Hare Krishna
All Glories To Sri Guru And Sri Gauranga!
It is noted that gotquestions.org, which is a protestant, evangelical and non denominational christian website, has been posting articles based on the vedanta, vaishnavas and several beliefs of vaishnavism, the intention of this post is not to hurt the sentiments of the fellow Christians but to refute the false claims of theirs, since it was felt necessary, to do so, as to avoid the general public getting misguided through the false interpretation of the scriptures and pure ignorance.
The article shall be posted in parts due to it's huge size. And it shall be presented in the objection and refutation form, where the pūrvapakṣa will be answered one after the other.
Objections can be found here.
pūrvapakṣa 1 :Hare Krishna is a mystical sect of Hinduism.
Are Hare Krishnas Hindus?
Answer: Absolutely not, they follow "jaiva dharma", which means universal religion, they don't belong to any sectarian religion. Further Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita 18.66....
Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.
First of all let us understand the meaning of the term 'mystical' here.
If the word mystical here refers to ecstasy then yes we are always ecstatic by chanting the names of god, but if it is mistaken to be oneness with god, then the term oneness here is not literal, "oneness" means in quality not in quantity, here the hare krishna devotees are mistaken to be impersonalists, but in reality it is the fallacy of the article's author, as even the hare krishna devotees are hostile towards the impersonalists and do not agree with their philosophical tenets.
Srila Prabhupada, the spiritual master of the hare krishna's says, in regards to the oneness:
That is oneness. Not that individually he has become different. Individually he is, but he does not disagree with Krishna. That is oneness. Just like we are sitting, we are of different interests. But so far my disciples are, they will not disagree with me. That is oneness. But he is individual. He was individual, he is individual, and he will continue his individuality. But as soon as he accepts me as the leader, then he is agreement. That is oneness.
( Srila Prabhupada, conversation, 22nd Dec, 1976, Pune)
pūrvapakṣa 2: It is usually classified as a monotheistic form of Hinduism, since Hare Krishnas believe that all deities are simply various manifestations of the one god, Vishnu or Krishna. The “monotheism” of Hare Krishna is a little muddled.
Refutation: Monotheism is defined as the belief in one god, the term 'various manifestations' can be interpreted in many ways, if it referred to demigods, such as Bramha, ṣiva etc, then it is simply preposterous, for they are not any god(s), they are demigods[does not mean possesing the qualities of god or half- god etc, it just means, they are on a higher platform than the human beings on earth and are spiritually elevated devotees of god], or devtas or in simpler words, they are just like any other living entity who depend on krishna for salvation.
If the term refers to the avatārs of krishna, then it should be understood that they have got a very narrow understanding of the avatāra concept which is ill-advised and must learn the basics of our faith before making any comments.
ekaḥ samo'pyakhiladoṣasamujjhito'pi sarvatra pūrṇaguṇako'pi bahūpamo'bhūt
.- "He is same lord, without any deficiencies in any form and full of auspicious attributes in all..." (Viṣṇupāda Madhvācārya's Śri Mahābhārat Tātparya Nirṇaya 1.10 )
All the avatāras are complete in all qualities but for the sake of pastimes, some of the qualities are kept hidden. It doesn't necessarily mean those forms lack those qualities as it would prove the Supreme Personality possesses some defects. We can take into account the example of ACs and coolers, we don't use them during winters as there is no need. But, does that prove that we can't afford them?
The avatārs are not different from krishna, he is krishna himself, for a neophyte to understand, let us take a doctor for example, he is a doctor in his clinic, at home he is a loving father, husband, son, uncle etc for his relatives and friends. However one must not mistake that this accessibility of krishna as real inferiority, it is nothing but a biggest fallacy. One should not assume that krishna is incapable or any of his avatārs are/is incapable of performing pastimes as that of each others. He is guṇa paripūrṇa, which means he is full of infinite capabilities and is full of auspicious qualities and is perfectly complete, However there is no need for him to assume different avatāras to perform different pastimes, he does it inorder to exhibit his opulence and give pleasure to his devotees, so that his loving devotees could relish his all encompassing features as that of a child, father, conjugal lover, friend etc according to their desire. This also doesn't mean that he is affected by any material conditions to appear personally, as a doctor is obliged to do his duty and he is doctor by some qualifications, this does not mean that god is obliged to anyone or anything, nor is he god after performing some duties etc, he is god since time immemorial and is unborn and eternal and is god unconditionally.
