Question, new Krishna devoutie

Hare Krishna Hare Rama,

I have few questions that are in my mind and I can't find answers or some other explanation about them.

I am new Krishna follower. I am not that much into Krishna teaching but what I believe is that the things are comming slowly, it is good that they begun. So now I have left the alchohol (not that I was alchoholic but I used to drink glass or two for some occasions), the tobacco is in a process of quiting.
Being vegetarian for me is somehow dangerous (for my phisycal health, as the doctors said), because I have week blood. So my parents won't leave me be vegetarian untill I get some few more kilos on me :)

I have read Bhagavad Gita, half of it, and before it, I read Bhakti-Yoga from His Devine Glory Sri Prabhupada, Life comes from Life (or something like that, not sure what the English translation would be), and few other Sri Prabhupada books that are bought or taken from my friends.

1. Now, what I have read in some texts is that in Hinduism Vishnu is the God which is Above each of His avatars (as Krishna, Rama or the Others Are), and in other texts is written that Krishna i above everything. Now, I ask, who is above who? Krishna or Vishnu ?

2. Ever since I begun to say the mahamantra before sleep and during the day (morning, evening) I am pretty much disturbed by the noise that is made in my house. The TV is making me nervouse, my parents talks, guests. All I want is to have peace, and be calmed. The chanting music is often played in my room so that Is the perfect atmosphere for me. My parents think that I hate them for not sitting with them, but as I said I am disturbed by the noise the people are making.

Please answer this questions,
I need your help.

Thanks in advance

Harey Krishna,

a) If I am not wrong.. All avatars of Vishnu are equal. In Bhagwat Gita "Krishna" talks about himself and says he is the supreme ruler of the universe.

b) whenever you start moving towards devotional/spiritual path, the external forces always try to disturb and divert you from the path. So, be strong.. if you are determined to pray Krishna twice a day, never let your determination go down, this shall bring results.

Good Luck.

[JK Hauraki]

:D
Hari,

You mentioned you are still smoking but yet your parents wont allow you to become vegetarian.
Which leads me to think you may be of age to decide for yourself whether you can become vegetarian or not.
While you are still consuming flesh of animals you will not be successful in your chanting. Taking another spirit souls life for the satisfaction of the tongue is a not accepted in Krsna Consciousness. If your eating it your condoning it.

Although Prabhupada would say continue to chant the Lords name and eventually you will have all success in giving up those bad habits once your tastes begin to develop. Maya is very strong and will not let you go without a fight she is there to only let the sincere through. Dont forget that. It is a great reminder to have to check ourselves when we are tempted.

You will find that you will put adaquate weight on being vegetarian if you learn the ART properly there are many fine books out there and Kurma is a great one to start with he helped me tremendously and I didnt miss meat at all. Meat rots within the stomach and takes a very long time to break down this leads to disease and bowle complaints. If you learn the Art you will have all necessary minerals & vitamins to lead a successful and healthy life which will increase in duration. As Prabhupada say's your tastes will change if you are determind.

He also says that Krsna Consciousness is a Kitchen Religion!

Hare Rama. 8) 8)

[JK Hauraki]

Oh and Visnu is Krishna. So if you pray to Visnu you are praying to Krishna. He is the source of all living entities. The complete balance.
There is no need to worship any Gods separately as all Demi Gods are worshipped simultanously through Krishna and given all obesiances.
Visnu is the Maintainer as Lord Shiva is the Destroyer and Lord Brahma is the Creator or secondary Creator as Krsna educated him from within his heart to help him to create the Manifestation.

Thankyou

With all due respect to Sri Srila Prabhupad & others...

Can anyone tell me, why is it necessary to be a vegetarian for being a Krishna Devotee ? Where has it been told by Lord Krishna in Gita ? If someone says that we should not kill --- why Krishna exhorts Arjuna for killing ? What will an eskimo do who has nothing else to eat except meat ? Will he not get enlightened ? Can anyone live without killing a billion living beings (however small, germs & bacteria & all) even for a second ? Where is it written that killing a germ is pardoned & that of an animal/fish is not ?

