hare krishna to all iskcon devotees
i have some doubts but iam unable to get right answers from my heart......if krishna has sended us to this earth to serve only him why he has sended here but certainly my heart says an answer that krishna sended you to help the week people and needy one........with a krishna in your soul...but i see in most of the iskcon devotees they never care for the sufferers and even they cannot direct them to krishna yes there are some devotees who help the weak and tell that service to living entities is service to krishna.......i think it is the real service.....is iam thinking right?
my second doubt is that many iskcon devotees tells that they never pray to other gods and go to other temples..i cant understand that .....yes i also believe krishna is the supreme god.......but what about other gods........we say that krishna is in every living entity.......but why cant we go to other temples even prabhupada said that you can go to church or mosque or any other religion places but believe krishna is the supreme.my heart says that we are respecting a normal human why cant other gods ?and i also find some discussions here also can we pray that god?this god?
my third doubt is that is sex in married life is only for procreation?how many of iskcon devotees can proudly say that it is only for procreation in married life?there are very few people who can practise this and i certainly believe that it is not strictly possible practically.and even prabhupada teachings are of 1970"s,at the present time population is increasing rapidly....at that time the population is very less in india and other countries and the couple used to have 5 to 6 children on an average mostly in india.but now how can people practise this.....by keeping all this aspects many of iskcon devotees are remaining celibate for their entire life.is the devotees are offenders to krishna by not practising this even they have love to krishna.....plz help me
Replies
Dear Alka Mataji, if You pray to Demigods about Krishna prema then it is honorable.
But as Sudipta Roy Prabhu told if we love girl/boy we do not go to other girls/boys but to those who have responsibility for that girl/boy - parents, counselors...
when we understand that Krishna is Supreme and He can do everything and we have full faith to Him then we do not go to anybody but to His Devotees and to Him. Why to His Devotees? Because they keep Krishna in their hearts and Krishna keeps them in His heart.
Demigods are also Devotees but most of Them not yet pure Devotees. They have some material desires like ruling over the universe or to have much wealth or power because of that they took birth in the Demigod bodies.
But pure Devotees like Srila Prabhupada and others come to this world and spread the message of God. For them we go and ask for mercy.
In the reality when we are really humble we can bow down our head before those who are physically before us but if we are not humble enough we can not do so. because of that we prefer to bow down our heads before those whom we do not see like Lord Shiva, Ganesha....
Your servant,
Hare Krishna Bhaktin Mataji
Can you please clarify the below statement
"In the reality when we are really humble we can bow down our head before those who are physically before us but if we are not humble enough we can not do so. because of that we prefer to bow down our heads before those whom we do not see like Lord Shiva, Ganesha....
We do not see even Lord Krishna himself still we bow down our heads before him. How does it explain your above statement.
when we are really humble we are ready to render service to our Diksha, Shiksha Gurus and all other Vaishnavas. We accept that i am insignificant soul and Guru Parampara only can recommend me to Krishna. i can not reach Krishna directly.
i have to become a servant of servant's servant then only Krishna will accept us.
No one in the history yet jumped over.
For example, i may not have close association of my Gurudev but i am sure that by serving to the instructions of my counselors i serve to my Gurudev. and some day my Gurudev will recommend me to His Gurudev and Srila Prabhupada to His Gurudev and ....then only Shrimati Radharani to Krishna.
Your servant in serving to Srila Prabhupada!
Hare Krishna Bhaktin mataji
Thank you for your kind response.
Also
Hare krishna Sudipta prabhuji
I am not denying any of your fact . Definitely ISCKON (and Srila Prabhupadas books) has given us a great platform to advance in spiritual progress and Krishna consciousness..
What i don't understand is why are vaishanavas so rigid about is not to pay respect to other gods like Shiva.
They think that praying to them is going to deteriorate their Krishna Bhakti.
I have come across lot of vaishanavas who don't accept the prasadam of Lord Shiva. How can that we right?
I personally feel that once that spark of Krishna Bhakti has touched your heart , one respects all gods /religions since that goodness has already come in you. I understand that maya is strong even to pull you back. But I still feel once that spark of Krishna bhakti has aroused Lord Krishna who is seated in your hearts will take us 10 steps ahead to help and progress in this path. It depends from person to person. Some might take few births , some might succeed in this birth.
