I want to share a a fascinating article I came across that sheds light on the actual machinations of the mind that cause a desire complex and the way we can overcome it. In the following article (url given below), taken from a public talk given by Andrew Cohen at the Harvard Divinity School in late October 1997, he articulates the relationship between our most fundamental desire to have and possess for ourselves, the compelling excitement these desires elicit in us, and the enormous potential for suffering and confusion they engender:
http://www.wie.org/j13/promise.asp
Baba speaks about it in the example he so often gives: "I want peace." : "I" is ego. "Want" is desire. Remove ego and desire and you have peace.
Om Asatoma Sadhgamaya
Tamasoma Jyotirgamaya
Mrityoma Amritamgamaya
On Shanti Shanti Shantihi
A wish in time...!
Think before you wish….!
“Padichu valiya manushyanayi nalla udyogathinu pokanam “ these words often made the blessings that we got whenwe prostrated before our elders while we were young. Sometimes “ Dheerghayushman bhavah “ also tagged along.
They must have blessed really sincerely that most ofthe time they came true. Thanks to the diligence ofour parents coupled with efforts of our own, most ofus got good education, nice jobs and could afford afairly decent lifestyles today. And the `tag-along’made sure that we lived our entire life that way.Most of our parents were in Govt. service / Banks /Private Sector.
They even carved a part identity fromtheir jobs. Get a load of this….“ Sooprendu Mahadevan“, “Clerk Subramonia iyer “ etc. Those who were inprivate sector took a piece of the brand itself - “Glaxo Krishnamoorthy”, “Stanes Ramakrishna Iyer”, “Caltex Hariharan “, “LIC Mani iyer” etc. We were so happy and content with reflected glory. What if Krishnamoorthy owned 51% of Glaxo, Ramakrishna Iyer owned majority stake in Stanes, Hariharan a major shareholder CALTEX.
The thoughtitself might have been so far fetched. Not now though.
Lakshmi Mittal owns world’s biggeststeel company.It just occurred to me – why not we change this wishto something like “ Valya Muthalaali aakanam “ / “valya Inventor aakanam “ / “ Valya Leader Aakanam “ instead of “Udyogathinu pokanam “ – well, theoutcome would be far more fulfilling if it does cometrue. Add the tag “Dheerghayushman Bhavah” to a goodmeasure so that you get to keep it that way.
The blessed kid will not have to be “yours obediently”all his life ( Udyogam )…. Chances are that he’ll give you a seat in his company’s Board some day …!
“Padichu valiya manushyanayi nalla udyogathinu pokanam “ these words often made the blessings that we got whenwe prostrated before our elders while we were young. Sometimes “ Dheerghayushman bhavah “ also tagged along.
They must have blessed really sincerely that most ofthe time they came true. Thanks to the diligence ofour parents coupled with efforts of our own, most ofus got good education, nice jobs and could afford afairly decent lifestyles today. And the `tag-along’made sure that we lived our entire life that way.Most of our parents were in Govt. service / Banks /Private Sector.
They even carved a part identity fromtheir jobs. Get a load of this….“ Sooprendu Mahadevan“, “Clerk Subramonia iyer “ etc. Those who were inprivate sector took a piece of the brand itself - “Glaxo Krishnamoorthy”, “Stanes Ramakrishna Iyer”, “Caltex Hariharan “, “LIC Mani iyer” etc. We were so happy and content with reflected glory. What if Krishnamoorthy owned 51% of Glaxo, Ramakrishna Iyer owned majority stake in Stanes, Hariharan a major shareholder CALTEX.
The thoughtitself might have been so far fetched. Not now though.
Lakshmi Mittal owns world’s biggeststeel company.It just occurred to me – why not we change this wishto something like “ Valya Muthalaali aakanam “ / “valya Inventor aakanam “ / “ Valya Leader Aakanam “ instead of “Udyogathinu pokanam “ – well, theoutcome would be far more fulfilling if it does cometrue. Add the tag “Dheerghayushman Bhavah” to a goodmeasure so that you get to keep it that way.
The blessed kid will not have to be “yours obediently”all his life ( Udyogam )…. Chances are that he’ll give you a seat in his company’s Board some day …!
