Arjuna Haridas

Ok there may be many exceptions -- Agreed! But give an example of a man who becomes pregnant? Just like the physicalities of man and woman differ, similarly the mentalities would also differ. What is the difficulty in understanding this?

 

In fact, the mentality of woman is in some cases more favourable for devotional service because majority of women tend to be simple and can accept the simple Absolute Truth, As It Is.

Pregnancy is physical. [True] love is spiritual. Similarily, a woman may have a different mindset than a man, but all of us are the same gender (neuter) when it comes to our soul, and it is from our soul that devotion to a specific God/Goddess comes from.

As a matter of fact, women are nearly impossible to convert. I tried it with my mother - she's stubborn as a mule. Men, meanwhile, are easier to convert (I myself have bounced back and forth between religions before settling on Hinduism in general). As said before, there are many exceptions.

And a man has to make her understand that. See where I am going with this?

I'm sure that if Prabhupada said that women are more intelligent than men, she would be singing a different song. But that's a different story.

It takes a man to tell a woman that she is intelligent when it is drilled into her head that she isn't. It takes a woman to tell another woman that she is what she is - a human being.

Men cry, women cry. Men are stupid, women are stupid. When does the 3rd sex come into play?

How about this as THE biggest conspiracy - the Bhagavatam was not written by Vyasa 5,000 years ago, but rather was inspired by the medieval Alvar tradition of South India, and dates back to around the year 800 CE. And that is what scholars who make a living out of critically analysing texts think. Where does this leave your arguments, Mahakji?

You're kinda off. It was finished a little after the death of Muhammad (in the 600s CE). It's obvious that it wasn't written thousands of years ago, and it's also obvious that the author of the Bhagavata Purana isn't the same author as the Mahabharata.

Namaste/Haribol

As a part of my spiritual quest, I'm going to try Gaudiya Vaishnavism (which, ironically, is where I started back in April 2007).

I already know the basics of this great religion, but I'm having problems on the purification rituals. The only purification ritual I know of is Achamana. Does Lord Chaitanya recommend this? Or does He recommend a different type of purification ritual?

I know how you feel. Nowadays, its impossible to find a true Guru of any path - Vaishnava, Shaiva, Shakta, whatever. Especially when you're a Westerner (an "outcaste").

It's a dog-eat-dog world out there. I have to go throughout my whole life as the Lone Soldier. I have no community that does not shun me, and of those Hindus who welcome me, none of them practice.

Our "Temples" are just money dens filled with intolerant people. Whatever little worship goes on is given less importance than some dance from some 80s Bollywood movie. At least, that's how it's like for the local temples of my area.

I've read the story of another Western Hindu on another website. He had to pay an arm and a leg (figuratively, of course) just for a homa. When the "priest" saw him, the "priest" got angry because Prabhu was white-skinned!

You know its the Kali Yuga where you can't even take shelter in the holiest places on Earth.

Stick with it, and keep praying to Lord Krishna. Personally, I know that He's a better deliverer than Dominos' (an inside joke). When chanting this mantra:

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

I am no longer a Lone Soldier, but I have an army behind my back; an army that can annihilate the forces of every man, unscratched. This is the army of Krishna's Love.

He unearthed a lunar lander, and quickly re-buried it under duress of some general in charge of the operation.

To be honest, that's as believable as those Christian miracles I get in the mail every week.

Namaste.

I can only give a simple answer as I am not a religious expert.

"There is no work that affects Me; nor do I aspire for the fruits of action. One who understands this truth about Me also does not become entangled in the fruitive reactions of work." (Bhagavad Gita 4.14)

"But those who always worship Me with exclusive devotion, meditating on My transcendental form—to them I carry what they lack, and I preserve what they have." (Bhagavad Gita 9.22)

These verses from the Bhagavad Gita suggest that Lord Vishnu can free one of any bad karma (and any good karma for that matter). This is obvious since the Creator of Karma obviously can control it.

So I would suggest praying to Lord Vishnu (or Whoever your Ishtadeva is) and I suggest that you ask that all bad karma be relieved from you because

the situation is not in your control and you can't do anything about it.

How can we get the Love of 'Krishna' ..!!

"I am present equally in all beings. There is no one hateful or dear to Me. But, those who worship Me with love and devotion are very close to Me, and I to them" (Bhagavad Gita 9.29)

We already have the Love of Krishna. It's up to us to accept and repay this Love.

