suchandra

Protest during Rajasekhara Reddy's Chicago visit http://www.indiaenews.com/america/20070510/51104.htm From correspondents in Illinois, United States, 07:02 PM IST Over 400 Indians, including Hindu groups, held a protest here during the visit of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy against what they claimed were his government's highly detrimental policies towards Hindu institutions in the state. The protesters, including doctors, IT professionals and businessmen, were upset over news from the state such as temple land scams, cancellation of Sri Rama Navami as Hindu holiday and misuse of temple funds. Members of several organisations such as ISKCON, Indian American intellectual forum, Vishwa Hindu Parishad joined the protest held Sunday. The protesters demanded repealing of the Hindu Endowments Act, religious freedom for Hindus in practising Hindu religion and management of Hindu institutions, a press release said. Later, a delegation met the chief minister and expressed concern over the plight of temples in Andhra Pradesh. They claimed that thousands of acres of temple lands had been sold and temples' revenues diverted to non-Hindu causes. They also claimed that numerous temples have been demolished and temple lands encroached upon. Reddy spoke of a recent amendment to the Endowment Act giving autonomy to about 30,000 temples in the state with less than Rs.50,000 annual income. The chief minister is on a week-long tour to the US and Singapore.

Thanks prabhus for your sincere effort to make us know what are the present different understandings of what is genuine guru-tattva. Just to make a remark to post above by "lowborn" prabhu, what might be identical with all anti-ritvik proponents and the GBC, you surely agree to add to your understanding of what is guru-tattva that new disciples can never be 100% sure if such a saksad dhari guru is actually liberated or might again out of a sudden become overwhelmed by material illusion and quit his "as good as God" status and fall in disgrace. There's according your logic and reason so to speak always some percentage of risk - like when accepting the risk to walk on thin ice, you can never know in advance what will happen - only at the end. Coming to the responsibilty issue, according "lowborn" the responsibilty always rests upon the disciple - let's consider it prosaic from comparative study of religion's point of view, what is religion: to get from A to B, from material imprisonment to going back home back to Godhead. Are people interested to join a religion with the risk of worshipping a represesentative of the Supreme Lord who has to be worshipped as good as the Lord but at the same time is privileged to leave his job without being called to account and leave behind his followers with spoiled lives, being made into a mockery of public and having lost their material savings as well to chose an alternative path? Or do people search for a save path where you dont have to worry every morning when raising and ask the question if your guru is actually still 100% on board? I'm asking because just received a mail that a female ex-disciple of Srila Krishnaksetra das and an ex-disciple of Harikesa married in a Catholic Church and became Catholics, saying that they dont want to worship someone anymore who can quit his job at any time. Seems like the understanding of responsibilty of people is definetely there but somehow they dont consider to find the required assets who correspond with their understanding of responsibilty within present ISKCON or any other present western GM Vaishnavism. Confusion of worshipping someone whose word is as good as God's or just some slight misunderstanding - any suggestions?

Charles Darwin surely became the most important figurehead of modern governments/politicians because that the universe is a random, directionless process, that human existence has no point or purpose, that free will and the sanctity of the self are ultimately illusions, perfectly fits into present rascal governments whose only goal is to exploit the citizens. The problem is that people have become so much foolish that they accept more and more to be treated by their leaders that way: "What's so sacrosanct about existing human dispositions and capacities, since they were all produced by such a purposeless process?" Original article: Darwinism and its discontents.

ISKCON being under control of conspiracy is very plausible. People who control a grossly disproportionate share of the world's wealth take measures to consolidate their position, for them Srila Prabhupada's teachings are a thread. They will destabilize the public by inciting a series of wars and other mind-boggling hoaxes. They will subvert faith in a loving God and promote violence and depravity instead. Well let's see if Ratha-yatra can be introduced in Bagdhad, this would be a happy ending of this terrible war. <!-- the top of the post, the background graphic gets applied here, and we truncate the title itself so it fits, in case of long post titles - title will still show the full title though --> Support for 1st Ratha Yatra in Iraq 278 Views / EMail This Post / Print This Post / Home » Support for 1st Ratha Yatra in Iraq <!-- end .post-top --> <!-- the main section of the post goes here --> By Partha-sarathi (das) KKS Dear Maharaja’s, Prabhu’s and Mataji’s, Please accept my fallen obeisance’s. All glories to Srila Prabhupada! I am writing this letter to beg of the devotees to help me fulfill Srila Prabhupada’s desire to have Ratha Yatra all over this planet. My name is Partha-sarathi dasa, I am a Sergeant First Class in the active duty US Army. I have been preaching in Iraq since 2003. I am now about to deploy for my fourth tour in Iraq. This tour will be for 15 months. I have received permission from my Commanding Officer to have 2 Ratha Yatra’s, on US Bases, one being Mosul then other being Talafar. Last time I was deployed I was given facility to have Bhagavat Gita classes, and do book distribution to the soldiers. I am requesting the devotees to adopt a brahmacari and help facilitate my preaching. Our Ratha Yatra is scheduled for August 15th, I am expecting 200 - 900 soldiers to participate. Any help would be very much appreciated. Also devotees who would like to sponsor a soldier, please let me know. 15 months is along time in war, together we can make it the best experience the soldiers ever had. your servant in Srila Prabhupada’s mission Partha-sarathi dasa partha-sarathi.kks@pamho.net

<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="articleheader">Iskcon issue taken to court </td> </tr> <tr> <td class="articleauthor">OUR CORRESPONDENT</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="story" align="left"> Bhubaneswar, May 8: Five Iskcon devotees, who were detained by police last night in connection to blocking road and scuffling with the police personnel, were forwarded to the court today. The cops who had visited the temple premises with the detainees this morning carried out interrogations till afternoon. The devotees have admitted to have acted “whimsically”, said inspector Rajendra Behera of Nayapalli police station today. The accused — Prashant Patra, Bishnu Charan Mohanty, Sachi Barik, Nilakantha Mohapatra and Deepak Mohapatra — have been charged under Sections 147, 148, 151, 332, 353, 294, 341, 506 and 149 IPC, he added Yesterday afternoon, 200-odd Iskcon devotees in Nayapalli blocked the NH 5 protesting against the water-logging inside the temple premises. </td></tr></tbody></table>

This is present global developmet, world-wide farmers being forced by their own governments what food to grow and to enact the law that farmers are allowed to only use GM seeds provided by US global seed industries and to enact a ban for farmers to sell their own seeds. Of course those governments are themselves put under pressure by global monetary systems controlled by a dozen private international bankers. Like we see in India some resistance groups calling them, "seeds of destruction with love from Monsanto" -- an US major player of the global biotechnology industry. Millions of India Farmers Join Lawsuit Against Monsanto & Biotech Industry over GMO Contamination Genetically Engineered Crops May Produce Herbicide Inside Our Intestines GM Crops Contaminate Honey in Bee Hives NETWORK OF CONCERNED FARMERS http://www.non-gm-farmers.com/ ... And just when you thought the GM debate couldn't get any sillier... In Western Australia, pro-GM lobby groups are pushing for the lifting of the moratoria to allow the commercial growing of GM wheat! There are a few problems that they are forgetting to consider: - There is no market for GM wheat or GM contaminated wheat. Wheat is a food consumers are expected to eat directly, not indirectly as food for stock or as oil and it will be required to be labelled as GM. - No country in the world is growing GM wheat commercially. Even US and Canada refused to allow GM wheat commercialisation due to the economic risk. - If GM wheat is released commercially, all farmers will be expected to market as GM unless they participate in a rigorous identity preservation system to prove there has been no chance of GM contamination and no GM in the final product. Any I.P. system is considered price prohibitive if there is no tolerance of GM allowed. - There is no tolerance of GM wheat in non-GM wheat. - There is no workable field test available to ensure there is no GM wheat in non-GM wheat. There is no advanced test that does not involve destroying the grain in the process of testing. - Anybody pushing for lifting of the moratoria claiming a potential economic benefit could be classified as either lying, negligent or plain stupid. Any government would be negligent if they ignored their legislated role to assess economics by allowing GM wheat to be commercialised. According to the Australian Wheat Board policy (*here) "GM Wheat At present there is a clear market signal from international and domestic customers that strong reservations exist concerning GM wheat. None of AWB’s National Pool customers are prepared at present to purchase GM wheat. Based on AWB Group’s experience in managing the National Pool we believe there is currently insufficient capability within the supply chain to ensure complete segregation of GM and non-GM grains. Due to this lack of capability, the introduction of GM wheat in Australia could jeopardise many of our existing export markets. AWB believes that GM wheat should not be released commercially in Australia until market preferences change and/or supply chain technologies and protocols are developed that will ensure that customer requirements can be met." Why the pressure? Because a local company has developed what they claim is salt tolerant wheat. The preliminary trial results showed better performance in 180 millisemens per metre, however conventional non-GM wheat performed better in 67 millesemens per metre. Julie Newman (08) 98711562

This is more or less the same what I saw how the previous debates between present ISKCON and ritviks proceed - a never ending back and forth. "Defending the traditional parampara", at least in our part of the world there's hardly anything to defend because all the gurus left since 1977, leaving behind thousands of ex-disciples who mainly never want to have anything to do with institutionalized Vaishnavism. In sum your position is to appoint by vote initiating spiritual masters and only then when they are forcefully removed by Krishna Himself, as it happened in most cases, only then someone is proven of not being bonafide. As long these gurus are not removed by force they are bonafide? Wouldnt it be fair for new disciples to have something like a guru liability insurance in case of a falldown of their "guru" the damage of having one's live spoiled is being compensated? Or would you suggest that new disciples should see their guru as fallible and not completely surrender their whole lives? That they should hold something back because one never can know? Last week an ex-disciple wrote, my third guru also fell down......

