bhaktajan

Jesus was not vaisnava --but he was sent by Visnu <HR align=center width="100%" color=white noShade SIZE=1> There was more to Jesus's knowledge and mission, but he said that he could not yet reveal, at that time and place. All Avataras and all the Devatas worship Visnu [as Srila Prabhupada says]. All avataras preach as per time and place. Jesus was so empowered that he could have performed much more elaborate pastimes ie: take the thrown of the David etc but he didn't --it was a lousy time and place for avataras. The workings of saving souls occurs between long stretches of time during which much suffering is the rule. This is par for the course in the material world especially during the wind-down time of the cycles of 4 ages. "We are not the body we are spirit souls" --everyone in history up until the present is beholding to Jesus for this revelation.

Jesu Cristo Died to be re-born = You are the soul not the body <HR align=center width="100%" color=white noShade SIZE=1> Jesu Cristo Died to be re-born = You are the soul not the body The opening Postings above are fervent and demonstrate a devotional sentiment that is admirable in itself--but lacking in proper scholarship. One must consult the original Greek, Aramaic, and Hebrew original text(s) inorder to better find hidden spiritual parallel maxims. The glory of Srila Prabhupada is that he provides us with pristine versions of ancient text that heretofore was unobtainable, thus paving a way for countless 'sanskrit' scholars. Linguistically, we Vaishnava intellectuals are tired of combing though arcane texts that seem to be so obviously convoluted from the almost every word--so much fluff with so little nectar to derive for the effort. Since Avataras appear according to time, place and mentality of the general population--it is my opinion that the meanings behind the advent and earthly pastimes of our Favorite Boddhisattva: Jesu Cristo was plain and simple as per the common polulace and an era that preceeded him and especially for the era proceeding him: "Jesus died and rose from the dead" -- this is the sum and substance of his buisness here on earth 2000 years ago. this is beause: The first rule for beginner of Yoga life is: "We are not this material body, we are spirit souls in this material world". Thus, any simply and uneducated common person living in the Roman empire and throughout the known world at that time would be forced to reconcile the gosple of Christ's pastimes and immediately conceed that 'the soul is not temporal but transcendental, etc etc etc., and all conceeded with nothing other than faith to anchor this Philosophcal maxim'--such a thing is on its on strength enough to set the course of history for the proceeding two centuries . . . Anyone who disputes this simply must look at the example of Jusus Christ. "A soul is a soul is a soul is a soul." "What's in a name? That which we call a soul By any other name would smell as sweet."

"to serve as a public example of the importance of bhakti and meditating on the Lord's Names" "so I imagine kirtan would be the major focus"

erzats: Originally there was only one Veda, and there was no necessity of reading it. People were so intelligent and had such sharp memories that by once hearing from the lips of the spiritual master they would understand. They would immediately grasp the whole purport. But five thousand years ago Vyäsadeva put the Vedas in writing for the people in this age, Kali-yuga. He knew that eventually the people would be short-lived, their memories would be very poor, and their intelligence would not be very sharp. “Therefore, let me teach this Vedic knowledge in writing.” He divided