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bhaktajan

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  1. Here are some suggested topics for teachers of Hindu theology, history, and meta-physics from the 'Vedas' of <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com<st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>: 1) Vedas=Knowledge. Knowledge is defined in the Vedas as the ability to discriminate the difference between matter and spirit. The famous first verse of the Rig-Veda: "om atha-atho brahma-jigyansah" Now, therefore, in the human form of life we should inquire as to nature of Brahman (the Supreme Personality of Godhead). 2) God=The original Supreme Personality of Godhead, Shree Krishna who is infinitely full in all opulences ("Bhagavan"), specifically: God is the original person who possesses all Beauty, Fame, Intelligence, Power, Wealth, and Renunciation; also, God is the first person, with his own eternal and transcendental name, fame, form, personality, paraphernalia, entourage and pastime. God's body is the absolute form of 'Sat-Chit-Ananda'—Eternity. Cognizance, and Bliss 2A) 5 topics of discussion addressed in the Bhagavad-gita: Three are eternal: 1 Isvara - (Controller) - God 2 Jiva-atma – (Indiviual Soul) - Living Entity 3 Prakriti – Energy (Material & Spiritual) 4 Kala – “Time” One is transient: 5 Karma – Action = a) artha—wealth, abundance b) <st1:place w:st="on">kama</st1:place>—enjoyment, pleasure c) dharma—work, duty
  2. In pursuit of honest disclosure I copied and pasted the following which I found at www.dandavats.com: GBC-EC Statement and Report Regarding Balabhadra das (formerly Bhakti Balabha Puri Maharaja) GBC-EC Statement and Report Regarding Balabhadra das (formerly Bhakti Balabha Puri Maharaja) <!-- end .post-top --><!-- the main section of the post goes here --> By the GBC Executive Committee The GBC Executive Committee, after much deliberation and consultation, has no alternative but to sadly report the deviations of and the abuses to devotees carried out by Balabhadra dasa (ACBSP), previously known as Bhakti Balabh Puri Goswami. Notwithstanding his fall-downs the GBC offered Balabhadra Prabhu shelter and guidance provided he work under their guidance, absorbing himself in sadhana. Unfortunately he has recently defied this agreement, the guidance of his friends, the direction of GBC members and the authority of this Society, thus in effect leaving ISKCON and acting independently. Therefore, as he has plans to continue some independent form of “preaching” and collections, we have no option but to inform the devotees of his deviations. What follows is a brief history of Balabhadra dasa’s disturbing behaviour, behaviour which led to his stepping down from guruship, sannyasa and finally membership of ISKCON. ————- Report on Balabhadra dasa, formerly Bhakti Balabh Puri Goswami This report was compiled for the GBC by the committee dealing with this case, Sivarama Swami, BB Govinda Swamiand Praghosa dasaand has been approved by the GBC Executive Committee. It has been reproduced here in full, and thus may contain more information than expected from a general article. Introduction Balabhadra dasa was always eccentric and even in the early 80’s showed a penchant for cars, cameras and handling money. However his wife, his godbrothers, and his own strong spiritual practices, namely sadhana and deity worship, generally kept his eccentricity and indulgences to a tolerable level. Otherwise he was known as a good preacher, inspirational sankirtana leader, and a caring devotee. The death of his wife seemed to be a visible turning point in his life. His sadhana deteriorated, his bodily weight increased and he became increasingly involved in the lives of his female disciples, despite his having entered the renounced order. There was a “special” relationship with one female disciple, who was the person with whom he later, repeatedly fell down. Balabhadra dasa’s distancing Sivarama Swami from Scotland and the latter’s eventual resignation as GBC for the UK left Balabhadra dasa more or less unsupervised and uncontrolled. Although the exact chronology of events is not perfectly represented above, it does give a cursory indication of Balabhadra dasa’s decline over time. Findings of the Working Committee Over three years ago Balabhadra dasa’s sexual abuse of his female disciple came to light and in investigating that abuse, a Pandora’s box of equally serious deviations gradually came to light, all of which were made known to the GBC Executive. The committee working with Balabhdara dasa first removed him from all positions of authority and suspended his guruship, later they restricted him to residence in Vrndavana and finally negotiated with him his retirement from active service. The conclusion of the three years discussions and consultation was a final meeting in Scotland, the results of which are recorded later in this report. Years of investigations and meetings with Balabhadra and his disciples revealed Balabhadra’s degradation into a disoriented person who could in no way be considered fit for a position of authority in this movement, what to speak of spiritual leadership. This assessment is shared by all the senior devotees in Scotland and substantiated by many practical examples, only some of which are cited below. (He was sent to a professional psychiatrist for six weeks, however he blocked us from obtaining the results of the analyst’s report.) To disciples and later to the committee dealing with him Balabhadra dasa has admitted that he thought of himself as a personal associate of Lord Caitanya and/or Krsna. In addition, his conception of guru was one in which he was the proprietor of his disciples, of ISKCON’s assets and especially of ISKCON Scotland’s monies. And because a guru, he thought, takes the karma of his disciples he deemed that he was above Srila Prabhupada’s order to co-operate with the GBC secretary and the GBC body. Balabhadra would become physically abusive to disciples, sometimes violently hitting and kicking them, even to the extent of drawing blood. In the name of ‘helping’ two female disciples he performed many explicit sexual and voyeuristic acts by exploiting the obedience of his female disciples. Considering himself proprietor of the Society’s funds Balabhadra wasted money by the frivolous purchase of, amongst other things, expensive cars, motor-homes, cameras and dozens of guitars. His dealings with disciples were contradictory, duplicitous, manipulative, intimidating and abusive. To his disciples he openly criticized senior devotees, sannyasis and friends, both in private and in public classes and lengthy istaghostis. Despite all these obvious deviations, to date, at the repeated request of those who have been trying to assist him he has not, and by his own admission cannot, document the reasons leading to his gross deviations. He is unable to understand the severity of his transgressions, or the reactions of those in knowledge of them. He still believes his good motivations overshadow any faulty methodology. Preliminary Recommendations While there are many other symptoms and examples of Balabhadra’s deviation, the words above do not do full justice in portraying the hurt devotees have suffered at his hands. Our society must be clear that such abuse will not be tolerated, especially from gurus, those who are meant to show the ideal example of the humble Vaisnava. Therefore the working committee considered it inappropriate that our Society allow him to continue as a spiritual master or sannyasi, invest in him any managerial or spiritual responsibility, or put him in a position of trust. Having seen how he has abused the trust placed in him by the Society, the devotees, and his disciples; having seen how grievous his conduct and deeds were, the committee was convinced that Balabhadra dasa could no longer be put forward as a representative of this society in any capacity. August Meeting in Scotland With these conclusions in mind the working committee along with six senior devotees of the Scottish yatra sat with Balabhadra dasa to work out an agreement. It was accepted that if Balabhadra dasa continues to work under ISKCON authority, then his basic needs would be looked after by the Scottish yatra. The desire to look after Balabhadra dasa was in recognition of the years of dedicated service he performed prior to his problems arising and the heartfelt appreciation of the Scottish devotees for the help he had given them. In every meeting with Balabhadra dasa over the years, including at this final meeting, his great services and good intentions were always acknowledged. Yet those could not negate his offenses. After two full days of discussion the following mutual agreement was reached with Balabhadra dasa: * The Scottish Yatra would support Balabhadra with a monthly allowance and give him the permanent use of an apartment in Sridhama Mayapura, where he was to move. In addition Scotland would cover budgeted travel, medical and miscellaneous expenses. * Balabhadra dasa agreed to step down both as a guru and as a sannyasi o Balabhadra dasa would serve under the guidance of Sivarama Swami, BB Govinda Swami and Praghosa dasa, until further notice, staying at Kusum Sarovara and as soon as the necessary arrangements are made, move to Mayapur where he will be under the supervision of a senior vaisnava o Balabhadra dasa would only travel by prior agreement * Balabhadra dasa agreed to undergo further counseling as soon as it could be arranged. Even during the meeting Balabhadra dasa gave up his sannyasa cloth and we continued amicably calling him Balabhadra Prabhu rather than Puri Maharaja. At the conclusion of the meeting Balabhadra dasa departed from Scotland and everyone appeared satisfied with the above agreement, especially since all the points were mutually agreed upon without much ado. The Scottish Devotees Until this year, the only devotee in Scotland aware of all the deviations and subsequent restrictions on Balabhadra dasa was the temple president, Prabhupada Vani dasa. Others thought he had semi-retired for health reasons. In the beginning of the year news gradually leaked to other senior devotees and since that time we have had many meetings to inform and then help those disciples. These disciples included all the senior and leading devotees of the yatra. With the exception of two (mentioned below) all devotees accept Balabhadra’s stepping down as both guru and sannyasi and have stopped all worship of and appellation in regards to him. Many have sought shelter from other senior Vaisnavas. The devotees are all united around and supportive of Prabhupada Vani dasa as temple president, who is doing an admirable job in that service, in an otherwise trying situation. Balabhadra’s son and daughter, also living near the temple, are fully aware of his transgressions and fully supportive of the working committee, its decisions, and the Scottish temple management. There appears to be two die-hard supporters of Balabhadra who show no apparent change in allegiance to their “guru”, even after being made aware of all the transgressions and abuses. These devotees are now being engaged by Balabhadra for his purposes. With those exceptions, who are now leaving the devotee community, the yatra, the temple and the congregation is stable, the devotees mature and the mood upbeat. There have been many visitors recently, such as Hari-sauri prabhu, Madhavananda prabhu, Dhananjaya prabhu and Indradyumna Swami and more are expected. In short the isolation is over. Subsequent Development Within one month of this agreement being reached, Balabhadra dasa reneged on it. Instead of fulfilling certain duties and communications assigned him, he turned up at the temple in Scotland, at midnight, on Janmastami, unannounced and without permission. Obviously the devotees there were both shocked and intimidated. He spoke to some proclaiming that he was now a free man and not working under any authority. He also stated that he had friends and collecting abilities, thus he would not be affected by losing the support of the Scottish Yatra, or of ISKCON. Unless and until Balabhadra submits himself to the working committee and the authority of ISKCON, he should be considered as his own agent, not a representative of ISKCON. Thus whatever project he promotes, or funds he collects for, are not with the approval of ISKCON. Thus temples and temples’ congregation should be appropriately informed. This report completes the work of the committee assigned to this case. The reason this issue is being announced on Dandavats is twofold; 1. It was made clear to Balabhadra dasa that if he broke the agreements regarding his rectification, restriction, and future service, and if he chose to do as he liked, his case would be made public in order to protect devotees of the Society from him. 2. Since Balabhadra dasa is now his own man, with no means of livelihood, he will seek to raise funds from the international society of devotees who should be informed that supporting him is not supporting any ISKCON approved project or person. ................................................................................................. Comments • <!-- end .comments-header --> 1 It should be pointed out that this is *not* the same Balabhadra of ISCOWP fame. That should be pretty obvious because this one is in Scotland and the cow protector Balabhadra is in the USA, but someone actually asked me if it was the same person, so I thought it would be a good idea to make that perfectly clear. <!-- end .comments-middle -->Comment posted by Akruranatha on September 24th, 2007 <!-- end .comments-bottom --> <!-- end .comments --> 2 Hare Krishna, At the request of some devotees I would like to add a few points of clarification regarding this statement: 1) All devotees who suffered as a result of these events were of adult age 2) As soon as specific knowledge was known of the abuses, Balabhadra das was removed from the Scottish yatra and any position of authority 3) The police were also informed of the situation 4) Other relevant authorities have also been informed 5) All the devotees who suffered abuse have been offered counselling Your servant, Praghosa dasa <!-- end .comments-middle -->Comment posted by Praghosa on September 25th, 2007 <!-- end .comments-bottom --> <!-- end .comments --> 3 Dear Prabhu, I wrote my previous comments hurriedly and noticed several mistakes, could you please replace it with the following. Thanks. All devotees who take on the service of guru should understand that it is not they that are worshipable, but Krishna, who manifests through them (thus the distinction between vani and vapu). The Lord reclaims the fallen conditioned souls by means of sound vibration (Vedic knowledge) and the guru is considered to be synonymous with Krishna only when he repeats the same pure message without deviation. A chunk of metal or rock has no significance before it is fashioned into the form of a murti. But as soon as it becomes representative of the Lord it becomes worshipable and it is the same with the guru. He is an ordinary living entity who becomes worshipable only when he is representative of the Lord and even then it is Krishna, assuming the form of the guru who is significant and not the jivatma. The jiva is vapu (physical form) and therefore, always insignificant. In Vedic times a disciple would go to the home of the guru at four years of age and would stay there until he was twenty-five. Thus, he would feel very obligated to the guru for teaching him everything he knows. For us it’s not like that. We have obtained something like 25% of our knowledge from our parents, 25% from our education, 25% from our friends and contemporaries and 25% from 0ur spiritual master. The guru may be giving us the most important instructions, but still we DO NOT owe him everything. Respect for the teacher is inherent in all Hindu traditions, whether he be teaching yoga, martial arts or dance. Even dacoits and prostitutes respect their teachers. So we have to keep a balance realizing that much of what we are told about the position of the guru is simply formality. It is only illusion and the desire for sense gratification that causes a devotee to think that he has actually become a ‘divine grace’ and associate of the Lord. And, we have now witnessed this scenario many times: of gullible followers worshipping exploitative personalities, without learning important lessons. ISKCON gurus generally need to move away from the idea that everything is about them and disciples should be trained to be less credulous. The problem is that objectivity in the guru-disciple relationship is not encouraged and this is the heart of the problem. <!-- end .comments-middle -->Comment posted by yaduvendu das on October 6th, 2007 ................................................................................................. <!-- end .comments-bottom --> <!-- end .post-middle --><!-- the bottom of the post, the background graphic gets applied here -->
