How did the Big Bang happen?
Unknown
What, if anything, existed before the Big Bang?
Unknown
What is the nature of dark energy, the dominant entity of the cosmos?
Unknown
What is the nature of dark matter, the second most prevalent entity?
Unknown
How did life arise?
Unknown
How did consciousness arise?
Unknown
What is the fate of the universe, for example, will it keep expanding?
Seemingly yes
Why are the physical constants the way they are?
Unknown
Why are there exactly four forces?
Unknown
Is life further experienced after one’s body dies?
Unknown
Which book provides the best answers?
There is no single book
-Dr Robert Lanza from the book Biocentrism
Chief Scientist at Advanced Cell Technology; and
Adjunct Professor at Wake Forest University School of Medicine
Here are my questions
Why is Big Bang and Evolution taught in school as factual incidents when there are still so many unknowns?
Unknown
How are scientists so confident they will find answers in the near future?
Unknown
Why is scientific knowledge not presented truly and holistically with all of its fullness and limitations at all times?
Unknown
Hare Krishna
Monday, February 21, 2011
Suvarnabhumi International Airport Thailand
This is the sculpture in the Suvarnabhumi Thailand International Airport depicting the scene of "churning the ocean" where the demigods and demons are using the snake Vasuki to churn the milk ocean for nectar. Detailed description of the pastime can be found hereAlthough majority of the people in Thailand are not Vaishnavas, still the people and the Government decided to erect the pastime as an indication of the once thriving Vaishnava culture of the region.
It is sad in India we are doing quite the opposite. I cannot remember seeing any such grand erection of spiritual pastimes in public buildings. In fact, the Government is making sure to remove any religious edifice in public buildings as to appear as secular and impersonal as possible as not to offend any group or political party. This is a clear sign of degradation of the Indian people - losing their spiritual roots, culture and heritage.
Hare Krishna
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Dual Mind-Consciousness Paradigm
Traditional approach
The dividing line between the self and nonself is generally taken to be the skin, strongly implying that I am this body and nothing else. Of course, when a chunk of the body has vanished, as some unfortunate double amputees have experienced, one still feels one-self to be just as “present” and “here” as before, and not subjectively in the least. This logic could be carried forth easily enough until one arrives at solely the brain itself perceiving itself as “me” – because if a human head could be maintained with artificial head and the rest, it would reply “Here!”
- Robert Lanza MD Chief Scientist at Advanced Cell Technology; and Adjunct Professor at Wake Forest University School of Medicine
Alternate approach
This has led some prominent researchers, such as the late Nobel-winning neuroscientist Sir John Eccles, to propose a dualist view of the problem, arguing that the human mind and consciousness may in fact constitute a separate, undiscovered entity apart from the brain
- Sir John Eccles – Neuroscientist and Nobel Prize winner
As you can see, these are two opposing views on the concept of mind/brain and consciousness. The traditional view holds the theory that the mind/brain and consciousness are inherently one (monist approach) thus tying the “self” to the brain where as the alternate view given by a Nobel Laureate and also supported by Karl Popper (Philosopher) say that mind/brain is separate from consciousness (dualist approach).
Both scientists use scientifically accepted methods to arrive at opposing conclusions. This is one example to elucidate the fact that modern scientific conclusions are relative to time, place, and person. It does not teach an “absolute” truth and is not intended to either. Therefore, if we want to understand the real purpose of life, then, we have to approach an absolute yet bonafide source.
The concept of the “self” is steeped in mystery yet Krishna proclaims with boldness that the spirit transcends death and obtains a new physical reality. It seems the Absolute and relative truths co-exist. The Vedic literatures claim that the individual person sees through the eyes, hears through the ears and feels through the skin. In other words, the “real” individual is not physical but spiritual. The external physical covering is a temporary reality. Majority of modern science and its laws are permutation and combination of this external physical covering.
The traditional approach defines “consciousness” based on the temporary nature of the physical body & mind. This definition cannot explain ghostly spirits or life-after death incidences or other paranormal behaviors frequently documented. The second definition, however, lends credence to the existence of a reality beyond the physical realm and hence can explain paranormal behavior.
There is growing body of research trying to prove the dual theory of mind and consciousness. Dr. Sam Parnia heads the inter-continental AWARE study conducted by leading doctors and neuro-scientists. More information can be found here. The AWARE research uses modern clinical and scientific methods to prove that consciousness surpasses physical death. There has been positive progress made in this regard.