So, avatāras doesn't mean more than one god, god doesn't lose his individuality and perfection because he appears in many forms, he forever remains the same.
pūrvapakṣa 3: The Hare Krishna movement dates back to the fifteenth century (1486), when its founder, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, began teaching that Krishna was the supreme Lord above every other god. Mahaprabhu advocated a devotional method of faith in which adherents of Gaudiya Vaishnavism entered into a relationship with Krishna and expressed their adoration for Krishna through dancing and chanting.
Refutation: Well, this is one of the most farcical argument ever. Krishna Consciousness is based on the vedanta, which is eternal, vedas were only written down 5000 years ago but they existed in oral form, they were passed down since time immemorial orally in gurukulas, as in the olden days the people were very intelligent and they could memorize anything within a very short amount of time. The āgamās and the ṭanṭrās are the texts written by the ṛṣis on the observances of vedas, were written even before the vedas were written.
Madhvacarya in his work called "Vishnu Tattva Nirmaya" 2.13, Quotes Brahmanda Purana and
states:
पुराणानि तदर्थानि सर्गे सेऽन्यचैव तु । क्रियन्तेऽतस्त्वनित्यानि तदर्थाः पूर्वसर्गवत् । वेदाना सृष्टिवाक्यानि भवेयुर्व्यक्त्यपेक्षया । अवान्तराभिमानानां देवाना वा व्यपेक्षया ॥ नानित्यत्वात् कुतस्तेषामनित्यत्वं स्थिरात्मनाम् । इति ब्रह्माण्डे ।
"Purāņas that are intended to explain the import of the Vedas are only changed by the changes in words, sequence etc., at the commencement of each creation. Therefore Puranas are non eternal. However, their import will be the same as in the previous creation. The Sruti passages that mention the creation of Vedas, state it from the point of view of their manifestation (Not beginning to exist). This may also be taken from the point of view of the secondary abhimani deities. The non-eternality of Vedas is not at all intended by these passages. There is no question of non-eternality of Vedas that are undoubtedly eternal. This is stated in Brahmanda Purana."
Vishnu Tattva Nirnaya, 2.14:
न च वर्णपदादीनामनित्यत्वं वक्तुं युक्तम् । सर्वशत्यादीश्वरस्य तद्बुद्धौ सर्वथा प्रतीयमानत्वात् । न च घटादिवत् संस्कारमात्रत्वं युक्तम् । प्रत्यभिज्ञाविरोधस्य उक्त्वात्। पुराणानामपि अन्यथा शब्द रचनमेवानित्यत्वम्। अतः आकाशगुणे शब्दे व्यज्यमानाः वर्णादयः तत्क्रमात्मको वेदश्च नित्य एवेति सिद्धम् ।
"It is not justified to say that the letters, the Vedic words and Vedic sentences are not eternal. Because, these are always present in God's mind and the God is omniscient. It is also not justified to say that it is only the impressions of these that are present as in the case of a jar etc., objects present in the mind. Because, this will go against the fact that there is a recognition of these. This is already stated. The non-eternality of Puranas also is in the sense that their wordings are changed in each creation. Therefore, the letters that are manifested in the sound that is an attribute of Akäsa, the Vedas that are the sequencial arrangement of these letters are eternal."
In the Purusa-sukta [Rig Veda, mandala 10, sukta 90, mantra 9] it is stated,
tasmād yajñāt sarva-huta ṛcaḥ sāmāni jajñjire chandāṁsi jajñjire tasmāt
“From Him, Yajnya, came all sacrificial offerings, hymns of invocation and songs of praise. All the mantras of the Vedas come from the Lord.”
pūrvapakṣa 4: This Hindu sect, however distinct it is in its unique adherence to Krishna, is still quite Hindu, since even Krishna is but a manifestation (or "Avatar") of Vishnu—one of the classic deities of Hinduism.
Refutation: Krishna is not the avatar of vishnu, it is the vice versa.
