Guest guest Posted July 19, 2001 Report Share Posted July 19, 2001 Digest 11, July 19, 2001 ************************ Answers by His Holiness Romapada Swami Maharaja *********************************************** Please email your questions to mail (AT) iskcondc (DOT) org. Questions of general interest will be posted in the digest for the benefit of others. Specific questions will be answered individually. Preaching ********* Q.1) It is always mentioned that the Supreme God is Lord Krishna. People who know about Vedas or about Indian culture can understand and accept this. How can a man of a different religion or a different region accept this? How can we convince others that everybody in the universe is governed by the laws of Vedas? Ans. Spiritual knowledge is not just a belief system, but a science. When one understands that there is one Supreme Lord Who is the Creator and Maintainer of all of us, then it naturally follows that we are all under the jurisdiction of that one Supreme Lord, and the laws He created are likewise universal. For example, we do not distinguish between Indian physics and American physics. The fundamental laws of physics are applicable everywhere and such scientific knowledge is accepted from wherever it is available. Similarly, the laws of birth and death, of actions and their reactions, the basic principles of religion and the ultimate object of worship - all these are equally applicable to all human beings. When a wealth of knowledge on these subjects are made available within the Vedas, one who is a sincere seeker of truth would accept and benefit from such knowledge, irrespective of their cultural or other extraneous background differences. There are many apparent discrepancies in teaching found amongst diverse religious traditions, but a deeper study and a scrutinizing eye will often catch the ultimate non-difference, in systems of religion that are actually bona fide. For example see Caitanya-caritamrta Adi Lila Chapter 17.153-171 for a discussion on the apparent basis of animal sacrifice and eating meat in the Koran. There are many similar examples. Ultimately, we will find congruity, not clash. As far as the acceptance of the name of Krishna as God's name, this fact is repeatedly stated in the Vedas, as your question confirms; so someone from another tradition or culture would only require hearing from a proper authority on the Vedas to accept this conclusion, according to the Vedic system and information. The spirit soul *************** Q.2) Do plants and trees have souls? Ans. Yes. However, the consciousness of the soul is in a very covered condition in such bodies. Q.3) What is the difference between mind and soul? Ans. The soul is our real self; it is all-spiritual and eternal. When the soul comes to the material world, he accepts a material body, which comprises of a gross body and a subtle body. Mind is part of the subtle body; it is a subtle sense, sometimes called the 6th sense, distinguishing it from the sense of sight, sound, touch, smell and taste. The soul is the seat of consciousness, whereas the mind simple receives impressions from the five senses, and then processes those impressions by way of thoughts, feelings, and volition. The mind also is the resting place of our conceptions of life. Q.4) What happens at the end of Kali yuga to all those souls that have not yet realized God? Ans. According to Srimad Bhagavatam, 12.2.20-22, the normal course of Kali Yuga ends with Kalki Avatar annihilating the millions of souls who masquerade as kings; these souls receive sayujya liberation, or a state of sinlessness, but their devotion to the Supreme Lord still needs to be awakened. The remaining souls are uplifted by the Lord's presence, they become transcendentally purified, and they come at once to the platform of goodness. These souls assist in populating the planet with other elevated souls, thus playing their role in ushering in the Satya Yuga. In Chapter Four of Canto 12, we find a detailed description of what happens and the end of the Kali Yugas that come at the end of Brahma's day (i.e. after 1,000 yuga cycles are completed), as well as the end of Brahma's life. The basic idea is that the souls are held in a dormant state, with no manifested activities or forms, and they remain in that condition until the next creation takes place. Q.5) If jivas are eternal then how are ciranjivas (like Hanuman, Ashvathama etc.) different? Ans. Jivas are eternal, but in conditioned life, when the term of existence in one body is finished, they transmigrate to another body. Ciranjivas are those who have a special capacity to live for a very, very long period of time, over a span of several yugas in that very same form. However, at the end of the allotted time, they also have to quit their body. Both jives and ciranjivas are entitled to go back to the spiritual world if they become pure in their devotion to the Supreme