Q&A WITH LILA PURUSHOTTAM DAS

🤔Reflected and pure consciousness what are these two kinds of consciousness and how they exist simultaneously in the same body?

That is because reflected consciousness is much grosser than the pure consciousness. That latter is as subtle as the soul. Subtle body becomes depraved when separated from Krishna. And so it becomes very violent. Clouds cover the suns rays. Similarly, reflected consciousness covers the puny pure consciousness of the soul. That is by the will of the Supreme lord. Matter exists in subtle form as pradhan or mahat tattva. The soul brings in individuality or feeling of I-ness. Mahat tattva doesnt have that individuation on its own. Thus, material energy is cleavable and therefore becomes varieties of individuation. Although it is inert.

🤔What is siddhi or perfection in yoga?

Just like in studies, we score flying colours. And develop good fine character. That is perfection. Similarly, perfection of yoga is to develop taste for the holy name. If lords name is chanted with faith and one cannot live without doing that, that is siddhi in yoga. Spontaneous attraction for Krishna is perfection in yoga. Reviving our relation with lord as his eternal servant that is perfection in yoga.

🤔How a devotee’s abstaining from fruitive activities is different from that of an impersonalist?

Devotees honour Krishna prasad anywhere and everywhere. When Sarvabhauma was defeated, he stopped eating and drinking and forgot his daily rituals. Lord Chaitanya then brought khichdi prasad for him. And when Sarvabhauma refused to take on account of not having taken bath and performed prescribed duties, lord told him that prasad of the lord must be accepted under all circumstances as it is completely transcendental. So whatever is binding for impersonalists, devotees convert it to Krishna conscious activities. Impersonalists have double standards as they build schools, maths etc which is against their own philosophy.

Devotees also build temples and schools but that is not fruitive activity rather devotional service. So impersonalists actually perform fruitive activity although externally they feign to abstain from them. But as devotees we also have fruitive desires inside us but that is dovetailed in Krishna’s service by a spiritual authority. Like if one wants to make money, he is given life membership seva in the temple and that spiritualises him and his desire.

🤔If we are not detached from results, how can we offer them to Krishna?

Shrila Prabhupada says phalena parichayate. Our attachment for Krishna is dependent on how many devotees we are able to make. And how many centers we can open. Suppose if we make a center and dont cultivate a single devotee there, so what is the use of such detachment from results.

🤔Who was Shripad Shankaracharya?

He was an empowered personality who removed Buddhists and Buddhism from the country. He took sannyas at 8 years and at the age of 12 he reached Badrinath and revived Badri Vishal from the freezing Narad kund and established its worship. He is lord Shiva himself but his followers are mayavadis. As lord Shiva, he is param Vaishnava. His pupose of descent was that Shankaracharya brought the people back into the Vedic fold or Vedantic tradition.

🤔How to give up materialistic consciousness?

That is not possible without the shelter of spiritual authority. So surrender to spiritual authority is mandatory.

🤔How dhyana yogi is superior to jnana yogi?

As dhyanis understand or have Paramatma realization. They obtained 8 mystic siddhis and become fully cognizant after having realized Paramatma. The experience of brahman of jnanis and dhyanis is partial understanding still dhyanis are superior.

🤔How to understand achintya bhedabheda in a simple manner?

Soul and body are non different as both are vikars of polluted consciousness of the the soul. But soul is divine and body is gross. So soul and body are simultaneously same and different. Similarly, soul when empowered by the supreme lord becomes one with the lord in quality. Like mother Yashoda makes Krishna cry by showing him the stick. But Supreme lord is Parambrahman while soul or jiva ia kshudrati kshudra. Lord is one but becomes many and similarly he makes his devotees also who are one become many. Like Vasudeva and Devaki participated in all 16100 marriages of Krishna at Dwarka at the same time. And they had opulence similar to that of Krishna. But the source is always Krishna. And how this is happening us achintya or inconceivable. The soul itself is difficult to understand. But by lord’s mercy he can attain direct association of the lord.

🤔Are topics about lord vaikhari or para sound?

Para sound is that which can be perceived when one is fully separated from his material consciousness. Like Vedavyasa heard the conversation between Shukadeva goswami and Parikshit maharaj. Similarly, Narad muni heard the words of the supreme lord after meditating on his form as described by the bhaktivedantists. Parikshit maharaj when he heard that Shringi had cursed him, he heard it in para medium. Thats why he didnt object or retaliate. So as devotees we must understand that the words of Bhagavad gita and Shrimad Bhagavatam are all para sound. But depending on our consciousness, we take it either vaikhari or madhyama or pashyanti.

🤔Why detachment from results does not come in Krishna consciousness or does it?

Detachment from results is required but giving the results to Krishna that also is equally important. Both are actually complimentary. But just detachment from results is not sufficient. Like mayavadis do. Arjuna risked his life to follow Krishna’s instructions and fought the war. The normal definition of detachment from results is too difficult for us to accept. Like if one is told to bear someone’s insult or mutually cooperate amongst themselves or rather just give up everything and simply chant Hare Krishna.

But on the spiritual platform its possible. Unfortunately, understanding of detachment is very poor in us. So only Shrila Prabhupada said ‘utility is the principle’ and by learning to offering results to Krishna we would naturally become detached. Like the Pandavas worked hard to build Indraprastha but when time came, they gave up everything and went to exile. That platform of detachment is, in itself, very difficult to attain for us. Unless we are strongly trained to offer the results to Krishna.

🤔What is importance of initiation in spiritual life?

Listening to this lecture is also initiation. Initiation is not merely a fire sacrifice ritual. Our Gaudiya Vaishnav parampara is a shiksha parampara. So the more we are educated about spiritual matter, that is also initiation and we need a teacher for that. Different devotees are trained at different levels and everyone is made to connect to Krishna. That is initiation. Lord Chaitanya said ‘aa chandala brahmana’: from chandala to brahmana everyone can be trained in spiritual life or in other words, is qualified for initiation.

🤔In the polluted state, how our experience and experiencer are different?

Real experiencer is always atman. Mahat tattva doesn’t require to experience. And this experience can be divine or material. In that sense, experience and experiencer are different on the material platform.

🤔What does it mean to see inaction in action and vice versa as stated in Bhagavad gita 4.18?

Seeing inaction in action is devotional service. Action in inaction is like going to Himalayas or a holy place like Vrindavan dham. We will carry our mind everywhere and anywhere we go and which will therefore, always perturb us with fruitive mentality and speculative desires.

🤔How to serve parents with mercy of Krishna?

Serve them with love and they will surely become devotees. Then their service will also become Vaishnav seva.

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