All Faiths Same Sophistry AVA-Ojai Dec 6th: 7:30pm

[Guest guest]

-0.25in">Hari Bolo Friends of the Vedas! Please accept my respects. All glory to

the transcendental light of the Bhagavad-Gita as It Is! This Issue’s Feature

Article: "All Faiths Equal Sophistry" – Part 1. The Next Gathering of the

American Vedic Association’s Bhagavad Gita

Discussion and Fellowship is: Tuesday, December 6th, 2005 7:30PM

(CH.10 AVA Broadcast starts a 5pm for those who wish to come early and watch

it.)

1"> It is poor discretion that leads one to claim that "All

religions are the same." They may share some characteristics, like all schools

do - but a junior college is not the same as Harvard University! Learn

spiritual discrimination at AVA! 7:30 p.m., 640-0405 - Always Free! * * * * *

* * * * * * * * Missing Last AVA Newsletter? The “Myth of

Non-Judgment†was the topic scheduled for discussion at the November 15th

meeting of the Bhagavad Gita Fellowship. That newsletter never

went out because an unexpected opportunity to visit with my parents in North

Carolina came up. I left town rapidly, but the meeting was not canceled due to

all the volunteers who helped with the cooking, serving, speaking and clean up.

It was so well organized and executed that many of those who attended informed

me that the meeting was very successful! I am very grateful to those who made

the meeting come alive! More AVA Television Shows! Adelphia Channel 10 on

Tuesdays at 5p.m.! Although the original six consecutive AVA

television shows have already aired, we have provided Adelphia more shows for

broadcast on Tuesday Night. The subject matter of the new series of shows has

been provided below but at the time of writing this newsletter we have not

confirmed the dates of when each show will appear. We suggest you tune in to

channel 10 every Tuesday afternoon at 5pm to catch all our transcendental

productions. All of these titles are also available for AVA guests to borrow

from our large collection of books, tapes, videos, and DVD on request. AVA TV

7: Your Ever Well Wisher: In 1965 Bhaktivedanta Swami came to the United States

and brought the Science of Self Realization taught in the Vedas by Lord Krishna

with him. This show documents how he translated India’s most profound sacred

scriptures, became a world class authority on Bhakti Yoga, and became the well

wisher for thousands of people worldwide. AVA TV #8: Coming Back –

Reincarnation: There is a lot of misinformation spewed out from both Hollywood

and speculative philosophers about the transmigration of the soul.

Everyone seems fascinated about how consciousness can move from one body to the

next. But few know that the real Science of Reincarnation originated in the

Vedas as explained in this show. AVA TV #9: Ford Has a Better Spiritual

Idea: The great grandson of Henry Ford had everything he could possibly want

in terms of material comforts, yet he was astute enough to realize how wealth

would not satisfy the needs of his soul. This documentary traces how he

discovered the highest purpose of life and personal fulfillment in the Vedic

Science of

Self-Realization. AVA TV #10: Lord Caitanya – Krishna Himself: Only 500

years ago Lord Krishna appeared as His own devotee Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. His

teachings changed all of India, inspired Gandhi, and established the Chanting

God's holy name as the Yuga Dharma. Those serious about spiritual maturity

shouldn't miss this rare chance to learn about the most influential avatar

since Lord Christ. *-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Start This Issue Feature Article

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* All Faiths Equal Sophistry (Part 1.) World Awakening The

