theist

Businesses with a spill over effect?

Flower shops or stands.Garlands or single flowers like gardenias that the congregation can purchase for the Deities(if the shop is close enough to the temple), along with the general public buying for their desires.This would increase the involement in personal devotion for temple visitors.

Produce shops.Sell good grade produce and bulk food at very good prices to the public.Provide extra to prasadam programs and to..

Diners club and restraunts.

Prasadam street wagons.Nice stainless steel prasadam mobile vendors at every campus.Keep the prices low and the helpings big and concentrate on volumn.

Basically food and flowers.

Nothing new here though, just go ask the Haribols how its done.They have been successful for quite a while.

TREAT EACH OTHER HONESTLY!!!

Originally posted by Rati:

You can catch us on pay per view. That was just a little taste.

A tease.A shameless promotion.I sense Don King's influence.

I use to keep a message to myself on my desk that read,"Gossip is poison."

I just made another one with skull and cross bones.

If we seek the best in others we may have a better chance at finding it within ourselves.

theist

Now there is some synchronicity for you,only one minute apart.

So Ravana had ten heads?Is this symbolism or am I to accept that there was literaly a ten headed monster living in Sri Lanka?Both?

Anything is possible, but which is true?

Thanks

That's says it all doesn't it.It is an interesting question but certainly nothing to make a faction over.

It appears the best way to understand the reality of the waking state is to wake up.

Rati and jijaji,

You have both disappointed me greatly.You had a nice friendly spar going and then youse guys WIMPED OUT!!!

Do some push ups.Eat some ginseng.Get back out there!

Sirona,

What's up soul?

So Bush hasn't solved all the problems in the world.Did you think anyone could?

Intrigue and covert ops will always go on.That is the nature of that particular field of activities.

That world is a grey zone of varying shades.Look for black and white and you just won't find it.

The next white knight riding in on a white horse is going to be Kalki.And He won't be coming to save the princess.

Even Rama was criticized for being henpecked.

Speaking of Rama....

[This message has been edited by theist (edited 04-20-2002).]

Welcome back.In your absence I have taken up cyber residence here and would like to thank you, my host, for keeping such a nice refuge for us folks.

Hare Krishna,

theist, the cyber squatter

subal,

Although not physically restricted I find myself, by nature, "alone" often.

We are never truly alone though, as we know, as Supersoul has so kindly accompanied us.And where He is His devotees are also.

You are surrounded by well wishers.

To help remember this I make use of tapes for kirtan.Just put on a tape of Prabhupada chanting and respond as he leads.

I do the same for when chanting japa at home.Prabhupada's japa tape gets me through some rounds and helps stop my mind from wandering.

I have recently been following these forums and that helps also.Even though I can't track along with all the discussions,especially those that pertain to higher rasa and sanskrit.Still it helps to keep me in some kind of focus.

The material condition is always a bad bargain and our situations are very ackward.So it seems we must just find the best use of what we have and trust in Krsna to place us in situations that are even more favorable.

Things can work for the best.Our seeming isolation for instance may increase our desire and appreciation for the Lord's ever presence.It can cause us to dive deep into our japa and prayer.

Stick with us here and let's advance towards Him together.

Your ally and bro.,

theist

Jaiva Dharma online: http://mandala.com.au/jaiva_dharma/

chapter 16 discusses this and raises some questions as well.

Originally posted by Gauracandra:

Just trying to be devils advocate here for a second.

 

So God says "Either choose to love me and come to this perfect world. Or if you don't love me, I send you to a place of pain and misery, until you choose to love me."

 

Sounds to me like God has a gun to our heads. Either we "choose" to love Him or else we suffer. Why not give us a perfect place to live, and then if we voluntarily choose to love God we can go to another perfect place to love God as well?

How do we define perfect place?A place without suffering and loads and loads of sense gratification is what I generally think of.I think of perfection as a place,Vaikuntha, a world with no anxieties, where I can enjoy forever.

The flaw though is in thinking of 'perfect place' as some impersonal territory, when in fact every'thing' there is personal, conscious and and engaged in loving interactions.

Krsna is that perfect place.

Our problem arises when we want the Kingdom of God without God, or ourselves as God of that kingdom.

So we all want the throne.In our vying for that position as the central enjoyer we end up stepping on each others toes causing suffering to others even as they walk on us.

So if our idea of perfect place includes relationships and others at all, it follows that it must be Krsna centered.

If we just can't handle that,well there is always the brahmajyoti to hang out in.

One thing I like about Krsna starting us off in a neutral position is that we actually get to initiate the expression of our own beings.That is we can stay in the Brahman or go to either the spiritual or material sides for varigated life.

No forced suffering.No guns to our heads.As full an expression of freedom as one can handle.

I may not like the fact that there is no one to blame for my suffering but me,but it's true nonetheless.

Originally posted by Gauracandra:

Just trying to be devils advocate here for a second.

 

So God says "Either choose to love me and come to this perfect world. Or if you don't love me, I send you to a place of pain and misery, until you choose to love me."

 

Sounds to me like God has a gun to our heads. Either we "choose" to love Him or else we suffer. Why not give us a perfect place to live, and then if we voluntarily choose to love God we can go to another perfect place to love God as well?

