leyh

"I have always wanted to become a saint. Unfortunately when I have compared myself with the saints, I have always found that there is the same difference between the saints and me as there is between a mountain whose summit is lost in the clouds and a humble grain of sand trodden underfoot by passers-by. Instead of being discouraged, I told myself: God would not make me wish for something impossible and so, in spite of my littleness, I can aim at being a saint. It is impossible for me to grow bigger, so I put up with myself as I am, with all my countless faults. But I will look for some means of going to heaven by a little way which is very short and very straight, a little way that is quite new."(Saint Therese of Lisieux) [This message has been edited by leyh (edited 05-14-2002).]

"But just remember this.One Eva Smith has gone --- but there are millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us,with their lives,their hopes and fears,their suffering and chance of happiness,all interwined with our lives,with what we think and say and do.We don't live alone.We are members of one body.We are responsible for each other.And I tell you that the time will soon come when,if men will not learn that lesson,then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish.Good night."(An Inspector Calls by J.B.Priestley, Act Three) [This message has been edited by leyh (edited 05-14-2002).]

A Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi Lord, make an instrument of your peace. When there is hatred, let me sow love; Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light; And where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master; Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; To be understood as to understand; To be loved as to love; For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; And it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

'The other day in Atlanta,the wife of a man had an automobile accident.He received a call that the accident had taken place on the expressway.The first question he asked when he received the call:"How much damage did it do to my Cadillac?" He never asked how his wife was doing.Now,that man was a fool,because he had allowed an automobile to become more significant than a person.He wasn't a fool because he had a Cadillac,he was a fool because he worshipped his Cadillac.He allowed his automobile to become more important than God. Somehow in life we must know that we must seek first the kingdom of God,and then all of those other things --- clothes,houses,cars --- will be added unto us.But the problem is,all too many people fail to put first things first.They don't keep a sharp line of demarcation between the things of life and the ends of life.'(Martin Luther King,Jr. Why Jesus Called A Man A Fool) [This message has been edited by leyh (edited 05-12-2002).]

"Throughout the whole world we are chanting Hare Krsna. Is not that magic? Foreign countries, foreign religion, and they are accepting Krsna and chanting Hare Krsna. Is not that magic?" (His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Conversation during Evening Darsana: May 13, 1977, Hrishikesh)

"Throughout the whole world we are chanting Hare Krsna. Is not that magic? Foreign countries, foreign religion, and they are accepting Krsna and chanting Hare Krsna. Is not that magic?" (His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Conversation during Evening Darsana: May 13, 1977, Hrishikesh)

JNDas Prabhu: I hope I'm not being intrusive here,but I really am curious as to how did your journey to the spiritual path of Gaudiya Vaishnavism began. It seems to me that it is simply an amazing testimony to the potency of Mahaprabhu's movement that it can lead a 26 year old westerner to take up devotional service in India.I understand that you are very busy and I totally understand if you do not feel inclined to talk about yourself. [This message has been edited by leyh (edited 05-11-2002).]

JNDas Prabhu: Out of curosity,may I know who is your Guru Maharaja?

jijaji: Are you not contradicting yourself when you say: JNdas Prabhu might have not have been a teenager when "many of us here were around the block on these issues",but age is just a material conception.JNdas could have been a pandit or a yogi in his past life and could be carrying on where he left off from his previous existence.Who knows? [This message has been edited by leyh (edited 05-11-2002).]

Hi ram: The Vedic system of guru, shastra and sadhu is one that is in harmony with each other, and a bona-fide guru's words will never contradict the verdict of the sastras, for everything the guru says can be backed up by scripture and is not against the teachings of the saintly personalities of the disciplic succession. So if one accepts that Srila Prabhupada is a bona-fide guru,then one will have to accept his conclusion that Islam is a bona-fide religious process.When he says "remain a Muslim", he was definitely sanctioning Islam as a bona-fide religion.However,if one does not accept the authority of Srila Prabhupada,it is a different matter altogether. I cannot prove that Christianity, Judaism and Islam are bonafide on shastric grounds as these three religions arose considerably later then the Vedic culture,however,I accept Srila Prabhupada as an authentic embodiment of this culture,and if he sanctions Islam as a religion,then I accept it,as a matter of faith in him, and accompanied by a critical analysis of Islam. [This message has been edited by leyh (edited 05-10-2002).]

