Vishnupriya

Dear Shivaji, I apologize for all that I have said and done /images/graemlins/frown.gif. The "Bhagavan said" were a combination of some verses in the gita.

You have a great heart to accept your fault and to forgive others which I dont see in few others of this forum including me. People call my suggestions a diatribe, initially I did say that XXXXX had a lot of Ego which I shouldnt have done and the second one that I posted, I dont see therz any abusive stuff written about XXXXX. /images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Shiva, Thanks, I am presumptuous and a non-devotee. I accept your words; this will help me improve myself. Please refer to your post where you said that you would not forgive him (Krsna). Lord Krishna wanted me to convey this message to you. <font color="brown"> Bhavagavan said: </font color> <font color="brown">“ Dear Shiva, rise up and be the same in honour and dishonour, for I am your father, mother, best friend and well wisher who would never part with you any time. Don’t be deluded by these trivial things. A stable and equanimous mind will help you realize me“. </font color> Enjoy and have a nice time /images/graemlins/laugh.gif Vishnupriya

Dear Shiva ji, Why dont you forgive him. Poor thing. Just because Krsna copy pasted some of your essays doesnt mean that he has stolen it. If you were altrustic enough and a real devotee of the lord, you wouldnt have bothered about such things. I can clearly make out that you have a lot of E_O /images/graemlins/frown.gif

Thnx

According to our shastras, the food we consume affects our mind also. Purity of food leads to purity of mind. The food we eat shapes our thoughts and our consciousness. Sattvic or pure foods contribute to healthier bodies and calmer minds. By uplifting our consciousness and help to bring our higher nature into play. A sattvic diet is very important from a yogic perspective for it is absolutely necessary to make the mind calm and prepare it for meditation. Rajasic foods make the mind active, passionate and restless. They make it very difficult to attain a calm mind and a meditative state. It is that aspect which is continually moving, which doesn’t allow the mind to be quiet and peaceful. Rajasic foods include things like very spicy foods, foods that are very hot, bitter, dry or salty, coffee and tea, fish, eggs and chocolate. Onions and garlic, although touted as good for the body, are also rajasic and make meditation for the neophyte more difficult. Mind Is Made Of Food Mind is manufactured out of the food that we take. Subtlest part of food reaches upward to the heart and thence entering the arteries called the 'Hita', and thereby bringing into existence the aggregate of the organs of speech and being changed into the form of the mind, it increases the mind. And thus, the mind, being increased by food, is material and not eternal as held by the Vaiseshikas. The Upanishadic philosophers believed that the mind depends upon the food for its formation. "The food that we take is transformed in three different ways: the gross or the heaviest part of it becomes the excrement; that of medium density is transformed into flesh and the finest part goes to form the mind." (Chhandogya Upanishad, VI-v-1) "Just as in the churning of curd, its fine particles rise up and are transformed into butter, so when food is consumed, the subtlest part rises up and is transformed into mind." (Chhandogya Upanishad, VI-vi-1 & 2). Later, even in the days of the Bhagavad-Gita, we find that the three different mental temperaments-the Sattvic, the Rajasic and the Tamasic-were supposed to be due to the three different kinds of food what we eat apart from once own nature. (Bhagavad-Gita, XVII-8 & 10). Quality Of Mind Depends Upon Quality Of Food Food has a direct and intimate connection with the mind and plays a vital part in the make-up of the mind. Sattvic diet calms the mind. Rajasic diet excites the mind. Mark the difference in nature between a tiger which lives on flesh and a cow which lives on grass. Food exercises important influence on the mind. You see it clearly every day. It is very difficult to control the mind after a heavy, sumptuous, indigestible, rice meal. The mind runs, wanders and jumps like a monkey all the time. Alcohol causes tremendous excitement in the mind. Food plays an important role in meditation. For purposes of meditation, the food must be light, Sattvic and nutritious. The body is Annamaya (made up of food). When the quality of the mind depends upon the quality of the food taken, it is natural to insist in the interest of the highest morality upon a kind of Sattvic regimen of diet for those aspirants who lead a contemplative life and householders who are attempting to lead a spiritual life in the world.

Finding fault??? Dear brother, truth is bitter and not everyone can take it. But the things that I have mentioned in the above post is nothing but true. I feel like I shd leave this place..I also feel that I shouldnt leaving this place. Then why am I worried...I'm worried seeing the sad state of affairs happening here.

