krsna

B>G> Chapter 6. TEXT 1 PURPORT "But a person acting in Krsna consciousness works for the satisfaction of the whole, without self-interest. A Krsna conscious person has no desire for self-satisfaction. His criterion of success is the satisfaction of Krsna, and thus he is the perfect sannyasi, or perfect yogi. Lord Caitanya, the highest perfectional symbol of renunciation, prays in this way: na dhanam na janam na sundarim kavitam va jagad-isa kamaye mama janmani janmanisvare bhavatad bhaktir ahaituki tvayi "O Almighty Lord, I have no desire to accumulate wealth, nor to enjoy beautiful women. Nor do I want any number of followers. What I want only is the causeless mercy of Your devotional service in my life, birth after birth."

Sri Sri Shikshashtaka by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu na dhanam na janam na sundarim kavitam va jagad-isha kamaye mama janmani janmanishvare bhavatad bhaktir ahaituki tvayi O almighty Lord, I have no desire to accumulate wealth, nor do I desire beautiful women, nor do I want any number of followers. I only want your causeless devotional service, birth after birth.

Is there such a thing as hell? Or is it simply hellish consciousness that is actually 'hell'? When people say, 'Go to Hell', is that a place or state of being denoted by a place of continuous and intense suffering? Seems hell and satan go together, as Satan is the lord of hell, this fantasia of demoniac ordeals...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4418748.stm

Dear Prabhus, Dandavat pranams. Jaya Srila Prabhupada! As I have announced last Saturday, the month of November is the only time of the year that I use to raise funds for the PrabhupadaVani website. Ultimately, when all of Srila Prabhupada's sound recordings will be available on the NET it will certainly be like a gold mine for the world to discover. Every day in the daily delivery program or every week in the weekly delivery program, you are receiving a lecture or a conversation which is made available, afterwards, directly on the website. That service is free. But I'm sure you can understand that to maintain such a service, a few expenses have to be dealt with. Besides traffic rights, there are software updates, royalties to pay and security systems to maintain so that viruses do not spread to the Prabhupadavani community. You can volunteer a donation securely if you wish, at the following address: http://www.prabhupadavani.org/Gita/web/text/donation.html Thank you!

From Kripamoya’s Journal Today I learned of how a small amount of traditional guidance practically saved the lives of many children. It was a fascinating story told to me by a visiting old friend from Africa and I thought I’d share it with you. Vidura das, an Irish devotee of Krishna, lived in Kisumu, Kenya for many years. He and his African wife Esther set up a large-scale food distribution programme for needy people. And in northern Kenya there were plenty of needy people. What concerned him most was that there were many children who died young. “We discovered that the very area where we were living had the highest infant mortality rate in the world,” he explained. To distribute food as a religious act, and yet to watch parents grieve over their dead children was an intolerable situation for a compassionate devotee like Vidura, so he started to ask questions around the area. Dirty drinking water was the obvious culprit, but when he enquired of the mothers why they did not boil the water they replied that they did not have the money to buy charcoal, the commonly used fuel. Remembering that the guru of the Hare Krishna movement had always praised the cow for providing, amongst many other gifts, the sustainable fuel of dung, he explained to the women that Indians have for centuries mixed dung with straw and dried it to create an everlasting supply of good quality fuel. But the local Africans needed to be encouraged to refrain from slaughtering their cows if they were going to create a sustainable fuel source. They also had to overcome the prejudice – given to their tribe decades ago by Christian missionaries – that dung was dirty and never to be touched. After some period of encouragement, mainly to women who already trusted him as ‘Father Vidura,’ some families complied followed by many more. “Eventually health workers were coming up from Nairobi to see why children in our area were living longer than children throughout Kenya,” Vidura said. The project was an overwhelming success, and received endorsement by the tribal patriarchs, who, as children, remembered their mothers talking of cow-dung as fuel in their village but who had switched to the more expensive wood after the missionaries had persuaded them to change. It was only a small change to revert back to a more traditional fuel – and dung has to be the cheapest and most abundant thing in the world – but it made a world of difference.—-Vidura went on to introduce the spinning wheel and the loom, and is now in dialogue with President Musoveni of Uganda to introduce hemp as a major crop for the villagers who live around Lake Victoria.

