Svarupa

Well you can always visit an ISKCON Radha Krsna Temples, they certainly do NOT close during such an event.

We had a solar eclipes some years ago, we chanted Hare Krsna in the city as day turned to pitch black night, we then invited the many people watching us chant during this event, back to the Temple for prasad and Kirtan in the Temple

 

Rahu

What a nonsense comment. Just because shvu's small brain can't understand by personal realizations (meaning not by just ONLY repeating and following), he foolishly and ignorantly thinks others cannot understand through their own personal experienced realizations.

Actually, many devotees know they are not their material biological vessel or its underlining ethereal body, DO YOU?? Once again because you don't know, you cannot understand how we know and therefore, you can only be critical and small minded with your nonsense 'stupied' comments. The life of a genuin devotee in a material vessel within this temporary world is preaching and showing compassion. But only a devotee who understands he or she isn't the material body they possess can understand this.

Don't judge others by what only you can comprehend

We can all understand if we sincerely chant -

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #666666 1px solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 3ex; BORDER-TOP: #666666 1px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 3ex; BORDER-LEFT: #666666 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #666666 1px solid" bgColor=#e0e0e0>

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

<!-- END TEMPLATE: bbcode_quote -->All glorious to Krsna Prabhu who continues preaching on this thread regardless of the many imature and less intelligent so called spiritual ideas posted here. I admire your tolerance and determination to remind others of Krsna no matter what they write.

All glorious to Krsna Prabhu

please listen and learn that the material body of everyone is just a vessel that breaks down and fades away in due course however, what ever your consciousness is fixed on, that you will go without any doubt!!

"YOU ARE NOT THIS BODY" - Part 1. Reincarnation,

<!-- end vEntry -->

"YOU ARE NOT THIS BODY" - Part 2. Reincarnation, Prabhupada

"YOU ARE NOT THIS BODY" - Part 2. Reincarnation, Prabhupada

"YOU ARE NOT THIS BODY" - Part 3. Reincarnation, All by His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

<?xml:namespace prefix = o />

However, it is very clear Srila Prabhupada’s understanding of this is way more advanced than what his Gaudiya matha Godbrothers, their disciples and grand disciples are offering to the world in their teachings.

Clearly, Srila Prabhupada disagrees with them by saying that basically our svarupa body is constantly, continually and endlessly there in Goloka due to the absents of past and future in a devotional reality we know as the 'eternal present'

 

Therefore, that IS our eternal constitutional position where we are always serving Krsna, even if we imagine we are in the material creation or further imagine, think or have the dreamless dream of ‘thinking’ we are a impersonal spark or a plain inactive sheet of individual consciousness in the Brahmajyoti, as Srila Sridar Maharaj etc teaches.

Oct 4, CANADA (SUN) — First, I'd like to mention there is a GBC rule that advises devotees not to find fault with Srila Sridhara Swami. Obviously he was a great soul, a Godbrother to Srila Prabhupada, and a confidential servant of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada.

Some may agree or disagree with him on various matters, like some devotees believe he introduced the Zonal Acarya system.

He may have meant well, not knowing that these 11-12 gurus were not qualified for this high position, whereas Srila Prabhupada may have wanted them to take a more humble position. But the GBC wisely concluded that no one should commit offenses to Sridhara Swami.

It is a resolution passed in the 90's.

I also want to mention that when Sridhara Swami heard Srila Prabhupada had found some faults with him, he smiled and said: "Swami Maharaja was kind to chastise me". The rest of us do not like to hear anything to diminish "our so-called glories."

We can stay in ISKCON and do not need to join any other matha as Srila Prabhupada asked us to stay in ISKCON, but it should be mentioned that Srila Prabhupada was close friends with his Godbrothers Kesava Maharaja, who was Srila Prabhupada's sannyasa guru, and also Sridhara Swami.

When Gaudiya Matha was falling apart after the disappearance of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada, he dealt not much with the rest of the Gaudiya Matha or Gaudiya Samiti.

Actually Srila Prabhupada was one of the founders of Gaudiya Samiti. Though he was not actively involved, he helped give scope together with Kesava Maharaja, who became the Acarya there, in what is now that institution.

Also I would like to mention that Srila Prabhupada helped finance a wonderful Vaisnava verse book that Sridhara Swami published ( I forgot the name; it is in the Prabhupada Lilamrita), and of course Srila Prabhupada helped start the Gaudiya Matha in Allahabhad during Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada's time, where Sridhara Swami was running this temple.

