Hare Krishna!
I gifted a Bhagavad-gita As It Is by A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada to my grandparents. I thought it was a good time and a good thing to give them the Bhagavad-gita as I had passed my college examinations with distinctions(I received my results only a few days earlier).
Upon seeing the book, my grandfather spurted out a very displeasing reply. He said, "I am not going to read this book. This book is not a good book. Bhagavad gita or Mahabarata is not a good story."
I didn't like what he said because I know that whatever he had said was wrong.
Then, he continued by saying that Krishna was a human being, just another king, who was utterly unjust because He only supported the Pandavas and made the Pandavas and Kauravas to fight with each other over a piece of land. My grandfather said that if Krishna was a good person, He would have nicely settled the issue of land and etc by talking to them. He then compared it with Ramayana and said that Ramayana was a nicer story and he would prefer Ramayana over Mahabharata or Bhagavad gita because of the lack of violence in the story. HE ALSO REPEATEDLY CALLED KRISHNA A FICTIONAL CHARACTER CREATED BY PEOPLE OF THE OLDEN DAYS. He kept on saying only North Indians worship Krishna and not the South Indians(we are Telugus). He said only North India was always involved in fights and religious wars until today. He said South Indians don't worship Krishna and only Rama is worshipped.(wrong, wrong, wrong!)
My grandmother then continued telling me stories about how Krishna took away Karna's armour and earrings from what she had watched in the drama serial episodes of the Mahabharata.(she clearly got it wrong because it was Indra who disguised as a beggar brahmana and asked for those things). She then added that when Karna was dying, Krishna even took away his dharma. She stressed that Krishna was a heartless person.
I know that my grandparents were wrong about everything they had said to me. They couldn't see what's behind everything that had taken place during Krishna's presence.
I don't know how to explain it to them because my grandparents do not want to accept Krishna at all. I told my grandfather to read the Bhagavad gita and then decide what is right and what is not.
I really hope he would read BG and change his mind.
How to deal with such people?
Your servant of the servant of the servant,
Bhaktin Sandhya
Replies
Hare Krsna mataji,
PAMHO.
The way to deal with these people is to completely "not argue" with them. They are your elders and are senior citizens. Therefore, they are set in their ways. It is unlikely that they can change their views in this lifetime. They will certainly not like to be preached to by their grand daughter.
So what you can do is to firm up in your own convictions and not be agitated with their thoughts and viewpoints. My suggestion would be to never broach this topic with them again and silently to continue with your sadhana. Your attitude should be - you do what you beleive in, I will do what I believe in. I will not interfere with your beliefs and you please do the same.
If you are very keen to do something for them, pray for them and offer them Krsna prasadam as regularly as you can without telling them it is prasadam. That may work its magic.
Haribol,
Your servant,
Rashmi
Hare krishna Sandhya Mataji!
You have depicted a very common picture of general human society of this present world. From the view points of your grand parents "Krishna was a human being" make sense because they are stating the history only. While a devotee realizes and understands through authentic sources like scriptures, sadhus and real history of human society and knows that all material and spiritual existences are from Krishna only. Even God Rama is also from Krishna. He is the seed giving father of everything.
In order to realize who Krishna is, someone needs to understand the science of religion as well as science of the creation of the universe. Someone see only a drop of water when looks through his/her naked eyes. However, when looks through a microscope the same person can see many more components inside that drop of water. Remember, the drop of water remains same only the way of looking/observing has changed. So, one should have the appropriate instrument to observe anything and get correct information from it.
You have done a great job by giving a copy of Bhagavad Gita to your grand parents. I believe they will read at one point of their lives. Please encourage them to read the Gita to make stronger arguments against Krishna because the book was spoken by 'man Krishna' to His friend 'Arjuna'. Once they read the Gita, Krishna Himself will give them knowledge to understand who Krishna is.
Hare Krishna!
Your servant,
Amal
Hare Krsna
Disapproval of Krsna being god is not a new thing. Because pastimes of Krsna are actually quite bewildering to those who are not devotees of Krsna. It would be helpful to read from Mukunda-mala-stotra composed by King Kulashekar Alvar. You can say King Kulashekar Alvar has glorified Krsna. If Krsna is fictional then how can a great Vaishnava acarya sweetly glorify Him. But it is likely they won't agree and come up with some other argument. Because whole of their lives they have believed in it.
Krsna is a very very extra ordinarily special. Only by mercy of Krsna can someone understand Krsna. Other pastimes of Rama, Narasimha, Varaha are easy to appreciate. Because they fit into the general framework of mundane worldly right and wrong.
All incarnations do not go against the moral principles of world. But from where do these moral principles come from ? They all originate in Krsna. So Krsna is above all these morality. To make people understand that Krsna is above morality He performs pastimes which are bewildering.
In Ramayana Lord Rama puts duty above love. He plays role of ideal King, son, husband etc. He even renounces mother Sita to follow the duty of king.
In Mahabharata and Srimad Bhagavatam Krsna puts love for His devotees above duty. Krsna can do it because He is god. Krsna can abandon all mundane duties and principles because of love for His devotees. But Krsna will never abandon His devotees. Love for Krsna and Krsna's love for His devotees is the highest, everything else of this world is insignificant. Those who are in the circle of Krsna's love can appreciate this because they love Krsna and Krsna loves them back. But those who are in the circle of morality will be bewildered. Because they find it against some principles and they have no clue about love. But Krsna doesn't care for them because He is too busy loving His devotees.
In every pastime in which Krsna does something different, it can be traced to His love for some devotee. When practicing devotees see Krsna's love for His devotees it increases their affection fro Him. But others feel confused or envious.
Nothing wrong in worshiping Lord Rama. If they have natural devotion for Lord Rama let them continue. No need to insist they have to read about Krsna only.
Hare Krsna
They don't worship Lord Rama at home. They just acknowledge His Supremacy. My grandmother told me that we cannot prove the Lord's existence. She said that perhaps this is all not true at all but pure concoctions by people.
I then asked her why she is praying at home and going to the temple and she said that this is merely a belief created by people to give them faith and confidence when they feel like they are unable to do or accomplish something.
Hare Krsna.
Sandhya,
The way you describe your Grandmother's faith in India, reminds me of classic worship in "Awe & Reverence" in the Old Traditional Christian religions in America.
It is a general acceptance that there is a "God who should be held in highest esteem." Beyond that one concept, the idea of regulations; level of devotion/belief; or purity, is really up to the individual.
I do not say 'right or wrong'. I say, some people (or generations) are satisfied with this mood. It may seem a static view to a devotee; yet it may feel comfortable to the older generation.
Hare krishna,PAMHO,AGTSP
"My grandmother told me that we cannot prove the Lord's existence. She said that perhaps this is all not true at all but pure concoctions by people."
who kept the design engeneering of a Tree in each seed ,how can male & female specimen of animals and man created by LOrd Krishna self replicate and produce millions of their kind,can the robots created by scientists self replicate without human intervention or can the scientists create life from chemicals. everything that is around us is created and provided to us by Krishna we just mix and createby-products and finished products . Anyway this is not an answer to your Grandmother , glasses full of water cannot take more knowledge.This answer is for you Mataji.