suchandra

California grieves for the dieing off bumblebees after the honeybees have already disappeared - I have to fightback my tears. First of all, honey is meant for devotees who offer it to the Deities, what the heck do these natural born cow killers need honey? For their barbecue to put it on the veil cutlets? Time for these folks to realize that biblical catastrophes are always sent by heaven - with good reason! And as long they have their beloved mustard why lament? Following Honeybee Disappearance, Bumblebees Begin Vanishing Act Tuesday, October 09, 2007 http://www.foxnews.com/story/0%2C2933%2C299982%2C00.html GRANTS PASS, Ore. — Looking high and low, Robbin Thorp can no longer find a species of bumblebee that just five years ago was plentiful in northwestern California and southwestern Oregon. Thorp, an emeritus professor of entomology from the University of California at Davis, found one solitary worker last year along a remote mountain trail in the Siskiyou Mountains, but hasn't been able to locate any this year. He fears that the species — Franklin's bumblebee — has gone extinct before anyone could even propose it for the endangered species list. To make matters worse, two other bumblebee species — one on the East coast, one on the West — have gone from common to rare. Amid the uproar over global warming and mysterious disappearances of honeybee colonies, concern over the plight of the lowly bumblebee has been confined to scientists laboring in obscurity. But if bumblebees were to disappear, farmers and entomologists warn, the consequences would be huge, especially coming on top of the problems with honeybees, which are active at different times and on different crop species. Bumblebees are responsible for pollinating an estimated 15 percent of all the crops grown in the U.S., worth $3 billion, particularly those raised in greenhouses. Those include tomatoes, peppers and strawberries. Demand is growing as honeybees decline. In the wild, birds and bears depend on bumblebees for berries and fruits. There is no smoking gun yet, but a recent National Academy of Sciences report on the status of pollinators around the world blames a combination of habitat lost to housing developments and intensive agriculture, pesticides, pollution and diseases spilling out of greenhouses using commercial bumblebee hives. "We have been naive," said Neal Williams, assistant professor of biology at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania. "We haven't been diligent the way we need to be." The threat has bumblebee advocates lobbying Congress to allocate more money for research and to create incentives for farmers to leave uncultivated land for habitat. They also want farmers to grow more flowering plants that native bees feed on. "We are smart enough to deal with this," said Laurie Adams, executive director of the Pollinator Partnership. "There is hope." Companies in Europe, Israel and Canada adapted bumblebees to commercial use in the early 1990s, and they are now standard in greenhouses raising tomatoes and peppers. Demand is growing as supplies of honeybees decline, especially for field crops such as blueberries, cranberries, watermelon, squash, and raspberries, said Holly Burroughs, general manager for production for the U.S. branch of Koppert Biological Systems Inc., a Netherlands company that sells most of the commercial bumblebees in the U.S. One new customer is Tony Davis of Quail Run Farm in Grants Pass. He has long depended on volunteer bumblebees to fertilize the squash, cucumbers, tomatoes and eggplant he grows outdoors for sale in growers' markets. When he started growing strawberries in greenhouses this year to get a jump on the competition, he bought commercial bumblebee hives to fertilize them. "Without bumblebees, I would be out of business. I don't think I could hand-pollinate all these plants," he said. Scientists hoping to pinpoint the cause of the nation's honeybee decline recently identified a previously unknown virus, but stress that parasitic mites, pesticides and poor nutrition all remain suspects. Unlike honeybees, which came to North America with the European colonists of the 17th century, bumblebees are natives. They collect pollen and nectar to feed to their young, but make very little honey. A huge problem facing scientists is how "appallingly little we know about our pollinating resources," said University of Illinois entomology Prof. May Berenbaum, who headed the National Academy of Sciences report. Scott Black, executive director of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation in Portland, worries that on top of pesticides and narrowing habitats, disease could be the last straw for many of the bee species. "It definitely could all come crashing down," he said.

theist can't wait till the war against Iran starts? My informant says it will start soon, please be patient theist!

The lights must be special indoor full spectrum plant tubes, not just ordinary white fluorescent tube. The plant lights are effective only within a 6" radius, after which they drop to a potency of 0. Because of this, Tulasis that are grown indoors become "leggy", with long stems, thin stalks, only a few leaves, and a clump of leaves at the top, near the light. Because the lights have such a short range of feet, the leaves receive no real juice, and therefore fade and fall off. The result is a weak and top heavy Tulasi. To alleviate the situation, place one set of fixtures over Her (as close as possible as She will not be burnt unless actually touching for a period of time), and then bank two more fixtures, one on each side, giving you a total of 3 fixtures, totaling at least 6 tubes. If done in this way, there will be a complete aura of light around Her. Foil can then be used to provide a hood, catching all the reflected light and focusing it on Her. Set the lights on some sort of pulley or adjustable chain affair, and in this way the lights can be raised as She grows. Please, no sun lamps. source: http://www.harekrsna.com/practice/sadhana/morning/tulasi-arati/care.htm#1

Unfortunately this met with a little criticism by so called Sanskrit scholars, a spiritual master of the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition preaching to Western people about the path to attain the eternal spiritual kingdom of Lord Sri Krishna and saying, "Bring This Rascal At Home". But what can be done? Which conditioned soul in this material world is not a rascal? "Just like a rich man, if his son goes out of home, he is suffering. His father knows that rascal boy is suffering. He is very anxious to get him back. “Bring this rascal at home.” That is father’s concern, naturally. Similarly, Krishna is more eager to take you back. Therefore He comes. He comes. He has got his agent, the guru. He has got His instruction, the Bhagavad-gītā. The whole concern is that God is so anxious, Krishna is anxious, to call back these rascals, back to home, back to Godhead. So sometimes He is so eager that He comes Himself. Just like I have sent some my agent to do something. I am seeing that it is being delayed, so I go there: “What you are doing? Why it is so delayed?” Like that. Therefore Krishna says, yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata abhyutthanam adharmasya tadatmānam srijamy aham [bg. 4.7]" Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.15.42 by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda Los Angeles, December 20, 1973

