dasa

I didn't see the program, but I always thought that Christians believed that there was, at one time, an actual Garden of Eden here on earth. This is from one Christian site, which seems to say they believe it was in the area today known as Iraq: Though the exact location is unknown there are a few descriptions provided that give us an indication. Genesis 2: 10-14 says, Now a river went out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it parted and became four riverheads. The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one, which skirts the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. And the gold of that land is good. Bdellium and the onyx stone are there. The name of the second river is Gihon; it is one, which goes around the whole land of Cush. The name of the third river is Hiddekel, it is the one which goes toward the east of Assyria. Today it is identified as the Tigris. The fourth river is the Euphrates. The location of the Gihon and Pishon Rivers has been the subject of great speculation. It is assumed however they would have been found in the general vicinity of the two other rivers. The Garden of Eden is therefore placed by most Biblical scholars in either the Northern or Southern region of today’s Iraq, which was known as Mesopotamia, which was the most fertile land of the region.

Deep Thoughts by Jack Handy I can picture in my mind a world without war, a world without hate. And I can picture us attacking that world, because they'd never expect it.

Specialists to be trained in 'monkey combat' Teams of Japanese volunteers and specialists are to be trained in how to tackle mischievous monkeys. The monkeys have bitten and harassed tourists in Okunikko and they have also become a serious problem for agriculture and forests. Squads are now to be set up to track them and attempt to frighten them off with fireworks before they get close to residential areas. Transmitters will be attached to about 30 monkeys. Officials have already been trained in how to use the receivers and fireworks, and have studied the behavioural patterns and ecology of monkeys. The Tochigi local government will give lectures to residents who want to join the project. An official from the natural environment division told the Daily Yomiuri: "We expect to use the brains of local people to combat this monkey menace." The monkey patrol along the Irohazaka road, a famous sight-seeing spot near Nikko, is also to be strengthened. The authorities have tried to tackle the problem by giving monkeys electric shocks or banning tourists from feeding them, but with little success. Story filed: 09:22 Monday 29th April 2002

Physics professor confident his time machine will work A physics professor says he is building a time machine that will transport things to the future or the past. Ronald Mallett says his machine could transport anything from an atom to a person. The University of Connecticut professor hopes to have a working model and start experiments this autumn. He told the Boston Globe he's basing his work on Einstein's theory of relativity. He says the project is serious and added: "I'm not a nut." He told the paper: "I would think I was a crackpot, too, if there weren't other colleagues I knew who were working on it. This isn't Ron Mallett's theory of matter - it's Einstein's theory of relativity. I'm not pulling things out of the known laws of physics." The professor and his colleagues plan to build a machine to test whether it's possible to transport a subatomic particle through time using a ring of light. He hopes the energy from a rotating laser beam may warp the space inside the ring of the light so gravity forces the neutron to rotate sideways. With more energy, he thinks it's possible a second neutron would appear. This second particle would be the first one visiting itself from the future. He admits sending a human through time may need more energy than scientists know how to harness currently, but he sees it as just ''an engineering problem.'' Prof Mallett's boss, William Stwalley, chairman of the university's physics department, said: "His ideas certainly have merit. I think some of his ideas are very interesting and they would make nice tests of general relativity." Story filed: 16:02 Friday 5th April 2002

