Miscellaneous Facebook posts & comments in May 2019
23rd April 2020 Update: I had an inner urge to name-snip the names of some person(s) in this post and so have done so.
When author of post or comment is not mentioned, it should be assumed that it is me (Ravi S. Iyer).
https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2501735536709675
A provocative but interesting video interview of Rajiv Malhotra. Malhotra is critical of some aspects of Raja Ram Mohan Roy - so those who may not like criticism of him may please not see the video. I do not know how accurate Malhotra's views are. Malhotra says that Roy was an employee of British East India company - I was not aware of that. So I think I need to upgrade the minimal information I have on Roy which I think is what I had studied in my school days (1970s) with other sources like wikipedia to arrive at a fuller understanding of Roy and his contribution (both positive and possibly negative aspects) to India's development. Here's Roy's wiki page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ram_Mohan_Roy. A small extract from it: "Raja Ram Mohan Roy (22 May 1772 – 27 September 1833) was one of the founders of the Brahmo Sabha, the precursor of the Brahmo Samaj, a socio-religious reform movement in the Indian subcontinent."
Ram Mohan Roy & Decline of Sanskrit, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRd0gngmFds, 18 min. 33 secs published by Rajiv Malhotra Official on 29th May 2019.
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2499262053623690
What courage and what faith in Bhagavan it would have taken Shri Kasturi and his wife to take the big decision of settling down in Puttaparthi then!
It is Shri Kasturi's English translation of Bhagavan's articles/books that were a very important part of my exposure to Bhagavan's teachings and revelations. His 'Loving God' book was so inspiring to me!
I take this opportunity to express my deep gratitude to this great writer-servitor of Bhagavan, Shri N. Kasturi and also to his wife (as his wife's support on the home front would have been vital for Shri Kasturi to do his writing, translation and editorial work).
I also had the privilege of having a few conversations after Swami Mahasamadhi with Shri N. Kasturi's grandson Late Rameesh Kasturi who passed away some months ago. Rameesh shared a lot of anecdotes about Shri N. Kasturi and Swami. I am grateful to Shri Rameesh Kasturi for sharing those anecdotes with me.
Note that the shared post below has Spanish text followed by English text.
[Shared post: https://www.facebook.com/CENTRO.SAI.HISPANO/photos/a.187412661309117/2403960469654314/]
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2489070687976160
Blown away by image of American Swami looking like a typical Sannyasi Swami and speaking on banks of a stream/river in Karnataka with rural foliage around him
Just saw part of this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFF_Whm7l8U, published in end April 2019 but recorded on 18th April 2019
The content of what he says is not so crucial to me. It deals with some ISKCON orgn. issues.
But I am blown away by the sight of USA born white guy who seems to have been a sannyasi for many years in the Vaishnava parampara of ISKCON, preaching in rural India in a setting dominated by nature. I mean, this is how Hindu preachers in India would have been preaching over centuries and millennia!
He says he is 62 years old and that makes him close to me in age (I am running 57).
He speaks about Vaishnav parampara, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Srila Prabhupada, Krishna, following Guru instructions ... He knows his sect's spiritual stuff.
As a Hindu, I am blown away by seeing such American Hindus who have been monastics for years, decades perhaps, and who are essentially Hindu preachers and Hindu spiritual leaders.
Now I have also been very impressed by Radhanath Swami but I have seen him in videos where he is in the Chowpatty, Mumbai ISKCON centre or where he is lecturing or having a discussion with other spiritual leaders/philosophers in some academic or intellectual setting. ... But not in this rural India, banks of a river/stream setting.
My best wishes to Bhakti Vikasa Swami and ISKCON! Hari Bol!
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In response to comment on this post which said, "Ravi, In what way does this surprise you ? Iskon people have been like this for decades", I wrote (slightly edited):
--Name-snipped-- I have seen videos of many ISKCON American Swamis in India doing bhajans. But this rural setting in India in this video is something new to me.
And this gentleman speaks so well about ISKCON Vaishnav parampara. I think it is the combination that made such a big impact on me.
He also had a saffron cloth covered stick (danda). That is typical Hindu sannyasi.
In the ISKCON bhajan videos, one does not see this typical sannyasi preacher aspect.
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River banks are very big in traditional Hinduism.
Many major sacred places in India are at river banks.
The sannyasi Swami preacher preaching at the banks of a holy river - that's a very powerful image in Hinduism, which I think would have been the case over centuries and millennia. This USA white guy just blended in so well with that image.
I think that's why I was so taken by this video.
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I wrote: Sannyasi preacher preaching on banks of holy river in Hinduism perhaps is comparable to Christian pastors baptizing Christians in holy rivers like the Jordan river.
Here's a video about baptism in Jordan river (around 2 mins): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nz77C2sh530
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In response to comment, "Ravi S. Iyer Except history tells us Hindu Masters we’re teaching at Varanasi two thousand years before Christ", I wrote (edited):
Well, Swami tells us it is even earlier (I think but I am not sure of a quote of Swami in this respect that I can recall now). But I think even academic historians would not dispute two thousand years before Christ, preaching of Hindu Sannyasi masters on banks of Ganga in Varanasi.
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In Facebook post-comment, https://www.facebook.com/terry.reiskennedy/posts/10219810315387139?comment_id=10219811270371013, I wrote:
Terry Reis Kennedy - You have been a relentless crusader against Asathya Adharma of Muddenahalli group and so they have targeted you. I admire you for your courage as a truth-teller and as a writer who has exposed falsehood of Muddenahalli group.
One of the big problems of recent times on the Internet is people using fake identities to (falsely) smear truth-tellers on the Internet. Very unfortunately, the great and awesome freedom of Internet has been abused by some in this manner. I think some of these fellows from Muddenahalli group are using Melbourne, Australia as a safe haven from which to launch these cyber-attacks on truth-tellers who expose Muddenahalli group's false claims. Tragic that a famous city like Melbourne, Australia is getting used as a safe haven by such cowards, crooks and conspirators.
Regarding them maligning me as well: Well, I have got a lot of things on my plate now where I am trying to contribute to promoting the good of religious traditions that I have been exposed to, and that I am learning about through my (non-academic) research into religious traditions. I am choosing to ignore what is written by fake Facebook Ids on some Facebook group about me. If such stuff gets published in reputed websites which will have a proper mechanism to deal with defamation, I may consider writing to those reputed websites and/or legal action against those who are defaming me.
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In response to a comment, I wrote:
Procedure (which I use) to take screenshots on PC/Laptop running Microsoft Windows
1. Press the "PrtScn" or similarly labelled key on the keyboard (Print Screen key) to copy entire Microsoft Windows screen to Clipboard.
2. Open Microsoft Paint program to have New picture. Paste the screenshot using Paste button in Paint. Mouse-click on Select button in Paint Toolbar - that (and similar other actions) results in acceptance of screenshot into Microsoft Paint's new picture.
3. Use Select to mark out what one needs from the whole screenshot (if one needs the whole screenshot then this step is not necessary). Cut the selection (so the selection disappears from the Paint area). Choose File-> New. Use Cancel on the Save prompt (as we don't need the whole screenshot).
4. In New paint file, use paste again. This will paste the marked/selected area into the file. It will expand the picture size if needed. However if the picture copied is larger than the (default) picture size in Paint, then there will be blank space. To cut out the blank space, you will have to note the extreme right-bottom co-ordinates of the marked area, and then use File->Properties to set the width and height as the extreme right-bottom co-ordinates. That will fix the blank space problem.
5. Use File Save As to save the file in the format one prefers. I use JPG format typically in such cases.
Now one has the picture file (in jpg format or other chosen format) which can be uploaded to Facebook, Twitter, Blog or sent in mails.
Hope this helps.
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I wrote: Terry Reis Kennedy - If you try this and have any issues, feel free to ask me, either here or in private message.
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Terry Reis Kennedy wrote (in part): I found the Prt Scr!!!!!! I am very, very grateful Ravi. I have made an appointment at our free library with our free techie guys. Libraries in US are really great. I will learn this with his help. I am sure it will help me tremendously in this endless work......I am very excited. Everyone wanted me to buy a smart phone, which I simply cannot afford. Now I can join up with the picture shooters….THE SCREEN SHOOTERS.
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I responded: Hey Terry Reis Kennedy. Great that you found the PrtScr keyboard button. Good to know that you will get the help of some free techies in the library. All the best! ... Look forward to see some screenshots from you :-).
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On Facebook post-comment, https://www.facebook.com/Saithraleilani/posts/10217749792392066?comment_id=10217750281124284, I wrote:
I think Muddenahalli has been a burning problem for Prasanthi Nilayam loyalists for many years now. I mean, this guy Madhusudan Naidu is mimicking Swami and misguiding thousands of Sathya Sai devotees across the world. And, very unfortunately, there have been many who have been ***hidden*** supporters of Muddenahalli group. Given that situation, there is bound to be some confusion at times about whether somebody is a Muddenahalli supporter or not.
Given the scale of the damage Muddenahalli group have caused to Sathya Sai movement with their false claims and with their Hijacks (Loka Seva Trust even now, for example, and SSSIHL from Jul 2011 to Nov. 2014 when --Name1-snipped--, then VC of SSSIHL, viewed Narasimhamurthy & Madhusudan Naidu as Swami mediums and was taking instructions from them (considering them to be Swami instructions)), I think it is fair to expect the gentleman concerned to make a simple statement about whether he supports Muddenhalli group or not.
We will then know clearly where he stands (as per his statement).
But if he prefers not to make a statement despite questions made to him about it in this thread, then doubt about his possible inclination and support towards Muddenahalli group is natural, IMHO.
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I also wrote (slightly edited):
--Name-snipped-- Your questions to the person: "What is your opinion about Muddenahalli? Or are you avoiding the issue?" are simple and clear.
If the person does not respond over the next day or two, then it has to be viewed as, most probably, evasion. And given the complex betrayal of Prasanthi Nilayam based official Sathya Sai orgn. that Muddenahalli group engaged in, from Jul 2011 onwards (when Narasimhamurthy started his dream instructions medium stuff), I will hold the view that the concerned person seems to be either supportive of Muddenahalli group or sympathetic to Muddenahalli group.
Note that I know of at least one person in the past who used to do work for Muddenahalli group and so associated with them in that capacity. But he did not accept the claim of Madhusudan Rao Naidu. He told me that it was just or mainly business visits to Muddenahalli group locations.
I don't know whether this person (--name-snipped--) engages with Muddenahalli group in a business capacity but without belief in Madhusudan Rao Naidu.
A simple statement of stand from him in this conversation will clear the air. But if he chooses to avoid making the simple statement, then naturally we need to be on our guard with this person.
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In response to a comment, I wrote (slightly edited):
--Name-snipped-- The Muddenahalli group betrayal is a very complex case. Many people in Prasanthi Nilayam system got swept away by it in the period of Jul 2011 to mid 2016, a period of around 5 years. 5 years, I repeat! That's not a small period. The loyalists in PN like Terry and me were in a minority with the PN supporters of Muddenahalli group openly flaunting their power & position (including significantly more money earning for PN employees from sixth pay commission hike and/or being put on regular pay scale around July 2011) in PN system then!
For many of the younger devotees, including alumni devotees, it was very difficult to spot Muddenahalli group's claims as fake. Some of the students that I taught in the Sai university (as free service) visited Muddenahalli group. Some got caught up in it but some escaped from that trap.
I think one of the fundamental reasons for alumni to get attracted to Muddenahalli group in those years was the endorsement that the ****then sitting**** vice-chancellor of SSSIHL, --Name1-snipped-- gave to Narasimhamurthy, who himself was a then revered warden Tyagajeevi figure, and Madhusudan Naidu, a two time gold medallist alumnus of SSSIHL. In the absence of physical form of Swami, I think many alumni looked up to former warden Narasimhamurthy and then sitting VC --Name1-snipped-- as spiritual guides for the mission. And then these guys were building free schools, free hospitals and all that with the donors they had attracted.
Later actions by Madhusudan Naidu including his Lingodbhavam and then open ***false*** claim that now Sathya Sai has assumed the body of Madhusudan Naidu, as well as strong actions from mid 2016 onwards by Prasanthi Nilayam bosses against employees/staff who associated with Muddenahalli group, turned the tide against Muddenahalli group.
Now I think many devotees including alumni who had associated with Muddenahalli group in the past (from July 2011 with Narasimhamurthy and/or Madhusudan Naidu), are very hesitant (to put it politely), to openly acknowledge that they had made a mistake and got swept away by ***false*** claims of Muddenahalli group.
So if somebody puts them on the spot on this matter, they tend to be evasive and sometimes can aggressively (verbally) attack the person who openly talks about their prior association with Muddenahalli Group, in the hope that their aggressive bullying will silence their target. And, sometimes at least, such aggressive bullying works! But --name-snipped-- did not get bullied in this conversation thread! Congratulations to her!
I guess these are human reactions and we need to simply factor in these things.
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2484326058450623
Heart-breaking! My God! What burdens womanhood/motherhood has to bear!
Freed From ISIS, Yazidi Mothers Face Wrenching Choice: Abandon Kids Or Never Go Home, https://www.npr.org/2019/05/09/721210631/freed-by-isis-yazidi-mothers-face-wrenching-choice-abandon-kids-or-never-go-home, 9th May 2019
I think the reality of human society across the ages has been that it is women who bear the very difficult burdens, including heart-breaking emotional burdens, of raising and taking care of their family (or sometimes part of their family, like in this case).
In a poor part of rural India, I have come to know of cases of some men who are terribly exploitative of their wives! They don't want to bear the burden of taking care of the family (they have kids). They expect their wives to feed them and earn for the family as well!
I salute these women who fight and struggle and somehow raise their kids, even when they are desperately poor and have husbands who don't really contribute to raising the family or earning for the family.
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Short videos of river Ganga in full force in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India. Videos were taken on 29th April 2019 in the evening (around 5.30 PM) by an old friend of mine who was OK with public sharing.
https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/videos/2484274345122461/, 22 secs.
https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/videos/2484275661788996/, 19 secs.
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2483879595161936
M.S. Subbulakshmi singing Sathya Sai arati song, 46 secs video clip.
For those readers who do not know about M.S. Subbulakshmi: From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._S._Subbulakshmi :
Madurai Shanmukhavadivu Subbulakshmi (16 September 1916 – 11 December 2004) was an Indian Carnatic singer from Madurai, Tamil Nadu. She was the first musician ever to be awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour.[1] She is the first Indian musician to receive the Ramon Magsaysay award, often considered Asia's Nobel Prize,[2] in 1974 with the citation reading "Exacting purists acknowledge Srimati M. S. Subbulakshmi as the leading exponent of classical and semi-classical songs in the carnatic tradition of South India."[3][4]
Wiki References:
1. "M S Subbulakshmi: 'Nightingale' of Carnatic music". Rediff. India. 12 December 2004. Archived from the original on 8 July 2015.
2. Clare Arthurs (25 July 2000). "Activists share 'Asian Nobel Prize'". BBC News. Retrieved 20 February 2008.
3. "Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation". Rmaf.org.ph. Retrieved 22 September 2013.
4. The Ramon Magsaysay awards, Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation, 1982, p. 141
--- end wiki extracts ---
[I thank wikipedia and have presumed that they will not have any objections to me sharing the above extract from their website on this post which is freely viewable by all, and does not have any financial profit motive whatsoever.]
Put it up on youtube for greater visibility and exposure (NO PROFIT MOTIVE), (mentioning courtesy above FB video post): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFd5HTAzsrM
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2482365528646676
Ramzan Mubarak to Muslim brothers and sisters in India and around the world!
Allah Maalik! Ishwar Maalik! Yesu Maalik! Sabka Maalik Ek!
[Allah is the Lord! Ishwar is the Lord! Yesu (Jesus) is the Lord! The Lord of all is one!]
I endorse the tweet of Religious Freedom Center (USA based) below:
".@RelFreedomCntr our vision is a world committed to #religiousfreedom as an inalienable right for people of all religions and none. In the spirit of celebrating the First Amendment, we honor our Muslim friends who are entering this season of #Ramadan. #RamadanMubarak", https://twitter.com/RelFreedomCntr/status/1125465064369209346, 6th May 2019
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2481912338691995
Chadta Suraj Dheere Dheere - a famous Qawwali during my youth in the 80s
Today it seems to me to be more philosophical (about the impermanence of the world) and may not be based on any Sufi mystical insight. In the 80s & 90s I may have viewed it as possibly inspired by Sufi mystical insight.
But today I would hesitate to call it a Sufi qawwali though it is referred as that by some. Aziz Naza (Abdul Aziz Kunji Markar) was a Mumbai based singer, born 1938 died 1992, https://www.last.fm/music/Aziz+Nazan+Qawwal/+wiki.
Audio mainly with some still pics: Charta Sooraj ( Original n Full ) -Great Qwwali by Aziz Naza, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duFDy6Rwq9Q, 9 min. 17 secs.
Live rendition of the song by Aziz Naza in Canada (don't know which year): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=983yiDFr4iU.
The lyrics of the song are very interesting though somewhat pessimistic, harping on the impermanence of the world. If I find the time (and inclination), I will attempt to translate the lyrics to English (as well as I can as I am no Urdu expert).
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I think this song was Aziz Naza's most famous song in the 80s and 90s. It is the from the 1974 Hindi movie, Five Rifles. I have heard the song umpteen times in those days. But I had not seen the video till recently (i have not seen the movie). BTW I certainly do not endorse the message of the song. But the plain truth of the matter is that it was quite a popular song in the 80s & 90s in Bombay/Mumbai.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lr3KyhK5ysw, around 3 mins.
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2481729762043586
Enjoyed this Marathi bhajan by street singers in Pune
Maze Maher Pandhari - Mahant Brothers from Gadag (Karnataka) - Street Talent Pune, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xilT3vvTZo, around 5 mins
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2480913972125165
My first fear when I saw this pic of USA Ambassador to India Kenneth Juster with this Swami was whether I am going to see spiritual fraud Madhusudan Rao Naidu lurking in the background somewhere. Note that this Swami has put up public pics of himself with Madhsuduan Rao Naidu spiritual fraud.
Fortunately, I could not see Madhusudan Rao Naidu in these pics.
This is in Uttarakhand (northern) state of India (Haridwar is the place, I think). This Swami seems to be quite a noted figure in international circles. Some weeks ago I saw a BBC video of a British guy on a visit to India to explore Hindu spirituality and religion, and it had him visiting this Swami's ashram and had video clips of the Swami with him.
I think Uttarakhand official Sai orgn. should, if they have not already done so, have some interactions with this Swami and tell him the truth about Madhusudan Rao Naidu spiritual fraud. If they have already met him, then I request them to please intimate those of us who are active in exposing Madhusudan Rao Naidu spiritual fraud, about what they did and how the Swami reacted.
Anyway, I am so glad that there is no Madhusudan Rao Naidu lurking in the background in these pics of USA Ambassador Kenneth Juster's visit to Uttarakhand put up by U.S. Embassy India.
[Shared post: https://www.facebook.com/India.usembassy/posts/2278199872296029]
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In response to comment, "Last I saw this guy (I won't recognize him as a swami) made a public statement on video that Madhusudan was one with Swami.", I wrote (slightly edited): Oh Lord! He said that, huh! I did not know that.
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In response to comment that Lord Krsna went along with the double speak of the Kauravas, right up to their final destruction, I (Ravi) wrote (slightly edited): Perhaps "went along" may not be the right way to express it. Lord Krishna did advise the Kauravas to give up their wrong ways and adhere to Dharma. But they did not care for Lord Krishna's advice.
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In response to a comment, I wrote (slightly edited):
Initially, --name-snipped-- sir, I had the view that Lord Krishna may have engineered the Kurukshetra war as that was his way of restoring Dharma by getting rid of evil doers through the great war.
But I am not so sure about that view now. While I have not studied the original Mahabharata and original Srimad Bhagavatam parts related to Lord Krishna, I have the view now that Lord Krishna tried very hard to avoid war. He went as the Shanti Doota (Peace broker/messenger) to the Kaurava court before the war, but his advice was rejected by the arrogant and foolish Kauravas.
Was Krishna just acting a role of Shanti Doota when he well knew that the outcome was going to be failure and then war? I don't know now.
Perhaps Krishna too was not sure exactly how the thing would play out. Yes, he had great supernatural powers. But I think it may not have gone to extent of knowing exactly how things would pan out in future.
But, as Bhishma said, whichever side Lord Krishna was, was the side of Dharma, and the side of victory. Lord Krishna used his supernatural powers to ensure victory of Dharma over Adharma and there was no chance that Lord Krishna would not accomplish his goal. So I have full faith in the powers of the Avatar Krishna to win but I don't think even he knew exactly how it would play out in future. ... Maybe these views of mine are born out of some spiritual ignorance on my part. But I wanted to frankly convey my views, as of now.
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2480165002200062
Very interesting! Thailand King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s coronation puts spotlight on ceremony’s Indian roots, https://indianexpress.com/article/research/thailand-king-maha-vajiralongkorns-coronation-puts-spotlight-on-indian-aspects-of-ceremony-5709876/, (Updated) 5th May 2019
The king is known after Lord Rama! The person ascending to the throne now will be known as Rama X (10th)!
The rituals involved are a mix of Vedic and Buddhist! Some rituals are said to be traceable to Satapatha Brahmana, a key Vedic text!
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2478043505745545
Pope Francis Tweet: May St Joseph, the humble workman of Nazareth, direct us toward Christ, support the sacrifice of those who do good, and intercede for those who have lost their job or who are not successful in finding a job. https://twitter.com/Pontifex/status/1123550131448532992
Ravi: The *****big***** challenge in rural areas in many parts of the world in our early 21st century times, is finding suitable employment which pays a living wage to most, if not all, of those seeking work.
And then there is an issue of higher material aspirations from the rural youth of today, at least in India. These are really tough problems to solve!
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2477757952440767
I have had the Divine blessing of being hugged by Mata Amritanandamayi perhaps in the 1990s, and also having had her Darshan (during her visits to Mumbai and nearby areas). I have also read some of her works at that time. If I recall correctly, I was very pleasantly surprised to see a lot of similarity, if not sameness, in her writings/discourses on Vedanta, and that of Sathya Sai.
In the shared post below, it is reported that Mata Amritandamayi recently (in Australia) answered some questions about spiritual fraud Madhusudan Rao Naidu, as follows:
About Madhusudan's claims and the source of his power, Amma answered: "Sathya Sai Baba was a great spiritual teacher." Then Amma's face wrinkled in disgust and she made a dismissive gesture with her hand as she said emphatically "But this fellow is a fraud! He has developed a small amount of power from tantric practices and now he is misusing it. There are many, many like him in India."
When asked about how devotees should respond to Madhusudan and his claims, Amma gave very clear advice She said emphatically "Don't go near him. Don't go to meet him. Don't think about him. Don't have anything to do with him."
--- end extract ---
[Shared post: AMMA WARNS AGAIN ABOUT THE DANGERS OF EVEN LOOKING AT MADHUSUDAN, https://www.facebook.com/terry.reiskennedy/posts/10219645039335341]
When author of post or comment is not mentioned, it should be assumed that it is me (Ravi S. Iyer).
https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2501735536709675
A provocative but interesting video interview of Rajiv Malhotra. Malhotra is critical of some aspects of Raja Ram Mohan Roy - so those who may not like criticism of him may please not see the video. I do not know how accurate Malhotra's views are. Malhotra says that Roy was an employee of British East India company - I was not aware of that. So I think I need to upgrade the minimal information I have on Roy which I think is what I had studied in my school days (1970s) with other sources like wikipedia to arrive at a fuller understanding of Roy and his contribution (both positive and possibly negative aspects) to India's development. Here's Roy's wiki page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ram_Mohan_Roy. A small extract from it: "Raja Ram Mohan Roy (22 May 1772 – 27 September 1833) was one of the founders of the Brahmo Sabha, the precursor of the Brahmo Samaj, a socio-religious reform movement in the Indian subcontinent."
Ram Mohan Roy & Decline of Sanskrit, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRd0gngmFds, 18 min. 33 secs published by Rajiv Malhotra Official on 29th May 2019.
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2499262053623690
What courage and what faith in Bhagavan it would have taken Shri Kasturi and his wife to take the big decision of settling down in Puttaparthi then!
It is Shri Kasturi's English translation of Bhagavan's articles/books that were a very important part of my exposure to Bhagavan's teachings and revelations. His 'Loving God' book was so inspiring to me!
I take this opportunity to express my deep gratitude to this great writer-servitor of Bhagavan, Shri N. Kasturi and also to his wife (as his wife's support on the home front would have been vital for Shri Kasturi to do his writing, translation and editorial work).
I also had the privilege of having a few conversations after Swami Mahasamadhi with Shri N. Kasturi's grandson Late Rameesh Kasturi who passed away some months ago. Rameesh shared a lot of anecdotes about Shri N. Kasturi and Swami. I am grateful to Shri Rameesh Kasturi for sharing those anecdotes with me.
Note that the shared post below has Spanish text followed by English text.
[Shared post: https://www.facebook.com/CENTRO.SAI.HISPANO/photos/a.187412661309117/2403960469654314/]
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2489070687976160
Blown away by image of American Swami looking like a typical Sannyasi Swami and speaking on banks of a stream/river in Karnataka with rural foliage around him
Just saw part of this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFF_Whm7l8U, published in end April 2019 but recorded on 18th April 2019
The content of what he says is not so crucial to me. It deals with some ISKCON orgn. issues.
But I am blown away by the sight of USA born white guy who seems to have been a sannyasi for many years in the Vaishnava parampara of ISKCON, preaching in rural India in a setting dominated by nature. I mean, this is how Hindu preachers in India would have been preaching over centuries and millennia!
He says he is 62 years old and that makes him close to me in age (I am running 57).
He speaks about Vaishnav parampara, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Srila Prabhupada, Krishna, following Guru instructions ... He knows his sect's spiritual stuff.
As a Hindu, I am blown away by seeing such American Hindus who have been monastics for years, decades perhaps, and who are essentially Hindu preachers and Hindu spiritual leaders.
Now I have also been very impressed by Radhanath Swami but I have seen him in videos where he is in the Chowpatty, Mumbai ISKCON centre or where he is lecturing or having a discussion with other spiritual leaders/philosophers in some academic or intellectual setting. ... But not in this rural India, banks of a river/stream setting.
My best wishes to Bhakti Vikasa Swami and ISKCON! Hari Bol!
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In response to comment on this post which said, "Ravi, In what way does this surprise you ? Iskon people have been like this for decades", I wrote (slightly edited):
--Name-snipped-- I have seen videos of many ISKCON American Swamis in India doing bhajans. But this rural setting in India in this video is something new to me.
And this gentleman speaks so well about ISKCON Vaishnav parampara. I think it is the combination that made such a big impact on me.
He also had a saffron cloth covered stick (danda). That is typical Hindu sannyasi.
In the ISKCON bhajan videos, one does not see this typical sannyasi preacher aspect.
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River banks are very big in traditional Hinduism.
Many major sacred places in India are at river banks.
The sannyasi Swami preacher preaching at the banks of a holy river - that's a very powerful image in Hinduism, which I think would have been the case over centuries and millennia. This USA white guy just blended in so well with that image.
I think that's why I was so taken by this video.
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I wrote: Sannyasi preacher preaching on banks of holy river in Hinduism perhaps is comparable to Christian pastors baptizing Christians in holy rivers like the Jordan river.
Here's a video about baptism in Jordan river (around 2 mins): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nz77C2sh530
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In response to comment, "Ravi S. Iyer Except history tells us Hindu Masters we’re teaching at Varanasi two thousand years before Christ", I wrote (edited):
Well, Swami tells us it is even earlier (I think but I am not sure of a quote of Swami in this respect that I can recall now). But I think even academic historians would not dispute two thousand years before Christ, preaching of Hindu Sannyasi masters on banks of Ganga in Varanasi.
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In Facebook post-comment, https://www.facebook.com/terry.reiskennedy/posts/10219810315387139?comment_id=10219811270371013, I wrote:
Terry Reis Kennedy - You have been a relentless crusader against Asathya Adharma of Muddenahalli group and so they have targeted you. I admire you for your courage as a truth-teller and as a writer who has exposed falsehood of Muddenahalli group.
One of the big problems of recent times on the Internet is people using fake identities to (falsely) smear truth-tellers on the Internet. Very unfortunately, the great and awesome freedom of Internet has been abused by some in this manner. I think some of these fellows from Muddenahalli group are using Melbourne, Australia as a safe haven from which to launch these cyber-attacks on truth-tellers who expose Muddenahalli group's false claims. Tragic that a famous city like Melbourne, Australia is getting used as a safe haven by such cowards, crooks and conspirators.
