Rationalist International: Difference between revisions
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Anger |
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In ecstatic loving service to Krishna in anger, Krishna is always the object. In Vidagdha-mādhava, Second Act, verse 37, Lalitā-gopī expressed her anger, which was caused by Krishna, when she addressed Śrīmatī Rādhārānī thus: "My dear friend, my inner desires have been polluted. Therefore I shall go to the place of Yamarāja. But I am sorry to see that Krishna has still not given up His smiling over cheating You. I do not know how You could repose all Your loving propensities upon this lusty young boy from the neighborhood of the cowherds." |
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After seeing Krishna, Jaratī sometimes said, "O You thief of young girls' properties! I can distinctly see the covering garment of my daughter-in-law on Your person." Then she cried very loudly, addressing all the residents of Vrindāvana to inform them that this son of King Nanda was setting fire to the household life of her daughter-in-law. |
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Similar ecstatic love for Krishna in anger was expressed by Rohinī-devī when she heard the roaring sound of the two falling arjuna trees to which Krishna had been tied. The whole neighborhood proceeded immediately toward the place where the accident had taken place, and Rohinī-devī took the opportunity to rebuke mother Yaśodā as follows: "You may be very expert in giving lessons to your son by binding Him with rope, but don't you look to see if your son is in a dangerous spot? The trees are falling on the ground, and He is simply loitering there!" This expression of Rohinī-devī's anger toward Yaśodā is an example of ecstatic love in anger caused by Krishna. |
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Once, while Krishna was in the pasturing ground with His cowherd boys, His friends requested Him to go to the Tālavana forest, where Gardabhāsura, a disturbing demon in the shape of an ass, resided. The friends of Krishna wanted to eat the fruit from the forest trees, but they could not go because of fear of the demon. Thus they requested Krishna to go there and kill Gardabhāsura. After Krishna did this, they all returned home, and their report of the day's activity perturbed mother Yaśodā because Krishna had been sent alone into such danger in the Tālavana forest. Thus she looked upon the boys with anger. |
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There is another instance of anger on the part of a friend of Rādhārānī's. When Rādhārānī was dissatisfied with the behavior of Krishna and had stopped talking with Him, Krishna was very sorry for Rādhārānī's great dissatisfaction, and in order to beg forgiveness, He fell down at Her lotus feet. But even after this, Rādhārānī was not satisfied, and She did not talk with Krishna. At that time, one of Her friends chastised Her in the following words: "My dear friend, You are allowing Yourself to be churned by the rod of dissatisfaction, so what can I say unto You? The only advice I can give You is that You had better leave this scene immediately, because Your misbehavior is giving me too much pain. I cannot bear to see Your behavior, because even though Krishna's peacock feather has touched Your feet, You still appear to be red-faced." |
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The above attitudes of dissatisfaction and anger in devotional service are called īrshyu. |
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When Akrūra was leaving Vrindāvana, some of the elderly gopīs rebuked him as follows: "O son of Gāndinī, your cruelty is defaming the dynasty of King Yadu. You are taking Krishna away, keeping us in such a pitiable condition without Him. Now, even before you have left, the life air of all the gopīs has practically disappeared." |
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When Krishna was insulted by Śiśupāla in the assembly of the Rājasūya yajña convened by Mahārāja Yudhishthira, there was a great turmoil among the Pāndavas and Kurus, involving grandfather Bhīshma. At that time Nakula said with great anger, "Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the nails of His toes are beautified by the light emanating from the jeweled helmets of the authorities of the Vedas. If He is derided by anyone, I declare herewith as a Pāndava that I will kick his helmet with my left foot and I will strike him with my arrows, which are as good as yama-danda, the scepter of Yamarāja!" This is an instance of ecstatic love for Krishna in anger. |
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In such a transcendental angry mood sometimes sarcastic remarks, unfavorable glances and insulting words are exhibited. Sometimes there are other symptoms, like rubbing of the two hands, clacking of the teeth, clamping of the lips, moving of the eyebrows, scratching of the arms, lowering of the head, rapid breathing, uttering of strong words, nodding of the head, yellowishness at the corners of the eyes, and trembling lips. Sometimes the eyes turn red, and sometimes they fade. And there are sometimes chastisement and silence. All these symptoms of anger may be divided into two parts: constitutional and unconstitutional, or permanent and temporary symptoms. Sometimes great emotion, bewilderment, pride, frustration, illusion, impotence, jealousy, dexterity, negligence and signs of hard labor are also manifest as unconstitutional symptoms. |
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In all these humors of ecstatic love, the feeling of anger is accepted as the steady factor. |
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When Jarāsandha angrily attacked the city of Mathurā, he looked at Krishna with sarcastic glances. At that time Baladeva took up His plow weapon and gazed upon Jarāsandha with colored eyes. |
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There is a statement in the Vidagdha-mādhava wherein Śrīmatī Rādhārānī, in an angry mood, addressed Her mother, Paurnamāsī, after she had accused Rādhārānī of going to Krishna. "My dear mother," Rādhā declared, "what can I say to you? Krishna is so cruel that He often attacks Me on the street, and if I want to cry out very loudly, this boy with a peacock feather on His head immediately covers My face so that I cannot cry. And if I want to go away from the scene because I am afraid of Him, He will immediately spread His arms to block My path. If I piteously fall down at His feet, then this enemy of the Madhu demon, in an angry mood, bites My face! Mother, just try to understand My situation, and don't be unnecessarily angry with Me. Instead, please tell Me how I can save Myself from these terrible attacks of Krishna!" |
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Sometimes among contemporary personalities there are signs of ecstasy in anger because of love for Krishna. An example of such anger was exhibited in a quarrel between Jatilā and Mukharā. Jatilā was the mother-in-law of Rādhārānī, and Mukharā was Her great-grandmother. Both of them were talking about Krishna's unnecessary harassment of Rādhārānī when She was walking on the street. Jatilā said, "You cruel-faced Mukharā! By hearing your words my heart feels like it is burning in a fire!" And Mukharā replied, "You sinful Jatilā, by hearing your words, there is aching in my head! You cannot give any evidence that Krishna has attacked Rādhārānī, the daughter of my granddaughter Kīrtidā." |
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Once, when Rādhārānī was taking off the necklace given to Her by Krishna, Jatilā, her mother-in-law, told a friend, "My dear friend, just see the beautiful necklace that Krishna has presented to Rādhārānī. She is now holding it, but still She wants to tell us that She has no connection with Krishna. This girl's activities have disgraced our whole family!" |
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Natural jealousy of Krishna by persons like Śiśupāla cannot be accepted as ecstatic love in anger with Krishna.{{Unreferenced|date=September 2007}} |
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'''Rationalist International''' is an organization with the stated aim to represent a rational view of the world, making the voice of reason heard and considered where public opinion is formed and decisions are made. |
'''Rationalist International''' is an organization with the stated aim to represent a rational view of the world, making the voice of reason heard and considered where public opinion is formed and decisions are made. |
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Revision as of 19:42, 18 February 2011
Anger
In ecstatic loving service to Krishna in anger, Krishna is always the object. In Vidagdha-mādhava, Second Act, verse 37, Lalitā-gopī expressed her anger, which was caused by Krishna, when she addressed Śrīmatī Rādhārānī thus: "My dear friend, my inner desires have been polluted. Therefore I shall go to the place of Yamarāja. But I am sorry to see that Krishna has still not given up His smiling over cheating You. I do not know how You could repose all Your loving propensities upon this lusty young boy from the neighborhood of the cowherds."
After seeing Krishna, Jaratī sometimes said, "O You thief of young girls' properties! I can distinctly see the covering garment of my daughter-in-law on Your person." Then she cried very loudly, addressing all the residents of Vrindāvana to inform them that this son of King Nanda was setting fire to the household life of her daughter-in-law.
Similar ecstatic love for Krishna in anger was expressed by Rohinī-devī when she heard the roaring sound of the two falling arjuna trees to which Krishna had been tied. The whole neighborhood proceeded immediately toward the place where the accident had taken place, and Rohinī-devī took the opportunity to rebuke mother Yaśodā as follows: "You may be very expert in giving lessons to your son by binding Him with rope, but don't you look to see if your son is in a dangerous spot? The trees are falling on the ground, and He is simply loitering there!" This expression of Rohinī-devī's anger toward Yaśodā is an example of ecstatic love in anger caused by Krishna.
