zjj

Haribol! I'm going on tour again this weekend, visiting the southern states of Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tenneessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky and Missouri. I'm hoping that the weather stays good and I'm told fall in beautiful in these areas so Krishna willing, I'll be alright. This list of all my events is here: Texas: Wednesday October 17th - Hinduism and Hindu Literature Talk at Brookhaven College, Dallas. Saturday October 20th - Book signing at The Bookworm, Frisco TX. 11:30-4:30. Oklahoma: Sunday October 21st - Book signing at Hastings, 601 N Commerce St, Ardmore OK, 11-2pm. Sunday October 21st - Book signing at Hastings, 1140 Lonnie Abbott Ind. Blvd, Ada OK, 4-8pm. Monday October 22nd - Book signing at Hastings, 616 NW Sheridan Rd, Lawton OK, 5-8pm. Tuesday October 23rd - Book signing at Waldenbooks, 2501 West Memorial Rd, Oklahoma City OK, 4-7pm. Wednesday October 24th - Book signing at Hastings, 2900 N 14th Street, Ponca City OK, 4-7pm. Arkansas: Friday October 26th - Book signing at Waldenbooks, 511 Rogers Ave, Fort Smith AR, 2-6pm. Saturday October 27th - Book signing at Waldenbooks, 2901 Pines Mall Dr, Pine Bluff AR, 1-4pm. Saturday October 27th - Book signing at Hastings, 1360 Highway 64 West, Conway AR, 6-10pm. Sunday October 28th - Book signing at Hastings, 1315 S Caraway Rd, Jonesboro AR, 1-4pm. Tennessee: Monday October 29th - Book signing at Hastings, 650 US Hwy 51 Bypass W, Dyersburg TN, 3-7pm. Tuesday October 30th - Book signing at Hastings, 1600 Ft Campbell Blvd, Clarksville TN, 5-8pm. Wednesday October 31st - Book signing at Hastings, 1660 Memorial Blvd, Murfreesboro TN, 4-9pm. Thursday November 1st - Book signing at Hastings, 231 Northgate Dr, McMinnville TN, 4-7pm. Friday November 2nd - Book signing at Hastings, 501 N Foothills Plaza Dr, Maryville TN, 4-7pm. South Carolina: Saturday November 3rd - Book signing at Waldenbooks, 72 Bypass Northwest, Greenwood SC, 2-5pm. Sunday November 4th - Book signing at Waldenbooks, 100 Columbiana Circle, Columbia SC, 1:30-6pm. Monday November 5th - Book signing at Waldenbooks, Broad St & Buttman Dr, Sumter SC, 11am-4pm. Wednesday November 7th - Book signing at Waldenbooks, 120 Market Street, Charleston SC, 1-5pm. North Carolina: Friday November 9th - Book signing at Borders, 8825 N Six Forks Rd, Raleigh NC, 6-9pm. Saturday November 10th - Book signing at Waldenbooks, 201 S Estes Drive, Chapel Hill NC, 11am-1pm. Saturday November 10th - Book signing at Waldenbooks, 1058 West Club Boulevard, Durham NC, 2-6pm. Sunday November 11th - Drive-by signing at Waldenbooks, 400 Four Seasons, Greensboro NC. Tuesday November 13th - Book signing at Borders, Morrocroft Village Shopping Center, Charlotte NC, 6-10pm. Virginia: Thursday November 15th - Book signing at Waldenbooks, 240 Commonwealth Blvd, Martinsville VA, 2-4pm. Friday November 16th - Book signing at Waldenbooks, 1621 East Rio Rd, Charlottesville VA, 2-5pm. Saturday November 17th - Book signing at Waldenbooks, 880 N Military Hwy, Norfolk VA, 1-3pm. Saturday November 17th - Book signing at Waldenbooks, 1401 Greenbrier Parkway, Chesapeake VA, 4-7pm. Sunday November 18th - Book signing at Waldenbooks, 10101 Brook Rd, Glen Allen VA, 1-4pm. Kentucky: Friday November 23rd - Book signing at Waldenbooks, 500 Winchester Ave, Ashland KY, 1-5pm. Monday November 26th - Talk on Writing "Follow the Cowherd Boy", Madison County Library, 319 Chestnut St, Berea KY, 6:30-8pm. Missouri: Tuesday November 27th - Book signing at Hastings, 950 N Westwood Blvd MO, 5-9pm. Thursday November 29th - Book signing at Hastings, 605 N Belt Hwy, St Joseph MO, 1-6pm. Saturday December 1st - Book signing at Borders Express, 2096 Independence Center Dr, Independence MO, 2-4pm. Saturday December 1st - Book signing at Hastings, 723 N Charles, Warrensburg MO, 5-9pm. Sunday December 2nd - Book signing at Hastings, 526 S Range Line Rd, Joplin MO, 12-4pm. Monday December 3rd - HOME! where I will be staying put for several months. Krishna has been so kind in allowing me to set up these tours and visit so many beautiful states and sacred places. I've been blessed much more than I deserved. This will be my last tour this year and I'm looking forward to it just as I'm looking forward to returning home and staying at home for more than just a few weeks. The best thing about travelling is the return home, I think. If any of you are in these areas then please feel free to come and see me at my signing events. I would love to meet the members of this forum and please don't feel that you have to buy a book. You don't have to buy one at all, it would only be nice to meet devotees and talk of Krishna and Mirabai. This is the greatest enjoyment for me in doing book tours. Haribol! Jai

