Srila Prabhupada has stated that our original position is that of surrender to Krishna. This position of surrender is not a forced dependence but rather natural. Srila Prabhupada gives the following example;
My wife and I just recently are now getting experience of this position of full dependence with the birth of our first born child. On the auspicious appearance day of Sri Advaita Acharya, February 13th 2008 at 7:29pm, our daughter, Visakha Anjali, was born.
Krishna Consciousness is so wonderful that it affords everyone at all opportunities for spiritual emancipation. Krishna teaches in the in Bhagavad Gita (BG 9.26) that one can do everything in the mood that the Lord is the supreme benefactor. Even up to the point of sex life, Krishna states in the Gita (BG 7.11) that if one performs sex life with Krishna as the benefactor, that is to say, that one has sex with the intention of training that soul in the service of the Lord then such sex life is service in of itself. Bhakti yoga, loving service to Lord, does not require one to give up his position of a married householder, nor does it require one to be poverty stricken. Rather the requirement is that all acts should be done for Krishna alone. For such a devotee, Krishna states, will receive all transcendental protection (BG 9.31)
Our little daughter of 5lbs 4oz was born amongst doctors who love to partake in prasadam at the temple’s restaurant, Kalachandji’s, here in Dallas. The auspicious appearance day of Advaita Acharya was not the only auspicious accordance along with prasadam loving doctors. The pediatrician at the hospital, one of the Kalachandji’s prasadam lovers, had even visited our home in October. Her 16 year old daughter, who comes to the restaurant with her, wanted to dress as Krishna for Halloween. She asked for our assistance so we invited her over, showed her how to put on her chiffon yellow dhoti and also gave her tips on accessories.
Our plan was to have her born at the wonderful midwifery clinic next to the hospital, but as the joke goes, “How to make Krishna laugh?…. ….. just tell Him your plans.”
When we went to the midwifery clinic for a check up the doctor's there said that they should do a natural induction due to my wife's recent high blood pressure (a reaction some women get during pregnancy) Our baby was due on the 21st so she would not be premature. Noticing some other complications the doctor's at the Birthing Center questioned if she could do a natural birth and thus they sent her over to the hospital next door to get further test. At the hospital more complications arose and therefore the doctors told her that a C-section was a must.
After the short operation little baby Visakha came out looking all around and crying a little. She was then weighted, checked and then she was handed over to us.
Since then she has not left us other than just some brief check ups. She is breastfeeding nicely and has a very calm and sweet nature. She does not fuss or cry unnecessarily. She is however utter dependent on us, naturally. This is our natural relationship with Krishna. It has also been suggested by the Acaryas that we approach the Lord in this mood, that of total utter dependence. The Lord along with His feminine counter part cannot ignore the cries of a surrendered dependent soul. Thus the best process for spiritual progress is the chanting of the Holy Names of the Lord, Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.
Prabhupāda: No, that is only a change of color. But the principle of surrender is there. Whether you surrender to monarchy, democracy, aristocracy, or dictatorship, you have to surrender; that is a fact. Without surrender there is no life. It is not possible. So we are educating people to surrender to the Supreme, wherefrom you get all protection, just as Kṛṣṇa says (sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]). No one can say, "No, I am not surrendered to anyone." Not a single person. The difference is where he surrenders. The ultimate surrendering object is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā (7.19) Kṛṣṇa says, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate: "After surrendering to so many things birth after birth, when one is factually wise he surrenders unto Me." Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ: "Such a mahātmā is very rare."
Prof. Kotovsky: But at the same time it seems to me that surrender is to be accompanied by revolt. The history of mankind has proved that mankind has developed only by revolt against some kind of surrender. In the medieval age there was the French Revolution. It was revolt against surrender. But this revolution itself was surrender to the rank and file of the people. You are agreed?
Śrīla Prabhupāda: Yes.
Prof. Kotovsky: So it is not enough to come to a full stop. Surrender is to be accompanied with revolt against some and surrender to other people.
Śrīla Prabhupāda: But the surrender will be fully stopped when it is surrender to Kṛṣṇa.
Prof. Kotovsky: Ah, ah.
Śrīla Prabhupāda: That is full stop—no more surrender. Any other surrender you have to change by revolution. But when you come to Kṛṣṇa, then it is sufficient. You are satisfied. I'll give you an example: a child is crying, and people move him from one lap to another. Oh, he does not stop. But as soon as the baby comes to the lap of his mother...
