Guest guest Posted July 27, 2001 Report Share Posted July 27, 2001 Digest 12, July 27, 2001 Answers by His Holiness Romapada Swami Maharaja *********************************************** [Editor's Note:] Dear devotees, as of now there are almost 100 questions pending to be answered which Maharaja will be addressing over the next couple of months. Devotees are requested to hold their questions till all the pending questions have been answered. We would like to thank you for your overwhelming response to this forum and look forward to many more interesting inquiries in the near future. The spirit soul *************** Q.1) We are a product of the environment that we take birth and grow up in. To a great extent this environment determines whether one will be religious or not. If God is in control of this, then why should one have to suffer the consequences of being born in an atheistic family? Ans. That God is the ultimate controller does not imply that God is responsible for all our actions. Every individual is responsible for his/her own actions. We make our own destiny based on our desires and past actions, but that happens under the direction and sanction of God. If one is born in atheistic family, it is a result awarded in accordance with their own desires and past misdeeds. God's ultimate control does not exempt us from bearing the responsibility to act in accord with His will and according to the codes of theistic conduct. However, although our natures are greatly molded by the environment as you have described, even in the most unfortunate of circumstances one still has one's freewill and one could take that very situation as an impetus to take shelter of God. A person coming from unfortunate circumstances from birth may be inspired by God Himself, from within his heart, assisting him to understand God. The classic example is that of Prahlada Maharaja who, although was born as the son of the most formidable demon, became an exalted devotee by the association of Srila Narada Muni. Q.2) It is easy to theoretically understand that we are not the body. But it is hard to really realize this fact in every situation, especially if the situation is extremely harsh or extremely wonderful. How can one practically realize that we are not the body in any situation whether good or bad? Ans. Realization of our spiritual nature takes cultivation. Regular hearing of spiritual topics such as Bhagavad-gita and Srimad Bhagavatam, and regular chanting of the Holy Names of the Lord are two of the most potent activities that can spiritualize our consciousness. Further, by applying the principles of Srimad Bhagavatam as we perform our practical devotional service, cultivating tolerate towards the dualities of the material world in the course of execution of our services, and being fixed in a service mood toward Krishna and His devotees can bring profound realizations in our hearts, spiritually empowering us to remain undisturbed in any circumstance. Q.3) I've read that if we go back to Vaikuntha after this life, we will never come back to the material world. I think I have also read (or heard) that we were in the spiritual world before, but we were thrown in this material world because we misbehaved. How can you say that we will never come back here again? (Maybe we will misbehave again.) Ans. This question was answered in a previous issue also. We always have the freewill to 'misbehave', but if we cent-percent reinstate ourselves in pure devotion during this life and go back to the spiritual world, Krishna promises that He will extend His special protection to us, in such a way that we never have to come back again and experience life in this material world. This is His special, causeless mercy. Philosophy in ISKCON ******************** Q.4) In the Bhagavad-gita Krishna Himself says that He is 'aum', and in His impersonal feature He is Brahman. Why does ISKCON not give due regards to aum and impersonal Brahman, "nir vishesha shunya vadi"? [Editor's Note: This is part of the pranama mantra for Srila Prabhupada describing his mission to defeat the impersonalists]. Also, we have to be humbler than the grass, so why develop a superiority complex over other modes of worship of His potencies, which are He Himself (how can His potencies, lower or higher, be different from Him)? Ans. Krishna says that He is the basis of the impersonal Brahman [bg 14.27]. The brahmajyoti is the effulgence of His transcendental body and 'aum' is a sound representation of Himself. Vaishnavas never disrespect or disregard the Brahman feature or the omkara, rather they extol them, seeing them as identical to the Supreme, just as we also find in Srila Prabhupada's books. (Cf. purports to Bg. 7.8, 8.13, 9.17 etc) However, a Vaishnava certainly takes objection to the impersonalist theory which maintains that the form of Krishna is a product of material transformation and that the Absolute Truth is the undifferentiated impersonal Brahman only (nirvishesha) or that in the ultimate issue there is no God and that everything is a void (shunya vadi). This is blasphemous to the Supreme Personality of Godhead and therefore a devotee cannot tolerate such an idea, and for the same reason Srila Prabhupada soundly defeated such ideas. Regarding the second part of the question, the Supreme Lord and His energies are in one sense non-different, but there is certainly a difference between the energies and the Energetic, Who is the source and controller of all the energies? Everything in existence is ultimately an energy of the Supreme Lord, but as stated in Sri Ishopanishad, (Mantra 13) different results are obtained by worship of the Absolute Energetic and worship of the various energies. Therefore, Vaishnava devotees consider the Personality of Godhead, the reservoir of all the energies, to be the ultimate object of worship and devotion. Making such discrimination is not out of pride or to minimize the position of another, but just to see things in the proper perspective. Q.5) I understand that it's blasphemous to say that Lord Vishnu is different from Lord Krishna. Then, how is it that a lot of ISKCON devotees say that they want to go only to Goloka Vrindavan and not to Vaikuntha? Even when Srila Prabhupada was asked to describe his spiritual master, he replied, 'What can I say, he was a Vaikuntha man.' Ans. In