-=o)O(o=-
My Life According to Pet Shop Boys
- Are you a male or female? Jack the Lad
- Describe yourself: Positive role model / Young offender
- How do you feel? I wouldn't normally do this sort of thing
- If you could go anywhere, where would you go? Where the streets have no name
- Your favorite form of transportation: Battleship Potemkin
- Your best friend is: Your funny uncle
- Your favorite color is: Read my mind
- What's the weather like? Home and dry
- Favorite time of day: Later tonight
- If your life were a TV show, what would it be called? Luna Park
- What is life to you? Integral
- What are you looking for? Beautiful people
- Have: Legacy
- Wouldn't mind: Decadence
- Your fear: Pandemonium
- What is the best advice you have to give? A different point of view
- If you could change your name, you would change it to: Sexy Northerner
- Thought for the day: We came from outer space
-=o)O(o=-
89 comments:
In other words, you have become a small-time sense enjoyer and have nothing meaningful to say, so you just post frivolous nonsense occasionally to taunt your critics who wish you would just take down the shingle and go out of the wordsmith business.
Yes, that's it pretty much, I think you got it spot on. And I think I've done a pretty good job with it over the last couple of months, I see my reader figures are still up and prone to spikes -- even if I haven't posted much of substance for ages.
I do intend to indulge in more writing in the future, but not with any particular focus on the audience here. Here it's just a strange little corner of the cyberspace, my private lair of uncontrolled social and psychological experiments.
Ananda, don't you worry that the Yamadutas are going to come and snatch your soul from your body at the time of death and drag you to the bowels of Hell for a LONG, LONG stint as an apprentice of Satan?
Have you used any form of penis enlargement to enhance your masculinity and self-esteem.
I bet it has been a real bitch trying to have a love life whilst suffering from a genetic case of micro-penis?
Oh, by the way, the two guys in the picture above are gay.
Is the picture any sort of commentary on your personal sexual preferences?
Look at those two flaming fudgedicks in the picture and tell us that the pointed hats and the frowns on their faces don't give you a rise in your Levis.
It's quite curious how sexuality predominates your writings. Their being gay or straight is about as relevant as their being British or Swedish, or communists or anarchists. That said, their sexual orientation does not bother me. Even if some of their pop is a bit on the queer side, I enjoy their art and innovations.
Have you given any thought to some sort of therapy to get over this sex obsession of yours that so oozes out of every one of your posts? Pray tell, I hope you didn't post all that just to sniff out my personal preferences. Yikes! Really, the backyard of my blog isn't a Lonely Gays Pickup Club, so please take it somewhere else.
Funny you picked this band, because I had just concluded a brief inquisition into early Pet Shop Boys, much to the delight of my girlfriend.
Of course, the Yamadutas. I wondered how long it would be before someone invoked the Boogeyman! (Reference "there is no loss or diminution...") You must toe the line because the scary bad men will drag you away!
LOL!
Ananda, don't you worry that the Yamadutas are going to come and snatch your soul from your body at the time of death and drag you to the bowels of Hell for a LONG, LONG stint as an apprentice of Satan?
The bogeymen cannot of course steal my soul, because according to Lord Kaitabha Satan, the speaker of Bhagavad-gita and the source of your religion, the soul is (1) immovable, and (2) cannot be touched by fire, weapons, or bogeymen.
I often chat with a parrot named Nitai, and that's about as much as I am going to invest into the Gaudiya Vaishnava approach to salvation. Worked before for Ajamila. For backup we have Nandi the dog, should it turn out that Shiva is the real deal.
Sure, it would be funky enough to face a four-armed blue god on a lotus at the time of death, but it really isn't important enough for me to spend my days making arrangements for making his acquaintance.
I can't plan my life based on the possibility of any one of the possible gods or devils showing up on my doorstep at the time of death, nor do I think it is anything a reasonable person would do.
The gambler's argument in favor of betting on one particular god is all fine and dandy (even if intellectually dishonest), but the odds sort of start going south with the possibility of virtually infinite gods and "right choices".
Vegman: "Have you used any form of penis enlargement to enhance your masculinity and self-esteem. I bet it has been a real bitch trying to have a love life whilst suffering from a genetic case of micro-penis?"
The statement from Doctor Andrew McIrvine, who performed the operation on Srila Prabhupada at Watford General Hospital on September 8th, 1977 reads as follows:
Dear Mr Hooper,
Thank you for the message, as I said on the ‘phone I do remember the case well, even though it was a long time ago. Srila Prabhupada first presented to me in the emergency room of Watford General Hospital in 1977. He was in obviously poor health and showed signs of renal failure and was found to be diabetic. These diagnoses were made on clinical suspicion confirmed by blood and urine analysis. His most obvious problem on admission was urinary retention. This was caused by a most unusual degree of PHIMOSIS. That is a long-standing scarring and thickening of the foreskin such that he was by the time of his admission virtually unable to pass urine. This process would have taken many years to develop and during that time could well have produced backpressure enough to result in renal problems – as more often happens with prostatic obstruction. I remember him as an amazingly calm and stoical person. He refused to be admitted to hospital and I am sure he would not have withstood a general anaesthetic. Somehow we persuaded him to have a circumcision to relieve the problem, which I carried out in the ER under local anaesthetic. He made a good recovery from this and was able to pass urine normally following the procedure. Unfortunately his renal failure was by that time well advanced and irreversible, caused by a combination of diabetes and phimosis. I hope this is of some help.
My best wishes,
Andrew J McIrvine FRCS Consultant Surgeon
Prabhupada must have encoutered serious problems in his own sexuality, or at least in the fact that he was a sexual being as pretty much everyone tends to be. His absurd statements about sex attest to that probability.
Followers like Kshamabudhi would do their master, the world, and themselves a great service if they treated the matter accordingly. In cases such as Kshama's, this would be the greatest because the only service to be done right now. Until this is taken care of properly, everything else is disservice. Lies, denial, ignorance, untruth.
---I can't plan my life based on the possibility of any one of the possible gods or devils showing up on my doorstep at the time of death, nor do I think it is anything a reasonable person would do.
The gambler's argument in favor of betting on one particular god is all fine and dandy (even if intellectually dishonest), but the odds sort of start going south with the possibility of virtually infinite gods and "right choices".---
This same outlook was a major player in my developing the current approach I take to life. It's also the same one that has prevented me from entertaining any one spiritual/religious path as true or as something I should be a part of.
I was once approached by some evangelists in Cleveland, and while I normally wouldn't engage, they were quite persistent. Eventually, they used Pascal's Wager as a last-ditch effort to make me consider conversion. That opened up a whole interesting discussion based on what you said here.
Also, I'm not sure why Prabhupada's right to medical privacy was violated here, and if you have a signed HIPAA complaint from the Swami, please do post it, but it should be noted that phimosis can occur in relation with diabetes; it doesn't say anything about his sexuality.
I saw a documentary on TV about near-death experiences. There was one man who told a story about dying on a hospital bed and having Yamaduta-like beings come and punish and torture him in ways very similar to the descriptions of the Yamadutas in the Bhagavatam.
After some hellish punishment he was told that he had to come back to his body because he had not completed his time in that body.
so, at least according to some near-death experiences reported by some people,there are some Yamadutas waiting to punish sinful people.
Even then, I doubt that Ananda is Yamaduta material. He is a very enlightened being, no matter how you look at it.
There are other paths to elevation of consciousness apart from KC. They might not be as efficient and effective, but KC is NOT the only way to expand consciousness beyond the mundane bodily illusion that burdens the conditioned souls.
Sorry, I pick on you Ananda.
I have to apologize.
Who am I to judge you? Certainly, I have no real capacity to judge your spiritual condition.
You most certainly have been stretched to the limit with your zealous approach to the Krishna bhakti, as we all have.
I know for the most part, my knowledge in KC has been a burden as well as a blessing.
It makes trying to succeed in material life a half-hearted attempt and most usually leads to a life of poverty.
I believe in the KC theology, but I find myself very much questioning the qualifications of most western people and even modern Hindus for making a successful attempt at KC.
Certainly, my life today is completely different than it would have been without KC and Srila Prabhupada.
Truthfully, I am quite content with my lot, even though material prosperity, good health and financial success have not been by-products of my meager stab at KC.
Sorry, to be a heartless critic Ananda.
I truly can sympathize with the psychological trauma that has resulted in trying to accept KC in the midst of this ridiculous modern world we live in.
Why do devotees snap?
There are no easy answers.
KC is a very extreme form of transcendentalism that is ill-adapted to our modern civilization unless one is prepared to drop-out of society and live the cult lifestyle.
At this point, I just hope that what I did do in KC in this life will somehow be some sukriti that will carry with me to my next life.
Maybe, if I live long enoug, I can resurrect my bhakti sadhana and make a little more progress before the lights go out on this body.
I don't get it: why people who joined the hare krishna movement completely voluntarily and then left voluntarily feel the need to warn the 'innocent' of the 'danger' of joining? The danger seems to be oneself no? Tapati states that all she wants now with her campaign is to make sure innocent people know what they are getting into, unlike herself who joined at 16 only to be cheated and abused. Who is joining at 16 these days? As for Tapati's history, why isn't she questioning her parents or guardians about not having supported her properly at 16? If hers was a case of family disfunction, why isn't she addressing the larger problem of misguidance among individuals and in society as a whole?
These are legitimate questions, not meant as a challenge.
Gaudiya Philosophy and practices is a tradition that has served many individuals well for centuries. Why isn't that taken into consideration?
I joined when I was 15. The greater part of temple joinees is still from the younger section of the society. The age question aside, people in general should have the option of accessing information on the negative sides of something they intend to commit a substantial part or the entirety of their lives to.
If it were just about Gaudiya Vaishnavism as a historical religious tradition, the situation would of course be different. However, we are looking at an old tradition formed into a cult with a substantial number of harmful and damaging traits. Would you rather see that everyone had to learn all that the hard way, depriving them of an option for an informed choice?
And as for the larger question, that is a whole other issue. The situation of the society and the conditions that lead someone to join a cult is one question. The fact that there are cults that can damage a person in that situation is another question. It's a whole lot easier to contribute towards remedying the second by supply of accurate and thorough information. Do you think it is a bad thing? And if so, why?
Yes I wonder, you joined at 15, and not so long ago, where were your parents, the adults in your life? Aren't they to blame as well for not supervising and protecting you? Yet the only charge is against an institution, which in fact has been exposed again and again. How do you propose there is an 'informed choice' for the world? If there is anything to know about the institution, its is easy to find out. The individuals that comprise the institution sustain it through a range of various degrees of faith in it and through their faith in themselves, i.e., their conviction. Is the intitution to join you now and expose and eliminate itself? If falls on the individuals to accept it or not, there is no force from that side, but perhaps weakness from the side of those who now regret their choice. Have you thought of that?
