Someone told me a long time ago that a mentally retarded person committed suicide in their previous life and that is the reason they were born mentally retarded. I also heard that the mentally retarded still are haunted by ghosts. Is this true or was it just some devottee's personal opinion? Thanks
I take care of a mentally retarded child and it seems sometimes that he is seeing something I can't see. He looks up at the ceilings, out the windows, etc. Who is he looking at?
Replies
Hare Krishna Paul Peter Prybytkiwsky Prabhu,
Please, accept my humble obeisances! All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Once one disciple of Srila Prabhupada asked Him: "Srila Prabhupada, what if for the sake of preaching i will take one more birth here in this material world?"
Srila Prabhupada became angry as a line and told with strict voice: "do not force me again to come here to this material world after you and rescue you!"
In Kali Yuga all us fallen!!! we are too much diseased and our karma is terrible with no explanations.
we are tooooooo much diseased that any kind of medicine can not cure us.
We suffer too much in this world and want to close our eyes and never ever open them to the reality. From here comes desire to emerge into emptiness - Impersonal Brahman.
in my childhood i also had this desire, i could not tolerate the horrible reality of this world at the same time did not know how to escape this sufferings. i looked for someone who can answer to me: why so? please, why so?
my parents could not answer to me, the only thing they could say to me that God is Supreme Father is in your heart and His Name.
The most terrible sufferings we get from our the most beloved ones, and the most happiness we also get from our beloved ones. when they cheat us, our heart brakes and we start to become aware of repeating those associations. we afraid to open our heart and become close to people. because we had bad experience.
Because there is no ideal people in this world. Someone is less intelligent, or cruel, or lier, or shameless, or with bodily damage, or with mental damage...even we are not above them.
in this way we think that in Spiritual World also we will suffer because there is an association.
No! Spiritual World is opposite to this world. There everybody loves each other, everybody ready to give up their lives in order to make some other one happy.
Srimati Radharani - is the our Mother. She is ready to accept even a jackal what to say of others?
And in this age Krishna Himself in the mood of Her came to deliver us as quickly as possible.
Our disease won't be cured by austerities, penances, meditations...THE ONLY WAY IS THE HARE KRISHNA MAHA MANTRA.
which we have to chant as like a little baby who is crying for his mother. without any hope for our own endeavors.
We should accept that we have done all those fullish things, we have to pray:
but my dear Lord! You are All-merciful! You can purify my heart just blinking with Your eyes!
Yes, i am fallen! But You are Patita Pavana- the Deliverer of fallen! in this way i pray to You please, forgive me and accept me!
http://www.iskcondesiretree.net/profiles/blogs/homeland-1
Srila Prabhupada gave You opportunity to read His books it means You are very fortunate and You have done all austerities in previous lives, and it is time to go back to Home.
Hare Krishna Paul Peter Prybytkiwsky Prabhu,
Please accept my sincere obeisances! All glories to Srila Prabhupada!!!
Thank You again and again for Your blessings! Hence, it says that blessings of the elders very important in ones life.
Yes, by the mercy of Srila Prabhupada and His disciples who are assisted Him in His Krishna Consciousness movement we are all now big family. And by Their mercy we have an opportunity to chant the Holy Names and to progress in Spiritual life.
In this way we should not think that we are left alone. When Srila Prabhupada physically departed from this world, He left to us so many well qualified Disciples who are also training us to be as qualified as They are Themselves.
We should be grateful to those Devotees who distributed His Books to us. i know how Book distribution is very tuft. it is a very big austerity.
when there was a Soviet Union even Book distributer were killed, put into jails. But they did not stop to serve to Their Gurudev Srila Prabhupada. Only by their help i also had chance to get Bhagavad Gita As It Is and read that.
Then again by the mercy of Devotees, some how or other we brought Srimad Bhagavatam from another country through the dangerous customer officer. And had chance to read for one year.
But my real Spiritual life began when i started to associate with Devotees, coming to the Temple programs, doing some little service, bringing some flowers to the Deities, then learned to do Garlands for Deities, then had chance to join the Temple life...
In Spiritual World everyone thinks that he/she is the lowest and others are my Prabhus - Masters. Devotee sees everyone as his Prabhu-Master.
