suchandra

<table class="contentpaneopen"><tbody><tr><td class="contentheading" width="100%"> Racist-speak even after fifty years, an insult to Buddhism </td> <td class="buttonheading" align="right" width="100%"> </td> <td class="buttonheading" align="right" width="100%"> </td> <td class="buttonheading" align="right" width="100%"> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> <table class="contentpaneopen"><tbody><tr> <td colspan="2" class="createdate" valign="top"> Monday, 02 June 2008 http://www.srilankawatch.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=593&Itemid=2 </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" valign="top"> Victor Karunairajan answers a critic My simple scripture-based Sunday message (June2, 2008) He came not to be served but to serve appears to have caused some pains to Mr Halitosis. While congratulating the Editor of Sri Lanka Guardian for publishing his views though it was quite racially explosive and equally religiously bigoted, Mr Halitosis should have appreciated that Sri Lanka Guardian speaks for all the people of Sri Lanka; this includes the Christians too. A few days ago, an excellent article on Buddhism was published and I promised that we will have something on Christianity, Hinduism and Islam too in the fine traditions Sri Lanka Guardian is sowing among our people now trapped viciously in a kind of nightmare chaos all because some fifty years ago racial and religious bigots took over the leadership of the country. They clearly showed that they would not tolerate the Tamils at all. This cannot certainly be the wish of a Buddhist. Quite sadly Mr Halitosis – and quite unnecessarily too, who calls himself a devout Buddhist which I really have to suspect, talks about the Bunker Boy and the kind of violence that comes from that sector and equally he damns the Tamils living in Canada as racists. Today violence comes in Sri Lanka from all directions. So much so a Minister of the State, obviously a political Buddhist, walks into the offices of Rupavahini and has the temerity to physically attack the staff there with impunity. How miserably wrong Mr Halitosis can be! He is conducting himself like the racist monks who were an insult to Buddhism, the way they ran riot in the country especially in 1956, 1958, 1977 and then the terrible ordeal of 1983. Who created the Bunker Boy Mr Halitosis? Come, come Mr Halitosis! Please do not call yourself a keen Buddhist and still indulge in this kind of verbal tirade and attitude, and that even after 50 years. There are still Tamils even in Canada who hope one day their land will become a haven for all the communities and once again it will attain its rightful place as a paradise on earth. But reading Mr Halitosis this morning and his reaction to a simple Christian message makes even this writer wonder whether this dream will ever be realized. In the sphere of inhuman violence, the Bunker Boy only showed that if a racist maniac can mete out ruthless brutality to members of another community, he could do a better job of it and both are totally unacceptable. Please Mr Halitosis, do not be an agent of defilement of the Buddhist faith and the hope of peace and amity it stands for the global community by right thoughts and right conduct. Gautama Buddha could not have been clearer about these ideals with which he founded this great faith. Even in respect of Hinduism from which Buddhism sprung, Mr Halitosis is so poorly informed. He talks about a pantheon of Hindu gods when a real theologian would have described it as a pantheon of concepts of the sole Creator of the universe. If Sri Lanka has to seek its liberation from the current muddle, morass and misery, people like Mr Halitosis must necessarily take the rear and keep their feelings under complete control, and even more, their mouths shut and sealed up. </td></tr></tbody></table>

Nice pointing into the direction of self-sufficient simple living what Prabhupada vainly tried to introduce in the West. His followers couldn't accept this idea and meanwhile totally rejected it. This life-style could have easily developed by using the dynamic of a global network. Instead they fell prey to use their global network to collect financial resources. Not to worry about money as cause for a more happy life? Krsna says in Bhagavad-gita what is actually causing unhappiness, the fact that we have to die. In this world we are all doomed to die and to become situated above the bodily platform, the platform of eternity, is actual happiness. Unless we become fully situated in our eternal spiritual identity as eternal servant of Krsna, there cannot be any actual happiness, because everything else is a temporary illusion and not our real live.

bike devotee http://www. vedaveda. com/velo/bike. html A devotee by bicycle. Here is a rather special project. There are various ways to spread Krishna Consciousness, but you will find here one nothing but ordinary. Indeed, from June 14, I am planning to travel by bike in order to preach this philosophy through the province of Quebec, specially in a very touristic region called "Les Laurentides". I will go alone for a bike ride of about 350 kilometers, and of course another 350 kilometers (215 miles) for the way back. This is not a trip for pleasure, but only for preaching purposes. On the left side, you can see a portion of the journey on the map. About sixty kilometers of the whole trip are not represented here. I'm leaving with a small trailer at the rear of the bicycle to carry all that I need for the journey. On the back of the trailer there will be, highly visible, the website address vedaveda.com. I will not go unnoticed because I will be dressed in traditional costume. Most newspapers and some radio stations will be notified of my trip through their region. Thus there will be a possibility of having several interviews and publicise the message of this philosophy. During these interviews, I will give the website address. Anyway this address will be more than visible on the trailer. This will make possible for more people to know us better. Almost nobody in this remote region have ever seen a devotee. Perhaps the devotees can be seen on television, but rarely « live ». This will be a big surprise for the majority of them. During this trip I will visit some Krishna friends who receive the Newsletter. They are waiting for me and they are very happy me to come. It is very encouraging. That's why I'm kindly requesting your help today. For this trip, I need several items such as a trailer, some banners to display the website address vedaveda.com, a sleeping bag, a tent, some clothes printed with the website address, a first aid kit, some tools for emergency repairs of the bicycle, a bicycle helmet, some food, some money for the camping fees and some other accessories for the journey. The overall cost will be about $1000-$1200. Be assured that Krishna will never forget the assistance you can offer to help me in this preaching project. You can make a donation by clicking on this button (Paypal): <form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post"> <input name="cmd" value="_s-xclick" type="hidden"> <input src=" " name="submit" alt="PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online!" border="0" type="image"> <input name="encrypted" value="-----BEGIN PKCS7-----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-----END PKCS7-----" type="hidden"> </form> or by sending it to this address: LADK 3990 St-André #174 Montréal, Québec H2L 3W1 Canada Any donation, regardless of the amount, will be greatly appreciated. Your servant, Aprakrita dasa

What requires most of the energy is all this transportation madness and people driving to stupid jobs they also could achieve at home via the internet. To generate the energy without fossile fuels to run a household is already invented. In sum the problem is the stupid world trade and globalization trap which has to be exposed as killer no1 of our planet.

Could be that we have to tell the members of audarya not to buy books from list above of atheist authors, who "have thus created a publishing sensation, selling more than 1 million books worldwide", but rather should order Vaishnava literature from the BBT and thus the temple construction can be completed?

You might not be aware, but you have! Audarya-fellowship provides all kind of siksa information quite helpful for advancing our KC. We shouldn't think that the internet became in the material world something realy low class, this also is the case at Audarya-fellowship. Meanwhile Audarya-fellow became such a huge data-base of information that any sincere person can reach the ultimate goal of life and can become fully Krsna conscious simply by reading all the quotes from sastra on this forum. What more siksa do you want?

Everything can be explained with Bhagavad-gita. Vaishnavas feel so confused and helpless that they need to engage atheists to fight the fundamentalists? Could be that this is right with most of the members of this forum, lazyfighters, but how is Krishna addressing this point in Bhagavad-gita, are atheists actually doing this, are they good for this, to keep another group of asuras in check? So far I find in Bhagavad-gita only one point being made, to sign a contract with atheists is nothing but to pave our path for going to hell. "Depend upon Me and not upon some PhD atheist and work always under My protection", 18.57. We shouldnt therefore become perplexed by various anxieties caused by terrorists and thus become bound by a network of illusions. What easily happens then especially in kali-yuga, we become attached to sense enjoyment. What happens next - we meet our friends in hell, BG 16.16: Thus perplexed by various anxieties and bound by a network of illusions, they become too strongly attached to sense enjoyment and fall down into hell. PURPORT The demoniac man knows no limit to his desire to acquire money. That is unlimited. He thinks only of how much assessment he has just now and schemes to engage that stock of wealth further and further. For that reason, he does not hesitate to act in any sinful way and so deals in the black market for illegal gratification. He is enamored by the possessions he has already, such as land, family, house and bank balance, and he is always planning to improve them. He believes in his own strength, and he does not know that whatever he is gaining is due to his past good deeds. He is given an opportunity to accumulate such things, but he has no conception of past causes. He simply thinks that all his mass of wealth is due to his own endeavor. A demoniac person believes in the strength of his personal work, not in the law of karma. According to the law of karma, a man takes his birth in a high family, or becomes rich, or very well educated, or very beautiful because of good work in the past. The demoniac think that all these things are accidental and due to the strength of one's personal ability. They do not sense any arrangement behind all the varieties of people, beauty and education. Anyone who comes into competition with such a demoniac man is his enemy. There are many demoniac people, and each is enemy to the others. This enmity becomes more and more deep — between persons, then between families, then between societies, and at last between nations. Therefore there is constant strife, war and enmity all over the world. Each demoniac person thinks that he can live at the sacrifice of all others. Generally, a demoniac person thinks of himself as the Supreme God, and a demoniac preacher tells his followers: "Why are you seeking God elsewhere? You are all yourselves God! Whatever you like, you can do. Don't believe in God. Throw away God. God is dead." These are the demoniac's preachings. Although the demoniac person sees others equally rich and influential, or even more so, he thinks that no one is richer than he and that no one is more influential than he. As far as promotion to the higher planetary system is concerned, he does not believe in performing yajñas, or sacrifices. Demons think that they will manufacture their own process of yajña and prepare some machine by which they will be able to reach any higher planet. The best example of such a demoniac man was Rāvaṇa. He offered a program to the people by which he would prepare a staircase so that anyone could reach the heavenly planets without performing sacrifices, such as are prescribed in the Vedas. Similarly, in the present age such demoniac men are striving to reach the higher planetary systems by mechanical arrangements. These are examples of bewilderment. The result is that, without their knowledge, they are gliding toward hell. Here the Sanskrit word moha-jāla is very significant. Jāla means "net"; like fish caught in a net, they have no way to come out.

Chitanya Mahaprabhu - Conclusion of pastimes May 31st, 2008 http://www.harekrsna.in/ <!-- by RGBS --> Q. How Chaitanya Mahaprabhu leave this material world? - Sachin Dhavle A. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu concluded His manifest pastimes by entering the Deity of Tota- Gopinatha in Puri. Posted in Sri Chaitanya Maha Prabhu | Comments Off Heart and soul May 31st, 2008 http://www.harekrsna.in/ <!-- by RGBS --> Q. 1) What is the difference between heart and soul?, 2) Why matajis can not take sanyas? and 3) How to control the heart? - Bavani A. 1. Soul is the life or consciousness that we see in a living body. Soul is the real person, the individual who animates the body. When we say “I” or “You”, we are actually referring to the soul in that body. The body is simply a dress that covers the soul. The soul is located in the region of the heart. 2. The Vedic scriptures recommend that a woman needs to be protected during all stages of her life: by her father during childhood, by her husband during youth and by her grown-up son during old age. Otherwise, if she is let alone, she will be mistreated and exploited by unscrupulous men. Especially in Kali-yuga, men are not trained how to respectfully treat a woman due to which women are all the more vulnerable. This is evident from the rising number of crimes committed against them. Women are also easily fooled to think they have become independent. Therefore the Vedas forbid women to take sannyasa. She simply needs to follow her husband and assist him in his spiritual duties. In fact, this is a blessing on her because without undergoing any of the strict rules a man is expected to follow to achieve perfection, a woman can achieve the same position simply by following her husband. 3. Heart is the seat of mind and intelligence within which the soul is embedded. Controlling the heart means controlling the mind from all unwanted desires. The only way to control the mind is by engaging it in the service of God, someway or the other. And the easiest way to control the mind is by chanting the holy names—Hare Krishna, HareKrishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. website: http://www.harekrsna.in/

Chanting Japa with Srila Prabhupada (432 KB - to save right-click and "save target as") To make this run always on a website: <EMBED SRC="sp.wav" AUTOSTART="true" HIDDEN="true" LOOP="true">

Meditation: You Say Transcendental, I Say Vedic DAILYMANTRA.COM - WHERE THE ENLIGHTENED FIND ENLIGHTENMENT posted 31 May 2008 by Marisa Most of us have heard of Transcendental Meditation. Maybe you vaguely remember some phase The Beatles went through, or have caught wind of the David Lynch Foundation's funding of TM programs in schools. Perhaps you follow Deepak Chopra, who expounds regularly on the myriad health benefits, or have simply heard there's a meditation practice that charges $2500 to learn one word. All true. But I'd like you to hear just a little more. While I can't vouch for the copy-righted Transcendental Meditation program since, well, I can't afford it, I can vouch for the technique. It's also known as Vedic meditation, and increasingly, it's everywhere. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi mainstreamed Vedic meditation under the name Transcendental Meditation in 1955, roughly 5,000 years after the practice's actual origin. Drawn from the Veda, an ancient Indian body of knowledge predating Hinduism and responsible for yoga and ayurvedic medicine, Vedic meditation was and remains a "house-holder's" meditation. You don't need to recluse yourself from society or forfeit the material world to practice. The training program takes all of a handful of hours over a couple days, after which you're on your own, sitting comfortably with your assigned mantra, eyes closed, for 20 minutes, twice daily. Simple, right? Portable, and easily integrated into the busy American life. So if your curiosity is piqued but the $2,500 TM price-tag proves too large a hurdle, consider a free introductory talk with any number of independent Vedic teachers. Same practice, but on a more manageable sliding scale, and once you've completed the course, you can repeat it as often as you like with any Vedic teacher, at no additional charge. After all, a meditation designed to be accessible for the masses, should be financially accessible as well.

Ramdev takes 1,000 followers on Vedic cruise to China http://www.linkingpeopletogether.com/?p=1441 posted 01 June 2008 New Delhi, One thousand people aboard luxury cruise liner Superstar Virgo will practise yoga, meditation, breathing exercises, Vedic lifestyle and ayurveda on the seas off Communist China under the guidance of spiritual guru Ramdev for a week beginning June 1. The goodwill spiritual mission, “Yoga on Sea”, is significant as it comes ahead of External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s visit to China June 4, said a spokesperson for the Patanjali Yogpeeth and Divya Yog Mandir, two yoga and education trusts (ashrams) run by the seer. The yoga cruise will take off from Hong Kong June 1 and touch Sanya City and Xiamen in China and Halong Bay in Vietnam. The trip, according to the seer who is an authority on Vedic yoga, ayurveda and Sanskrit grammar, will provide an opportunity to participants to understand the essence of life. The followers of Swami Ramdev have congregated from across the globe. They will fly to Hong Kong on two chartered aircraft from the Indian capital. Ramdev, born Ramkrishan Yadav in 1973 in Haryana, is known for popularising ancient Indian yoga and ayurveda therapy across the world and says they can cure even the most serious of ailments if done the right way. He set up the Divya Yoga Mandir Trust, a yoga school-cum-therapy centre, in 1995 with Acharya Karamveer and Acharya Balkrishna. Since then, he has built several gurukuls in his native village and across the country. In 2006, he set up the sprawling Patanjali Yogpeeth and Patnajali Yog University outside Haridwar for advance research in traditional systems of medicine and yoga. His discourses and yoga sessions are featured on the Aastha television channel round-the-clock. The seer also travels around the world to host yoga and “pranayam” camps. This is the seer’s first visit to China, though his organisations have made inroads into the country. “We have our presence in China. Patanjali Yogpeeth has been represented several times in China by Guru Balkrishna, co-founder of the Patanjali Yogpeeth, but this is the first time Guru Ramdev is visiting all these places,” spokesperson S.K. Tijarawala told IANS. China, though under a Communist regime that does not encourage overt show of religious fervour barring Buddhism, is not new to yoga. Indian yoga, according to health pundits, is a rage among the health-conscious Chinese, especially the younger lot who stay in shape to fit into their Western-style attires and take pride in their energetic lifestyles and sense of enterprise.

