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just-googling

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hoax108

Here is some food for thought from "The Imitation of Christ" which, by the way, is the second most read book by Christians, next to the bible:

[i:116761faa6]"The man who dwells in perfect peace suspects evil of noone. The man who is discontented and disgruntled has a heart filled with suspicion; he himself has no rest nor does he allow others to possess it."[/i:116761faa6]

Does this not describe FL?? A bona fide guru is the epitome of peace. Christ said (and I paraphrase because I don't have a bible with me at the moment), "Come rest with me for my yoke is easy and my burden light."

Yes, 108, this quote hits the nail on the head in the context of the FL's characteristics. :wink:

Selling his own remnants to his disciples who offered it to him in the first place is indeed a travesty. Actually it is almost comical. Liike a Monty Python movie. In fact it would make a great comedy script.

I agree the quote posted by hoax perfectly illustrates point. An actual devotee of Krishna does not really see anyone as his enemy. He only sees servants of God. Some who have forgotten and some who remember. He tries to remind them they are divine sparks of God. He does not continually humiliate and say his disciples are demons or unworthy. He fans the good and overlooks the bad. And he is expert at correcting the disciple using the utmost humility and kindness when doing so. FL has gotten many things very backwards.

Quotesman wrote:
"I agree the quote posted by hoax perfectly illustrates point. An actual devotee of Krishna does not really see anyone as his enemy. He only sees servants of God. Some who have forgotten and some who remember. He tries to remind them they are divine sparks of God. He does not continually humiliate and say his disciples are demons or unworthy. He fans the good and overlooks the bad. And he is expert at correcting the disciple using the utmost humility and kindness when doing so. FL has gotten many things very backwards."

We were taught that to receive a compliment would make us puffed up, and since the goal was to feel lower than the straw in the street, we were to see it as the Spiritual Master's mercy to make us feel like sh*t. Really it just made people really really depressed. I was fortunate not to receive any fines, because I knew in my heart that if I was told to pay a bunch of money for messing up, I would just go nuts, and get totally offensive. I mean, it isn't enough that people are struggling to live, paying rent and trying to eat, on whatever they can scrape together while doing 'service', but to think that it is assumed to be a reasonable 'lesson' to take money from those people who really cannot find it..i think that is just plain mean. It just means they wont eat for a week or so.

I like the philosophy of leadership that goes something like "don't ask people to do something you are not prepared to do yourself"

Yeh, Quotesman, you nailed it about FL getting things backwards.

ESPECIALLY in regard to fanning the good and overlooking the bad... This is definitely one of the biggest differences between ACB and FL ... ACB was constantly calling his followers pure devotees, whereas FL is constantly condemning them as *a**holes* . In this way, he is kind of nullifying his own purpose and his whole mission, as he is supposed to be creating pure devotees and taking souls back to Godhead, isn't he ???

REGARDING the Narayan Maharaj versus FL affair: I think the general feeling among FL's followers is that FL did not need books to get to where he is... After all, he was able to singlehandedly attain the *white light* and he was the ONLY guru who was fearless enough to smash through the *white light* (with his bare fists I might add*) and see the Personality of GOdhead face to face! Not only that, he is the only guru fearless enough to take on the *mafia*, the *Homosexuals* and the whole political machine, nay, the whole World...

A book-worm type of devotee is no match whatsoever to such a Fearless Leader!

* With his bare fists ~ remember the story of the young Chris breaking his car window with his bare fists after his Oriental girlfriend jilted him! *

REGARDING THE FINES: Yes, Terre, this was just PLAIN MEAN ... (very mean looking emoticon goes here!)

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yourmastertwo
Yes who could forget the good old days. Lots of acid, criusin for chicks, surf all day, no work.

I was there. First came acid, then meditation and acid then meditation andn chanting Hare Krishna and acid then just chanting hare krsna.

Chris was your basic Jesus/Paranoid/Martyr surf dude type who liked to surround himself with worshipers.

We called him Sai in the beginning. Said he got that name from Krishna directly while he was floating around the ocean of white light.

Later we were all swern to secrecy about that one, and a few other things

He wrote in the beginning 'Sai Speaks' and everyone would gather round him like he was the reincarnation of Jesus chanting Hare Krsna or something.

Then he joined ISKCON said to burn the books and destroy the tapes.

Looked like a profile change at that point.

I was out-a-there.

yourmastertwo

Found this post while reviewing the beginning of this thread.
Isn't it hilarious? Kinda puts things into perspective a little.

Terre - "feeling lower than the straw in the street" has to do
with humility. To me, humility means realizing that all your
gifts and blessings come from God. The opposite of humility
is pride. Proud people are vengeful and angry. Humble people
are empty of pride and therefore open to the word of God.

