past sinful activities committed by young children in THIS lifetime

Hare Krsna!

PAMHO...

I am reasonably new and now & again I have thoughts which I find slightly confusing. I heard a lecture recently where the topic was about karma. My confusion is about young children committing sinful activity when they seem too young to understand the difference between right and wrong or...they are in a position where they have no choice. I heard something about the parents will take the bad karma because they are responsible up to a certain age. A couple or examples:

* a child is born into a family of flesh eaters and is obliged to eat meat, fish, etc. whether the child wants to or not. This could continue until they come to understanding and are independent enough to make other choices.

* a child intentionally hurts or kills another living entity (in some cultures it is normal practice to kill a chicken to eat by breaking the neck; a child will follow the example). Or a child kills an insect intentionally such as a fly, mosquito, ants, etc.). I have even heard stories that In the UK it has happened that 3 children of 8,9 and 14 years old have even hung and killed another much younger child!!!

I am very curious about this subject...can an adult rectify such wrong doings IF they have committed minor or major offenses as a child?

I'm not quite sure IF I will receive an email about this topic to inform me that someone has responded to this discussion thread. I often find it hard to understand how thread work...sorry, I'm not so computer savvy...

Thank you in advance, haribol, Bijoy Debnath

Dear Bijoy Krsna, Hare Krsna, your question is an intelligent one and that is fully explained in Srimad Bhagavatam. Not only children but the adults also go through life not hearing the shastras and performing many sinful activities. Because of previous life we may be born in a pious religious family and never do things like killing and eating animals. So we are very fortunate but others may not be so fortunate as ourselves. Being pious in nature we desire all people to be fortuate and have a level of happiness and awareness at least as good or better thad our own. . These feelings are there in a kind hearted pious soul. Krsna teaches in the Gita that you are not the body you are spirtual and eternal. That this world is controlled by the 3 modes of nature and here is always the prodominence of ignorance. Humans in the mode of goodness are most rare. They usually are found helping society by great pious works like opening schools and hospitols for the less fortunate. Devotees are also engaged in in such work on the spiritual platform. They understand that the cause of suffering is spiritual not material. By distribution of spiritual knowledge, prasadam and the Holy Names of Krsna, Rama, and Hari we are doing the greatest welfare work. By comming in contact with the spiritual potency of Krsna in the Name, book, prasadam etc. the ignorance which is the cauce of the souls sufferings becomes gradualy remooved. We have direct experience of this. You are always welcome to come and see the work we do and judge for yourself. Over many years we have seen so many young and old people transform their lives by chanting the Holy Names Of Krsna. They become so good, like saints. It did not matter wnat was there previous birth and activity. By taking shelter of Sri Krsna's sakirtan even the most sinful man can be delivered. Hare Krsna.

Kiräta, Hüna, Ändhra, Pulinda, Pulkasha, Äbhéra, Shumbha, Yavana, members of the Khasa races and even others addicted to sinful acts can be purified by taking shelter of the devotees of the Lord, due to His being the supreme power. I beg to offer my respectful obeisances unto Him. SB 2.4.18

Replies

Bijoy Krishna Debnath July 11, 2011 at 10:26pm

Hare Krsna!

Thank you all for your replies. Maybe I wasn't clear enough, it is purely a question that came to mind after hearing a lecture. And yes...thoughts about my past deeds before Krishna Consciousness definitely came to mind. I'm not worrying about this.

I have been told on various occasions that ALL answers to any questions can be found in the scriptures which is one of the things that kept me interested about this wonderful philosophy...
- shubhi agarwal > Bijoy Krishna Debnath July 19, 2011 at 3:33pm
  
  Radhey Radhey
  
  when there is a beautiful & lovely life for u with ur krishna why r u thinking about ur past & wasting ur time u must use this waste time in ur KC. ur all sins will wash out itself. so be happy & where there is any tension, any problem don't think about it but only for KRISHNA RADHEY. ur tension will solve out itself & u will always feel a great relief & happiness . another thought------ past has gone u can't do anything now so leave all the things & chant &chant& chant & also be happy because happy devotees r the life of krishna
  
  but we may stop other children doing so, so that we can get peace for saving life of those who were about to killed.
  
