Tag: monk

With tears of sorrow, he said, “I was forced to leave Krishna”

India TV has been conducting programs wherein they bring the monks (brahmacharis) who have joined Iskcon temples and the parents who are completely against their sons becoming a monk together.  The parents of the monks are always furious, they display their emotions publicly. They blame the temple authorities for making their sons brahmacharis. In fact the parents curse the devotees saying that they will ultimately be destroyed.

Many times we think that the Vedic literatures are of bygone eras and not relevant today.  But the reaction of the parents is exactly the same as that of Prajapati Daksha whose sons became renunciates after being educated by sage Narada in the science of self-realization.  Prajapati Daksha said the sage Narada, “You have made me lose my sons once, and now you have again done the same inauspicious thing. Therefore you are a rascal who does not know how to behave toward others. You may travel all over the universe, but I curse you to have no residence anywhere.” Srimad Bhagavatam 6.5.43. May be the incidents mentioned in the Vedas happened thousands of years ago but the attitude of the parents and that of Prajapati Daksha is the same.

Although we may be considering the current relationship we are having as permanent. But this is not the case. Whatever relationship we have with our parents, brothers and sisters, with other relatives, with our country is temporary. In our previous lives we had different parents and siblings, we might have been born in a different country.  In our next life who our parents will be we do not know.

Srimad Bhagavatam narrates the story of King Citraketu who had a great desire to have a son. With the blessings of sage Angira he finally got a son from his wife Kṛtadyuti. But the co-wives of Kṛtadyuti out of envy poisoned the kid and killed him. The king was devastated, he was crying like a mad man, he was totally broken hearted. During that time sage Angira came along with sage Narada. Through his mystic power sage Narada brought back the soul in the dead body and told him to enjoy his life again in the company of his father, mother, friends and relatives. The little boy who was dead sometime back spoke,  “According to the results of my fruitive activities, I, the living being, transmigrate from one body to another, sometimes going to the species of the demigods, sometimes to the species of lower animals, sometimes among the vegetables, and sometimes to the human species. Therefore, in which birth were these my mother and father? No one is actually my mother and father. How can I accept these two people as my parents?”

Yes it is true that in this world all the relationships are temporary. The purpose of this life is to endeavour for a destination where every relationship is permanent and this can be possible only in the kingdom of Krishna.

For most of the people it is not easy to come out of the clutches of material energy and surrender to the lotus feet of Krishna. Those bravehearts who try for this faces severe opposition and criticism many times.  Those with strong determination continue with their devotional life amidst all the opposition but sometimes some devotee succumb to parents emotions and give up devotional life.

I remember one person few years back visited the Rath Yatra festival and there after meeting some devotees he started crying. With tears of sorrow, he said, “I was forced to leave Krishna”

He said that several years back he was a brahmachari in the temple but his parents forced him to leave the temple. He was forced to get married, take a job and was even forced to give up his devotional life.  If he would have not yielded to parents emotional pressure he would have not lost a great opportunity to practice devotional life. And on that day instead of having tears of lamentation he would be having tears of joy in his eyes.

Challenges will be there in this world for the devotees and it may appear in multiple forms. But we should never leave the lotus feet of Krishna, we are very fortunate that we got to know the purpose of life. And if we pray to Krishna then Krishna will surely protect us from those people who are creating hurdles in our devotional journey.

Iskcon Sannyasi – India TV fails to understand why an IITian became a monk

India TV recently had a program “Iskcon Sannyasi” (https://www.indiatvnews.com/video/india-tv-exclusive/watch-special-show-on-iskcon-sannyasi-465686) in which they invited a Iskcon brahmachari and his parents  who were against his son joining the temple as a monk. First the program title, Iskcon Sannyasi, was incorrect, the devotee had become a monk and not sannyasi. This showed that India TV had not done their homework properly and they did not know the difference between a sannyasi and a celibate monk.

Nevertheless the program gave chance to the parents and his son, now a monk, to present their viewpoints.

It is natural for the parents to become very disturbed when they find their son has given up everything, has left home to become a monk in the temple.

For most of the people it may appear as an irrational decision but those who are the students of Gita and Vedic literature would not be surprised to find someone dedicating his life completely to serve the Supreme Lord, Krishna. Majority of the people in this world are interested in gratifying their senses, are busy pursuing their material goals. This is why Krishna in Gita says, “After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.” Bhagavad Gita 7.19.

The mother was inconsolable, for most part of the program she kept weeping and pleading his son to return back home.  Father was in control of his emotions but he was angry that his son has become a monk.

Both the father and mother levelled many non-verifiable allegations against Iskcon such as – Iskcon has brainwashed their child, they forcibly took away their 28 year old son, they taught their son to speak lies, Iskcon devotees did not treat them nicely and so on.  Having spent more than a decade in Krishna Consciousness movement I am not surprised to see the reaction of the parents.

For most devotees who become a monk they rarely get the approval of their parents and their family members.

It is true that to practice devotional life one does not have to become a monk. One can become a grihasta – get married, have children, stay at home and work in the outside world. However different devotees have different nature and based on that they choose their ashram i.e. if they want to become a grihasta or a brahmachari.  As far as I know, I have never seen any devotee being forced to choose a particular ashram.  Also it is equally true that there is a tug of war in devotees’ mind during the initial years regarding choosing between being a monk or getting married.

