suchandra

Could be that in this case although the different versions look completely different they're still not mutually exclusive.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008 Perception of Animals in Hinduism http://studentorgs.utexas.edu/hsc/subpages/2008/09/perception-of-animals-in-hinduism_10.html I always found it interesting that in Hinduism, simple questions from well intentioned nonbelievers are never answered by simple responses. I think every Hindu has been asked at some point whether those that follow our religion “Worship cows” or not. I remember as a middle school student, I always found the question insulting and answered with the culturally defensive response that we respect the cow and regard it as sacred. I write this post as a primer to my meeting September 16 (come!) on the perception of animals in Hinduism. There’s no doubt that animals have an elevated status in Hindu culture: many of our gods have animal-like physical attributes, popular examples being Hanuman and Ganesha. The Bishnoi tribe of Rajasthan worship nature and are fierce custodians of their surroundings. They regard deer as incarnations of their guru Jambeshwar Bhagavan. And monkeys are a key part of the experience when visiting a South Indian mountain temple. In India there are so many examples of divinity being projected onto animals, is it so wrong to say that we worship cows? Please post your comments! Meeting on: 9/16/08 at 8pm in GAR 1.126

Thanks RamanaDasi for posting this purport by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Maharaja, so far the most detailed description. This also explains why almost an unlimited amount of souls come to the material world - the brahmajyoti consists of an unlimited amount of souls. Looks like once having entered the brahmajyoti there seems of no way back then via entering the material world? In other words, since nothing is impossible in the spiritual world, are there also souls who return from the brahmajyoti directly to Vaikuntha, right into an active relationship with the Lord?

Good point, as long there's violence there will be a counterstrike. "ISKCON is not targeting Christians while Christians target people with socio-economic problems for conversion. It is a planned activity." <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="484"><tbody><tr></tr><tr> <td class="ash12normalV" style="text-align: right;"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" class="size18 black" align="left" valign="top" height="26"><!--Fullheadline-->Violence will be met with violence, warns Togadia http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14755219 <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="484"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; color: rgb(97, 97, 97); text-decoration: none; line-height: 18px;">Wednesday, 10 September , 2008, 10:12 Last Updated: Wednesday, 10 September , 2008, 10:18 </td> </tr> <tr><td colspan="2"> </td></tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" align="left" valign="top"> <table style="border-color: red;" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td class="ash12normalV" align="left" valign="top"> <!--tr> <td><WImage></td> <td> </td> </tr--> <table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr><td><!-- google_ad_section_start=sify_article --> New Delhi: Unfazed by the criticism his group has faced over the violence in Orissa, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Praveen Togadia has said that violence against Hindus will be met with violence. Even as he denied the involvement of the VHP, the radical Hindu group, in the attacks on the Christian community and churches in the state, he insisted that Hindus had the right to retaliate. "If a violent religion is targeting a section of Hindu society, there would be a violent reaction," Togadia, a surgeon by profession, told IANS in a telephonic interview. The trouble in Orissa started on August 23 when gunmen shot dead VHP Orissa leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and four others at his ashram in the district of Kandhamal, 340 km from Bhubaneswar. VHP supporters and tribals went on the offensive against the killings, attacking and torching Christian homes and churches in remote rural areas, leaving at least 16 people dead and many injured. Thousands of poor Christians fled their homes and villages. As the bloodshed raged for days, the community frantically urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to intervene to end the mayhem. But Togadia insisted that Maoists did not kill Saraswati and that Christians were to blame. "Maoists have nothing to do with this. The Orissa government is trying to save Christians in the area by releasing all these fake (information)," he said. He added that the media was wrongly blaming him and his organisation unnecessarily. "Don't blame me or my organisation for what is happening in Orissa. It is for the police and the judicial system to pinpoint who is to blame. In Orissa, it is a fight between tribals and Christians." Asked how he was so sure of Christian involvement, Togadia replied: "All the circumstantial evidences go against Christians. Maoists do not have any history of conflict with us. Even the few who have been arrested are all Christians." The VHP maintains that Christian missionaries are luring poor tribals to embrace Christianity. Asked if re-conversions of Christians being carried out in Orissa was right, Togadia said: "We use the word conversion. We are against all conversions." What about foreign nationals who become Hindus? Togadia had a ready answer: "ISKCON is not targeting Christians while Christians target people with socio-economic problems for conversion. It is a planned activity. If somebody wants to convert, then Hindus don't have a problem." </td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table> </td></tr></tbody></table>

Article above says, Krsna speaks. Agreed, the "moment to choose" might be a bit too short for many jivas in order to make the right decision and feel hopelessly overstrained. Like at a countdown clock running in the back and the exertion increases to the utmost limit.

