Inquiries into the Absolute: Digest 32

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Digest 32, April 25, 2002

 

Answers by His Holiness Romapada Swami Maharaja

 

Note: We are pleased to announce that devotees can now take daily darshana of

the Deities at ISKCON, Potomac on our website http://www.iskcondc.org. Please

click on "Daily Deity Darshana" under "Whats New" on the left side of the

screen.

 

Devotional service

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Q.1) I have heard that in Krishna consciousness it is bad to be in contact with

non-devotees. But I am a student who stays in a hostel. So what can I do to

avoid contamination of mind when I have to live with non-devotees even though I

am an initiated devotee.

 

Answer:

Giving up 'bad association' is very much emphasized in Vaishnava teachings. But

just coming in contact with non-devotees is not considered to be 'bad'.

Intimate association is what is detrimental to one's bhakti. This means

cultivating deep friendships or exchanges or extensive interaction more than

essential with those who are too materialistic or disinclined towards Krishna

consciousness.

 

It can certainly be very challenging to practice Krishna consciousness while

living in the midst of non-devotees. However, if you keep your Krishna

conscious practices and sadhana strong (such as rising early, chanting

attentively, studying Prabhupada's books, offering your food to Krishna---this

item is VERY important!), and if in all of your dealings with others you try to

maintain a mood of service to guru and Krishna, then you will find an amazing

potency of protection; this attentive acts will go a long way to protecting you

from material contamination. By Krishna's mercy you may find some other

students who are favorable to Krishna consciousness or show some appreciation

for a devotional way of life. If Krishna arranges this, such a circumstance can

be a wonderful opportunity for you to bring Krishna into their lives and thus

gradually creating for yourself the association of like-minded devotees with

whom you can share your devotional life.

 

Spiritual Master

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Q.2) Where can I find a list of disciplic succession starting from Krishna

down? I know that we have to have a spiritual master in the disciplic

succession, so I want to know who and where does the disciplic succession

start?

 

Answer:

The disciplic succession from the Brahma-Gaudiya sampradaya is listed in the

beginning of Bhagavad-gita As It Is by Srila Prabhupada. There are four bona

fide disciplic successions which all originate from the Supreme Lord Krishna,

then coming respectively through Lord Brahma, Lakshmi-devi, Lord Shiva and the

Kumaras. The principal acaryas who strongly reestablished these four lines in

recent times were Madhvacarya, Ramanujacarya, Vishnu Swami and Nimbarkacarya.

Lord Caitanya took initiation in the Brahma-Madhva-sampradaya, and thus the

disciplic succession following Lord Caitanya and His associates is called

Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya sampradaya.

 

Modes of material nature - Sinful reactions

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Q.3) In your last mailing, you mentioned that bad thoughts and actions were the

results of seeds of sinful activities committed in past lives. Could you please

explain how to overcome them?

 

Answer:

Sinful activities implicate one with various types of gross and subtle effects.

The gross effects are the distresses one is suffering from or due to suffer in

the near future. But there are subtle effects of committing sin, which leave

sinful impressions that are stored in the heart like seeds, and manifest as bad

thoughts or sinful desires that impel one in further sinful actions. These

subtle reactions or impressions in the heart can only be overcome by achieving

Krishna consciousness.

 

Many methods recommended in the scriptures, such as performance of sacrifice or

charity to counteract resultant suffering of sin, or austerities and penance to

curb one's acting in sinful ways, give but a temporary relief. Technically,

one's prarabdha karma, or 'effects of our past sins for which we are presently

suffering', are mitigated by these religious and scripturally prescribed

high-grade activities. After some time, however, one is sure to again be pushed

by the seed-like dormant sinful tendencies lying in the heart. This effect of

this subtle seed of dormant tendancy leads to an endless cycle of sinning and

atonement.

 

But devotional service to Lord Krishna is so powerful that it can completely

uproot even traces of tendencies for sin and all the other reactions of

previous sinful life. Krishna Himself helps His devotee in this regard by

taking away all of one's past karma and by cleansing the heart of the devotee

(Cf. Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 1, Relief from Material Distress; S.Bhagavatam

6.1.13-15; 1.2.17)

 

 

Q.4) What is kama, krodha, lobha, madha? What should one, who is too kami

(lustful), do to get rid of all those sins? How can one be purified after of

all the sins accrued by just living in this world and family life? In

Bhagavad-Gita Krishna says "come to Me and I will release you from all sins."

How do we do this? By chanting or is there some other way?

 

Answer:

There are six bad qualities which are considered to be the enemies of a living

entity, of which you have mentioned four (lust, anger, greed, madness

respectively), the other two being illusion and jealousy. All of these arise

primarily from misue of free will, ie. turning our attention away from

attending to Krishna's happiness; this results in abhinivesa, or our pervasive

penchant to enjoy material sense objects. The process of purification is

exactly as you have quoted - surrendering to Krishna and rendering pure

devotional service. (Please refer to above answer.)

 

Even while living in this material world, while engaged in one's respective

occupational and social duties, "becoming released from our sins" can be

accomplished by dedicating all of our activities and duties in service to

Krishna and in a spirit of detachment from the results. As we have discussed

before, Arjuna was also a king with "worldly" responsibilities. Like Arjuna,

the primary focus, while going through our duties in the material world, should

however be the cultivation of a service mood towards Krishna and His devotees,

nourished by our daily direct devotional activities. There are nine forms of

devotional service which we have discussed previously. Chanting is most

certainly very essential and most effective in this age. Another very

important item is to hear and discuss topics related to Krishna in the

association of devotees.

 

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

Apr 26 2002, Friday Appearance Sri Vamsivadana Thakura

Appearance Sri Syamananda Prabhu

Sri Balarama Rasayatra

Sri Krsna Vasanta Rasa

 

*** 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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** A brief biography of His Holiness Romapada Swami available at

:http://www.prastha.com/cgi-bin/uncgi/renderphilo.pl?ndx=2

** This and all previous digests are available on the internet, sorted by

topics and date. **

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into the Absolute

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to you website:

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