Book Query: Beyond Birth and Death

Hare Krishna Prabhus and Matajis, 

All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!

All Glories to Nitai Gauranga!

Please accept my humble obeisances.

I have a few  queries with regard to the Book 'Beyond Birth and Death'.  The Book PDF is attached with this post. Please kindly guide me towards right understanding.

Book Details:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1079076.Beyond_Birth_and_Death

1. 'God expanded into many'

"God expanded into many, and we constitute those expansions. God is one without a second, but He willed to become many in order to enjoy. We have experience that there is little or no enjoyment in sitting alone in a room talking to oneself. However, if there are five people present, our enjoyment is enhanced, and if we can discuss Kṛṣṇa before many, many people, the enjoyment is all the greater. Enjoyment means variety. God became many for His enjoyment, and thus our position is that of the enjoyed."

Isn't Krishna reservoir of all pleasure, is self-satisfied and doesn't need or depend on anyone for enjoyment? In other words, His ability to have pleasure isn't dependent on anyone. Why does then He expand into many (or feels the need), why does he becomes many to enjoy. Enjoyment means variety, but doesn't Krishna have all the variety of pleasure in him?  If He is needs someone to share it with , doesn't that limit His ability to enjoy? 

 

2. 'they actually see'

"Oṁ ity ekākṣaraṁ brahma: at the point of death the yogī can pronounce oṁ, oṁkāra, the concise form of transcendental sound vibration. If the yogī can vibrate this sound and at the same time remember Kṛṣṇa, or Viṣṇu (mām anusmaran), he attains the highest goal. It is the process ofyoga to concentrate the mind on Viṣṇu. The impersonalists imagine some form of the Supreme Lord, but the personalists do not imagine this; they actually see. Whether one imagines Him or actually sees Him, one has to concentrate his mind on the personal form of Kṛṣṇa."

What is meant by 'they actually see'. At the time of death, if a fortunate soul hears the Hari-Nama or see a Deity picture , or imagines the form of the Lord, would that not lead him to Hari? Would the Lord personally appear to the vision of such a person? How can Ajamila's encounter of death be explained by 'they actually see'?

3. 'Einstein and Gita'

"It is not that we have blind faith, but that we accept something that is recognized.Bhagavad-gītā is recognized and accepted as scripture by all classes of men in India, and as far as outside India is concerned, many scholars, theologians, and philosophers accept Bhagavad-gītā as a great, authoritative work. There is no question that Bhagavad-gītā is authority. Even Professor Albert Einstein, such a scientist, read Bhagavad-gītā regularly."

I did a lot of research on Einstein's view on Bhagavad Gita. The many internet quotes attributed to him on Bhagavad Gita are fake and are found/linked back to Hindu Blogs and sites. His view on religion oscillated between being agnostic(The belief that there can be no proof either that God exists or that God does not exist.) and pantheistic (universe is God) but he was totally opposed to a Personal God. He severely criticized the idea of a personal God in his many letters and interviews.

The issue is not about a  scientist's thoughts on Personal God. However, Srila Prabhupada mentions that he read Bhagavad Gita regularly. I couldn't find any source or mention to elaborate this. I am unable to understand the meaning of Srila Prabhupada's statement.

Many thanks and warm regards, 

Dwayne

Beyond_Birth_and_Death-Original_1974_edition_scan.pdf

You need to be a member of ISKCON Desire Tree | IDT to add comments!

Join ISKCON Desire Tree | IDT

Email me when people reply –

Replies

  • answer for your first question is»
    Krishna is perfect.
    He is full of bliss. He is not dependent on anyone for His pleasure. Dependency is that when that expansions of Himself will nt b there then He will be miserable. But this is not the case. Even though we are away from Him He does not become miserable He becomes compassionate for us that we have left the higher pleasure and love of Himself.
    Also those variety and pleasure He has in Himself but His pleasure is unlimited. to increase it every moment He expanded Himself.
    see this in a way that He is unlimited in His opulence of pleasure also.
    Even now if you have doubt then please reply.
    Hare Krishna.
  • a
This reply was deleted.