When we become humble, an awareness of our own sinfulness
makes us feel "lower than the straw in the street". A humble
person then has respect and compassion for everyone else
because he feels low and focuses on his own condition,
not on judging others through pride.

Therefore, the humble are the well-wishers of all. To say
that you cannot compliment someone to protect them from
getting "puffed-up" is getting in backasswards.

But this makes sense in SIF because the guru, IMHO, suffers
from pride and therefore this is a predominant consciousness
in the rest of the group.

HOLY SMOKE! ... Just watched a relevant movie called 'Holy Smoke'

The movie is about an Australian girl (!) who goes to India and joins a religious cult. Her family want her back and trick her into coming back to Australia by telling her that her father is dying. They get a deprogrammer from USA and most of the movie depicts the 3 days that the deprogrammer spends with the girl. They show the girl some documentary films about other tragic cults such as Jim Jones, David Koresh, etc. The movie, however, is not based on a true story, and is not very believable ... goes a bit haywire with lots of sexual connotations, nudity, and depticts how Australians are crazy people!!!!

---

On a lighter note, and in a request for more levity on this thread, here are some more movie recommendations:

Ha! The Gods Must Be Crazy III - not to be outdone by a coke bottle, they send down a skinny surfer dude to confuse and create havoc in the village of Sunset Beach! LOL!

Remember the movie Koyaanisqatsi - Life out of balance? [en.wikipedia.org]
How about "Koyaanisqatsiddha" - Life out of Balance! How one skinny surfer son of priveledge is worshipped like a god and rules like a mafia boss to put the lives of thousands of followers off balance and away from their true destinies!

[smiley emoticons go here!]

Another way we were misled was the FL’s take on Sarasvati Thakur, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur. Although the Thakur was a fierce preacher against all the discrepancies within Hinduism and he was not afraid to stand up against the status quo in India and put his life on the line. Not just hiding somewhere out of site, but the Thakur walked freely and preached freely without fear. At the same time he was like a gentle, kind father to his own followers. One of his disciples remembered how if he ever found out any of his householder followers were having a difficult time financially, he would try to arrange something for them. In other words he would get $$$$ to his struggling householder disciples. He bestowed many titles to many of his followers who he recognized understood the philosophy. This caused them to become more humble not puffed up. He called everyone Prabhu, master. He was such a kind and loving father like figure that many young men joined his movement due to his affectionate nature alone. Many young boys joined his movement and remained in his mission their entire lives. There is the story of one young man who moved into the mission. His father came to bring him home. When that failed the father brought all the close relatives to the mission to get his son. Before it was over Sarasvati Thakur converted the whole family and then the entire village the family hailed from. That was due to his kind nature that everyone perceived.
But to those who misrepresented the philosophy of Mahaprabhu of course Sarasvati Thakur was like a ferocious lion. I really do wonder what he would have to say about the Fearless Leader.

ACBS was not actually the first of Sarasvati Thakurs followers to make disciples in the west. Bon Maharjaa went to Europe and made the first western followers. Of course he did not have the great success that ACBS had. But he did return with two western followers. The story goes that these two fellows came to the mission and Sarasvati Thakur treated them with great respect. At one point they both went on the roof and began bathing in the water tank that supplies the whole ashram. The disciples of Sarasvati Thakur became upset and wanted to chastise them but the Thakur told his followers something like, ‘if this is what they are accustomed to then we should provide them a place, so they do not use the ashram tank, until them let them do as they like.” Can you imagine what would happen if a new follower of FL did something like that? They would probably be fined a million bucks and then sent to Siberia.

Was the Thakur into politics? Not at all. He did his best to influence everyone towards Krishna and he did go out of his way to facilitate the leaders of society of the day. He entertained many politicians at his mission. His mentality was try to convert those at the top, don’t try to fight them or give them a reason to hate the movement of Mahaprabhu. At that time Bengal was one of the most powerful states on earth and the Thakur entertained the governor of Bengal and all important members of the government. He even had meat served at these functions, cooked and catered from outside and served by his own followers hands. All this just to try to influence the government in a positive way toward the philosophy of Mahaprabhu which is a philosophy of utmost tolerance and humility.

Los Angeles
15 June, 1972
72-06-15
Laguna Beach

My Dear Siddha Svarupananda,

Please accept my blessings. Just now I am in receipt of some pamphlets and one booklet entitled ``Sai Speaks'', so I see so many discrepancies from our line of action in devotional service. I do not know if you are again acting upon your old principles on the guise of becoming a Sannyasi from our disciplic succession. This cannot be allowed. If you are sincere to our line of action, please come here to Los Angeles and live with me for some time. If not, then you can disclose your mind frankly what you want to do. I cannot allow you to do all these things which are completely detrimental to our line of disciplic succession.