Personally I was a saivtee by birth and I use to worship lord shiv since I remember my childhood. And I feel that it was his mercy that eventually I got to understand the supremacy of Lord Krishna and his position.
I just feel sad that some vaishanavas and some ISKCON devotees give very rigid/rude answers when it comes to praying to Lord Shiva.
Hare Krishna Mataji. Dandavat pranam. All Glories to Srila Prabhupada
Not a few Vaisnava represents the view of all vaisnavas . Not a view of a single or few Iskconites represents the view of all Krishna Bhaktas. Opinions comes from the degree of realization one has achieved. Be assured a pure advanced vaishnava(uttam adhikari) always give highest respect to Lord Shiva because he is Maha Vaisanava, only a neo-phyte can deny this fact.So don't get allured by someone's and don't give chance your mind to imprints a false view to the whole vaisanava society else it would be very tough to progress in Krishna Bhakti.
Your aspiring servant
Hari Bol
Hare Krishna Prabhuji
Makes sense. Thanks for your kind reply.
please, believe me Shrawan Prabhuji, NO ONE NO ONE NO ONE can help us to become detached from material desires unless we ourselves have sincere desire to remove them from the root. We think that our partner will help us but no. maybe some help but if we do not say to our mind that material desires are useless then even help from others won't have benefit.
Firstly in order to have a perfect grihastha family one should become a Brahmachari - fully celibate and engage himself in the service of Guru and Krishna. In this way he can be able to remove all dirty desires. Family life is not for enjoyment of sex, no! it is for protection from unneeded sex life. and helping each other couples dedicate their lives for the society. In order to become free from lusty desires we have to engage our mind, body fully with active service, better in the association of Devotees.
Lust is there, and will be there until we achieve prema because of that we should worry too much but knowing this we have to use all our senses with intensive service.
and always pray Krishna to forgive us for dirty desires and beg for spiritual desires.
Your servant,
Hare Krishna Prabhuji. Dandavat Pranam. All glories to Srila Prabhupada
/*i have some doubts but iam unable to get right answers from my heart......if krishna has sended us to this earth to serve only him why he has sended here but certainly my heart says an answer that krishna sended you to help the week people and needy one........with a krishna in your soul...but i see in most of the iskcon devotees they never care for the sufferers and even they cannot direct them to krishna yes there are some devotees who help the weak and tell that service to living entities is service to krishna.......i think it is the real service.....is iam thinking right?*/
First of ALL Krishna Didn't send us here to serve him rather WE LEFT Krishna To get served.
Second Seeing the outer coating of a person and judging on that basis is called seeing in the platform of mundane plane with mundane eyes. Certainly who sees the world like this he is not considered as an intelligent person as far Bhagavad Gita is concerned.
IN MATERIAL EXISTENCE EVERYONE IS NEEDY AND WEAK. IN spirirual platform needy and weakness is not judged by one social and wealth status , its a Karmi(frutitive worker) way of seeing the world in only physical platform who doesn't have spiritual vision. May someone does philanthropical and chartiable service to humanity "WILL THAT PERSON BE ABLE TO SAVE ANYONE FROM BIRTH,OLD AGE,DISEASE AND DEATH ??".NOOOOOOOOOOOO. whatever humanitarian work anyone can do no one can save anyone from the mentioned 4 things. "THIS 4 ARE THE REAL PROBLEM IN WORLD".
"NEEDY AND WEAK ARE THE ONE WHO LACKS SPIRITUAL KNOWLEDGE NOT THE ONE WHO DOESN'T HAVE MONEY"
/*but i see in most of the iskcon devotees they never care for the sufferers and even they cannot direct them to krishna*/
Mere providing some one money and food would not get rid the person from suffering his/her KarmaFala (results of action). "ISKCON DEVOTEE CARE FOR SUFFERERS THATS WHY THEY GIVE HARI NAMA TO THE SUFFERER" . "ALL SERVICE TO HUMANITY ARE MERE INSIGNIFICANT AND IN VAIN COMPARE TO WHAT CHAITANYA MAHAPRABHU HAS GIVEN TO HUMANITY i.e KRISHNA PREMA"....HARI NAAM not only redeem the person from continuous birth and death cycle who chants but his/her previous 14 generation from all sinful reaction.DOES ANY PHILANTHROPIST HAVE THAT CAPABILITY?
