Krishna outside of ISKCON?

[jaya_narayana]

Namaste,

i was wondering, is there gaudiya vaishnavism outside of iskcon? i love krishna but have reservations about this group.

thank you :)

Jai Sri Krishna!

[reflections]

jaya_narayana,

ISKCON, as an organization is the first one to bring worship of Krishna to the west and it is also most established one.

There are many more sects worshiping Krishna with little bit different theologies.

Pushti Sampradaya:
http://www.pushtimarg.net/newPushti/index.php
They believe in teachings of Vallabhacarya and also worship Krishna as Supreme personality of God head.

There are other Gaudiya organizations operating separately from ISKCON
http://www.gaudiya.com/index.php?topic=contact

The sect believeing in Madhvacarya akso treat Krishna as their Ishta:
http://www.dvaita.org/

Plus, there are numerous interpretations of Geeta other than ISCKON Gita.

And a lot of common people treat Krishna as their 'Ishta' without formally
recognizing any of these sects. For me, I percieve absolute reality as Krishna and I am not part of any of formal sects.

Regards,
reflections

[izi]

this supreme and terrible personality contained by a mere earthbound organization? laughable. If that were the case he would not be worth turning our worship and attention to.

Go on and worship Krsna how you like, you don't have to join the Krsna fan club.

I grew up with some ISKCON people at the temple and it was very enjoyable I like some of what they teach alot. However, it is not for everybody.

[ScottMalaysia]

Check out the Gaudiya Math at www.purebhakti.com. They are headed by Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja, with whom Srila Prabhupada had a very good relationship. Srila Narayana Maharaja performed the funeral rites for Srila Prabhupada.

They are not fixated on the technicalities like ISKCON are - you don't need to chant 16 rounds a day to receive initiation, for example.

Hope this helps.

[izi]

Great link thanks

Some of it is a bit introductory, this for example, I take quarrel with:

"We are parts and parcel of God, of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This material world is not our homeland; it is a place for refugees. We have come to this world as refugees, and one day we’ll have to give it up at a moment’s notice. Then where will we go?"

As far as I am concerned this is no different from the xian perspective of heaven and god separate from man, which is taught as a fallacy in Indian religious texts....earth is our home, is not separate from heaven, and is a small part of the infinite opulence of godhead. We are placed here for a reason and not meant to seek externally but internally - the world is our refuge if we make it that way, and I think we shall come to see it that way - or go extinct as a species..

Since it's all already predetermined, I would like to believe we are meant to survive...so much hope rests on the future of our children that I can only guess that the trials are only designed to make us value life a bit more. I mean, did not Krsna come to play down here? What else can we say about how valuable earth is?

That being said, there are more times that I realize the state of NOT being where I wish to be painfully frequently, as it is a hard life especially at this time. By all means, I think that it is a state of mind, happiness...When I meditate on life and work as being in devotional service, then I am VERY happy. But when I am just trying to "get happy" I become quite dissatisfied. The only refuge from devotional service seems to be excstatic bhakti devotion where I can't even move for the bliss....not very productive....or is it?

But no I don't like this whole "heaven up thar" idea...it is very damaging to culture and to the planet. I certainly do not think the earth will decay and fall into ruin i imagine it is more likely to become brighter and far more stellar than we can possibly imagine.

[Jivattatva]

Jai Sri Krishna

Try the website (link below) dedicated to my Guru Nikunja Gopal Goswami, a direct descendant of Sri Advaita Acharya, an associate of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

http://home.kpn.nl/dijk7364/

[Sagefrakrobatik]

I was wondering the same thing because I went to Wikipedia to look up Krishnology and all the Scholars were mostly assoiated with ISKON.

[grames]

Few comments...

Do you "think" earth will not decay or you know for sure it is a fact? Even in case, earth is going to sustain and become brighter and far more stellar, oh dear, do you still happen to believe we gonna live along with earth's life span? What is earth with out "us"?

Earth is "valuable" as long as "we" the individuals are here and Who choose to send us to this planet earth is the One we should be thinking about. "We" will survive forever and eternally but is this planet earth our destination of survival. But, what is the nature of our "survival" and how good or bad it is should be serious concern for the intellectual or in simple terms "spiritual" seeker.

If the world is made as per your wish or if your own life is running 100% as you wish, then we can proudly say we have the power and potency to be some "Divine" but, any practical person with good clear consciousness will agree that it is not the case.

Just for your thought....