BY: SUN STAFF Nov 12, USA (SUN) — In Dover, Pennsylvania, a local school board who voted to teach both evolution and competing theories were ousted from their positions on the board this week, being defeated in a local election. Meanwhile, the lawsuit they supported has reached the end of trial in Federal court, and a decision is expected early in January. In Kansas, the conservative majority on the state board of education has pressed their support for teaching intelligent design along with evolution. They just voted to revise and rewrite the state's science standards to permit ideas other than evolution to be presented, including intelligent design. While the curriculum will not point to a specific "designer" or creator, critics charge that intelligent design is simply disguised creationism, a view being advanced by fundamentalist religion. Kansas is now embroiled in a debate with the National Academy of Sciences, who have revoked their permission for Kansas to use the NAS's national science guidelines. NAS charges that the Kansas board has changed the definition of science by omitting a key sentence which says that science can only rely on natural explanations - not the supernatural. Some Kansas residents are concerned that the state will become a laughingstock, while others see the intelligent design debate from a much broader view. Followers of Vedic philosophy, for example, recognize that intelligent design and fundamentalist western religion are not one and the same, by any means. For us, intelligent design is a matter of philosophy, not religion. Where eastern philosophy and western science will meet head to head in this debate remains to be seen. Drutakarma dasa (Michael Cremo) is perhaps the only devotee currently active worldwide in advancing the Vedic position in this matter. All devotees are encouraged to become well educated on this subject, so they can assert the Krsna Conscious understanding of intelligent design at the local level. The window of opportunity for this critically important preaching work is open now. Elsewhere in the media this week, NPR's "All Things Considered" reported on a battle that has long been brewing at the Smithsonian Institute, a bastion of all things scientific. Scientists associated with this venerable institution were furious over publication of a pro-Intelligent Design article published in an associated journal. "Intelligent design -- the idea that life is too complex to have evolved through Darwinian evolution -- is stirring up controversy not only in high school classrooms but also at universities and scientific research centers. Richard Sternberg, a staff scientist at the National Institutes of Health, is puzzled to find himself in the middle of a broader clash between religion and science -- in popular culture, academia and politics. Sternberg was the editor of an obscure scientific journal loosely affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution, where he is also a research associate. Last year, he published in the journal a peer-reviewed article by Stephen Meyer, a proponent of intelligent design, an idea which Sternberg himself believes is fatally flawed. "Why publish it?" Sternberg says. "Because evolutionary biologists are thinking about this. So I thought that by putting this on the table, there could be some reasoned discourse. That's what I thought, and I was dead wrong."" According to Sternberg, the science community banded together in an attempt to ruin his reputation by accusing him of fraud, a charge related to his supposedly calling an article "peer reviewed" when it was not. In fact, Sternberg proved himself right, although the system he appealed to for professional protection did little to help him.

BY: GADADHAR DASA Nov 12, USA (SUN) — I recently went to see Bee Season, starring Richard Grere. The long awaited film that employed over 40 devotees from Berkeley and LA temples. Last year ISKCON Berkeley approached me to help with the dealings between the Temple and this troupe of Hollywooders because I had just graduated from San Francisco State University with a BA in Cinema and they thought I would be helpful. When I received the script, I was a bit taken back by the Buddist/Hindu concoctions that were emanating from the pages, but I took it as a challenge and an opportunity to preach. I ended up giving them back a completely revised edition of the Hare Krishna scenes. They sent them back to me with what they thought would be satisfactory, but actually they only used maybe 2 or 3 lines that I had written. They said they wanted to "preserve the beauty of the scene". We went back and forth a few times until we came to a pretty good explanation of what Krishna Consciousness is all about, but nothing that I wrote ended up in the final cut. I would say they used maybe 30% of what they filmed. They filmed two kirtan scenes and they only used a small portion of one of them. They filmed Srila Prabhupada rising and embracing Aron (Richard Gere's son in the Film), but they cut that scene also. On the good side of things, they have a large picture of Srila Prabhupada on the wall of the temple they built in Oakland. Aron chants the entire Holy Name very clearly on beads and the kirtan lead by Lokanatha prabhu is very nice. Kuva prabhu greets Gere at the temple door and they dub his voice in (in order to avoid paying him for speaking lines). He says "Haribol" and his expressions were quite good. When Chali (Aron's Hare Krishna girlfriend) comes down the stairs with Aron, Kuva is in the back peering curiously into the uncomfortable situation. They asked me to make a Srila Prabhupada T-Shirt so that the audience would know that Aron didn't give up his Krishna Consciousness, but the T-shirt isn't on long enough for anyone to catch it. My impression is that it is very successful in spreading the Maha Mantra to millions of people across the world and it is also favorable to Srila Prabhupada's movement.