Sri Jagannath temple faces water scarcity <table class="content" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr> <td height="10" valign="top" width="53%">By Panchanan Sahu Kalingatimes.com Puri, June 1: Humans being affected by the piercing heat and humid conditions prevailing in Orissa this summer is not new. Women and children are queuing up for hours together for bucketful water at several places in view of severe water scarcity prevailing in many pockets of the state is a common scene. But what has baffled scores of devotees visiting the famous Sri Jagannath temple here is that the presiding deities of the 12th century shrine have not even been spared by the vagaries of nature. The kitchen on the premises of Sri Jagannath temple, considered to be the largest temple kitchen in the world, is experiencing the water scarcity. Water level in the two wells – Ganga and Jamuna – which exclusively provide water for preparation of the `Mahaprasad' has started receding giving the temple administration a few jitters. </td> <td height="10" valign="top" width="47%"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" height="10" valign="top"> “Never before in it's over 800 year's history did the temple face such a crisis,” Shyamsundar Mohapatra, a priest says. The problem had surfaced in the shrine since 2005. During May-June water-level in the two wells goes down to such a level that most of the time only mud comes out. So, they store the water in huge drums to avoid possible water shortage for the purpose, a Pania Sevak says. The worried priests had met the chief temple administrator and pleaded with him to take immediate steps to avert water scarcity in the temple, especially during the summer. The temple administrator had assured them to take remedial measures to resolve the crisis and also proposed that for the time being water could be stored in huge tanks to use it for cooking the `Mahaprasad'. However, the priests said that it was against the prevailing rituals of the temple and after coming to know about it devotees might protest this action and decline to eat the `Mahaprasad' prepared from stored water. "As per the temple tradition, the `Mahaprasad' is prepared only with water from the two wells. So using stored water to prepare `Mahaprasad' will be a violation of the age old tradition,” says Balabhadra Mahapatra, a servitor. According to chief cook Radhamadhab Mahapatra, the temple kitchen feeds nearly 30,000 devotees everyday. During festive occasions, about 80,000 people take the `Mahaprasad' daily, with the kitchen having the capacity to cook for at least three lakh devotees. Around 500 cooks and 300 helping hands prepare 56 different types of `Mahaprasad'. They include seven different types of rice, four types of pulses, nine types of vegetable curries and some sweet dishes. These offerings are offered to the presiding deities – Lord Jagannath, his elder brother Balabhadra and their sister Subhadra – six times a day. These are the most important rituals in the temple. The devotees are allowed to partake the `Mahaprasad' only after they are offered to the deities. Although the temple has six wells on its premises, water from Ganga and Jamuna (each over 80 ft deep) wells is used for cooking. Everyday over one lakh litres of water is fetched from the two wells for the purpose. The other four wells are located one each near Bimala temple, Laxmi temple, Anand Bazar and Koili Baikuntha. As the water crisis threatened to affect the rituals in the temple, the shrine administration had sent a SOS to the Orissa government seeking a permanent solution to the problem. The government then set up an expert committee comprising experts from the Ground Water Survey and Investigation, Central Ground Water Board and local Public Health Department to conduct a survey for a long term solution .The team submitted its report in 2006. The survey revealed that huge withdrawal of water everyday from the two wells had led to the problem and suggested that it be restricted to 1,250 litres per hour during summer. It also suggested that in case of more water requirements, a five-hour hiatus be allowed so that the water-level in the two wells could increase to the desired level. The team observed that the Jagannath temple is situated at an area higher than ground water level and water level in the temple wells drastically fall due to existence of many open wells and bore wells close to the `Meghanada Pacheri' , the boundary walls of the shrine. These wells are mostly used by lodges, hotels, Ashrams and mutts and are fitted with pumps and motors resulting in heavy withdrawal of ground water. The experts recommended that restriction be imposed for ground water withdrawal through pumps from any type of well within a 500-metre radius from the temple's boundary wall during summer. It also recommended that the wells be dug one more metre deep to prevent them from drying up during summer. The team also found out that rampant encroachment near Baliapanda and Balukhand areas within the Puri municipality limits, which are the main and reliable sources of drinking water having 705 acres area, has led to water scarcity in the temple. "Encroachments in sweet-water zone have prevented rainwater from recharging ground water sources. Despite many directions from the state government, the Puri district administration is doing precious little to make the zone encroachment free,” says environmentalist Jagannath Bastia. “Except minor renovation of the wells by removing a few bucketful of mud, no step has been taken to implement the recommendations of the committee,” Bastia alleged. </td></tr></tbody></table>

fullorissa.com The Heralding of Ratha-yatra (just a Retrospect) The Rath-Yatra of Lord Jaggannath in Puri. ************************************ posted 30 May 2008 The world famous Rathajatra, the Great festival celebrated in Odisa(Puri) is heralding on july 4th 2008 bringing Happiness and Glory to the devotees of Lord Jagannath.The three chariots will be coming once to the Grand road of Puri city so that devotees can see thier Lord Jagannath.Balabhadra & devi Subhadra At the height of Indian summer, right at the beginning of the Monsoon, the Lord of Puri goes to his garden palace for the annual summer vacation. Originally the festival has its foundation in the residents of Vrindavan bringing back their Lords, Krishna, Balaram and Lady Subhadra from Kurukshetra. The Lord of the Universe travels in some style from his temple in Puri, to his garden temple, located outside the town centre called Gundicha. Thousands of Hindus flock to see, and to pull the grand chariots from one temple to the other. The English word “Jagannaut” comes from the giant chariots of Lord Jagannath of Puri. The British were so stunned by the size of the chariots, they coined a word for it! In Puri, Lord Jagannath is worshipped with his elder brother Bala-Rama and his sister Subhadra. Each sibling has his / her own chariot and goes to the summer residence with great pomp. Each of the chariots is covered in distinctly coloured cloth. Various symbols and signs help pilgrims distinguish between the three gods. As a mark of respect, and humbleness, the king of Puri sweeps the chariots of the Gods of Puri. Festival begins with a huge fanfare of conches, trumpets, drums and cymbals. Accompanied by music and dancers, the divine travellers begin their journey to the garden temple. In order to accommodate the three chariots, the street leading from the main temple to the garden temple is very wide. Temples, ashrams, hotels, inns, shops and mansions of the old aristocracy line the route. All buildings are colourfully decorated with flags, buntings and awnings of bright colours. Ladies in colourful saries crowd the balconies, doors and windows decked with flowers. Men and women rush to pull the chariots along this main street of Puri. This is an exciting time in Puri. The Lord who is rarely glimpsed outside his inner sanctum, is now easily accessible to everyone in the streets of Puri ! Away from the hustle and bustle of the city, away from the innumerable temple servants, away from their spouses, the siblings enjoy their “Vrindavan-like” garden retreat. The temple routine in the garden temple is very much relaxed compared to the main temple. Various festivities and fun are planned for their short stay in this leafy abode. ( Depending on the lunar cycle, this festival can last anywhere from 1 - 2 weeks. ) As the Lord has only taken his brother and his sister on this holiday, the wives are left at home! Alone and brooding, Goddess Lakshmi (Goddess of wealth), seeks help from Goddess Vimala to get their husband back. Travelling by night, in a closed palanquin, she arrives at the garden temple of the Lord. She enchants the Lord and entreats him to return. ¼br /> A few days later, Lord returns to his city temple. Though delighted, goddess Lakshmi orders the temple doors to be shut in His face - in the vain hope of teaching Him a lesson! In the conversation that follows, female attendants (dev-dasi) of the Goddess blame the Lord of being inconsiderate, “Jack the Lad”, taking His wife for granted and being far too easily led by the in-laws (sounds familiar?). The mood of the sevaks in Puri is that Jagannath is their friend as opposed to Him being their Master, as in other lilas. In many cases the residents of Purushottam Sri Kshetra make many comparission with their own lives in dealing with Jagannath. These intimacies reflect the overall mood, and carry the tradition of heritage of Jagannath’s original coming to Puri many thousands of years before and the wonderful pastimes of the saintly Indradyumna maharaj vision of the Lord, Visvavasu the Sabara’s attachment to the Lord as Nila Madhav, and finally the mystical appearance of the Dharu-Brahma from which the first Deities were carved by the architect of the devas Vishvakarma, the mystical carrying of the log by the descendant of Visvavasu (Virabhadra) that many elephants and men could not budge. Such wonderful depictive pastimes make one’s hair stand in horipulations at their recitation. Today in Puri Lord’s servants explain that He really had no choice, as they bring Him back that He went against His will, He still loves Her deeply and respects Her enormously!! Eventually, the Lord offers the female gate-keepers bribess and enters the inner sanctum to pacify the Goddess Lakshmi. Such are the dramas of a married man’s life! The next day, Lord and the Goddess once again appear in the public, reconciled and as loving as ever. Lord’s summer vacation is over, and life in the great temple returns to its age old routine. Of all the festivals, the Ratha Yatra of Jagannatha is the most famous. This takes place on the second day of the waxing phase of the moon of the asadha month. Jagannatha ordered King Indradyumna to take him to his birth place, the Gundica Mandira (symbolically Vrindavana), on this day. Jagannatha’s ratha is marked with a cakra (Wheel)and garuda (Vulture), is yellow in color, with four white horses. The protecting deity is Nrsimha. Baladeva’s cart is blue, with a palm tree insignia, and four black horses. The protecting deity is Sesa. Subhadra’s cart is black, with lotus insignia, protected by Vanadurga. Sudarsana is carried out first and placed on Subhadra’s cart. In succession Subhadra, Baladeva, and Jagannatha are moved to their carts using silk ropes. After being situated on their carts they are decorated and worshipped. Midway on the journey, the carts stop, the deities are bathed in pancamrta and cool water, and naivedyam and aratrika are offered. On arrival at the Gundica Mandira, aratrika is offered, and then the deities enter the temple for rest. On the fifth day of the lunar month, called Hera (looking for) Pancami, Laksmi comes looking for Jagannatha with Siva and her maid servants. When the servants of Jagannatha see her at the first gate of the Gundica Mandira, they close the door of Jagannatha’s bhoga mandira so that she cannot see him. She becomes angry and breaks a piece of Jagannatha’s ratha. After taking a meal she returns to the main temple. On the ninth day of the moon, the return Ratha Yatra takes place, and Laksmi and her servants come to meet Jagannatha. Jagannatha gives her his garland to appease her. Several days later on dvadasi, Laksmi closes the temple doors in anger and her servants quarrel with Jagannatha’s servants. After Jagannatha concedes defeat, the doors are opened again. Such is the reverance, the fun, the mysticism, and overall bliss of Rathyatra in Jagannath Puri.

