Ten commandments..............................

Have Good Days Ahead............Ten Commandments..........

1. ATTITUDE IS WHAT LIFE IS ALL ABOUT.......

SOLDIER : SIR WE ARE SURROUNDED FROM ALL SIDES BY ENEMIES.

MAJOR : EXCELLENT ! WE CAN ATTACK IN ANY DIRECTION.

2.EVERY ONE KNOWS ABOUT ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL WHO INVENTED PHONES, BUT HE NEVER MADE A CALL TO HIS FAMILY. BECAUSE HIS WIFE AND DAUGHTER WERE DEAF. THAT'S LIFE " LIVE FOR OTHERS " .......


3 THE WORST IN LIFE IS "ATTACHMENT " ITS HURT WHEN YOU LOSE IT. THE BEST THING IN LIFE IS " LONELINESS " BECAUSE IT TEACHES YOU EVERYTHING AND WHEN YOU LOSE IT.YOU GET EVERYTHING.

4.LIFE IS NOT ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO ACT TRUE TO YOUR FACE ........... ITS ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO REMAIN TRUE BEHIND YOUR BACK.


5.EGG BROKEN FROM OUTSIDE FORCE....... .A LIFE ENDS. IF AN EGG BREAKS FROM WITHIN...... .LIFE BEGINS ....GREAT THINGS ALWAYS BEGAN FROM WITHIN .....................

6.ITS BETTER TO LOSE YOUR EGO TO THE ONE YOU LOVE THAN TO LOSE THE ONE YOU LOVE ....... BECAUSE OF EGO ....

7.A RELATIONSHIP DOESN'T SHINE BY JUST SHAKING HANDS ON BEST TIME. BUT IT BLOSSOMS BY HOLDING FIRMLY IN CRITICAL SITUATION.

8.HEATED GOLD BECOMES ORNAMENTS. BETTED COPPER BECOMES WIRES.DEPLETED STONE BECOMES STATUE.SO THE MORE PAIN YOU GET IN YOUR LIFE YOU BECOME MORE VALUABLE.

9.TOLERATION IS THE GREATEST GIFT OF THE MIND :IT REQUIRES THE SAME EFFORT OF THE BRAIN THAT IT TAKES TO BALANCE ONESELF ON A BICYCLE ..........


10.WHEN YOU TRUST SOMEONE TRUST HIM COMPLETELY WITHOUT ANY DOUBT........ ....... AT THE END YOU WOULD GET ONE OF THE TWO......................

EITHER A LESSON FOR YOUR LIFE.

OR

A VERY GOOD PERSON.

Creation of V edas.....................

Creation Of Vedas...............................A very Good Read.


The Vedas are inseparable from the Supreme Brahman. They embody the entire range of knowledge spanning the sacred and the secular. Their significance lies in the fact that the truths and thoughts they contain are eternal. Nobody invented or created them. The truths have always existed and the human race has received these in the manner of revelations. The Rishis of yore are known as Seers because they saw in their inner eye these profound thoughts that already existed. The method of transfer of knowledge is thus intuitive from the seers who interpreted the truths they discovered.

When the Supreme Brahman decided to create the universe, Brahma was given the portfolio for creation and with it the necessary energy to get ahead in this task. Brahma thus became the recipient of the Vedas which are believed to be the very breath of the Lord. The Vedas are primarily in the form of sound, symbolically and synoptically contained in the primordial sound, the Omkara or Pranava. Hence Veda Sabdhas are sensitive to vibrations and when uttered properly will have the desired effect. Just as medicine fails to be effective if the other dietary restrictions prescribed by the doctor are not followed, the Veda mantras become efficacious only when all other criteria such as spiritual discipline and proper enunciation are followed meticulously. How to utter these mantras is also specified in the Taittiriya Upanishad.

There is reference to the atmosphere, water and other natural resources that have been created for sustaining life on earth. The performance of Vedic rituals, when offerings are made to the celestials, is shown to be beneficial for the sustenance of the universe. The insistence is on sincerity and not on ostentation.

Besides worldly knowledge, the Vedas also offer truths into the nature of the Self that is necessary to gain liberation.

The Vedas have anticipated the possible objections and questions that a rational mind is likely to raise in these esoteric matters and have provided suitable answers as well.



Always Remember.........................

"There is never a wrong time to do a right thing."

Transmitting Tradituion.................The Right & Righteous way.

Transmitting Tradition..................The right & righteous way.

Siddhanta shravana literally means "scriptural listening." It is one thing to read the Vedas, Upanishads and Yoga Sutras, but it is quite another to hear their teachings from one who knows, because it is through hearing that the transmission of subtle knowledge occurs, from knower to seeker. And that is why listening is preferred over intellectual study.

Because sound is the first creation, knowledge is transferred through sound of all kinds. It is important that one listen to the highest truths of a sampradaya from one who has realized them. The words, of course, will be familiar. They have been read by the devotee literally hundreds of times, but to hear them from the mouth of the enlightened Guruji is to absorb his unspoken realization, as he re-realizes his realization while he reads them and speaks them out.

This is Saiva Siddhanta. This is true sampradaya--thought, meaning and knowledge conveyed through words spoken by one who has realized the Ultimate. The words will be heard, the meaning the Guru understands as meaning will be absorbed by the subconscious mind of the devotee, and the superconscious, intuitive knowledge will impress the subsuperconscious mind of the devotees who absorb it, who milk it out of the satguru himself. This and only this changes the life pattern of the devotee. There is no other way. This is why one must come to the Guruji open, like a child, ready and willing to absorb, and to go through many tests. And this is why one must choose one's guruji wisely and be ready for such an event in one's life.

Sampradaya actually means an orally transmitted tradition, unwritten and unrecorded in any other way. True, Guruji of sampradayas do write books nowadays, make tape recordings, videos and correspond. This is mini-sampradaya, the bud of a flower before opening, the shell of an egg before the bird hatches and flies off, the cocoon before the butterfly emerges. This is mini-sampradaya--just a taste, but it does lay a foundation within the shishya's mind of who the guru is, what he thinks, what he represents, the beginning and ending of his path, the sampradaya he represents, carries forth and is bound to carry forth to the next generation, the next and the next. But really potent sampradaya is listening, actually listening to the guru's words, his explanations. It stimulates thought. Once-remembered words take on new meanings. Old knowledge is burnt out and replaced with new. This is sampradaya.

Are you ready for a satguru? Perhaps not. When you are ready, and he comes into your life through a dream, a vision or a personal meeting, the process begins. The devotee takes one step toward the guru--a simple meeting, a simple dream. The guru is bound to take nine steps toward the devotee, not ten, not eleven or twelve, only nine, and then wait for the devotee to take one more step. Then another nine ensue. This is the dance. This is sampradaya.

When a spiritual experience comes, a real awakening of light, a flash of realization, a knowing that has never been seen in print, or if it had been is long-since forgotten, it gives great courage to the devotee to find that it had already been experienced and written about by others within his chosen sampradaya.

If all the temples were destroyed, the gurus would come forth and rebuild them. If all the scriptures were destroyed, the rishis would reincarnate and rewrite them. If all the gurus, swamis, rishis, sadhus, saints and sages were systematically destroyed, they would take births here and there around the globe and continue as if nothing had ever happened. So secure is the Eternal Truth on the planet, so unshakable, that it forges ahead undaunted through the mouths of many. It forges ahead undaunted through the temples' open doors. It forges ahead undaunted in scriptures now lodged in nearly every library in the world. It forges ahead undaunted, mystically hidden from the unworthy, revealed only to the worthy, who restrain themselves by observing some or all of the yamas and who practice a few niyamas.

Coming under a satguru of one lineage, all scripture, temple and home tradition may be taken away from the eyes of the experience of the newly accepted devotee. In another tradition, scripture may be taken away and temple worship allowed to remain, so that only the words of the guru are heard. In still another tradition, the temple, the scripture and the voice of the guru are always there-but traditionally only the scripture which has the approval of the satguru and is totally in accord with his principles, practices and the underlying philosophy of the sampradaya................................................................

And always Remember.......................................................

” You don’t think to breathe, you breathe to think.’

Acceptance..........................A nice Story.

Acceptance.................A Nice story...............


It was a busy morning, about 8:30, when an elderly gentleman in his 80's arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He said he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 am.

I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would to able to see him. I saw him looking at his watch and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound. On exam, it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound.

While taking care of his wound, I asked him if he had another doctor's appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry.
The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife. I inquired as to her health.

He told me that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer's Disease. As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late.

He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now.

I was surprised, and asked him, 'And you still go every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are?'

He smiled as he patted my hand and said, 'She doesn't know me, but I still know who she is.' I had to hold back tears as he left, I had goose bumps on my arm, and thought,

'That is the kind of love I want in my life.'

True love is neither physical, nor romantic.

True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be.

With all the jokes and fun that is in e-mails, sometimes there is one that comes along that has an important message. This one I thought I could share with you all.

The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything;
they just make the best of everything they have.

Hope you share this with someone you care about.

I just did.

'Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain.

And

"Being challenged in life is inevitable, being defeated is optional."

10 Things you control....................or otherwise?......

10 Things you control......................or Otherwise?....

Are you controlling them or vice-versa?

We humans spend much of our time trying to control every aspect of our lives. Unfortunately, too often we try and control things that are simply beyond our control. The list of what we can control is quite short, but once you know these 10 things you will be able to take control of your own life.

1.
What you do................ Your actions are yours alone. You choose to make them or not make them and you are responsible for the effects of those actions.


2.
What you say..................... Likewise, the words you speak (or write) are also consciously chosen. Like actions, they have an impact on your life and the lives of those you contact.


3.
What you think............................ Yes, there are some subconscious thoughts that you can't control. But the things that you really think about, your beliefs, your ideals, etc. are concepts you have chosen to accept and believe in.


4.
Your work.................................................
Many people like to overlook this one, it being much easier to say, "Oh, I'm! trapped in my job because I don't have a degree, experience, etc."
That's simple a way of denying one's responsibility in having chosen the job in the first place. It's your job and you chose it. If you stay (or go), that's a choice as well.


5.
The people you associate with.........................................
There's a famous T-shirt that states:-

"It's hard to soar like an eagle when you're surrounded by turkeys."

Colloquial is very often correct! Your friends can either lift you up or bring you down. You make the decision which type of friends you wish to have.

6.
Your basic physical health...........................................
Much about our health is a factor of genetics, environment, and exposure.
Much more of our health is simply a matter of the decisions we make about our health, such as: diet, exercise, drugs, sleep, routine physicals, check-ups, etc.

7.
The environment you live in........................................
Your house, the condition of your home, the town you live in, the amenities available to you are all things you can control, although some to a lesser degree (i.e., you decide to tolerate them or move someplace else).

8.
Your fiscal situation............................................
Having or not having enough money is a factor of what you make versus what you spend.

9.
Your time................................................... You choose how to "spend" your time and how much of your time to give to various activities. You'll never get more time than the 24 hours your given each day.

10.
Your legacy.......................... All your actions, words, and knowledge that you share while you are living become the gift that you leave when you are gone..................................................

And

You only live once-but if you work and make it to
LIVE right, once is enough.

Enjoy the efforts............................................

Enjoy The Efforts........................................ ....


We have many desires and targets. We don’t always get what we want. Some of us are happy with what we get, and others remain dissatisfied. Still others don’t give up; they keep trying. Which approach would be the right one?


I will recommend another approach. You can have a desire. Put in your best effort to fulfil it. But make sure you enjoy the effort rather than its fruits. There are those who make the effort grumbling and are happy only when the desire is achieved. There are others who exhaust themselves making the effort to such a degree that they have no strength or enthusiasm left to enjoy the fruit. My method is...........................................

Enjoy the effort no matter what the effect.

My approach is to celebrate the march towards the destination. If the destination is reached, we will be happy. Even if it is not reached, nobody can take away the sense of thrill at having run the race, the delicious fatigue felt along the whole body. My happiness is derived not from reaching a goal, but from the struggle i wage as part of my attempt at reaching it. I am engaged in talking to you now. Suppose i feel i will be happy only if you give me a thundering ovation when i conclude my lecture. That means i am not fully enjoying my teaching, rather, my mind is set on a particular goal. That very concern may prevent me from giving my best to my teaching and thus act as a barrier to my attaining the goal.


Playing football is one kind of joy, winning is another kind. The problem is we identify joy exclusively with winning. Classical musicians are so absorbed in their performance that for all practical purposes, they are unmindful of the audience, the applause at climactic points, or the money they will receive from the organisers at the end. What they enjoy is their involvement in bringing their art alive, not the end result in the form of ovation or payment. So enjoy the process. Enjoy the travel. Enjoy the endeavour.

Ensure that you will be working smart, not just hard. Don’t go fishing in the bathtub. Don’t try to work up lather in a running stream. Instead, fish in a stream, and work up lather in a bathtub. Set and evaluate your goals, estimate the quantum and quality of efforts to be invested in attaining the goals, calculate the ROI (return on investment) quotient carefully, and then, if you are convinced the ratio is as satisfactory, go ahead and work towards your goals. That is smart work, intelligent effort.


Failure is a fact of life. In all competitive contexts as in sports, for example, one side has to lose. So why not enjoy the effort rather than exult at success or mope at failure? I think it is better mental discipline to celebrate the successes rather than brood on the losses. It is definitely a healthier strategy for the future for anyone wishing to continue in competitive endeavours.


There is also a spiritual lesson in every failure. Failures are necessary to remind people of their essential human vulnerabilities. An unbroken string of successes can create pride and a sense of invincibility about oneself in a high achiever. Remember the bragging, “I am the greatest” that comes out of the mouths of wrestlers and boxing stars? As the common maxim goes, such pride always precedes a great fall. Surrendering to the Lord is an act of bhakti – devotion, and surrender happens only in a spirit of humility.


Source................Swami Sukhabodhananda........................And ....

" Do things rightfully, gracefully, confidently &
articulately, and to end up successfully- this will
gratify many and astonish the rest."

Value of Time................................

Value of Time...............................

To realize the values of one year ,
Ask a student who has failed in his exam.

To realize the values of one month,
Ask a mother who had delivered a pre-mature baby.

To realize the value of one week ,
Ask a daily -wage labourer.

To realize the value of one hour ,
Ask lovers who are willing to meet.

To realize the value of one minute ,
Ask a person who has missed the train.

To realize the value on one second
Ask the person who has survived an accident.

To realize the value of one milli second
Ask the person who has won the silver in the Olympics and lost the gold................................................................And

"There is never a wrong time to do a right thing."

Mother in the form of...........................God

Mother...............................in the form of .................GOD.

To be loved and cherished and your most precious possession


Why are you crying, a young boy asked his Mom?

"Because I'm a woman," she told him.

"I don't understand," he said.

His Mom just hugged him and said,
"And you never will, but that's O.K.".......

Later the little boy asked his father,
"Why does Mom seem to cry for no reason?".
"All women cry for no reason," was all his Dad could say......

The little boy grew up and became a man,
still wondering why women cry.

Finally he put in a call to God and when God got back to him, he asked "God, why do women cry so easily?"

GOD answered................................... ..

"When I made woman, I decided she had to be special........................

I made her shoulders strong enough to carry the weight of the world, yet,
made her arms gentle enough to give comfort.............

I gave her the inner strength to endure childbirth and the rejection
that many times will come even from her own children............

I gave her a hardness that allows her to keep going and take care
of her family and friends, even when everyone else gives up, through sickness and fatigue without complaining..........

I gave her the sensitivity to love her children under any and all
circumstances. Even when her child has hurt her badly....

She has the very special power to make a child's boo-boo feel better and
to quell a teenager's anxieties and fears....

I gave her strength to care for her husband, despite faults
and I fashioned her from his rib to protect his heart....

I gave her wisdom to know that a good husband never hurts his wife, but
sometimes tests her strengths and her resolve to stand beside him
unfalteringly..................................... ...

For all of this hard work, I also gave her a tear to shed. It is hers to use whenever needed and ! it is her only weakness.... When you see her cry,tell her.......................................................

How much you love her, and do it in word and deed and all she does for everyone, and even though she may still cry, you will have made her heart feel good.

She is special!....................Very Much and indeed..................

Please send this to women you know, and those with mothers, sisters, and special women in their lives.

But, also send this to men so they will understand about what a
wonderful thing a woman is....................................

Each day is a mountain that must be climbed; with courage each step
gets easier.

Love your Mother Always and in All ways keep her Smiling..................That's the only thing you can offer to your Mother God......................................................................

And always bera in mind....................................................

"God could not be everywhere,
and therefore he created mothers."

Price for Brain......................................

Price for the brain..................A very Good read.

A giant ship engine failed. The ship's owners tried one expert after another, but none of them could figure but how to fix the engine.

Then they brought in an old man who had been fixing ships since he was young. He carried a large bag of tools with him, and when he arrived, he immediately went to work. He inspected the engine very carefully, top to bottom.

Two of the ship's owners were there, watching this man, hoping he would know what to do. After looking things over, the old man reached into his bag and pulled out a small hammer. He gently tapped something.
Instantly, the engine lurched into life. He carefully put his hammer away.

The engine was fixed! A week later, the owners received a bill from the old man for ten thousand dollars.

"What?!" the owners exclaimed. "He hardly did anything!" So they wrote the old man a note saying, "Please send us an itemised bill."

The man sent a bill that read:

Tapping with a hammer...... ......... ....... $ 2.00
Knowing where to tap......... ......... ........ $ 9,998.00

Effort is important, but knowing where to make an effort in your life makes all the difference................................................

And remember............................................

"Knowing is not doing,Doing is not doing, knowing and doing is doing."

Laugh & Enjoy......Rad this.

Laugh & Enjoy....................

Read this one laugh, enjoy................You will find truth revealed quite a lot and pass it on to all your near and dear ones.

If your father is a poor man
it is your fate but,
if your father-in-law is a poor man
it's your stupidity.


I was born intelligent -
education ruined me.


Practice makes perfect.....
But no body's perfect......
so why practice?


If it's true that we are here to help others,
then what exactly are the others here for?


Since light travels faster than sound,
people appear bright until you hear them speak.


How come 'abbreviated' is such a long word?


Money is not everything.
There's MasterCard & Visa.

One should love animals.
They are so tasty.


Behind every successful man, there is a woman
And behind every unsuccessful man, there are two.


Every man should marry...........................
After all, happiness is not the only thing in life.


The wise never marry.
and when they marry they become otherwise.


Success is a relative term.
It brings so many relatives.


Never put off the work till tomorrow
what you can put off today.


Your future depends on your dreams...........
So go to sleep


There should be a better way to start a day
Than waking up every morning


Hard work never killed anybody...................
But why take the risk


'Work fascinates me'
I can look at it for hours.


God made relatives;
Thank God we can choose our friends.


The more you learn, the more you know,
The more you know, the more you forget
The more you forget, the less you know
So.. why learn.


A bus station is where a bus stops.
A train station is where a train stops.
On my desk, I have a work station....
what more can I say.........


Have a great and enjoyable week end.

Love in practice....................................

Love in Practice..........................Take time time to read this-its worth.

Communicating with Care and concern in Your Heart.

In all communication, there is one thing that each and every one us requires. We all want to be appreciated, honored, and respected. None of us want to feel criticized, rejected, ignored or manipulated. To reduce it to its simplest terms, we each want to feel loved. I do not mean love in a romantic sense, or some outpouring of emotion, but simple caring. This is the universal bottom line of every human relationship. We all want to feel cared for

If each of us would like to be treated with care and respect, then it should be our intent to give this to others. But what often happens is the exact opposite. Instead of trying to ensure that the other person feels loved and appreciated, we end up in a vicious circle of recrimination and attack.

It usually starts by our feeling hurt over something someone said or did. Whether they intended to hurt us, or whether it is all our own creation does not matter. The fact is we feel hurt, and if we are not fully conscious of our own inner processes, we are likely to defend ourselves by attacking back in some way. It’s not the most noble or wisest response, nevertheless that is the way us less-than-enlighten ed folk sometimes react.

We may respond with a cutting remark or criticism, a resentful tone of voice, a shift in body language, or simply by making no response at all. Whatever form it may take, the underlying intention is that the other person should feel just a little hurt—not much, not enough to disrupt the relationship, but sufficient that the other person should not feel totally, one hundred per cent, loved.

But if the other person is also less than enlightened, their response to a perceived attack will probably be similar to ours. They will probably attack back, and do or say something intended to make us feel a little hurt and not totally loved.

So the vicious circle gets set up. It may not always be that obvious. On the surface it often looks as if the relationship is going well; both people are friendly with no open hostility. But underneath a sad game is being played out. Each person, in their attempts to have the other person behave in a more loving manner, is actually withholding love from the other. It is little wonder that many couples end up in therapy.

Right Speech..........................................

The vicious circle can be broken if two people start from the recognition that each wants to feel loved and at ease. The question then becomes: How can I communicate so that this requirement is satisfied? This is the essence of a high quality relationship— the intent that other’s should feel cared for and respected.

The Buddha called this the principle of "right speech." If you cannot say something in such a way that the other person feels good on hearing it, then it is better to retain noble silence.

This should not be interpreted as a cop-out. "I have something difficult to say, and I don’t know how to say it in such a way that you won’t feel hurt, so I shall just keep quiet." We need to get our feelings out, but we need to so in a way that does not initiate the vicious circle of mutual attack.
So we should retain noble silence only so long as we need to, while we work out how to say what we have to say in a kind and caring manner.

How can we do this?

There are several things that can help:

• Become vigilant against attacking thoughts. Filtering out these less than noble intentions can remove much of the problem at source. Simply the intent not to be attacking can be a major help.

• Put yourself in the other person’s shoes. Avoid expressions or examples that might "push their buttons", or which they might construe as attacking, even though no attack is intended.

• Speaking the truth is one thing. How you speak it is quite another. Consider how you might shape your communication so that the other person does feel appreciated. When you have something difficult to say, preface it with the reason why you want to say it, letting the person know it comes from an attitude of caring rather than attack. To start by saying: "I value our professional relationship, and want to see it grow, but for that to happen, I need to discuss an issue that is difficult for me," sets a very different tone than simply blurting out whatever you have to say.

• Express your fears. They are also part of the truth, and expressing your fear of rejection, of being misunderstood, or of looking foolish, helps others appreciate your own concerns, and can put them more at ease—which, remember, is the goal of this exercise. Such fears are part of the truth, and expressing them as that—simply the truth of how you are feeling about the conversation— can do a lot to ease communication.

• Learn what works. If despite your best intentions, a colleague feels attacked or resented from something you said, ask for suggestions as to how you could have said it better. You will be surprised by how much you can learn.

• When this practice slips, as it surely will from time to time, and the attacking mode creeps in, there is nothing like a genuine apology to set things back on track. Own up to your mistake (we are all human after all), and try to express yourself again with a more caring intention.
The essence of this approach is simple kindness—respect and care for the feelings and inner well-being of another. This is the Golden Rule that is to be found at the heart of the world’s spiritual traditions. In the Bible it is said,

All things whatsoever that ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.

Similarly, in the Koran we find,

No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself.

The contemporary sage Ram Dass once remarked that "Relationships are the yoga of the West." This does not mean our relationships should have us sitting or standing in strange positions, but that they can be a path to spiritual awakening. They can be our greatest teachers. They give us the opportunity to practice not only kindness, but also compassion, forgiveness, and respect—qualities that are surely needed in the world today.

The more that we raise the quality of our relationships at home, work and in life generally, the more that we lubricate the wheels of life, and the more that everything else we have to do becomes that much easier and more enjoyable...........................................................And

" If you know the "ART OF LOVING" no body needs to teach you "ART OF LIVING".

The Indian way of dping biz..............................

For Lighter Vein Reading pl........: The Indian way of doing Business


Three contractors are bidding to fix a broken fence at the White House
in Washington D.C. One from Bangladesh , another from India and the
third, from China.

They go with a White House office to examine the fence.

The Bangladesh contractor takes out a tape measure and does some
measuring, then works some figures with a pencil. "Well", he says, "I
figure the job will run about $900. ($400 for materials, $400 for my
team and $100 profit for me)".

The Chinese contractor also does some measuring and figuring, then
says, "I can do this job for $700. ($300 for materials, $300 for my
team and $100 profit for me)".

The Indian contractor doesn't measure or figure, but leans over to the
White House official and whispers, "$2,700."

The official, outraged says, "You didn't even measure like the other
guys! How did you come up with such a high figure?"

The Indian contractor whispers back, "$1000 for me, $1000 for you, and
we hire the guy from China to fix the fence."

"Done!" replies the government official.......................................And

."It is dangerous to be right when governing is
wrong."

Facts of To-day's world..................and it is very True.

Facts of Today's world............. And it is very true.

Today's facts :

BIG house SMALL family.

MORE degrees LESS common sense.

ADVANCES medicines but POOR health.

TOUCHED moon NEIGHBOURS untouched.

HIGH income LESS peace of mind.

HIGH IQ LESS emotions.

GOOD knowledge but LESS wisdom.

LOT of humans but LESS of HUMANITY...............With all these facts, remember..............................................................

The purpose of Life is a Life of purpose.

So Wise................................................

So Wise.............................

An old country doctor was celebrated for his wisdom. 'Dr.Sage,' a young man asked, 'how did you get so wise?'

'Weren't hard,' said the doctor. 'I've got good judgement. Now, good judgment comes from experience,' he continued.

'And experience - well, that comes from having bad judgement.'..............

Ten principles for Pea e of Mind........................

10 principles for peace of mind...........................

1.Do Not Interfere In Others' Business Unless Asked.
Most of us create our own problems by interfering too often in others' affairs. We do so because somehow we have convinced ourselves that our way is the best way, our logic is the perfect logic and those who do not conform to our thinking must be criticized and steered to the right direction, our direction. This thinking denies the existence of individuality and consequently the existence of God.. God has created each one of us in a unique way. No two human beings can think or act in exactly the same way. All men or women act the way they do because God within them prompts them that way. Mind your own business and you will keep your peace.

2.Forgive And Forget:

This is the most powerful aid to peace of mind. We often develop ill feelings inside our heart for the person who insults us or harms us. We nurture grievances. This in turn results in loss of sleep, development of stomach ulcers, and high blood pressure. This insult or injury was done once, but nourishing of grievance goes on forever by constantly remembering it. Get over this bad habit. Life is too short to waste in such trifles. Forgive, Forget, and march on. Love flourishes in giving and forgiving.

3.Do Not Crave For Recognition:

This world is full of selfish people. They seldom praise anybody without selfish motives. They may praise you today because you are in power, but no sooner than you are powerless; they will forget your achievement and will start finding faults in you. Why do you wish to kill yours lf in striving for their recognition? Their recognition is not worth the aggravation. Do your duties ethically and sincerely.

4.Do Not Be Jealous:

We all have experienced how jealousy can disturb our peace of mind. You know that you work harder than your colleagues in the office, but sometimes they get promotions; you do not. You started a business several years ago, but you are not as successful as your neighbor whose business is only one year old. There are several examples like these in everyday life. Should you be jealous? No. Remember everybody's life is shaped by his /her destiny, which has now become his/her, reality. If you are destined to be rich, nothing in the world can stop you. If you are not so destined, no one can help you either. Nothing will be gained by blaming others for your misfortune. Jealousy will not get you anywhere; it will only take away your peace of mind.

5.Change Yourself According To The Environment:

If you try to change the environment single-handedly, the chances are you will fail. Instead, change yourself to suit your environment. As you do this, even the environment, which has been unfriendly to you, will mysteriously change and seem congenial and harmonious.

6.Endure What Cannot Be Cured:

This is the best way to turn a disadvantage into an advantage. Every day we face numerous inconveniences, ailments, irritations, and accidents that are beyond our control... If we cannot control them or change them, we must learn to put up with these things. We must learn to endure them cheerfully. Believe in yourself and you will gain in terms of patience, inner strength and will power.

7.Do Not Bite Off More Than You Can Chew:

This maxim needs to be remembered constantly. We often tend to take more responsibilities than we are capable of carrying out. This is done to satisfy our ego. Know your limitations. . Why take on additional loads that may create more worries? You cannot gain peace of mind by expanding your external activities. Reduce your material engagements and spend time in prayer, introspection and meditation. This will reduce those thoughts in your mind that make you restless. Uncluttered mind will produce greater peace of mind.

8.Meditate Regularly:

Meditation calms the mind and gets rid of disturbing thoughts. This is the highest state of peace of mind. Try and experience it yourself. If you meditate earnestly for half an hour everyday, your mind will tend to become peaceful during the remaining twenty-three and half-hours. Your mind will not be easily disturbed as it was before. You would benefit by gradually increasing the period of daily meditation. You may think that this will interfere with your daily work. On the contrary, this will increase your efficiency and you will be able to produce better results in less time.

9 Never Leave The Mind Vacant:

An empty mind is the devil's workshop. All evil actions start in the vacant mind. Keep your mind occupied in something positive, something worthwhile . Actively follow a hobby. Do something that holds your interest. You must decide what you value more: money or peace of mind. Your hobby, like social work or religious work, may not always earn you more money, but you will have a sense of fulfillment and achievement. Even when you are resting physically, occupy yourself in healthy reading or mental chanting of God's name.

10.Do Not Procrastinate And Never Regret:

Do not waste time in protracted wondering " Should I or shouldn't I?" Days, weeks, months, and years may be wasted in that futile mental debating. You can never plan enough because you can never anticipate all future happenings. Value your time and do the things that need to be done. It does not matter if you fail the first time. You can learn from your mistakes and succeed the next time. Sitting back and worrying will lead to nothing. Learn from your mistakes, but do not brood over the past. DO NOT REGRET. Whatever happened was destined to happen only that way. Why cry over spilt milk? And always Remember............................................

" Life is beautiful; Living is a gift and make best
use of the beauty and the gift every Moment of your life.”

The Power of Faith..............................Proved.


A little girl stood near a small church from which she had been turned away because it was "too crowded." "I can't go to Sunday School," she sobbed to the pastor as he walked by.

Seeing her shabby, unkempt appearance, the pastor guessed the reason and, taking her by the hand, took her inside and found a place for her in the Sunday school class. The child was so happy that they found room for her, and she went to bed that night thinking of the children who have no place to worship Jesus.

Some two years later, this child lay dead in one of the poor tenement buildings. Her parents called for the kindhearted pastor who had befriended their daughter to handle the final arrangements. As her poor little body was being moved, a crumpled red purse was found which seemed to have been rummaged from some trash dump.

Inside was found 57 cents and a note, scribbled in childish handwriting, which read: "This is to help build the little church bigger so more children can go to Sunday School."

For two years she had saved for this offering of love.
When the pastor tearfully read that note, he knew instantly what he would do. Carrying this note and the cracked, red pocketbook to the pulpit, he told the story of her unselfish love and devotion.

He challenged his deacons to get busy and raise enough money for the larger building. But the story does not end there....

A newspaper learned of the story and published it. It was read by a wealthy realtor who offered them a parcel of land worth many thousands. When told that the church could not pay so much, he offered to sell it to the little church for 57 cents.

Church members made large donations. Checks came from far and wide. Within five years the little girl's gift had increased to $250,000.00- -a huge sum for that time (near the turn of the century). Her unselfish love had paid large dividends.

When you are in the city of Philadelphia , look up Temple Baptist Church , with a seating capacity of 3,300. And be sure to visit Temple University, where thousands of students are educated.

Have a look, too, at the Good Samaritan Hospital and at a Sunday School building which houses hundreds of beautiful children, built so that no child in the area will ever need to be left outside during Sunday school time.

In one of the rooms of this building may be seen the picture of the sweet face of the little girl whose 57 cents, so sacrificially saved, made such remarkable history. Alongside of it is a portrait of her kind pastor, Dr. Russell H. Conwell, author of the book, "Acres of Diamonds".

This is a true story, which goes to show WHAT GOD CAN DO WITH 57 CENTS. And...........

"Society is built upon Trust, Trust is built upon faith and faith is built upon Truth."

The Leaders of tomorrow...................................

The Leaders Of Tomorrow.................................


Those among the youth of today who have had some measure of attainment, of which there are many, will be the leaders, businessmen, politicians and educators of tomorrow. As the New Age comes more into fulfillment, they will be able to work effectively in all states of the mind, consciously identified with the overshadowing power of the clearness of perceptive vision of visible white light within the body and through the mind.

Still others-disciplined beings of a vaster vision and more profound purpose-will become the mendicant sannyasin, the sage, the catalyst teacher, the pandit philosopher, all working as individuals together to keep the teaching of the classical yoga path to enlightenment alive and vibrant on planet Earth yet another six thousand years.

Remember, when the seal is broken and clear white light has flooded the mind, there is no more a gap between the inner and the outer. Even uncomplimentary states of consciousness can be dissolved through meditation and seeking again the light. The aspirant can be aware that in having a newfound freedom internally and externally there will be a strong tendency for the mind to reconstruct for itself a new congested subconscious by reacting strongly to happenings during daily experiences. Even though one plays the game, having once seen it as a game, there is a tendency of the instinctive phases of nature to fall prey to the accumulative reactions caused by entering into the game.

Therefore, an experience of inner light is not a solution; one or two bursts of clear white light are only a door-opener to transcendental possibilities. The young aspirant must become the experiencer, not the one who has experienced and basks in the memory patterns it caused. This is where the not-too-sought-after word discipline enters into the life and vocabulary of this blooming flower, accounting for the reason why ashrams house students apart for a time.

Under discipline, they become experiencers, fragmenting their entanglements before their vision daily while doing some mundane chore and mastering each test and task their guru sets before them. The disciple is taught to dissolve his reactionary habit patterns in the clear white light each evening in contemplative states. Reactionary conditions that inevitably occur during the day he clears with actinic love and understanding so that they do not congest or condense in his subconscious mind, building a new set of confused, congested forces that would propel him into outer states of consciousness, leaving his vision of the clear white light as an experience in memory patterns retreating into the past.

The young aspirant can use this elementary classical yoga technique of going back over the day at the end of the day in an internal concentration period, holding the thought flow on just the current daily experience, not allowing unrelated thoughts from other days to enter. When a reactionary condition appears that was not resolved during the day with love and understanding, in turning to the inner light it will melt away, usually under the power of a perceptive flash of understanding...................

And

"You have to see the INVISIBLE to do the
IMPOSSIBLE and it is POSSIBLE."

Simple ways to become wealthy.............................

Simple and Easy way to become Wealthy.........................because "HEALTH IS WEALTH" and you all can make it.

J.K

Here are some tips for healthy living which I want to share with all of you.Helping oneself to live healthily is also a kind of Service. As it is said ,charity begins at home. If we are ourselves healthy we can do better Service. KIndly give this ,the widest publicity. Every Doctor participating in medical Service would do well to explain this to the patients.


DRINK WATER ON EMPTY STOMACH.......................

It is popular in Japan today to drink water immediately after waking up every morning. Furthermore, scientific tests have proven its
value. For old and serious diseases as well as modern illnesses the
water treatment had been found successful by a Japanese medical society
as a 100% cure for the following diseases:

Headache, body ache, heart system, arthritis, fast heart beat,epilepsy, excess fatness, bronchitis asthma, TB,meningitis, kidney and
urine diseases, vomiting, gastritis, diarrhea, piles, diabetes,
constipation, all eye diseases, womb, cancer and
menstrual disorders, ear nose and throat diseases.

METHOD OF TREATMENT

1.As you wake up in the morning before brushing teeth, drink 4 x 160ml glasses of water

2.Brush and clean the mouth but do not eat or drink anything for 45 minute

3. After 45 minutes you may eat and drink as normal.

4. After 15 minutes of breakfast, lunch and dinner do not eat or
drink anything for 2 hours

5.Those who are old or sick and are unable to drink 4 glasses of water at the beginning may commence by taking little water and gradually increase it to 4 glasses per day.

6. The above method of treatment will cure diseases of the sick and others can enjoy a healthy life.

The following list gives the number of days of treatment required to cure/control/ reduce main diseases:

1. High Blood Pressure - 30 days

2. Gastric - 10 days

3. Diabetes - 30 days

4. Constipation - 10 days

5. Cancer - 180 days

6. TB - 90 days

7. Arthritis patients should follow the above treatment only for 3 days in the 1st week, and from 2nd week onwards - daily.

This treatment method has no side effects, however at the commencement of treatment you may have to urinate a few times.

It is better if we continue this and make this procedure as a
routine work in our life.

Drink plenty of Water and Stay healthy and Active.

This makes sense ......... The Chinese and Japanese drink hot tea with their meals ..not cold water. Maybe it is time we adopt their drinking habit while eating!!! Nothing to lose, everything to gain..........

For those who like to drink cold water, this article is
applicable to you. It is nice to have a cup of cold drink after a
meal. However, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you
have just consumed. It will slow down the digestion.

Once this 'sludge' reacts with the acid, it will break down and
be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line
the intestine. Very soon, this will turn into fats and lead to cancer. It
is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal.

A serious note about heart attacks: Women should know that not
every heart attack symptom is going to be the left arm hurting.

Be aware of intense pain in the jaw line. You may never have the first chest pain during the course of a heart attack Nausea and intense sweating are also common symptoms.

60% of people who have a heart attack while they are asleep do not wake up. Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep.Let's be careful and be aware. The more we know, the better chance we could survive...

A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this mail sends it to
everyone they know, you can be sure that we'll save at least one life.

Facts & realities of Life...................To realise.

Facts & realities of Life.....................to Realise.

Whatever happened, it happened well.

Whatever is happening, it is happening well.
.
Whatever will happen, it will also happen well.

What of yours did you lose?

Why or for what are you crying?

What did you bring with you, for you to lose it?

What did you create, for it to be wasted or destroyed?

Whatever you took, it was taken from here.

Whatever you gave, it was given from here.

Whatever is yours today, will belong to someone else tomorrow.

On another day, it will belong to yet another.

This change is the law of the universe.

If you "Understand and accept this , you will understand not only the Bhagavad Gita but every other things in the world and Beyond"

."Silent" and "Listen" both are spelt with same
letters- So, silently listen.”

The Power of Love.................................

Power of Love................You will like to Read this.

This is a True Story. Please read this without fail. It is a lesson for all who have contempt / scorn for others.

A NICE ONE !!

Once upon a time in China , a girl named Li-Li got married & went to live with her husband and mother-in-law.

In a very short time, Li-Li found that she couldn't get along with her mother-in-law at all. Their personalities were very different, and Li-Li was angered by many of her mother-in-law' s habits. In addition, she criticized Li-Li constantly.

Days passed, and weeks passed. Li-Li and her mother-in-law never stopped arguing and fighting. But what made the situation even worse was that,
according to ancient Chinese tradition, Li-Li had to bow to her mother-in-law and obey her every wish. All the anger and unhappiness in the house was causing Li-Li's poor husband great distress.

Finally, Li-Li could not stand her mother-in-law' s bad temper and dictatorship any longer, and she decided to do something about it. Li-Li went to see her father's good friend, Mr. Huang, who sold herbs. She told him the situation and asked if he would give her some poison so that she could solve the problem once and for all.

Mr.Huang thought for awhile, and finally said, "Li-iL, I will help you solve your problem, but you must listen to me and obey what I tell you."

Li-Li said,"Yes, Mr. Huang, I will do whatever you tell me to do. "Mr. Huang went into the back room, and returned in a few minutes with a package of herbs. He told Li-Li, "You can't use a quick-acting poison to get rid of your mother-in-law, because that would cause people to become suspicious. Therefore, I have given you a number of herbs that will slowly build up poison in her body. Every other day prepare some delicious meal and put a little of these herbs in her serving. Now, in order to make sure that nobody suspect you, when she dies, you must be very careful to act very friendly towards her. "Don't argue with her, obey her every wish, and treat her like a queen." Li-Li was so happy. She thanked Mr. Huang and hurried home to start her plot of murdering her mother-in-law.


Weeks went by, and months went by, and every other day, Li-Li served the specially treated food to her mother-in-law. She remembered what Mr. Huang had said about avoiding suspicion, so she controlled her temper, obeyed her mother-in-law, and treated her like her own mother.

After six months had passed, the whole household had changed. Li-Li had practiced controlling her temper so much that she found that she almost
never got mad or upset. She hadn't had an argument with her mother-in-law in six months because she now seemed much kinder and easier to get along with.

The mother-in-law' s attitude toward Li-Li changed, and she began to love Li-Li like her own daughter. She kept telling friends and relatives that Li-Li was the best daughter-in- law one could ever find. Li-Li and her mother-in-law were now treating each other like a real mother and daughter. Li-Li's husband was very happy to see what was happening.


One day, Li-Li came to see Mr. Huang and asked for his help again She said, "Dear Mr. Huang, please help me to keep off the poison from killing my mother-in-law. She's changed into such a nice woman, and I love her like my own mother. I do not want her to die because of the poison I gave her."

Mr. Huang smiled and nodded his head. "Li-Li, there's nothing to worry about. I never gave you any poison. The herbs I gave you were vitamins to
improve her health. The only poison was in your mind and your attitude toward her, but that has been all washed away by the love which you gave to her."

HAVE YOU REALIZED that how you treat others is exactly how they will treat you? There is a wise Chinese saying:

"The person who loves others will also be loved in return." God might be trying to work in another person's life through you.

Send this to your friends and spread the POWER OF LOVE.

Remember, if you don't read this nothing will happen. No one will die or fall sick. But... if you tell this True Story to others you may change their life.

After all you have got nothing to lose but a lot to gain. "A candle loses nothing if it is used to light another one .......................................And

." If you know the "ART OF LOVING" no body needs to
teach you "ART OF LIVING".

.

Mother is God..................in as much as Father.....

Too Good a Read......Mathru Devo Bhave & Pithru devo Bhava.....Please Read & Remember, it will do lot of good for the Children to progress and prosper all round in life.

Yes. Better late than never,goes a saying. But for all the sacrifices made by your parents for you, you could not have afforded to buy an Air-ticket for them. You seem to be an exception to what we generally observe these days.


This story will be helpful to us..................................

This was narrated by an IAF pilot to IIT students during a Seminar on Human Relations:

Venkatesh Balasubramaniam (who works for IIT) describes how his gesture of booking an air ticket for his father, his maiden flight, brought forth a rush of emotions and made him (Venkatesh) realize that how much we all take for granted when it comes to our parents.

”My parents left for our native place on Thursday and we went to the airport to see them off. In fact, my father had never traveled by air before, so I just took this opportunity to make him experience the same. In spite of being asked to book tickets by train, I got them tickets on Jet Airways. The moment I handed over the tickets to him, he was surprised to see that I had booked them by air.. The excitement was very apparent on his face, waiting for the time of travel. Just like a school boy, he was preparing himself on that day and we all went to the airport, right from using the trolley for his luggage, the baggage check-in and asking for a window seat and waiting restlessly for the security check-in to happen. He was thoroughly enjoying himself and I, too, was overcome with joy watching him experience all these things.

As they were about to go in for the security check-in, he walked up to me with tears in his eyes and thanked me. He became very emotional and it was not as if I had done something great but the fact that this meant a great deal to him. When he said thanks, I told him there was no need to thank me. But later, thinking about the entire incident, I looked back at my life. As a child, how many dreams our parents have made come true.

Without understanding the financial situation, we ask for cricket bats, dresses, toys, outings, etc. Irrespective of their affordability, they have catered to all our needs. Did we ever think about the sacrifices they had to make to accommodate many of our wishes? Did we ever say thanks for all that they have done for us? Same way, today when it comes to our children, we always think that we should put them in a good school. Regardless of the amount of donation, we will ensure that we will have to give the child the best, theme parks, toys, etc. But we tend to forget that our parents have sacrificed a lot for our sake to see us happy, so it is our responsibility to ensure that their dreams are realized and what they failed to see when they were young. It is our responsibility to ensure that they experience all those and their life is complete.

Many times, when my parents had asked me some questions, I have actually answered back without patience. When my daughter asks me something, I have been very polite in answering. Now I realize how they would have felt at those moments. Let us realize that old age is a second childhood and just as we take care of our children, the same attention and same care needs to be given to our parents and elders. Rather than my dad saying thank you to me, I would want to say sorry for making him wait so long for this small dream. I do realize how much he has sacrificed for my sake and I will do my best to give the best possible attention to all their wishes.”


Take good care of your parents. THEY ARE PRECIOUS. And also................ remember.....................................................

"There is never a wrong time to do right things"

J.K

Changes in Life................................................

Changes in Life.......................................

In every change that you experience in life, there will be times when you'll wonder if you can endure. But you'll learn that facing each difficulty one by one isn't so hard. It's when you don't deal with a situation that if sometimes comes back to confront you again.


Changes are sometimes very painful, but they teach us that we can endure and that we can become stronger. Everything that comes into your life has a purpose, but the outcome is in your hands by the action you take...........................................................
Be wise with your life, be willing to endure and always be willing to face life's challenges........................................................

And Remember.........................

"If we don't change, we don't grow. If we don't grow, we aren't really living."

Never doubt yourself..........................................

Never Doubt Yourself.................................

Live life to the fullest. Be true and honest beginning with yourself and extend it to others. Use your words wisely. Words have power and create influence, do not spread them carelessly. Negative words create negative energy and repel those around you. Live in the positive.


Leave your 'stamp' on everything you do. Make yourself an icon to be admired and respected. Become an inspiration to others, so think carefully before you speak and act. Every action, every word carries a consequence. Create a genuineness about you that is addictive to all those who meet you.


And finally, leave a mark on those you meet that couldn't have been left if you weren't in their lives.


Author Unknown...............and ..........................................

"Be a good listener. Your ears will never get you in trouble."

The Power of worry...................

The Power Of Worry........... is so powerful..................So don't worry.

Death was walking toward a city one morning and a man asked, "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to take 100 people," Death replied.

"That's horrible!" the man said.

"That's the way it is," Death said. "That's what I do."

The man hurried to warn everyone he could about Death's plan. As evening fell, he met Death again.

"You told me you were going to take 100 people," the man said. "Why did 1,000 die?"

"I kept my word," Death responded. "I only took 100 people. Worry took the others."

This interesting tale portrays so well what the National Mental Health Committee reported a few years ago - half of all the people in America's hospital beds are constant worriers. Mental distress can lead to migraine headaches, arthritis, heart trouble, cystitis, colitis, backaches, ulcers, depression, digestive disorders and yes, even death.

Add to that list the mental fatigue of nights without sleep and days without peace, then we get a glimpse of the havoc worry plays in destroying the quality and quantity of life. Worry is, and always will be, a fatal disease of the heart, for its beginning signals the end of faith.

Release the regrets of yesterday, refuse the fears of tomorrow and receive instead, the peace of today.

FREE YOUR MIND, YOU WILL BE GLAD YOU DID...................................

And................

” While Knowledge speaks. Wisdom listens.”

Plants & People.......................................

Plants and People..............................

Plants grow best when we pay attention to them. That means watering, touching them, putting them in places where they will receive good light. They need people around them to notice if they are drooping at the edges or looking particularly happy in the sunlight. The more attention a plant receives, the better it will grow.


We need to be noticed in the same way. If we notice a family member or friend is drooping, perhaps we can pay some special attention to him or her. All of us need someone to care about how we are and to truly listen to us. We can share and double someone's happiness by noticing and talking about it also. We help the people around us to grow by listening to their droopy edges as well as their bright days.

People need this as much as plants need light and water.And................

” You don’t think to breathe, you breathe to think.’

Where do all these phrases come from ?...............

Where do all these phrases come from?

There are many sources for the phrases and sayings that colour our language. One important source is the Bible. From there we get 'by the skin of your teeth', 'from strength to strength' and more. Whether we view these as English phrases is debatable as the first English translation of the Bible was a thousand years or more after the original texts were written. Wycliffe's translation, circa 1392, is the first version that brought the Bible to the English-speaking world - apart from that small number of scholars who had read the previous Latin versions and discussed them in English. Whatever we think about the Englishness of translated biblical phrases even they pale next to the single most prolific coiner of English - Shakespeare. To use his own words from All's Well That Ends Well:
A man in all the world's new fashion planted,
That hath a mint of phrases in his brain;
The choice here is very long - 'foul play' and 'fair play', 'in a pickle' and 'in stitches', 'high time' and lie low' and many more.
If Shakespeare and the Bible are the Premiership; who is top of the First Division? Chaucer? Dickens? Well, it's neither of them, but the Scottish poet and novelist Sir Walter Scott (1771–1832). While there are collective works which have brought us more idioms and phrases - The Book of Common Prayer for example, Scott is the individual author who can claim to come second after Shakespeare.
Scott might seem an unlikely candidate as a major source of inovation in the language as he is rather out of favour in the 21st century and hardly now a household name. That wasn't the case in his lifetime though, when he was the best-known and most widely read novelist.
Sir Walter isn't regarded as the most highly inventive of writers and much of his prolific output calls on the 'retelling' of old songs and tales that he learned at his grandmother's knee. He was no plagiarist though and is now thought of as the architect of the historical novel. He coined several phrases that are now in everyday use. Or at least he adapted existing texts and brought the phrases to the public attention. At this distance in time it's quite hard to tell just how much was the transformation of inherited materials and how much was pure invention. Take the phrase 'caught red-handed' for example. 'Redhand' was an existing Scottish legal term meaning 'in the act of crime'. It's a small step for a Scottish author from 'redhand' to 'caught red-handed'. Nevertheless, without Scott we wouldn't have the phrase.
Other phrases of which Scott is either the father or the midwife:
Cold Shoulder
Blood is thicker than water
Flotsam and jetsam
Go berserk
Infra dig
Lock stock and barrel
Nail your colours to the mast
Savoir faire
Strain at the leash
The apple of my eye
The back of beyond
Tongue in cheek
Wide berth

Marvelous Answer......................

Take a look at this marvelous answer:..........................

A mechanic was removing the cylinder heads from the motor of a car when
he spotted the famous heart surgeon in his shop, who was standing off
to the side, waiting for the service manager to come to take a look at
his car. The mechanic shouted across the garage,"Hello Doctor! Please
come over here for a minute." The famous surgeon, a bit surprised, walked
over to the mechanic. The mechanic straightened up, wiped his hands on
a rag and asked argumentatively, "So doctor, look at this. I also open
hearts, take valves out, grind 'em, put in new parts, and when I finish this will work as a new one. So how come you get the big money, when
you and me is doing basically the same work? " The doctor leaned over
and whispered to the mechanic .....
( Guess........... what doctor would have said ??) .

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He said : "Try to do it when the engine is running".

The Best Dad.............................A very good one.

The Best Dad.................A very Good Read.

Years ago I heard a story of a dad named Paul who gave his young son a small chalkboard to practice writing on. One evening his son called out from the bedroom, 'Dad, how do you spell best?'

Paul answered him. Moments later, the boy hollered, 'How do you spell kid?'

Finally he asked, 'How do you spell ever?'

When the boy showed him what he'd written on the chalkboard, Paul expected to see 'I'm the best kid ever.' Instead, the boy beamed as Paul read the message: 'You're the best dad a kid can ever have.'

Paul recalled that it was one of the best days of his life. In fact, he had to buy his son another chalkboard because he wanted to save this message forever and hang it on his wall. It's still there.

Feeling appreciated is enormously important to adults as well as children. So much so that we often don't think enough about what we'd most like to be appreciated for.

Being appreciated at work is a big deal. Who doesn't want approval and respect from one's boss and co-workers? Beyond the economic value of raises, promotions, and commendations, praise can be gratifying and motivating. That's why good employers look for opportunities to acknowledge and thank employees for their contributions.

Yet as meaningful as work recognition is, if you could choose between winning your child's 'Best Mom or Dad A Kid Can Ever Have' award and being named 'Best Employee,' which would you choose?

The point is not to belittle the pursuit of approval in your business life but to remind you how much more meaningful it is to know you're important to and appreciated by the people who love and need you the most. Your most important job in life is to be worthy of that appreciation.

Being the 'best ever' mom or dad, husband or wife, or friend - it doesn't get any better than that.

Written by Michael Josephson.

Goal of Life ...................................Explained.................

Goal of Life............................Explained.

Dharma, Artha, Kama, Mokhya are simple words. An individual can understand by simply looking within, and without getting prejudiced by one's own conditioned mind.

Dharma is that holds you like rest of the whole universe. It is the set of eternal principles that pre-existed your own existence. You have to follow it scrupulously.

Artha is means by which you materialise your desires. Everything natural has an artificial development and everything artificial has a natural origin. Artifice that is human intelligence is also a gift of nature. One should use it to benefit out of Nature and not destroy it while using it as a means to materialise one's desires.

Kama is desire which is bound to be there in a functioning human body. Desires differ according to the attributes of Nature with which one is born in its different proportions. You know Tamasic, Rajasic and Satwic gunas in human nature as gifts of Nature. One's Dharma or the duty as designed by Nature is to perform ones duty in accordance with the Swaguna (determined by the proportion of the three Gunas). Swaguna determines your Swabhav or characteristics or inner feelings. Swabhav determines your Swadharma.

Mokshya is to live performing one's duties in his appointed station in accordance with the eternal principles of Nature. Hence, Mokshya is the end in itself as it helps one to fulfill the very purpose of one's existence. Chaturvidha Purushartha is the means and the end by itself.

To have a better understanding of the subject one can read 'Essays on Geeta' by Sri Aurobindo

The Alphabets of friendship................................

The Alphabet of Friendship!............................

Twenty six ways that friends make your life all that much better.........


Absolutely supportive of you

Beautiful on the inside

Caring and thoughtful

Delightful and charming

Excellent company

Fun to be around

Good natured

Happy to spend time with you

Interested in all that you do

Jolly and fun loving

Keen and sharp - they can tell you what mood in you are in just by looking at your face

Loveable and full of compassion

Marvellous at seeing the best in you

Nice when it comes to your needs

Openly honest with you

Positive about the good that of you do in your life

Quick to comfort you when you are down

Reliable and there for you at all times

Sweet and engaging

Terrific in lots of very special ways

Understanding of how you feel

Very kind to you when you are sad

Wonder and amazing in the counsel they offer you

Xtra special to you when you least expect it

Young at heart

Zippy at helping you out

Author Unknown

See the amount of divinity,happiness, concern and care with Love the above 26 sentences contains.

Make large number of great and good friends meant for each other.

J.K

Initiation...................................Different kinds...............

Initiation....................different kinds....A good read indeed.


The water of a reservoir dug in a meadow is evaporated by the heat of the sun. Likewise the water of the reservoir of sin is dried up by the singing of the Name and glories of God.

Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa

Initiation.............................

There are three kinds of 'diksha' (initiation) . Initiation by touch, initiation by sight and initiation by thought. Ramana Maharishi also speaks of these three 'dikshas' in his 'Aksharamanamalai' .

Initiation by touch:..............................

A hen lays her eggs and sits on it to hatch it. By the touch of the hen the egg is hatched and the chickens come out of the eggs. Likewise, the Guru touches his disciples and this activates the spiritual fervour in them. This is 'hasta diksha' (initiation by touch).

Many young boys used to visit Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. Suddenly these young boys would stop visiting him. Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa would feel disturbed and when the boys visited him after a gap would question them, 'why have you not come here for a long time?'

The young boys would explain, 'our elders at home do not like our visiting you. They say that by visiting you our studies would be spoilt. They refuse to permit us to come here.'

Sri Ramakrishna would tell the boys to somehow bring the elders at home - the parents or uncle or whoever it was who tried to stop the young ones from visiting him , to him. When those elders came to him, he would touch them while speaking to them. This touch would change their attitude and they would begin to visit Sri Ramakrishna!

Initiation by sight:...........................

The fish lays its eggs in the water and keeps moving hither and thither in the water. But, the fish keeps looking at the eggs laid. Though the very gaze of the fish the eggs are hatched. This is 'chakshu diksha' (initiation by look). The Guru looks at his disciple and this triggers off the spiritual fervour in him.

Paul Brunton came to the presence of Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi at the advice of Maha Periyava. He had a number of questions to be placed before Bhagavan. Bhagavan said to him that he would meet him in his room. Bhagavan went as promised and sat gazing at Paul Bruton. At the end of it, Bhagavan asked him, 'you wish to place some questions before me. What are those questions?'

Paul Brunton said, "No! The need to question does not arise. All my questions have been answered." Such is the gaze of the Guru.

Initiation by thought:..................................

A tortoise lays its eggs on land and moves over to the water. Staying in water, its thoughts rest on the eggs laid on the land. By the constant thought of the eggs by the tortoise the eggs get hatched. Similarly, the Guru thinks of his disciple and this takes the disciple higher in his spiritual path.

Guru, Sadhana, Ramana Maharshi, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa

Out of Sorts.....................

Out of sorts..............

Meaning

Mildly unwell; not in one's usual health or state of mind.......

Origin...............

Since at least the 17th century 'sorts' has been the name of the letters used by typographers. This usage is referred to in Notes on a Century of Typography at the University Press Oxford 1693–1794 and is nicely defined in Joseph Moxon's Mechanick Exercises, or the Doctrine of Handy-works - Printing, 1683:
"The Letters... in every Box of the Case are... called Sorts in Printers and Founders Language; Thus a is a Sort, b is a Sort."
For sets of type blocks to be 'out of sorts' would clearly be unwelcome to a typesetter. That terminology could be the source of the phrase and the notion is certainly a tempting one. We need to be cautious with that attribution however as the above citation is pre-dated by one from The proverbs, epigrams, and miscellanies of John Heywood, 1562, which makes no explicit mention of typesetting:
Fit (adj): disordered, out of sorts
That unusual definition of 'fit' is, oddly, almost the opposite of our current usage of the word as an adjective.
It may well turn out that pre-1562 citations that refer to typesetting will be found; after all, Gutenberg invented the printing press in around 1440. Until then, I'm sure that many people will opt to believe that 'out of sorts' derives from typesetting. All I can do is present you with the evidence as I find it and let you come to your own conclusions.

Pull out of ALL THE STOPS....................

Pull out all the stops

Meaning.....

Make every possible effort.................

Origin..............

The popular belief is that this phrase derives from the manner of construction of pipe organs. These instruments have have stops to control the air flow through the pipes and pulling them out increases the musical volume. This seems to be the type of casual easy answer that is the hallmark of folk etymology. In this case, the popular belief isn't a fallacy but is in fact correct.
Prior to the introduction of pipe organs the word 'stop' had, in a musical context, been used to mean 'note' or 'key'. That usage is recorded as early as the late 16th century, as in this example from George Gascoigne's satire The Steele Glas, 1576:
"But sweeter soundes, of concorde, peace, and loue, Are out of tune, and iarre in euery stoppe."
Of course, 'notes' and 'keys' can't be pulled out. The word 'stop' later came to be used for the knobs that control the flow of air in pipe organs, by pushing them in or, more to the point here, pulling them out.
The first person to have used the phrase in a figurative, i.e. non-organ related, sense appears to have been Matthew Arnold, in Essays in Criticism, 1865:
"Knowing how unpopular a task one is undertaking when one tries to pull out a few more stops in that... somewhat narrow-toned organ, the modern Englishman."

Over the moon.................................

Over the moon.....................

Meaning

Very happy or delighted.

Origin.....................

'Over the moon' has been part of the language for more than a century. It has become more widely used in the past twenty or thirty years, since it was adopted by English football managers when interviewed after 'the boys' managed a victory.
The increased use of televised post-match interviews and hours of studio commentary during the 1970s brought many football managers before the cameras. These days such men are likely to be cultured and erudite Frenchmen or Spaniards. Before that they were usually British ex-footballers who had left schools in the English or Scottish back streets early to play football. It's fair to say that many of them have little interest in the finer points of English grammar.
Two of the best-known English football managers of recent years, who have maintained the English tradition with their engagingly entertaining way of mangling the language, are Ron Atkinson and Terry Venables. The list of quotations from them is long and includes:

"The Spaniards have been reduced to aiming aimless balls into the box." (Atkinson)
"If you can't stand the heat in the dressing room, get out of the kitchen."

"If Glenn Hoddle said one word to his team at half time, it was concentration and focus." (Atkinson)

"I felt a lump in my throat as the ball went in." (Venables)

The humorous magazine Private Eye picked up on these and began publishing them in its Colemanballs column. The name was taken from the sports commentator David Coleman, who could give even the managers a run for their money:

"Nottingham have now lost six matches in a row without winning." (Coleman)
It was really Private Eye's lampooning that made this phrase popular. There is an associated phrase, 'sick as a parrot', which was used when 'the boys' lost. This has a much shorter pedigree and it's quite likely that it was invented by a writer at Private Eye rather than in a football stadium. It certainly gained currency because The Eye always printed the two phrases together in their parodies. 'Sick as a parrot' was probably influenced the the famous Monty Python 'Dead Parrot' sketch, which could be quoted verbatim by many in the UK at the time and which remains one of the most popular sketches ever shown on British TV.Well, that's the last thirty years. The actual origin of 'over the moon' is much earlier and, although not widely used before the 1970s, it would have been familiar to all who grew up in Britain in the 20th century. Why, because the source was included, as High Diddle Diddle, in the influential 16th century nursery rhyme collection, Mother Goose's Melody; or Sonnets from the Cradle, circa 1760:

High diddle diddle,

The Cat and the Fiddle,

The Cow jump'd over the Moon,

The little dog laugh'd to see such Craft,

And the Dish ran away with the Spoon.

As with most nursery rhymes, the first appearance in print may well post-date the first use by years, centuries even - children didn't write their rhymes down. The text of such rhymes was subject to a 'Chinese whispers' effect over all of that time and, whatever the origin may have been, the version passed down to us is quite probably nonsense and isn't easily interpreted. What is clear is that the 'over the moon' line is a reference to excitement and energy. That's evidenced by one of the earliest allusions to the phrase in print - Charles Molloy's The Coquet, or, The English Chevalier, 1718:

"Tis he! I know him now: I shall jump over the Moon for Joy!"

Prana & Pranayama..............................

Prana and Pranayama.................AN INTERESTING & USEFUL ARTICLE TO READ.

Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati..........................................


We have a very peculiar concept about pranayama being simply a practice of breathing. There are also many other aspects of pranayama, like the influences of the breath on body, mind and psyche, and then there is the aspect of prana.

There are two different things - the breath is separate from prana, and prana is separate from the air which we breathe. Prana has a definite influence on the physical body, on the brain, consciousness and energy, but before we go into this topic we first have to understand exactly what prana is. I will give you one living example to explain prana. It is absolutely true.

It concerns research done by the Meninger Foundation in the United States, involving a Swami by the name of Nadabrahmananda who was put in an airtight glass cage with a monkey and a burning candle. The swami was asked to practise Kumbhaka (internal breath retention) and at the same time to play the tabla. The researchers plugged his nose, ears and mouth. There was not the remotest possibility of him breathing through any of the holes in his body. When they shut the cage, the candle-flame burnt out after about three or four minutes while the monkey fell down unconscious after fifteen minutes, but the swami continued to play the tabla in the state of internal breath retention for forty-five minutes continuously.

This seems to destroy the theory that breath is related to prana, for the swami said that while he was practising kumbhaka he was only aware of a type of energy moving throughout his body. He was not aware of any agitation of the heart nor high blood pressure, for when you retain the breath for an extended period of time there is just plain awareness of energy pulsating throughout the body. He felt that there was no need to breathe at all. He could have continued for a very long time without breathing, longer than forty-five minutes.

Yoga makes it very clear that prana is a form of energy which is generated within the body and it depends a lot on the state of the mind, consciousness, emotions and thoughts as well as the positive and negative aspects of the personality. This is known as the awakening of prana. Once you are able to awaken the pranic energy the breath will automatically cease, but of course, it requires a lot of practice to perfect kumbhaka.

We have to remember that, although pranayama is a simple technique of inhalation and exhalation, internal breath retention and external breath retention, many physiological and psychological changes take place within the body and we have to become aware of them. First of all, let us consider the breath. We know that through the breath we can alter the function of our nervous and cardiovascular systems and the brain, and induce a state of relaxation. We can also induce a state of tension in the body and brain.

The process of inhalation creates some physical resistance and this resistance or tension is not limited to the body alone but also affects the mind. When we exhale we eliminate that tension, that build-up of energy, and we reach a state of tranquillity by observing the breath. By means of the breath we can control the level of tension whether it is muscular, nervous or emotional. How can simply changing the pattern of the breath influence the sympathetic or the parasympathetic nervous system, or the right and left hemispheres of the brain, or the ida and pingala aspect of energy within our personality?

Many people believed that when we practise pranayama there is a build-up of oxygen in our system and that this oxygen is transferred to the brain which becomes active, but many studies have shown that we do not increase the quantity of oxygen in the system, in the blood, or in the brain, but that we eliminate toxins from the body, either in the form of heat, or in the form of sweat. Many times we experience this when we practise bhastrika pranayama for an extended period. Through the process of breathing also we eliminate CO2 and so naturally we will feel that the level of oxygen is increasing.

I will give you one example: if the quantity of oxygen within the body is ten per cent and the quantity of toxins within the body is eight per cent, we consider that we have two per cent of oxygen, but if through the practice of pranayama we reduce the quantity of toxins in our system by four per cent, the oxygen quantity will increase to six per cent. This is what actually happens at the time of pranayama. Through the purification of toxins there is a feeling of energy, lightness, vitality, stamina, clarity of mind and perceptions, and maximum performance of the brain. This is one aspect of pranayama.

The second aspect of pranayama is that when we breathe the air from our environment we inhale the positive and negative ions into the body, regardless of the quantity of these ions. A scientist might say that in the air there are five hundred particles of negative ions per square centimetre, which make us feel very light, fresh, energetic and vibrant. Whenever we go to the mountainside, and even after a thunderstorm, the air is charged with electricity which is known as negative ions. When we perform pranayama, even if we do it in a room, after some time we will create a type of static electricity within the body. If we draw a comb or brush through our hair, it becomes electrically charged with static electricity and you can lift up pieces of paper with it.

The same principle applies with pranayama also. We generate a type of static electricity within the body which attracts negative ions from the environment into our system, therefore even in a confined space, in a closed room where there are not many negative ions per square centimetre, after the practice of pranayama, we will still feel vibrant, energetic and light, because we have built up this form of static energy which is attracting the negative ions from the environment.

The third aspect of pranayama relates to the nervous system. Those people who have practised Swara Yoga and who are therefore more aware of their breathing process must know that the breath constantly changes its pattern of flow in the nostrils. Sometimes one nostril is clear, open and flowing while the other is blocked, and vice versa - these two flows change periodically. Each flow is related to a particular type of experience of the nervous system. When our sympathetic nervous system is active the physical performance is different. One is more extrovert, dynamic, outgoing, alert and aware - very much in the world. When the breath is flowing in the other nostril which influences the parasympathetic nervous system, then we feel more relaxed, tranquil, peaceful, more inside ourselves rather than outside, and this is very noticeable in respect to people who suffer from mental problems.

In the States where they taught pranayama to mentally disturbed people (hyper-actives), they found that by the practice of nadi shodhana (alternate nostril breathing) only, they were able to bring down the hyperactivity of the sufferer and also induce a state of tranquillity. Pranayama was taught to catatonics (depressives) - if one of their arms is up, it will remain like that for hours without their bringing it down, or you will have to bring the hand down. Then again it will go up. They have practically no control over their external physiological expression or movement. Of course, first with the help of drugs, we extrovert the mind, because in this severely introverted state it is very difficult for an individual to practise pranayama. Some kind of stimulant is injected into their system and they become externalised. After their mind is externalised they are taught pranayama which activates the sympathetic nervous system and brings them out
-bhastrika, surya bheda pranayama. They found that if these practices are done carefully and systematically, they become very effective. So, the effect of pranayama on the nervous system is a very big subject in itself.

Then comes another aspect - the brain. There are two things to look at here. One is the electrical activity of the brain, the other is the performance of the right and left hemispheres of the brain. We can understand electrical activity of the brain, because the more we become involved with the external world, with external day-to-day affairs, the more tense we become, the greater is the frequency of beta waves -so many cycles-per-second, between twenty to thirty. This reduces the efficiency of the mind. It diverts the mind in many directions. In our life, we have experienced it, we cannot decide for ourselves, because there are too many wants, too many likes and dislikes, too many ambitions! So we are never really relaxed.

