http://absolutetruth.in/forums/ Enquiries into the truth that tends to the Absolute en Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:07:42 +0000 http://absolutetruth.in/forums/topic/who-is-a-guru-and-who-is-a-acharya#post-147 Thu, 24 Nov 2011 23:23:58 +0000 Lndasa 147@http://absolutetruth.in/forums/ <p>yare dekha, tare kaha 'krishna'-upadesa<br /> amara ajnaya guru hana tara' ei desa</p> <p>"Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Sri Krishna as they are given in the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. In this way become a spiritual master and try to liberate everyone in this land."</p> <p>Lord Chaitanya in Chaitanya Charitamrta Madhya 7.128</p> <p>Everyone should become a spiritual master means everyone should qualify themselves and prepare to be an example for everyone to follow that way Sri Chaitanya's mercy can be delivered to one and all. But that is not possible unless one accepts a guru in a bonafide sampradaya and follows him as he instructs. If we concoct we lose the purity. In this age Srila Prabhupada is the authoritative representative of Lord Chaitanya and he will remain so for the next 10,000 years. No one can become a guru unless they follow teaching of Srila Prabhupada. That is why he is called the Founder Acharya of the movement. A guru will not change the teaching of the acharya and just present himself as a transparent medium. If he changes he ceases to be a guru. So an Acharya is a guru but guru is not necessarily an acharya.</p> <p>And Srila Prabhupada is the universal siksha guru for everyone in ISKCON so we have this relationship with Srila Prabhupada always much like how Ramanujacharya is for Sri Sampradaya devotees and Madhvacharya is for Madhva Sampradya devotees. Acharya means one who lays down the path according the time and circumstance. That is why in our siksha system we have "Srila Prabhupada Ashraya" as the step before Guru Ashraya. In this stage one first takes shelter of Srila Prabhupada and practices Krishna consciousness before approaching a guru in ISKCON. They should hear and read from Srila Prabhupada first to get a proper understanding of Krishna consciousness. How many of you have heard Srila Prabhupada's lectures (Devotees raise hands).</p> <p>We should understand and propagate the mood of the Acharya that is the way to understand the mood of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Thankyou very much. Srila Prabhupad ki Jay.</p> <p>- From a Vyasa Puja lecture of HH Jayapataka Swami , Sridham Mayapur </p> http://absolutetruth.in/forums/topic/fallacy-of-final-judgement#post-110 Thu, 03 Jun 2010 09:42:21 +0000 Guest Visitor 110@http://absolutetruth.in/forums/ <p>Put simply, the basic premise of the Abrahamic beliefs (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) are as follows:</p> <p>- God is just, kind, perfect<br /> - This life is our first and last life<br /> - God is testing us here<br /> - Based on the marks we obtain in this test, we will go to either Heaven or Hell.</p> <p>The differences between Judaism, Christianity and Islam lie only in<br /> - the testing criteria and the description of Heaven and Hell<br /> - the level of fanaticism required for passing this Test.</p> <p>But the basic construct is same – One Life which is Test, God is best examiner, and Result is Pass (Heaven) or Fail (Hell) .</p> <p>Let us evaluate this basic construct critically through a series of examples, and decide whether it is logically plausible.</p> <p>1.<br /> Many children die in the wombs. Now as per Islam or Christianity would they go to Heaven or Hell? Most scholars of Islam and Christianity say they go to Heaven because they never did anything wrong in their lives.</p> <p>Now my question is “Did they even have an option to do anything wrong?”</p> <p>Is God not being partial by clearing one candidate even without starting his examination, and another one has to keep giving test after test continuously for 100 years!</p> <p>2.<br /> Many children die young before they reach maturity. Even the wrong acts they do are not out of willful desire to do something wrong but out of innocence. Would they reach Heaven or Hell?</p> <p>If they reach Heaven, then why does God not kill everyone in their childhood and ensure a seat in Heaven for them? Is God not being unjust and imperfect?</p> <p>If they reach Hell, what was their fault?</p> <p>Say twins were born. Both lived same innocent life for first 3 years. Then one died. He will go straight to Heaven. The other remained innocent for next few years, then got into bad company, became an Apostate/Kafir and died at age of 60. Now he should go to Hell, as per the Books.</p> <p>Is this not God’s crime that he made him live for 60 years and not his brother? Had he killed both at same age of 3 years, both would have gone to Heaven!</p> <p>So if there is one life and permanent Heaven/Hell, it proves God is unjust.</p> <p>3.<br /> A person is born insane. His mental faculties have not developed beyond say, age of five. But he lives a long life. Will he go to Hell or Heaven?</p> <p>Again the same questions as above rise. And result in either God being unjust or concept of one life as test to enter Heaven/Hell being wrong.<br /> 4.<br /> One person is born in family of Hindu, another in home of an atheist, one as a Muslim and another as a Christian. Based on what they imbibe from their respective societies, they become a devout Hindu, Atheist, Muslim and Christian respectively.</p> <p>Now as per Islam, only those who believe in Quran and Muhammad can go to Heaven. As per Christians, only those who surrender to Jesus can go to Heaven.</p> <p>So who will go where?</p> <p>Definitely the Hindu and Atheist are bound to go to Hell. Now my question is “Was God not unjust by not giving everyone birth in family of Muslim or Christian, whosoever is correct?”</p> <p>What is my fault if I was born and brought up in a Hindu family and never got any reason to be convinced by Quran or Bible? Why has God planned my stay in Hell from advance?</p> <p>5.<br /> A person who is devout follower of Islam believes that children go to Heaven because that is what scholars teach him. So as a noble example of self-sacrifice, he starts killing children. His logic is that, even if I have to burn in Hell forever, I should do my best to ensure that these innocent children get reservation for Paradise!</p> <p>Thus he is doing a selfless social service. Will he go to Heaven or Hell?</p> <p>If he goes to Heaven, then Allah or God is setting a wrong example for people to follow.</p> <p>If he goes to Hell, then selflessness is bad.</p> <p>Further, since no one will actually know who will go where until doomsday comes, it means God has already spread enough confusion to motivate many innocent selfless social workers to follow the path of infanticide and killing!</p> <p>6.<br /> An unbiased testing environment will demand that<br /> - first the subject be taught to everyone with same facilities,<br /> - then they should be evaluated under same testing environment.</p> <p>Accordingly, God should have first imbibed Quran or Bible, whichever is true, in hearts of all people, then given them birth in same types of family, allowed them to grow up in same place and in same conditions, and only then should have conducted the test.</p> <p>But in this world, we find the testing environment to be as diverse as one can possibly imagine. And yet God is claimed to be perfect, just and kind!</p> <p>Most religious scholars answer this paradox by saying that God or Allah knows how to decide the fate by whatever acts people have done in their respective lives based on whatever environment they had to live in. This seems to be like God having something like the Duckworth-Lewis formula which is used to decide winner of an interrupted cricket match.</p> <p>Now this raises few doubts:</p> <p>One,<br /> if indeed God is perfect and He has such a great scoring formula, why did he create the entire drama and wasted so many years? He should have used the formula in the very beginning and directly sent everyone to either Heaven or Hell!</p> <p>Two,<br /> If the formula works on a stillborn child or a fetus, why did he unnecessarily bias against certain folks and had them face troubles of long lives? After all He had created everyone equal to start with!</p> <p>Three,<br /> The test seems to have discrete results. As per Quran, all Heaven-goers would get 72 virgins each. There seems to be no concept of variation of results as per deeds. Some books do talk of several varieties of Heaven, but these merely increase a binary solution to a finite number solution (Instead of one Heaven and one Hell, there are now say 10 Heavens and 10 Hells). But still there is no continuous gradation. It is like a continuous function equation is giving a non-zero discrete answer, which is mathematically improbable.<br /> 7.<br /> People seem to be retaining their youthful bodies in Heaven. Now will they be able to change their looks if they want to? What about children and fetus who go to Heaven? Will they go as adults? Will they receive a training in Hebrew or Arabic which is supposed to be the language of Heaven? If indeed so, why did God not make only one single language in earth also?</p> <p>8.<br /> What about animals – reptiles, insects, mammals and other creatures? Will they go to Heaven or Hell? The earlier belief was that animals do not have souls. But now that it has been amply proved that at least the higher animals feel pain and pleasure like humans, the opinion is divided.</p> <p>Some claim that they will also go to Heaven. Others say that Allah knows the best!</p> <p>In case they go to Heaven, why did God or Allah bias against others and not gave them birth as cockroaches and goats? That way they too would have got straight passport to Heaven!</p> <p>In case they go to Hell, what was their fault?</p> <p>Also, will they live like cockroaches and goats, or will they get human body? Will their intelligence be enhanced? Or they remain equally dumb as in earth?</p> <p>9.<br /> Heaven and Hell seem to be permanent. It will continue forever, as per these religions. Now if that be so, God’s injustice becomes even more prominent in light of above points.</p> <p>Based on one single test, God put certain people directly in Heaven without testing them at all! Others he tested for so many years. Some he gave birth in homes of Apostates, some as children of Prophet himself.</p> <p>Is this not gravest cheating?</p> <p>God is the most unjust and biggest cheater of these stories of there being one single exam and Heaven/Hell forever be true.</p> <p>A corollary:<br /> What would happen if people start fighting or cheating or adultery in Heaven? Will they be shifted to Hell? Or will they be permitted to do whatever they want and yet remain in Heaven?</p> <p>The Holy Books seem to be silent on this!</p> <p>By <a href='http://agniveer.com/god-crazy/'>Agniveer</a> </p> http://absolutetruth.in/forums/topic/dangers-of-guru-groupism#post-146 Thu, 24 Nov 2011 23:19:34 +0000 Lndasa 146@http://absolutetruth.in/forums/ <p>by H.H. Bhakti Vikasa Swami</p> <p>(Featured in Congregational Development Journal, published by ISKCON Congregational Development Ministry, Jan–Mar 04)</p> <p>By the mercy of Srila Prabhupada, more and more people worldwide are coming to Krishna consciousness. Congregations especially are increasing. Along with this naturally come challenges, but better to face the challenges that arise from preaching than to have no preaching.</p> <p>A unique feature and strength of ISKCON is having many devotees awarding initiation. But this can also engender problems. One problem that negatively affects the development of preaching is that of “guru groupism.” In some places there is no such competition, either due to enlightened leadership or more commonly because something resembling the old zonal acarya<br /> system is still prevalent, with new devotees having little choice in who they should take initiation from.</p> <p>Although devotees have been aware of guru groupism, some have come to accept it as part of life, and to openly discuss it has seemingly been taboo. However, I submitted this topic for open discussion among ISKCON leaders. I suggested that in our movement some disciples tend to form groups centered around their gurus. Thus, rather than functioning as a united organization centered on serving the mission of Srila Prabhupada, we tend to form smaller sub-groups within the institution, each with the petty agenda of increasing its numbers, and-in competition with other such groups-to canvass new devotees and to promote their guru as best. Guru groupies become preoccupied with competing for new recruits rather than educating devotees on the principles and practices of spiritual life as taught by Srila Prabhupad. Significantly, no one denied that such problem existed and discussion ensued as to the effects of this syndrome. His Holiness Lokanatha Maharaja commented that guru groupism is one of the greatest dangers facing our movement: if left unchecked it could lead to a complete splintering into various factions. It should be checked now, before it’s too late.</p> <p>Guru groupism tends to promote a neophyte, fanatical, divisive, and separatist mentality that cannot be healthy, neither for the individuals who subscribe to it, nor for our movement as a whole. Certainly there can be no real cooperation and unity if this syndrome persists. </p> <p>Despite the above, my observation is that in many areas of the world devotees initiated by various ISKCON gurus tend to serve Srila Prabhupada’s mission in a spirit of cooperation. Although each devotee has a personal relationship with the guru, it is a private matter that creates no separatism in the interactions with disciples of other gurus. These devotees tend to better respect all gurus and senior devotees and to identify themselves as members of ISKCON and followers of Srila Prabhupada, rather than as members of a guru-based subgroup.</p> <p>So how do we tackle this problem. GBC has already made few recommendations like </p> <p>1) Educating devotees on importance of keeping Srila Prabhupada perspective of ISKCON in their congregation.<br /> 2) Preserving the mood and mission of the founder acarya as the mainstream ISKCON activity. And that Srila Prabhupada as the universal Siksha Guru for all ISKCON devotees.<br /> 3) All the guru based sub projects should be encouraged to be done as a secondary and private activity for disciples. And glorification of one's spiritual master be done openly only on specific days like Vyasa Puja etc. Otherwise it should be relegated to an internal affair.<br /> 4) The congregation leaders should give due emphasis on hearing from Srila Prabhupada as part of the Sadhana.<br /> 5) Create an open atmosphere for new devotees to choose their spiritual masters and remove undue influence or nepotism for choosing a specific guru. </p> <p>Other points I raised:</p> <p>(1) Many people come to Krishna consciousness because they want to get away from the superficiality of material life, in which everyone is competing with each other. When they read Srila Prabhupada’s books they become inspired by the high ideals His Divine Grace articulates. But when such newcomers become subjected to the manipulative tactics of guru groupism, they think that the temple environment is the same as the material environment from which they seek<br /> relief. Upon encountering this neophyte competition, many intelligent people back off and leave Krishna consciousness altogether.</p> <p>(2) On the positive side, it was noted that if disciples of different gurus could unite more, we could achieve wonderful results, considering the ripeness of many of the affected preaching fields.</p> <p>(3) The stress should be on educating newcomers in what it means to be a disciple and what are the qualifications of a bona fide guru, thus enabling them to come to an intelligent decision based on genuine faith in guru. Without this, the number of disciples may increase, but the<br /> quality of guru-disciple relationships might be shallow and based on hype rather than genuine spiritual exchange.</p> <p>(4) Although every disciple has an individual relationship with the guru, our preaching should be as members of Srila Prabhupada’s mission; we must understand that ISKCON’s initiating gurus have no other mission than that established by Srila Prabhupada. Our preaching efforts should be on behalf of Srila Prabhupada for ISKCON, and we should feel happy if a new devotee feels attracted to any bona fide guru within ISKCON.</p> <p>(5) Some devotees believe that canvassing for new initiates is a service to their guru. But it is actually a disservice to the guru to bring him people insufficiently educated in what it means to be a disciple. Later, such recruits’ dubious activities would give the guru a bad reputation and<br /> extra karma. Another result of such aggressive canvassing is that later some devotees lament that they were unduly influenced or practically forced to take initiation without being given the chance to thoroughly examine the guru and make a thoughtful choice.</p> <p>(6) Local leaders in areas where gurus spend little time become de facto gurus if all devotees under them are their junior Godsiblings. Although this may appear to be a smart managerial ploy, it rarely helps—either the de facto gurus or those under them—to mature in Krishna consciousness.</p> <p>(7) Temple leaders should invite initiating gurus other than their own to visit their preaching area and let all devotees benefit from a multiplicity of association.</p> <p>(8) The sustained input of gurus is required to rectify matters. Gurus should make clear to their disciples their duty to educate newcomers about the process of initiation, which includes making a personal decision based on knowledge and without undue pressure from others.</p> <p>Guru, Vaishnava Dasa<br /> <a href="http://www.bvks.com">Bhakti Vikasa Swami</a> </p> http://absolutetruth.in/forums/topic/contemporary-issues-and-devotees#post-124 Thu, 12 Aug 2010 06:04:51 +0000 Lndasa 124@http://absolutetruth.in/forums/ <p><img src="http://www.salagram.net/D_rel1.JPG"><br /> <strong>Contemporary Issues - Why devotees should not shy away from it?</strong><br /> <strong>ISKCON in the context of Indian society</strong><br /> Iskcon(India) cannot distance themselves from the majority Hindu fold. they have to take up the task of carefully supporting and defending the now distorted Hinduism and at the same time make efforts to reform it. In India government is not supportive of Hindu cause. and therefore even the preaching efforts of Iskcon are thwarted. Its a challenge here in India unlike outside India. Here we discuss on some issues in detail on why devotees should take social responsibility to educate common public without diluting on the core responsibility to preach.</p> <p><strong>Vedic perspectives on current happenings</strong>.<br /> Just to address any apprehensions here. Our approach should be only to highlight issues that impact Vedic culture and analyze the underlying causes and offer spiritual alternatives and solution from the scriptures. Although our effort should not be to focused exclusively on these topics, its important to create awareness on issues that affect us as we are generally looked by the Indian public as Hindus and preaching vedic culture. Our traditional base of recruits have been Hindus all the while. We all know it easy to preach Krishna Consciousness to a Hindu than a converted Christian or Muslim. Every Hindu converted to a Christian or Muslim not only becomes agnostic to vedic culture he adopts nefrarious means to destroy it too. So it is in our self interest to work with Hindu groups for preserving the existing setup. So from all angles from the varnashrama point of view it augurs well to work to preserve what we have and then set your view on fulfilling the vision of Sriman Mahaprabhu to take chanting of the holy name in every town and village.</p> <p><strong>Contemporary issues and scriptures</strong><br /> Capturing the progress of Kali Yuga and thereby awaken innocent people from their slumber. It is important to highlight the <a href="http://vedabase.net/sb/12/2/">"Symptoms of Kali Yuga"</a> vis-a-vis the day to day happenings and thereby get people to notice the scripture and seek solution at the lotus feet of the holy name.<br /> In Bhagavad Gita Lord Krishna without any ambiguity has spoken about the duties of Ksatriyas to protect Dharma. Especially in the first section of the second chapter. Although this is definitely inferior to pure devotional service yet as sadhakas we all agree that we would be better off in a society that is favorable to varnashrama culture.</p> <p>In Bhagavatam we can see how when the ksatriya class fails the<br /> brahmanas intervene to set things right to restablish dharma. Take for example from the story of King Vena how he was killed by the brahmanas for neglecting duty shows Brahmanas don't have to remain mute spectators and they have a responsibility to take up to preserving dharma if the Ksatriya class fails. And there is another instance of Sage Parasurama taking up to arms to annihilate the irreligious Ksatriya class. So it is everyone's responsibility to protect dharma although how we do it by direct action or supporting the cause could be different depending on our skills and capacities.</p> <p>In Srimad Bhagavatam Nava Yogendras advise Maharaja Nimi how a Madhyama Adhikari responds to different kind of people. And tries save the innocent people from being polluted by the demoniac natures. <a href="http://vedabase.net/sb/11/2/46">11.2.46</a>An intermediate or second-class devotee, called madhyama-adhikārÄ«, offers his love to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is a sincere friend to all the devotees of the Lord, shows mercy to ignorant people who are innocent and disregards those who are envious of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.</p> <p>Srila Prabhupada never shied away from social issues concerning Sanatana Dharma. Directing his comments specifically to this province of Andhra Pradesh, Srila Prabhupada said to Mr Raju chairman TTD, <em>"You are very great devotees of Balaji. Balaji is Krsna, Bala Krsna. So I wish that the government may be conducted under the guide of Balaji, Lord Krsna. That is my request. And the codes and the orders and the rules and regulations, they're all stated in the Bhagavad-gita. ... It's a great culture. So karma, ordinary fruitive activities should be carried on for yajnarthe, for the satisfaction of Balaji, or Krsna. Not otherwise. What is gathered as contribution, it should be utilized for yajna. Because the money is given for yajna, not for other purposes. People were giving their money in good faith to Balaji. That money should not be utilized for any other purpose except yajna. First of all, you have to decide like that, then we can give you direction. First of all, you have to decide that this money, not a single farthing should be spent for any other purpose than performing yajna, then we can give you right direction. And if you have plan to utilize this money for any other purpose, that is not Krsna's mission, that is your mission. So first of all you have to decide whether you are going to execute Krsna's mission or your mission.</em>" - <strong>From "A Transcendental Diary Vol 4" by HG Hari Sauri Prabhu</strong>.<br /> [*]He always emphasized the need of Daivi-varnashrama dharma and creating a proper social situation for devotees to practice. How do we practice varnashrama in an hostile society?<br /> []Lack of properly trained Ksatriyas bound to impact everyone in many ways in future.<br /> []As days in Kali Yuga progresses more people will become atheistic (or followers of false religions) and they will blaspheme the Lord and his devotees. In an increasingly hostile situations emerging out as a result of progress of Kali, how vaishnavas should respond?<br /> []Of course unconditional complete surrender to the Lord and the holy name is the only way.<br /> []Still we can't be callous when Krishna's interest is at stake. At the least we should voice our protest and create awareness.[1][2][3].</p> <p>Our hope is to sensitize devotees to adopt proper social responsibility as a Madhyama Adhikari to discriminate and take stand on social issues instead of shying away.</p> <p>[]What Srimad Bhagavatam says about how to react in such situations,<br /> []<a href="http://vedabase.net/sb/10/74/40">10.74.40</a> Anyone who fails to immediately leave the place where he hears criticism of the Supreme Lord or His faithful devotee will certainly fall down, bereft of his pious credit.<br /> []<a href="http://vedabase.net/sb/4/4/17">4.4.17</a> If one hears an irresponsible person blaspheme the master and controller of religion, one should block his ears and go away if unable to punish him. But if one is able to kill, then one should by force cut out the blasphemer's tongue and kill the offender, and after that one should give up his own life.</p> <p>In Mahabharata we see that if someone maintains silence when there some injustice occurring in their presence, he has to take one-quarter of the resultant Karma. It was under this clause that both Bhisma and Dronacharya were implicated as they had kept quiet when attempt was made to disrobe Draupadi in the palace of Kauravas and for this act they had to die a ghastly death in the battlefield. Dronacharya was killed in the mighty arms of Dristadyumna. But Bhisma being a devotee of the Lord didn't have to undergo such a ghastly death but had to lie on the bed of arrows his throat parched with hunger and thirst for many days after the battle.</p> <p><strong>How Contemporary Issues affect ISKCON</strong><br /> ISKCON is the one of the organisation in the forefront of spreading Vedic culture . It has its temples, preaching centers, restaurants and farm communities all over the world in 5 continents numbering about 550. There have been many attempts in the past by atheists, communists and fanatical elements of other religions to stifle its growth in various parts of the world right from its inception in 1965. And many such times the Sangh Parivar has come to its rescue. To name a few,</p> <p>1. In 1974 The ISKCON's make shift temple property in Juhu Mumbai was almost demolished by a corrupt Municipal Officer of Bombay Municipality playing into the hands of real estate tycoon Mr Nair who sold the property to ISKCON. It took Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thakeray’s intervention to save the land in the nick of the time before the sanctum sanctorum was to be touched. Srila Prabhupada engaged devotees to do a intense media campaign against action and turn the public in<br /> its favor.</p> <p>2. In 1984 ISKCON's prime property donated by George Harrison the Bhaktivedanta Manor was all set to be attached to the Goverment due to some complaints of public inconveniences in London. It took months of protests by VHP, Pandava Sena and other Hindu frontal organisations to secure the Land.</p> <p>3. In 2002 the WB CPM goverment refused to give permission to ISKCON World Headquarters in Mayapur to construct the Vedic planetarium on its own land. It even refused to meet ISKCON Patron and scion of the Ford family Albert Ford or Ambarish Dasa on this matter who later met the then Prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.