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We have been visited by door to door zealot preachers of 'Jehova's Witness' groups. They seem to have much experience in that field and you may seek their guidance.

<center>Namaste all. Let me share a few more prayers to Sri Radhika from another board: <font color="red">yo brahma rudra zuka nArada bhiSma mukhyai rAlakSito na sahasA puruSasya tasya sadyo vazikaraNa cUrNam ananta zaktiM taM rAdhikA caraNa reNum anusmarAmi</font> (Radha Rasa Sudhanidhi) A Rasik Saint-Poet says: <font color="red">The great Gods like Brahma, and Sankara, the great devotees like, Sukadeva paramahamsa, Narada Muni and grand-father Bishmadeva, are UNABLE to obtain the TOTAL BLISS of the Supreme Lord and CANNOT FULLY attract His Grace, being UNREALIZED of His MADHURYA Rasa, His True, TOTAL ESSENCE. But the SAME Godhead Personality , CAN BE SOON brought UNDER favorable CONTROL by the POWER of A sacred DUST particle of the Lotus feet of Sri Radhika, the EMBODIMENT of Lord's Divine BLISS. So LET the OBJECT of MY MEDITATION SIMPLY be that BLESSED PARTICLE of Her FOOT-DUST. Without BEING FAVORED by Sri Radhika, it is IMPOSSIBLE even to UNDERSTAND the GLORIES of Sri Radha-Krishna and HER Rasik SAINTS, so what to speak of Prema-Rasa-CONTEMPLATION upon the DIVINE COUPLE and Their Nitya Madhurya Lila !!</font> <font color="blue">rAdhA nAma sudhA rasaM rasayituM jihvAstu me vihvalA pAdau tat padakAGkitAsu carataM vRndATavi vIthiSu satkarmaiva karaH karotu hRdayam tasyAh padaM dhyAyatAt tad bhAvotsavataH paraM bhavatu me tat prANa nAthe ratiH</font> The Rasik Saint continues: <font color="blue">"O My Radhe! O Queen of Vrindavan! When will that most fortunate moment in my life will come? When Will I become RESTLESS for Your vision, tasting the Sweet Nectar of Your Names DANCING on my tongue? When will I ROLL on the GROUNDS of the gardens and flower bowers, looking for Your Foot-Prints and RUN like a MAD person? Contemplating on Your Lotus Feet alone in my HEART, when will I UTILIZE my hands and body for doing Your Loving SERVICE? Having dedicated forever MY WHOLE SELF to You, IMMERSED myself in Your Devotional Ecstacies, when will I ATTAIN the self-less Love for the Lord of Your Heart and ADORE Him , just for the SAKE of GIVING pleasure to You ALONE? O My Radhe! When will You make me ELIGIBLE for Your Grace?"</font> ONLY with HER Grace ONE gets some UNDERSTANDING of Her Glory and Her Saints. <font color="red">"Wearing light-colored clothes during the full moon and dark colors in the moon's absence, Sri Radha dresses TO PLEASE Her Beloved Krishna, and to facilitate Her nightly secret MEETINGS with Her Gallant Lover, Sri Shyamasundara. Radhaji's FAVORITE outfit is a "Krishna-Blue" sari and shawl matched with a pink blouse that DELIGHTS Sri Krishna. Radharani's upper garment is red like a RUBY, and it is the FAVORITE of Lord Hari. Radha's lower garment is the color of a dark blue cloud, and it is Her FAVORITE."</font> - (RKG) <font color="red">"All glories to Your wonderful RUBY-red silk sari. O Radhe, that sari has DOUBLED the PASSIONATE Love I bear for You in My HEART!" -</font> (UN) <font color="blue">"O moon-faced One! O doe-eyed One! O Goddess! Oh lovely-nosed One! O One with reddish lips! O sweet Smiler! O Supreme Lakshmi! O creeper-armed One! O lustrous One of conch shell-smooth neck! O One with plantain tree shaped thighs! Oh Whose collection of lotus toenails brightly illuminates ALL directions! When, O Radhe! Will You be worshipped by me?" </font>- (RRS) <font color="maroon">"The glaringly effulgent tiara's shimmering halo beautifully sports in ALL directions stretching to the HORIZON. Glistening sleek armlets, bracelets, and necklaces refract a collective, flickering of jewel-like coronas. Hip-spanning belt of softly tinkling bells, anklets charming musical chimes embellishing the MAJESTY of Her divine lotus feet, Oh, my MIND! Just ADORE and contemplate upon the EFFULGENCE known as RADHA!" - </font>(RRS) <font color="navy">"Holding that FOOT DUST upon their heads, the most glorious Gopis ATTAIN the exalted desired post, along with ALL the cherished benefits which are also HANKERED after by the peacock feather-crowned Blue Boy (Lord Sri Krishna). That precious Dust being the wish fulfilling Tree for the Rasik Saints and devotees whose path of Divine Love is ever like a grand festival of Ecstatic divine emotions (Prema-Rasa)... I fondly remember the same sacred dust of my Radhikaji's Lotus feet." -</font> (RRS)

