melvin

You can`t see any contradiction between Advaita and Dvaita maybe because LOVE is always present in your heart as your guide. Love rejoices in the truth not evil. Since these teachings are good because they are truthful not bad then you see them as one. Again there`s no contradiction here since you know they are simultaneously different( One is good while the other is better).

All glories to Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu!

The Holy Trinity in the Bible- God the Father, God the Son & God the Holy Spirit is a copy of the Trimurti found in the Vedic scriptures - Brahma, Vishnu & Siva. Why I`m saying this? Because if you study Hinduism & Catholicism you will find both have similarities. 1) Both worship God with names Christ in the Bible or Krishna in the Gita 2) Her followers ask benedictions from suras ( Hinduism ) or saints ( Catholicism ) 3 ) Receiving the body of Christ to a Catholic is Holy Communion or Prasadam to a Hindu. 4 ) King Herod of the Bible is Kamsa in Srimad Bhagavatam 5 ) Both religions teach her members the dvaita philosophy of the Master ( Guru ) & servant ( devotee ). That the Master ( Guru ) is considered by the servant or devotee to be God himself because the former represents God ( Christ or Krishna ).

Who is Christ? In the NT of the Bible, Jesus Christ in John 3:14-15 is described here to wit , " Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him." The snake in the wilderness being referred to by Moses is the elder brother of Krishna. He is the manifestation of the Sesa, the serpent on whom Vishnu rests. & as part of this divine 'emanation', Krishna's very first expansion his name is Balarama, and from Balarama all other incarnations of God then appear. Of the three transcendental elements described in Sanskrit as sat, cit and ananda (eternity, knowledge and bliss), Balarama is in charge of eternity and knowledge. Hence he is worshipped as the supreme teacher or Adiguru.

In a letter written to an Ayur Vedic scholar, Bhakti Ananda Goswami has this to say, " My name is Bhakti Ananda Goswami. I am a Vaishnava sannyasi and a historian of religion. My 30+ year study of bhakti traditions has led me to the conclusion that the late dominant devotional tradition of the Mediterranean region, for at least 300 years before the advent of Jesus Christ, was the worship of Balarama-Shesha (Semitic Yahu-Baal as Nachash/Naga/Seraph) as the Great Physician Asclepius (Serapis in Egypt). The entire Proto Catholic Heliopolitan Asyla Federation of Alexandria was centered on the unified systematized theology of Serapis."

The Question was after Krsna instructed Arjuna this most confidential knowledge (Bg. 18.64-78) did it stop here? The Answer was there was in fact to further enlighten Arjuna a continuation of this discussions that took place when Krsna manifested in the form of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu & Arjuna in the form of Ramananda Raya. These conversations taken from the book The Teachings of Lord Caitanya if matted in between Krsna`s discussions with Arjuna will greatly help Hare Krsna devotees understand what Krsna meant when he asked Arjuna to surrender to him in the Bhagavad-gita.

The article, Unlocking the Secret of the Bhagavad-gita, I posted on this forum is the result of a research that started in 1991 when I studied the history of the Raja Brothers of Vijayanagara, Southern India. It was during that time (1502-1503 AD) when Lord Caitanya started to advocate the glories of chanting God`s holy names ( Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare/ Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare ). My belief is that the reason why he urged Vaisnavas & Sivaites residing in Southern India to follow his cause was simply to encourage & embolden the Raja Brothers to fight & defend Vijayanagara from being captured by the invading muslims under the Sultanate of Bihar.

