The Vedic followers are not doom watchers , they don’t curse those who seek pleasure.

Indeed, the very nature of the living being is pleasure seeking , and that is said in the Vedas itself.

The Vedic aphorism.

Anandamayo bhyasat.

Pleasure seeking and a  joyful life is the  constitution of the living being.

The Vedic followers are  simply seeking a place where this instinctive  nature of the beings can be exhibited without the scientifically observed obstacles of birth , death , old age, and disease.

It is further noted by the Vedic following that although the body undergoes difficulties and has the above restrictions imposed upon it ,  the consciousness is only  the witness to it .

So intelligence should calculate  why am I suffering birth , death, old age, and disease  and all the accompanying miseries akin to it ?

The Vedas itself explains scientifically what the material energies constitution is and the laws of nature that operate , as well , why they are set in place . Essentially, the Vedas explains why those  living beings find themselves in the predicament they do .

To live in an environment where the consciousness and the energy that surround it are of the same nature is required,  Lord Krishna and Srimati Radharani, and their associates do not possess “karmic ” material bodies .

When one chants Hare Krishna,  this means that we want to bring Radha Krishna together and help and participate in Their ecstatic pastimes, assisting them in every way,  by doing so we automatically become satisfied , as for example the leaves of the tree as satisfied when the root of the tree is watered.

The books of the Param Para teachers tells  all , Srila AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada is most expert at teaching Vedic wisdom to Western audiences.

Get access to them in book form or on line .

http://www.thevedicspectator.com

Can a microbe living in a petri dish conceptualise anything of the world outside his dish ,  the laboratory where the petri dish resides  , or the  town the laboratory is situated , everyone one would probably give the same resounding answer….NO !

Could a frog born in a well conceptualise the oceans , he has some experience of water after all , and theoretically   could compare his experiences of the water within his  well to the oceans of the world , he might say is the ocean 10 times or 100 times or 1000 times bigger than my well  ? , his well is his only reference point, after all , which most definitely are only his own limited experiences.

Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita wherever the mind wonders bring it back under the control of the self . A mind is limited, and so too the intelligence,  but the Vedas say  not the consciousness , in the sense that consciousness can connect to the origins of the consciousness . What are the origins of consciousness,  must be another consciousness,  in our experience life comes from life .The mind and intelligence are not per say consciousness origins,  but are temporary expressions of it .

In the Srimad Bhagavatam, there are passages describing great souls leaving their bodies at the time of death . How they, before reaching Goloka Vrndavana ,which the Vedas says is the top most planet in a spiritual realm ,   pass through the many different planetary systems , both  lower , middle, and higher and traversing  on they are carried by the speed of their pure minds , past all the heavenly  abodes ,  past  Lord Bramha’s abode ,the chief engineer of this universe,  past all the Vaikuntha planets , which are also parts of the spiritual realms .  The great souls watch all those  various planet’s  pass by before them and then  reach  their destined abode , Goloka Vrndavana.

These passages given in the Bhagavatam bring an understanding of the inconceivable  vastness of the material and spiritual realms . It is said that to understand  Krishna or Divinity  it is imperative to  accept that He possesses inconceivable energies . We are like a microbe of consciousness,  God is like the size of the Sun if we want to draw comparisons.

So intellectually using  rationale , we should accept that just as the microbial creature in his petri dish could never have capacities to understand anything of the vastness of his laboratory  , or Dr Frogg PHD could never really understand the vastness of the oceans by using his well as a comparison . A sane person will  accept the  limited senses , limited mind , as well as  limited intelligence ,  and they obviously limit our capacities . Not to say we should not use our God-given intelligence to advance our understanding .God gives intelligence to understand and realise something of a spark of His unlimited opulences.  We should definitely do so , Oxford and Cambridge universities originated  for that purpose . We should understand how great our universe is. But the true greatness of Divinity is beyond our capacity to understand , although a fraction may be comprehended perhaps.   The Vedas says  His  very sweet personality , which He is only more than willing to share , along with His playful and artistic nature, can greatly expand, allowing the limited to begin to directly relate with the unlimited . Understanding Divinity is a decending process rather than an ascending one .

http://www.thevedicspectator.com

---

In regards to children’s education …and childhood reading matter such as …
Alice in wonderland etc etc .

