Wanderers and American Saddhus, Portland, Oregon

[DivineFellowship]

Interesting observations.

[zangqueef]

I am reading the Qur'an right now. One thing that I like about it is the "get out in the real world and fight for what's right" motif that is constantly stressed. You don't really get that in the Hindu and Buddhist texts, which focus much more on the inner world. I'd rather fight and speak out against those who oppress us than retreat from the world to some monastery or cave. As for Christians, well, "turning the other cheek" doesn't always work. Islam just makes the most sense to me right now.

[DivineFellowship]

I prefer the Biblical words over the Koran myself. However, one can attest to all manner of outrage perpetrated by some Biblical figures and peoples. The Christian Church can easily be accused of murders/holy wars in its long history. These things are neither here nor there, and everything looks different in context anyway. The valuable idea is that when man seriously seeks God he is willing to look everywhere. He wants certitude and he investigates everything. This is the way of the seeker.

[SunsetSix]

The quran was written by Mohammad, who personally murdered people and instructed his followers to murder hundreds of people in his lifetime. It is no wonder the killings go on to this day.

Mohammad also said Christ did not die on the cross. Personally I'd rather take the word of Luke, Matthew, Mark or John, who were writing within a few decades of the Crucifixion, instead of a delusional murderer who was writing 600 years after the crucifixion.

[zangqueef]

Those same words of the anonymous writers later labeled as "Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John" contain dozens of blatant contradictions to each other. One Gospel says that 2 women visited Jesus's tomb, another claims that 1 woman did, another claims that at least 5 women did. I could go on and on. One should also be skeptical of the similarities between the story of Jesus according to the infiltrated New Testament, and the pagan mythological stories which were popular at that time.

[DivineFellowship]

No correction there. For American ears it serves to include any divine incarnation as among the "saints." The point is: Knowledge in scriptures is not something "passed from book to book" or plagiarized, as it were, from existing books. Rather, it is expressed by holy beings from their inner knowledge. "Realization" is used broadly here. Krsna can be said to have "realization." It is silly to view God as "stealing from himself." Text similarities arise because. the divine source is the same.

[bhibatsu]

Correction, not all scriptures arise from the realization of sadhus and saints.

The Bhagavad Gita is the song of God directly, not the realization of any saint, but spoken directly from the lips of Almighty God Himself.

God does come to earth from time to time, whether others recognize it or not.

sruti and smrti are not equal.

sruti is Supreme.

[bhibatsu]

Bhagavad Gita is no. 1 soul and essence of all Vedas.

And the only pure translation is by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swam Srila Prabhupada 1972 macmillan edition before the usurpers poisoned him and changed it.

[DivineFellowship]

Well, as the Bhakti Sutra of Narada states, a trait of "immature bhakti" is to hold "our guy" as "the only guy" and "our book" as "the only book." There are many excellent translations of the Bhagavad-Gita, including by Indian yogis and saints of various lines. Prabhupada gives a "bhakti bias" to his translation, even to the extent of distorting or discarding some of Krsna's statements. On the other hand, Prabhupada is a great bhakti saint, but it's best to read a number of Gita translations.

[wwood14]

I wish I knew you were in Portland. I'm leaving Portland today. going first to Powell's to get a copy of an old Black's Law Dic. Have you ever looked up 'human being' in a law dictionary?

[DivineFellowship]

This fellow is living the way he wants. No "tax" issues are involved here. I am not aware that he asks the state for anything. I think you completely misunderstand this fellow and his condition. I have lived this way -- wandering homeless in a manner much like the spiritual traditions of Hindu and Christian asceticism -- and they were some of the happiest times of my life.

[StandsInTheLight]

Why should California tax payers help any transplanted Oregonians. Lets see how Oregonians like it. Deny Oregon citizens jobs, civil rights, healthcare, housing, send them back North. Just like Oregon does to Californians. Do research and see if Im not telling the truth. Hundreds of transplanted Californian being denied any civil rights, yet take plenty from Californians.

[StandsInTheLight]

I only needed to hear the words Northern California and that tells me why this American citizen is being left out in the cold in the state of Oregon. If he had said Southern CA. Oregon bureaucrats take great personal pleasure in beating you down. You have rights/protection/aid in Oregon if youre from Russia, Mexico, or Britain.

[ninjaxmasparty]

NO FUCKING WAY! I used to live out on the streets in the pacific northwest and i ran into this guy. ian with the tweaker teeth. he came up to me when i as chillen at a park in bend, or and started talking to me like a year ago. damn thats crazy man small fuckin world

[OrionCannon]

Nice. I like the quran, too

[sacredshakti]

FANTASTIC VIDEO!

The setting is marvelous... with the snow falling, collecting even on his jacket...

You're getting good at this movie making Julian :)

[hippyholocaust]

lol. Like this a lot.

[maxpathlen]

The keywords are funny.

[ratherunique108]

Haha, good stuff guys.