Zakir Naik is terrible. He had a little bit on Hinduism and his arguments were terrible. And while Muslims may consider Krishna as a prophet, Vaishnavas consider Krishna as God Himself (or Vishnu), since out of the different religions of Hindu culture, Vaishnavism is a devotional and somewhat...
Thank you so much for the little ancecdote. I think that's very true, actually. Since both of us were raised Catholics, I am sure that both you and I know how chaotic a Sunday Mass can be. People flood the parking lot to find a spot to go to Mass, and then people rush out of the church as soon...
Aww, thank you so much, hunny! I really do appreciate it.
In terms of Christianity, Srila Prabhupada was very liberal. He said that one could be a Christian and praise Jehovah, or be a Muslim and praise Allah, and they would be worshipping the same Lord Vishnu. He said that people do not need...
It would be very unfair of me to characterise the entire community being non-accepting, when a good amount of ISKCONite devotees do!
However, that does not stop from creating trigger moments for me when I go into that temple.
I happened to bump into one guy (let's call him 'Raghupati')...
Assalam'u'Alaykum!
I have a Muslimah friend who just got diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, and I will be visiting her some time tomorrow. I am planning to print out a prayer from the Qur'an in English and French, decorate it with scrapbooking stickers (lol... I'm not very artsy), and framing it...
It's difficult for me because Christianity runs in my entire family... not as a religion, but as inherently part of our Philippine culture and way of life. Whenever I visit my family, and my Hinduness becomes apparent, it is obvious that my parents don't like it, and still do not. They would...
Thank you so much. I do have a select few friends there, and even when not all are accepting, there are one or two that I can still converse with without having to falsify even a smile. I think I may just move my visits from Sunday feast to either the morning program once a week, or darshana...
Thank you so much for your empathy and support. But there are many devotees that I know that do not like the temple atmosphere, and prefer to practice Vaishnava Dharma in their own home instead.
It wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't for the fact that the religion speaks of sadhu-sangha as the...
Yes, I admit that whatever most horrible thing I've done in the past, is giving me my environment for this present. It's always harder to practice without association of other Vaishnavas though.
"The verdict of all revealed scriptures is that by even a moment's association with a pure devotee...
Thank you. I have been active at that temple for years, so it hurts quite a bit. But the good Lawd knows that no one is really perfect, save the pure saints and devotees of God.
Yes, it can be difficult to practice spirituality alone. I suppose that e-sangha is probably a newer thing, since it...
That's so nice. I am so glad that you have inner strength and wisdom that empowers you to love God amidst any circumstances. I suppose I should spruce up my altar from its simpler furnishings to something more extravagant to keep me company.
In our Vaishnava story of Sri Prahlada Maharaja and...
Thank you for the hug! :) I really appreciate it. And yes, many Hindus are socially conservative. That's a given.
I only mentioned it because my boyfriend is Unitarian Universalist. But I must say, I am biased with the Christianity of my forebears. It gave me a belief system growing up, and I...
Thank you, sir. I suppose a "don't worry, be happy!" attitude should be the best, I suppose. This man is certainly not my guru, but some person which many consider a guru, who was visiting my temple a few years ago.
I suppose that I was so hurt, because I was not even aspiring for his shiksha...
Okay, so I'll bite the dust.
As you all have known, I have been a Vaishnava for some years now. Although I have wavered from time to time, I have been mainly active. I left my entire family's value system (aunts, uncles, grandparents, parents, siblings, cousins, etc.) and religious culture...
Krishna's many forms and manifestations:
Krishna's earthly form with His cowherd friends:
Krishna teasing His other wife, Rukmini:
God's incarnation as Majesty and Wealth, (Rama and Sita)
The cycle of birth and death (samsara):
Narada Muni teaches divine truth:
And of course...