Jahnava Nitai Das

Dear Sadhaka, There are ancient sciences that enable one to know the destiny one has created for himself in previous lives. Our future is based on the previous activities we have performed and the karmic reactions we have accumulated. At the same time, free will is powerful enough to overcome any fate that one may have, provided it is powered from a spiritual source. It is like the water flowing in a river. Generally the water will follow the river bed, and it will not flow above the river bank. But it is possible if there is enough force for the water to make a new path. Such an occurrence is very rare. Thus, if a man sees a river flowing, he can "predict" the path it will follow. It will naturally follow the riverbed towards the ocean. Our futures can be known in a similar manner, but 99% of modern astrologers do not know the actual science behind it. They are simply interested in making money from the public. Only a spiritually powerful person has the purity and honesty to be able to tell your future in truth. Yours in service, Jahnava Nitai Das, Bhaktivedanta Ashram

The reason why the Ramayana is present in every asian country is because the pastimes of Ramachandra took place in each of those countries in different Treta yugas. Rama's incarnation takes place in every Treta yuga, and in each incarnation the pastimes have slight variations, including the location of Ravana's kingdom. The most recent incarnation of Rama is recorded in the Valmiki Ramayana, in which Ravana's kingdom was the island of Lanka. The ancient island of Lanka actually has no connection with the present island of Ceylon. According to the Ramayana of Valmiki, Sri Lanka was located 800 miles south of the the Indian coast. If we take into account the geography mentioned in various puranas and ancient histories, we also see that the southern coast of India previously extended much further than it does at present. For example, there were three different cities that had the name Madurai in different periods. As the coast receded, each city became submerged in water, and a new "Madurai" was formed further inland. Thus, the exact location of where Sri Lanka was will be hard to ascertain, but certainly it was a distant land. That island of Lanka is no longer present, as it was submerged within the ocean. In other Treta yugas, Ravana's kingdom was located in other places, such as Indonesia and China. In Indonesia, Ravana's main form was that of a bear, and in China he utilized the body of a dragon. In Valmiki Ramayana we find that Ravana had a wife from every species of life, and he assumed suitable bodies to interact with them. But his original form in this Treta yuga was human-like. In the other Treta yugas his original form was not always human-like, as was the case in China and Indonesia. In the Puranas we also find descriptions of Rama avataras from other Treta yugas. There is even a conversation between Sita Devi and Rama, where Rama is refusing to allow Sita to enter the forest with Him. In response Sita Devi says, "If you don't let me come, You will be the first Rama who doesn't allow His wife to accompany Him into the forest." There are several other places where such conversations take place. The basic reason why the Ramayana is present in each asian country is because it is their own ancient history, whereas the Mahabharata and the Puranas are more centered on India. Even in the case of Mahabharata you find Russian tales about a man corresponding to Bhima. This is because Bhima visited Russia while collecting taxes for Yudhisthira's sacrifice.

Which comes to one of my points, and that is that Vedic culture is against "conjugal" relationships that are not "for life". Actually the marriage is supposed to last for seven lives, and there are certain vows, practices, etc., that are followed to assure that the partners remain together for the seven lives. I have to agree with Maitreya. Why must the relationship be "conjugal", and not brotherly. I love so many people as my brother, and our relationships are very close and strong. We should try to adjust our own consciousness rather than adjust the teachings to suit our mind.

The cows which Krishna personally tends and protects are not the mundane cows of this material world. They are the surabhi cows of the spiritual realm of Vaikuntha: lakshavrteshu surabhir abhipalayantam. The supreme transcendental realm is called 'Goloka' because it is the abode of 'go', transcendental cows, and 'gopa', transcendental cowherds. These transcendental cows are the greatest devotees of the Lord. Krishna also provides protection to the mundane cows of this world, but in an indirect way. For their protection he establishes the principles of religion and the Vedic culture. Krishna is the protector of dharma, but in order to accommodate the free will of the living entities, sometimes He allows dharma to become degraded, and as a result the cows (and the entire world) are mistreated. At such a time, the Lord will incarnate to reestablish the principles of religion. Of course the true protection the Lord gives his devotees goes much beyond this. He does not protect us from death, He actually protects us from life - life in this material existence. People with a very limited vision of existence think death is our enemy, and we must prolong this life as much as possible. But those with a spiritual vision understand that the soul is eternal, and he will continue his journey in his next body. As such, our need no longer becomes protection from death, as death! is nothing more than a passing phase of one body. We actually need to be protected from this life and attachment to its false bodily possessions. The Lord's protection is absolute. He is protecting each and everyone of us. Some people he protects from death, other's he protects from life. In both cases He is protecting them, because he is seeing to the protection of their eternal soul, and not just their external body. The entire material creation is for the protection of the living entities. Krishna is drawing us back towards His spiritual abode. From the perspective of eternal time, one life span, or even a thousand life spans, are not very significant. The actual purpose of the Lord's incarnations is to reclaim the fallen conditioned souls through His transcendental association. This is the Lord's true protection, which he gives very freely to the cows of Vrindavana. The cows of this world are the material reflections of the spiritual cows of Vaikuntha. As such, the Lord blesses them by basing the entire Vedic culture on their protection. The Vedic culture is centered on sacrifice, and for sacrifice one requires ghee. Thus it is the cows which allow man to worship the Lord through sacrifice. The cows provide man with milk, ghee, and curds, all of which were essential in the worship of the Lord. Now due to the influence of the age of Kali, sacrifice to the Lord has stopped, and as a result the cows are neglected, despite the immense service they perform for society. The Vedic literatures state that protection must be given to the weak and helpless living entities by the stronger members of society. It is the duty of a householder to protect and provide not only for one's family, but even for the ants that live within one's house. What to speak of higher living entities like the cow, who are at the mercy of their owners. The scriptures state that the cow is our mother. We drink the milk from the cow, therefore we must accept her as our mother and protect her. As such how can a civilized society allow violence to come to such helpless living entities, who sustain us all with their milk. All these rules and regulations in the scriptures are given by the Lord for the protection of the cows. When these rules are not followed, and when the world turns away from the injunctions of the scriptures by violating the rights of the helpless, at that time the Lord descends to reestablish the principles of religion, to punish the miscreants and to protect his devotees. Yours in service, Jahnava Nitai Das, Bhaktivedanta Ashram [This message has been edited by jndas (edited 08-28-2001).]

