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mark

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Everything posted by mark

  1. Haribol, Its a fast till midday today ! Srila Prabhupada showed people across the world how to live properly, and today is the anniversary of Srila Prabhupada showing us how to die - without fear. My eternal gratitude to Srila Prabhupada for changing my (and many millions of others) life. Haribol Mark
  2. Haribol, I found this story about the stamp in question : http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4396204.stm I get the feeling that people at the Royal Mail who chose the stamp were either rather thoughtless or just ignorant as to the sensitvities of Vaisnava-Hindus, rather than intending to insult anyone. What is unacceptable is that despite the many complaints made about the stamp, including from official organisations, they are refusing to rectify their error by withdrawing it. Royal Mail did apologise, and I can except that people and organisations make mistakes, but there can be no justification for responding with a 'we're sorry about it but you'll just have to put up with the insult' attitude. Shame on you Royal Mail. All Glories to Srila Prabhupada! Please accept mu humble obiesances Mark
  3. Haribol Will downloadable versions of cantos 11 & 12 be appearing on this site at some point please ? AGSTP Mark
  4. Haribol, Can't argue with that.. AGSTP Mark
  5. Haribol Not being very advanced I need to keep reminding myself that souls are not men/women/animals but spiritual entities with a conciousness that takes them to a particular sort of body .. its all too easy to fall in to a trap of thinking in terms of the duality of the material world, rather than the absolutes of the real, spiritual world, where there is no such duality. Hare Krishna Mark
  6. Haribol Thanks - that makes sense. I guess many sinful men die still thinking/lusting after women and so are reborn as women so that they can reap the results what they did to women in their past lives. Hare Krishna
  7. Haribol I am reading the Srimad Bhagvatam Canto 2 at the moment and have a few questions about chap 7 txt 46 : "Surrendered souls, even from groups leading sinful lives, such as women, the laborer class, the mountaineers and the Siberians, or even the birds and beasts, can also know about the science of Godhead and become liberated from the clutches of the illusory energy by surrendering unto the pure devotees of the Lord and by following in their footsteps in devotional service." I expect a lot of women may object to being described as a sinful group - surely men are just as sinful as a group (if not even more so than women) ? Also why are mountaineers and siberians especially mentioned? I am not questioning whether Srimad Bhagvatam is correct or not - I accept what it says, but do not quite understand these references. Can anyone explain them please ? Thanks Hare Krishna AGTP! Mark
  8. Haribol Kamlesh, this sounds interesting. I have been intending to buy a copy of the interactive CD of the Gita for sometime. Most of the devotees at Coventry temple (in Britain) are very advanced (I am without a doubt the lowest and most ignorant person attending there), but they still might be interested. It would be a nice gift for the temple at Coventry to distribute to visitors though.. Where are you based Kamlesh? AGSTP Mark
  9. Hare Krishna I agree with you - not many Christians REALLY follow the TRUE teachings. I think Gandhi said that most Christians just take a small dose of Christianity as an innoculation against the real thing, and unfortunately many Christians think that if you do not believe their 'way' then you are wrong and need to be converted. I wonder which bit of 'Thou Shalt not Kill' is so difficult to understand for so many (but not all) ? You would think that if there was even a 50/50 chance that God might have meant Kill instead of Murder that Christians would err on the side of caution and not eat meat (or do any sort of killing)? Guess not.. AGSTP Mark
  10. Happy Diwali! I attended the excellent Diwali program at Iskons Coventry temple - My first Diwali experience and I enjoyed it very much. My humble obeisances to Hari Das the temple president for his great talk. He stressed the importance of understanding what Diwali was about - that it is about celebrating Lord Ramas victory over the evil Ravana, and his triumphant return home. God will always triumphs over the evil souls. Hari Das said that many people celebrate Diwali and forget the real reason why they are celebrating, just thinking of fireworks and sweets etc. I see this (and have been guilty of it myself) at Christmas, which is supposed to be about celebrating the birth of Jesus, but for most people it is a time of gluttony, consumer driven material maddness, and watching lots of films on TV. Occasionally there is a mention of Jesus and the message he bought about Krnsa (God) but generally he comes in about 20th place in peoples list of priorities at Christmas.. anyway - Thank you Coventry ISKCON! Haribol! Mark