Sri Rudram
Here is a website and an article on Rudram sent by a friend few years back.this is the best website, where u can listen to rudramand other related mantras online.
http://www.telugufm.com/modules/music/moviedetail.aspx?mid=10261
GLORY OF RUDRAM
Rudram is treated as the celebrated portion ofYajurveda with the sacred Sivapanchakshari mantram(Namasivaya) enshrined within it. It has got twoportions called Namakkam and Chamakkam each containingeleven chapters or Anuvakams. Most of the chapters inthe first portion end with the letter namaha or namonamaha while the ending letter of the second portionis “cha me”It is firmly believed that every deity ispleased with Rudra japam, also that by chanting itwhatever be the genuine prayers of one the same willbe granted. Rudra japa is spoken of as a greatpurifier and the most effective expiation (pariharam)for even the worst sins.
In summary Rudra japam is thebest sadhana for attaining both material and spiritualbenefits from Almighty.Method of Rudra japam:Rupam: Chanting Namakkam once followed by chantingChamakkam is called Rupam.
Rudra Ekadasini: First the eleven Anuvakas ofNamakkam, followed by the first Anuvakam of Chamakkamare chanted. Next again the eleven Anuvakams ofNamakkam with second Anuvakam of Chamakkam will bechanted. Like this for 11 full chantings of Namakkamone full chanting of Chamakkam is completed. This iscalled Rudra ekadasini.
Laghu Rudram & Maharudram: If in the above methodeleven Rudra ekadasinis are repeated it is calledLaghu rudram. Eleven Laghu rudrams is one Maharudram.Athirudram: Athirudram the biggest of all Rudra japamis eleven times of Maharudram. i.e. in theAthirudrabhiskekam going to be conducted now,ultimately 14641 times Namakkam and 1331 chamakkamswill be chanted totally along with abhishekam.Moreover on the last day in the final Rudra homamagain 10% of this i.e. 1465 Namakkam and 134 timesChamakkam will be chanted and in this way the wholeyagna is going to be a real great performance.Sadguru Sainath, the very incarnation of mercy Himselfhas arranged this Athirudrabhishekam, the panacea foreach and every trouble of devotees. After goingthrough the details, they have to choose theparticular categories of participation in the yagna ,giving particulars of their name, address and gothrametc. and can register with Dattaguru Bhandara Trust atits Hyderabad Address. On the starting day of the Rudrabhishekam sankalpam will be got performed by themif physically they are available. Even for devotees who can’t present themselves sankalpam will be donefor them by a vedic pandit specially appointed for thepurpose.
On Mahashivarathri day i.e. 18-02-2004, onlydevotees who registered for the Rudrabhishekam will beallowed to do abhishekam with their own hands for onefull Namakkam and one anuvakam of Chamakkam. For allregistered devotees prasad will be distributed/postedafter the conclusion of the programme.For the entire yagna Baba is the only organizer andDattaguru Bhandara Trust is His humble, privileged,physical representative only. On His behalf it makesits humble request to every devotee to nicely exploitthis highly rare opportunity and be blessed by LordSaishiva with every auspiciousness.
http://www.telugufm.com/modules/music/moviedetail.aspx?mid=10261
GLORY OF RUDRAM
Rudram is treated as the celebrated portion ofYajurveda with the sacred Sivapanchakshari mantram(Namasivaya) enshrined within it. It has got twoportions called Namakkam and Chamakkam each containingeleven chapters or Anuvakams. Most of the chapters inthe first portion end with the letter namaha or namonamaha while the ending letter of the second portionis “cha me”It is firmly believed that every deity ispleased with Rudra japam, also that by chanting itwhatever be the genuine prayers of one the same willbe granted. Rudra japa is spoken of as a greatpurifier and the most effective expiation (pariharam)for even the worst sins.
In summary Rudra japam is thebest sadhana for attaining both material and spiritualbenefits from Almighty.Method of Rudra japam:Rupam: Chanting Namakkam once followed by chantingChamakkam is called Rupam.
Rudra Ekadasini: First the eleven Anuvakas ofNamakkam, followed by the first Anuvakam of Chamakkamare chanted. Next again the eleven Anuvakams ofNamakkam with second Anuvakam of Chamakkam will bechanted. Like this for 11 full chantings of Namakkamone full chanting of Chamakkam is completed. This iscalled Rudra ekadasini.
Laghu Rudram & Maharudram: If in the above methodeleven Rudra ekadasinis are repeated it is calledLaghu rudram. Eleven Laghu rudrams is one Maharudram.Athirudram: Athirudram the biggest of all Rudra japamis eleven times of Maharudram. i.e. in theAthirudrabhiskekam going to be conducted now,ultimately 14641 times Namakkam and 1331 chamakkamswill be chanted totally along with abhishekam.Moreover on the last day in the final Rudra homamagain 10% of this i.e. 1465 Namakkam and 134 timesChamakkam will be chanted and in this way the wholeyagna is going to be a real great performance.Sadguru Sainath, the very incarnation of mercy Himselfhas arranged this Athirudrabhishekam, the panacea foreach and every trouble of devotees. After goingthrough the details, they have to choose theparticular categories of participation in the yagna ,giving particulars of their name, address and gothrametc. and can register with Dattaguru Bhandara Trust atits Hyderabad Address. On the starting day of the Rudrabhishekam sankalpam will be got performed by themif physically they are available. Even for devotees who can’t present themselves sankalpam will be donefor them by a vedic pandit specially appointed for thepurpose.
