Hare Krsna Prabhuji / Mataji,
PAMHO.
In ISKCON we address every male devotee as prabhuji and every female devotee as Mataji as a order of respect. But is this limited only to devotees or every body we meet should be addressed in this manner? As a student (I don't have any friends) but when I have to address someone (classmates or anyone else) , should I address them by calling their name or by calling the male as prabhuji and female as Mataji?
Replies
Hare Krishna,
It is upto ur decision. If you want to address anyone with respect then you can but I would suggest that you address a devotee only as mata ji /prabhu ji .. and non devotees and material people don't understand this underlying importance of actually why we use this mata ji and prabhu ji titles in ISKCON.
Actually when you address anyone by the title of Prabhu ji it means that you are addressing the soul of the person and doing PAMHO also. You do humbly pranama for the soul not the body. This is clearly understood by a devotee but not a materialistic person.
In India its a our culture to respect elders and give love to someone who is younger to you., and with same age group we are friendly. Even Krishna used to do the same. If It was Bhisma Pitamah, He respected Him and did Pranipaat ( even though Bhisma was a devotee of Lord) . Lord Krishna shows love for younger age groups and with baal sakha's he showed and bahaved friendly with them. Like Sudhama it is exception because, Sudhama is Brahamin+ friend. So, Krishna was friendly with him at the same time treated him respectfully as brahmin are always respected irrespective of the age.
We are all souls and part and parcel of Supereme Lord Sri Krishna. A devotees can take this normally. Like even a neophyte devoteee also understand why he or she is being called Mata ji or prabhu ji ., it is not that we respect their bodily age, we are seeing the eternal soul which pure and ageless and spiritual.
see, those who can understand this concept can take is easily and it wont raise or inflate their false ego. But a materialistic person may take it in a funny note and my critize you or maybe his ego will increase. Your intention maybe good but the person who takes it may feel funny or may feel overly great about himself. In turn he or she may become egoistic.
I personally feel, if you know in heart that every individual and every jeev is a part and parcel of Sri Krishna we don't hurt anyone and we show mutual respect. It can be within our hearts instead of being over dramatic. I have seen people who call " mata ji" in front and behind make fun of them. They even have lusty thoughts in mind for mata ji's. This is bad.
We need to implement it not thru words we must be taking it by the heart.
Recently one guy posts a forum question.. he says he cannot look into the eyes of mata ji's because he might get attracted to their face and so he hold Krsna book while talking to mata ji's???
You call her as Mata ji na? then how can you have lusty thoughts also or get attracted to her?
Do you get attracted to your mother?
It shows you are just saying " mata ji" only by lips and not meaning it by heart.
I personally feel, One must mean what he says also. Prabhu ji means we are seeing Krishna ( the soul) and respecting him. Mata ji means we are seeing her a mother. Please maintain this feeling even in heart also. it is not just because some people saying we should do it too. Don't become like goats. You know goats? they blindly follow one another and go in groups. They don't even understand what the leader said. They just follow because the other goat is doing. It is good to copy and learn things from seniors but one should also know the idea behind this. We should be able to see and have motherly feeling towards all females. There should be mutual respect for the souls. Not because one is senior we should respect them. It is ofcourse good to respect elders and seniors. But we must know all are souls and all have to respected.
Pure Vaishnavas even do pranama for the vegetables which they are about to cut to cook and offer it to Krishna before they enjoy the meal. Why? because even the vegetables are having life in it and their soul might be hurt because of ur action of cutting them chopping them. Isn't it. Such humbleness one must develop. But the thing is it became a ritual now. And surely outside people ( materialistic and non devotees) they find it funny also. Because they cannot understand this soul concept first of all.
So, better we keep the humble feeling within our heart do respect every soul out there but need not be a pradarshan ( show off). Can maintain decent respectful relationship with all creatures without saying PAMHO and dandavats to all creatures, all the time.
Hare Krishna
Hare Krsna Mataji,
Thank you for your answer. I was asking this question because I knew that the materialistic people won't understand this and take this in a negative way and so I wanted to confirm that it is necessary or not. I understand that the external pradarshan is not important but the internal respect is very important. Seeing everybody as a soul and understanding that they are not body is something which I have been applying in my life and it works so well. In this way I have more respect for everyone and consider everybody to be Krishna's.
Thank you.
Hare Krsna
Hare Krsna
Should I address everybody as Prabhuji and Mataji or only devotees?
Only devotees
Hare Krsna
Hare Krsna Prabhuji,
PAMHO.
Thank you for your answer.
Hare Krsna.