Once, while Krishna was in the pasturing ground with His cowherd boys, His friends requested Him to go to the Tālavana forest, where Gardabhāsura, a disturbing demon in the shape of an ass, resided. The friends of Krishna wanted to eat the fruit from the forest trees, but they could not go because of fear of the demon. Thus they requested Krishna to go there and kill Gardabhāsura. After Krishna did this, they all returned home, and their report of the day's activity perturbed mother Yaśodā because Krishna had been sent alone into such danger in the Tālavana forest. Thus she looked upon the boys with anger.
There is another instance of anger on the part of a friend of Rādhārānī's. When Rādhārānī was dissatisfied with the behavior of Krishna and had stopped talking with Him, Krishna was very sorry for Rādhārānī's great dissatisfaction, and in order to beg forgiveness, He fell down at Her lotus feet. But even after this, Rādhārānī was not satisfied, and She did not talk with Krishna. At that time, one of Her friends chastised Her in the following words: "My dear friend, You are allowing Yourself to be churned by the rod of dissatisfaction, so what can I say unto You? The only advice I can give You is that You had better leave this scene immediately, because Your misbehavior is giving me too much pain. I cannot bear to see Your behavior, because even though Krishna's peacock feather has touched Your feet, You still appear to be red-faced."
The above attitudes of dissatisfaction and anger in devotional service are called īrshyu.
When Akrūra was leaving Vrindāvana, some of the elderly gopīs rebuked him as follows: "O son of Gāndinī, your cruelty is defaming the dynasty of King Yadu. You are taking Krishna away, keeping us in such a pitiable condition without Him. Now, even before you have left, the life air of all the gopīs has practically disappeared."
When Krishna was insulted by Śiśupāla in the assembly of the Rājasūya yajña convened by Mahārāja Yudhishthira, there was a great turmoil among the Pāndavas and Kurus, involving grandfather Bhīshma. At that time Nakula said with great anger, "Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the nails of His toes are beautified by the light emanating from the jeweled helmets of the authorities of the Vedas. If He is derided by anyone, I declare herewith as a Pāndava that I will kick his helmet with my left foot and I will strike him with my arrows, which are as good as yama-danda, the scepter of Yamarāja!" This is an instance of ecstatic love for Krishna in anger.
In such a transcendental angry mood sometimes sarcastic remarks, unfavorable glances and insulting words are exhibited. Sometimes there are other symptoms, like rubbing of the two hands, clacking of the teeth, clamping of the lips, moving of the eyebrows, scratching of the arms, lowering of the head, rapid breathing, uttering of strong words, nodding of the head, yellowishness at the corners of the eyes, and trembling lips. Sometimes the eyes turn red, and sometimes they fade. And there are sometimes chastisement and silence. All these symptoms of anger may be divided into two parts: constitutional and unconstitutional, or permanent and temporary symptoms. Sometimes great emotion, bewilderment, pride, frustration, illusion, impotence, jealousy, dexterity, negligence and signs of hard labor are also manifest as unconstitutional symptoms.
In all these humors of ecstatic love, the feeling of anger is accepted as the steady factor.
When Jarāsandha angrily attacked the city of Mathurā, he looked at Krishna with sarcastic glances. At that time Baladeva took up His plow weapon and gazed upon Jarāsandha with colored eyes.
There is a statement in the Vidagdha-mādhava wherein Śrīmatī Rādhārānī, in an angry mood, addressed Her mother, Paurnamāsī, after she had accused Rādhārānī of going to Krishna. "My dear mother," Rādhā declared, "what can I say to you? Krishna is so cruel that He often attacks Me on the street, and if I want to cry out very loudly, this boy with a peacock feather on His head immediately covers My face so that I cannot cry. And if I want to go away from the scene because I am afraid of Him, He will immediately spread His arms to block My path. If I piteously fall down at His feet, then this enemy of the Madhu demon, in an angry mood, bites My face! Mother, just try to understand My situation, and don't be unnecessarily angry with Me. Instead, please tell Me how I can save Myself from these terrible attacks of Krishna!"
