krsna

Even as we pull the weeds from our heart we should take note of the budding roses. /images/graemlins/cool.gif 1. We shall overcome We shall overcome We shall overcome some day Chorus: Oh deep in my heart I do believe We shall overcome some day 2. We'll walk hand in hand We'll walk hand in hand We'll walk hand in hand some day Chorus: 3. We shall all be free We shall all be free We shall all be free some day Chorus: 4. We are not afraid We are not afraid We are not afraid today Chorus: 5. We are not alone We are not alone We are not alone today Chorus: 6. The whole wide world around The whole wide world around The whole wide world around some day Chorus: 7. We shall overcome We shall overcome We shall overcome some day Chorus:

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How the Evangelicals and Catholics Joined Forces The New York Times (USA), May 30, 2004 http://www.nytimes.com By Laurie Goodstein The 'Hypermodern' Foe In 1960, the last time a Roman Catholic ran for president on the Democratic ticket, evangelical Protestant leaders warned their flocks that electing John F. Kennedy would be like handing the Oval Office to the Antichrist. So deep was the antipathy toward Catholics that the president of the National Association of Evangelicals sent a distressed letter to pastors saying: "Public opinion is changing in favor of the church of Rome. We dare not sit idly by - voiceless and voteless." The Rev. Billy Graham's magazine Christianity Today said in an editorial that the Vatican "does all in its power to control the governments of nations." Forty-four years later, less than a fortnight in Christian history, evangelicals and conservative Catholics have forged an alliance that is reshaping American politics and culture. Roman Catholics and Evangelicals: Agreements and Differences Now another Catholic Democrat from Massachusetts, Senator John Kerry, is running for president. But this time evangelicals are cheering on the handful of Catholic bishops who have said they will deny communion to politicians like Mr. Kerry who support abortion rights. In an about-face, Christianity Today says in a June editorial that it is "certainly appropriate" for bishops to expect a Catholic president to submit to Vatican authority. More than political expediency is at work here. Once blinded by suspicion, evangelical and some Catholic leaders have spent more than a decade laying the groundwork for a religious realignment. Though the old animus is not dead, there has been a rapprochement with both moral and theological dimensions, and broad political implications. Coalitions of Catholics and evangelicals form the backbone in the fights against gay marriage, stem-cell research and euthanasia, and for religious school vouchers. Catholic and evangelical leaders who forged relationships in the anti-abortion movement, which the Baptist theologian Timothy George has called "the ecumenism of the trenches," are now working side by side in campaigns on other culture war issues, and for Republican candidates. Catholics, once a solidly Democratic voting bloc, are now fractured. Polls of the 2000 election showed traditionalists and centrists breaking away to join conservative evangelicals in voting for George Bush. "Voting groups are far more fluid than they used to be," said Patrick Allitt, a professor of American history at Emory University. Mr. Allitt recalls seeing his glimpse of the new alliance at an Operation Rescue anti-abortion rally in Atlanta in the 1980's. Now conservatives in both groups share the sense that they are fighting a losing battle against secularism, relativism and a trend that the Christianity Today editorial brands "hypermodern individualism." Though miles apart on salvation, they find common ground in the language of moral absolutes. Evangelicals have thoroughly adopted Pope John Paul II's language on the "culture of life" to convey their anti-abortion principles. In a recent poll of evangelicals, the pope had higher favorability ratings (59 percent) than either Jerry Falwell (44 percent) or Pat Robertson (54 percent). "This is a phenomenal change from the days when the pope was considered by evangelicals who were not on the fringe as the Antichrist," said Rev. Richard Cizik, who handles government affairs for the National Association of Evangelicals. "There is many an evangelical now who believes that they have more in common with the Catholics down the street than they do with mainline Protestants," he said, a reference to the Presbyterians, Episcopalians or Methodists, whose churches are internally divided over homosexuality. Evangelicals in past generations were once among the loudest voices calling for separation of church and state, largely as a defense against government financing for Catholic parochial schools. But with evangelicals busy building their own private Christian academies in recent years, they have joined forces with Catholics to push for government vouchers for parents who choose to send their children to private or religious schools. Audiences of evangelicals and Catholics defied critics and made "The Passion of the Christ" one of most profitable films ever produced. Catholics regard the film as a thoroughly Catholic spectacle, focused as it is on the Virgin Mary and Jesus' suffering. Yet Mel Gibson, a traditionalist Catholic, built an audience with screenings in evangelical megachurches, even hiring Billy Graham's public relations man. Many evangelicals embraced the movie as a way to strike a blow of their own in the culture wars. Even a decade ago, much of this would have been a surprise. It is true that for Catholics, the Second Vatican Council in the 1960's set the stage for Catholic acceptance of ecumenicism. But the evangelicals still had a long way to go. Exactly 10 years ago, a group of evangelical and Catholic leaders and scholars released a document called "Evangelicals and Catholics Together." It was the result of a dialogue started by two men: the Rev. Richard John Neuhaus, a Catholic priest in New York who edits the journal First Things, and Charles Colson, the former Nixon aide who became a born-again Christian while doing time for the Watergate cover-up. Mr. Colson said in a recent interview that he had reached out to Father Neuhaus because he had admired a book by the priest, "The Naked Public Square," which argued that public life was slowly being stripped of the religious. The two men convened a group of prominent theologians and religious leaders. The evangelical side included the late Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, the religious broadcaster Pat Robertson and theologians like James I. Packer. The Catholic side included the late Cardinal John O'Connor of New York and the theologian Avery Dulles, now a cardinal. Their manifesto was primarily theological, but it included overt political pledges to work together on issues like abortion, government aid for religious schools and strengthening the "traditional family," in part a reaction to the growing gay rights movement. The document shook the evangelical world. "Friendships and institutions were blown apart," Father Neuhaus recalled in an interview. One hundred evangelical leaders signed a statement denouncing it. Mr. Colson said his organization, Prison Fellowship Ministries, lost about a million dollars in contributions. He received more than a dozen letters a week from angry evangelicals. But over the next several years, the letters stopped. By 2000, Mr. Colson and James Dobson, the broadcaster who founded Focus on the Family, were invited to the Vatican to address the bishops on the breakdown of the family, the first such appearance ever. Evangelical institutions like Wheaton College in Illinois and Gordon College in Massachusetts began inviting Catholics to speak on campus, Mr. Colson said. Father Neuhaus said he has been among the Catholic leaders urging bishops to publicly confront Catholic politicians like Mr. Kerry who defy church teaching on abortion. The dialogue group has continued meeting, and is at work on another statement on the meaning of holiness. This is not to say that everyone sees eye to eye. There is plenty of anti-Catholic residue among evangelicals. Christian bookstores still sell books arguing Catholics are apostates. The best-selling "Left Behind" series, so popular among evangelicals, featured a distasteful Catholic cardinal who assists the Antichrist. On political matters, evangelicals and Catholics will not fall on the same side of the divide on every issue. The Vatican opposed the war in Iraq, while many evangelicals were hawkish. And many Catholics still profess a strong social-justice, pro-union, Democratic orientation that makes them natural antagonists of evangelicals, who largely swing Republican. Father Neuhaus confided, "There is much in the evangelical culture that grates against me - the overly confident claims to being born again, the forced happiness and joy, the awful music." But the alliance, he said, is "an extraordinary realignment that if it continues is going to create a very different kind of configuration of Christianity in America."

