by letters (wmdean@btopenworld.com) at May 04, 2009 06:05 PM
by letters (wmdean@btopenworld.com) at May 04, 2009 06:05 PM
by letters (wmdean@btopenworld.com) at May 04, 2009 06:05 PM
If there was any question about how the Obama administration would get behind agricultural biotechnology, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is removing any doubt. In fact, he says he’s going to do a better job than the Bush administration.
Just back from the G8 summit in Italy, Vilsack pledged today to bring a “more comprehensive and integrated” approach to promoting ag biotech overseas.
That will be good news to biotech companies such as Pioneer Hi-Bred and Monsanto but it shouldn’t be much of a surprise. Vilsack was a vocal backer of the biotech industry as governor, and President Barack Obama has been a supporter as well.
Speaking to a group of ag journalists today, Vilsack cited a recent inspector general’s report that said USDA had not done enough to “facilitate trade opportunities” for biotech products. However, the report noted that some USDA officials have been opposed to getting involved in promoting the products of private companies.
Much of the international opposition to genetically engineered seeds is centered in the European Union but that has led to resistance among countries in Africa and elsewhere that export food to Europe.
The declaration issued at the end of the G8 farm ministers’ summit called for increased “investments in agricultural science, research, technology, education, extension services and innovation.”
Taken From:http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_17658.cfm
Tagged: Frankenfoods, GMO, USDA, Vilsack
1.Threats to scientist
2.Herbicide Used in Argentina Could Cause Birth Defects
1.Threats to scientist
There are reports coming our of Argentina of attempts to intimidate the lead researcher of the study showing that Roundup - the glyphosate herbicide developed by Monsanto, could cause brain, intestinal and heart defects in fetuses.
The lead researcher for the new study, carried out in Argentina where Roundup is used on a massive scale in conjunction with GM herbicide-resistant soy, is embryology professor, Dr. Andres Carrasco.
Dr. Carrasco has worked for nearly thirty years in embryonic development, and was President and Assistant Secretary of Conicet (The National Commission for Scientific Research) and now works at the Defence Ministry in the Science and Technology innovation department. He apparently conducted the experiments in his laboratory of molecular embryology, based at the Institute of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, at the Faculty of Medicine of the Universidad Nacional de Buenos Aires.
Dr. Carrasco has warned that the doses of herbicide used in his study “were much lower than the levels used in the fumigations,” and so the situation “is much more serious” that the study suggests because “glyphosate does not degrade”.
According to an article in the Argentine press, after news about the study broke, Dr. Carrasco was the victim of an act of intimidation, when four men arrived at his laboratory in the Faculty of Medicine and acted extremely aggressively.
Two of the men were said to be members of an agrochemical industry body but refused to give their names. The other two claimed to be a lawyer and notary. They apparently interrogated Dr. Carrasco and demanded to see details of the experiments. They left a card Basílico, Andrada & Santurio, attorneys on behalf of Felipe Alejandro Noël.
Dr. Carrasco also reports being subjected to offensive phone calls and there have been disparaging references to his research in newspapers with links to agribusiness. Dr. Carrasco however is resisting the intimidation, saying, “If I know something, I will not shut my mouth.”
The news report in Spanish is available at http://www.pagina12.com.ar/diario/elpais/1-123932-2009-04…
2.Herbicide Used in Argentina Could Cause Birth Defects
Latin American Herald Tribune
http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=331718&Category…
BUENOS AIRES The herbicide used on genetically modified soy Argentina’s main crop could cause brain, intestinal and heart defects in fetuses, according to the results of a scientific investigation released Monday.
Although the study “used amphibian embryos,” the results “are completely comparable to what would happen in the development of a human embryo,” embryology professor Andres Carrasco, one of the study’s authors, told Efe.
“The noteworthy thing is that there are no studies of embryos on the world level and none where glyphosate is injected into embryos,” said the researcher with the National Council for Scientific and Technical Research and director of the Molecular Embryology Laboratory.
The doses of herbicide used in the study “were much lower than the levels used in the fumigations,” and so the situation “is much more serious” that the study suggests because “glyphosate does not degrade,” Carrasco warned.
In Argentina, farmers each year use between 180 and 200 million liters of glyphosate, which was developed by the multinational Monsanto and sold in the United States under the brand name Roundup.
Carrasco said that the research found that “pure glyphosate, in doses lower than those used in fumigation, causes defects … (and) could be interfering in some normal embryonic development mechanism having to do with the way in which cells divide and die.”
“The companies say that drinking a glass of glyphosate is healthier than drinking a glass of milk, but the fact is that they’ve used us as guinea pigs,” he said.
He gave as an example what occurred in Ituzaingo, a district where 5,000 people live on the outskirts of the central Argentine city of Cordoba, where over the past eight years about 300 cases of cancer associated with fumigations with pesticides have turned up.
“In communities like Ituzaingo it’s already too late, but we have to have a preventive system, to demand that the companies give us security frameworks and, above all, to have very strict regulations for fumigation, which nobody is adhering to out of ignorance or greed,” he said.
The researcher also said that, apart from the research he carried out, “there has to be a serious study” on the effects of glyphosate on human beings, adding that “the state has all the mechanisms for that.”
In the face of the volley of judicial complaints related to the disproportionate use of agrochemicals in the cultivation of GM soy, last February the Health Ministry created a group to investigate the problem in four Argentine provinces.
Argentina is the world’s third-largest exporter of soy.
Taken From:http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_17680.cfm
Tagged: Monsanto, roundup
In Organic Bytes #168 the OCA called on readers to contact Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius and urge her to veto a bill that could restrict U.S. dairy companies from properly labeling their milk products as free from genetically engineered bovine growth hormone (rBGH or rBST). Last week, Sebelius vetoed the bill saying, “The Bill before me provides for changes in dairy labeling that could make it more difficult to provide consumers with clear information. The milk labeling provisions negatively impact a dairy producer’s ability to inform consumers that milk is from cows not treated with recombinant bovine growth hormone.” A special thanks to all of our readers for taking part in the OCA action alert.
Tagged: rBGH
Sherold Salmon of Stoney Brook Farms on Barron Road in Shannon, said one of his cows became trapped in a standing position between two trees that were downed during Friday or Saturday storms.
A total of four trees were uprooted around the cow, but she was pinned down by only two. Salmon and his son, David, used chain saws to free the animal.
Vegetarian breakfasts are easy: Greek yogurt sprinkled with granola, pancakes… The list goes on forever. While I wouldn’t say that vegan breakfasts, on the other hand, are challenging, its certainly a good opportunity to think outside the box. Unless of course, you don’t mind cereal with soymilk every morning for the rest of eternity. Me? No thanks. Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, and don’t think I let being vegan get in the way of that. Here are some of my favorite vegan breakfast ideas that are filling, nutritious, and keep me away from the cold cereal.
Taken From:http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/05/04/meatless-monday-10-vegan-breakfast-ideas/
Tagged: breakfast, meatless mondays, vegan
by letters (wmdean@btopenworld.com) at May 04, 2009 03:53 PM
by letters (wmdean@btopenworld.com) at May 04, 2009 03:49 PM
by letters (wmdean@btopenworld.com) at May 04, 2009 03:47 PM
by letters (wmdean@btopenworld.com) at May 04, 2009 03:45 PM
by letters (wmdean@btopenworld.com) at May 04, 2009 03:44 PM
Soma and I have set a goal of getting a 1000 fruit and nut trees planted in New Vrindaban in the next ten years. Here is an article related to that concept:
Growing fruit trees can beautify your garden
By Lee Reich, The Associated Press
What could be more delightful than to be able to pluck and eat fruit from a tree that you also admire for its beauty?
Every quality valued in a landscape tree — whether it’s textured bark, fall leaf color, bright flowers, even decorative fruits — can also be found in some trees bearing edible fruits.
FIRST, A REALITY CHECK
When it comes to “luscious landscaping” with fruit trees, special considerations are needed. Think twice before planting an especially bountiful tree near a terrace or driveway. Excess dropped fruit could create a mess.
