can not help you but Krishna can help you. Chant Hare Krishna and read Srila Prabhuapda’s books.
Madhudvisa dasa
Hare Krishna!!!!
Thanks prabhu ji but plz tell me is only Krishna is the God and rest of like JESUS, any spiritual master who telling us to deliever to that stage of God by yogic gymansium or you can say by meditation , and most of other Gods og other religion…… who are they??? plz help me out …. Now, i m tottaly confused and want the answer bcoz i dont want to waste my life…….
HARE KRISHNA!!!!!!!!
Hare Krishna Aashu
Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita that He comes Himself as an incarnation or sends his pure devotee representatives any time the religious principles need to be reestablished. He does this time and time again. So Krishna is appearing and sending His sons like Lord Jesus Christ all over the world in all the countries and societies to establish spiritual principles that are practical for the particular people in that place and at that time.
If you study all the religions and spiritual beliefs around the world you will find they are all very similar. They all talk of this world as being a place where we can improve ourselves and go to some other spiritual place after death.
So the short answer to your question is that Jesus and Mohammad and other real profits are empowered representatives of Krishna who are spreading the message of God consciousness all over the world.
So we have all respect for the bona fide representatives of Krishna who are actually preaching God consciousness and educating the people to surrender to God, to worship the Lord, to pray to the Lord, etc.
These things you will understand very clearly if you take the time to study Bhagavad-gita As It Is by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhuapda. So please do this.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Nice Article Prabhu!!!
Hari Bol!!!!
Dear Madhudvisa Prabhu,
A good article and perfectly timed too as to guide us when one’s mind is clustered with various ideas regarding New Year resolutions.
Instead of asking Krshna to serve us by solving our individual problems, we should make a resolution to learn ways to serve him. This would require an attitudinal shift to serve rather be served.
Thanks for sharing it.
Shyamsundar
dear Madhudvisa dasa,
as always, this letter comes to me at the perfect time. i have been completing things before the end of the year. i feel that this information has solidified and clearified my knowledge of what Krsna whats from me.i go fourth into the new year with greater vision. Thank you, j.
Hare krsna,
This is true that people just pray to Lord for sake of “Daily Bread” only and now the demands goes high.Srila prabhupad says that if we want to do business with krishna then Krishna is also very clever and he will make a relation as a businessmen with us only.If we are doing just a business than there is a lack of spirituality.Spirituality means to know Krishna and make a relation with him and serve him better.
This happened with the Mahabhagvata Dhruv maharaj he went to forest to ask a throne higher than his father but by the grace of his spiritual master sri Narad muni he came to know that Lord become pleased when he is served without any intention or desire and he followed his spiritual master and by the merciful lord he got the very highest throne in the world although after meeting the Supreme lord Hari he did not ask anything but the lord was so kind he gave everything without asking.
so i totally agree with Madhudvisa Dasa Prabhu that we should engage our self in the service of Lord without any desire.
Hare krsna
jai Gauranga
Nice article,Engage us in the service of lord krishna.
But tell us how to be out of emotional issues when things are related to our loved ones,why so much anxiety,why such relations makes us weak for particular person,mind jus full of thoughts and negativity.Even these relations god has made.We want to be in service of lord krishna.
Hare Krishna!
Hare Krishna Pallavi
Krishna consciousness is about becoming detached from all these relations and family and becoming attached to Krishna.
The more we become attached to Krishna the more insignificant all these family problems will become to us.
It is not that they will stop. The relations will go on with all the things they are going on with now. But if you absorb yourself more in serving Krishna, in Krishna consciousness, Krishna will become so much more important to you that the gramiya-katha, the “village talk.”
And the relations will notice this in you also and respect you for it. One of the attractive qualities is detachment. If we can become detached from these worldly things and situate our consciousness on spiritual things, things that really matter then people will find us attractive also.
Really deep in their hearts everyone is looking for Krishna, so if you can find Krishna then you can also help them to find Krishna…
We really have to believe that we are eternal, we are not this material body, we existed before so many times in so many different bodies and in so many different families and we will continue to exist in the future also after this body is finished, and we will have a different family again. This family we are only with for this lifetime which is such a tiny, insignificant amount of time if we believe we are eternal spirit souls.
So we have to basically ignore all this nonsense and negativity around us in the family and concentrate on serving Krishna and developing our loving relationship with Krishna. Of course we can help the family a lot also, to develop their loving relationships with Krishna, by cooking nice meals and offering them to Krishna and distributing the Krishna prasadam to the family. So even if they do not like to hear you preaching about Krishna you can feed them Krishna prasadam and in that way they will benefit greatly…
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Hare Krishna!!
Sir i want to know at what age of life our karmas get count?
i mean if a child makes a mistake at the age of upto 6 years,
will that mistake get count? M confused as a child doesnt knw
what is good or bad.
