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All varieties of devotional topics that don't fit under the other sections of the forums. However, devotionally relevant topics, please - there are other boards for other topics.

Gradually approaching Krishna - Falling down?



-Confused Neophyte- - Sun, 28 Sep 2003 02:57:51 +0530
I don't want to bother you people with all my stupid questions, but I am really new to this .

What if you surrendered to krishna for a while, but then did something for your own sense pleasure out of peer pressure?

For example, watch a show on the T.V. that is not something to watch while surrendered to krishna.

Was I fooling myself all this long, I feel so guilty after the act but was this like a test? or was I in illusion all this time thinking that I surrendered to krishna but really I did not?

Can you help me here , I am lost and I do not know where to continue.

My question sums up to this: if you are fallen again what should you do?
Madhava - Sun, 28 Sep 2003 04:00:02 +0530
Look, I don't think you're terribly fallen if you watched TV once. Just don't tune in to programs which are overly sensually provocative, such as channels dedicated to broadcasting content for mature audiences only.

If you really do something very wrong, naturally you will want to repent and to rectify yourself. As long as one has not reached the level of nistha (steady devotion), an ongoing struggle with material attachments is unavoidable, and natural. It is a part of your spiritual growth.

A balanced approach is to add as much Krishna to your life as fits in, and let Him gradually take more and more space in your life in the course of your purification. Not that you dump out everything and try to replace it with what little you know of Krishna. We've seen the fanatic approach fail too many times. Just set your own pace and make progress with a peaceful mind.
Guest - Sun, 28 Sep 2003 05:31:33 +0530
QUOTE(Madhava @ Sep 27 2003, 10:30 PM)
A balanced approach is to add as much Krishna to your life as fits in, and let Him gradually take more and more space in your life in the course of your purification. Not that you dump out everything and try to replace it with what little you know of Krishna. We've seen the fanatic approach fail too many times. Just set your own pace and make progress with a peaceful mind.

How can you gradually let krishna in ? There is this enthusiasm for me to let krishna in , and then again there is the other failure.
Sorry, my intention is not to bug you with my problems. sad.gif
I feel like this stuff is not for me, but then I come crawling back .
Madhava - Sun, 28 Sep 2003 15:15:09 +0530
QUOTE(Guest @ Sep 28 2003, 12:01 AM)
How can you gradually let krishna in ? There is this enthusiasm for me to let krishna in , and then again there is the other failure.
Sorry, my intention is not to bug you with my problems.  sad.gif
I feel like this stuff is not for me, but then I come crawling back .

What I mean to say is don't stretch yourself too far beyond your limits. Steadily water the creeper of your bhakti, don't start pulling it up from the ground to make it grow faster. If you intend to stay around for a while longer, try to find your comfort level, a situation in which you don't need to worry constantly over everything. Read the 12th chapter of the Gita to get the idea; if you can't fully absorb your mind in Krishna right away, then engage in sadhana-bhakti. If sadhana-bhakti seems troublesome, then at least do something for Krishna, study Krishna's teachings, do whatever you can. Don't expect a sudden change. This is a path of spiritual growth, and growth tends to take time.