Gauracandra

A movie recommendation. You can rent a very nice movie called 'Whale Rider'. If you've ever seen the movie 'The Secret of Roan Inish' - well its in that vein (though not quite as good). Still, the film is a little gem. It tells the story of a Maori girl who looks to her tribes past 'myths' as a way of progressing into the future. Its a good film. You can avoid one called 'Wings of Migration'. Its fine, but based on the blurbs on the cover, I was expecting the greatest documentary of all time. Its just some pretty pictures of birds flying. I'm sure they put lots of work into it, but its not as good as they say.

Should make them consider the possibility of reincarnation. I do wonder how closely the birthmark matches the actual lettering of this name. Or is it like the clouds in the sky - people see all sorts of patterns.

There are only two ways, either direct perception or faith in God. Most people will not have direct perception, as this is a very rare event (out of thousands hardly one even knows God as He is). So we are left with faith. If someone close to us tells us something is true, we believe them. So we seek those rare individuals who have direct perception, and if we develop a close relationship with them, they can tell us the truth. It is still faith. But everyone comes to the same problem, theist or atheist. What exists beyond everything? If they say the big bang was the start, then what was before that big bang? What is just outside the shell of the universe? What is outside of that? Whatever surpasses everything else - that is God. Is it so hard to see that something that huge, that omnipresent, would be of intelligence? There is consciousness on earth. Why not a consciousness that exists on a larger scale?

Anyone think HIV is a created virus? I tend not to believe conspiracy theories (though I do sometimes enjoy reading them). But with so many advances in genetics it would be relatively easy I would think to generate new diseases for the purpose of global population control. Why is South Africa so devastated even compared to the rest of Africa?

The thing that surprises me about the Bahai is that they are well organized enough to be able to do television advertising. The first time I saw one of their commercials I was a bit taken aback (in a good way). They must be bigger than I know.

This week's episode is a repeat of this summary.

This week’s Srila Siddhaswarupananda television program answers the question “Can someone else pray for me?” Audience Member: Can someone else pray for me? Srila Siddhaswarupananda: We have been speaking in connection to televangelists who say “Send me money and I’ll pray for you. I’ll pray for you sister.” Of course you can pray for another person. But you yourself must first develop your relationship with God. Ultimately if you are not very close to Him you must appreciate that you won’t have much influence over Him. There are two methods to try to approach God: the ascending method and the descending method. By the ascending method you will never reach God. So having someone else pray for you is not wrong but it is necessary that that person have a relationship with God. If I am a very close friend of a very important person, like the President, then you can ask me to give him a message. In a similar way, if a person is a confidential loving servant of God, then according to the Vedas God is always waiting to serve His devotee. But God’s servant never asks for anything, he simply serves. In this way there is a love competition, where the devotee serves God and God serves the devotee. In the lives of the saints you will find this kind of prayer. What did Jesus say when they came to arrest him? One of the servants pulled out his sword to protect Christ, and he replied “Don’t you realize that I could have a thousand angels here to protect me if I wanted?” But he didn’t ask God for that protection. And when he was on the cross others yelled at him “Where is your power now? You can’t even get off of the cross.” But he didn’t ask God to get him out of this suffering situation. How did he use his power? Audience Member: He asked God to forgive them. Srila Siddhaswarupananda: Yes. He prayed for others that God would forgive them. So he is praying for others. The confidential servant of God prays for others, but he doesn’t ask for anything. Its not some technique or method to increase his mailing list. Not like these televangelists “Ok, now we are going to have prayer time. I’m going to put my hands over these letters and pray. You put your hands on the television set and pray with me.” The prayer of the devotee of God is continuous and spontaneous. It is his whole life. He is crying for those suffering because they are away from God. That’s what motivates him to eat, to sleep, to write. His whole life is an inner longing that the suffering of the people be alleviated. A devotee of Lord Caitanya asked for all the sinful reactions of the world to come upon him. He would suffer so that others could see the Lord. Crying and crying in this way. This is someone praying for you. If somehow you can get contact with such a confidential servant of God then the Lord Himself will see you. By serving the servant of God your spiritual life becomes easy. The point is not about diplomacy but actual honesty. Sincerity is the only thing required for spiritual life. When we offer our respects to the past spiritual masters we describe them as like a rain cloud that drops water everywhere without discrimination. On land, sand, in the ocean. The servant of God does not discriminate but gives his instructions to everyone. He tries to give everyone God. Water may drop on infertile ground, maybe the person won’t accept the instructions, but still he does not discriminate or hesitate to try to instruct such an individual. When you try to get someone else to pray for you, you are trying to get God’s attention. My spiritual master was always pleasing to God. I am linked up to God by always trying to serve my spiritual master. Ultimately how close we get to God depends on how much we please Him. It’s not like climbing up a mountain. You may think you are 10,000 feet up the mountain, and then it will disappear and you will fall all the way down. You will never get him by the ascending method. The only way to get God is if He reveals Himself to you. Your consideration should be how to please God not how to find Him. The Lord says that He always thinks of the saints just as the saints always think of Him. So yes, others can pray for you. But who is a saint? This is what we were discussing in relation to televangelists. Their whole purpose is to increase their mailing list. This is cheating. Whether is Pat Robertson or this guy or that guy. Everyone is saying they can pray for you just send them your money. But who is he? He is saying he is something special. Everyone is saying they are God’s representative. And I am saying it too. Most people just send $10 to every guy on television hoping one of them is for real [laughter]. I am saying it straight. You have to find a bonafide spiritual master. You will not find people sending me their prayer requests because a bonafide teacher will not encourage others to pray for things. This is simply a cheating business.

