vanamali

Did that answer your question, or do you still have some doubts? /images/graemlins/smile.gif

I hope you have scanned your painting, I would like to see it if at all possible! /images/graemlins/smile.gif

Post deleted by vanamali

>>> Can I consider myself as being Initiated by Lord Himself? --- I had a similar experience. Can you give me your email address, or perhaps I can give you mine. This is *very* interesting!

Diety worship is set in a way that you must perform it under guidelines in the temple - Well, we worship the Deities at home as well. /images/graemlins/smile.gif (of course the temple deities are so big and beautiful...)

There was no sin in Him spoiling her chastity. She had begged Him to spoil it for thousands of years... er... sorry to put it so bluntly. /images/graemlins/tongue.gif Anyway, Krishna is still there, He just has another form as saligram. And Vrinda devi is there in Vrindavana still as a living breathing (divine) woman. And at the same time She is also in Vaikuntha married to Lord Narayana. By their mercy now we have their actual forms here on earth also, as tulasi plant and saligram sila. Don't take all this cursing too seriously, it was an altogether auspicious affair born of Krishna's great mercy for us. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

Just think of your own last moments. You will die, just as everyone will. Even if you remember Krishna only to say "Why Krishna? WHY?" or even to curse Him, still you have remembered Him. It still counts as remembering Krishna. The same goes for life. When bad things happen, we get discouraged, but as long as we turn to God, we will find answers and get through. If we are angry, it is okay even to yell at Krishna sometimes. The important thing is to always keep the lines of communication open. Other relationships come and go. People move away, people die. And it hurts. But the essence of what we really loved in each person... that is Krishna. And our relationship with Krishna is unbreakable. It is eternal. It is the only relationship that, no matter what happens in life or death, nothing and no-one can dissolve.

No dark caves business. Vedic culture is concerned with happiness and health in this world and the next.

Anyone who shows Krishna to so many people is great. It's easy to see Krishna in such people, and with their blessings perhaps we can begin to see Him in everyone /images/graemlins/smile.gif

I must say I am having a similar problem. My husband recently told me a similar thing, ie. "there is a limit for everything" including bhakti. I would say do NOT pull back on devotional activities. The rest of your life benefits when you take care of the devotional side. Maybe, I don't know when you chant rounds, but it's best to do it early in the morning before others are awake, so there's no disturbance. And also, they will not be worried, because you will have finished before they get up. If your parents are worrying about your health, I mean, yes of course you should always get enough to eat so that your body is healthy. Don't overdo it, but don't eat so little that you become weak either. Getting sick sometimes gets in the way of chanting, studying, etc. especially if we are sleeping more when we are sick!

I will not formally accept a guru unless and until I find *my guru* The guru-disciple relationship is so intimate, you tell so many private things about your religious life, and your feelings towards God and such. So I want to find that special person, but if it doesn't happen, so be it. Really, I trust Krishna totally. If He has a guru for me, He will send that person. Until then, Krishna is my guru. That's that; and no worrying allowed. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

Don't worry jayaisvara. I don't want to get in a discussion over gurus, etc. because people get very hot about this sort of thing. All I'm saying is, don't worry and trust Krishna.

I'm forwarding your "thank you" to Krishna. Just remember Krishna is a tough guy, He can take care of you /images/graemlins/wink.gif

karmanyeva-adhikar-aste ma phalesu kadachana Just act. Don't think of the fruit of action. If you spill your coffee, clean it up. Or make sure somebody else does it. Who cares who would get the karmic reaction if you did not? Just clean it! Somebody could slip of course... If you get too deep into which action led to which reaction, you might feel you are doing your duty by making old ladies trip, because that lady tripping might have been a reaction for one of her past actions! No no no! Don't let it get too complicated! Just do your duty, That is all! /images/graemlins/smile.gif

Being a conditioned soul without a guru, is it alright to ask for the mercy of Krsna and the acaryas even if there is pride remaining in us? ------------ One requires Krishna grace to get a true guru anyway. Yes you simply must ask for His grace, and it is not only okay, but very pleasing for Krishna if you will ask Him. That's what He's there for!! Doesn't matter if you are still full of faults; that's why it's called MERCY and GRACE. Even if we achieve all our goals and clear ourselves of all faults, still we can never compare ourselves to Krishna's greatness. So in this way we can never really *deserve* anything from Krishna, but we can only appeal to Him to have mercy on us, and that He will do because He is an ocean of mercy. As for pride, you know, pride is like a hairy man's beard. You shave it off in the morning, and by evening you are already getting stubble. Pujya Prema Pandurang calls pride "a subtle cancer of the soul." As long as we remember that any of us can become proud, we will be more likely to see it in ourselves and stop it before it becomes a problem.