</p> <p>4. In 2005 there was a grave threat to ISKCON farm community in Kazakhstan by the Muslim goverment who wanted to usurp the legally acquired land pressured by the land sharks. They declared the ISKCON property as illegal and have already demolished the houses of some of the members<br /> and are threatning to take over the temple while leaving the properties of other communities untouched . It sparked protests in New Delhi and many parts of the world by Hindu frontal organisations like RSS, VHP and BJP which forced them to go slow on their intended moves. But the threat still looms large over the devotees on the Land.</p> <p><strong> Precarious situation in India</strong><br /> The vedic culture and heritage in India is under threat from Christian and Islamic religious extremist many states like the 4 North eastern states and southern states have become out of bounds for Hindu practitioners. Theye are directly persecuted or thier existence is becoming muffled and cornered by blatant social and economic discrimination. And the pseudo secular political parties who want to stay in power by hook or crook take shelter under these elements for vote to stay in power and turn a blind eye or even abet their nefarious activities to wipe out Hinduism. The Hindus have become numb to all kinds of atrocities past and present they have become apathetic to their own long term welfare. </p> <p><strong>Other Articles of Interest</strong><br /> 1. <a href="http://news.iskcon.com/node/1837/2009-03-21/government_control_weakens_indias_temples" rel="nofollow">http://news.iskcon.com/node/1837/2009-03-21/government_control_weakens_indias_temples</a><br /> 2. Everyone have right for self defence including a devotee. Here is Narada Muni's recommendation. There was a very venomous snake which was harming everyone. Once Narada Muni happened to pass by the jungle and came across this snake. The sage preached to the snake and by the association of Narada Muni it became a devotee and accepted Harinama initiation from the Sage. The Sage instructed the Snake not to harm anyone. Eventually mischievous people took advantage of Snake's sudden change and pelted it with stones. After many days when the Sage came to see the Snake it was on the verge of death. The Snake told its story. The Sage told the Snake. I only said not to harm others that doesn't mean you should even stop hissing.<br /> 3. ↑ We have the duty to preserve the wonderful historical temples connected to vaishnava acharyas and their teachings for the future generation.<br /> 4. <strong>Dharmah protects those who protect it</strong>. - Mahabharata.<br /> 5. <a href="http://absolutetruth.in/2008/07/sanatan-dharma-under-threat/">Preserve and Perpetuate Sanatana Dharma</a><br /> 6. <a href="http://absolutetruth.in/2008/12/threat-to-acquire-iskcons-land/">Threat to acquire ISKCON's Land</a><br /> 5. <a href="http://absolutetruth.in/2009/01/new-book-on-forgotten-indian-history/">Forgotten Indian History - Stephen Knapp.</a> </p> http://absolutetruth.in/forums/topic/interview-on-breaking-india#post-144 Sat, 12 Nov 2011 17:08:02 +0000 Lndasa 144@http://absolutetruth.in/forums/ <p>The following is the complete text of our email interview with Rajiv Malhotra, co-author of the groundbreaking new book, Breaking India by Rajiv Malhotra and Aravindan Neelakandan. Comments, criticism welcome as always.</p> <p>ABTN: What prompted and/or inspired you to write a book like Breaking India, so vast and ambitious in scope knowing the kind of research and hurdles it potentially involved?</p> <p>Rajiv Malhotra: For years I had studied the various components that came together in this book’s thesis – such as the whole Aryan issue, the postcolonial critique of how the colonial rulers shaped Indian minds, contemporary missionary activities and related controversies, the role of what I refer to as the new Indian sepoys (i.e. disenchanted and cynical Indian intellectuals keen to impress their western sponsors), etc. In fact, I have written separately on each of these themes for over a decade. What galvanized my interest specific to this book was my sudden discovery of the Afro-Dalit Project, which is described in the book and which is the source of the map of a broken India used on the cover. My research into the forces behind projects of this kind turned into a very large enterprise, and it started to link these various threads that had been previously seen as isolated.</p> <p>ABTN: The very first chapter of your book is entitled "Superpower or Balkanized War Zone?" which is an interesting title. Several explanations have been provided trying to "define" India. A host of British scholars claimed very early that India was politically not one nation while the likes of Arun Shourie demonstrated (A Secular Agenda) that India was one nation united by the bond of common culture. Whatever today’s state of India, what does your research inform you? Is it a Balkanized war zone that has the makings of a superpower? If yes why? If no, why not?</p> <p>Rajiv Malhotra: India is a war zone between the unity of its civilization and its fragments becoming increasingly prone to tensions, and the whole argument is to explain how and why these faultlines are being exploited.</p> <p>If the state and polity are in phase with India’s civilizational soul then India is on its way to become a superpower. Every technological and social development then becomes a step in that direction. On the other hand, the forces that deepen the faultlines and fabricate new ones are having an opposite effect. Indeed, there are old, indigenous faultlines in Indian societies whose presence we acknowledge and which have to be rectified. The Dalit faultline is one example. Genuine grievances and injustices exist. There is no white-washing here. But we show how such existing faultlines are used by transnational forces to subvert India and label Indian civilization as hopeless and in need of being replaced by a superior imported variety. This can make Dalits believe that their liberation lies in toppling India’s civilization and nationhood. Suffice to say here that one of the great nation builders of modern India and a Dalit visionary, Dr. Ambedkar, did not subscribe to such views and stated that the quest for social justice should not run counter to national interest.</p> <p>Unlike the Dalit faultline, the Dravidian faultline is a fabrication created for colonial and evangelical purposes, and is today sustained by narrow-minded politics, evangelism and secessionist forces. Such racism can lead to civil wars and genocides as in Rwanda and Sri Lanka. It is the inherent civilizational strength of India rather than the wisdom of our politicians that has saved us so far from such tragedies. But there are forces working overtime to create such a situation in India. For example, we have Kancha Illaiah who openly advocates civil war in India based on a hate ideology that resembles something straight from the propaganda pamphlets of a Nazi magazine. And we have a prestigious academic publishing house publishing him, and he is invited to United States to provide atrocity literature against India. This is the ground reality we wish to expose.</p> <p>So in such a situation, India can either become a superpower or it can get balkanized giving rise to numerous civil wars and genocides. Breaking India aims to tilt the probability in favor of a strong India by raising the awareness of Indians on the evolving geopolitical Kurukshetra.</p> <p>ABTN: I understand you spent some 5 years researching this book. Could you share some insight into the whole process, methodology…anything, in a freewheeling sort of manner? Did you face any resistance from people you interviewed, etc…that sort of thing.</p> <p>Rajiv Malhotra: The data on the western nexus was far easier to gather than expected, due to transparency laws and also because these groups are proud of their "human rights work" in India. It is just an immense amount of travel and hard work to put it together, connect the dots, and inquire into details to bring about consistency. What they cannot stand is being told that all this effort is causing harm, is selfish, etc. The Indian side is not so transparent and that is where the funds inflow gets murky and prone to corruption. One cannot easily walk into an establishment and ask direct questions. Nobody has done that and there is anger, arrogance and even hostility when one is too explicit on such data gathering. The politics of knowledge is vicious and many so-called intellectuals are outright dishonest. Rather than objectively researching such a syndrome they are cahoots with it. But most awkward of all are those hypocrite Indians who are widely exposed in the book, who serve as mercenaries for such nexuses. They are middlemen empowered by the mechanisms that are critiqued in Breaking India. Yet they face society as social workers, activists, media or scholars. The book names several dozens of such persons and organizations. It is very audacious in naming names and not hiding behind abstractions. This is why the book expects to be attacked by this lot.</p> <p>ABTN: Your book names a lot of famous and influential names, many of whom aren’t portrayed in a flattering light. Was the intent to merely provoke or was it an inevitable part of your narrative context?</p> <p>Rajiv Malhotra: We want neither to provoke nor malign any individual. We have put out the hard facts including those facts that hurt. For too long, Indians have self-congratulated themselves about the breadth and depth of their knowledge by quoting William Jones or Max Muller. Many Tamil Saivaites feel as if they are indebted to G.U. Pope who translated Thiruvachagam to English. But they seldom know that the same G.U. Pope had denounced the principal saints of Tamil Saivism and had stated that Saivism harbors ‘the most deplorable superstitions anywhere to be found’. Many may feel uncomfortable that we have criticized Leela Samson, but we did not criticize her as an individual. We criticized her for twisting the spirit of the institution’s founder Rukmini Devi (Arundale). Rukmini Devi considers the Indian epics and classical dramas as having ‘very beautiful symbology.’ She wants the artist to ‘burn to ashes all thought which is dross and bring out the gold which is within’ just as ‘Siva burnt to ashes all that is physical’. But see how Leela Samson interprets the same Indian symbols. To her they are to be compared with Walt Disney’s characters, Batman and ‘the strange characters in Star Wars’. When we bring out these hard facts, it hurts those who do not want to see the truth. But it has to be told. As you have rightly said they are an inevitable part of our narrative context. We have also brought out many individuals in a positive light as well. For example, we have brought out the daring act of self-respect displayed by veteran singer Yesudas, walking out of a function when the minister refused to light the ceremonial lamp.</p> <p>ABTN: A recent review of Breaking India in the Outlook magazine pretty much trashed the book and the comments section has generated quite a rush of passionate responses. Of all mainstream reviews of the book I’ve read, the consistent theme seems to be one of negativity towards your book. I’ve read some positive reviews as well. What in your opinion is the general reception for your book?</p> <p>Rajiv Malhotra: Outlook‘s is the only negative review we have seen in the mainstream press. I am sure more will come as the individuals and groups named in the book find out and get their friends in the press energized. That will merely serve to bring out more visibility for the data we present and allow more people to judge the facts for themselves. The sepoys will fight back for sure. And neither do we want the book to be ignored.</p> <p>When we launched the book we made it clear that we have not spoken the last word on the subject and that we have initiated a debate. We want the intelligentsia of this country and the Diaspora to discuss and debate it with open minds. Generally we find, particularly with Tamil people, a very warm welcome. They have been always uncomfortable with certain aspects of the Dravidian polity. This book has explained clearly to them the factors behind this. Many Tamil scholars and intellectuals, from traditional scholars to modern thinkers, have expressed their endorsements. We are waiting for critical scholarly reviews of the book (unlike the Gita Ramaswamy variety that is so ridiculous that Mr. Vinod Mehta of Outlook ought to be ashamed of his low standards), from which we can learn, revise or enlarge the book in future editions. We have a vibrant online community of more than 1,000 scholars, students and activists who are discussing different aspects of the book, not always agreeing but arguing in the spirit of scholarship and learning. Readers of this interview too can join the discussions through our website: <a href="http://www.breakingindia.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.breakingindia.com</a>.</p> <p>ABTN: You’ve dedicated two whole chapters to Abdul Nasser Madhani. Is there any specific reason for singling him out, while there are far more dangerous homegrown Jihadi outfits like SIMI (now banned but by no means inactive) that probably deserve wider and deeper coverage?</p> <p>Rajiv Malhotra: Actually there are two sections in the last chapter (and not two chapters) that deal with Abdul Nasser Madhani. The book deals with Dravidian and Dalit faultlines and how Western interventions utilize them and deepen them. The subject matter of this volume is not jihad per se. Here we discuss Madhani and his outfit in the context of a curious phenomenon. We have named it the ‘Islamic slice of Pakistan’. We show how the Dravidian movement has colluded with Pan-Islamic secessionism even during pre-independence days and how these historic relations have helped nurture today a vast terror network across South India. In Kerala this is aided by vote bank politics. Also there has arisen a strange nexus within India between forces, which are antagonistic at the global level. For example we show how Dravidian, Marxist and so-called human rights NGOs joined hands to campaign for the release of Madhani who was the main accused in 1998 Coimbatore bomb blast that claimed 70 lives. The release of Madhani was projected as a victory of human rights in the 2007 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, which was published by the US Department of State. Remember that this is a book about how forces inimical to Indian unity work in South India. Madhani and his outfits are undoubtedly a vital part of those forces and hence we have concentrated on him as an example of the nexus at work.</p> <p>ABTN: From reading your book, one gets an impression that the whole world is out to tear up India into pieces—from both the Right and Left in the US to parts of the US government to the Christian conversion lobby to the Dravidian "movement" to Islamists to the Western manipulators of Dalits to the NGOs to the Maoists. Your book does provide solid evidence to support these theses but I’m interested to know the exact gravity of the situation. Would you throw more light on this? Also, the possible solutions to stem this rot.</p> <p>Rajiv Malhotra: When you go to a doctor for a stress test his job is to uncover risk factors that might be hidden, including those that the patient wants to deny. Businesses do stress tests on their plans – in fact, that such independent due diligence was something I routinely did for a major American MNC in the 1980s. Similar risk analyses are important for a nation-state to do. These are routinely being done by national security and foreign affairs scholars in India as in every country. However, they focus on only the external threats. Many such analysts have supported the book, and privately said that to include internal faultlines in their security analysis is "not encouraged".</p> <p>We are not conjuring up a vision of ‘whole world is out to tear up India’. We mention that there are voices of ‘build up India’ as well, that are working for the unity and development of India. In any system there will be both centripetal forces (separatist) and centrifugal forces (unifying). Because the positive story of India is already well known, we decided to write a book on the centrifugal forces and their overseas allies, because this aspect has been neglected and is very controversial for most authors. This is a long overdue exercise, which the Indian intelligentsia should have taken up but did not because people do not want to face uncomfortable realities. Good news is always easy to sell making it less challenging to produce.</p> <p>How bad is the situation? Since we wrote the book many events have happened that confirm our fears. For example The Week dated 24-Apr-2011 has published a cover story on a nexus between Maoists and Lashkar e Toiba. Furthermore, the Catholic Secular Forum has sent mass emails asking its members to support USCIRF and has sent a message that US-based Indian Christian organizations support USCIRF’s putting India on a watch list of countries alongside Yemen, North Korea, etc. that lack religious freedom. India Today has published an investigative report on how enormous transnational funding is fuelling evangelism in the border state of Punjab. We do not know to what extend our book could have triggered this sudden interest in media coverage of such issues.</p> <p>This extraordinary situation needs extraordinary solutions. India must take responsibility and control to address its faultlines itself. Today, if there is a conflict between Dalit Hindus and non-Dalit Hindus, there are powerful mechanisms to give international publicity and exacerbate this conflict. But there are a lot of Dalit success stories where Dalits have advanced due to their own struggles and as a result of the affirmative action of the government. These stories never get encouraged by the international media. There are prominent temples employing Dalit priests; Dalit children winning state ranks and scholarships in Sanskrit; Dalit politicians and entrepreneurs thriving; Dalit social reformers and spiritual leaders who are venerated by all sections of society. But first we need to have widespread awareness of the problems we are facing. Breaking India is a crucial first step in that direction.</p> <p>ABTN: Lastly, you’ve been branded as a Hindutvawadi/Hindu fundamentalist in some circles—most notably, an attack on you in the Outlook magazine a few years ago by the Leftist, Vijay Prashad. Does this labeling bother you? Or do you have a response to such a characterization of you?</p> <p>Rajiv Malhotra: A few years back, OutlookIndia.com carried my debate with Vijay Prashad, well-known leader of Indian communists in the US academy. I request readers to read it at: <a href="http://www.outlookindia.com/taghome3.aspx?tag=102635&amp;name=Debate%3A+Rajiv+Malhotra++v%2Fs+Vijay+Prashad+" rel="nofollow">http://www.outlookindia.com/taghome3.aspx?tag=102635&amp;name=Debate%3A+Rajiv+Malhotra++v%2Fs+Vijay+Prashad+</a> (Readers should read the debate in the chronological order beginning with my first post on January 15, 2004. The order presented in the Outlook archive is mixed up.)</p> <p>Had Ms. Ramaswamy or Mr. Vinod Mehta read that, they would not have been able to make such nonsensical accusations. The reader of that debate will see where I stand on such topics as Hindutva, Hinduism, India, etc. In fact, Outlookindia.com imagined that Prashad would quickly score a knockout victory and hence it decided to make this debate a front page feature. But the outcome was entirely the opposite. Prasad stumbles, changes topics to get out of cornered positions. Then he simply runs away, claiming to be too busy all of a sudden.</p> <p>The following year, an Indian student group at University of California, Berkeley, invited Prashad and me to hold a live debate at their campus. I accepted the invitation. Prashad dragged his feet and did not respond despite numerous reminders. When the organizers finally caught up with him and pinned him down to respond, he told that he would need to be paid a hefty sum of money to take leave of absence from his college in order to spend the time preparing to debate me. I was astonished! Here is the poster boy of Outlook needing a few months to prepare to debate me? </p> http://absolutetruth.in/forums/topic/how-to-be-eco-friendly#post-143 Fri, 01 Apr 2011 11:21:52 +0000 rakeshdjoshi 143@http://absolutetruth.in/forums/ <p><em>There was an article requesting people to propagate the message of using cloth and jute bags instead of plastic bags to avoid its harmful effects. It was really a good initiative. The initiative was taken by a site called <a href="http://www.smallsteps.in" rel="nofollow">http://www.smallsteps.in</a></p> <p>Following article was a request to the site for an alternate approach for the problem.</em></p> <p>My approach to solve the environmental problems seem orthodox initially. But we can not always resort to unorthodox means. At times, a systematic approach is essential. For any problem, firstly we need to identify the root cause. The clogging of plastic, the depletion of ozone layer, the acid rains, radioactive waste, reduction of sea population etc are not problems but symptoms of some other bigger problem. Do you think that campaigning regarding the use of cloth bags etc is alone enough driving force for people to stop using plastic. We need some motivation for people to follow. What is it that drives people to do activities that will harm the nature and create disturbance? Getting an answer to this question will make one realize the difference between the symptom and the real disease. We need to think with an open mind. </p> <p>The Bhagavad Gita chapter 16 verses 13-15 say that </p> <p>The demoniac person thinks: "So much wealth do I have today, and I will gain more according to my schemes. So much is mine now, and it will increase in the future, more and more. He is my enemy, and I have killed him; and my other enemy will also be killed. I am the lord of everything. I am the enjoyer. I am perfect, powerful and happy."</p> <p>The above reference states that the problem is not these petty ones like improper waste disposal, misuse of plastic, paper, dripping water etc. The real problem is our tendency to lord it over everyone and everything. This is the real disease. If a person before taking an unnecessary printout realized that this paper and ink and the electricity is not his property but it belongs to the Lord who created it, and he is illegally taking the Lord's property for his personal pleasure, he will not do it.<br /> As I told earlier, my explanations may seem orthodox. But statistics prove my point. In modern world, people use anything and everything for their own pleasure and not even a bit is done for the pleasure of the Lord. People don't even want to give a few minutes of their time for the pleasure of the Lord. The consequences are that the world is in a chaos.<br /> On the contrary, in olden days, people lead a life centered around the Supreme Lord. If the lady of the house would cook food, she would do so for the Lord. If new clothes were brought, they would first be offered to the Lord. When people had time they would discuss topics of the Lord instead of wasting time or mundane TV programs and movies. Since the children would grow in such an environment they would naturally possess qualities to remain friendly with the Lord and his nature. No such campaign was separately needed. </p> <p> Irrespective of whether we believe in this or no, we are sure to suffer the reactions. And bringing changes in our life style to be centered around the Lord is no harm either. In fact, it gives much more pleasure. When we sing and dance in a party or something for some mundane song glorifying the beauty of some actor or actress, we get some pleasure. Just imagine how much pleasure we may get if we sing and dance glorifying the person who is alone responsible to create and destroy everyday millions of such beautiful persons all over the cosmic creation. </p> <p> My humble request to you is that we must get together and campaign in this regard. I am not speaking whimsically. I know many success stories in this type of campaigning. There are many people all over the world who have adopted the lifestyle I am mentioning and have become so environment friendly. They don't spend time watching TV, nor do they go for movies. When they go for outings, they don't throw bottles of soft drinks or alcohol here and there as they don't have them at all. And they do all this not by any force but by the enthusiasm they get in offering all that they possess to the Lord. This pleasure must be experienced, it can't be explained. </p> <p>Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita 5.29</p> <p>The sages, knowing Me as the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attain peace from the pangs of material miseries.</p> <p>If we understand that the Lord is the enjoyer of everything, then we will be always at peace. Else we will always be in a situation of disturbance.</p> <p> <strong> We must not be sentimental and reject these statements just because we are told that they are present in some religious scriptures which are not scientifically proved.</strong> Nor does one become in-secular by accepting these statements. These are purely logical statements that are statistically proved also to do good to the society. This was a process that worked successfully once upon a time. With our current approach we have seen chaos and awaiting much more of it. Why should we not have an open mind to experiment this approach to solve the problem rather than curb the symptom.</p> <p>This is the campaign we can get together and propagate. This has till date given 100% success and all people influenced by this campaign have changed their life style and are a great boon to the nature and its creator. </p> http://absolutetruth.in/forums/topic/the-terror-in-cow-slaughter#post-142 Tue, 01 Mar 2011 14:57:54 +0000 Guest Visitor 142@http://absolutetruth.in/forums/ <p><img src="http://www.gezi.in/images/ne-yenir/buyuk/69114mcdonaldslogored.jpg"><br /> McDonalds responsible for the slaughter of 67 thousand cows per day!</p> <p>McDonalds opened in 1955. Since then they are proud to advertise that 247 billion beef burgers have been sold. On the web are many sites analyzing this, and there we find that they can get 2024 burgers from a cow. 247 billion divided by 2024 = a total of 122 million cows slaughtered so far!<br /> Since the last 5 years, McDonalds boasts of serving over 5 billion burgers per year. That makes 25 million cows per year! Or 67,680 cows per day!!</p> <p>Animal slaughter equals Social Unrest.</p> <p>The UN and US Fed Chair Bernanke back it up.</p> <p>by Subhavilasa das ACBSP, 24,02,2011. <a href="http://www.planetiskcon.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.planetiskcon.com/</a></p> <p>In recent weeks you have probably noticed more social unrest and rioting around the world. This is being directly caused by increased slaughter of animals. The most influential and recognized economist in the world, U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke recognized this issue this month and so does the United Nation.