"This material world resembles the waves of a constantly flowing river. Therefore, what is a curse and what is a favor? What are the heavenly planets and what are the hellish planets? What is actually happiness and what is actually distress? Because the waves flow constantly, none of them has an eternal effect." The argument may be given that since in the Vedas there are prescribed and forbidden activities, the Vedas also accept the concept of good and evil within the material world. The fact is, however, that it is not the Vedas themselves but the conditioned souls who are bound up in material duality. The function of Vedic literature is to engage each individual at the particular level on which he is presently situated and gradually elevate him to the perfection of life. The material mode of goodness is not itself spiritual, but it does not impede spiritual life. Since the material mode of goodness purifies one's consciousness and creates a hankering for higher knowledge, it is a favorable platform from which to pursue spiritual life, just as the airport is a favorable place from which to travel. If a man desires to travel from New York to London, the New York airport is certainly the most favorable place from which to travel. But if the man misses his plane, he is no closer to London than anyone in New York who did not go to the airport. In other words, the advantage of the airport is meaningful only if one catches his plane. Similarly, the material mode of goodness is the most favorable situation from which to move up to the spiritual platform. The Vedas prescribe and forbid various activities to lift the conditioned soul to the material mode of goodness, and from that point he should rise to the spiritual platform by transcendental knowledge. Therefore if one does not come to the platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, his elevation to the material mode of goodness is useless, just as a trip to the airport is useless for one who misses his plane. In the Vedas there are injunctions and prohibitions that appear to accept good and evil among material things, but the ultimate purpose of the Vedic regulations is to create a favorable situation for spiritual life. If one can immediately take to spiritual life then there is no need to waste time with rituals within the modes of nature. Therefore Kṛṣṇa advises Arjuna in Bhagavad-gītā (2.45),
"The Vedas mainly deal with the subject of the three modes of material nature. Rise above these modes, O Arjuna. Be transcendental to all of them. Be free from all dualities and from all anxieties for gain and safety, and be established in the Self." In this connection, ŚrīlaMadhvācārya has quoted the following verses from Mahābhārata:
"Within the material world, the conditioned souls consider residence on the heavenly planets and celestial pleasures, such as the pious enjoyment of beautiful women, to be good and desirable things. Similarly, painful or miserable conditions are considered to be evil or bad. However, all such perception of good and bad in the material world is undoubtedly based upon the fundamental mistake of considering oneself, and not the Supreme Personality of Godhead, to be the ultimate doer or performer of all actions."
hare krishna dandavat pranam prabhuji
lord krishna has given us a little free will when we misuse that free wil we suffer in this material world , over al this material world is dukhalay asasvatam so every body has 2 face dukh here , we r spiritual by nature so how can we be hapy in this material world . kunti maharani always asked for sufferings to the lord so as to always remember him. a devotee says when he gets suffering- lord this is very les u hav given me coz of ur mercy i deserve more. it wa s a smal atempt 4 my purification plz forgive me if ihav done any vaishnav aparadh
hare krishna
Krishna preserves what we have and carries what we lack. He knows how much you've suffered and He knows how good you are. He will never give us more than we can handle.
UNFORTUNATE INCIDENTS ARE A PART OF THIS MATERIAL LIFE.IT ALL DEPENDS ON THE PERSON HOW HE/SHE TAKES IT.WHEN A PERSON IS KRISHNA CONSCIOUS THE LORD TESTS HIS DEVOTION BY MAKING HIM FACE UNFORTUNATE INCIDENTS.EVEN WHEN KRISHNA HAD DESCENDED ON EARTH IN HUMAN FORM HE HAD TO FACE MANY BAD SITUATIONS.SO WHO ARE WE? BUT THE STRENGTH TO FACE THESE SITUATIONS IS GIVEN TO US ONLY BY HIM AND IN THE END HE ONLY SOLVES OUR PROBLEMS.THIS HAS BEEN SEEN IN THE PAST WITH MANY KRISHNA DEVOTEES.
