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Post by malati on Jun 2, 2009 19:29:21 GMT -6
Pranaams
Since last year I have been thinking, as my service to my Guru and the Vaishnavas, about putting up an e-zine for the video lectures, writings of our acharyas, quality ponderings of trad devotees, be they in the form of essay, poem, video or audio, etc, with the express aim of deepening our understanding of and distributing to the general Gaudiya Vashnava community, the beautiful philosophy/theology of Chaitanya Vaishnavism as conceptualized by the foundational acharyas.
Why a new site? you might ask. I envision it to be a “one-stop-lounge” in an easily accessible format with facilities for:
leaving comments
subscription (so one will be alerted for new edition)
advertisements (banner) for published materials , books, events, etc. (where a picture of the book for example can be left permanently until asked to be removed). This will be free to everyone. links to your gurus sites, bookstore
I am now investigating if wordpress is suitable and finding out how to make a site top in the search engines.
Putting up a site is a bit easy . The hard part is finding materials.
So I come here to request devotees to please check if you have materials that are gathering dust in your draws that you might want to contribute to this project. I will observe proper copyrights.
Dr. Delmonico told me that I’m free to use the stuff he has written on this forum. Thanks .
I hope to go to India next year to gather materials, including my Guru’s lectures for this project.
I hope for the site to be online by middle of next year. So to those interested you have lots of time to find them or gather your thoughts and write them.
My email address: jivattatva(at)yahoo(dot)co(dot)uk
Thanks Haribol
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Post by malati on Aug 22, 2009 3:53:25 GMT -6
You bet I’m still at it although no one showed apparent interest . However, a former devotee promised to share whatever GV files he has. Obvioulsy, he has no need for them now and he might as well do something good about them.
A very intelligent devotee, who writes very well, albeit somewhat eccentric also promised to write a piece for my planned site.
I hope to come up with one issue per month , with 3- 4 features about Gvism, our sanga and Krishna (in the form of essay, poems , audio/video kirtans/lectures—whatever is available which are of interest to devotees . If you have any, please let me know.
Or any materials from outside of the community which can shed light or further our understanding about God in general , the cosmos and consciousness.
( I would like to emphasize that I have NO hidden agenda here except for the site to serve as an outlet for devotees’ talent/creativity and as an area to share our thoughts in the spirit of “really beneficial sanga”).
Other types of materials that I’ m interested in.
Photography taken at the dham with maybe shastric verses that best describe the picture.
Songs you composed , maybe audio of youself singing it. Verses from shastras that you may want to discuss or any topic under the GV sun. You can record audio of yourself discussing it, maybe even a video.
Topics that I myself want to understand more, that you might be interested to write about:
1. How I came to Krishna consiouousness. ( I hope to feature one article every issue)
- You early life before KC. How you first contacted KC. The defining moments that made you decide this is it for you. Your first encounters with your guru. Why you love him. Your struggles and joys of being a devotee
2. Why I love my Guru . ( I hope to feature one article every issue) - There’s a lot to say about Him/Her I’m sure 3. A day in the life of a devotee. - What is it like to be a devotee. A honest account of a devotee’s 24 hour.
4. What is prema bhakti for you? Just how do you remember Krishna? How is your bhajan going?
5. Is God dead? - What did Nietzsche actually mean when he said “God is dead”. In the face of unending advances in science and technology is there still a place for Krishna in our lives.
6. Fundamentalism in Gaudiya Vaishnavism.
7. If an atheist ask you to prove God’s existence, what will you say? You can talk about the fine tuning of the universe. The concept of morality, sense of right or wrong, evil and goodness. The efficient cause and final cause. What the revealed scriptures say. And also your subjective feeling why you have faith that Krishna is real.
8. A relationship with Krishna is a very personal matter. Why need a guru?
9. How I view the rasa lila?
10. Understanding the shastra? What do you think is the proper way to do it? And how do you reconcile in case of conflict?
11. Is there such a thing as objective morality or objective sense of right or wrong?
12. Is Sahajiyaism a wrong path to Krishna prema? Or is it a valid way to attaining prema?
13. Is Krishna consciousness dynamic? If yes, just what is it that makes Gvism unique among the world’s great “religions”? What areas can we do away without stripping Gvism its unique character. What is the place of tradition in GVism and its place in the modern world .
14. Sadhus that left deep impressions in your heart and soul.
15. What does science say about our “consciousness”? And what do the shastras say about it?
Thanks a lot. Hare Krishna
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Post by spiritualbhakti on Aug 25, 2009 16:36:36 GMT -6
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Post by Nitaidas on Oct 29, 2009 6:10:56 GMT -6
Where did that video go, spiritualbhakti? I just noticed this posting and wanted to see/hear you recite some Sanskrit.
Malati, has there been any progress on your ezine? Such efforts are hard to orchestrate. Hope that something does develop. Surely square would have things to contribute to it. Now that spiritualbhakti is back, maybe he has things to contribute. You can use any of the documents posted here that do not offend your "Krsna-consciousness" (I hate that word). Anyway, keep us posted.
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Post by spiritualbhakti on Nov 3, 2009 18:10:19 GMT -6
I plan on contributing some videos soon, actually I was planning on doing a audio mp3 recitation of you translation of Sri Krsna-caitanya-caritamrta-kadacam. Since this seems to be the oldest of the bio of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
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Post by malati on Nov 3, 2009 23:24:22 GMT -6
Radhe Radhe
Spiritual bhakti, thanks for your interest. I sent you a message on facebook.
Nitaidasji, thanks also for remembering this thread and for your offer. (ALthough I personally don't know where you stand now).
Yes, Im still very much at it. I'm going to the dham in January to attend a festival in our ashram. While there I hope to interview devotees, sadhus. And also to gather any materials and inspirations to make my project into reality.
Kind regards to everyone here
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Post by malati on Nov 3, 2009 23:53:13 GMT -6
I was about to prepare my blueberry muffins but remembered while Im at it , to might as well ask all of you.
If anyone has questions for sadhus or issues you want to get the opinions of sadhus on, please list them on this thread and I will gladly take them up when I'm at dham in Jan.
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Post by Nitaidas on Nov 8, 2009 17:05:18 GMT -6
I was about to prepare my blueberry muffins but remembered while Im at it , to might as well ask all of you. If anyone has questions for sadhus or issues you want to get the opinions of sadhus on, please list them on this thread and I will gladly take them up when I'm at dham in Jan. Please post those muffins when they are done, too, Malati. We will offer them to Thakur and advance in spiritual life.
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Post by Nitaidas on Nov 8, 2009 17:07:49 GMT -6
Nitaidasji, thanks also for remembering this thread and for your offer. (ALthough I personally don't know where you stand now). Well, I'm standing in London town, now, Malati. The question is where do you stand now. If you are going to produce another zine that is full of Iskcorn, I find that rather sad. Iskcorn is that corny language that fills the postings and pages of the IGMers. I don't see how anyone can expect to be taken seriously who speaks and writes that bliss-ninnyish way. If mainstream or authentic CV is to make any headway in the Western world it needs to find a voice that is not childish and silly. That is what I think keeps CV from getting an intelligent hearing. Who wants to listen to people speaking about transcendental this or transcendental that, or mellows, or Supreme Personalities of Godhead, and so on? It is all a show and lacks any genuine content. If one pokes beneath the surface one finds just air or emptiness, no substance. Don't make any more cream puffs with no real filling. When I write or translate I try to avoid those worn out and ill-conceived expressions. When one joins the authentic tradition one has to learn to speak differently. If one does not speak differently, it is likely that one has never really left the old and empty tradition and joined the new.
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