  11. Haribol I'm not sure what the Royal Mails thinking was behind the stamp .. have they issued a statement explaining the thought behind it ? Perhaps they meant to show a combination of different faith in God and his servants, and did not intend any insult? In Science of self realisation Srila Prabhupada says : "the message that Christ preached was just according to his particular time, place, and country, and just suited for a particular group of people. But certainly he is the representative of God. Therefore we adore Lord Jesus Christ and offer our obeisances to him. Once, in Melbourne, a group of Christian ministers came to visit me. They asked, "What is your idea of Jesus Christ?" I told them, "He is our guru. He is preaching God consciousness, so he is our spiritual master." The ministers very much appreciated that. Actually, anyone who is preaching God's glories must be accepted as a guru. Jesus Christ is one such great personality. We should not think of him as an ordinary human being. The scriptures say that anyone who considers the spiritual master to be an ordinary man has a hellish mentality. If Jesus Christ were an ordinary man, then he could not have delivered God consciousness." Jesus was preaching on behalf of Krsna who is God, so anyone who believes in Krsna can believe in Jesus. I think Srila Prabhupada also said there is only one religion really - and thats love of God. I mean no offence - please don't misunderstand me, its just that I think anyone of whatever religion, who believes in Krsna can believe in Jesus, and I hope Christians will come to understand that God is Krsna, and that there is no need to 'convert' anybody who already believes in God. Efforts should be concentrated on helping those who do not believe. Hope I don't get a roasting from anyone ! AGSTP! Hare Krishna Mark
  12. Haribol! I cannot read Srila Ramakrishnananda's reply to his devotees question without crying.. (literally) I must be going soft in my old age! Could you (or anyone) tell me a little about Srila Ramakrishnananda please ? Still being relatively new to KC I am very ignorant of the various spiritual masters with the obvious exception of Srila Prabhupada (although I am still learning new things about his divine grace on a regular basis) Hare Krishna Mark
  13. Hare Krishna I donated to a respectable western aid organisation, not an 'islamic' relief one, so the money will only be used for relief for the suffering and not get diverted to any other purpose. In the mahabharat war, Lord Krishna did not expect the Pandus to treat the Kuru women, children and old men without mercy, only the warriors. Will Lord Krishna punish people who try to show mercy, even to their enemies? Haribol Mark
  14. Haribol There is still the persistent myth, especially in the western world, that 'real' men eat meat, and vegetarian men are less virile and manly. Due to the wonders of modern science and the no-holds barred techniques of the meat industry the exact opposite is now the real truth: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4241638.stm The above weblink news item provides more ammo to use when you get an opportunity to put forward the very many reasons to go veggie to anyone, particularly the 'macho' sorts. Hare Krishna! Mark
  15. Haribol Too late for me.. I made a donation to help those 'terrorists' afflicted in the earth quake yesterday yesterday.. Srila Prabhupada comments in Science of Self realisation: As long as we remain illusioned by the bodily conception of life, thinking we are these bodies, one man thinking "I am Irish," another thinking "I am Italian,... American,... Indian," and so on--as long as this goes on, the fighting will go on. You cannot stop fighting between dogs and cats. Why do they fight? The dog simply thinks, "I am a big dog." And the cat thinks, "I am a big cat." In the same way, if we think, "I am an Irishman" or "I am an Englishman," then we are no better than the cats and dogs. As long as people remain in a bodily conception of life, there will be fighting. I do not deny many bad things are being done by some people in the world but not all people are bad. We must try to rise above the bodily conceptions, else we will continue barking at each other and fighting like packs of dogs. Also if we can show no mercy how can we ever expect mercy to be shown to us? Hare Krishna
  16. Haribol Life sounds like its a bit hectic and confusing for you at the moment! Keep on with your devotional service, and keep away from any bad stuff such as the whiskey and killing of fishes. I hope you can sort out your relationships and find some stability and peace. Try to be careful who you associate with as it can have a big influence on your thinking - if you cannot find a devotee to team up with do your best to find a clear-headed decent fellow. Keep on chanting and try to simplify and purify your life. Hare Krishna and best wishes Mark
  17. Haribol There have always been these upheavals in the world but they definately seem to be on the increase in frequency and magnitude. If we make the mistake of coming to the material world we will have to endure the consquences. Perhaps these things happen so that in desperation people who have not turned to God will do so (most people only turn to God when they are desperate ie in peril or want of money, but later when they are out of peril many turn away again). I have been guilty of this, but that connection I briefly made in the past helped me to develop a serious interest (and hopefully some devotion) now. Everything happens for a reason, even though we may not be able to figure out why initially, and in ignorance many blame God for being cruel. Its all our own fault really! If we want to eat sweets and then have bad teeth and a painful visit to the dentists, we must not blame the dentist, who is trying to help us and correct the problem. Hare krishna!