very advanced stages of devotion, a devotee becomes exclusively attached to a particular feature of the Supreme Lord. For example, Sri Hanumanji is such a staunch devotee of Lord Rama that although he respects Lord Narayana or adores the devotion of the gopis towards Krishna, his only worshipful lord and master is Lord Rama. Such exclusive attachment to the form of Krishna, Rama or any other form naturally develops in a very advanced stage of devotion. Lord Caitanya taught that the highest object of worship is that of svayam bhagavan Krishna in His Vrindavan feature, which is full of sweetness, and so naturally His devotees follow in His footsteps and aspire for unalloyed devotion to the form of Krishna. But while cultivating such an attachment, we should also understand that all of the forms of the Supreme Lord are equally worthy of our devotion and worship and are beyond any mundane discrimination. Even in the pastimes of Lord Caitanya, we find that the Lord was very pleased and encouraged to experience the exclusive devotion of some devotees of Lord Ramachandra and of Lord Narasimha. Thus a devotee's mood of attachment to Krishna does not to minimize Vaikuntha; rather, it increases one's own attachment to the Vrindavana feature of the Lord's pastimes. Q.6) My question is related to Lord Shiva. He is considered to be the topmost Vaishnava. When a devotee or Vaishnava sannyasi comes, we are eager to take their association but we don't go to Shiva temples to take his association. Similarly we observe fasting till noon on appearance and disappearance days of acharyas. But we don't do such a thing on Shivaratri (the festival marking Lord Shiva drinking poison). Why is this so? Ans. Vaishnavas are not prohibited or discouraged from visiting Lord Shiva's temples. In fact, Lord Caitanya visited many Shiva temples during His tour of South India, where He chanted Hare Krishna mahamantra and danced in great ecstasy before the Deity. But unfortunately, there are hardly any bona fide temples of Lord Shiva today where worship is performed with the mood and understanding that he is the topmost devotee of Lord Krishna. Therefore, devotees generally do not make it a point to visit such temples, although they don't specifically avoid them either. The best way to honor Lord Shiva, in any case, is to chant Krishna's holy names and glories, just as Lord Siva instructed the Pracetas to do, and to dedicate our lives to the worship of Krishna. This would be most pleasing to Lord Shiva, and in this way automatically we will receive his blessings. Even in our temples, therefore, devotees celebrate Shivaratri by chanting in sankirtan and discussing the glories and the grea! t devotion of Lord Shiva as described in Srimad Bhagavatam and offering a feast in his honor. Devotional progress ******************* Q.7) If one commits offenses against devotees, and also has a strong false ego problem, then how to purify it and rectify the offenses? How to convert false ego? Ans. The way to overcome false ego is to cultivate real ego. Our real identity, constitutionally, is that we are eternal servants of Krishna and servants of His servants. By diligently cultivating a spiritual vision, by seeing ourselves as humble servants of the devotees and being in the attitude of serving them beneficially, replaces offensive and false egoistic mentality. Our acaryas describe that the only way to rectify offenses committed against devotees is to seek the forgiveness of that same devotee and render service to them and please them. When we cultivate a spiritual conception of ourselves and of all other devotees, then it becomes easier to overcome the false ego and take these above-mentioned steps. By regular hearing from advanced Vaishnavas, by praying sincerely to Lord Krishna, and by calling upon His Holy Name, each of these activities helps situate us in the spiritual conception of life. Such a sincere effort also invokes Krishna's mercy, who kindly helps remove our false ego and pride. Q.8) What are the different stages of chanting? How can one understand that one's chanting is good and pure? Is there any unit to measure the purity of the chanting? Ans. The three stages of chanting are as follows: offensive stage (nama aparadha), clearing stage (nama abhasa) and pure chanting (shuddha nama). In the beginning, a neophyte devotee may commit many offenses while chanting the Holy Name, and the stage of trying to overcome these offenses is called clearing stage. One has to know what the ten offenses to the Holy Names are, as we recite in our temples every morning, and diligently try to avoid them. The degree to which one has overcome these offenses is the measure of one's purity in chanting. ----- Festivals over the next week ------ *** Note all times are for Washington D.C, USA, EST *** Jul 30 2001, Monday Ekadasi Pavitropana (Break fast 05:09-09:53) (Fast) Radha Govinda Jhulana Yatra begins Jul 31 2001, Tuesday Disappearance Srila Rupa Gosvami Disappearance Sri Gauridasa Pandita Aug 03 2001, Friday Appearance Lord Balarama (Fast) Jhulana Yatra ends (Fasting till noon) ******************************************************************************* * C E L E B R A T I O N of the 25th Anniversary Attend the joyous reunion and 25th Anniversary of Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha Madana Mohana residing in Potomac, Maryland. Reconnect with old friends, share stories of the past, and create stories for the future. Watch the original video footage of Srila Prabhupada's only visit to Washington, DC, 25 years ago in July of 1976. Plenty of fun activities for children and lots of assorted prasadam for everyone. Schedule: Saturday, August 11, 2001 - New Hastinapura Retreat (picnic at Great Falls, campfire with Prabhupada memories, relay races, volleyball, game room, face painting and much more) Sunday, August 12, 2001 - Sri Janmastami Mahotsava Monday, August 13, 2001 - Sri Vyasa-puja of Jagat Guru A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Contact Padma malini devi dasi at 301-299-1326 E-mail: Padma (AT) prastha (DOT) com or Trikalajna dasa at 301-299-7205 We are also requesting contact information from all previous residents of New Hastinapura. - --------------- 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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