Jahnava Nitai Das

Chennai Couple Spends 15 Years Cleaning and Renovating Temples CHENNAI, INDIA, October 20, 2002: First inspired by the words of Adi Sankara, that once upon a time temples were the focal point of village life and that all social activities in a village revolved around the temple, B. Rajesh, his wife Rajani, their family and friends drove to a remote village where they stayed for a week. Their mission was to clean and renovate temples that had fallen prey to neglect and the passage of time. Rajesh, his family and their friends have been cleaning old temples for the last 15 years since hearing about a dilapidated Vishnu temple in Thirumazhisai near Poonamallee. "I still remember how the Vishnu temple looked when I first reached the place," says Rajesh. "We could hardly call it a temple. The face of Lord Vishnu was not visible at all. There were cobwebs everywhere and the whole place looked so dirty! We got all the more inspired to start work, and it went on for several weeks." News of the temple-renovating couple began to spread and they soon received calls from various villages requesting them to rebuild several dilapidated temples. Now, after 15 years of relentless work, they have renovated 50 temples in and around Kancheepuram district, a few kilometers south of Chennai.

Tirupati Temple Installs World's Largest Solar Cooking System Source: The Press Trust of India HYDERABAD, INDIA, October 1, 2002: The popular Hindu temple, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam, has set up a cooking system that is reputed to be the largest solar powered stove in the world. Deepak Gadhia, managing director of Gujarat-based Gadhia Solar Energy System Pvt Ltd which installed the system, says, "The system has been designed to cook 30,000 meals per day with steam generated by solar energy." The Devasthanam expects to save US$35,000 annually by using the energy-efficient design invented by Wolfgang Scheffer of Germany.

Vegetarian School Lunch Advocates Seek Hindu Endorsements SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, October 19, 2002: Project Healthy Beginnings, a coalition of parents, health professionals, environmentalists, and animal advocates, are working to pass legislation in the state of California that would provide for plant-centered menu offerings for school lunches. They are seeking Hindus who would be willing to endorse their program and help with their goals of healthful alternatives to the meat based school lunch programs. HPI readers can visit their web site for further information and find how they can help at "source" above.

Hindus Protest Plumbing Advertisement USA, October 18, 2002: American Hindus Against Defamation issued a press release today which reads in part, "Kohler Company, one of the most prominent plumbing supply companies, is using Lord Nataraja (a form of Lord Siva) in the form of a scantly clad woman and taking a shower to hawk its new shower products. The image in the Kohler advertisement appeared in The New York Times on Sunday, October 13, 2002. This image is unmistakably that of Lord Siva as Nataraja. The dancing pose, multiple hands, the hand gestures, the metaphor of water from shower too, resembles the flow of river Ganga (Ganges) usually depicted as flowing through Lord Siva. The tag line for the advertisement, 'There is a Goddess,' clearly indicates that the advertisement is no coincidence; it is an unequivocal indication that the image of Lord Siva was distorted and adopted for the advertisement purpose. AHAD is unhappy by the use of the image of Lord Shiva in such a disrespectful manner. AHAD requests the Hindu community to visit their web site and sign the protest book at 'source' above."

Sixties Leader Ram Dass Honored RHINEBECK, NEW YORK, October 5, 2002: Ram Dass, recognized as a New Age figurehead, was honored in Upstate New York recently where a library at the Omega Institute, a New Age retreat, was named for him. Ram Dass, formerly known as Richard Alpert, a Harvard professor fired for his experiments with LSD, met his guru in the 1960's in the Himalayan foothills. His guru, Shri Neem Karoli, initiated him as Ram Dass, meaning servant of God. After spending two years with his guru, Ram Dass returned home to America to spread Hindu teachings on compassion, meditation and dharma. He became famous in 1971 with the release of a bestselling book called "Be Here Now." American counterculture was attracted to Ram Dass who explored higher consciousness by meditation and mind-altering drugs. During the next twenty years, Ram Dass became a leader in many New Age communities before finally settling in Northern California. He spearheaded various humanitarian projects such as the Prison Ashram Project and the Hospice Dying Project. In 1997, Ram Dass suffered a stroke, which left him partially paralyzed. As a result of the stroke, which Ram Dass termed a spiritual wake-up call from his ascended guru, he has written a new book called "Still Here," a "how-to on soul consciousness in the face of aging and ill health". Kathleen Murphy, who was present at the Omega event, says, "He's helped existence make sense for me. Beauty and love pour out of him and the people associated with him." In an interview Dass says, "Reincarnation applies to all people everywhere, whether they accept if or not. There are people who want to use the name guru for me. When I hear that, I feel they just haven't seen a real one."

Survey Looks at American Religious Beliefs UNITED STATES, October 10, 2002: In a new survey of American religious beliefs, conducted by the conservative Christian Barna Research Group, 44 percent of those surveyed said, "The Bible, the Koran and the Book of Mormon are all different expressions of the same spiritual truths," while 38 percent of Americans disagreed with that idea. George Barna, president of the Ventura, California, based marketing research company, apparently alarmed at the results, said he thinks the results reflect an increasing inclusivity about faith among many Americans. "Christians have increasingly been adopting spiritual views that come from Islam, Wicca, secular humanism, the Eastern religions and other sources," he said in a statement. "Because we remain a largely Bible illiterate society, few are alarmed or even aware of the slide toward syncretism -- a belief system that blindly combines beliefs from many different faith perspectives."

