The Vedic Spectator is an online publication and spiritual blog focused on Gaudiya Vaishnavism, ancient Vedic wisdom, and the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita. It provides theological reflections, philosophical essays, and insights into spiritual life , it gives practical suggestions of how these ancient teachings might be applied in the modern world.  The intelligentsia are meant to  play  crucial and  important roles in society,  unfortunately modern democracies have frozen out the intelligentsia and with the help of global conglomerates and monopolies they create democracies that are controlled and infiltrated by dubious characters who promote libertine cultures,  like lemmings of a cliff or headless chickens society is fast disintegrating.  The Vedic spectator gives an analysis of both the political and scientific community .The scientific community is ultimately responsible for presenting subjective guessing as fact based sciences and teaching it to children, as such, they are contributing to our crumbling and fractured societies. Scientific materialism and Darwinian hypothesis are woefully short of objective facts .The Vedic spectator also covers a variety of topics relevant to practitioners and students of Vedic philosophy :Scriptural Analysis: Deep dives into texts like the Srimad Bhagavatam, extracting spiritual lessons and historical-theological meaning.Devotional Practice (Bhakti-yoga): Guides on inner purification, selfless service (seva), and applying the teachings to daily modern life. Philosophical Perspectives: Discussions contrasting spiritual cosmology with materialist and reductionist worldviews and much much more . If you are interested, log on to the three posts per day .

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Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur has brilliantly written about consciousness in his book Jiva Dharma,  the occupation of the soul. He uses the analysis of water in its three states , liquid , steam and ice . Consciousness in its natural state flows instinctively towards Krishna in pure love and attraction. KRISHNA is all attractive,  but unless one by one’s own free will and free choice of love and attraction  recognise Him along with His glorious state ,  the consciousness becomes like ice , being fixed like stone in the material energies, or like steam , a merging of the consciousness in oneness and denying the Glories and quality of Krishna ,with an unwilling spirit to recipricate personally.

More on this later .

Continued in another essay.

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We often write about how the strong and sincere desire for truthfulness and to be truthful and simple hearted attracts truth . Truth attracts truth , deceit attracts further deceit .Truth is bestowed upon a person , Divinity, or Krishna helps those who help themselves . We must seek truth, and to do so, we must associate with others who also sincerely seek or speak truth. Many speculative persons think they are speaking and presenting truth , but the Vedas have the solutions and systems to check out ones own motivations and the motivations of others .Srila Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja was particularly expert and was known to be a proof reader among men .He very well knew inside out and had carried out extensive studies into many many theological traditions. He was also intimately associated with and served great saints , and he was a surrendered  disciple of his Diksa and Siksa Gurus.

By saints , by one’s Guru both Diksa and Siksa and by theological authentic Scriptures translated and commented on by authentic saints , one can authenticate one’s motivations and realisations.

Krishna within the heart is the ultimate sanctuary of truth .

The Srimad Bhagavatam says this .1.2.17

śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ
hṛdy antaḥ stho hy abhadrāṇi
vidhunoti suhṛt satām

Translation

Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramātmā [Supersoul] in everyone’s heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted.

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A pilgrims progress..

Progressive steps and the bone fide paths .

