Gauracandra

Thank you for that information. I have heard that the Greeks designed their buildings based on certain measurements that would create the greatest level of aesthetic balance. I noticed you discuss Vaastu and Feng Shui in another posting. Do you know how these measurements are used to create balanced space? It would make sense to me that we would find beauty in balance, and this is perhaps common to all cultures. Gauracandra

Thank you for that information. I have heard that the Greeks designed their buildings based on certain measurements that would create the greatest level of aesthetic balance. I noticed you discuss Vaastu and Feng Shui in another posting. Do you know how these measurements are used to create balanced space? It would make sense to me that we would find beauty in balance, and this is perhaps common to all cultures. Gauracandra

This is not really a religious question. I understand that to some degree beauty is subjective, but is there also some objective aspect that as a group we humans find to be beautiful. I asked this question at work and the responses varied. Some said only mathematics showed true beauty, others said God, some said there is no universal sense of beauty etc.... But are there some keys that unite all cultures. For instance, I tend to think of symmetry as having beauty. What about color? Are bright colorful items considered more beautiful? And texture, which is sort of symmetry on the surface. Wouldn't smooth items be considered more beautiful than jagged edges? I remember seeing a study once, where they showed various pictures to babies and tried to catalogue their expressions. Bright colors tended to get positive responses. Big soft, round pictures (smooth edges) tended to get positive responses as well. Perhaps this is why cartoon characters are always round circles or very fluffy and bulky. Wouldn't this suggest that colorfulness is associated with beauty? Just like animals, like bees get attracted by colorful flowers, and so approach them, which helps spread the pollen further out of the general area. Again, this is just a general question and would be interested in your comments. It doesn't have to be beauty in the sense of the way people look either (though feel free to comment on that as well). Gauracandra

This is not really a religious question. I understand that to some degree beauty is subjective, but is there also some objective aspect that as a group we humans find to be beautiful. I asked this question at work and the responses varied. Some said only mathematics showed true beauty, others said God, some said there is no universal sense of beauty etc.... But are there some keys that unite all cultures. For instance, I tend to think of symmetry as having beauty. What about color? Are bright colorful items considered more beautiful? And texture, which is sort of symmetry on the surface. Wouldn't smooth items be considered more beautiful than jagged edges? I remember seeing a study once, where they showed various pictures to babies and tried to catalogue their expressions. Bright colors tended to get positive responses. Big soft, round pictures (smooth edges) tended to get positive responses as well. Perhaps this is why cartoon characters are always round circles or very fluffy and bulky. Wouldn't this suggest that colorfulness is associated with beauty? Just like animals, like bees get attracted by colorful flowers, and so approach them, which helps spread the pollen further out of the general area. Again, this is just a general question and would be interested in your comments. It doesn't have to be beauty in the sense of the way people look either (though feel free to comment on that as well). Gauracandra

Whether these are simply political letters is simply supposition on your part. These are not kindergarten Vaisnavas but some of the key acharyas of the Madhva line. As such I consider them to be honest and straight forward. The fact that they do not accept Caitanya's divinity is of no great concern to me. They have not accepted it for hundreds of years. What is the central issue at the moment [this is important] is that these letters publicly reject the activities and statements of a certain Madhva follower and his website in their insults against Srila Prabhupada. The devotees who approached these acharyas should be commended for their activities. Gauracandra

Unfortunately I don't have any information to supply you. But please do let us know when the book comes out. I have always enjoyed the high quality of Mandala books. Gauracandra

Udupi Asta Matha Letters Sri Vidyavallaba Tirtha Swamiji Sri Kaniyoor Mutt Car Street, Udupi 576101 Some argue that there is no relationship between "Chaitanya prabhu parampara" and "Sri Madhwacharya parampara." We wish to put forth our opinion on the matter. According to our views, Sri Chaitanya prabhu having embraced "virakti," approached Sri Vysatheertha, who belongs to the Madhwacharya's traditional Vyasaraya Mutt. Sri Vyasatheertha graced him offering "deeksha" to him and commanded him to spread the philosophic ideals fo Sri Madhwacharya. As a result of his propaganda, Mutts with "Gaudiya Tradition" emerged and this is an historic event. While glancing through the aforesaid historic event, it is evident that there exists a deep relationship between "Chaitanya parampara" and "Madhwa parampara." Therefore it is necessary that no one should wound the feelings of Chaitanya Prabhupada, making comments on him. We humbly appeal to one and all to encourage the philosophic ideals of Sri Chaitanya Prabhupada and see this propaganda grows further without obstacles. Sri Vidyavallaba Tirtha Swamiji Kaniyoor Swami

