theist

My conversations with Buddhists have generally focused on their denial of a true self, a conscious I that lies beyond all the illusion. How do you deal with that?

I think this way also. The correction is most appropriate for this forum. I may have just as easily said THE manifestation of Bhakti. So its good to be made aware. Jesus said "I am the truth the way and the life, no one comes to the Father but by me." The truth is bhakti, the way is bhakti, the holy life is bhakti, bhakti is personal, but not limited to only one person in exclusion of others. In this way I can accept that as a true teaching of Christ.

Thanks. I may have used the word improperly but I'm still not clear. I do accept that Jesus is jiva-tattva. You state others can only personify bhakti. That is what I was trying to say. But if someone personifies bhakti why is it wrong to say they are the personification of bhakti? I do not understand grammer so is it just a grammatical error or ? I appreciate the correction.

Some scholars claim it was an added verse. I don't know. The way I hear it is Jesus is Bhakti personified so of course He is the only way.

for any of Prabhupada's or others disciples to answer such a question. We are all individuals and will have our own feelings specific to ourselves. Best we adventure into this territory ourselves to get a real understanding. There may be some general things said like humility, gratitude or even love, but until we experience these qualities for ourselves they will exist within our minds as empty words only.

Yes you are right Yashodanadana, there has been maturity in many areas. But unfortunately there has also been a marked decline in enthusiasm. Of course this is a broad generalization to which there are many exceptions. Maybe if we developed more of an attitude that Prabhupada is still present that would help. Hey your English is fine prabhu, relax.

What was the point of the show? The narration was it one of trying to make people see the humaness of the fetus or was the child cast as a mere lump of flesh, like taking out a growth. People think like that. One student woman at UC said the fetus was actually a parasite that had latched onto the host(mother). Ghastly huh? Modern education for you.

Prabhupada was convinced to the core. That is why he could convince others. His intelligence was one pointed and fixed on serving Krishna. "the intelligence of the irresolute is many branched" Most of us are mixed devotees. We are carrying a variety of goals along with us. So we won't be able to fully inspire others until we are totally inspired. That will come.

Nice pictures Krsna. Very apropo. Either way is the ultimate blessing, yeah? The devotee hospice idea makes so much sense. Afterall we stress the last moment so much. I know from when my aunt passed some years back that the hospice people were a great help to us. She was rather agnostic but passed hearing Caitanya Charitamrita, so who knows.

It seems to be a reaction to Mideast terrorism. Look at your watch. An hour from now Damascas falls with little effect on surrounding areas. The nukes now are so big they don't want to use them. What did they call that nuke bomb technology that just killed all the living things and left the inanimate structures unharmed. All the infrastructure remains intact just the people are vaporized? After the Soviet Union I fell for the illusion that things would be getting better. I got played. People feel the amounting pressure. You can sense the s___ is about to hit the fan.

