Kṛṣṇa Consciousness - The Easiest Way to Become Free from Sinful Activities
To understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one must be free from contamination. In the Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa addresses Arjuna as "Anagha," which means "O sinless one." Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that without being free from sinful activities, it is very difficult to approach the Absolute Truth. However, in this Age of Kali, the atmosphere is surcharged with corruption, making it difficult for the common man to avoid sin. Understanding this difficulty, the Vedic scriptures offer a special concession: the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which acts as a powerful fire to burn away all sinful reactions and desires.
Inadequacy of Atonement
Common religious practices often involve some form of atonement or confession. A person commits a sin, performs a ritual or confesses to a priest to be forgiven, and then feels free. However, Śrīla Prabhupāda points out the flaw in this system: if the heart is not changed, the person will commit the same sin again. He compares this to an elephant taking a bath; the elephant cleans itself in the river but immediately rolls in the dust upon coming onto the land. Therefore, mere atonement is not a permanent solution.
- Pariksit Maharaja, who was very intelligent, said - By atonement one can become free from sinful activity, but suppose a man has committed murder and then is killed.
- People who are thinking, "By going to the church, by confession, I become free from all sinful activities, and then let me go again, commit the same thing for the whole week, come again and confess," this is not very good business.
- One is prone to commit sinful activities even after atonement, which is therefore very inadequate for purification. On the path of speculative knowledge one becomes free from sinful life by understanding things as they are.
- By performing Vedic ritualistic activities, by giving money in charity and by undergoing austerity, one can temporarily become free from the reactions of sinful activities, but at the next moment he must again become engaged.
Easiest Method: Chanting and Association
If atonement fails, what is the solution? Śrīla Prabhupāda asserts that the easiest method is to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. By chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, one is immediately purified. The holy name is so powerful that it neutralizes sins that one has not even committed yet (the tendency to sin). This process is effective even for the most fallen, as evidenced by the deliverance of Jagāi and Mādhāi.
- So anyway, one has to become freed from the sinful activities. Then one can understand. But the easiest method of becoming free from sinful activity is to accept this Krsna consciousness movement.
- Jagai and Madhai chanted the name of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu by way of blasphemy, but because they simply chanted His name, they immediately became free from the reactions of sinful activities. Thus later they were saved.
- So the Visnudutas say that "Even though one has committed so many sinful activities, if at the..., if once he utters the holy name of Narayana, he becomes free immediately." That's a fact. It is not exaggeration.
- Our subject matter is sinful activities and how to check them. If we do not check, if we do not become free from sinful activities, then we will have to undergo this cycle of birth and death. That is our problem.
Practical Training: The Four Regulative Principles
The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not just a sentiment; it is a training school. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that students must strictly avoid the four pillars of sinful life: illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication, and gambling. To help them do this, he provides a positive alternative: prasādam (spiritual food) and the bliss of kīrtana. This combination makes giving up sin natural and easy.
- Just like in our association we don't allow four kinds of sinful activities: illicit sex life, nonvegetarian diet, intoxication, and gambling. So by following the regulative principles one becomes freed from all these sinful activities.
- The Vaisnavas are trained to become freed from the four kinds of sinful activities - illicit sex, indulgence in intoxicants, gambling and eating animal foods.
- They (The hippies) are becoming free from all sinful activities, such as illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating and gambling. This is practical proof of the effectiveness of the Hare Krsna movement.
- If one practices eating prasada, even if there is some little sinful activity involved, one becomes free from the results of sinful acts.
Qualification for the Kingdom of God
Ultimately, the goal of becoming free from sin is to become eligible to enter the spiritual world. One cannot carry the contagion of sinful desire into the kingdom of God. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that through devotional service, one becomes cleansed of all reactions and develops pure love for God. This purity is the passport to the spiritual sky.
- It is said, "Persons who are constantly engaged in Krsna consciousness, and who remember the transcendental qualities of the Lord, become free from all reactions to sinful activities, and after being so cleansed they become fit to enter into the kingdom of God."
- Anagha, O sinless one, means that unless one is free from all sinful reactions, it is very difficult to understand Krsna. One has to become free from all contamination, all sinful activities; then he can understand.
- Rupa Gosvami has discussed the sequence of sinful activities of the conditioned soul, and he has established, in Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, that those who engage in devotional service become freed from the reactions of all sinful activities.
- Anyone who looks upon His beautiful body or beautiful face becomes freed from all sins and obtains the wealth of love of Godhead.
Conclusion
The cycle of sinful activity is complex. Ignorance leads to sin, sin leads to reaction, and the reaction leads to further ignorance. Breaking this chain is the most urgent necessity of human life. Śrīla Prabhupāda warns us not to treat the chanting of the holy name as a tool to wash away daily sins while continuing to commit them; such a mentality is a serious offense. Rather, we should take advantage of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement to completely purify our existence. By adhering to the regulative principles and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, even the most sinful person can be transformed into a pure devotee. As Śrīla Prabhupāda assures us, this path is practical, scientific, and the easiest way to attain the perfection of a sinless life, ultimately leading us back home, back to Godhead.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Becoming Free From Sinful Activities. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.