Lord. Otherwise, they will have to rotate in the cycle of birth and death. Q.6) If the same "detachment" perspective on moral values can be used both by the demon Kamsa (in justifying his killing of the sons of Devaki) and a divine avatar, it is hard to accept that such an approach could represent a true basis for morality. Is detachment a way to by-pass dharma/karma for a demon? Ans. No, a demon does not by-pass karma by detachment. A person of demoniac nature has the tendency to misuse even the best philosophy. Kamsa's behavior is a typical example to illustrate that knowledge can be dangerous in the hands of demons. However, abuse of a principle does not discredit the value of that principle itself. Arjuna was also asked to be detached in killing his grandfather and teacher, but to serve the higher cause of fulfilling the Lord's mission. Since God is Absolute and equally merciful towards everyone, whatever He does benefits everyone. Therefore He is beyond all morality and rules, and His killing results in the liberation of the other's soul. This is not the same as the justification that Kamsa gave. Unlike Kamsa, the true basis of morality for the rest of us is to abide by God's laws, and by following this principle we can do equal justice to all. We do have to cultivate detachment, not to use as an excuse for justifying our whims, but to detach ourselves from our independent notions, so that we can act as an instrument of the all-good Supreme Lord, absent the intervention of our self- centered likes and dislikes. Q.7) In Vedic history we find that a person is sometimes cursed to become a stone. What happens to soul of the person while he is a stone? Ans. The soul remains in a dormant condition for some time. Q.8) What is rebirth? Ans. Spirit soul is eternal, and thus has no real business in this temporary atmosphere. If he manifests a desire apart from his spiritual nature, he obtains a material body suitable to accommodate that his material desire. At the termination of the particular body which the soul has been awarded, the soul quits that body and takes on another, according to the consciousness at the time of death. This is called rebirth or transmigration of the soul, and it continues on until one is free from all material desires, at which time the spirit soul can return back to the eternal spiritual world. Q.9) If soul is constitutionally caitanya (conscious) and not influenced by karma, then how does karma influence its rebirth? Ans. If someone lost their hard-earned money, the person himself is not hurt by the incident, but because they are attached to the money and identify it as their property, they have to suffer the consequence of the loss. Similarly, the soul mistakenly identifies himself with the material body, and thus becomes attached and 'conditioned' by the desire to enjoy the facilities of material existence. Therefore, he is forced to take another body to enjoy or suffer the consequences of past actions. Q.10) The soul is marginal, i.e. it can be on the material or spiritual platforms. Then again, it is stated that the soul is either eternally liberated (nitya-siddhas) or eternally conditioned (nitya-baddha). Don't these two statements seem contradictory? Ans. The term nitya siddha means those great devotees who are eternally manifesting perfected existence in the spiritual world or although sometimes appearing in this world amongst us for some purpose of serving the Supreme Lord, are actually never contaminated by the material nature at any point of time. The term nitya baddha refers to those who have been conditioned since time immemorial within the material world. These two terms do not conflict with the two alternative positions for the soul, mentioned in the first part of your question. The grammar of the initial definition of the soul as marginal, however, as found in your question, needs to be modified: "The soul is called tatastha, or marginal, because although it is spiritual in nature, due to its tiny existence, it can be influenced by either the internal (spiritual) or the external (material) energy of the Lord." There is actually no contradiction in these two definitions. ----- Festivals over the next week ------ *** Note all times are for Washington D.C, USA, EST *** Jul 23 2001, Monday Disappearance Sri Raghunandana Thakura Disappearance Sri Vamsidasa Babaji - --------------- A brief biography of His Holiness Romapada Swami available at : http://www.iskcondc.org/biography/romapada_swami.html - --------------- This Email has been sent to you by the ISKCON temple of Washington D.C. Our contacts are: Email : mail (AT) iskcondc (DOT) org Web Address : http://www.iskcondc.org Postal: 10310 Oaklyn Drive, Potomac, MD 20854 In order to be removed from this mailing list please reply with the word REMOVE in the Subject. - ---------------- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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