Prof. Kotovsky: It stops.
Śrīla Prabhupāda: Yes, full satisfaction। So this surrender, these changes, will go on in different categories। But the sum total of all this surrender is surrender to māyā. Therefore, in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that this surrender, neglecting Kṛṣṇa, is all māyā. Either you surrender to this or to that, but final surrender is surrender to Kṛṣṇa; then you will be happy. The process of surrender is there, but surrender to Kṛṣṇa keeps one quite satisfied, transcendentally."
Science of Self-Realization, Chapter 6, Spiritual Communism
My wife and I just recently are now getting experience of this position of full dependence with the birth of our first born child. On the auspicious appearance day of Sri Advaita Acharya, February 13th 2008 at 7:29pm, our daughter, Visakha Anjali, was born.
Krishna Consciousness is so wonderful that it affords everyone at all opportunities for spiritual emancipation. Krishna teaches in the in Bhagavad Gita (BG 9.26) that one can do everything in the mood that the Lord is the supreme benefactor. Even up to the point of sex life, Krishna states in the Gita (BG 7.11) that if one performs sex life with Krishna as the benefactor, that is to say, that one has sex with the intention of training that soul in the service of the Lord then such sex life is service in of itself. Bhakti yoga, loving service to Lord, does not require one to give up his position of a married householder, nor does it require one to be poverty stricken. Rather the requirement is that all acts should be done for Krishna alone. For such a devotee, Krishna states, will receive all transcendental protection (BG 9.31)
Our little daughter of 5lbs 4oz was born amongst doctors who love to partake in prasadam at the temple’s restaurant, Kalachandji’s, here in Dallas. The auspicious appearance day of Advaita Acharya was not the only auspicious accordance along with prasadam loving doctors. The pediatrician at the hospital, one of the Kalachandji’s prasadam lovers, had even visited our home in October. Her 16 year old daughter, who comes to the restaurant with her, wanted to dress as Krishna for Halloween. She asked for our assistance so we invited her over, showed her how to put on her chiffon yellow dhoti and also gave her tips on accessories.
Our plan was to have her born at the wonderful midwifery clinic next to the hospital, but as the joke goes, “How to make Krishna laugh?…. ….. just tell Him your plans.”
When we went to the midwifery clinic for a check up the doctor's there said that they should do a natural induction due to my wife's recent high blood pressure (a reaction some women get during pregnancy) Our baby was due on the 21st so she would not be premature. Noticing some other complications the doctor's at the Birthing Center questioned if she could do a natural birth and thus they sent her over to the hospital next door to get further test. At the hospital more complications arose and therefore the doctors told her that a C-section was a must.
After the short operation little baby Visakha came out looking all around and crying a little. She was then weighted, checked and then she was handed over to us.
After a day in hospital my wife, Krishna Mangala DD, discovered the root of these chain of events. Earlier this year while in Mayapur at the wonderful Jagannatha Temple my wife prayed for several different things in presence of the famous Kalpa Vriksha Tree, wish-fulfilling tree. One item that she prayed for is that she prayed that one young 18 year old devotee, who made some small mistakes in his life, would not go to prison. Miraculously this devotee was called a few days before he was supposed to go and was told that he did not have to go, he could not understand why. Another item that she prayed for is that after returning from India she wished to quickly get pregnant with a very Krishna Conscious child. And the last item she prayed for is she wished that the delivery would not be painful. Little did she know that she would be not be experiencing any pain during the delivery due to having a C-section.
Today we will leaving the hospital to return home. We both very happy for we have a nice opportunity to raise a healthy child in a Krishna Conscious environment with Krishna Conscious education.
Hare Krishna
Your humble servants,
Nityananda Chandra Das
Krishna Mangala Devi Dasi
& Visakha Anjali Devi Dasi
2 comments:
Visakha Anjali is so precious! a little krsna conscious angel!
hare krishna,
my story of delivering a baby girl thro c-section was also similar, but i got so much depressed because of the disability it caused me. i came across this article of yours and got enlivened that i should not take these sufferings too much on my head but take it as a blessing and enjoy raising our daughter in a krishna consious way.
thank you verymuch.
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