These are good points, take for example the basic teachings of Vaishnavism, we're immortal souls transmigrating from one material body to the next according our self-made karma. Did we ever found this philosophy presented anywhere on global media? They present via dozens satellites 24h non-stop mundane content. Not one single time pure Vaishnava philosophy presented. What kind of idiots are in power of 1 billion Hindus? One can say that 6 billion people on this planet never had one single authentic presentation of the basic lessons of vedic wisdom. And who's responsible for so much madness? Vedic culture is to always find out a culprit who's responsible and not to say, well nobody is responsible. satellites in space which enable gobal tv reception

If your gold is used for serving Krishna it is 100% perfect! Prabhupada would say, you should be conscious that by the grace of Krishna you have gotten it, now there's no more scarcity, you're wealthy and this is Krishna's plan. Prabhupada, Los Angeles, November 30, 1973: So you should be conscious that by the grace of Krishna, you have got all these things. There is no poverty, there is no scarcity, there is good chance of education, and you are wealthy, beautiful, everything. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrīḥ. But if you do not become Krishna conscious, if you misuse these assets, then again punar mūṣiko bhava. [...] So you American people, you have become tiger now, Nixon tiger. But if you don’t behave obligely, if you don’t feel obliged, if the tiger feels obliged that, “By the grace of the saintly person, I have come to the stage of becoming a tiger, I must be very much obliged to him…” But instead of becoming obliged, if you want to eat, then again become a mouse. If the saintly person has got the power to make you from mouse to tiger, then he can convert you again from tiger to mouse. You must always remember this. So by the grace of God, Krishna, you have become so powerful nation, rich, beautiful, educated. By grace of Kṛṣṇa you have become, but if you forget Krishna, then you are again going to be mouse. Remember that. Nobody will care for you. Just like Englishmen. Englishmen, they established the British Empire, great, powerful, most powerful nation in the world. Now they are not so. Because they misused their power. So you get power, opulence, by the grace of Lord, Krishna. And if you misuse it, then you become again… That is happening. That is the nature’s law. Nature’s law. So here, Arjuna, by his personal behavior, he is showing that “Without Krishna… I was so great fighter that I took charge of the sixteen thousand wives of Kṛṣṇa to take them safely. Because Krishna passed away, so they must be given protection.” He was Krishna's friend, but he could not do so. All the queens were plundered by cowherdsmen. Therefore he says that gopair asadbhiḥ. Cowherdsmen, they are not very powerful. They are ordinary men, cowherdsmen. But Arjuna was kṣatriya, so powerful. So he was defeated by them. Therefore he is regretting that asadbhiḥ: “If I would have been defeated by another powerful person, that would have been glory, but I have been defeated by the cowherdsmen.” Just see. Asadbhiḥ. They are not counted amongst gentlemen. Asadbhir abaleva. Śrīmad-Bhagavatam 1.15.20 by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Los Angeles, November 30, 1973

Why the Amish Forgive so Quickly By Donald B. Kraybill for The Christian Science Monitor on 2 Oct 2007 source: http://news.iskcon.com/why_amish_forgive_so_quickly Image: Creative Commons <!--paging_filter-->Elizabethtown, Pa. - A year ago, a shooter entered a one-room Amish school in Nickel Mines, Pa., dismissed all but 10 girls, and fired at them execution-style, killing five before shooting himself. Within hours, the Amish community forgave the killer and his family. News of the instant forgiveness stunned the outside world – almost as much as the incident itself did. Many pundits lauded the Amish, but others worried that hasty forgiveness was emotionally unhealthy. In dozens of interviews with Amish people since the tragedy, I discovered that the Amish approach to forgiveness is indeed quick and unconventional – but also inspirational to the rest of us. Members of the Amish community began offering words and hugs of forgiveness when the blood was barely dry on the schoolhouse floor. A grandmother laughed when I asked if the forgiveness was orchestrated. "You mean that some people actually thought we had a meeting to plan forgiveness?" As the father of a slain daughter explained, "Our forgiveness was not our words, it was what we did." Members of the community visited the gunman's widow at her home with food and flowers and hugged members of his family. There were a few words, but it was primarily their hugs, gifts, and mere presence – acts of grace – that communicated Amish forgiveness. Of the 75 people at the killer's burial, about half were Amish, including parents who had buried their own children a day or so before. Amish people also contributed to a fund for the shooter's family. For most people, a decision to forgive comes – if ever – at the end of a long emotional journey that may stretch over months if not years. The Amish invert the process. Their religious tradition predisposes them to forgive even before an injustice occurs. Amish faith is grounded in the teachings of Jesus to love enemies, reject revenge, and leave vengeance in the hands of God. As a father who lost a daughter in the schoolhouse said, "Forgiveness means giving up the right to revenge." Unlike those who hire lawyers at every turn to protect their rights, the Amish yield to divine providence in the case of an unspeakable tragedy such as the one at Nickel Mines – believing that God's long arm of justice removes that need for human retaliation. In the Amish view, forgiveness is a religious duty. As a young Amish carpenter said, "It's just standard forgiveness," but he was wrong. Conventional Christian forgiveness posits a God who forgives sinners and urges them to forgive others – to pass the grace on to those who wrong them. The Amish refrain – "If we don't forgive, we won't be forgiven" – shows a different impetus. Their salvation hinges on their willingness to forgive, a powerful motivation to extend grace to others. They cite the Lord's Prayer, and Jesus' story about an unforgiving servant as their motivation. One bishop, pointing to verses following the Lord's Prayer, said emphatically, "Forgiveness is the only thing that Jesus underscored in the Lord's Prayer." "Forgiveness was a decided issue," one bishop explained – decided, that is, by Amish history and practice over the centuries. When the religious ancestors of the Amish were torched at the stake for their faith in 16th-century Europe, many of them, echoing Jesus on the cross, prayed aloud that God would forgive their executioners. Despite their front-loaded commitment, the Amish still find forgiveness to be a long emotional process. Though there were no expressions of outright rage or hopes that the gunman would burn in hell, the wanton slaughter of their children did bring deep pain, tears, and raw grief. While forgiveness means not holding a grudge – "the acid of bitterness eats the container that holds it," one farmer explained – the Amish are clear that it does not free the offender from punishment. Had the gunman survived, they would have wanted him locked up, not for revenge but to protect other children. In mainstream society, retribution is a taken-for-granted right. Around the world, names of deities are often invoked to fuel cycles of revenge generation after generation. In refreshing contrast, rather than using religion to bless and legitimize revenge, the Amish believe that God smiles on acts of grace that open doors for reconciliation. Donald B. Kraybill, distinguished professor at Elizabethtown College, is coauthor of the book, "Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy."

