krsna

The proper mood of respect <!-- the main section of the post goes here --> Tamala Krsna: “It is better to live in this world by begging than to live at the cost of the lives of great souls who are my teachers. Even though they are avaricious, they are nonetheless superiors. If they are killed, then our spoils will be tainted with blood [bg. 2.5].” Prabhupada: This is another indication how superiors should be shown respect. Arjuna says, “Although they have become avaricious, still, they are my superior.” Avaricious, why? “They have got full affection for me. My grandfather Bhisma has got full affection for me. And Dronacarya, I am his very dear student so he has also my very affection… good affection for me. But because Duryodhana has paid them, he has accepted their service. Paid them. So avaricious. Simply for money, in spite of so much affection and intimate relationship, they have accepted the service of Duryodhana, counting on money. So therefore they are avaricious. But in spite of their being avaricious, they are my respectful.” This is respect. This is respect, that the respectful person who is my respectful, even there are some characteristics who does not command respect, still respect should be offered. This is a respectful offering. Yes. Sometimes it may be. The example is given. In the Bhagavad-gita you’ll find, api cet sudaracaro bhajate mam ananya-bhak sadhur eva sa mantavyah [bg. 9.30]. “Even a devotee is sometimes found not acting properly, but because he has got that unflinching faith and devotion upon Me,” Krsna says, “therefore he is saint.” Only for that one qualification — he does not know except Krsna. So to such person, even some flaws are found in their character… Just like we have imposed some rules that illicit sex relationship and intoxication, meat-eating, so many things. So… Of course, intentionally one should not break these laws. But even sometimes we may find that there is some flaw in one’s part… Suppose if I see somebody smoking, but he is doing Krsna consciousness very nicely. So we should not deride. We shall give him concession to reform. It does not mean that because he has accidentally smoked, smoking, that does not mean he has become immediately disqualified. As Arjuna is showing: “Although they have become avaricious, still, they are my superiors. Still. Still, they are my superiors.” This is called unflinching faith. In spite of seeing my respectful superior abominable, not willingly, but by accident, still, I should not withdraw my respect. That is the… Hmm.” -B.G.2.1-10 and talk, Los Angeles, 25. November.1968

The perfectly surrendered devotee solely practises Bhakti; there is no need for jnana or karma or yoga. harinama nastyeva,...gatir anyatha = no karma, no jnana, no yoga:rolleyes: Only Harinama chanting will perfect devotee's bhakti, no separate endeavor required.

