I heard that krishna knows the past, present, and future. Does he know when i will get liberation? If yes, then my time of liberation must be prefixed. Then i will be liberated from this material universe at that particular time. Them why should i try hard to get krishna consciousness? Please help me..
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This question usuallly came into my mind too. But I have heard somewhere Srila Prabhupad answering to this.
Someone asked Srila Prabhupad that "Does Krishna Know Our Future?". Many said yes. Of Course if that was to be true then what is the use of the minute independence "the freewill" given to us. "So it implies here that Krishna knows everything but he doesnt know what decisions we will take according to the free will given to us.That is completely left to us".
But again Prabhupad was asked doesnt this feature limits Krishna. The fact that he is not all knowing. Here Prabhupad replies that "No it doesnt limit Krsna but it points out another great quality of Krsna. It is his magnanimity that he doesnt interfere with other's free will because otherwise there would be no meaning of the independence".
So your question about our fate being determined or not is also very much dependant on the "free will of our's what we wish to choose". After our choice what will happen that is known to Krsna. We will often given innumerable choices throught our life and depending upon our choices, Krsna determines our future. This is the unique feature of human form of life. Animals act upon the laws of nature and instinct.
I also used to question whether everyone in this world would finally go back to the spiritual world or not. If everyone has to return we can wait. Why try hard for KC? The answer is again dependant upon the free will of the people if the want to turn and surrender to Krsna or not. As long as they dont surrender this complete material manifestation with 4 yuga's cycle will continue to go on? Krsna will come in different form to help us to turn to him in different yugas, But ultimately it depends on us. Because that is what independence is and this is Krsna's magnanimity.
sivabalan > Achinta RoyJanuary 13, 2012 at 11:53pm
Thankyou very much for clearing my confusion. Hare krishna...
yes krsna knows all of time.yes he may know when you will get liberation .now here is the catch if you know your time of liberation is prefixed then you are already liberated in time. what you are asking for cannot help to increase your efforts for krsna consciousness rather than making a declaration that you don't want to do anything about it.
Here goes a nice story. Once, two friends sat under a tree and were medidating on Narayan. Sage Narada happened to pass and when they saw him, they prostrated before him and asked-' When will we get vision of Lord?? Plz tell us because you are so intimate to Lord'. Narada went to Vaikuntha, and after asking Lord, , he came and informed,' You will get Lord's vision after as many births as there are leaves in this tree under which you are sitting'. The first friend said,' I can't wait so long. I want liberation now, now or never'. So he left. The second one started dancing in ecstasy, saying,' Atleast, the Lord has promised to come. For Him, I can wait for millions of births'. The Lord was so pleased that He immediately came from Vaikuntha to 'have the vision' of such an exalted devotee and took Him to Vaikuntha. So it's not the question of the time of liberation. The moment your love for god is revived, you are liberated. So have faith, keep chanting, and you will be liberated at this very birth.
Hare Krishna dear Devotees, please accept my humble obeisances! all glories to Srila Prabhupada!
In order to achieve love for Godhead we need side to things:
endeavor
and mercy
when we endeavor we will get mercy from Krishna.
---------------------------
we have our small free will and our future depends on that small free will.
-------------------------------------
For example, there was a small bird whose eggs felt into a huge ocean. She told to the ocean to give back her eggs but heard silence.
And bird started to pull water from the ocean and wanted to dry it up with her small mouth. By seeing this determination Narada Muni went to Garuda and told to help. Then Garuda came to the ocean and roared that he will dry up the ocean if he does not give back the eggs.
Ocean hearing this roar with humility gave back the eggs. In this way this bird could sit on the shore and believe to the destiny and do nothing. and Narada Muni would see him in that calm position and won't go to Garuda. In this way eggs would be dead.
---------------
it is impossible to achieve love for Godhead by our own endeavors. JUST IMPOSSIBLE! IMPOSSIBLE! IMPOSSIBLE!
