When the Most Unwanted Thing is the Most Valuable Thing
The most unwanted thing in this world is death. Everyone is trying to avoid or postpone it no matter what the cost. But what they do not realize is that the moment of death is the most valuable moment of your entire life because your consciousness at that moment determines your next body. You could become a plant, an animal, a human, or an eternally youthful liberated soul in the spiritual world. It all depends upon your consciousness at that most crucial of all moments, the most valuable moment of death. And if you remember Krishna at that most opportune instant you will immediately revive your eternal identity as His associate in His transcendental abode, Goloka Vrindavan. Therefore you should intensely train yourself to keep your mind fixed on Krishna at every minute.
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
Vishnu Jana Swami Opened ISKCON Austin in 1971
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
Vishnu Jana Swami Opened ISKCON Austin in 1971
Answers by Citing the Vedic Version:
Question: How to Get More Mercy from the Spiritual Master?
Hare Krishna Srila Gurudeva,
All Glories to Srila Prabhupada,
Gurudeva, if I listen to your lectures with rapt attention on a daily basis and try to apply them, even though I am not there in person, will I still receive your mercy? and what are the 10 offences? what else can I do to get more mercy?
Sanjib
All Glories to Srila Prabhupada,
Gurudeva, if I listen to your lectures with rapt attention on a daily basis and try to apply them, even though I am not there in person, will I still receive your mercy? and what are the 10 offences? what else can I do to get more mercy?
Sanjib
Answer: Connect With Him Through His Instructions
Even though your spiritual master is not present with you in person, by hearing his lectures and seriously trying to apply the instructions therein you will most assuredly be blessed with his mercy. This is so because the vibrational presence, the instructions of your spiritual master, are far more potent than his physical presence.
The ten offenses are listed by Srila Prabhupada in the Nectar of Devotion as follows:
(1) To blaspheme the devotees who have dedicated their lives for propagating the holy name of the Lord.
(2) To consider the names of demigods like Lord Siva or Lord Brahma to be equal to, or independent of, the name of Lord Vishnu. (Sometimes the atheistic class of men take it that any demigod is as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vishnu. But one who is a devotee knows that no demigod, however great he may be, is independently as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore, if someone thinks that he can chant "Kali, Kali!" or "Durga, Durga!"and it is the same as Hare Krishna, that is the greatest offense.)
(3) To disobey the orders of the spiritual master. (This means you must be fully surrendered to the spiritual master.)
(4) To blaspheme the Vedic literature or literature in pursuance of the Vedic version.
(5) To consider the glories of chanting Hare Krishna to be imagination.
(6) To give some interpretation on the holy name of the Lord.
(7) To commit sinful activities on the strength of the holy name of the Lord. (It should not be taken that because by chanting the holy name of the Lord one can be freed from all kinds of sinful reaction, one may continue to act sinfully and after that chant Hare Krishna to neutralize his sins. Such a dangerous mentality is very offensive and should be avoided.)
(8) To consider the chanting of Hare Krishna one of the auspicious ritualistic activities offered in the Vedas as fruitive activities (karma-kanda).
(9) To instruct a faithless person about the glories of the holy name. (Anyone can take part in chanting the holy name of the Lord, but in the beginning one should not be instructed about the transcendental potency of the Lord. Those who are too sinful cannot appreciate the transcendental glories of the Lord, and therefore it is better not to instruct them in this matter.)
(10) To not have complete faith in the chanting of the holy names and to maintain material attachments, even after understanding so many instructions on this matter. It's also offensive to be inattentive while chanting.
Anyone who claims to be a devotee of the Lord must carefully guard against the above offenses in order to quickly achieve the supreme success, pure love of Krishna, Krishna prema.
To be fully connected with the mercy of your spiritual master you need to formally initiated by him as his disciple. To qualify for initiation you need to be fixed in chanting at least 16 of the Hare Krishna mantra on japa beads every day without fail and solidly established in the avoidance of illicit sex, meat eating, intoxication, and gambling. If you are thus qualified as confirmed by your local ISKCON authority, I encourage to accept the shelter and initiation from the bona fide spiritual master as soon as possible.
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
The ten offenses are listed by Srila Prabhupada in the Nectar of Devotion as follows:
(1) To blaspheme the devotees who have dedicated their lives for propagating the holy name of the Lord.
(2) To consider the names of demigods like Lord Siva or Lord Brahma to be equal to, or independent of, the name of Lord Vishnu. (Sometimes the atheistic class of men take it that any demigod is as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vishnu. But one who is a devotee knows that no demigod, however great he may be, is independently as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore, if someone thinks that he can chant "Kali, Kali!" or "Durga, Durga!"and it is the same as Hare Krishna, that is the greatest offense.)
(3) To disobey the orders of the spiritual master. (This means you must be fully surrendered to the spiritual master.)
(4) To blaspheme the Vedic literature or literature in pursuance of the Vedic version.
(5) To consider the glories of chanting Hare Krishna to be imagination.
(6) To give some interpretation on the holy name of the Lord.
(7) To commit sinful activities on the strength of the holy name of the Lord. (It should not be taken that because by chanting the holy name of the Lord one can be freed from all kinds of sinful reaction, one may continue to act sinfully and after that chant Hare Krishna to neutralize his sins. Such a dangerous mentality is very offensive and should be avoided.)
(8) To consider the chanting of Hare Krishna one of the auspicious ritualistic activities offered in the Vedas as fruitive activities (karma-kanda).
(9) To instruct a faithless person about the glories of the holy name. (Anyone can take part in chanting the holy name of the Lord, but in the beginning one should not be instructed about the transcendental potency of the Lord. Those who are too sinful cannot appreciate the transcendental glories of the Lord, and therefore it is better not to instruct them in this matter.)
(10) To not have complete faith in the chanting of the holy names and to maintain material attachments, even after understanding so many instructions on this matter. It's also offensive to be inattentive while chanting.
Anyone who claims to be a devotee of the Lord must carefully guard against the above offenses in order to quickly achieve the supreme success, pure love of Krishna, Krishna prema.
To be fully connected with the mercy of your spiritual master you need to formally initiated by him as his disciple. To qualify for initiation you need to be fixed in chanting at least 16 of the Hare Krishna mantra on japa beads every day without fail and solidly established in the avoidance of illicit sex, meat eating, intoxication, and gambling. If you are thus qualified as confirmed by your local ISKCON authority, I encourage to accept the shelter and initiation from the bona fide spiritual master as soon as possible.
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
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