Purport: Pariksit Maharaja told Kali-yuga to leave his kingdom immediately and reside in four places: brothels, liquor shops, slaughterhouses and gambling casinos. However, Kali-yuga requested him to give him only one place where these four places are included, and Pariksit Maharaja gave him the place where gold is stored. Gold encompasses the four principles of sin, and therefore, according to spiritual life, gold should be avoided as far as possible. If there is gold, there is certainly illicit sex, meat-eating, gambling and intoxication. Because people in the Western world have a great deal of gold, they are victims of these four sins. The color of gold is very glittering, and a materialistic person becomes very much attracted by its yellow color. However, this gold is actually a type of stool. A person with a bad liver generally passes yellow stool. The color of this stool attracts a materialistic person, just as the will-o'-the-wisp attracts one who needs heat." Srimad-Bhagavatam 5:14:7 Purport

These are interesting news when are you going to start the experiment? Of course there's a warning in SB 5.14.7 about the dangerous influence upon a conditioned souls mind: "Sometimes the living entity is interested in the yellow stool known as gold and runs after it. That gold is the source of material opulence and envy, and it can enable one to afford illicit sex, gambling, meat-eating and intoxication. Those whose minds are overcome by the mode of passion are attracted by the color of gold, just as a man suffering from cold in the forest runs after a phosphorescent light in a marshy land, considering it to be fire." But when properly used in serving humanity by responsible brahmanas like yourself, what can be the harm?

sruti-smrti-puranadi- pancaratriki vidhim vina aikantiki harer bhaktir utpatayaiva kalpate "Rupa Gosvami gives this direction that the initiation must be done according to sruti, smrti or pancaratriki vidhi. There is nyaya-prasthana, sruti-prasthana and smrti-prasthana. To make spiritual progress in three ways: by the Vedanta philosophy, or Vedic ways, or according to Smrti. Smrti means authorized books written in accordance to the Sruti. Sruti smrti. Just like Bhagavad-gita. Bhagavad-gita is not directly Vedas, but all the stanzas of Bhagavad-gita, they're strictly according to the Nyaya-prasthana and Sruti-prasthana. So any book which is strictly written according to the Vedas and Vedantas, that is also accepted as Vedic literature. So Pancaratriki vidhi means that it doesn't matter whether man is sudra or candala... Candala means less than sudra. Pancama The fifth grade. First class, brahmana; second class, ksatriya; third class, vasya; fourth class, sudra; and below this fourth class, they're all candalas. Candalas means pancama. Untouchable. They are called untouchable. So even the untouchables... Because Krishna has said: Mam hi partha vyapasritya ye 'pi syuh papa-yonayah. The papa-yoni, candala means papa-yoni, born of low-grade family... The Bhagavata says, Sukadeva Gosvami says, that: Kirata-hunandhra-pulinda-pulkasa abhira-sumbha yavana khasadayah. Yavana, mlecca yavana. They, they are called... They are also counted amongst the candalas. Ye 'nye ca papah, even lower than that. Ye 'nye ca papah suddhyanti. They becomes purified. How? Prabhavisnave namah. When they are initiated to become Krishna conscious. So if a, one may argue, "How it is possible to make a candala a Vaisnava?" No, that is possible. Prabhavisnave namah. Visnu is so powerful, omnipotent. He can do that. So only by Visnu mantra, by becoming a Vaisnava, one can transcend all this restriction, sociology. They can be. That is confirmed by Krishna: mam cavyabhicarini bhakti-yogena yah sevate sa gunan brahmatityaitan brahma-bhuyaya kalpate. Immediately he transcends. He's in the Brahman platform. One who has taken very seriously this devotional service, he's no more on this material platform. So long we are in the material platform, these distinction, brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, varna-sankara, they are considered. But when one is transcendentally situated, simply in pure, unalloyed service of the Lord, he's no more in the material platform. He's in the spiritual platform. Brahma-bhuyaya kalpate. He's already in the Brahman platform. Brahman platform means sa gunan samatitya etan. This material platform means three modes of material nature. Sattva-guna, rajo-guna, tamo-guna. Here, even one is brahmana... Sattva-guna means the brahminical qualification. He's also contaminated. He's also contaminated. He's conditioned by the material nature. And what to speak of sudra and varna-sankara? Everyone is conditioned by the material nature. Daivi hy esa gunamayi. Brahmana means to be situated, a first-class prisoner. A first-class prisoner is also prisoner. You cannot say that he's free. No, free is different from a first-class prisoner. Sometimes, any respectable gentleman, some political offence, he's put into jail. Just like Gandhi also went to jail. And so many others. But they were given the place, first-class prisoners. They got servant. They got separate bungalow and books, library, all facilities. But they cannot go out of the prison house. They are called first-class prisoners. So to become a brahmana means to becomes a first-class prisoner. That's all." Bhagavad-gita Ch 1 : Verse 40 [London, July 28, 1973]