We are like that tiny bird who is having job with the big ocean. But we have just show our desire by our acts that we want to love Krishna, that we want to come to Him. Then only He will shower His mercy though His Devotees or directly.
Your servant,
Suresh K Aiyar > Mohini MadhaviJanuary 14, 2012 at 12:53pm
Hare Krishna Bhaktin Maral Mataji,
A very nice story I will remember. it is the determination of the bird that brought devotees like Narada Maharishi and Garudazhwar to come to rescue the bird's eggs. Similarly, when we put our heart and soul in diverting our karma into KC and reduce our material karma slowly, then Krishna will send his devotees to help us as well. But, we should never sit idle not taking the right efforts !!
In loving service of the Supreme and the devotees,
Suresh
Sharanagat > Mohini MadhaviJanuary 12, 2012 at 5:30pm
Very nice Mata jee. You are truely an example. Please accept my bow.
Hare Krishna, Prabhuji!!!! Keep on chanting the Hare Krishna mahamantra and cleanse your heart. The moment your heart gets cleansed, your love for Krishna will be revived. The moment your love is revived,you are emancipated from all material clutches and you will live with Krishna eternally. This is confirmed by Krishna in Bhagavad Gita-
mayy eva mana adhatsva
mayi buddhim nivesaya nivasisyasi mayy eva ata urdhvam na samsayah
TRANSLATION
Just fix your mind upon Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and engage all your intelligence in Me. Thus you will live with Me always, without a doubt.
Since Lord Krishna has revealed that He quickly redeems His devotees from samsara the perpetual cycle of birth and death then one without delay should focus their minds upon Him exclusively in full cognisance directing the intellect which is determinate to absorb itself in the Supreme Lord. Acting in this way by His grace one will receive spiritual knowledge empowering one to join in communion with Him in this very life and after death be transported to the immortal spiritual worlds for all eternity of this there is no doubt.-Sridhara Swami's Commentary
The Supreme Lord Krishna Himself is the savior of His surrendered devotees who exclusively perform bhaktior loving devotion to Him. He rescues them fromsamsara or the perpetual cycle of birth and death devouring all in material existence and bestows upon them His own nature of endless bliss. Here Lord Krishna is instructing Arjuna to act as His devotees do. By focusing His mind on the Supreme Lord alone, which is the most auspicious abode for the mind, He is adored and beloved by His devotees and the Lord of all lords. One should establish their intellect decisively and resolve in their mind that the Supreme Lord Krishna is the paramount object of worship and the ultimate goal to be attained. With the mind and intellect absorbed in the Supreme Lord one will certainly abide with Him in His eternal spiritual abode at the end of this flickering physical existence along with countless others of similar determination and sharing in communion with Him will not be separated from the Supreme Lord ever again.-Kesava Kasmiri's Commentary
Reminds me of something. When Barbareek's head was put on the hill and someone asked him what do you see in the battle field? He said - "I see Krsna everywhere." We are not blessed as him. So for us, our vision on how you look at things that makes apparent truth appear a paradox.
Let me explain further. You are looking at things from body and soul-centric view. If you see from guna and karma-centric view, it will open up. Karma comes from guna. So you pick a guna and produce your karma. These Karmas attach to your subtle body and next time you have only as much choice left to free will as your karmas allow. So the path keeps getting narrowed down. But there is a way out. You can decide to leave wrong guna, then your path opens again. This can be done slowly by conciously leaving guna, qucikly by Shaktipaat in meditation, by chanting or by following righteous path.
Now there are four kind of karmas per popular belief: Sanchit, Prarabdha, Kriyamana and Agama. Let us take an example: you have black money and someone robbed you. Now you can take it two ways: one is that I got my lesson on black money and stop doing it. But you have your prarabdha karma sitting there. So you will pay for it. If you do not pay, you will be punished later or next life. This is sanchit prarabhdha.
Second is that ok I lost money I will make more black money. Now you will add to sanchit karma with your Kriyamana and Agama karma.
