FOUR REGULATIVE PRINCIPLES

Srila Prabhupad has stipulated Four Fegulative Principles!  H.H.Bakthi Vikas Swami Maharaj gives them like this:  "Anyone serious about progressing in Krishna Consciousness must try to avoid the following sinful activities:  1.Eating meat, fish or eggs

2.Gambling

 3.Use of intoxicants

 4.Illicit Sexual Activities! 

 

If we follow Krishna Bhakthi with these prohibited actions, it won’t give expected results!"

     Why these regulations?  "Whatever, I do, let it be! my love on Krishna is true! Won’t he accept it?" Yes! He will accept it, but, not immediately! He will do an important thing first! He will wait & see whether you correct those sinful activities on your own! If not, He will give you so many experiences that will show you that these activities are not good for spritual development!

Thus, by giving tests, he will make you skip them in due ourse of time! You will skip them one fine day! Yes, it will happen! Once He finds that you are pure, He will embrace you as closely as possible! He accepts you as a pure devotee! That is why, devotees initially get so many problems! They cry: "Oh Krishna, why do U test yr devotee this much?". They don’t know, Krishna is mercifully cleansing them!

After mercifully cleaning your all past & present sins by giving problems, Krishna takes us back to him! He never allows us on earth again! He engages us in His service eternally! O.K!  "Why many of those who are not Krishna devotees live happily?". Answer is: They are under maya. Maya gives them pleasure to engage them always in the material world. Why she does so?

By giving pleasures/ comforts, she makes these innocent people think that they R happy! They feel happy today with a machine today, but disappointed tommorrow when it becomes faulty! They say when they get a lottery prize of 5 lakhs today, but feel upset when they lose 10 lakhs for heart surgery! They feel joy on getting Miss Universe as wife, but feels when she gets old & her skin becomes shrunk!

They R happy when they constructed a bungalow for his 6 feet body! He feels when he is at the last moments of death: "Oh, till date, I was here! How can I leave this house, wife, my loving son/daughter? What they will do if I leave? Oh, I can not see them never hereafter! How lovely my wife spoke so far? How sweetly my son kissed me? I have wasted the whole life. I want to live, but Yama is waiting to take me!"

His conscience now speaks: "Hey fool, What is the use if you cry at the time of death? Why did you fall prey to the colours of maya? How many devotees called you to come to temple with them? Did you go? Why? You thought that they are fools & going to temples! You insulted them that they do not know how to enjoy this world & They are negative minded persons! You didn’t donate even a single pie to them!"

Your conscience further asks you: "What happened now! They are happily ready to go out of this world! Because they are going to Krishna Loka! To enjoy the closest association of Krishna! They sacrificed the material comforta when you enjoyed them! So, they go to Krishna! You? Now, fear to go to yama & punishmants he is going to give for all yr sense enjoyments without caring the owner of them, Krishna!"

His conscience adds: "How many hours you wasted in sleeping, matting, earning excessively & spoiling the lives of others? Now, the time has come to answer them! Start, Go with the messengers of Yama! All you earned so far will not come with you, excep your sins!" Hearing the voice of his conscience, that man, unable to do anything to prevent Yama, he loses his eyes! What to do to avoid this situation?

To avoid going with yama & face punishments & go with Vishnu Dhoothas, we should cleanse ourselves on our own, sacrifice excessive sense gratifications, follow Krishna Consciousness seriously & happily go back to Godhead, Krishna! I write about these Four Regulative Principles for 3-4 days that will answer your doubts on which are allowed & which are prohibitted in Sastras, under these 4 heads!

As there is no use in realising them at the time of death, A man should adopt them from now! If we follow these regulative principles sincerely, we can follow Krishna Consciousness without difficulties compared to with others! We can not ride on two horses at a time! So, Let us ride on a single horse that takes us to Krishna: "Krishna Consciousness".

Every living being is expected to live as per the arrangements by Krishna for them! Many people who advocate Non-Vegetarianism say that if we don’t eat animals, the cycle of the Men & Animals will be affected as the number of animals will become more! Childish! Krishna is more brilliant than us! He has created wild animals for this purpose! They will maintain the population of animals! So, it is just a self authorisation!