The limitation of the human being is due to its unfixed mind. The yoga system identifies the root cause of this, and provides a complete solution based on its system of yama (rules) and niyama (regulations). There are eight steps of the ashtanga-yoga system which gradually bring one up to the point of perfection (samadhi). Before one begins the breathing exercises (pranayama), the sitting postures (asana) and the meditation, one must first purify his existence through various rules and regulations. This is explained in the Vedas as follows: ahara-shudhau sattva shudhi sattva shuddhau dhruva-smritih smriti-lambhe sarva granthinam vipramokshah "By eating sanctified foods, one's existence becomes purified. By the purification of one's existence finer tissues in the memory become sanctified. When the finer tissues of remembrance become sanctified, all the knots within become untied." Thus the yoga system begins from the point of eating. We must regulate our selves starting with our food; and by this our existence becomes pure. As our existence is purified, the finer tissues in the memory develop. The knots in the nervous system become untied when the finer memory tissues are developed. Having come to this point one may actually begin yoga. Without coming to this stage of purification, any yoga endeavour is nothing more than gymnastics. One who has developed this qualification to undertake yoga already has crossed the limitations you have mentioned. Yours in service, Jahnava Nitai Das, Bhaktivedanta Ashram [This message has been edited by jndas (edited 08-28-2001).]

All our experiences of suffering and enjoyment are due to activities we have performed in previous lives. No one can trace out the origin of our embodiment, thus sometimes it is described as beginningless. We have gone through millions and millions of lives, sometimes as animals, sometimes as trees, and at present as human. The nature is designed to perfectly reward and punish us for the good and bad actions we perform. The Paramatma is the witness to all of our activities, and thus our results are perfectly calculated. Every suffering we undergo is because we have caused similar sufferings to other living entities in the past. Simply because we have forgotten the crime does not mean we are innocent. The laws of nature are so stringent and firm that they punish everyone regardless of one's present ignorance. If a small baby touches fire he will be burnt. His ignorance does not protect him from the fire. He may not know that fire burns, but the natural law i! s rigid and firm. In a similar manner, the laws of karma are firm and precise. Simply because of forgetfulness or ignorance we will not be pardoned for our incorrect actions. It is not only suffering, enjoyment is equally rigid. The young baby does not know what good he has done, yet he enjoys. This is the law of karma. It is actually the mercy of Krishna that we forget our previous lives. In the Gita Krishna says: mattah smritir jnanam apohanam ca, "I give remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness." Imagine if we were to remember every life we had gone through. Complete remembrance of all of our sufferings, all of our mistakes, all of the loved ones whom we had lost. Within one life our mind is so disturbed by thoughts of the past - anxieties, longings, sadness. We are unable to break attachments to matter voluntarily, so Krishna gives a second chance by suppressing these thoughts to a deeper level of mind, creating a blank sheet for us to start over. Imagine the minds of the murderers, criminals, and cruel people. We have been all of these categories, but by the mercy of God we have forgoten our evil actions. To know all of the sinful activities we have performed will drive a man insane. If I was the King of England in my last life, how would I feel today to be born in a poor family with no money or food? I would remember all of my previous habits and likings, yet I would not even be able to feed myself. If I had loved someone in a previous life, that longing would remain forever, despite that person no longer living. Forgetfulness of our previous lives enables us to start fresh with a clean slate. Why is one child born in poverty and another born in opulence. Why is one child born with a disease and another born healthy. It is all due to their actions in their previous lives. Ultimately we must become free from this cycle of birth and death. Only then can we truly experience our natural happiness. Even though the Lord has given us forgetfulness of our previous lives, still He gives us the opportunity to revive that knowledge if we wish. He has not erased the information, He has only suppressed it. Through a particular sadhana and meditation it is possible to bring back that knowledge, but it serves no practical purpose other than to increase one's attachments and anxieties. Yours in service, Jahnava Nitai Das, Bhaktivedanta Ashram [This message has been edited by jndas (edited 08-28-2001).]

Thank you for writing. There is a text by the name Bhavishya Purana (which means literally the 'History of the Future'), in which predictions of the present age of Kali are given. The book was written by the sages 5,000 years ago, before the Kali yuga began. Through their mystic vision they were able to foresee many events that would take place in the Kali yuga, and for the benefit of humanity they put them down in writing. Some of the events described include the appearance and activities of Jesus Christ (whom it is revealed came to India and spent much time at Puri in Orissa, as well as in the Himalayas), the appearance of Mohammed, and many others. Jesus is described as coming from the planet of the Sun, and is given the name Isa-putra or "son of God". Mohamed is described as coming from the Kailasha planet, which is the abode of Lord Siva. In both cases they were sent to establish non-vedic dharma to put a degraded civilization back on the track of God consciousness. Yours in service, Jahnava Nitai Das, Bhaktivedanta Ashram [This message has been edited by jndas (edited 08-28-2001).]

