theist

Well there are different types of guru or one could say different ways of hearing Guru since Guru is ultimately one and that is God. First thing Guru is in our heart as Supersoul. He directs according to our desires and His will. If you are sincere (as you sound) the Lord will guide you to His manifestation on Earth AND will help you properly understand His message. At every stage we are dependent on Supersoul as Guru. Sometimes He will speak to us through a realized jiva. Sometimes through the scriptures and sometimes through more advanced fellow travelers on the path back to Him. But in all circumstances it is His voice alone that we should aspire to hear. It is important to remember NOT to run out and find someone you think is a guru and then surrender to his will. Even if thousands of others are worshipping him a guru, be critical and sceptical along with praying to the Lord for clarification.

You can't see some truth in Advaita? How about this world is illusion and reality (the true self) is Brahman. We may then disagree on finer points as to the nature of illusion and self. An advaitain may say "I am" God. We can agree but still the relationship to Krishna is we are the servator Godhead and He is the served Godhead. Why do you think shaktya-vesa avatars like Lord Buddha & Maharaja Prithu are worshipped as incarnations of God? Because they are! Certain dualists may say they are only jivas and not God but Caitanyaites say they are both. God as servantor God. "Learned transcendentalists described this non-dual substance as Brahman, Paramatma and the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Oh you are so generous to Prabhupada.

No it is not completely wrong. Nor by any stretch is it completely right. So we should accept what they say is right and reject the rest. I noticed from your quote that raghu's hatred for what he thinks is me is still intact. This is why he is on my ignore list.

By "reconciling" Advaita and Dvaita Mahaprabhu showed what was lacking in each. Not that He accepted Avaita on the terms of the Advaitins.

Always a dangerous thing. Pick a little from here and a little from there even though those teachers may even disagree amongst themselves on the nature of the ultimate reality.

It used to be commonly known that Srila Prabhupada said Sri Yukteswar was a beautiful person. Just because someone has a different view on the cosmic calender is not a big thing. Oh and Melvin I have no interest in arguing with anyone from the SRF about anything let alone a trifle such as this. Babhru, it is no secret Srila Prabhupada wants all his disciples to be Guru, but you have never been a power tripper so no way Srila Prabhupada would punish you, a gentle soul, in such a way as to make you a contender for the iskcon throne. Better to be a St. Francis than a Pope anyway.

How so AM? Would you elaborate a little please?

Yeah this was Sri Yukeswar's personal speculation that nobody else seems to accept. When winter comes we don't need a calender to tell us it is here. The daylight hours are greatly reduced. The weather becomes wet and stormy, in some places very cold and snowy. We know it is winter by the symptoms. Same idea when spring comes. We know it by the symptoms. We see presently the symptoms of quarrel, chaos, confusion, brutality, unprecedented greed etc, throughout society. A sure sign Kali-yuga has arrived.

One thing to add though if you offer you food to Krishna you should follow your guru's instructions on the matter irregardless of anything else. They can still be taken separately as medicines.

Whatever happens in the material world the realized devotees will remain undisturbed by being fixed on Krishna. Even if the universal destruction is taking place that can be seen as nothing more than a movie coming to an end and the house lights coming back on. "Nothing to get hung about.."

Yes I took it that way, but still wanted to clarify my statement.

Haha. Yes an edless cycle indeed. I knew a devotee couple that used hing as a substitute for garlic in their making of "garlic" bread. It was really good. Garlic and onion are very healthy foods.

Better fake cheese. The real cheese is a product of the dairy industry which is in the business of slaughtering and mistreating cows.

Sorry my wording was incomplete. By your scriptures I meant those accessable to you by your knowing the original language.

Fair enough. Thanks for clarifying. This offer would be better posted on the Friendly Marketplace forum however.

