mark

Haribol Have (or would) the 'Hare Krishnas' ever held a harinam/protest outside a slaughterhouse to highlight the horrendous crimes against cows and other creatures being slaughtered there and raise the question in the eyes of the media/world to the wrongs being committed ? Would it do any good ? When people have their crimes pointed out to them they will rarely admit they are in the wrong (I have been guilty of this in the past) and find some reason to justify their actions, and then start condemning those who raised the issue for one reason or another. I guess it might back fire and the media would have a field day vilifying the KC movement. I'm not suggesting it be done just wondering about whether it would do an good or not. Any comments? Hare Krishna

Hare Krishna Many thanks for the info, I only need to fast for one day then not two - thats a relief. More questions if you don't mind : Is water allowed but nothing else during fasting for Janmashtami ? I managed to get through Bhima Nirjala without food or water but was most uncomfortable by the end of the day. Also, what is the easiest answer to give when non KC people look at you in a funny way and want to know why anyone should want to fast? I know I'm doing it as a austerity, but find it difficult to explain its spiritual benefit to others. Many thanks and I hope everyone enjoys celebrating Janmashtami! Haribol and AGSTP Mark

Haribol Can anyone confirm the Janmashtami date for the UK please ? My nearest temple at Coventry is celebrating it on the 27th but elsewhere the date is listed as the 26th..? I was wondering which day to fast on? As the 27th is also Srila Prabhupada appearance day (half day fast), I will tryand fast for both days until the midnight feast on 27th (if I can last that long) Hare Krishna & AGSTP Mark

Hare Krishna My 10 year old daughter has been studying 'hinduism', along with other faiths at her Church of England school where they make a point of studying other religions, and told me a couple of nice stories that she had learnt that came from the 'hindu' studies :- 'A man had died and gone up to heaven, where he met God and together they looked at the mans life, all the good times and bad times he had gone through. All the way through his life there were 2 sets of footprints running side by side. The man asked God why there were two sets of footprints and God said that was because he had always been walking alongside the man, keeping him company through his life. The man then noticed that whenever he had been going through a difficult time in his life, that there was only one set of footprints. He became upset with God and said 'Why did you abandon me at these diffcult moments in my life!'. God answered 'I did not abandon you - I was carrying you!"' The other little story my daughter told me was as follows (I paraphrase it somewhat) : 'God was surrounded by many souls of newly arrived beings in heaven, and he asked them what they wanted to be reborn as. Almost all of the souls wanted to go back with even better facilities for enjoying themselves than they had before, like the soul that had been in a little birds body wanted to have a the body of an even bigger bird with bigger wings, so that he could fly faster and higher. All of the requests were of this order, and God granted them their requests. Finally God came to one soul that had been in a mans body and asked him what he wanted. The man said that he wanted nothing but to stay in heaven with God, and God was very pleased and said 'This one has cracked the puzzle of life!' Simple little stories can explain such a lot! Does anyone know where these came from and can they point me to anymore please? Many thanks Haribol and AGSTP!

Haribol Priitaa, Thank you again. In the intervening time since my last msg on this subject I took a Reiki 2 initiation, but as you say I think I have become a victim of a money making business.. I shall take a look at your websites when I get chance and am interested in your healing group, as I have not really used my Reiki since my 2nd level initiation, partially due to lack of confidence, not liking the demanding payment business, and generally not having much time, as most of my spare time has been spent reading KC scriptures and chanting over the last year. I am still quite new to KC, only having being into it for about 18 months now, but from what I have read and understood I think the most important thing anyone can do fot the suffering of the living entities is trying to spread Krishna Conciousness around. Reiki/Energy healing may help remove some discomfort and perhaps kick-start the patients interest in spiritual matters, but the real solution to suffering is to take to God Conciousness, and if we are fortunate enough, take to devotional service, and concern ourselves with serving Krishna in some way, and be less concerned about the 'self' and the aches and pains of the temporary material body. Perhaps one could offer Reiki healing, but as a technique for getting ones 'foot in the door' and as well as doing healing then give the patient some KC literature and advice, unless that seems a little dishonest..? Hare Krishna and AGSTP! Mark

Hare Krishna I will trust that Srimad Bhagvatam and Srila Prabhupada are correct then. Many thanks! Haribol

Hare Krishna I have read on other websites that 'bad' karma can be accumulated just by thinking bad thoughts, but in Srimad Bhagavatm canto 1 chp 18 txt7 Purports, Srila Prabhupada states that in the age of Kali a bad thought does not count as a sin: "Mahäräja Parékñit was a realist, like the bees who only accept the essence [of a flower]. He knew perfectly well that in this age of Kali, auspicious things produce good effects immediately, whereas inauspicious acts must be actually performed [to render effects]. So he was never envious of the personality of Kali. PURPORT The age of Kali is called the fallen age. In this fallen age, because the living beings are in an awkward position, the Supreme Lord has given some special facilities to them. So by the will of the Lord, a living being does not become a victim of a sinful act until the act is actually performed. In other ages, simply by thinking of performing a sinful act, one used to become a victim of the act. On the contrary, a living being in this age is awarded with the results of pious acts simply by thinking of them." I take it Srimad Bhagavatam/Srila Prabupada are correct and the comments to the contrary are not? Its obviously not a good thing to think bad things, as it could lead to bad actions at some point, but for fallen people such as myself it came as some relief to read this in the Srimad Bhagavatam, especially about being awarded the results of pious thoughts even if they were not enacted. Lord Krishna is incredibly merciful to us! Haribol & AGSTP!