I am not a non-vegetarian & I believe that for being healthy there is no need to eat meat. However, being a vegetarian doesn't mean that one is a higher devotee than the other who eats meat (& is loved more by lord Krishna for being a vegetarian) !

It is better if you are a vegetarian but the doors to Lord Krishna's love are not closed if you are not. :)

[JK Hauraki]

Hari :D

In answer to your question where does Krishna say in the Gita in regards to being Vegetarian

If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water, I will accept it. Ch 9: 26

Prabhupada says He accepts the offering of His devotee in an exchange of love and affection. Krsna does not need anything as He is self sufficent but out of love for his devotee this exchange takes place.

Lord Krsna is offered according to the Bhagavad Gita 9:26 vegetables, flowers, fruits, grains, milk, etc. In this way a person in Krsna consciousness becomes automatically trained not to accept food not meant for human consumption, or not in the category of goodness.(Prabhupada)

According to the 3 material modes of nature. Goodness, Passion, and Ignorance foods correspond within these modes meat is in the modes of passion and ignorance therefore one cannot acheive Goodness completely whilst acting with in these modes. If meat is to be eaten, it should be offered first otherwise one is purely eating sin. There are acceptions as to when a person can eat meat if he has no other food choice he can kill and eat and no sin is incurred but in todays society there is no scarcity of vegetables grains milk etc.. so there is no excuse.
While eating meat one is condoning animal killing, the killing of another spirit soul, checking its existance.(not our job)
Jesus had no such luxury, grains and milk where scarce back then, still Jesus Christ was a Vegetarian and if meat was eaten it was offered first, without exception.

In relation to your other question of killing of germs etc..

Prabhupada also says that we are killing at every moment so we should constantly be chanting the Maha mantra for purification, and that the un necessary slaughter of animals is not accepted and one cannot reach enlightenment if they do not follow the regulated principles, of No meat eating, no intoxication, no illict sex and no Gambling. These senses must first be controlled then If we follow this we have a chance to develop spontanous Ragnuga bhakti. Eventually leading us to Prema.

Hari Krishna

[JK Hauraki]

I also meant to add that no, being vegetarian does not make you a better devotee it takes more than simply being vegetarian the food must also be offered otherwise we still eat sin. We do this to please Krsna and if Krsna is pleased then we are able to advance in KC. A devotee that eats meat simply has not learnt to control that part of the tongue. Prabhupada says that controlling the tongue is the hardest sense to control but if conquered the others will follow close behind.
I think a Good devotee is one who is determined to conquer all these material things we are so a customed to doing and have been doing for many many lifetimes. Listening to the Guru and association with devotees is protocol in order to climb out of the animalistic way of illusionary life and to find these answers with grace and humility. All Glories to Srila Prabhpada! :lol: :D

[JK Hauraki]

Sorry didnt mean to say yOu, in the first sentance was meant as a generalisation. I should proof read carefully. Hari :D

Hari :D

In answer to your question where does Krishna say in the Gita in regards to being Vegetarian

If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water, I will accept it. Ch 9: 26

Prabhupada says He accepts the offering of His devotee in an exchange of love and affection. Krsna does not need anything as He is self sufficent but out of love for his devotee this exchange takes place.

Lord Krsna is offered according to the Bhagavad Gita 9:26 vegetables, flowers, fruits, grains, milk, etc. In this way a person in Krsna consciousness becomes automatically trained not to accept food not meant for human consumption, or not in the category of goodness.(Prabhupada)

According to the 3 material modes of nature. Goodness, Passion, and Ignorance foods correspond within these modes meat is in the modes of passion and ignorance therefore one cannot acheive Goodness completely whilst acting with in these modes. If meat is to be eaten, it should be offered first otherwise one is purely eating sin. There are acceptions as to when a person can eat meat if he has no other food choice he can kill and eat and no sin is incurred but in todays society there is no scarcity of vegetables grains milk etc.. so there is no excuse.
While eating meat one is condoning animal killing, the killing of another spirit soul, checking its existance.(not our job)


First of all, I bow to you for being polite & so considerate in answering my post.

