Inquiries into the Absolute, Digest 5

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Hare Krishna !!

 

Digest 5, May 17, 2001

 

Please send your questions to mail. Questions of general

interest will be posted in the digest for the benefit of others. Specific

questions will be answered individually.

 

Answers by His Holiness Romapada Swami Maharaja

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Q 5.1) In spite of Srila Prabhupada writing so many books, why are there

differences of opinions in ISKCON regarding his teachings?

 

Answer

Differences in details will always exist because we are all individuals

and our philosophy acknowledges the scope for such differences, because

ours is a personalist philosophy. Differences in principles, however,

occur when one is not strictly submissive to the previous acaryas.

 

Questions on pastimes

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Q 5.2) I heard that Lord Sri Krishna used to worship his own deity. Is it

true? If so why not Radha Krishna dieties?

 

Answer

It is mentioned in the Bhagavatam that during His Dvaraka pastimes,

Krishna used to ‘meditate’ upon Himself everyday. And when we speak of

Krishna we should understand that He is always situated along with His

internal potency, Srimati Radharani, and is never separated.

 

Q 5.3) I humbly ask why was the snake weapon allowed to 'capture' Sri Rama

and why

was the weapon of Ravana’s son allowed to 'knock-out' Laskmana?

 

Answer

This is just part of the Lord’s pastimes. When the Supreme Lord appears to

fight with His so-called enemies, He is actually enjoying His lila, just

as a father might take pleasure in a mock-wrestling with his child, and

allow himself to be defeated by the child. The example is also given that

just as Garuda sometimes plays with a snake that he is about to defeat,

the Lord playfully appears to be struck by His enemies or lets go of them,

but He eventually defeats them. In all cases, the Lord is the Supreme

Controller, and nothing can overpower Him…unless He allows Himself to be

overpowered, to facilitate His sporting pastimes.

 

Potency of chanting

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Q 5.4) It is said that even demigods pray to take birth on earth in this

age, to avail themselves of the benediction found within the current

Golden period within Kali Yuga. [Editor’s NOTE: This ‘Golden Period’ in

Kali Yuga is due to the sankirtana movement of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.]

If they know that this is the best opportunity, then why do they not have

tried the same process in their planet? Is it that the life being shorter

here they can quickly go back home?

 

Answer

The process given by Lord Caitanya is so simple and sublime and His mercy

is so freely available in this Kali yuga here on Earth where He

appeared to perform His pastimes in this universe that even demigods try

to take advantage of this rare opportunity. In addition, it is considered

to be very difficult to achieve spiritual perfection by absorbing one’s

mind in Krishna consciousness in the heavenly planets, because there is so

much opportunity for sense pleasures.

 

Q 5.5) `OM' is chanted in Vedic sacrifices. What does the term refer to?

Are all religious sacrifices performed for Lord Vishnu first?

 

Answer

The ‘om’ or omkara is a sound representation of the Supreme Lord,

specifically His Brahman feature. It is an address to the Supreme Lord.

Yes, the ultimate enjoyer of all sacrifices is Lord Krishna, or Lord

Vishnu, and this is confirmed throughout the Vedas. For instance, in the

Rg Vedas it is mentioned, Om tad visnoh paramam padam (Rg Veda 1.22.20).

 

Questions on duty:

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Q 5.6) As per the Bhagavad-gita sloka 4.8 "paritranaya sadhunam, vinasaya

ca duskrtam.." the Godhead commits Himself to come to the world for

performing His duties. This being the case, how we can aspire for a

condition of no birth? Hence, for us too, birth is certain, and

consequently sufferings and worldly pleasures are equally certain. Bondage

to this world is unavoidable and permanent. As Godhead has a larger duty

to perform, each and every soul has duties assigned to them for which they

have to take birth. This makes it clear that our prayer can only be for

the support of Godhead in doing our duties (dharma) correctly and

effectively. Is this not correct?

 

Answer

There are several assumptions you have made, which need to be addressed.

First, when Krishna appears, He comes of His own will, not out of

obligation to perform some duty. His duties are not obligatory, like ours

are for us. He states this directly in Bhagavad-gita.

