Is there such a thing as Universal beauty?

[atma 0]

Talking about physical beauty! For the last two months I had to associate with lots of very diverse people and all of them had cosmetic surgery! One lady has a very nice heart but she is so into her face, she doesn't have one wrinkle but she thinks she needs another face lift!! One more and I don't know from where they're going to pull the skin. She looks so unreal. Another lady is 83 and when I told her how young she looked she told me that was all natural, her daughter came out saying that her mother had 4 plastic surgeries!! The old lady's problem is that she wants a man even though she's 83!

I can't stand the plastic look, and they think they look good. I guess that is the universal beauty here in Hollywood. So relative. In some part in Africa they like long necks, then from very young age they put this rings in the girls necks to elongate it. Pure torture.

JRdd, Mangalananda was here for the Prabhupada's festival and he sang all his songs, including "Change of Heart" We had a really good time

[Maitreya 0]

Faces, we are so enamoured by faces.

In this way the descendants of the monkeys intermingle with each other, and they are generally known as südras. Without hesitating, they live and move freely, not knowing the goal of life. They are captivated simply by seeing the faces of one another, which remind them of sense gratification. They are always engaged in material activities, known as grämya-karma, and they work hard for material benefit. Thus they forget completely that one day their small life spans will be finished and they will be degraded in the evolutionary cycle.SB 5.14.31

My body is male and now 49.I still remember the day I looked in the mirror and became aware that my face was falling down.Like it was slowly starting to drip right off my head.Well I was shocked.

 

At least I can take some solace from the philosophical understanding that I am not the falling face.

 

These poor souls who think this is it, become victims of these so-called doctors and spend fortunes in this sad and vain attempt.

 

So ironic when we consider that Krishna has already granted the soul eternal youth, yet we struggle for it in these bodies, hopelessly and against all odds.

 

 

[dasanudas 0]

The beauty of the heart shines on forever

[premananda 0]

Originally posted by JRdd:

OOO I love that painting! I was hoping it woud be that one, which I have never forgotten since someone posted it on the vnn forums last year. Does anyone know who the artist is? Is there a way to get prints of it?

Jayaradhe

The artist is actually my Gurudeva, Sri Gadadhar-pran Prabhu. He doesn´t have the painting now though, he sold it to some devotee. He has made many beautiful paintings.

 

P D

 

 

[Dharma 0]

Speaking of beauty and impermanence attended training for moksha yajnas in India which is perhaps the most beautiful yajna ever imaginable. It is primarily for those 55 or older or those who are terminally ill. It is a road map for death and beyond death and goes into why some become spirits, why some enter different lokas such as a heaven or a hell, while some take new brith and others attain moksha. It was interesting how many of the seniors were able to experience their death and see what has kept them caught up in the cycle of births and deaths.

 

 

Much of the yajna went into growng old gracefully. The dasa conducting said that it is the natural rose that is respected and treasured, rather than the artificial one. I thought that is was very profound. I also thought the last line of Matreiya's post about Krishna granting eternal youth to the soul very beautiful as well.

 

 

The 4 purusharthas of man according to tradition are Artha (taking care of survival or seeking wealth), Kama (the realm of desire be it material, psychological or spiritual), Dharma what we are choosen to do by Him, & Moksha, liberation from repetitive cycle of births and death.

 

In Kalkiyuga, few grow beyond kama. The natural progression is lost or perhaps sleeping. The need for plastic surgery often indicates a psychological desire-a craving to be loved. Unfortunately we often learn at an early age to accept conditional love as the norm, thus the non-stop quest of becoming.

 

The conflict between what one is and what one wants to be is perhaps the oldest and fiercest battle in the history of man. It is responsible for much of the gulit, self hatred and inner as well as outer battles of the world. In the realm of the persuit of beauty the poor female suffers the most.

 

 

 

[This message has been edited by Dharma (edited 06-03-2001).]

[atma 0]

Maitreya;

Remembering indian women, don't get involved with them! One of my friends, started a relatioship with one of them in Bengal and one night when they were together, a mob came and he has to run for his life! Somehow he managed to escape through a window and run all the way to the Jalangi only in gamcha with 50 armed villagers behind him. Somehow he lost his gamcha and he jumped in the Jalangi to cross back to Mayapur, (he was in Swarup Ganj). Next day he had to leave the holy dhama for good and took shelter in Calcutta for a while. He still scared from the experience. Don't mess up with Indian girls! You'll have all the village or at least all her family behind you forever!!!