Guest (5): Prabhupada, Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita that when there is decline of true religion... Prabhupada: Yes. Guest (5): ...and when evil increases in the world, that He manifests Himself in a body, a human body, and comes to earth to rescue the human beings from their illusion. Prabhupada: Yes. Guest (5): Now these conditions exist today. Is He here in the human form or is He still to come? Prabhupada: Yes, God has already come. Guest (5): In what form? Prabhupada: In the form of name, Hare Krishna. Guest (5): No, He said He manifests in a human form. Prabhupada: God has human form, and God is everything. So if He comes in the form of sound, where is your objection? But God is everything. He can come as a human being, or He can come in the form of sound also. Because what is this human being? You are seeing a human being, this flesh. That is combination of matter, combination of matter, earth, water, fire, air, ether. This is combination. What you are seeing? Your eyes are also the combination. But the sound is ether. So if you accept earth as the form, where is your objection to accept ether? Because they are all material. Guest (5): There are two objections. One is that He said, "I manifest in a human body," in a human body such as we have here, and also... Prabhupada: So that requires little intelligence, that anyone who is preaching the holy name of God, he is also God. Anyone who preaches the glories of God, he is also God. Guest (5): Are you God? Prabhupada: I am servant of God. Guest (5): But you're preaching the holy name of God? Prabhupada: Yes, that is my business. Guest (5): But then, by your own words, you are God. Prabhupada: But that does not mean I am God, but I am equal to God. Or at least you should see like that. That is explained. A guru... That is explained. saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastrair uktas tatha bhavyata eva sadbhih kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya vande guroh sri-caranaravindam Guru's position is like this. What is that? Saksad-dhari. He is God. Saksad-dhari. How he is Hari, God? No, samasta-sastraih: "In all revealed scriptures it is explained that 'Guru, the servant of God, the son of God, the preacher, he is God.' " Saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastrair uktah: "It is said." Tatha bhavyata eva sadbhih: "Those who are intelligent, they accept like that." Then next line says, kintu. Why he is God? Kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya: "He is God because He is very, very dear to God." So as I said, in the absolute word, God and a person very dear to God, he is also God. But he does not think that he is God. He knows that he is servant of God. It requires little intelligence, spiritual intelligence, the Absolute, how the servant of God and God is the same. (break) Yes.(Bhagavad-gita3.27 Lecture by His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada at the Town Hall, Melbourne on June 27,1974)

Guest (5): Prabhupada, Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita that when there is decline of true religion... Prabhupada: Yes. Guest (5): ...and when evil increases in the world, that He manifests Himself in a body, a human body, and comes to earth to rescue the human beings from their illusion. Prabhupada: Yes. Guest (5): Now these conditions exist today. Is He here in the human form or is He still to come? Prabhupada: Yes, God has already come. Guest (5): In what form? Prabhupada: In the form of name, Hare Krishna. Guest (5): No, He said He manifests in a human form. Prabhupada: God has human form, and God is everything. So if He comes in the form of sound, where is your objection? But God is everything. He can come as a human being, or He can come in the form of sound also. Because what is this human being? You are seeing a human being, this flesh. That is combination of matter, combination of matter, earth, water, fire, air, ether. This is combination. What you are seeing? Your eyes are also the combination. But the sound is ether. So if you accept earth as the form, where is your objection to accept ether? Because they are all material. Guest (5): There are two objections. One is that He said, "I manifest in a human body," in a human body such as we have here, and also... Prabhupada: So that requires little intelligence, that anyone who is preaching the holy name of God, he is also God. Anyone who preaches the glories of God, he is also God. Guest (5): Are you God? Prabhupada: I am servant of God. Guest (5): But you're preaching the holy name of God? Prabhupada: Yes, that is my business. Guest (5): But then, by your own words, you are God. Prabhupada: But that does not mean I am God, but I am equal to God. Or at least you should see like that. That is explained. A guru... That is explained. saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastrair uktas tatha bhavyata eva sadbhih kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya vande guroh sri-caranaravindam Guru's position is like this. What is that? Saksad-dhari. He is God. Saksad-dhari. How he is Hari, God? No, samasta-sastraih: "In all revealed scriptures it is explained that 'Guru, the servant of God, the son of God, the preacher, he is God.' " Saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastrair uktah: "It is said." Tatha bhavyata eva sadbhih: "Those who are intelligent, they accept like that." Then next line says, kintu. Why he is God? Kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya: "He is God because He is very, very dear to God." So as I said, in the absolute word, God and a person very dear to God, he is also God. But he does not think that he is God. He knows that he is servant of God. It requires little intelligence, spiritual intelligence, the Absolute, how the servant of God and God is the same. (break) Yes.(Bhagavad-gita3.27 Lecture by His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada at the Town Hall, Melbourne on June 27,1974)

'So there is a disciplic succession. And the acaryas, they're authorities. Our process of knowledge is very simple. We take it from the authority. We don't speculate. Speculation will not help us to come to the real knowledge. Just like when we are in difficulty, in legal implication, we go to some authority, lawyer. When we are diseased we go to a physician, the authority. There is no use, speculation. Suppose I am in difficulty in some legal implication. I simply speculate, "I shall be free in this way and that way." That will not help. We have to go to the lawyer who knows things, and he gives us instruction that "You do not do this; then you'll be free." Similarly, when we are diseased, if I speculate at home that "My disease will be cured in this way and that way," no. That is useless. You go to an authorized physician, and he will give you a nice prescription, and you'll be cured. That is the process of knowledge.' (His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, His Divine Grace Srila Sac-cid-ananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura's Appearance Day Lecture, London, September 23, 1969)