the Vedas into four: Åg, Säma, Atharva and Yajur. Then he gave the charge of these Vedas to his different disciples. He then thought of the less intelligent class of men—stré, çüdra and dvija-bandhu. He considered the woman class and çüdra class (worker class) and dvija-bandhu. Dvija-bandhu refers to those who are born in a high family but who are not properly qualified. A man who is born in the family of a brähmaëa but is not qualified as a brähmaëa is called dvija-bandhu. For these persons he compiled the Mahäbhärata, called the history of India, and the eighteen Puräëas. These are all part of the Vedic literature: the Puräëas, the Mahäbhärata, the four Vedas and the Upaniñads. The Upaniñads are part of the Vedas. Then Vyäsadeva summarized all Vedic knowledge for scholars and philosophers in what is called the Vedänta-sütra. This is the last word of the Vedas. Vyäsadeva personally wrote the Vedänta-sütra under the instructions of Närada, his Guru Mahäräja (spiritual master), but still he was not satisfied. That is a long story, described in Çrémad-Bhägavatam. Vedavyäsa was not very satisfied even after compiling many Puräëas and Upaniñads, and even after writing the Vedänta-sütra. Then his spiritual master, Närada, instructed him, “You explain the Vedänta-sütra.” Vedänta means “ultimate knowledge,” and the ultimate knowledge is Kåñëa. Kåñëa says that throughout all the Vedas one has to understand Him: vedänta-kåd veda-vid eva cäham. Kåñëa says, “I am the compiler of the Vedänta-sütra, and I am the knower of the Vedas.” Therefore the ultimate objective is Kåñëa. That is explained in all the Vaiñëava commentaries on Vedänta philosophy. We Gauòéya Vaiñëavas have our commentary on Vedänta philosophy, called Govinda-bhäñya, by Baladeva Vidyäbhüñaëa. Similarly, Rämänujäcärya has a commentary, and Madhväcärya has one. The version of Çaìkaräcärya is not the only commentary. There are many Vedänta commentaries, but because the Vaiñëavas did not present the first Vedänta commentary, people are under the wrong impression that Çaìkaräcärya’s is the only Vedänta commentary. Besides that, Vyäsadeva himself wrote the perfect Vedänta commentary, Çrémad-Bhägavatam. Çrémad-Bhägavatam begins with the first words of the Vedänta-sütra: janmädy asya yataù [sB 1.1.1]. And that janmädy asya yataù is fully explained in Çrémad-Bhägavatam. The Vedänta-sütra simply hints at what is Brahman, the Absolute Truth: “The Absolute Truth is that from whom everything emanates.” This is a summary, but it is explained in detail in Çrémad-Bhägavatam. If everything is emanating from the Absolute Truth, then what is the nature of the Absolute Truth? That is explained in Çrémad-Bhägavatam. The Absolute Truth must be consciousness. He is self-effulgent (sva-räö). We develop our consciousness and knowledge by receiving knowledge from others, but for Him it is said that He is self-effulgent. The whole summary of Vedic knowledge is the Vedänta-sütra, and the Vedänta-sütra is explained by the writer himself in Çrémad-Bhägavatam. We finally request those who are actually after Vedic knowledge to try to understand the explanation of all Vedic knowledge from Çrémad-Bhägavatam and the Bhagavad-gétä. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Happy New Years, Bhaktajan

erzats: Jnana yoga [pron: 'gya-na'] erzats: (aka sankhya or dhayana) erzats: According to Srimad-Bhagavatam, there are twelve mahajanas, or great souls, and these are: (1) Brahma, (2) Lord Siva, (3) Narada, (4) Vaivasvata Manu, (5) Kapila (not the atheist, but the original Kapila), (6) the Kumaras, (7) Prahlada, (8) Bhisma, (9) Janaka, (10) Çukadeva Gosvämé, (11) Bali Mahäräja and (12) Yamaräja.