BHAGAVAD-GITA Dasa-Mula Ten Essential Principles of Srimad Bhagavad-Gita by Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura <CENTER></CENTER> 1) Pramana: Criteria for evaluation and comprehension. Bhagavad-Gita: chapter 9, verse 17 vedyam pavitram omkara rik sama yajur eva ca Translation Lord Krishna is the goal of all knowledge, the purifying, transcendental sound vibration Om, and the Rig Veda, Sama Veda and Yajur Veda. Bhagavad-Gita: chapter 16, verse 24 tasmac chastram pramanam te karyakarya-vyavasthitau jnatva sastra-vidhanoktam karma kartum iharhasi Translation Therefore the injunctions of the Vedic scriptures are the sole authority in ascertaining what is to be done and what is not to be done. Thus knowing the ordinances of the Vedic scriptures as prescribed one should perform actions in this world in accordance to them as a matter of duty. a. Prameya: Principles of the proof. Bhagavad-Gita: chapter 9 , verse 2 raja-vidya raja-guhyam pavitram idam uttamam pratyaksavagamam dharmyam susukham kartum avyayam Translation This knowledge is the king of all wisdom, the king of all that is confidential, the topmost in righteousness, purifying, able to be perceived by direct realisation, very joyous to perform and everlasting. Bhagavad-Gita: chapter 4, verse 2 evam parampara-praptum imam rajarsayo viduh Translation This supreme science is received through disciplic succession and the saintly kings understood it in this way. b. Sambandha: Eternal relationship with the Supreme Lord Krishna. Bhagavad-Gita; chapter 8, verse 3 aksaram paramam brahma svabhavo'dhyatmam ucyate Translation The Supreme indestructible reality is the ultimate truth and its eternal nature is the soul. Bhagavad-Gita: chapter 10, verse 8 aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate iti matva bhajante mam budha bhava-samanvitah Translation Lord Krishna is the original generating cause of all causes, everything emanates from Him; realising this the spiritually intelligent endowed with devotional sentiments become devoted to Him. 2) Krishna-tattva: Truth about the Supreme Lord Krishna. Bhagavad-Gita: chapter 7, verse 7 mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya mayi sarvam idam protam sutre mani-gana iva Translation There is nothing equal to or greater than Lord Krishna. Everything rests in Him and nothing can exist independently. Just as a cluster of pearls are strung on a thread. 3) Krishna-sakti: The Potencies of the Supreme Lord Krishna. Bhagavad-Gita: chapter 7, verse 4 bhumir apo nalo vayuh kham mano buddhir eva ca ahankara itiyam me bhinna prakrtir astadha Translation Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, spiritual intelligence and false ego, these eight fold divisions comprise Lord Krishna's external energy. Bhagavad-Gita: chapter 7, verse 5 apareyam itas tv anyam prakritim viddhi me param jiva-bhutam maha-baho yayedam dharyate jagat Translation The external energy is inferior but superior to this is Lord Krishna's marginal energy comprising the conscious embodied souls of all living entities by which the material creation is utilised. Bhagavad-Gita: chapter 7, verse 6 etad yonini bhutani sarvanity upadharaya aham krtsnasya jagatah prabhavah pralayas tatha Translation Understand that all living beings, moving or stationary in existence in all of creation are manifested by these two energies of Lord Krishna, who is the creator and the terminator of all the worlds. 4) Krishna-rasa: Divine sentiments for the Supreme Lord Krishna. Bhagavad-Gita: chapter 7, verse 24 avyaktam vyakam apannam manyate mam abuddhayah param bhavam ajananto mam avyayam anuttamam Translation Unable to comprehend Lord Krishna's supreme, imperishable and exalted state of being; the spiritually deficient regard Him as being of the material nature coming into existence from the unmanifest. Bhagavad-Gita; chapter 9, verse 11 avajananti mam mudha manusim tanum asritam param bhavam ajananto mama bhuta-mahesvaram Translation Fools blaspheme Lord Krishna when he descends in His divine form, unable to realise His paramount position as the Supreme Lord of all beings and all creation. 5) Jiva-tattva: Truth about all living entities. Bhagavad-Gita: chapter 15, verse 7 mamaivamso jiva-loke jiva-bhutah sanatanah Translation All embodied living entities in the material creation are Lord Krishna's eternal, separate, infinitesimal parts. 6) Baddha-tattva: Truth about conditioned living entities. Bhagavad-Gita: chapter 15, verse 8 sariram yad avapnoti yac capy utkramatisvarah grhitvaitani samyati vayur gandhan ivasayat Translation Whatever new body the eternal infinitesimal portion enters into, it carries the subtle body with it from whatever old body it departed, just as air carries fragrance from a flower. Bhagavad-Gita: chapter 7, verse 15 na mam duskritino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah mayaya pahrta-jnana asuram bhavam asritah Translation The foolish, the depraved, the deluded and the demoniac, whose discrimination is degraded by the illusory energy; do not surrender unto the Supreme Lord Krishna. 7) Mukta-jiva tattva: Truth about liberated living entities. Bhagavad-Gita: chapter 8, verse 15 mam upetya punar janma duhkhalayam asasvatam napnuvanti mahatmatmanah samsiddhim paramam gatah Translation The great souls having achieved ultimate perfection take refuge in Lord Krishna never again to enter the miserable cycle of birth and death. Bhagavad-Gita: chapter 7, verse 14 daivi hy esa gunamayi mama maya duratyaya mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te Translation This divine illusion of Lord Krishna, consisting of the three modes of the external material energy is very difficult to overcome; but those who surrender unto Lord Krishna, only they are able to surmount this illusory energy known as maya. 8) Maya-Illusion, Jivas-Livings Entities, Isvara-Supreme Lord Krishna. Bhagavad-Gita: chapter 9, verse 4 maya tatam idam sarvam jagad avyakta-murtina mat-sthani sarva bhutani na caham tesu avasthitah Translation All of creation is pervaded by Lord Krishna in an imperceptibly subtle manner and all that is conceivable is situated within Him; but He is not situated within it and He is completely independent of it. Bhagavad-Gita: chapter 9, verse 5 na ca mat-sthani bhutani pasya me yogam aisvaram bhuta-bhrn na ca bhuta-stho mamatma bhuta-bhavanah Translation Behold Lord Krishna's extraordinary, unparalleled, unfathomable majestic opulence. His omniscient self is the maintainer of all living entities in creation and the preserver of all these living entities; but He is uninfluenced by them being transcendental to material nature. 9) Abhidheya-tattva: Devotion to the Supreme Lord Krishna. Bhagavad-Gita: chapter 9, verse 13 mahatmanas tu mam partha daivim prakritam asritah bhajanty ananya-manaso jnatvabhutadim avyayam Translation The great souls having taken refuge of the divine nature, render loving, devotional service unto Lord Krishna with unalloyed minds, knowing Him to be the imperishable origin of all creation. Bhagavad-Gita, chapter 9, verse 14 satatam kirtayanto mam yatantas ca drdha-vratah namasyantas ca mam bhaktya nitya-yukta apasate Translation Always eulogising the Supreme Lord Krishna's glories with joy and humility, resolute with unfailing determination; beings who desire an eternal relationship with Lord Krishna worship Him in loving devotion. 10) Prayojana-tattva: The Ultimate Attainment Bhagavad-Gita: chapter 9, verse 22 ananyas cintayanto mam ye janah paryupasate tesam nityabhiyuktanam yoga-ksemam vahamy aham Translation Those who desire Lord Krishna's eternal association precluding all else meditate upon Him exclusively in loving devotion and He insures communion with Him supplying what they lack and preserving what they have. Bhagavad-Gita: chapter 9, verse 29 samo'ham sarva-bhutesu na me dvesyo' sti na priyah ya bhajanti tu mam bhaktya mayi te tesu capy aham Translation Lord Krishna is equally disposed to all living entities, there is neither friend or foe for Him; but those who with loving sentiments render loving, devotional service unto Him, as they are attached by affection for Him, in that same way He is attached by affection for them. Bhaktivinode Thakura Brahma Madhva Gaudiya Vaisnava Sampradaya <CENTER> <DT></CENTER> </DT>

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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=530 background=../../images/gurupaper.gif border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=12> </TD><TD width=264> </TD><TD width=264> </TD><TD width=12> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> <CENTER> Lâlasâmayi Prârthanâ </CENTER><CENTER></CENTER><CENTER> (my personal prayer) </CENTER><CENTER></CENTER><CENTER> (from Prârthanâ by Narottama Dasa Thakura) </CENTER><CENTER></CENTER><CENTER></CENTER> <CENTER>(1) </CENTER> <CENTER> 'gaurânga' bolite habe pulaka-s'arira </CENTER><CENTER> With chanting 'Gauranga', His name, is the perfect shivering attained, </CENTER><CENTER></CENTER><CENTER></CENTER> <CENTER> 'hari hari' bolite nayane ba'be nira </CENTER><CENTER></CENTER><CENTER> Chanting 'Hari, Lord Hari', tears well in my eyes. </CENTER><CENTER></CENTER><CENTER></CENTER><CENTER> (2) </CENTER><CENTER> âra kabe nitâi-cânder korunâ hoibe </CENTER><CENTER> We all ask for the mercy of Nityananda, </CENTER><CENTER></CENTER><CENTER> samsâra-bâsanâ mora kabe tuccha ha'be wondering when our desires, will run futile, </CENTER><CENTER> (3) </CENTER> <CENTER> v isha ya châriyâ kabe s'uddha ha'be mana </CENTER><CENTER> Fearless from the material detached, with the mind purified, </CENTER> <CENTER> kabe hâma herabo s'rî-brindâbana </CENTER><CENTER></CENTER><CENTER> I will come to understand the love, of Vrindâvana </CENTER>

