GOOD DOGMA UNITES, BAD DOGMA SEPARATES

GOOD DOGMA UNITES, BAD DOGMA SEPARATES 7:26pm
One of the reasons i became a devotee of lord Krishna was the a ability of standing firm to the Bhakti process while seeing other paths as part of krishna's plans to help everyone out of this mess we put ourselves in, depending where ones consciousness is. After talking to many other persons on other paths for over two weeks now I know why I hated Religions in the first place and why I never wanted to be apart of them. This is the only process that can explain other processes of the world, in a way that is logical and commonsensical. What I've heard in the last week in a lot of other paths is the inability to explain why other processes exist without putting them down and trying to rip them apart. Even trying to find the commonness between us like compassion for all, Karma and for some reincarnation, the most I get is you're the devil trying to convert us [christians] there's nothing in common between "my" buddhism and "your" Hinduism [Buddhism] "like i own Hinduism" There are some people willing to listen and talk on other groups but usually they become over shadowed by the others who are not so into finding a common understanding between us. This to me was an experiment on other paths and where people are at in their beliefs. Not much has changed!!! This view is the Bad dogma I have always hated in religions, everyone has to accept a Dogma, but the Dogma that can unite, is one that is in accordance with all the scriptures of the world not including the satanic scripture. And a Dogma that causes separation, alienation, hatred and disunity is one that has nothing to do with any of the scriptures of the world. I have a better understanding where most religious people are at now. And all i can say is thank you Krishna for allowing me to see your words.

raja-vidya raja-guhyam
pavitram idam uttamam
pratyaksavagamam dharmyam
su-sukham kartum avyayam


TRANSLATION

This knowledge is the king of education, the most secret of all secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct perception of the self by realization, it is the perfection of religion. It is everlasting, and it is joyfully performed

HOW CAN WE HELP OTHERS! WHEN WE HAVE TROUBLE HELPING OUR SELVES!! PART 1

Who am I? I am a no one, no one important but I do believe in Krishna, Prabhupada and his movement. I am fairly new to Krishna consciousness in this life time its been around three years now I've had the honor of associating with the devotee's. In that time I have notice some things that I feel should not be over looked for a community thats trying to help others find their way back to Godhead.

I have notice that we have four regulation of no eating meat, no gambling, no intoxication and no illicit sex, But every where I see some of these principles being broken right in our community. I understand we are condition souls with many dirty things in our hearts "trust me I know" I am still praying that these impurities are cleansed from my heart, But what I don't get is when or who has decided that its fine to do these things openly in the community like nothing is wrong with it???? I know its hard to meet the standards but why on earth do we proclaim that there's nothing wrong with what I am doing?? Why are we changing the process to meet our needs? this is the first thing that contaminates all the religions of the world, The process says no chocolate so thats the process "NO CHOCOLATE" so if we have a chocolate addictions we should say " I am SORRY prabhu I have a problem please I wish to change and become better. I just need some time I know I am wrong, But instead we stand up proud-fully and proclaim I'm doing nothing wrong!!!! when Prabhupada ask about chocolate the devotee's at the time didn't give him the proper facts.
Now in the end we have to really ask ourselves is this really for Krishna pleasure or my own, because whether Prabhupada had all the facts or not! we are all addicted to this world and the so called pleasures of maya and thats a fact!!!
Are we really trying to get back to Godhead or just pretending? Do we really want to help people? Do we really want to serve? Or have we all become just another hypocritical religious process that points the finger at the rest of the world but never takes a look at ourselves?? And if that is the case! then as individuals isn't it time we change!! for our Guru for Prabhupada for all the pervious Acaryas for krishna and ultimately don't we owe it to all those lost souls in the world. To set the example, because if we don't then who will if we can't be real with ourselves be honest and admit we have a problem then how on earth are we going to help others???? we are a mess and a mess in denial is even worst then a mess willing to improve,grow and better it self! A mess thats proud to be a mess will only get dirtier but a mess in shame of being messy will eventually become clean.
So please ask your self are you proud and defensive about certain touchy subjects like chocolate and standing up in a roaring voice proclaiming I am right and Prabhupada's facts are wrong (on this matter).