Western world only really started to appreciate the customs of other nations

when the airline industry began shuttling people all over the globe. The

advent of the television also allowed people to peer into unfamiliar lifestyles

from strange places that many hardly knew existed, couldn’t find on a map, and

would never consider traveling to, and immigration laws relaxed in 1965 because

of Robert Kennedy. As everyone became more conscious of how diverse the world

really is, archaeologists began to search for

relics at very remote regions of the earth, sociologists included wider sample

sets in their studies about civilization, and biologists started discovering

life in unexpected places like frozen volcanic rock, the bottom of the sea, and

high temperature gaseous caves! Meanwhile corporations found new markets to

sell their products for commercial exploitation, and those who believed in God

were directed by Super soul, God within their heart, to reconsider the source

and veracity of their own beliefs. “The Supreme Lord is situated in

everyone's heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living

entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy.†-

Bhagavad Gita As It Is, Chapter 18 “Conclusion; The perfection of

renunciation†Text 61. The Christians got a much broader glimpse of how many

people God commissioned them to save while the Muslims simultaneously took

inventory of how many infidels they had to deal with! The Jews continued to

persevere horrendous tribulations while continuing to wait for the messiah and

neither the Hindus nor the Buddhists felt the need to do anything different

because those traditions do not revolve around the coercive fear that we have

“One life to avoid the pits of eternal hell.†As man learned more about the

mechanics of this universe, those who followed the Vedic (Hindu) tradition

joyously accepted each new discovery as a reflection of God’s extraordinary

qualities. The Buddhists however, remained stoically indifferent, as one

would expect, considering the nature of their impersonal understanding of the

divine which culminates in denying any concept that suggests a conscious

individual Supreme creator such as “God.â€

BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; PADDING-TOP: 9.35pt; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8;

BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" vAlign="top" align="left"> “Then in the

beginning of the Kaliyuga, the Lord will appear as Lord Buddha the son of

Anjana in the province of Gaya just for the purpose of deluding those persons

who are envious of the faithful theist.†– Srimad Bhagavat Purana Canto 1

“Creationâ€. Chapter 3 “Krishna Is the Source of All Incarnationsâ€, Text

24. As the world shrunk, many began to teach “embrace it all†as the highest

truth. This evolved from the emerging awareness that no single religious

tradition had a monopoly on nurturing extremely

pious individuals who, regardless of their particular tradition, were equally

emphatic and committed to the merits of their respective faiths regardless of

its origin, history, or philosophical content. This awakening led to the

popular saying that “All paths lead to God†which later matured into the

feel-good, generic claim that “All Religious are the same.†The Bigotry

of “All The Same†Thinking! Are all religions really the same? Are all

restaurants the same? Are all movies the same? Are all doctors the same? Are

all schools the same? Are all lawyers the same? Are all salespeople the same?

Are all people the same? We have become so despondent about broken campaign

promises by politicians, that hardly an election goes by without someone

exasperating“All politicians are the same.†However that’s not true

either! How many people would agree that George Washington and Abraham Lincoln

were the same as Warren Gamaliel Harding or Richard Nixon? (Notarized by the

Teapot Dome and Watergate Scandals)

TEXT-INDENT: 0.2in">According to the Vedas, we can expect more cheating, quarrel

and vanity if the constituents who are responsible for electing those who govern

us don’t know what qualification to look for when selecting those we empower

with our trust to lead: “If the personality of Kali, irreligion, is

allowed to act as a man-god or an executive head, certainly irreligious

principles like greed, falsehood, robbery, incivility, treachery, misfortune,

cheating, quarrel

and vanity will abound.†– Srimad Bhagavat Purana Canto1 “Creationâ€,

Chapter17 “Punishment and Reward of Kali,†Text.32 It should also be

readily evident that there is a big difference between a doctorate education

earned at Harvard University, and the associated degree offered by a local

community College. Both schools are accredited and both schools issue degrees.

But an employer will pay much more to retain a student from Harvard than an

undergraduate from a home town Junior College because Harvard has demonstrated

for many generations of graduates who have a much more robust education. So

what we really mean when we use language to bundle nouns together into one

taxonomy, like “Restaurants,†is that that each member of that taxonomy

shares a commonality. In the case of restaurants, that unifying element isâ€

A place where one can order prepared food.†We call someone a doctor when

they are trained in healing the body, while attorneys have developed their own

rather ignoble unifying reputation. Lawyers are hired to protect their clients

from sever legal consequences, although ironically that is often only possible

at such crushing litigation costs that it leaves those they serve financially

destitute! The Nature of

Dharma The commonality that defines a profession is what is referred to in

Sanskrit as the dharma of that line of work. The dharma of plumbers is that

they work with pipes; while the dharma of musicians is that they know how to

play instruments to make music. The dharma of moviemakers is that they can tell

a story using a highly coordinated mixture of light and sound, while the dharma

of the human being is to do service to something or someone. Within the

umbrella of every dharma, or profession, there are distinctions that make the

difference between someone who is good at that profession and someone who is

not. Those who sell used cars are known for marking up the cost of the car

because they anticipate that the buyer will want to

“Negotiate-the-price-down.†They may be very good at doing that, but many

people simply don’t like the possibility of paying more than they need to

when purchasing a used car! A postal clerk however, sells price-regulated

government issued stamps and that causes no consternation at all. Yet both the

clerk and the car re-seller vend us something we need. Only a fool would

approach all transactions with the same expectations based on the fallacious

cliché that “All sales people are the same.†The problem with

generalizing is that when we reduce things into stereotypes it can quickly lead

to reprehensible forms of prejudice and hate crimes.

