Guest guest Posted March 30, 2003 Report Share Posted March 30, 2003 Note: forwarded message attached. Platinum - Watch CBS' NCAA March Madness, live on your desktop! http://platinum. "Bhakti Ananda Goswami" bhakti.eohn "Vrin Parker" vrnparker FOR VEDICULTURE Fw: Q & A Fw: important info added ANGELS, THE MESSENGERS OF HARI-VASU / ELI-YAHU Fri, 28 Mar 2003 16:43:47 -0800 - Bhakti Ananda Goswami Q & A Fw: important info added ANGELS, THE MESSENGERS OF HARI-VASU / ELI-YAHU HARE KRISHNA ! JESU KI JAYA ! THE SAINTS AND ANGELS KI JAYA ! REPRESENTATIVES OF LORD BALADEVA AS THE ORIGINAL SPIRITUAL MASTER JESUS PURUSHA KI JAYA ! SACRED TRADITION TELLS US THAT ONE PASSAGE OF SCRIPTURE CAN HAVE MORE THAN ONE MEANING AND THAT THOSE MEANINGS CAN ALSO BE "PERSONAL" OR TIME-AND-PLACE RELATED. THE BOOK OF REVELATION PASSAGE ABOUT THE ANGEL ARISING (NOT DESCENDING !) AND SEALING THE DEVOTEES IN THEIR FOREHEADS WITH THE "NAME OF THE LIVING GOD", CERTAINLY HAS ONE SIGNIFICANCE IN RELATIONSHIP TO SRILA PRABHUPADA ! THE LOGIC OF IT CANNOT BE DENIED, BUT THIS READING DOES NOT RULE OUT OTHER READINGS OF COURSE. HARI BOL ! SRILA PRABHUPADA KI JAYA ! BA G - Mark Bhakti Ananda Goswami Friday, March 28, 2003 3:34 PM Re: important info added ANGELS, THE MESSENGERS OF HARI-VASU / ELI-YAHU BA G: "HE WAS A HUMAN ANGIRAS / MESSENGER WHO AROSE FROM THE EAST AND CAME WEST ANOINTING AND SEALING PEOPLE DEVOTED TO GOD IN THEIR FOREHEADS WITH THE SAME MANUMISSION MARK " Then Srila Prabhupada is mentioned in the book of Revelation!?? *************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ANGELS, THE MESSENGERS OF HARI-VASU / ELI-YAHU ANGELS, THE MESSENGERS OF HARI-VASU / ELI-YAHU HARE KRISHNA!SRI SRI GURU AND GAURANGA KI JAYA ! >From Bhakti Ananda Goswami's HARE KRISHNA WORLD Forums Dear Bhauma and Krsnaraja Prabhus, Please accept my humble obeisances. Thankyou for your good questions. I will answer them briefly from both the Apostolic Catholic related and Eastern Vaishnava-centric Traditions. >>> Bhauma: What kind of beings are the angels? ANGEL is a rather generic term for MESSENGER that is found in the Biblical Tradition, where it usually refers to a more-than-human being that is a servant of GOD. It may also rarely refer to a human servant or messenger of God. Thus some 'angels' are human, and some are super-human and among these, there are many kinds and grades from elemental and planetary protectors, to transcendent beings in the highest heaven of heavens, who are very close to GOD. The English word ANGEL is related linguistically to the Anglo-Saxon word ENGEL, the Latin word ANGELU and the Greek word AGGELOS or AGGAROS. AGGAROS should be compared to the ancient Persian word for a mounted courier, and to the Sanskrit word ANGIRA-s. All these forms of the word retain the same meaning, which is MESSENGER. On pages 21 and 22 in Skeat's Etymological Dictionary (Oxford), the etymology of ANGEL is given with the meaning of Sanskrit ANGIRA-s as "a messenger from the gods to men (Macdonell)." In Fr. Raimundo Panikkar's translation of the Vedic Hymns, on page 869, he also compares ANGIRAS to the Biblical Greek ANGELOS, and says that they are the "...mediators between the world of Men and the Gods." In the Vedas, the ANGIRASAS are the sons of AGNI and the Fire Priests of the Rig Veda (pages 13 and 14 Harper's Dict. of Hinduism). Monier-Williams (page 8 ) compares ANGIRA-s and the Greek AGGELOS, AGGAROS, and cites the Vedic sources for the Rishi ANGIRAS, author of Rig Vedic Hymns, and son of Brahma, who was sometimes mentioned as the father of AGNI and BRIHASPATI or even humanity. To the unintiated, these bare facts do not reveal the all-important connection of the Angirasas to VISHNU WORSHIP. ANGIRAS RISHI was related to VISHNU WORSHIP, and the ANGIRASAS were Rig Vedic Purusha worshiping fire priests OF VISHNU. In fact, even the respected Christian scholar Prof. Klaus Klostermaier (University of Manitoba) has commented on the connection between Vasudeva-Krishna worship and the lineage of the Rishi Ghora of the Angirasa family (page 57, Klostermaier, 1984, ISBN 0-88920-158-7). Agni was considered the Tongue of Vishnu for accepting fire sacrifices. The fire priests who conducted such rites were also called PUROHITAS. So, keeping in mind the association of ANGIRASA with Krishna-Vasudeva (Vishnu) worship, let us consider the Helleno-Semitic connections between the Proto-Catholic Heliopolitan Platonic fire priesthood of HELIOS or ELI-YAHU and the Rig Vedic fire sacrifice priesthood of HARI or VASUDEVA (VISHNU). One is associated with the messenger Angels and the other with the messenger Angirasas. A FEW OF THE ANGEL / ANGIRASA 'SOLAR-FIRE' PRIESTHOOD TRADITION'S RELATED NAMES and TERMS 'HOLY' from the Greek HAGNOS is Sri Krishna-Vishnu's Name YAGNA. Both Sri Krishna and Sri Vishnu have multiple Names compounded with Their singular Name YAGNA 'SACRIFICE'. Lord Baladeva as the Cosmic Sacrifice is YAGNA PURUSHA. It is Purusha's Sacrifice that renders anything or anyone HOLY, by sanctifying or sacramentalizing the Universe and everything 'offered' in it ! In the original Greek of Jesus Christ's "THE LORD'S PRAYER", the Word / Name HAGNOS appears in the invocation "HALLOWED be thy Name". This may be variously translated such as "HOLY is your Name" or "HAGNOS (YAGNA) IS YOUR NAME". In Proto-Catholic Greek Heliopolitan Monotheism, HOLINESS / HAGNOS was associated with the so-called Solar Fire Priesthood and its intercessory sacrificial system. This Tradition in Greek HELIOS POLIEUS and HESTIA Monotheism is associated with the so-called Solar Fire Priesthood of Rome. Polieus and Hestia or Tyche (Roman Fortuna [Lakshmi]) are PURUSHA and PRAKRITI. The Roman Sole-Us = Greek Heli-Os = Jewish Eli-Yahu = Egyptian Heri-Asu = Sanskrit Hari-Vasu (Krishna-Vishnu). This is the Supreme Father God of the so-called Solar Fire Sacrifice Traditions. Related to the Roman State Vestal Cultus, the Ignis Fire-Priest of the Roman Hearth Tradition is the 'TYPE' of the Servitor Lord UESNOS. As High Priest He is the Flamen Dialis. There are numerous connections between the Fire Cult of the Roman Flamen Dialis and that of the Vedic Brahmin Deva Rishis and their Agni cult of VISHNU. Ignis = Agni, Eusnos = Vishnu, Flamen Dialis = Brahmin Devarishi, Vesta = Greek Hestia = from the Sanskrit root VAS. Compare Vastu / Vasto from VAS, as in VASUDEVA. Compare 3 meanings of the root WES / VAS, page 760, Skeat's ETYMOLOGICAL DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, 1983 Impression, Oxford University Press. Also consider that Vishnu is called Vastu Nara, Vastu Purusha and Vasto Pati. In Shaivism Rudra Shiva is also called Vasto Pati. Jupiter (YA-PATI), the Uesnos Hospitalis 'House Father' of the VESTA / VASTU Cultus was VISHNU VASTU PATI. Only the Flamen / Brahmin sacred Hearth Priest of the Servitor Lord Uesnos / Vishnu could light the Sacred Fire of the Ignis / Agni cultus of Hospitalis / Vastupati and Fortuna (Lakshmi). Of course the Original Forms of Jupiter and Juno (compare Yona / Gyne) in ancient Rome were the JUVENILE / YOUTHFUL JUVENALIS and JUVENTAS, Who were none-other than KRISHNA NAVA YAUVANA and RADHA NAVA YAUVANI ! Among the Greeks Juvenalis and Juventas were worshiped on the Island of Rhodes as HELIOS KOUROS and KORE or KOUROS and RHODA ! As Leader of the Sacred KYKLOS / CHAKRA 'CHORUS' CIRCLE DANCE, on Rhodes, Helios Kouros was called CHOREAGOS (Choreographer) and CHORU-AULOS, because He led the Sacred Circle Dance with a FLUTE / AULOS ! On Rhodes, White Cows and White Horses were sacred to Helios Kouros, and the Hagnos / Yagna Fire Sacrifices of the PROPHETAS / PUROHITAS and the AGGELOS / ANGELS Tradition were performed. Eventually with the coming of Jesus Christ, the entire Mediterranean Platonic Helleno-Semitic Helios / Eli-Yahu tradition evolved into the communion of the various RITES / RITYAS of Catholicism. Thus at Rome, elements of the Tradition of Soleus Hospitalis (the VESTA Cultus) Uesnos Juvenalis (etc.) were retained in the LATIN RITE of 'Roman Catholicism'. In the same way, local indegenous aspects of Radha-Krishna and Balarama worship were retained in the other Rites / Rityas of Mediterranean Vaishnavism as they evolved into Rites of the Catholic Communion. So it is that by studying any of the Catholic Apostolic Rites in-depth, one can find an astounding number of connections to the various Traditions of Vaishnavism. The Coptic and related Egypto-African Rites, the Jerusalem and Semitic related Rites, the Antiochine and Eastern related Rites, the Byzantine and Greek related Rites and the Roman and Latin related Rites altogether make-up the Catholic (UNITED or UNIVERSAL) Communion or 'Catholic Apostolic Church' of Jesus Christ the Second Person of the HELIOS / ELIYAHU Godhead and Self-Sacrificed Cosmic Purusha. The various 'Solar Fire' related indigenous rituals (Rites or Rityas in Sanskrit) of the Mediterranean Area worshipers of Polieus / Purusha Yupa Dhvaja share a common core of doctrine with those of the Eastern Rites of Purusha worship. In the East the Sacrifices of Purusha are found in Vaishnavism, Zoroastrianism, Shaivism, Pure Land Buddhism and other related traditions. Roman SOLE = Greek HELI = Hebrew ELI = Egyptian HERI / HELI = Sanskrit HARI (worshiped in the so-called 'Solar Fire' form of Monotheism) Roman UESNOS = Hebrew YISHMA = Sanskrit VISHNU Roman ESSE = Greek OUSIOS = Hebrew YAHU = Egyptian ASU / WASU = Sanskrit VASU (Hebrew TOBA-YAHU = VASU-DEVA inverted) Greco-Roman OSIRIS = Hebrew ASAR / AZAR = Sanskrit ASURA ( root AS / VAS Name of Vasudeva or Vishnu) Scripture Name ...Hebrew YEDA, Greek OIDA, Sanskrit VEDAFire Priest ....Greek-Jewish PROPHETA, Sanskrit PUROHITASeer ....Jewish Hebrew ROEH, Sanskrit RISHIFire, the Tongue of Vishnu ...Latin IGNI, Sanskrit AGNIThe Greeks called the fire priests of both the Egypto-Greek Helios and of the Jewish Deity Eli-Yahu PROPHETAS (prophets). These performed the same kind of rites as the PUROHITAS of VISHNU. AGGELOS (Angels called MALAK in Hebrew) were associated with the fire sacrifices of Helios / Elijahu. In fact these beings were sometimes see ascending or descending in the flames of the sacrificial fires. Thus there is a clear connection between the messenger ANGELS of the Biblical Deity ELI-YAHU and the fire sacrifice related ANGIRAS messengers of HARI or VASU DEVA. The seers or sages of the fire sacrifice cult of Helios / EliYahu were called ROEH and their Vedic Counterparts were called RISHI, both terms meaning 'seer'. Later the word Propheta for these fire-sacrifice cult 'seers' was confounded with the meaning of their other name, ROEH, so that by association, the Biblical use of the word for fire-priest came to mean SEER / PROPHET. The meaning of 'messenger' in general and specifically a messenger of Vishnu and the Vasudevas is consistent in the common Sanskrit usage, and carries through the Persian (where very early AHURA God's messengers had wings, for example see the Fravarshi of Cyrus the Great at Parsagard), and is preserved in the Greco-Jewish and Catholic Traditions. In Judaism's oldest scriptures the Angels are called MALAK in Hebrew. AGGELOS is used to translate the Hebrew MALAK many times in the Greek 'Old Testament' Bible Septuagint and Apocrypha. In the New Testament AGELLOS is translated 'angel' 181 times and 'messenger' 7 times. Beginning in the first Book of the Bible GENESIS (compare JANUS and GANESHA as the Patrons of Scripture, Writing, and all Creations and Beginning endeavors) the Hebrew word MALAK is translated as ANGEL 111 times, as MESSENGER 98 times and as AMBASSADOR 4 times. MALAK is also associated with royalty (as ambassadors of God), see 'begin to reign' 284 times and to 'make king' 39 times. ( Find any of these numbers in a good Biblical concordance with a Greek and Hebrew Lexicon.) ANGEL or MESSENGER is really a very generic term, and is used as such in the Bible. It may be used for every kind of celestial and actually heavenly (transcendental) being, and even for human messengers of God. ANGEL may even be used for 'rebellious' angels or agents of death and destruction, such as the 'angel of death'. Let us look at some of these different kinds of angels, or uses for the word angel as a messenger, and especially a messenger of the True God. In the Bible's Catholic Apocalypse (Protestant Book of Revelation) a HUMAN ANGEL ARISES FROM THE EAST AND SEALS (by anointing) THE ELECT OF GOD IN THEIR FOREHEADS WITH "THE NAME OF THE LIVING GOD". THIS HUMAN ANGEL AS A PUROHITA / PROPHET IN THE ANCIENT TRADITION OF CONSECRATION BY ANOINTING WOULD BE AN ANGIRAS. AS A FIRE-PRIEST REPRESENTATIVE OF THE BRAHMA SAMPRADAYA, SRILA PRABHUPADA WAS AN ANGIRASA( being in the Line of the Angirasas). HE INITIATED AND ANOINTED ACCORDING TO THE RIG VEDIC PURUSHA SUKTA FIRE SACRIFICE TRADITION, THUS REVIVING THE ANCIENT HELLENO-SEMITIC RITE (RITYA IN SANSKRIT) OF THE PROTO-CATHOLIC MEDITERRANEAN FORM OF VAISHNAVISM. HE WAS A HUMAN ANGIRAS / MESSENGER WHO AROSE FROM THE EAST AND CAME WEST ANOINTING AND SEALING PEOPLE DEVOTED TO GOD IN THEIR FOREHEADS WITH THE SAME MANUMISSION MARK THAT THE ANCIENT HELIOS AND ELIYAHU WORSHIPERS USED TO WEAR ! FOR THE ANCIENT MEDITERRANEAN DEVOTEES, THE 'URDHVA TILAKA' 'U' or 'Y' or 'V' MARK WAS THE SIGN OF THE NAME OF THE LIVING GOD YAHU THEOS / VASU DEVA / WASU THEOS ! IT WAS USED BY JEWS, PYTHAGOREANS AND OTHER HELIOS / ELIYAHU WORSHIPERS. THE GURU MESSENGER WHO INITIATES IN THE LINE OF BRAHMA AND AGNI / THE RIG VEDIC PURUSHA SACRIFICES MAY BE CONSIDERED A HUMAN ANGIRASA OR ANGELOS / ANGEL. In Jewish Mysticism there are also 72 Angels with the Names of God. These Angels' Holy Names contain elements of the EL (HARI) Name, and the YAHU (VASU) Name. For example MICHAEL is a compound of the Names MICHA and EL. There are scores of such compound Theophoric Names in the Bible and Jewish / West Semitic Sacred Tradition. Each one of these compound EL and Yahu Names reveals something else about the ELIYAHU GODHEAD. In the Judeo-Catholic Tradition, the angels were also revealers of GOD, and the guides and protectors of creation and humankind. Angels like the so-called 'Solar' Vasu Devas, Suras or Adityas presided over all of the elements, every organ and limb, every person and family, house, community and