<center> <table border=5 width="98%" bgcolor=ececff><td><center> This pada- Kirtana is from the 'Nikunja Madhuri' of Prema Rasa Madira of Sri Kripaluji Maharaj. This Lila is about the celebration of Swing Pastimes of the Divine Couple, Radha Krishna. The Saint-Poet sings in the melodious tune with his choking voice full of Divine Love: <big><font color="red">paro sakhi, jhUlan me jhajaro</font></big> Some thing very special happened today! Instead of enjoying the Swing Lila, the Divine Couple entered into a unique Love Quarrel !! <big><font color="blue">ratana khacita candan ko jhulanA, yamunA pulina paro,</font></big> The eternal associates, Sakhis and the dedicated playmates have arranged the beautiful swing made of sandalwood and studded with precious diamonds, hung from the blooming fragrant Kadamba tree on the sandy bank of Yamuna River, in a charming bower for the swinging pleasure of the Divine Couple. <big><font color="red">lalitA kahI, "calo jhUlana kaham, dovu ThAkura hamAro",</font></big> Lalita Sakhi has made a cordial request, "O dear Sweethearts! We invite Our precious Lordships to enjoy the pastime of swing lila showering Divine joy on all the blessed souls!" <big><font color="blue">kahyo lAla "lADilihim jhulAvaim, nahi haum rahata kharo",</font></big> Then the naughty, quarrelsome Young Boy, Sri Krishna said with a smile, "Let My Fair Girl sit alone on the swing today. I feel like doing My 'seva' (loving service) of pushing gently while Her Highness is seated Herself upon the blessed swing ! If not, I am standing right here firmly!! I am not going to move at all from here nor joining Her in the playful swinging!" <big><font color="red">kahyo lADilihu "lAla jhulAvaim", vacana gumAna bharo,</font></big> Hearing His words, the tender Sweet Girl, Radharani arrogantly replies with pride and distaste, "Let the mischievous Boy be seated alone on the swing today! I have no desire to accompany Him. I too long to enjoy rocking My Lord slowly on the swing in gentle movements!!" Her words are full of feigned anger and Her decision seems to be final. <big><font color="blue">taba 'kRpAlu' kaha hari te "tuma kata Ajuhim nayI karo!"</font></big> All the Sakhis and playmates are very much disappointed as their Lordships have entered into this love quarrel and Both of Them decided not to swing together, unless Their demand is met. In the concluding verse, Sri Kripaluji then prays to Lord Beloved, Hari, "O my precious Divine Beloved! Why have you resorted to this unwelcome decision today? I am fully aware of Your heart-felt desire to serve Your Soul selflessly. Please also consider the yearning of Your surrendered souls to be engaged in Your Loving service. Graciously reconcile with Your Mistress and let us all enjoy the celebration of Your playful pastime of Swing Lila to our hearts' content! Come on, kindly be seated upon the swing so that we can gently push Both of You together!" <td></table> ***** <font color="navy"> It is interesting to note that in the material world quarrels occur due to selfishness of individuals. Everyone is mostly concerned about serving one's own self and making one's own self happy instead of selflessly serving and caring for one's Beloved. But in the spiritual abode, in that Land of Divine Love, Vrindavan, love quarrels do take place but for different reason. Lord Krishna wants to make His Beloved, Radhikaji happy through His seva, and on the otherhand, Radharani stubbornly refuses and desires only Her Beloved's happiness and His loving service. The playmates and Sakhis too become happy and satisfied only by rendering their seva, loving service unto the Divine Couple, through selfless love. The Supreme power of Divine Love alone reigns there.</font> ****

<font color="red">71. The benefit in repeating a holy name of God is not only to gain one-pointedness of mind, but is to surrender oneself to God to such an extent that one's heart melts and dissolves with ever-brimming love for Him while repeating His name. 72. Thinking once of the name of God with a steady one-pointed mind is more valuable than doing a thousand, thousand repetitions (japa) with a wandering mind. But calling intently upon God even once, with a mind surging with love for Him, is far superior even to doing a million (crore) of japa with a one-pointed mind.</font> 73. While doing repetition (japa) of the name of God, there is one thing, called "love," which is to be mingled with it. If one knows correctly the way to do japa (repitition of a mantra, etc.), uniting love with the name of God, the result attained by that repetition will be not only one-pointedness of mind, that japa will bestow upon one the deathless state of union with God. <font color="blue">74. Uniting love with the name of God is giving of oneself, the ego "I," as an offering to His feet. Love is we, and the name is He. Thus, uniting love with His name is offering our ego-self to Him, which is the principle of self-surrender (saranagati-tattva). By such self-surrender, the state of Self-abidance is attained.</font> -- Sri Sadhu Om ( a disciple of Ramana Maharshi) Hari Aum !!! message from: / --------------

<center><font color="red">tuNDe tANDavinI ratiM vitanute tuNDAvalI labdhaye karNa kroDa kAdaMbinI ghatayate karNArbudebhyaH spRhAm, cetaH prAGgaNa saGginI vijayate sarvendriyANAM kRtiM no jAne janitA kiyadbhir amRtaiH kRSNeti varNa dvayI</font> (Vidagdha-Madhavam 1.15. By Sri Roopa Goswami) "Sri Radhika's role as the Supreme Model Prema Bhakta is indicated even more clearly by Her RESPONSE to the Name of Her Beloved Lord Krishna. Even before Her first meeting with Him, She shows unmistakable Emotion, whenever Her friends mention Him by Name, as they do deliberately. It is in this connection that Sri Roopa reveals most unambiguously the Intimate Relation between Radha's Emotion and the Experience of ardent Vaishnava devotees. In the play (V.M.), Purnamsi deems Radha's RESPONSE fitting and eloquently expresses Her Own FEELINGS in the above quoted verse: <font color="blue">"Dancing on the tip of your tongue, They make you LONG for myriads of mouths, Alighting in the hollow of your ear, They make you WISH for ears in plentitude, And when They reach the doorway to your heart, They STILL the turbulence of all senses: "KRISH"- "NA" - just TWO syllables - yet how much NECTAR do They not contain ??"</font> By means of Paurnamasi's endorsement, Radha's response is explicitly established as an IDEAL for Vaishnava Devotion." (Notes and Translation from - 'A Sanskrit Portrait: RADHA in the PLAYS Of Rupa Gosvami' by Donna M. Wulff) *** http://barsanadham.org