Brahman is the absolute truth. It possesses three spiritual qualities, namely eternality, knowledge, and bliss. Brahman is the cause of all causes, from whom everything comes, by whom everything is maintained, and into whom everything enters after dissolution. Brahman is spiritual, it is situated beyond material qualities and material duality. Some schools of philosophy consider Brahman to be impersonal, others consider Brahman to be the supreme original personality of Godhead. The Atma refers to the individual living entity as a spirit soul. The atma is one in quality with the Brahman, that is he is of the same spiritual nature, but in quantity he is infinitesimal. It is like a drop of ocean water and the ocean. Though a drop of ocean water may contain the same minerals as the ocean, we cannot consider the drop of ocean water to be the ocean. They are one in quality, different in quantity. There are unlimited individual atmas. Some philosophers consider the individuality of the atma to be eternal, others believe the atma eventually merges back into the Brahman and loses its individuality. The Brahman is like a fire, and the Atma is like the small sparks that fly out of the fire. Due to their microscopic nature, the small sparks have a tendency to be extinguished. In a similar matter, the infinitesimal atmas have a tendency to be overpowered and covered by illusion, or Maya. The illusion that covers the atma's true knowledge causes him to falsely identify himself as a product of matter. To accommodate the polluted consciousness of the soul, the nature creates a series of coverings, or koshas, moving from subtle to gross. The congregate of these coverings is what is generally referred to as the body. According to the pollution of the soul's consciousness he will be given a suitable body, either as a human, animal, plant, or any one of 8,400,000 species of life. Once embodied, the soul becomes entangled in a chain of actions and reactions, known as Karma. Every moment we are performing thousands of actions, even unknowingly, and these are all creating seeds of reactions which we must later experience either in this life or another. In order to properly receive our due reactions, the nature creates a new suitable body for us to enter at the time of death. Thus we are entrapped in a seemingly endless cycle of actions and reactions. Only by acting fully in the service of God, offering the fruits of all our actions to God, can we become free from the reactions, or karma. As one engages in the service of God, one's built up karmic reactions are slowly burnt up, and one becomes free from future bondage. By becoming free from the bondage of our karmas, and by realizing our true nature as a spirit soul (atma) distinct from the body, we remove the coverings of illusion (maya). When one is free from the illusion of false identification with the body and its possessions, and when one is resituated in his own spiritual form, that state is known as Moksha, or liberation. Some schools of philosophy believe that the atma becomes one with Brahman. Other schools believe the atma is an eternal individual spiritual person, and at the point of moksha he attains the spiritual abode of God, known as Vaikuntha. The main scriptural book followed by Hindus is the Bhagavad Gita. Other books, such as the Vedas and Upanishads, are mostly only used in rituals. These books are all written in a language called Sanskrit, which is no longer spoken in India. Sanskrit is somewhat similar to Latin in that most the scriptural texts are written in it, but very few people understand it. Modern western scholars date the age of these Vedic texts to between 1,000 and 3,500 years. In reality these texts are eternal. This Vedic knowledge is present in the ethereal space in all places and spanning all times. The original sound vibration pranava (Om) is the seed of all matter. The recitation of Vedic mantras can be heard in the ether even now through internal meditation. These texts are not authored, but revealed during one's meditation Yours in service, Jahnava Nitai Das, Bhaktivedanta Ashram [This message has been edited by jndas (edited 08-28-2001).]

I have no interest in populist opinion. Certain people have violated our policies, have misused our facilities, and have abused our users in various manners. We don't care what the populist opinion is in regards to such people. They will be banned, and will continue to be banned. It is relevant to note that there has never been a request by any of the banned individuals to be allowed re-entry into these forums. Their pride does not allow them to admit they have done something wrong. [This message has been edited by jndas (edited 08-28-2001).]

But what about general principles of sad-achara that should be followed by human beings. Principles of cleanliness, behaviour, etc., that are engrained in Vedic culture. I don't want to get into details, but its not clear where you or someone else would draw the line of proper conduct. Thats a personal topic, and not necessary to bring up, but to try to propogate anything different from Sri Chaitanya's ideal as Gaudiya Vaishnavism is improper. Just as there is no "Heterosexual Society for Krishna Consciousness", there need not be any other. For example, in vedic culture there is one marriage that occurs at the age prior to puberty. This marriage is a lifelong committment, and there is no question of separation. At the death of the husband, the wife takes the vidava vrata and becomes a renunciate widow. But in the west we find people are getting divorce, and remarrying countless times. In the Vedic system there is no remarriage, as only a "kanya" (virgin girl) may be married. Even the mantras in the sacrifice state that "this girl is a pure virgin", etc. Some westerners are not properly following the general principles of Vaidika dharma (which is purifying), what to speak of Sri Chaitanya's purified principles of transcendence. They are getting remarried and remarried, despite injunctions against it. And Chanakya says there is no greater enemy than a child's mother who remarries. Now, would it be proper for such people to create a "International Society for the Divorce and Remarriage of Gaudiya Vaishnavas"? It is an imperfection in them, and should not be propagated along with Sri Chaitanya's perfect ideals. They should not be condemned for their faults, as this world is a place full of faults. But neither should their faults be falsely propogated as harmonious to the topmost spiritual path of Sri Chaitanya, what to speak of as a superior path to traditional material conditionings.

I have just deleted and edited several messages to keep this conversation on track and civil. I am sorry if anyone disagrees.