[Maitreya 0]

Originally posted by atma:

Maitreya;

Remembering indian women, don't get involved with them! One of my friends, started a relatioship with one of them in Bengal and one night when they were together, a mob came and he has to run for his life! Somehow he managed to escape through a window and run all the way to the Jalangi only in gamcha with 50 armed villagers behind him. Somehow he lost his gamcha and he jumped in the Jalangi to cross back to Mayapur, (he was in Swarup Ganj). Next day he had to leave the holy dhama for good and took shelter in Calcutta for a while. He still scared from the experience. Don't mess up with Indian girls! You'll have all the village or at least all her family behind you forever!!!

atma, LOL!!!!!! I have had this as a reocurring nightmare for years.Seriously!It always alternatives between Hindu mobs and Muslim mobs looking for me after being found in a daliance with someone's daughter or , ahmmm... wife.Always set locally however.definite confirmation.

 

I'm just going to chant and sightsee.So I plan on being good. If worse comes to worse I will have myself tied to a pillar at Krishna Balarama Mandir.Like Ulysses and the sirens.

 

More stories, more.

 

MC

 

 

 

[This message has been edited by Maitreya (edited 06-03-2001).]

[dasanudas 0]

Now that's good advice.

I'd hate to see our ole mate running full monty thru the rice paddies with a trail of fire in pursuit. Not that he would ever be swayed.

[amanpeter 0]

My body is male and now 49.I still remember the day I looked in the mirror and became aware

that my face was falling down.Like it was slowly starting to drip right off my head.Well I was

shocked.

I found that growing a short beard covers a lot and helps a bit with the melting face...old age definitely sucks in so many ways.

[Maitreya 0]

But my beard has too many grey hairs. No way out but Krishna consciousness.

[amanpeter 0]

Originally posted by Maitreya:

But my beard has too many grey hairs. No way out but Krishna consciousness.

Meanwhile...

[premananda 0]

Originally posted by Maitreya:

atma, LOL!!!!!! I have had this as a reocurring nightmare for years.Seriously!It always alternatives between Hindu mobs and Muslim mobs looking for me after being found in a daliance with someone's daughter or , ahmmm... wife.Always set locally however.definite confirmation.

 

I'm just going to chant and sightsee.So I plan on being good. If worse comes to worse I will have myself tied to a pillar at Krishna Balarama Mandir.Like Ulysses and the sirens.

 

More stories, more.

 

MC

[This message has been edited by Maitreya (edited 06-03-2001).]

LOL!

I am married with a woman from Sridham Nabadwip for six years now, and I never had a mob chasing me. If the girl´s family is good, then there will be no problem.

 

P D

 

 

[dasanudas 0]

No offence to your wife prabhu I'm sure she is a wonderful Vaisnavi and companion, as so many of the Bengali ladies are. My dandavat pranams to her and yourself.

My affirmation of Atma devis advice comes from some experience in the company of the Bengali ladies who are very charming and sometimes so friendly that one feels a certain platonic chemistry develop due to us in the west freely mixing with the opposite sex it feels quite natural to mix it with the girls when they show interest to communicate, I've done this various times out of frienship but the next thing the environment are all calling you a red monkey so I was just considering these experiences when I heard this story.

Gaura Hari bol

[atma 0]

Premananda prabhu: if I'm right, your Gurudeva lives in the shores of the Ganges in Mayapur, near Puri maharaja's temple. I know his family well and his girls when they were really little. His name was Pandu before he took shelter of Lalita Prasada. I'm talking about the same person?

Bhavananda got lots of his paintings for the Guesthouse in Iskcon.

[premananda 0]

Originally posted by atma:

Premananda prabhu: if I'm right, your Gurudeva lives in the shores of the Ganges in Mayapur, near Puri maharaja's temple. I know his family well and his girls when they were really little. His name was Pandu before he took shelter of Lalita Prasada. I'm talking about the same person?

Bhavananda got lots of his paintings for the Guesthouse in Iskcon.

Dear Atma

 

My guru was given the name Pandu das by ACBSP, when he got Hari Nama mantra from him. After the disappearance of ACBSP, Pandu Prabhu met Sri Lalitaprasada Thakura, who gave him the name Sri Pranananda Das and mantra diksha. He also called him "Gadadhar-pran".