<center> <big>Ammachi - Mata Amritanandamayi</big> "Children, there is nothing that the Guru cannot give. Guru is the Supreme Consciousness Itself. Selfless service and utter dedication are the two things which make one fit to receive the Guru's grace." - Amma http://amma.hindunet.org/ **** Mata Amritanandamayi Devi http://www.beliefnet.com/boards/message_list.asp?discussionID=8163 ***

I am experiencing a problem with my signature. Each time even after resubmitting it, i.e. http://barsanadham.org the sign is getting deleted repeatedly. Is this happening to my signature alone or to all? Please let me know if there is a problem. If my signature as given above remains this time, I understand the problem is corrected. Thanks.

Here is a similar verse said by Lord Himself in Gita: 'na me viduH sura gaNAH prabhavaM na maharSayaH, ahamAdir hi devAnAM maharSINAM ca sarvazaH' (Gita 10.2) 'Neither the hosts of Devas, the celestial beings nor the great Rishis, Sages know My glory and origin; for every respect I am the Source of the Devas and the great Sages.' "The birth of the son and his progress in life is known to the father, but the birth and boyhood of the father ever remains beyond the ken of the son. Analogously Brahman is the Source and Witness of the universe that comes from Him and merges into Him. This eternal Brahman is to 'some extent' cognized by the prefected Beings like the great Sages, Rishis. But His Glory in its ENTIRETY can NEVER be known by the hosts of Saints and Sages. He only remains PARTIALLY revealed even when He embodies as an Incarnation like Rama or Krishna." -Swami Chidbhavananda "The Divine Breeze blowing from the Ocean of Sat-Chit-Ananda-Brahman transports people into Ecstasy. Sanaka, Sanatana and other ancient Rishis got themselves perfected by this Divine Breeze. A mere glimpse of This Ocean sent Narada into Raptures. Sukadeva, the born Brahma-Jnani touched This Water but once and got himself filled with 'Brahma-avastha' and wandered the world as a Divine Lad. Lord Shiva, the Cosmic Teacher took only three sips from the great Ocean and became dazed with Transcendental Bliss. Indeed, who can MEASURE the depth or the characteristics of the Infinite Ocean of Brahman!" -Sri Ramakrishna Pramahamsa 'yo mAm ajam anAdiM ca vetti loka mahezvaram, asaM mUDhaH sa martyeSu sarva pApaiH pramucyate' (Gita 10.3) 'He who knows Me as Unborn and Beginingless, as the great Lord of the worlds, he among mortals is undeluded and freed from all evil and wrong actions.'

These following messages are posted on another board: "sarvam etadRtaM manye yan mAM vadasi kezava na hi te bhagavan vyaktiM vidur devA na dAnavAH" "svayam eva 'tmanA 'tmAnaM vettha tvaM puruSottama bhUtabhAvana bhUteza devadeva jagatpate" "vaktum arhasy azeSeNa divyA hy Atma vibhUtayaH yAbhir vibhUtibhir lokAn imAMs tvaM vyApya tiSThasi" (Bhagavad Gita 10.14-16) Arjuna said to Lord Krishna: "I hold as true, all that You say to me, O Kesava. Neither the Devas (celestial powers) nor the Danavas (evil powers), O Lord, know verily Your manifestations." (B.G.10.14) Bhagavan is He Who manifests SIX divine attributes which are : bala, omnipotence; dharma, righteousness; aisvarya, lordship; sri, opulence and beauty; jnana, wisdom; vairagya, dispassion. Further He knows the past, present and future of beings. His manifestations in human form remains UNKNOWN to the Devas themselves; how then shall the Danavas come to know His intents and extents! "Verily You alone know Yourself by Yourself, O Purushottama (Supreme Personality), O Source of beings, O Lord of beings, O God of celestial gods, O Ruler of the world." (B.G.10.15) The individual souls are called 'Purushas' because they temporarily occupy the 'Puri' of the 'Prakriti' and then vacate it when they get 'Mukti', liberation. But the Lord being the eternal Presiding Deity over the 'Prakriti', He is aptly eulogized as 'Purushottama'. His Glory in its entirety is KNOWN to Him alone and to NONE else. "An individual took a diamond to the market-place for valuation and asked several shop-keepers about it. The vegetable seller opined that five baskets of vegetables might be bartered for that gem. The rice merchant viewed that two bags of rice could be liberally given in exchange for it. The draper in his turn held that a bale of linen might unhesitatingly offered for that precious thing. Finally it was given to the diamond merchant who alone could value it at two millions of rupees! In this fashion the Lord is also beheld in varying ways according to the people's power of understanding. God's glories are verily unfathomable. -Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa "Condescend to tell without reserve of Your Divine manifestations, by which divine glories You remain pervading ALL these worlds." (B.G.10.16) A musician alone can bring out the fine touches in melody. The strength of an elephant could be demonstrated only by that stately animal turning out gigantic work. The wealth of a monarch can be well recounted by NONE but himself. It is only given to the Descension (Incarnation) of God to REVEAL all of His Divine splendours and Glories. The revelation of God comes purely by His Mercy. He is the sun of Knowledge. It is possible for a SINGLE ray of His to enlighten the WHOLE world. We are therefore able to understand one another and to acquire knowledge in all of His forms. More than all these, we get to KNOW Him by His Divine Grace ONLY. -Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa<center>