This week’s Srila Siddhaswarupananda television program is about how to enjoy the holiday season. Audience Member: During the holiday season everyone is endeavoring for temporary happiness. How can one achieve eternal happiness. I think this is a good question for you to answer. Srila Siddhaswarupananda: [laughter] This is a good question for me to answer. This guy is too much. Just a small question. [laughter] During the holidays everyone wants to be happy. We all say “Happy New Year”. From scripture we understand that the spirit soul is by nature eternally blissful. We are eternal in essence. And happiness is a natural part of the soul. Now why is it that 99% of the time we are unhappy and only 1% of the time we are happy? Because in this material world we are in a contradiction. The eternal spirit soul is trapped in a temporary material body. This is not natural. Its like a fish on land. The spirit soul belongs in the spiritual world, which is our real home, and there is no birth, disease, old age, and death. We can only be truly happy when we have developed our eternal relationship with the Supreme Soul and return to Him. To be happy one must be resituated in their relationship with God. The problem is the eternal has connected with the temporary. Thus you develop an affection for a temporary material body and when they die, they are ripped away from you. This is very painful. But if you connect with the eternal, love for God will eternally satisfy you. Audience Member: How did it happen…? I’m sure many here have experienced a hangover. How did we get into this unnatural position? Srila Siddhaswarupananda: Why is the eternal spirit soul in the world of matter? Because we don’t want to serve God. So we go from one material body to the next, caught by the laws of time. The material body is the vehicle by which God gives us the choice to attempt to be God and Lord it over material nature. He allows us the choice that we don’t have to know Him. Until we give up our enviousness of God then we cannot return to Him. Until then you will continue to have hangovers, whether by alcohol or the hangover of losing a love affair. Audience Member: You said that every seven years all the cells in the body are replaced. Why then does the body age? Srila Siddhaswarupananda: Whatever the technical arrangements are that cause the body to age we cannot stop them. This is the law of time. Man will never be able to stop time as it is a law that can’t be conquered. But “Why, Why?” The law of time is the law of time. It is set in motion by God. Audience Member: Is it offensive to Jesus Christ to give presents and have a Christmas tree? Srila Siddhaswarupananda: Of course its not offensive to give presents to people. But on the day of the appearance of Jesus Christ we should not be hedonists. At least one day out of the year we should set aside to follow his instructions to love God. We should take what he teaches and not spend the time loving the worldly. Do not be in the illusion that all these material things will make you happy. All that glitter is the glitter of Mammon. Now the center of Christmas is the tree with all the toys underneath. If you are lucky there will be an angel on top of the tree. It is better that on Christmas day you read and hear scripture and sing God’s names. Congregational singing and chanting of God’s names. Have a big God party. Some people will hear this and think “Oh you guys are so against having fun. Can’t you guys even have Christmas presents? You have to sit down and pray, huh?” No. Get out all of your musical instruments, your drums and electric guitars. Make a big feast. Then party until the cops come banging on your door for you to stop. Then just move the party to another house and continue till the cops come again. Get drunk on love of God. We get drunk but we don’t have hangovers. It is getting drunk with expanded consciousness not diminished consciousness with alcohol. We party all the time.

