The Roles of Vaisnavis in ISKCON
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Hare KrishnaBy Radha dasi

Srila Prabhupäda was unapologetic and unequivocal in his statements that women need to be protected at all stages of their lives. Often, however, we make assumptions about what form that protection should take. There’s no evidence that Srila Prabhupäda intended “protection of women” to mean they could not perform Deity worship, i lead kirtans, ii speak in public, iii live in temple ashrams, iv or manage departments. v To accept that understanding we would have to accept that Srila Prabhupäda failed to protect Malati Devi Dasi, Silavati Devi Dasi, Yamuna Devi Dasi, and many others when he engaged them in such activities. Continue reading "The Roles of Vaisnavis in ISKCON
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Does pursuing knowledge reflect materialistic consciousness – will it keep us dissatisfied?
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Podcast

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Romanticizing Reincarnation – The danger of divorcing knowledge from its purpose
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[Sunday feast lecture at Detroit Indian Center, Farmington Hills, USA]

Podcast

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Sacred Sound 2017 (7 min video) Indradyumna Swami: Over Easter…
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Sacred Sound 2017 (7 min video)
Indradyumna Swami: Over Easter weekend devotees from all over Australia, and beyond, came together at the New Govardhan community to chant and dance in ecstasy to the holy names of the Lord. No one, who was present, will ever forget the happiness and joy they experienced in each other’s association. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/L9h5e0

Easter Saturday London Harinama Sankirtan (Album with photos and…
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Easter Saturday London Harinama Sankirtan (Album with photos and video) Video clip:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidcphotography2/33902896232/
alternative version in case the above doesn’t work for you:
http://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_62fHs0aE5XaDJmOFg5ajNXNjQ
Photo slideshow (please turn on sound):
http://davidc.zenfolio.com/easter_saturday_harinama_sankirtan_15042017/slideshow
Photo gallery:
http://davidc.zenfolio.com/easter_saturday_harinama_sankirtan_15042017
With best wishes,
Hare Krishna,
David

Announcement for The Spiritual Scientist app
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We just came to know that the spiritual scientist android app has some bugs and it gives barely 10% of the content published on the site. We are working to fix the bug. but till then to get updates from the spiritual scientist site, please subscribe for the email feed here https://www.thespiritualscientist.com/subscribe/

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Questions and Answers about “Aham brahmāsmi”, Ego, Humility, Karma, Good Karma, Ātma, and Brahman, from chapter 13 and 8 of Gītā.
→ The Enquirer

QUESTION: If Prakriti is changeable then why can’t we change the situations that emerge for us?

You can change them.

Remember chapter 8, bhūta-bhavodbhava-karo visargaḥ karma-saṁjñitaḥ – “karma is the immediate cause of all manifestations.” You change your manifest reality by changing your karmas.

You can’t change the karmas you have already performed – so you can’t change the results they have already produced in the world. But you can change the future shape of the world.

QUESTION: If spirit doesn’t change with whatever happens in the matter then why does all Yoga practices have regulations as the first step?

It is not that matter has no effect on spirit. It is just that matter cannot permanently change the fundamental nature of what spirit is. The goal of yoga is to free spirit from matter. Therefore the yama and niyama are there to regulate its participation in matter.

QUESTION: Can the mind’s desirables be different for different individuals? Is that the reason pigs like stool and we despise it?

Of course.

But if all consciousness is same why in the first place this be so?

Again, remember the beginning of chapter 8: akṣaraṁ paramaṁ brahman – svabhāvo ‘dhyātmam ucyate. “Brahman is consciousness, but consciousness which has a particular individuality (svabhāva) is called ātma.”

We are ātma, that is why we all have different natures, and thus different karmas, and thus we produce different bodies with different desirable objects.

QUESTION: Even hunger is in the Prakriti, so that means the motivation for doing things is external to us. If that be so then how come the spirit becomes enjoyer or feels distress?

Consciousness has the nature of projecting itself into vehicles and tools of experience. Even when watching a drama, a play, or a movie, we can feel that sometimes, when the drama is very good, our own consciousness has projected itself into the character and we are crying or trembling as they would be. And we are wanting the things they would want.

QUESTION: Where does the first will come from that generates Ahamkara?

The svabhāva of ātma is the real basis of ahaṁkāra. In other words, the intrinsic individuality (svabhāva) of a conscious individual (ātma) is the real basis upon which selfish ego (ahaṁkāra) is built.

QUESTION: You explained that consciousness by its very nature is either bahirmukha or antarmukha. Bit can it also, at the very beginning, be Brahaman oriented, neither oriented towards Bhagavān [antarmukha] nor towards Maya [bahirmukha]?

Then it would not be ātma, it would be brahman. The ātma has subjective individuality as part of its inherent nature (svabhāva). There is no subjective individuality in brahman. So, consciousness that intrinsically does not identify with any subject or object is not ātma but brahman. It is not an individual entity.

QUESTION: Can you explain “nirgunatvat” a little more? You had said it means, “beyond limiting qualifiers.” But then even beyond limiting qualifiers it remains “I”, so how can being “I”  be beyond limiting?

If we explore it, we will see that a sense of “I” which is pṛthaktva (disintegrated from the whole) produces a reduction and limitation on the ātma. Conversely we can see that a sense of “I” which is integrated with the whole produces infinite expansion and non-limitation of the ātma.

QUESTION: Where does “Aham brahasmi” fit, in relation to Ahamkara and Aham-Artha ?

Ahaṁ brahmāsmi is a statement from Bṛhadāranyaka Upaniṣad, which Śankarācārya declared a “mahāvākya” (super-important statement).

It means “I am brahman.” In other words, “I am pure consciousness.”

It is an encouragement from the Upaniṣad’s for the ātma to seek something better than what can be produced in matter by its karma.

Advaita-vāda misinterprets it to mean that there is no ātma, only brahman. But this requires that they downplay the presence of two individualizing components of the sentence: the pronoun “I” (ahaṁ) and the individualised verb “I am” (asmi). Our understanding of the statement is that the ātmā will feel more at home in the antarmukha/brahman realm (“spirit”) more than it will in the bahirmukha/prakṛti realm (“matter”).

QUESTION: If humility is the first step in education, then a person in Knowledge should also be humble. Can we use this criterion to judge if someone is truly knowledgeable or is just puffed up with his education?

Certainly.

But be careful with your evaluations of others, for you may not be fit to judge. If you yourself are not humble, you may not be able to recognize true humility from counterfeit humility or might even mistake it for non-humility.

QUESTION: What could be the starting point to even comprehend the amazingly diametrically opposite qualities of root consciousness, paramatma? Can we say that his qualities are not like ours or should we comprehend them to be much beyond that of ours?

“tat-tvaṁ-asi.”
“ahaṁ brahmāsmi.”

In the face of such śruti why would you say that you are not like him? That would be a contradiction of śruti. You are like him, except that he does not have the flaws you have. He has your essential qualities, but not their flaws, because he has no ignorance.

QUESTION: Should we understand that Bhagavan has no material qualities or should we understand that He possesses trans-logical qualities?

There is no difference.

If something has “no material qualities” it means that its definition is beyond common perception. This, in turn, means that it is “trans-logical.”

Bhagavan’s qualities cannot be fully put into words, but it doesn’t mean they cannot be partially described. By partially describing them, the heart goes to him, and then, by direct experience granted by his loving connection to us, we comprehend the full Bhagavān directly, in prema.

QUESTION: If I am experiencing happiness most of the time, then how do I understand that my egoism is FLAWED? 

If you are experiencing happiness from your karma, then you must be doing good, non-egoistic things. Keep doing them. That is how good karma helps us progress.

But if you are wise, you will not find the results of karma to be very enjoyable because even when they produce their best possible results they generate fatigue and worry about protecting and maintaining the result, and require some work to create.

Vraja Kishor

www.vrajakishor.com

 


Tagged: aham brahmasmi, Atma, Bhagavad Gita, Brahman, ego, Gita, humility, karma

Easter – Srila Prabhupada on Jesus
→ Ramai Swami

Devotee: Prabhupada, you have said, “Preaching God’s message is a thankless task.”

Srila Prabhupada: Yes, just look at Jesus Christ—crucified. What was his fault? He was simply teaching God consciousness. Of course, he was not killed. Nobody can kill the Lord’s pure devotee.

Devotee: But ungrateful people tried to.

Srila Prabhupada: Yes. Such a great personality, the son of God. He wanted to deliver God consciousness. And in return, he was crucified. We don’t take Jesus Christ as insignificant. We give him all honour. He is a pure representative of God. Of course, he directed his preaching according to time, place, and circumstance, the era and region and people’s mentality. In any case, he is a pure representative of God.

Over the Easter period, there were about 400-500 guests visiting ever day at New Gokula, mainly coming up from Sydney and the surrounding areas.

Friday, April 14th, 2017
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Durban, South Africa

Jesus / Jagannath

Every year, the Christian community holds a procession in the Chatsworth area where I’m accommodated.  Perhaps it also goes on elsewhere in the Durban district.  Being Good Friday, Jesus is  remembered during this Easter weekend in many places around the globe.

The procession I viewed was comprised of followers on foot and in groups, each one having one person dressed as Christ, and two others as representatives of the Roman Empire who would feign flogging him as he carried a crucifix.  There were cries of “Jesus” in a joyous tone.  Most people in the procession were clothed in casual wear—T-shirt and pants, both men, women and children.

I’m glad to see that a spiritual theme of sorts is at the heart of Easter.

For Vaishnavas, those dear to Vishnu, or Krishna, (and hopefully perceived as dear to people) are also celebrating someone.  His name also starts with a J.  The name is Jagannath, which means “Lord of the World.”  It is one of many names which refer to Krishna.  A large procession takes place near the beachfront in Durban every year.  Here, Krishna, His brother, and His sister are honoured in wooden image forms as they are situated on three large chariots pulled by ropes, as chanting happily pierces the air.  Basically, we are looking at a re-enactment of an ancient festival from Puri, India.  To my knowledge the procession has been an attraction for 2,000 years in that part of India—Orissa, although the original chariot ride by the threesome was much older.

Apparently Jesus visited Jagannath in Puri during his time.

May the Source be with you!


6 km

Thursday, April 13th, 2017
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Durban, South Africa

Intense Fun

One of our girls, during our drama practice, went through an epileptic attack.  It lasted briefly.  Fortunately one of the boys had a first aid background and knew what to do.  The group of us came to her side and chanted softly.  She was revived in a matter of minutes.  She was such a good sport, I mean to say, a good team-player.  She smiled when she saw us.

“Does this happen often to you?” I asked.

“No, it hasn’t for a while.  Funny thing is, I work at a hospital.”

There was a hyped-up scene from “The Gita” that we were enacting and that seemed to stir her up.  The scene portrays the personification of the mind chasing the soul, the victim.  This scene usually excites the audience so I can understand how it arouses the actors.

Actors do try to get into their parts.  It is much like becoming one with the role in which you play.

Since I arrived in Durban it has been non-stop with rehearsals, sadhana(which includes walking) and giving classes.  I manage some sleep but not much.

The intensity of it all is somewhat easy to bear because the results are rewarding.  I’m seeing my crew (mostly young folks) thrive on the practices.  They are learning the philosophy.  And very important is the sense of numbers or counting.  It’s four beats or four counts, even to some of the martial arts moves.  Fun discipline!

May the Source be with you!


5 km

Focus on the best in the past, be present in the present and shape the future
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[Evening program at Grand Rapids, USA]

Podcast

Podcast Summary

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Did Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection make his blood pure, making him into God?
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Answer Podcast

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How can those with an impersonal understanding of God be helped to taste bhakti?
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Answer Podcast

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Although material things are temporary, those things matter to us – how can we balance our material and spiritual side?
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Answer Podcast

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