nimmi > simduja venkatramanMarch 5, 2010 at 3:40pm
We are the sum total not only of what we do in this life but what we've done in nearly unlimited past lives.
nimmi > Sarvopama dasa ACBSPFebruary 17, 2010 at 1:26pm
hare krishna prabhu g , thnx for ur reply. but is it correct from God's side to give fruits and punishment of previous births in the present one, when v hav forgotten all our deeds. Should the God not tell each and every one why the good and bad things happening with him, al least then v can get some console that it is our punishment, pls clear my doubts. and forgive me for my ignorance.
but still i remember what Prabhupada faced...as when He starts to get favour and good things in Forein country then He spoke "today i say all those things i.e sufferings are asset to me today".
this is Krishna's mercy that we get in every moment of our life.
Our memories are remarkably deficient. I can't even remember exactly what I was doing yesterday at this same time. I'm here in the material world because I was envious of Krishna. Krishna is allowing me to think I can be the controller. As long as I think like that I will suffer. Krishna knows that when I have suffered enough, then I will return to Him. He never turns away from us but we have to turn to Him.
Replies
KARMA VIKARMA AKARMA
WHAT IS GOOD AND WHAT IS BAD ?
This idea is expressed by the saintly King Citraketu in the Sixth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (6.17.20):
guṇa-pravāha etasmin
kaḥ śāpaḥ ko nv anugrahaḥ
kaḥ svargo narakaḥ ko vā
kiḿ sukhaḿ duḥkham eva vā
"This material world resembles the waves of a constantly flowing river. Therefore, what is a curse and what is a favor? What are the heavenly planets and what are the hellish planets? What is actually happiness and what is actually distress? Because the waves flow constantly, none of them has an eternal effect." The argument may be given that since in the Vedas there are prescribed and forbidden activities, the Vedas also accept the concept of good and evil within the material world. The fact is, however, that it is not the Vedas themselves but the conditioned souls who are bound up in material duality. The function of Vedic literature is to engage each individual at the particular level on which he is presently situated and gradually elevate him to the perfection of life. The material mode of goodness is not itself spiritual, but it does not impede spiritual life. Since the material mode of goodness purifies one's consciousness and creates a hankering for higher knowledge, it is a favorable platform from which to pursue spiritual life, just as the airport is a favorable place from which to travel. If a man desires to travel from New York to London, the New York airport is certainly the most favorable place from which to travel. But if the man misses his plane, he is no closer to London than anyone in New York who did not go to the airport. In other words, the advantage of the airport is meaningful only if one catches his plane. Similarly, the material mode of goodness is the most favorable situation from which to move up to the spiritual platform. The Vedas prescribe and forbid various activities to lift the conditioned soul to the material mode of goodness, and from that point he should rise to the spiritual platform by transcendental knowledge. Therefore if one does not come to the platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, his elevation to the material mode of goodness is useless, just as a trip to the airport is useless for one who misses his plane. In the Vedas there are injunctions and prohibitions that appear to accept good and evil among material things, but the ultimate purpose of the Vedic regulations is to create a favorable situation for spiritual life. If one can immediately take to spiritual life then there is no need to waste time with rituals within the modes of nature. Therefore Kṛṣṇa advises Arjuna in Bhagavad-gītā (2.45),
trai-guṇya-visayā vedā
nistrai-guṇyo bhavārjuna
nirdvandvo nitya-sattva-stho
niryoga-kṣema ātmavān
"The Vedas mainly deal with the subject of the three modes of material nature. Rise above these modes, O Arjuna. Be transcendental to all of them. Be free from all dualities and from all anxieties for gain and safety, and be established in the Self." In this connection, ŚrīlaMadhvācārya has quoted the following verses from Mahābhārata:
svargādyāś ca guṇāḥ sarve
doṣāḥ sarve tathaiva ca
ātmanaḥ kartṛtā-bhrāntyā
jāyante nātra saḿśayaḥ
"Within the material world, the conditioned souls consider residence on the heavenly planets and celestial pleasures, such as the pious enjoyment of beautiful women, to be good and desirable things. Similarly, painful or miserable conditions are considered to be evil or bad. However, all such perception of good and bad in the material world is undoubtedly based upon the fundamental mistake of considering oneself, and not the Supreme Personality of Godhead, to be the ultimate doer or performer of all actions."
