Jai Vaishnavas and Lord
Hare Krishna
Nityananda Gauranga!!
I am an insignificant conditioned soul. I have left chanting due to laziness and my non-devotee family. Actually once they saw me reading about God. They said me that Bhakti is imaginary. I should concentrate on studies. Then one day on facebook while chatting, a devotee friend said that you should not offend nondevotees. What does it mean to offend them? I argued that don't interfere with my decision to appreciate Bhakti and later engage in it. They agreed. But their blessings left. Now I am not at all enthusiastic. I am reading in Class 12. Material miseries are coming around. I want to chant. But I need Vaishnavas' mercy.
PLEASE BLESS ME AND ANSWER- WHAT IS OFFENSE TO NON-DEVOTEE FAMILY?
NOTE: I HAVE NOT TOLD THEM ABOUT KRSNA CONSCIOUSNESS AS THEY ARE DEEPLY CONVINCED TO REMAIN ENTANGLED IN CYCLE OF KARMA. MY FATHER IS A SHAIVA. MY FAMILY IS SMARTA.
HOW SHOULD I BEHAVE WITH THEM?
HARI BOL
NITYANANDA GAURANGA
An Insignificant soul
Replies
It is unfortunate that many Shaivas are inimical to Vishnu and Vaishnavas.
It all goes back to the time when Goddes Sati leaves Her body by self immolation at the fire sacrifice performed by her father Dhaksha Prajapati, son of Brahma.
Bhagavatam Canto 4 Chapter 2: Daksha Curses Lord S'iva
(4) Maitreya said: 'Once in the past at a sacrifice held by the ruler of creation [the Prajâpati], the immortal ones of creation, the great sages along with the philosophers, the demigods and the gods of the sacrificial fire together with all their followers had assembled. (5) When he[Daksha] arrived at that great assembly the sages could see him as someone who, free from the darkness of ignorance, shone like the sun. (6) They, the members of the assembly along with the ones taking care of the fire, impressed by his luster all with the exception of Lord Brahmâ and Lord S'iva, stood up from their seats. (7) Daksha, the one of all opulence who was properly welcomed by the leaders of the assembly, made his obeisances towards the one unborn, the master of the world, and sat down upon his order. (8) Before he took his seat though he felt insulted by Lord S'iva who showed no sign of respect, and losing his temper he with an angry look in his eyes said the following. (9) 'Listen to me, oh wise among the brahmins, oh godly ones, oh fire gods, how I speak to you about the manners of the gentle ones, and this I do not out of ignorance or jealousy. (10) He [S'iva] lacking in manners, has shamelessly spoilt the fame of the rulers of the universe and polluted the path followed by the gentle ones. (11) He, acting like an honest man, [as a son of mine] has accepted to be of a lower position in taking the hand of my daughter in the presence of fire and brahmins. (12) He with accepting the hand of her who has eyes like that of a deer cub, himself having the eyes of a monkey, has not as it should with a word of welcome honored me by standing up from his seat. (13) Contrary to what I want I have given my daughter to him who with no respect for the rules and regulations, impure and proud has broken with the code of civility; it is as if I gave the message of the Vedas to a s'ûdra! (14-15) Accompanied by ghosts and demons he wanders around at the burial places where corpses are burnt, and laughs and cries there like a madman, with scattered hair smearing himself with the ashes of the funeral pyre. He has a garland of skulls and is ornamented with dead man's bones; only in name he is S'iva or auspicious. He is in fact inauspicious, crazy and dear to the crazy, he is their leader and Lord engrossed in the mode of ignorance. (16) To him, the Lord of Ghosts void of all cleanliness and with a heart full of nasty matters, I alas, upon the request of the supreme teacher [Brahmâ], have given away Satî.'
