Question for Hare Krishna's?

How can we distinguish between bhakti-lata creeper and the false creepers in the heart since they can seem similar?

Question for Hare Krishna's?
By constant association of Guru,Sadhu %26amp; sashtra and always pray to Krsna so that He can arrange for an external agent to do this check on our anarthas.

This is only possible by mercy of Krsna and another check is that if you are not feeling enthusiastic about bhakti and are having material desires then you can know for sure that somewhere something is going wrong.

Advancement in Krsna bhakti can be verified by how much we are getting detached from material world and how much we are getting attached to Krsna bhakti or the holy name and constantly relishing the holy name or chanting shuddha naam



Desire for Profit, Worship and adoration are there as false creepers but they are very subtle to distinguish as some devotee can become expert in a particular service and lots of glorification will come but if the devotee does not pass on the glorification to his Guru then that will cause the above 3 anarathas very difficult to detect and the devotee can fall down from bhakti
Reply:* For Kids…..





GOD is in my Chocolate



Hi !





This mail shares my curiosity on why I call our world ‘A GOD made world ‘and not man made. This is not any clarification or explanation to GOD’s existence or conflict to people who do not believe in GOD, but the sole motive is to completely wipe out self made devil MONSTERS like FEAR, PAIN , DOUBT ,SELFISH EGO etc. that creates problems %26amp; barriers for all of us.







Well , as a kid I had read a story where I got fascinated by the idea that there was a house made of chocolate. That house had everything made of chocolate………Chocolate in different forms and shapes…. Chocolate that had a shape of a TV , Refrigerator, Dining table, Chairs , floor, terrace etc. This chocolate house existed even before I was born and I wished that it should remain even after I leave this world ,so that everyone who comes to this world can enjoy chocolates.Further, to the ‘Chocolate House’ I used to visualize……. as a kid , if I can live only on these chocolates in a ‘chocolate made world.’







As and when I grew … my craze for chocolates did not stop and the ‘chocolate world’ was still residing in my fade memory …. The thought of a chocolate world soon slept in some corner of my sub conscious mind.







Time passed by picture of ‘The world of chocolates ‘ had actually been cornered by different shades of life. In quest of finding out real meaning of what the world is all about I had my own set of experiences.What is this world made of ??? Why some find this world as easy and some find it tough?? Some find it beautiful and some call it as a selfish world???







Over and above these questions we have been asking on why these relative differences have occurred …. we still wonder on a biggest quest of life ‘ IS World (the planet where we reside ) GOD made or simply man made - for the efforts we put in ???‘







I have received different answers from different people. Ranging from :







1. By an atheist : Some Logical reasoning to support his mindset - World is made of tangibles and non tangibles and every action performed has a scientific relative theory behind it ; it that has a particular outcome because of some complex calculation or equation by nature ……But only you are the singleton performer …..of the results you get.



Punchline : There is NO GOD , but only MAN…who exists.





2.By a common man : We are here to earn money and that is the only security we have.No doubt …..if you have money the world admires you ,else rejects you.The world is made by the money you earn.



Punchline : Who Cares ?? wether GOD or MAN , makes the world.





3.By Spiritual gurus : They define it as two worlds - physical and spiritual. Dual existence of world in terms of - Matter and Spirit.You have to fight out your way to move out of that physical realm and make a shift towards a philosophically correct spiritual jet aircraft that can take you miles at the highest speed of ecstasy towards your only goal of self realization or salvation.





Punchline : Man has to move towards GOD.





But………… what’s the fact ‘Is this a Man Made World or a GOD Made World.??’







Keeping things short and simple





My ‘MODEL OF UNIVERSE’ :



…. written specially for u.







To begin with ,I have been living on a supernatural support system or power or energy Example The air I breathe in, the sun’s rays that fall on my world every day and keeps me awake, the energy that allows my world to spin crazily on its axis round and round the SUN to keep the life cycle on…. And this has been happening before I was born and shall remain for millions of years…… for every single being and man in this world….. This support system is designed by some power or energy …..I call this power as ‘An Energy – GOD’. Soon , I found from my various observations in life ( including above generic examples ) that ‘An Energy – GOD’ has been transforming itself into different forms and shapes to take care of me %26amp; all of us.







