And yet another Gaudiya Vaishnava group ...

[Sirona]

Hare Krishna,

by a chance find on the internet I came across a website Krsna.org run by an organization Bhagavat Dharma Samaj. It is headed by Mahamandaleshwar Mahant Krsna Balaram Swami, who was once an ISKCON devotee and is said to be Prabhupada's only disciple with Gaudiya Vaishnava Brahmin lineage.

They seem to have a beef (sorry I had to write that ) with ISKCON. They published a commentary on the 10th canto of Srimad Bhagavatam with a layout very similar to Prabhupada's books and a video portal Krishna.tube ( Bhāgavat Dharma Samāj Broadcast) , which is called something like the ISKCON video portal KrishnaTube .

In summary, there cannot be enough Krishna devotees, but I wish they would be more harmonious with each other.

 

[Vinayaka]

Hare Krishna,

by a chance find on the internet I came across a website Krsna.org run by an organization Bhagavat Dharma Samaj. It is headed by Mahamandaleshwar Mahant Krsna Balaram Swami, who was once an ISKCON devotee and is said to be Prabhupada's only disciple with Gaudiya Vaishnava Brahmin lineage.

They seem to have a beef (sorry I had to write that ) with ISKCON. They published a commentary on the 10th canto of Srimad Bhagavatam with a layout very similar to Prabhupada's books and a video portal Krishna.tube ( Bhāgavat Dharma Samāj Broadcast) , which is called something like the ISKCON video portal KrishnaTube .

In summary, there cannot be enough Krishna devotees, but I wish they would be more harmonious with each other.

Do you think Krishna would approve of disharmony? It seems to me disharmony is of the bhuloka, not the devaloka.

 

[Sirona]

Do you think Krishna would approve of disharmony? It seems to me disharmony is of the bhuloka, not the devaloka.

I think there are too many competitors in the Gaudiya Vaishnava field crowding around the same little "food bowl". Many Gaudiya Vaishnavas claim to be better/more enlightened than "the rest", but I personally came to Hinduism via Advaita Vedanta and also believe in Advaita Vedanta. I also keep it with the Christian saying "By their fruits you shall know them" and in the Bhagavad Gita it says that a believer should be like minded to all and have no enemies. Gaudiya Vaishnava "information" about other religions is biased, but Gaudiya Vaishnava is, in my opinion, the Hindu religion most represented in the West. Even if you sincerely want to find out about other Hindu religions, you quickly fail because of the language barrier or have to rely on academic books. So even if one wants to inform oneself comprehensively, I find it difficult, because as far as I know other Hindu groups do not make such strong propaganda for themselves. In the end, I can only speak for myself, Gaudiya Vaishnava in my opinion can convey the "Bhakti experience" well; in other aspects such as cultivating spiritual awareness and tolerance, others are miles ahead of them.

 

[Vinayaka]

I think there are too many competitors in the Gaudiya Vaishnava field crowding around the same little "food bowl". Many Gaudiya Vaishnavas claim to be better/more enlightened than "the rest", but I personally came to Hinduism via Advaita Vedanta and also believe in Advaita Vedanta. I also keep it with the Christian saying "By their fruits you shall know them" and in the Bhagavad Gita it says that a believer should be like minded to all and have no enemies. Gaudiya Vaishnava "information" about other religions is biased, but Gaudiya Vaishnava is, in my opinion, the Hindu religion most represented in the West. Even if you sincerely want to find out about other Hindu religions, you quickly fail because of the language barrier or have to rely on academic books. So even if one wants to inform oneself comprehensively, I find it difficult, because as far as I know other Hindu groups do not make such strong propaganda for themselves. In the end, I can only speak for myself, Gaudiya Vaishnava in my opinion can convey the "Bhakti experience" well; in other aspects such as cultivating spiritual awareness and tolerance, others are miles ahead of them.

I believe, although I don't know for sure, that the ISKCON temple in my city gets far more non-ISKCON Gaudiyas (large immigrant population here) than it does ISKCONites. Perhaps that has mellowed this particular temple, I don't know.