The idea is a fleet of very heavy nukes that penetrate deep into the ground before exploding, wiping out underground bunkers and limiting the spread of radiation. Billions of animals are slaughter as well as babies in the womb. There must be a reaction. -------------------------------- Panel calls for new nukes Pentagon committee asks By Ian Hoffman, STAFF WRITER An influential Pentagon panel wants to cut back maintenance of the nation's 1970s- and'80s-vintage thermonuclear weapons and create a new, flexible arsenal capable of killing, disarming or influencing a foreign adversary worldwide in a matter of hours. In a report obtained by the Federation of American Scientists, a panel of the Defense Science Board, suggests retooling the nation's strategic forces -- limited in the Cold War to nuclear weapons aimed at enemy leaders and their nuclear forces -- to rely more than ever on highly precise conventional and exotic weapons, including lasers in space, unmanned hypersonic craft and earth penetrators weighing up to 10 tons. "U.S. interests are best served by preserving into the future the half-century-plus non-use of nuclear weapons," stated the board's Task Force on Future Strategic Strike Forces. Yet for its most lethal and decisive forces, the panel said the United States still should expand its nuclear arsenal beyond late Cold War-era nuclear warheads to add new nuclear weapons tailored for lower yields and special effects. "This is moving away from anything ordinary people would understand as deterrence," said Andrew Lichterman, an arms researcher at the Western States Legal Foundation, an Oakland-based disarmament group. "This is talking about developing strategic weapons for new purposes, and it's something that should get a deep national debate before it goes further." The Bush administration's drive for new, low-yield nuclear weapons has been highly controversial. Critics say the new weapons hold little military use, could spur other nations' interest in nuclear arms and could blur the line between nuclear and conventional combat. "Pre-emptive nuclear war, that's what they're pushing, and it's absolute madness," said Bob Peurifoy, a former Sandia National Laboratories weapons manager. "Nuclear weapons are the absolute weapons of last resort. If we're losing American cities, then we should respond (with nuclear strikes.) Short of that, I can't see any use of weapons with any nuclear yield, I don't care how low." Peurifoy and many other weaponeers say the current arsenal of about 7,600 weapons is well-tested and capable against a wide array of targets. Since 1995, the nation's three nuclear-weapons labs have studied those weapons for aging defects and found the essential nuclear components last for at least 45 to 60 years. Scientists are engaged in the bread-and-butter work of "stockpile life extensions" for all eight basic designs of warheads and bombs, upgrading them and adding decades to their shelf life. The Defense Science Board said that program is "on the wrong track" and should be scaled back to free up scientists and money for adding new weapons to the arsenal. Echoing the Bush administration's Nuclear Posture Review of December 2001, the Defense Science Board said current U.S. weapons would create so much blast and radioactive fallout that rogue nations or terrorists might doubt a president would use them in response to attack on the United States or its allies. The panel argued that fielding lower-yield weapons makes the threat of their use more believable. This broader, more capable arsenal also is designed to keep Russia and China from trying to compete with the United States and discourage allies such as Japan, South Korea and Taiwan from seeking weapons to counter North Korea, for example. "Assuring U.S. allies in Europe and Asia that they need not develop nuclear arsenals of their own in anticipation of deterioration in their security environment remains an important U.S. objective," the task force said. The panelists, comprised largely of retired senior Navy and Air Force officers, nuclear-weapons scientists and think-tank analysts, recognized that creating a new nuclear arsenal will demand wholesale political and military commitment from U.S. Strategic Command in Omaha to Capitol Hill. "Ultimately the issue requires deep White House involvement and the difficult creation of a consensus in Congress that can be sustained over a number of years if not decades," the panel wrote. In recent months, however, the Bush administration has softened its rhetoric on new weapons. Top U.S. weapons executives sought to mollify Congress last week with assurances that its new $9 million "advanced concepts" design program will "investigate new ideas, not necessarily new weapons." Linton Brooks, head of the National Nuclear Security Administration, said scientists might redesign warheads for longer life and easier manufacture. So far, the military has not formally requested a specific, new nuclear weapon. The Defense Science Board called on Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to "provide guidance" to the commander in charge of U.S. nuclear forces on the need for new weapons research. STRATCOM's commander would list his needs to the Nuclear Weapons Council, which in turn would assign research into the weapons to scientists in California and New Mexico. These weapons -- neutron bombs, circuitry-frying electromagnetic pulse weapons and "clean" reduced-fission bombs -- are resurrections of 1960s and 70s thermonuclear designs produced by University of California scientists at Lawrence Livermore and Los Alamos labs. None were deployed, primarily due to political opposition or dubious practical utility for the military. The Defense Science Board envisions using them largely against underground bunkers, to shake, crush or incinerate the leaders or weapons inside. Panelists suggested that by driving the weapons dozens of yards into soil, small nuclear explosions could be contained. But the panel stressed, that doesn't mean the weapons would be used. "It is, and will likely remain, American policy to keep the nuclear threshold high and to pursue non-nuclear attack options whenever possible. Nothing in our assessment or recommendations seeks to change that goal," the panel stated. "Nonetheless, in extreme circumstances, the president may have no choice but to turn to nuclear options." The task force stressed beefing up U.S. human intelligence and creating new kinds of tags and sensors to hunt and identify enemy leaders and weapons. "These physically small entities are essentially impossible to find in situ, intrusive sensors and probably HUMINT (human intelligence) as well," the report states. Special forces would plant "cyberspies" and tag vehicles for targeting, while ballistic missiles or unmanned aircraft might deliver "interrogation rounds" or other sensors to detect underground facilities and guide in munitions to destroy them. The task force also called for developing a new, intermediate range ballistic missile for submarines and for keeping Peacekeeper missiles for convential uses. About 70 heavy intercontinental ballistic missiles that are slated for retirement in 2005 would be installed at Vandenberg Air Force Base and Cape Canaveral. That would add California and Florida to the three states hosting ICBMs: North Dakota. Wyoming and Montana.