Jail House Rocks With Bhangra-Rap OXFORDSHIRE, ENGLAND, October 11, 2002: Multiculturalism finally entered the grim world of England's famously-austere Victorian prisons on Thursday, but it marched to the sweet tones of the sitar and sang in Hindi. Two Jalandhar boys -- one behind bars, the other strutting the world stage as creator of bhangra-rap -- brought India to hundreds of petty criminals, murderers and white collar criminals in the first Asian music festival inside a Western high-security prison. The concert, part of Britain's prison reform and rehabilitation drive, took Steve Kapur into Her Majesty's Prison Bullingdon. South Asian prisoners are doubly benefited, said Katy Lewis of the the charitable Irene Taylor Trust, adding that research had found "Indians don't normally participate in prison events, but such a festival also helps the white prisoners understand their culture." Some of the Hindu prisoners (there aren't many) have formed a bhajana group. [Jndas: Indian culture brought to the prisons? ISKCON has devotees in cities such as Los Angeles who go to the prisons and teach Bhagavad Gita to the prisoners in hopes of reforming them with spiritual knowledge. I think people in such a dire situation really need the teachings of the Gita, not Bhangra Rap.]

Hindu Missionaries Head Overseas DELHI, INDIA, October 11, 2002: Nearly 600 years after the first Christian missionaries landed in India, brahmin priests are being readied at a seminary near Delhi to take their religion worldwide and defend "the rights of Hindus against conversion." Religious organizations aligned with India's Hindu nationalist-led government, committed to preserving Hinduism in its purest and most traditional form, said the priests would try and dilute the influence of Christianity on expatriate Hindus. Three brahmin graduates from the Hindu Heritage Parishthan at Modipuram, 70 km. from Delhi, left recently for the United States, Singapore and Mauritius. Their missionary work amongst overseas Hindus will last at least a decade. "Well versed in ancient scriptures, these priests are expected to spread the virtues of Hinduism and perform rituals for the Indian diaspora," said Shashi Sham Singh, head of the seminary. All entrants to the Modipuram Seminary are required to be proficient in Sanskrit and have a working knowledge of English. During nine months of training, at the end of which they are awarded a diploma, they study ancient texts, learn to perform complicated Hindu rituals like marriages, child-naming ceremonies and death rites. They also recite lengthy and complicated Sanskrit prayers from memory. "It is not only Hinduism the priests are taught, but also other religions to enable them to counter Christian arguments." [Jndas: It seems they are only interested in propagating the rituals of Hinduism."]

Miss America Told to Stop Advocating Abstinence WASHINGTON D.C., UNITED STATES, October 9, 2002: Miss America 2003, Erika Harold, Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Illinois, yesterday said pageant officials have ordered her not to talk publicly about sexual abstinence, a cause she has advocated to teenage girls in Illinois. "Quite frankly, and I'm not going to be specific, there are pressures from some sides to not promote [abstinence]," the 22-year-old woman from Urbana, Ill., told The Washington Times. In her first visit to Washington since winning the crown Sept. 21, Miss Harold resisted efforts by Miss America officials to silence her pro-chastity opinions. "I will not be bullied," Miss Harold said yesterday at the National Press Club. The pageant has tried for years to improve the image of Miss America to include brains as well as beauty, and now that they've succeeded, may be having trouble handling the results. Miss Harold has for years advocated premarital chastity, an ethical code equally valued by Hindus, in Illinois. After winning the Miss America crown, Miss Harold said a young girl from an inner-city Chicago school sent her an e-mail asking her to continue the abstinence campaign. "She said, 'You changed my life because of what you said, and now I made the decision to be abstinent.....I really hope that as Miss America you continue to share that because it changed my life and I think it can change lots of others.' "

Curry May Treat Radiation Burns ENGLAND, October 8, 2002: A spicy ingredient of many curries may be an effective treatment for radiation burns, according to a study. Researchers in the United States believe it may prevent skin blistering and redness associated with cancer radiation therapy. The compound, which gives the spice turmeric its yellow color, was effective in tests on mice. Turmeric is found in everything from mild Kurmas to the hottest Vindaloos. The crucial chemical -- curcumin -- has long been used as a traditional medicine. It is now being investigated for the treatment of colon cancer and Alzheimer's disease as well as burns. "If a nontoxic, natural substance can help prevent this damage and enhance the effectiveness of our radiation, that's a winning situation," said team leader Dr Paul Okunieff, chief of radiation oncology at the university. The spice is thought to work as an anti-inflammatory agent. It is said to have a number of other health benefits, such as aiding digestion and helping fight infection. Professor Andy Gescher of the department of Oncology at Leicester University, UK, is part of a team testing curcumin capsules on colon cancer sufferers. He believes there is anecdotal evidence to suggest that members of the Asian community in the city may be better able to resist colon cancer because they use the spice in cooking.

Molestation Charges at Catholic School in India CHENNAI, INDIA, October 7, 2002: Over the past one month, a strident anti-Christian movement has been building up in Rajasthan's Ajmer district, concentrated around schools run by missionaries. Today, a ceremony at Bhawanikhera Village, presided over by BJP Ajmer MP Rasa Singh Rawat, took it one step further when twelve Christian couples belonging to the Rawat Samaj were reconverted to Hinduism. The trouble began on September 9 when the hostel warden of St Martin Secondary School, Father Melvin D'Silva, was arrested on charges of pedophilia. Members of various Hindu organizations have been sitting on a dharna (sitdown strike) in the Bhawanikhera village square since, demanding a CBI inquiry into the case, compensation for boys who were allegedly molested by the priest, and the closure of all missionary schools in the district. A recent beating of a student by a vice-principal at St John¹s School has further aggravated the situation.

