Q. What is the standard in the Gaudiya lineage regarding prostration before the spiritual master in front of the deity?
A. Generally, it is not appropriate, but Prabhupada allowed it. He mentions in his discussion of the Gundica marjanam that it is inappropriate for one to worship the guru before the Deity, yet he allowed himself to be worshipped before the Deity. I once asked him about this. He just looked at me, amused, and chuckled. He holds a special position. As far as I know, this does not go on in branches of the Gaudiya Math.
My thoughts..
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Goswami Maharaja placed great emphasis on worshiping Sri Guru, and in the West nobody bows down to anybody, so Prabhupada in his preaching in the West may have felt the need to emphatically demonstrate the benefits of surrender to Sri Guru and how he is saksad dharitvena , worshiped as good as God , because He is His intimate servant freind or lover.
Srila Prabhupada introduced many different approaches in his western preaching , and his preaching has had extraordinary effects on the world.
So, to place great emphasis on the worship of Sri Guru and the Brahminical intelligensia is essential in the re-education of a world that had to predominantly forget God .
“Ontology deals with the nature of existence, asking “What is there?” while epistemology addresses the nature and limits of knowledge, asking “What can we know?” and “How do we know it?”. Essentially, ontology explores what is real, and epistemology explores how we can know it. “
The Srimad Bhagavatam contains the ontological calculations of the Vedas in much details, it discusses how Divinity can be experienced in three ways , Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan.
Meaning God’s energies, His localised existence and His Personality and expansions.
The Bhagavatam includes the Itihasa and Mahabharata, the many historical occurances, as well as the original Vedas, which has been divided into four by Vyasa. These empowered writings are regarded as Sabdha Brahman writings coming from a pure consciousness uncontaminated by lust anger greed envy or illusion. Divinely inspired , we have to understand that some people get special benedictions and insights into various topics or the arts .That’s a fact
In Jiva Goswami Tattva Sandarbha , Srila Jiva Goswami brings our attention to the fact that the original Vedas are difficult to understand and are often misunderstood For that purpose , Vyas compiled the itihasa and Mahabharata, which included direct reference to Krishna and His activities in relation to the material and spiritual realms.
Many Vaisnava acaryas have written commentaries on the Srimad Bhagavatam and in recent times in the Western societies Srila AC Bhaktivedanta Swami has introduced the Srimad Bhagavatam all over the world, his purports are easily understood by a Western audience.
You can bet you’re bottom dollar, the Trillion dollar trade deal the USA is making in the middle east will bring much joy to a few , but complex material entanglements , that are beyond the comprehension of the deal makers . For everyone else , the so called consumer , supposedly satisfying and rewarding lives . In reality there will be increased corruption , and self aggrandizement leading in time to many conflicts in so many ways .Promises of economic development will never quite trickle down . Most probably environments and the local resources will be polluted with all sorts of chemicals in the lands to be mined .The individual countries’ resources and wealth that is rightly their’s will be indirectly stolen from them , and puppet leaders paid off , and the victims will be mostly third world countries. Welcome to the material world. Consciousness development , equality , fairness, and peaceful living for all are not at the top of the agender in a world run and managed by businessmen or politician’s who serve them .Only the true intelligensia have everyones real interests at heart , and the Vedas tell us who they are. http://www.thevedicspectator.com
Taking something from this material world that is legitimately allotted to you by nature and your karmic synchronicities and according to your social station in life , is not sinful but will be entangleing .
Thus, in Vedic culture, whatever you naturally acquire has been alloted to you by fate is perfectly fine . However the Vedas says a certain portion should be offered back to Divinity or His agents as the best of sacrifice because saints always know how best use resources . One could also give in charitable acts , so in that way actions become less entangleing, so either further material benefits by giving in charity or highly spiritually beneficial if given to saints . Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita, one who sees action in inaction and inaction in action is in knowledge , and everyone should unpack the mysterious nature of that statement.
Sin is defined , when someone encroaches on others’ territories or exploits other persons for selfish reasons , that will cause harm in many ways . Sin always goes against morality , ethics, and in most cases of truely civilised society , the law . Sin always causes all sorts of pain to the others . One should know any physical or emotional pain one inflicts will be alloted back to the perpetrator and with interest.
Also, according to ones station in life , and the specific duties associated with it , comes different calculations of degrees of sin , an educated man in places of social responsibility , or a leader has to pay a heavy price if he or she performs the wrong actions . The example of a state leader issuing orders for war comes to mind , if women and children are killed or the whole basis of the war is based against the natural moral and international laws , the leader and his country will pay the price as well as the people who gave him power .
Thus, it behoves everyone to understand how to carefully act in this life ,and ultimately how to raise one’s consciousness and awareness , but an educated man who sins pays a greater price for sin than an uneducated man .
