Is a Vaishnava someone who worships lord Vishnu? In the direct literal sense that is exactly what a Vaishnava is! However, a devotee Vaishnava have or should have 26 qualities which define them, of the 26 there are four which are primary or which help o naturally develop the other 22 qualities. These 4 qualities are SIMPLICITY, TOLERANCE, HUMILITY and COMPASSION!
What does it mean to be simple? Simplicity is not wanting more than what has, to be satisfied with what has personally, yet never satisfied but what one can do for Krishna. Simplicity means to SIMPLY depend on Krishna. True independence is COMPLETE dependence on the land, and that is simple for the simple.
Tolerance… Tolerating is lifes greatest ability to live comfortably in all situations, srila prabhupada declared that ones greatness has to be estimated by how one tolerates provoking situations…
Humility means I do not know anything, I am simply begging for your mercy so that I may be able to have some knowledge, that was Arjunas prayer, For the beginning of the gita he is speaking and nothing he is saying is wrong, however he does not take a humble position and while he is in this mood Krishna does not say anything… Until he begs, karpanya doshopahata svabhava… Krishna I do not know anything, this is not a formality this is not the artificial show this is a matter of my very dear life, please instruct me, and Krishna does with pariprashnena sevaya, that he should beg and as for knowledge with humility in his heart then only he will know the truth… who can understand this, if one thinks he know everything the less he can understand the less he thinks he knows the more he can understand…
And compassion… this is the natural quality of a merciful vaishnava to see every living entity as the part and parcel of the lord and therefore loves and shows compassion unto them all…
This is just and introduction… there is much more indepth study coming up, however if you wish to email me GopalaGuru@HareKrishnaTemple.com
Is a Vaishnava someone who worships lord Vishnu? In the direct literal sense that is exactly what a Vaishnava is! However, a devotee Vaishnava have or should have 26 qualities which define them, of the 26 there are four which are primary or which help o naturally develop the other 22 qualities. These 4 qualities are SIMPLICITY, TOLERANCE, HUMILITY and COMPASSION!
What does it mean to be simple? Simplicity is not wanting more than what has, to be satisfied with what has personally, yet never satisfied but what one can do for Krishna. Simplicity means to SIMPLY depend on Krishna. True independence is COMPLETE dependence on the land, and that is simple for the simple.
Tolerance… Tolerating is lifes greatest ability to live comfortably in all situations, srila prabhupada declared that ones greatness has to be estimated by how one tolerates provoking situations…
Humility means I do not know anything, I am simply begging for your mercy so that I may be able to have some knowledge, that was Arjunas prayer, For the beginning of the gita he is speaking and nothing he is saying is wrong, however he does not take a humble position and while he is in this mood Krishna does not say anything… Until he begs, karpanya doshopahata svabhava… Krishna I do not know anything, this is not a formality this is not the artificial show this is a matter of my very dear life, please instruct me, and Krishna does with pariprashnena sevaya, that he should beg and as for knowledge with humility in his heart then only he will know the truth… who can understand this, if one thinks he know everything the less he can understand the less he thinks he knows the more he can understand…
And compassion… this is the natural quality of a merciful vaishnava to see every living entity as the part and parcel of the lord and therefore loves and shows compassion unto them all…
This is just and introduction… there is much more indepth study coming up, however if you wish to email me GopalaGuru@HareKrishnaTemple.com
Adapted from Shri Padma Purana, Uttara Khanda Chapters 235-236.
From Madhavananda Dasa’s article in the Krishna Kathamrita magazine copyrighted by Gopal Jiu Publications.
Please support the author by buying the Krishna Kathamrita Magazine
Parvati Said, “O Lord Shiva, You once told me that one should avoid speaking with Pasandi atheistic demon,and that doing so is worse then talking to candalas outcastes. Please tell me of what are the symptoms of such persons and what signs do they wear on their bodies?”
Shiva replied,”Those Persons who,deluded by ignorace,describw any other deity being superior to Vishnu,The Lord of the world, are said to be Pasandis. Those who,although they do not belong to the Vanaprastha asrama, use skulls, decorate their bodies with ashes and bones, have non-Vedic marks, matted hair, and wear garments of tree bark, are said to be pasandis. Those brahmanas who are devoid of the marks and symbols dear to Vishnu, such as conches, discs,and vertical-lined tilaka worn on the forehead, are said to be pasandis. That brahman who does not follow the practices given in the sastra should be known as a pasandi and should be condemned by all people. Those who have no devotion for the Lord are said to be pasandi. One who behaves as he likes and offers oblations in to the fire for the worship of deities other than Lord Vishnu should read more…
Adapted from Shri Padma Purana, Uttara Khanda Chapters 235-236.
From Madhavananda Dasa’s article in the Krishna Kathamrita magazine copyrighted by Gopal Jiu Publications.
Please support the author by buying the Krishna Kathamrita Magazine
Parvati Said, “O Lord Shiva, You once told me that one should avoid speaking with Pasandi atheistic demon,and that doing so is worse then talking to candalas outcastes. Please tell me of what are the symptoms of such persons and what signs do they wear on their bodies?”