Namaste to all.

How exactly is one to worship Krishna WITHOUT puja? The only method

I know of is "Om Namo Bhagavate Vaasudevaya" from the Vishnu Purana. How else can you worship Krishna (aside from puja and the Hare Krishna mantra)?

Thanks. I plan to come back to FFI. Just needed to leave for a while (it was getting progessively worse).

So just to be clear, I don't roll the "r" in "Shree"? I would pronounce the "r" as a do in "road" (no roll, as if I was speaking English) or as I would in "rupiya" (a roll, as if I was speaking Hindi)?

Namaste.

I'm not sure how to pronounce "Sri" as in "Sri Rama". Do you roll the "r" like you would if you said "Raja" or is it a regular English "r"?

The Brahmins should have challenged the Muallahs/Imans and Christian Priests to religious debate. The Kyastrias should challenged the Muslims and Christians zealots to combat. The Sudra and Vaiyas should did what they could to support them. ALL OF THEM FAILED.

The Brahmana were too busy oppressing the lower castes to care. The lower castes were too busy being oppressed to do anything. The Kshatriyas overall were too weak to do anything.

There is no long "A" at the end of the name of Lord Rāma. Whether the short "a" at the end of the name is pronounced is an open question for Sanskritists.

Generally whether it is pronounced or not is dependent on what part of India people live in and what is their native language and dialect.

Thanks for your response.

So If I pronounce the Name of Rama as "Ram", it'll still be effective (as the Rama Nama mantra)?

Namaste to all

I'm planning to devote myself to Rama, and I'm confused as to what exactly to call Him.

Many refer to Him as "Ram". However, Shastras call Him "Rama" (with the long "A" sound). Even Brahmana call Him "Ram". Which one is preferred?

Namaste.

How does one go about purifying themselves according to Vaishnava Shastra (preferably Sri Vaishnava Shastra)?

Lord Siva is the greatest Vaishnava- vaishnavanam yatha sambuh. He must be respected but one should not accept him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

This is a great offense to the Lotus Feet of Lord Shiva. Don't you know that Lord Vishnu incarnates as Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva? Since they are His incarnation (and Vishnu Himself is an incarnation of Sriman-Narayana), then the Trimurti are all equal and all deserve respect and worship. The proof for this (that from Vishnu incarnated Brahma and shiva) is in the Vishnu Purana's creation story and also from:

Om Tryambakam Yajaamahe

Sugandhim Pushti Vardhanam

Urvaarukamiva Bandhanaat

Mrityor Muksheeya Ma-Amritaat

(Taittiriya Upanishad 2.7)

Let us worship Shiva (the three-eyed One), who is sacred (fragrant) and who nourishes all beings. Just as the ripe cucumber is automatically released from its attachment to the creeper, may we be liberated from death (our mortal body and personality) and be granted immortality. (Taittiriya Upanishad 2.7)

and

"To those unaware of Your position understanding it the material way do You, by Yourself expanding Your maya, appear for the matters of creation as Me (Brahma), as Yourself for the purpose of maintenance and as Lord Trinetra (Shiva) in the end." (Bhagavata Purana 10.14.19)

Such greats as Sri Bhagavan Swaminarayan and Sri Ramaunjacharya have accepted this fact. In fact, this is the very reason why Ramanujacharya preferred the Name "Sriman-Narayana" or "Lord Narayana" to address the Divine in order to not confuse people into thinking that Vishnu the Preserver was better than the rest of the Trimurti.

Why can't the rest of Vaishnavas? Why must we twist the teachings of our Acharyas in order to fit our own "My-God-is-better-than-your's" beliefs?

Anyone?

Namaste to all.

How is it that we can commit any wrong in any way when the Bhagavad Gita (nevermind the countless other Shastras) states that Vishnu is the One Who does all of our actions and we are just puppets, instruments? Either we can't commit wrong, or God is commiting wrong. I can't think of any other explanation.

Hindus' rights is to live in peace and woship God by their own ways. That is their fundamental rights - all Hindus will agree to that.

 

Muslims' and Christians' rights consists of waging war against others who do not follow their ways.

 

In short, Muslims and Christians will not be happy till each and everyone on the Planet are either Muslims or Christians and as Godless as they are.

 

Therefore, I could promote that those who wish to safeguard their own rights to live in peace to do what Pandavas did - FIGHT BACK anyhow possible.