Yes , like all ” fairy tales,” they have an element of the metaphysical higher planes in mind . This essential element to consciousness development in children should never be dumbed down or quietened in any way or reeplaced by a one-sided view of the world , namely scientific materialism or Darwinian hypothoisis
Expanding both children’s imagination and their understanding of the objective world that they are part of , will be meaningful for them . It will be essential to also illustrate what in anyones mind is the very obvious order of nature . Math and highly organised systems in all living things can not be denied , and teaching that is good honest teaching .Let the children in time come to their own conclusions .
We currently teach our children in many cases scientific materialism and Darwinian hypothesis as fact based science . Richard Dawkins goes so far as to suggest we lie to ourselves , that if we see design and order in nature …..we should ignore it . The BBC was at it last night , presenting Darwinian evolution in unquestionable ways …so so ignorant and conceited , we do have a problem with children’s education, I feel.
http://www.thevedicspectator.com

When free will is  granted, it comes with many possibilities.

In our own lives, our intelligence adapts and remains responsive to the many possibilities that may occur in our day . Every single creature has this ability in one way or another  to adapt and exhibit free will.

Now scale up  to the unlimited and ever expanding macro universal order , the Vedas indicate that although one God has simultaneously and inconceivably become one and different , ie , remaining the  absolute personality of Godhead without diminishing Himself  in any way but still expanding Himself  into the  many . Naturally, in doing so He has  left His traits of free will within all of His unlimited parts and parcels , you could say like father like son .

Being supremely intelligent , naturally He is responding to the many possibilities that come along with a free will . Take the example of governments all over the world , in creating facility for enjoying and living , but always alongside are systems of justice .  Along with free will comes a degree of governance and compliance and a need for management of risks .  When free will becomes harmful to itself and others , steps are naturally taken within governmental systems and likewise in the universal machine of Divinity.

In the Vedas this governance,  compliance, and risk assessments, along with  management, are all described very nicely in logical and rational ways that are easy to understand.

The need for the material worlds are a direct result of free will , God does not directly cause this material world we do . Srila Jiva Goswami makes that clear in his Bhagavat Sandarbha. The many possibilities that occur within the material world of the individuals  cause the universal affairs to automate and facilitate free will and perfect tailor-made arrangements that are  deliberately legislated , namely your next body and its karmic synchronicities are set in play.   It’s so perfect that, along with free will and determinism , comes more free will and determinism that is set in motion according to a long distant  past, and many of them ,  and our present activity  that will determine the next episode of our exhibition of the many possibilities of our free will.

Divinity invites us at any time to join His family, and break the cyclic cycle,  where the perfection of free will is exhibited based on nothing more than unmotivated pure love , increasing  in beauty  , described in the Vedas as the 64 excellences of artistic emotional rasa that are  always on  exhibition , unbounding perfections  in a  super subjective higher spiritual planes

http://www.thevedicspectator.com

---

---

Absolute nature of Krishna consciousness

Hearing from the acaryas , the origins trancendental phenomena .

When Srimati Radharani is feeling intense separation from Her eternal paramour , Her Manjari friends have the ability to remind Vrsabhanu Nandini of Her  previous encounters with Krishna within the trysting grouds .

Because these Manjaris are tad bhavika devotees,  they are able to fully express the various trancendental Parakiya trancendental emotions of the encounters that Srimati Radharani had previously experienced. The absolute nature of a spiritual realm has been described , the ecstatic displays are eternally manifested and ever new with the unlimited trancendental realms of both the  ” objective and the subjective” spiritual planes being non different  . The Manjaris remind Srimati Radharani of those encounters, and as such, Krishna Katha  fills Radharanis,’ heart and mind with that same  blissful and fully spiritual absolute nature .  Those very encounters ,  trancendental as they are  , with Krishna in Their  spiritual loving affairs are experienced both in union and separation.