Udupi Asta Matha Letters Sri Shiroor Mutt, Udupi Jadadguru Sri Sri Madhwacharya Peethan Udupi, South Candra Friend of our Samsthanam Poojya Sri Narasingha Swamy Sri Narasingha Chaitanya Mutt, Sri Rangapatna, Mysore Ref: Re: Mispropoganda in www.Dvaita.org between "Sri Madhwacharya and Chaitanya Pantha." Sri Chaitanya Sampradaya is a branch of Madhwa philosophy. there are historic proofs to substantiate this fact. The sadhana achieved by Sri A. C. Prabhupada, Acharya of "Chaitanya Sampradaya" is to be welcomed by all Vaishnavites. It is due to him people all over the world have learned about Lord Krishna. This work should have been accomplished by Madhwa followers. But Prabhupada has served the world in propagating this cult. Even in the western world he has attracted a large number of devotees of Lord Krishna, through his discourse on "Bhagavat Geeta." The book on "Bhagavat Geeta" of Sri Prabhupada is allowed to be sold in front of Krishna Mandira at Udupi. This fact is known to all eight mutts of Udupi. As well as all devotees of Udupi Kshetra. Therefore, the blame cast on Sri Prabhupada is to be deemed as the blame on Sri Hari, Vayu and Guru. This type of behavior is not to be found in a brahmin. As such, it is a bad affair to note that a Vaishnava has exhibited such a behavior. Such contradictory statements do create split in the Vaishnava Society and do not promote any good on the Society. Therefore we oppose the points relayed through the website. Sri Laksmivara Tirtha Swami

Udupi Asta Matha Letters We are rather perturbed to come across an article said to contain a statemant issued by Poornaprajna Vidyapeetha about Madhwa and Gaudiya Sampradayas. We have been emphasizing time and again that even though there are certain difference in a few aspects of the two Sampradayas, there are many more common grounds and Gaudiya Sampradaya is a part of Madhwa Sampradaya. We have great regard for Prabhupada who has spread Vaisnava Bhakti Siddhanta throughout the world. We have been admiring him on various occasions also. We are pained to find that the article denigrates Prabhupada and is against our opinion and philosophy. The whole issue will be reviewed and in our capacity as the chancellor of Poornaprajna Vidyapeeta, a message will be shortly published to strengthen the mutual harmonious relationship between the Sampradayas. Sri Sri Vishwesa Tirtha Swamiji

If anyone wants to see the literal handwritten letters, and photos of the Madhva acharyas please visit: http://www.gosai.com/dvaita/udupi/ But I wanted to make a permanent record of these letters here. I really enjoyed their statements especially since a particular Madhva individual on the internet has attacked Srila Prabhupada (saying he was "lying through his teeth" and much worse). These are the words of some of the most prominent acharyas of the Madhva sampradaya. All glories to them, all glories to the devotees who approached them, and all glories to Srila Prabhupada. Haribol. [This message has been edited by Gauracandra (edited 05-31-2001).]

These letters are really nice in their glorification of Srila Prabhupada. What is amazing to me is not only the letters, but that the devotee has published the literal handwritten statements of these other acharyas, as well as photo documentation of their presence before these acharyas. I think their statements are wonderful. Gauracandra

Here is something your boss may try out on you one day so be prepared. I'm not so mathematically inclined so perhaps someone else can verify the mathematics Gauracandra Day off Let’s take a moment to look at what you are asking for. There are 365 days available for work. There are 52 weeks per year of which you already have 2 days off each week-end, leaving 261 days left for work. Since you spend 16 hours each day away from work, that accounts for 170 days. There are 91 days left available for work. You spend 30 minutes each day on breaks. That accounts for 23 days each year, leaving 68 days available for work. You spend 1 hour a day for lunch. That accounts for another 46 days per year, leaving 22 days available for work. You spend 2 days per year for sick leave, leaving 20 days available for work. You take 9 holidays per year, leaving 11 days available for work. You take 10 days for vacation each year, leaving 1 day available for work and no way in Hell are you going to take that day off!!! [This message has been edited by Gauracandra (edited 05-31-2001).]

