Inquiries into the Absolute: Digest 56

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Digest 56, April 24, 2003

 

Answers by His Holiness Romapada Swami Maharaja

 

*** You are welcome to send in your questions to HH Romapada Swami at

iskcondc (AT) prastha (DOT) com with the word "Question" in the subject. ***

 

Modes of Material Nature

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Q.1)

I am in love with a person who strictly follows the four regulative principles.

However, unlike me, he is not a devotee of Krishna nor favorable towards

ISKCON, and would like our children to exercise their choice. Please advise me

how to handle this situation.

 

Answer:

This question is of a very personal nature, and it is difficult to give a

general response. What is best for some may not be ideal for another. However,

a general principle in making any important decision in life is to consider

what would help best in bringing us closer to the ultimate goal of this rare

human life, and closer to our relationship with God. The soul's ultimate love

is for Krishna, and a devotee tries as much as possible to arrange all of

his/her worldly activities and relationships in such a way that is conducive to

that ultimate relationship with Krishna and would never do anything that might

jeopardize their spiritual growth.

 

While marriage is just a temporary issue from the point of view of the eternal

soul, it is nevertheless an important life-long decision. In light of this

principle of life, there are personal considerations as to how you might

personally be affected by the responsible and final choice that you make. A

lot depends on what your own priorities at this point of time in your life.

You could consider deeply how your aspirations for a spiritual / Krishna

conscious life will be supported or affected by this particular marriage

decision in very practical ways, and how that might affect you and the

relationship with your possible marriage partner in the long run; on the other

hand, you could also explore different possibilities of taking another course

of action for your future marriage and consider how your life would be

affected.

 

The best would be to for you to thoroughly discuss your thoughts and feelings

with some experienced and mature devotee couple in whom you have trust and who

know you personally. Seek their counsel and guidance.

 

 

Q.2) My mind has become very rational and logical. I am losing the faith on God

due to one/two mistakes I have made in my life. I am feeling depressed and

guilty about the incidents. Please let me know how to build the faith on God.

 

Answer:

Faith is built by association. Association with the modes of nature result in

various kinds of faith in different categories of people, while association

with the transcendental devotees of God builds our faith in God.

 

In this Kali age, the entire atmosphere is surcharged with faithless-ness. The

principles and goals of society at large, and consequently its education system

and its culture and lifestyle are by far atheistic. Naturally even those who

are pious and have some training and innate belief in God are bewildered when

faced with reverses in their lives due to lack of proper education in spiritual

science and misguided by the godless training of modern science.

 

Therefore it is so crucial that one strengthens their intuitive understanding

of God by hearing from proper authorities. Rationale and logic are not divorced

from faith in God. If you study the works of some of the acaryas, you will find

that they are most brilliant and full of superior reasoning. But that reasoning

definitively answers all questions whereas mundane logic only bewilders us.

 

The Vaishnava philosophy gives a very cohesive understanding of everything in

this material world and beyond, and the cause of everything. It is important to

understand this sambandha jnana -- factual knowledge about the science of soul,

who God is and what the soul's relationship with God is and what his purpose in

the material world is. When this understanding is secured, one will not be

bewildered in any situation. On the other hand, without this knowledge, and

being unable to unravel the mysteries of life or understand the motive of God,

the atheists resort to annihilate God and propose a theory born out of

frustration: "No one is in control, and everything is happening by chance." Is

it not illogical to propose that this vast universe is conducted so

meticulously just by chance and for no tangible purpose?

 

Regarding the unfortunate incidents you have mentioned, we learn from

Bhagavad-gita that this material world we are in is by design a treacherous

place. Everyone in this material world is covered by ignorance and illusion.

By the very nature of this place, therefore everyone makes mistakes and

everyone faces calamities. Even the greatest personalities make mistakes and

blunders or have to go through very unfortunate circumstances. Srila Prabhupada

gave the example of how even a great leader like Gandhi made mistakes that cost

his very life. Once we recognize this specific design of the material world,

ie. its precarious nature, the purpose of this design then becomes apparent: we

are provided with clear messages that we are to use this human form of life to

get out of this temporary place of miseries and return to the spiritual world

full of eternal knowledge and bliss.

 

We are fallible, but when we recognize it and take shelter of the Infallible

Supreme, we can attain true enlightenment and protection from all dangers and

illusions. Giving up our relation with God in the face of difficulty only

increases one's misfortune and entangles one further in the treacherous

material energy, resulting in more calamities and mistaken judgments. The wise

position is to turn back our attention to the Lord to completely be lifted out

of this situation.

How to strengthen and nourish such faith? This is best accomplished by hearing

the narrations of the topics of the Lord in the association of devotees. In

addition, the most powerful process recommended for this age is chanting. Just

calling upon these holy names dissipates all ignorance, illuminates the heart

with factual knowledge of our real identity, and destroys all that is

troublesome to the heart. If you are not already doing so, please do try

chanting: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare/ Hare Rama Hare

Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare, and the Lord sitting in the core of everyone's heart

will reveal Himself to you.

 

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

Apr 25 2003, Friday Disappearance Srila Vrndavana Dasa Thakura

Apr 27 2003, Sunday Ekadasi Varuthini (Break fast 05:15-09:49) (Fast)

Apr 30 2003, Wednesday Appearance Sri Gadadhara Pandita

 

*** 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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