"It seems from all this that Thakur Bhaktivinod had a certain preaching purpose in mind in composing the samhita. He wanted to bring the modern scholars to the path of Krsna bhakti. "

He is a man of sense who does not grieve for what he has not, but rejoices in what he has. -- Epictetus (55-135 AD) Greek Philosopher

The pirates fired a rocket propelled grenade (RPG) at the ship. This photo was taken by a passenger. /images/graemlins/blush.gif

by Diamond Organics Posted November 10, 2005 MARSHALL, CA - Completing a 5 year process, Straus Family Creamery, California's cutting-edge organic dairy, created electricity today from its new methane digester. The digester captures naturally occurring gas from manure and converts it into electricity. With this new system, Straus is expected to generate up to 600,000 kWh per year, saving about 6,000 dollars in monthly energy costs. This process will also eliminate methane, a natural by-product of manure. According to the 2003 U.S. Department of Energy Report on Greenhouse Gases, agricultural sources, primarily animal waste, account for approximately 3 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. Funded by California's SB5X alternative energy grant program, this is the first system to take advantage of regulations of net metering law which effectively allows the entire Straus operation to run meters in reverse as excess electricity is sent back into the grid. Managing manure in a way that protects the environment has always been a goal of Albert Straus, farmer and owner of Straus Family Creamery. A cow can generate 120 lbs of waste per day, which translates to 40,000 lbs. per year per animal. While all waste at Straus dairy is composted and reused as fertilizer, this system provides additional and far-reaching benefits. The project was funded in part with grants from California's Energy Commission (CEC), Marin County Resource Conservation District (RCD), California Regional Water Quality Control Board, the U.S. EPA and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Other support came from Sustainable Conservation, a non-profit environmental group, which was instrumental in helping farmers get credit for the electricity they send to the grid. Western United Resource Development helped make the grant money available to buy the generator. Williams Engineering Associates designed and managed the project. "This is one more step towards my goal of having our farm become completely self-sufficient in energy, with minimal environmental impact," Albert Straus stated. *This methane digester is a model solution for one of the greater challenges of the dairy industry. * "The Straus Dairy has again demonstrated leadership to the rest of the dairy community by adopting one of the most environmentally beneficial renewable energy technologies," according Allen Dusault of Sustainable Conservation. "It provides a triple win producing cleaner air and water and a new source of renewable energy." The Straus dairy has been in operation since 1941. Straus Family Creamery just celebrated 10 years of processing and recently introduced their all organic ingredient Super Premium Ice Creams which are available in natural food and specialty stores throughout the western U.S.

Gaudiya Vaisnavas worship the plant Tulsi. They worship the plant with aroti and kirtan, use the wood for neck beads and chanting beads, use her leaves for offering food. Why? Who is Tulsi? In Krishna lila? In Gaura lila? What is her connection to Radharani, our main worshipable deity? How is her worship connected to our goal of Radha-dasya?

