Leaving with a little food for thought...

[Viraja]

Sorry friends,

Having been an observer here in this forum for a short while that I reactivated my membership here, I am given to the conclusion that I am either unwelcome here or unsuitable for its current member pool.

1. After posting my 'Re-entering' thread, there was a sudden drop in forum participation and absolute silence for a whole week. I noticed this was rather unusual for this forum.

2. In several other threads I participated in, in the following week, there has been no reply, specifically for my posts.

I don't know what is behind the scenes, but anyways, I bid farewell to JaiNarayan yesterday and owing to the reason some of you are replying to my thread 'Vaishnava deities...', I consider it a courtesy to extend this note and then take a leave.

I thank Vinayaka ji, Aupmanyav ji, Terese, YmirGF, Jainarayan and several others who were receptive of me. Your kindness will be returned back, for sure, if we were to meet again somewhere/anywhere, anytime in future.

Now to my conclusive spiritual thought:

Spirituality is not defined by specific color, or temperament or way of life.... it can be found in rather unusual places.

Consider the following conversation extended by someone considered "impure" (perhaps a Strip club owner) to an ordinary woman versus. the same conversation extended by a "monk" to a stripper:

"Earlier I used to think that I had a way with how I can tell people for who they are..."

"But now considering you, I have second thoughts...."

Would you call it progressive, or regressive, given each scenario?

***

Thank you very much for your time and patience with me! Adios.

 

[Vinayaka]

Vannakkam: I think all forums have their highs and lows, and the Hindu DIR is one of them. Some time back I left for an entire year, partly because I wanted to convince myself I wasn't attached to this place, part an exercise in will, like fasting, but also partly because of the sentiments you're expressing.

I know my traditionalist view really rubbed some people the wrong way, and still does. But you know, in the end, if a person can't handle a particular POV, the rules of the forum, one cannot take that responsibility on yourself. When a person gets offended merely by someone stating a belief, well, sorry but that's on them. You have the right to state your belief without feeling you're going to offend stangers on the internet.

Best wishes.

Aum Namasivaya

 

[Aupmanyav]

Stay on. Don't be so touchy. A forum will have all kinds of people and all kinds of views.

 

[DeviChaaya]

Please stay. We all have our differences; sometimes the forum gets very quiet (and then I hassle everyone to make noise) and sometimes it is voice loud. Sometimes I post regularly, other times there are gaps of months between my interactions but I'm still here, I still enjoy reading all the posts, I just have nothing to add at the time.

I enjoy reading your perspectives, @Viraja

 

[sayak83]

Sorry friends,

Having been an observer here in this forum for a short while that I reactivated my membership here, I am given to the conclusion that I am either unwelcome here or unsuitable for its current member pool.

1. After posting my 'Re-entering' thread, there was a sudden drop in forum participation and absolute silence for a whole week. I noticed this was rather unusual for this forum.

2. In several other threads I participated in, in the following week, there has been no reply, specifically for my posts.

I don't know what is behind the scenes, but anyways, I bid farewell to JaiNarayan yesterday and owing to the reason some of you are replying to my thread 'Vaishnava deities...', I consider it a courtesy to extend this note and then take a leave.

I thank Vinayaka ji, Aupmanyav ji, Terese, YmirGF, Jainarayan and several others who were receptive of me. Your kindness will be returned back, for sure, if we were to meet again somewhere/anywhere, anytime in future.

Now to my conclusive spiritual thought:

Spirituality is not defined by specific color, or temperament or way of life.... it can be found in rather unusual places.

Consider the following conversation extended by someone considered "impure" (perhaps a Strip club owner) to an ordinary woman versus. the same conversation extended by a "monk" to a stripper:

"Earlier I used to think that I had a way with how I can tell people for who they are..."

"But now considering you, I have second thoughts...."

Would you call it progressive, or regressive, given each scenario?

***

Thank you very much for your time and patience with me! Adios.

Hi Viraja,
Sometimes there are bouts of inactivity in the DIR forums. I myself have not posted much here recently. Sometimes threads have things about which I do not know much, at other times I simply feel content and quiet. It may be the same for others as well. Hope you stay on.

Regarding your question. Certainly profession is no bar for spiritual practice, unless you are a hired assassin or something.

 

[Shantanu]

Sorry friends,

Having been an observer here in this forum for a short while that I reactivated my membership here, I am given to the conclusion that I am either unwelcome here or unsuitable for its current member pool.

1. After posting my 'Re-entering' thread, there was a sudden drop in forum participation and absolute silence for a whole week. I noticed this was rather unusual for this forum.

2. In several other threads I participated in, in the following week, there has been no reply, specifically for my posts.