  18. Haribol We should remember that in our true state we are not male or female, just spirit souls. We should try to forget about ourselves, and the duality of this world and chant for Lord Krishna's pleasure if we want to open the gate to heaven (thats my general understanding of what I have read in the scriptures/KC books so far) I just wish I could chant more nicely and stop thinking about myself and my own wants and more about God and open that gate! Hare Krishna!
  19. mark

    Hell

    Haribol, Who knows where these things will lead you? (apart from Lord Yamaraja and Lord Krishna that is). They could lead you into trouble before you die. Why assume that you will not be able to change your habits before you die? When I first started chanting a couple of years ago I had not completely stopped all of my vices, as I was still having a glass of wine with a meal a couple of times a week, and also playing the lottery. I felt bad about these transgressions, but at first could not see myself giving them up completely (and also perhaps felt that they were not that serious). As time went on I started to increase the number of rounds I was chanting, reading more and generally became more and more interested in (and serious about) Krishna Consciousness, and decided to start cutting down on the amount of lottery tickets and alcohol, and eventually cut them out altogether, although it took a while. Basically as my chanting increased it seemed to replace my bad habits, and I obtained the realisation that although these transgressions seemed small, that they could have a very negative and big effect on ones life, for example : You probably don't need to be told that something as small and silly as cigarettes can terminate your life early by causing you to die a horrible death from lung cancer. It took me 10 years before I could give up smoking - I only managed it by replacing it with something better (in my case love of a new girlfriend/wife to be). Sorry to go on about 'me' but if someone as weak-willed as I am can change then anyone can, but you first have to want to change! One drink makes you feel like having another drink, which could lead to gradually losing control, and who knows what that could lead to ? A fight ? (If you're in a bar a drunk could pick on you even if you are relatively sober). A car crash ? (this is more likely to happen to you even if you only have the legal amount of alcohol in your blood stream). I heard about a local woman where I live who won a substantial amount on the lottery. She bought her teenage son a sports car that he desired, and within a couple of weeks he died when he crashed it at high speed. A sad but true story. A thing as small and innocuos as a lottery ticket has placed this poor woman in a living hell. We always think these sorts of things happen to others and not us. Who knows what these little seeds of 'sin' will grow in to ? I would recommend even more chanting if and when you can, although 4 rounds is good. Also try and develop the mindset/intention that you eventually intend to stop these habits, as they are no good for you, although they may seem fairly harmless. Cut down to one drink a week, or if going out with friends offer to drive and have a reason to decline alcohol and stick to soft drinks. Eventually drink only non-alcoholic drinks, and perhaps change your lifestyle to avoid going to places where Kali hangs out. I used to find that beer and cigarettes seemed to go well together, but when I stopped smoking by using nicotine patches to help me through the withdrawal symptoms, I then found that I did not like going to pubs (bars if you're in the US) for drinks anymore as the cigarette smoke used to get to me. With a little determination, good intention, and help from Lord Krishna you will free yourself from these small but annoyingly difficult-to-get-rid-of demons. Increase your chanting and reading if you can! Haribol and Hare Krishna! Best wishes, Mark
  20. Haribol! I too have always worried about finding a bona fide spiritual master - but when you think about it Srila Prabhupada is THE bona fide spiritual master, so in a way you have already found one by reading his works. Many of the questions one might have can be asked of devotees (eg on this site for instance). So do not despair, just keep on going as best as you can. Eventually you will find a living bona fide spiritual master by Krishna's arrangment when you need one. I also wonder at what point one is considered to be "Fully Krishna Conscious" - how can you tell how you are developing ? I've been trying for nearly two years now and also feel disheartened at times, usually when I let myself down in some way or see or read about real devotees, and realise how impure I still am. I suppose its best not to try to see God but hope that he notices you by your efforts instead, and shows mercy to you. I have read that God does not mind people faults, its their indifference to him that he objects to. By attempting to become Krishna Conscious you have started the surrendering process - keep it going! I guess one should not worry too much and just keep on with developing ones devotional service of chanting, hearing/reading, worshiping, serving, associating with devotees, remembering Him etc, and not give up even when one falls down in some way or makes mistakes such as saying or doing the wrong thing (As I do on a fairly regular basis - my apologies to anyone I have ever offended). If we were perfect we would not be in this world in the first place! Hare Krishna Mark
