bija

:)Please do not be disheartened that you may have not recieved a satisfying answer to your question and search from the pujari. I can relate somewhat to how you may feel. I remember when I used to drive about 3 hours some years back to go to a temple, I would sit at the temple and not be able to find anyone who had the time to share deeply. Internally I was desperate to express my sincerity in this search for new faith, but could not find anyone who had the time. I hope for you that you may find someone to assist you with your desires. This pujari that you talked to has recommended you read some books. This is good advice. I do not know how much you have read about Hinduism but finding some books that can give some introduction about hinduism would be good. Where to start reading is the question? You mentioned in your post about about conversion; here may be a good point to start your reading. From a christian or some other religious perspective there may be a percieved need of conversion. But in so called Hindu thought this word, "conversion" may not be applicable. I am a Krsna consciousness devotee, and some months back I was talking to an Indian born lady who is a worshipper of Shiva. I mentioned the word Hindu to her and she replied, "we due not use the bodily designation of Hindu but we practice Sanatana Dharma". So I would first recommend you search out and study, what this Sanatana Dharma is. It can be very simply translated as Eternal Occupation. The first key in understanding would be to question who you are. If you look deeply enough you will come to realise that you are not all these material designations; this body, this name, american, australian, christian, hindu etc, etc. But in fact you are a spirit soul, which is an eternal minute fragment of the Great Spirit which is God. And by then realising that you are an eternal part and particle of the Absolute you may then question what is your relationship or duty to this Absolute/God. There is the key to your Sanatana Dharma (eternal occupation) beyond all these material designations such as Australian, Hindu, Christian or whatever they may be. So as you begin to realise that your original nature is spirit soul and not all these bodily designations the word conversion may not be applicable any more. Rather than conversion you may begin to understand that it is more of an awakening to who you really are, your original nature, a particle of God. A servant of God. Also regarding your question about change of name. I have a spiritual name but on my birth certificate, drivers licence etc my birth name is still used. Though, I love my spiritual name as it describes nicely who I am in relation to this Sanatana Dharma.

I was also born a catholic and can only speak from my own experience. Since I have taken up the process of Krsna Consciousness my realisations about the nature of God have developed and grown. In fact I have not left Jesus Christ but have grown to love and understand him in a more deeper and personal way. The process I am practicing involves japa and kirtana of the Holy Names of God. In fact one of the great teachers of this practice taught, "if you have the name of God, please chant it." So in fact there is no need to change religion at all. If you are very attached to Lord Jesus Christ then simply chant his names. I chant several mantras with the main focus on the Hare Krsna Mahamantra which is: Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. By chanting either Krsna's names or Christ's names there will be no loss. I can recommend reading chapter 4, page 78 of the book "The Science of Self Realisation." in the below link. www.krishna.com/e-books/Science_of_Self-Realization.pdf Here this science is explained simply and clearly and the relationship between the names Krsna and Christ are also explained. All the best with your spiritual journey, and may your love for God fully blossom.

I recieved an invite to "gmail" some weeks back. After some hesitation due to having to change everything over I started an account. If anyone is thinking about getting a gmail account I would recommend this service. It has many excellent features and storage and is definately worth checking out. And compared to my old email account, no spam which is great.