Here is an answer taken from the website listed at the bottom of the article. I am not very familiar with the Bible, but this seems to say that both Cain and Abel each had twin sisters, and Cain's wife was one of those two women. By the timeline followed in the Bible, it says one hundred and thirteen years had already passed, so there would have been time for there to be other decendants from whom to marry as well. That could also be used to explain the existence of the "others" that would see him (Cain)with the mark on him if he were sent away, as raised in another post. Maybe someone more familar with the Bible, like ghari, could confirm if what is stated in this article is accepted as true. GEN 4:17 (NASB) " And Cain had relations with his wife and she conceived, and gave birth to Enoch; and he built a city, and called the name of the city Enoch, after the name of his son." Who this woman was is not certain, nor whether it was his first wife or another. We might assume that this was his sister, or a descendant from Adam by another of his sons or daughters, since this was about the one hundred and thirtieth year of the creation, there was plenty of time for Adam's descendants to be numerous and widely dispersed. At first indeed Cain could marry no other than his sister; but whether he married Abel's twin sister, or his own twin sister, is disputed. The Jews say that Cain's twin sister was not a beautiful woman, and therefore he said, I will kill my brother and take his wife. On the other hand, the Arabic writers say that Adam would have had Cain married Abel's twin sister, whom they call Awin; and Abel have married Cain's twin sister, whom they call Azron; but Cain would not, because his own sister was the handsomest; and this they take to be the occasion of the quarrel, which issued in the murder of Abel. What the Scriptures clearly teach is that all human beings are descendants of Adam and Eve, therefore there had to be inter-marriage between brothers and sisters in the beginning. This really presents no problems genetically because the first few generations would have inherited perfect or near-perfect genes because it takes time for mutations to occur and accumulate in the human population. In addition to which God would have watched over the gene pool in order to accomplish his purpose in filling the earth with humans. "What Do the Scriptures Say" is a website provided by the Mt Vernon Church of Christ and Mike Scott, minister. Portions are Copyrighted 1998-2002 Mike Scott. Webmaster is Keith Rowland.

The Disappearance of the Ganges-from Stephen Knapp As reported in an article by Charles Arthur in the June 8, 1999 edition of The Independent in England, new information has been gathered by scientists at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi, India, regarding how the glaciers in the Himalayas are retreating. As we had explained, the glacier above Gangotri, from which the Ganges River starts, has retreated about one kilometer in the past 20 years or so. In fact, it has been determined that these glaciers are retreating faster than anywhere else on the planet. Professor Syed Hasnain, the main author of the report, relates that all of the glaciers in the middle Himalayas are retreating. He warns that many of the glaciers in this region could disappear by 2035. New fears are that the meltwater could produce catastrophic floods as mountain lakes overflow. As I explained in a previous book, The Vedic Prophecies: A New Look into the Future, the Vedic texts reveal that such holy rivers as the Ganges will dry up and become only a series of small lakes, at best. In this way, they may practically disappear, as did the Sarasvati River. This latest report surely seems to show the possibility of this happening sooner than expected. This also shows the reason that the origination mouth of the Ganges, at the ice cave called Gaumukh above Gangotri, is retreating farther away as the years go by. So those travelers who wish to journey to this mouth of the holy Ganga will have to travel farther up into the hills as time goes by. This also indicates why this mouth of the Ganges is always changing in its appearance. Getting back to the way the glaciers are retreating, at the University of Colorado in Boulder, a research team has found that the mountain glaciers are diminishing in the West as well. The Alps have lost nearly 50% of their ice in the last 100 years. The Major glacier at Mt. Kenya has lost 8% of its size, and 14 of the 27 glaciers in Spain are gone. The disappearing of the mountain glaciers is also reported in an article by Lily Whiteman in the January/February issue of National Parks. It stated that there were more than 150 glaciers in Glacier National Park in Montana back in 1850. Now there are only 50, and it is expected that these will also disappear within the next four decades. This is primarily blamed on the increase in global temperatures by only one degree since the 1800's. Glaciers, because of being too solid and stable to show short-term variations in climate, are particularly good barometers of global warming. In regard to the Vedic tradition, it explains that the Ganges fell from heaven to earth and was caught on the head of Lord Shiva. This was to prevent the intense damage that the force of it would cause to the earth if it fell directly on to the planet. This took place at Gangotri, where the water backed up into the mountains where much of it froze. The course of the Ganges is said to still flow through the universe and come down to the earth planet. However, much of the river water comes from underneath the glacier. If the glacier at Gaumukh does continue to recede or melt away, and if the Ganges would ever cease its flow or begin to dry up, it would certainly mean the end of an era and a drastic affect on the spiritual culture as we have known it in India. Indeed, it would never be the same. [This message has been edited by dasa (edited 04-27-2002).]