Although modern Neurobiology doesnt consider that within plants there's is a soul they say that they are able to scientifically prove that plants have intelligence to make decisions or to successfully persist in a certain position. A tree on top of a mountain uses a different strategy to grow than the same tree planted in a valley. Neurobiology: Trends in Plant Science. sciencedirect.com The past three years have witnessed the birth and propagation of a provocative idea in the plant sciences.Its proponents have suggested that higher plants have nerves, synapses, the equivalent of a brain localized somewhere in the roots, and an intelligence. The idea has attracted a number of adherents, to the extent that meetings have now been held in different host countries to address the topic, and an international society devoted to ‘plant neurobiology’ has been founded. We are concerned with the rationale behind this concept. We maintain that plant neurobiology does not add to our understanding of plant physiology, plant cell biology or signaling. We begin by stating simply that there is no evidence for structures such as neurons, synapses or a brain in plants. The fact that the term ‘neuron’ is derived from a Greek word describing a ‘vegetable fiber’ is not a compelling argument to reclaim this term for plant biology. Let usconsider the erroneous arguments that have been put forward to support the concept of plant ‘neurons’. By this logic, cells that contribute to auxin transport are equated to chains of neurons, and it is argued that auxin transport occurs via a concerted vesicle-based trafficking mechanism of ‘neurotransmitter-like cell–cell transport’ [1,2]. Thereare two immediate difficulties with this reasoning.(i) Neurotransmitters are not transported from cell to cell over long distances. (ii) The evidence that auxin is sequestered within exocytic vesicles is weak [3]. This notion is difficult to reconcile with the acknowledged distribution and function of the PIN and AUX families of auxin transporters, which locate to different polar domains of the plasma membrane [4] and cycle to and from endosomal compartments to the plasma membrane under the controlof auxin [5]. Together with the P-glycoprotein subfamily of ABC auxin transport proteins [6], which appear to function coordinately with PIN efflux carrier proteins [7], the setransport activities are sufficient to account for the known rates of polar auxin transport, and do not sit comfortably with the idea of vesicle-mediated traffic of auxin, even oversub-cellular distances. Another fundamental stumbling block regarding theconcept of plant neurobiology is the common occurrence of plasmodesmata in plants. Their existence poses a problem for signaling from an electro physiological point of view – extensive electrical coupling would preclude the need for any cell-to-cell transport of a ‘neurotransmitter-like’ compound – leading Eric Brenner et al. [2] to argue that ‘these cytoplasmic connections have a poorly described role in electrical coupling between adjacent polarized plantcells’. In fact, huge numbers of plasmodesmata occur between cells that contribute to polar auxin transport, but their existence has been neglected within the plant hormone research field. Given the existence of plasmodes-mata, there is no a priori reason why plant hormones should not be transported symplastically through the cytosol. Indeed, the presence of influx and efflux transporters for auxin at the plasma membrane suggests that auxinis present in the cytosol. So either auxin is effectively excluded at plasmodesmata, or it does not enter the cytosol until it reaches cells of the extension zone where it is takenup and then released to exert its effects. Clearly, there are still many unknowns surrounding auxin transport, and therole (if any) of plasmodesmata in this process remains as enigmatic as it was almost 15 years ago [8]. It could be argued that auxin is taken up in vesicles via endocytosisand moves by vesicular traffic to the opposing plasma membrane where it is released by exocytosis, and that this process is continually repeated along the axis of transport. However, this model should not be confused with events in nerves and at the synapse. So, are we better informed scientifically about these unknowns, or better guided towards their resolution, by the plant neurobiology concept? Plant cells do share fea-tures in common with all biological cells, including neurons. To name just a few: plant cells show action potentials, their membranes harbor voltage-gated ionchannels, and there is evidence of neuro transmitter-like substances. Equally, in a broader sense, signal transduction and transmission over distance is a property of plants and animals. Although at the molecular level the same general principles apply and some important parallels can be drawn between the two major organismal groups, this does not imply a priori that comparable structures for signal propagation exist at the cellular, tissue and organ levels. A careful analysis of our current knowledge of plant and animal physiology, cell biology and signaling provides no evidence of such structures. New concepts and fields of research develop from the synthesis of creative thinking and cautious scientific analysis. True success is measured by the ability to foster new experimental approaches that are founded on the solid grounding of previous studies. What long-term scientific benefits will the plant science research community gain from the concept of ‘plant neurobiology’? We suggest these will be limited until plant neuro biology is no longer founded on superficial analogies and questionable extra-polations. We recognize the importance of a vigorous and healthy dialog and accept that, as a catch-phrase, ‘plantneurobiology’ has served a purpose as an initial forum for discussions on the mechanisms involved in plant signaling. We now urge the proponents of plant neurobiology to reevaluate critically the concept and to develop an intellectually rigorous foundation for it. References 1 Baluška, F. et al. (2005) Plant synapses: actin-based domains for cell-to-cell communication. Trends Plant Sci. 10, 106–1112 Brenner, E.D. et al. (2006) Plant neurobiology: an integrated view ofplant signaling. Trends Plant Sci. 11, 413–4193 Schlicht, M. et al. (2006) Auxin immunolocalization implicates avesicular neurotransmitter-like mode of polar auxin transport in rootapices. Plant Signal Behav. 1, 122–1334 Kleine-Vehn, J. et al. (2006) Subcellular trafficking of the Arabidopsisauxin influx carrier AUX1 uses a novel pathway distinct from PIN1.Plant Cell 18, 3171–31815 Paciorek, T. et al. (2005) Auxin inhibits endocytosis and promotes itsown efflux from cells. Nature 435, 1251–12566 Geisler, M. and Murphy, A.S. (2005) The ABC of auxin transport: therole of P-glycoproteins in plant development. FEBS Lett. 580, 1094–11027 Blakeslee, J.J. et al. (2007) Interactions among PIN-FORMED andP-glycoprotein auxin transporters in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell 19,131–1478 Oparka, K.J. (1993) Signalling via plasmodesmata – the neglectedpathway. Semin. Cell Biol. 4, 131–138136UpdateTRENDS in Plant Science Vol.12 No.4www.sciencedirect.com http://www.sssup.it/sssup/jsp/pdfSSSUP/perata/TrendsLetterPNB_2007.pdf

This James Randi Educational Foundation might also have another purport of simply trying to globally compass paranormal, supernatural, or occult power. Before they start it says you have to sign a contract about their conditions during the procedure. And here lies the crux, what is stated in that contract? It could be rather that James Randi doesnt even has the 1 mio to pay out. At least when I saw him speak he seems to be 100% sure that he will never has to pay 1 mio. How he can be so sure without some small print in his statutes? Let's say 20 people can prove paranormal powers, will he pay 20 mio?

Well, it is a young student of Bhagavad-gita who might be on his way to find out what is the essence of Bhagavad-gita? But anyway please go ahead, your thoughts are surely appreciated since that will be or is already a topic for many - why Vaishnavas who know Prabhupada's Bhagavad-gita write another commentary?

