brajeshwara das

So who decides? Who says 'you are there, you are there'?

I think it may be more complex than you know, and again, you should be careful.

You are calling yourself an advanced vaisnava? I mean no disrespect, just looking for clarification.

Yep, this is the major problem. There may be more also, Srila Govinda Maharaj etc are not doing this either, possibly there are other good reasons.

A couple of things today: One project I manage is on Build 1.08 Another project I manage I'm entering results in a database that has test cases numbered 1-200. All pass except 108, so 108 is staying at the top of my window. Anyway...

So, what are his explicit instructions on how to determine who is in what section? Do we choose this ourselves, concensus, GBC like body, who? Sorry, I don't have the book.

Sorry, I guess I jumped the gun a bit. And I never felt offended myself.

Very nice pictures!

Yes, what is the plan for implementing this? Did Srila Swami Maharaj outline one, and if not can ISKCON do so without guidance from the acharya?

Stop finding faults outside of ourselves and look to fix the ones on the inside.

I think this also has a lot to do with the fact Chinese isn't a phonetic alphabet, so you can't spell it like in other languages. You have to choose characters that sound like what you are trying to write. Also I think they try to avoid the bad more than look for the most beautiful, in line with Chinese 'luck' concepts. India has written English for so long, so no problem, but I think that is the key reason they do this in China.

You do not listen well. I said I am not Srila Swami Maharaj's disciple, and you shouldn't make sweeping statements that we all should follow him or be deviating. He says he created his society and and in ISKCON is setting up the rules there, that is perfect and all who are initiates of him should follow. As I said I am not sure one way or the other what Srila Govinda Maharaj's view is on this, but I will follow that when I know. There was no 'proven wrong' here and if anything you should be more careful not to be offensive or assume Srila Swami Maharaj is the only authority and all others are deviants. This is offensive and you will suffer if you continue to think in this way. Let's get back to the topic at hand, but I want to be clear on this.

We should consider we are the rascals. That's my opinion. Srila Prabhupada was Guru, he can do that, you shouldn't.

GuestCBhakti: Please, please withold from assuming that we all are following Srila Swami Maharaj Prabhupada's instructions directly, and if not we are deviating. He is a tree of the Gaudiya Math, but my particular line is from Srila Sridhar Maharaj, and I'm not aware of specific instructions to implement varnashramdharma in our Math. If so then I will happily follow as I feel naturally there are these tendencies. But please be clear and respectful. We are not in the parampara of Srila Swami Maharaj. We are not deviating and for you to say so is an offense to the exalted vaisnavas of SCSMath.

Just try and please the devotees, don't worry if they like you, even be extra nice to the ones you have problems with. Try and make Krsna your friend, everyone else make your master. They are Prabhus. Serve them, even if they are harsh with you. You will attract your best friend thisway, Krsna is attracted to the negative. And try not and call them names, even in your own mind. That is offensive and will do you great harm.

Yes, very good point. I think the best thing for Vaisnavas is not to compromise our philosophy to make it acceptable to the general public. Work on the packaging of course, make it attractive, but nothing is missing from it that needs to be supplemented with Socialism.

Besides your heart, follow this very sound advice!

DVD seems so natural to me that some people can easily be identified in thier particular roles and I could never see them doing otherwise. For instance I'm pretty sure I'm a ksatriya even though my false ego always wants to be a brahman. I know I'm no vaisha as I will give everything away for free, I just can't do business. I always end up in administrative roles even when I fight it. I don't see another way than to try and follow it, but am a bit afraid of how it could be implemented wrongly. It could be abused.

Why are you surprised that people seeking to get rid of thier materialistic problems have problems? I think that is what he means. It is better that we focus on tolerance, humility, and offering honor to others and avoid seeing the faults in the devotees as who they are. Those faults in others are also in us to a degree, more or less who can say? We should pray they and we receive the mercy from Guru to overcome these anarthas. It isn't self-hatred to acknowledge the fault in ourselves, but the first step towards healing. And healing means becoming more tolerant, more humble, and more respectful. Feeling the way you do about others should indicate to you a deep problem in yourself. Those feelings are materialistic, you are caught up in them and that is understandable, most of us do that constantly. But see them for what they are, your enemy, not the devotees you are feeling them about. You can even learn from those devotees by not following thier negative examples, so it is mercy coming to you. Just do the right thing, be good, don't worry if others are good. You have enough to work out on your own. I like to remember that an ashram is like a hospital, it is for the sick in need of mercy. I try and see everyone else there as fellow patients with similar conditions to be healed. And remember I am a patient, not the doctor.

There are mariages in Krishna Loka, right? Krsna has a father and mother etc. I would have to think that there is some form of partnerships in service. This material world is a perverted reflection, but it is a reflection. If there is not a root there in that plane, how can there reflection here?

That's the mental speculation, yes. If I say it enough times I'll believe it's true, that's how that works for me anyway

Yes, and we know what the question is, don't we - orgin of the soul, spiritual world or marginal plane?

Who's trying to impersonate me? Oh, that would be me. It could turn out to be a couple of men who were also in love, but not in that way

I think the point is it is speculation exactly what they are doing, and that people romanticize the death and are making a big deal about it without knowing what's really going on. We're just having some speculation of our own, and using it to contrast spiritual love with what is normally known as love in the material world. Of course there is often a spiritual element in many unions, so I mean no disrespect.