The Correct Angle of Vision by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura (This is a reproduction of a conversation with Major Rana N. J. Bahadur at Armadale, Darjeeling on June 14th, 1935. It was originally published in The Harmonist (Vol. XXXI, No.21) on the 27th of June, 1935.) Question: I cannot understand this world. Answer: It is camp life. This world is not our original abode. It is meant for certain purposes. After that we are to proceed to our original home. This world is not a desirable place. It is not good to be enticed to stay here for a long time, forgetting our original abode. We stay there with Godhead. We are the eternal servants of Godhead. When we decide to lord it over the universe we are allowed these facilities for temporary purposes. They do not serve our eternal purposes. It would be better to seek for a place where we can find the real peace. Here we are always liable to be disturbed. By these disturbances Providence wants to teach us that world is not our eternal habitation, but that all real peace is to be found in Him. Being thus troubled we would naturally like to go back to the original place. Life in this world should be conducted peacefully instead of in the spirit of retaliation. We should learn to suffer all these things by submitting to His Holy Wishes. If we do so we may have that very peace here. It is because we are ambitious to dominate that we are brought here. Conditions here are so that they dovetail the whole position. If we require more than we are allowed, we are in trouble. We should better go back into our own position, to our only Friend. He is the only Resort of all our needs and desires. But if we take the burden upon ourselves to run into wrong we run into troubles in the shape of our daily transactions. We should not be so tempted. The aesthetic culturer's offers are meant to delude us when they lead us to think this world to be a comfortable place. All real improvement should lead to Godhead. It should give us all useful things by which to get rid of these temptations. As we are men we should lend our ears to know about the better situation of the transcendental world where the best aspects of the Reality are exhibited. Here we suffer from the difficulties of our eclipsed vision. It is, therefore, better to look after that region where all sorts of manifestive Nature are in vogue. The servitors of Godhead will always look to our interest. Here our friends sometimes like us and sometimes they turn against us. But here there is opportunity of hearing about our original home from the lips of persons who are quite familiar with the same. If we neglect the opportunity we shall repent in the long run. Their words will lift us and change our mentality. All sorts of puzzling questions will be solved if only we give our lending ear to those persons who have very little to do with this world. Our situations in this world are liable to change like fogs and mists. As intelligent men our prudent nature should manage sometimes to hear of the transcendental world and the manifestive nature, instead of being unaccountably diffident. Such incredulous attitude will not give us the opportunity. This external body will be changed and also our present situations. But we have got a transcendental frame. As soon as we will learn that the transcendental frame is working in us, this mortal coil will cease to trouble. The people of the West think that the mind is the soul. We differ from them. There exists an ample Indian literature in support of the view that the soul is the proprietor of the mind. The mind is the proxy of the soul to deal with the external world in five different relations as husband and spouse, master and servant, parent and child, as friend and as neutral. The soul is now enwrapped by some other foreign agency. Body is different from apparel. The soul is enwrapped by the gross and subtle material bodies. They are meant for the use of the soul for a certain period. When the true activity is latented the mind acts with the impetus of the senses alone, covering the soul by the material molecular substances. But the soul is the real entity. The senses are the working things, some of them for external and some for internal use. Grossness has an attraction for the ordinary run of people. It is meant for such people. Even the so-called philosophers are found to to the slogan that the gross material body should have the preference in all religious affairs of this world (sariram adhyam kalu dharma sadhanam). They are very busy with the gross and subtle material things, ignoring the very health of the soul. The material things will change. This change sometimes gives us facilities and sometimes hinders our progress. But the soul does not change and cannot be destroyed, although he is susceptible of being covered up by the subtle or abstract form of material grossness in the shape of our passing mentality which is a gift of Maya. She has given us the senses to measure the pleasing things for selfish aggrandisement. Religious people think they need not gratify the senses which are meant to delude only. As for instance we are liable to be deluded if we suppose the air of the atmosphere to be meant for our enjoyment or for the purpose of giving us temporary pleasures. That very opportunity will be taken away to let us know that is is not meant for our good. We are liable to be troubled by these impeding agents. Their number will show us that they are more numerous than the things that can give us bliss, the only thing that should be sought. The whole ecstatic centre is in Godhead. All pleasing sensation of this world, if properly judged, is found to hold for temporal purposes only, in order to have our fruits later on. It is the training plane. On this plane we are liable to suppose that everything is meant to serve us. But the real truth is that we are to serve Godhead in the five different capacities. It is only when we deem it fit to come down to this world to lord it over other finite entities for our enjoyment that our real position happens to be forgot to some extent. This contingency arises when we want to deprive our Lord. That tendency was innate with us. It led us to prefer this temporal region by our own desire. These entanglements will be slowly removed when the true suggestions will come to us on our meeting with persons who are cognisant of our interest. Optimistic people are apt to avoid such apparently pessimistic thoughts. They prefer to run into the troubles. But we should have the only Resort in the Absolute. Aural reception is the only track that we should follow. We should be prepared to hear how we can live a peaceful life and aspire after eternal bliss from the Absolute who can give it. Unless we submit to Him there is no possibility of getting to the Eternal Region. If we do otherwise we would be multiplying speculations that will only be checks. Instead of posing as the predominating agent we should pose as predominated agents in order to serve Godhead Who is the Source of all manifestive things; and all activities should tend to Him without hoping for any commercial return. We are Philistians averse to theological thought. We are for making money, earning fame and enjoying pleasures. This is the natural inclination here. All this non-Absolute propaganda is due to aversion to the service of the Absolute. We should, therefore, lend our ear to the descriptions of Transcendence in order to be able to understand how to get the true fruit of the soul instead of being misled by the mind. The mind is the proxy of the soul. He is always on the look-out for aggrandising his own interest at the expense of the principal if the latter thinks to pass his days in indolence, when he will be naturally deluded by the mind. The slumbering soul requires to be roused up. The best use of our intelligence, foresight, desirability, should be to make progress towards the eternal life. Temporal pleasures are bound to trouble us in the long run.

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Do Not Neglect Any Vaisnava Krishna loves the nirupadhi Vaisnava who executes His service without being noticed by anyone. But, if he is neglected by other Vaisnavas, Krishna does not accept the service of such devotees. The following narration reminds us of this fact: ******************************* When a Raja Suya sacrifice conducted by Yudishthira Maharaj ended successfully, the bell which hung in the center of the arena was known to ring on its own accord. Once, however, after the Brahmanas finished all their offerings to the Supreme, the rishis, and the demigods, everyone looked towards the bell but nothing happened. Desperate Yudishthira asked Krishna for help. He told them that they had worshipped all the great personalities but had neglected the simple humble Vaisnava. Arjuna knew one such devotee who lived in a straw hut outside Hastinapur. He went to bring him to the arena. The Vaisnava was reluctant and only upon hearing that he would meet Krishna did he agree to go with Arjuna on his chariot. There he was worshipped by all and Draupadi cooked a feast for him. He mixed all the different preparation together and ate with delight. Then he was taken back to his home and everybody looked towards the bell. Nothing happened. Yudishthira Maharaj was worried. There seemed to be no solution. Again the last resort was Krishna. What mistake did we commit now?" Krishna told them, Somebody must have offended that Vaisnava." They asked all, but everyone denied it. Finally, when they asked Draupadi she lowered her head and said, Yes , I offended him. I cooked a nice feast for him, but when he mixed all the preparations together I thought this devotee has no culture." Krishna confirmed that this was the offense. The next day Arjuna went to the same devotee. Again, it was difficult to convince him to return but finally he could not reject Arjuna's pleading. He was worshipped and Draupadi cooked another, even bigger feast for him. He mixed all the preparations together and as he ate the last morsel of food, the bell started to ring with great force and all the assembly rejoiced.