Agreed.

I know. But it kind of has a moral to it. Gauracandra

Paying the price of AIDS Human, economic toll reverberates globally By Carol Clark CNN (CNN) -- Twenty years ago, AIDS made its medical debut in the United States as a disease that primarily struck gay men. The politically organized gay community mobilized against it, stressing education and prevention through safe sex, eventually lowering their transmission rate. But the AIDS virus -- known for its ability to mutate rapidly within its victims -- also managed to alter the demographic profile of those it infects. "During the past 10 years, the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the United States has undergone a dramatic transformation from one concentrated primarily among homosexual men to an epidemic that is now closely associated with the inner city," said David Bloom, professor of economics and demography at Harvard University's School of Public Health. "Low levels of education, high levels of multiple sexual partnering, high rates of homosexuality/bisexuality and high rates of injecting drug use account for the relatively high rate of new infections among blacks and Hispanics in the U.S.," Bloom said. The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 800,000 to 900,000 people in the United States are currently infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Each year, another 40,000 people become infected. 'It's devastating' More than 36 million people worldwide are living with HIV or AIDS Although African-Americans make up 13 percent of the U.S. population, they represent 54 percent of the new HIV infections. Hispanics, who represent about 12 percent of the population, account for 19 percent of the new infections. "It's devastating," said Teresa Holmes, a spokeswoman for the Balm in Gilead, a New York-based organization that works with African-American churches to provide training and assistance for HIV/AIDS programs. AIDS is the No. 1 cause of death for African-Americans aged 25-44, according to the CDC. "One in 160 black women is infected with HIV and one in 50 black men," Holmes said. "It's not just the inner city, and it's not just the poor that are affected. You could almost lose or wipe out generations." Thirty percent of gay black men in their 20s are infected with HIV, compared to 7 percent of white gay men, according to a recent CDC study of six large U.S. cities. An African-American woman is 20 times more likely to contract AIDS than a white woman. African-American adolescents accounted for more than 60 percent of AIDS cases reported in 1999 among 13- to 19-year-olds. Human and economic toll "AIDS has a huge impact, not just in human terms but also in economic terms," Bloom said. "First, there are lots of AIDS cases. Second, because the lion's share -- 80 percent to 90 percent of all AIDS-related illnesses and mortality -- occurs among people in their 20s, 30s and 40s, which are the years when people are most productive and save for later in their lives. And finally, because the opportunistic infections that accompany AIDS are so very expensive to treat." While the United States as a whole may be able to absorb the cost of HIV/AIDS in a relatively small percentage of its total population, some countries face a far grimmer prospect. The Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) estimates that out of the 36.1 million people infected with HIV worldwide, 26 million of them live in Africa. One fourth of the adults in South Africa are believed to be living with HIV, the highest percentage in the world. 'None of us are insulated' One fourth of adults in South Africa are believed to be infected with HIV The rest of the world cannot afford to ignore Africa's problem, Bloom warned. "In a global economy, none of us are insulated. The African AIDS crisis previews what potentially awaits the businesses and other economies that are more significant in the global economy like India, Brazil, China and Russia." "The U.S. government now believes that HIV is a security threat," said Mark Feinberg, a professor at Emory University School of Medicine and an AIDS researcher since 1984. "In sub-Sahara Africa whole generations are basically disappearing. That is going to give rise to substantial disruptions in social interactions and economic structures. Societies can only deal with a certain amount of disruption before they collapse." U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan has called for creation of a "war chest" of $7 billion to $10 billion a year to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS in the developing world. Even if other countries respond generously to Annan's plea, the HIV/AIDS problem will not disappear soon, experts say. "It's going to have a long lasting impact on the human race," Feinberg said. "AIDS is going to change the course of human evolution. There's no doubt about that. When you have a disease that affects so many people and some people have systems better able to respond to it, that's how evolution works. It is so enormous that even for someone like myself who's been involved in it for 17 years, it is impossible for me to truly conceive of the magnitude of the epidemic."