And producing fruit — especially high-quality fruit — demands an extra measure of energy from a tree, so also pay attention to choosing a site with sun and soil that suits it.
Pests might present a problem when landscaping with fruit, which can be as attractive to pests as to us humans. Yet trying to spray one fruit tree nestled among other plants or growing near a terrace brings its own set of problems. You don’t want pesticides to fall on nearby plants or in areas where people — especially children — play or lounge outdoors.
The best way to avoid the need for spraying is to do something else before you even plant: Choose an appropriate tree for your region, one that is handsome and pest resistant, and bears tasty fruits.
Fortunately, in every region of the country there are plenty of handsome trees that yield edible fruits without the need for spraying or, in some cases, even pruning. And some fruit trees are adaptable just about everywhere.
LARGE,
LUSCIOUS FRUITED,
ORNAMENTAL TREES
Among larger trees, for example, consider American persimmon (Diospyros americana) and hackberry (Celtis occidentalis).
Persimmon has gracefully arching limbs, checkered bark and slightly bluish leaves. The rich, sweet fruits of American persimmon have the taste and texture of wet, dried apricots that have been dipped in honey along with a dash of spice. They dangle like Christmas ornaments from the branches well into fall.
Hackberry is related to American elm and has a similarly pleasing, vase-shaped growth habit. The real beauty of this plant is more subtle, though, and that is its bark, which is gray and punctuated with corky ridges that cast crisp shadows reminiscent of a lunar landscape. The fruits, ripening in late summer and fall, are small, round and as sweet as dates, although the flesh is admittedly sparse.
FRUITS FROM
MEDIUM-SIZE TREES
Two examples of medium-size ornamental trees bearing edible fruits are cornelian cherry (Cornus mas) and pawpaw (Asimina triloba).
Cornelian cherry is mostly planted as an ornamental only because people don’t realize that the fruit is edible. The fruits look and taste very much like tart cherries.
Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) is a lush tree whose large, dark green leaves would look perfectly at home in a tropical forest. The fruit has a creamy texture and flavor much like banana, along with hints of pineapple, avocado and mango. Despite its tropical airs, pawpaw happily survives frigid winters where temperatures dip well below zero.
SMALL, PRETTY
TREES BEARING
TASTY FRUITS
If you lack the space to plant a large or medium-size tree, there are a number of small trees that are pretty and bear tasty morsels.
Juneberry (Amelanchier spp.), for example. This tree is a cloud of white blossoms in spring, and fiery purple, orange and yellow leaves in fall. Even in winter, juneberries liven the landscape subtly with their smooth, gray bark and neat form. The blueberry-size fruit is sweet and juicy, with the richness of sweet cherry and a hint of almond.
Medlar (Mespilus germanica), another small tree, has large white or pinkish blossoms, each handsomely framed by a whorl of dark green leaves. The fruits that follow are interesting, if not attractive, resembling small, russeted apples, tinged yellow and flared open at the end opposite the stem. After harvest, the fruits soften to the texture and flavor of old-fashioned applesauce, brisk and winy.
The trees mentioned above represent only a slice of the pie of what’s available for landscaping with fruit trees. There are many others: quince, Korean pine, mulberry and the rare shipova, to name a few.
With only minimal effort on your part, mostly in selecting the right plant for beauty, adaptability and flavor, you can have your cake (the tree) and eat it (the fruit), too!
Posted in Cows and Environment
From the Festival of Inspiration website:
PRESENTATION ROOM ASSIGNMENTS:
(A) Main Conference Room under Guest Lodge
(B) Large Prasadam Hall Adjacent to Temple Room (Behind Srila Prabhupada’s Vyasasana)
(C) Small Kitchen/Prasadam Hall Adjacent to Temple Room (Behind Jagannath’s Altar)
(D) Carpeted Room Next to “A”
(E) Room 8 Behind Main Stage in “A”
Friday, May 8th
7:00 am Guru-puja
7:30 am Darsana-arati
7:45 – 9:00 am Inaugural Address: Devamrita Swami
8:15 – 10:30 am Breakfast Prasad Served
11:00 – 11:30 am (A) Welcome by Organizers
11:30 – 1:00 pm SESSION I
(A) The Currency of Relationships: Romapada Swami
(B) The Making of Gauravani.com & As Kindred Spirits: Rasacarya Das
(C) To be announced
1:00 – 2:30 pm Lunch Prasad Served
3:00 – 4:30 pm SESSION II
(A) Global Varnasrama Mission: Bhakti Raghava Swami
(B) Sri Mridanga: Bhima Karma Das
(C) The Fine Art of Deity Dressing: Maharha Dasi
(D) Looking at Our Modus/Modes Operandi: Syamala-sakhi Dasi & Kamalini Dasi
4:45 – 6:15 pm SESSION III
(A) Vedic Cosmology: Danavir Goswami & PhD Candidates
(B) Devotional Leadership: Paratha-sarathi Das
(C) The Musical Aspect of Kirtan: Mitrasena Das
(D) Introduction to Vastu: Sankarananda Das
6:30 – 7:30 pm Dinner Prasad Served
7:00 pm Gaura-arati
8:00 pm Entertainment in Tent
Saturday, May 9th
7:00 am Guru-puja
7:30 am Darsana-arati
7:45 – 9:00 am The Search for True Friendship: Radhika Ramana Das
8:15 – 9:30 am Breakfast Prasad Served
10:00 – 11:30 am SESSION I
(A) Mystery presenter
(B) Sri Mridanga: Bhima Karma Das
(C) Danda Yoga: Yoga Dave
(E) Hands-On Mendhi Workshop for All Ages: Madhurya-lila Dasi
11:45 – 1:15 pm SESSION II
(A) Spiritual Economics Part II – A Radical Approach to a Modern Crisis: Romapada Swami
(B) Seeking Spiritual India: Srinandanandana Das
(C) Homeschooling: Aruddha Dasi & Radhika Ramana Das
(D) Detecting & Disarming the False Ego: Sukhavaha Dasi
1:00 – 2:30 pm Lunch Prasad Served
3:00 – 4:30 pm SESSION III
(A) Parenting as Devotional Service & The Vaisnava Marriage & Family Fest: Grhastha Vision Team
(B) Europe’s Most Developing Sustainable Eco Village – The Eco-Valley Program & New Vraja Dhama: Radha Krsna Das
(C) Distribute Srila Prabhupada’s Books While You Sleep: Vaisesika Das
(D) Ins & Outs of Dramatic Storytelling: Sankirtan Das
4:45 – 6:15 pm SESSION IV
(A) Meditation in Krsna Consciousness: Dravida Das
(B) A Place for Everyone and Everyone in Their Place – Experiments in Education & Varnasrama From ISKCON Hungary: Manoram Das
(C) Helping Devotees Succeed (Spiritual Guidance System): Akrura Das
(D) The Vaisnava Marriage & Family Fest Continued: Grhastha Vision Team
6:30 – 7:30 pm Dinner Prasad Served
7:00 pm Gaura-arati
8:00 – 11:00 pm Entertainment in Tent: Bhaktimarga Swami & Friends
Sunday, May 11th (Mother’s Day)
7:00 am Guru-puja
7:45 am Darsana-arati
8:00 – 9:30 am Inspirational Class: Radhanath Swami
8:15 – 10:30 am Breakfast Prasad Served
10:30 – 12:00 pm SESSION I
(A) Eco-ethics – How to Honor Mother Earth: Varsana Swami
(B) Preventive Health – Making the Best of a Bad Bargain: Ekavira Das
(C) Finding the Gems in Misfortune: Arcana-siddhi Dasi & Karnamrta Das
(D) Memories from Srila Prabhupada’s Daughters: Mahamaya Dasi
12:15 – 1:45 pm SESSION II
(A) The Music of Srila Prabhupada: Bada Haridas & Kosa Rupa Dasi
(B) Authentic Youth: Integrating What You Think, What You Say & What You Do (Ages 15-35 Only): Balarama Candra Das
(C) Radha-sunya: Missing Mercy – Taking Compassion a Step Further – HH Bhakti-tirtha Swami’s Last Written Gift: Vrajalila Dasi
(D) Hands-On Mendhi Workshop for All Ages: Madhurya-lila Dasi
2:00 pm Sunday Love Feast
Modern art
The debut album from The Sandals-"Spin On in NYC"
The Man. The Myth. The Pandit
Excellent article on Pre-production, by Ronan Chris Murphy. I found this via the Musician's corner on Ragani's website.