On Mahashivarathri day i.e. 18-02-2004, onlydevotees who registered for the Rudrabhishekam will beallowed to do abhishekam with their own hands for onefull Namakkam and one anuvakam of Chamakkam. For allregistered devotees prasad will be distributed/postedafter the conclusion of the programme.For the entire yagna Baba is the only organizer andDattaguru Bhandara Trust is His humble, privileged,physical representative only. On His behalf it makesits humble request to every devotee to nicely exploitthis highly rare opportunity and be blessed by LordSaishiva with every auspiciousness.
Return of the dotcom warriors...!
Remember the euphoria over internet startups gobbling up billions of Venture Capital $$ vanishing without a
trace, circa 1999 - 2000...?
Well...the dotcoms which went bust then are slowly making a comeback in the Valley, ( with or without refurbishments ) thanks to the mad race for acquisiton of these content companies between Google and Yahoo!
Just in case any of our members have a failed dotcom, it's time to dust it all up and get it back on rails.
VCs are on prowl coming out of the woodwork. And if they don't find you, chances are that Google or Yahoo will...!
For details and VC trends, please visit www.sequellventures.blogspot.com and read the article titled "Condemned to repeat...?"
trace, circa 1999 - 2000...?
Well...the dotcoms which went bust then are slowly making a comeback in the Valley, ( with or without refurbishments ) thanks to the mad race for acquisiton of these content companies between Google and Yahoo!
Just in case any of our members have a failed dotcom, it's time to dust it all up and get it back on rails.
VCs are on prowl coming out of the woodwork. And if they don't find you, chances are that Google or Yahoo will...!
For details and VC trends, please visit www.sequellventures
A story for a Single Word called.. No read on..
*Read the following Story and One Word that can Explain the Whole Story...*
The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long building his house and laying up supplies for the winter.
The grasshopper thinks the ant's a fool and laughs & dances & plays the summer away.
Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed. The grasshopper has no food or shelter so he dies out in the cold.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MODERN VERSION...
The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter.
The grasshopper thinks the ant's a fool and laughs & dances & plays the summer away.
Come winter, the shivering grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while others are cold and starving.
BBC, CNN, EURO-NEWS, NDTV, FOX NEWS show up to provide pictures of the shivering grasshopper next to a video of the ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food.
The World is stunned by the sharp contrast. How can this be that this poor grasshopper is allowed to suffer so?
Arundhati Roy stages a demonstration in front of the ant's house.
Amnesty International and Koffi Annan criticizes the Government for not upholding the fundamental rights of the grasshopper.
The Internet is flooded with online petitions seeking support to the grasshopper.
Opposition MP's stage a walkout.
Left parties call for "Bharat Bandh" in West Bengal and Kerala demanding a Judicial Enquiry.
Finally, the Judicial Committee drafts the Prevention of Terrorism Against Grasshoppers Act [POTAGA]", with effect from the beginning of the winter.
The ant is fined for failing to comply with POTAGA and, having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes, his home is confiscated by the Bush Government and handed over to the grasshopper in a ceremony covered by BBC,CNN, AAJ TAK and NDTV.
Arundhati Roy calls it "a triumph of justice".
Koffi Annan invites the grasshopper to address the UN General Assembly... *
**
Got The Answer...???* *
YES... You Got It Right...* *
Some call it **RESERVATION** n Some call it **QUOTA!*
The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long building his house and laying up supplies for the winter.
The grasshopper thinks the ant's a fool and laughs & dances & plays the summer away.
Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed. The grasshopper has no food or shelter so he dies out in the cold.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MODERN VERSION...
The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter.
The grasshopper thinks the ant's a fool and laughs & dances & plays the summer away.
Come winter, the shivering grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while others are cold and starving.
BBC, CNN, EURO-NEWS, NDTV, FOX NEWS show up to provide pictures of the shivering grasshopper next to a video of the ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food.
The World is stunned by the sharp contrast. How can this be that this poor grasshopper is allowed to suffer so?
Arundhati Roy stages a demonstration in front of the ant's house.
