atma

BG 3.33 sadrsam cestate svasyah prakriter jnanavan api prakrtim yanti bhutani nigrahah kim karisyati Translation and Purport by HDG Srila Prabhupada. Even a man of knowledge acts according to his own nature, for everyone follows the nature he has acquired from the three modes. What can repression accomplish? Purport Unless one is situated on the trascendental platform of Krsna consciousness, he cannot get free from the influence of the modes of material nature, as it is confirmed by the Lord in the Seventh Chapter (7.14). Therefore, even for the most highly educated person on the mundane plane, it is impossible to get out of the entanglement of maya simply by theoretical knowledge, or by separating the soul from the body. There are many so-called spiritualists who outwardly pose as advanced in the science but inwardly or privately are completely under particular modes of nature which they are unable to surpass. Academically, one may be very learned, but because of his long association with material nature, he is in bondage. Krsna consciousness helps one to get out of the material entanglement, even though one may be engaged in his prescribed duties in terms of material existence. Therefore, without being fully in Krsna consciousness, one should not give up his prescribed duties and become a so-called yogi or trascendentalist artificially. It is better to be situated in one's position and try to attain Krsna consciousness under superior training. Thus one may be freed from the clutches of Krsna's maya.

Originally posted by Gauracandra: Very nice (and odd) story Atma. What ever progress we make is never forgotten. Gauracandra Bhagavad Gita 2.40 nehabhikrama-naso 'sti pratyavayo na vidyate sv-alpam apy asya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat In this endeavor there is no loss or diminution, and a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear Purport Activity in krsna consciousness, or acting for the benefit of Krsna without expectation of sense gratification, is the highest trascendental quality of work. Even a small beginning of such activity finds no impediment, nor can that small beginning be lost at any stage. any work begun on the material plane has to be completed, otherwise the whole attempt becomes a failure. But any work begun in Krsna consciousness has a permanent effect, even though not finished. The performer of such a work is therefore not at a loss even if his work in Krsna consciousness is incomplete. One percent done in Krsna consciousness bears permanent results, so that the next beginning is from the point of two percent, whereas in material activity without a hundred percent success there is no profit. Ajamila performed his duty in some percentage of krsna conciousness, but the result he enjoyed at the end was a hundred percent, by the grace of the Lord. There is a nice verse in this connection in Srimad Bhagavatam (1.5.17): tyaktva sva-dharmam caranambujam harer bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi yatra kva vabhadram abhud amusya kim ko vartha apto 'bhajatam sva-dharmatah "If someone gives up his occupational duties and works in Krsna consciousness and then falls down in account of not completing his work, what loss is there in his part? And what can one gain if one performs his material activities perfectly?" Or, as the Christians say, "What profiteth a man if he gain the whole world yet suffers the loss of his eternal soul?" Material activities and their results end with the body. But work in Krsna conciousness carries a person again to Krsna conciousness, even after the loss of the body. At least one is sure to have a chance in the next life of being born again as a human being, either in the family of a great cultured brahmana or in a rich aristocratic family that will give one a further chance for elevation. That is the unique quality of work done in Krsna conciousness.

Bhagavad Gita 3.6 karmendriyani samyamya ya aste manasa smaram indriyarthan vimudhatma mithyacarah sa ucyate Translation and Purport by HDG Srila Prabhupada Translation One who restrains the senses of action but whose mind dwells on sense objects certaintly deludes himself and is called a pretender. Purport There are many pretenders who refuse to work in Krsna consciousness but make a show of meditation, while actually dwelling within the mind upon sense enjoyment. Such pretenders may also speak on dry philosophy in order to bluff sophisticated followers, but according to this verse these are the greatest cheaters. For sense enjoyment one can act in any capacity of the social order, but if one follows the rules and regulations of his particular status, he can make gradual progress in purifying his existence. But he who makes a show of being a yogi while actually searching for the objects of sense gratification must be called the greatest cheater, even though he sometimes speaks of philosophy. His knowledge has no value, because the effects of such a sinful man's knowledge are taken away by the illusory energy of the Lord. Such a pretender's mind is always impure, and therefore his show of yogic meditation has no value whatsoever.

