Does the number above have any meaning...sure it does!...for MEEE!
I have wasted that many minutes in my stay on this planet so far!! Any mathematician out there are free to calculate my age...Thank you very much!!
OMG!...The clock is ticking...and the "TIME" skull can explode at any moment!
Friday, January 29, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
Compassion
This Krishna Conscious movement will spread only if we stop judging devotees and non-devotees. Srila Bhaktivinod Takur has said that we should show compassion to the innocent by giving them Krishna and show compassion to the offenders by being indifferent towards them. Therefore, we have to judge. But this judgment is founded upon compassion and not to prove a point.
Hare Krishna
Hare Krishna
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Devotees within the Three Modes of Material Nature
When I first got introduced to Krishna Consciousness, I thought this is the only path that can solve all problems (both material and spiritual) of human kind (in fact all living kinds). This preliminary faith was shaken as I started to encounter negative stories about ISKCON as an organization. I was having doubts on how devotees should behave and were behaving as I perceived it? I saw practical discrepancies in devotee behavior in relation to my preconceived notions of life as a whole and my then understanding of Krishna Con philosophy. All these thoughts disturbed me and caused me to question my own internal faith on Krishna Consciousness as a philosophy. I justified these thoughts as idiosyncratic devotee behavior or ISKCON behavior more than anything although internally I wanted to find scriptural evidence to rather gross material exhibition by so-called spiritual adherents.
As I started to involve more in Krishna Con activities, I was maturing as a person and as an aspiring devotee. I was starting to appreciate the illusory power of Maya for what it is and the need to surrender to Guru, shastra and Krishna as the panacea. In other words, there is a lot of grey area from becoming a non to aspiring to pure devotee. All have to make that journey from complete rebel to pure consciousness ultimately traversing the treacherous journey of crossing the three modes of material nature. While I inferred this conclusion based on my own experience as a person, devotee and generic scriptural reference, I could not find a text that directly talks about devotees and their attitude when in contact with the modes of material nature. All problems we face in society and also within ISKCON as an organization and between devotees are because of our attachment with the body and mind which are ultimately under the control of the three modes of material nature. Although we are aspiring to be devotees, this law applies to us as well as long as we are in the contaminated state of the modes of nature.
Below are direct references from the Bhagavatam on different devotees in the modes and what character that devotee exhibits. Personally, now I have shastric background to show that even though one may engage in devotional service in the form of a devotee, still we are influenced by the modes thus making us vulnerable to quarrel and hypocrisy. The degree of quarrel and hypocrisy depends on our association with that particular mode. So going forward, this will ease my agitated mind whenever I see a devotee or ISKCON behaving in ways non-congruent with spiritual values. After all…most of us are still in the journey of crossing the modes of nature towards the blue bodied lotus eyed personality – Sri Krishna.
Please read texts below.
