Different types of theism?

In the previous post modus operandi I quoted from the Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 11 a description of the various qualities that influences material nature.

Later in the chapter Krishna even describes religion in the different modes of nature! Here it is:

Theism in Goodness: Any person, whether man or woman, who worships Me with loving devotion, offering his or her prescribed duties unto Me without material attachment, is understood to be situated in goodness.

Theism in Passion: When a person worships Me by his prescribed duties with the hope of gaining material benefit, his nature should be understood to be in passion

Theism in Ignorance: One who worships Me with the desire to commit violence against others is in ignorance.

Unfortunately, these days theism in the mode of ignorance is getting a great deal of press and attention. But, at least in the United States of America, the mood of passion seems to be the more popular conception of theism e.g. "Please God give us our daily bread". It is certainly the type of theism that Americans have been historically inclined to practice. As time progresses if the community can find other ways of getting "our daily bread" then theism is easily cast aside.

Srimad Bhagavatam states that theism exists in its purest and highest sense if the practitioner's approach to God is in the mood of a sincere desire to simply please God. The great saint Prahlad Maharaja has said that any other type of theism should be described as doing business with God or Krishna. Business relationships are by there very nature not based on love. Love is by nature selfless. Love of the supremely attractive Lord is the only thing that will really satisfy the self. The Srimad Bhagavatam explains that such relationship with the lord must be unmotivated to satisfy the self. The Srimad Bhagavatam explains this type of theism in more detail in this wonderful chapter. Give it a read!

Maybe we could try that out for a while!

Aindra and the grassroots sankirtana movement

One evening in Mayapur in 2009 I remember Aindra made a statement that made an impression on me. He said that this sankirtan movement was a grassroots movement. He said that it is through the grassroots methods that the absolutely auspicious activity of sankirtan will spread. Below I have shown from the Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita what the desire of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is in regards to the spreading of sankirtan. Also I have copied wikipedia's description of a "grassroots" movement. This description could certainly be translated to fit the sankirtan grassroots movement. Perhaps we could even change the name to the mangoe tree movement!

Sri Chaitanya Prabhu said:

"It would certainly be a very laborious task to pick the fruits and distribute them alone, and still I suspect that some would receive them and others would not.Therefore I order every man within this universe to accept this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and distribute it everywhere...Distribute this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement all over the world. Let people eat these fruits and ultimately become free from old age and death. If the fruits are distributed all over the world... all people will glorify My name (Hare Krishna...a name of God) with great pleasure...It is the duty of every living being to perform welfare activities for the benefit of others with his life, wealth, intelligence and words. By his work, thoughts and words, an intelligent man must perform actions which will be beneficial for all living entities in this life and the next. I am merely a gardener. I have neither a kingdom nor very great riches. I simply have some fruits and flowers that I wish to utilize to achieve piety in My life. Although I am acting as a gardener, I also want to be the tree, for thus I can bestow benefit upon all. Just see how these trees are maintaining every living entity! Their birth is successful. Their behavior is just like that of great personalities, for anyone who asks anything from a tree never goes away disappointed.'"

(a note...this is Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who is the Supreme Lord taking the role of a devotee of the Lord...this role as a devotee is one reason why he expresses his inability to spread everywhere His name. Another reason He states this is so that we can gain an opportunity to take part. That is called mercy)

The descendants of the tree [the devotees of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu] were very glad to receive this order directly from the Lord. The fruit of love of God is so delicious that wherever a devotee distributes it, those who relish the fruit, anywhere in the world, immediately become intoxicated.

So Aindra's encourages us to push forward this mission in the mood in the format of a grassroots mission:

Grassroots

A grassroots movement is one driven by the politics of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures. Grassroots movements are often at the local level, as many volunteers in the community give their time to support the local party, which can lead to helping the national party. For instance, a grassroots movement can lead to significant voter registration for a political party, which in turn helps the state and national parties.

Technique

Grassroots movements organize and lobby through procedures including:

• hosting house meetings or parties
• having larger meetings
• putting up posters
• talking with pedestrians on the street (often involving informational clipboards)
• gathering signatures for petitions
• mobilizing letter-writing, phone-calling, and emailing campaigns
• setting up information tables
• raising money from many small donors for political advertising or campaigns
• organizing large demonstrations
• asking individuals to submit opinions to media outlets and government officials
• holding get out the vote activities, which include the practices of reminding people to vote and transporting them to polling places.
• using online social networks to organize virtual communities
• 
  

Modus operandi

Too often when people speak of "scripture" the images of flimsy belief systems, outdated stories or conduits of damnation are conveyed. It is the belief of many that scripture is absolutely opposed to anything practical. I hypothesize that this is not the case and that if we experiment with some scriptural quotations from the Srimad Bhagavatam we will observe some beneficial results. I will leave the conclusion up to you.