<!-- the main section of the post goes here -->Srimad-Bhagavatam Canto 1, Chapter 6 , entitled “Conversation Between Narada and Vyasa.” 19 - I desired to see again that transcendental form of the Lord, but despite my attempts to concentrate upon the heart with eagerness to view the form again, I could not see Him any more, and thus dissatisfied, I was very much aggrieved. His Divine Grace teaches us : There is no mechanical process to see the form of the Lord. It completely depends on the causeless mercy of the Lord. We cannot demand the Lord to be present before our vision, just as we cannot demand the sun to rise whenever we like. The sun rises out of his own accord; so also the Lord is pleased to be present out of His causeless mercy. One should simply await the opportune moment and go on discharging his prescribed duty in devotional service of the Lord. Narada Muni thought that the Lord could be seen again by the same mechanical process which was successful in the first attempt, but in spite of his utmost endeavor he could not make the second attempt successful. The Lord is completely independent of all obligations. He can simply be bound up by the tie of unalloyed devotion. Nor is He visible or perceivable by our material senses. When He pleases, being satisfied with the sincere attempt of devotional service depending completely on the mercy of the Lord, then He may be seen out of His own accord.

Small Technique <HR style="COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=1><!-- / icon and title --><!-- message --> ....one should learn how to cry for the Lord. One should learn this small technique, and one should be very eager and actually cry to become engaged in some particular type of service. This is called laulyam, and such tears are the price for the highest perfection. [from ..The Nectar of Devotion]

"The guru must be situated on the topmost platform of devotional service. There are three classes of devotees, and the guru must be accepted from the topmost class.....When one has attained the topmost position of maha-bhagavata (perfected devotee), he is to be accepted as a guru and worshiped exactly like Hari, the Personality of Godhead. Only such a person is eligible to occupy the post of guru." (Madhya 24.330)

How can there be a rubber stamp system of approval, albeit a sastric certification, that authorizes a guru to deliver souls to Krsna???

