Avinash

Are Indians trying to hide something from Americans, under some pretense of manipulation? So, according to you, whenever Indians do something, they always keep Americans in mind.

Have you already edited the first 12 chapters?

Its not a curse for him, but his own desire to play this role. Whatever we want Krishna will give us. Does the same soul become Duryodhana every time? Another question. In how much time do Jaya and Vijaya complete the three rebirths? In one kalpa, in one Manavantra, in one Chaturyuga or in some other time duration?

Are you aware of any curse given to all men either in Mahabharata or in any other scripture?

Avinash, are you sure those aren't just various forms of upper level math? Like Trigonometry Do you really think that Trigonometry is upper level math? If you had to give an example of upper level math, why did you choose Trigonometry? Were you thinking of triangular love on which some movies are based?

In Australia we are hearing a lot of "BUGAMY". Are many people committing bugamy in Australia? I was not aware of it. And, what about bigamy? You have called me a teacher. But, by prefession, I am not a teacher.

Atma ji, Do you think that the curse worked? Are you able to keep any secret? Now, I am not watching Mahabharata. I used to watch it years back when it was telecasted on DD. Has anybody read Mahabharata epic? Is this curse really mentioned in the epic or is it a figment of the imagination of B.R. Chopra?

Some words related to marriage: monogamy, monogyny, monandry, polygamy, polygyny, polyandry, bigamy, digamy, deuterogamy, trigamy, exogamy, endogamy. Which of these do you like most?

You are right. The word 'monandry' means 'a woman marrying one person'.

For Laksri, I think the word you are looking for is polyandry. This is off the top of my head, and I am too lazy to walk to the closet and pick up a dictionary to check. No need of checking a dictionary. You are correct.

in 2 ¾ light years First you wrote a program that will generate syntax errors by all the compilers. Now you are making another mistake. You write as if "light year" is a unit of time. Though, in reality, it is a unit of distance.

I am quite fluent with many programming languages. But I am not aware of the language that you are using. Where can I get the compiler for this language?

The yogic exercises can only help us clear up our physical existence upto certain level. But I simply disagree to believe that it grows someone spiritually. Someone has been misguiding a lot of people, I feel. Why do you think that yogic exercises can not grow someone spiritually? I agree that just because someone does yoga does not mean that he has grown spiritually. But I will not dispute the claim that these exercises can help someone grow spiritually. Yogic exercises do not constitute the end but they are the means to end. I agree that there may have been people who were very advanced spiritually but did not use to do yogic exercises. This mean that doing yogic exercises is not the only way to advance spiritually. But, it can well be one of the ways.

A jain is recommended to set aside some time (the traditional period is forty-eight minutes) each day for meditation. It may take place in the home or, if a temple is convenient, in the temple, or in a meditation hall. The best known prayer is Panca Namaskara. It is a formula of surrender to the five categories of praiseworthy individuals: - Namo Arihantanam (I bow to the enlightened souls) Namo Siddhanam (I bow to the liberated souls) Namo Ayariyanam (I bow to religious leaders) Namo Uvajjhayanam (I bow to religious teachers) Namo Loe Savva Sahunam (I bow to all the monks in the world) While meditating, a person sits quietly cross-legged and turns the mind to compassion and friendship with all living beings, and to separation from all desire and hatred. Sometimes he will recite verses, asking forgiveness, promising virtuous conduct and praising the great figures of the Jain religion. Though not necessary, but it is considered beneficial to do it in the guidance of spiritual teacher. Jains will often meditate before an image of a Tirthankara, or perhaps diagrams on cloth or metal depicting in graphic form objects and persons of the faith. A who lives near a temple may carry out the worship of the Tirthankara image in the temple daily before going to work. Otherwise it may be performed before the shrine at home. Bathed and dressed simply, possibly only in two pieces of cloth like a monk, he will bow before the image and recite the Panca Namaskara. He will pass three times around the image (which in a Jain temple is set forward from the rear wall) . He may perform the ritual washing of the image with water and milk and a mixture of sandalwood and saffron powder, or it may be done by a regular official of the temple. Various offerings are made before the image. Grains of rice are arranged in the form of a swastika (denoting the four possible kinds of rebirth, as heavenly beings, humans, lower living beings, or creatures of hell) having above it three dots (the Three Jewels of Right Faith, Right Knowledge and Right Conduct), and at the top a single dot within a crescent for the final resting place of the liberated souls. The other offerings may be flowers, incense, fruit and sweets. After other prayers the Panca Namaskara is recited once more. This will be followed by the Chaitya Vandana, the temple prayers of reverent salutation: these commence with a formula of repentance for any harm caused to living creatures on the way to the temple; salutations follow to the twenty-four Tirthankara and to all monks and nuns; then the virtues and good deeds of all the Tirthankara follow and the devotee expresses the desire and intention to emulate them. The worship concludes with arati, the waving of fivefold lights before the image.

