Sunday, July 24, 2011

The Vedic Solution strongly condemns the Israeli Mossad backed terrorist attacks in Norway.

Sunday, July 10, 2011

The Truth About Reincarnation and The Occult

-Josh Hawley July 10, 2011

Reincarnation is very simple to understand, and has absolutely nothing to do with the occult, illuminati, NWO, or other 'mumbo jumbo' mentioned by Paul Drockton in his article falsely titled: "Reincarnation explained".

Reincarnation goes something like this: You took your birth, your body changed from baby, to childhood, then again your body changed to adolescence, then to adult hood, and later your body will grow old, and eventually the body will decay and die. Its that simple.

Throughout this entire experience of bodies changing, something remains constant. That is the consciousness. The self who witnesses the changes going on within in the body is the actual person. That consciousness accompanied by its mental impressions (the mind) carries one to the next body. Just as a person takes off old clothes and puts on new ones according to ones desire, the soul, or consciousness similarly passes through different forms of life according to its desire.

Animals and other species of life pass through their bodies automatically according to the dictates of Material Nature. Consciousness gradually evolves throughout the process of reincarnation ultimately reaching the human form of life where consciousness is evolved. One in the human form of life has the ability to question: 'What is life?', Who am I?', 'Where did I come from?' etc. Animals lack this distinction for they are absorbed only in eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. Human beings who never question the goal of life are no better than animals.

The fact of the matter is that numerous religions including Christianity describe reincarnation within their texts. The philosophy of Reincarnation predates Western Occultism by several thousand years. Modern science, (not psuedo science) recognizes that the body completely changes every 7 years. Every seven years, every single cell within the body is completely changed, or replaced by new cells.

The fact of the matter is that reincarnation was taught within the Catholic Church until 553 A.D. The most famous passage in the Bible about reincarnation is in reference to John the Babtist, who formerly appeared as Elias. These are two distinct persons appearing at very different times historically, however they are referred to as the same person by the Bible.

"(1)

The Hebrew scriptures prophesied that Elijah himself - not someone like him or someone in the same ministry as him but Elijah himself - would return before the advent of the Messiah.
(2) Jesus declared John to be Elijah when he stated that Elijah has come.
Based on these conclusions alone, either (A) or (B) must be true:
(A)

John was Elijah himself which means that Elijah reincarnated as John the Baptist. And if this is true then reincarnation must belong once again in Christian theology. It also means that the concept of corpses crawling out of graves on Judgment Day can be discarded. OR...
(B)

John was not Elijah reincarnated which means that Elijah himself did not return. And if this is true then either (1) or (2) listed below is true:
(1)

Malachi's prophecy concerning Elijah's return to life before the coming of the Messiah failed to happen. This would mean that God does not keep his promise and that the Bible is fallible. OR...
(2) Jesus was not the Messiah.

Based on all the logic presented thus far, only one of the following conclusions is true:
I. Reincarnation is a reality OR...
II. Jesus was not the Messiah OR...
III. Bible prophecies are not reliable.

There is no way around this logic. Only one of the above options can be true. And because Jesus' declaration that John is Elijah is overt and direct, then the only option that can be logically true is (A)."

"And the disciples asked him, saying, "Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"

But he answered them and said, "Elijah indeed is to come and will restore all things. But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him, but did to him whatever they wished. So also shall the Son of Man suffer at their hand."
Then the disciples understood that he had spoken of John the Baptist." (Matt. 17:10-13)"

"Due to the condemnation of pre-existence (and reincarnation) by church authorities in 553 A.D., reincarnation became an enemy concept to the Judeo-Christian West. The reason reincarnation was declared heresy was given by Gregory, the Bishop of Nyssa. The five reasons he gave were:


(1) It seems to minimize Christian salvation.

(2) It is in conflict with the resurrection of the body.

(3) It creates an unnatural separation between body and soul.

(4) It is built on a much too speculative use of Christian scriptures.

(5) There is no recollection of previous lives."

These five reasons put forward by Gregory do not hold weight however in the light of modern experience. For in fact 5.their exist numerous authenticated cases throughout the world of recollection of previous lives. 4.It actually does not involve speculation on the scriptures, rather direct interpretation. 3.The body and soul exist as two distinct and separate entities anyways. The idea of a union between the body and soul is an unnatural concept and is the basis or justification of mammon or gluttony. 2.Resurrection of the body is utter foolishness. Nowhere in anyone's collective or individual experience in the history of the world do we find bodies rising from the grave. 1. Christian Salvation exists independently of the science of reincarnation.