  3. Dear Prabhus, A) The following is a condensed version I wrote of the `Introduction' in the BBT's 1985 Edition of the Srimad-Bhagavatam 10th Canto Part 2. Also shown is the brief introduction as found in the Sri Isopanisad. [the Complete Srimad-Bhagavatam introduction is included herein below for reference]: ………………………………………………………………………………………….. 1—The timeless wisdom of <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> is expressed in the ancient Sanskrit Vedas. Originally preserved through oral tradition, the Vedas were first put into writing five thousand years ago by Srila Vyasadeva, “the literary incarnation of God.” After compiling the Vedas, Vyasadeva set forth their essence in the aphorisms known as Vedanta-sutras. [From the Sri Isopanisad Introduction: About five thousand years ago Vyasadeva put the Vedas in writing for the people in this age, Kali-yuga. He divided the Vedas into four: Rig, Sama, Atharva and Yajur. Then he gave the charge of these Vedas to his different disciples. Then Vyasadeva summarized all Vedic knowledge for scholars and philosophers in what is called the Vedanta-sutra. This is the last word of the Vedas. Vyasadeva was not very satisfied even after compiling many Puranas and Upanisads, and even after writing the Vedanta-sutra. Then his spiritual master, Narada, instructed him, “Explain the Vedanta-sutra.” Vedanta means “ultimate knowledge,” and the ultimate knowledge is Krsna. Krsna says that throughout all the Vedas one has to understand Him: vedanta-krd veda-vid eva caham. Krsna says, “I am the compiler of the Vedanta-sutra, and I am the knower of the Vedas.” Therefore the ultimate objective is Krsna. The Vedanta-sutra simply hints at what is Brahman, the Absolute Truth: “The Absolute Truth is that from whom everything emanates.” This is a summary, but it is explained in detail in Srimad-Bhagavatam. If everything is emanating from the Absolute Truth, then what is the nature of the Absolute Truth? That is explained in Srimad-Bhagavatam. The Absolute Truth must be consciousness. He is self-effulgent (svarat). We develop our consciousness and knowledge by receiving knowledge from others, but for Him it is said that He is self-effulgent. The whole summary of Vedic knowledge is the Vedanta-sutra, and the Vedanta-sutra is explained by the writer himself in Srimad-Bhagavatam. We finally request those who are actually after Vedic knowledge to try to understand the explanation of all Vedic knowledge from Srimad-Bhagavatam and the Bhagavad-gita.] 2—Srimad-Bhagavatam (Bhagavata Purana) is Vyasadeva’s commentary on his own Vedanta-sutras. 3—After compiling the Bhagavatam, Vyasa imparted it to his son, Sukadeva Gosvami. 4—Sukadeva Gosvami later recited the entire Bhagavatam to Maharaja Pariksit in an assembly of learned saints on the banks of the Ganges at Hastinapura (now <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Delhi</st1:place></st1:City> ). 5—Maharaja Pariksit was the emperor of the world and was a great rajarsi (saintly king). Having received a curse that he would die within the seven days, he renounced his entire kingdom and retired to the bank of the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Ganges</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">River</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> to fast until death and received spiritual enlightenment. 6—The Bhagavatam begins with Emperor Pariksit’s inquiry to Sukadeva: Maharaja Pariksit: “You are the spiritual master of great saints and devotees. I am therefore begging you to show the way of perfection for all persons, and especially for one who is about to die. Please let me know what a man should hear, chant, remember and worship, and what he should not do. Please explain all this to me.” 7—Sukadeva often relates historical episodes and give accounts of lengthy philosophical discussions between such great souls as Narada Muni and Vasudeva. 8—At a later date, the sage Suta Goswami, [who was present at the <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Ganges</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">River</st1:PlaceType> assembly] repeated the Bhagavatam before a gathering of Sages in the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceType w:st="on">forest</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Naimisaranya</st1:PlaceName></st1:place> . [These sages, concerned about the spiritual welfare of the people in general, gathered to perform a long, continuous chain of penances to counteract the degrading influence of the oncoming age of Kali.] In response to the sages’ request Suta Gosvami repeated from memory the entire Srimad-Bhagavatam, as spoken by Sukadeva to Pariksit. 9—Also, Suta Goswami sometimes responds directly to questions put by Saunaka Rsi, the spokesman for the sages gathered at Naimisaranya. 10—One therefore simultaneously hears two dialogues: A) between Maharaja Pariksit and Sukadeva Goswami on the bank of the <st1:place w:st="on">Ganges</st1:place> , and, B) between the Suta Goswami and Saunaka Rsi, the spokesman for the sages gathered at Naimisaranya. 11—With this understanding of the history of the Bhagavatam, the reader will easily be able to follow its intermingling of dialogues, and events from various sources. …………………………………………………………………………………………….. B) I found the following `Introduction' in the BBT's 1985 Edition of the Srimad-Bhagavatam 10th Canto Part two. This Introduction, by `The Publishers' (BBT) is found only in the inaugural first printings of the "Complete 1st to 12th Cantos multi-volume Srimad-Bhagavatam Sets." This intro provides a wonderful overview of the proceedings. I think it shall orient the reader of Srimad-Bhagavatam as to who spoke what to whom. --Bhaktajan Oct. 21, 2007 …………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………. re-printed verbatim: "This Bhagavata Purana is as brilliant as the sun, and it has arisen just after the departure of Lord Krsna to His own abode, accompanied by religion, knowledge, etc. Persons who have lost their vision due to the dense darkness of ignorance in the age of Kali shall get light from this Purana." (SB 1.3.43) The timeless wisdom of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> is expressed in the Vedas, ancient Sanskrit texts that touch upon all fields of human knowledge. Originally preserved through oral tradition, the Vedas were first put into writing five thousand years ago by Srila Vyasadeva, "the literary incarnation of God." After compiling the Vedas, Vyasadeva set forth their essence in the aphorisms known as Vedanta-sutras. Srimad-Bhagavatam (Bhagavata Purana) is Vyasadeva's commentary on his own Vedanta-sutras. It was written in the maturity of his spiritual life under the direction of Narada Muni, his spiritual master. Referred to as "the ripened fruit of the tree of Vedic literature," Srimad-Bhagavatam is the most complete and authoritative exposition of Vedic Knowledge. After compiling the Bhagavatam, Vyasa imparted the synopsis of it to his son, the sage Sukadeva Gosvami. Sukadeva Gosvami subsequently recited the entire Bhagavatam to Maharaja Pariksit in an assembly of learned saints on the banks of the Ganges at Hastinapura (now <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Delhi</st1:place></st1:City> ). Maharaja Pariksit was the emperor of the world and was a great rajarshi (saintly king). Having received a warning that he would die within a week, he renounced his entire kingdom and retired to the bank of the <st1:place w:st="on">Ganges</st1:place> river to fast until death and received spiritual enlightenment. The Bhagavatam begins with Emperor Pariksit's sober inquiry to Sukadeva Goswami: "You are the spiritual master of great saints and devotees. I am therefore begging you to show the way of perfection for all persons, and especially for one who is about to die. Please let me know what a man should hear, chant, remember and worship, and what he should not do. Please explain all this to me." Sukadeva Goswami's answer to this question, and numerous other questions posed by Maharaja Pariksit, concerning everything from the nature of the self to the origin of the universe, held the assembled sages in rapt attention continuously for the seven days leading up to the king's death. The sage Suta Goswami, who was present in that assembly when Sukadeva Goswami first recited Srimad-Bhagavatam, later repeated the Bhagavatam before a gathering of sages in the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceType w:st="on">forest</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Naimisaranya</st1:PlaceName></st1:place> . Those sages, concerned about the spiritual welfare of the people in general, had gathered to perform a long, continuous chain of sacrifices to counteract the degrading influence of the incipient age of Kali. In response to the sages' request that he speak the essence of Vedic wisdom, Suta Gosvami repeated from memory the entire eighteen thousand verses of Srimad-Bhagavatam, as spoken by Sukadeva Gosvami to Maharaja Pariksit. The reader of Srimad-Bhagavatam hears Suta Gosvami relate the questions of Maharaja Pariksit and the answers of Sukadeva Goswami. Also, Suta Goswami sometimes responds directly to questions put by Saunaka Rsi, the spokesman for the sages gathered at Naimisaranya. One therefore simultaneously hears two dialogues: one between Maharaja Pariksit and Sukadeva Goswami on the bank of the <st1:place w:st="on">Ganges</st1:place> , and another at Naimisaranya between the sages at Naimisaranya forest, headed by Saunaka Rsi. Furthermore, while instructing King Pariksit, Sukadeva Goswami often relates historical episodes and give accounts of lengthy philosophical discussions between such great souls as Narada Muni and Vasudeva. With this understanding of the history of the Bhagavatam, the reader will easily be able to follow its intermingling of dialogues, and events from various sources. Since philosophical wisdom, not chronological order, is most important in the text, one need only be attentive to the subject matter of Srimad- Bhagavatam to appreciate fully its profound message. The translators of this edition compare the Bhagavatam to sugar candy—wherever you taste it, you will find it equally sweet and relishable. Therefore, to taste the sweetness of the Bhagavatam, one may begin by reading any of its volumes. After such an introductory taste, however, the serious reader is best advised to go back to Volume One of the First Canto and then proceed through the Bagavatam, volume after volume, in its natural order. This edition of the Bhagavatam is the first complete English translation of this important text with an elaborate commentary, and it is the first widely available to the English-speaking public. The first thirty volumes (Canto One through Canto Ten, Volume Three) are the product of the scholarly and devotional effort of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the world's most distinguished teacher of Indian religious and philosophical thought, His consummate Sanskrit scholarship and intimate familiarity with Vedic culture and thought as well as the modern way of life combine to reveal to the West a magnificent exposition of this important classic. After the departure of Srila Prabhupada from this world in 1977, his monumental work of translating Srimad-Bhagavatam has been continued by his disciples Hridayanada dasa Gosvami and Gopiparanadhana dasa Adhikari. Readers will find this work of value for many reasons. For those interested in the classical roots of Indian civilization, it serves as a vast reservoir of detailed information on virtually every one of its aspects. For students of comparative philosophy and religion, the Bhagavatam offers a penetrating view into the meaning of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> 's profound spiritual heritage. To sociologists and anthropologists, the Bhagavatam reveals the practical workings of a peaceful and scientifically organized Vedic culture, whose institutions were integrated on the basis of a highly developed spiritual world view. Students of literature will discover the Bhagavatam to be a masterpiece of majestic poetry. For students of psychology, the text provides important perspectives on the nature of consciousness, human behavior and the philosophical study of identity. Finally, to those seeking spiritual insights, the Bhagavatam offers simple and practical guidance for attainment of the highest self-knowledge and realization of the Absolute Truth. The entire multivolume text, presented by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, promises to occupy a significant place in the intellectual, cultural and spiritual life of modern man for a long time to come. –The Publishers ………………………………………………………….