This subject is quite vaste, and the answers would depend on the time period we analyse. For example, the present culture and religious practices in India are quite different from the ancient practices followed. There is a general decline and degradation of culture in India over the last 100 years, mostly due to the influence of western culture. As far as diet is concerned, the ancient scriptures of India prescribe what one should or shouldn't eat. Up until 100 years ago these were followed quite strictly in India. At present very few people continue to follow these principles. In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna gives a basic description of food and dietary preference by first classifying all food into three categories, namely goodness (sattva), passion (rajas) and ignorance (tamas). It is the Vedic belief that everything (whether it be food, work, sacrifice, charity, or any activity) can be classified within these three categories of material existence. Goodness leads one to knowledge, passion to suffering, and ignorance to darkness. ayuh-sattva-balarogya- sukha-priti-vivardhanah rasyah snigdhah sthira hrdya aharah sattvika-priyah "Foods dear to those in the mode of goodness increase the duration of life, purify one’s existence and give strength, health, happiness and satisfaction. Such foods are juicy, fatty, wholesome, and pleasing to the heart." katv-amla-lavanaty-usna- tiksna-ruksa-vidahinah ahara rajasasyesta duhkha-sokamaya-pradah "Foods that are too bitter, too sour, salty, hot, pungent, dry and burning are dear to those in the mode of passion. Such foods cause distress, misery and disease." yata-yamam gata-rasam puti paryusitam ca yat ucchistam api camedhyam bhojanam tamasa-priyam "Food prepared more than three hours before being eaten, food that is tasteless, decomposed and putrid, and food consisting of remnants and untouchable things is dear to those in the mode of darkness." It is advised that humans should eat only food that is within the mode of goodness, which generally refers to fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, etc. Such foods will keep one healthy, increases one's duration of life, and keep one's mind pure to focus on higher goals in life. Foods in the mode of passion are excessively spiced, too hot, bitter, etc. Such foods will lead to disease and sickness. Furthermore, these foods will agitate one's mind and make it difficult for one to control his senses. These foods should be avoided by humans, especially those interestested in spiritual life. Foods in the mode of ignorance are rotten, unclean, and untouchable. This includes meat, fish, and eggs, as well as old preparations and the remnants of eaten food. Such food is never to be taken by humans. Food in the mode of ignorance is full of bad karma, and it will cause disease, sickness and shorten one's life duration. These are the basic scriptural injunctions about food. Today very few people in India actually follow these principles very strictly. Perhaps 20% of the people avoid ignorant foods, while eating foods in the modes of goodness and passion, and a very small percentage of people eat only pure foods in the mode of goodness. Previously these percentages were reversed, with the majority of the population of India eating only pure foods in the mode of goodness. The ancient custom was that what ever one ate would first be offered in worship to God. As such, one had to eat only pure things which were allowed to be offered in worship (as dictated in the scriptures). Today this practice is no longer followed, and as a result people are willing to eat anything that doesn't jump off their plate. Yours in service, Jahnava Nitai Das, Bhaktivedanta Ashram [This message has been edited by jndas (edited 08-28-2001).]

In Hinduism the concept of the Supreme Being entails comprehension of three different divine features. Though each feature appears unique, factually they are one and the same Supreme Person. This is described in the Vedic text known as Bhagavata Purana as follows: vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam yaj jnanam advayam brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti sabdyate "The Absolute Truth is realized in three phases of understanding by the knower of the Absolute Truth, and all of them are identical. Such phases of the Absolute Truth are expressed as Brahman, Paramatma, and Bhagavan." These three features, known technically as Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan can be understood as follows. Brahman is the all-pervasive impersonal form of God; Paramatma is the localized form of God within the heart of every living entity; and Bhagavan is the personal form of God who resides in His spiritual abode. These three features are factually the same Supreme Person. This can be understood by a simple analogy as told by our spiritual master Srila Prabhupada: "These three divine aspects can be explained by the example of the sun, which also has three different aspects, namely the sunshine, the sun's surface and the sun planet itself. One who studies the sunshine only is the preliminary student. One who understands the sun's surface is further advanced. And one who can enter into the sun planet is the highest. Ordinary students who are satisfied by simply understanding the sunshine-its universal pervasiveness and the glaring effulgence of its impersonal nature-may be compared to those who can realize only the Brahman feature of the Absolute Truth. The student who has advanced still further can know the sun disc, which is compared to knowledge of the Paramatma feature of the Absolute Truth. And the student who can enter into the heart of the sun planet is compared to those who realize the personal features of the Supreme Absolute Truth." There is another story on similar lines: There once were three brothers who lived in a village. They had never gone to the city before, and they had no understanding of what a train was. One day they went to the city to see for themselves what a train was. As they waited they heard the sound of the train's whistle, and they turned to another man and asked, "Is that the train?" And the man answered, "Yes." Hearing this one of the three brothers returned to his village and told everyone that the train is the sound of a whistle. The other two brothers, not being convinced with the answer, waited, and soon they saw the head light of the train in the distance. They turned to another man and asked, "Is that light the train?" The man replied, "Yes." Hearing this, one of the brothers was satisfied, and he returned to his village and explained how actually a train is not just a sound, but a bright light as well. After waiting some more time, the third brother saw the train pull into the station, and he was surprised at what he saw. There were doors and compartments, and so many people getting in and going out! There were food vendors, and ticket collectors, old men and young children! There was so much variety. After seeing this he was satisfied and he returned to his village to inform everyone what a train actually was. It wasn't just an impersonal sound or a localized light. It was complete variety. Thus the Supreme Person possesses three unique features, one impersonal and all-pervading, one localized within the hearts of all living entities, and one as a supreme individual residing in His spiritual abode. To understand the Absolute Truth, one must comprehend all three of these features simultaneously. Yours in service, Jahnava Nitai Das, Bhaktivedanta Ashram [This message has been edited by jndas (edited 08-28-2001).]