Relaxation does not mean lying flat, closing the eyes and mentally going off to some place. Relaxation in Yoga means having control over the activity of the brain, because through the brain you can control the body, through the brain you can control the functions of the mind. This is why, after you lie in the prone position of shavasana, during Yoga Nidra or between asana you are especially asked to observe the breath. There is no other reason behind it. If this were not the reason, we would ask you to fantasise about anything, which may not be related with the breath at all - see a shiva lingam in your forehead for example. You will achieve relaxation by concentrating on a shiva lingam at the eyebrow centre but the state of relaxation of the brain will not be the same, and you will not be able to control the electrical impulses of the brain consciously.

Those of you who have used the biofeedback system, who have seen your brain waves and have will fully tried to change their frequency, by learning how to relax the muscles, control the breath, or divert the mind from the most immediate problem to another experience, will know how the frequency changes, how one brain wave is superimposed on another. This is exactly what happens when we practise pranayama in a state of mental conflict, tension and frustration.

There is a gradual reduction of the beta waves, but that does not mean that your alpha waves will increase. There are practices of pranayama in which you by-pass your alpha waves, theta waves and delta waves. From beta you go straight to shoonya - no activity!

This has been experimented upon by many good researchers and swamis. I had the opportunity to see the experiment of how a pranayama practitioner could go straight into the state of shoonya directly from beta waves without passing through the alpha, delta and theta phases. The experiment was done by the same sannyasin in the cage who stopped breathing for forty-five minutes and is a very great achievement.

The next aspect I want to cover is the right and the left hemispheres of the brain. There are many theories concerning this. We say that the right hemisphere has a certain area of performance and the left hemisphere has its own definite area of performance. Rationality, awareness, dynamism, tranquillity - these are all functions of the different brain hemispheres. The performance of the hemispheres changes according to the alternating flow of ida and pingala. Ida and pingala here does not mean the flow of breath in the right nostril or left nostril, but the flow and volume of prana, the quantity of prana within the system.

You know the example of a magnet attracting metal. If you put some type of thick paper in front of it, it will still attract metal but not as strongly as before. The greater the barrier in front of the magnet, the less its efficiency. The flow of ida and pingala is something like this. The more you remove the blocks from these pranic flows, (I am not using the word "toxins" I am using the word "blocks"), their magnetic power will increase. What are these blocks? Tension is one of them definitely. Emotional problems are certainly another one. The state of mind, "I want this but I cannot have it" and the state of suppression are others. It is removal of these different psychological blocks which increases the quantum of the ida and pingala flows and they, in turn, will affect the performance of the mind, intelligence, emotions and behaviour.

The fact that some people who are right-handed or left-handed, or who are more linear in their way of thinking, or who have the ability to visualise thing's can be understood more effectively when we take these facts into consideration. But more than this, it can be transcended, after we have achieved harmony between the left and right hemispheres of the brain through the practice of pranayama, by equalising the flow of ida and pingala.

Now let us consider the expansion of the pranic field - pranamaya kosha. We may have noticed that there is a time of the day when the biorhythms of the body, mind and emotions reach their optimum, and a time when they come to their lowest ebb. In the morning we often feel tired, even after eight or ten hours of sleep, because the energy level is low. There are periods in the afternoon when we feel tired because our energy level is low, but after some time, we again feel energetic. Ten or twenty minutes ago, I was feeling tired, but now again I am feeling energetic, why? I did not go to sleep. I did not go to bed. I did not do anything. It is a general experience related to the biorhythms of the body, intellect or emotions which have again come up.

These biorhythms are not related to the charts we buy in the market, the nineteen, twenty one, or twenty-three-day-cycle biorhythm, not the biorhythm book in which you use your birth date and the present date, etc. It is a very simple fact related with the breath and prana. Just as the flow of breath changes in each nostril every forty-five minutes to one hour; just as the flow of prana increases in the ida and pingala passages from time to time, at a certain time of the day the nervous system, the respiratory system, the brain, the emotions the mind, the prana, all go up or down according to the cycle, and the pranamaya kosha is affected by the fluctuation of these biorhythms.

It is in fact our inability to maintain a state of harmony in the level of prana which makes us feel tired, exhausted, depleted of energy. If we were able to maintain a constant level of prana, no matter how tired our body became, we might be panting and sweating, and our muscles aching, but we would not collapse because of exhaustion. We would undergo the symptoms of fatigue, but we would recuperate very quickly. Prana combats this accumulation of various acids, hormones and toxins within the body. The accumulation of lactic acid within the muscles as they get tired, as well as the constant flow of adrenaline, which can be corrected and controlled through prana alone.

So, from when we wake up in the morning to when we go to bed at night, our body and mind and pranic level undergo many ups and downs, but if we are somehow able to increase the level of prana again we will overcome the tiredness, the lethargy, the laziness, the feeling of exhaustion and again be completely awake, alert, tranquil and relaxed, without any after effect. You know what type of after-effect I am referring to. If we do not sleep for one night, the next morning we say, "My nerves are shot. I cannot do things properly. I cannot think properly. I am trembling. I am having this experience. I am having that experience".

Some time back, some swamis and doctors did an experiment in Australia with the Kirlian system. Every morning they used to wake up, take a print of their hands and see the emission of the electromagnetic energy or prana and note the colours. Everyone gives a different name to this energy, some call it aura, some call it bio-magnetic field, some call it by other fancy names, but for our understanding let us call it prana. Then they went about their normal work. The doctors went to the hospital, the swamis went to teach Yoga. There were about six or seven people in the experiment. In the evening, as soon as they returned, they took fresh prints and compared them with the morning prints.

The morning prints showed an emission of three quarters of an inch in length, because people were relaxed. Everybody had slept without tension. At night however some people showed no emission at all, because they had given out a lot of energy during the day and accumulated much tension. They were mentally, emotionally and physically exhausted. Now came the most difficult but interesting part. For one day through the practice of asana they used to try to increase the prana in their system, and observe through the photos how much it used to increase after five minutes of asana, then another asana, then another. They selected five asana only. The next week they tried with pranayama only - five pranayama, one each day. Then they used mudras and bandhas (moola bandha, jalandhara bandha, uddiyana bandha) and the corresponding mudra (ashwini mudra, vajroli mudra, agnisar kriya, etc.) then Yoga Nidra, then pratyahara, Ajapa Japa, mantra and breath visualisation.

They found that with each practice they were able to increase the quantity of prana and in the emission of prana from various parts of the body, especially from the fingers, they could see a very noticeable difference before, after and during the experiment.

Of course, as we know that we are surrounded by the pranic body or field, and as we become emotionally and physically tired, the energy is utilised to again rejuvenate the energy within our system. When we are unable to rejuvenate the prana within our system we sleep, or we try to direct our mind. If we could rejuvenate the prana through various Yoga practices we could prevent the daily stress from affecting the performance of our body and mind. The most important practice of pranayama was surya bheda pranayama, sympathetic nostril breathing. Five rounds of this and they were again as active as in the morning.

So, these are some of the studies that have been taking place in many different parts of the world.

Mind you, this work is not yet complete, because we are still learning about the mental and emotional aspect of it, how we can influence our emotions - the feeling of anger, love and harmony, joy or greed and envy. These are things that we can definitely control and transform through the practice of pranayama, and some studies have been made. We are learning about the psychic aspect of it also, the effect of pranayama on the conscious, subconscious and unconscious mind. Many studies have so far been done but pranayama is a very lengthy topic and there are still other aspects which are not covered here........................................

And.......................................................................


Remember - "There is never a wrong time to do a right thing."

The difference between.....................&...............thinking.................

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LATERAL AND LOGICAL THINKING............A GOOD STORY INDEED............................

Many years ago in a small Indian village,

A farmer had the misfortune Of owing a large sum of money to a village moneylender.

The Moneylender , who was old and ugly, fancied the farmer's beautiful Daughter. So he proposed a bargain.

He said he would forgo the farmer's debt if he could marry his Daughter. Both the farmer and his daughter were horrified by the Proposal.

So the cunning money-lender suggested that they let Providence decide the matter.

He told them that he would put a black Pebble and a white pebble into an empty money bag. Then the girl would Have to pick one pebble from the bag.

1) If she picked the black pebble, she would become his wife and her father's debt would be forgiven.

2) If she picked the white pebble she need not marry him and her father's debt would still be forgiven.

3) But if she refused to pick a pebble, her father would be thrown into Jail.


They were standing on a pebble strewn path in the farmer's field. As They talked, the moneylender bent over to pick up two pebbles. As he Picked them up, the sharp-eyed girl noticed that he had picked up two black pebbles and put them into the bag.

He then asked the girl to pick a pebble from the bag.

Careful analysis would produce three possibilities:

1. The girl should refuse to take a pebble.

2. The girl should show that there were two black pebbles in the bag And expose the money-lender as a cheat.

3. The girl should pick a black pebble and sacrifice herself in order To save her father from his debt and imprisonment.

Take a moment to ponder over the story. The above story is used with the hope that it will make us appreciate the difference between lateral and logical thinking.

The girl's dilemma cannot be solved with Traditional logical thinking. Think of the consequences if she chooses

The above logical answers.


What would you recommend to the Girl to do?

Well, here is what she did .....................................

The girl put her hand into the moneybag and drew out a pebble. Without Looking at it, she fumbled and let it fall onto the pebble-strewn path where it immediately became lost among all the other pebbles.

"Oh, how clumsy of me," she said. "But never mind, if you look into the Bag for the one that is left, you will be able to tell which pebble I picked."

Since the remaining pebble is black, it must be assumed that she had picked the white one. And since the money-lender dared not admit his Dishonesty, the girl changed what seemed an impossible situation into An extremely advantageous one.


MORAL OF THE STORY:

Most complex problems do have a solution. It is only that we don't ATTEMPT to think.

A very interesting conversation between.................................

A VERY INTERESTING CONVERSATION BETWEEN A PROFESSOR AND A GREAT STUDENT- WHO WAS THAT GREAT STUDENT ? READ TO KNOW.

An Atheist Professor of Philosophy was speaking to his Class on the Problem Science has with GOD, the ALMIGHTY. He asked one of his New Christian Students to stand and...........................................


Professor : You are a Christian, aren't you, son ?

Student : Yes, sir.

Professor : So, you Believe in GOD ?

Student : Absolutely, sir.

Professor : Is GOD Good ?

Student : Sure.

Professor : Is GOD ALL - POWERFUL ?

Student : Yes.

Professor : My Brother died of Cancer even though he Prayed to GOD to Heal him. Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But GOD didn't. How is this GOD good then? Hmm?

(Student was silent )

Professor : You can't answer, can you ? Let's start again, Young Fella. Is GOD Good?

Student : Yes.

Professor : Is Satan good ?

Student : No.

Professor : Where does Satan come from ?

Student : From . . . GOD .. .

Professor : That's right. Tell me son, is there evil in this World?

Student : Yes.

Professor : Evil is everywhere, isn't it ? And GOD did make everything. Correct?

Student : Yes.

Professor : So who created evil ?

(Student did not answer)

Professor : Is there Sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the World, don't they?

Student : Yes, sir.

Professor : So, who Created them ?

(Student had no answer)

Professor : Science says you have 5 Senses you use to Identify and Observe the World around you.. Tell me, son . .. . Have you ever Seen GOD?

Student : No, sir.

Professor : Tell us if you have ever Heard your GOD?

Student : No , sir.


Professor : Have you ever Felt your GOD, Tasted your GOD, Smelt your GOD?

Have you ever had any Sensory Perception of GOD for that matter?

Student : No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't.

Professor : Yet you still Believe in HIM?

Student : Yes.

Professor : According to Empirical, Testable, Demonstrable Protocol, Science says your GOD doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?

Student : Nothing. I only have my Faith.

Professor : Yes, Faith. And that is the Problem Science has.

Student : Professor, is there such a thing as Heat?

Professor : Yes.

Student : And is there such a thing as Cold?

Professor : Yes.

Student : No, sir. There isn't.

(The Lecture Theatre became very quiet with this turn of events )

Student : Sir, you can have Lots of Heat, even More Heat, Superheat, Mega Heat, White Heat, a Little Heat or No Heat.
But we don't have anything called Cold. We can hit 458 Degrees below Zero which is No Heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as Cold. Cold is only a Word we use to describe the Absence of Heat. We cannot Measure Cold. Heat is Energy. Cold is Not the Opposite of Heat, sir, just the Absence of it.

(There was Pin-Drop Silence in the Lecture Theatre )


Student : What about Darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as Darkness?

Professor : Yes. What is Night if there isn't Darkness?

Student : You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is the Absence of Something You can have Low Light, Normal Light, Bright Light, Flashing Light . . But if you have No Light constantly, you have nothing and its called Darkness, isn't it? In reality, Darkness isn't. If it is, were you would be able to make Darkness Darker, wouldn't you?

Professor : So what is the point you are making, Young Man ?

Student : Sir, my point is your Philosophical Premise is flawed.

Professor : Flawed ? Can you explain how?

Student : Sir, you are working on the Premise of Duality.
You argue there is Life and then there is Death, a Good GOD and a Bad GOD. You are viewing the Concept of GOD as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, Science can't even explain a Thought. It uses Electricity and Magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view Death as the Opposite of Life is to be ignorant of the fact that Death cannot exist as a Substantive Thing. Death is Not the Opposite of Life: just the Absence of it. Now tell me, Professor, do you teach your Students that they evolved from a Monkey?

Professor : If you are referring to the Natural Evolutionary Process, yes, of course, I do.

Student : Have you ever observed Evolution with your own eyes, sir?
(The Professor shook his head with a Smile, beginning to realize where the Argument was going )

Student : Since no one has ever observed the Process of Evolution at work and Cannot even prove that this Process is an On-Going Endeavor, Are you not teaching your Opinion, sir? Are you not a Scientist but a Preacher?

(The Class was in Uproar )

Student : Is there anyone in the Class who has ever seen the Professor's Brain?

(The Class broke out into Laughter )

Student : Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor's Brain, Felt it, touched or Smelt it? . . . No one appears to have done so. So, according to the Established Rules of Empirical, Stable, Demonstrable Protocol, Science says that You have No Brain, sir. With all due respect, sir, how do we then Trust your Lectures, sir?

(The Room was Silent. The Professor stared at the Student, his face unfathomable)

Professor : I guess you'll have to take them on Faith, son.

Student : That is it sir . . . Exactly ! The Link between Man & GOD is FAITH. That is all that Keeps Things Alive and Moving.

That student was.......................................... Albert Einstein.

Concentrate on this sentence:....................................

"To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did. When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better. Concentrate on this sentence........'The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you." ...................................................

Remember......................

"Society is built upon TRUST,

TRUST is built upon FAITH

&

FAITH is built upon TRUTH.

Brilliant Economics.........

Brilliant Economics............................Read and no offence at certain part of the article pl.

"Being challenged in life is inevitable, being defeated is optional."

Great Reading.........................

It is the month of August, on the shores of the Black Sea. It is raining, and the little town looks totally deserted. It is tough times, everybody is in debt, and everybody lives on credit.

Suddenly, a rich tourist comes to town. He enters the only hotel, lays a 100 Euro note on the reception counter, and goes to inspect the rooms upstairs in order to choose one. The hotel proprietor takes the 100 Euro note and runs to pay his debt to the butcher.

The butcher takes the 100 Euro note, and runs to pay his debt to the pig grower. The pig grower takes the 100 Euro note, and runs to pay his debt to the supplier of his feed and fuel. The supplier of feed and fuel takes the 100 Euro note and runs to pay his debt to the town's prostitute that in these hard times, gave her "services" on credit. The hooker runs to the hotel, and pays off her debt with the 100 Euro note to the hotel proprietor to pay for the rooms that she rented when she brought her clients there.

The hotel proprietor then lays the 100 Euro note back on the counter so that the rich tourist will not suspect anything.

At that moment, the tourist comes down after inspecting the rooms, and takes his 100 Euro note, after saying that he did not like any of the rooms, and leaves town.

No one earned anything. However, the whole town is now without debt, and looks to the future with a lot of optimism.... .

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how the United States is doing business today. And...............................................................

"There is never a wrong time to do a right thing."

Sri Suktam..................................

Sri Suktam........................An introduction.
>
>
> The Sri Sukta of the Veda is recited with benefit
> especially on Fridays, together with formal worship of the
> Goddess, for peace, plenty, and all-round prosperity.
> Lakshmi, who is usually identified as the Spouse of Vishnu,
> or Narayana, represents the glory and magnificence of God.
> Narayana and Lakshmi, actually, stand for Being and
> Becoming. The Creator in all His glory manifests Himself in
> the variety in creation.
>
> Generally, spiritual seekers make the mistake of imagining
> that God is outside the world and the world has to be
> rejected in spiritual pursuits. This is an inadequate view,
> because the world is the glory of God, as light is the glory
> of the Sun and light cannot be disassociated from the Sun.
> The values and glories and the abundances of this vast
> creation cannot be separated from God, the Almighty, even in
> our love for God.
>
> Narayana represents God, and Lakshmi represents the
> magnificence, abundance, plentifulness and grandeur of
> Narayana. The tradition, among the Vaishnavas especially, is
> that Narayana cannot be approached except through Lakshmi,
> even as some devotees hold that Krishna cannot be approached
> except through Radha, or Rukmini. This is to say that the
> Absolute can be reached only through the relative. The
> Invisible can be contacted only through the visible. The
> universe of perception and experience includes the very
> meditator, the seeker, the student or the devotee. Only an
> over-enthusiastic devotee can imagine that he is outside the
> world and then erroneously reject the values of life,
> forgetting thereby that in the act of such rejection he has
> rejected himself also, since he is a part of this creation.
> A truly transcendent devotion to God is impracticable, for
> God is not merely transcendent; He is also immanent.
>
> The four Purusharthas—dharma, artha, kamaand
> moksha—mentioned in the scriptures, very wisely lay down
> the principles of an integration of living, so that we have
> to be properly aligned inwardly not only in our body, mind
> and spirit, but also outwardly in respect of the manifold
> articles of creation—animate, inanimate, organic or
> inorganic. The prayer to Lakshmi in the Sri Sukta is a
> supplication to God through the visible form of His
> magnificence and glory which is this indescribable universe.
> Lakshmi is prosperity, and all the wealth of life is nothing
> but prosperity.
>
> By wealth we are not to understand merely gold and silver,
> and the like. All forms of happiness, satisfaction,
> abundance and status come under Lakshmi, the Divine Glory.
> Any form of superior grandeur, greatness and glory is
> Lakshmi. Who can say that these are undesirable, when they
> are reflections of God himself? Has not Bhagavan Sri Krishna
> told us in the Gita that wherever there is glory, grandeur
> and excellence in a superb form of manifestation, it is He
> that is manifest there?
>
> Actually, in the end, there is nothing in the world that
> deserves our rejection. We have also to learn that
> meditation, or yoga, is not a rejection of realities but an
> inclusion of all existence, a harmony established between
> ourselves and the vast atmosphere around us. So the glory of
> the earth is not always an obstacle to God-realisation; but,
> rather, the great values of life are actually indicators of
> the majesty and beauty of God. As the ray of the Sun gives
> us a suggestion as to what the Sun is, the world points to
> us what God could be. Prakriti and Purusha are not two
> different things. The world and God are inseparables.
>
> Narayana and Lakshmi, says the Vishnu Purana, are like fire
> and heat, flower and fragrance, oil and greasiness, water
> and liquidity, sun and light, etc. And by such comparisons
> it is made out that the two are in fact One Being envisaged
> as twofold for meditation and worship. The Sri Sukta is the
> invocation of God Himself as the great glory of His
> creation, His lordliness, sovereignty and supreme
> suzerainty.
>
> The emotions of man, when they are religiously roused, have
> a tendency to consider the world as an evil and God as an
> other-worldly goal of life. This is an overestimation of the
> path that is to be trodden and an underestimation of the
> world. Neither is it advisable to overestimate the world,
> nor is it advisable to underestimate supersensible
> realities. The path of truth is a via media, or a golden
> mean. May we humbly surrender ourselves to this great
> mystery of God’s Glory as Lakshmi, revealed to us as
> prosperity all round, through which we reach the Eternal
> Abundance, Narayana.
>
>
> Sri Suktam...........................................
>
>
> Hiranyavarnaa harineem suvarna rajaathastrajam,
>
> Chandraam hiranmayeem jatha vedo ma aavaha. 1
>
>
> Hey God of fire,
>
> Request that Sridevi,
>
> Who shines like gold,
>
> Who destroys all sins,
>
> Who wears silver and gold ornaments,
>
> Who is like the moon,
>
> And who is golden,
>
> To come here,
>
> And shower her grace on me.
>
>
>
> Thaam ma aavaha jatha vedo Lakshmi- manapagaaminim,
>
> Yasyam hiranyam vindeyam kaamaswam purushanaham. 2
>
>
>
> Hey God of fire,
>
> Request that Sridevi,
>
> By whose grace,
>
> I got gold,
>
> I got cows,
>
> I got horses,
>
> And I got relatives and friends,
>
> To come here,
>
> Shower her grace,
>
> And never ever leave me.
>
>
>
> Aswa poorva radha madhyaam hasthi nadha prabhodhineem,
>
> Sriyam devi upahvaye srirma deveem jupathaam. 3
>
>
>
> I beseech and request that Sridevi,
>
> Who is heralded by the voice of elephants,
>
> Who is piloted by horses,
>
> And who is surrounded by chariots,
>
> To come near me and shower her grace,
>
> And request her to be within me.
>
>
>
> Kaam sosmathim hiranya praakaram aardhra jwalantheem
> truptham tharpayantheem,
>
> Padme sthithaam padma varnaam thaam ehopahvaye sriyam. 4
>
>
>
> I request and pray that Sridevi,
>
> Who is happiness personified,
>
> Who is ever smiling,
>
> Who is in the golden fort,
>
> Who is full of mercy,
>
> Who is ever shining,
>
> Who makes others happy,
>
> Who sits on the lotus,
>
> And who is of the colour of lotus,
>
> To be present here with me.
>
>
>
> Chandraam prabhasam jwalanthim sriyam loke deva jushta
> mudhaaram,
>
> Thaam padmineemeem saranamaham prapadhye lakshmeerme
> nasyatham twam vrune 5
>
>
>
> I seek the protection of that Sridevi,
>
> Who makes the world happy like the moon,
>
> Who is richly lustrous,
>
> Who shines because of her fame,
>
> Who is full of mercy,
>
> Who is the meaning of the letter �eem�,
>
> And who possesses treasures like Padmanidhi,
>
> And request Lakshmi to remove poverty from me.
>
>
>
> Adhityavarne thamaso adhijaatho vanaspathisthva vrukshodha
> bilwa,
>
> Tasya phalaani tapasa nudhanthu mayaantharayascha bahya
> alakshmi. 6
>
>
>
> Hey Goddess who shines like sun,
>
> By your great penance,
>
> Was born the bilwa tree,
>
> Which is the king of forests,
>
> And let its fruits full of knowledge,
>
> Remove ignorance inside,
>
> And bad things outside.
>
>
>
> Upaithu maam deva sakhaa keertheeya maninaa saha,
>
> Pradhur bhoothosmo rashtresmin keerthim vruddhim dadhathu
> me. 7
>
>
>
> The god of wealth Kubhera,
>
> Who is the friend of Mahadeva,
>
> Should come in search of me,
>
> For I am born in this country,
>
> Showered with your grace,
>
> Be pleased to give me fame and fulfillment.
>
>
>
> Kshupthipaasa malaam jyeshtamalakshmim nasayamyaham,
>
> Abhoothim masamrudheem cha sarva nirnudha me grahad. 8
>
>
>
> I would remove Jyeshta*,
>
> Who creates hunger and thirst,
>
> Wherever she lives,
>
> By your grace,
>
> And please remove poverty and want from my house.
>
>
>
> Gandhadwaaram dhuradapaa nithyapushtaam kareepineem,
>
> Easwaree sarva bhoothaanam thaam ehopahvaye swayam. 9
>
>
>
> I request and pray that Sridevi,
>
> Who pleases others by sweet scent,
>
> Who cannot be defeated,
>
> Who gives prosperity daily,
>
> Who is full of everything,
>
> And who is the goddess of all beings,
>
> To come and be present here.
>
>
>
> Maanasa kamamaakrutheem vachassathya maseemahi,
>
> Pasoonaam roopamannasya mayi sree srayathaam yasa. 10
>
>
>
> I request you goddess Sridevi,
>
> To forever bless me,
>
> With fulfillment of good desires of the mind,
>
> With ebbing happiness in life,
>
> With truth in my words,
>
> And with beauty that plenty of food creates.
>
>
>
> Kardhamena prajaa bhoothaa mayi sambhava kardhama,
>
> Sriyam vaasaya me kule matharam padmamalineem. 11
>
>
>
> Hey sage Kardhama** ,
>
> In your house was born,
>
> Goddess Sridevi as daughter,
>
> And so be pleased to be with me,
>
> So that mother Lakshmi with lotus garland,
>
> Is forever in my family,
>
> And bless us all with her grace.
>
>
>
> Aapa srujanthu snigdhani Chikleetha vasa me gruhe,
>
> Ni cha deveem matharam sriyam vasaya se kule. 12
>
>
>
> Hey Sage Sikleedha***,
>
> Who is the son of Sridevi,
>
> Let the goddess of water,
>
> Produce fatty products like milk and ghee,
>
> And please come and live with us,
>
> And request Goddess Sridevi,
>
> To live in our family forever.
>
>
>
> Aardhraa pushkarineem pushteem suvarna hema malineem,
>
> Sarvaa hiranmayeem lakshmim jathaveda ma avaha. 13
>
>
>
> Hey god of fire,
>
> Be pleased to bless me,
>
> So that Goddess Sridevi,
>
> Who is deeply merciful,
>
> Who lives on a lotus,
>
> Who supplies food to the world,
>
> Who is of golden colour,
>
> Who wears the garland of lotus,
>
> Who makes us happy like the moon god,
>
> And who is purity personified,
>
> To come and be with me.
>
>
>
> Aardhraa ya karinim yashtim pingalaam padmalineem,
>
> Chanraam hiranmayeem lakshmeem jathavedo ma avaaha. 14
>
>
>
> Hey god of fire,
>
> Be pleased to bless me,
>
> So that Goddess Sridevi,
>
> Who is deeply merciful,
>
> Who holds the staff of the emperor,
>
> Who has a body like tender climbing plant,
>
> Who has a pretty colour,
>
> Who wears golden garland,
>
> Who shines like sun god,
>
> And who is purity personified,
>
> To come and be with me.
>
>
>
> Thaam ma avaha jathavedo Lakshmi managaamineem,
>
> Yasyaam hiranyam prabhootham gaavo dasyoswaan vindheyam
> purushapaanaham 15
>
>
>
> Hey god of fire,
>
> Be pleased to bless me,
>
> So that Goddess Sridevi,
>
> By whose grace,
>
> I will get plenty of Gold,
>
> I will get lot of cows,
>
> I will get lot of maidservants,
>
> I will get lot of horses.
>
> And I will get lot of servants,
>
> Never ever leave me.
>
>
>
> Ya suchi prayatho bhoothwa juhu yaadajya mavaham
>
> Sriya panchadasascha cha srikaama ssathatham japeth. 16
>
>
>
> He who prays for the grace of Sridevi,
>
> Should be pure in mind and body,
>
> Control his mind,
>
> And everyday chant the above,
>
> Fifteen rik mantras,
>
> And do homa* with ghee.
>
>
>
> Ananda, Kardamashaiva Chikleedha ithi vishrutha,
>
> Rishayasthe thraya proktha swayam sreereva devatha. 17
>
>
>
> For this Homa*,
>
> Ananda, Kardhama and Chikleedha,
>
> Are the famous sages.
>
> And Sridevi is the goddess.
>
>
>
> Padmasane padmoru, padamakshi padamasambhave,
>
> Twam maam bhajaswa padamakshi yena sowkhyam labhamyaham.
> 18
>
>
>
> Hey Goddess who sits on Lotus,
>
> Hey Goddess who has thighs like lotus,
>
> Hey Goddess who has eyes like lotus,
>
> And hey goddess who was born out of lotus,
>
> Please grant me all,
>
> That you think will give a good life.
>
>
>
> Aswadhabhi cha godhayee dhanadayee maha dhane,
>
> Dhanam me jupathaam devi sarva kaamartha siddhaye. 19
>
>
>
> Hey Goddess who grants wealth of horses.
>
> Hey Goddess who grants wealth of cows,
>
> Hey Goddess who grants wealth,
>
> And hey Goddess who is the queen of wealth,
>
> Grant me more wealth.
>
> So that I can fulfill all my wants.
>
>
>
> Puthra , pouthra , dhanam dhanysm hasthyaswajaavigoradham,
>
> Prajaanaa bhavasi mathaa ayushmantham karothu maam. 20
>
>
>
> Hey Goddess you are mother of all people,
>
> Please grant me sons, grandsons, wealth and grains,
>
> Please grant me elephants, horses, sheep, goat, cow and
> chariots,
>
> And also please grant me long life.
>
>
>
> Chandramam lakshmeem eesaanaam sooryamaam sriyam
> easwareem,
>
> Chandrasooryagni varna maam Sri Mahalakshmim upasmahe. 21
>
>
>
> I pray and meditate on that Maha Lakshmi,
>
> Who shines like the cool moon,
>
> Who is the inner strength of Iswara,
>
> Who shines like the hot sun,
>
> Who is Sridevi and Iswari,
>
> And who is of the form of crescents,
>
> Of moon, sun and fire.
>
>
>
> Dhana magnir , dhanam vayur dhanam sooryor dhanam vasu,
>
> Dhanam indro brahaspathir varuno dhanamasnuthe. 22
>
>
>
> It is by your grace Sridevi,
>
> That Fire is wealthy,
>
> Air is wealthy,
>
> Sun is wealthy,
>
> Ashta Vasus are wealthy,
>
> Indra is wealthy,
>
> Brahaspathi is wealthy,
>
> And Varuna is wealthy.
>
>
>
> Vainatheya somam, pibha somam, pibhathu vruthraha,
>
> Somam dhanasya somino mahyam dadathu somini. 23
>
>
>
> Hey Garuda, drink Soma,
>
> Hey Indra drink Soma,
>
> Hey devas who have drunk Soma,
>
> Please grant me wealth,
>
> For I am performing Soma Yaga**.
>
>
>
> Na krodho na cha matsarya na lobho naa shubha mathi,
>
> Bhavanthi krutha punyanam bakthaanam sri suktham japeth
> sada. 24
>
>
>
> The devotees who do holy deeds,
>
> Never get angry,
>
> Are never jealous,
>
> And never do bad deeds,
>
> And for the devotion to grow,
>
> They should chant often,
>
> The Sri Suktha.
>
>
>
> Varshanth the vibhavari dhivo abhrasya vidhuyutha,
>
> Rohanthu sarva bheejanyava brahmodweepo jahi. 25
>
>
>
> Hey Goddess Sridevi,
>
> By your grace let it rain,
>
> From the black clouds with streaks of lightning,
>
> By your grace let all seeds germinate and grow,
>
> And kill all those who are against the path of gods,
>
>
> Padmapriye, padmini, padmahasthe, padmalaye,
> padmadalaayathakshi.
>
> Viswapriye Vishnu manonukoole twat pada padmam mayi
> sannidasthwa. 26
>
>
>
> Hey Goddess Padmini,
>
> Who likes lotus flowers,
>
> Who holds lotus flower in her hand,
>
> Who lives in lotus flower,
>
> Who has broad eyes like the petal of lotus flower,
>
> Who is the darling of the entire world,
>
> Who is dearest to Lord Vishnu,
>
> Please keep your holy feet on me.
>
>
>
> Maha devyai cha vidmahe, Vishnu patnai cha dheemahi,
>
> Thanno Lakshmi prachodayath. 27
>
>
>
> Try we will to understand Mahadevi,
>
> We would meditate on consort of Vishnu,
>
> And let Goddess Lakshmi help us in this.
>
>
>
> Ya sa padmasanastha Vipuls katithati padma
> pathrayathakshi,
>
> Dambheera varthanabhi sthanabhara namitha
> shubravasreouttareeya,
>
> Lakshmeer divyai gajendrai mani gana kkachithai sthaptha
> hema kumbhai,
>
> Nithyam sa padmahastha mama vasathu gruhe sarva mangalya
> yuktha. 28
>
>
>
> Let that Goddess Lakshmi.
>
> Who is seated on a lotus,
>
> Who has large seat below the hips,
>
> Who has wide eyes like the petal of lotus flower,
>
> Who has a royal looking spherical belly button,
>
> Who is slightly bent because of her heavy busts,
>
> Who wears a white cloth and an upper cloth,
>
> Who takes bath in the pure waters of heaven,
>
> Poured over her by majestic elephants,
>
> Who holds a lotus flower in her hand,
>
> And who is the storehouse of all that is good,
>
> Live in my house forever.
>
>
>
> Lakshmeem ksheera samudra raja thanayam,
>
> Sri rangadhaameswareem ,
>
> Dasi bhootha samastha deva vanithaam ,
>
> Lokaika deepthanguraam,
>
> Sriman manda kataksha labdha,
>
> Vibhava brahmendra gangadaraam,
>
> Twaam trilokya kutumbinim sarasijaam,
>
> Vande mukunda priyaam. 29
>
>
>
> Salutations to Goddess Lakshmi,
>
> Who is the daughter of king of ocean of milk,
>
> Who is the consort of Lord of Sri Ranga*,
>
> Whose maids are the deva maidens,
>
> Who is the lighthouse for the entire world,
>
> Whose side long glances add fame,
>
> To Brahma, Shiva and Indra,
>
> Whose family is all those in three worlds,
>
> Who appears in lotus ponds,
>
> And who is the darling of Lord Mukunda.
>
>
>
> Siddha Lakshmi moksha Lakshmir jayalakshmi saraswathi,
>
> Sri lakshmir vara Lakshmi cha prasanna bhava sarvada. 30
>
>
>
> You who are Siddha Lakshmi[1],
>
> You who are Moksha Lakshm[2]i,
>
> You who are Jayalakshmi[3],
>
> You who are Saraswathi[4],
>
> You who are Srilakshmi[5],
>
> And you, who are Varalakshmi[6],
>
> Should always be pleased with me.
>
>
>
> Varankusou pasamabheethi mudraam ,
>
> Karai vahantheem , Kamalasanasthaam,
>
> Kalaka koti prathibhaam trinethraam,
>
> Bajehamadyam jagadeeswareem thaam. 31
>
>
>
> I salute the Goddess of this universe,
>
> Who is having three eyes,
>
> Who shines like billions of rising suns,
>
> Who is seated on a lotus flower,
>
> And who holds in her hand,
>
> Boons, rope, weapon to tame and seal to protect.
>
>
>
> Sarva mangala Mangalye,
>
> Shive, Saravartha sadhake,
>
> Saranye Trayambake,
>
> Gowri narayani namosthuthe 32
>
>
>
> Salutations to that Goddess,
>
> Who is the greatest good among all the good,
>
> Who is forever peaceful,
>
> Who grants all boons,
>
> Who is the ultimate protection,
>
> Who has three eyes,
>
> Who is white in colour
>
> And who is Narayani.
>
>
>
> * Elder sister of Sridevi, the harbinger of bad luck and
> poverty.
>
> ** When Goddess Sridevi was born from the ocean of milk,
> she was brought up by sage Kardhama
>
> *** Some books mention him as the security guard of Sridevi
> and some others equate him with God of love-manmatha.who is
> son of Sridevi.
>
> * Fire sacrifice
>
> ** Fire sacrifice in which juice of Soma plant is used.
>
> * Holy temple of Vishnu and also means divine stage.
>
> [1]Lakshmi who grants divine powers
>
> [2] Lakshmi who grants salvation
>
> [3] Lakshmi who gives victory,
>
> [4] Goddess of learning
>
> [5] Goddess of wealth
>
> [6] Lakshmi who gives boons.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

Purusha Suktam........................................

Purusha Suktam.....................................

Introduction

Among the great Gods of Vedas is Purusha, which in simple translation means the “male”. But the word actually indicates Lord Vishnu, who is the God among the great trinity in charge of the care of the created beings. He is supposed to live in the ocean of milk and his consort is Lakshmi the goddess of wealth and prosperity.Possibly along with Rudra it is one of the greatest stotras originating from the Vedas. While the devotees of Rudra are afraid of his anger and request Him again and again the devotees of Purusha keep praising him, describing his various facets and request boons from him.Though the original Purusha suktha manthra occurs in Rig Veda , it also occurs in Vajaneya Samhitha of Shukla Yajur Veda, Taiteeriya Samhitha of Krishna Yajurveda and also with slight differences in Sama Veda as well as Atharva Veda.Many great sages have given details of how this great Suthra should be used in Fire Sacrifices and many sages including the great
Sayanacharya have written commentaries on Purusha Suktham.


Purusha in this Suktham is described as a gigantic personality who is spread everywhere.Brhama the creator is supposed to have his huge body as a sacrifice so that he can creae the world.
Shanthi Pata



Thachamyo ravrunimahe.gathum yagnaya.

Gathum Yagna pathaye.Daivee swasthi –rasthu na.

Swasthir Manushebhya. Urdhwa Jigathu beshajam.

Sam no asthu dwipadhe.Sam chatush pade

Om Shanthi, shanthi, Shanthi.



Request we from you with all enthusiasm,

For the good deeds that are medicine,

For the sadness of the past and future,

Request we for the growth of fire sacrifices,

Request that only good should occur,

To the one who presides over such sacrifices,

Request we for the mercy of gods to man,

Request we for good to the community of men,

Request we that the herbs and plants,

Should grow taller towards the skies.

Request we for good for all two legged beings,

Request we for good to all four legged beings,

Request we for peace, peace and peace.



First Anuvaaka


Sahsra seerhaa purusha; Sahasraksha saharpath.

Sa bhoomir viswatho vruthwa.Athyathishta ddhasangulam. 1-1



The Purusha has thousand heads,

He has thousand eyes,

He has thousand feet,

He is spread all over the universe,

And is beyond the count with ten fingers.



Purusha eeveda sarvam.Yad bhootam yad bhavyam.

Utha amruthathwasya eesana. Yad annena adhirohathi. 1-2



This Purusha is all the past,

All the future and the present,

He is the lord of deathlessness,

And he rises from hiding,

From this universe of food.



Ethaa vaanasya mahimaa.Atho jyaaya scha purusha.

Padhosya viswa bhoothanee.Tripaadasyamrutham divi. 1-3



This Purusha is much greater,

Than all his greatness in what all we see,

And all that we see in this universe is but his quarter,

And the rest three quarters which is beyond destruction,

Is safely in the worlds beyond.



Tri paddurdhwa udaith prurusha. Padhosye habha vaath puna.

Thatho vishvangvyakramath.Sasanana sane abhi. 1-4



Above this world is three quarters of Purusha,

But the quarter, which is in this world,

Appears again and again,

And from that is born the beings that take food,

And those inanimate ones that don’t take food.

And all these appeared for every one of us to see.



Tasmath virad jayatha. Virajo agni purusha.

Sa jatho athya richyatha. Paschad bhoomi madho pura. 1-5



From that Purusha was born,

The scintillating, ever shining universe,

And from that was born the Purusha called Brahma,

And he spread himself everywhere,

And created the earth and then,

The bodies of all beings.



Yat purushena havishaa. Devaa yagna mathanvath.

Vasantho asyaasee dhajyam. Greeshma idhma saraddhavi. 1-6



The spring was the ghee,

The summer was the holy wooden sticks,

And the winter the sacrificial offering,

Used or the sacrifice conducted by Devas through thought,

In which they also sacrificed the ever-shining Purusha.



Sapthaasyasan paridhaya. Thri saptha samidha Krutha.

Devaa yad yagnam thanvaana. Abhadhnan purusham pasum. 1-7



Seven meters were its boundaries,

Twenty one principles were holy wooden sticks,

And Devas carried out the sacrifice,

And Brahma was made as the sacrificial cow.



Tham yagnam barhisi prokshan. Purusham Jaatham agradha.

Thena deva ayajantha. Saadhya rushayasch ye. 1-8


Sprinkled they the Purusha,

Who was born first,

On that sacrificial fire.

And the sacrifice was conducted further,

By the Devas called Sadyas,

And the sages who were there.



Tasmad yagnath sarva hutha. Sam brutham prushad ajyam.

Pasus tha aschakre vayavyaan. Aaranyaan graamyascha ye. 1-9



From this sacrifice called “All embracing”.

Curd and Ghee came out,

Animals meant for fire sacrifice were born,

Birds that travel in air were born,

Beasts of the forest were born,

And also born were those that live in villages



Tasmad yagnath sarva hutha.Rucha saamanee jagniree.

Chanadaa si jagnire tasmath.Yajus tasmad jaayatha. 1-10



From this sacrifice called “All embracing”’

The chants of Rig Veda were born,

The chants of Sama Veda were born,

And from that the well-known meters were born,

And from that Yajur Veda was born.



Tasmad aswaa ajaayantha. Ye ke chobhaya tha tha.

Gavooha janjire tasmath. Tasmad gnatha ajavaya. 1-11



From that the horses came out,

From that came out animals with one row of teeth,

From that came out cows with two rows of teeth,

And from that that came out sheep and goats.



Yad purusha vyadhadhu.Kathidhaa vyakalpayan.

Mukham kimsya koo bahu. Kaavuruu pada a uchyathe. 1-12



When the Purusha was made

By their thought process by the Devas,

How did they make his limbs?

How was his face made?

Who were made as His hands?

Who were made as his thighs and feet?



Brahmanasya Mukham aseed.Bahu rajanya krutha.

Ooru tadasys yad vaisya.Padbhyo sudro aajayatha. 1-13



His face became Brahmins*,

His hands were made as Kshatriyas*,

His thighs became Vaisyas*,

And from his feet were born the Shudras*.



Chandrama manaso Jatha.Chaksho surya Ajayatha.

Mukhad Indras cha Agnis cha.Pranad Vayua aajayatha. 1-14



From his mind was born the moon,

From his eyes was born the sun,

From his face was born Indra and Agni,

And from his soul was born the air.



Nabhya aseed anthareeksham.seershno dhou samavarthatha.

Padbyam Bhoomi,, disaa srothrath.Tadha lokaa akampayan. 1-15



From his belly button was born the sky,

From his head was born the heavens,

From his feet was born the earth,

From his ears was born the directions,

And thus was made all the worlds,

Just by his holy wish.



Vedahametham purusham mahantham.Adhitya varna thamasathu pare,

Sarvani roopani vichinthya dheera. Namaani kruthwa abhivadan yadasthe. 1-16



I know that heroic Purusha, who is famous,

Who shines like a sun,

And who is beyond darkness,

Who created all forms,

Who named all of them,

And who rules over them.



Dhaatha purasthad yamudhajahara.sacra pravidhaan pradhisascha thathra.

Thamevam vidwaan anu mrutha iha bavathi. Naanya pandha ayanaaya vidhyathe. 1-17



The learned one who knows that Purusha

Whom the creator, considered as one before Him,

And whom the Indra understood in all directions,

Would attain salvation even in this birth,

And there is no need for him to search for any other path.



Yagnena yagnam aya jantha devaa. Thaani dharmani pradhamanyasan.

Theha naakam mahimaana sachanthe.yatra poorvo saadhyaa santhi devaa. 1-18



Thus the devas worshipped the Purusha,

Through this spiritual yagna,

And that yagna became first among dharmas.

Those who observe this Yagna,

Would for sure attain,

The heavens occupied by Saadya devas.



Second Anuvaaka



Adhbhyaa sambhootha pruthvyai rasascha.Viswakarmanas samavarthadhi.

Tasyas twashtaa vidhadh drupamethi.tad purushasya viswa maajanam agre. 2-1



From water and essence of earth was born,

The all pervading universe.

From the great God who is the creator,

Then appeared that Purusha

And the great God, who made this world,

Is spread as that Purusha, in all fourteen worlds.

And also the great form of Purusha,

Came into being before the start of creation.



Vedaham etham purusham mahantham.Aadithyavarna thamasa parasthath.

Thamevam vidwan amrutha iha bhavathi.nanya pandhaa vidhyathe ayanaaya. 2-2



I know that great Purusha,

Who shines like the sun,

And is beyond darkness,

And the one who knows him thus,

Attains salvation even in this birth,

And there is no other method of salvation.



Prajapathis charathi garbhe antha. Aajayamano bahudha vijaayathe.

Tasya dheera parijananthi yonim. Mareechinaam padamicchanthi vedhasa. 2-3



The Lord of the universe,

Lives inside the universe,

And without being born,

Appears in many forms,

And only the wise realize his real form,

And those who know the Vedas,

Like to do the job of,

Savants like Mareechi.



Yo devebhya aathapathi. Yo devaanaam purohitha.

Poorvo yo devebhyo jatha.Namo ruchaaya brahmaye. 2-4



Salutations to ever shining brahmam,

Who gave divine power to devas,

Who is a religious teacher of devas,

And who was born before devas.



Rucha brahmam janayantha.Devaa agne tadha bruvan.

Yasthaiva barahmano vidhyat. Tasya deva asaan vase. 2-5



The devas who teach the taste in Brahmam,

Told in ancient times,

That. He who has interest in Brahmam,

Would have the devas under his control.



Hreescha the lakshmischa patnyou.Ahorathre paarswe.

Nakshatrani roopam.Aswinou vyatham. 2-6



Hree and Lakshmi are your wives,

Day and night are your right and left,

The constellation of stars your body,

And Aswini devas your open mouth..



Ishtam manishaana.Amum manishana.Sarve manishana. 2-7



Give us the knowledge that we want,

Give us the pleasures of this world,

And give us everything of this and other worlds.



Thachamyo ravrunimahe.gathum yagnaya.

Gathum Yagna pathaye.Daivee swasthi –rasthu na.

Swasthir Manushebhya. Urdhwa Jigathu beshajam.

Sam no asthu dwipadhe.Sam chatush pade

Om Shanthi, shanthi, Shanthi.



Request we from you with all enthusiasm,

For the good deeds that are medicine,

For the sadness of the past and future,

Request we for the growth of fire sacrifices,

Request that only good should occur,

To the one who presides over such sacrifices,

Request we for the mercy of gods to man,

Request we for good to the community of men,

Request we that the herbs and plants,

Should grow taller towards the skies.

Request we for good for all two legged beings,

Request we for good to all four legged beings,

Request we for peace, peace and peace.

Music Therapy..................................

Music Therapy.................A very informative interesting article to read by all in particular by Music Lovers.


"Be a good listener of Music-Your ears will never get you in troublep-and your mind will remain in CALM & PEACE."

JK


Sound travels in the form of wave motions, transmitting energy and vibrating the medium it travels in. It is this transfer of energy which can be utilised in therapy. To gain an understanding of the potential usefulness of such a system we have to remember what a big part it plays in our lives and the effects it has on our being. We all know, for example, how we feel in noisy, heavy city traffic as compared to a quiet, peaceful country setting. Apart from these gross external sounds there also exist subtle inner sounds, from the heart beat, to the sound of air in the lungs, to the sounds in the mind, and beyond. Thus to know how to manipulate the sounds of our environment in such a way as to promote healing, requires a specialised and deep understanding of.................................. Nada yoga,............. the science of sound.

The power of sound........................................


Sound has the power to affect the body, emotions and mind. What affects one aspect has ramifications on the others. This is because the universe is a manifestation of sound. Yogic texts talk of the power of "Aum" manifesting the universe, having pierced through bindu, the infinite point or centre of creation. If we can understand the science and power of sound we can master ourselves and the universe. This is that aspect of the science and art of tantra called mantra, and can be studied in many old texts (shastras).

The power of sound to affect matter was developed by the great singer Caruso who could shatter a glass. To do this he would strike the glass to discover its resonant frequency. Then standing in another part of the room would powerfully intone the note so that it would resonate the glass, causing it to shatter.

Music is an important aspect of sound in our lives. Used properly it can be a powerful means to promote health, but used unwisely it can lead to dissipation of mind, unhinging of the passions and degeneration in the body. It can also kill if certain very low frequencies are utilised.

To understand how the power of music can be utilised to enhance growth, we can read in the ancient texts how Lord Krishna's flute playing promoted the bewitching verdure in the forests and gardens of Vrindavan. Mian Tan Sen, one of the nine sages in the court of the Moghul emperor Akbar, could make plants blossom as though spring had arrived, just by intoning devotional songs (ragas) to them. He could also make rain fall and light oil lamps in the same way. Tan Sen cured many diseases with his singing. He took the disease onto himself, then another singer would take the disease from him, and so on, until it had been passed around, shared, and thereby dissipated of its negative, disharmonic force.

Many modern day researchers have shown that sound affects growth. P. Tomkins and G. Bird in their book The Secret Life of Plants report on experiments conducted by Mrs. Dorothy Rettalack of USA. She set up three sets of plants listening to 'rock and roll', classical western music and classical eastern music. Loud pop music caused the plants to lean away from the sound. Western classical, Bach organ preludes, caused the plants to lean 35 degrees towards the music. The sitar playing of Ravi Shankar, however, caused the plants to strain towards the sound at angles of more than 60 degrees, "the nearest one almost embracing the loudspeaker".

Music has a hypnotic effect, subduing not only man and plants, but also the most vicious and irrational brute in the animal kingdom as well. For example, snake charmers are famous for their flute-entranced cobras. The rhinoceros, camel, elephant and horse have also been tamed by instruments such as the stringed veena and the pungi (trumpet). Birds, of course, are music lovers and adept musicians in their own right.

Ragas......................................

Ragas are pieces of classical Indian music. Compositions (gita) of pleasing sounds (swara) convey definite sentiments and possess the power to create pleasant impressions in the mind, calm the emotions, and therefore, affect the body. Listening to these most beautiful, intricate and powerful pieces, has a great deal of practical application in the field of therapy.

Much information on Indian classical music is to be found in the ancient ayurvedic medical books such as Sushruta, Charaka, and so on, which date back to the second millenia BC, and beyond. Ragas were used to ease and erase conflicting mental disturbances. They were also used in physical disease in combination with other therapy. One great physician, Dhanvantari of Ujjaini, during the reign of King Vikkramadittya said that musical sounds pleasing to the ear should be used as therapy for mental ailments.

Ayurvedic philosophy is based on the concept of the three doshas - vata, pitta, and kapha - which have been literally translated as wind, bile and phlegm respectively. These elements are found in every part of the body in the combination appropriate to that part. Imbalance in these combinations leads to disease, and the ragas act by altering and regulating the balance of these three elements. However, there is more to them than their literal meaning. For example, the Charaka Samhita states the following:

"Vata is the source of both structure and function. It is that which is represented by the five forms of body energy:.....

Prana

Udana

Samana

Vyana

and

Apana

The controller and guiding force of consciousness; the stimulant of the senses; the companion of sensations; the organiser of the elements of the body; the principle of synthesis; the storage battery of speech; the cause of feelings and perceptions..."

"Kapha is the nectar. It is the fertile water for the play of life; it is living fluid, the protoplasm which sustains all life processes."

"The normal function of pitta causes : power of cognition, fire of digestion, fresh complexion, clarity of thought, body temperature, hunger and thirst, and nimbleness of mind."

Any healing which can affect, and thereby regulate the balance of these three elements deserves investigation to establish its practical value in the healing sciences. For example, it is said that raga Bhairava controls ailments arising from dominance of kapha (phlegm) such as fever, constipation, etc. Malhar, Sorat, Jayajayavanti ragas are said to increase body energy, calm the mind and subdue anger. Asawari tranquillises all afflictions arising from blood, semen, phlegm, and the iris. Bhairavi stimulates the mind and helps regeneration, especially in respiratory illness, colds, flu, bronchitis, pleurisy, TB, and so on. Gurjari, Vageeswari and Malkaunsa clear diseases of phlegm such as asthma. Saranga eliminates pitta disorders such as headaches, bilious fevers, etc. Palasi, Multani, Pata-deepak and Pata-manjari clear eye problems. Darbari alleviates heart pain and rheumatism. Hindola is for disorders of the spleen and Pancham is for gastric troubles.

The ragas are also associated with different times of day, different plants, animals, and the four elements of earth, water, fire and air. Thereby the elements themselves can be influenced when ragas are performed according to certain rules. They do this by coming into harmony with the outer world and the cosmos.

The vibrations of kundalini....................................


The knowledge of Indian music extends into the field of kundalini yoga. The basic scale (bilaval) balances the three elements when it is sung. It does this through vibration of the body at the point where mind and the neuro-endocrine system intersect at chakra points on the sushumna nadi, within the spinal cord. Resonance of the chakra stimulates it into action, and therefore different chakras can be stimulated according to need. For example, kirtan (chanting) of the name Ram will help people with peptic ulcer, constipation, and other digestive disorders as it stimulates the manipura chakra.

We can demonstrate this phenomenon for ourselves by singing the scale and concentrating at each chakra as we ascend and descend. The vibrations felt during this exercise stimulate the nerve plexuses and endocrine glands throughout the body, calming the nervous system, and bringing harmony to the whole body.

In the yogic tradition, the science of vibration and sound has been developed into an exact science called taan. The practitioner has the ability to control the rate and location of sound vibrations in his body. The voice is synchronised with complex rapid note changes, and sound vibrations can be directed so that they emanate from the mouth, nose, skull and spine.

One master of taan is Swami Nadabrahmananda, a disciple of Swami Sivananda. After initiation into sannyas and seven years of practice, he accomplished the most difficult of all aspects, kundalini taan, in which vibrations are made to vibrate the mooladhara chakra. This, he states, keeps him in good health and full of energy, even at the age of 82 years.

Swami Nadabrahmananda has the ability to suspend his breath completely and not blink his eyes while playing tabla for half an hour. At the end of this time, while playing the last note he directs energy to the top of his head and makes a coin that has been resting there since the beginning of the session, jump into the air. The state of consciousness he has achieved through these techniques has been studied by Elmer Green, Ph. D., of the Menninger Foundation, USA, who reported .................................

"While wired up to our portable psycho physiology lab, he demonstrated an important kind of nervous system control (evidenced by the production and maintenance of alpha and theta brain waves) normally associated with a state of quiet reverie, while he was performing a complex and demanding raga, a musical performance".

Ottawa University tests have shown that he does not dream, and he has shown his ability to control the autonomic nervous system by consciously raising his blood pressure to 240 millimetres of mercury, thereby demonstrating the power of Nada yoga to expand conscious awareness.

In modern life............................................


Though very few of us can ever become masters of music, we can all enjoy and appreciate the effects of music in our lives. If we utilise mantra with music, as in kirtan, chanting of spiritual songs, We have a powerful means to affect and calm the mind, emotions and nervous system, releasing pent up, stored, stale and stagnant energy, and thus experiencing a 'release' or 'catharsis'.

At a purely therapeutic level the effects of music could be easily used in hospitals to help the convalescing and those who are ill to relax and thereby speed up the healing process. Doctors could help anxious and nervous parents to relax and music could even be prescribed instead of valium and other tranquillisers. Mental hospitals could only benefit by the introduction of kirtan and other forms of music' therapy.

Bring spiritual music into your home and you will find that it can have an amazing effect on your whole personality and inter relationships. This occurs especially when music is sung by the whole family as one unit. Growth of children is enhanced and their minds are made positive and dynamic. By creating harmonious vibrations we begin to resonate more and more in harmony with the cosmos, opening up to prana, the life giving energy. Our understanding and wisdom increase and knowledge of life is gained. As spiritual master, Swami Satyananda Saraswati has said..........

"Kirtan is like incense on the astral plane."



"Music is Divine & Make Divinity the purpose of your Life."

J.K

Money can not buy these..........................

Money Can not buy these...........................................

“To be rich in admiration and free from envy, to rejoice greatly in the good of others, to love with such generosity of heart that your love is still a dear possession in absence or unkindness - these are the gifts which money cannot buy.”

J.K

What Rig Veda Says........................

What Rig Veda says.........................................

Maho Arnaha Saraswati Pra Chetayati Ketuna
Dhiyo Vishwa Vi Raajati (Mandal 1 Hymn 3 Verse 12).

Only 'knowledge' can help us to know the universe, which is vast like an ocean. It enlightens all minds.

Knowledge destroys the darkness of ignorance. There are two ways of obtaining knowledge – from an able guru and through self-study. By attaining knowledge, the mind becomes enlightened. We should try to acquire knowledge from all sources and by all means – studying the scriptures, contemplation, meditation, etc. Scriptures are invaluable sources of knowledge because it is only through their study that the mind is filled with good thoughts. Good thoughts help us in leading a virtuous life. This is the sure way for growth of the mind and to acquire eternal happiness and peace.


Asmantsu Tatra Chodyendra Raye Rabhaswatah
Tu Vidyumna Yashaswatah (Mandal 1 Hymn 9 Verse 6)

O radiant one! Inspire the diligent and the successful only to earn wealth.

Only those who are industrious can earn wealth. Those who try, definitely acquire wealth. Those with fixed aims are the ones who are prosperous, wealthy and successful. They should realize that their efforts never go in vain.


"Ignorance, absence of discipline and disobedience are the causes of disappointments and stress in life .Keep appointments in life and not
disappointments."

J.K

Food for thought.....................

Food for thought..........................

The camel loves to eat thorny bushes. The more it eats the thorns, the more the blood gushes from its mouth. Still it must eat thorny plants and will never give them up. The man of worldly nature suffers so much sorrow and affliction, but he forgets it all in a few days and begins his old life over again.

In God there are both Vidya and Avidya. The Vidya Maya takes man towards God, whereas the Avidya Maya entices him away from the path of the God. Knowledge, devotion, dispassion, compassion – all these are the expressions of the Vidya Maya; only with their help and guidance of Guruji can one reach God.

God is in all men, but all men are not in God; that is why they suffer.

"We only live once-but if we work and make it to
LIVE right, once is enough.".....................................And

"GOD IS REST IS NOT".

Read this...............................................

Read this one atleast once a week..........................

Read on really a good one.

How our inner Ego sometimes misjudges a PERSON.......................

A lady in a faded Grey dress and her husband, dressed in a home-spun suit
walked in timidly without an appointment into the Harvard University
President's outer office. The secretary could tell in a moment that such
backwoods, country hicks had no business at Harvard and probably didn't even deserve to be in Harvard.

"We want to see the President "the man said softly.

"He'll be busy all day "the secretary snapped.

"We'll wait" the lady replied.

For hours the secretary ignored them, hoping that the couple would finally
become discouraged and go away. They didn't and the secretary grew
frustrated and finally decided to disturb the president.................
"Maybe if you see them for a few minutes, they'll leave" she said to him.

The President, stern faced and with dignity, strutted toward the couple.
The lady told him "We had a son who attended Harvard for one year. He loved
Harvard. He was happy here. But about a year ago, he was accidentally
killed. My husband and I would like to erect a memorial to him, somewhere on campus."

The president wasn't touched....He was shocked. "Madam "he said, gruffly, "
we can't put up a statue for every person who attended Harvard and died. If
we did, this place would look like a cemetery."

"Oh, no," the lady explained quickly" We don't want to erect a statue. We
thought we would like to give a building to Harvard."

The president rolled his eyes. He glanced at the gingham dress and homespun
suit, and then exclaimed, "A building! Do you have any earthly idea how much a building costs? We have over seven and a half million dollars in the
physical buildings here at Harvard."

For a moment the lady was silent. The president was pleased. Maybe he could
get rid of them now. The lady turned to her husband and said quietly, "Is
that all it costs to start a university? Why don't we just start our own?"

Her husband nodded. The president's face wilted in confusion and
bewilderment. Mr. and Mrs. Leland Stanford got up and walked away, traveling to Palo Alto, California where they established the University that bears their name: -"STANFORD UNIVERSITY" , a memorial to a son that Harvard no longer cared about.

Most of the time we judge people by their outer appearance, which can be
misleading. And in this impression, we tend to treat people badly by
thinking they can do nothing for us. Thus we tend to lose our potential good friends, employees or customers.And always remember................... ...................................................................


"Never take some one for granted. Hold every person close to your heart and in high esteem, because you might wake up one day and realise that you have lost a diamond while you were busy collecting stones."

J.K

The Window..........................of ojur Mind.

The Window..........................of our mind...........An interesting and good read.


A young couple moves into a new neighbourhood.

The next morning, while they are eating breakfast, the young woman sees her neighbour hang the wash outside.

That laundry is not very clean, she said, she doesn’t know how to wash correctly. Perhaps she needs better laundry soap.

Her husband looked on, but remained silent.

Every time her neighbour would hang her wash to dry, the young woman would make the same comments.

About one month later, the woman was surprised to see a nice clean wash on the line and said to her husband:

Look! She has learned how to wash correctly. I wonder who taught her this.

The husband said:.....................................

I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows!


And so it is with life: What we see when watching others, depends on the purity of the window through which we look.


Before we give any criticism, it might be a good idea to check our state of mind and ask ourselves if we are ready to see the good rather than to be looking for something in the person we are about to judge................

"Control your habits or else your habits will control you."

J.K

Thoughts on "Happiness."..............................

Thoughts on "Happiness."..........................


"Throw away "Escapism" from your life and replace it with"Empowerment".

Lord Krishna tells Arjuna in Bhagavad Gita that this world is a place of misery where everything is temporary and where no lasting happines could be found. The world is a realm of experience where birth,unhappiness, misery,decay, old age and death are inescapable for all. It is a universal observation that each one of us are engaged in some kind of of activity or the other which is intented either to increase our quantum of happiness or to reduce our suffering or misery. The Vedas declare that our very essence is bliss. The moment we try to increase it from external sources, our miseries begin.

How then can we find happiness?

Vedanta tells us that Love towards all and unadulterated and single-pointed devotion direct the individuals to look within rather than look outward. The Upanishads and all the treatises on devotion ask the devotee to rest in bliss which is causeless as opposed to artificial pleasure dependent on a specific source.

Lord Krishna advised Arjuna to remain a warrior outside, but a sanyasi within to move in the world, always ready to act appropriately. There is nothing wrong on our part in our observing external events and happenings and their implications with total internal detachment. Temporary worldly joys and happiness are to be viewed as a distraction from the quest for true eternal bliss which lies within. In fact a true spiritual seeker would welcome each affliction and sorrow as a sort of springboard for a leap into the spiritual world within. It is believed that Saint Kabirdasji used to pray to Lord Rama to always give him miseries so that the latter could always think of the Lord.

Another thought yet comes.................. Have any one of us ever prayed to God for distress? Did we at any time act consciously in search of sorrow or suffering? Yet, did not grief and anguish come to us totally uninvited? Worldly joys, pleasures and happiness come to us as a result of our Prarabdha or manifest karma by the grace of God. " Both happiness and misery come to us by Divine arrangement" , in the words of Bhaktha Prahlada, in the Bhagavata Purana. Lord Krishna describes as how a sage of steady wisdom behaves in such circumstances, "As the ocean already flooded continues to welcome rivers that enter it, the sage of steady wisdom resting in divine bliss, welcomes all worldly pleasure that come to him by Divine arrangement. Yet, when the rivers run dry, the ocean remains ever full with water, never missing them. Similarly, the sage of steady wisdom even in the severest deprivation, remains ever blissful, never
craving,seeking or even mindful of the absent sensual pleasures. "Happiness" is the very essence of our life. And......................................................................

"Always be the reason for some ones happiness,never be just a part of it. Always be a part of some one's sadness, But never be the reason for it."...................................................................

And here is article with tips on Happiness and hope it will be of some use tomy beloved readers.........................................


Smile and count your blessings – it'll make you happier.


Experiment shows smiling and reliving happy memories are effective ways to boost mood.

Smile:....................................

Using positive recent memories can help cheer you up, research has found.

A public experiment designed to lift the nation's spirits has reported its hopeful conclusions – that smiling, counting your blessings and reliving happy memories will make you happier.

The Science of Happiness study said thinking of a positive thing that happened the day before was by far the most effective way for people to cheer themselves up.

It could be something as simple as a great cup of coffee or meal, watching a good film or television programme, or things going well at work.

But – depressingly – one strategy predicted to boost mood was found to be counterproductive, because performing small acts of kindness turned out to have a negative impact on happiness.

Richard Wiseman, the Hertfordshire University professor who designed the research, said:

"All of the techniques, including the control, resulted in a reported rise in happiness.

"However, thinking about one positive thing that had happened the day before appears to have been by far the most effective technique. This quick and simple procedure provided an additional 15% boost in happiness.

"We often don't relive positive events from the previous day, so when we do they are still vivid in our minds."


The psychologist said he was amazed by the number of people who took part in the on line study – 26,000 participated – and "very happy" with the results.

Wiseman asked volunteers to complete aon linene happiness survey, after which they were randomly assigned into one of five groups.

They were then shown one of four videos describing a common mood-enhancing technique and asked to report back in a week.

One urged them to smile as they went about their daily routine, and another suggested they performed random acts of kindness.

The other two videos encouraged them to express gratitude about something good in their life or focus on something that had gone well in the last 24 hours.

Because people "catch" the emotions of those around them, researchers hoped the increased happiness of their volunteers might help cheer up the nation.

To test that theory, they commissioned a survey on the weekends before and after the study asking a representative sample of around 2,000 people to rate how cheerful they felt.

The results revealed a 7% increase in cheerfulness after the experiment.

"Obviously it is impossible to say if this rise is due to the study," Wiseman said. "After all it might be caused by many different factors, including world events or changes in the weather.

"However, we like to think that we played some role in helping put a smile on the nation's face."

With Love & regards.

J.K

Significance of Avavni Moolam

Significance of "Avani Moolam"...............................

Aavani Moolam is a unique festival observed in Tamil culture on the Moolam Nakshatram day in Aavani month (August – September). Aavani Moolam festival is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The most important Aavani Moolam festival and rituals are held at the Madurai Meenakshi Temple. In 2009, the date of Aavani Moolam is August 30.


Special processions are held on the day in Madurai Meenakshi Temple. The festival is basically dedicated to the reenactment of a famous incident involving Lord Shiva. Also known as Puttu festival, Aavani Moolam is based on a local legend and is referred as the sport of carrying soil for the wages of rice pudding.


An important legend in which Lord Shiva sends his Ganas as horses to keep the promise of Saint Manikkavasagar is believed to have happened on Avani Moolam day.

Lose your Marbles.......................................

Lose your marbles

Meaning

Lose your wits.

Origin

To 'lose one's marbles' is to lose one's mind. In the 1954 film The
Caine Mutiny Humphrey Bogart linked insanity with marbles when he
showed his character, the demented Lt. Cmdr. Queeg, restlessly
jiggling a set of metal balls when under stress in court. Bogart's
performance was so affecting that many have supposed the film to be
the source of the phrase. It is American, but originated in the late
19th century, not the 1950s. The expression has now been shortened to
simply 'losing it'. The point is that the person in question has, as
in another earlier variant, 'a bit missing'. Perhaps 'marbles' meant
'mind' or 'wits' before 'lose one's marbles' was coined. That's worth
investigation at least, so let's have a go.

Marbles are, of course, the little glass or metal balls that children
use to play the eponymous game. From the mid 19th century 'marbles'
was also used to mean 'personal effects', 'goods', or more generally
'stuff'. This latter meaning derives from the French word 'meubles',
which means 'furniture'. From the 1920s onward two US expressions
became established - 'to pick up the marbles' and 'to pick up one's
marbles'. These mean 'to carry off the honours or prizes' and 'to
withdraw from activity or game and cause it to cease' (like the UK
variant 'take one's ball home'). 'Marbles' also meant testicles and
has been used that way since at least the mid 19th century.

It has been suggested that the 'losing one's mind' meaning derives
from the Elgin Marbles. These are the collection of sculptures, some
from the Parthenon Frieze, which were taken from Athens by Lord Elgin
in 1806. The supposition is that the expression derives from the loss
of the artworks by the Greeks, or their subsequent loss at sea when
the ship that was transporting them sank. An interesting theory, but
no more than that; there's no evidence to support the idea.

It's more likely that 'marbles' was coined as a slang term meaning
'wits/common sense', as a reference to the marbles that youngsters
play with. The notion of 'losing something that is important to you'
appears to have migrated from the image of a forlorn child having lost
his prized playthings. An early citation of this figurative usage is
found in an August 1886 copy of the St. Louis Globe-Democrat:

He has roamed the block all morning like a boy who had lost his marbles.

During the late 19th century, 'losing one's marbles' began to be used
to mean 'getting frustrated or angry'. This reference from New Zealand
was printed in The Tuapeka Times, in August 1889:

For I tell you that no boy ever lost his marbles more irrevocably than
you and I will lose our self-respect if we remain to take part in a
wordy discussion that ends in a broil. [a quarrel]

This transition to the 'losing one's mind' meaning began in the US
around the same time and the Ohio newspaper The Portsmouth Times,
reported a story in April 1898 that referred to marbles as a synonym
for mental capacity:

Prof. J. M. Davis, of Rio Grande college, was selected to present J. W
Jones as Gallia's candidate, but got his marbles mixed and did as much
for the institution of which he is the noted head as he did for his
candidate.

The expression took a little time to mature and was used in both
'anger' and 'sanity' senses for a few decades. What is common in all
the early citations is the sense of loss and the consequent reaction
to it. By 1927, the loss of sanity meaning had won out and an edition
of American Speech defined the term unambiguously:

"Marbles, doesn't have all his (verb phrase), mentally deficient.
'There goes a man who doesn't have all his marbles.'"

By hook or By Crook...................................

By hook or by crook

Meaning

By whatever means necessary - be they fair or foul.

Origin

It is sometimes suggested that 'by hook or by crook' derives from the
custom in mediaeval England of allowing peasants to take from royal
forests whatever deadwood they could pull down with a shepherd's crook
or cut with a reaper's billhook. This feudal custom was recorded in
the 1820s by the English rural campaigner William Cobbett, although
the custom itself long predates that reference. Another commonly
repeated suggestion is that the phrase comes from the names of the
villages of Hook Head and the nearby Crooke, in Waterford, Ireland.
Hook Head and Crooke are on opposite sides of the Waterford channel
and Cromwell (born 1599 - died 1658) is reputed to have said that
Waterford would fall 'by Hook or by Crooke', i.e. by a landing of his
army at one of those two places. A third suggestion is that the phrase
derives from two learned judges, called Hooke and Crooke, who
officiated during the reign of Charles I (born 1600 - died 1649) and
who were called on to solve difficult legal cases. Hence, the cases
would be resolved 'by Hooke or by Crooke'.

Only the first of the above suggestions stands up to scrutiny by
virtue of the age of the phrase. The earliest references to hooks and
crooks in this context date back to the 14th century - the first known
being from John Gower's Confessio Amantis, 1390:

What with hepe [hook] and what with croke [crook] they [by false
Witness and Perjury] make her maister ofte winne.

Gower didn't use the modern 'by hook or by crook' version of the
phrase, but it is clear that he was using the reference to hooks and
crooks in the same sense that we do now.

The earliest citation of the phrase that I can find is in Philip
Stubbes' The Anatomie of Abuses, 1583:

Either by hooke or crooke, by night or day.

There are several other theories as to the origin of 'by hook or by
crook', all of which are either implausible or arose too late. Taking
away those, we are left with two serious contenders: sheep farming and
wood gathering.

Crooks are the curved or hooked sticks that shepherds use to catch
sheep by hooking their hind legs. Hook is a synonym for crook. It is
quite possible that the two words were put together to mean 'one way
or another', for no better reason than the alliteration. Either that,
or the 'wood gathering' derivation is correct. We may never know
which.

Ganesh Chathrthi its significance & History......................

"Aum Sri Mahaganapathaye Namaha."

"Ganesh Chathurthi.....................Its significance and

History.............................

Dear Purnumaji,

Thank you for inviting me to share your views on "Vinayaka Chathurthi-2009"
to be celebrated on 23 Aug 2009.

In fact I have send an article titled "Lord Ganesha" on 07 July,2009,keeping in mind the festival that falls on 23 August, 2009, some it was omitted and remains un-posted in our yahoo group. There is also an article on "Achamaniya" send on 4th Aug 2009, for posting in our yahoo group subject to approval by the beloved Moderator. The former one contains fairly some good input if not in greater details. For in depth info as sought by you, I need time to study the rel event scriptures and may be it will take some time.

In the mean time I feel its worthwhile reading this article complied and edited by me from various sources and at the end you will find the posting titled "Lord Ganesha" and hope the same will appear in our yahoo group before Vinayaka Chathurthi 2009.

Thank you once again for keeping in memory and with regards.

Yours in Divine Friendship.

J.K


Vinayaka Chaturthi or Ganesh Chathurthi...............

Vigneshwara, one of the popular deities worshipped by members of most Indian religions. It is India's more so Maharashtra's most important festival. Ganapathy is also the God of Knowledge and is invoked at the commencement of any function. He is the god that protects his devotees from any obstacles ( vighnam ). Hence the name Vighneswara. He is also described as the Supreme Leader ( Vinayaka). Ganapathy is said to have had two spouses. Buddhi(intellect) and Siddhi(achievement). Thus he is the master of knowledge and achievement.


Probably, a combination of Sidhhi and Vinayak have given the name of Siddhivinayaka. His parents were Siva and Parvati.Legend has it that Ganapathy himself wrote the Mahabharata, to the dictation of Guru Veda Vyasa. He is also considered the most intelligent. A challenge was thrown to brothers Ganapathy and Karthikeya by Sage Narada. The challenge was whoever went around the globe first would have the fruit first. Karthikeya went around the world which took quite some time while Ganapathy went round his parents thrice and claimed the fruit. The logic he gave was that since his parents represented the universe he had gone round them.

Now do not look at this story as a rational logical person but try and understand the thought behind it. It is to do with the use of the Intellect. Ganapathy used it to know what the Sage meant while his brother took the Sage's order at face value. Similarly in our lives we must learn to use our Intellect ( the ability to discriminate between right and wrong ) and look at the deeper meanings of things. Using our intellect will force us to make decisions, right or wrong, time will tell. If wrong, so what, we will learn by our mistakes. The key is to try.

Ganesh Puja was prevalent in India since the ancient times. We owe it to Bal Gangadhar Tilak for reviving it. He used to unite the people and arouse them against the misdeeds of foreign rule. Its popularity has only grown in recent times. The Ganesh Chathrthi ceremony gets lacs of people wanting to involve dedicately in the celebration and have a look at the Elephant faced God being immersed into the Sea.


Lord Ganesha is worshipped in different forms in India and abroad. At Jabbalpore the Lord appears in a female form. At Srisailam in Andhra Pradesh he appears as playing a flute.

He is worshipped as Mahabini in Borneo, Totkar in Mongolia, Tchoprak in Tibet, Brahganesh in Cambodia, Kwanshidiyik in China, Vinayaksha in Japan. Vaishnavites call him Vishwak Sena. There is a rock cut temple in King-Hsein in China for him. With five faces he is worshipped in Nepal. In a Yogic pose of meditation he attracts the people of Java. He can truly be said to be India's most beloved and worshipped God.


Taking his example let's urge ourselves to be outward looking. Lets shed our inhibitions and complexes and participated in the world as Equals, second to none.

As Ekadanta, the Lord has limitless powers.

As Heramba, he removes obstacles.

As Lambodara, He protects all worlds.

As Surpa Karna, He shows compassion by giving the highest knowledge.

All these names for Lord Vinayaka, who is the Lord of all.The Lord has four hands. In one hand he has a rope while in another he has an axe. With the axe he cuts off the attachment of his devotees to the world of plurality and thus end all the sorrows that go with it.


The rope is used to pull the devotee close and closer to the Truth. In a third hand he holds a rice ball that represents the joys of Sadhana. With the other hand he blesses his devotees and protects them from obstacles that they may encounter on their Spiritual path of seeking the Supreme.
Now, some of us might argue that what a God is doing with an axe. How can he be party to violence ? Again the key is to look at the deeper meaning. The axe signifies the cutting of our attachments with the objects of the world, on a materialistic and emotional plane.

History of Public Celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi........................

In 1894, Sri Bala Gangadhara Lokmanya Tilak himself placed an idol of Lord Ganesha in Vinchurkar Wada, Maharashtra, India and began this practice.

Lokmanya Tilak's aims behind starting the public celebration of the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi Prior to starting this public celebration, the social scenario of the Hindus was not stable. The Hindus were not very keen on practicing their religion. They were disunited. The Indians were cowed down by the supremacy of the Westerners. The natural prowess of the Indians was suppressed by this state of affairs

Observing all of this, Lokmanya Tilak took the initiative of starting a public celebration of the festival keeping in mind the following aims..........................

To create awareness about religion through the programs organised during the public celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi among the Hindus.


To make Hindus aware of their latent prowess.


To nullify the feelings of animosity in society.


To make people aware about their duties and responsibilities.


To rejuvenate the good religious customs, heritage and observance.

To commence crusades essential in those times.


To activate the energies present naturally in the society and those generated traditionally.


Science behind rituals performed for Ganesha Chaturthi......................

Some practical questions regarding Ganesh Chaturti celebrations.

What is the significance of celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi?

In the 120 days from the full moon (pournima) in Ashadh till that in Kartik of the Hindu lunar calendar, yama frequencies, which have the ability to destroy and are tama predominant reach the earth in greater quantities. During this period they are of a greater intensity. However since during the same period, that is from the fourth day (chaturthi) in the bright fortnight of Bhadrapad till Anant chaturdashi, Ganesh frequencies too reach the earth in greater quantities it helps in reducing the intensity of the yama frequencies. Thus celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi derives the benefits from Ganesh frequencies and helps in reducing the effects of yama frequencies.

What should be the duration of the celebration according to scriptures?


According to the scriptures, it should be worshipped ritualistically and immersed immediately thereafter. Since divinity in the sculpt made from mud remains only for one day one can immediately immerse them on second day. It is because man enjoys celebrating festivals and was not satisfied with celebrating for only one day, man began festivities by keeping the idol for one and a half, five, seven or ten days. According to the custom, Ganesha idol should be immersed on the first, second, third, sixth, seventh or tenth day.

Can we change the duration of the celebration to one and a half day or do we need to ask someone before doing so?

Even if according to the family tradition of spiritual practice, the Ganapati idol was to be kept for five days, one can worship the idol for one and a half or seven days. One need not ask an authority in Spirituality before doing so.

What is the need for a new idol?

In spite of having an idol of Ganapati, which is routinely worshipped, a new idol is brought for Ganesh Chaturthi. During the period of Ganesh Chatuthi, the Ganesh frequencies reach the earth in larger quantities. If these frequencies are invoked in the usual idol of worship, then that idol will acquire a tremendous amount of energy. To worship such an idol meticulously observing all the norms of ritualistic worship throughout the year would be a difficult task as one would have to follow the restrictions of ritualistic worship (karmakanda).Hence, a new idol is installed to invoke the Ganesh frequencies and is then immersed. The proportion of sattva, raja and tama components in Ganapati frequencies is 5:5:5 while that in an average person is 1:3:5. This makes it difficult for an average person to receive Ganesh frequencies for a long time.

Which family member should celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi?

The vowed religious observance followed for Ganesh chaturthi is referred to as 'Siddhivinayak vrat'. Actually it is beneficial if all family members observe it. If all the brothers live in a joint family, that is have a common treasury and kitchen, then jointly a common idol can be worshipped. However, if due to some reason the treasury and kitchen are separate then each one should observe the vowed religious observance of Ganesh (Ganeshvrat) in one's own home.


Rituals and their significance........................................

Before commencing the ritualistic worship, rice (grain) is spread over the seat on which the idol is to be installed. Either a fistful or a mound of rice is used, depending on the local custom. On invocation of Ganapati and His ritualistic worship, energy is generated in the idol. This energy saturates the rice on which the idol is placed. If there are two strings of a musical instrument (a stringed musical instrument) of the same frequency, when sound is generated by one the same is generated by the other. Similarly, when frequencies of energy are generated in the rice below the idol, this energy is transmitted to the rice stored in the house. Thus one can eat rice saturated with energy as a sacrament of food (prasad) throughout the year.

When performing each of the following rituals a particular mantra is recited.

[Detailed information on ritualistic worship is given in 'Science of Spirituality: Chapter 7 - Path of Devotion (Bhaktiyoga)'. The actual ritualistic worship is based on 'Shri Ganesh Pujavidhan' compiled by Mr. S. K. Devdhar.]


1. Sipping water from the palm (achaman): This brings about internal purification.

2. The resolve (sankalpa): It may be difficult to obtain the benefit of a ritual without making a resolve.

3. Purification of the seat (asanshuddhi): This is brought about by touching one's seat and offering obeisance (namaskar).

4. Chanting the Purushsukta (Purushsukta nyas): Amidst chanting of the Purushsukta, the deity should be invoked in one's heart, head, small portion of hair on the head (shikha), face, eyes and between the eyebrows. This facilitates an increase in the sattvik (sattva predominant) temperament.

5. Worship of the pot (kalashpuja): All deities, seas, holy rivers, etc., should be invoked in the pot. Sandalwood paste (gandha), consecrated rice (akshata) and flowers should be offered to the pot. This sattvik water is then used in the ritualistic worship.

6. Worship of the conch (shankhapuja): The conch should be washed and filled with water. Then sandalwood paste and white flowers should be offered to it. One should not offer consecrated rice and tulsi leaves to it.

7. Worship of the bell (ghantapuja): One should create sound by ringing the bell to welcome the deities and drive off the demons (asurs). The bell should be placed to one's left and sandalwood paste, consecrated rice and flowers should be offered to it.

8. Worship of the lamp (dipapuja): Sandalwood paste and flowers are offered to the lamp.

9. Purification (pavitrikaran): The water from the conch should be poured onto one's right palm and then sprinkled over oneself and on the substances to be used in the ritualistic worship.

10. Worship of the entrance (dvarpuja): Flowers and consecrated rice should be scattered in all four directions. This itself is the worship of the guardian deities of the directions (dikpal).

11. Consecration of the idol (pranpratistha): One should place the right hand over the heart of the idol of the deity and chant a mantra. Consecration of an idol is done at Ganesh chaturthi or to activate any new idol. This is not included in the usual ritualistic worship, as due to the regular worship the God principle has already been attained by it.

12. Meditation (dhyan): One should chant.........................

"Vakratunda mahakaya suryakoti samaprabha Nirvighnam kurume deva sarva Karyeshu Sarvada ."


History of Ganesh Chathurthi.

Ganesh Chaturthi or "Vinayak Chaturthi" is one of the major traditional festivals celebrated by the Hindu community. It is observed in the Hindu calendar month of Bhadrapada, starting on the shukla chaturthi (fourth day of the waxing moon period). Typically the day falls sometime between August 20 and September 15. The festival lasts for 10 days, ending on Ananta Chaturdashi, and is traditionally celebrated as the birthday of Lord Ganesha.

According to Hindu mythology, Lord Ganesha is the son of Shiva (The God of Destruction in the Hindu Holy Trinity of Creator-Preserver-Destroyer) and Parvati (Shiva’s consort). The cutest and most lovable Indian God, Ganesha or Ganpati has the head of an elephant on which rests an elegant tiara, four podgy hands joined to a sizeable belly with each hand holding its own symbolic object - a trishul or a trident in one, an ankush or goad (made from his very own broken tooth) in another, a lotus in the third and a rosary (which is sometimes replaced by modaks, his favourite sweet) in the fourth. Revered as the deity of auspiciousness and wisdom, Lord Ganesha is also famous for being a trickster and for his profound sense of humour.

It is believed that Lord Ganesh was born on a fourth day (chaturthi) of the bright fortnight of the Hindu lunar month of Magh. Since then, an association between Ganesh and chaturthi has been established. Thus the festival dedicated to the worship of Lord Ganesha on this chaturthi day is named as Ganesh Chaturthi.

There is a curiously interesting tale about the birth of Ganesha. It is believed that once while Parvati was bathing, she created a human figure from some unguent and balm, gave him life and asked him to guard the door while she bathed. After a long period of meditation on Mountain Kailash (Lord Shiva’s abode), Shiva chose that very moment to drop by to see his better half, but was abruptly stopped by the man-god Parvati had posted at the door. Outraged by the cheek of this stranger, Shiva cut off his head only to discover moments later that he had killed Parvati’s son! For fear of enraging his wife, Shiva immediately dispatched his ganas (attendants) to get him the head of the first living creature they could find. Well, the first living creature happened to be an elephant. As instructed, the head was chopped off and brought back to Shiva, who placed it on Parvati’s son’s body, bringing him back to life. This elephant-headed god was welcomed
into the first family of the Hindu heavens and named Ganesha or Ganapati, which literally means the chief of the ganas, or the attendants of Shiva. Ganesha is the foremost god of the Hindu pantheon. This brave guardian of the door to Parvati’s bath is beheld today as the most auspicious God of new beginnings. He is worshipped during every festival and before people undertake a journey or embark upon a new venture. You will also see him carefully guarding entrances to temples and homes, peeping out of calendars and happily gracing marriages and other such occasions.

It is not known when and how Ganesh Chaturthi was first celebrated. But according to the historian Shri Rajwade, the earliest Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations can be traced back to the times of the reigns of dynasties as Satavahana, Rashtrakuta and Chalukya. Historical records reveal that Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations were initiated in Maharashtra by Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaja, the great Maratha ruler, to promote culture and nationalism. And it had continued ever since. There are also references in history to similar celebrations during Peshwa times. It is believed that Lord Ganapati was the family deity of the Peshwas. After the end of Peshwa rule, Ganesh Chaturthi remained a family affair in Maharashtra from the period of 1818 to 1892.

1857 was a landmark year for India and more so in the context of Indian freedom. It was the year of Sepoy Mutiny, an armed rebellion against the ruling British Empire by the Indian soldiers. This was the first war that India waged to gain back her independence from her white rulers. Though unsuccessful, this battle marked the beginning of the Indian struggle for independence. Many orators, leaders and freedom fighters all over India teamed to put up a united resistance to the British domination. One of these eminent leaders was Sri Loka Manya Bala Gangadhar Tilak, an Indian nationalist, social reformer and freedom fighter. Greatly esteemed by the Indian people, especially of Maharashtra, Tilak was commonly referred to as "Lokmanya" or "he who is regarded by the people". It was Tilak, who brought back the tradition of Ganesh Chaturthi and reshaped the annual Ganesh festival from private family celebrations into a grand public event.

Lokamanya saw how Lord Ganesha was worshipped by the upper stratum as well as the rank and file of India. The visionary that he was, Tilak realised the cultural importance of this deity and popularised Ganesha Chaturthi as a National Festival "to bridge the gap between the Brahmins and the non-Brahmins and find an appropriate context in which to build a new grassroots unity between them" in his nationalistic strivings against the British in Maharashtra. He knew that India couldn't fight her rulers until she solved the differences within her own. Hence, to unite all social classes Tilak chose Ganesha as a rallying point for Indian protest against British rule because of his wide appeal as "the god for Everyman".

It was around 1893, during the nascent stages of Indian nationalism, that Tilak began to organise the Ganesh Utsav as a social and religious function. He was the first to put in large public images of Ganesha in pavilions and establish the tradition of their immersion on the tenth day. The festival facilitated community participation and involvement in the form of learned discourses, dance dramas, poetry recital, musical concerts, debates, etc. It served as a meeting place for common people of all castes and communities, at a time when all social and political gatherings were forbidden by the British Empire for fear of conspiracies to be hatched against them. An important festival during the Peshwa era, Ganesha Chaturthi acquired at this time a more organised form all over India largely due to Lokmanya's efforts.

Since then, Ganesh Chaturthi has been celebrated throughout Maharashtra as also in other states with great community enthusiasm and participation. With the independence of India in 1947, it was proclaimed to be a national festival.

Today, Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated in the states of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh and many other parts of India. The festival is so popular that the preparations begin months in advance. Days before the actual worship, homes are cleaned and marquees erected at street corners to house the idols of the Lord. Elaborate arrangements are made for lighting, decoration, mirrors and flowers. The artisans who make the idols of Ganesh vie with each other to make bigger and better sculptures. The sizes of the relatively larger ones range anywhere from 10 meters to 30 meters in height. These are installed in marquees and in homes prior to the Puja (worship). During the festival days, the Lord is worshipped with great devotion and prayer services are performed daily. The duration of the Lord's stay varies from place to place; once the worship is complete, the idols are carried on decorated floats to be immersed in the sea after one,
three, five, seven and ten days. Thousands of processions converge on the beaches to immerse the holy idols in the sea. This procession and immersion is accompanied with dancing and the sound of exciting drum-beats, devotional songs and exploding firecrackers. As the idol is immersed amidst loud chants of "Ganesh Maharaj Ki Jai!" (Hail Lord Ganesh), the festival comes to an end with pleas to the Lord to return the next year with chants of "Ganpati bappa morya, pudcha varshi laukar ya" (Hail Lord Ganesh, return again soon next year). Tourists from all over the world come to witness this wonderful event in the sun kissed beaches of Goa and Mumbai.

While celebrated all over India, Ganesh Chaturthi festivities are most elaborate in states like Maharashtra, Goa (It is the biggest festival for Konkani people all over the world), Gujarat, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, and other areas which were former states of the Maratha Empire. Outside India, it is celebrated in Nepal by the Newars.

In the 21st century, with the world turning fast into a global village, Ganesh Chaturthi is now celebrated all over the world, wherever there is a presence of a Hindu community.




"Aum Sri Mahaganapathaye Namha" Dt. 31 July, 2009

"Aum Sri Jai Maatha."
"Aum Sri Guru Deva."


This Year "Lorrd Ganesh Chathurthi Puja on 23 Aug 2009

Why Lord Ganesha is depicted in the form of Symbol AUM ?

Before the creation of the present Universe there was a great deluge, pralaya. It had destroyed the Universe as it existed then. According to Hinduism, creation has no beginning or end – the endless cycle continues. After a great deluge there is Shanti or peace. This peace is broken the sound AUM – the sound which emanates from the Supreme Soul.


The Ganapatya Cult, or the followers of Ganesha, believes that AUM or Pranava Mantra the symbol of Brahman is embodied in the form of Ganesha. It is believed that Ganesh is the first word or the first cause.
This is the reason why occasionally Ganesha is depicted in the form of symbol ‘AUM.’

Each deity in Hinduism has its own favourite flowers and leaves and they are used by Hindus during worship and while performing pukes on festivals. All festivals and rituals in Hindu religion begin with Ganesh Pooja. Red coloured flowers are the favourite of Lord Ganesha.Flowers and leaves used for Ganesh Puja.

Here is a list of flowers and leaves that are offered while praying to Lord Ganesha:

Red Flowers:

Any usual red colour flower used in Hindu rituals.
Durva Grass is an important offering to Ganesh. Especially in South India, you will find vendors selling garlands of Durva outside Ganesh Temples. It is known as arugam pul in Tamil, Dhub, Durva and Haritali in Hindi (North India). Bermuda or Bahama Grass is the English name.

Another important flower offered is the Milkweed flower. It is known as Arka in Hindi and Eruku or Erukkum Poo in South India. Jilledi is the name used in Eastern India.

How to perform Ganesh Chathurthi puja at home............................

Ganesh Chaturthi or Vinayaka Chaturthi is one of the most colourful and widely celebrated festivals in India. Large number of people observe Ganesha Chaturthi poojas at home. Here is an explanation on how to perform Ganesha puja at home as mentioned in Hindu scriptures.

Ganesha puja on the Chaturthi day is usually performed at noon but nowadays people perform it when all the family members are present.

Requirements for Ganesh Puja:-

• A Clay image of Lord Ganesha.

• Red flowers

• Druva Grass blades

• Modak (jaggery filled sweet)

• Coconut

• Red chandan (Sandalwood paste)

• Incense and agarbathis

• First clean the house and take a bath.

• A Clay image of Lord Ganesha is installed in a raised platform.

• Pray to Lord Ganesh and you can recite mantras or bhajans dedicated
to Lord Ganesha.

• Next step is to invoke Ganesha into the image. This is known as pran-prathishta. The Pran Prathista mantra in Sanskrit to be invoked is found in the Rig Veda and is part of Ganesh Suktha.

"ganananh tva ganapatim havamahe kavim kavinam - upamashravastamam |
jyeshhtharajam brahmanan.h brahmanaspata A nah shrivnvannutibhih sida sadanam || (Rig Veda 2.23.1)"

"ni shhu sida ganapate ganeshhu tvamahurvipratamam kavinam |
na rite tvat.h kriyate kinchanare mahamarkam maghavan.h chitramarcha || (Rig Veda 10.112.9)"

We invoke You, O Ganapati of the ganas (Lord Shiva attendants), Who are Brahmana-spati of the brahmas (prayers), the wisest among the wise, Who abound in treasure beyond all measure, the most brilliant one. Do listen to our prayers, come with Your blessings and assurances of protection into our home, and be seated. (Rig Veda 2.23.1)

Sit down among the worshippers, O Ganapati, the best sage among the sages. Without You nothing can be done here or far. Accept with honor, O wealthy One, our great and variegated hymns of praise. (Rig Veda 10.112.9)


•Now Ganesha is installed in the idol and one can perform arati and light the lamps and perform the shhodashopachara, which are 16 forms of paying tribute to Ganesha. (This ritual is usually performed by the priests.)

• Offer 21 blades of Druva Grass.

• Offer 21 modakas

• Offer red flowers

• Apply a tilak using red Sandalwood paste.

• Break the coconut or just keep it along with the idol. You can also
keep fried grains. (The food of the rat – the vehicle of Ganesha).

• You can also recite the 108 salutations dedicated to Lord Ganesha or
read the Ganesha Upanishad or just simply pray.

The number 21 signifies - the five organs of perception, five organs of action, five vital airs (pranas), five elements, and the mind.

While performing Ganesha Puja at home, you can always be flexible. The strict rituals are meant for Vedic priests. All you need be careful is to perform the pujas clean body and clean mind.

Pomegranate leaves and flowers are also offered in many places.

Another important flower and leaf offered is the Sanku Pushpam or Conch flower.

Leaves and flowers of Screw Pine are also offered. It is known as Ketaki or Kedgi in Hindi and Kaita in South India.
There are also other local flowers and leaves that are used like the Naga leaves.

Tulsi leaves and flowers are not generally used in Ganesh Puja. But it is used during Vinayaka Chaturthi or Ganesh Puja.

Its also extremely good to chant the Ganapathi Seersha Upanishad verses during Ganesh Chathurthi puja and reproduced below for the benefit of the beloved readers......................


[Ganapathi Atharva Seersha is a part of Atharvana Veda. It is classified as an Upanishad and not as a chant. But this is considered universally as the greatest and most effective prayer addressed to Lord Sri. Ganesha.

This is also called Gana Upanishad or Ganapthi Seersha Upanishad,]



OM Namasthe Ganapathaye Thwameva prathyaksham thathwamasi

Thwameva kevalam karthasi.

Thwameva kevalam Dharthasi

Thwameva Kevalam Harthasi

Thwameva sarvam khalvidam brahmasi,

Thwam sakshath athmasi nithyam

Hritham Vachmi. Sathyam Vachmi

Sathyam Vachmi. . Ava vaktharam.

Ava srotharam. Ava datharam.

Ava dhatharam, Ava noochana mava sishyam.

Ava paschathath Ava purasthath

Ava utharotharath . Ava dakshinathath.

Ava chordhwathath. Ava adharathath.

SArvatho maam pahi, pahi samanthath.

Sarva Jagad idham thwatho jaayathe.

Sarva Jagad idham thwatha sthishtathi.

Sarva Jagad idham thwayee laya meshyathi.

Sarva jagad idham thwayee prathyethi,

Thwam bhoomir aapo analo anilo nabha.

Thwam chathwari vak padhani

Thwam gunathrayatheetha,

Thwam avastha thrayatheetha,

Thwam deha thrayatheetha,

Thwam kala thrayatheetha,

Thwam moola dhara sthitho aasi nithyam,

Thwam shakthi thrayathmaka,

Thwam yogino dhyayathi nithyam,

Thwam brahma thwam vishnu

thwam, Rudhra thwam, indra

thwam, agnis- thwam, Vayu

thwam soorya thwam chandrama

thwam, Brahma bhoorbhuva swarom

Aum Aum Aum


"Aum Sri Nimishambaye Namaha."
"Aum Sri Nimishanandaye Namaha."

I earnestly believe that this will be of use to my beloved readers on the occasion of Sri Ganesh Chathurthi also known as Sri Vinayaka Chathurthi..............And.........................

" Think of me at my best, if I have done, for ever."

Yours in Divine Friendship.

J.K

Beyond Past & Future......................................

Beyond Past And Future...................................


Whenever man comes to the point in his evolution where he has sufficient mastery in the mind to produce "things," he suffers for the lack of peace, for in his activity on the mental spheres in conceiving, planning, gathering the forces together and finally viewing the outcome as a physical manifestation, he has exercised an intricate control over the nerve fibers of his mind. Thus caught in this pattern, he must go on producing to insure his mental security, for should he stop for a moment, the whiplash upon his senses as the generative functions ceased to be active would cause paranoiac depressions, at times almost beyond repair.

The man looking into the "where and when" of the future, blending his energies with those who are also striving to evolve into a more ramified state of mind, can suffer well if he keeps going, producing, acquiring and believing that materiality is reality. Evolution of the species takes its toll, for as man's mind evolves, he is no longer content projecting into the "where and when" of the material consciousness, and as he seeks some reward of peace for his efforts, he begins to look into the past for solutions, the "there and then" of it all. Thus, finding himself born into a cross-section of awareness between past and future, having experienced both of these tendencies of the mind, causes him to reflect. Philosophy holds few answers for him. Its congested mass of "shoulds" and "don'ts" he knows has proved more to the philosopher who cleared his mind on paper than to the reader who has yet to complement with inner knowing its indicated depths.

Occultism is intriguing to him, for it shows that there are possibilities of expression beyond the senses he has become well accustomed to using. But again, evolution rounding his vision causes him to discard the occult symbolism, laws and practices as another look into the past or future of the mind's depths.

The idea of yoga, union through perceptive control of the flow of thought, and of the generative processes of a perceptive idea before thought is formed, is most satisfying. The cognition of the actinic process of life currents intrigues him, and he looks further into the practice of yoga techniques and finds that peace is gained through a conscious government first of the life currents through the body and second of the realm of ideas as they flow into thought. And while remaining the observer of it all in the eternity of the here and now, the seeker fully realises that time, space and causation are only indicated through holding an off-balanced consciousness of past and future...........................................

"Do things rightfully, gracefully, confidently & articulately- this will gratify many and astonish the rest."

Basics of Life........................Sankya Yoga.

Basics of Life......Sankhya yoga.

Kapila explains the Sankhya Yoga to his mother Devhuthi. He speaks of 25 Tattavas. Kapila, an incarnation of Lord Narayana, says He created all the Tattvas and lists them. There is the Prakriti, the Universe. There are the Pancha Bhutas — Prithvi or earth, Apas or water, Tejas or fire, Vayu or air and Akasha or ether, all of which can be understood through our sense organs.

There are five Tanmatras :— .........................

Gandha (smell).

Sparsa (touch).

Rupa (colour, form, light).

Rasa (taste).

and

Sabdha (sound).

The sense organs are five:-...........................

Sense of........

Smell,

Taste,

Sight,

Touch

and

Sound.

They enable us to be receptive to the Pancha Bhutas and the Tanmatras. There are five organs that help us carry out various tasks:-..............

The hands that enable us to work,

Legs that help in locomotion,

The vocal organs that help us to talk,

The excretory organs that remove impurities from our body

and

The genital organs.

The next three to be considered are...... Manas, Ahankara and Mahat. Manas means mind, Ahankara is our ego and Mahat the intellect. Kapila says that having created these 24 Tattvas, he washed his hands and created the Atma. This Atma constitutes the 25th Tattva. The qualities of Satva, Rajas and Tamas are present in every one of us. The one with Rajasic qualities is prone to anger and haste. The one with Tamasic qualities is slow-witted and lazy. The one with Satvic qualities is free from anger, envy, haste, irreverence, and he has his mind under control.

The mind can be controlled through Ashtanga Yoga. The eight components of this yoga are:-

Yama (self-control) ,

Niyama (proper conduct),

Asana (proper posture),

Pranayama (breath control),

Pratyahara (not focusing on material objects),

Dharana (focusing on the Lord),

Dhyana (meditating on the Lord's beautiful form)

and

Samadhi (realising God).

If one practises this yoga, he begins to see God in everything. And once one sees God everywhere and in everything, one's mind has no other thoughts, but those of the Parabrahma — and that is the path to liberation.
..................................................And..................

"There is nothing you cannot be,There is nothing you cannot do,
And there is nothing you cannot achieve, All you have to have is “BELIEF IN YOU.”

J.K

Meaning of Namah........................................

The meaning of Namah...............................


It is an ancient tradition that stemmed forth from the Vedic period that gave us the word ‘Namah’. In the passage of time, it came to be interpreted as prostrations or salutations, Namaskar.


In its virginal meaning, it was a term that came in vogue by the spoliation of a term that is repeated very often in the Vedic rituals, as the pundits chant the mantras and offer the oblations to the sacred fire:

‘Agne Idam Na Mama’ “O Lord Fire! (This what I am offering is not mine’).


This term ‘Na Mama’ (not mine) expresses the mental attitude of the devotees; everything belongs to Thee O God – I am only offering to Thee what is already owned by You. This spirit of total dedication, complete surrender, and supreme selflessness is that which is expressed by the term ‘Na Mama.’

When this term came to be often repeated by the mass of people the term got ‘defaced.’

This ‘Na Mama’ became ‘Nama’; the middle ma appears to have got lost in the stampede of centuries, in the cascade of general conversations.

Thus when we say ‘Krishnaya Tubhyam Nama’, we mean nothing is mine O Lord, everything is Thine and I thus totally surrender to Thee my beloved Sri Krishna.

Hinduism & Its spiritual significance....................

Hinduism & Its spiritual significance.............


The ideal of Hinduism is to see all in the Self and the Self in all. A Hindu believes that each individual is a conscious manifestation of God. The spirit of selfless service is his supreme secret.

The breath of Hinduism is spirituality. Whatever a Hindu does, he does as a means to this end. It is true, as with any other individual, that he wants to accomplish all that he can here on earth. But the important thing is that he does not and cannot do anything at the expense of his spiritual life. To him, the spiritual life is the only life that can eventually garland him with the victory of perfect Perfection.

In the spiritual life, people very often use the word ‘sin.’ Here it may be noted that a Hindu has nothing to do with sin. He takes into consideration only two things: Ignorance and Light. With his soul's light, he wants to swim across the sea of ignorance and transform his lower self into his higher Self.


‘Enjoy through renunciation.’ This is the life-giving message of the Hindu seers. What is to be renounced is the train of our desires, nothing more and nothing less.

The vision of Hinduism is unity in diversity. First, Hinduism lovingly embraces all alien elements; second, it tries to assimilate them; third, it tries to expand itself as a whole, with a view to serving humanity and nature. Indeed, this is the sign of its life's meaningful, dynamic aspiration.

Differen e between Prayer & meditation..........

Difference between prayer & Meditation...............................

When we pray, we speak and God listens. When we meditate, we listen and God talks. When we pray, we feel that we are going up to God. When we meditate, we try to become calm and quiet and allow peace, light and bliss to descend.

When we pray, often there is a subtle desire for something. We may call it aspiration because we are praying to become good or to have something divine. But there is always a feeling of being a ‘divine beggar’.


In meditation we do not ask God for anything. We just enter into the sea of His Reality. At that time God gives us more than we could ever imagine.


In prayer we feel that we have nothing and God has everything. In meditation we know that whatever God has, either we also have or we will someday have. We feel that whatever God is, we also are, even though we have not yet brought our divinity forward.


When we pray, we ask God for what we want. But when we meditate, God showers on us everything that we need. We see and feel that the whole universe is at our disposal. Heaven and earth do not belong to someone else; they are our own reality.

The Game Snake & Ladder.......Its origin.

The Game Snak & Ladder had its origin in India....................


The game had its origin in India and was called Moksha Patam or Parama Padam or Mokshapat. It was used to teach Hinduism and Hindu values to children. The British renamed it as Snakes and Ladders.

Now, when and who created this game? Most people believe it was created by the 13th century poet saint Gyandev. There are certain references which take the game back to 2nd century BC.

The ladders represented virtues and snakes vices. In the original game square 12 was faith, 51 was Reliability, 57 was Generosity, 76 was Knowledge, and 78 was Asceticism. These were the squares were the ladder was found.

Square 41 was for Disobedience, 44 for Arrogance, 49 for Vulgarity, 52 for Theft, 58 for Lying, 62 for Drunkenness, 69 for Debt, 84 for Anger, 92 for Greed, 95 for Pride, 73 for Murder and 99 for Lust. These were the squares were the snake was found.

The Square 100 represented Nirvana or Moksha.

The British took the game to England in 1892 and named it Snakes and Ladders and changed it according to Victorian values.

Swarna Gauri Vritham.........................................

Swarna gauri Vritham.................Its origin......and how to observe.

Swarna Gowri Vritam or Gauri Vrat as the name indicates is dedicated to Goddess Parvati, the consort of Lord Shiva. This Vrat is known as Hartalika Vrat in North India. Gowri Habba and its rituals are of South Indian origin and is observed mainly in Karnataka. Swarna means ‘gold’ and in the ritual a golden image of Goddess Parvati is worshipped along with Shivlinga. In 2009, the date of Swarna Gowri Vratam is August 22. In many places a clay idols of Goddess Gowri and Lord Ganesha is worshipped on this day. It is later immersed in a pond.


There is an interesting legend involving Swarna Gowri Vratam and Ganesh Chaturthi. It is believed that Goddess Parvati comes to earth to answer the prayers of married and unmarried women during Swarna Gauri Vratam. Gowri Vrat day is followed by the Ganesh Chaturthi day. Hindus believe that Lord Shiva sends Ganesha to fetch his mother from earth.

Origin of Swarna Gowri Vratam.....................

The important legend associated with Gowri Habba is that of the birth of Ganesha. It is believed that Ganesha was created by Goddess Parvati from her own body. She asked her son to guard the doors of the house and went to take bath. Shiva appeared there and was stopped by the boy. Shiva did not recognize the boy and after few heated arugements and Shiva in a fit of anger chopped off the head of the boy. Soon Goddess Parvati arrived at the scene and demanded that her son be brought back to life. Shiva brought Ganesha back to life by placing the head of an elephant instead of the human head. Gowri Habba celeberates the power of Goddess Gouri.

In another legend, importance of Swarna Gowri Vratam was narrated to Lord Muruga by Lord Shiva. Parvati wanted to marry Lord Shiva but Shiva was in no mood to reciprocate her love as he was mourning the death of Sati. Parvati was determined to win the love of Lord Shiva. So, she started intense austerities in a forest, surviving on grass and fruits. Parvati continued this intense ‘tapas’ for long sixteen years. Finally, Lord Shiva was moved by Parvati’s intense devotion and love and married her.

According to Puranas, Gowri Vratam will bestow wealth and worldly well being to the people who observe it. Legend has it that the ‘Vrata’ is so powerful that even a dry tree will turn green after its observance.

It is believed that unmarried women performing Swarna Gauri Vratam will get good husbands and married women will have a peaceful and happy married life.

How to observe Gowri Habba or Swarna Gauri Vratam?........................

Gowri Habba or Swarna Gauri Vratam is a Hindu festival dedicated to Goddess Paravati, also known as Gaowri. The ‘Vrat’ is mainly observed by married and unmarried women and is mainly performed in Karnataka and other places in South India. An answer to How to do the Gowri Habba or Swarna Gauri Vratam is bit complex as there are numerous regional and community variations in performing the ritual. Gowri Habba 2009 is on August 22. The festival is also known as Ganesh Gowri or Ganesh Habba as Ganesh Chaturthi is on the next day.


Performing Gowri Habba..........................................


On the Swarna Gauri Vratam day, the house is cleaned thoroughly. After bathing married women and young girls in the family dress up neatly. Some people perform the puja at home; others at the houses of relatives or friends and some opt for the nearby temples.

A small temporary shrine is erected using banana leaves and banana stem. This is decorated with mango leaves, turmeric, tulsi and sandalwood paste. Those who already have a puja cabinet perform the ritual in it or in a separate temporary area.

Next is the installation of the idol of Goddess Parvati or Gowri. There are several methods for this. The indigenous method is to make an idol of Gowri with turmeric. Nowadays, people opt for the readymade idols of Goddess Gowri which is available in market. Some people opt for the family owned Swarna or gold idol of Gowri.

The idol of Gowri, which is decorated neatly with clothes, is placed on a bed of rice or wheat or other cereals. Some people place a Shivlinga and Ganesha idol along with the idol of Parvati. Flowers and green leaves are mainly used to decorate the idols. Some people also opt for a Purna Kumbh. A mirror is placed along with the idol.


A 16-knotted thread is prepared for the puja and some people tie it on their hands. (Perhaps indicating the 16 long years of intense austerities performed by Goddess Parvati to obtain Lord Shiva as husband).


Next is the preparation of special puja plates or thalas with various puja items also known as ‘bagina.’ The pooja thala or plate consists of turmeric, kum kum, a mirror, bangles, comb, various cereals, coconut, fresh cloth, rice, jaggery, the 16 knot thread, 16 different leaves and fruits. Some people prepare just one pooja thala for Goddess Parvati. Some prepare several ‘bagina’ and distribute among married women. (Please note that the number of items and those used varies from region to region.)


The main puja ceremony involves bathing the idol in milk, ghee, curd, honey and water. Some people only perform the simple Aarti and sing bhajans.

Then the prepared bagina is offered to Gowri and people recite the prayers dedicated to Parvati or the special phrases used during the occasion like ‘Savitri, Savitri, Bagina Tagoo.’ While taking away the bagina repeat the same prayers or say ‘muthiyadae, mutiyadae bagina kodu’

Various dishes are prepared on the day especially rice dishes.

Another important custom on the day is the sending of gifts by married women’s parents. Newly married girls also present ‘bagina’ to married elderly women.

It is believed that by performing this puja unmarried girls will get good husbands and married women will have a healthy and peaceful family life.


In some areas, people immerse the Turmeric idol along with Ganesha. (Gowri Habba is followed by Ganesh Chaturthi).

It must be remembered here that all these rituals are man made. It is easy to observe these rituals when you live along with relatives and friends. Today, most people live alone that too in countries alien to such rituals. A simple prayer to Goddess Parvati will be more than enough. Always remember the core concept of Santana Dharma is Brahman – the supreme soul present in all living and non-living - and realization of it is the ultimate aim.

Many ways of Giving.....................................

Many Ways Of Giving.........................

There are so many ways of giving. Arising before the Sun comes up, greeting and giving namaskara to the Sun is a part of hindu culture. Giving is built into all aspects of Hindu life.Giving to the holy man, giving to the astrologer, giving to the teacher, giving dakshina to a swami or a Guru for his support, over and above all giving to his institution, over and above dashamamsha, over and above giving to the temple. If the Guru has satisfied you with the fullness of his presence, you must satisfy yourself in equal fullness in giving back. You can be happy as these two fullnesses merge within you. By giving to the Guru, you give him the satisfaction of giving to another, for he has no needs except the need to practice giving.

Great souls have always taught that, among all the forms of giving, imparting the spiritual teachings is the highest. You can give money or food and provide for the physical aspects of the being, but if you can find a way to give the righteousness, the illumined wisdom of the traditions of the Sanatana Dharma, then you are giving to the spirit of the person, to the soul. Many Hindus buy religious literature to give away, because jnana dana, giving wisdom, is the highest giving and giving of religious literature changed the lives of individuals and brought them into a great fullness of soul satisfaction. Giving through education is a glorious fulfillment for the giver, as well as for the receiver.



Along with the gift comes a portion of the karma of the giver. There was an astrologer who when given more than his due for a jyotisha consultation would always give the excess to a nearby temple, as he did not want to assume any additional karma by receiving more than the worth of his predictions.Giving is also a way of balancing karma, of expressing gratitude for blessings received.

A devotee explained, "I cannot leave the temple without giving to the hundi, offering box, according to the fullness I have received as fullness from the temple."

Children should be taught giving at a very young age. They don't yet have the ten restraints, to worry about. They have not been corrupted by the impact of their own prarabdha karmas. Little children, even babies, can be taught giving to the temple, to holy ones, to one another, to their parents. They can be taught worship, recitation and, of course, contentment-told how beautiful they are when they are quiet and experiencing the joy of serenity. Institutions should also give, according to their means, to other institutions...................................


And think rightly and righteously to GIVE as we don't think to breathe, we breathe to think.

The journey that begns from..................................

The journey that begins from "I" and ends in "We"................

This, then, is the final state of our journey: to recognise everything belongs to Him, and not to our little ego. The disillusion of possessiveness and pride will disappear, and we will discover that this search for pleasure, fame and recognition, and all the struggles born of it are just a case of ‘searching for the right thing at the wrong place.’


The search has been right but the method to obtain it was wrong. We search for the infinite in the finite, for the unlimited in the limited and for the eternal peace and joy in the momentary objects and person. After all trials and tribulations we discover that infinite can be found only in the infinite.


Having reached that stage, one arrives at the end of the journey which begins from ‘I’ and ends in ‘we’. The seeming I indeed becomes seeming and the journey reaches its culmination in ‘we’. Such a person is spontaneously selfless, strong and compassionate – and what else makes one spiritual?


Source –Vedanta Kari.........................................and

"What's right isn't always popular, and what's popular isn't always right."

The Art of Prayer.......................................

The Art of Prayer..................................

Prayer is a form of communication with the Divine.
One may pray to any form of the Divine one chooses and relates to best.
There is an ancient verse in the Vedas which says:

"Aakashath Pathitham Thoyam

Yatha Gachathi Sagaram

Sarvadeva Namaskaram

Keshavam Prathi Gachathi"

"As the water that falls down in rain from anywhere in the sky finally reaches the Ocean, the worship of any divine aspect ultimately reaches the Supreme Being."

1.Invoke the Presence.............................

Invoke the Presence of the Divine before you start the prayer. One way to invoke the Presence is chanting the Moola Mantra.
You may chant the Moola Mantra 3, 21 or 41 times and invite the Presence to fill you or take over you completely and request the Divine to fulfil your prayer even if there are flaws in your prayer or possible errors in your belief system.


2 Emotional Bond......................................

The first and most important thing in a prayer is the personal bond or relation you establish with God. Consider the Divine as your child, father, mother, friend or Guru. God is happiest if the relation you choose is that of a friend. But then, look at yourself and ascertain that you too are a true friend who responds to the request of your friends immediately. The response of the Divine will be similar to your response to the request of your friends.


3.Surrender and Helplessness....................................

The prayer should always be prompted by a feeling of surrender and helplessness. If you feel that you can manage even without Divine Grace and that you are just trying one more way, then, that is not the way of a genuine prayer. Surrender to the Divine will that you are prepared to accept whatever the outcome may be and that you are absolutely helpless. Whatever effort you put in is just as an instrument of the Divine and not as per your own volition.


4.Pray from the Heart not from the Head...............................

Prayer should come from the heart, not from the head. It is the feeling that is important, not the thought. When the feeling is intense, it creates waves of a higher frequency that get connected with the cosmic energy easily and make the fulfilment easily possible. The passion that you feel for God is very significant in raising the emotional intensity.


5.Clarity and Completeness....................................

Next, your request should be clear and complete in all respects. It is like a sort of communication with cosmic energy, and so, what you communicate is very important. If you communicate something different or incomplete, the response too may be what you do not expect. Hence before you pray, consider all aspects of your request and make it a perfect one.


6.Speak Internally................................................

As already mentioned, prayer is a communication. You have to speak internally to God. You can say it aloud also. But it is better to speak internally as it will not distract others. The involvement increases as you go on talking to God and there will come a time when you shall feel God with you everywhere, as an inseparable PRESENCE.


7.One Request at a Time....................................

You should see that you request for only one thing at a time. It is much similar to cooking a delicious dish. You should not mix two recipes at the same time. Because what we finally get will not be either of the two, but a third distortion of both. Hence stick to the principle of "one at a time".


8.Visualization...................................................

As you pray to God visualise the expected result of your prayer, that is, what you want to achieve in great detail. That means, visualise yourself in a state of having fulfilled your prayer, and then enjoy the happiness and joy. Accept that the situation has changed as you have been blessed.


9.Pray with absolute Faith.......................................

Such an acceptance comes from full faith in God. As you know, it is very important to have faith without which nothing can ever happen. Have full confidence in the efficacy of prayer and the benevolence of the Divine.


10.Enjoy the Feeling of Grace......................................

Enjoy the blessing and flow of Grace into you. And request the Divine to fulfil your prayer even if there are flaws in your prayer or possible errors in your belief system.


11.Thank the Divine for the Blessing Received.........................

Naturally, you shall be filled with immense gratitude for the Divine. Express it freely and sincerely to the Divine from the depth of your heart. Prostrate at the feet of the Divine in deep gratitude and total surrender.

And......................................

"If only you know yourselves! You are souls, you are Gods, if ever I feel like blaspheming, it is what I call you man."

Mahavakyas can be applied in Management............

MAHAVAKYAS CAN BE APPLIED IN MANAGEMENT............................

It is interesting to see how the Mahavakyas can be applied for management purposes.

1. PRAJNAANAM BRAHMA................................

Consciousness is God. You do not necessarily have to go to temples and churches to find God. As a leader, think beyond your share holding, authority, personal pleasure, family, friends and cronies. Broaden your awareness to include all the multiple stake holders- the city, state, nation continent, world and cosmos.

2. AYAMAATMAA BRAHMA.............................

This soul, which is energising the otherwise dead and useless body, is God. My soul is part of the universal soul and I am an individual part of the Para Brahman.

3.AHAM BRAHMAASMI....................................

Iam God. NOT IN AN EGOISTIC SENSE. But in a profound, empowering sense. No sovereign government, investor, regulator, boss or any human can ever give me the power that god consciousness does. This power is not for any selfish ends. Then, it will come into conflict with the selfish powers of many other humans and get partly or wholly canceled out.


4.TAT TWAM ASI....................................

You are also that God. See divinity in all beings. Only such leaders can truly respect their colleagues, customers, business partners and society. Without this knowledge and belief, the ego will manifest itself in hypocrisy, condescension, contempt and exploitation...............And......

"The test of a man is how much he can bear , how much he can share , how much he can care and how soon he confesses a mistake and mends it."

How to attain serenity of the Mind.........................

.How to attain serenity of the Mind...............Bhagavad Gita says.............


Serenity of mind, good heartedness, silence, self-control, purity of nature – these together are called ‘mental austerity.’

Serenity of mind can be gained only when our relationship with the world at large is put on a healthy basis of understanding, tolerance and love. Further, one who is an uncontrolled sensualist can have little serenity or composure.

The mind runs out through the sense organs into the sensual fields to eke out its satisfaction. The driving force that sets the mind on its endless errands is an intellect ever seething with desires.

Quietude of the mind can be gained only when it is protected from both the inflow of stimuli from the tempting sense objects of the outer world and the whipping desires that march out from the intellect to drive the mind out into the fields of enjoyment.

One who has discovered for himself a divine ideal – in the contemplation of which his mind forgets to run about, or his intellect overlooks to send out new desires – alone can hope to win serenity of the mind.


Verse 16 chapter 17 of the Bhagavad Gita says about austerity and serenity of mind. (Chapter 17, Verse 16)........................................And

"We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give."

Finish what you begin...............................

Finish What You Begin.....................


We are not always sitting down concentrating on a flower in the search for the Self. Having decided that Self Realisation is the ultimate goal for us, go on living our normal life. Everything that we do in life can collectively be channeled toward the ultimate goal, for what we need is a dynamic will and strong willpower.

Will power is the channelling of all energies toward one given point for a given length of time. This will can be brought out from within in everything that we do through the day. It's a powerful will. It's available to everyone. It is channelling the rarefied energies of the body, of awareness itself, into attention and concentration upon everything that we do through the day.

How do we cultivate the willpower? What do we mean by will? Will means that if you're going to complete something, you complete it. Finish that which you begin. Finish it well, beyond your expectations, no matter how long it takes. If you are going to do something, do it well, no matter if it is a simple task or a complicated one. If you're going to read a book and intend to finish the book, then read the book, finish the reading of the book, and understand what it had to offer you, for that was the purpose for reading it.

It is not developing a strong will by having a lot of half-finished jobs. It is not developing a strong will by starting out with a bang on a project and then fizzling out- like............. "soda bottle enthusiasm". These only attach awareness to that which it is aware of and lead us into the distraction of thinking the external mind is real. Then we forget our inner goal of Self Realisation because the subconscious becomes too ramified with, basically, our being disappointed in ourselves, or the willpower being so diversified, or awareness being so divided in many different ways that whatever we want to do never works out because there is not enough will, or shove, or centralisation of energy, or awareness is not at attention over the project enough, to make it come into completion.


A tremendous will is needed on the path of Self Realisation, of drawing the forces of energy together, of drawing awareness away from that which it is aware of constantly, of finishing each job that we begin in the material world, and doing it well, so that we are content within ourselves. Make everything that you do satisfy the inner scrutiny of your inner being. Do a little more than you think that you are able to do. That brings forth just a little more will......................and when you feel you are being slow down or loosing interest seek advice and guidance from Guruji..........and this will just set right things..................and

"Do what you want and not what you know."

Teachings of Swami Vivekananda.................

Teachings of Swami Vivekananda........................


The Vedanta recognizes no sin, it only recognizes error. And the greatest error, says the Vedanta, is to say that you are weak, that you are a sinner, a miserable creature, and that you have no power and you cannot do this and that.


Every time you think in that way, you, as it were, rivet one more link in the chain that binds you down; you add one more layer of hypnotism on to your own soul. Therefore, whosoever thinks he is weak is wrong, whosoever thinks he is impure is wrong, and is throwing a bad thought into the world.


This we must always bear in mind that in the Vedanta there is no attempt at reconciling the present life with the ideal; but this false life must go, and the real life which always exists must manifest itself, must shine out.


No man becomes purer and purer; it is a matter of greater manifestation. The veil drops away, and the native purity of the soul begins to manifest itself. Everything is ours already – infinite purity, freedom, love, and power.


Swami Vivekananda....................................and

"There is never a wrong time to do a right thing."

J.K

What do Upanishads teach us?????

What do the Upanishads teach us???? – By Edmond Holmes.................

The authors of the Upanishads did not all think alike; but, taking their meditations as a whole, we may say that they are dominated by one paramount conception’ that of the ideal of oneness of the soul of man with the soul of the universe.

The Sanskrit word for the soul of man is Atman and the word for the soul of the universe is Brahman.

‘God’s dwelling place’, says Professor Radhakrishnan in this exposition of the philosophy of the Upanishads, ‘is the heart of man. The inner immortal self and the great cosmic power are one and the same.’

Brahman is the Atman, and the Atman is the Brahman. The one supreme power through which all things have been brought into being is one with the inmost self in each man’s heart.’

What is real in each of us is his self or soul. What is real in universe is its self or soul, in virtue of which its All is One, and the name for which in our language is God.

In other words of one of the Upanishads: ‘He who is the Brahman in man and who is that in the sun, these are one.’


Source: An Introduction by Edmond Holmes to the Philosophy of the Upanishads.


Random Teachings from the Upanishads.....................................

Here are a collection of teachings from various Upanishads.


No one can understand the sound of a drum without understanding both the drum and the drummer.

Let one therefore keep the mind pure for what a man thinks, that he becomes.

The only way to know it is to become it.

Self-knowledge is the best of all forms of knowledge; through it, one attains immortality.

Know yourself, so what you’ve done won’t burn you. Nor will what you’ve left undone.

As is the human body, so is the cosmic body; as is the human mind, so is the cosmic mind; as is the atom, so is the Universe.


The spirit down here in man and the spirit up there in the sun, in reality are only one spirit, and there is no other one.

Out of abundance he took abundance and still abundance remained.

In a world where everything changes the divine is everywhere present.

Source:- Upanishads....................................and

"Being challenged in life is inevitable, being defeated is optional."

J.K

Don't be God Fearing...............Be God Loving.

Don’t be God fearing..........Be God Loving........................

In English we have a word, ‘god-fearing,’ for religious people. A god-fearing person can never be religious, because if you fear God you cannot love him. Love and fear cannot exist together.

With fear, hate can exist, love cannot exist with fear, anger can exist, love cannot; with fear you can bow down, but you cannot surrender; with fear you can be in a relationship between a slave and a master, but there cannot be a love relationship.


Hindus and Buddhists have a totally different attitude, and that attitude is different because they think the whole existence is a cosmic play; you can be playful.


Source: Vedanta – The Supreme Knowledge

And if you can:-

"Be a good listener. Your ears will never get you in trouble."

Yours in Divine Friendship.

J.K

Thoughts on Happiness...........................

Thoughts on Happiness........................

On a careful analysis we find that man’s happiness is entirely a subjective phenomenon, for there seems to be a distinct and clear relationship between the state of his mind and the joy or sorrow that is experienced by him.

When the mind is agitated, sorrow is experienced and when it is tranquil, there is joy. Happiness, therefore, is measured by the tranquillity of one’s mind.


Man, the roof and crown of creation, has the unique capacity of quieting his mind without helplessly depending upon the objects around him. But this capacity now lies dormant in him and he, unaware of it, foolishly tries to procure happiness through the objects of the world, which have only a false glitter of joy. They can give, indeed, no enduring and everlasting satisfaction.


Our great religious books help to awaken and promote this dormant faculty in man. He need not run after the sense objects to attain some fleeting experiences of joy. He can get engaged in a more permanent and a fuller happiness, which is wholly independent of the availability of agreeable objects and environment.

(Source: Kindle Life By SwamiChinmayananda)............and remember.....

” You don’t think to breathe, you breathe to think.’

Repitetion of Holy Name of God........................

Repetition of Holy Name of God.................& Guru.


Repetition of the Holy name of the Lord is very good. The mind will become pure through it. While repeating the name of the God you should keep remembrance of the God in your mind. Such repetition and remembrance will do much good. Mere repetition without the remembrance of the God will not be of much use, and its not that easy without concentration and dedication.


As we proceed with meditation we will see that we are, getting more and more realisation. There is no use in merely reading the Shastras (Sacred Scriptures) and discussing about them.


By meditation the mind will become pure, and when the mind becomes pure, realisation of God follows as a matter of course. Ordinarily, we hold our mind on worldly matters. No result worth the name comes out of this. But if we fix our mind in the pure thought of God, we will feel a taste of real bliss.


Swami Nirmalananda (1863 - 1938) A great disciple of Shri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa.

And Remember...................................


"You have to see the INVISIBLE to do the IMPOSSIBLE."

No Gratitude..........No grace...............

No Gratitude, No Grace.........................

Once Mother Parvati and Easwara (Lord Shiva) saw a person sitting on the branch of a tree, which was about to break. Watching this, Mother Parvati pleaded with Easwara to save the man. Easwara teasingly remarked, “why should I protect him? Since You saw him first, it is Your duty to save him”.

But the Mother said, “How can I protect him without Your grace. I am the negative and you are the positive. Unless you shower Your grace on him, he cannot be saved. Please do not delay any further”.

Then Easwara replied, “Is it not his duty to call Me for help? How can I go to his rescue without being called? As the proverb goes, one should not attend a function without being invited”.

Mother Parvati, out of her motherly compassion, wanted to protect that person at any cost. So, she said to Easwara, “If that person, when he falls down, cries out amma (mother), I will go to his rescue; and if he cries out appa (father), you should protect him”.

Easwara agreed to her proposal. Both of them eagerly waited for the call. But the person fell down crying Ayyo (alas)!

The words amma or appa did not come to his lips, as he had never respected and revered his parents in his lifetime. Such was his fate!

How can God come to the rescue of a person who has totally forgotten his parents? Both our Mother and Father are verily God. And when with such feelings, we offer our gratitude to our parents, even God cannot refrain from helping us. Ane remember...........................................

"You only live once-but if you work and make it to LIVE right, once is enough.".......................Therefore live with Gratitude, Compassion, Love & Affection.

What's that hard to break??????

WHAT is it that's hard to break???.............. A Nice one to read.

Diamonds are hard to find but not hard to Break.

What is the hardest thing to break then?...........................

The answer is:...................... HABIT!

If you break the H, you still have A BIT. If you break the A, you still

have BIT. If you break the B, you still have IT!

Hey, after you break the T in IT, there is still the 'I'.

And that "I" is the root cause of all the problems. Isn’t it right?!..............................

Now you know why HABIT is so hard to break............................….


We have to respect each other's opinion and view; as We just need to wait and listen actively to others' point of view!.................and

"If you don't control your habit, habit will control you."

Hospitality & Fullness............in dealing with Guest....................

Hospitality And Fullness........in dealing with Guest........as guest is = to God (Adhithi Devo bhava)

Hospitality is a vital part of fulfilling obligatory giving. When guests come, they must be given hospitality, at least a mat to sit on and a glass of water to drink. These are obligatory gives. You must never leave your guest standing, and you must never leave your guest thirsty. If a guest were to smell even one whiff from the kitchen of the scented curries of a meal being prepared, he must be asked four times to stay for the meal. He will politely refuse three times and accept on the fourth invitation. This is also an obligatory giving, for the guest is treated as God. God's veiling Grace hides, as we should know, He will come as a guest to your home, unrecognisable. You might think it is your dear friend from a far off place. That, too, is God in another costume, and you must treat that guest as God. Giving to God, God's own creation in your mind brings the highest rewards through the law of karma.

Even if you think you are giving creatively, generously, looking for no rewards, but you are giving for a purpose, that karma will still pay you back with full dividends. This is a positive use of the law of karma. This is not a selfish form of giving. It is the giving of the wise, because you know the law of karma, because you know the Sanatana Dharma,the divine, eternal laws. If you see a need that you can fill and have the impulse to give but recoil from giving, later, when you are in need, there will be someone who has the impulse to give to you but will recoil from giving. The wheels of karma grind slowly but exceedingly well the grains of actions, be they in thought, emotion or those of a physical nature. So, one can be quite selfish and greedy about wanting to practice obligatory giving, to accumulate the punya for the balance of this life, the life in-between lives, in the astral world, and for a good birth in the next incarnation.

The practice of obligatory giving is an investment in a better life, an investment that pays great dividends.

We are not limited by our poverty or wealth in practicing giving. No matter how poor you are, you can still practice it. You can give according to your means, your inspiration, your ability. When the fullness has reached its peak within you while preparing the gift, be it arranging a bouquet of freshly picked flowers, a tray of fruit, counting out coins, sorting a pile of bills or putting zeros on a check that you're writing, then you know that the gift is within your means. Gifts within your means and from your heart are the right and proper gifts...........................And bear in mind....................

"Always be the reason for some one's happiness,never be just a part of it. Always be a part of some one's sadness, But never be the reason for it."

The Power of Obesrvation.........

The Power of Observation..............the most vital power.


Observation is the first faculty to appear in the awakening of the super conscious regions. Observation, when perceptively performed, is cultivated by abstinence from excessive talk. Talk dissipates the energies of the aura and of the vital body of man. A mystic generally does not talk very much, for his intuition works through reason, but does not use the processes of reason. Any intuitive breakthrough will be quite reasonable, but it does not use the processes of reason. Reason takes time.

Super consciousness acts in the now. All super conscious knowing comes in a flash out of the nowhere. Intuition is more direct than reason, and far more accurate. Therefore, the mystic does not ask many questions or enter into lengthy conversations.

Let's Ponder over this and apply it to ourselves. Take this into ourselves and feel it is for us. Do not feel it is being shared with to simply know more about the mind and its processes. Apply it to ourselves, for us are on the spiritual path toward merger with Divine with the guidance and Grace of Guruji. Begin to feel that observation is one of our finest faculties, one that we most cherish. It is the first faculty of the awakening of our super conscious. Let's mentally say to ourselves many times, "I have good observation. Therefore, I am super conscious." This will help us to program our subconscious to accept the fact that, yes, we are a super conscious being, not a temporal being that is only on this planet a short span of years and then disappears forever.

Remember, our powers of observation are cultivated by abstinence from excessive talk. That is all we have to do to begin with and remain more silent and observing, not wasting or dissipating this most vital power.

Some people on the spiritual path cannot wait to talk about their meditations even before they come out of them. They really should stop doing this. It lessens their vital energies and proves to perceptive people that they are not super conscious beings.....................And remember to:-

"Make excellence a habit and not an act."

Swan Song................................

Swan song

Meaning

A final gesture or performance, given before dying.

Origin

This term derived from the legend that, while they are mute during the
rest of their lives, swans sing beautifully and mournfully just before
they die. This isn't actually the case - swans, even the inaccurately
named Mute Swans, have a variety of vocal sounds and they don't sing
before they die. The legend was known to be false as early as the days
of ancient Greece, when Pliny the Elder refuted it in Natural History,
AD 77:

"Observation shows that the story that the dying swan sings is false."

Nevertheless, poetic imagery proved to be more attractive than
scientific method and many poets and playwrights made use of the fable
long after Pliny's observations. Chaucer included this line in the
poem Parliament of Fowles:

The Ialous swan, ayens his deth that singeth. [The jealous swan, sings
before his death]

Shakespeare, the Swan of Avon no less, used the image in The Merchant
of Venice, 1596:

Portia: Let music sound while he doth make his choice; then, if he
lose, he makes a swan-like end, fading in music.

The actual term 'swan song', with its current figurative meaning,
doesn't crop up in print until the 18th century. The Scottish cleric
Jon Willison used the expression in one of his Scripture Songs, 1767,
where he refers to "King David's swan-song".

The poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834) turned the phrase on its
head in the poem On a Volunteer Singer:

Swans sing before they die; ’twere no bad thing
Did certain persons die before they sing.

If people ever did believe in the 'singing before death' story, few
would now claim to do so. 'Swan-song' is now used figuratively and
most commonly to refer to celebrated performers embarking on 'farewell
tours' or 'final performances'. Those ironic quote marks were never
more appropriate than in the case of Nellie Melba, whose swan song
consisted of an eight year long string of 'final concerts' between
1920 and 1928. This led to the popular Australian phrase - 'more
farewells than Nellie Melba'.

Hearing.................................

Hearing........................? A Good one to read.


A man feared his wife wasn't hearing as well as she used to and he thought she might need a hearing aid. Not quiet sure how to approach her, he called the family doctor to discuss the problem. The doctor told him there is a simple informal test the husband could perform to give the doctor a better idea about her hearing loss.

'Here's what you do,' said the doctor, 'stand about 40 feet away from her, and in a normal conversational speaking tone see if she hears you. If not go to 30 feet, then 20 feet, and so on until you get a response.'

That evening when the wife was in the kitchen, cooking dinner, he says to himself, 'I'm about 40 feet away, let us see what happens.' Then in a normal tone he asks, 'Honey, what's for dinner?' No response. So the husband moves closer to the kitchen, about 30 feet from his wife and repeats, 'Honey, what's for dinners?' Still, no response. Next he moves into the dining room where he is about 20 feet from his wife and asks, 'Honey, what's for dinner?' Again he gets no response. He walks up to the kitchen door about 10 feet away. 'Honey, what's for dinner?' Again there is no response. So he walks right up behind her..

'Honey, what's for dinner?' 'James, for the FIFTH time I repeat, it's PIZZA!'

Moral: The problem may not be with the other person as we think, it could be very much with us..!

Different perspective..................................

A Different Perspective...................


A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which said: ' I am blind, please help.' There were only a few coins in the hat.

A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words.

Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were.

The boy recognised his footsteps and asked, 'Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?

The man said, 'I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way.'What he had written was: ' Today is a beautiful day and I cannot see it.'

Do you think the first sign and the second sign were saying the same thing?

Of course both signs told people the boy was blind. But the first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign told people they were so lucky that they were not blind. Should we be surprised that the second sign was much more effective?

Moral of the Story: Be thankful for what you have. Be creative. Be innovative. Think differently and positively.

The most beautiful thing is to see a person smiling And even more beautiful is, knowing that you are the reason behind it.............................

&

"You only live once-but if you work and make it to LIVE right, once is enough."


Happy Reading. Keep Smiling.

The mind is complete in the light of awareness................

The Mind Is Complete.................in the light of awareness........if not mend your mind through sadhna.


Should we acquire the ability to identify as the experience instead of the experience, the true and valid nature of awareness and its patterns of movement in the mind become evident. We see the mind as a total manifestation, containing all of the past and future evolutions in the eternal now.

The mind is vast in its combinations of time, space and form. It contains every vibration from subtle to gross. Awareness is free to travel in the mind according to our knowledge, our discipline and our ability to detach from the objects of awareness and see ourselves as the experience of awareness itself. This explains many of the so-called mysteries of life.

There are people with the ability to look back into the past and ahead to the future accurately and in detail. That feat is understood clearly in the light of awareness travelling through the mind. The entire mind exists right now, past and future included. These psychically talented individuals have trained their awareness to flow into areas of the mind that are unavailable to the average person. They go into the mind itself to view these phenomena. Similarly, mind-reading and other mystical wonders are illumined by the knowledge that there is only one mind, and all phases of it are open to the spiritually awakened person.

What we term states of mind are, therefore, areas of distinct vibration. On the Earth we have continents, nations, regions, states and cities. Each is distinct and unique. We have five states of mind:-

1.conscious.

2. subconscious.

3. sub of the subconscious.

4. sub super conscious


and

5. super conscious.

and within each are hundreds and thousands of cities. In the subconscious area, the traveller can encounter fear, hatred, love and good memories. In the conscious mind area he can experience business, human relationships and intellectual, social vibrations. In the super conscious area, there are even more regions, and he comes into visions, light, sound, overwhelming joy and peace.

The purity of Awareness.....................................

The Purity of Awareness....................


To the awakened mystic, there is only one mind. There is no "your mind" and "my mind," just one mind, finished, complete in all stages of manifestation. Man's individual awareness flows through the mind as the traveller treds the globe. Just as the free citizen moves from city to city and country to country, awareness moves through the multitude of forms in the mind.

Before we meditate, we view the cycles of our life and erroneously conclude that the mind changes, that it evolves. We view joy one moment, and despair the next and, because we feel so different in these states, assume we have changed. We grow up and look back on our childhood and again see the appearance of change. Through meditation, however, we observe that we have not changed at all. Awareness becomes our real identity, and it is pure and changeless. It was the same at seven years of age as it is today. It is the same in happiness as it is in sadness. Pure awareness cannot change. It is simply aware.

Therefore, you are right now the totality of yourself. You never were different, and you never will be. You are perfect at this very moment. Change is only a seeming concept created through false identification with the experiences we have in various areas of the one mind.

Everything in the world and everything in the mind is as it should be in a perfect state of evolution. Super consciously, we can clearly see this through the eyes of our soul. When looking at it through the instinctive-intellectual mind, we don't see this perfection. It is as if we have blinders on both sides of our eyes, like a donkey. The carrot of desire dangles right in front of our nose when we are in the instinctive-intellectual mind, and we are going after it, step at a time, step at a time, with our blinders on. We have to go in and in and in and reach an expanded state of awareness and gain that mountaintop consciousness where we perceive that there is no injustice in the world. There is not one wrong thing. All is in perfect order and rhythm in God's cosmic world................................And..................

"If only you learn the art of' INVOLVE', you will learn the science of 'EVOLVE'

Contentment..................................................

Contentment..............The stronger you are in contentment, the greater will be your peace and happiness.

A very Good one to read.

How do we practice contentment? Simply do not harm others by thought, word or deed. As a practitioner of non injury, you can sleep contentedly at night and experience happiness throughout the day. Contentment is a quality that everyone wants, and buys things to obtain-"Oh, if only I had my house redecorated, I would be content." "A new wardrobe would content me, give me joy and serenity." "To be content, I must have a vacation and get away from it all. There I can live the serene life and have joyous experiences."

The righteous way is to look within and bring out the latent contentment that is already there by doing nothing to inhibit its natural expression, as happiness, the mood of the soul, permeates out through every cell of the physical body. Contentment is one of the most difficult qualities to obtain, and is well summed up within our food blessing mantra, from the Shukla Yajur Veda, Isa Upanishad invocation:-

"That is fullness. Creation is fullness. From that fullness flows this world's fullness. This fullness issues from that fullness, yet that fullness remains full."

This joy we seek is the joy of fullness, lacking nothing.

Life is meant to be lived joyously. There is in much of the world the belief that life is a burden, a feeling of penitence, that it is good to suffer, good for the soul. In fact, spiritual life is not that way at all. The existentialist would have you believe that depression, rage, fear and anguish are the foremost qualities of the human temper and expression.

The communists used to have us believe that joy and serenity as the outgrowth of religion are just an opiate of the people, a narcotic of unreality. The Semitic religions of the Near East would have us believe that suffering is good for the soul, and there is not much you can do about it. The Hindu perspective is that contentment is a reflection of centeredness, and discontentment is a reflection of externalised consciousness and ramified desire.

Maintaining joy and serenity in life means being content with your surroundings, be they meagre or lavish. Be content with your money, be it a small amount or a large amount. Be content with your health. Bear up under ailments and be thankful that they are not worse than they are. Protect your health if it is good. It is a valuable treasure. Be content with your friends. Be loyal to those who are your long-time, trusted companions. Basically, contentment, happiness, is freedom from desire gained by redirecting the forces of desire and making a beautiful life within what one already has in life.

The rich seeking more riches are not content. The famous seeking more fame are not content. The learned seeking more knowledge are not content. Being content with what you have does not mean you cannot discriminate and seek to progress in life. It doesn't mean you should not use your willpower and fulfil your plans.

It does mean you should not become upset while you are striving toward your goals, frustrated or unhappy if you do not get what you want. The best striving is to keep pushing along the natural unfoldment of positive trends and events in your life, your family life and your business. Contentment is working within your means with what is available to you, living within your income, being grateful for what you have, and not unhappy over what you lack.

There are many frustrated souls on the path who torment themselves no end and walk around with long faces because they estimate they are not unfolding spiritually fast enough. They have set goals of Self Realisation for themselves far beyond their abilities to immediately obtain. If people say, "I am not going to do anything that will not make me peaceful or that will threaten my peace of mind," how will they get anywhere? That is not the idea of contentment. True contentment is seeing all-pervasiveness of the one divine power everywhere. The light within the eyes of each person is that divine power. With this in mind, you can go anywhere and do anything. Contentment is there, inside you, and needs to be brought out. It is a spiritual power. So, yes, do what makes you content. But know that contentment really transcends worrying about the challenges that face you. contentment is being peaceful in any situation. The stronger you are in contentment, the
greater the challenges you can face and still remain quiet on the inside, peaceful and content, poised like a hummingbird hovering over a flower.


And

"Do things rightfully, gracefully, confidently & articulately- this will gratify many and astonish the rest."

Keeping Peace & Happiness in the home..............

Keeping Peace & Happiness In the Home..........is = to keeping the sanadhana Dharma vibrant and alive.

A very Good one to read for the entire family members.

Happiness is the goal; righteousness, good conduct, remains the directing factors of how you should act and respond to fulfil your Duties. This goal is attainable by following the ten Vedic restraints:-

1. Not harming others by thought, word or deed,

2. Refraining from lying,

3. Not entering into debt,

4. Being tolerant with people and circumstance,

5. Overcoming changeableness and indecision,

6. Not being callous, cruel or insensitive to other people's feelings.

7. Above all, never practice deception.

8. Don't eat too much.

9. Maintain a vegetarian diet for purity and clarity of mind and thoughts.

10. Watch carefully what you think and how you express it through words.

All of these restraints must be captured and practiced within the lifestyle before the natural contentment, the happiness, the pure, serene nature, of the soul can shine forth. Therefore, the practice to attain happiness is to fulfil the rules. Proceed with confidence; failure is an impossibility.


The home is a sanctuary of the entire family. It should have an even higher standard of propriety. When we start being too casual at home and letting off steam, we say things that perhaps we shouldn't. We may think the rest of the family understands, but they don't. Feelings get hurt. We break up the vibration of the home. Young people also let off steam in school, thus inhibiting their own education. They behave in a way in the classroom that they would not in a corporate office, and who is hurt but themselves? It's amazing how quickly people shape up their behaviour when they sign a contract, when they get a job in a corporate office. They read the manual, they obey it and they are nice to everyone. This is the way it should be within the home. The home should be maintained at a higher standard than the corporate office.

The wonderful thing about Hinduism is that we don't let off steam at home; we let our emotions pour out within the Hindu temple. The Hindu temple is the place where we can relate to the Gods and the Goddesses and express ourselves within ourselves. It's just between ourselves and the Deity. In a Hindu temple there may be, all at the same time, a woman worshipper crying in a corner, not far away a young couple laughing among themselves with their children, and nearby someone else arguing with the Gods. The Hindu temple allows the individual to let off steam but it is a controlled situation, controlled by the pujas, the ceremony, the priesthood.

So as to not make more karma in this life by saying things we don't mean, having inflections in our voice that are hurtful to others, we must control the home, control ourselves in the workplace, keep the home at a higher vibration of culture and protocol than the workplace, and include the temple in our lives as a place to release our emotions and regain our composure.

It is making a lot of really bad karma that will come back in its stronger reaction later on in life for someone, the husband or wife or teenager, to upset the vibration of the home because of stress at school or in the workplace. It is counterproductive to work all day in a nice office, control the emotions and be productive, and then go home and upset the vibration within the home.

After all, why is someone working? It's to create the home. Why is someone going to school? It's to eventually create a home. It is counterproductive to destroy that which one works all day to create. That's why It is advisable, the professional mother, the professional father, the professional son and the professional daughter to use in the home the same good manners that are learned in the workplace, and build the vibration of the home even stronger than the vibration of the workplace, so that there is something inviting to come home to.

We have seen so many times, professionals, men and women, behave exquisitely in the workplace, but not so exquisitely at home, upset the home vibration, eventually destroying the home, breaking up the home. And we have seen, through the years, a very unhappy person in retirement, a very bitter person in retirement. No one wants him around, no one wants to have him in their home. Therefore, he winds up in some nursing home, and he dies forgotten.

The Sanadhana Dharma must be alive in the home, must be alive in the office, must be alive in the temple, for us to have a full life. Where, then, do we vent our emotions, where do we let off steam, if not in our own home? The answer is, within the temple....................................

AND

" Life is beautiful; Living is a gift and make best use of the beauty and the gift every Moment of your life."

Yours in Divine Friendship.

J.K

Real Beauty............Like Father Like son.

Real Beauty......................Like father Like son........

When a first-time father cuddled his newborn son, he immediately noticed the baby's ears conspicuously standing out from his head. He expressed his concern to the nurse that some children might taunt his child, calling him names like 'Dumbo.' A doctor examined the baby and reassured the new dad that his son was healthy - the ears presented only a minor cosmetic problem.

But the nervous father persisted. He wondered if the child might suffer psychological effects of ridicule, or if they should consider plastic surgery.

The nurse assured him that it was really no problem, and he should just wait to see if the boy grows into his ears.The father finally felt more optimistic about his child, but now he worried about his wife's reaction to those large, protruding ears. She had delivered by caesarean section, and had not yet seen the child.

'She doesn't take things as easily as I do,' he said to the nurse.
By this time, the new mother was settled in the recovery room and ready to meet her new baby. The nurse went along with the dad to lend some support in case this inexperienced mother became upset about her baby's large ears.
The infant was swaddled in a receiving blanket with his head covered for the short trip through the chilly air-conditioned corridor. The baby was placed in his mother's arms, who eased the blanket back so that she could gaze upon her child for the first time.

She took one look at her baby's face and looked to her husband and gasped, 'Oh, Honey! Look! He has your ears!'No problem with mum. She married those ears . . . and she loves the man to whom they are attached.

The poet Khalil Gibran said - 'Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart." It's hard to see the ears when you're looking into the light.

Written by Steve Goodier

Procrastination..............................................

Procrastination........A must read for Effective Time Management leading to Life Management.

There's an old saying.................................

"If the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning is eat a live frog, then nothing worse can happen for the rest of the day!"

Brian Tracy says that your "frog" should be the most difficult item on your things to do list, the one you're most likely to procrastinate on; because, if you eat that first, it'll give you energy and momentum for the rest of the day. But, if you don't...and let him sit there on the plate and stare at you while you do a hundred unimportant things, it can drain your energy and you won't even know it.

In Eat That Frog!, Brian cuts to the core of what is vital to effective time management: decision, discipline and determination. In 21 practical steps, he will help you stop procrastinating and get more of the important tasks done...today!

Brian is one of America's leading authorities on development of human potential. He speaks to over 250,000 people a year and has written over 25 books. Eat That Frog! is an international best seller, with over 500,000 copies sold.

We're pleased to say, however, that Simple Truths has taken a great book, and well...made it better! How? We've made it a little shorter; a little more engaging with great graphics; a little more "giftable" with an embossed hard cover, and of course, packaging that can create a "wow" effect! In short, we've turned a great book into a great gift for employees, customers, friends and family.

Here's a small sampling in Brian's chapter titled: Apply the 80/20 Rule to Everything. Enjoy!

An excerpt from...........Eat That Frog!.......... By Brian Tracy.

The 80/20 Rule is one of the most helpful of all concepts of time and life management. It is also called the "Pareto Principle" after its founder, the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, who first wrote about it in 1895. Pareto noticed that people in his society seemed to divide naturally into what he called the "vital few", the top 20 percent in terms of money and influence, and the "trivial many", the bottom 80 percent.

He later discovered that virtually all economic activity was subject to this principle as well. For example, this principle says that 20 percent of your activities will account for 80 percent of your results, 20 percent of your customers will account for 80 percent of your sales, 20 percent of your products or services will account for 80 percent of your profits, 20 percent of your tasks will account for 80 percent of the value of what you do, and so on. This means that if you have a list of ten items to do, two of those items will turn out to be worth five or ten times or more than the other eight items put together.

Number of Tasks versus Importance of Tasks......................

Here is an interesting discovery. Each of the ten tasks may take the same amount of time to accomplish. But one or two of those tasks will contribute five or ten times the value of any of the others.

Often, one item on a list of ten tasks that you have to do can be worth more than all the other nine items put together. This task is invariably the frog that you should eat first.

Focus on Activities, Not Accomplishments......................

The most valuable tasks you can do each day are often the hardest and most complex. But the payoff and rewards for completing these tasks efficiently can be tremendous. For this reason, you must adamantly refuse to work on tasks in the bottom 80 percent while you still have tasks in the top 20 percent left to be done.

Before you begin work, always ask yourself, "Is this task in the top 20 percent of my activities or in the bottom 80 percent?"

The hardest part of any important task is getting started on it in the first place. Once you actually begin work on a valuable task, you will be naturally motivated to continue. A part of your mind loves to be busy working on significant tasks that can really make a difference. Your job is to feed this part of your mind continually.

Motivate Yourself.................................

Just thinking about starting and finishing an important task motivates you and helps you to overcome procrastination. Time management is really life management, personal management. It is really taking control of the sequence of events. Time management is having control over what you do next. And you are always free to choose the task that you will do next. Your ability to choose between the important and the unimportant is the key determinant of your success in life and work.

Effective, productive people discipline themselves to start on the most important task that is before them. They force themselves to eat that frog, whatever it is. As a result, they accomplish vastly more than the average person and are much happier as a result. This should be your way of working as well.

Six Essentials of Life.............................

Six Essentials for Life

Our body was created to survive. How we survive depends on our conscious choices in the 6 Essentials for Life. If our choices are good we can lead a healthy life or else if made a bad choice the responses lead to pain, disease and death. It is your choice!

Evaluate..................................

1. What you eat :-

There are two kinds of foods Acid and Alkaline. Our body is designed to function in an alkaline state, which requires alkaline foods mostly fruits and vegetables. Eating too much of the acid foods makes your body acid, causing acute physical stress.

2. What you drink:-

Our body is majorly water and needs lots of liquids. Since our body regulates itself internally, drinking external stimulants puts added stress on your body and interferes with the regulation of blood sugar.

3. How you exercise:-

Our body needs exercise that increases heart rate, promotes muscle activity and aids neurological integration. Excellent exercises that achieve all three are swimming or walking correctly.


4.How you rest:-

Adequate, uninterrupted sleep each night is essential for cell repair. Do not consume large meals too close to bedtime or drink the wrong liquids throughout the day, which over stimulates our body. This makes uninterrupted, restful, repairing sleep difficult.

5. How and what you breathe:-

Correct breathing is important because it activates the diaphragm in a manner in which it was designed, which augments heart action. Correct breathing helps re balance the autonomic nervous system. Breathing is stressful. While the toxins in our food and liquids are cleaned by the liver before entering the bloodstream, the toxins we breathe from smoking or living/working in a smoke/smog filled environment, go directly into your bloodstream.

6. What you think about:-

Thinking about lemons fills our mouth with saliva. In anger or fear our body is as uptight as if we are fighting a ferocious animal. In worry our nervous system triggers more acid into our stomach producing indigestion and ulcers. And most of these physically harmful feelings come from replaying the past

Make your life & living Great with Right Choices.

About "Achamana"- Its significance.......

About Achamana......................Its significance.



Achamana precedes all rituals or ceremonial sipping of water and touching the various parts of the body like eyes, ears, nose, chest head etc., with wet hand in the prescribed order. This process invokes the life-energy to protect the performer.

There are three types of Achamana-

PURAANAACH AMAN,

SHROUTHAACHAMANA

AND

SMARTHAACHAMANA.

The first three names of Keshava, Naraayana and Madhava are remembered and water is taken as BRAHMATHEERTHA. The next 21 names are taken to touch different parts of the body and it invokes the deity who protects that part. With this it is expected that the FIVE GNYAANENDRIYAS, FIVE KARMENDRIAS, FIVE MUKHYA PRANAS, FIVE SUBSIDIARY PRANAS AND THE MIND are purified. It is expected that with this, the mind also becomes calm.

There is a system where instead of Keshavaayaswaaha, RUGVEDAYASWAAHA, YAJURVEDAAYASWAAHA, SAAMAVEDAAYASWAAHA are repeated. The method normally adopted is the Puraanaachamana with the names Keshava, Naarayana and Maadhava.

It is believed that while touching the different parts of the body with wet fingures and invoking the names of the ADHIDEVATHE of that part, the body and mind becomes pure so that further rituals are successful. It is also believed that at the tips of thumb, the forefinger, and the small finger there is BRAHMA THEERTHA, DEVATHEERTHA ANDPRAJAAPATHITHEERTHA.

Clever Anagrams.................

Clever Anagrams.....................A Good one to Read...nd enjoy.

The last one tops the list!!!!!!!! !


This has got to be one of the cleverest E-mails I've received in a while.
Someone out there either has too much spare time or is deadly at Scrabble.

(Wait till you see the last one)!


PRINCESS DIANA.

When you rearrange the letters:

END IS A CAR SPIN

MONICA LEWINSKY

When you rearrange the letters:

NICE SILKY WOMAN

DORMITORY:

When you rearrange the letters:

DIRTY ROOM

ASTRONOMER:

When you rearrange the letters:

MOON STARER

THE EYES :

When you rearrange the letters:

THEY SEE


SLOT MACHINES:

When you rearrange the letters:

CASH LOST IN ME


ELECTION RESULTS:

When you rearrange the letters:

LIES - LET'S RECOUNT

SNOOZE ALARMS:

When you rearrange the letters:

ALAS! NO MORE Z 'S

A DECIMAL POINT:

When you rearrange the letters:

IM A DOT IN PLACE

THE EARTHQUAKES:

When you rearrange the letters:

THAT QUEER SHAKE

ELEVEN PLUS TWO:

When you rearrange the letters:

TWELVE PLUS ONE

AND FOR THE GRAND FINALE:........................................

MOTHER-IN-LAW:

When you rearrange the letters:.............................

WOMAN HITLER.............................................RRRRRR.

Pl read it as a Loving topic and not as...................

Please read this as a loving topic and not as scaring one as it has to and will happen to every one living inevitably without any exception. whatsoever.....................As


"No one can confidently say that he will still be living tomorrow."

How Should one View Death and Dying? & How does one best prepare for it.............It is as simple as righteously living.........for the departure.

Our soul never dies; only the physical body dies. We neither fear death nor look forward to it, but revere it as a most exalted experience. Life, death and the afterlife are all part of our path to perfect oneness with God.

For Hindus, death is nobly referred to as mahaprasthana, "the great journey." When the lessons of this life have been learned and karmas reach a point of intensity, the soul leaves the physical body, which then returns its elements to the earth. The awareness, will, memory and intelligence which we think of as ourselves continue to exist in the soul body.

Death is a most natural experience, not to be feared. It is a quick transition from the physical world to the astral plane, like walking through a door, leaving one room and entering another. Knowing this, we approach death as a sadhana, as a spiritual opportunity, bringing a level of detachment which is difficult to achieve in the tumult of life and an urgency to strive more than ever in our search for the Divine Self. To be near a realised soul at the time he or she gives up the body yields blessings surpassing those of a thousand and eight visits to holy persons at other times. The Vedas explain:-

"As a caterpillar coming to the end of a blade of grass draws itself together in taking the next step, so does the soul in the process of transition strike down this body and dispel its ignorance."


Blessed with the knowledge of impending transition, we settle affairs and take refuge in japa, worship, scripture and yoga-seeking the highest realisations as we consciously, joyously release the world.


Before dying, Hindus diligently fulfil obligations, make amends and resolve differences by forgiving themselves and others, lest unresolved karmas bear fruit in future births. That done, we turn to God through meditation, surrender and scriptural study. As a conscious death is our ideal, we avoid drugs, artificial life-extension and suicide. Suicide only postpones and intensifies the karma one seeks escape from, requiring several lives to return to the evolutionary point that existed at the moment of suicide. In cases of terminal illness, under strict community regulation, tradition does allow prayopavesha, self-willed religious death by fasting. When nearing transition, if hospitalised, we return home to be among loved ones. In the final hours of life, we seek the Self God within and focus on our mantra as kindred keep prayerful vigil. At death, we leave the body through the crown chakra, entering the clear white light and beyond in quest of
videhamukti. The Vedas affirm, "When a person comes to weakness, be it through old age or disease, he frees himself from these limbs just as a mango, a fig or a berry releases itself from its stalk."


"The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time."

And Remember..............

"What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and for the world remains and is immortal."


PS: Please pass it on to as many friends as possible as this is "Knowledge".

J.K

Why I am a Hindu ?........................

I got this as a forward and sending it as it is like that.

I don't know who wrote it. But, it is a very interesting conversation and explains "Hindutva" in very simple terms to a layman.

Read it in leisure, but don't postpone and forget.

You may or may not accept all his statements - but, look at the way it is presented!!!!!!!

With Love & regards,

Yours in Divine Friendship.


J.K

WHY I AM A HINDU........................................................

Four years ago, I was flying from JFK NY Airport to SFO to attend a meeting at Monterey , CA An American girl was sitting on the right side, near window seat. It indeed was a long journey - it would take nearly seven hours.

I was surprised to see the young girl reading a Bible unusual of young Americans. After some time she smiled and we had few acquaintances talk.I told her that I am from India

Then suddenly the girl asked: 'What's your faith?' 'What?' I didn't understand the question.

'I mean, what's your religion? Are you a Christian? Or a Muslim?'

'No!' I replied, 'I am neither Christian nor Muslim'.

Apparently she appeared shocked to listen to that. 'Then who are you?' 'I am a Hindu', I said.

She looked at me as if she was seeing a caged animal. She could not understand what I was talking about.

A common man in Europe or US knows about Christianity and Islam, as they are the leading religions of the world today. But a Hindu, what?

I explained to her - I am born to a Hindu father and Hindu mother. Therefore, I am a Hindu by birth.

'Who is your prophet?' she asked.

'We don't have a prophet,' I replied.

'What's your Holy Book?'

'We don't have a single Holy Book, but we have hundreds and thousands of philosophical and sacred scriptures,' I replied.

'Oh, come on at least tell me who is your God?'

'What do you mean by that?'

'Like we have Jesus and Muslims have Allah - don't you have a God?'

I thought for a moment. Muslims and Christians believe one God (Male God) who created the world and takes an interest in the humans who inhabit it. Her mind is conditioned with that kind of belief.

According to her (or anybody who doesn't know about Hinduism), a religion needs to have one Prophet, one Holy book and one God. The mind is so conditioned and rigidly narrowed down to such a notion that anything else is not acceptable. I understood her perception and concept about faith. You can't compare Hinduism with any of the present leading religions where you have to believe in one concept of god.

I tried to explain to her: 'You can believe in one god and he can be a Hindu. You may believe in multiple deities and still you can be a Hindu. What's more - you may not believe in god at all, still you can be a Hindu. An atheist can also be a Hindu.'

This sounded very crazy to her. She couldn't imagine a religion so unorganised, still surviving for thousands of years, even after onslaught from foreign forces.

'I don't understand but it seems very interesting. Are you religious?'

What can I tell to this American girl?

I said: 'I do not go to temple regularly. I do not make any regular rituals. I have learned some of the rituals in my younger days. I still enjoy doing it sometimes..'

'Enjoy? Are you not afraid of God?'

'God is a friend. No- I am not afraid of God. Nobody has made any compulsions on me to perform these rituals regularly.'

She thought for a while and then asked: 'Have you ever thought of converting to any other religion?'

'Why should I? Even if I challenge some of the rituals and faith in Hinduism, nobody can convert me from Hinduism. Because, being a Hindu allows me to think independently and objectively, without conditioning. . I remain as a Hindu never by force, but choice.' I told her that Hinduism is not a religion, but a set of beliefs and practices. It is not a religion like Christianity or Islam because it is not founded by any one person or does not have an organised controlling body like the Church or the Order, I added. There is no institution or authority..

'So, you don't believe in God?' she wanted everything in black and white.

'I didn't say that. I do not discard the divine reality. Our scripture, or Sruthis or Smrithis - Vedas and Upanishads or the Gita - say God might be there or he might not be there. But we pray to that supreme abstract authority (Para Brahma) that is the creator of this universe..'

'Why can't you believe in one personal God?'

'We have a concept - abstract - not a personal god. The concept or notion of a personal God, hiding behind the clouds of secrecy, telling us irrational stories through few men whom he sends as messengers, demanding us to worship him or punish us, does not make sense. I don't think that God is as silly as an autocratic emperor who wants others to respect him or fear him.' I told her that such notions are just fancies of less educated human imagination and fallacies, adding that generally ethnic religious practitioners in Hinduism believe in personal gods. The entry level Hinduism has over-whelming superstitions too. The philosophical side of Hinduism negates all superstitions.

'Good that you agree God might exist. You told that you pray. What is your prayer then?'

'Loka Samastha Sukino Bhavantu. Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti,'

'Funny,' she laughed, 'What does it mean?'

'May all the beings in all the worlds be happy. Om Peace, Peace, Peace.'

'Hmm ..very interesting. I want to learn more about this religion. It is so democratic, broad-minded and free' she exclaimed.

'The fact is Hinduism is a religion of the individual, for the individual and by the individual with its roots in the Vedas and the Bhagavad-Gita. It is all about an individual approaching a personal God in an individual way according to his temperament and inner evolution - it is as simple as that.'

'How does anybody convert to Hinduism?'

'Nobody can convert you to Hinduism, because it is not a religion, but a set of beliefs and practices. Everything is acceptable in Hinduism because there is no single authority or organisation either to accept it or to reject it or to oppose it on behalf of Hinduism.'

I told her - if you look for meaning in life, don't look for it in religions; don't go from one cult to another or from one guru to the next.

For a real seeker, I told her, the Bible itself gives guidelines when it says ' Kingdom of God is within you.' I reminded her of Christ's teaching about the love that we have for each other. That is where you can find the meaning of life.

Loving each and every creation of the God is absolute and real. 'Isavasyam idam sarvam' Isam (the God) is present (inhabits) here everywhere - nothing exists separate from the God, because God is present everywhere. Respect every living being and non-living things as God. That's what Hinduism teaches you.

Hinduism is referred to as Sanathana Dharma, the eternal faith. It is based on the practice of Dharma, the code of life. The most important aspect of Hinduism is being truthful to oneself. Hinduism has no monopoly on ideas.- It is open to all. Hindus believe in one God (not a personal one) expressed in different forms. For them, God is timeless and formless entity.

Ancestors of today's Hindus believe in eternal truths and cosmic laws and these truths are opened to anyone who seeks them. But there is a section of Hindus who are either superstitious or turned fanatic to make this an organised religion like others. The British coin the word 'Hindu' and considered it as a religion.

I said: 'Religions have become an MLM (multi-level- marketing) industry that has been trying to expand the market share by conversion. The biggest business in today's world is Spirituality. Hinduism is no exception'

I am a Hindu primarily because it professes Non-violence - 'Ahimsa Paramo Dharma' - Non violence is the highest duty. I am a Hindu because it doesn't conditions my mind with any faith system.

A man/ woman who change 's his/her birth religion to another religion is a fake and does not value his/her morals, culture and values in life. Hinduism was the first religion originated. Be proud of your religion and be proud of who you are.

Aum Shanti , Shaanti, Shanthi.


Send it to all who you think will find it interesting! !!!!!!!!! !

Diet & Exercise for busy people........................

Diet and exercise tips for busy people ...........................simple ones.


No excuse for busy people!!

Use the following tips to incorporate exercise into your busy day, weather you are at home ,on the commute or at work.

Many of us have little or no time for a traditional workout. Given the demands of family, work and school, the thought of spending time at the gym or outside jogging can seem like a fantasy. But even the busiest people can find ways to stay fit by changing their daily routine. Fitness experts recommended a minimum of 20-30 minutes if exercise three times a week. Even the minimum recommended amount of exercise can drastically improve your health, give you more energy and reduce stress.

At home.............................

Prepare your own meal instead of ordering take-out. Not only will you burn calories ,cooking, you can also make sure you use healthy ingredients and limit portion sizes. Put away your television remote so that you have to get up to change channels. You can also try stretching or doing aerobics while watching TV. Clean the old-fashioned way. Vigorous mopping, scrubbing and dusting can burn calories and develop muscles the same way as "real" exercise.

If you have yard, use a hand-mower or other hand tools when gardening.
You will both benefit from the added exercise, fresh air and time together.
Play with your children outside instead of watching movies or play video games. No kid is going to turn down a chance to play tag or shoot hopes with Father & Mother, you get exercise to boot.Walk to corner store instead of driving, and walk as much as possible when running errands.

On the commute....................................

If you live close enough, walk to work. Even it is only a mile away, a brisk walk each way can count as your daily exercise. If you live a little farther away, consider riding your bike to work. Cycling is one of the most beneficial, rewarding and fun exercise activities. If you make it a part of your daily commute, you will get to work energised and will be able to burn off steam on the way home. If walking or cycling isn't option, use public transport. You will get some exercise walking to and from the stops. You will also save money, reduce mileage on your car and promote a cleaner environment. If you must drive, park a few blocks away or at least at the far end of the lot to force yourself to walk more.

At work...........................................

Take the stairs to your floor. If you work on a higher floor, walk part of the way and then take the elevator. Bring your lunch. This allows you to pack healthy ingredients and control portions, as well as save money.
It is OK to go out to lunch with the gang occasionally, just not everyday. Get out of the office on your lunch break. Even if you brought your own lunch, don't eat at your desk. Walk some where else to build in some easy exercise.

Drink water or diet soda. You can remove hundreds of empty calories from your diet per day if you avoid regular soda.Turn a coffee break into a walk around the office. Take a few minutes every two hours to do some light stretching at your desk.

The process of re-incarnation........................

The Process of Reincarnation?.................................

Reincarnation, punarjanma, is the natural process of birth, death and rebirth. At death we drop off the physical body and continue evolving in the inner worlds in our subtle bodies, until we again enter into birth.

Through the ages, reincarnation has been the great consoling element within Hinduism, eliminating the fear of death, explaining why one person is born a genius and another an idiot. We are not the body in which we live but the immortal soul which inhabits many bodies in its evolutionary journey through samsara. After death, we continue to exist in unseen worlds, enjoying or suffering the harvest of earthly deeds until it comes time for yet another physical birth.

Because certain karmas can be resolved only in the physical world, we must enter another physical body to continue our evolution. After soaring into the causal plane, we enter a new womb. Subsequently the old manomaya kosha is slowly sloughed off and a new one created. The actions set in motion in previous lives form the tendencies and conditions of the next.

Reincarnation ceases when karma is resolved, God is realised and liberation attained. The Vedas say:-


"After death, the soul goes to the next world bearing in mind the subtle impressions of its deeds, and after reaping their harvest returns again to this world of action. Thus, he who has desires continues subject to rebirth."...................................


&
Always bear in mind.....................


"Never take some one for granted. Hold every person close to your heart and in high esteem, because you might wake up one day and realise that you have lost a diamond while you were busy collecting stones."

Good Karma & Bad Karma.......................

Good Karma and Bad Karma?..................................

In the highest sense, there is no good or bad karma. All experience offers opportunities for spiritual growth. Selfless acts yield positive, uplifting conditions. Selfish acts yield conditions of negativity and confusion.

Karma itself is neither good nor bad but a neutral principle that governs energy and motion of thought, word and deed. All experience helps us grow. Good, loving actions bring to us lovingness through others. Mean, selfish acts bring back to us pain and suffering. Kindness produces sweet fruits, called punya. Unkindness yields spoiled fruits, called papa. As we mature, life after life, we go through much pain and joy.

Actions that are in tune with righteousness help us along the path, while non-righteous actions impede our progress. The divine law is: whatever karma we are experiencing in our life is just what we need at the moment, and nothing can happen but that we have the strength to meet it. Even harsh karma, when faced in wisdom, can be the greatest catalyst for spiritual unfoldment. Performing daily sadhana, keeping good company, pilgrimage to holy places, seeing to others' needs-these evoke the higher energies, direct the mind to useful thoughts and avoid the creation of troublesome new karmas. The Vedas explain.................

"According as one acts, so does he become. One becomes virtuous by virtuous action, bad by bad action."

&

Always Remember......................................................

"Life is always unsafe and unstable like a drop of water on the Lotus Leaf. The Company of Pujya Guruji even for a moment can save and redeem us."

Reasons for Vegetarianism...............................

Reasons for Vegetarianism.................to save planet Earth and maintain a good physical and mental health.

Vegetarianism has for thousands of years been a principle of health and environmental ethics throughout India. Though Muslim and Christian colonisation radically undermined and eroded this ideal, it remains to this day a cardinal ethic of Hindu thought and practice. A subtle sense of guilt persists among Hindus who eat meat, and there exists an ongoing controversy on this issue. The Sanskrit for vegetarianism is shakahara, and one following a vegetarian diet is a shakahari. The term for meat-eating is mansahara, and the meat-eater is called mansahari. Ahara means "food" or "diet," shaka means "vegetable," and mansa means "meat" or "flesh."