<TABLE cellSpacing=10 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=titlestory width=329>B.V. SADHU MAHARAJA MEETS SLOVENIAN PRESIDENT by Madan Gopal das / WVA Secretary for Slovenia </TD></TR><TR><TD class=maintext>Our present president, Dr. Janez Drnovsek, world famous politician, one of the last presidents of former Yugoslavia and former prime minister of Slovenia, has lately moved into a new direction. I do not know for how long he was internally developing this, but about one year ago, he started to seriously move in the spiritual direction and he also revealed it publicly. Dr. Janez Drnovsek went through many purificatory practices and meditations and obviously got some spiritual realisation. About half year ago he founded and registered his own ‘Movement for justice and development’, which has many goals such as stopping violence in any form, vegetarianism, natural and ecological production of food, helping to the poor, founding ecological farms, helping people to realise their spiritual self, to help people realise inter-relationship of all living beings etc. I thought this was a good opportunity and wrote him a letter, with the invitation to meet Srila Bhaktivedanta Sadhu Maharaj (Munger Raj Mandir, Vrindavan) who was just about to visit Slovenia. In the letter I put a short biography of Srila Sadhu Maharaj, explaining that he is originally coming from a royal family in India, but now he is travelling as a Gaudiya monk, that he is a high representative of WVA and finally I also included one short article of my most revered Gurudev Om Vishnupad 108 Sri Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Gosvami Maharaj, so that the president could be acquainted with the basic message of the Gaudiya Vaishnavas. At the end I mentioned that he could meet Srila Sadhu Maharaj either personally, on the level of his Movement or on the State level. Almost immediately I got an email answer in which the president said he wants to meet Srila Sadhu Maharaj on the State level. Then, just two days before the meeting, I got a call from his secretary that the president wants to invite him for lunch also. I then informed his staff that we do not eat meat, fish, eggs, onion and garlic. They said it's not a problem, because the president is also strict vegetarian. We met Dr. Janez Drnovsek on Saturday 8.7.2006 in his presidential summerhouse in a nice natural environment. Immediately upon meeting, Srila Sadhu Maharaj warmly embraced and garlanded the president and afterwards Dr. Janez Drnovsek also garlanded Srila Sadhu Maharaj. Then they had a personal talk by the lake and afterwards slowly came to the wooden house where me and my mother Tungavidya Dasi could present the Slovenian translation of ‘Holy biography of Srila Bhakti Dayita Madhav Goswami Maharaj’ and ‘Nectar of Harikatha’ books written by our Gurudev and also sweet fruit balls Prasad which he happily accepted. At lunch it was obvious to all of us present that Dr. Janez Drnovsek was heartily impressed and attracted by Srila Sadhu Maharaj's loving character. They exchanged many thoughts on spirituality after which the president sincerely said with great respect: “Until now, I have met many different spiritual leaders, also from India, but I never met someone like you! I myself invite you to come next time. You may also use this place for your stay in Slovenia and also please come to my own house”. Srila Sadhu Maharaj smiled and humbly agreed to visit him again next year. Then Dr. Janez Drnovsek asked whether Srila Sadhu Maharaj has an ashram in India and Srila Sadhu Maharaj answered that he has, but he is afraid to invite him there because it's a small place. Then I interfered and said: “Maharaj is very humble, that's why he is speaking like this. He has a very nice ashram there in Vrindavan and I heartily suggest you to go there”. Dr. Janez Drnovsek said that he would definitely go there in the future. Altogether it was a very happy and also spiritually powerful meeting. Ultimately the president invited me and my mother to cooperate with him and his Movement. The report of the meeting was published on the official website of the president, on some radio stations and in the biggest newspaper in Slovenia. All glories to the All-merciful Nitai and Gauranga! </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Posted by: Saisuresh Patel on Monday, July 17, 2006 - <!--Spacer div fudge for Opera 7--> <!-- To change picture from left to right, change "TopicImgLeft" to "TopicImgRight" -->When the first of the explosives went off at the Bombay Stock Exchange on March 12, 1993, coincidentally, I was in the vicinity. Hearing a muffled boom and following the citizenry that was running towards the sound -- and not away from it as instinct would tell one to -- I soon came across sights of blood and gore that will not go away easily. March 12, 1993 can neither be forgotten nor be forgiven by a Mumbaikar. Chance once again kept me in New York on September 11, 2001 , when twisted, horrific minds flew passenger jets into the Twin Towers. As a believer and defender of the free world, I can never forget that day either. Or forgive those who wrought upon such terror on the rest of us. I cannot but notice that the United States of America, which then declared its biggest offensive since Pearl Harbour and which action brought plenty of international criticism -- not to mention unveiled threats of attack from Osama bin Laden, abduction of US nationals and their murder -- has not faced any terrorist attack since 9/11. Whereas we in India have come to accept terrorist attacks on our soil as just another karmic fact of life -- no doubt with the same stoic acceptance that we took in invader after invader over centuries. Since 1993 Mumbai alone has faced at least 6 more terrorist strikes. So what has the United States done that India did not? For one, Uncle Sam displayed the majesty of the American State. On the evening of September 11, 2001, as I sat glued to the television, US President George Bush addressed his nation in a measured and calm manner. Through the solace he offered his shell-shocked countrymen, he said: 'We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them.' With these words America went to war. I had waited in 1993 for the majesty of the Indian State to similarly display itself, as I waited many more times for it to happen. I waited for it last night as well, and finally I saw the display. On the streets of Mahim, close to where we work, the majesty of the Indian State was on full display as Congress president Sonia Gandhi accompanied by Home Minister Shivraj Patil and Railway Minister Lalu Yadav drove past, en route to the blast site. My colleague counted 38+ cars in the motorcade that swept past, as other traffic on the road was kept frozen in place by the security phalanx. It was truly an impressive sight -– only, I couldn't help thinking - it was put on for someone who doesn't hold an office of authority. While the man who does, simply reviewed the security situation in the face of the Srinagar and Mumbai blasts, and directed that New Delhi's security be beefed up. This was the majesty of the Indian State on display yesterday. I could have wept. When somebody directs terror at you, nation-States are expected to hit back with maximum force, carry the fight into the enemy camp. It is not enough to possess unrelenting, unremitting muscle power -- it also becomes necessary, once in a while, to display that power. And not merely through caparisoned missiles parading down Janpath once a year, but by responding forcefully to challenges to the State's very existence. All your nuclear weapons, your missiles, your tanks, come to naught when you don't have the steel in your soul to defend yourself and your subjects -- at any cost. Has the Indian State done this? Ever? The first serial blasts in Mumbai happened 13 years ago. Since then, enough water has flowed into the Arabian Sea for the guilty to spend part of their sentence in jail. But 13 years later even a fly has not been sentenced for the worst-ever terrorist attack in India. If you were a terrorist oiling your Kalashnikov and checking your grenades somewhere in the western sector, what exactly will you think of India? What he does think is evident from the fact that in the last 13 years, Mumbai has faced six more terror attacks -- an average of one every two years. India believes, too, that the prime accused in the Mumbai blasts, Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar, is a guest of the Pakistani establishment. Not only him, official lists of others accused of waging a war against India and hiding in Pakistan have periodically been handed over to that country. Ordinarily, you would think, if Pakistan is harboring India's enemies, providing succor and sustenance to them, it needs to be treated as an inimical nation. Yet, India has been engaged in a peace process with the very neighbor it knows is out to dismember it through any and every means available to it. Is it any surprise that terrorists continue to attack India with impunity? Contrast this with the way America has gone about its business since September 11, 2001, and you will see why that nation has not faced any attack in the last five years. Osama may fume and fret from his mountain hole, but there's little more than that he and his terrorist hordes have been able to achieve against the only remaining superpower. That is because America understands that war can only be won through war, it cannot be won through peace, a belief India has been laboring under for so long. When the very articles of your liberty become your enemy's hand tools to destroy you, it is time to revise notions of liberty and freedom. Civil liberties are for those who believe in civility and practice liberty, not inhuman monsters who think nothing of inflicting untold horror on innocents. It is only this week, almost five years later that the US agreed to extend the Geneva Convention to its Guantanamo Bay detainees -- contrast that with how India treats those waging a war against it. The tragedy with India is that successive governments have ignored one fact of life --India has been at war for many decades now. This is not an enemy who will come at you over the Khyber Pass; this is an invisible enemy who uses your own resources, your own freedoms, your own laxities, to hit at you. If you don't stop him first, he will stop you.

Beliefwatch: New Look <!-- end .post-top --><!-- the main section of the post goes here -->Photo: Willie Davis/Veras Images Newsweek July 24, 2006 issue - If you think that Hare Krishnas disappeared when the Age of Aquarius ended, look in the next cubicle—one may be working in your office, wearing a suit, with a full head of hair. This week the Hare Krishnas celebrate their 40th anniversary, and they’ve joined the American mainstream. “A Hare Krishna could be living next door to you and you wouldn’t know it,” says Burke Rochford, a Middlebury College professor and author of the forthcoming book “Hare Krishna Transformed.” “They’re now part of the culture in ways that the average person couldn’t have imagined some 20 or 25 years ago.” Founded in 1966 by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the movement—formally known as the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON)—became known largely for proselytizing in airports and for its influence on Beatle George Harrison. Critics called it a cult, and a sex-abuse scandal also cost it both money and members. Using the teachings of 15th-century philosopher Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Hare Krishnas worship by repeatedly chanting God’s name. They believe in simple living and are prohibited from eating meat, gambling, intoxication and sex outside marriage. Many former ISKCON members are now living what they call “Krishna conscious” lifestyles while only loosely affiliating with the organization. Meanwhile, at today’s temples, young people in jeans and T shirts worship alongside middle-aged men in saffron robes and Indian immigrants in flowing saris. ISKCON communities offer premarital counseling, interfaith activities, social-service programs and baby-sitting—just the kind of institutional structure that many early converts were fleeing. Take Paul Swinford. He took the name Premananda Dasa and spent a decade living in Boston’s Hare Krishna temple. Two years ago, at 40, he got married, moved to New Hampshire—where his wife works for a financial-services company—and recently took an outside job, the first paycheck he’s drawn in years. And while Hare Krishnas have changed, so has American culture. The spiritual mainstream embraces yoga, vegetarianism and concepts like karma and reincarnation. “A lot of people on the streets now believe in those things,” says Anuttama Dasa, ISKCON spokesman. “A lot of things that were considered outlandish or threatening are now taking place in the basements of Christian churches.” —Michael Kress © 2006 Newsweek, Inc.

