last updated 15th October 2006

A Prediction........

"The Gaudiya literature will be translated into all the languages of the world by the agents of the divine mercy at the appointed time. They will also, no doubt, spring up a mighty host of pseudo exponents and an immense body of spurious Gaudiya literature as has been the case in the past. This is all to be expected by those really thoughtful persons. But nothing can have the least power of depriving a person of the mercy of the real agents of the divine mercy except one’s deliberate refusal to avail of the very same when it is offered at his very doorstep in a perfectly recognizable form.

As soon as a single person will have conceived a sincere desire of undertaking the promulgation of the tidings of the Gaudiya literature to the peoples of this world he is thereby enrolled amongst the agents of divine mercy with the power to forward the fulfillment of this express wish of the Supreme Lord.

The Gaudiya literature will not long remain confined to the Bengali-speaking people. It will in a short time expand and display its full brilliancy through the medium of all the languages, including those of the birds, beasts and the vegetable tribes."

From the article titled “Madhva Gaudiya literature” in The Harmonist.

LONDON, ENGLAND, October 27, 2006: Prince Charles wants to be crowned king (when his time comes) in a multi-faith coronation service in a dramatic break with tradition, it is claimed. The Prince is said to have decided that the Christian service in Westminster Abbey must be followed by a separate ceremony involving religious leaders from other faiths. Held in the ancient Westminster Hall inside the Palace of Westminster, the service would attempt to give room to Muslim, Hindu, Jewish and Sikh beliefs as well as other Christian denominations. Prince Charles believes reforms to the coronation are vital to reflect the changes in British society that have taken place since the Queen was crowned in 1953, according to a report in this week's Spectator magazine.

The prince, who will become Supreme Governor of the Church of England when he becomes king, has already said that he wants to be Defender of Faith - not Defender of the Faith - when he accedes to the throne. He is close to Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, who has called for a multi-faith coronation. That puts him at odds with Rowan Williams, his successor, and with most Anglican bishops, who oppose such a move. "It is no secret that the Prince of Wales has long felt passionately about this matter," a courtier said. "His determination not to yield so much as an inch of this ground has been strengthened a hundredfold by the events of recent weeks. It has dismayed him to see the people who will one day be his subjects turn upon each other on the basis of their religious convictions. As sovereign, he will wish to demonstrate that he is apart from the politicians who have been sounding off so much lately on, among other things, the issue of veils and that he can set an example for the entire country to follow."
courtesy of Hinduism Today  http://www.hinduismtoday.com

I’ve created a system for memorizing Bhagavad-Gita verses called Sloka Raja.

You can go to the Sloka Raja website and see a series of verses hidden by a saffron veil. Each verse number is given in a tab along the top of the window. If you hover the mouse over the veil shrouding a particular verse, then that text’s veil becomes transparent and you can “peek” at a single line of the original Sanskrit or the English translation. You can also click the mouse button and the text becomes permanently uncovered. Clicking again re-hides the verse.

Click the left and right arrows to scroll to other verses you want to memorize. You can also directly select and scroll to the verse you want to review by clicking on the appropriate tab on the top of the window.

Pressing the “change this verse” button on the bottom of the screen puts the verse display into “selection mode”. Using this mode you can change the verse you want to learn to a different one. Simply select a new chapter and verse from the list in the window and that new verse will replace the current one. Press the “accept changes” button to switch back to the memorization view. In this way you can customize the view to learn different sets of verses as you desire.

The system always remembers your personal selection of verses. When you finish using the website simply close the window. There is no need to save. Sloka Raja remembers where you left off automatically. The next time you return the website recreates your personal view exactly as you left it. Everyone can choose their own personal set of verses to memorize on Sloka Raja. It remembers a different custom selection of verses for each and every user of the system.

Sloka Raja is written using pure Javascript / Dynamic-HTML, which means that it can run on every operating system and can be used offline as well as online. You do not have to be connected to the Internet to use the service. If you are using Internet Explorer just go to the website in “offline mode” and it will work as usual. Using Firefox or Safari download the service to your local hard drive using the “download for offline use” link on the bottom of the page and unpack the zip file. You can then run the program by executing the “run” application shortcut included in the download (or simply by opening “index.html” in your web-browser). It works as usual (although a bug/security feature in Safari prevents it from remembering your verse selection when you are offline). It is also worth noting that the Sanskrit won’t look correct if you are using Internet Explorer 6.0 or below (IE doesn’t know how to correctly display unicode). Upgrading to Internet Explorer 7.0 or Firefox solves the problem (I recommend Firefox).