Preproduction is the single most cost effective, "bang for your buck" stage of producing a record, and critically important to making the best use of time, energy and budget in the studio...
The goal of reproduction is to address three fundamental areas: 1) Songwriting and song crafting. 2) Defining the vision of the record. 3) Making sure that the performances serve the vision of the record.
Dear devotees and friends,
Please accept my best wishes. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
I haven’t written for some weeks due to be overwhelmed with too many things to do. It’s probably been the busiest period of my life. But as they say “no rest for the wicked”, so I’m sure it’s good for me.
Actually one of the main secrets of Krishna consciousness is to keep fully engaged in devotional service. Srila Prabhupada accepted the idea the “an idle mind is the devil’s workshop” and we can certainly experience that it’s true. If we stop engaging the mind then it starts taking off in all sorts of extreme directions, so it’s better to have a little more devotional service than we can easily manage, rather than too little.
So anyway, the last time I wrote was at the end of the Navadvipa Parikama. There were many things I wanted to tell you about it, but you’ll have to wait to see the DVD set we’re making of it to find out !
Then I went back to Mauritius, which I have now become co-GBC for, with BB Govinda Maharaja, and found some of the situation there embroiled in unfortunate tenseness, and had to start giving a lot of attention to that.
I moved around South Africa for most of March and April. The highlight was the Durban Rathayatra from April 10 to 13. I think Their Lordships Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra devi were pleased, as it was one of the best Rathayatras we’ve had.
Two of my disciples from Pietermaritzburg in South Africa, Bhakta Rajesh and his wife Vraja Renu compiled a collection of diary entries of mine from earlier years and published them as a book “Travelling in the Service of Srila Prabhupada - Volume 1″, and we launched it at the Rathayatra. Harideva prabhu, an expert presenter and MC, announced it from the main stage, and told people that I would sign copies if they came forward immediately.
To my surprise only about 3 people came forward, and it took them some minutes to come. I thought this was going to be a big disaster, and became quite anxious. However the next day, the Saturday of the Rathayatra, I went to the tent we had to display the books and my DVDs, and found a number of people had bought books. I stayed there for about 90 minutes, and a steady stream of people came and I signed books and DVDs for them, so in this way everything was saved.
On the 20th of April Govinda Maharaja and I went back to Mauritius to make a concerted effort to help the situation there. Actually Mauritius is one of the best places in the world for preaching. The people are incredibly favourable to Krishna consciousness and supportive of our activities, but sometimes among our devotees a tendency arises to become political and then things become disturbed.
So Maharaja and I separated the two main projects, the Phoenix temple and the Bon Accueill farm, plus a group of devotees doing congregational preaching also wanted to take direct responsibility for their programmes, so we allowed that, and basically the situation seems to have become more peaceful.
Following that I returned to South Africa on the 26th, and then left for Moscow on the 27th. I landed there on the 28th and spent the night in the flat of Talavan prabhu, one of my disciples there, and then on the 29th set out for Izhevsk, about a 2 hour flight to the east.
I had never been there before and didn’t know what to expect, but to my surprise, when I walked through the airport there was a kirtana party mainly made up of my disciples from Kazan, about 400 kms to the south. The whole airport became transformed, and the people who had been on the same flight as me were smiling and appreciating the kirtana.
On the way in from the airport I talked to one of the leaders of the yatra, Vasudeva Suta prabhu, who is the husband of Madhavi Lata dd, one of my disciples there. He told me that the main industry there was making
firearms, particularly rifles. We drove through the downtown area and he pointed out a huge factory. “This is the main factory for Kalashnikov, the makers of the famous AK47″ he told me.
I was shocked to hear that, as the AK47 is probably the most famous weapon in the world, and is used not only by the Russian army, but by about every terrorist and revolutionary in the world. I asked Vasudeva Suta “Who is this Kalashnikov person?”
“Mr Kalashnikov’s still living here in Izhevsk” Vasudeva Suta told me. “He’s a very famous man.”
That night and Thursday night, the 30th, we did programmes in the yatra’s normal Sunday programme place. They rent a room in the Kalashnikov Museum every Sunday! About 80 devotees gather each week in one of the display rooms of the weapons museum, surrounded by rifles and photos from the revolution in the early 20th century.
In the middle of the room are two huge statues of soldiers (with Kalashnikov rifles of course) so we named them Jaya and VIjaya.
Even though the environment was so unusual for a Krishna conscious programme, still, as the kirtana picked up and the devotees chanted and danced, the material situation was forgotten, and everyone relished pleasure on the transcendental platform.
So now I’m back in Moscow, and tonight I’m flying to a city named Omsk, further to the east. I had to fly back west to Moscow for two hours, and then I’ll be flying more than three hours east, as there is no direct
connection between Izhevsk and Omsk, except by train, which takes more than 24 hours.
I will keep you updated more regularly now.
Hoping this meets you well.
Your servant,
Bhakti Caitanya Swami
There are sometimes bubbles and foam in water. This is a sinful reaction water had to accept from Indra in exchange for his blessings that water would increase the volume of substances with which it was mixed. (Srimad Bhagavatam 6.9.10). In the summary to this chapter, Srila Prabhupada wrote, "Since water was also infested with sinful reactions, when bubbles appear in water it cannot be used for any purpose."
Thakur Bhakti Vinode
“There is no other way out of this great ocean of Nescience except the unalloyed mercy of the Absolute Godhead. Living entity although superior in nature in comparison to the nature of matter, he is by association dependant and weaker than the material nature. The Absolute Godhead is the creator of all entities, He is the maintainer and deliverer of all entities. The innumerable living entities are infinitesimals and Godhead is Infinite. The infinitesimal living entity is therefore subordinate to the Infinite and as such he is transcendentally the eternal servitor of the Absolute Godhead. The Supreme Spirit Godhead is the ultimate rest of all entities. This material world is a construction of the material energy and the material existence of the living entity is a sort of punishment just like a prisoner. The punishment is due to forgetfulness of Godhead by the living entity. And therefore there is no deliverance of the living entities from the clutches of Nescience save and except by the revival of his sense of Godhead. Those who have forgotten the relation of Godhead are only the prisoners of this Material world and those who have not forgotten Him are the liberated souls.
“The conditioned souls who are bound up by the material energy can get rid of prison life by the mercy of Godhead if he prays for it by penance and service. Great Sages and Messiahs of the world have devised various ways and means for this self-realization of the living entity and all such means can be grouped into three different channels namely good work, knowledge and devotion.
“There are many sub-divisions within good works such as the system of four castes of four orders of life, sacrifice, austerity, charity, penance and various such things. And there are scriptures wherein the respective results of all the above mentioned good works are illustrated and explained. If those results are again analyzed and scrutinized, we can understand that higher station of life such as one in the Heaven, opulence in this material world, power, deliverance from miseries and diseases or attainment of higher standard of services are the net results of the above good works. And by separating the one of higher standard of services, we can only understand all other results as one of material world. As such all the results pertaining to the material energy which can be attained by the performances of good works, are but temporary and subject to exhaustion. In order of mundane time and space, created by the Material Energy, everything is limited by the laws of Nature. So all these limited acquisitions cannot help us in our attempt to get rid of the conditional life on the contrary the temporary good results of these good works bind us more strongly within the limits of material energy.