I don't know what is behind the scenes, but anyways, I bid farewell to JaiNarayan yesterday and owing to the reason some of you are replying to my thread 'Vaishnava deities...', I consider it a courtesy to extend this note and then take a leave.

I thank Vinayaka ji, Aupmanyav ji, Terese, YmirGF, Jainarayan and several others who were receptive of me. Your kindness will be returned back, for sure, if we were to meet again somewhere/anywhere, anytime in future.

Now to my conclusive spiritual thought:

Spirituality is not defined by specific color, or temperament or way of life.... it can be found in rather unusual places.

Consider the following conversation extended by someone considered "impure" (perhaps a Strip club owner) to an ordinary woman versus. the same conversation extended by a "monk" to a stripper:

"Earlier I used to think that I had a way with how I can tell people for who they are..."

"But now considering you, I have second thoughts...."

Would you call it progressive, or regressive, given each scenario?

***

Thank you very much for your time and patience with me! Adios.

It takes time to get to understand the questions and the remarks that people post, so you are being read but not replied to. Please be patient and stick with us here in this forum.

 

[Nyingjé Tso]

Vanakkam

Please, do not take everything as a criticism toward you, sister. As others said, it happens that there are some times ofsilence before some times of activities. I've been away some times myself and it wasn't against you. Life happens outside and we all have to deal with it.

I am very happy to see you back even if I couldn't greet you properly when you arrived. Your presence is welcome here, so please stay if you want it

Aum Namah Shivaya

 

[Viraja]

Thank you so much, Shantanu, Jayabholenath, Aup ji, Vinayaka ji, Sayak83, DeviChaaya,

Since you extended such a warm regard, I have decided to stay!

As such, I have a thriving facebook page with 650+ members. My passtime is taken up largely there. The only negative being, my FB friends aren't the spiritual kind (majority), and FB is not the medium for involving spiritual discussions. That is why, this forum.

I will stay and look forward to interacting with you, although sparingly. Like DeviChaaya says, I'm not a scholar to offer much of my opinions, just a learner.

Thank you! So nice of you all... <3

 

[Viraja]

Hi Viraja,
Regarding your question. Certainly profession is no bar for spiritual practice, unless you are a hired assassin or something.

Ha ha... Agreed. What I tried to convey is that, we should all train our minds to recognize the spiritual potential, which is very hard to put to practice, because our vision is more than likely colored by our biases.

 

[sayak83]

Ha ha... Agreed. What I tried to convey is that, we should all train our minds to recognize the spiritual potential, which is very hard to put to practice, because our vision is more than likely colored by our biases.

Buddha said something that might be relevant.

"A lay follower should not engage in five types of business. Which five? Business in weapons, business in human beings, business in meat, business in intoxicants, and business in poison."

Buddhists are a bit more puritanical in this regard. But thought a contrasting idea would be a good discussion point.

 

[Jainarayan]

It takes time to get to understand the questions and the remarks that people post, so you are being read but not replied to.

I was going to say similar. Sometimes people don't have an answer. In that case one should check the Views that are next to the topic. That means it's at least being read.

 

[Jainarayan]

Since you extended such a warm regard, I have decided to stay!

Good!

I myself disappear from time to time, even slacking off staff duties. Lately my time is taken up with work. I no longer have the seclusion (I was in a rather low-traffic area of the cube farm, now I am virtually on public display) or freedom at work that I once had to spend time on the internet. So, it happens.

 

[Viraja]

Buddha said something that might be relevant.

"A lay follower should not engage in five types of business. Which five? Business in weapons, business in human beings, business in meat, business in intoxicants, and business in poison."

Buddhists are a bit more puritanical in this regard. But thought a contrasting idea would be a good discussion point.

That is correct. They are not trust-worthy but the point I made is about earning their trust.

 

[Shantanu]

Buddha said something that might be relevant.

"A lay follower should not engage in five types of business. Which five? Business in weapons, business in human beings, business in meat, business in intoxicants, and business in poison."

Buddhists are a bit more puritanical in this regard. But thought a contrasting idea would be a good discussion point.

I think doing a job to earn money to live on in order to survive requires one to not have dos and donts except for not actually physically harming another person or an animal or plant for that matter.

 

[Kapalika]

I rarely post anything these days on the forums, but that doesn't mean I'm not reading anything. I tend to read a few topics at least once or twice a week, even if I'm not posting anything. Anyways the more the merrier. I look forward to reading more of your posts. It's always good to have more perspectives.

 

[Aupmanyav]

"A lay follower should not engage in five types of business. Which five? Business in weapons, business in human beings, business in meat, business in intoxicants, and business in poison."