'So there is a disciplic succession. And the acaryas, they're authorities. Our process of knowledge is very simple. We take it from the authority. We don't speculate. Speculation will not help us to come to the real knowledge. Just like when we are in difficulty, in legal implication, we go to some authority, lawyer. When we are diseased we go to a physician, the authority. There is no use, speculation. Suppose I am in difficulty in some legal implication. I simply speculate, "I shall be free in this way and that way." That will not help. We have to go to the lawyer who knows things, and he gives us instruction that "You do not do this; then you'll be free." Similarly, when we are diseased, if I speculate at home that "My disease will be cured in this way and that way," no. That is useless. You go to an authorized physician, and he will give you a nice prescription, and you'll be cured. That is the process of knowledge.' (His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, His Divine Grace Srila Sac-cid-ananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura's Appearance Day Lecture, London, September 23, 1969)

Hi Shivaji: I accept Islam as a bona-fide religious process because His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada,the great saintly personality who opened my eyes with the torch of knowledge,accepts it as such. ‘So the Hare Krsna mantra is not sectarian. Because we are chanting these three names --- Hare, Krsna, and Rama --- someone may think, “These are Hindu names. Why should we chant these Hindu names?” There are some sectarian people who may think like that. But Lord Caitanya says, “It doesn’t matter. If you have some other bona fide name of God, you can chant that. But chant God’s name.” That is the instruction of this Krsna consciousness movement. So do not think that this movement is trying to convert you from Christian to Hindu. Remain a Christian, a Jew, a Muslim. It doesn’t matter. But if you really want to perfect your life, then try to develop your dormant love for God. That is the perfection of life.” (His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Lecture at Boston’s Northeastern University in the summer of 1969) It is thosewho see Islam as a monolithic entity and Muslims being the same all over the world that need to be realistic. [This message has been edited by leyh (edited 05-09-2002).] [This message has been edited by leyh (edited 05-09-2002).]

“If you are praying, it is all right. But our proposal is that you have to understand the science. Prayer is very good, but if one offers prayer after knowing the science, that is very good.” (His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Morning Walk Conversation, 8 April, 1974, Bombay)

“If you are praying, it is all right. But our proposal is that you have to understand the science. Prayer is very good, but if one offers prayer after knowing the science, that is very good.” (His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Morning Walk Conversation, 8 April, 1974, Bombay)

Oh now I get it....Thanks!

“Among Vaisnavas there may be some differences of opinion due to everyone’s personal identity. But despite all personal differences, the cult of Krsna Consciousness must go on.” (His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada,Purport, Srimad Bhagavatam 4.28.31)

“Among Vaisnavas there may be some differences of opinion due to everyone’s personal identity. But despite all personal differences, the cult of Krsna Consciousness must go on.” (His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada,Purport, Srimad Bhagavatam 4.28.31)

“Suppose you are trying to do something. Due to your inexperience if you sometimes fail, that is not a fault. You are trying." (His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Perfect Questions, Perfect Answers, Chapter 7)

“Suppose you are trying to do something. Due to your inexperience if you sometimes fail, that is not a fault. You are trying." (His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Perfect Questions, Perfect Answers, Chapter 7)

I'm sorry..but who is "the dark-skinned man carrying the sandwhich board."?

I've always enjoyed reading Indradyumna Swami's diary.He is doing a wonderful job of spreading the glorious holy names all over the world.All Glories to Indradyumna Maharaja!

When I first began to utilize the Internet to explore Krsna Consciousness back in 1997, one recurring term that I kept encountering was “Ritvik”. I had never encountered the word in my reading of The Science of Self Realization which, at that time, was about the only Srila Prabhupada book that I had read. It seems to me that even as of this writing, there is a vast body of work on the Internet that is devoted to the Ritvik issue and other sectarian politics, which might not be something that Srila Prabhupada would have approved of. My understanding of the Ritvik issue, laid out in simple language is this: In 1965, a great saintly personality who eventually became known to the world as His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada brought an ancient Bengali cult to America and succeeded in spreading it all over the world through a society known as The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). After Prabhupada departed from the world, eleven of his disciples became his “successors”. Some of them later did things that Prabhupada would not have approved of and “fell down”. Also, there eventually arose a controversy whether the Prabhupada had intended for them to take the responsibility of being Gurus or whether he had intended for them to be priests (Ritviks) to accept disciples on his behalf, ensuring that he would continue to remain the acarya of ISKCON. Now much has been written about the Ritvik issue. Being a neophyte student of the Krsna Consciousness Movement, I cannot make any authoritative statement regarding the Ritvik issue. I do know that Prabhupada never intended the parampara to stop with himself, and that his ambition was for his disciples to become bona-fide spiritual masters. This is an incontestable fact. I would like to raise a counter-factual question: What if the eleven disciples of Prabhupada had waited say, maybe ten or even twenty years after Prabhupada’s departure to assume the responsibility of Guru? Maybe they wouldn’t have been fall-downs as these disciples would have been more advanced and the movement would have become more mature or ready to accept gurus for the new generation of devotees? [This message has been edited by leyh (edited 05-08-2002).]