Sinful men (Letters)

Expressions researched:
"men who are sinful" |"sinful man" |"sinful men"

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Bhagavan -- Los Angeles 2 March, 1970:

This knowledge is Krsna Consciousness. Regarding the end of devotees of Lord Jesus Christ, they can go to heaven, that is all. That is a planet in the material world. A devotee of Lord Jesus Christ is one who is strictly following the ten commandments. Now just like in the commandment "Thou shalt not kill" this is a moral instruction for the sinful man. Similarly Lord Buddha also emphasized ahimsa paramadharma "the highest religion is nonviolence." So these instructions are for the sinful men. When one is pious, instead of being sinful, he is promoted to the higher planetary systems like Janaloka, Mahaloka, or Tapaloka and they are above the planet Svargaloka. So persons who are cleansed of sinful life become eligible for spiritual life. From the instructions of Lord Jesus Christ we find that the stress is given to make men free from sinful life—such as "Thou shalt not kill" "Thou shalt not covet"—like that. Therefore the conclusion is that the devotees of Lord Jesus Christ are promoted to the heavenly planets which are within this material world.

Letter to Acyutananda -- Los Angeles 15 March, 1970:

So this movement, Krishna Consciousness, very quickly develops this God Consciousness, and it is very easy to adopt it.

But, at the same time, we must remember that a sinful man cannot develop God Consciousness. The four pillars of sinful life are: 1) illicit sex, 2) animal killing or animal eating, 3) indulgence in intoxication in any form, and 4) take to the life of gambling. We therefore request all religious institutions to check their followers from the reactions of these four principles of sinful life. That will pave the way of developing God Consciousness, and thus all the people will be happy.

It is not a question of following this religion or that religion. It is a question of philosophy of life. Our Krishna Consciousness philosophy is practical, easier, and based on sound reasoning and philosophy.

Letter to Subala -- Los Angeles 15 March, 1970:

We have to estimate by the result, and not by the formalities. So this Movement, Krishna Consciousness, very quickly develops this God Consciousness, and it is very easy to adopt it.

But at the same time, we must remember that a sinful man cannot develop God Consciousness. The four pillars of sinful life are: 1) no illicit sex, 2) animal killing or animal eating, 3) indulgence in intoxication in any form, and 4) take to the life of gambling. We therefore request all religious institutions to check their followers from the reactions of these four principles of sinful life, and that will pave the way of developing God Consciousness, and thus all the people will be happy.

Letter to Himavati -- Los Angeles 26 April, 1970:

The determination is difficult, Krsna Consciousness is not difficult—Krsna Consciousness is natural. One knows how to love another, so instead of loving so many others, one can very easily take to the business of loving Krsna—this is determination. That much is required, otherwise Krsna Consciousness is not difficult.

Regarding your question, a sinful person, never mind what kind of sinful man is he, is taken in subtle body to the place of Yamaraja, and there he is trained up in a particular type of suffering. As soon as he is trained up, he is given a particular body by which he can endure such sufferings.

You write to say that you look forward to that day when sense gratification will become simply insignificant, and yes that is the stage of pure Krsna Consciousness when our only desire is to be serving Krsna with no personal considerations whatsoever.

Letter to Dr. R. N. Vyasa -- Los Angeles 7 June, 1970:

Just like a criminal has heard from lawyers that a thief is punished for his criminal activities and he has seen also that a thief is arrested by the police and put into jail. Generally our experience is gathered by hearing and by seeing personally.

The question was why a sinful man commits sinful activities although he has full knowledge of the after result by knowing it from authority and by seeing it personally. A thief commits theft repeatedly and is imprisoned repeatedly, and he has full knowledge of it—then what is the cause of his putting himself into miserable condition of prison life?

The cause is diagnosed by Vedic Acaryas as the papa bija or the seed of sinful activities. This papa bija remains dormant within our heart in three stages—dormant, seedling and fructified. This chain of different stages of our papa bija is the cause of repeated birth and death transmigration in different species of life.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Govinda -- Madras 12 February, 1972:

I don't think there is guarantee of surety by taking this medicine with animal products. But if there is surety, you can take. But it is very doubtful. When I shall come there I shall see what is wrong.

Regarding that man Cinmayananda, he's a sinful man, I know him, at least sinful according to our four principles. He as been lecturing for 20 years, still his asrama stands vacant. Unless one's life is made up, what this lecturing will do?

So far your other letter, devotion does not depend on the body, and in spite of all difficulties we can chant, so long we have got the tongue—and even we have got no tongue we can chant in our mind. So where is the question of not serving with devotion? On the contrary, I consider that you and your good husband, Gaurasundara, are two of my topmost disciples and the work you are doing greatly encourages and pleases me, therefore do not think that because you are sometimes sick or weak that you are not making any advancement and that you are disappointing me, no. I am always thinking upon you both, that Krishna will give you His all blessings.