The ultimate end of attaining higher status of life is to obtain sufficient time for culture and performances of higher duties. The system of the four castes and four orders of life as introduced by the religion of the Hindus, is designed to mould up the character of the respective performers for higher duties and thus to give them ample chance for cultivating spiritual knowledge. If therefore any one who even after obtaining higher standard of life as well as sufficient leisure, does not culture this higher duties namely the cultivation of spiritual knowledge and philosophy, then according to the opinion of Bhagvats, the labour and energy lost in this direction is spent up for nothing. And in most cases it has been found that those who have obtained sufficient rest and comfort after performances of hard labor, have mostly squandered away the valuable time and energy thus obtained in different occupations other than spiritual culture. This fact proves conclusively that good works cannot give any one the ultimate goodness that is freedom from the bondage of conditioned life.
“Cultivation of higher spiritual knowledge which discerns the matter from spirit does not also help us in the achievement of the highest goal. By this culture of spiritual life one can realize only one’s self, as distinguished from gross matter, and can also understand that the spirit soul is above matter as ignorance of this fact makes him bound to undergo the rigors of conditioned life. This self-realization may help one for attaining the marginal position between material and spiritual existence but this does not mean actual spiritual life and its spiritual activities without which the spirit soul cannot obtain the highest bliss. This marginal state of life may be called the life of self-satisfaction as distinguished from the life of self-realization which means engagement in the transcendental activities of the spiritual world. Self-satisfaction without this self-realization (attachment for spiritual activities) does not bear any substantial fruit.
“The quality of spiritual activity is so much attractive that it attracts even the most self-satisfied spiritualists and thus engages them in the spiritual activities as distinguished from the material activities.
“Thus the result of good works, when it gives sufficient leisure for the cultivation of spiritual activities and spiritual knowledge it is then and then only that good works or cultivation of spiritual knowledge can be accepted as means to the ultimate goal. Therefore devotional activities only can lead us to the spiritual activities and nothing else. Good works or spiritual knowledge under the guidance of devotional activities can be helpful for spiritual activities but devotional activities even without the help of good works or spiritual knowledge can alone help us in the attainment of spiritual life.
Krishna and Uddhava
“The Personality of Godhead Sree Krishna informed Uddhava that neither good works even without any desire for fruitive action, nor spiritual knowledge, nor the system of caste and creed nor the studies of scriptures, nor penances, nor even renunciation can satisfy Him, as do the devotional activities themselves.
(Transformed into English by the Editor from Bengali.)
All Glory to Sri Guru and Gauranga
Tagged: Back To Godhead Magazine, india, krishna, Thakur Bhakti Vinode, Uddhava
Here are some threads on the net about recording harmonium (and tablas):
Here are some sampled harmonium soundfonts for use with software instruments - useful for studio recording (or if you were to use a computer or get a hardware VST host you could do it live too).
To be honest the FM Synthesis would not fool me into thinking it was a real harmonium, so I'd avoid it if you want an "authentic" harmonium sound.
I'm going to look into sampling my own harmonium using Logic Pro's ESX24 Sampler, to save having to mike it up every time for studio recordings. Bhairavesh did this.
Our festival schedule is:
Ever wondered why the food at Gaura Yoga tastes so good? Well, our chefs will be extending the kitchen into the Lounge so you can come and find out all our top secret recipes in demonstration/hands-on cooking classes. With themed menus taken from countries all around the world we will show you how you can cook a meal at home that will win the hearts of your friends, family and flatmates! Starting our journey in Mexico with our top chef Champak on Tuesday 5th May, then a trip to India on the 12th of May, followed by A Taste of Thai in the following week, then Flavors of the Middle East. Yuuummm!!!
All sessions start at 6pm, finishing by 7.30pm, followed by dinner. Prices are as below. Please book in advance with Champak, or Vishnu-maya as spaces are limited to 13.
Kalindi dasi singing a Hare Krishna Bhajan.
2009-03-20
Dallas, TX
Dear Friends,
Pre-registration is an important way to communicate with us how many will be attending as well as manage the large costs of hosting such an event, from venue to prasadam to equipment.
In exchange we offer a friendly discount for all who Pre-Register.
Costs for the event will be:*
$65 on the day for adults
$45 for pre-registration
$45 on the day for Youth 13-18 years of age
$30 pre-registration for Youth 13-18 years of age
Free for all children under the age of 12.
This includes prasadam, workshops, and entertainment from Wednesday, July 29th through Sunday, August 2nd 2009.
Pre-Register now through Paypal at the Kulimela Website.
If you want to book a group of more than 10 people, we can arrange a further discount.
Also, if you would like a way to pay for your registration without the use of Paypal, please contact us at kma.account@gmail.com.
The mela’s are run not for profit, and in fact, even with the event registration fee, organizers still rely on the generous donations of a number of people to cover all costs.
If you would like to offer a a tax deductable donation through Paypal, please click here. Or, you can contact us directly at kma.account@gmail.com.
* Please note: the Pre-Registration Fee for the event is subject to review and can be changed. Any payments made before such changes will be honored as full payments, but we make no guarantee the prices will stay as posted. So, please sign up now!
Jaya Jagannatha!
KMA Organizers
I pray to You and Srimati Radharani. You are the God and Goddess. The world does not run automatically without a controller. There must be a supreme intelligence behind everything, and that is You. How foolish I was to think otherwise for some years. And how foolish the arrogant scientists are to think there is no need for a God. Everyone has a controller, and everything has a father. This is explained so beautifully in Bhagavad-gita, and anyone who reads it objectively and submissively will come to accept You as the Supreme Lord. You are not just like an emperor or a tyrant, but You are the most compassionate and beautiful Lord. Evidence of this is in all the Vedic literatures and in testimonies by pure devotees who have been fortunate enough to see You and be with You. In fact, this beautiful feature of You is the most attractive aspect of Your being. As Lord Narayana, You make the ingredients for procreation, appoint the first creator, Lord Brahma, and start the chain of events that brings about all the living beings in all the worlds. And yet as amazing as this is, it is not Your chief attraction. Your main quality is Your tendency to love Your devotees. You love them so much that You like to become subordinate to them and do their bidding. We have just read in the Brhad Bhagavatamrta how You like to serve the Pandavas by being a messenger, the chariot driver of Arjuna and the rescuer of them from their dire plights at the hands of demons. You like to serve Your devotees, and that is even more amazing than the fact that You are responsible for the creation, maintenance and destruction of all the worlds. An intelligent person does not want to stop at recognizing You as God but wants to go on and enter a relationship with You in which he can taste Your kindness and affection in a personal way. I want to know You in this way. My spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, has taught us to approach You as the best friend. He has taught us that the best thing is to have a relationship with You as either servant, friend, parent, or conjugal lover. It is better than being a demigod who serves You by controlling a planet or manifesting great opulence of one’s own. And so I want to do as Prabhupada says, to take the path of bhakti that leads to intimate relationship all the way up to krsna-prema. In krsna-prema, the devotee loves You as his all-in-all, with no care for anything else in this world except to please You.
I know and believe in these things theoretically, and that is very important. In the introduction to his Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Prabhupada says that in order to approach the Bhagavad-gita, one has to at least theoretically accept You as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. I have attained this. But there is so much more. Now I have to realize You and love You with lively affection. I have to be willing to sacrifice my own comforts to satisfy Your comforts. And preceding this, I have to actually know You. I cannot love You unless I know You. As the Catholics say, I have to know You, serve You, and love You in this world and the next. You have left this world from Your appearance five thousand years ago, but You still appear here in Your pervading and personal features. Please teach me to know You with realization. I could say, “Please let me know You the way I know my friends Baladeva and Dattatreya,” but they are jivas, ordinary souls, and You are the Supreme Godhead, so it is a different kind of personal knowledge. It is a much harder thing to know You than to know my friends. You do not allow us to know You unless we prove ourselves worthy. And yet it is possible. You have allowed countless souls to know You through devotional service. You have allowed them to love You intimately, and You have intimately loved them in return. There is no qualification by birth or education or wealth that makes this possible. It is done simply by love and desire. Each one of us is equally eligible to love You. Aristocracy has nothing to do with it. Earning this position by hard work and service is valid, but begging for Your causeless is also valid. Please empower and inspire me to work for You, and please be merciful to me. Please protect me from making blunders, and please forgive me when I make them. I thank You for letting me pray to You and come close to You. Please teach me to love You with all my heart.
from the yellow submarine, my bhajana kutir #60→
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Letter to: Hamsaduta, Himavati -- Los Angeles 3 March, 1968
by Rasa Rasika (noreply@blogger.com) at May 03, 2009 06:19 PM
The new orange outfits I ordered just arrived from India so I just have to post pictures of my deities in their new clothes. Jai Gaura-Nitai!
