Yashoda_dd

Yes, thank you Ragu. Gopi Kanta prabhu, disciple of Srila Prabhupada from Croatia, is printing books for the pleasure of his second-initation guru Srila B.V. Puri Maharaja. Since Maharaja is very often quoting from Hari Bhakti Vilas, he needs it a lot. Personally, Syamarani didi asked me to help her with making a book of Jaiva Dharma lectures by SRila Narayana Maharaja. I was supposed to make it a month ago, but somehow I never manage to surrender.

Thank you very much, Raga, for the answer. Sorry for mistake Bhakta instead of Bhakti. I tried to open the file "Hari Bhakti Vilas" on granthamandira, but there is no one. Was there before, or is it on some other place on that web page that I can not find? Your servant, Yashoda devi dasi

There is a great need for Hari Bhakta Vilas with diacritics. I was looking at internet to find any version, but I could not find, or maybe there is one somewhere is bhakticyber space... Any version will do, if there are diacritics. Thanks, your servant, Yashoda dd

I tried to see the photos, but the web page I could not find...

It is learned from the revealed scriptures that the moon was born from the milk ocean. There is a milk ocean in the upper planets, and there Lord Visnu, who controls the heart of every living being as Paramatma (the Supersoul), resides as the Ksirodakasayi Visnu. Those who do not believe in the existence of the ocean of milk because they have experience only of the salty water in the ocean should know that the world is also called the go, which means the cow. Srila Sukadeva Gosvami would go to a householder while he was milking a cow, and he would simply take a little quantity of it for subsistence. Even fifty years ago, no one would deprive a sadhu of a quart or two of milk, and every householder would give milk like water. This verse thus describes the activities of those who claim to be Aryans. © 1991 by Bhaktivedanta Book Trust

Women and men have different roles: women are ones that have to take care for the children,and men have to protect and fight against all evil that come in this material world. It is natural that women prefer more aggresive and stronger men, which give them and their children more protection and better situation in the society. We should not forget that Rukmini actually asked Sri Krishna to kidnap her. It means Rukmini asked Sri Krishan to "rape" her. Srila Prabhupada, when speaking about sex, does not speak only those few minutes of intercourse between two bodies: he means the bigger picture. He is not speaking about details about having sex when people use different sick ways of sex, which make their own brain into soup. I also spoke with Jadurani devi, and I read her book about life as a daughter of Srila Prabhupada. He never, ever took his lady disciples to be oridinary women, because they are not. Once you look into Srila Prabhupada's heart, you are no longer member of this world.

Also, about eating or not eating blood: originally, God said humans should not eat blood, which means "EAT NOTHING WITH BLOOD IN IT", which means fish, eggs and meat - animal or human meat. The other way to say it is "Don't kill". People, full of lust and greet, wanted to eat animals, so they came to speculation that "we can eat meat and kill animals, but with no blood in them - so we don't eat blood". They do know understand that the real meaning of "not eating anything with blood in it" means - do not kill leaving beings like fish and beasts. The Bible has been changed so many times and new texts were added, so noone really knows the original Bible.

Srila Prabhupada's purport for Bhagavad-gita, 9.26: One who loves Krsna will give Him whatever He wants, and he avoids offering anything which is undesirable or unasked. Thus meat, fish and eggs should not be offered to Krsna. If He desired such things as offerings, He would have said so. Instead He clearly requests that a leaf, fruit, flowers and water be given to Him, and He says of this offering, "I will accept it." Therefore, we should understand that He will not accept meat, fish and eggs. Vegetables, grains, fruits, milk and water are the proper foods for human beings and are prescribed by Lord Krsna Himself. Whatever else we eat cannot be offered to Him, since He will not accept it. Thus we cannot be acting on the level of loving devotion if we offer such foods. © 1991 by Bhaktivedanta Book Trust So, to offer fish to Krishna is of course of lower nature: highest point is to make Krishna happy - he is not happy if we kill fish. About the milk: there is milk and milk. There is milk from cow that we know, and we know person who is taking care of that cow. Today's milk is actually a poison: a cow that knows her child is killed from the same person who is giving her food - of course she is not stupid. Human lady who is in stress have poison, not milk: lady in stress should not feet baby with her milk. So all those cows that are treated with axe above their heads and their family is taken from them - have no healthy milk. We drink the milk from the cow because she is our mother - giving us milk with love. I see no cows in West that are treated in violent way, giving their milk with love, but with pain, specially with artificially machines instead of using men's hands.

