Priitaa

So little time I have these days, but I was tempted so had to give it a try. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

Here's my results:

1. Hinduism (100%)

2. Mahayana Buddhism (90%)

3. Theravada Buddhism (79%)

4. Sikhism (74%)

5. Bahá'í Faith (72%)

6. Jainism (69%)

7. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (65%)

8. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (63%)

9. Unitarian Universalism (61%)

10. Neo-Pagan (59%)

11. Jehovah's Witness (57%)

12. Liberal Quakers (56%)

13. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (55%)

14. Orthodox Judaism (54%)

15. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (51%)

16. New Thought (50%)

17. New Age (48%)

18. Orthodox Quaker (46%)

19. Seventh Day Adventist (43%)

20. Scientology (43%)

21. Eastern Orthodox (41%)

22. Roman Catholic (41%)

23. Islam (39%)

24. Reform Judaism (39%)

25. Taoism (30%)

26. Secular Humanism (11%)

27. Nontheist (8%)

Just my two cents. I really miss the updates or additions on this story. (Note the date of my last post, cuz tho its right above, it was quite a while ago.) These are such nectar stories! Anyway, thanks for what you 'have' put here. How wonderful!

Of course you were missed!!! Glad to hear all is well and to see you here!!

 

It is true as gHari says, I have also gone Awol from Audarya Fellowship. I disappeared for about six months two years ago when I went to hibernate in the mountains. No computer, no phone, no nothing!!!

 

It was great!! But one of the first websites I visited when I got home was......yup....Audarya Fellowship!!!

 

 

Hey there Living Entity, /images/graemlins/smile.gif

Well, I live in the Mountains. So I need my computer, phone, everything. haha They are my life line, but I do know what you mean. There is a side of me that sometimes would just like to shut off the entire world. But for now, thats not a possibility.

I do have a lot of work too - still. I think it may even take until June to catch up, but not sure. Anyway, I'm workin on it. :-)

Take care all. Haribol.

Living Entity,

How sweet of you! I never thought I, of all people, would be missed.

Its true that I have been working hard. Am rather behind in it actually, which is why I haven't been coming here lately. But maybe once I get caught up I can start posting again. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

These are wonderful! I have saved this thread to my fav!!! Thanks!

Is this like Abode Reader? I dont understand that thing. Its always so clumsy, so I took it off my comp. How is this one better? (Other than appearance. I'm referring to 'functionability.')

They are impersonalists.

Srila Prabhuapda saw Krishna regularly. And he pointed out that rather than try to get a vision of God, what have you done to draw God toward seeing you? That is, if we are not serving God, or not enough, yet we are demanding a vision, that is backwards. First we must serve the Lord nicely, with love and devotion, then we will become qualified and if we still are desirious of visions, we will have one. But in our contaminated state we should not be so demanding, or use it as evidence that there is something lacking in the Bhakti yoga process. First, chant Hare Krishna, serve Radha Krishna, Lord Chaitanya, give up material pleasures and dedicate our life to Krishna. THEN talk about visions.

Well, I agree with the first FOUR replies especially, and I can't quote them all, so go back and read 'em. ha (Doesn't mean I disagree with the others.)

My opinion? I think most devotees get some type or other of psychic or mystic powers by default. In part cuz its just something that happens as one advances, but in part sometimes maya uses this to distract us from Krishna.

Personally, I have no real interest in psychic abilities. Its too high of a risk that we will get more into that then Krishna consciousness. Magic tricks, big deal. But the *source* of magic or magick or mysticism? Krishna, of course! Give me Him! Don't need to get sidtracked. I do that well enough on my own. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

Do you want books? Cuz there is all sorts of free stuff online - many books, I think even the folio. If you are trying to save money and have computer access, that would save a lot of cash.

Thanks L.E. I just got back online and am going to go check out that link right now!

P.S. Pass the ginko. /images/graemlins/smile.gif (You're not alone.)

Mostly, I hope there are more BTGs. I had a huge BTG collection (originals), and long story short, I dont have most of them anymore. I'd like to replace them. Do you think there will be anymore old BTGs on ebay?

Not sure what I think about the temples getting them for hisotrical value. I'm mixed on this. On the one hand I can see it, but on the other, too often temples STOP doing something for no reason at all, or none to us. Whereas devotees take very good care of their books and magazines. For example, once Prabhuapda said a vyasana should be built for Lord Shiva in England cuz he was coming regularly for aroti! So they did. It was there for years. They took it down. Its gone now. Don't know why they tore it down, but I dont care. So maybe the books are better off in the hands of devotees, who pass them on to other devotees?

L.E.

How do you find these items at ebay? What key words did you use? I dont know if I have the money, but I might be able to get it. At least, I'd like to look at them!

I would sit in lotus on the bike and travel at 30 MPH all day for a buck in gas.

