Gaea

She might not know that we use that "no beef" term in America too. Brits do have some terms that we do not use over in the states.

 

Funny joke, Gaea

yep, wasn't sure if u guys used that too.

Hi,

Could you suggest some slogans in Sanskrit glorifying knowledge? To clarify what I need, one very common slogan for glorifying truth is "satyameva jayate". I want some slogan to glorify knowledge.

i'm no sanskrit scholar but... how about something from the jnana yoga part of the Gita?

I consider buddhist teachings spiritually dangerous to our soul-development and making a spiritual connection witH God...

yes i agree the teaching is spiritually different, but not dangerous. It may well be dangerous for personalists because they are at a different stage of spiritual development. One man's medicine may well be another man's poison. The fact is that today there is a very diverse range of people with an equally diverse range of spiritual development. Sweet sweet and compassionate Lord has created many paths to enable His children, step-by-step, to come back to Him according to their own capacities.

A Vaisnava takes no pleasure in the pain or ignorance of others, he is concerned with helping them.

 

Insecurity also in our position I believe to be at the root of a lot of that.

 

...efforts to serve his mission ... In doing so however we should stick to making superior and persuasive points on why Vaisnavism is best and grow beyond the mocking stage.

coudn;t put it better myself

Shankracharya said Vedya Vyasa was wrong on many points. (and that is His Guru). So from the start you can tell He deviated from His own Gurudeva!

Being in the exalted position of the greatest Vaishnava (i.e. Siva) He did what He has to as per Krsna's instruction. Can we really... are we in any poisition to comment on how he deviated from Guru's teaching?

Krsna is the greatest cheat. He can lie and still produce a successful outcome.

yes, i don't deny that - it's just that i always get a negative vibe from many Krsna devotees when it comes to Shakaracarya and Buddha - my point is that we shouldnt look down on these things since they have come from God. It's like looking down on nursary mathematics and laughing at kids because they're trying to figure out 1+1. Buddha (Krsna) had His reasons as did other Avataras to preach the way they did. If that teaching does not appeal or apply to us, then we simply shouldn't comment - we certainly should not throw derogatory statements around. That's my 2 cents anyway.

I am disturbed by the Mayavada teaching that denies the individuality and preciousness of each jiva-soul.

 

I heard the Padma Purana predicted that the Mayavada teaching would come and spread, and it was taught by Lord Shiva who incarnated as Shankara. He taught this distorted version of Vedantic philosophy to save people from Buddhist lies, for one thing, and return the people of Bharat back to the Vedic religion, even if it was in a distorted form. It was a form of Vedanta that could "convince" those of a Buddhist bent, to turn away from Buddhism. Is this correct? Correct me if I am wrong on anything I said.

 

Who composed the Padma Purana, and where can I read it?

If it disturbs you, don't read about it. Stick to what makes you happy.

i don't think anyone here can tell you for sure Lord Siva's intentions when He incarnated as Shankara. Maybe people needed an alternative following. I do think it is wrong that you should call the predominant belief at the time "Buddhist lies" though - it's kinda hypocritical (no offense) since Buddha is accepted as a bona fide incarnation, thus His teaching served a purpose which is BOUND to have been successful (God does not know failure!!). There is a grand plan on this planet and God is the director - i think it is presumptious of us to deny or judge other's teachings including Buddhism and "Mayavada". They have their place in this world otherwise Buddha and Lord Siva would not have started them in the first place.

Re Padma Purana - not a clue, sorry... i though all Puranas had their root in Vyas?

Before 5000 Year Ago, there was no other religion except Vedic Religion being practised accross the World. That's a historical fact.

is it??

i recall when reading the Mahabharata that Duryodhana recruited many thousands of tribesman that were non-Vedic.

Feelings don't come from the heart, at least not biologically. They come from the brain. The mind is a projection of consciousness and possibly the brain as well; perhaps it is responsible for shaping the brain and the brain shaping it. I don't think there has been any success so far in separating the two.

the spiritual heart is not the same as the physical heart.

why blame the mind?

