JRdd

Ancient rapport dissertations say: "Upon your tongue convey the Names."

Ancient import directions say: Upon a rival (leave bags behind and) convey a friendly countenance.

Ancient bombsaway teaching say: The smile that explodes in the heart better be God's.

http://www.hknet.org.nz/parishad76-k.htm This site is just wonderful. So much nectar about Govardhan puja, Damodara being bound by Mother Yasoda, dussera, divali, and so much more.

You're welcome! I have a general question. It was always my understanding that the basil we use in cooking is a totally different (but related) plant from the tulasi plant. I remember that sometimes in devotees would think they were given a tulasi by some member or guest or something, and then someone would find that it was basil actually. But I noticed on the Internet in places (not among those I posted the links to) it talks of tulasi as being basil. I can not believe this. On the other hand, now I am also wondering if the medicinal qualities of tulasi are also in the basil plant? Last year I harvested so much basil and tried to grow it this year in my new home, and have this intense love for basil, without remembering its relationship to tulasi, so I am wondering if my often ailing body is craving its medicinal qualitiies. Jayaradhe

Monkey on a stick transformed! Good one! Now I can forget that terrible book. Well sort of. We don't have trick or treat/prasad distribution on my street. There are no street lamps and it is tucked behind the town too. I don't think little kids want to get scared THAT much. Today is the anniversary of the night I moved into the temple. I handed out simply wonderfuls to the kids at the door. I have been having a lot to do with prasadam ever since, one way or the other. About those dreams, I too have had the ones where they sit on you or choke you and you can't breathe or even chant to make them go away, and Sriula Prabhupada said would chase the ghosts away. But I found you could cry out the holy names in your head, and that dispels them pronto! One time a ghost did that and I knew I needed to chant--and loud, but couldn't get my voice. I used the strongest will power I may have ever accessed, and sat up shouting "BALARAMA!" and it was gone. One time I actually saw faces, while still awake, in a totally dark room. They were outlines of white against the blackness, coming toward me with freakish ghoulish leers, scariest things I ever saw. I left that room and chanted for hours in the night, terrified at how I still felt, but there was a hollow feeling in me, and I was afraid that the mechanical chanting would not keep them away. The devotee who stayed up with me talked to me about the potency of the Holy Names, and sincerity, and assured me of Krsna's presence and kept me going. That apartment was so haunted. I ended up sharing a different room with Jadurani for a while, and the sounds made us uneasy. One night the door opened and footsteps came in but no one was there. Talk about inspired chanting! Anyway, once I found out that they feed on fear, and that they are so easily dispatched with the chanting, they stopped bothering me. Old buildings that became temples have often had ghosts in them. So devotees had to be prepared with how to deal with them. Jayaradhe

Hare Krsna. No I am a different person from JSR. I am Jayaradhe dasi (Jayaradhe one word, as given to me by Srila Prabhupada).

Here are some links to information, instructions (including the mantras for picking, etc.), lots of nectar on Tulasi-devi. The last link takes you to where you can get a book. http://www.harekrsna.com/science/worship/tulasi.htm http://www.vaisnava.net/tulasi-d.htm http://www.hknet.org.nz/parishad95.htm http://www.harekrishnatemple.com/bhakta/tulasipuja.html http://www.krsna.com/bazaar/books_other.htm

Swan, if someone isn't able to supply it first, I will get the link to a site on tulasi I found once. Also, there are at least two manuals I think on hte care of tulasi, and it may be Krsna Culture. I'll try to get that info too, tomorrow. If you have time in the meantime, do a keyword search. There is a lot online. Jayaradhe