In any case, you Ananda are one example of having experienced the tradition in many levels beyond that one "formed cult". You have been as free as one can be in making your choices. What exactly is your complaint?
In response to your second post with the questions, and in response to those questions, I of course don't believe its a bad thing that information of everything is available to every individual. Its a good thing. And again, I do think that thorough and accurate information is available just about anything in the world today, if one is only willing to find out. As for specific information being supplied by the subject one wishes to be informed about, that too is another issue than what leads one to join a cult.
Superfluous note: "Medical privacy" comment was directed at anonymous poster, not Ananda.
More substantial note: How strange is it that a man has to argue about Gaudiya Vaishnavism even when he's talking about the Pet Shop Boys?
Self, I don't think the man in question, Ananda, has to engage with anyone about Gaudiya Vaisnavism, much less argue about it if he is not willing to. He does what he wishes, especially in his home. I am a guest, so I shouldn't impose. I must say I am neutral about Pet Shop Boys, so maybe I should just go. Apologies.
As I said, there are two separate questions. One is concerning minors who take an interest in religious cults, and one is the overall issue of religious cults and what they can do to people who would follow them.
If there is anything to know about the institution, its is easy to find out.
Well yes, it is now, thanks to the Internet and people contributing to the shared pool of information. The availability contributes towards the possibility of making an informed choice --- informed choice meaning an understanding of where a commitment to the movement may lead, and where it has led in many cases.
What exactly is your complaint?
Well, I was writing about Pet Shop Boys. If you saw complaining somewhere, that must have been my complaint. One complaint is the way people deal with you after you make your exit from the cult. Just read through the comments sections of my blog --- a perfect illustration of this particular complaint.
Ananda you may not actively make complaints here but you do join the complaint at GR as if one and the same with yours. Your support of Tapati's cause on the basis of you being an ex-Iskcon member is not quite honest. You have not left just Iskcon. Yet you treat the issue of "leaving" as if all one and the same thing. People who left Iskcon only did not have the opportunity to try for themselves whether there is indeed a wider tradition which would be more compatible with the ideal presented by the GV philosophy. (I refrain from referring to any of the GV sects as "cults" - the term is clearly being used in a pejorative manner by angry dissidents, especially of Iskcon only background.) Sects, religions, institutions, organizations, yes there are many of these in society. Communities. Is it avoidable? Tapati herself is hard at work trying to build a community of sorts. Yet, she herself has already incurred in a pretty damning blunder: she neglects to pursue clarity and honesty and invite innocent women to come and be "represented" by a man who lies about his identity, a man of very questionable character as a male.
For you Ananda, I have this question: where you unconcerned with the wellbeing of innocent people when you turned a blind eye to Bir Krishna Maharaja's abuse in injustices and kept supporting him because of a personal friendship?
I think you guys should be honest with yourselves and see that in reality you are concerned with your own issues, your own wellbeing. And that is the extent of it. If you were genuinely concerned about the wellbeing of the world at large you would have addressed the BKM issue and the Vrajabhumi issue in time and decently. For starters.
Well, there are a great many very valid complaints out there, to many of which I also personally subscribe.
The fundamental situations between departure from religious cults, sects, communities and organizations are rather alike. The problems I faced in Narayana Maharaja's camp were very akin to ISKCON's, albeit with their own flavor. The basic issues I had to deal with in breaking off with two siksa-gurus were again eerily similar to the two earlier experiences I note.
Therefore I have a rather understanding heart for anyone who has been a part of any such group, and if people can unwind their experiences together and also contribute towards a shared body of information (as happens at GR), all the better for everyone. I have nothing against communities. I have a problem with groups that coerce, manipulate, lie to and threaten their followers in a number of ways to make them better serve the group's needs.
Pray tell, when did I condone any of Bir Krishna's abuses, alleged or otherwise? Where was I ever presented with a situation where I could have effected any kind of change for any situation where his actions caused grief to someone? I try in general not to become a party to blanket condemnations, such as those frequently issued by people who have been personally hurt.
What's a Vrajabhumi issue?
To answer some of the questions posed by Anonymous:
I do speak out about issues of mental illness and parenting, the lack of quality foster care situations, domestic violence, and other such things that contributed to my impulse to escape my severely depressed mother and emotionally abusive extended family. I am all over the internet and write about a great many things. In every case all I can do is describe what I've observed in society and share the conclusions I've drawn. I've been guest blogging at a site that examines coercive religious movements in Christian tradition and have been drawing paralells between that and my ISKCON experience. However, I was careful to make it clear that GV is an authentic religion and that the cult-like aspects came from the transplantation into Western culture in a communal environment. Most people in the West do not get to access GV in its traditional form and when they do, are always going to view it from a Western perspective. Each individual has to decide if it's possible for them to live a GV life in accordance with its native origins or not.
I don't feel a need to express every positive thing about the tradition, though I certainly am writing about some of those things in my guest blogging. There are many, many sites that will give the positive spin on GV. Even on GR we've had topics about the positive things we gained from our experiences, so it's not all negative all the time. :)
I don't pretend to know who Vrajabhumi (of harekrishnawomen.wordpress.com) is. I only know that some of what Vrajabhumi writes resonates with me. I disagree with some of what is written and when I do, I say so.
I was told repeatedly that I should not pursue "material education" and didn't need high school or college. At one point when I left the temple and was taking tests to get into college I was specifically told that this was "maya" and that I belonged in the temple. That was not the action of my family; that was the teaching of the Secretary of the Krsna Consciousness Movement who was also told to drop out and join the temple when he was in high school. My mentally ill mother wasn't equipped to combat this influence in my life. I left without her permission at 17 to return to the temple--we lived in a state where I was free to do so.
My children and I suffered years of poverty while I worked to put myself through school. That was partly my fault, to whatever degree a 16 or 17 year old (who, we know know, doesn't have a fully matured brain) can make an informed decision with such serious consequences.
It is also partly the fault of my mother, her doctors, my extended family who could have helped me endure her condition, and partly the fault of the person telling me that all I needed was devotional service and implied that the temple would care for my needs. (The aging devotees who are not big shots in ISKCON are finding out what a hollow promise that was, as the Gurukula children, abused women, and exploited SKP devotees before them did.)
I never try to persuade anyone not to practice GV. It may no longer be for me but I'm happy to support my friends who still practice it. I am all for speaking out against dysfunctional organizations that have so much power over the lives of the core members who do most of the work, no matter what that organization is, religious or other.
Finally, Anonymous, I write everywhere under my own legal name. I stand by my words and am happy to be held accountable for them. Can you say the same? What fear keeps you from sharing your name?
Ah, Vrajabhumi of blog fame. I've stumbed upon her blog a few random times in the past, and found it quite entertaining. That's all I know of her. Is there an issue I should now timely address? And why?
Ananda, you have supported Bir Krishna by turning a blind eye to his dishonesty when you could have questioned his actions. Even not too far ago you quoted and praised an article written by BKG. This is a form of promoting a person. So you contributed to promote these fellows while aware of the general dishonesty run in Iskcon. Now you support Tapati who supports "Vrahabhumi" who is a fraud. Thats the issue. The three of you expect to expose Prabhupada and/or his "cult", (as you call it), yet you are either being carelless, as is the case with Tapati and her indirect participation and endorsement of a fraud, and you for shaking hands with a most dishonest man as Bir Krishna Gosvami and yet dennouncing Iskcon, the organization where he is one of the most influential leaders.
Not that any of this matters much to me now, I like you Ananda still and wish you well. Tapati too, she deserves to be heard. But I am just saying, these apparently little things neglected now, they become huge things later down the road. You guys should pay attention. They come back with equal force at the most unseemingly moment. Iskcon destroyed itself due to neglect of the small, apparently ordinary people.
Let's recap the issue, Anonymous (or not).
You are upset over me because I have not issued a blanket condemnation over some individual you have had gripes with. Now here's the news: I do not issue blanket condemnations of anyone.
Humans are a conflicted pack by their very nature. If we set up a moral standard where you are implicated in Mr. X's actions by the mere merit of your relationship, should you not issue blanket condemnations of Mr. X when Mr. X does something wrong --- before long, everybody will have cut ties with everybody else.
Do you think that if a person does 50% good and 50% bad, we should never dare mention the 50% good, because that would be promoting him and endorsing his 50% bad? Rather, we should only say that he is bad. Is this what you're saying?
I'm sorry, but my world is a bit less bipolar than the version you would have me conform with.
If someone is so naive and gullible that when I say "Linus Thorvalds made a fine operating system" they rush to worship and lick his lotus feet, giving him all their money and begging him to accept their unconditional services forever, having seen me promote and endorse him --- I don't think it's my area of concern, I recommend professional help.
If you want to continue the chatter, I suggest you get down to quotes and references so I can see where I have endorsed something, and where I have turned a blind eye on something. Obviously you seem to be in the know of what and when.
Now you support Tapati who supports "Vrahabhumi" who is a fraud.
So I am also implicated in supporting Tapati, who supports someone else I hardly know? Should I now go and screen through every written and spoken word of everyone else I may have once said something nice about?
Is every form of support by default a 100% absolute endorsement of everything someone may do, past, present and future?
Tapati was asking for your name. I'd like to know what planet you come from.
I support Vrajabhumi merely because I have some agreement with many of the things said on the blog she runs? I don't KNOW Vrajabhumi personally. I agree with some things, I disagree with some things. Vrajabhumi claims to be a Vaishnava, so it is obvious we don't agree on everything.
You should have had a job on McCain's campaign staff; you use the same tactics.
I merely told people that their contributions were welcome on Vrajabhumi's site.
I fail to see how Ananda is supposed to be involved in every person I interact with online.
I have to agree, what planet do you come from? It must be a harsh world filled with suspicious people.
The world as we know it, is about to become a very different place now that Audarya forums is going into read only mode now and the forum is sadly coming to a close.
Now, there is a vacuum in the world and Theist will no longer have a reason for living.
Is this a sign that THE END is near?
Maybe Ananda can start another forum and fill that gap that the closing of Audarya forum has created in the internet ether.
Both AnandaFellowship.Com and AnandaDivine.Com seem to be available.
Unfortunately I don't presently have the time required for running a proper personality cult, and as I take myself too seriously to permit half-assed attempts at organizing my adoration, the idea will have to wait for a better day.
"Vrajabhumi" is Shiva posing as a woman. Now, even a man of remarkable character could not fully represent women. In fact, a man of character would prefer that women spoke for themselves. But Shiva is not a man of character. He sees women as objects. The fact that he falsely took the identity of a woman so to promote his own philosophy while disregarding requests that he discloses his gender, is proof of his disrespect for women. It appears you Tapati do not care who Vrajabhumi really is. But for some women it is important to know their sources.
Shiva exposes Prabhupada, true, but that does not make him an allie to the cause of women, in or outside of Iskcon. He is in fact just another predator. For you Tapati to be turning a blind eye to such blunder makes the realiability of your judgment highly questionable, to say the least.
My world is not harsh and filled with suspicious people. Its actually a sweet world filled with trusting and loving people. It seems yours is the one with the harsh experiences, so I wouldn't know... But "Vrajabhumi" is Shiva. And Shiva is a man who doesn't respect women. If you are going to go on a self-appointed crusade to rescue the women of Iskcon, at least get your facts straight.
Okay, so let's assume for a moment that Vrajabhumi is Shiva, or vice versa. Should I now also go and read every word of everyone Tapati knows to make sure I don't accidentally support her in any way, because she may support in some way someone who may be writing under an alias or otherwise not.
And what on earth does any of that have to do with me or my blog? Is this the final hub where the circle becomes full, and where every fringe Hare Krishna devotee and Michael Jackson worshiping freak come together (to quarrel if nothing else) under one banner?
Should I then declare myself the honorary president egghead of this August assembly? I could then write that --- as the official egghead president of the Harry Krishna Potter Internet August Assembly --- I support and subscribe to any and all views expressed by its members, including and in particular when they substantially contradict each other.
What proof do you offer that Vrajabhumi is Shiva in disguise? If you're going to make such charges, back them up!
I operate from the assumption that women can decide for themselves if harekrishnawomen is a project they support or not, based on what they read there.
Ananda, it is funny to imagine that Anonymous vets all of his friends in this way. "Before I can be friends with you or post on your site, please give me a list of all the people you associate with however slightly, even on the internet, so I can check them out and see if they meet my standards."
I can't imagine one would have many friends. Perhaps that's the problem.
Women can decide for themselves based on what is written there and based on who the writer is. Following your lead your readers are assuming that you have done your homework and they are trusting that they are visiting a site of a female writer. But they are being deceived. They are unaware of the writer's real gender. There is a great difference between an actual woman speaking on women's issues and a man refusing to disclose his actual gender, keeping this refusal from readers, and posing as an insider on women's issues.
But anyways, even if its proven its Shiva (which it is), you already have stated that it doesn't matter to you. So long you get to use "her" to promote your own agenda, the deception is not an issue for you. So what is there to be added? You are serving each other well then.
I've stated openly that I don't know who the author of the site is, and therefore women can decide for themselves whether to trust what they read or not, to contribute their writing or not. I'm not going to infantalize all women and assume they can't look out for themselves and make these choices on their own once they have that information. It may not matter to me but I assume I don't do the thinking for my readers. I'm not a cult leader. As in all spiritual matters, caveat emptor.
I see you offer no proof. I assume you have none. Just like you have no name.
Ananda, as for exactly why you broke with your guru, ADB, the only reason you seem to mention is that he did not have enough time for you. Is this really the reason why you left him, or is there something else behind the curtains? Don't get me wrong, I am not here to read some juicy gossips about ADB, I simply want to understand your motives, because tons of people would have given their right arm to spend half the time with their guru you did, and you still say it wasn't enough, it's just way beyond my comprehension.
So do you now intend to rally on to the next issue, enough said on BK?
because tons of people would have given their right arm to spend half the time with their guru you did, and you still say it wasn't enough, it's just way beyond my comprehension
People have different expectations and aspirations. Some will give their right arm to spend a day with a popstar. The bulk of people coming to gurus treat them like popstars, seek their magical audience, and go away thinking they gained something very profound.
As for me, I am more bent on the actual systematic learning process, where someone tutors you in the nuances of a process and revises your progress with a keen practical interest.
How much guidance do you need, then? Enough to be able to solve the issues that you are unable to solve yourself. And "keep chanting and practicing the way you do, it'll be all right one day" unfortunately just doesn't cut for a solution for me any more.
I have no interest to go into the details of my relationship with ADB, or your assumptions thereof, on any personal level. If the Radhakund situation actually concerns someone on a real and practical level, they are free to e-mail me for more.
Needless to say, I have terminated my search for a perfect teacher, in any field of life. No human is perfect, and no-one should surrender their entire will and individuality into the hands of another.
As for you, you've been a commentator with your peculiar flavor ever since the days of GD. Will you ever sign your opinions with your own name, or is it more convenient to hop in and out of the shadows?
Oh I see there is no need to infantalize and warn your readers that their source is an abusive fake, but there is need to infantalize them and warn them about Iskcon blanketly, even though its very likely that Iskcon didn't work for you due to you have joined as an unsupervised child.
Are you actually able to sustain a structured conversation and follow up with your arguments, or do you just like to wait for opportunities to lash out from another new angle?
Anyway whoever is justifying Shiva's deception on the grounds that, as Vrajabhumi , Shiva has "improved" and is telling about Iskcon as it is and therefore should be cheered on, such people are slapping the face of women's cause vis a vis abuse in religions and cults. Its not only an irresponsible and inconsiderate stance but an abusive one as well, much like the irresponsible and abusive behavior such people claim to be dennouncing. Genuine dennouncing is not like "Vrajabhumi's"". Or her not so honest cheeres'.
be dennouncing.
Apparently you are unable to follow up on anything you claim. You just like to rant from the shadows.
If you don't provide any evidence for your claim for Shiva being Vrajabhumi, you are no longer welcome to comment on this blog. It amply demonstrates your insincerity in your private little smear campaigns.
Yes Ananda I am able to sustain the conversation, only I have not being conversing with you. Not that I don't want to but I am interested in the matter of Shiva-Vrajabhumi. And I don't feel you have contirbuted to promote Shiva other than your general support of GR, so I mentioned that much. The BK thing, as I said, it was just to make a point, it doesnt' matter to me really, I like you reagardless.
Well, I am really bothered that Shiva is being excused of his character flaws because he serves certain agendas. Why isn't important to scrutinize him as a person, his character and personality, his philosophy, when Prabhupada and Iskcon people are being so scrutinized from every angle? To me this bias is not an honest or healthy way to process the Iskcon experience. Its just more deception, only in a new bottle, and perhaps in a smaller dose. Still...
And just what evidence you would accept, DNA? If you are really interested compare the writings and see for yourself. If still in doubt, question Vrajabhumi and see how "she" igonores you, question Shiva and see how he does not directly deny while rudely dismissing you. Perhaps you can solicit a personal meeting with Vrajabhumi. You both can come to my place for that meeting, I will pay for the tickets. Lets see how Shiva will come up with a Vrajabhumi. Would that do?
So you just put out a volley of accusations against me in the BK issue without caring to follow up at all? How kind of you.
Okay, so you base the Shiva = Vrajabhumi equation on circumstantial evidence. Good for you. I have nothing to contribute, because I am not familiar with the case, and I do not particularly care to be either, and see no reason why it should be connected to me or my blog.
If you have issues with someone who promotes the site somewhere, please discuss all that somewhere there. I don't see why I should be involved, let alone accused of not reacting to it in a timely fashion.
Please don't waste my time and blog space like this, I happen to be very busy at the moment, and don't much care to be dragged into such discussions by attempts to implicate me in public with something almost entirely unrelated to me.
OK. Thanks for your valuable time.
Spoken like a true Anonymous. =)
"Spoken like a true Anonymous. =)"
Hey thats who I am, what can I do. =)
Isn't the internet a wonderful thing?
Just think where we would be without the internet.
Obviously, the internet is marvelous for transmitting information from one to another.
Obviously, the internet is marvelous for transmitting misinformation and further deluding the deluded.
Ananda said a while back that he was working on making his first million. Obviously, he could probably have a lot of fun with that much money.
What I would like to hear from Ananda on his blog is more information about how Ananda is going about making his millions and what his secret niche might be.
check out my website:
www.christbusters.com
C'mon people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
RIGHT NOW
I was just going to say that I didn't have time to keep arguing with a nameless person who seems more and more incoherent. The theory that Vrajabhumi might be Shiva is already mentioned at GR and anyone is free to take writings from both and analyze them to death.
And if it is proven that Shiva is Vrajabhumi, what would be your position in relation to that Tapati? Would you still recommend that a man WHO DOES NOT RESPECT WOMEN speak for women? Oh but you are already doing that!
Shiva is getting WAY TOO MUCH attention on this blog post.
One thing I know about Shiva is that he is a likable person that you should never take seriously.
Shiva is a legend in his own mind.
Apart from that, he is of no particular significance.
Where would one go to find this Shiva?
Any post which questions Vrajabhumi's authenticity is blocked from appearing at "her" blog. Here is the latest which was intented to comment at the blog titled "Lies (And the Lying Liars Who Tell Them)" in relation to Tapati's comment there. Shiva of course blocked this one too:
Tapati,
You make it an issue of the person questioning being "anonymous" when in actuality, in the context of what is being discussed, it isn't an issue at all. Many sites on the internet allow for anonymous contributions. What anonymous is questioning is whether Vrajabhumi IT/HERSELF is being an anonymous entity, and if so, whether "HER" motives for such are legitimate, but specifically whether such entity, a fake, can actually represent hare krishna women. That is the issue you appear to either miss or more likely attempt to dodge.
Dear anonymous
The word hypocrite comes to mind when thinking of you. While oftentimes you call yourself govindanandini and nandini (on various gaudiya blogs and forums) you also go by names like Jambavan and Gaurasundara.
You have a history of getting angry at people you have philosophical differences with and then treating them like crap from then on, anonsymously sniping at them ad nauseum (guess who the sniping from a follower of Ananta das babaji towards Ananda on this blog was from). You also tried to steer up hate for Advaitadas because of some philosophical differences. So much for all of your high-falutin talk you have spread around the blogosphere for years about advancing in raganuga and creating compassion based "community" among modern western vaishnavas. This hate campaign is so typical of you. This is how it works: you get your ego hurt when someone debating you unbelievably doesn't give in to you and your superior understanding -- then you get nasty with. Then you begin a campaign of hate against them on various blogs and forums using different names or anonymously to rile up others against your perceived enemy!
You claim that your views are liberal and progressive, yet will rant and rave like the most shrill fundementalist if your chosen enemy espouses anything but a fundamentalist viewpoint. In short you will say anything to inspire hate regardless of the effects on others. Selfishness much?
Yet you consider yourself to be spiritually superior to everyone.
Krishna says that an actual enlightened person sees him in everyone, sees everyone equally. Maybe he also teaches that spiritually evolved people start hate campaigns over perceived slights or bruised egos. If so, I didn't see that part of the Gita.
"Where would one go to find this Shiva?"
Caitanya Symposium.
