Spiritual FAQs

Q. If Krishna is all powerful and wants us to come back to Him, then why does He not simply do it?

A. The answer to your question, which you have said is a very fundamental one, rests on the understanding of the living entity’s free will.

Because there is free will, the living entity can choose to misuse their free will. When this choice of misuse of free will is exercised by the living entity, the Lord may sanction it. But the punishment is also there along with the sanctioning, so that the living entity learns the lesson that misuse of free will will not bring happiness. If you look on the other side of the question, ‘Why is it that God does not restrict our free will so that we cannot misuse it?’, then you have a situation where love is also not voluntary but forced.

That is not love, that is something else. In order for there to be real love for God, there must also be the opportunity for free will, including the misuse of free will.

Q. What do I do with my faith in him built up for so many years?

A. Someone may have worshiped a particular demigod with faith for many years. Now having come to proper understanding based on knowledge from scriptures and guidance from bona fide acharyas, he has decided to become a devotee of Lord Krishna. For most of such people, such a transition is very painful. Their heart is given to someone and now their intelligence wants them to worship someone else.
To keep matters simple and pain free, one could still maintain a relationship with the particular demigod although now it may be in a different light. Before, he would worship the demigod thinking him to be the supreme. Now, he may continue worshiping the demigod since he has affection for him, yet based on his knowledge of the demigod’s true position, now he sees him as an empowered representative of the supreme Lord. Now, his respect for him is based on truth rather than on sentiments, which sometimes may be based on illusory perceptions of the demigod’s grandeur. Thus, the affectionate relationship with the demigod may continue and simultaneously, the worshiper endeavors to advance in his relationship with the supreme Lord, who is his eternal, well-wishing father.

Q. Anyway demigods are not supreme. Do we disrespect them?

A. A person in true knowledge does not disrespect anyone. Demigods are exalted personalities, empowered by the supreme Lord Himself to carry out certain administrative functions for universal management. Seeing their loyalty and sincerity, they have been specifically appointed in their positions.
We may have respect for everyone but our heart may be reserved for the object of our love—Lord Krishna. Further, our love for the supreme Lord will be judged by our respect for his will and his decisions in appointing certain personalities in certain positions.
Thus, a true devotee of Lord Krishna based on his love for his Lord and knowledge of the positions of demigods does not disrespect demigods in any manner.

Q. When I start worshiping Krishna, will I be treated as unchaste by my worshipable deity?

A. The Supreme Lord is the source of all that exists (BG. 10.8). He is described as sarva karana karanam (Bs 5.1). To maintain His creation, He has also created an entire system of demigods for its efficient governance, just as a cabinet of ministers is formed for the efficient governance of a country. The demigods in charge of a particular function know very well their position and their duty vis-à-vis their worshipable Lord.

When a habitual worshipper of a particular demigod recognizes the supremacy of Lord Krishna and starts worshipping Him, the demigod is very happy for such a person. Instead of branding such a person as unchaste, the demigod is pleased by the appropriate change in attitude of his erstwhile worshipper base on a simple reason that the sincere demigod himself regards Lord Krishna as his own supremely worshipable deity. He is delighted to see that his worshipper has advanced to a higher level of understanding of truth.
For instance, someone is a worshipper of Hanuman. Hanuman himself is a devout follower of Lord Ram. He is constantly chanting Lord Ram’s holy names. If someone were to ask Hanuman what would please him the most, his answer would surely be—loving service to Lord Ram. Consequently, when his worshipper starts serving Lord Ram based on love and knowledge of Lord Ram’s supreme position, Hanuman rejoices at the change of heart. In fact, he eagerly helps and guides such a person in his service to Lord Ram.

Q. Many people have the idea that bad karma can be reduced or removed through meditation, worship, samskara, or sacrifice. How can we really burn all our bad karma?

A. The Vedic scriptures describe that devotional service to the Lord destroys the results of previous sins—in other words, bad karma.

The effectiveness of the process depends on its purity. For example, pure chanting of the holy names of the Lord destroys all sinful reactions. But the chanting is usually not pure in the beginning. When one begins the practice of devotional service, it is said to be like unplugging a fan. The fan will still turn for some time. So in the stage of devotional practice, the reactions will continue, but as we become more and more purified by devotional service, eventually we’ll be free of all reactions and enjoy the bliss of full spiritual life.