"NO ONE IS MORE DEARER THAN A DEVOTEE TO KRISHNA AND TO THAT PERSON WHOM THE DEVOTEE GIVES THE HARI NAAM" ~ the person who got a little mercy of a vaisnava there is no one more fortunate than him/her in this three world. No mere money can give this.
/*yes there are some devotees who help the weak and tell that service to living entities is service to krishna.......i think it is the real service.....is iam thinking right?*/
"BY GIVING WATER ONLY TO THE LEAF WE CAN"T SAVE A TREE" . "SERVING KRISHNA MEANS SERVING THE ROOT OF THE TREE"~ If we pour water to the root of the tree then all the leaf and branches of the tree same time get nourished. In the same way if we give food to belly all parts of the body become nourished.
"SO SERVING LIVING ENTITY IS NEEDED , BUT THAT SERVICE FRUCTIFY WHEN WE GIVE REAL KNOWLEDGE TO HUMANITY i.e KNOWLEDGE OF SCEINCE OF GOD"
Living entity suffers due to its ignorance. If we only provide money and food and not try to remove their ignorance and bring them to light of knowledge then all our endeavour will go into vain. As long as a living entity is ignorant it will continue its sinful reaction and suffer endlessly no matter how much money and food we provide it will not help them.Let consider a scenario
"suppose a man is suffering from lactose intolerance. he every day goes to a doctor and the doctor without telling him to not take milk product just give him pill. Now he just every day takes the pill but at the same time continue his milk product intake and everyday goes to doctor and the doctor also never says him to stop taking milk product" ~ Now what will happen? The person will continue to suffer, because the doctor didn't give him knowledge by which it can be rooted out in once rather he gave medicine to suppress the problem.
IN the same manner as above mere providing material facilities would not solve real problem of humanity that is "Birth,old age disease and death"
"SO DEVOTEES ARE DOING REAL ETERNAL SERVICE TO HUMANITY"
And yes ISKCON do so called humanitarian services also like "food for life","Educational services to child and youth" , hospital services etc. "BUT THIS ARE NOT THE REAL GOAL. NO MATTER WHAT NO ONE CAN ESCAPE DEATH SO REAL SERVICE IS KNOWLDGE OF KRISHNA"
/*my second doubt is that many iskcon devotees tells that they never pray to other gods and go to other temples..i cant understand that .....yes i also believe krishna is the supreme god.......but what about other gods........we say that krishna is in every living entity.......but why cant we go to other temples even prabhupada said that you can go to church or mosque or any other religion places but believe krishna is the supreme.my heart says that we are respecting a normal human why cant other gods ?and i also find some discussions here also can we pray that god?this god?*/
"ONE APPROACH LORD HARI WHEN ONE NO LONGER WANTS ANY MATERIAL PROSPERITY" . "GOING TO TEMPLE TO SERVE LORD AND GOING TO TEMPLE WITH THE DESIRE TO SERVE BY LORD ARE NOT SAME" .
Going to a temple of any demi-gods are not prohibited or bad . But one who want to get the love of god head what is the use of it to go to others temple. Remember demi-gods or this god that god can't bestow liberation to a living entity though they can give some material oppulences.Now if someone wants something from different gods then that person can go to other temple but a pure devotee has no-need for any material things so why he/she would go to temple of others.
"DEVOTEE AND PIOUS MATERIALISTS ARE NOT SAME" ~ Devotee to goes to temple to serve god and vaisnavas and pious materialists goes to temple to serve by God ." ISKCON FOLLOWS EKANTI BHAKTI TO KRISHNA" ~ thats why if someone is serious to progress in bhakti of Krishna they are advised to not go here and there and it is for the benefit of the neo-phyte not otherwise.