Sometimes among contemporary personalities there are signs of ecstasy in anger because of love for Krishna. An example of such anger was exhibited in a quarrel between Jatilā and Mukharā. Jatilā was the mother-in-law of Rādhārānī, and Mukharā was Her great-grandmother. Both of them were talking about Krishna's unnecessary harassment of Rādhārānī when She was walking on the street. Jatilā said, "You cruel-faced Mukharā! By hearing your words my heart feels like it is burning in a fire!" And Mukharā replied, "You sinful Jatilā, by hearing your words, there is aching in my head! You cannot give any evidence that Krishna has attacked Rādhārānī, the daughter of my granddaughter Kīrtidā."
Once, when Rādhārānī was taking off the necklace given to Her by Krishna, Jatilā, her mother-in-law, told a friend, "My dear friend, just see the beautiful necklace that Krishna has presented to Rādhārānī. She is now holding it, but still She wants to tell us that She has no connection with Krishna. This girl's activities have disgraced our whole family!"
Natural jealousy of Krishna by persons like Śiśupāla cannot be accepted as ecstatic love in anger with Krishna.
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Rationalist International is an organization with the stated aim to represent a rational view of the world, making the voice of reason heard and considered where public opinion is formed and decisions are made.
Rationalism
Rationalism is an attitude that accepts the primacy of reason and aims to establish a system of philosophy and ethics verifiable by experience, independent of all arbitrary assumptions of authority.
Rationalist International argues for a logical approach to human problems, suggest alternatives to religious dogmas, defend freedom of thought and civil liberties and strive for the secularization of politics (see secular humanism), society and educational systems. Rationalists counter superstition, aim to promote an open and just society, endorse scientific method and recognize the importance of human emotions and imagination.
A brief history of Rationalist International
Rationalist International was founded in December 1995 during the First International Rationalist Conference at New Delhi, with delegates from 28 countries. Sanal Edamaruku, then Secretary General of the Indian Rationalist Association, became the first president of the new international organization.
In January 2000, Rationalist International organized the Second International Conference at Trivandrum, Kerala in which prominent rationalist thinkers from different parts of the world opened the discussion about the Rationalist Agenda for the new century. Paul Kurtz (founder, Center for Inquiry, USA) received the 1st International Rationalist Award during this conference.
The Third International Rationalist Conference was held at New Delhi in 2002. Jim Herrick (Director of Rationalist Press Association, UK) received the 2nd International Rationalist Award.
Honorary Associates include: Dr. Pieter Admiraal (The Netherlands), Prof. Mike Archer (Australia), Katsuaki Asai (Japan), Sir Hermann Bondi (UK), Prof. Colin Blakemore (UK), Prof. Vern Bullough (USA), Dr. Bill Cooke (New Zealand), Dr. Helena Cronin (UK), Prof. Richard Dawkins (UK), Joseph Edamaruku (India), Jan Loeb Eisler (USA), Prof. Antony Flew (UK), Tom Flynn (USA), Jim Herrick (UK), Christopher Hitchens (USA), Ellen Johnson (USA), Prof. Paul Kurtz (USA), Lavanam (India), Dr. Richard Leakey (Kenya), Iain Middleton (New Zealand), Dr. Henry Morgentaler (Canada), Dr. Taslima Nasreen (Bangladesh), Steinar Nilsen (Norway), Prof. Jean-Claude Pecker (France), James Randi (USA), Prof. Ajoy Roy (Bangladesh), Dr. Younus Shaikh (Pakistan), Dr. G N Jyoti Shankar (deceased, USA), Barbara Smoker (UK), Richard Stallman (USA), Prof. Rob Tielman (The Netherlands), David Tribe (Australia), K. Veeramani (India), Bary Williams (Australia), Prof. Richard Wiseman (UK) and Prof. Lewis Wolpert (UK)
Rationalist Bulletins
The internet-based news bulletin of Rationalist International has wide circulation around the world. It appears in English, Finnish, French, German and Spanish.