Q: When devotees say that everything that happens in ones life …..good and bad…is Krishna’s mercy, does that mean that the law of karma does not apply to them, or that it does continue to apply to them (in so far as their action was not fully ‘unmotivated’ or spiritual) but they choose to see everything as Krishna’s mercy?

A: At the time the devotee is initiated his karma is stopped and his material reactions are no longer effective and he or she comes personally under Krishna's control. This has been compared by Srila Prabhupada to pulling out the plug of an electric fan. Some revolutions of the fan blades may continue but they soon slow down and stop.

What appears to be punishments of sinful reactions to a devotee such as deceases and similar mishaps are actually only token reactions given by Krishna. It is as if one has committed a crime of murder but is just given a little pinprick as a punishment. This is how the devotee sees it. The token punishments are for his final purification.

This applies to the devotee who keeps his vows of initiation. Even if one breaks the vows but repents and rectifies he is freed from the laws of karma. He sees everything as Krishna's mercy.

The punishment or suffering of an orphan and that of a well kept child are different. The orphan suffers without any protection or recourse, but the protected child may be occasionally punished by his parents for his own good. In happiness and suffering the devotee is being personally being handled by Krishna -- and for his own ultimate good.

Q: When we study the Vedic philosophy and Krishna consciousness, would it be more appropriate to say that we know that this is the truth, or that we believe that this is the truth?

A: In the beginning we believe that Krishna consciousness is true and when we are more advanced we know it as a fact. The believing stage is very advantageous over the skeptic who disregards the scriptures as mythological. In good faith we accept the words of the spiritual master even though we may be lacking the deepest conviction.

The experienced devotee sees the world's knowledge as illusory and has gained deep conviction from years of experience and hearing from guru, sadhu and sastra -- that sastra is infallible knowledge. I explained last Sunday that the proof of sabda brahman, hearing from scriptural authority if the highest proof. One who is convinced of this takes the Vedas as factual. He accepts phenomena described in the Vedas that is beyond our mental speculation. He accepts that he cannot know Krishna -- who is known as Adhoksaja, beyond the senses -- with his tiny brain and accepts transcendental information as the last word.

Q: Is it offensive or in some way a block to spiritual progress to accept that Lord Caitanya is an embodiment of Radha and Krishna, but not to understand how that is or what it really means to say this?

A: First of all what do we mean, by Lord Caitanya being the embodiment of Radha and Krishna? It means that Lord Caitanya is Krishna but he has accepted the bodily complexion of Radharani and the mood of Radharani in separation from Krishna. It is not wrong to accept this without fully understanding it. It is like the other question of believing the Vedic confidential truth and knowing it as a fact. Krishna dasa Kaviraja has included this confidential knowledge in his Caitanya-caritamrita and Srila Prabhupada has translated it with purports with the intension to spread it widely. Krishna dasa Kaviraja says that he hesitates to speak it but then he decides that the devotees will like it and the nondevotees will ignore it. So he feels happy and released to write about it. It is good for us to read these confidential chapters of Caitanya-caritamrita as long as we don't take it cheaply as prakrita sahajiyas. Thy are the people who believe that they are gopis or that they are seeing Krishna when in fact they are just being offensive.

Q: In facing difficulty and adversity what is it that sustains you most and gives you so much courage?

A: In facing adversity I try to accept that what happens it the arrangement of providence. Somehow there is something good to learn in the adverse situation. At least we have the opportunity not to despair but to depend on Krishna. Everything is happening to us by his will even if we cannot understand it. We should not think we are victims of unfair treatment by the Lord, but take shelter in Him and beg him for the courage to survive the adversity. Ultimately we cannot protect ourselves from infamy, decease, poverty or even death. We should practice chanting Hare Krishna. Knowing I am tiny and Krishna is great and that he is my only protector is the way I sustain myself.

Q: The poet T.S Eliot wrote in the Wasteland I think, that .."between the idea and the reality falls a shadow." ISKCON offers us wonderful standards or ‘ideals’ by which to make progress in spiritual life. However we often fall short of the ‘ideal ‘conduct of a devotee and yet it seems we are somewhat lacking in the culture of compassion that recognizes the reality of devotees struggles. What do you think would help to increase this culture of compassion and encourage devotees not only to be open about their weaknesses but to find the supportive encouragement (laughter)--I'm laughing, this is such a complex question--to overcome them and breach ‘the shadow’ between ideal precepts and ones own practice?

A: The culture of compassion can be increased by acts of sacrifice on others behalf. We can go out of our way and make an effort to help those who seek our aid and association. Studying and being aware of great souls, by reading of their lives and following their ways will help. The compassion of Srila Prabhupada should be an inspiration to us. We should commiserate with the weaknesses of others and not be harshly judgmental to them. As to breaching 'the shadow' between the ideal and our own reality, we should always try to improve, by practicing sadhana and associating with serious devotees, but we should not be too harsh on ourselves. We should live with who we are and beg for Krishna's mercy to show as ways to realistically progress.

Q: Does the Bhagavad Gita suggest that there is an eternal hellish condition where some jivas may never get the opportunity to approach Krishna?  [BG 16.20]

āsurīṁ yonim āpannā

mūḍhā janmani janmani

mām aprāpyaiva kaunteya

tato yānty adhamāṁ gatim

Attaining repeated birth amongst the species of demoniac life, O son of Kunti, such persons can never approach Me. Gradually they sink down to the most abominable type of existence.