Looks like there's almost no difference in those Bhagavad-gita's printed after Bhagavad-gita As It Is. By Eric, http://www.littleblackstar.com/blog/ Four Gitas, Six verses. This post is one, mostly, for devotees (Hare Krishnas). If you’re interested in different translations and different perceptions of things from within a very specific spiritual belief system, you might find this interesting too. Everyone else, well, feel free to read it anyway. If you’re not careful, you might just learn something. I recently picked up Garuda dasa’s new translation of the Bhagavad-gita. I’m impressed with it. He keeps it poetic without making it sound hokey all rhymey like so many other versions. His version has no commentary, but really, the whole point of it is the translation and how it’s laid out. For awhile now, I’ve been interested in different translations of the gita. I’m not really concerned about those done by scholars, so much as those done by devotees (who are also scholars). So I’ve selected four from my collection and I’m going to do a bit of comparison. The four are: Bhagavad-gita: As It Is by Srila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita: It’s Feeling and Philosophy by Tripurari Swami, Srimad Bhagavad-gita by Narayana Maharaja and lastly Bhagavad-gita: The Beloved Lord’s Secret Love Song (which, in my humble opinion, is a really bad title - but really, the only drawback that it has). First, I’d like to comment about something many devotees have complained about. Many are upset that Srila Prabhupada’s disciples (and even godbrothers) have released their own translations and versions of Bhagavad-gita, even though Srila Prabhupada’s is definitive. It’s a good argument, I agree. It’s one that I personally gave when I heard that Tripurari Swami was writing his own version of the Gita. However, even though Srila Prabhupada’s is definitive does that mean that nobody should ever even give a class on the Bhagavad-gita? Afterall, why not simply read from Prabhupada’s Gita and be done with it? Of course, that’s a silly argument. Bhagavad-gita commentaries have a rich history in our tradition. You’d be hard pressed to find an acarya in our lineage who hasn’t produced his own Gita. So anyway, here, for whatever reason, is a comparison between four Gitas. I’ll be using five different commonly known verses, copying them exactly as they are presented in their books. Chapter 2, Verse 13 As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change. -Srila Prabhupada Just as the embodied soul experiences changes of body, such as childhood, adulthood, and old age, so similarly it will aquire anothe body after death. Wise persons are not deluded about this. -Tripurari Swami Just as the embodied atma passes from boyhood to youth to old age, similarly, after death, he passes into another body. An intelligent person is not bewildered by the birth and death of the body. -Narayana Maharaja Just as the embodied while in this body passes through childhood, youth, and old age,so also the embodied attains another body - the wise person is not bewildered by this. -Garuda dasa </PRE> Chapter 4, Verse 7 Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion - at that time I descend Myself. -Srila Prabhupada For the protection of the saintly and the destruction of evil doers, as well as for the purpose of establishing dharma, I manifest in every age. -Tripurari Swami O Bharata! Whenever there is a decline of dharma and an increase in adharma, at that time I manifest My eternally perfect form in this mundane world. -Narayana Maharaja Indeed, whenever there is a decline of dharma, O Bharata,And an emerging of what opposed dharma - at that time I send forth my Self.</PRE> -Garuda dasa Chapter 5, verse 18 The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle brahmana, a cow, and elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste]. -Srila Prabhupada The wise see equally a brahmana endowed with learning and culture, a cow an elephant, and even a dog or a dog-eater. -Tripurari Swami The wise look with equal vision upon a gentle and learned brahmana, a cow, and elephant a dog and a candala. -Narayana Maharaja In a Brahmin endowed with learning and gentle conduct, in a cow, in an elephant,Even in a dog and in one who cooks dog - wise ones see the same [supreme]. -Garuda dasa </PRE> Chapter 8, verse 5 And whoever, at the time of death, quits his body, remember Me alone, at once attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt. -Srila Prabhupada At the time of death, a person who relinquishes his body, remembering me alone, attains my nature. Of this there is no doubt. -Tripurari Swami Whoever, at the time of death, leaves his body while remember Me alone surely attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt. -Narayana Maharaja And at the time of one's end, remembering me alone while giving up the body -One who thus goes forth, goes to my state of being; about this there is no doubt.</PRE> -Garuda dasa Chapter 9, Verse 34 Engage your mind always in thinking of Me, offer obeisances and worship me. Being completely absorbed in Me, surely you will come to Me. -Srila Prabhupada Fix your mind on me. Be my devotee! Sacrifice for me. Offer obeisance unto me. Absorbed thus in me alone, you shall come to me. -Tripurari Swami Always absorb your mind in Me, become My bhakta, worship Me and offer obeisances unto Me. In this way, with mind and body fully surrendered in My service, you will certainly achieve Me. - Narayana Maharaja Be mindful of me with love offered to me; sacrificing for me, act out of reverence for me.Surely you shall come to me, thus having absorbed your self in yoga with me as the supreme goal. </PRE> -Garuda dasa Chapter 18, Verse 66 Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear. -Srila Prabhupada Forgoing all religious injuctions, take exclusive refuse in me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear. -Tripurari Swami Completely abandoning all bodily and mental dharma, such as varna and asrama, fully surrender to Me alone. I shall liberate you from all reactions to your sins. Do no grieve. -Narayana Maharaja Completely relinquishing all forms of dharma, come to me as your only shelter.I shall grant you freedom from all misfortune - do not despair!</PRE> -Garuda dasa Well there you go. Four Gitas, four authors, four versions. All of them written by practitioners of Gaudia Vaisnavism. Now, personally, I prefer Srila Prabhupada’s edition (incidentally, I used his original translation from 1972, not the “revised and expanded” version). I really appreciate Tripurari Swami’s purports. Narayana Maharaja’s has some wonderful aspects to it as well. Garuda dasa’s interpretation is fascinating to me. It tries to preserve, as best as possible, the poetic (meaning the meter and the formatting) nature of the Gita. The other versions translate it as if it were prose. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course. The Gita is often translated for the masses. The masses generally don’t do poetry, so it’s a wise move on the parts of Prabhupada, Tripurari Swami and Narayana Maharaja to use prose. But it really in wonderful to see it worded and arranged poetically. Of course, it must be said that none of these versions would even exist if it weren’t for the work of Srila Prabhupada. He translated his Bhagavad-gita long before the others. The other versions are offerings to Srila Prabhupada, all mentioning him by name. Any thoughts?

Vedic farming - the understanding of producing nice food that can be offered to Krishna seems still conspicuous by its absence. The many cides of modern food production <TABLE width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width="85%">Posted Saturday, April 21, 2007 by Mike Adams, Dan Berger Permalink: http://www.NewsTarget.com/021803.html </TD><TD width="15%"></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> When it comes to modern food production, there are many "cides" to the story. You can't even talk about food production without hearing lots of different "cides" such as pesticides, fungicides, insecticides and herbicides. I thought we'd add another cide to the story and include genocide. The word suffix "cide" means something is being killed, by the way. "Pesti-cide" means something that kills pests. "Fungi-cide" means something that kills fungus. "Herbi-cide" means something that kills plants (herbs). Similarly, "Geno-cide" loosely means killing a targeted group of people, usually for some evil purpose of control, profit or cultural extermination. And isn't that exactly what the food corporations are doing to the world right now? Isn't it a form of genocide to intentionally contaminate the public food supply with toxic chemical additives, cancer-causing preservatives, hydrogenated oils, sodium nitrite, MSG, petroleum-based food coloring chemicals and more? Isn't it corporate genocide being committed against the people? I find it interesting that if terrorists put a chemical in the food supply that killed a million people, it would be called a great crime against humanity, and we'd probably bomb some nation into dust in retaliation (see related cartoon, the Food Terrorists). But when a U.S. food corporation puts chemical additives into the food that ultimately kill a million people through heart disease, cancer, obesity and diabetes, nobody seems to notice. Food companies have been given a free pass to commit genocide by the very people who are supposed to be regulating them: the FDA and USDA in the United States, and other regulatory agencies in Europe, Canada, Australia and elsewhere. This cartoon attempts to depict the cost in human lives of depending on a chemical-based agricultural system in the modern world. We spray chemicals on the food, mill it into a substance that's nutritionally worthless, contaminate it with cancer-causing chemicals, package it in wasteful boxes and plastic containers that create enormous landfill problems, then stuff it into vending machines that line the halls of hospitals, public schools, offices and museums. This is what we call "food." It is, of course, a complete lie. This "food" has almost nothing in common with real food from nature. But that's what passes for the food that many people eat. Even if they're eating at home, most consumers still buy packaged, processed foods that contain all the same chemicals as vending machine food. Is it any wonder so many people are dying from preventable diseases in the western world? The people are being poisoned every day by the food supply. It's no secret. Many of the poisons are listed right on the label: Sodium nitrite, hydrogenated oils, FD&C colors, propylene glycol, aspartame, saccharin, phosphoric acid, high-fructose corn syrup and more. (See my book Grocery Warning for details on how to identify and avoid these harmful ingredients.) If they only knew the other "cide" of food production, many those consumers would wise up and think twice about what they're buying. That's why informed people have increasingly decided to buy organic whenever possible. Organically produced food isn't subjected to all the chemical pesticides, herbicides and fungicides. So it's healthier for you and easier on the environment (because where do you think all those chemicals go after the next rain? They end up down stream...) Plus, organic food has been scientifically shown to possess higher densities of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients (plant-based natural medicines) compared to conventionally grown food. So buy organic. Save yourself (and your family) from genocide. And read those ingredients labels. Don't buy foods made with chemicals you can't pronouce. Keep your diet clean, simple, sustainable and organic, and you won't become the next victim of a monstrous food industry that continues to commit "Consumercide." By the way, I first heard this riff -- "pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, genocide" -- in a speech by David Wolfe, the co-founder of Nature's First Law (www.RawFood.com). He's also the author of several books on raw foods and cacao. His website is an online retailer of an incredible assortment of gourmet raw foods and truly healthy food ingredients. I shop there on a regular basis.

