Hare Krishna,
PAMHO,
AGSP,
There are many spiritual paths or movements that tell about god and it is really difficult for
a common man to decide which will actually lead him to God. For example, My aunt belives in
sai baba and believes that he is guiding her in the spiritual journey, My friends believe in durga maa,
I have muslim friends who strongly believe in koran and say nothing is superior than it similarly christians say about bible.
I am listening to lectures and in association with KC devotees.My question is does God accepts love of devotee even if he is following different path other than what said in scriptures. Does need proceedures,practices to show love. This is the reason I dont read books a lot that put me into confusion, I just chant the holy name and I dont feel we need follow directions in spiritual path, Just
we should have strong desire to meet him if he loves you he will meet you.I pay my obeisances to all the saints who dedicated their lifes in the service of the lord. I think there should be some reason for his grace prabhupada to write these many books in that age but iam unable to understand the reason.
Kindly explain me what is the reason behind these many spiritual paths and if god is one why these many paths. In bhagwadgita krishna said "abandon all religions and surrender unto me" ,so is it OK
if we abandon everything just love him truly without following anything ? Iam very lazy and dont read books that is the reason I ask this type of questions. Please forgive me if iam offensive.
Servant of your servant
aakash
Replies
QUESTIONS ASKED TO SRILA PRABHUPADA. PART 89. ON SADHANA.
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QUESTIONS ASKED TO SRILA PRABHUPADA. PART 90. ON SADHANA.
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QUESTIONS ASKED TO SRILA PRABHUPADA. PART 91. ON SADHANA.
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QUESTIONS ASKED TO SRILA PRABHUPADA. PART 92. ON SADHANA.
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QUESTIONS ASKED TO SRILA PRABHUPADA. PART 93. ON SADHANA.
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QUESTIONS ASKED TO SRILA PRABHUPADA. PART 94. ON SADHANA.
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QUESTIONS ASKED TO SRILA PRABHUPADA. PART 95. ON SADHANA.
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QUESTIONS ASKED TO SRILA PRABHUPADA. PART 96. ON SADHANA.
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QUESTIONS ASKED TO SRILA PRABHUPADA. PART 97. ON SADHANA.
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QUESTIONS ASKED TO SRILA PRABHUPADA. PART 98. ON SADHANA.
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QUESTIONS ASKED TO SRILA PRABHUPADA. PART 99. ON SADHANA.
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QUESTIONS ASKED TO SRILA PRABHUPADA. PART 100. ON SADHANA.
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Hare Krsna,
His divine grace, A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, has given explanations on this topic of spiritual paths in several books, such as Bhagavad Gita, Srimad Bhagavatam, Path of Perfection, Perfection of Yoga etc. Yes, this topic has been discussed a lot.
From the book "Perfection of Yoga":
"In Bhagavad-gita there are three basic types of yoga delineated--karma-yoga, jnana-yoga and bhakti-yoga. The systems of yoga may be likened to a staircase. Someone may be on the first step, someone may be halfway up, or someone may be on the top step. When one is elevated to certain levels, he is known as a karma-yogi, jnana-yogi, etc. In all cases, the service to the Supreme Lord is the same. It is a difference in elevation only. Thus Sri Krsna tells Arjuna that he must understand that renunciation (sannyasa) and yoga are the same, because without being freed from desire and sense gratification one can become neither a yogi nor a sannyasi.
There are some yogis who perform yoga for a profit, but that is not real yoga. Everything must be engaged in the service of the Lord. Whatever we do as an ordinary worker or as a sannyasi or as a yogi or as a philosopher must be done in Krsna consciousness. When we are absorbed in the thought of serving Krsna and when we act in that consciousness, we can become real sannyasis and real yogis. for those who are taking the first step up the staircase of the yoga system, there is work. One should not think that simply because he is beginning yoga he should stop working. In Bhagavad-gita Krsna asks Arjuna to become a yogi, but He never tells him to cease from fighting. Quite the contrary. Of course, one may ask how a person may be a yogi and at the same time a warrior. Our conception of yoga practice is that of sitting very straight, with legs crossed and eyes half-closed, staring at the tip of our nose and concentrating in this way in a lonely place. So how is it that Krsna is asking Arjuna to become a yogi and at the same time participate in a ghastly civil war? That is the mystery of Bhagavad-gita: one can remain a fighting man and at the same time be the highest yogi, the highest sannyasi. How is this possible? In Krsna consciousness. One simply has to fight for Krsna, work for Krsna, eat for Krsna, sleep for Krsna and dedicate all activities to Krsna. In this way one becomes the highest yogi and the highest sannyasi. That is the secret."
