suchandra

CHAPTER ONE 1. Humbly bowing down before the almighty Lord Sri Vishnu, the Lord of the three worlds, I recite maxims of the science of political ethics (niti) selected from the various satras. 2. That man who by the study of these maxims from the satras acquires a knowledge of the most celebrated principles of duty, and understands what ought and what ought not to be followed, and what is good and what is bad, is most excellent. 3. Therefore with an eye to the public good, I shall speak that which, when understood, will lead to an understanding of things in their proper perspective. 4. Even a pandit comes to grief by giving instruction to a foolish disciple, by maintaining a wicked wife, and by excessive familiarity with the miserable. 5. A wicked wife, a false friend, a saucy servant and living in a house with a serpent in it are nothing but death. 6. One should save his money against hard times, save his wife at the sacrifice of his riches, but invariably one should save his soul even at the sacrifice of his wife and riches. 7. Save your wealth against future calamity. Do not say, "What what fear has a rich man of calamity?" When riches begin to forsake one even the accumulated stock dwindles away. 8. Do not inhabit a country where you are not respected, cannot earn your livelihood, have no friends, or cannot acquire knowledge. 9. Do not stay for a single day where there are not these five persons: a wealthy man, a brahmana well versed in Vedic lore, a king, a river and a physician. 10. Wise men should never go into a country where there are no means of earning one's livelihood, where the people have no dread of anybody, have no sense of shame, no intelligence, or a charitable disposition. 11. Test a servant while in the discharge of his duty, a relative in difficulty, a friend in adversity, and a wife in misfortune. 12. He is a true friend who does not forsake us in time of need, misfortune, famine, or war, in a king's court, or at the crematorium (smasana). 13. He who gives up what is imperishable for that which perishable, loses that which is imperishable; and doubtlessly loses that which is perishable also. 14. A wise man should marry a virgin of a respectable family even if she is deformed. He should not marry one of a low-class family, through beauty. Marriage in a family of equal status is preferable. 15. Do not put your trust in rivers, men who carry weapons, beasts with claws or horns, women, and members of a royal family. 16. Even from poison extract nectar, wash and take back gold if it has fallen in filth, receive the highest knowledge (Krsna consciousness) from a low born person; so also a girl possessing virtuous qualities (stri-ratna) even if she be born in a disreputable family. 17. Women have hunger two-fold, shyness four-fold, daring six-fold, and lust eight-fold as compared to men. CHAPTER TWO 1. Untruthfulness, rashness, guile, stupidity, avarice, uncleanliness and cruelty are a women's seven natural flaws. 2. To have ability for eating when dishes are ready at hand, to be robust and virile in the company of one's religiously wedded wife, and to have a mind for making charity when one is prosperous are the fruits of no ordinary austerities. 3. He whose son is obedient to him, whose wife's conduct is in accordance with his wishes, and who is content with his riches, has his heaven here on earth. 4. They alone are sons who are devoted to their father. He is a father who supports his sons. He is a friend in whom we can confide, and she only is a wife in whose company the husband feels contented and peaceful. 5. Avoid him who talks sweetly before you but tries to ruin you behind your back, for he is like a pitcher of poison with milk on top. 6. Do not put your trust in a bad companion nor even trust an ordinary friend, for if he should get angry with you, he may bring all your secrets to light. 7. Do not reveal what you have thought upon doing, but by wise council keep it secret being determined to carry it into execution. 8. Foolishness is indeed painful, and verily so is youth, but more painful by far than either is being obliged in another person's house. 9. There does not exist a ruby in every mountain, nor a pearl in the head of every elephant; neither are the sadhus to be found everywhere, nor sandal trees in every forest. 10. Wise men should always bring up their sons in various moral ways, for children who have knowledge of niti-sastra and are well-behaved become a glory to their family. 11. Those parents who do not educate their sons are their enemies; for as is a crane among swans, so are ignorant so are ignorant sons in a public assembly. 12. Many a bad habit is developed through overindulgence, and many a good one by chastisement, therefore beat your son as well as your pupil; never indulge them. ("Spare the rod and spoil the child.") 13. Let not a single day pass without your learning a verse, half a verse, or a fourth of it, or even one letter of it; nor without attending to charity, study and other pious activity. 14. Separation from the wife, disgrace from one's own people, an enemy saved in battle, service to a wicked king, poverty, and a mismanaged assembly: these six kinds of evils, if afflicting a person, burn him even without fire. 15. Trees on a river bank, a woman in another man's house, and kings without counsellors go without doubt to swift destruction. 16. A brahmana's strength is in his learning, a king's strength is in his army, a vaishya's strength is in his wealth and a shudra's strength is in his attitude of service. 17. The prostitute has to forsake a man who has no money, the subject a king that cannot defend him, the birds a tree that bears no fruit, and the guests a house after they have finished their meals. 18. Brahmanas quit their patrons after receiving alms from them, scholars leave their teachers after receiving education from them, and animals desert a forest that has been burnt down. 19. He who befriends a man whose conduct is vicious, whose vision impure, and who is notoriously crooked, is rapidly ruined. 20. Friendship between equals flourishes, service under a king is respectable, it is good to be business-minded in public dealings, and a handsome lady is safe in her own home. CHAPTER THREE 1. In this world, whose family is there without blemish? Who is free from sickness and grief? Who is forever happy? 2. A man's descent may be discerned by his conduct, his country by his pronunciation of language, his friendship by his warmth and glow, and his capacity to eat by his body. 3. Give your daughter in marriage to a good family, engage your son in learning, see that your enemy comes to grief, and engage your friends in dharma. (Krsna consciousness). 4. Of a rascal and a serpent, the serpent is the better of the two, for he strikes only at the time he is destined to kill, while the former at every step. 5. Therefore kings gather round themselves men of good families, for they never forsake them either at the beginning, the middle or the end. 6. At the time of the pralaya (universal destruction) the oceans are to exceed their limits and seek to change, but a saintly man never changes. 7. Do not keep company with a fool for as we can see he is a two-legged beast. Like an unseen thorn he pierces the heart with his sharp words. 8. Though men be endowed with beauty and youth and born in noble families, yet without education they are like the palasa flower which is void of sweet fragrance. 9. The beauty of a cuckoo is in its notes, that of a woman in her unalloyed devotion to her husband, that of an ugly person in his scholarship, and that of an ascetic in his forgiveness. 10. Give up a member to save a family, a family to save a village, a village to save a country, and the country to save yourself. 11. There is no poverty for the industrious. Sin does not attach itself to the person practicing japa (chanting of the holy names of the Lord). Those who are absorbed in maunam (silent contemplation of the Lord) have no quarrel with others. They are fearless who remain always alert. 12. ... 13. What is too heavy for the strong and what place is too distant for those who put forth effort? What country is foreign to a man of true learning? Who can be inimical to one who speaks pleasingly? 14. As a whole forest becomes fragrant by the existence of a single tree with sweet-smelling blossoms in it, so a family becomes famous by the birth of a virtuous son. 15. As a single withered tree, if set aflame, causes a whole forest to burn, so does a rascal son destroy a whole family. 16. As night looks delightful when the moon shines, so is a family gladdened by even one learned and virtuous son. 17. What is the use of having many sons if they cause grief and vexation? It is better to have only one son from whom the whole family can derive support and peacefulness. 18. Fondle a son until he is five years of age, and use the stick for another ten years, but when he has attained his sixteenth year treat him as a friend. 19. He who runs away from a fearful calamity, a foreign invasion, a terrible famine, and the companionship of wicked men is safe. 20 He who has not acquired one of the following: religious merit (dharma), wealth (artha), satisfaction of desires (kama), or liberation (moksa) is repeatedly born to die. 21. Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth, comes of Her own accord where fools are not respected, grain is well stored up, and the husband and wife do not quarrel. CHAPTER FOUR 1. These five: the life-span, the type of work, wealth, learning and the time of one's death are determined while one is in the womb. 2. Offspring, friends and relatives flee from a devotee of the Lord: yet those who follow him bring merit to their families through their devotion. 3. Fish, tortoises, and birds bring up their young by means of sight, attention and touch; so do saintly men afford protection to their associates by the same means. 4. As long as your body is healthy and under control and death is distant, try to save your soul; when death is immanent what can you do? 5. Learning is like a cow of desire. It, like her, yields in all seasons. Like a mother, it feeds you on your journey. Therefore learning is a hidden treasure. 6. A single son endowed with good qualities is far better than a hundred devoid of them. For the moon, though one, dispels the darkness, which the stars, though numerous, can not. 7. A still-born son os superior to a foolish son endowed with a long life. The first causes grief for but a moment while the latter like a blazing fire consumes his parents in grief for life. 8. Residing in a small village devoid of proper living facilities, serving a person born of a low family, unwholesome food, a frowning wife, a foolish son, and a widowed daughter burn the body without fire. 9. What good is a cow that neither gives milk nor conceives? Similarly, what is the value of the birth of a son if he becomes neither learned nor a pure devotee of the Lord? 10. When one is consumed by the sorrows of life, three things give him relief: offspring, a wife, and the company of the Lord's devotees. 11. Kings speak for once, men of learning once, and the daughter is given in marriage once. All these things happen once and only once. 12. Religious austerities should be practiced alone, study by two, and singing by three. A journey should be undertaken by four, agriculture by five, and war by many together. 13. She is a true wife who is clean (suci), expert, chaste, pleasing to the husband, and truthful. 14. The house of a childless person is a void, all directions are void to one who has no relatives, the heart of a fool is also void, but to a poverty stricken man all is void. 15. Scriptural lessons not put into practice are poison; a meal is poison to him who suffers from indigestion; a social gathering is poison to a poverty stricken person; and a young wife is poison to an aged man. 16. That man who is without religion and mercy should be rejected. A guru without spiritual knowledge should be rejected. The wife with an offensive face should be given up, and so should relatives who are without affection. 17. Constant travel brings old age upon a man; a horse becomes old by being constantly tied up; lack of sexual contact with her husband brings old age upon a woman; and garments become old through being left in the sun. 18. Consider again and again the following: the right time, the right friends, the right place, the right means of income, the right ways of spending, and from whom you derive your power. 19. For the twice-born the fire (Agni) is a representative of God. The Supreme Lord resides in the heart of His devotees. Those of average intelligence (alpa-buddhi or kanista-adhikari) see God only in His sri-murti, but those of broad vision see the Supreme Lord everywhere. CHAPTER FIVE 1. Agni is the worshipable person for the twice-born; the brahmana for the other castes; the husband for the wife; and the guest who comes for food at the midday meal for all. 2. As gold is tested in four ways by rubbing, cutting, heating and beating -- so a man should be tested by these four things: his renunciation, his conduct, his qualities and his actions. 3. A thing may be dreaded as long as it has not overtaken you, but once it has come upon you, try to get rid of it without hesitation. 4. Though persons be born from the same womb and under the same stars, they do not become alike in disposition as the thousand fruits of the badari tree. 5. He whose hands are clean does not like to hold an office; he who desires nothing cares not for bodily decorations; he who is only partially educated cannot speak agreeably; and he who speaks out plainly cannot be a deceiver. 6. The learned are envied by the foolish; rich men by the poor; chaste women by adulteresses; and beautiful ladies by ugly ones. 7. Indolent application ruins study; money is lost when entrusted to others; a farmer who sows his seed sparsely is ruined; and an army is lost for want of a commander. 8. Learning is retained through putting into practice; family prestige is maintained through good behaviour; a respectable person is recognised by his excellent qualities; and anger is seen in the eyes. 9. Religion is preserved by wealth; knowledge by diligent practice; a king by conciliatory words; and a home by a dutiful housewife. 10. Those who blaspheme Vedic wisdom, who ridicule the life style recommended in the satras, and who deride men of peaceful temperament, come to grief unnecessarily. 11. Charity puts and end to poverty; righteous conduct to misery; discretion to ignorance; and scrutiny to fear. 12. There is no disease (so destructive) as lust; no enemy like infatuation; no fire like wrath; and no happiness like spiritual knowledge. 13. A man is born alone and dies alone; and he experiences the good and bad consequences of his karma alone; and he goes alone to hell or the Supreme abode. 14. Heaven is but a straw to him who knows spiritual life (Krsna consciousness); so is life to a valiant man; a woman to him who has subdued his senses; and the universe to him who is without attachment for the world. 15. Learning is a friend on the journey; a wife in the house; medicine in sickness; and religious merit is the only friend after death. 16. Rain which falls upon the sea is useless; so is food for one who is satiated; in vain is a gift for one who is wealthy; and a burning lamp during the daytime is useless. 17. There is no water like rainwater; no strength like one's own; no light like that of the eyes; and no wealth more dear than food grain. 18. The poor wish for wealth; animals for the faculty of speech; men wish for heaven; and godly persons for liberation. 19. The earth is supported by the power of truth; it is the power of truth that makes the sun shine and the winds blow; indeed all things rest upon truth. 20. The Goddess of wealth is unsteady (chanchala), and so is the life breath. The duration of life is uncertain, and the place of habitation is uncertain; but in all this inconsistent world religious merit alone is immovable. 21. Among men the barber is cunning; among birds the crow; among beasts the jackal; and among women, the malin (flower girl). 22. These five are your fathers; he who gave you birth, girdled you with sacred thread, teaches you, provides you with food, and protects you from fearful situations. 23. These five should be considered as mothers; the king's wife, the preceptor's wife, the friend's wife, your wife's mother, and your own mother. CHAPTER SIX 1. By means of hearing one understands dharma, malignity vanishes, knowledge is acquired, and liberation from material bondage is gained. 2. Among birds the crow is vile; among beasts the dog; the ascetic whose sins is abominable, but he who blasphemes others is the worst chandala. 3. Brass is polished by ashes; copper is cleaned by tamarind; a woman, by her menses; and a river by its flow. 4. The king, the brahmana, and the ascetic yogi who go abroad are respected; but the woman who wanders is utterly ruined. 5. He who has wealth has friends. He who is wealthy has relatives. The rich one alone is called a man, and the affluent alone are respected as pandits. 6. As is the desire of Providence, so functions one's intellect; one's activities are also controlled by Providence; and by the will of Providence one is surrounded by helpers. 7. Time perfects all living beings as well as kills them; it alone is awake when all others are asleep. Time is insurmountable. 8. Those born blind cannot see; similarly blind are those in the grip of lust. Proud men have no perception of evil; and those bent on acquiring riches see no sin in their actions. 9. The spirit soul goes through his own course of karma and he himself suffers the good and bad results thereby accrued. By his own actions he entangles himself in samsara, and by his own efforts he extricates himself. 10. The king is obliged to accept the sins of his subjects; the purohit (priest) suffers for those of the king; a husband suffers for those of his wife; and the guru suffers for those of his pupils. 11. A father who is a chronic debtor, an adulterous mother, a beautiful wife, and an unlearned son are enemies ( in one's own home). 12. Conciliate a covetous man by means of a gift, an obstinate man with folded hands in salutation, a fool by humouring him, and a learned man by truthful words. 13. It is better to be without a kingdom than to rule over a petty one; better to be without a friend than to befriend a rascal; better to be without a disciple than to have a stupid one; and better to be without a wife than to have a bad one. 14. How can people be made happy in a petty kingdom? What peace can we expect from a rascal friend? What happiness can we have at home in the company of a bad wife? How can renown be gained by instructing an unworthy disciple? 15. Learn one thing from a lion; one from a crane; four a cock; five from a crow; six from a dog; and three from an ass. 16. The one excellent thing that can be learned from a lion is that whatever a man intends doing should be done by him with a whole-hearted and strenuous effort. 17. The wise man should restrain his senses like the crane and accomplish his purpose with due knowledge of his place, time and ability. 18. To wake at the proper time; to take a bold stand and fight; to make a fair division (of property) among relations; and to earn one's own bread by personal exertion are the four excellent things to be learned from a cock. 19. Union in privacy (with one's wife); boldness; storing away useful items; watchfulness; and not easily trusting others; these five things are to be learned from a crow. 20. Contentment with little or nothing to eat although one may have a great appetite; to awaken instantly although one may be in a deep slumber; unflinching devotion to the master; and bravery; these six qualities should be learned from the dog. 21. Although an ass is tired, he continues to carry his burden; he is unmindful of cold and heat; and he is always contented; these three things should be learned from the ass. 22. He who shall practice these twenty virtues shall become invincible in all his undertakings. CHAPTER SEVEN 1. A wise man should not reveal his loss of wealth, the vexation of his mind, the misconduct of his own wife, base words spoken by others, and disgrace that has befallen him. 2. He who gives up shyness in monetary dealings, in acquiring knowledge, in eating and in business, becomes happy. 3. The happiness and peace attained by those satisfied by the nectar of spiritual tranquillity is not attained by greedy persons restlessly moving here and there. 4. One should feel satisfied with the following three things; his own wife, food given by Providence and wealth acquired by honest effort; but one should never feel satisfied with the following three; study, chanting the holy names of the Lord (japa) and charity. 5. Do not pass between two brahmanas, between a brahmana and his sacrificial fire, between a wife and her husband, a master and his servant, and a plough and an ox. 6. Do not let your foot touch fire, the spiritual master or a brahmana; it must never touch a cow, a virgin, an old person or a child. 7. Keep one thousand cubits away from an elephant, a hundred from a horse, ten from a horned beast, but keep away from the wicked by leaving the country. 8. An elephant is controlled by a goad (ankusha), a horse by a slap of the hand, a horned animal with the show of a stick, and a rascal with a sword. 9. Brahmanas find satisfaction in a good meal, peacocks in the peal of thunder, a sadhu in seeing the prosperity of others, and the wicked in the misery of others. 10. Conciliate a strong man by submission, a wicked man by opposition, and the one whose power is equal to yours by politeness or force. 11. The power of a king lies in his mighty arms; that of a brahmana in his spiritual knowledge; and that of a woman in her beauty youth and sweet words. 12. Do not be very upright in your dealings for you would see by going to the forest that straight trees are cut down while crooked ones are left standing. 13. Swans live wherever there is water, and leave the place where water dries up; let not a man act so -- and come and goas he pleases. 14. Accumulated wealth is saved by spending just as incoming fresh water is saved by letting out stagnant water. 15. He who has wealth has friends and relations; he alone survives and is respected as a man. 16. The following four characteristics of the denizens of heaven may be seen in the residents of this earth planet; charity, sweet words, worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and satisfying the needs of brahmanas. 17. The following qualities of the denizens of hell may characterise men on earth; extreme wrath, harsh speech, enmity with one's relations, the company with the base, and service to men of low extraction. 18. By going to the den of a lion pearls from the head of an elephant may be obtained; but by visiting the hole of a jackal nothing but the tail of a calf or a bit of the hide of an ass may found. 19. The life of an uneducated man is as useless as the tail of a dog which neither covers its rear end, nor protects it from the bites of insects. 20. Purity of speech, of the mind, of the senses, and the of a compassionate heart are needed by one who desires to rise to the divine platform. 21. As you seek fragrance in a flower, oil in the sesamum seed, fire in wood, ghee in milk, and jaggery (guda) in sugarcane; so seek the spirit that is in the body by means of discrimination. CHAPTER EIGHT 1. Low class men desire wealth; middle class men both wealth and respect; but the noble, honour only; hence honour is the noble man's true wealth. 2. ... 3. The lamp eats up the darkness and therefore it produces lamp black; in the same way according to the nature of our diet (sattva, rajas, or tamas) we produce offspring in similar quality. 4. O wise man! Give your wealth only to the worthy and never to others. The water of the sea received by the clouds is always sweet. The rain water enlivens all living beings of the earth both movable (insects, animals, humans, etc.) and immovable (plants, trees, etc.), and then returns to the ocean it value multiplied a million fold. 5. The wise who discern the essence of things have declared that the yavana (meat eater) is equal in baseness to a thousand candalas the lowest class), and hence a yavana is the basest of men; indeed there is no one more base. 6. After having rubbed oil on the body, after encountering the smoke from a funeral pyre, after sexual intercourse, and after being shaved, one remains a chandala until he bathes. 7. Water is the medicine for indigestion; it is invigorating when the food that is eaten is well digested; it is like nectar when drunk in the middle of a dinner; and it is like poison when taken at the end of a meal. 8. Knowledge is lost without putting it into practice; a man is lost due to ignorance; an army is lost without a commander; and a woman is lost without a husband. 9. A man who encounters the following three is unfortunate; the death of his wife in his old age, the entrusting of money into the hands of relatives, and depending upon others for food. 10. Chanting of the Vedas without making ritualistic sacrifices to the Supreme Lord through the medium of Agni, and sacrifices not followed by bountiful gifts are futile. Perfection can be achieved only through devotion (to the Supreme Lord) for devotion is the basis of all success. 11. ... 12. ... 13. There is no austerity equal to a balanced mind, and there is no happiness equal to contentment; there is no disease like covetousness, and no virtue like mercy. 14. Anger is a personification of Yama (the demigod of death); thirst is like the hellish river Vaitarani; knowledge is like a kamadhenu (the cow of plenty); and contentment is like Nandanavana (the garden of Indra). 15. Moral excellence is an ornament for personal beauty; righteous conduct, for high birth; success for learning; and proper spending for wealth. 16. Beauty is spoiled by an immoral nature; noble birth by bad conduct; learning, without being perfected; and wealth by not being properly utilised. 17. Water seeping into the earth is pure; and a devoted wife is pure; the king who is the benefactor of his people is pure; and pure is the brahmana who is contented. 18. Discontented brahmanas, contented kings, shy prostitutes, and immodest housewives are ruined. 19. Of what avail is a high birth if a person is destitute of scholarship? A man who is of low extraction is honoured even y the demigods if he is learned. 20. A learned man is honoured by the people. A learned man commands respect everywhere for his learning. Indeed, learning is honoured everywhere. 21. those who are endowed with beauty and youth and who are born of noble families are worthless if they have no learning. They are just like the kimshuka blossoms ( flowers of the palasa tree) which, though beautiful, have no fragrance. 22. The earth is encumbered with the weight of the flesh-eaters, wine-bibblers, dolts and blockheads, who are beasts in the form of men. 23. There is no enemy like a yajna (sacrifice) which consumes the kingdom when not attended by feeding on a large scale; consumes the priest when the chanting is not done properly; and consumes the yajaman (the responsible person) when the gifts are not made. CHAPTER NINE 1. My dear child, if you desire to be free from the cycle of birth and death, then abandon the objects of sense gratification as poison. Drink instead the nectar of forbearance, upright conduct, mercy, cleanliness and truth. 2. Those base men who speak of the secret faults of others destroy themselves like serpents who stray onto anthills. 3. Perhaps nobody has advised Lord Brahma, the creator, to impart perfume to gold; fruit to the sugarcane; flowers to the sandalwood tree; wealth to the learned; and long life to the king. 4. Nectar (amrita) is the best among medicines; eating good food is the best of all types of material happiness; the eye is the chief among all organs; and the head occupies the chief position among all parts of the body. 5. No messenger can travel about in the sky and no tidings come from there. The voice of its inhabitants as never heard, nor can any contact be established with them. Therefore the brahmana who predicts the eclipse of the sun and moon which occur in the sky must be considered as a vidwan (man of great learning). 6. The student, the servant, the traveller, the hungry person, the frightened man, the treasury guard, and the steward: these seven ought to be awakened if they fall asleep. 7. The serpent, the king, the tiger, the stinging wasp, the small child, the dog owned by other people, and the fool: these seven ought not to be awakened from sleep. 8. Of those who have studied the Vedas for material rewards, and those who accept foodstuffs offered by shudras, what potency have they? They are just like serpents without fangs. 9. He who neither rouses fear by his anger, nor confers a favour when he is pleased can neither control nor protect. What can he do? 10. The serpent may, without being poisonous, raise high its hood, but the show of terror is enough to frighten people -- whether he be venomous or not. 11. Wise men spend their mornings in discussing gambling, the afternoon discussing the activities of women, and the night hearing about the activities of theft. (The first item above refers to the gambling of King Yuddhisthira, the great devotee of Krsna. The second item refers to the glorious deeds of mother Sita, the consort of Lord Ramachandra. The third item hints at the adorable childhood pastimes of Sri Krsna who stole butter from the elderly cowherd ladies of Gokula. Hence Chanakya Pandita advises wise persons to spend the morning absorbed in Mahabharata, the afternoon studying Ramayana, and the evening devotedly hearing the Srimad-Bhagvatam.) 12. By preparing a garland for a Deity with one's own hand; by grinding sandal paste for the Lord with one's own hand; and by writing sacred texts with one's own hand -- one becomes blessed with opulence equal to that of Indra. 13. ... 14. Poverty is set off by fortitude; shabby garments by keeping them clean; bad food by warming it; and ugliness by good behaviour. CHAPTER TEN 1. One destitute of wealth is not destitute, he is indeed rich (if he is learned); but the man devoid of learning is destitute in every way. 2. We should carefully scrutinise that place upon which we step (having it ascertained to be free from filth and living creatures like insects, etc.); we should drink water which has been filtered (through a clean cloth); we should speak only those words which have the sanction of the satras; and do that act which we have carefully considered. 3. He who desires sense gratification must give up all thoughts of acquiring knowledge; and he who seeks knowledge must not hope for sense gratification. How can he who seeks sense gratification acquire knowledge, and he who possesses knowledge enjoy mundane sense pleasure? 4. What is it that escapes the observation of poets? What is that act women are incapable of doing? What will drunken people not prate? What will not a crow eat? 5. Fate makes a beggar a king and a king a beggar. He makes a rich man poor and a poor man rich. 6. The beggar is a miser's enemy; the wise counsellor is the fool's enemy; her husband is an adulterous wife's enemy; and the moon is the enemy of the thief. 