Shiva replied,”Those Persons who,deluded by ignorace,describw any other deity being superior to Vishnu,The Lord of the world, are said to be Pasandis. Those who,although they do not belong to the Vanaprastha asrama, use skulls, decorate their bodies with ashes and bones, have non-Vedic marks, matted hair, and wear garments of tree bark, are said to be pasandis. Those brahmanas who are devoid of the marks and symbols dear to Vishnu, such as conches, discs,and vertical-lined tilaka worn on the forehead, are said to be pasandis. That brahman who does not follow the practices given in the sastra should be known as a pasandi and should be condemned by all people. Those who have no devotion for the Lord are said to be pasandi. One who behaves as he likes and offers oblations in to the fire for the worship of deities other than Lord Vishnu should read more…
Delivered as a lecture by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada on October 6, 1969, at Conway Hall, London, England.
Ladies and gentlemen, today’s subject matter is the teachings of the Vedas. What are the Vedas? The Sanskrit verbal root of veda can be interpreted variously, but the purpose is finally one. Veda means knowledge. Any knowledge you accept is veda, for the teachings of the Vedas are the original knowledge. In the conditioned state, our knowledge is subjected to many deficiencies. The difference between a conditioned soul and a liberated soul is that the conditioned soul has four kinds of defects. The first defect is that he must commit mistakes. For example, in our country, Mahatma Gandhi was considered to be a very great personality, but he committed many mistakes. Even at the last stage of his life, his assistant warned, “Mahatma Gandhi, don’t go to the New Delhi meeting. I have some friends, and I have heard there is danger.” But he did not hear. He persisted on going and was killed. Even great personalities like Mahatma Gandhi, President Kennedy–there are so many of them–make mistakes. To err is human. This is one defect of the conditioned soul. read more…
Delivered as a lecture by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada on October 6, 1969, at Conway Hall, London, England.
Ladies and gentlemen, today’s subject matter is the teachings of the Vedas. What are the Vedas? The Sanskrit verbal root of veda can be interpreted variously, but the purpose is finally one. Veda means knowledge. Any knowledge you accept is veda, for the teachings of the Vedas are the original knowledge. In the conditioned state, our knowledge is subjected to many deficiencies. The difference between a conditioned soul and a liberated soul is that the conditioned soul has four kinds of defects. The first defect is that he must commit mistakes. For example, in our country, Mahatma Gandhi was considered to be a very great personality, but he committed many mistakes. Even at the last stage of his life, his assistant warned, “Mahatma Gandhi, don’t go to the New Delhi meeting. I have some friends, and I have heard there is danger.” But he did not hear. He persisted on going and was killed. Even great personalities like Mahatma Gandhi, President Kennedy–there are so many of them–make mistakes. To err is human. This is one defect of the conditioned soul. read more…
Through the centuries, India’s greatest philosophers and spiritualists have praised the Bhagavad-gita as the distilled essence of the eternal Vedic wisdom. In his Meditations on the Bhagavad-gita, versified here, the renowned sixth-century philosopher Sankaracarya glorifies the Gita and its divine author, Sri Krishna. Although universally celebrated as an impersonalist, here Sankaracarya reveals his devotion to the original personal form of God, Lord Sri Krsna. And Srila Prabhupada elucidates. read more…
Through the centuries, India’s greatest philosophers and spiritualists have praised the Bhagavad-gita as the distilled essence of the eternal Vedic wisdom. In his Meditations on the Bhagavad-gita, versified here, the renowned sixth-century philosopher Sankaracarya glorifies the Gita and its divine author, Sri Krishna. Although universally celebrated as an impersonalist, here Sankaracarya reveals his devotion to the original personal form of God, Lord Sri Krsna. And Srila Prabhupada elucidates. read more…
Mayavada Theory:
“The pure Vedic Upanishads, according to ShakaraAcharya, reveals no indication of a need for ritual or worship or anything remotely like what you suggest is part of the path to Brahman. ALL worship is nonsense . . . irrespective of the religion. Only an egotistic human being could conceive of a creator that required worship of ANY kind!”
Logical Facts:
1. The Upanishads are part of the Vedas, and the Vyasadeva is famous as the compiler of the Vedas. Specifically, He is the partial expansion of Vishnu who separated the one Veda into read more…
Mayavada Theory:
“The pure Vedic Upanishads, according to ShakaraAcharya, reveals no indication of a need for ritual or worship or anything remotely like what you suggest is part of the path to Brahman. ALL worship is nonsense . . . irrespective of the religion. Only an egotistic human being could conceive of a creator that required worship of ANY kind!”
Logical Facts:
1. The Upanishads are part of the Vedas, and the Vyasadeva is famous as the compiler of the Vedas. Specifically, He is the partial expansion of Vishnu who separated the one Veda into four categories to allow Brahmanas in kali Yuga to read more…
