meez

Happy Thanksgiving to you as well!

Hello Redsox,

Glad you posted this, certainly makes one think. I believe that you can find God in many things, nature in all of its creativity, human interaction, or anything you experience. Don't worry so much about trying to feel a certain way towards something, your emotions and beliefs are within you for a reason. Explore your thoughts and feelings and let them guide you. Take care my friend!

Hello friend!

Here is a pretty good informational page regarding Buddhism and death. It leans pretty heavily towards Tibetan Buddhism, so the thoughts, ideology, and philosophies may not be accepted by all Buddhists. On other subject matters, the website is helpful in explaining many aspects of Buddhist beliefs.

http://buddhism.kalachakranet.org/rebirth_reincarnation.html

Also, if you have an interest in learning about such things, try reading the Pali Canon and the Dhammapada. The Dhammapada is a pretty short read and really goes over a lot of information about Buddhist beliefs, and can be found online through a quick Google search.

Be well.

Hello!

How you handle each situation is up to you my friend. You have to be open to understand that there may be many explanations for the things that we experience and discover about history. When you find something that may challenge your beliefs, it will help you to go deeper and try to find an explanation, thus learning more about yourself and what you believe.

Continue your devotion to whatever it is you believe, whether it be towards your religion, or your occupation, and I'm sure you will find things balance themselves out when an open mind is kept. Be well.

For thousands of yeas we are going on chanting:

Sarbe bhabantu sukhinah,

Sarbe Santu niramayah,

Sarbe bhadrani pashyantu,

Ma kaschit duhkhah bhag bhabet.

But we have not achieved this state. I see many good articles here but no discussion follows. For example, here is Swami Ramdev baba's article posted on 11th January,, 2007 in Vedic culture forum

"Aim for a happy, healthy, and transparent India", Swami Ramdev.

Jagannath Chatterjee

but no discussion followed. This state of affair reminded me the above quoted slokas Now instead of arousing any positive reaction, it flared up defensiveness.This rather confirms my hunch.

Please keep get going dear discussants.

regards

Thanks for clarifying my friend.

To be honest with you, I don't read a lot of the articles that are posted here. Not because I don't care about it, or have any negative emotions towards them, but because some of them are so lengthy, it would take a considerable about of time to read them. That doesn't mean necessarily that I don't care about a spiritual path, but that some folks simply may not want to or may not have the time with all of the things going on in their lives, to read many pages of information and then post a response to it.

I certainly understand why you might feel the way you do. Different forums have different members and atmospheres. This forum is somewhat active, but it may not be as active as another where more responses could be generated.

Thanks for your time and posts and have a wonderful day! Be well.

But my experience here reminds the following slokas from Geeta:

 

 

Kutastwa kashmalamidam vishame samupasthitam,

Anaryayustamaswargamakeerteemkaramarjuna.(2/2)

 

Klaivam ma sma gama partha naitattyayuprapadyate,

Kshudram hrudaydroubalyam twaktottistha parantapa(2/3)

regards

Actually my friend, this statement is what I was referring to. What about this text reminds you of your experience here, and by "here" do you mean this website, or something else?

Sorry I didn't clarify in my earlier post. Be well.

Hey Doc! Hope all is well.

Could you explain a little further what you mean? Thanks for your time. Be well.

Good for you my friend. I wish you the best!

Wait, I just saw this thread was from April lol

there it is

why not!?!?!?!

I find this thread entertaining. Good show.

Of course. Chant all you like and take things at your own pace so you are comfortable with the choices you make. If you are a devotee, focus on Krishna, and things will fall into place for you. Be well my friend.

Sounds good! Thanks for the help. Be well.

Just made an edit a moment ago. It seems you were posting while I was editing.

Also, I am unable to send any more PM's due to my post count being 19. How would we go about getting in touch with an admin if we need to, but don't have 30 posts? Thanks for your time!

I actually sent you specifically a PM regarding a question that I had about a post being moved. This was back in May and I still haven't heard a response.