7. Those who are destitute of learning, penance, knowledge, good disposition, virtue and benevolence are brutes wandering the earth in the form of men. They are burdensome to the earth. 8. Those that are empty-minded cannot be benefited by instruction. Bamboo does not acquire the quality of sandalwood by being associated with the Malaya Mountain. 9. What good can the scriptures do to a man who has no sense of his own? Of what use is as mirror to a blind man? 10. Nothing can reform a bad man, just as the posterious cannot become a superior part of the body though washed one hundred times. 11. By offending a kinsman, life is lost; by offending others, wealth is lost; by offending the king, everything is lost; and by offending a brahmana one's whole family is ruined. 12. It is better to live under a tree in a jungle inhabited by tigers and elephants, to maintain oneself in such a place with ripe fruits and spring water, to lie down on grass and to wear the ragged barks of trees than to live amongst one's relations when reduced to poverty. 13. The brahmana is like tree; his prayers are the roots, his chanting of the Vedas are the branches, and his religious act are the leaves. Consequently effort should be made to preserve his roots for if the roots are destroyed there can be no branches or leaves. 14. My mother is Kamala devi (Lakshmi), my father is Lord Janardana (Vishnu), my kinsmen are the Vishnu-bhaktas (Vaisnavas) and, my homeland is all the three worlds. 15. (Through the night) a great many kinds of birds perch on a tree but in the morning they fly in all the ten directions. Why should we lament for that? (Similarly, we should not grieve when we must inevitably part company from our dear ones). 16. He who possesses intelligence is strong; how can the man that is unintelligent be powerful? The elephant of the forest having lost his senses by intoxication was tricked into a lake by a small rabbit. (this verse refers to a famous story from the niti-sastra called pancatantra compiled by the pandit Vishnusharma 2500 years ago). 17. Why should I be concerned for my maintenance while absorbed in praising the glories of Lord Vishwambhara (Vishnu), the supporter of all. Without the grace of Lord Hari, how could milk flow from a mother's breast for a child's nourishment? Repeatedly thinking only in this way, O Lord of the Yadus, O husband of Lakshmi, all my time is spent in serving Your lotus feet. 18. ... 19. ... 20. ... CHAPTER ELEVEN 1. Generosity, pleasing address, courage and propriety of conduct are not acquired, but are inbred qualities. 2. He who forsakes his own community and joins another perishes as the king who embraces an unrighteous path. 3. The elephant has a huge body but is controlled by the ankusha (goad): yet, is the goad as large as the elephant? A lighted candle banishes darkness: is the candle as vast as the darkness. A mountain is broken even by a thunderbolt: is the thunderbolt therefore as big as the mountain? No, he whose power prevails is really mighty; what is there in bulk? 4. ... 5. He who is engrossed in family life will never acquire knowledge; there can be no mercy in the eater of flesh; the greedy man will not be truthful; and purity will not be found in a woman a hunter. 6. The wicked man will not attain sanctity even if he is instructed in different ways, and the nim tree will not become sweet even if it is sprinkled from the top to the roots with milk and ghee. 7. Mental dirt cannot be washed away even by one-hundred baths in the sacred waters, just as a wine pot cannot be purified even by evaporating all the wine by fire. 8. It is not strange if a man reviles a thing of which he has no knowledge, just as a wild hunter's wife throws away the pearl that is found in the head of an elephant, and picks up a gunj(a type of seed which poor tribals wear as ornaments). 9. He who for one year eats his meals silently (inwardly meditating upon the Lord's prasadam); attains to the heavenly planets for a thousand crore of years. ( Note: one crore equals ten million) 10. The student (brahmacari) should completely renounce the following eight things -- his lust, anger, greed, desire for sweets, sense of decorating the body, excessive curiosity, excessive sleep, and excessive endeavour for bodily maintenance. 11. ... 12. He alone is a true brahmana (dvija or "twice-born") who is satisfied with one meal a day, who has the six samskaras (or acts of purification such as garbhadhana, etc.) performed for him, and who cohabits with his wife only once in a month on an auspicious day after her menses. 13. The brahmana who is engrossed in worldly affairs, brings up cows and is engaged in trade is really called a vaishya. 14. The brahmana who deals in lac-die, articles, oil, indigo, silken cloth, honey, clarified butter, liquor, and flesh is called a shudra. 15. The brahmana who thwarts the doings of others, who is hypocritical, selfish, and a deceitful hater, and while speaking mildly cherishes cruelty in his heart, is called a cat. 16. The brahmana who destroys a pond, a well, a tank, a garden and a temple is called a mleccha. 17. The brahmana who steals the property of the Deities and the spiritual preceptor, who cohabits with another's wife, and who maintains himself by eating anything and everything s called a chandala. 18. The meritorious should give away in charity all that they have in excess of their needs. By charity only Karna, Bali and King Vikramaditya survive even today. Just see the plight of the honeybees beating their legs in despair upon the earth. They are saying to themselves, "Alas! We neither enjoyed our stored-up honey nor gave it in charity, and now someone has taken it from us in an instant." CHAPTER TWELVE 1. He is a blessed grhasta (householder) in whose house there is a blissful atmosphere, whose sons are talented, whose wife speaks sweetly, whose wealth is enough to satisfy his desires, who finds pleasure in the company of his wife, whose servants are obedient, in whose house hospitality is shown, the auspicious Supreme Lord is worshiped daily, delicious food and drink is partaken, and who finds joy in the company of devotees. 2. One who devotedly gives a little to a brahmana who is in distress is recompensed abundantly. Hence, O Prince, what is given to a good brahmana is got back not in an equal quantity, but in an infinitely higher degree. 3. Those men who are happy in this world, who are generous towards their relatives, kind to strangers, indifferent to the wicked, loving to the good, shrewd in their dealings with the base, frank with the learned, courageous with enemies, humble with elders and stern with the wife. 4. O jackal, leave aside the body of that man at once, whose hands have never given in charity, whose ears have not heard the voice of learning, whose eyes have not beheld a pure devotee of the Lord, whose feet have never traversed to holy places, whose belly is filled with things obtained by crooked practices, and whose head is held high in vanity. Do not eat it, O jackal, otherwise you will become polluted. 5. "Shame upon those who have no devotion to the lotus feet of Sri Krsna, the son of mother Yasoda; who have no attachment for the describing the glories of Srimati Radharani; whose ears are not eager to listen to the stories of the Lord's lila." Such is the exclamation of the mrdanga sound of dhik-tam dhik-tam dhigatam at kirtana. 6. What fault of spring that the bamboo shoot has no leaves? What fault of the sun if the owl cannot see during the daytime? Is it the fault of the clouds if no raindrops fall into the mouth of the chatak bird? Who can erase what Lord Brahma has inscribed upon our foreheads at the time of birth? 7. A wicked man may develop saintly qualities in the company of a devotee, but a devotee does not become impious in the company of a wicked person. The earth is scented by a flower that falls upon it, but the flower does not contact the odour of the earth. 8. One indeed becomes blessed by having darshan of a devotee; for the devotee has the ability to purify immediately, whereas the sacred tirtha gives purity only after prolonged contact. 9. A stranger asked a brahmana, "Tell me, who is great in this city?" The brahmana replied, "The cluster of palmyra trees is great." Then the traveller asked, "Who is the most charitable person?" The brahmana answered, "The washerman who takes the clothes in the morning and gives them back in the evening is the most charitable." He then asked, "Who is the ablest man?" The brahmana answered, "Everyone is expert in robbing others of their wives and wealth." The man hen asked the brahmana, "How do you manage to live in such a city?" The brahmana replied, "As a worm survives while even in a filthy place so do I survive here!" 10. The house in which the lotus feet of brahmanas are not washed, in which Vedic mantras are not loudly recited, and in which the holy rites of svaha (sacrificial offerings to the Supreme Lord) and swadha (offerings to the ancestors) are not performed, is like a crematorium. 11. (It is said that a sadhu, when asked about his family, replied thusly): truth is my mother, and my father is spiritual knowledge; righteous conduct is my brother, and mercy is my friend, inner peace is my wife, and forgiveness is my son: these six are my kinsmen. 12. Our bodies are perishable, wealth is not at all permanent and death is always nearby. Therefore we must immediately engage in acts of merit. 13. Arjuna says to Krsna. "Brahmanas find joy in going to feasts, cows find joy in eating their tender grass, wives find joy in the company of their husbands, and know, O Krsna, that in the same way I rejoice in battle. 14. He who regards another's wife as his mother, the wealth that does not belong to him as a lump of mud, and the pleasure and pain of all other living beings as his own -- truly sees things in the right perspective, and he is a true pandit. 15. O Raghava, the love of virtue, pleasing speech, and an ardent desire for performing acts of charity, guileless dealings with friends, humility in the guru's presence , deep tranquillity of mind, pure conduct, discernment of virtues, realised knowledge of the sastras, beauty of form and devotion to God are all found in you." (The great sage Vasistha Muni, the spiritual preceptor of the dynasty of the sun, said this to Lord Ramachandra at the time of His proposed coronation). 16. The desire tree is wood; the golden Mount Meru is motionless; the wish-fulfilling gem cintamani is just a stone; the sun is scorching; the moon is prone to wane; the boundless ocean is saline; the demigod of lust lost his body (due to Shiva's wrath); Bali Maharaja, the son of Diti, was born into a clan of demons; and Kamadhenu (the cow of heaven) is a mere beast. O Lord of the Raghu dynasty! I cannot compare you to any one of these (taking their merits into account). 17. Realised learning (vidya) is our friend while travelling , the wife is a friend at home, medicine is the friend of a sick man, and meritorious deeds are the friends at death. 18. Courtesy should be learned from princes, the art of conversation from pandits, lying should be learned from gamblers and deceitful ways should be learned from women. 19. The unthinking spender, the homeless urchin, the quarrel monger, the man who neglects his wife and is heedless in his actions -- all these will soon come to ruination. 20. The wise man should not be anxious about his food; he should be anxious to be engaged only in dharma (Krsna consciousness). the food of each man is created for him at his birth. 21. He who is not shy in the acquisition of wealth, grain and knowledge, and in taking his meals, will be happy 22. As centesimal droppings will fill a pot so also are knowledge, virtue and wealth gradually obtained. 23. The man who remains a fool even in advanced age is really a fool, just as the Indra-Varuna fruit does not become sweet no matter how ripe it might become. CHAPTER THIRTEEN 1. A man may live but for a moment, but that moment should be spent in doing auspicious deeds. It is useless living even for a kalpa (4,320,000 *1000 years) and bringing only distress upon the two worlds (this world and the next). 2. We should not fret for what is past, nor should we be anxious about the future; men of discernment deal only with the present moment. 3. It certainly is nature of the demigods, men of good character, and parents to be easily pleased. Near and distant relatives are pleased when they are hospitably received with bathing, food, and drink; and pandits are pleased with an opportunity for giving spiritual discourse. 4 Even as the unborn babe is in the womb of his mother, these five are fixed as his life destiny: his life span, his activities, his acquisition of wealth and knowledge, and his time of death. 5. O see what a wonder it is! The doings of the great are strange: they treat wealth as light as a straw, yet, when they obtain it, they bend under its weight. 6. He who is overly attached to his family members experiences fear and sorrow, for the root of all grief is attachment. Thus one should discard attachment to be happy. 7. He who is prepared for the future and he who deals cleverly with any situation that may arise are both happy; but the fatalistic man who wholly depends on luck is ruined. 8. If the king is virtuous, then the subjects are also virtuous. If the king is sinful, then the subjects also become sinful. If he is mediocre, then the subjects are mediocre. The subjects follow the example of the king. In short, as is the king so are the subjects. 9. I consider him who does not act religiously as dead though living, but he who dies acting religiously unquestionably lives long though he is dead. 10. He who has acquired neither virtue, wealth, satisfaction of desires nor salvation (dharma, artha, kama, moksa), lives an utterly useless life, like the "nipples" hanging from the neck of a goat. 11. The hearts of base men burn before the fire of other's fame, and they slander them being themselves unable to rise to such a high position. 12. Excessive attachment to sense pleasures leads to bondage, and detachment from sense pleasures leads to liberation; therefore it is the mind alone that is responsible for bondage or liberation. 13. He who sheds bodily identification by means of knowledge of the indwelling Supreme Self (Paramatma), will always be absorbed in meditative trance (samadhi) wherever his mind leads him. 14. Who realises all the happiness he desires? Everything is in the hands of God. Therefore one should learn contentment. 15. As a calf follows its mother among a thousand cows, so the (good or bad) deeds of a man follow him. 16. He whose actions are disorganised has no happiness either in the midst of men or in a jungle -- in the midst of men his heart burns by social contacts, and his helplessness burns him in the forest. 17. As the man who digs obtains underground water by use of a shovel, so the student attains the knowledge possessed by his preceptor through his service. 18. Men reap the fruits of their deeds, and intellects bear the mark of deeds performed in previous lives; even so the wise act after due circumspection. 19. Even the man who has taught the spiritual significance of just one letter ought to be worshiped. He who does not give reverence to such a guru is born as a dog a hundred times, and at last takes birth as a chandala (dog-eater). 20. At the end of the yuga, Mount Meru may be shaken; at the end of the kalpa, the waters of the seven oceans may be disturbed; but a sadhu will never swerve from the spiritual path. 21. There are three gems upon this earth; food, water, and pleasing words -- fools (mudhas) consider pieces of rocks as gems. CHAPTER FOURTEEN 1. Poverty, disease, sorrow, imprisonment and other evils are the fruits borne by the tree of one's own sins. 2. Wealth, a friend, a wife, and a kingdom may be regained; but this body when lost may never be acquired again. 3. The enemy can be overcome by the union of large numbers, just as grass through its collectiveness wards off erosion caused by heavy rainfall. 4. Oil on water, a secret communicated to a base man, a gift given to a worthy receiver, and scriptural instruction given to an intelligent man spread out by virtue of their nature. 5. If men should always retain the state of mind they experience when hearing religious instruction, when present at a crematorium ground, and when in sickness -- then who could not attain liberation. 6. If a man should feel before, as he feels after, repentance -- then who would not attain perfection? 7. We should not feel pride in our charity, austerity, valour, scriptural knowledge, modesty and morality for the world is full of the rarest gems. 8. He who lives in our mind is near though he may actually be far away; but he who is not in our heart is far though he may really be nearby. 9. We should always speak what would please the man of whom we expect a favour, like the hunter who sings sweetly when he desires to shoot a deer. 10. It is ruinous to be familiar with the king, fire, the religious preceptor, and a woman. To be altogether indifferent of them is to be deprived of the opportunity to benefit ourselves, hence our association with them must be from a safe distance. 11. We should always deal cautiously with fire, water, women, foolish people, serpents, and members of a royal family; for they may, when the occasion presents itself, at once bring about our death. 12. He should be considered to be living who is virtuous and pious, but the life of a man who is destitute of religion and virtues is void of any blessing. 13. If you wish to gain control of the world by the performance of a single deed, then keep the following fifteen, which are prone to wander here and there, from getting the upper hand of you: the five sense objects (objects of sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch); the five sense organs (ears, eyes, nose, tongue and skin) and organs of activity (hands, legs, mouth, genitals and anus). 14. He is a pandit (man of knowledge) who speaks what is suitable to the occasion, who renders loving service according to his ability, and who knows the limits of his anger. 15 One single object (a woman) appears in three different ways: to the man who practices austerity it appears as a corpse, to the sensual it appears as a woman, and to the dogs as a lump of flesh. 16. A wise man should not divulge the formula of a medicine which he has well prepared; an act of charity which he has performed; domestic conflicts; private affairs with his wife; poorly prepared food he may have been offered; or slang he may have heard. 17. The cuckoos remain silent for a long time (for several seasons) until they are able to sing sweetly (in the Spring ) so as to give joy to all. 18. We should secure and keep the following: the blessings of meritorious deeds, wealth, grain, the words of the spiritual master, and rare medicines. Otherwise life becomes impossible. 19. Eschew wicked company and associate with saintly persons. Acquire virtue day and night, and always meditate on that which is eternal forgetting that which is temporary. CHAPTER FIFTEEN 1. For one whose heart melts with compassion for all creatures; what is the necessity of knowledge, liberation, matted hair on the head, and smearing the body with ashes. 2. There is no treasure on earth the gift of which will cancel the debt a disciple owes his guru for having taught him even a single letter ( that leads to Krsna consciousness). 3. There are two ways to get rid of thorns and wicked persons; using footwear in the first case and in the second shaming them so that they cannot raise their faces again thus keeping them at a distance. 4. He who wears unclean garments, has dirty teeth, as a glutton, speaks unkindly and sleeps after sunrise -- although he may be the greatest personality -- will lose the favour of Lakshmi. 5. He who loses his money is forsaken by his friends, his wife, his servants and his relations; yet when he regains his riches those who have forsaken him come back to him. Hence wealth is certainly the best of relations. 6. Sinfully acquired wealth may remain for ten years; in the eleventh year it disappears with even the original stock. 7. A bad action committed by a great man is not censured (as there is none that can reproach him), and a good action performed by a low-class man comes to be condemned (because none respects him). Just see: the drinking of nectar is excellent, but it became the cause of Rahu's demise; and the drinking of poison is harmful, but when Lord Shiva (who is exalted) drank it, it became an ornament to his neck (nila-kanta). 8. A true meal is that which consists of the remnants left after a brahmana's meal. Love which is shown to others is true love, not that which is cherished for one's own self. to abstain from sin is true wisdom. That is an act of charity which is performed without ostentation. 9. For want of discernment the most precious jewels lie in the dust at the feet of men while bits of glass are worn on their heads. But we should not imagine that the gems have sunk in value, and the bits of glass have risen in importance. When a person of critical judgement shall appear, each will be given its right position. 10. Sastric knowledge is unlimited, and the arts to be learned are many; the time we have is short, and our opportunities to learn are beset with obstacles. Therefore select for learning that which is most important, just as the swan drinks only the milk in water. 11. He is a chandala who eats his dinner without entertaining the stranger who has come to his house quite accidentally, having travelled from a long distance and is wearied. 12. One may know the four Vedas and the Dharma-sastras, yet if he has no realisation of his own spiritual self, he can be said to be like the ladle which stirs all kinds of foods but knows not the taste of any. 13. Those blessed souls are certainly elevated who, while crossing the ocean of life, take shelter of a genuine brahmana, who is likened unto a boat. They are unlike passengers aboard an ordinary ship which runs the risk of sinking. 14. The moon, who is the abode of nectar and the presiding deity of all medicines, although immortal like amrta and resplendent in form, loses the brilliance of his rays when he repairs to the abode of the sun (day time). Therefore will not an ordinary man be made to feel inferior by going to live at the house of another. 15. This humble bee, who always resides among the soft petals of the lotus and drinks abundantly its sweet nectar, is now feasting on the flower of the ordinary kutaja. Being in a strange country where the lotuses do not exist, he is considering the pollen of the kutaja to be nice. 16. (Lord Visnu asked His spouse Lakshmi why She did not care to live in the house of a brahmana, when She replied) " O Lord a rishi named Agastya drank up My father (the ocean) in anger; Brighu Muni kicked You; brahmanas pride themselves on their learning having sought the favour of My competitor Sarasvati; and lastly they pluck each day the lotus which is My abode, and therewith worship Lord Shiva. Therefore, O Lord, I fear to dwell with a brahmana and that properly. 17. There are many ways of binding by which one can be dominated and controlled in this world, but the bond of affection is the strongest. For example, take the case of the humble bee which, although expert at piercing hardened wood, becomes caught in the embrace of its beloved flowers (as the petals close at dusk). 18. Although sandalwood be cut, it does not forsake its natural quality of fragrance; so also the elephant does not give up sportiveness though he should grow old. The sugarcane does not cease to be sweet though squeezed in a mill; so the man of noble extraction does not lose his lofty qualities, no matter how pinched he is by poverty. 19. ... CHAPTER SIXTEEN 1. ... 2. The heart of a woman is not united; it is divided. While she is talking with one man, she looks lustfully at another and thinks fondly of a third in her heart. 3. The fool (mudha) who fancies that a charming young lady loves him, becomes her slave and he dances like a shakuntal bird tied to a string. 4. Who is there who, having become rich, has not become proud? What licentious man has put an end to his calamities? What man in this world has not been overcome by a woman? Who is always loved by the king? Who is there who has not been overcome by the ravages of time? What beggar has attained glory? Who has become happy by contracting the vices of the wicked? 5. ... 6. A man attains greatness by his merits, not simply by occupying an exalted seat. Can we call a crow an eagle (garuda) simply because he sits on the top of a tall building. 7. ... 8. The man who is praised by others as great is regarded as worthy though he may be really void of all merit. But the man who sings his own praises lowers himself in the estimation of others though he should be Indra (the possessor of all excellences). 9. If good qualities should characterise a man of discrimination, the brilliance of his qualities will be recognised just as a gem which is essentially bright really shines when fixed in an ornament of gold. 10. Even one who by his qualities appears to be all knowing suffers without patronage; the gem, though precious, requires a gold setting. 11. I do not deserve that wealth which is to be attained by enduring much suffering, or by transgressing the rules of virtue, or by flattering an enemy. 12. ... 13. Those who were not satiated with the enjoyment of wealth, food and women have all passed away; there are others now passing away who have likewise remained unsatiated; and in the future still others will pass away feeling themselves unsatiated. 14. All charities and sacrifices (performed for fruitive gain) bring only temporary results, but gifts made to deserving persons (those who are Krsna consciousness) and protection offered to all creatures shall never perish. 15. A blade of grass is light, cotton is lighter, the beggar is infinitely lighter still. Why then does not the wind carry him away? Because it fears that he may ask alms of him. 16. It is better to die than to preserve this life by incurring disgrace. The loss of life causes but a moment's grief, but disgrace brings grief every day of one's life. 17. All the creatures are pleased by loving words; and therefore we should address words that are pleasing to all, for there is no lack of sweet words. 18. There are two nectarean fruits hanging from the tree of this world: one is the hearing of sweet words (such as Krsna-katha) and the other, the society of saintly men. 19. The good habits of charity, learning and austerity practised during many past lives continue to be cultivated in this birth by virtue of the link (yoga) of this present life to the previous ones. 20. One whose knowledge is confined to books and whose wealth is in the possession of others, can use neither his knowledge nor wealth when the need for them arises. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN 1. The scholar who has acquired knowledge by studying innumerable books without the blessings of a bonafide spiritual master does not shine in an assembly of truly learned men just as an illegitimate child is not honoured in society. 2. We should repay the favours of others by acts of kindness; so also should we return evil for evil in which there is no sin, for it is necessary to pay a wicked man in his own coin. 3. That thing which is distant, that thing which appears impossible, and that which is far beyond our reach, can be easily attained through tapasya (religious austerity), for nothing can surpass austerity. 4. What vice could be worse than covetousness? What is more sinful than slander? For one who is truthful, what need is there for austerity? For one who has a clean heart, what is the need for pilgrimage? If one has a good disposition, what other virtue is needed? If a man has fame, what is the value of other ornamentation? What need is there for wealth for the man of practical knowledge? And if a man is dishonoured, what could there be worse in death? 5. Though the sea, which is the reservoir of all jewels, is the father of the conch shell, and the Goddess of fortune Lakshmi is conch's sister, still the conch must go from door to door for alms (in the hands of a beggar). It is true, therefore, that one gains nothing without having given in the past. 6. When a man has no strength left in him he becomes a sadhu, one without wealth acts like a brahmacari, a sick man behaves like a devotee of the Lord, and when a woman grows old she becomes devoted to her husband. 7. ... 8. There is poison in the fang of the serpent, in the mouth of the fly and in the sting of a scorpion; but the wicked man is saturated with it. 9. The woman who fasts and observes religious vows without the permission of her husband shortens his life, and goes to hell. 10. A woman does not become holy by offering by charity, by observing hundreds of fasts, or by sipping sacred water, as by sipping the water used to wash her husbands feet. 11 ... 12. The hand is not so well adorned by ornaments as by charitable offerings; one does not become clean by smearing sandalwood paste upon the body as by taking a bath; one does not become so much satisfied by dinner as by having respect shown to him; and salvation is not attained by self-adornment as by cultivation of spiritual knowledge. 13. ... 14. The eating of tundi fruit deprives a man of his sense, while the vacha root administered revives his reasoning immediately. A woman at once robs a man of his vigour while milk at once restores it. 15. He who nurtures benevolence for all creatures within his heart overcomes all difficulties and will be the recipient of all types of riches at every step. 16. What is there to be enjoyed in the world of Lord Indra for one whose wife is loving and virtuous, who possesses wealth, who has a well-behaved son endowed with good qualities, and who has a grandchildren born of his children? 17. Men have eating, sleeping, fearing and mating in common with the lower animals. That in which men excel the beasts is discretionary knowledge; hence, indiscreet men who are without knowledge should be regarded as beasts. 18. If the bees which seek the liquid oozing from the head of a lust-intoxicated elephant are driven away by the flapping of his ears, then the elephant has lost only the ornament of his head. The bees are quite happy in the lotus filled lake. 19. A king, a prostitute, Lord Yamaraja, fire, a thief, a young boy, and a beggar cannot understand the suffering of others. The eighth of this category is the tax collector. 20. O lady, why are you gazing downward? Has something of yours fallen on the ground? (She replies) O fool, can you not understand the pearl of my youth has slipped away? 21. O ketki flower! Serpents live in your midst, you bear no edible fruits, your leaves are covered with thorns, you are crooked in growth, you thrive in mud, and you are not easily accessible. Still for your exceptional fragrance you are as dear as a kinsmen to others. Hence, a single excellence overcomes a multitude of blemishes.

Thats of course a topic where Hindus look away.... Just recently was a detailed documentation about Hindus selling their cows to Muslims. When listening to those Hindus arguments it became clear that for them mother cow being sacred/holy became a cartoon-like fairytale very similiar the Greek Epos by Homer. But cow protection is more what many think, that cows are only Krishna's favourite animals, wrong, cows are an universal circuit, an universal nerve center which is so far-reaching that even the quality of our climate is included. Why India was always such a most fertile place in the world with rich soil, lush vegetation that so many people could be nourished: they protected the cow. Cow protection = climate protection. If we look on the world map we find India on the same longitude as many Muslim countries even huge Muslim deserts like Sahara. Why each and every Muslim country looks like a desert so that Muslims emigrate all over the world never, ever to return? Look how Egypt and Babylonia used to be places with perfect climate and nice vegetation, all destroyed because of Muslim influence to kill the cow. Everywhere where Muslims live, desert-like countries, chaotic climate. The exact same will now happen to India. Chaotic climate, droughts, bad harvest.

End to global warming? The 6+ billion karmis (dvi-pada pashus) of earth aspire to very important higher standards of sense gratification. This takes a lot of energy. If fossil fuels continue to be the key source of energy the waste product, carbon dioxide, will produce chaotic changes in the climate. Unfortunately Vaishnavas havent yet understood this madness and are therefore nothing but participating in this plunder of planet earth, e.g. Vaishnavas spending more time in kerosene fueled means of travel than preaching in natural environment. While US thinktanks are presently bussy to work to full capacity to develop more efficient high tec explosives to subdue the Islamic world a Chinese scientist announces of knowing how the Sun produces its energy. Thermonuclear fusion reactor test succeeds Luan Shanglin xinhuanet.com – September 29, 2006 Chinese scientists on Thursday successfully conducted their first test of an experimental thermonuclear fusion reactor, which replicates the energy generating process of the sun. The Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) fusion reactor, nicknamed "artificial sun", was tested at the Institute of Plasma Physics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in Hefei, capital city of east China's Anhui Province. During the experiment, deuterium and tritium atoms were forced together at a temperature of 100 million Celsius. "At that temperature, the super heated plasma, which is neither a gas, a liquid nor a solid, should begin to give off its own energy," scientists explained. The first tests lasted nearly three seconds, and generated an electrical current of 200 kiloamperes, Wan Yuanxi, general manager of EAST, told Xinhua. The experiments were continuing, he said. The device is planned to eventually create a plasma lasting 1,000 consecutive seconds, the longest a fusion reactor has ever run. Wan said the deuterium extracted from one liter of seawater could produce energy equivalent to that generated by burning 300 liters of gasoline thanks to the fusion technology. If the thermonuclear fusion technology is commercialized, it may provide energy to mankind for more than 100 million years, Wan said. Li Jiangang, director of the Institute of Plasma Physics, said the results of the test met the expectations of scientists and signified a great breakthrough in the research of thermonuclear fusion. "That means we lead all our competitors by at least a decade," said Li. "The breakthrough will make it possible for mankind to harness a safe, clean and endless source of energy." The EAST is an upgrade of China's first-generation Tokamak device and the first of its kind in operation in the world, said Chinese scientists. The Institute of Plasma Physics spent eight years and 200 million yuan (25 million U.S. dollars) on building the experimental reactor. The columniform device, made with special stainless steel, is about 12 meters high and weighs 400 tons. Compared with similar devices in other countries, EAST cost the least money and time to be built and is the first in operation, said Li. The EAST would be the most advanced thermonuclear fusion reactor in the world for the next ten years, said Dr. Gary Jackson from General Atomics of the United States, who participated in the research. Unlike traditional nuclear fission reactors, which split atoms to create energy and produce dangerous radioactive waste, the EAST uses nuclear fusion to compress atoms at extremely high temperatures to generate energy that would produce very little pollution. Scientists theorize that a fully functional fusion reactor would provide cheaper, safer, cleaner and endless energy and reduce the world's dependence on fossil fuels. The EAST is part of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), which is the largest international program dedicated to experiments in thermonuclear fusion. In 2003, China joined the 4.6-billion-euro ITER which was originally initiated by the United States and Russia. The first operation of ITER might be in 2016. Among the six partners involved in this ambitious plan, the European Union will cover 50 percent of the total budget. The remaining five, the United States, Japan, Russia, the Republic of Korea and China, will pay 10 percent each. "The EAST is the only prototype nearest to the ITER and, thus, it can serve ITER advanced research in terms of engineering technology and physics," said Wan. But the most optimistic estimation on first commercialization of the ITER said it needs at least half a century. Chinese Minister of Science and Technology Xu Guanhua said earlier that as China is short of energy, global research endeavors for energy supply solutions meet the strategic interest of the country. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-09/28/content_5151013.htm

India 2006 - world's largest producer of cow hides India - a hidden economy power POSTED: 1:27 p.m. EDT, September 29, 2006 It used to be illegal in India to kill a member of the genus Bos, but now many slaughterhouses operate in big cities like Mumbai or Kolkata. While there are approximately 3,600 slaughterhouses operating legally in India, there are estimated to be over 30,000 illegal slaughterhouses. The efforts to close them down have so far been largely unsuccessful. The export trade in Indian leather is worth about $1.7 billion, and India's export share of the leather market has been on the increase. Germany is the largest importer of Indian leather (19%), followed by the UK (17%). They cannot ship their cows to the slaughterhouse but they can sell them to Muslims,closing their eyes to the fact that the Muslims will take the cattle to the slaughterhouse.These violations of the prohibition against cattle slaughter strengthen the premis that cow worship is a vital part of Indian culture. The practice arose to prevent the population from consuming the animal on which Indian agriculture depends. During the First Millennium B.c., the GangesValley became one of the most densely populated regions of the world. Where previously there had been only scattered villages, many towns and cities arose and peasants farmed every available acre of land. By now 2006, India became the world's largest supplier of cow hides. ----------------------------- The milk of a cow is believed to promote Sattvic (purifying) qualities. The ghee (clarified butter) from the milk of a cow is used in ceremonies and in preparing religious food. Cow dung is used as fertilizer, as a fuel and as a disinfectant in homes. Modern science acknowledges that the smoke from cow dung is a powerful disinfectant and an anti-pollutant. Its urine is also used for religious rituals as well as medicinal purposes. The supreme purificatory material, panchagavya, was a mixture of five products of the cow, namely milk, curds, ghee, urine and dung. The interdiction of the meat of the bounteous cow as food was regarded as the first step to total vegetarianism

Animation film 'Krishna' to release on Sep 29 Mumbai, Sept 21. (UNI): 'Krishna-aayo Natkhat Nandlala', a 3D animation film on the childhood heroics of Lord Krishna will be released on September 29. Producer of the film, dubbed as India's first 3D animation film, Jayantilal Gada told reporters that many generations in India have grown up hearing the stories of super heroes from the Indian mythology, but none of them could be seen on the Indian screen as an animated character, which appealed various generations at a time. "We have always quenched our thirst by watching the foreign heroes like Spider Man, Super Man, He Man on the screen in animated form. There was no Indian hero whom we could admire. The wait was over with Hanuman, which was released last year," he said. Hanuman and now Krishna are not new or imaginary heroes but true ones. "Krishna brings smile and pride on faces of young or old, man or woman, rich and poor merely by chanting his name. Aman Khan said, 'Krishna' is a richly animated, musical feature film that tells the story of Lord Krishna's birth, his childhood spent in Vrindavan and his slaying of Kansa, the evil ruler of Mathura. The film features various adventures of his childhood, including his clashes with demons like 'Pootna' and 'Trinavarat'. This animated feature also brings to life Lord Krishna's naughty aspects like stealing butter, and other adventures. Another enchanting aspect of Lord Krishna's life-playing the flute and the 'gopis', who become eternally devoted to him and indulged in 'Ras Leela', has been depicted in the film. The director said over centuries Lord Krishna's stories have entertained and inspired several generations of children and grown-ups. His life story is a great source of inspiration and shall entertain, inspire and excite everyone, everywhere, every time. The film features music and songs composed by Rajendra Shiv. The soundtrack of the film features leading singers of the industry like Kailash Kher, Sonu Nigam, Sukhwinder Singh, Sunidhi Chauhan, Alisha Chinai and Kumar Sanu. The compositions have an everlasting flavor and shall definitely appeal to all, he added.

I think where Danielle is right, she's right! I just posted the article without actually reading because it looked like something for the World Review - after all the Pope plans to visit Turkey soon and there're lots of death threats against him, the situation remains exciting. That's what I found why there're so many Muslims in India:

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=550 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle> But if we take the words the Pope quoted from the Byzantine emperor— "I quote, 'Show me just what Muhamad brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached.'" Pope Benedict XVI ( 12 Sep 2006 ) - Was it Muhhammad Who was Flying Those Bombers over Beirut? </TD></TR><TR><TD> by Michael A. Hoffman II – revisionisthistory.org September 16, 2006 As some of you may have heard or surmised, I am engaged in writing the introduction to one of the rarest books in the world, a volume that has not been printed in English in more than 250 years. It will go to press next week, after which we will offer a pre-publication opportunity for you to reserve a copy. I want to leave no stone unturned, no detail overlooked in my introduction to this magnificent work, and I debated whether it would be worthwhile to pause from my labors to remark upon Pope Benedict XVI's recent utterance on Islam, which has the Catholic and Neo-con world ecstatic with glee at the thought that Rome is about to drop the syncretic universalism of Benedict's predecessor and launch a full-scale "crusade" against the "mad mullahs." The gesture by the man said to occupy (usurp might be a more apt word) the "chair of Peter," is too egregious in itself and too symptomatic of the schizophrenia that grips conservative Churchianity in these Kabbalistic "End of Days," when male fish in the Potomac river are discovered to be carrying female eggs, and other portents of a world turned upside down abound, to pass by it in silence. Benedict quoted a medieval Catholic source on the violence of Islam's Muhammad just a couple of weeks after the armies of Judaism bombed Lebanon into the stone age for thirty-three days (a significant number in the Kabbalah). The greatest orgy of violence by the military of any religion since the fruit of Bush's "Third Awakening Christianity" pummelled Iraq and Afghanistan's cities and villages with bombs and bullets, was perpetrated in Lebanon in July and August, with religious injunctions in favor of the mass murder issued by Orthodox Israeli rabbis. But Pope Benedict's stern admonition last week was directed not at them, but only at the "violence of Muhammad." Excuse me, your holiness, but was it Muhammad who was flying those bombers over Beirut? In the eyes of the rabbis, including the crypto-rabbi in the Vatican, the one thousand Lebanese civilians who were murdered, their infrastructure wrecked, their food and medicine obstructed, the sea polluted and the land strewn with cluster bombs in the last days of the onslaught, are not a subject of particular concern for this pope. After all, God's holy master race has a 007 license to kill, and if the swarthy sheikhs of sin-strewn Arabia are on the receiving end, so much the better. The killings perpetrated by the Israelis are sanctioned by the Talmud, the holy book of Benedict according to his own writings and the study habits of the cardinals he patronizes. The Koran? Why, that's a venal book of violence! So the old Judaic double-standard raises its ugly head yet again, last week through the mouth of its papal dummy, yesterday out of the orifice of the US President, and tomorrow from the baying hounds of American Churchianity, who confirm Ludwig Fuerbach's observation of more than a century ago, that "Christianity has disappeared. Everywhere it has been substituted by the appearance of Christianity." The wisdom of the old German philosophers is not welcome in post-war Germany, or among Germans like the current Pontiff, who is now being hailed by terminally perverted "traditional" Catholics and pseudo-Protestants as the paladin of western civilization. Let us peer a bit closer at the Renaissance Benedict is said to be rebirthing. In Germany, the suicide rate is intolerable and the birth rate has been below replacement level for thirty years. This is attributed to the consumerist hedonism that also infects Italy, Britain, France and Scandinavia. What is overlooked is the special circumstances, unique to Germany, the self-hatred that has been internalized by three generations of Germans bombarded with the guilt-laden mental genocide that is the Auschwitz gas chamber tale, which incessantly repeats that the Germans are collectively a race of hereditary "willing executioners," to quote from the best-selling thesis of Harvard's Daniel Goldhagen. This bigoted toxicity has been pounded into the German psyche in movies, plays, books, TV shows, schoolrooms and synagogues disguised as "Holocaust museums," for decades. Shortly before he burned himself alive in protest, Reinhold Elstner, a WWII German army vet, termed the "Holocaust" agit-prop a "Niagara of lies." For trying to dam the flow of that deadly sewage, historian David Irving is in jail in Austria, and the Max Planck chemist Germar Rudolf is in prison in Germany, as is the revisionist writer Ernst Zundel, the latter confined to his cell 22 hours-a-day. It is not the first time that a pope has approved -- by silence or commission -- the presence of writers in dungeons. The rape of the German psyche and the repression against revisionists is old news, and surely some jaded readers will yawn at the tedium of having to encounter it again. Few, if any influential persons in the West believe there is much that can be done about it. In the midst of the heightened concern about preserving western civilization against the colored hordes of crescent moon idolaters, the withered Teutonic branch of that civilization, the one that contributed the Enlightenment philosophy of Fichte and Goethe to Europe, and the moon rockets to NASA, is allowed to wither into virtual extinction, because the vengeance of the blessed rabbis requires it; this stealthy vengeance which is infinitely more subtle and cunning than the candid vengeance openly proclaimed by the hated imams. It is patent that if it were left to what passes today for the flower of western civilization's intelligentsia, the Irvings, Zundels and Rudolfs would rot in their cells, and the Germans would continue to abort and contracept themselves into extinction. Who in our vaunted, cultured, Christian, western ranks, be he pope, prince or president, would dare intervene with the Judaic "fatwa" issued against the German people through the cunning device of perpetual "Holocaust" hype? And yet – and here is the portent of double-minded insanity again – if Judaic revenge and psychological warfare has its way, and there is no intervention, Muslim immigrants will fill the shoes of extinct Germans and Turks rather than Teutons will be in charge of the bastion of central Europe. What then will happen to the great crusade? Well, when did submitting to the Talmudically-crazed rabbis ever bring sanity or salvation to the west? For that we must look to a black-bearded Persian, a despised follower of that "evil and inhuman" Muhammad. Rather than repay evil with evil, the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has offered good for evil. In a letter this month to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Ahmadinejad spoke of "the persistence of a strong will by certain global powers and special groups to constantly portray Germany as defeated and indebted country of World War II...Sixty years have passed since the end of the war. But, regrettably...extortion and blackmail continue, and people are not allowed to think about or even question the source of this extortion, otherwise they face imprisonment....today the perpetual claimants against the great people of Germany are the bullying powers and the Zionists...I have no intention of arguing about the Holocaust. But, does it not stand to reason that some victorious countries of World War II intended to create an alibi on the basis of which they could continue keeping the defeated nations of World War II indebted to them? "Their purpose has been to weaken their morale and their inspiration in order to obstruct their progress and power. In addition to the people of Germany, the people of the Middle East have also borne the brunt of the Holocaust. By raising the necessity of settling the survivors of the Holocaust in the land of Palestine, they have created a permanent threat in the Middle East in order to rob the people of the region of the opportunities to achieve progress....Without doubt, cooperation of two peace-loving, powerful and cultured nations like Germany and Iran will serve the interests of Europe. Together we must end the present abnormalities in international relations, the type of order and relations that are based on the impositions of the victors of Second World War on the defeated nations." If the German pope had a patriotic bone in his body, or a shred of paternal affection for the welfare of the Germans, he would summon the Iranian President to Rome and give him a medal, and urge Berlin to do the same, as the first step to a reborn Germany, free of the destructive guilt that has sucked the will to live from the marrow of its bones. But no such man occupies the papacy, but rather a gravedigger who swings his mud-encrusted shovel over the barren wombs and seared brains of the Germans, while hurling calculated insults at the religion of decent men like Ahmadinejad, the better to grease the wheels of the neocons' World War III. And Benedict does so to the wildly enthusiastic applause of Catholics, Protestants and conservatives who mistake this Zionist wraith for the long-awaited crusader-king of Christendom. Male fish in the Potomac carry female eggs. For the occult 33 days was death and terror ushered to Lebanon. A rabbi bears the name of Pope, a Bonesman bears the title of US President, as the double-mind is inducted into the western hall of shame. Copyright © 2006 Hoffman writes from his publishing house in the mountains of northern Idaho. This column is posted online at: www.revisionisthistory.org/page1/page5/page5.html </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=550 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle>GM: The cover-up </TD></TR><TR><TD> Geoffrey Lean – The Independent September 17, 2006 Britain's official food safety watchdog has privately told supermarkets that it will not stop them selling an illegal GM (Genetically Modified ) rice to the public. Documents seen by this newspaper show that the Food Standards Agency assured major manufacturers and retailers 10 days ago that it would not make them withdraw the rice - at the same time as it was telling the public it should not be allowed to go on sale. The environmental group Friends of the Earth has already found GM material in two types of own-brand rice sold in Morrisons supermarkets - in direct contravention of food safety regulations - and believes the GM rice is likely to be widespread throughout Britain. But the agency has not carried out its own tests for modified rice in products on the market, and has not instructed retailers to do so. It says that the rice is safe, but some scientists disagree. Last night, Peter Ainsworth, the shadow Environment Secretary, described the agency's conduct as "a massive scandal" and said it "smelt of a cover-up". He said he would be asking for an official investigation into whether the agency had broken the law. Legally, no GM material is allowed to go on sale in Britain or any other EU country. But last month the Bush administration admitted it had found a modified material, which had not even received safety clearance in the US, in long-grain rice intended for export. The unauthorised rice, which is listed as LLRICE601, was developed by Bayer CropScience to tolerate weedkiller, and tested on US farms between 1998 and 2001. The company decided not to market it. Nevertheless it has turned up widely in US rice, possibly because pollen from the tested rice spread to conventional crops. The European Commission says that it has been found in 33 of 162 samples of rice imported from the US. The EC last month banned any further imports unless they could be proved to be clear of the GM rice, and instructed governments to test products already on the market to make sure that they did not contain it. The European health and consumer protection commissioner, Markos Kyprianou, said it should not be allowed to enter the food chain "in any circumstances". Two big Swiss supermarket chains have already banned all US long-grain rice from sale. The Food Standards Agency publicly announced that "the presence of this GM material in rice on sale in the UK is illegal under European food law", adding: "Food retailers are responsible for ensuring the food they sell does not contain unauthorised GM material." But on 5 September, a senior agency official, Claire Baynton, privately met major retailers and food manufacturers. According to records of the meeting seen by <>The Independent on Sunday<>, she said the agency did not expect companies to trace products and withdraw them. The agency says it told the companies at the meeting that it was their responsibility to ensure that the food they sold did not contain GM material, but that it would not "require" them to test for it or withdraw products if found. It says that it has "not carried out tests of products on the market" and "has not issued any instructions to retailers" to do so. The agency says that modified rice does not present a safety concern and is advising people who may have US rice at home to continue to eat it. But some scientists say it could give cause for "concern over its potential allergenicity". Friends of the Earth has found GM material in two samples of Morrisons American long-grain rice and American long-grain brown rice, although it was not able to verify that it was LLRICE601. Morrisons accepts that selling any GM rice is illegal. It cleared its shelves of the products "as a precautionary measure" immediately after being informed of the findings. Clare Oxborrow, GM campaigner for Friends of the Earth, said: "The discovery of illegal GM ingredients is very worrying. The Food Standards Agency has failed to take action to identify and withdraw contaminated food, so it is likely that more illegal rice will reach the plates of unsuspecting customers. "Instead of down-playing this contamination incident, and delaying action, the agency should be taking urgent steps to prevent illegal GM rice from being sold in our shops.” </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

For me another great aussie is Steve Irwin, one of the most famous, amazing wildlife presenter, also known as "crocodile hunter". When he was killed just recently by a huge stingray I really wondered what were his last thoughts? His enthusiastic approach to nature conservation and the environment won him a global following. His death was filmed while they were doing an underwater documentary and since he was only 44 it once more comes to mind how quickly it can happen that we're forced to leave this body behind and everything related to it like family, relatives, friends, possessions but also name, fame and distinction - just within seconds everything is gone never to return. http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/09/04/australia.irwin/index.html

Where're the pics? Was it a real mobile phone so that one could phone Krishna on the altar?

In the News: American Buddhism on the rise

Yogis mainly leave their body at secluded Himalayas mountain caves or holy rivers far away from civilization, so it's pretty unplausible that someone performs a funeral for a yogi. "Guru" means all kind of teachers, but if you mean a Vaishnava spiritual master, diksa-guru, mahabhagavat, uttama-adikari, Vaishnava acarya it is understood that he/she engaged the body 100% in the transcendental loving service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna and therefore the body becomes spiritualized and is not burnt up like some material body, but as you say "the hole is filled up with salt" and the thus this spiritualized body becomes mummified, preserved. Nepal is a place of Buddhism so it might be a Buddhist ritual to fracture the head, but even the old Egyptians didn't fracture anything but took out the brain without damaging the skull before the mummifying. Since in Buddhism there's no such thing as spiritualizing one's body by serving God, they actually believe God is zero, this might be some Buddhist ritual which symbolizes breaking the attachment to the material body, any Buddhists at this forum?

How to Practice Krishna Consciousness at Home Krishna Consciousness is a gradual process. You may advance as slowly or rapidly as you desire. You can accept whatever level of practice that is comfortable for you. As you progress you may find that you desire more instruction or have questions that you wish to have answered. Please contact us with any questions you may have. Krsna Consciousness at Home From what we've read in Sri Isopanisad it's clear how important it is for everyone to practice Krishna consciousness, devotional service to Lord Krishna. Of course, living in the association of Krishna devotees in a temple or asrama makes it easier to practice devotional service. But, if you're determined, you can follow at home the teachings of Krishna consciousness and thus convert your home into a temple. Spiritual life, like material life, means practical activity. The difference is that whereas we perform material activities for the benefit of ourselves or those we consider ours, we perform spiritual activities for the benefit of Lord Krishna under the guidance of the scriptures and the spiritual master. The key is to accept the guidance of the scripture and the guru. Krishna declares in the Bhagavad Gita that a person can achieve neither happiness nor the supreme destination of life--going back to Godhead, back to Lord Krsna--if he or she does not follow the injunctions of the scriptures. And how to follow the scriptural rules by engaging in practical service to the Lord--that is explained by a bona fide spiritual master. Without following the instructions of a spiritual master who is in an authorized chain of disciplic succession coming from Krsna Himself, we cannot make spiritual progress. The practices outlined here are the timeless practices of bhakti-yoga as given by the foremost spiritual master an d exponent of Krsna consciousness in our time, His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder-acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). The purpose of spiritual knowledge is to bring us closer to God, or Krsna. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita (18.55), bhaktya mam abhijanati: "I can be known only by devotional service." Knowledge guides us in proper action. Spiritual knowledge directs us to satisfy the desires of Krsna through practical engagements in His loving service. Without practical application, theoretical knowledge is of little value. Spiritual knowledge is meant to direct us in all aspects of life. So we should try to organize our lives in such a way as to follow Krsna's teachings as far as possible. We should try to do our best, to do more than is simply convenient. Then it will be possible for us to rise to the transcendental plane of Krsna consciousness, even while living far from a temple. How to Chant Hare Krsna The first principle in devotional service is to chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra (maha means "great"; mantra means "sound that liberates the mind from ignorance"): Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare You can chant these holy names of the Lord anywhere and at any time, but it is best to set a specific time of the day to regularly chant. Early morning hours are usually ideal. The chanting can be done in two ways: singing the mantra, called kirtana (usually done in a group), and saying the mantra to oneself, called japa (which literally means "to speak softly"). Concentrate on hearing the sound of the holy names. As you chant, pronounce the names clearly and distinctly, addressing Krsna in a prayerful mood. When your mind wanders, bring it back to the sound of the Lord's names, bring it back to the vibration that is being created. Chanting is a prayer to Krsna that means: "Oh energy of the Lord [Hare], Oh all-attractive Lord Krishna, Oh Supreme Enjoyer [Rama], please engage me in Your service." The more attentively and sincerely you chant these names of God, the more spiritual progress you will make. Since God is all-powerful and all-merciful, He has kindly made it very easy for us to chant His names, and He has also invested all His powers in them. Therefore the names of God and God Himself are identical. This means that when we chant the holy names of Krishna and Rama we are directly associating with God and being purified. Therefore we should always try to chant with devotion and reverence. The Vedic literature states that Lord Krsna is personally dancing on your tongue when you chant His holy name. When you chant alone, it is best to chant on japa beads. This not only helps you fix your attention on the holy name, but it also helps you count the number of times you chant the mantra daily. Each strand of japa beads contains 108 small beads and one large bead, the head bead. Begin on a bead next to the head bead and gently roll it between the thumb and middle finger of your right hand as you chant the full Hare Krsna mantra. Then move to the next bead and repeat the process. In this way, chant on each of the 108 beads until you reach the head bead again. This is one round of japa. Then, without chanting on the head bead, reverse the beads and start your second round on the last bead you chanted on. One round of chanting can average between 5-7 minutes. Initiated devotees vow before the spiritual master to chant at least sixteen rounds of the Hare Krsna mantra daily. But even if you can chant only one round a day, the principle is that once you commit yourself to chanting that round, you should try to complete it every day without fail. When you feel you can chant more, then increase the minimum number of rounds you chant each day--but don't fall below that number. You can chant more than your fixed number, but you should maintain a set minimum each day. (Please note that the beads are sacred and therefore should never touch the ground or be put in an unclean place. To keep your beads clean, it's best to carry them in a special bead bag, also available from this site.) Aside from chanting japa, you can also sing the Lord's holy names in kirtana. While you can sing alone, kirtana is generally performed with others. A melodious kirtana with family or friends is sure to enliven everyone. ISKCON devotees use traditional melodies and instruments, especially in the temple, but you can chant to any melody and use any musical instruments to accompany your chanting. As Lord Caitanya said, "There are no hard and fast rules for chanting Hare Krsna." One thing you might want to do, however, is download some kirtana and the japa audio tape from this site. Setting Up Your Altar You'll likely find that japa and kirtana are more effective when done before an altar. Lord Krsna and His pure devotees are so kind that they allow us to worship them even through they're in pictures. It's like mailing a letter: You can't mail a letter by placing it in just any box; you must use the mailbox authorized by the government. Similarly, we cannot imagine a picture of God and worship that, but we can worship the authorized picture of God, and Krishna accepts our worship through that picture. Setting up an altar at home means receiving the Lord and His pure devotees as your most honored guests. Where should you set up the altar? Well, how would you seat a guest? An ideal place would be clean, well lit, and free from drafts and household disturbances. Your guest, of course, would need a comfortable chair, but for the picture of Krsna's form, a wall shelf, a mantelpiece, a corner table, or the top shelf of a bookcase will do. You wouldn't seat a guest in your home and then ignore him; you'd provide a place for yourself to sit, too, where you could comfortably face him and enjoy his company. So don't make your altar inaccessible. What do you need to set up your altar? Here are the essentials: A picture of Srila Prabhupada. A picture of Lord Caitanya and His associates. A picture of Sri Sri Radha-Krsna. In addition, you may want: an altar cloth, water cups (one for each picture), candles with holders, a special plate for offering food, a small bell, incense, an incense holder, and fresh flowers, which you may offer in vases or simply place before each picture. The first person we worship on the altar is the spiritual master. The spiritual master is not God. Only God is God. But because the spiritual master is His dearmost servant, God has empowered him, and therefore he deserves the same respect as that given to God. He links the disciple with God and teaches him the process of bhakti yoga. He is God's ambassador to the material world. When a president sends an ambassador to a foreign country, the ambassador receives the same respect as that accorded the president, and the ambassador's words are as authoritative as the president's. Similarly, we should respect the spiritual master as we would God, and revere his words as we would His. There are two main kinds of gurus: the instructing guru and the initiating guru. Everyone who takes up the process of bhakti-yoga as a result of coming in contact with ISKCON owes an immense debt of gratitude to Srila Prabhupada. Before Srila Prabhupada left India in 1965 to spread Krsna consciousness abroad, almost no one outside India knew anything about the practice of pure devotional service to Lord Krishna. Therefore, everyone who has learned of the process through his books, his 'Back to Godhead' magazine, his tapes, or contact with his followers should offer respect to Srila Prabhupada. As the founder and spiritual guide of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, he is the instructing guru of us all. The second picture on your altar should be one of the panca-tattva (Lord Caitanya and His four leading associates). Lord Caitanya is the incarnation of God for this age. He is Krsna Himself, descended in the form of His own devotee to teach us how to surrender to Him, specifically by chanting His holy names and performing other activities of bhakti-yoga. Lord Caitanya is the most merciful incarnation, for He makes it easy for anyone to attain love of God through the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra. And of course your altar should have a picture of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna with His eternal consort, Srimati Radharani. Srimati Radharani is Krsna's spiritual potency. She is devotional service personified, and devotees always take shelter of Her to learn how to serve Krsna. You can arrange the pictures in a triangle, with the picture of Srila Prabhupada on the left, the picture of Lord Caitanya and His associates on the right, and the picture of Radha and Krsna (slightly larger than the others, if possible) on a small raised platform behind and in the center. Or you can hang the picture of Radha and Krsna on the wall above the altar. Carefully clean the altar each morning. Cleanliness is essential in Deity worship. Remember, you wouldn't neglect to clean the room of an important guest, and when you establish an altar you invite Krsna and His pure devotees to reside as the most exalted guests in your home. If you have water cups, rinse them out and fill them with fresh water daily. Then place them conveniently close to the pictures. You should remove flowers in vases as soon as they're slightly wilted, or daily if you've offered them at the base of the pictures. You should offer fresh incense at least once a day, and, if possible, light candles and place them near the pictures when you're chanting before the altar. Please try the things we've suggested so far. It's very simple, really: If you try to love God, you'll gradually realize how much He loves you. That's the essence of bhakti-yoga. Prasadam: How to Eat Spiritually By His immense transcendental energies, Krsna can convert matter into spirit. If we place an iron rod in a fire, before long the rod becomes red hot and acts just like fire. In the same way, food prepared for and offered to Krishna with love and devotion becomes spiritualized. Such food is called Krsna prasadam, which means "the mercy of Lord Krsna." Eating prasadam is a fundamental practice of bhakti yoga. In other forms of yoga one must artificially repress the senses, but the bhakti-yogi can engage his or her senses in a variety of pleasing spiritual activities, such as tasting delicious food offered to Lord Krsna. In this way the senses gradually become spiritualized and bring the devotee more and more transcendental pleasure by being engaged in devotional service. Such spiritual pleasure far surpasses any kind of material experience. Lord Caitanya said of prasadam, "Everyone has tasted these foods before. However, now that they have been prepared for Krishna and offered to Him with devotion, these foods have acquired extraordinary tastes and uncommon fragrances. Just taste them and see the difference in the experience! Apart from the taste, even the fragrance pleases the mind and makes one forget any other fragrance. Therefore one should know that the spiritual nectar of Krsna's lips must have touched these ordinary foods and imparted to them all their transcendental qualities." Eating only food offered to Lord Krsna is the perfection of vegetarianism. In itself, being a vegetarian is not enough; after all, even pigeons and monkeys are vegetarians. But when we go beyond vegetarianism to a diet of prasadam, our eating becomes helpful in achieving the goal of human life--reawakening the soul's original relationship with God. In the Bhagavad-gita Krsna says that unless one eats only food that has been offered to Him in sacrifice, one will suffer the reactions of karma. How to Prepare and Offer Prasadam For a free on-line Krishnatarian cookbook look HERE. As you walk down the supermarket aisles selecting the foods you will offer to Krsna, you need to know what is offerable and what is not. In the Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krsna states, "If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit, or water, I will accept it." From this verse it is understood that we can offer Krishna foods prepared from milk products, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and grains. Meat, fish, and eggs are not offerable. And a few vegetarian items are also forbidden--garlic and onions, for example, which are in the mode of darkness. (Hing, or asafetida, is a tasty substitute for them in cooking and is available at most Indian groceries.) Nor can you offer to Krsna coffee or tea that contain caffeine. If you like these beverages, purchase caffeine free coffee and herbal teas. While shopping, be aware that you may find meat, fish, and egg products mixed with other foods; so be sure to read labels carefully. For instance, some brands of yogurt and sour cream contain gelatin, a substance made from the horns, hooves, and bones of slaughtered animals. Also, make sure the cheese you buy contains no 'rennet', an enzyme extracted from the stomach tissues of slaughtered calves. Most hard cheese sold in America contains rennet, so be careful about any cheese you can't verify as 'rennetless'. Also avoid foods cooked by non-devotees. According to the subtle laws of nature, the cook acts upon the food not only physically but mentally as well. Food thus becomes an agent for subtle influences on your conscious. The principle is the same as that at work with a painting: a painting is not simply a collection of strokes on a canvas but an expression of the artist's state of mind, which affects the viewer. So if you eat food cooked by non-devotees-employees working in a factory, for example--then you're sure to absorb a dose of materialism and karma. So as far as possible use only fresh, natural ingredients. In preparing food, cleanliness is the most important principle. Nothing impure should be offered to God; so keep your kitchen very clean. Always wash your hands thoroughly before entering the kitchen. While preparing food, do not taste it, for you are cooking the meal not for yourself but for the pleasure of Krsna. Arrange portions of the food on dinnerware kept especially for this purpose; no one but the Lord should eat from these dishes. The easiest way to offer food is simply to pray, "My dear Lord Krsna, please accept this food," and to chant each of the following prayers three times while ringing a bell: 1. Prayer to Srila Prabhupada: nama om visnu-padaya krsna-presthaya bhutale Srimate bhaktivedanta-svamin iti namine namas te sarasvate deve gaura-vani-pracarine nirvisesa sunyavadi pascyatya desa tarine "I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who is very dear to Lord Krsna, having taken shelter at His lotus feet. Our respectful obeisances are unto you, O spiritual master, servant of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami. You are kindly preaching the message of Lord Caitanya deva and delivering the Western countries, which are filled with impersonalism and voidism." 2. Prayer to Lord Caitanya: namo maha-vadanyaya krsna-prema-pradaya te krsnaya krsna-caitanya-namne gaura-tvise namah "O most munificent incarnation! You are Krishna Himself appearing as Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. You have assumed the golden color of Srimati Radharani. and You are widely distributing pure love of Krsna. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You." 3. Prayer to Lord Krsna: namo brahmanya-devaya go-brahmana-hitaya ca jagad-dhitaya krsnaya govindaya namo namah "I offer my respectful obeisances unto Lord Krsna, who is the worshipable Deity for all brahmanas the well-wisher of the cows and the brahmanas and the benefactor of the whole world. I offer my repeated obeisances to the Personality of Godhead, known as Krsna and Govinda." Remember that the real purpose of preparing and offering food to the Lord is to show your devotion and gratitude to Him. Krsna accepts your devotion, not the physical offering itself. God is complete in Himself--He doesn't need anything--but out of His immense kindness He allows us to offer food to Him so that we can develop our love for Him. After offering the food to the Lord, wait at least five minutes for Him to partake of the preparations. Then you should transfer the food from the special dinnerware and wash the dishes and utensils you used for the offering. Now you and any guests may eat the prasadam. While you eat, try to appreciate the spiritual value of the food. Remember that because Krsna has accepted it, it is non-different from Him, and therefore by eating it you will become purified. Everything you offer on your altar becomes prasadam, the mercy of the Lord. The flowers, the incense, the water, the food--everything you offer for the Lord's pleasure becomes spiritualized. When we offer the Lord something with genuine love and devotion, He enters into the offering, and thus the remnants are non-different from Him. So you should not only deeply respect the things you've offered, but you should distribute them to others as well. Distribution of prasadam is an essential part of Deity worship. Everyday Life: The Four Regulative Principles There are four pillars upon which human society rests. If these pillars are destroyed then our whole civilization is destroyed. These pillars are: mercy, truthfulness, austerity and cleanliness. Everyone appreciates these qualities. to protect these four pillars there are four regulative principles of freedom. By breaking the four regulative principles, you destroy these pillars and by destroying these pillars you destroy humanity. If you find it difficult to fully practice these principles, don't worry. It can be a gradual process. Please study the Siksa growth steps to see how one can gradually rise to the level of fully following these principles. 1. No eating meat, fish, or eggs. Killing animals turns one's body into a graveyard by consuming dead flesh. These foods are saturated with the modes of passion and ignorance and therefore cannot be offered to the Lord. A person who eats these foods participates in a conspiracy of violence against helpless animals and thus stops his spiritual progress dead in its tracks. 2. No gambling. Truthfulness is destroyed by gambling. This is quite obvious. Gambling turns a person into a liar, a cheat. Gambling invariably puts one into anxiety and fuels greed, envy, and anger. 3. No use of intoxicants. We know many arguments against the use of intoxicants. It is not a very difficult thing to understand because anyone with a sane mind will accept that taking intoxicants is physically, mentally and spiritually bad. It destroys the principle of austerity because the reason people take to drugs is that they want to avoid their suffering in the material world - they do not want to face that austerity. Drugs, alcohol, and tobacco, as well as any drink or food containing caffeine, cloud the mind, over-stimulate the senses, and make it impossible to follow the principles of bhakti-yoga. 4. No illicit sex. Cleanliness is destroyed by illicit sex. Many awful diseases have originated from uncontrolled sex. The scriptures teach that sex is the most powerful force binding us to the material world. Anyone serious about advancing in Krsna consciousness should minimize sex. Actually sex is a substitute for pure love. If we awaken our pure love of God, the taste is so relishable that sex becomes a tasteless, trivial act that leaves one empty and unfulfilled. By following these principles, you are not repressing yourself, but are elevating yourself to a superior platform. Engagement in Practical Devotional Service Everyone must do some kind of work, but if you work only for yourself you must accept the karmic reactions of that work. As Lord Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita (3.9), "Work done as a sacrifice for Visnu [Krsna] has to be performed. Otherwise work binds one to the material world." You needn't change your occupation, except if you're now engaged in a sinful job such as working as a butcher or bartender. If you're a writer, write for Krsna; if you're an artist, create for Krsna; if you're a secretary, type for Krsna. You may also directly help the temple in your spare time, and you should sacrifice some of the fruits of your work by contributing a portion of your earnings to help maintain the temple and propagate Krsna consciousness. Some devotees living outside the temple buy Hare Krsna literature and distribute it to their friends and associates, or they engage in a variety of services at the temple. There is also a wide network of devotees who gather in each other's homes for chanting, worship, and study. Additional Devotional Principles There are many more practices that will help you become Krsna conscious. Here are two vital ones: Studying Hare Krsna literature. Srila Prabhupada , the founder-acarya of ISKCON, dedicated much of his time to writing books such as the Srimad-Bhagavatam, the source of the chapter describing the fate of the sinful family man. Hearing the words or reading the writings of a realized spiritual master is an essential spiritual practice. So try to set aside some time every day to read Srila Prabhupada's books. Associating with devotees. Srila Prabhupada established the Hare Krsna movement to give people in general the chance to associate with devotees of the Lord. This is the best way to gain faith in the process of Krsna consciousness and become enthusiastic in devotional service. Conversely, maintaining intimate connections with non-devotees slows one's spiritual progress. So try to visit the Hare Krsna center nearest you as often as possible. If you are unable to go to a temple then please consider our group here for your fellowship. In Closing... The beauty of Krishna consciousness is that you can take as much as you're ready for. Krsna Himself promises in the Bhagavad-gita (2.40), "There is no loss or diminution in this endeavor, and even a little advancement on this path protects one from the most fearful type of danger." So bring Krsna into your daily life, and we guarantee you'll feel the benefit.

Just like God is one - the representative of God, guru or spiritual master is also one, there's no such thing as your guru and my guru, guru is an universal principle, when you get that straight? When Srila Prabhupada dealt with what you call terrorists, they didnt were terrorist. Just like your kids, if you have, let's say they later on become entangled in criminal activity you wont blame their school teacher, right? Does the court convict a school teacher when a grown up person later gets involved in breaking the law? That's pretty unheard, please enlighten me further!

