simple thoughts

It is interesting that there are many questions that people wish to ask most we get asked often but on occasions there is a question that  makes us stop and think; not that the question is difficult to answer but the hidden deeper thought to the question.

The other night I was talking to a district nurse she was very much interested in learning more about Krishna as we have talked on several occasions. The usual questions arise, can you get married?; would you marry someone outside your faith?; what does Krishna mean?

But what I wasn’t expecting was this question, Is Krishna consciousness only for men? Quickly followed by the question if a girl gets pregnant would she be thrown out or made an outcast? I find that more and more woman are looking for some form of identity and place within religion and may be society as a whole.

I find that as society is becoming more liberated that people are becoming more insecure about whom they are and the need to be accepted is growing. It is my view that it is only within the Krishna consciousness movement that people can find all the answers they are looking for.

In fact the young lady was herself impressed that I could not only answer this question but the many that followed, the only thing that defeated us was time.

All glories to those who have the intelligence to ask questions that will eventually lead them to a fuller understanding of Krishna

Well we have all heard it “you men con’t multi-task” and it is seen as a way of making a statment.

Well a recent BBC Radio 4 program has put an end to this, it appears that it is not only the female of the species that can multi-task men can to. It is down to the desire to do the tasks at hand.

It appears that their has never been any scientific data to prove that it is only women that can multi-task and like many things this is an urben mith, or old wifes tale.

What however the science data does tell us is that the more we multi-task the poorer our work actually decomes and that those who focuse on one task at a time actually make a better job of it.

But not to worry all is not lost the old saying that women gosip more than men is also not true it turns out that their is an equal amount of each sex that does this, so theirs something to smile about now that the mantal of it is only women who can multi-task is now lost

It has been anounced by masterfood that usuing animal products in it’s chocolate bars was infact a mistake and they are in the process of returning to a non-animal source

This following an appeal by 40 MP’s and 6,000 people who bombarded the web sight and phoned the company

Fiona Dawson, managing director of Mars UK, said “It became very clear, very quickly that we had made a mistake, for which I am sorry.

Animal remnent that was proposed to be used is extracted from calfs’ stomachs, so it is nice to see such a change of heart.

Masterfoods has anounced that it will be using Animal Product Remnnent in its chocolate bars, these include popular brands such as Mars, Snickers, twix, bounty, maltesers and its ice cream product containing these.

More amazing is the comment made by the coroporate affairs Manager Paul Goalby who said “If the customer is an extremely strict vegetarian, then we are sorry the products are no longer suitable, but a less strict vegetarian should enjoy our chocolate”

No wonder the vegarerian society expressed disapointment.

But as devotees this should not surprise us as society looks more and more at ways of exploting and killing animals for their own pleasure, with no regard!

Another reason not to eat anything unless made by devotees.

Attachment to women is so contaminating that one becomes attached to the condition of material life not only by the association of women but by the contaminated association of persons who are too attached to them. There are many reasons for our conditional life in the material world, but the topmost of all such causes is the association of women, as will be confirmed in the following stanzas. In Kali-yuga, association with women is very strong. In every step of life, there is association with women. If a person goes to purchase something, the advertisements are full of pictures of women. The physiological attraction for women is very great, and therefore people are very slack in spiritual understanding. The Vedic civilization, being based on spiritual understanding, arranges association with women very cautiously. Out of the four social divisions, the members of the first order (namely brahmacarya), the third order (vanaprastha) and the fourth order (sannyasa) are strictly prohibited from female association. Only in one order, the householder, is there license to mix with women under restricted conditions. In other words, attraction for woman’s association is the cause of the material conditional life, and anyone interested in being freed from this conditional life must detach himself from the association of women. SB 3.31-35

I hear the term used “no association with women” a lot not only within ISKCON but also when I was a regular pioneer for the Jehovah’s Witnesses. But then I have noted that this is usually ignored under the term “well it is necessary for service”

I am reminded of this duality when I was reminded not to associate alone with women, in the terms of giving a woman a lift to the temple. But I could not appreciate the wisdom of this advice simply because the person telling me was always with a women who was not his wife but who also gave the impression that they were married so in my mind it was do as I say not do as I do. Unwisely I pointed this out needless to say it did not go down very well and was seen as a personal attack on them.

Later on I was asked by a bramachari my view on service with women and the effect this can have on devotional life not that I am qualified to give any advice or opinions on this matter. But then I have seen in my many years how service can turn into something else and I related the following example:

Being regular pioneers there was always more woman than men in the service and so it was not unusual for at times to be out on the pioneer ministry service with a women. It was always the case that two were always out on service together although both married they worked together in order to help each other their ministry work. Years passed and they were looked up to by many within the congregation, but one day to the shock of us it turned out they were having an affair. How did this happen? Even they themselves could not say one minute they were doing service together the next. This had a devastating effect on the congregation and the families leading to divorce.

I have noted the same with devotional service this is wrapped in well I am a grhastha so it’s alright I’m allowed and so happily undertaking service alone travelling here and there in the name of service. And as the example given with the same disasters consequence and a difficulty making it back to the point in spiritual advancement you were. It can be done but why put yourself through so much heart ache?