Although by logic it makes full sense - you become immediately brahmana when properly initiated. When examining from "catur-varnyam maya srstam", point of view, "the four divisions of human society are created by Me", (BG 4.13), things look different. The division and influence of brahmana as created by Lord Sri Krishna Himself is a division which is naturally respected by the other three divisions. But do we see presently that Vaishnava brahmanas are naturally respected? People actually don't even consider to listen to Vaishnava brahmanas, what to speak of respecting them. The opposite party of those who preach you first have to be born into a brahmana family draws nearer. Prabhupada, London, July 28, 1973: "If properly initiated, he becomes immediately brahmana. Dvijatvam. Dvija means second birth. Yatha kancanatam yati kamsyam rasa-vidhanatah. There is a chemical process that kamsya, bell metal, can be turned into gold by mixing proportionately with mercury. Now here is a hint of chemistry. If anyone can prepare gold... But it is very difficult to mix mercury. As soon as there is little heat, immediately the mercury's finished. So there is a process. Everything has process. Many yogis know how to make gold from copper. Actually, chemically, copper, tin and mercury, if you mix proportionately, it will be gold. So Sanatana Gosvami gives this example. As the copper and tin, these two metals, mixed with mercury, there can be production of gold, similarly, by proper initiation, by the proper spiritual master, one sudra, even though he's a sudra, less than sudra, varna-sankara, or candala, he can become dvija, brahmana. So our process is to make dvija. Pancaratriki vidhi. Pancaratriki vidhi. That is recommended. sruti-smrti-puranadi- pancaratriki vidhim vina aikantiki harer bhaktir utpatayaiva kalpate Rupa Gosvami gives this direction that the initiation must be done according to sruti, smrti or pancaratriki vidhi. There is nyaya-prasthana, sruti-prasthana and smrti-prasthana. To make spiritual progress in three ways: by the Vedanta philosophy, or Vedic ways, or according to Smrti. Smrti means authorized books written in accordance to the Sruti. Sruti smrti. Just like Bhagavad-gita. Bhagavad-gita is not directly Vedas, but all the stanzas of Bhagavad-gita, they're strictly according to the Nyaya-prasthana and Sruti-prasthana. So any book which is strictly written according to the Vedas and Vedantas, that is also accepted as Vedic literature. So Pancaratriki vidhi means that it doesn't matter whether man is sudra or candala... Candala means less than sudra. Pancama The fifth grade. First class, brahmana; second class, ksatriya; third class, vasya; fourth class, sudra; and below this fourth class, they're all candalas. Candalas means pancama. Untouchable. They are called untouchable. So even the untouchables... Because Krishna has said: Mam hi partha vyapasritya ye 'pi syuh papa-yonayah. The papa-yoni, candala means papa-yoni, born of low-grade family... The Bhagavata says, Sukadeva Gosvami says, that: Kirata-hunandhra-pulinda-pulkasa abhira-sumbha yavana khasadayah. Yavana, mlecca yavana. They, they are called... They are also counted amongst the candalas. Ye 'nye ca papah, even lower than that. Ye 'nye ca papah suddhyanti. They becomes purified. How? Prabhavisnave namah. When they are initiated to become Krishna conscious. So if a, one may argue, "How it is possible to make a candala a Vaisnava?" No, that is possible. Prabhavisnave namah. Visnu is so powerful, omnipotent. He can do that. So only by Visnu mantra, by becoming a Vaisnava, one can transcend all this restriction, sociology. They can be. That is confirmed by Krishna: mam cavyabhicarini bhakti-yogena yah sevate sa gunan brahmatityaitan brahma-bhuyaya kalpate. Immediately he transcends. He's in the Brahman platform. One who has taken very seriously this devotional service, he's no more on this material platform."