Brahmins Do Not Have Monopoly to Perform Temple Puja Source: The Hindustan Times NEW DELHI, INDIA, October 5, 2002: The Supreme Court has ruled that brahmins do not have a monopoly over performing puja in a temple and said a non-brahmin, properly trained and well-versed with the rituals, could be appointed as a pujari (temple priest). "As long as anyone well-versed and properly trained and qualified to perform the puja in a manner conducive and appropriate to the worship of the particular deity, is appointed as priest, no valid or legally justifiable grievance can be made in a court of law," the court said on Thursday. This ruling was given by Justice S. Rajendra Babu and Justice Doraiswamy Raju who upheld the appointment of a non-brahmin as pujari in Kongoopilly Neerikode Siva Temple at Alangad village in Ernakulam, Kerala. Justice Raju, writing for the Bench, said no doubt only a qualified person, well-versed and properly trained for the purpose, alone could perform pujas in the temple since he not only had to enter the sanctum sanctorum but also touch the icon installed therein.

Kashmiris Go On Strike over Falwell's Remarks SRINIGAR, INDIA, October 7, 2002: The Kashmir valley observed a total shutdown on Monday following angry protests by mobs protesting remarks reportedly made by a Presbyterian minister in the US against the Prophet Mohammed. A derogatory reference to the Prophet reportedly made by Rev. Jerry Falwell during a 60-minute interview on CBS television was published in the local daily Al-Safa News on Monday, angering a large number of Kashmiris. The daily published the entire interview, adding to the anger among the people. The local traders' federation joined the protests by calling for a shutdown of markets across the Valley. The public response was so spontaneous that markets, traffic, educational institutions and banks closed much ahead of the traders' appeal. Youths came out on roads and started throwing stones in downtown Srinagar, bringing life to a virtual halt in this densely populated area of the state summer capital.

American Students Do Not Want to Dissect Animals Source: New York Times NEW YORK, U.S.A., October 1, 2002: When 16-year-old Jennifer Watson of Baltimore was removed from her high school honors anatomy class because she refused to dissect a cat, the Humane Society stepped in and requested that dissection alternatives be offered at Kenwood High School. School officials relented when 20 protesters picketed outside Jennifer's high school. She was allowed back in her class and could perform computer simulated dissections. Jennifer said, "I've loved animals my whole life. I was standing up for what I believe in." Around the nation, increasing numbers of students are choosing to learn anatomy from computer simulations. The article says, "According to the Humane Society of the United States, eight states have approved opt-out policies - California, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. However, the National Association of Biology Teachers says, 'No alternatives can substitute the actual experience of dissection.' Wendell Mohling, a former biology teacher and associate executor of the National Science Teachers Association says, 'There were few suitable alternatives when I taught, but now there are some extremely sophisticated virtual technologies.' Lesley King, the Humane Society's director for education and animal welfare says, 'The Humane Society accepts the need for dissections in veterinary education, but urges schools to use only animals that have been euthanized because of illness or old age.' "

Akshardham Temple Reopens After Terrorist Attack GANDHINAGAR, INDIA, October 7, 2002: On Monday, the Akshardham temple complex at Gandhinagar was a picture of serenity. Throughout the day, people kept filtering in through the main gate and almost all visited the main temple and exhibition halls. Had the metal detectors and armed security personnel been absent, one would not have guessed that this was the site of a bloody militant attack. Opening as it did to the public after a fortnight, Akshardham was full of activity on Monday. The temple had been shut since September 24, when militants entered the complex and shot dead 30 civilians and three security personnel. It was re-opened to public under heavy security today. ''The temple has once again got an air of serenity and peace. Despite people knowing the temple is closed on Mondays, over 2,000 people visited since morning,'' said Jayesh Mankanda, a volunteer.

Singles Flock to "Swayamvaram" in Chennai CHENNAI, INDIA, September 28, 2002: In the days of yore in the country, kings adopted the custom of 'Swayamvaram' to allow their daughters choose their life partner. TamilMatrimony.com, an online matrimonial service, brought back the tradition of Swayamvaram to Chennai on Friday. It brought together parents of over 2,000 prospective brides from different castes within the Tamil community to find a match for their girl. Two days before the matchmaking event, the website provided parents with a list of prospective grooms looking for brides and vice versa. They also provided them with basic information like educational qualification, employment, emoluments, caste and the expectations from the life partner. The bride's parents congregated at a popular marriage hall in the city, where the prospective grooms' parents were provided numbers. These numbers were given to the parents of the brides so that they could interact and select the prospective groom for their daughter. A couple of astrologers were on hand to study the horoscope of the prospective groom once the parents of a girl found the boy of their preference. The event is being held over two days.

Greenpeace: Stop Global Warming or NY Submerges Sun Oct 27, 1:08 PM ET By Sugita Katyal NEW DELHI (Reuters) - By the year 2080, Manhattan and Shanghai could be underwater, droughts and floods could become more extreme and hundreds of millions of people will be at risk from disease, starvation and water shortages. That is the picture that a Greenpeace senior official painted of the future if the world failed to take urgent steps to curb greenhouse gas emissions and limit global warming (news - web sites). "We're talking of about the submergence of islands, submergence of Shanghai, the submergence of Bombay, the submergence of New York City," Greenpeace climate policy director Steve Sawyer told Reuters late on Friday. "Manhattan would be under water." Sawyer, who is in New Delhi for a 10-day annual U.N. climate change conference, said global warming would lead to the melting of the Greenland ice sheet, which in turn would cause a five to seven meter (16 to 23 ft) sea-level rise and the inundation of coastal regions. "Most coastal cities would be uninhabitable in their present forms...and that's a catastrophic change of the shape of continents." Some environmentalists have said that recent climate disasters around the world -- from droughts in India, Australia and the United States to floods in Europe -- have been graphic harbingers of some of the expected consequences of global warming. The U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has predicted that by 2100 global average surface temperature will be 1.4 to 5.8 degrees Celsius higher than it was in 1990. Sawyer said an increase in temperatures would lead to more extreme droughts and a rise in frequency and intensity of tropical cyclones. "What these temperature changes are going to do to the hydrological cycle, particularly in the tropics, is not a very pretty picture," he said. Between 2050 and 2080, tens of millions of people would be more at risk of malaria, coastal flooding and starvation and hundreds of millions of people would be at risk from water shortages, he said. Delegates from 185 countries are attending the climate conference, which is likely to be the last major climate meeting before the 1997 Kyoto Protocol (news - web sites) is expected to come into force early next year. The Kyoto Protocol aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the developed world by 2012 to 5.2 percent below 1990 levels. But the United States, the world's biggest air polluter, has refused to ratify the treaty, which it sees as flawed because it does not bind developing countries. It also says it would hurt the U.S. economy. The Earth Summit in Johannesburg earlier this year was widely criticized by environmentalists and vulnerable Pacific nations for barely touching on the problem of global warming. The United States was singled out for criticism

It would be nice if the bridge were named after Lord Rama. Even if it isn't the same bridge, it can remind us of the Lord.