  4. Dear Prabhus, Attached are a two page 'sample' of Sanskrit Flash Card. [i'm posting these two pages only because the file is too big to attach entirely through this site]. The file (a MS Word Doc) is a total of 20 pages to be printed out double sided. This will create 10 double sided sheets. You then cut-out the 8 "cards" per sheet thus leaving you with 80 "Flash-cards" of common sanskrit phrases. This can be done with the 2 pages sent herein. It's in english on one side and written in sanskrit on the other side. I got the phrases from The Book by Hari-kenu (sp?) Prabhu's Book "Sanskrit Grammer" [He's a german Iskcon Brahmacaryi]. I tried to attach it here-in but it is too large 250KB vs the allowable 190KB. So if anyone provide me with some other email address I will send it directly to that address. [NOTE: Your computer must have the 'Indr' or some other Sanskrit Font installed for the Devanagari to print out properly] This is all free to who ever would like to learn sanskrit common speech phrases. ys, Bhaktajan Comments welcomed. Sanskrit Flash Cards - Partial.doc
  5. Dear Prabhus, This data is to inform you all of the value of nutrician from a little known source of vitamins and minerals--available in a powder form for consumption: ys, Bhaktajan Barley grass Barley grass is said to have 30 times more vitamin B1 and 11 times the amount of calcium than there is in cow’s milk, 6.5 times as much carotene and nearly 5 times the iron content of spinach, close to seven times the vitamin C in oranges, four times the vitamin B1 in whole wheat flour, and 80 micrograms of vitamin B12 per 100 grams of dried barley plant juice. Barley grass is very high in organic sodium, which dissolves calcium deposited on the joints and also replenishes organic sodium in the lining of the stomach. This aids digestion by improving the production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. People with arthritis have used celery juice for years because of the organic sodium it contains (28mg per 100grms), but compare this to the amount of organic sodium in barley grass (775mg per 100 grams)! Barley grass, at the time it is harvested to make juice, is about 45 percent protein. It has almost twice as much protein as an equivalent amount of wheat germ and about five times the minerals which accompany animal protein, in addition the protein in barley grass doesn't come burdened with fat. Enzymes (barley grass is believed to contain up to 1,000 of them) are the necessary regulators of the body, without them our cells could not function and we would perish. Barley grass has one of the highest natural levels of enzyme SOD (superoxide dismutase), which is a powerful antioxidant that protects the cells against toxic free radicals, thought to be a primary culprit in aging. Barley grass also contains one of the most amazing nutrients, “chlorophyll “(liquid oxygenated sunshine), a natural detoxifier that rids the intestines of stored toxins. Sure, you don't have to drink green grass juices to get chlorophyll; it is present in all dark green, leafy vegetables. But the question is “ how many servings of spinach, kale, collards, mustard greens, or turnip and beet tops, do you eat everyday?" Some people eat none…ever! And for those who do eat them regularly, there is, after all, a limit to the amount of spinach, kale and the likes someone can eat. Getting chlorophyll by taking barley grass is as easy as mixing 1-2 tsp, two times a day, in water or you favourite juice. For those who want to spend even less time getting their essential nutrients, simply take barley grass capsules or tablets with a glass of water. The importance of green foods in our diet is now being validated scientifically. Dehydrated cereal grasses compare favourably with other greens in respect to both nutrients and cost. It is an excellent and convenient source of green food nutrients. Green food nutrients support healthy blood and circulation. Iron, folic acid, vitamin C, vitamin B12, pyridoxine and protein are all vital for the formation and maintenance of adequate levels of hemoglobin and red blood cells. Chlorophyll may also be beneficial in these processes. In addition, chlorophyll, vitamin K, and calcium are all involved in blood clot formation and breakdown. Users of barley grass have also found it useful as an aid in weight loss and good for the heart, healing of ulcers, correcting blood sugar problems and, most of all, as a general tonic. Spirulina As a health supplement, Spirulina is an extremely high protein source, with a protein content of 60-70 percent higher than any other natural food and also most nutritional products. However, even greater nutritional value can be found in its high concentration of vitamins, minerals and other beneficial nutrients. This superfood has the most remarkable concentration of functional nutrients ever found in food - animal or plant. When it was found that Spirulina grew so fast (producing 20 times more protein per acre than soybeans), it was named the food of the future. On top of this, spirulina delivers more nutrition per acre than any other food on the planet. This has extraordinary implications for more efficient, sustainable food production in the future, as we advance into uncertain economic times. 3-10 grams a day of the green as a nutritional supplement delivers impressive amounts of vitamin B12 & B complex, iron, essential trace minerals, beta carotene and gamma-linolenic acid. Beyond vitamins and minerals, spirulina is a super antioxidant. It is rich in phytonutrients and functional nutrients that have a profound positive effect on health. For those starving in Third world countries, this super concentrated food would bring a quick recovery from malnutrition. In developed countries, the diet is loaded with unhealthy and nutrient depleted foods, which are being consumed in excess. This creates a calorie overload, yet still does not achieve our nutritional requirements. We now know that spirulina can renourish our bodies and renew our health. It is legally approved as a food, or food supplement, in the ffice:smarttags" /><st1:country-region w:st="USA</st1:country-region">, Europe, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Japan</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">UK</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Australia</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">New Zealand</st1:place></st1:country-region> and many other countries around the globe. The <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">United States</st1:place></st1:country-region> Food and Drug Administration confirmed in 1981 that this green food is a valuable source of protein and contains various vitamins and minerals, and therefore can be legally marketed as a food supplement. </st1:country-region> What is Spirulina? Spirulina is a microscopic blue-green algae that exists as a single celled organism that turns sunlight into life energy. It is one of the first life forms designed by nature, more than 3.6 billion years ago. Spirulina contains billions of years of evolutionary wisdom in its DNA and is an offspring of earth’s first photosynthetic life forms. Under a microscope, spirulina is a blue-green color and has the appearance of a spiral of long thin threads. Spirulina is exceedingly adaptable and occurs in a wide variety of environments, including fresh water, tropical springs, saltwater and saltpans. Spirulina is full of nutrients and very easily digested. Commercially, spirulina is available as a powder, tablet and capsule or already added to some foods and health tonics. There are many forms of valuable algae, and in the last 40 years spirulina has been singled out for its nutritional properties. Long before it became a favorite of the health food industry (centuries ago), spirulina was eaten regularly by North Africans and Mexicans. Now many people around the globe realise that spirulina is a powerful food, with huge potential as a whole food source, as well as being a medicine and biochemical resource. A great deal of research has concentrated on the cultivation and harvesting of what is affectionately referred to as ‘the green’. It has been described as ‘probiotic’ and a ‘superfood’. The cultivation of spirulina has also brought interest because, as with most micro algae, spirulina is extremely adaptable, often thriving in extreme conditions. With its rich nutritional goodness and ability to grow in adverse conditions, spirulina has a huge potential to be a food source that will help feed and nourish the worlds population. As a plant, spirulina is incredibly rich, containing a balance of nutrients that make it virtually a ‘whole food’ – capable of sustaining life without the need for other foods. Spirulina provides vitamins, many minerals, essential amino acids, carbohydrates and enzymes. Spirulina is at least 60% vegetable protein, which is predigested by the algae, making it a highly digestible food. It is higher in protein than any other food. Its outstanding nutritional profile also includes the essential fatty acids, GLA fatty acid, lipids, the nucleic acids (RNA and DNA), B complex, vitamin C and E and phytochemicals, such as carotenoids, chlorophyll (blood purifier), and phycocyanin (a blue pigment), which is a protein that is known to inhibit cancer. A breakdown in nutritional terms of a few of the most commonly available supplements reveals an impressive comparison. How is it grown? Spirulina thrives in natural alkaline lakes. Spirulina farming is part of the new era of ecological agriculture. The key component in the production of spirulina is sunlight, and attention is given to measurement of temperature and oxygen levels. Because pesticides and herbicides would kill many important microscopic life forms in a pond, algae scientists have learned how to balance pond ecology without the use of these harmful substances. This form of aquaculture represents one of the solutions needed to produce food, while restoring the planet. Wheat grass Wheat grass contains over eighty different minerals, is high in fibre, and averages 25% protein (more than meat, fish, eggs, beans or dairy products). It is also more concentrated in iron than spinach but, unlike spinach, contains little or no oxalic acid, which binds the useable calcium in the system and can leach calcium from teeth and bones. Wheat grass has about as much magnesium as broccoli, brussels sprouts (who likes them?), beets and carrots. Magnesium is vital for muscle contraction and bowel health. Potassium, ”the youth mineral”, which is plentiful in wheat grass, maintains mineral balance, tones the muscles, firms the skin, and promotes overall beauty. If you are on a calorie restricted eating plan for weigh loss, you can have all the potassium you need if you use wheat grass, without all the calories from the potassium rich fruits such as bananas. Wheat grass contains about the same amount of Vitamin C as citrus fruits, and more than common vegetables like tomatoes or potatoes. As you know, Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant crucial to the health of the skin, teeth, gums, muscles, and joints. If you do not eat animal products, you will be thrilled to find out that wheat grass is rich in Vitamin A, which is essential for maintaining healthy eyes and skin, as well as supporting normal development and reproduction. Antioxidant Vitamin E ”protector of the heart” is a fat-soluble “fertility” vitamin, responsible for the healing of wounds and infections, and prevention of muscle degeneration. Wheat grass is a good source of calcium, which is essential for strong bones and teeth, in addition to acting as a buffer to restore balance to blood pH. Those on a sodium restricted eating plan will be pleased to hear that wheat grass contains only a bare minimum of organic sodium!
