livingentity

Lord Krsna - Himself instructs us to offer with love and devotion.... Bhagavad Gita; Chapter Nine, Verse 26: patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati tad aham bhakty-upahrtam asnami prayatatmanah If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it.

I just read over the second site link that you posted and it explains all of this quite nicely being totally in line with Srila Prabhupada's instructions. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

you just said the same thing in many paragraphs that was said in that site in one sentence (a bit of going around in circles but comes back to the same thing). /images/graemlins/smirk.gif

for all the mercy...it is all Lord Krishna's mercy.

While I cook for Lord Krishna I place the picture of Srila Prabhupada cooking at the little stove in Philadelphia in my kitchen where I can see it as I prepare Lord Krishna's meal. Not sure where I got this habit from but it is comforting to me and I suggest it to all.

re-read important point post....keywords...devotion and gratitude.

What's that?

I just read this in the first link you posted: "Remember that the real purpose of preparing and offering food to the Lord is to show your devotion and gratitude to Him. Krishna accepts your devotion, not the physical offering itself."

are actually fairly common practice. You can use them for arati etc also. This site is quite elaborate and appears to be taken from the ISKCON Deity worship books.

Prtha, that also works for me!!

are mistakes. There is a difference between being lazy and knowing that you are not doing the offering correctly and making innocent mistakes by not knowing. Read and follow the instructions. Make yourself a little step by step "cheat sheet" to follow until you know by heart. Offer with love and devotion. Prabhupada advises to begin with a picture of Lord Caitanya.

It was Sri Rupa Goswami that instructed on this subject in His "Sri Upadeshamrita" (The Nectar of Instruction).

Verse One... "A sober person who can tolerate the urge to speak, the mind's demands, the actions of anger and the urges of the tongue, belly and genitals is qualified to make disciples all over the world." A very small excerpt from Prabhupada's purport of this verse... Similarly, the demands of the body can be divided into three categories--the demands of the tongue, the belly and the genitals. <font color="blue">One may observe that these three senses are physically situated in a straight line, as far as the body is concerned, and that the bodily demands begin with the tongue.</font color> <font color="red">If one can restrain the demands of the tongue by limiting its activities to the eating of prasada, the urges of the belly and the genitals can automatically be controlled.</font color> In this connection Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura says: sarira avidya jala, jadendriya tahe kala, jive phele visaya-sagare ta 'ra madhye jihva ati, lobhamaya sudurmati, ta 'ke jeta kathina samsare krsna bada dayamaya, karibare jihva jaya, sva-prasada-anna dila bhai sei annamria khao, radha-krsna-guna gao, preme daka caitanya-nitai "O Lord! This material body is a lump of ignorance, and the senses are a network of paths leading to death. Somehow or other we have fallen into the ocean of material sense enjoyment, and of all the senses the tongue is the most voracious and uncontrollable. It is very difficult to conquer the tongue in this world, but You, dear Krsna, are very kind to us. You have sent this nice prasada to help us conquer the tongue; therefore let us take this prasada to our full satisfaction and glorify Your Lordships Sri Sri Radha and Krsna and in love call for the help of Lord Caitanya and Prabhu Nityananda." ***************************** So, yes, the tongue is most difficult to control but without the control of the tongue we cannot control the other urges.

Not sure if there are any rules about sleeping in them. It is just my preference to take off the kavaca. But first thing in the morning after shower it goes back on....I never leave home without it! /images/graemlins/smile.gif

create a disturbance in the mind which in turn disturb the gentials. Does that make sense? I really do not like to go into much detail on that subject. Best to keep subjects centered on Krishna.

I was too afraid of losing this one because of the contents so I purchased a very strong silver chain which I wear it on. I do not sleep in it.

for the help. If any can come up with more it would be most appreciated. This relative is one tough cookie and does not believe that animals have souls.

plus a kavaca with a very special bit of Prabhupada prasad inside. I wear tilak everyday but not always clay. I find it very important to at least do water tilak with the mantras so this is a daily thing for me. I wear sarees now and then because I like them. Actually, I would wear sarees everyday but the weather here is not conducive nor is taking care of farm animals easily done in sarees dragging in the barnyard dirt!! I do wear my hair long and parted in the center per Prabhupada's instructions for women. I can relate to gHari's description. I am an old hippie (50) and that is where I am most comfy.

as were many of others of us.

yup, and we prove it everyday.

is the mercy of the Lord and we breath by the mercy of the Lord.

Somewhere in the New Testament Jesus teaches that His Names are non-different have much power when spoken (ie.driving away evil etc). Also, it is mentioned in the Bible of animals being in heaven. Can someone help to provide these verses? I am in need of them to help bring a couple of points across to a Christian relative. Thanks in advance.

dasa at the end is for male. dasi at the end is for female.

My rule of thumb for myself has been that if I know that a person will react in an offensive manner towards something that I am doing for Guru or Krishna then I do not do this in front of that person. My opinion (for the little that it is worth) is that by knowingly causing someone to create offenses to the Supreme Lord is both bad for them and to you since you knew how they would probably react. We should be careful about creating this offense. So until your spouse, family, friends or whoever soften up then it is best all around to not intice them into offensive behavior. Talk to them, soften their hearts. One little way that I do this is to tell them about a pastime I may have just read of Lord Krsna's. Above all, don't argue. Chant, chant, chant. Number nine of the ten offenses to the Holy Names: 9. To instruct a faithless person about the glories of the Holy Name.

Once, Krishna pretended that He was sick, and many physicians came. Despite their best efforts to treat the headache, they were not successful. Krishna finally explained to Narada Muni, "No physician (can) cure Me. If some devotee gives Me the dust of his feet on My head, then I can be cured." So Narada went to Vaikuntha. Residents of Vaikuntha achieved their position by rigidly following rules and regulations of the Vedas. It is offensive to place one's feet or the dust of one's feet on the Deity or the Deity's paraphernalia, including prasadam and the Lord's devotees. When Narada explained Krishna's plight and begged for the cure of the lotus feet of the Vaishnavas, the residents of Vaikuntha immediately refused. They feared that they would be sent to Hell for giving the dust of their feet. "Oh! How can I give? My dust on the head of Krishna? How it is possible?" Queens of Dwaraka considered for a moment giving the dust of their feet. In the end they refused to do so. They explained to Narada that they didn't fear going to hell, but that they could not withstand the fire of separation from Krishna. They would rather see Krishna suffer than be separated from Him. Narada returned to Krishna and explained what had taken place. Then Krishna asked that "Go to Vrindavana. Just ask the gopis if they can give. They are My best friends. If they are prepared? Oh, I am very much suffering from headache." The gopis upon hearing that Krishna was sick, exclaimed, "Krishna has a headache? Yes, here, immediately take the dust of our feet and take it to Krishna right away!" Narada was bewildered. He asked, "Aren't you afraid that by placing the dust of your feet on Lord Krishna's head you'll go to hell?" The gopis replied, "We are not afraid of going to hell. And even though the fire of separation from Krishna is nearly unbearable for us, the idea that Krishna is unhappy is absolutely intolerable. If Krishna's health and happiness means that we must go to hell and be separated from Him, so be it." (sent to me by friend at Boston Temple)