Sloka Raja is available at the following URL:
http://www.slokaraja.com

If anyone notices any bugs or has any suggestions for improvement please let me know.

Q: In the Bhagavad Gita we find the word "atma" used to denote the mind, body and soul and even senses, as defined in the Vedic Dictionary.

My question is: If the soul is an eternal, spiritual particle, why is it lumped in with these other subtle and gross material objects under the word "atma?"

Answer: Sanskrit is a rich and refined language, thus many Sanskrit words often denote multiple meanings. "Atma" is a word that refers to the "self", and thus would naturally denote the spirit soul, which is actually the real self. However, since embodied living entities most commonly tend to identify the self with the body or mind, 'atma' refers to these coverings of the self as well.

This is something like how we might remark "There goes the President," upon sighting the President's car. The intended meaning becomes clear when one understands the context in which it is used.

Q: It is described that the individual spirit spark measures less than 1/10,000th the tip of a hair. How is it that something spiritual has a material measurement?  Wouldn't this mean that the spiritual sky has limited material dimensions also?

Answer: This is one of the many inconceivable attributes of the soul. The scriptures themselves describe the soul as immeasurable (aprameyasya; see BG 2.18) and then also assign a measurement to it! It is not even possible for us to see or perceive the soul, what to speak of measure it by any means. And yet, although impossible to measure, we can know this dimension to be true, a perfect description of the reality of the soul, because it is given by shastric evidence. [as quoted from Svetasvatara Upanishad in BG 2.17p]

These verses describing the size of the soul also give us an idea of the infinitesimal nature of the soul, and yet simultaneously it is not a gross material or perceivable measurement.

We can think of a slightly different example to get some idea of the nature of spiritual dimensions. Scriptures also describe the Supersoul as being situated in the heart of the living entity, and measuring the size of a thumb. Does this measurement limit Krishna's unlimited form, or does it mean this shastric statement is not to be taken literally? The answer to both questions is negative - the Paramatma is both unlimited as well as measuring thumb-high in the heart of the living entity--- this is inconceivable. Similarly, in the Damodara-lila (which Vaishnavas around the world are celebrating and glorifying each day during this entire month of Kartika by singing the Damodarastakam prayers), the child-like form of Krishna could not be bound by any length of mother Yashoda's ropes. Thus, describing Krishna's height or form does not limit or restrict Him as also His presence in one place does not mean He is confined to that location and is not all-pervasive. Of course, the characteristics of the minute soul ca
nnot be equally compared to that of the inconceivable potencies of the Infinite Supreme Lord, still being of the same spiritual nature, the spirit soul has inconceivable qualities. Thus the spirit soul, residing in the material body, is the size of one-ten-thousandth of the tip of a hair, but not materially limited by such a dimension.

Past Questions and Answers: All previous digests with responses to about 485 questions can be accessed at http://www.romapadaswami.com/Inquiries/

Related Sites: http://www.romapadaswami.com
Lectures: http://www.caitanya.com (username: guest password: caitanyacom)
Brief biography of His Holiness Romapada Swami: http://www.romapadaswami.com/bio.html
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by Sita Pati dasa

Lately I've had trouble staying awake at work. It seems like an infernal compromise - either I don' t have enough time in the morning to do my own spiritual practices and personal development, or else I find myself nodding off at the desk. With Kartik it's time to ratchet up the spiritual activities, so the head is nodding.

The other day I started to feel the temptation of the company supplied boxes of Coke in the fridge here (the coffee machine is definitely off limits for me). It's a quick and easy fix. Drink a can of that, and the nods go away, like magic.

Luckily I stumbled across a couple of articles that helped me stay on the straight and narrow:
Coke, Pepsi, and the Politics of Food Safety (http://www.zmag.org/sustainers/content/2006-09/06shiva.cfm), on ZNet by Vandana Shiva
The Unauthorized History of Coca-cola (http://www.newstarget.com/003228.html), by my man Mike Adams

By Caitanya Nitai dasa

Dear Maharajas and Prabhus,

Please accept my respectful obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and to all his faithful servants.