The ability to hear is the greatest gift for followers of Lord Caitanya's Sankirtan Movement. harer nama harer nama harer nama iva kevalam kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha [Cc. Adi 17.21] "In this age of Kali," harer nama, "simply by chanting the holy name," harer nama, "simply by chanting the holy name," harer nama, again, thrice, "simply by chanting the holy name of Krsna..." Harer nama harer nama harer nama iva kevalam. You should always do this. Kalau: "In this age"; nasty eva, "there is no other alternative," nasty eva, "there is no other alternative," nasty eva, "there is no other alternative." Three times again, nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha: "There is no other process." So these are stressed by the Vedic literatures. "More than 120 million people in the world have a disabling hearing impairment." —World Health Organization. http://www.watchtower.org/e/20020522/article_01.htm Our ability to hear is a gift to be treasured. As we age, though, our hearing progressively diminishes. Modern society, with the many and varied sounds and noises it generates, seems to have accelerated this process. A senior scientist at the Central Institute for the Deaf, in St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A., noted: "About 75 percent of hearing loss in the typical American is caused not by the aging process alone but by what you've done to your ears throughout your lifetime." Intense, brief exposure to loud sounds can be harmful to the sensitive structures in the inner ear. More often, though, hearing loss is a result of "the cumulative effect of noisy jobs, noisy hobbies, noisy recreational activities," said hearing specialist Dr. Margaret Cheesman. What can you do to protect your hearing? To find the answer, it is helpful to know something about how your sense of hearing functions. The Sounds We Hear Our living environment seems to be getting louder. Daily many are battered by sounds of varying intensities ranging from the noise of cars, buses, and trucks in the streets to the racket of power tools in the workplace. Sometimes we add to the problem by turning up the volume. One popular way of listening to music is through headphones attached to a portable CD or cassette player. According to Marshall Chasin, cofounder of the Musicians' Clinics of Canada, surveys conducted in Canada and in the United States indicate that youths are increasingly suffering loss of hearing caused by the use of headphones with the volume turned up. But what is too loud? Sound is characterized in three ways—by duration, by frequency, and by amplitude. Duration simply refers to the length of time a sound is heard. A sound's frequency, or pitch, is described in cycles per second, or hertz. The range of audible frequency for normal, healthy hearing is from 20 to 20,000 cycles per second. A sound's amplitude, or strength, is measured in units called decibels (dB). Normal conversation has a sound level of approximately 60 decibels. Audiologists say that the longer you are exposed to anything louder than 85 decibels, the greater will be the eventual loss of hearing. The louder the sound, the faster the damage to hearing. A Newsweek magazine report noted: "Your ear can safely handle two hours with a power drill (100 dB), but not more than 30 minutes in a noisy video arcade (110 dB). Every 10-decibel increase on the sound scale represents 10 times more ear-battering noise." Tests confirm that sound becomes painful at approximately 120 decibels. Incredibly, some home stereo equipment can produce sound at more than 140 decibels!—See the accompanying box. To help you understand why loud sounds can damage your hearing, let us consider what happens when sound waves reach your ears. <table align="center" bgcolor="#ffff99" border="1" bordercolor="#ff3300" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" width="300"> <tbody><tr> <td>Approximate Decibel Level of Some Common Sounds Breathing—10 decibels Whispering—20 decibels Conversation—60 decibels Rush-hour traffic—80 decibels Food blender—90 decibels Passing train—100 decibels Chain saw—110 decibels Passing jet plane—120 decibels Shotgun blast—140 decibels </td> </tr></tbody></table> How Our Hearing Functions The shape of the fleshy part of the outer ear, called the auricle, or pinna, is designed to collect sound waves and direct them into the ear canal, where they soon reach the eardrum. At this point the sound waves cause the eardrum to vibrate, and the eardrum, in turn, causes the three bones in the middle ear to vibrate. Next, the vibrations are transmitted into the inner ear, a fluid-filled sac encased in bone. Here the vibrations move through the fluid in the cochlea, the snail-shaped hearing part of the inner ear that contains the hair cells. The fluid in the cochlea triggers the top portion of the hair cells to produce readable nerve impulses. These impulses are then transmitted to the brain, where they are decoded and interpreted as sound. The limbic system helps the brain decide which sounds to pay attention to and which to dismiss. For instance, a mother may not consciously hear the normal sounds of a child at play, but she will respond instantly to a cry of alarm. Hearing with two ears enables us to hear in stereo, which is very useful. It allows us to identify where the sounds are coming from. Yet, when a sound consists of speech, the brain can only understand one message at a time. "This is why," says the book The Senses, "when listening to someone while talking on the telephone, people cannot readily take in what the person next to them is saying." How Noise Damages Our Hearing To visualize how loud sounds can damage our hearing, consider the following analogy. One occupational safety report compares the hair membranes in the inner ear to wheat in a field and the sound entering the ear to the wind. A gentle breeze, like a low level sound, will move the tops of the wheat, but the wheat is not damaged. Increased wind velocity, however, will increase the stress on the wheat stalk. A sudden, extremely high wind or continuous exposure to lower winds over a long period of time may damage the stalk beyond repair and cause it to die. It is similar with noise and the tiny, delicate hair cells in the inner ear. An instant loud blast can tear the tissues of the inner ear and leave scars that cause permanent hearing loss. In addition, prolonged dangerous noise levels can permanently damage the delicate hair cells. Once damaged, they cannot regenerate. The accompanying result may be tinnitus—a buzzing, ringing, or roaring in the ears or head. Protect and Prolong Your Hearing Although heredity or some unforeseen accident may result in hearing loss, we can take precautions to protect and prolong our precious sense of hearing. It is good to learn in advance about potential hearing hazards. As one audiologist said, "waiting for a problem to arise before taking action is like applying the suntan lotion after you've been burned." Often it is a matter of how we listen and not so much what we listen to. For example, if you use stereo headphones, you may want to set the volume at a level low enough for you to be able to hear sounds around you. If your car or home stereo is set loud enough to drown out ordinary conversation, this may well be a signal that it is also loud enough to damage your hearing. Experts caution that two to three hours of exposure to 90 decibels can damage your ears. Earplugs or other hearing-protection devices are recommended whenever you are in a noisy environment. Parents do well to remember that children are more susceptible to hearing damage than are adults. Keep in mind the potential danger of noisy playthings. Why, a toy rattle can reach 110 decibels! Our ears are delicate, small, and wonderful mechanisms. With them we can hear all the varied and beautiful sounds of the world around us. Surely, this precious gift of hearing deserves to be protected. You May Be Losing Your Hearing if You Increase the volume on the radio or TV but others find it uncomfortably loud Continually ask others to repeat themselves Often frown, lean forward, and turn your head in order to hear the one speaking to you Have difficulty hearing at public gatherings or when there is noise in the background, such as at a social gathering or in a busy store Often depend on others to tell you what was said

Yes, lets go on serving prasadam to the blasphemers and give them the mercy. Devotees serve spiritual food to detained blasphemer Thingbaijam Dhamen http://www.kanglaonline.com/index.php?template=headline&newsid=39548&typeid=1 IMPHAL, Oct 6: A 60-year old man who is in police custody for allegedly chanting "Hare Krishna, Hare Rama, Shan-na-mahoure" (beef is the best) repeatedly in front of devotees of Krishna was served prasadi (spiritualised food) Saturday by a devotee in police custody even as he was accused of blaspheming Lord Krishna. Last Thursday (October 4) devotees from the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) who were running a mobile shop selling books and other items faced an old man blaspheming Lord Krishna by announcing in front of them "Hare Krishna, Hare Rama, Shan-na-mahoure" five times. This drew the devotees` ire and a heated arguement resulted between the old man and the devotees. Following the argument two persons who came with the old man assaulted one of the devotees named Braja Bhakta Das, 28 years, spiritual son of Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Swami of ISKCON, Manipur. The incident occurred at around 3.50 pm at Rup Mahal Tank in the heart of Imphal city. Though the devotee was not physically injured his clothing was torn in the assault. The Imphal city police registered a case under section 295-A on a complaint lodged by the victim, Braja Bhakta Das and arrested 60-year old Kangjam Joykumar of Noaremthong Loukrakpam Leikai. However, two of his associates hailing from Wangkhei who were involved in the assault are still at large. Police picked up Joykumar on Friday and got him remanded to police custody till Monday (four days) under Section 295-A of the IPC after producing him before a local court. Section 295-A of the IPC deals with deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage the religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious belief. Under this section, an offence can be punished with imprisonment of three years or fine of Rs. 1000 or both. 295-A of IPC states that whoever, with deliberate or malicious intention of outraging the religious feelings of any class (citizen of India) by words, either spoken or written or by signs or visible representation or otherwise, insults or attempts to insult the religion or the religious beliefs of that class, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years or with fine or with both. "We have taken remand of the man from the court yesterday and are investigating the case further for appropriate action against the accused. Two of his associates are yet to be rounded up," a police officer in the city police said. Interestingly, the accused who is in police custody was served food (`prasadam` according to devotees) today by a devotee of ISKCON named Ajit Das at the police station. The family of the accused person has not, however, turned up or supplied food from home till date to the accused, a source at the police station said. According to Ajit Das they had served prasadam to the accused as he had committed the wrong unknowingly. "Man does not know what is right or wrong while committing a crime. He comes to realise only after performing the act. My religion teaches this," he said. "We are trying to settle the thing peacefully and we don`t want anyone punished. Instead we want to make them understand that there is no difference between all religions. All are same," he went on observe. He also believed that the other two persons who are at large will surrender to them and "we will draw them on the right path". On the other hand, police said they were making the best efforts to award appropriate punishment to the offender according to the law of the land. The city police said they took the matter seriously as it hurt the sentiments of the particular religion.

This was to be expected - scientists are getting more and more presuming, where're the Vaishnava scientists to expose such tricksters? I am creating artificial life, declares US gene pioneer · Scientist has made synthetic chromosome · Breakthrough could combat global warming Ed Pilkington in New York The Guardian Saturday October 6 2007 Craig Venter, the controversial DNA researcher involved in the race to decipher the human genetic code, has built a synthetic chromosome out of laboratory chemicals and is poised to announce the creation of the first new artificial life form on Earth. The announcement, which is expected within weeks and could come as early as Monday at the annual meeting of his scientific institute in San Diego, California, will herald a giant leap forward in the development of designer genomes. It is certain to provoke heated debate about the ethics of creating new species and could unlock the door to new energy sources and techniques to combat global warming. Mr Venter told the Guardian he thought this landmark would be "a very important philosophical step in the history of our species. We are going from reading our genetic code to the ability to write it. That gives us the hypothetical ability to do things never contemplated before". The Guardian can reveal that a team of 20 top scientists assembled by Mr Venter, led by the Nobel laureate Hamilton Smith, has already constructed a synthetic chromosome, a feat of virtuoso bio-engineering never previously achieved. Using lab-made chemicals, they have painstakingly stitched together a chromosome that is 381 genes long and contains 580,000 base pairs of genetic code. The DNA sequence is based on the bacterium Mycoplasma genitalium which the team pared down to the bare essentials needed to support life, removing a fifth of its genetic make-up. The wholly synthetically reconstructed chromosome, which the team have christened Mycoplasma laboratorium, has been watermarked with inks for easy recognition. It is then transplanted into a living bacterial cell and in the final stage of the process it is expected to take control of the cell and in effect become a new life form. The team of scientists has already successfully transplanted the genome of one type of bacterium into the cell of another, effectively changing the cell's species. Mr Venter said he was "100% confident" the same technique would work for the artificially created chromosome. The new life form will depend for its ability to replicate itself and metabolise on the molecular machinery of the cell into which it has been injected, and in that sense it will not be a wholly synthetic life form. However, its DNA will be artificial, and it is the DNA that controls the cell and is credited with being the building block of life. Mr Venter said he had carried out an ethical review before completing the experiment. "We feel that this is good science," he said. He has further heightened the controversy surrounding his potential breakthrough by applying for a patent for the synthetic bacterium. Pat Mooney, director of a Canadian bioethics organisation, ETC group, said the move was an enormous challenge to society to debate the risks involved. "Governments, and society in general, is way behind the ball. This is a wake-up call - what does it mean to create new life forms in a test-tube?" He said Mr Venter was creating a "chassis on which you could build almost anything. It could be a contribution to humanity such as new drugs or a huge threat to humanity such as bio-weapons". Mr Venter believes designer genomes have enormous positive potential if properly regulated. In the long-term, he hopes they could lead to alternative energy sources previously unthinkable. Bacteria could be created, he speculates, that could help mop up excessive carbon dioxide, thus contributing to the solution to global warming, or produce fuels such as butane or propane made entirely from sugar. "We are not afraid to take on things that are important just because they stimulate thinking," he said. "We are dealing in big ideas. We are trying to create a new value system for life. When dealing at this scale, you can't expect everybody to be happy."