Haribol, I was just reading some Srimad Bhagvatam 1 chp 16, about mercy being one of the four pillars of religion, and it made me think of this Shakespeare passage which is a nicely worded description of what mercy is, and thought it might be nice to post for devotees to read : The quality of mercy is not strain'd, It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest; It blesseth him that gives and him that takes: 'Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes The throned monarch better than his crown; His sceptre shows the force of temporal power, The attribute to awe and majesty, Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings; But mercy is above this sceptred sway; It is enthroned in the hearts of kings, It is an attribute to God himself; And earthly power doth then show likest God's When mercy seasons justice. Therefore though justice be thy plea, consider this, that, in the course of justice, none of us should see salvation: we do pray for mercy; And that same prayer doth teach us all to render The deeds of mercy. Merchant of Venice, William Shakespeare Hare Krishna!

Haribol Jimi, Yes, hallucinogenic mushrooms are an intoxicant and intoxicants are avoided by devotees (and me), as are all mushrooms, as these are considered to be foods in the mode of ignorance. Intoxicants confuse the mind, and you need your mind focused and your intelligence unhindered if you are after transcendance. If you are trying to find your way to Lord Krishna it is better to take the path of maha-mantra meditation - chanting 'Hare Krishna, Hare krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare' on beads, and with concentration. Following the four regs will help too (no meat/fish/eggs, no intoxicants, no illicit sex and no gambling) Trying to get to God by psychedelics is cheating yourself - you need to do it 'cleanly', by developing love of God, and attraction to him. you can do this by chanting, reading books about him and associating with devotees etc. Many people (including myself in my ignorant youth) think they can find heaven and God through hallucinogenic drugs, but while it may 'open your eyes', it is not the way to go and could be dangerous for you. You will to be need patient and determined to develop through meditation, but it is the only way to permanently transcend this world, else you will fall back down. Best wishes Mark

Haribol, Many thanks for the story, it was a great help. This was the first time in my life I have done a complete fast. I hope it does not sound boastful but in some ways it was easier to fast completely than to eat just small quantites of permitted foods on normal Ekadasi's, as everytime I eat a little food on an Ekadasi, I want to eat a whole lot more, which rather go's against the spirit of Ekadasi. I suppose this is the problem with sense gratification - you have a little and you want more, have none and you find you are less tempted by it. I prayed for a little help from Lord Krishna and felt a mood of calm and determination settle upon me, so many thanks to his Lordship for his mercy - I couldnt have done it without him. I managed to do the fast without food or water, and lasted through to breakfast on the Sunday morning, although I started to feel desperate for water Saturday night/Sunday morning till it was time to break the fast, as it was an unusually hot night (for England anyway). It must be a far greater sacrifice for those in hot climates, such as India. Hare Krishna!

Many thanks I will stick to Sanatana Dharma mahamantra chanting to please Lord Krishna. I don't really need anything material or want to see anyone destroyed. AGSTP Mark (All glories to the moderator as well)

Haribol, Prabus I have found the sort of book I was looking for: 'Our Most Dear Friend: Bhagavad-gita for Children' at www.torchlight.com Many thanks for all the help and suggestions AGSTP Mark

Haribol! I was interested to recently see TV pictures of some Muslims imprisoned (against international law) by the US at Guantanomo bay in Cuba, who seemed to be chanting on beads ? What do Muslims chant on beads ? Allah Akbar ? Chanting various forms of holy names on beads seems to occur in not only Sanatana Dharma but also in Buddhism, and Catholic Christianity. Do all forms of chanting of names of God stem from mankinds original vedic roots ? (Incidentally, I thought it was awful that US interrogators had been insulting and defiling the Koran in an attempt to get the detainees to yield information) Mark

Haribol! Can someone confirm that tomorrows Bhima Ekadasi is not only a total fast, with obviously no food, but NO water either ? I will try and do it, if it will please Lord Krishna, and doing so will also get rid of a sizable chunk of karma (I have been reliably informed), but I'm not too sure if I will get through it without water.. Hare Krishna! Mark

Haribol Is it ok to eat licorice / drink licorice tea please ? I have heard it has mildly calming effects on the mind - not the same as intoxication I hope.. I switched to drinking licorice tea intead of ordinary caffeine tea (a brand caled yogi tea appropriately) when I started trying to follow the 4 regs properly about 18 months ago. I have never come across anything in KC literature saying you should avoid it but thought I ought to check - it would be just my luck/karma to find out I should not be consuming it.. AGSTP Mark

Haribol Perhaps you could try procastination when the 'urge' troubles you (as it does to most of us at some point or other) ie keep putting it off by finding something else to do first. I know its a real problem and not easily overcome (I can vouch for this from first hand experience - excuse the pun..) The following story may help: http://devotees.krishna.org/Articles/2000/06/00010.html Haridasa Thakur said he he would 'give in' to the girls temptation later on when he had finished his chanting, by which time the moment had passed! Best wishes and AGTSP Mark