  21. mark

    Prayers

    Haribol! It is very nice of you to say that.. I don't think I have ever inspired anyone before! Unfortunately whenever someone says something kind to me my ego swells up! I am very glad you have rediscovered your faith - may you never lose it again. At times my faith has felt a little wobbly since I first became interested in KC, but reading more scriptures and associating with devotees has helped keep me going. Sometimes the wrong steps we take in life actually serve a purpose, and can bring us to the right path in the end, by waking us up to the horrors of material life. We can learn a lot from our mistakes. I too have found this site to be of great inspiration in trying to develop K.C, and would like to also thank all the devotees that have responded to my stream of ignorant questions over the last year or so, and the devotees who run this site (my genuine and humble obeisances to them). I have learnt so much from this site, but due to my own limitations am still only a beginner in KC. I know some devotees despair of some of the trouble-makers that post insulting statements etc, but I think this site is still a great forum, and has saved many souls from a hellish future(hopefully including me) and set them off on the road to Lord Krishna. Please don't make the mistake of thinking that I'm a devotee - I'm just a neophyte, and likely to stay that way for the foreseeable future, as being initiated is a very serious step and one that I'm not fit for just yet, still being impure at heart. As to your question about delivering ancestors, I am not learned, and perhaps should not comment, but I did once read that becoming a devotee of Lord Krishna in itself can deliver any ancestors from hell. If I understand correctly life on hellish planets is not a permanent thing anyway - once souls have been purified/punished, they are released by the infinite kindness and mercy of Lord Krishna to have another go at life, so that they may try to get it right next time. I think most of us have been to hell at some point. best wishes for your future Hare Krishna! Mark
  22. Haribol Sorry about that link - it used to work! As you are in the UK like me you could try this link instead: http://www.iskcon.org.uk/calendar Hare Krishna
  23. Haribol Govindaram (my humble obeisances to him) very kindly posted this link/download in response to my query about Ekadasi dates in the past to help in working out the dates depending on where you are on the planet : http://www.krsnaconsciousness.org/Ekadasi.exe Hope its helps AGSTP Mark
  24. Haribol I saw this story on the BBC new website: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2226804.stm Its good to see events such as Jamashtami being reported and the 'Hare Krishnas' actually being treated with due respect as a valid religion and not as a dangerous cult, but there still seems confusion even amongst well-meaning media reports that Krishna is 'just' another God amongst the pantheon of hindu Gods, and also according to the above article, that he was born fairly recently (1400 years ago) Although I do respect the BBC I wish they would do more programs on religions apart from Christianity (and these are limited to a small slot on Sundays) and be a bit more careful on the accurate reporting of beliefs. There still seems to be this view held in the west, that Christians, Jews and Muslims believe in the same God and differ on what they call him, and how they worship, whereas somehow the vedic based religions (lumped together as 'Hinduism') do not believe in the one true God (Lord Krishna). Could a senior guru perhaps ask the BBC do an interview in which the Sanatana Dharma teachings and the Hare Krishna philosophy are clearly explained for the mass of ordinary people to clear things up? Perhaps British devotees could persuade the BBC to do a documentary on the Hare Krishna movement as it celebrates its 40th birthday soon ? I'd ask them myself but I am only a neophyte and I think it would be better coming from real devotees of a senior nature who are used to dealing with the media ! Hare Krishna ! Mark
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