In other words, when meeting a genuine bonafide spiritual master this question of, qualified or not qualified, doesnt come up within our minds. "By his qualities he becomes accepted", of course also includes the quality of his work and result of his actions. Prabhupada: "Only God is perfect, and we are all imperfect. Even our so-called liberated stage, we are still imperfect. Therefore one has to take shelter of authority because, constitutionally, we are imperfect. Lord Caitanya says, ama-saba jivera haya sastra-dvara 'jnana'. So therefore, for real knowledge, we have to consult the scriptures, sastra. Sadhu-sastra-guru. Sadhu means pious, religious, honest person. Sadhu, whose character is spotless, he's called sadhu. Sastra means scripture, and guru, guru means spiritual master. They are on the equal level. Why? Because the medium is scripture. Guru is considered to be liberated because he follows the scripture. Sadhu is considered to be honest and saintly because he follows scripture. Sadhu-sastra-guru-vakya. Nobody can become a sadhu if he does not accept the principles of scripture. Nobody can be accepted as guru, or spiritual master, if he does not follow the principles of scripture. This is the test. Guru does not canvass. Sadhu does not canvass. He automatically, by his qualities, he becomes accepted."

Dear Ms. Pitts, thank you for taking interest in Gaudiya-Vaishnavism and having studied all of Srila Prabhupada's books. The very word "to complain" is surely a term in need of an explanation since calling a thief a thief can also be qualified as complaining about a thief to be a thief. It is stated, Also the solution in this regard is quite plain: a thief should just stop stealing. Please kindly let me know which posts exactly you consider as complaint of such kind not comprehensible what could be the solution? Again thank you for taking interest in Krishna Consciousness and pointing out texts which you consider as lacking of clarity. Interesting article by Dharmaraj das today: to what the editor of the "Sampradaya Sun" posted this reply, "To address this issue Dharmaraj das has to criticize the criticizers, and in the process he even has to criticize ISKCON. It's a dilemma we're all familiar with.":

Modern science is still baffled how mother nature produces oil=energy. At least they admit that they cant produce oil in the laboratory and instead suggest to kill pigs, cows and chickens in order to extract the oil from living creatures in order to fuel their "super power engines". Additionally it can be said that they also steal the oil from nature in order to sell it. And we are supposed to believe that modern science is so advanced when they tell us that God is dead, the universe originated from an accidential explosion.

First and foremost to print at your copyshop a leaflet like Prabhupada did in his room at the Bowery (NY, Lower East Side): Bhagavad-gita class -for example you start once a week on Thursday at 7pm-8pm.

http://www.sankirtandiary.com/2007/03/conspiracy-theories-and-paranoid.html Although this message looks like a message from dandavats.com, it is posted like originating from Bhakta Corey: "If you offend Bush, you offend Prabhupada. Bush - he's one of us!" (also published at planetiskcon.com) Wednesday, March 28, 2007 Conspiracy Theories and Paranoid Schizophrenia Too often, we see people speaking anti-American speech, hate speech against America. So, what did Srila Prabhupada think of America? Of course, he strongly condemned the western culture, along with all of its demoniac ideologies. But did Srila Prabhupada hate America? No, he did not. In fact, he felt himself so indebted to America, for "giving him her children, money, and resources", to quote Srila Prabhupada's own words, that he was only months away from death, and could not even walk, and yet he was coming back to America for one last time, to go to the Gita Nagari farm, because he felt so indebted to America. He stopped in Britian on the way, and after a few days he told Tamal Krishna Goswami that he felt too sick, and so he went back to Vrindavan, instead of coming to Gita-Nagari farm. That is how indebted Srila Prabhupada felt himself to the Americans, that he was willing to come one last time to America. So it might be just slightly offensive to Srila Prabhupada, to speak anti-American views and slogans, when he was on his deathbed, and still he could not forget how obliged he felt himself to the Americans. Here is a quote from Srila Prabhupada during the last months in Vrindavana, from Tamal Krishna Goswami's "Final Pastimes of Srila Prabhupada", Prabhupada: (humbly) I am only a child. (Crying) But I have tried to please my Guru Maharaja. I have not written. It is Krsna. Krsna and my Guru Maharaja. They have sent all of you to help me. Otherwise, what could I do, all alone, an old man with no friends in America? America is so good to me, to give me money, men, everything- I see no difference between one country and another, but because the Americans have given me so much facility to serve Krsna, I cannot forget my obligations to them. I want to make them happy, and through them the whole world. [End of Quote] So there is quite a big difference between preaching against demoniac western culture, and simply spewing fanatic hate speech against America. Anti-Americanism should be given up, because it certainly cannot be very pleasing to Srila Prabhupada. I recently came across some anti-war, anti-government websites on the internet. It was amusing to read, because some of the wild claims that these people make. For example, one website made the bold statement "George Bush blew up the 9-11 World Trade Towers". I was laughing by the time I finished the article. What the article didn't mention however, was that Popular Mechanics, a famous magazine that reports about new engineering and technological inventions, has published a book DISCREDITING all of the different 9-11 conspiracy theories step by step. They did a perfect job of showing how none of the theories could possibly be correct, and they showed evidence from an engineering, technical, and structural point of view. But, I guess Popular Mechanics must be part of the conspiracy too? In fact, anyone who happens to disagree with the liberals' paranoid speculations must be part of the conspiracy, right? More information disproving the 9-11 conspiracy theories can be found here. So these wild conspiracy theories also fall into the same category as rhetoric like: All the problems of the world can be blamed on the big governments and big corporations. One characteristic of an immature people is to criticize the leaders, but to offer no positive solution to the problem themselves. It is much easier just to blame the leaders (government and corporations) for all the problems of the world, but the reality is that this material world is a hellish place because of our exploitive mentality. Is anyone going to claim that their exploitive mentality is somehow any less than the exploitive mentality of the leader of a government or corporation? Here is a quote from Srila Prabhupada, where he tells us that we shouldn't blame the government for our problems, since we are the ones who put them into power. In other words, he is saying that it is our own fault, not someone else's. "Prabhupada: What is the use of this rascal government? The rascal government must be there because we are rascals. You cannot complain against the government. Because we select. It is the days of democracy. We elect our representative. So why you should, I mean to say, blame the government? You have created the government. You have sent your representative, a rascal, another big rascal. You are rascal, and another big rascal, you have voted; so how you can expect good government? You send only big rascals. That's all." Mayapura lecture, 1973 Too often people are willing to blame everyone else for their problems, and they take no personal responsibility for their own life, blaming all of their problems on someone else (big government, big business, etc). A Vaisnava, on the other hand, is someone who instead of blaming someone else for their problems, takes personal responsibility for their own life and understands that the world is not perfect. Which perspective do you think fits in more with our Vaisnava philosophy? So the question may be raised here- Didn’t Srila Prabhupada also speak about a conspiracy theory (the moon landing hoax)? No. What Srila Prabhupada said, was a scientific Vedic statement, according to the authority of the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Because the moon is higher than the sun, it is literally impossible to have gone to the moon. It was simply a hoax. Srila Prabhupada exposed this hoax, with scientific knowledge from the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Now, there is quite a world of difference between a scientific statement based on Vedic cosmology, and an irrational and paranoid conspiracy theory that has been proven wrong by scientific analysis (9-11 conspiracy theories). Before we end the article, let’s take a quick look at the thought process of the conspiracy theorists. One symptom they exhibit is paranoia, thinking that the whole world is a big conspiracy theory, with Bush at the lead, and his goal is to enslave the human race. Need I say more? Second symptom- delusions of grandeur. Conspiracy theorists think that by “exposing” the conspiracy, they can save the human race. Third symptom- delusions of persecution. Conspiracy theorists think that the government is spying on them, listening to their phone calls, trying to oppress them, etc. There could be many more symptoms described, but let’s leave it at that for now. Now, I didn’t study psychology is depth, only a brief study, but from that brief study, I learned enough to know that the above mentioned symptoms are symptoms of a mental illness called Paranoid Schizophrenia. So I will end the article with a question- Are conspiracy theories and paranoid schizophrenia related? (By the way, I am also part of the conspiracy. I work for the CIA, and have been hired to help discredit the conspiracy theories. I have to go soon, because a UFO is going to be coming down out of the clouds to pick me up and take me back to my home planet, Venus. It is all part of the illuminati conspiracy to enslave the human race and bring them to Venus to work as slaves and help mine the ore from the fields on Venus.)

