Don't Be a Slave of Your Tongue

Don't be a slave of your tongue. Be a master of your tongue, and you will open up the gateway within your heart to the transcendental realm of eternity, bliss, and knowledge. In other words, engage your tongue only in Krishna consciousness. Instead of garbage in, garbage out, i.e. eating unoffered foods and talking mundane topics, your tongue should be engaged in the pastime of nectar in, nectar out, i.e. eating only Krishna prasadam and talking only about Krishna and things related to His service such as Krishna's teachings and pastimes and how to inundate this planet with Krishna bhakti. This proper discipline of your tongue will bring you quickly to the liberated platform of eternity, perfect knowledge, and unlimited bliss.

Prabhupada Tells Baron von Durkheim About Krishna

Prabhupada Tells Baron von Durkheim About Krishna

Answers by Citing the Vedic Version:

Question: How to Get the Special Mercy of Guru and Krishna?

Please accept my dandavat pranam,

In the purport to Srimad Bhagavatam 8.20.3 Srila Prabhupada writes:

"There are two kinds of highly elevated devotees, called sadhana-siddha and kripa-siddha. Sadhana-siddha refers to one who has become a devotee by regular execution of the regulative principles mentioned in the sastras, as ordered and directed by the spiritual master. If one regularly executes such devotional service, he will certainly attain perfection in due course of time. But there are other devotees, who may not have undergone all the required details of devotional service but who, by the special mercy of guru and Krishna -- the spiritual master and the Supreme Personality of Godhead -- have immediately attained the perfection of pure devotional service."

Srila Prabhupada gives the example of Bali Maharaja. Bali Maharaja became a kripa-siddha devotee by the mercy of guru (Prahlada Maharaja) and Lord Krishna. So how to become kripa-siddha devotee? How to attain special mercy of guru? Is initiation kripa? What is the exactly meant by kripa?

Vikas D.

Answer: Shelter, Initiation, and Obedience

Kripa means mercy. To be initiated by the bona fide spiritual is a poignant example of mercy. The spiritual master is so merciful that he absorbs your sinful reactions and engages you in devotional service to Krishna to liberate you from this material existence.

Kripa-siddha is spiritual perfection attained by special mercy only, without one's having executed the prescribed rules and regulations of devotional service. To not engage in devotional service and to simply wait in expectation of getting kripa-siddha is not the means of becoming Krishna conscious. Anyone who wants to become Krishna conscious should perform the prescribed reformatory duties described in the Bhagavad-gita for awakening his Krishna consciousness. Only in very extraordinary circumstances, which are not under one's control, is one granted perfection without having to follow the prescribed rules and regulations.

It is something like this: Sometimes a person is extraordinarily awarded an honorary degree from a university without his ever having attended a university. So does this mean that if one wants a degree that he should do nothing and simply wait for his honorary degree? No. If he wants a degree, he should work for it diligently by enrolling in the university and taking the prescribed course work. Then his earning the degree will be certain.

Therefore, if you want to attain the perfection of existence by awakening your dormant Krishna consciousness, you should work for it diligently by taking shelter and initiation from the bona fide spiritual master and living your life in obedience to his orders. This is how you will qualify for the kripa or mercy of guru and Krishna.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

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