Jan 26, 2009 World's highest drug levels entering India stream PATANCHERU, India -- When researchers analyzed vials of treated wastewater taken from a plant where about 90 Indian drug factories dump their residues, they were shocked. Enough of a single, powerful antibiotic was being spewed into one stream each day to treat every person in a city of 90,000. And it wasn't just ciprofloxacin being detected. The supposedly cleaned water was a floating medicine cabinet - a soup of 21 different active pharmaceutical ingredients, used in generics for treatment of hypertension, heart disease, chronic liver ailments, depression, gonorrhea, ulcers and other ailments. Half of the drugs measured at the highest levels of pharmaceuticals ever detected in the environment, researchers say. Those Indian factories produce drugs for much of the world, including many Americans. The result: Some of ffice:smarttags" /><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com<st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s poor are unwittingly consuming an array of chemicals that may be harmful, and could lead to the proliferation of drug-resistant bacteria. "If you take a bath there, then you have all the antibiotics you need for treatment," said chemist Klaus Kuemmerer at the University of Freiburg Medical Center in Germany, an expert on drug resistance in the environment who did not participate in the research. "If you just swallow a few gasps of water, you're treated for everything. The question is for how long?" Last year, trace concentrations of pharmaceuticals had been found in drinking water provided to at least 46 million Americans in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">USA</st1:place></st1:country-region>. But the wastewater downstream from the Indian plants contained 150 times the highest levels detected in the U.S. At first, Joakim Larsson, an environmental scientist at the University </ST1:Pof <ST1:PGothenburg </ST1:Pin <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Sweden</st1:place></st1:country-region>, questioned whether 100 pounds a day of ciprofloxacin could really be running into the stream. The researcher was so baffled by the unprecedented results he sent the samples to a second lab for independent analysis. When those reports came back with similarly record-high levels, Larsson knew he was looking at a potentially serious situation. After all, some villagers fish in the stream's tributaries, while others drink from wells nearby. Livestock also depend on these watering holes. Some locals long believed drugs were seeping into their drinking water, and new data from Larsson's study presented at a <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> scientific conference in November confirmed their suspicions. Ciprofloxacin, the antibiotic, and the popular antihistamine cetirizine had the highest levels in the wells of six villages tested. Both drugs measured far below a human dose, but the results were still alarming. "We don't have any other source, so we're drinking it," said R. Durgamma, a mother of four, sitting on the steps of her crude mud home in a bright flowered sari a few miles downstream from the treatment plant. High drug concentrations were recently found in her well water. "When the local leaders come, we offer them water and they won't take it." Pharmaceutical contamination is an emerging concern worldwide. In its series of articles, AP documented the commonplace presence of minute concentrations of pharmaceuticals in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> drinking water supplies. The AP also found that trace concentrations of pharmaceuticals were almost ubiquitous in rivers, lakes and streams. The medicines are excreted without being fully metabolized by people who take them, while hospitals and long-term care facilities annually flush millions of pounds of unused pills down the drain. Until Larsson's research, there had been widespread consensus among researchers that drug makers were not a source. The consequences of the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> studies are worrisome. As the AP reported last year, researchers are finding that human cells fail to grow normally in the laboratory when exposed to trace concentrations of certain pharmaceuticals. Some waterborne drugs also promote antibiotic-resistant germs, especially when - as in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> - they are mixed with bacteria in human sewage. Even extremely diluted concentrations of drug residues harm the reproductive systems of fish, frogs and other aquatic species in the wild. In the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> research, tadpoles exposed to water from the treatment plant that had been diluted 500 times were nonetheless 40 percent smaller than those growing in clean water. The discovery of this contamination raises two key issues for researchers and policy makers: the amount of pollution and its source. Experts say one of the biggest concerns for humans is whether the discharge from the wastewater treatment facility is spawning drug resistance. "Not only is there the danger of antibiotic-resistant bacteria evolving; the entire biological food web could be affected," said Stan Cox, senior scientist at the Land Institute, a nonprofit agriculture research center in Salina, Kan. Cox has studied and written about pharmaceutical pollution in Patancheru. "If Cipro is so widespread, it is likely that other drugs are out in the environment and getting into people's bodies." Before Larsson's team tested the water at Patancheru Enviro Tech Ltd. plant, researchers largely attributed the source of drugs in water to their use, rather than their manufacture. In the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region>, the EPA says there are "well defined and controlled" limits to the amount of pharmaceutical waste emitted by drug makers. India's environmental protections are being met at Patancheru, says Rajeshwar Tiwari, who heads the area's pollution control board. And while he says regulations have tightened since Larsson's initial research, screening for pharmaceutical residue at the end of the treatment process is not required. Factories in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> report on releases of 22 active pharmaceutical ingredients, the AP found by analyzing EPA data. But many