Another important holy place is Gangotri near the source of the sacred Ganges River. Below you can see it as it forcibly descends down through the mountains and over the Sahasradhara Falls on its way through the hills and to the plains of India. [This message has been edited by dasa (edited 04-26-2002).]

Rare planetary show snapped View from south-west London on 21 April Star gazers have been enjoying a once in a life time sight of five planets lined up in the sky - all visible to the naked eye. The rare grouping of Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will not be seen again in a similar alignment for a century. The next 30 nights or so will herald an astronomical feast with the planets remaining visible as their patterns change each night and they continue to move around the Sun. The photograph above was taken on 21 April by amateur astronomer Maurice Gavin from south-west London. It has been enhanced graphically to show the positions of the planets. A view of the skies without binoculars will currently show five clear dots of light, seemingly the appearance of bright stars. How to see it Choose a place away from lights with a clear view Look west in the sky just after sunset Look at the 11'o'clock position and you should see the planets together in the same patch of sky In a few days' time Mercury, which is faint, will disappear from view - below the horizon. Venus is the brightest of the planets, followed by Jupiter. Mars, which is reddish in hue, may be faint but Saturn should be clearly visible. By 4 May, Saturn will be "overtaking" Mars to form a triangular pattern with Venus. The Moon will often be in the same part of the sky as the planets, appearing to jump about between them from night to night. Over the next two or three weeks, the planets will move closer together and become more bunched. Similar groupings will occur in September 2040 and July 2060 but the planets will not be as close together or as visible to the naked eye. Tony Sizer, planetarium lecturer at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London, UK, said Venus and Mars were currently moving towards Jupiter. Taking photographs He watched the skies from Croydon, south London, and said enthusiasts should keep an eye on the planets throughout the next month to see the sequence in motion. "It is best described as a line-up of dots and is a spectacular sight from the point that it is pretty unusual," he said. "It is important for astronomers because they can see all the planets with the naked eye, but I do not think it will lead to the end of the Earth as was historically feared. "The planets can currently be seen across the world though they are most visible in areas not covered with bright light, in the Northern Hemisphere. [This message has been edited by dasa (edited 04-24-2002).]

Source: Johns Hopkins University (http://www.jhu.edu/) Posted 3/22/2002 Scientist Probes Fossil Oddity: Giant Redwoods Near North Pole Located within the Arctic Circle north of mainland Canada, a full 8/9ths of the way from the equator to the North Pole, the uninhabited Canadian island is far enough north to make Iceland look like a great spot for a winter getaway, and today there’s not much to it beyond miles of rocks, ice, a few mosses, and many fossils. The fossils tell of a different era, though, an odd time about 45 million years ago when Axel Heilberg, still as close to the North Pole as it is now, was covered in a forest of redwood-like trees known as metasequoias. Jahren and colleague Leo Sternberg of the University of Miami uncovered evidence that the Axel Heilberg’s forests probably received equatorial water and warmth from a prehistoric weather pattern unlike anything in existence today. Through a grant from the Andrew Mellon Foundation, Jahren’s research group has made three summer visits to Axel Heilberg, excavating hundreds of fossil metasequoias. The fossils are immaculately well-preserved. “Some of this stuff looks about like driftwood on the beach, but it’s 45 million years old,” Jahren says. “These fossils are chemically preserved at a level you usually would expect to see in something that’s only 1,000 years old.” That’s ideal for Jahren, who studies the presence of isotopes of elements like carbon, nitrogen and oxygen in living and fossilized plants. Isotopes are forms of an element that differ only by the addition of one or more subatomic particles known as neutrons. Jarhen, the winner of last year's Geological Society of America Donath Medal for most promising young scientist, studies the isotopes to learn more about plants' relationship to weather and climate change. In her group's first major Axel Heilberg results, published in the January issue of the Geological Society’s “GSA Today,” they measured the presence of isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen in the fossilized metasequoias. Jahren notes that other major climatological differences at the time included the lack of a north polar ice cap.