This also does not preclude the common existence of reincarnation in the thought of humankind in much of the rest of the world where Western Occultic thought has little or no actual influence. Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, Vedic, Vaisnava, Saivism, and most shamanistic traditions recognize the reality of reincarnation within their traditions. Some of these give extraordinarily detailed descriptions in very precise and scientific terms. Obviously these traditions predate Christianity, as well as modern Western Occultism, and thus their is simply no actual authentic correlation to the Occult with the actual concept of Reincarnation. The Vedas alone predate Christianity by at least 8000 years, Abhraham (Old Testament/Torah) by some 3000 years, and Zoroastrianism (the actual birth of Western Occultic Thought) by some 2000 years. Which means the idea of Reincarnation was in existence well before Western Occultism took its hold in modern thought. And more specifically the Occult DID NOT give birth to the idea of reincarnation. Paul Drockton's hyperbolic postulations about reincarnation are nothing more than absurd speculations in order to create fear and perpetuate ignorance. Maybe he is trying to sell more gold and silver? The actual science of reincarnation obviously bewilders Mr. Drockton and is beyond his scope of understanding.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Krishna Talk 126 - Prakrta Rasa Sata Dusani Part 2

by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura

View online:
http://www.gosai.com/writings/prakrta-rasa-sata-dusani-part-2

Part Two
Verses 18-28
(18)
ajata-ratike kabhu bhava-labdha bale na
raganuga sadhakere jata-bhava bale na

It should not be said that bhava has been achieved when rati has still not
yet developed. A raganuga-bhakta never says that sadhakas (neophytes) have
achieved the manifestation of bhava.

(19)
raganuga sadhakere labdha-rasa bale na
raganuga sadhya-bhava rati chada haya na

A raganuga will never say that neophytes have achieved the stage of rasa.
Sadhya-bhava (divine emotions that are the goal of raganuga-bhakti) is never
attained without first experiencing rati.

(20)
bhavankura-samagame vaidhi-bhakti thake na
rucike ratira saha kabhu eka jane na

Once the seed of bhava appears, vaidhi-bhakti is no longer present. One must
never consider ruci and rati to be the same thing.

(21)
raganuga balile-i prapta-rasa jane na
vidhi-sodhya jane kabhu raganuga bale na

Rasa can never be achieved simply by talking about raganuga-bhakti. One who
is still in need of being purified by following the scriptural injunctions
(vaidhi-bhakti) can never be said to be a raganuga devotee.

(22)
sadhanera purve keha bhavankura paya na
jade sraddha na chadile rati kabhu haya na

One can never experience bhava before performing sadhana-bhakti. One who
cannot reject faith in materialism can never attain rati.

(23)
jata-bhava na haile rasika ta’ haya na
jada-bhava na chadile rasika ta’ haya na

If bhava has not yet appeared, one can never become a rasika. One can never
become a rasika if mundane emotions are not abandoned.

ANUVRTTI

Again and again in Prakrta-rasa Sata-dusani the systematic development of the
stages of bhakti are being stressed and stern warning is given that there is
no alternative or short cut to this process. One must begin the process of
pure devotional service and follow it step by step. The ontological
development of pure devotional service is outlined in the following sloka of
Sri Rupa Gosvami.

adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sango ‘tha bhajana-kriya
tato ‘nartha-nivrttih syat tato nistha rucis tatha
athasaktis tato bhavas tatha premabhyudancati
sadhakanam ayam premnah pradurbhave bhavet kramah

“In the beginning there must be faith (adau sraddha). Then one becomes
interested in associating with pure devotees (sadhu-sanga). Thereafter one is
initiated by the spiritual master and follows the regulative principles of
devotional service under his orders (bhajana-kriya). Thus one is freed from
all unwanted habits (anartha-nivrtti) and becomes firmly fixed in devotional
service (nistha). Thereafter, one develops taste (ruci) and attachment
(asakti). This is the way of sadhana-bhakti, the performance of devotional
service according to the regulative principles. Gradually emotions intensify
(bhava), and finally there is an awakening of love (prema). This is the
gradual development of love of God for the devotee interested in Krsna
consciousness.” (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.4.15-16)