yes"> To avoid that from happening requires an intelligent sober type of

discrimination that is based on un-tinged facts, a good education and clear

reasoning. When that is absent, the tendency of the mind is to slip into the

lazy convenience of not only bundling all members of a particular profession

together but all Jewish, Black, fat, Italian, Northern, Mexican, thin, Irish,

female, Asian, Indian, poor, male, Southern, Arabic, American, Rich or blind

people into the same behavioral mold. When we look for the finer distinctions

within a given group of people, a race, a profession, a dharma, or a religion we

will discover both the commonalities they share as well as the more subtle

characteristics that will help us determine if the appropriate response is to

flee, fight, fear or have

faith. The Dharma of Religion = Restore One’s Love for God The dharma of any

religion is to inspire us to reawaken our lost loving relationship with the

Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna. As that occurs, the law of

association automatically cleanses the dirty things from the heart and those

things that are spiritually unfavorable naturally drop away. When the soul

samples the “Higher Taste†of its real constitutional position as the

servant of God, all the impediments to devotional service give way, just as

well as the vain pursuit of fame become meaningless as genuine self-esteem

becomes

established from within: “The embodied soul may be restricted from

sense enjoyment, though the taste for sense objects remains. But, ceasing such

engagements by experiencing a higher taste, he is fixed in consciousness.†-

Bhagavad Gita As It Is, Chapter 2 “Contents of the Gita Summarizedâ€, Text

59.

0.4in">"Association with a devotee, the mercy of Krishna, and the nature of

devotional service help one to give up all undesirable association and

gradually attain elevation to the platform of love of Godhead.†– Sri

Caitanya Caritamrita, Madhya Lila Chapter24 “The Sixty One Explanations of

the Atma-Rama Verse†Text 104 If we do not take the time to properly

understand the differences between each religion and the unique characteristics

of each individual who practices a particular faith, then we run the dangerous

risk of allowing our thinking to become as ominous as the grossly prejudicial

ways of a suicidal terrorist who considers anyone born in the West a coveted

potential target!

0.2in"> Department of Religious Authenticity? All religions are NOT the same,

anymore than all doctors or police officers are the same, despite the dharma,

or commonality, that defines the taxonomy. Doctors and police officers

undergo extensive training, scrutiny and testing before they are awarded the

trust to practice their professions. Yet despite how dramatically belief

systems can impact both individuals and society at large, there is no

“Department of Religious Authenticity†to wean out eccentric nuts like

David Koresh who burned Waco Texas onto the map with deranged religious fervor,

or Jim Jones who preached over

900 of his followers into their Cool-aid cyanide laced early grave. Self

proclaimed shamans, visionaries, healers, Goddesses, teachers and interfaith

voodoo ministers post their flyers on public pin boards everywhere advertising

to help one release emotions, heal one’s inner-child, cleanse one’s aura,

or align their subtle body by summoning metaphysical powers, curative movement,

aroma therapy, ectoplasm enhancement, psychic touch, mystical séance or self

absorbed silence! People are attracted to a douse of patchouli oil, a

Brazilian geode, re-birthing or a lying on of hands simply because it is so

easy. But educated people know you get what you pay for and that billions of

years of accrued karma will not be instantly swept away with such a cheap

tickets to ride. “The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: ‘As long

as the foolish spirit soul remains attracted to the material body, senses and

vital force, his material existence continues to flourish, although it is

ultimately meaningless.’†– Srimad Bhagavat Purana, Canto 11, “General

History†Chapter 28, “Jnana Yogaâ€, Text 12. There are all sorts of

charlatan priests selling crystals, pyramids, candles and totems to adorn

anyone’s flavor of sanctuary, but if such accouterments are not based on a

legitimate process for self realization such altars are no different than the

ones birds build in their nests with odd debris they collect while scavenging.