<center>http://members.fortunecity.com/rsodha1/higita.bmp Having listened to the manifestations of the Lord, Arjuna said with great eagerness: <font color="red">You are the supreme Brahman, the supreme Light, the supreme Sanctifier.</font> All the sages as also the divine sage Narada, Asita (the father of Devala), Devala and Vyasa call <font color="blue">You the eternal divine Person, the Primal God, the Birthless, the Omnipresent;</font> and You Yourself verily tell me so. O Kesava, I accept to be true all this which You tell me. Certainly, O Lord, neither the gods nor the demons comprehend Your glory. ***

Lasik and Indians... The Times of India Online Printed from timesofindia.indiatimes.com > Health/Science Laser surgery not for Indian eyes KALPANA JAIN TIMES NEWS NETWORK [ THURSDAY, AUGUST 01, 2002 9:08:29 PM ] NEW DELHI: Want to get rid of those unwanted glasses with laser surgery? You better make sure you are up to it. Scientists at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) &#8212; who are getting patients with severe complications following this surgery &#8212; say the thinness of Indian corneas means those who go in for laser surgery, also known as lasik, without proper screening run the risk of permanent damage to their eyes. Lasik surgery, used for correcting common vision defects, involves slicing off a part of the clear covering over the front of the eye called the cornea. For complete correction, the size of the cornea to be cut has to be accurate while leaving enough of it for a normal functioning eye. But the Indian eye is different from the &#8216;Western&#8217; eye, found researchers at AIIMS, who checked 1,069 eyes for corneal thickness after noticing the large number of complications. "Slicing a big piece of the cornea may lead to the cornea becoming very weak and bring about complications after some time," says professor at the Rajendra Prasad Institute for Ophthalmic Sciences, Dr R B Vajpayee, who led the research. Young patients are now landing up with complications of bulging of a weak cornea, which leads to high myopia. Some of these patients may eventually lose their vision too, for which the only option is corneal grafting, adds Vajpayee. These effects, he says, may not be apparent soon after surgery but may take as long as five years to appear. Vajpayee says he saw three patients with these complications last year. "This by itself is a large number. But the actual number may be much more," he adds. In fact, different units at AIIMS are reporting the same problem. For instance, Dr Atul Kumar, an expert on retinas, has seen two patients with retinal detachments as well following the surgery. "This is the beginning. We may see a large number of patients after ten years or so," said another researcher at AIIMS, Dr J S Titiyal. People need to know that not everyone can be eligible for this surgery, he adds. "Our refusal rate at AIIMS is 20 to 30 per cent," says Vajpayee. But it&#8217;s possible that after being refused at AIIMS these patients go to a private establishment to get the surgery done. "It is certainly not as safe as it is made out to be for Indian patients," says Vajpayee. The average size of the Indian cornea is about 519 microns compared to 557 microns in the West. Slicing off a layer of 30 microns would only induce a correction of minus one or so, says Vajpayee. <center>*****

A few sublime verses from Srimad Bhagavatam (2. 2. 33, 34, 35, 36 and 37) glorifying Divine Love Devotion and Naama Sankirtana of the Lord:<center> na hyato 'nyaH zivaH panthA vizataH saMsRtAviha vAsudeve bhagavati bhakti yogo yato bhavet <font color="red">For him who has fallen into the whirlpool of transmigration there is NO OTHER blessed path other than that which makes for DEVOTION to Lord Vaasudeva.</font> bhagavAn brahma kAtsnaryena triran vIkSya manISayA tadadhyavasyAt kUTastho ratir Atman yato bhavet <font color="blue">Having critically studied Vedas with cocentrated mind thrice over, Brahma CONCLUDED by force of reason that alone to be the HIGHEST virtue, by which one is able to develop Exclusive Devotion to Sri Krishna, the Self of the universe. </font> bhagavAn sarva bhUteSu lakSitaH svAtmanA hariH dRzyair buddhyAdibhir draSTA lakSaNaignumApakaiH <font color="red">Lord Sri Hari alone is seen abiding in ALL animate and inanimate beings as their very self; for the intellect and pther phenomenal objects are adjuncts that LEAD us to infer the existence of the Lord, Who is the All-witnessing seer. </font> <big>tasmAt sarvAtmanA rAjan hariH sarvatra sarvadA zrotavyaH kIrtitavyaz ca smartavyo bhagavAn nRNAm <font color="blue">Therefore, O king, men should always and under all circumstances with their whole being listen to, recite and revolve in their mind the stories of Lord Sri Hari alone.</font></big> pibanti ye bhagavata AtmanaH satAM kathAmRtaM zravaNapuTeSu sambhRtam punanti te viSaya vidUSitAzayaM vrajanti taccaraNa saroruhAntikam <font color="red">They who DRINK in the Nectar-like stories of the Lord, the Soul of the universe, POURED into the cups of their ears by HOLY men, are able to PURIFY their HEART, which has been contaminated through contact with the pleasures of sense, and attain PROXIMITY to His lotus feet. </font> (Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 2, Chap. 2, verses 33-37)