Dear friends of AskTheSwami.org, please accept my dandavat pranams 3 new Questions and Answers from Swami B.A. Paramadvaiti are online on AskTheSwami.org. We are happy to share with you a new service of AskTheSwami.org: AskTheSwami.blogspot.com All the questions and answers will also be published there. It is a Blog (News Page). Please visit it and invite others too. 1) Regaining Trust in Devotees 2) Mexico, the new Frontier 3) Samskaras, Purificatory Rituals ------------ 1) Question: How can one develop an intimate relationship with devotees after bad experiences? How to develop trust in them? 1) Answer: You are asking me a very tough question. A burned child shies the fire, but you make me remember one important instruction Srila Sridhara Maharaja gave to us, specificially to devotees whose initiating spiritual masters have abandoned their duty. He said: “Never feel cheated by Krsna.” Consider it your bad karma that you had to go through such a painful situation, and simply pray to be able to learn something. Of course you can also understand that surrender to Krsna is not such an easy thing. You cannot take it for granted that everything works perfectly. But if you asked me 'who is trustworthy?', I would put it in a very few words. He must be a person who is trying to take the service to his spiritual master as his life and soul. He is somebody who will never get unreasonably angry with someone. He is not sectarian. He appreciates all vaisnavas. He has a desinterested nature and impartial judgement and a strong common sense. Those who do not take their relationship with Guru and Krsna very serious, much less will they take their relation with you very serious. What to speak of spiriutal masters. Just to know how to choose one's friends, one should take all this in consideration. If they do something very wonderful and they invite you to participate then you can try it. If you do not choose anything then you have no good association and nothing nice to do. So there is always some risk in life and we are always depending on the grace of Krsna. By His grace we are eating and sleeping and by his guidence He will provide us good association. In my own life, after I lost my dear Srila Prabhupada, who gave me two initiations, I met another pure devotee, Srila B.R. Sridhara Dev Goswami Maharaja, who gave sannyasa to me. And after he went back to Krsna and the world surrounding me was submerged in sectarianism, I met another pure Devotee, Srila BP Puri Maharaja. He emphasized to me, that in front of Krsna all devotees are equal and that we should all work together on our common causes. Srila B.P. Puri Maharaja became my siksa guru and the first president of the world vaisnava association. In my work as a secretary for the world vaisnava association, for the first five years of its existance, I had the mercy to get to know practically every Gaudiya acarya on the planet plus most of their leading disciples. I am very thankful for that experience. The more I know, the more grateful I am to have met Srila Prabhupada. Undoubtedly, there are many wonderful devotees in all missions, but still to meet those who are very advanced and who also have some skill of communication and understanding eastern and western Vaisnavas at the same time, such a person is rare to find. I hope this information will give you something of value for your own search. I pray that you may be succesful to meet the most beautiful Vaisnavas and thus achieve happiness in your devotional service, because unless you achieve happyness, how will you be able to make others happy? Yogesavara, the master of all mystic powers ki jay. visit us online!! ---------------- 2) Question: Mexico is our new frontier in the Vrinda mission. What is the plan or vision for Mexico? 2) Answer: Mexico is a very wonderful place for spreading Lord Chaitanya's grace. The nature of the people is that they are inclined to be very pious. Just like Srila Prabhupada used to say that the influence of the Latin culture has made the people somewhat pious. And we can see that in Mexico just like in Chile, Ecuador or Colombia. The general attitude towards India and the message of India is very favourable. People are welcoming the devotees and want to know about everything which they are doing and what they have to offer. Now Mexico is so incredible because there are so many cities. It is such a large country, with every climate you can imagine, really a paradise, just missing Sri Krishna. One Mexican poet said: "Poor Mexicans, so far away from God and so close to the United States of America." So bringing Krishna to Mexico is a great joy. In the middle of the old city we established a very nice center, and we called it the Prabhupada's Culture Center, hoping to inspire such a reaction as happened in many places of South America: that the message of Lord Chaitanya will go to every province and to all smaller places of Mexico. In a small scale that has already taken place. Some of our devotees are active in Puebla, some of them are active in Valle de Pravo, some of them are going to Vera Cruz and some others are in Texcoco and Vuanahuatu, Tepostlan. Wherever you go there is such a great chance. We can only imagine how wonderful the message of Lord Chaitanya will be celebrated in this country if more and more centres will start all around. There are also some devotees in Cancun and Saldillo and I can see that Mexico will be one of the places where very large melas can be held. Because in South America there is something special. We can notice a certain perplexity which is like an inferiority complex and in some way, due to movies and the industry and whatever, the people are always looking to the North and not to the South. Somehow or other, to say it a little bit ironical: For Mexicans the world stops where Guatemala begins, for Guatemalans the world stops where Honduras begins, for Hondurans the world stops where Nicuaragua begins, and all the way down everybody is looking towards the North, towards the Hollywood culture. They are very frustrated and they cannot see how much of a great culture they themselves have. Provided they take up the real path of spirituality within their piousness. A living unity between their ancient tradition as well as some of their positive Christian attitudes, plus Lord Chaitanya's gift of the Holy Name and humility, can bring together a very beautiful synthesis of Latin American God consciousness. And I thinK Mexico, Central America and South America are the best breeding grounds for a new spiritual consciousness which we call Universal Love or All-embracing Love, 100% derived from the teachings of Lord Chaitanya, coinciding with all the sweet feelings of people inclined to the mode of goodness, who want to be helpful and who want to improve things in this world. So I look forward to see Mexico as a place where thousands and thousands of devotees will live. visit us online!! ---------------- 3) Question: What do you think about Samskaras? 3) Answer: Accoring to Vamana dasa all samskaras are purificatory rituals which are great pretext to get everybody to chant the Holy Name of Sri Krsna. Without the chanting of the Holy Name, no ritual can be successful. On the other side, I am surprised by your question, because the samskaras accompany a devotees' life from the first day – ceremonies such as First Grain, initiation, marriage etc. They are parts of our life and cannot even be thought away. I received these ceremonies by the grace of my spiriutual master and we are trying to keep them happily alive. The highest goal of life is to chant the Holy Name purely and to become a pure devotee. All rules and regulations hint in that direction. visit us online!! ----------------- Please do not hesitate to visit the page to read more and ask your questions. Of course we would like to invite you to share the service of the page and this newsletter with your friends and relatives. Haribol, trying to serve you more govardhan das

