valaya

Originally posted by karthik_v:

A few months ago H H Bhakti Swarup Tirtha Maharaj was giving 12 days of lecture on SB in Seattle.During the course of lectures he happened to touch upon the idea of fasting. Let me try to get out the gist of what he said:

 

"On days like Ekadasi, we should fast..but what is even more important is to have satsanga. Satsanga itself means sadhu+sanga or association with devotees of the Lord. Days like Ekadasi are oppurtunities for all, including grahasthas, to gain such association which will keep the devotional fire in us alive. Similarly, when people go on yatras to a dham, they should eat only once a day, chant atleast 6 hours and read scriptures like SB for 6 hours. And all this to be preferably done in satsanga. All these occasions like Ekadasi or yatra to a dham are occasions to remind us that eating, sleeping, mating and defending are not the purposes of our life."

Good points, prabhu! The real fast is not simply cleansing so we can feast again, but consciously extricating ourselves from any identification with the material energy.

Thus chanting of the Holy Names is the only recommended sacrifice for Kali Yuga and it should be performed constantly, preferably in the personal association of His Divine Grace embodied as Sri Guru and sadhus.

HARIBOL! HARIBOL! RR

[This message has been edited by valaya (edited 09-21-2001).]

leyh prabhu, you need a guru, maybe two...RR

Originally posted by JRdd:

Well I hope my confusion doesn't confuse others, but I am beginning to think I don't know what to think. I am just trying to be honest here with this moment of doubt I have. My daughter, who has been living in the woods for a few months, has been having prayer meetings and light focuses with other rainbow kids who arrived in the past few days. That, and the strongly pacifist leanings of most people I know around here, takes little to restimulate similar sentiments strong within me, and then I think: Is it better to pray it away?

 

Hm, even as I wrote that the answer came: both are necessary. Right? Or can it be done without the violence? I mean after all, we're talking miracles here anyway, as far as i am concerned, tryng to ferret out 10,000 people willing to do the suicide thing, and countless thousands of others willing to do all they can to support the terrorism.

 

Then, too, if chivalry is dead, what is it all for anyway? simply gross aggressions and counteraggressions?

 

Not meaning to demoralise, prabhu (or anyone else), just giving you an opportunity to defeat this doubt. Come on, you can do it.

 

JR

 

Dear JRdd, Isn't Mt.Shasta supposedly a `spiritual` energy covergence of some sort? Obviously you are a sensitive soul. Just living in beautiful natural surroundings tends to situate one in the mode of goodness, I'm sure, and the whole rainbow healthfood vegan conciousness provides further reinforcement. Still, it's just another mode, isn't it, though it can appear very attractive and cause us to become subtly yet strongly attached.

As Mr.D said, you and I are not about to be called into active duty, so it's more a case of the war within which is the same struggle all devotees face every moment involving our identification with the material energy.

All I ask is that we don't allow ourselves to surrender to fear and try to maintain a united stand. Something like this should join us in supporting each other emotionally and otherwise, or so I would expect. To do otherwise would be surrendering to terror-ism and it's by-product, disunity.

What I cannot tolerate is a similar situation to the Vietnam war, where America was disarmed from within and those who served made to feel guilt for sacrifices in service to their country. I'm not a hippie anymore and I recognize well the negative effects of psychedelic drugs! As if `expanding` our minds brought higher awareness and made us somehow superior to those hard-working `straight` folks that we constantly mocked!

The young must learn from their own experiences. Let them focus `light` or enter into trances or whatever. We have Srila Prabhupada, Radha-Krsna and the Holy Names.

I've tried to share my own personal experiences here concerning Swamini-Kisori, although discouraged at every turn. Really, I have little else to offer than what has already been said. At least it was all from my heart, impure as it still is.

Please keep faith in your real self, prabhu...valaya RR

[This message has been edited by valaya (edited 09-20-2001).]

[This message has been edited by valaya (edited 09-20-2001).]

War is undoubtedly HELL! It's a tough nasty business, but sometimes someone has to do it. Of everyone on this forum, Bhuta Bhavana das seems to be the only one in that difficult position. Does anyone here besides myself have any idea what that entails? Right now he's puking from the anthrax vaccine pumped into his bloodstream!

Armchair pseudo-generals, diplomats, philosophers and unrealized scripture spouting `gurus`, who haven't the stomach to FACE that which has been forced upon us, let alone actually FIGHT with anything other than their usual cheap words; could at least express their personal fears honestly and refrain from lashing out against those that have to muster up the courage to do the necessary in defense of us all and indeed freedom itself.

Just sign me disgusted!

...and so it is! Now, where do I sign up for this `assassin` gig?

Love is all

To know Her

We must be one

With Her

Without thinking

We are Her!