This great science of action reactions and the systematic universal responses are discussed fully in Bhagavad Gita.
Here, perhaps is an example of sin …
Divide and rule ..
Today’s wars are fought on many fronts, but the economic war is most crucial, especially to the gross materialist , they want to win that at any cost . Unfortunately, that means creating conflicts in the competitors’ territory . Thus, the competitors are forced to spend their money fighting wars instead of developing their economy for the people of their nations .All the while those that manipulate wars, their economic developments grow strong , so much so they profit by supplying arms in the war zones that they helped to create . Such is the state of ruthless leaders who have no hearts but a lust for money … http://www.thevedicspectator.com
“While scientists have made significant strides in understanding the mechanics of sleep, including deep sleep, some aspects of how and why deep sleep happens remain a mystery. Deep sleep, also known as slow-wave sleep, is crucial for bodily restoration and recovery, but the precise mechanisms regulating its onset and maintenance are not fully elucidated. “ Srila Jiva Goswami has likened deep sleep to the Brahman, the spiritual effulgence of Divinity where many consciousness particles take shelter . How some of these consciousness particles arrive at , and are in the glance of Mahavisnu , who are consequently impregnated into matter, is contemplated upon differently by different Vedic schools of thought. But Srila BR Sridha Swami tells , just as it is not clear how a deep sleep condition is suddenly brought back to space time existence, ie , we suddenly awaken , its somewhat beyond the comprehension of how the jiva finds himself in the material world and within the glance of Visnu….the Tatasta sakti is key to understanding and a free will that is facilitated , by the supreme facilitator, thus Maha Visnu appears to take a functional role , indeed Srila Jiva Goswami in his Bhagavat Sandarbha says it is the individual living beings who want the material world not Him .
The ever playful and palpable trancendental charisma of the land of Vraja .
Srila Visvanatha Cakravati Thakur is one of the great writers of what’s referred to in the Vedas as trancendental rasa .
It is said material life is like oil in water , meaning our permanent consciousness is a different substance than what it is surrounded by , namely ever changing matter in all its forms both subtle and gross . Spiritual kingdoms can be compared to oil in oil , means the whole spiritual kingdom is made of consciousness energies , so consciousness and the land it lives in is of the same recipro catory substance . Playful trancendental emotions are played out by extremely charismatic trancendental personalities in ever new and ever enthusistic ways the absolute nature means intense emotions become palpable literally , and Pranaya the oneness of sharing trancendental feelings is experienced in full .When Krishna hears the gopies try to explain what they are doing in what He considers His flower garden , their voices alone send deep ripples of ecstatic emotions through His body . Once He was watching Vishakha, click her nails together, and waves of ecstacy entered His heart . What to speak of when the Rasa dance begins and the greatest of spontaneous musicians begin to uniquely perfect newer and newer musical combinations , and newer and newer expressive dance and glances begin to playfully exhibited by the gopies. These spiritual glances are full of the emotions of the very soul of such persons and they are directly felt by others .
We should remember this world and the best of its artistry and the best of its cultures and behaviour are a fragmental preview of the super subjective realms of the eternal Goloka Vrndavana , which we are all welcome to explore , the Vedas give us access and yogic processes
Therefore, the doubts that have arisen in your heart out of ignorance should be slashed by the weapon of knowledge. Armed with yoga, O Bhārata, stand and fight.
Bhagavad Gita 4.42.
This sword of knowledge comes from two sources, it is a double bladed sword.
One side is from association of saints
The other side is the association of saints via their literature.
Thus, Sadhu sanga Sastra sanga , in Vedic terms.
What is the fight ?
The Christian says fight the good fight with all thy might , but without weapons, how can you fight ? You will be killed immediately on the battlefield .
The field of material activities is also described in the Bhagavad Gita, God is the knower of all fields , and to understand the field and the knower of the field one requires knowledge, without which one will be ploughed over and buried in the material energies suffering repeatedly death ,thus, you’ll be defeated and your war will be lost .
So Krishna says, “Take up your weapons of knowledge and slay the demon of ignorance ” that keeps us repeatedly taking birth and suffering all kinds of misery , although thinking we might find permanent happiness.
The permanency of consciousness is spoken of in theological cultures as well as the permanency of energies beyond Atoms elements and compounds , thus, the full plethora of energies are realised by one who has knowledge .
Prahlada, in the Srimad Bhagavatam, outlines nine processes of Bhakti, These include hearing, chanting, remembering, serving the Lord’s lotus feet, offering worship, offering prayers, becoming a servant, becoming a friend, and surrendering everything. This is the watering process to the seed of Bhakti. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s emphasis is on the study of the Srimad Bhagavatam . It contains examples of all these processes as well as Chanting the Holy names of God and associating with devotees, Sadhu Sanga and Sastra sanga .