</p> <p>I watched the news clip live a few weeks ago as Ben Bernanke talked about the co-relation of eating beef and rising food prices and it drove me to find the quote from Reuters and write this article.</p> <p>Some excerpts:</p> <p>The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation Food Price Index on Thursday touched its highest level since records began in 1990 as rising food prices showed no sign of relenting, prompting concerns of social unrest.</p> <p>He (Bernanke) said higher food prices were stoked by increasing consumer demand in emerging economies for such things as meat.</p> <p>"As people's diets are becoming more sophisticated and as they eat more beef and less grains and so on, the demand for food and energy rise and that's the primary long-term factor affecting the real price of commodity and food," Bernanke said.<br /> ---end---</p> <p>Bernanke says their diets are becoming more "sophisticated" but in reality "barbarian" is more apt of a term. Now it does not take a genius economist to figure out how to resolve this social unrest and looming crisis for inflation and food prices. It will simply take a return to a natural human diet of vegetarian food.</p> <p>To explain the crisis some simple stats comparing the production of beef to wheat.</p> <p>· It takes 18 times more fossil fuel per calorie to produce beef compared to wheat.<br /> · It takes 15 times the land to produce beef.<br /> · It takes a whopping 200 times the water to produce a pound of beef compared to wheat.<br /> · This animals are bred by meat producers and fattened up by giving them about 16 pounds of grain for every pound of beef produced.</p> <p>The ratios are similarly disproportionate for all major categories of grains.<br /> All of the above stats do not take into account the inhumane conditions and countless suffering animals are put through just to feed a barbarian diet. Of course, the serious karmic reactions of animal killing is on top of all of these basic arguments.</p> <p>As Srila Prabhupada said:<br /> "We simply request, Don't kill. Don't maintain slaughterhouses. That is very sinful. It brings down very severe karmic reactions upon society. Stop these slaughterhouses".</p> <p>McDonalds responsible for the lawless condition of society</p> <p>In a civilization where God is conspicuously banished, and there is no devotee warrior like Arjuna, the associates of the age of Kali take advantage of this lawless kingdom and arrange to kill innocent animals like the cow in secluded slaughterhouses. Such murderers of animals stand to be condemned to death by the order of a pious king like Mahäräja Pariksit. For a pious king, the culprit who kills an animal in a secluded place is punishable by the death penalty, exactly like a murderer who kills an<br /> innocent child in a secluded place. [SB 1.17.6]</p> <p>The cow is the mother because just as one sucks the breast of one's mother, human society takes cow's milk. Similarly, the bull is the father of human society because the father earns for the children just as the bull tills the ground to produce food grains. Human society will kill its spirit of life by killing the father and the mother.[SB 3.2.29]</p> <p>The principal sign of the age of Kali is that lower-caste südras, i.e., men without brahminical culture and spiritual initiation, will be dressed like administrators or kings, and the principal business of such non-kshatriya rulers will be to kill the innocent animals, especially the cows and the bulls, who shall be unprotected by their masters, the bona fide vaishyas, the mercantile community. In the Bhagavad-Gita (18.44), it is said that the vaishyas are meant to deal in agriculture, cow protection and trade. In the age of Kali, the degraded vaishyas, the mercantile men, are engaged in supplying cows to slaughterhouses. The kshatriyas are meant to protect the<br /> citizens of the state, whereas the vaishyas are meant to protect the cows and bulls and utilize them to produce grains and milk. The cow is meant to<br /> deliver milk, and the bull is meant to produce grains. But in the age of Kali, the südra class of men are in the posts of administrators, and the<br /> cows and bulls, or the mothers and the fathers, unprotected by the vaishyas, are subjected to the slaughterhouses organized by the südra administrators.<br /> [SB 1.17.1]</p> <p>In Vedic culture the cow is the emblem of peace and religion.</p> <p>The grandson on King Yudishthira of Mahabharata fame, was named Pariksit. In the Srimad Bhagavatam, 1st Canto [1.12.26 &amp; 1.4.9], it is written:-<br /> Mahäräja Pariksit wanted to kill the personified Kali, who was attempting to kill a cow, the emblem of peace and religion. His activities are also wonderful because he chastised Kali, [of Kali-yuga - the present age of quarrel], who was attempting to kill a cow. To kill cows means to end human civilization.</p> <p>McDonalds = the grossest type of ignorance</p> <p>Bhagavad-gita, chapter 14, text 16:- The animal killers do not know that in the future the animal will have a body suitable to kill them. That is the law of nature. In human society, if one kills a man he has to be hanged. That is the law of the state. Because of ignorance, people do not perceive that there is a complete state controlled by the Supreme Lord. Every living creature is a son of the Supreme Lord, and He does not tolerate even an ant's being killed. One has to pay for it. So indulgence in animal killing for the taste of the tongue is the grossest kind of ignorance. A human being has no need to kill animals, because God has supplied so many nice things. If one indulges in meat-eating anyway, it is to be understood that he is acting in ignorance and is making his future very dark. Of all kinds of animal killing, the killing of cows is most vicious because the cow gives us all kinds of pleasure by supplying milk. Cow slaughter is an act of the grossest type of ignorance.<br /> Note: This Article submitted by HG Aravinda krishna prabhu </p> http://absolutetruth.in/forums/topic/on-unnatural-deaths-of-a-devotee#post-141 Thu, 30 Dec 2010 07:16:30 +0000 Guest Visitor 141@http://absolutetruth.in/forums/ <p><img src="http://www.dandavats.com/wp-content/uploads/imag554e002.thumbnail.jpg"><br /> In this regard I will repeat an incident I heard from Badrinarayan prabhu several weeks ago when he was giving class at the Mumbai GBC meetings (I may not get the exact wording of the conversation but the essence is accurate):<br /> In the San Diego temple there was a gentleman called Mr. Prakash. He was a reserved type of person who would come regularly to the temple feasts but never really showed a lot of enthusiasm. He was from a Saivaite background.<br /> One day he had a severe heart attack and was rushed to hospital. During the surgery he almost passed away on four occasions. It was touch and go and he slipped into a coma. He remained that way for several weeks after.</p> <p>Badrinaryana was requested by his wife to please visit her husband even though he was in a coma and pray for him. Badri prabhu dutifully obliged and several times went to his bedside and read from shastra and chanted to the unconscious Mr. Prakash.<br /> One day Badri got a call from Mrs. Prakash saying “Please come quickly to the hospital. My husband has come out of the coma but he only wants to speak to you.”</p> <p>Badri went there to find some relatives and hospital staff gathered around his bedside. When he saw Badri he began to speak. “Badri, four times they came, four times they came!”</p> <p>The relatives present thought he was talking about them. “Yes, we came several times but you were in a coma!”<br /> Mr. Prakash shook his head to indicate that was not what he was talking about. “No. Badri, four times they came!”<br /> So then the hospital staff said, “Yes, we almost lost you four times! You were in a coma but somehow we saved you.”<br /> Again he shook his head. “No. Badri, four times they came!”<br /> Badri started to realize what he was referring to. “Who came prabhu? The Visnuduttas?“<br /> “No, it was the bad people [Yamaduttas]! They came the first time to take me away. But I told them ‘I am simply dependent on Lord Krsna.’ So they went away.”<br /> “Then they came a second time. Again I told them, ‘Do whatever you must, but I am simply depending on Lord Krsna.’ Again they went away.”<br /> “Then they came the third time, and told me they would take me away. I told them again, ‘You do whatever you must do, but I am dependent on Lord Krsna.’ Again they left.”<br /> “Then they came a fourth time. But this time some of the good people came (Visnuduttas). When the bad people saw them they said ‘OK, we have no jurisdiction here’ and they left. Then I came out of my coma.”<br /> He called Badri close and told him, “Badri, before I was not serious. But now, 100%!”<br /> Mr. Prakash recovered and became one of the most enthusiastic and humble servants at the temple.<br /> From this you can understand that what is happening during coma is completely different for a devotee than a karmi. Mr. Prakash was not initiated but he had some sense of dependence on Lord Krsna, so Krsna gave him the chance to increase his attachment.<br /> One other story I heard from a very senior godsister. In the late 80s or early 90s, she contracted HIV. She became extremely ill and fell into a coma. It looked like she would leave at any time. The devotees from New Vrindaban came to visit her in hospital and were chanting. She told me that during her coma she was not aware of anything. She had no perception of anyone around her or her surroundings. But when the devotees chanted, she heard the holy names and that brought her out of her coma.<br /> When she recovered, she went to visit New Vrndavana. She was just about to leave and go back to New York and went to offer her obeisances to Srila Prabhupada. As she did so, she heard Srila Prabhupada say to her very clearly, “Do not leave here.” So she didn’t. She stayed, and took up enthusiastic preaching again. And here she still is 20 years later.</p> <p>The conclusion is that a coma is not an impediment to devotional life; indeed it can be a further impetus. Service to Krsna is transcendental and a person who render service to the Lord is also transcendental no matter what the external conditions of the body, mind and intellect are. A devotee’s life is always glorious, having been spent in the eternal service of Lord Krsna’s lotus feet.</p> <p>They are protected always by Srimati Radharani and a great devotee like Purnacandra Maharaja,<br /> who gave his life in devotion, executing the highest order of Lord Caitanya to preach the sankirtana movement is always exalted and glorious.</p> <p>Your humble servant,<br /> Hari-sauri dasa </p> http://absolutetruth.in/forums/topic/vaishnavism-in-sikhism#post-140 Wed, 10 Nov 2010 01:56:49 +0000 Guest Visitor 140@http://absolutetruth.in/forums/ <p><img src="http://library.thinkquest.org/07aug/00137/religion_files/guru_nanak_1.jpg"><br /> The following are mystical lines unraveled from the sacred scripture of the Sikh faith Sri Guru Granth Sahib. This is a compilation of verses sung in the praise of Hari, Govinda, Rama and guru. The scripture recommends the human being to become a Sikh (sishya), or a disciple of the spiritual master, in order to attain the shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord. Sri Guru Grantha Sahib is composed in a poetic form in various classical ragas.</p> <p>Guru Nanak Dev, the first Sikh guru, recites in the Raga Ramakali Mahala 1, Dakhni Omkar as follows:</p> <p>Ik omkara satgur prasada<br /> Omkara brahma utpatti<br /> Omkara kian jin cit<br /> Omkara sail jug bhaya<br /> Omkara ved nirmaya<br /> Omkara sabad udraya<br /> Omkara gurmukh taraya<br /> Onam akhar suno bicara<br /> Onam akhar tribhuvan sara<br /> Sun pandey kia likhau janjala<br /> Likh rama nama gurmukh gopala</p> <p>Translation:<br /> God is one, realized by the grace of the guru.<br /> Absolute Truth Om is the creator of Brahma.<br /> Brahma kept Om in his heart, in his consciousness.<br /> Absolute Truth is the creator of mountains, eras (yugas).<br /> Absolute Truth is the one from whom Vedasa come.<br /> Omkara is the word that liberates.<br /> Omkara liberates the ones who follow the instruction of their spiritual master.<br /> Om is the word you listen and ponder.<br /> Om is the word—the essence of the three worlds.<br /> Listen O pandita! Why you pen down all worldly deeds<br /> Write only the name of Rama and Gopala attributed by the mercy of guru.</p> <p>Lord Krishna declares in Bhagavad-gita (7.8), pranavah sarva-vedeshu: I am syllable om in the Vedic mantras.</p> <p>Guru Grantha Sahib also mentions how Krishna is the source of Brahma.<br /> Nabh kamal tey brahma upjaya ved padaya mukh kantt sawar<br /> Ta ko antt na jai lakhna awat jat rahaye gubar<br /> Pritam kiu visrahaymeray prana-adhar<br /> Jaki bhagat karahay jan puray muni jan seway gur vicar||1|| Rahau<br /> Ravi sai dipak ja key tribhuvan eka jyot murari<br /> Gurmukh hoi su ahinis nirmal manmukh rain andhar</p> <p>Translation:<br /> After appearing from the lotus stem originating from Vishnus naval Brahma cleared his throat and got absorbed in the Vedas. But he could not fathom the mysteries of the Supreme and was entangled in the cycle of coming and going (birth and death). O my beloved Lord! How can one forget the Supreme on whom all are dependant? The devotees are absorbed in His devotion. The sages, the saints under their gurus instructions are engrossed in serving the Supreme. Sun, moon and stars all belong to Him and in all the three worlds only Murari is pervading. Only one who follows gurus instruction is purified but the one who is a mental speculator always wander in darkness.</p> <p>The lines below quite clearly portray the Supreme Lord leaving nothing to wild imagination.</p> <p>Kanval nain madhur bain kot sang sai sobh kahat ma yasoda jisaih dahi bhata khai jiu<br /> Dekh rupa ati anupa moh maha mug bhai kinkni<br /> Sabad jhanatkara khayl pahi jiu</p> <p>kala kalam hukam hatha kahuhu kaun mayt sakai eis braham jnana dhiyana dharat hiay chaeh jiu<br /> sat sac srinivasa adi purukh sada tuhi vaha guru vaha guru vaha guru vaha jiu ||1||6||</p> <p>Rama naam parama dhama sudh budh nireekar baysumar sarbar ka-o kahi jio<br /> Suthar cit bhagat hit bhekh dhari-o hirnaksha hari-o nakh bidara jiu</p> <p>sankha-cakra-gada-padma- apa ki-o chadama aprama para parbhrama a lakha-ee kaun tahey jiu</p> <p>sat sac srinivasa ||2||7||</p> <p>pita basan kund dasan priya sahit kanth mala mukuta sisa mor pankh cahih jiu</p> <p>bey vazir bade dhira dharma ang alakh agam khel kia apna-i uchah jiu</p> <p>akath katha na ja-i tina lok rahiya samae sutah sidh rupa dhario sahan kai sah jiu</p> <p>sat sac srinivasa ||3||8||</p> <p>Translation:<br /> Lord has lotus eyes, speaks sweet words like honey, millions are in His congregation, glorifying Him and Mother Yasoda feeds Him with curd and cooked rice. Seeing the beauty of most beautiful and listening to the melodious sound of anklets and the waistband, she (Yasoda) captivated by the motherly love plays with Him. The pen that writes the order of death is in Your hand O Lord! Tell! Who can escape it? Siva and Brahma with a happy heart learn knowledge and want to meditate upon You.</p> <p>You are the Absolute Truth. Goddess Laxmi is Your maidservant and You are the oldest person (adi purusha) parabrahman and I glorify You. You are vaha guru vaha guru vaha guru. ||1||6||</p> <p>Ramas name is the ultimate abode. You are pure wisdom, You are infinite and can take any form. Who can match You?</p> <p>For the love of Your devotee You disguised to kill Hiranyakasipu with Your nails.</p> <p>You created the conch, disc, mace, lotus to bind by Your spell. O Infinite Supreme God who can know You ?</p> <p>You are the Absolute Truth||2||7||</p> <p>You wear yellow clothes, Your teeth look like jasmine buds; You enjoy with Your consort (Srimati Radharani).You wear a long garland and a crown decorated with peacock feathers.</p> <p>You require no minister to render advice, most patient; You are inaccessible, creator of the whole play O Lovable!</p> <p>O king of the kings, lovable, Your story cannot be narrated; You are pervading in the three worlds, and You can adopt any form You desire.</p> <p>You are the ||3||8||</p> <p>Nestled in the Swayyaa Mahalley 4 on page 1402 of the scripture these lines quoted above define and glorify the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord is addressed here as vaha guru.</p> <p>The meaning of word vaha guru is well put forth by Bhai Gurdasa ji who is a contemporary of the fifth Sikh guru Arjun Dev ji. He is the one who penned down the Granth Sahib while the fifth guru recited it. Bhai Gurdasa has authored a book called Vaara where he elaborates on the compilation of the mantra vaha guru.<br /> In his book in the section of 1 Varaa, Pauri 49 he says:</p> <p>Satyuga satgur vasdev va-va vishna nama japavey<br /> duapara satgur hari krishna ha ha hari hari nama japavey<br /> trete satgur rama jii ra ra rama jape such pavey<br /> kaliyuga nanak gur govinda ga ga govinda nama alavey<br /> care yagi cahu yugi panchin vic jai samavey<br /> caro akshara ik kar vahaguru jap mantara japavey<br /> Jaha te upjia phir taha samavey</p> <p>Translation:</p> <p>In Satyayuga to attain the Lord, meditation on the Vasudeva form is advocated. The letter v of vaha guru reminds of Vishnu. In Dvapara yuga Hari Krishna appeared; the letter h of vaha guru reminds of Hari. In Treta yuga Rama appeared; the letter r of vaha guru reminds of Rama. In Kali yuga came Nanak as a guru to make others chant Govinda. The letter g of vaha guru reminds of Govinda. Thus the four yugas have concluded this. The four letters combined together to form this mantra (vaha guru) By chanting this mantra the living entity goes back from where he has come.</p> <p>Holy name<br /> Non different to the maha-mantra Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare/ Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare, the Granth Sahib describes the glories of singing: Hari Hari Hare Hare Hrishikesa Hare,Hare Govinda Hare Govind,Hare Nar Narhare Nar Narhareis the highest devotion.<br /> The Granth Sahib in Var, Raga Kanra Mahalla: 4 recites;</p> <p>Rama nama nidhan hai hari gurmat rakh ur dharad<br /> dasan dasa hoay rahu hau-may bikhi-a mara<br /> janam padarath jiti-a kaday na avai hara<br /> dhan dhan vadbhagi nanka jin gurmat hari rasa sara<br /> govinda govinda govinda hari govinda guni nidhan<br /> govinda govinda gurmat dhiai-ai ta dargah pai-ai mana</p> <p>govinda govinda govinda jap much ujla para dhana<br /> Sabh kahhu mukhahu hari hari hare hari hari hare hari bolat sabh papa lahogia</p> <p>Translation:<br /> The name of Rama is the treasure; in the wisdom of the guru keep it in mind Live as a servant of His (Ramas) servants, and kill the poison of false ego from within. Thus you will win the wealth of life and never face defeat Nanak says, Those deeply blessed are greater than the great and who in wisdom of the spiritual master enjoy the nectar of Hari.</p> <p>Recite Govinda Govinda Govinda, one gains purity and radiance<br /> All join together to chant Haris (Krishnas) name and Hare (His internal potency) as this would lead to the forgiveness of the past sins.</p> <p>Further it says:</p> <p>hari hari hari hari nama hai gurmukh pavai ko-ay<br /> hau-may mamta nasa ho-ay durmat kadhay dho-ay<br /> ..sabh kahhu mukhahu hrishikesa hare hrishikesa hare jit pavahi sabh fal falna</p> <p>Translation:<br /> Only some are fortunate enough to be blessed by the spiritual master with the name of Hari Hari Hari Hari as this is the only name. By chanting this, the false ego, worldly ties and bad qualities get cleansedLet us all chant Hrishikesa (one of the many names of Krishna) and Hare (His consort) so as to obtain all rewards.</p> <p>Vaishnava<br /> A Vaishnava has the topmost human consciousness as described in the scriptures. Same has been advocated in the Granth Sahib. In the 9th verse (Astapati) of a hymn Sukhmani Sahib composed by Guru Arjun Dev, the word vaishnava has been well defined: who is bound to attain parama gati, the highest destination.</p> <p>It recites as:</p> <p>mitha nahi rasna paras<br /> mann mein prita niranjan daras<br /> par stri rupa na pekhey netr<br /> sadha ki tahal satsang heyt<br /> karan na suneh kahu ki ninda<br /> sabh tay janay apas ko manda<br /> gur prasad bhikhi-da parharay<br /> mann ki vasna mann tey taray<br /> indrijita panch dokh tey rahata<br /> nanak kotmadhay ko aisa apras ||1||<br /> vaishnava so jis upara suparsan<br /> bishan ki maya tay ho-ay bhinn</p> <p>karma karat hovai nihkarama<br /> tis vaishno ka nirmal dharma<br /> kaho phal ki ichcha nahi ba-cacai<br /> kayval bhagat kirtana sung rachay<br /> mann tan antar simran gopala<br /> sabh upar hovat kirpala<br /> apa driya avroh nama japavai<br /> nanaka oh vaishnava parama gati pavay</p> <p>bhag ut bhagvant bhagat ka rung<br /> sagal tiagay dusat ka sung<br /> mann tay binsaisagla bhrahm<br /> kar pujay sagla parbhraham<br /> sadh sung papa mal khovay<br /> tis bhagat ki mat utam hovay<br /> bhagvant ki tahal kay nit nita<br /> mann tan arpay bishan ki parita<br /> hari kay carana hridaya basavay<br /> nanak aisa bhag uti bhagvant ko pavaya</p> <p>Translation:<br /> A vaishnava is the one whose tongue does not touch falsity. In mind who loves the Lord and longs for His glimpse. Whose eyes dont see the beauty of other women. Who serves the saints and remains in their association. Who doesnt do or listen to any criticism. By the grace of the spiritual master he is able to remove the covering of illusion. Lust leaves his mind as he conquers his senses and saves oneself from those five enemies (the senses). Nanak says, One among millions is such a detached soul. Such a Vaishnava is the one with whom the Lord is pleased.</p> <p>He is untouched by the worldliness created by the Lord .<br /> He acts without any worldly motive.<br /> Vaishnava religion is purity.<br /> He works with no aspiration for fruits.<br /> He is engrossed in devotion and kirtana of the Supreme.<br /> In his mind and body always resides Gopala.<br /> He is compassionate to all.<br /> He himself chants and makes others also to so.<br /> Nanaka says, Such a Vaishnava attains the holy abode.</p> <p>The devotee is engrossed in the Lords love—the adorable<br /> He abdicates the company of the wicked.<br /> All doubts vanish from his mind.<br /> He performs puja (worship) of the Lord .<br /> In the association of saints he washes the dirt of his sins.<br /> On such a devotee, the wisdom shall reign.<br /> He always serves the Lord .<br /> He surrenders his mind, body at the altar of the love of Vishnu.<br /> He adorns Haris lotus feet in his heart.<br /> Nanaka says, Such a devotee is blessed to meet the Lord.</p> <p>These revelations put at rest all the antagonistic sentiments; instilling thus a novel, innovative approach. Vaishnavism is no wonder the language of Sikhism. Such literary endeavors build up bridges and break walls leading to communal harmony resulting in peace and universal brotherhood, with no doubt the core being Krishna consciousness.</p> <p>This is a cover story for recent Indian BTG. </p> http://absolutetruth.in/forums/topic/glories-of-karthik-month#post-139 Mon, 08 Nov 2010 03:27:22 +0000 Guest Visitor 139@http://absolutetruth.in/forums/ <p><img src="http://www.iskcon-coimbatore.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/damodara_00.jpg"><br /> A wonderful collection of scriptural quotes on glorification of Karthika month and how it should be followed.</p> <p><a href="http://www.scribd.com/full/40205027?access_key=key-2ihk7kdii1ugin3p47aw">Know the glories of Karthik Month Courtesy:ABTN</a> </p> http://absolutetruth.in/forums/topic/did-all-the-jivas-come-from-spiritual-world#post-95 Mon, 08 Feb 2010 06:58:44 +0000 Lndasa 95@http://absolutetruth.in/forums/ <p>Some devotees in Sydney, Madhudvisa explained, had been propagating the theory that since no one falls from Vaikuntha, the conditioned souls must have fallen from the Brahman effulgence.</p> <p>When I arrived here in Sydney, I was asked the same question that Subal Maharaja asked you, and I proceeded to answer in your like fashion. This caused some disturbance amongst all the devotees, for previously Mohanananda, Upendra and others were teaching something else. That is, we never had an active relationship with Krishna, and they substantiated their point from the Krishna book, the chapter entitled. &quot;Description of Autumn&quot; first three pages, and Brahma-samhita, by your guru maharaja, purport to Mantra Sixteen.</p> <p>The discrepancy is this:</p> <p><strong>Do the jivas exist before coming to this material world as pencils of rays emanating from the Brahman or did we, before falling into this material world, have a manifested pastime with Krishna on Goloka or Vaikuntha, in any of the five major rasas or any other minor rasa?</strong></p> <p>Before the very first falldown, were we with Krishna in our manifested spiritual body in Vaikuntha or Goloka, or did we have an unmanifested spiritual body and not have a personal relationship with the Lord?</p> <p>If we did not have any personal relationship with the Lord, then how could we 'regain our lost Krishna consciousness'?</p> <p>Madhudvisa concluded his letter:</p> <p>I know that this question is arising all over the society and being answered in so many different ways. Please, I pray that I be worthy of your answer. I have looked for the answer to this question in your books, but incompetent as I am, I cannot seem to find the answer. For me it is sufficient to know that my only shelter is at your feet. But for the consistency of this pure and imperishable science, I beg you to answer this question in detail. If you desire, we can print up your answer and distribute this to the worldwide centres.</p> <p>-----</p> <p>Srila Prabhupada maintained the lives and affairs of his disciples all over the world by his correspondence. Receiving a letter from Srila Prabhupada was a significant event for a disciple -- the instructions it contained were as effective as a personal visit. Moreover, within ISKCON Prabhupada's will was so powerful that a single letter from him would establish a policy for years to come. This was particularly so with Prabhupada's response to philosophical points.</p> <p>Srila Prabhupada had read Madhudvisa's letter enquiring into the origin of the living entities, and dictated a lengthy reply to his secretary, Syamasundara. When Madhudvisa Swami received Prabhupada's detailed three-page response, he copied it and sent it out to all the Australasian centres. In the letter, entitled &quot;Kaka taliya nyaya -- Crow and Tal-Fruit Logic&quot;, Srila Prabhupada shed light on the controversy about whether the conditioned souls fell from the Brahman effulgence or from Vaikuntha. He wrote:</p> <p>We never had any occasion when we were separated from Krishna. For example, one man is dreaming, and he forgets himself. In a dream he creates himself in different forms -- &quot;Now I am the king&quot;. This creation of himself is as seer and as the subject -- or the seen -- two things. But as soon as the dream is over, the &quot;seen&quot; disappears. But the seer remains. Now he is in his original position. Our separation from Krishna is like that. We dream this body and so many relationships with other things. First the attachment comes to enjoy sense gratification. Even when we are with Krishna, the desire for sense gratification is there. There is a dormant attitude for forgetting Krishna and creating an atmosphere for enjoying independently.