RR

That way, we can focus on what will actually help them, rather than just beating them over the head with their sins.

Maybe we beat ourselves, eh? Oh wait a minute, that'd mean abortions wouldn't be required, wouldn't it? How about handing out vibrators instead of condoms? (nyuck nyuck)

Originally posted by talasiga:

You cannot own It

Only belong to It

 

 

.

.

.

 

 

If you alter

`I` to `Her`,

Then I'll agree

wholeheartedly!

RR

Got a feeling we're all in for a good healthy dose of reality very soon and, in my humble opinion, it's about bloody time! Great time for a japa walk is when it's raining body parts! No falling asleep then, eh prabhus? HARIBOL! RR

Originally posted by dasanudas:

Actually we shared Radhastami in an intimate little sanga with some Prabhupad- Gaur Govinda Maharaj- Narayan Maharaj- Srila Sridhara Maharaj- Govinda Maharaj disciples and everything went along quite happily come to think of it.

We all come together in Radhika, one way or another, as we are part and parcel of the Internal Potency. Srila Narayan Maharaja recently gave a lecture (sorry, can't find it) about how different factions exist in Vraja only while Sri Krsna is present. Otherwise, everyone is united around Sri Radha trying to keep Her alive, since She is experiencing such intense separation.

Lord Caitanya appeared in the mood of Srimati Radharani undergoing separation after Krsna had left Vrndavan. This is evidenced in the significance of Rathayatra--ever noticed how we seem to come together from far and wide at that special time? Thus we must all unite in support of Her feelings of separation!

The key is to merge emotionally with Swamini-Kisori, knowing our tears and feelings to be Hers. That way our infinitesimal selves become one with Her infinite Self, strengthening Her by our empathy. In these efforts the Holy Name is absolutely essential, as we know, both in private japa and group chanting.

Someone once told me that we cannot force others to love us, but they are equally unable to prevent us from loving them. Each of us can practice this love secretly if need be, understanding that all are part and parcel of our dearmost Sri Radhika. Let Her tears in separation be our impetus...

Thinking and feeling in this way, even a little, how can we not attract Gopinatha, the source of all auspiciouness and purity? This must also be most pleasing to Sri Gurudeva, himself always internally crying in separation, and in fact all the residents of vraja bhumi who are sharing emotionally as one with Krsna gone. The entire atmoshere everywhere is powerfully affected through this process, due to Lord Krsna's inevitably being attracted.

I firmly believe that cementing our inner foundation will bring about that external unity we are seeking, naturally and spontaneously connecting us within our individual bodies and between groups, as well. Then even non-vaisnava organizations will want to join in, somehow or other. At least, that is my personal vision and faith, prabhus. JAI SRI RADHE! RR

Please excuse extensive edits!

[This message has been edited by valaya (edited 09-19-2001).]

Good ones, Gauracandra prabhu!

I 'specially liked the one about granny...

[This message has been edited by valaya (edited 09-20-2001).]

Most of the married men I know, devotees and others, would be completely lost without their wives though I don't believe any of them realize it. While they're provided a clean comfortable home, fed well and generally kept gainfully employed on the straight and narrow, their minds tend to dream of the magical single life and all the possibilities it seems to offer. Sure, when you're well-fed, have a clean comfortable place to call home and a good regulated life. Try it all alone for awhile, brother!

I always remind them of what kind of lives they had before their wives took control, usually out of necessity, then point to my own wretched lonely existence. Whether any of it sinks in, I don't know, but I've little doubt that without the firm foundation of home and family they'd be pretty much lost. Maybe we men never fully accept maturity or enjoy family responsibility...

An older neighbour woman just died, leaving a husband who not only emotionally abused her, but never was able to recognize just how dependent he was on her constant accomodating presence. Well, I guess he'll learn to appreciate her now that it's too late...so sad.

I remember Prabhupada telling us that we should be attracted to the devotion we see in each. Surely our close relationships must nurture that same devotion if we are to grow as devotees. I see marriage mainly for the purpose of raising children, since partners need not actually enter into matrimony, even if there is sex involved. Certainly no one can depend on any formal ceremony to keep them together in this day and age.

As for intimacy, I don't believe that sex contributes towards real closeness in any way. In fact, I think that it fosters jealousy, possessiveness, and ultimately frustration. My idea of bonding is more of an emotional sharing which includes physical embraces and sleeping together, but without sexual intercourse or genital stimulation. After all, we're not these bodies, thank God!

Genuine love is for me the desire to strengthen another and encourage them to be all they can be, so that they become satisfied independently within themselves. We don't have to be married or live together in order to relate with each other like that. All we need is sufficent motivation, which I personally found from my worship of Srimati Radharani, in Her diety form and otherwise.