Now in response to your reply :

i) If you are simply following & advocating vegetarianism because Sri Srila Prabhupad said so, then I have nothing to say anything further. I don't want to hurt anybody's sentiments here.

However, if we purely go by what Lord Krishna said & what we understand by sheer logic, then I would elaborate further :

a) The verses that you have been mentioned do not anywhere say that "Eating Meat is forbidden". If you go by the types of foods mentioned in Gita, it nowhere says that "We should not eat meat". Moreover, how can you deduce that eating meat is a mode coming under "passion and ignorance" .... this extrapolation is not fair. If Lord Krishna would have been so particular over Vegetarianism, he would have said so but that is not the case here.

b) I don't deny that if there is no compulsion, it is always better to be a vegetarian. I have already indicated this in my post earlier.

c) You may be wondering why I am insisting on non-exclusion of the non-vegeterians from the group of Krishna-Devotees. First of all, there is no such embargo by Lord Krishna himself. Secondly, Lord Krishna is the highest Form of God-head ... there is nothing above him. Why ? He is the one who accepts all paths ... he is equal to Jnani, the devotee & the Karma-yogi ... he accepts even the worst sinner with equanimity if he come to him with Bhakti ... he is the one who leaves little traces of doubts over many ways /rituals ... he even allows you to use any other name & any other way (In whatever way my devotee worships Me, attains me in the end !) ... He is so accommodating ... so full of love for the devotee ... how can I expect him to differentiate between devotees merely on one's food habits ???

Anyway, my purpose here is not to promote non-vegetarianism but only to help devotees who by any compulsion cannot be a vegetarian - they need not to be under the impression that they are not loved by Lord Krishna.
My dear all & everyone ... He is ready to embrace you even if you are the worst sinner ! ... Why set any precondition for meeting the Most Beloved ONE ?? ... He is not asking anything ... not setting any precondition ... just asking for our undivided love for him ... the sins will get washed away ... don't wait to be pure to come to Him ... He will take care of everything .... Just surrender to him everything including your good deeds & bad deeds ( Let's not forget his words --- "Even if the worst sinner worships me with full devotion he gets salvation ... with My grace he soon becomes a noble/good person & becomes free" ).

[amit1947]

As a devotee of Krishna, why should we kill our animal brothers for the purpose of eating them? If we want to actually surrender than that means we should try to please the lord, why not start by stopping needless killing and violence?

[JK Hauraki]

Dear Devotee

Firstly lets acertain we are speaking from the same Gita. I have his Divine Grace's Srila Prabhupadas As it is. So this is the Gita I refer to.

You wrote

i) If you are simply following & advocating vegetarianism because Sri Srila Prabhupad said so, then I have nothing to say anything further. I don't want to hurt anybody's sentiments here.

The Spiritual Master is the sum total of all demi gods and has been given divine sight by Lord Krsna in which to instruct the devotee. He is Vasinava, he is all powerful. So for me to speculate on what Prabhupada translates that would just be foolish of me. Knowing that this Bonafide Spiritual Master has come from a line of disciplic sucession starting with Krsna himself.

