Devotees and truthfulness

[Guest guest]

Dear Devotees,

Hare Krishna!

One of the quality of devotees is the truthfulness. I have a

questions about the practical implementations of it in our life.

 

If we are not very truthful in performing our material acitivities

and in the end, we surrender some fruits of our activites to

Krishna. Will that be acceptable to Krsna?

Can we take the help of untruthfulness while performing devotional

service if required.

 

One of the Iskcon temple in India asked one of my devotee friend to

bring some electronic component from USA, and advised him to bribe

the customs to avoid the high import duty. They told that they want

to save the temple's money by doing so. How should we see this act

with respect to our scriptures?

 

- sdas

[Guest guest]

achintya, hemantag@a... wrote:

 

> One of the Iskcon temple in India asked one of my devotee friend to

> bring some electronic component from USA, and advised him to bribe

> the customs to avoid the high import duty. They told that they want

> to save the temple's money by doing so. How should we see this act

> with respect to our scriptures?

 

There is a danger in considering ourselves above the rules and

regulation of ordinary material life. While it may be true of those

who are on the paramahamsa level of devotional service, we shouldn't

falsely assume it means just anyone practicing saadhana bhakti.

 

For one thing, if nondevotees see us being less than honest, they

will not understand the basis of it and it will reflect badly on our

guru and our spiritual lineage.

[Guest guest]

Dear Prabhu

 

Just before reading your mail I was reading Vaisnava Etiquette by HH Bhakti

Charu Swami. Here Maharaja has quoted from Srila Prabhupada's letters to

disciples. I had just the read the following when your mail popped up as

well. I think you may get your answer after reading this.

your servant

shashika

 

SP Letter to Satsvarupa (8/19/69)

"Anyway, do things in good sense, without any disturbance. We have to

make progress very soberly, and I am always at your service whenever

required." [Therefore a serious devotee is always ready to take guidance

from superior/other Vaisnavas to understand the proper way of acting.]

 

"But we should never steal anything like money, food, water, gasoline,

etc., just to enhance our service to Krsna. That is too much dangerous,

and if we are caught then all our work is finished. Just like in India

recently, this Balyogi Guru Maharaji was detected by the customs

authorities attempting to smuggle some small items into India. By this

one tiny incident his entire effort for preaching - even he is rascal

Number One and his preaching is nonsense, even so the example is there -

his work is ruined now and he is practically finished, as the government

will not grant him a passport to leave India. So we shall always be

careful to avoid any kind of jeopardizing our high standing in the

society by some foolish and small act of illegal stealing." <Source N/A>

"Act in such a way that they will see we are of ideal character." -

[Guest guest]

On Fri, 21 Sep 2001 hemantag wrote:

> One of the quality of devotees is the truthfulness. I have a

> questions about the practical implementations of it in our life.

> If we are not very truthful in performing our material acitivities

> and in the end, we surrender some fruits of our activites to

> Krishna. Will that be acceptable to Krsna?

> Can we take the help of untruthfulness while performing devotional

> service if required.

Sometimes--not usually--there have been examples of pure devotees,

and even acaryas, who acted above this religious principle; but such

exceptions should not become the rule, especially among those of us who

aren't generally considered to be exceptional devotees.

 

 

 

> One of the Iskcon temple in India asked one of my devotee friend to

> bring some electronic component from USA, and advised him to bribe

> the customs to avoid the high import duty. They told that they want

> to save the temple's money by doing so. How should we see this act

> with respect to our scriptures?

As if fortuitously, on yesterday's Gita verse (2.14), Srila

Prabhupada comments:

"One has to follow the prescribed rules and regulations of

religious principles in order to rise up to the platform of knowledge,

because by knowledge and devotion only can one liberate himself from the

clutches of maya (illusion)."

I hope this is helpful.

 

MDd

[Guest guest]

> > One of the quality of devotees is the truthfulness. I have a

> > questions about the practical implementations of it in our life.

> > If we are not very truthful in performing our material

acitivities

> > and in the end, we surrender some fruits of our activites to

> > Krishna. Will that be acceptable to Krsna?

> > Can we take the help of untruthfulness while performing

devotional

> > service if required.

 

It depends on the heart's desire. If our heart is free from any hint

of material motivation we may use everything in Krsna's service. Even

untruthfulness maybe required by Krsna. Yudisthir Maharaj considered

mundane morality beyond Krsna's order, and Krsna had to use a trick to

achieve his desired result because of Yudhistir's noncooperation.

We live in the world governed by the demons who just collect taxes and

duties without giving proper protection to the citizens and to the

brahmanas. So it may appear that we are allowed to avoid such demoniac

laws. But in Krsna book it is described how Nanda Maharaj went to the

city to pay taxes for the government of great demon Kamsa. The same

oppulance which he could use in Krsna's direct service he paid to the

demon as a tax because such was a law.

 

If something is needed to perform Krsna's order and service we may

take it by any means. But if we use it somehow even a little for our

sense gratification, then we are subject to the law of karma.

Everything deends on the heart's desire.

 

haribol

Dvarkadhis das