Vijayanagara Dynasty

Harihara Raya I (1336-1356)

Bukka Raya I (1356-1377)

Harihara Raya II (1377-1404)

Vijaya Bukka Raya (1422-1424)

Deva Raya II (1424-1446)

Mallikarjuna Raya (1446-1465)

Virupaksha Raya II (1465-1485)

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu(1486–1534) was a Hindu saint and social reformer in eastern India (specifically present-day Bangladesh and states of West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and Orissa of India) in the 16th century, believed by followers of Gaudiya Vaishnavism to be the full incarnation of Lord Krishna. Sri Krishna Chaitanya was a notable proponent for the Vaishnava school of Bhakti yoga (meaning loving devotion to Krishna/God) based on the philosophy of the Bhagavata Purana and Bhagavad Gita. Specifically he worshipped the forms of Radha and Krishna and popularised the chanting of the Hare Krishna maha mantra and have composed Siksastakam in Sanskrit. His line of followers, known as Gaudiya Vaishnavas, revere him as an avatar of Krishna in the mood of Radharani who was prophesised to appear in the later verses of the Bhagavata Purana.

Narasimha Raya II (1491-1505)

Sri Krishna Deva Raya (1509-1529) also known as Krishna Rai was the famed Emperor of Vijayanagara.Presiding over the kingdom at its zenith, Krishna Deva Raya earned the title Rama Ramana Rajya. He was one of the greatest statesmen which medieval South India had produced. The king’s coronation took place on the birthday of Hindu God Krishna, July 26, 1509.The Portuguese Chronicler Domingo Paes praises Krishna Deva Raya as, “the most feared and perfect King… a great ruler and a man of much justice”. Though a follower of Vaishnavism he showed respect all sects and petty religious prejudices never influenced him either in granting gifts or in his choice of companions and officers.

The highlight of his conquests occurred on May 19, 1520 where he secured the fortress of Raichur from Ismail Adil Shah of Bijapur after a difficult siege during which 16,000 Vijaynagar soldiers were killed. The exploits of the chief military commander, Pemmasani Ramalinga Nayudu, during the battle of Raichur were suitably rewarded by the grateful emperor. During the campaign against Raichur, it is said that 703,000 foot soldiers, 32,600 cavalry and 551 elephants were used. Finally, in his last battle, he razed to the ground the fortress of Gulburga, the early capital of the Bahmani sultanate. His empire extended over the whole of South India.

Achyuta Deva Raya (1529-1542) was a ruler of a Vijayanagara Empire of South India. He was the younger brother of Krishna Deva Raya, whom he succeeded in 1529. He patronised Kannada poet Chatu Vittalanatha and the great singer Purandaradasa(Father of Carnatic music) and the Sanskrit scholar Rajanatha Dindima II. Upon his death, the succession was disputed. His nephew, (sister's son) Sadashiva, finally became king while yet a child, under the regency of Rama Raya, a son-in-law of Krishnadevaraya.

Throughout his rule, Achyuta Raya had to contend with the manipulations of Rama Raya who in his powerful capacity had replaced many of the faithfull servants of the Kingdom in high ranking positions with men of his own favour. On more than one occasion the Bahamani Sultans were brought in to play the role of mediator between the king and Ailya Rama Raya in the game of power sharing. This would further weaken the kingdom. In 1542 Rama Raya imprisoned Achyuta Raya in a coup and made Sadasiva Raya the new regent. Rama Raya became the de-facto king and let very little governance in the hands of Sadasiva Raya.

Sadasiva Raya(1542-1570) became king according to the laws of aliya santana which was prevalent among the Bunts caste. He was controlled by his minister Rama Raya, the de facto king, who restored the Vijayanagara empire's power which had diminished after the rule of Krishna Deva Raya. Rama Raya's strategy was to play the Deccan Sultanates against each other by first allying with one and then another.

Conclusion-The Perfect Renunciation Chapter 18

BG 18.64: Because you are My very dear friend, I am speaking to you My supreme instruction, the most confidential knowledge of all. Hear this from Me, for it is for your benefit.

“You have the highest conception of the pastimes of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa,” Lord Caitanya continued. “Therefore you are seeing Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa everywhere.”

BG 18.66: Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.