(I should be getting batteries for my digicam soon so no more blurry pics off my cell phone.)
You don’t have to be a great or creative cook in order to eat a vegan diet. It’s nice to know a few basics—how to bake a potato, simmer up some brown rice, and steam vegetables. But that’s no more or less than anyone—eating any type of diet—needs to know.
Most busy people don’t have the leisure to read a recipe and measure out ingredients for dinner every evening. A lot of cooking—for omnivores and vegans alike—involves dishes that are easy and familiar and that sometimes make use of convenience products. After all, how much cooking skill do you need to heat up a jar of spaghetti sauce?
Here are 10 vegan dinners that anyone can make:
o Baked potato topped with vegetarian baked beans and shredded soy cheese; frozen spinach sautéed in olive oil.
o Veggie burger on a roll, salad and prepared salad dressing.
o Pasta salad: Toss cooked pasta with chick peas, chopped raw vegetables, and vegan mayonnaise.
o Burritos: Used leftover beans, or canned vegetarian refried beans or bean flakes. Roll in warm tortillas and top with chopped tomatoes and cubes of avocado.
o Pasta with sauce from a jar (add some sautéed veggies or soy sausage for your own “homemade” touch).
o Chili beans with veggie burger crumbles served over rice; steamed carrots.
o Soup and salad. Progresso makes vegan lentil soup. Campbell’s Tomato Soup—very possibly the most famous soup in America—is vegan. Just add plain soymilk. Make it go a little farther with some healthful additions like pasta, rice or beans.
o Taco Salad: Toss together greens, chopped tomato, rinsed canned black beans, defrosted corn, and some cubes of avocado. Dress with olive oil and lime or lemon juice and top with a handful of crushed tortilla chips.
o Chunks of firm tofu and frozen vegetables marinated in peanut sauce or teriyaki sauce (find both in the ethnic foods section of the grocery store). Sauté in a little bit of canola oil and serve over rice or noodles.
o Whole grain main dish salad: A great way to use up leftover cooked grains. Toss brown rice, couscous, barley or whatever you have on hand, defrosted frozen peas and corn, sunflower seeds, and rinsed cooked beans. Dress with your favorite dressing or with olive oil and lemon juice.
Taken From:http://www.examiner.com/x-5670-Seattle-Vegan-Examiner~y2009m4d30-Vegan-meals-for-people-who-cant-cook
Tagged: cooking, vegan
A new report from PCRM researchers, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, shows that a low-fat vegan diet helps people with diabetes lose weight and improve their blood sugars and cholesterol. Earlier publications had shown that the diet is effective over the short term. The new publication shows that benefits persisted for a year beyond the initial 22-week study period. Vegan group participants lost on average 9.7 pounds, compared to 6.6 pounds for people on a more conventional diabetes diet. Improvements in hemoglobin A1c levels (a measure of blood sugar over time) and total and LDL cholesterol were also greater in the vegan group. Recent reports from the same group showed that nutrition improvements were greater in the vegan group and that acceptability of the diet was comparable to seemingly more permissive diets.
Barnard ND, Cohen J, Jenkins DJ, Turner-McGrievy G, Gloede L, Green A, Ferdowsian H. A low-fat vegan diet and a conventional diabetes diet in the treatment of type 2 diabetes: a randomized, controlled, 74-week clinical trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009;89:1588S–1596S.
Turner-McGrievy GM, Barnard ND, Cohen J, Jenkins DJA, Gloede L, Green AA. Changes in nutrient intake and dietary quality among participants with type 2 diabetes following a low-fat vegan diet or a conventional diabetes diet for 22 weeks. J Am Diet Assoc. 2008;108:1636-1645.
Barnard ND, Gloede L, Cohen J, Jenkins DJA, Turner-McGrievy G, Green AA, Ferdowsian H. A low-fat vegan diet elicits greater macronutrient changes, but is comparable in adherence and acceptability, compared with a more conventional diabetes diet among individuals with type 2 diabetes. J Am Diet Assoc. 2009;109:263-272.
Subscribe to PCRM’s Breaking Medical News.
Breaking Medical News is a service of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, 5100 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20016, 202-686-2210. Join PCRM and receive the quarterly magazine, Good Medicine.
Taken From:http://www.pcrm.org/news/archive090430a.html
Tagged: diabetes, low fat, vegan
An article in this month’s Clinical Nutrition Insight suggests that Americans may be getting too much vitamin A in their diets—and that it is best to get this nutrient from plant sources.
Preformed vitamin A, which is called retinol, is found only in animal foods. However, plant foods contain carotenoids which are converted in the body to vitamin A. The best known and most abundant vitamin A precursor is beta-carotene.
While preformed vitamin A from animal foods is toxic at high intakes, carotenoids are not. And too much preformed vitamin A—even at levels that aren’t toxic—has been linked to risk for bone fracture in some studies. High vitamin A intake might be especially harmful for people who have low intakes of vitamin D and for those who use retinol-rich supplemental products like cod liver oil.
In a recent editorial on the subject, Dr John Cannell noted that “The body uses these carotenoid substrates to make exactly the right amount of retinol. It is a closed, tightly regulated system, one designed to perfection by Nature.” He suggested that consuming animal-derived vitamin A bypasses the controls of this delicate balance.
Carotenoids, which are found in a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, have other health benefits in addition to their vitamin A activity. They have been linked to decreased cancer and heart disease risk and may protect vision in aging. It’s no surprise that vegetarians tend to have higher blood levels of carotenoids compared to people who eat meat. But, to get adequate vitamin A, everyone should consume one or two servings of beta-carotene superstars every day. These are sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach, kale, collards, cantaloupe, and dark yellow winter squash (like Hubbard and Butternut). Carotenoids need a little dietary fat for absorption and are better absorbed from foods that are lightly cooked.
Taken From:http://www.examiner.com/x-5670-Seattle-Vegan-Examiner~y2009m5d1-Vegan-diets-are-best-for-vitamin-A
Tagged: health, vegan, vitamin a
During book distribution in villages in India, we generally set up a stall by 7:30 am and after engaging the early morning shoppers, we move to the next village. Like this we cover 4-5 villages in a day.
One day we had good book distribution in a village. By 9am we were ready to leave. On the way to the next big village there was a smaller one, which I decide to skip. "Better spend more time in the bigger village," I thought. When we were crossing the small village we reached the road where the village people, under the guidance of their sarpanch (village head), were repairing the road. I was surprised to see the village was prosperous. As our bus reached closer everyone stopped work and began staring at us. Srila Prabhupada's kirtan tune was airing from the bus's public address system; the bus itself was brightly painted and inside was cheerful devotees enthusiastically having kirtan, everything was mesmerizing for simple village folk.
The sarpanch waved at us to stop. "What do you have?"
"We distribute Bhagvad Gita and Srimad Bhagvatam," I replied.
"Where will you set up your stall in our village?" the sarpanch asked.
"No, we are not setting up our stall here," I replied. "We are going to the next village. It is bigger."
"Are we so sinfull that you are not stopping in our village?" the sarpanch said. "Please stop here. I will personally come with you and help every one take the books."
He climbed on our bus, and the workers cleared heaps of mud from the road and made way for our bus. As we passed an eager crowd began to follow us. At the village market we stopped the bus and the sarpanch was the first person to take books. He took Srimad Bhagwatam.
