Pretender

No. I'm very fond of Sripada Guruda Prabhu but don't think I'll ever read his Gita. But I don't think it was intended for me or this audience and that it may somehow indeed be of some benefit to some audience. Nonetheless. Which is all I think he intended.

To use the jeweler's example there are different degrees of quality. Not all have the sukrti to "purchase" the best quality product and not all souls are interested in real devotion. You're quite right about nothing sacred anymore. Which is very sad thing. With nothing sacred there'e nothing to honor and so it has become very difficult for people to give honor or become honorable. Without honor and respect society crumbles into chaos. Of course now there is also some controversy over whether Bhagavad-gita AS IT IS is Srila Prabhupada's version or that of the BBT editors. We have seen greeat turmoil of misunderstanding amongst the reputed followers of Christ. Christ said this. Christ said that. But what did he mean? Srila Prabhupada has always had people saying Prabhupada said this or that and he might indeed be quoted accurately. But what did he mean? This is where the whole thing breaks down into concerns of viable functional literacy. For instance, they've done studies in America showing that half the American population is functionally illiterate. How they defined this functional literacy is if an individual can read a simple newspaper article and then paraphrase the gist using their own words. If you can't, you didn't really understand. Please consider that although Srila Prabhupada always said he was just repeating what he had learned from Srila Saraswati Thakur, yet we can see their particular vernacular or modes of expression in the English language are different. Yet the gist of the core or essential ideas remain the same. Do you know Garuda dasa? I myself had only briefest contacts with him in the Evanston(Chicago) ISKCON temple in 1977 where I found him to be an intelligent and sincerely dedicated follower of Srila Prabhupada. I don't think he meant his version as a replacement. My favorite Gita is the original Collier version of As IT IS from 1968 with English only translation. I worship It like a Deity and named my older daughter Gita. Personally, I don't require diffferent translations as each time I pick up Srila Prabhupada's version I find new insights from just a few words of IT. Functionally, I'm still stuck on trying to really learn the Second chapter and pragmatically apply the teaching to my life. For instance, it's one challenge to tolerate distress, but what about tolerating happiness?

I was merely referring to sincerely asking myself what is my real heart's desire. Each soul knows this. For himself. Instinctively.

I agree that Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhu's Gita is vastly superior to that of his disciple's version. Nonetheless I have some questions. For our panel of experts. Are there not some seeking souls whom might also be particularly benefitted by a disciple's version? Is this not succession or sampradaya? Or is the Absolute completely confined for all time? By a single author? And is this Mahaprabhu's philosophy? Sorry. That's more than one question. For our panel of experts.

From Srila Sridhar Maharaj I learned to "...become your highest ideal". Each soul must simply decide what the particular, unique, subjective interpretation of this statement is personally. Whom do I feel more strongly in Favor of Rama? Or Krishna? Can it be Both simultaneously? Thesis. Anti-thesis, Synthesis. Does this mean I should worship Sri Sadbhuja to acheive devotional harmony? What do you think? And Whom is the Source of Whom? And Why? Also, if I really possess the genuinely superior ontological conception shall I presume to abuse it to look down upon others? If so, what real benefit is derived for anyone? Hypothetically speaking. Regards to all.

All Glory to Sri Sri Guru-Gauranga! Please excuse me for giving anyone trouble in the mind. According to our individual unique subjective mood and subsequent interpretation the same word might be perceived differently by different readers. For instance, when I see the word "argument" it means quarrel to me because of the influence of Kali-yuga. Never mind the continual quarrelsome clash of egos masquerading as so-called civilized debate. Mahaprabhu Himself never quarreled with anyone about anything. I learned about how Mahaprabhu convinced by His Sweet Charm and Common Sense and not "just" the correct siddhanta from Srila Sridhar Maharaj who also did not intend such a statement as a minimalization of the correct siddhanta but rather as emphasis on avoiding quarrel when discussing philosophy with apparently opposing elements. Again. Please excuse me for the apparent miscommunication based upon my flawed linguistic ability. I meant no offense to anyone by trying to emphasis Mahaprabhu's Sweet Charm and the power of deep conviction,friendly, affectionate persuasion of the right idea as opposed to the incessant quarrelsome arguing of the correct siddhanta which ends with little real help to the suffering souls of this world while philosophical disharmony unfortunately prevails. As usual, words fail once again in dealing with what might well be beyond words. What a surprise. My apologies again.

Greetings Everyone! Please excuse me for interjecting into your discussion. No doubt there are many possible interpretations of ahimsa in Krishna Consciousness. When I wrote about ahimsa in "Pretender", I was primarily referring to consciously avoiding inconsiderate meanness or cruelty towards all other embodied beings(people, plants, critters) as much as possible, but especially in the name of religion (which actually proves whether or not one is really religious being that ahimsa is considered a sub-religious principle). For me it's a mood with which I sincerely hope to suffuse my existence with and not necessarily a specific separate teaching or practice per se. As embodied beings it is our basic unconscious exploitative nature to nurture our physical body at the mortal expense of many other living entities from the sub-atomic, microbial level on up to the vegetables we eat, etc.(I'm not vegan but consider myself simply vegetarian white trash) Personally, the way that I have tried to harmonize this sacrifice of other living entities so that my body might continue living is to hopefully make my life into something truly mutually beneficial to others and thereby worthwhile to the world by real internal development while striving to be unconditionally friendly and helpful in my many dealings with other embodied beings. Because I live in the woods off of a river in a subtropic climate, unfortunately there may be times when I am unable to avoid harming other living creatures like mosquitos or horseflies. Or the carpenter ants that would like to eat my woodframe house. In such cases I might at least try to feel apologetic for causing suffering to another in my unavoidable violent display. "Sorry little brother. Better life next time." And also be fully willing to bear the karmic brunt of my harmful act towards another living being. As I have made them suffer, so I must also suffer. Sometimes I may have to kill, but at least I shouldn't feel good about it. Sometimes I wish we could just start with upadharma or common sense religion and grow from there. Possibly, serious spiritual issues might be less vehemently addressed as the universal human nature problems which they really are from a more neutral ground of elemental spirituality, with humility and respect for others as a fundamental salient point of real collective spiritual progress. For the real benefit of all suffering souls of this world.

Please excuse me. When I wrote When Words Collide I was aware that some controversial discussion might arise if I omitted one word of adverbial emphasis, the word "just" as in "...just the correct siddhanta...," but let it fly as it was hoping for some good discourse. The reference to Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya was in my my mind and was hoping others might follow the thought. My apologies if I have offended anyone. What I composed was meant to try and diffuse some of the cyber acrimony by trying to give rememberance of Mahaprabhu's Sweet Charm. I'm sorry if some find this offensive.