Hare Krishna
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Hare Krishna
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Hare krishna. I remenber that Srila Prabhupada said that even if don´t accept Sri Chanitanya as Krishna the Supreme personality og Godhead, if we just study his character we get beneficially. So the point here is that we don´t have to preach everyone directly about Krishna conciousnes. Our behavior is the best proof of our inner devotional state. In this wey I had some atheist friends, but they appreciate the movement because of our character, our behavior and actions. Hope you understand this answer because english is not my language.
Hare krishna.
will suggest to avoid preaching in unknown forums in virtual world and stop making friends without knowing much.
Ys.
Hare Krsna Prabhuji,
PAMHO.
OK. I will try to answer - was actually avoiding it.....
The first 3 paras of that article - what Krsna is trying to do is tell about various paths or ways in which His abode can be reached. Karma Yoga, Gyaan Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga, Bhakti Yoga. Like if someone asks you how to reach your house, you will immediately ask back, which way are you coming and then proceed to - if you are coming via this route, then go left, thn right, 2nd bldg on that lane.....etc etc. Now just think, if there are more than one paths to reach your house and you are one person in one city in one country in one earth, then imagine how many ways there would be to reach God. He is talking about them one by one. Thats all - every individual is free to choose that path which appeals to him the most. The goal has to be KRsna, tahts all.
There is another way to look at it - it is called yoga ladder - I will not elaborate here because your friend does not need it right now. The reason I am mentioning it at all is because our scriptures are written in such a manner that there are multiple reasons for (say) each lila of the lord, as well as multiple interpretations of the same verse. Thats why this knowledge and these texts are relevant across generations and to all kinds of people in all civilisations.
4th para - Then He tells him that he ought to fight if he wants to win the war. This sentence is factually incorrect. Factually, Krsna tells Arjuna to fight the war because even if he walks out now, he will eventually join the war because of his nature. Therefore, fight the war as a service to Me, because I desire. There is a basic difference in understanding here. Krsna always says you have control only over your actions, not over the results of that action. There is no contradiction.
5th para is absolute humbug. Tell him to read Bhagawatam himself - every single verse from the 1st Canto, 1st chapter is all about praising the Supreme Lord - KRSNA. It is easy to write these articles because the vast majority will never read the scriptures themselves and believe such pseudo knowledgeable persons.
The rest of the paras -actually Gita starts and ends in the second chapter itself - from verse 54 to verse 72. Arjuna was temporarily bewildered by the lord so that he can ask questions and more details can be given for our benefit. This Gita gyaan was given right before the advent of Kaliyuga, so it is very much relevant to us. Proof - we have to read and re read and then read with an expert, still we dont understand Gita, Arjuna was told once, in the course of a conversation, and he understood and applied it immediately. There is no record of him going ack to Krsna and asking any further clarifications later on or during the war.
What we need to understand is taht Krsna motivated Arjuna to surrender to Him and fight the war as a service to Him, not with the motive of winning. The act remained the same, the consciousness changed. I hope I have been able to convey. If you have some more doubts or I forgot to clarify something, pls feel free to ask.
As a matter of curiosity, pls inform what is this person's reaction after this.
I am adding a file here. It is an interview I had done some time ago for a women's magazine, clarifying most of the beginner's questions. Maybe you can make him read that also.
Haribol,
Your servant,
Rashmi
EVETIMES-JULY-lowres 1 - 12 pages (2).pdf
Hare KRsna Prabhuji,
PAMHO.
While you have mentioned that your friend is an athiest, to tell him anything about Krsna, you have to first tell him to have an open mind and to be patient.
The article you have mentioned is written by someone with very very poor understanding of Gita. Its like me reading a book of calculus and giving my own theory about what the subject matter is. I heard recently in a lecture that if we hold a book of mathematics, say calculus and ask anyone what is it? The answer will be book of calculus - in what language, english. Then why cant we simply read the book and understand calculus? The answer is - we have to go to an expert who can teach us something written in english and in figures, understandable by most of us. Then why that expert is required - to explain the nitty gritty of maths to us.
If taht is the case with a book on calculus, then how can a book on Krsna, who is the supreme lord, and who has given the most confidential knowledge in this book, be read simply and inferences drawn from it?
You tell your friend to read Bhagawad Gita As It Is and then decide for himself.
I can give answers to the things mentioned in that article if you still want.
Haribol,
Your servant,
Rashmi
Don't waste your time in convincing an atheist that God exists. He will always find an explanation or an argument saying that He does not exist.
Moreover, as per the book "The teachings of Lord Chaitanya" it is a sin to explain things about Lord to an atheist because an atheist will never listen submissively.
Le me give you an example. If an atheist finds a man with long hair and long beard, he will always say that there is no barber in the society and we all know that we have to make an effort to go to the barber for cutting or shaving unwanted hair.
Similarly we have to make an effort to understand the Supreme but these atheists, they will not try to understand the Supreme and they will always conclude that He does not exist and confuse people that are trying to be His devotees.
As per Bhagavad Gita, the Lord says "4 kinds of impious men never surrender unto Me". The atheist come under this category.
I hope you get my point.
Hare Krishna
PLease see the 9th offense in the link given below:
http://krishna.org/the-ten-offenses-in-chanting-the-hare-krishna-ma...