It would be nice if the bridge were named after Lord Rama. Even if it isn't the same bridge, it can remind us of the Lord.

Hi Debbie, nice to see you register. Now everyone can get to know you more through your posts. I am sure there will be more replies to your question, just give it some more time. You can also look around through some of the older posts, you will find interesting information there as well.

Vrajamandala with Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj Part1: Mathura Krishnaloka is described in Srimad Bhagavatam (10.20.47): “From the transcendental realm which is called Krishnaloka, there emanates a glowing effulgence that resembles the tail of a comet. This glowing effulgence is unlimited, immeasurable and unfathomable. Within this effulgence there are innumerable glowing planets, each of them self-luminous. Somewhere, a limited part of that glowing effulgence is covered by material energy, just as a part of the sky is covered by a cloud. Within this material energy there are innumerable universes, in every universe there are innumerable material planets, and the earth is one of these planets. Thus we can understand what an insignificant part of the entire cosmos is this globe on which we live.” His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj reached Vrindavana on 14 October 2002 for the one month long Vrajamandala Parikrama. Speaking on the subject "Who will show us Vraja-dhama?", Srila Tirtha Maharaj ji said that only a tatvik-vrajavasi like Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarawati Goswami Thakur Prabhupad can give us the knowledge of Vraja-dhama. Quoting from Srila Prabhupad’s discourses of the 1932 Parikrama of Vrajamandala, Srila Tirtha Maharaj explained the significance of doing circumambulation of dhama. "This world is a perverted reflection of the spiritual world. All act as purushas and want to enjoy and lord it over others. If we want Sri Krishna to appear in our heart, we will have to make our mind Vrindavan. Unless we do this Sri Krishna will not appear. In Vrindavan, Sri Krishna is the only Enjoyer and Master. He is ‘Purushottama’, the highest Person, all else are His prakriti." Srila Tirtha Maharaj went on to describe how all the holy scriptures of India describe the glories of Vrajamandala, the land where Sri Krishna appeared 5000 years ago. Also known as Vrajabhumi or Vraja, the abode of Sri Krishna is the most sacred place of pilgrimage. ‘Vraj’, ‘Mathura’, ‘Vrindavan Dham’, not only refer to the place located in the cultural and linguistic region of Vraja situated on the banks of the Yamuna river in the present day Uttar Pradesh (U.P, India) but, in the spiritual sense, this is the celestial transcendental abode of the Supreme Personality of the Godhead, Sri Krishna. In the minds of devotees, there is no doubt that the spiritual abode of Krishna, descended as earthly Vrajamandala or Vraja-dhama. This terrestrial dhama is as much transcendental as the celestial abode. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has said that just as Sri Krishna is worshipable, His abode, Vrajamandala, is also worhsipable. Even the trees, creepers, rivers, ponds, streets etc., of Vrajamandala are as worshipable as the Lord. In Srimad Bhagavatam it has been stated, “Vrindavan-dhama is non-different from Sri Krishna because the Name, Form, Attributes and the Place where the Lord appears are all identical with the Lord”. In the words of the great Gaudiya poet sage, Sri Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami, "Vrajamandala manifests its true form only to those who look upon it with the eyes of love". We have to follow a pure devotee of Sri Krishna to get those eyes of love. Hearing from a bonafide sadhu is the best way of getting the true knowledge of the abode of Sri Krishna. On the evening of 16 October, Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj came to the first camp of this year’s Vrajamandala Parikrama, Mathura. Devotees from all over the world arrived for participating in the Parikrama, which commenced on 17 October. Mathura is one of the sapta-puris, the seven holy cities of India. All major Puranas mention the name of Mathura, but only the Ramayana and the Harivamsha Purana describe the origin of the place. Traditionally founded by Madhu Daitya, the city was rehabilitated by Sri Shatrughna, the youngest brother of Lord Rama, after conquering the region from Lavana, the tyrannical son of Madhu. The first reference to Mathura can be traced back to Atharva Veda in the sloka: ‘tadvishnu paramam padam sada pashyanti surya diviva chakshuratatam’. Long after the time of Shatrughna, there came the Shursena dynasty in which Lord Sri Krishna appeared in Dvapara Yuga. Mathura was widely known when Kamsa, the cruel king, made it his capital. Lord Sri Krishna rescued people from Kamsa. Later, Yudhishthir Mahraraj enthroned the great grandson of Sri Krishna, Vajranabha, who established the major temples of Vrajmandala. Most of these temples and their deities are still worshipped even today. (Humbly and anonymously submitted to us by members of GOKUL from Vraja-mandala parikrama)