 

 

ROFL LOL lol Sorry, but I just had to comment. That cracked me up! /images/graemlins/smile.gif

The things we did!

It remind me of another story. Tho this guy wasn't a devotee, he lived near us. (Actually, he rented from one devotee so he became somewhat part of us.). He had a lot in common with devotees, diet, meditation, even a Sanskrit name. Of course not fully understanding Krishna, but it was a start. Anyhow, early each morning he would go outside (it was California) to sit in the back of his pick-up truck to mediatate. One morning while he was sitting in the back of his truck, in the lotus pose, hands on knees, eyes SHUT, and meditating, the truck started to roll down the hill. And *continued* to roll down it with him sitting meditating, not knowing the truck was moving. /images/graemlins/smile.gif He was ok and no traffic, so we couldn't help but find this humorous. I didn't get to see it, but the devotees were very good at telling the story and made it easy to visualize. I could just imagine this new agey meditator rolling down the hill with his eyes shut in meditation! I dont know, but wonder if he thought "WOW, this is the most mystical meditation I hav ever had. Even the earth is moving!" ha Tho I think the devotees joked with him like that. He was good about it. Matter of fact, it was the devotees who saved him from crashing! Good thing we're up early too.

gH, you are too kind. Wrong ha, but kind.

Actually, I too prefer the spelling of Krishna to Krsna. Didn't know it was a minority thing.

Regarding the pronouncition of my name, though I was in a chat room as mentioned, one with sound, they could not hear me. (Thats why I was in there! I wanted to play Prabhupada bhajana's.) Only, I could hear them. So they were trying to help and had to call my name when it was my turn, and they pronounced my name (correctly) from the written word. Hurray! ---- Oh yes, another reason I went for the phonetic spelling is cuz so many kept using the American "th" sound as in PriTHa instead of the "Prit-ha" sound. Sometimes even calling me "PerTHa." Oh yeah, that was great. lol I think I found the "TH" American sound the most annoying of all. Funny, there was a time I didn't give a hoot what anyone called me. You know that old saying, 'call me anything, just dont call me late for dinner.' ha So I would joke like that. To lighten their mitake. But now I care. Guess its old age. ha Tho I do also feel it's for their spiriutal benefit to get it right.

May be putting myself to bed soon. :-) Tho with my nearly two years of insomnia, I make no promises. (Well, probalby over a year. I dunno exactly - when ya cant sleep, it feels like forever. But hey, I'm ok.)

O Son Of Prtha, Arjuna.......

But if you want it exactly, I'll have to go look up a quote. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

"These messages are archived and show up in other places. You come across them with Google searches. That's one reason (only one reason)I have often suggested that we be more careful about what we write. "

I hpoe the other 2,000 devotees also follow your instructions on this for the sake of a Google search or archives.

Well, if I'm spelling your name wrong, my apologies. (And yet another correction on message boards. sigh) Anyway, I will 'explain' myself to you. The reason I use Priitaa instead of PrIta, or the Sanskrit Prtha, is because I got tired of being called Preetu, and PrItee, Prutee, Preety (not interested in the compliment ha), and the list goes on. So I followed how some Hindus spell, for example, Pooja. Then one day in a talk/chat room for computer help, for the first time I heard someone say my name right! And that is purifying since its a name for Queen Kunti. So sue me. Or give me a D or F - guess I flunked. Guess it means I'm not fitting the definition you gave of being very pleasing either.

As for changing the topic of Diksa, just because Prabhupada does not use the words siksa and diksa to make a distinction, does not mean its all one and there is no distinction. Just look at the difference in the qualifications of the two quotes.

Writer? English class? Hmmmmm Thought it was message boards. Ok then, better watch your subject lines Babru. I've got my eye on you now. lol

By the way, I too hope eveyrone will also come to the same conclusions of Lord Caitnaya. Not the way you understand them, not even necessarily the way I understand them, but the way *they* understand them.

"In one quotation, he makes the point that even someone fomr a low social station, even if illiterate, can become guru by hearing from the proper source and sharing what he has heard with whoever he meets."

Agreed. And that is siksa.

"In the other, he's speaking of selecting to whom we should surrender our lives."

Also agreeing, and that is diksa.

"A low-class person is not the proper object of surrender;"

Right.

"however, if he were perfectly Krishna conscious, eventhough he works carrying others' luggage, he's not low class, is he?)"

No, he's not. But I dont feel that was the topic. Matter of fact, Prabhupada says in other places that anyone can become elevated. A siksa can become a diksa. I never said they could not.

"That's exactly why I made the point earlier that we need to study the entire science of Krishna consciousness. The qualification Srila Prabhupada gives for becoming guru is to teach the science of Krishna consciousness without adding or subtracting anything to suit our own purposes. "

You are adding the topic of diksa, and my understanding of the original poster is he did *not* want to get into the qualificaitons of diksa guru, etc., and was just wondering about siksa guru. Therefore, I have read (and studied) the books prabhu. ha But let me say, I think here, we agree more than we disagree.