So here is my honesty I eat chocolate once in a blue moon I am also addicted to Maya I am sorry, it is not acceptable and I wish to change please help me!!! "honestly" become a better person and a better devotee! The best I can do for now is keep it outside the community and work on the higher taste and hopefully i will lose taste for the lower ones.


So for the new devotees to come, for my daughter (just born) I ask for us to raise the standard for our community keep the nonsense out. Lets better ourselves lets help each other "please"
Your servant Ryan Lowseck

Body, mind and soul

Edit
I PLAN TO WIN 11:10pm
1:Defeat the tendencies to be lazy and morose: THE BODY-Martial arts,Tai chi-wushu

2:Defeat the tendencies not to focus: THE MIND-Studying, philosophy,science, arguing.

3:And to defeat the tendencies to think I'm either of these two: THE SPIRIT-To hear about krishna, to talk about Krishna, to chant his holy names and to associate with his Devotees.

THE VERY NATURE OF SELFISHNESS BLINED-SIGHT'S US

I recently had a close relative come and stay with me for a couple of weeks, she was coming to help my wife and I with the birth of our new baby. After she left I was left in awe to see how blind-sighted we are to our own selfishness and how that- very selfishness convinces us to believe we are really really good people. I will use this relatives stay with us as an example of this reality, after my daughter was born my wife was exhausted after losing so much blood, her iron levels where very low and had very little energies for anything else but for the attention of our daughter, so Bea some days was just hiding away in the bed room bonding with Tulasi and regaining her strength. This relative that was feeling a little neglected and on some days of not seeing Tulasi, started to feel a little upset. Then came the depression and tears, she wanted to help and her heart was in the right place. But in that very notion of helping us was the tint of what she wanted, and because she was not getting what she needed from us and the new baby the whole atmosphere of the house became tense. Bea started to stress [the last thing anyone needs after giving birth] which then just made her more exhausted.

THIS IS JUST A ROUGH SKECTH OF WHAT HAPPEN
Now as the third person in all this I could see that selfishness exists in all of us, but some peoples needs at certain times comes before our own [eg like a new mum that has just given birth]. But what surprised me [ I don't know why it surprised me] was how this relative started to say things like "I 'am just trying to help, I don't or didn't want to upset any one" So I confronted her by saying yes I know that was not your intention but because your not getting to see Tulasi as much as you like and Bea doesn't have much energy and time to give you. Your getting upset with all this" [then the old make you feel guilty act jumps in] "fine I'll just leave then" "no one wants me here". "I said look no one wants you to leave no one said that or has expressed that, if you want to help then do what you can. But the very fact that we have to deal with this is draining our energies, especially Beas, just help do what you can"

But even after talking with her for 2 hrs straight nothing change, but she honestly thought she was doing the right thing or that she was in the right and her feeling where the reality of the situation. And maybe a small fraction of what she was feeling was correct, and we were not meeting her needs. But this got me pondering and I started to meditate on how hidden this nature was. I know I have many faults but maybe there is more then I can see??? the very fact that most people consider them selves to be good like this close relative but couldn't see this inherit flaw "what about me" as a flaw in her good character. She thought it normal to behave like this and that she had no wrong part in the tension what so ever. obviously as devotees we understand that we are just covered in the modes, but I tried to explain the modes to her but she couldn't identify the modes with herself. "What's that got to do with me" she said "so your telling me you can't see what's wrong with this attitude of what about me, me me me me me.