TRANSLATION Bg 7.16 O best among the Bhāratas [Arjuna], four kinds of pious men render devotional service unto Me-the distressed, the desirer of wealth, the inquisitive, and he who is searching for knowledge of the Absolute. PURPORT Unlike the miscreants, these are adherents of the regulative principles of the scriptures, and they are called sukṛtina, or those who obey the rules and regulations of scriptures, the moral and social laws, and are, more or less, devoted to the Supreme Lord. Out of these there are four classes of men-those who are sometimes distressed, those who are in need of money, those who are sometimes inquisitive, and those who are sometimes searching after knowledge of the Absolute Truth. These persons come to the Supreme Lord for devotional service under different conditions. These are not pure devotees because they have some aspiration to fulfill in exchange for devotional service. Pure devotional service is without aspiration and without desire for material profit. The Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu defines pure devotion thus: anyābhilāṣitāśūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā. "One should render transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa favorably and without desire for material profit or gain through fruitive activities or philosophical speculation. That is called pure devotional service." When these four kinds of persons come to the Supreme Lord for devotional service and are completely purified by the association of a pure devotee, they also become pure devotees. As far as the miscreants are concerned, for them devotional service is very difficult because their lives are selfish, irregular and without spiritual goals. But even some of them, by chance, when they come in contact with a pure devotee, also become pure devotees. Those who are always busy with fruitive activities come to the Lord in material distress and at that time associate with pure devotees and become, in their distress, devotees of the Lord. Those who are simply frustrated also come sometimes to associate with the pure devotees and become inquisitive to know about God. Similarly, when the dry philosophers are frustrated in every field of knowledge, they sometimes want to learn of God, and they come to the Supreme Lord to render devotional service and thus transcend knowledge of the impersonal Brahman and the localized Paramātmā and come to the personal conception of Godhead by the grace of the Supreme Lord or His pure devotee. On the whole, when the distressed, the inquisitive, the seekers of knowledge, and those who are in need of money are free from all material desires, and when they fully understand that material remuneration has nothing to do with spiritual improvement, they become pure devotees. As long as such a purified stage is not attained, devotees in transcendental service to the Lord are tainted with fruitive activities, and they search after mundane knowledge, etc. So one has to transcend all this before one can come to the stage of pure devotional service.

This is helpful although the Vaisnavas teach that moksa is not the final goal, Moksa is the platform from which pure bhakti is performed. Pure Bhkti is the goal.

The sadhana may not appear in your scriptures. You say there is no path of sadhana mentioned in the scriptures but then you go on to say there are a varitey of disciplines mentioned in Hindu and Buddhist traditions. Are those disciplines not sadhana's? So the paths are mentioned but perhaps not the word. I don't see this as important. I usually use the word practice to describe sadhana being an English speaker.

In principle there is no mystery to the question of detachment. Everything belongs to Krishna and should be used in His service. If one accepts and REALIZES this fact then there is nothing to detach one's desires from because the misconception of false ownership does not arise. Getting to this stage of realization is the product of karma/bhakti yoga practiced as taught by the Vaisnava acaryas. Why do I emphasize Vaisnava acaryas? Because they have the developed vision of Krishna as the only owner and correct receiver of sacrifice.

Oh hindus only can be spiritually inclined? Or do you mean to say that anyone spiritually inclined is a hindu?

Yes you are right. I read it wrong. Your mistake is thinking Vaisnavism has a source in hinduism. Actually Vaisnavism is the eternal funtion of the soul a point I have made before. Krishna said not to be distracted by the flowery words of the vedas. Just concentrate on Him. Bye

Oh, and who have I attacked on this thread thus far? You on the other hand just attacked me. I am just offering a countering view to the idea that hinduism is eternal religion. I really have no hope in swaying the people on this board but perhaps a listener or two will see another perspective to consider. This is a good time for me to exit this conversation. Hare krishna

Wrong sir. Hinduism is not Krishna consciousness. Just ask any Advaitin.

Even as a means of communication it is useless as it could have so many different meaning froms from the worship of nature spirits to demigods an d from Advaita to Dvaita. The confusion is seen in the starting post to this thread. The writer wants to know how to becvome a hindu and if he has to be born into a hindu family first. He has obvious taken up the notion that there is some spiritual benefit in wearing the label hindu. Where did he pick up this erroneous idea? From all the people putting forth the idea that the word hindu is synonomous with sanatana dharma. Why do you keep arguing this point? Just use sanatan dharma and drop the confusing term hindu. Problem solved.