And seeing how great a manager Srila Prabhupada was, he recommended to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada that "Abhay Caran Prabhu" become the manager of Gaudiya Matha in Bombay.

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada said to leave him out of management saying, "In due course of time he will do everything", predicting Srila Prabhupada's global preaching success.

An interesting Room Conversation between Srila Prabhupada and Sridhara Swami can also be found from March 17, 1973

in which to be in absolute truth, means having the capability to comprehend each action; please realize, equally we each can, with pure knowledge

 

time has shared the mirage of knowing as knowledge evolved during each period.

 

but in this period, within our time, by returning to the basics of what 'life' is, almost as if to return to the beginning to observe the very first questions asked by our fathers

 

 

can we discuss, what life is?

 

simply to assist our brethren with Understanding Life.

 

please be kind and remain unbiased; think of us as building a pyramid; only with solid foundations can is remain standing, but each addition, solid and true (good opinions/additions), then we each offer our gifts to the future

 

think of 'nothing is for the self' on this one; but for others first (please)

The point of all this is having mystical powers doesn’t make one a saint or spiritually advanced. Even if it is ‘real’, it is still a trick of the material energy

The real ‘mystics’ are those who can guide the embodied baddha-jiva back to serving and loving Krishna.

I like that, good point

Brahmanas are forbidden to levy fees - but who is following this ?

 

Hrdayananda: Prabhupada, generally in colleges in the West, they charge some fee for going to the college. What is our position?

 

Prabhupada: No, we don’t charge any fee. There is no question of money. Because the brahmanas, they’ll teach free. They require money because they have to give fat salary to these rascals. But we haven’t got to. And even we have to feed them, we produce our own grain. So where is the question of taking money? So therefore it is required, somebody must produce food. Then there is no necessity of money.

 

Hrdayananda: The vaisya students will produce the food.

 

Prabhupada: Yes.

 

Morning Walk

“Varnasrama College”

by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada March 14, 1974, Vṛndavana

 

http://causelessmercy.com/t/t/740314mw.vrn.htm?i=1974&vm=0

Another example of how ISKCON used to be. No one in ISKCON management took wages in the beginning, everything was simply supplied to them to meet their and their families needs

The Charlatan Obama

BY: SYAMAKUNDA DAS (ACBSP)

 

Jul 28, USA (SUN) — For all of my Godbrothers and Godsisters who want to vote for the party that supports abortion (over 300,000 for Planned Parenthood alone - blah blah blah blah blah blah), ”

So are you going to vote for the other guy whose supporters kill millions of Cows and allows eveyone to carry a gun that leads to 30,000 deaths every year and 65,000 gun injuries etc etc.

As an early disciple of Srila Prabhupada, he always taught us to make the best of a difficult situation

My point is they are as bad as each. Why just point out Obama? I don't think that's very intelligent.

I think the intelligent thing to do, is support the one who can help our ISKCON movement the best, that's how Prabhupada taught us.

<TABLE cellSpacing=7 cellPadding=2 border=0 valign="top"><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top align=middle width=80>

Honolulu Star-Bulletin

</TD><TD class=j vAlign=top>Near-death experience renews spirit

Honolulu Star-Bulletin, HI - <NOBR>Jul 26, 2008</NOBR>

One day before surgery, I went to the ISKCON temple in Nuuanu and asked God to give me a second chance to live. I offered food for devotees and homeless ...

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

It makes one wonder if there are planets out there where the technology, developed by of the embodied beings on that planet, was made in a way to reproduce itself, creating a whole society of soulless machines. Even entire planets of 'soulless' machines. Yes, the material mahat-tattva is also a dark dark bizarre place, without a doubt, such worlds do exist.

World war began and never ended, and has been going on since the very beginning of time, when the human species lost their immortality. War is as natural as earthquakes and heart attacks.

 

The idea of "World War" is a puffed up invention of amerikkka. I mean, ask anyone when world war two began, and most likely the response will be 12-7-41, when the Japanese attacked pearl harbor. But in fact, world war two began the second the truce of world war one went into effect.

 

All the problems that will be cited as the reasons for WWIII have been brewing since the dawn of the industrial revolution, the late 1700s. Nixon said WWIII began with the 1978 Arab oil embargo.