God resides in everyone's heart as the Paramatma, accompanying the individual living entity. In the Gita Lord Krishna states this as follows: isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrid-dese 'rjuna tisthati bhramayan sarva-bhutani yantrarudhani mayaya "The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy." As the Paramatma, the Lord's function is that of an observer and witness. He sees the activities of the individual living entity, but does not interfere in his actions. He directs the wanderings of the living entity by providing knowledge, rememberance and forgetfulness to the conditioned soul according to the souls desires: sarvasya caham hrdi sannivisto mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca "I am seated in everyone's heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. " The activities manifested through the body have no connection with the Paramatma. They are manifested by the desires of the individual living entity (jiva-atma). In every body there are two souls, the individual living entity (jiva-atma) and the Supreme Lord (paramatma). The individual soul is eternally dependent on the Lord, thus even to fulfil his material desires he requires the assistance of the Paramatma. Even to reject the the Lord, he requires the help of the Lord. The Paramatma is equal to all, for He is situated beyond the dualities of good and bad. In the Gita it is stated: samo 'ham sarva-bhutesu na me dvesyo 'sti na priyah ye bhajanti tu mam bhaktya mayi te tesu capy aham "I envy no one, nor am I partial to anyone. I am equal to all. But whoever renders service unto Me in devotion is a friend, is in Me, and I am also a friend to him." The Paramatma is equal to all and situated beyond all material activities. The individual soul, on the other hand, is covered by the modes of nature (gunas), and thus according to his conditioning within these modes he may manifest good or bad desires, which lead to good or bad activities. This conditioning within the modes has been built up over countless lives, from time immemorial. At every moment we are increasing our conditioning within various modes of nature by our activities and association. Those who are influenced by the mode of goodness (sattva-guna) have a tendency to perform good activities. Those who are influenced by the lower modes of passion and ignorance (rajo-guna and tamo-guna) have a tendency to commit sinful activities. The Paramatma witnesses the activities of all the living entities so that He may award the appropriate results to everyone through their karma. The individual soul is only the knower of his own individual body, but the Paramatma is the knower of all bodies simultaneously. Though He appears to be situated in many different bodies, actually He remains as one. It is just like the sun, which appears to be overhead no matter where one stands. For a man in India, the sun appears to be directly overhead, and for another man in China, the sun also appears to be overhead. In a similar manner, the Paramatma appears to be situated separately in everyone's heart. The deviation of the soul from the Lord traces back beyond time. Originally we were all Krishna conscious living entities situated in the eternal spiritual realm of Vaikuntha. In the realm of Vaikuntha there is only one Lord, and all others are servants. Those who develop a desire to be the Lord are given this material world where they may fulfil that desire. Factually, being parts of God, we are all servants. It would be foolish for the hand to want to become independent from the body. Such is the situation for the soul who wishes to be separate from the Lord. The Lord, being full of love, provides this material world to the deviant soul for two purposes, to allow the soul to act as the Lord of matter and thus fulfil his desire, and to provide an environment where the soul can realize his proper position as a part of God. The entire material existence is like a university which the soul may utilize to come to the proper understanding of who he is - an eternal servant of God. It is the duty of the part to serve the whole. A part of the body must act to serve the entire body. A member of a country must act to serve the country. A family member must act to serve the family. This is a universal law which functions naturally. The individual souls, being part and parcel of God, have a duty to serve God. When they carry out that duty, they are properly situated. When they choose to ignore the absolute whole, and instead develop selfish desires, at that time they are given this material world. The individual soul, being quite atomic or infinitesimal, very soon becomes entangled in his fantasy world. Though he comes hoping to be the Lord of matter, he ends up becoming it's servant. At that time the Lord incarnates to again put him on the proper path of education and enlightenment. Yours in service, Jahnava Nitai Das, Bhaktivedanta Ashram [This message has been edited by jndas (edited 08-28-2001).]

The tilak is an external symbol of our surrender to Krishna, or to our object of worship. The shape and material used may differ according to the particular process of surrender the sampradaya follows. In the Sri Vaishnava sampradaya the tilak is made out of the white mud found in anthills. The scriptures tell us that the mud from the base of a Tulasi plant and the white mud from within the ant hill are both pure and best for making tilak. The Sri Vaishnavas will draw two lines representing the feet of Sri Narayana, and in the middle they will put a red line to represent Lakshmi Devi. The red line was originally made from a red stone found within the ant hill. The ants would usually make their ant hill on top of these red stones. When you rub the stone in water, a red color paint is formed. The category of Shakti is generally represented with the color red in all lines, both Vedic and Tantrik. Because the Sri Vaishnava sampradaya begins with Sri Lakshmi Devi, and because they approach Narayana only through Lakshmi, their tilak reflects this process of surrender. The tilaks of each sampradaya actually depict the siddhanta of the sampradaya. In the Vallabha sampradaya the tilak worn is generally a single vertical red line. This line represents Sri Yamuna Devi. The form of Krishna worshipped in the Vallabha line is Sri Nathji or Govardhana. The consort of the Govardhana hill is the river Yamuna. Their process of surrender goes through Sri Yamuna Devi. In the Madhva sampradaya the tilak is made out of Gopichandana mud from Dwaraka. Two vertical lines are made out of Gopichandana to represent the feet of Lord Krishna. This gopichandana tilak is nearly identical to that used in the Gaudiya sampradaya. In between a vertical black line is made from the daily coal of the yajna-kunda. In their sampradaya, the process of worship involved nitya-homa, or daily fire sacrifices to the Lord. The remnant coal of the puja was taken each day to mark the forehead. Underneath the black line, a yellow or red dot was put to indicate Lakshmi or Radha. Those who did not perform daily fire sacrifice would only put the simple gopichandana tilak. In the Gaudiya sampradaya the tilak is usually made out of the Gopichandana mud. Some lineages prefer to use the mud from Vrindavana. The main tilak is basically identical to the Madhva tilak. The slight difference arises due to the emphasis on nama-sankirtana, or the chanting of the Lord's names. In Sri Chaitanya's line, nama-sankirtana is the yajna to be performed in kali yuga, and not the daily fire sacrifice performed in the Madhva sampradaya. As such, the black line made from the ash of the fire sacrifice is not applied in the Gaudiya sampradaya. The second difference arises due to Sri Chaitanya's process of approaching the Lord. In the Gaudiya line one does not approach Srimati Radharani directly, but always indirectly through the servant. To indicate this, the red dot representing Radha is replaced with a tulasi leaf offered at the base of the Lord's feet. Only with the mercy of Tulasi Devi can we develop pure devotion to Sri Sri Radha and Krishna. In the scriptures there are very general descriptions of the procedure for applying tilak. For example it is mentioned that the tilak should be urdhva-pundra, or vertical lines; the body should be marked in twelve locations, etc. But these instructions are very general and leave a lot of the details to the acharyas. Even in a simple point, such as the location of the tilak, one person may interpret the 'shoulder' to start from the arm, where as another may interpret it to start higher up near the neck. This is actually the case in the two branches of the Sri Vaishna sampradaya. The actual design of the tilak will manifest either through divine revelation or through scientific study. An example of divine revelation is the Gaudiya lineage of Sri Shyamananda. Radharani revealed a portion of her broken bangle to Sri Shyamananda, which he used in applying tilak to his forehead. As a result, his followers apply a unique design of tilak from other branches of the Gaudiya sampradaya. In other cases, an acharya may scientifically analyze the sampradaya siddhanta and compare its compatibility with the tilak they wear. The external purpose of the tilak is to differentiate the followers of a sampradaya from other classes of philosophers, just as one branch of the armed forces wears a uniform to differentiate itself from the other branches. In such a case, the tilak may change when there occurs a shift or branching of the sampradaya due to philosophical views. The newly formed branch may re-analyse the tilak in connection with its siddhanta and make changes that fully reflect their process of surrender. Such is the case among the two branches of the Sri Vaishnava sampradaya. Due to a difference of opinion in regards to the process of surrender, two distinct tilaks emerged. In any case, the ultimate purpose of tilak is to sanctify oneself and mark the body as the temple of the Lord. The scriptures do not specify in detail the manner that this should be done, and as such it is the acharyas who crystalize the procedures while adhering to the general prescriptions given in the scriptures. Yours in service, Jahnava Nitai Das, Bhaktivedanta Ashram [This message has been edited by jndas (edited 08-28-2001).]

