never get wrong message from scriptures.

[maadhav]

as the hindus and many scholars fo the world know,

bhagavad gita is a perfect scripture, but because a reader couldbe imperfect, he/she could take a wrong message from it. then it does not help at all. some take a verse/message out of context and it misleads them. let us take one example.

 

yadA hi nendriyArtheshhu

na karmasvanushhajjate

sarva sankalpa sanyAsI

yogArUDhas tadochyate -gita 6.4

 

here krishna says that a person is said to be elevated in yoga when he/she renounces all material desires and neither acts for sense gratification nor engages in fruitive activities.

 

Here is a mis-interpretation:

 

"oh, i want to be elevated in yoga.

so, i will not desire for home, food, wife, children, property, job, clothing. i will just live like a bird but even without a wife and a nest.

i will do nothing to satisfy my senses.

i will starve, put blinds on my eyes and ears, cut off my genital becaue it makes demands for enjoyment.

i will do nothing for me or any one.

or, i will work for any one withiut any expecttion of return, like a perfect slave."

 

if one thinks and does like this,

does any one else think this will make one an elevted yogi?

 

note that there could be infinite number of wrong interpretations, but thr correcnt interpretation is just one. that is the property of truth. it is one only.

 

 

[Guest guest]

People can get different interpretations from reading the holy scriptures, that is true. Which is why it is best to not necessarily follow but gain guidance from a guru or learned person.

 

However, God guides us all. He is in each and everyone of us and it is this that reassures me of the fact that everyone has their own path to follow. Everything is relative and based on what a person can understand, based on their own intellectual capacity, they will learn to defeat the enemies within themselves.

 

The toughest enemies are within us.

 

My mum says that she gets a different understanding from the Bhagavad Gita everytime she reads it. She is a devout 'Hindu'. She reads the Gita everyday and continues to do so, only to better her understanding of the deeper spriritual philosophies of life.

[maadhav]

<< People can get different interpretations from reading the holy scriptures, that is true. Which is why it is best to not necessarily follow {your own interpretation,} but gain guidance from a guru or learned person {and follow it.}. >>

 

i have never said different that the above.

 

<< However, God guides us all. >>

 

this comes from:

 

IshvaraH sarva bhUtAnAm R^idesherjuna thshthati

bhrAmayan sarva bhUtAni yantra rUdhAni mAyayA - gita/krishna

 

sure god guides, but who wnats to listen?

god even sends his representatives to guide, but who whats to listen? there was guidance for hiraNyAkashipu, kamsa, Ravana, and duryodhana, but did they listen?

some even had gurus, but did they listen?

no.

 

now think, are you perfect to listen to god?

krishna said directly to us all in gita about him and how to come to him, and still many do not get the message.

is it krishna's fault?

no.

 

also, krishna has said us how one can understand him.

his language is not complicated, but our mind and intelligence is polluted. this spiritual fact has a reflection in the material world: radio.

 

a radio station would broadcast very beautiful music.

but our ears cannot listen it unless we have a radio.

but just having a radio will not help us listen the music, unless we tune it to the frequency of the transmitter, but even after tuning we may not get a good music if the radio amplifier has larger s/n ratio. we need a perfect radio to listen to the broadcast as clear as it was boradcasted.

similarly, we need to make our selves as much clear and well tuned to receive god's message. and gita provides us all possible ways how to do it. if you do not like one way, pick another. find a way you like from gita, and stick to it. you cannot walk on two paths simultaneously.

 

most sadhaks need an experienced guru's help, but some rare sadhaks can learn it by their own effort. example: eklavya or ramakrishna paramhamsa.

to learn by your own effort is hard and dangerous. either you could be doing wrong, or you could build ego, "i did it!". that makes you fall.

 

<< He is in each and everyone of us >>

 

sure.

 

<< and it is this that reassures me of the fact that everyone has their own path to follow. >>

 

every one does not have his/her path.

every one does not believe there is god.

some belive, but do not like god.

 

some do believe, but do not know well how to go to god.

and every step of progress has atleast one fork road, and ther right choice is one only. so there is risk of picking a wrong fork at any step.

 

krishna has given all paths, and no one is smarter than him to find a better way than he has given. so, any one who thinks he has his own way is fool or deluded.

 

however, when one faithfully tries to know god and go to him, then god and his representatives, even devatas help one to progress. a sincere seeker of god never forgets even a moment in his life that he wants to go to god and do his best out of everymoment of his life. that is krishna consciousness. for most people, they are KK for a minute or two, but then maya takes over them the rest of the time.

 

and krishan even says how to overcome this maya.

 

mAmeva ye prapadyante

mAyAmetAm taranti te

 

so, there is no path that can get you god other than what krishna has given. smart thing for us is to pick one best for us and live by it.

 

<< Everything is relative and based on what a person can understand, based on their own intellectual capacity, >>

 

yes, at lower level, but truth is absolute and one, god's one aspect is that he is absolute truth. some truhs are self evident. e.g. a brick of gold. most would see value in it, except some fools or todlers or advanced yogis. mind, intelligence and ego can help or misguide. islam perhaps is good for the desert people ( i do not know) but it is poison to us hindus on the vedic land. we cannot live with it. we lived a long time with it and we have suffered the most of all the people of the world.

 

<< they will learn to defeat the enemies within themselves. >>

 

islam is not interested to defeat enemy within. for muslims there is no enemy within. all kafirs are their enemy in their view. a cobra or a cancer cell do not understand what you are saying. they both will kill you even before you get any chance to purify yourself to go to god. the vedic culture provides us a place, time, freedom, and processes and guides to purify ourselves so that we can know god and go to him.

 

<< The toughest enemies are within us. >>

 

yes, but that does not mean you do not fight external enemies. if you do not win over the external enemies first, then they will take away your land, freedom, and even life, and you will not have oppertunity to know god.

 

<< My mum says that she gets a different understanding from the Bhagavad Gita everytime she reads it. >>

 

please say my jai sri krishna to her.

 

<< She is a devout 'Hindu'. She reads the Gita everyday and continues to do so, only to better her understanding of the deeper spriritual philosophies of life. >>

 

and also tell her to verify her understanding with the realized gurus, and please tell her to help you and others to put that understandings into daily practice. just knowing is not enought.

 

i suggest you pick a good vedic user name.

to remain skeptic for ever is not good.

 

samsayAtma vinashyati.. says krishna.

 

 

[Guest guest]

There is another misrepresentation.Many think that vedas ask us to be passive.Many think that when somebody beats us we have to chant "ram,ram".Nothing caused more harm to hinduism than this stupid misrepresentation.

 

Krishna taught us how to defeat powerful enemies by using adharma.Anything done in defense of dharma becomes dharma by virtue,taught krishna.had we taken arms we would have been independent,like usa in 1775 itself.

 

Prithviraj chauhan forgave mohammed ghauri according to a misinterpretation.He forgot what chanakya taught in artha shastra.when a plant tripped him he destroyed the plant with its root.See the consequences.

[maadhav]

yes, I know. i am glad you know it too.

 

<< Krishna taught us how to defeat powerful enemies by using adharma.>>

 

this sounds like we do adharma, but per krishna, when you fight an asura (or an asuric ideology), no method is adharma. so we do not do adharma. and you know it too as is evident from your next lines.

 

thanks.

oh man, how hard it is to awake the sleeping hindus!

but i will not give up.

would you also continue your efforts please?

we need to produce more and more to help this effort of awakening. additionally, i also pray for krishna's help.

 

[Guest guest]

oh man, how hard it is to awake the sleeping hindus!"

 

Don't be negative.

 

Twenty years ago, people wouldn't even listen to this kind of stuff. Even the word 'Hindu' was taboo, but now things are looking up. Aurobindo's prophecy is coming true. It is happening slowly but surely. Hinduism will conquer the world. It's already found millions of converts in the western world. All that is left to do is make India powerful, so that Hinduism can become powerful. Remember Aurobindo's words: When India rises, it is Sanatan Dharma that will rise.

 

So keep your chin up. The pseudo-hindus/secularists are going to be punished along with muslim/christian asuras anyway, so dont worry. It is divine providence, you see? Everything will work out fine, trust me.

[maadhav]

thanks nationalist!

and welcome here.

 

<< Hinduism will conquer the world. >>

 

what you are saying is tht hinduism would be accepted by many people all over the world and willingly.

we hindus are not conquiters. that is adharma for us.

we share hinduism with any one who has non envious interst to know about it.

 

<<It's already found millions of converts in the western world. >>

 

yes, HK's are good in spreading krishna bhakti.

 

<< All that is left to do is make India powerful, so that Hinduism can become powerful. >>

 

correct practice of dharma will make the hindus successful and prosperous. that in turn will make bharat powerful and beneficial to the world. a powerful hindu person or nation can never be any threat to any person nation of the world that is not asuric to us. some may feel jealous of bharat, but nothing much can be done about it. to us all are friends as long as they do not to adharm towards us.

 

<< Remember Aurobindo's words: When India rises, it is Sanatan Dharma that will rise. >>

 

dharma practice has to rise first, then the country of the dharmis will rise.

 

thanks again. bring more friends here please.

