Guest guest Posted April 26, 2001 Report Share Posted April 26, 2001 Hare Krishna !! Digest 2, April 26, 2001. Answers by His Holiness Romapada Swami **************************************************************** Question on Bhagavad Gita ************************* Q 1) In BG AS IT IS Krishna says I know past, present and future. Knowing past and present is ok, if Krishna knows exactly (means every single moment of us) that means our future is well defined then where is the free will for us. If there is free will then how Krishna knows what will we do in future. I already asked Maharaja same question, he explained that there is free will, Krishna will not interfere in that, but at the same time He knows what will we choose from that free will. I have not satisfied with that answer, can you elaborate that. Ans: A father may know that his son likes ice-cream better than anything else. Still, out of love he might ask his son, “My dear son, would you like to have ice-cream or cake?” The father knows the son will choose ice-cream, but the choice is still there and the boy can still choose either of the two. This is just a very crude example; Krsna’s ‘knowing’ is much more than that. He is omniscient, beyond just the present circumstances of time, and He exactly knows our innermost desires, propensities etc. Even if we were going to choose ‘cake’ this time, He would know it! Yet as the Supreme loving father, He gives us the choice every moment, ‘Choose Me or choose maya’, and we can choose as we like! Krsna’s knowing ‘future time’ does not diminish our freedom of will to choose. Q 2) In Chapter 4 beginning Krishna says that he instructed the imperishable science of yoga to sun god Vivsavan. I am curious as to which Avatar does this happened. Ans: Each time Krsna appears to deliver Bhagavad-gita, it is as Vasudeva Krsna. Q3) Can a devotee of Lord Krsna who Has not been initiated yet but has been following all the instruction from HDG Prabhupada is allowed to worship Lord Krsna Archa Vigraha form in his house? Ans: Yes. Yet that devotee should know that, in course of time, the injunctions of scripture indicate that each sincere devotee should become initiated in the line of disciplic succession. Certainly Srila Prabhupada’s teachings reflect this fact. Historically, Srila Prabhupada authorized that his traveling sankirtan devotees in India could take Gaura Nitai deities with them for distribution to newcomers; non-initiated devotees were expected to become Their worshipers. For a sincere follower of Srila Prabhupada’s teachings, aspiring to achieve the standards for initiation is essential, particularly for one who has taken to the arcana process. Worship of Gaura Nitai would be the preferable initial deity forms to be worshiped by uninitiated devotees, because Gaura Nitai are so merciful. Q 4) As we are part and parcel of Krishna, we were already there in different bodies maybe spiritual or material bodies depending upon our karma and wandering between the universes, What exactly does Lord Brahmaji create at the inception of the universe? Is it the new spirit, or new body or new form? Ans: Lord Brahma creates the material bodies of all the different species of life out of the total material ingredients. Before creation the living entities are lying dormant in the body of Maha Visnu. The material ingredients are present in an undifferentiated, aggregate form, called pradhana. Maha Visnu is the original creator, and by His glancing over the material energy the living entities are impregnated into the material energy, or pradhana. Also, from the body of Maha Visnu, the universes are generated. Brahmaji is the secondary creator and he simply executes the details of sub-creation, by following the ‘blue print’ supplied to him by the Purusa Avatar Garbhodaksayi Visnu. Brahma then creates the various planetary systems within the universe and the various species of life; in turn the living entities take are awarded their respective life forms, according to their karma and their previous association with the modes of nature. Q 5) What happens to our spiritual bodies once we take on a material body? Ans: The spiritual body (or spirit soul) is described as being situated in the region of the heart and is covered by the subtle and gross material coverings. Prabhupada compares this to a man wearing a shirt and coat. It is the spirit soul (or spiritual body) which is activating the material body, just as when the man’s hands move, the arms of coat also move. In other words, the spiritual body is present, but covered and existing in a dormant state. Q 6) Does Ksriyodakashayi Vishnu also have a spiritual body? Does He exist in Lord Brahma also? Ans: Yes. He enters as the Supersoul within the heart of every embodied living entity, including Brahmaji and is unaffected by material nature. Q 7) How is our soul a part of Krishna? Ans: The analogy of a spark to a blazing fire is given to describe our relationship with Krsna. We are the energy of Krsna and are just like a small spark of the Infinite Absolute. We have our individual identity and freewill, but we can never function independently of Krsna. Q 8) What is the relation between soul and body; soul and mind; body and mind: sufferings of soul; suffering of body? Ans: The body is like a vehicle or machine upon which the soul is seated. There is nice analogy in Katha Upanisad which describes the body as the chariot, the senses as the horses, the mind as the driving instrument, the intelligence as the driver of the chariot, and the soul is riding on this chariot. The soul actually experiences neither enjoyment or suffering in this material region, because it is spiritual by nature, and is full of eternity, knowledge and bliss. However, the soul experiences the pains and pleasures of the body, which are just material interactions, because he is thinking he is this body. The suffering or enjoyment of the soul is just like one’s suffering in a dream; it has no reality. Cf BG 13.21 and 22. Q 9) I believe that the soul resides in the heart and it is the soul that keeps this body functional. How is it that when someone leaves there body, their organs can be transplanted into another body? When the soul leaves the body, does the heart and all other