The Srimad Bhagavatam reinforces the importance of recognizing bone fide theological texts from all the great religious cultures that  distinguish reality from illusion for the welfare of all beings . This recognition is based on  dualism and the need for a scientific approach to what consciousness really is , how it is distinctive , and not  comprised of matter . Enquiries into spiritual cultures and philisophical thoughts are essentially something that satisfy the inner human spirit on so many different levels . Progressive and systematic steps of approach to these topics are clearly laid out in genuinely represented spiritual cultures by their first class representatives . Western materialism and cultures that are unnecessarily tainted towards extreme and over extravagance within unlimited sense gratification , i.e. libertine cultures,  are missing the point of the glories of the consciousness separated from the demands of the body . They are geared  only towards satisfying unbridled minds and unbridled senses . The lifestyle that has been promoted by atheistic speculators , who also teach scientific materialism and Darwinian hypothesis as fact based sciences .They certainly have a lot to answer for , as we look at the state of the modern world . They bring misrepresentations of objective sciences and replace them with subjective speculations . Every theological text places an emphasis on regulated and disciplined lives . Control of minds and senses opens up the consciousness to its full communicative potential with not only other humans but potentially with Divinity Himself . Humans are not supposed to live like  sophisticated animals, and ultra liberalism is always condemned because it degrades our consciousness potential .   Those who  claim to be in possession of theological knowledge  but who can not see the true equality of all beings or who show disregard for other cultures and theologies , are at most in early stages of real spiritual knowledge . Unbridled senses lead to greater anxiety and entanglements , something businessmen are clueless about, and they dont care . The Vedas  recognize every theological text and religious culture that pursues and teaches these types of lifestyle . These methods of gradually developing scientific realisations about our consciousness are systematically explained in the Vedas . For example ,  karma yoga , jnana yoga ,  astanga yoga, and Bhakti yoga bring us these different approaches . In other words, consciousness development through  1, good works linked to recognised pious activities, and that elevates our consciousness.  2 . Seeking knowledge through science , philosophy, and learning of the  mind , matter and consciousness , and  3 , deep inward  religious or spiritual meditations  on God  leading to an esoteric plane . The Bhagavatam seeks to link all these different processes to Bhakti or direct devotion to Divinity in services and a development of love . These systematic processes , when followed properly ,  bring  progressive steps that benefit the individual, and pure knowledge of dualism is thoroughly revived , leading to knowledge and remembering   God with degrees of love . These truths of the Bhagavatam are specifically taught by Sri Caitanya Mahāprabhu , whose hidden appearance is predicted in the 11th canto of the Bhagavatam as the incarnation for  this age . He taught that one should study the Bhagavatam in the association of self realised persons and follow  prescribed methods . Chanting  the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra , or any of the  names of God in current times , the Bhagavatam says , can quickly bestow all the truths of the Vedas upon  persons who can chant without offence and in great humility .  It is said in many theological texts sound can bind one or liberate one , if one speaks in anger and envy one is bound in ignorance , if one speaks in peace and knowledge and compassion one can become liberated and full of knowledge. In this way, there are incalculable benefits when one vibrates any  trancendental sound vibrations that properly glorify God with sincerity.  They have effects on the inner workings of our consciousness , and truth follows truth . When one has become purified by such trancendental sounds  , one’s  community , one’s society , one’s country , and ultimately the universal order and its originator Divinity are all immensely pleased . By such purified actions of speaking truth and vibrating Gods names in a sacrifice with the aim of serving Gods interests , as well as studying and hearing the trancendental sounds of the  Srimad Bhagavatam  everyone’s life becomes perfected . HIGHLIGHTED IN 1.1.2 THE CULTURE OF PURE DEVTION AS OPPOSED TO MIXED MOTIVATED OR CHEATING DECEITFUL SO CALLED DEVOTION .  RSABDEVA TAUGHT NOT TO BECOME TEACHER. PARENT HUSBAND FATHER , UNLESS YOU CAN DELIVER DEPENDENTS BACK TO GÒDHEAD.

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It’s clear immigration is caused by bad trade deals , exploitative wars , and fixed currency and commodity markets . When those who have been inflicted by this cheating and exploitation want to come to the lands that exploit them , they were first welcomed as cheap labour , but now , when world economics is in fluctuating condition as well as geopolitical calculated, the immigrants and their ancestors are not wanted . This is the world of the sophisticated animal, dog eat dog .
The intelligentsia are needed who see and act fairly, who see the self-evident truth of the equality of all beings.
The Vedic way.

Media ….what media .

We can safely say SKY news, and the BBC , like the Darwinians, does not report objective facts but presents slanted subjective opinions about facts , thus openly bringing misrepresentations time and time again. Like scientific conferences, only fellow scientists who are Darwinians can address conference issues. Similarly, SKY and BBC only invite those ” experts ” who hold similar views to themselves into their studies. Have you ever seen John Mearsheimer or Jeffrey Sachs in their studios?

To understand true objectives one needs to be truthful to be truthful one requires the help of the truthful and ultimately from the supreme absolute truth.