In the stage of vaidhi-bhakti one performs devotional service according to
rules and regulations. When the heart is free from anarthas, the devotee
becomes fixed in devotional service and begins to develop a taste for the
Holy Name of Krsna, for the service of Krsna and to all things related to
Krsna. The devotee’s taste develops into attachment to Krsna and when that
attachment matures it is sometimes called rati. Then follows bhava and prema.
When the need to be purified by following scriptural injunctions
(vaidhi-bhakti) still remains, a devotee cannot be said to be a raganuga.
Raganuga-bhakti necessitates that one has come to the stage of ruci. In other
words, one must first dispense with all anarthas in the heart before becoming
qualified to perform raganuga-bhakti.
The following is a quote from Thakura Bhaktivinoda:

“When a devotee following the path of vaidhi-bhakti abandons his various
material desires and executes bhajana according to the instructions of the
scriptures, the spiritual master and the Vaisnavas, then taste (ruci),
manifests in his bhajana. When ruci thus appears, he abandons the path of
vaidhi-bhakti and enters the plane of raganuga-bhakti.”
(Piyusa-varsini-vrtti commentary on Upadesamrta)

Those who do not wish to progress in Krsna consciousness step by step, but
instead prefer to jump ahead to rasa, are sometimes called
‘gatecrashers.’ It is also to be understood that simply by talking about
rasa does not mean that one has attained the stage of raganuga-bhakti. Talk
is cheap, whereas the actual qualifications for rasa are very rare. It is
also seen that the pseudo-guru claims himself to be a ‘rasika,’ when in
fact he still manifests the symptoms of kama, krodha, and lobha – lust for
wealth, anger toward anyone who does not blindly accept him as guru, and
greed to initiate anyone who crosses his path – even though such persons
may have already been duly initiated by a bona-fide spiritual master. Such
deluded persons think that they have attained raganuga-bhakti simply by
hearing the lilas of Krsna, but such persons should remember that krsna-lila
is also sometimes available in comic books in India.
It should not go without mention that many of the pseudo-gurus, past and
present, claiming to be on the platform of a rasika, display the classic
symptoms of narcissism. Narcissism is a material condition (a psychological
illness) wherein one suffers from: 1) a grandiose sense of self-importance,
2) a preoccupation with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance,
beauty, and ideal love, 3) a belief that he is special and unique and can
only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status
people, 4) a requirement for excessive admiration and worship, 5) a sense of
entitlement – unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment
or automatic compliance with his expectations, 6) a despotic mentality,
repressing and exploiting others, 7) a lack of empathy, unwilling to
recognize or identify with the feelings or needs of others, 8) envy of
others, also believing that others are envious of him, 9) an arrogant or
haughty attitude. Such persons are never truly rasika.

(24)
mula-dhana rasa-labha rati-vina haya na
gache na uthite kandi vrksa-mule paya na

It is not possible to attain the original treasure of rasa without first
attaining rati. When one does not climb the tree, one cannot collect the
fruits.

ANUVRTTI

In Kalyana-kalpataru, Thakura Bhaktivinoda says, “dusta-phale karile
arjana” – if one wants fruits without taking the trouble to climb the
tree, what sort of fruits can he expect? The fruits will be ruined or
rotten. Without proper progression, it is all imagination – a madman’s
feat!
In this light Srila B.R. Sridhara Maharaja has quoted the following verse
stating that it is the death-blow to the gatecrashers and sentiment mongers.

upajiya bade lata ‘brahmanda’ bhedi yaya
‘viraja’ ‘brahmaloka’ bhedi ‘paravyoma’ paya
tabe yaya tad upari ‘goloka-vrndavana’
krsna-carana-kalpa-vrkse arohana

“The creeper of devotion is born, and grows to pierce the wall of the
universe. It crosses the Viraja River and the Brahman plane, and reaches to
the Vaikuntha plane. Then it grows further up to Goloka Vrndavana, finally
reaching to embrace the wish yielding tree of Krsna’s lotus feet”. (Cc.
Madhya 19-153-4)

The implication of this verse is that real bhakti takes its birth in the
plane of vaidhi-bhakti and only after crossing all lower stages of
consciousness does it go beyond material conception and enter the
consciousness of Vaikuntha. But even there the creeper of devotion does not
yet yield fruit. The fruit of pure devotion is only yielded after having
attained the platform of spontaneous love, raga-marga, in Goloka Vrndavana.
Srila Sridhara Maharaja used to say that the neophyte’s engagement in
krsna-lila is simply a dreamy thing. The real raganuga-bhaktas are aloof from
such dreamy states because they are fully awake in the service or Hari, guru
and Vaisnava.