It's about me, I want to be the centre, I want to be God!!! This is our first sin the apple in the bible and this is the covering that has become so thick that now we are blind. I am not just talking about my relative but every single one of us, and most defiantly this includes "me". So if I am blind I must seek help from some one who can see "naturally" its the most commonsensical thing to do, is it not?

selfish |ˈselfi sh |
adjective
(of a person, action, or motive) lacking consideration for others; concerned chiefly with one's own personal profit or pleasure :
DERIVATIVES
selfishly adverb
selfishness noun

selfless |ˈselfləs|
adjective
concerned more with the needs and wishes of others than with one's own; unselfish : an act of selfless devotion.
DERIVATIVES
selflessly adverb
selflessness noun

Indeed this is the greatest journey in life the most exciting endeavor and the most rewarding experience we can ever have [ destroying our false reality of mind,intelligence and false ego and uncovering our real selves]. This is the greatest battle on this planet and the only one worth fighting, lets start by observing others devotees non-devotees and see how covered they are. So you may know how covered you are! how selfish, self absorb and how much we are addicted to that reality of "ME",me,me,me,me,me,me. Fight and win the battle for Krishna you can't lose all you have to do is stand up and fight never give up and become the pure servant we already are. Hare Krishna :]

TO BUSY FOR KRISHNA

I have found my self thinking I'm to busy to serve krishna "I mean I chant my 16 rounds every day, and the days I don't, I make up for them the very next day". I read prabupada books regularly wether its ten minutes or two hrs there's always some time in the day to read a little.

The services I'm taking about is getting out there and spreading Krishna names, pastimes and glories to the rest of the world. I have been an aspiring devotee I would say honestly for about two years. Even though i have had devotees association for three years. When I first came and heard about the knowledge of the Bhagavatam it hit me hard, very hard "This is what I've been looking for" wow I was set on dedicating every spare moment I had to help propagate vedic knowledge to every one. And I did! I spent every spare second working to help Atma yoga and the dedicated devotees achieve the goal inspired by HH Devamrita swami in getting as many people to meet with devotees and hopefully take to devotional life themselves. One year into this by the arrangement of provenience my wife and I move into an Asrama to be closer to Atma, to learn and grow more in devotional life and to help the Brisbane temple as the new places was right next to the temple. A year later I'm asking my self what happen? some days it just seems impossible to find time for the services I intended to do in the first places.

What happen???

Did I lose my passion! no I am still very passionate in helping the devotees get srila prabupada massage out there and help build a strong community centered around Krishna. So I get very frustrated and restless when I'm unable to meet my own commitments in helping others. And I have heard many philosophy from many other devotees single bramacaries to very experience married couples to only fresh newly weds on how to deal with this situation on finding time for devotional life here are some responses I have heard some very practical and some only a suicidal bomber would adopt:

1. Go hard or go home.
2. Just do what you can prabu.
Cooking, cleaning and maintaining your home and family in a Krishna conciseness environment is Service to God.
3. It's all about time management and origination, have a good plan and stick to it, "BE REGULAR".
4. excuses excuses you always have some excuse not to.
5. Preaching, thats right on your door step you don't have to go out there to preach. You got family and work friends right there to preach to.
6. Pace yourself don't over do it, be in it for the long haul.
7. Its just impossible all I can do is chant my sixteen rounds and maintain my family.
8. I use to do harinam all the time and distribute hundreds of books a day, But you need a little "you know" me time. rethink and revaluate yourself.

I tried the go hard or go home approach but over time my hard turn to soft and I had to go home, for me hard can only last for so long, And plus I'm not the suicide type. And just doing what I can is a copout, its just to easy to do as little as possible.
maintaining your family and home in Krishna conciseness is a very important part in serving God I use to get depressed when I had to do something necessary for the home thinking I could be out distributing books. But with this piece of advice I came to see that these aspects of life are important too, even to devotees! But not to always make it a reason not to.

A good devotee and friend once said to me "You see there is this process that one must follow to reach God, and that process you must change your ways to suit. But instead what we do "because we can not meet to the standards of this process" is we change the process to meet us, instead of trying to change ourselves to meet the process.

Yes at times it is hard to change myself to meet the process of purification, but i must not give up [never] give up on changing my bad habits for better ones. Anything worth attaining in this world takes hard work, and attaining love for Krishna is of no accept-ion to this rule.