Now when I recognize devotion in another it's Her qualities I focus on. It's Her part and parcels that I try to encourage. She is the oneness for me and the essence that I seek. Only She is my all-in-all. Maybe I'm wrong in this, prabhus. I know often I feel like I'm making a fool of myself, but then I start thinking that I actually am a fool anyway, so why hide it from myself or anyone else?

Because of Her, I can reveal my vulnerability and I'm more in tune with the sensitive side of life, not having to remain behind a wall of hardness anymore. Unfortunately, now that my paternal instincts are finally emerging, my life is waning and this aching old body will soon slide into the 60's...

So I'm looking at those around me as my family, particularly you prabhus, trying to care more deeply and praying to Sri Radhika that She will allow me somehow to be of value. At times it seems She does, giving me whatever qualifications are required at that moment. Then it's back into my usual dull monotonous slump.

Anyway, that's my contribution to this thread, Jayaradhe dd. Hope it proves useful even if only to help others avoid coming to this point where they may also find themselves stuck in hopeless isolation. The dreamer who dreamed his life away! I'm afraid this post could be just a little too much wallowing, even for me, so read quickly 'cuz it might be gone tomorrow... valaya RR

[This message has been edited by valaya (edited 09-20-2001).]

Brahma das:

Free association is necessary for the exchange of ideas and flow of siksa.

Exactly, and siksa has always been most important in our parampara. Perhaps the threat is not simply the potential loss of followers to other groups, but also the possibility some may actually become self-realized!

P.S. Replied to Siddhaswarupananda questions on the other thread I started about my visit to his group here in Toronto, Canada. RR

[This message has been edited by valaya (edited 09-19-2001).]

Originally posted by talasiga:

Drowning Hunger

 

It is dangerous

To pray and fast on water

Unless one is prepared

To float with the Current.....

 

 

Careful though, you wouldn't want to get flushed! RR

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Originally posted by shvu:

<u>Testing...</u>

 

[This message has been edited by shvu (edited 06-04-2001).]

Hey, how'd you do that underline thing, eh?

Originally posted by Maitreya:

Here is an interesting place to start.http://www.beliefnet.com/boards/index.asp

 

There are sights on everything out there.Out of body experiences,ESP, reincarnation,religion.A couple things I have learned so far.Preachy tones won't get us far.MAKE FRIENDS with those already there.They are brothers and sisters too.Stay on topic and just plant a few seeds.God brings the increase in due season.We may not even be around for the harvest.

 

Basic subject matter is still essential.We are not the body,God's personal aspect is the basis of all etc.

 

Cyber space belongs to Krishna!

Our Jihad is spelled Jai Hari!

Go for it, prabhu!

Originally posted by Bhaktavasya:

This is why I suggested going to the test zone to have a one on one 'battle', as they would no longer be considered spiritual discussions. You and I have had these kind of disagreements for over 3 years now. I therefore challenge you to meet me in the test zone.

 

BTW, JRdd, in case you're reading this, what I meant by formatting the thread for battling purposes was to allow room for the inevitable insults I knew Bhutabhavana would spit out when he's caught out. Hardly fitting words for the general devotee viewers to be exposed to.

 

Back to you, Bhuta. Religious terrorism means to believe it is you God-given duty to inflict terror and fear on those who do not follow what you believe to be God's laws. And you bragged about bombing clinics and not getting caught, indicating that you either had a good lawyer or perhaps were 'turned over' by the authorities to act as a stooge or a mole. Still, by bragging about it you clearly indicated that you envisioned yourself to be some kind of holy warrior. BTW, over half a million children have died of starvation and lack of medical care in Iraq. And don't get me started on U.S. involvement in Central America, C.I.A. sponsored terrorism resulting in the torture, disappearance and death of tens of thousands of young men and women in Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatamala.

Anyhow, you think of yourself as a ksatriya. Which means you cannot refuse an invitation to battle. And don't use the lame excuse that you can't fight a woman. You, coward that you are, have been fighting and attacking me through 4 different forums so far. An example is the pot-smoking. Although several men, including Mahaksa, have admitted to smoking pot, you have never breathed a word of protest. I barely speak of it, yet whenever I say something you don't like, it's the same boring insults over and over again. Be a man, meet me in the test zone. After high noon, tomorrow.

 

Bhaktavasya Prabhu, BB is back in uniform undergoing intensive training, before being sent overseas to risk his life, defending freedoms we all enjoy. This is not the best time to provoke him, believe me! Right or wrong, good or bad, it's out of our hands, anyways. Better I think to chant and pray as you see fit, according to your own conscience. Whatever happened between you two can be taken up again afterwards. Thank you.

Originally posted by mahak:

hey, this is a test area, sit properly.

 

just kiddin, many folks divulge secrets here.