These matters are discussed throughout the Vedas .
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Hundreds of thousands of years ago the Darwinians thought of  mankind ancestors crawling out of a pond as a  result of repeated lightning strikes activating chemistry and making molecules move towards life. In all honesty, this hypothesis is a  little short of sciences pe say , it’s   more subjective creatively and  imagination. Of course, the Vedas beg to differ , and objective sciences paints a picture of precision engineering,  perfect math, and symmetry within nature. The Vedas indicates that one should consider the as yet unexplored,  at least by the scientific community,  power of the ethereal energies , the powers of mind, and consciousness.The evidence is self evident,  as soon as consciousness enters into the womb , molecules start moving towards life following the codes and informational exchanges from both sets of Dna of the parents.  Studies show this process, but the informational exchanges using chemical and much  more technical signalling on parallel with wi fi are still being explored .

Mind over matter , you have heard the expression , so there are accepted functions of the subtle energies,  but unknown,  the Vedas gives the full account.   We live in a responsive universe for sure on many different levels.   Supervised fluctuations and allowances of multiple energies on different levels are our life’s story .Destinations and whaf is coming and what is not coming are the influences of Karmic synchronicities.  We have no idea where such destiny comes  from or how it will  transform .The Vedas are full of atonement programmes as well as sacrifices to influence energies and allowances. The mysterious events of space time are an individual set of circumstances, at a given time , in a particular place , in a particular universe , for a particular individual.   Supervision means another  consciousness  is tasked with a supervisory task . The Vedas tells of the supersoul and the Demigods working hand in hand . Many physicists, including Bohr, Schrödinger or even Einstein, could follow this and easily accept , because scientific objective sciences are clearly seen , there are laws and organisation.  The biologists unfortunately get left behind in their primordial soup , many choking and drowning in it , but do not want to be rescued .

Manipulation of matter within this world  via consciousness and telepathy , or yogic power , is something Marie Curie studied along with her husband . She is a Nobel prize winner in her studies of radiation .

The perfect math and the precision engineering of many of the ancient pyramids still puzzles modern man , as do so many  other ancient structures . Off the coast of Dwarka in India  huge cities have been detected . The endlessly mutable and cyclic movements of the earth are taking place , Volcanic movement and self-destruction of society’s are historic norms . Ancient times are also destined for current times . Empires come and go , and the process is eternally occurring within the material energies. People cannot fathom long periods of time , four  billion years just  rolls of the tongue and is easily said but not really understood. Understanding and comprehending these changes is almost impossible for most people. Some indicators of ancient times are found  , consequently to degrees through occasional ancient writing some insights can be had . It is also said in the Vedas that the power of memory hundreds of thousands of years ago was extremely powerful .There was no need for detailed records to serve as memories. Currently , in modern times , due to materialism,  we can not remember what we were doing in detail a few days ago . What to speak of two weeks, we have become dead to it. Not in former times, though , when life was lived differently with greater purity of consciousness . Pure living based on dualism brought far more intuitive powers . It also brought access by some to  communicate with many other planetary systems the Vedas records . It is also said  residents from higher planetary systems  would occasionally transport themselves to our plane of existence. 

The mind and consciousness remain a complete mystery to the modern scientific community. We should know that well.

In Vedic cosmological affairs, the earthly plane is situated between the heavenly planets in the higher realms, and the lower planets inhabited by those in more ignorance with the modes ofdemoniac and ghostly beings .
Naturally, at times, beings from both the higher and lower planetary systems take birth on earth for various reasons, say the Vedas .
Jesus said, ” You’ll know them by their fruits.”
Why do we need educated democracies and not fools voting in fools .Take a look at our exploitative world led by questionable characters . Have they come from lower planets and taken birth in our world ?
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This virtual world we find ourselves is accompanied by sound waves , lightwaves ,  nerve impulses , reactionary via signals that travel to the neurons within our brains . Each of these travels at colossal speed , this machinery is hooked up to our minds, and intelligence is a complete mystery even to our leading scientists . According to the  Vedas , minds and intelligences have been carried forward from a previous virtual reality machine , and at the time of rebirth the influences of the previous mind and intelligence is reprogrammed and mixed with two new parents subtle influences. The machinery of the body is  discarded at death , but the subtle energies live on in  percentages . This is the reality of living in the material world , but 99.9 % of the populations are in total ignorance of lifes reality. We all know that at any time, all of our experiences and exchanges of information will cease , that’s what is referenced as death, yet we do little about it .

