AncientMariner

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.

"A bona fide spiritual master is in the disciplic succession from time eternal, and he does not deviate at all from the instructions of the Supreme Lord." (Bhagavad Gita, 4:42, purport)

Here is a funny Prabhupada quote from Your Ever Well Wisher:

(And when a lady put forward materialistic welfare work as the highest good, Prabhupada had replied, "Your compassion is as valuable as blowing on a boil to heal it.")

Just crack open one of Srila Prabhupada's books and you are associating with one of the highest bhaktas in the history of the world.

I live so far from any temples and with all the political struggles going on I am not sure I would want to go to a temple anyway. I just have a bookcase with all my Prabhupada books and picture of Prabhupada that I put in front of the books and I pray to Prabhupada for guidance. It works great and I don't have to travel half way around the world to try and find a temple. I thought I read a story about a brahmana who was accepted back into Vaikuntha by just worshipping Krishna in his mind by cooking for krsna in his mind. Its all about sincerity. If Krishna sees sincerity he accepts the worship.

"Nobody is going to tax: 'You are chanting--give me this tax."

Don't give the government any ideas because I am sure there is some foolish politician who would be more than happy to tax people for chanting Hare Krishna.

I hope that Srila Prabhupada never gets stuck in that box that he is the only way to God. That is why I never could get interested in Christianity. I like Jesus a lot but his followers tend to be narrow minded and quite boring to associate with in my opinion and I have seen very few Christians that don't eat hamburgers. I am however of the opinion that Srila Prabhupada should be and is the only legitimate diksa guru of Iskcon.

The disciplic succession could never stop because it belongs to Krsna. There may be gaps in it from time to time but religion belongs to Krsna and He reserves the right to appear whenever there is a decline in religion. Fortunately for us in the western countries Krsna was able to find a sufficiently pious living entity in Srila Prabhupada to be our guru.

Apparently John Lennon didn't take Srila Prabhupada very seriously and look what John Lennon's "instant karma" got him. Sorry just a joke.

"Diksa actually means initiating a disciple with transcendental knowledge by which he becomes freed from material contamination"

(Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya, 4.111, purport)

My guess would be no. Srila Prabhupada apparently met and spoke with many celebrities and probably not very many of them took him seriously. That is probably part of the reason Srila Prabhupada said he would be happy if all his endeavors produced even one pure devotee.

"In other words, the spiritual master awakens the sleeping living entity to his original consciousness so that he can worship Lord Visnu. This is the purpose of diksa, or initiation. Initiation means recieving the pure knowledge of spiritual consciousness."

(Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya, 4.111, purport)

That is a very apt description of what I see when I walk out my front door.

"The chanting of Hare Krsna is our main business, that is real initiation. And as you are all following my instruction, in that matter, the initiator is already there."

(Srila Prabhupada letter to Tamal Krsna, 19/8/68

"Initiation is a formality. First of all you have to decide whether you will abide by the rules and regulations and become Krsna conscious. That is your consideration. You have to decide for yourself whether you are going to take this Krsna consciousness seriously. That is your decision. Initiation is a formality. If you are serious, that is real initiation. If you have understood this Krsna philosophy and if you have decided that you will take Krsna consciousness seriously and preach the philosophy to others, that is your initiation. My touch is simply a formality. It is your determination. That is initiation.

(Srila Prabhupada conversation, 'The Search for the Divine', Back to Godhead, #49)

Yep, I have always said to myself when I was a little kid that when I get old and useless I am just going to pack a bag and just wander around the mountains of Washington state. I might get assaulted by forest rangers etc. but when you are real old I think people will tend to leave you alone.

I had a representative of the Republican party call me and ask for a contribution. I told her that I only give charity to the brahmanas so they can use it to propagate Krsna consciousness and if the world would fully endorse Krsna consiousness we could go back to monarchy and be ruled by a Krsna conscious King. Only problem is in Kali-yuga even if a Krsna consious King got in power they could still become corrupted by sense gratification if the King was not a 1st class devotee. I guess in the Kali-yuga things are going to be in a state of chaos no matter what you do.

That is one of the difficult things about being human it seems its that there is always this endless vast darkness trying to pull you down every minute of the day, every day of the year. It never lets up. Who needs to watch a horror movie when in reality material nature is a horror movie. Luckily Krsna has given us an easy way out but most of us are so foolish as to not even take advantage of his help.

LOL. Looks like Prabhupada had some exposure to golf.

I chant Hare Krishna while I am playing golf that way I can get some recreation and not forget Krsna at the same time. I used to worry that I was offending someone or something by playing golf but I quit worrying about it.

Does this mean that anyone is qualified to chant the mahamantra? I know I am a person who is not free from material desires but I have been chanting for years now and I have noticed a lot of people tell me I am not qualified to chant but I keep chanting anyway.

"Just chant and be happy"

Now you guys have gone quote crazy. /images/graemlins/smile.gif No seriously those are very good quotes and I definetly should take them to heart as I am not always worthy representative of Krishna I shouldn't even speak on some of the matters I do. I apologize if I have ever offended either one of you by posting quotes etc. You both are very knowledgable and great source for learning about Krishna.

I was under understanding that all of those vedic social orders are all on path back to Godhead its just that sannyasis are recognized for strength of renunciation.

Its my opinon (which is worthless) that essentially Jesus was a spiritual master so in essence it is true that only way to understand God is through grace of spiritual master but it doesn't mean Jesus is the only spiritual master.

You are probably right. I don't know what Diksa and Siksa are? You have 2 different gurus? Is the first one you hear from and then the one who initiates you? Forgive my ignorance I don't understand the initiation process at all. I just read Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam and thought everything was answered if you chant and follow regulative principles but apparently it is more complicated than I thought. Sorry for my ignorance.

Empirical odds mean little when it comes to grace of spiritual master. You of all people should know the dangers of applying empirical speculation to process of understanding Krishna. /images/graemlins/smile.gif Just kidding. Just keep chanting and following words of spiritual master and your success is assured.

Srila Prabhupada

"Even a moments association with a pure devotee - all success!"

Revitananda

"Does that apply to reading the words of a pure devotee?"

Srila Prabhupada

"Yes"

Revitananda:

"Even a little association with your books has the same effect?"

Srila Prabhupada:

"Effect. of course it requires both things. One must be very eager to take it."

(Room Conversation, 13/12/70)

I thought that quote might entertain you. Srila Prabhupada was not only merciful but he had a good sense of humor.

That is a truly great post. Not that I am trying to be critical but I have personally witnessed so much nonesense in Christianity that I got attracted to Krsna for the same reasons. It offered the concept that God is just plain lovable (not that I am trying to limit Krishna). It makes you amazed more people don't realize and promote this.

I appreciate your support. It means a lot to me.

I think people are disturbed by it because they think if you place your devotion in Srila Prabhupada somehow the discipic succession will come to an end. I really don't understand that. I am willing to offer respect to any guru or spiritual master that is legitimate but Srila Prabhupada will always hold a special place in my heart because if it were not for his tremendous sacrifice I would know nothing of Krishna. I guess that makes me some sort of fanatic or monopolist. I mean there has to be some sort of -ist or -ism or something that describes people like me.