You can preach a better sermon with your life than with your lips. -- Oliver Goldsmith (1728-1774) Irish Writer Example is better than precept.

<!-- </hs:element320> --><!-- <hs:element283> --> "For you, child-worship is more important than deity-worship. If you cannot spend time with him, then stop the duties of pujari. At least you must take good care of your son until he is four years old, and if after that time you are unable any more to take care of him then I shall take care." (Srila Prabhupada letter, July 30, 1972)

Be a sage - a thoughtful muni. Forget them squaking parrots who at the time of death will just chant caw, caw, caw..... ...instead of the Krsna sage who will chant Hare Krsna!

<!--Spacer div fudge for Opera 7--> <!-- To change picture from left to right, change "TopicImgLeft" to "TopicImgRight" -->While some of the populace in the Middle East is cheering the actions of Hamas and Hezbollah and their kidnapping of Israeli soldiers, it has now become clear by Saturday, that the result has been almost a total destruction of the infrastructures of both Gaza and Lebanon. Misery has returned to haunt the daily lives of millions of these Mideasterners on both sides of the border. What was hoped to have been one of the best summers in the history of Lebanon, with tourists flocking from the Gulf and other parts of the world, has turned into a complete collapse of this vital Lebanese industry. Various Western governments are doing their utmost to evacuate their nationals from strife-torn Beirut. As we are being bombarded by news about the war, it is helpful to read this realistic and objective analysis of the crisis by an Arab journalist. On Thursday, 13 July, he contributed this op-ed to the online daily Arabic language newspaper, Elaph, under this title: Hamas, Hezbollah, the Palestinian Cause, and the Destruction of Lebanon. The following are excerpts from the article, followed by my analysis and comments. “We know that Israel is not an angel. However, it’s quite evident that Hamas’ childish action in Gaza was intended to derail the peaceful solution of the Palestinian Problem, and to embarrass Abbas thus justifying the non-adherence to the previous agreements with Israel. Hamas could not have been ignorant of the fact that by kidnapping an Israeli soldier, it was not going to get back one inch of Palestine, or get the liberation of the many prisoners held by Israel. The only way to achieve their freedom was through negotiations, a process that was rejected by Hamas. So, the actions of Hamas and Hezbollah have resulted in Israel’s launching and intensifying its attacks on Gaza and Lebanon. “Hezbollah’s action inside Israel will not be for the benefit of the Palestinian Cause or the Lebanese people. It has brought about new terrors upon Lebanon as we are now witnessing Israel’s air attacks on Beirut and other parts of the country. Lebanon is paying a very high price for Hezbollah’s actions. There is no doubt at all that the goal of both Hamas and Hezbollah is to serve the interests of Syria and Iran in the region, as these two organizations are but stooges of Syria and Iran. While Syria encourages Hezbollah in its attacks on Israel, it is at the same time powerless and unable to launch one rocket from the Golan Heights into Israel. “The Lebanese government is responsible for the adventures of Hezbollah. After all, as it claims to be the legitimate government of Lebanon, and not Hezbollah, it must act as a responsible government. It should not have allowed Hezbollah to become a state within a state, and to form an army alongside the Lebanese Army. There is no doubt that the government of Lebanon and its head of state are completely responsible for the actions of Hezbollah. They should have thought about the consequences of an Israeli response, and its impact upon the Lebanese people. “It was to be expected that the actions of Hamas and Hezbollah would receive the applause of the rabble and those who have been deceived by the Islamists. They have rushed to applaud the actions of these radical groups, and jumped to criticise anyone who disputes the value of those childish adventures against a powerful state that is one thousand times stronger than the combined forces of Hamas, Hezbollah, Lebanon, and Syria. Those Islamist Palestinians continue to reject any peaceful solution, preferring to continue the struggle against Israel while chanting their slogan, “Kull Filistine, wa-illa, Fala!” (All of Palestine, otherwise, no solution.) This is an empty slogan that leads nowhere. The refusal of Hamas and Arafat of the best possible agreement that was reached in the late 1990s under the sponsorship of the United States, and the military actions of Hamas on the eve of the Israeli elections allowed Sharon to win the elections, rather than those Israelis of the Labor Party who were calling for a peaceful and just resolution to the Palestinian Problem. “In the end, there was no raison d’etre for Hamas to exist unless it could keep the fires burning, and to exploit the feelings of the Palestinian and Arab streets, with their delusions to throw the Jews into the sea and a complete liberation of the Palestinian land. “Alas, how miserable and tragic can politics be in the Middle East. And how tragic that the future of the Palestinian and Lebanese people has become intimately linked to such Islamist organizations that receive their orders and support from outside sources!” Analysis Since Israel was born in May 1948, it had to fight several wars: 1948, 1956, 1967, 1973, 1982, and now in July 2006! While very little has changed in the Arab and Muslim worlds about Palestinian Problem or Cause, lately some Arab commentators are speaking with the voice of reason when dealing with this subject. This is quite a reassuring phenomenon. However, it still remains the voice of a minority. No sooner than such articles appear on the Internet, than negative responses pour in from all over the Arab world. Notwithstanding all the grief, losses, and sorrows that have come to the Middle East since 1948, many of its people still manifest their utter hatred of Israel. This is hard to believe, unless we take into account the fact that such an unfortunate attitude towards Jews and Christians finds its roots in the sacred text of Islam, the Qur’an and Hadith. Comments There is very little that I can add to this op-ed that I have shared with you in the previous paragraphs. The actions of Hamas and Hezbollah did not advance the cause of the Palestinians one inch; on the contrary, it has left all the previous “peaceful” agreements in shambles. The future will be darker than ever when the dust settles over the half-destroyed areas the Gaza Strip. The Arabs’ love for and fascination with slogans is legendary. The slogan, “Kull Filistine, wa-illa Fala!” (All of Palestine, otherwise, no solution,) sounds great as it is being chanted by the mobs in Gaza City or Ramallah, but its contents are Utopian. It has been the vain hope of Palestinians for more than half a century, and has brought them nothing but agony and despair. As for Lebanon, it is too soon, as I write this article, to calculate the human, material, and financial costs of Hezbollah’s dangerous move. Sufficient to say that in a few days, the Israeli response has caused a much greater damage to this small country than what it had experienced during the civil war of 1975-1990! I can do no better than repeat the lamentation with which the op-ed ended: “Alas, how miserable and tragic can politics be in the Middle East. And how tragic that the future of the Palestinian and Lebanese people has become intimately linked to such Islamist organizations that receive their orders and support from outside sources!”