Karttika Mahatmya [from 16th Chapter Hari Bhakti Vilasa The Glories of Offering a lamp during Karttika] Text 99 In the Skanda Purana it is said: “When one offers a lamp during the month of Karttika, his sins in many thousands and millions of births perish in half an eye blink.” Text 100 It is further said: “Please hear the glories of offering a lamp during then month of Karttika, an offering that is very pleasing to Lord Kesava. O King of brahmanas, a person who offers a lamp in this way will not take birth again in this world.” Text 101 “By offering a lamp during the month of Karttika one attains a pious result ten million times greater than the result obtained by bathing at Kuruksetra during a solar eclipse or by bathing in the river Narmada during a lunar eclipse. Text 102 O Tiger of sages, for a person who thus offers a lamp burning with ghee or sesame oil, what is the use of performing an asvasmedha-yajia? Text 103 “Even if there are no mantras, no pious deeds, and no purity, everything becomes perfect when a person offers a lamp during the month of Karttika. Text 104 “A person who during the month of Karttika offers a lamp to Lord Kesava has already performed all yajnas and bathing in all holy rivers. Text 107 “The ancestors say: When someone in our family pleases Lord Kesava by offering to Him a lamp during the month of Karttika, then, by the mercy of the Lord who holds the Sudarsana-cakra in His Hand, we will all attain liberation.” Text 108 It is further said: “By offering a lamp during the month of Karttika one burns away a collection of sins as big as Mount Meru or Mount Mandara. Of this there is no doubt. Text 111 “A person who offers a lamp during the month of Karttika attains a result that cannot be obtained with even a hundred yajnas or a hundred pilgrimages. Text 112 “Even a person addicted to all sins and averse to all pious deeds who somehow offers a lamp during Karttika becomes purified. Of this there is no doubt.” Text 113 “O Narada, no sin exists anywhere in the three worlds that will not be purified by offering a lamp to Lord Kesava during Karttika.” Text 114 “A person who offers a lamp to Lord Krsna during Karttika attains the eternal spiritual world where there is no suffering.” Text 120 “As fire is present in all wood and may be extracted by friction, so piety is always present in the offering of a lamp during the month of Karttika. Of this there is no doubt. Text 121 It is further said: “O King of brahmanas, when someone offers Him a lamp on the full-moon day of the month of Karttika, Lord Krishna, finding that He does not have sufficient money to repay that gift, gives Himself in exchange for that lamp. Text 124 In the Padma Purana it is said: “One who offers a steady lamp to Lord Hari during the month of Karttika enjoys pastimes in Lord Hari’s splendid spiritual world.

Please refer to the following thread for answers to your question: Why email addresses are hidden? The summary is: In the past one particular user [whose user name is three letters long] had gathered email addresses from the forums and sent unwanted messages to the users, almost daily. If you want someone to be able to contact you personally, you can add your email address in your signature.

