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gHari

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  1. Maybe someone has already mentioned this here, but an offense to a vaisnava is an offense to Sri Krsna. Therefore the vaisnava will be angered, but not because it's an ego maintenance issue. Aparadha means distancing oneself from Radha. She does not like it when someone exhibits a poor attitude towards Krsna or Her servants' servants who are engaged in Her plans to please Him. She turns Her back and walks away. Even the demigods will react, plummeting offenders into the beastly regions of material existence. So one should not think that aparadha does not exist - for in essence, only aparadha and its antithesis, bhakti exist. Like it's just bad karma, dude.
  2. <a href=http://vedabase.net/sb/1/2/19/en target=new>Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.19-20</a>: <center> tadA rajas-tamo-bhAvAH kAma-lobhAdayaz ca ye ceta etair anAviddhaM sthitaM sattve prasIdati </center> tadA--at that time; rajaH--in the mode of passion; tamaH--the mode of ignorance; bhAvAH--the situation; kAma--lust and desire; lobha--hankering; AdayaH--others; ca--and; ye--whatever they are; cetaH--the mind; etaiH--by these; anAviddham--without being affected; sthitam--being fixed; sattve--in the mode of goodness; prasIdati--thus becomes fully satisfied. As soon as irrevocable loving service is established in the heart, the effects of nature's modes of passion and ignorance, such as lust, desire and hankering, disappear from the heart. Then the devotee is established in goodness, and he becomes completely happy. PURPORT A living being in his normal constitutional position is fully satisfied in spiritual bliss. This state of existence is called brahma-bhUta [sB 4.30.20] or AtmA-nandI, or the state of self-satisfaction. This self-satisfaction is not like the satisfaction of the inactive fool. The inactive fool is in the state of foolish ignorance, whereas the self-satisfied AtmAnandI is transcendental to the material state of existence. This stage of perfection is attained as soon as one is fixed in irrevocable devotional service. Devotional service is not inactivity, but the unalloyed activity of the soul. The soul's activity becomes adulterated in contact with matter, and as such the diseased activities are expressed in the form of lust, desire, hankering, inactivity, foolishness and sleep. The effect of devotional service becomes manifest by complete elimination of these effects of passion and ignorance. The devotee is fixed at once in the mode of goodness, and he makes further progress to rise to the position of VAsudeva, or the state of unmixed sattva, or zuddha-sattva. Only in this zuddha-sattva state can one always see KRSNa eye to eye by dint of pure affection for the Lord. A devotee is always in the mode of unalloyed goodness; therefore he harms no one. But the nondevotee, however educated he may be, is always harmful. A devotee is neither foolish nor passionate. The harmful, foolish and passionate cannot be devotees of the Lord, however they may advertise themselves as devotees by outward dress. A devotee is always qualified with all the good qualities of God. Quantitatively such qualifications may be different, but qualitatively both the Lord and His devotee are one and the same. <center> evaM prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogataH bhagavat-tattva-vijJAnaM mukta-saGgasya jAyate </center> evam--thus; prasanna--enlivened; manasaH--of the mind; bhagavat-bhakti--the devotional service of the Lord; yogataH--by contact of; bhagavat--regarding the Personality of Godhead; tattva--knowledge; vijJAnam--scientific; mukta--liberated; saGgasya--of the association; jAyate--becomes effective. Thus established in the mode of unalloyed goodness, the man whose mind has been enlivened by contact with devotional service to the Lord gains positive scientific knowledge of the Personality of Godhead in the stage of liberation from all material association. PURPORT In the Bhagavad-gItA (7.3) it is said that out of many thousands of ordinary men, one fortunate man endeavors for perfection in life. Mostly men are conducted by the modes of passion and ignorance, and thus they are engaged always in lust, desire, hankerings, ignorance and sleep. Out of many such manlike animals, there is actually a man who knows the responsibility of human life and thus tries to make life perfect by following the prescribed duties. And out of many thousands of such persons who have thus attained success in human life, one may know scientifically about the Personality of Godhead SrI KRSNa. In the same Bhagavad-gItA (18.55) it is also said that scientific knowledge of SrI KRSNa is understood only by the process of devotional service (bhakti-yoga). The very same thing is confirmed herein in the above words. No ordinary man, or even one who has attained success in human life, can