20140112 Question and Answer Session

Question and Answer Session (Evening), Chennai

Sunday, January 12, 2014, Chennai, India

I just gave a class to Perambur temple by audio. How did you like it? You all heard the class? No, we didn't know it. Anyway I thought, I can just answer few question, if you have any.

Question 1: Guru Maharaj, we left our house and everything and we joined in ISKCON, after joining ISKCON we face so much problems for preaching purpose, especially from temple side, at least temple authorities should support for preaching activities, but we didn't get any support, so in this situation, what we should do? (Sukirti Madhavi Devi Dasi, Chennai)

Answer: Now there is a TMT temple management team, and they have, so you can discuss the area where you want to preach and see the possibility. I heard that now in Chennai, there is lots of preaching going on. There is book distribution, there is bhakti-vriksha, temple visitors, science of self realization classes, life membership, and youth programs, which kind of preaching you want to do? You can talk later, it is not istagosti, this is for philosophical questions.

Question 2: How important is the matching of the horoscope for the marriage between the devotees? What role the horoscope do in marriage?

Answer: His Holiness Prahladananda Swami, who is the astrologer himself, he said, absolutely astrology must be considered. At least 20 percent should be taken, whatever the astrology say consider that as value of 20 percent. And 80 percent is based on your discussions, expectation, research, etc. Many times the astrology matches well, but the marriage does not work. And sometimes astrology shows it doesn't work, but marriage works out well, why is this? There are many reasons possible. I saw one astrologers door, many years ago, had a sign on the door. Compatibility check Rs 100 Rs, to make it match 250 Rs. Some father will say, he is engineer marry him. He earns good money. But if the astrology does not match. no worries, I have an astrologer, who make it match, I have to pay little etc. That comes under cheating. You can ask Bhanu Maharaj, what percent the astrology should be taken, he is astrologer himself. But, I think that many other thing that you should see. Sometimes people has strange ideas and they are unexpected.

Question 3: Guru Maharaj, several years we are hearing the glories of Holy name, but during second initiation we are getting Gayathri Mantras, I have not heard much glories about gayathri mantra, want to hear about the glories and importance Gayrathri Mantra? (Vikrama Govinda Das, Nagarkoil) Answer: For non-sannyasis there are seven mantras. One mantra is Vedic, that is the upanayana-mantra. And six mantras are pancharathric. All these mantras are needed to worship the installed deities and to perform the yajnas. The second initiation is called yajnic-janma and it brings one closer to the Guru and Krishna. When Lord Brahma, he wanted to know, who he was? And how to create the universe? He meditated and the sound of Krishna's flute came out. So, the kama-gayathri is said to be non-different from the sound of Lord Krishna's flute playing. Like that, by chanting the gayathri mantras one is able to more effectively control the mind. So we chant the gayathri mantras three times a day. And in this way, we can progress spiritually more quickly.

Question 4: In ISKCON we see many Gurus and somehow we expect that the overall message that which preached is similar, sometime I notice that one guru emphasis a particular aspect from Srila Prabhupada's teachings over and above other aspects. Regarding Varnasrama system, where there is very clear emphasis that we should start varnasrama colleges, ISKCON should take active part in establishing Varnasrama system with the society, where as we have our spiritual masters who are not giving so much important, especially this aspect of varnasrama I am quite confused, how should be we perceive in respect of Srila Prabhupada's teaching? How should we understand the emphasis on Varnasrama dharma, how do we comprehend between leaders? (Amarendra Gaura Das)

Answer:There are different topics, that Srila Prabhupada talked about. And one topic was varnasrama. He said, deiva-varnasrama, spiritual varnasrama. In ISKCON, they pretty much we follow ashrama, Brahamcari, grihasta, vanaprastha and sannyasa. There are few people who are between brahmacari and grihasta. They are not grihastas and they are not brahmacaris. One father came up and said, he don't want his son to be like that, I don't want him to be a brahmasta… But as far as varna is concern, there is lot of confusion because we don't know how to present it. There are lot of prejudice against varna. And no wants to be known as a sudra. And even GBC is not really sure, is how to present this what Srila Prabhupada wanted. We have some leaders they are into particular varna, they promote kshatriya, or brahmana.

In the Bhagavatam mentions some examples that if one does so and so, then he is in the mode of goodness, if he does so and so, he is in the mode passion, if he does so and so then he is in the mode of ignorance. And he does Krishna conscious, then he is transcendental to the modes. So, also Krishna said, in Brahmavaivarta Purama there will be a golden age for 10,000 years. Where He said, there will be eka-varna. One varna. Hari Bhakta Varna. So I raised this point to some of our varnasrama enthusiasts. They said, Oh! Brahmavaivarta Purana, we don't read anything, but Bhagavata Purana. Then they started quoting from manu samhita and so… It needs some serious study, right now I am trying to concentrate on number of things, and one of those is exhibition for the TOVP. And there are some other things, for GBC meetings, so I don't have the free time for the Varnasrama, but it is something that, needs to be study, to see exactly what Srila Prabhupada wanted?

Question 5: (a) What should we do to get Guru Bhakti? (b) How to control mind? (Madhurya Gopi Radha Devi Dasi)

Answer (a): Love your guru… You can think of the ways your guru helps you or tries to help you, how he represents Srila Prabhupada? Tries to teach his disciples the teachings of Srila Prabhupada, and various way you can appreciate the guru, that is the first step. The more one develops affection, then it becomes bhakti. Guru is no Krishna, he doesn't know everything that is going on in past, present and future. Some gurus like Narada muni may know, but others not necessarily. So, if you see that guru speaks from Sastra, Sadhu and his guru, then you naturally develop more faith. The guru says something else, then he qualifies it. He may say, "well, I read in the newspaper." Who knows, we should believe in newspaper. Just like a lawyer, he suppose to speak from law books. Guru speaks from the sastra and lawyer speak from the law books. And by serving the guru sometimes, also one can develop bhakti.

(b) If we follow the process of yukta-vairagya, that means to keep the mind engaged in the service of Krishna. That keeps the mind controlled and therefore we always have some devotional service, we chant or we do some practical service. We don't leave our mind idel.

Question : We know that Vishnu-tattva we have to offer Tulasi, but sometimes we see, especially in South-India they offer Tulasi to Hanuman also. Is it authentic? (Sri Radhika Devi Dasi)

Answer: We offer Tulasi to Vishnu-tattva at his lotus feet. For others we offer in their hand. Like hanuman, he will offer the Tulasi to Lord Rama. We don't offer the Tulasi to Hanuman or any other devotees' feet.