Enthusiastically Embrace the Struggle
For a neophyte devotee it is a struggle to keep himself always engaged in Krishna consciousness with his every thought, word, and deed in all times, places, and circumstances. It takes time, patience, determination, and enthusiasm to attain the stage of anartha nivṛtti when the dirt in the heart is practically all cleansed away. Srila Prabhupada quotes Bhaktivinode Thakur's definition of anartha nivṛtti as follows in his Caitanya Caritamrita purport:
"Liberation from material contamination is called anartha-nivṛ̣tti, indicating a diminishing of all unwanted things."
The intelligent devotee enthusiastically embraces the struggle to attain anartha nivṛtti because he knows that once reaching this stage after an intense uphill struggle his continued advancement through the stages of nishta (firm faith), ruci (taste), asakti (attachment), bhava (purified emotion), to the perfection of Krishna prema (pure love of Godhead) comes automatically as confirmed by Srila Prabhupada in a garden conversation in New Vrindavan on 23 June 1976 as follows:
"Up to anartha-nivṛtti, you have to struggle very hard with determination, and then automatically everything will come."
Therefore never discouraged by the dualities experienced on the neophyte stage the determined devotee diligently pursues the path of spiritual perfection by chanting at least 16 rounds of Hare Krishna japa mala daily while simultaneously strictly avoiding illicit sex, meat eating, intoxication and gambling. In this way he makes steady progress every day to the stage of anartha-nivṛtti and from there to Krishna prema.
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
I have a question. I have many Muslims in my class, and they all practice halal (a way of slaughtering the innocent animals). Whenever I tell them that one should give up meat eating they tell me that its is approved by the Koran and I am not able to say anything. How can I convince them about being vegetarian? Why is it so that in their religion halal is practiced? They say that it purifies the animal. How can it be so? For them meat eating is not merely the gratification of the tongue but it is something religious, something they should do. I am not able to understand this. Kindly enlighten me in this regard if you feel so. Please forgive me if I asked something inappropriate.
Thank You.
Your servant,
Nalin
But in the spite of the fact that meat eating is allowed for low class men under restriction in the scriptures, this does not free the meat eaters from the karma of taking birth as an animal and being eaten by the same animal that they ate. They may laugh when we tell them this. But they won’t laugh when they are being slaughtered by the butcher’s knife. Whether the animals are slaughtered and eaten in the name of religion or for mere sense gratification, the karma of being killed and eaten by the same animal that you ate is still there.
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
"Liberation from material contamination is called anartha-nivṛ̣tti, indicating a diminishing of all unwanted things."
The intelligent devotee enthusiastically embraces the struggle to attain anartha nivṛtti because he knows that once reaching this stage after an intense uphill struggle his continued advancement through the stages of nishta (firm faith), ruci (taste), asakti (attachment), bhava (purified emotion), to the perfection of Krishna prema (pure love of Godhead) comes automatically as confirmed by Srila Prabhupada in a garden conversation in New Vrindavan on 23 June 1976 as follows:
"Up to anartha-nivṛtti, you have to struggle very hard with determination, and then automatically everything will come."
Therefore never discouraged by the dualities experienced on the neophyte stage the determined devotee diligently pursues the path of spiritual perfection by chanting at least 16 rounds of Hare Krishna japa mala daily while simultaneously strictly avoiding illicit sex, meat eating, intoxication and gambling. In this way he makes steady progress every day to the stage of anartha-nivṛtti and from there to Krishna prema.
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
Pure Krishna Prema is the Ultimate Goal
Answers by Citing the Vedic Version:
Question: Convince Muslims to Be Vegetarian?
Thank you so much for the wonderful thoughts that you upload everyday. They are really heart transforming.I have a question. I have many Muslims in my class, and they all practice halal (a way of slaughtering the innocent animals). Whenever I tell them that one should give up meat eating they tell me that its is approved by the Koran and I am not able to say anything. How can I convince them about being vegetarian? Why is it so that in their religion halal is practiced? They say that it purifies the animal. How can it be so? For them meat eating is not merely the gratification of the tongue but it is something religious, something they should do. I am not able to understand this. Kindly enlighten me in this regard if you feel so. Please forgive me if I asked something inappropriate.
Thank You.
Your servant,
Nalin
Answer: They'll Be Eaten by the Animals They Ate
We cannot convince anyone to do anything that they don't want to do. If someone is addicted to eating flesh and blood, they will justify this sinful habit by any means. For those who are sinful the Bible, the Koran, and the Vedas give some allowance for meat eating under restriction. This is for minimizing meat eating, not for encouraging it.But in the spite of the fact that meat eating is allowed for low class men under restriction in the scriptures, this does not free the meat eaters from the karma of taking birth as an animal and being eaten by the same animal that they ate. They may laugh when we tell them this. But they won’t laugh when they are being slaughtered by the butcher’s knife. Whether the animals are slaughtered and eaten in the name of religion or for mere sense gratification, the karma of being killed and eaten by the same animal that you ate is still there.
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
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