  6. Mother Hara helps the devotee achieve the Lord Father’s grace If you want to become a gopi then you must first proclaim it then, keep it to yourself [once desired it may not be retractable] Best welwishes in reviving your svarupa with Sri Krishna. Remember that before calling out Krsna's name one must first call out Srimati Radharani's name. Mother Vishaka et al must allow you passage and also apprenticeship as a Gopi's Gopi (sakhi) must be pursued inorder to please Radha's own maid servants. So the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra is the vehicle that allows you to start the journey back to the eternal associates of Old Vrindavan dhama—know how, where, when, and to whom you're crying out to when you chant the maha-mantra and the gopis will plead for your position to be re-instated. ever the optimistic wellwisher, bhaktajan ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. Srila Prabhupada explains how to become a gopi: "The transcendental vibration established by the chanting of Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, is the sublime method for reviving our transcendental consciousness. As living spiritual souls, we are all originally Krsna conscious entities, but due to our association with matter from time immemorial, our consciousness is now adulterated by the material atmosphere. The material atmosphere, in which we are now living, is called maya, or illusion. Maya means that which is not. And what is this illusion? The illusion is that we are all trying to be lords of material nature, while actually we are under the grip of her stringent laws. When a servant artificially tries to imitate the all-powerful master, it is called illusion. We are trying to exploit the resources of material nature, but actually we are becoming more and more entangled in her complexities. Therefore, although we are engaged in a hard struggle to conquer nature, we are ever more dependent on her. This illusory struggle against material nature can be stopped at once by revival of our eternal Krsna consciousness. Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare is the transcendental process for reviving this original pure consciousness. By chanting this transcendental vibration, we can cleanse away all misgivings within our hearts. The basic principle of all such misgivings is the false consciousness that I am the lord of all I survey. Krsna consciousness is not an artificial imposition on the mind. This consciousness is the original natural energy of the living entity. When we hear the transcendental vibration, this consciousness is revived. This simplest method of meditation is recommended for this age. By practical experience also, one can perceive that by chanting this maha-mantra, or the Great Chanting for Deliverance, one can at once feel a transcendental ecstasy coming through from the spiritual stratum. In the material concept of life we are busy in the matter of sense gratification as if we were in the lower animal stage. A little elevated from this status of sense gratification, one is engaged in mental speculation for the purpose of getting out of the material clutches. A little elevated from this speculative status, when one is intelligent enough, one tries to find out the supreme cause of all causes—within and without. And when one is factually on the plane of spiritual understanding, surpassing the stages of sense, mind and intelligence, he is then on the transcendental plane. This chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra is enacted from the spiritual platform, and thus this sound vibration surpasses all lower strata of consciousness—namely sensual, mental and intellectual. There is no need, therefore, to understand the language of the mantra, nor is there any need for mental speculation nor any intellectual adjustment for chanting this maha-mantra. It is automatic, from the spiritual platform, and as such, anyone can take part in vibrating this transcendental sound without any previous qualification. In a more advanced stage, of course, one is not expected to commit offenses on grounds of spiritual understanding. In the beginning, there may not be the presence of all transcendental ecstasies, which are eight in number. These are: (1) Being stopped as though dumb, (2) perspiration, (3) standing up of hairs on the body, (4) dislocation of voice, (5) trembling, (6) fading of the body, (7) crying in ecstasy, and (8) trance. But there is no doubt that chanting for a while takes one immediately to the spiritual platform, and one shows the first symptom of this in the urge to dance along with the chanting of the mantra. We have seen this practically. Even a child can take part in the chanting and dancing. Of course, for one who is too entangled in material life, it takes a little more time to come to the standard point, but even such a materially engrossed man is raised to the spiritual platform very quickly. When it is chanted by a pure devotee of the Lord in love, it has the greatest efficacy on hearers, and as such this chanting should be heard from the lips of a pure devotee of the Lord, so that immediate effects can be achieved. As far as possible, chanting from the lips of nondevotees should be avoided. Milk touched by the lips of a serpent has poisonous effects. The word Hara is the form of addressing the energy of the Lord, and the words Krsna and Rama are forms of addressing the Lord Himself. Both Krsna and Rama mean the supreme pleasure, and Hara is the supreme pleasure energy of the Lord, changed to Hare (Hah-ray) in the vocative. The supreme pleasure energy of the Lord helps us to reach the Lord. The material energy, called maya, is also one of the multi-energies of the Lord. And we the living entities are also the energy, marginal energy, of the Lord. The living entities are described as superior to material energy. When the superior energy is in contact with the inferior energy, an incompatible situation arises; but when the superior marginal energy is in contact with the superior energy, called Hara, it is established in its happy, normal condition. These three words, namely Hara, Krsna and Rama, are the transcendental seeds of the maha-mantra. The chanting is a spiritual call for the Lord and His energy, to give protection to the conditioned soul. This chanting is exactly like the genuine cry of a child for its mother’s presence. Mother Hara helps the devotee achieve the Lord Father’s grace, and the Lord reveals Himself to the devotee who chants this mantra sincerely. No other means of spiritual realization is as effective in this age of quarrel and hypocrisy as the maha-mantra: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare."
  7. Sri Krishna's "`Is very dear to me(s)' " from the Bhagavad-gita: Bhagavan uvacha: Bg 7.17 . . . one who is in full knowledge and who is always engaged In pure devotional service is the best. For I am very dear to him, and he is dear to Me Bg 12.13-14 One who is not envious but is a kind friend to all living entities, who does not think himself a proprietor and is free from false ego, who is equal in both happiness and distress, who is tolerant, always satisfied, self-controlled, and engaged in devotional service with determination, his mind and intelligence fixed on Me—such a devotee of Mine is very dear to Me. Bg 12.15 He for whom no one is put into difficulty and who is not disturbed by anyone, who is equipoised in happiness and in distress, fear and anxiety, is very dear to Me. Bg 12.16 My devotee who is not dependent on the ordinary course of activities, who is pure, expert, without cares, free from all pains, and not striving for some result, is very dear to Me. Bg. 12.17 One who neither rejoices nor grieves, who neither laments nor desires, and who renounces both auspicious and inauspicious things—such a devotee is very dear to Me. Bg.12.18-19 One who is equal to friends and enemies, who is equi- poised in honor and dishonor, heat and cold, happiness and distress, fame and infamy, who is always free from contaminating association, always silent and satisfied with anything, who doesn't care for any residence, who is fixed in knowledge and who is engaged in devotional service— such a person is very dear to Me.
  8. RE: Appreciating the senior devotees : disciples of Srila Prabhupada -- By Jatayu dasa Let me clarify what I've been posting: Confess your past shamefull actions so I can be amused be them! I think it is theraputic to reveal [with some self-editing] the guilt-ridden things that we've done---there is no fault to be found in your past deeds [except the lawfully illegal things]. I have so many regrets--all due to actions I've done due to choices I made during my youth within the Hare Krishna Movement. If you've no stories to reveal about actions you've done with regret in Hare Krishna Movement--then you've probably not served anyone within the sanga for any considerable time. Familaraity breeds contempt --and also embarassing, self-effacing stories too. I will reveal my own --but they're sooooo heavy that I'd like to see some tame ones before I bring in the heavy ones. ys, Bhaktajan "I'm an old cow hand from Vrindavan land, . . . "
  9. Dear Prabhu, ys, Bhaktajan Re: There is no contradiction: ". . . Vedic principles are accepted as axiomatic truth, for there cannot be any mistake. That is acceptance. For instance, in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> cow dung is accepted as pure, and yet cow dung is the stool of an animal. In one place you’ll find the Vedic injunction that if you touch stool, you have to take a bath immediately. But in another place it is said that the stool of a cow is pure. If you smear cow dung in an impure place, that place becomes pure. With our ordinary sense we can argue, “This is contradictory.” Actually, it is contradictory from the ordinary point of view, but it is not false. It is fact. In <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Calcutta</st1:place></st1:City>, a very prominent scientist and doctor analyzed cow dung and found that it contains all antiseptic properties. In <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> if one person tells another, “You must do this,” the other party may say, “What do you mean? Is this a Vedic injunction, that I have to follow you without any argument?” Vedic injunctions cannot be interpreted. But ultimately, if you carefully study why these injunctions are there, you will find that they are all correct. . . ." [srila Prabhupada, 'Introduction'—Sri Isopanisad].