I want to share this realization about the mercy of the Spiritual Master towards his disciples. I'd noticed in many ocassions that even thought devotees left the movement and went back to material life somehow or other at the moment of death they have devotees with them. I knew this devotee, Prema Prayojana from Argentina, disciple of Srila Prabhupada, who wasn't into devotional service anymore but he lived close to the temple in Ecuador. For Lord Balarama's appearance day he was walking towards his house when suddenly somebody stabbed him many times in his back. Prema crawled to the temple leaving a trail of blood on the way and he passed away at the temple door in the middle of a huge kirtan for Lord Balarama and with the devotees putting tulasi leaf in his mouth and garlands from the altar. Sudama, Upendra and others also came back. Let me pray that at the moment of death I can remember Sri Sri Radha-Shyam and be in association of devotees.

Upendranath prabhu is here in LA again, he flew from Australia where he is actually residing to be with his daughter in her last moments. I know him from Vrindavan and he always was very nice to us. Last night I saw him and I understand as a parent the grief that he is feeling. You are not meant to cremate your children, they should do it for you.

This is Krodhasamani's account of Radha's passing: Radha's Passing BY KRODHASAMANI DASI USA, Dec 28 (VNN) — A number of devotees from around the world were praying for her and will take solace in hearing of her passing. Thank you. Dear Raghunath, All Glories to Srila Prabhupada, thank you for your beautiful phone calls. It was very encouraging to hear your voice. As you know, Radha Vrndavan did pass away at 7:42 am. Although, the grief and sadness are overwhelming for all of us, as we loved such a beautiful soul such as her, we understand that her death was auspicious. She had kirtan and bhajan at her bedside for hours before she died. Kishor had led the kirtan for a very long time, and Nitai and Devala, decorated the room she was in with pictures of Srila Prahbupada and Krsna, Lord Nrsmgha deva. Devala made sure that she always had a tape of Srila Prabhupada chanting japa in her ears. So, her death was so auspicious, as she left this world. Right now, Shankari (her mother) is staying at Madhavi's house (a dear friend), where all the devotees can visit, chant, and share together. We are taking care of Shankari so she can pull through this with strength and the only way to do that is surrender to Lord Krsna, and ask Srila Prabhuada for strength. We all become so humbled in the face of death, we realize how Krsna really is in control, we belong only to Him. We kept telling Shankari that Radha belongs to Krsna!!!! I will keep in touch, be well, and thank you for all the good energy and love that you put out for Radha...that really touched me.

Last night I went to a nice program in remembrance of Radha. Madhavi opened her house and they are having a 3 days prayer session for her. Tonight will be the last day. Radha was 26 years old and the mother of a boy, Jayananda and a 3 months old baby girl. Radha's husband is doing better and taking to chanting. Many of her coworkers were there (she worked in Barney's) and they participated in the bhajans and prayers. They didn't release the body yet because it is a criminal case and they may have to do an autopsy. Papaharini was telling me that she had the chance to be alone with the body after the departure for about an hour and she was chanting on her beads all the time, when she was leaving she felt that Radha was following her and she had to tell her to go back. They should do the cremation as soon as possible and all the ceremonies necessaries for her soul to go to a better destination. My prayers are for her and her family.

One day, three men were hiking and unexpectedly came upon a large raging, violent river. They needed to get to the other side, but had no idea of how to do so. The first man prayed to God, saying, "Please God, give me the strength to cross this river." Poof! God gave him big arms and strong legs, and he was able to swim across the river in about two hours, after almost drowning a couple of times. Seeing this, the second man prayed to God, saying, "Please God, give me the strength ..and the tools to cross this river." Poof! God gave him a rowboat and he was able to row across the river in about an hour, after almost capsizing the boat a couple of times. The third man had seen how this worked out for the other two, so he also prayed to God saying, "Please God, give me the strength and the tools...and the intelligence... to cross this river." And poof! God turned him into a woman. She looked at the map, hiked upstream a couple of hundred yards, then walked across the bridge.