Hindus don't believe in the devil, my friend. We believe that there is only god and he has no competition. Every living being is his eternal servant. Haribol! Jai

As far as I know, they wore their hair long and they kept mustachios, although only the elders kept beards. There's got to be something about it in the Mahabharat or one of the puranas that describes how kshatriyas wore their hair. Jai

This is nice work. Thanks for the info, Haribol! Jai

Haribol, Brajeshwara Prabhu! I haven't been on the forum for a while and it's nice to see you. I chant while I'm driving, mainly because I'm on tour with my book right now and spend on average about four to five hours in my car everyday. The rest of the time I meeting people at my signings and in crowds. Since driving is the only time I have alone I use it to do my rounds. I make many offenses and I know that chanting while driving is terrible but I still do it. I know that otherwise I would be chanting at 10 or 11pm at night when I'm very tired and cannot focus and will be really inattentive anyway. And I don't like going to bed without chanting, although I've done that several times during this tour and I'm ashamed of it. So the only time I get is when I driving. I try to put on a tape of Prabhupada chanting and have that in the background as I chanting to give myself a bit more focus but I still know that it is inattentive and not an ideal situation. The only alternative is to not chant and I find that option difficult to swallow. I can't sleep properly if I haven't done my rounds. Jai

Haribol! If you read the Bhagavad Purana then you will know that Yashoda's pregnancy was definitely part of the Lord's plan, as everything is part of the Lord's plan. The Lord planned to descend as Devki's son but then go to Yashoda with everone thinking that he was her son in truth. He thus instructed Yog Maya to incarnate as Yashoda's daughter so that she would have a pregnancy and people would assume that he was her son. Yog Maya thus entered Yashoda's body to be her daughter at the same time the Lord entered Devki's body to be her son. The pregnancies were simultaneous and the births were also simultaneous. Yashoda also had visions of Yog Maya during her pregnancy and so understood that her child would be a divine birth. Jai

Haribol! I love the Ramayana and the pastimes of Rama and his associates. All glories to Shri Rama! Jai

That's wicked! Thanks for the info, Haribol! Jai

This is such a great thread, thank's for the enlightening posts about Raghavendra Swami. I was previously unaware of his appearance on earth and feel blessed that today I learned a little of him. Please post some more things about Swamiji. Haribol! Jai

But the Kshatriyas were only supposed to hunt when there was a specific animal that was a danger to the people. Otherwise hunting was not permitted. If you look at the shastra, bad things always happen when a kshatriya goes hunting for pleasure. eg 1. Pandu in the Mahabharat - he went tiger hunting and killed Rishi Kindam by mistake. 2. Dashrath in Ramayana - he went hunting and killed Shravan whose parents then cursed him and died. 3. Parikshit in Bhagavatam - he went hunting and was influenced by Kali Yuga. 4. Shri Rama himself in the Ramayana - he went deer hunting and Sita was abducted by Ravana. 5. Duryodhana in Mahabharat - he went hunting with Karna and was captured by the Gandharvas and then saved by the Pandavas. Haribol! Jai

I knew it was you, Kaka! So when are you going to go to Kailash? I want to come too! I'll see you in October when I'm in London and we can discuss it then. Jai Shri Krishna!