more drugs have been discovered in domestic drinking water. Possibly complicating the situation, Larsson's team also found high drug concentration levels in lakes upstream from the treatment plant, indicating potential illegal dumping - an issue both Indian pollution officials and the drug industry acknowledge has been a past problem, but one they say is practiced much less now. In addition, before Larsson's study detected such large concentrations of ciprofloxacin and other drugs in the treated wastewater, levels of pharmaceuticals detected in the environment and drinking water worldwide were minute, well below a human dose. "I'll tell you, I've never seen concentrations this high before. And they definitely ... are having some biological impact, at least in the effluent," said Dan Schlenk, an ecotoxicologist from the <ST1:PUniversity of California</ST1:P, Riverside, who was not involved in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> research. And even though the levels recently found in Indian village wells were much lower than the wastewater readings, someone drinking regularly from the worst-affected reservoirs would receive more than two full doses of an antihistamine in a year. "Who has a responsibility for a polluted environment when the <st1:place w:st="on">Third World</st1:place> produces drugs for our well being?" Larsson asked scientists at a recent environmental research conference. M. Narayana Reddy, president of India's Bulk Drug Manufacturers Association, disputes Larsson's initial results: "I have challenged it," he said. "It is the wrong information provided by some research person." Reddy acknowledged the region is polluted, but said that the contamination came from untreated human excrement and past industry abuses. He and pollution control officials also say villagers are supposed to drink clean water piped in from the city or hauled in by tankers - water a court ordered industry to provide. But locals complain of insufficient supplies and some say they are forced to use wells. Larsson's research has created a stir among environmental experts, and his findings are widely accepted in the scientific community. "That's really quite an incredible and disturbing level," said Renee Sharp, senior analyst at the Washington-based Environmental Working Group. "It's absolutely the last thing you would ever want to see when you're talking about the rise of antibiotic bacterial resistance in the world." The more bacteria is exposed to a drug, the more likely that bacteria will mutate in a way that renders the drug ineffective. Such resistant bacteria can then possibly infect others who spread the bugs as they travel. Ciprofloxacin was once considered a powerful antibiotic of last resort, used to treat especially tenacious infections. But in recent years many bacteria have developed resistance to the drug, leaving it significantly less effective. "We are using these drugs, and the disease is not being cured - there is resistance going on there," said Dr. A. Kishan Rao, a medical doctor and environmental activist who has treated people for more than 30 years near the drug factories. He says he worries most about the long-term effects on his patients potentially being exposed to constant low levels of drugs. And then there's the variety, the mixture of drugs that aren't supposed to interact. No one knows what effects that could cause. "It's a global concern," he said. "European countries and the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> are protecting their environment and importing the drugs at the cost of the people in developing countries." While the human risks are disconcerting, Sharp said the environmental damage is potentially even worse. "People might say, 'Oh sure, that's just a dirty river in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>,' but we live on a small planet, everything is connected. The water in a river in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> could be the rain coming down in your town in a few weeks," she said. Patancheru became a hub for largely unregulated chemical and drug factories in the 1980s, creating what one local newspaper has termed an "ecological sacrifice zone" with its waste. Since then, <st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region> has become one of the world's leading exporters of pharmaceuticals, and the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> - which spent $1.4 billion on Indian-made drugs in 2007 - is its largest customer. A spokesman for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of <st1:country-region w:st="on">America</st1:country-region>, representing major <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> drugmakers, said they could not comment about the Indian pollution because the Patancheru plants are making generic drugs and their members are branded. A spokesman for the Generic Pharmaceutical Association said the issues of Indian factory pollution are "not within the scope of the activities" of their group. Drug factories in the <st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region> and <st1:place w:st="on">Europe</st1:place> have strictly enforced waste treatment processes. At the Patancheru water treatment plant, the process is outdated, with wastewater from the 90 bulk drug makers trucked to the plant and poured into a cistern. Solids are filtered out, then raw sewage is added to biologically break down the chemicals. The wastewater, which has been clarified but is still contaminated, is dumped into the Isakavagu stream that runs into the Nakkavagu and Manjira, and eventually into the <st1:place w:st="on"><ST1:PGodawari </ST1:PRiver</ST1:P</st1:place>. In <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region></st1:place>, villagers near this treatment plant have a long history of fighting pollution from various industries and allege their air, water and crops have been poisoned for decades by factories making everything from tires to paints and textiles. Some lakes brim with filmy, acrid water that burns the nostrils when inhaled and causes the eyes to tear. "I'm frustrated. We have told them so many times about this problem, but nobody does anything," said Syed Bashir Ahmed, 80, casting a makeshift fishing pole while crouched in tall grass along the river bank near the bulk drug factories. "The poor are helpless. What can we do?"