organ seize? When does the other persons' soul enter into this heart and what happens to the one that is replaced. Ans: The material body is just like a machine. Prabhupada gives the example of a microphone. When electric energy passes through it, it transforms sound into electronic impulses, etc.; but when there is no electricity, nothing happens. Whether the microphone is working or not, it remains nothing more than an assembly of metal, plastic, and other inert material ingredients. Thus, you can take a component of it and replace it, or altogether replace it with another microphone. Organ transplant is just like that – it is just switching of “parts”. Although the soul is said to reside in the region of the heart, it is very subtle. It is not that a different soul enters this body with the replacement of heart. Rather, the same soul remains in the region of the heart, as a replacement body part is inserted. Conversely, if the soul has departed, the patient is considered already dead, and thus replacing another component cannot bring the dead back to life. Q 10) The soul is like God but it is not God. The soul is eternal – it has not birth and death. How does the soul come into being from God? What happens to the soul after ‘complete destruction’ i.e. after the death of Lord Brahma? What happens to the ‘unused’ karma? Ans. The soul is co-eternal with God, just as a spark of a blazing fire exists with the fire, although not independent of it. At the time of total annihilation all the conditioned souls enter into the body of Maha Visnu and remain there in a dormant state for eons. ‘Unused karma’ is held in a dormant or suspended state, awaiting the next creation. Each soul gets another material body in one of the 8,400,000 species of life during the next creation, according to his residual karma. If he becomes a pure devotee, all his karma is finished and he can go back to Godhead. Questions on karma ****************** Q 11) What is Karma? Ans: Every action has its equal or greater reaction – this is a simple definition of karma. Whatever activity we do, good or bad, brings us good or bad reactions. Due to good karma, one may get a beautiful body, become wealthy or very intelligent etc., and bad reactions may come in the form of disease, poverty etc., or in terms of heavenly enjoyment or hellish sufferings and so on. Q 12) Many people have the idea that the bad karma can be reduced or removed through meditation, worship, samskara or sacrifice. What do you think? Ans: Sukadeva Gosvami gives a similar answer to Maharaj Pariksit when he asks how to mitigate the hellish sufferings and sinful reactions. Sukadeva Gosvami prescribes that by performance of atonement to the sinful activities and by cultivating tapasya, brahmacarya, truthfulness, control of mind and senses etc., one can counteract the sinful reactions. So it is possible to reduce one’s sinful actions if one follows the prescribed way. However, this is hardly possible, especially in this age of Kali, when performance of the prescribed methods of atonement according to Vedic rituals, under the guidance of qualified brahmanas or strictly following the above-mentioned processes, is very difficult, to say the least. Further King Pariksit asks, “But how can atonement really help if the sinful tendencies are not removed from the heart of the living entity?” He will be driven by those tendencies to keep committing the same sinful activities again and again and will thus be bound to suffering. Pariksit Maharaj compares this to the bathing of an elephant, which after a nice bath, comes ashore and throws mud all over its body again. The real remedy is therefore to remove the root cause of bad karma, i.e. sinful tendencies. Sukadeva Gosvami confirms this. And he describes how to do it: by surrendering to the Supreme Lord and performing devotional service all sins are completely eradicated, just as darkness is immediately dissipated by sunlight. Krsna will automatically take away all of one’s sinful reactions at one stroke, as He promises in the Bhagavad Gita, without our having to undergo much trouble for atoning the untold amount of sinful reactions we have. Cf SB Canto 6, Ch. 1. Questions of Spiritual master ***************************** Q 13) Why an aspirant is unable to approach Lord Krishna or his representative or a Sadhu or obtain a spiritual master even after they have spent time for the last 60 years of its life? This person is totally materially inclined, but occasionally turn to the Lord without any desires wholeheartedly. Ans: It is said that the living entities are wandering in the universe in different species of life, and out of those only a fortunate soul can receive the seed of bhakti by the grace of Krsna and Guru. Especially so in this age of Kali, where people in general are unfortunate and easily misguided, and where pure representatives of the Lord are so few, it is very rare to come in contact with a genuine spiritual master! It requires a sincere desire and genuine endeavor on our part to find a bona fide guru, and along with our endeavor it also requires the mercy of the Lord. Q 14) What sort of heart and qualification required to completely surrender to a Spiritual master? What is the kind of regular training needed so that I can surrender to a spiritual master? Please answer for the benefit of me and to people who would like to surrender. Ans Krsna describes in Bhagavad Gita how one should approach a realized spiritual master (Bg 4.34). He indicates three components: submission, inquiry and service. We should approach the spiritual master with all humility, hear from him submissively and inquire from him to get a clear understanding about the spiritual science. Inquiring alone is not sufficient, but one must also render service to the spiritual master according to what one has heard and please him. One should be prepared to render menial service to the spiritual master and follow his instructions. If one is very sincere to know Krishna, He will send His mercy in the form of a representative, to provide exactly the kind of spiritual upliftment the soul requires. Questions on preaching ********************** Q 15) Srila Prabhupada said ‘preaching is the essence’, what does this mean? What are the