This week's episode is a repeat of this program.

This week's episode is a repeat of this lecture.

This week’s Srila Siddhaswarupananda television program concerns the Holy Name. Audience Member: Please pardon my ignorance, is there a reason you have chosen the names Gopala, Govinda, Rama, Madana Mohana, as the names of God that you chant. Doesn’t God have unlimited names? Srila Siddhaswarupananda: Caitanya Mahaprabhu states that God’s names are invested with His power. There are so many names coming down in disciplic succession, and different teachers emphasize different names. We do not choose, we simply receive from the bonafide teachers. The name of God represents different features of God. The sound ‘Allah’ is a name of God. Muslim scholars accept that there are thousands of names of God. Allah means all compassionate. Jehovah from the Old Testament means God is all powerful. These are reverential names for God. In the Vedic scriptures there are similar names like Narayana. We do not chant these names primarily because Madana Mohana, Krsna, Gopala, Govinda are less reverential names. Madana Mohana means God is so attractive that even Cupid becomes attracted to Him. In the material world it is said Cupid shoots his arrow and causes people to fall in love. But even Cupid falls in love with Madana Mohana. Krsna means all attractive. He is so sweet. He has all power, all compassion, all wealth, all beauty, He is the sweetest and attracts everyone. The name Rama means He who gets great transcendental pleasure. Actually I have never thought of your question. You must have a bias that is why you are questioning this chanting. If you are from a particular tradition then follow it. Some chant Allah. We do not say stop chanting Allah. We encourage it. In Navadvipa, when I visited there, many people are Mohammedans. They chant Allah when tending the cows. Because of the influence of Caitanya, I have seen them tending the cows and chanting ‘Allah Allah Haribol Haribol Allah Allah Haribol’. They aren’t thinking about it. Caitanya came to say to chant the Holy Name. Others chant the name of the dear servant of God Jesus Christ. This too is good. I have before given you the example of Japa das and his father. This is not the first situation where one of my disciples had to help their parents leave their body with their mind on God. In New Zealand, Prahlada Das, his mother was very old. He arranged, and she was very happy, for her to hear God’s names. Her son was not scared, not attached. He wanted to help her make her leave without fear. When a person is leaving their body then sometimes they can’t keep their mind on anything. This raises the question of the duty of the children to their parents. Some parents get angry with me “You make my child not care about material life.” But these children may end up being their salvation. When raising our children we should keep this in mind that ultimately our children should help us leave our bodies with our mind on God. This is the perfect son or daughter. Audience Member: How will we know our spiritual guide? We all want to be detached from worldly things but we have to feed ourselves. How do we compromise? Srila Siddhaswarupananda: Does everyone understand his questions? A bonafide spiritual master comes in disciplic succession to teach. I am teaching you now. If you are looking for a guide, here I am [audience claps]. But I am not looking for any students. Just as you should look for a bonafide teacher, I am looking for bonafide students. When you meet a spiritual teacher check with scripture and the Lord in your heart. If I teach something opposite to scripture then don’t accept me. Anyone can sit on a big seat. Some gurus say “We are all God but we have forgotten that we are God.” And their students nod “That makes sense Swamiji.” Is this said anywhere in scripture? Just because a guy looks holy, has long hair, if he contradicts scriptures then reject him. Your second question, how to live in this world. We must eat and keep the body fit. You used the word ‘compromise’. We are now engaged in making a television program, we had to rent this hall for this program, people are working and giving little donations here and there to sponsor this effort, we print books. These are all activities. Before I came I had to eat otherwise I couldn’t put up with the lights and arguing with people here [laughter]. Everything belongs to God. If we understand this then if I center all my activities to be pleasing to God then those activities are not material. No Yoga system neglects the body. Materialists abuse the body with alcohol, cigarettes, and meat. Keep your body fit and use it in service of God. All the supplementary activities like eating, sleeping, working can become spiritualized if used in the service of the Lord. This is karma yoga. At the Science of Identity Institute we teach these techniques to center our lives around God. There are other names of God, other melodies, there are various activities like setting up an altar in the home. You can apply these to your life. My disciples work, raise their families, but they center their lives around worship of God. It is getting late but we can speak more tomorrow evening. Thank you very much.

