When Will They Ever Learn?

When will the people of this material world learn that you can't be happy by thinking yourself to be the center of enjoyment, that you can only become happy when you accept God as the center of enjoyment? We are trying to convince them of this, but they are so stubbornly attached to this illusion of being the enjoyers that they refuse to even consider any other option. They are so proud and puffed up that instead of learning from the teachings of the sages they find fault with these teachings. As long as they continue being offensive in this way they will never realize the highest truth. Because of this obstinate stubbornness they will be dragged by the laws of the nature into the animal kingdom in their next birth. It's sad. We try to save them. But they refuse to hear submissively from us. This is difficulty.

Sri Sri Radha Krishna in Vrindavan

Sri Sri Radha Krishna in Vrindavan

Video For the Day

Taste Unlimited Happiness

Answers by Citing the Vedic Version

Question: Why Everyone Is Not Eager to Serve Krishna?

Hare Krishna Gurudeva,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
All glories to you and to Gurumata.

Thank you again for the very inspiring daily emails which are short and right to the point.

Can you please guide me on the following questions?

From the few millions that visit ISKCON Centers all over the world and regularly hear lectures from the scriptures and on the philosophy, why is there not a long line up of devotees to get initiated?

Also, why are all these millions of devotees visiting ISKCON Centers not inclined in performing regular devotional service?

What is the difference between devotional service performed before and after initiation?

Your servant,
Rajesh

Answer: They Take Him As Order-Supplier, Not As Master

You have asked why others are not taking initiation. But yet you have not taken initiation. Because you are setting the example of not getting initiated, you are teaching others by your example not to get initiated. So you are part of the reason that others are not getting initiated.

The millions who visit ISKCON centers are not rendering service because they are still foolishly
taking God as their order-supplier instead of as their master.

Regarding initiation Srila Prabhupada stated as follows in a conversation with his disciple, Madhudvisa:

Madhudvisa: The question was, Prabhupada, is it possible for a person to return to the spiritual world without taking initiation from a bona fide spiritual master?
Prabhupada: No, that is not possible. Therefore Rupa Gosvami said, adau gurv-asrayam. First business is to accept spiritual master. Adau gurv-asrayam. Who will train him? He is already fool, rascal. He must be trained up. So he must be trained up by the representative of Krsna.
—from a Morning Walk -- May 22, 1975, Melbourne

So without initiation your service is incomplete and imperfect because you are not obeying the Lord and the acharyas.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Little Sparrow Who Conquered the Ocean

Image
In his purport to Bhagavad-gita, Chapter 6, Text 24 Srila Prabhupada wonderfully teaches us the power of determinations by telling us the story of the little sparrow who conquered the ocean: "As for determination, one should follow the example of the sparrow who lost her eggs in the waves of the ocean. A sparrow laid her eggs on the shore of the ocean, but the big ocean carried away the eggs on its waves. The sparrow became very upset and asked the ocean to return her eggs. The ocean did not even consider her appeal. So the sparrow decided to dry up the ocean. She began to pick out the water in her small beak, and everyone laughed at her for her impossible determination. The news of her activity spread, and at last Garuda, the gigantic bird carrier of Lord Visnu, heard it. He became compassionate toward his small sister bird, and so he came to see the sparrow. Garuda was very pleased by the determination of the small sparrow, and he promised to help. Thus Garuda at once asked t...
Read more

Heart Melting Reunion with Amarendra and Gayatri

Image
On Friday 26 June 2015 I was blessed with the greatest good fortune of meeting with two of the dearest devotees of my entire life, His Grace Amarendra Prabhu and his good wife, Srimati Gayatri devi dasi. I am eternally indebted to these great souls for how much they helped me in my spiritual life when I was a young devotee. When I was young brahmacari monk in 1973 I joined with the two of them in Gainesville, Florida. We were a three person preaching center, and they were just like a mother and father to me. I had so many wonderful Krishna conscious experiences in their association that I can hardly begin to describe them here. But at least may it suffice for me to say for now that Gayatri taught me what it means to be a soft-hearted devotee of the Lord and she gave me my first cooking lesson, teaching me how to make cauliflower pakoras, and Amarendra taught me the art of how to preach strongly, intelligently, and coolly to defeat opposing arguments. Recently Gayatri almost died. But ...
Read more

Misguided Fools Say that Masturbation is Healthy

Image
Foolish modern day materialists recommend masturbation as follows: "Masturbation is a common activity. It’s a natural and safe way to explore your body, feel pleasure, and release built-up sexual tension. It occurs among people of all backgrounds, genders, and races. Despite the myths, there are actually no physically harmful side effects of masturbation." They are wrong. To get a proper understanding on this this topic read the question and answer section below. Answers According to the Vedic Wisdom Question: What are the Ill Effects of Masturbation? Since you answered questions related to understanding the real need of sex in a human being's life, so I also request you to please enlighten us with the knowledge about semen conservation, it's importance, and the consequences of frequently releasing it thorough sex or masturbation. Since today most of the youth are indulged in mansturbation and they think it to be good in comparison to doing sex with some female for ...
Read more