Modern science says that although many people have that feeling of being born into this body against their will, this is caused by a disorder of chemicals within the brain. However, the laws of nature not only determine the birth of a soul within a particular body/family according to what one wishes, but also according what one deserves as pointed out in lecture below by Srila Prabhupada. And this could quite easily create that feeling that someone feels of having taken birth into "the wrong" family. Why forced to accept this body? Lecture on Bhagavad-gita 13.22-24, Melbourne, June 25, 1974 So what is the business of this material world? Now, falsely we are trying to enjoy. The false enjoyer. Everyone is trying to be enjoyer. Krishna has given little freedom. "All right. You want to enjoy. Enjoy it." But you have to be in this material world. And in the material world, as soon as you come to the material world, immediately you become contaminated by the modes of material nature. Material nature has three modes, or three qualities—good quality, passion quality and ignorance quality. Goodness, passion and ignorance. So material world means you associate with the material three qualities—goodness, passion or ignorance. And according to that, as you associate, you get a certain type of body. Krishna orders prakriti, the material nature, that "He wants to enjoy in this way; you give him a suitable body like that.He wants to enjoy by becoming a tiger: 'Immediately I shall jump over an animal.' " Because phalguni mahatam tatra, the weak is the food for the strong. So sometimes we think that we shall be strong like tiger or lion. Krishna is sitting within you. He says, "All right, you become a tiger." He sees that "To become a tiger is my success life." A very strong body. They are exercising, very strong, to become very strong, stout. So Krishna will give you. Whatever you want. But in this material world. In the spiritual world you cannot become a competitor of Krishna. That is not possible. In this material world you can become a false competitor of Krishna. Your position is false. Because you are not this body, but you wanted a body like that to enjoy. Just like a pig is given a body. He wanted to enjoy stool. As a human being, possessing a human body, nobody can eat stool. But if one gets a suitable body, just like pig, you can very nicely eat stool. So why there are different types of bodies? Because you wanted a particular type of enjoyment under the influence of material nature. As already explained, there are three material nature qualities—sattva-guna, rajo-guna, tamo-guna [mode of goodness, mode of passion, mode of ignorance]. Now, we mix them. Three into three, it becomes nine. And nine multiplied by nine, it becomes eighty-one. Therefore there are eight million four hundred thousand species of life, according to the material quality. That is explained here. Purushah prakriti-stho hi bhunkte prakriti-jan gunan [bhagavad-gita 13.22]. Prakriti-jan gunan. To possess different types of the modes of material nature. Full freedom. Therefore when one is advanced in consciousness, he doesn't want to enjoy anything of this material world, any way. He doesn't desire either to become the king or Lord Brahma or the stool, or, I mean to say, the worms of the stool. These are the different varieties. Jalaja nava-lakshani sthavara laksha-vimshati. According to our desire we get body. In the water, 900 thousand forms. Similarly, in the botanical garden, they have given signboard, "This is this, this is this." But there are two millions types of trees and plants. How many they know? Two million. If you search out through the whole botanical garden, hardly you will find two thousand, three thousand species. Or even find ten thousand. Still what it is? There are two millions. Jalaja nava-lakshani sthavara laksha-vimshati. This is knowledge. So if we read the Vedic literature, and you get full knowledge, and the essence of Vedic literature is Srimad-Bhagavatam. And the Bhagavad-gita is the preliminary study of Srimad-Bhagavatam. A-B-C-D. This Bhagavad-gita is the A-B-C-D of knowledge. This is entrance examination, matriculation examination, school-leaving examination. And Srimad-Bhagavatam is graduate. When you become graduate in spiritual knowledge, then you can understand Srimad-Bhagavatam. And when you have passed your Bachelor degree, when you are post-graduate, that study is Sri-Chaitanya-charitamrita. So we have got three different status of reading capacity. We have got already twenty books. So don't waste your time. Try to understand what is Krishna and what is spiritual life by reading these books. Everything is explained there. Don't associate with this material nature. If you associate with this material nature, then what will be the result? Now, karanam guna-sango 'sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu [bg. 13.22]. Yoni means the source of birth. Just like we take our birth. The source is the mother. From the mother's womb we come out. That is called yoni, the source. So there are mothers—human being mother, cat mother, dog mother, this mother, so many mothers. Without mother there is no birth. And without father also, there is no birth. Therefore it is said that janame ami saba pita mata paya. In every birth you will get a father and mother. Because without father and mother there is no question of birth. So here also see, sad-asad-yoni-janmasu. Why one is being born through the mother of a cat or through the mother of dog or a human being or a king or a demigod? The mother, through mother you have to come out. That is called yoni. But why these different mothers? Karanam guna-sango 'sya. As he has infected the 81 qualities, colorful qualities of this material nature, the nature will give you a suitable body through the particular mother. So where is this science? They have the botanical garden, but do they know what is the science why there is tree and why there is ant, why there is bird, why there is man? They have no knowledge. This material school, college, university, simply producing ordinary animal life. Actual knowledge is here in the Bhagavad-gita. Why one is forced to accept a certain type of body. Because after death I will have to accept a certain type of body. That is natural. Tatha dehantara-praptih [bg. 2.13]. As I am getting dehantara, one body after another—baby's body, then another body, child's body, then another body, boy's body. You may say, "It is growing." Growing or not growing, it is another body. Try to understand this. This child is playing. Now he will get another body when he will be called boy. He will get another body when he will be called youth. He will get another body when he will be called old man. So why not another body [at death]? This is called transmigration of the soul. Very simple thing. So we are getting different types of bodies according to the association with the material nature. So if you don't associate with this material nature, then you don't get all these material bodies. So how you can get out of this material nature? That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, you will find mam cha yo 'vyabhicharena bhakti-yogena sevate sa gunan samatityaitan brahma-bhuyaya kalpate [bg. 14.26] One who is constantly engaged in Krishna's service, he is not associating with this material nature. He is associating directly with Krishna, the supreme spirit. So if you keep yourself constantly engaged in Krishna consciousness, then you are not in this material world. There is no more fear of what kind of body you will get next. You will get next body go back to home back to Godhead. This is wanted. If you go back to home, back to God, in the same style of body as Krishna has got, spiritual body—ishvarah paramah krishnah sach-chid-ananda-vigrahah [brahma-samhita 5.1]—then no more birth. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, that tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti kaunteya [bg. 4.9]. The devotees who are constantly thinking of Krishna, trying to understand Krishna and engaged in Krishna's service, such personalities, after giving up this body ... [never return to this world]. We have to give up this body. Everyone, the cats, dogs, they will also give up body. We shall also give up body. But the difference is, a devotee after giving up this body, he does not get anymore material body. So our request is, those who have come to Krishna consciousness, don't fall down again in the material qualities. That will not help you. Remain strictly adherent to the spiritual activities and your life will be successful. Thank you very much. Devotee: When we are in the spiritual sky and serving Krishna, we have a perfect relationship with Krishna, so what causes us to fall down in the material world, because we're already serving Krishna? Prabhupada: Because you desire to fall down. Here it is explained that "Don't fall down." And as soon as you associate with the material nature, then you fall down. Devotee: Srila Prabhupada, I can't understand why we should have an impure desire when we are already serving... Prabhupada: Because you have got little freedom. Why one is not coming here and [instead] going to the liquor shop? It is his desire. Because he has associated with a different type of material quality... The same man who was drinking, now, as soon as they come in our association, he becomes a saint. Why? The American government spent millions of dollars to stop this habit of intoxication, LSD. And as soon as the same man comes to our society, he immediately gives up. Why? It is practical. Immediately. At the initiation time we ask that "You don't touch all these things." Yes. That's all. See practically. Especially in the Western countries they are habituated to all these things, meat-eating, illicit sex, intoxication, gambling. How they give it up? Association. We are opening so many branches all over the world to give opportunity of association. It is not a business firm. Just to give spiritual association, chance. Why you are going the street sankirtan? We are giving chance: "Come here, be saved." It is not business. So this Krishna consciousness movement is the topmost philanthropy, welfare activities to the human society. Those who are intelligent, they are understanding. Karanam guna-sango 'sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu [bg. 13.22]. Others they are associating with different qualities of the material nature, and nature is prepared, "Come on, sir, you take this body." Your scientist, so-called scientist can not save you. When this body is finished, then you are under the control of material nature. Whatever body she will offer you, you have to accept. You cannot say "No, no. I cannot accept this body.No, no. You are nothing. You are under my grip." Just like you contaminate with some infectious disease. You must suffer from that disease.