Marriage Humor Marriage is a three ring circus: engagement ring, wedding ring, and suffering. Marriage is bliss. Ignorance is bliss. Therefore .... Marriage is not a word; it is a sentence. Marriage is the triumph of imagination over intelligence. Second marriage is the triumph of hope over experience. (Marcel Proust) Marriage is when a man and woman become as one; the trouble starts when they try to decide which one. Marriages are made in heaven. But so again, are thunder and lightning. Before marriage, a man yearns for the woman he loves. After marriage, the 'Y' becomes silent. Do not marry a person that you know that you can live with; only marry someone that you cannot live without. I had some words with my wife, and she had some paragraphs with me. If you want your spouse to listen and pay strict attention to every word you say, talk in your sleep.

A poem(Krsna !) <font color="red"> Who's gonna save you when you're about to go over the edge(Krsna!) /images/graemlins/smirk.gif or off the rails(Krsna!) /images/graemlins/wink.gif Or jump into a bloody mess(Krsna!) /images/graemlins/tongue.gif of illusion ,confusion and delusion(Krsna!) /images/graemlins/confused.gif So who gonna kick your butt(Krsna!) /images/graemlins/blush.gif when you make offence to all the good people of this world(Are there any?)(Krsna!) /images/graemlins/ooo.gif Find out for sure whether or not you're flaming mad or not?(Krsna!) /images/graemlins/grin.gif </font color> --- Krsna das

Larry D. Shinn P.H.D : Reflections on Spiritual Leadership. ".... When I was asked to offer this brief reflection on Prabhupada, I was reminded of images of a special, holy man who, by his erudition and personal piety as well as by his traditional role, touched the lives of thousands of devotees in India, America and around the world. I was also struck by the realization that for all of his extraordinary attributes, Prabhupada could not pass on his own personal faith to his appointed successors even as he did pass on the mantle of leadership (that is, traditional roles) for ISKCON. As I reminisced about my interactions with Krishna gurus and devotees, which began in 1974 and intensified through the 1980s, I was struck by this realization that the traditional roles and scriptural erudition could be transmitted by teaching, but that the personal piety and deep faith that attracted devotees to Prabhupada could not. "...What is the legacy that Prabhupada has left for ISKCON? It is the legacy of traditional authority (parampara), scriptural erudition and personal piety as necessary corollaries to a healthy and vibrant Krishna faith. Even as the reformers in ISKCON attempted in the mid-1980s to reduce ISKCON'S reliance on relatively few gurus (by appointing many new ones) and to separate some managerial and organizational functions from the spiritual role of the guru, Prabhupada's legacy of personal piety and moral purity seldom was offered as the key to a new guru's success. Prabhupada's legacy is a faith marked by a blend of head and heart - both focused upon God's divine mercy and compassion-that separates the true spiritual master from the impostor. Too many of the early gurus relied upon their traditional scriptural authority alone or upon artificial affectations of spirituality to maintain their positions - until they "fell"...."

Thank you very much for assisting me in this way From Srila Prabhupada's Letters to Gopal Krishna Dasa: ******************************** v I am so glad that you want to chant 16 rounds of Hare Krishna mantra every day. And you can chant immediately. v You are so sincerely trying to push yourself in the matter of Krishna consciousness. Krishna is giving you some intelligence also and you are thinking in so many nice ways in the matter of serving the Lord. I am so glad to learn of it. v Your desire for opening many temples is very laudable. v May Krishna bless you with more Krishna consciousness activities, and you will feel a glorious life by Krishna's grace. I wish that all your good desires may be fulfilled without delay. - Hawaii, 16 March, 1969 v Wherever you remain you chant Hare Krishna regularly, and your example may be followed by others. The world needs this benefit, v So long I shall live I shall give you all assistance. v I have already asked you to think on the project how you can push on our books and literature. I cannot suggest any other alternatives, but if you can execute this will of mine, I shall remain ever-obliged to you. - New Vrindaban, 5 June, 1969 v You may take a little responsibility for organizing the sales, and wherever you will direct, they will dispatch the sample copies if so required. Or else we can send the copies to you in Montreal for you to do such propaganda. Work as you like. - New Vrindavana, 21 June, 1969 v I am very pleased to note that in such things you consult me. This is a very nice habit. I shall try to guide you to my best abilities. - Los Angeles, 31 July, 1969 v I thank you very much for your solemn assurance that you shall try to follow my teachings throughout your life. It is very encouraging. v I thank you very much for your submissive mentality, and as it is stated in the Bible that God is for the humble and meek, similarly, Vaishnavas are taught by Lord Caitanya to become humbler than the grass and more tolerant than the tree. Thus one can seriously execute progress in Krishna consciousness. - Hamburg, 3 September, 1969 v Krishna is giving you gradually more and more strength to serve Him. Just like a wrestler, simply by practicing wrestling amongst friends, gradually becomes stronger and the body is built up very nicely, Krishna consciousness is exactly like that: The more you serve Krishna, the more you get better strength to serve Him. Please remember this valuable advice and you will find it very convenient for your progressive march. v The BTG French edition is very nicely done. Even if our endeavor is not always successful, because it is done for Krishna, by nature it becomes nice. We have nothing to do with material considerations. - London, 16 November, 1969 v Regarding publication of French ‘Back to Godhead,’ for the present you are doing very excellently. My point is that BTG in French language must come out even irregularly. So you are fulfilling my desire in that way. v There are many big schemes about our European preaching work, specifically advancing the sankirtana movement and publishing our literatures, but nothing has yet taken a practical shape. Under the circumstances, whatever you are doing is for the good. So until something practical is taking place in Paris, you continue to do this work--that is a great service to the Lord. I am very much pleased with your endeavor. v Regarding sending me money, I thank you very much that you are always eager to spend for Krishna, and Krishna will give you more and more opportunities to utilize your hard earned money for Krishna's service. v You can save money as much as possible for constructing buildings or Temples in India. The money saved in this connection either may be kept by you under separate fixed deposit in the bank, or may be sent to me for future utilization v I am very glad to learn that you have prepared one long article for sending to the ‘Illustrated Weekly of India.’ That is very nice, and if possible write some further articles, either in Hindi or English, for being published in India. - Los Angeles, 9 March, 1970 v I have just heard from Gargamuni that you would like to print future issues of French language BTG in a small size about the size of our ‘Two Essays.’ So if you think that this will help increase the sales, then do it with my approval. - Los Angeles, 16 March, 1970 v Please accept my blessings. I beg to thank you very much for your letter dated 5th July, 1970, along with the new blueprint of French BTG. It is very, very nicely done. v Your practical service to Krishna consciousness movement is very much appreciated by me. - Los Angeles, 15 July, 1970 v I very much appreciate the new edition of French ‘Back to Godhead’ enclosed, printed by our ISKCON Press. Overall the magazine was very nicely produced and I am pleased. v I am very glad to learn that you are trying to distribute our books. Please continue with this program as it is so very important. - Allahabad , 21 January, 1971 v I am very happy to hear of your new plan for forming the travelling Hindu sankirtana party. That is a very nice idea. So you may organize the party as you see fit, and if you yourself are able sometimes to go with them, you will be able to instruct them how to do it in the best way possible. You have got good experience for managing in business world, so why not you become also expert organizer for Krishna? That plan is very much liked by me, now do it nicely, and may Lord Krishna give you His all blessings more and more. Thank you very much for assisting me in this way. - Bombay, 3 December, 1972