When a man, Arjuna, abandons all the desires of his heart, and is pleased in his self only and by his self, he is then called one of steady mind.

from this we can understand the mind is not an entity...ahem...with a mind of it's own! the feelings in your heart direct the mind. At least that is the way i understand it. So if you do something or think something you didn't want to, i don't think its right to blame the mind though it is so easy to do this - i do it all the time to vindicate myself. But the fact is that we ourselves are to blame for our own actions, which emanate from the mind, which emanates from the heart. Keep the heart clean, full of love, and the mind problem is eliminated immediately.

That's why (part of reason) chanting and devotional service is advised - because we clean our hearts and the mind is immediately purified.

Easier said than done tho

What do u mean by ur ego,does that mean u dont have EGO,u should rather say our EGO.By the way whats the proof that GOD is hidden behind the EGO?

 

GOD doesnt exist,even it does its not all these religious fantasy depictions,it might be a force that created the world,for example science has explained a lot of things like how chemistry is making us do things,if u have some trash in ur house with spoilt food u can see small insects being created,same way the world has been evolving for 1000s of years and there isnt a Brahma sitting in a lotus creating everyone.

yep, he meant THAT ego

I find it easy to be humble for a while. But anger always gets the better of me. I's a matter of time. I can be humble for 5 mins. And be angry for 2. So 3 mins is there. I cannot strench it so much. I find it impossible to be contantly humble. I get angry at people, anybody have any pointers?

recently one of the more senior devotees on this forum - can't remmeber who and which thread now - said something very nice on the point of anger and humility. The gist of it was that Bhakti, true love and devotion, automatically seeds all good qualities. You don't have to look for sepcific methods for anything because love is the seed.

ok maybe this one only brits will get because of the lingo....

Q: Why are Hindus so peaceful?

A: Coz they don't have no beef with anyone

Since they are unfertilized, they are no different than milk.

they may well be unfertilised but an egg contains the progenitor cells that have the ability to start the life process. Milk has no such capability.

it's confusing when these things happen... but we must keep faith.

whether it's devotees in the temple, kids on the street or innocents on a border village - let's pray for Krsna's compassion and mercy to shower on us.

So this proves the earth is flat afterall!?

lol

Mine this year is to try to chant more rounds, from this day. And I shall try to do at least 32 (or 64 if I push myself hard enough)!

 

 

Also to learn tolerance. And thereby become more humble. (for Krishna). That's it, what's yours?

that;s cool if you can do it.... if i tried that, i think i would spend most of my time thinking of when to finish ... so more chanting for me i think would actually be detrimental... i def need to work on the quality part.

Some may think that I should have posted this in Vedic Astrology discussion list. But I did not do it because I do not want this to be a part of any email discussion list. Also, I am writing this only out of curiosity - not because I am worried and also not because I am happy.

 

I have started seeing a new kind of mark in the middle of my right palm. I do not remember when I first saw it. But I guess, it was roughly about 3 weeks back. The mark is of very prominent red colour and it is quite clearly in the shape of a flower, which has newly blossomed. I am saying newly blossomed because I can make out three of its petals clearly but the angle of any of these three with the centre pottion of the flower is small.

 

When I first saw this, I thought that I might have touched some object, whose colour has come to my hand. I tried washing it off. I rubbed my palm very thoroughly with soap. I rubbed it with thumb of my left hand. I even rubbed it with a piece of a cloth. I rubbed it so much that if I had rubbed it any harded, then my palm would definitely have started bleeding.

 

Then I understood that it is not some external marking and it cannot be erased just like the lines in our palms cannot be erased just by washing.

 

A few minutes back, for some reason, I looked at my right palm and again noticed it.

 

I even thought of checking with some doctor. But it does not cause any pain at all. In fact, if I do not see it, then I do not even feel that it is there. So, I was wondering if some others have seen such (or similar) marks in their or somebody else's hands.

You are the One, Neo

Nah, only kidding could be anything... is it symmetrical? Does it look like it's been impressed on your hand? Ok i know this is gonna sound wierd but... does it smell floral??

i have a question, ever y time i talk bout God, people say that i always nag and pester them with my talk of Krsna.. but they can talk bout there training, sexual adventures, children etc..