Similarly robber has a free will. He can think I drop my kriyamana and agama karma. But for him, it is tough as his guna and false success will not allow him to stop. So most likely he will keep doing it more and more. One day he will lose his choice of picking or leaving guna. He will be punished and his resolve will keep increasing on and on. Finally he will be predictable as his choices are limited.
Now look at it on macro level. One person left the guna. The guna is still sitting there, someone has to pick it. Like - you have ego and someone crushed it(say over money). You decide to give it up. Other person has bigger ego now. He will keep accumulating money, but not like Janak, but like himself. One day his karmas will attach so bad that he will no choice to make a turn. This way guna and karma move around in this world. Amount of Gunas are limited but karma keeps adding and multiplying. When you see Guna from karmic glasses you will feel it added, but no it is just plus one. Let us say - I have ego at point 50 and my guna says one more in one year, so next time it will be 51 and so on.
In Kaliyuga, souls that have given up the freedom to choose karma will be more and more. So when you will chant and see HIM closer to yourself, you will detach yourself from gunas. You will say - 'karma kat gaya'. No, you still pay your sanchit and prarabdha, but you will not pay Kriyamana and Agama. That is cleared by HIM when you chant. But your karma has moved out somewhere else. Karma cannot be decreased, it moves from one spot to another in any of the four forms.
Now with this on micro and macro level, look at the battlefield of Mahabharata. Duryodhana says - 'Janami dharmam nacha me pravritti ...', why so? Because he has lost his choice of choosing guna now. He took karmas of various souls in different life and different stage of his own life. And Krsna knows one day souls tied to this level of Karma will come and their bodies will be wiped out. They will pay for Karma and new era (or Yuga) will usher. All karmas centralized will be destroyed by HIM. Next yuga, again same cycle will follow. So wise thing is to hand over your guna to HIM or others, if they need it and drop your karma.
Predictability of future is for karma tied to souls and not to souls. Happenings are predicted. Souls are there to fulfil what is attached to their subtle body in terms of karma.
I make a repeat several times, please forgive me for that (also for typos). But this is my understanding of soul, karma, guna, free will and predictibility of future.
Wise people know better and HE knows best. Someone may quote what Prabhupada says.
Replies
Hare Krishna,
This question usuallly came into my mind too. But I have heard somewhere Srila Prabhupad answering to this.
Someone asked Srila Prabhupad that "Does Krishna Know Our Future?". Many said yes. Of Course if that was to be true then what is the use of the minute independence "the freewill" given to us. "So it implies here that Krishna knows everything but he doesnt know what decisions we will take according to the free will given to us.That is completely left to us".
But again Prabhupad was asked doesnt this feature limits Krishna. The fact that he is not all knowing. Here Prabhupad replies that "No it doesnt limit Krsna but it points out another great quality of Krsna. It is his magnanimity that he doesnt interfere with other's free will because otherwise there would be no meaning of the independence".
So your question about our fate being determined or not is also very much dependant on the "free will of our's what we wish to choose". After our choice what will happen that is known to Krsna. We will often given innumerable choices throught our life and depending upon our choices, Krsna determines our future. This is the unique feature of human form of life. Animals act upon the laws of nature and instinct.
I also used to question whether everyone in this world would finally go back to the spiritual world or not. If everyone has to return we can wait. Why try hard for KC? The answer is again dependant upon the free will of the people if the want to turn and surrender to Krsna or not. As long as they dont surrender this complete material manifestation with 4 yuga's cycle will continue to go on? Krsna will come in different form to help us to turn to him in different yugas, But ultimately it depends on us. Because that is what independence is and this is Krsna's magnanimity.
yes krsna knows all of time.yes he may know when you will get liberation .now here is the catch if you know your time of liberation is prefixed then you are already liberated in time. what you are asking for cannot help to increase your efforts for krsna consciousness rather than making a declaration that you don't want to do anything about it.