Lord Gouranga the expansion of Krishna Himself came 500 years ago as a Devotee. Why? in order to teach us how to perform our devotional service.
He Himself used to serve to all the Devotees. He used to do the most menial service to them: sometimes distributed Prasad with own hands, sometimes washed their clothes...
He is God! The Master and Prabhu of all creations, of all living beings! But even thou He did that. Because He wanted to show us that by serving to each other we can please Lord.
Arjuna asks Krishna in Bhagavad Gita: What does it mean to serve to You Krishna?
Krishna says that do not be like an ordinary servant who just serves to his master because of money, and while performing his service thinks of his own family members, relatives...
Try to think of me, Your mind should be always in Me.
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If at this time You do not have opportunity to serve to Devotees just try to desire that opportunity. And Krishna will fulfill Your desire.
Try to desire to have an association of Devotees.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada and all Devotees! Thank You for Your deep devotional questions Prabhu!
Your servant, maral
Hare Krishna Paul Peter Prybytkiwsky Prbahu,
Please accept my sincere obeisances!
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Srimad Bhagavatam says that in this material life there are 3 types of sufferings:
1. suffering in the mind.
2. suffering which cause us other living beings
3. suffering from force majors. From natural disasters.
It is not to right to say that we suffer only in mind. When we sick our body pains and we feel suffering.
But in the reality the soul is not suffering anyhow. Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita that the soul is eternal, full of bliss and knowledge.
In the body we can feel it s presence by consciousness. Consciousness is the function of the soul. But the soul is covered with false ego-intelligence-mind-and other 5 elements which contracts our physical body.
until we have false ego, on the place of true, we will think and feel that we are these bodies. and body is the burden to the soul. Body dies everyday, every second. But soul's nature is to live forever.
The soul's nature is to serve to God. To give Him pleasure! to love Him! to remember Him!
But if we are engaged in other ways rather than in our own nature we will suffer.
As like salt can not be sweet or sugar can not be sour.
We suffer when we forget who we are in the reality. SOULS.
For example, if i think that i am a daughter of my father, a student, a resident of a particular country, i have house, i have friends...every day i will worry about these things. i will worry about my father's life, about my country, about saving and protecting the house...so many troubles are there.
Always i will fear of something. in this way i will suffer. but if i understand that i am eternal soul, that all my friends and parents, children are eternal souls, that my house and country belongs to Krishna not to me.
even i myself belong to Him, then for what to worry? Krishna gave me these things for some time, when it is time He will take away from me.
If we think that we have something, then we are robbers. Even our body does not belong to us.
Vaishnav means that who serves to God Krishna-All-attractive. He left his sinful activities, because he understood that those were wrong. He lost taste to those activities. For example, he used to drink, but he understood that chanting of the Holy Names gives him more pleasure that drinking. He understood that talks about Krishna is sweeter than talks about temporary things (women, wine...). Then why not to enjoy life talking and listening about Krishna?
As like bee goes there where nectar is. So why he should go to the garbage? there is nothing sweet.
All we are looking to the happiness. Without that we can not survive even for a moment. Everyday we need some doze of that feeling. Everyday.
There are devotees who tried all the enjoyments in material life in search of that happiness. but even thou they started to chant. because while we chant we contact with the source of real happiness which is Krishna.
It is the higher taste. If a child ate cake he won't be satisfied with chapatti.
We can see things as they are only throe the Authoritative Scriptures. Srimad Bhagavatam says and we accept it. In this way we will see things as they are.
What is reality? The reality means:
--that this world and our bodies are temporary.
--that this body will grow, produce some children, get sick, and die. and soul is given another body according to his deeds.
--That this material world from the lowest up to the highest planetary systems full of misery.
--the reality means that if you commit sin you will pay for that today or tomorrow.
--it means that if we do not serve to God we will suffer here birth after birth.
There 3 types of students:
1. who learns by hearing
2. who learns by his own experiences
3. who never learns.
Intelligent are those who learn by hearing and reading.
In Brahma Samhita Lord Brahma explains that Krishna has innumerable Goddesses of Fortune. He has enough servants. Perfect servants. He has enough followers, Devotees.
