Could there actually exist a place better than Pandora?

[Jivananda]

Hi guys, this is my first post here and I would like to introduce myself. My name is Jivananda das and I am a practitioner of India's ancient spiritual traditions, particularly bhakti-yoga (the yoga of love). Namas te! :-)

I am writing this because I have heard there are some people experiencing depression with not being able to escape the soul-crushing, repetitive, mindless misery that is the material world in which we live, and instead reside in a Pandora-like paradise. I hear ya, believe me, but I think I can offer something on this subject...

As amazing and inconceivable as the following info may sound, please hear me with an open mind and heart. I promise, you will not regret it!

According to the world's most ancient, comprehensive and authoritative spiritual texts, namely India's Vedas ('veda' means knowledge), there does indeed exist an eternal, blissful, beautiful spiritual world, somewhat similar to Pandora (though without all the death and horror), but unlimitedly more wonderful!

Known as Vaikuntha ('the place of no anxieties'), it is our eternal, natural home, free from the constraints of our temporary, chemical, material bodies. And what's more, there is available to you a simple, free and blissful process for experiencing the delights of this spiritual world, even now, here, in your temporary, material body. Read on to find out how; what have you got to lose?

As an eternal spiritual being (known as the jiva, or soul), you have nothing to do with your gross body (which basically consists of about $20 worth of common chemicals), or indeed even your subtle body (mind, intelligence and ego). Your real self is an eternal, indestructible spark of pure spiritual consciousness, free from the miseries of repeated birth, old age, disease and death (the cycle of 'samsara', otherwise known as reincarnation).

This is explained in the Bhagavad-gita (The Song of God), the Vedic/Indian counterpart to the Bible and Koran:

Chapter 2, Verse 20.
For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.

Chapter 2, Verse 22.
As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, similarly, the soul accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.

Deep down, most of you already sense this reality, right? That we are not this body? Otherwise, if we are just chemicals, as some scientists (not all) say, why don't we just let someone pour us down the drain like washing detergent? :-) We would all protest a lot (for a bag of chemicals) if this were to happen, right?

Now, on to the spiritual world:

In Srimad-Bhagavatam, the 18,000 verse, complete science of spiritual knowledge, Vaikuntha is described in depth:

“In those Vaikuntha planets there are many forests which are very auspicious. In those forests the trees are wish-fulfilling trees, and in all seasons they are filled with flowers and fruits because everything in the Vaikuntha planets is spiritual and personal.
(3.15.16-23)

(this is just 1 verse of 18,000!!!)

Further, it is explained in the Bhagavad-gita:

Chapter 8, Verse 15.
After attaining Me, the great souls, who are yogis in devotion, never return to this temporary world, which is full of miseries, because they have attained the highest perfection.

Chapter 8, Verse 16.
From the highest planet in the material world down to the lowest, all are places of misery wherein repeated birth and death take place. But one who attains to My abode never takes birth again.

Chapter 8, Verse 20.
Yet there is another nature, which is eternal and is transcendental to this manifested and unmanifested matter. It is supreme and is never annihilated. When all in this world is annihilated, that part remains as it is.

Chapter 8, Verse 21.
That supreme abode is called unmanifested and infallible, and it is the supreme destination. When one goes there, he never comes back. That is My supreme abode.

I know, I know, I hear your thoughts - this is just some ancient belief system right? Out of some irrelevant, dusty books that have no bearing or meaning in this modern world! Well, have a look at these 2 verses:

Chapter 7, Verse 1.
Now hear, how by practicing yoga in full consciousness of Me, with mind attached to Me, you can know Me in full, free from doubt.

Yes, that's right, FREE FROM DOUBT!

Chapter 9, Verse 2.
This knowledge is the king of education, the most secret of all secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and because IT GIVES DIRECT PERCEPTION OF THE SELF BY REALIZATION, it is the perfection of religion. It is everlasting, and it is joyfully performed.

Yes, my friends, it has nothing, NOTHING to do with belief! This word 'belief' is not even mentioned in the Bhagavad-gita! A true spiritual practitioner is not interested in anything that cannot be scientifically verified by his own consciousness. The EXPERIENCE is what we all want; the divine emotions, love, varieties! We are eternally spiritual persons, and we therefore hanker for eternal, personal pleasure!

And in this day and age of quarrel, hypocrisy, madness and greed, the process of enlightenment, real knowledge (not belief!) of the self, has been made utterly simple: mantra meditation.

The word mantra means 'that which protects the mind from ignorance', and the mantra that is recommened for this day and age is the greatest mantra of them all:

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

(Hare is pronounced 'Hah-ray, Rama pronounced 'Rah-mah')

This maha-mantra ('maha' means great) will purify your consciousness to the point of pure realization of your spiritual identity and your natural abode of Vaikuntha.

Now, don't take my word for it, try it for yourself! Chant this mantra as much as you can, and the true realities of your spiritual nature will become revealed to you... and you will quickly realize there are real, tangible worlds far beyond anything you've seen in any movie.

Even Avatar (which I saw, BTW, and liked, but it just doesn't compare!).

So try chanting! I've been doing it for 15 years, and never looked back. Pure bliss. A whole new world will open up like magic.

But I warn you, there is one thing you have to give up to become self-realized, a thing we have lived with and foolishly clung to for many, many births: suffering.

And if you don't want to chant, that's completely up to you. We all have choice as living beings, and you're entitled to your free will (how's it working out for you?). It's ok to be skeptical (I once was, too), as we have been cheated so, so many times in this world, but how many TRULY happy skeptics have you met?

Peace and love to you all. Any questions, I'm your guy!

Your humble servant,
Jivananda das

[toruk_makto]

Well welcom to the forum Jivananda.

[Jivananda]

Thank you! Appreciate it.

[Kipkeye'ung]

Considering how AMAZINGLY small we are. See image from the hubble below. Thinking that there isnt a place that each individual person on earth could think is paradise would be a fools errand


Edit: http://cache.gawker.com/assets/image...bble-ultra.jpg

too big to put the picture in

[VoltairianVulgarian]

Hi everyone, I'm new here too

I think Pandora is probably the most beautiful place we have ever seen so vividly, and that is a big part of the reason we are so seduced by it. I think all of us would choose to move there in an instance, away from this grey place! Haha.

But I also agree with Twosteppintimmy -- the universe is sooo big it's impossible to understand. Sometimes, I get these moments where I'm just stupidly in awe of the universe. The picture Twosteppintimmy posted contains 3,000 galaxies, which adds up to billions and billions and billions of individual stars and individual solar systems. And here's the interesting bit: imagine picking up a grain of sand and holding it an arm's length away from you. Think about how little space that grain of sand occupies in your total field of vision. The equivalent of this is what the Hubble telescope took that picture of. Incredible, huh? So, imo, the universe is so big it's really likely there is someplace as awesome or beautiful as Pandora. We just have to find it

[Jivananda]

Hey guys, nice posts.

You are right, even in this temporary material world there are heavenly planets, according to India's Vedic literatures. The level of enjoyment there is hundreds of thousands of times higher than on Earth.

But still, life on all planets in the material world is temporary, so the most intelligent person seeks that place where life is eternal, and the highest levels of pleasure and love exist.

It is real, and you can realize it if you want. Why settle for frustrating, imaginary fantasy when you can actually have the real thing?

Hare Krishna!