A: In his book Surrender Unto Me, Bhurijana Prabhu quotes a commentary by Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura on this verse of Bhagavad Gita. He says that Krishna says that they never come to me, because he is speaking out of emotional anger at those who never approach him. But in His heart he feels different and always offers the suffering souls a chance to gradually rise. In his purport to this verse, Srila Prabhupada gives the example of an extremely sinful soul Hiranyakasipu who was personally killed by Krishna and given liberation. So this statement, 'they never come to me', in this verse, should be taken in the context of Krishna circumstantial anger towards those who don't come to him but it is not a Gaudia Vedanta Siddhanta or conclusion that souls dwell in permanent hell, as in the Christian conception.

Q: We hear from scriptures that ‘causeless mercy' is what awakens bhakti within the heart. Why is it that some souls seem more stubborn and rebellious to this mercy and others do not?

A: Prabhupada refers to a "stubborn obstinacy due to bad association and sinful activities in past lives" as the reasons some persons do not accept Krishna's statements and his position in the Bhagavad Gita as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. These negative factors can be overcome by the causeless mercy of the representative of Krishna who appears as the spiritual master who gives Krishna to the fallen souls.

Q: Which of the below do you think is better:

a) A devotee who is very good at attracting others to Krishna consciousness but is not very good at following or practice the principles of spiritual life oneself’

b) A devotee who is impeccable in their own practice and following the principles, but does little to bring others to Krishna Consciousness.

A: There are two kinds of the devotees, the bhajanānandī, and the goṣṭhyānandī. The bhajanānandī prefers to practice spiritual life in a secluded place for his own advancement and is not very interested in preaching. The goṣṭhyānandī goes out to attempt missionary work on behalf of Krishna. Of the two the goṣṭhyānandī is said to be superior. But he must be impeccable in his practices in order to be effective. It has been said, The best devotee is a bhajanānandī who preaches. In other words the culture of inward stillness, study and self advancement, so prominent in the life of bhajanānandī are all tools necessary for the outer preacher as well. Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji was a bhajanānandī. He was disgusted with the materialists and avoided them. He is in no way considered as inferior devotee. But his disciple, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati was a passionate preacher who organized 64 Gaudia Math centers throughout India. Srila Prabhupada was an ideal goṣṭhyānandī in spreading ISKCON, but his behaviour was impeccable. As followers of Prabhupada we have the responsibliity to preach according to our capacity and to behave as ideal human beings.

Q: When we see senior devotees leaving their bodies, we realize the temporary nature of our lives, and see the urgent need to practice Krishna Consciousness, yet we so easily slip back into ordinary sloppy practices. How can we keep alive the deep impressions and resolve to take more seriously to spiritual practices?

A: Srila Prabhupada said, "Philosophy means to keep death in front of you." By reading the stories in the Bhagavatam, and by observing the facts of worldly life we can become aware that death may occur to us at any moment. Seeing the senior devotees, some old, some younger, leaving their bodies is a constant reminder that our turn will some sooner or later. Therefore we should become serious.

In the early verses of the 8th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita Krishna answers Arjuna's question as to what one should think of at the time of death. Krishna replies that whatever you think of at the time of death, you will attain your life in that situation. In his purport to these verses, Srila Prabhupada again and again stresses the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra. He says we should not expect to suddenly be able to chant Hare Krishna at the time of death without practicing it throughout our life, because the time of death is very difficult. But if you chant in a good consciousness throughout your life you will be better prepared to chant to chant at the difficult hour of your death and that chanting can transport you back to Godhead.

Q: Prabhupada showed not only extensive knowledge but also great wisdom in the application of that same knowledge. It seems that more or less we can easily get knowledge from his books but to get the wisdom seems much more difficult. How can we get it?

A: Wisdom comes from experience. Then we learn how to apply the book knowledge according to time and place. Wisdom is imparted by the Supersoul in our hearts and by thoroughly understanding the wisdom of our spiritual master. I'll give an example of Srila Prabhupada's wisdom:

This is a memory of Sruta-kirti: "a devotee wrote to Prabhupada that he wanted to divorce his wife. Prabhupada gave him permission. This very much disturbed Sruta-kirti. At the opportune time he questioned Prabhupada and asked why did you give him this permission that is against the rules of marriage with no divorce. Prabhupada said, "Oh, in your country everyone gets divorce." Then Sruta-kirti said, "Yes, but in our country also everyone eats meat and has intoxication. But we don't give permission to that." Then Prabhupada replied, "This devotee was determined to get a divorce. If i told him not to, and he went ahead and did it, it would have been an offence to the spiritual master." The understanding of how to apply the rules and regulations to individual disciples requires wisdom. Krishna gave Arjuna wisdom in how to kill Asvatthama without actually killing him. Asvatthama killed the sleeping sons of Draupadi and Bhima said that Arjuna should kill him, and Krishna said so too but Draupadi said that he should be spared. So Arjuna had to decide what to do and Krishna inspired him within to cut the hair of Asvatthama in different patches and to take the jewel off his head. This shame of a ksatriya was as good as killing him without actually killing him. Actually Asvatthama was a son of a brahmana and there is no injunction in the scriptures of killing a brahmana.

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