yogesh

Sirla Prabhupada had a way of saying things which could bring a smile to the most serious looking person.

I am sure some of the senior devotees who were close to Sirla Prabhupada can share some of these moments with us unfortunate folks.

Hare Krsna/Krishna

Jay Sirla Prabhupada

All living beings. A Vaishnava (should) show mercy indiscrimanately.

vancha-kalpataraubhyas ca krpa-sindhubhya eva ca

patitanam pavanebhyo vaishnavebhyo namo namah

Hare Krsna

Jay Sirla Prabhupada

According to the Hare Krishna, and naturally Hindu philosophy.

 

Can one who goes to hell, go through the punishments in accordance to the sins they committed and after be reborn in human life, Earth persay, and have the chance to work hard to attain (even if through many rebirths, taking his karma in consideration) self-realization and go back to Godhead, find his true-self again?

 

In other words:

Can one who really regrets its sins, work hard to get out of hell (or "make his time in hell" and work again on Earth) and attain, again even if through many many rebirths, self-realization? Find its way back to Godhead and its true-self?

 

And is it possible if one reincarnates as an animal or any other lets say "suffering bound life form"? Can you work your way up the spiritual evolution scale again, and re-encounter your true-self?

 

thank you

The above post indicates a quicker way.

But for those who are most unfortunate to be on the hellish planets, Lord Krsna does not forget them. (Cause after all every living entity are his Children/creation) His mercy is limitless.

According to Srimad Bhagavatam (not sure exact details) but those in the hellish planet suffer/atone for the sins and slowly burn up/use up their bad Karma and Evolve (at various pace) to higher living beings up to the stage of taking on Human Form of Life.

This Human Form of Life is very rare and we have achieved it by living through innumarable lives filled with "pains" & "pleasures" according to the dictates of our karmic "bank" balance.

So just think If this human form of life is so rare, use it cut the cycle of birth & death and avoid the suicidal mentality.

Make the proper inquiries "Brhma Jignayas" and start the supreme evolution of going back home.

Avoid the pitfalls & quagmire of the mind trying to bend itself around the question of "fall down theory" and My religion and your religion nonsense.

Put your Aim on the ultimate goal and do not look at the distractions. As The Gita Ch5 verse 17 says..

"When one's intelligence, mind, faith and refuge are all fixed on the Supreme, then one becomes fully cleansed of misgivings through complete knowledge and thus proceeds straight on the path of liberation"

Be resolute in your purpose for those whose mind are irresolute the mind is many branched... (cannot recall the exact quote from Bhagavad Gita)

All the best in your evolution and quest for "Brhma Jignayas" (Self Realization) with the guidance of a Bonafide Spiritual Master

Hare Krsna/Krishna

Jay Sirla Prabhupada

We must stalk the mind relentlessly.

A similar anecdote regarding the mind. It was written sometime ago on this forum. It goes something like this....

Two Budhist Monks, a new initiated junior monk and a more senior Monk, were walking back to their monastary. As they were walking they came across a woman who was in distress. She wanted to cross a stream to get to the other side.

The two monks saw the woman and the junior monk thought to himself "We are celibate monks it is not possible to help this woman because we are practicing celibacy so we cannot approach her let alone carry her across the stream!!!!

The Senior Monk without any hesitation carried the woman across the stream. Then the Junior Monk just looked at the senior Monk and said nothing and the two carried on with their journey back to the Monastry.

After about 2 - 3hours of walk they arrived at the monastary. The Junior Monk could not keep it in any more and turned around to the senior monk and said:

"Why did you carry that woman did you forget we are practicing celibate Monks??? We may not speak to any woman let alone what you did by physically touching her!!!!

The Senior Monk looked at the Junior Monk and after contemplating for a few minutes he told the Junior Monk...

"How long did it take me to carry this woman across the stream??? Maybe 5-10 minutes at most. But You have carried her for 2 - 3hours on our journey back to our Monastary!!!!!" (You Rascal You!!!)

Hare Krsna/Krishna

Jay Sirla Prabhupada

What is love to you?

How do couples in love present themselves?

 

For myself personally, I don't really understand the term so much. When I think of instances where i'd been attracted to women, that was not out of love, but out of infatuation.

 

They say devotion is a sign of love. I am devoted to Krishna but without a good fund of knowledge in relation to Him it would be silly of me to say I love Him. Yet I still say that I love him.

 

My problem is to do with the interpretation of the word itself. What are the true characterisitics of it, how do you know if it is real etc etc.

 

Ideas/opinnions anyone?

(Love is not a word it is a verb)

Love can be the most exhilirating feeling.It can bring the greatest Joy but at the other extream Love can be bring about the most painfull feelings.

What is "material Love" / "Spiritual Love"??

Well as I understand Material Love is actually Just Lust. The pure Spiritual Love when coming in contact with the material world transforms into Lust.

