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Experiencing Krishna

• Subject: Experiencing Krishna
• From: Brad S
• Date: Wed Jan 24 12:29:37 1996
• Message-Id: id716

Dear Brad



Hello, Hare Krishna!

>

> on the absolute platform

>>there is nothing except Krishna and Krishna's energies.

>Does this mean that I am Krishna?  What is the separation?



NO... Krishna is the whole, we are tiny parts, but we are qualitatively equal.

Just as a drop of sea water is salty and has the same qualities as the entire

ocean. But the drop can never be the ocean. This analogy is also used by the

impersonalists -- they say we "merge" or "become one with the cosmic

consciousness", etc... But no. We are eternally individual persons and Krishna is

also eternally a person. We never merge or "become one" with Krishna. It is

possible to enter the spiritual effulgence but we remain individuals, we don't

loose our individuality at any time. The example is given of a green bird entering

into a green tree, it doesn't merge actually. It just sits on the branches of the

tree and appears like it has become one with the tree. But then some time later it

flys away again...



We are not separate from Krishna either.. Nothing is separate form Krishna. It is

a little subtle and you can understand more by reading the Bhagavad-gita As It Is

and the other books by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.



>

>>If you have a mirror that is covered with heaps of dirt you have to clean it

>>before you can see yourself.

>The Christians also have names of God and they are also

>>chanting and glorifying. So it is effective also, however, the Hare Krishna

>>maha-mantra is envested with special potency and it is specially recommended

>>for this age.

>Who envested the chant with special potency?  Which names of God may I chant

>as a Christian that would be edifying?



Krishna appears in each age to give the "Yuga-dharma" or the religious principles

specially suited to that age. There are four ages: Satya-yuga, the golden age, the

method recommended is meditational yoga; Tretya-yuga, the method is performing

great sacrifices for the pleasure of God; Dvarpa-yuga, the method is very opulent

worship of God in the temples and now in Kali-yuga Hari-Nama, the chanting of the

names of God is recommended:



"The sixteen words of the Hare Krishna mantra are especially meant for

counteracting the sins of the age of Kali. To save onself from the contamination

of this age there is no alternative but to chant the Hare Krishna mantra. After

searching through all the Vedic literatures one cannot find a method of religion

so sublime as the chanting of Hare Krishna." (from Kali-Santarana Upanasid)



"In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy, the only means of deliverance is the

chanting of the Holy Names of the Lord. There is no other way. There is no other

way. There is no other way." (Brhad-naradiya Purana 3.8.126)



There are many, many quotations in the Vedic scriptures to support this and even

in the Bible you find the "word" or the name of God is being glorified. The Lord's

prayer says "Hallowed be thy name..", but I am not an expert on the Christian

names of God.



It's not that someone "invested" the Hare Krishna mantra with special potency. It

is potent always. In all ages there have been people chanting Hare Krishna, but it

was also possible to advance using the other methods [yoga, sacrifice and temple

worship] but now, in the Kali-yuga, things are very degraded. To practice yoga one

has to make the mind peaceful -- that is very difficult now. To perform great

sacrifices you need heaps of gold, tons of food-grains and ghee [clarified

butter].. but today there is no gold, no ghee... There are also no qualified

priests to perform the sacrifices... And temple worship also is very difficult. It

is very costly and difficult to perform according to the strict regulations as

well. But, although generally speaking this age is very difficult for spiritual

life, there is one great boon:



             kaler dosa-nidhe rajan asti hy eko mahan gunah

             kirtanad eva krsnasya mukta-sangah param vrajet



"My dear King, although Kali-yuga is an ocean of faults, there is still one good

quality about this age; simply by chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra one can

become free from material bondage and be promoted to the spiritual kingdom."



>>

>

>> 1. No illicit sex life [sex is for having children within religous marriage]

>> 2. No intoxication [alcohol, etc including even tea and coffee]

>> 3. No meat eating

>> 4. No gambling

>>I need to give up coffee, tea, and meat, which I am in the process of

>doing.  I have been conditioned to eat meat but I am realizing that it is

>wrong.  I would be interested in vegetarian infirmation, too.



There's plenty of Vegetarian information on the 'net. But I don't have very good

access to that at the moment. I have a little bit on my home page at:



    /~balarama/vegetarn.html

>



>

>>"If there's a God, I want to see Him. It's pointless to believe in something

>>without proof, and Krishna consciousness and meditation are methods where

>>you can actually obtain GOD perception. You can actually see God, and hear

>>Him, play with Him. It might sound crazy, but He is actually there, actually

>>with you." (George Harrison)

>I am a big fan of George Harrison.  Have you ever met him?  Is he a true

>practicer of this religion?



George Harrison was attracted to Srila Prabhupada right from the beginning of his

preaching in the West. Prabhupada arrived in the US at Boston by boat in 1965 and

in 1966 [I think} he recorded a single with the Hare Krishna mantra on one side

and "Prayers to the Spiritual Master" on the other. It was quite popular and was

in the charts also. So George Harrison got this record and was playing it all the

time. About 1967-68 Srila Prabhupada sent some devotees to London to start a

temple there. So they were looking to preach to the Beetles as well... Anyhow they

met and the devotees moved to John Lennon's mansion and they converted a room

there to a temple and when Srila Prabhupada first came to London he stayed at John

Lennons place...



Later George purchased a big manor house [It had been used for making horror films

before...] for Srila Prabhupada. The devotees converted it into a very beautiful

temple and named it Bhaktivedanta Manor it's still the temple of Sri Sri Radha

Gokulananda. I spent my first few months as a devotee there after joining the Hare

Krishna's. Then George paid for the entire printing cost for the first printing of

Krsna Book. That is where this quote comes from, Srila Prabhupada asked him to

write a forward for Krsna Book.



I have never met George and I don't know what his current views are in regard to

the movement. He is a devotee, there is no question about that, but things have

changed in the Hare Krishna movement somewhat since Srila Prabhupada left our

mundane vision in 1977 so I don't know what George thinks of it now... But he has

faith in Srila Prabhupada, he believes in Krishna...



I have been meaning to put something on my home page about George, John Lennon and

their connection with Krishna consciousness. I will try and type it in later on

today and send it to you be email...



The main thing for you now it to get some of Srila Prabhupada's books and read

them. that way you will be able to understand the philosophy.



Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!



Madhudvisa dasa

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