Below is a description of the different qualities that manifest in material nature. For all of you relativists out there I am sorry to say that some are indeed labeled good and some are labeled bad.

The qualities are placed into three catagories: goodness, passion and ignorance. We can endlessly discuss all of these qualities and their applications into daily life, but here we will just list the qualities. If I may, I will also suggest that throughout the day you observe your actions and thoughts in light of these descriptions.

I cannot resist in making one point. In order to realize truths such as our spiritual identity, the qualities of God, and the workings of the world around us we must situate ourselves in the mode of goodness.

Goodness:: Mind and sense control, tolerance, discrimination, sticking to one's prescribed duty, truthfulness, mercy, careful study of the past and future, satisfaction in any condition, generosity, renunciation of sense gratification, faith in the spiritual master, being embarrassed at improper action, charity, simplicity, humbleness and satisfaction within oneself.

Passion: Material desire, great endeavor, audacity, dissatisfaction even in gain, false pride, praying for material advancement, considering oneself different and better than others, sense gratification, rash eagerness to fight, a fondness for hearing oneself praised, the tendency to ridicule others, advertising one's own prowess and justifying one's actions by one's strength.

Ignorance: Intolerant anger, stinginess, speaking without scriptural authority, violent hatred, living as a parasite, hypocrisy, chronic fatigue, quarrel, lamentation, delusion, unhappiness, depression, sleeping too much, false expectations, fear and laziness.

Aindra

In mid May of 2010 I was in Vrindavan. It was a difficult day for me. My health was bad, I was trying to deal with visa issues and there were a multitude of other things that seemed to be like problems at the time. Vrindavan is a place where you either take complete shelter of Krishna or suffer. Even if you suffer in Vrindavan if you are wholeheartedly taking shelter of Krishna it is not really like the suffering that one is accustomed to. In Vrindavan suffering there is actually great hope and happiness in the thought that one is actually at home where he or she belongs. Krishna was very merciful to me later that day by giving me an experience and realization that I will never forget.

Every day Aindra would perform his worship in the form of bhajan an hour before the Gaura aratika. (In fact in Vrindavan the Gaura aratika often seemed to get off to a slow start as everyone was so mesmerized by the magical kirtan that they had just experienced. ) I walked into the temple room about ten minutes after he began singing. At that time I had a realization that I will forever cherish. Real meaningful and substantial happiness occurs in the association of devotees who are taking complete shelter of the Holy Name. That realization was cemented that night. What was more, however, was the importance of the influence of the pure devotee chanting the Holy Names. When I walked into the temple room of Krishna and Balarama I felt that I was experiencing a festival like I had never experienced before. Everyone was utterly absorbed in taking shelter of the holy names of Krishna. Aindra’s devotional influence on the devotees in the temple room and upon my own consciousness was the most moving experience I ever had.

The Gaudiya Vaisnava philosophy is supremely convincing, but what really attracts peoples minds’ and hearts’ is the collective experience of taking shelter of Krishna in the association of a pure devotee. There is nothing in the universe that can compare with the good fortune of such an experience. Aindra regularly offered this experience to the community of vaisnavas either personally in Vrindavan or through his recorded bhajans. The sadhus from all over Vrindavan would regularly come and blissfully dance in Aindra’s kirtans. Knowing that the experience of his vapu is no longer available is truly devastating. He was truly able to reveal the to the assembled devotees the glories of the deities of Gaura-Nitai, Krishna-Balarama, and Radha Shyamasundara. He did this by showing us how They will fully reveal Themselves through Their holy name if, as he did, one properly takes advantage of Their offer. He truly embodied the mood and teachings of the sacred Siksastakam.

All glories to His Grace Aindra Prabhu!

Hare Krishna Kare Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

http://www.24hourkirtan.com/

The yoga of kirtan makes waves in world music

Mridanga Moves up iTunes World Chart

The Mayapuris debut album Mridanga (CD | iTunes) climbed the iTunes World Music charts today arriving at #7. Generally in the music industry, album sales decline after the initial release week, but the Maypuris sales have only gotten stronger.

We would like to congratulate The Mayapuris on the success of the first two weeks of their album release and we thank you all for supporting them and spreading the word! For all of you waiting to purchase their album on the International iTunes store, it will be available in one week from today.

This post was copied from Mantrology.com