nation, planet and universe. >>>Bhauma: Does every person has his own angel protector like christians say? Yes. Such angels came to be called 'guardian angels' in elaborate Catholic angelology. The doctrine of these guardians in relationship to protecting devas as the good agents of GOD in Vaishnaism has been examined by Vaishnava Vedic Astrologers and Jewish Scholars like Isa Dasa (Jewish) and Jeffery Armstrong (Astrologer). I have personally discussed the Judeo-Catholic doctrine of presiding Angels from the Vaishnava viewpoint of presiding Devas with numerous Jewish and Catholic experts throughout the years, and it has always been agreed that these protecting planetary, personal and elemental devas are the same as some of the presiding or guardian angels of the Judeo-Catholic Tradition. >>>Bhauma: Should we pray to them? We should never pray to them as separate from or, equal to the Supreme Lord, but we can venerate (not 'adore' ) them, and pray to them as great devotees and agents of the Lord. Thus the Catholic Church actually encourages praying for the help of one's guardian angel. There are many other beings generally called 'angels' in the Judeo-Catholic Tradition. Some of these are hierarchically ranked as (highest to lowest) Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones, then Dominions, Virtues, Powers, and lastly Principalities, Archangels and Angels. They may be venerated (worshiped appropriately) by the faithful, just as Saints may be venerated as the servants, sons and daughters, friends, parents or even brides of God in the Catholic Tradition. >>>Krsnaraja replied on 2/27/2003 4:50:16 AM: dear kalki prabhu, angels are krsna`s servants, one is his associate and the other, have managed to merge unto the lord`s bhramajyoti. we can`t say the latter has fallen because there`s no platform in the first to fall into. and angels float. one is floating and flying in fields of goloka vrndavan, and the other is floating and flying around a bottomless pit, which is the abyss or hell. do you have therefore an angel which is applicable to both of the above? KrsnarajaI recommend that you read the story of Rahu-Ketu, keeping the story of Satan's casting-out-of-heaven in mind. SETU / KETU and his minions the RAHUS become the arch enemies of Hari and the Suragana / Godly. Half of Rahu-Ketu stays in the Celestial Realm becoming the cosmic force of destruction, and half of him is cast down to the earth, where he and his rahu-minions cause disasters, disease, madness, possession and death. In the Egypto-African and Helleno-Semitic Traditions Setu or Satan is associated with CATABOLISM and the Hebrew word CHET or CHATA is used for 'SIN' 195 times in the Hebrew Scriptures. In Biblical Hebrew, evil, wickedness or destruction is expressed by the letters RESH-AYIN (usually now translated R-A) over 100 times. Satan is also called the evil DRAGON, which is KETOS in Greek ! Thus it is clear that Rahu-Ketu is the cosmic arch-enemy of Hari / Eli and the Sura gana. R A or CHET (SETU or KETOS the Evil Dragon / ANTI-CHRIST) is the Biblical catabolic Destroyer and Evil-Sin Personified SATAN. In Egyptian SETU is also associated with PP or 'SIN', which is clearly the Sanskrit word PAPA for 'sin'. This arch-foe of God should not be confused with SHIVA or the delivering-by-annihilation Form of God. As the Enemy of beauty, truth, goodness, life, health and order, Rahu-Ketu and and his rahu-minions are combated by the Lord in His various salvific descents. Thus as ANANTA CHARAKA THE GREAT PHYSICIAN, Lord Baladeva descends as the Ayur Vedic Savior