</p> <p><em><strong>Prabhupada had consistently taught that souls have the option of exercising their freedom even in the spiritual world, and hence of falling into the illusion of material existence. Since the soul is a spiritual part of God, he has inherent independence or free will, which he can misuse.</strong></em> Prabhupada reiterated this point in his letter:</p> <p>At the edge of the beach, sometimes the water covers the sand on the shore, and sometimes there is dry sand; the ocean is coming and going. Our position is like that, sometimes covered, sometimes free, just like at the edge of the tide. As soon as we forget, immediately illusion is there, just as when we sleep, a dream is there. We cannot say, therefore, that we are not with Krishna. As soon as we try to become the Lord, immediately we are covered by maya. Formerly we were with Krishna in His lila, or sport. But this covering of maya may be of very, very, very, very long duration; therefore [in the interim] many creations are coming and going. Due to this long period of time it is sometimes said that we are ever conditioned. But this long duration of time becomes very insignificant when one actually comes to Krishna consciousness. It is like in a dream: We are thinking it is a very long time, but as soon as we awaken we look at our watch and see it has been a moment only.</p> <p>Prabhupada gave another example from the Srimad-Bhagavatam:</p> <p>Krishna's friends were kept asleep for one year by Brahma, but when they woke up and Krishna returned before them, they considered that only a moment had passed.</p> <p>Prabhupada further explained by citing yet another example -- that of Jaya and Vijaya, the two gatekeepers at a gateway to Vaikuntha, who once refused entrance to the four great sages, the Kumaras, and were subsequently cursed by them to fall to the material world:</p> <p>So this dreaming condition is called non-liberated life, and this is just like a dream. Although in material calculation it is a long, long period, as soon as we come to Krishna consciousness this period is considered a second. For example, Jaya and Vijaya had their lila with Krishna, but they had to come down [to the material world] for their little mistake. They were given mukti, merging into the Brahma-sayujya [Lord Krishna's impersonal effulgence], after being killed three times as demons. This Brahma-sayujya mukti is non-permanent. Every living entity wants pleasure, but Brahma-sayujya is minus pleasure; it consists of eternal existence only. So when those who get Brahma-sayujya mukti do not find transcendental bliss, they fall down to make a compromise with material bliss, for example, by founding schools and hospitals. So even Lord Brahma is still material and wants to lord it over the material world. He may come down to become a germ, but then he may rise up to Krishna consciousness and go back home, back to Godhead. This is the position.</p> <p>So when I say &quot;yes, there is eternal lila with Krishna&quot;, that means on the evidence of Jaya-Vijaya. Unless one develops full devotional service to Krishna, he goes up only to Brahma-sayujya but falls down. But after millions and millions of years of keeping oneself away from the lila of the Lord, when one comes to Krishna consciousness this period becomes insignificant, just like dreaming. Because he falls down from Brahma-sayujya, he thinks that this may be his origin, but he does not remember that even before that, he was with Krishna. So the conclusion is that whatever may be our past, let us come to Krishna consciousness and immediately join Krishna. With a diseased man it is a waste of time to try to find out how he has become diseased; better to spend time curing the disease.</p> <p>Prabhupada illustrated this point with an allegorical story:</p> <p>On the top of a tree there was a nice tal fruit. A crow went there and the fruit fell down. Some pandits -- big, big learned scholars -- saw this and discussed: &quot;The fruit fell due to the crow agitating the limb.&quot;</p> <p>&quot;No, the fruit fell simultaneously with the crow landing and frightened the crow so he flew away.&quot;</p> <p>&quot;No, the fruit was ripe, and the weight of the crow landing broke it from the branch.&quot; And so on and so on. What is the use of such discussions? So whether you were in the Brahma-sayujya or with Krishna in His lila, at the moment you are in neither, so the best policy is to develop your Krishna consciousness and go there [back to Godhead] never mind what is your origin.</p> <p>The precise details of the soul's fall, Prabhupada explained, would perhaps continue to be an enigma. But his conclusion was clear:</p> <p>Brahma-sayujya and Krishna lila -- both may be possible. But when you came down from Brahma-sayujya or when you came down from Krishna lila, that remains a mystery.</p> <p>But at the present moment we are in Maya's clutches, so at present our only hope is to become Krishna conscious and go back home, back to Godhead. The real position is servant of Krishna, and servant of Krishna means in Krishna lila. Directly or indirectly, we are always serving Krishna's lila, even in dream. Just as we cannot go out of the sun when it is daytime, so where is the chance of going out of Krishna lila?</p> <p>Srila Prabhupada summed up by way of a few more potent analogies:</p> <p>The cloud may be there -- the sky may become very grey and dim -- but still the sunlight is there, everywhere, during the daytime. Similarly, because I am part and parcel of Krishna, I am always connected with Krishna. My finger, even though it may be diseased, remains part and parcel of my body. Therefore, we try to treat it, cure it, because it is part and parcel. So Krishna comes Himself when we forget Him, or He sends His representative. Awake or dreaming, I am the same man. As soon as I awaken and see myself, I see Krishna. Cause and effect are both Krishna. For example, cotton becomes thread, and thread becomes cloth. Still, the original cause is cotton. Therefore, everything is Krishna in the ultimate sense. When we cannot contact Krishna personally, we contact His energies. So there is no chance to be outside Krishna's lila. But we see differences under different conditions.</p> <p>To give another example: In the pool of water and in the mirror the same me is reflected, but in different reflections. One is shimmering, unsteady; one is clear and fixed. Except when we are in Krishna consciousness, we cannot see our actual position rightly; therefore the learned man sees all living entities as the same parts and parcels of Krishna. Material existence is impersonal because [in that existence] my real personality is covered. But we should think that because I am now covered by this clay, I am diseased. And we should think that I must get to business to get myself uncovered, not wonder how I got this way.</p> <p>Prabhupada's final advice on the issue left no doubts in Madhudvisa's mind: the efforts to comprehend the causal history of the jiva's falldown was ultimately a misuse of valuable time.</p> <p>Now the fruit is there -- take it and enjoy. That is your first business. God is not bound by cause. He can change [anything]; He is the cause of all causes. Now don't waste your time with this kaka-taliya-nyaya, &quot;crow-and-tal-fruit logic&quot;.</p> <p>- From &quot;The Great Transcendental Adventure&quot; by HG Kurma Prabhu </p> http://absolutetruth.in/forums/topic/new-emperical-challenges-to-big-bang#post-137 Tue, 02 Nov 2010 08:15:18 +0000 Lndasa 137@http://absolutetruth.in/forums/ <p><img src="http://homepage.mac.com/cygnusx1/anomalies/UGC10214_HSTASC.jpg"><br /> <strong>About</strong></p> <p>Halton C. Arp is a professional astronomer who, earlier in his career, was Edwin Hubble’s assistant. He has earned the Helen B.Warner prize, the Newcomb Cleveland award and the Alexander von Humboldt Senior Scientist Award. For years he worked at the Mt. Palomar and Mt. Wilson observatories. While there, he developed his well known catalog of “Peculiar Galaxies” that are misshapen or irregular in appearance.<br /> Findings</p> <p>Arp discovered, by taking photographs through the big telescopes, that many pairs of quasars (“quasi-stellar objects”) which have extremely high redshift z values (and are therefore thought to be receding from us very rapidly – and thus must be located at a great distance from us) are physically associated with galaxies that have low redshift and are known to be relatively close by. Arp has photographs of many pairs of high redshift quasars that are symmetrically located on either side of what he suggests are their parent, low redshift galaxies. These pairings occur much more often than the probabilities of random placement would allow. Mainstream astrophysicists try to explain away Arp’s observations of connected galaxies and quasars as being “illusions” or “coincidences of apparent location”. But, the large number of physically associated quasars and low red shift galaxies that he has photographed and cataloged defies that evasion. It simply happens too often.</p> <p>Because of Arp’s photos, the assumption that high red shift objects have to be very far away – on which the “Big Bang” theory and all of “accepted cosmology” is based – is proven to be wrong! The Big Bang theory is therefore being seriously questioned.<br /> References</p> <p><a href="http://haltonarp.com">More</a> . </p> http://absolutetruth.in/forums/topic/anarthas-analogy-with-demons-in-vrindavan#post-136 Tue, 02 Nov 2010 08:06:23 +0000 Lndasa 136@http://absolutetruth.in/forums/ <p><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_m0HR_G6foOk/RiDvAcDvMBI/AAAAAAAAACU/Pm2ejy-LQzw/s320/Krsna_Kesi_large.jpg"></p> <p>Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura in his Sri Caitanya Siksamrita describes the demons Krishna killed in His Vrindavana pastimes and the anarthas (unwanted things) that they represent.</p> <p>* Putana – the pseudo guru<br /> * Sakatasura (the cart demon) – carrying the burden of a cart-load of old and new bad habits,lethargy and vanity.<br /> * Trinavarta (the whirlwind demon) – false pride which comes from material scholarship, which leads to bogus philosophies.<br /> * Deliverance of Nalakuvara and Manigriva (breaking the twin arjuna trees) – Arrogant pride which comes from puffed-up prestige, which is rooted in a madness for wealth.<br /> * Vatsasura (the calf demon) – a childish type of mentality which gives rise to a type of greediness which results in a wicked type of mischievousness.<br /> * Bakasura (stork demon) – Cunning duplicity, deceptiveness and false types of behavior.<br /> * Aghasura (the snake demon) – Cruelty and violence.<br /> Brahma-vimohana Pastime (Lord Brahma steals the cowherd boys and calves) – mundane activities and speculative scholasticism. Dhenukasura (the ass demon) – gross materialistic intelligence, ignorance of spiritual knowledge.<br /> * Kaliya (chastising the Kaliya serpent) – brutality and treachery.<br /> * Extinguishing the Forest Fire – inter-communal discord among Vaishnavas.<br /> * Pralambasura (killing the Pralamba demon) – lusty inclinations; desire for personal gain and honor.<br /> * Second Forest Fire – disturbance of religious principles and interference with religious people who are atheist.<br /> * Brahmanas Performing Sacrifice – indifference toward Krishna caused by pride because of one’s status (position) in varnasrama.<br /> Overcoming the Pride of Indra – demigod worship, and the tendency to think “I am Supreme.”<br /> * Nanda Maharaja Captured by Varuna – thinking that spiritual life can be enhanced by intoxication.<br /> * Nanda Maharaja Swallowed by Vidyadhara (the snake) – rescuing the truth of Krishna consciousness from being swallowed by the impersonalists.<br /> * Sankhacuda (killing the conch- shell demon and getting the jewel that was stolen by him) – proneness toward acquiring name and fame, and desire for sensuous enjoyment, under the plea of devotion.<br /> * Aristasura (the bull demon) – pride arising from indulging in false religions invented by cheaters which causes neglect of devotional service (bhakti).<br /> * Kesi (the horse demon) – The feeling that “I am a great devotee and spiritual master.”<br /> * Vyomasura (the demon in the sky) – associating with thieves and other rascals, and with people who put themselves forward as avataras.</p> <p>Bhaktivinoda Thakura says: “The devotee who worships the holy name should first petition the Lord for the strength to cast<br /> out all these unfavorable tendencies and should pray thus before Lord Hari on a daily basis. By doing this regularly, the devotee’s heart will eventually become purified. Sri Krishna has killed a number of demons which may arise in the kingdom of the heart, so in order to destroy these problems, a devotee must cry very humbly before the Lord and admit defeat then the Lord will nullify all contaminations. </p> http://absolutetruth.in/forums/topic/adaptation-is-not-micro-evolution#post-135 Tue, 02 Nov 2010 07:57:23 +0000 Lndasa 135@http://absolutetruth.in/forums/ <p><img src="http://blogs.utexas.edu/diia/files/2008/11/evolution.jpg"><br /> Question: According to theory of evolution by Darwin living entity adapts itself to the environment in which it lives. (eg zebra turning into giraffe by elongating its neck). Logically its perfectly right.</p> <p>Response: Darwin’s theory says for scarcity of food on the ground, the giraffes had to extend their necks to get food from tree tops. But deer, antelopes and other herbivores were eating from ground anyways. So is it logically perfectly right to say that zebra had to become a giraffe?</p> <p>Question: In nature we see so many examples. Someone living in cold countries develops white body while someone living in hot climates develops black body. People of different countries have different bodily features due to climatic conditions.</p> <p>Comment: The hinge of these arguments is that adaptation results from chance. Let’s see how valid is this explanation. Skin color comes from special cellular organelles called melanosomes. The difference in skin color of different races comes because of differential pigment synthesis. The synthesis begins from tyrosine -&gt; DOPA -&gt; dopaquinone. At this point the pathway branches and dopaquinone either reacts with cysteine to produce pheomelanin or it is converted to leucodopachrome to produce eumelanin (there are some intermediate steps before the specific melanin is produced). So the point is the change in body color cannot just come because of temperature. This is not to say that change in temperature does not affect the body color but is not sufficient enough to cause generation of totally different race/ethnicity. Furthermore, its not only the skin color that is different between the races but also bodily features (as you have correctly pointed out) and each characteristic that we mention may it be skin color or something<br /> else has to result from some elegant biochemistry. And if you study these different biochemical processes (a couple I have mentioned above on melanin biogenesis) are irreducibly complex and tightly controlled by precise biochemical and biophysical parameters. What is the probability that these will just result from a chance?</p> <p>Question: Appendix (part of body) was used by primitive people to digest hard foodstuffs. But now as it is not used it is led invaluable and can be removed without any loss.</p> <p>Comment: Whatever science says has to be accepted with a grain of salt as it is dependant on information gathered from our imperfect senses and hence is far from perfect. This case of appendix is an excellent example. The supposed “uselessness” of appendix is one of the controversial subject matters in human physiology. There are some schools that hypothesize that appendix has lymphatic, endocrine, exocrine and neuromuscular functions and there are others who disagree with this view. Thus we cannot use appendix as a case to defend evolution. Let us await what science has to say about appendix in future; it should no come as a surprise to us that scientists are able to ascribe some function to appendix as they did it with the pineal gland that once considered as a “vestigial remnant of evolution”.</p> <p>I beg to correct you on the primitive function of appendix that you have mentioned: the human appendix is considered as a vestigial organ of larger cellulose-digesting cecum that was used by the herbivore ancestors and not used by primitive people to digest hard foodstuffs.</p> <p>Question: Mosquitoes develop immunity to mosquito repellent chemicals after some period of time. so this proves living entity adapts itself to environment.</p> <p>Answer: The body’s adaption capacity (some call this ‘micro-evolution’) is not a contradiction to the Vedic model by any means. Certain changes “within” the species that increase its fitness are certainly observed within a population. Antibiotic resistance is another example. However, what Darwinian evolution talks about is generating a totally new species, which is not acceptable. There have been veritably millions of mutagenesis experiments done on Drosophila but there has been never been a case when a house-fly or some other species developed from a fruit-fly. There has never been a case when a human gave birth to a monkey or vice-versa. Like begets like.</p> <p>Question: So why not monkeys turn into human beings due to adaptability?</p> <p>Answer: I again would like to correct you that the Theory of Evolution does not say that monkeys became human beings. As per Theory of Evolution, humans, apes, monkeys and other “look-alikes” descend from a common ancestor.</p> <p>On a concluding note, the proposed Theory of Evolution is not so simplistic that “something adapts itself”. With the advent of molecular biology, the theory is becoming more complex and is seeking its justification at the DNA and protein level. Changes in allele frequencies, genome duplications, orthology, paralogy and similar other observations are being used to substantiate its credibility. But Evolution is far from being “proved”. Moreover, as devotees we are more concerned with the atheistic foundation and subsequent implications of ToE rather than the theory itself. This was also one of the reasons that Darwin did not publish his findings until very late even though he had compiled them much earlier. </p> http://absolutetruth.in/forums/topic/ten-offences-to-holy-name-from-padma-purana#post-134 Tue, 02 Nov 2010 07:49:49 +0000 Lndasa 134@http://absolutetruth.in/forums/ <p><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_OIEBhJkLZT4/TI06LyUKPnI/AAAAAAAAFtY/r2NCVTaXIJs/s1600/rupa+%26+sanatana.jpg"><br /> From Padma Purana, Brahma Khanda 25.15-18<br /> satam ninda namnah paramam aparadham vitanute<br /> yatah khyatim yatam katham u sahate tad-vigarham<br /> 1) To blaspheme devotees who have dedicated their lives to chanting the<br /> holy name of the Lord. The holy name, who is identical with Krsna, will<br /> never tolerate such blasphemous activities.</p> <p>sivasya sri-visnor ya iha guna-namadi-sakalam<br /> dhiya bhinnam pasyet sa khalu hari-namahita-karah<br /> 2) To consider the names of demigods like Lord Siva or Lord Brahma to be<br /> on an equal level with the holy name of Lord Visnu.<br /> I was repeatedly asking you about the meaning of this offense, no word<br /> like brahma or devatas is used here but still in the translation it is<br /> said demigods, how is it??</p> <p>guror avajna<br /> 3) To disobey the orders of the spiritual master or to consider him an<br /> ordinary person.</p> <p>sruti-sastra-nindanam<br /> 4) To blaspheme the Vedic literatures or literatures in pursuance of the<br /> Vedic version.</p> <p>artha-vadah<br /> 5) To give some interpretation on the holy name of the Lord.</p> <p>hari-namni kalpanam<br /> 6) To consider the glories of the holy name of the Lord as imagination.</p> <p>namno balad yasya hi papa-buddhir<br /> na vidyate tasya yamair hi suddhih<br /> 7) (While chanting of the holy name of the Lord can counteract all the<br /> past sinful reactions but it is greatest offense to commit sinful<br /> activities on the strength of chanting the holy name of the Lord.) To<br /> think that the Hare Krsna mantra can counteract all sinful reactions and<br /> one may therefore go on with his sinful activities and at the same time<br /> chant the Hare Krsna mantra to neutralize them is the greatest offense<br /> at the lotus feet of Hari-nama.</p> <p>dharma-vrata-tyaga-hutadi-sarva-<br /> subha-kriya-samyam api pramadah<br /> 8) To consider the chanting of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra to be one of<br /> the auspicious ritualistic mantras mentioned in the Vedas as fruitive<br /> activity.</p> <p>asraddadhane vimukhe ‘py asrnvati<br /> yas copadesah siva-namaparadhah<br /> 9) It is an offense to preach the glories of the holy name of the Lord<br /> to the faithless.</p> <p>srute ‘pi nama-mahatmye<br /> yah priti-rahito narah<br /> aham-mamadi-paramo<br /> namni so ‘py aparadha-krt<br /> 10) If one has heard the glories of the transcendental holy name of the<br /> Lord but nevertheless continues in a materialistic concept of life,<br /> thinking “I am this body and everything belonging to this body is mine<br /> [aham mameti],” and does not show respect and love for the chanting of<br /> the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, that is an offense. </p> http://absolutetruth.in/forums/topic/diety-worship-in-puranas#post-133 Tue, 02 Nov 2010 07:45:04 +0000 Lndasa 133@http://absolutetruth.in/forums/ <p>List of qoutations from Puranas on Diety worship.</p> <p><strong>Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 11.3.52-53</strong></p> <p>sāńgopāńgāḿ sa-pārṣadāḿ</p> <p>tāḿ tāḿ mūrtiḿ sva-mantrataḥ</p> <p>pādyārghyācamanīyādyaiḥ</p> <p>snāna-vāso-vibhūṣaṇaiḥ</p> <p>gandha-mālyākṣata-sragbhir</p> <p>dhūpa-dīpopahārakaiḥ</p> <p>sāńgam sampūjya vidhivat</p> <p>stavaiḥ stutvā named dharim</p> <p>One should worship the Deity along with each of the limbs of His transcendental body, His weapons such as the Sudarśana cakra, His other bodily features and His personal associates. One should worship each of these transcendental aspects of the Lord by its own mantra and with offerings of water to wash the feet, scented water, water to wash the mouth, water for bathing, fine clothing and ornaments, fragrant oils, valuable necklaces, unbroken barleycorns, flower garlands, incense and lamps. Having thus completed the worship in all its aspects in accordance with the prescribed regulations, one should then honor the Deity of Lord Hari with prayers and offer obeisances to Him by bowing down.<br /> <strong>Padma Purana</strong><br /> arcye visnau sila-dhir gurusu nara-matir vaisnave jati-buddhih sri-visnor namni sabda-samanya-buddhih,<br /> “One should not consider the Deity of the Lord as worshiped in the temple to be an idol, nor should one consider the authorized spiritual master an ordinary man. Nor should one consider a pure Vaisnava to belong to a particular caste, etc.” (Padma Purana) </p> http://absolutetruth.in/forums/topic/history-of-cow-slaughter-in-india#post-132 Tue, 02 Nov 2010 07:39:08 +0000 Lndasa 132@http://absolutetruth.in/forums/ <p><img src="http://www.topnews.in/files/Cows-slaughter.jpg"><br /> <strong>The Plot</strong></p> <p>The two most astonishing things for the British who invaded India were.the Indian gurukula system and the Indian agriculture system. The then Governor of British India Robert Clive made an extensive research on the agriculture system in India with idea of creating dependence on the industrial houses established by the British. The outcome of the research was as follows:</p> <p> * Cows were the basis of Indian agriculture and agriculture in India cannot be executed without the help of cow.<br /> * To break the Backbone of Indian agriculture cows had to be eliminated.<br /> * He estimated that the number of cows in Bengal outnumbered the number of men. Similar was the situation in the rest of India.</p> <p><strong>The Effect</strong></p> <p>As a part of the Master plan to destabilize the India, cow slaughter was initiated. The first slaughterhouse in India was started in 1760, with a capacity to kill 30,000 (Thirty thousand only) per day, at least one crore cows were eliminated in an years time.Once the cows were slaughtered, then there was no manure and there is no insecticide like cow urine. Robert Clive started a number of slaughter houses before he left India.</p> <p>A hypothesis to understand the position of Indian agriculture without slaughter houses. In 1740 in the Arcot District of Tamil Nadu, 54 Quintals of rice was harvested from one acre of land using simple manure and pesticides like cow urine and cow dung. As a result of the 350 slaughterhouses which worked day and night by 1910. India was practically bereft of cattle. India had to approach England’s doorstep for industrial manure. Thus industrial manure like urea and phosphate made way to India.<br /> After India attained independence in the name of Green Revolution there was extensive use of industrial manure. Before British left India. The daily news paper Guardian interviewed India.<br /> <strong>Sorry State</strong></p> <p>To one of the questions Gandhiji answered, that the day India attains Independence, all the slaughter houses in India would be closed. In 1929 Nehru in a public meeting stated that if he were to become the prime minister of India, the first thing he would do is to stop all the slaughterhouses.The tragedy of the situation is since 1947 the number has increased from 350 to 36,000(thirty six thousand) slaughter houses.Today, the highly mechanized slaughterhouses Al-kabir and Devanar of Andhra Pradesh and Maharastra has the capacity to slaughter 10,000(ten thousand) cows at a time. Is someone listening. </p> http://absolutetruth.in/forums/topic/resolving-kashmir-issue#post-131 Tue, 02 Nov 2010 07:30:02 +0000 Lndasa 131@http://absolutetruth.in/forums/ <p><img src="http://worldsikhnews.com/4%20March%202009/Image/Kashmir.jpg"><br /> Kashmir is the Defining Issue of Indian Identity by Dr. Subramanian Swamy.