Questions asked to Devotees?? Must ReaD!!!!

GURU

How to get the right Guru ?

It is not possible for a conditioned soul to directly meet Krishna -- the Supreme Personality of Godhead -- but if one becomes a sincere devotee and seriously engages in devotional service, Lord Krishna sends an instructing spiritual master to show him favour and invoke his dormant propensity for serving the Supreme. The preceptor appears before the external senses of the fortunate conditioned soul, and at the same time the devotee is guided from within by the Caitya-Guru -- Krishna -- who is seated as the spiritual master within the heart of the living entity.

- Chaitanya Charithaamarutha, Adi Leela, 1.58

How to destroy our bad tendencies ?

For one who constantly meditates upon My presence within all persons, the bad tendencies of rivalry, envy, and abusiveness, along with false ego, are very quickly destroyed.

Lord Sri KrishnaSrimad Bhagavatam, 11.29.15

Harinaam Getting Insulted

Q. How to ensure that the HariNaam is not getting insulted. I see that on the streets, there are many empty covers of wafers and chips which contain the Holy Name - Balaji, Haldirams - Laxmi Narayan, etc. Many of these covers are right on the streets, sometimes very dirty, and also stamped upon.
I personally feel it is an insult to the Lord's Holy Name. I tried in the past to collect these covers but I faced a problem. What to do with them? How do I handle such situations? What should I do? I request you to kindly resond to this query.

A. We really appreciate your concern for the Holy Name (HariNaam).
Kali-yuga is an age of degradation.
People do not realize the value of Holy Name, which can deliver them from the cycle of birth and death and give them ultimate liberation.
People use the Holy Name for commercial purposes.
The Holy Name is as powerful as Sun.
Although the rays of the Sun come in contact with dirty things, the Sun is never contaminated, moreover it purifies the dirty things.
Similarly it may appear that the Holy Name is getting insulted, however Holy Name can never be affected.
In fact it maintains the power to purify everything it comes in contact with.
It is said in Srimad Bhagavatam that even if someone takes the Holy Name in a way to mock the devotees, it still purifies the person chanting in that way.

As far as possible we also try not to litter the papers on which the Holy Name is printed.
Such papers may be respectfully put in the body of Holy rivers or oceans, or may be buried underground.

I hope this is alright with you

Soul has no beginning

Q. There is one sholka in Bhagvad Gita where Krishna says to Arjuna, "Never was the time that you didn't exists nor shall you be cease to exist …." .

There are few other shlokas like in one the Lord says, "I am the seed giving father of all living entities …." and other one wherein he says, "…. everything emanates from me ….".

Now to me the first shloka which I mentioned above appears conflicting with other two. For example, if the other two shloka are assumed to be true then it implies that spirit soul was also created which means we all living entities (jiva tatva) have some beginning in the past with reference to time right now. However the first shloka refutes this implication by saying that we have no beginning. So how is that two verses are appearing contradictory to me?

Please substantiate your answer with all possible references so that it will help me build my conviction.

A. The apparent contradiction that troubles you can be resolved by the following understanding.

In the seventh shloka of chapter 15, Lord Krishna reveals the identity of the living entity -

mamaivamso jiva loke jiva-bhutah sanatanah
manah sasthanindriyani prakrti-sthani karsati

Translation : The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.

The words mamaivamso ("fragmental parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord†) are very significant. The fragmental portion of the Supreme Lord is not like some material broken part. Before speaking this, the Lord has already explained (Bg 2.23) that spirit cannot be cut into pieces. This fragment is not materially conceived. It is not like matter, which can be cut into pieces and joined together again. That conception is not applicable here, because the Sanskrit word sanatana ("eternal†) is also used in the same shloka.
According to the Vedic version, the Supreme Lord manifests and expands Himself in innumerable expansions, of which the primary expansions are called vishnu-tattva and the secondary expansions are called the living entities. In other words, the vishnu-tattva is the personal expansion, and the living entities are the separated expansions.

At another place (Bg 7.5), Lord Krishna explains that

apareyam itas tv anyam prakrtim viddhi me param
jiva-bhutam maha-baho yayedam dharyate jagat

Translation: “Besides these, O mighty-armed Arjuna, there is another, superior energy of Mine, which comprises the living entities who are exploiting the resources of this material, inferior nature.â€

According to this verse, the living entities are the superior energy of the Lord. Energy exists alongwith the energetic but still, energy is dependent on the energetic. This can help us in understanding how we can be parts and parcels of the Lord and simultaneously be eternal a little better.

Hope this helps.

Varakari Sampradaya and Dattatraya Incarnation

Q. In india there are so many 'Sampradaya'. They all are Vaishnavas but they don't follow the 'Vaishnava principles' strictly.But they have faith on GOD according to their knowledge and understanding. So how to behave with such devotees? Is GOD really pleased with their worship? In Maharashtra there is such a Sampraday 'VARAKARI' Sampradaya. Is this authorised 'Sampradaya' according to Scripture? It is said that Lord VITTHAL is KRISHNA himself, but it is not mentioned in any 'Scripture'. Is it true ?
If yes then what is the pastime of Lord VITTHAL? Plese tell me the pastime of 'DATTATRAY MAHARAJ'.