As I regularly see on the health conference questions regarding grains or beans prepared in factories and sold in shops, I feel so surprised that devotees eat these things. The question whether these may be good for your physical health or not is not very relevant. The actual problem is that any food prepared by karmis is bad for your spiritual health, as it affects your consciousness, especially grains and beans. Offering these things to Krishna may not solve the problem, as Krishna is a person, not just a machine meant for accepting anything we put before Him.

In 1966 in New York Srila Prabhupada posted on the Temple’s door the famous basic principles of spiritual life that all of us have read many times. One of these is: “All initiated devotees … Should not eat foodstuffs cooked by non-devotees.” Sometimes devotees feel that these are austere instructions for strict & advanced devotees, but remember that Srila Prabhupada gave these instructions in 1966 to very new devotees.

Once in Mayapura Srila Prabhupada emphatically said, “No one may buy anything from the market. If they eat these things they will fall down! No one should eat anything not offered to the Deity.”” (Transcendental Diary
1-9: Sri Dhama Mayapur)

Another time in Germany Srila Prabhupada said that, “Under no circumstances should we eat grains prepared by non-devotees” (SPDG 14: Prabhupada at Schloss Rettershof)

In ISKCON’s official Deity worship manual, Pancaratra Pradipa, is the following quotation from Hari-Bhakti-Vilasa: “Food (especially grains) which is cooked by non-Vaisnavas or by sinful people, or which has not been offered to Visnu, is the same as dog meat.”
(1.13: Gathering Items for Worship (upadana))

There are many other things that Srila Prabhupada said on this subject, but to end this list, I would like to tell you an instructive event that happened where I live, in New Zealand. Recently some people studying the working conditions in New Zealand factories set a few hidden video-cameras in some food-factories. They were surprised and horrified to see some workers spitting or blowing their noses into the preparations, some even passing urine into the cooking pots. This was shown on television.

Similarly, regarding jam, tomato paste, etc. Do you think they bother to carefully wash the hundreds of tons of fruits and veggies, sort the rotten ones … How many worms, rotten fruits, dirt, etc … are there in jam or tomato paste? Of course once it is processed we cannot see anything, it is an advantage for the manufacturer …

The whole point of our movement is to try to maintain and increase our consciousness of Krishna, and simultaneously avoid anything that may decrease it. His consciousness of Krishna is by far the most precious asset of a devotee, and he / she should be constantly vigilant not to loose it.

Thank you.

Your servant,

Caitanya Nitai dasa (Auckland)

mailto:vivekananda@talktalk.net

LONDON, ENGLAND, October 27, 2006: The follwoing report was sent by Jay Lakhani of the Hindu Council UK:

"We participated at the Foreign Press Association meeting where faith members from Sikhism, Islam and Hinduism debated the issue of so-called "honor killing" (usually, the murder of a female for supposed sexual or marital offenses -- see here) with Dr. Gill a lecturer from Roehampton University. At the start of the meeting we clearly stated that on enquiry with an individual at the Metropolitan Police Authority they could not recall a single case of honor killing in the Hindu faith in the UK over the past many years. So a question can be asked, 'If Hinduism is not implicated then what is a Hindu doing at this meeting?' The first reason for participating at this meeting was to respond to a very faulty poll carried out by the BBC that indirectly implicated Hindus as possible sympathizers to honor killings. Dr. Gill agreed that the poll was seriously flawed.

"The second reason for participating at this debate was to pro-actively invoke Hindu teachings that offer equality and dignity to women. The pluralistic Hinduism allows God to be addressed as a male or as a female. This is the highest dignity any religion can offer to its women. Dr. Gill quickly objected saying Hinduism advocates violence against women as can be seen with the Sati tradition. We had to rebuke her sharply asking us where in the Hindu teachings do we find the idea that women have to be burnt on the funeral pyre of their dead husbands? Such practices have nothing to do with Hinduism. The Sati phenomenon arose when India was suffering barbaric invasions. The invaders attempted to possess the queens of the defeated Hindu kings. These brave queens preferred to jump on the funeral pyres of their dead husbands rather than fall into the hands of these barbarians. That is the origin of the Sati tradition. It is not some kind of cruel injunction imposed by Hinduism on its widows. This is not the first time we come across such poor portrayal of Hinduism. There is a publication by Professor Kim Knott called 'A short introduction to Hinduism' where an image of a woman being burnt as a sati adorns its pages. This indirectly implies that burning widows is some kind of Hindu injunction. Dr. Gill, a senior lecturer, must have picked up her knowledge of Hinduism from such poor literature.

"On the same day we were helping produce a documentary on the Swastika for some students from the London Film school. A youngster (who was most likely converted from Hinduism to Christianity) was doing the interviewing, asked, but then what about Hindu widows burnt on the funeral pyres of their dead husbands? Again we had to put her right. What becomes clearly visible is the very poor manner Hinduism continues to be paraded in the West. The culprits are mostly Western academics who seem to think that they have a God-given right to impose their limited and someti mes a very biased version of Hinduism on the unsuspecting students. We will continue to challenge such poor portrayals of Hinduism."

courtesy of Hinduism Today  http://www.hinduismtoday.com

A recent survey found that India is not as vegetarian as many people think, although still holding by far the largest vegetarian population in the world.

The study carried out by the Hyderabad-based National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) questioned a random sample of 20,719 households drawn across India's 28 states.

It found that 64.4 per cent of families consume non-vegetarian food, with the highest reported in southern states (92.2 per cent) and the least in north (40.4 per cent).

If we take the assumption that most of India's Muslims and Christians are meat-eaters, who collectively make up approximately 17% of the population, it can be estimated that just over half of all Hindus are vegetarian.

As well as the prevalence of vegetarianism, the survey also looked into general attitudes, beliefs and practices of Indians with regards to food and medicines.

The report was released by the Union minister of state for health and family welfare, Panabaka Lakshmi, in Hyderabad on October 16.

http://www.hsus.org/farm/resources/research/welfare/welfare_overview.html

WASHINGTON D.C., UNITED STATES, October 28, 2006: Each year in the United States, 10 billion land animals are raised and killed for meat, eggs, and milk (this works out to a staggering 1.14 million animals killed per hour, not counting fish, which are killed in equal number.) Statistically, farm animals comprise 98 percent of all animals in the country with whom we interact directly, and that staggering percentage does not even include the estimated 10 billion aquatic animals killed for human consumption. Indeed, the numbers of animals killed by trappers and hunters; in classrooms, research laboratories, and animal shelters; and on fur farms; and those animals raised as companions or used for entertainment by circuses and zoos, collectively make up only 2 percent of the animals in some established relationship with humans.

These farm animals -- sentient, complex, and capable of feeling pain and frustration, joy and excitement -- are viewed by industrialized agriculture as mere meat-, egg-, and milk-producing machines, and their welfare suffers immensely as factory farm profit outweighs their well-being. Yet, despite the routine abuses they endure, no federal law protects animals from cruelty on the farm, and the majority of states exempt customary agricultural practices -- no matter how abusive -- from the scope of their animal cruelty statutes. The welfare of farm animals often loses out to the economic interests of factory farmers who can make larger profits by intensively confining animals and breeding them for rapid growth with little regard for the amount of suffering the animals endure. Included are the many reference documents used in this report and related links where readers can learn more.

courtesy of Hinduism Today  http://www.hinduismtoday.com

http://www.crosswalk.com

JERUSALEM, ISRAEL, October 28, 2006: More than 200 members of a "lost" Jewish tribe are set to immigrate to Israel next month from northeastern India. The Bnei Menashe (children of Manasseh) were descendants of one of the 10 "lost tribes" of Israel. Beginning 2,700 years ago, 75% of the Jewish nation was exiled and disappeared, becoming known as the Ten Lost Tribes. According to the tradition of the Bnei Menashe (the children on Manasseh), as the community in India is known, they spent several centuries in China. When a despotic emperor persecuted them, they fled and settled in India. They have lived in India without persecution until today. DNA tests confirmed their identity.

courtesy of Hinduism Today  http://www.hinduismtoday.com

'Lost Jewish Tribe' in India Soon To Move To Israel
http://www.crosswalk.com/news/1440928.html

Julie Stahl
Jerusalem Bureau Chief

Jerusalem (CNSNews.com) - More than 200 members of a "lost" Jewish tribe are set to immigrate to Israel next month from northeastern India in what some here say is nothing less than a Biblical-scale miracle.

"This as a project of national and historical and even theological significance," said Michael Freund, chairman and founder of Shavei Israel, an organization that helps communities around the world with historical ties to the Jewish people return to their Jewish roots and to Israel.

He said the Bnei Menashe (children of Manasseh) were descendants of one of the 10 "lost tribes" of Israel.

"Their ancestors were exiled from the land 27 centuries ago and despite wandering for so long and so far they managed to preserve their sense of Jewish identity and now just as the prophets foretold, we are witnessing their return. It is a miracle."

Nearly 1,000 Bnei Menashe have immigrated to Israel in a mere trickle through various conversion/immigration plans worked out over the last 15 years or so. Another 218 are scheduled to arrive in November. But there are 7,000 more still waiting to come to Israel.

Their story began 2,700 years ago in Bible times when the Jewish people in Israel were divided into two kingdoms. Around 723 B.C. the Assyrians conquered the northern Kingdom of Israel and captured 10 of the 12 Hebrew tribes.

Some 75 percent of the Jewish nation was exiled and disappeared, said Freund. They became known as the "10 lost tribes."

The community in India always referred to themselves as Bnei Menashe (the children of Manasseh) and it was a central theme in all their ancient prayers and chants, Freund told Cybercast News Service.

According to their tradition, they spent several centuries in China until a despotic emperor persecuted them and seized their holy book. They then settled in India, Freund said.

Recently, about 100 members of the community already living here gathered to celebrate the Succoth holiday. Many live in settlements in disputed territory, including a number of families that were evacuated last year from the Gaza Strip.

Some dressed in brightly colored traditional Indian clothing and sang traditional Indian songs with gusto. At the gathering they learned that their kinsmen would be coming to Israel soon.

Tamar Astrow, married to an American and with three children, was one of the first Bnei Menashe to come to Israel some 16 years ago.

Every morning when she was growing up in India, Tamar said, she awoke to the sound of her mother praying, "God when are you going to take me to Israel?" she said. With no foreign language skills, no education and no money, her mother looked for a miracle.

"Even my friends [said] 'I think your mother is crazy!' But today the prayer is answered."

When she was a teenager, Tamar's parents sent her to Bombay to learn about Judaism. A visiting Israeli rabbi took the names of students who wanted to immigrate.

But when the course finished all the participants returned home. Tamar became a successful hairdresser and heard nothing from Israel for several years. When she finally received a visa, she no long wanted to go. But her mother persuaded her.

"This is my prayer. You're the key to the family. You have to go...then all the family will come," she remembered her mother telling her. So she immigrated and eventually her parents and all of her siblings did, too.

Zvi Khaute moved to Israel with his wife Nurit and their son in 2000. "It was a dream come true," he said. "It was so emotional when the flight touched down in Tel Aviv airport. We were crying because it was a real dream come true."

The Khautes, who now have three sons, moved to the community of Kiryat Arba, alongside Hebron, where the Biblical patriarchs are buried. "We wanted to reconnect to the roots [of] our forefathers, the Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob."

Hurdles

Despite their compelling stories, immigration to Israel for the Bnei Menashe has been fraught with religious and bureaucratic stumbling blocs.

A breakthrough came in March 2005 when Israel's Chief Rabbinate recognized the Bnei Menashe as descendents of the Jewish people.

The hurdles remained, however.

"In order to remove any question marks about their status, the chief rabbi decided that it would be best for them to undergo a process of conversion. And in practice what that means is no-one then can question their status as Jews," said Freund.

Several months later, the chief rabbi sent a rabbinical court to India to convert 216 member of the community in Mizoram and two babies have been born since then, he said.

That has not assured the arrival of the rest, but Freund said there is no reason why the government shouldn't work out a plan to allow all to convert and move to Israel, too.

Khaute said 7,000 Bnei Menashe in India were longing to immigrate. Those already here are productive members of society, he added.