You're worried about the subject line? lol And you say your not a fanatic. /images/graemlins/smile.gif /images/graemlins/smile.gif Prabhu, your opinions also have a spin. Everyone does, or that could be said. Bedises, I did my best to explain that in my post, but then you called it an interpolation. Now you call my title a "spin." But ya left out the part where I said "to each their own."

Ya know, all a person has to do is read Prabhupadas words, and I feel confident they'll come to their own conclusions. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

(shuddering in preparation for response. ha)

Here is my post Babru, and I do not see anywhere I have inserted a word.

I realized I had to sign in cuz I can't edit the mistakes on on my posts, and as well as end up making more posts then necessary since I can't add on, so thanks for tolerating. With that said.......

 

I had heard that Prabhuapda said even a coolie can be siksa guru. So I looked it up. Tho he does not use the word 'siksa' here, I feel that is what he means, especially after reading the next quote following it. Tho to each, their own. Anyway, thats my opinion on it.

 

----

 

"This is guru. Suppose you are family member. So many living entities, you sons, your daughters, your daughter-in-law, or children, you can become their guru. Exactly like this you can sit down in the evening and talk about the Bhagavad-gita, yare dekha tare kaha krsna-upadesa. You haven't got to manufacture something. The instruction is there; you simply repeat and let them hear--you become guru. It is not difficult at all. So that is our preaching. We do not want to become alone guru, but we want to preach in such a way that every, the chief man, or any man, he can become guru in his surroundings. Anyone can do that. Even a coolie, he can also, he has got family, he has got friends, so even though he is illiterate, he can hear the instruction of Krsna, and he can preach the same. This we want. And we invite all respectable gentlemen, leaders, to learn this, it is very simple: man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru, and by executing this order of Krsna, he assures, mam evaisyasi, "You come to Me." Yad gatva na nivartante tad dhama paramam mama. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti kaunteya. Very easy thing." BG 7.1, Bombay, India

 

----

"Prabhupada: That is... Therefore the Vedas says, tad-vijnanartham: "In order to know that transcendental science," sa gurum evabhigacchet, "he must go to a guru. He must approach." A guru means not bogus guru. One who knows expert. But one has to do that. There is no other alternative. That is the injunction of every Vedic sastra. And this order is from the Kathopanisad. Then, on the Bhagavad-gita the same thing is said, tad viddhi pranipatena. Pranipata means surrender. Surrender where? Where to surrender? To a coolie? No, to a superior person, guru. Similarly, Bhagavata says, tasmad gurum prapadyeta jijnasur sreya uttamam: "One who is inquisitive to understand the spiritual science," tasmad, "therefore," gurum prapadyeta, "must surrender to a guru." Just our, this morning prayer is guru, beginning of life, beginning of day's work, first worshiping guru. Samsara-davanala-lidha-loka-tranaya-karunya-ghanaghanatvam, praptasya kalyana-gunarnavasya vande guroh sri-caranaravindam. So in our, this Vedic way of life, to accept guru is essential. Even big, big acarya... Even Krsna, He accepted guru, Sandipani Muni. Lord Caitanya accepted guru, Isvara Puri. They are perfect, but still, the ways They are showing because They are acarya. Krsna is teaching, taking the part of the acarya, so he is also accepting, although the fact is as soon as went to, within a few days He learned everything. That is stated in our Krsna Book. " Room Conversation, January 17, 1971, Allahabad

 

 

I inserted a word somewhere? I did not see that. I can't imagine doing that! It must have been a mistake cuz I would not intentionally insert anything into Prabhupada's words. I will go back and check.

Babru,

I have a closet full of childrens books, especially 'how to read' literature. Teaching the little ones is something I miss. Watching their face light up when they learn to recognize their first word is incredible. I know how to teach a 3 1/2 year old to read and have done it. However, these books remain in my closet and probably will continue to do so. Teaching for ISKCON is too political, and too stressful. There was always some extra problem instead of some extra relief. Money was a major issue and not enough went toward the kids. In one temple, they felt they had a teacher and did not need books! Or wanting to move the Gurukula to a location where the children would have to cross a dangerous highway - one that we would hear cars suddenly put on their beaks at the stop sign at least once a day! I refused to move the school, which did not make me very popular. Anyway, this list can go on, but you get the drift. If ever I teach again, it would be on my own, and as I get older (plus my health isn't that good), I prefer my online job. Such is life. But ya never know, someday those books in my closet may find a reason to come out of hiding. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

Babru,

What ever made you feel being a teacher is something you needed to apologize for? I find it to be a wonderful profession! I admit, there are times I have missed it myself (tho am also fried). If you can go on with it - great! And of course we dont have to agree. I may have firm opinions, as you know lol, but I am always open to hearing the opinions and viewpoints of others.