Lust is selfish where as.....

Spiritual Love is unselfish.

I am sure other devotees on this forum can elaborate further.

Hare Krsna/Krishna

Jay Sirla Prabhupada

Hare Krishna

If everything is prewritten meaning whatever meant to happen will happen then whats karma and fruits of karma ? If someone is destined to be killed by the hands of some other person how come that becomes the sin for the murderer as it was already written in his destiny. Please clarify.

Yes question on destiny is very complex as shvu indicates.

As I understand From the Bagavad Gita, we have been given free will or "independence". What does the "independence/freedom of choice" mean??

Well as I understand from the Gita we have only 2 "Freedom of choice"

One is that we can let ourself be fully controlled by Prakriti (material modes of nature/Maya)

The other is to surrender to the will/guidance of Krsna.

Then we add to this mix our destiny/karma.

In the Gita it is written that Karma is not permanent. We can reduce the impact of certain karmic reactions by taking Guidance of various instruments of guidance made available by Lord Krsna/Sriman Mahaprabhu.

But the "Choice" is still ours how eager are you???? To have a positive impact on your destiny. We are not mindless Automated Robots. We have been given inteligence To make a positive impact on destiny!!!!

It is in your hands!!!!!!

You have to make the first step. You have already made an impact on your destiny by joining this forum and reading what all the devotees have to say and by using your inteligence make that change!!!!!

Use your "independence" wisely:idea:

Hare Krsna/Krishna

Jay Sirla Prabhupada

What was Srila Prabhupada's mood? Did *he* take credit for his surrender and is enormous preaching success?

reading somewhere (maybe some devotees on this forum knows) that when Sirla Prabhupada was praised for his achievements he would always say that all credit belongs to his spiritual master who sent him on this preaching mission.

Hare Krsna/Krishna

Jay Sirla Prabhupada

"Now this was a man who knew and loved God." To come to America (at a very adanced age of 60+)with just a Trunck full of books and a heart filled with Love.

With one mission only to follow his guru's instructions... come what may.

Having experianced near fatal heart attacks on the steam boat voyage to the US he still had so much strength/shrada in Lord Krsna and his Gurus instructions that he just carried onward.

Thank God for Sirla Prabhupada to have carried on where

others (his god brothers) stayed behind.

Just think if you take Sirla Prabhupada out of the equation....

Nor I nor you (thousands/millions) would have been around nor this website where we can discuss spiritual topics.

So much mercy...

Thank GOD FOR SIRLA PRABHUPADA

Hare Krsna/Krishna

Jay Sirla Prabhupada

That Sica is the aireal that connects him to the spiritual network.

The best channel you can have 24/7.

Cool!!!!

Haribol!!!

Hare Krsna/Krishna

Jay Sirla Prabhupada

in this material world is that of a mother for her child. This type of Love is (almost) unconditional.

The reason I wrote almost is because it is also tainted with selfishness because that type of Love is only shown by a mother for her own child only.

The only true Love is one that is unconditional and unselfish.

Yes it may seem like we are very unfortunate to be born in Kali Yuga BUT... unlike the other Yuga we are given the chance to advance spiritually at a very fast pace.

In the previous ages to become spiritually advanced may seem easy to us in this age but the tapasya they had to undergo was very difficult and not possible in this age.

Just having bad thoughts in the previous ages meant the reaction (Karma) would be very heavy.

So in a way we are most fortunate to have taken birth in this age. This is so because the appearance of Yuga Avatar 500 years ago (Golden Avatar) Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu & the Chain of Gurus coming from that line.

They have given us the teachings which can help us reconnect and find our TRUE LOVE.

Hare Krsna/Krishna

Jay Sirla Prabhupada

Funny thing also, when seeing how they worship Lord Buddha like 24h offerings of vegetarian food, bathing, flowers, putting to rest - almost the same way Vaishnavas worship their Deities of Radha-Krishna.

Pre-Buddhist archaeological discoveries of Zhang Zhung the ancient empire of Tibet are quite interesting and point to vedic origin of Krishna worship.

http://www.zhangzhung.org/article02.htm

Only problem, the explorers are Buddhists and can hardly relate the finds to a believe in a personal God, before Buddhism took hold in Tibet.

 

Mount Kailash, Lake Manasarovar, center of the ancient pre-Buddhist kingdom of Zhang Zhung ( Shang Shung, Shangri la)

Hindus and Buddhists believe climbing Kailash is wrong and no one has ever done so to anyone's knowledge.

Why is it wrong to climb Mt. Kailash??

Just curious and interested to know why??

thanks

Hare Krsna/Krishna

Jay Sirla Prabhupada

Yes, but if there is 1 million steps to reach the missing link...

Isn't there fast guidance or more clear path ?

Just start by saying the following ....