Mercury Found in Commercial Corn Syrup USA (Jan. 26) – Almost half of the corn syrup tested in a new study contained mercury, according to HealthDay News. And a third of commercial food products with corn syrup had mercury as well. The studies focused on high-fructose corn syrup, known as HFCS, which is often produced using caustic soda that contains mercury, the news service reported. One study, published in the Environmental Health journal, found detectable levels of mercury in nine out of 20 commercial HFCS samples. The other study found that one of every three brand-name foods, out of 55 tested, included mercury, HeathDay News reported. The most common foods with mercury were dairy products, dressing and condiments. "The bad news is that nobody knows whether or not their soda or snack food contains HFCS made from ingredients like caustic soda contaminated with mercury," said Dr. David Wallinga, of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, in HealthDay News. He co-authored both studies. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, high levels of mercury can cause brain and liver damage. Short-term exposure to high levels of mercury can increase blood pressure and trigger rashes, eye irritation, nausea, vomiting and other health problems. "Mercury is toxic in all its forms," Wallinga said, according to HealthDay News. "Given how much high-fructose corn syrup is consumed by children, it could be a significant additional source of mercury never before considered.”

Jan 26, 2009 World's highest drug levels entering India stream PATANCHERU, India -- When researchers analyzed vials of treated wastewater taken from a plant where about 90 Indian drug factories dump their residues, they were shocked. Enough of a single, powerful antibiotic was being spewed into one stream each day to treat every person in a city of 90,000. And it wasn't just ciprofloxacin being detected. The supposedly cleaned water was a floating medicine cabinet - a soup of 21 different active pharmaceutical ingredients, used in generics for treatment of hypertension, heart disease, chronic liver ailments, depression, gonorrhea, ulcers and other ailments. Half of the drugs measured at the highest levels of pharmaceuticals ever detected in the environment, researchers say. Those Indian factories produce drugs for much of the world, including many Americans. The result: Some of India's poor are unwittingly consuming an array of chemicals that may be harmful, and could lead to the proliferation of drug-resistant bacteria. "If you take a bath there, then you have all the antibiotics you need for treatment," said chemist Klaus Kuemmerer at the University of Freiburg Medical Center in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com<st1:place w:st=" /><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Germany</st1:place></st1:country-region>, an expert on drug resistance in the environment who did not participate in the research. "If you just swallow a few gasps of water, you're treated for everything. The question is for how long?" Last year, trace concentrations of pharmaceuticals had been found in drinking water provided to at least 46 million Americans in the USA. But the wastewater downstream from the Indian plants contained 150 times the highest levels detected in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"></st1:place></st1:country-region> At first, Joakim Larsson, an environmental scientist at the <ST1:PUniversity </ST1:Pof <ST1:PGothenburg in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Sweden</st1:place></st1:country-region>, questioned whether 100 pounds a day of ciprofloxacin could really be running into the stream. The researcher was so baffled by the unprecedented results he sent the samples to a second lab for independent analysis. When those reports came back with similarly record-high levels, Larsson knew he was looking at a potentially serious situation. After all, some villagers fish in the stream's tributaries, while others drink from wells nearby. Livestock also depend on these watering holes. Some locals long believed drugs were seeping into their drinking water, and new data from Larsson's study presented at a <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> scientific conference in November confirmed their suspicions. Ciprofloxacin, the antibiotic, and the popular antihistamine cetirizine had the highest levels in the wells of six villages tested. Both drugs measured far below a human dose, but the results were still alarming. "We don't have any other source, so we're drinking it," said R. Durgamma, a mother of four, sitting on the steps of her crude mud home in a bright flowered sari a few miles downstream from the treatment plant. High drug concentrations were recently