Hare krishna dear devotees,
Are Japa mala and Tulasi mala same or different? Please forgive my foolishness, Dont want to hurt anyone.
Can women wear tulasi mala on all days when she is not allowed to offer food to deity?
Your servant
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i did not watch this video personally and did not heard about it so i do not know to what extent that video is not good.
But in one lecture i heard that in western countries sometimes there do such like things just to attract minds of hippies. But it is not good for Devotees of course.
For example, just few months ago there was a 100s Chetana Festival in Mumbai.
for that my counselors did not permit me to go, she told that there will be many non Devotees and programs even though Krishna Conscious will be according to their consciousness.
In this way if some Devotees are strong enough then for the sake of preaching they may create some albums in rock n roll style...
But i really do not know what was that video about.
Your servant,
Please, do not say such like thing Prabhuji,
this ISKCON desire tree web site is trying to help to Devotees, to new comers to visit this site and get all answers to their questions, get authoritative books, lectures, and progress in their spiritual life.
So many Devotees are involved in different services just to maintain this web site and work it properly, also discussions are checked for wrong advices.
Because in our days many of us do not have chance to associate directly with Devotees, get hard copies of books...and in the soft form it is very helpful.
Your servant,
Hare Krsna Mataji !
I completely agree with you that "ISKCON desire tree web site is trying to help to Devotees, to new comers to visit this site get authoritative books, lectures, and progress in their spiritual life.
Yes we are blessed and obliged to all the Devotees who are involved in different services just to maintain this web site and work it properly. When I was new to Iskcon, I used to read lot of Back to Godhead magazines on this site and hear lot of Srila Prabhupada lectures from this website. So I am always indebited to all those who are behind the successful operation of this website.
Although sometimes there are some articles, some videos are posted which should not be posted but I feel the moderator should not be blamed into as may be there are so many things posted randomly and it would become difficult to check each and every thing. But still the devotees should keep a safe distance from unauthorized articles or unauthorized videos posted sometimes like there was a video posted here of Hare Krsna Mahamantra made on Bollywood hindi song something like kolivari-D which is a shame on the people who made this video.
The Mahamantra itself is so potent so vibrant and given to us by none other than Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself so there is no need to amend it. Our acharyas used the Mahamantras as it is, we have Bhagvad Gita As It Is, what's the need to make nonsense videos. We have hundreds of Vaisnava Songs, we should not make or post nonsense videos even to attract new comers. When Srila Prabhupada went to America, he was told to wear coat and pant else no one will hear him there but Srila Prabhupada told that he has come there to give them Vedic Culture which is the hour of the need and not to take their junk culture based on sense gratification.
Devotees should read Srila Prabhupada books, follow Srila Prabhupada books, live Srila Prabhupada books, preach Srila Prabhupada books. Srila Prabhupada used to say that there is enough knowledge in his books which can easily help one go back to Godhead.
In brief, devotees should help the inquisitie or new devotees in satisfaction of their query but it is much better if we can show them the way to Krsna dham i.e. their nearest Iskcon centre for proper solution to their problems or queries in reference to Vedas.
Hari Bol !
your servant,
Harish
Hare krishna prabhuji,
New devotees should go to temple, i agree. But what if it is far from his/her home? what if due to certain circumstances one may not be able to go?
Hare Krsna Mataji,
Association with devotees is very necessary else Maya will pull one back to the material wrold to the same old ways of material sense gratification. ISKCON has its centres in almost all parts of the world. Even if one due to some circumstances cannot visit any of the Iskcon centre, he still can have Srila Prabhupada books by ordering online too and whenever one get a chance he must visit Iskcon centre, associate with devotees, attend Bhagvad Gita class in evening or Srimad Bhagvatam class in morning, or attend aartis (prayers), serve devotees in various way by making prasadam or distributing prasadam, temple cleaning, books distribution etc etc
One should try to follow all the regulative principles mentioned in Srila Prabhupada books like no meat eating incl. fish, eggs; no intoxication incl tea, coffee; no gambling incl lottery; no illicit sex. Chanting Mahamantra on japa beads help a lot in gradually vanishing these anarthas or bad habits and one is soon on the path of becoming a pure devotee. So first one should try to become a pure devotee and by one's example try to help other family members too. So if all the family members are Krsna conscious, then one always remain in Vrindavan Dham.