http://www.gwbush.com/ <center>

20 Things We've Learned Nearly a Year After 9/11 By Bernard Weiner t r u t h o u t | Perspective http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/08.01D.bw.20.htm Wednesday, 31 July, 2002 As we approach the first anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, it might be useful to see how far an ordinary citizen's knowledge has progressed one year on. So here, in the way of a summing-up, based on journalistic documentation, is a list of things we Americans have learned since last September -- some of which might prove useful in the run-up to the November elections. 1. We've learned that Bush&Co.'s "war on terrorism" has morphed from finding and destroying those responsible for the 9/11 mass-murders to a worldwide campaign to install a Pax Americana, by force if necessary. In other words, neo-imperialism, reminiscent in many ways of the old Roman Empire or, closer to our own time, the British Empire. 2. We've learned that Bush&Co. has no desire to rethink any of its policies abroad, the same policies that isolate it and that generate hatred, suspicion and terrorism in so many regions of the globe. Rather than reconsider its pol icies, or try to accomplish its ends through diplomacy and alliances and cultural/economic initiatives, in its arrogance it continues to bully and threaten others, insult its European and other allies, disregard international treaties and courts, engage in unilateral actions without regard to the national interests of others, and, in general, simply throw its massive weight around. The prevailing attitude seems to be: We are the one Superpower, get used to bending to our will. 3. We've learned that Bush's national-security leadership was alerted months ahead of 9/11 (and, it has admitted, no later than August 6) that a major air attack from al-Qaida was in the works, along with the likely targets, but did nothing to try to prevent those attacks or warn anyone about them. Caught in their own lies, they blame "the system," especially elements in the FBI, for "not connecting the dots." More than 3000 Americans died as a result of this malfeasance. 4. We've learned that plans already were in the works prior to 9/11 for the evisceration of Constitutional guarantees of due process of law. The White House hustled the so-called USA PATRIOT Act through a frightened Congress in a patriotic blur, just a few days after the attacks, with few, if any, of the legislators having had time to read the final version. 5. We've learned that prior to September 11, the Bush Administration was negotiating with the Taliban about a pipeline desired by a U.S.-led energy consortium that would cross through Afghanistan. When the Taliban balked, the U.S. negotiators told them they either could accept a "carpet of gold" or face a "carpet of bombs." The Taliban backed away from the deal and refused to hand over Osama bin Laden; shortly after the terror attacks of 9/11, the U.S. began bombing in Afghanistan. 6. We've learned that now with the Taliban having been overthrown, and a U.S.-friendly regime installed in Kabul, the pipeline project is back on track, designed to carry energy supplies across Afghanistan from the Caspian Sea area to near India. Hamid Karzai, the new leader of Afghanistan, formerly was a consultant on the payroll of the pipeline folks; likewise, the new U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan. 7. We've learned that Bush&Co.'s Homeland Security Act includes programs that bear an amazing resemblance to totalitarian programs from the fascis/communist end of the spectrum: getting the military (restricted heretofore to activity outside the U.S.) involved in domestic policing, signing up neighborhood and block snoops to work for the central government, investigating what books citizens are checking out and buying, denouncing those deemed insufficiently patriotic or suspicious because of their views, etc. Remind you of Stalin's Russia, Castro's Cuba, Hitler's Third Reich, the Stasi of East Germany? (There also are prototypes of patriotic youth leagues being tried out in cities, which could become a national program.) A kind of martial-law coming to a neighborhood near you. 8. We've learned that Ashcroft/Bush are shredding Constitutional due-process guarantees in their move toward total control: already they have compromised attorney-client privilege, removed habeus corpus protections, locked up folks with no charges, secreted citizens at military installations which puts them out of reach of the judicial system, violated privacy in rifling through personal telephone and email communications, etc. etc. When the ambiguously-worded PATRIOT Act was first brought up, Ashcroft and Bush told us not to worry, promising that these rules would affect only non-citizens. Since that time, American citizens have been handled in similar fashion. Coming to a neighborhood near you. 9. We've learned much about the dangers of religious fundamentalism in Islam, but we've also learned about dangers posed by our own religious fundamentalists -- eager for a Christian theocratic society, symbolized most recently by a Secret Service agent scrawling on a Muslim suspect's refrigerator "Islam Is Evil, Christ Is King" -- and the extraordinary power they wield within the Bush Administration, represented most openly by John Ashcroft, who in frame-of-mind resembles a Taliban mullah. 10. We've learned that the FBI, focusing now on foreign terrorists, doesn't seem energized with the same zeal to catch domestic terrorists, such as abortion-clinic arsonists -- and especially the anthrax-dispenser. Though the FBI seems to know that the anthrax villain probably worked at a government bio-lab, nobody has been arrested, or even targeted as a prime suspect. It may not be likely, but the unsaid is finally being asked: Could this dangerous terrorist actually be working for the government? 11. We've learned that the HardRight of the Republican Party has taken control -- of the House leadership, of the Supreme Court, of the White House, of much of the conglomerate-owned media -- and has demonstrated its willingness to do nearly anything to maintain that power. (Only the courageous defection of Sen. Jim Jeffords from GOP ranks is standing in the way of HardRight total control of all three branches of government.) More and more truly objectionable HardRight judges are being nominated by Bush in an e ffort to stack the judiciary for decades to come. This by a man who lost the election by more than half-a-million votes, coming into his White House residency, with no popular mandate, only because his supporters on the Supreme Court installed him there. 