I asked one very advanced devotee about your idea and your suggestions. He told me that this is the only possible way of real service to Krishna - to meditate on how will that day look when we finally come home. And he also said that from where we stand now, we will never know what we will do. Maybe we will be just a straw in Vrindavan and will wait, in wonderful feeling of separation, from Sri Krishna to put his feet on us, or wait for Srimati Radhika to walk on by, singing of glories of her beloved one. Or we will, simple, look where is our gurudev to learn how to serve Sri Krishna without words. I heard a story in Vrindavan in one class - Srimati Radhika was asked by Sri Krishna to write a letter to Him - about Her feeling of love. She spent all night with pen and paper, but all what she wrote was some marks with no sense (she was crying, her heart full of love, but could not put any words in written form). So, she gave to Krishna what she made. He was happy, happy, happy - her tears were seen. No need for anything else.

Very, very interesting subject. I wish we could find more about it in Srila Prabhupada's books. About painting of Caitanya Mahaprabhu in Puri: jdas, maybe you know in which place we can see that painting? I have been in Puri for one afternoon, but 7 years ago. Hopely, I will go there one day and search for it. Jijaji: so many saintly personalities at that time!!! Such a perfect time to be born in India... abhi_the_great: it reminds me of the same thing that happened in Americas. When Spaniards came, searching for the gold, they took some priests with them. In order to make Indians look animal-like (animal can not have any property of land), they used the same words. Today, we have almost no Indians in North America, and in South America Aymara Indians are simply living in high Andes, avoiding white people. Govamis never mentioned Jesus or Christianity? I remember Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura did, but I can not find it anywhere. In which articles was that? Your servant, Yashoda devi dasi

Does anyone knows (from any scriptures or from any vaisnava), if Lord Caitanya met any westerners at his time? Did he discuss Christianity with anyone like he did about Kuran? your servant, Yashoda devi dasi

Dear Karttik, I am not staying in Iskcon any more. Devakinandana dasa, one of the presidents over there, had a secretary for a while, some young, sensitive girl who was happy to make her own living. At first he asked me to be his secretary, but I just did not want to be too close to any man, specially not to married ones. I asked him "WHy do you me to be your secretary when your wife is free", and Devakinandana said "Because I can scream at you every time I want, and I am afraid of my wife". I even turned my guru at that time, to be his secretary. Srila Prabhupada never wanted sannyasis to have female too close to them. Devakinandan was charming her so much, that the poor girl bought him silk dhoti from her first payment, and asked me not to say anything to his wife. Shameless Devakinandana, rich like anything out of rich donators, did not turn the gift down from poor girl. And when he started to psichologically abuse her in front of other devotees and in privite, she was crying every day. The man gave her a hint in the beginning that they have a special relationship. Everything behind the man's wife. When poor Bharati could not work any more, she lost her compassion, the man just told her to leave the job. He told me personally, that the girl was "stupid and too emotional". Protected woman means respected woman. You do not have to give her gold and shower her with sweet words. Protected woman means she is appreciated and understood as a person. If not, she will try to do any crazy thing to turn attention.