Interesting article at cintamani.org, the jivas are seeing both, the spiritual and the material world. In other words, the parameter that the jiva-atma can only come to a decision when having knowledge in full of both sides is taken into account. posted: September 9th, 2008 at 3:50 pm Two Kinds of Souls [srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja:] Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then said: krsna bhuli’ sei jiva anadi-bahirmukha ataeva maya tare deya samsara-dukha [Devotee reads:] Mahaprabhu continued, “Forgetting Krsna, the living entity has been attracted by the external feature from time immemorial. Therefore, the illusory energy, maya, gives him all kinds of misery in this material existence.” (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila 20.117) [srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja:] A question arises: if all souls are eternal servants of Sri Krsna, when did they become adverse (bahirmukha) to Him? When did they turn away from Him? Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami has explained this by quoting the version of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu: “Krsna bhuli’ sei jiva.” Who is the jiva referred to in this verse? He is the eternal servant of Sri Krsna, Krsna’s marginal potency (tatastha-sakti). This should be remembered always; the jiva is not a direct manifestation of Sri Krsna’s internal potency. Svarupa-sakti, that is, Sri Krsna’s complete spiritual, internal potency, has three transcendental manifestations, namely hladini-sakti (Krsna’s potency of transcendental happiness), samvit (His divine knowledge potency), and sandhini-sakti (His spiritual existence potency). From svarupa-sakti Lord Nrsimha, Lord Rama, and other incarnations manifest, and these incarnations are called svamsa, personal expansions of Krsna. The vibhinnamsa jiva, meaning the separated, infinitesimal part and parcel of Sri Krsna, never came directly from svarupa-sakti, and that is why he is called vibhinnamsa. *[see endnote 1] Why did the jiva become adverse to Krsna? This is the question. If he is Krsna’s eternal servant, he must certainly be engaged in His service. The answer is explained in Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila chapter 22, verses 10-13, beginning, “sei vibhinnansa…” [Devotee reads:] sei vibhinnamsa jiva—dui ta’ prakara eka—‘nitya-mukta’, eka—‘nitya samsara’ (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila 22.10) “The living entities, the jivas, are divided into two categories. Some are nitya-mukta, eternally liberated, never having been conditioned, and others are eternally conditioned (nitya-samsara).” [see endnote 2] The categorization here is simply between those who are nitya mukta (ie never baddha at any time) and nitya baddha (never in the spiritual world at any time). Therefore, the nitya mukta category will include nitya parikaras who come from Baladeva, and also the jivas who came from Karanodakasayi Visnu and fortunately ‘looked’ toward Yogamaya rather than Mahamaya. –ed.] [srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja:] What is the meaning of ‘eternally conditioned’? It does not mean ‘forever conditioned’. It means that the time we have been conditioned is so vast that it cannot be calculated. [Devotee reads:] ‘ nitya-mukta’—nitya krsna-carane unmukha ‘krsna-parisada’ nama, bhunje seva-sukha (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila 22.11) “Those who are eternally liberated are always awake to Krsna consciousness, and they render transcendental loving service at the feet of Lord Krsna. They are to be considered eternal associates of Krsna, and they are eternally enjoying the transcendental bliss of serving Him.” [srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja:] This verse conveys a very important point. Those who are senior in bhakti will greatly benefit by attentively hearing the meaning of this verse. Those who are beginners may not be able to comprehend the meaning, but they will profit by even trying to understand. The liberated jivas are eternal associates of Sri Krsna, always engaged in serving Him and always tasting and relishing the sweetness of their service. In the Lord’s abode there is no maya (the material potency, which bewilders the conditioned soul and encourages him to identify with his body and bodily extensions). Only yogamaya (the spiritual potency that nourishes the service mood of liberated souls) is there. There is nothing in the spiritual world to make one forget Krsna, and therefore the Lord’s associates there cannot forget Him or become adverse to Him. The love and affection of these associates is always fresh and ever-new. Even though, on one hand, there is no room for their ever-fresh love to become still newer, it does so. [Devotee reads:] ‘ nitya-baddha’——krsna haite nitya-bahirmukha ‘nitya-samsara’, bhunje narakadi duùkha (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila 22.12) “Apart from the ever-liberated devotees, there are the conditioned souls, who always turn away from the service of the Lord. They are perpetually conditioned in this material world and are thus subjected to the material tribulations brought about by different bodily forms in hellish conditions.” sei dose maya-pisaci danda kare tare adhyatmikadi tapa-traya tare jari’ mare (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila 22.13) “Due to his being opposed to Krsna consciousness, the conditioned soul is punished by the witch of the external energy, maya. He is thus ready to suffer the threefold miseries brought about by the body and mind, the inimical behavior of other living entities, and natural disturbances caused by demigods.” [srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja:] The souls in the second category – the conditioned souls – have never directly associated with Krsna, nor have they tasted His service. Therefore, they are called ‘perpetually conditioned’ (nitya-bahirmukha). They have been conditioned from beginningless time. Why are they being punished? What have they done wrong? Try to understand this important point. They have done something wrong, and that is why Lord Krsna’s maya is punishing them. What is their defect? They have chosen to turn away from Krsna. They have chosen to look towards the material world for pleasures, and in this way they are opposed to Krsna consciousness. The souls in this world are considered to be ‘nitya-baddha‘, or eternally conditioned, which actually means they are ‘anadi-baddha’, conditioned since beginningless time or time immemorial. Still, although they have never relished the sweetness of serving Krsna nor do they know anything about such service, they are eternal servants by their constitutional position. A certain type of jiva has come from the spiritual world, either from Baladeva in Goloka Vrndavana or from Baladeva’s expansion known as Maha Sankarsana (Lord Narayana) in Vaikuntha; but not all jivas. Those jivas who manifest from Baladeva and Maha Sankarsana are called nitya-unmukha. That is, they are always serving Krsna. Although the tatastha-sakti jivas are servants by constitution, this second kind of jiva have not come from Goloka Vrndavana. The conditioned souls of this world have never been in Goloka Vrndavana. This second kind of jiva is coming from Karanodakasayi Visnu. *[see endnote 3] Srila Jiva Gosvami has clarified the understanding of the two kinds of jivas. He states: tad evam ananta eva jivakhyas tatasthah saktayah tatra tasam varga-dvayam eko vargo ‘nadita eva bhagavad-unmukhah anyas tv anadita eva bhagavat-paranmukhah svabhavatas tadiya-jnana-bhavat tadiya-jnanabhavac ca (Paramatma Sandarbha - Anuccheda 47 text 1) [“Thus the Lord's marginal potency is comprised of individual spirit souls. Although these individual spirit souls are limitless in number, they may be divided into two groups: 1) the souls who, from time immemorial, are favorable to the Supreme Lord; and 2) the rebellious souls who, from time immemorial, are averse to the Supreme Lord. One group is aware of the Lord's glories, and the other group is not aware of them.”] There are unlimited jivas emanating from tatastha-sakti, and from there, some have turned away from Krsna. They turned away from Krsna and chose to enter the material world. As mentioned above, the conditioned souls are coming from Karanodakasayi Visnu, from His divine light-filled glance. From that light, Sri Krsna in His form as Sri Visnu, gives them the intelligence and freedom to consider, “What should I do?” There is a very fine, imaginary line between the transcendental world and the material world. Krsna gave the jivas some freedom, saying, “From here you can see this world of maya, and you can also see towards the spiritual world. What you will choose depends upon you. I am giving you a moment to choose.” Certain jivas looked toward the spiritual world and were attracted. Yogamaya at once gave them the power to go to the spiritual world and serve the Lord there for eternity. Others looked towards this world. They were attracted and decided to relish it. This material world is like a dream-place (svapna-sthana). Try to understand this. It seems that we are now in full worldly knowledge. It seems that we are awake and that someone else is fast asleep without dreaming at all, but actually this place is like a dream-place. We are seeing a dream. We are not in such deep sleep that we are fully unconscious, because we are part of the spiritual conscious substance (cid-vastu) even when we are not liberated. Endnote: http://www.cintamani.org/sri-guru/srila-bv-narayana-maharaja/two-kinds-of-souls/

Thanks to Srila Prabhupada's missionary work a rethinking takes place almost everywhere. Expressindia » Story Lucknow temple gets first woman mahant Virendra Nath Bhatt Posted: Sep 10, 2008 at 01:28 hrs Lucknow, September 9 Call it the changing tides. Arunima Singh (25) took over as the first woman mahant of renowned Mankameshwar Temple in Lucknow on Tuesday. Christened as mahant Devaigya Puri, she has succeeded her guru mahant Keshav Giri, who breathed last on August 24. A native of Barabanki, she holds a diploma in pathology from Indian Institute of Paramedics Delhi. Mahant Meera Puri, a woman mahant of Shree Guru Dattatreya Yog Ashram in Sirmour district of Himachal Pradesh, supervised her coronation as the successor of mahant Giri. Did she face any opposition on grounds of gender? “Tough opposition was expected at the election of a woman as mahant of the Mankameshwar Temple but it turned out to be a smooth affair. I had the blessings of my guruji and support of people,” said a beaming mahant Devagiya Puri, facing a rush of disciples eager to touch her feet and seek her blessings. “A divine soul has no gender. Guru parampara is an ancient tradition and anybody can be a mahant, “ said mahant Meera Puri, who represents the Shree Panch Dasnaam Junagadh Akhara. President of Dasnaami Akhara mahant Gyan Das said several women disciples have been elevated to the office of mahant in the past. “Anyone can be a mahant if she fulfills the qualifications,” he said. The chief of Ganga Sena, Anand Giri said if a woman disciple has been baptised by a guru and is unmarried, she can hold the office of mahant at any akhara. But if she does not meet any of the two criteria, her appointment as mahant is illegal, he added. Gender issues apart, how was mahant Devaigya Puri initiated to the spiritual world? “I was pursuing my studies at the Indian Institute of Paramedics in Delhi. In 2000, I visited the Mankameshwar Temple, stayed there for a week and took part in a yajna. Since then I am associated with the temple,” said the religious leader. “My guru mahant Keshav Giriji wanted me to be his successor and become the next mahant of the temple. He baptised me on January 10, 2001. Subsequently, I renounced the worldly life, “ she said, adding that she faced no resistance from her family when she opted for this path. Asked about her priorities, the newly-elected mahant said, “I have no agenda except to fulfill the aspirations of my guruji and ensure development of the temple and spiritual and moral uplift of its disciples.”

Reading Sanskrit Improves Brain Functioning Posted by Gajanand Agarwal on September 10, 2008 at 2:23am Reading Sanskrit Improves Brain Functioning by Brynne Sissom The physiological effects of reading Sanskrit are similar to those experienced during the Transcendental Meditation® technique, according to research recently completed by Dr. Fred Travis, director of the ERG/psychophysiology lab of Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa, USA. Dr. Travis asked his test subjects to read passages from the Bhagavad-Gita in Sanskrit and in modern foreign languages (Spanish, French, or German). In each case they could pronounce the sounds but did not know the meaning. He measured brain wave patterns (ERG), heart and breath rate, and galvanic skin resistance during two reading sessions and during a 15-minute session of the Transcendental Meditation technique. He found that while they read Sanskrit their physiology was similar to those measured during the Transcendental Meditation technique, but significantly different from reading a modern language. Their skin resistance steadily increased during reading Sanskrit and during practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique (showing greater stability in their physiology) but remained the same during the reading of a modern language. Their ERG alpha power and coherence during reading Sanskrit were also similar to that during the practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique, and both of these were higher than when the subjects read a modern language. Dr. Travis said that these findings support Maharishi's predictions on the effects of reading Sanskrit. Maharishi, in Vedic Knowledge for Everyone, predicted that reading the Vedic Literature as it flows and progresses in perfect sequential order has the effect of regulating and balancing the functioning of the brain physiology and training consciousness, the mind, to always flow in perfect accordance with the evolutionary direction of Natural Law. Dr. Travis found the similarity of physiology during reading Sanskrit and the Transcendental Meditation technique is especially noteworthy because one reads with his or her eyes open and engages in active perceptual and cognitive processes, while the Transcendental Meditation technique is done with one's eyes closed and entails a reduction of mental activity. This suggests that the state gained during the practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique may be integrated with active mental processes by reading Sanskrit. Dr. Travis said, "The Transcendental Meditation technique takes the awareness to pure consciousness at the source of thought. Seeing similar patterns of physiology during reading Sanskrit as during the Transcendental Meditation technique suggests that reading Sanskrit enlivens pure consciousness at the source of thought and integrates that state with reading and speaking. In short, while practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique locates pure consciousness, leading to the state of Transcendental Consciousness, reading Sanskrit integrates inner silence with outer activity, helping to cultivate enlightenment." Hare Krishna

