[Posted November 1, 2007]

Nature Doesn't Forgive

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Who are the mischief-makers? We are, every one of us.

New York Times Nov 1, 2007 - MICHAEL PARRISH

10-Year-Old With Matches Started a California Wildfire

A 10-year-old boy admitted that he accidentally started one of the largest of last week's Southern California wildfires while playing with matches, enforcement officials say.

The blaze, the Buckweed fire, started in the early afternoon of Oct. 21, in Agua Dulce, a rural community in the northern part of Los Angeles County. Fanned by high winds and hot, dry weather, it spread quickly, driving 15,000 people from their homes, destroying 21 houses and 22 other buildings, injuring three people and blackening more than 38,000 acres. go to story

Sri Guru and Gauranga

Nature doesn't care for your plea of ignorance

excerpt from Teachings of Queen Kunti

With Krishna in the center, everything becomes beautiful, and Krishna can become the center at any time. Krishna is always present, and we simply have to invite Him, "My Lord, please come and be in the center." That's all. To give the same example I have given before, zero has no value, but if we bring the number one and place it by the side of zero, the zero becomes ten. So one need not stop whatever one is doing. We never say, "Stop everything material." One simply has to add Krishna.

Of course, we have to give up anything which is against Krishna consciousness. It is not that because we do not stop material duties, we should not stop meat-eating. We must stop it, for this is contrary to advancement in Krishna consciousness. One cannot commit sinful activities and at the same time advance in Krishna consciousness. But Krishna says, aham tvam sarva-papebhyo mokshayishyami: [Bhagavad-gita 18.66] "Surrender unto Me, and I shall rescue you by giving you liberation from all kinds of sinful reactions."

Every one of us, life after life, is knowingly or unknowingly committing sinful activities. I may knowingly kill an animal, and that is certainly sinful, but even if I do it unknowingly, it is also sinful. While walking on the street we unknowingly kill so many ants, and in the course of our other ordinary dealings–while cooking, while taking water, while using a mortar and pestle to crush spices–we kill so many living beings. Unless we remain Krishna conscious, we are liable to be punished for all these unknowingly committed sinful acts.

If a child unknowingly touches fire, does it mean that the fire will excuse the child and not burn? No. Nature's law is so strict, so stringent, that there is no question of an excuse. Even in ordinary law, ignorance is no excuse. If we go to court and say, "I did not know that this action was criminal," this plea does not mean that we shall be excused. Similarly, ignorance is no excuse for transgressing nature's laws. Therefore, if we actually want to be free from the reactions of sinful life, we must be Krishna conscious, for then Krishna will free us from all sinful reactions. It is therefore recommended, kirtaniyah sada harih [Chaitanya-charitamrita Adi-lila 17.31]–one should always chant Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, so that Krishna will save us. We should always keep Krishna within our minds, for Krishna is like the sun.

This is the motto of our Back to Godhead magazine:

krishna–surya sama; maya haya andhakara
yahan krishna, tahan nahi mayara adhikara (Cc. Madhya 22.31)

Krishna is just like the brilliant sun, and maya, ignorance, is just like darkness. When the sun is present, there cannot be darkness. So if we keep ourselves in Krishna consciousness always, we cannot be influenced by the darkness of ignorance; rather, we shall always walk very freely in the bright sunshine of Krishna.