QUESTIONS ASKED TO SRILA PRABHUPADA. PART 116. ON KARMA- ACTION AND REACTION.
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QUESTIONS ASKED TO SRILA PRABHUPADA. PART 117. ON KARMA- ACTION AND REACTION.
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QUESTIONS ASKED TO SRILA PRABHUPADA. PART 118. ON KARMA- ACTION AND REACTION.
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QUESTIONS ASKED TO SRILA PRABHUPADA. PART 119. ON KARMA- ACTION AND REACTION.
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QUESTIONS ASKED TO SRILA PRABHUPADA. PART 120. ON KARMA- ACTION AND REACTION.
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QUESTIONS ASKED TO SRILA PRABHUPADA. PART 121. ON KARMA- ACTION AND REACTION.
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QUESTIONS ASKED TO SRILA PRABHUPADA. PART 122. ON KARMA- ACTION AND REACTION.
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QUESTIONS ASKED TO SRILA PRABHUPADA. PART 123. ON KARMA- ACTION AND REACTION.
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QUESTIONS ASKED TO SRILA PRABHUPADA. PART 124. ON KARMA- ACTION AND REACTION.
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QUESTIONS ASKED TO SRILA PRABHUPADA. PART 125. ON KARMA- ACTION AND REACTION.
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QUESTIONS ASKED TO SRILA PRABHUPADA. PART 126. ON KARMA- ACTION AND REACTION.
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QUESTIONS ASKED TO SRILA PRABHUPADA. PART 127. ON KARMA- ACTION AND REACTION.
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QUESTIONS ASKED TO SRILA PRABHUPADA. PART 128. ON KARMA- ACTION AND REACTION.
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QUESTIONS ASKED TO SRILA PRABHUPADA. PART 129. ON KARMA- ACTION AND REACTION.
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QUESTIONS ASKED TO SRILA PRABHUPADA. PART 130. ON KARMA- ACTION AND REACTION.
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QUESTIONS ASKED TO SRILA PRABHUPADA. PART 131. ON KARMA- ACTION AND REACTION.
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QUESTIONS ASKED TO SRILA PRABHUPADA. PART 132. ON KARMA- ACTION AND REACTION.
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QUESTIONS ASKED TO SRILA PRABHUPADA. PART 133. ON KARMA- ACTION AND REACTION.
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QUESTIONS ASKED TO SRILA PRABHUPADA. PART 134. ON KARMA- ACTION AND REACTION.
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QUESTIONS ASKED TO SRILA PRABHUPADA. PART 135. ON KARMA- ACTION AND REACTION.
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lord krishna has given us a little free will when we misuse that free wil we suffer in this material world , over al this material world is dukhalay asasvatam so every body has 2 face dukh here , we r spiritual by nature so how can we be hapy in this material world . kunti maharani always asked for sufferings to the lord so as to always remember him. a devotee says when he gets suffering- lord this is very les u hav given me coz of ur mercy i deserve more. it wa s a smal atempt 4 my purification plz forgive me if ihav done any vaishnav aparadh
hare krishna
Hare Krishna!!
I agree since i am the victim!!!
but still i remember what Prabhupada faced...as when He starts to get favour and good things in Forein country then He spoke "today i say all those things i.e sufferings are asset to me today".
this is Krishna's mercy that we get in every moment of our life.
But a bhakta always be favoured by Krishna!!
And He always win at the end!!
hare krishna!!
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