Such are the trancendental mysteries of a trancendental world where everything is absolute , Sri Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s  devotees who directly associated with Him were tasked by Him to relate these trancendental truths,  thus the Gaudia Vaisnava’s worship the six Goswami’s of Vrndavana.

Indeed, Sri Caitanya Mahāprabhu has taught the world,  the Names of God are non different than God , He is fully present in His names , we just have to develop the kind of devotion that can bring us to the point of realising this truth and if  we associate with devotees who have this experience they  can  help us serve in similar ways , and such devotees can also  help us understand and relish sastra sanga .

http://www.thevedicspectator.com

---

---

One of the original 11 Gurus offered a letter of apology, but thought they should have remained Ritvic…..
My reply ..
Nice to take the humble approach, but the ritvic stops after Prabhupada’s departure, then our Gaudia Vaisnava traditions and our param para teachings are to act , if persons want your guidance, as Siksa or Diksa , and as Srila Sridhar Swami told the GBC at the time , the imposed 11 should be increased to any of Prabhupada’s disciples who were in good standing or knowledgeable and had proven service record. And who the prospective disciples saw Bhakti to Krishna within , they should give .
And one of the biggest errors was to completely over emphasis Diksa and attempt to eradicate Siksa , Srila Sridhar Swami also gave his opinions and advice on that as well .
Especially because our param para line has many current examples of Siksa , we must follow and not concoct .

If we simply change to word Ritvic to Siksa and if persons wishing to see quite rightly Srila AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada as their predominant Siksa Guru, what is the difficulty.?
They should, however, seek formal initiation from an advanced devotee , at least he or she should be Madhyama and fixed up with a service record and knowledgeable in Sastra .
Such a person helps greatly in spiritual life , so is not a mere formality, in many cases that person remains the main link and provides Diksa and Siksa , or one may seek Siksa from other more advanced devotees as well as Sastra Sanga from our param para , who are beyond space time and fully present in their writings to those that have humbly rendered service’s to the param para past and present in cooperative spirit .
These are the traditional teachings of our Gaudia Vaisnava param para .
http://www.thevedicspectator.com

In the early days of ISKCON, and I speak of when Srila Prabhupada left the planet , difficult times were to come , even in the Sastra its recorded,  when the Acarya leaves problems will occur.

The fact that ISKCON remains and is flourishing,  despite all the accusations one might want to throw upon the early GBC is a testament to their services to Prabhupada.

The movement could have very easily fractured , so many young men and women with hot heads and strong ideas , “someone’s” had to initially keep things together,  and although it was by far from perfect,  still the movement survived and improved and still to this day continues to thrive .

Those strong minded early GBC men who imposed themselves both in management and Guruship , were wrong and not wrong , Krishna sometimes works in strange ways , but today’s results of a thriving ISKCON cannot be ignored .

Many offences were committed by many , even against Prabhupada and his God brothers and of course ISKCON devotees,  but the Vaiṣṇavas have generosity at heart and can easily forgive , the Vaiṣṇavas never hold grudges.

You’ll know something by its results,  and early days were tough days , and learning circles were everywhere,  but things get settled up and ISKCON marches on .

So fools step in where angels dare to tread , but in Kali yuga, some strong steps are needed, and , in a war footing , sometimes the private can be promoted to  be a General .

And we can consider those early devotees , although materially ambitious, that after all that said and done were acting with ISKCON, ISKCON is Prabhupada, and somehow or another, those early GBC kept the society together . There were  bad times and many got the brunt end of the what externally appeared as foolishness a lot of the  time , but books went out , temples increased and devotees were made , and things gradually crystallised , the Guru reform movement came about ,more work still needed but it gets  better because its Prabhupada’s movement , so some glory goes to those early leaders for sure .

One can consider….

Why did Prabhupada want to form ISKCON .
What are its purposes and how are they bring enacted .

So many many ways .

