My three months' stay in Mayapur was a busy, dynamic and blissful time, with lots of preaching engagements and programs - 5 weeks of courses, then various classes and, over and above, ecstatic festive events: the Pusya Abhishek with Radha Madhava in Their beautiful flower dress, Vasanta Panchami with Their stunning yellow outfit, Advaita Acarya's and Lord Nityananda's appearance, and the finale being the Kirtan Mela - the cherry on the cake!
HH Niranjana Maharaja's Vyasa Puja was one of the highlights for me – an opportunity to deepen my gratitude and dependence on his saintly self. He selflessly extended himself flooding our hearts with his love and devotion.
HH Niranjana Maharaja's Vyasa Puja was one of the highlights for me – an opportunity to deepen my gratitude and dependence on his saintly self. He selflessly extended himself flooding our hearts with his love and devotion.
Mayapur - a glimpse into the spiritual world...!
For the entire three months of my stay in Mayapur, I was almost every morning from 6:30am to 8am in the courtyard outside the Pancha Tattva Temple entrance, distributing books. It gave me a wonderful opportunity to connect with a lot of nice devotees from Mayapur and other parts of the world. I also received many devotees for prasadam at my ashram at the goshala - my favorite loving dealings: feeding devotees with prasadam while engaging in meaningful exchanges...!
For the entire three months of my stay in Mayapur, I was almost every morning from 6:30am to 8am in the courtyard outside the Pancha Tattva Temple entrance, distributing books. It gave me a wonderful opportunity to connect with a lot of nice devotees from Mayapur and other parts of the world. I also received many devotees for prasadam at my ashram at the goshala - my favorite loving dealings: feeding devotees with prasadam while engaging in meaningful exchanges...!
Sometimes we hear devotees make the statement “I don’t want to have children”. This is an attitude that reflects a rather materialistic consciousness. In material life, the criterion for making decisions is: What do I want? Is the proposal pleasing to my mind and senses? Do I like it? Such contemplation takes place on the level of the mind, which sets a very unreliable and flickering foundation for making important decisions. Today our mind may like a certain idea, but reject it promptly tomorrow. A materialist who takes instructions from the uncontrolled mind is doomed to become its slave.
When contemplating the idea of having children with a spiritual mindset, our question should not be ‘Do I want to have children?’ We should instead ask, ‘Is it beneficial for me to have children? Will it facilitate my purification and spiritual advancement?’ This approach reflects an entirely different consciousness. We leave ourselves open, and are ready to accept whatever is advisable for our purification – whatever Krishna and His devotees advise. It reflects a mood of submission, whereas the mundane approach reflects a mood of ‘I know best what is good for me.’ In spiritual life, the matter of concern is not what I like; it is rather what is recommended by our gurus, sadhus and the shastra.
After understanding the sacred purpose of sexuality served by the conception of a child, it becomes clear that there is not much room for the idea of entering marriage on the condition that one won’t have children. Otherwise, how will we engage our sexual desires in Krishna’s service and thereby purify it?
As a rule, when husband and wife live together, by the laws of nature, there will be sexual attraction. Let us remember that a most common reason for a man to enter family life is that he finds it difficult to control his senses and remain celibate lifelong. Otherwise, he might as well remain a brahmachari – then he would not have to work hard to maintain a family and accept so many austerities and struggles to raise children and take care of a wife.
Similarly, for most women, it is of great importance to go through the experience of engaging their emotional nature in serving as a mother and affectionate caregiver. Playing this role offers a woman a lot of emotional satisfaction – more than a husband can give. In fact, the wife having a child may, to a certain degree, relieve a husband from the obligation of having to fulfil the emotional expectations of his wife.
We can oftentimes notice how a woman may become emotionally dry and unfulfilled if she does not have a child. Such emotional imbalance can be viewed as an unhealthy state of the subtle body which frequently manifests as health problems of the gross body. It goes to show that whenever we go against Krishna’s system and the laws of nature by trying to avoid some apparent inconveniences, it always backfires on us, causing us to suffer.
For these reasons, it is the duty of a husband to give his wife children – he cannot refuse. In a letter to Himavati dated 23rd March 1969, Srila Prabhupada expresses this point:
"Kardama Muni married a wife. Why he shall not give her children? The wife begged that she must have some children. So he must satisfy the wife and give her some children, that is the duty of the husband."