(25)
sadhane anartha ache, rasodaya haya na
bhava-kale nama-gane chala-rasa haya na

Rasa will not dawn in one if anarthas remain in the stage of sadhana. A
deceptive mentality cannot be present when the Holy Name is chanted at the
stage of bhava.

(26)
siddhanta-vihina haile krsne citta lage na
sambandha-hinera kabhu abhidheya haya na

The consciousness cannot be truly fixed upon Krsna if one is bereft of the
proper philosophical conception. When there is no knowledge of ones
relationship with the Lord (sambandha), there can be no abhidheya
(performance of devotional activities).

(27)
sambandha-vihina-jana prayojana paya na
ku-siddhante vyasta-jana krsna-seva kare na

That person who is devoid of sambandha-jnana can never attain the ultimate
goal of life (prayojana). One who is bewildered by philosophical
misconceptions is not performing devotional service to Krsna.

(28)
siddhanta-alasa-jana anarthata’chade na
jade krsna bhrama kari’ krsna-seva kare na

That person who is idle in understanding philosophical conclusions never
becomes free from anarthas. One who considers Krsna as belonging to the
mundane platform can never render service to Him.

ANUVRTTI

Proper understanding of pure devotional service can be divided into three
categories, sambandha (fundamental knowledge of one’s relationship with
Krsna), abhidheya (knowledge of the proper performance of devotional
activities), and prayojana (knowledge of the ultimate goal of life).
Without proper knowledge of one’s relationship with Krsna (sambandha) it is
not possible to serve Krsna (abhidheya) and without serving Krsna one cannot
attain the ultimate goal of life (prayojana). Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
personally taught the principles of sambandha to Sri Sanatana Gosvami and the
principles of abhidheya to Sri Rupa Gosvami. To understand prayojana one
should closely examine the Priti-sandarbha of Jiva Gosvami and the writings
of Sri Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami. Without proper philosophical understanding
and following in the footsteps of the Six Gosvamis of Vrndavana, it is not
possible to get prema-prayojana (the perfection of love of Krsna) simply by
shedding tears and putting on theatrical performances for the public.
Those who are lazy to understand proper siddhanta (philosophical conclusions)
or who maintain improper philosophical understandings (apa-siddhanta) can
never be free from anarthas and thus can never progress properly in Krsna
consciousness. Such persons often think that simply by serving the
institution of the guru, they are serving Krsna and thus will automatically
go back to home, back to Godhead. They judge the success of their endeavors
simply by measuring size, material opulence, temples, Deities, devotees, and
members, with no concern for proper philosophical understanding. But from the
above verses it is clear that Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura does not
agree with such thinking. Without proper philosophical understanding, one
cannot get free from material contamination, nor can one properly perform
devotional service. Krsna Dasa Kaviraja Gosvami states that one should not
avoid philosophical controversy out of laziness.

siddhanta baliya citte na kara alasa
iha haite krsne lage sudrdha manasa

“A sincere student should not neglect the discussion of such conclusions,
considering them controversial, for such discussions strengthen the mind.
Thus one’s mind becomes attached to Sri Krsna.” (Cc. Adi. 2.17)

Our spiritual master A.C. Bhaktivedanta Svami Prabhupada was adamant that his
disciples should have a proper philosophical understanding and thus he wrote
many books in English for that purpose. Unfortunately many of his disciples
do not take advantage of their spiritual master’s books, do not study them
deeply, and thus they advance the lame purposes of society consciousness,
rather than the transcendental purposes of Krsna consciousness.
The most prominent philosophical misunderstanding among such
institutionalized devotees is probably their misconstrued idea that they are
the only bona-fide representatives of Krsna on Earth and that only through
their institution can a jiva be liberated from material bondage. Such
institutionalized devotees are also of the opinion that the living entities
found in this material world (baddha-jivas) originally fell down from their
position in the spiritual world, from being eternally liberated
(nitya-mukta-jivas). These, and other similar misconceptions, are due to a
range of anarthas and principally arise from a lack of philosophical
understanding of Gaudiya Vaisnava siddhanta.





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