GURU-TATTVA: The Guru Principle One must accept a genuine guru in the proper disciplic line. 1. 1 tad vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet samit panim srotriyam brahma-nistham One who wants scientific knowledge about the Supreme Truth must approach a bona fide guru and offer him everything required for sacrifice. The guru must be fixed in the truth, having heard it from a genuine source. (Mundaka Upanisad 1.2.12) 1. 2 acarayavan puruso veda Only one who has a guru can know the truth. (Chandogya Upanisad 6.18.2) 1. 3 uttisthata jasrata prapya varan nibodhata ksurasya dhara nisita duratyaya durgam pathas tat kavayo vadanti Awake, arise: Having obtained the human form of life, you must not sleep in the darkness of ignorance. Awaken knowledge of your real self by associating with great souls and obtaining their mercy. This material creation is as sharp as a razor's edge, for it is the cause of many miseries. It is impossible to cross over without transcendental knowledge. Therefore one must take shelter of the great learned transcendentalists who forever sing the praises of that Supreme Person who is the destroyer of birth and death. (Katha Upanisad 1.3.14) 1. 4 yasya deve para bhaktir yatha deve tatha gurau tasyaite kathita hy artham prakasante mahatmanm To those great souls who serve both guru and Krsna with exclusive devotion, the import of the Vedas is fully revealed. (Setasvatara Upanisad 6.23) 1. 5 nayam atma pravacanena labhyo na medhaya na bahuna srutena yam evaisa vrnute tena labhyas tasyaisa atma vivrute tanum svam The Supreme Self can never be known by argument, reasoning, intelligence, or scholarship. The finite can never know the infinite. By His own sweet will, however, the Infinite may reveal Himself to the finite in His personal divine form. Those who wish to know the infinite must therefore submit to him through surrender. (Katha Upanisad 1.2.23) 1. 6 janana-maranadi-samsaranala-santapto dipta-sira jala-rasim iva upahara-panbm sotriyam brahma-nistham gurum upasrtya tam anusarati Just as a person whose head is on fire runs to water, one who burns from the flames of birth death, old age, and disease in the holocaust of material existence must run to a genuine guru for relief. Such a guru must be fixed in the Absolute Truth and well-versed in the scriptures. One should approach him with all that is needed for for sacrifice and submit to him as a disciple, ready to carry out his every instruction. (Vedanta-Sara 11) 1. 7 jiva nitya krsna-dasa, taha bhuli' gela ei dose mayat ara galaya bandhila Because the soul has forgotten that he is the eternal servant of Krsna, the illusory energy (maya ) has chained him by the neck. (Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya 22.24) 1. 8 krsna bhuli' sei jiva anadi-bahir-mukha ataeva maya ta're deya samsarai dumha Because of forgetting Krsna, the soul has become averse to the loving service of the Lord since time immemorial. Thus the illusory energy gives him innumerable miseries in the material world. (Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya 20.117) 1. 9 krsna-bahir-mukha haiya bhoga va-cha kare nikata-stha maya tare japatiya dhare pisaci paile yena mati-chhanna haya maya-grasta jivera haya se bhava udaya "ami nitya krsna-dasa" - ei katha bhule mayara naphara haiya cira -dina bule kabhu raja, kabhu praja, kabhu vipra, sudra kabhu sukhi, kabhu dumkhi, kabhu kita, ksudra kabhu svarge, kabhu martye, narake va kabhu kabhu deva, kabhu daitya kabhu dasa prabhu Being averse to the loving service of the Supreme Lord, the living entity tries to satisfy his lusty desries for sense gratification, and the illusory energy clasps him tightly within her embrace. The living entity, thus captured by the illusory energy, becomes just like a madman under a witch's spell. "I am the eternal servant of Krsna" - forgetting this, the soul becomes the slave of Maya and forever wanders through a succession of lives. Sometimes he is a king and sometimes a subject. Now he is a brahmana, now a sudra, now an insignificant ant. Sometimes happy, sometimes sad, now he goes to heaven, now to hell. Sometimes he is a god and sometimes a devil, now a servant, now a lord. (Prema-Vivarta ) 1. 10 (ei rupa) brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva guru-krsna-prasade paya bhakti-lata-bija tate krsna bhaje kare gurura sevana mayajala chute paya sri krsna carana Wandering throughout the universe in this way, the living entity who is fortunate meets a bona fide spiritual master by the mercy of Sri Krsna. And by the mercy of the spiritual master, he receives the seed of the creeper of transcendental loving service to the Lord. By worshipping Krsna and rendering service to the spiritual master, one is liberated from the illusory world of maya, and attains the lotus feet of the Lord. (Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya 19.151, 22.25) 1. 11 mukam karoti vacalam pangum langhayate girim yat krpa tam aham vande paramananda madhavam I offer my respectful obeisances unto Madhava, who is the personification of transcendental bliss. By His mercy, a blind man can see the stars in the sky, a lame man can cross mountains, and a dumb man can speak eloquent words of poetry. (Bhavartha. Dipika , Mangala Stotram 1) 1. 12 caitanya lilamrta pura, krsna lila sukarpura, duhe mile haya sumadhurya sadhu-guru-prasade, taha yei asvade, sei jane madhurya pracurya The pastimes of Sri Caitanya are the abode of nectarine love of Godhead and are just like thick condensed milk. The pastimes of Sri Krsna are just like camphor. When these are combined together, they are very sweet. By the mercy of the Gaudiya Vaisnava guru who is a true saint, one can taste that sweetness unlimitedly. (Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya 25.277) A qualified guru and disciple are hard to find. 1. 13 sravanayapi bahubhir yo na labhyam srnvanto 'pi bahavo na vidyum ascaryo 'sya vakta kusalo 'sya labhda ascaryo jnata kusalanusistam Many cannot even hear about the soul, and even after hearing about the soul, many cannot understand it; this is because it is hard to find a guru who is a genuine seer of the truth. Such a qualified guru is a great soul and is very rare. At the same time, realization of the truth can be had only by those disciples who carefully follow the qualified guru's teachings and become expert in the science of God. Such disciples are also very rare. Thus it is that only a few ever come to know the soul in truth. (Katha Upanisad 1.2.7.) A genuine guru knows krsna-tattva, the truth about Krsna. He is surrendered to Krsna, and is well-versed in all the Vedic literatures. 1. 14 tasmad gurum prapadyeta jijnasum sreyam uttamam sabde pare ca nisnatam brahmany upasamasrayam One who is searching for the Ultimate Truth must surrender unto a spiritual master, a guru. A guru knows the inner meaning of the Vedas, is fixed in the Absolute Truth (Krsna) and is expert in the sastra, the revealed scriptures. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.3.21) 1. 15 krpa-sindhum su-sampurnam sarva-sattvopakarakam nisprham sarvatam siddham sarva-vidya-visaradam sarva-samsaya-samchetta 'nalaso gurur amrtah The Hari-bhakti-vilasa gives the following definition of a guru: One who is an ocean of mercy, who is fulfilled in all respects, who is possessed of all good qualities, who always works for the benefit of all souls, who is free from lust, who is perfect in all respects, who is well-versed in the scriptures and who knows the science of Krsna, who can remove all the doubts of his disciples, and who is always alert in the service of Krsna is to be known as a guru. (Hari-Bhakti-Vilasa 1.45,46 quoted from Visnu-smrti vacana ) A guru is a goswami, master of the senses. 