ṣrimaḍ bhāgavaṭam 1.3.28
All of the above-mentioned incarnations are either plenary portions or portions of the plenary portions of the Lord, but Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the original Personality of Godhead. All of them appear on planets whenever there is a disturbance created by the atheists. The Lord incarnates to protect the theists.
Madhvacharya further comments on this:
एते प्रोक्तावताराः । मूलरूपी कृष्णः स्वयमेव जीवास्तत्प्रतिबिम्बांशा वराहायाः स्वयं हरिः दृश्यते बहुधा विष्णुरैश्वर्यादिक एव तु ।। इति ब्रह्मवैवर्ते
“Krishna is the original form (मूलरूपी कृष्णः), incarnations such ar Varaha Dev and the like, are non different from Hari (वराहायाः स्वयं हरिः) so says the Brahma Vaivarta Purana (इति ब्रह्मवैवर्ते ).”
one must know the facts before committing blunders like the author of this article
pūrvapakṣa 5: Moreover, Hare Krishnas retain the bhagavad gita, a Hindu Scripture, as well as the doctrines of reincarnation and karma.
Refutation: Their asinine claims on the bhagavad gita, shall be refuted in a separate post as another part to this later, but bhagavad gita is not any hindu scripture, it is spoken by the lord himself and god is not a part of any sectarian religion,
In the gita mahatmya, it is said,
gita su-gita kartavya, kim anyaih shastra-vistaraih
ya svayam padmanabhasya, mukha-padmad vinihsrita
Because Bhagavad-gita is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one need not read any other Vedic literature. One need only attentively and regularly hear and read Bhagavad-gita. In the present age, people are so absorbed in mundane activities that it is not possible for them to read all the Vedic literatures. But this is not necessary. This one book, Bhagavad-gita, will suffice, because it is the essence of all Vedic literatures and especially because it is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Reincarnation is not a cakewalk to understand, it requires basic knowledge about vedanta and cannot be understood without the help of a guru, well, reincarnation just means the changing of the body, the spirit soul changes the body just as a person changes his clothes, the spirit is clearly not flesh and and bones. A renowned scientist says that our body does not contain even a single molecule that it contained 7 years ago, so we can see that that the body changes so many times times even within a single birth, As we are spirits, it would not be wrong to say that we get into another body after the present body is discarded.
Moreover, god gives us liberty to choose for ourselves, he is unlike the so called GODS of some false religions who'd compete for being worshipped and put his believers to hell for not believing in him in a very short amount of a single life, he is merciful enough to give us infinite chances for us to get back to him, at the same time he does not force us to believe in him and lets us choose for ourselves.
Bhagavad gita 15.8
The living entity in the material world carries his different conceptions of life from one body to another, as the air carries aromas. Thus he takes one kind of body and again quits it to take another.
We get the next body according to our desires atthe moment of quitting the present body[death of the body].
Read more on reincarnation here.
pūrvapakṣa 6: Hare Krishnas can be compared to Sufi Muslims ("Whirling Dervishes") and some mystical expressions of Christianity that emphasize ecstatic experiences and mystical transcendence.
Refutation: Anything done for god should be naturally joyful, as god is also known as Rāma, meaning, the one who is the reservoir of all pleasure. God as he is omnipotent, is present in his names, he is non different from his names, when a person is thirsty and if he says water, water, water, he is never going to quench his thirst, as water is non sentient and a non living object, but god being omnipresent and omnipotent, has manifested himself in his names, gives his devotees, who chant his names, ecstasy and joy. In false religions, however there is no happiness in their methods of worship and is totally void and dry.
The bible however states,...
Psalm 150
1 Praise the Lord.
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens.
2 Praise him for his acts of power;
praise him for his surpassing greatness.
3 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
praise him with the harp and lyre,
4 praise him with timbrel and dancing,
praise him with the strings and pipe,
5 praise him with the clash of cymbals,
praise him with resounding cymbals.