Now anyone can have their “Chakras Balanced†over the phone and all it

takes to get a ministers license is a letter stating your desire to have one

and a $25 check sent to Sacramento!

#ece9d8; PADDING-TOP: 9.35pt; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR:

transparent" vAlign="top" align="left"> “O Lord; Unintelligent persons who

thirst for sense enjoyment and who worship various demigods are no better than

animals in the human form of life. Because of their animalistic propensities,

they fail to worship Your Lordship, and instead they worship the insignificant

demigods, who are but small sparks of Your glory. With the destruction of the

entire universe, including the demigods, the benedictions received from the

demigods also vanish, just like the nobility when a king is no longer in

power.†–Srimad Bhagavat Purana Canto 6 “Prescribed Duties for

Mankindâ€, Chapter16,â€King Citraketu Meets the Supreme Lordâ€, Text38.

2pt"> Consumer Reports Religious Matrix? We have guidelines for distinguishing

an honest police officer from a corrupt one and an incompetent doctor from a

bad one, yet there doesn’t seem to be any interest in establishing similar

boundaries when evaluating different faiths. The dharma of any religion is to

inspire the soul to restore their lost relationship with the Supreme Lord,

however some so-called religions have confused, hurt, and exploited their

followers so badly that they have not only completely failed to do that, but

they virtually destroyed the chance of that essential relationship ever

developing anytime in the near future! There are comparative religious classes

in

universities all over the world, but they fail to approach the subject from a

results oriented perspective. If the research staff at Consumer Reports were

to apply the same rigor they use to compare cost, style, environmental impact,

and performance of various dishwashers to a study of religion, it would be very

obvious that all religions are definitely NOT the same! Their matrix would

include an objective historical comparison of how well each of the different

faiths actually practiced universal concepts like: “Brotherly love,

Tolerance, Generosity and Compassion.†The study would also benchmark how

well each faith succeeded in keeping man’s tendency to slip into lust, anger,

greed, and sloth in check. The comparison would also closely examine the

origin, scope, content and plausibility

that the scriptures which perpetuate the faith might really be of divine origin

and not just the hallucinations of charismatic religious militants, the

speculations of science fiction writers, or a highly censored compilation of

ancient stories, poetry, priestly correspondences and personal memoirs. It

doesn’t require a crystal ball to see the inevitable integration of all world

traditions. That is why a serious results oriented comparative religious study

would be both appropriate and particularly helpful at this time. Such thorough

study would quickly reveal that some faiths are based on a very aggressive

imperialistic doctrine that legitimizes the conquest of the entire world at

virtually any cost while others are far more sublime.

yes"> It would also help those who are serious about spiritual maturity to

identify in the cacophony of so called “Spiritualists†the most effective

faith in the marketplace. The Consumer Reports study would show how the Vedas

far outreach all other religious scriptures in scope, origin, and philosophical

veracity. We can get a sense of how true that is when we consider the type of

specific analytical information the Vedas provide to help us understand the

type of people who have no religious interests, and what to look for when

comparing different belief systems.

BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; PADDING-LEFT: 9.35pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 9.35pt; BORDER-LEFT:

#ece9d8; PADDING-TOP: 9.35pt; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR:

transparent" vAlign="top" align="left"> “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.“

- Bhagavad Gita As It Is, Chapter 7, “Knowledge of the Absoluteâ€, Text

15.

mso-element-top: 0in">“There are five branches of irreligion, appropriately

known as irreligion [vidharma], religious principles for which one is unfit

[para-dharma], pretentious religion [abhasa], analogical religion [upadharma]

and cheating religion [chala-dharma]. One who is aware of real religious life

must abandon these five as irreligious.12 Religious principles that obstruct

one from following his own religion are called vidharma. Religious principles

introduced by others are called para-dharma. A new type of religion created by

one who is falsely proud and who opposes the principles of the Vedas is called

upadharma. And interpretation by one's juggling of words is called

chala-dharma.†– Srimad Bhagavat Purana Canto 7, “The Science of Godâ€,

Chapter 15 “Instructions for Civilized Human Beings†Texts: 12-13 For

further information on these verses go to the following link:

http://vedabase.net/sb/7/15/132 All Faiths Equal Sophistry (Part 2.)?