O.K. O.K., just because this is a `Test Area` doesn't mean you have to get TESTY! Say, do you think it's related to `testosterone`??? RR

I meant the word, prabhu, not you. Now I don't mean you're not masculine or anything like, either...(nyuck nyuck)

[This message has been edited by valaya (edited 09-19-2001).]

Originally posted by JRdd:

Hari bol valaya! (you don't need to hang out down here alone talking to yourself)

So where is this little yellow duck of msn? I want one! (gotta take what I can get too)

JR

I'm genuinely touched that you prabhus would seek moi out here! Reminds me of the gopis going in search of Radhika when She left the rasa dance. Now don't go thinking I'm all puffed up! Come to think of it, that's what they thought about Her, until they found Her crying in separation...

Anyhoo, this MSN Explorer is available as a free download, from MSN.com I guess, and one of it's personalized features is you get to choose a little picture that shows up beside your name. One of those pictures is a yellow rubber ducky! Couldn't help thinking of you, Jayaradhe, although I know you're really a swan in disguise...

Interesting scenario indeed. Speaking as one with nothing to lose, I'd just as soon get it all over with right now. One American boomer submarine is quite capable of pretty well destroying life on this planet and there are many! All are nearly impossible to find, let alone stop.

If the United States is attacked in such a massive way, it's good-bye world, folks. Perhaps those who are so critical here might want to take a closer look at their own personal lifestyles, not to mention their actual physical existence, and try to appreciate what/who that depends on. RR

P.S. Put together my favourite set of japa beads with duct tape! May not be bonafide, but this is an emergency!!!

[This message has been edited by valaya (edited 09-19-2001).]

Originally posted by rand0M aXiS:

Last seen in China.

 

Maybe they Falun Gonged him.

Ha Ha! FunNY! Must have missed this little gem of BB humor before today. (this is NOT sarcastic!)

Originally posted by Pita das:

Hare Krishna Prabhujis

Im here my mother is close to death at the moment so my mind is on other things right now Ill continue as soon as I can understand how to enter again into the Dharma Mela

Haribol Pita das prabhu! Sorry to hear about your mother's health. Hope the international situation is not causing you problems. Please be careful, it will probably get much worse. For entry to Dharma-mela, Email Jahnava@aabc.com and She'll send you a password with instructions. valaya

Originally posted by Pita das:

Hare Krishna Prabhujis

Im here my mother is close to death at the moment so my mind is on other things right now Ill continue as soon as I can understand how to enter again into the Dharma Mela

Haribol Pita das prabhu! Sorry to hear about your mother's health. Hope the international situation is not causing you problems. Please be careful, it will probably get much worse. For entry to Dharma-mela, Email Jahnava@aabc.com and She'll send you a password with instructions. valaya

Originally posted by Satyaraja dasa:

When we find ourselves actually entering into those divine activities emotionally on the side of Sri Radhika, by His Divine Grace, our progress is assured under the personal guidance and protection of the Internal Potency. (Valaya)

 

Dear Valaya. In this thread we are trying to have some nice discussions on basis on sruti texts. There are no intentions to have any discussions on basis on a dualistic conception of God such as a religion’s God. Please see the begging of the thread.

 

I personally hope you may have a nice trip to those divine activities emotionally on the side of Sri Radhika, by His Divine Grace, and so on. But this is not my personal option and I also hope you may respect it without unnecessary offences.

 

If you want to support any thesis, please do it employing sruti as the only reference.

 

Satyaraja dasa

Member

posted 09-19-2001 05:16 AM    

Badarayana Rsi has clearly established in Brahma-sutras that the way that Hari operates is beyond the reasoning faculty.

valaya:

Satyaraja dasa, I really can't comprehend why you continue your persistent attempts at reasoning with us in light of your staement above. I can only put it down to thickheadedness probably caused by excessive intellectual stimulation due to your unceasing attempts to fit the unlimited Absolute into your obviously very limited mind, in spite of so many good-hearted souls trying to help you.

So far as the content of this thread is concerned, I took your suggestion to reread what Jagat had posted at the start. BTW I also visited him personally at his home in Montreal where we had the opportunity to share our views in a most productive way. Isn't it interesting how Bhakti-devi has a life of her own? Certainly, she cannot be taken simply as another religion; more like the basis of all religion!

I noticed that your input on this subject occurs about halfway into the discussion. As usual, you believe it is you that is defining the topic and direction according to your own confused agenda, much like you seem to think you can control the Absolute Truth personified by your own methodology. Fat chance of either, prabhu!!!

Should you wish to communicate in a more personal manner by telephone, in hopes of actually reaching some conclusive concensus, please let me know. I have a Portugese friend (non-devotee) who can act as interpreter if need be. Perhaps further discussions on these forums can be facilitated and improved, for the benefit of all concerned. RR