Here goes a nice story. Once, two friends sat under a tree and were medidating on Narayan. Sage Narada happened to pass and when they saw him, they prostrated before him and asked-' When will we get vision of Lord?? Plz tell us because you are so intimate to Lord'. Narada went to Vaikuntha, and after asking Lord, , he came and informed,' You will get Lord's vision after as many births as there are leaves in this tree under which you are sitting'. The first friend said,' I can't wait so long. I want liberation now, now or never'. So he left. The second one started dancing in ecstasy, saying,' Atleast, the Lord has promised to come. For Him, I can wait for millions of births'. The Lord was so pleased that He immediately came from Vaikuntha to 'have the vision' of such an exalted devotee and took Him to Vaikuntha. So it's not the question of the time of liberation. The moment your love for god is revived, you are liberated. So have faith, keep chanting, and you will be liberated at this very birth.
Hare Krishna dear Devotees, please accept my humble obeisances! all glories to Srila Prabhupada!
In order to achieve love for Godhead we need side to things:
endeavor
and mercy
when we endeavor we will get mercy from Krishna.
---------------------------
we have our small free will and our future depends on that small free will.
-------------------------------------
For example, there was a small bird whose eggs felt into a huge ocean. She told to the ocean to give back her eggs but heard silence.
And bird started to pull water from the ocean and wanted to dry it up with her small mouth. By seeing this determination Narada Muni went to Garuda and told to help. Then Garuda came to the ocean and roared that he will dry up the ocean if he does not give back the eggs.
Ocean hearing this roar with humility gave back the eggs. In this way this bird could sit on the shore and believe to the destiny and do nothing. and Narada Muni would see him in that calm position and won't go to Garuda. In this way eggs would be dead.
---------------
it is impossible to achieve love for Godhead by our own endeavors. JUST IMPOSSIBLE! IMPOSSIBLE! IMPOSSIBLE!
We are like that tiny bird who is having job with the big ocean. But we have just show our desire by our acts that we want to love Krishna, that we want to come to Him. Then only He will shower His mercy though His Devotees or directly.
Your servant,
Hare Krishna Bhaktin Maral Mataji,
A very nice story I will remember. it is the determination of the bird that brought devotees like Narada Maharishi and Garudazhwar to come to rescue the bird's eggs. Similarly, when we put our heart and soul in diverting our karma into KC and reduce our material karma slowly, then Krishna will send his devotees to help us as well. But, we should never sit idle not taking the right efforts !!
In loving service of the Supreme and the devotees,
Suresh
Very nice Mata jee. You are truely an example. Please accept my bow.
Hari Bol! Nitai Gauranga Hari Bol!
Hare Krishna, Prabhuji!!!! Keep on chanting the Hare Krishna mahamantra and cleanse your heart. The moment your heart gets cleansed, your love for Krishna will be revived. The moment your love is revived,you are emancipated from all material clutches and you will live with Krishna eternally. This is confirmed by Krishna in Bhagavad Gita-
mayy eva mana adhatsva
mayi buddhim nivesaya
nivasisyasi mayy eva
ata urdhvam na samsayah
TRANSLATION
Just fix your mind upon Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and
engage all your intelligence in Me. Thus you will live with Me always,
without a doubt.
Since Lord Krishna has revealed that He quickly redeems His devotees from samsara the perpetual cycle of birth and death then one without delay should focus their minds upon Him exclusively in full cognisance directing the intellect which is determinate to absorb itself in the Supreme Lord. Acting in this way by His grace one will receive spiritual knowledge empowering one to join in communion with Him in this very life and after death be transported to the immortal spiritual worlds for all eternity of this there is no doubt.-Sridhara Swami's Commentary
The Supreme Lord Krishna Himself is the savior of His surrendered devotees who exclusively perform bhaktior loving devotion to Him. He rescues them fromsamsara or the perpetual cycle of birth and death devouring all in material existence and bestows upon them His own nature of endless bliss. Here Lord Krishna is instructing Arjuna to act as His devotees do. By focusing His mind on the Supreme Lord alone, which is the most auspicious abode for the mind, He is adored and beloved by His devotees and the Lord of all lords. One should establish their intellect decisively and resolve in their mind that the Supreme Lord Krishna is the paramount object of worship and the ultimate goal to be attained. With the mind and intellect absorbed in the Supreme Lord one will certainly abide with Him in His eternal spiritual abode at the end of this flickering physical existence along with countless others of similar determination and sharing in communion with Him will not be separated from the Supreme Lord ever again.-Kesava Kasmiri's Commentary
Hare Krsna Prabhu jee!
