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2012 — The End of the World?

Greetings dear prabhus & of course please accept my humble obeisances.

Now there’s a movie ‘2012’ – and I suppose it’s one of those “…had to happen” things. My friends tell me the special-effects are AOK, however they are also telling me the storyline is simply pure nonsense. I managed to watch the previews, and there WAS one thing that got this reporter’s attention (mercifully for you, sans the beret & the airhorn).

Someone, some “voice” –whether it was purported to be the Voice of God or perhaps some God-inspired government or spiritual leader–stated something to the effect that the “end” of the world would be stopped if people simply pulled together and stopped fighting each another.

Apparently that statement and the circumstances surrounding it got peoples’ attention (at least in the movie it did); the movie of yore, ‘The Day The Earth Stood Still’ accomplished the very same thing, albeit the circumstances hadn’t deteriorated to the point of “proof-positive” in the movie ‘2012’ i.e., the collective karma of that year now washing ashore.

So, yeah, prabhus, we’ve got a little time-window here before the firestorms and other uspeakable horrors befall us at Kali’s end. However…many, perhaps all, of the doomsdayers/doomsayers either don’t know this, nor do many if not all of them even care to; for them it may be a case of 2012 being the “end-times to end all end-times”, and one may only surf the internet to read some of their takes on the matter: stockpile weapons, buy gold, plant seeds, yatta-datta–and as vaishnavas we know that completely misses the point. There is, however, a little grain of hope here amidst all the madness and assorted screwballs and fanatics with the “sheep vs the goats” theory (eternal heaven or eternal hell). That grain of hope is that at least some people seem to be getting a handle on an absolute truth of spiritual life: we do indeed reap what we sow–and if we want a better crop, we’ve gotta plant better seeds! So maybe the movie ‘2012’ will accomplish a bit of good–or more, if it gets people to start to think that maybe there’s a better way to live, and we just can’t keep pointing the finger of blame at the supposed bad guys without performing our own individual spiritual house-cleaning.

on a lighter note…Will Raj the wannabe pseudo-devotee with his flowery words check out this flick?

~ehhh…probably wait for it to come out on Blockbusters.

Be well & God bless, prabhus.

yus,

bhakta raj prabhu Das

» Posted By bhakta raj prabhu Das On January 7, 2010 @ 10:14 pm

Where Angels Fear to Tread

2/18/2009

Dear Prabhus,
PAMHO-AGTSP-AGTLJC-AGTAD-AGTHS

Oh yeah..the change thing.

First and foremost, my dear prabhus, I’ll state here that I hardly qualify for sage–or even devotee–status. I’m your typical joe-schmo, for heaven’s sake, a true–praise God–survivor of the ‘higher consciousness’ era of the 1960’s, and thank God I did survive it. And, yeah, I was one of those ‘part-time devotees’ who loved to come to Sunday Feast (prasad ki JAI), chant some rounds when I wasn’t caught up in other ‘priorities’, and so forth. So you’ve got the picture. That’s Bhakta Raj prabhu das..and I can only pray to God and Spiritual Master that at least in the years that followed I’ve made some progress and deflated at least some of my ego-gone-wild.

That having been said–and not in the mode of pretended humility, simply telling you honestly who I am–and who I pray I may one day become through The Lord’s grace–I’d like to comment briefly on the book changes, for that is our purpose in this blog. Although I was not–nor am I now–any authority on the Vedas..I’ve got to say that when I saw those changes start to take place–including so many other changes, it just devastated me. I’d long been struggling with some problems that I won’t elaborate on here, except to say they totally stopped what devotional service I was then able to muster together on a dime. However, with all the madness then going on in my life, at least I’d had something to hold my proverbial house-of-cards together. Now that seemed to be falling apart at the seams, and perhaps like many of us in those days, I simply didn’t know whether to turn left or to turn right. Srila Prabhupada gave us simple, easily-understandable writings (scripture and literature) to read, and for the life of me I couldn’t imagine why anyone would change even one word of it. One of favorite mini-booklets was ‘The Transcendental Teachings of Prahlada Maharaj’, and even that had been tampered with!

I think what I’m getting at is that perhaps Maya may be suggesting to me that well, Raj prabhu, what do you think gives you right to complain about any changes when you’re such a rascal? Thank you, Maya–and I don’t mean that sarcastically. I mean, what a gift to inspire me to get right to the very point I was clumsily trying to make! Sure, I’m a rascal! Sure I’m fallen! And that is all the more reason for a person in my status to have the real item to read! My God! I’m fighting for my spiritual life here–don’t now give me or any other devotee with spiritual issues something watered down to read; we need the real deal, do we not?

Be well & God bless.

your most unworthy servant,

Roger ‘Raj’ Leonard
(Bhakta Raj prabhu das)

“The ‘best’ religion is the religion
that teaches one to love God.”
**SUKADEVA GOSWAMI**

» Posted By Bhakta Raj prabhu das On February 19, 2009 @ 3:34 am

Did man really walk on the Moon ???

Hi Zoot!