</p> <p>[Lecture on July 9, 2008 to Indian students and Americans scholars at MIT, USA]<br /> I believe that the Kashmir “issue” can no more be solved by dialogue either with the Pakistanis or the Hurriyat. This is because the Pakistan army has now a majority of captains and colonels owing allegiance to the Taliban. In another five years, they will reach, by promotions, the corp commander level. We know that the government in Pakistan is controlled by the seven corp commanders of the army. Therefore a Taliban government in Pakistan is inevitable and a jehad against India the logical consequence of the same. In turn the Hurriyat is an organization that cannot go against Pakistan. Hence India has about five years to prepare for a decisive and defining war with Pakistan and we must prepare to win it. We therefore have to throw out of office in the coming elections all those Indian politicians who crave or preen themselves on being popular in Pakistan by sounding reasonable and secular as also equivocating on every issue. For the survival of the ancient civilization of India we have to win that inevitable war and recover the whole of Kashmir.<br /> I will not blame the jehadis for the coming war. They are after all programmed that way by Islamic theology. I will blame ourselves for not understanding the fundamentals of Islam as propounded in the Sira and the Hadith. It teaches that if Muslims are in a majority, they must rule [Darul Islam], and then everyone else is a dhimmi and a kafir who do not have equal rights of worship. Thus in Saudi Arabia, you cannot even display a picture of a Hindu god inside your own home ! When Muslims are in a hopeless minority, then Sira and Hadith urges Muslims to make a deal with the majority and make no demands[Darul Ahad]. In US and Australia for example, Muslims will therefore never ask for separate shariat personal law. If Muslims are not hopelessly in a minority, then Islam directs that true Muslims conduct subversions and act against all human values to leverage their position[Darul Harab] to become of defining influence in the polity and ultimately rulers. We saw this in Kashmir recently when the government was made to cave in on the most humane gesture of allotting land to make Hindu pilgrims feel comfortable while on arduous journey to Amarnath caves.And we have it on the authority of the Chief Minister of the state that the agitation against the allotment was financed by Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.<br /> It is foolish therefore in the face of this reality to expound the banal sentiment that “all Muslims are not terrorists or fanatics”. Of course that is true. Or that Koran is a message of peace. May be it is. However, the Islam of the cutting edge of Muslim thought propounded by leaders such as Osama Bin Laden is in Sira and Hadith, which calls on the faithful to wage war against the infidels who cannot strike back effectively and crush them.<br /> The struggle for Kashmir by the jehadis thus is not just for independence. They instead want a Darul Islam there and for the state to become a part of the Caliphate. Hindus are a special target because despite Iran, Iraq, Egypt and other countries becoming 100 percent Muslims after less than two decades of conquest and brutalization, India after a thousand years of massacres, mayhem and rape remained dominantly Hindu. This is a living affront for the fundamentalist Muslim, and in their seminaries and madrassas in Iran and Saudi Arabia, they even today debate and agonize over it.<br /> Contrary to the British imperialist propaganda, Hindus did not just lie down and be conquered by foreign invaders. Hindu fighting spirit had never dimmed even if weakened by traitors within. Periodically Hindus rose in revolt symbolized by the Vijayanagaram empire[which lasted 300 years] or in Shivaji’s bravery, or Guru Gobind Singh’s campaigns or the Mahratta national onslaught.<br /> Most of us thus remained Hindus, defiant, even if in poverty and misery singing Vande Mataram. This the true history of India which the fundamentalist Muslim and the British imperialist historians cannot bear to acknowledge.<br /> Accommodation and compromise with Islamic terrorists is self-defeating and suicide. We have instead to fight back, for which Kashmir is the starting point. Hindu renaissance, long overdue, will be nurtured if we look for an opportunity to seize back the occupied areas of Kashmir, and make the jehadis feel that in India there can only be Darul Ahad for Muslims. We had opportunities earlier to demonstrate that: e.g.,in 1948, 1971, 1999, and 2001. But we let it go.<br /> Hence, let there be no more intellectual confusion about the identity of India as a Hindu Rashtra, which means a land of Hindus and those others who acknowledge proudly that their ancestors are Hindus. If Muslims acknowledge this truth, then they are welcome as a part of our family. And those who do not so acknowledge cannot be equal citizens in India. Hence, we shall not agree to any more truncation of Indian territory.<br /> We have to therefore disown UN Resolutions and India-Pakistan treaties such as signed in Simla]1972] as unauthorized Nehruvian policy blunders. The legality of the Instrument of Accession signed in favour of India by the then Maharaja of J&amp;K on October 26, 1947 has to prevail. Otherwise it will create a plethora of legal issues including what will become the status of the Maharaja if we abrogate this Instrument. Will Dr. Karan Singh, the son of Maharaja Hari Singh, have then a claim to be regarded again as an independent and sovereign King of J&amp;K ? In the Junagadh issue, Pakistan had held the Instrument once signed is “final, irrevocable, and not requiring the wishes of the people to be ascertained”. That is the correct position. But the Junagadh Nawab after signing the Instrument in favour of Pakistan, invaded the neighbouring princely states, states which had acceded to India. So when the Indian Army was moved by Patel to defend these areas, the Nawab ran away to Pakistan. His subjects were mostly Hindu who then welcomed the Indian army.<br /> Furthermore, on what legal basis can we de novo seek to ascertain the wishes of the people of J&amp;K when the Indian Independence Act[1947] passed by the British Parliament makes no provision for the same ? After all it was this same Act which created a legal entity called Pakistan, carved out from the united India. India under the Act was a settled and continuing entity out which the British Parliament made a new entity called Pakistan. Never in previous history there was ever a country called Pakistan. The concept itself was formulated only in 1947.<br /> By what mechanism can then Pakistan today seek to amend or even de-recognise the Act without unwittingly undermining the legal status of Pakistan itself? That is, if the Instrument of Accession is called into question, will not Partition itself be subject to challenge as without legal basis on the same consideration? I raise this question also because in the case of Beruberi in Eastern India, the transfer of that area to Bangla Desh although agreed to, has been enmeshed in prolonged litigation in the Indian Supreme Court because of Article 1 of the Indian Constitution which bars de-merger of any Indian territory after 1950.<br /> Indian army jawans created Bangla Desh out of Pakistan. But despite that, and drunk with their Darul Islam status, the Bengali Muslims have not only driven out the Hindus or butchered them or forcibly converted them but millions of Bengali Muslims have sneaked into India and are happily working with Hindus in India. Partition was agreed to by Hindus only for those Muslims who could not bear to live under Hindu hegemony. And now after getting their territory, they cannot now say that they are happy to live in India with Hindus.<br /> Hence, a virat Hindu Rashtra should tell Bangla Desh to take back their Muslims or hand over one-third of Bangla Desh territory as compensation. If they do not agree, then we must send two divisions of Indian army from Sylhet to Khulna and annex one third of north Bangla Desh as our due for bearing the economic and political burden of Bangla Deshis in our country. This will make our access to Assam and Northeast much easier too.But most of all it will send a powerful and salutary signal to Pakistani terrorists: that Hindus will no more be passive.<br /> These actions are possible if we gear up diplomatically for it. Today the world is sick of the terrorism and the greed of Muslims nations to make money out the sale of oil which they have got by sheer accident of geology. Hence, we must make strong allies. Israel is one such country. We must find ways to make China see our interests. It can be done if we know how to come to an understanding with them. This is essential for isolating Pakistan. At present China has begun to see the tinder box that Pakistan has become. Uighurs from Xinjiang have been to madrassas of Pakistan for training in subversion in Urumuchi and to sabotage the Beijing Olympics This worries China. It should concern us too.<br /> Hence to lay the foundation for the liberation of Kashmir, we must have President’s Rule for some time. India should refuse to engage in any dialogue on Kashmir in which the other side does not accept the whole of Kashmir as an integral and inalienable part of India. The people of Kashmir should be left in no doubt in their minds where the citizens of Hindu Rashtra stand on the future of the state: that it lies with us. Every Hindu has a claim on Kashmir. I for one claim it because my gotra is Kashyapa. It was rshi Kashyapa who invented Kashmir out the Dal lake. Hence my claim. We should undo the “cleansing” of the state of Kashmiri Hindu Pandits by sending 1 million ex-servicemen and families into the Kashmir valley for re-settlement. Article 370 of the Constitution will have to be removed for that purpose, but according to the Constitution itself, it is supposed to be a “temporary provision” not requiring a Parliamentary two-thirds majority for amendment. It can be erased by a Presidential Notification on the recommendation of the Union Cabinet.<br /> Then we await a war. We do not have to go to war with Pakistan on Kashmir because a Talibanised Pakistan will provide us with the opportunity. What I am advocating here is that we prepare mentally and militarily for that eventuality, and having been provided that opportunity, go for the jackpot– to use an American slang. </p> http://absolutetruth.in/forums/topic/secular-media-means-anti-hindu#post-130 Tue, 02 Nov 2010 07:23:48 +0000 Lndasa 130@http://absolutetruth.in/forums/ <p><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_i4duEbBL6fk/Sh1X16CyLJI/AAAAAAAAABY/S66V3JW_Obw/S1600-R/05.01.25.SecularFace-X.gif"><br /> Truth behind Kandhamal – by Gurumurthy</p> <p>Contrary to what Indians here and Christians elsewhere have been told by evangelical missionaries, media and seculars, the Kandhamal arson is not, as it has been concocted, a clash between Hindu and Christian faithfuls at all.The truth is that it is a continuation of the clashes that had started in early 1990s between the ‘Kandha” tribe, which did not convert to Christianity, and ‘Pana” caste people, most of whom had converted.</p> <p>Religion is the spice added to this mix.</p> <p>Kandhas are a Scheduled Tribe (ST) and ‘Panas” are a Scheduled Caste (SC). Both are entitled to reservation benefits under the Constitution, yet, with a difference. While ST reservation will continue even if the beneficiary becomes a Christian, the SC reservation will cease on conversion. When the Panas became Christians they lost their reservation rights. But under the influence of the missionaries and secular parties, and claiming to speak the same language ‘Kui” as Kandhas, they agitated for ST status. So that, despite becoming Christians, their reservation rights would continue if they got listed as ST. But the Kandhas, who saw that their share of reservation would be cut into if the Pana demand were conceded began resisting it. Reservation is a cause of the Khand-Pana divide, but not the only cause; dispute over land is another.</p> <p>The Kandhas were the traditional rulers of Kandhamal and that is the reason the district bears their name. The lands at Kandhamal belonged to them by the traditional rights that go with the tribes. It was their misfortune that the Kandhas chose to remain true to their traditional faith and resisted conversion to Christianity. The Panas were fortunate as most of them became Christians accepting the allurements offered by over 360 evangelical outfits operating in Kandhamal and harvesting souls for the ‘Only True Faith” and ‘God” and, in the process, raking in millions and millions of dollars from global funds for the noble harvest.</p> <p>Besides the perks that conversion yielded, the Panas, as Christian minorities, have the protection of the state, patronage of the media and secular parties, and above all, the powerful support of the Christian nations all over the world. The Kandhas,whose only fault was that they did not convert, have none of these. So they suffer all the limitations of the majority community under the skewed Indian Constitution that clubs the Hindus in Mumbai with the Kandhas in Khandmal! With such powerful secular forces ranged against them, the Kandhas are being further cornered in two ways. One, the Panas who have become relatively better off have gradually taken over much of the lands of the Kandhas, by commerce and fraud, as the Kandhas see it. Two, on top of it, the Panas are also claiming the ST status to grab a share of the reservation from the Kandhas, and thanks to the secular parties” support, seem to be nearly getting it. In substance thus, it is a Kandha vs Pana war over land rights and reservation. Surprisingly, in the face of the ‘itch of his colleagues” to paste Hindu-Christian label on Kandhamal, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil saw the truth and ‘refused to treat” the ongoing clashes ‘as communal’! But, more surprisingly, only one newspaper, a financial daily, reported his view while others blacked it out.</p> <p>This is not the first time that the Kandhas and the Panas are at war. In 1992, the war between them lasted for three months, resulting in over 20 deaths. The issue was then, as it is now, land and reservation, which was the very consequence of conversion of the Panas to Christianity. The Panas got financial and political advantage and also gained lands belonging to the Kandhas.</p> <p>Though they lost their reservation benefits in the bargain, they began reclaiming them through their demand for ST status. It needs no seer to say that it is religious conversions that sequenced into hostilities between the Kandhas disadvantaged as Hindu majority and the Panas protected as Christian minority.</p> <p>No major clash between the Kandhas and the Panas was reported before the missionaries entered Kandhamal. The Christian population in Kandhamal which was some two per cent in 1961 and six per cent in 1971, rose to 27 per cent in 2001.These numbers speak volumes. Yet, now the missionaries, media and the seculars shout from house tops that only after VHP and Bajrang Dal have entered the scene, there are clashes and the minorities are being butchered.</p> <p>In 1992, there was no VHP worth the name in Orissa; and the Bajrang Dal was not yet born. Yet bloody clashes did occur in Kandhamal between the Kandhas and the Panas.</p> <p>This points to the one and only fact — that it is not the VHP or the Bajrang Dal, but the entry of global evangelism aided by unlimited global funds for harvesting the Panas to Christianity that turned the Kandhas and the Panas hostile to each other and led to clashes. Now the resistance of Hindu outfits is faulted. But what about the cause — the global evangelical conversions powered by huge global funds? Why is the entire secular establishment deafeningly silent? And where does Swami Laksmananda fit into this theatre of Kandhas and Panas, evangelists and the seculars and why was he murdered? A Vedanta scholar, his only fault was that, when the establishment had let down particularly the Kandhas, who refused to convert, he stood by them. He ran schools, colleges, satsangs and discourses which became a great hit with the Kandhas and also the Panas who refused to convert.</p> <p>He became the biggest roadblock to the missionaries.</p> <p>He was targeted by the evangelists for a long time. In December 2007, an attempt was made on him in the village of a Congress MP and a Christian convert.Again, some 24 hours before he was murdered, the Swami got a letter threatening that he would be done away with if he did not close down his work against conversion in Kandhamal.</p> <p>He personally lodged that letter as FIR with the police. Yet, the Swami, along with four of his disciples,was done away with the very next evening. The Kandhas reacted violently when their best hope, the Swami, was snuffed out. This was the context for the August 2008 clashes which were always waiting to happen between the Kandhas and the Panas. Yet it was no one-sided affair, as made out to be. A secular newspaper has investigated and reported that the Panas responded to Kandhas attack with gun fire and killed four which has alerted the State to the possibility of the emergence of Christian-extremist alliance in Kandhamal.</p> <p>*About the author:*</p> <p>*S Gurumurthy *is a well-known commentator on political and economic issues </p> http://absolutetruth.in/forums/topic/spirituality-helps-cope-with-stress#post-129 Tue, 02 Nov 2010 07:19:06 +0000 Lndasa 129@http://absolutetruth.in/forums/ <p>NEW YORK: A person’s religiousness could offer insight into his or her risk for depression, a new research has suggested.</p> <p>Researchers at Temple University have based their findings on an analysis of nearly 1,000 people in terms of three domains of religiosity — religious service attendance; religious well-being; and existential well-being which refers to a person’s sense of meaning and their purpose in life.</p> <p>They compared each domain of religiosity to their risk of depression and found that the group with higher levels of religious well-being were 1.5 times less likely to have had depression than those with lower levels of religious well -being, the Psychological Medicine journal reported.</p> <p>According to lead researcher Joanna Maselko, this is because people with depression tend to use religion as a coping mechanism. As a result, they’re more closely relating to God and praying more.</p> <p>The researchers also found that those who attended religious services were 30% less likely to have had depression in their lifetime, and those who had high levels of existential well-being were 70% less likely to have had depression than those who had low levels of existential well-being.</p> <p>“People with high levels of existential well-being tend to have a good base, which makes them very centred emotionally. People who don’t have those things are at greater risk for depression, and those same people might also turn to religion to cope,” Maselko said.</p> <p>However, the American researchers are yet to find out which comes first — depression or being religious.</p> <p>Source: Times of India </p> http://absolutetruth.in/forums/topic/violence-in-media-and-related-crime#post-128 Tue, 02 Nov 2010 07:16:30 +0000 Lndasa 128@http://absolutetruth.in/forums/ <p>Violent action films are making Indian teenagers more aggressive and some are even keeping weapons to satisfy their urge or to show off, says a new study conducted in schools in Delhi and its neighbouring areas.</p> <p>The alarming finding comes from a survey by Delhi-based psychiatrist Samir Parikh among 1,000 students in private schools here and in the suburban towns of Gurgaon and Noida.</p> <p>The survey says that as a large number of children in the 14-17 age group watch violent movies, they might be getting more aggressive.</p> <p>“It is an attitudinal survey and not a behavioural survey. These children are young and vulnerable. After seeing such movies, they are inspired to copy them,” Parikh told IANS.</p> <p>The study has found that an overwhelming majority of boys – 79 percent – enjoy watching violent movies, while 34 percent of girls also love seeing such action-oriented films.</p> <p>“This indicates that a large population of students watch violent movies, which could result in their behaving in an aggressive manner. Movies do make an impression,” said Parikh.</p> <p>Forty-four percent of boys said they have the urge to hit or harm someone, while the figure was 32 percent for girls.</p> <p>Also, about 35 percent of boys feel that showing some force or bullying someone is important to make friends like them more. Around 24 percent of girls agree with this.</p> <p>A worried Parikh said: “We need to understand teenagers. They have a certain mindset and are thus more vulnerable. They might not be harming anyone or bullying anyone now. But in the future, they might think it is ok to do so.”</p> <p>The survey says feelings like physically harming someone score quite high among teenagers. “But it is not clear whether they actually act out their urge in harming someone.”</p> <p>Many children said they are aware that their friends carry a weapon to school. The weapon can be anything that they feel will protect them.</p> <p>Parikh said: “It comes as a shock to see that quite a few students are aware that defensive weapons are carried into school premises. These weapons could be anything.”</p> <p>As many as 31 percent of boys said they know of someone being threatened or injured with a weapon in school while the figure is 22 percent for girls.</p> <p>Another point the study highlights is that many children shared their feeling of not wanting to go to school as they feel unsafe. This could also be because of bullying by others or the fear that they could be harmed, said the psychiatrist.</p> <p>As many as 53 percent of boys said they felt safer when they are with their own gang or group in school. This is true for girls too. About 45 percent of girls said they feel protected in school if they are part of a group.</p> <p>Parikh said children with such thinking needed to be identified so that their pre-conceived mindsets could be corrected.</p> <p>“Teachers and educationists need to work on understanding the adolescents. This is the time when they make up their mind. If they have to be shaped as better human beings, they have to be counselled now,” he added.</p> <p>Source TOI, 12 Dec 2008 </p> http://absolutetruth.in/forums/topic/curative-properties-of-tulsi-plant#post-127 Tue, 02 Nov 2010 07:09:46 +0000 Lndasa 127@http://absolutetruth.in/forums/ <p>AGRA: There’s a dollop of ayurvedic wisdom to help Taj Mahal retain its original allure. Even as the monument of love, yellowing with age, awaits its promised beauty pack, forest department has come up with another quickfix project: Plant-a-Tulsi drive in Agra. The recommended complexion care regimen, officers claim, has full backing of ancient texts which hold Tulsi as the panacea for all problems from cosmic to cosmetic.</p> <p>The department will launch the Tulsi plantation drive from January 2009. The public-private joint venture is expected to provide an eco-protection cover to sensitive Taj trapezium zone surrounding the 17th century monument as well as the other two world heritage monuments like the Agra Fort and Aitma-ud-Daula tomb. Tulsi was (Occinum sanctum) chosen for its anti-pollutant anti-oxidation and air-purifying properties, making it an ideal ornamental shrub in the vicinity of the Taj.</p> <p>Talking to TOI on Thursday, DFO, Agra division, N K Janu, said that the target in the first phase was to plant one lakh plants. Nearly 80,000 of the lot, he said, would be planted ensuring community involvement. The department is short-listing the NGOs to be invited to join the effort. The idea is to concentrate on colonies adjacent to Taj Mahal, mainly Taj Nagri, Shastri Puram, Kamala Nagar, to name a few.</p> <p>The job is to sensitise the masses about pollution, and ensure maximum participation and follow up, he said. Meanwhile, forest department will undertake greening the Taj Forest Block Area (TFBA). Initially, the task involves plating 10,000 saplings alongside the 650 broad leaved environment friendly saplings (peepal, neem, pakar, goolar, kadamb and bargad) planted this year, he said.</p> <p>The launch, he said, would be marked by distribution of Tulsi saplings in every school of Agra on Republic Day. Over 10,000 plants would be given out to children accompanied by a letter of appeal to the parents, says RP Bharti, the chief conservator of forest, Agra zone. The letter will request their corporation to save the environment and Taj, he said.</p> <p>The drive, said the DFO, needs much caution and care as Tulsi is a very sensitive plant and liable to wilt under winter frost. The department will launch the drive by January-end to ensure that survival of Tulsi is satisfactory.</p> <p>Source: TOI, 12 Dec 2008</p> <p>Notes from the Editor’s desk.</p> <p>Although vaishnavas donot utilize Tulasi for any other purpose other than to offer to Lord Krishna, people in general use it for its medicinal value. Growing a Tulasi plant is a common custom in traditional Hindu households, perhaps its not without a reason. Tulasi not only bestows pure devotional service to her worshippers but as we see here protects her worshippers from pollution as well. For whatever reason since they plan to plant Tulasi and water it daily is going to give some spiritual benefit to otherwise sinful people. Especially as the Padma Purana extolls the glories of worshipping Tulasi. </p> http://absolutetruth.in/forums/topic/why-go-to-temple#post-97 Sun, 21 Mar 2010 17:49:52 +0000 Lndasa 97@http://absolutetruth.in/forums/ <p>Aashish, has a sincere question, &quot;For some, spiritual enlightenment is not about going to temple or chanting god's name 101 times, it might be doing good to fellow humans/working for less fortunate ones, fighting against an evil cause. These days visiting Siddhivinayak temple cost me 50 bucks, Balaji is another thousand of bucks. So why go to the temple when it is highly commercialised? Bathing gods in milk, making the idols wear good clothes, burning lamps, decorating the idols with flowers?...is it really necessary when India has highest rate of malnutrition children in the world? When more than 75% of Indian population is below poverty line? My sane mind fails to understand this importance to religious places when fellow humans have shanties to live? Why not cease to concentrate about 'just me' and my spiritual wellbeing and work for less fortunate? What are your thoughts on it?&quot;</p> <p> A Deeper Look<br /> I thank you for your candid remarks and concern at the degrading religious rituals. You definitely have a point and I appreciate your wisdom to see through the facade of religious dogma.</p> <p>It's unfortunate that millions languish in poverty and malnutrition while the affluent continue to party and the politicians are busy blowing their own trumpets, or making empty promises. It's more unfortunate when they conveniently put the burden of alleviating poverty on the spiritual practitioners, while absolving themselves of the responsibility. To begin with, shouldn't all excesses be stopped-movies, sports and dance clubs, besides thousands of other sources of entertainment which consumes a great deal of time, energy and money? And instead, let us all serve a noble cause. Shouldn't this be the concern of all individuals irrespective of whether they are housewives, politicians or religious priests? A genuinely 'spiritual' person certainly addresses these issues 'while going to the temple, burning lamps or decorating the idols'. Let's see how.