 

But War was involuntarily created by Lord Brahma, who was going to destroy his creation because they were overpopulating this planet. Lord Siva advised him to have mercy on humans, so He did, but when he did, a being named Martyadevi was created, and she was told to kill them all. Because she steadfastly refused to do this and walked away, her refusal made war, famine, disease, and all the things we think are responsible for death. Since that time, the intelligent know this place as Martyaloka, the place where everyone dies, and only fools cry over that fact.

 

Hare Krsna, ys, mahaksadasa

A transcendental touch to this thread, very nice realization. Please post more of your wisdom

Srila Prabhupada - “Regarding your questions: Hindu means the culture of the Indians. India happens to be situated on the other side of the Indus River' date=' which is now in Pakistan, [b']which is spelled Indus-in Sanskrit, it is called Sindhu”. Letter to to Janmanjaya and Taradevi in a letter from Los Angeles of July 9th, 1970

 

Srila Prabhupada – “The Europeans misspelt the sindhu as Indus, and from Indus the word ‘Indian’ has come.Letter to to Janmanjaya and Taradevi in a letter from Los Angeles of July 9th, 1970

 

Srila Prabhupada – "The Arabians used to pronounce sindhus as Hindus. This [thus] Hindus is spoken as Hindus. It is neither a Sanskrit word nor is it found in the Vedic literatures. ”. Letter to to Janmanjaya and Taradevi in a letter from Los Angeles of July 9th, 1970

Srila Prabhupada's explanation makes it clear Krsna is for everyone and is neither Hindu or Indian

Srila Prabhupada rejects the ideas of those who preach the 'impersonal Brahmajyoti origin that claims that the marginal living entity is originally in a dormant state (a plain sheet of consciousness) from where one can develop and then use their free will to choose either Vaikuntha or the mahat-tattva.

 

Many today in 'Hinduism' follow that misunderstanding and it appears to me, they have incorrectly used the word 'tatastha' to describe this impersonal dormant origin state of the jiva after its so called creation from this 'plain sheet of consciousness'.

 

They claim the jiva’s originate from the brahmajyoti which is living and growing. Claiming that within the brahmajyoti, their stability is somehow disturbed and progress begins. From no separation, separation begins. From a plain sheet of uniform consciousness, individual conscious units grow. And because the jiva is conscious, it is now capable of free will. So, from the marginal position they choose either the side of exploitation in the mahat-tattva or the side of dedication or service to Krsna in Goloka.

 

Srila Prabhupada clearly rejected that impersonal nonsense idea that the jiva springs into existence from a dormant 'plain sheet of consciousness'.

 

They have impersonally described jiva tatastha as manifesting first from a dormant state to become 'tatastha', meaning that now the living entity exists, it now has the ability to choose due to free will and can only then be called tatastha-sakti due to being created, or coming into existence, from the all pervasive impersonal Brahmajyoti.

They claim the living entity is born from a plain sheet of consciousness and becomes the jiva- tatastha however, their interpretation of the word ‘tatastha’, that foolishly and incorrectly describes this independent nature of the jiva only to manifests after it’s birth from the impersonal Brahmajyoti, is clearly rejected by Srila Prabhupada.

Their idea that the living entity manifests from the impersonal Brahmajyoti and then moves into the position of ‘tatastha sakti’ after it is born from the impersonal Brahmajyoti is nonsense. The fact is we all ‘sub-consciously’ came down from Vaikuntha millions of years ago from where our eternal Svarupa body is perpetually present and NOT the impersonal Brahmajyoti.

<?xml:namespace prefix = u1 /><u1:p></u1:p>So clearly their idea that our original beginning manifested on the border, in-between the land and the ocean (meaning Goloka and the material world) is incomplete and rejected by Srila Prabhupada because factually, there is no beginning or origin (coming into existence) of the living entity. Tatastha is the eternal position of the living entity which simple means the free will to choose Krsna or the mahat-tattva

 

It's therefore clear they do not understand the concept of the 'eternal present', where the full possible bodily expression and potential of the jiva tatastha is eternally found within the perpetual 'NOW' of Goloka.

We, the Jiva tatastha (simply meaning we have the free will to choose) are expressed there as who we really are IN OUR FULL MARGINAL POTENTIAL without the concept of past or future, that makes us imperishable in our endless NITYA-SIDDHA SVARUPA body, ALWAYS within that realm of the perpetual 'present'.

