My own thoughts

Biography of Louise L Hay

2012-02-12T08:13:00.000+05:30

RECENTLY DUBBED "the closest thing to a living saint" by the Australian media, Louise L. Hay is also known as one of the founders of the self-help movement. Her first book, Heal Your Body, was published in 1976, long before it was fashionable to discuss the connection between the mind and body. Revised and expanded in 1988, this best-selling book introduced Louise's concepts to people in 33 different countries and has been translated into 25 languages throughout the world.

Through Louise’s healing techniques and positive philosophy, millions have learned how to create more of what they want in their lives, including more wellness in their bodies, minds, and spirits. Her own personal philosophy was forged from her tormented upbringing. Her childhood was unstable and impoverished, and her teen years were marked by abuse. Louise ran away from home and ended up in New York City, where she became a model and married a prosperous businessman. Although it appeared that her life had turned around, it was not until the marriage ended 14 years later that her healing really began.

Her biography as told by herself in one of the seminar is reproduced below
My Story Part I

( as written by Louise L Hay in her famous book “You Can Heal Your Life)

“We are all one.”

“Will you tell me a little about your childhood, briefly..” This is a question I have asked so many clients. It’s not that I need to hear all the details, but I want to get a general pattern of where they are coming from. If they have problems now, the patterns that created them began a long time ago.

When I was a little girl of 18 months, I experienced my parents divorcing. I don’t remember that as being so bad. What I do remember with horror is when my mother went to work as a live-in-domestic and boarded me out. The story goes that I cried nonstop for three weeks. The people taking care of me couldn’t handle that, and my mother was forced to take me back and make other arrangements. How she manages as a single parent brings my admiration today. Then, however, all I knew and cared about was that I was not getting all the loving attention I once had.

I have never been able to determine if my mother loved my step-father or whether she just married him in order to provide a home for us. But it was not a good move. This man had been brought up in Europe in a heavy Germanic home with much brutality, and he had never learned any other way to manage a family. My mother became pregnant with my sister, and then the 1930s Depression descended upon us, and we found ourselves stuck in a home of violence. I was five year old.

To add to the scenario, it was just about this time that a neighbor, an old wino, as I remember it, raped me. The doctor’s examination is still vivid in my mind, as was the court case in which I was the star witness. The man was sentenced to 15 years in prison. I was told repeatedly that, “It was your fault,” so I spent many years fearing that when he was released he would come and get me for being so terrible as to put him in jail.

Most of my childhood was spent enduring both physical and sexual abuse, with a lot of hard labor thrown in. My self-image became lower and lower, and few things seemed to go right for me. I began to express this pattern in the outside world.

There was an incident in the fourth grade that so typical of what my life was like. We were having a party at school one day, and there were several cakes to share. Most of the children in this school except for were from comfortable middle-class families. I was poorly dressed, with a funny bowl haircut, high-topped black shoes, and I smelled from the garlic I had to eat every day to “keep the worms away.” We never had cake. We couldn’t afford it. There was an old neighbor woman who have me ten cents every week, and a dollar on my birthday and at Christmas. The ten cents went into the family budget, and the dollar bought my underwear for the year at the dime store.

So, this day we were having the party at school, and there was so much cake that, as they were cutting it, some of the kids who could have cake almost every day were getting two or three pieces. When the teacher finally got around to me (and of course I was last), there was no cake left. Not one piece.

I see clearly now that it was my “already confirmed belief” that I was worthless and did not DESERVE anything that put me at the end of the line with no cake. It was MY pattern. THEY were only being a mirror for my beliefs.

When I was 15, I could not take the sexual abuse any longer, and I ran away from home and from school. The job I found as a waitress in a dinner seemed so much easier than the heavy yard work I had to do at home.

Being starved for love and affection and having the lowest of self-esteem, I willingly gave my body to whoever was kind to me; and just after my 16th birthday, I gave birth to a baby girl. I felt it was impossible to keep her; however, I was able to find her a good, loving home. I found a childless couple who longed for a baby. I lived in their home for the last four months, and when I went to the hospital, I had the child in their name.

Under such circumstances, I never experienced the joys of motherhood, only the loss and guilt and shame. Then it was only a shameful time to get over with as soon as possible. I only remember her big toes, which were unusual, like mine. If we ever meet, I will know for sure if I see her toes. I left when the child was five days old.

I immediately went back home and said to my mother who had continued to be a victim, “Come on, you don’t have to take this any longer. I’m getting you out of here.’ She came with me, leaving my ten-year-old sister, who had always been Daddy’s darling, to stay with her father.

After helping my mother get a job as domestic in a small hotel and settling her into an apartment where she was free and comfortable, I felt my obligations were over. I left for Chicago with a girl friend to stay a month --- and did not return for over 30 years.

In those early days, the violence I experienced as a child, combined with the sense of worthlessness I developed along the way, attracted men int my life who mistreated me and often beat me. I could have spent the rest of my life berating men, and I probably would still be having the same experiences. Gradually, however, though positive work experiences, my self-esteem grew and those kind of men began to leave my life. They no longer fit my old pattern of unconsciously believing I deserved abuse. I do not condone their behavior, but if it were not “my pattern,” they would not have been attracted to me. Now, a man who abuses women does not even know I exist. Our patterns no longer attract.

After a few years in Chicago doing rather mental work, I went to New York and was fortunate enough to become a high-fashion model. Yet, even modeling for the big designers did not help my self-esteem very much. It only gave me more ways to find fault with myself. I refused to recognize my own beauty.

I was in the fashion industry for many years. I met and married a wonderful, educated English gentleman. We traveled the world, met royalty, and even had dinner at the White House. Though I was a model and had a wonderful husband, my self-esteem still remained low until years later when I began the inner work.

One day after 14 years of marriage, my husband announced his desire to marry another, just when I was beginning to believe that good things can last. Yes, I was crushed. But time passes, and I lived on. I could feel my life changing, and a numerologist one spring confirmed it by telling me that in the fall a small event would occur that would change my life.

It was so small that I didn’t notice it until several months later. Quite by chance, I had gone to a meeting at the Church of Religious Science in New York City. While their message was new to me, something within me said, “Pay attention,” and I did. I not only went to the Sunday services, but I began to take their weekly classes. The beauty and fashion world was losing its interest to me. How many years could I remain concerned with my waist measurement or the shape of my eyebrows? From a high school dropout who never studied anything, I now became a voracious student, devouring everthing I could lay my hands on that pertained to metaphysics and healing.

The Church of Religious Science became a new home for me. Even though most of my life was going on as usual, this new course of study began to take up more and more of my time. The next thing I knew, it was three years later, and I was eligible to apply to become one of the Church’s licensed practitioners. I passed the test, and that’s where I began, as a church counselor, many years ago.

It was a small beginning. During this time I became a Transcendental Meditator. My church was not giving the Ministerial Training Program for another year, so I decided to do something special for myself. I went to college for six months – MIU, Maharishis’ International University --- in Fairfield, Iowa.

It was the perfect place for me at that time. In the freshman year, every Monday morning we began a new subject, things I had only heard of, such as biology, chemistry, and even the theory of relativity. Every Saturday morning there was a test. Sunday was free, and Monday morning we began anew.

There were none of the distractions so typical of my life in New York City. After dinner we all went our rooms to study. I was the oldest kid on campus and loved every moment of it. No smoking, drinking, or drugs were allowed, and we meditated four times a day. The day I left, I thought I would collapse from the cigarette smoke in the airport.

Back to New York I went to resume my life. Soon I began taking the Ministerial Training Program. I began speaking at their noon meetings and seeing clients. This quickly blossomed into a full-time career. Out of the work I was doing, I was inspired to put together the little book Heal Your Body, which began as a simple list of metaphysical causations for physical illnesses in the body. I began to lecture and travel and hold small classes.

Then one day I was diagnosed as having cancer.

With my background of being raped at five and having been a battered child, it was no wonder I manifested cancer in the vaginal area.

Like anyone else sho has just been told they have cancer, I went into total panic. Yet because of all my work with clients, I knew that mental healing worked, and here I was being given a chance to prove it to myself. After all, I had written the book on mental patterns, and knew cancer was dis-ease of deep resentment that has been held for a long time until it literally eats away at the body. I had been refusing to be willing to dissolve all the anger and resentment at “them” over my childhood. There was not time to waste; I had a lot of work to do.

The work incurable, which is so frightening to so many people, means to me that this particular condition cannot be cured by outer means and that we must go within to find the cure. If I had an operation to get rid of the cancer and did not clear the mental pattern that created it, then the doctors would just keep cutting Louise until there was no more Louise to cut. I didn’t like that idea.

If I had the operation to remove the cancerous growth and also cleared the mental pattern that was causing the cancer, then it would not return. If cancer or any other illness returns, I do not believe it is because they did not “get it all out,’ but rather that the patient has made no mental change. He or she just recreates the same illness, perhaps in a different part of the body.

I also believe that if I could clear the mental pattern that created this cancer, then I would not even need the operation. So I bargained for time, and the doctors grudgingly gave me three months when I said I did not have the money.

I immediately took responsibility for my own healing. I read and investigated everything I could find on alternative ways to assist my healing process.

I went to several health food stores and bought every book they had on the subject of cancer. I went to the library and did more reading. I checked out foot reflexology and colon therapy and thought they both would be beneficial to me. I seemed to be led to exactly to the right people. After reading about foot reflexology, I wanted to find a practitioner. I attended a lecture, and while I usually sat in the front row, this night I was compelled to sit in the back. Within a minute, a man came and sat beside me and --- guess what? He was a foot reflexologist who visited the home. He came to me three times a week for two months and was a great help.

I knew I also had to love myself a great deal more that I was. There was little love expressed in my childhood, and no one had made it okay for me to feel good about myself. I had adopted “their” attitudes of continually picking on and criticizing me, which had become second nature.

I had come to the realization through my work with the Church that it was okay and even essential for me to love and approve of myself. Yet I kept putting it off --- rather like the diet you will always start tomorrow. But I could no longer put it off. At first it was very difficult for me to do things like stand in front of the mirror and say things like, “lousie, I love you. I really love you. I really love you.’ However, as I persisted, I found that several situations came up in my life where in the past I would have berated myself, and now, because of the mirror exercise and other work, I was not doing so. I was making some progress.

I knew I had to clear the patterns of resentment I had been holding since childhood. It was imperative for me to let go of the blame.

Yes, I had a very difficult childhood with a lot of abuse – mental, physical, and sexual. But that was many years ago, and it was no excuse for the way I was treating myself now. I was literally eating my body with cancerous growth because I had not forgiven.

It was time or me to go beyond the incidents themselves and to begin to UNDERSTAND what types of experiences could have created people who would treat a child that way.

With the help of a good therapist, I expressed all the old, bottled-up anger by beating pillows and howling with rage. This made me feel cleaner. Then I began to piece together the scraps of stories my parents had told me of their own childhoods. I started to see a larger picture of their lives. With my growing understanding, and from an adult viewpoint, I began to have compassion for their pain; and the blame slowly began to dissolve.

In addition, I hunted for a good nutritionist to help me cleanse and detoxify my body from all junky foods I had eaten over the years. I learned that junky foods accumulate and create a toxic body. I was given a very strict diet with lots of green vegetables and not much else. I even had colonics three times a week for the first month.

I did not have an operation --- however, as a result of all the thorough mental and physical cleansing, six months after my diagnosis I was able to get the medical profession agree with what I already knew --- that I no longer had even a trace of cancer! Now I knew from personal experience that DIS-EASE CAN BE HEALED, IF WE ARE WILLING TO CHANGE THE WAY WE THINK AND BELIEVE AND ACT!

Sometimes what seems to be a big tragedy turns out to become the greatest good in our lives. I learned so much from that experience and I came to value life in a rew way. I began to look at what was really important to me, and I made a decision finally to leave the treeless city of New York and its extreme weather. Some of my clients insisted they would ‘die” if I left them, and I assured them I would be back twice a year to check on their progress, and telephones can reach everywhere. So I closed by business and took a leisurely train trip to California, deciding to use Los Angeles as a starting point.

My Story ---- part II

Even though I had been born here many years before, I knew that almost no one anymore except for my mother and sister, who both now lived on the outskirts about an hour away. We have never been a close family nor an open one, but still I was unpleasantly surprised to learn that my mother had been blind for few years, and no one had bother to tell me. My sister was too “busyish” to see me, so I let her be and began to set up my new life.

My little book heal your body opened may doors for me. I began to go to every New Age type of meeting I could find. I would introduce myself, and when appropriate, give out a copy of the little book. For the first six months, I went to the beach a lot, knowing that when I became busy, there would be less time for such leisurely pursuits. Slowly, the clients appeared. I was asked to speak here and there, and things began to come together as Los Angeles welcomed me. Within a couple of years, I was able to move into a lovely home. My new lifestyle in Los Angeles was a large jump in consciousness from my early upbringing. Things were going smoothly, indeed. How swiftly our lives can change completely.

One night I received a phone call from my sister, the first call in two years. She told me that our mother, now 90, blind, and almost deaf, had fallen and broken her back. In one moment my mother went from being a strong, independent woman to being a helpless child in pain.

She broke her back and also broke open the wall of secrecy around my sister. Finally, we were all beginning to communicate. I discovered that my sister also had a severe back problem that impaired her sitting and walking and which was very painful. She suffered in silence, and though she look anorexic, her husband did not know she was ill.

After spending a month in the hospital, my mother was ready to go home. But in no way could take of herself, so she came to live with me. Though trusting in the process of life, I did not know how I could handle it all, so I said to God, Okay, I will take care of her, but you have to give help, and you have to provide the money!”

It was quite an adjustment for both of us. She arrived on a Saturday; and the following Friday, I had to go to San Francisco for four days, I could not leave her alone, and I had to go. I said, “God, you handle this. I have to have the right person to help us before I leave.

On the following Thursday, the perfect person had “appeared,” and moved in to organize my home for my mother and me. It was another confirmation of one of my basic beliefs: “Whatever I need to know is revealed to me, and whatever I need comes to me in Divine right order.”

I realized it was lesson time for me once again. Here was an opportunity to clean up a lot of that garbage from childhood.

My mother had not been able to protect me when I was a child; however, I could and would take care of her now. Between my mother and my sister, a new whole adventure began.

To give my sister the help she asked for presented another challenge. I learned that when I had rescued my mother so many years ago, my stepfather then turned his rage and pain against my sister, and it was her turn to be brutalized.

I realized that what started out to be a physical problem was then greatly exaggerated hy gear and tension, plus the belief that no one could help her. So here was Louise, not wanting to be a rescuer and yet wanting to give her sister an opportunity to choose wellness at this point in her life.

Slowly the unraveling began, and now in 1984, it’s still going on. We progress step by step as I provide an atmosphere of safety while we explore various avenues of healing.

My mother, on the other hand, responds very well. She exercises as best she can four times a day. Her body gets stronger and more flexible. I took her to get a hearing aid, and she became more interested in life. In spite of her Christian Science belief, I persuaded her to have a cataract removed from one eye. What a joy for her to begin to see again and for us to see the world through her eyes. She is so pleased to read again.

My other and I began to find time to sit and talk to each other in ways we had never done before. A new understanding developed between us. Today, we both become freer as we cry and laugh and hug together. Sometimes she pushes my buttons, which only tells me there is something further foe to clear.

My mother left the planet peacefully in 1985. I miss her and love her. We completed all we could together, and we are both free.

My Story Part III

In the 15 years since I wrote You Can heal Your Life, much has happened. The book has more than fulfilled my original dream for it: to help as many people as possible in order to change their lives for the better.

Not only has You Can Heal Your Life sold more than three million copies, but it has been translated into 25 languages, including Polish and Persian. The Universe really wanted this book to span the globe! I think the success of this book is due to the fact that I have an ability to help people change without laying guilt on them.

For sox and a half years, I spent time working with people with aids. It began with six men in my living room one evening, and in a couple of years grew to a weekly meeting of 800 people. This was such a growing period for me. My heart was constantly being stretched. I will remember those experiences for the rest of my life. The Hayride Support group still exists in West Hollywood, although I am no longer connected with it, since I moved out of town a few years ago.

Sometime after I wrote this book, several of the Hayride people went on the Oprah show with me, and we put out positive messages about aids. The same week, I appeared on Donahue with Dr. Bernie Siegel. My book hit the bestseller list and stayed there for 13 weeks. I was in constant awe of how Life was moving me in so many directions. I was working ten-hour days, seven days a week for a long period of time.

I have now become a small farmer and spend most of my time in my garden. I get enormous pleasure from working with plants. I am an organic gardener, so not a lettuce leaf nor a leaf from any tree leaves my property. Everything goes into the compost pile, and I am gradually building my soil so that it is rich and nourishing. I eat from the garden as much as possible, enjoying fresh vegetables and fruit all year round.

My dog Hyland gives me much pleasure. I don’t buy animals; I rescue them. A year of love will do wonders for anyone, including pets. I am surrounded by unconditional love, and we have a lot of fun.

Life goes in cycles. There is a time to do something, and then there is a time to move on. There was a period when AI taught workshops and lectured everywhere. I had ten-day Intensive Training Programs, and there was a two-year period when we toured with the Visions of the Future Symposiums. But I am not doing any of that now. I have gone into semi-retirement to really enjoy life for a while.

Now that I am 72, I am looking at life a bit differently, and I am very interested in how we live our later years. I like the idea of becoming an Elder of Excellence and seeing the rest of my life as my Treasure Years. And also teaching other people approaching their later years to become Elders of Excellence and to take their rightful place in society as teachers of wisdom. I believe we can be vibrant and healthy until our last days and enjoy each moment of life.

That one book and tape called You Can heal your Life grew into a very nice little publishing firm called Hay House. We specialize in self-help books and tapes by many different authors. It feels good to earn money helping other people improve the quality of their lives. I truly like supporting other authors with clear messages about who we are on the spiritual pathway.

An astrologer once told me that when I was born, there was a configuration in my char that said I would be helping may, many people on a one-to-one basis. Of course, 72 years ago, tape recorders had not been invented. So it would be hard to interpret that configuration. However, because of the miracle of technology, the sound my voice on tape accompanies thousands of people to bed each night.

As a result, many people whom I have never met feel that they know me because we spend so many intimate moments together. One of the wonderful things about what I do is that it gives me the opportunity to be greeted with love almost everywhere I go. People feel that I am an old friend who has helped them through many a sticky moment.

I now have Louise Hay advice column called either dear Louise or Ask Louise, depending on the publication. It began two years ago with Science of Mind magazine and is now in 50 different New Age/spiritual publications that reach over a million readers. If you would like to see this column in your local paper, let me know.

Where will Life take me next? I do not know. Yet, I am totally open and receptive to my next adventure.

Louise L. hay

January 1999.

Learn - How to Meditate

2012-01-09T07:51:00.000+05:30

Learn -- How to Meditate

Learning how to meditate is the same practice among many various cultures and religions. This stays true in every aspect of practicing meditation, from learning how to breathe properly, proper posture, when to meditate, picking the correct environment, planning your meditation and understanding our thoughts and emotions. When you are just learning how to meditate don't worry too much about every little thing.

Pick Your Environment

Find a room that is quiet and free from distractions and noise. Find a comfortable area that gives you a feeling of peace and serenity. The room you choose will begin to absorb the energy you create during your meditations so if at first you don't have a perfect spot don't fret you will be programming the spot you choose. This will help you to reach a deeper state of meditation in a shorter amount of time as you continue to program your meditation area.

When Should You Meditate

It's a good idea to pick a consistent time each day to meditate. A good time to meditate would be in the morning before you've been bombarded with the stresses and demands of your day. Our daily responsibilities put us under a lot of stress and the demands make it harder for us to have a good meditation when we try to meditate and relax. Be consistent with your daily morning ritual and you will notice that your day will unfold in a much different joyful pattern.

A Meditation Plan

You must choose your meditation plan when you are just beginning. You must be in the right frame of mind to have a productive meditation. Don't meditate as soon as you get home from a long day because you will wind up spending too much time trying to relax your mind and body. A good idea would be to take a short walk to decompress from the demands of your day. If you are tired than may be you can take a cool shower or even an energizing fresh fruit drink. It is very important to approach your meditations with the best mindset and will help you get the most out of your meditations.

Best Position

There are many different positions you can use when you are meditating but when you are just learning how to meditate it is best if you were in a seated position. Sit on the floor on a cushion or in a chair that has a straight back. Picture the energy traveling from the ground through your body and out through your head. Envision an invisible string attached to your head, which is pulling your body upright. This will give the energy a free flowing channel to travel through

Gently place your hands on your lap with your fingers relaxed and spread apart slightly. Tuck you chin down and begin to relax you jaw and your tongue. With your mouth open slightly put your tongue against the roof of your mouth. With half open eyes look out and relax your vision by seeing but not really focusing on anything. Focus you awareness and picture yourself in a trance-like state. Do the same thing with any sounds you hear, you notice the sounds but you don't give them any importance. They become a background symphony for the experience of the meditation, having no more importance than the background noises we hear and ignore all day long.

The Breath

When you begin to learn how to meditate you will notice that your mind is jumping rapidly from thought to thought as our minds struggle to gain control once more. You must learn to let go of these thoughts and focus your attention on your breath. To stay focused on your meditation it is a good idea to count your breaths. As you breathe deep into your belly and then breathe out consider this a count of one. Begin by counting a series of 15 to 20 breaths, this will be long enough to help you to quiet your monkey mind. Breath in prana energy and breath out stress and anxiety. Pranic energy is the all pervasive universal energy. Using the picture of prana we are conditioning our minds to tap into the universal power, which gives us life.

Experience the Benefits Of Meditation.

You're starting to find that place inside yourself where you are in control and your thoughts and are guided by your intentions. That place within where the mind is no longer the master of your destiny and controller of your fate. You are beginning to relax and experience what it means to be in a basic state of goodness and joy, a boundless place of deep understanding and serenity. A level of multi-dimensional consciousness that shows you once and for all that you are more than what you see on the surface. All your former illusions of self are now breaking down and you are on a journey to discover the truly divine being you are.

Become all that you were meant to be by learning how to meditate and let go of the self defeating beliefs you have built up over the years.

Use these meditation techniques everyday for the best possible results.

Source – Daily meditation tips from Mr. Chris Oseko, meditation teacher Australia.

3D-Transistor -- Brings Revolution in Electronics

2012-01-05T09:10:00.000+05:30

3D Transistors

A transistor is the fundamental building block of all electronic devices. . A transistor can be defined as a device, which is used to amplify signals and power. Integrated circuits are used in making of chips inside electronic gadgets such as smart phones, laptops and so on. Researchers in Purdue and Harvard Universities have created a new type of transistor that will make the Integrated circuits more compact. It's necessary to sustain Moore's Law--doubling the number of transistors on a silicon device every two years. As device dimensions become prohibitively small, cramming in transistors in the traditional two-dimensional fashion becomes impossible. So, 3D or vertical transistors become necessary. And Intel isn't just talking about this theoretically, it's going to manufacture chips based on these transistors. This transistor is made from another material InGaAS and Studies of the indium-gallium-arsenide gates suggest that they should be able to move electrons five times faster than silicon gates, allowing for gate lengths in the neighborhood of just 10 nanometers. As they are elements from the 3rd and 5th group of the periodic table, they are collectively known as the III-V group semiconductors. These semiconductors are known to conduct electrons five times better than silicon. The mobility of this material is also known to be higher. All these characteristics have urged chip manufacturers to replace silicon with this semiconductor in the coming years.

Fig. Intel model of Tri-gate 3D-Transistor

A 3-D structure is given to the device compared to the conventional flat chips. Intel calls it generically 3D but technically it's a Tri-Gate transistor (see image below). The traditional flat two-dimensional "planar" gate is replaced with a thin three-dimensional silicon fin that rises up vertically from the silicon substrate. Nano wires are used in these transistors instead of silicon so they will be more compact and more efficient. The nano wires used in this transistor are made from iridium gallium arsenide semiconductor.

The 3D transistor was made by a process termed ”top- down method” in which components of the transistor is etched. This method will gain huge acceptance as it is compatible with most of the industrial processes. In 2012, a new generation of integrated chips is believed to come into market in which transistors will be placed horizontally rather than vertically. This is the reason for the 3D effect posed by these transistors. Thus, this device is the world’s first 3D-gate-allround transistor.

The transistor consists of a gate by which rapid ON-OFF switching action is possible and helps in the direct flow of current. By the introduction of 3D transistors, it is estimated that this gate length will reduce from 45nm to 22 nm. The nano wires are coated with a dielectric, which acts as the gate. Further research is being conducted to reduce the gate length to 18 nm. The only option available is to make a thinner dielectric layer by a process called atomic deposition. A thinner dielectric layer offers greater speed, low voltage requirements and lower power consumption. The device has improved its clock speed to 20 GHz. This experiment was funded by the National Science foundation and Semiconductor research group. The latest development in this field was the design of a “finFET or fin Field Effect Transistor” in which the device has a fin like structure other than the conventional flat design.

Computers implementing 3D silicon transistors will not only be able to run faster, but should also weigh less, and generate less heat than their present-day flat-transistor-using counterparts. Their new-and-improved shorter gates are made from dielectric-coated silicon nanowires, and it is estimated that such gates could be further shortened to about 14 nanometers within a few years. It is heard that a Japanese company named “Unisantis” is working with the researchers of Singapore’s Institute of micro electronics to develop a new 3D transistor called the SGT (Surrounding Gate Transistor) which will increase the clocking speed of the computers from 20 GHz to 50 GHz.

The production process for the 3D indium-gallium-arsenide transistors could be easily implemented into existing manufacturing processes, the scientists report, so adoption of the technology on a wide scale ought to be feasible.

On development of 3D-Transistor the widely circulated computer magazine PC World comments as follows :--

“There's no denying that the future of computing lies in small, low-power solutions coupled with big-iron cloud services. Smartphones are becoming personal computers, powerful enough to run simple desktop computing environments. Tablets are cannibalizing laptops. Entire home entertainment experiences are being jammed into tiny set-top boxes and embedded into televisions. Even Microsoft's next version of Windows will run on low-power ARM-based chips.

Intel hasn't excelled in all of these areas. It has a presence in televisions, thanks to Google TV and the Boxee Box, but so far the company hasn't gained much traction in smartphones and tablets. Intel's Moorestown chips are largely ignored. Its Medfield chips aren't due to appear in any products until later this year, and they still may not fare well against the more-established ARM processors.

With 3D transistors, Intel may finally have the ammunition it needs to do battle in the smartphone and tablet markets. Intel claims its new transistors can switch 37 percent faster than those made with its existing 32-nm process in chips that operate at low voltage, or 18% faster in chips that operate at high voltage. Transistors switching at the same speed as those in the company's 32nm chips can operate at significantly lower voltage, cutting power consumption in half. This change in how chips are produced is expected to raise production costs by a modest 2 or 3%, which is well worth the dramatic improvement in performance.”

Source -- http://www.gizmag.com/indium-gallium-arsenide-3d-transistor/20825/

Meditation - Which Technique to Follow

2011-12-30T08:07:00.000+05:30

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

2011-12-29T08:04:00.001+05:30

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

2011-12-27T08:33:00.001+05:30

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

2011-12-15T17:35:00.002+05:30

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

2011-12-13T11:55:00.000+05:30

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

2011-12-11T11:48:00.000+05:30

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

2011-12-11T11:42:00.000+05:30

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

2011-12-07T20:03:00.000+05:30

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...

2011-12-07T13:33:00.000+05:30

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

2011-12-06T10:07:00.000+05:30

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

2011-12-06T09:59:00.000+05:30

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

2011-12-05T09:01:00.000+05:30

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

2011-12-04T09:29:00.000+05:30

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

2011-12-03T21:15:00.001+05:30

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.[5]

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[17] 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.

further reading
Muslim rule in India Phase II
http://mrinalkantipal.blogspot.com/2011/12/muslim-rule-in-india-phase-ii.html

Simple Relaxation Technique

2011-11-21T08:45:00.002+05:30

Simple Relaxation Technique

Relaxing your mind and body can make you feel calm and peaceful. It can help relieve stress as well as anxiety, depression, and sleep problems.

Stress is a physical or emotional response to life’s changes and challenges. When you are under stress or feel anxious, your body reacts as if it is under attack. This is called the fight-or-flight stress response. Your body releases hormones that speed up your heart rate and breathing and make your muscles tense. Stress also affects your emotions, making you feel moody, tense, upset, or depressed. Over time, stress can affect your health in other ways too. For example, stress has been linked to high blood pressure.

Why should we learn to relax - Listen to this audio

When you are able to relax your mind and body, your body stops producing the hormones that create stress. The feelings of stress ease, and you return to a state of calm, both physically and mentally.

There are number of relaxations techniques you have that you take a little time and are highly effective which you can done anywhere even at work. I know that the people around me seem to be more and more stressed as time goes along. More people tried many relaxation techniques but they only find nothing work for them.

Performing breathing with diaphragm is one way. To breathe with the diaphragm, one must draw air into the lungs in a way which will expand the stomach and not the chest.

It is best to perform these breaths as long, slow intakes of air - allowing the body to absorb all of the inhaled oxygen while simultaneously relaxing the breather. To do this comfortably, it is often best to loosen tight-fitting pants, belts, skirts as these can interfere with the body's ability to intake air. Another version of this relaxation technique involves taking slow deep breaths. At first you may find you need to force yourself to breathe slowly, but persist and you'll soon be back to normal.

And bear in mind that some people, especially those with significant psychological problems and a history of abuse, may experience feelings of emotional discomfort during relaxation exercises. Although this is rare, if you experience emotional discomfort during relaxation exercises, stop what you're doing and consider talking to your health care professional.

Episode 1

Episode 2

Episode 3

Episode 4

Episode 5

Microcredit Finance System - Backbone of Economy in Bangladesh

2011-11-18T14:34:00.000+05:30

Microcredit Finance System - Backbone of Economy in Bangladesh

“ We believe that poverty does not belong to a civilized human society. It belongs to museums” Mohammud Yunus

Bangladesh is no different from any third world county with the problems of endemic corruption, deepening poverty and exploding population, the country grows poorer with each passing year even as billions of dollars are pumped in aid which vanishes into thin air but there is an exception to this. Mohammad Yunus- a man, who has transformed the lives of thousands of impoverished people through Grameen Bank, has turned the tables upside down.

Microcredit is the extension of very small loans (microloans) to those in poverty designed to spur entrepreneurship. These individuals lack collateral, steady employment and a verifiable credit history and therefore cannot meet even the most minimal qualifications to gain access to traditional credit. Microcredit is a part of microfinance, which is the provision of a wider range of financial services to the very poor.

Microcredit is a financial innovation that is generally considered to have originated with the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh. In that country, it has successfully enabled extremely impoverished people to engage in self-employment projects that allow them to generate an income and, in many cases, begin to build wealth and exit poverty.

Due to the success of microcredit, many in the traditional banking industry have begun to realize that these microcredit borrowers should more correctly be categorized as pre-bankable; thus, microcredit is increasingly gaining credibility] in the mainstream finance industry, and many traditional large finance organizations are contemplating microcredit projects as a source of future growth, even though almost everyone in larger development organizations discounted the likelihood of success of microcredit when it was begun.

Between 1993 and 1995, Council demographer Sajeda Amin - along with Ruchira T Naved of Save the Children U.S.A. and Fiona Steele of the London School of Economics - evaluated a micro-credit program in rural Bangladesh. To control for the problem of selection bias, they used a two-stage process, surveying the women's attitudes, fertility, and level of empowerment both before and after program membership.

Micro-credit programs allow women to invest in income-generating projects. Only the poorest women can join. These schemes are intended to help women and their families work their way out of poverty. During 1995, roughly 3 million women in Bangladesh took small loans from such programs. Similar programs for extending collateral-free credit are being replicated around the world, in both developing and industrialised countries.

To get a loan, women join financial groups that meet weekly. The groups guarantee the loans. The required weekly meetings provide opportunities for socialising and sharing information. Studies have shown that such gatherings can promote the spread of novel behaviours and attitudes, such as using modern contraceptives or wanting fewer children. Furthermore, agencies administering the programs also provide information on and access to modern contraceptives or wanting fewer children. Furthermore, agencies administering the programs also provide information on and access to modern contraceptives. Finally, because the programs improve the economic status of women within their families and circulate cash into village economies, the programs might also lead to fundamental changes in the status of women.

Amin and her colleagues used data collected from women in 15 villages in eastern Bangladesh. A total of 4,333 poor, married women were interviewed twice. The micro-credit program was implemented by Save the Children U.S.A. and the Association for Social Advancement, a national credit scheme.

As they expected, the researchers saw notable evidence of self-selection. Women who joined the groups were more likely than others to be educated, married to educated men, and to have worked for money in the past. But, even after controlling for prior contraceptive use, the team found that after two years of membership women in the program were 1.8 times more likely to use contraception than were non members in the same village. There was evidence of diffusion in the use of contraception. Non-members in program villages were much more likely to use contraceptives than were poor women in villages that did not have programs.

Somewhat surprisingly, although program members were more likely than non-members to use contraceptives, the women in the two groups had the same probability of becoming pregnant during the study. The researchers speculated than an impact on pregnancy rates may require a longer period of time and may take effect with some lag after contraceptive behaviour changes.

The team's research as a whole points to the conclusion that use of contraception is one of the first behaviours to change after the inception of a micro-credit program, even when there is no evidence of more fundamental change in the desire for children. The fact that membership is associated with changed contraceptive behaviour while, as other studies have shown, the amount of credit given is not, suggests a role for the diffusion of information and behaviours through membership. The group meetings required by the programs, rather than the amount of money provided by them, may be a significant mechanism for changes relevant to fertility behaviour.

Very low default rate:

The default rate is astonishingly low compared to what Bangladesh’s commercial banks suffer. It is about 2% as compared to about 70% for agricultural loans and 90% for industrial loans. Yunus Says” The difference lies in the psychology of the borrowers. The rich can evade the consequences of non- payment, the poor cannot. They value loan sharks so much, that they are only too grateful for once aim a lifetime opportunity to improve themselves”. Micro credit has graduated the rural poor from the informal capital market controlled by the moneylender and local elite to institutionalized banking.

The origins of microcredit in its current practical incarnation can be linked to several organizations founded in Bangladesh, especially the Grameen Bank.The Grameen Bank, which is generally considered the first modern microcredit institution, was founded in 1976 by Muhammad Yunus. Yunus began the project in a small town called Jobra, using his own money to deliver small loans at low-interest rates to the rural poor. Grameen Bank was followed by organizations such as BRAC in 1972 and ASA in 1978. Microcredit reached Latin America with the establishment of PRODEM in Bolivia in 1986; a bank that later transformed into the for-profit BancoSol. Microcredit quickly became a popular tool for economic development, with hundreds of institutions emerging throughout the third world. Though the Grameen Bank was formed initially as a non-profit organization dependent upon government subsidies, it later became a corporate entity and was renamed Grameen II in 2002. Muhammad Yunus was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for his work providing microcredit services to the poor.

The Power of Unconditional Love

2011-11-18T08:42:00.000+05:30

The Power of Love

The power of love is held within each of us every moment. This wondrous energy is available merely by our use and conscious recognition. When we choose to love one another we transcend the lower personality perceptions and rise to a higher truth. We recognize our oneness, wholeness and interconnectedness.

This is not a conditional love or the type of love one may try to use to earn favors or expect validation, rather this is a universal and unconditional love that recognizes the beauty in life every moment. It is of a higher nature. It is a natural expression that does not expect an outcome. It is giving just for the sake of giving.

A NEW DEFINITION OF LOVE: REAL LOVE

There’s only one kind of love that can fill us up, make us whole, and give us the happiness we all want: unconditional love or true love. It is unconditional love that we all seek, and somehow we intuitively realize that anything other than that kind of love isn’t really love at all—it’s an imitation of the real thing.

Unconditional love—true love—is so different from the kind of love most of us have known all our lives that it deserves both a name—Real Love—and definition of its own: Real Love is caring about the happiness of another person without any thought for what we might get for ourselves. It’s also Real Love when other people care about our happiness unconditionally. It is not Real Love when other people like us for doing what they want. Under those conditions we’re just paying for love again. We can be certain that we’re receiving Real Love only when we make foolish mistakes, when we fail to do what other people want, and even when we get in their way, but they don’t feel disappointed or irritated at us. That is Real Love (true unconditional love), and that love alone has the power to heal all wounds, bind people together, and create relationships quite beyond our present capacity to imagine.

What is unconditional love ?

Simply stated, unconditional love is an unlimited way of being. We are without any limit to our thoughts and feelings in life and can create any reality we choose to focus our attention upon. There are infinite imaginative possibilities when we allow the freedom to go beyond our perceived limits. If we can dream it, we can build it. Life, through unconditional love, is a wondrous adventure that excites the very core of our being and lights our path with delight.

Unconditional Love is a dynamic and powerful energy that lifts us through the most difficult times. It is available at any moment by turning our attention to it and using its wonderful potential to free us from our limitations. It requires practice and intent to allow this energy to fully permeate our daily experience. It begins with ourselves, for without self-love, we cannot know what true love can be. In loving ourselves, we allow the feeling to generate within us and then we can share it to everyone and everything around us! That which we send out, returns to us in greater measure. If you have not thought about how you feel towards yourself, physically, mentally, and emotionally, or spiritually, we invite you to do so now. Begin the journey that changes everything. Begin the journey of unconditional love...

It is in the sharing and giving of love to others that we receive the same that we give. Give love and surely you will experience love itself. Express love to the world around you and the world will reflect back to you the power of love.

Each of us desires to understand and realize this experience of love. Just listen to the lyrics of music and you will quickly see how much the notion of love plays a part in our personal journey of life. We seek it in our families, relationships, careers, religions, hobbies, and even at times we look to nature itself. All the while, it is right within us ready to be given out and experienced.

Love is such a powerful force especially when shared.
See this video
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/878452/unconditional_love/

Also see this interesting ppt telling the story of Physically handicapped soldier

Unconditional Love

More PowerPoint presentations from Chito Relampagos

Meditation technique of perception

2011-11-12T15:44:00.001+05:30

Myanmar (Burma) -- The Land of Culture

2011-11-11T18:42:00.000+05:30

Myanmar – Land of Culture

The name of the country of Burma (or Myanmar, as it is now officially known) is associated with the dominant ethnic group, the Burmese. Because of the current regime's lack of legitimacy and poor human rights record, it is common practice outside the country not to use the name Myanmar. The country fell under British colonial rule during the nineteenth century. When it became independent as the Union of Burma in 1948, the country almost immediately entered a state of civil war as ethnic minorities fought against the Burmese-dominated central government. Insurgencies by some ethnic groups continue. In 1962, the military leader Ne Win seized power. His regime sought to isolate the nation and institute nationalist policies under the label "the Burmese Road to Socialism." In 1972, the name of the country was changed to the Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma. After civil unrest in 1988, the military government changed the name to the Union of Myanmar.

Language

Burmese is a Tibeto-Burman language whose alphabet is derived from south Indian scripts. The largest ethnic group that speaks Burmese is the Myanma; there is a smaller Burmese-speaking ethnic group known as Burma, also known as Myanmar

The teaching of English in schools was banned from 1966 to 1980. Shan is as an important second language for many ethnic groups in Shan State, while Jingpho is spoken as a second language by many smaller ethnic groups in Kachin State.

Cultural Heritage

Architecture reflects the country's Buddhist and colonial heritage. Buddhist temples are the most important architectural features throughout the country. The Buddhist temple serves as a religious school, a community center, a guest house, a place where the government and other agencies post information, a site for sports activities, a center for welfare services for those who are poor and ill, a morgue, and a center for music and dance. Temples tend to be surrounded by small shops that sell sacred and secular items.

The traditional house is made largely of bamboo. Flattened pieces of bamboo made into large plaited sections are used to make the walls. The floors are made of bamboo planks or wood. The frame of the house is made of wood, with hard and durable wood being used for the house posts. Roof coverings are made of a variety of materials, including thatch made from broad-leafed grass or palm fronds. Roofs may be covered with tiles, wooden shingles, or zinc sheets. The front of the house usually has a veranda that is raised a few feet off the ground. This is the public area where guests are entertained. The center of the house is the living area for the family. Behind it is a covered cooking area where rice is stored. Especially in urban areas, these houses are being replaced by more generic ones made from cement.

Feasting and sharing food are an important feature of traditional agricultural and religious rites. Often special foods are prepared for those occasions. Htamane, which is served during the rice harvest festival February, is made of glutinous rice mixed with sesame seeds, peanuts, shredded ginger, and coconut. Alcoholic beverages are drunk during some secular festivities but are not drunk during most religious festivals. In urbanized areas, commercial beer and other forms of alcohol are consumed, while in more remote rural areas, locally made alcohol is more common. Alcoholic drinks are made from fermented palm juice and a distilled rice-based solution. Fermented grain-based alcoholic drinks are more commonly consumed among highland groups.

Gender Roles and Statuses

Both men and women do agricultural work, but individual tasks are often gender-specific. Men prepare the land for planting and sow seeds, and women transplant rice seedlings. Harvesting is done by both men and women. Men thresh the rice. Most domestic work is done by women. During ceremonies, however, men are involved in food preparation. A variety of traditional handicrafts are made within the household or by specialists. Items of metal, wood, or stone generally are made by men, and weaving usually is done by women. Pottery, basketry, plaiting, making lacquerware, and making umbrellas can be done by men or women. Small-scale market selling and itinerant trading are conducted by both sexes. Transportation of goods or people by animal, carts, boat, or motor vehicle is done mainly by men. Religious specialists and traditional curers generally are male, but sometimes they are female. Spirit mediums can be male or female. Traditional theatrical and musical performances involve both genders. Women work mainly in teaching and nursing.

Traditional society was known for the relatively high status of women. If a couple divorces, for example, common goods are divided equally and the wife retains her dowry as well as the proceeds from her commercial activities. However, military rule has undermined the status of women, especially at the higher levels of government and commerce. Women, however, play a significant role in the political opposition to the regime. The higher of business are in the hands of men, but many medium-size and small businesses are run by women.

Religion

Almost 90 percent of the people are Buddhists, and the proportion is higher among the Burmese majority. Burmese follow the Theravada form of Buddhism, which is also known as Hinayana Buddhism and the doctrine of the elders or the small vehicle. In Theravada Buddhism, it is up to each individual to seek salvation and achieve nirvana. Buddhism is believed to have been introduced to Burma by missionaries sent by the Indian emperor Ashoka in the third century B.C.E.

Traditional Dances

Burmese Dancing Group

The earliest physical evidence of Myanmar traditional dance is excavated antiques in the site of the Pyu city of Srikshetra. Excavated antiques include small bronze figures of a flute player, a drummer, a cymbal clapper, a dancer and a fifth figure that looks like a dwarf clown carrying a sack on its back. The heads of the figures are large but the bodies are of fine proportion. They are well dressed and bedecked with ornaments, and their postures are animated indicating they were engaged in performance. Dance is the most prominent and popular form of Myanmar's performing arts and the dances are strictly traditional in their form and content. Every one of Myanmar's many festivals features dancing and music popularly known as pwe (dramatic performances.) Historically, all royal functions began and ended up with music and dance. Dance was also performed at pagoda festivals, the opening of new capitals, the start of battles, shinbyu or novitiation ceremonies, and weddings. Special songs are composed for special occasions and the accompanying dance is, in most cases, improvised. Myanmar traditional dances are supple, graceful, elaborate, well-refined and floral. Every dance movement resembles an exquisite floral design. A flower is like a dancer. The bloom is the dancer's head. The leaves are the hands and the stem is the body. When the breeze comes, the flower becomes alive and starts to dance to the accompaniment of music, the gentle breeze. Myanmar traditional dances not only exude the unique characteristics of Myanmar culture but also produce innovative traditional works.

Musical instruments

The simplest Myanmar or Burman instruments are the harp (sating) and the dulcimer (ftatala). The harp has a boat-shaped body of wood, with a skin stretched over it for sounding-board. The thirteen strings arc of silk or modern material, strengthened with varnish.

Burmese Music Drum

The staves of the patata are of dry bamboo. These two Myanmar or Burman instruments are not loud ; they are used to accompany the voice, as we use a harp or guitar, and also by themselves.

The loud band (saing-di), which gives so much character to the pwe, is composed of clarions, gongs and drums. The clarion (hne) is a loud and strident instrument, the effect of which is enhanced by the second clarion. These are supported by gamuts of tuned gongs and drums in circles (kyi-waing and saing-waing). There are two tenor drums and a bass drum. Time is accentuated by cymbals and clappers.

The tone of the Myanmar music gongs is so round and bright that it may be mistaken for a piano ; the flourishes played on the kyl-wain; would imply considerable execution in a pianist.

Myanmar music drums are struck with the fingers, gongs with padded sticks. Most of the time Myanmar music and dance go together within Myanmar music.

ENJOY DANCE AND MUSIC OF MYANMAR --- VIDEOS

BURMESE MUSIC

BURMESE DANCES

Meditation - Meditational Exercises

2011-11-10T08:44:00.000+05:30

Meditational Exercises

Meditation Defined Meditational exercises primarily use the experience of the body and thought as a means to reconnect with the environment and its healing power. Meditation, when practiced frequently, has been proven to promote inner peace and wellness. Meditation is also a mental practice in which the mind is directed to one area, often the breath.

It draws its energy from the human connection to nature and creates a sense of unity or oneness with it. This unity has been shown to increase communication with the spirit of the body. It has also been known to allow positive thoughts in and to stimulate positive physiological and psychological effects. Meditation techniques are easy to learn and can easily be incorporated into any lifestyle. If practiced regularly, meditation will bring balance to your body and mind.

General benefits of meditation and breathing exercises include:

• Deep inner peace

• Improved self-esteem

• Increased creativity

• Physical health/healing

• Reduced medical care

• Slowing/reversal of aging

• Reversing of heart disease

• Stimulation of the body’s immune system

• Reduced stress

I have found there is really no one right ways to meditate. Here are a couple of my favourite meditational exercises that will get you started. Remember, there is no wrong path here. Try these, or simply sit in silence for 20 minutes, daily. You’ll be glad you did. Meditative Grounding Exercise

• Sit with your legs crossed in a comfortable (Indian-style) position with your hands relaxed on you lap. Close your eyes and imagine a beam of light dropping from the base of your spine through the earth and connecting you to its centre.

• Allow this beam of light to expand in width until it is wider than your own body and envelopes it. This is your personal space. This exercise places you totally in your body and reminds you that you are anchored to the earth. Remember, the more grounded you are, the more aware you are. Sense the presence of your higher self: listen to its voice.

Energy Cleaning Exercise

Now that you are grounded, it’s important that you cleanse this personal space. Often we collect other people’s energies and are not aware of it. We do this both through interaction with others and basic activities of daily living. The Energy Cleaning Exercise is done :--

• To remove all foreign energies from your space, imagine holding a brush and sweeping away the debris.

• Allow the debris to fall to the ground and become washed away.

Let the light from the previous exercise envelop your body and spread its healing energy to the edge of your space, forming a protective force field around you. Cleaning out the area surrounding your body will keep you grounded, define your personal boundaries and declare your space. Then choose who and what you wish to enter you space, keeping disease and illness out.

Breathing Exercise

• Follow your breath as you slowly inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Count with each exhale until you reach 10 then begin again at one.

• If you find yourself past 10, acknowledge this and begin again at one from wherever you are.

• Imagine your body’s cells being replaced with fresh, pure oxygen and positive healing energy from this power source. Picture yourself exhaling old cells, stress, illness and worries.

• Let your thoughts pass through your mind like drifting clouds. Let them in and gently let them pass through. If the mind should harbour a negative thought, refocus on the breath.

• Thank any persistent negative thoughts for coming into your mind then gently let them go.

• Listen only for the positive, pronounced voice; the voice of your body. Retrieve Your Energy Exercise, since foreign energy often resides in your space, let’s also assume that you leave energy in other places. After completing the preceding exercises it is necessary to re-energize and call energy back.

• Imagine you have an energy magnet used to attract your energy back to you. Visualize energy flowing back to you, filling your body with light, health and empowerment.

• Allow a few minutes for the process.

More links on meditation

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

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

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

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

http://mrinalkantipal.blogspot.com/2009/08/health-benefit-of-chanting-mantra.html

http://mrinalkantipal.blogspot.com/2009/08/one-breath-meditation.html

http://mrinalkantipal.blogspot.com/2011/06/what-is-meditaion-meditation-simply.html

http://mrinalkantipal.blogspot.com/2011/07/why-meditate-and-how-to-meditate.html

http://mrinalkantipal.blogspot.com/2011/08/meditation-what-it-is-how-to-get-ready.html

http://mrinalkantipal.blogspot.com/2011/11/meditation-helps-stress-management.html

Honolulu and Waikiki beach of Hawaii

2011-11-09T15:22:00.000+05:30

Waikiki Beach View

Enjoy the slide show below

Enjoy Culture of Hawaii

2011-11-09T11:08:00.000+05:30

Hawaii -- Cultural Heritage

The culture of Hawaii has its origins in the traditional culture of the Native Hawaiians. As Hawaii has become home to many different ethnic groups during the past 200 years, each ethnic group has added elements of its own culture. Today, contemporary culture in Hawaii is a mix of these different cultures and ethnic groups.

Superb voyagers, Polynesians from the Marquesas Islands migrated to Hawai`i over 1,600 years ago. Navigating by the sun and stars, reading the winds, currents, and the flight of seabirds, Polynesians sailed across 2,400 miles of open ocean in great double-hulled canoes. They brought with them items essential to their survival: pua'a (pigs), `ilio (dogs), and moa (chickens); the roots of kalo (taro) and `uala (sweet potato); the seeds and saplings of niu (coconut), mai`a (banana), ko (sugar cane), and other edible and medicinal plants. Polynesians were well-established on the islands when about 800 years ago, Polynesians from the Society Islands arrived in Hawai`i. Claiming descent from the greatest gods, they became the new rulers of Hawai`i. After a time of voyaging back and forth between the Society Islands and the Hawaiian Archipelago, contact with southern Polynesia ceased. During the 400 years of isolation that followed, a unique Hawaiian culture developed.

Hawai`i was a highly stratified society with strictly maintained castes. The ali`i (chiefs) headed the social pyramid and ruled over the land. Highly regarded and sometimes feared, the kahuna (professionals) were experts on religious ritual or specialists in canoe-building, herbal medicine, and healing. The maka`ainana (commoners) farmed and fished; built walls, houses, and fishponds; and paid taxes to the paramount chiefs and his chiefs. Kauwa, the lowest class, were outcasts or slaves.

Howai people in traditional dress

Remnants of New English culture remain, though not nearly to the degree of early Asian immigrants who came to work in the sugar cane fields in the early 20th century. Additionally, Polynesian influence in the islands is strong as one might expect. Today Hawaii is a truly a melting pot of many cultures, beliefs, and heritage.

Hawai Market

The arts are of high interest in the islands, either in the form of music, photography, hula dance, or art. Galleries for art and photography are prominent throughout the islands, music has worked its way around the globe and into several major movies (thanks to the late Israel Kamakawiwo'ole - Brother IZ), and the hula is world renown. Appreciation of classical, modern, and experimental art forms is evident in attendance figures at galleries, concerts, legitimate theater performances, and museums. Many ethnic groups preserve the traditions of their ancestors by combining or modifying music and dance forms.

Hawaii Dance

Since the preservation of the culture and heritage is very important to the people of Hawaii, an assortment of cultural and scientific institutions present a wide variety of opportunities for the appreciation and understanding of the fine arts, history, traditions, and sciences of the Hawaiian people.The Bernice P. Bishop Museum, founded in 1889 in Honolulu, is a research center and museum dedicated to the study, preservation, and display of the history, sciences, and cultures of the Pacific and its people. The Honolulu Academy of Arts, one of the finest in the world, boasts a spectacular collection of Western art, including works by the late 19th- and early 20th-century masters Monet, van Gogh, Matisse, Gauguin, and Picasso. The collection of Asian art found in the HAA is also some of the finest in the Western world.

Hawaii Wood Carver

Enjoy Hawaii Dance in the video given below

Know the Island Hawaii -- The Wonder Island of the Pacific

2011-11-09T09:03:00.001+05:30

Know the Island Hawaii -- The Wonder Island of the Pacific

Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states (August 21, 1959), and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of Australia. Hawaii’s diverse natural scenery, warm tropical climate, abundance of public beaches and oceanic surrounding, and active volcanoes make it a popular destination for tourists, surfers, biologists, and volcanologists alike. Due to its mid-Pacific location, Hawaii has many North American and Asian influences along with its own vibrant native culture. Hawaii has over a million permanent residents.

The state encompasses nearly the entire volcanic Hawaiian Island chain, which comprises hundreds of islands spread over 1,500 miles (2,400 km). At the southeastern end of the archipelago, the eight "main islands" are (from the northwest to southeast) Niʻihau, Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, Kahoʻolawe, Maui, and Hawaiʻi. The last is by far the largest and is often called "The Big Island" to avoid confusion with the state as a whole. The archipelago is physiographically and ethnologically part of the Polynesian subregion of Oceania.

Hawaii's coastline is approximately 750 miles (1,210 km) long, which is fourth in the United States after Alaska, Florida, and California.

The places of Interest

The Tropical Botanical Gardens are known as "The garden in a valley on the ocean". The 40 acre valley contains over 2000 species and attracts visitors from all over the world. The valley acts as a natural greenhouse, and has coconut and mango trees over 100 years old. There are nature trails winding through tropical vegetation, offering views of streams, waterfalls and the ocean.

The Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden is a museum of living plants that attracts photographers, gardeners, botanists, scientists, and nature lovers from around the world. The Garden's collection of tropical plants is international in scope. Over 2,000 species, representing more than 125 families and 750 genera, are found in this one-of-a-kind garden. The 40-acre valley is a natural greenhouse, protected from buffeting tradewinds and blessed with fertile volcanic soil. Throughout this garden valley, nature trails meander through a true tropical rainforest, crossing bubbling streams, passing several beautiful waterfalls and the exciting ocean vistas along the rugged Pacific coast.

Direction

Located off of Highway 19 on the lush Hamakua Coast, 8 1/2 miles north of Hilo.

Pololu Valley

The morning is the best time to visit this picturesque perch overlooking a stretch of sea cliffs. Pololu valley is located at the end of Highway 270 in North Kohala. On your drive up Highway 270, be sure to stop for a look-see in the quaint town of Hawi. The highway ends at the picturesque lookout for this valley.

At the top you can look down on Pololu valley and a beautiful black sand beach. If you are in for a day of adventure you can hike down into the valley on a long zigzagging dirt path. The valley is fed by a meandering stream. Once in the valley you can look back at the spectacular views and possibly see some waterfalls. We recommend you take the 25 minute hike to the bottom of the valley and check out the wonderful scenery and black sand beach. Bring a picnic to enjoy at the bottom of the valley. Wear comfortable shoes and don't forget your camera!

Direction

Take Highway 270 east from Kapa'au. The lookout is located above the Polulu Valley Beach at Mile Marker #28 (the second sign!)

Akaka Falls

Off the main road past Honomu Town, Akaka Falls State Park preserved a 420 foof waterfall in its own ground out amphitheatre.

The walk to the waterfall was like a dense botanical garden, except Mother Nature was the primary landscaper.

Wild life of Hawaii

Hawaii has an interesting mix of species, many of which are endemic to Hawaii and many others that were introduced here from all around the World.

I have recently moved to Hawaii and am in the process of learning about and photographing its wildlife for future use on this site as well as for my nature journal. I have discovered that there are many helpful online resources available for help in finding and/or identifying Hawaiian wildlife, and I have listed my favorite ones here. I hope that you find them useful!

Bamboo orchid

Yellow Ginger

Apapane of Hawaii

Hawaiian Mongoose

Pacific Golden Plover

Enjoy Hawaii Nature in the Slide Show Below

Enjoy Culture of Hawaii Video below is of the traditional cultural dance of Hawaii

Tahiti - Penoramic Plynesian Island

2011-11-08T16:30:00.001+05:30

Tahiti Island - Queen of Pacific

Tahiti – The Polynesian Island

Queen of the Pacific

Tahiti, the largest island throughout the country, towering over the ocean like a proud and royal Queen is appropriately crowned by a circle of majestic peaks.

The mountainous interior is adorned with deep valleys, clear streams, and high waterfalls, all bathed in green iridescence of Mother Nature's light. The coastal lands, edged with a rugged coastline, are home to fields of tropical flowers and most of the island's population.

Papeete, meaning the " water basket, " was once a gathering place where Tahitians came to fill their calabashes with fresh waters. Now the invigorating capital city and gateway of the country, boasts world-class resorts, spas, fine dining and unique restaurants, nightclubs, vibrant markets, pearl shops, and boutiques.

Tahiti... Just the word...

The world's definition of paradise.

TAHITI-NUI MARE' ARE' A

Polynesian songs and legends have bestowed this famous South Pacific island many names such as ' Great Tahiti of the Golden Haze,' ' Mounting Place of the Sun,' ' Land of the Double Rainbow,' and ' The Gathering Place.'

Legends describe Tahiti-Nui and Tahiti-Iti as a great fish that swam away fron the sacred waters of Havai'i, now known as the lagoon shared by Raiatea and Taha'a.

Images

Tahiti – basket making

Tahiti - cottage

Tahiti – falls

Tahiti -- port

Tahiti currency

Meditation Helps Stress Management

2011-11-07T08:57:00.000+05:30

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?

Know more on Stress Management from the discussion with Brahmakumaris in TV channel Astha -- Watch the following videos -------

Video I

Video II

OM - The Divine Sound

2011-11-05T09:24:00.000+05:30

OM

It represents the energy at
the Ajna chakra ,
the third eye energy center (chakra),
where the feminine and masculine currents
become joined and consciousness becomes Unitary ..
into the Whole Unity of existence.

You will have noticed that all Mantras begin with Om .

This is because Om is the supreme sound
from which creation was born.

It is the Cosmic vibration

Om is the sound that reveals all other words
and their different meanings.

Om also has a luminous nature and reveals things.

Hence we must first contact the power of Om for
other mantras to work and
for their specific meanings to be known.

We must first contact Om to know the Guru or

Divine guiding power within us.

Hence Om precedes all other Mantras.

Only through their connection with Om can other Mantras be
effective or be understood in their specific natures.

Om is the origin of creation, it is the source and the sustenance and the strength. It is the Prana of every being.

OM is pronounced A - U - M. The sound 'A' indicates creation (Brahma), 'U' indicates preservation (Vishnu) and 'M' indicates dissolution (Shiva). The eloquent silence after 'M' represents the tendency to hide behind phenomena and Grace. In another sense, the sounds refer to the conscious, the semi-conscious (dream state), and the deep sleep or super-conscious states, signifying the omnipresent God in all the three states and beyond.

One of the explanations of the derivation of AUM is as follows: God is infinite; so only an infinite number of words can explain him fully. Infinite number of words are, in fact, infinite number of sounds. The three primary sounds come from the three primary movements of the lips: Aa (opening the lips)"O (pursing the lips), and Mm (closing the lips). These are the sounds that create OM. (In Sanskrit A and U combine to produce 0)

Om is the composite of three sounds: A (aa) arising from the region of the navel, U (oo) flowing through the throat and tongue, and M (mm) ending up at the closed lip. It has to be pronounced rising in a cescendo as slowly as possible, and as slowly coming down, until after the M there will be the echo of the silence reverberating in the cavity of the Heart.

Listen to this divine sound

Is Muhammad (peace be upon him) Last Prophet ?

2011-10-29T22:01:00.000+05:30

Is Muhammad (peace be upon him) Last Prophet ?

Prophet translated to Sanskrit is “Avatar”. The word Avatar also includes “messenger of God”. Thus we may conclude that Avatar is synonym to messenger and prophet both.

The eminent hindu scripture the Bhagavatgita in chapter 4 sloka 7 says

“Yada yada hi dharmasya glanirvabati Bharata

Abhyuthanamadharmasya tadatmanam srijamyaham

Paritranaya sadhunam vinashaya hi duskritinam

Dharmasansthaponarthaya sambhabami yuge yuge.”

Note: Here Lord Krishna said appearance of prophets or messangers are continuous process depending on the situation. The purpose of such prophet is to establish an order in disordered society. Their aim is to protect the believers and to crush the non-believers or the tyrants.

Christian scriptures made prediction about the advent of prophet Muhammad. The following quote collected from internet resources

“Prophet Like Unto Moses

Long time after Abraham, God's promise to send the long-awaited Messenger was repeated this time in Moses' words.

In Deuteronomy 18:18, Moses spoke of the prophet to be sent by God who is:

1) From among the Israelite's "brethren", a reference to their Ishmaelite cousins as Ishmael was the other son of Abraham who was explicitly promised to become a "great nation".

2) A prophet like unto Moses. There were hardly any two prophets ,who were so much alike as Moses and Muhammad. Both were given comprehensive law code of life, both encountered their enemies and were victors in miraculous ways, both were accepted as prophets/statesmen and both migrated following conspiracies to assassinate them. Analogies between Moses and Jesus overlooks not only the above similarities but other crucial ones as well (e.g. the natural birth, family life and death of Moses and Muhammad but not of Jesus, who was regarded by His followers as the Son of God and not exclusively a messenger of God, as Moses and Muhammad were and as Muslim belief Jesus was).

THE AWAITED PROPHET WAS TO COME FROM ARABIA

Deuteronomy 33:1-2 combines references to Moses, Jesus and Muhammad. It speaks of God (i.e. God's revelation) coming from Sinai, rising from Seir (probably the village of Sa'ir near Jerusalem) and shining forth from Paran. According to Genesis 21:21, the wilderness of Paran was the place where Ishmael settled (i.e. Arabia, specifically Mecca).

Indeed the King James version of the Bible mentions the pilgrims passing through the valley of Ba'ca (another name of Mecca) in Psalms 84:4-6.

Isaiah 42:1-13 speaks of the beloved of God. His elect and messenger who will bring down a law to be awaited in the isles and who "shall not fail nor be discouraged till he have set judgement on earth." Verse 11, connects that awaited one with the descendants of Ke'dar. Who is Ke'dar? According to Genesis 25:13, Ke'dar was the second son of Ishmael, the ancestor of prophet Muhammad.”

(soruce - http://www.islamicity.com/mosque/muhammad_bible.htm )”

The quran also makes a reference of Lord Jesus as prophet

Quran 61:6 surah As-Saf

And [mention] when Jesus, the son of Mary, said, "O children of Israel, indeed I am the messenger of Allah to you confirming what came before me of the Torah and bringing good tidings of a messenger to come after me, whose name is Ahmad." But when he came to them with clear evidences, they said, "This is obvious magic."

Note: Here Jesus named the prophet coming to earth after him.

Now let us examine the interpretation of Islamic scholars on the Quran surah 33 ayat 40 which speaks of last prophet.

Quran chapter 33 (Al Azhab) ayat 33.40

33:40

Muhammad is not the father of [any] one of your men, but [he is] the Messenger of Allah and last of the prophets. And ever is Allah , of all things, Knowing.

Note: Here it is said that Muhammad is the last prophet ( seal of prophets). The english word seal stands for genuinity or standard.

The group of words “khataman nabiyan” appearing in the stanza of the quoran mentioned above means the following in arabic

1. Last among the prophets

2. Latest among the prophets

3. Seal among the prophets

Also it does not say that he is last messenger also. Many Islamic scholars are not ready to distinguish between messenger and prophet.

In Arabic language

Nabi - prophet

Rasul - messenger

In Sanskrit

Avatar may mean either messenger or prophet

Let us examine what Islamic scholars say

Scholar Sam Shamaun in http://answering-islam.org/Quran/Incoherence/last_messenger.html gives the following

“The Quran teaches that Muhammad is the seal of the prophets, with the implication being that he is the last prophet:

Muhammad is not the father of any man among you, but he is the messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets; and Allah is ever Aware of all things. S. 33:40 Pickthall

Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but he is the Apostle of Allah and the Last of the prophets; and Allah is cognizant of all things. S. 33:40 Shakir

Note, however, that this verse does not say that he is the last messenger, or the seal of apostleship. That will become important in this discussion.”

“The Quran distinguishes between a messenger and a prophet:

Never did We send a Messenger or a Prophet before you, but; when he did recite the revelation or narrated or spoke, Shaitan (Satan) threw (some falsehood) in it. But Allah abolishes that which Shaitan (Satan) throws in. Then Allah establishes His Revelations. And Allah is All-Knower, All-Wise: S. 22:52 Al-Hilali & Khan

One of Islam’s premiere commentators named Al-Zamakhshari commented on the preceding passage:

We have never sent any messenger or prophet: (This) is a clear proof that a distinction exists between a messenger (rasul) and a prophet (nabi). (It is related) from the Prophet that he was asked about the prophets, whereupon he said: ‘(There are) one hundred and twenty-four thousand.’ When he was then asked how many messengers there were among them, he answered: ‘The great host of three hundred and thirteen.’ The distinction between the two is that a messenger is one of the prophets to whom, together with the verification miracle (mu‘jiza), the Book is sent down. A prophet, on the other hand, who is not a messenger, is one to whom no book is sent down, but who was commanded only to restrain the people on the basis of the earlier revealed law (shari‘a). (Helmut Gätje, The Qur'an and its Exegesis [Oneworld Publications, Oxford 1996], p. 54) (source -- http://answering-islam.org/Quran/Incoherence/last_messenger.html )

There are other references in the quran about the advent of messenger after Muhammad

Quran chapter 3 (Ali Imran) surah 3 ayat 81

3:81

And [recall, O People of the Scripture], when Allah took the covenant of the prophets, [saying], "Whatever I give you of the Scripture and wisdom and then there comes to you a messenger confirming what is with you, you [must] believe in him and support him." [ Allah ] said, "Have you acknowledged and taken upon that My commitment?" They said, "We have acknowledged it." He said, "Then bear witness, and I am with you among the witnesses."

Note: This ayat confirms that another messanger will come sometimes afterwards when need be.

Quran chapter 27 ayat 82

27:82

And when the word befalls them, We will bring forth for them a creature from the earth speaking to them, [saying] that the people were, of Our verses, not certain [in faith].

Note : It is said here that there will be a time when another messanger may appear.

Again coming back to the comments of Sam Shamoun

“The author of the Quran could have avoided all this confusion, thereby preventing individuals from using these references to support their claim, by simply inserting the name of Muhammad or by saying that Muhammad was the last messenger. In other words, the author could have written Sura 3:81 to say that a messenger is coming whose name is such and such, explicitly mentioning that messenger by name, much like the words he put into the mouth of Jesus:

And call to mind when Jesus, son of Mary, said, ‘O children of Israel, surely, I am ALLAH's Messenger unto you, fulfilling that which is before me of the prophecies of the Torah, and giving glad tidings of a Messenger who will come after me, his name being Ahmad. And when he came to them with clear proofs, they said, this is manifest sorcery.’ Sura 61:6

[Surah 61.6 (translated)] Sura As-saf

And [mention] when Jesus, the son of Mary, said, "O children of Israel, indeed I am the messenger of Allah to you confirming what came before me of the Torah and bringing good tidings of a messenger to come after me, whose name is Ahmad." But when he came to them with clear evidences, they said, "This is obvious magic."

(Note: Even this passage’s meaning is debated since it is not certain whether this is giving the proper name of someone to come, or is simply giving a specific description of that person)

Or it could have said in Sura 33:40 that Muhammad was the last prophet and the last messenger. Unfortunately for orthodox Muslims, the Quran clearly failed to use such language.

As it stands, certain sects have capitalized (quite successfully we might add) on the Quran’s incoherence and incompleteness, specifically in its failure to state more explicitly and clearly that Muhammad was the last messenger.”

(source http://answering-islam.org/Quran/Incoherence/last_messenger.html )

Change Your Life by Changing Your Attitude

2011-09-26T13:38:00.000+05:30

Change Your Life by Changing Your Attitude

Each of us is made up of various physical, vital, and mental parts. There is our physical body and its organs, muscles, etc; the vital being with its sensations, emotions and feelings, and the mental part with its thoughts, memories, reasoning power, beliefs, etc.

Somewhere between our emotions and our thought processing lie our attitudes -- our emotional perceptions about ourselves, others, and life itself. Attitudes generally express positively and negatively, e.g., when I have good feelings towards my work or co-worker, my attitude is positive. When I feel reluctant to do certain things that are necessary, or show hostility towards certain individuals, then my attitude is negative.

Interestingly, if we can identify a bad attitude and make the effort to change it, life will quickly cooperate with that effort, bringing luck into our lives. Consider this true-life incident:

A salesperson was intimidated about meeting a very large customer. He felt that the effort was a waste of time since the company was too large to penetrate. As a result, he was unable to secure that or any other sale with the large client.

However, a number of months later, he changed his attitude about working with such large accounts. The very next day, he was stunned when out of the blue that very same large customer, who earlier turned him down, placed a huge order!

As we see, if we change our attitudes, life has a funny way of responding to those efforts. We call this phenomenon a "life response." When we change our attitudes, or otherwise elevate our consciousness, life quickly responds with instances of sudden good fortune.

If you decide to have a cheerful, outgoing attitude people will be drawn to you. However, if you decide to be miserable and keep to yourself you will only feel worse about your life and your situations.

You can feel better and live a happier more satisfied life, no matter what your circumstances. When you become aware of your current Attitude and understand how your thoughts fuel it you then have the opportunity to consciously choose new thoughts that result in transforming your feelings and your life.

By following the specific technique outlined below you can learn to be the creative force in your life, rather than just reacting to life’s circumstances.

How Do We Know? We have transformed our lives by using the Awareness-Choice-Change Model and have coached thousands of others to live happier more satisfying lives by changing their Attitude to change their lives.

• Awareness - waking up to your thoughts, feelings and behaviors that you want to change.

• Choice - consciously choosing the thoughts you think.

• Change - altering your thoughts, feelings and actions.

Awareness describes a state of consciousness in which you are alert, awake and conscious of your thoughts, feelings, words and actions. If you want to change your Attitude – it is necessary to be aware of your thoughts and feelings.

When you notice that your habitual self-talk is judgmental about what you say and do; or critical regarding what you should have said or what you didn’t do then you are on your way to upgrading the software of your mind – your thoughts and ultimately your experience.

Choice is the act of making a decision. To consciously choose the thoughts that support a positive attitude, healthy self-esteem, confidence and well-being you must be aware of both your thoughts and feelings that detract from your feeling good.

With this awareness you will notice when you are thinking thoughts that undermine your self-esteem and happiness as well as be aware of the thoughts that boost your self-esteem and well-being. A powerful question to consider in order to choose the thoughts that promote feelings of happiness is:

What do I want in this situation?

Whenever you notice you are being critical and judgmental of yourself you can make the choice to strengthen your brain pathways that affirms your positive self.

Change is where the rubber meets the road, where you put into practice the choices you have made, transforming your thoughts, attitude and feelings about yourself so you embody positive self-esteem, confidence and happiness.

This does not mean there won't be times when you are confronted with your fears of failure or success, or that you won't, on occasion, question your ability. What it does mean is that as soon as you notice you are feeling less than or not enough you will:

1. Be awake to your feelings.

2. Identify the thoughts that result in your feelings of low self-esteem and negative attitude.

3. Shift your attention to thoughts supporting your ever deepening experience of positive self-esteem and happiness.

When you notice that your habitual self-talk is judgmental about what you say and do; or critical regarding what you should have said or what you didn’t do, then you are on your way to upgrading the software of your mind – your thoughts, your attitude and ultimately your experience.

By changing what you are thinking and doing you are automatically giving your brain a message that says, I am person who is in control of my life. I choose to change my attitude and change my life!

You can look at the present moment and view it with distaste, resistance and dissatisfaction or can use it as a gateway to make a different choice.

See the following life changing videos

20 words to change the life

Law of attraction in video

Positive Thinking

The Secret to being Positive

The Secret – Positive Thinking Brings Abundance

Other Usefull Links

How to Adjust Mindset to Manifest Goal

http://mrinalkanti.vox.com/library/post/how-adjust-mindset-to-manifest-goal.html

easy steps to positive thinking

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

Positive thinking

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

The result of negative thinking

http://mrinalkantipal.blogspot.com/2009/07/result-of-negative-thinking.html

Healthy Body Healthy Mind - Some Links

2011-09-24T17:52:00.000+05:30

Black Pepper - A great healing material

Pepper, one of the oldest known spices, is native to tropical Asia. India is one of the largest producers of pepper in the world.

Pepper, rich in essential oil, is an aromatic herb, that helps prevent intestinal flatulence, promotes sweating and urination. Pepper signals the stomach to produce hydrochloric acid which is required to digest food. This prevents food from staying for too long in the stomach, and prevents stomach irritation and flatulence.

Black Pepper also has great anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-oxidant properties. It stimulates absorption of several micronutrients in the body such as coenzyme Q-10, beta-carotene and EGCG (a powerful anti-oxidant).

In Ayurveda, pepper seeds are used in the form of medication for relief from sinusitis and nasal congestion. Sucking a few pepper corns provides instants relief from dry cough and throat irritation.

The health benefits of black pepper include relief from respiratory disorders, cough, common cold, constipation, digestion, anemia, impotency, muscular strains, dental care, pyorrhea, diarrhea, and heart disease. Black pepper is the fruit of the black pepper plant from the Piperaceae family and is used as a spice and also as a medicine. The chemical piperine, present in black pepper, causes the spiciness. It is native to the southern state of India, Kerala. From ancient times, black pepper is one of the most widely traded spices in the world. It is not seasonal and is, therefore available throughout the year.

Read more
http://mrinalkantipal.blogspot.com/2011/02/black-pepper-health-benefits.html

Some very useful links are given below

The healing power of blue charged water

http://mrinalkantipal.blogspot.com/2010/06/healing-power-of-blue-charged-water.html

Fenugreek – can it cure diabetes or obesity

http://mrinalkantipal.blogspot.com/2011/02/fenugreek-can-it-cure-diabetes-and.html

A cup of tea – an elixir of life

http://mrinalkantipal.blogspot.com/2011/02/cup-of-tea-elixir-of-life.html

Fenugreek (methi) – a home remedy for diabetes

http://mrinalkantipal.blogspot.com/2011/01/fenugreek-home-remedy-for-diabetes.html

Oil pulling therapy detoxifies human system

http://mrinalkantipal.blogspot.com/2010/12/oil-pulling-therapy-detoxifies-human.html

Enhance Health Tips

http://mrinalkantipal.blogspot.com/2009/12/enhance-health-tips.html

rejunvinator of nervous system

http://mrinalkantipal.blogspot.com/2009/08/rejuvinator-of-nervous-system-gyan.html

Apan Vayu mudra as heart remedy

http://mrinalkantipal.blogspot.com/2011/01/apan-vayu-mudra-as-heart-remedy.html

Mudras for health and healing

http://mrinalkantipal.blogspot.com/2010/01/mudras-for-health-and-healing.html

Trifala – the colon cleanser

http://mrinalkantipal.blogspot.com/2011/02/trifala-colon-cleanser.html

Five Simple Steps to Improve Your Self-Esteem

2011-09-24T17:35:00.000+05:30

Five Simple Steps to Improve Your Self-Esteem

Self-esteem is part of your total self-image. It’s the part that “likes” who you are and the things that you do. Some of us have a bloated sense of self-esteem, but many more of us lack self-esteem, even though it’s well deserved.

To help you develop more respect for yourself and to like yourself better, here are five simple steps to follow.

1. Do the right thing. You’re walking in a mall and you find a wallet filled with money. The right thing to do is to hand the wallet in to lost and found, or even call the police or hand it off to mall security.

Most of us know the right thing to do and by following those instincts, we come to like ourselves better because we have the right values.

2. Learn to say “I’m Sorry” How many of us view an apology as a sign of weakness. It’s anything but. When you hurt someone’s feelings, you are sorry. Yes, it takes courage to admit mistakes, but it makes you stronger.

3. Be a good listener. When a friend talks to you about a problem, most of the time they aren’t looking to you for a solution (unless you are the problem). Most of the time they need to sort through the problem and they just need a sympathetic ear. Listen to others, good times and bad, and they’ll listen to you.

4. Pat yourself on the back. When you achieve a goal or receive a compliment from your manager, take a few seconds to pat yourself on the back. False modesty is just that – false. So, when you hit a home run, enjoy the moment, congratulate yourself and store the feeling in your memory. You’ll need to pull it out the next time you de-rail. And you will. We all do.

5. Do unto others…This adage appears in the Bible, the Koran, the teachings of Buddha and Confucius. By treating others the way we would want to be treated is the ultimate litmus test. If you find yourself criticizing one of your people in front of her peers, stop and ask yourself if that’s the way you’d want to be treated.

Criticize softly; praise loudly – that’s how I’d like to be treated so I treat others that same way. It’s a moral compass that keeps us doing the “right thing” mentioned in point #1. It’s the source of courage to apologize; it’s the basis of being a good listener and it enables to enjoy your victories and overcome defeats.

This one, ancient proverb – Do unto others as you would have them do unto you – regardless of source, is your road map to improved self-esteem.

Stay Young Always - Health Tips

2011-09-24T16:01:00.001+05:30

Anti-Aging Cures: The Example of Lecithin

To stay young, take lecithin.

Besides reducing the cholesterol level in the blood, there is mounting scientific evidence to

suggest several other benefits from lecithin. It has been suggested that its intake in sufficient

amounts can help rebuild those cells and organs which need it. Lecithin helps to maintain their

health once they are repaired. It may mean that a deficiency of lecithin in the diet may be one

of the causes of ageing and that its use may be beneficial in retarding the ageing process.

Edward R. Hewith in his book, The Years Between 75 and 90 says," with older people the fats

remain high in the blood for from five to seven hours and in some cases as long as 20 hours,

thus giving the fats more time to become located in the tissues. If lecithin is given to older

people before a fatty meal, it has been found that the fats in the blood return to normal in a short time,

in the same way they do in younger people."

Getting to Know the Basic Concepts of Human Nutrition:
The Example of PotassiumPotassium deficiencies are associated with breathlessness, fatigue, insomnia and low blood

sugar. Potassium is essential for healthy heart muscles. Nuts and unrefined grains are good

sources of potassium. Calcium is a natural sedative. Deficiencies can cause fatigue,

nervousness and tension. Dairy products, eggs, almonds, and soyabeans are rich sources of

calcium. Magnesium is known as nature's tranquilliser and is associated with the prevention of

heart attack. Deficiencies may lead to excitability, irritability, apprehension and emotional

disorders. Magnesium is also necessary for absorption of calcium and potassium and is found

in many fruits, vegetables, seeds, dates and prunes.

Get to Know Basic Diet Concepts: The Example of How Fibre in the Diet Lowers

Cholesterol in the Blood

The amount of fibre in the diet also influences the cholesterol levels and LDL cholesterol can

be lowered by taking diets rich in fibres. The most significant sources of dietary fibre are

unprocessed wheat bran, whole cereals such as wheat, rice, barley, rye; legumes such as

potato, carrot, beet and turnips; fruits like mango and guava and green vegetables such as

cabbage, lady's finger, lettuce and celery.

Oat bran is especially beneficial in lowering LDL cholesterol. Expect effects of 8 to 15 mg/dl

after consuming 30 g of oat bran each day for 30 days.

Guru Nanak Dev-ji at Patna

2011-09-23T09:29:00.000+05:30

This is a painting which describes Guru Nanak at Patna. Please read the following story. Story has been collected from facebook group “Radhasoami Satsangi Sewa Group”

This has been reproduced here with the request that readers of this blog may please investigate when Guruji was at Patna and where he stayed at patna. The place described as bank of the Ganges.

Life as a Jewel

*******************

One afternoon Guru Nanak and his company were resting on the banks of the Ganges at Patna. Mardana was idly inspecting a stone he had picked up along the road, thinking of the vast throngs who had come to hear the Guru. "Master," said Mardana, "you teach a way for every person to find liberation. But many of those who listen still seem to spend much of their time in conflict, and in seeking out excitement and other idle pursuits.

Why do they waste away their lives so?"

"Most people don't recognize its value," replied the Guru, "although human life is the dearest treasure on this earth."

"Surly everyone can see the value of life," said Mardana.

"No," said Nanak. "Each man places his own value on things according to what he thinks.

A different man with different knowledge will place a different value. That stone you found in the dirt will make a good example. Take it to the marketplace and see what you can get for it."

Puzzled, Mardana took the stone to the marketplace and at a stall that sold sweets asked what the vendor would trade for it. The man laughed. "Go away, you're wasting my time."

He next tried a produce seller. "I have paying customers to wait on," said the grocer. "I'll give you an onion for it just to get you out of here."

Mardana tried several more shops with no better response.

Finally he came to the shop of Salis Raj, the jeweler. Salis Raj's eyes opened wide when he saw the stone. "I'm sorry," he said, "I don't have enough money to buy your gem. But I will give you a hundred rupees if you will let me look at it a while longer."

Mardana hurried back to the Guru to tell him what had happened.

"See," said Guru Nanak, "how when we are ignorant we mistake a valuable gem (LIFE) for a worthless stone.

If someone had told you its value( OF LIFE ) before you knew what it was, you would have thought they were crazy.

Such a jewel is human life, and whatever you've traded for it, that is what is yours."

Mayan Calendar and Mayan Prophecy about 2012

2011-09-20T09:08:00.002+05:30

Mayan Calendar and Mayan Prophecy about 2012

Well, to begin with most people probably have a much too limited view of the importance of the Mayan civilization, and Native American traditions generally. In fact, at their height in the 5th to 9th centuries AD, the Mayan cities would be among the largest in the world and developed the most advanced mathematics and astronomy of their day. And so, even if the Native American civilizations hardly survived the later contact with the Europeans they were and are the carriers of a significant and irreplaceable part of the global human consciousness.

pic: The Mayan Calendar
When we talk about the Mayan Calendar something profoundly different is also meant than just a system to mark off the passage of time. The Mayan Calendar is above all a prophetic calendar that may help us understand the past and foresee the future. It is a calendar of the Ages that describes how the progression of Heavens and Underworlds condition the human consciousness and thus the frames for our thoughts and actions within a given Age. The Mayan Calendar provides an exact schedule for the Cosmic Plan and the unfolding of all things that come into existence. There is now ample empirical evidence for this, something that shines new light on the age old questions of mankind. Things do exist for a reason. The reason is that they fit into the divine cosmic plan. For those that seriously engage in a study of the Mayan Calendar this soon becomes evident and the former materialist world view loses all relevance. The Mayan Calendar is a gateway to the worlds of consciousness which the majority of humanity has been blinded to through the use of false or delusory calendars.

Mayan calendrical formulae which predicts the end of the world to be December 21st 2012. He taught the people to live in peace and then moved on disappearing across the sea, but he promised he would someday return. Unfortunately for the ancient inhabitants of Mexico they mistook the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors and Cortez in 1519 as Quetzalcaotl's return, bringing about their tragic doom. Accepting them with open arms and treating them with utmost reverence the ancient people expected their newly arrived god to bestow great benevolence upon them. Instead the Spanish invaders brought nothing but greed and brutality for their trusting hosts.

SOME SCIENTISTS SAY:

The astronomer Philip Plait has stated very clearly that the Mayan calendar does not end in 2012 at all, that it is like the odometer on your car, as each section of the odometer reaches 9 and then clicks over to 0, the next number to it starts a new cycle, so that when all the numbers again reach 0 all the way across the odometer - the last number will change from 1 to 2 and the new cycle starts all over again.

The public has many misconceptions about earthquakes – whether it’s the inevitability of California falling into the ocean or the wisdom of standing in a doorway during heavy shaking -- and about science’s ability to predict them. As the April 18 centennial of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake approaches, CGS hopes to debunk some common quake myths and help the public become better informed about the potential hazard.

While there are reports of predictions that have accurately stated the time, location and magnitude of an earthquake, frequently such reports aren’t examined in a scientifically rigorous fashion. Wills believe that the human tendency to seek out patterns to make sense of things – as well as selective memory – are behind many claims of inside knowledge of what the Earth is up to.

During a recent total eclipse of the sun, residents of Turkey’s Tokat province camped out in tents, fearing an earthquake. Although the scientific community offered reassurance that there’s no connection between eclipses and quakes, residents remembered that in August 1999, 17,000 people in northwestern Turkey died when an earthquake struck six days after an eclipse.

The 2012 date indeed marks the completion of this World Age Cycle. Rather than something to fear, we can understand the 2012 prophecy as signalling us that we need to awaken and realize that these times on Earth are auspicious; we are living in land-mark times in the history of our planet. We are collectively in a cross-roads moment that is calling out to us to participate in our fullest capacity. We are each being summoned to bring our inspiration and empowerment to the fore, as we must all take our places in transforming our human culture to be one of Harmony—with ourselves, with each other and with all of Nature.

The New Cycle that is to emerge is founded on us awakening to the beauty and responsibility of our interconnectedness. Every one of us has a piece in this cosmic puzzle, and we must help each other find our heart's guidance in these mysterious times. As we recognize we are in a Global Healing Crisis, we can shake off the wounded victim mentality, and arise as Medicine Warriors, here to do the necessary work to help lay the ground for a New Era to root, conscious of our obligations to future generations.

Is 2012 going to be the "End of The World?"

No, not in terms of the complete destruction of the Earth and some kind of annihilation scenario. 2012 is not bringing the end of the planet.

When we contemplate the expression "end of the world" let us realize the term "world" can refer to a cycle; a period of time; a world age era. Therefore 2012 is signalling the completion of one World Age Cycle, transitting into an emerging New World Age to come.

It is said that the world we are ending is the one that is dominated by materialism and ego consciousness, therefore it may be that the world to follow will be founded on different values that honor the spirit of the interdependence of all of life.

In regards to the ever-increasing attention on the December 21, 2012 date, the living Maya of Guatemala urgently want it to be known that their ancient prophecies have been distorted and misportrayed as doomsday predictions. They do not advocate all the fear and hysteria that is being generated by the sensationalized 2012 rumors, and they want people to be aware that most of the 2012 (mis)information being put out is not sourced from the Maya or their calendars whatsoever, even though it may appear to be associated with them.

In this time of prophecy, we need to move from motivating ourselves not from fear, but from awareness. To navigate these critical times on earth, in addition to our discernment and our intuition, we must find our hearts and follow their inspiration, for they are our purest guides and can help us tune into our unique path of service.

When we contemplate what the world might be like beyond 2012, let us be clear that no one can predict the specifics of how things may appear as we enter this new cycle, or whether the transformations still to come may emerge gradually or swiftly. Everything depends on how conscious we can become as a species, and how we all contribute to this process of awakening our human potential. The details of how this new era may actually manifest is up to the merits of our collective creativity and the possible breakthroughs which can unfold through our resourcefulness and ingenuity.

Mayan Calendar Matches Hindu Calendar

It is interesting that this prediction of the emergence of a new world is prophesied to appear about the same time that the Mayans predicted it to come! The Mayan calendar began with the Fifth Great Cycle in 3114 BC and will end on 21 December 2012 AD. The Hindu Kali Yuga calendar began on 18 February 3102 B.C. There is only a difference of 12 years between the Hindu's beginning of the Kali Yuga and the Mayan's beginning of the Fifth Great Cycle.

Golden Age Could Begin in 2012

The ancient Hindus mainly used lunar calendars but also used solar calendars. If an average lunar year equals 354.36 days, then this would be about 5270 lunar years from the time when the Kali Yuga started until 21 Dec 2012. This is the same year that the Mayans predict rebirth of our planet. It is also about 5113 solar years of 365.24 days per year, and is day number 1,867,817 into the Kali Yuga. By either solar or lunar years, we are over 5,000 years into the Kali Yuga and it is time for Lord Krishna's prophecy to happen according to the ancient Hindu scriptures. Lord Krishna's Golden Age could easily begin in 2012!

Mayan Prophecy Matches Hindu Prophecy

It is amazing that both calendars began at about the same time over 5,000 years ago and both calendars predict a totally new world and/or golden age after about 5,000 years into their calendars! We are definitely on to something with these Mayan and Hindu 2012 predictions. Historically, this is an amazing fact since these two ancient cultures did not have any contact.

see this video

The Meaning of the Maha-Mantra

2011-09-19T17:10:00.000+05:30

The Meaning of the Maha-Mantra

"Hare Krsna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare"

"A mantra is mystical energy encased in a sound structure and each mantra contains within its vibrations a certain power. But of all mantras, the maha-mantra (the Hare Krishna mantra) has been prescribed as the easiest and surest way for attaining God Realization in this present age."

George Harrison (1943-2001),

in his autobiography :'I, me and Mine'

This mantra is known as the Maha-mantra of Kailyug (the supreme mantra of Kaliyug - the present era of machine where truth and righteousness are at their lowest level. ) It has been said that by repeating this mantra with faith and devotion, one can attain salvation and peace of mind.

This is the Hare Krishna mantra, or maha-mantra, the great mantra for deliverance. Composed of three of the holy names of God from the Sanskrit scriptures of ancient India, it is transcendental sound vibration. It is not ordinary sound.

The word mantra comes from man (mind) and tra (to free). A mantra is a sound or prayer that frees the mind from the miseries of the material world.

The three holy names in the maha-mantra are Hare, Krishna, and Rama.

Hare is pronounced “huh-ray”.

Hare means the energy of God.

The Sanskrit word for energy is shakti. Shakti has a personal, specifically feminine, dimension to its meaning. So here, energy means the feminine aspect of God. Our spiritual master, His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, explained that the name Hare refers to Mother Hara, otherwise known as Radha or Radharani.

Krishna is pronounced with a short “i”. The correct pronunciation is KRISH-na, (not KREESH-na.)

Krishna means the All-Attractive Supreme Personality of Godhead.

There are many attractive qualities to be found in the world, and many people have some degree of one or more of these qualities, but the one who has all of these qualities in full and unlimited measure can only be God. He is the source of all qualities, and in fact of all things in existence.

He is a person, the original person, and the source of all incarnations and manifestations of Himself and of His creation, so He is called not just God but the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Rama is pronounced to rhyme with drama, RAH-muh.

Rama means the reservoir of all pleasure.

If we try to find pleasure independently we will only find brief snippets and it will be mixed with misery. But if we tap into the reservoir of all pleasure, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, by devotional service, we will be connected to the unlimited reservoir of all pleasure.

Whenever you chant this mantra, always keep its meaning in mind. Chant this mantra with devotion and faith . While repeating his mantra request the God almighty to take away all your sorrows, pains and failures and give you joy and bliss.

It is the experience of many that when one repeat this mantra with full faith and with full awareness of its meaning, his/her whole being gets filled with Krishna Consciousness ( which is a name given to the feeling of bliss and joy one gets in repeating this mantra.)

This mantra is a very easy mantra. You can chant it anytime, anywhere. Give at least 15 minutes per day for this mantra repetition. Sit quietly in a comfortable position. Then either chant it silently or loudly. Repeat it with full awareness of its meaning which is " O lord, take away all my sorrows, pains and shortcomings and give me bliss and joy".

This mantra is a simple and effective meditation technique. Slowly you will start enjoying it as its repetition will give you a sense of calm and bliss.

Listen to Mahamantra

Listen to another uploaded by Jagjit Singh

Significance of Navaratri and Durga Puja

2011-09-19T16:11:00.000+05:30

Significance of Navaratri and Durga Puja

Devi-Mahatyma extols the greatness of Durga in 700 hymns grouped into 537 sections and therefore it is also known as Durga Sapta Sati. It details the exploits of the goddess in her three major forms: Kali, Lakshmi and Saraswati, representing the three fold energy: strength, wealth and wisdom. The most famous episode is Durga killing Mahishasura.

MAHISHASURA MARDINI

Although the Great Goddess Durga is honored everywhere, Her most celebrated role -- as Mahishasura Mardini, the Slayer of Mahisha, the Buffalo Demon -- is so central to the Shakta religion that it merits separate consideration.

HER STORY

Her basic myth is simple, as the greatest stories tend to be: Mahisha, a great demon (asura), has undertaken extraordinary austerities, and thereby accrued such vast power that even the Gods can no longer defeat him. In successive battles, they lose the three worlds to Mahisha's superior might -- and the Cosmic Order in thrown into disarray. Mahishasura defeated the gods and the demons. He attacked the heaven and captured it and made ‘devas’ his slaves. He proclaimed that he is now Indra – the lord of the gods.

Clearly, a hero and savior is needed -- but who can defeat an enemy that is mightier than the Gods? Answer: The Power (Shakti) that created both the Gods and the enemy in the first place. In order to access that Power, the Gods must reverse the downward unfolding of Divine manifestation, i.e. the cosmic tattvas. (Not coincidentally, this is also the goal of any sadhana undertaken by a human devotee. To help understand the lesson offered here, think of Mahisha as the individual human ego.)

Birth of Goddess Durga

The actions of Mahishasura caused intense anger in the Trimurtis. The anger emerging out of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva combined to the take the shape of a terrible form and this was Durga.

It is said that the flames of fire that gushed out of the eyes of the Trimurtis – Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva – formed a mountain, brilliant like a million suns. Out of this mountain, Durga took shape as the goddess more powerful than all the gods.

‘samasta devanam tejo rasi samudbhavam’ Durga is the brilliance of all the gods.

Captivated by the awe-inspiring Durga, the gods bestowed on her their own characteristic weapons. Shiva – the trident, Vishnu – the discus, Varuna – the conch, Agni – the spear, Yama – the cudgel, Vayu – the bow, Surya – the arrows, Indra – the vajra, Kubera – the mace, Brahma – the water pot, Kala – the sword and Vishwakarma – the axe. Himavan gifted a mountain lion as her vehicle.

NAVRATRI, OR DURGA POOJA

Hindus commemorate this great battle each autumn during Durga Pooja, or Navratri -- the Festival of Nine Nights. This is the year's most important festival for Shaktas. Each night a different form of Goddess Durga is worshiped; collectively, these forms are known as the Nine Durgas, or Navdurga

Watch Danuja Dalani Doordarshan Show Part I

Watch Danuja Dalini Doordarshan Show Part II

Durga Saptashati - Devi Mahatmyam – Part I

2011-09-19T13:47:00.000+05:30

Durga Saptashati - Devi Mahatmyam – Part I

The stories of Devi Mahatmya are as told by Sage Markandeya to Sage Baguri. He tells him that one king called Suradha, who was driven out of his kingdom by his own people met one Vysya (businessman) called Samadhi who was driven out of his home by his wife and sons, in the forest. They discover that though their own people have driven them out, they are both worried about the welfare of their people. It appears to them that this is unnatural. So they approach Sage Sumedhas who was also living in the forest. The sage tells them that all this is the illusion created by the great Goddess called Vishnu Maya. They became curious and want to know about this great mother Goddess. He then relates to them the story of Devi Mahatmya, which consists of three stories in all of which the mother Goddess kills the enemies of Gods.

The first story is that of Madhu and Kaidabha. They take birth from the earwax of Lord Vishnu while he was asleep and start troubling Lord Brahma who was sitting on the lotus originating from the belly of Lord Vishnu. Lord Brahma prays to the Goddess to help him continue his work of creation. The goddess appears and takes the form of Lord Vishnu and kills both Asuras after wrestling with them for thousands of years. Since both these Asuras were of Thamasic origin, she also had a thamasic form.

The second story is of how the mother Goddess helped the devas by killing Mahishasura. This Asura who had the form of buffalo, drove away the devas and Indra from their homes. They all go and approach the holy trinity for the redressal of their grievances. This made those three gods very angry and the innate power of the Goddess in them came out and joined together. This goddess was further strengthened by the powers of the various Gods. She was equipped with arms by all devas. This goddess, mainly consisting of the anger-generated power killed Mahishasura.

The third story is of how the Great Asura brothers Shumbha and Nishumbha were killed by the goddess. This time the gods approach Goddess Uma who was wandering in the Himalaya Mountains and told her of her sufferings. Out of the body of the Goddess came Koushikhi or Chandika. She was black in colour. She along with the powers generated by various Gods killed Shumbha and Nishumbha.

Sage Markandeya then tells of how, the king Suradha and Vysya Samadhi did penance on the goddess and got the boons that they wanted.

In the twelfth chapter of this great book, the Goddess tells that for one, who reads or hears, these three stories of her, there is nothing impossible to obtain including salvation.

In my translation I am following the interpretation of this great book by Brahmasri Kandiyur Mahadeva Sastrigal in malayalam, which is based on the text given to him by Sri Hari Krishna Sharma of Aurangabad, based on the commentaries on the book given in explanatory guides of the book viz. Durga Pradeepa, Gupthavathi, Chathurdhari, Santhanavi, Nagoji bhatti, Damsodharam and Jagat chandra chandrika.

It is believed that just possession of this book has helped many great people to fight evil spirits as well as getting the blessings of the Goddess herself. Several such folk stories abound all over India. One of those famous one in Kerala was how one great Manthrika called Kalluru Namboodhiri was asked by a king called Shakthan Thamburan, to enter the Kodungaloor Bhagawathi temple at night after the festival and bring back his ring from the closed sanctum sanctorum. He did this easily by taking with him a copy of Devi Mahatmya. This book though it is a treasure house for all those trying for super natural powers is also a book leading one to get his wishes fulfilled and also attain salvation.

It is believed that reading of the book during Sharad and Vasantha Navarathris is auspicious.

Chapter 1

The Slaying of Madhu and Kaitabha

Markandeya said (to his disciple Krasustuki Bhaguri):

There was a king by the name of Suratha who ruled the kingdom of Kola. He was a good king who protected his people and treated them as his sons. Some ministers of Kola plotted against king Suratha and deposed him. Deprived of his kingdom, king Suratha rode alone on horseback into a dense forest. There he came to the hermitage of sage Medhas, where the sage's disciples enhanced the atmosphere of the place and the wild animals looked mild as if influenced by the tranquil vibrations that emanated from the hermitage.

The sage received king Suratha with due hospitality. While on a walkabout near the hermitage, king Suratha reflected in his own mind. Overcome with attachment, he thought:

'I do not know whether the capital (which was) well guarded by my ancestors and recently deserted by me is being guarded righteously or not by my servants of evil conduct. I do not know what enjoyments (care) my chief elephant, heroic and always elated, and now fallen into the hands of my foes, will get. Those who were my constant followers and received favour, riches and food from me, now certainly pay homage to other kings. The treasures which I gathered with great care will be squandered by those constant spendthrifts, who are addicted to improper expenditures.'

The king was continually thinking of these and other things.

Near the hermitage of the sage the king saw a merchant, and asked him:

‘Who are you? What is the reason for your coming here? Wherefore do you appear as if afflicted with grief and depressed in mind?'

Hearing this speech of the king, uttered in a friendly spirit, the merchant bowed respectfully and replied to the king.

The merchant said: 'I am a merchant named Samadhi, born in a wealthy family. I have been cast out by my sons and wife, who are wicked through greed of wealth. My wife and sons have misappropriated my riches, and made me devoid of wealth. Cast out by my trusted kinsmen, I have come to the forest grief-stricken. Dwelling here, I do not know anything about the welfare of my sons, kinsmen and wife. How are they? Are my sons living good or evil lives?'

The king said: 'Why is your mind affectionately attached to those covetous folks, your sons, wife and others, who have deprived you of your wealth?'

The merchant said: 'This very thought has occurred to me, just as you have uttered it. What can I do? My mind does not leave attachment; it bears deep affection to those very persons who have driven me out in their greed for wealth, abandoning love for a father and attachment to one's master and kinsmen. I do not comprehend although, I know it. O noble hearted king, how is it that the mind is prone to love even towards worthless kinsmen? On account of them I heave heavy sighs and feel dejected. What can I do since my mind does not become hard towards those unloving ones?’

Markandeya said: . Then the merchant Samadhi and the noble king Suratha together approached the sage (Medhas); and after observing the etiquette worthy of him and as was proper, they sat down and conversed (with him).

The king said: 'Sir, I wish to ask you one thing. Be pleased to reply to it. Without the control of my intellect, my mind is afflicted with sorrow. Though I have lost the kingdom, like an ignorant man- though I know it- I have an attachment to all the paraphernalia of my kingdom. How is this, O best of sages? And this merchant has been disowned by his children, wife and servants, and forsaken by his own people; still he is inordinately affectionate towards them. Thus both he and I, drawn by attachment towards objects whose defects we do know, are exceedingly unhappy. How does this happen, then, sir, that though we are aware of it, this delusion persists? This delusion besets me as well as him, blinded as we are in respect of discrimination?'

The Rishi said: ‘Sir, every being has the knowledge of objects perceivable by the senses. And object of sense reaches it in various ways. Some beings are blind by day, and others are blind by night; some beings have equal sight both by day and night. Human beings are certainly endowed with knowledge, but they are not the only beings (to be so endowed), for cattle, birds, animals and other creatures also cognise (objects of senses).

The knowledge that men have, birds and beasts too have; and what they have men also possess; and the rest (like eating and sleeping) is common to both of them. Look at these birds, which though they possess knowledge, and are themselves distressed by hunger are yet, because of the delusion, engaged in feeding grains into the beaks of their young ones. See with what devotion they put the food grains into the beaks of their young ones? Men, O king, are full of desires. Human beings are, O tiger among men, attached to their children because of greed, expecting rewards in return.

Do you not see this? Even so men are hurled into the whirlpool of attachment, the pit of delusion, through the power of Mahamaya (the Great deusion), who makes the existence of the world possible. Marvel not at this. This Mahamaya is the Yoganidra, of Vishnu, the Lord of the world. It is by her the world is deluded. Verily she, the Bhagavati, the Mahamaya forcibly drawing the minds of even the wise, entangles them into delusion. She creates this entire universe, both moving and unmoving. It is she who, when propitious, becomes a boon-giver to human beings for their final liberation. She is the supreme knowledge, the cause of final liberation, and eternal; she is the cause of the bondage of transmigration and the sovereign over all lords.’

The king said: . 'Venerable sir, who is that Devi whom you call Mahamaya? How did she come into being, and what is her sphere of action, O sage? What constitutes her nature? What is her form? Wherefrom did she originate? All that I wish to hear from you, O you supreme among the knowers of Brahman.'

The Rishi said:

She is eternal, embodied as the universe. By her all this is pervaded. Nevertheless she incarnates in manifold ways; hear it from me. When she manifests herself in order to accomplish the purposes of the devas, she is said to be born in the world, though she is eternal. At the end of a kalpa when the universe was one ocean ( with the waters of the deluge) and the adorable Lord Vishnu stretched out on Sesa and took the mystic slumber, the terrible asuras (demons) the well-known Madhu and Kaitabha, sprung into being from the dirt of Vishnu's ears, and sought to slay Brahma.

Brahma, the father of beings, was sitting in the lotus (that came out) from Vishnu's navel. Seeing these two fierce asuras and Janardhana (Vishnu) asleep, and with a view to awakening Hari (Vishnu), Brahma with concentrated mind extolled Yoganidra, dwelling in Hari's eyes (appeared as Sleep in the eyes of Vishnu). The resplendent Lord Brahma extolled the incomparable Goddess of Vishnu, Yoganidra, the queen of cosmos, the supporter of the worlds, the cause of the sustenance and dissolution alike (of the universe).

Brahma said: ‘O great Mother! 'You are Svaha (the energy of Devas). You are Svadha (the energy of Pitris). You are verily the Vasat (the emblem of sacrifice). You are the embodiment of Svara (Vedic accent). You are Sudha (the nectar). O eternal and imperishable One, you are the embodiment of the threefold mantra. You are Savitri and the supreme Mother of the devas. You are the goddess of good fortune, the ruler, modesty, intelligence characterized by knowledge, bashfulness, nourishment, contentment, tranquillity and forbearance. Armed with sword, spear, club, discus, conch, bow, arrows, slings and iron mace, you are terrible (and at the same time) you are pleasing, yea more pleasing than all the pleasing things and exceedingly beautiful. You are indeed the supreme Isvari, beyond the high and low. O Devi, bewitch these two unassailable asuras Madhu and Kaitabha with your superior powers. Let Vishnu, the Master of the world, be quickly awakened from sleep and rouse up his nature to slay these two great asuras.'

The Rishi said: There, the Devi of delusion extolled thus by Brahma, the creator, in order to awaken Vishnu for the destruction of Madhu and Kaitabha, drew herself out from every part of Vishnu’s body, and appeared before Brahma. Janardana (Vishnu), Lord of the universe, rose up from His couch on the universal ocean, and saw those two evil (asuras), Madhu and Kaitabha, of exceeding heroism and power, with eyes red in anger, endeavouring to devour Brahma. Thereupon the all-pervading Lord Vishnu got up and fought with the asuras for five thousand years, using his own arms as weapons. And they, frenzied with their exceeding power, and deluded by Mahamaya, exclaimed to Vishnu, ' Ask a boon from us.'

Lord Vishnu said: 'If you are satisfied with me, you must both be slain by me now. What need is there of any other boon here? My choice is this much indeed.'

The Rishi said: Those two (asuras), thus bewitched (by Mahamaya), gazing then at the entire world turned into water, told Lord Vishnu the lotus eyed One, 'Slay us at the spot where the earth is not flooded with water.' The Rishi said: Saying 'Be it so', Lord Vishnu, the great wielder of conch, discus and mace, took them on His loins and there severed their heads with His discus. Thus she (Mahamaya) herself appeared when praised by Brahma. Now listen again the glory of this Devi that I will tell you. Here ends the first chapter called 'The slaying of Madhu and Kaitabha' of Devi Mahatmya Sri Durga Saptashati in Markandeya Purana, during the period of Savarni, the Manu.

Now listen to The Slaying of Madhu and Kaitabha

Traditional Mahalaya - Significance and Ritual Chandipath

2011-09-17T20:55:00.000+05:30

Traditional Mahalaya - Significance and Ritual Chandipath by Birendra Kishore Bhadra

The traditional six day countdown to Mahasaptami starts from Mahalaya. Goddess Durga visits the earth for only four days but seven days prior to the Pujas, starts the Mahalaya. The enchanting voice of Birendra Krishna Bhadra fill up the predawn hours of the day thus marking the beginning of " devipaksha " and the beginning of the count-down of Durga Puja.

Sarat in its bloom,mingled with the festive spirit of Durga Puja reaches its pitch on the day of Mahalaya. From this day starts 'Devipaksha' and marks the end of 'Pitri-paksha'. It is the day when many throng to the banks of river Ganga, clad in dhotis to offer prayers to their dead relatives and forefathers.People in the pre-dawn hours pray for their demised relatives and take holy dips in the Ganges. This ritual is known as 'Torpon'. This day bears immense significance for the Bengalis. It is according to the myths that Sree Rama hastily performed Durga Puja

just before he set for Lanka to rescue Sita from Ravana.

According to Puranas, King Suratha, used to worship goddess Durga in spring. Thus Durga Puja was also known as Basanti Puja. But Rama preponed the Puja and worshiped Durga in autumn and that is why it is known as 'Akal Bodhon' or untimely worship. It was considered untimely as it is in the myths that puja was performed when the Gods and Goddesses were awake i.e. "Uttarayan" and was not held when the Gods and Goddesses rested ie."Dakshinayan".

It was on the day of Mahalaya,the beginning of "devipaksha",the Gods and Goddesses woke up to prepare themselves for Durga Puja. Akashvani Mahalaya: In the year 1930, Mahalaya was first broadcasted over the radio in Akashvani. The programme was organised by Premankur Aatorthi, Birendra Krishna Bhadra, Nripendra Krishna Mukhopadhya and Raichand Boral. It was broadcasted live then.

Later it was recorded and played. Bengal's cine star, Uttam Kumar had once recited Mahalaya while Hemanta Kumar Mukhopadhya was the music director. But it was not popular among the mass and from then it has always been the voice of Birendra Kishna Bhadra enthralling the listeners in the pre-dawn hours of Mahalaya. The script was written by Bani Kumar, music was directed by Pankaj Kumar Mallik while Dijen Mukhopadhya, Manobendra Mukhopadhya (Tabo Achinta....), Sandhya Mukhopadhya, Arati Mukhopadhya, Utpala Sen, Shyamal Mitra and Supriti Ghosh (Bajlo tomar alor benu....) sang in their melodious voices.

Later it was recorded and played. Bengal's cine star, Uttam Kumar had once recited Mahalaya while Hemanta Kumar Mukhopadhya was the music director. But it was not popular among the mass and from then it has always been the voice of Birendra Kishna Bhadra enthralling the listeners in the pre-dawn hours of Mahalaya. The script was written by Bani Kumar, music was directed by Pankaj Kumar Mallik while Dijen Mukhopadhya, Manobendra Mukhopadhya (Tabo Achinta....), Sandhya Mukhopadhya, Arati Mukhopadhya, Utpala Sen, Shyamal Mitra and Supriti Ghosh (Bajlo tomar alor benu....) sang in their melodious voices.

The Recitation of Shri Birendra Kishore Bhadra along with the team of singers and instrument playings are reproduced below in MP3 format. Listen and enjoy.

Part I Listen to MP3

Part II Listen to MP3

Tajmahal - Was it a Shiva Temple

2011-09-15T12:52:00.001+05:30

Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal is a monument located in Agra, India. It was commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, the son of Jahangir, as a mausoleum for his Persian wife, Arjumand Banu Begum, also known as Mumtaz-ul-Zamani or Mumtaz Mahal. It took 23 years to complete (1630 - 1653) and is a masterpiece of Mughal architecture.

The architectural complex of the Taj Mahal covers an area of approximately 580 m × 300 m, comprised of five main components: the darwaza (gateway), the bageecha (garden) which is in the form of the typical Mughal charbagh (garden divided into four parts), the masjid (mosque), the mehmaan khana (guest house), and finally the mausoleum of Taj Mahal, at the northern end of the complex.

Following copied from the website http://www.stephen-knapp.com/was_the_taj_mahal_a_vedic_temple.htm and is appended below for information of the readers of this blog -----------------

QUOTE

Real History of "Taj Mahal"

"The Moghul Emperor Shah Jahan in the memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal built the Taj Mahal. It was built in 22 years (1631 to 1653) by 20,000 artisans brought to India from all over the world! . Many people believe Ustad Isa of Iran designed it." This is what your guide probably told you if you ever visited the Taj Mahal. This is the same story I read in my history book as a student.

NOW READ THIS.......

No one has ever challenged it except Prof. P. N. Oak, who believes the whole world has been duped. In his book Taj Mahal: The True Story, Oak says the Taj Mahal is not Queen Mumtaz's tomb but an ancient Hindu temple palace of Lord Shiva (then known as Tejo Mahalaya). In the course of his research Oak discovered that the Shiva temple palace was usurped by Shah Jahan from then Maharaja of Jaipur, Jai Singh. In his own court chronicle, Badshahnama,

Shah Jahan admits that an exceptionally beautiful grand mansion in Agra was taken from Jai SIngh for Mumtaz's burial. The ex-Maharaja of Jaipur still retains in his secret collection two orders from Shah Jahan for surrendering the Taj building. Using captured temples and mansions, as a burial place ! for dead courtiers and royalty was a common practice among Muslim rulers.

For example, Humayun,Akbar, Etmud-ud-Daula and Safdarjung are all buried in such mansions. Oak's inquiries began with the name of Taj Mahal. He says the term "Mahal" has never been used for a building in any Muslim countries from Afghanisthan to Algeria. "The unusual explanation that the term Taj Mahal derives from Mumtaz Mahal was illogical in atleast two respects.

Firstly, her name was never Mumtaz Mahal but Mumtaz-ul-Zamani," he writes. Secondly, one cannot omit the first three letters 'Mum' from a woman's name to derive the remainder as the name for the building."Taj Mahal, he claims, is a corrupt version of Tejo Mahalaya, or Lord Shiva's Palace. Oak also says the love story of Mumtaz and Shah Jahan is a fairy tale created by court sycophants, blundering historians and sloppy archaeologists. Not a single royal chronicle of Shah Jahan's time corroborates the love story.

Furthermore, Oak cites several documents suggesting the Taj Mahal predates Shah Jahan's era, and was a temple dedicated to Shiva, worshipped by Rajputs of Agra city. For example, Prof. Marvin Miller of New York took a few samples from the riverside doorway of the Taj. Carbon dating tests revealed that the door was 300 years older than Shah Jahan. European traveler Johan Albert Mandelslo,who visited Agra in 1638 (only seven years after Mumtaz's

death), describes the life of the city in his memoirs. But he makes no reference to the Taj Mahal being built. The writings of Peter Mundy, an English visitor to Agra within a year of Mumtaz's death, also suggest the Taj was a noteworthy building well before Shah Jahan's time.

Prof. Oak points out a number of design and architectural inconsistencies that support the belief of the Taj Mahal being a typical Hindu temple rather than a mausoleum.Many rooms in the Taj ! Mahal have remained sealed since Shah Jahan's time and are still inaccessible to the public. Oak asserts they contain a headless statue of Lord Shiva and other objects commonly used for worship rituals in Hindu temples. Fearing political backlash, Indira Gandhi's government tried to have Prof. Oak's book withdrawn from the bookstores, and threatened the Indian publisher of the first edition dire consequences. There is only one way to discredit or validate Oak's research.

The current government should open the sealed rooms of the Taj Mahal under U.N. supervision, and let international experts investigate.

See this video -----

The Tajmahal photos and explantion in pdf link
http://www.divshare.com/download/15722626-376

Do circulate this to all you know and let them know about this reality..... Hey guys please check this link ........it adds as a visual proof .........
http://www.stephen-knapp.com/was_the_taj_mahal_a_vedic_temple.htm

UNQUOTE

Please see the pics by clicking the link below --------

Tajmahal photos

http://www.box.net/shared/bznk5nym9n

Read more: http://www.funonthenet.in/content/view/232/31/#ixzz1XzxiHFZZ

The Fake Tajmahal of Bangladesh

2011-09-14T19:46:00.000+05:30

The Fake Tajmahal of Bangladesh

The Telegraph Kolkata Report

Ahsanullah Moni unveiled the first glimpse of his copy of the Taj Mahal this week.

The project has cost about £40 million and is being built about 20 miles northeast of Dhaka, the Bangladeshi capital.

But the construction has provoked debate about whether a building's design can be copyrighted, the Times reports.

Indians are angry that the original will no longer be the only Taj Mahal.

“You can't just go and copy historical monuments,” an official at the Indian High Commission in Dhaka said this week.

BBC news

A life-size replica of the Taj Mahal, often described as the world's most beautiful building, is due to open for visitors in Bangladesh.

The replica has been built by a Bangladeshi filmmaker.

Ahsanullah Moni said he wanted his countrymen to experience the beauty of the Indian monument even if they were too poor to travel to see the original.

The 17th Century Taj was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a tomb for his beloved queen, Mumtaz Mahal.

The emperor is buried next to his queen in the monument in the northern Indian city of Agra, which is visited by millions every year.

The $58m (£39m) replica has been built in Sonargaon, a small town in the Bangladeshi countryside.

Video presentation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXRD6oOh_Lk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iW-LFDgvHEs

To make his Taj, Mr Moni imported marble and granite from Italy and diamonds from Belgium to add to 160kg (350lb) of bronze. He hopes that his version of the mausoleum will attract tourists to Bangladesh, a country that is well off the beaten track for Western holidaymakers.

Construction work began five years ago, but Mr Moni says that he came up with the idea in 1980 when he first visited the real Taj in Agra, northern India.

He said that his homage had been built because most people living in Bangladesh - where nearly half of the population exist below the poverty line - cannot afford to travel to India to see the real thing.

“Everyone dreams about seeing the Taj Mahal but very few Bangladeshis can make the trip because it's too expensive for them,” he said.

Mr Moni first visited the original in 1980 and has made six return trips. So enamoured was he of the site that he hired a group of architects and sent them to India to measure it.

He said: “I used the same marble and stone as in the original Taj. We used machinery, which is why it took less time. Otherwise it would have taken 20 years and 22,000 workers to complete it.”

Last night Mr Mittal, at the Indian High Commission, did concede that the replica was unlikely to detract from the magnificence of the original.

He also admitted that visitors were unlikely to mix up one with the other. “A copy is a form of flattery, I suppose,” he said.

Asanulla Moni says the replica of Taj Mahal, which covers an area of four acres, is part of a 4bn taka (£39m) film city which he will use as a giant movie set.

Almost 40% of Bangladesh's 142 million people, the majority of which are Muslim, live below the official poverty line.

"I am doing this only for the poor. They cannot travel. They cannot see this historical wonder," said Moni. "I also hope the landmark construction can attract more tourists from home and abroad."

Bangladesh is not a haven for tourists. Less than a tenth of a per cent of visitors to the Asia-Pacific region stop there.

The director, who also owns a studio and cinema, first saw the Taj Mahal in 1980 and travelled back six times to see how he might "rebuild it in Bangladesh". In the end he sent his architects to measure the dimensions of the original building and brought back Indian technicians to help him recreate one of the "wonders of the world".

India's Taj Mahal is considered the high point of Mughal architecture, described as by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore as "a tear on the face of eternity". It was built over two decades in the 17th century by heartbroken Moghul emperor Shah Jahan, in memory of his beloved second wife who died during childbirth.

Facebook Profile

2011-09-14T08:29:00.001+05:30

Facebook Profile

Officially launched on Feb 4, 2005, Facebook primarily focused on high school to college students, Facebook has been gaining market share, and more significantly a supportive user base. Since their launch in February 2004, they’ve been able to obtain over 8 million users in the U.S. alone and expand worldwide to 7 other English-speaking countries, with more to follow. A growing phenomenon, let’s discover Facebook.

In early 2003, Adam D'Angelo, then a Caltech student who had been Mark Zuckerberg's best friend in high school, had developed the experimental, rudimentary social networking website Buddy Zoo, that was used by hundreds of thousands of people before D'Angelo shut it down. That summer, Zuckerberg and friends who were also computer science students worked coding for the summer in Boston and discussed the implication of D'Angelo's website's success with regard to the future of social networking on the Internet. In the fall, Zuckerberg, returning for his sophomore year at Harvard, wrote CourseMatch, a briefly popular site that helped Harvard students figure out what courses their friends were taking; and then, on October 28, 2003, he wrote Facemash, a site that, according to the Harvard Crimson, represented a harvard University version of Hot or Not.

That night, Zuckerberg made the following blog entries:

I'm a little intoxicated, not gonna lie. So what if it's not even 10 pm and it's a Tuesday night? What? The Kirkland [dorm] facebook is open on my desktop and some of these people have pretty horrendous facebook pics. I almost want to put some of these faces next to pictures of farm animals and have people vote on which is more attractive.

—9:48 pm

Yea, it's on. I'm not exactly sure how the farm animals are going to fit into this whole thing (you can't really ever be sure with farm animals...), but I like the idea of comparing two people together.

—11:09 pm

Let the hacking begin.

—12:58 am

Now, let’s look into Facebook – the service itself, and some of its features, highlights, and the things that got Facebook where it is today.

As Facebook has evolved, so have its profile pages – new fields have been added and users can share more information than before.

A typical Facebook profile consists of a number of different sections, including Information, Status, Friends, Friends in Other Networks, Photos, Notes, Groups, and The Wall. Most of the sections are self-explanatory but some are specific to Facebook.

Just like every other social network, Facebook has something called ‘groups.’ Users can create new ones or join and participate in existing ones. This is also displayed in their profile and is a good indication of hobbies and interests a person might have.

There are two kind of groups, a normal group and a secret group, which isn’t shown on the profile. A normal group is just like any other, but users can also create and invite others into secret groups. These can be used for collaborating on university projects, and provide a way to have closed discussions. About 80% of the groups are ‘fun-related’ and companies can even sponsor groups – as is the case with, for example, the Apple users group.

Apart from above there are pages devoted to any topic of interest, events, developers notes, member chats, group chats and many other entertaining features.

Some people live in Facebook, enjoying the “walled garden” environment where they can send messages, update their status, comment on other people’s status, announce events, share photos, tag them, give gifts, chat, use custom applications, and play games — all in this same environment, without using other services. Not only is Facebook becoming an aggregator of web services, it is also becoming the go-to location for clubs, groups, even churches — where people can share publicly or privately their taste, ideas, opinions and interests. It’s becoming the new “social dashboard.”

See the power point presentation here

This has exemplified and accelerated the Web 2.0 concept of “transparency” discussed in detail in Wired Magazine.

• Recruiters are using an applicant’s “social graph” to ascertain suitability.

• Job seekers are using it to network to previous fellow-coworkers and employers.

• Friends are expanding their networks through friends-of-friends.

• Parents are on Facebook to keep an eye on their children.

• Older folks are using it to keep their finger on the “pulse” of what younger people are talking about.

• Companies are using it to create online “buzz.”

• Websites now sport “ShareThis” on Facebook links. Mine does at the bottom of this article.

• Celebrities, performers, and the President are members.

• During the State of the Union address it became the back channel for comments.

Given the situation other social networks on the web are facing, Facebook is in a good position financially. While it hasn’t managed to get acquired like its rival MySpace (despite some rumors about an $800m deal with Viacom), it’s been quite lucky in most aspects. For its initial funding, it received $500,000 from Peter Theil, co-founder of PayPal. A few months later, it was also able to get $13 million from Accel Partners, who are also investors in 15 other Web 2.0 startups, and $25 million from Greylock Partners, making their overall venture equal to approximately $40 million.

For users, Facebook’s core service is completely free and ad-supported. In fact, in August 2006 Facebook signed a three year deal with Microsoft to provide and sell ads on their site in return for a revenue split. The deal followed an announcement from Facebook’s direct competitor MySpace who signed a similar deal with Google. The youthful demographic that both the services attract is highly prized amongst advertisers and should return a good amount of revenue for both the services to stay alive – and profit. Another deal which made news in July was Facebook’s agreement with Apple to give away 10 million free iTunes samplers to Facebook users. A deal has also been signed to provide Facebook credit cards.

(Information collected from Internet Resources)

Danger of Using Mobile Phone for a Long Time

2011-09-12T17:07:00.000+05:30

Danger of using mobile phone for a long time

Cell phones emit radiofrequency energy, a form of non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation, which can be absorbed by tissues closest to where the phone is held.

The amount of radiofrequency energy a cell phone user is exposed to depends on the technology of the phone, the distance between the phone’s antenna and the user, the extent and type of use, and the user’s distance from cell phone towers.

Studies thus far have not shown a consistent link between cell phone use and cancers of the brain, nerves, or other tissues of the head or neck. More research is needed because cell phone technology and how people use cell phones have been changing rapidly.

The communications protocols used by mobile phones often result in low-frequency pulsing of the carrier signal. Whether these modulations have biological significance has been subject to debate.

Some researchers have argued that so-called "non-thermal effects" could be reinterpreted as a normal cellular response to an increase in temperature. The German biophysicist Roland Glaser, for example, has argued that there are several thermoreceptor molecules in cells, and that they activate a cascade of second and third messenger systems, gene expression mechanisms and production of heat shock proteins in order to defend the cell against metabolic cell stress caused by heat. The increases in temperature that cause these changes are too small to be detected by studies such as REFLEX, which base their whole argument on the apparent stability of thermal equilibrium in their cell cultures.

Other researchers believe the stress proteins are unrelated to thermal effects, since they occur for both extremely low frequencies (ELF) and radio frequencies (RF), which have very different energy levels. Another preliminary study published in 2011 by The Journal of the American Medical Association conducted using fluorodeoxyglucose injections and positron emission tomography concluded that exposure to radiofrequency signal waves within parts of the brain closest to the cell phone antenna resulted in increased levels of glucose metabolism, but the clinical significance of this finding is unknown.

Until now there have been concerns that mobile phones were causing increases in brain tumours. Interphone is both large and rigorous enough to address this claim, and it has not provided any convincing scientific evidence of an association between mobile phone use and the development of glioma or meningioma. While the study demonstrates some weak evidence of an association with the highest tenth of cumulative call time (but only in those who started mobile phone use most recently), the authors conclude that biases and errors limit the strength of any conclusions in this group. It now seems clear that if there was an effect of mobile phone use on brain tumour risks in adults, this is likely to be too small to be detectable by even a large multinational study of the size of Interphone.

Electromagnetic hypersensitivity

Some users of mobile handsets have reported feeling several unspecific symptoms during and after its use; ranging from burning and tingling sensations in the skin of the head and extremities, fatigue, sleep disturbances, dizziness, loss of mental attention, reaction times and memory retentiveness, headaches, malaise, tachycardia (heart palpitations), to disturbances of the digestive system. Reports have noted that all of these symptoms can also be attributed to stress and that current research cannot separate the symptoms from nocebo effects.

Mobile phones are low-powered radiofrequency transmitters, operating at frequencies between 450 and 2700 MHz with peak powers in the range of 0.1 to 2 watts. The handset only transmits power when it is turned on. The power (and hence the radiofrequency exposure to a user) falls off rapidly with increasing distance from the handset. A person using a mobile phone 30–40 cm away from their body – for example when text messaging, accessing the Internet, or using a “hands free” device – will therefore have a much lower exposure to radiofrequency fields than someone holding the handset against their head.

In addition to using "hands-free" devices, which keep mobile phones away from the head and body during phone calls, exposure is also reduced by limiting the number and length of calls. Using the phone in areas of good reception also decreases exposure as it allows the phone to transmit at reduced power. The use of commercial devices for reducing radiofrequency field exposure has not been shown to be effective.

Mobile phones are often prohibited in hospitals and on airplanes, as the radiofrequency signals may interfere with certain electro-medical devices and navigation systems.

A number of studies have investigated the effects of radiofrequency fields on brain electrical activity, cognitive function, sleep, heart rate and blood pressure in volunteers. To date, research does not suggest any consistent evidence of adverse health effects from exposure to radiofrequency fields at levels below those that cause tissue heating. Further, research has not been able to provide support for a causal relationship between exposure to electromagnetic fields and self-reported symptoms, or “electromagnetic hypersensitivity”.

Long-term effects

Epidemiological research examining potential long-term risks from radiofrequency exposure has mostly looked for an association between brain tumours and mobile phone use. However, because many cancers are not detectable until many years after the interactions that led to the tumour, and since mobile phones were not widely used until the early 1990s, epidemiological studies at present can only assess those cancers that become evident within shorter time periods. However, results of animal studies consistently show no increased cancer risk for long-term exposure to radiofrequency fields.

Exposure limit guidelines

Radiofrequency exposure limits for mobile phone users are given in terms of Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) – the rate of radiofrequency energy absorption per unit mass of the body. Currently, two international bodies 1, 2 have developed exposure guidelines for workers and for the general public, except patients undergoing medical diagnosis or treatment. These guidelines are based on a detailed assessment of the available scientific evidence.

WHO'S response

In response to public and governmental concern, WHO established the International Electromagnetic Fields (EMF) Project in 1996 to assess the scientific evidence of possible adverse health effects from electromagnetic fields. WHO will conduct a formal risk assessment of all studied health outcomes from radiofrequency fields exposure by 2012. In addition, and as noted above, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a WHO specialized agency, has reviewed the carcinogenic potential of radiofrequency fields, as from mobile phones in May 2011.

10 Steps to be safe from cell phone radiation “

1 .Limited use only : Listen Carefully , Call of two minute also changes the natural electrical activity of the brain. Therefore, it is better to use your mobile phone for limited calls only and for short period of time.

2 . Keep Kids Away : These radiations harm them the most, because they have developing skull. So allow them to call in case of emergency only.

3 . Use airtube headset : The airtube headset is more better because , the regular wired headset generates radiation with more intensity. The wired headset not only transmits the radiation but also serves as an antenna attracting electromagnetic fields from the surroundings.Below a Video on Cell Phone Dangers and Airtube Headsets.

[wp_youtube]vwXHOmX4jFY[/wp_youtube]

4 . Keep away from your lower body area(When its ON) : The lower portion of body has good conductivity and absorption power than upper portion of body. A study showed that if a person wears cell phones near the lower body portion, it could have their sperm count dropped by as much as 30 percent.

5 . Wait till connection is made : If you are using your mobile phone with a headset, then wait for the call to connect before placing next to the ear.

6 . Don’t use in enclosed spaces (metal enclosure) : The metal enclosure also acts as a cage that traps the radiation and reflects it back onto the user.

7 . Never make calls at low signal strength : This makes your cell to work harder to establish a connection.

8 . Buy a phone with a low SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) : he SAR level is the way to measure the radio frequency of mobile phone. If SAR level is low, it will generate less radiation. So, whenever you purchase your mobile phone see the SAR level.

Courtesy http://www.techdune.com/2007/12/05/10-steps-to-be-safe-from-cell-phone-radiation/

Facebook Addiction Disorder – A Kind of Mental Aberration

2011-09-12T08:29:00.000+05:30

Facebook Addiction Disorder – A Kind of Mental Aberration

Facebook Addiction Disorder (FAD) is a term introduced by US phychologists for those who are addicted to facebook and their life is really effected by their uncontrolled activities on Facebook.

Facebook Addiction Disorder is gradually becoming a matter of concern among the sociologists due to its variety of applications, groups, pages which are diverting attention of the members from their important day to day activities and resulting in mental aberration.

Let us see the view of noted American psychriatist Michael Fenichel, Ph.D.

As with all potentially "addictive"online activities, people vary in their involvement, some periodically "checking in" to stay in touch, others checking once or twice a day, as a supplement to phone and e-mail checking, and some seemingly spending quite substantial portions of time in activities which might be called creative, self-revealing, competitive, or purely social. Different age groups focus on different important activities, of course, students often sharing woes about assignments or gossip about peers, as well as creative videos and self-affirming photos or quiz results, some adults checking in occasionally or only when notified of incoming messages (to inbox or wall), still others invariably posting multiple messages every day relating to mundane daily life activities, or quiz results, or feeling states of the moment. One may wonder: Is this happening in the presence of clients? Co-workers? While supposedly conversing online with another person? At the expense of Real Life (RL), or to be more accurate, Non-Online Life?

I have reported on some of the research and theory pertaining to "Internet Addiction", and have (silently) observed what appears to be a commercially-blessed wave of cell-phone and device addiction (as distinct from social networking addiction). But Facebook Addiction Disorder (FAD) appears to me to have the most ingrained and self-reinforcing of all scenarios, reinforcing through immediacy, acclamation, intimacy, shared experience, shared creativity, and the ability to be the complete and total captain of the ship of one's Facebook home page. For some the "apps" seem to be totally compelling, for hours on end, for others Facebook is used more like email, to keep in touch with a group, sometimes serious, sometimes playful, sometimes simply sharing. But the fact of how ingrained Facebook has become culturally is one which is easy to miss, because, well, everybody's doing it! Or so it seems. The irony of who is most pathologically addicted (as opposed to homework, relationship, or work avoidant even without such a seductive companion as Facebook) is that nobody may be left to observe or treat this huge behavioral phenomenon, as everybody is too focused on Walls and apps and networks and finding old & new friends.

Lynlee Howard-Payne, a psychology lecturer at the University of the Witwatersrand, said: “While there are no official statistics available regarding South Africans who have been diagnosed as having or being treated for FAD, based on the large number of universities, schools and companies blocking access to Facebook … there could very well be an uncontrolled dependence.”

Another noted psychriatist of USA

Howard-Payne added: “Universities, schools and companies are forced to limit accessibility to Facebook because some people seem to be unable to perform other tasks if they have access to this online social network. While Facebook is often a great way of maintaining both social and professional relationships, it seems to take on a destructive force with certain personalities.”

After US psychologists began their probe into FAD, millions of Facebook users – there are an estimated 350 million around the world – have admitted to being addicted.

More than 500 groups for addicts have been created on Facebook, where members joke about their dependence on the site.

Howard-Payne said if addicts chose to join a support group, it should not be on Facebook.

She said: “Addictive use of the Internet is a new phenomenon which many practitioners are unaware of and, subsequently, unprepared to treat. Use of Facebook is often a legitimate way of social networking, so abstinence may not be seen as a practical intervention thus it is recommended that there be moderation and controlled use.”

FAD could be classified under the more broad "internet addiction disorder" or internet overuse. "Like most activities, moderation and integration are key. Those that may seriously label and treat FAD as a behavioral addiction will clearly need to use context in determining if a behavior has become demonstrably harmful to overall social, work, or face-to-face interpersonal efficacy," Fenichel added.

You are a Facebook addict if...

1. You lose sleep over Facebook. When using Facebook becomes a compulsion and you spend entire nights logged on to the site, causing you to become tired the next day.

2. You spend more than an hour a day on Facebook. Lipari said it is difficult to define how much is too much when it comes to Facebook usage, but that an average person need only spend half an hour on the site.

3. You become obsessed with old loves or exes you reconnect with on Facebook.

4. You ignore work in favor of Facebook. This means you do not do your job in order to sneak time on Facebook.

5. The thought of getting off Facebook leaves you in cold sweat. If you try going a day without Facebook and it causes you stress and anxiety, this means you need help.

Several therapists in the United States have noticed a rise in the number of clients who get hooked on social networking, to the point of social dysfunction.

Nine Songs from Kathamrito

2011-09-09T16:18:00.000+05:30

Here presented Nine seclected songs from kathamrito. I hope you will enjoy all.

Mahamrityunjay Mahima and Mantra Chanting

2011-09-09T11:02:00.002+05:30

Mahamrityunjay mantra pleases Lord Shiva. This is a very powerful mantra. Here is a brief history and description and chanting of Mantra.

Video Lessons - Louise L Hay - You Can Heal Your Life - lessons V-XII

2011-09-08T17:01:00.000+05:30

Here presented lessons V - XII of Louise L Hay - You Can Heal Your Life

Lesson V

Lesson VI

Lesson VII

Lesson VIII

Lesson IX

link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l10F7E96o58

lesson 10

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2N6aJ13CcgE

lesson 11

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvpzjXP0KxQ

lesson 12

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTBjm9M91Uc

Lessons in audio only

Louise L Hay audio Lessons folder link

http://www.box.net/shared/74nzkpp3uh

Video Lessons - How You Can Heal Your Life

2011-09-08T15:05:00.000+05:30

Louise L Hay
Here lessons I-IV are presented. In these lessons Louise L Hay explains few rules to change yourself for a better life.
Lesson

Lesson II

Leeson III

Lesson IV

Extract from Deeprakki Vol V 1st edition

2011-09-06T19:49:00.000+05:30

Deeprakki Vol V 1st edition page 107
Shri Shri Thakur's reference on His own Vrigu kosthi

Lord Buddha on Concept of God

2011-09-06T14:31:00.000+05:30

The Concept of God

Generally, we use the term 'God' to designate a supreme power, who is the creator of the entire universe and the chief law-giver for the humans. The God or Almighty is considered to be concerned with the welfare of His creations and the 'moksha' or salvation for those who follow His dictates. Different religions and sects follow the God differently by different names, but as far as Buddhism is concerned, it has a different perception for Him.

The Origin Of God - Myth and Reality

Fear: The Buddhist system of religion do not believe in the concept of a personal God. The theory of Buddhism rejects the notion of an abstract principle of God operating in the universe. They rather believe that the concept of God is a response to fear and frustration. According to the Buddhist ideology, when primitive humans found themselves in a dangerous and hostile world, the fear of wild animals and of natural phenomena like thunder and lightning, they created the idea of Gods to console themselves.

Lack of Evidence

However, it was the Buddha who preached to try to understand the fears, to lessen the desires and courageously accept the things one cannot change. He tried to replace fear, not with irrational belief but with rational understanding. Secondly, the Buddhists do not believe in God because there has been no real and concrete evidence to prove the idea of God. Even the research on God for thousands of year has not proved the existence of God. Thirdly, the Buddhists argue that belief in God is not necessary to have a happy and meaningful life as there are millions of Buddhists, atheists and free thinkers who are happy without belief in God.

A Story from The Jataka

"Does God exist?," is a skeptical query often raised. Some affirm the existence of God while others deny, "God does not exist!"

Lord Buddha removes this skeptical knot by teaching in His own way about God's existence.

Buddha once entered a village. A man in the morning asked him, "Does God Exist?"

Buddha replied, "No, absolutely not!"

In the afternoon, another man approached and posed the same question, "Does God exist?'

Buddha said, "Of course yes!"

In the evening, the third man asked the same question

The enlightened one closed His eyes and remained silent.

The inquirer too closed his eyes. Something transpired and the man bent forward and touched the feet of Buddha reverentially. He said, "You are the first man who has answered my question" and left feeling grateful.

Ananda, Buddha's attendant who was a witness, was confused about the conflicting answers of the master to the same question. When Buddha was retiring to bed, he told Him, "Please do be more compassionate on me as I am puzzled. The other three people have not listened to your different answers, but I have. So please dispel my confusion"

The enlightened one opened up. "In the first place, My answers to their question had nothing to do with God. My approach was rather towards the questioner than the question. The first person who approached me was a theist, a believer in God. The second was an atheist, who believed in the absence of God. The person who believed in God wanted to confirm his belief about God.

All beliefs are barriers to the realization of the truth. Theist or atheists they are all tied to their own beliefs and systems!

As Ananda listened intently, Buddha continued, "The third man was a real enquirer. He was not concerned with the existence or non existence of God. He wanted the bare truth. So I remained silent looking within. My message to him was to be silent and know. There is no need to raise any questions as it is not a question to be answered, rather a quest or a thirst. Thus he simply followed me and in his silence, when he looked within, something transpired. He was so overwhelmed with gratitude as I did not provide any intellectual answer but the very taste of the existential truth!"

Anger Management from Prajapita Brahmakumari Site

2011-09-06T14:19:00.000+05:30

Part I

Episode II

Episode III

Episode IV

Episode V