How do we define perfect place?A place without suffering and loads and loads of sense gratification is what I generally think of.I think of perfection as a place,Vaikuntha, a world with no anxieties, where I can enjoy forever.

The flaw though is in thinking of 'perfect place' as some impersonal territory, when in fact every'thing' there is personal, conscious and and engaged in loving interactions.

Krsna is that perfect place.

Our problem arises when we want the Kingdom of God without God, or ourselves as God of that kingdom.

So we all want the throne.In our vying for that position as the central enjoyer we end up stepping on each others toes causing suffering to others even as they walk on us.

So if our idea of perfect place includes relationships and others at all, it follows that it must be Krsna centered.

If we just can't handle that,well there is always the brahmajyoti to hang out in.

One thing I like about Krsna starting us off in a neutral position is that we actually get to initiate the expression of our own beings.That is we can stay in the Brahman or go to either the spiritual or material sides for varigated life.

No forced suffering.No guns to our heads.As full an expression of freedom as one can handle.

I may not like the fact that there is no one to blame for my suffering but me,but it's true nonetheless.

Originally posted by abhi_the_great:

All this sounds interesting to me. I never heard this.

 

 

Do you have a copy of Jaiva Dharma?Does anyone know of an online version.If so please post a link.

Originally posted by abhi_the_great:

All this sounds interesting to me. I never heard this.

 

 

Do you have a copy of Jaiva Dharma?Does anyone know of an online version.If so please post a link.

Sarasvati, please don't be disturbed.These things happen from time to time.Just ignore them.They are experiencing what is technicaly known as a flashback.

I'm just surprised that the background for that thread isn't colored paislies with strobing lights.

Why they are stuck there more then three decades later is a puzzle.I think I'll go ask Alice,I think she will know.

Anyway be of peacfull mind and keep remembering Krishna.

theist

Sarasvati's question is one that has bugged me for some time.

In Jaiva-dharma ch.16, we read that innumerable jiva's appear from Sri Baladeva to serve Krishna in Goloka Vrndaban.Similarly from Sankarsana jiva's appear to serve Narayana in Vaikuntha.They never know maya and the strength of their bhakti sakti keeps them established in their devotion.So my question goes to what appears to be an absence of free will in becoming established in those relationships in the first place.

Then we come to us.The 'grade b'jivas.We came from Maha-Visnu and are situated in a marginal position where we can catch a glimpse of maya and fall into the material atmosphere.

Clearly disitnct classes of jiva's.

This is a doubting point for me and if someone can clear it I would appreciate it.

doubting theist

Sarasvati's question is one that has bugged me for some time.

In Jaiva-dharma ch.16, we read that innumerable jiva's appear from Sri Baladeva to serve Krishna in Goloka Vrndaban.Similarly from Sankarsana jiva's appear to serve Narayana in Vaikuntha.They never know maya and the strength of their bhakti sakti keeps them established in their devotion.So my question goes to what appears to be an absence of free will in becoming established in those relationships in the first place.

Then we come to us.The 'grade b'jivas.We came from Maha-Visnu and are situated in a marginal position where we can catch a glimpse of maya and fall into the material atmosphere.

Clearly disitnct classes of jiva's.

This is a doubting point for me and if someone can clear it I would appreciate it.

doubting theist

mmaranr,

The Bible never says the world is six thousand years old.Someone tried to trace back the generations from Christ to Adam estimating the lifespans of each as they went and came up with that silly number, assuming all human history is recorded in that book.

The scientists have their version of the same folly.

Digging here and there for old bones they formulate various theories on the origin of life.

Such wild imaginations.

The real question is how could unconscious matter turn into living conscious force.

Our position is that life comes from life.

What is your position on that?

theist

Then there is the invocation to Sri Isopanishad.

The world may not be perfect according to our will,our relative view,but it is acting perfectly according to His.

Then there is the invocation to Sri Isopanishad.

The world may not be perfect according to our will,our relative view,but it is acting perfectly according to His.

atma, you forgot about the daytime when ole dad was slaving away at the factory while mom laid around eatting bon bons and watching Oprah Winfrey.You know its true.

Sirona,

Nothing wrong with meditation.You and the Buddhists though don't share a common object to be meditated upon.

They may want to stare at a blank wall and you may wish to view Krishna's lotus feet.

Water and oil.I suspect you know what must be done already.

Good luck,

theist

Hådayänanda: And there should... Should there be any material subject matters taught like in gurukula?

Prabhupäda: Yes. Just like material subject matter, kñatriya, or the brähmaëas, kñatriya, as they are described in the Bhagavad-gétä, what are the symptoms of brähmaëa, what is the symptoms of kñatriya. The kñatriyas should be taught how to fight also. There will be military training. There will be training how to kill.

Hådayänanda: Oh.

Prabhupäda: Yes. And vaiçyas should be trained how to give protection to the cows, how to till the field and grow food. Practical.

I always thought the Sikhs were a good example in this regard.They would hire a martial arts instructor and the whole class would be Sikhs.

Firearm classes should not be neglected.But the mentality should be judged somehow before issuing some bhakta a gun.

The world is getting tougher and we must be ready for anything.