Haribol Please forgive my ignorance but could anyone tell me what these are please ? Many thanks Mark

Haribol Can anyone tell me what one should do if they come across an injured animal, insect or other creature that is in pain and beyond hope of recovery - should one end the creatures life quickly to prevent its suffering any more pain or let nature take its course and leave it to die naturally ? My cat once caught a mouse and the mouse was badly injured and squealing in pain, and could not use its back legs any more, so I felt I had to finish its suffering by killing it quickly, although I felt quite sick by doing so. What should one do when faced with this sort of situation ? Hare Krishna Did I do the right thing ?

Haribol & Jaya Srila Prabhupada! Do dreams play a big part in K.C spirituality ? A few months after I became interested in KC and had begun chanting a little I had a dream that helped to drive me on to try and develop my K.C more - I dreamt that I was trapped in a kind of mental asylum that was located in a sort of disused temple in a jungle. The asylum was full of mad monkeys jumping about and screaming - they did not seem to be aware of their situation, and just kept swinging from the roof beams and bouncing off the walls. I knew I had to get out and started climbing upwards to escape. I then woke up in a sweat and was relieved to find it was only a dream.. (or was it!) Anyway this had a quite an effect on me- its not often I remember dreams or act upon them, but this one really got to me. Are dreams ever sent to us or are they just from our unconcious mind ? Any comments Hare Krishna!

Haribol Its ok to eat carrots & red lentils & egg plant then ? I have been gradually trying to follow KC regs more and more since I became interested in KC about 18 mnths ago, and cut out meat and fish quickly , phased eggs out about 6 mnths later, and have been trying to avoid eating mushrooms (as they grow on dung), garlic and onions when possible, as they are supposed to disturb the conciousness (and make you smell). I find it is awkward with garlic and onion as they are in so many products, albeit in small quantities. It seems to be going a bit far not eating eggplant, carrots and lentils though ? Hare Krishna

Haribol, Always best to read the label - in the UK most jam is usually labelled as being suitable for vegetarians and uses pectin, wuich is gelling agent made from fruit peel. If the label says it uses pectin as the gelling agent you are ok (I think!) Else you could make your own jam if you have enough time - that way you know whats gone into it. Hare Krishna!

Thank you Prabu. I don't fully understand that much of the Gita either (alhought I like to think I do being rather foolish!) I just wanted to introduce my daughter who is not into KC, in a gentle way to the teachings of the Gita. (I may learn something from a simple childrens version too) Haribol!

Haribol, I am only a novice too, but will try to answer your questions with my limited knowledge. No eggs or products containing eggs can be offered. It can be very difficult avoiding eggs as they are hidden in so many products, and (in the UK) such products are marked as being suitable for vegetarians. Always read the label! If unsure then best to avoid I think. I no longer risk eating ice cream and pasta at restaurants now, as there is a good chance they have egg in. You may be able to buy egg free mayo at health food stores, and most dried pasta does not contain egg, its the fresh stuff you have to watch out for. As for scars, they are like permanent imprints on your skin, and some smaller scars almost disappear as your body replaces itself over the years, but the replacement process cannot remove deeper scars, the skin just replacing the imprint left by the damage. I struggle to answer the last question : karma is a very difficult subject - so simple in principle, but yet so subtle in practice. Some very 'simple' or mentally disabled people can be far more Godly than the highly intelligent, and as you have noticed intelligence is sometimes a hindrance as it leads to deception of ourselves or others, and also to egotism. Those that are simple are less able to deceive, and are generally more honest than the intelligent. To be Godly you need to surrender to Krishna, be kind and loving, compasionate, honest, generous etc. (I wish I had a lot more of these qualities). Many clever people are not like this, yet many mentally disabled are, so although not learned, they may have acquired the qualities they require to go to Godhead by their karma. Forgive me if I am wrong, just expressing my humble opinion, and I hope I cause no offence. Jaya Srila Prabhupada Mark

Haribol, Can anyone recommend a version of the Gita written for children please ? I would like to get one for my 10 year old child. Many thanks, Mark

Haribol, Devotees would be filled with joy if you were to show up, and I'm sure would do all they could to help you both physically and spiritually. They would be delighted to hear of the joy you find in the books and CDs, as I am. Although not disabled, I was very nervous of going to visit my nearest temple (Coventry in the UK) for the first few times, but was received with great kindness and friendliness every time, and enjoy going there more and more with each visit. I just wish I could go more often! Despite being a bit slow to learn things I have only ever had friendship and encouragment from the wonderful devotees there. Disablement of any kind is not a barrier to KC. Association with devotees is of great importance in developing KC, and the joy you have found in the books and CDs will be doubled by assocation with like-minded people. I must admit I found my first few visits a bit mind-blowing, as finding yourself in the presence of Lord Krishna and his devotees can be somewhat overwhelming to begin with. If you find this, don't let it put you off, stick with it, and you will not regret it. Humble obeisances Mark