I'm new here....interested in serving Krishna

[nachiketa]

I've been reading this message board for the past month and finally decided to register today.

 

I am an American born Indian coming from a family of Vaishnavas. Although my dad is not very religious, my mom prays everyday at a temple set up in our house that contains a picture of Shrinathji. I never understood who or what it was, and whenever I asked my mom, she would just say it was a Hindu God. See, all of my life, I have dreaded going to the temple because everytime I would just sit there listening to bhajans I couldn't even understand. Although I can understand Gujarati, I can not speak it that well, and can't understand Hindi at all. And I never understood why people would pray to all these different types of mythological gods, especially the one that has an elephant head, Ganesh.

 

Fours years ago I travelled to India for the first time. I'm 20 right now. We travelled to Mumbai, Gujarat, Delhi, Agra, and Mathura. Now in Mathura, we stayed at a devotee's house and the entire afternoon he told us about Krishna and his pastimes, as well as the Gita. We visited several temples and a Ghat by the Yamuna. At an area with small trees where Krishna played with the Gopis, my mom told me to take some sand off of the ground and taste it. At the time I thought it was pretty odd, only later to find out the significance of that act. Then in Mumbai, I visited the Hare Krishna temple and saw a bookstand outside with a copy of the Bhagavad Gita As It Is. Now, keep in mind, besides hearing somewhat about it back in Mathura, all I knew was that it was about a mythological blue God that our family worshipped. So I bought a copy and began reading it. That's how it started.

 

[This message has been edited by nachiketa2 (edited 06-03-2002).]

[gHari]

Nachiketa,

 

Wow, there is a wonderful temple in Atlanta with the most amazing Deities of Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda. You can get the address from http://iskcon.org

 

I sometimes work in Atlanta, if this damn war ever chills out. I hope we will meet then.

 

Meeting devotees is like looking deep deep into your heart and seeing your self. It is a wonderful experience.

 

gHari

[gHari]

<center><table border=5 width="88%" bgcolor=yellow><td>

<ul>City: Atlanta (Georgia)

Phone: +1 (404) 378-9234

Address: 1287 South Ponce de Leon Avenue N.E.

Fax: +1 (404) 377-8680

Zip code: 30306

E-mail: kesavi@mindspring.com

 

 

[nachiketa]

thanks!! that's only a ten minute drive from my college.

[gHari]

All ISKCON temples have huge celebrations from 5PM to 9PM on Sundays. Many people show up, and after singing and dancing and a lecture there is a big feast.

 

Srila Prabhupada especially liked the Deities in Atlanta.

[leyh]

Hi nachiketa2:

 

Welcome to this forum! May you become more and more attracted to the All-Attractive Krsna and His merry band of eternal associates!

 

 

[abhi_the_great]

nachiketa,

Welcome to this association of devotees.

 

Just by being with devotees we gradually advance.

 

Hare Krishna devotee is like any other person. They work in offices and go to schools, only they add Krishna to everything. so, you can talk to a deotee like any other friend of yours.

 

Hare Krishna

Abhilash

[Raguraman]

Hare Krishna,

 

 

This is the the only spiritual thread as far as I have seen in this section of spiritual discussion.

 

I also came under his irresistable spell when I was fifteen years old. I am giving here below(Sripad Vallabhacarya

Madhurastakam).

 

M.S.Subulaksmi sang Sripad Vallabhacarya Madhurastakam and I used to listen to this song madly for a whole day when I was at home. Try to get this cassette if you can. I am sure you will love it.

 

http://www.gosai.com/chaitanya/saranagati/html/vaisnava_sampradayas_fs.html

-----------------

Sripad Vallabhacarya

Madhurastakam

 

adharam madhuram vadanam madhuram

nayanam madhuram hasitam madhuram

hrdayam madhuram gamanam madhuram

madhuradi-pater akhilam madhuram

 

 

"His lips are sweet, His face is sweet. His eyes are sweet, His smile is sweet. His heart is sweet, His walk is sweet. Everything is sweet about the Lord of sweetness." (1)

 

 

vacanam madhuram caritam madhuram

vasanam madhuram valitam madhuram

calitam madhuram bhramitam madhuram

madhuradi-pater akhilam madhuram

 

 

"His words are sweet, His character is sweet. His garments are sweet, His navel is sweet. His movement is sweet, His wanderings are sweet. Everything is sweet about the Lord of sweetness." (2)

 

 