 

y s

 

P D

 

 

[premananda 0]

My experience is that you are always called red monkey! I just tell them that they are black monkeys ;-)

It doesn´t matter if you talk to the local girls or not. I don´t think it makes things worse, unless you´re wearing saffron brachmachari cloth that is...

 

P D

 

Originally posted by dasanudas:

No offence to your wife prabhu I'm sure she is a wonderful Vaisnavi and companion, as so many of the Bengali ladies are. My dandavat pranams to her and yourself.

My affirmation of Atma devis advice comes from some experience in the company of the Bengali ladies who are very charming and sometimes so friendly that one feels a certain platonic chemistry develop due to us in the west freely mixing with the opposite sex it feels quite natural to mix it with the girls when they show interest to communicate, I've done this various times out of frienship but the next thing the environment are all calling you a red monkey so I was just considering these experiences when I heard this story.

Gaura Hari bol

 

[Guest guest]

Beauty is the sight of love.

Universal beauty is when one sees the whole universe in love.

[dasanudas 0]

Originally posted by talasiga:

Beauty is the sight of love.

Universal beauty is when one sees the whole universe in love.

Talasiga sounds like an interesting perspective

Any clues on how to attain such vision?

 

 

[Guest guest]

Dear Dasunadas

thank you for the welcome

 

It cannot be attained

It comes by Grace

Beyond our control

Our role

to be ever open

to its Coming

[animesh 0]

See the beauty in nature.

Rise early in the morning and see how beautiful the rising sun looks.

 

Look towards west in the evening. See the beautiful colour of twilght.

 

Watch the sky at night. See so many beautiful twinking stars. Watch moon playing as it hides behind a cloud and reappears.

 

Go to some park and watch beautiful colourful butterflies drinking nectar from beautiful colourful flowers.

 

I know that whatever I have written above has nothing to do with the topic but, at least, it will eat up jndas ji's server space.

[Gauracandra 1]

Actually Animesh I think you are right on target. Here is something I was meaning to ask in this regard. Why is it that when we are out it nature everything seems so beautiful? I remember going up to the mountains a few years ago, and hearing a river rush by. It was like all my thoughts were being purified just listening to the sound of the river. The air was fresh, the trees green. It was such a totally different environment from the city. Why is it that natural things seem inherently more beautiful? or is this just me. Actually there are many modern things that have a sort of beauty as well. Was it Frank Lloyd Wright who started the whole idea of architecture that fit in with the natural surroundings (I hope thats his name, else I'm gonna look foolish . So its possible to make modern buildings fit rather than clash with the beauty of nature.

 

Gauracandra

[animesh 0]

When we are out in the nature, then we are away from noise of city life. We feel that we have come into a clam environment and we enjoy that. The enjoyment is even more because we do not go to mountains, river side etc. every day. Only sometimes we decide to visit these places. So, the importance of these places is enhanced. Fresh air, green trees will enliven the mood of everyone together with bringing health benifits. There are some who have been in city life from their childhood days. For them going to mountains, river sides, sea sides is a welcome change. There are some who were close to nature in their childhood but when they grew up, they had to move to different places because of several reasons (mainly job). For them, it is like home coming.

You are right. The name is "Frank Lloyd Wright". He is known for what we call as "organic architecture".

[JRdd 0]

Also when we see nature we are reminded of its Creator, the Supreme Artist. It is easier to remember God when we are in His natural creations. Srila Prabhupada liked to quote Chaucer saying "Man made the city, God made the country". Many peoples' belief in and appreciation for God is due to observing natural phenomena.

 

JR

[premananda 0]

Originally posted by animesh:

See the beauty in nature.

Rise early in the morning and see how beautiful the rising sun looks.

 

Look towards west in the evening. See the beautiful colour of twilght.

 

Watch the sky at night. See so many beautiful twinking stars. Watch moon playing as it hides behind a cloud and reappears.

 

Go to some park and watch beautiful colourful butterflies drinking nectar from beautiful colourful flowers.

 

I know that whatever I have written above has nothing to do with the topic but, at least, it will eat up jndas ji's server space.

 

[amanpeter 0]

From a popular song:

 

"It would take, I know,

A Michaelangelo;

And he would need,

The glow of dawn,

That paints the skies above,

To try and paint

A portrait of my Love."