Scrutinizing the differences between each religion is a big subject and is such

an important part of spiritual maturity, the sophistry of “All Faiths Are

Equal†will be further study in a future AVA newsletter.

mso-fareast-font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS'">*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* End This Issue

Feature Article *-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Vegetarian Cooking!

Roman'"> We are happy to see how nicely the AVA congregational

members are improving their Vegetarian culinary skills! Adopting a diet that

allows other creatures to live their lives peacefully is a tradition that

extends way back in both Vedic as well as Buddhist traditions. One would

think that all serious transcendentalists would understand this simple

principal, but unfortunately that does not appear to be true. Educating people

about the importance of a Vegetarian diet is essential for anyone who is serious

about escaping the

serious laws of karma delineated in the Vedas. Unfortunately there are many

teachers who will compromise the importance of the Vegetarian diet in order to

attract more followers and promote their own watered down ideas about what real

spiritual maturity is all about. AVA is committed to teaching the science of

Self Realization the way it has been handed down and respected by the great

sages for thousands of generations. That is why part of the service we offer

is to teach anyone who is interested in this process how to eat properly.

Those

who are raised in a carnivorous society but then want to convert to a Vegetarian

diet often experience a lot of cognitive dissonance. On one hand, they are

intellectually convinced that they ought to be a vegetarian, but they simply

don’t know how to convert their diet over to that lifestyle. Instead of

postponing that on-going dilemma, why not consider learning how to cook

wonderful Vegetarian foods using herbs and spices that not only taste good, but

also make eating a tremendously fulfilling experience! You can do that prior to

any AVA meeting where we always prepare a nice meal for all the guests who

attend. Those who want to learn this tremendous skill are advised to contact us

36 hours prior to the AVA event so we can tell you what and when we will be

cooking for that program. You can then join us at that time and start learning

how to adopt

the eating habits recommended in the Vedas for Human life, which is also the

most beneficial for rapid spiritual maturity. :-) Public Engagements?

As the AVA newsletter continues to find new audiences, some have asked

about the possibility of bringing the subjects we discuss into other

gatherings. If it is possible to schedule those requests we will be happy to

do so as part of our service to the community. For this purpose AVA has

compiled a list of contemporary subjects for which we have essays, books,

charts, graphs, and in some cases, videos to augment our presentations. For

more information about scheduling an engagement to learn more about the Vedic

Siddhanta (conclusion) please contact us directly. Suggest A

Subject? Many of the subjects we cover in the “AVA

Newsletter†come from questions or topics that are only vaguely commented on

by other sources. If you have a subject you would like us to address, please

send the question in to us and we will consider it for a future AVA topic.

Simple questions are also addressed during the “Bhagavad-Gita Fellowshipâ€

meetings for the benefit of all those who attend. Vedic Authority What makes

the AVA program different from all other contemporary sources of transcendental

learning? We rely on the methodical, thorough and scientific way the Vedas

portray the world we live in. The Vedas are so vast, and unlike any other

literature known to man, they are often criticized as confusing and esoteric.

But this is because the secret of the Vedas can only be unlocked by one who has

been properly trained how to “decode†them. Although that sounds like an

exhausting study, it is actually quite easy if the candidate is willing to

accept instruction from a good source. In fact, the path of Bhakti (Loving

Devotion to the Supreme Lord in His Personal Form) is so powerful that the

essences of all the Vedas become automatically realized to that soul who

surrenders to the Personality of Godhead and engages in devotional service to

Him. “A person who

accepts the path of devotional service is not bereft of the results derived from

studying the Vedas, performing austere sacrifices, giving charity or perusing

philosophical and furtive activities. Simply by performing devotional service

he attains all these and at the end he reaches the supreme eternal abode.†-

Bhagavad-Gita Gita As It Is Chapter 8 “Attaining the Supreme†Text 28. To

grow transcendentally requires a reliable authority like the Bhagavad-Gita,

(The torchlight of knowledge, Bg. 10.11) One is free to reject Vedic authority,

but the consequences of doing so returns one to the words of speculation,

conjecture, flawed empirical analysis, and a plethora of

silly ideas about what spiritual life is from psycho-therapists, self declared

gurus, charlatans, and carpetbag religionists, to name just a few. Back

Issues of AVA Newsletter The subjects that we have already covered in 2005 are

also included at the end of this

newsletter. If you would like a digital copy of a past “AVA Newsletter,†let

us know and we will be happy to forward it to you for your further erudition. *

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Hoping this meets you in good