  10. Prabhuji, re: Appreciating the senior devotees : disciples of Srila Prabhupada -- By Jatayu dasa Your letter of contrition is such esoteric nectar. It should be considered a revealed sutra from a avaduta-like persona. This is such "nectar-nectar-nectar." We should all confess our limitations and offenses and late-blooming realizations. After all we are just puppets in maya's hands or we are struggling to perform proper (bhakti) yoga sadhana--even when things are bad or good--it's still up to the individual to apply themselves in remembering Krishna and all the efforts of We-living-entities in our own positiions in this present epoch of preaching. I feel that the real lament is our transient passings among the the differnt number of devotees over time--yet without our own full participation in all the Temple pastimes afforded us over the years. The 'mood of seperation' from Krishna's name, fame, form, personality, paraphenalia, entourage, and pastimes fills us with aches all over at all times--so we must culture a relationship with the sanga that alleviates these pains--we do it on the 'honor-system' [without supervision by a temple personage]. This is why we must pray for other devotees' happiness and success in life. As a suggestion: Please, when observing ekadasis do it while attending a mandir or ashram, at least when you can. ys, Bhaktajan
  11. Dear Prabhus, Re: LEADERSHIP I found the below three items. I cannot attest to its verbatim accuratcy. Ys, Bhaktajan ............................................................................................................................ "… It is a qualification of the great thinkers to pick up the best even from the worst. It is said that the intelligent man should pick up nectar from a stock of poison, should accept gold even from a filthy place, should accept a good and qualified wife even from an obscure family and should accept a good lesson even from a man or from a teacher who comes from the untouchables. These are some of the ethical instructions for everyone in every place without exception. Just like in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>, for higher technological knowledge, they come to foreign countries. So for knowledge we can take it from anywhere. There should not be sectarianism, Oh, why shall I take knowledge from here and there? Wherever knowledge is available, we should take it. That is the real position of seeker of knowledge. …" Srila Prabhupada <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Calcutta</st1:City></st1:place>, 5/17/71 ………………………………………………………………. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami used to say in connection to this story, "It is better to be a good one than a big one." Thinking oneself to be big--even in spiritual pursuits -- is the cause of falldown. "I am Brahman", "I am siddha", "I am self-realized", "I am a pundit", even "I am a Vaisnava" are all egotistical assertions. Rather, the serious aspirant for spiritual advancement should realize himself as an insignificant particle of dust under the lotus feet of his spiritual master and the Vaisnavas.· ………………………………………………………………. LEADERSHIP TIPS —Bhakti-tirtha Swami: "As a leader, you can help create an atmosphere where people begin to experience the higher pleasures. Seek positive lessons inherent in apparently negative events. As you seek the common denominator, look for how a higher good can come out of each situation, and take steps to make it happen. Everything is available to you if you connect properly. Always examine each situation carefully in order to gain the maximum benefit from each interaction. If people do not move to a deeper level, they will remain imprisoned in suffering." ……………………………………………………………….
  12. To attain peace of mind 12.12, a summary of the verses below <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place w:st="on">Krishna</st1:place> says: — fix your mind upon Me 12.8 — follow bhakti-yoga 12.9 — try to work for Me 12.10 + renunciation 12.12 — give up all results & 12.11 — be self-situated 12.11 +meditation 12.12 — cultivate knowledge 12.12
  13. Here are some rudimentary reminders of the Dharma for which we've been preparing are consciousness for [vs. the final exam at the time of death]: "How to brace-ourselves to preach "Cow Protection": SB 1.17.3P—It is the duty of every householder to have cows and bulls as household paraphernalia, not only for drinking milk, but also for deriving religious principles. The follower of Vedic principles worships cows on religious principles and respects brahmanas. The cow's milk is required for the sacrificial fire, and by performing sacrifices the householder can be happy. The cow's calf not only is beautiful to look at, but also gives satisfaction to the cow, and so she delivers as much milk as possible. But in the Kali-yuga, the calves are separated from the cows as early as possible for purposes which may not be mentioned in these pages of Srimad-Bhagavatam. The cow stands with tears in her eyes, the sudra milkman draws milk from the cow artificially, and when there is no milk the cow is sent to be slaughtered. These greatly sinful acts are responsible for all the troubles in present society. People do not know what they are doing in the name of economic development. The influence of Kali will keep them in the darkness of ignorance. Despite all endeavors for peace and prosperity, they must try to see the cows and the bulls happy in all respects. Foolish people do not know how one earns happiness by making the cows and bulls happy, but it is a fact by the law of nature. Let us take it from the authority of Srimad-Bhagavatam and adopt the principles for the total happiness of humanity. SB 1.17.9P—There has sometimes been agitation for the protection of the cow, but for want of pious executive heads and suitable laws, the cow and the bull are not given protection. The human society should recognize the importance of the cow and the bull and thus give all protection to these important animals . . . For protecting the cows and brahminical culture, the Lord, who is very kind to the cow and the brahmanas (go-brahmana- hitaya), will be pleased with us and will bestow upon us real peace. Adi Lila 17.154P— Everyone can understand that we drink the milk of cows and take the help of bulls in producing agricultural products. Therefore, since our real father gives us food grains and our mother gives us milk with which to live, the cow and bull are considered our father and mother. According to Vedic civilization, there are seven mothers, of which the cow is one. . . . "What kind of religious principle do you follow by killing your father and mother to eat them?" In any civilized human society, no one would dare kill his father and mother for the purpose of eating them. . . . religion as patricide and matricide. . . . a principal commandment is "Thou shalt not kill." Light of the Bhagavata 27—Less intelligent people underestimate the value of cow's milk. Cow's milk is also called gorasa, or the juice from the body of the cow. Milk is the most valuable form of gorasa, and from milk we can prepare many important and valuable foodstuffs for the upkeep of the human body. The killing of cows by human society is one of the grossest suicidal policies, and those who are anxious to cultivate the human spirit must turn their attention first toward the question of cow protection. The Laws of Nature 1— Way of Knowing God: The cow produces milk abundantly, not for herself but for human beings. That is proper human food. God says, "Mrs. Cow, although you are producing milk, you cannot drink it. It is for the human beings, who are more advanced than animals." Of course, in the infant stage animals live off their mother's milk, so the calves drink some of the cow's milk. But the cow gives excess milk, and that excess is specifically meant for us. We should accept whatever God has ordained as our proper food. But no, because of the agitation of the tongue, we think, "Why should I be satisfied eating grains, milk products, vegetables, and fruits? Let me maintain a slaughterhouse and kill these cows. After drinking their milk, just as I drank my mother's milk, let me kill them to satisfy my tongue." You shouldn't think such nonsense . . . SB 3.5.7P—The cow is the most important animal for developing the human body to perfection. The body can be maintained by any kind of foodstuff, but cow's milk is particularly essential for developing the finer tissues of the human brain so that one can understand the intricacies of transcendental knowledge. A civilized man is expected to live on foodstuffs comprising fruits, vegetables, grains, sugar and milk. The bull helps in the agricultural process of producing grain, etc., and thus in one sense the bull is the father of humankind, whereas the cow is the mother, for she supplies milk to human society. A civilized man is therefore expected to give all protection to the bulls and cows. SB 4.6.9P— Generally the men of the higher classes of society—the brahmanas, ksatriyas and vaisyas—do not eat meat. Sometimes ksatriyas go to the forest to kill animals like deer because they have to learn the art of killing, and sometimes they eat the animals also. Sudras, too, eat animals such as goats. Cows, however, are never meant to be killed or eaten by human beings. In every sastra, cow killing is vehemently condemned. Indeed, one who kills a cow must suffer for as many years as there are hairs on the body of a cow. Manu-samhita says, pravrittir esa bhutanam nivrittis tu maha-phala: we have many tendencies in this material world, but in human life one is meant to learn how to curb those tendencies. Those who desire to eat meat may satisfy the demands of their tongues by eating lower animals, but they should never kill cows, who are actually accepted as the mothers of human society because they supply milk. The sastra especially recommends, kasi-go-raksya: the vaisya section of humanity should arrange for the food of the entire society through agricultural activities and should give full protection to the cows, which are the most useful animals because they supply milk to human society. SB 8.6.12P— . . . Milk is compared to nectar, which one can drink to become immortal. Of course, simply drinking milk will not make one immortal, but it can increase the duration of one's life. In modern civilization, men do not think milk to be important, and therefore they do not live very long. Although in this age men can live up to one hundred years, their duration of life is reduced because they do not drink large quantities of milk. This is a sign of Kali-yuga. In Kali-yuga, instead of drinking milk, people prefer to slaughter an animal and eat its flesh. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, in His instructions of Bhagavad-gita, advises go-raksya, which means cow protection. The cow should be protected, milk should be drawn from the cows, and this milk should be prepared in various ways. One should take ample milk, and thus one can prolong one's life, develop his brain, execute devotional service, and ultimately attain the favor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As it is essential to get food grains and water by digging the earth, it is also essential to give protection to the cows and take nectarean milk from their milk bags . . . SB 8.8.11P—. . . the five products received from the cow, namely milk, yogurt, ghee, cow dung and cow urine, are required in all ritualistic ceremonies performed according to the Vedic directions. Cow urine and cow dung are uncontaminated, and since even the urine and dung of a cow are important, we can just imagine how important this animal is for human civilization. . . . SB 10.6.19P— . . . to wave about the switch of a cow so as to protect the child from all types of danger. There are so many facilities afforded by cow protection, but people have forgotten these arts. The importance of protecting cows is therefore stressed by Krnsa in Bhagavad-gita (krsi-go-raksya- vanijyam vaisya-karma svabhavajam [bg. 18.44]). Even now in the Indian villages surrounding Vrndavana, the villagers live happily simply by giving protection to the cow. They keep cow dung very carefully and dry it to use as fuel. They keep a sufficient stock of grains, and because of giving protection to the cows, they have sufficient milk and milk products to solve all economic problems. Simply by giving protection to the cow, the villagers live so peacefully. Even the urine and stool of cows have medicinal value. . . . BG 14.16P— . . . indulgence in animal killing for the taste of the tongue is the grossest kind of ignorance. A human being has no need to kill animals, because God has supplied so many nice things. If one indulges in meat-eating anyway, it is to be understood that he is acting in ignorance and is making his future very dark. Of all kinds of animal killing, the killing of cows is most vicious because the cow gives us all kinds of pleasure by supplying milk. Cow slaughter is an act of the grossest type of ignorance. In the Vedic literature (Rig Veda 9.4.64) the words gobhih prinita-matsaram indicate that one who, being fully satisfied by milk, is desirous of killing the cow is in the grossest ignorance . . . SB12.3.36P—In India, the cow is considered sacred not because Indian people are primitive worshipers of mythological totems but because Hindus intelligently understand that the cow is a mother. As children, nearly all of us were nourished with cow's milk, and therefore the cow is one of our mothers. Certainly one's mother is sacred, and therefore we should not kill the sacred cow. Journey of Self-Discovery 6 —Srila Prabhupada: Yes, this is our proposal: "Why should you kill the cow? Let the cow be protected." You can take the cow's milk and use this milk for making so many nutritious, delicious preparations. Aside from that, as far as meat- eating is concerned, every cow will die—so you just wait a while, and there will be so many dead cows. Then you can take all the dead cows and eat. So how is this a bad proposal? If you say, "You are restraining us from meat-eating"— no, we don't restrain you. We simply ask you, "Don't kill. When the cow is dead, you can eat it." ysotsotsok, Bhaktajan