This eternal present or the forever 'now' is found ONLY in Goloka. What is there is ALWAYS there, meaning we are in Goloka RIGHT NOW even though we are dreaming we are in the material creation of past and future.

EXCELLENT REALIZATION. Actually this knowledge cannot be learnt in some class, it only comes through realization

If world war three comes, 75,000,000 will die in the first 24 hours (the entire total deaths of world war 2). The only thing that can stop it is the sankirtan movement of Lord Caitanya Maha Prabhu.

1n 1985, something amazing was happening on the planet. ISKCON was at the beginning of a leadership crisis, a purging and inner purification had begun. Behind the scenes there was many dedicated and sincere devotees preaching and began the International effort to free the Soviet Hare Krishnas.

This was started in Europe and India and joined by devotees in America and Australia from 1985 to 89.

Without any doubt, this campaign had a major influence on the collapse of the Soviet Union and today there are so many devotees in Russia and other ex-Soviet states.

The same goes for Iran, there are so many devotees there, just as there is in Israel, all in waiting for Lord Caitanya's Movement of pure devotee 'messiahs' to fulfil the prophecies of their ancestors and deliver them from the material world.

Such deliverance they refer to as the rapture, where as the devotees of Lord Caitanya simple refer to it as 'Going Back Home, Back to Godhead'

Look at it this way; Lord Caitanya’s movement comes in one Kali-Yuga every day of Brahma. All others have no Lord Caitanya or Srila Prabhupada.

Can you imagine what kind of world it would be with the sound vibration of the Hare Krishna mantra?

Apparently, when Gorbachov heard the Hare Krishna Kids sing ‘Mr. Gorbachov, please let our Krishna friends go and practise their religion,' he was very moved hearing of their persecution and immediately requested that all those in prison be released

Never underestimate the power of the Hare Krishna mantra. The Third world war Prabhupada talked about in 1974, WILL NOT HAPPEN if there is only a hand full of genuin sincere dedicated ‘pure at heart’ Vaishnavas preaching the message of Srila Prabhupada and Lord Caitanya..

This is my favourite design I would like to see all around the world, do you know where this is suchandra? The above Hindu Temple in Florida is found more in Southern India and are known as Vishnu and Shiva Temples

The below in more traditional with Gaudiya Vaishnavas

Bored brains shrink faster: study

14:28 AEST Mon Jul 14 2008

1 hour 42 minutes ago

The old adage "use it or lose it" is literally true, according to Australian research showing the brain shrinks faster if it is not stimulated.

Brain scans have revealed that people who do not engage in complex mental activity over their lifetime have twice the shrinkage in a key part of the brain in old age.

The finding sheds more light on the link between lifestyle and dementia, and adds strength to the evidence that mental gymnastics, like puzzles and new languages, stave off ageing diseases.

"We've got strong evidence here that people who use their brains more have less brain shrinkage," said Dr Michael Valenzuela, from the school of psychiatry at the University of NSW.

"I hope people take this as a further call to arms to get out there and use their brains, get engaged in anything from tai chi to world travel, in the knowledge that it may help delay or prevent the onset of dementia."

Mental activity has been found to delay the onset of the degenerative brain diseases, such as Huntington's, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, in large population studies.

Dr Valenzuela and his team were investigating the reasons behind this

"use it or lose it"

principle by studying the brains of 60-year-olds over three years and testing their lifetime mental agility with questionnaires.

Of the 50 people studied, those who had been more mentally active over their lives had a larger hippocampus, an important memory centre in the brain.

Critically, over the three-year period the area shrank at half the rate of those who had lower mental activity.

"This is a significant finding because a small hippocampus is a specific risk factor for developing Alzheimer's disease," said Dr Valenzuela, whose work is published in the journal PLoS ONE.

He said while many drug companies were trying to find a pharmaceutical target to prevent the shrinkage of the hippocampus, the good news is that people can help themselves.

"Our prior research shows the risk for dementia is quite malleable, even into late life," the researcher said.

"It is vital that everyone is involved in cognitive, social and physical activities in late life such as dancing, kirtan, reading Prabhupada's books and debatiing the points with sceptics, travelling and learning a new language, for example."