First Hindu Temple to be Built in China By Ved P. Chaudhary, Ph.D (Hindu Collective Initiative) for www.HCINA.org on 5 Oct 2007 <!--paging_filter-->It is one of the grandest Hindu temples in the capital and has been built with a lot of thought and precision. An architectural marvel, the Akshardham temple is the cynosure of all eyes. Soon a replica of it will be constructed, thousands of miles away in China. The first Hindu temple in communist China. The Chinese government has invited the Swaminarayan Trust that runs the Akshardham temples in Noida and in Gandhinagar, to build a similar temple. A huge piece of land has been earmarked in Fohsan state, which will not only house the temple but also an Indian cultural centre. "Initial thoughts are to have a cultural centre also along with the temple, a traditional Indian music learning centre and also various Indian language teaching centres including Hindi, on this temple premises," said Jagat Shah, Joint Secretary-General, Indo-China Trade Council. The Swaminarayan Trust has welcomed the decision, saying there's much more to it than the religious angle. "This decision taken by Chinese government, letting the Hindus build a temple in China is to be appreciated highly. Its not only question of spirituality but also in many other ways both the countries will benefit. There will also be cultural exchange between people living in these two countries and that outcome will help in spiritual and physical growth of citizens of India and China," said Jasraj Maharaj, religious guru in the Swaminarayan Sect. A core team of the trust is busy preparing the final design plan. Members of the team and the Indo-China Trade Council are expected to visit the proposed temple site soon. A team of officials from one of China's prestigious construction companies that will execute the project is now in India to study the architecture of Swaminarayan temple. "China is also very good at construction and especially our company actually focuses on various types of construction designs. I think this being a joint venture with Indian partner, design from India and construction from China, this temple will be the masterpiece," said Xiaojun Lee, Secretary of Board, Panzhihua Guanghua Group, PR China. The first Hindu temple in the land of dragons will not just be a temple but the hub of cultural exchange between India and China.

This might rather highlight the root cause, as pointed out today by the Daily Telegraph UK, Jesus is considered by the establishment - due different reasons - a bastard. THE DAILY TELEGRAPH UNITED KINGDOM: Call for Jews to stop calling Jesus a bastard http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/10/06/wjesus106.xml By Ben Martin Last Updated: 12:14am BST 06/10/2007 A senior American cardinal has asked Jews to reconsider descriptions of Jesus as a "bastard" in exchange for a softening of traditional Catholic prayers calling for Jews to be converted to Christianity. # Damien Thompson: Holy smoke The controversial comments, by Cardinal Francis George of the Archdiocese of Chicago, concern a prayer said during Easter celebrations by the small number of parishes or priests who celebrate a particular form of Good Friday mass. Those version of Good Friday prayers calls for the congregation to pray for Jews to be converted to Christianity. But Cardinal George said this prayer should be amended to ensure it did not offend Jews. "I suspect (the amendment) probably will be (made), because the intention is to be sure that our prayers are not offensive to the Jewish people who are our ancestors in the faith," Cardinal George said in an interview with the National Catholic Reporter. "We can't possibly insult them in our liturgy … not that any group has a veto on anybody's prayers, because you can go through Jewish texts and find material that is offensive to us. But if we're interested in keeping the dialogue strong, and we have to be, we should be very cautious about any prayer that they find insulting." But this should mean that Jews, in turn, consider amending their own religious texts, he said. "It does work both ways. Maybe this is an opening to say, 'Would you care to look at some of the Talmudic literature's description of Jesus as a bastard, and so on, and maybe make a few changes in some of that?'"

Looks like Prabhupada appeals to those who can follow simple logic, whereas critics don't accept. Critics were always there, and that those don't agree to Prabhupada's logic and arguments is normal and has to be respected with friendly politeness and wellwishing. hungry elephants while eating "For meals the birds, bees, they are not going to office. There are 8,400,000 forms of life. Only the civilized form of, the so- called civilized men, they are undergoing so much trouble for their meals. But others, they are not going fifty miles. They have got ready food. They sit down on any tree. Oh, there are enough fruits. Little eating, finish their business. Or take the elephants also. They are eating so much. They have got also food. Therefore śāstra says that “Food is already there.” So many people say, “Oh, so many people are dying, starving.” And where is the man? Show me who is dying for starvation. These are all pleas. They won’t take any tapasya for understanding, but they will work hard like asses, like hogs and dogs, for two meals. But we should consider that we are taking so much penances for simply filling our this hungry belly, appetite. Why not little tapasya for Krishna, chanting sixteen rounds? But will… That is also very difficult. Then? Tapasya, penance in pure bhakti-yoga." full lecture:http://causelessmercy.com/t/t/720422SB.TOK.htm?i=Japan

Looks like Prabhupada gave only one SB class in Japan where he said: They are to be awakened to Krishna consciousness. It does not mean they are actually separate from Krishna. But they have to be awakened. They say man is not dead, he is sleeping. But he has to be awakened. As soon as he is awakened, he remembers immediately. This is called svapna-citta-nyaya. I am sleeping, forgetting everything. I am in a different place. But as soon as I am awakened I remember, “Oh, I have to do this, I have to go there.” So this forgetfulness is a temporary illusion, that’s all. Actually we don’t forget. It is temporary. Ātma-mayam ṛte. It is only it is action of God’s external energy. Because I wanted to forget Krishna, therefore Krishna has helped me in forgetting Him by His own illusory energy. Have sankīrtana. (end) Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.9.4 by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda Japan, April 22, 1972 full lecture:http://causelessmercy.com/t/t/720422SB.TOK.htm?i=Japan

