Namaste all
Here I would like to express some doubts regarding the Policy of moderating posts at our HDF.
I think it's important for all of our members and I would like that we all together discuss this important issue. I would like the members of our HDF community to participate in the discussion as well as our moderators.
I'll try to be quite specific.
A few days ago I sent a PM message to Satay as follows:
Satay sent a reply:Namaste Satay
I noticed in the "Is Krishna Brahman?" thread one part of my post #3 is deleted:
http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=13093
"The other gods such as Agni, Indra, Brahma, Rudra, Vayu, Varuna, etc, are not Brahman or The Supreme which means that they are not the supreme God, but Lord Krishna is supreme God."
I would like to know why this part of my post is deleted. That part is completely in line with the philosophy of Vaishnavas and specifically in accordance with the teachings of the Gaudiya Vaishnavas or Hare Krishna (ISKCON) and the name of the forum is exactly "Hare Krishna (ISKCON)"!
Now, I must admit that I'm startled with this. How, then, I'm supposed to formulate my posts?!namaste,
sentiments of other hindus were hurt. would you like me to delete your whole post?
I mean if some of our members' feelings get hurt, then what should I do? I can not change the Vaishnava philosophy and teachings which have been given to us by our acaryas! These teachings are as they are, and they are also part of the Hindu dharma and are followed by and appreciated by one part of the Hindu community. I can not change these teachings, so that when I say that some gods are not the Supreme, or when I say that some of the gods are "demigods" then it is so because our acaryas told us so. If some of our members' feelings get hurt by this then they should not read my posts! It is the only solution and the only advice I can give.
We live in the world where everyone cares only for his own feelings. But what about the feelings of others? Please see this:
yas tu nārāyaṇaṁ devaṁ
brahma-rudrādi-daivataiḥ
samatvenaiva vīkṣeta
sa pāṣaṇḍī bhaved dhruvam
yaḥ -- any person who; tu -- however; nārāyaṇam -- the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of such demigods as Brahmā and Śiva; devam -- the Lord; brahma -- Lord Brahmā; rudra -- Lord Śiva; ādi -- and others; daivataiḥ -- with such demigods; samatvena -- on an equal level; eva -- certainly; vīkṣeta -- observes; saḥ -- such a person; pāṣaṇḍī -- pāsaṇḍī; bhavet -- must be; dhruvam -- certainly.
"A person who considers demigods like Brahmā and Śiva to be on an equal level with Nārāyaṇa is to be considered an offender, or pāṣaṇḍī." (Padma Purana)
Here in this verse the word pāṣaṇḍī is applied, and means "atheist, a heretic".
Note: This is a verse from the Padma Purana quoted by early Gaudiya Vaishnava acaryas in the 16th century such as Sanatana Gosvami in his Hari-bhakti-vilāsa.
Here is an excerpt from one of Srila Prabhupada's lessons:
Pāṣaṇḍī means nonfaithful, unfaithful, unbeliever.
Lecture on BG 9.23-24 -- New York, December 10, 1966:
So Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā are considered to be the most powerful demigods, but still, it is prohibited that one should not think of them as equal to the Supreme Lord. It is strictly prohibited in Vaiṣṇava Purāṇas. It is said like this: yas tu nārāyaṇaṁ devam...
yas tu nārāyaṇaṁ devaṁ
brahma-rudrādi-daivataiḥ
samatvenaiva vīkṣeta
sa pāṣaṇḍī bhaved dhruvam
(Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya 18.115 and 116)
"Any person who keeps on the same level demigods like Brahmā-Rudra" -- that means Brahmā and Lord Śiva -- "with Nārāyaṇa" --Nārāyaṇa is the Supreme Lord -- yas tu nārāyaṇaṁ devaṁ brahma-rudrādi-daivataiḥ... They are very big, big demigods, but even they cannot be placed on the equal level of Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Lord. Yas tu samatvena vīkṣeta: Anyone says that "To me everyone is the same, he is pāṣaṇḍī." He is pāṣaṇḍī means nonfaithful, unfaithful, unbeliever.
So, as I said we live in the world where everyone cares only for his own feelings. Does anyone cares about the Lord Vishnu's (Narayana) feelings, see above quote from the Padma Purana? Does anyone think that His feelings will be hurt if we believe that all the gods are the Supreme?
regards
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