Hare Krsna from Melbourne ISKCON

 

• "Tatastha has both the power of associating with temporal as well as eternal planes. Souls who have got their stations at Tatastha have got free will. Each of the individual souls by exercising his free will can abuse or purposely use his independence. He has got two different directions. He may choose one of these for his stage. When he is in an enjoying mood and considers himself identical with the predominating Object or the Absolute he is said to be fallen, and when he shows an aptitude for serving the Transcendental Predominating Object, he is freed from the clutches of limitation and is eternally associated in serving the Predominating object. The souls in the Tatastha position are not one, but many in number. They are not to associate themselves with unalloyed Cit-sakti or unalloyed Acit-sakti or Maya-sakti. In Tatastha position souls do not show any activity but they are found to be in an indolent state."
  (From Immanent and Transcendent by Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura)

Your servant,

Radhavallabha dasa

The above is a misunderstanding of tatastha by Radhavallabha dasa.

The following is from the Book - 'The real meaning of tatastha s'akti and the jiva soul's 'eternal' origin" according to the divine teachings of His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #666666 1px solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 3ex; BORDER-TOP: #666666 1px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 3ex; BORDER-LEFT: #666666 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #666666 1px solid" bgColor=#e0e0e0>

Srila Prabhupada - "So to go to God or Krishna means you will have to acquire your original, spiritual body. The spiritual body is already there, but we are now covered by this material body". by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda Homburg, Germany, June 22, 1974

This is the fact according to Srila Prabhupada that rejects the nonsense 'impersonal Brahmajyoti origin or plain sheet of consciousness' theory where one can choose Vaikuntha or the mahat-tattva, as many in the Gaudiya matha and their followers teach.

They have incorrectly used the word 'tatastha' to describe this impersonal nonsense origin of the jiva.

They impersonally describe tatastha to be our original state that is on the border, inbetween the land and the ocean (meaning Goloka and the material world) Their understanding is completely wrong and rejected by Srila Prabhupada

They do not undertand the concept of the 'eternal present', where the full possible bodily expression and potential of the jiva tatastha is eternally found within the perpetual ‘present’ of Goloka.

We, the Jiva tatastha (simply meaning we have the free will to choose) are expressed there as who we really are without the concept of past or future, that makes us imperishable in our endless body, ALWAYS within that realm of the perpetual ‘presents’.

The eternal present or the forever 'now' found only in Goloka. What is there, is ALWAYS there, meaning we are in Goloka now even though we are dreaming we are in the material creation of past and future.

It is there in Goloka or Krsnaloka our perpetual identity, personality and individuality is endlessly serving beautiful Krishna as our perpetual ‘svarupa’ body (nitya siddha), even if we sometimes forget that fact and 'dream' or 'think' we are in the material world.

The paradox here is no one never really leaves Goloka, they only dream, think and imagine they do by falling out of sync with the 'eternal present' and enter the dreams of Maha-Vishnu within His mahat-tattva creation.

The only thing that has changed is the ones awareness of 'eternal time' in relation to 'divided time' - hence it is not a division of consciousness, but rather a division of time, just like when the concept of mundane time changes while one is dreaming.

Actually when one again becomes aware of their eternal nitya-siddha body in Goloka and the eternal relationship they have with Krishna, it will be as if their baddha-jiva dream state, that has entered the dreams of the sleeping Maha-Vishnu, then taking on the identity of one of His material bodily creations, never existed.

On return to the 'eternal present' it will be as if they never left because nothing has changed in Goloka.

It is important to REALIZE that Goloka is a pure devotional place where perpetual loving service to Krsna, happens within the 'eternal present', devoid of past, future, decay and bodily absentees – every living entity is represented there by their permanent ‘svarupa’ body (Also known as the Siddha-jiva) of whom is them without beginning or end

The material world, on the other hand, actually has NO ‘present’ at all;there is only past, future, decay, and impermanence.

The mahat-tattva is where the living entities can ‘sub-consciously’ project themselves and experience their own dreamed-up manifestation, created by their own thoughts and dreams.

This secondary consciousness, which cannot exist or be expressed in bodily form in Goloka, is called the baddha-jiva.

Entering the material world therefore, is not a change of bodies, but rather a change of consciousness where the baddha-jiva is given bodily form by Maha-Vishnu in the restricted realm of past and future where the repercussions is a universe that is perishable and temporary.