ASCLEPIUS or JESUS CHRIST (SERAPIS in Egypt, YAKUSHI-JI in Japan etc.) to defeat Rahu-ketu / Satan and relieve the suffering of all beings, restoring LIFE, health and good order to His creation. >>>Bhauma replied on 2/28/2003 11:28:08 AM: it means that angels are not like christians say with the wings,in white cloth?Since there are countless 'angels' and Forms of the Messengers of Godhead of many kinds, why not ? Why reject the iconographic tradition of the white robed winged beings? Is there not enough room in all the various heavens for some angels with white robes and wings? In ancient Egypt, Israel and Judah, Ananta Sesha Naga was sometimes depicted with wings and then called a SERAPH. This Winged Serpent Form of His in China is the Good Dragon of Mother Kuan Yin. In the early Sumerian and Assyrian and Persian Traditions, and in Egypt the Lord and His expansions or representatives were sometimes depicted as having multiple arms or limbs and some of these were sometimes wings or wings with hands. Thus the Lion Headed wrathful Form of God as Time in these areas sometimes had multiple arms and sometimes multiple wings, and sometimes wing-arms (with hands) and sometimes both wings and arms. Six was a common number. I have personally seen these kinds of ancient Icons of the Lord with six limbs ( arms, or wings, or wings and arms) many times in my studies. It is often purely prejudice that blinds people to recognizing GOD when he appears before them in His unfamiliar Multi-Form. Be open to God ! Open your hearts and Minds my dear brothers and you will begin to see Him everywhere! Do not let your minds dictate to God what He can look like, or who He can choose for His devotees, and what they can look like !>>>Bhauma: They are spiritual beings from srimad bhagavatam? >>>Krsnaraja replied on 3/1/2003 10:37:53 PM: dear kalki7, remember ajamila? ajamila was brought to the supreme court to be judged by lord yamaraja, the latter having been accused of committing acts which offended good itself. ajamila was a vaishnava but later in his life forgot about the instructions given to him by good itself. in fact, a.j. was an adulterer but because of his being a vaishnava, his sin was abominable when compared to those who were devoid of good consciousness. eventually ajamila was saved after he uttered good`s holy [Name]: narayana. instantly the visnuduta arrived to stop the yamadutas from bringing ajamila to the court room presided by lord yamaraja. the rest therefore is history. in other words, if you read srimad bhagavatam compiled my good himself, a.c. bhaktivedanta swami prabhupad, did you ever see these angles [angels], yamadutas and visnudutas, sporting wings?of course not! When a language's word for appendage or limb is non-specific, then the same Shastric description may be iconographically rendered with any combination of arms, wings, or both, or composit wings-with-hands, which are very common in the Vaishnava-related Traditions from Persia to Europe and Africa. There is also a pictorial pun in the root of the Names 'Angel' and 'Angiras', because ANGA can also mean 'limb'. Commonly in the East, the Vishnu Duttas have four arms, while in the Mediterranean the Messengers of Eli-Yahu (the Biblical Deity) have two arms and two wings. Ancient Icons of Biblical Seraphim (Angels) often have hands on or under their wings, and may have two arms and four to six wings or wing-with-hands. Anantadeva as the Egypto-Jewish Seraphic Sesha Nachash (Sarpa Sesha Naga) was depicted as a Giant Egyptian Cobra, Who sometimes had WINGS or WINGS WITH HANDS. When Anantadeva was depicted with wings, He was called a DRAGON, or celestial Naga. He was worshiped this way by the ancient Jews and Egyptians, and is still worshiped this way (with wings) throughout the Orient / Buddhist Lands. 