Source: Cornell University (http://www.cornell.edu/) Posted 4/23/2002 Cooking Tomatoes Boosts Disease-Fighting Power ITHACA, N.Y. -- Cooking tomatoes -- such as in spaghetti sauce -- makes the fruit heart-healthier and boosts its cancer-fighting ability. All this, despite a loss of vitamin C during the cooking process, say Cornell food scientists. The reason: cooking substantially raises the levels of beneficial compounds called phytochemicals. Writing in the latest issue of the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry (April 17), Rui Hai Liu, M.D., Cornell assistant professor of food science, notes, "This research demonstrates that heat processing actually enhanced the nutritional value of tomatoes by increasing the lycopene content -- a phytochemical that makes tomatoes red -- that can be absorbed by the body, as well as the total antioxidant activity. The research dispels the popular notion that processed fruits and vegetables have lower nutritional value than fresh produce." Tomato samples were heated to 88 degrees Celsius (190.4 degrees Fahrenheit) for two minutes, a quarter-hour and a half-hour and antioxidant levels in the heated tomatoes increased by 28, 34 and 62 percent, respectively. Antioxidants protect the human body from cell and tissue damage, which occurs when harmful molecules called free radicals, released as oxygen, are metabolized by the body. Lycopene, a carotenoid responsible for the red color in tomatoes and other fruits, has long been known as a powerful antioxidant that decreases cancer and heart-disease risk. Carotenoids, along with phenolic acids and flavonoids, are all phytochemicals, the nutritionally beneficial active compounds found in every fruit and vegetable. While the antioxidant activity in tomatoes is enhanced during the cooking process, vitamin C loss occurs when the food's ascorbic acid is oxidized to dehydroascorbic acid and other forms of nutritionally inactive components.Lycopene is the most-efficient single oxygen quencher, and devours more than 10 times more oxygenated free radicals than vitamin E. "This makes lycopene's presence in the diet important," says Liu. "While these findings go against the notion that processed fruits and vegetables have lower nutritional value, this may create a new image for processed fruits and vegetables," says Liu. "Ultimately, this could increase consumers' intake of fruits and vegetables and could possibly reduce a person's risk of chronic disease."

Ram, I was not able to find out why it works, but it seems the practice is still being done in modern times, as I read that the bones of Indira Gandhi and her son Rajiv were also put in the water there.

LONDON (Reuters) -- Supermarket lines will be shorter, road rage will ease and everyone will be getting on better over the next few weeks thanks to a rare planetary grouping, British astrologers believe. Absolute nonsense, say astronomers. From now until early June the five planets that can be seen with the naked eye -- Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn -- will move into a rough grouping on the same, visible, side of the sun, something that happens only once a century. "People will be able to see the planets with the naked eye lining up about 45 minutes after sunset," Robert Warren at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London told Reuters on Friday. He said stargazers should watch the planets rising from the western horizon where the five should be grouped within a span of 10 degrees of sky, or about the width of a fist held at arm's length. While astronomers are busy swinging their telescopes westwards, astrologers are reaching for their charts and predicting great changes. "The coming together of the five naked eye planets in conjunction with other cosmic influences will greatly affect the collective human unconscious," astrologer Walter Berg told Reuters. Berg said a chart for April 30 predicted greater human harmony and increased teamwork. "That will manifest itself in shorter supermarket queues, quieter roads and people getting on better," he said. "It will be like an army marching in step." Joyce Hopewell of the Astrological Psychology Institute agreed. "The focus is on Gemini which is all about communication," she said. Berg said the movement of planets through space affects the solar magnetic field which in turn affects the geo magnetic field influencing people's central nervous system. This in turn means people will be more in tune with each other and better equipped to avoid the petty hassles and confrontations of everyday life. But not everyone is convinced. "Complete rubbish," said Robert Massey, an astronomer at the Royal Observatory. "It is bizarre to say planets have that sort of an impact. It would be really impressive if the planets suddenly produced world peace -- but I doubt it will happen," he said. [This message has been edited by dasa (edited 04-22-2002).]

