We all are materialistic person surrounded by such a society where we can't give up our work for maintaining the body and family. High status , reputation , promotion etc comes automatically when we
do our work sincerely. we all are bound by reactions of our karma. A good vaishnava does not care for
these things like fame, high status etc but still he is doing Karma but not Vikarma.
Even if we keep krishna in the centre of all the karma for maintaining body still it is not Akarma . is it so?
It is still Karma yoga .
How can a Grihastha who is involved in mundane activities like maintaining different bodies perform
akarma and get rid of birth death cycle ? Leaving the family cannot be a solution . Even if he makes his home a krishna temple but still he is a karma yogi. In this material world where we are bound by laws of nature, have to perform Karma. How can one get rid of karma ?
Leaving everything and joining temple is not possible for everyone and is not recommended as we have to perform our responsiblities.
Can one be Karma yogi and Bhakti yogi at same time ?
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Q. HOW IMPORTANT IS SERVICE TO LORD KRISHNA ?
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Q. HOW IMPORTANT IS SERVICE ATTITUDE ? part 4.
Arjuna wanted to avoid his duty of fighting the Battle Of Kurushetra by going to the forest and adopting the begging profession. Only if the family atmosphere is inimical to spiritual progress should the family member renounce the family.
it says that one has leave family if he has no mother and wife who is not cooperative in his service to God.
There will be fights in the family life. Because it the most difficult karma in one's life. But partners should be determinate to be together no matter to fights and other difficulties.
But sometimes difficulties may be very difficult. Like if one of partners do not follow 4 regulative principles and hinders other one also to brake those rules.
In those situations even Srila Prabhupada used to separate couples. But it does not mean that divorced woman or man should marry again. No.
Your servant,
one thing must be kept in mind.. arjuna being a devotee cannot be overcome by such weakness.. it is just to teach the public in general he assumed such role..
Hare Krishna AGTSP
First of all, you should speak very carefully, we are not all materialistic persons, in fact, none of us are materialistic persons, we are all spiritual persons and some of us are trapped in material bodies.
Secondly High status, reputation, promotion etc DO NOT come automatically from doing your work sincerely this is the biggest lie propogated by the Corporate world in order to guarantee obedient slaves.
Thirdly a 'good Vaisnava' does care for fame high status etc BUT ONLY for the purpose of preaching, otherwise we would all just sit under a tree and chant. Srila pabhupada engaged the most famous people in serving Krishna and built palatial temples using gold and marble and Deity worship around the world costs the temples million of Dollars all for the purpose of attracting people to Krishna and he showed great care in doing this even though he dealt with Millions he carefully looked after every last cent.
Fourth a 'Good Vaisnava' does not 'do karma' a 'good vaisnava' is above the laws of karma and his actions are considered akarma. So his activieties are never considered mundane even though they may closely resemble that of an ordinary jiva his actions are all transcendental.
Fith: A devotee in the temple is not instantly free of activity still he must do so many activities, in fact often he 'Works" harder than the proud businessmen or youthful students who may even become envious and consider themselves to be making a big sacrifice to maintain these ungrateful temple devotees who don't know how lucky they are.
Sixth: leaving the family can be and is a solution in fact Srila Prabhupada set the standard and left his family so why is that not a solution for us? of course this MUST be done according to his instructions I am talking here of taking Vanaprasta NOT abandoning your family recklessly.
And lastly to answer the final question No there is never a question of being a karma yogi and a Bhakti yogi at the same time this is not possible, it is a misunderstanding and the best solution is to read Srila Prabhupada's books more and chant Hare Krishna Maha Mantra very attentively.
thank you
your servant
Bhakta Francis
I wish to humbly ask why one cannot be a karmi-yogi and bhakti-yogi at the same time. Karma yoga just means offering the fruits of your activities to Krsna...
please accept my humble obeisances!
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Karma yoga means when one works and then offers his fruits to God but bhakti yoga means right from the beginning one does his duty as a sacrifice to Krishna.
In this way there is difference. Krishna in Bhagavad Gita tells Arjuna to do bhakti yoga. He says that his fight is bhakti yoga.
Your servant,
Here is a whole lecture by Prabhupada on Karma Yoga.
Bhakti-yoga is the topmost yoga. There are different kinds of yogas: karma-yoga, jnana-yoga, dhyana-yoga, hatha-yoga, many others. Yoga means "contact" or "having connection." So bhakti-yoga means directly connection with Krishna, or God. That is bhakti-yoga. Other yogas, they are not directly connected.
Karma-yoga... Yoga means connection with Krishna, or God, but when there is the word karma-yoga, it is adulterated. It is not pure yoga. Karma-yoga means:
yat karosi yad asnasi
yaj juhosi dadasi yat
yat tapasyasi kaunteya
tat kurusva mad-arpanam
That is karma-yoga. Whatever you doing... In the beginning one cannot take to pure bhakti-yoga. Therefore karma-yoga is recommended: "Never mind whatever you doing. In that position you can become a devotee." Karma-yoga, that is. People are interested with different types of work. So therefore Krishna says, yat karosi. "Never mind whatever you are doing." So how it becomes karma-yoga? Now, kurusva tad mad-arpanam: "You give it to Me." Suppose you are doing business, and you are earning lots of money. So Krishna says, "All right, go on. You are attached to business. You go on doing that. But the money earned out of your business, you give it to Me." This is karma-yoga, not that you earn money and spend for your sense gratification. That is not karma-yoga. The rascals, they are saying this is karma-yoga. For sense gratification they are using, and that is karma-yoga. No. That is not karma-yoga. Here is karma-yoga: "It doesn't matter, whatever you are doing, but the ultimate result, you give it to Me."