Thanks for sharing this Theist. Since chanting the Holy Names of Nitai-Gaura and Hare Krsna I have gradually become aware of my shortcomings also. It is interesting, I just have got back from the center of town today and due a particular circumstance it was really intense. Here in town there is only one other Hare Krsna devotee and I am finding this association so much more relishable than anything else. And very precious. I have joined this forum in hopes of developing more contacts with devotee association and discovering these special dealings that can develop between devotees. I am with your line of thought on this. Spiritual growth is a gradual process, and I am bound to make many blunders. But one thing I am sure of is how much I need to grow in a similar direction you have expressed. This is my second attempt at joining this forum, as the first time I joined I opened my heart and personal life a little bit too much. And after reading some of the threads and posters comments dealing with others, felt very vulnerable. This time I am taking a different approach. Recently I have been getting back to basics and have begun a gradual reading of Srila Prabhupada's small books. I am realising upon reading them what a great, loving, and caring man he was. I would like to quote from Nectar of Instruction, text 5: Please correct me if I am wrong, but I think I recall reading that if a person can overcome this propensity to criticize others, he becomes qualified to make disciples all over the world.If we are fortunate enough to find a Guru, no matter what so-called camp he comes from, no matter how he may express the teachings of the Guru Parampara considering particular time and place, and so many other things which we continually debate over: if we can repose our faith in him, and he is bonafide. Then run to him, learn from him and follow him. Such a rare oppurtunity is the greatest of treasures rarely found in this material world. Please forgive my foolishness.

I received an answer from my spiritual master via his forum this evening. His response was,

It sounds like a form of dysentery. There is a form of this illness that is caused by bacteria that can be picked up in food. It can be diagnosed by a faeces sample and can be treated by antibiotics. I picked this up once while living in Guatemala...not very pleasant. It is very important for him to get checked for this. You may also want to check for amoebic dysentery. It is essential that he replenishes himself with this Gatorade or, something better from the pharmacy/drug store if available.

Dear Varsana, I do not know the answer to your question. Give me a few days and I will be in contact with someone who will know, and I will post my findings here. It is interesting to note , that Lord Gauranga's auspicious markings are the combined amount of Radha and Krsna, taking into consideration the marks that Radha and Krsna share. At a guess I would say that Nityananda/Balarama have the same markings. But as I say I am only presuming, I will get back to you with the correct answer soon.

Good investigating gHari;) And... nice letter.

I do not know of any evidence. But considering that Einstein was a very learned and well read man, it may not be too much conjecture that he was familiar with the Bhagavad-Gita. As Srila Prabhupada is saying, the Bhagavad-Gita is a very authoritative work.

For those interested I found this while reading the small book: Beyond Birth and Death, by Srila Prabhupada, Chapter 4, Fourth last paragraph.

Also thanks for the memories, Mahaksadasa. When I was a child back in the seventies I can remember sneeking into the room with the record player and eagerly listening to Gene Pitney, Tom Jones and Kris Kristoffersen albums. The memories are faint now, but Pitney's passing reminded me of a time in the late seventies when I took some Elvis records to sell at a school fundraiser. When I got home that day, I heard the news that Elvis had just died. Even though my teens were spent in the eighties, I was pretty much attached to anything 60's or 70's and strangely enough this interest eventually drew me to the Hare Krsna movement. The first time I ever saw the devotees all dressed in saffron was when I first ventured to the big smoke(Melbourne) by myself. They gave me the book Chant and Be Happy. It was the first time I had ever seen a picture of Srila Prabhupada. I can still remember thinking, "wow look at him, whatever he has got, I want a bit of that."

Sourced from Positive and Progressive Immortality by BR Sridhar. Chapter 7 verse 18: Purport: Awakening of divine affection for Krsna proves worldly opinion mere trivia- Verse: The expert moralists may say that I am deluded, the Vedic religionists may insist that I am misled, and my associates may condemn me as uncultured. My own brothers may direspect me and call me an idiot, the wealthy may say I am mad, and the sharp-witted philosophers may severely criticize me as being a great egotist. Nevertheless, my heart cannot budge in the slightest degree from its aspiration to serve the lotus feet of Sri Govinda. -Madhava.

Readings on Lord Rama can be found in the Srimad-Bhagavatam in the following locations: Canto 1 ch.3 vs.22 Canto 2 ch.7 vs23-25 Canto 5 ch.19 vs.1-8 Canto 9 ch.10 and 11

I have read over the internet according to the philosophy of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, that Maha Sankarsana is the shelter of the jiva souls. My knowledge of this is very limited;could someone kindly guide me to some nice writings about this relationship so that I may learn more. Thank you.