(17) Maitreya said: 'After thus having abused S'iva who remained without hostility, Daksha next rinsed his hands and mouth with water and began to curse him angrily: (18) 'The portion of the sacrifice for God that the demigods along with Indra, Upendra [the younger brother of Indra] and others are entitled to, is there not for the lowest of the demigods.' (19) Even though the members of the assembly urged him not to, Daksha, having cursed S'iva, left the place and went home oh Vidura, for he had gotten very angry. (20) Understanding that Lord S'iva had been cursed, one of his principal associates Nandis'vara, turned red and blind with anger he harshly cursed Daksha and the brahmins who had allowed that the cursing happened.
(21) 'May he who in the physical presence of him, the non-envious Lord S'iva, bears envy and thus is stupefied by a dual vision, lose all his grip on reality. (22) He who is attracted to a householder's life of pretentious religiosity and in a desire for material happiness performs fruitive activities, will see his intelligence concerning the Vedic word fail. (23) Let him who, with the intelligence of taking the body for one's self, has forgotten the knowledge of Vishnu and as an animal is attached to his sex life, that excessive Daksha, soon have the head of a goat!(24) May those who follow Daksha in his insults and dulled in the ignorance of their fruitive activities have lost their intelligence and knowledge, time and again end up here in the ocean of material suffering. (25) Let those who are so envious with Lord S'iva and whose minds have grown slow because of the enchanting flowery words of the Vedas that are so pervaded with the scent of honey, for ever be stupefied. (26) Let those brahmins, who have taken to education, austerity and vows for the purpose of acquiring money and satisfying their physical senses, as beggars wander from door to door, eating whatever!'
(27) When Bhrigu heard the words of this curse against the class of the twice-born, he in response pronounced an insurmountable curse in accord with the brahminical way of chastising: (28) 'May anyone who takes a vow to please Lord S'iva and follows such principles, become an atheist straying away from the scriptural injunctions. (29) Let those who took initiation to worship S'iva and abandoned cleanliness, foolishly have their hairs long, wear bones and are covered by ashes, find their destiny in intoxication. (30) Because you blaspheme the Vedas and the brahmins in support of the established rules of society, you have therefore sought your refuge in atheism. (31) In the Vedas, which in the past have always been rigidly followed for being the auspicious, eternal path for all people, one finds the evidence of Janârdana [the Lord as the well-wisher of all]. (32) Blaspheming that supreme and pure spirit which is the eternal path of the truthful, you are doomed to end up in atheism wherein the Lord of matter and death [S'iva as Bhûtapati] is your deity!'
(33) Maitreya said: 'After S'iva thus was mentioned in the curse of Bhrigu, the Supreme One, somewhat downcast, left the place together with his followers. (34) And so the fathers of mankind for a thousand years settled for the sacrifice oh great master, in which the chief of all gods is Hari, the Supreme Personality. (35) After purifying their hearts by taking their ceremonial, concluding bath where the Ganges meets the Yamunâ, they all left from there to return to their own places.'
HARI BOL!!
THANKS FOR HELP. ACTUALLY, I THINK IF I AM ABLE TO SEE LORD IN ALL SOULS AS PARAMATMA, SEE NOTHING SEPARATE FROM LORD, SEE EVERYONE AS A VAISHNAVA, THEN NO ONE CAN DISTURB ME. BUT THAT IS NOT POSSIBLE FOR ME WHO HAS VERY LESS CHANCE TO RENDER SERVICE TO LORD'S DEVOTEES. I ALSO HAVE STOPPED ARGUING WITH THEM BECAUSE IF I WOULD HAVE NOT READ VAISHNAVA BOOKS, I WOULD ALSO SAY THAT DEVOTEES ARE MAD OR ATLEAST THAT BHAKTI IS IMPRACTICAL AND KARMA IS SUPERIOR OR EQUAL TO BHAKTI.