Pls guide.
hare Krishna!!
Hare Krishna Adhistatri
There may be some truth in this because for example animals do not have this sense of right and wrong. They only work on the basic instincts of eating, sleeping, mating and defending. So the child when very young may be like an animal.
But there is an English saying “Ignorance is no excuse”. So these laws of karma are like the laws of nature and they act even if one is ignorant of the law. If you do not know the law of gravity for example and you drop a ball it is still going to fall to the ground. The laws of nature and not dependent upon us understanding them to act. Similarly if a child puts his hand in the fire it will burn him. The child may not know that fire burns but that does not mean that if he puts his hand in the fire it will not burn him. No. The fire will burn, even if one is ignorant of the fact the fire burns.
For example in the Western countries many people are completely ignorant that meat eating and drinking and smoking and taking drugs are sinful activities and that they will be severely punished by the material nature for these things. So they are ignorant of this, but still that does not free them from the reactions of karma. They will still suffer the reactions from these sinful activities, even though they do not know what they are doing is sinful.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
hare krishna!!
sir, thanku for this wonderful explanation.
hare krishna!!
Hare Krishna!!
sir, i want to know one more thing, suppose someone has done a sinful act in his ignorance. But now after getting the knowledge, that whatever he has done was so sinful n feeling guilty. What he should do to come out of this guilt….will Lord Krishna forgive him or punish him?
and what if he himself is not able to forgive…?
some time thoughts comes like sucide..
what to do in that case, plz guide.
Hare Krishna!!
Hare Krishna
You can’t change what you have done in the past but you can change your future. So just chant Hare Krishna and read Prabhupada’s books and follow them and don’t worry about the past. Everything will be adjusted by your chanting and devotional service to Krishna.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Hare Krsna Madhudvisa dasa prabhuji. I have heard or read that animals are not responsible for what they do.
Human beings are responsible for the actions they perform. Is that the only reason why a child a human child accrues karma?
You are saying ignorance is no excuse and more below.
“But there is an English saying “Ignorance is no excuse”. So these laws of karma are like the laws of nature and they act even if one is ignorant of the law. If you do not know the law of gravity for example and you drop a ball it is still going to fall to the ground. The laws of nature and not dependent upon us understanding them to act. Similarly if a child puts his hand in the fire it will burn him. The child may not know that fire burns but that does not mean that if he puts his hand in the fire it will not burn him. No. The fire will burn, even if one is ignorant of the fact the fire burns.”
In this sense if you are talking about a child putting his hands in the fire. I have an example like that but with animals. You must know about the humans polluting the environment today right. People throw or loiter places even like the forest where the animals live with plastic things, metal can, beer glass bottles and all. Now if a deer or an animal swallows the plastic and all and it dies as a result because of ignorance. Is that not the same as a child putting his hands in the fire. So in that sense why does an animal not accrue karma like the human child.
Similarly a innocent child human child who knows nothing puts his hand in the fire or does sinful activities like kill ants or insects like i really saw one child doing in real life. i did not tell him anything because he is already( now that i think maybe because i don’t know if he eats meat or not but chances are he must still and even eating vegetable is a sin especially the one killed like cabbage if i am right)
involved into killing animals because he eats the animal or meat food that his parents have been giving him since his birth.
So really in the end a human child accrues karma because humans accrue karma because they have more free will than the animals or what is the case? The deer or a animal dying because of swallowing plastic and the human child putting hands in the fire are the same in that both are doing out of ignorance. So why does a human child accrues karma while the animal(even though affected by his karma in previous lifes as a human) not accrue? What i am asking is why should a human child even though he will suffer from putting his hands in the fire should accrue karma when he is in the same condition as the deer or a animal.
Hare Krishna Rohit
The only difference between humans and animals is the level of consciousness.
Otherwise humans and animals are exactly the same.
But because on the human platform the consciousness is higher the human has the option to act above the animalistic instincts of eating, sleeping, mating and defending. The human has the concept of right and wrong and can choose between good and bad activities. So this elevated consciousness comes with responsibility for the choices the humans make. And animal only acts on instinct to satisfy his needs for eating, sleeping, mating and defending. So there is no sin for an animal. He acts out of instinct according to the design of his body. He has not got any freedom to do anything else.
But in the human form of life we do have the developed consciousness and a much wider range of choices than the animals. So because of this developed consciousness and extended range of choices then in the human form of life we are responsible for the consequences of our choices. So it is in the human form of life that we generate karma and we are sent into various animal forms of life to suffer the reactions of that karma.
So you have to understand it very clearly that there is no difference whatsoever between the living entities in the animal bodies and the living entities in the human bodies. The material body is a covering over the spirit soul and that body is allocated to us according to our consciousness. If we are in animal consciousness at the time of death, if we are only thinking of eating, sleeping, mating and defending at the time of death, then that animal consciousness will cause us to be sent to an animal body in our next life. And once we take the animal’s body we are covered by that animal consciousness and we think we are that animal and we are forced to act according to the nature and instincts of that animal.
