sudhaya Posted April 13, 2004 Report Share Posted April 13, 2004 www.asitis.com/2/3.html <font color="blue">O son of Prtha, do not yield to this degrading impotence. It does not become you. Give up such petty weakness of heart and arise, O chastiser of the enemy. </font color> -- I understand Sri Arjuna was put under temp illusion, by Lord Krsna. Can the above verse be used for devotees, who are under Maya, and are not practising Bhakti-Yoga like {before}, so they are weak in heart? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhaktavasya Posted April 13, 2004 Report Share Posted April 13, 2004 In response to your question, I'd say that BG is for devotees who are still practising Bhakti Yoga, even if it's just reading and trying to understand Krishna's words in the Gita. Everyone, except the fully enlightened person, is at some time confused about one's spiritual duty and experiences weakness of heart. A devotee turns to Krishna at such times and takes comfort and inspiration in the Lord's advise to rise up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theist Posted April 13, 2004 Report Share Posted April 13, 2004 I agree with Bhatyavasya (where you been?) We see Arjuna going from this state of weakness(familial attachment and so forth) in the Gita. He ask questions and expresses his doubts to his guru and receives answers. That is his arising, his strengthening. He then becomes free from doubts by this process of receiving the Lord's grace and surrenders to Krsna. The he kicks butt like Krsna told him to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sudhaya Posted April 13, 2004 Author Report Share Posted April 13, 2004 Thats very inspiring, I have doubts even though I read Prabhupada books, I believe of-cource, whats my position? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theist Posted April 14, 2004 Report Share Posted April 14, 2004 Everyone in the material world doubts God. The trick is not to pretend they aren't there but to take them to the sadhu for rectification. We can fool each other but not the Lord or His Vaisnava's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gHari Posted April 14, 2004 Report Share Posted April 14, 2004 By pointing out the flaw of His soon to be disciple, Lord Krsna is indirectly hinting at both the secret to success (strength of heart) and the vehicle for success (the heart). There are so many conditioned attachments that must fall away to allow our divine nature, our eternal perfect loving relationship with Krsna to emerge. At times we can become weak by forgetting the wonderment of our eternal friend, who is also inconceivably the cause of all causes and all that is simultaneously. Thus we are prepared to 'enjoy' on the mundane level, forgetting our best interest. Effectively we sit down inside and stop fighting the urges. Gradually we become stronger. Krsna is all-attractive for a reason. He can be more fun than anything we can think of in this material world. Victory over attachment they say is gradual, like a snake shedding its skin, or as blades of a fan slowing to a stop when it is unplugged. Srila Sridhara Maharaja talks about these attachments as being mushrooms, with no solid roots in our true being. They are easily uprooted like any mushroom. Our natural love of God is rooted deep within our very being. It will prevail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sudhaya Posted April 14, 2004 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2004 'Effectively we sit down inside and stopped fighting the urges.' Yes, we forget. or we want to. I think if we try hard enough its not that difficult to remember krsna all the time, some how, we just don't want to, thats my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gHari Posted April 14, 2004 Report Share Posted April 14, 2004 As you said, "We just don't want to". But the soul, the atma wants to. So who is this 'we'? It is the false ego, and it has other plans, hundreds of thousands of desires. Who will be ME, the atma or the false ego? The battle is underway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theist Posted April 14, 2004 Report Share Posted April 14, 2004 Srila Sridhara Maharaja talks about these attachments as being mushrooms, with no solid roots in our true being. They are easily uprooted like any mushroom. Our natural love of God is rooted deep within our very being. It will prevail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 16, 2004 Report Share Posted April 16, 2004 Hari Bol, Theist. Interesting that on one hand Krishna tells Arjuna to destroy the demon of doubt, with the sword of knowledge and in another place Prabhupad has said that (in some cases) our doubts are our protectors. The way I see the difference is that doubts that Krishna is the Supreme Lord and we are his eternal servants are vanquished the more we read Bhagavad Gita and take shelter of the holy names. Even if we don't doubt Krishna, we still have doubts about what to do which Krishna vanquishes if only we turn to Him and trust in Him. The other kind of doubts, that Prabhupad refers to as our protectors, are healthy doubts about what we are doing or are about to do is beneficial to our KC. It seems that it's always in hindsight that we remember that quiet voice inside cautioning us to hold back, not to eat the fruit of a particular tree and then we plunge ahead anyways, ignoring the voice, ignoring our protectors. It's as if Krishna is saying after, "I told you so." I hope to be back on line at home by the end of the month and able to come here more often for some inspiring chats and interaction. Hope you are healthy (apparentlly you are in spirit)in body and mind! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 16, 2004 Report Share Posted April 16, 2004 Theist; it's me, Bhaktavasya Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theist Posted April 16, 2004 Report Share Posted April 16, 2004 to hear from you again. Yeah I see your point. I'll take some healthy skepticism over blind obedience anyday. Anytime someone demands blind faith to me is a signal to walk on by. We can often get taken in when we turn off that inner ear. I trhink that's the one Prabhupada was trying to open up. Haribol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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