In another place, the Late Dr.Ian Stevenson from the University of Virginia, School of Medicine pioneered research on the concept of “reincarnation”. Dr Stevenson used scientific methods to ascertain that reincarnation is indeed a fact and not myth. His work can be found here.
These studies and research only reinforce the words of Krishna spoken 5000 years ago thus giving credibility to Bhagavad Gita as a book of knowledge. What the scientists are trying to uncover in terms of the dual mind-consciousness paradigm has been dealt in detail 5000 years ago in the Bhagavad Gita. Studying it will help us understand the nature of consciousness and its concomitant factors.
Hare Krishna
Monday, February 14, 2011
Happy St Valentine's Day
When Lord Jesus left this world, His word spread across the lands and people took notice. His glories were spread through story telling. The speculation is that this story telling manifested itself as the “Gospels” of Jesus. The New Testament, today, has four Gospels (although it is reported there were more). The four Gospels are Mathew, Mark, Luke and John and all of them tell a story of Jesus in its unique ways.
Immediately after Jesus’s departure, perhaps in a span of 50-100 years, people took up to Jesus’s teachings devoutly and dedicated their lives to him in a sincere and ardent way. This uprising in consciousness resulted in a movement of sorts where the “early followers of Jesus” started to preach the mission of Jesus, helping the poor (especially the Gentiles) and enriching their faith upon the Father in Heaven. This movement brought about hope and inner strength among the common man. This uprising, of course, was despised by the Roman kings and they wanted to quash the movement. Now, keep in mind, there was no such thing as “Christianity” at that time…it was simply faithful followers of Jesus who transformed their lives and wanted to help others. This selfless service to mankind was seen in a negative light by the Roman kings. The Romans started to harass and murder Jesus followers, especially the serious ones. These killings, in fact, helped spread the message even more as the news of the martyrs spread long and wide and made the common man to take notice.
These martyrs were the true heroes and followers of Jesus Christ. Without their dedication and selfless love for Jesus, Christianity (although it is my opinion that the Christian practice today is not what the early followers propagated) would not exist. Although Lord Jesus initiated this movement, it was carried and sustained by these unsung soldiers of faith who then turned to martyrs.
One such martyr, it is believed, is St Valentine. Although there is no one commonly accepted theory of St Valentine, still the one thing that is commonly accepted is that he sacrificed his life for his love for Jesus Christ by helping the poor and spreading Jesus’s message. St Valentine, like others, was a selfless hero who preached the true “Gospel” of the science of “love of God” through service and giving.
Today is Valentine’s Day and we should spare a thought for St Valentine and his message as taught by Jesus Christ. The greatest commandment Jesus Christ taught and apparently propagated by His early followers were
“Love Thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul and with all thy mind” and
“Love thy neighbor as thyself”
– Gospel of Mathew ch 22 text 37 & 39
These two commandments laid the foundation for what was supposed to be a “pure” religion of God. Unfortunately, like many others, the influence of Kali has distorted Jesus’s teachings. However, on this day, while many are rejoicing partaking in sensual desires in the name of St Valentine, let us pray to follow in his footsteps by desiring to Love God unconditionally and desiring to help our neighbors (including our four-legged friends, plants and aquatics) invoke their own relationship with God.
Happy St Valentine’s Day!
Hare Krishna
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Just surrender to Krishna - fighting is useless!
Whatever Krishna does to His devotee is perfect. It is easy to say that, when everything is going the way you like it. But when everything is going against you by all material standards, to be very peaceful and undisturbed and say everything is perfect according to Krishna’s plan, that takes realization. If God is perfect, everything that comes from God must be perfect. The only imperfection is if we do not see the connection to God. Then our vision is imperfect. Everything is perfect except our vision. This consciousness is the only consciousness that brings peace. As long as you are battling against the material nature, let me tell you right now, you are a loser. No one can conquer material nature! As long as you are going to fight the problems of material life you are fighting a losing battle. Maya is so powerful (material energy). She is so powerful that the most you can accomplish is that you work so hard that Maya just plays with you to make you think you are winning.
- H.H.Radhanath Swami
- H.H.Radhanath Swami
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Ghost Versus Hare Krsna!
As soon as we entered the apartment we understood we were in for some excitement. We'd heard different stories of how this young woman had been terrorized by a ghost for the last nine years, of how just the other week she had been hospitalized due to a flying chair striking her in the head, and how she was now at the limit of her sanity. We'd been told of knives flying across the room, pictures leaping from the walls and levitating coffee machines. Chairs and other objects independently shaking and smashing into walls was a daily occurrence in this home.
"Hey, but ghosts don't exist". Well for many people and cultures they do. Ancient Indian culture explains that a ghost is someone, a soul, who, upon dying is not awarded a new physical body, but painfully lingers around in their subtle body made of mind, intelligence and false ego. Such a situation may occur due to a sudden death or extreme negative acts such as suicide, and is a position of suffering as one has a mind full of desires yet no body to enact them. Ghosts often take advantage of weak minded persons or those under intoxication, entering their physical bodies and attempt to enjoy through this borrowed facility. Many people cannot believe what they have done whilst under intoxication or depression, acts they normally would refrain from.
So, such was the situation we found in a quiet village just outside Rome. The woman and her boyfriend had tried everything they knew to free themselves from this terrifying situation. On one occasion they'd lit incense and chanted prayers in order to purify the atmosphere only to find the nearby wardrobe seemingly come to life and violently vibrate, splitting into two equal pieces. Upon moving the ruptured closet they had been horrified to find a swarming mass of bleach-white worms, quite different from the indigenous species, covering the wall and floor.
The woman explained that nine years before she had been the object of attraction for one boy in her school. Repeatedly denying his requests for a relationships, she had found herself cursed by the boy's satanic mother, who was well practiced in the black arts of witchcraft. She was told that she would suffer for the rest of her life for this refusal. That had been nine years before, yet with some incident every evening it already felt like a lifetime. One may ask why they stayed in the same apartment, why not move? Well, theirs was a family home for several generations, and they still lived with her parents. Whilst her mother was very sympathetic to her daughter, the father had been always skeptical. Most of the happenings had been directed only to his daughter, until he also started to experience strange things.
Out of desperation, they had once invited the local Catholic monks to come and assist. The monks explained that they could perform an exorcism on the woman but they couldn't guarantee the ghost would leave the property. "Anyhow, at least let's do something", they decided, although they were not prepared for what they would witness.
At one point in the ceremony with the woman white like a sheet, trembling and covered with sweat, they beheld countless 3-inch nails shooting from her mouth, followed by a deep ghastly roar clearly not from such a simple lady. Whilst the couple were completely shocked, the monks explained that it was all quite normal in these situations and that the Vatican was full of such incidents.
Seeing no alternative, the boyfriend called upon his parents for help. As they were Vaisnava practitioners, Hare Krishnas, for more than twenty years, they enthusiastically seized the opportunity and organized a troop of devout spiritual followers, we were seven in total. We meditated not only on trying to help the disturbed family but also on helping the ghost who was himself imprisoned in such an agonizing situation. Our strategy would be to perform loud, intense chanting of Krishna 's names which purify everything and are feared by fear personified. It is said that all negativity flies away when one chants the holy name of Krishna .This would be a chance to see how much we believed in what we had dedicated our lives to, were we really taking our spiritual life seriously or were we just pretenders.
We were not sure what to expect but we were certain that we wanted to experience something extraordinary. Were we ready for what was to come?
"Oh no, it's started....it's started!"
The expression on the woman's face changed rapidly as did ours. What we had been expectantly awaiting was now immediately happening. As soon as we crossed the threshold of the apartment our hearts had taken on a new gear, sensing the thick heavy atmosphere. As if to ignite fear within us, two pictures of Christian saints had sprung from the hallway wall and crashed to the floor. Was this a message from our apparently hostile poltergeist suggesting our own immanent destiny? As each devotee individually deepened their soft recital of Krishna's names, we confidently ventured forward. Within a second a dining chair in the adjoining kitchen seemingly leaped up and smashed to the ground, sending the woman into a state of hysteria, as she frantically moved from room to room. We had been in the apartment for about ten seconds and had already experienced more than we could have imagined.
Standing in the centre of the main room we all looked at one another for a moment and then spontaneously erupted into kirtan, the loud calling of the names of Krishna , themselves feared by fear personified. The leader of the chanting requested we all chant in unison with full voice instead of the usual call and response style we are familiar with. What with the accordion sounding, clay drum booming and countless hand symbols chiming, along with the resounding call of a conchshell being blown, overall the effect was quite tumultuous. Placing all of our breath into the chanting we searched to find the protection promised from these all powerful names of the Supreme. What the neighbours were thinking was far from our thoughts as we absorbed our minds in the pure transcendental vibration;
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
One of our party had brought several sacred Narasingha stones called Salagram, and proceeded to bath them with pure water. These transcendental manifestations offer powerful protection as well as removal of inauspicious obstacles on our spiritual path. Spraying the bathing water all around we gradually moved from one room to another ardently chanting the recommended mantra for this age, Hare Krishna.
Noticing that the heavy wooden dining chairs had each begun to vibrate, the woman lay them down under the table, all the while rambling through prayers in a frenzied manner. Her mother tried to console her but had little effect. Just then a wooden drawer from a cupboard in an adjacent room came flying across the ceiling and smashed against the wall just behind the woman, spraying its contents everywhere. We instinctively moved closer to the woman and desperately called out the names. Meanwhile, in the kitchen a devotee was offering the bathing water to drink for protection to the family, when a chair rose one metre from the floor and within a split second zoomed across the room colliding with the boyfriend. Seeing no other means to assist, the devotee practically threw the liquid down the boyfriends throat only then to see the coffee machine also begin its levitation.
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
We had been hoping to experience something and this local spook was certainly entertaining us. Whilst the dining chairs were continuing to vibrate we moved through to the parents bedroom all the while intensifying our chanting of the all purifying names of Krishna .Vedic scripture explains that these names, the Maha-mantra, being completely spiritual, have the unlimited power of God by which the dirt of our hearts can be cleansed. Just as the sun can cleanse urine and waste from the earth by its scorching rays yet remain unpolluted, similarly the names of Krishna can never be contaminated, yet themselves clean even the reservoir of dirt in our consciousness.
As we danced to the sweet sound, the woman along with her Mother and Father was standing in the doorway, nervously chanting to herself. She appeared distant, lost in her racing thoughts. At that moment, seemingly thrust up against the wall, she was pinned by her invisible assaulter. As if held by the throat she was dragged along the wall banging into her parents. Pandemonium arose amongst them as we chased after throwing our weapon of the Maha-mantra in an act of rescue. Again she was released, although severely shaken.
We had now been chanting intensely for forty minutes and still the atmosphere seemed thick and heavy with darkness. Although violent events had occurred to the family members, nothing had touched any of us who were taking refuge in the sound incarnation of Krishna's names. We all felt completely protected and fearless. With such faith in Krishna names as well as the mood of compassion to help both the family and their uninvited phantom, we courageously danced and span around the home. Gradually we managed to involve the family in dancing and chanting with us which brought unlimited heights of bliss as the father of the family smiled for the first time. Then the atmosphere lightened and everyone felt the overwhelming joy of freedom whilst chanting Hare Krishna. It felt like a wonderful sunrise clearing away the darkness and fog of the evening, whilst simultaneously eradicating fear of thieves and dacoits. Carrying on for another fifteen minutes we all tasted the true happiness of the soul as he reawakens his relationship with his long lost friend, Krishna.
With the mood considerably transformed we sat together on the floor and recited the twelfth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita in both Sanskrit and Italian, entitled Devotional service. We were refreshing ourselves with knowledge of our pure loving relationship with Krishna, whilst also praying that our poltergeist friend be now fully purified and able again to reawaken his own love.
We cannot be know what has happened to this ghost, although we are sure that immense purification took place not just for him but also the family and ourselves who came as menial servants of the sweet, all-powerful names of Krishna. By chanting the Maha-mantra we can purify our existence and fully reawaken our dormant love for Krishna and consequently each other. That love is within us all, even ghosts, but due to absorption in material pursuits we forget our real treasure within.
Since that day there have been no further disturbances in that home. That night was there first peaceful night in nine years. All glories to the unlimited glorious names of Krishna and all glories to the pure devotee of those names who has compassionately spread them throughout the entire world, Srila Prabhupada.
- Written by Sanatana Goswami dasa, Italy
Source
Hare Krishna
"Hey, but ghosts don't exist". Well for many people and cultures they do. Ancient Indian culture explains that a ghost is someone, a soul, who, upon dying is not awarded a new physical body, but painfully lingers around in their subtle body made of mind, intelligence and false ego. Such a situation may occur due to a sudden death or extreme negative acts such as suicide, and is a position of suffering as one has a mind full of desires yet no body to enact them. Ghosts often take advantage of weak minded persons or those under intoxication, entering their physical bodies and attempt to enjoy through this borrowed facility. Many people cannot believe what they have done whilst under intoxication or depression, acts they normally would refrain from.
So, such was the situation we found in a quiet village just outside Rome. The woman and her boyfriend had tried everything they knew to free themselves from this terrifying situation. On one occasion they'd lit incense and chanted prayers in order to purify the atmosphere only to find the nearby wardrobe seemingly come to life and violently vibrate, splitting into two equal pieces. Upon moving the ruptured closet they had been horrified to find a swarming mass of bleach-white worms, quite different from the indigenous species, covering the wall and floor.