Oops, I forgot to add this. It is really interesting. Plato thought that soul was immortal. When body dies, then the soul goes to the idea world (Gauracandra ji, as you have read Sophie's world, you must be knowing what is the meaning of 'idea world' here.) After spending time in that world, the soul will be reincarnated into another body. Plato said that learning involved recalling what the soul had learned in the idea world.

As I have read, Plato talked of kinds of psyche. (Some authors use the word soul instead of psyche but, as I have read, the greek word used by Plato means "psyche". Also, usage of the word soul may confuse us). 1. The rational psyche: It is the thinking portion within each of us, which discerns what is real and not just apparent, judges what is true and what is false, and makes the rational decisions in accordance with which human life is most properly lived. 2. The spirited psyche: It is the active portion; its function is to carry out the dictates of reason in practical life, courageously doing whatever the intellect has determined to be best. 3. Appetitive psyche: It is the portion of each of us that wants and feels many things, most of which must be deferred in the face of rational pursuits if we are to achieve a proper degree of self-control. As I read it, I am reminded of the three modes of nature (satvik, rajasik and tamasik) mentioned in Gita and Puranas.

We may try to pass the blame by saying "devotees of God are not accountable to materialists". If that's the best answer, then what can be said. I agree with you. This is not at all a proper answer. I just hate such kind of answers.

Only the moderator of a forum can decide who should be banned and who should not be. In my opinion, if anybody has to be banned, then he should have posted something inappropriate in this forum, not in some other forum. It is immaterial what one posted in vnn. I never participated in vnn. So, I do not know what was posted there. But, even if something offensive was posted by someone in thatb forum, it should not matter in this forum.

May be that Satya does not want to make females as his sisters. Otherwise, it will be tough for him to get married.

I have read Bhagwatam. It is nowhere mentioned that He used His wives for sexual toys and He latter killed them. Usually having more wives than one may be considered bad. But, in the circumstances, Krsna married them, it was quite praiseworthy. I am not saying this because He was God. Even if, just for the sake of discussion, we ignore the fact that He was God, still His act of marrying all those 16000 princesses was admirable. There was one demon named Naraka. He had held 16000 princesses as captive. Krsna killed the demon. After that, all these women had no other place to go to. There was nobody to support them. So, it was in their own benefit that Krsna married them. Moreover, they were not forced to marry. In fact, they were willing to marry Krsna.

Namadeva consented and lifted the old man's legs to place them elsewhere, when a Linga appeared just where he was about to place the legs. He tried to place the legs in different places and everytime a Linga popped up in that spot, making it impossible for him put the legs down. It is very difficult to know how many of these incidents are really true. I have heard more than one such incidents. Only the saints differ. As an example, I have heard about such an incident regarding Guru Nanak.

How about a description of the system of worship (individually and ritually)? I once attended somebody's marriage in my relation. One Jain family was also invited. They were invited because of family-friendship. I went with them to a jain temple. I will write what I saw there. Now-a-days the Internet connection here is too slow. Not only that I keep getting disconnected from time to time. So, it is difficult for me to make long posts.

If there is nothing wrong with their accounts, then why does the Congress party refuse to allow an audit? But, why should Congress be worried?

It is true that millions believe that she was helping poor. And I am one of them.

If I were to attend a Jain temple what would I see. You will see 24 idols all similar. These idols represent the 24 tirthankaras. The idols look similar because they represent virtues and not physical bodies. However, below each idol, there is a symbol to know which tirthankar this idol represents. Lord Mahavira is represented by the symbol of a lion.