Lotus_eye

Nobody is born with any religion literally, but Krishna Bakthi or devotion to God is something that is being carried by the soul from birth to birth according to Sri Krishna in His Own words where He talks about it when Arjuna questions Him. Vedic principles are not religion based. Anyone can follow. In fact there was no religion existing in India until Muslims invaded and when they called the people living on other side on Sindu as Hindus. Europeans branded sanathana dharma as Hinduism to differentiate it from christianity and islam and other practices.. Sanathana Dharma is just pure principles of life any human can follow to reach the Kingdom of God ultimately. Nobody will be left out ultimately and regardless of whatever level a soul may be in evolution, everyone goes there finally with realization and thats the beauty of explanation and comfort one can get by following the foot of Krishna. Shyam

Will He be born on 22nd June 2009 of this kali yuga? Kali yuga is only 5000 years old and we have lots to go.. Before Kalki takes form, probably humans will be destroying themselves before that with their own inventions of different kinds... Kalki may not have any work by the time he appears...other than creating a big tsunami and cover the earth with water finally..

Of course Krishna is absolute truth. We are not talking about is Krishna a Vaishnavite here. A true vaishnavite is someone who follows the absolute truth without any contamination of anything. Jesus was a vaishnavite, Sankara was a vaishnavite, Buddha was a vaishnavite, Ramanuja, Madwa etc etc all those people were absolute vaishnavites. If you really understand the core meaning of the word, you will know the truth..

Its funny to read, Does personal God look like Indian?, Is there a Hindu personal God, Christian God etc etc., If He takes form in India, He looks Indian, if He takes form in Israel, then He looks middle eastern, If He ever takes form in United states, then He might appear any color, may be hispanic, or african american, or white or Indian or mediteranean or chinese. If you see the idols of Buddha made in China, Budda looks like chinese, while he was actually born in the Indian sub continent part.. If you see pictures of Krishna painted by Hare Krishna, Krishna has blue eyes, while in reality He was different. This is hard to explain, and the only explanation I can think of is, STOP speculating and contemplating..

A true vaishnavite is a true saivite or a true christian or a true musalmaan or a true sikkh, or a true whatever faith he has been raised... These words are mere words coined as per the language and the culture and society. But the ultimate philosophy is same... Technically one who empathizes, one who see things equally and one who does not discriminate.

Exactly..This is what I am saying as origination of new division. Saivism and Vaishnavism division must also have originated like this several years ago and people get into groups according to their masters opinion, because of fidelity. One who is able to liberate himself from all these divisions and one who is able to see everything equally regardless of whether a person is a thiest or an athiest or whether he worship Shiva or Vishnu or dont worship anything,, he is the one who is more matured. Let me explain in simple terms. A two year old cannot read or write. A four year old can write alphabets, an eight year old can read sentences and frame sentences, a fifteen year old can understand science and maths, a 40 year old can do research in molecular biology or computer science and spend hours and hours of days and nights in laboratory. Does it mean that 40 year who is a research scientist can laugh at 2 year old since he cannot read or write, or laugh at the 4 and 8 year old or anyone else? if he does so, his knowledge of understanding is nothing but just book knowledge and materialism, but does not show real maturity. Can a 25 year old who can understand the structure of DNA laugh at 8 year old just because he cannot understand? A 4 year old will laugh at 40 year old and may not understand anything on why that 40 year old is spending his life time in laboratory, instead of playing with the toys. Does this make a 4 year old right? in his thinking. Spiritual development or evolution is something like this, where every soul is in different stage of development but it comes in different births. No one can estimate the age of the soul or the number of birth it experienced in different bodies to say how old a soul is. So we see different people and just because someone is physically older and well learned, it does not mean he is really matured spiritually and just because someone is too young in physical age, it does not mean he is really young in the understanding of God. But arguments and discussions strike always. I believe in different births and soul keeps evolving in its understanding of God. So we see different level of people in the same school. A well matured soul who establishes something out of his maturity in final stage, need not have all his disciples of the same age of maturity in spiritual evolution. So there arises debates and discussions. Some agree and some dont agree. So differences of opinion arise and in many cases in course of years, they split and form their own groups. Each group becomes a sub-sect in course of time, or even becomes a sub religion deviating from the main stream. In another 500 years or 1000 years, there may be divisions of Hare Krishna too and who knows, whats going to happen. This is why it never makes sense in arguing what is right or what is wrong or who is superior or inferior and this only increases contemplative ideas and speculation. In thousand years ten or hundred more explanation of Gita might also arise and someone as mighty as Sankara or Ramanuja or Madwacharya or Prabhupadha might come and he might give his own explanation too and they will form another group. We cannot say it wont happen, because we have seen this has been happening all through out. This is how different sects arise. as long as we can trace history with our human efforts through archeology we can speculate what came first and when it started, but it does not mean that was the starting point exactly. So what is the point in contemplating or speculating on what is superior or inferior. Does it really make any sense other than just continuing the discussion or arguments?

The mantra is from Bhagvatam, I just changed the word "pathi" into "mitra" since pathi is for husband and Mitra is for friend..

I dont make pointless arguments. Its funny that Hare Krishna is becoming another religion now... there it goes the beginning of a new one. After some years, there will be fight between Vaishnavites practicing in India from where everything originated and Vaishnavites practicing elsewhere where most are converted from other groups and come with their background. This is a clear example of how differences must have originated..

correction made above

The purpose of "varaha avatar" of Vishnu is to teach humility and humbleness and paying respect in our understanding that Supreme. The divided form of Hari as "Trimurthy" Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma for different functions, Shiva's form is so huge in destruction of evil called ego (Shiva is the destructor of ego from which evil originates), when they were asked to search for Shiva's head tip, Brahma and Vishnu went in different directions. While Brahma travelled towards the head in seach of it (thats a different story why there is no temple for Brahma), Vishnu took the Wild boar form to reach the foot. Symbolism behind the story is Brahma represents knowledge in scriptures and knowledge of all vedas and everything, yet that knowledgable person thinks that he knows everything and so he proceeds to see the head, and ultimately fail to see it as it keep on growing, which means that he has not humbled and his knowledge of scriptures is a mere waste when one does not humble. On the other hand, Vishnu, takes the wild boar to reach the foot. The symbolic meaning here is reaching the foot is actually humbling oneself to show that you cannot understand God, through great knowlege of reading scriptures or anything, but only with total surrender of unspeculative thoughts of superiority or inferiority. Vishnu just touch the foot of Shiva and Shiva gets shocked and bend down to hold the shoulders of Vishnu, since he did not expect Vishnu to fall to His foot and during that moment Vishnu get to see the tip of Shiva's head. What it represents here is so evident. For one who never speculate on anything in his understanding based on what he listens or reads from anyone, but just blindly totally surrender, he really gets the blessing and seeing Shiva's head tip means, total understanding of the God through humility and humbleness.. A similar situation also exist in Mahabharatha. Both Duryodhan and Arjuna come to see Krishna to ask him to be their charioteer. Duryodhan out of his ego, sit on the head side of Krishna, while Arjuna sits on the foot of Krishna. The Hero (Krishna) as usual pretends to sleep knowing this (yet giving chance for the evil minded Duryodhana to humble himself at some point), wakes up and immediately see Arjuna since he is conveniently sitting on His foot and see Him first. (the symbolism here again is total surrender without speculation and ego). So he asks Arjuna the reason for the visit and give him the word that He will be his charioteer and then Krishna sees Duryodhana to say that, "Oh I am sorry, I just gave my word to Arjuna. Had I seen you first, I would have agred to you" (Symbolism here again is God is impartial in blessing, but one who is humble gets it first although everyone is given the chance to humble).

Sage Aghastya was asked by Shiva to go to south to balance and by balance it does not mean balancing the earth, although coloqially people think like that. Sage Aghastya was the first who wrote grammar for the language Tamil called Aghastyam from which Tholkappiyam originated and written by Tholkappiar. There were no saivism or vaishnavism concept existing before 2500 years or 500 BC approximately, and Rukmini Devi by herself was worshipping Shiva and Durga (Durga is also called as Rukminippriya poojitha that you can find in naamaavali). After the onset of buddism in kaliyuga there has always been confusion existing and this confusion is inpart of Kali's feature by itself. So it is true that there were constant misunderstandings and confrontations existed between people who demarcated the lines of saivism and vaishnavism which in essence is actually immaturity in the understanding. But spiritual maturity does not exist among everyone including those of well learned ones who are just well learned in scriptures but not necessarily in the understanding of that Lord Supreme. While Saivism flow started more from Sankara's period, He did not demarcate the differences which is evident from the fact of his own Baja Govindam. But its the later people who divided it and there are vaishnavites who spit on shiva and there are saivites who spit on vishnu who still exist in India and even elsewhere. There is nothing like superior or inferior but unfortunately many religious heads or the saints who established different schools have spoken using the words inferior and superior and this is the main root cause of confusion which is still continuing regardless of the Gurus and the disciplic succession. One who has really understood the Lord, wont be thinking or even get irritated or even consider difference because everything is one and the same. What makes the difference is actually the "maya" that clouds the higher knowledge. A person that insults Shiva takes birth as a saivite to pay respect and one who insult Vishnu takes birth as vaishnavite to respect that form, and one who understands truly that both are non-different is actually the one who gets liberated, because he can see Hari in Haran and Haran in Hari..

Arjuna had several wives and girl friends and yet he got the Vishwaroopa Darshan of SriKrishna, because Krishna decided to show him that Universal form. In my opinion and understanding, although still evolving, we all remain in different steps towards our evolution. As per Krishna's words, we dont get down, but only go upwards birth after birth. So if your mind wants to have sex with your wife, (She is after all your wife), there is no need for you to control and torture your marriage and marital blliss, because spirutual wisdom does not come overnight. Its climbing step by step. In course of time, you by yourself and your wife might get bored with the physical aspect of love, but will still love each other emotionally and stay together. This is evolution of mind in understanding of God. To practice abstinence, that is why some of the days in every month like Ekadasi, Dwadasi or on Pradosha days, we observe fasting because when stomach is empty, there will not energy for sex and moreover, a mind engaged in mundane activity gets a break and can better concentrate on the Divine. On the whole, no two individuals in this world are in same level or plane of spiritual maturity for anyone to give a right answer as what is right and what is wrong and who is going to Vaikunta after this birth and who will take birth again, because this whole process by itself is again decided by HIM and even our own actions are decided by Him. As long as your physical pleasures remain within the context of your marriage and only between you and your wife, it is okay to pursue and still pray to Lord and you are not going to be punished. God is not a task master holding a whip all the time... Krishna's best friend Kuchela (Sudhama) had 27 children, and comeon, those were born out of his pleasures, but he also paid the price of putting them in hunger. But yet Krishna did not leave him when Sudama went to Him for help. Basically anything we do materially, we also face the next step of that action materially. We all go through this cycle and in course of evolution of the soul, the soul understands the detachment process and in that birth, you wont feel like having sex at all.. I hope my explanation helps.

As how the Gopikaa's observed Vrata for Katyayani Devi to obtain Krishna as their husband, if a guy observe the same Vrata can he obtain Krishna as his friend, if not in exact Krishna's form we know, but at the least finding the love and friendship of Krishna in some human. What makes me do this is a situation with a friend who was as great once upon a time and like a switch turn, became entirely unbelievably different and started hating me for nothing. Whatever I tried, never worked to compromise or change his vicious mind but every incident keep reminding me that if I observe a vratam for Krishna (Durga), He will resolve it, since I believe that what I cannot do, He can do somehow.. Ashada being the month for the celebration of Friendship and Krishna known to honor true friend, I started to observe from today to get up early in the morning, take bath and with empty stomach without even taking coffee or anything, but with just devotion, make a turmeric deity and keep in front of Krishna and do my prayer offering whatever I could and chant the following: Katyayani Mahamaye Maha Yoginyadheeshwari Nanda Gopa Sutam Devi Mitru me kuruthe namah: I really hope it works as I have nothing to do anymore from all human angle. Does anyone has any experience in this regard? Please share with me your experience. Thank you

Both Onion and garlic are created by God only and there is no saying that they are rakshas plants. The reason it was avoided by vegetarians were because, they were considered to have aphrodisiac properties. Scientifically proven, Garlic is rich in amino acid arginine and low in lysine and onion too. But comparably the levels are far lower than the levels of arginine present in all the nuts. 100 gms of garlic has atleast a 1000 fold lesser arginine than 100 grams of walnut or almond or cashew. Then why these nuts are taken by devotees and offered to God who say that onion and garlic are prohibited without knowing the beneficial effects. Garlic reduces cholesterol in blood and keep in control. Arginine amino acid enhances the formation of nitric oxide that relaxes the blood preasure and hence garlic is good for someone who has high BP. Since its a relaxant, it also enhances erection and in fact nuts enhances erection more than garlic and onion since they produce more nitric oxide in the process. For someone involves in exercising and body building (no harm and you can still be a great devotee of Krishna even if you build your body like Arjuna or Bheema or anyone), in fact these vegetables and nuts are very helpful when taken with enough of soya protein since soya protein are used up in muscle building when released slowly aided by nitric oxide retention. I have no idea why people hate onion and garlic summarily when they are medicinal plants. Real aphrodisiac is actually the brain and one who control his thoughts can control his desires. Nitric oxide enhances erection only when the brain sends the signals and its not like viagra to bring involuntary reactions. For someone with Herpes infection both onion and garlic needs to be avoided since they are low in another amino acide lysine. Hope it helps Shyam

I dont know what to say when I read the postings on what kind of food to offer and what not to offer. I think one can offer anything to God as long as they have the pure devotion. But if your mind can discriminate between vegetarian and non-vegetarian food unlike "Kannappa Nayanar", then offering vegetarian food is acceptable. Garlic, Onion and some nuts are primarily rich in amino acids that increase the production of Nitric oxide that is involved in vasodilation and hence can be aphrodisiac, these vegetables and nuts are advised not to be taken if someone is observing fasting or religious vows, and when you offer to God, it becomes a Prasad and hence you need to take them. So when you want to control, you dont want to offer God what you dont want to take. thats the explanation I can think of from whatever that was written earlier as what to offer and what not to offer. But those vegetables and nuts are also created by God only and I dont think He dismisses them off. If a person is totally ignorant of anything but full of love and devotion to Lord, even if he offers meat, He accepts it and there are quotes in puranic literature for this. Personally, I like a particular brand of Ice cream in chocolate and nut flavor that I buy from K-mart and Walmart and to me whatever I like and enjoy the taste, I have to share it with Krishna and regardless of anything that is written or said, I first put a pinch of ice cream on my Krishna Deity at home and only then I feel like eating it. One of the days, I ate the ice cream outside my house, and thought about Krishna while opening the wrap and could not actually put a pinch on the mouth of the Krishna deity I have at home since I am outside. The thought brought a smile on my face although. That night I had a pleasant dream in which Krishna was sitting on my lap and I am feeding him butter with my finger. He was licking my finger the first time and the second time, he bit my finger and giggled and laughed. That feeling of a little boy of two years old biting my finger with love woke me up from sleep and in conscious state, I still had that feeling of biting on my right forefinger that I used in the dream to feed him butter. So as long as you have devotion, its okay to give Him anything you like.