Hare Krsna Devotees,
PAMHO
May be many of us have faced this problem or had seen others suffering from this, it is very general yet a concern of paramount importance.
In the book 'Perfect Questions Perfect Answers' by SP, He says that, in a discussion, that "Devotees needs to be Intelligent not innocent. Innocent are the animals who are being slaughtered". Reading this phrase was the eye opening call for me. And desperate calls demands for desperate measures.
Becoming innocent is condemned by Srila Prabhupada and also by our spiritual leaders, this makes us more vulnerable of becoming fool by outside people.
I am shy type of person and it is not uncommon to hear from peoples saying me innocent. Trust me it is no less than a disgrace! It creates diffidence at times.
I have suffered through many situations myriads of time, it ends up being crushed and mentally broken. I have scanned plethora of web resources, none of them helped much but now in the quest of seeking the guidance from the right people I am humbly approaching you.
In a nutshell my question is: How to turn Innocence to Intelligence?
Pls guide.
Hare krsna
Your servant
Ayush
Replies
The Highest level of Intelligence is as follows:
[When Krsna was on this earth, all the residents of Vrndavana loved Him. Indeed, they knew nothing but Krsna. They did not know whether Krsna is God or not God, nor were they disturbed by such thoughts as, "I shall love Krsna if He is God." Their attitude was one of pure love, and they thought, "He may or may not be God -- it doesn't matter. We love Krsna, that's all." This then is the platform of real, unalloyed love. When one thinks, "If Krsna is God, I shall love Him," it should be known that this is not the platform of pure love but of conditional love.]
>>> Ref. VedaBase => SSR 8c: The Perfection of Self-realization
However, it may many spiritual aspirants to familiarize themselves with so many externals of understanding Hare Krsna or Krsna consciousness.
The authorized Vaisnava Sastra is so much about self-realization, liberation and pure devotional service it happens that spiritual aspirants may have trouble understanding some practical details.
People in general have trouble knowing, understanding, and seriously or strictly following the four regulative principles as ascertained by His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada. The four regulative principles are as follows.
*No Meat Eating
*No Illicit Sex
*No Intoxication
*No Gambling.
I am sure it is intelligent to seriously and successfully follow these four regulative principles.
We can also understand that the body is full or organs, cells, and so many complex chemical exchanges. It is all very phenomenal and fascinating. All of these bodily parts and aspects are all connected in a very special way. Similarly, the brain is connected to the subtle mind somehow just like the head is connected to the neck. Apparently, this is all very phenomenal and difficult to perceive. But, somehow there is this connection and it may be difficult to know the subtle mind as separate and distinct from the brain as an earthly organ. The subtle mind is attached to the intelligence. The intelligence is attached to the Ahankara or Fale Ego. Ultimately, the eternal soul is actually only witnessing even the functions of the material earthly body as well as all other phenomena of material existence.
In ancient time great souls apparently turned to the Srimad Bhagavatam to contemplate so many topics. Also, more so in ancient times, great souls were able to make progress in spiritual realization, God Realization, liberation, and pure devotion to the Supreme God with the help of Pranayama and Astanga Yoga. In this modern age for different reasons most people have trouble bringing all of the instructions found in the Srimad Bhagavatam all the way around to have factual control of the mind which is prone to lust, anger, greed, and so many problems.
Whatever sincere progress we make in pleasing the Supreme Absolute, the Personality of Godhead, I am sure this spiritual advancement will never be lost life after life. Therefore, I believe that we should make all endeavor to learn and practice Krsna consciousness or Hare Krsna Bhakti Yoga to the best of our human ability. This must be getting at what is intelligent and the ultimate realization is as mentioned about and that is the realization of Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrndaban Dhama.
May Lord Sri Krsna Bless you!
Hare Krsna!
Suffering in the life is compared with unreal suffering in a night dream. Those who waked up from such illusionary dreaming do not suffer anymore, as someone who waked up from the nightmare.
Only those who take exclusive shelter at Lord and fully surrender only to Him consider to be intelligent.
I haven't read that book. one needs to see under which context he has said that. abruptly picking up a line and speculating will be misleading. HE may be speaking philosophically because not only devotees but every one needs to be intelligent. I say rather alert in dealing with people, EVEN DEVOTEES my friend. there are few black sheeps every where. if you are shy don't be a shy. go ahead meet people BREAK THE SHACKLES. amongst humans only children can be categorized as innocents not adults. MOST OF THE THINGS ARE IN OUR OWN HANDS. in bhagvad gita Krishna tells Arjun several times give up all this weakness. give up the ignorance. can you give me one incident of your innocense and how you were troubled by people?
Hare Krsna Prabhuji,
PAMHO.
We all are born innocent, we become "intelligent" because of all the beatings life hands out to us one after the other. We have to learn from our mistakes. The lesson should be learnt, remembered and applied, the incident can be forgotten.
My experience of life is that each soul has to face certain types of hurdles. The purpose is that the soul has to evolve. If we do not learn from our mistakes, the same kind of problem keeps coming back to us, increasing in intensity each time. Once we learn the lesson, that problem stops recurring, or even if it does, it stops bothering us.
In short, the journey from innocent to intelligent is to learn from own mistakes and also from others mistakes.
Haribol,
Your servant,
Radha Rasamayi DD