This is from a review of a new book by Oliver Sacks: "Sacks grew up in a north London as part of a large, intellectually vigorous Jewish family. His parents were doctors, and there was no question that Sacks was also going to be a doctor - preferably a surgeon. When he was just 11, his mother an obstetrician, encouraged him to this end by bringing home stillborn foetuses to dissect. A cheerful dissector of worms and frogs, Sacks admits that he was deeply disturbed at being expected to do the same with sometimes horribly deformed babies. At 14, his mother sent him off to a proper anatomy class: an oilskin was pulled back on the cadaver of a young girl and he was told to get started on the nearest leg. Sacks writes: 'I did not know if I would ever be able to love the warm, quick bodies of the living after facing, smelling, cutting the formalin-reeking corpse of a girl my own age.' And indeed, it seems, he didn't." (elsewhere in the review it says that he is celibate

Yeah, I didn't like either St John The Baptist's church. I was trying to be polite saying that looks different, I guess hideous is the right word. Where is this church? France?

Last night watching Christmas mass at midnight, I was very impressed with St.Peter's Basilic in the Vatican. The interior is really grandious. Years ago while in Rome I visited the Vatican but we didn't have enough time to see everything. I think the devotees copied the external design for Srila Prabhupada's pushpa Samadhi in Mayapur and they asked for help in the interior design to Matsya Avatar a succesful Italian businessman. I flipped chanels to watch Mass from St Patrick Catedral in New York, it was easier to follow without the translation from Italian to English from the Vatican. The Cardinal was also more dynamic in preaching than the Pope. The Catedral it is very impressive. Maybe Gauracandra can provide us with pictures. Another really nice one is the Cathedral in Milan and few in South America from the Spanish time. I agree with the next statement from Gauracandra: Quote: But I think as we mature it is very important that we start to design our own temples. A temple can really say alot about the philosophy of the religion and can be used for great preaching. Right now it seems to me most churches are simply utilitarian in design. Very few that I see try to be something grand and uplifting. I think this is unfortunate because great civilizations should make great monuments to spirituality. End of quote. One think that struck me a few years ago was when the brother of a lady in Mayapur came to visit her in the Holy Dham and he mentioned to me that he didn't want to visit inside the Samadhi because reminded him to much the Basilic,he was expecting something Vedic or more Indian. He is a typical american from Boston that lived in Italy for 5 years and was at the time teaching art in the Emirates, now he is teaching in Egypt. He wanted the architecture of the region and a Vedic temple in Mayapur and he is not even a Hare Krsna devotee. The church of St John Baptist it is different! Are they trying to get solar energy with that kind of roof? Can we see some pictures from the Utah temple?

Good points here from all sides. A few months back I expressed my concern about the negative style of preaching of some devotees and how affects everybody. Check "SB class, relationships, etc". I don't know much about shastra but by my own experience of living in different parts of the world and especially in India it was understood that the couples live and sleep together. All the Indian devotees have no problem with that, it was the foreigners the ones with problems trying to separate the grihasthas all the time. For the Indians it was the most natural thing to share the bed with the wife and be a normal couple. Before my own marriage the indian ladies (ISKCON devotees) adviced me to please my husband at all times not questions asked. Shastra or not that is the standarn in India, devotees or not, villagers or with education. If we read the Bhagavatam we learn that kings and sages do have sex with their wives and "enjoy for thousands of years" and after they satisfied their desires at their hearts content they go for renunciation because they know that if they did it artificially and before time it was useless. In my humble opinion Srila Prabhupada set the ideal but how many can do it?