I quoted, "Yad yad acharati shreshthas: Whatever action great men do common men follow."
The sarpanch then requested every one to buy the books. "If you don't have money," he declared, "I will lend you. You can return it tomorrow." He lent around two thousand rupees to the villagers, all of whom he knew personally.
In that village of around 100 people around 60% took books. For me it was a big lesson: never to prejudge a place because of its apparent material features. It was a small village-with a large heart.
ys murari gupta das
During book distribution in villages in India, we generally set up a stall by 7:30 am and after engaging the early morning shoppers, we move to the next village. Like this we cover 4-5 villages in a day.
One day we had good book distribution in a village. By 9am we were ready to leave. On the way to the next big village there was a smaller one, which I decide to skip. "Better spend more time in the bigger village," I thought. When we were crossing the small village we reached the road where the village people, under the guidance of their sarpanch (village head), were repairing the road. I was surprised to see the village was prosperous. As our bus reached closer everyone stopped work and began staring at us. Srila Prabhupada's kirtan tune was airing from the bus's public address system; the bus itself was brightly painted and inside was cheerful devotees enthusiastically having kirtan, everything was mesmerizing for simple village folk.
The sarpanch waved at us to stop. "What do you have?"
"We distribute Bhagvad Gita and Srimad Bhagvatam," I replied.
"Where will you set up your stall in our village?" the sarpanch asked.
"No, we are not setting up our stall here," I replied. "We are going to the next village. It is bigger."
"Are we so sinfull that you are not stopping in our village?" the sarpanch said. "Please stop here. I will personally come with you and help every one take the books."
He climbed on our bus, and the workers cleared heaps of mud from the road and made way for our bus. As we passed an eager crowd began to follow us. At the village market we stopped the bus and the sarpanch was the first person to take books. He took Srimad Bhagwatam.
I quoted, "Yad yad acharati shreshthas: Whatever action great men do common men follow."
The sarpanch then requested every one to buy the books. "If you don't have money," he declared, "I will lend you. You can return it tomorrow." He lent around two thousand rupees to the villagers, all of whom he knew personally.
In that village of around 100 people around 60% took books. For me it was a big lesson: never to prejudge a place because of its apparent material features. It was a small village-with a large heart.
ys murari gupta das
Ravindra Svarupa Dasa (William H. Deadwyler) joined the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in 1971 in Philadelphia, PA where he has served for most of his devotional career. He is an initiated disciple of ISKCON’s founder-acharya, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Ravindra Svarupa dasa earned his B.A. in philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania, and his M.A. and Ph.D. in religion from Temple University. He has been a member of ISKCON’s ecclesiastical board, known as the Governing Body Commission, since 1987. He is an initiating guru for ISKCON and is the temple president of ISKCON of Philadelphia.
Check out more of his writings at his blog So It Happens
Doubt is the motor of the modern mentality, the indefatigable engine that drives the spirit of our age. Such doubt was honored with an early recognition in the essays of the Renaissance courtier Michel de Montaigne: “We are, I know not how, double within ourselves, with the result that we do not believe what we believe, and we cannot rid ourselves of what we condemn.”
During Montaigne’s time, religious wars of unbearable cruelty rent Europe. The absolute certainty of the raging antagonists began to taint conviction itself with bad odor. But Montaigne saw deeper. He descried the doubleness within the very certitude of the religious partisans. He recognized their zeal as a kind of cover up, overcompensation for a hidden, an unacknowledged, lack of faith: “We do not believe what we believe.”
In modern times, disbelief has so far entered into the essence of our existence, that both faithlessness and faith have become fundamentally two varieties of faithlessness.
It is the secret unbelief of true believers that energizes the armies of the night in Mathew Arnold’s poem of 1867:
The Sea of Faith
Was once, too, at the full, and round earth’s shore
Lay like the folds of a bright girdle furled.
But now I only hear
Its melancholy, long, withdrawing roar,
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
And we are here as on a darkling plain
Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight,
Where ignorant armies clash by night.
William Butler Yeats delivers the ominous news in his prophetic, apocalyptic 1919 poem “The Second Coming”:
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.
Others, of course, celebrated unbelief—it bestows liberation—and proselytized it. Leave it to Friedrich Nietzsche to push it as a jagged little pill: “Convictions are more dangerous enemies of truth than lies.” (Aphorism 483, Human, All Too Human: 1878 )
So it happened that, as a child of the times, and all too human, I swallowed the pill. I served at the altar of doubt. Unbelief became my credo.
It took half a dozen years in academia for me to recognize that unbelief—skepticism, relativism, nihilism—had itself become dogma. Departments of religion were pledging themselves en masse to the hermeneutics of suspicion. To confess any conviction other than mistrust of all convictions was to court anathema.
All joined in choir to hymn unwavering faith in faithlessness. This dogmatism began to rankle me. Something was wrong. I brooded, irritably.
And then, my breakthrough: We doubters were failing at doubt. We had failed to take our doubt far enough. If we are going to be thoroughly skeptical, then we must be also skeptical about our own skepticism. If all things are relative, then so must be our relativism itself.
I stated my case at an informal religion department gathering.
“You must feel like you’re walking a tightrope over an abyss,” responded a fellow grad student, only recently a nun.
“Yeah, but I’m not sure there’s a rope either,” I said. Everyone laughed.
Let us be bold enough to remove the very ground we stand on and miraculously levitate on nothing.
And so we come full circle. Doubting our own doubting, we find a surprise awaiting us: a tiny crack opens for the possibility of faith.
Just the possibility. Even less—just the openness to the possibility.
This turns out to be a crack even God can squeeze through.
One thing led to another. Several years after the manifestation of the crack, I joined—to my permanent amazement—a high-demand “organized religion.” A religion committed to preaching. Labeled by one academic as “evangelical Hinduism.” (For a systematically misleading expression, this is spot on.)
Then came a time, fifteen or twenty years later, that I realized that I was utterly and completely certain that, as they say, “God exists.” (For a systematically misleading expression, this is spot on.) I did not merely hold that a feasible case for divine existence could be made, that “God exists” can be reasonably affirmed, that the assertion is true with (of course) the possibility that it just might be false. Not at all. I was absolutely, totally certain.
This upset me.
I’m still a modern person. I assailed my own conviction: How could I be so sure? What right did I have to be so certain? How was it possible? How was I entitled to such a degree of certitude? What was wrong with me?
I attacked my own faith, and it repelled my assaults. I couldn’t shake it. It was as if it were simply there of its own accord, an irrevocable fact; it really didn’t depend upon me.
I put the matter before some judicious devotees. “It’s Kṛṣṇa’s causeless mercy,” said one. “It’s a gift,” said another. A Ph.D. who once taught Christian theology to divinity students, she cited the distinction between certainty and certitude.
These conversations relieved me of my anxiety and allowed me to accept the gift wholeheartedly.
Yet—not to look the gift horse in the mouth—I found myself still impelled to understand better what I had been given.
I began my inquiry with this question: Is there anything at all that every person can be absolutely certain of? The question, of course, summoned me back to the origins of modernity, to the very “father of modern philosophy,” Rene Descartes, who turned Montaigne’s doubt into a methodology. Sweeping away, in his Discourse on Method, everything dubitable, he was left with only his own indubitable existence as a cognizant being. He could doubt everything except that he was doubting. Cogito, ergo sum, he famously wrote: “I think, therefore I am.” Descartes explained that by “thought” he meant “what happens in me such that I am immediately conscious of it, insofar as I am conscious of it.” His own existence as a conscious subject was absolutely certain.
Here I got my own clue and cue: Start, like Descartes, with myself.
But in this, it seemed to me, I was able to be more clear that Descartes. To “start with myself” means, to be precise, to start with ātman, the conscious self.
We commonly use the English “soul” or “spirit soul” to denote the same entity, but without the same clear meaning. The Sanskrit word ātman (in the root form) or ātmā (in the nominative singular), is a noun meaning “the self.” (The same word also serves as the reflexive pronoun, the “-self” in words denoting myself, yourself, herself, etc.)