Described by the Vedas as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Rama appeared in human society many millennia ago. Ramayana is an account of his pastimes performed whilst on earth, compiled by the sage and mystic Valmiki. It tells how Rama took his birth in order to assist the gods in their mission of eradicating evil from the world. From the very beginning of his life Rama displayed all divine qualities. His superhuman activities culminated in the killing of the otherwise invincible ten headed demon Ravana. The Vedas say that simply by regularly hearing of Rama’s activities one can achieve perfection and happiness in life, and ultimately attain spiritual emancipation. His famous consort Sita was an incarnation of the Goddess of Fortune, Sri Lakshmidevi. Those who become devoted to Rama attract her mercy and are thus blessed with all opulence. In the ancient Vedic text, Bhagavat Purana, it is said: “Lord Rama’s spotless name and fame, which can vanquish all sinful reactions, are celebrated in all directions of the universe. Great saints are forever chanting his glories. All the gods, including even Brahma and Siva, worship him by bowing their heads to the ground. Let us therefore offer our obeisances to him.” [This message has been edited by dasa (edited 04-21-2002).]

Nasik Rama Kunda Bathing Tank Nasik is a holy city located about 5 hours northeast of Bombay (187km). Lord Rama stayed here for some time during His exile and Sita was carried off by Ravana from this place. Nasik is on the banks of the Godavari river, which flows to the bay of Bengal. Laxman the younger brother of Rama cut off the nose of Surnapaka, the younger sister of Ravana here. That is why this place has the name Nasik. Kumba Mela takes place here every 12 years. Sri Caitanya visited here. The Rama Kunda area is the main pilgrimage place in Nasik. This is where Rama and Sita used to bathe, so the tank is considered especially sacred. It is also called Asthi Vilaya Tirtha (Bone Immersion Tank) because bones dropped here dissolve. In recent years the following people's bones were dropped in the Tirtha after they died: Mahatma Ghandi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Dr. Rajendra Prasad and many other famous people. Lord Rama is said to have performed funeral rites in memory of His father King Dasaratha. [This message has been edited by dasa (edited 04-21-2002).]

Rameswaram There are four dhamas, or kingdoms of God, which are Badrinath, Jagannath Puri, Rameswaram and Dwaraka. Rameswaram is located at the southeastern end of the Indian Peninsula. Rameswaram is on an island, which is the shape of a conch shell, in the Gulf of Mannar. The island is sanctified by the footprints of Lord Rama. It is said that Lord Rama bathed at Dhanushkodi, where the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean meet. There is a major Lord Shiva temple here called the Ramanathaswami Temple. This name indicates that Lord Shiva is a great personality, whose worshipable Deity is Lord Rama. This temple is very popular. Temple Story It is said that the Siva-linga in the the Ramanathaswami Temple was installed by Sri Rama on His return to the mainland from the island of Lanka, after killing Ravana. Rama wanted to install a Siva-linga in Rameswaram to absolve Himself of the sin of killing Ravana, who was a brahmin. Rama sent Hanuman to Mount Kailash to get the linga. Since Hanuman was late when the auspicious time for installation neared, Sita made a Siva-linga out of sand. This linga was then installed by Rama and is known as the Rama-linga, because it was installed by Lord Rama. At the time Hanuman came with the Siva-linga from Mount Kailash, he was disappointed to find a linga already installed. Rama told Hanuman that he could remove the linga made by Sita and install the one He brought in its place. Hanuman took hold of the linga with his hands and could not move it. He then wrapped his tail around it and tried to pull the linga out, but it did not move. The linga is said to still have the marks of Hanuman’s tail on it. To pacify Hanuman, Rama had the linga he brought, the Viswa-linga, installed alongside the Rama-linga. He ordered that puja (worship) be performed first to the Viswa-linga, which is still being done today.

Stone Monuments or Natural Geology? Japan's Mysterious Submerged Stone Structures: New evidence suggests they may have been used by Man Man-made, made by Nature, or did humankind finish what Nature started? These enigmatic, sunken stone structures off Okinawa, Japan, located 60 to 100 feet beneath the ocean surface, have the Japanese wondering if their homeland was once part of the lost continent of Mu. Stone terraces, right angled block and walls, and stone circles encompassing hexagonal columns look intriguingly, if not conclusively, man made. A few more clues: an encircling road, what might be post holes supported long-gone wooden structures, what look like cut steps, and castles with similar archietecture located nearby and still on land. The two sites that are getting the most attention: near the city of Naha is Okinawa is what looks like a wall, with a coral encrusted right angled block. Another, just off the southern end of the tiny island of Yonaguni, the southernmost island of Japan, is an extensive site, with five irregular layers that look like ceremonial, terraced platforms. There are eight anomalous, underwater sites found to date. Prof. Masaaki Kimura, a marine geologist with the University of the Ryukyus in Okinawa has spent several years studying all eight sties, especially Yonaguni, which was found 13 years ago, in 1985. Kimura believes these are monuments made by man, left by an unknown civilization, perhaps from the Asian mainland, home of our oldest civilizations. He reasons that if the five layers on the Yonaguni site had been carved by nature, you would find debris from the erosion to have collected around the site, but no rock fragments have yet been found. He adds that there is what look like a road encircling the site as further indication it was used by man. He believes building this monument necessitated a high degree of technology, and some sort of machinery. How to date these sites? A few possible scenarios have been suggested. The sites may have been submerged when sea levels rose at the end of the last Ice Age as the continental ice sheets melted. Or, as Japan sits on the Ring of Fire, tectonic activity might have caused subsidence of the land. Or perhaps a combination of subsidence and inundation from rising sea levels, or some catastrophic event, dropped it, intact and upright, into the ocean. Teruaki Ishii, a professor of geology at Tokyo University, believes the site is partly man-made, partly natural, and suggests a date of 8,000 B.C., contemporary to the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley. Others have suggested a date of 12,00 years. The preliminary reports from the fist Americans to dive the sites: Just back (May 1998) from diving two of the eight known sites are Mike Arbuthnot, an amateur underwater archeologist adventurer, and Boris Said, Executive Producer of the NBC documentary, "Mystery of the Sphinx." Both are experienced divers. Arbuthnot explored a three-mast schooner wrecked off Grand Cayman Island, and Said has been diving for 40 years. It was treacherous terrain even for experienced divers. "The Yonaguni site is fairly near the shore, so there was heavy surge (the up and down motion of waves) as well as swift currents, and sharks," says Arbuthnot. "One the up side, the area has the third clearest water in the world, with visibility to 200 feet. And the corals were gorgeous." "The two sites are very different, though both are at a comparable depth, 60 to 100 feet beneath the ocean’s surface. The Yonaguni site might be ceremonial platforms, and the Okinawa site seems similar to a castle wall, a conjecture that is supported by nearby castles on the island with a similar architectural style," says Arbuthnot. Arbuthnot says that when he came up after the first dive, at Yonaguni, he found little to suggest that it was man made. It was only after diving the Okinawa site, and interviewing Prof. Kimura for two days, that he began to entertain the notion. The conversations with Prof. Kimura were all the more productive and in-depth, with the translating skills of Corina Tettinger, who speaks fluent Japanese. "The case for the sites being artificial, or modified by man, requires supporting evidence," he says, and "we found very precise rectilinear stone features that seem to be indicative of either artificial tooling, or modifying the natural geology." A particularly intriguing find: holes in the rock platforms. Could these be post holes to support a wooden structure? The terraces are massive, by human standards. But we can imagine naturally terraced platforms easily utilized for ceremonial purposes with the addition of wooden structures built atop them. You’d simply need to insert the supporting beams into the rock, by drilling a few holes. "What we were able to observe was fascinating and warrants additional research," he says. "There is some false information on the sites out there. We want to bring clarity to the situation, and intend to mount a full-scale scientific expedition to do further investigation." We'll report new developments on this project as they happen. Geologist Robert Schoch and Egyptologist John Anthony West (both featured in the NBC documentary "The Mystery of the Sphinx") dove many months ago at Yonaguni, also without arriving at any conclusions, only more questions. Schoch focused on determining what geological forces might have been at work here. While he notes that the strong currents might have cut the terraces out of the layered sediments, he has not ruled out human modification. Schoch says he very much wants to go back to dive again before arriving at any conclusions. "I have not seen the other sites," he says, "and, not having previous diving experience, I spent much of my time underwater just staying alive." [This message has been edited by dasa (edited 04-19-2002).]