  14. The following is a condensed version I wrote of the `Introduction' in the BBT's 1985 Edition of the Srimad-Bhagavatam 10th Canto Part two. [the same intro is included below for reference]: <TABLE class=MsoTableGrid style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 480; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-border-insideh: .5pt solid windowtext; mso-border-insidev: .5pt solid windowtext" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=1><TBODY><TR style="mso-yfti-irow: 0; mso-yfti-firstrow: yes"><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: windowtext 1pt solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext 1pt solid; WIDTH: 6.15in; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt" vAlign=top width=590> The timeless wisdom of <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> is expressed in the ancient Sanskrit Vedas. Originally preserved through oral tradition, the Vedas were first put into writing five thousand years ago by Srila Vyasadeva, “the literary incarnation of God.” After compiling the Vedas, Vyasadeva set forth their essence in the aphorisms known as Vedanta-sutras. From Isopanisad Introdution: But five thousand years ago Vyasadeva put the Vedas in writing for the people in this age, Kali-yuga. He divided the Vedas into four: Rig, Sama, Atharva and Yajur. Then he gave the charge of these Vedas to his different disciples. Then Vyasadeva summarized all Vedic knowledge for scholars and philosophers in what is called the Vedanta-sutra. This is the last word of the Vedas. Vyasadeva was not very satisfied even after compiling many Puranas and Upanisads, and even after writing the Vedanta-sutra. Then his spiritual master, Narada, instructed him, “Explain the Vedanta-sutra.” Vedanta means “ultimate knowledge,” and the ultimate knowledge is Krsna. Krsna says that throughout all the Vedas one has to understand Him: vedanta-krd veda-vid eva caham. Krsna says, “I am the compiler of the Vedanta-sutra, and I am the knower of the Vedas.” Therefore the ultimate objective is Krsna. The Vedanta-sutra simply hints at what is Brahman, the Absolute Truth: “The Absolute Truth is that from whom everything emanates.” This is a summary, but it is explained in detail in Srimad-Bhagavatam. If everything is emanating from the Absolute Truth, then what is the nature of the Absolute Truth? That is explained in Srimad-Bhagavatam. The Absolute Truth must be consciousness. He is self-effulgent (svarat). We develop our consciousness and knowledge by receiving knowledge from others, but for Him it is said that He is self-effulgent. The whole summary of Vedic knowledge is the Vedanta-sutra, and the Vedanta-sutra is explained by the writer himself in Srimad-Bhagavatam. We finally request those who are actually after Vedic knowledge to try to understand the explanation of all Vedic knowledge from Srimad-Bhagavatam and the Bhagavad-gita. </TD></TR><TR style="mso-yfti-irow: 1"><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: #d4d0c8; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext 1pt solid; WIDTH: 6.15in; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt" vAlign=top width=590> Srimad-Bhagavatam (Bhagavata Purana) is Vyasadeva’s commentary on his own Vedanta-sutras. </TD></TR><TR style="mso-yfti-irow: 2"><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: #d4d0c8; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext 1pt solid; WIDTH: 6.15in; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt" vAlign=top width=590> After compiling the Bhagavatam, Vyasa imparted it to his son, Sukadeva Gosvami. </TD></TR><TR style="mso-yfti-irow: 3"><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: #d4d0c8; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext 1pt solid; WIDTH: 6.15in; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt" vAlign=top width=590> Sukadeva Gosvami later recited the entire Bhagavatam to Maharaja Pariksit in an assembly of learned saints on the banks of the Ganges at Hastinapura (now <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Delhi</st1:place></st1:City>). </TD></TR><TR style="mso-yfti-irow: 4"><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: #d4d0c8; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext 1pt solid; WIDTH: 6.15in; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt" vAlign=top width=590> Maharaja Pariksit was the emperor of the world and was a great rajarsi (saintly king). Having received a curse that he would die within the seven days, he renounced his entire kingdom and retired to the bank of the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Ganges</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">River</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> to fast until death and received spiritual enlightenment. </TD></TR><TR style="mso-yfti-irow: 5"><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: #d4d0c8; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext 1pt solid; WIDTH: 6.15in; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt" vAlign=top width=590> The Bhagavatam begins with Emperor Pariksit’s inquiry to Sukadeva: Maharaja Pariksit: “You are the spiritual master of great saints and devotees. I am therefore begging you to show the way of perfection for all persons, and especially for one who is about to die. Please let me know what a man should hear, chant, remember and worship, and what he should not do. Please explain all this to me.” </TD></TR><TR style="mso-yfti-irow: 6"><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: #d4d0c8; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext 1pt solid; WIDTH: 6.15in; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt" vAlign=top width=590> Sukadeva often relates historical episodes and give accounts of lengthy philosophical discussions between such great souls as Narada Muni and Vasudeva. </TD></TR><TR style="mso-yfti-irow: 7"><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: #d4d0c8; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext 1pt solid; WIDTH: 6.15in; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt" vAlign=top width=590> At a later date, the sage Suta Goswami, [who was present at the <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Ganges</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">River</st1:PlaceType> assembly] repeated the Bhagavatam before a gathering of Sages in the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceType w:st="on">forest</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Naimisaranya</st1:PlaceName></st1:place>. [These sages, concerned about the spiritual welfare of the people in general, gathered to perform a long, continuous chain of penances to counteract the degrading influence of the oncoming age of Kali.] In response to the sages’ request Suta Gosvami repeated from memory the entire Srimad-Bhagavatam, as spoken by Sukadeva to Pariksit. </TD></TR><TR style="mso-yfti-irow: 8"><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: #d4d0c8; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext 1pt solid; WIDTH: 6.15in; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt" vAlign=top width=590> Also, </TD></TR><TR style="mso-yfti-irow: 9"><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: #d4d0c8; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext 1pt solid; WIDTH: 6.15in; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt" vAlign=top width=590> Suta Goswami sometimes responds directly to questions put by Saunaka Rsi, the spokesman for the sages gathered at Naimisaranya. </TD></TR><TR style="mso-yfti-irow: 10"><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: #d4d0c8; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext 1pt solid; WIDTH: 6.15in; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt" vAlign=top width=590> One therefore simultaneously hears two dialogues: 1) between Maharaja Pariksit and Sukadeva Goswami on the bank of the <st1:place w:st="on">Ganges</st1:place>, and, 2) between the Suta Goswami and Saunaka Rsi, the spokesman for the sages gathered at Naimisaranya. </TD></TR><TR style="mso-yfti-irow: 11; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes"><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: #d4d0c8; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext 1pt solid; WIDTH: 6.15in; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt" vAlign=top width=590> With this understanding of the history of the Bhagavatam, the reader will easily be able to follow its intermingling of dialogues, and events from various sources. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> ys, Bhaktajan …………………………………………………………. re-printed verbatim: "This Bhagavata Purana is as brilliant as the sun, and it has arisen just after the departure of Lord Krsna to His own abode, accompanied by religion, knowledge, etc. Persons who have lost their vision due to the dense darkness of ignorance in the age of Kali shall get light from this Purana." (SB 1.3.43) The timeless wisdom of India is expressed in the Vedas, ancient Sanskrit texts that touch upon all fields of human knowledge. Originally preserved through oral tradition, the Vedas were first put into writing five thousand years ago by Srila Vyasadeva, "the literary incarnation of God." After compiling the Vedas, Vyasadeva set forth their essence in the aphorisms known as Vedanta-sutras. Srimad-Bhagavatam (Bhagavata Purana) is Vyasadeva's commentary on his own Vedanta-sutras. It was written in the maturity of his spiritual life under the direction of Narada Muni, his spiritual master. Referred to as "the ripened fruit of the tree of Vedic literature," Srimad-Bhagavatam is the most complete and authoritative exposition of Vedic Knowledge. After compiling the Bhagavatam, Vyasa imparted the synopsis of it to his son, the sage Sukadeva Gosvami. Sukadeva Gosvami subsequently recited the entire Bhagavatam to Maharaja Pariksit in an assembly of learned saints on the banks of the Ganges at Hastinapura (now Delhi ). Maharaja Pariksit was the emperor of the world and was a great rajarsi (saintly king). Having received a warning that he would die within a week, he renounced his entire kingdom and retired to the bank of the Ganges river to fast until death and received spiritual enlightenment. The Bhagavatam begins with Emperor Pariksit's sober inquiry to Sukadeva Goswami: "You are the spiritual master of great saints and devotees. I am therefore begging you to show the way of perfection for all persons, and especially for one who is about to die. Please let me know what a man should hear, chant, remember and worship, and what he should not do. Please explain all this to me." Sukadeva Goswami's answer to this question, and numerous other questions posed by Maharaja Pariksit, concerning everything from the nature of the self to the origin of the universe, held the assembled sages in rapt attention continuously for the seven days leading up to the king's death. The sage Suta Goswami, who was present in that assembly when Sukadeva Goswami first recited Srimad-Bhagavatam, later repeated the Bhagavatam before a gathering of sages in the forest of Naimisaranya . Those sages, concerned about the spiritual welfare of the people in general, had gathered to perform a long, continuous chain of sacrifices to counteract the degrading influence of the incipient age of Kali. In response to the sages' request that he speak the essence of Vedic wisdom, Suta Gosvami repeated from memory the entire eighteen thousand verses of Srimad-Bhagavatam, as spoken by Sukadeva Gosvami to Maharaja Pariksit. The reader of Srimad-Bhagavatam hears Suta Gosvami relate the questions of Maharaja Pariksit and the answers of Sukadeva Goswami. Also, Suta Goswami sometimes responds directly to questions put by Saunaka Rsi, the spokesman for the sages gathered at Naimisaranya. One therefore simultaneously hears two dialogues: one between Maharaja Pariksit and Sukadeva Goswami on the bank of the Ganges , and another at Naimisaranya between the sages at Naimisaranya forest, headed by Saunaka Rsi. Furthermore, while instructing King Pariksit, Sukadeva Goswami often relates historical episodes and give accounts of lengthy philosophical discussions between such great souls as Narada Muni and Vasudeva. With this understanding of the history of the Bhagavatam, the reader will easily be able to follow its intermingling of dialogues, and events from various sources. Since philosophical wisdom, not chronological order, is most important in the text, one need only be attentive to the subject matter of Srimad- Bhagavatam to appreciate fully its profound message. The translators of this edition compare the Bhagavatam to sugar candy—wherever you taste it, you will find it equally sweet and relishable. Therefore, to