Please accept my humble obeisances AND my apology for being such a Johhny-Come-Lately on this post and consequently replying to you.

I must disagree with your statement about aversion to loss of life becoming a standard with passage of time since the 60’s. Witness computer games such as ‘Grand Theft Auto’, and let’s not forget ‘Dungeons & Dragons’. And how may we EVER forget George Bush Senior’s “famous” statement about “collateral damage” when referring to human beings losing their lives in a war–an unjust war at that. I think the word aversion needs to be replaced with the word indifference–and practically speaking we’re able to witness this actually happening. Being a guy in my late 60’s FROM the 60’s I may tell you in all honesty that the young people of today hardly exude the compassion of yesteryear. What I see is a bunch of spoiled, self-indulgent and whiney yuppies who couldn’t care less who’s starving or who’s dying so long as they’re able to get their bottle of 10-year old Merlot’ & their Lexus.

Witness Roe vs Wade. Since that Supreme Court decision, some 34 million babies have been cruelly put to death in the womb by well-paid hit-men calling themselves doctors. 34 million! That’s almost 6 times as many human beings who were murdered in The Holocaust. And I’m sure the 34 million number has vastly increased.

The point is that life is losing its sacredness, that idea is being slowly taught to young people–and you better believe it’s a well-laid plan; so I don’t see aversion entering the picture here, quite the opposite is taking place.

Did they go/didn’t they go to the moon…my thinking is that they probably did not. And even from a material point of view: if they did in fact go to the moon or some celestial body, what in heaven’s name was their going supposed to have accomplished…other than we taxpayers who funded this light-show becoming brainwashed & enthused that, yes, they’ll do even greater things!

» Posted By bhakta raj prabhu Das On January 8, 2010 @ 12:36 am

Abortion. No–It’s A Child!!

Dear Ian,

I year ya loud & clear, prabhu. I’m a newbie on this chat thing, and I pray my comments didn’t wax as judgmental. Heaven knows I’ve got my own character defects to heal, and there’s a whole lot of ’em, trust me. I think what I was trying to get across was that as devotees we certainly should not sit in judgment of others, however our stand on pro-life is not to be watered down with compromise. And, yeah, my singer friend has come on quite strong in his lyrics. It would seem, I think for what my thinking is worth, that, yes, we are to be compassionate and not strictly legal-beagles as were the pharisees of biblical times. That doesn’t mean that the horror of abortion are to be soft-pedaled, and I mean that people need to get their OWN compassion ignited and wake up and see what is actually taking place when a fetus is aborted.

I’m aware of the fine work the Catholic Church is doing to help girls and women who had abortions and are now feeling guilty; and other denominations are pitching in as well. Praise be unto these loving and compassionate souls. And, yes Ian: we ALL need compassion. Want to hear my own horror story? –and maybe this will bring things into focus so you don’t feel I’m just another holy of holies guy: Back in the wild & crazy “drugs, sex, and rock & roll days” my then-wife became pregnant with a person who would have been our 2nd child; I say “person who…” and not “WHAT would have been…”
Bottom line is she badgered and badgered me into letting her have an abortion on the strength of my company insurance (which covered our family), and I finally gave in, even though I well-knew in my heart of hearts that this was wrong; I had just gotten weary of the constant arguing–like the neighbor in my other post, my wife simply would not let this matter go until she’d gotten her way–and finally she did; she wore me down until I gave the thing a nay–albeit with all the reluctance I had within.

Our marriage began to go downhill in leaps and bounds after she had the abortion, and finally it ended on a very sour note. Seeing that she and I were also hardcore drug addicts, as in heroin, our one child was raised in foster-care, and it’s only by Krishna’s mercy, understanding, and grace that 21 years ago I was able to overcome my intoxication habit and try to become some kind of parent to my kid. As for the abortion my then-wife had in 1972 (she left her body in 1997)…prabhu, I’m still in the process of trying to forgive myself and have the trust in God that He’s forgiven me. And I think this is the point you’re making prabhu: we’re all fallen, we’re all under Maya’s influence–and as Kali Yuga moves forward it’s only going to get worse.

All the more reason that we as devotees have to cultivate more compassion. The Lord cannot free us from the consequences of our actions, however He certainly can and will remove some if not all of our bad karma if we’re sincerely sorry for our behavior and do the best we can to demonstrate that in the actions we take moving forward. Helping others so-afflicted and sharing our own experiences on the matter of abortion (as I did with you) would be one way–devotional service at its finest.

yours in the spirit of devotional service, love for God, and all living entities.

brpD

» Posted By bhakta raj prabhu Das On January 14, 2010 @ 5:09 pm

Dear prabhus. Please accept my humble obeisances, all glories to Srila Prabhupada, all glories to Lord Jesus Christ and all Perfect Sons of God, all glories to assembled devotees, all glories to Harinam Sankirtan. Krishna! Let’s keep Harinam Sankirtan alive & well as it used to be…chill with the infighting at least for the time & let’s make a strong public showing as we did 30 years ago (can you believe it was THAT long ago?) People need to hear the Names of The Lord chanted publicly as was the prescription given by Lord Caitanya, and in fact my experience is when we do this, the favorite example being the world-famous Times Square, the folks walking by just love it! Prabhupada said “Even if you joke with us…Hare Krishna! Hare Krishna! — you take some benefit.”