The ‘Chocolate world’ I loved as a kid and I had visualized was suddenly becoming a reality. Name, chocolate itself has been giving me immense joy %26amp; pleasure .But the real world taught me …..that I have to call Chocolate by a new name ‘An Energy - GOD’.My wish to live on chocolates in reality taught me that instead I have been living on ‘An Energy – GOD’. I realized the ‘World of Chocolates ’ I dreamt of …… in real world is the ‘World of An Energy called - GOD’.



This truly signifies the fact that the house I am living in has everything made of GOD.Example The refrigerator I use that serves me cool - cold drinks so selflessly ,is made of GOD….the microwave oven cooks me food instantly and whenever I want …is made of GOD etcectra , etcectra…..So chocolates or GOD has taken different shapes and forms selflessly for me in this world %26amp; IS ready to work for me….all around me…….these things made of GOD have been taking care of my small-small needs also…..



….and I AM HAPPY !!!







Now,I feel lot of respect for everything around me and in turn feel that I should also take care of everything made of GOD as they simply serve me no matter how I react still, they work with the same intent to serve selflessly.











BUT, why man destroys even the smallest thing made of GOD and disrespect it ,misuse it ,create chaos.? One answer, Simply because he lives in a selfish ego that he made it and he can play with it the way he wants.The devil MONSTER awakes within and man makes his own MAN MADE WORLD.







With time I have learnt different traits of people who live in GOD MADE WORLD %26amp; those who live in MAN MADE WORLD.These traits are :





Chocolate or GOD MADE WORLD :

Works on unconditional Love , clean Faith, Joy in Surrender to selfless living or job.That is complete focus on your work without hurting anyone.





MAN MADE WORLD :

If you miss the qualities of work mentioned in GOD MADE WORLD then you have feelings of fear , doubts,pain,hatred,jealousy,se... ego etc.





Chocolate or GOD MADE WORLD :

Things fall in place for you automatically. Life is streamlined automatically.You can never struggle.Even earning money is easier or comfortable.





MAN MADE WORLD :

You have to fight hard to overcome barriers. These barriers have been self made.





Chocolate or GOD MADE WORLD :

Gives you maturity to understand how to respond , tackle and handle with different people who are living in MAN MADE WORLD.





MAN MADE WORLD :

Leaves you with confused or destructive state of mind.





Chocolate or GOD MADE WORLD :

As GOD is energy , just for example nuclear energy,which can be used to create light or electricity for our welfare ,prosperity and well being of all.





MAN MADE WORLD :

On ,other hand same nuclear energy…. we may disrespect it by using it for making nuclear bombs creating fear,pain ,doubt,authority .



……………….As a person I dislike it.







You decide in which world you live in.MAN’s world or GOD’s world?



I love and enjoy my chocolate world.





JUST ANOTHER OBSERVATION :



Everything is made of GOD as sages say in HOLY scriptures – Omnipresence of GOD….Does that mean everything is GOD ? YES.







He IS whatever there IS ,only one 1.He IS whatever there IS NOT ,only zero 0.He IS what he IS NOT.That means my chocolate or GOD is one 1 and zero 0. It reminds me of what I learnt in school that computer works on 1s and 0s that is why computer is perfect.



My chocolate or GOD IS not only ‘1’ or IS NOT only zero ‘0’ but even if I divide this 1 chocolate or GOD into zero parts (that is try and divide it into what he IS NOT or by zero or divide it into nothing )…… it will maintain its original form of ‘Infinity’ as one divided by zero is infinity.



Yes,

1/0 = Infinity.







So I learnt my one 1 chocolate or GOD even if divided by MAN in what he IS NOT that is zero , ……he will remain infinitely big. And I can still enjoy it.





LIKE TO SHARE THIS :



How I learnt or realized this story ,is very interesting ??? I met a MAN who was in need and could not buy or have chocolates for himself …I did not know what was the reason he was not having chocolates ………or he had chocolates but was not able to have it ……since I had chocolates ,I shared chocolates with him.The movement he had these chocolates , he said with immense joy -







“I wish if this world was made of Chocolates I would enjoy it everyday”.