Hare Krsna, prabhu you're giving the last word on everything. What more is there to say on this?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4423714.stm

Evolution in the bible, says Vatican By Martin Penner November 07, 2005 THE Vatican has issued a stout defence of Charles Darwin, voicing strong criticism of Christian fundamentalists who reject his theory of evolution and interpret the biblical account of creation literally. Cardinal Paul Poupard, head of the Pontifical Council for Culture, said the Genesis description of how God created the universe and Darwin’s theory of evolution were “perfectly compatible” if the Bible were read correctly. His statement was a clear attack on creationist campaigners in the US, who see evolution and the Genesis account as mutually exclusive. “The fundamentalists want to give a scientific meaning to words that had no scientific aim,” he said at a Vatican press conference. He said the real message in Genesis was that “the universe didn’t make itself and had a creator”. This idea was part of theology, Cardinal Poupard emphasised, while the precise details of how creation and the development of the species came about belonged to a different realm - science. Cardinal Poupard said that it was important for Catholic believers to know how science saw things so as to “understand things better”. Advertisement: His statements were interpreted in Italy as a rejection of the “intelligent design” view, which says the universe is so complex that some higher being must have designed every detail.

BY: NONA WALIA Nov 9, INDIA (TIMES OF INDIA) — Lord of the Rings teams to work on Mahabharata epic film The Mahabharata. Hindu mythology's greatest epic might just become Bollywood's biggest ever cinematic venture. The magic of this powerful epic is currently being recreated by producer Bobby Bedi into a trilogy with a budget of Rs 300 crore. "The trilogy will capture the battles, intrigues, spiritual complexity and cultural aesthetics of India, 4,000 years ago. This will be my big project for the next three years," says Bedi, adding that he discovered the power of the Mahabharata's storyline after reading Girish Karnad's script for Agnivarsha. What will bring the superstar touch to the Mahabharata is the cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan (together on the screen for the first time) and Rani Mukherji. "While Rani will play Draupadi, Shah Rukh and Aamir will play Karan and Arjun, but I can't reveal who's who. I hope to make a historic movie series in the manner of The Lord Of The Rings. My Mahabharata will have the same imagination, special effects and creativity of Peter Jackson's trilogy. In fact, we've asked The Lord Of The Rings' team to work with us on this project. Mani Ratnam will direct the trilogy, which will roll soon," says Bedi,the chairman of CII's entertainment committee. Bedi plans to take India's most ancient story to Gen Now across the globe. "I want American, British, Japanese and Indian kids to watch the movie and understand the significance of the Mahabharata. Telling this dramatic story will be a big challenge. Imagine something similar to Harry Potter and The Lord Of The Rings that's the canvas I'm thinking of. To be able to make something of that magnitude, we need space. The sets of the movie will span 18 acres in Haryana or the foothills of Punjab. Designer JJ Valaya will work on the clothes, he'll drape all the characters remember, everybody in that era wore clothes without stitches. I've asked Sufi musician Madan Gopal to do research on the sights and sounds of that period. Besides, I have asked artist Manjit Bawa to think of the visuals, what the houses and temples of the Mahabharata period should look like," informs Bedi.

