Relief for a World in Turmoil

It's natural that today's godless world should be in such a state of turmoil. This is to be expected for any society which does not put God in the center. The world's Ravana-like population wants to have the kingdom of God without God, but they cannot have it. Any society which wants to flourish without God is doomed to eventual disintegration as soon as whatever pious assets it possesses are exhausted. Formerly the entire planet earth was united under the enlightened guidance of great saintly kings such as Parikshit Maharaja and Yudhisithira Maharaja. Under such auspicious rulers everybody was happy and the material miseries became reduced almost to nil. The world desperately needs such enlightened leadership again today.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

Unprecedented Turmoil in Brazil

Answers by Citing the Vedic Version:

Question: How to Understand Guru's Illness?

Dear Guru Maharaja,

Please accept my humble obeisances.
All glories to you! All glories to your unimpeded preaching!

What should be a disciple's take when he sees his spiritual master suffering physically? How should he react to this pastime. Is it one of those pastimes which a disciple never wants to see happening. And although in the true sense of terms it is just a pastime, it is most heart-breaking also. How should he understand it? How should he react? And what should he do?

What is the responsibility of a disciple when his spiritual master physically leaves?

Begging your mercy,
Virendra

Answer: See Everything Related with Krishna

Material body means suffering. Therefore even if one is highly advanced in Krishna consciousness it is still expected that his body will have to endure the fourfold miseries of birth, death, old age, and disease. Even a great liberated soul like Srila Prabhupada endured heart attacks, a stroke, and a complete breakdown of his material body.

The difference between the experience of a liberated soul and a conditioned soul is that the liberated soul no longer identifies with his body and thus does not experience that he is in pain. Rather he sees that his body is in a painful condition not he himself. Therefore even though his body may be tortured with great pain, he tolerates the pain without being disturbed while continuing to execute his routine duties in Krishna consciousness as far as possible.

For him the pains and pleasures of this world are something happening out there in the external energy while he is internally situated in a sweet and happy loving relationship with his spiritual master and Lord Sri Krishna within his heart.

Srila Prabhupada told us in his last days when he was dying in Vrindavan that we could pray to Krishna to save our spiritual master if He so desires. So we can pray to Krishna to save our spiritual master, but we have to ultimately leave it up to Krishna what He desires to do in regards to our spiritual master's health and life span.

When the spiritual master's body is diseased or is in pain we should do whatever we can to help him regain his health. This is part of the loving relationship between the spiritual master and the disciple.

Srila Prabhupada explains that the duty of the disciple upon the departure of his spiritual master is to cry and to then remain fixed in executing the orders that he has received from his spiritual master accepting them as his very life and soul.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari