-- 

Body is also a temple

Even if we become number one, soon our reign at the top will end.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is | Part [BG.17.13]

 
TEXT 13:

vidhi-hinam asrishtannam
mantra-hinam adakshinam
sraddha-virahitam yajnam
tamasam paricakshate

 

TRANSLATION:

Any sacrifice performed without regard for the directions of scripture,
without distribution of prasadam [spiritual food], without chanting of Vedic
hymns and remunerations to the priests, and without faith is considered to
be in the mode of ignorance.

 

PURPORT:

Faith in the mode of darkness or ignorance is actually faithlessness.
Sometimes people worship some demigod just to make money and then spend the
money for recreation, ignoring the scriptural injunctions. Such ceremonial
shows of religiosity are not accepted as genuine. They are all in the mode
of darkness; they produce a demoniac mentality and do not benefit human
society. 

 

TEXT 14:

deva-dvija-guru-prajna-
pujanam saucam arjavam
brahmacaryam ahimsa ca
sariram tapa ucyate

 

TRANSLATION:

Austerity of the body consists in worship of the Supreme Lord, the
brahmanas, the spiritual master, and superiors like the father and mother,
and in cleanliness, simplicity, celibacy and nonviolence.

 

PURPORT:

The Supreme Godhead here explains the different kinds of austerity and
penance. First He explains the austerities and penances practiced by the
body. One should offer, or learn to offer, respect to God or to the
demigods, the perfect, qualified brahmanas and the spiritual master and
superiors like father, mother or any person who is conversant with Vedic
knowledge. These should be given proper respect. One should practice
cleansing oneself externally and internally, and he should learn to become
simple in behavior. He should not do anything which is not sanctioned by the
scriptural injunctions. He should not indulge in sex outside of married
life, for sex is sanctioned in the scripture only in marriage, not
otherwise. This is called celibacy. These are penances and austerities as
far as the body is concerned.


Translation and commentary by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Prabhupada


--
Yours
Dinesh
Blog:http://dinesh-krsna.blogspot.com

Sacrifice with faith, austerities of body [BG.17.13]

From: "TheSpiritualScientist.com" <spiritualscientist@gmail.com>
Date: May 15, 2012 11:48:57 AM EDT
To: thespiritualscientist@yahoogroups.com, spiritualscientist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [SpiritualScientist] Why are Spiritualists Against Material Ambitions?
Reply-To: SpiritualScientist-owner@yahoogroups.com

Question: Why are Spiritualists Against Material Ambitions?

May 15, 2012

Short Answer: Spiritualists are not against material ambitions; they are against our granting materialism a monopoly on our ambitions.

Detailed Answer:

All of us are naturally ambitious to do something wonderful. But not all of us realize that we have not freely or objectively chosen our definition of what is wonderful; our definition is shaped, even determined, by what people around us consider wonderful. As our mainstream culture is largely materialistic, we subconsciously equate 'wonderful achievement' with 'materialistic achievement.'

But does this subconscious equalization withstand conscious scrutiny? Let's find out:

1.      Might materialistic achievements be not so wonderful?

All materialistic achievements are:

1. Scarce: We want to be number one in our field, but the number of people who can be number one is one.
2. Short-lived: Even if we become number one, others will soon end our reign at the top. As records are made to be broken, so are the hearts that seek their happiness in records.
3. Superficial: Even if we stay briefly at the top, will that stay do anything more than bloat our egos? Will it satisfy our hearts? Our hearts long for love, so it is agonizing to discover that people love the top spot far more than the topper.

Thus, materialistic achievements are not so wonderful: there's no guarantee that we will achieve the top reward, but there's guarantee that, even if we achieve it, it won't satisfy us.

2.      Might non-materialistic achievements be wonderful?

Gita wisdom reveals a vast non-material realm where we can find happiness through spiritual love. It informs us that we are souls, beloved children of Krishna and can find life's greatest happiness by making Krishna the supreme object of our love. Developing this loving relationship with Krishna is life's most wonderful achievement because it is:

1. Abundant (not scarce): Krishna has a place in his heart reserved for each one of us. As he is infinite, so is his heart. That's why in loving Krishna we don't have to compete with anyone else for his love or encroach on anyone else's happiness for our happiness.
2. Eternal (not short-lived): As both we as souls and Krishna as the Supreme Soul are eternal, so is our mutual relationship and so is our happiness therein.
3. Fulfilling (not superficial): Krishna possesses fully all the endearing qualities that attract our hearts. Moreover, he loves us for what we are, not for what we have. That's why loving him satisfies our heart like nothing else – completely and perfectly.

Thus, spiritual achievements are far more rewarding than material achievements – and they don't require us to give up all material achievements. What they do require is that we don't restrict our ambitiousness to only the material realm.

Is that too much of a demand?

---

Please help maintain this website by your generous contributions.

---

Yours in the service of Lord Krishna,
Chaitanya Charan das
http://www.thespiritualscientist.com

[SpiritualScientist] Why are Spiritualists Against Material Ambitions?

Bhagavad-gita As It Is | Part [BG.17.10]


TEXT 10:

yata-yamam gata-rasam
puti paryushitam ca yat
ucchishtam api camedhyam
bhojanam tamasa-priyam


TRANSLATION:

Food prepared more than three hours before being eaten, food that is
tasteless, decomposed and putrid, and food consisting of remnants and
untouchable things is dear to those in the mode of darkness.

 

PURPORT:

The purpose of food is to increase the duration of life, purify the mind and
aid bodily strength. This is its only purpose. In the past, great
authorities selected those foods that best aid health and increase life's
duration, such as milk products, sugar, rice, wheat, fruits and vegetables.
These foods are very dear to those in the mode of goodness. Some other
foods, such as baked corn and molasses, while not very palatable in
themselves, can be made pleasant when mixed with milk or other foods. They
are then in the mode of goodness. All these foods are pure by nature. They
are quite distinct from untouchable things like meat and liquor. Fatty
foods, as mentioned in the eighth verse, have no connection with animal fat
obtained by slaughter. Animal fat is available in the form of milk, which is
the most wonderful of all foods. Milk, butter, cheese and similar products
give animal fat in a form which rules out any need for the killing of
innocent creatures. It is only through brute mentality that this killing
goes on. The civilized method of obtaining needed fat is by milk. Slaughter
is the way of subhumans. Protein is amply available through split peas, dal,
whole wheat, etc.

 

Foods in the mode of passion, which are bitter, too salty, or too hot or
overly mixed with red pepper, cause misery by reducing the mucus in the
stomach, leading to disease. Foods in the mode of ignorance or darkness are
essentially those that are not fresh. Any food cooked more than three hours
before it is eaten (except prasadam, food offered to the Lord) is considered
to be in the mode of darkness. Because they are decomposing, such foods give
a bad odor, which often attracts people in this mode but repulses those in
the mode of goodness.

 

Remnants of food may be eaten only when they are part of a meal that was
first offered to the Supreme Lord or first eaten by saintly persons,
especially the spiritual master. Otherwise the remnants of food are
considered to be in the mode of darkness, and they increase infection or
disease. Such foodstuffs, although very palatable to persons in the mode of
darkness, are neither liked nor even touched by those in the mode of
goodness. The best food is the remnants of what is offered to the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. In Bhagavad-gita the Supreme Lord says that He
accepts preparations of vegetables, flour and milk when offered with
devotion. Patram pushpam phalam toyam. Of course, devotion and love are the
chief things which the Supreme Personality of Godhead accepts. But it is
also mentioned that the prasadam should be prepared in a particular way. Any
food prepared by the injunctions of the scripture and offered to the Supreme
Personality of Godhead can be taken even if prepared long, long ago, because
such food is transcendental. Therefore to make food antiseptic, eatable and
palatable for all persons, one should offer food to the Supreme Personality
of Godhead. 


Translation and commentary by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Prabhupada
--
Yours
Dinesh
Blog:http://dinesh-krsna.blogspot.com

To make food antiseptic, eatable and palatable for all persons, one should offer food to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Part [BG.17.10]