So even through its hard to find time for everything lets just try! one day in the week distribute krishna's words to others, one day in a month chant his holy names for others. For this philosophy "do what you can" can only be applied to never stop, if you can't do it every day, just do it one day A week one day a month.

FOR KRISHNA JUST DO IT!!!!!!!!!!

material pangs part 5: The last fight

continuing on from material pangs part 4:

We have all been through these thought processes at some time in our lives, but it is those who have the courage to go deeper into the depths of our deepest fears. Trying to let go of the seemingly solid reality that we so firmly grasp to, to go beyond the surface of things and find a deeper truth.

I looked at this path contemplating it for many years, it is a scary path one that appears very difficult, but I looked back at the world, my friends, my family, my leaders and my teachers and they had nothing but emptiness and false hope to offer. Fleeting happiness, and pain-filled lives. Grabbing the closest comfortable thing that gives them a sense of warmth, love, life and peace. But to no avail as the very nature of that comfort is only temporary, but they try! they try so hard only to find tears and if not tears then a hard, cold-heart! mistaking it as strength or indifference. You know the saying "what ever mate".
Concreting that belief as the all in all they set in a program that will destroy all that they love. Base on selfish ideals they pose they care but just like their lives their caring only can go skin deep, they can't help it! lost to their senses blinded by lust. Then they say follow, come and follow us, with all their gadgets and nice shiny things the temptation is great and overwhelming. But sorry mate I see where your going! like a dog chasing its own tail round and round you go, you fail to see the pointlessness of it all. Banging your heads hard against the walls you cry out in ecstasy, thinking "this is great" not seeing the miseries coming to you by action-al fait. I thought i rebelled against them by taking intoxication not seeing i had become what I hated, so I stop and looked and ask where was I headed.

So there is only one way to go now and that is searching for a deeper truth, to look in the mirror and face my own ugliness, my own monsters. To go deep into the question people don't want to ask, and listening to the answers people don't want to hear! So where do I look? where do I go? Through the martial arts I had found philosophy and philosophy was where I started. All kinds from the east to the west, covering science, religion, art and poetry. And wow! so much knowledge so much information all I had to do was "want" to look. There is no going back now there is nothing to go back to. The question is where am I going?

The demons within

In this age it is said that the divine and demoniac are contain in one body, and their is a struggle from within. In the past few weeks I can say that this is true although I have seen and been through this fight many times before. This time however being a little "older", with just a little bit of spiritual association and practice I can see my sort falls with the help of others.
I have become overly judgmental and overly critical of other spirit souls, judging their behavior and actions and criticizing their point of view. In the end I have fed that demoniac nature where all this spouts from in the first place, whether devotee's, "devotee's" or non devotee's this attitude towards others is a pit fall on this path back to Godhead.
So I have been pondering where and why do I feel and think this way, asking my self question like "do I really envy others"? "do I really think my self that much better then them"? do I really care for the well fare of these living servants of God? My answer has to equal yes to the first two and no to the last one.

But this last question is what I have been thinking about for a while now "do I really care for these servants of God" ? The greater part say's yes! then why do my actions not fit into into this answer?. Over the past few months I have been getting colder more inconsiderate and more intolerable to others their feeling and where they are at. WHY? when I am on this path of Bhakti Yoga ["loving devotional" service to krishna]. Where is the love for God and all that is his? "in my judgment"? "in my criticizing"?
The very nature of these things does not come from love but envy. It must be envy! envy so deep in my heart that these two factors are the outwards manifestation pointing to the reality inside. This demon from within is only strong because I desired it so and with the same tool "desire" it can be crushed, for if I desire Krishna and nothing but Krishna then automatically my demons will be crushed. Now the question is do I really desire Krishna??? "I would say yes" maybe thats why I'm going through all of this inner fight? is this the process the beginnings of the fight to destroy my illusory coverings. Only time will tell! Honestly I know these are traits I really do not want in my life.