1. 16 vaco vegam manasam krodha vegam jihva vegam udaropastha vegam etan vega yo visaheta dhiram sarva apimam prthivim sa sisyat A guru is one who can control the urge to speak, the mind's demands, the actions of anger, and the urges of the tongue, belly, and genitals. Such a guru is a goswami, a master of his senses and is qualified to make disciples all over the world. (Upadesamrta, 1) 1. 17 sat-karma nipuno vipro mantra-tantra-visaradam avaisnavo guru na syad vaisnavam svapaco gurum A brahmana may be expert in mantra, ritual, and the six brahminical kinds of work - performing and teaching sacrificed, studying and teaching scripture, giving and receiving charity - but if he is not a Vaisnava, he cannot be a guru. On the other hand, A Vaisnava may become a guru , even if he is born in a family of untouchable outcastes. (Hari-Bhakti-Vilasa, Padma Vacana ) A pure devotee is the guru of all the castes and social orders (varnas and asramas ) 1. 18 vipra ksatriya vaisas ca guravam sudra janmanam sudras ca guravas tesam trayanam bhagavat-priyam A brahmana, ksatriya, or vaisya are usually the gurus for those born as sudras. A Vaisnava, however, because he is dear to the Supreme Lord, is the guru of these higher castes, even if born a sudra. (Padma Purana ) 1. 19 kiba vipra, kiba nyasi, sudra kene naya yei krsna-tattva-vetta, sei guru haya Whether a person is a brahmana, a sannyasi, or a sudra, if he is knows the science of Krsna, he is to be accepted as guru. (Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya 8.127) 1. 20 kiba varni, kiba srami, kiba varnasrama hina krsna tattva yei, sei acarya pravina asala katha chadi' bha ivarne ye kare aara asad-guru kari' ta 're vinasta purvapara Whatever caste one may belong to - including sudras and outcastes - if he is expert in the science of Krsna, he is to be accepted as an acarya. One who ignores this principle, and recognizes a guru only on the basis of social position, will accept a bogus guru as his master and thus be ruined. (Prema-Vivarta ) A real guru is an acarya of sambandha-jnana, knowledge of one's relationship with the Supreme Lord, Sri Krsna. 1. 21 vairagya-yug bhakti-rasam prayatnair apayayam mam anabhipsum andham krpambudhhir yam para-dumkha-dukhi sanatanam tam prabhum asrayami I surrender unto Sri Sanatana Goswami, the acarya of sambandha-jnana. He is an ocean of mercy and is always unhappy to see the sufferings of others. Although I was blind, in the darkness of ignorance, he gave me the light of transcendental knowledge. He taught me the real meaning of detachment and made me drink the highest nectarine rasa of divine love. (Vilapa -kusuma-jali, 6 ) Who is an acarya? 1. 22 upaniya tu yam ssyam vedam adhyapayed dvijam sankalpam sa-rahasyam ca tam acaryam pracaksate An acarya is one who not only confers the sacred thread upon his disciples, but trains them in sacrifice and teaches them the esoteric meanings of the Vedic scriptures, including the Upanisads. According to saintly authorities, such a spiritual master is an acarya. (Manu Samhita 2.140) 1. 23 acinoti yam sastrartham acare sthapayaty api svayam acarate yasma acaryas tena kirtitam An acarya is one who fully understands the conclusions of the revealed scriptures. His own behavior reflects his deep realization, and thus he is a living example of divine precept. He is therefore known as an acarya, ore one who teaches the meaning of the scriptures both by word and deed. (Vayu Purana ) 1. 24 yad yad acarati sresthas tat tad evetaro janam sa yat pramanam kurute lokas tad anuvartate Whatever acts a great man performs, common men follow. And whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, the whole world pursues. (Bhagavad-gita 3.21) 1. 25 apane acare keha na kare pracara pracara karena keha, na karena acara acara pracara namera karaha dui karya tumi sarva-guru tumi jagatera arya Some practice, but do not preach; others preach but do not practice. One who is perfect, however, in both preaching and practice is the guru of the entire universe. You [Haridasa thakura] are a real jagad-guru, for you practice what you preach. (Caitanya Caritamrta Antya 4.102,103) 1. 26 apani acari' bhakti sikhamu sabare I [sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu] will teach bhakti to everyone by practicing it myself. (Caitanya Caritamrta Adi 3.20) 1. 27 apani na kaile dharma sikhana na yaya If I do not do this Myself, then the principles of religion will not be taught. (Caitanya Caritamrta Adi 3.21) The "Inconceivable Oneness and Difference" (acintya bhedabheda-tattva ) of guru, Vaisnava, and Krsna: 1. 28 acaryam mam vijaniyam navamanyeta karhicit na martya buddhyasuyeta sarva-deva mayo gurum [Krsna told Uddhava] "Know the acarya as My Self. I am the acarya . Never envy the acarya; never blaspheme him or consider him to be an ordinary man. Because the acarya channels the infinite, He is greater than the sum total of all the finite. Thus, he is more important than all the gods. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.17.27) 1. 29 vande gurun isa-bhaktan isam isavatarakan tat-prakasams ca tac chaktim krsna caitanya sanjnakam I worship the Supreme Lord Sri Caitanya, who appears in six features as: instructing and initiating gurus ; the Lord's devotees beginning with Srivasa hakura; His avataras such as Advaita Acarya; His prakasa, or full expansion (Nityananda Prabhu) and his sakti, or divine energy, (Gadadhara Pandita). (Caitanya Caritamrta Adi 1.1) 1. 30 krsna, guru-dvaya, bhakta, avatara, prakasa sakti - ei chaya rupe karena vilasa The Supreme Lord appears in six features: 1) Sri Krsna; 2) the two kinds of gurus (diksa and siksa-guru: initiating and instructing gurus ); 3) bhaktas , devotees; 4) avataras, .different incarnations of Godhead; 5) prakasa, complete expansions or manifestations of His own Self; 6) sakti, His divine energy. In these six features the Supreme Lord enjoys his transcendental pastimes. (Caitanya Caritamrta Adi 1.32) 1. 31 yadyapi amara guru - caitanyera dasa tathapi janiye ai tanhaa prakasa Although I know my guru is a servitor of Sri Caitanya, I know Him also as a full manifestation (prakasa ) of Godhead Himself. (Caitanya Caritamrta Adi 1.44) The two kinds of instructing gurus: caitya guru (the guru in the heart) and mahanta guru (the personal guru). 1. 32 guru-krsna-rupa hana sastrera pramane guru-rupe krsna krpa karena bhakta-gane According to the evidence of sastra the guru is nondifferent from Krsna, because it is through the guru that Krsna bestows mercy upon His devotees. (Caitanya Caritamrta Adi 1.45) 1. 33 siksa guruke ta' jani krsnera svarupa antaryami, bhakta-srestha - ei dui rupa One should know the instructing guru (siksa guru ) to be Krsna Himself. As guru, Krsna has two forms: the Supersoul and the best of devotees. (Caitanya Caritamrta Adi 1.47) 1. 34 jive saksat nahi, tate guru caittya-rupe siksa-guru haya krsna mahanta-svarupe Since one cannot directly see the Supersoul, Krsna appears before us as a liberated devotee. Such a siksa-guru is none other than Krsna Himself. 1. 35 naivopayanty apacitim kavayas tavesa brahmayusapi krtam rddha mudam smarantam yo'ntar bahis tanu-bhrtam asubham vidhunvann acarya-caittya vapusa sva-gatim vyanakti Uddhava said to Sri Krsna: "O my Lord! Transcendental poets and experts in spiritual science could not fully express their indebtedness to You, even if they were endowed with the lifetime of Brahma, for You appear in two features - externally as the acarya and internally as the Supersoul - to deliver the embodied living beings by revealing to them your devotional service and teaching them how to approach you on the path of divine love. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.29.6) By the mercy of Krsna, one obtains the mercy of guru. 1. 