From: GRS.Disciples@pamho.net on behalf of Giriraja Swami [Giriraja.Swami@pamho.net] Sent: Sunday, November 25, 2001 3:48 AM To: GRS Disciples Subject: Divinity and Humanity -- Q & A ---------- Forwarded Message ---------- From: Giriraja Swami Date: 20-Nov-01 11:13 -0800 To: "Mukta Purusa" Subject: Divinity and Humanity ------------------------------------------------------------ > I just read your message on the subject of "Divinity and Humanity." > > What struck me the most is that the "law of karma is very difficult to > understand." Should I raise the question, what about those who died in > in the World Trade Centre? Could they have a similar action in their past > lives, against the wrong doers? If yes, what is the solution? The victims in the present life may have been aggressors in the past life. But to punish an aggressor is not a transgression: "According to Vedic injunctions there are six kinds of aggressors: (1) a poison giver, (2) one who sets fire to the house, (3) one who attacks with deadly weapons, (4) one who plunders riches, (5) one who occupies another's land, and (6) one who kidnaps a wife. Such aggressors are at once to be killed, and no sin is incurred by killing such aggressors." (Bg 1.36 p.) > Now, my second question is, if the died did not have such a karma in > the past, does it mean that a new karma is being created by the wrong > doers? Even if we say the acts of the aggressors went beyond the reactions due to the victims now, the aggressors will be punished more, and the victims will be compensated in the next life. > After all, I read on the website news that during the crisis of the World > Trade Centre, a man by the name Sullivan escaped death, and the same man > died in an airplane crash in New York, in an Airbus, en route to the > Dominican Republic. This was after the destruction of the WTC. No one can escape one's destiny. Therefore one should give the highest priority to Krishna consciousness. > Would you comment that the man escaped death in the World Trade Centre, > but he could not escape from the airplane crash? Could this mean that the > man was destined to die, but was given some concession for a few more > weeks? And his real death was not in the World Trade Centre, but in the > plane. There is a old fable that Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu related. Once a servant went into a market in Baghdad. There he met Death personified, and Death glared at him menacingly. Frightened, the servant ran home to the master. Then the servant fled to Samara, and the master returned to Baghdad. At the market in Baghdad, the master met Death personified and asked, "Why did you look so menacingly at my servant and scare him so?" Death replied, "I did not look at him menacingly. I was just surprised to see him in Baghdad this morning, because I have an appointment with him in Samara in the afternoon." Therefore Srila Prabhupada writes: "One should simply understand that the distress and happiness of this body are predestined; there is no need to try to avoid the distress of this bodily existence or to attempt to achieve happiness by different types of exercises. The best course is to surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead with body, mind and words and always be engaged in His service. This transcendental labor is fruitful, but other attempts to understand the Absolute Truth are never successful. Therefore an intelligent man does not try to understand the Absolute Truth by speculative or mystic power. Rather, he engages in devotional service and depends on the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He knows that whatever may happen to the body is due to his past fruitive activities. If one lives such a simple life in devotional service, then automatically he inherits the transcendental abode of the Lord.... If one adopts the simple method of engaging himself in devotional service, automatically he becomes eligible to be freed from material contamination and elevated to the transcendental position of associating with the Supreme Lord." (Krsna, Ch 14) We can never understand the inconceivable with the mundane intellect. Even great souls like the Pandavas are sometimes bewildered by the turn of events. Thus the great authority Bhismadeva concludes: "O King, no one can know the plan of the Lord [Sri Krsna]. Even though great philosophers inquire exhaustively, they are bewildered." (SB 1.9.16) Therefore we should simply surrender to the Absolute Truth and serve Him, and He will reveal Himself to us and bring us to Him. atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adah "No one can understand the transcendental nature of the name, form, quality and pastimes of Sri Krsna through materially contaminated senses. Only when one becomes spiritually saturated by transcendental service to the Lord are the transcendental name, form, quality and pastimes of the Lord revealed to him." (Brs 1.2.234) Our service begins with the chanting of the holy names of the Lord--which ends in pure love. Hare Krishna. Yours in service to Srila Prabhupada, Giriraj Swami