Isn't Infosys also supporting ISKCON Bangalore's Akshaya Patra food program? Infosys ties up with America's funeral service provider PTI Tuesday, September 09, 2008 22:15 IST NEW DELHI: IT major Infosys said on Tuesday it has signed a deal to help improve North America's largest funeral services provider Service Corporation International human resource operations. As per the partnership, the IT company has deployed Oracle's Peoplesoft Enterprise Human Capital Management application in SCI, Infosys said in a statement. The deployment of the application in SCI would help the American company in lowering its operational costs by consolidating disparate HR systems, the statement added. The application has been deployed in more than 1,500 funeral homes and 400 cemeteries in 43 states, Puerto Rico and eight Canadian provinces. SCI has grown to more than 20,000 employees with 2.285 billion dollar in revenue and Infosys has delivered an impeccable service helping us to identify opportunities to maximise our investment, SCI Managing Director (Information Technology) John Del Mixon. The company, which has been a client of Infosys since 2002, wanted to streamline its HR system as it was left with multiple, disparate legacy processes after the company's largest acquisition of Alderwoods Group. They decided to consolidate systems to reduce costs from operating redundant systems and assume control of HR processes and payroll processing that had been outsourced, the statement added.

"Visions of how the world was created", seems a nice approach to make people aware of God. The VEDAS actually give the best explanation about Creation, other Holy Books hardly touch this topic. Hindu pantheon descends on Toronto PTI http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1188904 Tuesday, September 09, 2008 19:53 IS TORONTO: Lord Krishna, Shiva the destroyer, goddess Kali, Ganesh and Lakshmi have descended on downtown Toronto in all their splendour and glory. They are part of a remarkable installation of moving images of Hindu gods put together by Indo-Canadian filmmaker Srinivas Krishna. Aptly titled 'When the Gods Came Down to Earth', the installation is on view at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) on Bloor Street Plaza here round the clock all through the 33rd Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). The show is a joint project of TIFF's Future Projections section and the museum's Institute for Contemporary Culture. It runs until the last day of TIFF -- September 13. Projected day and night in random progression on a large LED screen designed as a beacon set off against ROM's stunning Lee-Chin Crystal, the moving images represent a vital re-imagining of "the Hindu gods in their most iconic and magical moments". This, Srinivas Krishna explains, "is a public art installation at the crossroads of ancient myth-making and modern technologies of mass media. Its iconic images draw on the sacred stories I learned as a child growing up in India." These stories, the Toronto-based filmmaker says, were "of gods and goddesses, humans and demons" and they projected "visions of how the world was created and tales of how, from time to time, the gods came down to earth to rid the world of evil". The installation, which stands tall in the midst of a plaza at the end of an arcade of glitzy shops selling the world's most coveted fashion brands -- Louis Vuitton, Hugo Boss, Chanel and Versace -- captures the way in which Indian artists have utilised mass media -- printing press, posters, comic books, cinema and television, among others -- to give visual shape to the Hindu gods for more than a century. To achieve his end, Krishna, whose oeuvre includes films like Masala and Lulu, besides a slew of television dramas and mini-series, has used a mix of classical Indian dancers, live action footage, eye-catching visual effects and lively animation to trace the history of how these mass-produced artistic visualisations turned into sacred icons worshipped by millions of devout Hindus. Krishna, who is currently writing a sci-fi thriller based on Canadian novelist Robert J Sawyer's The Terminal Experiment while directing his first documentary, Ganesh: Boy Wonder, says: "My images are inspired by... a populist style commonly known as Calendar Art"... My images are intended to enchant viewers with their beauty and fantasy, while provoking interest in their underlying stories."

According Michel Chossudovsky Press TV, "Washington helped Georgia to take control of both South Ossetia and Abkhazia, because it needs Georgian territory to use for bombing against Iran." 'Caucasus crisis prelude to war on Iran' Press TV – September 8, 2008 Prominent anti-war activist Michel Chossudovsky says the Caucasus conflict is a prelude to a joint attack by the US and Israel on Iran. According to Chossudovsky, the Canadian economist, the United States had been actively involved in the planning and logistics of the Georgian military operation in South Ossetia. In mid-July, Georgian and US troops held a joint military exercise dubbed 'Immediate Response' involving respectively 1,200 US and 800 Georgian troops. Shortly after the military drill, Georgian military forces launched a large-scale military offensive against South Ossetia on August 7. Russia, in response, sent its troops into the region. The conflict in South Ossetia resulted in some 1500 civilian deaths, and the displacement of 34,000 others, according to both Russian and Western sources. Chossudovsky, the forensic Global Research author, said Georgia would never act militarily without the assent of Washington. "The war on Southern Ossetia was not meant to be won," he said, adding that, "It was intended to destabilize the region." "Let us be under no illusions. This is not a civil war. The attacks are an integral part of the broader Middle East Central Asian war, including US-NATO-Israeli war preparations in relation to Iran," Chossudovsky cautioned. Hermes-450 According to the Debkafiles, in addition to the Israeli military advisers' aid to Georgia to carryout the August 7-8 ground assault, Israel supplied Mikheil Saakashvili's government with Hermes-450 and Skylark unmanned aerial vehicles. Earlier on Wednesday, Russian Duma Deputy Sergei Markov told Press TV that, "this war in South Ossetia is somehow connected with the aggression of Washington against Iran and the possible bombing of Iran." "Washington helped Georgia to take control of both South Ossetia and Abkhazia, (because) it needs Georgian territory to use for bombing against Iran," he added. Tel Aviv and Washington accuse Iran of developing nuclear arms, and have threatened to launch air strikes against the country. However, the UN nuclear watchdog has announced that no evidence had been found to support the US and Israel's allegations against Iran. CS/DA www.presstv.com/detail.aspx?id=68765§ionid=351020101

Jara, old age, aging - although in the Vedas signified as basic problem and fundamental evil similar like birth/janma, disease/vyadhi, and death/mrtyu, (janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-dukha-dosanudarsanam ) modern medical science took up that challenge to localize the DNA sequence which is responsible for aging. Yesterday a Spanish scientist, Maria Blasco, was awarded a prize of having detected the switch in the DNA of mice so that they never grow old. If this really works for human beings, would be something like a yoga-siddhi? See also, they use the term "somatic cells", isnt soma a vedic word? <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="514"><tbody><tr> <td width="514" height="10"></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" valign="top" width="514"> Körber Award 2008: Drugs to Fight Cancer and Aging The Körber European Science Award 2008 goes to the Spanish molecular biologist Maria Blasco Maria Blasco and her team conduct research into the dynamics of the telomerase enzyme. Their work not only promises to create a new kind of drug to fight cancer, but could also help to make somatic cells – and therefore humans – live longer. The Körber European Science Award 2008 will be presented on 8 September in the Main Festival Hall of Hamburg City Hall >> Press Release (03.09.2008) <table align="right" border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" width="138"> <tbody><tr> <td> Maria Blasco (Photo: Santiago Ojeda) >> printable version </td> </tr> </tbody></table> SHORT SCIENTIFIC BIOGRAPHY In 1993, Maria A. Blasco obtained her Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid after her work at Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM, Madrid) under the supervision of Dr. Margarita Salas. That same year, Blasco joined the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (USA) as Postdoctoral Fellow under the leadership of Carol W. Greider. As a Postdoctoral Fellow, Maria A. Blasco cloned one of the mammalian telomerase genes and generated the first telomerase knockout mouse. It was during this time that she was also appointed as Fellow of the Leukaemia Society of America. In 1997, Maria returned to Madrid as an Independent Investigator at the Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CSIC), where she continued her work on the development of mouse models for the study of telomerase in cancer and ageing. Together with her research group she moved to the CNIO in 2003 as Director of the Molecular Oncology Programme and Leader of the Telomeres and Telomerase Group. Since her return to Spain, Blasco has been the recipient of several honours, such as the Swiss Bridge Award for Research in Cancer, the Josef Steiner Cancer Research Award, and the EMBO Gold Medal. More recently, she received the "Carmen and Severo Ochoa" Award for Research on Molecular Biology and the "Rey Jaime I" Basic Research Award. She also serves on the Editorial Board of several scientific Journals. She has been an elected EMBO Member since 2000, a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum since 2006, and a Member the Academia Europaea since 2006. Maria A. Blasco is also a member of Faculty 1000 ("stem cells and regeneration"). Maria A. Blasco, with more than 100 original papers, has made major contributions to the field of telomeres and telomerases and the role they play in ageing and cancer. HONORS AND AWARDS <table border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" width="514"> <tbody><tr valign="top"> <td width="43"> 2008 </td> <td width="451"> Member of the Scientific Committee of the Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td> 2008 </td> <td> Körber Prize, Germany </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td> 2008 </td> <td> The Editorial Academy of The International Journal of Oncology </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td> 2008 </td> <td> Editorial Board Aging Cell </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td> 2008 </td> <td> EMBO Council Member </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td> 2007 </td> <td> Rey Jaime I Prize for Basic Research </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td> 2007 </td> <td> Scientific Advisory Board of "Fundació Institut Recerca de l´Hopital Universitary Vall d´Hebron (FIR-HUVH)", Barcelona </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td> 2006 </td> <td> Member Faculty 1000 (section: "Stem Cells & Regeneration") </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td> 2006 </td> <td> Elected Member of the Academia Europaea </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td> 2006 </td> <td> Editorial Board (Monitoring Editor) Journal of Cell Biology </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td> 2006 </td> <td> Member of Forum of Global Young Leaders </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td> 2006 </td> <td> Scientific Advisory Board "Fundación Genoma España", Madrid </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td> 2005 </td> <td> "Carmen and Severo Ochoa" Award in Molecular Biology </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td> 2005 </td> <td> BMC Cancer Editorial Board </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td> 2004 </td> <td> EMBO Gold Medal </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td> 2004 </td> <td> Highlights Advisory Panel Nature Reviews Cancer </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td> 2004 </td> <td> Editorial Board of Carcinogenesis </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td> 2004 </td> <td> Editorial Board of European Journal of Cell Biology </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td> 2004 </td> <td> The Carcinogenesis Young Investigator Award </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td> 2003 </td> <td> Josef Steiner Cancer Research Award 2003 </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td> 2003 </td> <td> "Universalia" Research Award 2003 </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td> 2002 </td> <td> "EMBO Lecture" Award at ELSO Meeting 2002 </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td> 2002 </td> <td> European Life Sciences Organization (ELSO) Early Career Award 2002 </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td> 2002 </td> <td> European Association Cancer Research Young Cancer Researcher Award </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td> 2001 </td> <td> SEBBM Beckman/Coulter Award 2001 </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td> 2001 </td> <td> Award of the Spanish Health Science Foundation for excellence in Biomedical Research </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td> 2000 </td> <td> Elected EMBO Member </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td> 2000 </td> <td> Swiss Bridge Award 2000 for Research in Cancer </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td> 2000 </td> <td> FEBS Anniversary Prize </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td> 2000 </td> <td> Editor of the European Life Scientist´s Organization Gazette (ELSO) </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td> 1999 </td> <td> II Spanish National Oncology Award (Echevarne Foundation) </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td> 1999 </td> <td> Associated Editor Journal of Biomedicine & Biotechnology </td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table> Aging The enzyme telomerase allows for replacement of short bits of DNA known as a telomere, which are otherwise lost when a cell divides via mitosis. In normal circumstances, without the presence of telomerase, if a cell divides recursively, at some point all the progeny will reach their Hayflick limit. With the presence of telomerase, each dividing cell can replace the lost bit of DNA, and any single cell can then divide unbounded. While this unbounded growth property has excited many researchers, caution is warranted in exploiting this property, as exactly this same unbounded growth is a crucial step in enabling cancerous growth. Embryonic stem cells express telomerase, which allows them to divide repeatedly and form the individual. In adults, telomerase is highly expressed in cells that need to divide regularly (e.g., in the immune system), whereas most somatic cells express it only at very low levels in a cell-cycle dependent manner. A variety of premature aging syndromes are associated with short telomeres.<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference">[3]</sup> These include Werner syndrome, Ataxia telangiectasia, Bloom syndrome, Fanconi anemia, Nijmegen breakage syndrome, and ataxia telangiectasia-like disorder. The genes that have been mutated in these diseases all have roles in the repair of DNA damage, and their precise roles in maintaining telomere length are an active area of investigation. While it is currently unknown to what extent telomere erosion contributes to the normal aging process, maintenance of DNA in general and telomeric DNA specifically, have emerged as major players. Dr. Michael Fossel has suggested in an interview that telomerase therapies may be used not only to combat cancer but also to actually get around human aging and extend lifespan significantly. He believes human trials of telomerase-based therapies for extending lifespan will occur within the next 10 years. This timeline is significant because it coincides with the retirement of Baby Boomers in the United States and Europe.

It is often misunderstood that to properly associate requires physical association. This however is not supported by the previous spiritual masters. "As far as my blessing is concerned, it does not require my physical presence. If you are chanting Hare Krsna there, and following my instructions, reading the books, taking only Krsna prasadam etc., then there is no question of your not receiving the blessings of Lord Caitanya, whose mission I am humbly trying to push on." SP Letter to Bala Krsna, 6/30/74)

Above it says, be optimistic, don't pass criticism on the scientists. Scientists receive death threats over 'end-of-world' experiment By Roger Highfield and Harry Wallop Last Updated: 12:01am BST 08/09/2008 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/earth/2008/09/08/scicern108.xml The scientists behind the world's biggest ever scientific experiment have received death threats from critics who claim it could cause the end of the world. Experts are attempting to recreate the forces that occurred in the immediate aftermath of the Big Bang, which created the universe. The £4.4 billion machine at Cern, the European nuclear research organisation based near Geneva, will be switched on this Wednesday . Some of the scientists working on the experiment, who include a Welsh miner's son and a former pop star, have received threatening emails and been besieged by telephone calls from worried members of the public who fear the machine could cause earthquakes and tsunamis that will destroy the world. Large Hadron Collider: What will it find? The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) will fire particles around its 17-mile tunnel. It will then smash protons — one of the building blocks of matter — into each other at energies up to seven times greater than any achieved before. Scientists hope to recapture conditions not seen since near the birth of the universe almost 14 billion years ago. They could find answers to some of the biggest questions in physics, such as why the universe looks the way it does, and how to explain mass, gravity and mysterious "dark matter". They could also find the first evidence of extra spatial dimensions, and even create mini-black holes that blink in and out of existence in a fraction of a second. Some sceptics remain unconvinced about its safety. Prof Otto Rossler, a German chemist who is one of a group of scientists attempting a last-minute court challenge to the project, is especially worried about the creation of black holes. He believes it is possible that the black holes will grow uncontrollably and "eat the planet from the inside". Other scientists say this is complete nonsense. They point to the fact that cosmic rays hitting the Earth's atmosphere should also be creating mini-black holes. Yet to date none of them has swallowed up the planet. One of the leading figures behind the experiment is Dr Lynn Evans, the son of a miner, who said his fascination with science started as a boy, when he would create small explosions with his chemistry set at his council house in Aberdare. Another is Prof Brian Cox of Manchester University, who played keyboards with D:Ream, whose hit Things Can Only Get Better was adopted by the Labour Party as its 1997 election anthem. He said members of the team had received death threats, adding: "Anyone who thinks the LHC will destroy the world is a t---." Prof Cox said: "There's a kind of magic energy we've not been able to get to, and we know from previous experiments that's where things happen. Now for the first time, we'll be crossing that barrier." • LHC stands for Large Hadron Collider. Large due to its size (approximately 27 km in circumference), Hadron because it accelerates protons or ions, which are hadrons, and Collider because these particles form two beams travelling in opposite directions, which collide at four points where the two rings of the machine intersect. • The precise circumference of the LHC accelerator is 26 659 m, with a total of 9300 magnets inside. It is as big as the London Underground's Circle Line. • All the magnets will be pre?cooled to -193.2°C (80 deg K) using 10,080 tonnes of liquid nitrogen, before they are filled with nearly 60 tonnes of liquid helium to bring them down to -271.3°C (1.9 deg K), making it the world's largest fridge • The Large Hadron Collider represents the largest sum of money to date invested by a UK Government in a single scientific project, more than £500m. • At full power, trillions of protons will race around the LHC accelerator ring 11,245 times a second, travelling at 99.99% the speed of light. • When two beams of protons collide, they will generate temperatures more than 100,000 times hotter than the heart of the Sun, concentrated within a minuscule space.

