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Philosophy: How does indirect devotional service work?

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      CommentAuthorabhiram
    • CommentTimeAug 20th 2007
     
    for example, doest steve jobs get credit everytime a devotee uses an ipod for listening prabhupada lectures?

    what about the bandwidth you use to download Krishna photos? Does the cable/phone company get credit for some of that transcendental megabytes?
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      CommentAuthormishra
    • CommentTimeAug 20th 2007 edited
     
    That is why it is so important to let people get in touch with Krishna as much as possible- the example you give of the cable company, yes they get benefit and that will count in their next collective step towards KC.

    Of course, everything related to Krishna is purifying. There are many stories how a person first received a sweet prasadam, then after read a magazine, went casually to a Sunday Feast (free of charge, he he), chanted a bit.... etc etc.

    So it is a gradual process even if we cannot always measure it ..

  3.  
    abhiram:for example, doest steve jobs get credit everytime a devotee uses an ipod for listening prabhupada lectures? what about the bandwidth you use to download Krishna photos? Does the cable/phone company get credit for some of that transcendental megabytes?
    hehe, funny...lol :D But they get their credit by Krishna which is even better than to have material credit... :D
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      CommentAuthorekendra
    • CommentTimeAug 20th 2007 edited
     
    My understanding based on Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu is that these people like Steve Jobs and the Internet providers mentioned above get credit for unknowingly assisting in the performance of the yuga-dharma.

    Just like there were big Yajnas in Treta-yuga and the purpose was to engage the entire society in producing and offering the necessary ingredients. Or in Dvarapa-yuga there was the opulent Deity worship. Because varnasrama was in place - the whole society benefited from the sacrifice.

    So in Kali-yuga the varnasrama is not officially adhered to but is implied because we still have these natures (or more likely now a combination of these natures - aka. varna sankara). Because the chanting of Harinam is so simply enacted it doesn't depend on elaborate structures and varnasrama to perform - a special concession for this age.

    Still they are engaged in the sacrifice for this age unknowingly and get the benefit of ajnata-sukrti (unknown benefit) and it gets added to their bank balance of accumulated faith.

    ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo ‘tha bhajana-kriyā

    This progression given in NOD and also CC Madhya 23.14-15 describes that initially we have to have some preliminary faith to begin the process of devotional service. Then we have sadhu-sanga and then we engaged in bhajana-kriya.

    So that initial faith comes mainly through being unknowingly engaged in devotional practices such as providing the internet connection for devotees to download the kirtanas or making a cool iPod for them to listen to them on.

    Knowing that - the responsibility on us is to maintain purity because we are the ones finalizing the sacrifice for the rest of society - like the pujari who offers the fruits and flowers brought by the guests. If our attitude is pleasing to the Lord then everyone benefits more.

    Cool question. Thanks.

    Chant Hare Krishna!
    Thankful People: sitapati
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      CommentAuthorsitapati
    • CommentTimeAug 20th 2007
     
    Once some (reporters?) were criticizing or questioning Srila Prabhupada on his use of airplanes - isn't that "material"?

    Srila Prabhupada replied that unless he utilized the airplane in Krishna's service, all the effort of the hundreds of people who had built that airplane would amount to zero.

    So the answer is a definite, resounding "yes!". People are benefited when things they produce are utilized in Krishna's service. This is called ajñata-sukrti, spiritual advancement made unknowingly.
    Thankful People: Servant Krsna
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      CommentAuthorabhiram
    • CommentTimeAug 22nd 2007
     
    so if i search for Krishna here:
    http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=krishna
    or
    http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=krishna&search=Search

    the owners and people involved in those sites make spiritual advancement?
  7.  
    Yep (think so at least, hehe)

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