12. We've learned that to break the momentum of the HardRight, all energy for the upcoming November elections (less than 90 days away, let us not forget) must be expended in electing Democrat candidates and defeating Republican ones. The objective conditions are just not ripe yet for anything more than trying to move the country back toward the middle of the political spectrum. We progressives more in tune with the Greens (Green candidates are being supported secretly in many states by the Republicans, to try to defeat Democrats) will have to wait. The difference between Democrats and Republicans may seem small to Greens and others, but, as we've learned in a painful way under Bush&Co., that difference is immense when it comes to foreign and domestic policy and its actual effects on real people, here and abroad. 13. We've learned that Cheney is up to his ears in Halliburton irregularities, and may well be liable for indictment for participating in financial fraud. In addition, we've learned that Cheney, who was the head of the task force that came up with a corporate-friendly rather than a consumer-friendly energy policy, has refused to turn over to Congress the requested documents that will reveal how that policy was arrived at and which industry leaders (other than Enron's Kenny Boy) helped shape it. 14. We've learned that Bush knew in advance, as a member of the Harken Audit Committee, that Harken Oil was going to release negative financial news, and sold his shares before that, reaping a fortune. He may be liable for indictment for insider-trading and other Harken irregularities. (Even if Bush and Cheney are not indicted, they are the last people on earth who should be speaking about corruption in the corporate financial world, as these hypocrites benefitted from that very corrupt system. As did most of Bush's corporate-derived cabinet.) 15. We've learned that Bush&Co. were mightily opposed to any reform of corporate financial reporting, but when more and more companies were caught in such corrupt practices and the mood of the country shifted -- mainly because so many folks, especially seniors, lost huge chunks of their pensions and portfolio holdings when the Stock Market tanked as a result of investors' losing confidence in the numbers provided by corporations -- they jumped on the bandwagon and pretended they were reformers all along. In the background, they are trying to help their corporate supporters water down, and otherwise get around, the new rules. To that end, Bush&Co. have appointed Harvey Pitt and Larry Thompson, two tainted corporate types, to head up the "investigations" of corporate wrongdoing. Break out the whitewash. 16. We've learned that Bush&Co., having placed its chips on Ariel Sharon, continues to have no real desire for a just peace in the Middle East. All it wants is for the area to be quiet and controlled (thus giving carte blanche to the Israeli Army's police-state occupation and oppression), so that it can continue its plans for overthrowing Saddam Hussein in Iraq. And, of course, there has been no declaration of a State of War by the Congress, neither against Afghanistan nor against Iraq, and no real debate about the wisdom of a war against Saddam -- even when the top brass at the Pentagon and in Great Britain have expressed their opposition to such military adventurism. 17. We've learned that there will be no peace now in the Middle East because the U.S. is not fully engaged in the peace process, also because neither extreme in the area wants peace: Sharon thrives on war and brutality, Hamas needs Sharon's bloody policies to justify its campaign of terror. There are signs that moderate Palestinians finally are starting to speak out in favor of a peaceful solution, and there are plenty of land-for-peace Israelis (supported by many liberal Jews in the U.S.), so the outlines of a peace are out there. But until the U.S. and U.N. make the commitment to separate the warring extremists and arrange an equitable treaty both Israel and the Palestinians can live with -- secure borders for Israel (and an end to suicide bombing), a viable state for the Palestinians, abandoning of the settlements by Israel, reparations for Palestinians who lost their homes and property -- there will be only more bloodshed. And more fertile ground for new generations of terrorists, in the Middle East and elsewhere in the Islamic world. 18. We've learned that Bush&Co. has been a total disaster for the environment, in every way: from reneging on its campaign promise to cut carbon-dioxide and other greenhouse emissions, to backing away from higher fuel-efficiency in cars (we could cut our dependence on foreign oil 20% just by increasing fuel efficiency by 5%), to giving breaks to corporate polluters all across the country, to permitting increased arsenic levels in the water, etc. etc. 19. We've learned that Secretary of State Colin Powell -- who sees the world in something other than simplistic black-and-white, us-versus-them dichotomies -- is a man imprisoned in the Bush Cabinet, forced to alter his principled opinions in the service of Bush&Co.'s stupidly aggressive and ultimately self-defeating foreign policies. Powell, a moderate conservative, looks like a raving progressive when measured against his masters. He should resign but probably won't. 20. We've learned that the tax-cuts provided to the most wealthy are not only payoffs to the corporate sector that provides support for Bush&Co. By locking in those tax cuts for ten years (and with humongous chunks of the budget spent on the "war on terrorism"), Bush&Co. have ensured that innumerable social programs that aid the less well-off will be cut or eliminated. In short, a rollback of New Deal/Great Society programs, so hated by the HardRight. (The HardRight movement to detach prescription drugs for seniors fr om the Medicare program, and, especially, to privatize Social Security -- even in the face of recent stock-market disasters -- is part of this same desire.) Even after all the above shorthand summaries, no doubt I'm leaving out lots of Bush&Co. dirt, but this list can provide a starting point, and a handy compilation of enough low and high crimes and misdemeanors to warrant their removal from power, either through the ballot box or by resignation or impeachment. Finally, as we enter August, we know that one of two things will happen in the summer-doldrums, with the Congress on vacation: Either Bush&Co. will start its Iraq war and carry out more under-the-radar attacks on important American programs, or the media, bereft of their usual Beltway stories, will use the down time to engage in hard-hitting investigative reporting that will reveal in even more stark relief the machinations of Bush&Co. illegalities and other scandalous behavior. But, given the corporate nature of our corporate-owned media, don't count on it. Instead, we'll probably be flooded with this summer's Condit-like sex scandal. ------- Bernard Weiner, Ph.D., has taught American politics and international relations at Western Washington University and San Diego State University; he was with the San Francisco Chronicle for nearly 20 years. -----------------------------

Namaste Kenyatta. If you click on the "Arati' at the URL, you'll have more fun!