My parents also had great fear that I may join the temple and not get married. But eventually I decided to get married and practice my devotional life. But I have great respect for the devotees who decide to just serve Krishna and so join temple as a celibate monk. Not getting married and staying in the temple gives one an opportunity to focus most of their time and energy in serving the Lord and sharing the message of the Lord.

But one may ask what about their responsibility towards their parents and family members?

Most of the monks whom I know never leave their parents suffering. For example after finishing their studies they work outside, earn money and give it to their parents so that their parents do no have to suffer financially. If their sister is unmarried then they make sure that their sister gets married.  While trying to serve the Lord they do not shun the family responsibility. In fact after they join the temple they continue visiting their parents and also their parents visit them in the temple and they continue to remain in touch with each other through phone.

In fact when Chaitanya Mahaprabhu wanted to take sannyas then his mother, Saci mata, was also disturbed but finally gave her permission when Mahaprabhu told her that he want to choose this life so that he can serve the humanity. Later Chaitanya Mahaprabhu decided to stay at Jagannth Puri on the request of his mother so that his mother, Saci mata, continue to get information about him. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu through his own example showed that he had not abandoned his mother and he cared for her emotions.

When media or common people are raising objections on devotees becoming a monk they fail to understand that the celibate monks are not relinquishing their responsibility towards their parents but while serving their parents they have chosen a life for a higher cause. Parents should feel proud about their children.

In the present world there are many sons who are earning lakhs of rupees in multinational companies but have no love and respect for their parents. Their parents are forced to stay at old age homes. Their was an incident of an elderly lady whose son was in USA and she was staying all alone in India. When she died no one was around her, in fact no one knew that she is dead. When her son came from USA after several months and broke open the door he found his mother’s skeleton (https://www.indiatoday.in/india/maharashtra/story/rituraj-sahni-asha-sahni-us-returned-nri-old-age-home-1029606-2017-08-14).  Although her son was earning in dollars was comfortably settled in his life but had no place for his mother.

However there are many instances wherein Iskcon monks have gone extra miles to serve their parents. One example is of Sankirtan Anand Das and Sundervar Das, both are brothers and are monk in Iskcon temples. When their mother and father became sick then both the brothers served their parents for several months and both the mother and later (after many years) the father left their body in the presence of their sons. They never gave up their service towards their parents.

While India TV is trying to portray that the son has done injustice to their parents by becoming a monk but if one thinks rationally one would find that the son has not left the parents. Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, does not stay with his mother but it does not mean that he has left his mother. For serving a higher purpose some sacrifice has to be made and this what the monks are doing.

India TV would do a great service to the society if they start showing the plight of the parents who have been abandoned by their wealthy sons and are suffering in old age homes.

Mikey becomes a monk

 

 

Sitting on a bench in a park Mikey was pondering over his life. What went wrong in my life? This could happen to me, I had never thought. Life had overwhelmed him, bewildered him and deceived him so many times that he had not just lost hope but also interest in life. Today he had even lost his job. It was dusk and he did not know where he will spend his night.

 

“Hello! Would you like to have this book?” The call of a stranger who looked strange because of his strange attire broke his chain of thoughts. Before he could say anything, Mikey had book in his hand.  Although he did not want anyone to disturb him but he just could not say no to the stranger. He started glossing over the book and soon started getting absorbed in it. He found it meaningful. “Who are you and what is this book about?” Mikey asked. “The book is Bhagavad Gita and I am a Hare Krishna monk”, the stranger replied. The book has answers to all your questions about life.

 

Can the book tell me why so much suffering in my life?

 

“The book will not just tell about your cause of suffering, it will not just give solution to your suffering but most importantly it will give you a formula so that you will never ever suffer in your life, neither in this life nor in any life”, said the monk. The monk said this with tons of enthusiasm. Mikey wasn’t just impressed by his words. But to him the monk looked like to be the happiest person he has ever met.

 

He wanted to speak more to him, he thought him to be his well-wisher, a dear friend who has been especially sent to him.

 

He wanted to know more about the mysteries of life, about himself, about the purpose of life and so on. The monk obliged and when Mikey told him that he did not have any place to stay tonight, the monk invited him to the temple.

 

And he was now happy to follow him. Mikey spent the rest of the night in the temple reading the book and contemplating on the message.  Temple’s spiritual ambience comforted him; he felt natural attraction for Krishna. It looked like he has got all answers to his life’s questions.

 

If depressed Mikey would have not met a Hare Krishna devotee that night he would have taken any extreme step. But Krishna never leaves a soul alone, he always sends someone to him. Many a times people do not reciprocate and miss a great opportunity to get reunited with Krishna. Mikey did not miss the opportunity.

Today Mikey is a monk in a Hare Krishna temple in Hungary. He is shaven headed with a shikha, wears dhoti kurta and neck bead and chants the name of Krishna. And he loves to distribute books of Srila Prabhupada especially Bhagavad Gita. Who knows someone in some corner of the world is waiting for Mikey to come and deliver him.