Herbal remedy pregnancy warning Women should be cautious about using the herbal remedy ginseng in the early stages of pregnancy, say researchers. A team from the Chinese University of Hong Kong has found evidence that one of the main active components of ginseng can cause abnormalities in rat embryos. Lead researcher Dr Louis Chan said: "Before more information in humans becomes available, women should be cautious about using ginseng in the first three months of pregnancy." The study is published in the journal Human Reproduction. Although there are numerous reports in the literature concerning the potential benefit of ginseng, much less is know about the potential toxicity Dr Louis Chan The researchers tested the effect of various concentrations of a compound called ginsenoside Rb1 on nine-day-old rats. They found that embryos exposed to more than 30 micrograms per millilitre of ginsenoside Rb1 showed signs of significant developmental abnormalities, including problems with their heart, eyes and limbs. At the highest dose of 50 micrograms the problems were even more pronounced. The embryos were significantly shorter in body length and had fewer immature muscle cells. Dr Chan said the study provided strong evidence that ginsenoside was capable of causing malformations in rat embryos - known technically as a teratogenic effect. It was also possible that lower doses of compound led to more minor developmental problems which would not always be picked up. Relatively untested He said: "Although there are numerous reports in the literature concerning the potential benefit of ginseng, much less is know about the potential toxicity and there are no data about its potential effect on the developing human foetus. "Yet a survey published in 2001 showed that over 9% of pregnant women report using herbal supplements, and in Asia up to 10% have taken ginseng during pregnancy." Dr Chan said that in many countries herbal medicines such as extract of ginseng are available over the counter. Manufacturers are not required to submit proof of safety and efficacy before marketing. Ginsenoside Rb1 is only one of the ginsenosides in commercially available ginseng. More than 20 have been identified and previous studies had shown that different ginsenosides might have different actions. Dr Chan said: "Although results from animal teratogenicity studies may not reflect the circumstances in humans, our findings suggest that further investigations and monitoring of embryonic effects of ginsenoside on human pregnancy are warranted." Ginseng is used to enhance stamina and the capacity to cope with fatigue and physical stress. It is also believed to have an anti-cancer function and to improve cognitive and physical performance, and has shown potential as a treatment for diabetes and obesity. Some people also recommend it as a treatment for morning sickness. Dr Chun-Su Yuan, from the University of Chicago, has conducted experiments showing that an extract of ginseng can normalise blood sugar levels in mice bred to have diabetes. He told BBC News Online: "In general, I think that ginseng, like all other herbal medicines and dietary supplements, has both benefits and potential risks. "Very likely, the risks could be dose related. The mentality that 'little is good, more is better' could encourage consumers to take a high dose of herbs in an environment with limited dosing guidelines. "It is very import to address potential risks of any commonly used herbal medicines. However, to translate data from this in vitro animal study to human reproduction, many well-designed studies are needed."