From the Modes of goodness, real knowledge develops, from the mode of passion, greed develops and from the mode of ignorance develops foolishness, madness and illusions. Ch 14:17

Those situated in the mode of goodness gradually go upward to the higher planets; those in the mode of passion live on the earthly planets; and those in the abominable mode of ignorance go down to the hellish worlds. Ch 14:18

Text 16
naty-asnatas tu yougo 'sti
na caikantam anansnatah
na cati-svapna-silasya
jagrato naiva carjuna

Translation
There is no possibility of ones becoming a yogi, O Arjuna, if one eats too much or eats too little, sleeps too much or does not sleep enough. Ch6:16

PUrport
Regulation of diet and sleep is recommended herin for the yogis. Too much eating means eating more than required to keep the body and soul together.There is no need for men to eat animals, because there is an ample supply of grains, vegetables, fruit and milk. Such simple foodstuff is considered to be in the mode of goodness according to the Bhagavad Gita. Animal food is for those in the mode of ignorance. Therefore, those who indulge in animal food, drinking, smoking and eating food which is not first offered to Krsna will suffer sinful reactions because of eating only pollluted things. 'Bhunjate te tv agham papa ye pacanty atma-karanat'. Ch6:16

Chapter 14 which describes the Modes of Material Nature. Would probably be of particular interest to you, here you can piece through which mode relates to certain lifestyles and choices we make.


You also wrote

a) The verses that you have been mentioned do not anywhere say that "Eating Meat is forbidden". If you go by the types of foods mentioned in Gita, it nowhere says that "We should not eat meat". Moreover, how can you deduce that eating meat is a mode coming under "passion and ignorance" .... this extrapolation is not fair. If Lord Krishna would have been so particular over Vegetarianism, he would have said so but that is not the case here.

The verses I have supplied, do in no way say meat is accepted either. We are all under the modes of passion and ignorance in this dark age of Kali. So it was not a statement of being fair or unfair it is a fact.
You may also know that Lord Buddha was the 9th incarnation of Lord Krishna especially asending to stop rampid slaughter of animals. He expresses himself clearly not only in the Gita but in Buddha. We are not equipped to understand the mysteries of the Gita on our own that can only be truly attained through the aid of the spiritual master. One can read the Gita many times and still be none the wiser, but if one is sincere and humbly surrenders to the spirtual master than one can take the oppourtunity of unravelling the great mysteries of life, and where our individual purpose is amongst it.

Thankyou
Hari Krishna :D

Thanks for your reply ! :)

I always refer to "Sri-Mad Bhagwat Gita", written in Sanskrit, (without commentary, printed & distributed by Gita Press) otherwise my doubts are not satisfied.

Forgive me if I created any unwanted disturbance.

[JK Hauraki]

Thanks for your reply ! :)

I always refer to "Sri-Mad Bhagwat Gita", written in Sanskrit, (without commentary, printed & distributed by Gita Press) otherwise my doubts are not satisfied.

Forgive me if I created any unwanted disturbance.

Hari,

No disturbance at all, As it is By Srila Prabhupada also has sanskrit, Translation then purport which I think is an excellent idea, since one can tend to speculate if this is missing.

Hare Krishna

[Ratnesh]

Thanks for your reply ! :)

I always refer to "Sri-Mad Bhagwat Gita", written in Sanskrit, (without commentary, printed & distributed by Gita Press) otherwise my doubts are not satisfied.

Forgive me if I created any unwanted disturbance.

Hari,

No disturbance at all, As it is By Srila Prabhupada also has sanskrit, Translation then purport which I think is an excellent idea, since one can tend to speculate if this is missing.

Hare Krishna

Srila Prabhipad's Bhagvad Gita is no more easily available. All the ISKCON centers sells the edited version of the Prabhupad's Bhagvad Gita only. They have manipulated lot of things so if you read ISKCON's bhagvad Gita its is not the Prabhupad's Bhagvad Gita. Be careful. In fact, Gita Press Bhagvad Gita is better.

Here is the free Bhagvad Gita available. Its in Hindi & one of the best translations, good font.

http://www.gitapress.org/books/gita/633/gita_arth1_100.pdf
http://www.gitapress.org/books/gita/633/gita_arth101_200.pdf
http://www.gitapress.org/books/gita/633/gita_arth201_256.pdf