Sri Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given instructions to the six Goswami and they have clearly given the process of how to kill the demoniac mentality within everybody and this process of Bhakti which is the ninefold process , offers supreme protection against the wickedness of the most wicked mind .
Thus, as Lord Nrsingadeva kills the demons and protected His devotee, so Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s Sankirtana movement offers the same benedictions but even more mercifully , He offers protection to everyone without discrimination , no matter if one is qualified in some way or not qualified to receive it at all , and because He has strung a garland of Bhakti and prema , and enthused The Holy names and He has garlanded the whole world , thus everyone’s wicked demoniac mind is subdued and defeated .
The universal order
If one performs austerity, penance, and undergoes learning, one will aquire a result whether one is a devotee or a demon , the universal order is neutral and obliged to act in reciprocity ways .
It’s how the results of sacrifice are used that is important , they can greatly help one in a progressive path of consciousness elevation , or they can greatly hinder one .Likewise, the earthly histories are full of battles between good and bad because the bad can aquire great powers, and Divinity is obliged to both in one sense.
Lord Nrsingadeva appeared in Vedic texts , but He had to appear in a certain form at a certain time and deal with a demon in a certain way .
He upholds the universal laws and the set rules of results of austerity and sacrifice, and He also upholds the judgement of the Devas who award benedictions.
But the Lord, being the most intelligent, has ways and means of balancing everything out nicely and ultimately its the Lords responsibility to ensure the Ultimate Dharma is always carried out , ie . The ultimate good . He does this not only on His own account but because His compassionate devotees wish the greatest good to those who regard them their greatest enemy.
Pralada Maharaja is the great well wisher of all , like His Lord and master who awarded motherhood in the spiritual realms to a demoness who came to try to kill Him dressed as a nursing mother
If one performs austerity, penance, and undergoes learning, one will aquire a result whether one is a devotee or a demon , the universal order is neutral and obliged to act in reciprocity ways .
It’s how the results of sacrifice are used that is important , they can greatly help one in a progressive path of consciousness elevation , or they can greatly hinder one .Likewise, the earthly histories are full of battles between good and bad because the bad can aquire great powers, and Divinity is obliged to both in one sense.
Lord Nrsingadeva appeared in Vedic texts , but He had to appear in a certain form at a certain time and deal with a demon in a certain way .
He upholds the universal laws and the set rules of results of austerity and sacrifice, and He also upholds the judgement of the Devas who award benedictions.
But the Lord, being the most intelligent, has ways and means of balancing everything out nicely and ultimately its the Lords responsibility to ensure the Ultimate Dharma is always carried out , ie . The ultimate good . He does this not only on His own account but because His compassionate devotees wish the greatest good to those who regard them their greatest enemy.
Pralada Maharaja is the great well wisher of all , like His Lord and master who awarded motherhood in the spiritual realms to a demoness who came to try to kill Him dressed as a nursing mother .
The original gain of function research paper is the Bhagavad Gita .
Actually , gain of function research is encouraged by Krishna in Bhagavad Gita , in reality its a re-establishment of an original purpose that bring ever increasing gains of all descriptions , something that’s deep within everyone’s psyche , in other words directly or indirectly love and pleasure are everyone’s innermost need
Never mind the cleavage site of a virus in a Wuhan Laboratory. Which incidentally , the news is coming down the line on the origins of covid . The inserted DNA within a cleavage site of a Viras , giving it a gain of function, namely being easily able to enter the chest of a human and kill was engineered and cross contamination caused the leak , USA EU and UK and private pharmaceutical industries have been all involved in funding gain of function research.
Krishna encourages us in His Bhagavad Gita to research a lost function of our consciousness and to understand original spiritual senses , we currently have mutated into a material plane and endlessly wonder following our material minds and senses , causing the physical body to mutate into the 8,400000 species of life in our multidimensional universes, higher lower and middle planetary systems.
This mutated process is under the complete supervision of Divinity and His agents , nothing is happening by chance , and a responsive universe follows our desire and free will , along with automated responses.
So nothing by chance , but rather by the Supreme desire of Krishna and His judiciary systems . The complexities of the entanglements in matter of consciousness are seemingly unfathomable to us , but this administrative process takes up by a miniscule fraction of Krishna’s consciousness.
So, as a matter of priority, find out about gain of function research of the consciousness and begin the journey for which you were meant to take , and stop artificial mutations of a material body and mind . Urgently pick up a copy of Bhagavad-Gita as it is , AC Bhaktivedanta Swami is most expert at explaining to Western audiences the secret of all secrets
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