The snake and a mouse

[realist]

A snake and a mouse were once caught in a basket. The snake said to the mouse,

 

"Look, I could eat you very easily, but it's more important for me to get out of this basket. Why don't you make a hole so that we can both escape?"

 

The mouse agreed and started working.

 

But as soon as the hole was big enough, the snake ate the mouse and came out of the basket.

 

MORAL: This is just like the impersonalists or Mayavadis who use the guru in order to come to a level of spiritual understanding, but then reject him for the latest fashion guru, or tries to become better than their Spiritual Master.

 

Always remember a humble, selfless, prideless real devotee of Krsna is the servant of the servant of the servant of his Guru.

 

Hare Krsna

[bija]

 

MORAL: This is just like the impersonalists or Mayavadis who use the guru in order to come to a level of spiritual understanding, but then reject him for the latest fashion guru, or tries to become better than their Spiritual Master.

That's a hard saying from a soft heart. Doesn't the Mayavadi reject all form once liberated. A stepping stone. Therefore an offender to Sri Krsna.

 

What we should focus on Realist is to never treat Lord Gauranga and his lila as a stepping stone.....to Krsna.

 

Our own paddock has enough weeds.

[realist]

 

But as soon as the hole was big enough, the snake ate the mouse and came out of the basket.

 

MORAL: This is like a neophyte aspiring devotee of Krsna who selfishly goes off track and foolishly treats their Spiritual Master just like the impersonalists or Mayavadis who use the guru in order to come to a level of spiritual understanding, but then reject him for the latest fashion guru, or tries to become better than their Spiritual Master.

 

Always remember a humble, selfless, prideless real devotee of Krsna is the servant of the servant of the servant of his Guru.

 

Hare Krsna

[bija]

[bija]

 

MORAL: This is like a neophyte aspiring devotee of Krsna who selfishly goes off track and foolishly treats their Spiritual Master just like the impersonalists or Mayavadis who use the guru in order to come to a level of spiritual understanding, but then reject him for the latest fashion guru, or tries to become better than their Spiritual Master.by realist

I dont know who you are directing this at...if it is at my personal shortcomings...then I would consider you a nasty/hard person.

[realist]

 

Always remember a humble' date=' selfless, prideless[u'] real devotee of Krsna is the servant of the servant of the servant of his Guru.

 

Hare Krsna

 

 

 

[bija]

There are many tests on the road Realist...and by God's grace hopefully we pass them. To question somebodies integrity and aspiration to serve Sri Guru...is territory we should not go. That is sacred ground. Especially when the person is trying...

 

Or we may face crisis in due course to be humbled. A relationship between a soul and Guru is very personal matter...and the Lord would be displeased if we judge these two in their growth together.

 

From an outside perspective we never know the silent prayers of the disciple and Guru.

[realist]

 

I dont know who you are directing this at...if it is at my personal shortcomings...then I would consider you a nasty/hard person.

 

Prabhu, this is an old parable that has been described in this way for thousands of years, it is certainly not directed at you or anyone else, it just makes a point of the level of committment a disciple has towards his or her Spiritual Master.

 

Don't take any of these threads as directed at you, for starters I don't even know you so how could it be directed at you. From what I have read from your posts, you are a sincere seeker of truth

[bija]

ok...thx...I am going through a crisis spiritually the last few months. Please forgive me...it touches a difficult spot in my heart.

 

I thought I knew you...I must be mistaken. Paranoid...sorry.

[realist]

 

ok...thx...I am going through a crisis spiritually the last few months. Please forgive me...it touches a difficult spot in my heart.

 

I thought I knew you...I must be mistaken.

 

http://www.salagram.net/parables.htm

[bija]

Well I just exposed a part of myself didn't I....ooops:cool:. God help this poor neophyte with crumbling faith. I have realized one lesson in the last months (like never before)...maya devi. Prabhupada said the western kids play with maya too much with no respect for her...didn't he. He was right.

 

I have realized this network of maya...and the layers that cover our souls are insurmountable except by grace. And am seeking Gurudeva's kindness presently. There is no other way. If God grants us Guru...we need Guru:pray:.

[realist]

THE OLD MAN, THE YOUNG BOY AND THE DONKEY

Once there was an old man and a young boy who were travelling with a donkey. The young man was leading the donkey and the old man was riding on the donkey.

 

When they passed through a small village, some of the townspeople yelled abuse,

 

"Look at this old man taking advantage of this poor young boy! What a rascal!"

 

After they had passed through the village, the old man said,

 

"We had better swap over, otherwise they will abuse us in the next village."

 

So then they swapped with the old man leading and the young boy riding. But in the next village also they got criticized,

 

"Look at this selfish boy, taking advantage of his grandfather. He should let the old man ride on the donkey."

 

So then they both got off and led the donkey, but in the next village the people yelled out,

 

"Look at these two stupid people! They have a donkey, but they are choosing to walk instead!"

 

Then the old man concluded,

 

"Actually, it doesn't matter what you do, people will always be critical."

[theist]

 

http://www.salagram.net/parables.htm

 

 

Thanks for the links realist. I love parables.

[realist]

THE YOGI'S WAGER

A servant of a very rich man came before his master one day and told him of an interesting yogi he had seen in the river.

 

The servant said that this yogi claimed he could stay in the water all night in the middle of the river without any outside heat.

The yogi was willing t take a wager with anyone to prove that he could do it. When the rich man heard this, he decided to wager against the yogi. So, the bet was made to see whether the yogi could stay in the water all night.

The yogi went into the water, and the rich man and his servant went home. The next day word came that the yogi had successfully stayed in the water all night.

 

The rich man went out to see the yogi, and indeed, he was still standing in the water. Therefore, by all rights the rich man had lost the wager. But then a friend of the rich man said,

"Wait! See that light?"

He pointed to a small flame far away in a temple. The rich man's friend said,

"By his mystic power, this yogi has been using the heat of that light to keep warm in the water. So he shouldn't be paid, because the bet was that he would stay in the water without taking any heat."

Taking advantage of this word jugglery, the rich man said,

"Yes I'm not going to pay you. You've tricked me"

Then the rich man and his servant went back to the house. The rich man asked his servant to quickly cook him a nice breakfast, but after waiting for some time, the servant had not produced anything. The rich man expressed his impatience, but the servant replied,

"Please wait. I'm cooking."

The rich man waited, but it got later and later and no food were brought. When he demanded food from his servant, the servant only replied,

"I'm cooking. It's going to be ready soon."

Finally, the rich man became angry and walked into the kitchen.

"What is this cooking?" he demanded. And there he saw that the servant had a very strange arrangement for cooking. He had a very small fire on the ground and a tall bamboo tripod to hold the pot he was supposed to be heating high near the ceiling.

Obviously, the small flame would never be able to reach the pot to heat it.

"What do you think you're doing?" demanded the rich man.

"Well," said the servant, if you claim that the yogi was keeping warm in the water by that light, then I am also cooking."

The man could understand that his servant was dissatisfied with the outcome of the wager with the yogi. And so, he went and paid the yogi the wager.

MORAL: If you want to get a result, you have to follow the process. What is the use of trying to chant God's name but at the same time doing all nonsense.

 

 

THE PASSING OF SARGAL SINGH

 

To illustrate the foolishness of becoming a blind follower, there is a story about the death of Sargal Singh.

Sargal Singh was very much loved by a merchant, and so when Sargal Singh died, the merchant shaved his head and wore dark clothes.

When another man came into the merchant's shop, he asked who had died.

"Sargal Singh has died," said the merchant.

The visitor did not want to seem ignorant and so did not ask who Sargal Singh was, but he also shaved his head and wore dark clothes. Other people in town began to follow, not wanting to appear ignorant.

When anyone asked who had died, they replied,

"Sargal Singh has died."

When a minister of the king saw so many citizens in mourning, he also wore dark clothes and shaved his head. But when the king saw this, he inquired,

"Why are you mourning, and for whom?"