Proselytizing is something the west is really used to, whereas not so much elsewhere. So in that sense they fit right in. If any potential seeker wants to, they can do a search and find other stuff, but it is harder. For Advaita Vedanta, Arsha Vidya Gurukkulam has a good website about who they are. You can go stay there for a month or more. But you're right, nobody (other than BAPS) is as widespread as ISKCON.

 

[Viswa]

Do you think Krishna would approve of disharmony? It seems to me disharmony is of the bhuloka, not the devaloka.

Is it True?
Then, why there are stories such as Hiranyakashipu/Hiranyaksha/Ravana causing disharmony in all 3 worlds?
Stories such as Devas run out of fear from Devalokas towards Brahma for remedies and seek help of Vishnu?

 

[The Crimson Universe]

In the end, I can only speak for myself, Gaudiya Vaishnava in my opinion can convey the "Bhakti experience" well; in other aspects such as cultivating spiritual awareness and tolerance, others are miles ahead of them.

That is so true.
Even though they have made the bhakti movement popular, they still need to work on those areas you mentioned above.

 

[The Crimson Universe]

Is it True?
Then, why there are stories such as Hiranyakashipu/Hiranyaksha/Ravana causing disharmony in all 3 worlds?
Stories such as Devas run out of fear from Devalokas towards Brahma for remedies and seek help of Vishnu?

Vinayaka was referring mostly to the evil present in bhuloka (religious groups fighting for supremacy instead of treating others with love and respect).

The demons or asuras you spoke of (as far as i know) are inhabitants of the 7 lower worlds and are not part of devaloka but yes, they are known for causing mischief in all the worlds (higher, middle and lower).

 

[Viswa]

Vinayaka was referring mostly to the evil present in bhuloka (religious groups fighting for supremacy instead of treating others with love and respect).

Okay. Human nature is seeking power by any way, be it in the name of 'Humanity' or in the name of 'God'. Exploitation has no restricted means. True?

The demons or asuras you spoke of (as far as i know) are inhabitants of the 7 lower worlds and are not part of devaloka but yes, they are known for causing mischief in all the worlds (higher, middle and lower).

Yup. What I intended to say is, disharmony can occur in Bhu,Bhuva,Svaha.

Not Asuras are totally evil, they get 'pride' of themselves and forget their duties to maintain the pride/group, and so do adharmas (duties which are not ordained to them) like humans. But their powers are huge, so cause more destruction than humans. Like Covid-19. They are actually present to cut off the 'ego' present within Devas-humans, and surrender to God. If Tamas-domination is not present, then Rajas-dominated cannot be changed to Sattvic-dominated to attain God's Abode or True Knowledge. They don't cause mischief, but only return back one's bad deeds. They cannot do anything other than one's karmic effects. They are destined to do this only to remind about God and seek Truth. A person with Rajas-dominated will remain Rajas-dominated forever and will not switch over to Sattva-dominated unless Tamas-domination is present. All three, is in equality, is Peace.

 

[Viswa]

I feel, The challenge to oneself who is upto God, is not to eradicate Evil, but the below,

Chapter 14, Verse 22-23 – Bhagavad Gita, The Song of God – Swami Mukundananda

Chapter 14, Verse 24-25 – Bhagavad Gita, The Song of God – Swami Mukundananda

 

[Aupmanyav]

Then, why there are stories such as Hiranyakashipu/Hiranyaksha/Ravana causing disharmony in all 3 worlds?

I don't see any disharmony. This is 'leela'. Hiranyakashipu/Hiranyaksha, Ravana/Kumbhakarna and Shishupala/Dantavakra were births of Jaya and Vijaya, who are the door-keepers of Lord Vishnu's loka, Vaikuntha. They were cursed by four sages (Sanatkumaras). They chose to be born as Rakshasas and enemies to Lord Vishnu to return to Vaikuntha faster, just in 3 births and not in 7, if they were born good. Ravana is respected by all Hindus as a scholar and even worshiped at places. Kumbhakarna who was not against Rama but fought because of his loyalty to his brother.

As for sects, some last, some don't, some move away (Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism). That is the way of the world. We have seen it all over thousands of years.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Not Asuras are totally evil, they get 'pride' of themselves and forget their duties to maintain the pride/group, and so do adharmas (duties which are not ordained to them) like humans.

At times even the heavenly Devas get fooled by Maya.