"Thinking of Krsna is the essence of all yoga systems--of the hatha, karma, jnana, bhakti or any other system of yoga, sacrifice or charity. All the recommended activities for spiritual realization end in Krsna consciousness, in thinking always of Krsna. The actual perfection of human life lies in being always Krsna conscious and always being aware of Krsna while performing all types of activities."
From the Srimad Bhagavatam, 4th canto:
"In this Kaliyuga, one can attain the same results simply by chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra. Because the people of this age are fallen, the Lord is kind enough to give them the easiest method. Simply by chanting the Hare Krsna
mantra, one can attain the same results."
"In the present age of Kali it is not possible to find expert mantra chanters; therefore all the sacrifices
recommended in the Vedas are forbidden in this age. The only sacrifice recommended in this age is the chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra because in this age it is not possible to accumulate the needed funds for
performing sacrifices, not to speak of finding expert brahmanas who can chant the mantras perfectly."
From the Bhagavad Gita:
"Persons who are unknowledgeable falsely identify with gross material consciousness and are full of material designations. This body is a gift of the material nature, and one who is too much attached to the bodily consciousness is called mandän, or a lazy person without understanding of spirit soul. Ignorant men think of the body as the self; bodily connections with others are accepted as kinsmanship; the land in which the body is obtained is the object of worship; and the formalities of religious rituals are considered ends in themselves. Social work, nationalism, and altruism are some of the activities for such materially designated persons. Under the spell of such designations, they are always busy in the material field; for them spiritual realization is a myth, and so they are not interested. Such bewildered persons may even be engaged in such primary moral principles of life as nonviolence and similar materially benevolent work. Those who are, however, enlightened in spiritual life, should not try to agitate such materially engrossed persons. Better to prosecute one’s own spiritual activities silently.
"Men who are ignorant cannot appreciate activities in Krsna consciousness, and therefore Lord Krsna advises us not to disturb them and simply waste valuable time. But the devotees of the Lord are more kind than the Lord because they understand the purpose of the Lord. Consequently they undertake all kinds of risks, even to the point of approaching ignorant men to try to engage them in the acts of Kåñëa consciousness, which are absolutely necessary for the human being."
From the book, Krsna Consciousness Topmost Yoga:
"The other day when coming to your country I met a secretary of the Japanese government in Tokyo. I wanted to explain to him that he should cooperate with this movement, but he said, "Oh, we cannot cooperate with any religious
movement." He is one of the chief secretaries of the government, and he is such a fool. He is taking this movement as a religious movement, just as we have so many sentimental religions. But this is not sentimental. This is the necessity
of society: a class of men should be Krsna conscious. Otherwise the society is doomed; it is going to hell. And, when such rascals are at the head of the government, how can there be peace? How can you expect peace in a dog's society?
The dogs are by nature howling--"Woof! Woof! Woof!"--as soon as they see other dogs. So do you mean to say there will be peace if you turn human society into dog society, into cat society, into tiger society? The tiger is very powerful;
he can kill many other animals. But does that mean he is a very important animal? No, he has no use in society. And now we are very powerful, and we have good weapons to fight with, and we can kill many people. But these are no
qualifications for good men or a good society."
Recommendation:
We are all lazy nowadays or disturbed by so many activities that we have or wish to perform.
Nevertheless, even if you don't feel like reading books, then try to do any Krsna conscious activities
which you feel you like. Watching Mahabarat or listening to Prabhupada lectures on youtube can
be very enlightening. The Mahabarat and Ramayan are recommended by all great acharyas/saints
especially for all of us who have difficulties understanding Vedas or other spiritual literature,
which can appear contradictory at times if not well understood.
Hari Bol,
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
i am very much sorry that every time i appear under Your nose and disturb Your mind and vision with my words!
As we know, intelligent men learn even from a dog, so feeling myself as a dog hope to write whatever i heard, read and understood trying to help You somehow.
Love-consists of 4 things:
--Trust/faith
--Wonder/astonishment
--Care/service
--Allegiance/devotion
Love can be only when there is an object of love and the lover.
God is a personality.
Personality means:
--He has form
--He has qualities
--He has name
--He has his pastimes/deeds
Just saying that we love God it won't be true. (of course love for Krishna we all have, it is our nature, but it is in dormant position).