Edit: Also, I am unable to send any more PM's due to my post count being 19. How would we go about getting in touch with an admin if we need to, but don't have 30 posts? Thanks for your time!

It will be interesting to see if His Holiness the Dalai Lama, or someone on his staff, responds to this in any meaningful way.

 

Many years ago I was speaking with a colleague of mine at San Diego State University, a poet named Steve Kowit (who was a close friend of Satsvarupa Maharaja's before he met Srila Prabhupada) about vegetarianism. Steve is Buddhist, an admirer of Roshi Philp Kapleau, who advocates a vegetarian diet in pursuance of their First Precept. At one point in our conversations, I asked Steve if we can be certain that the Buddha was a vegetarian. He smiled and replied, "If he wasn't, he should have been!"

Thanks for sharing that with us. Be well my friend.

The teachings of anyone can be turned to justify or satify someone's wants or way of thinking. It is best to keep in mind what Buddha taught:

The Five Precepts

1. Abstain from killing or harming living beings

2. Not to steal or take something not given to you

3. Avoid sexual misconduct/sexual irresponsibility

4. Abstain from false or harmful speech

5. Avoid intoxicants

These can be interpreted by anyone in any manner they choose and during that interpretation, can be molded to fit someone's own persoanl beliefs. I don't know exactly what Buddha said about eating meat because I wasn't there (to my knowledge lol) to hear him. It seems that all we have to go by when trying to understand anyone's beliefs or teachings, are the things that we know they did teach (the 5 precepts being part of that in this particular case). Each individual's behavior is a reflection of themselves, not the teachings of someone, or some religion, so it may help, when seeing someone doing something that we would consider contradictory to ours or their beliefs, to keep that in mind. Be well my friends!

Hello everyone. I don't eat meat myself, but understand what might have taken place here. One school of thought, often times found not only in Buddhism, but among many people of different religions, is that when someone cooks food for for you, you eat it. Especially in this case when the whole meal was planned for him. Lots of time and effort went into preparing this food. It would be considered by some people wrong, and maybe even carry and higher karmic burden, to turn it down as opposed to eating it.

I just thought I would mention that in case there was anyone unaware of this. Certainly not trying to argue with anyone, or say anyone is wrong, everyone is entitled to practice their beliefs how they see fit (whether its by eating meat or not). Thanks for listening my friends, be well.

I think anyone here is glad to try and help in any way they can. Whenever you feel comfortable sharing or asking questions, by all means, do so. Be well my friend.

Hello my friend!

I would say the answer is within yourself. You can decide whether to do anything you like. You can do what is necessary to obtain your license to practice medicine in the United States, or find another job in the US, or you can go anywhere else in the world and do anything else you like. You can even return to India if you want to. These are decisions that you can make, and I wish you the best in everything you do. Be well!

Hello my friend,

I'm sorry to hear you have found disappointment in something you have believed in. Is there something specific that has happened that you would like to tell us? If not, thats completely understandable and I wish you the very best. Be well.

There is a story that comes to mind when I think of situations like this and people that question you or your beliefs, but aren't willing to really listen and understand where your beliefs come from. Here it is:

Nan-in, a Japanese master during the Meiji era (1868-1912), received a university professor who came to inquire about Zen.

Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor's cup full, and then kept on pouring.

The professor watched the overflow until he no longer could restrain himself. "It is overfull. No more will go in!"

"Like this cup," Nan-in said, "you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?"

Sure, the contents are what is important, not the container. Though you may naturally change everything about yourself in the process of becoming Krishna Conscious, including your clothes.

Very good way to put that my friend!

The others have posted wonderful suggestions, and I think if you take their advice, it will certainly help you.

I would also like to add, that you have to let go of those past things that you did, as they are done with. Don't try to completely forget them, but use them as a tool to remind you of the path you are now taking. As far as controlling your mind from these thoughts, just let them be. They are within you for a reason and once you begin to be mindful of them, you will see how things begin to change.

Don't be regretful or upset about the things you have done in the past, as those are the things that have brought you to the path you are following today.

Good luck my friend! Be well.