Getting on to the abortion thing…Wanna know the real sad thing about this whole abortion issue?

The sad thing is people who at least strive to be just plain, generic decent “Joe”‘s & “Jane”‘s are being so brainwashed by the demons in power. I even heard someone say that if abortion is performed immediately when a woman realizes she’s pregnant (and that obviously would be one month after “unprotected” sexual intercourse) — it’s not really an abortion: it’s a procedure performed BEFORE it becomes an abortion. This is denial, and it’s amazing how people buy right into it, much as the term “collateral damage” was used by a former president when referring to the murder of thousands of human beings to dumb us down like war was some kind of video game.

An incident happened years ago, and perhaps it’ll bring this whole denial thing to the foreground: a neighbor of mine, with whom I’d developed a friendship and so then someone with whom I chatted from time to time had just came back from a Pro-Choice Rally. She remarked to me, “Raj, you’re pro-choice, of course.” “No, I’m not.” was my reply. “This is murder, plain and simple, and as a person raised in a religious home as you’ve told me you were, how can you not see that?” And I thought, well, that ends the matter. She feels like this/I feel like that, and no sense in going any further; I’d said what I felt Krishna would have me say to provide food for thought to my friend, thereby I did my duty to the best of my ability to so do.

Wrong.

My friend would not let GO of it! Even at my request to just end the discussion and respect each other’s viewpoint she wouldn’t let up. Finally I just threw up my hands and just offered the ol’ Bob Dylan one-liner of “you’re right from your side & I’m right from mine…” ’cause I could see that this just wasn’t gonna end on a peaceful note.

I guess the point I’m hoping to make, dear prabhus, is not that “Oh! Ain’t it awful! We’re such aspiring devotees & champions of doing the right thing and avoiding sinful activity–and these brainwashed sheeple need to snap out of the brainwashing put on them by the asuras!”

The point is that there’s a note of encouragement for all of us: more and more young people are beginning to realize that something in this society is very wrong–morally wrong, and slowly however surely they’re beginning to rally and demonstrate.

There’s a Conscious Hip-Hop singer (yes, there is such a thing as conscious and spiritual hip-hop) by the name of Seti-Amun-Ra-Jakada. He’s got a CD out, which may be gotten on the site “CDBaby”, and one of the songs is “Why’s My Mama Tryna Kill Me?” The song is about the horrors of abortion–and although Seti gets a little colorful in his language, still the point is strongly made. As the Vedas would posit, “Compromise and flattery have no place where sharp words are required.”

yerfren & us,

bhakta raj prabhu Das

» Posted By bhakta raj prabhu Das On January 14, 2010 @ 4:23 pm

ISKCON — The Sad Story. General Background Information

1/7/2010

Greetings dear prahbus, and of course please accept my humble obeisances.

I’m bhakta raj prabhu Das–please, just call me Raj.

What can I say, prabhus? ISKCON started out so beautifully–and got so damn ugly when Srila Prabhupada left us. In truth, it had started to deteriorate even before then…only we (then) young, idealistic kids of the 1960’s (ol’ Raj included)didn’t see trouble coming. Or perhaps we did, and just chose to ignore it: “Yes, there are a few guys who seem like bad news characters, however that’ll soon be healed; maybe they’ll even “come around”–or perhaps they’ll just leave and go do their own thing(s), thereby leaving the rest of us in peace to follow Srila Prabhupada’s teachings without all the crapola they threw in.

BTW: I’m an old “Henry Streeter”, and, yeah, if you younger devotees wanna hear the “Planet Henry Stories” (by installment)…feel free to ask Raj or any of the rest of us; place to do that’d be New York City’s famous Ratha Yatra, which culminates in Washington Square Park. Guarantee we old souls will be there. (Maybe we should set up our own booth? LOL)

I guess the tone of this email is rather sing-songy: 1/3 serious-1/3 sad-1/3 ha ha-mode. Maybe that’s the point: Sure ISKCON’s been through the wringer!
Sure many of us have been through the wringer as well! However, there’s a larger truth in the ether.

That truth would seem to be that Radha & Krishna are well-aware of our shortcomings, well-aware of our failures, well-aware of our self-doubts, and well-aware of our righteous indignation at what has taken place. And that’s just it in a nutshell: the very fact that we DO own all this stuff means that we are fine, decent, and caring souls, and we want to be agents for change. Really, isn’t that all God and Spiritual Master expect?

~as for the humor part of it…..please, let’s not take ourselves and life so seriously, prabhus. I do that at times, and then I’ve gotta catch myself and think Oh Raj Prabhu, just stop & be happy, willya?

» Posted By bhakta raj prabhu Das On January 7, 2010 @ 8:28 pm

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