6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
In the Dvārakā-māhātmya the importance of dancing before the Deity is stated by Lord Kṛṣṇa as follows: "A person who is in a jubilant spirit, who feels profound devotional ecstasy while dancing before Me, and who manifests different features of bodily expression can burn away all the accumulated sinful reactions he has stocked up for many, many thousands of years." In the same book there is a statement by Nārada wherein he asserts, "From the body of any person who claps and dances before the Deity, showing manifestations of ecstasy, all the birds of sinful activities fly away upward." Just as by clapping the hands one can cause many birds to fly away, similarly the birds of all sinful activities which are sitting on the body can be made to fly away simply by dancing and clapping before the Deity of Kṛṣṇa. – Nectar Of Devotion
"Beginners in sādhana-bhakti should dance and sing as a matter of duty. " Bṛhad Bhāgavatamṛta 1.4.18 purport by Sanātana Goswami
pūrvapakṣa 7: Hare Krishnas were so prevalent in public places such as airports that laws had to be passed to prevent them from accosting people with their often aggressive and intimidating demands for money.
Refutation: This is a personal argument and does not have anything to do with philosophical tenets, however for the sake of skeptics,
the so called allegations made on intimidating money for public, etc do not even deserve to be responded, for it is well known that it is all false.
pūrvapakṣa 8: Hare Krishna is quite demanding of its adherents.
Refutation: bhagavad gita 18.63 states,
Thus I have explained to you knowledge still more confidential. Deliberate on this fully, and then do what you wish to do.
for which is further explained by ṣrila prabhupāḍa, in his purport on this verse....
One who is in the brahma-bhūta condition is joyful; he never laments, nor does he desire anything. That is due to confidential knowledge. Kṛṣṇa also discloses knowledge of the Supersoul. This is also Brahman knowledge, knowledge of Brahman, but it is superior.
Here the words yathecchasi tathā kuru – “As you like, you may act” – indicate that God does not interfere with the little independence of the living entity. In Bhagavad-gītā, the Lord has explained in all respects how one can elevate his living condition. The best advice imparted to Arjuna is to surrender unto the Supersoul seated within his heart. By right discrimination, one should agree to act according to the order of the Supersoul. That will help one become situated constantly in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the highest perfectional stage of human life. Arjuna is being directly ordered by the Personality of Godhead to fight. Surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead is in the best interest of the living entities. It is not for the interest of the Supreme. Before surrendering, one is free to deliberate on this subject as far as the intelligence goes; that is the best way to accept the instruction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such instruction comes also through the spiritual master, the bona fide representative of Kṛṣṇa.
So the Hare Krishna's do not force anyone nor are they demanding, and that which is against an offence to compel someone to listen to krishna, is one of the nāmāparāḍas.
pūrvapakṣa 9: Becoming a member involves choosing a guru and becoming his disciple. This guru is critical to attaining enlightenment: “Without [the guru] the cultivation of Krishna consciousness is impossible.” On the devotee’s side, “initiation means that he accepts the guru as his spiritual master and agrees to worship him as God”.
Refutation: The Bible says,
Chronicles 24:19
Yet He sent prophets to them to bring them back to the Lord; though they testified against them, they would not listen.
Jeremiah 44:4
Yet I sent you all My servants the prophets, again and again, saying, “Oh, do not do this abominable thing which I hate.”
Guru is a bona fide representative of god who delivers the message of god to mankind, because god cannot be approached directly, god being all merciful, sends us a guru, since god is omnipotent, he is also present in the knowledge about him, and as guru delivers that knowledge by the order of his guru, and the supreme guru, or spiritual master of all, that is, god himself, (kṛṣnam vanḍē jagaḍ gurum), he is to be worshipped, not as GOD,as claimed in ignorance by the author of this article, but as his representative. To put in more clearly, there is no word or lines that could describe the lord and his infinite qualities, therefore the vedas say that, the knowledge of him is he himself, as the knowledge of god, is non different from him, as his names, and as we cannot describe of what god is made of, we say that god is made of that 'knowledge(knowledge about himself) and bliss', as it is beyond human capabilities of understanding, we assert that it is the knowledge, as the knowledge of what he is made up of is incomprehensible and we consider that knowledge to be embodied as him, as he is present in everything associated with.Since guru delivers tha knowledge we consider worshipping him.
OR
How can the question 'how is god' or what is god made up of be answered'?
God’s form and substance are His very self. There is no difference between His form and His soul. There is no difference between His form and substance. If there were any difference, God would have been a relative truth and not an absolute truth, which is the characteristic definition of God.