found in her well water. "When the local leaders come, we offer them water and they won't take it." Pharmaceutical contamination is an emerging concern worldwide. In its series of articles, AP documented the commonplace presence of minute concentrations of pharmaceuticals in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> drinking water supplies. The AP also found that trace concentrations of pharmaceuticals were almost ubiquitous in rivers, lakes and streams. The medicines are excreted without being fully metabolized by people who take them, while hospitals and long-term care facilities annually flush millions of pounds of unused pills down the drain. Until Larsson's research, there had been widespread consensus among researchers that drug makers were not a source. The consequences of the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> studies are worrisome. As the AP reported last year, researchers are finding that human cells fail to grow normally in the laboratory when exposed to trace concentrations of certain pharmaceuticals. Some waterborne drugs also promote antibiotic-resistant germs, especially when - as in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> - they are mixed with bacteria in human sewage. Even extremely diluted concentrations of drug residues harm the reproductive systems of fish, frogs and other aquatic species in the wild. In the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> research, tadpoles exposed to water from the treatment plant that had been diluted 500 times were nonetheless 40 percent smaller than those growing in clean water. The discovery of this contamination raises two key issues for researchers and policy makers: the amount of pollution and its source. Experts say one of the biggest concerns for humans is whether the discharge from the wastewater treatment facility is spawning drug resistance. "Not only is there the danger of antibiotic-resistant bacteria evolving; the entire biological food web could be affected," said Stan Cox, senior scientist at the Land Institute, a nonprofit agriculture research center in Salina, Kan. Cox has studied and written about pharmaceutical pollution in Patancheru. "If Cipro is so widespread, it is likely that other drugs are out in the environment and getting into people's bodies." Before Larsson's team tested the water at Patancheru Enviro Tech Ltd. plant, researchers largely attributed the source of drugs in water to their use, rather than their manufacture. In the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region>, the EPA says there are "well defined and controlled" limits to the amount of pharmaceutical waste emitted by drug makers. <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s environmental protections are being met at Patancheru, says Rajeshwar Tiwari, who heads the area's pollution control board. And while he says regulations have tightened since Larsson's initial research, screening for pharmaceutical residue at the end of the treatment process is not required. Factories in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> report on releases of 22 active pharmaceutical ingredients, the AP found by analyzing EPA data. But many more drugs have been discovered in domestic drinking water. Possibly complicating the situation, Larsson's team also found high drug concentration levels in lakes upstream from the treatment plant, indicating potential illegal dumping - an issue both Indian pollution officials and the drug industry acknowledge has been a past problem, but one they say is practiced much less now. In addition, before Larsson's study detected such large concentrations of ciprofloxacin and other drugs in the treated wastewater, levels of pharmaceuticals detected in the environment and drinking water worldwide were minute, well below a human dose. "I'll tell you, I've never seen concentrations this high before. And they definitely ... are having some biological impact, at least in the effluent," said Dan Schlenk, an ecotoxicologist from the University </ST1:Pof <ST1:PCalifornia</ST1:P, Riverside, who was not involved in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> research. And even though the levels recently found in Indian village wells were much lower than the wastewater readings, someone drinking regularly from the worst-affected reservoirs would receive more than two full doses of an antihistamine in a year. "Who has a responsibility for a polluted environment when the <st1:place w:st="on">Third World</st1:place> produces drugs for our well being?" Larsson asked scientists at a recent environmental research conference. M. Narayana Reddy, president of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s Bulk Drug Manufacturers Association, disputes Larsson's initial