Pretender

[theist]

Just read this article and found it quite good. Wanted to share it. This captures the feelings of devotees who are giving up dairy products.

 

 

 

Pretender

BY: JAGABANDHU DASA

 

Feb 29, FORT WHITE, FLORIDA (SUN) —

As mentioned by Sripad

Gadadhara Prabhu

in yesterday's Sampradaya Sun, Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada gives a beautifully concise summary of

ahimsa

, or non-violence in his superexcellent commentary on the 37th verse of the 7th chapter of the Second Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, as follows:

• "Lord Buddha incarnates at a time when people are most materialistic and preaches common sense religious principles. Such ahimsa is not a religious principle itself,
  but it is an important quality for persons who are actually religious
  . It is a common sense religion because one is advised to do no harm to any other animal or living being because such harmful actions are equally harmful to he who does the harm. But before learning these principles of nonviolence one has to learn two other principles, namely to be humble and to be prideless. Unless one is humble and prideless, one cannot be harmless and nonviolent. And after being nonviolent one has to learn tolerance and simplicity of living.
  
  
  One must offer respects to the great religious preachers and spiritual leaders and also train the senses for controlled action, learning to be unattached to family and home, and enacting devotional service to the Lord, etc.
  At the ultimate stage
  one has to accept the Lord and become His devotee; otherwise there is no religion. In religious principles there must be God in the center; otherwise simple moral instructions are merely sub-religious principles, generally known as
  upadharma
  , or nearness to religious principles."

How is it that I can conceive of myself at the ultimate stage and a devotee of the Lord, if I am not humble and prideless and therefore fundamentally unable to avoid being mean and cruel to other living entities? What to speak of being respectful and tolerant. Or training the senses for controlled action. In fact, if I am unable to express such

ahimsa

in my dealings with others in the world, how can I truly believe that my consciousness has evolved at all or that I've made any real inner progress towards the aspirant genuine development of True Divine Love?

 

There are those who are mistakenly disposed to consider violence based upon their particular subjective interpretation of Divine Teachings. Unfortunately, history is fraught with many examples of "religious" violence. In the time of Lord Buddha, even the

brahmanas

themselves became so corrupted with an obsessive attachment with the taste for the blood of bulls that they attempted to co-opt sacred Vedic sacrifice to attempt satisfaction of the unbridled lust of their own senses. This necessitated Lord Buddha apparently preaching against Vedic philosophy in order to circumvent blatant ideological misconception and consequential misrepresentation which had been allowed to flourish to catastrophic proportion in it's violent manifestations against the animals subsequently slaughtered. All in the "name" of religion.

 

Lord Buddha taught that if this violent display was considered religion, then religion itself must be considered a harmful influence on the real inner progressive development of an individual soul. In other words, if my so-called religious practice causes me to become harmful and cruel to other souls in the "name" of God, then never mind about my "religion." First, I must learn to treat others with respect which requires natural humility. And tolerance. If I cannot imbibe such preliminary spiritual teachings as espoused in Mahaprabhu's Third Beautiful Precept, then possibly my presumed apparent qualification and inclination to pursue more advanced Divine Lessons or Higher Teachings are merely delusory manifestations of false ego barely disguised as "religiosity". Maybe my so-called devotion is imagined and I'm not really religious after all.

 

 

 

[Beggar]

 

Just read this article and found it quite good. Wanted to share it. This captures the feelings of devotees who are giving up dairy products.

 

 

If it captures their feelings then it is only by chance because Jagabandhu has not given up dairy products.

[theist]

 

If it captures their feelings then it is only by chance because Jagabandhu has not given up dairy products.

 

That is quite irrelevant. The point is on the same principle that Buddha decried the animal sacrifices authorized by the vedas vegan devotees are decrying the animal cruelty and sacrifice of mother cow for their evening glass of hot banana milk.

 

The point is about Buddha and his teaching and not Jagabhandhu.

[Shivaduta]

[Beggar]

 

[Kulapavana]

"Lord Buddha taught that if this violent display was considered religion, then religion itself must be considered a harmful influence on the real inner progressive development of an individual soul. In other words, if my so-called religious practice causes me to become harmful and cruel to other souls in the "name" of God, then never mind about my "religion." First, I must learn to treat others with respect which requires natural humility. And tolerance."

---------

 

That is a very important point, often overlooked by the "orthodox" devotees.

 

And it applies equally to the more subtle, or psychological violence as well.

[Inedible]

Usually I have been told that it is necessary to be a religious person in order to gain a prize of some sort like enlightenment, heaven, oneness with God, or something else that is really good. The nature of the prize is usually a little vague, but it amounts to being a lot happier either when you are really old or really dead. In order to be a religious person so you can claim your prize, you have to act religious. In order to act religious, you have to suppress tendencies that are a bit too animal or too human. There is always a list of sins which must be avoided; some religions are more strict than others about these things. The usual method is "fake it 'till you make it" meaning that if you pretend hard enough you will stop being a sinner and finally be that religious person and you will gain your prize. Naturally, having chosen a religion, there are other people out there who are doing the same thing you are doing - and you can't really see how successful they are because these things are usually fairly private. If they are doing a decent job of faking it, you will tend to assume that you are the only one who is just pretending and falling quite short of the goal. Or so I have been told many times over. Guilt is an essential part of any religion. Everyone else can do this but I can't.

[Beggar]

<center>Sri Sri Prapanna-jivanamrtam

 

Life-Nectar of the Surrendered Souls

 

Positive and Progressive Immortality

 

by

 

Om Visnupada Paramahamsa Parivrajakacarya-varya

Sarva-sastra-siddhanta-vit Astottara-sata-

Sri Srimad Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Deva Goswami Maharaja,

the Intimate Servitor of

the Illustrious Universal Preceptor of Vaisnava Thought,

Vaisnava-siddhantacarya-samrat Jagad-guru

Prabhupada Sri Srimad Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Maharaja:

Part of Chapter 8

 

</center> <center>Sri Bhakta-vacanamrtam - Words of Nectar from the Devotees

 

</center> <center>Karpanyam - Surrender in Humility

 

</center>Humility is the natural symptom of the soul in his awakened state -

"O Lord Hari, You are the supreme merciful, second to none, and my condition of life is the most lamentable, second to none. O Lord of the Yadu dynasty, considering this, dispense whatever You deem fit for this sinful wretch."

Votary

 

The only hope for the soul enslaved by maya is the mercy of the Master of maya -

durita-dusita-mana asadhu manasa, kama-harsa-soka-bhaya-esanara vasa

tava katha-rati kise haibe amara, kise krsna tava lila kanbo vicara

<table width="95%"> <!-- Table 05 Row 01 --> <tbody><tr> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td>(Bengali verse by Sri Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakura)</td> </tr> </tbody></table>

"Sinful, wicked mind - full of evil thought:

lusting, laughing, crying, fearing - in worldly search is caught.

O Krsna, how will I develop attachment to talks of You?

how will I e'er comprehend Your pastimes ever-new?"

(Bengali verse translation)

 

jihva tane rasa prati upastha kadarthe, udara bhojane tane visama anarthe

<table width="95%"> <!-- Table 08 Row 01 --> <tbody><tr> <td> </td> <td>carmma tane sayadite, sravana kathaya, ghrana tane surabhite, caksu drsye yaya </td> <td>karmendriya karme sane, bahu-patni yatha, grha-pati akarsaya mora mana tatha </td> </tr> </tbody></table> e mata avastha mora sri-nandanandana, ki rupe tomara lila kariba smarana

<table width="95%"> <!-- Table 09 Row 01 --> <tbody><tr> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td>(Bengali poem by Sri Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakura)</td> </tr> </tbody></table>

"Dragged by tongue towards a taste, by genital to perversion;

<table width="95%"> <!-- Table 10 Row 01 --> <tbody><tr> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td>needlessly the belly craves lavish food consumption.</td> </tr> </tbody></table> The skin demands luxurious comforts, the ear demands sweet talks;

<table width="95%"> <!-- Table 11 Row 01 --> <tbody><tr> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td>the nose demands sweet fragrance, as the eye for scenery looks.</td> </tr> </tbody></table> Like a man with many wives, splayed by their demands -

<table width="95%"> <!-- Table 12 Row 01 --> <tbody><tr> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td>thus the mind is dragged by the senses' commands.</td> </tr> </tbody></table> O dear son of Nanda, this is my situation;

<table width="95%"> <!-- Table 13 Row 01 --> <tbody><tr> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td>how will Your sweet pastimes be my heart's contemplation?"</td> </tr> <!-- Table 13 Row 02 --> <tr> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td>(Bengali verse translation)</td></tr></tbody></table>

 

<!-- Table 06 Row 01 --> <table width="95%"><tbody><tr><td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td>

</td> <td>

</td></tr></tbody></table>

[Beggar]

 

 

More: Sri Sri Prapanna-jivanamrtam

 

Life-Nectar of the Surrendered Souls

 

Positive and Progressive Immortality

 

by

 