According to Vedic civilization, one’s association with women should be very much restricted. In spiritual life there are four asramas—brahmacarya, grhastha, vanaprastha and sannyasa. The brahmacari, vanaprastha and sannyasi are completely forbidden to associate with women. Only grhasthas are allowed to associate with women under certain very much restricted conditions—that is, one associates with women to propagate nice children. Other reasons for association are condemned. CC Madhya-lila 22 88-90

So we see that even in Grhastha life this does not give us free range to associate freely with any women alone other than your wife.

The bramachari was surprised at my reply and asked this simple question “are you then saying that association with women even in service is no good?” well it can sometimes be unavoidable and sometimes the only way that service can be done it is not for me to say. But by practical example devotional service with someone of the opposite sex other than your partner appears not to work as material nature is subtle enough to use any situation to become an hindrance to our spiritual life and what is more easier than sex and relationships with others?

The real beauty of a young woman is her breasts. When Kardama Muni saw the breasts of his wife so nicely decorated, increasing her beauty many times, he was attracted, even though he was a great sage. Sripada Sankaracarya has therefore warned the transcendentalists that one who is after transcendental realization should not be attracted by the raised breasts of a woman because they are nothing but an interaction of fat and blood within the body. Srimad Bhagavatam 3.36-37

I have noted how strange life can be and the contradictions that their appears to be, I was talking to a young girl the other day she was telling me how her friend was being harassed by a group of lads asking her to “Get her kit off for the boys”. Now in a rage she ran out on the balcony wearing only her under-ware shouting “look this is a woman’s body it’s not like you’ve not seen one”. Now those sitting announced shock at her actions especially going out in her under-ware. But then if you think about it logically most women then go swimming in their under-ware but this is alright as it’s a bikini this occurs to me to be very strange.

But although I could not agree with the way she made her point, it is a valid one especially the way her friend was seen as an object of sex desire. It reminded me of a morning walk conversation by Srila Prabhupada he explained that a man sees his wife’s nakedness every day but still he lusts after seeing other woman naked body, even though the female body is always the same. Yes the size may be different but the naked body is the same from one person to another.

But it appears that now woman are starting to lose their attraction as men now think more about football than sex (well that’s according to the latest research) Again another waste of time and intelligence if you ask me.

What do we mean by tolerance?

We hear it said we should be more tolerant than a tree but what do we mean by this?

How much should we put up with in order to encourage someone to become Krishna Conscious (God conscious)?

Can we tolerate without compromising? Or can it be seen that we are?

These thoughts and questions have been running through my head, why?

I have been looking at how many people I meet feel alienated by religion because it condemns them in so many ways, indeed if I put my own life under the microscope I fall short in so many ways my faults would take up many pages. So can we without condemning help others?

Let me explain, I am working as a team leader covering the night shift; I am always being asked questions by the staff about the Hare Krishna movement which is always nice. However one of the workers is Gay and feels that the church has rejected him and his feelings his understanding is quite accurate in as much as the bible does condemn his lifestyle this he understands but then the rejection of the church is hard for him to accept.

Now he understands that I cannot accept his lifestyle but he is happy with the fact that I am willing to listen to his troubles, marriage arrangements act. He asked why and I explained that we all suffer in so many different ways, one of the ways is our feelings and sex life in its many different forms and that it is hard to break away from them. He now makes the distinction between the church and the Hare Krishna movement.

Other people I meet are put off by the different religions which claim to be the one and only true religion and all other religions are false and leading us to hell. They have noticed that I never reject or condemn anyone’s faith and when asked I explain that scripture is scripture, god is god if we are trying to make someone god conscious and that is their aim then this is OK but anyone can chant “Hare Krishna” no matter what faith they claim to be.

Although some may see it as me being week in not condemning outright I feel that by listening and tolerating so many things people become more attractive and want to help, learn more and encourage others to come listen.

It appears to me people are used to intolerance and being condemned in one way or another, but when faced with someone who may not agree with them but does not condemn but listens encourages and supports makes them more willing to listen learn.

Tolerance like that demonstrated by Srila Prabhupada who put up with so much just to encourage people and eventually help them escape the clutches of this material world

We see that at within parts of Europe their has just been several election, here in Wales we too have just had the oppertunity to vote for the Assembley Members.Whilst I talked to people it became apparent how little they actually know about the politcal system with most of those who I talked to voting for the person who lives locally or who their parents or friends vote for. But the more I talked the same became apparent on their religion (I am Catholic/Church of England becouse me parents are) with little thought or understanding.Sril Prabhupada said:Instead, however, rogues and thieves in the guise of protectors arrange for a voting system, and in the name of democracy they come to power by hook or crook and exploit the citizens. Even long, long ago, asuras, persons devoid of God consciousness, became the heads of state, and now this is happening again. The various states of the world are preoccupied with arranging for military strength. Sometimes they spend sixty-five percent of the government’s revenue for this purpose. But why should people’s hard-earned money be spent in this way? Because of the present world situation, Krsna has descended in the form of the Krsna consciousness movement. This is quite natural, for without the Krsna consciousness movement the world cannot be peaceful and happy.By asking questins we can gain a deeper understanding of who we are, why we are here whats the meaning of life.With this in mind I have been busy working on posters to have a small house group to help those who are inteligent enough to want to ask and seek the answers, unfortunatly wordpress will not allow me to post them on my blog.

It appears increadable to me that a demolition can take place of peoples homes with the legal system not knowing who gave permision for it but this is what appears to be happening to the devotees.

To read more about this extrodenary event go to: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=3403#more-3403