<font color="red"> I appreciate the new presentation of your forums. This reminds me the message boards of hindunet.orgThanks and God bless you and your staff. </font color>

<font color="blue">I do too quite often, you're not alone! </font color>

A number of disciples went to the Buddha and said, "Sir, there are living here in Savatthi many wandering hermits and scholars who indulge in constant dispute, some saying that the world is infinite and eternal and others that it is finite and not eternal, some saying that the soul dies with the body and others that it lives on forever, and so forth. What, Sir, would you say concerning them?" <font color="blue">The Buddha answered, "Once upon a time there was a certain raja who called to his servant and said, 'Come, good fellow, go and gather together in one place all the men of Savatthi who were born blind... and show them an elephant.' 'Very good, sire,' replied the servant, and he did as he was told. He said to the blind men assembled there, 'Here is an elephant,' and to one man he presented the head of the elephant, to another its ears, to another a tusk, to another the trunk, the foot, back, tail, and tuft of the tail, saying to each one that that was the elephant. "When the blind men had felt the elephant, the raja went to each of them and said to each, 'Well, blind man, have you seen the elephant? Tell me, what sort of thing is an elephant?' "Thereupon the men who were presented with the head answered, 'Sire, an elephant is like a pot.' And the men who had observed the ear replied, 'An elephant is like a winnowing basket.' Those who had been presented with a tusk said it was a ploughshare. Those who knew only the trunk said it was a plough; others said the body was a grainery; the foot, a pillar; the back, a mortar; the tail, a pestle, the tuft of the tail, a brush. "Then they began to quarrel, shouting, 'Yes it is!' 'No, it is not!' 'An elephant is not that!' 'Yes, it's like that!' and so on, till they came to blows over the matter. "Brethren, the raja was delighted with the scene. "Just so are these preachers and scholars holding various views blind and unseeing.... In their ignorance they are by nature quarrelsome, wrangling, and disputatious, each maintaining reality is thus and thus." </font> <font color="red">Then the Exalted One rendered this meaning by uttering this verse of uplift, O how they cling and wrangle, some who claim For preacher and monk the honored name! For, quarreling, each to his view they cling. Such folk see only one side of a thing.</font> Jainism and Buddhism. Udana 68-69: Parable of the Blind Men and the Elephant http://www.ettl.co.at/uc/ws/theme00b

<center>Subhashita - Wise Sayings vidvatvaM ca nRpatvaM ca naiva tulyaM kadAcana swadeze pUjyate rAjA vidvAn sarvatra pUjyate <font color="red">Scholorship and Kingship can never be equivalent. For a king is given recognition and respect only in his homeland whereas a learned scholor is recognized and honored everywhere.</font> sva gRhe pUjyate mUrkhahA svagrAme pUjyate prabhuhu sva deze pUjyate rAjA vidvAn sarvatra pUjyate <font color="blue">A fool is respected well in his home, an adninistrator in his town, a king in his own land, but the learned and knowledgeable is revered everywhere.</font> na caurya hAryaM na rAja hAryaM na bhrAtR bhAjyaM na bhArakArI vyaye kRt vardhata eva nityaM vidyAdhanaM sarva dhana pradhAnaM <font color="red">The treasure of true knowledge and learning is the foremost among all kinds of wealth. It cann't be stolen by thieves, cann't be taxed by the kings, cann't be divided among brothers, not even a burden at all to carry it around, grows and flourishes continuously as it is spent.</font> ajnaha sukhaM ArAdhyate sukhataraM ArAdhyate vizeSajnaha jnAna lava durvidagdham brahmah Api naraM na raJjayati <font color="blue">The ignorant can be convinced and pleased a little easily, the well learned one even more easily. But the one infatuated with half-baked knowledge is impossible to be appeased even by the creator, Lord Brahma.</font> kAkaH kRSNaH pikaH kRSNaH ko bheda pikakAkayoH vasanta samaye prApte kAkaH kAkaH pikaH pikaH <font color="red">A crow is black, so is a cuckoo, what's the difference? Come springtime, a crow is a crow, and a cuckoo is a cuckoo!</font></center>