Devotional service executed by a person who is envious, proud, violent and angry, and who is a separatist, is considered to be in the mode of darkness. – SB 3.29.8
The worship of Deities in the temple by a separatist, with a motive for material enjoyment, fame and opulence, is devotion in the mode of passion. – SB 3.29.9
When a devotee worships the Supreme Personality of Godhead and offers the results of his activities in order to free himself from the inebrieties of fruitive activities, his devotion is in the mode of goodness. – SB 3.29.10
The manifestation of unadulterated devotional service is exhibited when one's mind is at once attracted to hearing the transcendental name and qualities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is residing in everyone's heart. Just as the water of the Ganges flows naturally down towards the ocean, such devotional ecstasy, uninterrupted by any material condition, flows towards the Supreme Lord. – SB 3.29-11
Srila Prabhupada writes in his purport “The word "separatist" must be understood carefully. The Sanskrit words in this connection are bhinna-dṛk and pṛthag-bhāvaḥ. A separatist is one who sees his interest as separate from that of the Supreme Lord. Mixed devotees, or devotees in the modes of passion and ignorance, think that the interest of the Supreme Lord is supplying the orders of the devotee; the interest of such devotees is to draw from the Lord as much as possible for their sense gratification. This is the separatist mentality. Actually, pure devotion is explained in the previous chapter: the mind of the Supreme Lord and the mind of the devotee should be dovetailed. A devotee should not wish anything but to execute the desire of the Supreme. That is oneness. When the devotee has an interest or will different from the interest of the Supreme Lord, his mentality is that of a separatist. When the so-called devotee desires material enjoyment, without reference to the interest of the Supreme Lord, or he wants to become famous or opulent by utilizing the mercy or grace of the Supreme Lord, he is in the mode of passion”
Hare Krishna
As I started to involve more in Krishna Con activities, I was maturing as a person and as an aspiring devotee. I was starting to appreciate the illusory power of Maya for what it is and the need to surrender to Guru, shastra and Krishna as the panacea. In other words, there is a lot of grey area from becoming a non to aspiring to pure devotee. All have to make that journey from complete rebel to pure consciousness ultimately traversing the treacherous journey of crossing the three modes of material nature. While I inferred this conclusion based on my own experience as a person, devotee and generic scriptural reference, I could not find a text that directly talks about devotees and their attitude when in contact with the modes of material nature. All problems we face in society and also within ISKCON as an organization and between devotees are because of our attachment with the body and mind which are ultimately under the control of the three modes of material nature. Although we are aspiring to be devotees, this law applies to us as well as long as we are in the contaminated state of the modes of nature.
Below are direct references from the Bhagavatam on different devotees in the modes and what character that devotee exhibits. Personally, now I have shastric background to show that even though one may engage in devotional service in the form of a devotee, still we are influenced by the modes thus making us vulnerable to quarrel and hypocrisy. The degree of quarrel and hypocrisy depends on our association with that particular mode. So going forward, this will ease my agitated mind whenever I see a devotee or ISKCON behaving in ways non-congruent with spiritual values. After all…most of us are still in the journey of crossing the modes of nature towards the blue bodied lotus eyed personality – Sri Krishna.
Please read texts below.
Devotional service executed by a person who is envious, proud, violent and angry, and who is a separatist, is considered to be in the mode of darkness. – SB 3.29.8
The worship of Deities in the temple by a separatist, with a motive for material enjoyment, fame and opulence, is devotion in the mode of passion. – SB 3.29.9
When a devotee worships the Supreme Personality of Godhead and offers the results of his activities in order to free himself from the inebrieties of fruitive activities, his devotion is in the mode of goodness. – SB 3.29.10
The manifestation of unadulterated devotional service is exhibited when one's mind is at once attracted to hearing the transcendental name and qualities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is residing in everyone's heart. Just as the water of the Ganges flows naturally down towards the ocean, such devotional ecstasy, uninterrupted by any material condition, flows towards the Supreme Lord. – SB 3.29-11
Srila Prabhupada writes in his purport “The word "separatist" must be understood carefully. The Sanskrit words in this connection are bhinna-dṛk and pṛthag-bhāvaḥ. A separatist is one who sees his interest as separate from that of the Supreme Lord. Mixed devotees, or devotees in the modes of passion and ignorance, think that the interest of the Supreme Lord is supplying the orders of the devotee; the interest of such devotees is to draw from the Lord as much as possible for their sense gratification. This is the separatist mentality. Actually, pure devotion is explained in the previous chapter: the mind of the Supreme Lord and the mind of the devotee should be dovetailed. A devotee should not wish anything but to execute the desire of the Supreme. That is oneness. When the devotee has an interest or will different from the interest of the Supreme Lord, his mentality is that of a separatist. When the so-called devotee desires material enjoyment, without reference to the interest of the Supreme Lord, or he wants to become famous or opulent by utilizing the mercy or grace of the Supreme Lord, he is in the mode of passion”
Hare Krishna
Friday, January 8, 2010
The Body and Self
This ls the body which once cried
For mother's milk with stomach dried
When fed with love then it smiled
Fate had lot in its store piled .
