Re: Bhishma's death

Dear Mihir,

    Nityananda! Gauranga! Hare Krishna! Dandavat pranams!

    Mihir, you still see it only with your eyes which are at the relative level. The Lord's angle of vision is not like my conditioned vision. So although you do agree that they were enjoying bliss, still you think somewhere that there was still suffering. The Pandavas were actually suffering greatest when Krishna was going back to Dwaraka. Kuntidevi makes it clear that they were a lot happier in the middle of all the 'suffering.'

    Does a devotee really suffer in devotional service? Think for a minute... Actually it is we who are suffering because of the way we see it.

    Did you think that everything was finished with death and so since their suffering happened at the end they didn't get enough time to come closer to the Lord? Broaden your look some more....and see beyond the bodily platform.

    Think of our acaryas too. Jagannatha Dasa Babaji was paralysed at the end of his manifest pastimes. But was he suffering? Look at Srila Prabhupada. He had chronic diabetes which let to two heart attacks, a stroke, decrease in vision and ultimately towards the end of 1977 it had become so bad that he was bed-ridden with renal failure, all things which ordinary diabetics are especially vulnerable to. Was he suffering?

     Rupa Gosvami has advised us not to see these material limitations in the body of devotees as it is only an illusion of maya.

     However, I lack sufficient realisation or qualification to answer your question directly and I am sorry that I am not able to answer you further. I humbly request senior devotees to humbly enlighten us further on these mysterious topics, if we are qualified to know. I really don't know.

      Regarding Lord Balarama's behaviour, it is beyond our tiny understanding. As a matter of fact I wanted to ask the very same question myself. However I got this type of understanding. While someone can very well give us the answer, there are some things which are so high and confidential that simply getting hold of some data and digesting it in the memory isn't going to do. One actually has to be at a high level to properly receive the answers. I tried asking and all I found was that simply getting a worded answer and digesting the info is not the best solution and that's what the Lord and his devotees feel that way.

       Sometimes the answers are so far beyond words that only deep meditation and chanting and spiritual grace can we realise the truth. Sometimes I ask a question, someone answers immediately, at other times I am told to wait and let it come when it desires. However when it does come, it comes exactly when it has to come and along with it also comes the realisation why it comes only now and not earlier.

         Our curiosity is well encouraged as it is part of our nature to know more and more and only the Lord can satisfy that. But we really get the answers only when we really, really want to know. We have to pray sincerely and the understanding will come when we are qualified.

         Sometimes if people don't get their answer straightaway, they resort to speculating if this or if that and I used to do that a lot until I realised one fine day that I was being stupid. Sometimes our speculation can force us to become skeptic and commit offenses and that is how all the apasampradayas begin. I definitely have faith that you will be patient and humble and one day sooner or later you will get your answers.

       So leaving this thread to the mercy of Guruji and the senior devotees, I just say that its best to wait patiently and trust the Lord and the Vaisnavas even though we cannot understand their activities. From my experience I know that things work out best when we trust and leave it to the Lord and tag along. So please trust me and please forgive me for my huge ignorance when I tell you, "I don't know, but if you are serious, you will eventually get your answers and more."

Chosen to wait for the right time,
Srinath

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