/*my third doubt is that is sex in married life is only for procreation?how many of iskcon devotees can proudly say that it is only for procreation in married life?*/
"FORGET ABOUT ALL THE DEVOTEES IF YOU CAN FOLLOW YOU ARE THE ONLY PURE DEVOTEE" ~ Its not about doubt or proudly beating drum around its the conclusion of bhagavad gita and our Acharyas . So one who follows this strictly only that person can go back to godhead irrelevant of all devotees. "WHO WANT TO ACHIEVE THE HIGHEST STAGE i.e LOVE OF KRISHNA THAT PERSON MUST FOLLOW THIS"
/*there are very few people who can practise this and i certainly believe that it is not strictly possible practically.and even prabhupada teachings are of 1970"s,at the present time population is increasing rapidly....at that time the population is very less in india and other countries and the couple used to have 5 to 6 children on an average mostly in india.but now how can people practise this*/
"PRABHUPADA"S WORDS WILL NOT CHANGE ACCORDING TO ANYONES BELIEVE" ~ If we can't control our lust what is the use of practising Krishna consciousness . where Krishna himself saying in bg
BG 3.37 :The Blessed Lord said: It is lust only, Arjuna, which is born of contact with the material modes of passion and later transformed into wrath, and which is the all-devouring, sinful enemy of this world.
"lust is the greatest enemy of the living entity, and it is lust only which induces the pure living entity to remain entangled in the material world" ~ Srila Prabhupada
"NOW IF WE CAN"T FOLLOW KRISHNA AND GURU"S WORD AND GIVE EXCUSE TO SATISFY OUR SENSES THEN IT IS NOT WRONG THAT WE RASCAL WILL ROT HERE LIFE AFTER LIFE"
Actually we give excuse and say its not possible when we compromise ourself to our senses. Remember gratifying senses in married life also except for procreating will drag ourself in bodily platform and attachment then how can we understand transendental subject. Celibacy in mind,body and speech itselfs brings transendental knowledge. Now if we think we will do both simultaneously our problem will never be solved.
"WE HAVE TO DEDICATE OUR LIFE TO KRISHNA. OUR WIFE, HUSBAND WILL NOT SAVE US AT THE TIME OF OUR DEATH AND THEY WILL ALSO NOT TAKE THE PARTNERSHIP OF OUR DEEDS"
Your aspiring servant
Hari Bol..
thank you bhaktin maral mataji and sudipta roy prabhu for your elobarate explaination......my two doubts have totally cleared by your detailed explaination..but coming to the third one i think it is most difficult...because in order to get success in devotional service throughout our life....we have to have a good life partner who can understand us...being celibate for a life is easy as compared to the gruhastitaa life.which involves two souls to remain in one goal i.e krishna consiousness but even one fails it leads to severe consequences .BUT in order to get a good life partner who can understand us we require krishnas blessings..so one cannot expect how the life to be after gruhastita life.....but i certainly feel that as iam 22 years old now...i will try to engage in krishna consiousness atleast for some 5 or 6 years....if krishna blesses me a good life partner who understands me i will be very happy but if not i cant do anything as i cannot expect another person like me..and i feel that it is a krishna wish...even devotees says that a devotee should marry a devotee girl....but it cannot be possible to all.....
Hare Krishna Sudipta prabhuji
Why can't or why not a pure devotee goes to other temples.
Sorry for my rudeness/disobedience
From what I understand no one is 100% perfect and that's why they we are in this material world. If someone is 100% perfect then it's only Lord Krishna himself.
As long as somebody's intention is advancement in Krishna Consciousness then there's nothing wrong in going/praying to other demigods.
For example Before starting the mahamantra japa we pray to our spiritual master Srila Prabhupada to bless us for spiritual advancement.
Same way you can go to temple and pray to Ganeshji to remove all hurldes coming on the way to Krishna consciousness.
Same way you can pray to Durga Devi to remove some of her maya prakoop on ourself so that we can advance in Krishna consciousness.
Same way we can pray to Lord Shiva to help(me) to become a great vaishnava since Lord Shiva himself is a great vaishnava and can understand our situation.
I don't think its anyway harmful at all to go or worship other gods as long as our intention is pure Krishna consciousness and we understand the goal of our life is only Krishna krishna Krishna...
I heard there are some major issues/view/opinion differences between ISCKON Bangalore and ISCKON Mumbai. That itself shows even ISKCON is not 100% perfect.. (sorry to say this)
Please apologies me to express my views against yours.
hare Krishna
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