The Sublime Spiritual Sofia

Of course, the mundane Sofia, Bulgaria is anything but sublime. The general population here, as everywhere else in this material world, is deeply engrossed in the material modes of nature. They are not acting in accordance with the higher laws of nature and thus they relegate themselves to a miserable, illusioned, lower state of semi-consciousness. There is however a higher plane of consciousness available to all, if they only knew about it. Hence, my life's mission is to do everything I possibly can to introduce the entire world to the sublime teachings of the Bhagavad-gita.

If you feel that you can trust me, kindly study very carefully what I am teaching in the light of thoughtful intelligence. I can assure you that if you do so, you will find it to be strikingly wonderful.

Here in Sofia, Bulgaria there is a wonderful community of Hare Krishna people. Ten of them are my initiated disciples. The Bulgarian devotees have so nicely facilitated our visit here with the sweetest hospitality--a comfortable room at the local Hare Krishna ashram replete with a snow-capped mountain view, the most delicious variety of lovingly cooked meals of Krishna prasadam, and a enlivening schedule of lecturing on Krishna bhakti and leading Hare Krishna chanting twice daily. This is the sublime spiritual Sofia that I come back to twice a year as a regular stop on my ongoing world-wide lecture series tours year after year after year.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

Sunrise Gayatri Meditation, 15 November 2007 at Hare Krishna Ashram, Sofia, Bulgaria

Answers According to the Vedic Version:

Question: Troubling Doubt

My big doubt is: How does the soul, which is by nature very pure (uncontaminated), acquire material qualities (such as lust, greed, anger, envy, etc) even amidst the association of the Supreme Lord and His pure devotees while in the spiritual world(Goloka Vrindavan)?

I have asked to many of my senior devotees, but none of them have responded me in a crystal clear manner. Also I don't know whether this is a correct doubt or not? Please help me in this regard.

Your humble servant,

M.karthikeyan

Answer: Immediate Rehab

Such doubting is okay, but it is not very important. If you are shot with an arrow the first thing is to remove the arrow. Once the arrow is removed, then you can investigate from where the arrow came. So your first business is to become delivered from the conditioned consciousness which is keeping you caught up in the cycle of repeated birth and death. And then you can inquire how was it that you fell from the spiritual world into material consciousness. Of course at that time you not need to make such an inquiry, because at that time you will understand fully well how you fell into material consciousness.

But still it can be explained as follows:

The soul in the spiritual world does not acquire material qualities. He cannot do so because there are no material qualities in the spiritual world. Material qualities only exist in this material world. The spiritual world inhabitant who misuses his independence by becoming envious of the Lord finds himself immediately in rehab in this material world without so much as a nanosecond's delay. He is automatically enrolled in a rehabilitation program so that he can as soon as possible recover from his sickness and return to his original pure consciousness.

Because the living being has free will, there is always the remote possibility that he may misuse it. And when does so he immediately finds himself in the cycle of birth and death faster than he can blink his eyes.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari