Meditation - Which Technique to Follow

My meditation query - Elaine - South Africa


What do I focus on when meditating - I find myself trying to repeat the words of the meditation - then was told to just focus on my 3rd eye - do I have to visualise exactly what is happening in the meditation or just blank my mind out as much as possible - I am really confused as to how to do it although I have been told there is no right or wrong way to meditate.

Your help would be appreciated.

Elaine

Hey Elaine,

Thanks that’s a great question,

There are many different "techniques" for meditation. If you are a beginner I recommend you try a lot of different techniques then as you practice more and more you will notice that certain techniques work better for you than others. Then you can

start to narrow down the number of techniques you use. I personally only use two or three techniques. But it took me a long time to find those ones that work for me.

The core of all techniques is the same and that is to become aware of the thinking process and to dis-allow thinking. This mental break is refreshing and fortifies and empowers your whole being (mental, emotional and physical).

Received from Chris Oseko, meditation teacher.

A very commonly technique to focus our attention during meditation is given below :-

The Breath of the Universe
(taken from Daily OM)

We remember that nature’s power is as close as our breath, and we breathe deeply once again.

We can connect ourselves with a basic force of nature by focusing on the essential element of air during a wind meditation. We begin by centering ourselves on our breath. We inhale the life-giving force, feeling it fill us, and then releasing it into the world to let our breath mingle with the breath of nature. If we cannot feel the wind right now, we can recall times when the wind has sent us gifts of caresses on bare skin, ruffling our clothes and playing with our hair. We can evoke sounds carried on the wind, maybe laughter or song, or perhaps just the wind's own whispers through the trees or across the landscape of our ears. We may summon up an image of falling flowers or leaves from above, vivid colors set free with the wind's encouragement. We may envision birds drifting on unseen currents with wings unbent, or flags and banners unfurled in the breeze. The scent of a sea breeze may come to mind, or the aromas of freshly baked treats or fragrant blooms that reach us fro! m a distance.

As these memories enliven our senses, we are feeling the vital force that surrounds and animates us. We can look to the trees to sway in time with nature's rhythm. Just as we can be soothed by the wind, we know that nature has great power. In a rush it can block out all sound, leaving us with only the beating of our hearts.

Wind can even make the inanimate dance and whirl gracefully. With a gentle sigh, the wind has carried sailors to faraway lands and balloons to great heights above. We can entrust the wind to carry our voices and best wishes out into the world, knowing it will be carried to its perfect destination. Releasing these precious offerings to its care, we remember that nature’s power is as close as our breath, and we breathe deeply once again before returning to the world around us.

Meditation - Make it a Habit

Meditation – Make it a Habit

(meditation tip received from Chris Oseko, eminent meditation teacher, by mail)

Hey Chris,

My name is Chirag from Delhi, India.

I don’t have question as such , I’ve just started yoga and meditation as I have been going through a bad phase of mental and physical stress.

My anger have had increased tremendously and my head used to feel very heavy all the time. I didn’t know what to do I’m very weak also internally so couldn’t really do gym and stuff like that.

I want to know how do I meditate , what effects does it have.. How do I achieve internal peace through meditation?

I would really like to know all these.
thanks

Chirag Farmahan!

Hey Craig,

Congratulations on taking control of the situation. Meditation and yoga are two very good practices for your situation.

It sounds like you've lost touch with the timeless dimension. The reason your head feels heavy all the time is probably.

Because you are living in your head, by that I mean that you’re spending too much time in your mind, thinking about things.

Most thinking humans do is pointless and often negative, such as worrying about things and complaining. If you are relatively new to meditation you may not be aware of the huge amount of pointless thinking going on in your mind because it tends to happen in the background while you are going about your daily activities.

Meditating allows you to become aware of your internal thought processes. This awareness gives you the opportunity to turn off the switch on negative trains of thought (which are really not needed).

As you do this more and more, cancelling these unnecessary thoughts becomes a habit and you will slowly start to find yourself doing it automatically. So in this way practicing meditation builds on itself.

This will cause a range of benefits such as feeling happy, feeling a lot more secure. Having much more emotional and physical energy (because it's not being drained away by worry), improved health, and a general sense of deep and lasting peace. No matter what’s going on in your life.

To meditate you need to use a technique, while there are many different techniques they mostly involve doing something repetitive over and over again. In that way your thinking is put to work on something neutral and fairly mundane. (concentrating on a candle flame, moving beads between your fingers, counting to four over and over, concentrating on your breath etc.).

The point is that your mind can only do one thing at a time so while your attention is focused on the "meditation activity" your mind is less able to wander away into unconscious thinking. After you meditate for ten minutes or an hour, you will feel much better. That's because your mental energy is stronger. It hasn’t been scattered all over the place as it normally would have been.(by random unconscious thinking).

If you want to take control of your mental energy I urge you to keep reading my free meditation tips newsletter, in each issue I explain meditation in a different way to help you get a stronger grasp of it and to see the whole picture.

Thanks Craig.

Meditation - Letting Go Thoughts

Hey Chris,


Have only meditated a few times over the years, but the hardest thing is:

HOW DO YOU CLEAR THE MIND AND NOT THINK ABOUT ANYTHING?

GO WITHIN AND FIND THE ANSWERS!!! WHAT IS THAT AND HOW WILL I KNOW WHAT THE ANSWERS ARE?

Please excuse my ignorance.

Thanks,
Ann

Hey Ann,

I don't know what that means either.
You clear the mind by letting go of thoughts after they have presented themselves. The natural tendency
is to continue along a chain of thoughts. Usualy without noticing that you are doing it. Every thought you "let go off" has no opportunity to spawn any more related thoughts. So look at it in terms of slowing down your thought factory rather than shutting it off. You can’t shut it off instantly because it's still
working on problems from earlier. Just let the thoughts come up and then mentally choose not to follow them any more. Say to yourself. In the scheme of things that thought is not that important, It's ok to let it go for now. May be I can continue with it later. If a thought is super important, write it down for later. When you start paying attention to your mental chatter you'll probably notice that 95% of it isn't particularly useful or beneficial. Just let them go.

Here's an easy way to let go of thoughts... mentally put the thought into a balloon. Imagine the balloon is filled with helium, it wants to get away... feel the pull of the string in your hand. then without judging the thought in any way release it. Watch it drift into the sky. Notice it getting smaller and smaller until it is just a point, then you notice that you cannot see it anymore, just blue sky.

This is a very powerful technique that I have used many times. It works like magic, try it and see.

Thanks Ann for your question and good luck.

16 Dec 1971 - Bangladesh Mukti Dibas

16 Dec 1971 - Bangladesh Mukti Dibas

A Red Letter Day

The national anthem of Bangladesh

Founder of Bangladesh

National Flower of Bangladesh

National Bird of Bangladesh

The Leader who Helped in Liberation War of Bangladesh

Árdrak (Ginger) – A very useful home remedy


Ardrak (ginger) is a strengthening food that has long been used

to maintain health. Ginger has a long history of both

culinary and medicinal use in Chinese, Japanese and

Indian medicines. In ancient China, ginger was regarded

as a healing gift from God and was commonly used to

cleanse and warm the body.

Ardrak is a very common cooking item used in

our kitchen. This has a great curative effect on

our common ailments like cold, cough, fever, flue etc.

Works on all tissues digestive, respiratory systems

analgesic, antiemetic, aromatic, aphrodisiac, carminative,


 diaphoretic, digestive, expectorant, nervine,

sialagogue, stimulant.

Uses:
Ginger is truly a wonder drug, having so

many healing properties. It was called the univer-

sal medicine. Taken with rock salt it reduces Váyu;

with rock candy it reduces Pitta; with honey it re-

duces Kapha.

Ginger root is used today to provide relief for symptoms

of motion sickness including sweating, vomiting, dizziness,

and nausea. No conclusive results were found when

studies compared commercial medications with ginger.

Signs of similar results between the two did seem

apparent in the studies.

Ginger has other uses including relieving arthritis pain,

ulcerative colitis, menstrual discomfort, headaches, fevers

from flu and colds, and sore throats. Gastrointestinal

problems including heartburn and gas can also be treated

with ginger. The muscles of the gastrointestinal tract can

be strengthened by the use of garlic. Ginger is also used

to treat arthritis, both rheumatoid and osteoarthritis. It is

thought that garlic can also provide relief for toothaches,

but no scientific evidence exists to support this.

Some important uses of Ginger

Fresh: Mixed juice with water and cane sugar,

boiled to a syrup—add saffron and powders of car-

damom, nutmeg, and clove and preserve well. This

ginger-jam, called Allaepauk, is useful indigestion,

flatulence, colic, vomiting, spasms, stomach and

bowel pains with fever, colds, cough, asthma, and

increasing Pachaka Agni (responsible for digestion).


For indigestion, mix equal parts juice with

lemon juice and rock salt (found in Indian grocer-

ies), and take just before meals. Taking the juice

with rock salt, before meals, cleanses the throat

and tongue, and increases the appetite. For bile and

delirium due to biliousness, take ginger juice with

cow’s milk (2:7 ratio), boil to half volume and add

rock-candy powder, and take before bed. Or mix

juice with mango juice, cane sugar, and cow ghee;

mix and melt to half the quantity and take morn-

ings and evenings.

For sore throats, hoarseness, and laryngitis,

sometimes chewing a piece of fresh ginger pro-

duces saliva and soothes these conditions. Juice

rubbed on navel relieves diarrhea. Ginger and on-

ion juice relieve nausea, vomiting, and retching.

Juice with rock candy (twice daily) remedies dia-

betes (mellitus and insipidus), For nervous head-

ache, mix ginger juice with milk, let dry, and use

as snuff.

Dry: With black and long peppers (t^ikatu) it is

a carminative. Added to purgatives, it prevents nau-

sea and the gripe. For indigestion and low appe-

tite, mix with ghee or hot water. With painful bow-

els or stomach make an infusion of dry ginger, and

mix with 1-2 tbs. castor oil. Alternatively, mix some

asafoetida with ginger powder. For chronic rheu-

matic pain (Váyu or Kapha), colds, excess mucus,

take ginger powder tea before bed, and cover up

with blankets to promote sweating. In cases of

headaches, make a paste of ginger and aloe gel or

water, and apply to the head and take a nap or be-

fore evening sleep. The same paste maybe applied

to the face for tooth or face aches. For headaches

caused by nerves, mix a paste of ginger, cinna-

mon, castor root, and cloves (equal parts); and ap-

ply to the head.

For fainting, apply a thin paste of ginger and

water to the eyelids, or place a mix of suòóh, black

pepper and pippalí under the nostrils in small

pinches. This will also help stupor, delirium and

senselessness caused by brain fever.

Other uses: Arthritis, belching, heart disease,

laryngitis (use as a tea and an external paste on

throat), vomiting, constipation, strengthens

memory, removes obstructions in the vessels, in-

continence, flatulence, colic, spasms, fever, eye

diseases, and asthma. Juice is better for colds,

cough, vomiting, deranged Váyu, and as a dia-

phoretic. Dry ginger is better for increasing agni

and reducing Kapha.

Spiritual Uses: Most sattwic (spiritually pure) spice

Precautions: Aggravates Pitta (i.e., inflamed skin

diseases, fever, bleeding, ulcers, etc.)


Ginger tea

Ginger tea is not only a nourishing drink, but an important

Remedy for flue, common cold, simple fever.

The preparation of this important drink is given below

Here’s what you do: (you may need to experiment with amounts to get the taste that suits you)

1. Fill up your teakettle and get it boiling.

2. Meanwhile, grate a one-inch piece of fresh ginger root.

3. Get a thermos out. I have a quart thermos I use.

4. Put the ginger in the thermos.

5. Put a dash of lemon juice in the thermos. A dash is about 4 tablespoons. Actually, it's less of a dash and more of a small splash. :)

6. Add a dash of honey as well. A dash in this case is about three tablespoons. Hey, a dash means something different to all of us. Basically, add the honey to taste.

7. When your water is boiled, pour it in the thermos.

8. Cover it up and let it sit for 20 minutes.

9. Strain into a tea cup and enjoy!

Alternatives:

If you lack a thermos, you can also just simmer the water in an open pan with the ginger for 15 -20 minutes as well. Add the lemon and honey to the pot AFTER you are finished simmering ginger. Just strain it into your cup. When you want more, just heat it back up. I just like the thermos because when I am sick it’s hard enough just to get up let alone heat something up.

You can vary the amounts as well. Play around so you get a flavor you really like. It tastes great!

You can add a clove of garlic for quick action.

Meditation Helps Stress Management

Meditation Helps Stress Management


Stress is our body's way of responding to any kind of demand. It can be caused by both good and bad experiences. When people feel stressed by something going on around them, their bodies react by releasing chemicals into the blood. These chemicals give people more energy and strength, which can be a good thing if their stress is caused by physical danger. But this can also be a bad thing, if their stress is in response to something emotional and there is no outlet for this extra energy and strength. This class will discuss different causes of stress, how stress affects us, the difference between 'good' or 'positive' stress and 'bad' or 'negative' stress, and some common facts about how stress affects people today.

Signs of Stress Overload

People who are experiencing stress overload may notice some of the following signs:

anxiety or panic attacks

a feeling of being constantly pressured, hassled, and hurried

irritability and moodiness

physical symptoms, such as stomach problems, headaches, or even chest pain

allergic reactions, such as eczema or asthma

problems sleeping

drinking too much, smoking, overeating, or doing drugs

sadness or depression

Everyone experiences stress a little differently. Some people become angry and act out their stress or take it out on others. Some people internalize it and develop eating disorders or substance abuse problems. And some people who have a chronic illness may find that the symptoms of their illness flare up under an overload of stress.

Too much stress?

You need a simple stress meditation. Of course, learning to meditate might intimidate you, and it's tough to find the time for daily meditation. A solution to both problems is a meditation you can learn right now, that will take a minute to do each day.

An Easy Stress Meditation

When you breath through your mouth, it expands your chest. Breath through your nose and you'll notice how your abdomen extends. Nose-breathing causes the diaphragm to pull air to the bottom of your lungs. This delivers a good dose of oxygen into your bloodstream and brain, and it also tends to relax you. Breathing through your nose is healthier, and it's the basis of this one-minute meditation.

Here's how you do it.

Close your eyes, sigh, and let the tension go out of your muscles. It may help to tense up your muscles first, then release that tension. Then let go of your thoughts, as much as possible, and take four or five slow, deep breaths through your nose, paying attention to your breathing

Can Meditation Be This Easy?

The short answer is yes. No, you're not likely to get you into a deep meditative state with this simple stress meditation. However, you will get benefits, including a clearer mind and a reduction in stress. It helps to develop a "trigger" for your meditation. For example, do your four breaths when you get into the car, or right after lunch each day. These triggers are places or times that remind you, so your meditation becomes a habit. You can say this isn't "real" meditation, but there's nothing wrong with enjoying the relaxation you'll get from this technique. If you want, you can always pursue deeper meditation later. Meanwhile, remember that not everything has to be difficult to be of value. Why not try this easy one-minute stress meditation?

More reading
How to meditate

http://mrinalkantipal.blogspot.com/2009/06/how-to-meditate.html

Why meditate and how to meditate
http://mrinalkantipal.blogspot.com/2009/06/why-meditate-and-how-to-meditate.html

Meditation made easy
http://mrinalkantipal.blogspot.com/2009/06/meditation-made-easy.html

Meditation and Health
http://mrinalkantipal.blogspot.com/2009/06/medtaton-and-health.html

Practice of Meditation
http://mrinalkantipal.blogspot.com/2009/07/practice-of-meditation.html

Power of mind
http://mrinalkantipal.blogspot.com/2009/06/power-of-mind.html

meditation technique of perception (This too will pass.)
http://mrinalkantipal.blogspot.com/2011/12/this-too-will-pass.html

Meditation – less known technique
http://mrinalkantipal.blogspot.com/2011/12/meditation-less-known-technique.html

Meditation -- Less Known Technique

Meditation -- Less Known Technique


Meditation and holistic living have become buzzwords in recent years, with more and more people seeking an alternative to the frantic pace of modern life. However, many practitioners don't consider the barriers modern society presents to meditation. Even seasoned meditation practitioners can lose focus in the speed-crazed, mindset of modern life. Meditation encourages a strong self awareness and a healthy mind-body connection. Today's culture seems to operate on a completely different system.

The modern world is addicted to activity, and the more the better. Because of this, many people remain chained to distractions and cannot tap into their body's natural potential to break free. Stress is created when the mind is not doing what the body is. If you are doing bills and your mind is wandering from picking up the kids and making dinner to finishing up at work, that creates stress. But if your mind is focused on what your body is doing, then there is no stress. This is a fundamental meditation technique.

Most meditation techniques assume the mind-body already exists. This works well in a mountain monastery, but can be difficult to achieve with the hectic pace of modern lifestyle. A more basic gateway into that mind-body connection is needed. A transition from the modern world into meditation should tap into the senses. You're trying to strengthen the bond and focus your attention on multiple levels. Look for ways to utilize textures that interest you, sounds that soothe you, and scents that enhance your focus.

Experiment with simple, easy motions to relax your body and to prepare yourself for meditation. Motion can focus the mind and help you break away from the whirlwind of thoughts generated each day. Think of running your hands through a river, or through a fountain if you have one available. Play with smooth stones, or make shapes of clay or sand. Flip a smooth stick of wood or roll it back and forth between your hands.

Once you've disconnected from the modern world, you can truly take advantage of your meditation time. A more centered, aware state of being will allow you to delve deeper into your inner self. You might be surprised at what you can see with eyes unclouded.

Once thought of as a ritual performed by men who shaved their heads, wore long robes and lived in a mountain cave, this mind quieting, stress relieving natural self-healing practice is becoming so commonplace that corporations such as Deutsche Bank, Google and Hughes Aircraft recognize the intuitive powers of it and offer meditation classes to their employees.

Having the ability to quiet one's mind and retreat to a thought-free state of calmness opens the connection to higher intelligence and greatly enhances problem-solving abilities. In addition, with practice and coaching you can develop the ability to ask pointed questions and receive answers to them through this same dynamic channel.The number of miracles born out of a regular practice of meditation are untold. From loosing weight and quitting smoking, to manifesting more money and physical items, to rekindling relationships and curing terminal diseases, millions of accounts of miracles just like these are attributed to meditation.

More reading

How to meditate
http://mrinalkantipal.blogspot.com/2009/06/how-to-meditate.html

Why meditate and how to meditate

http://mrinalkantipal.blogspot.com/2009/06/why-meditate-and-how-to-meditate.html

Meditation made easy

http://mrinalkantipal.blogspot.com/2009/06/meditation-made-easy.html

Meditation and Health

http://mrinalkantipal.blogspot.com/2009/06/medtaton-and-health.html

Practice of Meditation

http://mrinalkantipal.blogspot.com/2009/07/practice-of-meditation.html

Power of mind

http://mrinalkantipal.blogspot.com/2009/06/power-of-mind.html

meditation technique of perception (This too will pass.)

http://mrinalkantipal.blogspot.com/2011/12/this-too-will-pass.html

Ocean in a Teacup ch 37 pp 361-367

Chapter 37 pp 361  contd from previous posting


The Saraswati Puja (the annual celebration for the Goddess ofLearning) took placeon Thursday, January 23rd in 1969. A small group of us, Andre Louis, a recent French disciple, Spence, recently returned after a few years of touring India. Mahadev Poddar and myself decided late wednessday night to visit Deoghar for a day before continuing the program of meetings that would enable us to get those unnecessary cars we thought were so important.

We reached Deoghar Thursday morning. After explaining our progress, Spence gave Thakur a bottle of honey he had received from Kasyap Pal Choudhury. “Give it to Ray,” he said. I took it. “What’ll I do with it?” “Feed me” was Thakur’s cryptic reply.

“We’ll leave this afternoon, Thakur” I began. “--- Why” Thakur interrupted “--- there’s a big meeting in Murshidabad where we may get five thousand rupees for a car.”

“Why?” thakur insisted. “For the car, Thakur!” I raised my voice thinking he hadn’t heard, “Why?” Thakur repeated. “You wanted cars, thakur,” I reminded him.

“When will you come back? I have some talks.”

“Sunday or Monday,” I offered,

Thakur’s demeanor suddenly changed. His eyes gripped mine. He became more insistent. “Will you fix everything up?” “The car issue is in high gear, Thakur,” I reassured him.

“Will you fix everything u?” Thakur’s eyes were more piercing, his voice more demanding. “Thakur, everything is alright!” My voice was tense.

“Say; you’ll fix everything up!”

Like a schoolboy, I repeated rote: “I’ll fix everything up.”

“Say it again louder.” I’d never seen Thakur so insistent.

I’ll fix everything up!” I shouted. Thakur leaned back on his pillows but his eyes held mine remorsely. After a few moments of silence, I left his room. A few hours later I returned to say good-bye as we left for the meeting.

“Thik kore phelbe, to?” (You’ll really fix everything upP. Again he caught my eyes as if in a vice, I nodded, pulled my eyes away and left. Little did I suspect how badly – so very badly --- I had missed! That awareness and the resulting anguish were to come later. However, true to my promise, I left Calcutta three day later on Sunday evening by the Delhi Express.

Sunday morning. January 26th, 1969 in Deoghar was crisp and clear. Bor’da came to Thakur Bari very early for the prayer. Kazal arrived at almost the same time from his room near Thakur. Finally, at 7:00 A.M. the attendants pulled the curtains aside, opened the siding windows and a group of about 300 looked in at their Thakur, 81 years old, all wrapped in a soft white quit and looking more radiant that he had for long long time. All bowed and began that prayer-hymn in Hindi that had been handed down generation after generation for more than a century from the original Satsang in Agra. As the prayer ended it seemed that Thakur looked happier than he had for many months. Even the doctors’ reports supported this. His heart, his pulse, blood pressure, even his chronic pharyngitis seemed to have become normal.

Thakur called to each person as he hadn’t done for a long time: “How are you? When did you come?” and then began asking almost everyone for rashagollas, sandesh, jilipis and other Bengal sweets. Instead of sending them to the kitchen when they were brought as had always been the custom, Thakur would ask each person, “Feed me.” To the joy of each, who seldom if ever had this opportunity to feed Thakur with their won hand, he would take their offering and eat it with great relish. There was such obvious joy, so much apparent physical strength, that everyone, particularly those who had been under constant tension twenty-four hours a day for the past many months, they felt perhaps… perhaps … he was going to get better.

The evening prayer was as calm and hopeful as the day had been. A few people came and went quietly and his evening meal with Chotto Ma and Bor’da present as usual, and which by now consisted only of liquid protein, passed uneventfully…. In fact, all was so serene and Thakur so happy, each went to their respective room or house with a renewed sense of security. Things were so restful, by mid-night the usual attendants began to leave one by one --- Bishu, Bankim-da, Durgesh – until there was only Satish Das outside the net and two women attendants inside, one of whom was sleeping while the other massaged Thakur’s legs.

In the dim glow of the electric heaters, the outline of that bulky body could barely be seen. At 3:00 A.M. he coughed. The lights were turned on. Kazal came, gave Thakur some pethindine and left for his room and then to the bathroom. Satish brought Thakur his hookah which he smoked without coughing, lay down and immediately fell in a sound sleep, Satish, certain that Thakur would not awaken before morning, went to bed.

At 3:30, thakur sat up, pointed to something behind Sudapani Ma and again went to sleep.

Meanwhile having arrived at Jasidih at 3:05, taken a rickshaw, crossed the rail line into Rohini road, I stopped in front of our house. It was 3:30 and very cold. Besides thakur would surely be sleeping. I might as well too. I entered our house and without undressing, lay down on my bed exhausted. I heard the bell strike four as I fell asleep.

At 4:50, Sudapani Ma found Thakur sleeping so soundly, she felt secure in leaving him to go to the bathroom. As she left the room, however, she called Thakur’s sister who was sleeping nearby. A few minutes later she arose and drawing closer noticed in the dim light that her brother’s face liked unnaturally pale. She saw no sign of breathing and began to call out frantically. I was too late. Within a few moments, Kazal arrived to give an adrenaline hydrochloride injection direct to the heart. Bor’da arrived. Bankim-da arrived. Quickly the room filled. But there was no pulse, no breathing, no life. At 81, Thakur, the inspiring source of several millions of people had left his body quietly, simply, peacefully, without a soul present.

The word spread rapidly. Weeping people streamed in. Some stood dumb as if in shock. I was awakened at 5:30 A.M. Entering the yard I heard the weeping. A numbness slowly crept over my body. I entered Thakur’s room. My eyes caught Bor’da’s who was sitting at Thakurs feet facing the door. “Father has gone,” he said pathetically. Tears glistened in his eyes. Kazal, seated at Thakur’s head with his back toward the door and his Mother across from him, reached back and I impetuously grabbed his hand in sympathy.

I spent the remainder of the day trying to make some sense out of it at all. I quickly learned the facts about the last hours of Thakur from each of the attendants. At the time, at the height of anguish, the truth came forth spontaneously and unadorned. The more I learned, the more oppressed I became as I realized how delinquent I had been. He had given me so many opportunities to prove in practice my oft repeated declaration that his only desire was to be first in our lives. I missed on the previous Thursday when he wanted me to stay and talk! I’d been stupidly blind early that morning when I decided at 3:45 that he’d be sleeping and went tobed! How innocently he had done it! No accusations. No recriminations. He had left me and so many others to our own set of priorities – whether comfort, prestige or socialprogram. The fact was there that morning blatant and unvarnished There was one who had been able to stick with him all the way. Some had come closer than others, and among the many who presumed a special place amongst the devotees, I was perhaps the most callously delinquent.

As I moved restlessly back and forth, in and out of Thakur’s room looking at his face, so serene as if sleepingand observed the weeping followers casting flowers on his body. Bor’da quickly took over this leaderless shattered family. The immediate consideration was a place for the cremation. Quickly it became apparent how carefully Thakur had pre-arranged it. That one-half acre of land which Thakur had kept intact, now proved the perfect place for his samadhi. It would and has become place of pilgrimage, where people find a peace found not where else.

Hindu tradition demanded that the cremation begin before the sun touched the horizon or it would have to be postponed until the following day. Chor’da, thakur’s second son arrived from Calcutta. So did his second daughter, Santana-di

The, almost twelve hours after Thakur had left his body, that heavy, bulky body was carried out of his room on one of his large bed-steads by many Brahmins. His bereft sons and daughters by birth and by cllture followed it down the driveway of the Thakur Bar he had entered almost a quarter century earlier. As the procession turned south towards the pyre that had been built high with sandal wood, The intolerable anguish could no longer be suppressed. As if by some unseen direction, the crowd began toprpeat: “Ra-dha-soa-mi ! Ra-dha-soa-mi !” It quickly spread from mouth to mouth until seemed the Name was reverberating from te skies, from the road, the trees and even Thakur’s body was floating on that Name wich thousands realized and millions believed he incarnated. Into the gate of that now walled-in area that overlooked the valley the procession moved.

So carefully, so gently, his bodywas lifted on to the pyre. Amidst muffed sobs, Bor’da lit the fire, the sandalwood burstinto flames as hisbody slowly disappeared from sight behind them. The sun begantosink behind Digheria Hill, the sky became red and the fields, the roads, the walls were jammed with people as each succeeding train brought a new group of weeping devotees from Bengal, Bihar, Orissa.

Late in the evening only smoldering ashes remained. One y one, each retraced hs steps towards Thakur’s room. It seemed as if we must hear that familiar voice shout so intimately, so lovingly: “Hey … when did you come?” or “What’s the news?” But there was a strange silence and a sad picture of Thakur sitting on the bedstead propped up by the pillows he had used. People bowed and wept and went home desolate. There were manywho later would swear that the sky never seemed so blue again, nor did the sun ever shine so bright and friendly after January 27th, 1969.

This too will pass...

Meditation technique of perception


One Answer….for all questions - This too will pass... This meditation technique is quite different from the conventional meditation techniques. This technique is actually a contemplation exercise and involves thinking over life. Though people of all age can try this technique, it is basically suitable for people with mature age (I mean 18 & above). The reason is that only those who have lived a certain (substantial) duration of life can reflect back on their past. Very young people who are still in the initial phase of their life are less likely (though not impossible) to analyze their life from the angle which this meditation demands. Nevertheless, this meditation technique is very useful for knowing our true self.

Method:--

First read this thought provoking story :-

Once a king called upon all of his wise men and asked them, " Is there a mantra or suggestion which works in every situation, in every circumstances, in every place and in every time. Something which can help me when none of you is available to advise me. Tell me is there any mantra?"

All wise men got puzzled by King's question. One answer for all question? Something that works everywhere, in every situation? In every joy every sorrow, every defeat and every victory? They thought and thought. After a lengthy discussion, an old man suggested something which appeal to all of them. They went to king and gave him something written on paper. But the condition was that king was not to see it out of curiosity. Only in extreme danger, when the King finds himself alone and there seems to be no way, only then he'll have to see it. The King put the papers under his Diamond ring.

After a few days, the neighbours attack the Kingdom. It was a collective surprise attack of King's enemies. King and his army fought bravely but lost the battle. King had to fled on his horse. The enemies were following him. His horse took him far away in Jungle. He could hear many troops of horses were following him and the noise was coming closer and closer. Suddenly the King found himself standing in the end of the road - that road was not going anywhere. Underneath there was a rocky valley thousand feet deep. If he jumped into it, he would be finished… and he could not return because it was a small road…From back the sound of enemy's horses was approaching fast. King became restless. There seemed to be no way.

Then suddenly he saw the Diamond in his ring shining in the sun, and he remembered the message hidden in the ring. He opened the diamond and read the message. The message was very small but very great. The message was - " This too will pass.” The King read it . Again read it. Suddenly something strike in his mind - Yes ! it too will pass. Only a few days ago, I was enjoying my kingdom. I was the mightiest of all the Kings. Yet today, the Kingdom and all his pleasure have gone. I am here trying to escape from enemies. However when those days of luxuries have gone, this day of danger too will pass.

A calm come on his face. He kept standing there. The place where he was standing was full of natural beauty. He had never known that such a beautiful place was also a part of his Kingdom. The revelation of message had a great effect on him. He relaxed and forget about those following him. After a few minute he realized that the noise of the horses and the enemy coming was receding. They moved into some other part of the mountains and were not on that path.

The King was very brave. He reorganized his army and fought again. He defeated the enemy and regain his lost empire. When he returned to his empire after victory, he was received with much fan fare at the door. The whole capital was rejoicing in the victory. Everyone was in a festive mood. Flowers were being thrown on King from every house, from every corner. People were dancing and singing. For a moment King said to himself," I am one of the bravest and greatest King. It is not easy to defeat me. With all the reception and celebration he saw an ego emerging in him. Suddenly the Diamond of his ring flashed in the sunlight and reminded him of the message. He open it and read it again: "This too will pass."

He became silent. His face went through a total change -from the egoist he moved to a state of utter humbleness. If this too is going to pass, it is not yours. The defeat was not yours, the victory is not yours. You are just a watcher. Everything passes by. We are witness of all this. We are the perceiver. Life come and go. Happiness come and go. Sorrow come and go. Now as you have read this story, just sit silently and evaluate your own life. “This too will pass.” Think of the moments of joy and victory in your life. Think of the moment of Sorrow and defeat. Are they permanent? They all come and pass away. Life just passes away. There were friends in past. They all have gone. There are friends today. They too will go. There will be new friends tomorrow. They too will go. There were enemies in past. They have gone. There may be enemy in present. They too will go. There will be new enemies tomorrow and......they too will go. There is nothing permanent in this world. Every thing changes except the law of change.

Think over it from your own perspective. You have seen all the changes. You have survived all setbacks, all defeats and all sorrows. All have passed away. If there are problems in the present, they too will pass away. Because nothing remains forever. Joy and sorrow are the two faces of the same coin. They both will pass away. Who are you in reality? Know your real face. Your face is not your true face. It will change with the time. However, there is something in you, which will not change. It will remain unchanged. What is that unchangeable? It is nothing but your true self. You are just a witness of change. Experience it, understand it. Everyday for 10-15 minutes sit in silence. Just think over the sentence, "This too will pass." Pondering over your own life will make you realize the true meaning of this sentence. Everything passes yet your real identity remains the same. That real you is your true self. To know that self is true meditation.

(Received through email from meditation teacher Chris Oseko)

further reading
How to meditate


http://mrinalkantipal.blogspot.com/2009/06/how-to-meditate.html

Why meditate and how to meditate

http://mrinalkantipal.blogspot.com/2009/06/why-meditate-and-how-to-meditate.html 

Meditation made easy

http://mrinalkantipal.blogspot.com/2009/06/meditation-made-easy.html

Meditation and Health

http://mrinalkantipal.blogspot.com/2009/06/medtaton-and-health.html 

Practice of Meditation

http://mrinalkantipal.blogspot.com/2009/07/practice-of-meditation.html

 l

Power of mind

http://mrinalkantipal.blogspot.com/2009/06/power-of-mind.html 

Positive Thinking - Make it a Habit

Positive Thinking – Make it a Habit


Let us understand... What is Positive thinking?

By definition, the word positive means dealing with matters of fact; expressed clearly, or in a confident or peremptory manner. However, in the concept of positive thinking, the word positive is meant to signify a manner of thinking: a manner that puts emphasis on processing thoughts in a more desirable, upbeat way. Positive thinking can be described as the practice of embracing the affirmative in our thoughts, our feelings, our actions, our reactions and our speech.

There is no greater joy than a healthy, positive life. You feel exhilarated, energetic, happy and on top of the world. A sense of total well being permeates your mind. The future looks bright. You feel good to be alive.

Positive thinking makes you less stressed and happy. When you are optimistic, you are able to handle everyday stress in a constructive way. That ability may contribute to the widely observed health benefits of positive thinking. When you ask how is positive thinking possible, there are a number of positive thinking techniques that can help. You need to believe that positive thinking can be learned. It may take some time, but it is definitely possible with the right positive thinking technique. Check below, few positive thinking techniques you can use in to be think positive.

Positive Thinking Techniques

* Replace Negative Thoughts With positive ones

Replace the negative thought with the positive whenever you catch yourself thinking negative thoughts. Stop when you recognise a negative thought. Start to say no to your negative thinking. At first this might not seem to make much difference, but if you start to consciously replace negative thoughts with positive ones then you'll really start to change your mindset over a period of time. Try to disregard and ignore negative thoughts. Refuse to think such thoughts, and substitute them with constructive happy thoughts.

*Self-Talk

One technique to think more positively, is to become aware of your negative “self talk” and replace negative thoughts with positive ones.

What to do:

• Pay attention to your thoughts.

• Write down negative thoughts

•Develop positive statements to replace negative ones

• Use positive words such as happy, peaceful, loving, enthusiastic, and warm.

• Avoid negative words such as worried, frightened, upset, tired, bored, not, never, can’t.

• Always use the present tense, e.g., “I am healthy, I am well, I am happy.

• Believe yourself and say yourself “I belive”.

• In your conversation use words that evoke feelings and mental images of strength, happiness and success.

Practicing positive self-talk will improve your outlook.

*Reinforce the Positive Thought

Repeating positive thoughts will make them stronger.

1. Repeat the positive thought over and over to yourself, write the positive thought over and over.

2. Share the positive thought with another person who can affirm that the positive is true and who can also help you reinforce the thought

3. Make signs that say the positive thought and place them in places where you will see them often

*Visualize Your Future Success

Another positive thinking technique to improve positive thinking is to visualize your future success. Don’t fear of their failure, even before starting. Indulging in this kind of negative thinking may actually lead to their failure, and hence this should be totally avoided. Make plan what you want to achieve, visualize how you will like to see yourself after some years. Whenever you start feeling, you may not be able to achieve something, just visualize your dream and you will be all charged up to achieve it.

*Motivate yourself.

Your day is yours to control, you are at the whim of circumstance only in so much as you choose to respond to circumstance. Plan work for the day ahead and use the power of those tasks to motivate yourself you will feel much more in control in your work environment. This extra security will help build your self confidence and help you to see things more positively. Motivation comes from knowing we have a task that will challenge us, is not insurmountable, and will provide a valuable outcome. Learn more on what is motivation.

*Positive Media

The more you listen to positive songs, watch positive movies and see positive images the more will you become a positive thinker. Music can dramatically change your mood and your thinking style that’s why special care should be taken before selecting the songs you are going to listen too. Read at least one page of inspiring book every day. Watch movies that make you feel happy.

* Associate Yourself With People Who Think Positively

When a person is in the company of people who think positively, it spreads to him too, making him feel good about himself. On the other hand, negative thinkers, will surely affect you in a negative way. So, always try to be with people who think and speak positively.

I hope these positive thinking techniques will be helpful to you. Changing the negative thoughts you have about yourself to positive ones takes time and persistence. If you use this technique consistently, you will notice that you don’t think these negative thoughts about yourself as much. Accept the challenges of life positively, as they are important steps towards learning and also to achieve success.

Futher reading

Positive thinking

http://mrinalkantipal.blogspot.com/2009/12/positive-thinking.html

Easy steps to positive thinking

http://mrinalkantipal.blogspot.com/2010/01/easy-steps-to-positive-thinking.html

Positive thinking lesson I

http://mrinalkantipal.blogspot.com/2010/05/positive-thinking-lesson-one.html

What is thought and how it shapes destiny

http://mrinalkantipal.blogspot.com/2010/02/what-is-thought-and-how-it-shapes-our.html

What thinking can do

http://mrinalkantipal.blogspot.com/2009/07/what-thinking-can-do.html

Power of Thinking Big

Power of Thinking Big
Setting a goal of getting a $1000 raise is a small goal. There’s not much you can do to benefit the world with that extra $1000 per month. But setting a goal to run your own business and earn $50,000 a month is a good goal. With that money you can not only create a good life for your family, but also donate money to your favorite charities or fund neighborhood projects.

Joe Vitale, one of the teachers from the Secret has a wonderful quote:A good goal should SCARE you a little. And EXCITE you A LOT!

That simple quote sums up some really important lessons of life. If the goal doesn’t excite you, you’re not going to attract it.Goals that EXCITE you are the type that let you pour your heart and soul into them. The bigger the goals—the more excited you can get about them.

Now let’s look at the second part of that quote. “Scare you a little”. If you don’t feel a tiny bit nervous about the goal, odds are, you’re THINKING TOO SMALL.

Apply this principle to your goals.

Do they excite you? Do they scare you a little?

Those, which do, are probably the right ones.Seek to Better HumanityYou’re probably starting to see that the Law of Attraction isn’t just about having more money or attracting more success. It actually goes much deeper than that and by choosing to live in a positive and accepting state of mind, you are actually changing the world as we know it.

Just imagine the creative energy that would be flowing around the planet. Global warming would no longer be a concern because we would all be living an eco-conscious life. War, poverty and hunger would become a thing of the past because these things would no longer fit with our accepted vision of the world.

What we believe—that the world is a wonderful and wondrous place—would become our reality and it would be impossible for such negative concepts such as war and hate to even exist.

Now, think about that for a second.

You actually have the ability to change the world.

Not just your little corner of the Universe, but the entire planet. Because as you begin to emulate the kind of life we’ve discussed here, others will begin to follow your footsteps.As you become the charismatic and confident leader, others will be drawn to you and want to mimic these characteristics.It’s in our nature to be drawn to what appeals to us. Success, happiness and inner peace are all things that radiate out like a beacon in the night. When we find a person who demonstrates the kind of life we’d like to lead, we want to learn that person’s secret. We read their books, we watch their shows and we follow their guidance in the hopes that we, too, can enjoy success, happiness and inner peace.

* So, when you decide to think big, really think BIG.

* You can have any reality you want.

* Your life is completely at your choosing.

There are no limitations to what you can accomplish when you combine your creative energy with a little confidence.Now get started.

Muslim Rule in India - Phase II

Muslim rule in India - Phase II



How Islam Spread in this Sub-continent


Analysis of historical facts lead to the following conclusion on growth of muslim population in this sub-continent.

That Muslims sought conversion through jihad or political violence

A related view is that conversions occurred for non-religious reasons of pragmatism and patronage such as social mobility among the Muslim ruling elite or for relief from taxes.

Conversion was a result of the actions of Sufi saints and involved a genuine change of heart.

Conversion came from Buddhists and the en masse conversions of lower castes for social liberation and as a rejection of oppressive existent Hindu caste structures.

Was a combination, initially made under duress followed by a genuine change of heart.

As a socio-cultural process of diffusion and integration over an extended period of time into the sphere of the dominant Muslim civilization and global polity at large.

Genocide of non-muslims in India

An estimate of the number of people killed, based on the Muslim chronicles and demographic calculations, was done by K.S. Lal in his book Growth of Muslim Population in Medieval India, who claimed that between 1000 CE and 1500 CE, the population of Hindus decreased by 80 million. His work has come under criticism by historians such as Simon Digby (School of Oriental and African Studies) and Irfan Habib for its agenda and lack of accurate data in pre-census times. Lal has responded to these criticisms in later works. Historians such as Will Durant contend that Islam spread through violence. Sir Jadunath Sarkar contends that that several Muslim invaders were waging a systematic jihad against Hindus in India to the effect that "Every device short of massacre in cold blood was resorted to in order to convert heathen subjects."

Md Bin Qasim 711 A.D. (occupied Karachi to Multan)

In the early 11th century, Mahmud of Ghazni launched seventeen expeditions into South Asia. In 1001, Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni defeated Raja Jayapala of the Hindu Shahi Dynasty of Gandhara and marched further into Peshawar and, in 1005, made it the center for his forces.

The Ghaznavid conquests were initially directed against the Ismaili Fatimids in on-going struggle of the Abbassid Caliphate elsewhere. However, once this aim was accomplished, he moved onto richness of the loot of wealthy temples and monasteries. By 1027, Mahmud had captured most of Northern India and obtained formal recognition of Ghazni's sovereignty from the Abbassid Caliph, al-Qadir Billah.

Ghaznavid rule in North India lasted over 175 years, from 1010 to 1187. It was during this period that Lahore assumed considerable importance apart from being the second capital, and later the only capital, of the Ghaznavid Empire.

Muhammad Bin Sām better known as Shahāb-ud-Din Muhammad Ghori was a Afghan conqueror from the region of Ghor in Afghanistan. Before 1160, the Ghaznavid Empire covered an area running from central Afghanistan east to the Punjab, with capitals at Ghazni on the banks of Ghazni river in present-day Afghanistan, and at Lahore in present-day Pakistan. In 1160, the Ghorids conquered Ghazni from the Ghaznavids, and in 1173 Muhammad Bin Sām was made governor of Ghazni. He raided eastwards into the remaining Ghaznavid territory, and invaded Gujarat in the 1180s but was rebuffed by Gujarat's Solanki rulers[citation needed]. In 1186 and 1187 he conquered Lahore in alliance with a local Hindu ruler, ending the Ghaznavid empire and bringing the last of Ghaznavid territory under his control, and seemed to be the first Muslim ruler seriously interested in expanding his domain in the sub-continent, and like his predecessor Mahmud initially started off against the Ismaili kingdom of Multan that had regained independence during the Nizari conflicts, and then onto booty and power.

In 1191, he invaded the territory of Prithviraj III of Ajmer, who ruled much of present-day Rajasthan and Haryana, but was defeated at Tarain by Govinda-Raja of Delhi, Prithviraj's vassal. The following year, Muhammad assembled 120,000 horsemen and once again invaded India. Muhammad's army met Prithviraj's army again at Tarain, and this time Muhammad Bin Sām won; Govinda-Raja was slain, Prithviraj captured and Muhammad Bin Sām advanced onto Delhi. Within a year, Muhammad controlled Northern Rajasthan and Northern Ganges-Yamuna Doab. After these victories in India, and Muhammad's establishment of a capital in Delhi, Multan was also incorporated into his empire. Muhammad Bin Sām then returned east to Ghazni to deal with the threat on his eastern frontiers from the Turks and Mongols, whiles his armies continued to advance through Northern India, raiding as far east as Bengal.

The Sultanate of Delhi

Muhammad's successors established the first dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate, while the Mamluk Dynasty in 1211 (however, the Delhi Sultanate is traditionally held to have been founded in 1206) seized the reins of the empire. Mamluk means "slave" and referred to the Turkic slave soldiers who became rulers. The territory under control of the Muslim rulers in Delhi expanded rapidly. By mid-century, Bengal and much of central India was under the Delhi Sultanate. Several Turko-Afghan dynasties ruled from Delhi: the Mamluk (1211–1290), the Khalji (1290–1320), the Tughlaq (1320–1413), the Sayyid (1414–51), and the Lodhi (1451–1526). Muslim Kings extended their domains into Southern India, Kingdom of Vijayanagar resisted until falling to the Deccan Sultanate in 1565. Certain kingdoms remained independent of Delhi such as the larger kingdoms of Rajasthan, parts of the Deccan, Gujarat, Malwa (central India), and Bengal, nevertheless all of the area in present-day Pakistan came under the rule of Delhi.

Invasion of Taimur


Taimur starts by quoting the Quran in his Tuzk-i-Timuri: "O Prophet, make war upon the infidels and unbelievers, and treat them severely."

He continues: "My great object in invading Hindustan had been to wage a religious war against the infidel Hindus...[so that] the army of Islam might gain something by plundering the wealth and valuables of the Hindus."

In 1398 Timur crossed the Indus River at Attock (now Pakistan) on September 24. The capture of towns and villages was often followed by the looting, massacre of their inhabitants and raping of their women, as well as pillaging to support his massive army. Timur wrote many times in his memoirs of his specific disdain for the 'idolatrous' Hindus, although he also waged war against Muslim Indians during his campaign.

To start with he stormed the fort of Kator on the border of Kashmir. He ordered his soldiers "to kill all the men, to make prisoners of women and children, and to plunder and lay waste all their property". Next, he "directed towers to be built on the mountain of the skulls of those obstinate unbelievers". Soon after, he laid siege to Bhatnir defended by Rajputs. They surrendered after some fight, and were pardoned. But Islam did not bind Timur to keep his word given to the "unbelievers". His Tuzk-i-Timuri records:

"In a short space of time all the people in the fort were put to the sword, and in the course of one hour the heads of 10,000 infidels were cut off. The sword of Islam was washed in the blood of the infidels, and all the goods and effects, the treasure and the grain which for many a long year had been stored in the fort became the spoil of my soldiers. They set fire to the houses and reduced them to ashes, and they razed the buildings and the fort to the ground."

At Sarsuti, the next city to be sacked, "all these infidel Hindus were slain, their wives and children were made prisoners and their property and goods became the spoil of the victors". Timur was now moving through (modern day) Haryana, the land of the Jats. He directed his soldiers to "plunder and destroy and kill every one whom they met". And so the soldiers "plundered every village, killed the men, and carried a number of Hindu prisoners, both male and female".

Loni which was captured before he arrived at Delhi was predominantly a Hindu town. But some Muslim inhabitants were also taken prisoners. Timur ordered that "the Musulman prisoners should be separated and saved, but the infidels should all be dispatched to hell with the proselytizing sword".

By now Timur had captured 100,000 Hindus. As he prepared for battle against the Tughlaq army after crossing the Yamuna, his Amirs advised him "that on the great day of battle these 100,000 prisoners could not be left with the baggage, and that it would be entirely opposed to the rules of war to set these idolators and enemies of Islam at liberty". Therefore, "no other course remained but that of making them all food for the sword".

Timur's invasion did not go unopposed and he did meet some resistance during his march to Delhi, most notably with the Sarv Khap coalition in northern India, and the Governor of Meerut. Although impressed and momentarily stalled by the valour of Ilyaas Awan, Timur was able to continue his relentless approach to Delhi, arriving in 1398 to combat the armies of Sultan Mehmud, already weakened by an internal battle for ascension within the royal family.

The Sultan's army was easily defeated on December 17 1398. Timur entered Delhi and the city was sacked, destroyed, and left in ruins. Before the battle for Delhi, Timur executed more than 100,000 captives, mostly Hindus.

Timur himself recorded the invasions in his memoirs, collectively known as Tuzk-i-Timuri. In them, he vividly described the massacre at Delhi

In a short space of time all the people in the [New Delhi] fort were put to the sword, and in the course of one hour the heads of 10,000 infidels were cut off. The sword of Islam was washed in the blood of the infidels, and all the goods and effects, the treasure and the grain which for many a long year had been stored in the fort became the spoil of my soldiers. They set fire to the houses and reduced them to ashes, and they razed the buildings and the fort to the ground....All these infidel Hindus were slain, their women and children, and their property and goods became the spoil of the victors. I proclaimed throughout the camp that every man who had infidel prisoners should put them to death, and whoever neglected to do so should himself be executed and his property given to the informer. When this order became known to the ghazis of Islam, they drew their swords and put their prisoners to death.

One hundred thousand infidels, impious idolaters, were on that day slain. Maulana Nasiruddin Umar, a counselor and man of learning, who, in all his life, had never killed a sparrow, now, in execution of my order, slew with his sword fifteen idolatrous Hindus, who were his captives....on the great day of battle these 100,000 prisoners could not be left with the baggage, and that it would be entirely opposed to the rules of war to set these idolaters and enemies of Islam at liberty...no other course remained but that of making them all food for the sword.

As per Malfuzat-i-Timuri, Timur targeted Hindus. In his own words, "Excepting the quarter of the saiyids, the 'ulama and the other Musalmans, the whole city was sacked". In his descriptions of the Loni massacre he wrote, "..Next day I gave orders that the Musalman prisoners should be separated and saved."

source  --  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslim_conquest_in_the_Indian_subcontinent

Policy of Muslim rulers in India - The general policy of most of the rulers during the 700 years of Muslim occupation of India was to systematically replace the fabric of Hindu society and culture with a Muslim culture. They tried to destroy Indian religions language, places of knowledge (universities e.g Nalanda were totally destroyed by Muslims). They destroyed and desecrated places of thousands of temples including Somnath, Mathura, Benaras, Ayodhaya, Kannauj, Thaneswar and in other places. There was wholesale slaughter of the monks and priests and innocent Hindus with the aim to wipe out the intellectual bedrock of the people they overran.

The Muslims could not subjugate India with ease and were never able to rule it entirely. There was a valiant and ceaseless struggle for independence by Hindus to deliver India from Muslim tyranny. The Rajputs, Jats, Marathas and Sikhs led this struggle in North India. In the South this struggle was embodied in the Vijayanagar Empire. This struggle culminated when the Marathas ended the Muslim domination of India.

Impact of Muslim rule in Indian culture


The impact of Islam on Indian culture has been inestimable. It permanently influenced the development of all areas of human endeavour - language, dress, cuisine, all the art forms, architecture and urban design, and social customs and values. Conversely, the languages of the Muslim invaders were modified by contact with local languages, to Urdu, which uses the Arabic script. This language was also known as Hindustani, an umbrella term used for the vernacular terminology of Hindi as well as Urdu, both major languages in South Asia today.

Muslim rule saw a greater urbanization of India and the rise of many cities and their urban cultures. The biggest impact was upon trade resulting from a common commercial and legal system extending from Morocco to Indonesia. This change of emphasis on mercantilism and trade from the more strongly centralized governance systems further clashed with the agricultural based traditional economy and also provided fuel for social and political tensions.

A related development to the shifting economic conditions was the establishment of Karkhanas, or small factories and the import and dissemination of technology through India and the rest of the world. The use of ceramic tiles was adopted from architectural traditions of Iraq, Iran, and Central Asia. Rajasthan's blue pottery was a local variation of imported Chinese pottery. There is also the example of Sultan Abidin (1420–70) sending Kashmiri artisans to Samarqand to learn book-binding and paper making. Khurja and Siwan became renowned for pottery, Moradabad for brass ware, Mirzapur for carpets, Firozabad for glass wares, Farrukhabad for printing, Sahranpur and Nagina for wood-carving, Bidar and Lucknow for bidriware, Srinagar for papier-mache, Benaras for jewelry and textiles, and so on. On the flip-side encouraging such growth also resulted in higher taxes on the peasantry.

Numerous Indian scientific and mathematical advances and the Hindu numerals were spread to the rest of the world[1] and much of the scholarly work and advances in the sciences of the age under Muslim nations across the globe were imported by the liberal patronage of Arts and Sciences by the rulers. The languages brought by Islam were modified by contact with local languages leading to the creation of several new languages, such as Urdu, which uses the modified Arabic script, but with more Persian words. The influences of these languages exist in several dialects in India today.

Islamic and Mughal architecture and art is widely noticeable in India, examples being the Taj Mahal and Jama Masjid.

Further reading
Muslim invasion of India
http://mrinalkantipal.blogspot.com/2011/12/muslim-invasion-of-india.html 

Garlic -- Health Benefits

Benefits of Garlic


Forever Garlic

Ageless and forever faithful, is our friend, Garlic! Sometimes stinks, sometimes stings, but never lets you down. Can’t shake a cold or cough, itchy or sore throat, the flu? Put garlic to work on it. In a matter of days, hours or even minutes, the itch disappears, a cough softens, breathing returns to normal and healing is in progress. From the minor maladies to more serious medical conditions – chronic bronchitis, asthma, even, tuberculosis, cardiovascular disease, and certain forms of cancer – garlic is at your service! Who can neglect a dependable friend like that – one that loves to heal YOU!

Among the medicinal herbs, garlic health benefits undoubtedly rank as the most popular herbal remedy. Many health problems can be prevented or cured by garlic. Across different cultures, the power of garlic has convinced many from the earliest century up to the present, yet researches on garlic health benefits are still being undertaken.

Many health problems can be prevented and treated with simply a daily dose of a clove of garlic.

Lower Cholesterol and Blood Pressure

Regular intake of garlic can reduce blood cholesterol and may increase HDL and LDL ratio. HDL refers to good cholesterol and LDL refers to bad cholesterol. Many studies proved that taking garlic orally is associated with lowered systolic and diastolic blood pressure. This can prevent a person against possible heart disease and stroke.

Prevent Blood Clots

To prevent blood clot, one can take garlic. It can increase nitric oxide production in the blood vessels. It helps to dilate the blood vessels, and aids in fibrinolysis or dissolving of blood clotting.

Fight Infections

Acting as a bactericide, garlic kills everything from serious bacteria such as staphylococcus and streptococcus, as well as certain viruses, including viral meningitis, viral pneumonia, and herpes infections; it is also being used in treating HIV patients; anti fungal and anti-yeast, it even inhibits the growth of parasites in the intestines. Recent research has proven its preventive and therapeutic effectiveness against high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, stroke, cholesterol, as well as pre-cancerous stomach, bowel lesions and breast cancer. And, to boot, it favorably works against candidiatis, athlete’s foot, arthritis, altitude sickness, blood clots and has been known, historically, to treat snake bites, diarrhea, heat exhaustion, plague, leprosy and smallpox.

There are sulphur compounds found in garlic such as allicin. It also has vitamin C, B6, selenium, magnesium, potassium, calcium and manganese and flavonoids thus garlic was discovered to fight many kinds of bacteria and viruses in test tubes. However, in one small study, the garlic ingredient ajoene in a cream effectively resolve problem on athlete’s foot, a fungal infection.

The same sulphur compounds in garlic exhibit anti-inflammatory effects by stopping the activity of inflammatory enzymes. Garlic plus vitamin C can reduce the pain accompanying arthritis and asthma attacks.

Prevent Cancer

Garlic can improve a person’s immune system. It has anti-cancer components that can prevent colon cancer and stomach cancer. People with more garlic in their food intake or diet have less risk of colorectal cancer or pancreatic cancer. Garlic supplementation can also reduce the development of cancer cells among people with family history of breast, prostate and throat cancers. Also, it is found that aged garlic lowers heart and intestinal damage common to chemotherapy patients.

Get a clove or two of garlic and crush them into lukewarm water. Drink twice a day. However, be careful not to drink it on an empty stomach if you are garlic-sensitive. This drink also serves as a natural body detoxifier. It can also be applied directly to acne spots or herpes, but only if your skin is not hyper-sensitive to garlic.

While garlic’s medicinal benefits cannot be disputed, there remain a few concerns with its use, or rather, misuse, principally because of its potent ingredients, including sulfurous compounds. If raw garlic is stored in oil at room temperatures, for example, or even in the refrigerator, over time, it may become the breeding ground for botulism, a dangerous stomach ailment that can lead to death. Garlic is also known to interfere with some anti-coagulants used in surgery. Like with any kind of food, some people may simply be allergic to garlic, and of course, garlic can sting or burn sensitive skin or stomach lining, so caution and a sensible approach to eating it is always advisable!

Centuries of use around the world confirm garlic’s acceptance and effectiveness! For health and for flavor be a Garlic fan. Have it every day! You can’t go wrong with garlic. It IS a Forever Friend!

Muslim Invasion of India

India Under Muslim Rule


The beginning

Like other sedentary societies in history, South Asia has been attacked by nomadic tribes throughout its long history. In evaluating the impact of Islam on the sub-continent, one must also note that the sub-continent was a frequent target of tribes from Persia and Central Asia who arrived from the North West. With the fall of the Sassanids and the arrival of the Caliphate's domination of the region these tribes began to contest with the new power and were subsequently integrated into it giving rise to Muslim dynasties of Central Asian heritage, generally the Afghans and turkics In that sense, the Muslim invasions of the 10th century onwards were not dissimilar to those of the earlier invasions in the History of Central Asia during the 1st through to the 6th century. What does however, make the Muslim invasions different is that unlike the preceding invaders who assimilated into the prevalent social system, the Muslim conquerors retained their Islamic identity and created new legal and administrative systems that challenged and usually superseded the existing systems of social conduct and ethics. They also introduced new cultural mores that in some ways were very different from the existing cultural codes. While this was often a source of friction and conflict, it should also be noted that there were also Muslim rulers, notably Akbar, who in much of their secular practice absorbed or accommodated local traditions.

The first incursion by the new Muslim successor states of the Persian Empire occurred around 664 CE during the Umayyad Caliphate, led by Mohalib towards Multan in Southern Punjab, in modern day Pakistan. Mohalib's expeditions were not aimed at conquest, though they penetrated only as far as the capital of the Maili, he returned with wealth and prisoners of war. This was an Arab incursion and part of the early Umayyad push onwards from the Islamic conquest of Persia into Central Asia, and within the limits of the eastern borders of previous Persian empires. The last Arab push in the region would be towards the end of Ummayyad reign under Muhammad bin Qasim, after whom the Arabs would be defeated by the Rajputs at the Battle of Rajasthan in 738, and Muslim incursions would only be resumed under later Turkic and Central Asian mongol dynasties with more local capitals, who supplanted the Caliphate and expanded their domains both northwards and eastwards.

It took several centuries for Islam to spread across India and how it did so is a topic of intense debate. Some quarters hold that Hindus were forcibly converted to Islam by the establishment of jizya and favoring Muslim citizens, and the threat of naked force: the "Conversion by the Sword" theory. Others hold that it occurred through inter-marriage, conversions, economic integration, to escape caste structures, and through the influence of Sufi preachers.

Phase I – The Raid of Somnath Temple

The world famous historian, Will Durant has written in his Story of Civilisation that "the Mohammedan conquest of India was probably the bloodiest story in history".

Islamic imperialism came with a different code--the Sunnah of the Prophet. It required its warriors to fall upon the helpless civil population after a decisive victory had been won on the battlefield. It required them to sack and burn down villages and towns after the defenders had died fighting or had fled. The cows, the Brahmins, and the Bhikshus invited their special attention in mass murders of non-combatants. The temples and monasteries were their special targets in an orgy of pillage and arson. Those whom they did not kill, they captured and sold as slaves. The magnitude of the booty looted even from the bodies of the dead, was a measure of the success of a military mission. And they did all this as mujahids (holy warriors) and ghazls (kafir-killers) in the service of Allah and his Last Prophet.

It has been mentioned in Indian History that Mahmud Ghazni had given a vow to the Khalifa to invade India every year, demolish the idols they worshipped and spread Islam. Every time he came like a hurricane looted, and returned but only to create a large Army with that wealth, and invade again. Two of his invasions were purely against Jats and these proved the costliest.

In 1001 AD Mahmud of Gazhani defeated Jay Pal and occupied the state of Bhati Rajputs, Bhatinda. He captured Multan and levied tax on acts of worship. Anand Pal, son of Jay Pal, took with him the rulers of Kannauj and Jujhauti and attacked Mahmud. In this war Gakkhar Jats were also with Anand Pal. Mahmud had come this time with a huge army and camped for 40 days. At last the army of Gakkhars attacked Mahmud at place called Chhachh near Atak. The Turk army could not sustain war before Gakkhars. Mahmud was about to withdraw from the war, But unfortunately at the same time the elephant of Anand Pal got angry, which sent the signals as a defeat and the army got demoralized. This led to the victory of Mahmud.
The Rajput kings of those days did not offer any appreciable resistance against his invasions. Once it was rumored that an attack on Somnath temple was imminent and it would be looted and devastated. All the Rajput Kings assembled there to save Somnath temple from this anticipated disaster, but had no mutual confidence among themselves. They had no heart to fight, but presented themselves only as a matter of prestige. The Head priest of this temple, however, assured them that there was no need to fight as the idol of Somnath would curse the devils to blindness, and they would perish moaning and screaming.

The rumor came true. The Muslim force laid siege of the temple and the battle ensued. At that time a dance of beautiful girls (devdasis) was going on in temple to appease the idol and all Rajput chiefs who had come to defend the temple were busy in enjoying the function. When the Muslim invaders attacked, the Rajputs took to their heels. The priests, however, fought bravely and were killed in large numbers at the altar. Sultan Mahmood demolished the idol of Somnath and started towards Ghazni with a Caravan of Camels laden with gold, silver and precious jewels.

Sivalinga was carried to Ghazni. Some of them were turned into steps of the Jama Masjid in that city. The rest were sent to Mecca, Medina, and Baghdad to be desecrated in the same manner.

In 1331 AD the Muslims of Gujarat complained to Nasiruddin Muhammad, the Tughlaq Sultan of Delhi, that the local governor, Kurhat-ul-Mulk, was practising tolerance towards the Hindus. The Sultan immediately appointed Muzzaffar Khan as the new Governor. He became independent after the death of the Delhi Sultan and assumed the title of Muzzaffar Shah in 1392 AD. Next year he led an expidition to Somnath and sacked the temple which the Hindus had built once again. He killed many Hindus to chastise them for this "impudence," and raised a mosque on the site of the ancient temple. The Hindus, however, restarted restoring the temple soon after. In 1401 AD Muzaffar came back with a huge army. He again killed many Hindus, demolished the temple once more, and erected another mosque.

Restoration of temple after Independence

After integration of Jungadh in to Union of India, the Deputy Prime Minister of India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel came to Junagadh on November 12, 1947 to direct the stabilization of the state by the Indian Army and at the same time ordered the reconstruction of the Somanath temple.

When Sardar Patel, K. M. Munshi and other leaders of the Congress went to Gandhi with the proposal of reconstructing the Somnath temple, Gandhi blessed the move, but suggested that the funds for the construction should be collected from the public and the temple should not be funded by the state. He expressed that he was proud to associate himself to the project of renovation of the temple But soon both Gandhi and Sardar Patel died and the task of reconstruction of the temple continued under K. M. Munshi, who was the Minister for Food and Civil Supplies in the Nehru Government.

The ruins were pulled down in October 1950 and the mosque present at that site was shifted few miles away. In May 1951, Rajendra Prasad, the first President of the Republic of India, invited by K M Munshi, performed the installation ceremony for the temple. Rajendra Prasad said in his address "It is my view that the reconstruction of the Somnath Temple will be complete on that day when not only a magnificent edifice will arise on this foundation, but the mansion of India's prosperity will be really that prosperity of which the ancient temple of Somnath was a symbol.". He added "The Somnath temple signifies that the power of reconstruction is always greater than the power of destruction".

This episode created a serious rift between the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, who saw the movement for reconstruction of the temple as an attempt at Hindu revivalism and the President Rajendra Prasad and Union Minister K. M. Munshi, who saw in its reconstruction, the fruits of freedom and the reversal of past injustice done to Hindus.

The present temple, which was built by Patel and Munshi, is managed by Shree Somnath Trust.
(source wikipedia and other internet resources)
further reading
Muslim rule in India Phase II
http://mrinalkantipal.blogspot.com/2011/12/muslim-rule-in-india-phase-ii.html