And even in the stage of practice, Lord Krishna adjusts the karma so that His aspiring devotees get just what they need to progress steadily toward Him,however one precaution is very important and that is committing sinful activities on the strength of the holy name because this is an offense to Holy name. If one continues to perform sinful activities thinking that he will be freed of sins by chanting Hare Krishna then it is an offense to Holy name. So one should be very careful in this regard that whatever sins had been committed in the past we don’t have any control over them but now onwards when we start taking the shelter of Holy name we should not commit further sins.

Q. Srimad Bhagavatam is filled with the pastimes of the devotees who were put in great tribulations and they maintained their faith in trials and tribulations. When neophytes are told to tolerate their problems like these great souls have tolerated. Often times mind immediately say it’s OK for them (Prahlad, Pandavas) to tolerate because they were so great because they are mahabhagavats but as far as I am concerned I am very week. Because of weak mind it tells us you are so week and make you hopeless and say you can’t do like Prahlad and we feel despondent and real shelter which is there in the story is not really obtained when we need that most.

A. It is your sincerity that will give you the correct understanding. If you are insincere you will think that this great person can do it but I am not so great so why should I try? But if you are sincere you will understand that these great persons they didn’t have to do it they are doing it only to teach us how to do it? There is no reason for Prahlad to suffer. But the Lord put him in that situation to teach us how to remember Krishna even in the greatest sufferings. We can not imitate these great souls. That is correct. If you think you can do it like they have done that is called imitation. But if you sincerely according to your capacity try to follow in their footsteps… that is the way to salvation. Mahajano yena gatah se pantha……We have to follow the footsteps of great mahajans. It may be very difficult. But if it’s any less difficult then you would not have proper opportunity for purification. You are going through what you need to going through. Everyone is going through what they have to go through to go back to Godhead due to what they have done in the past and how they have contaminated themselves in the past. Even if you become a devotee you have to pay the price to some extent of some austerity and some difficulty to cleanse yourself of all the dirt you have accumulated in the past.

Because if that is not there you will not take it seriously. If you are burnt by fire you will not touch fire again. But if it doesn’t hurt when you touch fire then even if you read in scriptures, even if your guru,  mother and father say don’t touch fire, you may still say I did it but it didn’t hurt so much. So let me do it again. That is our conditioned state. But if you really get burnt very bad and you are still suffering then when you will read in the scriptures or hear from your guru and hear from everyone else, do not touch fire, you will think somehow or other I will not touch fire.

So we have to suffer a lot to understand that we shouldn’t do sinful activities, we shouldn’t engage in materialistic activities. If we indulge in unnecessary sense gratification we have to pay a high price, just to become very serious for giving those things up. So it is Krishna’s mercy.

When parents punish the child, child always thinks why so much what have I done? But good parents knows this is required to make you serious. Sometime they fail in exams and then they have to go back through whole another year to do their studies. It’s very difficult. A whole year I have to go for study again I have failed. So the student may say why this school is so strict on me? Why are they punishing me so much? Because if they don’t do that you will not take your studies seriously. You have to understand what is the price?

We should know what we have done, we are going through when we come to Krishna consciousness…. Krishna knows what it takes to give us the determination, the frustration required to not do it again. And you may say sarva dharaman parityajya mam ekam sharnam vraja aham tvam sarva papebhyo mokshyeshyami ma shuchah.  Krishna has relieved from all sinful reactions … do not fear…So Why am I still suffering sinful reactions? In one sense you are not suffering sinful reactions if you are trying to surrender to Krishna. If you are actually cent percent surrendered to Krishna there is no problem but until you come to that point of complete surrender to Krishna, Krishna is giving us the medicine we require so that we don’t resort to those sinful activities or those materialistic activities. We have to be thoroughly exhausted with any hope of material happiness in this world.

If somebody is very active person, and when he has back problem doctor advices him to lay down on bed and do not getup for five days. To lay down on bed for five days is very difficult. He wants to dance, wants to sing. But that’s what is required for his ailment. He did something wrong to make his body like this so now he has to pay for it. Doctor has to give medicine to patient so many times that they don’t like but it is for their good. So Krishna is supreme physician. He knows what medicine and he knows what type of resume we all need for our purification. And so that we do not engage in these activities and have created so much sufferings. So although when you surrender to Krishna there is really no need for you to suffer the sinful reactions but the problem is will you go back and do it again then you are not surrendering to Krishna. So Krishna arranges a certain quantity of sinful reactions to come upon you just so that you will never do it again, just so that you will really come to the point of really surrendering to Him. And the great souls teach us how to do it? And we must follow in their footsteps.