Although concerned scientists raised an alarm that the worldwide with extinction endangered colonies of honey bees originates from genetically manipulated seeds (GMO) - today almost 100% agricultural crop seeds used by mass agriculture are genetically engineered, still to manipulate genes seems like a real excitement for scientists to mess around with. ‘Exercise pill’ switches on gene that tells cells to burn fat posted April 30th, 2007 at 1:47 am http://biosingularity.wordpress.com/2007/04/29/exercise-pill-switches-on-gene-that-tells-cells-to-burn-fat/ By giving ordinary adult mice a drug - a synthetic designed to mimic fat - Salk Institute scientist Dr. Ronald M. Evans is now able to chemically switch on PPAR-d, the master regulator that controls the ability of cells to burn fat. Even when the mice are not active, turning on the chemical switch activates the same fat-burning process that occurs during exercise. The resulting shift in energy balance (calories in, calories burned) makes the mice resistant to weight gain on a high fat diet. The hope, Dr. Evans told scientists attending Experimental Biology 2007 in Washington, DC, is that such metabolic trickery will lead to a new approach to new treatment and prevention of human metabolic syndrome. Sometimes called syndrome X, this consists of obesity and the often dire health consequences of obesity: high blood pressure, high levels of fat in the blood, heart disease, and resistance to insulin and diabetes. Dr. Evan’s Experimental Biology presentation on April 30 is part of the scientific program of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. This chemical switch is not the first success Dr. Evan’s laboratory has had in being able to turn on the PPAR-d switch in adipose or fat cells, activating local metabolism and increasing the amount of calories burned. As a Howard Hughes Medical Investigator at The Salk Institute’s Gene Expression Laboratory, Dr. Evans discovered the role of the gene for PPAR-d, the master regulator of fat metabolism. By permanently turning on this delta switch in mice through genetic engineering, he was able to create a mouse with an innate resistance to weight gain and twice the physical endurance of normal mice. Because they were able to run an hour longer than a normal mouse, they were dubbed “marathon mice.” Subsequent work in the Evans laboratory found that activation of PPAR-d in these mice also suppresses the inflammatory response associated with arthrosclerosis. But the genetic metabolic engineering that created the marathon mouse is permanent, turned on before birth. While a dramatic proof of concept that metabolic engineering is a potentially viable approach, it offers no help to an adult whose muscles are already formed and who now would benefit greatly from having more active, fat-burning muscles. That is why the potential of chemical metabolic engineering - possibly a one-a-day pill as opposed to permanent genetic metabolic engineering - is so exciting, says Dr. Evans. In today’s society, too few people get an ideal amount of exercise, some because of medical problems or excess weight that makes exercise difficult. Having access to an “exercise pill” would improve the quality of muscles, since muscles like to be exercised, and increase the burning of energy or excess fat in the body. And that would result in less fatty tissue, lower amounts of fat circulating in the blood, lower blood glucose levels and less resistance to insulin, lowering the risks of heart disease and diabetes. The ability to chemically engineer changes in metabolism also has given the researchers more insight into how the PPAR-d switch works, says Dr. Evans. Genetically engineering changes in metabolism in the marathon mice triggers both increased fat burning and increased endurance. Adult normal mice that receive the drug to switch on PPAR-d show increased fat burning and resistance to weight gain, but they do not show increased endurance. Dr. Evans says this suggests the delta switch can operate in different modes, and the laboratory is in the process of figuring out exactly how. He hopes his strategy will make it possible. Source: Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology <SMALL>This entry was posted on Sunday, April 29th, 2007 at 6:48 pm and is filed under Biotechnology, Biomedical, metabolism, Diabetes, Obesity, health, Weight loss, Exercise, technology. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. </SMALL> <!-- You can start editing here. -->6 Responses to “‘Exercise pill’ switches on gene that tells cells to burn fat” <LI class=alt id=comment-27892><CITE>Suma</CITE> Says: <SMALL class=commentmetadata>April 30th, 2007 at 1:47 am </SMALL>Awesome. How soon can I expect to be sitting on my couch watching TV while at the same time burning off insane amounts of fat. Seriously, this rocks! <LI id=comment-27907> <CITE>uncommonnonsense</CITE> Says: <SMALL class=commentmetadata>April 30th, 2007 at 1:58 am </SMALL>Where do I go to get some? ;-D <LI class=alt id=comment-27911> <CITE>raincoaster</CITE> Says: <SMALL class=commentmetadata>April 30th, 2007 at 2:14 am </SMALL>Interesting. As you point out, it doesn’t have all the benefits of exercise (no increased endurance, no cardiovascular improvements, etc) but I think we’re all familiar with people who say they’re “too heavy” to work out. This could get them at least to a weight where they can’t claim that anymore. <LI id=comment-27937> <CITE>Melissa</CITE> Says: <SMALL class=commentmetadata>April 30th, 2007 at 3:47 am </SMALL>My concern is what happens when people with eating disorders get ahold of the pill, thus further shortening their life expectancy. How does the pill “know” when to stop? <LI class=alt id=comment-27954> <CITE>Michael</CITE> Says: <SMALL class=commentmetadata>April 30th, 2007 at 5:09 am </SMALL>This is incredible, however another potential problem is that it doesn’t matter how thin you are it doesn’t make you healthy. i weigh 15 pounds above where i should be apparantly but i have broad shoulders and am overall a big person, completely capable of competing in sports, lol i sound bitter or something… what i’m trying to say is that this pill doesn’t make you healthy, it just makes you look better. Its like your body’s Listerine, but you still need to brush your body.. or exercise your teeth, oh whatever! <CITE>'Exercise pill' « Sathfilms</CITE> Says: <SMALL class=commentmetadata>April 30th, 2007 at 5:10 am </SMALL>[…] ‘Exercise pill’ ‘Exercise pill’ switches on gene that tells cells to burn fat « Biosingularity […]

Prabhupada would say, bhakti-yoga, or proving the existence of God, is a scientific process, not something what you have to believe blindly. Modern sciencists are using their material brains and material senses and come to the conclusion they didnt see an intelligent Designer behind creation, that they didnt see any God. But isnt this like sticking your finger into honey and saying, I cant say if this is sweet or not? Only our highly complex taste buds are able to taste sweetness and send this message, here is something that tastes good, to our brain(http://www.neurobio.arizona.edu/282/Lectures2005/Taste/08_003.jpg) : Similiarly, since the spiritual energy is anti-matter it cant be perceived with material tools like material mind and material eyes. But this is what modern science insists upon, they only accept that there's a God when they can see God with material instruments. However, isnt this as foolish as insisting, I can only accept that honey is sweet when I'm able to taste the sweetness with my finger? Only by awakening our sleeping soul and spiritual senses we can perceive the presence of God's energy in His creation. So this is not believe but a scientific method.

