Inquiries into the Absolute: Digest 33

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Digest 33, May 3, 2002

 

Answers by His Holiness Romapada Swami Maharaja

 

Modes of material nature - Sinful reactions

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Q.1) 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)

 

Knowledge of God

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Q.2) A friend of mine told me that he does not believe in God. His explanation

was "I don't believe in anything. I have no need. If I come across something

that I cannot explain, I accept the fact that I cannot explain it. I feel that

it is a very hard thing to do and I feel those who believe in God cannot do

that. They need some way to explain things and God is just an excuse. I believe

the ones who believe in God are so weak within that they need someone to blame

their mishaps or their wrongs upon."

 

What he told me did make an impact on me. I don't have an answer to what I

believed in but he had a reason to not believe in. I thought may be you could

give me an answer to my belief .

 

Answer:

It is the nature of the inquisitive mind to inquire. That is the special

feature and indeed the purpose, of human form of life. Animals also have

intelligence but their intelligence is exercised only for the purpose of

procuring food, and for mating and defending. However, human beings have the

capacity to inquire and understand the deeper meaning of life.

 

Is there no need to seek the deeper meaning in life? There is a great need to

do so. Here are some reasons why. If I don't know the purpose of life or why I

exist, what kind of life is that? An intelligent person naturally asks these

questions, "Where did I come from, where am I going, what is the meaning of all

the orderliness in nature I see around, who has made it, why is there

suffering?" A child may believe that a remote-controlled toy car is running by

itself, and may accept this as fact, and may have no need to inquire further,

but it is not so for a thoughtful adult.

 

Belief in God is not an excuse made up by people who didn't have any other

explanation. This is the view of anthropomorphism, the view of God as a

"creation" or "imagination" of man, conjured up by the wishful thinking of

weak-minded individuals. However, if you read some of the writings of the great

acaryas you would realize that they certainly were the opposite of weak-minded.

They were scholars of the highest caliber and also men of great character and

accomplishment. Nor were they unsuccessful people who turned to philosophy in

frustration; many of them held responsible posts in society and were very much

respected, wealthy, successful and so on. Men of such caliber have pondered

over questions of existence, cause and effect and so on and logically arrived

at the ultimate conclusion of the cause of all causes --- God.

 

It is quite possible to come to a completely atheistic or impersonalistic

conclusion through such inquiry, as so many modern philosophers and scientists

have done. However, the missing point is that they are trying to understand God

and His plans, who is beyond the perception of our mundane senses, through

their own intellectual exercises. Srila Prabhupada often ridiculed the

foolishness of this attempt with the story of a well frog trying to understand

the Atlantic ocean in terms of Dr. Frog's well - the only world he knew. The

Vedic method is that in order to understand the true picture of things, to get

the right answer to these existential questions we discussed above, one must

approach those who have already realized the truth. But acceptance of Vedic

authority is not blind sentiment, as many people think. It is very much based

on logic and the Vedas are so exactingly scientific. When one makes his/her

inquiry in the light of the intelligence of Vedic authority, then on!

e comes to the undefeatable conclusion - the cause of all causes is a

transcendental person, God, Who is the source of everything (including our

selves) and under Whose control everything moves.

 

Some unscrupulous or uninformed people might have taken advantage of this fact,

to explain away their misdeeds, because after all "without God's sanction

nothing would happen". However that is not the teaching of these acaryas; the

Vedic science very much holds one responsible for one's actions, and one's

freewill, but under the sanction of God. (Please refer to our previous

discussions on Freewill.)

 

The bhakti yoga process of devotion to God is simultaneously simple and

sublime; it is so effective that even a child can practice it, as can a great

scholar. Even those who do not have very much knowledge of theological aspects

may worship the Supreme Lord by simple acts of faith. Krishna says in BG that

unto those who do so, even if they may not have full knowledge initially, He

reveals everything to them gradually. After all, it is He who in fact gives

knowledge and faith to everyone, including to your friend; his ability to think

and speak and have strong faith is also dependent on gifts from God! To those

who have faith in the existence and benevlence God, He gives them the real

knowledge by which they can know Him and His creation in truth.

 

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

May 03 2002, Friday Disappearance Sri Abhirama Thakura

May 06 2002, Monday Disappearance Srila Vrndavana Dasa Thakura

May 08 2002, Wednesday Ekadasi Varuthini (Break fast 05:02-09:44) (Fast)

 

*** 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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