Finally the Buddhists are understanding their responsibility to introduce vegetarianism at SUPREME MASTER TELEVISION http://suprememastertv.com/bbs/board.php?bo_table=scrolls&wr_id=21 VEGETARIANISM in RELIGIONS THE BHIKSU SANGHA BUDDHIST ASSOCIATION “If we, humankind, have wisdom and can discriminate between the good and bad,we should consider:to be human means to kill not and to NOT HAVE THE HEART TO EAT THE MEAT, BONE,AND THE BLOOD OF SENTIENT BEINGS.” ~ The Book of Truth “We should learn to EAT VEGETABLES AND FRUITS and let our mind free, so we may become God, Buddha.” ~ The Book of Truth “If you know the animals were killed for meat, but we still eat, we’re already committing the sin of killing. If because of us, the animals are killed, then the sin belongs to us and the soul of the dead will resent us, not the killer. If we are willing to eat that meat, that shows that we are cruel and ruthless! Therefore, only a ruthless heart can eat meat or that meat eaters have a ruthless heart.” ~ The Book of Truth BUDDHISM “EATING MEAT DESTROYS THE SEED OF COMPASSION and a meat eater’s every action will terrify all beings due to their bodily scent of meat.” ~ Mahaparinirvana Sutra I stipulate that you SHOULD NOT EVEN EAT MEAT blameless in the three respects. Even those meats other than the ten [previously forbidden] kinds should be abandoned. The meat of corpses should also be abandoned…. All creatures can recognize a person who eats meat and, when they catch the odor,they are frightened by the terror of death. Wherever that person roams, the beings in the waters, on dry land or in the sky are frightened. Thinking that they will be killed by that person,they even swoon or die. For these reasons, BODHISATTVA-MAHASATTVAS (GREAT SAINTS)DO NOT EAT MEAT. Even though they may appear to eat meat on account of those to be converted, since they do not actually eat ordinary food then how much less so meat! ~ Mahaparinirvana Sutra Monks, a householder follower should not engage in five types of business. Which five? Business in weapons, business in human beings, BUSINESS IN MEAT, business in intoxicants, and business in poison. ~ Vanijja Sutta Ananda, if living beings in the six worlds of existence cease to kill they will not be subject to the continual round of births and deaths…. How then can those who practice great compassion feed on the flesh and blood of living beings? ~ Surangama Sutra If a man can (control) his body and mind and thereby REFRAINS FROM EATING ANIMAL FLESH and wearing animal products, I say he will really be liberated This teaching of mine is that of the Buddha whereas any other is that of evil demons. ~ Surangama Sutra Ananda, those practicers who wish to enter the state of Samadhi (Holy Communion) should first observe strictly the rules of pure living to cut lust from the mind BY ABSTAINING FROM MEAT AND WINE… Ananda, if they do not abstain from carnality and killing, they will never escape from the three worlds of existence. ~ Surangama Sutra At that time, Arya (sage) Mahamati Bodhisattva-Mahasattva said to the Buddha: "Bhagavan (World Honored One), I see that in all worlds, the wandering in births and deaths, the enlaced animosities,and the falling into evil paths, are all caused by meat eating and cyclical killing. Those behaviors increase greed and anger,and make living beings unable to escape from suffering. That is truly very painful." ~ Lankavatara Sutra "Bhagavan, PEOPLE WHO EAT MEAT ARE DESTROYING THE GREAT MERCIFUL SEED of their own, thus the PEOPLE WHO PRACTICE THE HOLY WAY SHOULD NOT EAT MEAT. " ~ Lankavatara Sutra The Buddha told Mahamati: "MEAT EATING HAS COUNTLESS OFFENCES. All Bodhisattvas (spiritual practitioners) should cultivate their great mercy and compassion so that they should not eat meat. ~ Lankavatara Sutra "Those who renounce the flavor of meat can taste the flavors of the true Dharmas(the true teachings), truthfully practice the Bhumi (stage)s of Bodhisattva (spiritual practitioner), and attain Anuttara-Samyak-Sambodhi (Supreme perfect enlightenment) quickly. ~ Lankavatara Sutra "Mahamati, I see that living beings are in the transmigration of the six paths, being together in births and deaths, they give birth to and foster each others, and cyclically become fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters of each others…. They may also be born in other paths (of animal, ghost, god, and so on.), whether virtuous or evil, they frequently become the relatives of each others. Because of these relationships, I see that ALL MEATS EATEN BY LIVING BEINGS ARE OF THEIR OWN RELATIVES. (* The six paths: god, human, Asura, animal, hungry ghost, hell-being) ~ Lankavatara Sutra "If any of my disciples does not honestly consider that and still eats meat, we should know that he is of the candela (killer) 's lineage. He is not my disciple and I am not his teacher. Therefore, Mahamati, if anyone wish to be my relative, he should not eat any meat." ~ Lankavatara Sutra "Bodhisattvas (spiritual practitioners) should discern that ALL MEATS ARE FROM THE FILTHY BODIES, which are combined by pus, blood, dirtiness,red-bindu (Bright Drop)s, white-bindus of the parents. Thus, discerning the DIRTINESS OF MEAT, BODHISATTVAS SHOULD NOT EAT MEAT." ~ Lankavatara Sutra Full article:http://suprememastertv.com/bbs/board.php?bo_table=scrolls&wr_id=21

This is an amazing number, somehow the media didn't mention anything? Ten million Hindus forced to flee <small class="date"> Ten million Hindus forced to flee 31 05 2008 </small> DHAKA: Members of the Hindu community have lost 26 lakh acres of land from 1965 to 2006, while an estimated one crore Hindus were forced to leave the country from 1964 to 2001 because of communal conflicts and deprivation caused by the Enemy (Vested) Property Act, according to a study reports the Daily Star, Dhaka. The price of the land and other moveable properties lost by 12 lakh Hindu families has been estimated at Tk 3,50,412 crore, said the study sponsored by the Association for Land Reform and Development (ALRD) and Nijera Kori. The study report was published in the form of a book titled Deprivation of Hindu Minority in Bangladesh: Living with Vested Property, which was launched at LGED auditorium in Dhaka on May 14. Prof Abul Barakat, lead author of the book, said the government has identified only seven lakh acres of vested land, of which two lakh acres have been leased out and five lakh acres remain under the control of the grabbers. Terming the identification of so small amount of vested land a failure of the administration, Justice Muhammad Habibur Rahman, former chief adviser to a caretaker government, said the administration of the country is “impossibly inefficient.” “There is a direct link between right to property and democracy,” he said, adding that all should work to help establish the rights of those who lost their properties. In the study, Prof Barakat said, “Only five lakh people who were in power grabbed the land. This problem needs an immediate solution.” People involved with BNP politics grabbed 17,49,500 acres, those involved with Awami League grabbed 3,61,400 acres, people involved with Jamaat-e-Islami grabbed 2,26,200 acres and those engaged with Jatiya Party looted 1,82,000 acres of vested land, said the study. Besides, 1820 acres of land was grabbed by people linked with Muslim League and 10,400 acres of land by people involved with other political parties, it added. The study recommended establishing a vested property bank to maintain all statistics of such property and handing over the land to distressed and landless Hindus living in the country. Justice Golam Rabbani blamed the administration for having strong link with influential people in grabbing the enemy properties. “There will be no change without the change in attitude of the bureaucracy,” he said emphasising on strong Parliament and peoples’ democracy, the Daily Star added. It may be mentioned that the census of 1951 reports that Muslims constituted only 19.90 per cent in West Bengal, but now in 2001 as reported, it is 25.25 per cent. Whereas the census of 1951 reports that Hindus constituted only 22 per cent in East Bengal (now Bangladesh), but now in 2001 it is 9.2 per cent. The consequences of operation of Enemy/Vested Property Act have been, simply, gross denial of freedom and liberty, and institutionalisation of systematic socio-cultural, economic and political deprivation of the Hindu minority in Bangladesh. The national disaster has been so huge that during the last four decades (1965-2006) approximately 1.2 million (out of total 2.7 million) households or six million people belonging to Hindu religion are directly affected by the Enemy turned Vested Property Act and have lost, in addition to land property, other immovable and movable property. According to the estimation of Professor Abul Barkat of Dhaka University: “The approximate money value of such loss (US $ 55 billion) would be equivalent to 75 per cent of GDP of Bangladesh (in 2007). (Deprivation of Hindu Minority in Bangladesh: Living With Vested Property by Abul Barakat and 5 others, (200 Pathak Shamabesh, Dhaka) Religious minorities, principally Hindu, Christian and Buddhist make up an estimated 11 per cent of the population. Although equal under the law, these minorities are, in practice, disadvantaged in such areas as access to government jobs and political office. Selection boards in the Government service are often without minority group representation. In the current Parliament there are 04 members from minority groups, out of a total of 330. Property ownership, particularly for Hindus, has been a contentious issue since Independence, when many Hindus lost land holdings due to unequal application of the law. Reported cases of violence directed against religious minority communities has resulted in loss of property, minority communities has resulted in loss of property. These actions are a symptom of the communal tension that have prompted some people belonging to minority groups to leave Bangladesh, causing a slow but steady decline in the relative size of the country’s minority population, especially Hindus, says the US report in 1993. It may be recalled that during the Gen. Ayub Khan and Gen. Yahya Khan regimes in Pakistan (1958-71), the Hindus suffered politically and economically. The Hindus as a political force, were suppressed to the extent of virtual non-existence. The rule of Martial Law, the Basic Democracy System, Enemy Property Act (Vested Property Act), pushed them out of the political arena. The biggest problem the community was facing was that of survival Hindus were reluctant to join any political process or politics The Hindu absence from the political scene can be explained by the fact that the community had suffered the loss of many of its prominent leaders either by death or by migration. The remaining Hindus like us might have thought it wise to wait and extent tacit support to Sheikh Mujib’s political programmes .Thus the Hindus participate in the democratic movements of 1966, 1969 and 1970’s elections. Awami League got unqualified support from the Hindus. Hindus exerted influence in making the Muslim leadership more liberal-democratic, thereby safeguards the minority interests. Thus the Hindus in particular were targets of Pakistan army’s campaign of genocide during the War of Liberation in 1971. During the post liberation period of Bangladesh; the Hindus were more compromising than before and consoled themselves that they are equal citizens of a People’s Republic under the Constitution of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh framed in the Constituent Assembly in 1972. The subsequent military regimes in Bangladesh after August 1975 however, reversed all the state principles of the Constitution of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh framed by the People’s Representatives in 1972. State principle secularism has been replaced with full trust in Almighty Allah and Islam the State religion. Socialism was replaced with social justice and Bengali nationalism with Bangladeshi nationalism, presumably, to highlight the Islamic identity of the nation. Bangladeshi Hindus become second-class citizens, as they were less than 1956 Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Bangladesh under martial law regimes could not break away from the past and remained steeped in the legacy of her history of the 23-year existence as part of Pakistan. Hindu-Muslim relationship in Bangladesh was a natural corollary of the tendency to stay prisoner of the past. Hindus in Bangladesh become second-class citizens following the amendments of fifth and eighth to the Constitution of Bangladesh. Over the last three decades, India has abandoned the minority Hindus at the behest of her Transshipment, Trade imbalance, Cross border insurgency and border skirmishes, Natural Gas import issues on the table with Bangladesh. Now India is facing cross border terrorism in Eastern states. Demographic characters of eastern states have been alarmingly changed. In West Bengal the Muslim population along with Bangladesh border has totally occupied and changed, but before1972 the proportion of the Muslims was insignificant in those areas around Bangladesh. In the past year, Bangladesh’s unique democratic political system has undergone significant challenges and the upcoming elections continue to test the long-term viability of democracy in Bangladesh. Elections organised under the caretaker government that took power during the interim election period in late 2006 and early 2007, were severely criticised by many in the United States and international community. Criticism of the elections led to a military intervention by the army, which created a state of emergency and a military-backed caretaker government with elections postponed until December 2008. The military-backed caretaker government, led by Chief Advisor Fakhruddin Ahmed, has taken steps to rid the government of corruption and return Bangladesh to democracy. However, reports indicate that their success has been inconsistent with no guarantee that reforms they have implemented can be sustained in the long-term. Some now fear that the military-backed caretaker government may be undermining the very democratic system it is seeking to reform. The last national election of October 2001 was marred by violence, particularly targeted at Hindus, and led to a coalition government that included religiously based parties, including Islamist parties that advocated for the adoption of Sharia law and reportedly had ties to terrorists. Since the 2001 elections, religious extremists have increased attacks on religious minorities, including Hindus, Buddhists, and Christians, and other human rights have deteriorated with government impunity. In addition to concerns over democracy and human rights created by the military-backed caretaker government and rising Islamic extremism, the recent substantial increase in food prices has also contributed to greater political instability in Bangladesh. The current period of reform by the military-backed caretaker government and elections planned for December 2008 will serve as a litmus test for the sustainability of democracy and human rights for people of all faiths in Bangladesh. Annual Report of USCIRF-2008 issued on May 2, 2008 on Bangladesh in Washington says: Since the declaration of a state of emergency in January 2007, Bangladesh has been in the throes of a political and constitutional crisis, the resolution of which will determine whether religious freedom and other universal human rights will be protected by democratic institutions and the rule of law, or whether the country will continue on a downward spiral toward authoritarianism, militarisation, and intolerance. Since January 2007, previously scheduled national elections have been postponed, political freedoms severely curtailed and human rights abused with impunity by the security forces. These deviations from democratic norms under the current “caretaker government” raise troubling questions about the future prospects for respect for a range of freedoms, including potentially freedom of religion or belief. ……. This lack of accountability for anti-minority violence associated with the 2001 election led the Commission, minority advocates, and many others to be concerned that Bangladesh’s next national elections would also result in anti-minority violence. Some individuals with whom the Commission met during the February-March 2006 visit to Bangladesh were themselves experiencing difficulties in becoming registered. Others claimed that locations dominated by minority voters had not been visited by registration officials or, on the other hand, alleged that non-citizens believed to favour Islamist parties were being registered. Widespread concerns regarding the registration process were underscored by a U.S. National Democratic Institute study that found 13 million more individuals on the voter rolls than would be eligible according to Bangladesh’s census. The USCIRF report further added: In addition to incidents of violence, the Vested Property Act (VPA), a pre-Independence law enacted in 1965 in the wake of the India-Pakistan war, continues to be used as justification by some Muslims to seize Hindu-owned land. The 2007 report of the prominent Bangladeshi human rights organisation Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK) stated that in 2006 there were 54 seizures by Muslim individuals of Hindu-owned land and 43 attacks against Hindu temples by Muslims. The VPA’s implicit presumption that Hindus do not really belong in Bangladesh contributes to the perception that Hindu-owned property can be seized with impunity. The most serious and sustained conflict along ethnic and religious lines has been in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, located on Bangladesh’s eastern border with India and Burma. The varied but wholly non-Bengali/non-Muslim indigenous peoples in this formerly autonomous area (often referred to collectively as Adivasis or Paharis) had opposed inclusion in East Pakistan during the Partition of 1947, due to their identification with other tribal groups in northeast India. Muslim Bengalis, once a tiny minority in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, now reportedly equal or outnumber members of indigenous groups. In 2007, Bangladesh human rights organisations reported a surge in Bengali settlements on tribal land in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. (The writer is a Retired Addl Secretary and former Press Secretary to the President of Bangladesh. (for Asian Tribune from Dhaka)) The price of the land and other moveable properties lost by 12 lakh Hindu families has been estimated at Tk 3,50,412 crore, said the study sponsored by the Association for Land Reform and Development (ALRD) and Nijera Kori. The study report was published in the form of a book titled Deprivation of Hindu Minority in Bangladesh: Living with Vested Property, which was launched at LGED auditorium in Dhaka on May 14.

