What is Sraddha?
-Srila Gurudeva

12 Oct: Sangat sanjayate kamah (Gita 2.62). If one associates with a thief, he develops the habits of a thief and becomes a thief himself. Similarly, if one associates with a sadhu, one becomes a sadhu oneself and is able to distinguish between good and bad. After this, one will try to learn about sad-vastu, the Supreme Lord, and in order to achieve the service of the Supreme Lord, one will surrender unto the pure devotee of the Lord.

There are two types of faith: 

1. Laukika-sraddha: customary or worldly faith.
2. Tattvika-sraddha: ontological faith.

If one goes to the temple, pays obeisance’s to the Lord or serves the devotees to satisfy the requirements of customs prevalent in the society, then this is classified as laukika-sraddha. Tattvika-sraddha, however, is completely different from this.

 Sraddha means "firm faith," i.e., to not only believe in God but to have firm faith that the Supreme Lord is the lord of all other controllers or isvaras, that He is omnipotent, and that if we serve the Lord, all our familial, societal, political and other duties will be automatically served. If the Lord is satisfied, everybody is satisfied. This type of firm faith in the Lord is known as sraddha according to Srila Kaviraja Gosvami.

Everything happens by Supreme Lord’s Will
-Srila Gurudeva

05 Oct: We should not be disappointed by the happenings of the world and give up our Bhajan. This world is the place of turmoil and disturbances caused by the illusory energy of Supreme Lord Sri Krishna. Only a completely surrendered soul can emancipate himself from the grip of this illusory energy and surmount the ocean of births and deaths- threefold afflictions. We are to practice six-fold Sharanagati, which is the basis of devotional life. Without Sharanagati, there cannot be Bhakti.

We should not be perturbed by mundane, worldly loss and gain. We should be very careful about the eternal benefit of the real self, which will go with us. Whatever is done by the Will of Supreme Lord Sri Krishna, Who is All-Good, is for the eternal benefit of all. Jivas reap the fruits of their own karma. Nobody is to be blamed for this. We should not be perturbed under any circumstance and give up Bhajan in our short duration of stay in this transitory world. A completely surrendered soul is always protected and maintained by Sri Krishna. There is no cause of anxiety to him. He remains calm under all circumstances. We cannot see adjustment and cannot find solution by our own capacity. Total unconditional submission is the only way of solving all problems. Jivas commit offence at the Lotus Feet of Sri Krishna, when they, being eternal servants of Sri Krishna, become averse to Him. As long as Jivas will not remove this offence, there will be no practical solution. Maya will surely envelope them and there will be desire for enjoyment, which will hurl them down to hell - intense suffering.

Question: Is it right for a householder devotee to abandon his mundane duties and just walk away to the forest even though his family members need his help? (E.g. become Vanaprastha or Sannyasa).

Answer: Indian scriptural instruction: `Pravritir esa bhutanam nivrittis tu maha-phala'- Path of worldly mindedness and the path of renunciation. Conditioned souls are generally eligible for `path of worldly mindedness'. Persons eligible for `path of renunciation' are very rare.

When conditioned souls become averse to worship of Supreme Lord they are enveloped by external material potency consisting of three primal qualities- Sattvah, Rajah and Tamah. Living beings are created by Rajah guna, they are sustained for some time by Sattva guna and they are destroyed by Tamah guna. Conditioned souls have become victims of birth, death and threefold afflictions. The real self `Atma’ originates from marginal potency or according to Gita, originates from Para-shakti. Atma is Anu-saccidananda- minute existence, knowledge and bliss entity. As Atma is the outcome of marginal potency (a demarcating line between Internal potency and External potency), they can go either side. When they become averse to God by misusing their relative independence, they are enveloped by external or illusory energy. After 8 millions of births of different species, they become human beings. God gives them discriminating power between eternal and non-eternal. They can accept Eternal Reality Supreme Lord and worship Him. Previously in ancient times, Varnashram Dharma was prescribed according to quality and action- four Vranas and four Ashrams were introduced. Four Vranas- Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Sudra. Four Ashrams- Brahmachari, Grihastha, Vanaprastha and Sannyasa. This subject is very elaborate and scientific. It is not possible to have elaborate discussion of it through letter. Many scriptural evidences are to be referred to. There is a gradual procedure to attain the highest spiritual stage.

Due to foreign invasions, Indian scientific process of social enhancement was disturbed. The social systems are different in foreign countries. So it is irrelevant to go into it in detail. They will not find interest in it. It will be boring for them. Varnashram Dharma is only in vogue in India. In Kaliyuga, Varnashram dharma has become deteriorated due to foreign influence.   More...

Srimati Radhika

07 Sep: Krishna is The Predominating Aspect of the moiety and Srimati Radhika is The Predominated Aspect of the moiety. Moiety means one of the two parts of a thing. There are two sides of Prema— union and separation. Prema in separation bestows much more happiness than Prema in union. This Prema is called ‘Adhirurha Mahabhava’— here manifestation of the Object of Worship (Krishna’s Sweet Form) is more than that caused by union. For that reason Nandanandana Krishna appeared in Kaliyuga as Gauranga— inside Krishna, outside Radha— taking the mode of worship of Radha and Her complexion to taste His own extraordinary sweetness which She has tasted, sweetness of Prema in separation— ‘vipralamba rasa’. As well as to perform the pastimes of the Most Munificent Form of Godhead, to distribute the highest Prema – ‘unnata ujjwala rasa’, to all irrespective of caste, creed and nationality. Radharani’s Prema is the purest and highest. She is most magnanimous. She is prepared to sacrifice everything for the satisfaction of Krishna.

na gani apana duhkha, sabe vanchi tanra sukha,
tanra sukha amara tatparya
more yadi diya duhkha, tanra haila maha-sukha,
sei duhkha mora sukha-varya

“I do not consider my grief. I only want His satisfaction. My only object is His contentment. If by giving pain to me, He is highly delighted, that pang will be my greatest blessedness."   More...