As far as a child is concerned, obviously a baby has not yet developed his consciousness and does not yet have the ability to understand what is right and what is wrong so in that practically unconscious condition the child is really just like an animal, acting only on the animistic propensities of eating, sleeping, mating and defending. But quickly a human child develops human consciousness and with that human consciousness comes the ability of making choices and the concept of good and bad and the ability to act beyond the basic animalistic impulses.
So as soon as the child is acting as a human and has developed the human consciousness then he is responsible for his activities and will generate karma based on his good and bad actions.
But even a child or an animal is suffering or enjoying as a result of his past karma. It does not require human consciousness to suffer or enjoy ones karmic reactions. But the human consciousness is required to generate the karma…
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Namaskar Swami Madhuvisa!
I am also a servant of Krishna and very much inspired by the Krishna conscious movement. Whenever I feel frustrated, don’t want to sing Kirtan but as soon as I remember “chant Krishna 24 hours”, I regain the inspiration to do Kirtan for half an hour. Yes, chanting and hearing the name of the Lord is best way to purify ourselves, to invite Lord to take a seat in our heart and stay there with us forever, hopefully.
Regarding the 4 types of people approaching Krishna, I am of the distressed so Krishna come into my life as I badly need His help. This is very selfish in the beginning but from my point of view, Krishna accepts that. He will come only when we call Him. Only in unfavourable situations, do I treasure His grace.I wonder how the people interested in wealth can approach Krishna. Kindly explain to me please.
Regarding your topic of “Making good use out of bad situation”, I agree with you that the only thing we can do is to accept it, to live with it, to surrender to Krishna and in such circumstances, the only thing we can ask from God is “My God, please give me more strength to endure this”. When the rain is over, the sunlight will come. We just need to be patient during the storm. Do you think so?
Hare Krishna Hiiravatii
Yes. The thing is pious people, people who believe in God, they turn to Him in times of difficulty and want. It is good because they know that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and He can do anything so if they need something they ask Him for it. Krishna describes them as great souls in the Bhagavad-gita. So it is not bad. But it is not the best thing.
As far as people wanting money approaching Krishna it is exactly the same as people in distress approaching Krishna. The idea is that a pious person who believes in God, when the need something, when they want something, they will ask God for it. So if they are in distress and they want relief from that they ask God, if they are in financial difficulties and need money, they ask God for it.
Krishna does accept this and sometimes He does what the devotee asks and sometimes He doesn’t. He is independent. He does what He wants to do.
Like you say the devotee’s mood is that he knows ultimately Krishna is in control of everything and he knows also Krishna is in his heart and is completely aware of what he needs and there is no need for him to ask Krishna for these things. Krishna already knows what he wants and what he needs. So he simply depends on Krishna’s decision in these matters. Your prayer, “My God, please give me more strength to endure this” is nice. But even better is “My God, please give me more strength so I can be always engaged in Your service.” Our purpose is to be rendering service to Krishna. And really that is all a devotee cares about and all a devotee asks Krishna for. He wants to be always engaged in the service of Krishna and he wants also to live in the association of devotees… So this is the prayer, “My dear Lord please engage me in Your service and please allow me to live in the association of Your devotees.”
Living in the association of devotees is a little difficult at this time, but that is the desire of the devotees. To live in the association of devotees and to be always engaged in the service of Krishna. They have no other desire beyond this… Except engaging others also in serving Krishna…
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Chant
i was told that if we pray with singlemindedness we get whatever we wish.
but now you are saying that Krishna may or maynot give.pls clarify.
harekrishna
Yes. Krishna is fully independent. He does not have to give something just because we pray for it. You can not force Krishna to do anything by your prayers. He will give if He wants to and if He doesn’t want to he won’t give. Krishna sometimes does not give things to His devotees if He knows that having those things will make the devotees forget Him. Sometimes He may even take away His devotees material opulence so that the devotee has no option but surrender to Krishna. It is a very loving relationship but sometimes it may seem difficult to understand how a great devotee can be put into a lot of suffering. We have seen this in the history many times. Lord Jesus Christ was killed by his followers, not very nice. Haridas Thakur was whipped in 21 market places in an attempt to kill him. The Pandavas were forced into exile and had to live in the forest. These are all great devotees and all materially went through very difficult stages in their lives. We can not expect that in the material world things will always be very nice. There will be problems. But for a devotee these problems simply increase their love for Krishna…
The idea of praying to Krishna to try and get things from Him while not bad is not the best thing to be doing. This is trying to get Krishna to serve us. The mood of the pure devotee is the exact opposite. His only prayer to Krishna is “Please engage me in Your service.” A devotee does not want to get anything from Krishna, he wants to give everything to Krishna. He does not want to take service from Krishna, he wants to give service to Krishna.
