Hare KRISHNA! i have heard all the leelas of lord krishna several times like VARAHA, NARSIMHA, DHRUVA, PRITHU, PUTNA & others. At the end of all these leelas it is written that those who hears these pastimes gets rid of all the sins but i still continue to suffer. some one plz help me on this
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SIN AND VIRTUE.
http://www.iskcondesiretree.net/group/krishnaconsciousness/forum/to...
Q. HOW CAN ONE BE FREED FROM ALL REACTIONS OF SINFUL LIFE ?
http://www.iskcondesiretree.net/group/krishnaconsciousness/forum/to...
Q. HOW CAN ONE BE FREE FROM THE REACTIONS OF SINS ?
http://www.iskcondesiretree.net/group/krishnaconsciousness/forum/to...
Hare Krsna Prabhu
If you are really serious to get rid of the sins, then you must have to surrender to Krsna.
As replied earlier, taking shelter of Krsna via the medium of His bonafide representative (or spiritual master) is recommended by Krsna Himself. Pl read Bhagvad Gita verse no. 18.66
sarva dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva papebhyo
moksayisyami ma sucah
"Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear."
Further in the same purport, it is mentioned by Srila Prabhupada –
“As soon as one seriously engages himself in devotional service to the Lord in full Krsna consciousness, at once he becomes freed from all contamination of material nature. There are different processes of religion and purificatory processes by cultivation of knowledge, meditation in the mystic yoga system, etc., but one who surrenders unto Krsna does not have to execute so many methods. That simple surrender unto Krsna will save him from unnecessarily wasting time. One can thus make all progress at once and be freed from all sinful reactions.”
The direct method of Bhakti yoga is being recommended by Krsna in Bhagvad Gita. And there are nine stages in bhakti yoga, from faith up to the level of reawakening our original identity or pure love for Krsna (prema stage). I am mentioning only 4 below for your reference :
1. sraddha: faith
2. sadhu-sanga: association with devotees
3. bhajana-kriya: performance of devotional service
4. anartha nivrtti: decreasing of unwanted attachments
So right now you have a taste for hearing the pastimes of Krsna or Rama, so it shows you are at first level i.e. having sradddha (faith) but you want to get rid of sins or sinful activities i.e. you want to go at the 4th stage – anarth nivrtti but in between there are 2 stages – devotees association and bhajana-kriya (getting initiation from a bonafide spiritual master and then perform devotional service under his able directions).
Hope you are understanding the point, only by surrendering to Krsna one’s sins could be nullified but only a bonafide spiritual master can teach the process of surrendering to Krsna.
Thank you.
Your servant
Yes, I find hearing pasttimes to be the most enlightening and easy way to remember our Krishna Consciousness.
Sorry I went off on a tangent about fasting. I had a week to think about stuff and could have probably written two pages! Ah yes, hearing the pasttimes, very relaxing. Indeed many pasttimes have their benefits, just like Ekadashi. When you mentioned Lord Shivas pasttime, I went right to http://vedabase.net/sb/10/88/en1 and read the pasttime. It was a thrill when Lord Shiva stepped our of His Own universe and went for the shelter of Lord Hari! I had heard the story before, in Temple, but had not remembered it. I felt like I was there, and 'Lord Hari saw from a distance that Lord Shiva was in trouble'... several sweet moments in that reading. It's no wonder there is such great benefit from hearing this.
Hearing, it IS the easier way to go, lucky for us!
As for my previous post; really, I am just a spiritual optimist. It is true that the fasting-calculations for karma always seem to present themselves, but a person may gain a small bit of benefit from each fast, and thus accumulate great benefit overall. I just like to say stuff that will give people the confidence to acknowledge the inner purity bestowed by hearing the pasttimes of great souls and Holy days and fasts.
We have the most confidential knowledge, that's what's so neet here. If we can feel benefited and encouraged while we walk back to Godhead, all the better.
Hare Krsna Prabhu !
Sri Krsna has already answered this question for all of us as given in Bhagvad Gita 18.66
“Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.”
But what does surrender here means? How to surrender to Krsna when we cannot see Him with these material eyes? That’s why Krsna sends His representative in the form of a spiritual master to teach us how to see Krsna and surrender unto Him.
One has to sincerely follow the instructions given by the spiritual master thinking them to be non-different from the instructions coming from Krsna as the spiritual master is presenting the teachings as it is as he has received in disciplic succession from Krsna Himself without any alteration.