In Krishna’s creations, every animal eats only what it is expected to eat! Tigers never eat grass! A cow never eats a goat/ dog! Man? He eats everything he sees! He eats all animals, all birds, snakes, even toasted ants & cockroaches! He never allows others free! He needs change in everything! He does not bother about rules of God! He must be satisfied. Thats all! Krishna has given variety of tasty vegetables for him!

The non-vegetarian foods are rich in Cholesterol & they increase Rajo Guna! These cholesterol causes heart attacks & many disorders! So, A devotee should avoid them! These non-veg foods increase Sexual desires & anger, both creating problems in life! You might have seen that most of the vegetarians are satviks, ie, they lead a peaceful life! They don’t stand first in creating problems! They R mostly graceful!

If you see what happens in the slaughter shops, you won’t eat non-veg items! The animal is silently eating the grass without knowing that it is going to be killed next, after the existing stocks are exhausted! When its stomach is full, the slaughter man takes it & kills it when it cries without being protected by every one! The man then cuts it into pieces & give it to us! They are very weak in front of us! So, they die!

 

Krishna has given us Sixth Sense, so, we develop protection mechanism for us & protect ourselves from those animals that are stronger than us! But, these weaker animals die as they can not develop mechanisms to protect themselves! So, just because they are weaker than us, we should not kill them! Sastras allow us to kill an animal only if they are dangers to our life! Eg: Snakes! Allow silent animals to live freely!

You may ask, You advice us to avoid eating flesh, OK! But, what about eggs? Many say Eggs are vegetarians! But, Srila Prabhupad has said: "Sastras say, we should avoid eggs as unfertilised eggs are considered as the menstration of the hen!".

H.H.Bhakthi Vikas Swami Maharaj Says: "These foods are saturated with the modes of passion & ignorance & so, can not be offered to God"

 

So, friends, anyway, better we avoid these Non-vegetarian foods & improve in Krishna Consciousness fast! Because, Krishna says in Gita to offer vegetarian foods only, not meat! Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita (9-26): "If One offers Me with Love and Devotion, a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water, I will accept it!". As Krishna Prefers Vegetarian foods, we also should eat vegetarian foods!

Sastras say: "Ahara suddhou satva suddhi". That is, If the food is pure, his satvas (Body & mind) will be pure!" The health & nature of a person’s Body & Mind depends on what he eats! Non-vegetarian foods develop thamo & rajo Gunas in our body & mind & hence we will be induced to commit offences! Krishna has given variety of tasty vegetables only for us! Why should we go for animals? Think!
　

I tell you friends, if anyone continues to eat Non-Vegetarian foods after reading these posts by me, I pray to Krishna to show extra mercy to him! I have one more point in this topic! Many of you ask: "Is it not sinful when we kill plants?" I have answer for that also! Because, I also asked 100s of Qns when I was 10-12 yrs old

Is Killing Plants sinful? Yes! But, as Krishna says us to kill, it is sinless! How? Arjuna killed relatives & friends & gurus in battle field as Kshatria, because, Krishna told to kill them as it is Kshatria Dharma! As Krishna has said, He likes vegetarian foods, you can kill them! No sin will be there! See, Most of the plants do not die if we pluck vegetables from them! They continue to live, except a few varieties!

Next Regulation is ‘Gambling’! What is gambling? My simplified definition for gambling is! "Whichever game/ profession that takes the money of others as a whole and gives them to a single person wthout the mental/ physical hard work of that person". I think, no body in the spritual world can refute this new born definition! Why I say so? Krishna expects us to work! Not to sit idle & earn without hard work!

Lord Krishna says in Gita (3-30): "Do yr assigned duties (i) Surrendering all yr works unto Me, )ii)with full knowledge of Me, (iii)without desires of profit, (iv)with no claims of propritoriship, and (v) free from lethargy!" What this means? We should do the assigned duties for us! THAT MEANS, WE SHOULD NOT DO OTHER PROHIBITED DUTIES TO EARN! What are assigned duties? I have a simple definition!