The ‘eternal present’ means exactly that, ones ‘svarupa’ body is always in Goloka even if one is dreaming they are in the mahat-tattva..

What is nitya baddha BODILESS consciousness? What is the Impersonal Brahmajyoti or Brahman?

The Impersonal Brahmajyoti or Impersonal Brahman is not a place where one goes; it is not some empty place or void, it is rather, a dormant state of bodiless consciousness the marginal living entities or souls, in the baddha-jiva condition, go once they free themselves from the ethereal and biological material bodies, provided by Maha-Vishnu FROM within his mahat-tattva creation.

However this place is also just a further dream state separate from the mahat-tattva the marginal living entity enters (as baddha-jiva dream manifestation) and is also a temporary state of consciousness one enters.

This motionless individual inactive dreamless baddha-jiva consciousness within the impersonal aspect of the Brahmajyoti, can also be active or energetic in the mahat-tattva (material creation)

This nitya-baddha inferior self, or the secondary dreaming state of the marginal living entity, is actually a bodiless condition of the jiva until it is provided bodily form or a vessel for expressing their desires, provided by Maha Vishnu within his dream creation.

This nitya-baddha bodiless consciousness is the inferior dreaming condition that all marginal living entities can activate if they choose to use their free will to ‘dream’ of self importance and indulgence.

Srila Prabhupada- "There are many energies, but they have been divided into three principal ones: the external energy, the internal energy, and the marginal energy. We living entities are the marginal energy. Marginal means that we may remain under the influence of the external energy or we may remain under the influence of the internal energy, as we like". From "The Journey of Self Discovery - His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

In other words, the marginal living entities secondary conscious projection is known as the baddha-jiva soul within the maha-tattva.

The marginal living entity actually has two aspects of consciousness; one is 'eternal form' of sat, cit, ananda, Vigraha or ones perpetual Krishna Conscious bodily form (nitya-siddha) that is imperishable and never fades away, due to being eternally established within the 'eternal present' of Goloka, while the other is a non-Krishna conscious dreaming bodiless state (nitya-baddha)

The living entities, as their nitya-siddha body, are properly situated within the Lord’s internal energy as a perpetual bodily servant that is known as ones perpetual 'Svarupa'.

When the marginal living entity misuses their independence and tries to act as enjoyers or lords; they are transferred to the material energy or mahat-tattva, not as their nitya siddha body, but rather, as a secondary dreaming consciousness called nitya-baddha.

The Lord has three basic energies: internal, external and marginal.

The living entities do not only belong to the marginal energy, they ARE the marginal energy or tatastha sakti that is embodied in their original full constitutional foundation, which is expressed as nitya-siddha in their innovative perpetual position.

Tatastha simply means the ability to choice the land and the ocean or Goloka and the mahat-tattva. The marginal is therefore known as "tatastha sakti"

The nitya-baddha consciousness is the result of the jiva-tatastha executing its dormant free will to choose between Krsna and their own plans of existence. When the baddha-jiva lower self enters a dormant inactive state of consciousness, they can only enter the impersonal aspect of the Brahmajyoti, ONLY after being liberated from the mahat-tattva, which is really and factually the Impersonal aspect of the Spiritual Sky or Brahmajyoti, or their own individual consciousness.

That means, although we are properly situated within the Lord’s internal energy in our ‘svarupa’ body eternally beyond mundane time and space, we always have the propensity to misuse our independence.

This means we may choose to try and act as enjoyers or lords of all we purvey that immediately disqualifies us from being aware of our ‘svarupa’ body, and instead try to lord it over Krishna’s material energy that is under the jurisdiction of the sleeping and dreaming Maha-Vishnu.

Srila Prabhupada- "You are already in the spiritual sky, but you are simply covered. Just like the sun is already there. You are also already there…Try to understand. Actually we are not fallen therefore, at any moment we can revive our Krishna consciousness. ". Srimad-Bhagavatam lecture given in London, on July 30, 1971

Srila Prabhupada - "You are ever-liberated (nitya-siddha). The sky is always spiritual, but it is sometimes overcrowded with cloud, Actually, you are NOT conditioned (nitya-baddha). You are thinking. Just like in the dream that tiger is eating you. You were never eaten by tiger. There is no tiger. So we have to get out of this dream". (Lecture on Sri Caitanya-Caritamrita, Adi-lila 7.108--San Francisco, February 18, 1967)

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Per popuation, ISKCON hs a very high suicide rate among its Gurukuli youth in America, yet not one has taken their own life in Australia, what is your answer to that ?