>> The word hypocrite comes to mind when thinking of you. While oftentimes you call yourself govindanandini and nandini (on various gaudiya blogs and forums) you also go by names like Jambavan and Gaurasundara. <<
Gee, and there's me thinking I had a monopoly on that spiritual name, at least on the interwebz and forums. Recently I noticed someone posting under the name 'Gaurasundara' at Vrajabhumi's blog, and I was worried that someone may think it was me. Oh well, now I'm glad this has come out just as long as other people know the difference and I stop getting strange emails asking about things I've not written.
Perhaps the name for "anonymous" should be "woman of a thousand faces" as she has a name on GR as well.
I remember back when I was a Vaishnava I didn't have time for nonsense like that, but maybe devotional service is only part time these days. Or she's fooled herself into thinking that sniping on the internet IS her service.
Sad, really.
Wow a woman trying to speak up for women, how preposterous. Maybe you should notify Vrajabhumi, Tapati. :)
You just never know who will show up with their issues when you post a picture of two homos wearing pointed hats.
I gotta admire the chutzpah involved in sniping at people on the internet when you have such a questionable past yourself, especially when they could ressurect a lot of damaging material if they were as vindictive as you seem to be. Glass house--meet stones.
It always more fun when people start threatening others with blackmail and smear campaigns.
The internet has many good uses, unfortunately, too many people use it like a dildo to pleasures themselves in all their deluded fantasies.
I heard that dildos are practically the #1 product that women buy over the internet.
Vegman: "What I would like to hear from Ananda on his blog is more information about how Ananda is going about making his millions and what his secret niche might be."
It's actually been up on the front page of this blog for a while. If you are interested in what I'm up to in the web sector, explore Wiccle.Com, and start with yesterday's blog if you're interested in the details. It'll be a few months more before things start paying off, and a lot of hard work and long working hours in between.
Let's try to keep the pr0n themes off the blog comments if they are irrelevant to the discussion, no longer do they hold the shock value they did in the days when the internet was young and trolling was but a budding hobby of the disturbed few.
Now that Audarya forums is locked-up, there is a sorely felt vacuum on the web for a certain section of people that are now bereft of a forum to chat on.
I am offering the forum on my website as some sort of alternative place for discussion now that Audarya is locked.
Please feel welcome to join the forums and start a topic about anything even vaguely spiritual.
You will have to copy and paste the link, since Ananda does not have linking on his blog.
http://christbusters.com/index.php/user-video-forums
What sniping? Anonymous is not addressing anyone's personal life, at any level. And certainly not making threats to anyone. But rather poses a legitimate question which still stands: Why is a man who is himself clearly disrespectful of women being recommended to represent women?
"This is the first such I have ever posted on my blog, but hey, there's a first time for everything, and every blog starts going downhill at one point or another... "Answer with song name from artist X" to the questions. "
Your blog started going downhill long ago, maybe when you no longer had the input from your devotionally-minded wife.
"Two separate questions. One is concerning minors who take an interest in religious cults, and one is the overall issue of religious cults and what they can do to people who follow them. "
The term "cult". Yes, the cult of Sri Krishna Chaitanya. Surely, in all your reading along the way, you learned that the original (pre-twentieth century] use of the term did not hold any real negative connotations. So, of course, your deliberate use of it recently is part of your defensive/cover-up/avoidance dynamic.
"We are looking at an old tradition formed into a cult with a substantial number of harmful and damaging traits."
So that includes iskcon, Sri BV Narayana Maharaj's Gauriya Math, and all the various traditional groups? Which you left, one after the other. I suppose it occurred to you that wherever you go, there you are, but then brushed it aside, inconvenient for the ego.
"Would you rather see that everyone had to learn all that the hard way, depriving them of an option for an informed choice?"
First, not every devotee joins iskcon or any other group when they are in their teens or twenties when they're looking for an identity, and then leaves when it no longer serves that purpose. Some stay, and others get into it when they've already had some ordinary life experience, as adults, married with children and family. Your vision is limited to your own relatively narrow experience. Your pretence here is obviously aimed at europeans; and the many Indians that become devotees, well, they don't fit.
Where is this information, that you seem to be suggesting you're providing? Other than in your head, and some ridiculous and childish references to the devotees and Krishna and harinam japa?
The ongoing issue is that you pose as an expert, the know-it-all, as usual, which is at odds with your record.
First, after years of being the expert, SERIOUS, learned devotee, you DISCOVERED some mayavad books, and told us how good they were.
Then, that dirty babaji you stayed with for a while, who wanted to get money out of you. That was so at odds with your image, your clever persona, people were amazed, how could you be such a FOOL, how could you possibly get into that. So you were going to explain, but then the explanation somehow fell short of actually explaining. It was something about how he'd arrived at your doorstep and told you what you needed to hear or something, that he knew what you needed.
Then you Became a Buddhist, a THERAVADA Buddhist, and you explained briefly how that was the best kind of Buddhist. You travelled to some Buddhist shrines, with a monk and a nun, until you all got tired of each other's company, and you ended up in Nepal, and discovered ganja, and social service.
So, like someone said, what exactly is your complaint?
That you didn't get vision of Radha and Krishna even though you'd read so many books, chanted so many rounds, been such a serious devotee, Krishna failed to reciprocate? And even guru didn't take you seriously enough, didn't realize that you were worthy?
The philosophy, that you'd so assiduously followed, was wrong, not good enough, and you discovered that the Buddhist scriptures had been written before the Vaishnava ones (and
so you enlightened us about that, hmm, seems to be the common thread of your own personal development being somehow given as expertise, of knowledge you should pass on to the rest of us).
At least it's smooth going downhill.