Rāmānanda Rāya replied: “I request that You not try to hide Yourself. I understand that You have accepted the complexion and mode of thinking of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and that You are trying to understand Yourself from the viewpoint of Rādhārāṇī. You have actually advented Yourself to take this point of view. Although You incarnate mainly to understand Your own self, You are at the same time distributing love of Kṛṣṇa to the world. Now You have personally come here to deliver me. Please don’t try to deceive me, I beg You. It is not good for You.”

BG 18.67: This confidential knowledge may never be explained to those who are not austere, or devoted, or engaged in devotional service, nor to one who is envious of Me.

Being very satisfied, Lord Caitanya smiled and showed Rāmānanda His real form as the combination of Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. Thus Lord Caitanya was Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself with the external features of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. His transcendental ability to become two and then to become one again was revealed to Rāmānanda Rāya. Those who are fortunate enough to understand Lord Caitanya as well as the Vṛndāvana pastimes of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa can be able, by the mercy of Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī, to know about the real identity of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

BG 18.68: For one who explains this supreme secret to the devotees, pure devotional service is guaranteed, and at the end he will come back to Me.

Upon seeing this unique feature of Lord Caitanya, Rāmānanda Rāya fainted and fell on the floor. Lord Caitanya then touched him, and he came to his senses. Rāmānanda Rāya was then surprised to see Lord Caitanya again in His mendicant dress. Lord Caitanya embraced and pacified him and informed him that he was the only one to have seen this form. “Because you have understood the purpose of My incarnation, you are privileged to have seen this particular feature of My personality,” the Lord said. “My dear Rāmānanda, I am not a different person with a fair complexion known as Gaurapuruṣa. I am the selfsame Kṛṣṇa the son of Mahārāja Nanda, and due to contact with the body of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī I have now assumed this form. Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī does not touch anyone but Kṛṣṇa; therefore She has influenced Me with Her complexion, mind and words. In this way I am just trying to understand the transcendental flavor of Her relationship with Kṛṣṇa.”

BG 18.72: O son of Pṛthā, O conqueror of wealth, have you heard this with an attentive mind? And are your ignorance and illusions now dispelled?

The fact is that both Kṛṣṇa and Lord Caitanya are the original Personality of Godhead. No one should try to eliminate Lord Caitanya from Śrī Kṛṣṇa. In His form of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, He is the supreme enjoyer, and in His form of Lord Caitanya, He is the supreme enjoyed. No one can be more superexcellently attractive than Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and but for Śrī Kṛṣṇa, no one can enjoy the supreme form of devotion, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. But for Śrī Kṛṣṇa, all Viṣṇu forms are lacking this ability. This is explained in the description of Govinda in Caitanya-caritāmṛta. There it is said that Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is the only personality who can infuse Śrī Kṛṣṇa with transcendental pleasure. Thus Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is the chief damsel of Vraja in love with Govinda, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

BG 18.73: Arjuna said: My dear Kṛṣṇa, O infallible one, my illusion is now gone. I have regained my memory by Your mercy. I am now firm and free from doubt and am prepared to act according to Your instructions.

“Please rest assured that I have nothing to hide from you,” Lord Caitanya told Rāmānanda. “Even if I do try to hide from you, you are such an advanced devotee that you can understand all My secrets. I request that you please keep this a secret and do not disclose it to anyone. If it were revealed, everyone would consider Me a madman. The facts which I have disclosed to you cannot be understood by materialistic people. When they hear of this, they will simply laugh at Me. You can understand this yourself and keep it to yourself. From a materialistic point of view, a devotee becomes mad in his ecstasy of love for Kṛṣṇa. Both you and I are just like madmen. So please don’t disclose these facts to ordinary men. If you do, they will surely laugh at Me.”

BG 18.75: By the mercy of Vyāsa, I have heard these most confidential talks directly from the master of all mysticism, Kṛṣṇa, who was speaking personally to Arjuna.