Dear Sri Satish, Thank you for your question. When we speak of life in the very general sense, it refers to the chit-shakti, or the quality of consciousness. Each and every living entity possesses this chit-shakti, and this is what distinguishes the living from the non-living. What is this consciousness? It is the awareness of our existence. In the conditioned state, that awareness is focussed on our external body, which in reality is not our true self. On the spiritual platform pure awareness is focussed on our eternal identity as a spirit soul (atma). In the liberated state the awareness of our existence is on three aspects, namely eternality (sat), knowledge (cit) and bliss (ananda). One's duty is directly related to one's consciousness, or one's awareness of life. According to one's perceived designation one will have a specific duty to perform. Thus one's duty will vary according to one's identification of the self. If someone identifies himself with the body, his duties will be in connection with his body. If I think I am American, then my duty will be to serve my country. If I identify myself as a human, then my duty is to serve humanity. The problem with such duties is that they are based on false identification, for factually we are not our bodies. Thus the results of performing such duties are nothing more than the cultivation of continued ignorance. If one identifies himself as a spirit soul, part and parcel of God, then one's natural duty will be to serve God. Since this duty is based on the true identification of the self as an eternal spiritual entity, such service leads us from the darkness of ignorance to the light of knowledge. This duty in relation to the soul is known as sanatana-dharma (eternal duty) because our true identity as a spirit soul is eternal. On the absolute platform the spiritual duty is the only duty we actually possess. All other duties have been created in our mind by false identification with matter. True duty is absolute and non-changing. This is the actual meaning of dharma, "that quality which cannot be separated from an object". For example, it is not possible to separate liquidity from water, nor can we take heat away from fire. These are the intrinsic qualities of water and fire. That quality which is intrinsic to the soul, which can never be separated from the soul is known as sanatana-dharma. What is that quality which can never be separated from the soul? That is the quality of servitude. We see practically that everyone in the world is constantly engaged in service to others, either willfully or reluctantly. This service is a reflection of our original eternal duty to serve God. When we purify our service attitude by selflessness and focus it on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that service fulfills our eternal duty. To attain this stage of perfect selfless service to the Supreme Lord is the ultimate goal of life. In that position our consciousness becomes fully aware in three aspects - eternality, knowledge and bliss. In summary, I will again restate the answers to your questions: "What is life?" Life is consciousness, awareness of our existence. "What is one's duty?" One's ultimate duty is to engage in loving service (bhakti) to the Supreme Lord. "Does it vary according one's profession, situation, circumstances & atmosphere?" All of these external designations are material, and thus temporary. Our true eternal duty has no connection with such external designations. Since in our conditioned state service to God is done through our external body, we must harmonize our temporary bodily duties with our eternal spiritual duties, knowing the proper value of each. I hope this has answered your question. Please feel free to write for further clarification. Yours in service, Jahnava Nitai Das, Bhaktivedanta Ashram [This message has been edited by jndas (edited 08-29-2001).]