"Here we have full liberty to reject the wrong idea, which is not sanctioned by peace of conscience. Vyasa was not satisfied with what he had collected in the Vedas, arranged in the Puranas and composed in the Mahabharata. The peace of his conscience did not sanction his labors. It told him from within: 'No Vyasa! You can't rest contented with the erroneous picture of truth which was necessarily presented to you by the sages of bygone days. You must yourself knock at the door of the inexhaustible store of truth from which the former sages drew their wealth. Go, go up the fountainhead of truth, where no pilgrim meets disappointment of any kind. Vyasa did it and obtained what he wanted. We have all been advised to do so. Liberty then is the principle which we must consider as the most valuable gift from God. We must not allow ourselves to be led by those who have lived and thought before us. We must think for ourselves and try to get further truths which are still undiscovered.... (from Bhaktivinode Thakura: The Bhagavatam- Its Philosophy, Its Theology, Its Ethics)

stories of chaste women <HR style="COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=1><!-- / icon and title --><!-- message --> There are many stories of Sati, chaste woman. Nala-damayanti. Her husband became so poverty-stricken. He was king, but he became later on so poverty-stricken that he had no sufficient cloth. The husband and wife was putting on the same cloth, half and half. So still, still there was no divorce. You see. Still the woman did not consider... She was also king's daughter. But the husband has fallen down to so much poverty-stricken condition. "So why shall I live with him?" These are some of the extreme examples of chastity. Not to speak of olden days, I have seen in Bombay, in 1935 or '34, on the roadside, there was a beggar. The beggar, the face was defaced. Might be some accident. His eyes and everything became defaced. He could not see, everything became useless. So he, he was sitting on the roadside, and his wife also, also sitting. But I saw that beggar was neat and clean. The wife was also neat and clean. The wife's business was that to keep the husband always neat and clean and fresh and bring him there and again take him at home. Young woman. So I could understand that the wife is so chaste. She has not left such ugly husband. Because his face was defaced. And helping him. Because they require some money. So we have seen. There are many stories of chaste woman. Many stories. There was one disciple of Ramanujacarya, a very poor. So Ramanujacarya came in that poor disciple's house and he saw there was no one in the house. So he thought: "What is this? This is my disciple's house. He's family man. Why there is none?" That means he could understand that the door is not locked. Door was closed only. Then he could understand that within the door his wife is there. Therefore he knocked the door, and there was response also, knocking, but she could not come out. That means she, she was so poor that she had no garment. She was keeping herself within the room, naked. So Ramanujacarya could understand that "There is his wife. Maybe she has no sufficient clothing." So immediately, his own cloth he gave her, within the room, and the woman came out, putting on that... And then offered obeisances. So he could understand the position. They were very, very poor. Even no clothing. So after putting on the cloth, she went to the grocer's shop. Because Ramanujacarya is there. She must receive. Grocer shop. The grocer knew that this woman is very woman, uh, very poor, so his business was to entice her. But she never agreed, although she was young. Now this woman went to the grocer's shop that: "You know that I am very poor. I require immediately some grains, ghee, and other things. My Guru Maharaja has come at home. I must receive. So tonight I agree with your proposal. Please give me. Even at the sacrifice of my chastity I want this." So the grocer was very glad. "Oh, this woman, I have canvassed her, I have tried to induce her. She never agreed. And now she's agreeing." So: "All right, you take, whatever you like. Take." So she was given all kinds of food grains, as much as she wanted. And she cooked and gave to the spiritual master and his associates, his servants. Everything was very nice. In the meantime, the husband came, working whole day. And he saw that everything was nicely done. "Guru Maharaja is fed, and his associates, they're fed." So he asked his wife: "How did you get all these things?" Then she narrated the whole story. Then husband also said: "Yes, you have promised. All right. Take some prasadam and go to him. Because you have promised to meet him this evening. So go." Then the grocer heard the whole story and his mind became changed. "Oh, such a chaste woman. Such a faithful... You are my mother. You take more ingredients, grains, as much as you like, you shall..." So there are still. That is not very long ago. So this was the training. And the psychology is that woman, the first man she meets and if she is kept carefully, she becomes staunch lover. This is psychology. There is good psychology in maintaining the society. Therefore a woman, especially in India, especially in Bengal, before attaining puberty, she was married. Not to meet the husband unless she attains puberty. But she remained at father's house, but she must know that: "I am married. I have got husband." This psychology. Then she becomes very chaste. Because she thinks of her husband, and becomes more and more devoted. So this arrangement that woman must be married before puberty... Or even after puberty, she must get a husband. So if this dharma... It is called kanya-daya, kanya-daya. Kanya-daya means it is very obligatory that the father must get the daughter married. This is dharma. So if this dharma, or this religious principle is violated, that is... Arjuna is marking: adharma-abhi, abhi-bhava. When people become neglectful of the family tradition and religious principles, adharma abhibhavat krsna pradusyanti kula-striyah [bg. 1.40]. Kula-striyah. Kula-striyah means... Kula means family, and striyah means woman. So woman must be belonging to a respectable family. Therefore it is said: kula-striyah. Not society-girls. Kula-striyah. Of the family. We have got experience in our school, college days. I was sitting in a friend's house and one sweeper woman, sweeper, with broomstick and with, what is called, covering? Devotee: Shawl. Prabhupada: She was standing, say, about twenty yards distant from our sitting place. So I asked my friend that: "Your, this sweeper woman wants to come in. She's waiting because we are sitting. She is ashamed to come. So let us come here." So we stood separately. That means although she was a sweeper woman, still we had to honor her to enter. We stood up separately. She was feeling that; "How can I go between two men?" This we have seen in our... So this is Vedic culture. Woman should not be allowed to mix with man. Not allowed. In Japan also, the same system. Before marriage, they can mix. But after marriage they cannot mix. In Japan also I have seen. But in India still the system is there. Woman, without husband, cannot talk with any man. That is also psychological. In the Bhagavata it is stated that man is like ghee, butterpot, and woman is like fire. Therefore, as they, as soon as there is fire and butter pot, the butter pot must melt. Therefore they should be kept aside. These are the statements. And the sastra says that in a solitary place you should not remain even with your daughter, even with your sister, even with your mother. matr-svasra-duhitravan na viviktah sanevaset balavan indriya-gramo vidvams api karsati Either your mother or sister, or daughter. No, nobody becomes lusty with mother or sister or daughter. But sastra says: "Even your mother or sister or daughter, you should not live in a solitary place." Then one may question that "How it is possible?" No. The sastra says: balavan indriya-gramah. The senses are so strong that it becomes polluted. "Now it may be, some rascal fools may be polluted like that." No. Sastra... Vidvams api karsati. Even the most learned, he can be polluted. So sometimes in India, I am criticized that I keep women and men in the same temple. In India, that is not allowed. No women can live at night. They can come and go. But I defend myself that this is the system of the country, the women and men, they intermingle. How can I check it? Then the women, shall I not give them any chance for chanting Hare Krsna? No, I shall do this chance, I shall give this chance to woman even at the risk. That is my reply. So therefore chastity is very, very important thing for producing good population, nice population. >>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 1.40 -- London, July 28, 1973

