Beautiful Moment at the Airport

In the Nectar of Devotion Srila Prabhupada describes Ekadasi as follows,

"In the Brahma-vaivarta Purana it is said that one who observes fasting on Ekadasi day is freed from all kinds of reactions to sinful activities and advances in pious life. The basic principle is not just to fast, but to increase one's faith and love for Govinda, or Krishna. The real reason for observing fasting on Ekadasi is to minimize the demands of the body and to engage our time in the service of the Lord by chanting or performing similar service. The best thing to do on fasting days is to remember the pastimes of Govinda and to hear His holy name constantly."

Ekadasi is observed by not taking any grains or beans and increasing our Krishna consciousness. It occurs twice in a month on the 11th day of the waning and waxing moon. Once a year there is a special Ekadasi known as Nirjala Ekadasi during which many devotees completely abstain from all eating and from even drinking water for 24 hours. This Nirjala Ekadasi is not required, but many devotees relish the opportunity to perform this extra austerity.

Our last day in Kuala Lumpur was Nirjala Ekadasi. So we observed it along with many of the Malaysian devotees. And it just so happened that the time for breaking the fast (sunrise on the day following Ekadasi) occurred just as we arrived at the airport for our departure to Sydney, Australia. It was a beautiful moment. The morning sun was rising over the mountains in the east. The devotees were chanting a Hare Krishna kirtan. And we all got to break our fast together taking some water and grains. After I took a final group photograph of these wonderful devotees, Mataji and I headed in to check-in and departed for my next lecture venue.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

Ecstatic Send Off from Malaysia 4 June 2009

Answers According to the Vedic Version:

Question: Is Deity Worship Idol Worship?

Hare Krishna, Gurudeva,

Please accept my humble obeisances.

Thank you, Gurudeva, for your daily emails.

Many times people of other faith criticize us Hare Krishnas for worshiping idols. We explain to them that we don't worship idols but we worship Deity. Idol is concocted form whereas Deity is made according to the description of the Supreme Lord provided in the scripture.

I came across following passage from Holy Bible (Old Testament):

Of what value is an idol, since a man has carved it?
Or an image that teaches lies?
For he who makes it trusts in his own creation;
he makes idols that cannot speak.
Woe to him who says to wood, 'Come to life!'
Or to lifeless stone, 'Wake up!'
Can it give guidance?
It is covered with gold and silver;
there is no breath in it.
---------------------------

How should we explain better to other people that our Deity worship is bona fide.

Thank you.

Hare Krishna!


Your servant,

Santosh

Answer: God Fully Manifests in the Authorized Deity Which is Worshipped with Love

If I put a facsimile of a mailbox in my front yard, it will not be authorized by the post office. I can mail letters in it as much as I want, but they will not go anywhere. But if I mail letters in a mail box authorized by the post office, they will go their destination, even if I live at a far distance from the post office.

An idol is an unauthorized "mail box", and a deity is an authorized "mail box." Even though the Lord is far away in His spiritual abode, He agrees to accept loving service and fully manifest His divine presence in the authorized deity form which is worshipped with love. The Bible condemns idol worship, just the Vedas condemn idol worship. The compilers of the Bible were not aware of the legitimacy of authorized deity worship, otherwise they would have recommended it in the Bible.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari