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Thread: What is part of being a devotee and lover of Krishna?

  1. #1

    What is part of being a devotee and lover of Krishna?

    Namaste,

    I am pretty familiar with ISKCON, especially through Krishna.com.

    And after reading about Krishna, something in my heart tells me that I absolutely love Him.

    I love everything about Him, but I am lost as to how to be a good devotee of His.

  2. #2

    Re: What is part of being a devotee and lover of Krishna?

    Love him.

    Or more specifically, love the Krishna that exists in everyone and everything.

    Follow your dharma, do your duty.

    It's simple, but sometimes simplicity is very complex, no?

    Take care.

    -Tyler
    I am taste in water, son of Kunti,
    I am light in the moon and sun.
    The sacred syllable Om of all the Vedas,
    Sound in ether, manliness in men.
    [vii.8-10]

  3. #3

    Re: What is part of being a devotee and lover of Krishna?

    Thank you, Tyler.
    But what is my dharma? Is simply loving Him and Him in others the dharma?

  4. #4

    Re: What is part of being a devotee and lover of Krishna?

    Haha sure, if you say so, yes?

    ISCKON would say your dharma was to constantly chant his name, sing his praises and tell others about him. Other sects would agree as well!

    A lot of followers of Krishna take solace in Karma yoga--serving others, helping people, feeding people.

    I can tell you what I do, but I am me and you are you (sorta), but remember there are no hard fast rules. Krishna was all about living and enjoying life! (Some say) Krishna preached against staunch rituals and more in favor of action.

    I do japa on his name and keep it in my thoughts throughout the day, I study the Gita and keep a notebook of my meditations and thoughts of various verses.

    I meditate on the sound OM, as well as his names and verses in the Gita.

    I serve people, I volunteer..

    There are not too many hard fast rules, brother. The main way to be devoted to him, in my humble opinion, is to be devoted to his philosophy as well as his figure. Read the Gita, read the philosophy behind it--read what Krishna says about his nature. Meditate on that.. meditate upon the parts where Krishna speaks about how he abides in all things and how in all things they also abide. If that awakens your heart, that's bhakti in its purest, so meditate upon that.

    When one says the word Krishna or speaks of him, they are speaking far more than just the cow herder, the mischievous baby, and the lover of Radha.. Krishna is deeper than that, he is the absolute supreme personality of the God head to a lot of people. That's deep! In a way, Krishna is life! He is reality in itself! ENJOYING LIFE IS ENJOYING KRISHNA.

    Go have fun.
    I am taste in water, son of Kunti,
    I am light in the moon and sun.
    The sacred syllable Om of all the Vedas,
    Sound in ether, manliness in men.
    [vii.8-10]

  5. #5

    Re: What is part of being a devotee and lover of Krishna?

    Thanks, brother.

  6. #6

    Re: What is part of being a devotee and lover of Krishna?

    Quote Originally Posted by ILoveGod View Post
    Namaste,

    I am pretty familiar with ISKCON, especially through Krishna.com.

    And after reading about Krishna, something in my heart tells me that I absolutely love Him.

    I love everything about Him, but I am lost as to how to be a good devotee of His.
    Haribol ILoveGod,

    In that case, i strongly recommend that you post this question on Krishna.com itself.

    On the forum page,
    ---> "General Discussions" ---->
    "Helping Devotees Succeed"

    OR under
    "Krishna Consciousness"

    You will be helped. There are at least 3-4 Prabhus that are available to answer your ans - who have been practicing VaishNav dharma for decades. May get in touch with you personally if you like, and are very accessible.

    My mother used to say "Trust me, I have seen more rainy seasons than you"


    Similarly, Many a rainy season have they seen.

    For some reading in the meanwhile, this thread :http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=5747
    Hare KRSNa
    || Shri KRshNArpaNamastu ||

  7. #7

    Re: What is part of being a devotee and lover of Krishna?

    That was a good post, WTyler.

    Just one thing -

    Quote Originally Posted by WTyler View Post
    ENJOYING LIFE IS ENJOYING KRISHNA.

    Go have fun.
    These are words we have to be careful with. We have to remember that to be pure devotees we have to realize the AtmA as different from this body. That is the first basic. So, any worldly attachments are attachments of this body - deha, and the false-ego that comes with them is dehAbhimAn.

    So, for instance, someone takes it as : go enjoy driving/ racing cars , possessing gadgets, playing video games.
    Why ? because Krishna is everything there is !

    How misleading ! Krishna does not feel happy if the devotee enjoys cars. That is sense gratification.

    Bhakti Yoga sAdhanA is about practicing to read, focus and think of Krishna which gives pleasure, no doubt. So that is borrowing from His Anand.

    The goal is to eat, work and do everything for Krishna's pleasure, serve people because they are jivas - sparks, aMshas of the Supreme - KrushNa.
    Sing for *His* pleasure (or glorifying Him, better, glorifying Radha - that makes Him doubly happy)
    and not this BMI-false-ego. (BMI = Body material-mind material-intellect)

    Automatically, the Anand that the devotee derives as a result is real Anand. As opposed to material or worldly Anand.

    So, STEP ONE: ShravaNam - hear about KrushNa (Geeta, BHAgvatam).

    Hope that makes sense.

    Hare KRSNa
    Last edited by smaranam; 07 August 2011 at 07:13 PM.
    || Shri KRshNArpaNamastu ||

  8. #8

    Re: What is part of being a devotee and lover of Krishna?

    Brother Smaranam,

    Just because I asked if alcohol was forbidden in Vaishnavism doesn't necessarily mean that I drink alcohol. This is the second time you have commented on this in an unrelated post. That previous post was just out of curiosity since I know that some other Hindu sects do not forbid alcohol.

    Anyhow, your elaboration is, of course, valid and very helpful. Our bliss comes from serving him.

    I am sorry if I had seem like I was speaking to much of sense enjoyment rather than spiritual.
    I am taste in water, son of Kunti,
    I am light in the moon and sun.
    The sacred syllable Om of all the Vedas,
    Sound in ether, manliness in men.
    [vii.8-10]

  9. #9

    Re: What is part of being a devotee and lover of Krishna?

    Hare KrushNa

    Quote Originally Posted by WTyler View Post
    Brother Smaranam,
    Sister ...but then all jeevas are sisters (shakti - marginal potency between material and spiritual)

    Just because I asked if alcohol was forbidden in Vaishnavism doesn't necessarily mean that I drink alcohol.
    I am glad to hear that.

    This is the second time you have commented on this in an unrelated post.
    I apologize if it hurt you. I sincerely had no intentions to hurt you - but you had started two threads asking if there are any Vaishnav groups that allow alcohol - and you also gave a reasoning : Krishna enjoys, so he wants us to enjoy by offering Him alcohol / beer and drugs. Since some shaiva sects (vAma mArga tantra) allow it.
    It sounded as if you liked Krishna and Vaishnav dharma but some of its branches had undesirably austere practices.

    Then again you started a third thread saying we should enjoy life just as and just because Krishna enjoyed life. That is where i gave the ref. of the mention of beer. It was very objective and for the sake of all readers, possibly new to the subject.

    I am sorry if it troubled you.

    I am sorry if I had seem like I was speaking to much of sense enjoyment rather than spiritual.
    That's OK. While i can tell that you understand quite a bit about KRSNa and bhakti, ( and that is why i said it was a good post. Well written too...) , here is why the words "go have fun, enjoy life" are misleading -

    KrushNa is the enjoyer, we are the enjoyed (- by Him). He wants to be among devotees, to enjoy the ras of many. Devotees facilitate *His* enjoyment (like fingers assist in getting food to the stomach) , and have no selfish desire for sense gratification. We are parts are parcels of KrushNa, and dependant on Him totally, not at all independent.

    Acharyas like Shrila PrabhupAd tell us that we have come into this world for the very reason that we wanted to 'enjoy life' independent of KRSNa, and have our own way - free will. So, to go back to KRSNa, we must give up this enjoying spirit (i.e. motivated for oneself rather than KRSNa ) - it is a fine line, and tricky, thanks to MAyA playing games in the background. Real enjoyment comes only when we make KRSNa the centre of everything, each moment
    .

    So that post was more for ILoveGod and other readers.

    praNAm
    Last edited by smaranam; 07 August 2011 at 07:16 PM.
    || Shri KRshNArpaNamastu ||

  10. #10
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    Re: What is part of being a devotee and lover of Krishna?

    Namaste ILoveGod,

    Quote Originally Posted by ILoveGod View Post
    I love everything about Him, but I am lost as to how to be a good devotee of His.
    I use the analogy of a lightning rod. Open yourself: your heart and mind and soul to let Him enter you with His grace and love. You'll know it, you'll feel it. As a lightning rod attracts lightning, become the lightning rod for Sri Krishna. I believe it's a circle and self-perpetuates: open yourself to Him, He will come; He will come and you will feel His presence; you will feel His presence and feel the love He instills.

    That's my take on it, and how it works for me. Don't look too hard, let it come. In the Gita, He says that if you think of Him you will be drawn to Him. Not exact words, and I forget the chapter and verse, though someone here has it in their sig. And remember what's in my sig.: "If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it.". Lord Krishna is not demanding.
    śivasya hridayam viṣṇur viṣṇoscha hridayam śivaḥ

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