This is the the body which went to school
Learnt a lot still remained a fool
Never knowing how to be cool
In ups and downs with knowledge as tool.
This is the body when young in life
Set up the family with its wife
Cut all life's hurdles and strife
Holding wealth as its powerful knife.
This is the body which moved around
All over world round and round
With people flattering always surround
Under strong ego having no bound.
This is the body which did not care
For poor and old people in scare
Always worrying about its share
Of worldly pleasures here and there.
This is the body now on floor
Lying unable to move any more
With crying people around before
Being sent for cremation ashore.
This is the body and perishable,
KRISHNA, you told it is unstable
And you are The Jeeva, unprerishable,
Come I will protect You from all trouble.
This body did not accept You
Oh Krishna , though You gave all clue
To lead a Life without You
Will end up in misery without rescue.
This body belongs to you Lord
Oh Krishna , now without a word
I surrender to you now onward
To ensure a place in The Eternal Vaikuntha.
- KOMBUR Kancheepuram MADHAVAN
What is submissive hearing
It means putting aside all your preconceived ideas, accepting yourself to be a fool and being willing to accept the superior authority without challenging the spiritual master and great sadhus. To open your heart, to open your mind, to open your ears, and to hear.
- H.H.Radhanath Swami
Love and Trust
Love and trust breaks down when we have separate interests, separate motives, when we want to be the enjoyer, when we want to be the proprietor, when we want to be the controller.
Love and trust is established when we want ONE thing – to be the humble servant, to be the humble servant of Krishna, of the spiritual master, of the sadhus (saintly people), to be the humble servant especially of one another. You cannot separate Guru from his devotees.
- H.H. Radhanath Swami
Love and trust is established when we want ONE thing – to be the humble servant, to be the humble servant of Krishna, of the spiritual master, of the sadhus (saintly people), to be the humble servant especially of one another. You cannot separate Guru from his devotees.
- H.H. Radhanath Swami
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Dark Spirit - is that an oxymoron?
"You can't actually see it directly, you can see it through its effects on stellar structure, star clusters, and dwarf galaxies orbiting around the Milky Way," explained David Law of the University of California, Los Angeles, the researcher presenting the work.
Scientists say that dark matter is a mysterious kind of matter that makes up nearly a quarter of the universe, but does not interact with light and so has until now remained invisible to scientists. - source - BBC News
So basically…although there is no direct perception of evidence, in this case dark matter, still the existence of dark matter is accepted by the large scientific community as it has an “effect” on its environment that the “effect” can be measured and the environmental changes can be recorded.
If this is how dark matter is studied and ultimately accepted as a valid scientific phenomenon…then why isn’t the concept of the soul studied in a similar way and accepted as scientific? The soul is also invisible. Yet the “effect” of a “living” body from a “dead” one is enough to say something exists before and after death. You can call it soul or spirit or life force or energy. Regardless of its nomenclature, something independent of the body animates or de-animates the body.
Scientists say that dark matter is a mysterious kind of matter that makes up nearly a quarter of the universe, but does not interact with light and so has until now remained invisible to scientists. - source - BBC News
So basically…although there is no direct perception of evidence, in this case dark matter, still the existence of dark matter is accepted by the large scientific community as it has an “effect” on its environment that the “effect” can be measured and the environmental changes can be recorded.
If this is how dark matter is studied and ultimately accepted as a valid scientific phenomenon…then why isn’t the concept of the soul studied in a similar way and accepted as scientific? The soul is also invisible. Yet the “effect” of a “living” body from a “dead” one is enough to say something exists before and after death. You can call it soul or spirit or life force or energy. Regardless of its nomenclature, something independent of the body animates or de-animates the body.
From the example above, I am assuming that because matter is not visible it is called “dark” matter…so perhaps using the same logic…we can say because spirit is not visible we can call it “dark” spirit. Now…isn’t that an oxymoron?
Hare Krishna
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