Maitreya

I told them to give those Naga babas some more space at Kumbha-mela.

Thursday, June 7, 2001

86 Human Skulls Found at Bus Stop

CALCUTTA (Reuters) - Police in the eastern Indian state of

West Bengal found 86 human skulls at a bus stand after

complaints of a stench coming from an unclaimed bag.

"All the skulls were neatly sawn off and some had some brain

tissues sticking to them," Sanjay Chander, superintendent of

police of the Darjeeling district, told Reuters Thursday.

Police said they had no idea who the victims were, who had

cut their heads off or why. No arrests had been made, they

said.

The skulls were found Wednesday in Siliguri city, some 600

km (375 miles) north of the state capital Calcutta.

"Initial investigations indicate some of the skulls were cut from

the body 5 to 6 months ago," Chander said.

The skulls have been sent for forensic tests, he said.

leyh's question on Prabhupada's rings reminded me of this story that Srutakirti wrote down for us all.

--------

Srila Prabhupäda’s Sandal And The Monkey

During this time, Srila Prabhupäda stayed in a room on the second floor of the Radha Damodara Temple. I do not remember why he didn’t stay in his usual two rooms on the ground floor. His rooms on the second floor opened onto a large, concrete deck which formed the roof of his quarters on the first floor. In Vrindavan, most of the buildings are made of brick and concrete so the roof is usually a flat, smooth area of concrete that can be used for many purposes.

On the second floor facility, Srila Prabhupäda had a sitting room and a separate bedroom. His entourage shared another room. As Srila Prabhupäda took his massage on the patio in front of his sitting room, the sun glistened on his sparkling golden skin smeared with mustard oil. After his massage he bathed in the same spot from a brass bucket filled with water that was naturally warmed by the sun.

"Put the bucket of water on the roof,” he told me. “The sun will heat it up."

Using his lota and this single bucket of warmed water, he took his bath while squatting on the patio in his gumpsa. Srila Prabhupäda made a point of keeping the maintenance of his body very simple. After taking his bath he returned to his bedroom and put on the fresh clothing I had laid out on his bed. On this particular day the weather was very hot, so Srila Prabhupäda only wore a dhoti and no kurta.

A few minutes after he went into his room to dress, I heard him shouting. I was still outside on the patio cleaning up. As soon as I heard him shout, I raced into the room. The front door was ajar. I had no idea what was wrong and although I ran in, out of habit, I offered my obeisances. Srila Prabhupäda was behind his desk. As I hurriedly sat up and looked toward him, he hurled his ball of tilaka toward my head. It was the size of a golf ball and he threw it with the vigor of a baseball pitcher. It missed my head by inches. I was shocked and frightened.

"What's the matter?" I blurted out.

"That monkey has stolen my shoe," he said, pointing in my direction.

I turned around in time to see one of Vrindavan's furry pests run out of the room with Srila Prabhupäda's sandal in his grasp.

Monkeys were prolific in this part of the dhama and were always looking for a bead bag, glasses, or some other valuable item to steal. They used the items to barter for eatables. I was relieved knowing that my Guru Mahäräja was tossing the tilaka at the monkey rather than me. It was an unusual experience to have a ball of tilaka whiz by my head. Fortunately, my spiritual master was an expert marksman. The monkey vaulted to the roof of Srila Prabhupäda's sitting room and waited.

“This rascal, he has taken my slipper,” Srila Prabhupäda said. “Get some pera and come outside."

I grabbed a few milk sweets from the glass jar above Srila Prabhupäda's book case and followed my guru outside the door for the upcoming confrontation. Srila Prabhupäda brought his cane. The monkey sat on the edge of the roof with the sandal in his mouth and waited for negotiations to begin.

The roof was barely out of reach at about eight feet from the ground where we stood. Srila Prabhupäda began jumping up and down, swinging his cane over his head to intimidate the monkey. The monkey seemed to enjoy the attention. He wasn't threatened or concerned that Srila Prabhupäda might get the slipper. The furry fiend began waving the shoe, taunting us. Srila Prabhupäda continued jumping up and down with his cane over his head. Swinging at his fussy foe, he said, "These monkeys are such rascals."

