Wow! Congrats to all contributors for a knockout job on your rocksolid, take-no-prisoners debunking of the whole Darwinistic pseudoscience hoax [Nov/Dec]. Every article was right on, with slam-bang counterarguments of impeccable logic to so powerfully defeat their massive fraudulent propaganda.
Srila Prabhupada led the way by vehemently challenging their materialistic pseudo-scientific bias as simply “cheaters and rascals.” And you have made us all proud by thus thoroughly validating his uncompromising stance. So please keep up the good work and continue to fight for the truth. – Gratefully, Gokulananda Dasa Montreal, Canada
Karma and Disease
I read in the scriptures that in the material world everyone is subject to old age, diseases, and death. When one has an incurable sickness such as migraine headaches, cancer, or arthritis, is this sickness a result of past karma? – Khemraj Sewdass
Our reply: Diseases are the result of our karma, but so are things like beauty, wealth, and education. How we react to these karmic reactions in this life will determine our karma in the next life.
A devotee’s karma is often adjusted by Krishna Himself to help the devotee advance in his or her spiritual practice. This may mean that it is made less severe, so that, for example, the devotee may do more service. Or the karmic reaction may be more severe, so that the devotee will quickly see that there is no satisfaction on the material plane and will aspire more seriously to go back to the spiritual world.
Generally we are happy with “good” karma like wealth or beauty, but very often those “good” things keep us entangled in material life and help us to forget that we are souls seeking to leave the material world and reunite with Krishna.
We should understand that whatever happens in the material world is designed to get us out of here and back to Krishna. Just as punishment is meant to teach a child to behave, disease and other “bad” things often help us realize the emptiness of the search for material happiness. On the other hand, we can get great pleasure from chanting Krishna’s name and engaging in His service.
Beautiful Buffet
I read your article on Warren Buffet in the “Vedic Observer” [Jul/Aug]. It was marvelous! My son, Bhakta Mike O’Shea, showed me the issue. Beautifully written piece by Vraja Vihari Dasa. Hare Krishna.- Noni O’Shea Brockton, Massachusetts, USA
Mature Understanding Of Love
BTG of July/August 2009 carried one of the best articles I have read for a long time, titled “Exploring Love,” by Visakha Devi Dasi. It is an extremely well-researched and well-written article with lots of realization, told in a very mature and highly spiritualized manner. The author should be congratulated and requested to write more as a regular contributor to BTG as we would like to hear more from her.
I have had the great privilege and pleasure of meeting her and her most talented husband, Yaduvara Dasa, and their family at Chowpatty, Mumbai. They are a very special couple who have shown tremendous patience and courage during the difficult period of ISKCON growth in the last four decades and have given their entire working life in the service of Srila Prabhupada and Lord Caitanya.- Sri Nathji Dasa, Mumbai
Readers’ Realizations
BTG is an amazing magazine and has been for so many years. Among other features, I like the one where people write their realizations.- Akrura Dasa
Children and Krishna
I always felt that loving and nurturing my children could be a way of service to Lord Krishna. Your article “Parenting as Service to God” [May/June] confirmed it. I was deeply touched by the article. The writer is so blessed, as are her children. My eyes filled with tears while thinking about her and her children.
I have two wonderful children, but I felt that I did not instill in them the knowledge that Lord Krishna is all and everything is His will. My prayer is that one day Lord Krishna will show them His mercy and lead them to Him.
Thank you for the magazine and the insightful articles. I feel blessed to receive this magazine. Karuna Singh
Becoming Pure
Please tell me, how do I make myself pure to serve Sri Hari, mentally as well as physically? What is the right process to remember the name of Sri Krishna? – Sushmita
Our reply: Krishna knows our disqualifications, our impurities, and problems in this age. Therefore, He comes as His holy name to give us His association and purification at the same time. We just have to take up the simple process, and it will work on us. We are His eternal servants and have to recognize that and do something about it. The Hare Krishna mantra means, “O Lord, O energy of the Lord, please engage me in Your service.” So by the grace of guru and Krishna’s holy names we can be reestablished in our proper position as Krishna’s servants.
When we chant, we please Krishna with our attitude, and He gradually reveals Himself to us. We just have to keep to the process with faith and conviction. Lord Caitanya’s sankirtana process makes us eligible for Krishna’s mercy. We need to avoid offenses to the holy name and to the devotees, and the process will take us to Krishna’s feet, where we can serve Him eternally.
Replies were written by Krishna. com’s Live Help volunteers.
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