Following four regulative principles, chanting minimum 16 rounds, reading Srila Prabhupada books are the general principles being followed by devotees in Iskcon. When we follow these for minimum one year, then we can approach the spiritual master of our choice in Iskcon for getting initiated. Are you ready for this small austerity in this miserable & temporary life which can help you get an eternal life full of bliss & knowledge? Do you really want to get out from the repeated sufferings of this miserable cycle of birth & death?
Regarding your query that inspite of hearing the pastimes of Krsna our sins are not getting nullified. Yes it’s true that there is no difference between Krsna, His name, His pastimes, His paraphernalia, so when we hear about His pastimes we get relived from sins but the problem is we don’t hear sincerely with one pointed attention and with complete faith. Hearing and chanting are the most important process for progressing in devotional life but how to hear and chant, for that too we have to approach a spiritual master. So ultimately the solution is to approach the spiritual master and enquire from him submissively. As mentioned in Bhagvad Gita 4.34
“Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth.”
Moreover, only By the mercy of the spiritual master one receives the benediction of Krishna. Without the grace of the spiritual master, one cannot make any advancement. (as we sing morning Sri Sri Gurvashtaka in Iskcon temple, yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado, yasyaprasadan na gatih kuto 'pi )
Prabhu, hope you are chanting the minimum quota of Hare Krsna Mahamantra regularly – “Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare” because in this Age of Kaliyuga full of evil and hypocrisy, there is no other way, no other way, no other way, except the chanting the Holy name of Krsna.
“harer nama harer nama, harer naam hi eva kevalam, kalau nasty eva nasty eva, nasty eva, gatair anyatha”
It is meant for the individual and as massive purification of the entire society
Please log on to the free transcendental Ultimate self realization ecourse www.backtohome.com from one of the beloved disciples of Srila Prabhupada, His Grace Sriman Sankarshan Das Adhikari.
Thank you.
Your servant
Harish
Jaya Siddhartha!
To answer your query from the start; Yes, these two things are equal... "To be freed from all birth and death" and "to be relieved of all sins" are on the same platform. We are Vaisnavas. If we are granted escape from birth and death, then it is Gokula or Goloka for us. If we are relieved of all sins, then as Lord Caitanya stated.."You are my worship-able Lord birth after birth."
Some points to make:
--We want certain and sure feelings of purity "now", when we have fasted or worshiped according to regulation.
--Sinless rebirth is possible.
-- The big question first is really, "Is it done yet? - - Am I free??"
We who seek a higher plane of thinking are always wondering am I "there" yet. We fast or observe a Holy Day and read about the benedictions. Then the question is, how much of that benefit rubbed off on me? I believe the answer would be "all of it". Again, I remember a lecture from long ago where this sort of thing was discussed. In one purely observed fast, a soul can loose it's karma...Great! But, we are designed to forget. So, there are many ekadashis and Holy Days to remind us and keep us in practice.
Sometimes it's easier to remember this (that we are karmically cleansed) when we have achieved something in Krishna Consciousness. I personally have had a few successes in my service to Krishna; this helps me have confidence when I rise everyday, that I am watched after and in a benefited position. Because I have observed a fast or Holy Day, I know I am karmically better off... Because I have managed to achieve something in service, I enjoy a lasting confidence. Even, just by enrolling in the Congregation and receiving a certificate, a person can feel he/she has achieved something in KC.
I would mention here the 'born again" christian culture (not fundamentalists only..). The philosophy of the "born again" is that they are forgiven of all sin forever, the second they accept Jesus into their heart. We see a lot of disorganized thinking and behavior from them, though, because they have no regulation or fasting. So, the "born again" rises every day remembering they are forgiven, but are unregulated in carrying out their devotional lives.
Fasting and Holy observances will cure us the one time we need, and that the Holy days are plenteous, give us plenty of opportunity to remind us we are cured.
Sinless rebirth is kinda demonstrated by the King who became a Deer. I forget his name, but there was the King who went to the forest to have a pure retirement-- then he cared for a deer in the forest-- then took birth as a deer because of his attachment-- then took birth as a brahmin-- then went home to Godhead. In all of his births, the King remembered his previous births, and so never lost sight of his liberation.