Guess in this case we have to be rather realistic and deal with the plain facts what is presently globally installed. Both, ISKCON's community and ISKCON's management reiterated and reinforced for 30 years that they want diksa-gurus with the privileg to resign from office. So, 30 years should be enough for us who're slow on the uptake that there will be no change. But agreed in the same way there is no such thing as God is fallen down, there's also no such thing as His representative falls down. acaryam mam vijaniyam navamanyeta karhicit na martya-buddhyasuyeta sarva-deva-mayo guruh "One should know the Acharya as Myself and never disrespect him in anyway. One should not envy him, thinking him an ordinary man, for he is the representative of all the demigods." (SB.11.17.27)

What is truth, as explained in video below, beware of maya, .<param name="movie" value=" "></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src=" " type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

Basically Vaishnavism is just like to open the curtain and let the sunshine in. Not that we have to make the Sun rise, or adjust the intensity of the sunshine, this is already there. To associate with devotees is also arranged by God's mercy, you haven't to make a separate endeavor. As soon you start to aspire for spiritual advancement everything is revealed step by step. Krishna guides us from within and ultimately we realize that everything is perfectly arranged and to reach the highest perfection is like to board a ship. As soon you're on that ship you haven't to worry about anything but peacefully reach the destination. This is God's greatness, everything is wonderfully arranged.

Looks rather the same what Israel also did, not to sign any contracts concerning nuclear agreement. <!-- Main Section --> Hindu gods spike Chinese dragon By M K Bhadrakumar http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/JI09Df02.html posted Sept 9 2008 India's National Security Advisor M K Narayanan made an astounding claim in a television interview on Saturday that "divine intervention" might have secured for the country a "waiver" from the Nuclear Suppliers' Group (NSG). The "waiver" allows India to have global nuclear commerce without formally signing either the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) nor the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and paves the way for the US Congress to ratify a potentially lucrative civilian nuclear deal with India. The NSG "adjusted its guidelines" for India on Saturday. Narayanan was reacting to the news. He then went on to launch a tirade against China, alleging Beijing tried to spoil India's party at Vienna. He said India was taken by surprise by the Chinese doublespeak since Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao had assured the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that Beijing would play a constructive role when the issue of the "waiver" for India came up for consideration in Vienna. He lamented India's misfortune to have countries like China as neighbors. "We cannot choose our neighbors. We have China and Pakistan as neighbors and with both of them we desire to have the best of relations," he said. Narayanan added, "The Chinese foreign minister will come here and we will, of course, express disappointment. We will say that we did not expect this from China." (Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi was due to arrive in Delhi on Monday.) The timing of the broadside is intriguing. It stands to reason that Yang's visit would have provided a splendid opportunity for Delhi to do some plain-speaking with the Chinese one-to-one. India's veteran External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee could have ably done that. Yet Delhi chose to go ballistic. Curiously, Mukherjee took the first opportunity on Sunday to somewhat moderate his colleague's savage attack on the Chinese, but without quite disowning him. When asked about China's stance at the NSG, Mukherjee told reporters, "I don't want to comment on what role was played by which country at the NSG. This is their internal matter. Every sovereign country has its right to express its own sovereign will." A spate of Indian media reports have since appeared based on government "leaks", thumb-sketching behind-the-scene efforts by Chinese diplomats to somehow scuttle a NSG consensus decision on Saturday. Any delay in Vienna would have been lethal. It would have thwarted the efforts by the US to pilot the NSG "waiver" and the US-India civil nuclear cooperation agreement to the Capitol Hill on Monday. A tight schedule lies ahead to obtain the approval from the US Congress before September 28 when its session ends. It remains unclear where it was that the Indian special envoys sent to Vienna to canvass for the waiver were rubbed so badly by the Chinese diplomats. Actually, Beijing had never hidden its unhappiness over the presumptuous fashion in which the US first erected the NSG to punish India for its nuclear explosion in 1974 and then shepherded the world community to isolate the Indians. Now, the US has unilaterally decided otherwise and sought to amend the rules so as to accommodate Delhi. As recently as last Monday, the People's Daily lambasted Washington in no uncertain terms for its "multiple standards" and inconsistencies apropos of the nuclear non-proliferation regime. Full article: http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/JI09Df02.html

Makes lots of sense, especially in the West many temples were already closed due mismanagement. Management Course to Study Hindu Temple Administration http://www.hindu-blog.com/2008/09/management-course-to-study-hindu-temple.html posted September 08 2008 The unique Management course to study Hindu Temple Administration is offered by <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Somnath</st1:placename> <st1:placename st="on">Sanskrit</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">University</st1:placetype></st1:place> and is aptly named – Mandir Vyavasthapan. Some people might want to immediately retort saying that Hindu Temples are not business centers. But the amount of donation that several temples are receiving is so huge that most of them are groping in the dark and need professional advice. Professional management is also need to manage crowds during festivals and auspicious days, also in preservation of the temple architecture and above all in matters of security in temples. <o:p> </o:p> The one-year diploma course, Mandir Vyavasthapan, was introduced last year by <st1:placename st="on">Somnath</st1:placename> <st1:placename st="on">Sanskrit</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">University</st1:placetype> in <st1:place st="on">Gujarat</st1:place> and the response was overwhelming. The course is not merely limited to accounts; there are other subjects like temple architecture, rituals, event management, crowd management, Sanskrit, English, and law. <o:p> </o:p> First batch of 500 students are awaiting the results. Candidates have to pass class XII to gain admission. <o:p> </o:p> Ashish Vashi writes in Times of India about the course: <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> “We introduced the one-year diploma last year and received a tremendous response. Today, professionals are needed to manage temples and that’s what this course is about,” says vice-chancellor of the university, Pankaj Jani. Experts in various fields are invited as visiting faculty. “We arrange tours at famous temples across the state. Then, we give assignments to students about their management,” he says. Posted by abhilash on 8.9.08

Looks like Krishna is above all because He has nothing to do, just enjoy. na tasya karyaṁ karanaṁ ca vidyate na tat samas cabhyadhikas ca drsyate parasya saktir vividhaiva uruyate svabhaviki jnana-bala-kriya ca "God has nothing to do personally. As we see a very big rich man, he hasn’t got to do anything personally, but he has got so many assistants. They’re doing everything. Similarly, parasya śaktir vividhaiva sruyate. But when the things are done, svabhaviki jnana- bala-kriya. The knowledge is so perfect and things are done so nicely that it is automatically being done. And the rascals who cannot see behind there is God, they simply see this nature: “The nature is working automatically.” Room Conversation with His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada January 8, 1977, Bombay

Interesting thesis by Dr. David Leffler, he recites Maharishi Yogi on, “Intelligent military thinking dictates that you prevent the birth of an enemy - that you make your enemy into your friend. It will be much easier to make your enemy your friend than it will be to defend yourself against an unseen enemy. This is why Maharishi also calls his Vedic system of defense “Invincible Defence Technology.” The strategy is very simple - no enemies - no war or terrorism. With no enemies, the military becomes invincible." LEFFLER: No One Wants the Nobel War Prize 8-Sep-2008 http://fijidailypost.com/opinion.php?date=20080908 Most world leaders would be honoured to receive a Nobel Peace Prize. Unfortunately, if there were a Nobel War Prize, almost all governments would be eligible. Government leaders worldwide have been approached by eminent scientists and other emissaries. These advocates urged for the establishment of national peace-creating forces to counteract the collective stress that fuels terrorism and war. They advocate a scientific approach to peace called “Invincible Defence Technology.” Today’s worldwide climate of war and terrorism enriches arms dealers and causes heart wrenching misery. Despite the overwhelming volumes of scientific research that validate the effectiveness of this approach, most governments still choose not to adopt this prevention strategy. Claims that there are no alternatives to violence are untrue. Renowned Vedic scholar and physicist Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the leading advocate of this war and terrorism prevention strategy, suspects that many world leaders refuse to adopt it because it is profitable to create fear in order to sell arms. “This is what is happening in Israel, in Northern Ireland, everywhere. Selling arms is a shameful profession. Arms dealers tell defence ministers: ‘Your neighbour has this new fighter plane and that new missile, so you must have them, too, or your security will be jeopardised.’ Even poor countries go deeply in debt purchasing these weapons. It’s shameful for arms sellers to live on the killing of others.” Maharishi argues that armed forces cannot defend against all enemies. He says, “The military is not competent to defend the country against an enemy that cannot be seen, or against a missile that can come and put the whole society to ashes. The military is only competent to die and kill. And both are a sin: getting oneself killed is a sin, and killing another is a sin. It’s a very ignorant approach to defence. Prevention is the only way to defend the nation, and the only effective prevention is Vedic defence, which prevents the birth of an enemy.” The primary components of Maharishi’s Vedic system of defence are the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi programmes. Over 600 studies conducted at 200 research institutes and universities document the positive benefits gained from the twice daily practice of these programmes. This research indicates that all areas of life are affected in a positive way: mind, body, behaviour, and the environment. Findings published in leading peer-reviewed journals include: improved work relations, increased creativity and intelligence, increased productivity, and improved health, as well as reduced stress-related diseases, and decreases in terrorism, war and crime. The TM programme was first introduced by Maharishi nearly 50 years ago. Nearly five million people worldwide have learned the simple technique. It involves an effortless and natural process practiced 15 to 20 minutes twice-daily. The TM programme can be easily learned by anyone regardless religious belief, age or education level. When practiced in large groups with its advanced technique, the TM-Sidhi programme, societal coherence is generated, reducing negative trends and promoting positive tendencies in society. Maharishi argues that in their present form, despite humanitarian missions, armed forces have outlived their usefulness: “The times have changed. ‘Defend the nation by killing your enemy’ is an outdated military strategy. It is obsolete. You kill your enemy today and another enemy will kill you tomorrow - and then what is left?” “Prevention is the only way for defence,” Maharishi says. “Intelligent military thinking dictates that you prevent the birth of an enemy - that you make your enemy into your friend. It will be much easier to make your enemy your friend than it will be to defend yourself against an unseen enemy.” This is why Maharishi also calls his Vedic system of defense “Invincible Defence Technology.” The strategy is very simple - no enemies - no war or terrorism. With no enemies, the military becomes invincible. Maharishi requests that every country create Prevention Wings of the Military whose primary duty is to practice the TM and TM-Sidhi program. Militaries are already paid to defend their nations. Maharishi urges all governmental leaders to order their militaries to adopt Maharishi’s Invincible Defence Technology immediately. This would demonstrate modern, enlightened thinking. Big sticks are passé. Cutting-edge military defence involves big ideas, not big sticks. The Nobel War Prize is a booby prize, and its high price is no prize at all. Published with permission of the author (http://www.davidleffler.com/) About the author: Dr. David Leffler received his Ph.D. on the topic of Invincible Defence Technology from Union Institute & University. His other academic degrees include: a B.A. in Education, an M.A. in the Science of Creative Intelligence from Maharishi University of Management and an M.M. in Education from New Mexico State University. He was a member of the U.S. Air Force for eight years. Dr. Leffler is the Acting Director and a founding member of the Center for Advanced Military Science (CAMS) at Maharishi University of Management. He also serves as a Peer Member at The Union Institute and is a member of the U.S. Naval Institute. Dr. Leffler has given presentations on Invincible Defence Technology at the Russian Air Force Academy, the Russian Academy of Sciences, and defense-related institutions in the United States. Dr. Leffler lives in Wappingers Falls, New York, USA. Dr. David R Leffler