Here is a blurb from the entertainment website www.aint-it-cool-news.com. It appears that DreamWorks (Stephen Spielberg's company, with such animated hits as The Prince of Egypt and Antz) is working on developing the Ramayan for theatrical release. As with such projects, the time span from idea to a fully-realized theatrical movie can be a long while. Gauracandra

There was once a very lonely man who would never go out. You see he had lost an eye during war and it being the 1800s the doctors replace it with a wooden eyeball. As such the man was very self-conscious. But his friends wanted to cheer him up. So one day the town was having a community dance. The man’s friends encouraged him to get out of the house and mingle with the ladies a bit. That evening he dressed in his finest garments and wandered onto the dance floor. The whole night he was too shy to ask any of the ladies to dance with him. Finally, as the evening was nearing an end a friend of his pointed to a lady sitting lonely by herself off in the distance. The man noticed that the lonely girl had a hunchback and told his friend that he didn’t want to ask her to dance. But through persistence the friend finally convince him to walk over and ask her to dance (this being the end of the night and perhaps his only chance to meet up with a lady). The man walked up to the lonely girl and inquired “Madam, I have noticed you sitting by yourself all evening. I was wondering if you would care to join me for a dance?” The girl excitedly responded “Would I!!!! Would I!!!! To which the man pointed and shouted back “Hunchback!!!! Hunchback!!!!” Needless to say the man went home lonely yet again.

There was a little exchange regarding Mirabai and her interaction to the Gaudiya tradition. Here is a quick quote from a book called "Vaisnavism: Contemporary Scholars Discuss the Gaudiya Tradition" by Steven Rosen. The excerpt comes from a chapter called "Krsna in the Performing Arts" by John Stratton Hawley. Gauracandra

Yes, this is what I see as well. I've only seen one video tape interview of him, but he was so gentle, and sincere. At one point he started to cry and it just broke my heart. Does anyone know if he has published any books? or has an official web site I could inquire about his books? Gauracandra

Yes, this is what I see as well. I've only seen one video tape interview of him, but he was so gentle, and sincere. At one point he started to cry and it just broke my heart. Does anyone know if he has published any books? or has an official web site I could inquire about his books? Gauracandra

Actually, I would think the person who claimed that Shankaracarya, after losing a debate to a Buddhist monk, jumped into a pot of boiling oil to end his life, might be considered as suffering from mad cow disease. Who might that be? Its not the carrots, its the anugatya some intake. Gauracandra

I was wondering if anyone has had any experiences with either Bhakti Promode Puri Maharaj or Bhakti Vaibhav Puri Maharaj, both Godbrothers of Srila Prabhupada. Recently I watched a "memories video" of Srila Prabhupada with Srila Bhakti Vaibhav Puri Maharaj explaining some of their history together and was really moved by his sincerity. There are certain people, who when you see, automatically have that saintly aura about them, and I think this applies to Srila Bhakti Vaibhav Puri Maharaj. So any nectar you may want to share about these two personalities would I'm sure be inspiring to us all. Gauracandra

I was wondering if anyone has had any experiences with either Bhakti Promode Puri Maharaj or Bhakti Vaibhav Puri Maharaj, both Godbrothers of Srila Prabhupada. Recently I watched a "memories video" of Srila Prabhupada with Srila Bhakti Vaibhav Puri Maharaj explaining some of their history together and was really moved by his sincerity. There are certain people, who when you see, automatically have that saintly aura about them, and I think this applies to Srila Bhakti Vaibhav Puri Maharaj. So any nectar you may want to share about these two personalities would I'm sure be inspiring to us all. Gauracandra

Haribol Anudasa, I always wanted to read "The Golden Volcano of Divine Love" by Srila Sridhar Swami. I've seen it but never picked it up to read when I had a chance. Since first seeing it everyone I've spoken to loves it. So I think I should search it out. Gauracandra

This conversation is getting bizarre and weirdly funny. Who is being a fanatic here? No one is forcing anyone to be a vegetarian. Here we are in a free forum exchanging freely. No one is forced to accept anything. If you don't like the conclusions of Srila Prabhupada thats fine. But they are his instructions and I for one will follow them to the best of my ability. As far as I'm concerned this conversation is 'Game Over'. Gauracandra