MOON - pls to conclusion and some additional important points

[Guest guest]

> Jaya Prabhu, this was my point all along. Now I might have gone about it

> in a wrong and offensive way, due to my envy. But let us please proceed

> from here. (I mean I pesonally came up with this qoute from Sadhaputa`s

> book)

>

> So how should I understand Srila Prabhupada`s understanding? Like I asked

> before, how is he all-knowing, tri kala jnana, above the four defects etc?

>

 

How should you understand? I just wrote to you one example, how to look at

it and be happy.

 

Like I alreay explained once, undertanding cannot be forced, this is so

because all depends on faith. Once devotee has stronger faith, he may not

ask same questions in the same way. That's how I see it.

 

I would like to remind, that we will not have complete understanding of

Srila Prabhupada just my discussing the example of moon. This whole

conference is ment for discussing things, in order to understand Srila

Prabhupada and how to apply his teachings in our personal life and in ISKCON

in general. It will take years, before we can say, that now we understand

much more. I know that you are very enthusiastic, but please, patience.

 

Right now I feel that there is no real need to continue with this moon or

hitler question, since we basically said it all there is. I feel that we

said enough on this subjects. Maybe, if there is really something important,

that you still need to say on this things, some concluding words, then say

it. Otherwise I suggest that we move on.

 

I would like to conclude the MOON (and HITLER), here are some points from my

side (please correct and add as needed):

 

1. Moon is in the sky and we have knowledge of it from various sources.

2. Srila Prabhupada is teaching us, not to take scientific conclusions

lightly, especially, when they contradict shastric statements. In such

situations, we always accept shastric statements, even if we do not know

exactly how and why.

3. Srila Prabhupada has not given too much importance to numbers - numbers

are used to support certain points.

4. From this MOON and HITLER example we can see, that message is more

important than technical details. Details may be sometimes wrong, but

intended message is there, perfectly expressed.

5. Technical details may be sometimes distorted or exaggerrated, in order to

emhasize importance of message.

6. Srila Prabhupada is never mistaken in what he is trying to tell us.

 

Plase, take into cosideration, that raising doubts in Srila Prabhupada will

always repulse older devotees. There is never any need, to test other

devotees tolerance in this field. Devotees are very sensitive, when such

doubts are raised and insisted on, while showing possible lack of faith. In

this situation devotees either smash or leave. And I don't want any of this

to happen in this conference.

 

Also, if I ponder over it, this conference is not really ment to discuss

Srila Prabhupadas motives, or whether he was mistaken or not. It is

distasteful subject to devotees, who consider Srila Prabhupada perfect and

unmistaken. Instead of pushing forward possible mistakes, we are better to

accept guidance from other devotees, who see no mistake in Srila Prabhupada.

I suggest that in this conference Srila Prabhupada is humbly approached as

100% right, no mistakes, no doubts in his words or activities, perfect in

all views, Founder-acaeya for ISKCON. I see this conference more as a field

for discussing our application of Srila Prabhupada's teachings. How ISKCON

applies Srila prabhupada's teachings in preactice. Why are we doing things

that we do? Discuss things, that are appearantly contradicted or deviated

from Srila Prabhupada's treachings. Is it really according to Srila

Prabhupada what we are doing, or maybe it needs correction?

 

For example:

"Does SP really want us to wake up for mangala?" or

"Does SP really want all ISKCON devotees to chant 16 rounds and follow 4

regs?" or

"Does SP want feminism and homosexuality in ISKCON?" or

"Does SP want that we fast fully on bhima-nirjala ekadasi?" or

"How to break fasting properly on Janmastami and Gaura purnima?" or

"In which cases does SP allow mixing of men and women?" or

"How does SP want us to deal with divorce?" or

"What does SP want us to do about Gurus falling down" or

"What standard SP wants for initiated disciples, what for grhasthas and what

for brahmacaris/sannyasis" or

"What SP means with -no illicit sex- for grhasthas?" or

"Does SP want us to read Gaudiya-math books?" or

"Does SP want us to communicate with other religions and how? or

"Does SP want that we follow his teachings exactly or that we interpret

them?" or

"Does SP want us to seek guidence from karmi sources, and implement karmi

methods in ISKCON, like mediation, psychology, managment, new age

technics...?"

"Does SP want, that we accept and support GBC, and what that means in

practice?" or

..

..

..

just a few points from me. Please add your points.

 

Basically, I wish that we discuss things, that Srila Prabhupada wanted us to

follow, but in ISKCON we are unable to, because we see the need to adjust to

wider population. Basically, I would like, that we discuss deviations from

Srila Prabhupada's teachings, what they are and how they can be corrected.

 

Please consider this points carefully.

 

ys gnd

 

>

>

>

> > Yes and the Bhagavatam says 200,000 yojanas which is 1,600,000 miles as

> > oppossed to Surya siddhanta which says 258,000 miles. Now I do not see

> > any contradiction in this, although I do not fully understand it.

> >

> > Now please explain where the 94,000,000 million comes into this picture?

> >

>

> Please read this. It is one idea how to look at it and be happy. As you

> suggest, 95,000,000 miles may not be numerically correct, but it is

> correct according to the point, that Srila Prabhupada is making, "if you

> put together the Bhagavatam and modern astronomy you get a contradictory

> picture".

>

> So Srila Prabhupada knew well, what he was trying to tell us. The numbers

> may or may not be correct, the message certainly is correct.

>

> ============

>

> Q: In SB 8.10.38p, Srila Prabhupada says, "The sun is supposed to be

> 93,000,000 miles above the surface of the earth, and from the

> Srimad-Bhagavatam we understand that the moon is 1,600,000 miles above the

> sun. Therefore the distance between the earth and the moon would be about

> 95,000,000 miles." Doesn't this plainly say that the moon is farther from

> the earth than the sun?

> A: In the summary at the end of Chapter 23 of the Fifth Canto Srila

> Prabhupada says, "The distance from the sun to the earth is 100,000

> yojanas." At 8 miles per yojana, this comes to 800,000 miles. We suggest

> that when Srila Prabhupada cites the modern Western earth-sun distance of

> 93,000,000 miles, he is simply making the point that if you put together

> the Bhagavatam and modern astronomy you get a contradictory picture. His

> conclusion is that one should simply accept the Vedic version, and he was

> not interested in personally delving into astronomical arguments in

> detail.

>

> >>> Ref. VedaBase => VCA 8: Questions and Answers

>

> ys gnd