Is using Tulasi based cosmetics INNOCENTLY also an offense?
“Harish Kumar Bhagvani” asked like this:
(He had sent a honest & detailed letter to a popular ayurvedic company to avoid Tulasi in their products and had attached that letter to this message.)
“Hare Krishna prabhuji, Dandvat Pranaam. Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Shri Guru & Shri Gauranga.
NO issues prabhuji in any ways. I do not mind my name in the post or even display of the letter which write to Companies using Tulsi in medicines or Cosmetics or personal use products as my wish is that devotees get inspired & be instrumental in getting a positive change, which may ultimately impact the spiritual life of others (persons offending Tulsi Maharani by their use in the products unknowingly).
Prabhuji I just wished to know that “By using the holy Tulsi added in the items of personal use like soaps, medicines etc in the name of Ayurveda, the perpetrators would definitely be going to acquire sins & wrath of the Lord but what about the users who do not know or are unaware of its impact? Are they also going to be equally impacted? (I am not covering those who know the position of Tulsi Maharani but still using it, they are definitely going to be impacted)
I also wanted to know whether really Ayurveda prescribes crushing Tulsi leaves for medicinal use? Is the Ayurveda a part of the genuine Vedic texts or origins from Lord Krishna ? whether it has traceability to Maharshi vedavyas or his lineage?
Your servant, Harish”
REPLY:
I appreciate your true intention behind writing that letter to that company using Tulasi based cosmetics in their promotions. It shows that you are very careful in avoiding offenses in devotional life. This is the good sign of a devotee and you will definitely get the mercy of Tulasi maharani and Krishna.
See, there are different sampradhayas in our country.
Everyone of them follow different type of customs.
(CAN DEVOTEES USE MEDICINES & PRODUCTS CONTAINING TULASI? READ HERE!)
Among them, only the Gaudiya Vaishnavism gives much importance to treat Tulasi as devatha and the Priya Saki of Krishna and Radharani.
The Goswamis, acharyas, etc in the Gaudiya vaishnavam and also Sri Caitanya maha Prabhu cultivated the culture of giving utmost honour to the Tulasi plant.
The followers of other and no sampradhayas will not have sufficient awareness about Tulasi as spiritually important as a devatha and Gopi.
For them, Tulasi is also a medicinal plant like neem. They won’t bother about our statement that tulasi will be hurt if they crush or boil the plant. So, they may be using Tulasi based cosmetics.
For the serious devotees who are aware of the glories of Vrinda and her role in the Vraja lilas, Vrinda is a Gopi who is eternally living even now.
We do not even pluck the leaves or water the Tulasi plant on ekadasi considering that she too will be fasting for ekadasi.
We do not touch the Tulasi without bathing or with unclean hands.
(Is Wearing Krishna Pendant/Ring & Chanting with Tulasi mala Compulsory? READ HERE!)
So, do not expect the same awareness about the spiritual importance of tulasi from the non devotees or those who are not following serious devotion.
When we are visiting the sathsangha and temples on Sundays, the other people are watching new films in the television.
Do we bother about them? No. We take this as their ignorance.
Similarly, when we are seeing Tulasi as a Gopi and devatha, those ignorant people are seeing them as another medicinal plant.
The serious devotees are the minorities in negligible numbers. But, the ignorant people are majority and remarkable.
So, though we reject those products with tulasi, the majority ignorant people will be using them and hence the company will also be getting the profits.
Unless the promoters of such companies are the serious devotees, we can not stop such products.
(Is Taking Onion and Garlic while Chanting with Tulasi beads permitted? READ HERE!)
We can not put this argument in the courts also as there is no barrier in our constitution to use medicinal plants in consumer products.
For our people, if a deity is broken, they will fight for it making it an issue.
They do not fight if Tulasi is used in consumer products commercially.
Because, for them, the deities are important in the worship and they do not consider Tulasi as similar to the deities.
So, you have done your duty of educating the importance of Tulasi to them thru letter. Gaudiya Vaishnava media and also the media that promote pure devotion like ours are also writing about the glories of Tulasi.
Still they have not realised the real position of Tulasi plant.
You have asked what reaction those who use those products innocently will get.
They will be treated similar to the passionate and ignorant people, ie, people with the domination of Rajo and thamo gunas.
(Why Krishna wears a tilak that marks Tulasi and His own Feet? READ HERE!)
As per the karma concept, the people with the domination of Rajo and thamo gunas will be given rebirth in lower species or in the lower planets. Those who also had some good deeds also, will take birth as humans in the earth itself and face regular reactions of karma.
Thus, ignorant usage of tulasi as cosmetics will definitely give rebirth and karmic reactions.
They can not go back to the kingdom of Krishna and they can not even cross the material sky.
Do you think that there is better punishment than getting Rebirth?
Rebirth itself is a painful and repeat process.
We, the fortunate people can avoid rebirth and get Krishna at the earliest if we honour Tulasi, Vraj, Radharani and Krishna. But, it is not possible for them.
(HOW TO GROW, MAINTAIN AND PLUCK THE TULASI PLANT? READ HERE!)
So, we, who are honouring Tulasi are rewarded with the gift as Krishna Himself.
They, the pitiful people will be taking many births and feel the pains.
Next, about Ayurveda. Yes, Some ayurvedic preparations recommend tulasi as medicine. Those recommendations require crushing. But, the point to be noted is that Vedas are not for Pure devotion. They do not speak about Vrinda, her glories, Radharani, Lilas, etc. They are very preliminaryu knowledge with some set of rules. But, Pure devotion, Prema, Raghanuga Bhakti, etc etc are that of advanced devotees. So, do not confuse Ayurveda with pure devotional concepts. So, though you take ayurvedic treatment, request the doctor not to use crushed or boiled tulasi for you. Thats all we can do.
Ayurveda is not to the standard of Pure devotion. It is the school level studies and practices. Pure devotion is not controlled by Vedic concepts. It is spontaneous that are not governed by any rules. The best example for spontaneous Prema is Gopis. They did not follow any rules, but, they are the topmost devotees and Priya Sakis of Krishna.
Hope you are clear about using the Tulasi based cosmetics INNOCENTLY.
(TULASI (VRINDA) – GLORIES, NAMES & ROLE IN RADHA KRISHNA LILAS! READ HERE!)