Summarization by cai - finally someone who admits that the illusion of Buddhism enters our brains due our suffering, but why this Nihilism is called a world religion remains a puzzle. Sunday, September 7, 2008 About World Religions Thanks, Wikipedia and The New Straits Times. Universalism. Universalism is the common values that unites the human race. It holds that all persons and creatures are related to God and will be reconciled to God. A common principle is that love is a universal binding force. A belief in one common truth is also another important tenet. The living truth is seen as more far-reaching than national, cultural or religious boundaries. All humans are born Universalists and the first Universalists were Adam and Eve. Every other religion contains the religion of Universalism inside it. Sabianism. Sabianism is a monotheistic faith. It is the primordial faith of the Semitic (Arab) people. Sabians traditionally practiced initiation through submersion in water, intended to represent the inundation of the world during the time of Noah which cleansed man's sins. Hence ablution is an important part of the Sabian religion. The word Sabian means Submitter To God. Sabians are also called Hanifs or Monotheists. They believe in all Prophets of God from Adam to Muhammad. All Arabs who did not worship false gods and who worshipped God were Sabians prior to the coming of Muhammad. There are not many Sabians in the world today. The very few Sabians live in Iraq. Most ex-Sabians became Christians and Muslims over the centuries. Both Islam and Christianity recognise the Sabian faith as their predecessor and ancestor. Hinduism. The religion of nature, practised by the non-Semites is Hinduism, even though that term is specifically used for Indian Hinduism, the Vedic Hinduism. It is also called Sanatana Dharma (the Original Way). Indian Hinduism has as its scriptures the Vedas and Upanishads. The Bhagavad Gita is the summary of the spiritual teachings of the Vedas. It is a section of the Indian fable called Mahabharata. Hinduism is often characterised with the belief in reincarnation and that salvation is freedom from repeated birth and death. Buddhism believes in this, too. The prominent themes in Hindu beliefs are Dharma (duties and ethics), Samsara (birth and rebirth), Karma (action and subsequent reaction), Moksha (liberation from Samsara) and Yoga (personal communication with God). Hindus can pray to God directly via Yoga (meditation) or through the worship of various humanistic spirits called Devas (or Devis in the female form). Ultimately, all Devas are manifestations of the Mahadeva (Supreme Deva or Ishvara or Brahman) which is the Holy Spirit within the human heart (Atman). Diwali, the festival of lights, is the prime festival of Hinduism. It celebrates the eternal triumph of good over evil. Some Hindus are vegetarians, while some do not eat beef. They believe that eating meat means taking the lives of animals which are God’s creatures and the ox is among the most sacred in Indian Hinduism. Judaism. Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people. In 2007, the world Jewish population was estimated at 13.2 million people. Judaism is a monotheistic religion based on principles and ethics embodied in the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) and further explored and explained in the Talmud. The Jews or Israelis (Israelites) are descendants of Jacob the Palestinian Arab prophet who was the grandson of the Iraqi Arab prophet Abraham. Jews follow the teachings of Abraham and Jacob, elaborated by their descendant Moses who received the 10 Commandments from God. They believe that God is One, that Moses is His Messenger, that the Law (Ethics) of God (Torah) is true and that humans must love one another. The basis of Jewish tradition (or ethics or law) (halakha) is the Torah (also known as the Pentateuch or the Five Books of Moses). Traditionally, Jews recite prayers three times daily, with a fourth prayer added on holidays. The most important part of the Jewish prayer is the affirmation that God is one. Yom Kippur is the Jewish Day of Atonement. On that day, Jews fast and pray for forgiveness for one's sins. The laws of kashrut (keeping kosher) are the Jewish dietary laws. Food in accordance with Jewish laws is termed kosher. The Torah cites no reason for the laws of kashrut, other than health benefits. Kashrut involves the abstention from consuming birds and beasts that prey on other animals and creatures that roam the sea floor eating the excretions of other animals. A major prohibition exists on eating pork. Meat is ritually slaughtered and drained of blood and meat and milk are not eaten together. Buddhism. Buddhism is both a world religion and a philosophy with distribution throughout the world. It is virtually a branch of Indian Hinduism centred on the life and teachings of the Buddha (the Enlightened One), Prince Siddharta Gautama of Nepal (then in India). Hindus can be Buddhists and Buddhists can be Hindus. Both religions overlap. Buddhism is centred on the Four Noble Truths - we suffer, suffering is because of attachment, we can free ourselves of it, and it is done by following the path of moderation. It teaches ethical conduct, the cultivation of wisdom, the cleansing of the heart and mind, and moderation. The Three Jewels of Buddhism are the Buddha (Siddharta), the Dharma (his Ethics or Laws) and the Sangha (his Followers). The Buddhist scriptures are known as the Tripitaka or Three Jewels. Christianity. Christianity is a monotheistic religion centred on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. Its followers, known as Christians, believe that Jesus is the Son of God and the Messiah (Christ) prophesied in the Old Testament (the part of scripture common to Christianity and Judaism). To Christians, Jesus Christ is a teacher, the model of virtuous life, the revealer of God and most importantly the saviour of humanity who suffered to save humanity from sin or evil. Christians maintain that Jesus ascended into heaven and will return to judge the living and the dead, granting everlasting life to the good. Christians call the message of Jesus Christ the Gospel (good news). The central tenet of Christianity is the belief in Jesus as the Son of God and the Messiah (Christ or Chosen One). Many Christians believe the Holy Spirit (Spirit of Jesus), Jesus and God are One. They are known as Trinitarians. However, the Unitarians believe that Jesus is not God, but His Son and Messenger. Christianity regards the Bible, a collection of canonical books in two parts (the Old Testament and the New Testament), as its scripture. Christians believe that human beings experience divine judgement and are rewarded with eternal life or appropriate punishment. Christians believe that at the second coming of Christ at the end of time, all who have died will be resurrected bodily from the dead for the Last Judgment, whereupon Jesus, by God’s orders, will reward or punish human beings based on their earthly conduct. Islam. Islam is a monotheistic religion originating with the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure. The word Islam means Submission to God. Like Judaism and Christianity, Islam has its origins in the Sabian faith. The word Islam is used to define the faith of Muhammad today but in Islamic scripture, the Quran (Recitation), it refers to Universalism. Universalism is seen as the Islam of Prophet Adam, Sabianism the Islam of Prophet Abraham, Judaism the Islam of Prophet Moses, Christianity the Islam of Prophet Jesus, and Islam the Islam of Prophet Muhammad. Muslims believe that God revealed the Quran to Muhammad, God's final prophet, and regard the Quran and the Sunnah (words and deeds of Muhammad) as the fundamental sources of Islam. They do not regard Muhammad as the founder of a new religion, but as the restorer of the original monotheistic faith of Adam. Adherents are generally required to observe the Five Pillars of Islam, which are five duties that unite Muslims into a community, the family of Muhammad. The ethics, laws and customs of Muslims are known as Sharia. Muslims believe in God, His revelations, His angels, His Messengers and in the Day of Judgment. Muslims believe that prophets are human and not divine, though some are able to perform miracles to prove their claims. Islamic prophets are considered to be the closest to perfection of all humans and are uniquely the recipients of divine revelation. Islam's fundamental theological concept is tawhid — the belief that there is only one God. The first of the Five Pillars of Islam expresses this concept as the shahadah (testimony), which reads that there is no god but God and that Muhammad is God's Messenger. The second pillar is to pray five times a day, facing the Kaaba (holiest shrine and the place Adam landed after descending from Heaven) in Mecca. The third pillar is to redistribute wealth from high-income groups to low-income groups. The fourth pillar is to fast from sunrise to sunset for a month during Ramadan, the ninth month of the Muslim calendar (the calendar begins on the day Muhammad established the Islamic State in Medina in 622). It is aimed at instilling a sense of compassion towards the less fortunate, to purify the soul and to cleanse the body. The fifth pillar is to perform the hajj or pilgrimage to the Kaaba in Mecca at least once in a lifetime in remembrance of all Prophets from Adam to Muhammad. Muslims consider the Quran to be the literal word of God. It is the central religious text of Islam. Muslims believe that the verses of the Quran were revealed to Muhammad by God through the angel Gabriel on many occasions between 610 and his death in 632. Belief in angels is crucial to the faith of Islam. The Arabic word for Angels (malak) means "messenger", like its counterparts in Hebrew (malakh) and Greek (angelos). According to the Quran, angels do not possess free will and worship God in perfect obedience. Muhammad (570 – 632) was an Arab religious, political and military leader. He re-oriented the Peninsular Arabs or Bedouins to the teachings of Jesus, Moses and Abraham. He also founded the Islamic State which was centred in Mecca and Medina, Arabia, and known as the Caliphate (Government of the Disciples) after his death. The Islamic State was the first country on earth to uphold universal human values and respect for human diversity. It came to an end in 1924 when its last leader, Turkish President Mustapha Kamal Attaturk declared its abrogation. Muslims, like Jews, do not consume blood or pork as well as intoxicants. The concept of jihad in Islam means struggling to conquer one’s selfish desires. All Muslims have to perform it by remembering God every day of their lives. The main festivals of Islam are Aidil Fitri which marks the end of the fasting month or Ramadan and Aidil Adha which celebrates the completion of the Hajj (Pilgrimage to Mecca). The advancement of European civilisation was largely aided by the Muslims of Arab and Iranian stock who lived under the Caliphate as well as in India. Sikhism. Sikhism, founded on the teachings of Nanak and nine successive gurus (teachers) in 15th century India is a monotheist religion practised by a minority of the Punjabi people of India. It is also called Gurmat (the Teachings) or Sikh Dharma (Sikh Ethics or Laws). Sikh means Student. Sikhs believe that God is One and share pretty much the same beliefs as Muslims and Jews. Sikh teachings are also very close to Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism and Sabianism. Sikhism advocates the pursuit of salvation through disciplined, personal meditation on the name and message of God. The followers of Sikhism follow the teachings of the 10 Sikh gurus as well as the holy scripture called Guru Granth Sahib, which includes selected works of Sikhs, Muslims and Hindus. The text was decreed by Gobind Singh, the 10th guru. The essence of Sikh teaching is summed up by Nanak in these words: "Realisation of Truth is higher than all else. Higher still is truthful living". Sikhism, like Islam, believes in the equality of all humans. According to Sikhism, the goal of life for a person is to progress on a spiritual scale from self-centred-ness to God-centred-ness. Gurmukh (God-centred-ness) implies the qualities of humility and selfless service. Sikhism tells humans to avoid the Five Evils namely ego, anger, greed, attachment and lust. Salvation can be reached only through rigorous and disciplined devotion to God in deeds, words and thoughts. Nanak stressed that a Sikh should balance work, worship and charity, and should defend the rights of all creatures, and in particular, fellow human beings. Sikh temples are called gurdwara (gateway to God) and the main Sikh temple is in the city of Amritsar in Punjab, India.

