Living in Krishna in London

Our brief stop in London on the way to Bulgaria was ecstatic, a sublime opportunity to once again share the inner secrets of the amazing transcendental science of Krishna consciousness. I explained to the packed hall of eager listeners how even though a devotee may externally be living in London, the real fact is that is living in Krishna. In our everyday life someone may inquire from us where we live. As a matter of ordinary etiquette we politely tell them our place residence. But in the higher sense the devotee of the Lord does not live in this or that place in this material world. He factually resides in Krishna and Krishna resides in Him. To whatever extent we make Krishna our place of residence to that degree He will ten times more than be present within us. In conclusion, we all have a choice where we want to live. We can live in Krishna as His eternal servants or we can accept this material world as our place of residence and endlessly suffer the repetition of birth and death. The choice is ours.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

Lecture in London--12 September 2010

Answers According to the Vedic Version:

Question: More Arguments Against Meat Eating

Can you give a lengthy explanation on the topic of meat eating especially to non devotees and also to enlighten devotees as myself how to explain others?

Your humble servant,

N.P.

Answer: Sastric and Environmental Arguments

Our principle of avoiding meat eating is very simple. We are enjoined by Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita 3.13 that we can only take Krishna prasadam as our food, that if we eat food that has not been offered to Krishna we are eating only sin. And in Bhagavad-gita 9.26 Krishna lists which kinds of foods are acceptable for being offered to Him. He only lists vegetarian foods. He does not ask for flesh. Therefore since flesh cannot be offered and since unoffered food is sinful, meat eating is sinful.

The sinfulness of meat eating is also confirmed in the Vedic literatures as follows:

na māṁsa-bhakṣaṇe doṣo
na madye na ca maithune
pravṛttir eṣā bhūtānāṁ
nivṛttis tu mahā-phalā

"It may be considered that meat-eating, intoxication and sex indulgence are natural propensities of the conditioned souls, and therefore such persons should not be condemned for these activities. But unless one gives up such sinful activities, there is no possibility of achieving the actual perfection of life."--Manu-saṁhitā 5.56

ye tv anevaṁ-vido 'santaḥ
stabdhāḥ sad-abhimāninaḥ
paśūn druhyanti viśrabdhāḥ
pretya khādanti te ca tān

"Those sinful persons who are ignorant of actual religious principles, yet consider themselves to be completely pious, without compunction commit violence against innocent animals who are fully trusting in them. In their next lives, such sinful persons will be eaten by the same creatures they have killed in this world."--SB 11.5.14

There are also many arguments against meat eating from the environmental perspective. For some of these please refer to the following web page for more information: www.ultimateselfrealization.com/Meat_and_the_Environment

Sankarshan Das Adhikari