Reincarnation – Is It Credible?
To start with, let us assume that reincarnation indeed takes place. What do the Vedic literatures tell us as to why it does take place? Two reasons have been given: Firstly, we’re being given a chance to live out our desires. Secondly: We’re being given repeated opportunities to attain spiritual realization, break free from material entanglement, and resume our eternal nature in the spiritual world. The Vedic writings are meant to guide us in achieving this goal.
However, if we do not accept that reincarnation indeed takes place, then we have to delve a little further and ascertain whether it makes sense for it not to take place. The concept of reincarnation will fall apart if one denies the existence of God. The goal of this article is not to answer the atheists. The objective is to explain reincarnation to the theists. I will admit that the concept of reincarnation cannot be substantiated if God was to not exist. So, for basic question here is: Given God exists does reincarnation take place?
Let us then come to the point of ‘Eternal fire and/or Eternal hell’. There are two major issues with these phenomena: (i) It implies that God who is not only all-powerful, but also all merciful God, is cruel -he does not give us a second chance, (ii) It also implies that God is extremely unfair-he favors some souls compared to others. This is basically a flawed evangelical Christian concept. For instance, one born to good Christian parents naturally gets opportunities to hear about Jesus Christ, and, according to Christian teachings, is saved. But if one is born in an atheistic family -well, go to hell. Obviously, the all-powerful, all merciful God cannot let this happen.
Why is one person rich, another poor, one healthy, another diseased? If we live only once, then the best explanation is: “It’s just chance” – which is no explanation at all. The Vedic- Krishna Conscious answer to all these confusions is that at the end of one lifetime we embark upon another. The Bhagavad-gita says, “As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul similarly accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.”
To an inquisitive and intelligent theist, this is the only explanation that can make sense. We cannot look through ‘the window’ of present life and be bewildered as to why there are differences when God is the supreme father to all. If we take that window as a sliding one passing through many lives, it will make more sense. At this point it is natural and easy to understand reincarnation as a natural cause and effect reaction to our karma. Also, it will only make sense to realize that karma is carried over from one life to another. Having understood this point, one is not bewildered by any of the seemingly anomalies one encounters due to presupposition of one life concept. Reincarnation therefore, is a critical part of theism. Without this, the very notion of the personal loving God who is also all-powerful falls apart. Reincarnation is therefore, the most credible aspect to the intelligent theist.
Victor Epand is an expert consultant at http://www.VedicBooks.info/ . VedicBooks.info offers Vedic books and Vaisnava literatures from many authorized sources. Please browse through our selection of Latest Additions here: http://www.VedicBooks.info/category/latest-additions.html
Srila Prabhupada’s Presentation of Sastras
Srila Prabhupada did not present Shastra as a dry academic subject to be theorized and armchair-philosophized about. Instead of giving abstruse explanations, he spoke and more importantly lived the essense of shastra. He repeatedly emphasized the point of all sastra: “You are not this body. Surrender to Krsna.”
Srila Prabhupada repeatedly said that by reading his books we get in touch with the previous acaryas. Indeed, his purports to the sastra draw on the realization of the previous acaryas whose commentaries Prabhupada consulted before composing his own. A special feature of Srila Prabhupada’s purports, however, is that he was the first to show how the Srimad Bhagvatam’s principles can be applied in practical circumstances in the human society. Also for the first time ever, he comprehensively presented Gaudiya Vaishnava philosophy, replete with all subtleties and complexities, in a non-Indian language.
Prabhupada’s explanation of Vedic philosophy is simple, clear, and uncomplicated English is an unprecedented achievement in literary history. English is a mleccha-bhasa (language of meat eaters), but Srila Prabhupada purified it. Quoting Srila Prabhupada’s purports is as authorized as quoting from the Original Sanskrit shastras. Infact, the words of the acharya are even more potent because without the acharya’s explanations, ordinary people would not be able to understand the meaning of shastra.
Srila prabhupada’s lectures were simple, straightforward bhagavad philosophy. Prabhupada’s songs are preferable to any of the dozens of styles of melodius kirtans because there is a different level of potency altogether. Srila prabhupada’s presentations whether it is the songs he sung or the purports he wrote, everything was always Krishna centric and at no point were for material sensual pleasure. His intense purity and compassion for the fallen conditions souls manifest in all his work. Being a pure devotee of the lord, his words are infallible, totally correct and spoken for upliftment of all concerned.
His words enter the heart of a living entity and purify it. The potency in his works is so strong that even though he has written for everyone, it seems to the reader that he is speaking personally to the individual reader and whatever he has written makes complete sense to the honest inquisitive.
Srila Prabhupada’s works reflected his inadvertent strong-mind and principles. There were no contradictions or interpretations. He presented the message as it is. Srila Prabhupada make Krsna and the Hare Krsna mahamantra famous all over the world even though non-devotees don’t know much about him. This is due to his presentation of Shastra as a messenger. He never took credit for this great benediction that he was giving and continues to give to fallen conditioned souls through his books.
The philosophy he preached through his books was sound in theory and practically applicable under all circumstances. Srila Prabhupada saw nothing as different from Krsna. He saw Krsna everywhere and in everything, and everything in Krsna. Whatever he wrote is a living example or rather an extention of this premise that he lived by. He wanted to engage everything and everybody in Krsna’s service. His works and method of presentation of shastras are still inspiring thousands of people to take up the sublime method of Krsna consciousness practically in their lives. His objective of developing a Krsna conscious movement, which is not limited to study of literature, however is built on how he presented the message of Krsna and Lord Chaitanya throughout the world.
Victor Epand is an expert consultant at http://www.VedicBooks.info/ . VedicBooks.info offers Vedic books and Vaisnava literatures from many authorized sources. Please browse through our selection of Latest Additions here: http://www.VedicBooks.info/category/latest-additions.html
Sex Life is Abominable
Sex is the driving mechanism of modern society. Godless life induces people into lustiness long after the high of youth has subsided, causing them to stay emotionally immature throughout their lives. Forgetting the eternal relationship with the supreme personality of godhead, lord Sri Krsna, they absorb media propaganda and remain perpetually indulgent in lust, having no knowledge of the necessity to resist the itch of this basal sexual urge.
Rampant sensual titillation however, increasingly dulls the spirit and causes deprivation of the real happiness. In adolescence, when the senses appear to have unlimited power to invoke delights, happiness through sense enjoyment seems not only to be a distinct possibility, but also the very purpose of life. Attempts for sexual enjoyment increasingly result in emptiness and frustration. Still, most people fail to recognize the limits and temporary nature of sexual enjoyment. Due to their misdirected education, they think that their lack of satisfaction with sex is only due to something wrong in their approach to it. They thereby end up on a psychologist’s couch or read several hundred books on ‘improved’ sex life. However, the harder they hanker for pleasure, the more certainly it eludes them. In this furious attempt to force their bodies into giving them the happiness, which they regard as a natural birthright, they methodically indulge into pornography, varieties of perversity, and ultimately violence.
There is really nothing special about sex. It is not wonderful, it is not noble, it is not romantic – it is just a bodily function, a response to raw gut feeling. If you think about it soberly, the whole prospect of sex seems rather silly. Still, everybody is doing it. The president of America is doing it, the bums on the street are doing it, the cats and dogs are doing it. Only a few great souls are attempting to conquer over it. Intelligently restraining from animal propensity and redirecting one’s energy towards God consciousnesses is the very purpose of the human form of life.
Actual civilization teaches its members to subjugate their sexual desires for higher, spiritual purposes. Modern civilization exploits people’s sexual cravings, makes a business out of it, and sends people to hellish planets by the millions life after life. Sex should be indulged in only for procreation. There is no fun in sex. It is painful and disgraceful process of so called enjoyment.
Aware of the challenges involved in providing this knowledge to the fallen conditioned souls, the Vaisnavas are begging the supreme lord to provide some intelligence to these people. If only people could understand this simple fact: We are all eternal servants of Krishna. Our sexual desire is simply a perverted reflection of our heart’s deepest desire to love Krishna. If we just knew this we could all be eternally happy. But in the darkness of the modern age it is very difficult to convince anyone that there is anything wrong with sex at all. The followers of Srila Prabhupada have a great responsibility to somehow or other deliver this ultimate knowledge to the people of the world.
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More On Autonomy And Thankfulness
Also we find in the Gita that on the brahman platform cravings are non-existent, and one is qualified to transcend this world and perform pure devotional service. Also one experiences true happiness of the self. I personally experienced this with my diet. I was thinking that life without cheese would be miserable, a life-a life not worth living!
But, for sake of serving Srila Prabhupada for a longer period of time in this body, I gave it up. In the beginning it was difficult as the body was hankering for this, but ultimately the bodily cravings disappeared. Now the experience I have is that of relief.
It is like breathing fresh air or being let out of prison to no longer be controlled by that craving. Freedom is much more blissful than being controlled by the forces of nature. I sometimes feel like running outside and jumping for joy! In the spiritual world we get to experience and fulfill our need for autonomy to the fullest extent.
One may object to this statement and say that the soul is never independent and in the spiritual world we are also controlled (under daiva prakriti or Yoga Maya), but the experience of the spiritual realm is of voluntarily-ecstatically serving. There is no force.
We can see how Krishna explains Krishna consciousness to Arjuna in the Gita. He doesn’t threaten ie. “listen to me or I will send you to hell” He doesn’t use guilt trips- i.e.: “you have been my friend for my whole life.
I have given everything to you Arjuna. How could you do this to me? You are killing me Arjuna.” Krishna is simply explaining the facts of life to Arjuna and leaving it up Arjuna to utilize his free will in whichever way Arjuna wishes.
This is also how we should present Krishna consciousness to others: Here are the facts. Don’t you want to be free? Don’t you want to enjoy? Here is how you do it. It’s your choice.
So, what I do to stay enthusiastic is before I do something for Krishna (like the morning program, rounds, service, etc) I first of all think of how fortunate I am to have the mercy of Krishna and Srila Prabhupada. How kind they are to “let” me do those things in spite of my not deserving them. I mentally thank Krishna and Prabhupada for allowing me to do those things.
Then I think, “Boy oh Boy, I am really going to have good time doing (Mongal Aroti, Deity worship, etc”.). I am really looking forward to it. I can hardly wait”. So, in this way I build up the expectation of happiness and enthusiasm. It is not artificial though because these activities are kevala ananda Kanda (simply blissful).
The reason we don’t feel blissful is that we have mentality of being forced, not because the activities are lacking in some way. Then when I am performing the activities I endeavor to cultivate the mood of joyfulness, thankfulness and full awareness of what I am doing and whom I am doing it for.
For example when I chant some prayer in Sanskrit, I mentally and sometimes even verbally (under my breath) say the translation. If you try this during the arotis, Tulasi worship, Guru Puja, etc, the activity takes on a new dimension and you will always feel like jumping in ecstacy.
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