If his home is far situated, he can still request some devotees with whom he has contact to arrange some home program from any bonafide spiritual master or acharya. They would be very glad to receive such a wonderful request. Or there are lot of Srila Prabhupada audio or video lectures, back to Godhead magazine available online in this website also. And one can get initiated from the desired spiritual master when he is following all the desired conditions for one year at least, and then he can follow the instructions of his spiritual master. In this way one can please Krsna, Srila Prabhupada by pleasing his spiritual master.
If one is living in a very remote area, still he can get Srila Prabhupada books by requesting any devotee with whom he is in touch or from whom he came in contact with Iskcon. Any devotee would be pleased to deliver or post Srila Prabhupada books to any sincere soul seeking Vedic knowledge.
Mataji, my parents are initiated devotees and are with Iskcon since long time and so I was having Srila Prabhupada books at home but I never read it till I had an accident and was bed ridden for almost 2 months and then for killing time, I started reading Srila Prabhupada books and now it does not matter how far I am from Iskcon, I find some way or other to visit Iskcon or any Iskcon program being held in nearby areas. I am not against this website, I too started my spiritual journey from this website specially reading Back to Godhead magazines. I just meant to follow the authority and do not follow anything blindly, any knowledge we are trying to attain must have reference to the Vedic literatures like Bhagvad Gita, Srimad Bhagvatam, Caitanya Charitamrta...
Mataji, if one is sincere, Krsna will definitely make some arrangement for expediting his devotion as Krsna is more eager than us to have us with Him. It depend upon our sincere efforts and unflinching faith on his Spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada and Krsna.
BG 4.11
As all surrender unto Me, I reward them accordingly. Everyone follows My path in all respects, O son of Prtha.
ye yathā māḿ prapadyante
tāḿs tathaiva bhajāmy aham
mama vartmānuvartante
manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ
Hari Bol !
Your servant,
Harish
thank you prabhuji for this advise. please forgive me if I have offended you. I go to Iskcon, but the truth is I am not in touch with any devotees, other than online devotees.
Hare Krsna Mataji,
You are very humble, one should be very humble and think oneself always to be a neophyte devotee, only this way one can progress in devotional service else one will become puffed up thinking oneself to be a senior devotee than others and may commit offense to a Vaishnava and hence may destroy his devotional creeper being implanted in his heart by the mercy of Guru and Krsna.
Just some examples of necessity of devotees assocation or importance of serving the devotees, like in purport of Srimad Bhagvatam 1.15.8 :
The demon Maya Dānava was an inhabitant of the forest Khāṇḍava. Lord Kṛṣṇa wanted to kill him. When he was chased both by the fire and by the wheel of Lord Kṛṣṇa, he took shelter of such a devotee as Arjuna, who saved him from the wrath of the fire of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Devotees are therefore more merciful than the Lord, and in devotional service the mercy of a devotee is more valuable than the mercy of the Lord. Both the fire and the Lord ceased from chasing the demon as soon as both of them saw that the demon was given shelter by such a devotee as Arjuna. This demon, feeling obliged to Arjuna, wanted to do him some service to show his gratefulness, but Arjuna declined to accept anything from him in exchange. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, however, being pleased with Maya for his taking shelter of a devotee, asked him to render service unto King Yudhiṣṭhira by building a wonderful assembly house. The process is that by the grace of the devotee the mercy of the Lord is obtained, and by the mercy of the Lord a chance to serve the Lord's devotee is obtained. The club of Bhīmasena was also a gift of Maya Dānava.