World’s last Hindu king loses his throne New Nepal assembly votes to end royal dynasty and become a republic Published: 30/05/2008 PEOPLE POWER: A demonstrator urging the king to leave climbs on to a statue of his brother More Pictures THE world’s last Hindu kingdom became its newest secular republic as Nepal’s MPs, led by former Communist rebels, abolished the monarchy that had reigned over the Himalayan land for 239 years. Before the vote, thousands of people marched, danced and sang in the streets of Kathmandu in anticipation of the result, waving red hammer-and-sickle flags as King Gyanendra awaited his fate in the pink concrete palace that dominates the city’s centre. He finally found out the fate of his throne late in the day when, as expected, the newly-elected Constituent Assembly declared the country a republic and abolished the monarchy by a vote of 560-4. “We have entered a new era,” said prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala, calling Nepal’s rebirth as a republic “the dream of the whole nation”. Change There was no immediate reaction from the 61-year-old king, who now has 15 days to quit his palace and move to his private residence in the city — or face the possibility of being removed by force. Groups of celebrating young men yelled in the streets of Kathmandu and set off firecrackers. “The people in Nepal have defeated the autocrat Gyanendra,” said Gopal Thapa, a 23-year-old supporter of the Maoists, the former rebels. Not since the Shah of Iran was deposed in the bloody 1979 Islamic revolution has one of the world’s monarchs been forced from his throne. But what comes next remains uncertain. While the Maoists say they are committed capitalists and have no intention of nationalising industries or setting up collective farms, they have promised to bring sweeping change. But they are struggling to form a government. The opening assembly session was delayed for hours while they wrangled with other political parties over who should be president.

Anyone has the experience that karma is being removed? June 1: Global Karma Removal Day Events Organized Worldwide by YouTube Guru, Dattatreya Siva Baba WEBWIRE – Thursday, May 29, 2008 <dl id="contactInfo"><dd>office@sivababa.org</dd></dl> On June 1, 2008, Dattatreya Siva Baba, YouTube Guru, has scheduled Global Karma Removal Day events in the countries of Canada, US, United Kingdom, Sweden and Singapore. Events scheduled include locations worldwide: San Diego, California, USA; San Francisco, California, USA; Dale City, California, USA; London, UK; Sweden; Singapore; and Toronto, Canada. ( http://www.sivababa.org/Events/calendar.asp ) Dattatreya Siva Baba (Baba is the siddha master who revealed the Ah meditation manifestation technique to Dr. Wayne Dyer, who then taught it to millions of people around the world. In his YouTube news video, “Don’t miss June 1st: Global Karma Removal Day” ( ), Baba explained: “There are two key elements in all my teachings: one is removing [bad] karma, the other is creating miracles. Why do people have to suffer so much: there is karma and we have to dissolve this karma.. Until we dissolve our karma, there is no hope for a new life.. It is very important for me to do something to dissolve karma on a global basis... That is my number one priority.” Baba further explained that there are specific astrological times which favor karma removal. One such time is June 1st, when: “... the 13th moon creates a window of opportunity for everyone to remove their karma, especially during the sunset time.” Those who can’t attend an event in person are encouraged to form gatherings and do collective chanting of Karma dissolving mantra: “Thiru Neela Kantam” (see YouTube video: Mantra to remove karma: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdZFz95ucLk ). To find out more about groups forming for collective karma removal, visit the Divine Mind group: DivineMind/ Path of Miracles members may go to the Community Forum: http://www.PathofMiracles.com/Forum.asp “My mission and commitment to the human race is to make miracles an everyday reality.” “Miracles are in the domain of the divine, but miracles cannot happen unless karma is removed. That’s why karma removal is a very important thing that needs to be done first.” Heaven on Earth Events: Donations go to Tripura Foundation - Baba’s charitable organization to teach, feed, house, and liberate those less fortunate: http://www.TripuraFoundation.org

Even our great predecessor acarya Srila Prahlada Maharaja had to face all kind of perilous incidences.

When it comes to make money, materialists rather present intelligent design to convince the customer, "they prefer to tell them about processes of intelligent design over unguided selection and random mutation." Evolution News & Views News Analysis of Media Coverage of the Debate Over Evolution « Associated Press Suppresses Facts on Louisiana Evolution Hearing | Main Do Car Engineers Turn to Darwinian Evolution or Intelligent Design? http://www.evolutionnews.org/2008/05/do_car_engineers_turn_to_darwi.html Posted by Casey Luskin on May 30, 2008 7:04 AM Don’t read into this post too much, but take it as a series of curious observations. We’re often told that Darwinism is like a scientific magic bullet that can solve anything. Darwinists love to quote Theodosius Dobzhansky saying, “nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution.” We’re also told that intelligent design threatens to destroy science. Nonetheless, I can’t help but notice that when engineers design technology to be sold to the public, they prefer to tell them about processes of intelligent design over unguided selection and random mutation. As a silly anecdote, I recently came across this Hyandai car advertisement, stating: “the i30 name has been chosen to reflect the car’s European styling and its all-round intelligent design.” I decided to see if there were other similar examples, and searches uncovered many examples. The website “CarReview.com” reviewed the Honda Civic SI and praises its “very modern looking interior, with flowing lines and an intelligent design.” Indeed, Honda’s own website has a page with specs on the Honda S2000 roadster which states, “Further intelligent design details, such as lightweight valve springs and the use of low-friction plating, prove the Honda S2000 is a model of engineering perfection.” A news article covering Nissan’s new “advanced vehicle-to-traffic-light communication technology” is titled, “Intelligent Design, Transportation-Style, From Nissan.” An article about the Toyota Camry states that, “[t]he 2006 Camry redefines global standards for comfort, safety and intelligent design.” Elsewhere Toyota announces an environment-friendly concept car which gets great fuel economy, in part, because “weight reduction is achieved by intelligent design of interior components, such as the instrument panel and heater modules.” Similarly, an article on Toyota.com about Camry Hybrids calls the car "a world-class sedan that not only redefines global standards for comfort, performance and intelligent design, but also is available, for the first time, with Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive." A news release advertising a line of RV’s announces: “Intelligent Design Features Incorporated Into Fleetwood's 2006 Bounder Diesel and Expedition RV's.” Even Lexus gets into the action, reporting on its Lexus.com website that the inspiration behind the Lexus SC430, “was to create an elegant, sophisticated and intelligent design.” Indeed, a Wall Street Journal blog writes about Chrysler’s efforts to improve their products, titling the article, “The Case for Intelligent Design at Chrysler.” These advertisements and reviews don’t say “random-variation-and-unguided-selection-based design.” They say “intelligent design.” And when advertisers mention the “evolution” of a product, you can almost surely bet that it’s intelligently guided “evolution,” not the Darwinian processes of random mutation and unguided natural selection. And before you start to nitpick reasons why don't like this post, don't forget my words at the beginning: "Don’t read into this post too much, but take it as a series of curious observations." Finally, if you want a nice example of an irreducibly complex system, try this YouTube video of a Honda Accord commercial. The commercial ends by saying, “Isn’t it nice when things just work?” You won’t find anyone suggesting that the machines in this commercial “work” due to anything other than intelligent design: <center>........ height="355" width="425"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhWK3xJzL5E&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></object></center> Posted by Casey Luskin on May 30, 2008 7:04 AM | Permalink TrackBack TrackBack URL for this entry: http://www.discovery.org/scripts/mt/mt-tb.cgi/5531