 

why shall we always bow our heads to there wishes and go and lay down like dogs where they point us to go? im starting to get tired of this attitude they have.. people say to me that they accept me having faith in God etc, and act like they are doing me a favour in accepting me.. that i should be glad they accept me, and as a result i tell them that they should accept me as blindly as i do with there bad maners like eating meat and stuff.. that they nag more bout there things then i do..

 

why should always we bow over heads for people with demonical attitude etc? they should bow there heads!

 

maybe its my military nature talking, my father is a military officere so im a ksatriya, also my siksa guru told me that my harsh nature is a result of this.. but still, why should I/We bow to there stupid wims?

Because if you don't you might do more harm than good. Tolerance is a very difficult lesson

another explanation i heard is that (depending on context i guess) the 3 worlds refer to time rather than physical places - past, present and future.

I wonder why you would deny Bg and accept Ramayana? Very unusual. ?????

it's only unusual if you are a Krsna devotee. If you asked Hanuman to take an oath on a book, which one would you reckon He'd choose?

when my folks talk about going to a Katha they mean a gathering where somone is telling Krsna stories, etc.

My first question is, how does one find a bone fide spiritual leader? There are very few temples near me (southern New England) and it would seem silly to go to every Yoga center to see who seems the most authentic. I know exactly two people in my real life who are involved in Dharmism (I like that name better than Hinduism, after reading the history of the name Hindu!) one does not have a guru, and the other's guru passed away. I've been trying to make my own way, but I'm getting to the point where I think I need more guidance.

 

hi, welcome most people here are Vaishnavas - a "sect", i guess, that primarily emphasise bhakti yoga (devotion, love, service, to God). So most here would direct you to a Vaishnava Guru. Take things slowly, let your spritiual plant grow and decide what is best - God has given you a fraction of His intellgence to decide such things

My other question is, I saw first hand that in this age of Kali, sitting down to meditate without anything to focus on is easier said than done ... passing cars, the cat announcing feeding time, all these silly things can really be distracting, so I'm thinking of trying a more japa oriented approach. So my question is, rather than chanting a mantra, can you just say it? I read of a way to make your own japa beads, and I love that idea -- so much more heartfelt than going out and buying some! I've known of the Hare Krishna mantra since I was 10, but I'm reluctant to try using it until I'm sure I'm doing it right!

 

This is great! Of course you can say it, chant it, sing it - most of all, LOVE it

Good luck to you!!

What is the distinction between karma-yoga and bhakti-yoga?

one is fun, the other isn't

nahh, my knowledge of these things are sooo poor... but we know what BG has to say about it, as Avinash has pointed out (we know it, but understanding it is different matter!!) -- so let's look at mahabharata and take, for instance, Vidura ji. CONSTANTLY he was watching his words, actions, thoughts - he was the living embodiment of Dharma. Therefore he was performing his duty as prime minister, husband and friend absolutely perfectly. And who came to his home to eat his fruit? Krsna Himself! And then we can see in MB that Vidura is not only the perfect Karma Yogist but suddenly he becomes a true devotee. The same with Bhishma. Even more so with Kunti Maa. So my take-home message from this is that we go through stages in our lives - we mess around, then strict discpline comes (e..g via religion), we try to perform our duties structly but ultimately we become devotees - in the end it is love that pervades, not action.

How did Vedya-vyasa heard the conversation between Lord Krishna and Arjuna?

Isn't Lord Krishna was saying it only to Arjuna?

 

 

Bhagabad-Gita is inside the Mahabharata-----so how did it separate?

 

 

Please///......explain!!!

Just as Sanjaya had divine vision, and was narrting BG and the happenings of the battlefield to Dhritharastra, though they were in Hastinapura, in the same way Vyaas knew everything. In fact Vyaas is none other than an Amsha Avatara of Visnu Himself!! The way i heard it (have not read facts specifically) is that Vyaas narrated MB to Sri Ganesha before the events happened.

BG is not separate from MB - it is part of the stiory, in the Bhishma Parva (chapter). But its contents are so different from the context of the rest of MB in spiritual nature that it was treeated as a separate text ubto its own right. Also, Krsna confirms he spoke BG to the Sun God many aeons ago so it is indeed like a diamond set into a golden crown - i piece of jewellery in its own right.