Jay Shree Krishna Chaitanya,

Prabhu Nityananda,

Shri Advaita Gadadar

Shrivas-adhi Gaura Bhakta Vrinda

THEN CHANT THESE LINES OVER AND OVER

HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA; KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE; HARE RAMA HARE RAMA; RAMA RAMA HARE HARE.

These lines can be chanted in the mood of a small helpless child (like we the living entities) calling out to the Mother for help.

If Chanted in the most sincere and earnest way you may have just fast forwarded(catapault) yourself into the loving mercifull arms of the Lord.

Hare Krsna/Krishna

Jay Sirla Prabhupada

Then, how to recall him ?

Karma Yoga (to link up), Bhakti Yoga, Reading scriptures under the guidance of a Guru and Associating with persons on the same quest. I am sure other devotees on this forum can add more activitis

If You are truely sincere/serious and want to find/recall your lost link to the Lord then the Lord will send you guidance.

But ultimately it is up to YOU to take the guidance:cool:

You have already taken your first step which is enquiring about Krishna Conciousness.

Hare Krsna/Krishna

Jay Sirla Prabhupada

"Jesus was not vaisnava --but he was sent by Visnu"

made in the earliar post says it all.

If you accept that Jesus was sent by Lord Vishnu to attract people to worship his father (Lord Vishnu) and another post stated that one who worships Lord Visnu is a Vaishnava.

Then guess what..... yes Ladies & Gentelman the verdict is clear and we can logically surmise that.......Jesus is Vaishnava.

HariBol!!!

Hare Krsna/Krishna

Jay Sirla Prabhupada

WOW your parents sound amazing!!!

I just had a listen to the bhajan. I am totally blown away!!!

I just closed my eyes for a few minutes and I could almost visualize Lord Chaitanya dancing in the dust of Vrindavan/Navadwip.

One of my favourite Bhajans is "Jaya Radha Madava Jaya Kunja Bihari...

so simple in four lines we have all the pastimes of Lord Krsna.

Everytime I hear that Bhajan I remember seeing a picture of Sirla Prabhupada sitting in Vrindavan and looking out towards Mother Jamuna.

You can almost see the longing look in Sirla Prabhupada's eyes.

Wow!!

Please Keep on singing the good sound vibration keeps the atmosphere clean from Kaliyugas influnce and reminds us about our eternal relationship to Lord Krsna/Krishna/Mahaprabhu.

Hare Krsna/Krishna

Gaura Haribol!!!

Jay Sirla Prabhupada

Critisize and find fault for the sake of finding faults (to bash someone/institution) or do we do this to correct/help devotees to progress in their spiritual Life? Know your own motivation.

Yes Sirla Prabhupada has set standard for leaders and devotees taking up Sannyas. These standards must be maintained because new devotees look up to leaders to lead by example.

If they deviate from Guru, Sadhu & Shastra then yes corrective action needs to be taken. This needs to be done inorder to maintain purity.

Just my 2 cents

Hare Krsna/(Krishna)

Jay Sirla Prabhupada

I am not sure how that is on two counts. It cannot be relief in this case, because relief means relief *from* something. So that doesn't apply in this case of eating chocolates. Second, whether temporary or not, it's real. Our toothache is real, even if it lasts only a minute. So material happiness must also be real, temporary or not.

 

Anyway, to come back to the subject, do you experience spiritual happiness due to your sadhana?

Happiness is no big deal. By this I mean that sometimes when I chant I get this ecstatic mood and somedays just.... nothing. I do not care to analyze my mood. All I know is that this "Happiness" comes and goes no big deal. I do not let it phase/disturb me from continuing my chanting ( which I do everyday)

Like everybody else I have my worries, sorrow and happiness.

Thanks to Sirla Prabhupada and the devotees I know that this material world is a place of (Soekh and Doekh) Happiness and Distress. So as long as I am imprisioned in this Devi Dham I accept my lot and carry on with my sadhana and try not to get hung up by my mood. (Do not get me wrong it is great to feel "happiness" and not good to feel "sadness".) But what to do....

Here I am a Prisoner in Devi Dham .

My moto is just push on and do the best you can with the situation at hand.

PS: (I found it very interesting if you look at the word Soekh directly translated from Hindi means relief from distress and not Happiness per se)

Hare Krsna

Jay Sirla Prabhupada

I don't think the moderator will delete the thread but maybe if you are desperately pleading to have the thread closed I am sure the moderator can do this.

If it will help prevent you from going in circles I am sure he can do this to rescue you from yourself (maybe rescue your sanity??)

Maybe we all must be a liitle to be KC (Krsna Conciouss)

Just kidding.

Wishing you all the best in trying to understand what KC means to you.