  RADHEY RADHEY!
  - Volunteer
    
    Jagadatma das > shubhi agarwal July 20, 2011 at 1:02pm
    
    Dear Bijoy Krsna, Hare Krsna, your question is an intelligent one and that is fully explained in Srimad Bhagavatam. Not only children but the adults also go through life not hearing the shastras and performing many sinful activities. Because of previous life we may be born in a pious religious family and never do things like killing and eating animals. So we are very fortunate but others may not be so fortunate as ourselves. Being pious in nature we desire all people to be fortuate and have a level of happiness and awareness at least as good or better thad our own. . These feelings are there in a kind hearted pious soul. Krsna teaches in the Gita that you are not the body you are spirtual and eternal. That this world is controlled by the 3 modes of nature and here is always the prodominence of ignorance. Humans in the mode of goodness are most rare. They usually are found helping society by great pious works like opening schools and hospitols for the less fortunate. Devotees are also engaged in in such work on the spiritual platform. They understand that the cause of suffering is spiritual not material. By distribution of spiritual knowledge, prasadam and the Holy Names of Krsna, Rama, and Hari we are doing the greatest welfare work. By comming in contact with the spiritual potency of Krsna in the Name, book, prasadam etc. the ignorance which is the cauce of the souls sufferings becomes gradualy remooved. We have direct experience of this. You are always welcome to come and see the work we do and judge for yourself. Over many years we have seen so many young and old people transform their lives by chanting the Holy Names Of Krsna. They become so good, like saints. It did not matter wnat was there previous birth and activity. By taking shelter of Sri Krsna's sakirtan even the most sinful man can be delivered. Hare Krsna.
    
    Kiräta, Hüna, Ändhra, Pulinda, Pulkasha, Äbhéra, Shumbha, Yavana, members of the Khasa races and even others addicted to sinful acts can be purified by taking shelter of the devotees of the Lord, due to His being the supreme power. I beg to offer my respectful obeisances unto Him. SB 2.4.18
    - Bijoy Krishna Debnath > Jagadatma das July 20, 2011 at 3:04pm
      
      Dear Jagadatma das prabhu, please accept my most humble respects
      
      Thank you very much for your informative insight, very helpful.
      
      Certain words you have used are new for me...you wrote, 'Kiräta, Hüna, Ändhra, Pulinda, Pulkasha, Äbhéra, Shumbha, Yavana, members of the Khasa races', are they all various types of humans from another yuga or other types of living entities? If this also in the SB then I will come to it in due course. I have only just started reading the first canto (after completing all the small basic books, Krsna book and BG).
      
      You also mentioned that I am welcome to come & see for myself...is it safe to assume that you live in India (which part) or elsewhere?
      
      Apologies for taking up so much of your valuable time; I have noticed that you are very active on this discussion board answering many questions from others. Your help is very much appreciated but PLEASE only reply if and when you have the time; there are also others here who need you.
      
      Hare Krsna!
      - Volunteer
        
        Jagadatma das > Bijoy Krishna Debnath July 20, 2011 at 5:28pm
        
        Hare Krsna Bijoy, These terms are from Mahabharat mostly. They refer to aboriginal tribals of India. Germans, Greeks amd other races who do not follow vedic culture. Non vegertarians like Muslims, Christians etc. All can be purified by chanting the Holy Names under the shelter of the devotees. When I say you can come and see this I mean to say you can come to any ISKcon center and watch what they do there. You need not come to where I am staying in Orissa. All ISKCon centers are engaged in this missiomary work. By seeing and hearing about these activities you will come to understand how the children and the adults that are spiritualy untrained can be gradualy elevated to goodness, satva guna, and develop Krsna comsciousness. This will not just free them from sinful reactions but also engage them in a positive spiritual way of life. Please dont hesitate to ask devotees questions. They are always happy to talk about Krsna.
Volunteer

Sudheendra S July 11, 2011 at 9:46pm

An offense committed knowingly or unknowingly is considered an offense by the law. There is no excuse from the punishment. But a prisoner can appeal to the president of the country to forgive him or reduce his punishment and if the president wishes to do so, he can even get the prisoner free from the jail.

We are like the prisoner in the jail of the material world. And Krishna is like the president of the entire creation. If we surrender to him then he can get us free from all the Karma. So instead of worrying about what we have done in the past, its better we try to get the mercy of Krishna and get out of this prison As SOON AS POSSIBLE....

hare Krishna.
Ravi Pati Damodar Das July 10, 2011 at 11:23pm

Haribol , Well Said Prabhu
Man July 10, 2011 at 6:05pm

Jai Shri Krishna..

Dear Prabhuji, by successfully completing the ekadashi's that comes along.. all sins are pardoned. From that time on, one should be careful not to sin anymore.

One should faithfully serve Krishna lovingly and you would not have to worry about Karma. There is lot more to karma but why dwell on that when you can rather serve Krishna and ask him for forgiveness and deliverance. Surrender fully to Krishna..

Haribol!

This reply was deleted.