'Doomsday' seed bank to be built

[Kulapavana]

'Doomsday' seed bank to be built

 

BBC

 

Rice is one of the world's most important crops

Norway is planning to build a "doomsday vault" inside a mountain on an Arctic island to hold a seed bank of all known varieties of the world's crops.

The Norwegian government will hollow out a cave on the ice-bound island of Spitsbergen to hold the seed bank.

 

It will be designed to withstand global catastrophes like nuclear war or natural disasters that would destroy the planet's sources of food.

 

Seed collection is being organised by the Global Crop Diversity Trust.

 

"What will go into the cave is a copy of all the material that is currently in collections [spread] all around the world," Geoff Hawtin of the Trust told the BBC's Today programme.

 

Mr Hawtin said there were currently about 1,400 seed banks around the world, but a large number of these were located in countries that were either politically unstable or that faced threats from the natural environment.

 

"What we're trying to do is build a back-up to these, so that a sample of all the material in these gene banks can be kept in the gene bank in Spitsbergen," Mr Hawtin added.

 

The Norwegian government is due to start work on the seed vault next year, when it will drill into a sandstone mountain on Spitsbergen, part of the Svalbard archipelago, about 966km (600 miles) from the North Pole.

 

Permafrost will keep the vault below freezing point and the seeds will further be protected by metre-thick walls of reinforced concrete, two airlocks and high security blast-proof doors.

 

The number of seeds and types of plants in the bank would be determined by the countries wishing to use it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Pankaja_Dasa]

"Full Anxiety is not O.K."

Los Angeles, July 25, 1975

www.prabhupadavani.org

 

Radha-vallabha: ...are very worried. They say the earth has a certain tilt, and every few million years the tilt is changing little, little, and by this changing eventually the ice on the North and South Poles will melt , they say. So they are very afraid because then their estimate is that the entire earth will be covered with water.

 

Prabhupada: Why he is..? Why he is afraid?

 

Radha-vallabha: Well, they are afraid for future humanity. They will all be killed.

 

Prabhupada: He is not careful about himself. He is thinking... He cannot take care of himself, he is thinking of others.

 

Radha-vallabha: They this is a humanitarian attitude, to worry about the future.

 

Prabhupada: So to protect yourself is not humanitarian? You are "dogtarian"? You cannot protect yourself and thinking about humanity. You are also human being. Why don't you take care of you first of all?

__

 

Simple but straight forward advice. Cannot really compete /images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[Guest guest]

Such seed banks are a reasonable reaction to the worlds situation. But the worry should not be all consuming. Krishna declares that He is the seed giving Father of all existence.

 

Nothing that is can ever be lost because the prototype lies within Him. No such thing as some form becoming extinct never to return to this planet or another.

 

But we feel a need to defend ourselves against the inevitable reverses of fortune in this world of duality. The lush fields and gardens are destined to become barren. Once barren they are then destined to be reseeded and bountiful yet again.

 

"A season and time for all things."-- Ecclesiastes

 

"Same as it ever was."-- Some old pop song.

[Guest guest]

No greater doomsday then the day the universe is closed for business. No greater seed bank than Sri Vishnu.

[Guest guest]

The Golden Avatar

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

Adi Lila Chapter IV (Partial)

 

One hundred verses of Sri Chaitanya Charitamrta by Srila Krishnadas Kaviraja Goswami (paraphrased). Please read in its entirety — patiently, with faith.

 

By the mercy of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, even a child can become spiritually adept and compose scriptures revealing the confidential pastimes of Krishna with the Gopis of Vraja (the innermost region of the Land of Dedication, the spiritual world).

 

All glories to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Nityananda Prabhu, Advaita Prabhu and all of the devotees of Mahaprabhu.

 

I have explained the fourth verse. The essence of the fourth verse is Sri Chaitanya avatar descends to reveal to the world love of the Holy Name (prema nama, Hare Krishna maha-mantra). It is true this is why he comes but it is external. Dear devotees, please listen to the explanation of the fifth verse which reveals the internal reason for his descent.