I shall be glad if you come here to stay with me, so I shall expect your reply one way or the other. Meanwhile hoping this will meet you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
ACBS/sda







During his massage, which he took downstairs on his veranda, Prabhupada glanced across the fields toward the gosala. "So our Siddha Svarupa and Sudama Vipra like to stay at the banana plantation?" he asked.

I took his enquiry as a prompt to ask some questions of my own. I wanted to hear Prabhupada's response to some specific points of contention between Siddha Svarupa's followers and our ISKCON devotees. "Srila Prabhupada, when Siddha Svarupa first surrendered ..."

Prabhupada cut me off. "He never surrendered! " Then he chuckled. Seeing my surprised look, he explained that they had come and made some offering of men and assets. Therefore he was trying to engage them in devotional service.

I asked whether our devotees should read Siddha Svarupa's books, because ISKCON devotees have been told that they are not bona fide.

Prabhupada laughed and replied good humoredly. "We don't take notice of what they say. We just take their money!" (this is an obvious joke and swipe at the FL, do not think it was just about ACBS collecting money).

Although between his disciples there seem to be major differences preventing cooperative action, Prabhupada smilingly gave his own perspective on the two camps. "Of course I have affection for them. I don't send them away, and they are coming to see me. Just like there may be so many animals; some are a little fiercer than others." He also pointed out that they are coming to us, not us to them. Prabhupada always refers to ISKCON as "us." He said that there are differences, just as there are between him and his own Godbrothers, but that we share a common platform of chanting Hare Krsna and taking prasadam.

I mentioned that in New Zealand our men discouraged Siddha Svarupa's people from visiting the temple. But Prabhupada said, "Why? They can come. Our centers are only for this purpose -- to chant Hare Krsna and take prasadam. Gradually they will come to sense."

- From the "A Transcendental Diary Vol 1" by HG Hari Sauri dasa

"Gradually they will come to sense." ASBS, re quoted for emphasis.

Of course this was ACBS wishful thinking. His kind nature was that he accepted practically anyone, even wild animals. Of course many see this as a fault. Sometimes it is said the acharaya overlooks fault to a fault, he shows compassion to a fault and tolerance to a fault. If these are faults then yes the bona-fide acharya has all of them.

Quote
just-googling
Remember the movie Koyaanisqatsi - Life out of balance? [en.wikipedia.org]
How about "Koyaanisqatsiddha" - Life out of Balance! How one skinny surfer son of priveledge is worshipped like a god and rules like a mafia boss to put the lives of thousands of followers off balance and away from their true destinies!

[smiley emoticons go here!]

I remember that unpronouncable movie!!
I saw it at the movie theatre down the street from the Honolulu Down to Earth store!
At the time I still thought FL was trying to "make the world a better place".
Okay, so I was wrong...

Koyaanasqatsiddha! Too hilarious Goog -- Thanks for the humor.

Just getting used to the new forum tricks here... miss the emoticons!

Come on, folks, there are hundreds of people viewing this thread every day ...
how come no-one else wants to make any comments, or give any info?

We seem to have approached this subject from every angle possible, and we may have run out of things to say, maybe?

Here's another angle that can be looked into, though:

It amazes me that $iddha and his flock are openly supporting the Bush administration and the military machine...

Are they aware that there are 132 Deep Underground Military Bases (DUMB) in the USA, where it is reported that some evil and hellish things are taking place???

Type in "Deep Underground Military Base" into YouTube and see what some of these people have to say... may sound like science fiction, but do your homework and open your mind ... Myself, I can believe it ... Some of the people who have worked in these facilities have come forward and blown the whistle, only to be murdered by the CIA ... as these things are labeled as "ultra top secret" ...

One doctor, Dr. Deagle, stated that the level of evil is beyond imagination ...

BTW, This same doctor also states that the Avian Flu is a serious and real threat, and is capable of wiping out several billion people off the face of the earth ... (so $iddha may have been correct on this one, after all... time will tell, I suppose... maybe $id is himself one of the 'illuminati' after all (laughing hilariously emoticon goes here!) ....

When I was a kid, we were taught that hell was deep under the ground ... supposedly some of these underground bases go 4 miles down and are like the size of a small city ... maybe something is brewing in the USA (or the world) and the people are not being told the truth??? But the good old internet and YouTube are allowing the truth to trickle out to those who will believe it??? But some of these things are so fantastic that these whistle-blowers and believers will just get labeled as 'crackpots' ???

BTW, This incredible doctor also stated that the Avian Flu was created by the powers that be in order to cut down the population of the earth, and good ol' $id tells us to 'vote for Bush' ???? No thanks, $id, I think not.

Somehow, being an ultra right wing neo conservative does not jive with my spiritual beliefs.

[Utterly amazed emoticon goes here]