Providing communities , provinding support on social levels , providing insight and education on all levels , providing think tanks and scholars on all levels , spreading the sankirtana movement on all levels , allowing access to the historic Gaudia Vaisnava culures , providing insights along with other theological scientists  that are teaching objective scientific knowledge along with training and putting a stop to scientific materialism and the  speculations of a Darwinian world, establishing the conclusions of the sampradaya acaryas which culminates in the teachings of Sri Caitanya Mahāprabhu of inconceivably oneness and difference, and pointing out the limitations of impersonal philosophy , ISKCON establishes in societal terms the need of pure governance and compliance based on the right type of person doing the right occupation in the right way that is based on the knowledge of mind matter and consciousness and its progression in social and spiritual mobility .
Thank goodness for ISKCON
But ISKCON is always on a journey itself, and always gaining more and more insights into doing things better , ISKCON are the devotees within it and those who are outside of it who support it in many ways .
ISKCON is the personal service of AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, a service that he understood. Srila Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja wanted because his father, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur, wanted it.
http://www.thevedicspectator.com

The three modes of material nature are Krishna’s external energies , He speaks about them  in the Bhagavad Gita, and they are like primary colours . You can connect with them, mix them, and do what you like with them . However be careful, these types of colours have you sucked into the painting of life and like a spiders web is a trap for the fly but not the spider , similarly Krishna weaves his web of illusions made up of these modes of nature only because we want it . Goodness  passion and ignorance are the three modes , of phycological and work . 3×3 =9 9×9=81.81×81=6561, so accordingly, the unlimited types of consciousness in the 8,400000 species are interacting with unlimited mixes and degrees of these modes .
Suddha Satva, though, is the trancendental mode beyond those entangled modes , Krishna says if you want, I can rescue you at any time  from the material modes and place you in your intended place of pure uncontaminated consciousness.

Responsibility in the modes .

Although it indicates in the Vedas whatever your destiny holds by your previous karma, is your due  and so there is no point in working like a dog or ass to achieve more and more ..
These things should be looked at carefully and not fanatically.
A money man’s nature is he is never satisfied and however rich he is he will want more . He also needs legislation  brought upon him because if he had his way, his poor workers would be poorer, and he would exploit everything without care .
The Vedas intends that everyone carries out Dharma or duties properly under the directions of the intelligensia.
We can not say the slums of eighteenth century England and the filth and disease working people lived in were God’s intentions.
When administration works properly, the businessmen thrive well and are happy to pay a fair wage for a fair days work.
Thus …
One who does wrong or suffers wrong is wrong…

Living in a world full of mirrors .

In the world of illusion, truth sounds like untruth and untruth sounds like truth .
The crooked heart can only follow the similarly crooked .
But the crookedness does not have to be permanent.
When Darwin saw bears with the mouths open catching flies and thought how they in the past entered the sea water and gradually transformed into whales with their mouths open catching plankton, he later tried to retract his statement..
So even he was attempting to straighten himself out.

Krishna indicates the modes of nature force the conditioned consciousness to act , so strong are their pull that  only by cultivating and practices of theological sciences and yoga can the living being begin to pull himself out .  God helps those who help themselves.
http://www.thevedicspectator.com

” Ontology and epistemology are both branches of philosophy that study different aspects of reality: 

• Ontology
• The study of being, or the nature of existence and what is real. Ontology is concerned with what exists and what is true or real. It covers a wide range of entities, including everyday objects, living beings, and ideas. 
• Epistemology
• The study of knowledge, or how we can know things. Epistemology is concerned with how we can know about the existence of things and how we can separate true ideas from false ideas. It also studies theories of knowledge, such as how knowledge is derived and how reliable it is. “
• The Vedic perspective…..
• The Vedas bring everyone on a journey of knowledge , no matter where they might currently be ,  the journey is an eternal one in one sense . The Vedas offer  appropriate wisdom and systematic learning for children , the youth, and older folks . It also offers a study programme for the doubtful,  an initial sign of intelligence is to be doubtful after all . According to where ones life journey ended from a previous one  , automatically,  again one picks up the mantel of learning and sets off on the journey again .  Specifics of learning obviously vary in many ways , but onwards and upwards is the prescription for all  . Ultimately, if we want to gain knowledge of Divinity along with His sciences, there are  correct and  recognised epistemological processes that are accompanied by  purificatory processes within the different varnas and ashrams . The first thing is to become pure in consciousness by following particular standards alloted according to one’s current situation , they are of many types. Only  by the acceptance of due process will any understanding of the Supreme pure and His  personality be developed and perfected. The original Vedas have been summarised into short codes and aphorisms . The Srimad Bhagavatam is the natural commentary of these codes , called the Vedanta-sutra.
• Within the Srimad Bhagavatam, Jiva Goswami says are the epistemological systems of the Sruti , Smriti , Puranas, and Tantras , so everything complete .This is so because  the Vedas as a complete unit is very difficult to understand in a  comprehensive way . Srila Jiva Goswami says that in this in his  Tattva Sandarbha.

ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi
na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ
sevonmukhe hi jihvādau
svayam  eva sphuraty adaḥ

Translation

“ ‘Therefore material senses cannot appreciate Kṛṣṇa’s holy name, form, qualities and pastimes. When a conditioned soul is awakened to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and renders service by using his tongue to chant the Lord’s holy name and taste the remnants of the Lord’s food, the tongue is purified, and one gradually comes to understand who Kṛṣṇa really is .

Regarding ontological considerations.

Athato brahma jijnasa is a phrase from the Vedanta-sutra that means “Now is the time to inquire about the Absolute Trut

jīvera ‘svarūpa’ haya — kṛṣṇera ‘nitya-dāsa’
kṛṣṇera ‘taṭasthā-śakti’ 

bhedābheda-prakāśa

Translation

“It is the living entity’s constitutional position to be an eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa because he is the marginal energy of Kṛṣṇa and a manifestation simultaneously one with and different from the Lord, like a molecular particle of sunshine or fire. Kṛṣṇa has three varieties of energy.

The conclusive understanding of who we are has been  given by Sri Caitanya Mahāprabhu , and it is summarised like this , we are inconceivably and simultaneous one and different from God .

This conclusive understanding separates Sankacarya and his oneness from the  philosophy of  Madhva Acarya,  Ramanuja Acarya , Srila Visnu Swami , and Nimbarka Acarya , who respectively taught , purified monism , ( a connection with Divinity) specific monism , ( as a servant of Divinity in varying ways ) pure monism ( indicating a oneness in love ) and one and difference.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu added the inconceivable and simultaneous oneness and difference in His revealing the pranaya , oneness in love , particularly of the Manjaris , technically called Tad tad bhava icha atmika .

Thus the Vedas lack nothing in the matter of epistemology or ontology and their conclusion.

• http://www.thevedicspectator.com

---

Srila BR Sridhar Swami tells ..

Adwaita Acarya, who called Mahāprabhu to appear on this planet and save the most fallen,  but on one occasion, Adwaita prabhu remarked to Mahaprabhu that he and Srinivas found some difficulties because we have our higher social position and dignity,  yet Nityananda prabhu is preaching to the ruffians and they are now  currently mixing with us and this is causing some disturbances.

So at that point, Mahaprabhu could not tolerate that  remark , “that you are critical of my intentions,  mission and purposes.

Thus, Mahaprabhu jumped into the Ganges,  Nityananda prabhu pleaded with Mahaprabhu and saved Mahaprabhu . Mahaprabhu then told Nityananda to tell Adwaita Acarya that He  jumped into the Ganges and has not been seen since . Mahaprabhu stayed at a devotees’ house in hiding for three days .

Adwaita Acarya prabhu felt great pain and anxiety, and  eventually, Mahaprabhu knocked on his door .

And told”  the King can issue punishment to the chief minister,” so Adwaita Acarya was Mahaprabhu’s chief minister in the sense that Adwaita prabhu called Mahaprabhu to save the most fallen , but made an “error ” by criticizing Nityananda prabhu for doing just that .

ISKCON was formed in the mood of Nityananda prabhu and Srila AC Bhavtivedanta Swami gave Krishna consciousness to one and all , we should be careful to keep that mood , or Mahāprabhu may not be happy .

http://www.thevedicspectator.com