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September 7 2008 A few days ago Janmastami prabhu, the principle of our Mayapur Institute for Higher Education and Training (MIHET) sent me this painting: along with this question: “Do you know the pastime that is represented by the attached plate? Any references? I would like to use it in my NOI course.” My reply: Yes, this is the occasion in the early 1960s when Srila Prabhupada was personally instructed not only by Srila Rupa Goswami but also by Srila Sanatana and Jiva Goswamis about his writing and his desire to preach Krsna consciousness in the west. This painting is not strictly accurate as you will see. I include this incident in my own seminar series “Srila Prabhupada The Living Bhagavatam” about Writing [SPLB–see the audio section]The incidence is mentioned in TD Vol 3, quoted portions of which appear in italics here: On July 26, 1976 Srila Prabhupada was in England, staying for a few days at Bhaktivedanta Manor, the beautiful estate donated to ISKCON by George Harrison. George had just visited Srila Prabhupada that afternoon and in the evening Bhagavan prabhu, the GBC for Southern Europe and Prthu Putra Swami arrived. They presented Srila Prabhupada with the first French edition of Srimad Bhagavatam Canto One, Part One. The book contained a photo of Srila Prabhupada’s room at Radha Damodar Mandir in Vrindavana. It was the first time an edition of the Bhagavatam had included photos and Prabhupada was extremely pleased with it. After hearing some of the favorable reviews printed in the book Srila Prabhupada told them: “My Guru Maharaja is very pleased. As soon as a book comes out, he is pleased. He was lamenting that ‘These men [his disciples], they did not publish any number of books. They are simply after this stone and bricks.’ He condemned. He was very, very sorry. So I thought that I must take a risk. And he’s pleased.” “So now you have books and temples,” Bhagavan said. Prabhupada smiled. “Yes, temple is automatically. I never stressed on temple. I was engaged in publishing the Back to Godhead. Whatever I could do, I did it because I took it very seriously that he is very sorry that these things were not done. He said that, ‘There will be fire in this Gaudiya Math.’ Agun jvalbe, he said. Amari taci loka kichui boi kakrayebo: ‘If I can, I shall sell these marbles of this temple and convert them into books.’ That was his ambition. … Now whatever is being done, it is by his [bhaktisiddhanta’s] blessing. Let us work sincerely. Things will be all … Otherwise it is humanly impossible. It is by his grace.” “George was also commenting on that, how one man could have written so many books,” Jayatirtha said. “He could not even read them all, what to speak of writing them.” Prabhupada quoted a Sanskrit verse: mukam karoti vacalam pangum langhayate girim/ yat-krpa tam aham vande sri-gurum dina-tarinam. “A dumb [person] is a great orator. The lame man, is jumping over the mountain. Yat-krpa, by the mercy of guru it is possible. So let us cooperate and do this business. Higher authority will be pleased, and that is our success. Yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasadah. If the higher authorities are pleased, then Krsna is pleased. That is our success.” After more conversation the other devotees left the room, leaving me alone for a few minutes with His Divine Grace: During the conversation I had flipped through the pages of the new book [French Bhagavatam] and had noticed a picture of Srila Prabhupada’s kitchen in the Radha-Damodara temple in Vrndavana. I now told him about it. “Oh! Where it is?” he enthusiastically asked. I found the page for him. Opportunities like this don’t arise frequently, so as he inspected the brownish photo I asked a few questions about Prabhupada’s life before ISKCON. “Through that window you could see Rupa Gosvami’s samadhi. And for those two rooms they were charging five rupees a month?” “Yes,” Prabhupada said. “These rooms were broken. So they told me that ‘You can repair these, and whatever you like, you can give.’ So I thought, ‘Don’t need much space.’ Before me there was a tenant in that other room, he was paying three rupees. So I thought, ‘Two rooms, but I have spent money. So I’ll give him five.’ Now I am giving them ten rupees.” “To retain it.” “Yes.” “Sometimes the devotees go down there and clean out the rooms,” I told him, “and they have kirtana there sometimes. I think this is the first book that someone included this photo.” “Yes. It was very calm and quiet. And people used to offer obeisances from outside because they knew. Practically everyone knew me. So they used to offer …” “You were very well known in Vrndavana before you came?” “Not very well known, but people knew me.” “Because you were writing?” “Yes.” “Or because of your ambition to come to the West?” “No, at that time there was no such thing,” Prabhupada replied. “I was living there, retired man.” “So when you went to Vrndavana, you’d given up the idea of coming to the West?” “No, coming to the West, the idea was there, but I was planning how to go, how to go there, how to preach there, how to take some books, how to bring them—everything alone …” “So as soon as you had some books then you were …” “Yes. Then I decided. Everything was being dictated by superior.” Again Srila Prabhupada had referred to his higher authority or superior, and this peaked my interest: With Srila Prabhupada in such a congenial mood, I took the courage to broach something Harikesa once mentioned to me. “I was told that one day you were told by Rupa Gosvami that you must go.” Prabhupada’s mood changed slightly. “But that was open secret,” he said dismissively. “Everyone knew.” Then he changed the subject. So Prabhupada confirmed some exchange between himself and Srila Rupa Goswami had occurred; but what? I never heard a mention of this incident again until 28 years later when my godsister Mulaprakriti dasi, just before she left her body,published her book Our Srila Prabhupada, A Friend to All. It is a series of interviews with people who had known Srila Prabhupada before he left India for the west in 1965. I was ecstatic to read the following entry by Gopal Chandra Ghosh of the Vrndavana Research Institute. As a young man of about 20, he used to meet Srila Prabhupada at Radha Damodara Mandira: “There were several times I recall him telling me about his Gurudeva. Once he had a fever and was sitting covered with a cloth and blanket, reading Srimad Bhagavatam. I bowed my head to his feet , and asked, ‘You are not feeling well?” He said “No, I have a cold, so this little medicinal cure will be helpful.” The next day when I returned he was happy, healthy, and was writing, maybe a commentary, I did not see. I asked, “Today you are feeling better?” He answered very mysteriously, “Oh, yes.” I asked him again and he said, “At night my Prabhupada came in my dream. He encouraged me saying, “You do work like Narottama Thakura, like Srinivasa Acarya and like Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura.” Swami Maharaja told me joyfully, “I have received mercy from my Gurudeva. He blessed me and has given me power. I was too much anxious for the Bhagavata commentary. He said, “You just write and all Six Goswamis will help you.” He also mentioned then that his Gurudeva had come in front of him insannyasa dress two or three times when he had been sickly. “During these months when I would visit him in his rooms at Radha Damodara he occasionally told me some special things that I understood as secrets in his bhajan. Once I came early in the morning in wintertime. He was chanting hari-nama very deeply and I saw tears coming from his eyes. When I inquired several times for him to tell me anything, he said that he had received a visit last night. In the courtyard by Srila Rupa Goswami’s samadhi, he saw some very beautiful persons. One was wearing only kaupina and was chanting on large tulasi mala around his neck. His eyes were large like lotus flowers and he was extremely effulgent. Also coming there was another personality, dressed similarly, but older and taller, very kindly to him. Behind them was a much younger sadhu, whose beauty and sweetness were captivating. Swami Maharaja told me they were Srila Rupa Goswami, Srila Sanatana Goswami and their nephew, Srila Jiva Goswami. He said they spoke to him and gave him mercy and guidance for his writing and for his future preaching. I tried to ask more but this is all he would tell me.” I am informed that this gentleman died a few years ago, so we can be very grateful to Mulaprakriti mataji for her efforts in preserving this extremely important part of our history. I will add here a caution: While I have quoted from the above book, which is a collection of memories and anecdotes stretching back many decades, readers should be careful what they accept as truth. Interviews of persons recalling events from many years ago should be taken cautiously. Memories can be unreliable, and motives can also cloud recollections. After a person becomes famous, there are those who would lay a claim to a part of history without deserving it. A classic example of this is found in perhaps the most famous statement from Srila Prabhupada Lilamrta, A Lifetime in Preparation. The very last paragraph quotes one Sisir Bhattacarya describing Srila Prabhupada’s departure from India for the USA in 1965 on the MV Jaladuta. It is at once poetic, dramatic and romantic: “Mr. Bhattacarya and Bhaktivedanta Swami took a taxi down to the Calcutta port … “He was alone. A lone fighter. When he left, there was no one on the shore to bid him goodbye. No friends, no supporter, no disciple, nobody. Even if you call me, I was not a disciple of his. I was a disciple of somebody else. So I was not his follower. But due to shared love, I had very much respect for him. So, I was the only person standing on the shore to say him good-bye. No one was with me. I could not know that it was such an important thing.” The problem is, it is bogus. When we compare it to the description of his departure from Srila Prabhupada’s own diary [The Jaladuta Diary published by Bhaktivedanta Archives 1995] we get an entirely different picture: August 12 Thursday To start for U.S.A. by MV. Jaladuta from Calcutta port (K. George’s Dockyard) August 13 FRIDAY Today at 9 a.m. embarked on M.V. Jaladuta. Came with me Bhagwati, the Dwarwan of Scindia Sansir(?) Mr. Sen Gupta, Mr. Ali and Vrindaban. The cabinet is quite comfortable. It is owner’s residence and therefore the sitting room, the bedroom and the bath and privy all equipped with first class materials. Everything is nice in the 1st class compartment and thanks to Lord Sri Krishna for His enlightening Smti. Sumati Moraji for all these arrangements. I am quite comfortable.” From Srila Prabhupada’s own diary we see that at least 4-5 persons were there to see him off. In the later 1990s I personally interviewed one of those mentioned, Srila Prabhupada’s youngest son, Vrindaban Candra De. To paraphrase what he told me: “Yes, I was there. My father was staying at a dharmsalla near Nutan Bazar (New Market). He came to pick me up in a taxi about 6.00 AM. We drove down to King George’s dockyard and boarded the boat. I was with him in the cabin for about half an hour until it was time to depart.” So again, please be cautious about accepting the statements of others who claim to have had some intimate exchanges with Srila Prabhupada. I don’t say they did not, or could not have happened. But its best to get them verified if possible. I accept Gopal Candra Ghosh’s statements because Srila Prabhupada personally confirmed the incident to me in 1976. Your humble servant, Hari-sauri dasa