"We want to play a part," he said. At least 50 of the community are serving in the Israeli army and 14 of them fought in Lebanon during the war this summer, he said.

"The Jewish people are all over the world. So each and every one has a part to play for the development of the State of Israel. It is a kind of a redemption process. The ingathering is starting now. It will take time but slowly, slowly [it will happen]," he said.

courtesy of Hinduism Today  http://www.hinduismtoday.com

Vedic World Heritage links:

See our pages supporting these views HERE:
http://www.hknet.org.nz/VWH.html (Vedik World Heritage)
Western Indologists been exposed page:
http://www.hknet.org.nz/WesternIndologists-page.htm
How British Misguided the World on Vedic History
http://www.hknet.org.nz/MotiveBritishRajMissionaries.html

Prabhupada: …giving to the vultures. Let the flesh-eaters take it. He did not like this idea much. (laughs)

Yogesvara: It would ruin the economy.

Prabhupada: Economy? What is that economy?

Yogesvara: Because there’s so much business that depends on the slaughter and the sale of animal flesh. Just like in India now, there is such a low economy that in some of the communist states, they’ve decided to export meat because it’s good…

Prabhupada: You can export after death. What is the wrong? You can export. Immediately, you take the cows after death, take the skin and take the meat also, skin and flesh, and put it into refrigerator and make export. We simply say that until the death of the cow, don’t kill. Let us take the milk. That is our appeal only. What is the wrong there?

Pusta-krsna: Also, the other day, Srila Prabhupada, you were telling us in Geneva that in India it was, at least until the present day forbidden to eat cows, and that those who would eat animals, they would eat dogs or goats, like this. Prabhupada: Yes. We recommend the meat-eaters who eat dogs, as Korea, they’re eating dogs, so you can eat also dog. But don’t… You eat it. After death. We don’t say don’t eat. You are so much fond of eating. All right. You eat. Because after the death, we have to give somebody, some living entity. So generally, it is given to the vultures. So why to the vultures? Take the civilized men, who are as good as vultures. (laughter) The so-called civilized men. Yes. What is the difference between the vultures and these rascals? The vultures also enjoy a dead body. And they also kill, make it dead and enjoy. They’re vultures.

Yogesvara: Sakuni.

Prabhupada: Yes. Sakuni, yes. They’re vultures, and their civilization is vulture-eater. The animal-eaters, they’re like jackals, vultures, dogs. They’re similar to these animals, the animal-eaters. It is not human food. Here is human food. Here is civilized food, human food. Let them learn it. Uncivilized, rudes, vultures, rakshasas, and they’re leaders. Therefore, I say all fourth-class men, they are leaders. Therefore the whole world is in chaotic condition. We require first-class men to lead. We are first-class men. Take our advice, and then everything will be all right. We are creating first-class men. What is the use of fourth-class men leading? All fourth-class men. If I say so frankly, people will be very angry. All fourth-class men. Basically, they’re all fourth-class men. Now, these first, second, third-class men are described. So at the present moment, no one belongs to this qualification. Even they are not to the third-class men. Krshi-go-rakshya-vanijyam [Bg. 18.44]. Who is, who is protecting the cows? That is the third-class man’s business. So therefore everyone is fourth-class. So the fourth-class men, they are electing their representative to govern. They are also on the big fourth-class men. That is stated in the Bhagavata, sva-via-varahoshthra-kharaih samstutah purushah pasuh [SB 2.3.19]. Where is that verse? Find out. All fourth-class men. Not fourth-class, less than fourth-class. Fourth-class has got also some regulative duty. But at the present moment, no regulative duty. Anyone can do whatever he likes, whatever he thinks. All fifth-class, sixth-class men. No regulative principle. The human life is meant for regulative principles. Just like we are insisting our students only for regulative principles just to make them real human life. No regulative principle means animal life.

See our World Vegetarian Day Newsletters 2004 - 2005 - World Vege Day

See similar articles at Vegetarianism & beyond:
http://turn.to/Vegetarianism

THE FOUR BRAHMIN BOYS

There's a story of four brahmin boys who were looking for wealth, so they went up into the Himalayas.  Brahmin means devotee, but they were interested in getting wealth.  They were thinking, "I've just come out of gurukula training, now we have to get some wealth, and then we can get married and have a happy life."  So they went to one sage who was living
near the Himalayan mountains, and they asked him, "My dear sage, we have heard that you are all-knowing, so please tell us where we can find wealth."  The sage said, "All right.  So now I will put in each of your hands one ghee wick, a cotton ghee wick.  You just hold that in your hand, and you walk up into the Himalayan mountains.  Wherever this wick drops during the course of walking up the mountain, at that spot if you dig you will find something valuable.  You will find precious metal up to the value of gold."  So they were very happy, and they went up into the mountains holding their wicks.  One of the wicks dropped, so the boy dug there and he found copper.  "Oh, copper.  Very nice."  The other boys said, "Why just copper?"  "No no," the boy said, "I am satisfied.  The sage said, wherever the wick drops, so this is my quota.  God has given copper."  So he took that and went down.  The other boys continued, and another wick dropped.  When they dug they found silver.  "Ah, silver, very nice.  Even more valuable."  The boy whose wick had dropped was very satisfied, but the other two said, "Well silver's alright, but the sage said up to gold."  "Anyway," the boy said, "I've found silver by God's grace, so I'm taking that."  So the other two continued, and one of their wicks dropped.  He dug, and he found gold.  "All right," one said, "here it is, the gold.  Enough for both of us."  The last one said, "Yes, but I still have my wick.  It hasn't dropped yet."  The other one replied, "Yes, but the sage said nothing more valuable than gold."  "Well anyway," the last boy said, "I still have my wick, so I am going to find my treasure."  "Well you do as you like," the boy who found the gold said, "but I am taking this gold."  So then the last boy went high into the Himalayas, up to the very top, and still his wick didn't drop.  Then he saw one man in the distance.  So he was calling to him, "My dear sir, do you know of any valuable treasure up here?  I am looking for wealth."  As soon as he said that, his wick dropped.  So he thought, "There must be something very valuable here."  Meanwhile the boy had come a little closer to the man, and he noticed that the man was standing in a strange way, he was not moving, and there was a wheel turning on his head.  The middle of the wheel, the hub was grinding into his head and causing blood to flow, and this man was obviously in great pain.  When this boy's wick dropped then that wheel was suddenly moving from the other man's head onto his head, and the wheel was turning and he was feeling great pain.  He also could not move any more, the wheel was somehow keeping him in place.  The other man could move again and he was saying, "Oh, I'm free!  Thank God!"  The brahmin said, "Please tell me what is going on here!  Why am I suddenly stuck to this spot?  I cannot move and this wheel is on my head and it is feeling very painful.  What is happening?"  The other man replied, "You have come to the place where Kuvera keeps his treasure.  He's the treasurer of the demigods, and all his wealth, all the wealth of the demigods is buried here and you have come across it."  "Well, what is this wheel?" the boy asked.  "This wheel is a weapon of Kuvera which protects his treasure."  "Oh," the boy said.  "So tell me, what is going to happen to me?"  "What is going to happen to you," the man said, "Is the same thing that happened to me.  I also came up here looking for treasure.  I came up with some friends and met an old sage, and he gave us ghee wicks.  My friends got copper, silver and gold, but I wanted to go higher.  I came up here, and the wheel came onto my head."  "So what can I expect?" the boy asked.  "Well, this wheel will stay on your head and keep you fixed to this place.  You will not grow thirsty or hungry, you will just stay and not be able to move until somebody else comes up here looking for treasure.  Then you will be released, and he will get the wheel on his head."  "How long were you here?"  the boy questioned.  "Who is the king of India now?"  The boy gave the name of some king, and the man replied, "Well when I came up here, Lord Ramachandra was king."  "Oh no!" the boy said.  "That was two million years ago!"  And then the man was going to leave.  "No you can't leave!" the boy said.  "Yes, I can leave, I'm getting out of here.  I've suffered so much."  This greedy brahmin was left up there, and probably he's still up there now.  So don't go up into the Himalayas looking for treasure.

MORAL:  This is an illustration how this lusty desire for sense gratification can get one in great difficulty.  This brahmin broke the law and took more than his quota, so therefore he got into trouble.

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