Calling on the Name of the Lord in the Bible

[Bhakta Don Muntean]

Quote:

 

I never trust any one who claims to have exclusive knowledge

 

Reply:

 

Save and except - evangelical Christianity...?

[Bhakta Don Muntean]

Hari Bol!

 

Yes this is a point I have been attacked on before - and that is the basic fact - Srila Prabhupada finds fault with the followers - not the path.

 

The issue of Vaishnavas understanding the bible better than most Christians - well it is true - but only in a general way - as most modern followers of Christianity no longer approach the teachings in the right mood.

 

The fact is - if one is in the right mood - and they are sincere followers - of any tradition - they can certainly understand and accept the truths in other traditions.

 

Krishna says:

 

Whatever a man may sacrifice to other gods, O son of Kunti, is really meant for Me alone, but it is offered without true understanding. [bG 9.23]

 

We could also say:

 

...one may sacrifice to God - without true understanding.

 

There is a great deal of ‘that’ going on in the world today [even among devotees] - but it is due to the modes of nature covering the individual followers - not exactly the path itself.

 

For one with eyes to see - there are so many things in the Bible - also found in the Vedic texts - and - it is important to know and understand these points - for a number of reasons.

 

Srila Prabhupada says we must be loyal to our parampara - our particular disciplic succession or - 'school' - but - we must be broadminded enough to take the truths - no matter if they're beside some falsehoods. Without a doubt - we must become learned in all the scriptures - because our ‘preaching’ does require it – even our defense of the Vedic tradition requires it.

 

For some it is dry and that is ok too – but one should nonetheless appreciate these other points mentioned.

 

It is very interesting to read in the ‘old’ testament:

 

Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD. [Psalm 150.1-6]

Sounds just like a Temple Kirtan – right down to harmonium and karatalas!

 

Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD - that sounds like Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's message to me?

 

The truths are everywhere – if we are awakened to them. That is why Srila Prabhupada is the preeminent Teacher of Kali Yuga – He opens our eyes…

 

Yer Servant,

 

BDM

[Guest guest]

Good points, BDM, you write very well, and I read carefully all your posts.

 

A basic problem with Christianity as presented in todays society is that it misses the point, and Srila Prabhupada corrects what is missing. He actually stated at the very beginning of his missionary work in the west that he did not come to change anyones religion, rather enhance it. And that he has done.

 

Lord Jesus Christ is not worshippable alone, he refutes this over and over in his teachings. He draws the student into what His Father wants for us to be truely spiritually satisfied. What is worshippable, therefore, it the RELATIONSHIP between Lord Jesus Christ and the Supreme Father who has sent Him. This relationship is bhakti, and is the worshippable aspect of Lord Jesus. He is the Son of the Mother and the Father, and the loving exchange is very well presented despite all the millenia of manipulations of His words and deeds.

 

I noted my atheism due to christian teachings, however, when I was exposed to Arjuna and Krsna and their transcendental RELATIONSHIP, all of a sudden lord Jesus Christs teachings become clear. This is why Srila Prabhupada gets full credit for anything I know about Lord Jeswus Christ, even though Srila Prabhupada did not specifically teach from LJC's mission. The Bhagavad Gita As It Is, is in fact the main concordex for one to properly understand Lord Jesus' teachings, that the Supreme Father is a person, who has unconditional love for us, and can exchange loving relationship with us through the transparent mediumn of his empowered Son. This is what Lord Jesus gives us all, a place at the table of the great feast wherein we act according to our real identity which has been clouded over by our attachment to the temporary gizmos of the world.

 

Not one of His teachings counter the bhakti yoga of His relationship with His Father. He also recognizes that we are all able to partake, and He initiates us by telling us to pray as he does, "Our Father, transcendentally situated, all glories to your Holy Name." By uttering this prayer, we are His, and by being His, this means that He and the Father are seen as one, yet different.

 

Anyway, hare krsna, ys, mahaksadasa

 

PS religionists are incapable of accepting the reality of bhakti yoga, the gods they worship are tribal gods, not the supreme Lord of us all. This is why Krsna instructs us to ABANDON ALL VARIETIES of religion and simply surrender to Him. As Lord Jesus Christ taught, too, BTW.

[Guest guest]

Thumbs up on that one Mahaksa!

[Bhakta Don Muntean]

Hari Bol!

 

Thank you for your kind words of encouragement!

 

 

So please tell me then - you write - "religionists are incapable of accepting the reality of bhakti yoga, the gods they worship are tribal gods" - can you please explain how God becomes a tribal God?

 

YS,

 

BDM

[Guest guest]

Haribol, bhakta don, PAMHO. The best way to describe is to cite a famous teaching of Lord Jesus Christ:

 

IMPARTIAL, UNIVERSAL LOVE OF LORD JESUS CHRIST(Matt 8: 5-13)

 

As Lord Jesus Christ entered Capernaum, a Roman officer approached and requested His healing mercy. He agreed, and began following him, but the official said, "My Dear Lord, I have folks who are required to follow my orders, but You, Sir, are much beyond this realm. I do not deserve Your mercy, but, if You wish, say only the word and my son will be healed."

 

The Lord said to His followers, "I have not seen such trust in all of Judea. I predict that folks from East and West will dine with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, with My Father, but for those who may think that the Spiritual Realm belongs to a segment of society will be left in darkness. Go, My friend, your son is well and awaiting your arrival."

 

mahaksadasa: The god some worship is not the Supreme Lord. Those who think that the one they worship belongs exclusively to their ilk actually are only giving tribute to the head of their own tribe, thus I use the terminology "tribal god". Such worshippers are in darkness, which translates as ignorance, confirmed by Lord Jesus Christ.

 

We see christians hating Krsna followers, and vise versa, due to such blatant ignorance of the fact that there is one supreme person. We see muslims killing infidels and christians laying wasste to huge muslim populations by bombs due to such ignorance.

 

A vaisnava is not in ignorance. A vaisnava, and this is confirmed by precepts ofr Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, welcomes the religious impulse in humankind. A vaisnava only gives what is needed, and if someone is loving God as described by Lord Jesus Christ above, without delegating God to a position of a UFO Captain or another demigod or tribal divinity, a Vaisnava will ENCOURAGE such love, as Srila Prabhupada did. Such persons with religious impulse are accepted as kanistha adhikaris, vaisnavas in the beginning (albeit offensive) stage. The faith of the kanistha adhikari is NEVER destroyed by the preacher of Vaisnavism, that which is valid is encouraged, the flaws are carefully rectified, etc.

 

So, real christians are fully favorable to Vaisnavism because it is the TRUE taught by their TRUE ACARYA. Jesus Christ also cleared this up when his disciples were worried about the competition. Will describe later, if ya like.

 

Hare Krsna, ys, mahaksadasa