1. I don't know Latin. 2. The only emergency I can think of for japa mala is diving into the nectar of the Holy Names as much and often and deeply as possible. That was not a poem. [b}JR:...keeping in the consciousness that tulasi is a pure devotee of the Lord. talasiga: Tulsi Devi is Grace ever compassionate to fellow devotees. Her self-sacrifice in the Bhakti Marga is not even surpassed by Sita Devi the epitome of self sacrifice. She is ever approachable and certainly not Durga (remote).[/b} Jahnava Nitai's response is below. I only want to add that however approachable Tulasi may be, however approachable and compassionate the spiritual master may be, that does not warrant taking advantage by approaching them for service. This would be akin to some Christians' asking God to serve them in so many ways. JRdd: And as to why this is not in the health section, my guess is because the discussion is about a pure devotee of the Lord, and acceptable uses. talasiga: Your discernment is so delightful ! My wonderings on this issue are now settled. Thank you. Hmm...You're welcome? JRdd:We are not talking about rules. talasiga: Indeed ! Yet I wonder why one poster kept referring to "smritis" without sourcing them. The gist is about instructing on the proper attitude toward and treatment of Tulasidevi. This process isn't understood by mental speculation. And thank God for all this information! JRdd: We are talking about how to respect the pure devotee. Talasiga: I get the sense that even if the scriptures said it was honourable to use Holy Basil when cooking daal, neither you nor Valaya would do this. I note a level of a love beyond respect in both your positions. What is the point in making such a statement though? It doesn't say, and so we are not incorrect in our feelings. In turn do you think She loves us more or respects us more ? I don't know what She thinks. My own thinking is to keep it simple. respectfully, Jayaradhe

Yes to both--as long as they are used devotionally or--in the case of emergencies--with caution and discernment, keeping in the consciousness that tulasi is a pure devotee of the Lord. And as to why this is not in the health section, my guess is because the discussion is about a pure devotee of the Lord, and acceptable uses. The discussion is certainly worthwhile. Consider that to intensively discuss the pros and cons of meat-eating would be of no import to a devout vegetarian, but might be an issue with staunch flesh eaters or aspirants vegetarians. Similarly, to those of us who are fledging bhakti-creeper farmers, this discussion of tulasi devi is most pertinent. We are not talking about rules. We are talking about how to respect the pure devotee. Which some seem to have a problem with all over these forums. (edited to fix html) [This message has been edited by JRdd (edited 10-30-2001).]

Just as Srila Prabhupada said, when Krsna is there, Laxmi is there. I was at a lecture in L.A. once, 1974 I think, when he said that all of our needs, both spiritual and material, are satisfied when we serve Krsna. About Talasiga's question about the japa mala, well first of all they use the wood after Tulasi has left the body, and secondly the japa mala is use for worshiping the holy names. Is this the correct answer, Jahnava Nitai? Jayaradhe (edited to remove the rest of Atma's quote) [This message has been edited by JRdd (edited 10-29-2001).]

Thank you for your points, Jahnava Nitai, which are well understood by me and align with how I have understood it from Srila Prabhupada. As I said in Berkeley they drink tulasi water, which is plain water with offered tulasi leaves in it, and I can verify your statement about no tea even for Jagannath from Krtakarma prabhu, who I believe would know if anyone would. Jayaradhe

Is it okay to use Tulasi so functionally? I mean like the example of placing Her on the roof against thunderbolts, and the other uses mentioned? At Berkeley whenever someone is ailing I notice they take the devotee a jug of tulasi water, which is always kept in the pujari room. But this is from leaves which have been offered to the deities. Would the leaves be offered to the deities before making teas, etc? I have a wonderful stash of dried leaves, which were kindly given me by the temple to offer my Deity. I have been making them last until the next time I go, at which time I intend to take back a tulasi plant or two for His pleasure. Would it be kosher to calculatingly offer extra leaves to the Deity with the purpose of then making a tea out of them? The reason I ask, and have difficulty with this, is because I have always thought of Tulasi in a devotional way, and not so functionally. thanks, JR

I have been enjoying these pasttimes and just wanted you to know, and thank you both. I think it was Madhumangal. Wasn't it? Krsna is such a sweet rascal.

