What are Vaishnavatva? What is Prasadi? (in Ashram life)

February 7, 2010

Well, let me first give you examples of breaking Vaishnavatva:1) Making sound with your feet in the ashram which may be heard by the Deities.2) Offering any item which is already offered (prasadi)3) Stepping on the shadow of a devotee4) Not taking a half bath after passing urine5)

Touching offered food (your hand becomes prasadi) and then, without

washing hand, touching unoffered item (which them becomes prasadi) and

this gets offered...Get the picture?#5 was/is the most important, and I had ashramites follow me around

every minute for 2 years - just to make sure I didn't get my hand

"prasadi" (by touching offered item), without immediately washing,

otherwise, if I touch unoffered flowers or food then it cannot be

offered. You might think it silly, but if you consider carefully then

you'll see it's a constant state of Krishna Consciousness. If your hand

is prasadi (touch to prasad and not washed) then if you touch

even-unoffered item it becomes Prasadi too. When prasadi (already

offered) items get offered, even in ignorance, that offense in

Vaishnavatva, will effect all the devotees. It's a constant state of

Krishna Consciousness that is relevant to Matha (ashram) life

completely, and only a bit for outsiders like us in house-hold-business lives. Perhaps the key

concept is based on bhoga v/s prasad (which is prasadi). Prasadi hand

is worse than jutta hand in Vaishnavatva (because it's spiritual),

although jutta is unacceptable completely (because it's material). See

the concept as part of Krishna Consciousness? It took me a couple years

to finally "get it", and after that no one followed me around or

treated me like an idiot anymore in the Matha (Hindu Vaishnava ashram)Y/s,RichardRichard Shaw Brown, PGMusician, Designer, Gemologist & Authorwww.richardshawbrown.com

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February 7, 2010

Richardji,

Pranam. Dandavat.

I have great respect for you, but I couldn't help feeling that an obsession with prasadi and vaishnavatva are simply niyamagraha, as definined by Sri Upadeshamrta, sloka 2.

Everything is so contaminated in this age of Kali, that really the best we can do is, yes, try to observe the rules and regulations, but mostly to focus on harinama sankirtan and trying to be the humble servant of the vaisnavas (whether they know what "prasadi" means or not). So often petty rules and regs are used to beat devotees over the head with - a subtle game of pratishta in the guise of spiritual advancement.

your servant,

Radha Raman dasa

--- On Sun, 2/7/10, Richard Shaw Brown <rsbj66 wrote:

Richard Shaw Brown <rsbj66 What are Vaishnavatva? What is Prasadi? (in Ashram life)"Sacred Objects Group" <sacred-objects >, "Planetary Group" <planetary-gemology >Sunday, February 7, 2010, 5:06 PM

Well, let me first give you examples of breaking Vaishnavatva:1) Making sound with your feet in the ashram which may be heard by the Deities.2) Offering any item which is already offered (prasadi)3) Stepping on the shadow of a devotee4) Not taking a half bath after passing urine5) Touching offered food (your hand becomes prasadi) and then, without washing hand, touching unoffered item (which them becomes prasadi) and this gets offered...Get the picture?#5 was/is the most important, and I had ashramites follow me around every minute for 2 years - just to make sure I didn't get my hand "prasadi" (by touching offered item), without immediately washing, otherwise, if I touch unoffered flowers or food then it cannot be offered. You might think it silly, but if you consider carefully then you'll see it's a constant state of Krishna Consciousness. If your hand is prasadi (touch to prasad and

not washed) then if you touch even-unoffered item it becomes Prasadi too. When prasadi (already offered) items get offered, even in ignorance, that offense in Vaishnavatva, will effect all the devotees. It's a constant state of Krishna Consciousness that is relevant to Matha (ashram) life completely, and only a bit for outsiders like us in house-hold-business lives. Perhaps the key concept is based on bhoga v/s prasad (which is prasadi). Prasadi hand is worse than jutta hand in Vaishnavatva (because it's spiritual), although jutta is unacceptable completely (because it's material). See the concept as part of Krishna Consciousness? It took me a couple years to finally "get it", and after that no one followed me around or treated me like an idiot anymore in the Matha (Hindu Vaishnava ashram)Y/s,RichardRichard Shaw Brown, PGMusician, Designer, Gemologist & Authorwww.richardshawbrow n.com

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February 8, 2010

First of all, I thank you for the reply. But there is no need to respect me greatly. I'm the admin of this group and that makes for an entertainer, I must keep putting out different angles in the group to keep it moving. And your comment wouldn't be there if I didn't send that. So this is not a group about me. And your point is well taken. Thanks!Rick Brown's iPhonewww.richardshawbrown.comOn Feb 8, 2010, at 2:53 AM, Radha Raman <radharamanji wrote:

Richardji,

Pranam. Dandavat.

I have great respect for you, but I couldn't help feeling that an obsession with prasadi and vaishnavatva are simply niyamagraha, as definined by Sri Upadeshamrta, sloka 2.

Everything is so contaminated in this age of Kali, that really the best we can do is, yes, try to observe the rules and regulations, but mostly to focus on harinama sankirtan and trying to be the humble servant of the vaisnavas (whether they know what "prasadi" means or not). So often petty rules and regs are used to beat devotees over the head with - a subtle game of pratishta in the guise of spiritual advancement.

your servant,

Radha Raman dasa

--- On Sun, 2/7/10, Richard Shaw Brown <rsbj66 > wrote:

Richard Shaw Brown <rsbj66 > What are Vaishnavatva? What is Prasadi? (in Ashram life)"Sacred Objects Group" <sacred-objects >, "Planetary Group" <planetary-gemology >Sunday, February 7, 2010, 5:06 PM

Well, let me first give you examples of breaking Vaishnavatva:1) Making sound with your feet in the ashram which may be heard by the Deities.2) Offering any item which is already offered (prasadi)3) Stepping on the shadow of a devotee4) Not taking a half bath after passing urine5) Touching offered food (your hand becomes prasadi) and then, without washing hand, touching unoffered item (which them becomes prasadi) and this gets offered...Get the picture?#5 was/is the most important, and I had ashramites follow me around every minute for 2 years - just to make sure I didn't get my hand "prasadi" (by touching offered item), without immediately washing, otherwise, if I touch unoffered flowers or food then it cannot be offered. You might think it silly, but if you consider carefully then you'll see it's a constant state of Krishna Consciousness. If your hand is prasadi (touch to prasad

and

not washed) then if you touch even-unoffered item it becomes Prasadi too. When prasadi (already offered) items get offered, even in ignorance, that offense in Vaishnavatva, will effect all the devotees. It's a constant state of Krishna Consciousness that is relevant to Matha (ashram) life completely, and only a bit for outsiders like us in house-hold-business lives. Perhaps the key concept is based on bhoga v/s prasad (which is prasadi). Prasadi hand is worse than jutta hand in Vaishnavatva (because it's spiritual), although jutta is unacceptable completely (because it's material). See the concept as part of Krishna Consciousness? It took me a couple years to finally "get it", and after that no one followed me around or treated me like an idiot anymore in the Matha (Hindu Vaishnava ashram)Y/s,RichardRichard Shaw Brown, PGMusician, Designer, Gemologist & Authorwww.richardshawbrow n.com

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