Thinking about the Lord with hatred

[Sirona]

Namaste,

the Hare Krishnas claim that meditating about Krishna with hatred will get you the same result as thinking about Krishna with love. They cite the example of Shishupala who insulted Krishna and yet obtained mukti after having been killed by the sudarshana chakra. Is this view a pelicularity of the Gaudiya Vaishnavas? What do other traditions teach on the issue?

 

[ManSinha]

Think about it for a second - it is about "thinking about" - there is no qualification attached - of course if one does it with love and longing then there may be physiological benefits in the form of release of endorphins. Remember to hate - you are causing your own negative emotions building up with potential physiological harm. At least that is my understanding.

 

[Vinayaka]

Namaste,

the Hare Krishnas claim that meditating about Krishna with hatred will get you the same result as thinking about Krishna with love. They cite the example of Shishupala who insulted Krishna and yet obtained mukti after having been killed by the sudarshana chakra. Is this view a pelicularity of the Gaudiya Vaishnavas? What do other traditions teach on the issue?

That would be a silly POV from my personal POV and from that of my sampradaya. There is no hatred here.

 

[SomeRandom]

I recall vaguely a fable about this.
Two men, one “godly” but hardly spared a thought for god. The other, a staunch (what we in the West would call) an anti theist. Would constantly curse the Lord, constantly thinking about the evils God allowed on earth and always had something bad to say about god.
When they died, God welcomed the anti theist with open arms but chastised the “godly” man. When pressed, God told the god fearing man that the anti theist always had god in his thoughts whereas the “godly” man never spared a thought to the Lord.

 

[Sirona]

I recall vaguely a fable about this.
Two men, one “godly” but hardly spared a thought for god. The other, a staunch (what we in the West would call) an anti theist. Would constantly curse the Lord, constantly thinking about the evils God allowed on earth and always had something bad to say about god.
When they died, God welcomed the anti theist with open arms but chastised the “godly” man. When pressed, God told the god fearing man that the anti theist always had god in his thoughts whereas the “godly” man never spared a thought to the Lord.

What an insightful story.

 

[Aupmanyav]

We have a similar stories about sage Narada also. Read it here: Are you caught in illusion? - Your Presence Heals or here: Scenario #1: Should we go to a temple to worship or offer puja? | Bhagavatam-katha

Basically, all that we see is Brahman only, whether you call it Krishna or Shiva or even if one does not consider Brahman as God (a case like mine). So whether one is good or bad, where will he/she go after death - to Brahman only.

Love and hatred, Gods and demons, are for Maya only. They are illusions. In reality, there is none other than Brahman. Even Ravana merged into Lord Rama after his death. In my opinion ..

 

[Martin]

Namaste,

the Hare Krishnas claim that meditating about Krishna with hatred will get you the same result as thinking about Krishna with love. They cite the example of Shishupala who insulted Krishna and yet obtained mukti after having been killed by the sudarshana chakra. Is this view a pelicularity of the Gaudiya Vaishnavas? What do other traditions teach on the issue?

For me thinking about anyone with hatred pushes them away, makes them less reachable, and less understandable. Its alienating, with no connection.
Conversely, there is a warmth and expansiveness involved in connection and understanding.
So I don't get it.

 

[Vinayaka]

For me thinking about anyone with hatred pushes them away, makes them less reachable, and less understandable. Its alienating, with no connection.
Conversely, there is a warmth and expansiveness involved in connection and understanding.
So I don't get it.

That's me. 'Hate' is far too strong of a term. Part of sadhana is to get rid of it. In monistic or non-dual traditions, just who would you be hating anyway? Yourself, obviously.

 

[Jainarayan]

I recall vaguely a fable about this.
Two men, one “godly” but hardly spared a thought for god. The other, a staunch (what we in the West would call) an anti theist. Would constantly curse the Lord, constantly thinking about the evils God allowed on earth and always had something bad to say about god.
When they died, God welcomed the anti theist with open arms but chastised the “godly” man. When pressed, God told the god fearing man that the anti theist always had god in his thoughts whereas the “godly” man never spared a thought to the Lord.

That’s the reasoning behind Hiranyakashipu’s moksha by Narasimha. Hiranyakashipu had such an intense and unbridled hatred for Vishnu that all he thought about was his hatred for Vishnu. So Vishnu was in Hiranyakashipu’s brain 24/7.

 

[SomeRandom]

That’s the reasoning behind Hiranyakashipu’s moksha by Narasimha. Hiranyakashipu had such an intense and unbridled hatred for Vishnu that all he thought about was his hatred for Vishnu. So Vishnu was in Hiranyakashipu’s brain 24/7.

Perhaps that’s the story I’m thinking of

 

[Jainarayan]

Perhaps that’s the story I’m thinking of

In fairness to your memory, there are a few like that.

 

[SomeRandom]

In fairness to your memory, there are a few like that.

Oh. I always liked the “stories.” It was the one aspect as a kid that I fully understood and connected me to my “foreign” cultural heritage.

 

[ajay0]

Namaste,

the Hare Krishnas claim that meditating about Krishna with hatred will get you the same result as thinking about Krishna with love. They cite the example of Shishupala who insulted Krishna and yet obtained mukti after having been killed by the sudarshana chakra. Is this view a pelicularity of the Gaudiya Vaishnavas? What do other traditions teach on the issue?

Hatred and conditional love goes together as the pair of opposites.

But both help to bring about remembrance of God which destroys karma.

Ravana thought intensely of the Avatar Rama with hatred and got Moksha later on after he was fallen in battle by Rama. This was a sign of Rama's compassion and regard for Ravana's strength and courage, which are also great virtues which brings about an expanded consciousness. But Ravana also suffered from intense stress and misery due to his abnormal ego.

Hanuman thought intensely of the Avatar Rama with love and got Moksha as well and enjoyed peace and bliss in the process. Due to his tremondous service to Rama, he was also promoted to the level of Brahma in the next universal cycle. Ravana got no such perks.

Hatred is superior to total indifference as at one least one thinks about the divine and gets purified thereby. But unconditional love purifies the fastest and one also enjoys the process.