That's awful, I had no idea. And to think he's supposed to be this embodiment of peace. It's so sad. Hari save us. Jai

Kaka, is that you? Bum bum Bhole! Haribol! Jai

Haribol. I'm getting ready to leave for my next book tour. My first stop is Greeley CO which is quite far from my home in D/FW TX but it should be a fun drive. I'm looking forward to seeing the northwest. Just a reminder that if anyone if in any of these areas and would like to meet me then please do come to see me. The list of my events in the in the previous post or you can review it at my books webpage http://www.trafford.com/06-0382. Obeisances, Jai

I know how you feel, it's tough living in a big place with no one who seems like they understand you. You should think of it as a test. It's easy to live in a temple surrouded by devotees but can you still live according to your faith when you're on your own and there's no one to support you? That's how I tried to view it when I went through something similar at University. It was so lonely but I tried to remember that Krishna is always with me and that I just had to get through this time in my life when he was testing me. I have no idea if I passed that test, by the way. The good news is that I'm coming to Salem, Oregon! I'll be doing a book signing there for my book 'Follow the Cowherd Boy' at the Borders Express in Nordstrom Mall on Friday August 31st, 4-9pm. Please come and see me, it will be nice to meet a devotee from this forum. Also, don't think that you'll have to buy my book. It would be nice just to meet you and I have no expectations that you might feel obligated to buy a copy. So please come and see me. Haribol! Jai

Does the Dalai Lama really eat meat? I thought he was a strict vegetarian. Haribol, Jai

Your poor daughter. Please send her my sympathies, it's difficult to have so much trauma all at the same time. I also agree with Muralidar Prabhu. Tell her to stay away from cars for a while. Haribol! Jai

Haribol Anya, I'm a 25 year old writer from London who currently lives in Texas. I like to write stories that have spiritual themes to them and teach in some way. My first book that I published is called 'Follow the Cowherd Boy' and it's a historical fiction based on the true life story of the great devotee Mirabai. My family is Indian from Gujarat and I was very fortunate to be brought up in a spiritual way by my Vaishnav mother and Shaiva father. Krishna is my Ishta Dev and I try to please him with my work. I don't know if it's working yet. I have a lot of faults. I'm a girl, by the way. Most of the members here on the forum are men so they're always surprised when I tell them I'm a girl. I like yoga, reading, writing, acting and dancing. I also like to eat right and I can't stand fast food of any kind. I'm a vegetarian. It's nice to meet you, by the way! Haribol! Jai

This is very true, Prabhu. All glories to Bharat Maharaj! Jai

The Rama Charit Manas, if I recall correctly. Jai

I think it's much more likely to get these things from eating meat, not fruits. They always blame fruit eating when it comes to things like this which makes no sense. Obviously these worms eat meat, thats why they enjoy being in the human body so much. Haribol! Jai

He didn't know it was happening. He only found out about the war when Hanuman flew over Ayodhya holding the mountain with the sacred sanjivani and Bharat shot him down thinking he was demon. By that time, there was no way Bharat could take an army and get all the way to Lanka in time to help Rama. We're talking about marching thousands of men from the north end of India to the southern tip. It takes a week by train even today and you think he could have done it easily? It wasn't possible. Even then, he suggested that he bring the army but Hanuman stopped him. In the absense of Rama, there had been kingdoms that threatened Ayodhya and Bharat and Shatrugna had been defending Ayodhya against these invaders. Thus, it was not safe to take the army and leave Ayodhya and it was also against Rama's orders to Bharat. That's why Bharat didn't help Rama. Haribol! Jai