Then the matter of your wife refusing to let you prepare food - after she'd been cautioned about it according to the same standards you had preached so assiduously yourself. That seems to have been some kind of turning point, or a last straw, considering that you complained about the amount of time you were having to spend with her and the shiksa guru, that led to you realising that it was all a CULT, that you'd been trapped in a cult all those years. (And this is what you want to warn people about?)
Or is it some combination of it all? Because you seem to be adding to it as time goes by, finding more and more justification for your own failure - you own failure to really practice what you espoused.
And we can mention there, that at some points where you had some guilty thoughts, some moments of lucidity, you cautioned that you were not in a position to preach or lead. But, as always, you'd then quickly return to expounding.
Yet, here you are, still behaving as though you're qualified to inform others. I doubt that qualified to inform even the minors you refer to, given that you've only recently been getting into doing things that people usually do when they're minors.
you mean like this?
http://www.eatmyshorts.net/5915/HugeWaterslideJump.html
Mr. Ananda said...
At least it's smooth going downhill.
(end quote)
Yeah, until you hit bottom. Then there is quite the sad and disappointing, painful and regretful feeling of failure and loss.
http://www.eatmyshorts.net/videos/5915/Huge+Waterslide+Jump.html
This was the link I wanted to post.
Bottom? It's infinite, the impressions from actions, the consequences. Just look at it rippling out here still. It takes more than just a few sidesteps and quick-shuffles and blog name changes to get away from it.
Sorry, I left out one of your explanation factors. You said you were not emotionally suited to bhakti.
Leave Britney alone!! (sob, sob...)
Maybe these anonymous guests can take a number like anonymous#2 or #3 etc. etc., so we can understand that all the anonymous posts are not coming from the same person.
I personally don't believe for a minute that Ananda has actually lost faith in the Gaudiya theology, but that he is simply feighning such so as to appear to be enjoying sense gratification with a clear conscience.
I firmly believe that every time Ananda rolls a joint and lights it that he is telling himself "this is maya".
Ananda simply made the choice to abandon sadhana and adopt sense gratification, so he must defend his pride by presenting himself as having lost the faith and gone astray.
Myself, I have never found it necessary to reject the faith in order to feel OK about living a material life of service to the senses.
Apparently, something in the mind of Ananda dictates that he must outwardly reject the faith in order for him to feel alright about his newfound lifestyle of independent thinking in pursuit of emotional fulfillment.
I don't personally agree with that idea, but then again we are all different.
It's quite entertaining to see anonymous people attempting build up "me" on the basis of random blog entries. No matter, keep going --- it's quite interesting.
I bet some of the anonymoose have met me in person, but are afraid to sign their texts with their real names. Am I that intimidating?
You do understand that you will need to sign your posts if you expect a serious reply.
"attempting to build up "me" on the basis of random blog entries"
You know that is not the case. You have often come with that. It is another side-step.
Whatever behaviour or actions, blogs or otherwise, that's what you can be evaluated by - by what you have put out there.
A serious reply......ha. Slick. But no cigar.
Most of your replies on blogs are serious, and most of your replies on forums have been serious.
The point is that you have lost credibility, and that would include your explanations and justifications.
Above all, your credibility with religious philosophies, religious beliefs and practices.
I would say Ananda lost his credibility even as having an averagely coherent mind. Everywhere people are scratching their heads: "'Obscure cults and movements'?! Plural? Wada..."
Yes, my blog entries have been dead serious for quite some time now. The below covers the last six months. Tick all serious entries.
* Mary Had a Little Lamb who Met a Little Troll
* My Life According to Pet Shop Boys
* I Saw the Walrus
* YOU WILL BE ACBSPIMILATED
* Raganuga.Com Audio Archives
* He built a shrine at Radha-kunda...
* The Dangers of Incoherent Internet Usage
* Gaudiya Repercussions Status
* Star Wars: Cult Derelicts (DP)
* Choosing Friends and Mythologies
* Wisdom of Sir Aleister Frogley
* Confessions of a Sinner
* The God Who Created the God Who Created the God
* Infidels Against Prabhupada!
* KrishnaCaitanya.Com - Future of the Website
For awhile it was hilarious watching all the former associates come here to mock the "fallen." Now it's just pathetic. People who say Ananda has lost his mind, intelligence, and ability to be coherent still flock here to analyze his every word and go on and on about it. In the practice of bhakti yoga, don't any of you have more important things to do? Hasn't Paramatma weighed in yet?
Jelly rolls bananas and boston cream pie. Never die never die never die. Wolf repellant in the guise of lip gloss. Onward Christian soldiers marching off to war. Infidel Castro rides again. Man the lifeboats. Up periscope. Lollipops and dew drops. I've looked at hookers from both sides now. Buttered popcorn. The south shall rise again. Hand me the latex gloves. Out damned spot. Woof woof Woof. Mary had a little lamb and his name was Jesus Christ.
who said he lost his mind? - his mind was the problem. his intelligence was fake. but his ability to be coherent, haha, that was good until he got into smokescreening the reasons for his exit.
More important things to do? Like reacting when someone calls bhakti yoga "obscure cults and movements"?
At this point Big A's credibility is such that the only obscure movement anyone will believe he might have experienced relates to some bodily funcion.
Speak ill but speak of me.
It is like this... Said Iam Thatiam Once for All!
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@@@ IN-YOUR-TUBES: Wisdom Matrix ≡ Sahasrara Celestial Lifecycle Harvester
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