 

It is true that the Lord has created the material world and declares that

He will come again and again to establish peace. However, the Lord also

describes His abode as lying beyond this material creation; He confirms

that the spiritual world is the highest destination for the conditioned

soul. Krishna also promises that those who go there do not have to come

back to this material region. (Cf. Bg 15.6; Bg 8.15,16). The material

world exists, and we are temporarily within it. But the soul is not bound

here; he actually belongs in the spiritual region.

 

A simple analogy is that the State maintains a prison, and the head of the

State may visit the prison from time to time for the benefit of the

prisoners, but that does not mean that the head of State has become a

prisoner by his entering into the prison house; rather, if the common

prisoner manages to rectify his consciousness and become a reformed

individual, and if he becomes an obedient citizen, on the request of the

head of State he may be set freed.

 

While in this world, we have act within the Lord’s plan for us, i.e. we

must fulfill our God-given duties. But our higher duty is to heed to

Krishna’s call, which is to go back to His eternal abode, on the strength

of His mercy and our unalloyed devotion to Him.

 

 

NOTE: In the following questions several have overlapping points. In

answering a question, I have not repeated points already explained in

previous questions of that section.

 

Q 5.7) I need little more illustration on the following: "Dharme Rakshita

Rakshitaha" – which means “If you protect Dharma it will protect you”.

What is Dharma in this materialistic world for a family man? Is it to not

cheat others, to speak truth, to not harm others (manasa, vacha, karmana)?

 

"Service to people is service to God": Does this mean to not be

self-centered in this life? If you are fortunate to have material benefits

in this world, are you to share a little for the sake of others who are

less fortunate, have concern for fellow human beings, etc. After all we

are children of the same God. Is this is act of Dharma?

 

Answer

The Sanskrit word ‘dharma’ refers to one’s constitutional nature or

occupation. For example, we can say that the ‘dharma’ of fire is heat and

light. Similarly, the dharma of soul is to serve. This service has to be

directed to the Supreme Lord, and anything that furthers the development

of that pure service has to be taken up as our duty. (Cf. Bhag 2.6) As

part of that duty we may try to serve others, family and society, to help

them also in executing their ultimate dharma of progressing spiritually.

So, a partial answer to your question is, “Yes, the items you have

mentioned are all parts of dharma.”

 

Please note, however, that Srimad Bhagavatam indicates that these duties

are unfortunately wastes of labor if the performer of duties does not

awaken an attraction for hearing topics of the Supreme Personality of

Godhead. In other words, this attainment is the actual intended goal of

all sacrifices, charity, duties, good works, etc.

 

Q 5.8) I have been trying to understand the purpose of our life, what is

our duty in this world including fulfilling the family obligations.

 

Answer

The purpose of this human life is to understand that we are not this body,

but we are spiritual by nature and eternal servants of the Supreme Lord.

By understanding this, we have to revive our lost loving relationship with

God. And our duty is simply to do those activities that will help this

realization and revive our love for God, as mentioned in the scriptures.

Hearing and chanting about the Supreme Lord are the best ways by which we

can achieve this. Other duties are not contradictory or independent but

simply subsidiary to this prime duty.

 

Q 5.9) In family life, one has to look after wife, children, earn

sufficient money for their better education, health, and comfort. One has

to look after parents in their old age. We cannot just forget this

materialistic life. As a head of a family one has to fulfill many of these

duties at his best.

 

Answer

Amongst these and many other obligations we have, the supreme obligation

is to our Supreme Father, Who is the actual maintainer of all of us. By

fulfilling that obligation, all others are fulfilled, just as by watering

the root of the tree, one takes care of the whole tree.

 

Q 5.10) How can I solve this dilemma? I have surrendered completely to

Lord Krishna, but I am a human being, also. I need to do something for my

family and friends. But these services take me away from the Krishna.

 

Answer

The secret is to keep Krishna in the center of one’s life and dovetail all

other duties in the fulfillment of that primary service. One must act

responsibly in taking care of the need of family and friends ultimately

for the sake of assisting them and ones own self in achieving the goal of

life. If we keep this in clear focus, then being with family and friends

need not take us away from Krishna or His teachings. Arjuna was also a

family man, and had the responsibility of ruling the whole world!

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Brief biography of His Holiness Romapada Swami available at :

http://www.iskcondc.org/biography/romapada_swami.html

 

 

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May 18 2001, Friday Ekadasi Apara (Break fast 05:46-09:41 USA EST)

May 19 2001, Saturday Appearance Srila Vrndavana Dasa Thakura

 

 

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