In the words of Kurma Purana,
deha dehi vibhedo 'yaṁ neśvare vidyate kvacit
‘’There is no difference between the form (body) and self (soul) of God.’’
Thus, the form and substance of God are one and the same thing. So, I will use it interchangeably. So, what does the form of God consists of? This is explained in the following Sruti passage.
yad-ātmako bhagavāṁs tad-ātmikā vyaktiḥ, kimātmako bhagavāñ jñānātmaka aiśvaryātmakaḥ śaktyātmakaḥ
“The Supreme Lord’s form consists of the same substance as His very Self. What does He consist of? The Supreme Lord consists of consciousness (jnana), opulences (aisvarya), and energies (shakti).”
buddhimano-’ṅga-pratyaṅgavattāṁ bhagavato lakṣayāmahe buddhimān manovān aṅga-pratyaṅgavān
“We perceive the Supreme Lord as endowed with intelligence, mind, body, and limbs. Indeed, He has mind, intelligence, body, and limbs.”
- A Sruti passage quoted by Sripad Madhvacharya in his commentary of Brahma-sūtra (2.2.41)
The form of the Lord is further explained as follows
tam ekaṁ govindaṁ sac-cid-ānanda-vigraham
“I satisfy Lord Govinda, Whose form is eternity, knowledge, and bliss personified.”- Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad, 1.33
Now, what is the nature of His svarupa (constitutional nature). It is thus described that He is bliss personified. This is stated as follows in Upanishads
vijñānam ānandaṁ brahma rātir dātuḥ parāyaṇam
“The Supreme Lord is knowledge and bliss personified, a generous giver, and the ultimate goal of the sacrificer.”- Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad, 3.9.28.7
ānando brahmeti vyajānāt
“Bhṛgu then realized that the Supreme Lord is bliss personified.”-Taittirīya Upaniṣad, 3.6
raso vai saḥ
“The Supreme Lord is rasa (bliss) personified.”- Taittirīya Upaniṣad, 2.7
Thus, to summarise, Supreme Lord has a transcendental form, full of bliss, knowledge, eternity, consciousness, and energy. This transcendental nature itself must be considered His body, and not that His body is something else besides His nature. His form and substance are the same as His very self. There is no difference, there is no difference, and there is no difference. This is the nature of absolute truth. This is God.
credits
It's as simple as it is complicated, God is god, there is nothing which can be compared to god, and or any word which can actually describe god, the only knowledge about god, is god himself, what is god made of? god himself, there is nothing like god..... so guru is important as he tries to deliver that knowledge, as far our intelligence can concieve.
“Only unto to those great souls who have unflinching faith in both the Lord and the spiritual teacher are all the imports of Vedic knowledge automatically revealed”
Svetashvatara Upanishad 6.38
“This knowledge was thus passed down by disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in this way”
Bhagavad-gita 4.2
sakshad-dharitvena samasta-shastrair uktas tatha bhavyata eva sadbhihi
kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya vande guroh sri-charanaravindam
TRANSLATION: The spiritual master is to be honored as much as the Supreme Lord, because he is the most confidential servitor of the Lord. This is acknowledged in all revealed scriptures and followed by all authorities. Therefore I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of such a spiritual master, who is a bona fide representative of Sri Hari [Krishna].
yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado yasyaprasadan na gatih kuto ‘pi
dhyayan stuvams tasya yashas trisandhyam vande guroh sri-charanaravindam
TRANSLATION: By the mercy of the spiritual master one receives the benediction of Krishna. Without the grace of the spiritual master, one cannot make any advancement. Therefore, I should always remember and praise the spiritual master. At least three times a day I should offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master.
For god doesn't push us to hell, or condemn us for honoring his devotees with him, rather he is more happy, to see that his dear devotees being honored, as they are always engaged in his service.
pūrvapakṣa 9: It must be noted that these communes have been harshly criticized by ex-members, and ISKCON has faced criminal charges alleging illegal and immoral practices, including widespread child abuse, taking place within the movement.