I SIMPLY WANT TO BECOME A SOFTWARE ENGINEER, THEN DONATE TO VAISHNAVA TEMPLES, ETC, THEN I WILL TRY TO SEND THEM BHAKTI BOOKS. I WILL THEN TRY TO CONVINCE THEM. BUT FOR THAT I MYSELF NEED TO BE STRONG IN DEVOTIONAL PRACTICES, I NEED TO CHANT MORE THAN 16 ROUNDS DAILY, LEAVE ONION, GARLIC, DRUGS IN FORM OF MEDICINES, CHOCOLATE, BISCUIT, MASTURBATION. THAT WILL TAKE TIME AS PROGRESS IS GRADUAL.
HARE KRISHNA
NITYANANDA GAURANGA
SO, I TOLERATE THEM SOMETIMES. BUT HOW LONG? NOW, THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT I DO ON INTERNET.
please try to chant attentive 16 rounds Prabhuji, and everything will be ok. Krishna will take care of other things.
Just attentive chanting at least for two hours a day.
Your servant in serving to Srila Prabhupada,
"An Insignificant soul"
- If we become a devotee, by practicing bhaki yoga, sadhana, then one day we wont ever be that insignificant soul :))
It is said in Bhagavatam, a devotee is as respectable as Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna.
please accept my humble obeisances!
i am sure if You read about God won't be an offense to Your parents Shubham Prabhu, isn't it?!
I am sure if You become a pure Devotee with all good qualities like compassion, humility, tolerance, responsibility... Your parents will be offended, yes?!
If they hurt You while You do Your devotional service then You do not hurt them but try to be respectful and tolerate but never stop serving Krishna!
As like Prahlada Maharaja. His father was the worst in all 3 worlds. But Prahlada Maharaja never was angry to him on the other hand he peacefully and with compassion preached to him to go to Vrindavan and chant the Holy Names. He also prayed for his father. At the same time he never stopped serving Krishna.
But there might be times when our family members will criticize Devotees. Which happened in my life. So for that we should not be peaceful. Even if family member is blaspheming a Vaishnava we have to do something. We have to try to defeat them with knowledge. Or else leave that family. And fully serve to Krishna residing at the Temple.
Your servant,
QUESTIONS ASKED TO SRILA PRABHUPADA. PART 154. ON FAMILY LIFE AND FAMILY MEMBERS.
http://www.iskcondesiretree.net/group/krishnaconsciousness/forum/to...
QUESTIONS ASKED TO SRILA PRABHUPADA. PART 155. ON FAMILY LIFE AND FAMILY MEMBERS.
http://www.iskcondesiretree.net/group/krishnaconsciousness/forum/to...
QUESTIONS ASKED TO SRILA PRABHUPADA. PART 156. ON FAMILY LIFE AND FAMILY MEMBERS.
http://www.iskcondesiretree.net/group/krishnaconsciousness/forum/to...
QUESTIONS ASKED TO SRILA PRABHUPADA. PART 157. ON FAMILY LIFE AND FAMILY MEMBERS.
http://www.iskcondesiretree.net/group/krishnaconsciousness/forum/to...
QUESTIONS ASKED TO SRILA PRABHUPADA. PART 158. ON FAMILY LIFE AND FAMILY MEMBERS.
http://www.iskcondesiretree.net/group/krishnaconsciousness/forum/to...
QUESTIONS ASKED TO SRILA PRABHUPADA. PART 159. ON FAMILY LIFE AND FAMILY MEMBERS.
http://www.iskcondesiretree.net/group/krishnaconsciousness/forum/to...
Q. WHO ARE THE GRHAMEDHIS ? PART 1.
http://www.iskcondesiretree.net/group/krishnaconsciousness/forum/to...
Q. WHO ARE THE GRHAMEDHIS ? PART 2.
http://www.iskcondesiretree.net/group/krishnaconsciousness/forum/to...
Q. WHO IS A GRHAMEDHI ?
http://www.iskcondesiretree.net/group/krishnaconsciousness/forum/to...
Q. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GRHASTHA AND GRHAMEDHI ?
http://www.iskcondesiretree.net/group/krishnaconsciousness/forum/to...