36 krsna yadi krpa karena kona bhagyavane guru antaryami-rupe sikhaya apane When a fortunate soul receives Krsna's mercy, the Lord personally instructs that person as the Supersoul within and as the guru from without. (Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya 22.47) Sri Guru gives systematic and scientific knowledge about the highest spiritual reality: Sri Vrndavana dhama. Gaudiya Vaisnavas,therefore, recognize Sri Guru as being nondifferent from Sripad Rupa Goswami. 1. 37 ajnana timirandhasya jnana-jana salakaya caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri guruve namam I was born in the darkness of ignorance, but my gurudeva healed my blindness with the salve of divine knowledge. I offer my humble obeisances unto him. (Prema-bhakti-candrika - Narottama dasa thakura) 1. 38 sri caitanya mano 'bhistam sthapitam yena bhutale svayam rupam kada mahyam dadati sva-padantikam Srila Rupa Goswami has carried out the heart's desire of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu by establishing the Krsna consciousness movement all over the world. When will he give me shelter at his lotus feet? (Prema-bhakti-candrika - Narottama dasa thakura) 1. 39 sri guru carana padma, kevala bhakati sadma, vandon mu-i savadhana mate yanhara prasade bhai, e bhava tariya yai, krsna-prapti haya yanha ha'te guru-mukha-padma-vakya, cittete kariya aikya, ara na kariha mane asa sri-guru carane rati, ei se uttama gati, ye prasade pure sarva asa caksu dana dila yei, janme janme prabhu sei, divya-jnana hrde prakasita prema-bhakti yanja haite, avidya vinasa yate, vede gaya yanhara carita The holy feet of Sri Guru are the only way by which we can attain pure devotional service, for they are the abode of pure bhakti. I worship his lotus feet with great care and attention. By his mercy, one can cross over the ocean of material existence and attain the mercy of Krsna. Brothers: Make the words from his lotus mouth your heart's only treasure. Don't wish for anything more than this. Attachment to his lotus feet is the highest goal of life. By his mercy, all hopes are fulfilled. He has opened my eyes and filled my heart with transcendental knowledge. He is my lord, birth after birth. From him divine love emanates; by him, ignorance is destroyed. The Vedas sing his glories. (Prema-bhakti-candrika - Narottama dasa hakura) Sri Guru is krsna-sakti, the divine energy of Krsna, and is known as mukunda-prestha: most dear to the Lord. 1. 40 na dharmam nadharamam sruti-gana niruktam kila kuru vraje radha-krsna-pracura-paricaryam iha tanu saci-sunum nandisvara-pati-statve guru-varam mukunda-presthatve smara param ajasram nanu manam O mind! Shun all connection with Vedic piety and impiety. Always serve Sri Radha and Krsna in Vrndavana with all your heart, and know that Sri Caitanya, the son of Saci, is Sri Krsna, the son of Nanda. And always remember that gurudeva is mukunda-prestha, the dearmost servant of Sri Krsna. [NOTE: Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, in his purport to Caitanya Caritamrta Adi 1.46, translates the Anubhbhasya commentary of his gurudeva, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati hakura as follows: comments of Srila Bhaktivinoda hakura as follows: " As mentioned previously, a disciple should always respect the spiritual master as a manifestation of Krsna, but at the same time one should always remember that a spiritual master is never authorized to imitate the transcendental pastimes of the Lord. False spiritual masters pose themselves as identical with Sri Krsna in every respect to exploit the sentiments of their followers, but such impersonalists can only mislead their disciples, for their ultimate aim is to become one with the Lord. This is against the principles of the devotional cult. The real Vedic philosophy is acintya-bhedabheda-tattva, which establishes everything as simultaneously one with and different from the Personality of Godhead. Srila Raghunatha Dasa Goswami confirms that this is the real position of a bona fide spiritual master and says that one should always think of the spiritual master in terms of his intimate relations with Mukunda (Sri Krsna..)"] (Manam-Siksa 2, Srila Raghunatha Dasa Goswami) Sri Gurudeva is gaura-sakti, the divine energy of Sri Gauranga, and gaura-priyattama, the dearmost of Sri Gauranga. 1. 41 saksad haritvena samasta sastrair uktas tatha bhavyata eva sadbhim kintu prabhor yam priya eva tasya vande gurom sri--caranaravindam According to the verdict of all the revealed scriptures and saintly persons, gurudeva is to be honored as much as Sri Krsna Himself. Gurudeva is considered as such because he is the dearmost servant of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna Caitanya. I offer my humble obeisances unto the lotus feet of such a spiritual master. [NOTE: Quoting again the same Anubhasya commentary as in the previous verse, "Following in the footsteps of Srila Raghunatha Dasa Goswami and Srila Jiva Goswami, later acaryas like Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti hakura have confirmed the same truths. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti hakura confirms that all the revealed scriptures accept the spiritual master to be identical with the Personality of Godhead because he is a very dear and confidential servant of the Lord. Gaudiya Vaisnavas therefore worship Srila Gurudeva (the spiritual master) in the light of his being the servitor of the Personality of Godhead. In all the ancient literatures of devotional service, and in the more recent songs of Bhaktivinoda hakura and other unalloyed Vaisnavas, the spiritual master is considered either one of the confidential associates of Srimati Radharani or a manifested representative of Srila Nityananda Prabhu." ] (Gurvastakam, 7, Visvanatha Cakravarti thakura.) 1. 42 suddha-bhaktam sri-guro sri sivasya ca bhagavata saha abheda-drstim-tat -priyatama tvenaiva manyante Whenever the scriptures describe sri gurudeva and Lord Siva as being nondifferent from Sri Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, pure devotees (suddha-bhaktas ) consider that this is because of their being the most beloved of Sri Krsna. [NOTE: Again quoting the same commentary of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati hakura as translated by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prahupada in Caitanya Caritamrta Adi 1.46: "Jiva Goswami has clearly defined that a pure devotee's observation of the spiritual master and Lord Siva as one with the Personality of Godhead exists in their being very dear to the Lord, not identical with Him in all respects." (Bhakti-Sandarbha 216, Sri Jiva Goswami) One who becomes a guru in name only commits a great offense. 1. 43 gurur na sa syat sva-jano na sa syat pita na sa syaj janani na sa syat daivam na tat syan na patis ca sa syat na mocayed yam samupeta mrtyum One who cannot deliver his dependants from the path of repeated birth and death should never become a guru, a relative, a father, mother, demigod, or husband. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 5 .5.18) 1. 44 sei se parama bandhu, sei pita-mata sri-krsna-carane yei prema-bhakti-data sakala janme pita-mata sabe paya krsna guru nahi mile, bhajaha hiyaya Under ordinary circumstances one's own father and mother are worshipable. And yet in every lifetime one gets a father and mother. It is a far rarer thing to get guru and Krsna. Because gurudeva can bestow prema-bhakti to the lotus feet of Krsna upon those who have attained his mercy, gurudeva is the topmost father and mother and friend of every living soul. (Caitanya Mangala, Madhya-khanda ) Thus ends the first jewel of the Gaudiya-Kanthahara, part one, entitled Guru-Tattva.