Read their scriptures. The Christians are to make peace with the Gentiles (non-Christians in New Testament terminology) and Muslims are to fight the kuffar (non-Muslims) when the kuffar fight them. So, should a Hindu be peaceful, then there will be no war waged against him and any war that may be waged against him is deemed sinful in both all 3 religions (Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism). The only form of oppression will come from the Muslims who will make the non-Abrahamic (in this case, the Hindu) pay a tax called the Jizya.

Namaste to all.

I ask that every Vaishnava here (which is probably 95% of the forum) to tell me why they think Lord Vishnu is the Supreme God and why they think that Mother Lakshmi is the Supreme Mother as opposed to Shiva and Parvati holding these positions.

I call the thread "one-sided" because I don't want a debate. I don't want to prove my side, but I'm just interested to know why a Vaishnava believes what he/she believes. There has to be something there because it's nearly impossible to change a Vaishnava's beliefs.

This is all part of my own spiritual journey. Also, thanks in advance.

I will feel honored to be called an Extremist (for fighting for my rights) than to be called a Muslim's hand licker.

 

If a person who fight for rights are extremists, then Pandavas are extremists.

 

If a person asks others to stand up and fight for their rights are extremists as well, then Sri Krishna is an extremists as well.

The man who fights for his rights engages in a Dharmic War. The man who fights to subdue others' rights fights an Adharmic War.

Anyway, thank you Tantra for your responses to my posts and making it clear why India is considered holy.

You are as militant as the Muslims to hate so much, Sephiroth.

Arjuna Haridas :

 

Buddhism which they follow is not the Buddhism which Gautama Buddha had preached. The Buddhism they follow is Mahayana Buddhism. Therefore, it is not considered to be following Sanatana Dharma.

According to you? Do you have any proof that Buddhists somehow follow a corrupted religion? Let me guess: Vaishnavism is true Buddhism?

So what? Many people feed dogs and cats the same way they have feed you and now, you're licking their hands. What makes you so special?

It proves that Atheists aren't heartless beings since they feed the hungry - human and animal.

There's NO innocent Muslims in India. Muslims are ppl who comes from converts and invaders who settle in India after killing Hindus for the past 1,000 years. Pitying them is like pitying the pain a dog must have felt when it bite you and it's teeth hurt.

You're kidding me, right? Just because someone invaded years ago doesn't mean that all Muslims should be killed. Your whole argument is a joke.

I also seem to remember Hindus raping women and looting.

Funny ... I don't remember any Hindus raping women and loothing, or using Hindusm as excuses to do all this things like what Muslims doing. You must be lying again.

You must have your hands over your eyes and ears, then. Remember the "Sikh Holocaust"?

There's no Western Hindu or Eastern Hindu. IF a person is a Hindu, he or she will learn his/her own beliefs properly and follow it. NOT DAMN HIS BELIEF SO HE COULD KISS UP TO NON-HINDUS LIKE YOU.

By "Western Hindu", I mean a Hindu living in the West. Apparently, Hindus say that we all are equal, but how many actually put this into practice? Anyway, I don't kiss up to non-Hindus, I simply respect them.

That is why Muhammad was STUPID. He scold himself for WHAT? USELESS. How can such useless man be a prophet of God?

 

Muhammad doesn't know how to read and write. And despite of living for 60 yrs and with people who can read and write, Muhammad NEVER taken any steps to learn how to read and write. WHY?

 

Muhammad started off as a businessman and worked as a businessman for 15 yrs. His business was good enough that he could travel as far as Syria for his wife, Khatijah. By right, he should provide a good example for Muslims on how to progress in life. But at the end of his lifetime, he was poor and misearable. WHY?

 

Answer - because he was STUPID. He don't bother to learn new things or improve himself. Same way Muslims don't bother to live properly and end up living like animals. MUHAMMAD IS NOT PROPHET OF GOD.

Muhammad was a smart man. He single-handedly conquered Arabia and gathered a following that continues to this day. Whether or not you agree with him is another story, as is this whole discussion about Islam.

Hmph ... and just how many people die during primilage to holy spots in India like Varanasi? This shows that God is with those who come to see Him and He will protect those who come to see Him.

 

The very fact that muslims die in Haj shows that no God protects Muslims, for there is no God in Islam.

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/article102175.ece

Once again, your argument here is a joke.