"Is it done yet?-- Am I free?" I look at it this way; the body is the shell, and inside is the soul. All fasting-benedictions clean everything in the shell, but the outside of the shell is somewhat fixed. We should feel the joy and clarity given to us by our Holy observances, from the inside out. We should accept that our material situation may not reflect the opulent benedictions of freedom granted by our observances. I know when I observe a fast, I can feel the clean aura around me. I get the same feeling when I chant nicely. So, I'm sure the effects are real and lasting, though I may not always feel that way due to my material shell.
please accept my humble obeisances Siddhartha Prabhuji,
once there was a ghost in the tree who wanted too much to get free from that condition. For help he went to one sadhi. Sadhu told that for 7 days he will read Srimad Bhagavatam under that tree and he should listen with full attention. So the first day of those 7 started. Besides the tree there came other listeners also who were Devotees and who also were very sincere, devoted... So in the 7th day that tree in which ghost used to reside burned in to pieces and all listeners around saw a beautiful four handed form a Vishnuduta who came out of the tree.
And they saw how plain from Vaikuntha arrived and took that Vishnudhuta to Vaikuntha. So it was that previous ghost who listened the Srimad Bhagavatam.
Devotees were shocked at the same time happy and at the same time be sad for their own condition. So they asked a sadhu of why they all were hearing the same Bhagavatam classes but did not go to Vaikuntha that time but the ghost did. So Sadhu replied because he was so eager to get free from that ghostly condition for 7 days he with full attention heard Bhagavatam. So that eagerness and attention was his price.
So not only hearing is important but the quality of hearing is much more important.
Your servant, bhaktin maral
Hare Krsna Prabhu,
I am not well versed in these things, but I have sat thru many lectures in my day. As I understand it, we have so much Karma that it is like many Mountain Ranges of piled up "good and bad" karma.
For instance, by observing Ekadashi, I have been told that indeed, our sins are eradicated. These sins are from the vast reserve of Karma that we have accumulated over millions of past lives. Yes, these sins are disposed of by these devotional observances. But I was taught that the Karma we are affected by in this life may only be eased or diverted.
Once, a devotee here in San Diego, broke his toe by simply stumbling while on a stroll thru the city. He said to me "I broke my toe, but I deserved to break my leg!".
This may be a real example. So, he had observed so many pious fasts, etc., and surely his past Karma has been destroyed; and it seems that his present karma had been minimized by the Lord.
I don't think it is realistic to conceive that sins in the 'present' can be completely destroyed, because we are all mostly involved in whatever condition of life in which we live. A 'Miracle' is a magical and rare thing. So if one is afflicted in one way or another, perhaps that condition will last, be minimized, or by the miraculous grace of the Lord Himself, destroyed.
As well, I remember a lecture about initiation, and also chanting faithfully... It was said of both, that our Karma would not stop immediately, but, like an electric fan, when you unplug it, it still spins for a while until the momentum of the machine winds down.
I think that this understanding is in concert with the fact that we do live in the material pradan (elements). And though God is watching and caring for us, the machine has to go thru its paces. ... Again, a Miracle is kind-of rare; but past Karma, you must have faith that it has been eradicated. The present?, well, the Lord handles these things as He sees fit. The next time you skin your knee, you can say "well, I've skinned my knee, but my pious observances have caused the Lord to not break my leg, which my Karma may have caused me to deserve."
We have Mountain Ranges of Karma from millions of previous lives, perhaps as high as the Himalayas! But because of our pious and sincere observances, those Mountains are destroyed! But... today, now, we live here in the present also, and the Lord makes accommodation, according to His desire, how He shall relieve us of our sins.
Humbly submitted for your consideration.
Chanting the name of God, Ram, Krishna, Govinda, Gopala, any of the primary names of the Lord, when Chanted even once, is more than sufficient to lose reaction to sins committed over millions of lifetimes.
Haridas Thakur confirms it in Harinama Chintamani, even before the Holy name is uttered, the sins are vanquished, just as the darkness is dispelled even before the sun rises.
One can take a dip the the Ganges and get washed out of our past bad Karma. Unfortunately, the roots, or the tendency to sin are still not destroyed, therefore, like an elephant... an elephant takes a bath in the river and when it comes out, covers itself with dirt.
Roots or the tendency to commit sin can only be destroyed by Bhagavata Sravanam, hearing Bhagavatam from the lips of a devotee, with firm faith, will not only relive one of sins and the tendency to sin, will surely guarantee liberation, no matter how sinful a person been.
Suffering is caused by material entanglement. Thinking that we are the body and these are my children, this is my wife and this is my money and so on. When on is truly situated in knowledge of absolute truth, that we are the spirit soul that is imprisoned by this material body... that we must take advantage of this rare human birth, not to hanker after wealth or women or followers or fame, but simply to know God and to Love Him... Krishna Consciousness.
Just chant chant chant!!!
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