　

Any work/ job/ business that is legal (Not this materialistic Govts’ rules! Rules of Dharma!) and that do not make others affected, is a permitted one! You must earn by serving others! Not by spoiling others! Teachers teach others & earn; Kirana (General stores)/ Vegetables traders supply essentials & earn! Doctors save lives & earn! Security men secure the zone & earn! Weavers supply dress that saves our dignity, & earn!
　

Druggists supply drugs & earn! Farmers supply food for us & earn! Dhoodhwala(Milkmen) gives milk & earn! Many are serving the govt to maintain the country & earn! Thus, any job/business that is helpful others & you R naturally interested (Not by the compulsion) is considered as Assigned dutiy! Krishna supports such Karma Yogis who are doing assigned duties! These people have no barrier in Krishna Consciousness!

But, the jobs that involves Speculation, is prohibitted by Sastras! What are they? (i) Gambling like Cards, Dice, Speculation in Sports/ Politics about who will win this match/ election, etc; (ii) Lending money for others for higher interest than permitted by the government; (iii) Lotteries (money of lakhs of people goes to a single person without works) (iv)Share trading (because it artificially increases the market rates)
　
(v) Real Estate if you sell the price of the land beyond the guideline value of the govt). However, Share Market & Real Estate businesses have become popular now, as this is kali Yug! People creates layouts on the land owned by Krishna, and claim that they are the owners! They fix rates whatever they want! They manipulate Krishna’s Property uncontrollably and hence most of the poor remain on platforms!
　

H.H.Bhakthi Vikas Swami Maharaj says: "Gambling puts one into anxiety & fuels greed, envy & anger! Devotees should avoid T.V, Films, Sports, Useless Songs, etc" So, when there R hundreds of options for earning in permissible professions, why should we go to gambling/ Speculations that disappoint others? DO ANY PROFESSION THAT MAKES OTHERS LIVE & HAPPY, NOT THAT SPOILS OTHERS!

Next Regulation: "Intoxication!" What is intoxication? My simple definition: "Anything that induces you to use it again & again & makes your mood/ mind/ body tensioned if you don’t take them! You become dependent on them! They brings you totally under their control! If you don’t get them at a particular day/ time, your character will show total deviation from the normal character! They R representatives of maya! "

What are the items that cause intoxication? H.H.Bhakthi Vikas Swami has listed so many things here: "Alcohol in any form (Some will tell you that beer & wine are good! Remember, they also have alcohol), Pan Masala, Betelnuts, tobaco (both chewing & smoking), LSD, Marijuana, Abin, Arrack, Coffee & Tea, and the cool drinks that contain coffeine! Chocolates also contain coffeine 7 other intoxicating agents!"

How, these intoxicants affect the Krishna Consciousness? Actually, all the nerves of our body are controlled by a spot in our brain called CNS, ie, Central Nervous System! Only till this CNS is healthy, whole nervous systems will be normal! If this CNS becomes affected, the man becomes always lazy, tired and inactive! Thus, Next to heart, this CNS in brain is an important part that controls our body system!
　

When we consume the additive products as I mentioned yesterday like alcohol or arrack or tobacco or coffee or tea or cool drinks, etc, this CNS is induced immediately & the body becomes brisk! This sudden increase in the activity of CNS is followed by sudden fall in its activity! This sudden rise & fall of CNS activity makes the CNS inactive permanently! Let me beautifully compare this effect with a rubber band!

A rubber band is very flexible that can be used for any size of bundles to keep them intact! But, if you frequently use a rubber band again and again, you will find it elongated permanently! That is, its diameter would have become large! That is that rubber band has loosened & lost its grip! Similarly, sudden rise & fall in the CNS activity makes it inactive & all nerves become loosened making us always tired!
　

This is called NERVE WEAKNESS! If you continuously use these additive products, your nerves become weakened! You would have felt that you will be brisk immediately after consuming these products, but after some time suuden fall in your briskness! So, these products give you only temporary refreshment, and make your nerves permanently disabled! What are the effects of this nerve weakness in your life?