<!-- end .post-top --><!-- the main section of the post goes here -->By HH Umapati Swami http://www.umapati.net/ A reader writes, “I would like to see you write articles concerning the topics forgiveness, mercy, and compassion. I see all the negative stuff coming from devotees on other web sites, and it’s sad. I can’t for the life of me agree with the constant, vicious bashing of fallen Godbrothers…. I thought ISKCON was for the most fallen and the most merciful.” Fortunately, this attitude toward fallen devotees is not the standard, and I see many of our people showing compassion toward their fallen Godbrothers and sisters. Still, that this negative mindset should exist at all is not a good sign. We should, of course, learn from the mistakes of others, but we should not gloat over their misfortunes. A devotee is para-dukha-dukhi: he feels pain when he sees the suffering of others. If a devotee cannot bear to see even an ant in pain, how can he enjoy the fall of another devotee? And this bashing of fallen devotees is indeed an attempt to enjoy their misfortune. Otherwise what is the use of dwelling on it? Krishna does not forget the service rendered by a devotee even if the devotee later falls. Srila Prabhupada writes: “But even though he falls down, a devotee is never to be considered the same as a fallen karmi [materialist]. A karmi suffers the result of his own fruitive reactions, whereas a devotee is reformed by chastisement directed by the Lord Himself. The sufferings of an orphan and the sufferings of a beloved child of a king are not one and the same. An orphan is really poor because he has no one to take care of him, but a beloved son of a rich man, although he appears to be on the same level as the orphan, is always under the vigilance of his capable father.” [sB 1.5.19] In 1966, a young man named David started coming to the temple. I did not know, but he had previously been with Srila Prabhupada in the loft on the Bowery. I could not help noticing how anxious Srila Prabhupada was for this young man’s well-being. One day I heard Srila Prabhupada talking to someone who knew the young man. “He is making advancement, don’t you think?” Srila Prabhupada said. I later found out that Srila Prabhupada had stayed for a time in David’s apartment and that David, crazed on drugs one day, ran after Srila Prabhupada with a knife. Srila Prabhupada ran to a neighbor’s apartment to protect himself. Yet all Srila Prabhupada wanted for this young man was that he might make spiritual advancement. Let us all follow Srila Prabhupada’s example. © Umapati Swami:pray: July 14, 2006