We preach Indian spiritualism in Russia, say Russian devotees Anupam Bhagria Posted online: Saturday , October 06, 2007 at 12:00:00 Ludhiana, October 5 Meet these Russians currently visiting the city, and they pleasantly wish you “Hare Krishna ji”. These Russians are associated with Iskcon, and are here to take part in the Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra. The Russians are impressed with Punjabi hospitality. They are also highly fascinated with the Indian spiritual philosophy. Says Liva Prema, a 23-year-old student from Moscow, who said, “I have just finished my studies. I am fond of books published by Iskcon, and wanted to be part of the rath yatra. In Russia, I am associated with many religious organizations, but find the Indian spiritual philosophy very deep. I also preach the Indian philosophy in my country.” As many as 2,000 foreign devotees from Russia, USA, Germany etc are participating in the 12th Jagannath Rath Yatra being taken out on October 6. A 48-year-old Russian devotee who comes from a Muslim family has now taken the name of Satyawati Devi Darshi. “I belong to Uzbekistan and have been living in Vrindavan since 15 years. The teachings of Lord Krishna on consciousness are very deep, and I am still learning a lot through it. There are many aspects of life where it instructs us.” Vachitra Symkha Dass, 47, also hails from Russia. She has been living in Vrindavan since seven years. Dass has also visited some countries to speak about the Hindu philosophy. “I found people full of warmth and enthusiasm. It was my dream to participate in the Rath Yatra, so I am here.” Interestingly all the female devotees were wearing saris, while the males were wearing dhoti-kurta in white colour. <!--Story End--> <!--Page Next Previous Start--><!-- Go to 123456 --> <!--Page Next Previous end-->

Thanks sevabhakta, therefore I wrote in post above, yes, everything went according Krishna's plan and the hardship we had to undergo caused by those "big leaders" is till today Krishna's mercy.

Prabhupada's conclusion is that human beings are not meant to work like ugra-karmis - that nature is so fertile that there can be easily 10 times more people being fed sumptuously and live freely. Of course people have to be trained to become servants of God, Krishna, otherwise if they live in opposition what human live is meant for, their situation becomes as such that nature keeps them struggling more than lower animals, are treated by nature like enemies.

To keep a world wide movement like ISKCON running requires manpower. Like in any other global org during the start-up period people could be kept inspired at it more easy but in the next phase staying power or to go through dry spell was the challenge. Staying power, going through dry spell you find everywhere a difficult job. Srila Prabhupada was compromising? When having read Prabhupada's books we rather say, Prabhupada always knew exactly what he was doing.

Prabhupada would agree that he had to install leaders which were more or less useless people - what's the problem? The only option left would have been to close down ISKCON.

Huge reindeer flocks which overwinter in Greenland - troubled by Poland's industrial polution? The actual reason for this might yet not be explored but still even people who don't believe in a God maintaining the living entities like Greenpeace or PETA base their understanding on the perfectly functioning system of nature which at least Greenpeace and PETA consider that it has to be protected. That some Vaishnavas consider nature as highly defective (see above) has to be respected and is not further astonishing.

This is true because we human beings are not even causing problems for ourselves but are destroying the wildlife habit for so many animals. "But we cannot see even that the birds, beasts, they do not become technologists. How they are getting food? There are 8,400,000 forms of body. The human form of body are 400,000. Out of many bodies that live in jungle, they have also no technology, no education, no systematic government, nothing— but they are also eating. The birds and beasts are eating. Everyone is eating. The ants within your home, within the hole of your room, they’re also eating. So who is not eating? Everyone is eating. Why you have made a civilization to work hard like an ass for your eating? What is this civilization? If everyone is, without working, they’re getting their food, then what is your advancement of civilization that you have to work like an ass to get your food? That is not advancement of civilization. Therefore, because we are becoming animal, less than animal, therefore they are decreasing the personal God. This is the idea. But here it is said, ya adyo bhagavan. This is human civilization. Everyone should know what is Bhagavan and take lessons from Bhagavan. Bhagavan is coming. Krishna says, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata tadatmanam srijamy aham [bg. 4.7] He comes. He’s very anxious. People are ignorant, so therefore Kapiladeva has come. And the mother says, lokasya tamasā andhasya cakṣuḥ: “My dear son, Kapila, You are just the real eyes of these blind men, who cannot see You, or who cannot see God.” Cakṣuḥ. So how cakṣuḥ? Because by knowledge. Premāñjana- cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena [bs. 5.38] By knowledge, when we shall develop or awaken our dormant love for God, then we can see God— with these eyes. Simply it has to be treated. Premāñjana-cchurita. You have to apply the ointment, eye ointment, of loving God. Then you’ll see God everywhere. How? Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti- vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti [bs. 5.38]. He sees twenty-four hours God and nothing but God. Not only within his heart, but everywhere he sees God. If he goes to the sea, he’ll see Krishna. If you are thoughtful, you’ll see, “Why such a big sea does, cannot touch my feet? I am walking on the beach. There is order. There is order, ‘You cannot come beyond this limit.’ ” Otherwise, it can overpower you at any moment. Is it very difficult for the sea. One wave can overpower you. A whole Bombay city can be washed off. But it cannot do so." Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.25.9 by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda Bombay, November 9, 1974 Full lecture: http://causelessmercy.com/t/t/741109SB.BOM.htm?i=1974