Amnesty International and Koffi Annan criticizes the Government for not upholding the fundamental rights of the grasshopper.
The Internet is flooded with online petitions seeking support to the grasshopper.
Opposition MP's stage a walkout.
Left parties call for "Bharat Bandh" in West Bengal and Kerala demanding a Judicial Enquiry.
Finally, the Judicial Committee drafts the Prevention of Terrorism Against Grasshoppers Act [POTAGA]", with effect from the beginning of the winter.
The ant is fined for failing to comply with POTAGA and, having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes, his home is confiscated by the Bush Government and handed over to the grasshopper in a ceremony covered by BBC,CNN, AAJ TAK and NDTV.
Arundhati Roy calls it "a triumph of justice".
Koffi Annan invites the grasshopper to address the UN General Assembly... *
**
Got The Answer...???* *
YES... You Got It Right...* *
Some call it **RESERVATION** n Some call it **QUOTA!*
Then And Now....
This is a wonderful article I cam across recently and thought I should share with you all who understands all about it!!!Read on, Enjoy.
- Sibi
To the wonderful kids who were born in India and survived the 40's,50's, 60's and 70's.First, we survived being born to mothers, some, whose husbands smoked and/or drank while they carried us. They took aspirin, ate whatever food was put on the table, and didn't get tested for diabetes. They were mothers who did not check their blood pressure every few minutes.Then after that trauma, our baby cribs and bassinets were covered with bright coloured lead-based paints. We were put in prams and sent out with ayahs (maids) to meet other children with ayahs, whilst our parents were busy. We cried, were picked up and cuddled by the ayahs" (maids) and were quiet again.
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets, and when we rode our bikes we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking or going out on our own. As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or airbags. We sat on each other's laps for God's sake.Riding in the back of a station wagon on a warm day was always a special treat. We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle. We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this. We would share a dosa, dip a chapatti into someone else's plate of curry without batting an eyelid. We ate jam sandwiches or pickle on bread and butter, raw mangoes with salt that set our teeth on edge, and drank orange squash with sugar and water in it.We ate at roadside stalls, drank water from tender coconuts, ate everything that was bad for us from mumfalees to Bhel Puri to bhajias and samosas, but we weren't overweight because WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING! There was never a child - not one single child -who wasobese!
We would leave home in the morning and play all day during the holidays, we were never ever bored, and we were allowed freedom all day as long as we were back when the streetlights came on, or when our parents told us to do so. No one was able to reach us all day bymobile phone or phone. And we were O.K. We would spend hours making paper kites, building things out of scraps with old pram wheels or cycle rims, inventing our own games, playing traditional games called hide and seek, kick the can and rounders, ride old cycles and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes.
After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.We swam with an inflated tube which we got from somebody who was replacing their car tyres. We ran barefoot without thinking about it, if we got cut we used iodine on it which made us jump. We did not wash our hands ten times a day. And we were OK. Our parents trusted us to go on picnics with everyone and anyone, a friend of a friend would be OK and we survived.We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, no video tape movies, no surround sound, no mobile phones, no personal computers, no I-Pods, no internet or internet chat rooms, no TV, full stop.We did not have parents who said things like "what would you like for breakfast, lunch or dinner".
We ate what was put in front of us and best of all, there was never any leftovers. We polished the lot. WE HAD FRIENDS, great friends, whose parents we called Uncle and Aunty, andwe went outside and found them!We fell out of trees numerous times, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no compensation claims from these accidents. We ate fruit lying on the ground that we shook down from the tree above. And we never washed fruit. We had a bath using a bucket and mug and used Lifebuoy soap. We did not know what conditioners meant.
We made up games with sticks and tennis balls. We rode cycles everywhere and someone sat on the carrier or across the bar to school or the pictures not cinema, or you walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them!Not everyone made it into the teams we wanted to. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!! The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!This generation of ours has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever!
The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!Please pass this on to others who have had the luck and good fortune to grow up as kids in India, before the lawyers and the government regulated our lives ostensibly for our own good, who changed what was good into bad and what was bad into worse.Those were the days my friend !!
- Sibi
To the wonderful kids who were born in India and survived the 40's,50's, 60's and 70's.First, we survived being born to mothers, some, whose husbands smoked and/or drank while they carried us. They took aspirin, ate whatever food was put on the table, and didn't get tested for diabetes. They were mothers who did not check their blood pressure every few minutes.Then after that trauma, our baby cribs and bassinets were covered with bright coloured lead-based paints. We were put in prams and sent out with ayahs (maids) to meet other children with ayahs, whilst our parents were busy. We cried, were picked up and cuddled by the ayahs" (maids) and were quiet again.
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets, and when we rode our bikes we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking or going out on our own. As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or airbags. We sat on each other's laps for God's sake.Riding in the back of a station wagon on a warm day was always a special treat. We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle. We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this. We would share a dosa, dip a chapatti into someone else's plate of curry without batting an eyelid. We ate jam sandwiches or pickle on bread and butter, raw mangoes with salt that set our teeth on edge, and drank orange squash with sugar and water in it.We ate at roadside stalls, drank water from tender coconuts, ate everything that was bad for us from mumfalees to Bhel Puri to bhajias and samosas, but we weren't overweight because WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING! There was never a child - not one single child -who wasobese!
We would leave home in the morning and play all day during the holidays, we were never ever bored, and we were allowed freedom all day as long as we were back when the streetlights came on, or when our parents told us to do so. No one was able to reach us all day bymobile phone or phone. And we were O.K. We would spend hours making paper kites, building things out of scraps with old pram wheels or cycle rims, inventing our own games, playing traditional games called hide and seek, kick the can and rounders, ride old cycles and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes.
After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.We swam with an inflated tube which we got from somebody who was replacing their car tyres. We ran barefoot without thinking about it, if we got cut we used iodine on it which made us jump. We did not wash our hands ten times a day. And we were OK. Our parents trusted us to go on picnics with everyone and anyone, a friend of a friend would be OK and we survived.We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, no video tape movies, no surround sound, no mobile phones, no personal computers, no I-Pods, no internet or internet chat rooms, no TV, full stop.We did not have parents who said things like "what would you like for breakfast, lunch or dinner".
We ate what was put in front of us and best of all, there was never any leftovers. We polished the lot. WE HAD FRIENDS, great friends, whose parents we called Uncle and Aunty, andwe went outside and found them!We fell out of trees numerous times, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no compensation claims from these accidents. We ate fruit lying on the ground that we shook down from the tree above. And we never washed fruit. We had a bath using a bucket and mug and used Lifebuoy soap. We did not know what conditioners meant.
We made up games with sticks and tennis balls. We rode cycles everywhere and someone sat on the carrier or across the bar to school or the pictures not cinema, or you walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them!Not everyone made it into the teams we wanted to. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!! The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!This generation of ours has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever!
The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!Please pass this on to others who have had the luck and good fortune to grow up as kids in India, before the lawyers and the government regulated our lives ostensibly for our own good, who changed what was good into bad and what was bad into worse.Those were the days my friend !!
The wisdom of Mahabharata
While historians have debated as to when the Mahabharata was written, it was beyond doubt centuries before Lord Acton’s (1842-1902) perceptive observation in a letter to a friend. Yet, this writer cannot think of a single Indian intellectual who has quoted Bheeshma on power while he can recall several of them quoting Lord Acton.
Few other instances, perhaps, illustrate more poignantly the alienation of a large section of Indian intellectuals from their own intellectual and cultural well springs and identification with those of the West. What merits criticism is an obsessive admiration for the West that leads to the neglect of India’s own intellectual and cultural heritage, its great epics and monumental works on religion and philosophy. For one thing, it would mean the nonutilisation of the wisdom, insights, customs and practices that have evolved in the matrix of the country’s history.
Familiar to most people, these could be useful for promoting the kind of enlightened values a society needs for its progress, and framing policies as well as strategies for implementation. For another, pride in a country’s achievements, which can only come through awareness of these, gives a nation a sense of destiny that enables it to find its rightful place in the world. It must, however, be a pride tempered by wisdom and morality. Also, it must be accompanied by knowledge, which enables a country to recognise its national interest, shortcomings, the greatness of the culture and intellectual traditions of other nations. In India’s case, the need to draw from its own repositories of wisdom is all the greater given the profound treasures they contain. The Mahabharata is a striking example.
Bheeshma’s answers to Yudhishtira’s questions reflect a deep understanding of the compulsions of realpolitik. They cover a wide range of subjects including a king’s virtues and his attitude toward his subjects, the appointment of his advisors, and the qualities to be sought in them and other important functionaries of the State. Leaders of political parties choosing candidates for elections to legislatures should bear in mind that legislators should not only be honest and sincere but “have the courage of the truth with them all the time”
And, of course, Finance Minister P Chidambaram should remember that a “good king levies taxes as a bee gathers pollen from flowers, gently, without injuring the people” (Menon, Vol II, p 597). Also, the Mahabharata has stunning insights into the future. Thus Rishi Markandeya says that the kings of the Kali Yuga, which descended on the earth on the tenth day of the battle of Kurukshetra and prevails even today, “will be short-lived, greedy and rapacious”, and that “wealth alone will confer nobility, regardless of a man’s birth or his character; power will define virtue”. “Terrible wars and demonic diseases will decimate the human race, and savage cold and scathing heat, scorching droughts and sweeping floods will terrorise the people....”
Did Markandeya foresee global warming, AIDS and Katrina, which savaged New Orleans in the US? One does not know. It is unwise to read too much into past events and observations in the light of later developments, particularly since in an epic like the Mahabharata one does know where facts end and fiction takes over. It is a great treasure chest of wisdom and the country will be the loser if it continues to ignore it.
Few other instances, perhaps, illustrate more poignantly the alienation of a large section of Indian intellectuals from their own intellectual and cultural well springs and identification with those of the West. What merits criticism is an obsessive admiration for the West that leads to the neglect of India’s own intellectual and cultural heritage, its great epics and monumental works on religion and philosophy. For one thing, it would mean the nonutilisation of the wisdom, insights, customs and practices that have evolved in the matrix of the country’s history.
Familiar to most people, these could be useful for promoting the kind of enlightened values a society needs for its progress, and framing policies as well as strategies for implementation. For another, pride in a country’s achievements, which can only come through awareness of these, gives a nation a sense of destiny that enables it to find its rightful place in the world. It must, however, be a pride tempered by wisdom and morality. Also, it must be accompanied by knowledge, which enables a country to recognise its national interest, shortcomings, the greatness of the culture and intellectual traditions of other nations. In India’s case, the need to draw from its own repositories of wisdom is all the greater given the profound treasures they contain. The Mahabharata is a striking example.
Bheeshma’s answers to Yudhishtira’s questions reflect a deep understanding of the compulsions of realpolitik. They cover a wide range of subjects including a king’s virtues and his attitude toward his subjects, the appointment of his advisors, and the qualities to be sought in them and other important functionaries of the State. Leaders of political parties choosing candidates for elections to legislatures should bear in mind that legislators should not only be honest and sincere but “have the courage of the truth with them all the time”
And, of course, Finance Minister P Chidambaram should remember that a “good king levies taxes as a bee gathers pollen from flowers, gently, without injuring the people” (Menon, Vol II, p 597). Also, the Mahabharata has stunning insights into the future. Thus Rishi Markandeya says that the kings of the Kali Yuga, which descended on the earth on the tenth day of the battle of Kurukshetra and prevails even today, “will be short-lived, greedy and rapacious”, and that “wealth alone will confer nobility, regardless of a man’s birth or his character; power will define virtue”. “Terrible wars and demonic diseases will decimate the human race, and savage cold and scathing heat, scorching droughts and sweeping floods will terrorise the people....”
Did Markandeya foresee global warming, AIDS and Katrina, which savaged New Orleans in the US? One does not know. It is unwise to read too much into past events and observations in the light of later developments, particularly since in an epic like the Mahabharata one does know where facts end and fiction takes over. It is a great treasure chest of wisdom and the country will be the loser if it continues to ignore it.
CHARITY OF FOOD through many events of Sai Baba's life
CHARITY OF FOOD
Last, but an important advice about food, given by Baba, is about charity :"Different sadhanas (means of accomplishments) are prescribed in ourscriptures for different Ages. Tapa (penance) is recommended for Krita Age,Jnana (knowledge) for Treta Age, Yajna (sacrifice) for Dwapara Age and Dana(charity) for Kali (present) Age. Of all the kinds of charities, giving food is the best one.
We are much perturbed, when we get no food at noon. Otherbeings feel similarly under similar circumstances. Knowing this, he, whogives food to the poor and hungry, is the best donar or charitable person.The Taittiriya Upanishad says that "Food is Brahma, from food all thecreatures are born and having been born by food they live and havingdeparted into food they again enter."
Other kinds of charities viz. givingaway wealth, property, clothes etc. require some discrimination; but in thematter of food, no such consideration is necessary. Let anybody come to ourdoor at noon, he should be served forthwith; and if lame, crippled, blindand diseased paupers come, they should be fed first and the able-bodiedpersons and our relations afterwards." (Ch. 38, P. 208-209)
We remember, how in Ch. 9, Sai Baba expressed His great pleasure, when Mrs.Tarkhad fed a hungry dog during her meal lime. He further said,"Ever act like this and this will stand you in good stead. First give breadto the hungry and then eat yourself!" (P. 55, Shri Sai Saicharila).Similarly, we know, what Baba said to Laxmibai Shinde, who was annoyedbecause Baba gave the bread and vegetable, cooked urgently for Baba, to anearby dog,"Why do you grieve for nothing? The appeasement of the dog's hunger is thesame as Mine.
Though some speak and others are dumb, the hunger of allcreatures is the same. Know for certain that he who feeds the hungry, reallyserves Me with food." (Ch. 42, P. 233)In this regard also, Baba Himself had set an example. In early days, He onand oft used to feedthe poor and helpless by cooking food Himself in big pots (Handi). He usedto buy the grains and spices from bazaar and do the grinding also Himself,Later, devotees started thronging to Shirdi in large numbers and cooked foodin the form of naivedya started coming in large quantities, so there was noneed for cooking the food by Baba.
However, He never stopped distributingthis naivedya food to all and sundry. He Himself hardly tasted it.
Conclusion
Sai Baba was always practical and realistic in His advice. While eulogizingcharity, He also warned not to do it in excess and become a debtor (BhaktiLeelamrit, Ch. 32, by Das Ganu Maharaj). The crux of His advice regardingfood was to learn to control one's tongue and be satisfied with whateverfood is served. This will not only ensure good health but also help one inone's efforts for attaining emancipation.
By Lt. Col. M. B. Nimbalkar (Retd.)(Source Shri Sai Leela Magazine, September-October 1993)
Last, but an important advice about food, given by Baba, is about charity :"Different sadhanas (means of accomplishments) are prescribed in ourscriptures for different Ages. Tapa (penance) is recommended for Krita Age,Jnana (knowledge) for Treta Age, Yajna (sacrifice) for Dwapara Age and Dana(charity) for Kali (present) Age. Of all the kinds of charities, giving food is the best one.
We are much perturbed, when we get no food at noon. Otherbeings feel similarly under similar circumstances. Knowing this, he, whogives food to the poor and hungry, is the best donar or charitable person.The Taittiriya Upanishad says that "Food is Brahma, from food all thecreatures are born and having been born by food they live and havingdeparted into food they again enter."
Other kinds of charities viz. givingaway wealth, property, clothes etc. require some discrimination; but in thematter of food, no such consideration is necessary. Let anybody come to ourdoor at noon, he should be served forthwith; and if lame, crippled, blindand diseased paupers come, they should be fed first and the able-bodiedpersons and our relations afterwards." (Ch. 38, P. 208-209)
We remember, how in Ch. 9, Sai Baba expressed His great pleasure, when Mrs.Tarkhad fed a hungry dog during her meal lime. He further said,"Ever act like this and this will stand you in good stead. First give breadto the hungry and then eat yourself!" (P. 55, Shri Sai Saicharila).Similarly, we know, what Baba said to Laxmibai Shinde, who was annoyedbecause Baba gave the bread and vegetable, cooked urgently for Baba, to anearby dog,"Why do you grieve for nothing? The appeasement of the dog's hunger is thesame as Mine.
Though some speak and others are dumb, the hunger of allcreatures is the same. Know for certain that he who feeds the hungry, reallyserves Me with food." (Ch. 42, P. 233)In this regard also, Baba Himself had set an example. In early days, He onand oft used to feedthe poor and helpless by cooking food Himself in big pots (Handi). He usedto buy the grains and spices from bazaar and do the grinding also Himself,Later, devotees started thronging to Shirdi in large numbers and cooked foodin the form of naivedya started coming in large quantities, so there was noneed for cooking the food by Baba.
However, He never stopped distributingthis naivedya food to all and sundry. He Himself hardly tasted it.
Conclusion
Sai Baba was always practical and realistic in His advice. While eulogizingcharity, He also warned not to do it in excess and become a debtor (BhaktiLeelamrit, Ch. 32, by Das Ganu Maharaj). The crux of His advice regardingfood was to learn to control one's tongue and be satisfied with whateverfood is served. This will not only ensure good health but also help one inone's efforts for attaining emancipation.
By Lt. Col. M. B. Nimbalkar (Retd.)(Source Shri Sai Leela Magazine, September-October 1993)
This is for my FRIEND who broke with me...
TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY...
It has often been said, "Don't go to bed while hanging on to sorrow.
You may not have the chance to laugh with those you love tomorrow."
You may not mean the words you speak when anger takes its toll.
You may regret your actions once you've lost your self control.
When you've lost your temper and said some hurtful things;
think about the heartache that your action may bring.
You will never get those moments back, they will all go...to waste.
All because of the things you said in anger and haste.
So if you love someone and your pride has settled in, take this opportunity and say to them again,
"I love you and I trust you and although we do not agree,
I will try to see your point of view, please do the same for me."
