Comments on: Love is the Answer http://harmonist.us/2009/09/love-is-the-answer/ Mon, 21 May 2012 20:22:32 +0000 hourly 1 By: swami bv tripurari http://harmonist.us/2009/09/love-is-the-answer/comment-page-1/#comment-2051 swami bv tripurari Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:31:45 +0000 http://harmonist.us/?p=2690#comment-2051 The point I was making is that deep introspection leads to the conclusion that one should embrace bhakti rather than any other means to resolve one's karmic debut. As for the difference between absolving one's karmic debut and loving Krishna, there is a difference but at the same time the two do go together. Thus we find many great devotees praying for such relief in the context of cultivating their love of God. The idea is that we know we have a karmic debut and that we cannot resolve it. So we have considerable negative impetus to take to bhakti. At the same time, bhakti is full of positive impetus, and the best defense is a good offense. Otherwise take a look at Thakura Bhaktivinoda's prayer "Anadi karma." The point I was making is that deep introspection leads to the conclusion that one should embrace bhakti rather than any other means to resolve one’s karmic debut. As for the difference between absolving one’s karmic debut and loving Krishna, there is a difference but at the same time the two do go together. Thus we find many great devotees praying for such relief in the context of cultivating their love of God. The idea is that we know we have a karmic debut and that we cannot resolve it. So we have considerable negative impetus to take to bhakti. At the same time, bhakti is full of positive impetus, and the best defense is a good offense. Otherwise take a look at Thakura Bhaktivinoda’s prayer “Anadi karma.”

]]> By: subha drishti http://harmonist.us/2009/09/love-is-the-answer/comment-page-1/#comment-2050 subha drishti Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:07:14 +0000 http://harmonist.us/?p=2690#comment-2050 Dandavats, Thank you Maharaja for this great article. I just have a few questions that came to my mind regarding this quote: <blockquote>Deep introspection reveals that our potential to absolve our karmic debt on our own is limited as best. As debtors we would do well to connect with greater capital. How can we attract such an investor? Humbled by our plight the best course is to fold our hands. Prayer works. By prayer I am referring to the yoga of devotion—bhakti, divine service in love.</blockquote> When I pray given my material plight, most, if not all, of my prayer is about to be relieved from my plight. I guess this is sort of instinctive. But if this is the case, how can I make prayer be bhakti? Aren't I being selfish to be relieved from my plight? Further, is deep introspection a useful prerequisite in folding our hands? Dandavats,

Thank you Maharaja for this great article. I just have a few questions that came to my mind regarding this quote:

Deep introspection reveals that our potential to absolve our karmic debt on our own is limited as best. As debtors we would do well to connect with greater capital. How can we attract such an investor? Humbled by our plight the best course is to fold our hands. Prayer works. By prayer I am referring to the yoga of devotion—bhakti, divine service in love.

When I pray given my material plight, most, if not all, of my prayer is about to be relieved from my plight. I guess this is sort of instinctive. But if this is the case, how can I make prayer be bhakti? Aren’t I being selfish to be relieved from my plight? Further, is deep introspection a useful prerequisite in folding our hands?

]]> By: Living Entity http://harmonist.us/2009/09/love-is-the-answer/comment-page-1/#comment-1903 Living Entity Thu, 24 Sep 2009 17:07:41 +0000 http://harmonist.us/?p=2690#comment-1903 Srila Prabhupada states the same things quite eloquently: <blockquote>Therefore the mentality of Vṛndāvana is the perfect status of mind for devotees. The inhabitants of Vṛndāvana have no concern with understanding Kṛṣṇa. Rather, they want to love Kṛṣṇa unconditionally. It is not that they think, "Kṛṣṇa is God, and therefore I love Him." In Vṛndāvana Kṛṣṇa does not play as God; He plays there as an ordinary cowherd boy, and although at times He proves that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the devotees there do not care to know it. Kuntīdevī, however, was not an inhabitant of Vṛndāvana. She was an inhabitant of Hastināpura, which is outside Vṛndāvana. The devotees outside Vṛndāvana study how great the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana are, but the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana don't care to know how great Kṛṣṇa is. That is the difference between them. So our concern should be simply to love Kṛṣṇa. The more we love Kṛṣṇa, the more we shall become perfect. It is not necessary to understand Kṛṣṇa and how He creates. Kṛṣṇa explains Himself in Bhagavad-gītā, and we should not try to understand much more. We should not bother very much to know Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. We should simply increase our unalloyed love for Kṛṣṇa. That is the perfection of life.</blockquote> Srila Prabhupada states the same things quite eloquently:

Therefore the mentality of Vṛndāvana is the perfect status of mind for devotees. The inhabitants of Vṛndāvana have no concern with understanding Kṛṣṇa. Rather, they want to love Kṛṣṇa unconditionally. It is not that they think, “Kṛṣṇa is God, and therefore I love Him.” In Vṛndāvana Kṛṣṇa does not play as God; He plays there as an ordinary cowherd boy, and although at times He proves that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the devotees there do not care to know it.

Kuntīdevī, however, was not an inhabitant of Vṛndāvana. She was an inhabitant of Hastināpura, which is outside Vṛndāvana. The devotees outside Vṛndāvana study how great the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana are, but the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana don’t care to know how great Kṛṣṇa is. That is the difference between them. So our concern should be simply to love Kṛṣṇa. The more we love Kṛṣṇa, the more we shall become perfect. It is not necessary to understand Kṛṣṇa and how He creates. Kṛṣṇa explains Himself in Bhagavad-gītā, and we should not try to understand much more. We should not bother very much to know Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. We should simply increase our unalloyed love for Kṛṣṇa. That is the perfection of life.

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