Re: Descriptions of Ghosts

Dear Jagannatha Gauranga dasa, Nityaananda! Gauraanga! Hare Krishna! This verse talks about the superiority and subtlety of the constitution of the material body in ascending order not necessarily the quality of life the soul has to experience in those bodies. It is true that the ghost body is subtler than the human body and that is why it is ranked higher in this verse. But surely there is much more pain to be experienced in the ghost body than the human form because the ghost cannot perform even the basic human activities like eating, sleeping etc. and has to forcibly occupy another human body to do that. Thank you for this nice observation and question.

Daaso'smi, BR Sadhu Swami Gaurangapada.

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Re: Descriptions of Ghosts

Nityananda! Gauranga! Hare Krishna!
Dandavats and obeissances.

Thanks for the reply. Here is the quote from the Bhagavatam that I was talking about. Please explain the meaning.

"Of the two energies manifest [spirit and dull matter], beings possessing living force [vegetables, grass, trees and plants] are superior to dull matter [stone, earth, etc.]. Superior to nonmoving plants and vegetables are worms and snakes, which can move. Superior to worms and snakes are animals that have developed intelligence. Superior to animals are human beings, and superior to human beings are ghosts because they have no material bodies. Superior to ghosts are the Gandharvas, and superior to them are the Siddhas. Superior to the Siddhas are the Kinnaras, and superior to them are the asuras. Superior to the asuras are the demigods, and of the demigods, Indra, the King of heaven, is supreme. Superior to Indra are the direct sons of Lord Brahma, sons like King Daksa, and supreme among Brahma's sons is Lord Siva. Since Lord Siva is the son of Lord Brahma, Brahma is considered superior, but Brahma is also subordinate to Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Because I am inclined to the brahmanas, the brahmanas are best of all."

Srimad-Bhagavatam 5:15:21-22

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Re: Descriptions of Pretas or Ghosts from Garuda Purana

Nityaananda! Gauraanga! Hare Krishna! The soul is forced to occupy a ghost body immediately after death due to the extreme attachment with the material body which is now dead. Due to this extreme attachment and untimely death, the conditioned soul which is enveloped by the subtle body of mind, inteliigence and false ego, is not even ready to go and suffer in hell for the misdeeds. Thus, it enters into a ghost body first. After sufficiently experiencing the suffering of the ghost body, the soul then enters the hellish planets to suffer further for one's misdeeds which were committed when the soul was embodied in a gross human body. Ghosts are not higher than human beings. It is a condition lower than even the condition in the hellish planets in some ways.

Daaso'smi, BR Sadhu Swami Gaurangapada.

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Re: The Vedic Perspective on War

Nityaananda! Gauraanga! Hare Krishna! Maya is always waiting to tempt some of them to go ahead and use their nuclear weapons one day and kill millions of innocent people and put an end to their own scientific advancement. Killing of innocent people in an adharmic political war results in unimaginable tremendous karma for those who sanction that war and even for the otherwise innocent people in the whole country who elected those people who sanctioned the war. Because according to the Vedas, it is the duty and responsibility of the people  to elect a spiritually knowledgable leader who knows the difference between a dharmic and an adharmic war.

Unfortunately, nowadays spiritual insight is not a qualification to become a leader. In fact it is considered a disqualification, because the people themselves have no spiritual knowledge or inclination to live their lives according to the Vedic scriptures. They do not desire to minimize their karmic reactions and ensure a good future after death because they do not believe in transmigration, life after death and the soul. Those who will be directly responsible to kill innocent people, will have to die in the same painful way in their next lives for the same number of times as the number of innocent people who are killed.

Of course, according to the laws of karma, no one is actually innocent and one has to simply suffer the results of one's past karma at the hands of others who will also suffer later for inflicting this suffering on those were destined to suffer. The only means to get out of this vicious cycle of karma is the chanting of Nityaananda, Gauraanga, and, Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Raama Hare Raama Raama Raama Hare Hare.

Daaso'smi, BR Sadhu Swami Gaurangapada.

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Re: Days for Abstinence

Nityananda Gauranga Hare Krishna!

Dear Swamiji and devotees,

I like to add a few openhearted words about sex and masturbation in particular. This is a problem not much addressed and talked about under devotees and I know quite a lot of aspiring devotees who have discussed this problem privately with me. Following are some of my general reflections.

Sex between a man and a woman in order to create a child to be raised as a devotee of the Lord is absolutely sacred and beautiful. As a matter in fact Lord Gauranga Krishna says about such a union between man and woman: 'I am that sex'. But sex to gratify our lusty desires has nothing to do with this sacred sex and turns out to be a dangerous blockage on our devotional path. Not only brahmacharies struggle with lusty desires; it is a problem experienced by the devotees in all ashramas.

