What is Krsna Consciousness?

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends, I feel the need to post this question. I don't know why? Perhaps I'll discover that with the rest of you.

 

I have witnessed many posts expressing desires and feelings (alot of feelings), opinions and philosophy. It is all reminiscient of the fragmented consciousness Krsna refers to in the Gita.

 

I would like to pose this most basic and fundamental question to all level of devotees here: What is Krsna consciousness?

 

I'm not asking for a scholarly understanding, we all hopefully know the official version.

 

I am asking in terms of experience and feeling. We all like to exspress our feelings here, right?

 

This question is almost like asking "who you are?" beyond all the superficial ways society teaches us to define ourselves.

 

So look deep inside before you answer - and bear your soul.

 

Guess Guest.

[Guest guest]

You said you wanted an answer in terms of experience and feeling, okay here it goes: Krishna consciousness is freedom from the anxiety of having to conform to society's norms and expectations. It is the search for one's true self and harmony with the Divine.

 

It may seem odd that a process that has so many restrictions can produce such freedom, but in fact it does just that.

 

Srila Prabhupada has given us a gift that someone who is not involved in the process can ever understand. It is indeed strange how we simultaneously live within this world and outside of this world when we are engaged in this process of Krishna consciousness.

 

Others cannot understand how we could possibly be so satisfied simply by chanting and eating prasadam. Of course, they also think that God (if He exists at all) must be an old man living in the clouds, rather a little blue cowherd boy.

 

 

[paul108 0]

It is exactly what the words say. It is being conscious of Krishna. People who are not Krishna conscious see, hear, taste, smell, touch, and think of matter; but Krishna conscious people see, hear, taste, smell, touch, and think of Krishna.

 

Hare Krishna

[livingentity 0]

I remember the first time I saw a picture of Lord Krishna (It was in a catalog I received in the mail one day). My heart ached with joy! I remember having the feeling that I was looking at someone that I had lost and had needed to so desparately to find. But I still did not know how to reach the beloved image I saw in the picture. I did not understand the feelings that this picture caused within my heart. But I could not take my eyes off of that picture! Everytime I looked at the beautiful image I would feel the intense joy but also the incredible pain.

 

Then Srila Prabhupada came to me in a dream and I immediately understood that this was the one person who was empowered to bring me to understanding why I was feeling the way I did about the image in the picture. I did not realize who He was even though I had seen His picture years before in a book.

 

Krishna brings Guru to you and Guru brings you to Krishna!

[Enlightened 0]

If that story is true, it is So COOL!, Some thing like that would have never happened to a person like me.

[Guest guest]

 

 

 

Yep, I had a similar experience. I used to talk to a guru inside my head when I was a little kid and I think it might have been Srila Prabhupada (this was before I even knew who Srila Prabhupada was) but I can't be certain. Anyways I knew all about Krishna when I was a kid but when I went off to the public school system I slowly began to forget about Krishna and all that time I could feel something very valuable and important to me becoming corrupted and I felt an unimaginable despair starting to eat me. When I reached my 20's I started looking in myself for what I had lost but the pressures of non-devotee family members etc. I became so confused and bewildered that I couldn't even really tell what I was looking for. Eventually I got some books from some devotees and I remembered Krishna again. Ever since then it has been smooth sailing.

[srinivas 0]

I was broght up in a well to do family.India was a competitive society so i decided i would rather do a technical course that would enable me to start my own business.

 

I was always interested in yoga.I had tried TM , Kriya yoga

and practising a little of meditation.

 

I would return from college late at night at 10.30 tired with my work.One night on a lonely stretch of road to my house i heard a distant music of bells.Not knowing what it was i walked towards this place situated a bit deep inside a private estate.

 

Suddenly i see orange clothed men and people listenig to a lecture.Having no idea of iskcon or its activities.I decided to walk away as soon as i came.I was stopped by a college devotee,he enquired about me and he asked me to buy a small book.He also invited me to visit the temple .

 

With a lot skeptism i bought the book.Feeling very uncomfortable surrounded by orange clothed men with shaven heads and nama on their foreheads.

 

I took home this book and read it.It didnt make sense to speak of god as a personality.Krishna was just another king 5000 yrs back.Vishnu was exceptable.I had never read any krishna conciousness literature not even the bhagavat geeta.

 

I went home and started to meditate.Suddenly i realized i had this image of four yogis practising kriya yoga and above their pictures a small image of krishna playing flute.

 

If yogis practising meditation thousands of years meditate on krishna then i must be wrong.

 

I visited the temple began to understand krishna conciousness over the months and became a voluteer.I have continued to associate with krishna conciousness as a volunteer.

 

It gives me great joy that krishna has been so mercifull to me on that night.

 

As i am little of shy nature i have continued to associate with krishna as a voluteer.What more does one need to do,serve krishna and his devotees and experience transcedental joy.

 

Srinivas.

 

 

[Kishalaya 0]

Jaya Nitai Jaya Gour Sundar,

 

Although I am grossly unqualified to make any statements,

however I am feeling compelled to put down one line from

the Shikshashtakam that I find very moving.

 

shunyayitam jagat sarvam govinda-virahena me

 

I have found no English translation to be proper enough.

 

Your servant,

Kishalaya

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

 

the term krishna consciousness was coined by A.C. Bhaktivedanta swami, he created this term for the purpose

of expediency in preaching to non indians.

 

It means one who is undergoing the process of

bhakti yoga, and the consciousness one attains

by doing so.

[Enlightened 0]

that was a very enlightening story there srinivas.

 

 

 

sudhamshu