In another place, Krishna says, karmany evadhikaras te ma phalesu kadacana: "You can go on. You can go on with your business, but don't expect the fruit of the business." Ma phalesu. He indirectly says, "The fruit should be given to Me." Ma phalesu kadacana: "Don't expect the fruit." Suppose you grow a nice mango tree, and there will be fruit, nice fruit. So according to Bhagavad-gita, it is said, ma phalesu kadacana: "You don't take the fruits." "Oh? Such a nice mango tree I have nourished in so many years. Now the fruit is there, and Krishna says, ma phalesu kadacana: 'Don't take the fruit.' Then who will take the fruit? It is will rot? It will fall down on the ground, and it will rot?" No. The idea is "You don't take, but you give it to Me." This is karma-yoga. It is not that it should be wasted. So that is karma-yoga. So those who are karmis, very much attached to material activities, for them, this karma-yoga is recommended. Some way or other, be connected with Krishna. It is not so meant... It is very great achievement that you work hard earn money and give it to Krishna. That is a great sacrifice. So by karma-yoga, also, you can satisfy...
- Lecture: Srimad Bhagavatam 1.8.21, Mayapur, October 1, 1974
Achyutananda: If a man says, "I am giving you this donation because it is a spiritual organization," but if the money is misused, does that man benefit?
Prabhupada: If money is misused, then both of them become implicated. If it is not used for Krishna, then both of them becomes under the laws of karma.
- Conversations, Morning Walk, Mayapur, March 14, 1976
If a diseased person is being cured of the symptoms of his disease but does not care for the principles of healthy living, there is every possibility of a relapse. Similarly, the neophyte devotee serious about advancing in devotional service must carefully follow the principles of regulative devotional service; otherwise there is every possibility of his falling down. Strictly speaking, if a devotee ignores the regulative principles and acts according to his whims - if, for example, he does not eat Krishna-prasadam but eats anywhere and everywhere, such as in restaurants - there is every possibility of his falling down. If he accumulates money without spending it for devotional service, there is every possibility of his falling down. If he applies his energy not in the service of the Lord but in some material activity, there is every possibility of his falling down. If the devotee does not engage himself always in hearing and chanting the topics of Krishna and His activities but instead indulges in idle talk, there is every chance of his falling down. If a neophyte devotee does not follow the orders of the spiritual master and simply officially sticks to the principles, or if he does not strictly follow the principles, there is every possibility of his falling down. To become greedy is another cause of fall down. And to associate with persons who are not in devotional service is the last word in maya's allurements for causing a devotee to fall down.
- Narada-bhakti-sutra 13 P
For common men it is recommended in the sastra that "You take your bathing in the Ganges." That will make him pious. If he simply takes his bathing daily, regularly, automatically he'll be pious. Or go and see the temple and offer your obeisances. Everything will be taken. This small boy, he has nothing, no understanding what is Krishna, but because he's dancing, because he's chanting, sometimes he's ringing the bell, these are pious activities. Automatically they'll do. So many people. Therefore temple is required. Temple is required. The innocent persons, those who are neophyte, for them, temple worship is essential. By seeing the Deity, by offering obeisances to the Deity, by taking charanamrita, by ringing the bell, by dancing, by taking little prasadam, by touching the feet of Vaishnava or touching the body of Vais..., in this way they're getting piety. This chance is given therefore to the ordinary... There is no question of becoming muni in the beginning. How it, one can be? It is not possible.
Therefore Deity worship, temple worship, essential for the common general people. Simply by their coming, visiting and doing something, they'll be pious. ...
- Lecture: Srimad Bhagavatam 1.8.20, Mayapur, September 30, 1974
… So we should take to this Krishna consciousness movement according to the sastra. Sri... I am very pleased that you are doing nicely, dressing the Deity very nicely. More and more, in this way offer Krishna nice prasadam, nice foodstuff, nice dress. Keep the temple very clean. Sri-mandira-marjanadisu. Marjana means cleansing. Either you dress Krishna or cleanse the temple, the effect is the same. Don't think that "I am a cleanser and he is a dresser." No. The dresser and the cleanser are the same. Krishna is Absolute. In any way, be engaged in Krishna’s service. Your life will be successful. This is Krishna
consciousness movement.
- Lecture: Srimad Bhagavatam 1.8.21, New York, April 13, 1973
"Deity worship means to be very, very clean. You should try to bathe twice daily. The Deities should never be approached without having bathed first and changed to clean cloths after passing stool, etc. Keep teeth brushed after each meal, fingernails clean and trim. Be sure that your hands are clean before touching anything on the altar or the Deities.
And cleanse the Deity room, altar and floor daily thoroughly. Shine the various Aratrik paraphernalia after Aratrik. This is described in the booklet for pujaris written by Silavati Dasi. The idea is summit cleanliness--that will satisfy Krishna."
- Letter to Rukmini, Los Angeles, March 20, 1970
KARMA, VIKARMA, AKARMA, UGRA-KARMA.
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Q. CAN ONE CHANGE THE RESULTS OF ONE`S KARMA ?
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THE LAWS OF KARMA. PART 1.
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THE LAWS OF KARMA. PART 4.
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Dear devotee Hare Krsna, firstly understand that by chanting the Holy Name of the Lord even once can free you from all karma. Devotees have no karma and are under Krsna's direction. The issue is not karma but attachment. In the grhastha ashram or brahmacari ashram you can develop attachment for Krsna. Therefore it is said. If you desire a life of material sense gratification don't go to Vrndavana and hear about Krsna because then you will lose all attraction to material life. Hare Krsna
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