Refutation: This argument is exactly like saying, because there is so much abuse and immoral practices happening in the church monasteries, Jesus is to be blamed and the whole of christianity. And moreover, all the illegal practices that were found decades ago, were against the Jews who joined the hare krishna movement, by the fanatic christians that joined the same movement too. Fortunately, all the measures were successfully taken and there is no more of any crime anymore, however this is an attempt by the author of this post to misguide his audience from the main topic and deviate from the discussions on the philosophical tenets, these issues were solved long ago... and this video refutes all such arguments. The ex members mostly are seen criticising the strict rules such as chanting, reducing their sexuality, and for many rules such as anti-gambling and prohibition of chocolates etc, they are found to claim that the relationship between a couple is affected by limiting their sexuality for which the scriptures say,
ŚB 3.20.23
Lord Brahmā then gave birth to the demons from his buttocks, and they were very fond of sex. Because they were too lustful, they approached him for copulation.
They also criticise the hare krishna movement for not accepting homosexual relationships, as it is even criticised in the bible.
"If a man lies with a man as one lies with woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads" (Leviticus 20:13).
ŚB 3.20.26
Lord Brahmā, approaching the Lord, addressed Him thus: My Lord, please protect me from these sinful demons, who were created by me under Your order. They are infuriated by an appetite for sex and have come to attack me .
Purport
It appears here that the homosexual appetite of males for each other is created in this episode of the creation of the demons by Brahmā . In other words, the homosexual appetite of a man for another man is demoniac and is not for any sane male in the ordinary course of life.
pūrvapakṣa 10: The beliefs of the Hare Krishnas are typically Hindu and are incompatible with biblical Christianity.
Refutation: Bible is not the metric to judge other faiths, bible is clearly against being judgemental,
1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.
2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?
4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?
5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
And furthermore, bible is certainly not the basis for judging a faith as it is incomplete,.
John 16:12
“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear.
but the vedas are perfectly equipped,
Yamunacarya himself in his Agama Pramana, 96, Says—
“It is not a very proper procedure to deny things that are proved by smrti; since both sruti and smrti spring from perfect knowledge, they are equally valid.”
pūrvapakṣa 11: the view of God is basically pantheistic, meaning that they believe God is all and in all. For Hare Krishnas, God is everything and everything is God.
Refutation: These verses clearly show the hare krishna's stand on pantheism,
Bhagavad Gita 9.4
By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them.
Bhagavad Gita 9.5
And yet everything that is created does not rest in Me. Behold My mystic opulence! Although I am the maintainer of all living entities, and although I am everywhere, still My Self is the very source of creation.
PURPORT
The Lord says that everything is resting on Him. This should not be misunderstood. The Lord is not directly concerned with the maintenance and sustenance of this material manifestation. Sometimes we see a picture of Atlas holding the globe on his shoulders; he seems to be very tired, holding this great earthly planet. Such an image should not be entertained in connection with Krsna's upholding this created universe. He says that although everything is resting on Him, still He is aloof. The planetary systems are floating in space, and this space is the energy of the Supreme Lord. But He is different from space. He is differently situated. Therefore the Lord says, "Although they are situated on My inconceivable energy, still, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, I am aloof from them." This is the inconceivable opulence of the Lord.
In the Vedic dictionary it is said, "The Supreme Lord is performing inconceivably wonderful pastimes, displaying His energy. His person is full of different potent energies, and His determination is itself actual fact. In this way the Personality of Godhead is to be understood." We may think to do something, but there are so many impediments, and sometimes it is not possible to do as we like. But when Krsna wants to do something, simply by His willing, everything is performed so perfectly that one cannot imagine how it is being done. The Lord explains this fact: although He is the maintainer and sustainer of all material manifestation, He does not touch this material manifestation. Simply by His supreme will everything is created, everything is sustained, everything is maintained, and everything is annihilated. There is no difference between His mind and Himself (as there is a difference between ourselves and our present material mind) because He is absolute spirit. Simultaneously the Lord is present in everything; yet the common man cannot understand how He is also present personally. He is different from this material manifestation, yet everything is resting on Him. This is explained here as yogam aisvaram, the mystic power of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
God is also known as Nārāyaṇa, which means he is the resting place of the universe.
He is also known as Bhūgárbhá(Viṣnu Sahasranāma, verse 8), which means the One who has got the world within Himself, or more clearly, the place where the entire creation rests.
He is also Paramātmā, the soul of all the souls, the inner self of all.
