Inquiries into the Absolute: Digest 26

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Digest 26, February 28 2002

 

Answers by His Holiness Romapada Swami Maharaja

 

Spiritual advancement

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Q.1) What does the term self-realization mean? Does it refer to the

understanding that we are not these bodies or the understanding that we are

servants and our prime most duty is to serve Krishna?

 

Answer:

Both! To understand that we are not these bodies is the first lesson in

spiritual life. But who are we? Definition by negation is insufficient. The

next lesson then is to understand that we are eternal spirit souls, but that

knowledge is also incomplete without further understanding the nature and the

activities of the spirit soul in its original state.

 

The soul is not inert; rather his activity in the pure state is service to God

and, resulting from his intimate relationship and loving exchanges in service

to the Lord, he is full of transcendental bliss. When all of one's activities

are actually above bodily consciousness and on the platform of spirit, beyond

theoretical acceptance, i.e. in a mood of service to Krishna - that is

self-realization! Self realization is concurrent with God-realization just as

someone coming from darkness into the presence of sunlight is simultaneously

able to see the source of light as well as one's own self. See SB 1.2.21:

"seeing the self as master".

 

 

Q.2) In Digest 17 you spoke about the duties of a wife (as an explanation of

the answer given by Yudhishthira to Dharmaraja). Could you elaborate on the

duties of a husband?

 

Answer:

In the Vedic picture, the relationship of the husband to the wife is similar to

that of the spiritual master to his disciple. In other words, the ultimate duty

of the husband is to set the example and provide spiritual leadership to his

wife, and make necessary arrangements so that she will be delivered from the

material world. It is a Vedic injunction that one should not become a spiritual

master, husband or father if one is not capable of delivering one's dependents.

Therefore, the husband has to first of all qualify himself to provide such

shelter. Even if the husband may not be a pure devotee himself, by his full

surrender to the instructions and service

of his spiritual master, he can extend that same shelter to his wife.

 

In addition to spiritual shelter, it is the duty of the husband to give

protection to the wife, and this is also naturally accomplished by his own

engagement in his occupational duties under the guidance of the spiritual

master, and by providing the wife with fruitful engagement in service to Guru

and Krishna, such as worshiping Deities, attending to guests, etc.

 

 

Modes of material nature

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Q.3) Why do people often get frustrated with life?

 

Answer:

A fish out of water will get frustrated if it tries to find shelter in anything

other than a body of water. Similarly, we are eternal but we are in the alien

atmosphere of this material world, hankering to find happiness in temporary

things or temporary relationships. And sure enough, we become frustrated sooner

or later, irrespective of whether we succeed or fail to obtain the object of

our desire. Our natural position is in the eternal spiritual world in relation

with the Personality of Godhead and His devotees - in that position there is no

hankering, lamentation or frustration.

 

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----- Festivals over the next week ------

Mar 03 2002, Sunday Appearance Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura

(Fast)

Disappearance Sri Purusottama Das Thakura

Disappearance Srila Gour Govinda Swami

(Fasting till noon)

 

*** NOTE: All times are for Washington D.C, USA, EST ***

For festival information for your city please go to http://www.iskcondc.org and

click on 'Calendar'

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