Q. Who is Srila Prabhupada? 

A. Srila Prabhupada, the founder-acharya of the Hare Krishna movement, is an empowered messenger of God who appeared in this world to help us reawaken to our spiritual identity. He had a special mandate from his spiritual teacher to bring the eternal spiritual truths of Krishna consciousness, contained in the Vedic scriptures of India, to the Western world.

Srila Prabhupada accepted this daunting task and made it his life’s mission. At the advanced age of 70 years, he came to the United States with no assistants and no money. He depended fully on the mercy of Lord Krishna and was able to persevere where others had failed.
In a tiny storefront in the East Village of New York City, Srila Prabhupada started the International Society for Krishna Consciousness in 1966. From 1966 to 1977 Srila Prabhupada preached vigorously all over the world, opening more than 100 centers and introducing Krishna consciousness to millions of people. He also translated and published many spiritual books and encouraged their distribution.
We get a glimpse of Srila Prabhupada’s elevated and empowered spiritual position from the lasting effect he has had in changing the lives of so many.
Since his departure from this world in 1977, his disciples have carried on his mission. It is their desire that his legacy will some day be more widely appreciated by the masses, as well as the leaders of the world.

Q. How for levels of sound vaikhar• v•k, madhyam• v•k , paœiant• v•k and p•r•vak relate to the progressive chanting towards to the pure Name of Krishna?

A. Generally, the scriptures declare that upamsu-japa (chanting softly, inaudible to others) is one thousand times better vaikhari-japa (verbal chanting, audible to others, not shouting). However, manasic-japa (silent mental chanting) is ten million times better than loud chanting. Although Srila Prabhupada did not disagree with the scriptures, he explained that the Hare Krishna maha-mantra can be chanted either loudly or silently: “Every mantra is recommended to be uttered silently, but specifically this Hare Krishna maha-mantra can be chanted both ways—loudly and silently.” (Letter to Mandali Bhadra, November 2, 1969)

By chanting loudly, one benefits not only oneself but also other living entities like birds, beasts, insects, trees and plants. Lord Chaitanya Himself used to chant loudly, and also all other great acaryas such as the six gosvamis of Vrindavan.

Q. Could you please let me know if we can eat bhindi/okra/ladysfinger on Ekdashi? Also can you please explicitly list the items that are in the category of beans and grains?

A. Bhindi, or lady’s finger, is one of the prohibited vegetables for Ekadashi; you cannot take it on this day.

Beans include: Papadams, tofu, tempeh

Grains include: Millet, barley, farina, pasta, rice, corn and all types of flour made from grains and beans (e.g., rice flour, chickpea flour, urad dahl flour)

For a more comprehensive list of prohibited items on Ekadasi, you may visit the following website: http://www.goloka.com/docs/calendar/ekadasi.html

What Srila Prabhupada said about Ekadashi: When asked by Pradyumna what we could eat Srila Prabhupada said, “Fruits, Roots, Nuts, Milk. If you stick to these types of foods you should be fine. Of course the sure way is to fast completely. Water of course can be taken. Except if you wish to do nirjala.

1. What is the difference between heart and soul?
2. Why ladies cannot take sannyasam?
3. How to control heart?

1. It seems you wish to know the difference between heart and soul. Soul is the life or consciousness that we see in a living body. Soul is the real person, the individual, who animates the body. When we say “I” or “You,” we are actually referring to the soul in that body. The body is simply a dress that covers the soul.
Heart is the region of the body where the soul is located.

2. The Vedic scriptures recommend that a woman needs to be protected during all stages of her life: by her father during childhood, by her husband during youth and by her grown up son during old age. Otherwise, if she is let alone, she will be mistreated and exploited by unscrupulous men. Especially in Kali-yuga, because men are not trained how to respectfully treat a woman, women are all the more vulnerable. This is evident from the rising number crimes committed against them.

Therefore the Vedas forbid women to take sannyasa. She simply needs to follow her husband and assist him in his spiritual duties. In fact, this is a blessing on her because without undergoing any of the strict rules a man is expected to follow to achieve perfection, a woman can achieve the same position simply by following her husband.

3. Heart is the seat of mind and intelligence, within which the soul is embedded. Controlling the heart means controlling the mind from all unwanted desires. The only way to control the mind is by engaging it in the service of God, someway or the other. And the easiest way to control the mind is by chanting the holy names—Hare Krishna, HareKrishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.