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EDITORIAL  Inquiries Into The Absolute BY HIS HOLINESS ROMAPADA SWAMI MAHARAJA EDITORIAL, Dec 16 (VNN) — Answers by His Holiness Romapada Swami Maharaja Q.1) In the introduction of Srimad Bhagavatam, Prabhupada has written that Caitanya Mahaprabhu took sannyasa from Kesava Bharati, who was a mayavadi sannyasi. If Mahaprabhu was very much against mayavadis, then why did he take his sannyas initiation from Kesava Bharati? Ans. Before answering the question, I would like to make a minor comment. While Caitanya Mahaprabhu was certainly very much against the "mayavada philosophy" and cautioned His devotees in the strictest of terms not to associate with mayavadis, in a broader sense He was not 'against' mayavadis per se. In certain circumstances He exhibited His great compassion towards them; when there was an opportunity, He delivered Krishna consciousness to Prakasananda Sarasvati and his numerous mayavadi disciples. The pastime of Lord Caitanya accepting sannyasa is described in detail in the Caitanya Caritamrta. One of the main reasons why Lord Caitanya decided to take sannyasa was because the non-devotees were offending Him, mistaking Him to be an ordinary person. He took sannyasa for showing compassion to such offenders, so that at least on account of His position as a sannyasi, they would offer Him respect and thereby derive spiritual benefit. Srila Prabhupada explains in Caitanya Caritamrta how during the time of Lord Caitanya, the influence of Sankaracarya in society was very strong, and consequently people in general thought that one could accept sannyasa only in the Sankaracarya sampradaya. Since His acceptance of sannyasa was also designed to invoke the respect of the common members of the public as well as the brahminical community, if only due to social convention (and in this way receive spiritual benefit by respecting him, rather that faulting Him for His ecstatic moods of prema), Lord Caitanya, not wishing to disturb the current social convention of His time, took the renounced order of life from Keshava Bharati who was in the Sankaracarya sampradaya, although sannyasa order was also sanctioned in the Vaishnava sampradaya. Besides, although Keshava Bharati belonged to Sankaracarya sampradaya, he was also a great devotee. According to some authoritative opinions, although Keshava Bharati belonged to the Sankara-sampradaya, he had formerly been initiated by a great Vaishnava, Srila Madhavendra Puri (see Adi lila 9.13-15 purport). Devotional service ****************** Q.2) In Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.5.35) Srila Prabhupada in his purport has mentioned that "...the neophyte devotee must render loving service (to pure devotees) physically and mentally without reservation". Maharaja, what does 'rendering service mentally' mean? Ans. The functions of the mind are thinking, feeling and willing and 'rendering service mentally' means all these functions should be engaged favorably in the service of the pure devotees. In other words, physical service should not just be a mechanical act, but one's mental disposition should also be in a loving, serving mood. Thinking of the glories of the devotee with great appreciation, cultivating feelings of respect, love and gratitude and the willingness to act for their pleasure - offering them all respects, without holding back and without resentment: these are some of the ways one can render service mentally. One practical reference is made in Bhagavad-gita in one purport: "One should contemplate how to spread Krishna consciousness, this is the best way of controlling the senses." In another place it is said (I am paraphrasing) "One should contemplate how to carry out the orders of the spiritual master, and in this way engage the mind." ISKCON ****** Q.3) Why is it a general practice in ISKCON to discuss Srimad-Bhagavatam during morning hours and Bhagavad-gita during evening hours? Ans: I can only answer this question from my experience in Krishna consciousness. In the beginning stages of Krishna consciousness, classes in ISKCON were in the evening, when the young American students could attend. Bhagavad-gita was their introduction to Krishna consciousness. Later, when temple ashrams formed, regular morning classes were also introduced. Since Srimad-Bhagavatam was being translated at the same time in ISKCON's evolution, there was need to have a time to hear & discuss it. Hence, morning Srimad-Bhagavatam class! It always seemed very natural for me, and I never really inquired about the reason behind this general ISKCON practice. There are certainly no hard and fast rules about it. Modes of material nature ************************ Q.4) In his purports Srila Prabhupada has called women less intelligent. If all of us, men or women, are basically Prakrti (feminine), then why a soul with a woman's body considered less intelligent? Ans. The first point that should be made here is that as soon as one is fully self-realized in Krishna consciousness, irrespective of whether one is in the body of a man or woman or child, one is most intelligent, as we see in the examples of Prahlada Maharaja, Queen Kunti etc. Similarly, Srila Prabhupada said on several occasions that these comparisons (in intelligence, for example) no longer apply once one becomes fixed in devotion to Krishna. To directly respond to your question, Srila Prabhupada does not identify the soul of a woman to be 'less intelligent'. The soul is full of knowledge. However, in the conditioned state, one's innate qualities are covered by a conditioned nature, which is based on the particular body. See verse and purport to Bhagavad-gita 13.21. Bhagavad-gita ************* Q.5) In Bhagavad-gita (1.32-35), Prabhupada mentions "At that point he (Arjuna) did not know that Krsna had already killed them before their coming into the battlefield...". My question is, if the soul is indestructible and if Bhisma and Dronacarya were physically present on the battlefield then what did Prabhupada mean by saying 'Krsna had already killed them'? Ans. The first part of your question is 'If the soul is indestructible, then how can Krishna kill Bhisma and Drona?' For that matter, how can anybody be killed? This killing does not refer to the annihilation of the soul, but just to the destruction of material body. The 2nd part of your question is 'Bhisma and Drona were present on the battlefield, so how is that they are already killed?' Krishna is Time personified, and He is knower of past, present and future. He had decided that Bhisma and Drona should be killed in this battle, and just by His will, they were already destined to die, whether Arjuna fought the battle or not. That is what Srila Prabhupada means when he says that they were already killed. Krishna Himself says so in a later chapter (refer to Ch 11, verses 27-33) where He shows His universal form and Arjuna then sees all the soldiers being devoured by the Universal Form in the manifestation of Time. Spiritual World *************** Q.6) On one hand Krsna has promised us that if we reach Goloka Vrndavan through devotional process then we won't return to this world of birth and death and at the same time we all are in this material world due to our envy towards Krsna. Weren't we all originally residents of Goloka Vrindavan? Ans. Originally we are all pure Krishna conscious entities, but somehow or other due to envy we came to the material world. This is true. But now if we reinstate ourselves in proper devotional attitude and go back to Godhead, then it's Krishna's promise to us that we don't have to come back, and on the strength of Krishna's promise we can rest assured that we don't have to come back. ** A brief biography of His Holiness Romapada Swami available at: http://www.prastha.com/cgi-bin/uncgi/renderphilo.pl?ndx=2 ** This and all previous digests are available on the internet, sorted by topics and date. ** They can be accessed at: http://www.iskcondc.org -> Philosophy -> Inquiries into the Absolute You can also directly link to our Philosophy website by add the following URL to you website: http://www.prastha.com/cgi-bin/uncgi/renderphilo.pl This Email has been sent to you by the ISKCON temple of Washington D.C. Our contacts are: Email : mail@iskcondc.org Web Address : http://www.iskcondc.org Postal: 10310 Oaklyn Drive, Potomac, MD 20854  Comment on this storyContact VNN about this storySend this story to a friend
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