Necessity of Association with Devotees
Vedic scriptures say that no amount of pious activity can generate feelings of devotion for God in a person. Devotion can only be received from one who already has devotion in him, namely a devotee. The most important aspect of devotional advancement is to seek out the association of other devotees and pray for their causeless mercy.
Adi Purana; Laghu-bhagavatamrta 2.6
ye me bhakta-janah partha
na me bhaktas ca te janah
mad-bhaktanam ca ye bhaktas
te me bhakta-tama matah
TRANSLATION
Lord Krsna told Arjuna, 'Those who are My direct devotees are actually not My devotees, but those who are the devotees of My devotees/servant are factually My devotees.
Padma Purana, Laghu-bhagavatamrta 2.4
aradhananam sarvesam
visnor aradhanam param
tasmat parataram devi
tadiyanam samarcanam
TRANSLATION
Lord Siva told the Goddess Durga, 'My dear Devi, although the Vedas mention the worship of the demigods, the worship of Lord Vishnu is topmost and is ultimately recommended. However above the worship of Lord Vishnu is the rendering of service to Vaisnavas who are related to Lord Vishnu.
Srimad Bhagavatam 1.8.13
tulayama lavenapi
na svargam napunar-bhavam
bhagavat-sangi-sangasya
martyanam kim utasisah
TRANSLATION
The value of a moment's association with the devotee of the Lord cannot even be compared to the attainment of heavenly planets or liberation from matter, and what to speak of worldly benedictions in the form of material prosperity, which are for those who are meant for death.
Sri Vaisnava Pranama
vancha-kalpatarubhyas ca
krpa-sindhubhya eva ca
patitanam pavanebhyo
vaisnavebhyo namo namah
TRANSLATION
I offer my respectful obeisance unto all the Vaisnava devotees of the Lord. They are just like desire trees who can fulfill the desires of everyone, and they are full of compassion for the fallen conditioned souls.
Hari Bol !
Your servant,
similarly for spiriutal science one should not ask anyone online or offline but should contact the proper authority.
Hare Krsna Mataji, the above is meant for those who want to progress in Krsna consciousness.
There are lot of dicussions going on this website blasphemising ISKCON and Vaishnavas without any check. There are lot of wrong suggestions and wrong answers going on in various forms here.
Like one hot topic whether Sai Baba is Saint or God, its just an example, there are numerous such occasions. I feel there is no moderator here who can check that in ISKCON site only Krsna conscious discussions should be there, only Krsna katha.......
may be its ok for newcomers but one who is looking to advance in devtional service must be in regular touch with nearest Iscon centre. One should not go with online suggestions without tallying the same with Vedic literatures like Srimad Bhagvatam and Bhagvad Gita.
Hari Bol !
Your servant
Harish
Hare Krsna Mataji,
Japa mala and Tulasi mala can be different during intial days of chanting but when one is initiated by a bonafide spiritual master, he/she gets a Tulasi beads Japa mala, then Japa mala and Tulasi mala around the neck are of same Tulasi beads.
Yes one can wear tulasi mala on all days provided one is following all the 4 regulative principles i.e. no meat eating including fish, eggs, onion, garlic; no intoxication including tea, coffee; no gambling including lottery; and no illicit sex.
Thank you for your query mataji. Just a suggestion, if you are following Iskcon, you should ask any questions or query you have from authorized acharyas from your nearest Iskcon centre. There are women acharyas also in Iskcon centre or senior mataji devotees but preferably acharyas should be consulted because there are chances of misguidance if you ask online. Like a student for material science cannot go to anyone for taking tuitions, the teacher must be a learned experienced man authorized by some school or university, similarly for spiriutal science one should not ask anyone online or offline but should contact the proper authority.
Hari Bol !
Your servant,
Thank you prabhuji for your suggestion. I agree with you.
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