The monkey continued taunting us. Now he was making faces at us. It was clear that he was skilled at holding valuable items hostage and holding out for ransom. He was a crafty thief that enjoyed his mischievous negotiations.

This was my first experience in such warfare and I have to admit, I found it very exhilarating.

"Srila Prabhupäda,” I said. “Let me see if I can give him a sweet and get the sandal."

"Yes, see if that works," Srila Prabhupäda replied.

With my fearless leader beside me, I cautiously held a sweet into the air hoping the monkey would give me the magical slipper in exchange. True to the nature of a monkey, he tried to cheat me. He attempted to snatch the sweet without relinquishing Prabhupäda's holy slipper. Again I tried. I held up the sweet and motioned for the shoe. The monkey started to deliver the slipper with one hand and reach for the sweet with the other. Convinced I was successful, I let down my guard. In front of my beloved Guru, I was prematurely proud of my anticipated success. I failed and gave up the sweet. Unfortunately, the menacing monkey didn't surrender the slipper. To my chagrin, I managed to lose three sweets to the enemy without getting close to retrieving the lotus slipper.

At this point the monkey began chewing on the heel of the slipper with gusto. He managed to tear some cloth from the heel and put a number of teeth marks in it. Srila Prabhupäda was not amused with his aggressor’s demolition.

"Forget it,” he said. “He has ruined the shoe."

His Divine Grace went back into his room and prepared for lunch. I started to follow him into the room. I looked up and saw the monkey drop the sandal at his furry feet and run away. I guess he understood it was of no use to him if it was of no use to us. I figured I may as well get the slipper, so I called for Girisha, Hayagriva's son, and asked him to go up the stairs to the roof and get Srila Prabhupäda's slipper. Girisha was about 10 years old and eager to help.

I watched from below as Girisha headed for the slipper. Just as he bent over to pick it up, a ruthless gang of monkeys came from nowhere and attacked him. They scared the heck out of him. One monkey started to swing at the young boy. Girisha screamed, "Srutakérti! Srutakérti!" Startled, I looked about and saw a bamboo stick. I threw it to him. As soon as he grabbed the stick and started swinging it the monkeys hastily retreated. Girisha grabbed the slipper and raced down the stairs with the beasts hot on his heels. Girisha gallantly delivered the slipper.

I brought the slipper back to Srila Prabhupäda because he had worn these slippers for some time and seemed to be very fond of them. He had others to choose from, but he favored these. I showed him the torn slipper.

"Ah, it doesn't look so bad,” Srila Prabhupäda said. “Get some glue and see if you can repair it."

I took it back to my room and mended it to the best of my ability. I hurried back to Srila Prabhupäda's room with the saved slipper, offered my obeisances, and showed him my handy work. With a smile on his face and a nod of his head he said, "That's all right. I can still use them."

Two weeks later we were in Hyderabad staying at the home of Mr. Pithi, a very wealthy life member. One day Mr. Pithi noticed Çréla Prabhupäda's slippers. I explained to him what happened.

"I would love to get Prabhupäda another pair of sandals," he said.

I told him I thought it was a great idea. He sent his servant to buy a pair of sandals. When the new sandals were presented to Srila Prabhupäda he accepted them graciously, but later told me, "I cannot wear these. They are made of leather."

He continued to wear his damaged sandals for weeks until we arrived at another temple. At that time we bought some sandals to Çréla Prabhupäda's liking and he released the others. His torn sandals now reside at the home of Kirtiraja prabhu in Alachua. They are in a glass case and are held in high esteem by their caretakers.

Srila Prabhupäda, it is very difficult to describe the immense pleasure I experienced that day as you swatted your cane at the monkey. For a few minutes we were fighting a common foe, in the land of Krsna. I may never again be able to take part in such transcendental pastimes. I will never forget that one special day, for a few minutes, when you allowed me to participate in a most joyful game in Vrindavan Dhama. I pray that my memory of that day is never taken from me.

He is a perfect yogi who by comparison to his own self, sees the true equality of all beings, in both their happiness and their distress,O Arjuna! Bg 6.32

Yeah that sounds like a good idea JR.I think I'll do the same.

Now that was very very cool amanpeter.

All Chiropractors are not the same.Some are just charlatons who want you to come in on a regular basis for the rest of your life.You become their cash cow.