During the film, I was thinking a lot about a Maha Bharata and Ramayan movie. If someone can put a lot of money and make something really good it would be wonderful. All the stories from the Bhagavatam, the wars between the demigods and the asuras, all the Krsna book.....the different celestial beings, rishis, brahmarishis with all their powers, gandharvas, apsaras, all the ghosts, goblins and associates of Lord Siva. The powerful rakshasas. They can make a few movies out of it with all the stories from the books. Just think of Kurukshetra and the 600 million that were there, it is endless. The powerful women, Kunti, Draupadi, Subhadra, Gandhari, Mandodari, Sita,etc. The pastimes of Krsna in Vrindavan, Mathura and Dwaraka....Maybe one day it will happen.

I agree with you in this. We loved the film, the 20 of us that went to the movie at the same time without even knowing that the others would be there. I thought that the devotees were coming in for kirtan or something, so many of them at the same time. It was really cool, the film and the association. I got to see some ladies from Vrindavan that I used to associate over there. We are waiting for part 2 and 3, what a disapointment when the movie finished. We wanted more. My only advice, especially for guys is not to drink too many sodas, because the hall was packed with a mayority of males and the movie is 3 hours long the guys were taking trips to the restroom a lot. I saw on TV that the 9 guys got tattoes with the number 9 in different parts of their bodies, they got to be real good friends. Spiderman looks really cool

Thank you suryaz, that was really sweet. Many hugs for you too.

Thank you for the pictures, they are really interesting. I do like the look of the Mormon temple but I never saw it in person like Babru,sp? did (I think I remember you from San Diego, do you have 2 daughters?). It looks like is trying to reach for the sky. The Airforce Chapel one, seems like is going to crush in the people. Of course my perception from a picture but it doesn't looks very cozy. The Thorncrown Chapel is very simple but a little bit more inviting. A place that I remember for all the temples and arquitecture is Kanchipuram in South India. Half of the temples are for Lord Visnu and the other half for Lord Siva with a few nice ones for Devi. Really nice temples, so bad that I didn't have enough time to see all of them. In Vastu you want your temples and altars to be in a pyramide or triangular shape on top to get better energies from the cosmos. Please correct me if I don't remember right.

Recently I saw in the news that a couple is spending $5 million in cloning their pet dog. How ridiculous this is getting. So attached to the animal that they want exactly the same thing.It's getting on my nerves.