How Great is Srila Prabhupada? by Swami B.G. Narasingha (Adopted from a talk given at Govindaji Gardens for the Vyasa Puja celebration of Srila Prabhupada. September 1, 2002) KRSNA TALK 37 ------------------------ If we enter the ocean by boat we can navigate our direction to a destination based on the stars. The stars are compared to so much knowledge found in the Vedas. One of those stars in the sky is called Dhruva-loka. In modern science Dhruva-loka is called the Pole Star or North Star. When we are in the ocean if we lose sight of that star, if we cannot see that star then we cannot benefit from all the other stars. We will be lost in the ocean. The Pole Star doesn't move. It is fixed in one place. As long as we can see the Pole Star, which never moves, than we can determine so many things by the other stars which are moving. But if we do not have a fixed bearing with the Pole Star then we are lost. Sri Guru may be compared to the Pole Star because with the help of the guru we can derive great benefit from the Vedic knowledge. But without the help of the guru we will be bewildered in our attempt to understand the Vedic knowledge. The Vedic knowledge is sometimes compared to a 'jungle of knowledge'. Not just an ordinary jungle but a very dense jungle. In this material world we are already in the jungle of material misconceptions. If we want to search for God then we must come out of misconception. To fulfill our search we may enter into the study of the Vedas. But if we study the Vedas without the help of the guru we may eventually come to conclude that there is no God. Or we may conclude that there are many Gods. Or worst of worst we may conclude that, "I am God. We are all God". In this way, without the help of the guru, we may become bewildered and meet with ultimate ruin. In the Vedic literature there are various opinions. In the Visnu Purana it says that Visnu is Supreme. In the Siva Purana it says Siva is the Supreme. In the Markandeya Purana it says that Durga is Supreme. And in the Upanisads it is mentioned 'aham brahmasmi' - 'I am Brahman'. So one may think that there are many Gods, or that there are so many Gods that there is no God at all. We may think that what the Vedas say cannot be true because there are too many apparent contradictions. Or we may take 'aham brahmasmi' as the ultimate conclusion and then conclude that we are all God. This is what happens to persons who study the Vedas without the help of the bona-fide guru. Srila Vyasadeva compiled the Vedas in four divisions, Atharva Veda, Sama Veda, Rg Veda, Yajur Veda. Then he compiled the Puranas and other literatures. Lastly he wrote Vedanta-sutra. Vedanta means the end of knowledge. After revealing so much knowledge Vyasadeva tried to bring his writing to an end, to the conclusion of knowledge. After he completed Vedanta-sutra however Vyasa still did not feel satisfied. He was not satisfied within himself. His mind was troubled. He crossed the ocean of knowledge but still he was not satisfied. Then the guru of Vyasadeva, Narada Muni, came and Vyasadeva inquired from his guru why he did not feel satisfied. Vyasadeva asked his guru why even after completing all the departments of knowledge he was not satisfied? Then Narada Muni said, "Actually you are a cheater. You have cheated the people of the world and you have done a very wrong thing. You have only indirectly described the truth in so many divisions and so many facets and even when bringing it to an end you are simply misleading the people." Then Narada instructed Vyasa, "Without directly coming to describe the lila of Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead you have not done justice to truth. Now you have to give the meaning of all these things in one book." Then Vyasadeva wrote the Bhagavata Purana, Srimad Bhagavatam. Bhagavatam is the natural commentary on Vedanta-sutra. The message of the Bhagavatam is summarized in the beginning, krsnas tu bhagavan svayam. So that is the meaning. Of all the Devas, of all the incarnations of the Supreme Lord, Krsna is the Supreme and original. Vyasadeva revealed in Bhagavatam that Krsna is the asraya-tattva. In other Vedic literatures Vyasadeva only revealed the asraya-tattva in part, not in full. If you are a ghost then Siva, who is known as Bhutanatha, is your asraya (shelter). Siva stays in the cremation grounds and he gives shelter to so many ghosts. In Kailasa also many ghosts are given shelter. If you are a materialist then Durga is your asraya. If we are a materialist then we get everything from this material nature by the grace of Durga. But when we are ready for the perfection of life, Vyasadeva revealed, "Narayana is the asraya-tattva, because Narayana resides in Vaikuntha, which is above this material world". But in Srimad Bhagavatam Vyasa revealed that the highest plane is called Goloka. Because Vaikuntha is above all the material world everything is under the shelter of Vaikuntha. Because Narayana is the Supreme Lord in Vaikuntha everything is under His shelter. Then Vyasa revealed, "If we journey to the highest place in Vaikuntha and look towards the spiritual sky, from there we will see a land known as Goloka Vrndavana." Goloka Vrndavana is above Vaikuntha and in that place Krsna is the Supreme, Sri Sri Radha-Krsna are Supreme (Krsna is the visaya [enjoyer] and Radha is the asraya [shelter]. Above Vaikuntha is Goloka Vrndavana and Krsna resides eternally in Goloka Vrndavana, giving shelter to all His devotees. Vyasadeva therefore described that the lotus feet of Krsna are the Supreme shelter of all living beings. Krsna confirmed this also - jiva bhuta sanatana. Krsna said in Bhagavad-gita that all these jiva's have come from Him. All living beings are His parts and parcels. He is their ultimate shelter. So the dearmost representative of Krsna comes to the world to represent this message of Vyasadeva -Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There have been many gurus in the world since the time of Vyasadeva, but all of them did not represent the ultimate conclusion of Vyasadeva. Someone may ask, "Is there any thing special about your Prabhupada, your Guru?" Naturally we will say, "Oh of course, about my guru there are many special things". Even if our guru never left the village in which he was born, still we will think that our guru has many special qualities. And if we are asked we will say, "My guru saved me from the ocean of ignorance. That is the special quality that makes our guru different from all others and especially dear to us." om ajnana-trimirandhasya jnananjana-salakaya caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri-gurave namah Without guru our eyes are sealed in darkness. We are born into darkness, into ignorance, but our guru opens our eyes with the torch light of knowledge. This common