For some men, having children may oftentimes not be so appealing, for it would mean increased family expenses and less peace in the home. However, the shastra advises that it is his duty. Otherwise, one may easily resort to all kinds of irreligious forms of ‘cheating’ in order to avoid pregnancy – contraceptives or even abortion.
Going through pregnancy and giving birth to a child makes a woman more dependent on her husband; she requires his protection, care and support – more than ever. This in turn inspires a husband to be responsible and dutiful – he will feel needed. In this way, it re-establishes the marital relationship in its natural, balanced position, according to Krishna’s recommendation that a wife should depend on her husband and be affectionately protected by him.
Especially when a woman has lived alone for a number of years and cultivated a rather independent attitude, pregnancy and childbirth may help her to shift to a humbler and more dependent frame of mind. In a letter to Karandhara dated 5th August 1971, Srila Prabhupada mentions the importance of a husband caring for his wife, especially during pregnancy:
"So now you should take care of your wife. The woman should be cared for, especially during pregnancy. At the time of the marriage ceremony there is a promise that the husband will care for the wife throughout her life and the woman will serve the husband throughout his life."
Likewise, we may take note of the transformational effect it can bring along when a man becomes a father – he may also become more selfless, putting his own desires on the back burner and sacrificing himself for the material and spiritual well-being of his wife and children. Nowadays, men may sometimes be a little disconnected from their emotions and merely function on the rational platform. Becoming a father can immensely contribute to opening his heart and thereby help him connect more deeply with his often suppressed emotions; in this way, he may learn to cultivate a kind, affectionate, selfless and generous nature.
In a room conversation in Melbourne on 22nd May 1975, Srila Prabhupada quotes Chanakya Pandita:
"Putra-hinam griham sunyam. Family without children, it is vacant. But people, now they are under this consciousness that family without children. No, that is not. Family means with children. Otherwise it is desert."
Sometimes devotees may see children as a burden and an obstacle to their spiritual life. This, however, is a rather immature and superficial understanding. If we actually take the mission of raising children in Krishna consciousness seriously, it adds a higher dimension to our devotional practice and impels us to be exemplary by creating a devotional atmosphere and culture of sadhana in our home.
Children learn by imitation – they can understand whether the parents are genuinely serious about their devotional life and joyfully engage in Krishna conscious activities, or whether their practice is a dry, ritualistic and mechanical duty. Having children can greatly inspire the parents to shape up and become serious in their spiritual practice. They often come to realise what a great service they have accepted by inviting a soul into their family for being responsible for their material and spiritual development. It is a highly important service that brings about intense purification.
Children by nature have a spontaneous attraction to hearing stories about Krishna’s pastimes and engaging in kirtan. In this way, by trying to attract and engage her children in a playful and creative way in Krishna consciousness, a mother has to intensely absorb her mind in remembering Krishna 24 hours a day. What better way is there for a woman to become Krishna conscious...!
On the 25th of February I flew to Dubai for yet another unexpected adventure....
Your servant, Devaki dd
Please visit www.theholynameretreat.net
www.therootsofspiritualculture.net
https://www.facebook.com/instituteforspiritualculture/
When contemplating the idea of having children with a spiritual mindset, our question should not be ‘Do I want to have children?’ We should instead ask, ‘Is it beneficial for me to have children? Will it facilitate my purification and spiritual advancement?’ This approach reflects an entirely different consciousness. We leave ourselves open, and are ready to accept whatever is advisable for our purification – whatever Krishna and His devotees advise. It reflects a mood of submission, whereas the mundane approach reflects a mood of ‘I know best what is good for me.’ In spiritual life, the matter of concern is not what I like; it is rather what is recommended by our gurus, sadhus and the shastra.
After understanding the sacred purpose of sexuality served by the conception of a child, it becomes clear that there is not much room for the idea of entering marriage on the condition that one won’t have children. Otherwise, how will we engage our sexual desires in Krishna’s service and thereby purify it?
As a rule, when husband and wife live together, by the laws of nature, there will be sexual attraction. Let us remember that a most common reason for a man to enter family life is that he finds it difficult to control his senses and remain celibate lifelong. Otherwise, he might as well remain a brahmachari – then he would not have to work hard to maintain a family and accept so many austerities and struggles to raise children and take care of a wife.