Madhvacharya says, "although the soul and god are said to be in unison, they are not each other, for example, when milk and water is mixed, water does not become milk nor vice versa, they are just mixed, they retain their individuality as milk and water, similarly though the lord being present in the souls does not mean all the souls are god and the lord is an ordinary soul.
The bible too agrees with the concept of Paramātmā,
Corinthians 3:16
Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
Corinthians 6:19
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
Corinthians 6:16
Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said,
“I will dwell in them and walk among them;
And I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
pūrvapakṣa 12: The goal of the Hare Krishna is to reach “Krishna consciousness,” a kind of enlightenment. This is the deepest identification with Krishna.
Refutation: Krishna consciousness means an awareness of and affection for the Supreme Person, Krishna. It is the culmination of all forms of yoga, knowledge, meditation, and spirituality.
Krishna consciousness is the natural, original, and blissful condition of every individual. Only when we're covered by maya, illusion, do we forget who we are and who the Supreme Person is. We want happiness, but without Krishna consciousness, we don't know who we are or what we're supposed to do. We try to enjoy life through the body and mind, with hit-or-miss results. And we fear death since we don't know what happens afterwards.
The practices of Krishna consciousness, or bhakti-yoga, are meant to free us from the root cause of all anxiety by reawakening our normal, eternal spiritual happiness. The process is simple—meditation on the name, form, activities, and qualities of Krishna. Krishna is the Vedic name for the Supreme Person, the source of our existence and the source of all pleasure. He's known by different names in different cultures, but all genuine spiritual traditions agree that there's only one Supreme God. The goal of bhakti-yoga is to recover our natural sense of connectedness (yoga) with that one supreme God by serving Him with love (bhakti).
Goloka Vrindavana, is the highest and ultimate goal for the hare krishna devotees which is the eternal abode of the supreme person krishna, which is the constitutional home of all living entities.
pūrvapakṣa 13: This is the deepest identification with Krishna. Insofar as ISKCON is truly Hindu, it can ascribe to a pantheistic view of God and therefore teach that man is ultimately identical to God.
Refutation: Already answered above, the hare krishna's are against impersonalism and pantheism. CC MADHYA 6.169
“Śrīla Vyāsadeva presented the Vedānta philosophy for the deliverance of conditioned souls, but if one hears the commentary of Śaṅkarācārya (mayavada, pantheistic), everything is spoiled.
pūrvapakṣa 14: Like all false religions, Hare Krishna requires a series of works for salvation.
Refutation: The only way for salvation is,
What was attained in Satya-yuga through meditation, in Treta-yuga through sacrifice, and in Dvapara-yuga through Deity worship is realized in Kali-yuga through chanting the name of Krishna (Hari). (Srimad Bhagavatam 12.3.52)
harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha
In this age of Kali there is no other means, no other means, no other means for self realization than chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name of Lord Krishna. (Naradiya Purana)
the bible says,
Acts 4:12 ESV And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
Matthew 6.9 ESV
Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name".
The only way is chanting, no series of works as claimed.
pūrvapakṣa 15: there is always a push to chant more, dance more, and work harder lest some bit of karmic debt is retained and cause one to fail to enter Krishna consciousness.
By practicing krishna consciousness, one's karma accumulated over one's past lives get destroyed.
वासुदेवाश्रयो मर्त्यो वासुदेवपरायणः। सर्वपापविशुद्धात्मा याति ब्रह्म सनातनम्॥
न वासुदेवभक्तानामशुभं विद्यते क्वचित्। जन्ममृत्युजराव्याधिभयं नैवोपजायते॥
That mortal who takes refuge in Vasudeva and who becomes devoted to Him, becomes freed of all sins and attains to eternal Brahma. They who are devoted to Vasudeva have never to encounter any evil. They become freed from the fear of birth, death, decrepitude, and disease.
❝ One should never be inattentive to complete one's prescribed number
of japa rounds. Giving up the desire to increase the number of rounds, one should rather focus on chanting attentively. ❞
— Sri Bhaktivinoda Thakur
[Harinama Chintamani, 12.15-16]
pūrvapakṣa 16: How different Krishna is from the compassionate and merciful God of the Bible who “so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
Refutation: This however contradicts the fact that god is merciful, if god was merciful according to the bible, god would have just forgiven the sins of people because he is the one who is above anything, therefore he nullifies all the sins of his devotees, he needn't want a sacrifice for forgiving the sins.
brahmachArI gR^ihastho.api vAnaprastho.atha bhikShukaH .
keshavArAdhanaM hitvA naiva yAti parAM gatim ..
janmAntarasahasreShu durlabhA tadgatA matiH .
tadbhaktavatsalaM devaM samarAdhaya suvrata ..