This nerve weakness definitely causes the following: 1.You always feel tired/ weak; 2.Your memory power permanently reduced; 3.You become tensioned; 4.Your Sexual Potency is definitely reduced, causing problems among couples; 5.Your liver gets totally affected & leads to death afetr continuos use of alcoholic products; 6.Your lung gets depositted with Nicotine in cigarrettes & loses its efficacy!
　
7.Nicotine causes breathing disorders, cancer, heart attack, Sexual impotency! 8.Smoking causes bad breath & hence, wife & children hesitate to go close to that person! 9.As he always feel temptation to smoke, he misses many deadlines of important assignments! So, success delayed / lost! 10.Alcohol makes you totally forget yourself & hence whatever you do after consuming it, can not be remembered later!
　
11. This costs yr image! Many people sacrifice their dresses & walk casually after consuming alcohol that is seen by all his surroundings! How the society will respect him & his wife? His wife & girl children become the victims of the anti-social elements, without their fault, just because of marrying that person! Thus, alcohol makes one lose his family itself & its dignity! He loses due respect in society! Innocently his family too!
　
How they affect Krishna Consciousness? As these people are always confused in everything, whether it is family or job or business or sexual life, they maintain the same confused state of mind in their spritual practice also! He can’t mingle freely with other devotees as he will fear whether the smoke/ alcohol smell will expose himself! He can’t attend a temple function for 2 hrs as he needs cigarrette every 30 minutes!
　

A smoke/ alcohol/ drug addict always thinks negatively! He never gets an attachment in the regular activities in a society! He is going on a separate/ peculiar track! he never care if there is no money for cooking that day! He needs a cigarrette then! Thats all! If he has no money, he takes the jewels of his wife, pledge them & smoke/ drink! He never cares whether it is dharma or not! He needs his sense gratification!

　

How such a person can concentrate in Krishna Consciousness? Is there any way? Yes! If a smoke/ alcohol/ drug addict gets the association of pure vaishnavas, with the power of that purity, he will correct himself gradually & become a perfect person! So, an addict need not skip Krishna Consciousness! If he truly likes to lead a pure life, he can come to Krishna Consciousness & purify himself! Is it Possible? How?

Srila Prabhupad achieved it! When he went to U.S with just Rs.40/ - for establishing Krishna Consciousness there, he stayed in an area that had full of drug addicts! He called all of them, offered Krishna Prashad, Educated Gita & Krishna to them & made them pure devotees in a few months! The purity & good intentions of a vaishnava can achieve it! Even we have an example for this possibility!

We have fed Krishna Consciousness in jails & made some people pure & vaishnavas! We had an opportunity of preaching in a central jail every sunday! We found that those acused & criminals were feeling for their criminal acts! After our preachings every sunday, many of them have become the humblest devotees following Krishna Consciousness seriously!

Today we should see another sensitive topic "Illicit Sexual Relations". Actually this is not a bad word to discuss, as it will help to watch our children & develop them accordingly! I will define Illicit Sexual relations simply as "Any sexual contact or just thoughts with/ about the persons other than our husband/ wife". Clear? Simple! I like to add more: "Any Sexual Relations with the opposite sex before marriage!"
　
O.K, Why these people go for extra sexual activities? Our sastras has given clearl green signal to marry a boy/ girl! No barrier for a legal marriage! Krishna prepares a girl in the age of 14-15 for sexual contacts & a boy at about 16-17! However, as they will not be mentally matured to face marriage relations, we should allow upto the age of 20. A girl or boy can marry at anytime around the age of 20!
　
They should concentrate in studies & career till that age! The problem is, all thoughts about opposite sex come only in these critical ages! They develop colourful thoughts about his/ her would be! A boy / girl imagine their future husband/ wife like a latest cute hero/ heroine! They forget that every man/ woman has only decorated flesh! If a popular cine actor/ actress does not bath for 2 days, no one can go near him/ her!
　
They find all girls/ boys going past him/ her beautiful in that age! They like to love everyone of them! But, they find it impossible! One day, they get a groom/ bride & marry! They imagine that her/ his husband/ wife will speak/ behave like her/ his favourite hero/ heroine! They forget that every one in this world is different in character! No two persons are alike! They later conclude that their imaginations are wrong!
　

