Tattva-viveka
past life from a devotee ( I am not too convinced)
Gaura-Vijaya Das - September 30, 2010 4:23 am
http://www.bcswami.com/2010/09/27/the-rein...hari-1954-1973/
Perhaps it is true, but I am not totally convinced. Who knows?
Swami - September 30, 2010 4:25 am
http://www.bcswami.com/2010/09/27/the-rein...hari-1954-1973/
Perhaps it is true, but I am not totally convinced. Who knows?
The teaching is not to find out what you last life was but to find out who you are. Hopefully those on the bhakti marg already have faith in reincarnation without bothering about the details.
Gaura-Vijaya Das - September 30, 2010 5:26 am
The teaching is not to find out what you last life was but to find out who you are. Hopefully those on the bhakti marg already have faith in reincarnation without bothering about the details.
Perhaps it helps some people know their past life through regression, but because of people like KB and others who keep on claiming revelations, it is hard for me to believe everything so easily.
For example, the lady tries to read too much into BCS's statements sometimes (like if you think of a girl, you become a girl it is not that simplistic) . Anyway it may be true perhaps!
Babhru Das - October 1, 2010 12:35 am
I suppose this is interesting to some, but I think it's mostly a distraction for practicing devotees. When I read it, I wondered if broadcasting this on Dandavats and other ISKCON sites is meant to fan devotees' faith somehow. As Swami says, that's sort of a very basic (as in way down at the base of the base) principle. I'm a little puzzled by a lag of more than a year between the demise of a vaisnava and his imputed appearance in the womb of Ratnavali's mother. More to the point, though, I'm puzzled by devotees' apparent excitement about this story.
Gaura-Vijaya Das - October 1, 2010 1:38 am
I suppose this is interesting to some, but I think it's mostly a distraction for practicing devotees. When I read it, I wondered if broadcasting this on Dandavats and other ISKCON sites is meant to fan devotees' faith somehow. As Swami says, that's sort of a very basic (as in way down at the base of the base) principle. I'm a little puzzled by a lag of more than a year between the demise of a vaisnava and his imputed appearance in the womb of Ratnavali's mother. More to the point, though, I'm puzzled by devotees' apparent excitement about this story.
I brought up for the same reason. I found it in Tulasi-priya's post and was surprised at overwhelming response of devotees. I had the same question as you one year: perhaps in short time heaven spell. It is irrevelant, but I don't even think this reincarnation story is as strong as many Ian Stevenson has researched. There people could actually remember much more. In this case, it was more about doing past life regression (that too from a GV devotee) to find out the identity.
Anyway, it was a distraction for me because it neither is great as an objective empirical proof for reincarnation neither good for sadhakas.
Nitaisundara Das - October 1, 2010 2:50 am
I thought her case was kind of compelling. As you say, its not really important, but it seemed to correspond with quite a bit of Ian Stevenson's research. If I remember correctly, most of Stevenson's case showed like 15 months before rebirth or whatever it would be called. Also having birth marks where wounds were was common. If we are to give Ian Stevenson's work some credence (which I don't come to any conclusions about, but it is pretty compelling), it would not be so surprising to me that a devotee appears who remembers her past life. After all, Stevenson had like 1500 cases or something.
Like Gaura-Vijaya, I thought the thing about looking the woman he had a crush on was a bit much.
Swami - October 1, 2010 4:09 am
I thought her case was kind of compelling. As you say, its not really important, but it seemed to correspond with quite a bit of Ian Stevenson's research. If I remember correctly, most of Stevenson's case showed like 15 months before rebirth or whatever it would be called. Also having birth marks where wounds were was common. If we are to give Ian Stevenson's work some credence (which I don't come to any conclusions about, but it is pretty compelling), it would not be so surprising to me that a devotee appears who remembers her past life. After all, Stevenson had like 1500 cases or something.
Like Gaura-Vijaya, I thought the thing about looking the woman he had a crush on was a bit much.
Again the problem with these cases is that the person often becomes absorbed in and preoccupied with their previous life, their previous illusion, as if it were somehow more real or the real "them."
Braja-sundari Dasi - October 1, 2010 7:52 am
Perhaps people who focus too much on their previous lives have some emotional lacks in this one. But on the other hand it seems to be their karma to have such memories, so in one sense they have no choice. It maybe helpful or maybe a distraction like Guru Maharaj mentioned. And I feel this girl is being distracted.
Madan Gopal Das - October 1, 2010 12:53 pm
Its one thing to realize what body one was in in a previous life and think how interesting the corraborating information is... Like when I read those Stevenson accounts I think "wow, that's kind of cool!" Pretty "far out man." 
But say you have it all figured out, who you were previously; it seems kind of pointless and I would think SO awkward to be running around meeting relations of this previous body and kind of "cross-identifying" ones current sense of self with a previous sense of self. You might become friends with someone from a previous birth, or friendly with the parents, (getting post-mortem records?!), but then relationships are relationships and throwing in all that baggage from a different life and how you're supposed to be with those people now that you're in a new body which has nothing to do with them - man that would mess with your head! 
Like in the story I think it is sad that the driver of the vehicle which killed the previous devotee has all these messed up issues which he could get some real psychological help with... and then into your life walks this girl saying that she's that devotee in the next life. AAAAHHH! 
It is probably much more mercy to not remember so you don't get some kind of multiple personality disorder...
Actually I think one of the most telling aspects of this story is how happy this girl is with having Bhakti Caru Swami as her guru because all he does is direct her to Prabhupada and she can "re-connect" with Prabhupada now, continue her relationship, etc... 
Gaura-Vijaya Das - October 1, 2010 3:24 pm
Its one thing to realize what body one was in in a previous life and think how interesting the corraborating information is... Like when I read those Stevenson accounts I think "wow, that's kind of cool!" Pretty "far out man."But say you have it all figured out, who you were previously; it seems kind of pointless and I would think SO awkward to be running around meeting relations of this previous body and kind of "cross-identifying" ones current sense of self with a previous sense of self. You might become friends with someone from a previous birth, or friendly with the parents, (getting post-mortem records?!), but then relationships are relationships and throwing in all that baggage from a different life and how you're supposed to be with those people now that you're in a new body which has nothing to do with them - man that would mess with your head!
It is probably much more mercy to not remember so you don't get some kind of multiple personality disorder...
Actually I think one of the most telling aspects of this story is how happy this girl is with having Bhakti Caru Swami as her guru because all he does is direct her to Prabhupada and she can "re-connect" with Prabhupada now, continue her relationship, etc...
First of all Stevenson's research was focussed on really trying to verify cases with some objectivity. Here she did not have much of a memory except she was attracted to sankirtan. Then she asks somebody who is a GV (already a bias) to do past life regression and finds out she is a brahmacari. Then she finds out brahmacaris who died before her birth. Identifies one brahmacari and then somehow fits her into his life even going to the extent of finding the Indian girl etc.
In Stevenson's research people could themselves go to the houses of their previous parents etc or speak a language not known to them at all in their childhood etc and the cases were stronger. This is kind of backwards, using a person from your tradition to identify you as one you wanted to be and then fitting data to it.
To add to it, like Madan pointed out it adds credence to the ritvik philosophy where BCS's only role is to direct to SP. Anyway enough from me. Perhaps I am a reluctant believer.
Nitaisundara Das - October 1, 2010 4:22 pm
I did not know some of those things were involved in Stevenson's research. But I think she said she had specific visions of certain places before any regressions. But overall it does seem less significant than Stevenson's cases. And the rtvik thing is worst of all.
Anyway, like Madan said, we should be happy that we don't remember and we have guidance that would remind us it does not matter even if we did.
Devyah-pati Das SERBIA - October 4, 2010 11:52 am
Some thoughts on reincarnation...
Devotees and people in general like to think of themselves
like some important, interesting persons in their previous life.
They do not have a tendency to think of themselves as an insect
in their previous life.
On the other hand the concept of anadi karma leaves place for
understanding that since there was no beginning for the repetition
of different forms of life for one soul-person, then we can conclude
that everybody has already been on every possible possition in
material existance - in all the bodies available in realm of demigods,
humans, birds, insects, plants,...
On the other hand if a person neglects this opportunity that is presented
in human form of life (especialy how it is presented by Srila Prabhupad
to the people of the whole world), then inevitably one will fall again
sooner or later in in samsara and its nitya-badha condition... and experience
again and again all the good and bad, happy and sad, etc of all the
species of life that it will find itself in.
Let me quote GM brilliant words: "Again the problem with these cases is
that the person often becomes absorbed in and preoccupied with their
previous life, their previous illusion, as if it were somehow more real or the real "them."
Past is their previous illusion, and if they continue in samsara - it will be
their future illusion.
Oh God, let me catch up with the reality... - Love of Sri Krsna Reality the Beautiful.