Lord Caitanya then passed ten nights with Rāmānanda Rāya, enjoyed his company and discussed the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa and Rādhā. The discussions between them were on the highest level of love for Kṛṣṇa. Some of these talks are described, but most of them could not be described. In Caitanya-caritāmṛta this has been compared to metallurgic examination. The metals compared are discussed in the following sequence: first copper, then bronze, then silver, gold and at last touchstone. The preliminary discussions between Lord Caitanya and Rāmānanda Rāya are considered to be like copper, and the higher discussions are considered to be like gold. The fifth dimension of their discussions, however, is considered to be like touchstone. If one is eager to attain the highest understanding, he must begin with an inquiry into the differences between copper and bronze, then silver and gold and so on.

BG 18.76: O King, as I repeatedly recall this wondrous and holy dialogue between Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, I take pleasure, being thrilled at every moment.

The next day Lord Caitanya asked Rāmānanda Rāya to allow Him to return to Jagannātha Purī. “We can remain together the rest of our lives at Jagannātha Purī and pass our time in discussing Kṛṣṇa.” Lord Caitanya then embraced Rāmānanda Rāya and sent him to his own place. In the morning the Lord started on His journey. He met Rāmānanda Rāya at a temple of Hanumān on the river bank. After visiting the temple of Hanumān, He left. As long as Caitanya Mahāprabhu remained at Karpūra, all kinds of people met Him, and by His grace everyone became a devotee of the Supreme Lord.

BG 18.77: O King, as I remember the wonderful form of Lord Kṛṣṇa, I am struck with wonder more and more, and I rejoice again and again.

After Lord Caitanya’s departure, Rāmānanda Rāya became overwhelmed due to his separation from the Lord, and he immediately decided to retire from service and meet the Lord again at Jagannātha Purī. The discussions between Rāmānanda Rāya and Lord Caitanya deal with the most concentrated form of devotional service. By hearing these discussions one can understand the pastimes of Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa as well as the confidential role played by Lord Caitanya. If one is actually fortunate enough to have faith in these discussions, he can enter into the transcendental association of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.

BG 18.78: Wherever there is Kṛṣṇa, the master of all mystics, and wherever there is Arjuna, the supreme archer, there will also certainly be opulence, victory, extraordinary power, and morality. That is my opinion.

http://vedabase.net/bg/18/en

Teachings of Lord Caitanya

We are like simpacks inserted in God`s celfon. It`s either you are smart, globe or suncellular.

ahh . nice to see everyone here . bija , ganeshprasad , melvin and others . hehehehe . im glad .

 

 

 

I can`t forget, Sambya, the narration you gave when you participated last year in the Jaganath festival in Mayapur. The way you described inside the Jaganath temple how Lord Chaitanya`s hand prints were preserved on stone.

Correction: Taken after my father`s birthday (May 29). The one you see standing from right to left is me, my brother, Jun & my brother-in-law, Dr jay-R.. Sitting on the sofa from right to left is my niece, Maricel,my wife Celsa, my mother Julie, my father, Dr. Mario & my sister, Dr. Mae Rebecca. Sitting on the floor from right to left is my nephew Jojed, my daughter Melsa, grand daughters, Liklik, Althea, Nina, & grand son Macmac with her mother Marlyn & my son Matthew. Please come. All are invited to the banquet we have prepared just for you ( a very sumptuous invisible meal ).

Haribol! Jndas. Glad it`s working again.:shock1:

Taken after my father`s birthday (May 29). The one you see standing on the left is me. Next to me is my brother, Jun. Seated on the left is my mother Julie. At center is my father, Dr. Mario. On the left is my sister, Dr. Mae Rebecca. We have prepared for you a sumptuous dinner. Please come! All are invited to the banquet.

I thank all the members here who have cooperated in answering my questions including ones in private messages and i apologise for any of my foolish behaviour.

 

I wont forget you, Sant. I guess you are the only member here who became senior in just four months time when you registered as guest on March 2009. Why? This forum is closing on August 8, 2009 and to think I haven`t yet reached senior status after more than nine years.