point we will find between all bona fide gurus and bona fide disciples. But about our Guru Maharaja, Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, we must say that there is a special characteristic found in him that is very rare and to this day we have not seen that it has been duplicated. And what is that? It is that previously what was only known in India and only in the most cultured spiritual sections of society -that thing which was only known there, he took that out of India to every town and village in the whole world. prthivite ache yata nagaradi grama sarvatra pracara haibe mora nama This is the prediction of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, that the Holy Name of Krsna will be spread in every town and village of the world. By the mercy and instruction of Srila Prabhupada, the Holy Name of Krsna was spread all over the world. From far away places in the North such as Siberia and deep into the Southern reaches of Africa and Australia, to China in the Far East and throughout the Western world -the Holy Name of Krsna and the worship of Sri Sri Radha-Krsna was carried everywhere under the guidance of Srila Prabhupada. A guru or a great acarya may spread Krsna Consciousness in a village or even in a state or a country but to spread Krsna consciousness throughout the whole world, that indeed is very rare. For example, Ramanujacarya, a very great Vaisnava saint, spread Visnu-bhakti in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra. When Ramanuja went to Kerala he tried to start there but they told him to leave. Ramanuja is considered to be the sakti of Ananta, still when he preached in Kerala they did not accept, they told him to go. Who can speak better than Ananta, who has a thousand mouths, and knows all the Vedas? But still Ramanuja was not successful in Kerala. There is a place called Tananur in Karnataka where Ramanuja debated with sixty thousand Jain philosophers and defeated them. At that time Ananta personally manifested through Ramanuja and defeated and converted the Jains. If we visit the Yoga Nrsimha temple in Tananur we will see one Deity of Ramanuja and behind him is Ananta. The Sthala-purana there says that on that day Lord Ananta Himself came there and with many mouths he was arguing many points with the Jain scholars and He defeated them all. So Ramanuja was indeed a very great personality, yet he could only spread his mission successfully in three states, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra. Another very great saint in India was Madhvacarya. He is considered to have been an incarnation of Bhima and Vayu. He was a very great philosopher, very learned and highly elevated spiritually. But Madhvacarya was only able to spread his mission successfully in Karnataka. Practically speaking, outside of Karnataka nobody has heard of Madhvacarya. Of course, on occasion he preached in Varanasi, but the people of Varanasi never became the followers of Madhvacarya. Varanasi remained what it had always been, a place of Mayavadi philosophers. Both Ramanuja and Madhvacarya were indeed very great personalities, but their spiritual influence was more or less regional. However, in the time of Srila Prabhupada he not only had an influence in a few states in India but he traveled around the world twelve times and successfully spread his mission very widely. Because of his preaching work the name of Krsna and Vaisnavism is known in almost every country in the world. With this consideration we may ask, "How great is Srila Prabhupada?" When the mission of Ramanuja, who held the sakti of Ananta, was successful in only three states and the mission of Madhvacarya, who is Bhima and Vayu combined, was successful in only one state then what is the power and greatness of that person who spread Krsna Consciousness throughout the whole world? How great is Srila Prabhupada? When Ramanuja and Madhvacarya toured India for spreading their missions they had to contend with the opposing elements of Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, the materialists, and the Mayavadi's. But when Srila Prabhupada went out into the world to spread Krsna consciousness he had to contend with all of the above and more. Especially the scientists, who hold a grip on the whole world, were a formidable opposition to Krsna consciousness, but Srila Prabhupada defeated them and many of them surrendered and became his disciples. Srila Prabhupada had to fight with many opposing elements and in countries where the culture was not at all favorable for spiritual advancement in Krsna consciousness. Yet he established over one hundred temples, asramas, and Krsna conscious communities throughout the world. With our mind we might try to imagine who he was, what power stood behind him, what is his eternal spiritual identity. Some of the greatest thinking Vaisnavas I have ever had the good fortune to meet considered that Srila Prabhupada was the sakti of Nityananda, of Baladeva. Ramanuja held the shakti of Ananta, but Ananta is an amsa of Baladeva. Amsa means a part - Baladeva is the source of Ananta. Baladeva means the spiritual potency of Godhead, the full spiritual potency and energy of Godhead. In Gaura-lila, Nityananda Prabhu and Baladeva are considered non-different. Many great transcendentalists in our times, who witnessed what our Guru Maharaja achieved, have concluded that he was the sakti of Nityananda Prabhu, a saktyavesa-avatara. That means that he was empowered with the sakti of Sri Nityananda Prabhu to spread Krsna consciousness throughout the world. Nowadays we may meet a big svami or a guru (especially in India) who has many disciples and when asked, "Who are you?" he will say, "I am Bhagavan, I am God!" or he may say "I am the Jagat-guru (the spiritual master of the universe)." But when our Guru Maharaja, Srila Prabhupada was asked "Who are you?" he would say, "I am the humble servant of my gurudeva. My only credit is that I am the obedient servant to the order of my guru. All the success that I have is due to the grace of my guru." Although it is the opinion of many great devotees that our Guru Maharaja was a saktyavesa-avatara of Nityananda Prabhu, still by his own words he considered himself to be the humble servant of his guru. Our Guru Maharaja had such a vision that he could see that the whole world could become God conscious, Krsna conscious, but still he considered himself the humble servant of his guru. If we have love for someone then we may naturally exaggerate their qualities, because that is the natural way of love. But even without any exaggeration due to our love for our Guru Maharaja if we say that Srila Prabhupada was one of the greatest saints to have ever come to this Earth, it cannot be taken as an exaggeration - his life and achievements stand as evidence for his greatness.

