For lazybones and idiots like myself, having a spiritual community is actually pretty vital. You need someone to organize a space where you can actually gather—someone to ring a bell and basically bully you into meditating, or whip up some food while you're out on retreats and stuff like that... Because if it weren't for that, I’d just be sitting at home, mindlessly flipping through channels or scrolling through YouTube, letting my brain buzz at max volume without ever sitting still for a second. This way... the bell rings. It’s honestly just like any other club. People would much rather pay a membership fee just so someone will force them to show up and give them some professional guidance.
bluemason3, you could honestly be a pretty useful helping hand for your neighbors if you ever decided to join a local community group or something. You know, just a way to rack up some noble deeds to save your own soul or whatever.
Depression isn't some kind of side effect of an awakening. Honestly, if you're feeling that way, it’s more of a sign that the awakening hasn't actually happened yet—because real spiritual growth usually shows up as things like heightened awareness, a genuine interest in the world, more energy, joy, relaxation, focus, or just a sense of peace.
The kind of spiritual community silverotter592 is talking about is actually incredibly vital. Now, look, a community can't replace your own personal inner work, but it can provide a massive boost and some much-needed support. Of course, you run into those people in spiritual circles who are totally green or naive—they think they can just talk theory at someone and call it "help." But hopefully, you'll find the more mature folks who offer real, tangible support, whether that's looking after someone who's sick or helping out a friend who's struggling financially. That’s just what a grounded person does anyway; helping people in need comes naturally, so it makes sense to extend that same hand to your fellow travelers in a community. It's something we should all be practicing regardless, as part of our own personal growth. Setting aside time or money to help others—whether through manual labor, giving someone a ride, offering a place to stay, or helping someone study—is just part of the process.
"Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me!" (Matthew 25:45)
casualtiger2 said:Zachary Cox69, you've clearly taken a wrong turn if you think this is the right place. You should've taken a left at Abu Bakr. 😍
He definitely missed the mark. He really should've headed over to the Religion board—you know, to go head-to-head with all those various clerical-fascists who think their tribal deity is somehow bigger or tougher than everyone else's. We’re strictly the spiritual crowd here... we're only interested in lotus flowers, crystals, chakras, mantras, tantras, yantras, and... well, maybe some Asana too...
This Lawrence of Zadar guy seems a little full of himself to me... he’s always twitching, repeating the same things over and over— he actually claims he’s some kind of special apostle , except he hasn't started shouting hallelujah just yet like that Canadian fellow does...
Joseph Bailey41 said:IMHO, he probably just realized that talking to you isn't productive, or rather, that the conversation isn't doing you any favors. Your "insult" was pretty much playground level; a person doesn't need to be some enlightened guru to just laugh it off internally and politely end a conversation that's going nowhere. So, try not to take it personally—this guy doesn't have the bandwidth to deal with basic manners, nor is he professionally trained to coach someone through emotional immaturity. It would probably be a good move on your part to respect his time and do exactly what he asked: delete his address.
Come on now—spiritual teachers are generally supposed to be overflowing with compassion for the suffering of others.
Look, you have to face the reality that he might not actually forgive you. It’s good that you owned up to your mistake and gave him a sincere apology—really, it is—but at this point, the ball is entirely in his court. Whether he accepts it or stays mad is up to him... you've already done everything humanly possible to make things right.
Andrew Gomez6 said:Sorry I’m just now getting back to you, I’ve been in a bit of a funk lately. I ended up going off on him pretty hard, making some really nasty comments about his skin tone and how his voice sounds like some little kid...🕺
He's a compassionate guy, so I doubt he’s holding a grudge. And since you're a decent person, you'll probably just clear the air—and then we can all move on.
So, it looks like the American police forcehas finally started working on their mental headspace. Check out this short documentary— MINDFULNESS IN THE AMERICAN POLICE FORCE—which shows how they're actually doing it 👍 under the guidance of some private psychiatric practice based out of Washington, D.C.
Anyway, if anyone’s interested, you know where to find them.
The Hare Krishna crowd is celebrating their little festival again—you know, the one where they parade statues of Indian deities through the streets of Washington, D.C., on the back of a tractor:
Honestly, someone should just ship Horza off to some temple in India or maybe Nepal... you know, one of those places where they chant Vedic mantras all day long... though he’d probably get kicked out immediately because he’s technically outside the caste 🙂
bluemason3 said:What area are we talking about here?
Any examples of how they overlap?
Can you give me some examples of science within the Vedas?
Man, bluemason3, you’re really out here killing the vibe for everyone's spiritual journey. It doesn't actually matter—you can sing along without fully grasping the lyrics, but... it's like... you feel it, right? These are the Vedas; they just sort of wash over your soul... There’s science involved too, ancient science—knowledge that’s millions of years old... mysticism and all that...
And honestly, if you're diving into the Vedas, the old-school recommendation is to tune into "on the edge of intelligence"... that's usually when the Vedas hit you the hardest... 👍
Well, let people talk all they want... I just don't get why there’s some "new" version of Yoga popping up every five minutes. This whole thing about Shri Shri Yog is news to me, honestly.
So, we’re talking about the Art of Living crew now?! They seem to be constantly rebranding or launching something new—it's a bit much, honestly. First it was Vashi Yoga, then Kriya Yoga, and now they've pivoted to Shri Shri Yog? You'd think they'd get tired of renaming their own stuff every other week. A buddy of mine just got back from a trip to India and mentioned they're pretty huge over there lately...
Back when I was prepping for one of those South Asian studies exams—takes a while, you know—I did a deep dive into the first four chapters of the Bhagavad Gita, verse by verse. I actually revisited that translation just the other day. :-) At the time, I was working off some notes from a colleague whose handwriting is... let's just say "challenging," so I wasn't entirely sure if the Sanskrit text matched what was printed. I ended up using Prabhupada’s version specifically because it includes the Devanagari script, whereas most other translations don't bother with the original Sanskrit source. As I worked my way through the verses, I started noticing some discrepancies. They’re subtle, sure, but once they pile up, they can easily lead an uninitiated reader down the wrong path. For instance, he frequently translates terms like "yogin" or "ascetic" as something like "pure devotee" or similar. In my opinion, that's pretty inaccurate. Plus, if I recall correctly, there were one or two verses in those first four chapters that were just plain poorly translated. I can't remember exactly which ones they were, and honestly, I don't really have the energy to go hunting for examples just to prove the point. So, take my word for it or don't—it's up to you.
Looking at it as a whole, there aren't a ton of glaring errors you could pinpoint without a fight, but the thing is heavily ideologically biased. And generally speaking, that makes it a pretty bad translation that you might want to steer clear of. If you ask me, the biggest flaw isn't even the translation of the original verses themselves, but rather Prabhupada’s commentaries. Those comments are arguably the worst part. Prabhupada didn't write a classic *bhashya* (commentary) on the Sanskrit; instead, he rambled extensively in modern languages—likely starting in his native Bengali before it was translated into English and other Western languages. This is where his specific worldview really shows through, making it obvious why he massaged the translation to fit his commentary style. It's essentially a translation of interest—a translation with a preconceived agenda. That’s why it might be better to stick to some of those unbiased, academic translations produced by our local experts in South Asian studies. Just for a first reading and to get an impartial impression.
By the way, in India, philosophy is traditionally taught alongside commentaries from the specific school of thought one belongs to. Every school of Indian philosophy has written its own insights and interpretations of the Bhagavad Gita. Prabhupada isn't anything out of the ordinary here, except perhaps being a more recent commentator who isn't particularly highly regarded within India itself. His translation doesn't carry much weight in serious scholarly circles. It certainly doesn't rank alongside the classic commentaries like those from Shankara, Ramanuja, Madhva, or Abhinavagupta, mainly because it wasn't written in Sanskrit and lacks that traditional structure (and not just because of the language). In serious academic circles in India, this isn't even treated as a scholarly commentary. It’s almost like if I wrote something in English and tried to pass it off as a definitive treatise—serious scholars wouldn't give it much thought. Naturally, Indians, much like Westerners, have their own disagreements with the content since not everyone agrees with his commentary. Generally speaking, this translation isn't held in high esteem, neither in India nor in the West. So, my recommendation: read the Bhagavad Gita in an independent, professional translation first. Later, if you want to dive into the commentaries of a specific school of Indian spiritual thought... well, feel free to choose whatever suits you.