It reminded me of ‘my chocolate world’.



Punchline : Share chocolates with those who are in Need …it spreads joy ,soon you will realize the importance of chocolates…..all around you.





Happy Living!!!!



*…….%26amp; for grown ups.



Cheers,







Paras Kochhar



Mail : paraskochhar@rediffmail.com
Reply:Srila Prabhupada mentions in the purport to the verse in the Chaitanya Charitamrita (Madhya 19.159), "A PURE DEVOTEE CAN DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE BHAKTI CREEPER AND A MUNDANE CREEPER, AND HE IS VERY ALERT TO DISTINGUISH THEM AND KEEP THEM SEPARATE."



Therefore, the key is the association with advanced pure devotees who would help one to distinguish between bhakti-lata creeper and the false creepers in the heart and weed out the false creepers like an expert gardener.



Some references from the excerpts from the purports to "Vaishnava Ke?", by H.H.Jayapataka Swami.



Excerpts from Verse two;

His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura is showing how to purify the consciousness through direct and strong preaching to the mind. One should reveal to one's intelligence all the material pollutions that are in the mind and study the problem in depth to wake up to the reality of the situation. Then one should purify the mind by spiritual instruction and devotional service without delay. By avoiding to purify the mind the consciousness will become more and more polluted and subsequently harder to rectify. . . .



. . . By being thoroughly honest with oneself the real state of affairs is revealed. If someone helps one to see these contaminations he is the greatest friend for there is no greater friend than one who saves his friend from the mayas or illusions which can destroy or make one lose the precious jewel of Krishna consciousness! . . .



Therefore, the Krishna conscious devotee abandons all desires and attachments to possessing personal fame, influence, power, prestige, followers, and sense gratification. He fixes his mind in the transcendental understanding that he is the eternal servant of the servant of the servant of Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The devotee constantly tries to purify the mind of material contaminations—even the faint aroma of materialistic mentalities. . . .



. . . When a devotee loses his renounced attitude and becomes disturbed by desires for position or followers, he falls down from the pure platform of Krishna consciousness and becomes filled with anxieties. One's faith in the Lord is confused and one falls down into feeling jealous of another devotee or unenthused to perform devotional service. In that mentality the attitude of devotional service becomes sour and one loses the shelter of the lotus feet of Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as one's offenses increase. Therefore, one should remain fixed in his renounced attitude of devotional service to avoid these dangers.



If the devotee fails to recognize the symptoms of material desire, the next stage of implication in material life manifests in the mind by taking one away from the association of devotees. A devotee leaving the association of devotees is a serious act. The intelligence would certainly have been trained to a certain extent, to avoid this type of falldown, but the mind is expert in presenting apparently Krishna conscious reasons for living separately. One foolishly thinks that by being independent of the strict association of the Krishna conscious society one may be more peaceful in devotional service or be free to act to fulfil one's material motives which otherwise he was unable to do due to Krishna conscious association. At this time it is convenient to find fault in one's spiritual authorities in order to have a rationale for leaving their authorized association for one's separate program. All these actions have been condemned in this verse as nothing but different manifestations of pratistha—the dangerous upasakha or undesirable creeper of ambitions for cheap reputation, followers, fame and sense gratification. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu has cautioned devotees in his teachings to Rupa Gosvami, as mentioned above, against this treacherous weed.



Excerpts from verse six;

Sometimes a devotee imagines that solitary chanting of Hare Krishna, outside the association of other devotees, will bring spiritual advancement. But factually, due to being alone, the immature devotee falls more and more under Maya’s control. Sitting in a solitary place, the restless mind wanders over the objects of the senses and his chanting becomes simply imitation. Influenced by tamo-guna, sleep sets in, and by numerous tricks maya leads him further and further from the shelter of Krishna. The separatist attitude to leave association of devotees, envy towards a devotee, pride in one's abilities or possessions, anger and intolerance towards other devotees, and the violent acts of impeding another person's practice of devotional service must all be renounced in order to achieve pure devotional service.