When I take note, as Descartes did, of my own consciousness, I understand that I am aware, at least to some degree, of the ātman, of myself as a conscious, experiencing living being, now bearing and animating a certain material body and mind.
For two decades preceding my own Cartesian investigation, I’d been engaged in spiritual practices amounting to researching of ātman. To try to understand my own certitude about God, I began to reflect upon those practices.
Ātma-tattva, the science of the self, like any science, presents itself first as a theory, as kind of picture, or conceptual map, of spiritual reality. A theory, like a map, is the fruit of the experience of previous researchers, prepared as a guide for later explorers. The only purpose of theory is to guide practice, just as a road map is drawn up to facilitate a successful automobile journey.
Ātma-tattva also includes practical instructions on how to undertake the spiritual journey, how to use the map correctly. It is, in this way, an applied science dedicated to the clarification and expansion of consciousness.
We do not find any enterprise like this in modern Western philosophy. Modern philosophy certainly speculates endlessly about consciousness and experience, about knowledge and the knower and the known, but it has lost the applied element so prominent in the ancient classical traditions of Pythagoras, Parmenides, and Plato. There is now no distinctive “philosophical way of life.” It’s just another job.
I had taken up a tradition from India, yet it returned me to the very foundations of Western philosophy. When I recognized this, I felt that I’d come back home.
The applied knowledge, the spiritual way of life, requires a commitment to a relatively rigorous and demanding discipline. This is called yoga. The discipline is required to remove the material veil so that one can attain direct experience of spiritual reality: of the ātmā, the self, and of paramātmā, the superself or God.
The necessity for such a disciplined life is stated succinctly in Bhagavad-gītā (14.17): spiritual knowledge depends on goodness, on sattva. If our awareness is covered by the material modes of passion (raja-guṇa) and ignorance (tamo-guṇa) we will not be capable of direct perception of ātmā and paramātmā. Therefore, we who undertake this project live a regulated and radically simple life designed to minimize the demands of the senses, to decrease lust, anger, greed, and so on.
Modern materialistic culture fosters values and activities that expand the modes of passion and of ignorance, so it is necessary to insulate oneself from its influence. Spiritual culture has the contrary aim of developing goodness and reducing passion and ignorance.
After several decades of practice in ātma-tattva, the science of the self, my own consciousness had become somewhat clarified and expanded. I had gained at least some awareness of my own spiritual identity, and, along with that, of God.
A master of yoga named Kavi has stated (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 11.2.42) that for one practicing properly, three things develop simultaneously: devotion, direct perception of God, and detachment from everything else. This happens in the same natural way that for a person who is eating, satisfaction, nourishment, and relief from hunger increase together with every bite.
In the yoga discipline, the practitioner realizes his or her own identity as ātmā and also encounters God initially as paramātmā, as the interior, guiding superself, the self of all selves. In this experience we find the Cartesian key. For knowing God, the paramātmā, is something like knowing our own self. Thus the experience engendered total certitude in the experiencer. As one cannot doubt one’s own consciousness, when that same consciousness has expanded somewhat, God becomes known as I know myself, for God is the very self of my self. Then I can no more doubt God’s existence than I can my own.
I can, of course, doubt my experience of objects perceived in this world. It is possible, Descartes noted, that one is being deceived by some evil demon. (Here he anticipated the premise of The Matrix by some four centuries.) Even so, one still cannot be deceived about one’s own consciousness.
Knowledge of God is not like knowledge of the external world, of this table I write on, of the garden outside my window, of the people relaxing in the garden. In this case, I am spirit knowing matter. There is a far more intimate connection between me and God: Not only are ātmā and paramātmā of the same spiritual nature, but ātmā is part and parcel of paramātmā. For this reason, once there is experience of paramātmā, doubting God becomes impossible. After that expansion of consciousness, God remains part of the content of every experience I have. I experience my own being as part of God’s being.
It is not that in this experience, I perceiving something novel, like a new next-door neighbor or the latest cool thing from Apple. Rather, with consciousness purified and expanded, I now perceive what had always be there, merely unnoticed, unrecognized, unacknowledged.
In this state of expanded consciousness, I am aware that I cannot see anything without God’s seeing it first, hear anything without God’s first hearing it, and so on. I cannot doubt God’s seeing and hearing anymore than I can my own.
The experience of ātmā-paramātmā, which renders doubting God’s existence as impossible as doubting one’s own, is evidently not exclusive to my own or historically related traditions. A natural and unwavering certitude concerning God has appeared in advanced practitioners in many theistic traditions. Those traditions may have various theories (theological doctrines) about God and the worshipper, but, so far as I can see, the simplest and soundest explanation for the experienced certitude of advanced practitioners everywhere is found in the understanding of ātmā-paramātmā.
We can also conclude that we are made for belief, for conviction. There is no way around it.
Herein lies the foundation, I propose, for authentic conviction, for conviction arising from the opening up of the self. Without that, we seem contemned to verify Montaigne’s observation: “We are, I know not how, double within ourselves.” Authentic conviction may serve as antidote to the current global wars between modes of doubleness: Militant belief born from despair at its own unbelief clashing with militant unbelief born in denial of its own belief.
by letters (wmdean@btopenworld.com) at May 03, 2009 02:45 PM
by letters (wmdean@btopenworld.com) at May 03, 2009 02:41 PM
by letters (wmdean@btopenworld.com) at May 03, 2009 02:39 PM
by letters (wmdean@btopenworld.com) at May 03, 2009 02:35 PM
by letters (wmdean@btopenworld.com) at May 03, 2009 02:32 PM
by letters (wmdean@btopenworld.com) at May 03, 2009 02:30 PM
by letters (wmdean@btopenworld.com) at May 03, 2009 02:28 PM
by letters (wmdean@btopenworld.com) at May 03, 2009 02:26 PM
Hare krishna
Dandavat Pranams
Having finished with the Four Sources of Knowledge (Pramana) in the previous lecture, we move on to a discussion of the Nature of the Physical World as delineated by the Twelve Objects of Knowledge (Prameya). Comparisons are made with the more limited views of Western Philosophy, especially that of Kant’s reckoning of time and space. The discussion then moves to the Concept of the Individual Soul, briefly comparing the various Indian schools and the views of Descartes.
Please click below link to download recording.
download (Downloads 28)
Click here for the full text.
Servant of Servants.
Bhakti Caru Swami: Yesterday, May 2, there was a "Reunion Festival" in Sanctuary, the ISKCON temple in Manhattan. Rameswar, Pradyumna, Yogeswar, Satyaraja, Laxmi-nrsimha Prabhus and many of our god-brothers were there. Radhanath Maharaja with Yajna-purusa Prabhu were the main organizers, and we had an extremely wonderful time together.The public at large is warmly invited to attend the 9th Annual “Festival of Inspiration” this coming Mother’s Day week-end at the Krishna Community-Palace of Gold beginning Friday, May 8th, Sat. May 9th, Sunday May 10th..
There will be food vending, locally produced and imported goods, T-shirts and entertainment on stage during the evening.
In addition, there are work-shops, seminars and other sessions featuring self-improvement, yoga, drum playing mrdanga (a special drum from India), kirtan and musical performances through out the three days.
There is no charge to take part in the out door portions.
There is a small charge for seminars, workshops, and for food. It’s family oriented (there’s a bouncy castle for the kids).
In addition, the entire grounds are looking fresh and beautiful.
You’ll see peacocks (including rare whites) and swans.
This is a rain or shine event, and right now, it looks like it might be closer to the rain…so, bring an umbrella and join us!
Call event organizers for further details: 304-845-9591
Sri Krishna Kathamrita Bindu, the free e-magazine from ISKCON Gopaljiu Publications, has just entered its ninth year of circulation, and has reached 200 issues distributed to its ever-growing list of subscribers.