Dear Sri Adithya, Thank you for writing with your question. If we consider that the atma is one and the same as the nondual Brahman (absolute truth), the entire scenario makes no sense whatsoever. Why would something which is non-dual, perfect and complete, transform itself by creating the illusion of duality and thereby limit itself - all for the purpose of getting back to its original state of nonduality? How can something that is purely nondual ever attain a state of duality. The very concept of duality would not exist in an absolutely nondual existence. And if the absolute is being covered by illusion (maya), what is the source of that maya (since in this model the absolute is nondual), and how can illusion be able to cover the absolute truth. This would make the maya, or illusion, as supreme, and not Brahman - a concept refuted in all Vedic scriptures. There are countless inconsistancies with the concept of a nondual absolute limiting itself. In reality, though it may not be accepted by popular thought, the scriptures do not establish a purely impersonal and nondual absolute truth. Throughout the Vedic texts the individuality of the individual soul (atma) and the Supreme Soul (paramatma) is stated to be eternal. For example in the Gita Lord Krishna states: mamaivamso jiva-loke jiva-bhutah sanatanah manah-sasthanindriyani prakrti-sthani karsati "The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind." In this verse Lord Krishna describes the individual living entities as amshas, or parts. Yet he qualifies it by the word "sanatanah", or eternal. The living entities are eternally part and parcel of Lord Krishna. Never was there a time when they did not exist as individuals. "jiva-bhuta sanatanah" - their state as jivas, or individual living entities, are eternal. This is further established in many other places in the Gita, for example (2.12): na tv evaham jatu nasam na tvam neme janadhipah na caiva na bhavisyamah sarve vayam atah param "Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be." The origin of the living entities bondage in matter goes back to time immemorial. Being parts (amshas) of God it is the soul's duty to serve God, just as the hand, which is part of the body, must serve the entire body. This relationship between the soul and God is eternal. Among the countless souls existing within the spiritual realm of Vaikuntha, a tiny fraction develop a desire for themselves be the whole. It is something like the hand desiring to be independent from the body. It is nothing but a foolish concept, for a separated hand is a dead hand. For those few souls who desire to be the controller (and not the controlled), the Lord provides them with a situation in which they can simultaneously fulfill their desire and come to realize that they are in fact a part of the absolute. This realm provided to the living entities is the material manifestation. It is a manifestation of the Lord's love for the living entities. Even though they desire to become independent form the Lord, it is factually impossible for anything to be independent of Him. Thus He utilizes His maya potency to cover this fact from the living entities so that they can actually feel and experience as though they are independent controllers. The entire material manifestation is a product of the Lord's love for the living entities. It is like a cosmic university, the aim of which is to become educated and graduate. The supreme father sends some of his children to this cosmic university, knowing one day they will graduate and return to Him. Sometimes when a student goes to study in a distant university, he feels as though he is independent of his father and able to act on his own, but factually all of his bills and maintenance are being taken care of by his father. His independence is an illusion. The same is the case for the spirit souls in this cosmic university. Yours in service, Jahnava Nitai Das, Bhaktivedanta Ashram [This message has been edited by jndas (edited 08-29-2001).]

Thank you for writing with your question. There are a total of 8,400,000 species of bodies that the soul may occupy. It is not that the soul will only enter into another human body. It may occupy any of the 8,400,000 species acording to its overall consciousness at the time of death. Though there may have been less humans on earth 100 years ago, we cannot count how many ants, pigs, dogs, and trees there were at that time compared to now. Thus such an analysis is futile, as measuring the existence of life is beyond the conception of man. Sometimes one species may be predominant, and at other times it may be another species. This just reflects the overall sum consciousness of the universe. We must also keep in mind that there are countless planets, and countless universes as well. The soul may attain a destination beyond this earthly planet, and souls from other realms may return to the earth planet. When we take into account all of these factors, the variation in population of a particular species over time becomes easy to understand. Yours in service, Jahnava Nitai Das, Bhaktivedanta Ashram [This message has been edited by jndas (edited 08-29-2001).]

Sanjaya fought in the battle, and was one of the few to return from the battlefield. He was the last person that Sahadeva was going to kill, but Arjuna stopped him and said, "No. He is our friend. Let him go and report to the old, blind man, Dhritarashtra." So Sanjaya left the field of battle. On the way he met Duryodhana before reaching Hastinapura. But there is also another description in the Mahabharata, where Sanjaya is sitting in Hastinapura and speaking to Dhritarashtra while the battle is going on. How is it possible that Sanjaya is fighting on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, and simultaneously speaking to Dhritarashtra in Hastinapura. It was by the mercy of Vyasa that he was able to expand himself into two forms and act in both places simultaneously. In those times it was not such an impossible task, especially for those who were direct disciples of Vyasadeva. The Gita uses the words vyasa-prasadat. By the mercy of Vyasa it was possible. Yours in service, Jahnava Nitai Das, Bhaktivedanta Ashram [This message has been edited by jndas (edited 08-29-2001).]

In the Mahabharata there is mention of kings who were outside the levels of "civilization" who took part in the Great War. They would belong to the 10th, 11th, and 12th varnas. Vedic civilization is based on four varnas (divisions of society), but there are people who do not fit within these four. They can not measure up to this high standard. The scriptures list a total of twelve designations, the four vedic varnas, and eight additional non-vedic varnas. In the battle of Kurukshetra, Duryodhana took all of the lower fighters onto his side. It is stated that none of them fought on the side of the Pandavas. Their warfare was throwing rocks and other very primitive actions. Among all of the great maha-rathas, the astra fighters, these others were completely primitive. For example, they would go into the elephant division of an army and make the elephants sick. They were humans, but in comparison to the maha-rathas they were like insects. Duryodhana sent many such people to disturb Bhima’s movements. Bhima was such a high-class physical fighter that when he saw these groups of people walking with rocks, trying to hit him, he would become very much agitated. It would make him do things which were completely inordinate. Because he was physically too powerful, he would get upset and throw everything everywhere. Just to disorganize him Dhuryodhana was using them. They would go and bite the elephant’s legs, and because their teeth were poisonous, the elephant would faint. This was their fighting. They wouldn't go in front of the elephants like Bhima and hold them by the trunk to throw them. They would walk under the elephants, and do all kinds of annoying things like putting needles in the elephant's tail. In contrast to the great heros fighting in the war, like Drona and Kripa, who used their powerful astras, these others were exactly like insects. Yours in service, Jahnava Nitai Das, Bhaktivedanta Ashram [This message has been edited by jndas (edited 08-29-2001).]