 

[Guest guest]

{Hinduism will conquer the world. It's already found millions of converts in the western world. All that is left to do is make India powerful, so that Hinduism can become powerful.}

 

I don't think conquer is the right word. Rather when Hinduims is presented fairly alot of non-Indians will see the benefits and will take it up as their religion. There is a growing number of westerners attracted to Vedanta and Raja yoga and when it grows in popularity, people will develop a greater interest in Hinduism. Reading 'Hinduism Today' magazine shows that there already are many westerners following Hinduism that we otherwise wouldn't have known about. I read in their last issue about a Mexican follower of Hinduism.

 

I don't think India will be a power-seeking nation, but it will develop eventually and will learn to deal comfortably with modernity. Elimination of poverty is the call of the hour and it will take a time, but where there's a will there's a way.

 

 

{So keep your chin up. The pseudo-hindus/secularists are going to be punished along with muslim/christian asuras anyway, so dont worry. It is divine providence, you see?}

 

They won't be punished by God, they will simply loose their power and grip on their society, once people start questioning them. You always need to keep questioning them and you will expose them. There loss of power (and influence) will be far more painful for them than fighting with other religions. For example in the UK, those attending church service is getting lower and lower and this is frustrating the church officials. But as their religion can't give adequate answers to real issues, people will loose their faith in them.

 

[maadhav]

let us taek anothe verse.

 

api chet sudurAchAro bhajate mAm ananyanbhAk

sAdur eva sa mantavhyH samyag vyavasito hi saH -gita 9.30

 

Here Krishna says that even if one commits the most abominable action, but if he is engaged in the devotional service to Him, he is to be considered saintly because, he is properly situated in his determination that Krishna is the Supreme God and to be worshipped.

 

Reading this, one could misinterpret like this:

 

"Oh, devotional service to krishna is not difficult. just chant his name; offer fruit, flower, water, leaves to him; and bow down to him. this is easy. i can do it, and lo! what a great benefit i get for doing it! even if i were a great sinner, i would be counted as a saint. so, i could continue sinning, and just worship krishna and no other god, and i will be seen as a saint for ever."

 

this misinterpretation is like what xians do.

they run a laundromat of sins.

keep sinning, and wash them off each week at the church by confessing to the pastors (many of whom are sinners as well.)

 

no. hindus never run such a laundromat of sins.

hinduism shows how to live sin-free.

more serious hindu one is, more sin-free one lievs.

 

happy janmastami to all.

 

[Gita1234]

Hi, I think I misinterpreted the Bhagavad -Gita by Swami Prabhupada. I am a 20 year old Hindu girl. Is it wrong to eat chicken? I am not a vegetarian and neither is my family. We abstain from beef and we eat chicken and fish. Is that wrong? My mother said it was not wrong. Also, I am trying to be krsna conscious. I am confused about dating. I dated a hindu boy in college. After reading the Gita I got the impression that dating was wrong and I feel like a fallen woman and that I will never be able to get married. I read a passage in the Gita. I don't know if I am interpreting it wrong or if I am being selfish or confused.

Sorry and thank you for reading my post. I can't ask my mom these questions because she is busy working and she says I bug her. She wants me to know what to do beacuse she raised me right but I am confused. Thank you again, I would appreciate some advice.

 

[maadhav]

<< Hi, I think I misinterpreted the Bhagavad -Gita by Swami Prabhupada. I am a 20 year old Hindu girl. Is it wrong to eat chicken? >>

 

it depends how serious hindu you want to become.

it is good that you do not eat beef. keep up.

you may try becoming a pure vegetarian slowy.

milk products are fine for us.

 

<< We abstain from beef >>

great!

 

<< and we eat chicken and fish. Is that wrong? >>

 

when you know very delicious and nutricius vegetariasn dishes, then eventyally you woudl give up chicken and fish too.

 

<< My mother said it was not wrong. >>

 

yes, for a serious hindu.

however, kshatriyas are allowed to eat non veg. if teh situation requires it.

 

<< Also, I am trying to be krsna conscious. >>

 

great! read gita every day, and associate with teh devotees and hindus. visit temples.

 

<< I am confused about dating. >>

 

I have answered it on the other thread.

 

you are fine, do not worry. krishna will send you guidance.

 

[Ganeshprasad]

Jai Ganesh

 

Jai Shree Krishna maadhav

 

Re

(however, kshatriyas are allowed to eat non veg. if teh situation requires it.)

 

Where does it say in our shastra this? I know they are allowed to hunt to sharpan their fighting skill but never heard they are allowed to eat non veg.

 

Krishna clearly says offer me a leaf,a flower,a fruit and water.

there is satvic, rajsic and tamsic food and non veg falls in to Tamsic, if the shastra sanctions it, it must be for the tamsic people not for kshatriya.