We all had our fun, but it is time to move on. Hopefully, the existence of these forums for a decade now helped raise enough funds to feed a lot of hungry people - people who may have gone hungry without these forums/website. I would also like to think some people had their perspectives on religion broadened due to time spent here.

 

Have fun, you all. The clock is ticking and time cannot be reversed. Make best use of the time you have, and that means doing something you like - today/now. Do not wait for fun to begin in some afterlife.

 

Twenty years from now, you will regret all the things you did not do, than the things you did do - Mark Twain

 

Cheers

Regardless of what we believe. I still love you. To Mahak, I hope you forgive me for my irreverent attitude. To Sephiroth, hope you forgive me, too. I`m so sorry. To all who have spent their time with me ( theist, jndas, sant, primate, chandu, sambya, ranjetmoore, bhaktajan, gHari, ancientmariner, stonehearted, smiley, kaisersose, beggar, sonic yogi, ksamha, smaranam, hindustani, pandora, gokulkr, krsna, etc.) thank you so much!

yeah, and here are a few other things that might be useful for you...

 

you know Ramadan? why its holy for muslims? it comes from Rama & Dan, Rama is lord Rama and Dan means (if i remember this correctly) Donation. Lord Rama Donation, they are giving their devotion to allah and donating it to Rama who is none other than that Allah.

Wrong. Ramadan is Rama & Danava. Rama and Danava were enemies. Followers of Danava who were killed by Rama (Siva) became alive again after Danava placed them in a well which brings the dead back to life. When Muslims fast on Ramadan it`s to remind them of how Rama and Danava fought a war that one thought would never end. Until Lord Visnu in the form of a cow appeared and drank all what was inside the well Danava built.

Here in our place if your name ends with a letter "a" it means your gender is female. If it`s letter "o" it`s a male. I have a friend whose name is Kristna and she`s a woman. We never call Christ, Christa but Christo. In other words, the people here thinks Krsna is a woman not a man.

I used to think that the name God was impersonal until I realized it was Govinda`s name shortened for God. So, everytime I hear the name God I know it`s Govinda`s name they are referring to.

Matthew 18:8 Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.

 

You are trying to imply something spiritual in bible where as what you see is father son duo scaring the hell outta people.

 

 

Being reincarnated into a hog and butchered later is scarier.

How do we accept the subject s being separate from the thread staters motive. I am accusing you of posting in order to criticize Christ and that I personally object to.So I will call you out on it as I wish.

You just hit a hole in one, Theist. Give me five, my friend.

.

 

Let's say the calf that Krishna is holding and protecting is a male calf. Do you think He would surrender that calf to be slaughtered for veal so you could have milk to offer Him? Does that make sense to you?

Why is always Krsna in the picture, Theist? Where is Balaram, the twin brother of Krsna? What do you think is Balaram`s opinion? There are two sides of the coin. And I want to know Balaram`s side on this grave matter. If there`s a ying, there`s a yang to it. The negative and the opposite. Without it there`s no attraction. There`s no electricity without the negative and the positive come clashing together. That`s the ecosystem at work here. Carnivores have reincarnated into human beings and they are now eating hogs, cows, and chickens or else this planet would be inhabited by trillions of animals and they are being fed by multitudes of human beings who don`t eat meat!

MElvin keep your disgusting tast animal like taste and views to your self.

 

 

Sant, I was just asking from a carnivore`s point of view. What if I were a tiger asking you this question? How will human society get the resources to feed the multitudes of hogs, cows, and chickens if they wont be killed for food? when human society couldn`t even feed adequately her billions of siblings? Multiply one loaf of bread and fish to billions daily so she would have the time to plant corn and wheat to feed the mutitudes of hogs, cows, and chickens?

If there a murder-free, meat-free,compassionate, healthy and spiritual life possible without having to KILL any animals, why is there a need for all these cold blooded slaughtering?