That was good but I have to question your conclusion on what it means. Specifically this statement.

 

The only way to "arrive" at Krishna consciousness is by Krishna's grace and that is all the recognition one needs. I think you need to tweak your conclusion on this parable a bit.

I just copied it word for word from the http://www.salagram.net/parables.htm

As far as I am concerned, if you have as much knowledge of Krsna Consciousness as many on this thread do, then they already have Guru.

In this troubled times it is best to read Prabhupada's books, watch his DVD's, listen to his lectures. Did you know that in the last batch of initiations in 1977, there were some devotees who had never met Srila Prabhupada, but took initiation via letter anyway.

Even though there is an uproar against it, I believe if you worship Srila Prabhupada's photo sincerely from within the heart then he will not only direct us, but will protect us also during these pioneering troubling times and eventually will send us an embodied bonafide Guru to help us.

The ritvik system stopped on the departure of Srila Prabhupada.

This means the ritviks must transform into diksa gurus who are qualified and not just voted into that position, and thereby initiate on their own behalf, not Srila Prabhupada's.

Until that happens, we should continue reading, hearing, seeing, and viewing Srila Prabhupada as our Spiritual teacher, until we see and know someone else is a bonafide pure devotee and not just a glorified hippie from the 1960s or some layback lazy 'Indian' guru Godbrothers and nephews of Prabhupada, cashing in on Prabhupada's fame, from Navadwip

 

 

An intelligent person, who has actually developed some finer qualities of human consciousness, can understand that every law is made by an intelligent brain and behind every law there is the lawmaker who makes the law. So for all these natural laws, there is the Supreme Lawmaker

 

“What is the matter with the world?”

 

(ANSWER -) "Is that men have become demons by breaking laws of God, and therefore they are being punished by the police action of material nature. That is the verdict of all scriptures and that is our day-to-day life’s experience".

Once there was a blind man trying to find his way to his father in law's house. He was supposed to be married. So, he was going to his father in law's house to meet his family and bride to be.

But because he was blind, he got lost. He followed the road but became unsure of what direction to take. So, he heard from the field the mooing of cows and he heard some flute being played. There was a cowherd boy there. So he called out,

"Cowherd boy, I am trying to find the house of such and such man. Can you give me direction? Maybe you can lead me."

The cowherd boy said,

"I'm sorry, I'm herding these cows. But I tell you what; the calf of one of these cows is at the very address you are seeking. So, this cow will go there automatically if I let her go from the herd. You just take her tail. There,"

And he put the tail in the man's hand. Immediately the cow began to run, dragging the poor blind man behind him. And because the cow didn't like this man hanging off her tail, she ran over the roughest ground she could find, ran through thorns, over brambles, through thickets and every once in a while when gave the man a good kick in the head just for good measure. He still didn't let go.

By the time he reached the father in law's house he was completely stripped of all clothes. He was covered with blood and mucus, big lumps on his head. He was completely dishevelled and staggering, moaning and groaning in pain.

It so happened that the choukidar (guard) was standing in front of the father in law's house, and he saw this sight, a cow running madly and one naked man being dragged behind the tail.

The choukidar took his stick.

"Rascal cow thief!" And gave him a sound beating, breaking his bones. This was his welcome..

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur tells this story to illustrate that one must have guru. One cannot take garu (cow) as one's spiritual master, which the materialists do.

They say, "I don't follow anyone." But they follow their own mind and senses and they are also cow and ass (go-kharah).

The problem is, that even if one arrives at the right destination (Krsna consciousness) if one has not taken a bonafide guru, then he will not be recognized.

Srila Prabhupada – “You have asked if it is true that the Spiritual Master remains in the material universe until all of His disciples are transferred to the Spiritual Sky. The answer is yes, this is the rule.

Therefore, every student should be very much careful not to commit any offense, which will be detrimental to this promotion to the Spiritual Kingdom, and thereby the Spiritual Master has to incarnate again to deliver him. This sort of mentality will be a kind of offense to the Spiritual Master.

Out of the ten kinds of offenses, the number one offense is to disobey the orders of the Spiritual Master.

