Jahnava Nitai Das

I recall a verse that mentions a 1 to 10 ratio for each caste compared to the next. This may not be literal, but a general idea that true brahmanas are a tiny percentage of society and vary rare. It had a ratio of 1 brahmana to 10 Kshatriyas to 100 Vaishyas to 1000 shudras. Maybe it was literal, maybe not. But the idea is clear.

Oddly enough, nearly all of those you listed are Shudras, with the exception of these three: Lawyer Historian Teacher Farmer for general use can fall into vaishya, but in practical terms (from what I've seen), most are shudras. They are just manual laborers who are hired to till the land, etc. At least that is what happens in India. As far as a secretary goes, I'm not sure what it would refer to, as there are a lot of possible concepts for that. If its just a clerk, then its a shudra as well.

The essential part of digested food is ‘rasa’ (called in English roughly as chyle). This rasa is primarily infused into food by the moon. In the Gita Lord Krishna states this as follows: pushnami caushadhih sarva somo bhutva rasatmakah "I become the moon and thereby supply the juice of life to all herbs." This "rasa" originating from the moon is the subtle energy of the plant. The moon is the predominating deity of the mind, and thus through the "rasa", the moon directly influences the mind of everyone. Another level of understanding is that the subtle form of food is refering to the congregate modes of nature involved. The Upanishads state: "From purity of food follows purity of mind." - Chandogya Upanishad, 7.26.2 Thus making it clear that the food one eats influences one's consciousness according to the modes associated with each. Another verse from Chandogya Upanishad states: "Mind is surely made of food, vital force (prana) is made of water, and speech is made of fire." - Chandogya Upanishad 6.6.5 This refers to the elements which power and influence the respective fields of activity. Speech is created from the fire within the stomach (that may require further explanation), Prana is composed of water and air (on the physical level), and the state of mind is formed based on the combination of gunas and rasa (i.e. the influence and the ingredients).

There is a verse either from Manu, Mahabharata or Chanakya (I just can't seem to recall the source, but its one of these three) that says of all food the best is meat (i.e. for creating fat), but better than meat is clarified butter (ghee). I was looking for the verse but couldn't find it. But I did come across a nice verse that isn't related to this topic. I will post it now otherwise later when I try to look up this verse I will find the verse I was looking for above. "Of curd when it is churned, that which is its subtle part rises upward and becomes clarified butter. In this very way, of food when it is eaten, that which is the subtle part rises upward and becomes the mind" - Chandogya Upanishad, 6.6.1-2

I find it funny that the people who recommend 8 hours of sleep for better health have no special data to support their claim, yet they attack the people who say 7 hours of sleep is better.

After rereading this thread, I have to agree that you should go with a tongue cleaner. You will be amazed at what it does.

And since time only manifests at the point of material creation, when we return there we would never have been gone.

In the Bhagavatam's description of creation, the time factor only influences material existence from the point of the Mahat-tattva (i.e. after the agitation of the pradhana). Vishnu, who exists beyond material influence has no limiting connection to this three fold illusory time.

In absolute reality there is no such thing as three features of time. The problem with this discussion is that we are trying to filter God through the limits of three aspects of time. If there was no past and if there is no future, then the question ceases to exist. In other words, "what if" time is a subjective experience of reality by a conditioned soul.

So basically the Mormons can convert the entire world of dead people without anyone objecting? Doesn't this make the whole process completely ritualistic. We don't even need to believe in their religion. Maybe after 500 years some Mormon will baptise me and I will be "saved".

Ultimately Krishna wanted the battle to take place, and it could not have happened without Karna on the side of Duryodhana. Everything was done to bring about this battle, for example Bhishma remaining silent when Draupadi was disgraced, etc. It could have been stopped at any time. But Lord Krishna's promise to Bhumi Devi was that He would remove the heavy burden of the kings from the face of the earth.

vedaham samatitani vartamanani carjuna bhavisyani ca bhutani mam tu veda na kascana "O Arjuna, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, I know everything that has happened in the past, all that is happening in the present, and all things that are yet to come. I also know all living entities; but Me no one knows."

I remember seeing occasionally on the news that some of the fake meat actually has meat products in it. Sound ridiculous, but true. They were basically some for of oversight. Like I remember one where a veggie weaner was vegetarian except for the thin covering around it which was animal product. Personally I can't see how anyone would want to eat something resembling meat. I nearly throw up if I just smell someone cooking it while walking in the road. And the fish market! That's a place I can't stand walking by. The smell is so bad I find it hard to believe people can actually think of eating it.

I failed the test. I counted only three. Second time through, after just reading that there were six, I still counted three. Then after reading about "of" i was able to get them. So I rate just above a large stone.

We just finished the ISKCON Ratha Yatra here in Mysore. I will try to post some pictures when I get time. Both in Bangalore and Mysore ISKCON conducts "Krishna Balarama" ratha yatra instead of Jagannatha Ratha Yatra.

I think this site may have something, but you may need to look around through it. http://www.bhagavad-gita.org

I think this site may have something, but you may need to look around through it. http://www.bhagavad-gita.org

Here is a nice website to visit: http://www.annamayya.org It focuses on the kirtans of Annamacharya. They have a nice flash introduction to the site.

Here is a nice website to visit: http://www.annamayya.org It focuses on the kirtans of Annamacharya. They have a nice flash introduction to the site.

And these "resident" demigods are not very high positions within the material hierarchy. Their life spans are quite short in relation to higher beings, some living just 10,000 years, and again falling to the earthly planet to be reborn. In actuality, they really aren't "the demigods" as far as common usage goes. For example they are not part of the 330 million devas mentioned in the scriptures. Just as some go to hellish realms to suffer the results of their karma, some others go to heavenly realms to enjoy the results of their karma. Both are quite unfortunate, for neither has a chance to progress spiritually.

Just to keep things clear, there are different categories of demigods. The one's who are being hinted at in the original question are not controlling devas. They are only "residents" of particular realms, such as Indra-loka. The higher controlling devas have shaktis, or consorts. Of course it is not so important, since they are not obliged to follow our laws or morality anyway, but just for the sake of stating it, they don't engage in anything we would consider immoral.

Inthe Bhagavatam there are two distinct levels of creation, known as sarga (primary creation) and visarga (secondary creation). In sarga, Maha Vishnu creates the sixteen principles of matter (senses, sense objects, mind, intelligence, etc.). These are the sixteen raw ingredients that make up the material existence. This sixteen is also seen as 24 items, 8 items, etc., according to other angles of vision. In the stage of visarga, or secondary creation, Brahma utilizes these sixteen principles to "create" the planets and their inhabitants. Thus Brahma is actually an engineer, manipulating ingredients provided by Maha Vishnu.

Every species has different codes of morality they must follow. Why should they be required to follow the rules of some other species? What if humans were required to follow the morality of animals? To the demigods, we are more or less animals.

Thank you for replying. Any particular reason you don't visit the ISKCON temple there? I agree that it is mostly Indians involved.

How is the Singapore ISKCON temple now? I was last there in 1994. I liked it a lot. Many nice devotees were there. I think they have moved since then, maybe even twice.