Mail Archive

Can we know what we were in the past?

• Subject: Can we know what we were in the past?
• From: Cristian S
• Date: Sat Mar 02 18:27:46 1996
• Message-Id: id771

Dear Cristian



Hello. Hare Krishna. Thanks for writing. I am sorry I havn't answered you 

immediately.



You have asked about finding out what we were in our past lives, and although 

there are ways of finding this out, it is not very important to understand what 

we were in the past. Being in this material world is like drowning in the 

middle of the ocean... Such a drowning man may spend time and energy on trying 

to understand how he got into that position... but there's not much benefit 

really... He would be far better to use his energy to try and get out of the 

ocean...



Of course he is helpless. What can he do by himself? It is thousands of miles 

to the nearest land. So he needs someone's help. But if he finds someone else, 

also drowning in the ocean, even though the other person may have all good 

intentions, what can he do to help? He is also drowning in the ocean. So one 

needs someone who is transcendental to the ocean, above the ocean, liberated 

from the ocean. So if such a person comes along in a boat or a helicopter then 

the drowning man can be saved. There is a very nice prayer in this regard which 

we sing every morning. 



"The spiritual master is receiving benediction from the ocean of mercy. Just as 

a cloud pours water on a forest fire to extinguish it, so the spiritual master 

delivers the materially afflicted world by extinguishing the blazing fire of 

material existence. I offer my obeisances to such a spiritual master, who is an 

ocean of auspicious qualities." (Sri Sri Gurv-astaka 1)



So here the material world is compared to a blazing forest fire. If you were in 

the middle of a blazing forest fire would you be thinking how you got in there 

and where you were yesterday?? No. You'd be thinking, "How can I get out, how 

can I save my life?" That is intelligence.



So this material world is a terrible place, a place of suffering, and our 

business is to get out. Not to try and make a comfortable arrangement here. It 

is not possible. We want to remain young -- but we are forced to get old, we 

want to be healthy and strong -- but we are forced to get sick and to become 

old and invalid, and ultimately there is death. We have to leave everythig we 

have worked so hard for here in the material world. Leave our family, leave our 

friends, leave our money, leave any fame or reputation we may have achieved in 

this life. At death all these things we have spent our valuable human life 

trying to achieve are finished at the moment of death.



"You should understand this essential fact: Life is temporary and filled with 

various kinds of miseries. Therefore carefully take shelter of the holy name 

and remain always engaged in His service as your eternal occupation." 

(Bhaktivinode Thakura)



So devotees are not so concerned with this material world, achieving fame, 

money, women, etc. they know these things are temporary and ultimately 

useless... We are trying to spend our time serving Krishna, that is our real 

business, our eternal occupation. If we reinstate ourselves in this natural 

position we will be very happy. So the process for this is very simple. If we 

just chant:



    Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare  

        Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare



that will purify our hearts. Of course it may take a little time and the 

results depend on how sincere we are. Krishna is in our hearts and He knows 

want we want. So if we want to continue suffering in this material world, 

searching after beautiful women and a big bank balance, then He will allow us 

to do that. We have a little independence. Krishna doesn't interfere with that. 

But He does appear within this world and send His devotees also to give us a 

chance to know something of the spiritual world. That is His mercy.



You have also asked when the soul enters the new body. The soul is transferred 

from the man to the woman at the time of intercourse. The women provides the 

material for the new body from her body, but the soul, the person is not 

created by the sex life. The soul enters at an opportune moment. If there is no 

soul there can be no growth and development of the embryo. Nothing happens 

without the touch of a living entity. The scientists talk of chemicals 

combining to make life, but it is nonsense, as chemicals can not combine on 

their own. There has to be a soul, a living person to mix them.



So the time of conception is the time the soul enters the woman's womb and his 

new body then starts to develop. First it takes the form of a pea and gradually 

it grows and the different holes in the body form for the sense organs [eyes, 

ears, nose, mouth, etc] So this gradual development goes on for ten months and 

then the child is completely formed and can take birth and live independently 

from the mother. But the growth and change of the embryo proves the soul is 

there right form the beginning...



As for the demigods, there are so many of them, at least 33,000,000 of them. So 

it is impossible to please them all individually. The best thing is to please 

Krishna and if you please Krishna automatically all the demigods will be 

pleased also. Just as when one supplies water to the root of a tree or food to 

one's  stomach, the whole body or the entire tree is nourished so it is similar 

with worshipping Krishna. If you serve Krishna, if you please Krishna, because 

Krishna is the root of the entire creation -- then you will please the entire 

creation. Srila Prabhupada says that Krishna consciousness is the one switch 

that when operated can brighten everything, everywhere. It is the panacea, the 

solution of all problems. So the main thing for us is to become attached to 

chanting the Hare Krishna maha mantra:



   Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krsihna Krishna, Hare Hare

      Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare



That is required.



As for the devil, there is not actually one person called the devil, but there 

are many demonic persons, demons, and I suppose if they have a leader you could 

call him the devil... There are always demonic men and Godly men. At the moment 

the demonic men are very prominent. But that can change also. That potency is 

there in the Hare Krishna maha mantra:



"Glory to the Sri Krishna sankirtana, which cleanses the heart of all the dust 

accumulated for years and extinguishes the fire of conditional life of repeated 

birth and death. The sankirtana movement is the prime benediction for humanity 

at large because it spreads the rays of the benediction moon. It is the life of 

all transcendental knowledge, and it increases the ocean of transcendental 

bliss, and it enables us to fully taste the nectar for which we are always 

anxious.



"O my Lord, Your holy names alone can render all benediction to living beings, 

and thus You have hundreds and millions of names, like Krishna and Govinda. In 

these transcendental names you have invested all your transcendental energies. 

There are not even hard and fast rules for chanting these names. O my Lord, out 

of kindness You enable us to easily approach You by Your holy names, but I am 

so unfortunate that I have no attraction for them." (Sri Sri Siksastaka vs 1-2)



Chant Hare Krishna and be happy (that is the main thing)



Madhudvisa dasa

• Prev: The bound cannot help the bound [Fwd from Das]
• Next: Changing the Face of the Earth
• Alpha: Sudarsana Mail Archive - Alphabetical Index
• Date: Sudarsana Mail Archive - Date Index