</p> <p>A sincere spiritual practitioner never thinks of his identity as separate from the Lord and other living entities. He attempts to revive his dormant love for God through spiritual practises, and meaningful rituals, while simultaneously serving all, as children of the same God. Although the rituals externally appear mechanical and meaningless, they are supposed to be performed in a mood of remembering God, and with an aspiration to be the servant of all living entities. (Padma Purana). Of course someone may claim that rituals aren't needed to be 'spiritual'. Although the internal mood is critical in our communion with God, the external formulas, as presented through the rituals, do influence the internals. While substance is ultimately important, it is the form that helps to carry and preserve the substance. While the letter is ultimately important, the envelope helps to protect and carry the content. The 'spirit'- added to a ritual makes it 'spiritual'.</p> <p>The act of decorating God with flowers or dresses helps us shift the focus from self to God, and helps us see ourselves as part of the divine Whole, having an eternal existence as children of God; rather than selfishly pursue our own ephemeral goals. This fills the heart with a love that transcends gross material lust and ego centered drives.</p> <p>In this consciousness, when a person performs puja, and prayers, his heart gets reformed - selfish passions give way to the spirit of selfless service; arrogance transforms to humility; and envy to appreciation of others. Therefore you will see that spiritual practitioners lead a frugal life, and renounce things that are avowedly pursued by the general populace. Ironically while National leaders and leading corporates express their desire to serve the poor, they party in a plush 5-star hotel. Of course it's also true that when rituals are performed without knowledge, they too cause havoc to the society. When we identify with the externals of a religion, we miss the essence. We may fight over our religious ideologies but have no idea of God or our relationship with Him.</p> <p>Reconnecting with God helps us see all living entities as also children of the same God. For example two men may fight bitterly but when they realize they are brothers and have the same father, (as shown in old Hindi Movies) their animosity dissolves and there is an emotional reunion. A sincere devotee of God recognizes Muslims, Hindus and Christians, all as children of the same God, and thus loves them all. (Bhagavad Gita 14.4).</p> <p>Of course, we may serve without God in picture. However there is a difference. If a child of a multi billionaire runs away from home and languishes in the street, wouldn't the father be pained. While different people may offer help to the boy on the street- by giving a rupee, or clothes or food, a real well wisher will take responsibility for the child to be reconnected with the father. A person who recognizes who the child is, will certainly feed, and clothe the child while convincing him to go back to his parents. His service is more meaningful and beneficial for the child. Similarly serving the poor and needy is laudable in this age of crass greed. We can take our service a step higher by sacrificing things and pleasures dear to us, for the sake of praying for others and serving them in their journey of being reconnected with God.</p> <p>Unfortunately the poor continue to remain poor due to primarily two reasons- exploitation by the non-poor and wanton living by the poor themselves. The United Nations Development report claims $13 trillion will end poverty of the world. Ironically Europe and US spend this amount annually on their cosmetics.</p> <p>In the Vedic culture, individual families possessed little but no one starved because the local village temple was the centre of everyone's life. There would be festivals, pujas and dramas daily in the evenings and families had plenty. Besides the spiritual entertainment in terms of dramas depicted from Ramayana and Mahabharata kept people in good humor. Even today if you go to Udupi, Dharmasthala or Barsana, you may find most people are<br /> not financially wealthy but spiritually they are. They have a simple life centered on service to God and no poverty. In fact in Udupi, there is free food (Prasad) distribution to whoever walks into the temple, at any time of the day. </p> <p>Lord McCauley, in his speech dated Feb 2, 1835, revealed to the British Parliament, the glory of Vedic India. The House of Commons Library has documented his famous words, &quot;I have traveled across the length and breadth of India and I have not seen one person who is a beggar, who is a thief. Such wealth I have seen in this country, such high moral values, people of such caliber, that I do not think we would ever conquer this country, unless we break the very backbone of this nation, which is her spiritual and cultural heritage, i iiii.. &quot;. Since the focus of activities then was to serve and love God, people were happy. Evenings would be spent congregating<br /> in local temples, and kirtans, katha, and devotional dramas kept people entertained and spiritually surcharged. Ironically today, despite the best time saving devices, people are getting busier, and regret having no free time to relax. Modern entertainment is simply bombardment of variegated visual images on the television screen that has desensitized us and reduced us to lead a life akin to a programmed robot.</p> <p>Few years ago I went to Orrissa with a group of students on a yatra to holy places. It was a humbling experience. People were poor but considered it their great fortune that so many devotees had graced their village (we were 150 of us). They opened their hearts and home for all of us and even refused to take a donation for all the services they offered us. I couldn't help contrasting this with the cold stares and stern security guards who gaze at us in cities. The insecurity that builds with possessing and enjoying more is obvious and one who centers his/her life on service to God is happy and contented. Thus he/she adds value to society.</p> <p>The need of the hour is to stop the blind hedonistic pursuits, championed by the media and movies, and focus more on the sublime values of life. It's foolish to want to serve poor while simultaneously pursuing grossly materialistic pursuits, and justify it in the name of being ambitious and passionate about life. Remember the resources in this world are scarce and the more we pursue a life centered on our own enjoyment, there has to be a clash between the haves and the have not's.</p> <p>Besides, even practically speaking, a person serving God contributes to national income and accentuates the money multiplier effect. The flower sellers and dress makers make a living and so does an honest taxi driver as<br /> he drives you to the temple.</p> <p>by ARISEINDIAFORUM.IN </p> http://absolutetruth.in/forums/topic/change-of-heart#post-123 Tue, 03 Aug 2010 05:41:19 +0000 giridharagopaladas 123@http://absolutetruth.in/forums/ <p>As long as we are in the material world our mind will be showing alternatives for us to enjoy this material world. To engage in un-deviated and un-motivated devotional service, we should be capable of saying no to these material impulses.</p> <p>At the initial stages of devotional service, we may say no to these impulses externally. But to say no these impulses whole heartedly, our desires has to be nullified or changed or in other words change of heart is required.</p> <p>By regular attendance in classes on the Bhagavatam and by rendering of service to the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is almost completely destroyed, and loving service unto the Personality of Godhead, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable fact (Naistiki-Bhakti).(SriMad Bhag 1.2.18).</p> <p>The remedy for eliminating all in auspicious things with in the heart is the association of Bhagavatas. There are two types of Bhagavatas, namely the book Bhagavata and the devotee Bhagavata. The devotee Bhagavata is a direct representative of Bhagavan, the Personality of Godhead. So by pleasing the devotee Bhagavata one can receive the benefit of the book Bhagavata. Human reasoning fails to understand how by serving the devotee Bhagavata or the book Bhagavata one gets gradual promotion on the path of devotion.</p> <p>As soon as Naistiki-Bhakti or irrevocable/fixed loving service is established in the heart, the effects of nature's modes of passion and ignorance, such as lust, desire and hankering, disappear from the heart. Then the devotee is established in goodness, and he becomes completely happy.</p> <p>According to Vishvanatha Cakravarthi Thakura's Bhagvatam commentary, the goodness wherein the devotee is eastablished due to immovable loving devotional service (Naistiki-Bhakti) is not material sattva Guna, rather it is Suddha-Satva.</p> <p>Hare Krishna. </p> http://absolutetruth.in/forums/topic/glories-of-tirupati-tamil#post-122 Fri, 30 Jul 2010 06:22:03 +0000 Guest Visitor 122@http://absolutetruth.in/forums/ <p><img src="http://www.madrasi.info/tirupati.jpg"><br /> by Praveenmuthu<br /> திருவேங்கடமுடையான் ஏழுமலை வாசனை வணங்கி மகிழ்கின்றோம். ஆனால் திருப்பதியில் நம்மில் சிலருக்குத் தெரியாத அதிசயங்கள், உண்மைகள், நடைமுறைகள் எவ்வளவோ உள்ளன. அவற்றிவ் சிலவற்றை தொகுத்து வழங்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. </p> <p>திருப்பதி ஸ்ரீ ஏழுமலையான் திருவுருவச் சிலையில் சிலிர்க்க வைக்கும் ரகசியங்கள் உள்ளன அவைகளில் சில.........<br /> 1. திருப்பதி ஆலயத்திலிருந்து 1 கிலோமீட்டர் தொலைவில் "சிலாதோரணம்" என்ற அபூர்வ பாறைகள் உள்ளன. உலகத்திலேயே இந்த பாறைகள் இங்கு மட்டும் தான் உள்ளன.இந்த பாறைகளின் வயது 250 கோடி வருடம். ஏழுமலையானின் திருமேனியும், இந்த பாறைகளும் ஒரே விதமானவை.<br /> 2. ஏழுமலையான் திருவுருவச்சிலைக்கு பச்சைக்கற்பூரம் சார்த்துகிறார்கள். இந்த பச்சைக்கற்பூரம் ஒரு இரசாயனம். அரிப்பைக் கொடுக்கும் ஒருவகை அமிலம். இந்த இரசாயனத்தை சாதாரணக்கருங்கல்லில் தடவினால் கருங்கல் வெடித்துவிடும். ஆனால், சிலாதாரணத்தில் உள்ள பாறைகளில் இதைத் தடவினால் அந்தப்பறைகள் பெடிப்பதில்லை. ஏழுமலையாக் திருவுருவச்சிலைக்கு 365 நாளும் பச்சைக்கற்பூரம் தடவுகிறார்கள். ஆனாலும்வெடிப்புஏற்படுவதில்லை.<br /> 3. எந்தக் கருங்கல் சிலையானாலும் எங்காவது ஒர் இடத்தில் சிற்பியின் உளிபட்டிருக்கும் இடம் தெரியும்.. உலோகச்சிலையானாலும் உலோ கத்தை உருக்கி வார்த்த இடம் தெரியும். ஏழுமலையான் திருவுருவச்சிலையில் அப்படி எதுவும் அடையாளம் தெரியவில்லை. எந்த கருங்கல் சிலையை எடுத்துக்கொண்டாலும் சுரசுரப்பாக இருக்கும். ஆனால் ஏழுமலையான் திருமேனியில் நுணுக்க வேலைப்பாடுகள் எல்லாம் மெருகு போடப்பட்டது போல் இருக்கின்றன. ஏழுமலையான் விக்ரகத்தில் நெற்றிச்சுட்டி, காதணிகள், புருவங்கள், நாகாபரணங்கள் எல்லாம் நகைக்கு பாலீஷ் போட்டது போல் பளபளப்பாகஇருக்கின்றன.<br /> 4. ஏழுமலையான் திருவுருவச்சிலை எப்போதும் 110 டிகிரி ஃபாரன்கீட் வெப்பத்தில் இருக்கிறது. திருமலை 3000 அடி உயரத்தில் உள்ள குளிர்பிரதேசம். அதிகாலை 4.30 மணிக்கு குளிர்ந்த நீர், பால் மற்றும் திரவியங்களால் அபிஷேகம் செய்கிறார்கள். ஆனால், அபிஷேகம் முடிந்தவுடன் ஏழுமலையானுக்கு வியர்க்கிறது.பீதாம்பரத்தால் வியர்வையை ஒற்றி எடுக்கிறார்கள். வியாழக்கிழமை அபிஷேகத்திற்கு முன்னதாக, நகைகளைக் கழற்றும் போது, ஆபரணங்கள் எல்லாம் சூடாகக்கொதிக்கின்றன.<br /> திருப்பதி ஆலயம், அதன் வழிபாடு, உண்டியல் வசூல், பூஜை முறைகள், சரித்திர சம்பவங்கள் அனைத்தும் அதிசய நிகழ்வுகளாகஇருக்கின்றன.<br /> 1. திருப்பதி திருக்கோயில் சமையல்கட்டு மிககூம் பெரியதாகும். பொங்கல், தயிர்சாதம்,புளிச்சாதம், சித்ரான்னம், வடை, முறுக்கு, ஜிலேபி, அதி ரசம், போளி, அப்பம், மெளகாரம், லட்டு, பாயசம், தோசை, ரவாகேசரி, பாதாம்கேசரி, முந்திரிப்பருப்பு கேசரி போன்றவை தினமும் பெரிய அளவில் தயார் செய்யப்படுகின்றன.<br /> 2. ஏழுமலையானுக்கு தினமும் ஒரு புதிய மண்சட்டி வாங்குகிறார்கள். இதில் தயிர்சாதம் தவிர வேறு எந்த நைவேத்தியமும் கோவில் கர்பக்கிருகத்திற்குக் குலசேகரப் படியைத் தாண்டாது. வைரம், வைடூரியம், தங்கப்பாத்திரங்கள் எதுவும் குலசேகரப்படியைத் தாண்டச் செல்லாது. ஆண்டவனுக்கு நைவேத்தியம் செய்யப்பட்ட எச்சில் மண்சட்டியும், தயிர்சாதமும் ஒரு பக்தனுக்குக் கிடைக்கப் பெற்றால் அது மிகப்பெரிய பாக்கியமாகும்.<br /> 3. ஏழுமலையான் உடை 21 முழ நீளமும் 6 கிலோ எடையும் கொண்ட புடவை பட்டு பீதாம்பரமாகும். இந்த ஆடையை கடையில் வாங்க முடியாது. திருப்பதி தேவஸ்தான அலுவலகத்தில் 12500 ரூபாய் செலுத்த வேண்டும்.வாரத்தில் ஒரு முறை வெள்ளிக்கிழமை அன்று மட்டும் தான் வஸ்திரம் சாத்துவார்கள். இது மேல் சாத்து வஸ்திரம். பணம் செலுத்திய பிறகு வஸ்திரம் சாத்துவதற்கு மூன்று வருடங்கள் காத்திருக்க வேண்டும்.<br /> 14. திருப்பதி ஓவியங்கள் 300 ஆண்டுகள் பழமையானவை.<br /> 15. வெள்ளிக்கிழமைகளில் வில்வ இலை அர்ச்சனைக்கு உபயோகப்படுத்தப்படுகிறது. மார்கழிமாத அர்சனைக்கும் உபயோகப்படுத்தப்படுகிறது.<br /> 19. எந்த சாத்வீக, சாந்தமான தெய்வத்தின் திருவுருவச்சிலையிலும் கையில் ஒரு ஆயுதமாகிலும் இருக்கும். ஆனால் ஏழுமலையான் திருவுருவச்சலையில் எந்த ஆயுதமும் கிடையாது. அவர் நிராயுதபாணி. அதனால்தான் தமிழ் இலக்கியத்தில் நம் முன்னோர்களால், வெறுங்கை வேடன் என்று அழைக்கப்பட்டார்.<br /> 20. 1781 ஆம் ஆண்டு பிரிட்டிஷ் பீரங்கிப்படை தக்கோலம் என்ற இடத்தில் முகாமிட்டிருந்தது. அப்படையின் 33 ஆவது பிரிவைச்சேர்ந்த லெவெல்லியன் என்ற போர் வீரர் படுகாயம் அடைந்தார். அவர் குணமடைய ஏழுமலையானை பிராத்தித்திருகிறார். குணமடைந்ததும் ஓர் இந்து சிப்பாய் மூலம் நேர்த்திக்கடன்செலுத்தியிருக்கிறார்.<br /> 21. ஆங்கிலேயர்கள் சர் தாமஸ் மன்றோ, கர்னல் ஜியோ ஸ்டிராட்டன் போன்றவர்கள் ஏழுமலையானின் பக்தர்கள் ஆவர்.<br /> 22. திருமலையின் புனிதத்தன்மை கருதி 1759 முதல் 1874 வரை எந்த ஆங்கிலேயரும் மலை ஏறவில்லை. ஆங்கிலப்பாதிரிகள் மலையில் ஏதாவது ஒரு பகுதியில் ஒரு சிலுவை நட விரும்பினார்கள். ஆனால் அதற்கு ஆங்கிலேயத் தளபதிகளே அனுமதி அளிக்கவில்லை. திருமலை திருக்கோயிலில் நித்யபடி பூஜைகள் நடக்க வேண்டும் என்று ஆங்கிலேயர்கள் விரும்பினார்கள். பூஜைகள் சரிவர நடக்காவிட்டால் தங்கள் ஆட்சிக்கு பங்கம் வரும் எனக் கவலைப்பட்டார்கள்.<br /> 23. திருவில்லிப்புத்தூர் கோவிலில் இருந்து ஸ்ரீ ஆண்டாள் அணிந்த மாலைகள் திருபதி கொண்டு வரப்பட்டு ஏழுமலை ஆண்டவனுக்கு சாத்தப்படுகிறது. ஸ்ரீ ஆண்டாள் ஏழுமலையானை கடவுளாக வழிபட்டு வாழ்த்தி வணங்கிணார்.<br /> 28. திருமலை திருக்கோவிலில் 1180 கல்வெட்டுக்கள் உள்ளன. இதில் 236 பல்லவ, சோழ, பாண்டியர் காலத்தவை. 169 கல்வெட்டுக்கள் சாளுவ வம்ச மன்னர்கள் காலத்தவை. 229 கிருஷ்ண தேவராயர் காலத்தவை. 251 அச்சுதராயர் காலத்தவை. 147 சதாசிவராயர் காலத்தவை. 135 கொண்டை வீடு அரசர் காலத்தவை. நந்திவர்மன் (பல்லவர்) ஆண்ட கி.பி.830 தொடங்கி 1909 வரை உள்ளன. கல்வெட்டுகளில் 50 கல்வெட்டுக்கள் தான் தெலுங்கு, கன்னட மொழிகளில் உள்ளன. மீதம் 1130 கல்வெட்டுக்கள் தமிழில் தான் உள்ளன. </p> http://absolutetruth.in/forums/topic/alarm-over-chemicals-in-veggies-1#post-121 Wed, 28 Jul 2010 07:25:30 +0000 Guest Visitor 121@http://absolutetruth.in/forums/ <p><img src="http://www.cartoonstock.com/newscartoons/cartoonists/rha/lowres/rhan723l.jpg"><br /> NEW DELHI: How fresh and healthy are the vegetables that you consume daily? Not much, according to the Union health ministry.</p> <p>In a bid to make them look garden fresh and ensure that they grow faster to reach markets, farmers are using chemicals at random that threaten to cause serious health hazards to consumers.</p> <p>Expressing concern, minister of state for health Dinesh Trivedi has said, "Eating vegetables -- a must for good health -- may pose serious threat to health, causing nervous breakdowns, sterility and various neurotic complications because of their chemical content."</p> <p>In a letter to Union health secretary K Sujatha Rao, Trivedi has called for immediate action against farmers involved in such unscrupulous acts.</p> <p>The letter outlines that the health benefits of consuming green vegetables as a staple diet finds "a sharp contradiction in the present day context". Farmers are blatantly using hormone shots to help vegetables at a faster rate. "These hormones may cause irreparable damage to our health, if consumed over a period of time," Trivedi wrote.</p> <p>Oxytocin is the most commonly-used hormone, which was earlier primarily prescribed for pregnant women.</p> <p>However, the Schedule H drug has been banned since then.</p> <p>"The hormone can be used only on animals, leave alone vegetables. The even more shocking element is that the public/authorities may also be aware of this Oxytocin. In local parlance, it has got many names starting from cocin and ‘paani to dawai', and is available at almost all the general stores," the letter said.</p> <p>Oxytocin is a mammalian hormone, which also acts as a neurotransmitter in brain. The hormone is used clinically to help begin or to continue labour, to control bleeding after delivery and to stimulate the secretion of breast milk.</p> <p>"Researchers have proved that the indiscriminate use of Oxytocin injections by farmers has been causing health hazards. Oxytocin is being used by fruit and vegetable growers, who administer it to the plants and climbers which grow faster and get ready for sale," warned the letter.</p> <p>The injection is mainly being administered to vegetables like pumpkin, watermelon, brinjal, gourd and cucumber.</p> <p>Trivedi also pointed to the rampant use of chemicals like copper sulphates for artificially colouring both fruits and vegetables. The minister hoped that the adverse effects of these toxins are scrutinised and their wanton usuage monitored and looked into immediately.</p> <p>Milch cows are also administered Oxytocin to augment production of milk.</p> <p>Calcium carbide is used in fruits for ripening, but can harm eyes and lungs, besides causing severe irritating and burning sensation of skin. Also, it may lead to irritation in mouth and throat, and if inhaled can cause both coughing and wheezing. </p> http://absolutetruth.in/forums/topic/some-facts-about-near-death-experience#post-120 Sat, 17 Jul 2010 14:15:18 +0000 Lndasa 120@http://absolutetruth.in/forums/ <p><img src="http://www.greatspiritualbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/mark-fox-religion-spirituality-nde.jpg"><br /> The following are the facts that supplement the theory of <a href="http://absolutetruth.in/2010/07/nde-obe-and-reincarnation/">NDE and OBE</a>.<br /> *People have NDEs while they are brain dead<br /> *People see verified events while out-of-body<br /> *People born blind can see during a NDE<br /> *Children have NDEs similar to adults<br /> *People are dramatically changed by NDEs<br /> *People who have NDEs are convinced<br /> *Groups of people can share a single NDE<br /> *Some people have been clinically dead for several days and have come back alive.<br /> *Some people correctly foresee the future<br /> *NDEs have been reported since ancient times<br /> *NDEs have been validated in scientific studies<br /> *Studies validate out-of-body experiences<br /> *Quantum physics supports NDE concepts<br /> *Hypnotic regression validates NDE concepts<br /> *Dream research supports survival after death<br /> *After-death communications have been reported<br /> *Synchronicity provides afterlife connections<br /> *Hypnosis can induce after-death visions<br /> *Deathbed visions support survival after death<br /> *Out-of-body experiences have been induced<br /> *Hallucinogens produce out-of-body states<br /> *Credible angel visitations have been reported<br /> *Apparitions of the deceased have been seen<br /> *Psychic mediums have contacted the dead<br /> *Remote viewing is a verifiable reality<br /> *Some people retain pre-birth memories<br /> *The voices of the dead have been recorded<br /> *Remarkable similarities exist between NDEs<br /> *Scientific evidence of reincarnation exists </p> http://absolutetruth.in/forums/topic/vaishnava-scholar-proves-allah-has-a-form-from-koran#post-119 Tue, 13 Jul 2010 04:42:05 +0000 Guest Visitor 119@http://absolutetruth.in/forums/ <p><img src="http://th04.deviantart.net/fs16/300W/f/2007/203/7/0/SubhanAllah_by_EvilArtForm.jpg"><br /> by Mansoor Ali (Manoram Gaura das) for ABTN.<br /> This is a short report on a successful refutation of the erroneous claims of Dr. Zakir Naik through his own religious texts.</p> <p><strong>Introduction to Zakir Naik</strong><br /> Its about a discussion I had with a group of zealous Muslim youth preachers. I was invited by some Islamic preachers in Jamia Millia University Delhi for discussing Hinduism and Islam. The Muslims eventually accepted that Allah had a form and it was unknown to them.</p> <p>Rated by “India Today magazine” as the 3rd most popular religious guru in India, Dr. Zakir Naik(DZN) is known for extolling the moral and spiritual superiority of Islam and lampooning other faiths in general during his public lectures and debates.</p> <p>DZN through his privately owned 24/7 Islamic channel called “PEACE TV” viewed by millions world wide, preaches to the Hindus that “God is not an image” using 3-4 selected verses from the Vedic texts as it conforms to the Islamic belief that Allah is imageless (Though He is not, which is evident from authentic and explicit Islamic texts) resulting in conversion of scores of ignorant Hindus to Islam.</p> <p><strong>A friendly interfaith discussion</strong><br /> I was invited by a group of Muslim students at the Jamia University in Delhi on 7th June 2010 for a friendly discussion on Islam and Hinduism. I was alone and there were 11 Muslim boys along with another Hindu student who was strongly influenced by Islam in their PG hostel. They first began talking of Oneness of God in all religions. Then they showed me the youtube link of ZN's talk</p> <p>In the first 2 minutes Dr. ZN says “of that God there is no pratima, pratima in Sanskrit means Image, painting, sculpture, idol”. He further says “the svetasvatara Upanishad in chapter number 4, verse number 19 says, of that god there is no image, there is no picture, no painting, there is no portrait, no sculpture, there is no statue, there is no idol”. “Same thing in Yajurveda 32:3 “na tasya pratima asti.”</p> <p>After playing this for me, they said “see your very own texts say that God is not an image, then why are you worshiping Idols, it is against Hindu texts”</p> <p>I thanked them for showing me the video and asked them, “Does Allah have a form or not?” Unanimously they said “ NO”, then one of the students named Farooq said “ Allah Shakal se paak, Jism se paak, Jihudd(direction) se paak, Allah har Aib se paak hai” translation ( Allah is free from face, free from body, free from direction and He is free from all these fallacies/impurities) Another Muslim boy said “far exalted is He above what they ascribe unto Him”</p> <p>I was waiting to hear all this and right then I unfurled a set of documented evidence from their MOST AUTHENTIC ISLAMIC texts which showed that Allah has a form, Allah is a shape shifter, Allah will be seen in person like the full Moon can be seen, Allah will uncover His leg (shin) to the inmates of Paradise and Allah has TWO hands as specified by Him in Quran, plus a lot more”</p> <p>I showed them all these quotes to which the Muslim students responded differently. Some were confused and their main leader Faisal Hashmi said</p> <p>“We believe in them without venturing into ta’weel interpretation) or trying to understand its meaning.”<br /> He further said that “the Muslims follow Tafweed (relegation) in such ambiguous attributes of Allah, we don’t reject this and this is the position of the majority of the hadith scholars and predecessors (salaf). We accept it and only Allah knows the modality (kaifiyyah)of it”</p> <p>It is important to know that even Dr. Zakir Naik follows the same school of thought which accepts everything literally without giving interpretation and relegates its actual meaning to Allah alone.</p> <p>I quoted them this part from their Sahi Hadith from Sahih Bukhari: ‘Then the Almighty will come to them in a shape other than the one which they saw the first time, and He will say, 'I am your Lord,' and they will say, 'You are not our Lord.' And none will speak: to Him then but the Prophets, and then it will be said to them, 'Do you know any sign by which you can recognize Him?'They will say. 'The Shin,' and so Allah will then uncover His Shin. A brother from amongst them said</p> <p>“The answer is very simple. The Quran speaks of the hereafter as being another kind of universe perating with different laws.”</p> <p>I replied that “I agree that there are different laws governing the Spiritual universe. But THE PERSON OF GOD WILL REMAIN THE SAME. Those laws will not affect the person of God and His attributes.”</p> <p>Upon hearing this they started arguing amongst themselves, confused over these ambiguous narrations in their texts. Finally their leader Faisal Hashmi said: “We accept what the hadiths say as it is and we believe that Allah will display His form to us in Paradise, but we do not know the form and will see it only in the hereafter, even if He has a form it is not necessary to worship it as it is unknown”</p> <p><strong>Muslims accept form of Allah</strong><br /> I thanked him for answering my question and asked If Quran and Hadith so explicitly talk of Allah’s shape, form, leg, palm, fingers and hands and you acknowledge that His form will be seen on the day of judgment then how on earth Dr. Zakir Naik is saying that God is imageless? I said this was gross<br /> denial of the fact of Allah’s shape mentioned in your most authentic texts. DZN contradicts his own books and texts which may lead him astray. I said that it is absolutely evasive to say that “we don’t know the modality, and don’t get into the interpretation, and relegate it to Allah”. This is not an answer to any question. I further told them that the Vedic texts describe every minute detail of God’s form and so hindus worship Him in accordance to those divine descriptions”</p> <p>Finally they said they will get back to me and would like to meet me again sometime soon.</p> <p>I said I would look forward to it. I explained to them the sloka from Isopanisad “ Om Purnam adah purnam idam…” explaining that the Complete Whole is not formless. If He were formless, or if He were less than His creation in any other way, He could not be complete. The Complete Whole must contain everything both within and beyond our experience; otherwise He cannot be complete.</p> <p><strong>More Articles</strong><br /> 1.<a href="http://absolutetruth.in/2010/05/an-interfaith-dialogue-with-islam/">Interfaith dialogue on Islam and Hinduism</a><br /> 2.<a href="http://absolutetruth.in/wiki/Islam_and_Vedas">Islam and Vedas</a> </p> http://absolutetruth.in/forums/topic/merits-of-building-a-vishnu-temple#post-118 Thu, 08 Jul 2010 09:39:09 +0000 Lndasa 118@http://absolutetruth.in/forums/ <p><img src="http://www.shotaddict.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/srirangam-temple-gopuram.jpg"><br /> <strong>In Agnipurana</strong>, Agni said: I will now describe the fruits of making temples for the residence of Vasudeva. He who attempts to erect temples for Vishnu is freed from the sins of a thousand births. Those who approve of a man's building a temple for Krishna go to the region of Acyuta [Vishnu] freed from sins.</p> <p>Having desired to build a temple for Hari, a man immediately takes a million of his generations, past and future, to the region of Vishnu. The departed manes of the person who builds a temple for Krishna live in the region of Vishnu, well adorned and freed from the sufferings of hell. The construction of a temple for a deity dissipates even the sin of Brahmanicide. By building a temple one reaps the fruit which he does not even gain by celebrating a sacrifice. By building a temple one acquires the fruits of bathing at all the sacred shrines.