know scientifically or perfectly the Personality of Godhead. Perfection of human life is attained when one can understand that he is not the product of matter but is in fact spirit. And as soon as one understands that he has nothing to do with matter, he at once ceases his material hankerings and becomes enlivened as a spiritual being. This attainment of success is possible when one is above the modes of passion and ignorance, or, in other words, when one is actually a brAhmaNa by qualification. A brAhmaNa is the symbol of sattva-guNa, or the mode of goodness. And others, who are not in the mode of goodness, are either kSatriyas, vaizyas, zUdras or less than the zUdras. The brahminical stage is the highest stage of human life because of its good qualities. So one cannot be a devotee unless one at least qualifies as a brAhmaNa. The devotee is already a brAhmaNa by action. But that is not the end of it. As referred to above, such a brAhmaNa has to become a VaiSNava in fact to be actually in the transcendental stage. A pure VaiSNava is a liberated soul and is transcendental even to the position of a brAhmaNa. In the material stage even a brAhmaNa is also a conditioned soul because although in the brahminical stage the conception of Brahman or transcendence is realized, scientific knowledge of the Supreme Lord is lacking. One has to surpass the brahminical stage and reach the vasudeva stage to understand the Personality of Godhead KRSNa. The science of the Personality of Godhead is the subject matter for study by the postgraduate students in the spiritual line. Foolish men, or men with a poor fund of knowledge, do not understand the Supreme Lord, and they interpret KRSNa according to their respective whims. The fact is, however, that one cannot understand the science of the Personality of Godhead unless one is freed from the contamination of the material modes, even up to the stage of a brAhmaNa. When a qualified brAhmaNa factually becomes a VaiSNava, in the enlivened state of liberation he can know what is actually the Personality of Godhead.
  3. <center>akarma</center> akarma-kṛt — without doing something; BG 3.5 akarma — inaction; BG 4.16 akarma — inaction; BG 4.18 akarma-hetum — the cause of the end of fruitive activities; SB 5.6.14 akarma-kṛt — without performing action; SB 6.1.44 akarma-kṛt — without doing anything; SB 6.1.53 akarma — freedom from fruitive results; SB 8.1.14 akarma — failure to perform such duties; SB 11.3.43 akarma — nonperformance of prescribed duties; SB 11.7.8
  4. "our thought and action comes from Nature- which is expressed by the gunas." That doesn't sound right to me somehow. The divine flows from Krsna as Paramatma thru the atma thru the intelligence thru the mind thru the senses. Krsna describes it as <a href=http://vedabase.net/bg/10/10/en target=new>buddhi-yogam</a>. The Vedas speak of the body as being like a chariot that is drawn by the horse senses controlled by the mechanism of the mind reins and driven by the intelligence. When the reins are in the hands of Sri Krsna, then the horses are nicely controlled.
  5. Bhagavad-gita As It Is 2.45: <center> trai-guNya-viSayA vedA nistrai-guNyo bhavArjuna nirdvandvo nitya-sattva-stho niryoga-kSema AtmavAn </center> trai-guNya--pertaining to the three modes of material nature; viSayAH--on the subject matter; vedAH--Vedic literatures; nistrai-guNyaH--transcendental to the three modes of material nature; bhava--be; arjuna--O Arjuna; nirdvandvaH--without duality; nitya-sattva-sthaH--in a pure state of spiritual existence; niryoga-kSemaH--free from ideas of gain and protection; Atma-vAn--established in the self. The Vedas deal mainly with the subject of the three modes of material nature. O Arjuna, become transcendental to these three modes. Be free from all dualities and from all anxieties for gain and safety, and be established in the self. PURPORT All material activities involve actions and reactions in the three modes of material nature. They are meant for fruitive results, which cause bondage in the material world. The Vedas deal mostly with fruitive activities to gradually elevate the general public from the field of sense gratification to a position on the transcendental plane. Arjuna, as a student and friend of Lord KRSNa, is advised to raise himself to the transcendental position of VedAnta philosophy where, in the beginning, there is brahma-jijJAsA, or questions on the supreme transcendence. All the living entities who are in the material world are struggling very hard for existence. For them the Lord, after creation of the material world, gave the Vedic wisdom advising how to live and get rid of the material entanglement. When the activities for sense gratification, namely the karma-kANDa chapter, are finished, then the chance for spiritual realization is offered in the form of the UpaniSads, which are part of different Vedas, as the Bhagavad-gItA is a part of the fifth