abhisandhaya yo himsam

dambham matsaryam eva va

samrambhi bhinna-drg bhavam

mayi kuryat sa tamasah

“Devotional service executed by a person who is envious, proud, violent and angry, and who is a separatist, is considered to be in the mode of darkness.” (SB 3.29.8)



In the association of other devotees a devotee is protected from the influence of maya. Therefore, to associate with devotees properly is a great science. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has instructed that to attain pure love for Krishna a devotee must be conversant with the science of Vaisnava behavior. Therefore Vaisnava acara or Vaisnava vyavahara, to live and interrelate in a devotional society according to the standard of Vaisnava etiquette, is an essential refinement that every aspiring devotee must learn and practice.



Excerpts from verse thirteen;

The intelligence must be educated to distinguish between pure devotional service and mixed or contaminated devotion. Then by the intelligence the mind must be purified from the contamination of all types of conditional devotional service.

Although polluted with material desires a pseudo-devotee may outwardly appear to give his body and words, but his mind dwells elsewhere. His inner intention is not for satisfying Lord Krishna but for achieving an object of personal enjoyment. Such a person is an insincere devotee and is herein condemned as a cheater.



But the devotee of sincere heart, through proper Krishna conscious utilization of his material possessions, is a true yukta-vairagi, he is a soul liberated from the law of karma. His mind, words and activities are properly directed towards satisfying Lord Krishna. The great spiritual master Narottama dasa Thakura has written that he desires to associate with such pure devotees of Lord Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu no matter whether they are in the householder asrama or in the renounced order of life. On the other hand, a self-styled “great devotee” who is internally polluted with material motives, is a cheater and his association should be avoided.



. . . Devotional service should be performed in an attitude of service and surrender to Lord Krishna. It would be simply cheating oneself from pure love of Krishna to engage in devotional service for any other reason.



Excerpts from verse sixteen;

Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu not only cleansed the Gundica temple once, but several times, each time more minutely than before. The first cleansing was of sand, pebbles, leaves and twigs. The second cleansing was by sweeping dust and dirt away. The third cleansing was with water to wash away stains and fine dust. Then finally Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu cleaned the filth and grime from the cracks in the stone flooring. Each cleansing demonstrates how carefully and meticulously a devotee should purify the mind and consciousness while cultivating pure devotional service.
Reply:The bhakti-lata creeper and the other false creepers are called upasakas or weeds and the weeds are inspired by such things like love, profit, position, worship, respect, violence, harsh dealings, diplomatic dealings, political dealings, attachment for breaking the principles... Some are quite obvious and some are very subtle.



If someone is doing dev. service and is motivated only by getting respect, then they will become unmotivated and they have to analyze. So somebody is more sincere about their motives then they take out those weeds out of the heart. Actually I am not serving because I want to get respect. I am just doing this to please Guru and Krsna. I know when I was building mayapur, it was very intense. Srila Prabhupada had us working from 6 in the morning till midnight every day. Double shifts. At on point I thought I was going to crack. Then I was just thinking that I would never do this for money or any other reason. I am just doing this because I really want to please S. Prabhupada and the previous acaryas who want to see my effort in all this. And then, somehow when I thought like that I could just feel like as if Bhaktivinoda Thakur was smiling at me. Suddenly things seem to feel a lot better. It is important that we realign our thoughts. How we pull the weeds is that when we let some other motives or some other things creep in, then it becomes burdensome to do devotional service when it is not aligned with other creepers. If we are properly doing things for right Krsna conscious reason, then it is always blissful to do devotional service.
Reply:read bhakti-tattva viveka



Actually the best way is by seeking the assocaition of expert sadhakas, or better, a suddha-bhakta. Best? Sad-guru!!!
Reply:just chant hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare

hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare.

pl.donn,t make ur bhakti a complex one.krishna is pure and simple. worship him simply.buss..
Reply:Can I say something here. I am not Hare Krsna as I have read about their criminal activities in the states and how the temples were built with criminal dirty money.



Can the lord actually be supportive of this kind of movement?



Why question those who have violated hinduism and Krsna's dharma ?