But who can argue with the basic idea of having the spinal column in alignment so as not to impinge on the nerve branches.

One reason that some adjustments don't hold is that there is some cause for the muscles that are attached to the vertabrae to become tense enough pull them back out of alignment.

To correct that one may need some very specific deep tissue massage, or even some emotional releasing work along with that.

One thing I would never let a chiropractor do is any quick adjustments on the neck.A study from UC Berkeley showed that a large % of people admitted to the hospital for stroke had a neck adjustment the prior day.Apparantly it is possible to damage vital arteries with these heavy handed manipulations.

For neck problems a series of deep neck massages and gentle streching will allow the vertabrae to realign in a less dramatic way.The neck vertabrae are more easily guided back into place then are the others lower down the spine.

Everyone can benfit from elongating and strengtening the spine.This will prevent many problems.

Of course as long as we choose to take up habitation within these mortal frames problems will plague us.

YS MC

Anantacarya das has kindly posted from his diary what he experienced at Srila Prabhupada's passing.This is a link to it on VNN.

http://www.vnn.org/editorials/ET0106/ET06-6784.html

Another clear case of fanaticide.

Fanatics come wearing all color of cloth.

I doubt the claim that they are using force to convert anyone.What force?Shoving meat in Hindus mouths so they will be rejected by their own community?

Entice maybe.Force?;I doubt it.

But keep them comin'.laffin' be good.

Originally posted by atma:

For me the problem for unity is the desire to be guru, everyone want to became one and that create competition and envy when the person is not completely pure. Is no way for cooperation when you're fighting for disciples.

I AGREE.Mahaprabhu warned about desiring numbers of disciples.It's in one sense a fine line between wanting disciples, as in attracting others to Krishna, and wanting disciples as in attracting them to yourself.From another angle it is the widest of gulfs.

To the degree that one is disciple, that one is guru to others.

The problem is exaserbated by listening to decades old gossip.Instead we should tune our hearing to the Lord in the heart.

That's right!! That's right!!! That's how it is!!!!

Thanks, that was a nice read.

Originally posted by JRdd:

There is some other natural thing that aids in assimilation of calcium, but I can't think what it is. Apparently even taking calcium supplements does not assure one of enough calcium. Anyway sesame, sunflower seeds, and lots of other things have it in it besides milk.

 

Are you thinking about the herb shavegrass?

 

animesh, I accept your story about your uncle's telling you about your medical condition as proof.I hope you have told him how it worked out.

 

MC

 

 

Originally posted by JRdd:

There is some other natural thing that aids in assimilation of calcium, but I can't think what it is. Apparently even taking calcium supplements does not assure one of enough calcium. Anyway sesame, sunflower seeds, and lots of other things have it in it besides milk.

 

Are you thinking about the herb shavegrass?

 

animesh, I accept your story about your uncle's telling you about your medical condition as proof.I hope you have told him how it worked out.

 

MC

 

 

shvu,

I saw part of that show on Discovery.I watched only snippets as I had seen it before.

Frauds abound.No doubt.But I remain a believer in mystic siddhis in principle.Like a hummingbird in flight for instance.It is a miracle to me,but natural laws are also working, it is not that the hummingbird is working outside natural laws.So siddha's are still using natural laws.

What about that English inventor[Laithwaite?].He found how by using magnetic energy passing through aluminum a massive train could be levitated and propelled.And he has been proven correct.

So why not unseen[ by us] laws of subtle nature that can act within the human frame also?It doesn't seem so unreasonable.

MC

shvu,

I saw part of that show on Discovery.I watched only snippets as I had seen it before.

Frauds abound.No doubt.But I remain a believer in mystic siddhis in principle.Like a hummingbird in flight for instance.It is a miracle to me,but natural laws are also working, it is not that the hummingbird is working outside natural laws.So siddha's are still using natural laws.

What about that English inventor[Laithwaite?].He found how by using magnetic energy passing through aluminum a massive train could be levitated and propelled.And he has been proven correct.

So why not unseen[ by us] laws of subtle nature that can act within the human frame also?It doesn't seem so unreasonable.

MC

Originally posted by jijaji:

I will be headed to Braja in December after Kartika for a month or so...

 

 

 

But my beard has too many grey hairs. No way out but Krishna consciousness.