The Thakura in Puri THE Thakura's family was in Ranaghat, and in his absence a son named Radhika Prasad was born. While in Dinajpur he had taken a law examination but had not passed it. In Champaran, however, he studied law very intently and after taking the examination in Chapra, he asked for a transfer to Puri. He received it, and taking copies of the Srimad-Bhagavatam and the Sri Caitanya-caritamrita with him he duly proceeded there. He describes his going daily for darsana of Lord Jagannatha thus: "Every day I went to see Jagannatha at Sri Mandira. At the time of darsana I remembered the emotions of Sri Mahaprabhu, and I felt very blissful." For a few months he was alone in Puri, and then, after the puja season, he brought his family to a brick house he rented there. While staying alone in Puri, in 1871, the Thakura composed a poem in contemplation of the samadhi (tomb) of Srila Haridasa Thakura, the great Professor of the Holy Name, the ninth verse of which is especially well-known and is oft quoted by Gaudiya Vaishnavas.

Thakura Haridasa by Bhaktivinoda Thakura Oh born of Moslem parents Haridas! And trained in youth in Moslem creed Thy noble heart to Vaishnava truth did pass Thy holy acts thy candor plead! Is there a soul that cannot learn from thee That man must give up sect for God That thoughts of race and sect can ne'er agree With what they call Religion broad Thy love of God and brother soul alone Bereft thyself of early friends Thy softer feelings oft to kindness prone Led on thyself for higher ends! I weep to read that Kazis and their men Oft persecuted thee, alas! But thou didst nobly pray for th' wicked then! For thou wert Vaishnava Haridas! And God is boundless grace to thee, Oh man! United thee to one who came To save the fallen souls from Evil's plan Of taking human souls to shame And He it was who led you all that came For life eternal, holy, pure! And gave you rest in Heaven's endearing Name And sacred blessings ever sure! Thy body rests upon the sacred sands Of Svargardvar near the sea, Oh, hundreds come to thee from distant lands T' enjoy a holy, thrilling glee! The waters roar and storming winds assail Thy ears in vain, ah, Vaishnava soul! The charms of Vrindavan thy heart regale, Unknown the wheel of time doth roll! He reasons ill who tells that Vaishnavas die When thou art living still in sound The Vaishnavas die to live and living try To spread the holy name around! Now let the candid man that seeks to live Follow thy way on shores of time, Then posterity sure to him will give Like one song in simple rhyme! (A poem originally written by Bhaktivinoda Thakura in the early 1870's.)

