A Vaishnava is one who follows Lord Krishna..
A Vaishnava is a pure human being with the highest humane consciousness, the best human being as we shall see below.
A Vaishnava Follows The Eternal Religion Established by The Eternal God
We are the soul which is eternal and part of the eternal God and thus we should follow the eternal religion (Sanatan-Dharma) to go back to the kingdom of God called Vaikuntha where we will live in our spiritual body eternally with complete bliss.
“The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-Gita 15.7)
Will I be Saved?
Yes off course you will be saved. This is a guarantee from a real person who has appeared more than 18,000 time in His original form as Lord Krishna and millions of times in other forms. You won’t find anyone like Lord Krishna. The so called God of other religions are unknown, invisible, and unproven. This is because God is One and He is only described in the scriputres He compiled, the Vedic scriptures. Lord Krishna is completely known, because He appears in Person to perform His transcendental past times with His loving devotees, He does not hide in a cave nor a mountain to deliver His message. Lord Krishna is the real God and He is omnipotent, He delivers His message Himself and not depend on angels or others.
“Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-Gita 18.66)
“There is no truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-Gita 7.7)
“He quickly becomes righteous and attains lasting peace.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-Gita 9.31)
“Though engaged in all kinds of activities, My pure devotee, under My protection, reaches the eternal and imperishable abode by My grace.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-Gita 18.56)
What are the Basic Beliefs of a Vaishnava?
* God is one, Lord Krishna, who has proven millions of times that He is the only God.
* God is eternal and thus eternally known. Only Lord Krishna is eternally known and this is because He is the only God. In the current cycle He has been known for 155.522 trillion years.
* God is eternal and thus His teachings must also be eternal. All knowledge comes from the eternal Vedic scriptures which have more than 800,000 verses and are the teachings of Lord Krishna in person and His pure devotees. One should only follow the instructions in the Vedic scriptures. The Bhagavad-Gita and Srimad Bhagvatam are the 2 main scriptures for a Vaishnava.
* God is eternal and thus His religion must also be eternal, the religion of God is called ‘Sanatan-Dharma’ which means ‘The Eternal Religion’.
* We are the soul and not this temporary body, the soul moves from one body to another, life after life, from one species to another, exactly based on our desires and deserves and thus one should only take pious actions in life.
* All living beings are the children of Lord Krishna, we are all brothers and sisters, including the plants and animals. Thus we should love all living beings and to prove this one must be a vegetarian. Killing is wrong (human or animal).
* Life is an intelligent design, nothing happens by chance. This is the law of Karma. One is held responsible for all his actions and thus one should live a responsible life.
* Truthfulness, compassion for all living beings, cleanliness, and humility are some very important qualities of a Vaishnava.
* No drugs, no alcohol, no meat, no gambling, no relationship outside marriage.
* Only follow the teachings/instructions of Gurus who satisfy the below conditions.
“The symptoms of a sadhu are that he is tolerant, merciful and friendly to all living entities. He has no enemies, he is peaceful, he abides by the scriptures, and all his characteristics are sublime.” (Srimad Bhagavatam 3.25)
“A sober person who can tolerate the urge to speak, the mind’s demands, the actions of anger and the urges of the tongue, belly and genitals is qualified to make disciples all over the world.” (Nectar of Instruction 1)
The above means don’t listen to a word from anyone who is violent, rapist, lusty, intolerant, and animal killers.
* Chanting of Vedic mantras, deity worship, study of Vedic scriptures, and preaching all above to others are the main devotional activities for a Vaishnava.
What is the Benefit to the World from Vaishnavas?
If one can follow the above then he will become the best human being.
* All animals will be happy as they will not be killed. The price of milk, vegetables, fruits, and grains will collapse as cows and other animals will not be killed and there will be 10 times more vegetables/grains on the market for humans to eat, thus no more poverty and starvation in the World.
* All people will be happy as a Vaishnavas considers all living beings as his brothers/sisters.
* No druggies, no drunkards, no prostitutes, no terrorists, no liars, no deceptions, and so on.
* Acceptance of the law of Karma and reincarnation means the person will take responsible and pious actions. Lord Krishna is truly forgiving and merciful by giving us unlimited chances and not just one. A Vaishnava understands that people are born and situated differently due to their karma and thus has no hatred for anyone and does not curse anyone or damnation of anyone.
* A Vaishnava is a true believer of God and thus has no problems with God’s will. The variety of people exist due to the practice of free will which is given by God and thus there will be complete freedom of speech, thought, and religion.
* Acceptance of Lord Krishna as God means a mature, responsible, and loving God. He does not make childish statements and is not a bully/dictator and does not spend his time sending people to hellfire. He spends his time in loving exchanges with his devotees and taking care of animals. Lord Krishna is not just a name in a book, he is the real, seen, and proven God.
Only a devotee of Lord Krishna can begin to know and understand God (Lord Krishna) in full. For those who are not devotees of Lord Krishna, God is unknown and invisible. This is very much true and this can be proven by asking the non-devotees. They will never be able to describe God and they will simply say God is unknown and/or invisible. Don’t follow the godless, those who cannot describe God, the blind.
“That very ancient science of the relationship with the Supreme is today told by Me to you because you are My devotee as well as My friend and can therefore understand the transcendental mystery of this science.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-Gita 4.3)
What is the Result of Being a Vaishnava To You?
You are now on your way to becoming the best among human beings, and provided you strive for perfection as stated above and in the Vedic scriptures. This will be your last material birth. At death all your sins will be completely erased and you will go back to the spiritual creation called Vaikuntha, where you will live eternally in the same body which will be completely beautiful, completely blissful, and full of knowledge and there will be no trace of misery. In the spiritual creation, based on your devotional service and sincerity, you could take a role as a close friend of Lord Krishna and play with him every day, eternally. Or you could dance with him and listen to the best music from the best musician, Lord Krishna. There are millions of spiritual planets to choose from for your truly permanent residence in the same body with no old age, no death, no disease, and no anxiety.
” With your mind fixed on Me in this principle of renunciation, you will be liberated and come to Me.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-Gita 9.28)
“That supreme abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by fire or electricity. Those who reach it never return to this material world.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-Gita 15.6)