While the Vaishnavas are discussing how to save ISKCON Texas, David Aikman says, see below, "in the past 12 months, atheist authors, according to The Wall Street Journal, have created a publishing sensation, selling more than 1 million books worldwide. These include: 500,000 hardcover copies of Richard Dawkins's The God Delusion (2006); 296,000 in sales for Christopher Hitchens's God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything (2007); 185,000 copies of Sam Harris's Letter to a Christian Nation (2006); 64,100 copies of Daniel C. Dennett's Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon (2006); and 60,000 copies of Victor J. Stenger's God: The Failed Hypothesis: How Science Shows That God Does Not Exist (2007). Global Prognosis Puncturing Atheism Fourfold God Squad brilliantly takes on Dawkins, Hitchens, & Co. David Aikman | Related articles and links | 1 of 2 You would have to have been hitchhiking across Siberia to have missed a striking new phenomenon: The atheists are back. Not just back, mind you, but globally parading in triumph across tv, bookstores, and the Internet. But don't be tongue-tied; an unlikely God Squad (including the flamboyant Al Sharpton) is taking them on. In the past 12 months, atheist authors, according to The Wall Street Journal, have created a publishing sensation, selling more than 1 million books worldwide. These include: 500,000 hardcover copies of Richard Dawkins's The God Delusion (2006); 296,000 in sales for Christopher Hitchens's God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything (2007); 185,000 copies of Sam Harris's Letter to a Christian Nation (2006); 64,100 copies of Daniel C. Dennett's Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon (2006); and 60,000 copies of Victor J. Stenger's God: The Failed Hypothesis: How Science Shows That God Does Not Exist (2007). The leader of the atheist pack is Oxford evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, holder of the Charles Simonyi professorship for the public understanding of science at Oxford University. Simonyi is one of the Microsoft billionaires. An atheist, he insisted that Dawkins be the first holder of his professorship because, as he said, Dawkins would be "Darwin's rottweiler." Dawkins sets the tone for the new atheist surge, describing the God of the Old Testament as "arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it … petty … unjust, [an] unforgiving control-freak … misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal. … " Meanwhile, ex-Englishman Hitchens (who once provoked left-wing British mp George Galloway into calling him "a drink-sodden, former Trotskyist popinjay") supports Bush on Iraq, opposes abortion, but considers being a Christian comparable to citizenship in North Korea. In God Is Not Great, the provocative and quotable Hitchens says, "Monotheistic religion is a plagiarism of a plagiarism of a hearsay of a hearsay, of an illusion of an illusion, extending all the way back to a fabrication of a few nonevents." Riposting with God-Haters Why a surge by atheists right now? One explanation could be "faith fatigue" among skeptics and the hard-core Left, who ordinarily make up 15 percent of the American people (and a much higher percentage of the European intelligentsia). After six years of a famously evangelical White House, the secularists have recovered from their repudiation at the polls and have come out swinging. Another explanation is subtler. American evangelicals, we must admit, have not been immune to triumphal attitudes, arrogance, foolish public statements, and, sometimes, downright hypocrisy in personal behavior. A backlash against evangelicals has been brewing for years. The good news? First, a bracing frontal assault on faith is actually good for evangelicalism. It compels us to reexamine what we believe and to behave—well, with greater humility. Second, this backlash has produced a fascinating response among believers. For example, the most effective public debater with Christopher Hitchens to date has been Brooklyn Baptist and verbal flame-thrower the Rev. Al Sharpton. In a debate, Hitchens disparaged the God-fearing sensibilities of Martin Luther King Jr., angering Sharpton. "In terms of the civil-rights movement," Sharpton responded, "it was absolutely fueled by a belief in God and a belief in right or wrong. Had not there been this belief that there was a right and a wrong, the civil-rights movement that you alluded to and referred to would not have existed." to be continued: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/october/46.110.html?start=2

Good point, never serve alcohol, this is no acceptable job.