Everything goes well for a few months! Both of them come to normal life of problems! They involve themselves in problems of life! Most of the boys/ girls accept the life that they got as the result of karma & lead a peaceful life, of course with small problems! In a minimum percentage of couples, out of two persons one needs the company of his/ her wife/ husband for more time! Why they think so? Reasons are there!

In Vedic Astrology, if a boy/ girl is interested more in sexual activities if he/ she has the star Venus very powerful, or, has Venus & Mars in the 7 th house, or, affected 2 nd house, etc, etc! He/ she will be happy if he/ she is always with his/ her wife/ husband! But, due to the pressures of work, development of children, presence of 3rd parties, this becomes impossible! This makes that person disturbing!
　

These special persons who has extra sexual desires by birth, fall into Illicit Sexual activities if they get an opportunity! Now-a-days, the world has become very uncontrolled! This uncontrolled freedom for both men & women gives some of them courage to deviate from normal life! After coming a round of uncontrolled sexual life, they learn later that there is nothing in Sexual life & they will never be satisfied!

Why they are not satisfied with a single girl/ boy? Not all girls/ boys are going like that ! But the percentage is increasing because the world has become open! No secrets! Consumer culture! Plenty of media to induce the people! Only a small number of media that educate that they are wrong! Many of the wise boys & girls escape from this cultural disaster! But, a portion of them start enjoying uncontrolled sex!
　
What is the speciality in these special relations? Nothing except addition of psychological diseases! In many cases, physical diseases too! Human tendency is like that ! They have a good T.V in their house, but feels that the neighbour’s T.V is better than that of him! Their wife cook tasty foods, but they say that the food of a hotel is better than hers! Their son/ daughter are gems, but they find the wards of their neighbour better!
　
For some men & women, plucking the flowers from the garden of their neighbour is a thrilling experience, though they have many colourful flowers in their garden! So, for all these sexual deviations, the reason is: It is thrilling to enjoy others’ property than that of ours! These people speak attractively & attract those who are tired of their family problems! Many escape, but some fall prey to their colourful words!
　
Later, they lose their own wife/ husband because of this character and come to the roadside! They stare to spoil the common public! Got arrested! Go to jails! This is the result of Illicit Sexual Relations! O.K, Why some of the youth go foe Pre-marrital Sexual contacts? First, they get girls/ boys easily as both are coming to study/ job! Some of them feel that there is nothing thrilling in the Sex with the spouse as it is legal!
　
So, these people R thrilled in illegal actions! They feel it conservative if we follow rules! This is the pathetic situation of this society! This is the growing trend of Kali Yug! O.K, How to prevent these immorality in a society? First, we should see Krishna in every living being & love that person as Krishna is in her/ his heart! We should consider that the Athma is the real living being & others are only flesh!
　
They should realise that sex is just a five to ten minutes pleasure & it leads to bondage with the opposite sex! If you touch a girl/ boy, you are bound to her/ him & you lose your peace! Another thing is: All men & women in this world are anatomically the similar & nothing is special to a certain person! None of his/ her organs are golden! Everything is made up of flesh that smells bad if you don’t take bath for 2 days!
　
The same flesh will be totally contaminated once a person leaves his/ her body! Then that person is called "It", not "he", "She". Ants & small species come readily & start eating our body! Even our wife/ husband will tell others to dispose that "body" as soon as possible, as it starts badly smelling! So, why should a person wander for these fleshy bodies? Why can’t he/ she be satisfied with his/ her wife/ husband?
　

Why don’t they realise that Sexual desire can never be satisfied till he/ she dies? So, a person should love his family as it is the gift given by Krishna exclusively to him/ her! Deviations may be colourful/ thrilling, but he/ she will definitely realise one fine day (after losing his fame) that he/ she could have lived still a decent life! So, the husband & wife together should lead a Krishna Conscious family & be an example to the world!

HARI BOLLLL!!!!!!!