IWA World Water Congress The World Water Crisis Headlines - 2006 raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhâsmi sasi-sûryayoh pranavah sarva-vedesu sabdah khe paurusam nrsu O son of Kunti, I am the taste of water, the light of the sun and the moon, the syllable om in the Vedic mantras; I am the sound in ether and ability in man. --------- 350 Millionen people in present China have to live with water contaminated by endless dangerous chemicals from their own "important" industries - industries which run on the principle to create a handful super-rich, sick egos and leave 99.99 % of the workers in wrechtedness. The price of producing practically everything real cheap for the rest of the world? Taking the risk of poisoning oneself in order to achieve economic wealth? Again we find such kind of madness exposed in Bhagavad-gita, Chapter: Demoniac Qualities. Question, since Krishna says He's the taste of pure water, isnt the unnecessary polution of water directly offending the Supreme Lord? The World Water Crisis Headlines - 2006 <TABLE borderColor=#ffffff cellSpacing=10 cellPadding=10 width=200 align=right bgColor=#ffffff><TBODY><TR><TD borderColor=#000000 bgColor=#99ccff>Headlines 2006 - July to December 2006 - January to June 2005 - July to December 2005 - January to June </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> September 11, 2006 - Solving the Entire Chinese Water Crisis (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) - "The ambitious proposal to build hundreds of miles of aqueducts, tunnels and reservoirs, called the Big Western Line, is reminiscent of massive engineering projects carried out with little environmental oversight under Mao Tse-tung in the 1950s and 1960s. But unlike in the Mao era, the proposal has drawn a chorus of protest from China's scientific community and created a rare rift between the experts and some of the Communist Party's most prominent elder statesmen. Instead of focusing on moving water north, the government should work to save water already there, by persuading farmers to install water-saving technologies, for example, said Jiang Liping, a World Bank water resources specialist in Beijing. "Moving water north is only a temporary solution if Beijing can't control its use," he said. "In the long term, the only way to solve the problem is to improve water management."" September 11, 2006 - Expert blames poor rainfall for Lake Victoria woes (Angola Press) NAIROBI, Kenya - "A Kenyan hydrologist is blaming the receding water levels in lake Victoria, Africa`s largest fresh water mass, on declining rainfall patterns in the East Africa region and excessive outflow of water at the Owens dam at the River Nile source." September 9, 2006 - World water crisis on way (Border Mail) - "OIL and water surely do not mix but there is something they do share, say the experts who point to a future supply squeeze versus an explosion in demand." September 7, 2006 - 1,6 m children under 5 died last year because of unsafe water, sanitation (AP/ The Namibian) GENEVA - "Contaminated water and bad sanitation were responsible for the deaths of 1,6 million children under the age of 5 last year - or 4 500 every day - the UN health agency said Tuesday. More than 1,1 billion people live without safe drinking water, and 2,6 billion do not have basic sanitation, the World Health Organisation said in a United Nations report on water and sanitation conditions around the globe. September 6, 2006 - World Likely to Miss Clean Water Goals (ENS) GENEVA, Switzerland - "The world is unlikely to meet its pledge to cut in half the number of people who lack access to clean drinking water and basic sanitation by 2015, according to a new report by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF." September 5, 2006 - Water access progress 'too slow' (BBC News) - "The UN had hoped to halve the number of people without access to clean drinking water and sanitation by 2015. But progress has slowed due to population increases and unexpectedly high migration to urban areas, say the World Health Organisation and Unicef." September 5, 2006 - Billions still lack clean water and sanitation -UN (Reuters) GENEVA - "More than a billion people still have no clean water to drink as the international community falls far behind in its plan to halve their number by 2015, two U.N. agencies said on Tuesday." September 5, 2006 - Thirst For Water Will Grow (Oxford Analytica) - "The World Water Week conference in Stockholm from Aug. 21 to 26 focused on water quality and quantity over the coming decades." September 5, 2006 - China to provide potable water for rural residents (Reuters) BEIJING - "China will invest billions of dollars over the next 10 years to provide drinking water for 300 million rural residents who face shortages or are without access to clean water, local media reported on Tuesday." September 2, 2006 - Heat and drought take toll on southwest China (Reuters) BEIJING - "Some 18 million people have been short of drinking water and 11 million hectares of crops, mostly rice but including corn and tobacco, have been destroyed or damaged, Xinhua news agency said." August 31, 2006 - Rwanda: 40 Percent in Rulindo Access Clean water (The New Times) - KIGALI - "The Vice Mayor of Rulindo District in charge of Economic Planning and Development, Deo Nzamwita, has disclosed that out of 200,251 people in the district, only 40% have access to clean water. He said another 10% uses dirty water, with the remaining 50% using 'relatively clean water'." August 30, 2006 - Nigeria: Obasanjo Challenges Politicians On Water Resources (This Day) LAGOS - "President Olusegun Obasanjo has urged politicians to join hands with government to ensure better management of the nation's water resources for development and access to safe and clean water." August 29, 2006 - Cholera rampant in Sudan, WHO fears for neighbours (Reuters) GENEVA - "Cholera is rampant across Sudan, with nearly 25,000 cases and more than 700 deaths recorded this year, and the epidemic threatens neighbouring Chad, a top expert at the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Tuesday." August 29, 2006 - Cities in peril as Andean glaciers melt (The Guardian) - "Andean glaciers are melting so fast that some are expected to disappear within 15-25 years, denying major cities water supplies and putting populations and food supplies at risk in Colombia, Peru, Chile, Venezuela, Ecuador, Argentina and Bolivia." August 28, 2006 - Empower Women by Providing Access to Water (IRC Source) - Water Affairs Minister Lindiwe Hendricks says women must have access to resources such as water so they can be empowered to fight poverty: “We must reaffirm our commitment not only to the delivery of water, sanitation and forestry services, but to ensuring that we mainstream gender to ensure that women can also benefit from the development opportunities that arise when we provide such services.”" August 28, 2006 - East Africa Hit By Drought, Floods (PlanetArk) NAIROBI - "A disastrous cycle of drought and flood has hit the Horn of Africa, bringing misery and death to some of the continent's poorest regions." August 28, 2006 - Sanitation: do’s and don’ts in community-led total sanitation, Nepal (IRC Source) - "A Summary of key Do’s and Don’ts." August 28, 2006 - China up, India/Africa flat for investors (Stanford Group Co/WaterTech) WASHINGTON - "Investment opportunities in the Chinese water/wastewater market are quite promising, but remain "nebulous" in India and Africa despite those latter countries' significant water problems." August 25, 2006 - "Water Wars" a Myth, Say Experts (IPS) STOCKHOLM - ""Water wars make good newspaper headlines but cooperation (agreements) don't," says Arunabha Ghosh, co-author of the upcoming Human Development Report 2006 themed on water management. In reality, Ghosh told the meeting in Stockholm, there are plenty of bilateral, multilateral and trans-boundary agreements for water-sharing -- all or most of which do not make good newspaper copy. Asked about water wars, Prof. Asit K. Biswas of the Mexico-based Third World Centre for Water Management, told IPS: "This is absolute nonsense because this is not going to happen -- at least not during the next 100 years." He said the world is not facing a water crisis because of physical water scarcities. "This is baloney," he said. "What it is facing is a crisis of bad water management," argued Biswas." August 25, 2006 - Global Action Required to Avert Water Crisis, Say Reports (World Watch Institute) - "As World Water Week wraps up in Stockholm, Sweden, two new studies suggest that the world’s deteriorating water situation deserves more attention than ever. A comprehensive report from the global conservation organization WWF, released August 16, details how the looming water crisis is now affecting rich countries as well as poor. Global warming, diminishing wetlands, and inadequate resource management are the main causes of expanding water shortages worldwide, according to the group. The second study, issued by the Sri Lanka-based International Water Management Institute (IWMI) on August 21, concludes that one-third of the human population—mostly in the developing world—is now short of water. While the studies offer similar suggestions for reducing water scarcity, WWF’s analysis presents a range of solutions for wealthier countries that require significant upfront costs. The IWMI report, in contrast, encourages developing countries to forego expensive schemes in favor of low-cost solutions." August 25, 2006 - India: empowering people and accountability needed, says World Bank (IRC Source) - "It is essential for India’s rapidly growing economy to improve the delivery of core public services such as health care, education, power and water supply to all its citizens. This means empowering its people to demand better services through reforms that create more effective systems of public sector accountability, writes the World Bank in: The India Development Policy Review 2006 titled "Inclusive Growth and Service Delivery: Building on India's Success"." August 25, 2006 - Haiti: water is life in Cité Soleil (IRC Source) - "The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has repaired the system of public water taps in Cité Soleil, a town in Port-au-Prince with about 250,000 inhabitants. Since 2004, Cité Soleil has been the scene of violent clashes between armed gangs and the United Nations stabilization mission. When the project began, women and children sometimes had to walk many kilometres to reach a source of clean water. By June 2006, however, over half of Cité Soleil's public water taps were working again." August 25, 2006 - Lebanon: rivers form part of conflict with Israel (IRC Source) - "Water has been and will continue to be of great importance in the Israeli-Lebanese conflict, though the truth of this is often overlooked." August 24, 2006 - Water abuse is costing the Earth (BBC News) - "The world's supply of freshwater is being abused, says Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary of the UN's Convention on Biological Diversity. In this week's Green Room, he argues that we must learn to better manage this vital resource or live to regret the consequences." August 24, 2006 - Landmark Study Reviewing 50 Years' Practices Calls For Radical Changes In Water Management (Medical News Today) - "The Comprehensive Assessment, carried out by 700 experts from around the world over the last five years, indicates that one third of the world's population is currently living in places where water is either over-used - leading to falling groundwater levels and drying rivers - or can not be accessed due to the absence of the appropriate infrastructure." August 23, 2006 - Middle East conflicts undermine water management: experts (AFP) STOCKHOLM - "Unrest in Iraq and conflicting security interests between Syria and Turkey suffocate the political dialogue necessary for effective management of water resources, the World Water Week conference in Stockholm has heard." August 23, 2006 - Kenya: The Planet is Sliding Into a Kiln of Thirst And Drought (The East African Standard) NAIROBI - "Human activities, such as irrigation around water catchments areas such as Mt Kenya, have caused wanton shortage of water in areas that would naturally have sufficient flow of water. In fact, some rivers around the Mt Kenya region have dried up, thanks to these activities as well as other climatic incidences. Many Kenyans today can bear witness that some rivers, which they depended on only two decades ago, have dried up." August 23, 2006 - New Alliance Seeks to Fight Water Sector Corruption (Reuters) STOCKHOLM - "Water experts and businesses teamed up on Tuesday to fight corruption feared to be siphoning off billions of dollars from projects to supply drinking water to the Third World." August 22, 2006 - Finding Clean Water One of Lebanon's Biggest Problems, UN Says (VOA) GENEVA - "United Nations aid agencies say clean water is the number one challenge facing relief efforts in south Lebanon. They say major destruction was done to water and sanitation systems during the month-long conflict." August 22, 2006 - India's Banks are Big on MicroFinance (Business Week) - "Lending money to the poor has largely been the province of small operators, but major financial institutions are now starting to focus on it in a serious way." August 22, 2006 - "Water labels" on food could ease shortages: expert (Reuters) STOCKHOLM - "Labeling foods ranging from spaghetti to meat to show how much water is used in their production could help combat mounting pressure on the world's water supplies, a leading expert said on Tuesday." August 22, 2006 - China's urban water supplies face severe test (Reuters) BEIJING - "Pollution and poor management have worsened the quality of China's increasingly scarce urban water supplies, but in the next five years the government will spend $125 billion on the problem, an official said on Tuesday." August 21, 2006 - Map details global water stress (BBC News) - "The alarming extent of water scarcity across the world is detailed in a map compiled by a leading environmental think tank. It shows two key types of scarcity; water is said to be either physically scarce or economically scarce." August 21, 2006 - Need for Water Could Double In 50 Years, U.N. Study Finds (NY Times) - "More than two billion people already live in regions facing a scarcity of water, and unless the world changes its ways over the next 50 years, the amount of water needed for a rapidly growing population will double, scientists warned in a study released yesterday. At the worst, a deepening water crisis would fuel violent conflicts, dry up rivers and increase groundwater pollution, their report says. It would also force the rural poor to clear ever more grasslands and forests to grow food and leave many more people hungry." August 21, 2006 - Fixing leaks can avert world water woes - expert (Reuters) STOCKHOLM - "Fixing leaky pipes in conurbations from Mexico City to New Delhi is a better way to avert water shortages as the world population grows than costly schemes such as dams, a leading expert said on Monday. "There is no shortage of water in the world, but there is a crisis of management of water supplies," Asit Bitwas, head of the Third World Centre for Water Management in Mexico City, told Reuters during a meeting of 1,000 experts on water in Stockholm." August 21, 2006 - Water crisis happening now (Nature) - "Severe water scarcity arrives decades earlier than predicted. One-third of the world's population is living in water-scarce areas, say scientists behind a 5-year analysis of global water resources. The finding is a worrying update to an older study by the same team, who had previously predicted that such a situation would not arrive until 2025." August 21, 2006 - Scientists Call for Radical Action to Ease Water Scarcity (Reuters) STOCKHOLM - "Scientists on Monday called for radical action to improve global water management, saying one-third of the world's population faces water scarcity." August 21, 2006 - Water issues need answers (AFP) STOCKHOLM - "With the world’s population forecast to grow by 2-3bn by 2050 and water already a scarce resource for some, there has to be a radical transformation in the management of the planet’s resources of the life-giving liquid, experts warned at the start of World Water Week here." August 21, 2006 - Study cites flood of solutions for water scarcity (SciDev.Net) - "Water shortages affect a third of the global population but solutions to the problem abound, says a major report published today (21 August). The Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture was launched at the World Water Week meeting in Stockholm, Sweden. It urges policymakers to take radical action to make water supplies sustainable." August 21, 2006 - Food, Biofuels Could Worsen Water Shortages, Report Says (Reuters) STOCKHOLM - ""One in three people is enduring one form or another of water scarcity," the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) said in a report compiled by 700 experts and backed by the United Nations and farm research groups. The scarcity figures were higher than previous estimates." August 21, 2006 - China Drought Causes Water Shortages for 18 Million (Reuters) SHANGHAI- "Hot weather and a severe drought have left over 18 million people short of drinking water, damaged millions of hectares of cropland and reduced water supplies for millions of livestock, Xinhua news agency said on Saturday." August 19, 2006 - Water crisis deepens India's rural-urban rift (Scripps Howard News Service) India - "The last time Jamku Mali saw her husband alive was the day of the demonstration. Early on the morning of June 13, 2005, he left their dusty village in Rajasthan, a desert state in western India, to join thousands of other farmers in a desperate protest for water." August 17, 2006 - Cost of water shortage: civil unrest, mass migration and economic collapse (Guardian Unlimited) - "Cholera may return to London, the mass migration of Africans could cause civil unrest in Europe and China's economy could crash by 2015 as the supply of fresh water becomes critical to the global economy. That was the bleak assessment yesterday by forecasters from some of the world's leading corporate users of fresh water, 200 of the largest food, oil, water and chemical companies." August 16, 2006 - Water shortage 'a global problem' (BBC News) - "A combination of climate change and poor resource management is leading to water shortages in even the most developed countries, it says. It urges water conservation on a global scale and asks rich states to set an example by repairing ageing water infrastructure and tackling pollution. The report was released in Geneva just ahead of World Water Week." August 16, 2006 - Water problems affect all nations (Press Association) - " Lack of water is increasingly affecting some of the world's wealthiest nations. A WWF report claims that climate change, drought and loss of wetlands, poorly thought out water infrastructure and resource mismanagement are creating a global crisis." August 16, 2006 - Rich Countries Like Poor Face Water Crisis (Reuters) GENEVA - "Rich countries have to make drastic changes to policies if they are to avoid the water crisis that is facing poorer nations, the WWF environmental organisation said on Wednesday August 16, 2006 - Expert: World water use will double by 2050 (Reuters) - "A recent assessment of the world's current and future water needs says that the global demand for water will double by 2050. According to Rijsberman, there is plenty of water in the world — but a lack of water infrastructures and resource mismanagement is creating a global water crisis, the release said. " August 13, 2006 - China Surveys Rural Drinking Water and Hygiene (China.org) - "China has launched a survey of drinking water and hygiene in the rural areas this month, aiming to improve rural environment and living quality of farmers. The survey aims to investigate the current quality of drinking water, renovation of toilets, processing of excrement and wastes and waste water in the rural areas." August 11, 2006 - Sri Lanka operation 'to go on' (BBC News) - "The army and rebels have resumed heavy fighting in the area of the disputed Maavilaru waterway in the north-east. Both sides say they are in control of the waterway in Trincomalee, which supplies water to 15,000 families." August 11, 2006 - Jay-Z to Dramatize World Water Crisis in MTV Video Diary (ENS) NEW YORK - "Most young people are unaware" of the world's water crisis, but if they knew about the "staggering numbers" of people affected by lack of clean water, they would be moved to act, Def Jam President and CEO Jay-Z said at United Nations Headquarters in New York on Wednesday." August 10, 2006 - The cost of Sri Lanka's water war (BBC News) - "After two weeks of intense fighting, water finally began flowing again this week in the Maavilaru waterway in eastern Sri Lanka. The fighting has forced thousands to flee their homes For the time being, farmers in the government-held areas in Trincomalee district may heave a sigh of relief as the Tamil Tiger rebels have finally relented to lift the water blockade that has been at the root of their bitter fight with government forces in the region." August 10, 2006 - Old Feud Over Lebanese River Takes New Turn (LA Times) QASMIYA, Lebanon - "Israeli bombing has knocked out irrigation canals supplying Litani River water to more than 10,000 acres of farmland and 23 villages in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, prompting accusations here that Israel is using its war against Hezbollah to lay claim to Lebanon's prime watersheds." August 10, 2006 - Jay-Z to help U.N. tackle water crisis (AP) UNITED NATIONS - "Jay-Z, president of Def Jam Records, teamed up with the United Nations and MTV on Wednesday to get children involved in the fight against the worldwide water crisis. He cited statistics that 1.1 billion live without clean drinking water. Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, said he had been looking for a way to help people, and when he visited Africa on tour he was struck by how many lacked such a basic necessity. "As I started looking around and looking at ways that I could become helpful, it started at the first thing -- water, something as simple as water," the 36-year-old rapper said at U.N." August 10, 2006 - Kenya: Flash Flood Hits Drought-Stricken District (IRIN) - "Four people were confirmed dead on Thursday after flash floods hit Kenya's drought-stricken northern Marsabit district, the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) said." August 8, 2006 - Sri Lanka rebels 'open waterway' (BBC News) - "Tamil Tiger rebels say they have reopened a waterway that has been at the centre of fighting with the Sri Lankan military for nearly two weeks." August 7, 2006 - Water Stress in Sub-Saharan Africa (Council on Foreign Relations) - "Sub-Saharan Africa suffers from chronically overburdened water systems under increasing stress from fast-growing urban areas. Weak governments, corruption, mismanagement of resources, poor long-term investment, and a lack of environmental research and urban infrastructure only exacerbate the problem. In some cases, the disruption or contamination of water supply in urban infrastructures and rural area has incited domestic and cross-border violence. Experts say incorporating water improvements into economic development is necessary to end the severe problems caused by water stress and to improve public health and advance the economic stability of the region." August 7, 2006 - Uganda warned of water crisis in major towns (Angola Press) KAMPALA - "A looming water crisis is likely to hit Uganda`s major towns following the receding water level in Lake Victoria, the state-owned New Vision daily reported on Monday. Muhairwe who was appearing before the parliamentary committee on natural resources explained that due to the receding water levels in Lake Victoria, most of the water pipes were exposed." August 7, 2006 - Uganda: Water Crisis in Lira Villages (The Monitor) KAMPALA - "THE internally displaced persons returning back home nearly after two decades of living in squalid camps are experiencing an acute shortage of water. The District Water Officer, Mr Francis Ariong, said most of the swamps and wetlands in Lira district have dried up due to siltation. "Villagers in some areas are now walking over 10 kilometres to the nearest water source." Ariong said' "Others are sharing dirty water from ponds with cows." August 7, 2006 - Pakistan: community radio tackles water and gender (IRC Source) Pakistan - "Pakistan's water supply coverage is among the best in South Asia. However, gender roles relating to water use remain unchanged. Uks Director Tasneem Ahmar says that community radio draws large audiences and is the perfect medium to pierce social taboos. "Water is very important to women but they do not have a voice to influence water policies."" August 7, 2006 - Colombia: government backing departmental water supply plans (IRC Source) Colombia - "The departmental water plans for Colombia are aimed at ensuring potable water supplies in all municipalities, 24 hours a day. The plans will be funded with oil royalties, municipal contributions and money from the national government." August 7, 2006 - Senegal: teaching sustainable water management to raise responsible citizens (IRC Source) Senegal - "President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal announced that schools would soon teach environmental awareness, especially in the area of sustainable water management." August 6, 2006 - More than two million people face shortage of drinking water in China (AFP) BEIJING - "Southwest China is experiencing a serious drought, with 2.39 million people facing a shortage of drinking water, state media have said." August 4, 2006 - Jay-Z Teaming With UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan To Address World Water Crisis (AllHipHop.com) - "Def Jam Records president and CEO Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter will take part in an effort to educate the public on the world's water crisis." August 3, 2006 - KARACHI: Cases of waterborne diseases on the rise (Dawn.com) KARACHI - "Fearing an outbreak of waterborne and food borne diseases in the wake of the ongoing spell of monsoon rains in the city, experts have called for keeping an eye on the quality of water and edibles citizens consume nowadays." August 3, 2006 - Water scarce in tsunami-hit Aceh (The Jakarta Post) BANDA ACEH - "Water shortages have hit a number of tsunami-stricken areas in the Aceh capital of Banda Aceh after non-governmental organizations that had been providing water pulled out of the country." August 3, 2006 - Water and war in Sri Lanka (BBC) - "The latest fighting in north-eastern Sri Lanka began as a dispute over water supplies in the district of Trincomalee." August 2, 2006 - Where Are the World's Looming Water Conflicts? (Reuters) - "Sri Lankan jets pounded Tamil Tiger positions on Tuesday in a battle to regain control of a rebel-held water source for about 50,000 people. Here are five flashpoints for potential "water wars" some experts say are looming:" India and Pakistan India and Bangladesh Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Palestinian Territories Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia Turkey, Syria and Iraq August 2, 2006 - Battle for waterway threatens to reignite Sri Lankan civil war (the Guardian) - "The battle between Sri Lankan forces and Tamil separatists for control of a waterway near the country's north-eastern coast threatened to escalate into a full-scale war as jets hit rebel positions and a fierce naval battle saw shells traded in the port of Trincomalee. Tamil Tigers accuse the Colombo authorities of reneging on a pledge to build a water tower for people living in rebel-held areas and have shut a key sluice gate that supplies water to government-held areas." July 31, 2006 - Glacier's retreat signals water crisis in Peru (Washington Post) QUELCCAYA GLACIER, Peru - "Across the globe, millions of people who rely on meltwater from shrinking glaciers may soon go thirsty. "The repercussions of this are very scary," agreed Tim Barnett, a climate scientist with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego. "When the glaciers are gone, they are gone. What does a place like Lima do? Or, in northwest China, there are 300 million people relying on snowmelt for water supply. There's no way to replace it until the next ice age."" July 28, 2006 - Lebanon water shortage will threaten lives-U.N. (Reuters) BEIRUT, Lebanon - "Lack of clean water will soon threaten lives in south Lebanon, where Israel's bombardment of roads and bridges has also cut off water supplies, a senior U.N. emergency relief official said." July 27, 2006 - Melting glaciers threaten world's water supplies (PeopleandPlanet.Net) - "Climate change and falling water tables are having a dramatic effect on the world’s water resources. And the rapid melting of the planet's glaciers is making the problem even more serious, writes Satu Hassi, a Member of the European Parliament." July 26, 2006 - Liberia switches on street lights (BBC News) MONROVIA, Liberia - "In another landmark event, parts of the capital got access to pumped water for the first time in 15 years on Wednesday. Mrs Johnson-Sirleaf led an array of officials to the densely populated Fiamah community of Monrovia for the launch late on Tuesday. She was told that 30% of the city's water needs had been addressed so far. For a low fee residents and businesses in coverage areas can now apply to be connected to mains water. Those who cannot afford this can rely on 23 strategically placed stand pipes, eight of which have already been installed." July 25, 2006 - Gaza: taps run dry after power station bombed (IRC Source) - "The taps are running dry for 1.4 million Palestinians in Gaza after an international boycott left the Hamas government unable to provide basic services, and Israeli air strikes destroyed the only power station, preventing rooftop tanks from being refilled." July 25, 2006 - Iraq, Baghdad: poor sanitation poses cholera risks (IRC Source) - "Poor sanitation and high levels of insecurity pose serious health risks to people in Baghdad, say health workers. Dr Abdul Jalil, director of the Infectious Diseases Control Centre, said, “A cholera outbreak could happen anytime.”" July 25, 2006 - The Dow Chemical Company Announces Commitment to Clean Water Solutions at the United Nations - R&D, Market Development and Blue Planet Run Foundation Partnership Anchor Sustainability Goal to DriveNew Technologies, More Widespread Global Awareness (Dow Chemical) UNITED NATIONS - "Liveris also outlined a new partnership between Dow and the Blue Planet Run Foundation, a U.S.-based non-profit organization committed to sustainable water solutions. The foundation will raise awareness of and funds for clean water projects worldwide through the inauguration of the Blue Planet Run®, the first-ever global endurance run around the world, sponsored by Dow. Over the course of 100 days, beginning in June 2007, a team of Blue Planet Run athletes will circumnavigate the globe, running 24 hours a day." July 25, 2006 - Contamination of drinking water getting worse (Xinhua) China - "Health threats to China's drinking water are increasing because of the serious contamination of many of the country's water sources." July 22, 2006 - Lack of water, energy 'could cause war' (AAP) - "A worldwide lack of water and energy supplies could spark wars, warns former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev. Delivering the opening address at the Earth Dialogues forum in Brisbane, Mr Gorbachev said resources such as water had become so scarce that basins of major rivers shared by several countries could one day become sites of military conflict. "In 2001, secretary general of the UN (United Nations), Kofi Annan, said that in the new century we may see wars over water, rather than over oil, and that is not an exaggeration."" July 20, 2006 - Waiting for the rains, poorest struggle to survive (IRIN) KEIDI, Mauritania - "Water is as precious as gold in Mauritania’s baking hot villages, and probably seems just as heavy for the women and children who trek 15 kilometres or more every day to pump barrels of it out of the ground, hauling it home on their heads and on donkeys." July 20, 2006 - Parliamentary water inquiry welcomed (World Development Movement) - "WDM Head of Campaigns Murray Benham said: "It is good to see that the issue of access to clean water and sanitation is being taken seriously. Time and time again water privatisation projects have ended in disaster in the developing world. This inquiry represents the ideal opportunity for MPs to look at the evidence on the most effective way of getting water to people." July 19, 2006 - Yemen has the poorest water resources, says official (Yemen Times) SANA’A, Yemen - "The Chairman of the Technical Secretariat for Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Eng. Anwer Saholy confirmed that water quantity in Yemen is only 10 percent of the per capita share in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and less than 2 percent of the international average and that makes Yemen one of the poorest countries in the world regarding water." July 19, 2006 - Home water treatment 'is best for fighting disease' (SciDev.Net) BEIJING, China - "Treating water in homes is a more effective way of controlling diarrhoea in poor countries than interventions at wells. So concludes a review published today (19 July) by The Cochrane Collaboration." July 18, 2006 - Darfur Peace Must Address Water Crisis, Economist Says (Reuters) ESPOO, Finland - "There is no chance of peace in Darfur unless the region's dire water shortages are tackled as part of a settlement between rebels and the Sudanese government, a top international economist said on Monday." July 14, 2006 - Cameroon: Buea Faces Water Problems in Rainy Season (The Post) BUEA, Cameroon - "Water has become a very scarce commodity in Buea, the Southwest Provincial capital. Even in July, in the heart of the rainy season, it is hard to find a tap flowing uninterruptedly in the average home for up to six hours at any given time. Long cues of children and housewives are seen on most mornings at public stand taps waiting to fetch water in jerry cans, basins or buckets before the supply is suddenly cut." July 13, 2006 - Community management: women take the lead in drinking water projects, Kerala, India (IRC Source/ The Hindu Magazine) KERALA - "Participation of women from decision-making to post-implementation is the common element in successful drinking water projects in the southern Indian state of Kerala. Women are the main beneficiaries of any water scheme because they are the ones who suffer most when water is scarce." July 12, 2006 - Water problems remain in rural areas (Mail & Guardian) DURBAN, South Africa - "Distribution of water, reliability of water supply, water storage and vandalism were problems still facing communities hit by a cholera outbreak at the end of 2000, scientists said on Wednesday. A report released by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) in Durban reveals that proper water supply in South Africa's poorest communities has improved. However, there are still grave risks that could see further outbreaks of water-related diseases such as cholera and typhoid." July 12, 2006 - WaterAid yellow cards the European Union (WaterAid) - "On 10 July WaterAid was in Brussels to hand in more than 21,000 Empty glass campaign postcards signed by British campaigners to the EU. The postcards call for an immediate and radical reform of the European Union Water Initiative (EUWI) which has failed to deliver access to water and sanitation to a single person since its inception four years ago." July 10, 2006 - Govt asked to declare clean water basic human right (Dawn) ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - "Speakers at a seminar here on Monday expressed grave concerns over the thousands of deaths caused by contaminated water every year in Pakistan and demanded of the government to declare clean potable water as the basic human rights of every individual. Speaking on the occasion, water experts asked the government to ensure effective supply of clean drinking water to masses across the board by eliminating rural and urban divide. They said it was a matter of great shame for the country that almost half of the beds in the country’s hospitals were being occupied by waterborne disease patients in the 21st century." July 8, 2006 - Baghdad faces ‘water crisis’ despite new plant (AP) BAGHDAD, Iraq - "After nearly three years and $45 million, a treatment plant in northern Baghdad is pumping enough drinking water for a quarter of Baghdad’s people. But the trick is getting it to them because of losses to broken pipes and scavengers." July 7, 2006 - Parched Beijing May Divert Yellow River for Olympics (PlanetArk) BEIJING - Beijing may divert water from the Yellow River to guarantee water supply during the 2008 Olympics, a Chinese newspaper said on Thursday, as the world's driest major city ponders how to slake the thirst of 2.5 million extra people. July 5, 2006 - Sierra Leone: Water Crisis - Where Is The Government, Opposition (Standard Times) FREETOWN, Sierra Leone - "Another crisis is currently hitting the city of Freetown. This time around it is not the discouraging electricity problems. It is an issue of a commodity that virtually everyone can't go without. It is the lack of drinking water, a situation that is affecting almost every resident of the city." July 2, 2006 - Nigeria: Only 39 Percent of Nigerians Have Access to Potable Drinking Water (Vanguard) LAGOS - "The increasing incidences of water related diseases in Nigeria, such as amoebic dysentery, diarrheas, cholera, typhoid and paratyphoid have been blamed on the accessibility of only 39 percent of the country's population to potable drinking water."

Srila Prabhupada's once stated that the definition of GBC is, responsible for the spiritual and material well-being of the Vaishnavas entrusted in their care. As Gaurav Mittal states below, there has to be a clear understanding of what is useless criticism and what it useful criticism and not be unqualified to discriminate between the two.

originally posted by HH Bhakti Vikasa Maharaja Letter to Himavati dd -- Los Angeles 15 June, 1972 I don't know who has given you this idea of shaving your head and wearing white garments. In India only the widows are allowed to shave head. You remain the beautiful maid servant of Krishna. That is your business, and you should dress yourself always very nicely so that Krishna by seeing you will be pleased. Don't try to be ugly before Krishna. Krishna does not like ugly gopis. We are transcendental artists, musicians, writers, so everything should be beautiful for Krishna. After all we are members of Krishna's family, just like Krishna had 16,000 wives and each wife has thousands of servants and maid-servants and all of them are very beautiful for serving Krishna and His Queens. So the servants of the gopis and queens cannot be ugly, they are as beautiful as the queens. In the Vaikuntha world there is no need of serving anything because everything is already clean and beautiful. It is so clean that just like a mirror when the maid-servants would sweep the floor they could see the reflections of their bodies. So remain always compact in Vaikuntha yajna, simply by thinking of the Glories of the Lord. Don't try to do anything artificially. That is sahajiya, which means a class of men that take everything very cheap. You want to perform sacrifice so continuously read our Vedic scriptures and perform the Vaikuntha yajna. Hope you are well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

The Sangai Express Imphal, September 12: Revealing that TIPS functionaries L Umakanta and Y Thabi were arrested on grounds of suspicion in connection with the August 16 ISKCON temple blast and the State Government have to honour legality of the case, Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh suggested the duo's freedom be secured by following bail procedures. Addressing a Congress party function at GM Hall today, I Ibobi Singh, who is also in-charge of the Home portfolio expressed that the SPF Government could not intervene much in the detention of Umakanta and Thabi as the matter is under the prerogative of the legal Court. Necessitated by investigation rigours and coupled with suspicion against the duo in the August 16 blast at ISKCON wherein many were killed or maimed the TIPS functionaries were arrested, said the CM and hastened to add that their detention, in no way, should be interpreted as 'involved' in the case. Iterating that PR bond procedures be respected in securing release of the arrested persons, the CM further maintained that Government has no intention to put them under interrogation-related duress. He, nevertheless indicated that remand of the two have been secured through the court for want of some information with regard to the ghastly ISKCON blast. Apparently disagreeing with vigorous movement launched by some organisations demanding unconditional release of Umakanta and Thabi, the chief Minister recalled similar circumstances complicating arrest of two persons from kairang area in connection with the then disappearance of Sub-Inspector Kumar. Apart from levelling charges of inefficiency against the SPF Government to questioning existence of the State's Home Department for inability to trace SI Kumar or track down the guilty, subsequent detention of the kairang duo even evoked strong reaction from the local representative demanding their release, reminded the CM. However, all such premature accusations hurled upon the Government soon dissipated after public came to know that they (Kairang duo) had confessed during interrogation of involvement in burying Kumar's body, Ibobi said. Explaining his comment, the CM refrained to make a similar conclusion saying that the Court concerned had offered Umakanta and Thabi to furnish PR Bonds to evade imprisonment. While affirming that in case the TIPS duo are found innocent their case chapter would be closed, Ibobi however, wondered why the bail condition could not be endorsed willingly by them. Confiding that even the Governor is strongly concerned on how the State could function properly amid bandhs, blockades and strikes of all form crippling normal chores for nearly 20 days in a month, he also categorically described the agitation/demands of aided-college teachers as 'unreasonable'. The CM fervently appealed to the teachers to return back to the classroom rather than waste invaluable time or attempt to create problem. Indicating reluctance to consider demand for 20 percent reservation of Muslim candidates in Government jobs and in higher studies, the Cm said Government need to follow prescriptions regarding relevant act or law on the reservation issue, study provisions on this matter by other States instead of conceding demands without proper and detailed assessment. Stating that the Government is closely perusing recommendations of the OBC Commission in order to omit or amend related act/rules, O Ibobi called upon the agitation sponsors to suspend the ongoing stir not only in the interest of the minority community but also to enable the Government make a decisive decision. meanwhile, City police personnel thwarted an attempt to burn effigy of the Chief Minister in front of the police station today. even as the security personnel were busy snatching the effigy, banners and other inflammable materials from the agitators, most of whom comprised of women activists, some of the protestors squatted at the police station gate demanding they be court arrested. The protestors were demanding unconditional release of Umakanta and Thabi. On the other hand, AMSU and Popular Youth Club (Khangabok-III) joined other organisations in demanding unconditional and immediate release of the TIPS duo.

Boston Globe, September 12, 2006 - The Reality in Iraq There is virtually no chance now of Iraq emerging as a bastion of Western-style democracy, a light unto others in the Arab world. The notion pushed by neo-conservatives never made any sense in the first place, given the history and make up of Iraq's population and the country's lack of the necessary institutions. washingtonpost.com, September 10, 2006 - Bin Laden Trail 'Stone Cold' After playing down bin Laden's importance and barely mentioning him for several years, Bush last week repeatedly invoked his name and quoted from his writings and speeches to underscore what Bush said is the continuing threat of terrorism. wcbstv.com, September 9, 2006 - Rockefeller: Bush Duped Public on Iraq After 2-1/2 years of reviewing pre-war intelligence behind closed doors, the lead Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, Sen. John Rockefeller (D-W. Va), who voted for the Iraq War, says the Bush administration pulled the wool over everyone's eyes. [Rockefeller] says the world would be better off today if the United States had never invaded Iraq—even if it means Saddam Hussein would still be running Iraq. Media Monitors, August 31, 2006 - US Army Contemplates Redrawing Middle East Map to Stave Off Looming Global Meltdown The source also revealed that US generals had repeatedly war-gamed a prospective conflict with Iran, but consistently found that the simulations predicted "an absolute nuclear disaster", from which no clear winner would emerge. The scenarios gamed were so dismal, he said, that the generals briefed administration officials to avoid such a war at all costs. However, the source said that the Bush administration is ignoring the fears of the US military. --------------------------- Excerpt from "The Lord in the Heart", purport, <CITE>Srimad-Bhagavatam</CITE> Canto 2, Chapter 2, Text 6 The foolish leaders of a godless civilization try to devise various plans to bring about peace and prosperity in the godless world under a patent trademark of materialism, and because such attempts are illusory only, the people elect incompetent, blind leaders, one after another, who are incapable of offering solutions. If we want at all to end this anomaly of a godless civilization, we must follow the principles of revealed scriptures like the <CITE>Srimad-Bhagavatam</CITE> and follow the instruction of a person like Srila Sukadeva Goswami who has no attraction for material gain. Sukadeva Gosvami was the illustrious son of Sri Vyasadeva, who compiled the Vedas. From birth, Sukadeva Gosvami renounced all worldliness. After the devastating Mahabharat War, when the Pandavas' heir King Pariksit was cursed to die within 7 days, he approached the great saints and sages and inquired, "Please tell me what is to be done in preparation for leaving this body so that I may attain spiritual perfection." They all had different opinions, but then Sukadeva Gosvami came into their midst, and at once everyone deferred to him in recognition of his exalted spiritual realization as a pure devotee of the Supreme Lord. Sukadeva Gosvami at once advised King Pariksit to devote his remaining time to hearing about the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead as narrated in the <CITE>Srimad-Bhagavatam</CITE>, also known as the <CITE>Bhagavat Purana</CITE>. Therefore the King sat down, together with all the saintly personalities gathered there, and listened intently as Sukadeva Gosvami repeated the 18,000 verses of <CITE>Srimad-Bhagavatam</CITE> for the benefit of King Pariksit and all those persons in attendance.

Then the Supreme Lord Sri Krsna criticized Arjuna, "Although you speak like a learned person Arjuna, basically you are grieving for something that is not worthy of grief. You are speaking as if death is real, but the fact is that the living being never dies. There was never a time when all the souls before you did not exist. As we are living now, we have always lived and shall always live. We pass through bodies and it is only the body that appears to grow from childhood and eventually to death and old age. A really learned person doesn't grieve for this transformation of the body and it's eventual inevitable death because the really learned person knows that the living being lives beyond the death of the body. It is only the sensations of the senses that makes one feel that pain and pleasure are going on. The wise person just endures such transformations, knowing themselves to be eternal. A wise person is not disturbed by all the changes of our sensual perception. Such a person is eligible for liberation to the spiritual world. The soul does not transform, only the body does. Therefore, you should try to see the difference between these two, just like the real sages. No one can kill the soul. Only physical bodies can be killed. So Arjuna, your religious duty of fighting this religious war should not be abandoned. If you think a person can be killed or that you are the killer of a person, both of these ideas are wrong. The soul is never born, nor does it ever die."

Conspiracy everywhere - this would mean that the illusory energy is conspiracy, new way to see this world! Since modern science couldnt figure out so far to determine whether the frequency-distinguishing system takes place in the inner ear or in the brain they concluded that people would never find out if homosex sheep is created by heredity or some hormone injections. from:http://www.darwinismrefuted.com/short_history.html "The process whereby these mechanical motions begin to be turned into sound begins in the area known as the inner ear. In the inner ear is a spiral-shaped organ filled with a liquid. This organ is called the cochlea. <TABLE borderColor=#ffffff cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width=203 align=right bgColor=#ffffff border=1><TBODY><TR><TD> The complex structure of the inner ear. Inside this complicated bone structure is found both the system that maintains our balance, and also a very sensitive hearing system that turns vibrations into sound. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> The last part of the middle ear is the stirrup bone, which is linked to the cochlea by a membrane. The mechanical vibrations in the middle ear are sent on to the liquid in the inner ear by this connection. The vibrations which reach the liquid in the inner ear set up wave effects in the liquid. The inner walls of the cochlea are lined with small hair-like structures, called stereocilia, which are affected by this wave effect. These tiny hairs move strictly in accordance with the motion of the liquid. If a loud noise is emitted, then more hairs bend in a more powerful way. Every different frequency in the outside world sets up different effects in the hairs. But what is the meaning of this movement of the hairs? What can the movement of the tiny hairs in the cochlea in the inner ear have to do with listening to a concert of classical music, recognizing a friend's voice, hearing the sound of a car, or distinguishing the millions of other kinds of sounds? The answer is most interesting, and once more reveals the complexity of the design in the ear. Each of the tiny hairs covering the inner walls of the cochlea is actually a mechanism which lies on top of 16,000 hair cells. When these hairs sense a vibration, they move and push each other, just like dominos. This motion opens channels in the membranes of the cells lying beneath the hairs. And this allows the inflow of ions into the cells. When the hairs move in the opposite direction, these channels close again. Thus, this constant motion of the hairs causes constant changes in the chemical balance within the underlying cells, which in turn enables them to produce electrical signals. These electrical signals are forwarded to the brain by nerves, and the brain then processes them, turning them into sound. <TABLE borderColor=#ffffff cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width=454 align=center bgColor=#ffffff border=1><TBODY><TR><TD width=250 height=92> </TD><TD class=resimalti width=190>The inner walls of the cochlea in the inner ear are lined with tiny hairs. These move in line with the wave motion set up in the liquid in the inner ear by vibrations coming from outside. In this way, the electrical balance of the cells to which the hairs are attached changes, and forms the signals we perceive as "sound." </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> Science has not been able to explain all the technical details of this system. While producing these electrical signals, the cells in the inner ear also manage to transmit the frequencies, strengths, and rhythms coming from the outside. This is such a complicated process that science has so far been unable to determine whether the frequency-distinguishing system takes place in the inner ear or in the brain. At this point, there is an interesting fact we have to consider concerning the motion of the tiny hairs on the cells of the inner ear. Earlier, we said that the hairs waved back and forth, pushing each other like dominos. But usually the motion of these tiny hairs is very small. Research has shown that a hair motion of just by the width of an atom can be enough to set off the reaction in the cell. Experts who have studied the matter give a very interesting example to describe this sensitivity of these hairs: If we imagine a hair as being as tall as the Eiffel Tower, the effect on the cell attached to it begins with a motion equivalent to just 3 centimeters of the top of the tower. Just as interesting is the question of how often these tiny hairs can move in a second. This changes according to the frequency of the sound. As the frequency gets higher, the number of times these tiny hairs can move reaches unbelievable levels: for instance, a sound of a frequency of 20,000 causes these tiny hairs to move 20,000 times a second. Everything we have examined so far has shown us that the ear possesses an extraordinary design. On closer examination, it becomes evident that this design is irreducibly complex, since, in order for hearing to happen, it is necessary for all the component parts of the auditory system to be present and in complete working order. Take away any one of these-for instance, the hammer bone in the middle ear-or damage its structure, and you will no longer be able to hear anything. In order for you to hear, such different elements as the ear drum, the hammer, anvil and stirrup bones, the inner ear membrane, the cochlea, the liquid inside the cochlea, the tiny hairs that transmit the vibrations from the liquid to the underlying sensory cells, the latter cells themselves, the nerve network running from them to the brain, and the hearing center in the brain must all exist in complete working order. The system cannot develop "by stages," because the intermediate stages would serve no purpose."

Srila Prabhupada's books in Arabic: http://www.gitamrta.org/arabic/index.htm

Did you in the past register at dandavats.com? Could be that they banned your ID... Try to reach dandavats.com anonymously via http://unipeak.net/