That may work at some level but if it does increase then action must be taken. The Pandavas tried every which way to compromise with the Kurus. Then finally they all had to get it on.

We are not Haridas and we can't artifically imitate. To keep the whole world from hitting the streets and rioting the war on terrorism needs to be turned way up. They are still talking about "bring them to justice." The answer is to bring justice to them. These fanatics simply need to be killed. Sorry but that is the fact. Temples should be armed and devotees need to shoot back.

To help people go thru the death experience with the best chance of remembering Krsna. Great service. But for the aging devotees don't count on it. If it comes fine but be prepared to crawl off in the woods and die "alone" with the hands on your beads just in case.

Like the difference between myself and Srila Prabhupada.

Should we be surprised that a new bhakta can't properly assess their position and so assume they are higher then they are? Rare is the long experienced practioner that is willing to accept the position of being lower than the straw in the street. Advancment in this path is opposite that found in the world. Here the lowest positon is actually the highest. We advance downward to get to the top.

It's not book knowledge. It comes from our own real nature. Something about a softened heart.

Top Stories - Los Angeles Times Opening Afghan Eyes With Mascara and Beauty Classes Sun Apr 4, 7:55 AM ET Add Top Stories - Los Angeles Times to My By Hamida Ghafour Special to The Times KABUL, Afghanistan (news - web sites) — For Afghan women, going out still usually involves little more than throwing on a burka before leaving the house. But two American "beauticians without borders" are introducing Afghans to Western-style ideas of womanhood by teaching them the finer points of applying lipstick. About 25 students have been chosen for an eight-month beautician course by Debbie Rodriguez and Patricia O'Connor, who were dismayed by the beauty regimen of local women — and wanted to help widows and uneducated young women who have no other means of earning a living. The million-dollar program, funded by major cosmetic companies, including Revlon, L'Oreal and Clairol, proved so popular last year that it has been continued. This year, 400 women applied. "This educates the women…. We teach them to operate their own business," said Rodriguez, a Michigan native. "And women here love makeup. All you have to do is go to a wedding to see that." Rodriguez dismissed concerns that the cosmetics firms are using the school to create a market in Afghanistan for their products. "First of all, when people here are making $30 a month — how can they afford a $25 lipstick?" she said. "If they could afford it, that would be the best thing that could happen." Beauty salons have proliferated since the Taliban was ousted in 2001 and are thriving in this capital. For women, who were not allowed to leave their homes or get an education during the repressive years, opening a beauty parlor is one of the few ways they can earn money. Beauticians can make $160 a month — three times the national average and, in most cases, more than their husbands. In the weeks after the Taliban fled, there were only about five beauty salons in Kabul. Now there are hundreds. Soraya Nawabi, 40, a mother of six, said she looked forward to taking the course. "We can have an independent life and help our families," she said. "Women can become businessmen." The salons are socially acceptable because the women do not have to come in contact with men, a major reason most husbands refuse to allow their wives to work. Afghan culture is caught up in a struggle between Westernization and traditionalism. When Vida Samadzai, who had attended Cal State Fullerton, walked onstage wearing a bikini as Afghanistan's representative in last year's Miss Earth pageant in Manila, she provoked outrage. Clerics threatened to have her arrested if she set foot in Afghanistan again. Last year, Trina Ahmedi, 25, won the Anna Wintour Award — named for the Vogue magazine editor — as top student in her graduating class of the beautician program. She said the class was not always well received by Afghans uneasy over the Westernization of their culture. "The men dislike it," Ahmedi said. "They say, 'Why do you have to go and learn 40 different ways of applying makeup?' But how long do women have to be kept under the burka? We don't want to implement the European way of living. Since we are living in a conservative society, women should wear headscarves, but she should be allowed to learn something. It is her right." Nafisa Omed, 40, operated a secret salon during the Taliban years. The mother of five attended the beauty school last year to update her skills and now styles hair and applies makeup for young women at her home. Omed recalled that many of her customers during the Taliban years were wives of Islamic militants. She recognized them because they wore fashionable clothes — the only women in the city who had the means to do so. "A lot of them liked curly hair," she said. "They wouldn't ask for makeup because they never wore any. But they asked for curls in the front of their head, not the back. They wore big scarves and wrapped them in such a way that only the curls showed." Until this month, the beauty school had been operating out of the grounds of the Women's Ministry in the capital, but the relationship apparently turned acrimonious in recent weeks. Rodriguez said ministry officials complained that the school was taking too long to set up its spring session, which began about two weeks ago. Officials from the ministry were not available for comment. Now, the school has relocated, leasing space for classes from a charity elsewhere in Kabul while a more permanent facility is being renovated. Women attending the beauty school are taught four basic haircuts, how to color hair, how to create special hairstyles for weddings and how to apply cosmetics. "When I first came to Kabul — oh, my God! — I was shocked at what these women did to their hair and face," said Rodriguez, who has been a hairdresser for 25 years. "They would use henna, which is horrible for your hair. The scissors looked like hedge trimmers. And they used buckets from nearby wells outside to rinse hair." Rodriguez came to Kabul as a relief worker, but turned her skills elsewhere when she was besieged by requests to cut hair. She described the unique challenges of working as a hairdresser in this city. "Your hair and makeup always have to look good," she said. "But you have to schlep around the muddy streets in high heels. I can't get my curling iron to work, and I had to put my makeup on this morning by lantern. It would be easier to be a sheepherder, because no one would care what you looked like." These days, most Kabul women want to look like an Indian film star, with lacquered hair, frosty lipstick and heavy foundation. The end of Taliban rule, however, has not meant the end of the burka. "Many are afraid to go out without a burka because of fundamentalists," Nawabi said. "A lot of us are still afraid that we will have acid thrown on our faces, as the mujahedin used to do during the civil war years."