results: "I have challenged it," he said. "It is the wrong information provided by some research person." Reddy acknowledged the region is polluted, but said that the contamination came from untreated human excrement and past industry abuses. He and pollution control officials also say villagers are supposed to drink clean water piped in from the city or hauled in by tankers - water a court ordered industry to provide. But locals complain of insufficient supplies and some say they are forced to use wells. Larsson's research has created a stir among environmental experts, and his findings are widely accepted in the scientific community. "That's really quite an incredible and disturbing level," said Renee Sharp, senior analyst at the Washington-based Environmental Working Group. "It's absolutely the last thing you would ever want to see when you're talking about the rise of antibiotic bacterial resistance in the world." The more bacteria is exposed to a drug, the more likely that bacteria will mutate in a way that renders the drug ineffective. Such resistant bacteria can then possibly infect others who spread the bugs as they travel. Ciprofloxacin was once considered a powerful antibiotic of last resort, used to treat especially tenacious infections. But in recent years many bacteria have developed resistance to the drug, leaving it significantly less effective. "We are using these drugs, and the disease is not being cured - there is resistance going on there," said Dr. A. Kishan Rao, a medical doctor and environmental activist who has treated people for more than 30 years near the drug factories. He says he worries most about the long-term effects on his patients potentially being exposed to constant low levels of drugs. And then there's the variety, the mixture of drugs that aren't supposed to interact. No one knows what effects that could cause. "It's a global concern," he said. "European countries and the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> are protecting their environment and importing the drugs at the cost of the people in developing countries." While the human risks are disconcerting, Sharp said the environmental damage is potentially even worse. "People might say, 'Oh sure, that's just a dirty river in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>,' but we live on a small planet, everything is connected. The water in a river in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> could be the rain coming down in your town in a few weeks," she said. Patancheru became a hub for largely unregulated chemical and drug factories in the 1980s, creating what one local newspaper has termed an "ecological sacrifice zone" with its waste. Since then, <st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region> has become one of the world's leading exporters of pharmaceuticals, and the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> - which spent $1.4 billion on Indian-made drugs in 2007 - is its largest customer. A spokesman for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, representing major <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> drugmakers, said they could not comment about the Indian pollution because the Patancheru plants are making generic drugs and their members are branded. A spokesman for the Generic Pharmaceutical Association said the issues of Indian factory pollution are "not within the scope of the activities" of their group. Drug factories in the <st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region> and <st1:place w:st="on">Europe</st1:place> have strictly enforced waste treatment processes. At the Patancheru water treatment plant, the process is outdated, with wastewater from the 90 bulk drug makers trucked to the plant and poured into a cistern. Solids are filtered out, then raw sewage is added to biologically break down the chemicals. The wastewater, which has been clarified but is still contaminated, is dumped into the Isakavagu stream that runs into the Nakkavagu and Manjira, and eventually into the <st1:place w:st="on"><ST1:PGodawari River</st1:place>. In <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>, villagers near this treatment plant have a long history of fighting pollution from various industries and allege their air, water and crops have been poisoned for decades by factories making everything from tires to paints and textiles. Some lakes brim with filmy, acrid water that burns the nostrils when inhaled and causes the eyes to tear. "I'm frustrated. We have told them so many times about this problem, but nobody does anything," said Syed Bashir Ahmed, 80, casting a makeshift fishing pole while crouched in tall grass along the river bank near the bulk drug factories. "The poor are helpless. What can we do?"

