Different veda for different folks

[theist 1]

 

So ultimate knowledge is to know God. That is real knowledge. Vedaiç ca sarvaiù. Sarvaiù, all kinds of Vedas. All kinds, sarvaiù. So Bible can be taken as Vedas because it is trying to give knowledge about God, maybe for a certain class of men. That is another thing. But the subject matter is how to know God. So that can be taken as also, as Vedas. Because ultimate knowledge is how to know God. Bahünäà janmanäm ante jïänavän mäà prapadyate [bg. 7.19]. So we accept Bible also as Vedas, but we simply say that they misinterpret the Biblical commandments. Conv. July 21, 1973 London

 

 

[harish 0]

I do not agree.

 

What you say is, if I come up with a book out of my whim, publish it and 100 readers read it, and accept it, It becomes Vedas for the 100 readers.

 

We consider Vedas as the "primordial sounds" praising the Brahman with Rik, Yaju, Sama making sense.

 

I would agree if you would say that the Bible is like a Purana by following which, Bhakti-Yoga leads to devotion to a higher god which finally leads to Krishna. A follower of Bhakti Marga need not know about the Vedas.

[theist 1]

 

What you say is, if I come up with a book out of my whim, publish it and 100 readers read it, and accept it, It becomes Vedas for the 100 readers.

 

 

That is not what I say it was spoken by Srila Prabhupada. Not one word there was mine.

 

How do you accept the animal sacrifices mentioned in the vedas for example?

 

What are the vedas? A specific collection of writings or something more pervasive?

 

If more pervasive(or all-pervasive) if that same truth is found to be expressed in another culture, in another land,at a different time does that make it less veda in your opinion?

 

Please help me further in exploring this.

 

Hare Krishna

[AncientMariner 0]

Questions in regards to animal sacrifices in Vedas. From my limited understanding of Vedic animal sacrifices didn't the animal get released from animal body and get a spiritual body or something to that effect? So it was actually beneficial for the animal? Wasn't the purpose of the animal sacrifices to help meat-eaters to give up meat eating? In Kali-Yuga all such animal sacrifices are forbidden because the lack of qualified brahmanas and Lord Buddha had to incarnate and superficially reject tenets of the Vedas in order to help end the animal slaughter going on in name of Vedic sacrifice.

 

I can definetly see how God is in the Bible and I apologize to Christians because sometimes I criticize them too much. In fact I was talking to a Christian guy I work with and he is always talking about calling on the name of the Lord which seems to me to be somewhat similar to chanting Hare Krishna mantra.

[theist 1]

AM on what basis do you think Srila Prabhupada has called the Bible veda?

[Tarun 6]

Torah, Tenach, Bible, Quran r similar to lower (rajoguN/tamoguN) PurANas

Talmud is below tamoguN (if u can imagine such a thing)

[theist 1]

So then they may be meant for the gradual upliftment of man towards eternal understanding by are themselves not eternal?

[AncientMariner 0]

Yeah when Moses talked to Krishna in the form of the burning bush, Krishna decided that the primitive people living in the desert were probably not advanced enough to understand full blown Krishna Consciousness so instead of giving Moses a copy of Srimad Bhagavatam He gave Moses the 10 commandments.

 

 

 

[theist 1]

That's how I see it too AM. Knowledge is imparted at all grade levels from grade one to post graduate. And as long as one learns his lessons properly he will continue to progress.

 

For me now it's real basic. Stay out of trouble. Learn who I am and the basic fact that I am eternally subordinate to Krsna.

 

So much to know after that but first things first.

[harish 0]

I respect the act of beleif in one and only supreme God, The Bible preaches devotion to God just like the Gita, so does the Koran.(Maybe that is what Srila Prabhupada meant)

 

I was against comparing Bible to the Vedas in the sense that Vedas contain basic meanings and are the 'sound of creation' (for example AUM)

all the talk of Animal sacrifice and so on, are misinterpretations due to inabilty of humans to understand the profound(I can point to Veda Bhasya's that interpret differently). This is the reason why Vyasa Deva had to write the Brahma-Sutras.

Even the Gita is teachings based on the Vedas.

 

I think faith in Krishna should be based on a firm foundation like the Vedas: AUM->Vedas->Vedanta->Gita...

 

Otherwise I am afraid modern science can refute Bhagavatha, Bhagavat-Gita just as it can refute the Bible or Koran as compositions by normal well meaning human beings in history who exaggerated their experiences.

[krsna 3]

Disciple: Is there any way for a Christian to--without the help of a spiritual master--to reach the spiritual sky through believing in the words of Jesus Christ and trying to follow his teachings?

 

Srila Prabhupada: When you read the Bible, you follow the spiritual master. How can you say "without?” As soon as you read the Bible, that means you are following the instruction of Lord Jesus Christ- -that means you are following the spiritual master . So where is the opportunity of being “without a spiritual master?”

 

Disciple: I was referring to a living spiritual master.

 

Srila Prabhupada: The spiritual master is not the question of [“living”]... The spiritual master is eternal--the spiritual master is eternal. So your question is “without a spiritual master.” Without a spiritual master you cannot be--at any stage of your life. You may accept this spiritual master or that spiritual master. That is a different thing. But you have to accept. You say "by reading the Bible." When you read the Bible, that means you are following the spiritual master, represented by some priest or some clergyman in the line of Lord Jesus Christ. So in any case, you have to follow a spiritual master. There cannot be the question “without a spiritual master.” Is that clear?

 

(Questions and answers following a lecture, October 2, 1968, Seattle) /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Guest guest]

ALL is dependent on His Divine Grace, whatever form She may take, including Srimati Maya devi. While believing we have any control whatsoever in the process, our realization necessarily remains stunted. What is always was and will forever be, we have only to see. This will never happen so long as we depend on our own efforts in any way whatsoever. Surrender is first and foremost an admission of defeat.

[Guest guest]

Everything is there in the songs of David

dasya, vatsalya, sakhya and madhurya and more.

It is vedanta more than veda.

Creme de la creme.

 

Ever sung his songs as a kirtana?

Just taste it and see

[theist 1]

 

I was against comparing Bible to the Vedas in the sense that Vedas contain basic meanings and are the 'sound of creation' (for example AUM)

 

 

Yes I understand. What if that primordial and all pervasive sound AUM came to be manifested in the teachings of sages of a different land or even planet. It would still be veda right?

 

Now granted not everything that sage says may be on that level but some might be.

 

The bee may find nectar in the flower but that doesn't mean the whole flower is made of nectar.

 

 

[harish 0]

Having a closer look at your original posting, I have no big disagreements...

"...maybe for a certain class of men..."

 

 

however saying the Vedas are the vastly superior (not getting into all the details such as it's describing AUM) does not contradict your original posting.