I had some problems in Iskcon Bombay (Mumbai) temple, because authorities wanted me to dress opulent saris and wear ornaments (to attract rich and western guests). I always liked simple saris with almost full white colour (I never married and never will), which they did not like. Also, married women that lived in the temple were always criticizing me wearing full turtle neck or some other shirt, because I consider those open Indian-style blouses almost unmoral. It is always nice to see a lady or a girl with covered head and heart covered with love for Lord Krishna. I have seen many of them and, hopely, I will be like that one day in some future lifetime. We will all be, eventually. Remember story of naked Sukadeva Gosvami: noone was troubled by him beeing naked. But, in India so many men have no culture and no sense control and no respect for ladies (sometimes it is very dangerous to walk in the strees of Indian cities), so we have to cover even our nouses and eyes.

Sorry, gHari. Misspelling.

Sorry, gHari. Misspelling.

In Padma Purana it is said: "Persons who put tulasi beads on the neck, who mark twelve places of their bodies as Visnu temples with Visnu's symbolic representations [the four items held in the four hands of Lord Visnu--conch, mace, disc and lotus], and who have visnu-tilaka on their foreheads, are to be understood as the devotees of Lord Visnu in this world. Their presence makes the world purified, and anywhere they remain, they make that place as good as Vaikuntha." I wish all the people in this world start putting tulsi beads around their necks and tilak on their bodies, each person who once said "Krishna" in his life (for one who says "Krishna" is a devotee, also according sastra). But, if it happens, sahajism could occur. There must be vaisnava etiquete. The lady I mentioned was a first-initiated disciple of ex-Harikesha Swami. She is convinced that he is not actually fallen, that he will come again, so she is not interested in looking for a poor devotee to continue her spiritual path. Person that says he has a spiritual life, but neglects to hear from a poor devotee, is just like a mother that makes abortion of a baby (Srila Prabhupada used to say that one who does not care about his or her spiritual life is atma-ha). To be guided by show-bottle "guru" is same thing. I pray that she will meet a poor Vaisnav to open her eyes. We all need guidance of siksa guru - very advanced devotees that were initiated by Srila Prabhupada, disciples of "fallen" gurus, new-born babies, persons with and without tulasi beads.

In Padma Purana it is said: "Persons who put tulasi beads on the neck, who mark twelve places of their bodies as Visnu temples with Visnu's symbolic representations [the four items held in the four hands of Lord Visnu--conch, mace, disc and lotus], and who have visnu-tilaka on their foreheads, are to be understood as the devotees of Lord Visnu in this world. Their presence makes the world purified, and anywhere they remain, they make that place as good as Vaikuntha." I wish all the people in this world start putting tulsi beads around their necks and tilak on their bodies, each person who once said "Krishna" in his life (for one who says "Krishna" is a devotee, also according sastra). But, if it happens, sahajism could occur. There must be vaisnava etiquete. The lady I mentioned was a first-initiated disciple of ex-Harikesha Swami. She is convinced that he is not actually fallen, that he will come again, so she is not interested in looking for a poor devotee to continue her spiritual path. Person that says he has a spiritual life, but neglects to hear from a poor devotee, is just like a mother that makes abortion of a baby (Srila Prabhupada used to say that one who does not care about his or her spiritual life is atma-ha). To be guided by show-bottle "guru" is same thing. I pray that she will meet a poor Vaisnav to open her eyes. We all need guidance of siksa guru - very advanced devotees that were initiated by Srila Prabhupada, disciples of "fallen" gurus, new-born babies, persons with and without tulasi beads.