the holy ganges bath at the sangam Besides the ganges, there are two other sacred rivers located at Allahabad—the yamuna and the saraswati. The yamuna, like the ganges, has its earthly origin in the himalayas. The saraswati, however, is a mystical river which has no physical form. It is believed that the saraswati exists only on the ethereal or spiritual plane and is invisible to the human eye. This holy river is mentioned repeatedly in India's sacred texts like the Mababharata and is said to be present at Allahabad where it joins the yamuna and the ganges. This confluence of India's three most sacred rivers is called the sangam. The highlight for most pilgrims during a Kumbha Mela festival is the observance of a holy bath at the sangam. A holy bath in either of the sacred rivers has purifying effects, but where the three rivers meet, the purification is said to increase one hundred times. It is further believed that when one takes a sacred bath at the sangam during the Kumbha Mela, the potency of the holy water is increased one thousand times. For this reason, Indians believe that the Kumbha Mela is the most auspicious place in the universe to take a holy bath. Armed with this faith, pilgrims attend Kumbha Mela and bathe in the Ganges in a mood of solemn reverence. The American poet Mark Twain expressed his wonder at the faith of the pilgrims at the Kumbha Mela when he wrote in More Tramps Abroad (1895): "These pilgrims had come from all over India: some of them had been months on the way, plodding patiently along in the heat and dust, worn and poor, hungry, but supported and sustained by an unwavering faith and belief. It is wonderful, that the power of faith like that can make multitude upon multitudes of the old and weak and the young and frail enter without hesitation or complaint upon such incredible journeys and endure the resultant miseries without repining."

From JNDAS: Image no longer exists, so deleted.

early kumbha mela history Mark Twain was not the first Westerner to witness the Kumbha Mela. The Kumbha Mela had for many centuries attracted the curiosity of foreign travelers. Megasthenes, the Greek ambassador to the court of King Chandra Gupta, visited Kumbha Mela for seventy-five days in the fourth century B.C. Later, Hieun Tsiang of China toured India in the seventh century A.D. and mentioned Kumbha Mela in his diary. He gave an eyewitness report that during the Hindu month of Magha (January-February), half a million people had gathered on the banks of the Ganges at Allahabad to observe a great celebration. "The pilgrims," writes Hieun Tsiang, "assembled along with their Emperor, Maharaja Harshavardhana, his ministers, scholars, philosophers, and sages." He also reports that the emperor distributed enormous quantities of gold, silver, and jewels in charity to the pilgrims. Dominated by Buddhism, Jainism, and Islamism in the eighth century, India's ancient spiritual traditions were on the verge of extinction. In an effort to revitalize the ancient traditions, a saint and religious reformer named Shankara popularized the Kumbha Mela as a meeting place for the spiritually inclined. His efforts proved successful, making Kumbha Mela the largest spiritual gathering in the world. Jayendra Saraswati Swami of Sankara Sect Shankara emphasized the importance of associating with saintly persons while at the Kumbha Mela. Shankara placed more importance on hearing transcendental knowledge with faith and attention from self-realized persons, darshan, than he did on taking a holy bath in the Ganges. According to Shankara, the darshan of saintly persons, who are themselves the personification of truth and purity, can enable one to easily achieve the ultimate stage of self-realization-whereas a holy bath in the Ganges only removes the impediment of bad karma. Thus, both hearing spiritual topics from saints and bathing in the Ganges are still the two main focuses of the people at Kumbha Mela. [This message has been edited by dasa (edited 04-16-2002).]