Veda, namely the MahAbhArata. The UpaniSads mark the beginning of transcendental life. As long as the material body exists, there are actions and reactions in the material modes. One has to learn tolerance in the face of dualities such as happiness and distress, or cold and warmth, and by tolerating such dualities become free from anxieties regarding gain and loss. This transcendental position is achieved in full KRSNa consciousness when one is fully dependent on the good will of KRSNa. Bhagavad-gita As It Is 4.20: <center> tyaktvA karma-phalAsaGgaM nitya-tRpto nirAzrayaH karmaNy abhipravRtto 'pi naiva kiJcit karoti saH </center> tyaktvA--having given up; karma-phala-AsaGgam--attachment for fruitive results; nitya--always; tRptaH--being satisfied; nirAzrayaH--without any shelter; karmaNi--in activity; abhipravRttaH--being fully engaged; api--in spite of; na--does not; eva--certainly; kiJcit--anything; karoti--do; saH--he. Abandoning all attachment to the results of his activities, ever satisfied and independent, he performs no fruitive action, although engaged in all kinds of undertakings. PURPORT This freedom from the bondage of actions is possible only in KRSNa consciousness, when one is doing everything for KRSNa. A KRSNa conscious person acts out of pure love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore he has no attraction for the results of the action. He is not even attached to his personal maintenance, for everything is left to KRSNa. Nor is he anxious to secure things, nor to protect things already in his possession. He does his duty to the best of his ability and leaves everything to KRSNa. Such an unattached person is always free from the resultant reactions of good and bad; it is as though he were not doing anything. This is the sign of akarma, or actions without fruitive reactions. Any other action, therefore, devoid of KRSNa consciousness, is binding upon the worker, and that is the real aspect of vikarma, as explained hereinbefore.
  6. God ultimately arranges the fall of Kings into the bodies of worms in pig stool. Sickness, death, and a host of unpleasantness are required from time to time to perfect the soul. This world is no place for a gentleman. Are we to blame God for free will and the law of karma? Why do we sometimes remember Him and sometimes our hearts are hardened into forgetfulness? BG 15.15: <center> sarvasya cAhaM hRdi sanniviSTo mattaH smRtir jJAnam apohanaM ca vedaiz ca sarvair aham eva vedyo vedAnta-kRd veda-vid eva cAham </center> sarvasya--of all living beings; ca--and; aham--I; hRdi--in the heart; sanniviSTaH--situated; mattaH--from Me; smRtiH--remembrance; jJAnam--knowledge; apohanam--forgetfulness; ca--and; vedaiH--by the Vedas; ca--also; sarvaiH--all; aham--I am; eva--certainly; vedyaH--knowable; vedAnta-kRt--the compiler of the VedAnta; veda-vit--the knower of the Vedas; eva--certainly; ca--and; aham--I. I am seated in everyone's heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas, I am to be known. Indeed, I am the compiler of VedAnta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.
  7. If you are honest you will find many similar events in the Vedas which seem cruel from a mundane perspective. What is His ontological position as established by Yahweh? What is His ontological position as established by Christ? What is the ontological position established by Krishna? What did Jesus teach?
  8. Good Sir, you wag your tongue, yet know not what Jesus taught. Is this not hypocrisy? First show me that you know what you are talking about, then maybe I will correct your drivel for you. You do not deserve to hold an opinion. A wise man knows when he is not qualified. A fool speaks loudly like a drunk in total illusion. Even the most naive Christian can see that you are a fool - will they accept Vishnu too as a fool? Or hopefully will they think "this man has nothing to do with Vishnu"?
  9. The only way to stop the offenses of the Christians is to make them good Christians. Then I guess it follows that the only way to stop the offenses of the Vaishnavas is to make them good Vaishnavas. Somehow we have to get them all beyond the words.
  10. So it was about money. That's why you never even tried to understand what Christ's message was. Integrity can be purchased. Cheap.
  11. SB 3.26.26p One great AcArya, Narottama dAsa ThAkura, has lamented that when one deviates from pure consciousness of VAsudeva, or KRSNa consciousness, he becomes entangled in material activities. The exact words he uses are, sat-saGga chADi' kainu asate vilAsa/ te-kAraNe lAgila ye karma-bandha-phAGsa: "I have given up the pure status of consciousness because I wanted to enjoy in the temporary, material manifestation; therefore I have been entangled in the network of actions and reactions."
  12. Krsna. Sometimes only one word covers it. Just look at that picture. What a wonderful lady. Krsna, please cradle this sweet one tenderly.