According to the Mahabharat, the Pandavas returned to Hastinapur and reigned there for many years. Krishna's family then proceded to destroy themselves, due to the curse Gandhari had given Krishna. Seeing all his family destroyed and his wives departed from the earth, Krishna abandoned Dwarka and left the Earth planet at a place near Somnath in south Gujarat. The Pandavas were heartbroken to hear that Krishna had left Earth so they decided to leave their kingdom and go in search of moksha. Yudhistira gave the crown of Hastinapur to their grandson Pariksit (Abhimanyu's son) and they then left for the Himalayas. While climbing the mountains first Draupadi fell, then Sahadev, then Nakula, then Arjuna, then Bhima. Yudhistira was the only one to reach the top, along with a dog that had followed him all the way. At the top, he found a ladder and the devas came down to welcome him into the celestial world. They told him that he could come but that the dog was not allowed. Yudhistira felt that he couldn't abandon that dog that had been so faithful so he refused to enter celestial world. The dog then revealed himself to be Dharmraj and said that he'd been testing Yudhistira's loyalty. Yudhishtira then entered into the celestial world where he found his brothers. Pariksit became a great king and ruled according to Dharma. You asked about Ved Vyas and why he didn't write anything else. Well, he did write something else. It's called the Shrimad Bhagavatam Purana. This tells the story of all of Krishna's incarnations and also tells the story of how Pariksit attained bhakti for Krishna by hearing the Shrimad Bhagavatam from Sukhdev Maharaj, who was Veda Vyas's son. Once Pariksit attained moksha, his son Janmayjaya became king and his dynasty is recorded in the Shrimad Bhagavatam in great detail. I hope this answers your questions for you. If you want to know more then I recommend that you read the Mahabharat and the Shrimad Bhagavat Purana or listen to kathas and classes from the sants who have read it. Haribol! Jai

Haribol! I'm so glad you're daughter is safe, Prabhu. I myself was in a horrendous car accident just a few weeks ago. My friend was driving and I was in the passenger seat. Weather conditions were bad and the car swerved, flipped, rolled over twice and landed upside down. We crawled out and my friend went into complete shock, poor thing. I had to be calm to comfort her. The car was a wreck but we were almost totally unharmed. All I had was one tiny scratch on my finger, while my friend had a few bruises and cuts from the glass. Krishna protected us. These things can happen at any time. It is another reminder that really, we are in Krishna's shelter and that everything that happens is his will. We just have to surrender to him. Haribol, Jai