taste the sweetness of the Bhagavatam, one may begin by reading any of its volumes. After such an introductory taste, however, the serious reader is best advised to go back to Volume One of the First Canto and then proceed through the Bagavatam, volume after volume, in its natural order. This edition of the Bhagavatam is the first complete English translation of this important text with an elaborate commentary, and it is the first widely available to the English-speaking public. The first thirty volumes (Canto One through Canto Ten, Volume Three) are the product of the scholarly and devotional effort of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the world's most distinguished teacher of Indian religious and philosophical thought, His consummate Sanskrit scholarship and intimate familiarity with Vedic culture and thought as well as the modern way of life combine to reveal to the West a magnificent exposition of this important classic. After the departure of Srila Prabhupada from this world in 1977, his monumental work of translating Srimad-Bhagavatam has been continued by his disciples Hridayanada dasa Gosvami and Gopiparanadhana dasa Adhikari. Readers will find this work of value for many reasons. For those interested in the classical roots of Indian civilization, it serves as a vast reservoir of detailed information on virtually every one of its aspects. For students of comparative philosophy and religion, the Bhagavatam offers a penetrating view into the meaning of India 's profound spiritual heritage. To sociologists and anthropologists, the Bhagavatam reveals the practical workings of a peaceful and scientifically organized Vedic culture, whose institutions were integrated on the basis of a highly developed spiritual world view. Students of literature will discover the Bhagavatam to be a masterpiece of majestic poetry. For students of psychology, the text provides important perspectives on the nature of consciousness, human behavior and the philosophical study of identity. Finally, to those seeking spiritual insights, the Bhagavatam offers simple and practical guidance for attainment of the highest self-knowledge and realization of the Absolute Truth. The entire multivolume text, presented by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, promises to occupy a significant place in the intellectual, cultural and spiritual life of modern man for a long time to come. –The Publishers
  15. RE: Phalanx as from the Gita Please see the attached. ys, Bhaktajan Phanlanx arranged from the Gita.doc
  16. re: Action chart from the Gita Please see the attached. ys, Bhaktajan Action Chart from Bhagavad-gita.doc
  17. re: 3 Modes list from the Gita please see attachment. ys, bhaktajan 3 modes List for Gita Cards.doc
  18. RE: 24 elements from the Gita & Bhagavatam Please see the attachment. I will follow-up to see if it apprears correctly. ys, Bhaktajan 24 Elements from the Gita and the Bhagavatam.doc
  19. Arjuna's Prayers from Bhagavad-gita for memorization 11.1 Arjuna: By my hearing the instructions You have kindly given me about these most confidential spiritual subjects, my illusion has now been dispelled. 2 O lotus-eyed one, I have heard from You in detail about the appearance and disappearance of every living entity and have realized Your inexhaustible glories. 3 O greatest of all personalities, O supreme form, though I see You here before me in Your actual position, as You have described Yourself, I wish to see how You have entered into this cosmic manifestation. I want to see that form of Yours. 4 If You think that I am able to behold Your cosmic form, O my Lord, O master of all mystic power, then kindly show me that unlimited universal Self. . . . 11.15 My dear Lord Krsna, I see assembled in Your body all the demigods and various other living entities. I see Brahma sitting on the lotus flower, as well as Lord Siva and all the sages and divine serpents. 16 O Lord of the universe, O universal form, I see in Your body many, many arms, bellies, mouths and eyes, expanded everywhere, without limit. I see in You no end, no middle and no beginning. 17 Your form is difficult to see because of its glaring effulgence, spreading on all sides, like blazing fire or the immeasurable radiance of the sun. Yet I see this glowing form everywhere, adorned with various crowns, clubs and discs. 18 You are the supreme primal objective. You are the ultimate resting place of all this universe. You are inexhaustible, and You are the oldest. You are the maintainer of the eternal religion, the Personality of Godhead. This is my opinion. 19 You are without origin, middle or end. Your glory is unlimited. You have numberless arms, and the sun and moon are Your eyes. I see You with blazing fire coming forth from Your mouth, burning this entire universe by Your own radiance. 20 Although You are one, You spread throughout the sky and the planets and all space between. O great one, seeing this wondrous and terrible form, all the planetary systems are perturbed. 21 All the hosts of demigods are surrendering before You and entering into You. Some of them, very much afraid, are offering prayers with folded hands. Hosts of great sages and perfected beings, crying "All peace!" are praying to You by singing the Vedic hymns. 22 All the various manifestations of Lord Siva, the Adityas, the Vasus, the Sadhyas, the Visvedevas, the two Asvis, the Maruts, the forefathers, the Gandharvas, the Yaksas, the Asuras and the perfected demigods are beholding You in wonder. 23 O mighty-armed one, all the planets with their demigods are disturbed at seeing Your great form, with its many faces, eyes, arms, thighs, legs, and bellies and Your many terrible teeth; and as they are disturbed, so am I. 24 O all- pervading Visnu, seeing You with Your many radiant colors touching the sky, Your gaping mouths, and Your great glowing eyes, my mind is perturbed by fear. I can no longer maintain my steadiness or equilibrium of mind. 25 O Lord of lords, O refuge of the worlds, please be gracious to me. I cannot keep my balance seeing thus Your blazing deathlike faces and awful teeth. In all directions I am bewildered. 26-27 All the sons of Dhrtarastra, along with their allied kings, and Bhisma, Drona, Karna--and our chief soldiers also-- are rushing into Your fearful mouths. And some I see trapped with heads smashed between Your teeth. 28 As the many waves of the rivers flow into the ocean, so do all these great warriors enter blazing into Your mouths. 29 I see all people rushing full speed into Your mouths, as moths dash to destruction in a blazing fire. 30 O Visnu, I see You devouring all people from all sides with Your flaming mouths. Covering all the universe with Your effulgence, You are manifest with terrible, scorching rays. 31 O Lord of lords, so fierce of form, please tell me who You are. I offer my obeisances unto You; please be gracious to me. You are the primal Lord. I want to know about You, for I do not know what your mission is. . . . 11.36 O master of the senses, the world becomes joyful upon hearing Your name, and thus everyone becomes attached to You. Although the perfected beings offer You their respectful homage, the demons are afraid, and they flee here and there. All this is rightly done. 37 O great one, greater even than Brahma, You are the original creator. Why then should they not offer their respectful obeisances unto You? O limitless one, God of gods, refuge of the universe! You are the invincible source, the cause of all causes, transcendental to this material manifestation. 38 You are the original Personality of Godhead, the oldest, the ultimate sanctuary of this manifested cosmic world. You are the knower of everything, and You are all that is knowable. You are the supreme refuge, above the material modes. O limitless form! This whole cosmic manifestation is pervaded by You! 39 You are air, and You are the supreme controller! You are fire, You are water, and You are the moon! You are Brahma, the first living creature, and You are the great-grandfather. I therefore offer my respectful obeisances unto You a thousand times, and again and yet again! 40 Obeisances to You from the front, from behind and from all sides! O unbounded power, You are the master of limitless might! You are all-pervading, and thus You are everything! 41-42 Thinking of You as my friend, I have rashly addressed You "O Krsna,O Yadava,O my friend," not knowing Your glories. Please forgive whatever I may have done in madness or in love. I have dishonored You many times, jesting as we relaxed, lay on the same bed, or sat or ate together, sometimes alone and sometimes in front of many friends. O infallible one, please excuse me for all those offenses. 43 You are the father of this complete cosmic manifestation, of the moving and the nonmoving. You are its worshipable chief, the supreme spiritual master. No one is equal to You, nor can anyone be one with You. How then could there be anyone greater than You within the three worlds, O Lord of immeasurable power? 44 You are the Supreme Lord, to be worshiped by every living being. Thus I fall down to offer You my respectful obeisances and ask Your mercy. As a father tolerates the impudence of his son, or a friend tolerates the impertinence of a friend, or a wife tolerates the familiarity of her partner, please tolerate the wrongs I may have done You. 45 After seeing this universal form, which I have never seen before, I am gladdened, but at the same time my mind is disturbed with fear. Therefore please bestow Your grace upon me and reveal again Your form as the Personality of Godhead, O Lord of lords, O abode of the universe. 46 O universal form, O thousand-armed Lord, I wish to see You in Your four-armed form, with helmeted head and with club, wheel, conch and lotus flower in Your hands. I long to see You in that form. 11.50 . . . "O Janardana, seeing this humanlike form, so very beautiful, I am now composed in mind, and I am restored to my original nature."
  20. Sri Krishna’s “Aham(s)” from the Bhagavad-gita: Bhagavan uvacha: 7.6—Of all that is material and all that is spiritual in this world, know for certain that I am both the origin and the dissolution. 7.7—There is no truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread. 7.8—I am the taste of water, the light of the sun and the moon, the syllable <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place w:st="on">Om</st1:place> in the Vedic mantras; I am the sound in ether and Ability in man. 7.9—I am the original fragrance of the earth and I am the heat in fire. I am the life of all that lives,and I am the penances of all ascetics. 7.10—Know that I am the original seed of all existences, the intelligence of the intelligent, and the prowess of all powerful men. 7.11—I am the strength of the strong, devoid of passion and desire. I am sex life which is not contrary to religious principles. 7.12—Know that all states of being--be they of goodness, passion or ignorance--are manifested by My energy. I am, in one sense, everything, but I am independent. I am not under the modes of material nature, for they, on the contrary, are within Me. 7.13—Deluded by the three modes [goodness, passion and ignorance], the whole world does not know Me, who am above the modes and inexhaustible. 7.14—This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it. 7.15—Those miscreants who are grossly foolish, who are lowest among mankind, whose knowledge is stolen by illusion, and who partake of the atheistic nature of demons do not surrender unto Me. 7.16-17—Four kinds of pious men begin to render devotional service unto Me--the distressed, the desirer of wealth, the inquisitive, and he who is searching for knowledge of the Absolute. Of these, the one who is in full knowledge and who is always engaged in pure devotional service is the best. For I am very dear to him, and he is dear to Me. 7.18-19—All these devotees are undoubtedly magnanimous souls, but he who is situated in knowledge of Me I consider to be just like My own self. Being engaged in My transcendental service, he is sure to attain Me, the highest and most perfect goal. After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare. 7.21-22—I am in everyone's heart as the Supersoul. As soon as one desires to worship some demigod, I make his faith steady so that he can devote himself to that particular deity. Endowed with such a faith, he endeavors to worship a particular demigod and obtains his desires. But in actuality these benefits are bestowed by Me alone. 7.23—Men of small intelligence worship the demigods, and their fruits are limited and temporary. Those who worship the demigods go to the planets of the demigods, but My devotees ultimately reach My supreme planet. 7.24-25—Unintelligent men, who do not know Me perfectly, think that I, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, was impersonal before and have now assumed this personality. Due to their small knowledge, they do not know My higher nature, which is imperishable and supreme. I am never manifest to the foolish and unintelligent. For them I am covered by My internal potency, and therefore they do not know that I am unborn and infallible. 7.26—As the Supreme Personality of Godhead, I know everything that has happened in the past, all that is happening in the present, and all things that are yet to come. I also know all living entities; but Me no one knows. 