 

The scriptures reveal that Krishna incarnated to relieve the Earth of global oppression. But removing the burden of the world is not the primary work of the Original Personality of Godhead (Svayam Bhagavan). His expansion Vishnu, the Maintainer, protects and polices the universe. But the time to save the world coincided with the time for Krishna's avatar. Krishna is not one of the avatars but the source of all avatars — the total God conception (purna bhagavan). When he descends all avatars assemble and merge within him.

 

Narayana, the Lord of the unlimited spiritual universe (Vaikuntha), the four primary expansions (catur-vyuha), all pastime incarnations (lila-avatar), the avatars who deliver the religion for the age (yuga-avatar), the Manus (manvantar, law givers) and all other avatars (which are as innumerable as the waves of the ocean) descend in the body of Krishna. In this way God in his fullest manifestation appears (Krishna). Being within the body of Krishna, Vishnu is the agency through which he kills demons. Thus the killing of the demons is secondary.

 

I will now reveal the primary cause for the Lord's avatar. Krishna is the Connoisseur of Rasa and also supremely compassionate. The real reason he descended was to taste the nectarine juice of divine love (prema-rasa) and reveal to the world the superiority of the devotion of the Gopis (raga-marga bhakti). For these two reasons he wanted to appear.

 

[Krishna thought:] "The whole world is enamoured by my supremacy, but love restrained by veneration doesn't give me any pleasure. Because I respond naturally to the mood of devotion, love that never transcends the concept that I am great and one is insignificant cannot dominate and bring me under its control.

 

'As people surrender to me, I reciprocate. In an endless variety of ways, however remote or intimate, everyone is actually destined to come to me.'

 

"But pure devotion (suddha-bhakti) inspires one to think of me as a son, friend or lover. Because of increased intimacy devotees think themselves equal or even superior and me as dependent.

 

'My dear Gopis, everyone wants devotion to me to get free from the miseries of life and achieve immortality. But I consider myself lucky to have got your affection.'

 

[Krishna reveals what fascinates him:] "My mother ties me with ropes to keep me out of trouble! Thinking I am helpless, she nourishes and protects me (vatsalya-rasa). Out of sheer friendship my pals climb on my shoulders saying, 'What kind of big guy are you? You and me are equals (sakhya-rasa).' And my sulking lover's threats steal my mind from the hymns of the Vedas (madhura-rasa). Such love amazes me! With these pure devotees I want to descend and reveal pastimes so wonderful they are unknown even in Vaikuntha (the lower hemisphere of the spiritual world).

 

"The magic spell of spiritual illusion (yoga-maya) will infuse the Gopis with paramour devotion (upapati-bhava). Forgetting ourselves, we will lose our minds in one another's beautiful qualities. Giving up morality, passion will unite us: destiny bringing us together and sometimes keeping us apart. I will taste the nectar of all rasas and show my gratitude to all types of devotees. Hearing how my devotees, out of pure love, reject duty and morality (karma and dharma) to come to me, others will be inspired to take the same path.

 

"To favor his devotees Krishna enjoys pastimes replete with human complexity. Having heard Krishna Lila (especially his amorous pastimes) one should become addicted to that particular type of devotion."

 

The imperative verb bhavet, says emphatically, this must happen (devotion to the point of addiction). But only in a mood of devotion — self-dissipation, self-giving. Otherwise, without dedication, one derives the opposite effect — offensive misconception (imitation).

 

As these desires are the major reason for Krishna's appearance, demon killing is minor. Sri Krishna Chaitanya is purna bhagavan (God in Full) and initiating the religion for the age (yuga-dharma) is a consequence of his avatar, not his inner desire.

 

As Krishna contemplated incarnating (Mahaprabhu) it coincided with the time to descend and initiate the religion for the age (yuga-dharma). For these two reasons, taking his devotees with him, Mahaprabhu descended into this world. Together, their hearts tasted the ecstatic Love of the Divine Name (prema-nama-sankirtana). He garlanded the world with the Holy Names of Krishna. His ecstatic singing and dancing (kirtana) was infectious, infusing even the lowest of mankind with Love for the Divine Name. In the mood of a devotee (bhakta-bhava) he personified what he preached.