 

Jai Shree Krishna

[Guest guest]

"After reading the Gita I got the impression that dating was wrong and I feel like a fallen woman and that I will never be able to get married"

 

Don't feel fallen. Nothing in shastra is there to make you feel fallen. You are not. Don't worry with that iskcon talk about we are all fallen and low and sinful. And all those things with negative psychological effects. We are all great undying beautiful athma! You are part of god no matter what you do. Keep trying your best to be hindu. Krishna does not mind your faults. Respect yourself, love yourself, feel good about yourself. You are great!

[Guest guest]

In this material world the conditioned soul is always inclined to sex, meat-eating and intoxication. Therefore religious scriptures never actually encourage such activities. Although the scriptural injunctions provide for sex through sacred marriage, for meat-eating through sacrificial offerings and for intoxication through the acceptance of ritual cups of wine, such ceremonies are meant for the ultimate purpose of renunciation

 

Manu-samhita:

 

na mamsa-bhakshane dosho

na madye na ca maithune

pravrittir esha bhutanam

nivrittis tu maha-phala

 

It may be considered that meat-eating, intoxication and sex indulgence are natural propensities of the conditioned souls, and therefore such persons should not be condemned for these activities. But unless one gives up such sinful activities, there is no possibility of achieving the actual perfection of life.

[Gita1234]

Thank you. I have much better self esteem now.

[Guest guest]

madhavji,

I have been reading most of your mails with interest and empathize with them.But I have to point out a small change in strategy neded by hindu society.

 

Muslims were enemies in the past.Islam earlier spread with sword.But when it came to brain they lost the war to xians.Had not krishna given oil to them, arabian peninsula will now be selling dates and horses to survive.(That will happen in 2060 when world will dry out of oil)

 

Now spreading of islam by sword is mostly stopped.They try to preach their religion like xians do,but they fail.Common public has a fear over anything related to islam.Muslims have seperate identity,caps,purquahs,seperate colonies,seperate language etc.And they dont allow hindus to enter their mosque and dont pray jointly with them.THis makes their spread of religion now difficult.

 

 

Internationally too,before 1995 the war was only between hindus and muslims.Every single jehadi group in world had only India as their enemy.If you see the interviews of usama way back,he will highlight only kashmir and nothing else.But now it has become a crusade.Muslims are pitted against a powerful opponent,america.

 

Now let us sit back.Let us not get bruised.Let us turn our activities to a more pressing danger.Xianisation.South korea a buddhist country,now has 50% xians.Their numbers are rising by leaps and bounds daily.Pope when he was in india gave a call for all xians to spread xianity in asia.This isnt negligible.

 

Xians share same language,same culture with us.They take us to church without any qualms and pray for us and our family.THis creates a soft corner in the minds of a hindu and slowly they convert.Now entire south tamilnadu,kerala have converted.This has to be tackled first.

 

Hindus cannot defeat usama and jihadis without america.USA is fighting our war.Let us support america wholeheartedly in the war against terrorism.At the same time let us fight conversions first.Let them Both (xianity and islam) settle the issue first.Let us watch it in CNN.Let us know our main opponent first.

 

 

[maadhav]

<< I know they are allowed to hunt to sharpan their fighting skill but never heard they are allowed to eat non veg. >>

 

mahabharat shows that kauravas and pandavas were not vegetrians. after hunting, the would use/eat animal meat.

however, they would not hunt for food, generally.

 

also, kshatriyas need to raise kshatriya children and more in number. they do not know when they will die in a battle or fighting. meat eating keeps up the sex drive and keeps their family line.

 

still all hindus know that it is best to give up meat eating. all hindus respect vegetarians.

manu smriti has more about the subject.

 

 

[Guest guest]

{We abstain from beef and we eat chicken and fish.}

 

I know alot of Hindus like that, actually my family does the same. Apparently the ancient Hindus ate meat but first offered it to God. It's better to abstain from meat altogether if you can. But don't ever start eating any more meat of other animals especially Beef.

 

{I am confused about dating. I dated a hindu boy in college.}

 

As a fellow 20-something Hindu, I can understand the peer-presure and interest on dating. I don't think the scriptures talk about dating, because back in those days there was no dating in ancient India! However it does say to stay celibate (no sex) before marriage as the first stage of life is Brahmcharya...so NO hanky-panky! But if you have to date, try to date within Hindu community and make sure the guy is decent who you could see a future with. I say that cos there's alot of guys out there who mess girls around.

 

{I can't ask my mom these questions because she is busy working and she says I bug her.}

 

That's unfortunate. But honestly, I think parents should set aside some time to explain Hinduism to their kids, or else their kids will be lost. But alot of the time the parents themselves don't know much about Hinduism and don't talk about it as they don't want their kids to find out about their lack of knowledge.

 

Here's a good site on Hinduism, check it out:-

 

www.atributetohinduism.com