7.30—Those in full consciousness of Me, who know Me, the Supreme Lord, to be the governing principle of the material manifestation, of the demigods, and of all methods of sacrifice, can understand and know Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, even at the time of death. 8.4-5—The physical nature, which is constantly changing, is called adhibhuta [the material manifestation]. The universal form of the Lord, which includes all the demigods, like those of the sun and moon, is called adhidaiva. And I, the Supreme Lord, represented as the Supersoul in the heart of every embodied being, am called adhiyajna [the Lord of sacrifice]. And whoever, at the end of his life, quits his body, remembering Me alone, at once attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt. 9.4—By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them. 9.5—And yet everything that is created does not rest in Me. Behold My Mystic opulence! Although I am the maintainer of all living entities. I am everywhere. I am not part of this cosmic manifestation. My ‘Self’ is the very source of creation. 9.6-11—Understand that as the mighty wind, blowing everywhere, rests always in the sky, all created beings rest in Me. At the end of the millennium all material manifestations enter into My nature, and at the beginning of another millennium, by My potency, I create them again. The whole cosmic order is under Me. Under My will it is automatically manifested again and again, and under My will it is annihilated at the end. All this work cannot bind Me. I am ever detached from all these material activities, seated as though neutral. This material nature, which is one of My energies, is working under My direction, producing all moving and nonmoving beings. Under its rule this manifestation is created and annihilated again and again. Fools deride Me when I descend in the human form. They do not know My transcendental nature as the Supreme Lord of all that be. 9.16—I am the ritual. I am the sacrifice. I am the offering to the ancestors. I am the healing herb. I am the transcendental chant. I am the Butter and the Fire and the Offering. 9.17—I am the father of this universe. I am the mother. I am the support and the grandsire. I am the object of knowledge. I am the purifier and the syllable ‘<st1:place w:st="on">Om</st1:place>’. I am also the Rg, the Sama and the Yajur Vedas. 9.18—I am the goal. I am the sustainer. I am the master, the witness, the abode, the refuge, and the most dear friend. I am the creation and the annihilation. I am the basis of everything, the resting place and the eternal seed. 9.19—I give heat. I withhold and send forth the rain. I am immor-tality. I am also death personified. Both spirit and matter are in Me. 9.22—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. 9.24—I am the only enjoyer and master of all sacrifices.I am equal to all. 9.29—Whoever renders service unto Me in devotion is a friend, is in Me, and I am also a friend to him. 10.2—Neither the hosts of demigods nor the great sages know My origin or opulences, for, in every respect, I am the source of the demigods and sages. 10.4-5—Intelligence, knowledge, freedom from doubt and delusion, forgiveness, truthfulness, control of the senses, control of the mind, happiness and distress, birth, death, fear, fearlessness, nonviolence, equanimity, satisfaction, austerity, charity, fame and infamy--all these various qualities of living beings are created by Me alone. 10.6—The seven great sages and before them the four other great sages and the Manus [progenitors of mankind] come from Me, born from My mind, and all the living beings populating the various planets descend from them. 10.7—One who is factually convinced of this opulence and Mystic power of Mine engages in unalloyed devotional service; of this there is no doubt. 10.8—I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. 10.9—The thoughts of My pure devotees dwell in Me, their lives are fully devoted to My service, and they derive great satisfaction and bliss from always enlightening one another and conversing about Me. 10.10—To those who are constantly devoted to serving Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me. 10.11—To show them special mercy, I, dwelling in their hearts, destroy with the shining lamp of knowledge the darkness born of ignorance. 10.19—My opulence is limitless. 10.20—I am the Supersoul seated in the hearts of all living entities. I am the beginning, the middle and the end of all beings. 10.21—Of the Adityas I am Visnu. Of lights I am the radiant sun. Of the Maruts I am Marici. Among the stars I am the moon. 10.22—Of the Vedas I am the Sama Veda. Of the demigods I am Indra, the king of heaven. Of the senses I am the mind. In living beings I am the living force [consciousness]. 10.23—Of all the Rudras I am Lord Siva. Of the Yaksas and Raksasas I am the Lord of wealth [Kuvera]. Of the Vasus I am fire [Agni]. Of mountains I am Meru. 10.24—Of priests know Me to be the chief, Brhaspati. Of generals I am Kartikeya. Of bodies of water I am the ocean. 10.25—Of the great sages I am Bhrgu. Of vibrations I am the transcendental “<st1:place w:st="on">Om</st1:place>”. Of sacrifices I am the chanting of the holy names [japa]. Of immovable things I am the <st1:place w:st="on">Himalayas</st1:place>. 10.26—Of all trees I am the banyan tree. Of the sages among the demigods I am Narada. Of the Gandharvas I am Citraratha. Among perfected beings I am the sage Kapila. 10.27—Of horses know Me to be Uccaihsrava, produced during the churning of the ocean for nectar. Of lordly elephants I am Airavata. Among men I am the monarch. 10.28—Of weapons I am the thunderbolt. Among cows I am the surabhi. Of causes for procreation I am Kandarpa, the god of love. Of serpents I am Vasuki. 10.29—Of the many-hooded Nagas I am Ananta. Among the aquatics I am the demigod Varuna. Of departed ancestors I am Aryama. Among the dispensers of law I am Yama, the lord of death. 10.30—Among the Daitya demons I am the devoted Prahlada. Among subduers I am time. Among beasts I am the lion. Among birds I am Garuda. 10.31—Of purifiers I am the wind. Of the wielders of weapons I am Rama. Of fishes I am the shark. Of flowing rivers I am the <st1:place w:st="on">Ganges</st1:place>. 10.32—Of all creations I am the beginning and the end and also the middle. Of all sciences I am the spiritual science of the self. Among logicians I am the conclusive truth. 10.33—Of letters I am the letter A. Among compound words I am the dual compound. I am also inexhaustible time. Of creators I am Brahma. 10.34—I am all-devouring death. I am the generating principle of all that is yet to be. Among women I am fame, fortune, fine speech, memory, intelligence, steadfastness and patience. 10.35—Of the hymns in the Sama Veda I am the Brhat-sama. Of poetry I am the Gayatri. Of months I am Margasirsa [November-December]. Of seasons I am flower-bearing spring. 10.36—I am also the gambling of cheats. Of the splendid I am the splendor. I am victory. I am adventure. I am the strength of the strong. 10.37—Of the descendants of Vrsni I am Vasudeva. Of the Pandavas I am Arjuna. Of the sages I am Vyasa. Among great thinkers I am Usana. 10.38—Among all means of suppressing lawlessness I am punishment. Of those who seek victory I am morality. Of secret things I am silence. Of the wise I am the wisdom. 10.39—I am the generating seed of all existences. There is no being--moving or non-moving--that can exist without Me. 10.40—There is no end to My divine manifestations. 10.41—Know that all opulent, beautiful and glorious creations spring from but a spark of My splendor. 10.42—With a single fragment of Myself I pervade and support this entire universe. 11.32—Time I am, the great destroyer of the worlds. 12.6-8—I am the swift deliverer from the ocean of birth and death. Just fix your mind upon Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and engage all your intelligence in Me. Thus you will live in Me always, without a doubt. 14.3-4—The total material substance, called Brahman, is the source of birth, and it is that Brahman that I impregnate, making possible the births of all living beings. It should be understood that all species of life are made possible by birth in this material nature, and that I am the seed-giving father. 14.27—I am the basis of the impersonal Brahman, which is immortal, imperishable and eternal and is the constitutional position of ultimate happiness. 15.12—The splendor of the sun, which dissipates the darkness of this whole world, comes from Me. And the splendor of the moon and the splendor of fire are also from Me. 15.13—I enter into each planet, and by My energy they stay in orbit. I become the moon and thereby supply the juice of life to all vegetables. 15.14—I am the fire of digestion in the bodies of all living entities, and I join with the air of life, outgoing and incoming, to digest the four kinds of foodstuff. 15.15—I am seated in everyone's heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas, I am to be known. Indeed, I am the compiler of Vedanta, and I am the knower of the Vedas. 15.18—I am transcendental, beyond both the fallible and the infallible, and because I am the greatest, I am celebrated both in the world and in the Vedas as that Supreme Person. 15.19—Whoever knows Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, without doubting, is the knower of everything. He therefore engages himself in full devotional service to Me, O son of Bharata. 18.19—According to the three different modes of material nature, there are three kinds of knowledge, action and performer of action. Now hear of them from Me. 18.29—O winner of wealth, now please listen as I tell you in detail of the different kinds of understanding and determination, according to the three modes of material nature. 18.63—Thus I have explained to you knowledge still more Confidential. Deliberate on this fully, and then do what you wish to do. 18.64—I am speaking to you My supreme instruction, the most confidential knowledge of all. ys, Bhaktajan
  21. A) Mon-Fri: — Listen to 77 AM WABC Radio Live or via Web site: 1. 1:00AM - 5:00AM — Coast to Coast [un-explained phenomenons] 2. --blank-- 3. 10:00AM-11:45AM — John Gambling [current events] 4. 11:45AM-12:00PM — Paul Harvey [commentary] 8:00PM-10:00PM — Bob Grant [First King of Conservative Radio] 5. 10:00PM-12:00AM — Laura Ingraham [conservative provocateur] B) Mon-Fri: — Listen to 710 AM WWOR Radio Live or via Web site: 6. [blank.]2pm-3pm — The Radio Factor with Bill O'Reilly [conservative raconteur] 7. [blank.] 8. 6pm-9pm — The Savage Nation, with Michael Savage [conservative pundit] C) Mon-Fri: — Listen to www.prncomm. net Web site: 9. 12Noon-1PM — "The Gary Null Show" [health activist] [And also archived shows at, http://garynull. ws] D) Mon-Fri: — Listen to 99.50 FM WBAI Radio Live or via Web site: 10. 1pm-2pm — Positive Mind with Armand DiMele [psychotherapist] Tue, Wed, & Thur. Only E) Sat & Sun: — Listen to: "A Prairie Home Companion", [broadcast weekly before a live audience, combines live music, radio theater, and homespun yarns]: 11. Saturdays 6PM-8PM on 93.9 FM, and, AM 820 Radio Sunday 11AM-1PM on AM 820 Radio F) Every Tuesday: — Listen to: Caroline Myss ["The name of the show is SACRED CONTRACTS and it's a call-in program in which I will be doing live archetype readings, helping people with their life's Sacred Contracts — the show premiers this coming Tuesday, November 8th, 2007] 12. 1pm Pacific/4pm Eastern — HayHouseRadio. com: Radio for your Soul G) Sunday Morning — 7:30AM-10AM — "Religion on the Line" Longest running radio show on WABC (since 1982) A Rabbi and a Deacon discuss current events. H) Sunday nights — 7PM-10PM John Batchelor — John’s insights into the political arena, and his fascinating take on world affairs has allowed him to build a legion of fans.” ys, Bhktjan
  22. Mustard Oil rubbed all over exposed skin works--but, it has been a very long time sinse I've had need to use it. Can anyone confirm that they also know of this as a insect repellant?
  23. PAMHO, Acid--Alkaline Connection to Health Prabhujis, I think I stumbled onto the Rosetta stone of health Problems and thus, a way of grounding the need to be vegetarian-- all under one heading. Upon more closer analysis it would seem that the balance between "Acid & Alkaline (ph)" constitutions in the body are the basis for predicting illness. Once upon a time vitamins were unknown; cigarettes were advertised by doctors; coke-cola contained cocaine; calorie restriction was relegated to doctors; "Low-Carbohydrates" replaced "Low-Fat" intake monitoring; allergies were about pollen & sneezing; inflammation was about pimples and Bee stings —now this data on Acid-Alkaline PH will be the basis to enlighten the public and medical personnel as to how bad eating habits cause acids and acidic results in the body via PH levels (pH means "potential to release Hydrogen" molecules)—all within the lexicon of the established medical establishment. I predict that all common discussions regarding maintaining proper health will move into a newly praised field of "Acid vs Alkaline Content in the Body." ---[though I am a novice to the chemistry of the human body---the rules of Ayur-veda & pranayama breathing & control of the tongue are part and parcel to awareness of how Acids affect the body, mind & societal karma]. I realize that my above writing is too general and flowery to explain what I found in this literature---so in lieu of getting the entire book posted for all to see, I ask you to research this subject. ys, Bhaktajan Nov. 15, 2007
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