Regarding them maligning me as well: Well, I have got a lot of things on my plate now where I am trying to contribute to promoting the good of religious traditions that I have been exposed to, and that I am learning about through my (non-academic) research into religious traditions. I am choosing to ignore what is written by fake Facebook Ids on some Facebook group about me. If such stuff gets published in reputed websites which will have a proper mechanism to deal with defamation, I may consider writing to those reputed websites and/or legal action against those who are defaming me.
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In response to a comment, I wrote:
Procedure (which I use) to take screenshots on PC/Laptop running Microsoft Windows
1. Press the "PrtScn" or similarly labelled key on the keyboard (Print Screen key) to copy entire Microsoft Windows screen to Clipboard.
2. Open Microsoft Paint program to have New picture. Paste the screenshot using Paste button in Paint. Mouse-click on Select button in Paint Toolbar - that (and similar other actions) results in acceptance of screenshot into Microsoft Paint's new picture.
3. Use Select to mark out what one needs from the whole screenshot (if one needs the whole screenshot then this step is not necessary). Cut the selection (so the selection disappears from the Paint area). Choose File-> New. Use Cancel on the Save prompt (as we don't need the whole screenshot).
4. In New paint file, use paste again. This will paste the marked/selected area into the file. It will expand the picture size if needed. However if the picture copied is larger than the (default) picture size in Paint, then there will be blank space. To cut out the blank space, you will have to note the extreme right-bottom co-ordinates of the marked area, and then use File->Properties to set the width and height as the extreme right-bottom co-ordinates. That will fix the blank space problem.
5. Use File Save As to save the file in the format one prefers. I use JPG format typically in such cases.
Now one has the picture file (in jpg format or other chosen format) which can be uploaded to Facebook, Twitter, Blog or sent in mails.
Hope this helps.
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I wrote: Terry Reis Kennedy - If you try this and have any issues, feel free to ask me, either here or in private message.
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Terry Reis Kennedy wrote (in part): I found the Prt Scr!!!!!! I am very, very grateful Ravi. I have made an appointment at our free library with our free techie guys. Libraries in US are really great. I will learn this with his help. I am sure it will help me tremendously in this endless work......I am very excited. Everyone wanted me to buy a smart phone, which I simply cannot afford. Now I can join up with the picture shooters….THE SCREEN SHOOTERS.
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I responded: Hey Terry Reis Kennedy. Great that you found the PrtScr keyboard button. Good to know that you will get the help of some free techies in the library. All the best! ... Look forward to see some screenshots from you :-).
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On Facebook post-comment, https://www.facebook.com/Saithraleilani/posts/10217749792392066?comment_id=10217750281124284, I wrote:
I think Muddenahalli has been a burning problem for Prasanthi Nilayam loyalists for many years now. I mean, this guy Madhusudan Naidu is mimicking Swami and misguiding thousands of Sathya Sai devotees across the world. And, very unfortunately, there have been many who have been ***hidden*** supporters of Muddenahalli group. Given that situation, there is bound to be some confusion at times about whether somebody is a Muddenahalli supporter or not.
Given the scale of the damage Muddenahalli group have caused to Sathya Sai movement with their false claims and with their Hijacks (Loka Seva Trust even now, for example, and SSSIHL from Jul 2011 to Nov. 2014 when --Name1-snipped--, then VC of SSSIHL, viewed Narasimhamurthy & Madhusudan Naidu as Swami mediums and was taking instructions from them (considering them to be Swami instructions)), I think it is fair to expect the gentleman concerned to make a simple statement about whether he supports Muddenhalli group or not.
We will then know clearly where he stands (as per his statement).
But if he prefers not to make a statement despite questions made to him about it in this thread, then doubt about his possible inclination and support towards Muddenahalli group is natural, IMHO.
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I also wrote (slightly edited):
--Name-snipped-- Your questions to the person: "What is your opinion about Muddenahalli? Or are you avoiding the issue?" are simple and clear.
If the person does not respond over the next day or two, then it has to be viewed as, most probably, evasion. And given the complex betrayal of Prasanthi Nilayam based official Sathya Sai orgn. that Muddenahalli group engaged in, from Jul 2011 onwards (when Narasimhamurthy started his dream instructions medium stuff), I will hold the view that the concerned person seems to be either supportive of Muddenahalli group or sympathetic to Muddenahalli group.
Note that I know of at least one person in the past who used to do work for Muddenahalli group and so associated with them in that capacity. But he did not accept the claim of Madhusudan Rao Naidu. He told me that it was just or mainly business visits to Muddenahalli group locations.
I don't know whether this person (--name-snipped--) engages with Muddenahalli group in a business capacity but without belief in Madhusudan Rao Naidu.
A simple statement of stand from him in this conversation will clear the air. But if he chooses to avoid making the simple statement, then naturally we need to be on our guard with this person.
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In response to a comment, I wrote (slightly edited):
--Name-snipped-- The Muddenahalli group betrayal is a very complex case. Many people in Prasanthi Nilayam system got swept away by it in the period of Jul 2011 to mid 2016, a period of around 5 years. 5 years, I repeat! That's not a small period. The loyalists in PN like Terry and me were in a minority with the PN supporters of Muddenahalli group openly flaunting their power & position (including significantly more money earning for PN employees from sixth pay commission hike and/or being put on regular pay scale around July 2011) in PN system then!
For many of the younger devotees, including alumni devotees, it was very difficult to spot Muddenahalli group's claims as fake. Some of the students that I taught in the Sai university (as free service) visited Muddenahalli group. Some got caught up in it but some escaped from that trap.
I think one of the fundamental reasons for alumni to get attracted to Muddenahalli group in those years was the endorsement that the ****then sitting**** vice-chancellor of SSSIHL, --Name1-snipped-- gave to Narasimhamurthy, who himself was a then revered warden Tyagajeevi figure, and Madhusudan Naidu, a two time gold medallist alumnus of SSSIHL. In the absence of physical form of Swami, I think many alumni looked up to former warden Narasimhamurthy and then sitting VC --Name1-snipped-- as spiritual guides for the mission. And then these guys were building free schools, free hospitals and all that with the donors they had attracted.
Later actions by Madhusudan Naidu including his Lingodbhavam and then open ***false*** claim that now Sathya Sai has assumed the body of Madhusudan Naidu, as well as strong actions from mid 2016 onwards by Prasanthi Nilayam bosses against employees/staff who associated with Muddenahalli group, turned the tide against Muddenahalli group.
Now I think many devotees including alumni who had associated with Muddenahalli group in the past (from July 2011 with Narasimhamurthy and/or Madhusudan Naidu), are very hesitant (to put it politely), to openly acknowledge that they had made a mistake and got swept away by ***false*** claims of Muddenahalli group.
So if somebody puts them on the spot on this matter, they tend to be evasive and sometimes can aggressively (verbally) attack the person who openly talks about their prior association with Muddenahalli Group, in the hope that their aggressive bullying will silence their target. And, sometimes at least, such aggressive bullying works! But --name-snipped-- did not get bullied in this conversation thread! Congratulations to her!
I guess these are human reactions and we need to simply factor in these things.
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Heart-breaking! My God! What burdens womanhood/motherhood has to bear!
Freed From ISIS, Yazidi Mothers Face Wrenching Choice: Abandon Kids Or Never Go Home, https://www.npr.org/2019/05/09/721210631/freed-by-isis-yazidi-mothers-face-wrenching-choice-abandon-kids-or-never-go-home, 9th May 2019
I think the reality of human society across the ages has been that it is women who bear the very difficult burdens, including heart-breaking emotional burdens, of raising and taking care of their family (or sometimes part of their family, like in this case).
In a poor part of rural India, I have come to know of cases of some men who are terribly exploitative of their wives! They don't want to bear the burden of taking care of the family (they have kids). They expect their wives to feed them and earn for the family as well!
I salute these women who fight and struggle and somehow raise their kids, even when they are desperately poor and have husbands who don't really contribute to raising the family or earning for the family.
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Short videos of river Ganga in full force in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India. Videos were taken on 29th April 2019 in the evening (around 5.30 PM) by an old friend of mine who was OK with public sharing.
https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/videos/2484274345122461/, 22 secs.
https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/videos/2484275661788996/, 19 secs.
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2483879595161936
M.S. Subbulakshmi singing Sathya Sai arati song, 46 secs video clip.
For those readers who do not know about M.S. Subbulakshmi: From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._S._Subbulakshmi :
Madurai Shanmukhavadivu Subbulakshmi (16 September 1916 – 11 December 2004) was an Indian Carnatic singer from Madurai, Tamil Nadu. She was the first musician ever to be awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour.[1] She is the first Indian musician to receive the Ramon Magsaysay award, often considered Asia's Nobel Prize,[2] in 1974 with the citation reading "Exacting purists acknowledge Srimati M. S. Subbulakshmi as the leading exponent of classical and semi-classical songs in the carnatic tradition of South India."[3][4]
Wiki References:
1. "M S Subbulakshmi: 'Nightingale' of Carnatic music". Rediff. India. 12 December 2004. Archived from the original on 8 July 2015.
2. Clare Arthurs (25 July 2000). "Activists share 'Asian Nobel Prize'". BBC News. Retrieved 20 February 2008.
3. "Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation". Rmaf.org.ph. Retrieved 22 September 2013.
4. The Ramon Magsaysay awards, Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation, 1982, p. 141
--- end wiki extracts ---
[I thank wikipedia and have presumed that they will not have any objections to me sharing the above extract from their website on this post which is freely viewable by all, and does not have any financial profit motive whatsoever.]
Put it up on youtube for greater visibility and exposure (NO PROFIT MOTIVE), (mentioning courtesy above FB video post): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFd5HTAzsrM
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2482365528646676
Ramzan Mubarak to Muslim brothers and sisters in India and around the world!
Allah Maalik! Ishwar Maalik! Yesu Maalik! Sabka Maalik Ek!
[Allah is the Lord! Ishwar is the Lord! Yesu (Jesus) is the Lord! The Lord of all is one!]
I endorse the tweet of Religious Freedom Center (USA based) below:
".@RelFreedomCntr our vision is a world committed to #religiousfreedom as an inalienable right for people of all religions and none. In the spirit of celebrating the First Amendment, we honor our Muslim friends who are entering this season of #Ramadan. #RamadanMubarak", https://twitter.com/RelFreedomCntr/status/1125465064369209346, 6th May 2019
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2481912338691995
Chadta Suraj Dheere Dheere - a famous Qawwali during my youth in the 80s
Today it seems to me to be more philosophical (about the impermanence of the world) and may not be based on any Sufi mystical insight. In the 80s & 90s I may have viewed it as possibly inspired by Sufi mystical insight.
But today I would hesitate to call it a Sufi qawwali though it is referred as that by some. Aziz Naza (Abdul Aziz Kunji Markar) was a Mumbai based singer, born 1938 died 1992, https://www.last.fm/music/Aziz+Nazan+Qawwal/+wiki.
Audio mainly with some still pics: Charta Sooraj ( Original n Full ) -Great Qwwali by Aziz Naza, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duFDy6Rwq9Q, 9 min. 17 secs.
Live rendition of the song by Aziz Naza in Canada (don't know which year): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=983yiDFr4iU.
The lyrics of the song are very interesting though somewhat pessimistic, harping on the impermanence of the world. If I find the time (and inclination), I will attempt to translate the lyrics to English (as well as I can as I am no Urdu expert).
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I think this song was Aziz Naza's most famous song in the 80s and 90s. It is the from the 1974 Hindi movie, Five Rifles. I have heard the song umpteen times in those days. But I had not seen the video till recently (i have not seen the movie). BTW I certainly do not endorse the message of the song. But the plain truth of the matter is that it was quite a popular song in the 80s & 90s in Bombay/Mumbai.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lr3KyhK5ysw, around 3 mins.
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2481729762043586
Enjoyed this Marathi bhajan by street singers in Pune
Maze Maher Pandhari - Mahant Brothers from Gadag (Karnataka) - Street Talent Pune, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xilT3vvTZo, around 5 mins
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2480913972125165
My first fear when I saw this pic of USA Ambassador to India Kenneth Juster with this Swami was whether I am going to see spiritual fraud Madhusudan Rao Naidu lurking in the background somewhere. Note that this Swami has put up public pics of himself with Madhsuduan Rao Naidu spiritual fraud.
Fortunately, I could not see Madhusudan Rao Naidu in these pics.
This is in Uttarakhand (northern) state of India (Haridwar is the place, I think). This Swami seems to be quite a noted figure in international circles. Some weeks ago I saw a BBC video of a British guy on a visit to India to explore Hindu spirituality and religion, and it had him visiting this Swami's ashram and had video clips of the Swami with him.
I think Uttarakhand official Sai orgn. should, if they have not already done so, have some interactions with this Swami and tell him the truth about Madhusudan Rao Naidu spiritual fraud. If they have already met him, then I request them to please intimate those of us who are active in exposing Madhusudan Rao Naidu spiritual fraud, about what they did and how the Swami reacted.
Anyway, I am so glad that there is no Madhusudan Rao Naidu lurking in the background in these pics of USA Ambassador Kenneth Juster's visit to Uttarakhand put up by U.S. Embassy India.
[Shared post: https://www.facebook.com/India.usembassy/posts/2278199872296029]
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In response to comment, "Last I saw this guy (I won't recognize him as a swami) made a public statement on video that Madhusudan was one with Swami.", I wrote (slightly edited): Oh Lord! He said that, huh! I did not know that.
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In response to comment that Lord Krsna went along with the double speak of the Kauravas, right up to their final destruction, I (Ravi) wrote (slightly edited): Perhaps "went along" may not be the right way to express it. Lord Krishna did advise the Kauravas to give up their wrong ways and adhere to Dharma. But they did not care for Lord Krishna's advice.
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In response to a comment, I wrote (slightly edited):
Initially, --name-snipped-- sir, I had the view that Lord Krishna may have engineered the Kurukshetra war as that was his way of restoring Dharma by getting rid of evil doers through the great war.
But I am not so sure about that view now. While I have not studied the original Mahabharata and original Srimad Bhagavatam parts related to Lord Krishna, I have the view now that Lord Krishna tried very hard to avoid war. He went as the Shanti Doota (Peace broker/messenger) to the Kaurava court before the war, but his advice was rejected by the arrogant and foolish Kauravas.
Was Krishna just acting a role of Shanti Doota when he well knew that the outcome was going to be failure and then war? I don't know now.
Perhaps Krishna too was not sure exactly how the thing would play out. Yes, he had great supernatural powers. But I think it may not have gone to extent of knowing exactly how things would pan out in future.
But, as Bhishma said, whichever side Lord Krishna was, was the side of Dharma, and the side of victory. Lord Krishna used his supernatural powers to ensure victory of Dharma over Adharma and there was no chance that Lord Krishna would not accomplish his goal. So I have full faith in the powers of the Avatar Krishna to win but I don't think even he knew exactly how it would play out in future. ... Maybe these views of mine are born out of some spiritual ignorance on my part. But I wanted to frankly convey my views, as of now.
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2480165002200062
Very interesting! Thailand King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s coronation puts spotlight on ceremony’s Indian roots, https://indianexpress.com/article/research/thailand-king-maha-vajiralongkorns-coronation-puts-spotlight-on-indian-aspects-of-ceremony-5709876/, (Updated) 5th May 2019
The king is known after Lord Rama! The person ascending to the throne now will be known as Rama X (10th)!
The rituals involved are a mix of Vedic and Buddhist! Some rituals are said to be traceable to Satapatha Brahmana, a key Vedic text!
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2478043505745545
Pope Francis Tweet: May St Joseph, the humble workman of Nazareth, direct us toward Christ, support the sacrifice of those who do good, and intercede for those who have lost their job or who are not successful in finding a job. https://twitter.com/Pontifex/status/1123550131448532992
Ravi: The *****big***** challenge in rural areas in many parts of the world in our early 21st century times, is finding suitable employment which pays a living wage to most, if not all, of those seeking work.
And then there is an issue of higher material aspirations from the rural youth of today, at least in India. These are really tough problems to solve!
https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2477757952440767
I have had the Divine blessing of being hugged by Mata Amritanandamayi perhaps in the 1990s, and also having had her Darshan (during her visits to Mumbai and nearby areas). I have also read some of her works at that time. If I recall correctly, I was very pleasantly surprised to see a lot of similarity, if not sameness, in her writings/discourses on Vedanta, and that of Sathya Sai.
In the shared post below, it is reported that Mata Amritandamayi recently (in Australia) answered some questions about spiritual fraud Madhusudan Rao Naidu, as follows:
About Madhusudan's claims and the source of his power, Amma answered: "Sathya Sai Baba was a great spiritual teacher." Then Amma's face wrinkled in disgust and she made a dismissive gesture with her hand as she said emphatically "But this fellow is a fraud! He has developed a small amount of power from tantric practices and now he is misusing it. There are many, many like him in India."
When asked about how devotees should respond to Madhusudan and his claims, Amma gave very clear advice She said emphatically "Don't go near him. Don't go to meet him. Don't think about him. Don't have anything to do with him."
--- end extract ---
[Shared post: AMMA WARNS AGAIN ABOUT THE DANGERS OF EVEN LOOKING AT MADHUSUDAN, https://www.facebook.com/terry.reiskennedy/posts/10219645039335341]
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