When we give in to our lusty desires and have sex without the above described intention we call it 'illicit sex'. Evert single time we satisfy our lusty desires is as fuel on the fire. Gratification of sex desire awakens more sex desire every single time. It is very addictive and as soon as you give into the addiction it becomes harder to stop. It is like alcoholism and drug addiction; you have to stop it altogether because every sip of liquor or taste of the drug bears the tremendous danger of falling back into the addiction with even more force than before.

Many have asked me over time how we can get our lusty desires under control. There is no straight answer to this, at least not in general, since every individual needs a personalized approach. Of course when we bath in the ocean of Love for Lord Gaura Krishna lusty sexual desires would not even arise in the mind. Being absorbed 24 hours in the service of the Lord is the safest place to be. The rise of lusty desires comes when we are not engaged in the Lord and somehow we think we are the enjoyer. Everything, the whole creation, is there for the pleasure of Lord Gauranga Krishna.

Now let us have a closer look at what those lusty desires actually are and what we are doing when we are giving in to them. I like to talk in particular about masturbation. You will be shocked and you should be! The following is described from a boy’s point of view but can be easily reversed and read in the she-form as well. Mostly I ask boys of what they are thinking when they are masturbating. In most cases it is a woman they think of. What kind of woman do they think of? Mostly it is a woman they know. It is either a student at their school or university, a woman in the neighborhood, an idol or celebrity. But in most cases it is a woman they physically know. Then the next question is does the woman in question approve that you fantasize about her when you masturbate? Did you ask her? Most answer no. Masturbating on a woman who does not willingly comply with your act means that you are virtually raping her! Think about this deeply. There is even a subtle vibration that transmits to the woman in question that disturbs her normal functioning. Therefore sex models in magazines and films (many men fantasize about them) experience so many problems on so many levels.

This goes even further. The Lord knows everything you do, every breath you take. So masturbating on a woman in our fantasy is somewhat similar to "raping her while the Lord is watching you doing it". When you remember this it is impossible to masturbate and your lusty desires are checked instantly. I know it is a terrible graphic but the truth has to be spoken. Most students at this point say that knowing this makes it impossible to masturbate anymore.

There is an extra question. When you would know that you would die right after your next orgasm, would you avoid having one? Yes is always the answer. Then the ultimate question: would you rather die or know that you are raping someone while God is watching you?

Sometimes things have to be forcefully brought into perspective to be understood on the core level. I apologize when your stomach turned while reading this. Every time when we have illicit sex is fuel on the fire, a terrible fire that keeps us separated from the Lord. It NEVER brings us closer to the Lord and it ALWAYS brings us further away from Lord Gauranga Krishna. Therefore I call upon all the sincere devotees to keep up the highest standards of our guru parampara and see every day as a Holy Day of the Lord and to always stay engaged in the unlimited nectar of His Holy Names. Whenever you sincerely call upon the Lord, He will surely respond and all lusty desires will melt away as snow for the sun. Guaranteed!

Your aspiring servant,

Hadai Nityananda dasa

Nityananda Gauranga Hare Krishna!

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Re: The Vedic Perspective on War

Nityananda! Gauranga! Hare Krishna!
Dandavats and obeissances respected Guruji and Vaisnavas.

It is fitting that you have brought up the subject of war, dear Gaurangapada. This world is seemingly on the verge of massive chaos. At least this is what the "leaders" of the world are hoping for. Very soon we could be entrenched in a war with many countries involved. As I said many the plans are already laid out for this to happen. Don't be suprised at anything that happens within the next year or so, especially in the United States. Now would be an ideal time to really take shelter of the Lord and the Vaisnavas.

What happens if one has to fight in adharmic political war? Won't he be punished for all the killings he committs even though he has seemingly no choice? What if one is commanded to kill innocent civilians?

Sincerely
Jagannatha Gauranga dasa

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Re: Descriptions of Pretas or Ghosts from Garuda Purana

Nityananada! Gauranga! Hare Krishna!
Dandavats and obeissances respected Guruji and Vaisnavas.

I was wondering, since ghosts were such sinful beings, why did they not go to hell and suffer for some time? Why did they get to become a ghost immediately and not go to hell first?

Also it is stated in the Gita or Bhagavatam that ghosts are considered higher than human beings because they have no body, at least that is the English translation. Surely they can't be talking about these harmful pretas and such who are always hungry and distressed?

Sincerely
Jaganntha Gauranga dasa

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