Karma (or) Samskaras – Which makes one a devotee in this birth?
A male devotee (Name hidden) asked like this:
“Hare Krishna Prabhuji. My questions come up as follows. What kind of karma must have someone done in the past where he is so much inclined towards matters pertaining to Spirituality and Krishna? Furthermore, what must have been their samskaras.(mental impressions).”
REPLY:
There are two factors that make one a devotee:
(i) Past Karma and Samskaras make one a devotee in this birth in the case of a Section of the devotees.
(ii) Association with the devotees make one a devotee in the case of another Section of devotees.
Let us see both the cases:
(i) BECOMING A DEVOTEE THRU PREVIOUS BIRTH
We can’t take it as the result of karma but as the result of the samskaras of previous birth.
Because, karma means the result obtained by doing material activities.
But, following devotion is not a material activity to gain karma.
It is a Spiritual activity that adds no karma.
(Does our Past karma decide our choice of God? READ HERE!)
So, it is right to mention it as Samskaras of previous birth.
Samskaras means the recordings of all our thoughts and actions in our sukshma body.
Karma means the recordings of the reactions of all our material activities of previous births.
Such samskaras are also carried to the next birth by the sukshma body (Subtle body) that are made up of Mind, Buddhi and False ego.
So, his activities in the next birth are determined by those samskaras carried from previous birth to this current birth.
If a person follows some level of devotion and is unable to continue that in this birth, the samskaras (recordings) of those thoughts of Krishna and devotion will be carried to the next body.
In the next birth, those samskaras will remind him and force him to take up devotion to Krishna even from the childhood.
(Do Horoscope and Karma decide our devotion in this birth? READ HERE!)
So, even a small participation in the services of Krishna will not go waste because they will be carried to the next birth.
The Bhagavad gita states that fallen devotees are given the chance to be born in a family of highly qualified brāhmaṇas or in a rich mercantile family.
This is mentioned in Bhagavad-gītā 6.41:
“The unsuccessful yogi, after many, many years of enjoyment on the planets of the pious living entities, is born into a family of righteous people, or into a family of rich aristocracy.”
In the purport of Srimad Bhagavatham (5.9.1-2), Srila Prabhupada says:
“In Bhagavad-gītā it is said that a devotee who does not fulfill his devotional duties in one life is given the chance to be born in a fully qualified brāhmaṇa family or a rich kṣatriya or vaiśya family. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe (Bg. 6.41)”
Thus, Previous samskaras make one a devotee in this birth.
(TRANSFER OF KARMA & SPIRITUAL POWER PERSON TO PERSON – PROCESS! READ HERE!)
(ii) BECOMING A DEVOTEE THRU ASSOCIATION
This is the Special case.
One may be a seriously materialistic person. He would not have even thought of Krishna in his previous birth.
Till yesterday, he might be leading a sinful life.
However, if he somehow gets the association and blessings of a devotee today, he will get the spiritual share of vibrations from that devotee and hence he too may start to show some interest in devotional activities.
If he continues his association with the devotees, he too will become a sincere devotee in future.
This is how the fortunate boys and girls of 1960’s and 70’s who were leading a drunken and frustrated life became devotees of Krishna because of their association with Srila Prabhupada.
So, if you like to make any sinful person a devotee of Krishna, do one of the three things:
(i) If you are spiritually strong, you give your association and blessings to him.
(ii) Or, introduce him to a sincere devotee who is spiritually strong.
(iii) Or, better take him to the ISKCON temples. The devotees present there will give their association to him and in due course of time, he will become a sincere devotee.
Hope now you are clear how Karma & Samskaras make one a devotee in the present birth.
(Should our karma allow to be a powerful preacher of Krishna? READ HERE!)