Sripad Vallabhacarya

 

venur madhuro renur madhurah

panir-madhurah padau madhurau

nrtyam madhuram sakhyam madhuram

madhuradi-pater akhilam madhuram

 

 

" His flute is sweet, His dust is sweet. His hands are sweet, His feet are sweet. His dancing is sweet, His friendship is sweet. Everything is sweet about the Lord of sweetness." (3)

 

gitam madhuram pitam madhuram

bhuktam madhuram suptam madhuram

rupam madhuram tilakam madhuram

madhuradi-pater akhilam madhuram

 

 

"His singing is sweet, His yellow dress is sweet. His eating is sweet, His sleeping is sweet. His form is sweet, His tilaka is sweet. Everything is sweet about the Lord of sweetness." (4)

 

karanam madhuram taranam madhuram

haranam madhuram ramanam madhuram

vamitam madhuram samitam madhuram

madhuradi-pater akhilam madhuram

 

 

"His activities are sweet, His liberation is sweet. His thieving is sweet, His loving sports are sweet.his offerings are sweet, His peacefulness is sweet. Everything is sweet about the Lord of sweetness." (5)

 

gunja madhura mala madhura

yamuna madhura vici madhura

salilam madhuram kamalam madhuram

madhuradi-pater akhilam madhuram

 

 

"His gunja-mala is sweet, His flower-garland is sweet. Is Yamuna is sweet, His ripples are sweet. His water is sweet, His lotuses are sweet. Everything is sweet about the Lord of sweetness." (6)

 

 

gopi madhura lila madhura

yuktam madhuram bhuktam madhuram

hrstam madhuram sistam madhuram

madhuradi-pater akhilam madhuram

 

 

" His Gopis are sweet, His pastimes are sweet. His meeting is sweet, His food is sweet. His happiness is sweet, His etiquette is sweet. Everything is sweet about the Lord of sweetness." (7)

 

gopa madhura gavo madhura

sastir madhura srstir madhura

dalitam madhuram phalitam madhuram

madhuradi-pater akhilam madhuram

 

 

"His cowherd boys are sweet, His cows are sweet. His herding-stick is sweet, His creation is sweet. His trampling is sweet, His fruitfulness is sweet.Everything is sweet about the Lord of sweetness."

[sha]

Originally posted by Raguraman:

Hare Krishna,

 

 

This is the the only spiritual thread as far as I have seen in this section of spiritual discussion.

 

I also came under his irresistable spell when I was fifteen years old. I am giving here below(Sripad Vallabhacarya

Madhurastakam).

 

M.S.Subulaksmi sang Sripad Vallabhacarya Madhurastakam and I used to listen to this song madly for a whole day when I was at home. Try to get this cassette if you can. I am sure you will love it.

 

http://www.gosai.com/chaitanya/saranagati/html/vaisnava_sampradayas_fs.html

 

http://movies.kannadamusicworld.com/mtop.html#MalayaMarutha

 

Dear Madhurastakam lovers,

 

You will love to hear the fifth song "Atharam Mathuram" from the list of songs of this movie 'Malaya Marutha'.

 

You can also hear M.S.Subbulakshmi's Madhurastakam here:

 

http://www.musicindiaonline.com/music/l/02000H000P

 

 

 

[This message has been edited by sha (edited 04-03-2002).]

[abhi_the_great]

Raghu,

So nice. So nice.

 

If one has not really developed the taste, he cannot be a thorough devotee. He likes rumours and gossips and a little politics and all the masala.

 

I am so uninterested in Krishna that, I don;t even have the patience to read gHari's huge postings.

 

Some Mayavada bashing some Narayan Maharaj controversies are needed for an immature person like me to continue in bhakti.

 

Abhi

[makhanmisri]

kararavindena padaravindam

mukharavinde vinivesayantam |

vatasya patrasya pute sayanam

balam mukundam manasa smarami ||

"With His lotus hand, He puts His lotus foot into His lotus mouth while lying on the bed of a Banyan leaf; in my mind I reflect upon Bala Mukunda."

 

[sha]

Originally posted by makhanmisri:

kararavindena padaravindam

mukharavinde vinivesayantam |

vatasya patrasya pute sayanam

balam mukundam manasa smarami ||

"With His lotus hand, He puts His lotus foot into His lotus mouth while lying on the bed of a Banyan leaf; in my mind I reflect upon Bala Mukunda."

To listen to the song just Go to this Web location by clicking below:

 

http://www.musicindiaonline.com/mailsong/index.cgi/3cacdc6013d50000

[abhi_the_great]

Originally posted by makhanmisri:

kararavindena padaravindam

mukharavinde vinivesayantam |

vatasya patrasya pute sayanam

balam mukundam manasa smarami ||

"With His lotus hand, He puts His lotus foot into His lotus mouth while lying on the bed of a Banyan leaf; in my mind I reflect upon Bala Mukunda."

This is the sloka I always am remembered of when I see my little baby suck her toe...

[gHari]

O Mighty-armed Abhi, not even gHari has finished reading all the purports to the last of the four Caitanya mega-posts (hours later). You may find that just skimming Krsnadas Kaviraja's words on the first pass will give the jist of the ideas and perhaps even an impetus to seek further clarification from the purports.

 

I will surely get to the final purports though, since as is the nature of all Prabhupada's work, it keeps refreshing the whole picture again and again even while addressing specific areas - like dipping a toe in any beach on the ocean.

 

You can always just hit the "SAVE AS" feature of your browser and then your hard drive will have those passages for a rainy day - a day when adrenalin and drama are not the only objects of desire.

 

Here's some adrenalin: forget all conditioning about what is life, in relation to the planet. You are a new-born alone in a cave atop the Himalayas, spinning around in a galaxy, surrounded by innumerable galaxies. What will be your first activity?

 

gHari

The Prabhupada Prometheus Pirate

[sha]

Originally posted by makhanmisri:

kararavindena padaravindam

mukharavinde vinivesayantam |

vatasya patrasya pute sayanam

balam mukundam manasa smarami ||

"With His lotus hand, He puts His lotus foot into His lotus mouth while lying on the bed of a Banyan leaf; in my mind I reflect upon Bala Mukunda."

<center></center>

 

 

[Gauracandra]

Nachiketa,

 

My best advice is to visit that temple. The only way to understand Vaisnavism is by associating with Vaisnavas. I think you'll find Vaisnavism to be both aesthetically beautiful and philosophically deep. Wishing you the best in your pursuits.

 

Gauracandra

[skeptic]

Originally posted by nachiketa2:

I have stopped eating meat. Well, somewhat, since I still eat products that contain eggs. Could someone please explain why it is not ok to eat them. I have always understood that they are unfertilzed and contain no chicken embryo. I would think eggs would be the same as drinking milk from a cow. I know it says in the Gita that we should abstain from them, but I would like to know any of your opinions.

Great question! I wonder why nobody has responded. I was just wondering where in the Gita it says we should refrain from eating eggs. If anybody knows could you please tell me the chapter and verse. And what is so bad about onions and garlic. The dietary restrictions don't make a whole lot of sense to me. I can certainly understand refraing from meat eating though. Thanks.

[Sirona]

Food restrictions:

 

Well I am neither an Indian nor a Bhagavad Gita specialist but here is my opinion on food restrictions:

 

Onions + garlic: Well, they stink. I have been reading the German Bhagavad Gita commentary by Peter Schreiner. Schreiner believes that the Gita presumeably has been written by a brahman priest, a person in an upper layer of the society. I suppose it was indecent for upper class people to eat onions and garlic. However, I know that eating garlic and onions was forbidden in 19th century European upper class families.

 

Eggs: The discovery that eggs have to be fertilized to bring new life could only be made by using microscopes. I suppose before the existence of microscopes people just thought that eggs were "living beings" like animals because new life comes out of them. As far as my personal conscience is concerned I think that eating (infertilized) eggs is O. K. but I can understand if people do not agree and try to justify their opinions with the Gita for of cause the Gita does not make the distinction between fertilized and infertilized.

Anyway eating to many eggs is harmful to one's health and the core of the Gita is not food but devotion to the Lord,

Praise Krishna everyone.

[Sirona]

Vegetarism: I admit that I still have not achieved my goal to be a real vegetarian (maybe I never will) but last weekend I visited my mother who is on curative holidays. There was optional vegetarian food and so I took nothing but "greenfood" for two days. I felt so great and I still do. I think vegetarism is a good means to improve the state of both body and soul.

[gHari]

Since you asked, here is my opinion about eggs, garlic, onions and chocolate. Srila Prabhupada says no, and since I can comply, I do. No big deal really. If we try to censure or prove the words of great souls with our minds, we run the risk of reducing their wisdom to our level.

 

The egg is not meant for eating, but rather to produce chicks. Garlic and onions make the mouth an unpleasant place for the holy name to reside. Ultimately chocolate contains mild traces of caffeine, but it tastes so good it is addictive.

 

I don't know if those are the reasons; but I don't need reasons. It's not as though I'm being asked to part with my wonderful big ego or something quite so tasty.

 

DO all the rules you can, and hope that Krsna will somehow at some point take care of the rest in His clever clever ways. And hope that the lessons won't be too painful. After all, the guru is only looking out for our own good, like a father, yet some of us just have to find out on our own, damn the cost.

[sushil_kanoria]

All Glories to Srila Prabhupada, &

Hari Bol to all the Vaishnava's !!

I am stunned that nobody know why one should not eat eggs and onion & garlics ??

May be you might not have read prabhupada's book properly.

First, coming to onion & garlic, Why it is strictly prohibited to eat it, the simple reason it comes under the mode of ignorance (Tamasik) which means, it increases the sexual desire of a person, it is an aphrodiasc, not only onion & garlic but there are some other vegitables also which are not recommeded to eat like mushroom etc., for the same reason. Which is the biggest hinderance in practising the Krishna conscious (spiritual) life.

Secondly coming to eggs, As one of the reason gHari has given

"to produce chicks"

as the eggs are in the unfertilised state it still contains the sperms of cock & hen, so tell me friends, is it advisable the eat the same, as many people eat it with a broad smile on their face, So just for the sake of taste should one eat it ??

Coming to cow's milk, How can you compare it to eggs ???

both the things are totally different from each other, eggs are used by hens for producing the chickens, do think the cow use the milk for doing the same ??

If that is case then I think every one can produce cows in their kitchen........

 

hope now your doubts are clarified.

I am extremely sorry If I have hurt anyone.

 

Hari Bol,

Sushil

 

[This message has been edited by sushil_kanoria (edited 04-08-2002).]

 

[This message has been edited by sushil_kanoria (edited 04-08-2002).]

 

[This message has been edited by sushil_kanoria (edited 04-08-2002).]

[bhaktajoy]

Originally posted by sushil_kanoria:

I am stunned that nobody know why one should not eat eggs and onion & garlics ??

 

Dear Sushil,

Hare Krishna!All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

 

Eating egg is not allowed because of suffering and torture those helpless birds endure.

 

Onion and garlic are foods in the mode of passion.

 

I still eat onion and garlic,it's an offense to offer such food to Lord Krishna!

 

Hope this meets you well.

Joy

 

 

[nachiketa]

Eating egg is not allowed because of suffering and torture those helpless birds endure.

Then drinking milk should not be allowed because of suffering and torture those helpless cows endure.

 

"Corporate-owned factories where cows are warehoused in huge sheds and treated like milk machines have replaced most small family farms. With genetic manipulation and intensive production technologies, it is common for modern dairy cows to produce 100 pounds of milk a day— 10 times more than they would produce in nature. To keep milk production as high as possible, farmers artificially inseminate cows every year. Growth hormones and unnatural milking schedules cause dairy cows' udders to become painful and so heavy that they sometimes drag on the ground, resulting in frequent infections and overuse of antibiotics. Cows -- like all mammals -- make milk to feed their own babies -- not humans."

 

"Dairy products are a health hazard. They contain no fiber or complex carbohydrates and are laden with saturated fat and cholesterol. They are contaminated with cow's blood and pus and are frequently contaminated with pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics. Dairy products are linked to allergies, constipation, obesity, heart disease, cancer, and other diseases."

 

 

for more information: http://www.milksucks.com/index2.html

 

Thus, why is acceptable to consider milk a proper food for humans? because Krishna was a cowherd?

 

[This message has been edited by nachiketa2 (edited 04-08-2002).]

[theist]

Good point nachiketa2.I eat vegan with the exception of maha-prasad when it is offered.That I never refuse.

 

Dairy just does not work in my body.Nor are the cows here protected.To the contrary.

 

In another context, like a village run by Nanda maharaja,I would use it.

 

Eggs are just gross.Products of some chickens mentrual cycle.El-yucko!

 

 

[Rati]

The actual distinction between eggs and milk is that Vaishnavas and Brahmans are to avoid that which is produced from blood and semen (which an unfertilized egg certainly is - there is the female equivalent of semen, called rakta, even though it was not penetrated by a sperm cell). Milk does not fall under that category. One could argue that plants have their own semen, but in this case it is about animal products produced from blood and semen.