Thanks lowborn for mentioning Prabhupada and trying to please him. Since there seems to be a nebulosity even within ISKCON (read below) about who is a bonafide spiritual master and who is not, raises this question, is according your understanding for example Danurdhara Swami a bonafide guru who makes Prabhupada very happy or as published today at chakra.org, rather not? GBC Behaviors Unclear by Name withheld by request Posted April 28, 2007 at chakra.org It has been 12 years since the GBC have been asked to resolve this Dhanurdhara issue, but they still have not. Ironically, they could have taken care of this in 1996 and avoided the lawsuit. Most disturbing was the letter of apology to Dhanurdhara -- the abuser. Why did the GBC codify the apology to Dhanurdhara and his abuse victims simultaneously in a public resolution? Has this ever been done in the history of mankind? Does this qualify as normal behavior? Does the Catholic Church or any other religion behave this way? Didn't any of the GBC leaders realize how bad and how out-of-touch it would make them look? Is it true that Dhanurdhara is initiating in Israel "under the radar" and that he leads large parikrams in Vrndavana? And why does Jayadvaita Swami have this in his biography that he sends to the temples: "In 1985 and 1986, he spent a year and a half traveling with a party of pilgrims on pada-yatra, a journey on foot, through various states of India, stopping in a different town or village every night. In 1987, along with Dhanurdhara Swami and Bhurijana Dasa, he co-founded the Vrindaban Institute for Higher Education. Since 1988 he has served as a director of Srila Prabhupada's publishing house, the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. "From 1991 through most of 1998 he served as editor-in-chief of Back to Godhead magazine, for which he had been an assistant editor for several years. Recently he served as editor for a three-volume translation and commentary for </I>Sri Brhad-bhagavatamrta</I>, a sixteenth-century Sanskrit philosophical and devotional work." The only people mentioned in this bio, besides Srila Prabhupada, are both child abusers. I am assuming that this is an oversight. Another Maharaja, during his lecture, talked about the nice preaching Dhanurdhara was doing. My congregation is confused about Dhanurdhara.On the one hand the GBC likes and respects him. On the other hand, the gurukulis would like him out of his position (officially and unofficially). The GBC seems to have written the gurukulis off, hoping perhaps that the "new blood" will not have the same issues with Dhanurdhara. In fact many new bhaktas have no idea what Dhanurdhara has done and think that the gurukulis are troublemakers who are in maya. To recap, this is what Dhanurdhara has done in the past, according to the Turley lawsuit testimony: He broke a child's nose and repeatedly administered beating for years; unfortunately, the victim ended up committing suicide. He broke a child's ribs. He repeatedly beat children -- sometimes until they passed out. He threw children into marble walls and, when they hit the ground, repeatedly kicked them. He lifted children up by the ears -- sometimes causing physical trauma. He boxed children's ears with closed fists, making his students' ears bleed. He repeatedly hired sexual child molesters. He ignored pleas from the older children to get rid of the child molesters. He allowed the ex-guru Bhavananda to inappropriately go into the shower with children and "clean" them. He would ignore the screams of children being raped by their teachers. He refused to terminate a teacher who knocked a child's front teeth out. He exhibited sadistic, antisocial behavior with the students. In most of the world, they might describe this type of behavior as torture, but in ISKCON it is described as karma. While I am sure Bhanu prabhu is a nice devotee, I would request that the chairman revise and extend his remarks to clarify the situation. What is Dhanurdhara's official and unofficial role in ISKCON? Is he still a guru? Does he still have disciples? Will he have a Samadhi? What is his punishment for not adhering to the restrictions? Who is the GBC contact person, if devotees observe Dhanurdhara trolling for disciples? Who will protect the new devotees unaware of this violent past from Dhanurdhara's advances? If he is initiating, has disciples and is welcome in ISKCON (per the GBC resolution), it means that he is an initiating guru in good standing in ISKCON. Finally, why is he encouraging this man to contact his abuse victims? Did he ask them if that is what they wanted? The last time Dhanurdhara and his abuse victim met in Mayapura, it ended up badly for both parties. I look forward to a response.