  13. New words are entering the atmosphere everywhere. Even the hillbilly rube with a TV and rabbit ears knows the word "KARMA" now. Many know the name "Krishna". Other words entering our ears and vibrating our tongues around the world include "DHARMA" and of course the limitless sanskrit names found in India's emigration wave. "Rama" has been in the atmosphere for a long time in the West at subliminal levels, paving the way. Do your share.
  14. Centuries ago a gigantic glowing meteor fell from space into the Indian Ocean. The water warmed and gradually the currents carried that heat throughout each ocean of the planet. Soon your local beach will begin to steam, all from the original impact of that heavenly body. It's happening. Dip your toe anywhere - feel the heat wave.
  15. Just breathe. I enjoyed it the other day from the tubes favorites thread, and even more twice today, putting a face to the song. Elegant, classy, smart, beautiful, poised - what's not to like? I hope she becomes popular. She has a lot to offer the world - certainly more than Britney and her stripper pole. But I guess we all have a part to play. Even Britney received Lord Caitanya's darshan at the LA temple a while back. But I'm still an Avril guy; I've got high hopes for that little pure-hearted munchkin.
  16. You defeated yourself in your very first response when you said your words were not from Paramatma, demonstrating that you had no real understanding of vaisnavism to begin with. So how can you see when you are defeated? Your time would be much better spent trying to execute your own religion rather than this half-hearty attempt to defame one you are not familiar with. You simply look foolish, like a five year old ridiculing quantum physics. First know quantum physics, then speak.
  17. And your execution of vaisnavism leaves much to be desired, raghu. It is known as mental speculation, devoid of any contact with the Supreme, simply mental gymnastics. Bound up with the false pride born of acquiring material knowledge they become offensive to real religion and those established in a loving relationship with God. Have you ever heard of Parasurama, your all-loving Vishnu who slayed twenty-one generations of ksatriyas? You have been defeated three times; still you remain incorrigible. For such a hard heart, only the special mercy of a sadhu can take you beyond the words that hide the truth so well from you. Krsna has no interest in your mind.
  18. I'd heard that for five grand one could buy a mud hut on the banks of the Ganges with a cow and a garden and live forever.
  19. Why do you give a flying duck about what we nasty Gaudiyas think? Don't pretend you're doing all this out of concern for our welfare. It's all childish ego maintenance. You aren't intelligent enough to understand your opponents' position. Or Caitanya's position or for that matter Krsna's position, so how could you possibly understand the words of Jesus, for they are all the same truth? Take your bag of words and play in the corner by yourself. Build a staircase to God with them. Always so clever they are, but never quite clever enough.
  20. Thank you for the source, Sarva gattah. My fingers must have been tongue-tied the last time I tried searching for it: London, August 6, 1973 "That is KRSNa consciousness. We have to learn how to act only for KRSNa, how to love only KRSNa. Then our life is successful. And the human life... Because we have also come down from VaikuNTha some millions and millions of years ago. AnAdi karama-phale. AnAdi means before the creation. We living entities, we are eternal. Even the creation is annihilated after millions and trillions of years, the living entities, they are not annihilated. Na hanyate hanyamAne zarIre [bg. 2.20]. They remain. So when this whole cosmic manifestation will be annihilated, the living entities will remain in the body of ViSNu. Then when again another creation will take place, they will come out again to fulfill their desires. The real desire is how to go to home, back to Godhead."
  21. Aboard the Santa Maria with the Nina and Pinta in tow we were set upon by pirates rounding the Cape of Good Hope. They looted us and burned our sails leaving us adrift in the middle of nowhere. Somehow I learned to sail by programming the ship's windows to catch the breezes. But eventually, still in the middle of nowhere, I gave up. It was hopeless. Then suddenly, when I least expected it, my destination appeared as we washed onto the shores of Vrindavana.
  22. And here is our problem. We are accepting Christianity without Jesus. We are looking to the religion of the philosophers, the strawman build over the centuries by man. Any fool can disassemble that joke. But for those who have ears can hear the true religion from the words of Christ. Anyone who accepts Srila Bhaktivinoda but not Srila Bhaktisiddhanta and Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami is simply a joke and cannot be taken seriously. You know, raghu, if you spoke about something other than this antichrist rant you might have some credibility but you appear simply like a hate-monger, an uninformed insincere hate-monger intent on venting your dislike for that group of people. I don't think you know what is vaisnavism let alone Christianity. So of course you're confused.
  23. Yes, unfortuntely for too many, that is what it has become, all watered-down to practically nothing, to a frosty Noël that thaws too quickly.
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