YOU’VE HEARD OF DOG STORIES..... WELL THIS IS A SNAKE STORY Harmless Little Snake Always thought those little green garden snakes were O.K.? Read on... Green Garden Grass snakes can be dangerous. Yes, grass snakes, not rattlesnakes. A woman in Sweetwater, Texas, had a lot of potted plants, and during a cold spell, she was bringing a lot of them indoors to protect them from a possible freeze. It turned out that a little green garden grass snake was hidden in one of the plants and when it had warmed up, it slithered out and the wife saw it go under the sofa. She let out a very loud scream. The husband who was taking a shower ran out into the living room naked,,,, to see what the problem was. She told him there was a snake under the sofa. He got down on the floor on his hands and knees to look for it. About that time the family dog came and cold-nosed him in the butt. He thought the snake had bitten him and he fainted. His wife thought he had a heart attack, so she called an ambulance. The attendants rushed in and loaded him on the stretcher and started carrying him out. About that time the snake came out from under the sofa and the Emergency Medical Technician saw it and dropped his end of the stretcher. That's when the man broke his leg and why he is in the hospital. Hold on it gets better/funnier/worse,,,, ????? The wife still had the problem of the snake in the house, so she called on a neighbor man. He volunteered to capture the snake. He armed himself with a rolled-up newspaper and began poking under the couch. Soon he decided it was gone and told the woman, who sat down on the sofa in relief. But, in relaxing, her hand dangled in between the cushions, where she felt the snake wriggling around. She screamed and fainted, the snake rushed back under the sofa, and the neighbor man, seeing her laying there passed out, tried to use CPR to revive her. The neighbor's wife, who had just returned from shopping at the grocery store, saw her husband's mouth on the woman's mouth and slammed her husband in the back of the head with a bag of canned goods, knocking him out and cutting his scalp to a point where it needed stitches. An ambulance was again called and it was determined that the injury required hospitalization. The noise woke the woman from her dead faint and she saw her neighbor lying on the floor with his wife bending over him, so she assumed he had been bitten by the snake. She went to the kitchen, brought back a small bottle of whiskey, and began pouring it down the man's throat. By now the police had arrived. They saw the unconscious man, smelled the whiskey, and assumed that a drunken fight had occurred. They were about to arrest them all, when the two women tried to explain how it all happened over a little green snake. They called an ambulance, which took away the neighbor and his sobbing wife. Just then the little snake crawled out from under the couch. One of the policemen drew his gun and fired at it. He missed the snake and hit the leg of the end table that was on one side of the sofa. The table fell over and the lamp on it shattered and as the bulb broke, it started a fire in the drapes. The other policeman tried to beat out the flames and fell through the window into the yard on top of the family dog, who startled, jumped up and raced out into the street, where an oncoming car swerved to avoid it and smashed into the parked police car and set it on fire. Meanwhile the burning drapes had spread to the walls and the entire house was blazing. Neighbors had called the fire department and the arriving fire-truck had started raising his ladder as they were halfway down the street. The rising ladder tore out the overhead wires and put out the electricity and disconnected the telephones in a ten-square city block area. Time passed ----------------- Both men were discharged from the hospital, the house was rebuilt, the police acquired a new car, and all was right with their world ------- About a year later, they were watching TV, and the weatherman announced a cold snap for that night. The wife asked her husband if he thought they should bring in their plants for the night. He shot her. >>Single Factor (Fleming, 24 Oct 2001) A woman was shopping at her local supermarket, where she selected a quart of milk, a carton of eggs, juice, and a package of bacon. As she was unloading her items on the conveyer belt to check out, a drunk standing behind her watched as she placed her items in front of the cashier. He said, "You must be single." The woman, a bit startled, looked at her four items on the belt, and seeing nothing particularly unusual about her selections said, "Well, y'know, that's right. But how on earth did you know that? The drunk said, "Cause you're uglier 'n Arnold! [This message has been edited by atma (edited 12-17-2001).]

Saw it last night and I really liked it. Most of the audience did too even thought they were a little impatient to know was going to happen in the end. Lots of stuff going on, careless playboy, scorn woman..how that say goes?, envious friend, true love??, meeting in a next life as cats (who wants that?), the power of the mind, when you have everything suspects everyone, lucid dreams.... Talking about dreams, a lot of them lately, quite realistic, that will go in the other thread when I have some more time. I saw Gattaca too and I didn't find it slow but very sad how they try to control the genes and lives of everybody. It is a really good movie. That part when the mother said that she wants something to be left to chance in a way reminded me when I was pregnant and you just have faith in Krishna and whatever comes you accept and try to do the best out of it. Still there is uncertainty, will the baby be healthy, good nature, devotional, etc, etc? I recommend both movies. Anything else there to rent in this holidays, Gauracandra? I already got the tickets to go and see Lord of the Rings, after reading the books what else is next?

With my own kids I observe that bad influence that it's not only coming from 'outsiders' but also from the same 'devotee' friends, that are not been taught by their 'devotee' parents. An example: just newly arrived here, one of my girls came running to asked me permission to go to 'Subway' with one girlfriend. I was shocked and I explained to her that it was a terrible place to go like Mac Donalds (that she knew that was a meat eating place but not Subway). When I asked her why this girl had to go and eat there she told me that the girls parents were taking all the family!!!. I was speechless for few seconds because the parents are old devotees, he cooks for the devotees and she is a pujari. I told my daughter that in our family we are not going to restaurants where they cook meat and that was it. Another instance with the younger one also asking permission to go to a famous Taco place with a different girlfriend. Again I had to be the 'meanie' and said no. What is wrong with eating at Govindas? A few days ago was a friend birthday and she took a group of us to a movie and at the end she suggested to go to Subway and a pizza place. We finished in Govindas that was the right thing to do. If she wanted to feed 'devotees' the proper thing was to offer prasada and I told her so and other devotees also refused to go anywhere else. It just amazed me how easy becomes to go to this restaurants where meat is been cook and don't think anything about it and because the adults do it the children don't see any harm on it. What are we teaching to our children? After a few nos to go to outside restaurants my daughters questioned me about restaurants that we went in India but I told them the difference, one of them was a dosa, idli place, and the other was a marwari pure vegetarian restaurant. Maybe I did the wrong thing taking them outside, I know that we should eat only Krsna prasada, ok, my fault but I will never allowed them to go to meat eating places while they are living under my roof and they know that. Yesterday they were telling me how bad the other girls swear and how difficult was for them not to do it. What shall I do? Keep them inside the house without any friends because they may get contaminated? Or just let it be and believe in their better judgement? I came from a meat eating, hard core smokers, easy to swear family and I don't think I'm doing that bad now, but it hurts that the children have to grow with bad influence of other devotee children because the devotee parents don't care.