is impenetrable to Mahaprabhu. A First in History Bhakta Chris Matthews Krishna Prison Ministry would like to announce a first in Vaishnava history! The Oregon state prison is broadcasting Srila Prabhupada’s lectures twice a week to each and every cell in the institution! The prison has each cell wired with radio allowing the inmates to plug headphones into the wall jacks and hear. Jivanada Dasa, an inmate there, has started broadcasting Srila Prabhupada lectures twice a week so every man has the opportunity to start his journey back home, back to Godhead. As far as we know this is the first time in history that a Vaishnava Acarya has been in every cell in a prison preaching Krsna consciousness! We are ecstatic!!!! Hare Krsna! We would also like to take the opportunity to thank all those who have donated books, stamps, money, tapes and cds. Especially Bhaktivedanta archives and Kamlesh Patel. We would also like to thank those who have written inmates giving them much needed devotee association. If you would like to help or contribute to spread Krsna consciousness to the most fallen souls incarcerated in our world prisons please contact us at: Krishna Prison Ministries c/o Bhakta Chris Matthews 5437 Meadow Rue Trail Knoxville TN, 37918 or e mail us at matthews97@aol.com

They also must ask where does the genius potential shine through FROM? People are born with this condition so their brains could not have absorbed it from the environment. Yet more proof of a subtle mind separate from the brain.