http://www.dandavats.com/ This is how it looked 5 Min ago: <!-- end #headerleft --><!-- Put your logo here --> <!-- end #headerright --> <!-- end #headerspace --><!-- end #header --><!-- The menu; --> Home Register Archives Contact Us About Us Login To stop the rotating bar simply put your cursor on it and then s to go to the full article <HR> ........ id=scroll name=scroll align=center src=" http://www.dandavats.com/wp-content/uploads/river2.htm" frameBorder=no width=618 scrolling=no height=80>.........> <!-- The VARIABLES - Change These According To The README.TXT File - READ IT CAREFULLY. --><!-- Save a copy of the loop, so we can go back through it again for the left- and right-wing stuff. --><!-- This is the query object for the featured category. Make sure you name your featured category the same as what is listed here below: --><!-- This is the 'featured' post div; --><!-- the top of the post, we truncate the title itself so it fits, in case of long post titles - title will still show the full title though -->Further Considerations… <!-- end .post-top --><!-- the main section of the post goes here --> By Praghosa dasa While reading this passage of the Bhagavatam it struck me that the propensity to defend is just as strong, if not stronger, than the propensity to eat, sleep and mate. For whatever reason I had subconsciously concluded that eating and sleeping were top of the list (things that could more or less only be ‘overcome’ by death) and then the attraction for sex life (mating) was naturally more difficult to overcome than the need to defend oneself. Studying this passage tended to change my perspective, as I could never imagine myself responding in such a way after being so brutally attacked by someone. read more… <!-- end .post-middle --><!-- the bottom of the post --> Posted by Administrator in Editorial 12 comments <!-- end .post-bottom --> <!-- end .post --> <!-- ........ id="scroll" name="scroll" width="620px" height="80px" align="center" frameborder="no" scrolling="no" src=" http://www.dandavats.com/wp-content/uploads/river.htm">.........> --><!-- Save a copy of the loop, so we can go back through it again for the left- and right-wing stuff. --><!-- The left column posts go here, we make the div before the loop, so it only occurs once; --><!-- Here is where the posting gets put in, in 'The Loop'. Go for it tiger. --><!-- this is the info box to the left, or right, of the main post Sep 7 2006 --><!-- the top of the post, and we truncate the title itself so it fits, in case of long post titles - title will still show the full title though --><!-- We're looking for category 6, which is the featured category as defined in index.php change this to whichever category you have set up as "special" -->Temple President Opening in Heavenly Fiji <!-- end .post-top --><!-- the main section of the post goes here --> By Bir Krishna das Goswami Srila Prabhupada personally opened the first temple in Fiji, the Krishna Kaliya Temple in Lautoka. During his visit to Fiji, Srila Prabhupada explained that the Kaliya serpent had now taken shelter of Fiji. This Kaliya serpent being a devotee, protects the other devotees read more… <!-- end .post-middle --><!-- the bottom of the post, the background graphic gets applied here --> Posted on Sep 7, 2006 <!-- end .post-bottom --> <!-- end .post .post-single --><!-- this is the info box to the left, or right, of the main post Sep 7 2006 --><!-- the top of the post, and we truncate the title itself so it fits, in case of long post titles - title will still show the full title though --><!-- We're looking for category 6, which is the featured category as defined in index.php change this to whichever category you have set up as "special" -->THE GLORIES OF SRILA HARIDASA THAKURA <!-- end .post-top --><!-- the main section of the post goes here --> By HDG Srila Prabhupada From this statement by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu we can clearly understand that the word yavana does not refer only to a particular class of men. Anyone who is against the behavior of the Vedic principles is called a yavana. Such a yavana may be in India or outside of India. read more… <!-- end .post-middle --><!-- the bottom of the post, the background graphic gets applied here --> Posted on Sep 7, 2006 <!-- end .post-bottom --> <!-- end .post .post-single --><!-- this is the info box to the left, or right, of the main post Sep 6 2006 --><!-- the top of the post, and we truncate the title itself so it fits, in case of long post titles - title will still show the full title though --><!-- We're looking for category 6, which is the featured category as defined in index.php change this to whichever category you have set up as "special" -->Big Bang’s Afterglow Fails Intergalactic ‘Shadow’ <!-- end .post-top --><!-- the main section of the post goes here --> By Bhakta Suman It would be great to get one of our scientist devotees like Sadaputa prabhu or Drutakarma prabhu or someone from the BVI to comment on this finding, its quite significant in the scientific world and id like to see how they cover this one up. But to get a devotee to give their input, in particular sadaputa prabhu, would be interesting to the readers of dandavats.com. read more… <!-- end .post-middle --><!-- the bottom of the post, the background graphic gets applied here --> Posted on Sep 6, 2006 <!-- end .post-bottom --> <!-- end .post .post-single --><!-- this is the info box to the left, or right, of the main post Sep 6 2006 --><!-- the top of the post, and we truncate the title itself so it fits, in case of long post titles - title will still show the full title though --><!-- We're looking for category 6, which is the featured category as defined in index.php change this to whichever category you have set up as "special" -->New update on Bhojadeva Prabhu’s condition <!-- end .post-top --><!-- the main section of the post goes here --> By Sacirani devi dasi Bhojadeva Prabhu, my husband (Jivan Mukta Prabhu) and I would like to express our deepest gratitude to all the devotees, for your prayers, words of support and financial help. We are profoundly touched by all the love and care we have experienced from our wonderful vaishnava family around the world. read more… <!-- end .post-middle --><!-- the bottom of the post, the background graphic gets applied here --> Posted on Sep 6, 2006 <!-- end .post-bottom --> <!-- end .post .post-single --><!-- this is the info box to the left, or right, of the main post Sep 5 2006 --><!-- the top of the post, and we truncate the title itself so it fits, in case of long post titles - title will still show the full title though --><!-- We're looking for category 6, which is the featured category as defined in index.php change this to whichever category you have set up as "special" -->Manitoba Message <!-- end .post-top --><!-- the main section of the post goes here --> By Bhaktimarga Swami In my stationary moment, I reflect on the recent occurrences, the people I met, and the messages that were coming to me during my stretch of Manitoba. The newspapers reports from the town of Neepawa told me that Manitoba is an aboriginal word for “the God who speaks”. It apparently refers to the voice of the winds blowing through the narrows. read more… <!-- end .post-middle --><!-- the bottom of the post, the background graphic gets applied here --> Posted on Sep 5, 2006 <!-- end .post-bottom --> <!-- end .post .post-single --><!-- this is the info box to the left, or right, of the main post Sep 4 2006 --><!-- the top of the post, and we truncate the title itself so it fits, in case of long post titles - title will still show the full title though --><!-- We're looking for category 6, which is the featured category as defined in index.php change this to whichever category you have set up as "special" -->“No Ordinary Festival” <!-- end .post-top --><!-- the main section of the post goes here --> By Indradyumna Swami Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu personally traveled to different regions of India to spread the bhakti cult throughout the country. By His personal behavior He has given an example for devotees to follow. That is, one should broadcast the cult of devotional service. A Vaisnava is especially interested in para-upakara, doing good to others. read more… <!-- end .post-middle --><!-- the bottom of the post, the background graphic gets applied here --> Posted on Sep 4, 2006 <!-- end .post-bottom --> <!-- end .post .post-single --><!-- this is the info box to the left, or right, of the main post Sep 3 2006 --><!-- the top of the post, and we truncate the title itself so it fits, in case of long post titles - title will still show the full title though --><!-- We're looking for category 6, which is the featured category as defined in index.php change this to whichever category you have set up as "special" -->Bhagavad-gita in Black and White <!-- end .post-top --><!-- the main section of the post goes here --> By Satyaraja Dasa The Gita is a scientific approach to the modes, showing how to gradually evolve through goodness to pure goodness, and then to achieve perfect transcendence by learning how to serve God in a spirit of true devotion. read more… <!-- end .post-middle --><!-- the bottom of the post, the background graphic gets applied here --> Posted on Sep 3, 2006 <!-- end .post-bottom --> <!-- end .post .post-single --><!-- this is the info box to the left, or right, of the main post Sep 3 2006 --><!-- the top of the post, and we truncate the title itself so it fits, in case of long post titles - title will still show the full title though --><!-- We're looking for category 6, which is the featured category as defined in index.php change this to whichever category you have set up as "special" -->The most amazing Radhastami of my life <!-- end .post-top --><!-- the main section of the post goes here --> By Manjari Gauthie Sweet, heavy smoke is pouring off the altar - the curtains are opening! Oh, so painfully slow they are opening. On my left, Tulsi Priya is sobbing. All the franksincense is now escaping, huge billows rolling over the crowd, so thick that even though the altar is now completely opened, it is still a few moments before I can see anything. read more… <!-- end .post-middle --><!-- the bottom of the post, the background graphic gets applied here --> Posted on Sep 3, 2006 <!-- end .post-bottom --> <!-- end .post .post-single --><!-- this is the info box to the left, or right, of the main post Sep 1 2006 --><!-- the top of the post, and we truncate the title itself so it fits, in case of long post titles - title will still show the full title though --><!-- We're looking for category 6, which is the featured category as defined in index.php change this to whichever category you have set up as "special" -->Radhastami Puja !!! <!-- end .post-top --><!-- the main section of the post goes here --> Sastric Quotes In fact, Radharani is the internal potency of Sri Krishna, and She eternally intensifies the pleasure of Sri Krishna. Impersonalists cannot understand this without the help of a maha-bhagavata devotee. The very name Radha suggests that She is eternally the topmost mistress for the comforts of Sri Krishna. Devotees in Vrindavana therefore seek the mercy of Srimati Radharani in order to be recognized as loving servitors of Sri Krishna. read more… <!-- end .post-middle --><!-- the bottom of the post, the background graphic gets applied here --> Posted on Sep 1, 2006 <!-- end .post-bottom --> <!-- end .post .post-single --> <!-- end #left --><!-- rewind the loop again, go through it again --><!-- The middle column posts go here; --><!-- Here is where the posting gets written. Come on, get writing! --><!-- this is the info box to the left, or right, of the main post Sep 7 2006 --><!-- the top of the post, and we truncate the title itself so it fits, in case of long post titles - title will still show the full title though --><!-- We're looking for category 6, which is the featured category as defined in index.php change this to whichever category you have set up as "special" -->Child Protection Confernce <!-- end .post-top --><!-- the main section of the post goes here --> By Tamohara das This conference is designed to provide Child Protection Team members, devotee parents, educators, and temple managers with tools and resources to take back to your communities. You will have the opportunity to network with other devotees interested in creating safer temples and communities. Conference presenters are from the ISKCON Child Protection Office and other professionals in the field. read more… <!-- end .post-middle --><!-- the bottom of the post, the background graphic gets applied here --> Posted on Sep 7, 2006 <!-- end .post-bottom --> <!-- end .post .post-single --><!-- this is the info box to the left, or right, of the main post Sep 7 2006 --><!-- the top of the post, and we truncate the title itself so it fits, in case of long post titles - title will still show the full title though --><!-- We're looking for category 6, which is the featured category as defined in index.php change this to whichever category you have set up as "special" -->“Ahh, this is Krsna!” <!-- end .post-top --><!-- the main section of the post goes here --> By Srutakirti dasa Often times I would bring them to his bedroom just before his evening massage. Throughout his massage he would smell them off and on. He would then keep them on His pillow (close to His nose) all night. The following morning, I would find the flowers gently laying on the pillow exactly where they had been the night before. The flowers looked as fresh and fragrant as ever, looking as if they had just been picked. read more… <!-- end .post-middle --><!-- the bottom of the post, the background graphic gets applied here --> Posted on Sep 7, 2006 <!-- end .post-bottom --> <!-- end .post .post-single --><!-- this is the info box to the left, or right, of the main post Sep 6 2006 --><!-- the top of the post, and we truncate the title itself so it fits, in case of long post titles - title will still show the full title though --><!-- We're looking for category 6, which is the featured category as defined in index.php change this to whichever category you have set up as "special" -->Temporary Vrindavan Hospice Update:Vani Seva Prabhu Leaves Body <!-- end .post-top --><!-- the main section of the post goes here --> By bhaktin Rebecca The devotee, Vani Seva Prabhu, had been residing in Vrindavan for about 6 or 7 years and had just returned home a few days prior from a trip abroad when she suffered a massive heart attack. read more… <!-- end .post-middle --><!-- the bottom of the post, the background graphic gets applied here --> Posted on Sep 6, 2006 <!-- end .post-bottom --> <!-- end .post .post-single --><!-- this is the info box to the left, or right, of the main post Sep 6 2006 --><!-- the top of the post, and we truncate the title itself so it fits, in case of long post titles - title will still show the full title though --><!-- We're looking for category 6, which is the featured category as defined in index.php change this to whichever category you have set up as "special" -->Power of Harinam & Prasadam <!-- end .post-top --><!-- the main section of the post goes here --> By Kapiladev das The South African Police got in touch with us and asked us to become part of their Community Policing program. We would go out with them to troublesome neighborhoods and put on festivals with prasadam distribution, singing, dancing and sports events read more… <!-- end .post-middle --><!-- the bottom of the post, the background graphic gets applied here --> (1) Posted on Sep 6, 2006 <!-- end .post-bottom --> <!-- end .post .post-single --><!-- this is the info box to the left, or right, of the main post Sep 5 2006 --><!-- the top of the post, and we truncate the title itself so it fits, in case of long post titles - title will still show the full title though --><!-- We're looking for category 6, which is the featured category as defined in index.php change this to whichever category you have set up as "special" -->Parikrama Schedule 2006 <!-- end .post-top --><!-- the main section of the post goes here --> By Braj Bhumi das This year ISKCON’s Vraj Mandal Parikrama will be starting on Oct 7 and ends on Nov.5, 2006. All Participants should reach Vrindavan on time. Registration will start on Oct 1. There would be registration fees for the participants read more… <!-- end .post-middle --><!-- the bottom of the post, the background graphic gets applied here --> Posted on Sep 5, 2006 <!-- end .post-bottom --> <!-- end .post .post-single --><!-- this is the info box to the left, or right, of the main post Sep 3 2006 --><!-- the top of the post, and we truncate the title itself so it fits, in case of long post titles - title will still show the full title though --><!-- We're looking for category 6, which is the featured category as defined in index.php change this to whichever category you have set up as "special" -->Creating Revolution in the World’s Misdirected Civilization <!-- end .post-top --><!-- the main section of the post goes here --> By Sajjana priya Krishna Das Why I am not able to convince even few people who are pious and religious to chant the holy names of the Lord. Now I understand that the reason is the lack of faith in Srila Prabhupad and his books. I therefore pray at the lotus feet of Gurudev and Lord Sri Krishna to shower their mercy by instilling unflinching faith in Srila Prabhupada which alone is the only way for perfection. read more… <!-- end .post-middle --><!-- the bottom of the post, the background graphic gets applied here --> Posted on Sep 3, 2006 <!-- end .post-bottom --> <!-- end .post .post-single --><!-- this is the info box to the left, or right, of the main post Sep 3 2006 --><!-- the top of the post, and we truncate the title itself so it fits, in case of long post titles - title will still show the full title though --><!-- We're looking for category 6, which is the featured category as defined in index.php change this to whichever category you have set up as "special" -->Elliot Lake just 108 rounds away of chanting Hare Krishna!! <!-- end .post-top --><!-- the main section of the post goes here --> By Bhaktimarga Swami Bet they were surprised to see a Hare Krishna monk walk into their town of Mainstone, SK. They invited us over to their house for an evening program and prasadam. They hope we’ll come back again. So many people stopped and talked to us about spiritual life and Krsna. read more… <!-- end .post-middle --><!-- the bottom of the post, the background graphic gets applied here --> Posted on Sep 3, 2006 <!-- end .post-bottom --> <!-- end .post .post-single --><!-- this is the info box to the left, or right, of the main post Sep 1 2006 --><!-- the top of the post, and we truncate the title itself so it fits, in case of long post titles - title will still show the full title though --><!-- We're looking for category 6, which is the featured category as defined in index.php change this to whichever category you have set up as "special" -->Relating to Devotees with Due Respect <!-- end .post-top --><!-- the main section of the post goes here --> By Rathish das …it is the characteristic of a devotee to observe and protect the Vaisnava etiquette. Maintenance of the Vaisnava etiquette is the ornament of a devotee. …By observing the etiquette, you have satisfied My mind. Who else but you will show this example? read more… <!-- end .post-middle --><!-- the bottom of the post, the background graphic gets applied here --> (1) Posted on Sep 1, 2006 <!-- end .post-bottom --> <!-- end .post .post-single --> <!-- end #middle --><!-- rewind the loop again, and go through one last time --><!-- The right column posts go here; --><!-- Here is where the posting gets written. Yeee haww. Clackety clack on those keys cowboy! --><!-- this is the info box to the left, or right, of the main post Sep 7 2006 --><!-- the top of the post, and we truncate the title itself so it fits, in case of long post titles - title will still show the full title though --><!-- We're looking for category 6, which is the featured category as defined in index.php change this to whichever category you have set up as "special" -->JALEBI – New Devotee Band! BLESSED BY HUGE SUCCESS!! <!-- end .post-top --><!-- the main section of the post goes here --> By MiraBai Devi Dasi Yasodananda Das, Ramananda Roy Das and Shirley Marie Bradby (MiraBai Devi Dasi) are three enthusiastic devotees who have cooked up a fresh batch of devotional music filled with various tasty ingredients like traditional Indian music, a bit of soul, gospel and blues, a pinch of modern musical technology…… and offered it all to Sri Krsna! read more… <!-- end .post-middle --><!-- the bottom of the post, the background graphic gets applied here --> Posted on Sep 7, 2006 <!-- end .post-bottom --> <!-- end .post .post-single --><!-- this is the info box to the left, or right, of the main post Sep 6 2006 --><!-- the top of the post, and we truncate the title itself so it fits, in case of long post titles - title will still show the full title though --><!-- We're looking for category 6, which is the featured category as defined in index.php change this to whichever category you have set up as "special" -->KARTIK FESTIVAL - LIST OF GUESTHOUSE & TAXI FARES <!-- end .post-top --><!-- the main section of the post goes here --> By Parsada devi dasi Many devotees have written to us requesting a list of guesthouses in Vrindavan and our taxi fare for pick up from Delhi airport. For your convienance we have compiled a list of the gueshouses with their prices and distance from the temple and phone nos. And our taxi fares also. read more… <!-- end .post-middle --><!-- the bottom of the post, the background graphic gets applied here --> Posted on Sep 6, 2006 <!-- end .post-bottom --> <!-- end .post .post-single --><!-- this is the info box to the left, or right, of the main post Sep 6 2006 --><!-- the top of the post, and we truncate the title itself so it fits, in case of long post titles - title will still show the full title though --><!-- We're looking for category 6, which is the featured category as defined in index.php change this to whichever category you have set up as "special" -->Some Thoughts on Japa <!-- end .post-top --><!-- the main section of the post goes here --> By Kavicandra Swami Simply by chanting the holy name of Krsna once, a person is relieved from all the reactions of a sinful life. One can complete the nine processes of devotional service simply by chanting the holy name. read more… <!-- end .post-middle --><!-- the bottom of the post, the background graphic gets applied here --> (2) Posted on Sep 6, 2006 <!-- end .post-bottom --> <!-- end .post .post-single --><!-- this is the info box to the left, or right, of the main post Sep 5 2006 --><!-- the top of the post, and we truncate the title itself so it fits, in case of long post titles - title will still show the full title though --><!-- We're looking for category 6, which is the featured category as defined in index.php change this to whichever category you have set up as "special" -->Notice of 2007 Event <!-- end .post-top --><!-- the main section of the post goes here --> By Malati devi dasi (ACBSP) Festival of Inspiration 2006 was a grand success and we intend to top that in 2007! Mark these dates on your calendars and call your travel agent now! MAY 11th, 12th, & 13th, 2007 read more… <!-- end .post-middle --><!-- the bottom of the post, the background graphic gets applied here --> Posted on Sep 5, 2006 <!-- end .post-bottom --> <!-- end .post .post-single --><!-- this is the info box to the left, or right, of the main post Sep 4 2006 --><!-- the top of the post, and we truncate the title itself so it fits, in case of long post titles - title will still show the full title though --><!-- We're looking for category 6, which is the featured category as defined in index.php change this to whichever category you have set up as "special" -->THEM ‘N ALL <!-- end .post-top --><!-- the main section of the post goes here --> By Kesava Krsna dasa If we intend to be a credible alternative to the woes of society, we must analyze how we conduct ourselves in the public arena – namely the internet. Our discussions are by and large intelligent respectful dialogue. The occasional tit for tat crops up now and again. Are we ever aware that perusing our web pages could be individuals who are advisors to leaders, members of think tanks for government and the like? read more… <!-- end .post-middle --><!-- the bottom of the post, the background graphic gets applied here --> Posted on Sep 4, 2006 <!-- end .post-bottom --> <!-- end .post .post-single --><!-- this is the info box to the left, or right, of the main post Sep 3 2006 --><!-- the top of the post, and we truncate the title itself so it fits, in case of long post titles - title will still show the full title though --><!-- We're looking for category 6, which is the featured category as defined in index.php change this to whichever category you have set up as "special" -->Gearing up for the Festival of India <!-- end .post-top --><!-- the main section of the post goes here --> By Caru das I sent a press release by e-mail to the media. The papers locally are quite good about including the information as calendar announcements. I also sent the same message to about 5,000 people in our e-mail database. The date of the festival, a poster, and information has been posted prominently on our web site since last November. read more… <!-- end .post-middle --><!-- the bottom of the post, the background graphic gets applied here --> Posted on Sep 3, 2006 <!-- end .post-bottom --> <!-- end .post .post-single --><!-- this is the info box to the left, or right, of the main post Sep 3 2006 --><!-- the top of the post, and we truncate the title itself so it fits, in case of long post titles - title will still show the full title though --><!-- We're looking for category 6, which is the featured category as defined in index.php change this to whichever category you have set up as "special" -->More questions for the GBC <!-- end .post-top --><!-- the main section of the post goes here --> Answer By Hridayananda das Goswami The question is, why should those who were the victims should be forced to appear as animals who are lower and more envious than snakes? What did they do to have to be forced to take birth in hell and in those forms? After all, they were the victims? read more… <!-- end .post-middle --><!-- the bottom of the post, the background graphic gets applied here --> Posted on Sep 3, 2006 <!-- end .post-bottom --> <!-- end .post .post-single --><!-- this is the info box to the left, or right, of the main post Sep 1 2006 --><!-- the top of the post, and we truncate the title itself so it fits, in case of long post titles - title will still show the full title though --><!-- We're looking for category 6, which is the featured category as defined in index.php change this to whichever category you have set up as "special" -->Srimati Radharani’s Beautiful Mood <!-- end .post-top --><!-- the main section of the post goes here --> By Anantacarya dasa She increases, He increases, She increases…there’s no end to it. Neither of them wants to be defeated while increasing the intensity of Their love. Similarly, the beauty of Lord Krsna increases when He sees the beauty of the milkmaids. read more…

Nowadays they give the animals all kind of growth hormones and antibiotics to have better wools and at the same time provide best quality meat. So I think they just fool the public that there's something like homosex sheep but in fact they found out (by chance) that by injecting male sheeps let's say estrogen (female) hormones they behave like gay. (First they might figured by injecting female hormones the wool turns out better.) The actual reason why they do all this is to provide proof that it is natural to be gay and thus seduce certain type of innocent people to believe homosex is created by God and stop to have families and children. Clever idea but surely a paid job by the government. http://www.dolwenryelands.com/images/John_Suzanne__simon_with_group_cut_out_small.jpg