God lives in our hearts, FOOL. Not in some city or because of some old men who calls himself Pope. That is Judaism, Laws set by Yahweh, the God of Israel.

That's what I've been saying since post #1!

I could very much doubt that.

I'm a Hindu because I want liberation, not because I want someone on Audarya Fellowship to smile and be happy.

Chinese are Atheists ... animals. They are not even humans. Why should Chinese and China be included in India?

The Chinese are just as human as you and me. Many of them follow Buddhism which is one of the many paths of Sanatana Dharma. Some follow Islam and Christianity and they die and suffer for their beliefs. If this is not human and if this is not faith, then I'd gladly call myself an animal.

Atheists have given me food. Atheists have donated to those who give food. Atheists have given me advice and comfort. Atheists have shown me love. Atheists have shown me reason and free-thinking, and if it weren't for them, I'd still be Christian.

When the time has come where the Atheist is more kind to others than the Hindu, we should probably pray for the end of the Kali Yuga.

And India is holy because of Hindus, not because of Godless Muslims or foolish Christians or animalistic Atheists who rapes, plunders and live like animals. Hindus are those who follow the ways of their forefathers, not the ways of the invaders.

Can you blame an entire group based on the actions of a few? Haven't Hindus bombed mosques and killed inncoent Muslims in India (Ayodhya and Gujarat come to mind here)?

I also seem to remember Hindus raping women and looting. But these are real Hindus, right? Why don't you abandon the double-standard?

You are jealous because if India alone is consider holy, then that could make the rest of the World impure. And as a non-Hindu, you don't like to consider that Mecca is unholy or the Vatican City as unholy. So, Yes, you are jealous of India ... like most Muslims and Christians for the past 1,000 years.

You are living proof of why it's so hard to be a Western Hindu. This "Holy-than-thou-art" attitude shown from Indian Hindus to Western Hindus leads many deserving souls away from Hinduism while the undeserving remain Hindu. You call Muhammad an animal, yet even Muhammad scolded himself for turning down a poor man. You are taking the moral highground yet doing the same thing you accuse the beast of doing.

Why is Mecca holy? Because every year, millions of Muslim men and women risk their lives (there have been many deaths on the Hajj) to submit themselves to their God and preform a ritual which they believe will please their God. Have you ever been to Mecca? The sense of brotherhood there is strong. So strong that even Malcolm X abandoned his belief that whites are devils and accepted that all are equal. Such a brotherhood that you will not experience anywhere else on Earth. If this is Godless, then I am Godless.

Why is the Vatican holy? Because here is where laws are made that focus on the worship of Yahweh/Jehovah and the Pope lives here. As we can see from the last Pope (John Paul II), these people are bonafide. If this is Foolish, then I am Foolish.

Aushwitz and the many other Nazi Concentration Camps, where thousands of Jews were killed because they refused to give up their belief in their God. Israel, where Jews were martyred thousands of years ago because they thought it was comanded to them from their God. I can go on and on.

Why is India holy? Because here, many holy men walk and many people have risked their lives for Sanatana Dharma. The criterion that we judge the holiness of India by is no different than the criterion that we judge the rest of the world by.

And just to let you know, I am a Hindu.

I visited sarangpur temple of hanumanji but no results.

 

I am still searching for a genuine tantrik/sadhu/saint who can solve the ghost problem.

Namaste. Unfortunately, there are many false gurus out there. I would suggest doing Sadhana and asking the Divine Mother for a true Tantrik guru. She will guide you to a genuine one.

For those that don't living in America the popular culture here often calls Thanksgiving "Turkeyday". Just another perversion of a good idea by the gross and insane.

 

Even now one can feel them salivating at the thought of the murdered turkey carcass they all are preparing to ritualistically feast upon tomorrow.

 

Vaisnavas and aspiring vaisnavas of any religious bent however will spend the day as usual, being thankful that the Lord is our provider, protector, well wisher and benefactor.

 

We aspirants (full and part-time) are thankful not only for the food, air and prana that sustains our human forms in our search for Godhead but for our very existence itself.

 

The more advanced Vaisnavas are thankful for their existence also because without that one could never know love and serve Krsna. They are thankful for the food, air and prana that God provides because that gives them more to offer in the Lord's service.

 

Yes we all have much to be thankful for this day.....and every other.

Must we make everything "Us vs. Them"? Focus on similarities, not differences.