I was googling around for some info on thiamine b-1 and the brain and I came upon this paper which gives info. on many other related substances that can help us in our service. Hard to do anything with a brain outa whack. I have been taking b-1 in powdered form at 500 mg. per day for the last couple of weeks and found that because it helped so much that I plan on gradually going up to 3 gms. or so. You notice the benefits within moments after placing it under the tongue, at least I did. There has been a deriviative of b-1 developed that is said to be very beneficial for preventing some symptoms of diabetes. Not sure of the name. ---------------------- Brain Food: Formulas for Aware Aging by Michelle Badash Although every major organ is critical to physiological functioning, one could say that the brain is the body's dictator. This three-pound, walnut-shaped organ encased in the skull orchestrates an astounding array of functions. Richard Restak, M.D., puts it this way: "The human brain can store more information than all the libraries in the world. It is also responsible for our most primitive urges, our loftiest ideals, and the way we think." Yet, he adds, "The workings of an organ capable of creating Hamlet, the Bill of Rights and Hiroshima remain deeply mysterious."1 Naturally, medical researchers have been trying to crack the mystery for years. In their efforts to analyze the central nervous system, they discovered that complex brain functions depend on a balance of nutrients. Increasing evidence demonstrates that nutrient deficiencies and chemical imbalances can disrupt both emotional and psychological well-being. It May Not Be Alzheimer's One of the most common indications of deteriorating brain function is memory loss. When many older people become aware of memory lapses, they jump to the conclusion that they are experiencing the early signs of Alzheimer's disease, when in fact their declining memory may be rooted in a nutritional deficiency. In the mid-1940s and 1950s, scientific research clearly showed that healthy brain functioning depends on sufficient amounts of B vitamins. Experts today still tout the importance of B vitamins, particularly the following five (keep in mind that these vitamins are all water-soluble and should be taken together for maximum benefit): B1 (thiamine) helps convert glucose into energy. It also mimics acetylcholine (a neurotransmitter involved in memory) and plays a role in brain functions related to memory and cognition.2 Chronic, heavy alcohol consumption can cause a thiamine deficiency resulting in Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, a disease marked by mental confusion. Severe thiamine deficiency leads to beriberi, a disease characterized by weakness, wasting, nerve inflammation and numbness of the hands and feet. A recent study shows that high-dose thiamine supplementation (3-8 g/day) may actually decrease the deleterious effects of senility.3 Thiamine supplementation also appears to elevate mood. In another study, 120 young women took either placebo or 50 mg thiamine daily for two months. Before-and-after tests assessed mood, memory and reaction times. Women who took the thiamine supplements reported feeling significantly more clearheaded, composed and energetic.4 B3 (niacin) enhances the ability of red blood cells to carry oxygen. It is also vital to the formation and maintenance of many tissues, including nerve tissue. A severe niacin deficiency produces pellagra, a disease characterized by the three Ds: dermatitis, diarrhea and dementia. B6 (pyridoxine) is needed for the production of amino acid-derived neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine, serotonin and dopamine. B6 deficiency can cause many ailments including slow learning and visual disturbances. Low levels of this vitamin may also provoke epileptic seizures in people prone to them. B12 (cobalamin) plays an important role in the formation of the myelin sheath around nerve fibers. It also helps the body transport and store folic acid. Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause pernicious anemia, nerve dysfunction (weakness, poor reflexes and strange sensations in the arms and legs) and impaired mental activity. It has also been linked to depression, especially in the elderly.5 Folic acid is necessary for DNA synthesis, hence it plays an essential role in all cell divisions and in the development of the fetal nervous system. Folic acid deficiency can lead to megaloblastic anemia and poor growth in children and can also contribute to various psychiatric disturbances including depression. As many as 31 to 35 percent of all depressed patients have folic acid deficiencies.6 Folic acid supplementation is perhaps most widely known for preventing neural tube defects in a developing fetus.7 The following nutrients related to the B vitamins can also enhance brain functioning: Choline, a component of lecithin, is critical to memory, learning and mental alertness. Manufacture of cell membranes and the neurotransmitter acetylcholine depend on it. Choline helps increase the amount of acetylcholine in the memory circuits of the temporal lobe.8 Although supplemental choline improves memory performance in younger people, it has failed to consistently help elderly adults who already suffer from memory loss or Alzheimer's disease. Inositol, although not officially a B vitamin, is recognized as part of the B complex. It occurs in cell membranes as phosphatidylinositol. The neurotransmitters serotonin and acetylcholine both require phosphatidylinositol for proper