I want to leave Bangalore because it is getting crowded day by day and the pollution is ever increasing. Every other person who is in India is coming to Bangalore due to job opportunities and making it dirtier and dirtier, Karnataka government is doing nothing to stop this and neither the citizens of Bangalore have Civic sense ( dumb heads ). Everyday 500 new cars are added to Bangalore roads. Our former chief minister said that he would make Bangalore a Singapore. How can they transform Bangalore into Singapore when they cannot improve the basic PUBLIC transport? Since the public transport is so pathetic, people are opting to buy new vehicles and that increases the pollution. The maximum capacity of Bangalore roads is only 3 lakh vehicles, it’s six times more than that now, and the vehicle count has increased to 18 lakhs. I do not want to leave India as it is said that this is the best place for sadhana and also I would like to stay with my people around (Indians). I want to move to either Mysore (which is less polluted, less populated, much more cleaner and calmer than Bangalore), or to Coorg which is very green, has beautiful forests around or to Hrishikesh). I belong to a brahmin family, I am yet to be married and stay with my family. My parents wouldn’t allow me to move to the above-mentioned places. I cannot stay in Bangalore as it affects my sadhana; this pollution will cut my life short. I am thinking of learning pranayama, even practicing pranayama wouldn’t help in Bangalore, as Bangalore is not situated in lower levels. So the pollution that goes up in the sky during daytime will come down during late night and early mornings (which is the best time for practicing pranayama) as it mixes with the fog, this causes Asthma (which is more common is Bangalore, luckily I do not have any respiratory disorders). This is not the case in Mumbai, Chennai or Calcutta as the polluted air is blown away by the sea breeze. So most people staying in theses places are not prone to Asthma or any respiratory disorders. Everyone is busy making money. People think that they will be called civilized if they have 5 to 10 vehicles, big houses, cosmetics, dresses etc. Unfortunately, it’s the other way round, they are becoming uncivilized. Atleast animals are better than humans because they have some discipline. Indians were happy and contended with what they had 50 years ago, now due to western influence, they have become materialistic. I am all-alone in the fight against pollution; What do I do?

I definitely believe and experience the presence of a supreme power in this world and universe. When I am self realised and Realise God, I might know the truth. So will let you know when I realise god. Not sure when that will happen. Doesnt look like I'll get moksha in this birth. /images/graemlins/wink.gif

Vishnupriya is just a screen name. nope, I am not named after Gauranga's Vishupriya. Vishupriya means one who is dear or priya to lord Vishu. It is goddess Lakshmi.

Dear Merkaba, I asked the same question to ViswaMadhva Sangha groups and one of the members gave the following reply: "Chandra (Moon) is abhimani devatha (presiding deity) of consiousness, while Rudra Devaru is Mano-Bhimaani (mind / intellect). Consicousness being a subset of the mind, this may imply that Rudra Devaru is the overall controlling diety for the entire mind, while in the process control's Chandra Devata also. Learned members, please feel free to correct. Regards Sudhir" Hope this helps.

How many hours should a devotee sleep?

I had read the biography of Srimadanandathirtha written by different Madhva Scholars. I am not sure what Gaudiyas have said as I have read very little about your philosophy!!!!

Though VEdavyAsa was his real guru, vAsudeva chose shrI achyutaprekSha tIrtha, a great ascetic, to be the guru who would take him into the ascetic order. shrI achyutaprekSha belonged to the Advaita (nondualistic) school of VEdanta. He had his maTha in the Ananteshvara shrine, and was the spiritual leader of the community at that time. He was well known for his purity in thought, word and deed. He had studied the existing systems of philosophy and was conscious of their limitations. He was offering prayers to Lord Ananteshwara to bless him with true knowledge. Lord Ananteshwara, pleased with his devotion, informed him through the medium of a person, that he would soon get a disciple who would lead him on the correct path of knowledge and wisdom. VAsudeva approached shrI achyutaprekSha and requested him to take him as his disciple. achyutaprekSha, who was eagerly waiting for this moment, immediately agreed. You could also refer tp the followinf Pdf http://www.vmmp-usa.org/docs/madhva.pdf

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