The woman explained that nine years before she had been the object of attraction for one boy in her school. Repeatedly denying his requests for a relationships, she had found herself cursed by the boy's satanic mother, who was well practiced in the black arts of witchcraft. She was told that she would suffer for the rest of her life for this refusal. That had been nine years before, yet with some incident every evening it already felt like a lifetime. One may ask why they stayed in the same apartment, why not move? Well, theirs was a family home for several generations, and they still lived with her parents. Whilst her mother was very sympathetic to her daughter, the father had been always skeptical. Most of the happenings had been directed only to his daughter, until he also started to experience strange things.
Out of desperation, they had once invited the local Catholic monks to come and assist. The monks explained that they could perform an exorcism on the woman but they couldn't guarantee the ghost would leave the property. "Anyhow, at least let's do something", they decided, although they were not prepared for what they would witness.
At one point in the ceremony with the woman white like a sheet, trembling and covered with sweat, they beheld countless 3-inch nails shooting from her mouth, followed by a deep ghastly roar clearly not from such a simple lady. Whilst the couple were completely shocked, the monks explained that it was all quite normal in these situations and that the Vatican was full of such incidents.
Seeing no alternative, the boyfriend called upon his parents for help. As they were Vaisnava practitioners, Hare Krishnas, for more than twenty years, they enthusiastically seized the opportunity and organized a troop of devout spiritual followers, we were seven in total. We meditated not only on trying to help the disturbed family but also on helping the ghost who was himself imprisoned in such an agonizing situation. Our strategy would be to perform loud, intense chanting of Krishna 's names which purify everything and are feared by fear personified. It is said that all negativity flies away when one chants the holy name of Krishna .This would be a chance to see how much we believed in what we had dedicated our lives to, were we really taking our spiritual life seriously or were we just pretenders.
We were not sure what to expect but we were certain that we wanted to experience something extraordinary. Were we ready for what was to come?
"Oh no, it's started....it's started!"
The expression on the woman's face changed rapidly as did ours. What we had been expectantly awaiting was now immediately happening. As soon as we crossed the threshold of the apartment our hearts had taken on a new gear, sensing the thick heavy atmosphere. As if to ignite fear within us, two pictures of Christian saints had sprung from the hallway wall and crashed to the floor. Was this a message from our apparently hostile poltergeist suggesting our own immanent destiny? As each devotee individually deepened their soft recital of Krishna's names, we confidently ventured forward. Within a second a dining chair in the adjoining kitchen seemingly leaped up and smashed to the ground, sending the woman into a state of hysteria, as she frantically moved from room to room. We had been in the apartment for about ten seconds and had already experienced more than we could have imagined.
Standing in the centre of the main room we all looked at one another for a moment and then spontaneously erupted into kirtan, the loud calling of the names of Krishna , themselves feared by fear personified. The leader of the chanting requested we all chant in unison with full voice instead of the usual call and response style we are familiar with. What with the accordion sounding, clay drum booming and countless hand symbols chiming, along with the resounding call of a conchshell being blown, overall the effect was quite tumultuous. Placing all of our breath into the chanting we searched to find the protection promised from these all powerful names of the Supreme. What the neighbours were thinking was far from our thoughts as we absorbed our minds in the pure transcendental vibration;
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
One of our party had brought several sacred Narasingha stones called Salagram, and proceeded to bath them with pure water. These transcendental manifestations offer powerful protection as well as removal of inauspicious obstacles on our spiritual path. Spraying the bathing water all around we gradually moved from one room to another ardently chanting the recommended mantra for this age, Hare Krishna.
Noticing that the heavy wooden dining chairs had each begun to vibrate, the woman lay them down under the table, all the while rambling through prayers in a frenzied manner. Her mother tried to console her but had little effect. Just then a wooden drawer from a cupboard in an adjacent room came flying across the ceiling and smashed against the wall just behind the woman, spraying its contents everywhere. We instinctively moved closer to the woman and desperately called out the names. Meanwhile, in the kitchen a devotee was offering the bathing water to drink for protection to the family, when a chair rose one metre from the floor and within a split second zoomed across the room colliding with the boyfriend. Seeing no other means to assist, the devotee practically threw the liquid down the boyfriends throat only then to see the coffee machine also begin its levitation.