His is Atmarama - Self satisfied. He does not need anything from us - insignificant living beings.
Duryodhana had everything. Once he wanted to please Krishna offering very nice foods, rest places, dancers, signers...but Krishna went to Vidura's house. And Vidura's wife wanted to offer Krishna bananas. Out of her sincere and humble love she did not know what she was doing. Offered to Krishna banana covers throwing out the bananas. But Krishna accepted that! Because He sees love, humility, devotion. He does not need anything rather than that from His devotee.
And also He says someone who claims that he is My devotee is a lie! Why?
Then He told that that is My devotee who serves to My devotees! Who pleases my Devotees.
In order to please Govinda's senses we have to become a servants of a servants.
The question arises. How to serve to His Devotees?
Start with listening them-lectures, books, kirtans
And everything will follow.
When we chant as like a child calling for help Govinda will be pleased, when Govinda is pleased automatically we will be in the 7th sky!!!
Some do chant to escape suffering, some do chant to gain some material things.
But pure devotee chants meditating upon the meaning of Hare Krishna Maha Mantra:
Oh Krishna, Oh Hare! Please, engage me in Your service!
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All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Hare Krishna Paul Peter Prybytkiwsky Prabhu,
Please accept my humble obeisances! All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Thank You for Your blessings and kind words!
You write very intellectually and for me it seems little bit difficult what actually You mean.
Anyway, i understood that You are saying that remembering the Form of the Lord Krishna while chanting the Holy Names of Krishna is better then only listening the Holy Names.
There is no doubt that if while chanting we can mediate upon the lotus feet of Krishna is very nice. But not everyone can do that. In order to do that our mind and intelligence should be very clean.
In Srimad Bhagavatam it says that when the False ego joins with Sattva guna (the mode of goodness) appears mind. when False ego joins with Raja guna (the mode of passion) appears intelligence, when false ego joins with Tama guna (the mode of ignorance) appears the hearing function.
In the age of Kali 99.9% people in the mode of ignorance. Because of that we do not have strong mind and intelligence.
But through hearing the Spiritual sound we directly can reach the false ego and re change it with true ego, as an eternal servant of the servants of Krishna.
Among 5 senses, ear is very sensitive. It works not stopping, even when we sleep it works.
Form and the Name are not different. They are the same Personality of Godhead Krishna.
Shravanam, Kirtanam, Vishnoh Smaranam. - Listening, Chanting only after these two processes remembrance will come automatically.
All the Acharias say that if we just LISTEN : Ha-re Kri-shna Ha-re Kri-shna...
we can achieve love for Godhead.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Devotees!
In how a pitiful condition this child is!!!? He/she can not take mercy in the form of Prasad and other things plus mentally not healthy. i think if i were You i would pray for him/her, maybe would chant some extra rounds, read Shrimad Bhagavatam loudly enough. if he/she has problem with ghosts they can not tolerate the Spiritual sound and will leave. also it is good to wash the floors with cow dung water, plates, clothes also. insects. Good luck! Krishna says that that one is very dear to me who preach about His glory to other living beings and brings them to His lotus Feet. but in the first place You should take care of Your own Sadhana-to please the Root of everything Krishna.
Hare Krishna Paul Peter Prybytkiwsky Prabhu,
Please accept my humble obeisances! All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Only thing in Krishna Consciousness we are struggling for is to ATTENTIVELY CHANT THE HOLY NAMES! Nothing else we are doing.
Everything we do (serve to Devotees, cook, eat, dance, earn money, read Books, sleep, wake up, do physical exercises, take care of wife, children....everything) just to chant the Holy Names attentively. We can not chant attentively by our own endeavors. We put endeavor to get the mercy of Krishna and Vashnavas, and only that mercy helps us to concentrate our mind, ear on the Holy Names.
Meditation - is just try hard to listen the Names: Hare, Krishna, Rama.
Some people spend to do that some years, some maybe centuries. Hare Krishna!
TEXT
adhvany amusminn ima upasargas tatha sukha-duhkha-raga-dvesabhayabhimana-
pramadonmada-soka-moha-lobha-matsaryersyava-mana-ksutpipasadhi-
vyadhi-janma-jara-maranadayah.