Tarun, do you have any more inforamtion about Manimanjari. I just met someone who knows her and asked if I knew her and who did not know of her present condition. Are there devotees taking care of her? ys, JR

Instant milk makes better, lighter ones. (sorry GC--back to the drums and things)

Instant milk makes better, lighter ones. (sorry GC--back to the drums and things)

Bring 'em on bro, I'll be checking back in between my cyber business today. anticipatingly, Jayaradhe

I wish to bring up the subject about the medicinal uses of marijuana, as some chronically ill devotees have resorted to it when all else failed. I myself used it many times for pain and chronic nausea, and I feel it helped me tremendously to regain some strength, when I could not eat. This was before I was finally prescribed a homoeopathic remedy, which was the first of many alternative treatments I tried which actually helped me. Now I know that marijuana is an intoxicant, but what about using it medicinally. And I mean this honestly. Not addictively, as in daily, but sincerely as needed. Illness itself can be extremely mind-altering, can also cause severe depression. I really don't think that a devotee who uses marijuana medicinally is necessarily breaking the principles; this can only be known by the devotee using this herb. Conscience is such a personal thing. It is between the devotee and guru and Krsna. And personally, I would take anything natural before I would take drugs, which destroy the body's organs and immune system. I was taking Ibuprofen years ago, against my better judgement, after a car accident, and found, sure enough, that it was the worst thing for my sick liver. Marijuana in such cases is a much better alternative. In California marijuana was voted in by the Compassionate Act for its use in AIDS and HIV patients, as well as sufferers from arthritis, etc. It has also been used in curing and preventing glaucoma, among other things. I would not generally recommend marijuana as a medicine as I know that people who use it are usually attached to it in a habitual way. But I know how I used it. [This message has been edited by JRdd (edited 10-23-2001).]

Amazing to think of how widespread the Balaram mrdanga has become. I think the greatest innovation was the Simply Wonderful. Take a cup of powdered milk (sorry Darwin, but this one is most transcendental! and surely must benefit the cow when its product is being offered to the Lord), a cup of powdered sugar (this is so transcendental that one must surely not suffer the ill effects of white sugar when it is offered to Kanea), and a stick of butter. Add things like walnuts or raisins and roll into balls. Don't forget to say your prayers. Distribute prefusely.

Amazing to think of how widespread the Balaram mrdanga has become. I think the greatest innovation was the Simply Wonderful. Take a cup of powdered milk (sorry Darwin, but this one is most transcendental! and surely must benefit the cow when its product is being offered to the Lord), a cup of powdered sugar (this is so transcendental that one must surely not suffer the ill effects of white sugar when it is offered to Kanea), and a stick of butter. Add things like walnuts or raisins and roll into balls. Don't forget to say your prayers. Distribute prefusely.

I am doing that elsewhere now, as any forum where you are that I start sharing, someone inevitably comes along and starts criticising. It is healthy to choose where and what one shares, and who with. [This message has been edited by JRdd (edited 10-23-2001).]

Valaya, several people--not just Mdd--have remarked on your faultfinding and bitter attitude, and general overall disrespectfulness toward the devotees. I have also seen, many times, you faultfind those who don't take up your repeated invitations for private discussions (where, apparently, as I see from your above post, you engage in gossip about others), and you accuse your decliners of being impersonalists or fearful of intimacy. As Maitreya once said to you, brace up brother. The world doesn't revolve around you. Who are you to dictate, and judge everyone here. As for Gopal's posting the quotes from the archives (and he does not carry the voice of Mdd at all), they were direct quotes and not any twisting of your words that you claim they were. Shvu is an honest impersonalist. But you, you are something else, brother. And until you get some real siksa (as my sister Mdd does, contrary to your patronising her with your alleged higher knowledge), which you have repeatedly stated you don't need, you will not get further than your imaginary little world that hangs on to each and every petty little grievance or difference until no one can get peace here. You even rudely brought your tantrum about another thread, on another forum, to the true association thread which was going so smoothly, and demanded everyone to go to the Mela and read it and console you about it. And even when I did try to offer kind words, next thing I knew you were being nasty to me, and have been ever since. Go figure. And you have done it before. Quite out of the blue. So what you get from me from now on is tough love. From a distance-- unless you show more control over your tongue and your behaviour and your attitude. As for "moving on" after Srila Prabhupada physically left the planet, this statement shows how little you understand about the postion of Srila Prabhupada. It is not your lack of understanding I take issue with; it is your arrogance in deeming to explain to Mdd what she needs to do, or how much she is advancing, as if you are Supersoul. Some of us have wonderful siksa both from Prabhupada and from other devotees who you are not even aware of. But that is not your business. Kindly read the Audarya Fellowship thread and give this latest diatribe a rest once and for all.