Great link thanks

Some of it is a bit introductory, this for example, I take quarrel with:

"We are parts and parcel of God, of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This material world is not our homeland; it is a place for refugees. We have come to this world as refugees, and one day we’ll have to give it up at a moment’s notice. Then where will we go?"

As far as I am concerned this is no different from the xian perspective of heaven and god separate from man, which is taught as a fallacy in Indian religious texts....earth is our home, is not separate from heaven, and is a small part of the infinite opulence of godhead. We are placed here for a reason and not meant to seek externally but internally - the world is our refuge if we make it that way, and I think we shall come to see it that way - or go extinct as a species..

Since it's all already predetermined, I would like to believe we are meant to survive...so much hope rests on the future of our children that I can only guess that the trials are only designed to make us value life a bit more. I mean, did not Krsna come to play down here? What else can we say about how valuable earth is?

That being said, there are more times that I realize the state of NOT being where I wish to be painfully frequently, as it is a hard life especially at this time. By all means, I think that it is a state of mind, happiness...When I meditate on life and work as being in devotional service, then I am VERY happy. But when I am just trying to "get happy" I become quite dissatisfied. The only refuge from devotional service seems to be excstatic bhakti devotion where I can't even move for the bliss....not very productive....or is it?

But no I don't like this whole "heaven up thar" idea...it is very damaging to culture and to the planet. I certainly do not think the earth will decay and fall into ruin i imagine it is more likely to become brighter and far more stellar than we can possibly imagine.

[ranjeetmore]

Jai Sri Krishna

Try the website (link below) dedicated to my Guru Nikunja Gopal Goswami, a direct descendant of Sri Advaita Acharya, an associate of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

http://home.kpn.nl/dijk7364/

I LOVE this site.LOVE it.


Alas,some one related to Sri Gauranga who doesn't cry hoarse 'blasphemy!' if he sees a Vaishnava saint with hair on his head. :)

I personally fully believe that we have not ;'fallen' from Goloka as my spiritual master(not per se..but i fully believe in him) says.

there are other differnces too that he shares with iskon: The godhood status of Shankara and devi.
I'm know the gosvamis taught otherwise(than current iskon theories) too. :)

[Jivattatva]

Pranam Ranjeet


Thanks for appreciating our parivar and the website.

If you happen to be in the Navadwip area, specifically Ramchandrapur, please visit our ashram, near Mahaprabhu Janmasthan.

My nice bhons and bhais might even extend their wishes by giving you some prasadam !

I actually will be in our ashram from 20 January for the start of our 5 day utsava in celebration of the appearance day of Sri ADvaita Acharya.

Anyone near Navadwip, you are all welcome!

[jim_abbot]

namaste,

I actually thought it was very much the same?

Jai Shree Krishna

[ranjeetmore]

Sri Krsna as described outside ISKCON :


jaki yachat sharan sab,Vidhi Hari Har unman
Soi Yashumati ki god hit,Lotat rodan than.

Even Brahma,Vishnu and Shankara desire the refuge of Sri Krsna.The same Krsna,Who is the refuge of all the Forms of God,is crying and rolling on the ground to go into the lap of Mother Yashoda.
- Bhakti shatak 99
written by Jagadguru Sri Kripaluji Maharaj.

He further writes in verse number 92 of the same book :
Oh Gyanis,don't say that Brahm is formless and without qualities.Listen very carefully.If brahm were formless,then He wouldn't have become like the collyrium of the eyes of the Gopis and followed them everywhere in Braj.


It is shocking to read such words - because they are written with so much conviction ! Indeed,they are the fruit of first-hand realization of these great personalities.
So when a Gauranga Mahaprabhu or Surdas tells me that Sri Krsna- an actual Person with two hands and feet - is the Brahm of the vedas,I can't help but accept it.It does sound baffling to the mind at first,but when you realize that the mind is a very inept instrument of gaining knowledge,you slowly wrap your head around the increasingly obvious belief : that Sri KRsna or the Personal Form of God is the real object of the vedas.



Sri Tulsidasa writes in the same vein about Sri Ramachandra - a Form that is indifferent from Sri Krsna.

Everyone knows Nimbarkacharya to have same belief - that Sri Radha Krsna is Brahm.

[Braja Bhushan das]

Of course, as suggested above, Krishna is not limited to any institution.

Every organization and guru is important, regardless of their sincerity and knowledge, because every individual has a varying degree of sincerity in him or herself, and according to this Krishna will direct him or her to a particular organization or guru.

If you want to see the traditional paramparic way of getting to Krishna, check out www.uttama-bhakti.org (http://www.uttama-bhakti.org).