Hare Krishna!
Please accept my humble obeisance. All glories to Srila Prabhupada,
"I will chant" and "I will not chant" - is that all at Krsna's will??
Someone is not chanting even after knowing that this is the only way to please God- is that Krsna's will?
Hare Krsna!
Replies
Hare krishna!
Very wonderfull discussion.
In the Krsna book, it is mentioned that Sandipa muni predicted Krsna's activities, the demons, mathura,etc. If even our activities are predicted, then the freewill works which way?
Also, nowadays we see a lot of violence by middle-eastern extremists, so what is to be made out of it?. Is their religion as they want it in every corner of the world justified? But surely that's a very narrow approach to attaining Krsna... ..(i'm not sure..)
If they really are crazy behind God or Allah, then why didn't Krsna within their hearts direct them to Him..not necessarily only iskcon... or will they meet Krsna in the end? I once heard from a devotee that he met a muslim who said whenever he does namaz he hears a flute. Also see's a boy in a forest.(he doesn't have a faintest about krsna) Then, has he reached love of God ...Do all religions ultimately lead to Krsna? Each claims he's is the most direct...its very confusing.
All glories to Srila Pabhupada!
All glories to devotees!
Yes, Prabhu Krishna told Arjuna to kill - to perform his kshatriya duties.
If i am a teacher then i have my own duty to teach kids;
if i am a doctor i have different duty of helping to sick people;
if i am a mother my duty is to take care of my kids...
so in this way Krishna told not to kill but to perform your duties which for Arjuna for that time was to kill, wasn't it?!
Your servant.
Hare Krishna prabhu!
I don't think that committing suicide is predestined. If it was predestined, then why would a person get a ghost body for doing that which was predestined. A ghost body is given as a punishment for those who break God's law. It goes with our limited free will. We can choose to die at whatever point we want, however, if we die before our timed death, we are directly breaking the law because of our choice.
Though I don't know for sure if Lord Shiva can change our destiny. He isn't a jiva-atma (he is a jiva-tattva), so he does have more power than Lord Brahma. His original form known as SadaShiva exists at the lowest part of the spiritual realm, just beyond the Brahmajyoti. That's an excellent question.
His desires we know from Bhagavad Gita Prabhu.
Whatever He desired all are in Vedic scriptures.
He nice explained His desires in Vaishnava books like nectar of Devotion, nectar of instructions....
Krishna's desire is that all we come to Him and become happy.
But sometimes offenders of Devotees make Krishna angry and Krishna does not wish them to come to Him.
So in the reality for most decision is from Krishna only. If He allows us associate with Him in the form of His Names then we will be able to chant. But if He is angry to us then He won't allow us to associate with Himself.
He is a person and He has His qualities, desires...so sometimes He may become angry ...
So solution is to please Krishna and make Him to desire to allow us to chant His Names.
And Indra did that with the help of a Devotee - Surabhi cow after he offended Krishna and Vrajabasis by doing attempt to kill them with rain.
Your servant,
Hare Krishna Prabhu!
We have limited free will in the material realm. There are certain things that are decided and put in stone such as our death, our birth, and I think our marriage (heard the last one from an acarya outside of ISKCON).
But apart from that, Krishna provides the instruments to guide us to salvation (he sends representatives, he writes books about liberation, he shows his miracles to show that God really does exist, etc.), but the actual decision lies on us.
But Krishna also shows special mercy to those who are attracted to him. Chapter 10.10/10.11 clearly describe this:
And that makes sense. For example, let's say two brothers are seeking their parent's attention. Brother #1 is constantly crying and calling out. He really is showing a dependent attitude. Brother #2 is more interested in a toy car. Who is the parent going to go towards... obviously brother #1 because he requires more attention.
Similarly, if we call out to Krishna in full dependence (it is described that we should call out to God like a child calling out to its mother), Krishna will treat us better because we need that.
To put in layman's terms: We have limited free will, and this includes choosing the path of going back to Godhead. If we show interest in Krishna / God, he will surely help us. He sort of takes control of our lives and helps us in not straying from the path. Those who choose the path of Maya, Krishna still helps by sending devotees, etc. but since those people are too involved in Maya, they don't recognize the golden opportunity, and as such Krishna doesn't spend too much time with them because they don't need Krishna.
Hopefully this answers your question, but just to address that last question in detail:
you asked: "Someone is not chanting even after knowing that this is the only way to please God- is that Krsna's will?"
Even after a person knows that chanting is the way to please God, and still refuses to do so, it's that person's choice. As I mentioned before, Krishna helps those who want to be helped. If a person shows no interest in God, Krishna isn't going to force a person to worship him, rather he will fulfill the person's materialistic desires because that is that person's desire.
If we look at the world right now, everyone has a chance to go back to God. There are so many religions out there, and while they don't take you directly to God in his personal form, as Lord Chaitanya's bhakti movement does, it sets a person on the right track. So Krishna has provided the instruments, now it is up to the jiva-atma to take up these instruments.
Please forgive me if I have stated something incorrectly.
Your servant,
Hare Krsna Radhe Prabhuji,
you have explained so nicely.
But one thing, as you said ,since our death was already decided, can I change the date of my death or can I change the reason for which I die?
Only the time we are going to die is noted (I heard that each living creature has a certain number of breaths predestined), the method just depends on the situation. That being said, you cannot change the date of your death nor can you change the reason for which you die. Let me explain them both.
1) You cannot change the date of your natural death. However, a person can die whenever he/she wants unnaturally. This is what we call suicide. The result of doing is very horrific and you have to suffer for quite a long time in the worst of conditions ... it's a nightmare. But the time of your natural death is already decided.
2) The reason for which you die isn't something you know ahead of time. Death emerges whenever, wherever, however. Thus, it is very important that we practice KC and remember Krishna constantly. Krishna says in the Gita that who/what you remember at the time of death, you shall go there. If we think of Krishna as a little cowherd boy in Vrindavan, then we will go to Goloka.
Harer Krsna,
then
"I will chant" and "I will not chant" - is it also decided with my destiny?
in the reality Bhakti does not have any reason other than the mercy of the Lord.
So if Krishna wants we will start to chant if He does not want to be so then we won't be able even pronounce the Names properly.
He is pleased when we please His Devotees.
Spiritual sukriti: comes when one pleases a Devotee of the Lord and that Devotee prays for that person in this way person gets attention of God.
We may chant or not to chant. It is our free will.
Your servant,