But love can be achieved.
And it is very big job. But we can achieve it.
In order to love someone we have to learn him, to know him. How does he look like, what kind of qualities does he has, what is his name, what things he loves to do.
-----------------------
The killer of a mother have to go to the hell and wash there his karma for lacks of years.
Cow is a mother. One who eats cow meat can not understand the spiritual science.
Animals have souls as we have. The one who hurts anybody in this world have to repay with the same price.
If one kills a goat or a fish, in the next life will be also killed in the body of a goat or a fish.
If one has illicit sex have to go to the hell then to take birth in the Earth in the body of a pig, then in the body of a eunuch.
No matter if one is chanting the Holy Names of Allah or Krishna if he continues to do those sins, he is doing the 7th offense to the Holy Names. Which is said:
7. to perform a sin with the hope that the Holy Name will wash away them.
And Lord Gouranga says that one can chant the Holy Names for billion lives but do not achieve love for Godhead if he performs offense to the Holy Names.
--------------------------
Laziness comes from the mode of ignorance. But in order to understand God we have to become to the sudha sattva.
And to the shudha sattva we can come after coming to the mode of goodness. From ignorance we have to come to the radja guna then to the mode of goodness-sattva.
tamas-rajas-sattva-shudha sattva
We lived billion lives. We are now as like a billionaire. Is it difficult for billionaire to give for charity one dollar? No! He will just give. So why we can not give our only one life to the service of God? Billion times we had children, wives, husbands, houses, wealth...but all we lost them and try again to chew the chewed. Again we have some hope that i will be happy in this world. There are scriptures who give us process, using which we can go to Paradise, Heaven. In Srimad Bhagavatam says that Sun, Moon... planets are heavenly planets. We may go there and enjoy wine, women then again will come back. What is the use?
You asked a question:
----My question is does God accepts love of devotee even if he is following different path other than what said in scriptures. Does need proceedures,practices to show love.----
What do You understand under "love"?
For example, Your wife requests You to bring her apple but You go and bring mangoes. No, no mango is better than apple, let me give her mango. Is it love? No! Love means to do that thing which Your beloved told You to do.
Another example, wife always says to her husband that she loves him, loves,loves. But never does not wash his clothes or do any of household jobs. Can we call love? No! love means to serve, to take care.
You told:
-------we should have strong desire to meet him...-------
Oh, if we had strong desire to meet Him we would become as like a Dhruva Maharaja. Who when he was 5 years old left his home and performed austerities. He stop eating, then drinking, then even breathing. Just to use all of his time to serve to Lord Narayana.
We would be like a Parikshit Maharaja, who for 7 days and nights did not sleep, eat, drink but listened the Srimad Bhagavatam.
We would be like Bharata Maharaja, who was born in Brahmanical family but acted as like he was dull, dumb, and mad. Just for using all of his time to remember the Holy Names of God. He did so, in order materialistic people do not talk t him and honor him as a brahmana.
We would be like Raghunatha Das Goswami Maharaja, who used to sleep only 2 hours even not that, drink every two days one glass of milk, pay obeisances to everyone more than 2000 times, surrounding Sri Govardhan...
From here we can see our desire.
You also told:
---------In bhagwadgita krishna said "abandon all religions and surrender unto me" ,so is it OK---------
I hope You understand well what really Krishna means here!
It does not mean you have to leave your job, family...it means just change Your consciousness. Just try to do everything for the satisfaction of not for thyself but for Krishna's.
If one is a simple accounted even, he has perform his duty as if Krishna ordered to do him so.
------if we abandon everything just love him truly without following anything ?--------
then we will take a body of a impudent mosquito who just takes everything without paying the price.
LOVE IS NOT CHEAP THING! WE HAVE TO PAY THE PRICE.
You told:
--------I just chant the holy name and I dont feel we need follow directions in spiritual path,-------
When someone chants the Holy Names feels bliss but some other one murmers: Shnik shnik yam yam (of course i do not mean that You do so, just generally it happens)
In order to chant qualitatively and feel real happiness we have to learn how to chant. Because of that we are given 5 knowledge gathering senses: eyes, ears, nose, touch, tongue. Also mind, intelligence. If we do not use them they will atrophy.
Please forgive me if i hurt again Your mind!
Your servant, maral
Dear Maral mataji,
I thank you for such a wonderful explaination, considering me as your most fallen brother help me to stand in spiritual life.
Haribol.