 

There are four kinds of devotees who embody four kinds of love (prema): servant, friend, parent and lover (dasya, sakhya, vatsalya, srngara). Each thinks their love best and relishes the joy of that relationship with Krishna. But if we consider them impartially, we will conclude that amorous love is sweetest.

 

[sri Rupa reveals:] "As increased intimacy yields greater sweetness, taste reaches its extreme in amorous love."

 

I call this inconceivably sweet taste madhura-rasa (the relishable liquid sweetness of love). There are two kinds of amorous love: married and paramour (svakiya and parakiya). The mood of a paramour (parakiya-bhava) is juicier because it is forbidden love. Except for the Gopis of Vraja this cannot be found anywhere. In the young wives of Vraja this mood (bhava) is unbridled, but it reaches its zenith in the love of Sri Radha (radha-bhava). The depth of her pure love surpasses all others combined! It is the motive for Krishna's tasting the extreme limits of the sweetness of amorous love. Therefore Krishna embraced radha-bhava as the only love that could completely fulfill his inner desires. He became known as Gauranga, the Golden Avatar, as the radiance of her love transformed even his complexion to molten gold (from Syamasundara to Gaurasundara).

 

"The almost impossible, superexcellent goal of the bowed multitude of gods, gurus and scriptures, is but the nectar sweet love of the lotus-eyed Gopis. Oh when will I ever see Mahaprabhu again!

 

"Curious to taste the singular love of one of his innumerable lovers, Krishna stole her heart and its radiance covered him with her golden halo, converting him into the Divine Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. May his extreme mercy be upon us."

 

To experience gopi-bhava is the reason he appeared and established this religion: Krishna consciousness (yuga-dharma). The root cause I have hinted at in this introductory verse (radha-bhava-dyuti-suvalitam naumi krsna-svarupam). Now I want to fully reveal the meaning.

 

"Radha and Krishna's love is a production of pleasure energy (hladini sakti). They are one soul in two divine forms (male and female). Previously they were separated but now they are united. These two have merged as one: Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He is Krishna enveloped by the heart and halo of his most beloved, Radha."

 

Radha and Krishna are one soul, but they appear in two bodies to enjoy each other, tasting rasa in pastimes of love. Now these two are Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, united as one person, tasting rasa. By describing them separately the greatness of Mahaprabhu may be revealed.

 

Sri Radhika is the transformation of Krishna's love. She is his energy (svarupa-sakti) and known as his pleasure potency (hladini). Radha (hladini) causes Krishna to taste ecstasy (ananda). She also nourishes devotees with ecstasy.

 

Krishna's nature is total, eternal, conscious, ecstasy (sat, cit, ananda). To accommodate him, his spiritual energy Radha (cit-sakti) manifests three forms: hladini (pleasure), sandhini (existence) and samvit (perception), which is also accepted as divine knowledge (jñana).

 

"You are the basis of pure pleasure, existence and perception (hladini, sandhini, samvit). Pleasure and pain adulterated by material qualities are absent in you."

 

The essence of sandhini is unadulterated existence (suddha-sattva), God's being rests upon it. Krishna's mother, father, abode, house, bedding, furniture and paraphernalia are all transformations of this existential potency (suddha-sattva).

 

"Pure existence (vasudeva) is the conscious plane from which God's personality is discovered. God, who is beyond sense perception, is perceived (Bhagavan Vasudeva)."

 

The essence of samvit is the knowledge that Krishna is God. All other kinds of knowledge, such as generic spirit (brahman) are offshoots. The essence of hladini is love (prema). The essence of love is emotion (bhava), and the height of emotion is mahabhava. Sri Radha Thakurani is mahabhava personified. She is a mine of virtue, the crown jewel of all lovers of Krishna.

 

"Of the two most prominent Gopis (Radhika and Candravali), Radhika is superior in every way. Surpassing the combined qualities of everyone, she is Love Personified ad infinitum (mahabhava) and therefore the best of all."

 

Her body, mind, and senses are saturated with Krishna prema. She is Krishna's power and companion (correlative), especially in love sports.