Similarly, for most women, it is of great importance to go through the experience of engaging their emotional nature in serving as a mother and affectionate caregiver. Playing this role offers a woman a lot of emotional satisfaction – more than a husband can give. In fact, the wife having a child may, to a certain degree, relieve a husband from the obligation of having to fulfil the emotional expectations of his wife.
We can oftentimes notice how a woman may become emotionally dry and unfulfilled if she does not have a child. Such emotional imbalance can be viewed as an unhealthy state of the subtle body which frequently manifests as health problems of the gross body. It goes to show that whenever we go against Krishna’s system and the laws of nature by trying to avoid some apparent inconveniences, it always backfires on us, causing us to suffer.
For these reasons, it is the duty of a husband to give his wife children – he cannot refuse. In a letter to Himavati dated 23rd March 1969, Srila Prabhupada expresses this point:
"Kardama Muni married a wife. Why he shall not give her children? The wife begged that she must have some children. So he must satisfy the wife and give her some children, that is the duty of the husband."
For some men, having children may oftentimes not be so appealing, for it would mean increased family expenses and less peace in the home. However, the shastra advises that it is his duty. Otherwise, one may easily resort to all kinds of irreligious forms of ‘cheating’ in order to avoid pregnancy – contraceptives or even abortion.
Going through pregnancy and giving birth to a child makes a woman more dependent on her husband; she requires his protection, care and support – more than ever. This in turn inspires a husband to be responsible and dutiful – he will feel needed. In this way, it re-establishes the marital relationship in its natural, balanced position, according to Krishna’s recommendation that a wife should depend on her husband and be affectionately protected by him.
Especially when a woman has lived alone for a number of years and cultivated a rather independent attitude, pregnancy and childbirth may help her to shift to a humbler and more dependent frame of mind. In a letter to Karandhara dated 5th August 1971, Srila Prabhupada mentions the importance of a husband caring for his wife, especially during pregnancy:
"So now you should take care of your wife. The woman should be cared for, especially during pregnancy. At the time of the marriage ceremony there is a promise that the husband will care for the wife throughout her life and the woman will serve the husband throughout his life."
Likewise, we may take note of the transformational effect it can bring along when a man becomes a father – he may also become more selfless, putting his own desires on the back burner and sacrificing himself for the material and spiritual well-being of his wife and children. Nowadays, men may sometimes be a little disconnected from their emotions and merely function on the rational platform. Becoming a father can immensely contribute to opening his heart and thereby help him connect more deeply with his often suppressed emotions; in this way, he may learn to cultivate a kind, affectionate, selfless and generous nature.
In a room conversation in Melbourne on 22nd May 1975, Srila Prabhupada quotes Chanakya Pandita:
"Putra-hinam griham sunyam. Family without children, it is vacant. But people, now they are under this consciousness that family without children. No, that is not. Family means with children. Otherwise it is desert."
Sometimes devotees may see children as a burden and an obstacle to their spiritual life. This, however, is a rather immature and superficial understanding. If we actually take the mission of raising children in Krishna consciousness seriously, it adds a higher dimension to our devotional practice and impels us to be exemplary by creating a devotional atmosphere and culture of sadhana in our home.
Children learn by imitation – they can understand whether the parents are genuinely serious about their devotional life and joyfully engage in Krishna conscious activities, or whether their practice is a dry, ritualistic and mechanical duty. Having children can greatly inspire the parents to shape up and become serious in their spiritual practice. They often come to realise what a great service they have accepted by inviting a soul into their family for being responsible for their material and spiritual development. It is a highly important service that brings about intense purification.
Children by nature have a spontaneous attraction to hearing stories about Krishna’s pastimes and engaging in kirtan. In this way, by trying to attract and engage her children in a playful and creative way in Krishna consciousness, a mother has to intensely absorb her mind in remembering Krishna 24 hours a day. What better way is there for a woman to become Krishna conscious...!
On the 25th of February I flew to Dubai for yet another unexpected adventure....
Your servant, Devaki dd
Please visit www.theholynameretreat.net
www.therootsofspiritualculture.net
https://www.facebook.com/instituteforspiritualculture/
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