qualifications of the preacher? Are performing nagar sankirtan and book distribution a kind of preaching? What are the levels in preaching? Ans: Preaching is the essence of our movement because this is an exhibition of the highest and most compassionate part of a vaisnava’s character, the essential nature of a devotee - trying to awaken Krsna bhakti within the hearts of the suffering souls. This was the essence of Lord Caitanya’s pastimes, to freely distribute love of God. Without preaching neither our movement, nor our own individual bhakti creeper will continue to grow, rather they will both become weakened. Especially in this age full of faults and disturbances, only by being in a preaching spirit and thus attracting and achieving the mercy of Lord Caitanya can we sustain and increase our Krsna consciousness. Without that spirit we can easily become distracted, slackened and overwhelmed by the material energy. Srila Prabhupada said anyone can preach, if they hear attentively from a bona fide speaker in disciplic succession and simply repeat what he has heard, without concoction. One of Prabhupada’s disciples had a 5 year old daughter, and she used to go the visitors and ask them, “Do you know who is Krsna?”, and then reply herself, “Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead!”. Prabhupada commented that even a child can preach by simply repeating what they heard. So the most important qualification for a preacher is that they should hear submissively from a bona fide spiritual master and faithfully represent what they have heard, according to their capacity. Varieties of preaching exist, as do various levels of preaching. We may show people the path of bhakti in an introductory manner, or we may help them traverse the path, or train them, or carry them to the conclusions of bhakti. We each have our capacity, and we should try to preach accordingly. Q 16) What are some facts that help people understand why Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead? Ans: When Arjuna saw the Universal form he mentions some such facts as to why Krsna is considered the Supreme Personality of Godhead: All the great authorities, such as Asita, Devala, and Vyasa and all the scriptures have accepted Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Not only that, Krsna Himself asserts and explains this in so many ways in Bhagavad Gita, how He ’s the source of everything and there is no truth beyond him. He does not simply make these empty statements, but He actually shows His universal form in the battlefield. All the great mahajanas beginning from Brahma, Narada, Siva, Sukadeva Gosvami, and Bhismadeva, glorify Krsna as the Supreme Absolute Truth and are engaged in His devotional service. Besides, throughout His lila, all of His uncommon, supramundane activities bear testimony to this fact, such as the lifting of Govardhana Hill at the age of seven, showing the universes within His mouth, expanding Himself into all the cowherd boys and calves, marrying 16,108 princesses, etc. Thus there are innumerable evidences within the Vedas about Krsna’s identity. In fact, as stated in Bhagavad-gita, the purpose of the Vedas is itself to know Krsna only. Questions of bhakti ******************* Q 17) I have a confusion regarding whether bhakti can be spread freely among masses. Although Srila Prabhupada demonstrated practically, my doubt relates to observing the lives of simple minded villagers in the dham, who have a simple living and great dependency on guru and Lord. It is practically not possible for me to live such a simple, spiritual life (due to present obligations). So is it to be concluded that Srila Prabhupada wanted to lift us to certain level, before we could take pure devotion (in next life in dham) or with the present practice, the same can be achieved? Ans: Srila Prabhupada taught that you should stay in your present position, and purify your existence by hearing and chanting about Krsna. Gradually, higher and higher spiritual qualifications will come. You must learn the art, gradually, of dedicating your God-given talents and assets to His service. This is also wanted. In this way, the masses can take part in the process of bhakti with incredible success. Q 18) How we can detach ourselves from the materialistic world to get back to Krishna? Ans: It begins with hearing about Krishna in disciplic succession. By regularly hearing about Krishna in the association of devotees, and rendering service according to what we hear, knowledge and detachment automatically arise and attachment to Krsna is awakened. Then all the impurities in the heart are vanquished and we become eligible to go back to Godhead. Question on Srimad Bhagavatam ***************************** Q 19) One point of confusion for me of late has been trying to understand the pastimes of Lord Rsabhadeva in the Fifth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Could you kindly explain to me what is the proper way to understand the pastimes of Lord Rsabhadeva? Ans: This question is very broad. Can you be more specific in what you would like to know about Lord Rsabhadeva? Questions on Krishna ******************** Q 20) What does Lord Krishna have to do with His lila (pastimes) with this samsar (material world), where almost everyone is envious of Krishna? Does the Lord have anything to enjoy in this material world or He simply comes to teach us out of His kindness? Ans: The Lord is atmarama, fully self-satisfied, and always enjoying His own internal potency in the spiritual world. He has nothing to enjoy in this material world, but He comes out of His great compassion to not only teach us, but by displaying His wonderful spiritual pastimes, to attract the forgetful souls to the spiritual world and to His association. ***** Brief biography of His Holiness Romapada Swami available at : http://www.iskcondc.org/biography/romapada_swami.html ---- May 5th-6th (Sat-Sun): Seminar on Srimad Bhagavatam, Philosophy and Pastimes at ISKCON Potomac (Washington D.C.) by H.H. Romapada Swami. To register please reply by Email. ---- Web Address : http://www.iskcondc.org Email : mail (AT) iskcondc (DOT) org ---- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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