Human beings dont NEED to kill animals in order to remain "healthy" or to "progress". A highly civilized society is not the one that develops in terms of material gains, by slaughtering animals, and churning out everything mother Earth has to offer to us. Society can only progress when we as humans learn to live in harmony not only within ourselves but with our relation to our mother Earth.

 

 

Where will human society get the resources to feed multitudes of hogs, cows and chickens if they are not killed for food?

Best put. I`m a seasoned student of eastern philosophy who loves to eat black forest cake and rocky road ice cream.

Okay. But my point is that both the Bible (New Testament) and Vedic literature (Bhagavad Gita) seem to refer to the same God in much the same way, indicating that Christ and Krishna really are on the same level.

 

The Bible makes it perfectly clear that Jesus Christ is God himself. Jesus said "I and the Father are one." (John 10:30). And the book of Hebrews speaks of the Son as "the Being through whom God created the universe", and "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word." (Hebrews 1:2-3). Yet, Jesus was also a man; a human being of flesh and blood, who preached God's word on Earth, and who suffered and died for the sins of mankind.

 

Now, my argument is that this apparent dichotomy of Jesus Christ being both God and human, is remarkably similar to the dichotomy of Krishna being both the all pervading God himself and a human avatar, teaching Arjuna all of lives philosophy. And in the sense that both Christ and Krishna are God, it can be said that Christ is Krishna, i.e., they must ultimately be the same divine being or God..

There are, indeed, two sides of the coin, Primate. On one side is Christ(Balaram). On the other is Krsna. I just wonder why Chandu can`t understand this simple fact.

Animals are people too.

Yeah. Until they bit you.

The governemnt has given them a license to kill 500 "useless" buffalos per day. But who counts these animals? It is their own staff, and some paid inspectors. Every single worker in that plant receives a salary of thousands of dollars. Why would they be paying common laborers (who normally get $2 a day) the salary of the most experienced doctors? It's because they need to keep everything that happens inside a secret from the rest of the country.

 

 

Jndas, my net take home pay per month as the cebu provincial`s prison doctor is roughly 340 dollars per month or 11 dollars a day. The cebu governor`s salary is 1500 dollars a month. I wonder why politicians like the cebu governor spend say, a couple of million dollars in running for public office when their salary is only that much. With my salary, how can I make both ends meet? Smuggling drugs inside the prison? Nope. There always something that comes up to help me and my family survive. When it comes, I look up towards the sky and say, " Thank you, Lord!" Politicians do not do that. When it comes, they`d say, " Thanks! Your business permit has been approved."

I wonder why we are not Balaram conscious. Krsna seems to be always in our minds. That of course pleases God. But what about His brother, Balaram? He,too, deserves our attention. Isn`t it that Balaram is the identical twin of Krsna? How would you feel, Theist, if you have a twin brother who always get the attention although you yourself deserves one? If your twin brother loves you so much would he not be also pleased if you get the same attention your brother does?

Well I don't know anything about this child of Cebu. But the point about worshipping different saints to get material benedictions fits the thread.

 

One can get material benefits by going straight to the Supreme person and asking for them. He may or may not give them to you but one thing is for sure, no demigod has any benediction to give other then what Krishna gives them to give.

 

So Krishna is the only benefactor rather we know it or not.

 

But whose to judge the soul that wants benedictions from God. We all do. We all are imperfectly motivated in our seeking out the Lord. Some want heaven and some want liberation. We are all selfish.

 

Okay we admit we are selfish. What to do? First thing is to know what the real self is. What is in our real best interest? We must learn to act in the best interest of our real self and not this false identity.

 

One who is selfish in this way will only ask saints or demi-gods or God Himself to give them knowledge about the Lord.

 

Material benedictions including liberation are ultimately all useless so why bother with the demi-gods other than to be respectful.

 

Krishna taught the residents of Vrndavana that He is their only shelter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But the Santo Nino de Cebu, Theist, is not a saint. He`s Balaram.