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
We had been hoping to experience something and this local spook was certainly entertaining us. Whilst the dining chairs were continuing to vibrate we moved through to the parents bedroom all the while intensifying our chanting of the all purifying names of Krishna .Vedic scripture explains that these names, the Maha-mantra, being completely spiritual, have the unlimited power of God by which the dirt of our hearts can be cleansed. Just as the sun can cleanse urine and waste from the earth by its scorching rays yet remain unpolluted, similarly the names of Krishna can never be contaminated, yet themselves clean even the reservoir of dirt in our consciousness.
As we danced to the sweet sound, the woman along with her Mother and Father was standing in the doorway, nervously chanting to herself. She appeared distant, lost in her racing thoughts. At that moment, seemingly thrust up against the wall, she was pinned by her invisible assaulter. As if held by the throat she was dragged along the wall banging into her parents. Pandemonium arose amongst them as we chased after throwing our weapon of the Maha-mantra in an act of rescue. Again she was released, although severely shaken.
We had now been chanting intensely for forty minutes and still the atmosphere seemed thick and heavy with darkness. Although violent events had occurred to the family members, nothing had touched any of us who were taking refuge in the sound incarnation of Krishna's names. We all felt completely protected and fearless. With such faith in Krishna names as well as the mood of compassion to help both the family and their uninvited phantom, we courageously danced and span around the home. Gradually we managed to involve the family in dancing and chanting with us which brought unlimited heights of bliss as the father of the family smiled for the first time. Then the atmosphere lightened and everyone felt the overwhelming joy of freedom whilst chanting Hare Krishna. It felt like a wonderful sunrise clearing away the darkness and fog of the evening, whilst simultaneously eradicating fear of thieves and dacoits. Carrying on for another fifteen minutes we all tasted the true happiness of the soul as he reawakens his relationship with his long lost friend, Krishna.
With the mood considerably transformed we sat together on the floor and recited the twelfth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita in both Sanskrit and Italian, entitled Devotional service. We were refreshing ourselves with knowledge of our pure loving relationship with Krishna, whilst also praying that our poltergeist friend be now fully purified and able again to reawaken his own love.
We cannot be know what has happened to this ghost, although we are sure that immense purification took place not just for him but also the family and ourselves who came as menial servants of the sweet, all-powerful names of Krishna. By chanting the Maha-mantra we can purify our existence and fully reawaken our dormant love for Krishna and consequently each other. That love is within us all, even ghosts, but due to absorption in material pursuits we forget our real treasure within.
Since that day there have been no further disturbances in that home. That night was there first peaceful night in nine years. All glories to the unlimited glorious names of Krishna and all glories to the pure devotee of those names who has compassionately spread them throughout the entire world, Srila Prabhupada.
- Written by Sanatana Goswami dasa, Italy
Source
Hare Krishna
Monday, February 7, 2011
Thursday, February 3, 2011
The common man who is blind, dumb and deaf
I was reading this article and what struck me are the comments from the common man. I did not read all comments but majority seems to be either sarcastic or angry that a cow missed slaughter. Normally I read comments of an article to assess common man's thought process. Clearly, slaughtering an animal simply does not evoke any compassion rather it enrages people that they missed an opportunity. How sad?
We don't waste a breath to glorify human achievements. There are so many institutions propagating organized religion which supposedly should be spreading peace and harmony. There are so many philanthropists studying socio-economic inequities and are finding ways to solve them. Yet on a day to day basis...the very same human beings involved in what seems to be apparent "humanism" engage in barbaric acts of bloodshed and terror within the animal kingdom. Not sure where "humanism" goes when someone is devouring flesh down his belly?
Personally, I am not able to comprehend such conflicting and contrasting ideologies. On the one side we have over whelming support to "save" the planet & people and yet on the other we engage in animal torture. This is hypocrisy at its best.
If a cow can jump a fence, cross the river and save itself...the majority of the commentators of the article (and I am estimating most of the general population as well) are so blind, dumb and deaf they cannot comprehend that an animal feels pain and pleasure and can think intelligently just as any human being? If this was done by a soldier of war...he/she would be honored for bravery and perhaps made into a Hollywood movie. Because it is a cow with no ability to talk "human" language, it is deemed to abuse, horror and ultimately death. If people of such a community are so blind, dumb and deaf to such a cause, then that people and community is condemned. Killing whimsically and wasting blood is not a sign of civilized humanity but rather barbarism. Indeed, we are living in such extreme conditions despite access to such information. In my opinion, there is no excuse!
I wish King Parikshith actually killed the personification of "Kali" 5000 years ago!
Article link
Hare Krisna
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)