SYNONYMS
adhvani--on the path of material life; amusmin--on that; ime--all
these; upasargah--eternal difficulties; tatha--so much also; sukha--socalled
happiness; duhkha--unhappiness; raga--attachment; dvesa--hate;
bhaya--fear; abhimana--false prestige; pramada--illusion; unmada--
madness; soka--lamentation; moha--bewilderment; lobha--greed; matsarya--
envy; irsya--enmity; avamana--insult; ksut--hunger; pipasa--thirst; adhi-
-tribulations; vyadhi--disease; janma--birth; jara--old age; marana--
death; adayah--and so on.
TRANSLATION
In this materialistic life, there are many difficulties, as I have
just mentioned, and all of these are insurmountable. In addition, there
are difficulties arising from so-called happiness, distress, attachment,
hate, fear, false prestige, illusion, madness, lamentation, bewilderment,
greed, envy, enmity, insult, hunger, thirst, tribulation, disease, birth,
old age and death. All these combine together to give the materialistic
conditioned soul nothing but misery.
PURPORT
The conditioned soul has to accept all these conditions simply to
enjoy sense gratification in this world. Although people declare
themselves great scientists, economists, philosophers, politicians and
sociologists. they are actually nothing but rascals. Therefore they have
been described as mudhas and naradhamas in Bhagavad-gita (7.15):
na mam duskrtino mudhah
prapadyante naradhamah
mayayapahrta-jnana
asuram bhavam asritah
"Those miscreants who are grossly foolish, lowest among mankind. whose
knowledge is stolen by illusion, and who partake of the atheistic nature
of demons, do not surrender unto Me."
Due to their foolishness, all these materialists are described in
Bhagavad-gita as naradhamas. They have attained the human form in order
to get released from material bondage, but instead of doing so. they
become further embarrassed amid the miserable material conditions.
Therefore they are naradhamas, the lowest of men. One may ask whether
scientists, philosophers, economists and mathematicians are also
naradhamas, the lowest of men, and the Supreme personality of Godhead
replies that they are because they have no actual knowledge. They are
simply proud of their false prestige and position. Actually they do not
know how to get relief from the material condition and renovate their
spiritual life of transcendental bliss and knowledge. Consequently they
waste time and energy in the search for so-called happiness. These are
the qualifications of the demons. In Bhagavad-gita it says that when one
has all these demonic qualities, he becomes a mudha. Due to this. he
envies the Supreme personality of Godhead; therefore birth after birth he
is born into a demonic family, and he transmigrates from one demonic body
to another. Thus he forgets his relationship with Krsna and remains a
naradhama in an abominable condition life after life.
Thanks Prabhu. So in his prior life he was demoniac and therefore he was born mentally retarded in this lifetime. I try to play Krishna music for him when his parent's aren't home. Unfortunately, they are home a lot of the time so I am not able to do it. So how can he stop having a demoniac birth in his future lifetimes? Or is he doomed forever?
Thanks Sushant Desai
Unfortunately, this child is unable to eat. He has to get his nourishment(liquids only) thru a feeding tube in his stomach. Perhaps I can get him a little juice at the next Sunday Feast. I put some Ganga water-1008 tirthas in one on his forehead. I think the bottle said for "external use only". I will keep putting this Ganga water on his forehead when I can.
Hare Krishna Prabhu,
Srila Prabhupada some time told that this also might be an illness or sickness. because of wrongly movement of prana in the body. nowadays scientists call it zisofrinea or madness. they do not have any drugs to cure from this illness. But Srila Prabhupada told that there are yogic exercises which can help to move prana in the normal way.
but sometimes as You said it might be the attack of ghosts. they attack someone who is not very clean. when we do not follow the Vaishnava etiquette of external and internal purity we become weak, our subtle body becomes weak, so ghosts can easily influence to our mind and body. they do not have physical body, but only subtle. there are lots of desires in subtle but without the physical they can not fulfill their desires.
from here we can know that human body is priceless, all the living beings even Demigods are wishing to be born in the human lone. human body is the only machine which we can use and enter to the Spiritual World. You can read Srimad Bhagavatam 5th Canto about the Instructions of Lord Rshabhadev especially. Hare Krishna
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