How to properly maintain Good friendship beyond religious barriers?
A girl devotee asked like this:
Jai shree krishna, I’m staying in hostel for first time and very far away from my home and parents. In our village, I went to temple every morning and evening. Anyway I thought my day begins with seeing aarthi to god. Now there is no temple and I can’t go every day that’s one problem. Next one is my roommate she is from nother religion and I hated her when I saw she prays by kneel down and doing something. Anyway I thought everything is happening because of my krishna. So I want to bear her. I never ever being frustrated like this . Anyway I can’t avoid her because we both are in the same batch and also she is my classmate only known girl in this hostel. I got very angry and feel suffocated in my life. I don’t know what to do? Please ji help me to get rid of this problem and please reply fast and really very thank you for your daily post which will make me more believe in supreme personality lord krishna. Jai shree krishna. Hare krishna Hare krishna krishna krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.
REPLY:
What you feel is too bad.
You need not feel suffocated. She has strong faith in her path. That.s all. You have strong faith in your path. One can properly maintain Good friendship beyond religious barriers.
When I was running educational business, I had three Lecturers from other religions. They maintained very good friendship beyond religious barriers and God did not interfere in our professional duties. They also worked well though I belong to different path.
(Why in some countries, the Krishna devotees face harassment? READ HERE!)
In fact, they would gift me some fruits during their festivals, as they know that I won’t take cooked food without offering to Krishna. I have got those fruits and consumed. I too have given Krishna Prasadam to them and they have accepted and honoured in front of me.
When there is an understanding friendship, religions and castes can not stop that friendship.
Not all the persons cause the issues. Only a minor portion of people behave so.
We should always be an example for others by maintaining normal contacts with everyone who respects our feelings and preferences.
You can’t expect all the surroundings to be the devotees. We have to practice devotion even from the fire.
During my initial days in ISKCON, a devotee requested us to chant for him since he likes to buy a car and is arranging money. I asked him why he likes to buy a car though he is financially weak and he may have to earn for Petrol and maintenance. He simply replied that while travelling by bus, he has to hear cinema songs in the speaker kept in the bus that disturbs his devotional mood and makes the mind materialistic. Therefore, he likes to buy a car to chant or think of Krishna while travelling.
We too chanted for him innocently. Then, he bought a car. He started to use that car even for going to nearby areas that can be reached even by walking. His monthly budget shot up for petrol, maintenance, etc.
He, who was telling us that he had decided to take direct sanyasa after 10 years, one day suddenly fell in the love with a girl and then married her.
(Why many gods in the Hindu Religion of India unlike all other religions? READ HERE!)
This was the effect of his buying a car for his silent practice of devotion. He bought the car to follow brahmacharya better, but, fell in love though he had a car for privacy.
The point is, if you have sincerity and dedication, you can practice devotion even amidst fire. If you always worry for the surroundings and other factors, you can not practice devotion even if you go to a forest.
In your hostel, you have a friend from Christianity. Actually, most of the practices of both the religions are similar. Jesus Christ is also very satvic and merciful. We follow picture and deity worship. They do not follow that. They too insist in chanting, diksha, etc in their own way of recommendations.
However, the target of both of us is the same. Pleasing the God. She is not an atheist, but, a believer of Jesus Christ.
(JESUS CHRIST – GLORIES AND SOME SIMILARITIES WITH THE PREACHING OF KRISHNA! READ HERE!)
All the issues come in the family and the society ONLY BECAUSE OF THESE “IDENTITIES”. I am Hindu; I am Christian; I am Muslim. I am a Saivaite; I am a Vaishnava; I am a madhwa; I am a Buddhist; I am Brahmin, like that.
By claiming to belong to a SECTION OF SOCIETY AS A “BRAND IDENTITY”, he develops a kind of hatred against other sects, groups and religions without realizing the fact that we can maintain Good friendship beyond religious barriers.
Only after seeing this much of differences among the people based on religion, race, etc, some reformers like J.Krishnamurthy, Buddha, etc had to oppose such old systems of practice.
I think, all of you know a popular reformist PERIYAR E.V.RAMASAMY from Tamil Nadu who opposed and preached against dividing the people based on god, religion, caste, etc. He also preached atheistic concepts vigorously.
One day, he was giving a speech in a public meeting. Three persons stood up from the audience. All the three belong to different religions.
All the three asked Periyar EV.Ramasamy why he is preaching that there is no god.
(Proper way of having association with others to avoid material bonding! READ HERE!)
Periyar E.V.Ramasamy smiled and said in the mike:
“I am speaking only what all the three of you are doing. You too are behaving like an atheist. All three of you are denying the existence of the gods of other religions. So, you are also the atheists! Do you understand?”
I fully agree with the views of that reformist. Though it looked like denying the God, he always condemned the atrocities happening in the name of god, not the god himself.
In this way, many people are behaving like the atheists. We have no rights to condemn the atheists because we too have such qualities.
We accept one god and deny other gods. This too is an atheistic mindset.
Let us come out of such cheap way of respecting one god and getting irritated to see the followers of other gods.
I too discourage such a mindset existing among the devotees.
(I am unable to have association with my friends from other religions? What to do? READ HERE!)
Let Krishna be the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But, why should we hate other gods and their followers?
Since your father is the head of the family, will you hate your uncle and aunt?
Just because we follow ISKCON, why should we comment against other mutts, sampradhayas, gods, religions, etc?
This is not a matured approach. Be dedicated to Krishna. But, do not speak others cheaply.
What fault do you find when she kneels down and prays to her accepted God? She is following the custom IMPOSED ON HER by her parents. We should praise her for her dedication in her own path. We should not get irritated.
Why these nonsense?
Let her follow her god in her own way. You worship Krishna by keeping His picture in a small shelf or box. Chanting can be done even from the hostel veranda or garden or open terrace.
(How our next country and religion of birth are decided by karma? READ HERE!)
Aren’t there ways to manage?
So many ways are there.
Help her to worship her god in her own way by being calm and chanting silently or in a mild voice. By seeing your cooperative and matured approach, she should appreciate the devotees of Krishna.
Please think with broad mind and see the followers of other religions and paths without hatred. All are the souls. These nonsense identities are man made for their own convenience and to satisfy their ego.
A soul is pure until it takes a body and it has no identity even after it takes new birth. These identities are man made to satisfy his ego.
Always remember these facts and learn how to properly maintain Good friendship beyond religious barriers.
(Is Changing religion to come out of all problems right? READ HERE!)