Reminds me of something. When Barbareek's head was put on the hill and someone asked him what do you see in the battle field? He said - "I see Krsna everywhere." We are not blessed as him. So for us, our vision on how you look at things that makes apparent truth appear a paradox.
Let me explain further. You are looking at things from body and soul-centric view. If you see from guna and karma-centric view, it will open up. Karma comes from guna. So you pick a guna and produce your karma. These Karmas attach to your subtle body and next time you have only as much choice left to free will as your karmas allow. So the path keeps getting narrowed down. But there is a way out. You can decide to leave wrong guna, then your path opens again. This can be done slowly by conciously leaving guna, qucikly by Shaktipaat in meditation, by chanting or by following righteous path.
Now there are four kind of karmas per popular belief: Sanchit, Prarabdha, Kriyamana and Agama. Let us take an example: you have black money and someone robbed you. Now you can take it two ways: one is that I got my lesson on black money and stop doing it. But you have your prarabdha karma sitting there. So you will pay for it. If you do not pay, you will be punished later or next life. This is sanchit prarabhdha.
Second is that ok I lost money I will make more black money. Now you will add to sanchit karma with your Kriyamana and Agama karma.
Similarly robber has a free will. He can think I drop my kriyamana and agama karma. But for him, it is tough as his guna and false success will not allow him to stop. So most likely he will keep doing it more and more. One day he will lose his choice of picking or leaving guna. He will be punished and his resolve will keep increasing on and on. Finally he will be predictable as his choices are limited.
Now look at it on macro level. One person left the guna. The guna is still sitting there, someone has to pick it. Like - you have ego and someone crushed it(say over money). You decide to give it up. Other person has bigger ego now. He will keep accumulating money, but not like Janak, but like himself. One day his karmas will attach so bad that he will no choice to make a turn. This way guna and karma move around in this world. Amount of Gunas are limited but karma keeps adding and multiplying. When you see Guna from karmic glasses you will feel it added, but no it is just plus one. Let us say - I have ego at point 50 and my guna says one more in one year, so next time it will be 51 and so on.
In Kaliyuga, souls that have given up the freedom to choose karma will be more and more. So when you will chant and see HIM closer to yourself, you will detach yourself from gunas. You will say - 'karma kat gaya'. No, you still pay your sanchit and prarabdha, but you will not pay Kriyamana and Agama. That is cleared by HIM when you chant. But your karma has moved out somewhere else. Karma cannot be decreased, it moves from one spot to another in any of the four forms.
Now with this on micro and macro level, look at the battlefield of Mahabharata. Duryodhana says - 'Janami dharmam nacha me pravritti ...', why so? Because he has lost his choice of choosing guna now. He took karmas of various souls in different life and different stage of his own life. And Krsna knows one day souls tied to this level of Karma will come and their bodies will be wiped out. They will pay for Karma and new era (or Yuga) will usher. All karmas centralized will be destroyed by HIM. Next yuga, again same cycle will follow. So wise thing is to hand over your guna to HIM or others, if they need it and drop your karma.
Predictability of future is for karma tied to souls and not to souls. Happenings are predicted. Souls are there to fulfil what is attached to their subtle body in terms of karma.
I make a repeat several times, please forgive me for that (also for typos). But this is my understanding of soul, karma, guna, free will and predictibility of future.
Wise people know better and HE knows best. Someone may quote what Prabhupada says.
Your servant,
Sharanagat
Hare Krishna sivabalan prabhu,
My humble Obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Please go through the link below. I feel this might answer your question.
http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/2011/10/is-god-omnipotent-omni...
RadheKrishna!!
Your Servant,
Ram
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