'Anga' meaning 'limb' has another meaning from what is folded, curved or bent. Thus in English, ANKLE and ANGLE are both from this root. The Vishnudutta and Yamadutta messengers of Vishnu and Yama would qualify as kinds of angels. The Vishnu Duttas have a form like the Lord's. They look like Jaya and Vijaya in Vaikuntha. The Guards in front of ancient Pure Land Buddhist Shrines used to look just like Jaya and Vijaya. I saw many of these while studying Pure Land Buddhist archaeological sites in Sri Lanka and Nepal. The Guards or Fravarshis outside the throne rooms in Pre-Z. and Zoroastrian Persia and Egypt would often have wings instead of more than two arms. Of course in Catholicism, 'Angels' guard both the gates of the Heavenly Jerusalem, where God is worshiped in awe and reverence as the King of Kings (BASILEOS BASILEOS = VASUDEVA OF THE VASUDEVAS), and they also guard the passage way to the Garden of Paradise. There,God sports with His Brides and Brides-Maidens and dances His sacred CHORUS / HORA CIRCLE DANCE, the CAROLING 'Angelic Round' of God as KOURU-AULOS. The word 'CAROL' is derived from KOURU-AULOS, because the Lord, as the Ever New Beauty and *Lover of the soul, led His sacred CAKRA / KYKLOS or Circle Dance (CHORUS) while PLAYING ON HIS FLUTE / AULOS ! The Iconographic variations within Indian Vaishnavism are so extreme, that it is simply illogical to dismiss Iconographic variations from outside India as somehow less sacred than those from inside India. The Lord has infinite Forms and Names, and His devotees do too ! The same principle of simultaneous one-and-difference applies to differences in Form, color, hair, decoration and dress etc. The Lord's Forms are so astoundingly variegated within the Eastern Bhakti Traditions, that it is simply ridiculous to dis-allow Him the same degree of difference outside of the Eastern Traditions. *The Biblical Shastric reference for the Lord as the eternal Beautiful Youth and Lover is the "Song of Songs", "Song of Solomon", or "Canticle of Canticles" found in the Hebrew or Greek Jewish Scriptures, and in the Catholic / Christian Bible 'Old Testament'. Catholic theologians have always refered to the "Song's" tradition of God as Lover as 'Bridal Mysticism'. May the Messengers of God bless us all with His constant remembrance and service in the Communion of His Divine Love ! May Hare Harini Narayani Yauvani Radha, Who is Rani the Queen of Heaven (our Lady Kore Coronis Mariam Juventas Rhoda Mystica, Regina Queen of Heaven) keep us all in Her employment here and hereafter ! your aspiring servant, Bhakti Ananda Goswami World Vaishnava Association Interfaith Committee PS Dear Jagganatha's Chakra Friends, Due to health reasons I will no longer be able to carry on trying to develop the Interfaith Committee for the World Vaishnava Association, or to post to HARE KRISHNA WORLD, and thus I am looking for a very knowledgable devotee to take over either-and-or both of these services for me. If you are a traditionalist (not a New Age syncretist), respect the principle of sacred traditions (Guru, Shastra and Sadhu) and can provide reliable answers to the devotees' interreligious questions. Please contact me privately if you are interested in this interfaith service. pax and prema !Bhakti Ananda Goswami Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.