Effects of devotion without following regulative principles!
The four regulative principles recommended for the devotees of Krishna are:
The following four Regulative Principles are the Primary requirement for every devotee and failing to follow them will definitely delay the advancement in devotion:
(1) No meat eating : You can read the post about this HERE.
(2) No intoxication : You can read the post about this HERE
(3) No gambling : You can read the post about this here: HERE
(4) No illicit Affairs : You can read the post about this HERE
In this Post, we are going to read about why these disciplinary regulative principles are necessary for the devotees:
(1) Why can’t we live as we like? Why should we lead a disciplined life?
Every devotee should follow discipline and lead a dignified life!
Because, ‘DIGNITY’ AND THE ‘GOOD IMAGE’ CAN’T BE REGAINED EASILY, IF LOST ONCE!
So, instead of talking about modernity, equality, etc, etc, the devotees should lead a peaceful & safe life by protecting themselves from the tricks and inducements of maya!
(Using intoxicants or other Violations while chanting – Will Krishna accept? READ HERE!)
(2) THE REALITY OF THE CHARACTERS OF EVERY PERSON:
We can classify the character of a person into three! A person has three different faces (characters):
(i) The character that he shows to others as if he is having!
(ii) The character that others think as if he is having!
(iii) The real character that he only knows! (this real face will come out when he gets the privacy or suitable situations).
Therefore, just because a person says one, we should not trust it, but analyze it well & then decide! We have to review why he says so!
Therefore, whether, it is choosing a spiritual master or a friend or a groom or a bride or a friend, think well before you take a decision of accepting them!
Because, you are going to entrust yourself to that person, in his/her control throughout your life!
(How to come out of the Guilt of my Illicit Sexual Offenses in Vrindavan? READ HERE!)
(3) WHAT ARE THE IMPORTANT DISCIPLINARY AND REGULATIVE PRINCIPLES?
Srila Prabhupada, the founder of ISKCON says:
“Anyone serious about progressing in Krishna Consciousness must try to avoid the following sinful activities:
(A) Eating meat, fish or eggs;
(B) Gambling;
(C) Use of intoxidants;
(D) Illicit Sexual Activities!
If we follow the devotion to Krishna with these prohibited activities, it won’t give expected results!”
(4) DOES KRISHNA EXPECT DISCIPLINE AS A CONDITION?
You may ask: “Whether I commit sins or not, let it be! My love for Krishna is true! Won’t he accept it?”
Yes! He will accept it, but, not immediately! He will do an important thing first! He will wait & see whether you correct those sinful activities on your own! If not, He will give you so many experiences that will teach you that these activities are not good for spiritual development!
Thus, by giving experiences, he will make you get rid of them in due course of time! You will definitely skip them one fine day either in this birth itself or in the next births! Yes, it will happen!
Once Krishna finds that you are pure and also dedicated in devotion, He will accept you in His kingdom! Since Krishna is absolutely free from contamination, He would like to accept only pure devotees! Persons with the material attachments, ie, contamination can’t enter into the Krishna’s Kingdom.
(SIX FAVOURABLE AND UNFAVOURABLE PRINCIPLES FOR DEVOTIONAL SERVICE! READ HERE!)
(5) IS THERE RELATIONS BETWEEN INCREASING PROBLEMS AND OUR PURITY?
Yes. Connection is there. That is why, the devotees initially get so many problems! They cry: “Oh Krishna, why do you test your devotee this much?”. They don’t know that Krishna is mercifully purifying them fast by making them to face the reactions for their past actions!
After mercifully cleansing all your past and present sins by giving problems (reactions), Krishna takes us back to Him!
(6) WHY EVEN NON DEVOTEES ARE HAPPIER THAN US?
The answer is: They are reaping the benefits of their good karma they added in their previous birth. As per their past karma, they get temporary pleasures to engage them deeply in the material affairs. Unless they follow good deeds in this life, they may have to suffer in their next births.
Therefore, their happy life is conditional. WhEreas blissful life with Kishna is eternal.
(My family compels me to eat meat for strength violating regulative principle. What to do? READ HERE!)
(7) WHY SHOULD ONE REJECT THE TRICKS OF MAYA?
Because the material happiness is short lived and ends in misery in future.
A few examples:
They feel happy while using a device today, but they will be disappointed tomorrow when it becomes faulty!
They jump in joy when they get a very big prize in lottery today, but feel upset when they lose more than that lottery prize money for their heart surgery!
They feel proud for getting a Very beautiful girls’ as wives, but feel sad when those girls become old and their skin develops wrinkles!
(8) HOW WILL THE MATERIALISTIC PEOPLE FEEL AT THE TIME OF DEATH?
A person is exited when he constructs a sky high building for his just 6 feet body! He cries when he is at the last moments of death: “Oh, till date, I was here! How can I leave this house, wife, my loving son/daughter? What will they do if I leave? Oh, I can never see them hereafter! How lovely my wife spoke so far? How sweetly my son kissed me? I have wasted the whole life. I want to live, but Yama is waiting to take my life!”
(What sin we acquire if we do not follow 4 regulative principles and Ekadasi fasts? READ HERE!)
AS I have written somewhere else, His conscience will speak in his old age with no strength:
“Hey fool, What is the use if you cry at the time of death? How many devotees called you to come to temple with them to practice devotion? Did you go? Why? You thought that they are fools & going to temples! You said that they are negative minded persons! What happened now! They are happily expecting the day to go out of this world! Because they are going to Krishna’s world. To enjoy the closest association of Krishna! They sacrificed the material comforts when you were enjoying them! Therefore, they go to Krishna! You? Now, you are fearing to go to the yama’s world and face the punishments he is going to give for all your sins .How many hours you wasted in eating, mating, sleeping, earning excessively and spoiling the lives of others? Now, the time has come to review and repay them! Start and Go with the messengers of Yama! All the wealth you earned so far will not come with you, except your good and bad deeds!”
Hearing the voice of his conscience, that man, unable to do anything to pre
(9) WHAT TO DO TO AVOID THIS PAINFUL SITUATION?
To avoid going with yama to face the punishments and to go with the messengers of Vishnu, we should cleanse ourselves on our own, sacrifice excessive sense gratifications, follow Krishna Consciousness seriously to happily go back to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna!
Since Krishna is spiritual with no contamination, only a devotee who is pure from material contamination, can associate with Krishna.
The four regulative principles mentioned above are to be followed to purify ourselves from material contamination and make us eligible to go back to Krishna.
Therefore, instead of crying at the time of death, a man should follow these disciplinary regulative principles in his life atleast from now itself! If we follow these regulative principles sincerely, we can follow Krishna Consciousness without difficulties!
(REGULATIVE PRINCIPLES FOR FOUR VARNAS AND ASHRAMAS! READ HERE!)
(10) CAN A PERSON WITH MATERIAL ATTACHMENTS GO TO KRISHNA?
A devotee with material attachments can’t get the direct association of Krishna IN THIS BIRTH. He may have to wait for one or some more births to become 100% pure only with the thoughts of Krishna.
Becoming a pure devotee free from sins is the first stage of attaining the purity of mind and soul (athma).
That is why, we are expected to follow discipline while following devotion to Krishna.
A devotee can’t ride on two horses of material enjoyments and spirituality at the same time.
Let us ride on a single horse that takes us to Krishna: “Pure Devotion to Krishna”
Purity is the force that motivates us to follow the devotion with utmost dedication.
64 REGULATIVE PRINCIPLES FOR VAISHNAVAS FROM HARI BHAKTA VILASA! READ HERE!