Lord Caitanya said that one should first make himself perfect and then attempt to instruct others. There is no point in telling another man to stop smoking if you yourself are smoking cigarettes. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (06-14-05) Hyderabad, 23 April, 1974 Glasgow, Scotland Dear Niranjana, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of 9th April from Scotland. You are asking what should your preaching work be now that you are attending the university. So the first preaching work is that yourself should become an ideal devotee. Lord Caitanya said that one should first make himself perfect and then attempt to instruct others. There is no point in telling another man to stop smoking if you yourself are smoking cigarettes. Even though you are mixing with all kinds of the student class at the university, you must strictly refrain from the four prohibitive sinful activities, and as an initiated student you must not let a day pass when you do not chant at least 16 rounds of Hare Krsna Mantra. If you can follow just these things nicely that in itself will be strong preaching by behavior. You should also always wear Kunti beads around the neck and wear the marking of tilak. People will inquire from you and you can tell them about Krsna Consciousness and sell them books also. You should also try to associate with the devotees in England and Scotland. If possible, visit the temple on Sundays and whenever you can, and always read my books. I will be coming to London in the first week of Maya and if you can come and see me at Bhaktivedanta Manor that will be very nice. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

11.09.2005 Board of Education votes to include challenges to Charles Darwin's widely accepted theory in curriculum. By a 6-4 margin, the Kansas Board of Education voted Tuesday to mandate that students learn about the "controversial" aspects of Charles Darwin's widely accepted theory of evolution. The move was seen as a victory for religious conservatives who question Darwin's theory in favor of one of "intelligent design," which suggests that life is too complex for evolution to have happened without the assistance of some higher power. According to the Los Angeles Times, the new standards — which were seen as a free-speech victory by supporters and a move into questionable science by detractors — allege a "lack of adequate natural explanations for the genetic code." The move makes Kansas the fifth state to adopt standards that question evolution. "This is a great day for education. ... This absolutely teaches more about science," said Steve Abrams, the Republican board chairman who voted with the majority, which overruled a 26-member science committee and ignored the National Academy of Sciences and the National Science Teachers Association in passing the standards. Opponents of the measure on the school board accused Abrams and his colleagues of using a smokescreen of science to mask the injection of religion into public schools. According to the Times, they called the decision bad for education and bad for the state's reputation. "This is a sad day, not only for Kansas kids, but for Kansas," said Janet Waugh, who voted against the new standards. "We're becoming a laughingstock, not only of the nation but of the world." The new standards suggest that several aspects of evolution that the majority of scientists believe to be fact, including the concept that all living things are biologically related, have been "challenged." But prominent scientists and science organizations say there is no significant controversy, and evidence from fields ranging from paleontology to molecular biology shows all life on Earth originated from a single simple life form. Intelligent design "does not provide any natural explanation that can be tested," said Francisco Ayala, an expert in evolutionary genetics and past president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He told the Times that the Kansas standards "are an insult to science, an insult to education and an insult to the American Constitution." The Board's decision does not mandate what public school students will be taught, which is left to local school boards. But by determining what students are expected to know for state assessment tests, state standards typically influence what students are taught in the classroom. In 1999, Kansas approved standards that eliminated all references to evolution. But after the conservative majority on the board was booted in 2000, the anti-evolution standards were repealed. The latest reversal came when religious conservatives regained a majority on the education board last fall. While Ohio, Minnesota and New Mexico have already adopted standards that encourage questions about evolution, a verdict is expected in January in a Pennsylvania trial over whether teaching "intelligent design" violates the Constitution's ban on state promotion of religion. The eight Dover, Pennsylvania, school board members who introduced "intelligent design" to the curriculum were voted out of office Tuesday, replaced by candidates who challenged the policy. — Gil Kaufman

acting in mere goodnes will not free us from this world. yet, while in this world and forced to interact with it, we should certainly act in the mode of goodness for there is less chance for contamination by acting in that way. transcending goodness is acting in goodness while surrendering the results of such activities to Krsna, instead of trying to enjoy them.

I've read in a few books, especially in the Bhagavad Gita, that we should rise above the three modes of material nature and be situated in transcendence. I can understand how the world would be a better place if everyone stopped being ignorant and passionate, however why should people stop being good? My sister suffers from Thalasemia which means she needs a blood transfusion every few weeks. Someone out of goodness is providing that blood. Whats's going on here?