Haribol! Last week I attended the Dallas International Book Fair where I presented my book on the Best of Indian Literature Panel. It went really well and I met many who were interested in knowing more about Mirabai. This week I have two more signings in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Then in about 10 days, I'll be embarking on my tour of the Northwestern states. Here is the list of my upcoming events: Texas: Saturday July 14th, 2-5pm Book signing at Borders Books Music & Video 5500 Greenville Ave, Dallas, TX 75206 Phone 214 739 1166 for more details. Saturday July 14th, 6-9pm Book signing at Borders Books Music & Video 2403 South Stemmons Highway, Suite 100, Lewisville, TX 75067 Phone 972 459 2321 for more details. Northwest Tour Colorado: Saturday July 28th, 12-3pm Book signing at Hastings Books Music & Video 3015 23rd Ave, Greeley, CO 80613 Phone 970 330 1067 for more details. Wyoming: Sunday July 29th, 12-4pm Book signing at Hastings Books Music & Video 654 North 3rd St, Laramie, WY 82072 Phone 307 745 0312 for more details. Monday July 30th, 5-8pm Book signing at Hastings Books Music & Video 1451 Dewar Drive, Rocks Springs Plaza, Rock Springs, WY 82901 Phone 307 382 6610 for more details. Wednesday August 1st, 3-7pm Book signing at Hastings Books Music & Video 2610 S Douglas Hyw, Ste 300, Powder Basin Shopping Center, Gillette, WY 82718 Phone 307 682 6417 for more details. Montana: Friday August 3rd, 12-7pm Book signing at Hastings Books Music & Video 1603 Grand Ave, Unit B1, Billings, MT 59102 Phone 406 259 2111 for more details. Saturday August 4th, 1-4pm Book signing at Hastings Books Music & Video 2703 Harrison Ave, Butte, MT 59701 Phone 406 723 3024 for more details. Saturday August 4th, 5-9pm Book signing at Hastings Books Music & Video 3215 N Montana Ave, Helena, MT 59604 Phone 406 443 1505 for more details. Sunday August 5th, 1-6pm Book signing at Hastings Books Music & Video 726 10th Ave South, Great Falls, MT 59405 Phone 406 727 3024 for more details. Tuesday August 7th, 6-9pm Book signing at Hastings Books Music & Video 3100 Brooks Ave, Missoula, MT 59801 Phone 406 542 1077 for more details. Idaho: Friday August 10th, 4-8pm Book signing at Hastings Books Music & Video 999 East 17th St, Idaho Falls, ID 83404 Phone 208 523 2925 for more details. Saturday August 11th, 6-9pm Book signing at Hastings Books Music & Video 870 Blue Lake N Blvd, Twin Falls, ID 83301 Phone 208 733 0147 for more details. Sunday August 12th, 4-7pm Book signing at Hastings Books Music & Video 7500 Fairview Ave, Boise, ID 83704 Phone 208 375 3151 for more details. Monday August 13th, 2-4pm Book signing at Hastings Books Music & Video 139 Thain Rd, Lewiston, ID 83501 Phone 208 798 8464 for more details. Tuesday August 14th, 4-7pm Book signing at Hastings Books Music & Video 101 Best Ave, Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814 Phone 208 664 0464 for more details. Washington: Thursday August 16th, 11-7pm Book signing at Hastings Books Music & Video 15312 E Sprague Ave Veradale, WA 99037 Phone 509 924 0667 for more details. Friday August 17th, 5-8pm Book signing at Hastings Books Music & Video 2512 East 29th Ave, Spokane, WA 99223 Phone 509 535 4342 for more details Saturday August 18th, 2-5pm Book signing at Hastings Books Music & Video 617 S 9th St, Walla Walla, WA 99362 Phone 509 529 8350 for more details. Saturday August 18th, 6:30-9pm Book signing at Hastings Books Music & Video 1425 George Washington Way, Richland, WA 99352 Phone 509 946 1060 for more details. Sunday August 19th, 12-3pm Book signing at Hastings Books Music & Video 151 N Ely Highland Center, Kennewick, WA 99336 Phone 509 735 1926 for more details. Monday August 20th, 2-6pm Book signing at Hastings Books Music & Video 315 Ninth St, Wenatchee, WA 98801 Phone 509 663 7881 for more details. Friday August 24th, 5-8pm Book signing at Waldenbooks 270 Southcenter Shopping Center, Seattle WA 98188 Phone 206 248 0886 for more details. Saturday August 25th, 1-4pm Book signing at Waldenbooks 2508 S 38th St, Tacoma WA 98409 Phone 253 474 4402 for more details. Oregon: Friday August 31st, 4-9pm Book signing at Borders Express Nordstrom Mall 480 Center St NE, Salem OR 97301 Phone 503 363 6797 for more details. Saturday September 1st, 11am-4pm Book signing at Waldenbooks 1414 NW Garden Valley Blvd, Roseburg OR 97470 Phone 541 673 6400 for more details. Tuesday September 4th, 12-4pm Book signing at Borders Express 2848 S 6th St #20, Klamath Falls OR 97603 Phone 541 884 7760 for more details. This will be a very long tour and I'm looking forward to seeing these states in particular. I'm told that this part of the world is filled with stunning beautiful and serene nature. I'm also looking forward to visiting the temples in these areas and seeing how Krishna is playing his games in the northwest. It should be a lot of fun. If any of you live near these locations then please come and see me. I'd love to meet with devotees at my signings and it makes the whole experience more special and memorable. Haribol! Jai