"Sargal Singh," the minister replied. The king asked, "Who is that?"

When the minister couldn't answer the king told him to find out. The minister then inquired, inquired, and finally reached the merchant.

"Who is Sargal Singh?"

The merchant replied, "Sargal Singh was my donkey, whom I loved very much."

MORAL: Blind following is condemned here

[Svarupa]

Once there was a blind man trying to find his way to his father in law's house. He was supposed to be married. So, he was going to his father in law's house to meet his family and bride to be.

But because he was blind, he got lost. He followed the road but became unsure of what direction to take. So, he heard from the field the mooing of cows and he heard some flute being played. There was a cowherd boy there. So he called out,

"Cowherd boy, I am trying to find the house of such and such man. Can you give me direction? Maybe you can lead me."

The cowherd boy said,

"I'm sorry, I'm herding these cows. But I tell you what; the calf of one of these cows is at the very address you are seeking. So, this cow will go there automatically if I let her go from the herd. You just take her tail. There,"

And he put the tail in the man's hand. Immediately the cow began to run, dragging the poor blind man behind him. And because the cow didn't like this man hanging off her tail, she ran over the roughest ground she could find, ran through thorns, over brambles, through thickets and every once in a while when gave the man a good kick in the head just for good measure. He still didn't let go.

By the time he reached the father in law's house he was completely stripped of all clothes. He was covered with blood and mucus, big lumps on his head. He was completely dishevelled and staggering, moaning and groaning in pain.

It so happened that the choukidar (guard) was standing in front of the father in law's house, and he saw this sight, a cow running madly and one naked man being dragged behind the tail.

The choukidar took his stick.

"Rascal cow thief!" And gave him a sound beating, breaking his bones. This was his welcome..

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur tells this story to illustrate that one must have guru. One cannot take garu (cow) as one's spiritual master, which the materialists do.

They say, "I don't follow anyone." But they follow their own mind and senses and they are also cow and ass (go-kharah).

The problem is, that even if one arrives at the right destination (Krsna consciousness) if one has not taken a bonafide guru, then he will not be recognized.

[theist]

That was good but I have to question your conclusion on what it means. Specifically this statement.

 

 

The problem is, that even if one arrives at the right destination (Krsna consciousness) if one has not taken a bonafide guru, then he will not be recognized.

 

 

The only way to "arrive" at Krishna consciousness is by Krishna's grace and that is all the recognition one needs. I think you need to tweak your conclusion on this parable a bit.

[Svarupa]

 

That was good but I have to question your conclusion on what it means. Specifically this statement.

 

The only way to "arrive" at Krishna consciousness is by Krishna's grace and that is all the recognition one needs. I think you need to tweak your conclusion on this parable a bit.

 

I just copied it word for word from the http://www.salagram.net/parables.htm

 

As far as I am concerned, if you have as much knowledge of Krsna Consciousness as many on this thread do, then they already have Guru.

 

In this troubled times it is best to read Prabhupada's books, watch his DVD's, listen to his lectures. Did you know that in the last batch of initiations in 1977, there were some devotees who had never met Srila Prabhupada, but took initiation via letter anyway.

 

Even though there is an uproar against it, I believe if you worship Srila Prabhupada's photo sincerely from within the heart then he will not only direct us, but will protect us also during these pioneering troubling times and eventually will send us an embodied bonafide Guru to help us.

 

The ritvik system stopped on the departure of Srila Prabhupada.

 

This means the ritviks must transform into diksa gurus who are qualified and not just voted into that position, and thereby initiate on their own behalf, not Srila Prabhupada's.

 

Until that happens, we should continue reading, hearing, seeing, and viewing Srila Prabhupada as our Spiritual teacher, until we see and know someone else is a bonafide pure devotee and not just a glorified hippie from the 1960s or some layback lazy 'Indian' guru Godbrothers and nephews of Prabhupada, cashing in on Prabhupada's fame, from Navadwip