Now as an middle-aged old fart who gotta wifey-pooh and kiddies,that spirit of sacrifice for the welfare of suffering humanity is missing in my life and soul. Will I re-gain it when the children are all grown up and I'm about to croak? What will Lord do with an old bitter geezard like me? ---------------- It has been your responsibility i life to take care of "wifey-pooh" and "kiddies." That too is selfless work. You know, we learn from the Gita about dharma. But it is not just war or religious work that is dharma. ANYTHING you do, offer it to the Lord. Whatever you do for your family is also a form of pooja to Krishna.

"The point is, we are so proud and think that just because some negative thought comes to us, or any thought that comes to us, we think it must be true. But I think you are trying to follow Krsna Consciousness, but cannot accept the reality that <font color="red">"How can I think such things and follow God?" Don't worry, just keep chanting," </font color> -------------- I agree. If we trust Krishna to look after us, then it makes it much easier for Him to take care of us, because we are not struggling against it. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

should I fight the negative thoughts in my mind in the hope that at some point in time,I will be able to think positively ----------------- Just don't get too worked up, but rather "fight" these negative thoughts by just calming the mind. Kulapavana was right I think. They say the mind is like the temple elephant, always figiting, sticking its trunk everywhere trying to grab at whatever is in its reach. However, if you give the elephant a stick to hold in its trunk, it will no longer reach out to grab whatever it sees, and instead just keeps that stick, and then walks on without disturbance or distraction. The name of God is like that. If you just chant His name mentally, that will pacify your mind, and also you will be thinking of the Lord all the time in the process, and calling on Him, and He will definitely take care of you. Instead of letting every thought that enters your mind take hold of you, you can hold on to the Holy Name and let these other thoughts pass out of your mind as quickly as they pass in. You don't have to own every thought that enters your mind, just let these negative thoughts pass through your mind like a hallway, and not live in it like a home. I will say a prayer for you now. Jaya Sri Krishna! /images/graemlins/smile.gif

He can have all my number three for Himself... And I hope Krishna also has some "number three" for me as well! /images/graemlins/smile.gif ye yatha mam prapadyante <font color="red">tams tathaiva bhajamy aham </font color> mama vartmanuvartante manusyah partha sarvasah (BG 4.11)

I agree. Actually 1 and 3 are Krishna's and #2 is MINE. Early happy birthday to Krishna!!

in dry season there is a lot of dust, which leads some people to coughing and sneezing. I don't know about pollen alergy though.

Vrinda could not understand the craftiness, and because of intimate presence her chastity got spoiled. Later on when Vrinda came to know the reality, she got infuriated and cursed Lord Krishna ------------------ Part of the story. Vrinda devi had prayed and done austerities to get the Lord as her husband her previous births. The Lord was actually fulfilling her well-deserved wishes to serve Him as His consort, but as she was under the infuence of maya at the time (in an unfortunate birth as wife of a demon) even though still devoted to Him, she did not fully realize that He indeed was Her true husband. Tulasi is married to Lord Narayana, and to saligram sila, and as Vrinda devi, she is Krishna's beloved in Vrindavana. We should always pray to Vrinda devi to get Her mercy, so that we may always please Lord Krishna. ---------

I dunno about forest, but you could sure find clusters of them growing together. I had a veritable gardenful of Tulasi on my porch, until one by one they were adopted out to loving families. Ten of them were taken by the temple... I feel my girls have gone to live at their in-laws house now /images/graemlins/wink.gif The fragrance when they flower is especially maddening. You can think that Krishna would've smelled like that, as He is always wearing Tulasi on His body. Tulasi garland, tulasi leaves on the feet... Jaya Sri Krishna! ---------------

We'll be partying it up at temple all night long!! You know how our Kunjabihari loves to sing and dance till late in the night! /images/graemlins/smile.gif Oh Oh Oh! Fasting yes, and then laddus at midnight for our Big Laddu, Govinda! Jaya Sri Krishna! -----------------

The type of mukti that means merging into the impersonal effulgence of the Lord is poison, because... well, where is Krishna in that? Devotees love the personal form of the Lord. They would rather be born in this material world and still be able to love Krishna, than get this other kind of mukti. Of course, going to Sri Vaikuntha or Goloka is a different story, and material desires will also be vanquished at that point. "Desire for palatable foodstuffs" would sound like "Oh! How delicious that food looks! Krishna would love that, I'm sure!" Krishna is the Lord, and if any desires are there, they will not be mundane desires, they will be desires to see Him enjoying and happy.