It has often been said, "Don't go to bed while hanging on to sorrow.
You may not have the chance to laugh with those you love tomorrow."
You may not mean the words you speak when anger takes its toll.
You may regret your actions once you've lost your self control.
When you've lost your temper and said some hurtful things;
think about the heartache that your action may bring.
You will never get those moments back, they will all go...to waste.
All because of the things you said in anger and haste.
So if you love someone and your pride has settled in, take this opportunity and say to them again,
"I love you and I trust you and although we do not agree,
I will try to see your point of view, please do the same for me."
Why do we light a lamp?
The following message which I received from a freind which is worth reading.
Lamp is lighted either a single lamp or multiples in odd numbers. If two lamps are lighted they will be slightly at different plane. ( If you have a pair of Kuthu villaku at house , please check they will be slightly different height: provided they were bought as a pair
The oil used for lighting has a significance. Ghee, Til, coconut, castor oil each is for different purpose
Lamps for puja purposes are not lighted with refined / g nut oil
A burning Lamp at a house provides a charged atmosphere conducive to spiritual growth.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Why do we light a lamp?
In almost every Indian home a lamp is lit daily before the altar of the Lord. In some houses it is lit at dawn, in some, twice a day – at dawn and dusk – and in a few it is maintained continuously (akhanda deepa). All auspicious functions commence with the lighting of the lamp, which is often maintained right through the occasion.
Light symbolizes knowledge, and darkness, ignorance. The Lord is the "Knowledge Principle" (chaitanya) who is the source, the enlivener and the illuminator of all knowledge. Hence light is worshiped as the Lord himself.
Knowledge removes ignorance just as light removes darkness. Also knowledge is a lasting inner wealth by which all outer achievement can be accomplished. Hence we light the lamp to bow down to knowledge as the greatest of all forms of wealth
Why not light a bulb or tube light? That too would remove darkness. But the traditional oil lamp has a further spiritual significance. The oil or ghee in the lamp symbolizes our vaasanas or negative tendencies and the wick, the ego. When lit by spiritual knowledge, the vaasanas get slowly exhausted and the ego too finally perishes. The flame of a lamp always burns upwards. Similarly we should acquire such knowledge as to take us towards higher ideals.
Whilst lighting the lamp we thus pray:
Deepajyothi parabrahma
Deepa Jyotir Janaardanah
Deepo harati paapaani
Sandhyaa deepa namostute
I prostrate to the dawn/dusk lamp; whose light is the Knowledge Principle (the Supreme Lord), which removes the darkness of ignorance and by which all can be achieved in life.
Lamp is lighted either a single lamp or multiples in odd numbers. If two lamps are lighted they will be slightly at different plane. ( If you have a pair of Kuthu villaku at house , please check they will be slightly different height: provided they were bought as a pair
The oil used for lighting has a significance. Ghee, Til, coconut, castor oil each is for different purpose
Lamps for puja purposes are not lighted with refined / g nut oil
A burning Lamp at a house provides a charged atmosphere conducive to spiritual growth.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Why do we light a lamp?
In almost every Indian home a lamp is lit daily before the altar of the Lord. In some houses it is lit at dawn, in some, twice a day – at dawn and dusk – and in a few it is maintained continuously (akhanda deepa). All auspicious functions commence with the lighting of the lamp, which is often maintained right through the occasion.
Light symbolizes knowledge, and darkness, ignorance. The Lord is the "Knowledge Principle" (chaitanya) who is the source, the enlivener and the illuminator of all knowledge. Hence light is worshiped as the Lord himself.
Knowledge removes ignorance just as light removes darkness. Also knowledge is a lasting inner wealth by which all outer achievement can be accomplished. Hence we light the lamp to bow down to knowledge as the greatest of all forms of wealth
Why not light a bulb or tube light? That too would remove darkness. But the traditional oil lamp has a further spiritual significance. The oil or ghee in the lamp symbolizes our vaasanas or negative tendencies and the wick, the ego. When lit by spiritual knowledge, the vaasanas get slowly exhausted and the ego too finally perishes. The flame of a lamp always burns upwards. Similarly we should acquire such knowledge as to take us towards higher ideals.
Whilst lighting the lamp we thus pray:
Deepajyothi parabrahma
Deepa Jyotir Janaardanah
Deepo harati paapaani
Sandhyaa deepa namostute
I prostrate to the dawn/dusk lamp; whose light is the Knowledge Principle (the Supreme Lord), which removes the darkness of ignorance and by which all can be achieved in life.
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