functioning. Two clinical trials have shown that rather large amounts of inositol can improve certain psychiatric disorders. In a double-blind, controlled crossover study of 13 patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder conducted by Mendel Fux, M.D., and colleagues at Ben Gurion University of the Negev in Beersheva, Israel, 18 g/day of inositol for six weeks significantly lowered scores on the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale.9 Another study conducted by Joseph Levin, M.D., looked at the effects of taking inositol for four to six weeks in patients with depression (28 patients, 12 g/day); panic disorder (21 patients, 12 g/day); schizophrenia (12 patients, 12 g/day); obsessive-compulsive disorder (13 patients, 18 g/day); Alzheimer's disease (11 patients, 6 g/day); electroconvulsive therapy-induced memory loss (12 patients, 6 g/day); attention deficit disorder (11 children, 200 mg/kg/day) and autism (9 children, 200 mg/kg).10 Inositol had significant therapeutic effects on illnesses that respond to ProzacTM, such as panic and obsessive-compulsive disorders and depressions. Phosphatidylserine is the major phospholipid in the brain. Present in cell membranes, it plays a major role in determining their integrity and fluidity. The brain generally makes enough, but deficiencies of essential fatty acids or vitamins such as folic acid and B12 can inhibit production. The potential benefits of phosphatidylserine on dementia and memory loss have been studied extensively. Results are fairly positive; most studies reported short-term cognitive gains in study participants. One of the larger double-blind, placebo-controlled studies followed more than 400 patients ages 65 to 93 who had moderate to severe cognitive decline. Compared to the placebo group, both cognitive and behavioral parameters improved significantly within the six-month study period for the phosphatidylserine-treated group.11 Other studies indicate that phosphatidylserine may be particularly effective in improving cognition in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease.12 Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a polyunsaturated fatty acid also known as an omega-3 fatty acid, plays a critical role in infant brain development and vision. Before a child is born, DHA from the mother's blood travels to the placenta where it is used for membrane development in the brain and retina.13 Research has also linked the rising rate of depression among adults to an imbalance in the ratio of omega-3 fatty acids to omega-6 fatty acids (arachadonic acid).14 Two Important Amino Acids Amino acids, the building blocks of protein, are critical to the formation and functioning of neurotransmitters. Of the 20 amino acids, two are particularly important to brain function. These are L-tyrosine and L-tryptophan. L-tyrosine is one of the nonessential amino acids found in protein-rich foods such as meat, poultry, seafood and tofu. It's a precursor to the neurotransmitters norepinephrine and dopamine--chemical messengers that promote mental acuity and alertness. Increased levels of these neurotransmitters can affect mood and behavior, fostering a tendency to think more quickly and react more rapidly.15 L-tryptophan is integral to the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter with sedative and sleep-promoting effects. L-tryptophan is found in foods such as bananas, milk and sunflower seeds. Once available as a supplement, it was recalled by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1989 because of reported neuromuscular side effects. Although these effects were later traced to a bacterial contaminant from a single manufacturer, the FDA has not withdrawn its ban of over-the-counter L-tryptophan sales. Critical Minerals Iron, magnesium, calcium, copper and zinc all help keep the body functioning smoothly. Proper balance of these minerals is especially critical to brain performance; even a slight imbalance may create psychological disturbances. Here are highlights of the most important mineral functions. Iron is particularly critical to motor and mental development during infancy. An iron deficiency can adversely affect the ability to learn and understand new information and may result in poor concentration and attention span.16 Calcium and magnesium regulate nerve impulses and aid in the formation of neurotransmitters. Excessive levels of calcium may result in mental changes--the extreme being stupor or even coma.17 Zinc deficiency may contribute to dementing illnesses such as Alzheimer's disease. A small study suggests that supplemental zinc may provide benefits in cases of dementing illness.18 The sophisticated chemistry of the brain depends on all of these nutrients, but further research is needed to elucidate the effects of supplementation on various central nervous system disorders.

While not a Republican I will say that all media is based on the false idea that the body is the self. Real self esteem comes from a real understanding of who we are. We should "feel good about ourselves" because we are eternal, filled with knowledge, capable of experiencing unlimited bliss through love, actual parts of God. So "strut your stuff baby" just remember your connection to the Source.

Mahaprabhu came to set the inmates (us) free!

but just keep the mind engaged in Krishna.

As long as you are taking up some form of association with devotees elsewhere its OK. Put a post in from time to time. Stay engaged in your Krsna conscious search prabhuji. "Happy trails to you, until we meet again"