Would Buddha have allowed kababs and beer to an otherwise 'dhamma' following person. I think he might have - middle path. Though I do not know for sure.

 

[ShivaFan]

WHAT!!!

You cannot leave! You are a devotee of Krishna and Jagannath and I cannot post on ANY Hindu forum unless there is at least ONE devotee of Krishna! I refuse to post unless the Golden Avatar is smiling via His devotee, so PLEASE do not leave!

By the way, the Supreme Deity of the region where I live in the San Francisco Bay Area is Lord Jagannath. And I have personal relationship with Jagannath and I can tell you he does not want you to leave, never. Also in the immediate area where I live, the zone is controlled by Durga Devi manifestation, and She also said you must NOT leave. I am a great devotee of Durga and you cannot deny a devotee their humble request, especially if the same devotee loves Krishna. So let me remind you:

Keeping Vasudeva and Devaki chained in the prison cell; Kamsa mercilessly killed every one of their seven sons as soon as they were born. The prophecy stated that the eighth child of Devaki would kill Kamsa, but being overcome with fear, he killed them all. On the night that the eighth child was born the inhabitants of the house, especially the watchmen, heard the crying newborn child. Kamsa immediately got up from bed thinking that the cause of his death had come. His hair scattered on his head, he quickly approached the place the child had been born. Devaki begged her brother Kamsa to spare her baby girl. She appealed to him that it would be unworthy of him to kill a girl. Piteously embracing her daughter and crying, Devaki begged him to let her keep the child. Kamsa ignored her pleas and snatched the child from her hands. Kamsa grasped the child by the legs and tried to dash her against a stone. At that moment the child slipped upward from his hands and appeared before them as the goddess Durga with eight arms. Durga Devi said: "O Kamsa, you fool, what will be the use of killing me? The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who has been your enemy from the very beginning and who will certainly kill you, has already taken His birth somewhere else. Therefore, do not unnecessarily kill other children."

-Excerpt from Srimad-Bhagavatam, 10.4.13

Now, I have not been posting on this forum very much of late, but that is because I am very, very, very busy organizing my retirement, paperwork for the retirement, paying my CFP and Financial advisors with things such as (don't laugh) insurance and xfers from 401k to IRAs yadda yadda yadda - sort of boring stuff but I am VERY VERY busy! But not so busy not to respond and BEG YOU PLEASE do NOT Leave this crazy Shaiva-Shakta crazy Hindu without a KRISHNA devotee to seek help from!

 

[ShivaFan]

I wrote this poem for you. If you read it, you cannot leave. It is a secret trick. Tricks are very important. They are also sort of fun if they are colored in Krishna.

It wasn't so long Ago

I heard devotees call the Names
But I turned away
And headed on to my death
Towards the Palisade
I will be safe, so I thought
Behind this wall of shame
But from afar I still could hear
The distant call of Names

I lay down not so sure
If ever I'd awake
My eyes closed but from far away
I heard the Holy Names
Devotees from a distant past
And those of today
Looked at me as I would fade
In and out a serenade
I dreamed I heard them say:

"We only want to share the Smile"
"A song is how we Pray"
"So come along you funny fool"
"All to gain, nothing to lose"
"Nothing to lose, and all to gain"
"A child of the Holy Names"

A feeling of deja vue
I remember You
The Boy in Blue
The Days so Fun
The Love so Bright
When all was Young
My legs were strong
I even danced
I even knew
That happiness
I miss you so
Hari, Hari, Hari Bol
Spirit soul and, how I miss you
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna
And, I am so very sorry
Krishna, Krishna, Hare, Hare
When my true life began
Hare Rama, Hare Ram
When my colors turned to glory
Rama, Rama, Hare, Hare
You invite this corpse so lonely?
Yet you still call me "Devotee"?
Time is a moment easy to miss
What time is it in endless bliss?
When a minute was a million years
Separation yet such happy tears
Can I rise and heed your call?
So much din and confusion
In the pale of my illusions
I almost forgot the easy solution
Hari Bol Spirit Soul
It wasn't so long Ago

 

[Viraja]

What a sweet message, ShivaFan ji! And for your lovely poem....

Pl. read the posts above... I'm not leaving. I only don't want to be too chatty and take away the quiet, observant, and silent charm of this forum, it feels as if 'stealing the show' all for myself if I did.

I have tell you a small news... I'm still a SriVaishnava, however, I have grown great, great liking for Murugan, Vinayaka and of course, Shivam. While Lakshmi and Narayana are my parents, Murugan is my beloved friend, Shiva is my own elder brother, and Ganesha is my guru! Howz that!

 

[Jainarayan]

Howz that!

Sounds perfectly fine, and not uncommon I think.