Posted by Riya on September 10, 2017 at 8:22pm in Krishna
Hare Krishna!A friend of mine who's 22, went through a very very rough childhood. His dad had cancer first and then multiple scleriosis and then passed away after 10 years of being ill. His dad couldn't even be with him since he spent most of his life in the hospital. My friend himself got diabetes at the age of 9. His mom is 65 and doesn't look after him due to her age. He has no one and is tries to stay very positive but is failing miserably. I told him its past karma and he said well why don't i remember by past activities to realise the mistakes i made. He keeps saying if God really cares about his children he would've stopped everything he went through when he kept crying and praying to God. I have tried convincing but i dont know the apt answer that i should give to convince him. Any suggestions as to how a person who has had a very rough life should be preached wisely and gradually about Krishna consciousness because looking at his messed up life, he really needs Krishna or God consciousness to rebuild faith.Thank you!
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I believe* that.within-Action, inaction & fprbiden actions, thearin, belays his or her-solution! Because simply by one's acknowledgement of Karna as the primary law of nature one can begin to at least ammagin the *Light at the end of the tunnel. & say to one's self "if I begin performing reggerlerly-works that have benafishal results, thin I will begin being the architect of a more benafishal & less miserable experience for myself and others"?"
This is not wrong thinking, as often I have in times of distress taken shelter of the subtle influences of the divine MANTRAS, OM "The Paron'naba (the begining & end of all successful sacrifices" & the MaHa Mantra. The Supreme & most inlivining Sound Vibrations. Taking shelter & being Sheltered/ liberated by these greater realities we/our mind's can gradually become plesently distrated from ourselves and our focus on our mind's our bodie's & life's immedeit state of missery or circumstances. As Simplistic & basic as this my seem, by putting our own set of cercomstanses into proper perspective it will, work to lessen the anxiety of the mind. And then/when the berden of greef is someWhat lessend,. The work of creating a more creative karma's can more easily be attempted. This Chanting has many glorious & creative results! Not the least of which are it's /innately joyful & purafying energies. Chanting the MANTRAS also lends it's support ive qualities subtly & transindentaly to all those connected to the chanter. Thus it is said "that as many as 100 generations are bennafited by this all-auspices activity." What to speak of those only onece or twice removed! ? Please have faith that if this chanting is benafishal for us it is benafishal for our ancestors & please Chant properly, as our faith is a direct result of experiencel knowledge, the more often we take shelter of it the greater and more lasting our realizations become. And ultimately the illusion of sepperation & the appreciation for our own abilities for camunacation thrughout the three realms is re-inforced & this faith is said to eventually everlasting just as the Sovern & absolute authority & understanding of the GodHead is absolute & eternal. Please Chant properly, this chanting is all we have that has such potent and significant effects. So please chant properly!
We generally desire to know past karma but lord says it is not easy to understand. But scriptures confirm that the present life is an outcome of past karma.
Bhagavad Gita 4.17— The intricacies of action are very hard to understand. Therefore one should know properly what action is, what forbidden action is and what inaction is.
Only "helplessness" can take us very close to the lord than any other means. Acharyas say, the day when we ask, 'why am I suffering in this world ?' is when we are starting to live 'human' life.
The Vedanta-sutra (1.1.1) states, "athato brahma jijnasa": "Now one should inquire about Brahman - The absolute truth, the transcendental, spiritual nature"
So in that sense, one who (so called) enjoys in this world is only going deep into maya (only to suffer later!). So unless one makes use of this life to associate with the lord, whether he enjoys or suffers, it is such a waste of time.
Srimad Bhagavatam 2.9.1— Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: O King, unless one is influenced by the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there is no meaning to the relationship of the pure soul in pure consciousness with the material body. That relationship is just like a dreamer’s seeing his own body working.
Srimad Bhagavatam 3.7.11— As the moon reflected on water appears to the seer to tremble due to being associated with the quality of the water, so the self associated with matter appears to be qualified as matter.
Lord gives all answers in Bhagavad Gita. Keeping aside the ultimate goal of human life (moksha / going back to godhead), we can see the progress in this very own life!
Sarvam Sri Krishnaarpanamastu!
Bg 4.17
If one is serious about liberation from material bondage, one has to understand the distinctions between action, inaction and unauthorized actions. O…
WHat you need to tell your friend is - going by the 22 years of his life, he has faced more miseries than joy. That is the nature ofthe world - it is dukhalayam ashaswatam - temporary and full of miseries. This fact has been explained very nicely in Bhagawad Gita. He may think all the problems only he is facing - but if he sees around, he will realise that there is no one who can say they have not faced miseries - the package may be different for everyone, the timing may be different for everyone, but it is surely there. Tell him to study the life of anyone - known, any personality... anyone. He will find a story of struggle.
Tell him struggle is there in our life for a purpose - to make us stronger, to prepare us for the battle ahead.
I can understand there is a lot of turmoil inside him and he feels lonely, the way out is to connect with God. It may sound difficult for him now - if you can get him to attend any congregational program in your vicinity, or take to local ISKCON temple, do arati, sing and dance in kirtan, and eat prasadam. Initially do only this much. Then if he shows interest, take it forward.