Sannyasa and the Jivanmukta Q & A with Swami B. V. Tripurari "Real nama bhajana is not a cheap thing. We must pay the price to attain this through service, self-abnegation, and sacrifice. Do not be afraid to sweep the temple, thinking you will miss something. Participation in Krsna lila is all service, regardless of what form it takes, therefore our prospect for entering there requires first and foremost that we develop a serving ego." Q. Yesterday, I was listening to a famous historical tape of Srila Prabhupada chanting japa. When I listened it seemed that Srila Prabhupada was not chanting the maha-mantra properly. It sounded like he was mostly skipping the "Hare Hare" at the end and going directly to "Hare Rama." Do you have an explanation for this? A. In the tape Prabhupada is chanting "Hare Hare" mentally because his tongue cannot move fast enough to taste the sweetness of the holy name of Krsna. Q. I have several burning questions that I hope you can clear up for me. I am a 24-year-old who is very interested in Advaita philosophy, but I lack the courage to renounce the world. What should I do? A. Some fear of renunciation is healthy. It is not a cheap thing. Still, you should spend some time in an ashram. Then you will get a better understanding of renunciation in general and its relationship to liberated life. Gaudiya Vaishnava ashramas teach and practice yukta-vairagya (balanced renunciation), which involves renouncing our false sense of proprietorship, as opposed to the renunciation of all that is considered material. In yukta-vairagya we learn how to utilize so-called worldly things in the service of Krsna, their true proprietor. You may find this attractive given the charm of Krsna and the dharma of his holy name as taught and exemplified by Sri Caitanyadeva. Q. There are myths of men with great wealth being able to achieve self-realization, such as King Janaka. It is also said that there are jivanmuktas among us who lead very normal, ordinary lives. Is this possible? A. Although it is possible, it is very, very unlikely that liberated souls live among us leading ordinary lives. While theoretically this possibility exists, the abuse of this theory has given rise to a number of so-called liberated souls, who, while living rather mundane lives, call themselves liberated and attract foolish followers. Look for a liberated soul who sets an example for others to follow by which they can become liberated. Persons like Janaka and other liberated men and women who did not adopt a posture of overt renunciation nonetheless lived extraordinary lives guided by scriptural principles. Q. In the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, the Master makes reference to how Vedanta and all the religious texts have been poisoned or tainted. Why would he say this? A. It is true that many scriptural texts have been subject to interpolation and perhaps this is what Ramakrishna was referring to. However, such statements should not be used to do away with scripture itself, as there is more than enough concurrence between various scriptural texts on essential spiritual truths. Scripture can also guide us in our own search for a living guide and save us from deception in the name of guru. If a person claims to be a Vedantist, he or she should be familiar with the scriptural theory of Vedanta, be it devotional or nondevotional, at least enough to represent it accurately and to live a life that exemplifies its theory. Q. Is it true that becoming a sannyasin is not necessary for self-realization and in fact may be an impediment to this goal, i.e. one can even become proud of being a sannyasin? A. Strictly speaking, the doctrine of Advaita as articulated by Sankaracarya requires that one be born in a brahmana family and then adopt the renounced order of sannyasa in order to attain liberation. However, many of the devotional sects of Vedanta, such as the Gaudiya lineage that I am affiliated with, do not agree with this. Krsna says in the Gita that the path to liberation, and more--attaining love for him--is open to all. Q. How will one jivanmukta know the other? There are so many tales of false gurus that I have become very wary of them all. A. It is said, "It takes one to know one." Scripture can also assist us in differentiating the false from that which is real. Therefore we should doubt anyone who dismisses scripture. Q. Should one remain a brahmacari while still struggling with sex desire or should one marry? A. If the desire for sex shows its face in brahmacari life, this does not mean one needs to abandon celibate life. However, one does need to learn how to refrain from acting on this desire in a way that is healthy. That is, without becoming psychologically dysfunctional. Q. Do jivanmuktas really have no fear of death? A. Yes, liberated souls still living within this world have no fear of death. Q. I read on the internet that sannyasis are not supposed to preach, but rather they are meant to live a renounced, secluded life and leave the preaching to householders. I would appreciate your comments on this issue. Here is some of what was posted on the subject: "The Apastamba Dharma-sutra, one of the most authoritative and ancient of the treatises on dharma, teaches that members of the sannyasa order do not preach. This is the description of sannyasa life from that text that distinctly says they should remain silent: 'Next the wandering ascetic. From that very state, remaining chaste, he goes forth and should live as a silent sage, without fire or house, without shelter or protection. Speaking only when he is engaged in private Vedic recitation and obtaining food from a village to sustain himself, he should live without any concern for this world or the next. Discarded clothes are prescribed for him. Some say that he should go completely naked. Abandoning truth and falsehood, pleasure and pain, the Vedas, this world and the next, he should seek the Self. When he gains insight, he gains bliss.' From this text we learn that preaching is not the domain of a sannyasi. Preaching, which is part of teaching, is the domain of the householder. Therefore the teacher or guru is supposed to be a householder. Sandipani Muni, Krsna's teacher, was a householder. Students always study with householders, not sannyasis. Sannyasis, in this postmodern world, have wrongfully usurped the role of householders. Better they get back to basic Vedic recommendations, give up begging and take off their sannyasa dress. Their arrogance and efforts to play a role they are unqualified for is bringing shame to Gaudiya Vaisnavism." A. Every Gaudiya Vaisnava sect has its renunciates, be they sannyasis, babajis, or whatever you want to call them. Their relationship with the householders is one of setting a spiritual example and preaching in exchange for which the householder feeds or gives monetary support. Supporting the monks is purifying for the householder and represents his self-giving, for a householder is identified with his possessions and earnings. Brahmacaris and vanaprasthas are also renunciates who are justified in accepting contributions for their upkeep from the householder community. How will brahmacaris survive as students if the householders are not funding the ashram? What is the householder supposed to do with his money other than spend it for service to Krsna and his devotees? If in Gaudiya Vaisnavism only householders can be gurus, then what about Gopal Bhatta Goswami, Narottama Thakura and so many other great Gaudiya acaryas who were not householders? Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, kiba vipa kiba nyasi sudra kene naya, yei krsna-tattva-vetta sei guru haya, "Whether one is a brahmana, a sannyasi, or a sudra--regardless of what he is--he can become guru if he knows the science of Krsna." (Cc Madhya 8.128) Mahaprabhu taught that it was irrelevant what dress the guru comes in. What was important to him was who had the spiritual substance to be guru. In this verse he says a sannyasi (kiba nyasi) can be guru. Did he mean a silent sannyasi guru? To say the least, the Apastamba dharma sutra is an obscure text for Gaudiya Vaisnavas. Does one verse from an obscure text tell the whole story? What did Madhva, Ramanuja, or Sankara think of it? These great acaryas were sannyasis. Did it stop them from preaching? Did it silence them? Did it silence Mahaprabhu? He was a sannyasi and he preached, as did the other sannyasis in his association. The abuse spoken of is an inevitable aspect of religious life. It is not a product of introducing sannyasa to modern-day Gaudiya Vaisnavism. How many householders from the jati gosai sects have exploited their congregation, living off them and collecting donations for temple repairs that are never completed even after enough money has been collected to rebuild the entire temple? And as for arrogance, any householder, and especially a learned one, can be as arrogant as a sannyasi. Q. What is your understanding of how Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura dealt with initiation and regulative principles? Did he require four rules and sixteen rounds of japa like our Srila Prabhupada did or did he require sixty-four rounds of japa for temple devotees and less for devotees living outside the temple? What were his standards for initiation and for sannyasa? A. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura expected his disciples to live a moral life, with a license for sexual indulgence restricted to marriage. He gave initiation to those in whom sraddha had developed after they were recommended for initiation by senior disciples and he gave sannyasa only to the brahmanas in his system of daiva varnasrama. Srila Sridhara Maharaja explained that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura expected his disciples to chant Hari nama as much as possible, but he laid more stress on service: service to Vaisnavas, the matha, preaching, etc. If due to circumstances on any particular day they had no service, they were expected to chant sixty-four rounds. He taught them not to let their mala fast, "malika upavasa na," but he also stated repeatedly that he did not consider sitting in the jungle all day chanting Hari nama to be krsnanusilanam. In this way he tried to save his disciples from degradation in the name of Krsna consciousness by keeping them busy in practical service and preaching, by which they would eventually become qualified to simply sit and chant remembering the lilas of Sri Krsnacandra. We should not be afraid that we will be unable to attain the adhikara (qualification) for nama bhajana if we are engaged in menial service. Real nama bhajana is not a cheap thing. We must pay the price to attain this through service, self-abnegation, and sacrifice. Do not be afraid to sweep the temple, thinking you will miss something. Participation in Krsna lila is all service, regardless of what form it takes, therefore our prospect for entering there requires first and foremost that we develop a serving ego. This is more important than becoming a tattva vit and it will save us from our imagination. Even within the lila we will render menial service under the direction of Sri Gurudeva to the associates of Sri Krsna who embodies our ideal. Service is our all and all.