Hard times for holy cows The sacred cow, one of the enduring symbols of the Indian capital Delhi, is gradually being moved from the streets. The authorities have decided there are too many of them and they are not just a nuisance but also a menace. So for the 36,000 cows wandering around Delhi it is time to go. And it is not just cows - Delhi's monkeys are also finding that life is getting tougher. The Delhi authorities on Tuesday began a drive to round up stray cattle. This is hot and dangerous work. Under the baking Indian sun I watch eight men struggling with ropes and poles to get one of the stray bovines into the back of a truck. The cow - a huge, angry animal - does not like the idea and she has got a powerful kick and long sharp horns. A vet employed with the city council, Dr SK Yadav, says it has been a successful morning. Twenty-five cows have been secured and removed from Delhi's streets. "Cows are a serious problem. They wander all over the roads, causing serious traffic jams and they are responsible for some serious accidents," says Dr Yadav. He is right. Cows hold up traffic regularly on Delhi roads On a Delhi market road, some eight cows have gathered, largely because there is a rubbish dump nearby. They are feeding on the rubbish and wandering to and fro across the road, blocking all traffic. Clearly, they are a law unto themselves. The problem has got worse recently as hundreds of illegal dairies have sprung up in Delhi. Their owners deliberately let them loose so that the animals fend for themselves. But to many of the thousands of tourists who come to Delhi, cows wandering aimlessly around the city are part of its unique charm. "The fact that animals are living with people on the streets of Delhi is beautiful. There are cows and dogs, and nobody's shouting at them, nobody's chasing them," one tourist told me. "It's part of the culture you know. As a traveller you're going to other countries to explore other cultures, so I like it." But this is a 'culture' that the Delhi civic authorities are no longer happy to promote. What do they do with the cows after lifting them off the streets? Many of the animals are old - no longer capable of giving milk. But they are sacred beasts in Hindu religion and no harm must come to them. So the cows are being taken to compounds on the outskirts of the city. Here they adjust to a diet of hay rather their usual rubbish from the streets of Delhi. It is estimated that each cow in Delhi has an average about 300 plastic bags in its stomach. Simian menace But cows are not the only animals that have attracted the attention of the authorities. They are also trying to get rid of thousands of monkeys which clamber all over the buildings of the ancient city. The monkeys, another sacred Hindu creature, usually hang around tourist areas. Monkeys loitering on the roads also pose a problem They are usually fed bananas by the tourists and when not supplied with food they steal it. The monkeys are considered a pest. The Government and large companies pay out large sums of money to keep them off their buildings. Here it takes a thief to catch a thief. Large black-faced Langur monkeys in the hands of experienced trainers like Vijay Kumar are used to scare off their simian cousins. "There were lots of monkeys here, they used to attack people and damage the parked cars. People were terrified of them," said Mr Kumar. "So the company called me in. Now the monkeys have all been scared off by my langur." The problem with both the cows and the monkeys is what to do with them. No state in India wants to take the captured animals off Delhi's hands. So they are being held in detention while their future is determined.