But my beard has too many grey hairs. No way out but Krishna consciousness.

jijaji,

I'll be the disoriented guy with the Alfred E. Newman grin.Lost but not worried.

MC

Originally posted by atma:

Maitreya;

Remembering indian women, don't get involved with them! One of my friends, started a relatioship with one of them in Bengal and one night when they were together, a mob came and he has to run for his life! Somehow he managed to escape through a window and run all the way to the Jalangi only in gamcha with 50 armed villagers behind him. Somehow he lost his gamcha and he jumped in the Jalangi to cross back to Mayapur, (he was in Swarup Ganj). Next day he had to leave the holy dhama for good and took shelter in Calcutta for a while. He still scared from the experience. Don't mess up with Indian girls! You'll have all the village or at least all her family behind you forever!!!

atma, LOL!!!!!! I have had this as a reocurring nightmare for years.Seriously!It always alternatives between Hindu mobs and Muslim mobs looking for me after being found in a daliance with someone's daughter or , ahmmm... wife.Always set locally however.definite confirmation.

I'm just going to chant and sightsee.So I plan on being good. If worse comes to worse I will have myself tied to a pillar at Krishna Balarama Mandir.Like Ulysses and the sirens.

More stories, more.

MC

[This message has been edited by Maitreya (edited 06-03-2001).]

Originally posted by atma:

Maitreya;

Remembering indian women, don't get involved with them! One of my friends, started a relatioship with one of them in Bengal and one night when they were together, a mob came and he has to run for his life! Somehow he managed to escape through a window and run all the way to the Jalangi only in gamcha with 50 armed villagers behind him. Somehow he lost his gamcha and he jumped in the Jalangi to cross back to Mayapur, (he was in Swarup Ganj). Next day he had to leave the holy dhama for good and took shelter in Calcutta for a while. He still scared from the experience. Don't mess up with Indian girls! You'll have all the village or at least all her family behind you forever!!!

atma, LOL!!!!!! I have had this as a reocurring nightmare for years.Seriously!It always alternatives between Hindu mobs and Muslim mobs looking for me after being found in a daliance with someone's daughter or , ahmmm... wife.Always set locally however.definite confirmation.

I'm just going to chant and sightsee.So I plan on being good. If worse comes to worse I will have myself tied to a pillar at Krishna Balarama Mandir.Like Ulysses and the sirens.

More stories, more.

MC

[This message has been edited by Maitreya (edited 06-03-2001).]

Gauracandra,

You start off some interesting threads.When I got just to your first question the word compassion came into my head loud and clear.

When the welfare of other suffering living beings is seen as more important than all these petty little squabbles progress will be made.

Some differences may actually be seen as important.Okay, so work separately.But work we must.MUST.

I have come to think that it is not necessary for groups to group together.Working separately but with mutual respect may be Krishna's plan.

Groups should be able to cooperatively put on large festivals, like Ratha Yatra.Chant dance and feast together, however.

There is alot more at stake here than the pride of anyone's Math.

Lord Gauranga's movment is based on compassion.Compassion is the word.Acarya's have a big stock of it and we are meant to help them express it.In that way we receive it and learn to feel it ourselves.

We really don't need much in the way of big conferences and meetings with endless "resolutions and no solutions",we just have to get our hearts back into it.

YS MC

Faces, we are so enamoured by faces.

In this way the descendants of the monkeys intermingle with each other, and they are generally known as südras. Without hesitating, they live and move freely, not knowing the goal of life. They are captivated simply by seeing the faces of one another, which remind them of sense gratification. They are always engaged in material activities, known as grämya-karma, and they work hard for material benefit. Thus they forget completely that one day their small life spans will be finished and they will be degraded in the evolutionary cycle.SB 5.14.31

My body is male and now 49.I still remember the day I looked in the mirror and became aware that my face was falling down.Like it was slowly starting to drip right off my head.Well I was shocked.

At least I can take some solace from the philosophical understanding that I am not the falling face.

These poor souls who think this is it, become victims of these so-called doctors and spend fortunes in this sad and vain attempt.

So ironic when we consider that Krishna has already granted the soul eternal youth, yet we struggle for it in these bodies, hopelessly and against all odds.