 

"I adore Govinda, the Original Enjoyer (Male), the Soul of all existence, who resides in His personal abode, Goloka, with Radha (The Supreme Female). To accommodate Krishna's unlimited desires for enjoyment she expands herself into innumerable Gopis, who personify infinite variations of her beauty and personality for the expansion and exaltation of rasa."

 

Please hear how Krishna's lovers help him taste rasa in pastimes of divine love. Krishna has three kinds of lovers: the goddesses of Vaikuntha (laksmi-gana), the queens of Dvaraka (mahisi-gana), and the cream of the lovers, the most beautiful Gopis of Vraja (gopi-gana). These lovers all expand from Sri Radhika. Just as Krishna is avatari, the source of all avatars, Radha is the source of all these groups. The Vaikuntha Laksmis are expansions of her diverse splendour whereas the Queens of Dvaraka are inconceivably unique mirrored reflections and counter-reflections of her beautiful form and nature.

 

The Vaikuntha Laksmis are partial expansions of her beauty and power whereas the Queens of Dvaraka are more sophisticated expansions of her beauty and nature. But most exalted are the endless variety of elegant forms and natures of the Gopis who are instruments of her personal beauty expanded for the purpose of enjoying rasa. Without many lovers, rasa does not reach its potential for exaltation. Radha expands herself, unlimitedly, into others, to accommodate lila (pastimes). Inconceivably, individuality is maintained, while she provides infinite varieties of beautiful forms, moods, and personalities; all with unique flavors to taste in dynamic ever-expanding rasa. So it is Radha who is the crown jewel of all of Krishna's consorts, who means everything to him and continually enamours him by expanding herself into innumerable female forms, supplying endless varieties and unlimited quantities of pleasure.

 

"Resplendent with Krishna, she radiates Krishna with her glance. She is proclaimed, Supremely Worshipful Radhika! Of all the Divine Goddesses, she enamours Krishna most with her SuperBeauty."

 

Here devi means "radiant and supremely beautiful." It also means "the lovely abode of worshipful Krishna love sports." Krishna-mayi means "one whose within and without are Krishna." It is as if she manifests Krishna with her glance! It also means she is made of love for Krishna (prema-rasa-maya). Krishna's sakti (power) and Krishna are identical. Her "worship" is satisfying the desires of Krishna. Therefore the Puranas call her Radhika (from aradhana: worship by gratifying desire).

 

[Candravali acknowledges Radharani's superiority in commenting on her having stolen God — Krishna:] "Surely, this one's worship is best. Krishna is so pleased with her that he has left all of us and taken her to a secluded place."

 

Therefore Radha is the Supreme Goddess (parama-devata) and worshipful by all. She is our ultimate guardian and Universal Mother.

 

I have already explained sarva-laksmi. Radha is the source of all Goddesses (sarva-laksmi-gana). But sarva-laksmi can also mean Krishna's six types of grandeur (power, fame, wealth, beauty, knowledge and detachment). Therefore, she is his Supreme Shakti of all shaktis.

 

The word sarva-kanti indicates that all beauty and splendor rest upon her. All Goddesses (laksmis) derive their beauty from Her. Kanti also means "all the desires of Krishna." All the desires of Krishna repose in Sri Radha. And Radhika fulfills all the desires of Krishna. This is also the meaning of sarva-kanti.

 

Krishna enchants the world (jagat-mohana), but who enchants him must be the Supreme Goddess of them all! Sri Radha is complete power (purna-sakti), Krishna her possessor (purna-saktiman): they are two, but nondifferent. This is the evidence of revealed scriptures. Just as fire and heat, or musk and its fragrance are inseparable, Radha and Krishna are inseparable — they have one nature (svarupa). But they inhabit two forms for pastimes tasting the nectar of love (lila-rasa).

 

To teach this Divine Love of Devotion (prema-bhakti), overwhelmed by the heart and halo of Sri Radha (radha-bhava-kanti), Krishna appeared as Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

 

The meaning of the fifth sloka has been revealed.

 

— Daily Darshan Friday May 23, 2003

 

 

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