"There are thousands and thousands of such so-called devotees. Although they are not mature in their bhakti, they artificially think, 'I have now achieved my siddha-deha; I am Lalita or Visakha, and I am a better sakhi than Rupa Manjari...' As a result of this offensive thinking such persons must go to hell in a very short time... In his book Jaiva-dharma, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has described all the practices of bhakti, up to the attainment of one's siddha-deha. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was, in his time, the first person to preach the factual philosophy of Sri Caitanya Mahaparabhu to this learned society. The process is not that one in the beginning stage goes to his guru and is told, 'OH, you are a very beautiful gopi, and your name is Lalita.' Although this is called siddha-pranali, we do not know who began this type of siddha-pranali." "Gaudiya Vaisnavism versus Sahajiyaism" by Srila Narayana Maharaja

Dear Leyh, if you are in Singapore, you have just missed him. Srila B. V. Narayana Maharaja was there few days back. Yesterday Navadvipa Parikrama started and he is leading 15 hundred devotees in Holy Dham. You can write to him via Maharaja's secretary: brajanath@hotmail.com. It is his holy duty to answer all our questions. beemasane, I join gHari - yes, send few drops of nectar about Srila Prabhupada.

Dear Leyh, if you are in Singapore, you have just missed him. Srila B. V. Narayana Maharaja was there few days back. Yesterday Navadvipa Parikrama started and he is leading 15 hundred devotees in Holy Dham. You can write to him via Maharaja's secretary: brajanath@hotmail.com. It is his holy duty to answer all our questions. beemasane, I join gHari - yes, send few drops of nectar about Srila Prabhupada.

I was told that one who is not following the regulative principles may wear neem kanti-mala and chant japa on neem beads. ================================ One who is not following the regulative principles should not wear any mala. This is what I heard from many years back. Of course, I can ask my gurudev and let you know fresh answer. I will do that if you want me to. One who is not following the regulative principles can and SHOULD chant the Holy name on anything he can, if it helps him to overcome mundane, worldy atmosphere. As long as it is not Vrinda devi. Lord Caitanya used to make knots on his dhoti instead of beads (or He also chanted on his fingers).

I was told that one who is not following the regulative principles may wear neem kanti-mala and chant japa on neem beads. ================================ One who is not following the regulative principles should not wear any mala. This is what I heard from many years back. Of course, I can ask my gurudev and let you know fresh answer. I will do that if you want me to. One who is not following the regulative principles can and SHOULD chant the Holy name on anything he can, if it helps him to overcome mundane, worldy atmosphere. As long as it is not Vrinda devi. Lord Caitanya used to make knots on his dhoti instead of beads (or He also chanted on his fingers).

Tulasi beads on our necks should be all same: not too small and not so big that we can not breathe. There shold not be any other beads but Tulasi: no metal, no rosery, no sandal wood, no neem. Only persons who follow 4 regulative principles are qualified to wear Tulasi neck mala. Smoking does not work well combined, nor drinking alcohol, nor having illigal sex enjoyment. It is also offensive to wear tulasi beads as bracelet or around feet. There is no harm in having Holy name written on the beads. I read in sastras that it is very auspicious to have Holy Name written on the body (which we never do).

Tulasi beads on our necks should be all same: not too small and not so big that we can not breathe. There shold not be any other beads but Tulasi: no metal, no rosery, no sandal wood, no neem. Only persons who follow 4 regulative principles are qualified to wear Tulasi neck mala. Smoking does not work well combined, nor drinking alcohol, nor having illigal sex enjoyment. It is also offensive to wear tulasi beads as bracelet or around feet. There is no harm in having Holy name written on the beads. I read in sastras that it is very auspicious to have Holy Name written on the body (which we never do).

Just yesterday I have met a lady that used to be a full-time temple devotee. She approached me in the middle of the street, calling my karmi name. I did not remember her. She was wearing two sets of neck beads, wearing tilaka on her neck too, big kavacha... still I could not recognize her. Maybe it was because of cigarette in her mouth. But, then she gave me her photo from temple days and then I could remember her. Just because her guru left spiritual path, and because she wanted time-off (she married and I saw her small daughter with her), for some very short period of time, we fall from spiritual path. Her faith in institution is stronger then her faith in herself or in the truth. I realized that all the signes from outside can not help her, all tilak and mala, all kavachas of this world will not help her, if she does not approach a realized sadhu.