http://www.realchangenews.org/pastissues/Apr_18_02/opinion/opinion.html Dear rRresident Bush (emphasis added), When you were running for office, you stated that Jesus Christ was your favorite philosopher. You have made a point of proclaiming your Christian faith. You have put time and energy in an attempt to link the church's mission with state social security. You have, particularly since September 11, continually preached GOD BLESS AMERICA on almost every public occasion. As a Pastor and fellow United Methodist, I need to ask you: Do you know what the values and vision of Jesus are? I ask the question because I am baffled and confused by your behavior. You claim Christ but act like Caesar. There is blood all over your hands, with the promise of even more blood to come. You sit atop the nations like the biblical Whore of Babylon, openly fornicating with the military men of might, their corporate sponsors, their nuclear madness, and their insatiable hunger for global armament. Is this how you learned Christ? You claim the benevolence of your Administration toward the rest of the world. But the treaties you make, and the treaties you un-make, continue to be laced with a tightened rope around the neck of the poor. Is this how you learned to "forgive our debtors"? Is it really Christ-like to insist on cuts in life-supporting infrastructure while increasing military budgets and allowing the plunder of nations to accrue to a very small financial elite? Have you not been taught that Jesus was crucified by these same Principalities and Powers? You practice a patriotic righteousness that visualizes never-ending war against enemies of great evil. You bombed Afghanistan, with both guns and butter, to show the difference. But do you really think the few crumbs of bread airlifted to Afghanistan shield the reality: that you have no intention to assist in building a sustainable society there? Is this how Christ taught you to avenge the wrongs done unto you? I am troubled by your spirit, George. You claim you are of the Sustainer of Life, but you practice the terror of Death. You are spreading the war. Afghanistan is only the beginning. Military presence crops up world-wide. You bait us with Iraq and shield what you are doing in Columbia. You lay the groundwork for disrupting Venezuela, Brazil, and Argentina. You allow the dogs of capitalism to sink their teeth into the battered body of a raped Central America. And the buck stops on your desk, George: Is this what Jesus would do? The Spirit of Death rises, and nations tremble. We the people of the United States tremble. We discover how truly powerless we have become. Our military budget grows to obscene levels, bankrupting the social infrastructure from which our security and freedom rise. We see basic medical care costs increase, even as more and more Americans find themselves without health care. We see environmental treaties subverted, ignored, and disappeared, even as Mother Earth signals increasing distress. Labor rights are made secondary to the rights of corporations, resulting in wage reductions and growing financial insecurity. Homelessness exposes itself through tented cities. Education becomes the victim of budget knife cuts. A few benefit but the groan of the masses is growing. Whose side are you on, George? Perhaps you think that God has chosen you for this hour. Perhaps God has. So again I ask you, Is this how you learned Christ? If God has chosen you for this hour then, in Christ's name, serve the values and vision of Jesus: Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, release the prisoners, cancel the debt, forgive your enemies, practice Jubilee. Then, through you, this nation and all nations will be blessed. But beware: the road of the sword will bring division and much blood. Those who take it up will be devoured by it. Many people, in the name of God, have taken up the sword. And many have come to ruin. Thinking themselves capable of naming evil, they have become the very evil they name. Seek Christ first, Rev. Rich Lang, Pastor Rev. Rich Lang ministers to Trinity United Methodist Church, which has hosted the homeless Tent City twice in its Ballard parking lot and is currently hosting Tent City through May 12. For more on Tent City, click here. Real Change News 2129 2nd Ave. Seattle, WA 98121 Tel: 206.441.3247

Tarunji, The world famous scriptural declaration of the Lord, Kathopanishad 1. 2. 23 says - nAyamAtma pravacanena labhyo na medhayA na bahunA zrutena, yame vaiSa vRNute tena labhya- stasyaiSa AtmA vivRNute tanUM svAm. God is not known through the study of Scriptures, nor through subtlety of the intellect nor through much learning. Whom the Lord chooses by him alone is God attained, verily unto him does the Supreme reveal His True Being. vIta rAga bhaya krodhA manmayA mAm upAzritaH bahavo jnAna tapasA pUtA mad bhAvam AgatAH (Gitopanishad 4.10) Many who were <big>devoid of attachment, </big> fear and anger, who were <big>absorbed in Me</big>, who had taken <big>refuge in Me,</big> and purified by the austerity of Knowledge <big>attained My state.</big> rAga = attachment, is the <big>hankering </big>for the results concerned

I very much applaud the noble heart of Mr. M., Sri Mahendranaath Gupta. He was not carried away by sectarian limitations. Has any GV ever extolled Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa?

In Gitopanisad 18.54 is stated: brahma-bhUtaH prasannAtma na zocati na kAnkSati samaH sarveSu bhUtesU mad-bhaktiM labhate parAm "One who is thus (B.G.51-53) transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman. He never laments nor<big> desires </big>to have anything; he is equally disposed to every living being. In that state he <big>attains Supreme Devotion unto Me."</big> According to Katha Upanisad 2.3.7-8: "Beyond the senses is the mind, beyond the mind is the intellect, higher than the intellect is the Great Atman, higher than the Great Atman is the Unmanifest. "Beyond the Unmanifest is the Person, all-pervading and imperceptible. Having realised Him, the embodied self becomes liberated and attains Immortality".

Not to be missed - be sure to click the big W at the bottom. http://www.allhatnocattle.net/new_page_1.htm <small><font color="cfcfcf"> [This message has been edited by sha (edited 07-24-2002).]

The Ultimate, formless and timeles If the Brahman is the ultimate, and Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva are the primary forms of Brahman, then why are such forms capable of doing very human things. For example, the gods kill. I understand that they may be killing not out of anger or hatred, but are merely following the "Law of Karma." Still, however they kill. Also, if they do not kill out of anger or hatred, why is it that Shiva kills Kama in a scripture. Kama supposedly shoots Shiva with a love arrow, and Shiva becomes enraged, opens his third eye, and turns Kama into a heap of ashes. Thus, I have concluded that only the Brahman is timeless, formless, and all-powerful. When it embodies an anthropomorphic form, like Shiva is portrayed in the story above, then it becomes imperfect, and is capable of doing imperfect things. However, if experienced correctly, the Brahman may be able to be used for the moral good of humanity. Afterall, realizing the truth is merely the personal goal of each individual man. However, if a man benefits mankind for the better, then he truly has realizes not the truth of the absolute, but the truth of the existence of man. In the end, we are here as mere mammals, and we must evolve to eventually merge into Brahman. [Linked article copied-jndas] [This message has been edited by jndas (edited 07-25-2002).]