health, happy spirits and enthusiastically engaged in the service of Lord

Krishna. Your servant,

2pt">mayesvara dasa (md @ jagannatha.com) aka: William Roberts* Director

American Vedic Association “Dispel the Darkness of Ignorance With the

Torchlight of Knowledge!†- Bg. 10.11 687 Villanova Road Ojai California,

93023 (805)

640-0405 AVA @ jagannatha.com * William Roberts is the

founding director of The American Vedic Association. He began studying Vedic

philosophy in 1973 and assimilated the works of eminent Vaishnava saints while

living in India for several years. He became an ordained Brahman priest under

the tutelage of the world-class authority on Bhakti Yoga, HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta

Swami. The American Vedic Association is currently sponsoring the Free

Bhagavad-Gita Gita Fellowship gatherings held on the First and Third Tuesday of

every month. For more information call, (805) 640-0405,

or contact william.roberts @ jagannatha.com. Bhagavad-Gita Gita As It Is

Discussion Fellowship Every 1st & 3rd Tuesday of EACH Month

Unicode MS'">Sanskrit, Mantra, Kirtan, Prasadam! • ۩ • ۩

mso-fareast-font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS'; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Arial

Unicode MS'">• AVA Schedule 2005 • ۩ • ۩

MS'">• Date/Event

'Arial Unicode MS'">Meeting Subject 1st Tue: Jan-04-2005 Vows,

Resolutions & Austerities

766.7pt 870.8pt">3rd Tue: Jan-18-2005 You Are NOT Your Body! 1st Tue:

Feb-01-2005

mso-hansi-font-family: 'MS Sans Serif'"> Defrocking Religious

Phobias 3rd Tue: Feb-15-2005

Unicode MS'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS'; mso-hansi-font-family:

'MS Sans Serif'"> Primordial Valentine 1st Tue: Mar-01-2005

Unicode MS'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS'; mso-hansi-font-family:

'MS Sans Serif'"> What To Do; What Not To Do & Why! 3rd Tue: Mar-15-2005

mso-bidi-font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Arial

Unicode MS'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'MS Sans Serif'"> Who Is Lord

Caitanya? 1st Tue: Apr-05-2005

mso-bidi-font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Arial

Unicode MS'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'MS Sans Serif'"> Are You an April

fool Being Cheated? 3rd Tue: Apr-19-2005

'Arial Unicode MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS';

mso-fareast-font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'MS Sans

Serif'"> Carnivorous Environmentalist = Kleptomaniac Security

Guards ßHOT!

'Arial Unicode MS'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'MS Sans Serif'"> 1st Tue:

May-03-2005 Is Knowledge Necessary, Useful or Just Plain Irrelevant?

Unicode MS'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS'; mso-hansi-font-family:

'MS Sans Serif'"> 3rd Tue: May-17-2005 What Is Om & Why Vibrate That?

red; FONT-FAMILY: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS';

mso-fareast-font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS'">ßHOT! 1st Tue: Jun-07-2005

mso-hansi-font-family: 'MS Sans Serif'"> Distinguishing Good From

Evil 3rd Tue: Jun-21-2005

Unicode MS'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS'; mso-hansi-font-family:

'MS Sans Serif'"> Derailed by Silent Meditation ßHOT!

2pt; tab-stops: .5in 1.5in 416.05pt 469.25pt 766.7pt 870.8pt">1st Tue:

Jul-05-2005 No-One Is Independent!