The instructions given to the disciple by the Spiritual Master at the time of initiation should be strictly followed.

That will make one advance to the spiritual path. But if one deliberately defies such instructions, then his advancement is hampered from the very beginning.

This defying means to disconnect the relationship with the Spiritual Master.

And anyone who defies and therefore disconnects the relationship with the Spiritual Master can hardly expect the assistance of Spiritual master life after life. I hope this will answer clear up this question sufficiently for you”. letter to Jayapataka, July 11,1969

Srila Prabhupada - "What is the price for your ticket for going back to Godhead?

One should try to purchase a ticket to go back home, back to Godhead. The price of such a ticket is one's intense desire for it, which is not easily awakened, even if one continually performs pious activities for thousands of lives.

All mundane relationships are sure to be broken in the course of time but once one establishes a relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead in a particular rasa, it is never to be broken, even after the annihilation of the material world". Caitanya Caritamrta, Adi Lila, 1.56

Srila Prabhupada - "When one becomes Krishna conscious, he loves everyone. If you chant loudly Hare Krishna, even the ants and insect who is hearing, he'll be delivered, because it is a spiritual vibration" Bombay, January 4, 1973

"The servants of Yamaraja do not go to the house where the Tulasi tree is situated and worshipped. Indeed, such a house is a form of a place of pilgrimage". Garuda Purana Saroddhara chapters nine text seven

Stage Set for Rath Yatra

BY: DEBABRATA MOHAPATRA

<CENTER>

Three well decorated chariots kept in front of the Jagannath temple

[ Click for larger version ] </CENTER>

Jul 03, JAGANNATHA PURI, ORISSA — All arrangements reached the final stage on Thursday, as Puri is all set to observe Rath Yatra on Friday. The millennia-old annual festival is considered one of the world's longest surviving public celebrations. Even though a host of places on the earth observe the annual festivity with equal elan, Lord Jagannath's Rath Yatra at Puri is still billed as a show stealer.

More than 8 lakh pilgrims from across the country and abroad are likely to set their feet on the hallowed city to have a glimpse of the presiding Deities-Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra-being pulled along the Grand Road on three colorful wooden chariots, festooned with flowers, appliqué and mural paintings.

The pulling of the chariots is scheduled to start at 4 pm, where the triad Deities will go on a nine-day sojourn to Gundicha temple (believed to be the birthplace of Jagannath), about 3 kilometers from the 12th century shrine. Earlier, amidst a pompous procession, which will start at around 9.30 am, the Deities will be brought from the sanctum sanctorum of the shrine to the chariots.

<CENTER>

Internationally acclaimed sand artist, Sudarsan Pattnaik

created a Jagannath image and miniature chariot on Puri beach

</CENTER>

Seventy platoons police force has been deployed in the hallowed city. The force includes 15 platoons of anti-Naxal squads, which have been pressed into service in of the light of Red rampage in Malkangiri district on Sunday. This apart, special bomb disposal squads, sniffer dogs, rapid action force (RAF), sharp shooters and quick reaction teams (QRT) have been stationed all over the city and its outskirts.

"All arrangements have been made to the tee. For the first time, more numbers of anti-Naxal commandos will guard the temple and pilgrims. Close circuit cameras have been installed at major points along the Grand Road. Hotels have been kept on alert and periodical checks to suspicious visitors are going on," said Rajat Kanti Mishra, the additional superintendent of police (ASP), Puri.

The district administration has set up temporary information centers at different places to guide the newcomers to Puri. For the first time a city-based voluntary organization, Barefoot, in association with Lakshya Solutions has flouted a helpline through which pilgrims can get information related to Rath Yatra by dialing a phone number -- 067466136666 (not toll free). Devotees also can watch Rath Yatra live by browsing the following three websites:

<CENTER>www.jagannath.nic.in

http://www.rathjatra.nic.in

www.orissagov.nic.in</CENTER><CENTER> </CENTER>

Meanwhile, the stalemate continues over the Lord's 'homecoming' at sunset on Bahuda Yatra, the return journey of the Lord to his abode at Jagannath Temple on July 12th.

The priests have threatened to boycott the Lord's homecoming ritual in protest against the shrine administration's decision to pull the chariots under floodlights. "We will pacify the priests before Bahuda Yatra," averred Puri collector Rashmi Ranjan Patnaik. <CENTER></CENTER>