Om Visnupada Paramahamsa Parivrajakacarya-varya

Sarva-sastra-siddhanta-vit Astottara-sata-

Sri Srimad Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Deva Goswami Maharaja,

8.19

gauravatarasyaty-utkrsta-phala-datvam-aty-audaryatvan ca vilokya tatrati-lobhatvad-atmany-ati-vancitatva-bodhah -

vancito 'smi vancito 'smi, vancito 'smi na samsayah

visvam gaura-rase magnam, sparso 'pi mama nabhavat

<table width="95%"> <!-- Table 39 Row 01 --> <tbody><tr> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td>Sri Prabodhanandapadanam</td> </tr> </tbody></table>

Seeing the Lord's most munificent descent as Sri Gauranga who is the bestower of the paramount gift of love divine, the devotee, feeling insatiable desire for the mercy of this Lord, considers himself to be drastically deceived -

"Deceived, deceived, no doubt, deceived am I! The whole universe became flooded with the love of Sri Gauranga, but alas, my fate was not to get even the slightest touch of it."

<table width="95%"> <!-- Table 40 Row 01 --> <tbody><tr> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td>Sri Prabodhananda Saraswati</td> </tr> </tbody></table>

8.20

sri-gaura-seva-rasa-grdhnu-janasya tad aprapty asankaya khedoktih -

adarsaniyan api nica-jatin

samviksate hanta tathapi no mam

mad-eka-varjjam krpayisyatiti

nirniya kim so 'vatatara devah

<table width="95%"> <!-- Table 41 Row 01 --> <tbody><tr> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td>Sri Prataparudrasya</td> </tr> </tbody></table>

The lament of one deeply aspiring for the service of Sri Gaurahari, in the apprehension of not attaining that service -

"He casts His merciful glance upon even low-born persons who are unfit to be seen; yet He will not grant me His audience. Has the Lord (Sri Caitanyadeva) made His advent deciding that He will give His grace to all but me?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Malati dasi]

Radhe Radhe

 

This is what my guru, Nikunja Gopal Goswami the 13th generation direct descendant of Advaita Acharya, or Sri Sadhu Baba (as he preferred to be called) had to say about the topic.

 

Taken from his biography here:

 

http://home.planet.nl/~dijk7364/babajivan.pdf

 

pages 15-16

 

 

 

 

 

Hypocrisy

 

 

Niranjan Prasäd Däs: “One disciple asked Bäbä: “What is a hypocrite?” Bäbä replied:

 

 

“Withdrawing the hands, feet and other active senses and dressing oneself as a renunciant is

allright, but if one ponders on sense enjoyment for 23 out of 24 hours then one is a

hypocrite. One is not on the shore of a sense enjoyer and also not on the shore of the

renunciant – one drowns then. Leave one shore and come to the other – make a choice.”

Then he quoted:

 

 

karmendriyäni samyamya ya äste manasä smaran

 

 

indriyärthan vimüåhätmä mithyäcäraù sa ucyate

 

 

“One who controls the active senses, but whose mind remembers the sense objects,

 

 

and is bewildered by them, is called a hypocrite.” (Bhagavad Gétä 3.6)

Those who say one thing and do another, who pretend to be pure but are actually

 

absorbed in sense objects have surely practised in

 

mäyä’s marketplace. Many people falsely

 

 

 

 

dress like renunciants and make a big public show of tears and ecstasy. They will burn in

hell forever. Choose which side you want to be on –

 

 

mäyä’s family or Kåñëa’s family. Why

 

 

 

 

should you leave a good position to sit on an

 

 

äsana and renounce like a monkey or a cat? A

 

 

 

 

cat is pretending to be peacefully sitting around but when he gets his opportunity and

 

 

nobody watches, he will jump and attack. A monkey lives in the trees and looks simple, but

that is only external. His inner feelings are not at all renounced. Why stand with your feet in

two worlds? You will pollute this pure religious tradition by falsely dressing like a

renunciant. You know why I became a forest-dweller? Because there are no hypocrites here

in the woods. Even a thief here will not speak lies.

 

 

What will you gain by just dressing like

 

 

 

 

a

 

 

bhakta just to enjoy some facilities? Will you make your birth successful with self

 

 

 

 

deception? You have now taken human birth, make your choice! Go to Kåñëa, fix Your

mind on Him, He is so kind! When a child cries the mother is obliged to come and give him

her milk. The Lord is like a cow that comes running like mad after her calf when it runs

away. Why worry? Just call out to Him! You have now taken a human birth, now you can

attain God. That’s why you got the human birth anyway. As a human being you should call

out to God. There are millions of species of life, but the human species is the best – why

are you wasting this precious life then? You think it will come again?”