0in 2pt; tab-stops: .5in 1.5in 416.05pt 469.25pt 766.7pt 870.8pt">3rd Tue:

Jul-19-2005 Nine Paths to Perfection

6pt 0in 2pt; tab-stops: .5in 1.5in 416.05pt 469.25pt 766.7pt 870.8pt">1st Tue:

Aug-02-2005 Huge Ancient Rolling Temples! Festival of Chariots, All Day

Venice Beach Sun: Aug-7-2005

gray; FONT-FAMILY: 'MS Sans Serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Arial Unicode

MS'">3rd Tue: Aug-05-2005 Liberation Is The BOOBY Prize! Appearance

Day of Lord Sri Krishna! - Sat: Aug-20-2005 1st Tue: Sep-06-2005 Strong

Words for a Strong Purpose (Hogs, Dogs, Camels & Asses) 3rd Tue: Sep-20-2005

"Material" Fanatic

1st Tue: Oct-04-2005 Prodigal Sons Know Everything, Adults Surrenderâ€

3rd Tue: Oct-18-2005

Party-Yoga or Hedonism?†1st Tue: Nov-01-2005 Vedic Understanding of

Universal Time & Creation

MS'">3rd Tue: Nov-15-2005 The Non-Judgment Myth December 1st Tuesday,

Dec-06-2005 All Faiths Equal Sophistryâ€

mso-bidi-font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Arial

Unicode MS'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'MS Sans Serif'"> It is

poor discretion that leads one to claim that "All religions are the same."

They may share some characteristics,

like all schools do - but a junior college is not the same as Harvard

University! Learn spiritual discrimination at AVA! 7:30 p.m., 640-0405 -

Always Free! 3rd Tuesday, Dec-20-2005 Gods "Prayer-Order" Warehouse?â€

416.05pt 870.8pt"> There is only one legitimate thing that a

devotee of God would ever request. Everything else springs from selfish

ignorance and spiritual immaturity. If you don't know what that simple request

is then find out at the next AVA meeting. 7:30 p.m., 640-0405 - Always Free!

C/o William Roberts / mayesvara dasa: AVA Director (805) 640-0405

-----

Unicode MS'">Why This Newsletter Was Sent To You & the AVA Purpose

This newsletter is being sent to you because someone felt you might have an

interest in the “Science of Self Realization†as it is explained in the

Vedic literature of ancient India. It is posted twice a month and its primary

purpose is to remind the American Vedic Association congregation to attend the

bi-monthly Bhagavad-Gita Gita Appreciation Gathering that is held on the 1st

and 3rd

Tuesday of every month. The material presented in these

newsletters is based on the conclusions of the Vedic Literature as understood

by India’s foremost authorities on that subject namely, Lord Brahma, Maharaja

Pariksit, Narada Muni, Madhavacarya, Ramanujacarya, Krishna Dasa Kaviraja,

Narotama Das Thakur, the Six Goswami’s of Vrindaban, Bhaktivenode Thakur and

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to name just a few. The purpose of this correspondence

is to help readers properly explain Sanskrit terms, clarify misunderstandings

about Indian theology, and make the Vedic conclusion more accessible to the

Western

mind. Questions are always welcome, and may be integrated into

future newsletters. It is our hope that you will find the content to be

informative and meaningful. It is also an invitation for you to consider

joining us at one of our bi-monthly Bhagavad-Gita as It Is meetings if you

happen to be within a reasonable driving distance from Ojai, California, USA.

Must Say No? Most people are familiar with the Biblical advice

given in the “Sermon on the Mount†“Give not what is holy unto

the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine. Lest they trample them

under their feet, and turn against and rend* you.†- Bible, Matthew Chapter7,

Text 6. (*rend = tear you apart

violently.) This is not only a common theme found in all great

scriptures, yet even secular teachers have no interest in trying to explain

something to a defiant student. Therefore, if you prefer not to receive any

further information about the Vedas, AVA events, or the process of spiritual

growth honored by the great sages of ancient India, then simply request to be

removed from our mailing list. We will lament seeing you go when we do, but

will gladly comply with your request. “Bewildered by the modes of

material nature, the ignorant fully engage themselves in material activities

and become attached. But the wise should not unsettle them, although these

duties are inferior due to the performer’s lack of knowledge. “- BG 3.29

'Arial Unicode MS'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS';

mso-hansi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"> Thank you for your patience and

interest!

Personals Let fate take it's course directly to your email. See who's

waiting for you Personals