Category Archives: Karma

Suffering of Devotees

Karma, , ,

On 16th Aug 2006, there was a bomb blast in ISKCON temple  at Manipur. Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita that I always protect my devotee. Then why such incident happened with devotees? Why do devotees suffer more than the common people? This will certainly lower the faith of devotees.

Krishna always protects His devotees. Highly advanced devotee like Prahlada maharaj, pandavs also suffered. So what is it exactly? Krishna protects devotee’s spiritual life without fail. He takes care that they continue in spiritual life and ultimately reach spiritual world. In some cases He may not protect his devotee’s body. The devotees are becoming dear to Krishna and He wants them to get free from sinful reactions quickly. So sometimes He quickens their suffering so that they come back to spiritual world quickly.
If we have performed sinful activities before becoming devotee still we should be ready to suffer our reactions. If Sri Krishna wants He may excuse some of the reactions. A devotee patiently suffers his sinful reactions and eagerly waits for Lord’s mercy to make him pure devotee all the while performing sadhana bhakti. There is no question of lessening the faith. It is because of my actions I am suffering. In fact Sri Krishna is reducing the reactions and is giving me what is best.

Burning the Bad Karma

Karma,

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?

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 become 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.

But 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 the Holy name. So one should be very careful in this regard that whatever sins had been committed in the past we do not have any control over them but now onward when we start taking the shelter of Holy name we should not commit further sins.

Going back to Godhead

Karma

Q. It is said that we have fallen down to this material world as we rebelled against God. But, it is also mentioned that with proper chanting and service, one can go back to Godhead where there is no birth, death, old age, disease. My question is, “Is there no chance to fall down, again”? If one goes to heavenly planets, one will fall down once his account becomes empty? Please clarify of falling down from heavenly planets and Goloka Vrindavan? Haribol.

A. One goes to the heavenly planets on the strength of one’s pious credits, which are used up during the stay in the heavenly planets. So when the pious credits are exhausted one falls down again into the Martya-loka.

On the other hand, by the practice of devotional service we can go to the spiritual world from where, Krishna Himself assures in the Bhagavad-Gita that there is no return to the material world.

Actions and reactions

Karma

Q. What is karma?

A. All the activities that we do constitute karma.

The Bhagavad Gita defines three types of karma – vikarma, karma and akarma.

Vikarma is those activities that the scriptures ask not to be done and karma is those activities that scriptures prescribe. In both cases we get the reaction to our sinful or pious activities for which we have to be born in this material world again and again to suffer or enjoy. So in the ultimate sense both activities are bad because they do not help in getting liberated from the cycle of birth and death.

Akarma is those activities that are done only with the purpose of pleasing Krishna or in other words devotional service to Krishna which does not entail any karmic reaction and so helps us attain an eternal life of service to Krishna in bliss.

Burning the Bad Karma

Devotional Service, Karma

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 become 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.
Continue reading Burning the Bad Karma →

Taking things positively

Karma

Q : I too believe that GOD exists. But very recently I have been experiencing very bad moments, whatever I think it doesn’t happen, whatever I touch it gets postponed, wherever my name is involved the work some how mysteriously gets cancelled. So I started checking my numerology and astrology online, people tell me that our present life karma is based on past life deeds. Is it true?. Is our fate is already written by Brahma, are we just puppets in God’s hands. I checked my last life jyotisha in some astrology website it says that in my past life I was a big cheater and also based on my name numerology I carry my past life karmic debts to this life.
I don’t understand why should I be responsible for my past life which I have no clue about, why can’t God punish people in the same life itself for their misdeeds and give everyone a fresh new life. My main question is can’t we change our fate written by Brahma.

A. One’s karma is based on one’s deeds, not only of one past life, but of many many past lives.
Everything is calculated very precisely.

The nature of this material world is such that there are always some reversals and challenges to face.

It depends upon us as to how to take it, positively or negatively.

Everyone has a baggage of good and bad deeds. And we have to nullify it, positive for the positive and negative for the negative.

If something good happens, one must know that one is exhausting one’s good deeds. Similarly, when bad things are happening, we must know that bad deeds are getting nullified. So one has to suffer less in the future.

If one remains steady in both happiness and distress, then one can transcend the dualities of this material world.

We cannot change the circumstances, but we can certainly change the way we perceive it.

Real positivity means to turn any difficult situation into an opportunity.

We may not remember our previous bad deeds and the sufficient punishment is not given in the previous life.
Because we may not have sufficient karma to suffer.
Therefore, karma is very inconceivable and difficult to understand.

The message of Bhagavad Gita explains how to not get affected by the karma.
It is possible to change the karma and the destiny.

Effect of past life

Astrology, Free will, Karma, ,

Q. I too believe that GOD exists. But very recently I have been experiencing very bad moments, whatever I think it doesn’t happen, whatever I touch it gets postponed, wherever my name is involved the work some how mysteriously gets cancelled. So I started checking my numerology and astrology online, people tell me that our present life karma is based on past life deeds. Is it true?. Is our fate is already written by Brahma, are we just puppets in God’s hands. I checked my last life jyotisha in some astrology website it says that in my past life I was a big cheater and also based on my name numerology I carry my past life karmic debts to this life.
I don’t understand why should I be responsible for my past life which I have no clue about, why can’t God punish people in the same life itself for their misdeeds and give everyone a fresh new life. My main question is can’t we change our fate written by Brahma.

A. One’s karma is based on one’s deeds, not only of one past life, but of many many past lives.
Everything is calculated very precisely.  Continue reading Effect of past life →

Krishna’s flute

Bhagavad Gita, Karma, Radharani

Q. I have to know that flute has taken dikhsha? how an when? Why gopis were angry on flute/ Why Radharani always talk to flute please be on side?

A.The answer to your question is found in Sri Vidagdha-Madhava (The Most Clever Krishna) by Srila Rupa Goswami. This is a drama written by him and in Act Five titled Radha-prasadana (Decorating Radha) there is a verse sung by Radhika. Text 17 says:

Radhika: (vamsim udghatya. sopalambham)

sad-vamshatas tava janih purushottamasya
panau sthitir muralike saralasi jatya
kasmat tvaya sakhi guror vishama grihita
gopangana-gana-vimohana-mantra-diksha  Continue reading Krishna’s flute →

Krishna can change the Fate…!

General, H.H.Romapada Swami, Karma, Krishna

Q. After we are born in this world with certain predetermined benefits (like being rich, wise etc), one has to lead an ongoing good life. At this juncture what is the role of God? Is He going to change my fate in my present life, or does He have no control at all, once fate is determined by my past actions? Why I should pray to God?

A. Please refer to the last few answers. Depending on our action, we get appropriate rewards (or punishments), but we must always remember that there is a Supreme Person Who awards the results. And that person is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is independent and is not bound to give us the results. He can relieve us altogether of the reactions to our past deeds. He is not bound by any laws because He is the lawmaker. He can choose to give a different result  or He can absolve us of all past reactions completely. Therefore, we are dependent on His mercy.

Fate…!

General, H.H.Romapada Swami, Karma

Q. What is fate? Why is a person is born in a particular place to a particular parents, some rich, some poor, some beautiful, some wise etc.? Is this because of past karma?

A. Yes. As the saying goes, ‘As we sow, so shall we reap.’