Our faith in our respective spiritual masters and in every word and deed of Srila Prabhupada has to be complete. Anything less, even by a measurement of a comfortable sesame seed results in partial happiness without which we cannot be truly peaceful at heart.
by Vrndavana Vinodini dd (noreply@blogger.com) at May 03, 2009 09:17 AM
An encouraging sign at least from the White House Garden, as the First Lady Michelle Obama grows a fully organic garden, which is perturbing the agri-business monopolies to no end.
The material world is like a dream (svapna). In dreams we sometimes cry out, laugh or cry, see things and perform many activities that are evidence of "reality." But what is reality? Vaisanva philosophy holds that everything in this present life is 'like a dream." It appears to be real, but like a dream it is temporary and will evaporate. It is less than an instant in the grand sweep of time. Some of you may remember part of a song that was popular in the sixties whose lyrics went like this: "There are places I remember all my life though some have changed -- some forever not for better.
Here is the latest news with Bindu. My humble and sincere thanks to all of the kind vaishnavas who have supported this service over the years.
Sri Krishna Kathamrita Bindu, the free e-magazine from ISKCON Gopaljiu Publications, has just entered its ninth year of circulation, and has reached 200 issues distributed to its ever-growing list of subscribers.
Started in 2001 as a humble attempt to serve Srila Prabhupada and the preachers of the mission of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Krishna Kathamrita Bindu is especially meant for devotees who were interested in going deep into the tradition and literature of Gaudiya Vaishnavism. Our policy from the beginning has been to simply focus on krishna-katha – no politics, exposes, revolutions, or institutional bashing or promotion. Tad-vag-visargo janatagha-viplavo – our conviction is that krishna-katha and krishna-nama automatically changes everything for the better. They are the ultimate solutions to all problems in this world. In the words of Srila Saraswati Thakur, “The person who determines that there is scope for reform of the world himself stands in need of reform. ... As soon as Krishna enters the listening ear, he clears up the vision of the listener so that he no longer has any ambition of ever acting the part of a reformer of any other person, because he finds that nobody is left without the very highest guidance. It is therefore his own reform that he is increasingly able to realize, by the eternally continuing mercy of the Supreme Lord.” [Read the complete article in Bindu 177]
Bindu has featured many first-time translations, including stories and songs from little-known works, such as Sri Tilak Ramdas’ “Abhiram Lilamrta”, Yadunandan Das’ “Karnananda”, Jagadbandhu Bhadra’s “Gaura-pada-tarangini”, Gopijanavallabha Das’ “Rasika Mangala”, Krishnadas’ “Syamananda Prakash”, Jiva Goswami’s “Gopal Campu” and Padma, Nrsimha, Brahma-vaivarta and other Puranas.
Bindu comes out twice a month, on every ekadasi. Each four-page issue begins with an inspiring article from His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, and nearly every issue includes something from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur and Thakur Bhaktivinode. Articles by Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami are a common feature as well as contemporary articles by the Bindu editors.
Bindu is a free service. To subscribe, write to: minimag@gopaljiu.org
Below are some of the kind words of encouragement about Bindu received over the last 8 years:
I would like to subscribe to your publication. I looked at some back issues and enjoyed the contents very much. I have stopped looking at the ISKCON web sites except for our local site, because they are all obsessed with politics and nonsense. Your publication is very nice. We just need to chant together in a humble and loving frame of mind in order to solve all the problems. Thank you, prabhus.
-- Praharana Dasi, Toronto
Your publication is an invaluable source of inspiration and important sastric reference.
-- Vaisesika Das, San Francisco
Please include me in your subscribers' list for KK Bindu. I enjoyed the fourth issue very much. May all of your efforts be crowned with success, and may this meet you in the best of health and blissful spirits.
-- Tamal Krishna Goswami
Your magazine is the best on the earth.
-- Jayatam Jaya Sila Das
It is my great happiness to see that instead of joining the revolting political debates and fights continuously taking place amongst the vaishnavas of different groups, the sisyas of Gour Govinda Maharaja are peacefully engaged in distributing pure, universal hari-katha without propagating any institution in a sectarian way. You are doing a wonderful job for the pleasure of Sri Guru and Gauranga. I wish you all success in your service.
-- Peter Erdody, Budapest
My sincere congratulations and gratitude for putting together a fine Gaudiya Vaisnava online publication that we can all feel proud of.
-- Vicaru Das, Editor, "Sanga"
Thanks for all this nectar.
-- Indradyumna Swami
Your Bindus are WONDERFUL!
-- Mahavegavati Dasi
With great happiness I received your wonderful e-mail and devoured it immediately. The Krishna Kathamrita Bindu is simply ecstatic. Short, concise, thick with nectar, and fully authorized and in line with our glorious sampradaya as revealed by Srila Prabhupada. It is just what a preacher needs who wishes to inspire people. Please keep the good stream of nectar flowing!
-- Sacinandana Swami
Thanks for the latest KK Bindu. As usual, it was nectarean and a pleasant ekadasi surprise for my wicked mind. I especially appreciate the non-partisan spirit of the publication. I can hardly read anything on the internet these days that isn't trying to promote, argue pro or con, or solicit. There is a place for that I admit. I have my opinions, too. But it's easy to forget our real business in life. At least I am reminded, by your kindness, on a bi-monthly basis. Thank you.
-- Sarva-drk Das, Denver
Aapko bahut dhanyavaada!!!
-- Dasarath Suta Das, Georgia
I always look forward to receiving Krishna Kathamrita Bindu. It's just the right size and just the right substance -- so short that I can easily devote the time to it yet so juicy that a few drops go a long way. A newsletter with nothing but pure Krishna-katha -- so refreshing! This is the real need of the day. Thank you so much!
-- Jayadvaita Swami
Many thanks for a copy of the book, "Sri Krishna Kathamrita Bindu, Issues 1-17" which I have just finished reading. In fact, I was not able to take up any of my other works until I finished this book. I am happy to tell you that one can really have a taste of sindhu reading the said issues of the Bindu.
One small suggestion: Can you start incorporating in each issue translation of a portion of a Vaishnava Sanskrit text not yet translated? Wishing you success in your venture.
-- Yours affectionately, Professor Samaresh Bandyopadhyaya, Head of the Department of Ancient Indian History and Culture, University of Calcutta
Your wonderful writings have been so inspiring to devotees all around the world. I can truly say I have always looked forward to every new presentation. My own copies have been marked many times. I have shared them with so many other devotees. Somehow each time they have appeared it has been so timely.
-- Bhakti Tirtha Swami
Someone recently directed me to your site and it is encouraging to see this kind of preaching continuing some years now after Sri Gour Govinda Maharaja has departed.
-- Swami B.V. Tripurari
I heartily approve the spirit of this message.
-- Jagadananda Das (Jan Brzezinski), Toronto
I’m a journalist from the “Economic Times”, Bangalore edition, trying to be a vaishnavi. I have always loved “Krishna Kathamrita Bindu” and the excellent books you publish. “Krishna Kathamrita Bindu” and “Mathura Meets Vrindavan” are so good. I repeatedly tell stories to people from them while preaching.
-- Chandni Raj, Bangalore
by Madhavananda Das (madhavananda.BBSR@gmail.com) at May 03, 2009 05:38 AM
I pray for the realization of all these truths I have just stated. I wish that the world can become happy by Your grace, oh You, the most happy one [...]
from the yellow submarine, my bhajana kutir #59→
by letters (wmdean@btopenworld.com) at May 02, 2009 08:23 PM
by letters (wmdean@btopenworld.com) at May 02, 2009 08:22 PM
by letters (wmdean@btopenworld.com) at May 02, 2009 08:15 PM
by letters (wmdean@btopenworld.com) at May 02, 2009 08:13 PM
>>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 9.10.6-7
3 May 2009 is Srimati Sita Devi's Appearance Day anniversary
by letters (wmdean@btopenworld.com) at May 02, 2009 08:08 PM
by letters (wmdean@btopenworld.com) at May 02, 2009 08:05 PM
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