September 7, 2008...12:13 pm Sri Radha appears… Jump to Comments When Kamsa attempted to kill the seventh child of his sister Devaki, the child lept into the air, and appeared as the Goddess Durga, resplendent with eight arms wielding celestial weapons, her arms decorated with sandalwood paste, and decked with various ornaments. She mocked Kamsa’s efforts, and told him that the eighth child of Devaki had already appeared, and that his (Kamsa’s) doom was now inevitable… The Goddess also told Kamsa that Lord Krsna’s eight saktis would appear soon after, and two sisters who are like great palaces of transcendental beauty will appear… and Lord Krsna would soon accept both their hands in marriage… The story continues with Putana, the witch employed by Kamsa flying over various lands, kidnapping children to devour. As she flew over the Vindhya mountains, the priest of the Vindhyas chanted a mantra that frightened her, and in doing so, she dropped one of the children, a baby girl. As she entered Gokula, Putana was killed by Lord Krsna. Six other baby girls were discovered by Paurnamasi in the lap of the dead witch. Paurnamasi. They were Lalita, Bhadra, Saibya, Padma, Syama, and Srimati Radharani. Paurnamasi quickly gave five of the girls to five gopis in different parts of Vrindavan, and she presented Srimati Radharani to Yashoda’s nurse, Mukhara, saying “Here is your son-in-law Vrishabhanu’s daughter.” Srimati Radharani’s Lotus Feet For those wondering… Sri Vishakha was discovered, floating on Yamuna by Jatila, Srimati Radharani’s mother-in-law. The child that Putana dropped while flying over the Vindya mountains was discovered by King Bhishmaka. She was Sri Rukmini devi. In due course of His pastimes, Lord Krsna first married Srimati Radharani in the forest of Bhandiravana. Later on, He kidnapped Sri Rukmini devi whilst she was surrounded by vying suitors at her svayamvara. And Goddess Durga’s prophecy to Kamsa indeed came true… When Nanda Maharaja consulted Garga Muni regarding Lord Krsna’s horoscope, the sage replied that the happiest day of Krsna’s life would be the day Srimati Radharani appeared in Vraja- Sri Radhashtami! All glories to the appearance of the Supreme Goddess of Fortune Srimati Radharani! All glories to the Beloved of Sri Gopivallabha! Note: Portions of the following post were adapted from http://www.shriradharaman.com/, and the original source of this account is the play “Sri Lalita Madhava” by Sri Rupa Goswami.