Markine Bhagavata-dharma by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedänta Svämi Prabhupäda at Boston Harbour, September 18, 1965 My dear Lord Krsna, You are so kind upon this useless soul, but I do not know why You have brought me here. Now You can do whatever You like with me. But I guess You have some business here, otherwise why would You bring me to this terrible place? Most of the population here is covered by the material modes of ignorance and passion. Absorbed in material life, they think themselves very happy and satisfied, and therefore they have no taste for the transcendental message of Vasudeva. I do not know how they will be able to understand it. But I know Your causeless mercy can make everything possible because You are the most expert mystic. How will they understand the mellows of devotional service? O Lord, I am simply praying for Your mercy so that I will be able to convince them about Your message. All living entities have become under the control of the illusory energy by Your will, and therefore, if You like, by Your will they can also be released from the clutches of illusion. I wish that You may deliver them. Therefore if You so desire their deliverance, then only will they be able to understand Your message. The words of Srimad-Bhagavatam are Your incarnation, and if a sober person repeatedly receives it with submissive aural reception, then he will be able to understand Your message. It is said in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.17-21): "Sri Krsna, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramatma [supersoul] in everyone’s heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted. By regular attendance in classes on the Bhagavatam and by rendering of service to the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is almost completely destroyed, and loving service unto the Personality of Godhead, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable fact. As soon as irrevocable loving service is established in the heart, the effects of nature’s modes of passion and ignorance, such as lust, desire and hankering, disappear from the heart. Then the devotee is established in goodness, and he becomes completely happy. Thus established in the mode of unalloyed goodness, the man whose mind has been enlivened by contact with devotional service to the Lord gains positive scientific knowledge of the Personality of Godhead in the stage of liberation from all material association. Thus the knot in the heart is pierced, and all misgivings are cut to pieces. The chain of fruitive actions is terminated when one sees the self as master." He will become liberated from the influence of the modes of ignorance and passion and thus all inauspicious things accumulated in the core of the heart will disappear. How will I make them understand this message of Krsna consciousness? I am very unfortunate, unqualified and the most fallen. Therefore I am seeking Your benediction so that I can convince them, for I am powerless to do so on my own. Somehow or other, O Lord, You have brought me here to speak about You. Now, my Lord, it is up to You to make me a success or failure as You like. O spiritual master of all the worlds! I can simply repeat Your message, so if You like You can make my power of speaking suitable for their understanding. Only by Your causeless mercy will my words become pure. I am sure that when this transcendental message penetrates their hearts they will certainly feel engladdened and thus become liberated from all unhappy conditions of life. O Lord, I am just like a puppet in Your hands. So if You have brought me here to dance, then make me dance, make me dance, O Lord, make me dance as You like. I have no devotion, nor do I have any knowledge, but I have strong faith in the holy name of Krsna. I have been designated as Bhaktivedanta, and now, if You like, You can fulfill the real purport of Bhaktivedanta. Signed-the most unfortunate, insignificant beggar A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, on board the ship Jaladuta, Commonwealth Pier, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A. dated 18th of September, 1965

"The key to it all" by BR Sridhara Maharaja This Nabadwip Dham, on the banks of the Ganges, has such great value, especially for the realisation of our highest self, as recommended by Sriman Mahaprabhu. It is the land of love, sweetness, charm and beauty – all are synonymous. It is heart –capturing. Our real existence is neither in our knowledge nor our power, but in our heart. Really, our proper identification is with our heart. So, in which direction our heart is moving, that is the all-important factor in our life. It is a heart-transaction. Mahaprabhu recommended: “Don’t rely on your knowledge, reasoning capacity, or power, but the heart-transaction is all-important in you. The inner factor of your existence is in your heart. So try to guide your heart towards sweetness – towards home. And your real home is not here where we are wandering around with no certainty throughout eight million four hundred thousand species according to our karmma. But only in the human birth, with the help of the Divine Agent, can we go back to our home: to home and affection.” Home is there, where the environment will take care of us, our fortune, and our comfort, independent of our consideration. The affectionate paraphernalia there will help us very affectionately and lovingly. So we should make good use of this opportunity to go back to God, back to home, our sweet, sweet home. Mahaprabhu recommended the path: “With the help of the Divine Agent and the revealed Scriptures, try to go there yourself. Your present position is uncertain. After death it is not fixed where you will be carried by the current of your previous karmma, therefore try to utilise for the best whatever time is available before your death. You have free-will, therefore those days before your death are to some degree in your hand to use, so that time you must utilise with the utmost care for God-realisation.” There is nothing so important as this for all of us. The advice in common for us all is: “Give up all your duties and jump into the one duty, to go back home. There everything is full and complete, and everyone will look after your real interest. So you must go there: back to God, back to home.” The Maha-Mantra and its glories The Supreme Mantra of the Holy Name of the Supreme Lord – Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare The Glories of the Holy Name – harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha The Holy Name, the Holy Name, the Holy Name alone – in this age of Kali there is no other shelter, no other shelter, no other shelter. (Brhan-Naradiya-Purana) kaler dosa-nidhe rajannasti hy eko mahan gunah kirttanad evy krsnasya mukta-bandhah param vrajet O King, this age of Kali is a reservoir of wrong, yet it has but one glorious quality; in this age, simply by chanting the Glories of Sri Krsna, the soul is freed from the bondage of Maya and attains the shelter of the Lord Himself. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 12.3.51)