Guest guest Posted February 14, 2005 Report Share Posted February 14, 2005 Hare Krsna! I hear that Srimad Bhagavatam is very benificial to read as it is the glorification of the Lord. But of course one needs to be at a certain level to absorb its potency and spiritual effects, not to metion understand it to the fullest capacity. I was wondering what are these qualifications? I currently chant 3 rounds a day, nearly a complete vegeterian, and have read Krsna, Bhagavad Gita, Krsna-Reservoir of Pleasure, Facts for Life, Science of Self Realization, and a few other books. From sites it is said after reading these one should proceed to read Srimad Bhagvatam, but I feel that I am not ready to read such a magnimous and spiritual book. I feel as though i am not pure enough. What other things do i have to do before I become pure enough to read Srimad Bhagvatam? Eg: vege, increase rounds etc... I also hear it is good to read Srimad Bhagvatam Canto 1:1 but should the whole Bhagvatam be read after this? Please help for i want to read about the pastimes of the Lord dearly. Hare Krsna! Please Help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 14, 2005 Report Share Posted February 14, 2005 all the books you have read are at the same level of Srimad Bhagavatam, they're not less saint or esoteric so if you increase in quality and quantity your japa rounds and if you became completely vegetarian it is surely necessary to progress in spiritual life, but you also can read srimad bhagavatam from now on i repeat it : "Krsna, Bhagavad Gita, Krsna-Reservoir of Pleasure, Facts for Life, Science of Self Realization" are not less sacred than Srimad Bhagavatam.. so if you are reading these books simply go on and read also bhagavatam.. where's the problem? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 14, 2005 Report Share Posted February 14, 2005 I think that if you eat meat then you cannot study the Srimad Bhagavatam. Please correct me if I am wrong. Hare Krsna! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vishnu Posted February 14, 2005 Report Share Posted February 14, 2005 omg! dont think like that! its falseness, its priests with big ego who want to uphold their status that say you cannot read anything which is about God! dont go in with it! listen to Saint isaa/jesus as i posted his teachings in another topic! its a book, if your not pure how can you ever get pure if someone or yourself does not allow you to take the key to become pure? I say that it doesnt matter if your christian, brahman, or untouchable, everyone should have the right to read those books so they can at least try to attain KC! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 14, 2005 Report Share Posted February 14, 2005 1)prabhupada's books are sold everywhere, in the streets, door to door, in the web and they're online. So i think that they are for everyone, not for a special caste with special feotures and behaviour 2)he's already reading prabhupada's books.. wich is the real difference from the books he's already reading and bhagavatam? Why he's qualified for reading bhagavad gita or krsna book (who's the tenth canto of bhagavatam) or other pure devotee's words and not the bhagavatam? i think that he has to read, that all the world has to read.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 14, 2005 Report Share Posted February 14, 2005 Hare Krsna! I am the original poster of the new article and I thank all of you for your encouragement. However, I have not completey given up meat eating yet so am I still qualified? Also, right now I am chanting at least three rounds a day, and sometimes more and I love reading about Lord Krsna. I also keep a Tulasi plant in my house, although I have no contact with any other devotees. I think I should read Canto 1.1 and then consider reading Bhagavatam. Should I download it of the net? Hare Krsna! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sumedh Posted February 14, 2005 Report Share Posted February 14, 2005 Hare Krishna and dandavat pranam The best is to hear from the agency of a pure devotee. Otherwise we can just read the Srimad-Bhagavatam (with purports by Srila Prabhupada), without any problems since you have already read the others. Don't worry about not being pure enough; the point is to become pure by reading Bhagavatam. The important point is to receive it in a humble state and not in a judgemental state of mind; if we do not understand something then as Srila Prabhupada would say just read it over and over again. The injuction is not to jump cantos but read to it in sequence; the warning is that in the tenth Canto that if the topmost lilas appear to be mundane activity to our minds then we must rewind back to Sri Ishopanishad and Bhagavad-Gita. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sumedh Posted February 14, 2005 Report Share Posted February 14, 2005 Hare Krishna and dandavat pranam Please definitely go ahead without any fears. As i said before if we do not find nectar in the confidential lilas of tenth Canto then we should come back and not proceed; i mean we should know where we stand. The Bhagavatam is meant for all, it is also meant for even non-human living entities what then to speak of humans and this is its unique position. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 14, 2005 Report Share Posted February 14, 2005 Hare Krsna! Do you know of any lectures spoken about Glory of Srimad Bhagavatam and where to find them? Also, is it essential to read Sri Isopanisad before starting the Srimad Bhagavatam and what other books to be read in preperation for Srimad Bhagavtam? Hare Krsna! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 14, 2005 Report Share Posted February 14, 2005 Hare Krsna! Dear Sumedh, I STILL feel as though I do not deserve the Bhagavtam and its nectarine content within. I know one should be in a humble state of mind when reading it, but i feel as though I cannot read it(or even be in it's presence sometimes!)as I am so impure. Maybe I should increase my level of devotion for a period of time (Eg, 1 month) before starting it? It may also be due to the fact that I have no contact with devotees except for the Greatest Tulasi Maharani, whom I personally tend to with her beck and call. (She is quite happy with me, as she always produces manjaris for Krsna!) Also, it may be beacuse I do eat meat (sometimes) which I despise (due to family) although I take no other intoxication. However, I think that it is maybe due to my age, for I am quite young (15) from a Hindu family. I feel as though I have wasted years, not being in the service of Krsna and that I have missed a great oportunity. Another point I would like to say is that I have always been drawn to Krsna without any external help. From a small age I can remember walking into the libarary and searching frantically for books like "Shri Krishna Leela" and being so frustrated when the next issue wasn't there. Maybe this is why I have arrived at Krsna Con. The devotion that I show now to Krsna does not go well with my family, as they do not show much enthusiasm for ISKCON/Hinduism, so my Krsna Prema is self taught. I must also point out that I am Very much interested in Sathya Sai Baba's teachings, like Love all Serve all, Seva, and Namasmaranam. (Like Krsna Sai Baba's teachings were also self taught; although I have started chanting with all sincerity now, as I think this Kali Yuga is fast degrading) As the household Temple is in my room I have spread across it my love of Krsna. I think this may have been a meritous gift from my previous birth. Anyway, back to the topic at hand... I cannot feel as though I can read Bhagavatam, maybe due to family, intox, or just the thought of such a Magestic Scripture. PLEASE HELP! Hare Krsna! P.S, I live in UK but due to family probs I cannot reach out to ISKCON too much. ALthough I have had one beautiful darshan at Bhaktivedanta Manor of their Lordships Sri Sri Radha Gokulnanda! (sorry for longness of reply) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sumedh Posted February 14, 2005 Report Share Posted February 14, 2005 Hare Krishna and dandavat pranam I would say why wait? Just start reading and do not worry if there is something you cannot understand; read it again and again. The Bhagavatam is meant to make us "deserve" Krishna; it is the Krishna Himself in literary form. We would lack qualification for it no more than we would lack qualification for Krishna. The suggested order of reading is to gradually make us attracted to Krishna but since you are already so much attracted i do not find the slightest reason to think of lack of qualification. As for Sri Ishopanishad it is not a prerequisite for Bhagavatam. Regarding Sathya Sai Baba, it is okay if you like some of his teachings but i would suggest not to get associated with him or his disciples. The reason is that many of his teachings are highly suspect and specially his (or his followers') claim of being God etc. You would be knowing what Srila Prabhupada would call such self-professed God(s). My strong suggestion would be to give up any idea of associating with him (if you have such a desire). When you are ready Krishna will send you a Guru; He knows it and trust Him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sumedh Posted February 14, 2005 Report Share Posted February 14, 2005 ... is not a lecture but chapter 12.13 from Srimad-Bhagavatam itself. See it from here for example. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruzWayne Posted February 14, 2005 Report Share Posted February 14, 2005 Hare Krishna, guest. Congratulations for your advancement on Krishna Consciousness self-practice! I think you're right about Srimad-Bhagavatam. For some reason Krishna will allow ceretain devotees to read it in different phases depending on Krishna's plan. That's why you haven't started to read it yet. In my case I just finished one volume, Canto One, and I don't have any of the other volumes. Of course I can down load it from the internet but I would prefer to buy it so this way I'll be helping the devotees that work on publishing Prabhupada's books. I have some lakshmi but I need to get a special address where to receive it by mail because where I live there is no safe mailbox in order to receive it so I must get a P.O.Box in my local city mail or make a trip to a special bookstore where they sell it. Besides, the cost of shipping will increase the amount to pay, so maybe I'll have to wait more time before getting the other 17 volumes of Srimad Bhagavatam. Maybe Krishna considers that one volume is enough for me for now. So I hope that Krishna will let you read S.B. as soon as possible because it is very exquisite lecture, indeed. Hare Krishna. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 23, 2005 Report Share Posted March 23, 2005 I stopped eating eggs firmly only after I had read a couple of chapters and a few lines where Prabhupada says that meat, fish and eggs cannot be offered to Krsna. So, probably after reading about animal sacrifices u may want to stop eating meat for good. U can always try .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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