2 queries

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Here are 2 queries that were sent to me, that achintya-ites may like to

address.

 

 

> Question 1

 

It is known that Srila Prabhupada does not accept the

idea of overpopulation of the Earth. How can we

understand the following purport?:

 

A gåhamedhé is one who wants to remain within this

material existence. This means that he wants to remain

within this body or society and enjoy friendship, love

and community. His only enjoyment is in increasing the

number of sex enjoyers. He enjoys sex and produces

children, who in their turn marry and produce

grandchildren. The grandchildren also marry and in

their turn produce great-grandchildren. In this way

the entire earth becomes overpopulated, and then

suddenly there are reactions provoked by material

nature in the form of war, famine, pestilence and

earthquakes, etc. Thus the entire population is again

extinguished simply to be re-created. This process is

explained in Bhagavad-gétä (8.19) as repeated creation

and annihilation: bhütvä bhütvä praléyate. Due to a

lack of Kåñëa consciousness, all this creation and

annihilation is going on under the name of human

civilization.

(S.B.4.27.9, purp.)

 

 

 

> Question 2

 

Did Krsna personally think of everyone of us before

distributing His mercy in the form of an opportunity

to be engaged in bhakti? Or His mercy completely

follows the mercy of His devotee-preacher? There is no

doubt that it is Krsna’s personal interest to bring

everyone back to Godhead. But the doubt is what comes

first: Lord’s specific desire to deliver the

particular jiva (and the Lord arranges for a preacher

to approach that soul), or it is preacher’s desire

which causes all the arrangement for deliverance. This

question is an attempt to reconcile the following

statements:

 

1) emona durmati, saàsära bhitore,

poòiyä ächinu ämi

tava nija-jana, kono mahäjane,

päöhäiyä dile tumi

O Lord! With such a wicked mind as this I have fallen

into the material world, but You have sent one of Your

pure and elevated devotees to rescue me.

(Saranagati, Dainya, 7)

 

2) The theory of chance can best be explained in the

Vedic literature by the words ajïäta-sukåti, which

refer to pious activities performed without the

actor's knowledge. But these are also planned. For

example, Kåñëa comes like an ordinary human being, He

comes as a devotee like Lord Caitanya, or He sends His

representative, the spiritual master, or pure devotee.

This is also the planned activity of the Supreme

Personality of Godhead. They come to canvass and

educate, and thus a person in the illusory energy of

the Supreme Lord gets a chance to mix with them

(S.B.4.21.27, purp.)

 

3) On the other hand, if we agree that bhakti

impregnates the devotee's heart as a result of Kåñëa's

causeless mercy, then understanding this become

easier. Yet one may raise the question as to why the

Lord's mercy often seen to be unequally dispensed. Is

the Supreme Lord guilty partiality? If the Lord's

grace is causeless then He must shower it everywhere

without consideration, but it is seen that His mercy

is not freely given to all. Should we blame Kåñëa for

being biased, or even unfair?... The truth is that the

Supreme Lord is subservient to His devotee's wishes;

therefore He emulates His devotee in disbursing mercy.

Based on this fact it is easy to see that if the

madhyam devotee is merciful to someone the Lord

automatically showers His mercy on that recipient This

conclusion is sound in all respects.

(from Madhurya Kadambini)