Hare Krsna

Jay Sirla Prabhupada

Giridhari ( that is it)

Haribol

Gopala ( shoo it feels like a count down/up)

Bal Gopal

Gauranga ( I need 30 posts in order to reply to messages) so here goes:)

What is the understanding of the Gopis regarding "vedic philosophy", "vedanta according to the gaudiya vaishnava understanding", etc.?

 

Are the Gopis Krishna-Conscious?

In a lecture givin by one of Sirla Prabhupadas disciples regarding gopis of Vrandavan, I will try and relate the story as best as I can recall..

Narada Muni asked Lord Krsna who does he favour more the Gopis of Vraj-dham or the learned Brahmans who were highly learned and knew all scrptual injunction regarding the intracacies of worship and advancement of spiritual life.

Lord Krsna told Narada if he wanted to know then he must first go to the highly learned Brahmanas and tell them that he (Lord Krsna) has a headache and the only cure for is that they must give the dust from their feet so that he (Narada Muni) can smear some on Lord Krsna's head.

Narada Muni approached these Brahamanas and told the he needed the dust from their feet to put on Lord Krsna's head.

Immediately the Brahamanas refused Narad Muni's request and said according to the scriputres it is a grave sin to touch someone (let alone) the Lord, with their feet. They were afraid of having to suffer the consequence of such actions and they could loose all the progress of their scriptual studies.

So Narada Muni went back to Lord Krsna and told him what happened. Then Lord Krsna told him to go and ask the Gopis of Vraj for some dust from their feet.

Narad Muni then went to the Gopis and told them that he needed some of the dust from their feet to put on Lord Krsna's head to cure his headache.

Immediately without hessitating the Gopies started to collect as much dust as possible from their feet. On seeing this Narada Muni thought the Gopis must be ignorant about the reprucussion of such an act. He immediatly informed them that according to the scriptures they could end up in hellish planet for this act.

They informed him that they do not care for the scriptual injunctions for them Lord Krsna was their life breath and if he requested dust from their feet they will not hesitate to give him even if it means spending hundreds of life time in hellish planets.

Immediately Narad Muni could see the difference between the Learned Brahmanas and the Gopis of Vraj Dham.

All Glories to the Gopis and Gopas of Vraj Dham:pray:

I hope this helps in some way to understand the Gopis mood towards their Beloved Lord. This story may be simple but what to do.... I am a simple minded person with little intelligence so I take this story to tell me the positon of the Gopis.

I Know the subject is very confidential and only accessable to highly advanced personalities like the Goswamis, Prabhupada etc.

I hope one day I am alowed to get a minute spec or glimps of mercy to be able to comprehend such advanced form of unconditional Love

Hare Krsna

All glories to Sirla Prabhupada

Hare Krsna

when I was about 3-5yrs old born in India my mother would always sing and narrate the glories of Krsna's lila and I have always had an attaraction to my sweet Lord.

Then when I was 13 - 14yrs old I had the good fortuin of attending a big Satsang which was hosted by some western Sanyasi from the Hare Krsna movement. Since I already had a great attraction towards my sweet Lord I just had to see these sadhus who were glorifying my Sweet Lord.

I got some Sirla Prabhupadas books and some more association of Indradumna Maharaj and when I was 16yrs old told my mother I will only eat food that was offered to Lord Krsna.

With the help of Sirla Prabhupada and his devotees I had good philosophical grounding for my natural attraction to My Sweet Lord.

My mother is so much into cooking for the Lord that she puts all her attention and love into it.

You can taste the sweetnes in the water (which my mother puts for the Lord together with the bhoga) when tasting the prasadam.

I have read in the previous thread of how devotees are so afraid to offer the Lord preparations thinking that they may commit some grave mistake and have to bear heavy karmic reactions.

But the devotees have to remember, as my mother always says, "the Lord is not hungry for the food we offer but the Love we put into what we offer him."

Thank You for the nice thread and hoping to hear from other devotees

Hare Krsna

Jay Sirla Prabhupada

Yogesh

here is how i would like to close my speculations in this debate from my side:

 

what is krishna consciousness?

 

first: i dont know

 

second: it seems like a way of life.

 

it doesn't look neutral to me.

 

it seems like a conscious attemp to develop and cultivate good qualities,

which God has 100 %.

 

happy new year!

If you incorporate/dovetail your daily activities you can become concious of Krsna eg.

When you get up early in the morning we can meditate on Krsna by thanking him for survivng the night.

When preparing (Vegetarian) dinner offering the meal to Krsna.

Greeting everyone by saying "Jay Shree Krsna" or "Haribol"

Engaging your family kinsmen spouse and children also helps.

I am sure you can think of other activities too.

By Being Concious of Krsna in your everyday activities you will automatically remember Krsna and thus be automatically Krsna Conciouss

Eventually it becomes a automatic part of your lifestyle being Krsna Conciouss.

I hope this helps

Hare Krsna

Jay Sirla Prabhupada