Yantra is a word used by Lord Krishna in his Bhagavat Gita , it means  the machine of the material body it is granted by material nature .  Just as we are in complete forgetfulness of what our  current machine was experiencing a few weeks ago ,can you say what you did and thought of in detail …No .. So , similarly, death means forgetfulness , but of everything . Although deep impressions and deep-seated desires and traits of previous experiences stay within , as our  new body arrives , again, the subtle energies fire up, but this time in a brand new machine .  Many persons experience in their new bodies and lives , a particular affiliation for a time period ,  or an attraction to particular music ,geographical places, time periods , or even special attractions for individual people .

The body carries with it karmic synchronicities, and the previous responses that are due from our responsive universe are to be lived out in our new virtual reality machine .

The Bhagavad Gita gives the full details and the reasons for all the comings and goings. As well the Bhagavad Gita also explains how an absolute reality can be experienced outside the virtual one .Srila AC Bhavtivedanta Swami Prabhupada explains all in his Bhagavad Gita as it is.

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Knowledge means to know Knowledge and ignorance side by side , discernment is required,  ultimately if we want truth God will show us truth .There are ways of becoming truthful and there are ways of becoming duplicitous. Character building along with morality,  ethics and humility open the doors to receive truth and identify it . Unwanted things in the heart means we are not serious about truth, and we can not understand the full path to absolute truth , the unwanted things are like chains that bind us to the world of deceptions.

Srila AC Bhaktivedanta Swami says ..

“Doubt is one of the important functions of intelligence; blind acceptance of something does not give evidence of intelligence. Therefore the word saṁśaya is very important; in order to cultivate intelligence, one should be doubtful in the beginning. But doubting is not very favorable when information is received from the proper source. In Bhagavad-gītā the Lord says that doubting the words of the authority is the cause of destruction.

As described in the Patañjali yoga system, pramāṇa-viparyaya-vikalpa-nidra-smṛtyaḥ. By intelligence only one can understand things as they are. By intelligence only can one understand whether or not he is the body. The study to determine whether one’s identity is spiritual or material begins in doubt. When one is able to analyze his actual position, the false identification with the body is detected. This is viparyāsa. When false identification is detected, then real identification can be understood. Real understanding is described here as niścayaḥ, or proved experimental knowledge. This experimental knowledge can be achieved when one has understood the false knowledge. By experimental or proved knowledge, one can understand that he is not the body but spirit soul.

The Christian bible says to use intelligence, and so does the Srimad Bhagavatam.

Don’t be a blind follower..

Good advice from the Christian bible..

The Bible consistently encourages using your intelligence and reasoning. It values an active mind, urging believers to acquire knowledge, seek understanding, and make intelligent, reasoned choices.Key verses on this topic include:Reasoning and Thinking: “Come now, let us reason together,” says the Lord (Isaiah 1:18).Acquiring Knowledge: “An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge” (Proverbs 18:15).Using Your Mind: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37).Discernment: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind” (Romans 12:2).While the Bible celebrates using your intellect, it also highlights the difference between human intelligence and divine wisdom. It warns against relying solely on human cleverness without moral guidance or humility before God, stating, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7)…
The Srimad Bhagavatam.
ŚB 2.2.35

bhagavān sarva-bhūteṣu
lakṣitaḥ svātmanā hariḥ
dṛśyair buddhy-ādibhir draṣṭā
lakṣaṇair anumāpakaiḥ

Translation
The Personality of Godhead Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is in every living being along with the individual soul. And this fact is perceived and hypothesized in our acts of seeing and taking help from the intelligence.

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A divisive world tainted with envy and hatred are the results of populations voting in unqualified leaders. Ignorance breeds ignorance and then breeds violence,  division, and hatred , all based on race and culture or religion.  Unless the world wakes up and listens and takes note of the intelligentsia who understand scientific dualism and thus the self evident truth of the equality of all beings the world will increasingly become a world of sophisticated animals,  like street dogs fighting with mobile phones under their collars. What’s required is inclusive cultures,  every one working in civilised ways , fair trade deals can be easily struck and a sharing of technologies that will help each nation state to develop their individual nation state and its economy . Currently, the greed of global conglomerates and their political puppies are  continuously snatching the world and creating poverty, death, and miseries to others . The cause of migration is global conglomerates politics , when they create wars and poverty in other countries, those poor citizens flee to where they can escape death and poverty.