I appreciate your efforts to preach to him, very good mataji.
Haribol,
Your servant,
Radha Rasamayi DD
Riya > Radha Rasamayi DDSeptember 13, 2017 at 12:42am
Yes mataji thank you so much, I will definitely try to do the above. Adding on to that, he is completely against drinking and smoking and doesn't eat non veg also. Hence I felt a person like this who has the good qualities and has been through so much must be helped!! :) Hare Krishna!
Replies
This is not wrong thinking, as often I have in times of distress taken shelter of the subtle influences of the divine MANTRAS, OM "The Paron'naba (the begining & end of all successful sacrifices" & the MaHa Mantra. The Supreme & most inlivining Sound Vibrations. Taking shelter & being Sheltered/ liberated by these greater realities we/our mind's can gradually become plesently distrated from ourselves and our focus on our mind's our bodie's & life's immedeit state of missery or circumstances. As Simplistic & basic as this my seem, by putting our own set of cercomstanses into proper perspective it will, work to lessen the anxiety of the mind. And then/when the berden of greef is someWhat lessend,. The work of creating a more creative karma's can more easily be attempted. This Chanting has many glorious & creative results! Not the least of which are it's /innately joyful & purafying energies. Chanting the MANTRAS also lends it's support ive qualities subtly & transindentaly to all those connected to the chanter. Thus it is said "that as many as 100 generations are bennafited by this all-auspices activity." What to speak of those only onece or twice removed! ? Please have faith that if this chanting is benafishal for us it is benafishal for our ancestors & please Chant properly, as our faith is a direct result of experiencel knowledge, the more often we take shelter of it the greater and more lasting our realizations become. And ultimately the illusion of sepperation & the appreciation for our own abilities for camunacation thrughout the three realms is re-inforced & this faith is said to eventually everlasting just as the Sovern & absolute authority & understanding of the GodHead is absolute & eternal. Please Chant properly, this chanting is all we have that has such potent and significant effects. So please chant properly!
The very best way is to visit Vrindavan.......first
so atleast persuade your friend to visit.....and make a plan for it...
show him first the beautiful temples of Vrindavan atleast
like Prem Mandir,ISKCON Temple, and then come to BankeBihari or Radha-Raman.. also Nidhivan and other some temples,
when your friend would see the devotion on the face of different-2 kinds of people... plus the beautiful idols and temples
i m sure,these things would have some or may be deep impact on his mind.....
so hope for the best..visit brajbhoomi
Hare Krishna! Dandavat Pranam!
We generally desire to know past karma but lord says it is not easy to understand. But scriptures confirm that the present life is an outcome of past karma.
Bhagavad Gita 4.17 — The intricacies of action are very hard to understand. Therefore one should know properly what action is, what forbidden action is and what inaction is.
Only "helplessness" can take us very close to the lord than any other means. Acharyas say, the day when we ask, 'why am I suffering in this world ?' is when we are starting to live 'human' life.
The Vedanta-sutra (1.1.1) states, "athato brahma jijnasa": "Now one should inquire about Brahman - The absolute truth, the transcendental, spiritual nature"
So in that sense, one who (so called) enjoys in this world is only going deep into maya (only to suffer later!). So unless one makes use of this life to associate with the lord, whether he enjoys or suffers, it is such a waste of time.
Srimad Bhagavatam 2.9.1 — Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: O King, unless one is influenced by the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there is no meaning to the relationship of the pure soul in pure consciousness with the material body. That relationship is just like a dreamer’s seeing his own body working.
Srimad Bhagavatam 3.7.11 — As the moon reflected on water appears to the seer to tremble due to being associated with the quality of the water, so the self associated with matter appears to be qualified as matter.
Lord gives all answers in Bhagavad Gita. Keeping aside the ultimate goal of human life (moksha / going back to godhead), we can see the progress in this very own life!
Sarvam Sri Krishnaarpanamastu!
Hare Krsna Mataji,
PAMHO.
WHat you need to tell your friend is - going by the 22 years of his life, he has faced more miseries than joy. That is the nature ofthe world - it is dukhalayam ashaswatam - temporary and full of miseries. This fact has been explained very nicely in Bhagawad Gita. He may think all the problems only he is facing - but if he sees around, he will realise that there is no one who can say they have not faced miseries - the package may be different for everyone, the timing may be different for everyone, but it is surely there. Tell him to study the life of anyone - known, any personality... anyone. He will find a story of struggle.
Tell him struggle is there in our life for a purpose - to make us stronger, to prepare us for the battle ahead.
I can understand there is a lot of turmoil inside him and he feels lonely, the way out is to connect with God. It may sound difficult for him now - if you can get him to attend any congregational program in your vicinity, or take to local ISKCON temple, do arati, sing and dance in kirtan, and eat prasadam. Initially do only this much. Then if he shows interest, take it forward.
I appreciate your efforts to preach to him, very good mataji.
Haribol,
Your servant,
Radha Rasamayi DD