Sikhs struggle in Afghanistan Nearly two years after the fall of the Taleban, Afghanistan's Sikh community is once again trying to establish itself. Sikhs and Hindus share the Dharamsal temple The Sikhs were first brought to Afghanistan by the British in the 19th century and once dominated the Afghan economy. But since then they have seen their fortunes fade, especially during the civil war in the 1990s which was followed by the rule of the Taleban. Several thousand Sikhs, who are mostly Pashto-speaking Afghan nationals, reside in the Afghan capital Kabul and the cities of Jalalabad, Ghazni and the former Taleban stronghold of Kandahar. Fleeing community In a narrow lane in a dusty Kabul neighbourhood, hundreds of Sikhs and a few Hindus gather every Sunday for prayers at a shared temple, known as Dharamsal. Preet Singh - took part in the election of President Karzai This is Karte Parwan, the main Sikh-Hindu area in the capital, where most of the community live. Rajinder Singh is head of the temple trust. "This temple was built 45 years ago during the rule of King Zahir Shah," he says. "At that time we had no place to pray or hold ceremonies. But the king granted us permission to hold special prayers at this site to commemorate births and deaths." The Sikhs along with the Hindus had at one time controlled the currency markets in the main cities. But all that changed with the advent of the mujahideen fighters who overthrew the Soviet regime and then the arrival of the Taleban. "The overthrow of Najibullah's regime in 1992 and the fighting between the warlords hurt us very badly," Mr Singh says. "The constant violence forced many Sikhs to flee, mostly to India, some to Pakistan." Just over 100 Sikh families stayed on in Kabul. We were made painfully aware of the fact that we were minorities Inder Singh Majboor They were forced to pay the price for events taking place miles away at Ayodhya. "When the Babri mosque was demolished in India in 1992 the mujahideen burned down our temple in retaliation," says Mr Singh. Things got worse during Taleban rule. In a controversial move, the Taleban forced Hindus and Sikhs to wear distinctive yellow tags and ordered Hindu and Sikh women to be veiled. Inder Singh Majboor, who owns a small shop outside the temple, remembers it as a difficult time. "We were frightened by the order. Even though we were allowed to continue praying and holding ceremonies, we were made painfully aware of the fact that we were minorities," Mr Majboor says. New problems The fall of the Taleban and the formation of a new Afghan Government has seen many Sikhs return to what they consider to be their homeland and the strength of the community in Kabul has grown to about 360 families. Gurcharan Singh had to pay a bribe to get his shops back Some like Preet Singh were invited to take part in the Loya Jirga (Grand Assembly) of tribal chieftains which elected Hamid Karzai as the new president. Many others have returned elsewhere. But those who have returned are confronted with fresh problems. Most of them find their property in ruins or, in many cases, seized. Gurcharan Singh's family has been living in Kabul for three generations where they worked as traders and businessmen. He returned to Kabul last year after 10 years to discover that his shops and home had been captured by warlords. "For the past year I've been running from pillar to post to try and get my property back," Gurcharan Singh says. "I've finally agreed to pay a hefty bribe and will hopefully get my shops and home back." Cremation controversy Almost all the Sikhs here face this problem. There are very few people who are lucky to be living in their own house. The Sikhs face another, urgent problem. The new government urges Sikhs to play a more active role For months now, they have been denied access to their cremation ground. "We have not been able to use the ground which has been in our possession for over a hundred years," says Gurcharan Singh. "Three days ago a Sikh woman died and we had to send her body to Pakistan for cremation." Afghan Religious Affairs Minister Nasir Yar says the government is aware of the problem and is doing something about it. "Their cremation ground was occupied by some irresponsible people - we are taking this matter very seriously and a delegation has been dispatched and will report back to me," Mr Yar said. But this is of little comfort to the Sikh community. "We need access to it immediately," says Rajinder Singh. "The Hindus and Sikhs of Afghanistan still face tremendous problems. Although the whole country is trying to recover from the years of war, it appears that no one is thinking of us." In the fading light of twilight, the Sikhs of Karte Parwan down their shutters and head home. A proud community who consider themselves Afghans, they may soon be able to cremate their dead. But clearly there is a lot to be done before they can rebuild their lives.

'IgNobels' honor founder of dead people club WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- An Indian who spent 18 years trying to prove he was alive, researchers who showed London taxi drivers have bigger-than-average brains and the inventor of Murphy's Law won this year's "IgNobel" prizes. The spoofs of the Nobel prizes were also awarded to researchers who found politicians to have simple personalities, a Japanese inventor who studied a statue that seems to be repulsive to birds and an economist who chronicles annoying behavior. The IgNobels -- a play on the word ignoble -- are given annually by the science humor magazine "Annals of Improbable Research" and several groups at Harvard and Radcliffe universities to "honor achievements that cannot or should not be reproduced." "We try to make people laugh, but we also want people to think," said Annals editor Marc Abrahams, who puts together the awards -- presented in Boston -- every year. This year's "peace prize" goes to Lal Bihari of Uttar Pradesh in India, "for a triple accomplishment: First, for leading an active life even though he has been declared legally dead; Second, for waging a lively posthumous campaign against bureaucratic inertia and greedy relatives; and Third, for creating the Association of Dead People," the IgNobel committee said in a statement Thursday. Bihari, who lives in Azamgarh, 130 miles (220 km) southeast of Lucknow, was listed as deceased in 1976. He eventually found thousands of other Indians in the same plight -- apparently a scam in which officials are bribed to declare landowners dead so their property can be "inherited." Murphy of Murphy's Law noted Abrahams said the Indian government at first refused to give a dead man a passport to travel to the IgNobel ceremony, but finally agreed last month to issue Bihari with travel documents. But it was too late for Bihari to get a U.S. visa. "The Indian government, which didn't recognize his life, gave him a passport," Abrahams said. "But the American government, the paragon of efficiency and helpfulness, won't give him a visa. You would expect a man who comes back from the dead would get a little extra help." The engineering prize went to now-deceased Air Force Captain Edward Murphy, Air Force doctor John Paul Stapp, and George Nichols, who in 1949 came up with Murphy's Law -- "If anything can go wrong, it will." The medicine prize went to a team at University College London for a study showing the brains of London taxi drivers are more highly developed than those of their fellow citizens. Their report, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in April 2000, showed that cabbies have an especially large hippocampus, associated with spatial memory. London cabbies must memorize a map of the city and pass a grueling test on their navigational abilities. A team at the University of Rome and Stanford University in California won the psychology prize for their report, published in the deadly serious science journal Nature in 1997, showing that voters judge politicians on two personality characteristics, as compared to five determinants of personality in most social interactions. The chemistry prize went to Yukio Hirose of Kanazawa University in Japan for his study of a bronze statue that fails to attract pigeons. John Trinkaus of the Zicklin School of Business in New York City was given the literature prize for more than 80 reports about oddities such as what percentage of automobile drivers fail to completely stop at one particular stop-sign and what percentage of shoppers exceed the number of items permitted in a supermarket's express checkout lane.

This week's episode is a repeat of this lecture.

Its really nice to know that even in very remote areas of the world devotees are working hard to spread Lord Caitanya's mercy. I really like the look of this website, its colorfulness, and especially the beautiful deity in the upper left hand corner of the front page.

I don't think there are any real benefits to herbal tea. If you know of any, or have some suggestions on good teas to try, let me know.

I've been drinking Celestial Seasonings "Sleepy Time" herbal tea lately. I'm sipping on some right now, just thought I'd mention it. Mmmmm.... No real point /images/graemlins/smile.gif

This story of the churning of the milk ocean is very popular. I believe there are entire walls at Angkor Wat with intricate carvings describing this story. Of all the stories this is probably one of the most recurring I see. Why the popularity? Is it the struggle between two opposing forces (a sort of archetype)? Is it the quest for immortality that all of mankind has searched for?

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There is an ancient Christian philosophy, considered heretical, called manicheanism. It basicallys sets up the world on a stage of a cosmic battle between good and evil. Even religions not of Christian origin, that have this concept, are often called Manichean. It tries to set up God, and a counterbalance to God who is trying to win this great battle. The counterbalance is material and evil, while God is spiritual and good. I suppose in Vaisnavism we have something similar and disimilar. We don't really have a personality that is the competitor to God. However, in the story of the churning of the milk ocean, the battle between the devas and asuras might be considered Manichean. Just something that came to mind.

The devas are living entities. As such, if we believe we have free will, then they too can have the free will to not obey God's desires. In that sense, you can have powerful Devas who are controllers of various levels, who do not conform to the will of God. Thats how I see it.

there would be no slaughter houses. How many dog or cat farms are there? Make cows sympathetic members of the family. Who can resist a cow with those big eyes and floppy ears? /images/graemlins/smile.gif

MOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! or should that be moooooooooooooo /images/graemlins/smile.gif www.miniaturebull.com