Questions and Answers

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Public programme in Caracas, Venezuela
25 September 2009

Question: Why are we afraid of death?

We are not, actually. Those who are devotees of Krishna are not afraid of death.

Question: I mean people in general, who are not devotees. Why are they afraid of death?

They are afraid of death because they have so much attachment. They are afraid, "I am so much enjoying here and I am going to die!" Even cats, dogs, insects, etc. are also afraid to die, even they do not want to leave their body. However we say: Why are you being foolish? Why wait for another body? We will always come and go, come and go, always die and are born, die and are born, and so on. If we however get a human body and can in this life follow Krishna consciousness, practise Krishna consciousness, then we can go to our real home, and it will not be necessary then to come and go again.

Question: I am here for the first time, could you please tell me who is Krishna?

Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is the one for whom you have come in this world, He is the one for whom you talk, for whom you do everything, for whom you work, etc.

One day your body will be dead, but you will not die actually because there is a jiva soul inside you. Everybody, every living entity has a jiva soul—an ant, a dog, everybody. You have a small part Krishna inside of you (anu-chaitanya, atomic consciousness). If you take a hair and divide it a hundred times, and then divide it again a hundred times, this will be the size of the soul (a 10,000th of a hair). For example, one big power house gives electricity to all small bulbs and therefore gives light to every place, all over Caracas, but taken separately, a small bulb can give light only to one room.

Question: We know that we have a spirit soul and that other people also have a spirit soul, but we are not able to see it. How can we see a jiva soul in others?

It is possible to see it. When you come and join us, you can also play football with Lord Krishna, you can sail the same boat together. You should come, otherwise how will you know it? For example, if you want to get a policeman's job, you must wear the police uniform. In the same way, if you come and join our association, you can slowly, slowly understand everything and enjoy with Krishna. First, it is necessary to have faith. When you are born your mother says, "This is your father," and you believe your mother, you do not go to check if it is true or not.

Question: People who have no Krishna consciousness have some particular habits. We know that they are in fact a spirit soul, so do we consider them bad association for us? Or are we, perhaps, bad association for them?

Our conception is not to discriminate who is not Krishna conscious, who is a good man and who has some bad conception. We preach for every jiva soul. We do not preach a Hindu religion, a Christian religion, a Buddhism religion, and so on. All jiva souls must know what their own religion in this Kali-yuga is. All scriptures say that chanting the Holy Name is our religion in this Kali-yuga.

If somebody drinks whiskey and does nonsense things, we call it bad association and we must tell others not to mix with them.

There are four things, four directives that you must know. It is dyuta, pana, striya, suna. Dyuta is gambling—if somebody gambles, we tell others not to mix with such people. Pana means drinking whiskey, smoking, we also tell others not to mix with them. Striya is illegal sex, it is not good. If you have a wife or a husband, then it is not a problem, but illegal sex—living like dogs and cats—is not good. And suna means killing others. Do not kill anybody. Everybody has a jiva soul, do not disturb anybody—do not kill cows, do not kill dogs, chickens, etc.

Question: What is the attitude of devotees to Christian or Jehovah followers?

Your question is good. There is something in what the Christian, the Muslim, and others say, but it is brahma-jnana. All religions say that the Lord has no form. But we have a form—we have legs, hands, everything—so how can we say that the Lord has no form? Scriptures also say that the Lord Himself comes in a human body. The Lord came before in Dvapar-yuga, Satya-yuga, and even in this Kali-yuga, some 500 years ago the Lord also came in a human body.

Question: What attitude should a devotee have when he or she is very much disturbed by some family member or some other people?

Be humble, tolerant, and give honour to others.

Question: You said that only the fortunate ones get the association of the devotees. I feel fortunate and I feel you are giving so much mercy to us, but why is it that somebody can take just a little of this mercy and make so much advancement, but another person does not make any advancement at all? How is it possible?

Actually it is depends upon sukriti.

ব্রহ্মাণ্ড ভ্রমিতে কোন ভাগ্যবান্ জীব ।
গুরু-কৃষ্ণ-প্রসাদে পায় ভক্তিলতা-বীজ ॥

brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva
guru-krsna-prasade paya bhakti-lata-bija

"Having travelled throughout the universe and got the mercy of Guru, Krishna, a fortunate soul receives a seed of the devotional creeper."

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya-lila, 19.151)

Somebody cannot take it. You must be a good receiver. If the telephone line works, but the receiver is bad, we will be able to hear anything.

Question: Why is music, like music in kirtan, important for spiritual life?

Actually, music is not necessary, you can chant at any time without any music. What is necessary is the sound vibration. Through the sound you can get connection and become clean. The sound vibration is necessary.

Why do we chant the Holy Name loudly? Because some kinds of jiva souls cannot chant (like cats, dogs, etc.), so if we chant loudly, then we can give some benefit to them. Why are some music instruments necessary? If I chant in the street, nobody will come, but when they hear some music coming, then all attention comes there. Basically, it is necessary for preaching. Also, if I am chanting alone, I am being selfish, but if somebody hears the Holy Name and comes through this, joins Krishna consciousness—if somebody starts chanting through me—then I can get some commission from God.

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