So if this confidential knowledge, one who preaches without any compromise, he is the confidential servant of Krsna. There is no compromise. This is real religion. Krsna says, na ca tasmad manusyesu kascid me priya-krttamah. So this is the person who has received the authority to draw mercy water from the ocean of mercy of Krsna. Saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastraih. And what Krsna said five thousand years ago, the same thing Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, same thing. There was no change, as there was no change between the statement of Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura and Narottama dasa Thakura. Sadhu sastra. As sastra, there is no change. Not that “Modernize. The sastra should be changed.” No. That is nonsense. That is not sastra. Sastra cannot be changed. “Circumstantially, it will be changed, seasonal changes.” No. That is not sastra. Sastra means it is perpetual. What Krsna said five thousand years ago or Krsna said some forty millions of years ago to the sun god… Imam vivasvate yogam proktavan aham avyayam [bg. 4.1]. He says, “I am talking to you that puratanam yogam.” Not that “Because it has passed millions of years and now it is a different time, so I will have to change.” No. He said, “I am talking to you that very old system.” Is it not? Just see. The sastra cannot be changed. God’s word cannot be changed. Then what will be the difference between God and ourself? He is always perfect. He is always perfect. What He said forty millions of years ago, what He said five thousand years ago, that is also correct up to date. That is sastra. Not that “So many years have passed and it has become old. Now let us reform it and put it into new way.” No. You can put the same thing in a new way, but you cannot change the principle. Sadhu sastra guru-vakya, tinete kariya aikya. Sastra is never changed. And the sadhu… Sadhu means who follows the sastras. He is sadhu. He also does not change. Sadhu, sastra. And guru? Guru means who follows the sastra and sadhu. So there are three, the same. A guru will not change, that “It was spoken five thousand years ago. That is not applicable now. Now I am giving you something new, jugglery.” He is useless. Sadhu sastra guru-vakya tinete kariya aikya. Yah sastra-vidhim utsrjya vartate kama karatah, na siddhim avapnoti [bg. 16.23]. These things are there. >>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.6.8 — Vrndavana, November 30, 1976

Srimad Bhagavatam 10.21.18: Of all the devotees, this Govardhana Hill is the best! O my friends, this hill supplies Krsna and Balarma, along with Their calves, cows and cowherd friends, with all kinds of necessities — water for drinking, very soft grass, caves, fruits, flowers and vegetables. In this way the hill offers respects to the Lord. Being touched by the lotus feet of Krsna and Balarama, Govardhana Hill appears very jubilant.

Nov 8, VATICAN CITY, ROME (ANSA) — Congress will seek harmony between science and religion The Vatican is to host an international conference next week aimed at finding common ground between two worlds often seen as mutually exclusive: science and religious faith. Some of the world's most authoritative scientists, philosophers and theologians will gather at the Pontifical Lateran University for three days of debate focused on the idea of infinity. The meeting has been organised as part of a wider, Vatican-sponsored project to promote dialogue between religion and science. The current pope's predecessor, John Paul II, issued an important document - Fides et Ratio (Faith and Reason) - arguing that the two universes were inextricably intertwined. Among the scientists due to attend are Argentinian Juan Maldacena, an internationally renowned figure in quantum gravity and string theory; Italian Enrico Bombieri, a star in number theory and geometric algebra; and Britain's Joseph Silk, the Oxford University professor famed for his work on theoretical cosmology and dark matter. American Nino Cocchiarella, the Indiana university professor famed for his work in the field of logic, will be holding the flag for the philosopher's contingent. The theologians, meanwhile, will include Cardinal Paul Poupard, head of the Vatican's culture 'ministry' and Cardinal Georges Cottier, the pope's official theologian. There will also be two Jewish theologians, Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz of the Israel Institute of Talmudic Publications and Rabbi Benedetto Carucci of the Rabbinical Seminary in Rome. "Dialogue between science and faith is becoming a stimulus for deeper inter-religious dialogue, because the challenges of science are an issue for all religions," said Monsignor Gianfranco Basti, the congress organiser. The three-day event, which starts on November 9, will examine the concept of the infinite in four contexts: Physics, Mathematics, Philosophy and Theology. The goal is to gauge to what extent concepts of infinity in these areas may share points of reference.