Amazingly, people define vegetarian as a diet which excludes the meat of animals but does permit fish and eggs. But what really is vegetarianism? It is living only on foods produced by plants, with the addition of dairy products. Vegetarian foods include grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, milk, yogurt, cheese and butter. The strictest vegetarians, known as vegans, exclude all dairy products. Natural, fresh foods, locally grown without insecticides or chemical fertilizers are preferred. A vegetarian diet does not include meat, fish, shellfish, fowl or eggs.

For good health, even certain vegetarian foods are minimised: frozen and canned foods, highly processed foods, such as white rice, white sugar and white flour; and "junk" foods and beverages those with abundant chemical additives, such as artificial sweeteners, colourings, flavourings and preservatives.

In the past fifty years millions of meat-eaters have made the decision to stop eating the flesh of other creatures. There are five major motivations for such a decision:-

1) Many become vegetarian purely to uphold dharma, as the first duty to God and God's creation as defined by Vedic scripture.

2) Some abjure meat-eating because of the karmic consequences, knowing that by involving oneself, even indirectly, in the cycle of inflicting injury, pain and death by eating other creatures, one must in the future experience in equal measure the suffering caused.

3) Spiritual consciousness is another reason. Food is the source of the body's chemistry, and what we ingest affects our consciousness, emotions and experiential patterns. If one wants to live in higher consciousness, in peace and happiness and love for all creatures, then he cannot eat meat, fish, shellfish, fowl or eggs. By ingesting the grosser chemistries of animal foods, one introduces into the body and mind anger, jealousy, fear, anxiety, suspicion and a terrible fear of death, all of which are locked into the flesh of butchered creatures.

4) Medical studies prove that a vegetarian diet is easier to digest, provides a wider range of nutrients and imposes fewer burdens and impurities on the body. Vegetarians are less susceptible to all the major diseases that afflict contemporary humanity, and thus live longer, healthier, more productive lives. They have fewer physical complaints, less frequent visits to the doctor, fewer dental problems and smaller medical bills. Their immune system is stronger, their bodies purer and more refined, and their skin clearer, more supple and smooth.

5) Finally, there is the ecological reason. Planet Earth is suffering. In large measure, the escalating loss of species, destruction of ancient rain forests to create pasture lands for livestock, loss of topsoil and the consequent increase of water impurities and air pollution have all been traced to the single fact of meat in the human diet. No single decision that we can make as individuals or as a race can have such a dramatic effect on the improvement of our planetary ecology as the decision to not eat meat. Many conscious of the need to save the planet for future generations have made this decision for this reason and this reason alone.

Keep pur surroundings by keepimg your Home Clean........

Keeping Pure Surroundings................by keeping your Home clean. A very Good one to read.

Cleaning the house is an act of purifying one's immediate environment. Each piece of furniture, as well as the doorways and the walls, catches and holds the emanations of the human aura of each individual in the home, as well as each of its visitors. This residue must be wiped away through dusting and cleaning. This regular attentiveness keeps each room sparkling clean and actinic. Unless this is done, the rooms of the home become overpowering to the consciousness of the individuals who live within them as their auras pick up the old accumulated feelings of days gone by. Small wonder that a dirty room can depress you, and one freshly cleaned can invigorate.

In these years, when both mother and father work in the outside world, the house is often simply where they sleep and eat. But if a home receives all of the daily attentions of cleaning it sparkly bright, both astrally and physically, it becomes a welcoming place and not an empty shell. The Deva's can live within a home that is clean and well regulated, where the routine of breakfast, lunch and dinner is upheld, where early morning devotionals are performed and respected, a home which the family lives together within, eats together within, talks together within, worships together within. Such a home is the abode of the Deva's. Other kinds of homes are the abodes of asuric forces and dis incarnate entities bound to Earth by lower desires.

It is very important that the samskaras are performed properly and perfectly , particularly the funeral, ceremonies so as to restore purity in the home after a death. Birth and death require the family to observe a moratorium of at least thirty-one days during which they do not enter the temple or the shrine room. Such obligatory ritual customs are important to follow for those wishing to restrain their desires and perfect cleanliness in body, mind and speech, keeping good company, keeping the mind pure and avoiding impure thoughts.

Purity and impurity can be discerned in the human aura. We see purity in the brilliancy of the aura of one who is restraining and disciplining the lower instinctive nature. His aura is bright with white rays from his soul lightening up the various hues and colours of his moods and emotions.

Impure people have black shading in the colours of their aura as they go through their moods and emotions. Black in the aura is from the lower worlds, the worlds of darkness.

Claim the Being of Yourself...............................

Claim the Being Of Yourself..................................


We say, "I am sick," and in the English language that means my body is sick, or I am aware of this body not being in a perfect state of health. The mystic knows he is not this body. He can even remember dropping off the body many, many different times, getting new bodies through the process of reincarnation. We are not what we are aware of. We are separate from that which we are aware of. We are only flowing through these areas of the mind. If we live in Chennai, we're not Chennai. If we live in unhappiness, we're not unhappiness. That's only one of the cities and state of the mind. This is a great meditation. We can grasp this awakening in thirty seconds. We can grasp this awakening in thirty hours, or thirty minutes. We can grasp this awakening and have it come to us vibrantly in thirty weeks, thirty months, or thirty years or thirty lifetimes. It just depends upon our willpower.

As soon as we can understand awareness detached from that which it is aware of, we have a vibrant energy, a tremendous drive; a tremendous willpower is released from within us. And we live with the feeling that we can do anything that we want to do, almost as quickly as we want to do it. We want things to happen now, for we vividly see the area where they already exist within the force fields of the mind itself.

How do we live our life from this point? We begin to apply this philosophy in every department of our life. There are some habit patterns in our subconscious mind that have not caught up with this new perspective as yet. And we will be running up against them. As soon as we find awareness totally identified with a subconscious area that has become conscious, immediately turn inward, detach awareness from that which it is aware of and just be pure energy.

We can expect a beautiful life, a beautiful relationship with the being of our self. Claim the being of our self as we. WE have enough knowledge now. We don't have to discover the being of our self and keep looking for it. Just be the being of our self and travel through the mind as the traveller travels around the globe.

The wonderful story of awareness, could go on and on talking about it, because it is so very basic and so very, very important. This then makes an infinite intelligence and everyone the same. Only, they are living in different areas of the mind, or different houses.

Philosophy of Life...................................

Philosophy of Life................For transformation of our lives.

"If you are born poor it's not your mistake, but if you die poor it's your
mistake".........................BILL GATES-


"In a day when you don't come across any problems you can be sure that you are travelling in a wrong path.................SWAMI VIVEKANANDA-


"Three sentences for attaining "success":-

1.Know more than other.

2.Work more than other.

3.Expect less than other........................WILLIAM SHAKESPHERE-


"If you win you need not explain, but if you lose, you should not be there to explain."....................ADOLPH HITLER-


"Don't compare yourself with any one in this world. If you do so, you are insulting yourself."..................ALEN STRIKE-


"Winning doe not always mean being first, winning means you are doing better than you have done before."....................BENNIE BLAIR-


"I will not say I failed 1000 times, I will say that I discovered there are 1000 ways that can cause failure."..................THOMAS EDISON-


"Every one thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself."............................LEO TOLSTOY-


"Believing everybody is dangerous, Believing nobody is very dangerous."....................... ABRAHAM LINCOLN-


"If some one feels that they had never made any mistake in their life, then it means they had never tried a new thing in their life."..........................EINSTEIN-


"Never break four things in your life- TRUST, PROMISE, RELATION & HEART because when they break they don't make noise, but pains a lot"......................CHARLES-


"If you start judging people you will have no time to LOVE them."....................MOTHER TERESA

The jury is still out..........................

The jury is still out

Meaning

Judgement has not yet been finalised on a particular subject;
especially due to information being incomplete.

Origin

'The Jury Is Still Out' has been a staple headline in US newspapers
for at least 150 years. For example, this from The New York
Daily-Times, May 1850:

"The [Gardiner Trial] Jury are still out, with no prospect of
immediate agreement."

The phrase has continued to be used in this literal sense. The
emergence of the figurative use of 'the jury is still out', i.e. as a
reference to a non-legal decision where no actual jury is involved,
began in the USA in the 1940s and has now become somewhat hackneyed.
For example, the expression was used in a report of a baseball game,
published in the Indiana newspaper The Terre Haute Star in July 1949:

The jury is still out on his [Orestes Minoso] batting ability.

There are a few examples of the phrase's use, mostly in a sporting
context, throughout the 1940s and 50s, but it was a specific event
that brought it fully into the language - the infamous Finch-Tregoff
murder trials in 1959/61. Dr. Bernard Finch was a middle-aged Los
Angeles surgeon and Carole Tregoff was described in newspapers at the
time as 'his shapely young receptionist'. The murder of Finch's wife
and the subsequent trials were a cause célèbre. At each of the the
couple's three trials the jury took their time in coming to a
judgement and hacks must have got tired of typing 'Jury Still Out'
each day. This newspaper cutting was typical of the hundreds of
stories that ran during 1959 to 1961:

At the third trial, during March and April 1961, the pair were finally
convicted of murder.

Had Dr. Finch kept his mind on surgery, we would probably not now have
the cliché 'the jury is still out' at our disposal. I'll leave it to
you to decide whether that's to the good or not.

Take Charge of your Body..................................

Take Charge Of Your Body...............................Study your body & Diet to find what suits you the best.

There is a wonderful breathing exercise you can perform to aid the digestion and elimination of food by stimulating the internal fire. Breathe in through your nose a normal breath, and out through your nose very fast while pulling the stomach in. Then relax your stomach and again breathe in naturally and then out quickly by pulling the stomach in to force the air out of the lungs. Do this for one minute, then rest for one minute, then do it again. Then rest for a minute and do it again. About three repetitions is generally enough to conquer indigestion or constipation. This pranayama amplifies the heat of the body and stimulates the fire that digests food and eliminates waste. It is especially good for those who are rather sedentary and do a lot of intellectual work, whose energies are in the intellect and may not be addressing their digestive needs adequately.

Take charge of your own body and see that it is working right, is healthy and you are eating right. If you do overindulge, then compensate by fasting occasionally and performing physical disciplines. Most people have certain cravings and desires which they permit themselves to indulge in, whether it be sweets or rich, exotic foods or overly spiced foods. Discovering and moderating such personal preferences and desires is part of the spiritual path. If you find you overindulge in jelly beans, cashew nuts, licorice, chocolate, varieties of soft drinks or exotic imported coffee, moderate those appetites. Then you are controlling the entire desire nature of the instinctive mind in the process. That is a central process of spiritual unfoldment to control and moderate such desires.

The rishis of yore taught us to restrain desire. They used the words restrain and moderate rather than suppress or eliminate. We must remember that to restrain and moderate desire allows the energy which is restrained and moderated to enliven higher chakras, giving rise to creativity and intuition that will actually better mankind, one's own household and the surrounding community.

The rishis have given us great knowledge to help us know what to do. Study your body and your diet and find out what works for you. Find out what foods give you indigestion and stop eating those things. But remember that eating right, in itself, is not spiritual life. In the early stages seekers often become obsessed with finding the perfect diet. That is a stage they have to go through in learning. They have to find out what is right for them. But it should balance out to a simple routine of eating to live, not living to eat.

Lord Ganesha Depicted in the form of "AUM"...........

"Aum Sri Mahaganapathaye Namaha"

This Year "Lorrd Ganesh Chathurthi Puja on 23 Aug 2009

Why Lord Ganesha is depicted in the form of Symbol AUM ?

Before the creation of the present Universe there was a great deluge, pralaya. It had destroyed the Universe as it existed then. According to Hinduism, creation has no beginning or end – the endless cycle continues. After a great deluge there is Shanti or peace. This peace is broken the sound AUM – the sound which emanates from the Supreme Soul.


The Ganapatya Cult, or the followers of Ganesha, believes that AUM or Pranava Mantra the symbol of Brahman is embodied in the form of Ganesha. It is believed that Ganesh is the first word or the first cause.
This is the reason why occasionally Ganesha is depicted in the form of symbol ‘AUM.’

Each deity in Hinduism has its own favourite flowers and leaves and they are used by Hindus during worship and while performing pukes on festivals. All festivals and rituals in Hindu religion begin with Ganesh Pooja. Red coloured flowers are the favourite of Lord Ganesha.Flowers and leaves used for Ganesh Puja.

Here is a list of flowers and leaves that are offered while praying to Lord Ganesha:

Red Flowers:

Any usual red colour flower used in Hindu rituals.
Durva Grass is an important offering to Ganesh. Especially in South India, you will find vendors selling garlands of Durva outside Ganesh Temples. It is known as arugam pul in Tamil, Dhub, Durva and Haritali in Hindi (North India). Bermuda or Bahama Grass is the English name.

Another important flower offered is the Milkweed flower. It is known as Arka in Hindi and Eruku or Erukkum Poo in South India. Jilledi is the name used in Eastern India.

How to perform Ganesh Chathurthi puja at home............................

Ganesh Chaturthi or Vinayaka Chaturthi is one of the most colourful and widely celebrated festivals in India. Large number of people observe Ganesha Chaturthi poojas at home. Here is an explanation on how to perform Ganesha puja at home as mentioned in Hindu scriptures.

Ganesha puja on the Chaturthi day is usually performed at noon but nowadays people perform it when all the family members are present.

Requirements for Ganesh Puja:-

• A Clay image of Lord Ganesha.

• Red flowers

• Druva Grass blades

• Modak (jaggery filled sweet)

• Coconut

• Red chandan (Sandalwood paste)

• Incense and agarbathis

• First clean the house and take a bath.

• A Clay image of Lord Ganesha is installed in a raised platform.

• Pray to Lord Ganesh and you can recite mantras or bhajans dedicated
to Lord Ganesha.

• Next step is to invoke Ganesha into the image. This is known as pran-prathishta. The Pran Prathista mantra in Sanskrit to be invoked is found in the Rig Veda and is part of Ganesh Suktha.

"ganananh tva ganapatim havamahe kavim kavinam - upamashravastamam |
jyeshhtharajam brahmanan.h brahmanaspata A nah shrivnvannutibhih sida sadanam || (Rig Veda 2.23.1)"

"ni shhu sida ganapate ganeshhu tvamahurvipratamam kavinam |
na rite tvat.h kriyate kinchanare mahamarkam maghavan.h chitramarcha || (Rig Veda 10.112.9)"

We invoke You, O Ganapati of the ganas (Lord Shiva attendants), Who are Brahmana-spati of the brahmas (prayers), the wisest among the wise, Who abound in treasure beyond all measure, the most brilliant one. Do listen to our prayers, come with Your blessings and assurances of protection into our home, and be seated. (Rig Veda 2.23.1)

Sit down among the worshippers, O Ganapati, the best sage among the sages. Without You nothing can be done here or far. Accept with honor, O wealthy One, our great and variegated hymns of praise. (Rig Veda 10.112.9)


•Now Ganesha is installed in the idol and one can perform arati and light the lamps and perform the shhodashopachara, which are 16 forms of paying tribute to Ganesha. (This ritual is usually performed by the priests.)

• Offer 21 blades of Druva Grass.

• Offer 21 modakas

• Offer red flowers

• Apply a tilak using red Sandalwood paste.

• Break the coconut or just keep it along with the idol. You can also
keep fried grains. (The food of the rat – the vehicle of Ganesha).

• You can also recite the 108 salutations dedicated to Lord Ganesha or
read the Ganesha Upanishad or just simply pray.

The number 21 signifies - the five organs of perception, five organs of action, five vital airs (pranas), five elements, and the mind.

While performing Ganesha Puja at home, you can always be flexible. The strict rituals are meant for Vedic priests. All you need be careful is to perform the pujas clean body and clean mind.

Pomegranate leaves and flowers are also offered in many places.

Another important flower and leaf offered is the Sanku Pushpam or Conch flower.

Leaves and flowers of Screw Pine are also offered. It is known as Ketaki or Kedgi in Hindi and Kaita in South India.
There are also other local flowers and leaves that are used like the Naga leaves.

Tulsi leaves and flowers are not generally used in Ganesh Puja. But it is used during Vinayaka Chaturthi or Ganesh Puja.

Its also extremely good to chant the Ganapathi Seersha Upanishad verses during Ganesh Chathurthi puja and reproduced below for the benefit of the beloved readers......................


[Ganapathi Atharva Seersha is a part of Atharvana Veda. It is classified as an Upanishad and not as a chant. But this is considered universally as the greatest and most effective prayer addressed to Lord Sri. Ganesha.

This is also called Gana Upanishad or Ganapthi Seersha Upanishad,]



OM Namasthe Ganapathaye Thwameva prathyaksham thathwamasi

Thwameva kevalam karthasi.

Thwameva kevalam Dharthasi

Thwameva Kevalam Harthasi

Thwameva sarvam khalvidam brahmasi,

Thwam sakshath athmasi nithyam

Hritham Vachmi. Sathyam Vachmi

Sathyam Vachmi. . Ava vaktharam.

Ava srotharam. Ava datharam.

Ava dhatharam, Ava noochana mava sishyam.

Ava paschathath Ava purasthath

Ava utharotharath . Ava dakshinathath.

Ava chordhwathath. Ava adharathath.

SArvatho maam pahi, pahi samanthath.

Sarva Jagad idham thwatho jaayathe.

Sarva Jagad idham thwatha sthishtathi.

Sarva Jagad idham thwayee laya meshyathi.

Sarva jagad idham thwayee prathyethi,

Thwam bhoomir aapo analo anilo nabha.

Thwam chathwari vak padhani

Thwam gunathrayatheetha,

Thwam avastha thrayatheetha,

Thwam deha thrayatheetha,

Thwam kala thrayatheetha,

Thwam moola dhara sthitho aasi nithyam,

Thwam shakthi thrayathmaka,

Thwam yogino dhyayathi nithyam,

Thwam brahma thwam vishnu

thwam, Rudhra thwam, indra

thwam, agnis- thwam, Vayu

thwam soorya thwam chandrama

thwam, Brahma bhoorbhuva swarom

Aum Aum Aum

The Power of Devotion....................................

The Power Of Devotion............Can be known and learned only from Guru.

It takes great dedication, devotion and bhakti to disentangle awareness from that which it is aware of, to flow into and become aware of expanded areas of mind. The rewards are great. We are able to look over and through our expanded vision the totality of the exterior area of our mind and intuitively know the answer to the experiences that we are going only through the divine Grace of Guru.

This may seem difficult to comprehend, but it is really the truth. When awareness is burdened in the exterior area of the mind, we simply release awareness from that area of the mind that it is aware of. Release the burden,but not by taking on more burdens or trying to find out the whys and wherefores of it all. In other words, we alleviate the pressures that awareness and our nerve system feel because of being involved in the exterior area of the mind and thus become devoted to our own super consciousness. The power of devotion, love, bhakti, melts the odic-magnetic force fields, releasing awareness to soar into super consciousness, the mind of light. And then we can focus, super consciously, from our intuitive state of mind and look at the exterior world from a new perspective,from right within the very core of life itself. It does not take long. It does take one quality though--devotion--found in the yoga called bhakti, showered on us by Guruji with
our efforts, respect and reverence to Guru.

What is devotion? Devotion involves going deep enough to understand the great principle of the fulfilment of one's duty. Who must be devoted to whom? Members of a family to their temple, a wife to her husband, a husband to his religion, children to their parents, the student to the teacher, the disciple/devotee to the guru. No matter what you are studying--mathematics, chemistry, philosophy, cybernetics, sociology, religion, a lifestyle,the professor should represent what you are going to be. That is why you are studying with Guruji. Only through devotion will you be totally aware, open, free, inspired. Only through devotion will you become what you aspire to unfold within yourself........with the guidance and Grace of Guruji.

Changing your circumstances.................................

Changing your circumstances..........By directing the thoughts towards right
direction.


You change your own circumstances all the time, whether you know it or not.
Even your mind is different today than it was a week ago. The various
experiences you have brought to yourself have made it that way. The point to
realize is that you can gain an intricate control of the various things that
change in and about you. Lean the thoughts and feelings of your creation in
the right direction, and discover how quickly your circumstances will change
their direction. This is the secret of self-control. This is the practice of
yoga. Try it, and lose the habit of concern, for concern is only a
by-product of a part of the mind being out of control.

What does the world offer us but an opportunity for action? It is the
reaction that we sometimes get surprised by. The circumstances of your life
are either pushing you toward greater understanding, if you are aspiring to
realize the real Self, or they are pushing you toward confusion, if you have
a tendency to react animalistically, making the personal self predominant.
When personal concerns become the most important things in life, you are
bound to suffer under the emotion of resentment, and resentment is just a
confused state of mind.

The unfortunate thing is, resentment tends to attract even more
circumstances worthy of even more resentment. So don't bother to resent,
because you are only making yourself inferior to the person or the
circumstance that you hold resentment for. That is right. Resentment, in all
its heaviness, places your consciousness beneath that of the person you feel
is imposing on you.

Be equal to whatever you meet! That is a better way to react to life. It is
accomplished simply by meeting everything in understanding, by demanding
understanding from within yourself. And if you feel that everything
happening to you is a play of universal love and you are able to maintain
that consciousness of universal love in yourself, then you are beyond the
happenings of the world. Lifted in consciousness, you can see through and
enjoy all the states of consciousness. The circumstances of your life will
reflect this change.

Watch for those small incidents that imperceptively get under your skin and
create an eruption a few days later. Little things that do not contribute
creatively to your life are an indication that there is some kind of
subconscious disturbance that you have not resolved. Look your nature right
in the face in meditation, without squirming, and you will discover what the
little disturbances are, some issue over which you are rationalizing, a
small resentment or worry that is keeping a part of your mind confused, and
thus necessarily, most of your circumstances confused.

The Art of Harmony.....................................

The Art of Harmony...............How do you get it?

By Verbena

Some people find harmony by striding down a crowded, bustling urban street, hammering out a deal on their Blackberry. For others harmony is found in silence, space, big trees and solitude. Harmony happens most easily when you're living the life you want. You're doing what floats your boat, and life just feels right.

Unlike harmony in music, math or physics, each person's experience of life harmony is unique. But because we live in a world of contrast and change, any sense of harmony that depends on outer circumstances is bound to be jostled and knocked out of alignment - sometimes frequently.

Out of harmony.

Challenges in health, love, money or work are hard to avoid, and some are easier to restore to harmony than others. But what can really mess with your mind is impending change - especially change that seems to be out of your hands, when events appear to be moving you away from what you want. Sometimes they seem to keep going in the wrong direction no matter how hard you struggle.Or you could be experiencing the kind of soul-deep restlessness and incompleteness that usually indicates it's time for you to make a change, no matter how much you hate the thought. For some, though, even getting close to a sense of harmony seems impossible. If you've grown up in challenging circumstances, or recently been hammered by difficulties- or if your experience tells you that life just isn't on your side, and that there's nothing you can do to change it - harmony seems to exist in another universe entirely.

Find and keep it.

To put it simply, maintaining harmony is about finding your centre. This is easiest to define in martial arts terms. The martial arts teach that your centre is an actual place in your body which, when you focus there, allows you to move immediately in any direction with speed, balance and strength.
You can find the same kind of centre in your mind, emotions and spirit if you cultivate an attitude of mind and heart that allows you to respond in the moment to any situation with calm and optimism. Once you know how to get to that place and stay there, harmony is yours.

History.

For at least as long as there's been written language, philosophers in every culture have recorded their thoughts about how to maintain harmony, and they pretty much agree that it's all about a positive attitude. No matter how it is achieved - meditation, non-attachment, faith, trust, or self-confidence - a positive attitude is at the core of a harmonious existence.

Of course, self-confidence is a powerful basis for your positive attitude. If you believe in your heart and soul that you can cope with anything, then many of life's fears won't get you down. But self-confidence isn't enough to keep you in a state of harmony by itself. You can have full faith in your ability to cope with anything and still be desperately unhappy. So what's the missing ingredient?

Staying power.

If you have a spiritual practice that sustains and nourishes you, or if your friends, family, or spiritual community is very supportive of you - or if you believe in a higher power that always works toward well being - then you have found one of the two best paths to harmony.

But very often a person's spiritual practice leads them to an even more powerful path, grounding them in a spiritual reality that can sustain or restore harmony like magic. It seems like the opposite of self-confidence - and yet, amazingly, it confers a deeper and more permanent level of confidence, one that is rooted in a sense of being one with the Divine. It is something that is activated by your open, optimistic participation in life.

Buddhists define this state as one of non-attachment. It means you're willing to let go of control, to accept the situation when challenges and changes crop up. Experience or faith (or both) have taught you that it's a good idea to go along for the ride - first, because it's more restful than struggling, but also (and even more importantly) because very often your higher power is creating something far better than you could have imagined on your own. You just need to stay centred, and alert to the possibilities along the way.

When you're able to take what comes - to go through life with your head up, your eyes open and a delighted interest in everything that occurs, because you just know that the future is a gift waiting to for you to unwrap it - then harmony will become your natural state.

Is sufferring necessary?.................................

Is suffering necessary?.............................

By PARAMAHAMSA NITHYANANDA

ONE of the most deeply hidden reasons for suffering is that you may be enjoying it. For example, falling ill can become a source of pleasure if it gets you the attention and care you have been craving. In the same way as a seed has to rupture before a plant can grow and blossom, intense suffering can rupture your ego and leave you open and vulnerable to transformation. In Mahabharata, there is a beautiful quote by Kunti, the mother of the Pandavas. She prays to Krishna, the enlightened master,

‘Oh Krishna! Let pain and suffering come from all sides in my life. They will constantly remind me about You, my Lord.’

Suffering has tremendous potential to integrate and transform us. Start to witness your experiences without judgement. See with clarity where you are suffering at the gross and subtle levels. If you are just aware, the suffering itself can open your eyes to the unreality of suffering. It can teach you how unnecessary it is to suffer at all. This is what I call ‘necessary suffering’! Once you learn your lesson through necessary suffering, you will handle suffering in a more mature and beautiful way.

One important thing we need to understand is that while pain might be inevitable, the suffering that comes from the pain is not. For example, if you get hurt, there is definitely pain, but how much you choose to suffer from that pain is really your choice.

A small story:

Once a man was seriously injured with multiple fractures and injuries. His friend came to visit him at the hospital. He saw the state of his injured friend and didn’t know what to say. So he asked his friend, ‘How are you feeling my friend? I guess it must be painful with all those injuries. Do you suffer a lot?’ The man replied, ‘Not much — only when I laugh.’

It is a question of attitude! Pain is inevitable, but suffering is your choice. Suffering is not a state of life. It is a state of mind. It is not an event in your life. It is your response to an event. Never curse the pain or the person, inflicting the pain on you. Instead, take the opportunity to use it as a blessing, watch objectively, and cut the root of the pain.

Pain can be a great teacher if you allow it to be. If you properly research the cause and effect of pain within you, it can turn out to be the biggest turning point in your life. The Master Bodhidharma says, ‘Every suffering is a Buddha-seed.’ Suffering can propel you to become a Buddha. He says, feel grateful to suffering and pain because they create the situation for you to search for the truth. Be Blissful!

Life Book..................................................

LIFE BOOK ...........................................

Health..............................................

1. Drink plenty of water.

2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.

3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants, and eat less food that
is manufactured in plants (factory).

4. Live with the 3 E's - Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.

5. Make time for regular prayer.

6. Play more games.

7. Read more books than you did before.

8. Sit in silence for at least 30 minutes each day.

9. Sleep for 7 hours.

10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk every day and while you walk, SMILE !!

Personality........................................

11. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

12. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead
invest your energy in the positive present moment.

13. Don't over do ; keep your limits.

14. Don't take yourself too seriously ; no one else does.

15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.

16. Dream more while you are awake.

17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with his/her
mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.

19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.

20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.

21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are
simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra
class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

23. Smile and Laugh more.

24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

Community..........................................

25.. Call your family often.

26. Each day give something good to others.

27. Forgive everyone for everything.

28. Spend some time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.

29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

30. What other people think of you is none of your business.

31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your family and
friends will. Stay in touch.

Life................................................

32. Do the right things.

33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful.

34. GOD heals everything.

35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up !

37. The best is yet to come.

38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.

39. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be HAPPY !!!!!!!

Last but not the least.........................

40. Do forward this to everyone you care about.

The Power of Marketing Skills..............................

Power of Marketing Skills................................Good One !!!

The top marketing director of Nescafe manages to arrange a meeting with the Pope at the Vatican.

After receiving the papal blessing, the Nescafe official whispers, 'Your Eminence, I have some business to discuss. We at Nescafe have an offer for you. Nescafe is prepared to donate $100 million to the church . if you change the Lord's Prayer from 'Give us this day our daily bread' to 'Give us this day our daily coffee'."

The Pope looks outraged and thunders, "That is impossible. The Prayer is the word of the Lord, It must not be changed." Well," says the Nescafe man somewhat chastened, "We anticipated your reluctance. For this reason, and the importance of the Lord's prayer to all catholics, we will increase our offer to $300 million. All we require is that you change the Lord's Prayer from 'Give us this day our daily bread' to Give us this day our daily coffee'."

Again, even more sternly, the Pope replies, "That, my son, is impossible. For the prayer is the word of the Lord and it must not be changed."

Finally, the Nescafe director says, "Your Holiness, we at Nescafe respect your adherence to your faith, we realise that tradition is essential to your beliefs, we fully understand the importance of the word of the Lord ............ ....but we do have one final offer. Please discuss it with your cardinals. We will donate $500 million to the great Catholic church if you would only change the Lord's Prayer from 'Give us this day our daily bread' to 'Give us this day our daily coffee'. Please, please consider it." And he leaves. The next day the Pope convenes the College of Cardinals. "There is some Good news," he announces, "and some bad news ..... The good news is, he continues to a hushed assembly, ' that the Church will get $ 500 million."

"And what is the bad news, your Holiness?" asks a Cardinal.

"Sadly" says the Pope ,
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We would have to lose the Britannia Account..... ......... ......... .....

What is Dharma (Righteousness....................

WHAT IS DHARMA?.....................Rightousness.

It is difficult to describe the word DHARMA satisfactorily as it is an expansive and intricate subject. “Dharma is like a price less jewel with numberless facets of brilliance of knowledge”.

Dharma has several meanings........................

THAT WHICH BEHOLDS THE UNIVERSE IS DHARMA.

It means.... NATURAL LAWS (prakriti Dharma),

Justice (NYAYA DHARMA),

NATURAL CHARACTERISTICS (swabhaava Dharma),

Different species (JAATI DHARMA),

SOCIAL CONDUCT (samaja Dharma ),

RELIGIOUS CONDUCT (shroutha Dharma),

Vedic VARNAASHRAMA DHARMA,

PAARAMAARTHIKA DHARMA,

AACHAARA DHARMA,

NEETI DHARMA,

PRAVRITTHI DHARMA,

NIVRITTHI DHARMA ETC.,



That which is the cause of prosperity and salvation is Dharma.

Laws of nature which beholds all creations is called Dharma.

Dharma bestows perennial happiness and Adharma produces sorrow and misery.

That which is eternal is Dharma. Only God is eternal.


Some quotations from great personalities..............................



“That which takes us from the world to Liberation is Dharma.”

Vinoba Bhave.

“That which makes you forget yourself is Dharma”

Masti Venkatesha Iyengar.

“If you protect Dharma, it protects you.”

Bhaasa.

“Darma is in action, not in blind belief.”

Dr.S. Radhakrishnan.

“Good of every one is Dharma”

William Shankaracharya.

“Dharma is self sustaining “

Madhvaachaarya.

“Service for others is Dharma”

Swami Vivekananda

“Whoever feels sorry for others’ misery and feels happy with others is a Dharmatma”

Srimath Bhagavatha.

“Truth, non stealing, conquering anger, feeling sorry for mistakes committed, cleanliness, firm mind, discrimination between good and bad, absence of hautiness, control of senses and good education are the essential parts of Dharma”-

Yajnavalkya.

Teachings from Upanishads...............................

Collection of Teachings from various Upanishads........................


No one can understand the sound of a drum without understanding both the drum and the drummer.

Let one therefore keep the mind pure for what a man thinks, that he becomes.

The only way to know it is to become it.

Self-knowledge is the best of all forms of knowledge; through it, one attains immortality.

Know yourself, so what you’ve done won’t burn you. Nor will what you’ve left undone.

As is the human body, so the cosmic body; as is the human mind, so the cosmic mind; as is the atom, so the Universe.

The spirit down here in man and the spirit up there in the sun, in reality are only one spirit, and there is no other one.

Out of abundance he took abundance and still abundance remained.

In a world where everything changes the divine is everywhere present.


What do the Upanishads teach us?............................ Edmond Holmes


The authors of the Upanishads did not all think alike; but, taking their meditations as a whole, we may say that they are dominated by one paramount conception’ that of the ideal of oneness of the soul of man with the soul of the universe.

The Sanskrit word for the soul of man is Atman and the word for the soul of the universe is Brahman.


‘God’s dwelling place’ ‘is the heart of man. The inner immortal self and the great cosmic power are one and the same.’


Brahman is the Atman, and the Atman is the Brahman. The one supreme power through which all things have been brought into being is one with the inmost self in each man’s heart.’


What is real in each of us is his self or soul. What is real in universe is its self or soul, in virtue of which its All is One, and the name for which in our language is God.

In other words of one of the Upanishads: ‘He who is the Brahman in man and who is that in the sun, these are one.’

The :Power of Love turns a.......................................

The Power of Love.............................Turns a frown into smile.

LOVE is more than a four letter word
it packs more power than any we've heard.

LOVE can turn a frown into a smile
make our day more worthwhile.

LOVE never fails, love never tires
Makes more heat than many fires.

LOVE makes us tingle and walk on air
helps us do things we wouldn't dare.

LOVE is a dream, a sweet fantasy
but it is also life and reality.

LOVE can fly us up so high
drop us low when it says goodbye.

LOVE is a strange mysterious force
but one we want to keep of course.

LOVE we don't want to live without
when it's absent, we will pout.

LOVE can go and new love return
better than before you will learn.

LOVE that is perfect and is right
may come along any day or night.

Yes LOVE is more than a four letter word
it's the most wonderful word you have heard.

LOVE is more than a four letter word

A Banana a day Keeps doctor Away.......................

A Banana A Day keeps Doctor Away...................................

This is interesting.

After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in the same way again .

Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.

Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.

But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit.

It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression:

According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS:

Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.


Anemia:

High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure:

This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power:

200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation:

High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers:

One of th