FAITH AND HOPE

Faith and Hope

by Haripada dasa

Faith means having complete conviction that by chanting the holy names of God, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare one automatically perform all the duties and completes all pious activities. Our hope in this is our life. We must understand and accept that if you serve Srila Prabhupada with love, faith, attachment and gratitude, you will attain a life of complete freedom and never be controlled by maya or persons who are in maya.

To be a genuine devotee of God or Krishna one must be very smart and a very good person. According to the Srimad Bhagavatam the main symptom of a very intelligent person is that he always chanting the holy names Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare and the main symptom of a good person is that he is always thinking about the good of others and forgets himself. The only desire of a good person is that everyone is happy in the consciousness of God or Krishna.

When Srila Prabhupada came to USA he wrote some very beautiful poems and one of them said that when all the suffering souls will be happy in Krishna consciousness, the desire of the Vaisnavas will be fulfilled. Another sign of a good person is that he never seeks fights and is careful not to offend anyone. When Durvasa muni went to the lotus feet of Maharaja Ambarisa asking forgiveness for his offenses he said that now I recognize the devotees of God-- though I have offended you, still you have prayed for my good fortune. The best friend of a pure devotee of God are those who envy him and offend him, for he loves his enemies and pray to God for them. When they were crucifying Jesus Christ He said, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do." They were offendending Jesus, yet he was praying to God for his offenders, very similar to Haridasa Thakura who was beaten in 22 markets. He also did not blame those who beat and tormented him but blessed them and exonerated of their offenses.

Another point is the criticism.... No scripture or any genuine spiritual master will advise you criticize, rather they will tell others to do what they want. Better to purify ones own dirty mind rather than criticizing others. Bhaktivinoda Thakura said that if someone sees a fault in another person, its not the persons defect but it's your fault to criticize..... and the faults reflect to the other person who criticizes those same faults. And another point is politics. Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura Prabhupada said do not go around attacking other Vaisvasivas.

Such policies, such behavior is appropriate only for deceiving people, and not for preachers.

Another point is when we see something wrong, we must protest and if we dont are complicit. Srila Prabhupada says in the Bhagavad-gita 11.49 that Krishna told Arjuna that he should not be afraid to kill his Grandfather. The reason given is that when they tried to disrobe Draupadi in the assembly, Bhishma and Drona were silent, and for this dereliction of duty they should be dead.

That Jagat-guru, the savior of the fallen, śaktyāveśa Avatar, MOR PATI SENA, THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE SPIRITUAL FORCES OF SRI GAURANGA Mahaprabhu, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada bless and protect you all.