Parashurama was killing ruling kshatriyas, which means rulers of all the fifty-four countries that made up Bharata-khanda and the Aryan empire. There is an Upa-purana which deals only with Parashurama lila. There it is mentioned the names of whom he killed, and they are all within these fifty-four countries. Parashurama would kill only the kings, nobody lesser than the kings. But the kings had their armies with them, so ultimately everyone was killed. Afterwards there was no kshatriya left to whom the planet could be given, so Parashurama had to give it to the brahmanas. When you take these fifty-four countries, it means you have the entire world. In the rest of the world there were only subservient kings who ruled under any one of these fifty-four. Especially the distant kings, like after Kaikeya (Afghanistan) up-to the middle of Europe; those kings ruled the rest of the continents. If there was a king ruling in Kashyapa's tank, which is today the Caspian Sea, then he was also ruling out to the Northern and Western side of Europe. And those people who were ruling under the Sun flag in Japan, which at that time used to be a part of the "other land", they were ruling the previous America, which was in the Pacific ocean. If you take the fifty-four countries, those kings, then you have all the six continents. The other lands were colonies and subservient kings of these Aryan kings. In those other lands the varnashrama was either two-thirds or one-thirds practiced. Accordingly, those rulers were like chiefs. They were not like kings. They collected tax, they paid tax and then they enjoyed their ruling. For example, the present Borneo, which used to be Parana Dvipa, or the present Fiji which which used to be the Ramanika Dvipa. They were kings who were not in the Sun or Moon dynasties. They were kings who were working under the rule of the fifty-four kings. When we say world we must also understand that we are not talking about the world map which is presently in existence. In the ancient times the geographical regions were completely different. We are not talking about the present world. England was not an island; it was a part of Europe. We are speaking of an ancient time, long ago. The geographical regions were very different. They did not have to travel three months by ship to go to America from Europe. That was not the way. The way was by land through the eastern side. Yours in service, Jahnava Nitai Das, Bhaktivedanta Ashram [This message has been edited by jndas (edited 08-29-2001).]

To understand this answer we must study the philosophy of the history of the world, especially in reference to political geography - the various lands and countries. At the time of Yudhishthira Maharaja the whole planet, all the six continents, were ruled under one flag. This rule lasted until Yudhishthira Maharaja. Before that it was even more perfect, and the Bharata-khanda or India was from the Caspian sea up to Cambodia; and in the north, if you want to see in regards to the present countries, you can say from Lithuania to seven thousand miles south of Cape Comorin (in South India). That is what is meant by Bharata-khanda; that is fifty-four countries, the "India"; and then there are other countries apart from India. India was made up of these fifty-four countries, and there were also other countries existing at that time. In those other countries the varnasrama was not perfectly practiced. In India (Bharata-khanda) this varnasrama (Vaidhika-dharma) was perfectly in practice. After the Mahabharata war, and after the "dark age" in between there was a lot of mixing up - people leaving from here and coming back from there. So we find that remnants are there only in India. You can practically say that even in India now it is not there. So, if in India it is not there, then you can understand why in other places it is not there. India is the heart of varnashrama, but the heart itself is in a bypass surgery stage. So, naturally the rest of the body must be mute. It’s only a question of the changes of time. For example, today, due to the spreading of Krishna consciousness, varnasharama is being more perfectly practiced in the western countries than in India itself. So this is all due to the changes of time. If you look back in history, you can see that it was the other way before. It is not that the varnashrama belongs to one country. Civilization starts with varnashrama. Sometimes civilization in one part of the world may be high, and sometimes in another part it may be high. In which ever it is high or low, the closest remnants will be seen in the heart. This is why it looks like varnashrama, or caste, or anything is Indian; but that’s not so. Anywhere in the world there is natural divisions - intellectual class, administrative class, business class and working class. That’s what varnashrama means in its essence. However you see it, it is only when people are civilized that it is functional; but if they are not civilized it is not functional. Civilized means with a spiritual goal for life. This is the indication of civilization. But when that goal is not spiritual, when it becomes materialistic, then naturally the divisions of varnashrama end up as castes, tribes, clans and the like. It again changes wherever the spiritual goal is pinpointed in a human civilization. There the varnashrama becomes the first sign of civilization, the division of society. But this is only if the spiritual goal is put as the target. When discussing varnasrama we must understand the two classifications, namely daiva (spiritual) varnashrama and arthika (material) or asuri varnashrama. Daiva varnashrama is the perfect ideal which we are talking about. Even in ancient India, it was not that it was always daiva varnashrama being practiced. That is always fluctuating. And sometimes it is even found that the demons follow daiva varnashram more perfectly. For example, at the time of Mahabali, the asuras were following daiva varnashrama more perfectly than the devas. This is why they were successful. So there are many details we must take into account. The idea that varnashrama belongs to a particular geographic area is not correct. It is something to do with the culture of a civilized society. They may not be having the same name, but still, it is varnashrama. If the society is distinctly divided into the intellectual class, administrative class, business class and working class, even though they may not be using the Sanskrit words, it is still varnashrama. It may not be consisting of the rituals and other things, such as purificatory processes (samskaras) etc., but still it is the same. Yours in service, Jahnava Nitai Das, Bhaktivedanta Ashram [This message has been edited by jndas (edited 08-29-2001).]

I would tend to disagree on this. In North India Krishna is much more popular than Vishnu in terms of personal worship, and the same is the case in East India. Only South India has a stronger Vishnu tradition, the rest of India is attached to Krishna.

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