A kind heart is a fountain of gladness, making everything in its vicinity freshen into smiles. --Washington Irving Kindness has converted more sinners than zeal, eloquence or learning. --Frederick W. Faber Kindness is the ability to love someone more than they deserve. --Anonymous Great persons are able to do great kindnesses. --Miguel de Cervantes Constant kindness can accomplish much. As the sun makes ice melt, kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust, and hostility to evaporate. --Albert Schweitzer (01/14/1875-1965) I have never met a person whose greatest need was anything other than real, unconditional love. You can find it in a simple act of kindness toward somone who needs help. There is no mistaking love. You feel it in your heart. It is the common fiber of life, the flame that heals our soul, energizes our spirit and supplies passion to our lives. It is our connection to God and to each other. --Elizabeth Kubler-Ross Kindness is in our power, even when fondness is not. --Samuel Johnson The best portion of a good man's life is his little, nameless unremembered acts of kindness and of love. --William Wordsworth My religion is simple, my religion is kindness. --Dalai Llama Kindness: a language the deaf can hear and the blind can see. --Unknown Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness Kindness in giving creates love. --Lao-Tzu Remember there's no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end. --Scott Adams

Deep Thoughts by Jack Handy To me, it's a good idea to always carry two sacks of something when you walk around. That way, if anybody says, "Hey, can you give me a hand?" You can say, "Sorry, got these sacks." If you lived in the Dark Ages and you were a catapult operator, I bet the most common question people would ask is, "Can't you make it shoot farther?No, I'm sorry. That's as far as it shoots." The face of a child can say it all, especially the mouth part of the face. If you ever drop your keys into a river of molten lava, let'em go, because, man, they're gone. 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. If you ever catch on fire, try to avoid seeing yourself in the mirror, because I bet that's what REALLY throws you into a panic. To me, boxing is like a ballet, except there's no music, no choreography and the dancers hit each other. I hope if dogs ever take over the world and they choose a king, they don't just go by size, because I bet there are some Chihuahuas with some good ideas. Kids' Deep Thoughts Thursday, February 28, 2002 -- Apparently from an actual newspaper contest where entrants age 4 to 15 were asked to imitate "Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey." -- I believe you should live each day as if it is your last, which is why I don't have any clean laundry because, come on, who wants to wash clothes on the last day of their life? -- Age 15 Give me the strength to change the things I can, the grace to accept the things I cannot, and a great big bag of money. -- Age 13 Democracy is a beautiful thing, except for that part about letting just any old yokel vote. -- Age 10 For centuries, people thought the moon was made of green cheese. Then the astronauts found that the moon is really a big hard rock. That's what happens to cheese when you leave it out. -- Age 6 Think of the biggest number you can. Now add five. Then, imagine if you had that many Twinkies. Wow, that's five more than the biggest number you could come up with! -- Age 6 As you make your way through this hectic world of ours, set aside a few minutes each day. At the end of the year, you'll have a couple of days saved up. -- Age 7 Often, when I am reading a good book, I stop and thank my teacher. That is, I used to, until she got an unlisted number. -- Age 15 It would be terrible if the Red Cross Bloodmobile got into an accident. No, wait. That would be good because if anyone needed it, the blood would be right there. -- Age 5 If we could just get everyone to close their eyes and visualize world peace for an hour, imagine how serene and quiet it would be until the looting started. -- Age 15 [This message has been edited by dasa (edited 04-06-2002).]

Two elderly couples were enjoying friendly conversation when one of the men asked the other, "Fred, how was the memory clinic you went to last month?" "Outstanding," Fred replied. "They taught us all the latest psychological techniques: visualization, association, etc. It was great." "That's great! And what was the name of the clinic?" Fred went blank. He thought and thought, but couldn't remember. Then a smile broke across his face and he asked, "What do you call that flower with the long stem and thorns?" "You mean a rose?" "Yes, that's it!" He turned to his wife, "Rose, what was the name of that memory clinic?"