The reality is that Krishna knows our hearts, He knows what we need, He knows what we want. We do not have to ask Krishna for anything, He already knows everything. Rather our business is to reestablish our loving relationship with Him by serving Him. And to know how to serve Krishna we need to get the instructions from His pure devotee.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
HARE KRISHNA,
REALLY A WONDERFUL ARTICLE U HAVE SENT ME .I AM REALLY FINDING THE WAY TO TACKLE MINOR AND MAJOR PROBLEMS .RELATING THINGS WITH KRISHNA FEELS GREAT AND SAFE.
THANK YOU AND CONTINUE SENDING ME FABULOUS ARTICLES.
HARE KRISHNA .
Hare Krishna Prabhu ji,
Firstly I really liked the article, I regularly chant and when I get time, I try to read literature too. But unfortunately , I have no means of obtaining association here. Thats because firstly people speak a different language here and even if I could visit temple its very far off, and the work I do leaves no time. Krishna says (in karamyoga) that to do karma as assigned to each individual is his duty and if he does it without thinking of effects, Its greatest service to me. If I avoid work, I feel guilty and beyond this. There are a lot of difficulties serving krishna without association, I mean no matter how hard we try at some point we end up committing mistakes and I feel there is no forgiveness for the same. I am sure you understand what I mean to imply. Do you have a suggestion?
Hare krishna!
Hare Krishna Prasant
You have association. Srila Prabhupada is living in his books. Read them and take advantage of his association.
There is no material impediment for advancing in Krishna consciousness. You can do it anywhere.
We all make excuses why it is difficult for us to make advancement in Krishna consciousness. But there are no excuses. Krishna has made it so easy for us in Kali-yuga, simply chant Hare Krishna. So we should do that. Chant Hare Krishna at least 16 rounds daily and follow the four regulative principles and read Srila Prabhuipada’s books and inspite of all our falldowns and difficulties we will be successful in the end.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
My dear Prabhu,
All glories to Srila Prabhupad all glories to Sri Krsna.
The whole is like CHEWING THE CHEWED.The conditioned souls do not know that all they search for can not be found from where they are looking.Krsna ,also known as Rama is the reservoir all happiness.Therefore by constantly chanting his holy name and engaging our existence in his service is the way to the pleasure all living beings are searching for.
If the strip of sugar cane is chewed already by a person or the sun,then any one chewing that same strip gets nothing.Wealth,inquisitiveness,and distress when achieved or eradicated does not bring one to surrender.Although its good having money,remedising situations and inquiring,but that is not how one get God.Knowledge however,enable one to get convince of krsna’s position and our our position before Him.And so he searching for knowledge is the one Krsna avail Himself to and altimately get back home back to Godhead.
Hare Krsna.
HARE KRISHNA
Namasthe Madhuvida das,
Your article conveyed the essence of sprituality.
I feel that we will be made to help each other once we are into spirituality.As by giving only we receive.When we are in the mode of spirituality we all form a web.ONE person’s wishes will be fulfilled by the OTHER,,,jai Jagannath
what a nice article. You are right . We are like fish out of water and whenever i chant krishna all my despair vanishes. thanks a lot for the nice article.
s.balaji
i also support this, its very true, whenever i chant hare krishna i feel i m happy. i m trying to improve myself more in krishna conciousness, hare krishna
I recently “lived” making the best of a bad situation. I was taken in an ambulance, chanting “Hare Krishna” to the emergency room last week after heaving black liquid into the toilet. It looked like a murder had been committed it was so messy there. I stayed in the hospital for two nights and was diagnosed with esophageal ulcers. I must change my diet and lifestyle and deal with stress better. You don’t know how USELESS MATERIAL LIFE IS until you are waiting for a nurse to clean your bottom after a mess is made. And this happens every hour. You really have an opportunity to think about things JUST LYING THERE. I chanted and Krishna was on my mind all of the time. It’s up to me to make a difference in my life now. As George Harrison says in THIS IS LOVE, “SINCE OUR PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN OF OUR OWN CREATION, THEY ALSO CAN BE OVERCOME, WHEN WE USE THE POWER PROVIDED, FREE TO EVERYONE, THIS IS LOVE.”
Reading this article again, it has a different meaning at this moment. George Harrison said, when I’m not with you, I’m like a fish on the sand… out of place and not with Krishna. He always spoke of the Gita in ways we didn’t realize, but it was right there and so easy when we thought of it. In It don’t come easy, George wrote with Ringo, I don’t ask for much, I only want your trust. Didn’t want much, didn’t need much, –no material things, just Krishna’s trust. not bad at all. What’s beautiful about George is, just about any song he wrote is a stanza about the Bhagavad Gita.