Can one who has sinned be a saint? <!-- begin content -->Submitted by jswami on June 21, 2006 - 11:03am. Sometimes people think that once a person has performed sinful acts, especially acts that are grievously sinful, he must be regarded as a sinner forever. This notion runs contrary to Vaishnava philosophy. I am posting here the first of a series of quotations in this regard. From Bhagavad-gita As It Is (9.30) by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. api cet su-duracaro bhajate mam ananya-bhak sadhur eva sa mantavyah samyag vyavasito hi sah api — even; cet — if; su-duracarah — one committing the most abominable actions; bhajate — is engaged in devotional service; mam — unto Me; ananya-bhak — without deviation; sadhuh — a saint; eva — certainly; sah — he; mantavyah — is to be considered; samyak — completely; vyavasitah — situated in determination; hi — certainly; sah — he. Even if one commits the most abominable action, if he is engaged in devotional service he is to be considered saintly because he is properly situated in his determination. PURPORT The word su-duracarah used in this verse is very significant, and we should understand it properly. When a living entity is conditioned, he has two kinds of activities: one is conditional, and the other is constitutional. As for protecting the body or abiding by the rules of society and state, certainly there are different activities, even for the devotees, in connection with the conditional life, and such activities are called conditional. Besides these, the living entity who is fully conscious of his spiritual nature and is engaged in Krsna consciousness, or the devotional service of the Lord, has activities which are called transcendental. Such activities are performed in his constitutional position, and they are technically called devotional service. Now, in the conditioned state, sometimes devotional service and the conditional service in relation to the body will parallel one another. But then again, sometimes these activities become opposed to one another. As far as possible, a devotee is very cautious so that he does not do anything that could disrupt his wholesome condition. He knows that perfection in his activities depends on his progressive realization of Krsna consciousness. Sometimes, however, it may be seen that a person in Krsna consciousness commits some act which may be taken as most abominable socially or politically. But such a temporary falldown does not disqualify him. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is stated that if a person falls down but is wholeheartedly engaged in the transcendental service of the Supreme Lord, the Lord, being situated within his heart, purifies him and excuses him from that abomination. The material contamination is so strong that even a yogi fully engaged in the service of the Lord sometimes becomes ensnared; but Krsna consciousness is so strong that such an occasional falldown is at once rectified. Therefore the process of devotional service is always a success. No one should deride a devotee for some accidental falldown from the ideal path, for, as explained in the next verse, such occasional falldowns will be stopped in due course, as soon as a devotee is completely situated in Krsna consciousness. Therefore a person who is situated in Krsna consciousness and is engaged with determination in the process of chanting Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare should be considered to be in the transcendental position, even if by chance or accident he is found to have fallen. The words sadhur eva, “he is saintly,” are very emphatic. They are a warning to the nondevotees that because of an accidental falldown a devotee should not be derided; he should still be considered saintly even if he has accidentally fallen down. And the word mantavyah is still more emphatic. If one does not follow this rule, and derides a devotee for his accidental falldown, then one is disobeying the order of the Supreme Lord. The only qualification of a devotee is to be unflinchingly and exclusively engaged in devotional service. In the Nrsimha Purana the following statement is given: bhagavati ca harav ananya-ceta bhrsa-malino ‘pi virajate manusyah na hi sasa-kalusa-cchabih kadacit timira-parabhavatam upaiti candrah The meaning is that even if one fully engaged in the devotional service of the Lord is sometimes found engaged in abominable activities, these activities should be considered to be like the spots that resemble the mark of a rabbit on the moon. Such spots do not become an impediment to the diffusion of moonlight. Similarly, the accidental falldown of a devotee from the path of saintly character does not make him abominable. On the other hand, one should not misunderstand that a devotee in transcendental devotional service can act in all kinds of abominable ways; this verse only refers to an accident due to the strong power of material connections. Devotional service is more or less a declaration of war against the illusory energy. As long as one is not strong enough to fight the illusory energy, there may be accidental falldowns. But when one is strong enough, he is no longer subjected to such falldowns, as previously explained. No one should take advantage of this verse and commit nonsense and think that he is still a devotee. If he does not improve in his character by devotional service, then it is to be understood that he is not a high devotee.

<!-- end .post-top --><!-- the main section of the post goes here -->By Gaura Keshava das Sannyasa is not taken in ISKCON in the traditional Varnashram manner. Sannyasa in ISKCON is “awarded” to candidates that apply for it and go through the Society’s system of being considered and placed on a waiting list for years. A council of ISKCON senior Sannyasins considers all candidates. The traditional Varnashram system involves a person simply deciding to become renounced and finishing up his family business and (usually but not always) approaching another person who already is a practicing sannyasin and receiving training and sannyasa diksha from him. So the question for ISKCON is. Whether Dhanurdhara Swami would have been awarded the order of Sannyasa, knowing all that is currently known about what is documented that he did and what he himself has admitted to. If the answer to this is “Yes”, then perhaps ISKCON needs to rethink it’s criteria for “awarding” sannyasa. If the answer to this is “No” then perhaps ISKCON needs to rethink his continued status of sannyasa. Would another devotee applying for sannyasa today with the same track record be “awarded” sannyasa? We should also not forget that although we automatically accept sannyasins as advanced in spiritual life, probably due to the “rigid” process that they go through in order to receive their ordination, sannyasa in and of itself is a stage of life or ashram, part of the material (but useful) social system called Varnashram. It is not in itself a spiritual status. There are many Non-Vaisnava (Mayavadi) sannyasins in India who are considered great spiritual offenders by Vaisnavas. However sannyasa in ISKCON is not simply a stage of life to which anyone who reaches a particular age attaches himself. The way that it is revered in the Society, although having suffered damage due to frequent falldown, still commands much respect and obedience. As such the leadership of the society would do well to carefully monitor the standard of it’s sannyasins. The alternative is to give up control of who takes up sannyasa and I do not think that ISKCON is ready for such a move. By the way almost the same comment as made above can be made about the system of approving (or not disapproving) individuals to become gurus in ISKCON. The post of guru is also something which the institution (GBC) controls (although there is an attempt to deregulate this control to some extent). Since guruship in ISKCON is also still “awarded” under institutional guidelines (ecclesiastical conventions) we cannot say that it is the same as the “natural” sastric system whereby a person becomes a guru simply by the successful conclusion of mutual testing between prospective guru and prospective disciple. Personally I am for the total deregulation of both these positions and the following of the “natural” sastric systems for them. This would not stop the GBC from enforcing strictly basic spiritual standards on all members of ISKCON regardless of their being gurus or sishyas. The GBC could also enforce the different standards for the different varnas (if people ever admit belonging to one of them) and ashrams for those who wish to work within ISKCON. If all such standards were accepted then where would be the need to police who belonged to what ashram or who gave diksha to whom? Since I do not think that this is going to happen in the near future however, the leadership should dispassionately weigh the facts of the case and decide to apply their control over such positions even handedly. Remember that the world and the devotees are watching you. At the same time the decisions must not simply be based on the Vox Populi but on sound principles of Vaisnava philosophy.

"The Gaudiya literature will not long remain confined to the Bengali-speaking people. It will in a short time expand and display its full brilliancy through the medium of all the languages, including those of the birds, beasts and the vegetable tribes.”