</p> <p>The construction of a temple, which gives heaven, by a religious or an irreligious man, yields the fruit reaped by persons slain in a battle undertaken on behalf of the celestial. By making one temple one goes to heaven; by making three one goes to the region of Brahma; by making five one goes to the region of Shambhu; by making eight one goes to the region of Hari. By making sixteen one attains all objects of enjoyment and emancipation. A poor man, by building the smallest temple, reaps the same benefit which a rich man does by building the biggest temple for Vishnu. Having acquired wealth and built a temple with a small portion of it, a person acquires piety and gains favours from Hari.</p> <p>By making a temple with a lakh of gold coins, or a thousand, or a hundred, or fifty, a man goes where the Garuda-embalmed deity resides. He who in his childhood even sportively makes a temple of Vasudeva with sand, goes to his region. He who builds temples of Vishnu at sacred places, shrines, and hermitages, reaps three-fold fruits. Those who decorate the temple of Vishnu with scents, flowers, and sacred mud, go to the city of the Lord. Having erected a temple for Hari, a man, either fallen, about to fall, or half-fallen, reaps twofold fruits. He who brings about the fall of a man is the protector of one fallen. By making a temple for Vishnu one attains to his region. As long as the collection of bricks of Hari's temple exists, the founder of his family lives gloriously in the region of Vishnu. He becomes pious and adorable both in this world and in the next.</p> <p>He who builds a temple for Krishna, the son of Vasudeva, is born as a man of good deeds and his family is purified. He who builds temples for Vishnu, Rudra, the sun-god, and other deities, acquires fame. What is the use to him of wealth which is hoarded by ignorant men? Useless is the acquisition of riches to one who does not have a temple built with hard earned money for Krishna, or whose wealth is not enjoyed by the Pitris, brahmanas, celestials, and friends.</p> <p>As death is certain for men, so is his destruction. The man who does not spend his money for charities and keeps it hoarded is stupid and is fettered even when alive. What is the merit of him who, obtaining riches either by an accident or manliness, does not spend it for a glorious work for dharma? Therefore, a wise man should have temples built for Vishnu. Having entered the region of Hari, he acquires reverential faith in Narottama [Vishnu]. He pervades all the three worlds containing the mobile and the immobile, the past, future, and present, gross, subtle, and all inferior objects. From Brahma to a pillar everything has originated from Vishnu. Having obtained entrance into the region of the Great Soul, Vishnu, the omnipresent god of gods, a man is not born again on earth.</p> <p>By building a golden temple one is freed from all sins. He who has built a temple for Vishnu reaps the great fruit which one gains by celebrating sacrifices every day. By building a temple for the Lord he takes his family, a hundred generations past and a hundred to come, to the region of Acyuta.</p> <p>Vishnu is identical with the seven worlds. He who builds a temple for him saves the endless worlds and himself attains immortality. As long as the bricks will last, the maker [of the temple] will live for so many thousands of years in heaven. The maker of the idol attains the region of Vishnu and he who consecrates the installation of the same is immersed in Hari. The person who builds a temple and an image, as well as he who consecrates them, come before him.</p> <p>This rite of pratishtha [installation] of Hari was related by Yama. For creating temples and images of the deities, Hayashirsha described it to Brahma.</p> <p>More on <a href="http://absolutetruth.in/2010/03/idol-worship-and-deity-worship/">worshiping Lord Vishnu in the temple</a>.</p> <p><strong>Tirumangai Alvar</strong><br /> This picture is the gopuram of Srirangam temple built by Saint Tirumangai Alvar in 3000 B.C. It is also interesting to note that he built this temple by robbing and waylaying wealthy miserly merchants who would otherwise not give money for sucha a noble cause. Of course no one should imitate such great saints but it illustrates the principle of yukta vairagya that anything and everthing should be used for the service of Lord Vishnu. </p> http://absolutetruth.in/forums/topic/test-ln-1#post-117 Mon, 05 Jul 2010 23:59:46 +0000 Guest Visitor 117@http://absolutetruth.in/forums/ <p><img src="http://www.kashmir-information.com/militants2.jpg"><br /> Compiled by <a href="http://stephen-knapp.com">Stephen Knapp</a></p> <p>We all know that most Muslims are not terrorists, nor do they want to quarrel with others. The majority of them simply want to worship God in their way and live a peaceful life. So why does there seem to be friction and difficulties that often involve Muslims? And why are there so many terrorists in the world who, indeed, call themselves followers of Islam? Where do we find the seeds of their motivation?</p> <p>As we uncover these verses in the Koran to see what it really says, bare in mind that these are not mistranslations into English as some people will suggest. All these verses are derived from "The Holy Qur'an: Text, Translation and Commentary" by 'Abdullah Yusuf 'Ali, published by Amana Corporation, Brentwood, Maryland, USA, in cooperation with the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT). So this edition of the Koran is approved and sanctioned by this Muslim organization. So there should be no argument that these verses mean something other than what they say as follows.</p> <p><strong>The Koranic References for the Sword Against Non-Muslims</strong><br /> Does the Koran itself give credence to strike against kafirs and infidels, those who are non-Muslims, or to conduct a holy war to protect and expand the faith? When we study the Koran, particular verses of it certainly seem to provide such viewpoints.</p> <p>The fact is that there are numerous ayats (verses) in the Koran that confirm the ways for Muslims to view and treat non-Muslims. For example: "O Prophet! Rouse the believers to the fight. If there are twenty amongst you, patient and persevering, they will vanquish two hundred: if a hundred, they will vanquish a thousand of the Unbelievers: for these are a people without understanding." (Surah 8:65) "Remember thy Lord inspired the angels (with the message): 'I am with you: give firmness to the Believers: I will instill terror into the hearts of the Unbelievers: smite ye above their necks and smite all their fingertips off them." (Surah 8:12) "Truly Allah loves those who fight in His cause in battle array, as if they were a solid cemented structure." (Surah 61:4) These verses certainly seem to give a harsh view of non-Muslims in the way it prescribes treatment of them.</p> <p>When it comes to the attitude that the Koran displays for those who are not Muslims, the verses make it clear what is to be done. This is not merely in a few sparse verses, as if we are misunderstanding what is being said, but in several. For example, in the following verses, perpetual war and divisiveness for the destruction of non-Muslims and their religion is recommended until the whole world becomes converted to Islam. "Say to the unbelievers, if (now) they desist (from Unbelief), their past would be forgiven them; But if they persist, the punishment of those before them is already (a matter of warning for them). And fight them on until there is no more tumult or oppression, and there prevails justice and faith in Allah altogether and everywhere; But if they cease, verily Allah doth see all that they do." (8.38-39)</p> <p>Furthermore, if the Koran specifically relates a harsh view toward infidels, non-Muslims, then that would make it even easier for militant Muslims to feel there is little harm in ill-treating or even killing those who are participants of other religions. In this regard we find the following verses in the Koran:</p> <p>"Verily ye (unbelievers), and the (false) gods that ye worship besides Allah, are (but) fuel for Hell! To it will ye (surely) come!" (Surah 21:98) "(The sentence will be:) Throw, throw into Hell every contumacious Rejector (of Allah)!; Who forbade what was good, transgressed all bounds, cast doubts and suspicions; who set up another god beside Allah: throw him into a severe penalty." (Surah 50:24) "Therefore, when ye meet the unbelievers (in fight), smite at their necks [cut off their heads]; At length, when ye have thoroughly subdued them, bind a bond firmly (on them): thereafter (is the time for) either generosity or ransom: until the war lays down its burdens. Thus (are ye commanded): but if it had been Allah's Will, He could certainly have exacted retribution from them (Himself); But (He lets you fight) in order to test you, some with others, but those who are slain in the way of Allah [for the cause of Allah]--He will never let their deeds be lost. Soon He will guide them and improve their condition, and admit them to the Garden which He has announced for them." (Surah 47:4-6) "Those who reject (Truth), among the People of the Book and among the Polytheists, will be in Hell-fire, to dwell therein (for aye). They are the worst creatures. Those who have faith and do righteous deeds--they are the best of creatures." (Surah 98:6 and 7) This last verse seems to refer directly to the Jews (People of the Book) and Hindus (polytheists) as future residents of hell.</p> <p>These verses seem to give justification to expanding the faith not necessarily with spiritual knowledge, or understanding and purity, but by what would be military strength under the Will of Allah. In light of recent discussions about what is or is not Islamic Jihad, referring to the holy war of Muslims overcoming evil, does this mean that there also should be war or the use of terror against non-Muslims? Are non-Muslims viewed as evil within the verses of the Koran? The following verses (Surah 9:5,6) sheds light on the Prophet's idea of what really is Jihad, and whether it includes war against the infidels: "But when the forbidden months are past, then fight and slay the pagans wherever ye find them, and seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in ever stratagem (of war); But if they repent, and establish regular prayers and practice regular charity, then open the way for them: for Allah is oft-forgiving, most merciful." So this would indicate that the Koran's version of the "Mercy of God" offers unbelievers the "choice" to convert to Islam or die.</p> <p>Even though the words of the Koran were written many years ago, and pertained to a different set of circumstances, they are still applied today with the same seriousness by many. When the Koran mentions that Muslims should "fight and slay the pagans wherever ye find them, and seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in ever stratagem (of war)," the idea seems to indicate the means to make the enemy live in a state of perpetual terror. Since Islam is also called "din-e-Ghalib," which means the religion of dominance by God's will, Muslim minorities in non-Islamic countries may feel that they can do everything possible to harass and harangue the host countries to practice their faith or culture, or to allow Muslims to have special privileges based on following their faith over and above abiding by the local national laws. The basis for this concept could also be justified within the Koran (Surah Anfal, 8:59-60) where it says: "Let not the unbelievers think that they can get the better (of the godly). They will never frustrate (them). Against them make ready your strength to the utmost of your power, including steeds of war, to strike terror into (the hearts of) the enemies of Allah and your enemies, and others besides, whom ye may not know, but whom Allah doth know." This seems to be saying that even if others die in the process, "whom ye may not know," Allah will judge whether they are believers or pagans--those who have accepted Gods other than Allah. And then the soldiers of Allah are assured that they will be properly recognized for whatever sacrifice they make to Him, as stated here in the remainder of the verse: "Whatever ye shall spend in the cause of Allah, shall be repaid unto you, and ye shall not be treated unjustly."</p> <p>It is also said: "O ye who believe! Fight the Unbelievers who gird you about and let them find firmness [hardness] in you; and know that Allah is with those who fear Him." (Surah 9.123) "Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the Religion of Truth, from among The People of the Book [the Jews], until they pay the Jizyah, and feel themselves subdued." (Surah 9.29) The Jizyah means to pay tribute or compensation, or the tax that was levied against those who did not accept Islam.</p> <p>So, it would seem that on the basis of the above verses, infidels and all non-Muslims may actually be fit to be subdued, crushed, or even exterminated, and that it could even be considered a favor to Allah to rid the world of them. After all, they are believed to be going to hell anyway. Furthermore, these verses also show that those who die for Allah or the cause of Islam will be recognized and even delivered to the garden of paradise. With the basis of verses like these, it is no wonder that it is not difficult to arouse young Muslims for the Islamic cause in the training camps of Al-Qaida, Taliban, and other militant and fundamentalist groups. It is inestimable how much bloodshed has already been shed throughout history because of this teaching. So it should not be surprising that the radical Islamic leader Abdullah Shah Mazhar recently got 5,000 volunteers to take the "oath of death" and commit themselves to suicide squads in attacks against the U.S. and other "infidel forces". The fact is that many Muslims feel that one day Islam will dominate the world, and there are those who are specifically working to bring that about as soon as possible, and sometimes in whatever way they feel works best.</p> <p>However, this is not new. Swami Vivekananda in a lecture in California in January of 1900 said regarding this aspect of Islam: "Every step forward was made with the sword--the Quran in one hand and the sword in the other: Take the Quran, or you must die; there is no alternative!"</p> <p>Mahatma Gandhi also spoke about this aspect of Islam. After the assassination of Swami Shraddhanand by a Muslim fanatic in December, 1926, he said: "Mussalmans have an ordeal to pass through. There can be no doubt that they are too free with the knife and the pistol. The sword is no emblem of Islam. But Islam was born in an environment where the sword was, and still remains, the supreme law. The message of Jesus has proved ineffective because the environment was unready to receive it. So with the message of the Prophet. The sword is yet too much in evidence among the Mussalmans. It must be sheathed if Islam is to be what it means--peace."<br /> Allah's Call For War, or Else<br /> In the mood for achieving dominance, as we have seen, many Islamic terrorists are ready to give up their lives for the cause. They engage in suicide attacks wherein it is part of the plan that they will give up their lives, often believing that by doing so they automatically go to heaven. So does the Koran justify this idea as well? In this respect we find the following verses:</p> <p>"Think not of those who are slain in Allah's way as dead. Nay, they live, finding their sustenance in the presence of their Lord." (Surah 3:169) "O ye who believe! What is the matter with you, that when you are asked to go forth in the Cause of Allah, ye cling heavily to the earth? Do ye prefer the life of this world to the Hereafter? But little is the comfort of this life, as compared with the Hereafter." (Surah 9:38) So, herein we find the Koran practically encouraging the anticipation for reaching the next life, even if it means giving up your own for "the Cause of Allah."</p> <p>The odd thing is that the Koran advocates war against non-believers, at least according to the verses that have been listed herein, and now it also advocates punishment for those believers (Muslims) that do not fight against those unbelievers when they are called to do so. And those that do take up war will be rewarded into the Garden. The verse that clarifies this reads as such: "Say to the desert Arabs who lagged behind: 'Ye shall be summoned (to fight) against a people given to vehement war: then shall ye fight, or they shall submit. Then if ye show obedience, Allah will grant you a goodly reward, but if ye turn back as ye did before, He will punish you with a grievous penalty. No blame is there on the blind, nor is there blame on one ill (if he joins not the war): But he that obeys Allah and His Messenger--(Allah) will admit him to Gardens beneath which rivers flow; And he who turns back (Allah) will punish him with a grievous penalty." (48:16-17)</p> <p>"O ye who believe! When ye meet the Unbelievers in hostile array, never turn your backs to them. If any do turn his back to them on such a day--unless it be in a stratagem of war, or to retreat to a troop (of his own)--he draws on himself the wrath of Allah, and his abode is Hell--an evil refuge (indeed)!" (8:15-16)<br /> Kill the Unbelievers<br /> The Koran goes on to order: "And slay them wherever ye catch them and turn them out from where they have turned you out; For tumult and oppression are worse than slaughter; but fight them not at the Sacred Mosque, unless they (first) fight you there; but if they fight you slay them. Such is the reward of those who suppress faith." (2:191) Let us point out that to "suppress faith" in this case means not only curbing Islam but to advocate faith in God by any other path.</p> <p>"And fight them on until there is no more tumult or oppression, and there prevail Justice and faith in Allah; But if they cease, let here be no hostility except to those who practice oppression." 2:193)</p> <p>"The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and His messenger, and strive with might and main for mischief through the land is: execution, or crucifixion, or the cutting off of hands and feet from opposites sides, or exile from the land: that is their disgrace in this world, and a heavy punishment is theirs in the Hereafter." (5:33)</p> <p>"Fight them, and Allah will punish them by your hands, cover them with shame, help you (to victory) over them, heal the breasts of Believers." (9:14)</p> <p>"O ye who believe! Truly the pagans are unclean; so let them not, after this year of theirs, approach the Sacred Mosque." (9:28)</p> <p>"O Prophet! Strive hard against the unbelievers and the hypocrites, and be firm against them. Their abode is Hell, an evil refuge indeed." (9:73)</p> <p>"(Disdainfully) bending his side, in order to lead (men) astray from the Path of Allah: for him there is disgrace in this life, and on the Day of Judgement We shall make him taste the Penalty of burning (Fire)." (22.9)</p> <p> "So obey not the disbelievers, but strive against them herewith with a great endeavor." (25:52)</p> <p>"And if any believe not in Allah and His Messenger, We have prepared for those who reject Allah a blazing Fire!" (48:13)</p> <p> "'Bring yet up', it shall be said, 'The wrong-doers and their wives, and the things they worshipped--Besides Allah, and lead them to the Way to the (Fierce) Fire!" (37:22-23)<br /> The Rewards and Punishments in the Koran<br /> What makes the idea of who is saved and who is worthy of hell more clear is that there are specific rewards given by Allah for the believers and punishments for the non-believers that are related in the Koran. Some of these are as follows:</p> <p>"As to the righteous (they will be) in a position of Security. Among gardens and springs. Dressed in fine silk and in rich brocade, they will face each other; Moreover, We shall join them to Companions with big, beautiful and lustrous eyes. There can they call for every kind of fruit in peace and security; Nor will they there taste death, except the first death; and He will preserve them from the Penalty of the Blazing Fire--As a bounty from thy Lord! That will be the supreme achievement! Verily, We have made this (Quran) easy, in thy tongue, in order that they may give heed." (44:43-58)</p> <p>"To Him will be your return--of all of you. The promise of Allah is true and sure. It is He who beginneth the process of creation, and repeateth it, that He may reward with justice those who believe and work righteousness; But those who reject Him will have draughts of boiling fluids, and a penalty grievous because they did reject him." (10:4)</p> <p>"These two antagonists dispute with each other about their Lord: But those who deny (their Lord)--For them will be cut out a garment of fire: over their heads will be poured out boiling water. With it will be scalded what is within their bodies as well as (their) skins. In addition there will be maces of iron (to punish) them. Every time they wish to get away therefrom, from anguish, they will be forced back therein, and (it will be said), 'Taste ye the penalty of burning!" (22:19-22)</p> <p>"Unless I proclaim what I receive from Allah and His Messages: For any that disobey Allah and His Messenger--for them is hell: they shall dwell therein forever." (72.23)</p> <p>"And to those who believe not in the Hereafter, (it announceth) that We have prepared for them a Penalty grievous (indeed)." (17:10)</p> <p>"For the Rejectors We have prepared chains, yokes, and a blazing fire. As to the righteous, they shall drink of a cup (of wine) mixed with Kafur. A fountain where the devotees of Allah do drink, making it flow in unstinted abundance." (Surah 76: 4-6) "Verily the [judgement] day of sorting out is a thing appointed. The day that the trumpet shall be sounded, and ye shall come forth in crowds; and the heavens shall be opened as if there were doors, and the mountains shall vanish, as if they were a mirage. Truly Hell is a place of ambush--for the transgressors a place of destination: They will dwell therein for ages. Nothing cool shall they taste therein, nor any drink, save a boiling fluid and a fluid, dark, murky, intensely cold--a fitting recompense (for them)." (Surah 78:17-26) "As to those who reject faith I will punish them with terrible agony in this world and in the Hereafter, nor will they have anyone for help." (Surah 3.56) "Verily Allah has cursed the Unbelievers and prepared for them a blazing fire--to dwell therein forever: No protection will they find, nor helper." (Surah 33.64-65) "And when there comes to them A Book from Allah, confirming what is with them--although from of old they had prayed for victory against those without faith--when there comes to them that which they (should) have recognized. They refuse to believe in it but the curse of Allah is on those without faith." (Surah 2.89)</p> <p>"Those who reject (Truth) among the People of the Book and among the polytheists, were not going to depart (from their ways) until there should come to them clear evidence. . . Those who reject (Truth), among the People of the Book and among the polytheists, will be in Hellfire, to dwell therein (for aye), they are the worst of creatures. [But] those who have faith and do righteous deeds--they are the best of creatures. Their reward is with Allah: Gardens of Eternity, beneath which rivers flow, they will dwell therein forever; Allah well pleased with them, and they with Him: all this for such as fear their Lord and cherisher." (Surah 98:1, 6-8) "Allah will deliver them from the evil of that day, and will shed over them a light of beauty and a (blissful) joy. And because they were patient and constant, He will reward them with a garden and (garments of) silk. Reclining in the (garden) of raised thrones, they will see there neither the sun's (excessive heat) nor (the moon's) excessive cold. And the shades of the (garden) will come low over them, and the bunches (of fruit), there will hang low in humility. And among them will be passed round vessels of silver and goblets of crystal." (Surah 76:11-15)</p> <p><strong>Allah Guides Those to Heaven or Hell as He Likes</strong><br /> The Koran explains in numerous verses that those who reject Allah is sent to hell by Him. However, in several verses it is described how Allah will guide those He wants in order that they go the proper way, and will leave astray those He chooses, who are then left to go to hell. So how can there be blame by Allah for those who become unbelievers (non-Muslims) if Allah Himself decides not to guide one properly? The verses read as follows: "Of them there are some who (pretend to) listen to thee; but We have thrown Veils on their hearts, so they understand it not, and deafness in their ears; If they saw every one of the Signs, they will not believe in them; in so much that when they come to thee; the unbelievers say; 'These are nothing but tales of the ancients.'" (6:25)</p> <p>To make this more clear, this next verse also explains how this takes place: "We (too) shall turn to (confusion) their hearts and their eyes, even as they refused to believe in this in the first instance: We shall leave them in their trespasses, to wander in distraction." (6:110)</p> <p>"When thou dost recite the Quran, We put between thee and those who believe not in the hereafter, a veil invisible. And We put coverings over their hearts (and minds) lest they should understand the Quran, and deafness into their ears; when thou dost commemorate thy Lord--and Him alone--in the Quran, they turn on their backs, fleeing (from the Truth). (17:45-46)</p> <p>"We sent not a messenger except (to teach) in the language of his (own) people, in order to make (things) clear to them. Now Allah leaves straying those whom He pleases. And He is exalted in Power, Full of Wisdom." (14.4)</p> <p>"If Allah so willed, He could make you all one people: But He leaves straying whom He pleases, and He guides whom He pleases: but ye shall certainly be called to account for all your actions." (16.93)</p> <p> "Whom Allah doth guide--he is on the right path: Whom He rejects from His guidance--Such are the persons who perish." (7:178) Now what is the reason why Allah rejects one and not the other? And why does He not bring people together as one people if He could, only to leave them in divisions and quarreling with each other? Every other God in any other culture always seems to come with a message in an attempt to unite people and establish peace. Why does Allah not do the same if He is God? This is not clearly answered, but another verse still explains the prerogative that Allah takes on those He has created. "It is he whom Allah guides, that is on true guidance; but he whom He leaves astray--for such wilt thou find no protector besides Him. On the Day of Judgement we shall gather them together, prone on their faces, blind, dumb and deaf: their abode will be Hell: every time it shows abatement, we shall increase for them the fierceness of the Fire." (17:97)</p> <p><strong>Hypocrites Do Not Reach Allah</strong><br /> We also find that the Koran states that even Muslims who do not properly remember Allah are but hypocrites. And they do not reach Allah. "The hypocrites--they think they are over-reaching Allah but He will over-reach them: When they stand up to prayer, they stand without earnestness, to be seen of men, but little do they hold Allah in remembrance." (4:142) Thus they may also reach the punishment of hell.