Go further in consciousness…

Putting it quite simply , Following scientific materialism or Darwinian hypothesis or a theological presentation without scientific knowledge of dualism,the results of both are , in the case of the atheistic ,  a life of a sophisticated animal bound but sensual demands  and the shackles of the limits of a fluctuating mind and decreasing intelligence , and in the case of the unscientific theological following , who cannot even understand that the  consciousness within themselves and  that is within all creatures is of the same spiritual nature , in their case , some elevation of culture can occur, but beginnings of spiritual culture must be followed through to the end , very often religious persons hate other religious persons,  thats dog mentality not theological sciences. Real spiritual cultures culminates in understanding a life beyond the demands of the body, mind and intellect and bring one to the highest of high of spiritual realisations , the finest elements of consciousness.  Something sometimes the greatest of the artistic community sings of and aspire for through their great performances of highly cultured music . Sometimes, it is said music is the language of the soul . The most genuinely cultured person may get some snippets occasionally of the finest of consciousness, of the spiritual realms where Divinity is  predominant , along with the supreme Goddess of fortune .
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The Gaudia Vaisnava’s systematic approach to esoteric pathways.

Gaudia Vaisnavism and its  distribution

Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur particularly wanted to bring Vedic culture inclusive of all its  aspects , both the peripheral systematic teaching , within Varna Ashram and further what he referred to as Devi Varna Ashram , and that would gradually culminate in an approach and gradual systematic understanding of the cor esoteric truths that Sri Caitanya Mahāprabhu  revealed in His recent pastimes . The Thakur wanted all these teaching made available and distributed to modernity . In current times the cream of the Vedas in the form of the Srimad Bhagavatam as well as Caitanya Caratamrita  the essence of the Gaudia Vaisnava conclusions as taught by Sri Caitanya Mahāprabhu to the Goswami’s of Vrndavana , are bring  presented and taught by ISKCON  devotees and other Gaudia Vaisnava’s from other institutions all over the world. It was Srila AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada who originally brought them to the shores of the USA  in 1965 . Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur had prayed for a son who could continue and expand his desire to  establish Krishna consciousness in all its forms world wide including the Raga Marg , spontaneous love , of the  residents of Vrndavana where everyone is ultimately under the service and shelter of Srimati Radharani in one way or another , who is  giving all pleasure to Krishna . Srila Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja appeared as the son of Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur, and he  served his father’s trancendental wishes and began to form a Vedic institution called the Gaudia math. He began  extensively reintroding Gaudia Vaisnavism , as taught by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to the six Goswami’s of Vrndavana , in truely authentic and balanced ways as Mahāprabhu had originally done within India . In doing so, Srila Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvati was correcting the many misunderstandings that former generations had introduced , of the smarta Brahminical classes and those who practised esoteric devotion without the qualifications of life style . His two leading disciples who specialised in presenting Krishna consciousness scientifically , philosophically, and culturally as well as appropriately to the Western audience are Srila AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada as well as Srila BR Sridhar Swami , other prominent disciples also have made major contributions mostly within India. Srila AC Bhavtivedanta Swami Prabhupada has given the Western world a chance to practically explore the Vedic Culures and examine its many benefits , introducing its untapped and unlimited wealth . He was a most prolific writer and teacher. There is no doubt Srila AC Bhaktivedanta Swami, who brought , under the orders of his spiritual master , the  Gaudia Vaisnava teachings worldwide, was extremely successful and still is . This was the same mission that was originally desired by Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur and Srila Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja . Its noteworthy to say that when Srila AC Bhaktivedanta Swami left the world , he instructed his disciples that if they had questions about Gaudia Vaisnava tattva they should approach Srila BR Sridhar Swami , Srila Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja commented that he was content that Srila BR Sridha Swami had understood everything of his ,  Srila Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvati’s  teachings .
Many other Gaudia Vaisnava acaryas have contributed and are contributing . Some are  presenting more esoteric aspects that are required to be delved into by the mature student , the teachings of  Srila Rupa Ragganatha  Goswami’s should be learned.

Both Srila AC Bhaktivedanta Swami and Srila BR Sridhar Swami could have at any time elaborated  unlimitedly on the deepest aspects of Gaudia teachings and occasionally did so  . Although bringing the whole of the Western world and helping everyone enter into and understand the Vedic  topics in systematic ways as is  recommended in the Srimad Bhagavatam was their  general approach and, of course, it needed to be. One can not dive immediately into spontaneous love , first learn to be spontaneous.
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