Sri Vyasa-puja Hyderabad, August 19, 1976 con't So anyone of you, you can become guru. It is not that I am an extraordinary man, an extraordinary god coming from some mysterious place. It is not that-- it is very simple thing. Caitanya Mahaprabhu says yare dekha tare kaha krsna'-upadesa. So I request you follow the Caitanya Mahaprabhu's instruction that you also, you become a guru at your home

So Krsna says that acaryam mam vijaniyan: "You accept acarya as I am." Why? I see that he is a man. His sons call him father, or he looks like a man, so why he should be as good as God? Because he speaks as God speaks, that's all. Therefore. He does not make any change. Just like God says, Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja. The guru says that you surrender to Krsna or God. The same word. God says man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru. Guru says that you always think of Krsna, you surrender unto Him, you offer Him prayer, you become His devotee. There is no change. Because he says as the Supreme Personality says, therefore he is guru. Even though you see that he is materially born, his behavior is like other men. But because he says the same truth as it is spoken in the Vedas or by the Personality of Godhead, therefore he is guru. Because he does not make any change whimsically, therefore he is guru. That is the definition. It is very simple.

Sri Vyasa-puja Hyderabad, August 19, 1976 Who requires a guru? Guru is not a fashion just like you keep a dog as a fashion, modern civilization, similarly we keep a guru. No, not like that. Who requires a guru? Tasmad gurum prapadyeta jijnasuh sreya uttamam-- one who is actually serious to understand the science of spirit soul. Tad vijnanam. Om tat sat. He requires a guru. Guru is not a fashion.

To regard oneself as a guru of Vaisnavas is an impediment to one’s humility. Those who do not listen to the instructions of Siksataka set forth by Srî Gaurasundara, who are forgetful of their actual spiritual identity, who are greedy for prestige and material gain and who are thus anxious to obtain the status of Vaisnava or guru to satisfy their senses, can never chant the holy name of the Lord. A disciple who has faith in the kîrtana performances of such persons also cannot obtain qualification for hearing the holy name. Therefore, one should chant the holy name of the Lord while considering oneself lower than the straw in the street, being more tolerant than a tree, devoid of false prestige and offering all respect to others.

Sri Siksatakam verse 3 “Thinking oneself to be even lower and more worthless than insignificant grass which has been trampled beneath everyone’s feet, being more tolerant than a tree, being prideless, and offering respect to all others according to their respective positions, one should continuously chant the holy name of Srî Hari.” Srî Sanmodana Bhåßyam Four symptoms are observed in the sådhaka who chants the holy name of Srî Krsna free from all offenses: (1) natural humility born of complete detachment from material sense gratification, (2) pure compassion devoid of envy, (3) purity of heart free from materialistic false ego, and (4) an attitude of respect toward everyone in accordance with their respective positions. 1. Trnåd-api sunîcena: Humbler than a blade of grass When Srî-harinåma, which is the personification of apråk®ta-cinmaya-rasa, makes its appearance in the heart of the sådhaka, it overwhelms his heart and he begins to think thus: “Aho, I am by nature infinitesimal consciousness (anucaitanya) and a servant of Srî Krsna. I have absolutely no use for mundane material objects. Alas! Alas! Due to my apathy toward Srî Krsna, I now find myself in a miserable plight. I have fallen into the cycle of repeated birth and death, and I am being scorched by various kinds of afflictions. By the mercy of Srî guru and Vaisnavas, I have now understood that my indifference can be dissipated only by sådhana of bhagavadbhakti. “By becoming situated again in my constitutional identity, I can obtain bhagavat-prema. Therefore, until, by the grace of Bhagavån, I obtain release from material existence, I shall have to take support of the principle of yukta-vairågya. While cultivating sambandha-jñåna, I will accept only those things which are appropriate for the maintenance of life. “Misery arising from scarcity, disease, lamentation, and old age, as well as happiness arising from wealth, good health, strength, knowledge, and so on are all manifest reactions of previous activities known as prårabdha-karma. These I will certainly have to enjoy or suffer. Loss and gain, life and death, happiness and distress are not påramårthika, meaning that they have nothing to do with ultimate spiritual reality. Therefore, I have absolutely no use for these mundane subjects. Thinking in this way, I shall say with great humility: “‘Alas, Alas! Krsna! Gauracandra! Prånanåtha! When shall I obtain Your unadulterated service? Please be merciful upon this wretched and fallen soul, and accept me without delay.’ Speaking in this way, I shall pass my days, somehow or other, living either at home or in the forest. “Even though grass is a material object, its ego in respect to matter is natural and reasonable. But my ego in respect to the present subtle and gross material body is fundamentally wrong, because it is not related to my pure constitutional nature. The ego of grass is real, but my material ego is unreal. Therefore, it is only proper for me to become even lower than a blade of grass.”

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/3769497.stm

I mean isn't it the time for bhajan when you're old,invalid and senile ? /images/graemlins/blush.gif Can you do anything else but chant Hare Krsna when the senses have been blunted by burn-out programs ? /images/graemlins/shocked.gif Or will the mind still full of lusty desire for carnal pleasure drag our decrepit stinking bodies to hell in spite of our most valiant attempts at calling out the Holy Names? /images/graemlins/confused.gif

O God,history seems to repeat itself again and again... ************************************** Ethnic cleansing blights Sudan By Hilary Andersson BBC correspondent, Sudan Refugees in Chad have reported arbitrary killings and rape It is being called the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Arab militia men have driven an estimate one million black Sudanese villagers from their homes and there have been massacres on an unknown scale. The crisis in the Darfur region of western Sudan has finally caught the world's attention. Darfur feels like the end of the earth. Desert winds of the Sahara blow and cause the sands to swirl high, choking anyone in their path. They cloud the barren landscape with an opaque curtain that turns any inhabitants into shadows that can sometimes barely be made out. We were travelling towards Darfur through roads of deep sand, over land in the remote reaches of eastern Chad, where often there was no road at all. The killers tore Fadidja's clothes off, beat her, broke her arm and then raped her, one by one At a refugee camp near the Sudanese border we began to talk to those who had fled Darfur and I soon realised that these were not normal stories of war. Fadidja Isaac Ali, 35 years old and from a town in Darfur called Mulli, sat before me with her baby in her arms as she talked. She had been shopping at the market in her village when the gunmen came. "The bullets began to fly, people fell, people ran. The evil men had come", she said. "Who are the evil men?", I asked. "The Janjaweed", she said. Historical feud On that day in Mullis market, she said, 55 people were massacred. The killers found that Fadidja had survived and three of them took her away, tore her clothes off, beat her, broke her arm and then raped her, one by one. All the stories we heard were similar. No-one in the refugee camps spoke of gun battles between soldiers, only of massacres of civilians by the Janjaweed militia - Arab militiamen often seen fighting with the Sudanese government - or of massacres resulting from aerial bombings of villages by Sudanese government planes. Every time I asked why they thought this was being done to them, they said the same thing: "It is because we are black." It may seem strange that here in the middle of Africa, one type of black person - they call themselves Arabs - would drive another blacker type of person from their homes. But then remember, the Hutus massacred the Tutsis in Rwanda. And whites ethnically cleansed whites in Bosnia. Ethnic cleansing always seems to be rooted in dark historical feuds and it is the same here. For years there have been tensions between the blacks and Arabs of Darfur over cattle, and now Sudan's government feels threatened by the emergence of rebel groups in the area. Living with fear For several days we journeyed on until we reached a tiny village on the border with Darfur. There we met the Sudanese Liberation Army (SLA) rebels, who try to defend the blacks of Darfur. The commander, Hamis, was in a small mud hut surrounded by sandbags. He was charging his satellite phone from a homemade wooden box of DD batteries, and two 20-year-old M3 rifles were stacked by his bed. The SLA took up arms in 2003 We set off on foot to cross the border into Sudan and into what must be the world's most remote war zone on the edge of the Sahara... in 50 degree heat. My head was thumping from the sun. Eventually we entered a grove of mango trees. Hidden inside were about 30 SLA soldiers. Some were uniformed, some not. One wore a Tommy Hilfiger jacket. They wore amulets on their heads, containing little Muslim prayer books, and each had an old automatic weapon. Then came a distant drone. The young soldiers went quiet, eyes to the sky. Above were government Antonovs capable of carrying a massive amount of explosives. Had the planes bombed we would have been obliterated. I felt strangely cold, and the sickly feeling of fear began to creep in. This is what it must feel like to be a villager in Darfur. The planes continued north, thank God. 'Execution-style massacres' The men offered us horses for the rest of the journey and we rode through the heat of the day into the heart of Darfur. The rebels fanned out in front of us in case the Janjaweed militia were in the area. But it was silent here. Very few journalists have been able to reach Darfur The villagers had already left or been killed. The villages were burnt, their schools were empty, the books torn up, and the wells had been destroyed so no-one could come back. There were abandoned shoes and cooking pots. The place resounded with its own emptiness. I had spent weeks before my trip trying to find a way of accessing an area nearby, from where stories were filtering out of execution-style massacres. But it was simply too dangerous to go there. So I had asked if an eyewitness to a massacre could get here to meet us. The message miraculously had travelled and one came. Ongoing atrocities Abdul was from a town called Deliege, where more than 100 black men, he said, were taken off in government trucks to a valley. Abdul says he heard the guns when more than 70 of them were executed by a bullet to the back of the head. He carried a list of those who were killed at other similar massacres nearby. The killings are still going on now. There was another massacre just days ago. Ethnic cleansing in its rawest form is rampaging unchecked in Darfur. We returned to the mango tree rebel base late at night, and the rebels lit a fire and made tea. Then they escorted us back out into the desert and under the immense black sky and a vast array of stars we crossed back into Chad. It was such a dark night that we could not even see our feet before us. We slept on the ground that night, just across the border from the rebel base. I woke up when the moon finally rose at three o'clock in the morning. I watched as it cast its pale ghostly light across the cursed land we had seen and wondered, after Rwanda and Bosnia, why Darfur is being allowed to happen?