Yesterday was a memorial service for him here at the temple with Gurudas and Shyamasundar presence and a video of Mukunda Goswami. Unfortunately I missed most of it because I was working but I'll try to get a report from a friend that was there all the time. As far as I know George left listening to Srila Prabhupada's japa tape with Shyamasundar and Mukunda by his side in the auspicious month of Kartika. What else anybody wants in life?. The devotees sent mahaprasada to the family and devotees all that week that they were with him. Where I work is always music playing and at leats every 2 days 'My Sweet Lord' is all over the place with me chanting at the top of my lungs and I always thought what a nice way of getting everybody purified. Bhakta George Ki Jaya!!!!

Haribol Leyh, I know the Peruvian devotee that you talk about it. He is married to a Singaporean (from Indian family). They went to Vrindavan for Kartik but they maybe back in Singapore by now. I sold incense with him in 'Little India' outside a temple attired in full sari and devotional paraphernalia a few years ago. People was quite receptive and we didn't have problems at all. He is been there for years now.

Haribol Leyh, I know the Peruvian devotee that you talk about it. He is married to a Singaporean (from Indian family). They went to Vrindavan for Kartik but they maybe back in Singapore by now. I sold incense with him in 'Little India' outside a temple attired in full sari and devotional paraphernalia a few years ago. People was quite receptive and we didn't have problems at all. He is been there for years now.

When I started chanting I was in college and everybody used to asked me what was wrong with my hand, like I had an accident and my hand was wrapped around. It was good preaching and wasn't only me, they were 3 more devotees in the same college and the students got used to us going around chanting in the beads. You can really do a fashion thing with the bead bags. I know a few ladies that have as many they can because they match them with the different outfits that they wear. Once Atma Tattva showed up in my friend's house and when he saw the quantity of bead bags hanging behind the door he asked who was selling them because there were so many of them. Gauracandra I can give you the address of this lady then you can start selling them. I recommend matching cholis and bb's. The ones with the pocket outside are really practical for the maha flower that you get once in a while and for the few rupees to pay the riksha walla. Leyh, don't feel shy with your bb's in public. While in Singapore I always chanted in public and never had a problem. Wore sari everywhere I went even thought at that time they didn't want foreigners in devotional cloth. How is the government with the devotees now?

When I started chanting I was in college and everybody used to asked me what was wrong with my hand, like I had an accident and my hand was wrapped around. It was good preaching and wasn't only me, they were 3 more devotees in the same college and the students got used to us going around chanting in the beads. You can really do a fashion thing with the bead bags. I know a few ladies that have as many they can because they match them with the different outfits that they wear. Once Atma Tattva showed up in my friend's house and when he saw the quantity of bead bags hanging behind the door he asked who was selling them because there were so many of them. Gauracandra I can give you the address of this lady then you can start selling them. I recommend matching cholis and bb's. The ones with the pocket outside are really practical for the maha flower that you get once in a while and for the few rupees to pay the riksha walla. Leyh, don't feel shy with your bb's in public. While in Singapore I always chanted in public and never had a problem. Wore sari everywhere I went even thought at that time they didn't want foreigners in devotional cloth. How is the government with the devotees now?