<br /> The Punishment of Hell the Destination for all Non-Muslims<br /> The hellish conditions described in the Koran evolve around being cast into hellfire and being forced to drink and be bathed in boiling water. "(They will be) in the midst of a fierce blast of fire and in boiling water, and in the shades of black smoke. Nothing (will there be) to refresh, nor to please." (56:42-44)</p> <p>The Koran makes it clear that all non-Muslims, unbelievers, will go to eternal hell. There is no second chance or allowance for any alternative to the Muslim religion in the eyes of the Koran. Yet, the hell that is described is not merely suffering forever, but is the entrance to a hellfire that roasts one's skin eternally. "Those who reject Our Signs, We shall soon cast into the fire; As often as their skins are roasted through, We shall change them for fresh skins, that they may taste the Penalty: for Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise." (4:56)</p> <p>"Verily the tree of Zaqqum will be the food of the sinful--like molten brass; It will boil in their insides, like the boiling of scalding water. A voice will cry: "Seize ye him and drag him into the midst of the Blazing Fire! Then pour over his head the Penalty of Boiling Water. Taste thou (this)! Truly wast thou mighty, full of honour! Truly this is what ye used to doubt! (44: 43-50)</p> <p><strong>The Koran's Views of Jews and Christians</strong><br /> There are verses in the Koran that describe the Jewish people and the Christians in both favorable and unfavorable terms. In one place it explains that even those of other religions who believe in Allah have nothing to fear. "Those who believe (in the Quran), and those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the Christians and the Sabians--Any who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and work in righteousness, shall have their reward with their Lord; on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve." (This verse is found in both 2:62 &amp; 5.69)</p> <p>However, the Koran goes on to place the Jews in the same category as the pagans as having enmity toward the believers, who are of course the followers of Islam: "Strongest among men in enmity to the believers wilt thou find the Jews and Pagans." Then the same verse in the Koran goes on to praise the Christians: "And nearest among them in love to the Believers wilt thou find those who say, 'We are Christians': Because amongst these are men devoted to learning and men who have renounced the world, and they are not arrogant. And when they listen to the revelation received by the Messenger, thou wilt see their eyes overflowing with tears, for they recognize the truth. They pray: 'Our Lord! We believe; write us down among the witnesses." (5:82-83)</p> <p>Another verse with a similar sentiment is, "We believe in Allah, and in what has been revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Isma'il; Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and in (the Books) given to Moses, Jesus, and the Prophets, from their Lord: We make no distinction between one and another among them, and to Allah do we bow our will (in Islam)." (3.84)</p> <p>So here is another verse which indicates the possible unity or cooperation and respect between Islam and other religions. This begins to sound a little reasonable. It is a rare verse in the Koran that proclaims respect for other religions, and it would be good if Muslims would focus more on such verses. Yet right after this verse we find it said, "If anyone desires a religion other than Islam (submission to Allah), never will it be accepted of him; and in the Hereafter he will be in the ranks of those who have lost (all spiritual good)." (3.85)</p> <p>We could say that yes, the ultimate religion is surrender to God, and Allah is a name for God, so we may agree with this principle. But in Islam there is only one way to surrender and that is to Allah alone. To surrender to another, or to use or respect any other name for God is a blasphemy in Islam.</p> <p>Furthermore, any cooperation between Christianity and Islam is a fine line because Christians say that Jesus is the son of God. This is a view that the Koran condemns. In the following verses we find that the infidels include those who think that God begot a son, meaning the Christians. "(Those) who say (Allah) Most Gracious [Lord] has begotten a son! Indeed ye have put forth a thing most monstrous! As if the skies are ready to burst, the earth to split asunder, and the mountains to fall down in utter ruin. That they should invoke a son for (Allah) Most Gracious. For it is not constant with the majesty of (Allah) Most Gracious that He should beget a son." (Surah 19:88-92) "Further, that He may warn those (also) who say, 'Allah hath begotten a son'; No knowledge have they of such a thing, nor had their fathers. It is a grievous thing that issues from their mouths as a saying. What they say is nothing but falsehood!" (Surah 18:4-5)</p> <p>The Koran also strongly rejects the idea of combining or identifying other Gods with Allah, as related in the following verse. Muslims are often not so liberal as other religions in this regard. In fact, the Koran says that even Jesus recommended that Christians take up the worship of Allah, and that anyone who identifies Allah with any other god will go to the eternal fire: "They do blaspheme who say: 'Allah is Christ the son of Mary.' But said Christ: 'O Children of Israel! Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord.' Whoever joins other Gods with Allah–Allah will forbid him the Garden, and the Fire will be his abode. There will for the wrongdoers be no one to help." (5.72)</p> <p>Another point to consider is that not only does the Koran not consider Jesus the son of God, but it also offers little more respect to Jesus than one would for a mere messenger. This would not bode well with most Christians, wherein it is stated in the Koran: "Christ, the son of Mary, was no more than a messenger; many were the Messengers that passed away before him. His mother was a woman of truth. They had both to eat their (daily) food. See how Allah doth make His signs clear to them; Yet see in what ways they are deluded away from the truth!" (5.75)</p> <p>The Koran further elaborates that, "In blasphemy indeed are those that say that Allah is Christ the son of Mary. Say: 'Who then has the least power against Allah, if His will were to destroy Christ the son of Mary, his mother and all–everyone that is on the earth? For to Allah belongeth the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and all that is between. He createth what He pleaseth. For Allah hath power over all things.'" (Surah 5.17)</p> <p>With these views toward the Jews and Christians, the advice that the Koran gives to the Believers, meaning the Muslims, is that they must avoid the friendship of such people or be considered the same as they are, in which case they will lose the favor of Allah. "O ye who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians for your friends and protectors; they are but friends and protectors to each other. And he amongst you that turns to them (for friendship) is of them. Verily Allah guideth not a people unjust." (Surah 5.51) This leads to additional exclusiveness amongst Muslims and separateness from all others. This has obvious repercussions in creating a deeper lack of respect and lack of cooperation amongst the various religious cultures and sects in the world. And this is exactly the opposite of what the world needs to attain peace amongst all people.<br /> <strong>The Punishment for Losing Faith in Islam</strong><br /> In most religions the right to religious freedom, or to change one's religious affiliation, is taken for granted. However, in Islam all schools of law (madhhahib) agree that any adult male apostate from Islam should be killed. Most Muslim jurists also claim that leaving Islam is a crime which carries the penalty of death as recommended by God. Therefore, while conversion from other religions to Islam is welcomed and actively encouraged, Muslims who leave Islam for any other religion must be sentenced to death (unless they repent and return to Islam).</p> <p>As we shall see, the Koran supplies references which would make it seem that death is a just sentence for one who leaves Islam. However, the hadiths (the traditional sayings and deeds of Muhammad) are much more pronounced in the punishment that must be given to any apostates from Islam. For now we will simply look at how the Koran emphasizes God's severe punishment of any apostate in the next life.</p> <p>One example is in Surah 2:217: ". . . and if any of you turn back from their faith and die in unbelief, their works will bear no fruit in this life and in the Hereafter; they will be Companions of the Fire and will abide therein."</p> <p>Going through the Koran numerically, we next come to Surah 3, verses 86-91: "How shall Allah guide those who reject faith after they accepted it and bore witness that the Messenger was true and that Clear Signs had come unto them? But Allah guides not a people unjust. (86) Of such the reward is that on them (rests) the curse of Allah, of His angels and of all mankind. (87) In that will they dwell; Nor will their penalty be lightened, nor respite be their (lot). (88) Except for those that repent (even) after that and make amends: for verily Allah is Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful. (89) But those who reject faith after they accepted it, and then go on adding to their defiance of faith--Never will their repentance be accepted; for they are those who have (of set purpose) gone astray. (90) As to those who reject faith and die rejecting--Never would be accepted from any such as much gold as the earth contains, though they should offer it for ransom. For such is (in store) a penalty grievous, and they will find no helpers." (91) Herein it becomes obvious that for one who does not repent and return to Islam, their fate after death cannot be changed even if they offer all the gold of the earth.<br /> The Curse of Allah and Punishment for those who Give Up the Faith (Apostates)<br /> The Koran repeats: "But those who reject Faith and belie Our Signs--they shall be companions of hell-fire." (5:86) "Those who reject faith and deny Our signs will be companions of Hell-fire." (5:10) "But those who reject Faith and belie Our Signs, they shall be companions of the Fire; they shall abide therein." (2:39)</p> <p>Not only are they destined for suffering, but Allah is not as merciful as He is proclaimed to be. In this next verse it is declared that even if one gives up Islam and then repents, they will be shown no mercy. "For those who reject faith after they accepted it, and then go on adding to their defiance of Faith--never will their repentance be accepted; for they are those who have (of set purpose) gone astray." (3:90)</p> <p>"Those who believe, then reject Faith, then believe (again) and (again) reject Faith, and go on increasing in unbelief--Allah will not forgive them nor guide them on the Way." (4:137)</p> <p>"Anyone who after accepting Faith in Allah, utters Unbelief--Except under compulsion, his heart remaining firm in Faith--but such as open their breast to Unbelief--on them is wrath from Allah, and theirs will be a dreadful penalty." (16:106)</p> <p>"But those who reject Our signs and treat them with arrogance--they are companions of the Fire, to dwell therein (forever)." (7:36)</p> <p>"Those who break Allah's Covenant after it is ratified, and who sunder what Allah has ordered to be joined, and do mischief on earth: These cause loss (only) to themselves." (2.27)</p> <p>"Make ye no excuses: ye have rejected Faith after ye had accepted it. If We pardon some of you, We will punish others amongst you, for that they are in sin." (9:66)</p> <p>"They swear by Allah that they said nothing (evil), but indeed they uttered blasphemy, and they did it after accepting Islam; and they meditated a plot which they were unable to carry out: this revenge of theirs was (their) only return for the bounty with which Allah and His Messenger had enriched them! If they repent, it will be best for them; but if they turn back (to their evil ways), Allah will punish them with a grievous penalty in this life and in the Hereafter: They shall have none on earth to protect or help them." (9:74)</p> <p>"Those who turn back as apostates after Guidance was clearly shown to them, the Evil One has instigated them and busied them up with false hopes. (47:25)<br /> Treatment of Apostates According to the Koran<br /> However, for those Muslims who may find such apostates who have left Islam, how they should be treated is made quite clear. Herein it is said that they should even be taken and killed, as explained in Surah 4: 88-89: "Why should ye be divided into two parties about the Hypocrites? Allah hath upset them for their (evil) deeds. Would ye guide those whom Allah hath thrown out of the Way? For those whom Allah hath thrown out of the Way, never shalt thou find the Way. They but wish that ye should reject the Faith, as they do, and thus be on the same footing (as they): but take not friends from their ranks until they flee in the way of God (from what is forbidden). But if they turn renegades, seize them and slay them wherever ye find them; and (in any case) take no friends or helpers from their ranks."</p> <p>Even war may be waged against the leaders of those who have left Islam, which is indicated in Surah 9:11-12: "But (even so), if they repent, establish regular prayers, and practise regular charity, --they are your brethren in Faith: (thus) do We explain the Signs in detail, for those who understand. But if they violate their oaths after their covenant, and taunt you for your Faith, --fight ye the chiefs of Unfaith: for their oaths are nothing to them: that thus they may be restrained." Thus, there are those who accept this as definite proof that the Koran calls for the death penalty on apostates.</p> <p>Even if one merely cannot accept Islam to the full because of the basic human weakness to be attracted to the world, then they are referred to as being destined to perish after death. This is explained in Surah 16:106-107, 109: "Anyone who after accepting faith in Allah utters unbelief except under Compulsion, his heart remaining firm in faith but such as open their Breast to unbelief, on them is Wrath from Allah and theirs will be a Dreadful Penalty. (106) This because they love the life of this world better than the Hereafter: and Allah will not guide those who reject faith. (107) Without doubt, in the hereafter they will perish." (109)</p> <p>Finally, we find that if anyone simply turns away from Allah, He will give them the fierce punishment, as found in Surah 88:23-4: "But if any turns away and rejects Allah. Allah will punish him with a mighty Punishment."</p> <p>If we search the hadiths, there seems to be even more references to the way those who leave Islam should be punished by death, even if they are women. The point these verses make is that apostates are meant to face a terrible punishment and there is no clear implication that the fate of apostates is other than eternal damnation. Once they reject or do not accept the faith, their fate is permanent. As previously mentioned, the connotation is that Islam must be accepted or you die, or are eternally damned. This seems to be the ultimate process of controlling people through the use of fear, rather than drawing people to God by the promise of an all-attractive loving relationship with the Supreme Being, which merely needs to be reawakened. Now which of these would you prefer?</p> <p><strong>There is no Freedom of Religion</strong><br /> Ultimately, in the eyes of the Koran and under the dictates of Allah, there is no freedom to pick your own spiritual path. This is clarified in this next example, which says: "If anyone desires a religion other than Islam (submission to Allah), never will it be accepted of him; and in the Hereafter He will be in the ranks of those who have lost (all spiritual good)." (3:85)</p> <p><strong>The Koranic Views on Women</strong><br /> In the following verse we find that men are given priority in the process of spiritual development. The following verses indicate that the inspiration to understand the message of Allah is given to men more than women. "Nor did We send before thee (as messengers) any but men, whom We did inspire--(men) living in human habitations." (12:109) Also, "And before thee also the messengers We sent were but men, to whom we granted inspiration: if ye realize this not, ask of those who possess the Message."(16:43)</p> <p>Inheritance is also favored toward men. "Allah (thus) directs you as regards your children's (inheritance): to the male, a portion equal to that of two females." (4:11-12)</p> <p>Allah's specific directions about marriage are also provided, in which men are highly favored: "Marry women of your choice, two or three or four; but if ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one, or (a captive) that your right hands possess, that will be more suitable, to prevent you from doing injustice." (4:3)</p> <p>There are also restrictions in what kind of women can be married. "Prohibited to you (for marriage) are--your mothers, daughters, sisters; father's sisters, mother's sisters, brother's daughters, sister's daughters; foster-mothers (who gave you suck), foster-sisters; Your wive's mothers; your step-daughters under your guardianship, born of your wives to whom you have gone in--No prohibition if ye have not gone in--(those who have been) wives of your sons proceeding from your loins; and two sisters in wedlock at one and the same time, except for what is past; for Allah is oft-giving, Most Merciful--Also (prohibited are) women already married, except those whom your right hands possess [meaning those who have been taken captive]; Thus hath Allah ordained (prohibition) against you: except for these, all others are lawful, provided ye seek (them in marriage) with gifts from your property--desiring chastity, not lust. Seeing that you derive benefit from them, give them Their dowers (at least) as prescribed; but if , after a dower is prescribed, ye agree mutually (to vary it), there is no blame on you, and Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise." (4:23-24) Thus, we find prohibitions to marrying one's mother, sister, or daughter, etc. This means that there must have been such things taking place to the extent that there was a need to establish rules against it.<br /> The Basis of Muslim Brotherhood<br /> In the Koran there are several ayats (verses) that dictate the basis of Muslim brotherhood and how they should view one another. For example: "Verily, this Brotherhood of yours is a single brotherhood, and I am your Lord and cherisher. Therefore, serve Me (and no other)." (Surah 21:92) "To each is a goal to which Allah turns him; then strive together (as a race) towards all that is good. Whosoever ye are, Allah will bring you together. For Allah hath power over all things." (Surah 2:148) "Those who believe, and adopt exile and fight for the Faith, in the cause of Allah as well as those who give (them) asylum and aid--these are (all) in very truth the Believers: for them is the forgiveness of sins and a provision most generous." (Surah 8:74)</p> <p>In this way, the Koran establishes the basis of a Muslim Brotherhood in which they serve and support each other and their activities that are considered to be for the cause of Allah, or for Islam in general. Thus, they are motivated to work to help one another, which is natural in any faith. However, this is most favorably viewed while under the dictates of the Koranic law, which takes priority over the civil or state law of the local country. This is the foundation of what is called the "Islamic Nation", which Muslims call the general Islamic community that consists of Muslims throughout the world. Furthermore, few outsiders are allowed to be part of this brotherhood. It tends to divide Muslims from all others who are non-Muslims, who are considered non-believers in view of the Koranic verses quoted above.</p> <p>The Koran describes how the fellowship and brotherhood of mankind should exist only within the Muslim community, the Islam Nation, and not with any outsiders, including Jews and Christians. This sort of vision will certainly keep the divisive nature existing between religious and cultural communities. How can there be peace in the world if any religion advocates such an attitude of one people toward another? Yet the following verses clearly indicate that Muslims should make no friends with non-Muslims.</p> <p>"O ye who believe! Take not into your intimacy those outside your ranks: They will not fail to corrupt you. They only desire your ruin: Rank hatred has already appeared from their mouths: What their hearts conceal is far worse. We have made plain to you the Signs, if ye have wisdom." (3:118)</p> <p>"O ye who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians for your friends and protectors; They are but friends and protectors to each other. And he amongst you that turns to them (for friendship) is of them. Verily Allah guideth not a people unjust." (5:51)</p> <p>"Let not the Believers take for friends or helpers Unbelievers rather than Believers; if any do that, in nothing will there be help from Allah: except by way of precaution, that ye may guard yourselves from them. But Allah cautions you (to remember) Himself; for the final goal is to Allah." (3:28) "O ye who believe! Take not for protection your fathers and your brothers if they love infidelity above Faith: If any of you do so, they do wrong." (9:23)</p> <p>"Remember who the Unbelievers plotted against thee, to keep thee in bonds, or slay thee, or get thee out (of thy home). They plot and plan, and Allah too plans, but the best of planners is Allah." (8:30)</p> <p>"But those who disobey Allah and His Messenger and transgress His limits will be admitted to a fire, to abide therein: and they shall have a humiliating punishment." (4:14)</p> <p>A few additional verses that help clarify this include the following: "The Believers are but a single Brotherhood: So make peace and reconciliation between your two (contending) brothers; And fear Allah, that ye may receive mercy." (Surah 49.10) "Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; and those who are with him are strong against Unbelievers, (but) compassionate amongst each other." (Surah 48.29)</p> <p>The problem with this sort of brotherhood has been noted by numerous people. In a lecture in California in January of 1900, Vivekananda said: "Mohammedans talk of universal brotherhood, but what comes out of that in reality? Why, anybody who is not a Mohammedan will not be admitted into the brotherhood; he will more likely have his throat cut."</p> <p>Another example is from Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, who formed the Indian Constitution. He could see the dangers of what is the Islamic brotherhood. In his book, "Thoughts on Pakistan", published in 1940, he explains: "Hinduism is said to divide people and in contrast Islam is said to bind people together. But this is only a half truth. For Islam divides as inexorably as it binds. Islam is a close corporation and the distinction that it makes between Muslims and non-Muslims is a very real, very positive and very alienating distinction. The brotherhood of Islam is not the universal brotherhood of man. It is the brotherhood of Muslims for Muslims only. There is a fraternity but its benefit is confined to those within that corporation. For those who are outside the corporation there is nothing but contempt and enmity."</p> <p>In 1941, Ambedkar spoke further about the effects of the Islamic brotherhood, at least in India. However, it reflects an attitude in Muslims that is found in numerous other areas as well. "It is this which leads every Mussalman in India to say that he is a Muslim first and Indian afterwards. It is this sentiment which explains why the Indian Muslim has taken so small a part in the advancement of India but has spent himself to exhaustion by taking up the cause of Muslim countries and why Muslim countries occupy the first place and India occupies the second place in his thoughts."</p> <p>However, now there is also an increasing number of wars amongst the Islamic denominations. In a recent edition of the Washington Post (June 25, 2003, Page A23) there was an article titled "Radical Muslims Killing Muslims" by Zahir Janmohamed. In that he mentioned: "There is a tendency to view the Muslim population as a monolith, with a uniform agenda and little dissent. This outlook on Islam has prompted a slew of articles with titles like "Why Do They Hate Us." But in Pakistan, many Islamic radicals hold equal (and sometimes more) animosity toward dissenting Muslims (particularly Shiites) than toward westerners. The Sipah-i-Sahaba have even killed many of their own Sunni clerics, because the clerics rejected their divisive agenda. Often, implementing a skewed understanding of Islamic sharia (religious law) -- and not hatred of the West -- is their prime motivation."</p> <p>This is my case in point: That as long as anyone utilizes "a skewed understanding of Islamic religious law" regarding any of the numerous above-mentioned Koranic verses, they have all the ammunition they need to justify their own radical ideas and methods of engaging in "the Cause of Allah". In conclusion, if any of the above information and Koranic references are taught to young Muslims in such places as the thousands of madarsas (Islamic schools) in India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and other places; and say that the 880 million fellow citizens of India, or others elsewhere in the world, are but kafirs and infidels who deserve or are ultimately going to be thrown into the hellfire; and that their primary allegiance is not to the country of their residence but to the State of Islam; and that the Koran justifies them to engage in Jihad against all non-Muslims; then their spiritual well-being, along with the peace of the world and the safety of anyone else, and the existence of any religion outside Islam, is in jeopardy. This is what must be recognized.</p> <p>For this reason it may behoove Muslims to remove the teachings in the Koran that are often interpreted as hateful by Westerners and toward Westerners, or are used by Muslims as the basis of hatred and resentment towards all those who are not Muslims. Certainly it would provide for a more peaceful world. There must come a time when it is understood that we are all children of the same God. There may be differences in the way we recognize and worship God, but this should be a natural difference in the varying sentiments of respect and veneration and love for God. It should not be misconstrued that only one way is indeed the only way. This will keep the world bound in religious dictatorial views and ambitions, as well as quarrels and wars, without end. This is not the way God wanted it.</p> <p>(Verses were taken from "The Holy Qur'an: Text, Translation and Commentary" by 'Abdullah Yusuf 'Ali, published by Amana Corporation, Brentwood, Maryland, USA, in cooperation with the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT). </p>