Although these personalities (read below) experienced something like giving up this body, they dont know what is the meaning of giving up material attachment. This only can be attained when becoming trained as a Vaishnava. Near-Death Experiences of the Rich and Famous Near-Death.com (Posted: Saturday, March 31, 2007) <HR align=left color=#336699>The near-death experiences of rich and famous people are particularly interesting. They are rolling in the money. They are known all over the world. They are often beautiful, articulate and very talented in what they do. With this in mind, why would such a person reveal to everyone that they were dead and came back to life? Money? They already got that. Fame? They are already famous. In fact, by telling everyone they came back from the dead, they may be risking their own reputation. People who reveal such things to others often become the butt of jokes or thought to be crazy. Why would anyone rich and famous subject themselves to this when it might result in lost fame and fortune? The only rational reason that such people who have nothing to gain is that it really happened to them and they want to share it with the world. The following are rich and famous people who risked it all to tell the world about their near-death experience. Some of these accounts are documented in Jean Ritchie's excellent book, Death's Door. <HR color=#336699 noShade SIZE=0>Jane Seymour is an actress most noted for the cult classic movie, Somewhere in Time, with actor Christopher Reeves, and the television series Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. When Jane Seymour was 36 years of age, she had a severe case of the flu and was given an injection of penicillin. She suffered an allergic reaction which led to a near-death experience. "I literally left my body. I had this feeling that I could see myself on the bed, with people grouped around me. I remember them all trying to resuscitate me. I was above them, in the corner of the room looking down. I saw people putting needles in me, trying to hold me down, doing things. I remember my whole life flashing before my eyes, but I wasn't thinking about winning Emmys or anything like that. The only thing I cared about was that I wanted to live because I did not want anyone else looking after my children. I was floating up there thinking, "No, I don't want to die. I'm not ready to leave my kids." And that was when I said to God, "If you're there, God, if you really exist and I survive, I will never take your name in vain again." Although I believe that I "died" for about thirty seconds, I can remember pleading with the doctor to bring me back. I was determined I wasn't going to die." Then Jane suddenly found herself back in her body. <HR color=#336699 noShade SIZE=0><SMALL></SMALL>Peter Sellers was the comic genius of a generation of actors. He brought brilliant characterizations to numerous films, including The Mouse That Roared (1959), Dr. Strangelove (1964), The Pink Panther (1964), and Being There (1979). He was known for his enthusiastic way of totally absorbing himself in his characters, even carrying roles offstage. He also suffered from sad moods between films. While he knew his characters thoroughly, he said that he really did not know who he was. Then Peter Sellers, the brilliant, confused actor, had a near-death experience. Seated in a Hollywood mockup of a limousine's back seat while shooting his last great film, Being There, he told Shirley MacLaine about it. He was astonished that she did not consider him bonkers. Shirley documents their conversation in her book, Out on a Limb (172). In 1964, during the first of a rapid series of eight heart attacks, when his heart stopped and he was clinically dead, he had an out-of-body experience and saw the bright, loving light. Sellers stated, "Well, I felt myself leave my body. I just floated out of my physical form and I saw them cart my body away to the hospital. I went with it ... I wasn't frightened or anything like that because I was fine; and it was my body that was in trouble." Meanwhile, the doctor saw that Sellers was dead and began to massage his heart vigorously. Sellers stated, "I looked around myself and I saw an incredibly beautiful bright loving white light above me. I wanted to go to that white light more than anything. I've never wanted anything more. I know there was love, real love, on the other side of the light which was attracting me so much. It was kind and loving and I remember thinking That's God." Sellers' out-of-body soul tried to elevate itself toward the light, but fell short. Sellers stated, "Then I saw a hand reach through the light. I tried to touch it, to grab onto it, to clasp it so it could sweep me up and pull me through it." But just then his heart began beating again, and at that instant the hand's voice said, "It's not time. Go back and finish. It's not time." As the hand receded Sellers felt himself floating back down to his body, waking up bitterly disappointed. What effect did his NDE have on Sellers? His biographer stated that "The repeated act of dying became for Peter Sellers the most important experience of his life." (Walker, 158) Sellers himself said of death, "I'll never fear it again." Family and friends found him more spiritual and reflective than before. His biographer stated, "The experience of resurrection intensified Sellers' spiritual concern and friends discerned the start of a new introspectiveness, a sense of his not "being there" in spirit, though present in body." According to his biographer, Sellers' wife, Britt Ekland, found it unnerving that her previously restless husband had now become so quiet. He was now "sitting still over lengthy periods, saying nothing, but staring at her with his thoughts turned inward." Sellers returned to England for an extended convalescence, but soon reverted to old habits and bought his 84th car, an expensive Ferrari. A couple of years before his NDE, Peter had played an earnest priest in Heavens Above, and developed a serious interest in Christianity (although he was born Jewish). During this time, and following his father's death in 1962, Sellers was drawn to long, serious discussions about life's meaning with a neighboring vicar in London, the Rev. John Hester, "to try to reconcile the world of plenty he inhabited with the emptiness of soul that oppressed him." (Walker, 143) After his NDE he deepened his quest for spiritual truth, continuing his discussions with Rev. Hester, and coming close to joining the church. In later years he practiced yoga, saying once that "Yoga has given me a tranquility I wouldn't have thought possible." (Walker, 217) Sellers' NDE strengthened his conviction that he was a reincarnated soul whose power of mimicry sprang from memories of past lives. But during his incarnation as Peter Sellers, at least, he felt lost. He did not know who he was and why he was on this earth. He explained to this to Shirley MacLaine this way, "I know I have lived many times before ... that experience confirmed it to me, because in this lifetime I felt what it was for my soul to actually be out of my body. But ever since I came back, I don't know why I don't know what it is I'm supposed to do, or what I came back for." (MacLaine, 174) Spirituality gave Sellers some peace, but did not still his restless drift. In 1977, he complained that his yoga practice did not stop his heart disease. According to his biographer, "After all, what did it do for me? I obeyed all the instructions. I said my prayers regularly. I did all the exercises for peace, tranquility, and happiness. And all that happened was that I got steadily worse." Sellers' NDE awakened him to a deepened spirituality, but it did not usher in a major, lasting change in his mental habits and his outlook on life. This brilliant actor still felt lost. But Peter Sellers had a final heart attack. And it was then, that it was his time to go. <HR color=#336699 noShade SIZE=0>British actress Elizabeth Taylor spoke about her experience of having died on the operating table while undergoing surgery, and of passing through a tunnel towards a brilliant white light. Interviewed by Larry King on CNN's Larry King Live, the legendary Hollywood star related how she had died for five minutes on the operating table. Ms. Taylor said that while she was clinically dead, she had encountered the spirit of Michael one of her former husbands, whom she referred to as her great love. She had wanted to stay with she said, but he had told her that she had work and life ahead of her, and he "pushed me back to my life." Following her resuscitation, the eleven-person medical team - including doctors, nurses, etc. - witnessed Taylor's testimonial of this event. "I was pronounced dead once and actually saw the light. I find it very hard to talk about, actually, because it sounds so corny. It happened in the late '50s, and I saw Mike ( Taylor's third husband, who was killed in a plane crash in 1958). When I came to, there were about 11 people in the room. I'd been gone for about five minutes - they had given me up for dead and put my death notice on the wall. I shared this with the people that were in the room next to me. Then after that I told another group of friends, and I thought, "Wow, this sounds really screwy. I think I'd better keep quiet about this." "For a long time I didn't talk about it, and it's still hard for me to talk about. But I have shared it with people with AIDS because if the moment occurs and you're really sharing, it's real. I am not afraid of death, because I have been there." In an interview with America's AIDS magazine, Liz described her NDE again: "I went to that tunnel, saw the white light, and Mike [Todd]. I said, Oh Mike, you're where I want to be. And he said, ‘No, Baby. You have to turn around and go back because there is something very important for you to do. You cannot give up now.' It was Mike's strength and love that brought me back." <HR color=#336699 noShade SIZE=0>The late Robert Pastorelli was most noted for his starring role in the television series, Murphy Brown. At the age of 19, he had a car accident which caused a near-death experience that literally changed how he was living, in a very dramatic way. "It smashed right into the driver's door. It hit me so hard it actually knocked the shoes off my feet. My car rolled over about four times on this big highway and the next thing I knew I was in intensive care with a collapsed lung. Every one of my ribs was shattered. I had lacerations to my head and face, and my kidneys, spleen and gall bladder were all ruptured. I was a mess. "I was in excruciating pain. Then, in the next second, there was no pain. Suddenly I realized I was out of my body. I was floating above myself, looking down at my unconscious body lying in the hospital emergency room with my eyes closed. I could see tubes down my nose and throat. I knew I was dying and I thought, "Well, this must be death." I even saw a priest giving me the last rites. But it was the most peaceful feeling in the world. Then I saw my father starting to faint out of grief. Two nurses grabbed him and sat him down in a chair across the room. "When I looked down and saw my father's pain it had an effect on me. I firmly believe that at that moment I made a decision to live, not die. The next thing I knew I was waking up back in my body. Later, in the recovery room, when I was fully conscious, I told my father what had happened, his fainting and all. He was astounded." <HR color=#336699 noShade SIZE=0>Basic Instinct star, Sharon Stone, has told how she had a white light experience during her brain scare. Stone says she almost died after internal bleeding caused by a tear in an artery at the base of her skull. Sharon was interviewed by Katie Couric about her journey into the afterlife. “When it hit me I felt like I'd been shot in the head. That's the only way I can really describe it. It hit me so hard it knocked me over on the sofa. And Phil was out of town and I called him and said, "I think I had a stroke." But in all fairness, I'm a person who's always saying, "I think I've had a stroke, I think I've had a heart attack, I think I've had a brain hemorrhage ... I had a real journey with this that took me to places both here and beyond that affected me so profoundly that my life will never be the same ... I get to be not afraid of dying and I get to tell other people that it's a fabulous thing and that death is a gift. And not that you should kill yourself, but that when death comes to you, as it will, that it's a glorious and beautiful thing. This kind of giant vortex of white light was upon me and I kind of - poof! Sort of took off into this glorious, bright, bright, bright white light and I started to see and be met by some of my friends. But it was very fast - whoosh! Suddenly, I was back. I was in my body and I was in the room.” <HR color=#336699 noShade SIZE=0>Gary Busey, once Hollywood's bad boy, was nominated for an Oscar for the movie, The Buddy Holly Story. Busey, who fought addiction with drugs and alcohol for several years, was nicknamed Gary Abusey by his wife. Busey has had supernatural encounters in which he nearly died three or more times in his life ...a drug overdose, cancer, and an accident west of Albuquerque, New Mexico. But the most tragic experience, and one that changed his life, was a motorcycle accident in 1988. Gary was going about 40-50 miles per hour riding on 750 pounds of cold steel. He was not wearing a helmet when he crashed. He was flung over the top of his cycle, head first into the curb and he cracked his skull. Busey had a NDE while he was dying on the operating table after having brain surgery. During his NDE, he was surrounded by angels. Busey stated that they didn't appear in the form that people see on Christmas cards. The angels he saw were big balls of light that floated and carried nothing but love and warmth - and this love is unconditional. As a result of his NDE, he recently dedicated his life to Jesus and has been a prominent speaker at many Christian Promise Keeper rallies. He is no longer the "bad boy" of Hollywood. <HR color=#336699 noShade SIZE=0>Larry Hagman, of Dallas and I Dream of Jeanie fame, underwent a liver transplant in 1995. Years of heavy drinking resulted in cirrhosis and cancer of the liver. He was only weeks away from certain death at the time of his liver transplant and near-death experience. Larry describes what he experienced: "I was able to look over the edge. I got a little glimpse of what was the next step. I didn't see a light some people see, but I had a wonderful feeling of bliss and warmth. The bottom line is love, that sounds corny, but it was just lovely, uplifting." Read Larry Hagman's entire experience here. FULL ARTICLE: http://www.near-death.com/famous.html <HR color=#336699 noShade SIZE=0>

Wonder if meanwhile modern evolutionary science is able to refue this argument: if the human form of life is a product of nature's evolution then all human beings' faces must be equally the same like apples on a tree dont differ that much from each other? Prabhupada (SB 1.15.40, Sep 18 1973, Los Angeles): "[...]If it is nature’s process, then all the bodies should have been equally the same. But why different? Just like in an apple tree the formation of apple is the same. So if it is nature’s evolution, then why there are white men, black men, colored men, deformed men and…? No one’s face will be equal to anyone. That Darwin cannot explain.[...]" http://causelessmercy.com/t/t/731218SB.LA.htm?i=1973 "[...]The body even does not belong to him, because the body is awarded by God according to your karma. Just like according to your payment, the landlord gives you an apartment. The apartment does not belong to you. That’s a fact. If you pay $500 per week, you get very nice, good apartment. And if you pay $25, then you get another. Similarly, these different types of bodies we have got… Everyone we have got, different type. This is apartment. Actually, it is apartment because I am living within this body. I am not this body. That is the instruction of the Bhagavad- gītā. Dehino ’smin yathā dehe [bg. 2.13]. Asmin dehe, there is the dehī, the occupier, not proprietor. Occupier. Just like in any apartment, the occupier is somebody and the owner is somebody. Similarly, this is apartment, this body. I am the spirit soul, occupier. I have rented it according to the payment or according to karma. Therefore Darwin’s theory is a failure because he cannot explain that why there are different types of bodies. Even in human society, every man is different from the other man. Why? If it is nature’s process, then all the bodies should have been equally the same. But why different? Just like in an apple tree the formation of apple is the same. So if it is nature’s evolution, then why there are white men, black men, colored men, deformed men and…? No one’s face will be equal to anyone. That he cannot explain. This is the explanation, that… Just the same example, just a man, as he pays for it, he gets a different apartment. So we have got different bodies, different apartments, according to our karma. And whose karma? The soul’s karma. But he has no information of the soul or how the soul is working, how he is getting a different body. Tathā dehāntara- prāptiḥ. This science is unknown to him, but still, he is known as the master of evolution, and people are following him. This is ignorance. Andhā yathāndhaiḥ. One blind rascal gives some theory, and the followers are also blind rascals; they follow. They do not take instruction from the perfect. Therefore our position is perfect, because we are not following rascals and fools. We are following Kṛṣṇa, the supreme perfect. I may be imperfect. That’s a fact. I am imperfect. Just like a child is imperfect. That’s a fact. But so long he follows the father, catching his hand, he is perfect.[...]"