Progress on Visnupriya Asrama From JayaLalita Devi Dasi Posted June 3, 2004 This is a follow-up article to one that was submitted in late April. We are in the very beginning stages of planning. All positive input is welcome. Our forum is apolitical. In 1965, Srila Prabhupada left Vrndavan to come to America, where he brought the key and opened the door to Gaudiya Vaisnavism for the entire world. That door opened by Srila Prabhupada has resulted in many Gaudiya Vaisnavas who are currently preaching throughout the world and many new devotees being made. Indeed this is a very wonderful thing. At the same time the following must be considered: Many of the first devotees to come to Krsna consciousness are getting older and due to various circumstances, for many of these older-bodied devotees, especially ladies, there are no Gaudiya Vaisnava ashrams or communities that will accommodate them. This also applies to other older-bodied devotees who have come to Krsna at a later date. Thus, quite a number of these devotees are being forced to live alone in the non-devotee world, often by themselves (or with non-devotee family members), and with no association of other devotees. This means that they may end up having to spend the rest of their lives living (and even dying) in an environment where there is no devotee association. Thanks and appreciation from dipika.org to our sponsor and host, The doors to practically all Gaudiya Vaisnava ashrams and communities have been and are still closed to such devotees. Thus, the need has arisen for starting different types of facilities for older-bodied Vaisnavas, especially Vaisnavis, so they can be provided with an environment conducive to their living out the rest of their lives in the association of other devotees where they can peacefully practice Krsna consciousness if this is their desire. With this aim in mind, several devotees have started to correspond with one another to try to see about getting something going in this direction. We are in the very beginning of this, basically exchanging different ideas, both in what should be arranged for older devotees as well as how we can go about getting it done. If you would like to be part of the input to this very necessary endeavor, please join the VRNDA forum at VRNDA If there is some problem in getting admittance to the forum through the above, please contact us at gibbsjulie@sbcglobal.net and we will do our best to help you. So far we are discussing the following: 1) The establishment of some type of facility or facilities for older-bodied devotees as well as hospices, be these a combined facility, separate, or both. 2) The establishment of Vishnupriya ashrams set up either as temple/ashram or a Vishupriya community or a Vishnupriya ashram set up for women in an already established general devotee community. Many more ideas can also be given. We plan to develop this project with well-reviewed facility plans and regular accounting reports to donors. We welcome whatever ideas or other contributions you may have to make. Yours in the service of Sri Sri Guru and Gauranga, Hare Krsna, JayaLalitadd vanca-kalpatarubhyas ca krpa-sindubhya eva ca patitanam pavanebhyo vaisnavebhyo namo namah [see "Planning: Asramas for Older Vaisnavis," dipika.org, April 30, 2004]

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Modern people may hesitate to accept a guru by Suneel Kunamaneni Posted on chakra June 3, 2004 I absolutely agree with Zack Sunderman ("To be a Guru"). However, I felt I should express my opinions as well. Firstly, it is very important to realize how fast the world has changed within the last 20 years or so. An ordinary man would feel that there is far more variety and pleasure in material objects than many seemingly monotonous spiritual organisations can provide. Many Vaishnava sects may be existing just because individuals want to be different from others. It is this difference that gives rise to different sectarian views and Vaishnavism, at least in the first few years of the 21st century, appears to be founded on these principles. I have seen numerous arguments on different topics like the issue of authority, strict adherence to the four regulative principles, and vegetarianism, etc. Any busy man of the present day would not be satisfied with the arguments among the many differing groups. I think modern man wants variety and assured relief from transience, and does not like to build an aura around an individual seen as Guru. They are extremely hesitant to be involved in anything that is built around apparently "imaginary" stories and myths, and prefer sects practising ashtanga or falun gong to the varieties that Vaishnavism can provide. It appears that societies like ISKCON are failing in the expectations of their followers. The many guru dropouts and acceptances of weakness have cast doubt in the minds of followers whether this path of variety is going to give relief from the temporariness of this material world. I have also heard complaints of ruination of teenage enjoyment which led to withdrawal at middle age. Societies like ISKCON must be extemely cautious about possible criticisms of hypocrisy and effectiveness of its methodology. I think the issue of authority is a bane for our society in the sense that there has not been conclusive literature on this. An organisational dictating body (like the GBC) is ultimately composed of individuals and the acceptance of a motion is dependent upon the thinking of the majority of individuals, so I cannot influence the minds of the GBC. I can express my concerns; it is up to them to accept it or not. So I can only say "Gurus, be cautious. Your activities are always seen, but no one bothers about a commoner like me."

Certainly those poor people in Sudan are suffering greatly but Srila Prabhupada gives us hope than ALL of humanity's suffering can be solved by Krsna consciousness: Excerpt from lecture by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, (Dec. 9, 1969) This Krsna consciousness movement means to become Vaisnava and feel for the suffering humanity. But to feel for the suffering humanity, there are different angles of vision. Somebody is thinking of the suffering of the humanity from bodily conception of life. Somebody is trying to open hospital to give relief to the diseased condition. Somebody is trying to distribute foodstuff in poverty-stricken countries or places. These things are certainly very nice, but actual suffering of the humanity is due to lack of Krsna consciousness. These bodily sufferings, they are temporary; neither they can be checked by the laws of nature. Suppose if you give some distribution of foodstuff in some poverty-stricken country, that does not mean that this helps make solution to the whole problem. The real beneficial work is to invoke every person to Krsna consciousness.

"Marriage on the principles of religious life is therefore current in all civilized human society because that is the way for restricted sex life." (Bhagavad Gita4:26.purport.) "Kandarpa is the sex desire for presenting good sons; therefore Kandarpa is the representative of Krsna. Sometimes sex is engaged in only for sense gratification; such sex does not represent Krsna. But sex for the generation of good children is called Kandarpa and represents Krsna." ( Bhagavad Gita 10:28.purport.)