(Mahābhārata-Anushāsana Parva-Pundarīka Upakhyana)
Meaning: Persons belonging to any of the four Ashramas (brahmacAri etc.) cannot attain the Highest without worshipping Lord Keshava. It is extremely rare to attain the mind that concentrates on Narayana, even in a thousand births. Narayana the effulgent is exceedingly merciful to His devotees. You are of good resolve, and must worship Him!
If jesus was god(as claimed by false christians), then he wouldn't have died for sins, Everywhere in shastras, God is declared as "apahatpapma"- one who is always freed from pApa karmas. He is declared as "sarvabhutantaratma apahatpapma divyo deva eko narayana" in the veda(Subala Upanishad)- He despite entering all sentients and insentients as their "atma" is not affected by their doshas and retains his quality of being free from karmas at all times, places and circumstance.
"nityapUrNAkhilaguNo nirdoshhaH sarvadaiva yaH |
yaH svatantraH paro vishhNuH janmamR^ityAdivarjitaH"
455. 'He has all excellent attributes in all their fullness eternally. He is always free from imperfections. That supreme Visnu is independent and transcends birth and death'
pūrvapakṣa 17: as is dining in restaurants, due to the belief that food retains the consciousness of the cook—ingesting food prepared by an angry chef will make the eater angry.
Refutation: This conception of avoiding toxic people is also present in the bible.
Corinthians 5:11 ESV
But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one..
John 1:10-11 ESV
If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.
pūrvapakṣa 18: Hare Krishnas, like all humanity, have only one hope for eternal life: Jesus Christ, crucified, resurrected, and exalted forever. All other paths lead to destruction. Jesus Himself said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except by Me” (John 14:6), and “there is salvation in no other one; for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
Refutation:
सकृदुच्चरितं येन हरिरित्यक्षरद्वयम् ।।
बद्धः परिकरस्तेन मोक्षाय गमनं प्रति ।। ५२ ।। 15.52
One who utters two syllables Ha and Ri( Hari being another name of krishna) atleast once, has girt up his loins for going toward Moksha.
pāiyā mānuṣa janma, ye nā śune gaura-guṇa,
hena janma tāra vyartha haila
pāiyā amṛtadhunī, piye viṣa-garta-pāni,
janmiyā se kene nāhi maila (Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ādi -Līlā 13.123)
Translation :- *Anyone who attains a human body but does not take to the cult of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is baffled in his opportunity.* Amṛtadhunī is a flowing river of the nectar of devotional service. If after getting a human body one drinks the water in a poison pit of material happiness instead of the water of such a river, it would be better for him not to have lived, but to have died long ago.
THERE WILL BE MORE PARTS TO THIS, DEBUNKING ALL THE FALSE CLAIMS MADE BY THIS NASTY WEBSITE ON KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS.
What is false religion: Worshipping false god is false religion
The bible says,
Exodus 34:14 ESV
(for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God),
CONCLUSION:
This website is ill adviced, all the objections made, are not even part of the philosophical tenets of the hare krishna devotees, all objections are due to the misinterpretion, which shows that the author possesses very shallow knowledge or lacks knowledge of the scriptures.
"Oh undisciplined tongue, give up your lowly attitude, you are ever ready to argue and blame others..
Oh tongue, should you not remember the consort of Lakṣmī, the first thing in morning? Hey, why can’t you constantly utter the names of redeemer of the fallen - the father of Manmatha ?
Oh tongue, I beg you - don’t backbite and keep singing the names of Śri Rāma, the ruler of the world.
Always keep Hari on your tongue, sing the hymns of Śri Narasiṃha, and ever worship the lotus feet of Śri Purandara Viṭṭala, the most benevolent one!"
-Puranḍara Dāsaru.
Hare Krishna
ṣri kṛṣnārpaṇamasṭu
Namaskar..
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