A. There are four Vaishnava sampradayas and all of them are authorized and authentic. So, anybody or organization who is in any one of these four sampradayas is to be accepted as bonafide and hence Krishna accepts worship and is pleased with such devotees. The Varakari sampradaya is coming from Tukaram Maharaj, who was initiated by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Lord Vittal is Lord Krishna Himself.
There was a devotee, Pundalik, in Pandharpur, who was very devoted to his parents and also to devotees. One year when he could not go to have darshan of Krishna in Dwaraka, Krishna Himself came to give him darshan. But he was so involved in serving his elderly parents that he made Krishna wait on a brick (Vit) till he finished his service. So Krishna is standing in the classic pose of a waiting person and so is famous as Vittal.
We offer respect to all living entities, humans or otherwise and also whether devotees or not. But we associate with bonafide serious and sincere devotees.

In Srimad Bhagavatam 1.3.12, Srila Prabhupada mentions Dattatreya:
TRANSLATION
The sixth incarnation of the purusa was the son of the sage Atri. He was born from the womb of Anasuya, who prayed for an incarnation. He spoke on the subject of transcendence to Alarka, Prahlada and others [Yadu, Haihaya, etc.].
PURPORT
The Lord incarnated Himself as Dattatreya, the son of Rishi Atri and Anasuya. The history of the birth of Dattatreya as an incarnation of the Lord is mentioned in the Brahmanda Purana in connection with the story of the devoted wife. It is said there that Anasuya, the wife of Rishi Atri, prayed before the Lords Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva as follows: "My lords, if you are pleased with me, and if you desire me to ask from you some sort of blessings, then I pray that you combine together to become my son." This was accepted by the lords, and as Dattatreya the Lord expounded the philosophy of the spirit soul and especially instructed Alarka, Prahlada, Yadu, Haihaya, etc.

Prayers for Offering Food to Krishna

Q. Can you tell me the prayer which I am supposed to say whlie offering food to the Lord?

A. Make a plate with a little portion from each preparation. Place it before a Picture of the Lord or the Deities and while ringing the bell in your left hand lovingly chant each of the following mantras three times:

nama om vishnu-padaya krishna-preshthaya bhu-tale
srimate bhaktivedanta-svamin iti namine
namas te sarasvate deve gaura-vani-pracarine
nirvisesha-sunyavadi-paschatya-desa-tarine

I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who is very dear to Lord Krishna, having taken shelter at His lotus feet. Our respectful obeisances are unto you, O spiritual master, servant of Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami. You are kindly preaching the message of Lord Chaitanyadeva and delivering the Western countries, which are filled with impersonalism and voidism.

namo maha-vadanyaya
krishna-prema-pradaya te
krishnaya krishna-chaitanya-
namne gaura-tvishe namah

O most munificent incarnation! You are Krishna Himself appearing as Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. You have assumed the golden color of Srimati Radharani, and You are widely distributing pure love of Krishna. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You.

namo brahmanya-devaya
go-brahmana-hitaya ca
jagad-dhitaya krishnaya
govindaya namo namah

My Lord, You are the well-wisher of the cows and the brahmanas, and You are the well-wisher of the entire human society and world.

You can also chant the Pancha Tattva and Hare Krsna mantras three times:

sri-krishna-chaitanya prabhu-nityananda
sri-advaita gadadhara srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrinda

“I offer my obeisances to Sri Krishna Chaitanya, Prabhu Nityananda, Sri Advaita, Gadadhara, Srivasa and all others in the line of devotionâ€

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

Cooking for Krishna

Q. How to prepare and offer food to Krishna ?

A. Preparing and offering food to the Lord shows Him our devotion and gratitude. Krishna doesn't need to eat, of course, but He accepts the love with which we offer food to Him.

As far as possible, use fresh, natural ingredients for cooking. Krishna accepts only vegetarian food, and packaged, store-bought products may contain meat, fish, or eggs. So read labels carefully.

Cleanliness is important in cooking for Krishna . Wash your hands before you begin. And don't taste the food while cooking; the meal is for Krishna 's pleasure, so He should taste it first. It's best to have a new set of dinnerware used only for Krishna 's offerings and not used by anyone else.

Place the plate in front of Krishna and ask Him to accept the offering. Leave the plate there for a few minutes, just as you would if someone else was eating. Remove the plate, transfer the food to a serving plate, and wash Krishna 's dinnerware. The food is now prasadam, or “mercy†from Krishna .

While you eat, consider the spiritual value of the food; because Krishna has accepted it, it is spiritually identical to Him. Therefore by eating prasadam you become purified.

Everything you offer Krishna becomes spiritualized prasadamâ€"flowers, incense, water, food. All prasadam should be respected and shared with others. Spread the mercy around.

Please Chant:
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
And make your life sublime !!!

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