Right, the plan is to get our boys and girls from Iraq to Iran and make sure that they won't return. THE NETWORK BEHIND THE BUSH-BASHING BOOK By Cliff Kincaid May 31, 2008 NewsWithViews.com Publisher Peter Osnos, who admits to personally working with former Bush White House press secretary Scott McClellan on his new book, What Happened, began his career as an assistant to I.F. Stone, the pro-communist “journalist” named as a Soviet agent of influence who was the uncle of Weather Underground communist terrorist Kathy Boudin. But the connections don’t end there. Boudin’s son Chesa was raised by Barack Obama associates Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn, who were Boudin’s comrades in the communist terrorist group, after Kathy Boudin went to prison for her involvement in an armed robbery and assault that took the lives of two policemen and a security guard. Dohrn later served jail time for refusing to cooperate in an official investigation of the crime. Obama stands to benefit from the McClellan book because it was obviously crafted, under the guidance of Osnos, to inflict maximum damage on President Bush and, by extension, fellow Republican and Iraq War supporter Senator John McCain. None of this can be called an accident. One question that has been raised by critics is whether McClellan is in it for the money. But that’s less important than the fact that the network that has made this book into a reality incorporates many elements of the far left. Some of these links have been commented on already. For example, the Osnos firm, PublicAffairs Books, has also published books by George Soros, John Kerry, and Vladimir Putin. But Osnos’s ties to I.F. Stone and the media constitute the story behind the story. The network that included Stone, who died in 1989, was the subject of Susan Braudy’s 2003 book, Family Circle, about the Boudin family’s communist and socialist ties. Page 185 shows Kathy Boudin and Bernardine Dohrn together, “after Bernardine’s return from Cuba,” where she had “a warm meeting with members of the Viet Cong.” That was before she and Ayers finished their bombing campaign, which included a blast that killed a San Francisco policeman, and helped launch Barack Obama’s political career. None of this background, of course, is being mentioned by those anxious and eager to interview McClellan, even though virtually all of his former friends say that what he is writing and saying now doesn’t sound like him at all. The obvious explanation is that, for whatever reason or motivation, he is reading from a script prepared by Osnos & Company and the far left. The ploy is working. So far, according to the firm’s website, McClellan’s interviews are scheduled to include: • NBC-TV “Today” - 5/29 • CNN “The Situation Room” - 5/30 • CNN “American Morning” - 6/2 • Comedy Central “Daily Show” - 6/2 • NPR “Fresh Air” - 6/3 • NPR “Talk of the Nation” (LIVE from the Newseum in DC) - 6/11 Favorable stories about the book have already appeared in the Washington Post, New York Times, and USA Today. This is quite impressive until you realize that Osnos says that every book he publishes includes a dedication to Benjamin C. Bradlee, I.F.Stone and Robert Bernstein, former head of Random House. The first two are worth mentioning. Bradlee was the executive editor of the Washington Post, famous for once remarking that, during coverage of the Iran-Contra affair under President Reagan, he was having “the most fun since Watergate.” Bradlee was hoping to bring down Reagan, as they had brought down President Nixon in the paper’s coverage of the Watergate scandal. Nixon had developed a national reputation as a Congressman and had laid the basis for his runs for national office by helping expose Soviet spy Alger Hiss in the State Department and a communist network inside the U.S. Government. Interestingly, one of Bradlee’s reporters on the Watergate story was Carl Bernstein, whose parents were members of the Soviet-controlled Communist Party. Iran-Contra did not bring down Reagan, but the far-left apparently hopes the McClellan book will help bring down or further damage President George W. Bush. It can also, in their view, do some collateral damage to McCain. It is a tactic that has been employed time and time again. Pegging their coverage to a book, the media create the appearance of a “scandal,” this time with a former “insider,” and try to inflict political damage that benefits the Democrats. The problem for McClellan is that he appears transparently foolish, reciting charges about the Iraq War and so forth that have mostly been raised before by the President’s political enemies. McClellan, who never objected to the policies when he promoted and defended them, is acting like a puppet. Osnos is the key to understanding the network that is working behind-the-scenes. A former national news editor of the Post, Osnos was an assistant to I.F. Stone in the 1960s. Stone postured as an independent radical writer but was exposed as a Soviet agent in the transcripts of Soviet messages known as the Venona intercepts and by other sources. Former Soviet KGB Major General Oleg Kalugin had identified Stone as a Soviet agent, but under pressure from Stone’s friends in the media later backed away from that precise description. However, in his book, The First Directorate: My 32 Years in Intelligence and Espionage Against the West, Kalugin still identified Stone as a “fellow traveler” of the Soviet Union who “made no secret of his admiration for the Soviet system” over a period of many years and had regular contacts and lunches with him. Osnos is still one among many far-left journalists who do not want to accept the terrible facts about their hero and icon. But as AIM founder Reed Irvine told the New York Times back in 1992, “The charge that I.F. Stone was a Soviet agent does not surprise those who knew that as a fellow traveler, if not a [Communist] party member, Stone remained a faithful Stalinist through the purges, the Hitler-Stalin pact and the absorption of Eastern Europe…” Braudy’s book about the Boudins, Family Circle, has a lot to say about Kathy Boudin and her uncle, I.F. Stone, also known as Izzy. Before turning to a life of crime as a communist terrorist, she had wanted to work for her uncle’s newsletter, which is also where Osnos worked. On page 72 of the book, which tends to avoid harsh judgments, she tells us that Stone tried to organize opposition to U.S. involvement in the Korean War, in order to make South Korea safe for communism, and that he would later work to remove U.S. forces from South Vietnam, in order to pave the way for a communist military victory there. Stone and his comrades were successful in the case of Vietnam. His pro-communist record was clear for all to see, except to Osnos and his ilk. According to Braudy, Stone had “achieved fame in the 1950s for fighting for the rights of people who were accused of having been members of the American Communist Party.” But none of this apparently bothered Osnos, who went to work for Stone in the 1960s. And Osnos’s tie to Stone didn’t bother the Post. “After working for I.F. Stone, Peter Osnos became a correspondent around the world for The Washington Post and the newspaper’s foreign and national editor,” the official I.F. Stone website proclaims. I first came across Osnos back in 1980, just a year or so after coming to Washington, D.C., when he was guest-lecturing at the pro-Marxist Institute for Policy Studies (IPS.) I signed up and covered the Karen DeYoung class on “foreign reporting.” DeYoung, then a foreign reporter for the Post, is now an associate editor at the paper. The IPS class was being held during a time when the old Soviet Union and its surrogate, Communist Cuba, were destabilizing Central America and hoping to install a series of communist governments. Reagan had stopped the Soviet takeover at a critical juncture when he ordered the military liberation of communist-controlled Grenada. However, Reagan was also supporting the democratic government of El Salvador, which faced a communist terrorist movement, and freedom fighters in Nicaragua. It was the latter that led to the “Iran-Contra affair” when National Security Council staffer Oliver North arranged for unofficial assistance to the Nicaraguan resistance when the liberal Congress was attempting to cut off their aid. To Karen DeYoung, as she told the class, “most journalists now, most Western journalists at least, are very eager to seek out guerrilla groups, leftist groups, because you assume they must be the good guys.” This betrayed the left-wing media bias that continues to this day and is reflected in the publication of the McClellan book. Any Republican president who dares to take on America’s enemies is targeted for destruction. For his part, as I noted in an April 1983 Human Events article, “The IPS and the Media: Unholy Alliance,” Osnos exhibited a strange view of communism. He claimed not to know why the Soviets behaved as they did. But he had visited Cuba, where he found no evidence of Soviet control, and came away convinced that there was “’apparently genuine rapport” between Castro and the Cuban people. On March 12, 2008, as he was preparing publication of McClellan’s book, Osnos found enough time to pay tribute to I.F. Stone on the anniversary of Stone’s birthday. Others paying tribute were Robert Kaiser, associate editor and former managing editor of the Washington Post, and Myra MacPherson, author of a book about Stone and former reporter for the Washington Post. This is the milieu that has spawned the McClellan book. Whatever you may think of Bush, McCain or the Iraq War, there can be no doubt that Bush’s former press secretary has fulfilled the function of “useful idiot.” Once again, the media are having their fun.

I understand your mindset and way of thinking - no it is of course not illegal. However, in the West there is a kind of traditional understanding to provision for one's old age and especially the costs of a burial which are not negligible like a 25 Rupee burial in India and not to shift this responsibility to be paid be friends, children or relatives. The costs of a funeral in the West with ceremony and receiving mourners is at least 5000 Dollar. It even happens when there is no provision being made, this can cause to fall in disgrace among one's relatives even after having died. In case someone can't pay for his burial they have in the West the system that the municipility pays for a burial but often it so happens that the municipility is trying to get this money back and even tries to recover the debt from relatives, children, inheritance, what doesn't shed a good light upon the deceased person. Notes on burial culture in Holy India from www.gonewalkabout.com "We met our boatman downstairs, and after stopping for morning chai, Tongi, ___, and I joined him in his small rowboat on the river in the early light. The sun was just on the horizon and everyone was out on the ghats. Now this was more what I expected. As we floated down the river, we saw the grand mix of humanity and religion. People were bathing, bodies were burning. Smoke drifted across the water from the burning ghats. Some people were playing in the river, splashing and yelling, while others prayed or practiced yoga. There was a very intense feeling at this time, as if I was witnessing a holy event occurring for the first time, rather than the daily expression of a peoples' religion. A couple bodies floated by in the water. Their families had been too poor to afford a cremation, so they had wrapped the body with rocks in cloth and sank it in the holy river. Eventually, the cloth decayed, and the bodies floated to the surface. Cruising down the river Interesting fact: All the wood for burning the bodies (all day, every day) comes from Nepal! What's all their talk about deforestation about if they export wood? The boat guy was cool, well informed about the city, but he spoke limited English. The water here rises up into the very high buildings on the bank. Hard to believe, but you could see the water marks from last years monsoon. If trees could scream, would we be so cavalier about cutting them down? We might, if they screamed all the time, for no good reason. -Jack Handy "Deep Thoughts" Back to hotel for a cool shower. Ah! I have a low fever, ~99° F today. My illness may not be allergies? The lychees in the market looked bad today, the same with the varieties of fruit, so none today. Back to sleep a couple more sweaty hours in my coffin. To the thali place for lunch, yum. Then to relax with the girls back at the hotel all day. It rose to 48° C today. "

More and more the term deeksha, diksa, diksha appears on the internet - are people aware about the real meaning? We might be aware that things have become degraded and people becoming opportunists to expertly exploit terms like diksha. But still in order to not mislead human society there should be also a genuine presentation about the true meaning of diksha - to give divyam jnanam (di) and absorb sins (ksha). Whereas "absorb sins" is sometimes translated with "destroying sins".