The Personality of Godhead, Çré Kåñëa, is always filled with transcendental bliss (änanda-mayo ’bhyäsät). When He was present at Våndävana in India five thousand years ago, He always remained in transcendental bliss, even from the beginning of His childhood pastimes. In His village of Våndävana He enjoyed Himself with His mother, brother and friends, and when He played the role of a naughty butter thief, all His associates enjoyed celestial bliss by His stealing. The Lord’s fame as a butter thief is not reproachable, for by stealing butter the Lord gave pleasure to His pure devotees. Everything the Lord did in Våndävana was for the pleasure of His associates there. The Lord created these pastimes to attract the dry speculators and the acrobats of the so-called haöha-yoga system who wish to find the Absolute Truth. Of the childhood play between the Lord and His playmates, the cowherd boys, Çukadeva Gosvämé says in Çrémad-Bhägavatam (10.12.11): “The Personality of Godhead, who is perceived as the impersonal, blissful Brahman by the jïänés, who is worshiped as the Supreme Lord by devotees in the mood of servitorship, and who is considered an ordinary human being by mundane people, played with the cowherd boys, who had attained their position after accumulating many pious activities.” Thus the Lord is always engaged in transcendental loving activities with His spiritual associates in the various relationships of çänta (neutrality), däsya (servitorship), sakhya (friendship), vätsalya (parental affection) and mädhurya (conjugal love). Since it is said that Lord Kåñëa never leaves Våndävana-dhäma, one may ask how He manages the affairs of the creation. This is answered in the Bhagavad-gétä (13.14–18): The Lord pervades the entire material creation by His plenary part known as the Paramätmä, or Supersoul. Although the Lord personally has nothing to do with material creation, maintenance and destruction, He causes all these things to be done by His plenary expansion, the Paramätmä. Every living entity is known as ätmä, soul, and the principal ätmä who controls them all is Paramätmä, the Supersoul. This system of God realization is a great science. The materialistic säìkhya-yogés can only analyze and meditate on the twenty-four factors of the material creation, for they have very little information of the puruña, the Lord. And the impersonal transcendentalists are simply bewildered by the glaring effulgence of the brahmajyoti. If one wants to see the Absolute Truth in full, one has to penetrate beyond the twenty-four material elements and the glaring effulgence as well. ################################################# Three progressive/consecutive stages of Yoga [linking], as per the Bhagavad-gita: □ Karma yoga = Yoga of actions —the science of good actions vs. bad actions. □ Jnana yoga [pron: 'gyna-na'] = Yoga of knowledge (aka sankhya or dhyana) —the science of intellectual research and understanding [Note: "vi-jnana" = realized/pragmatic knowledge] □ Bhakti yoga = Yoga of Devotion [Note: the prime speaker of this is <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com<st1:place w:st=" /><st1:place w:st="on">Krishna</st1:place> himself in the Bhagavad-gita] ########################################################## The Three progressive stages of enlightenment {the Hindu Trinity*}: I— Bhagavan (God Personage as "He who alone Possesses of all Six Opulences"—all wealth, all strength, all beauty, all intelligence, all fame & most renounced). II—Paramatma (God as the life-force localized within the nucleus of each and every animate and inanimate particle of the Creation). III—Brahman (God as the omnipresent/omniscient vacant space, which is occupied by all the animate and inanimate particles that compose the Creation). [*NOTE: All of Creation is accounted for in these three categories, beyond these three categories no additional separate entities exists, all things are accounted for in this Hindu Trinity—as revealed in the Vedic literatures]. ########################################################## 5 Subjects of The Bhagavad-gita ['song of God']: □The soul, □material energy (prakriti), □karma vs. vikarma vs. akarma □Time and its constituent properties/perview. □Isvara—God as: Controller/Source of Sacrifice/Possessor of all Opulences/Mysterious Personality of Godhead revealed as <st1:place w:st="on">Krishna</st1:place>.

Patanjali, one of the greatest authorities on the yoga system, has tried to conceive an imaginary form of the Supreme Lord. In summary it should be understood that all these materialistic philosophers have tried to avoid the Supreme Personality of Godhead by putting forward their own mentally concocted philosophies. However, Vyasadeva, the great sage and incarnation of God head, has thoroughly studied all these philosophical speculations and in answer has compiled the Vedanta-sutra, which establishes the relationship between the living entity and the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the importance of devotional service in ultimately achieving love of Godhead. The verse janmady asya yatah [sB 1.1.1], which appears in the very beginning of Vedanta-sutra, is explained in Vyasadeva’s Srimad-Bhagavatam. In Srimad-Bhagavatam Vyasadeva establishes from the very beginning that the supreme source of everything is a cognizant, transcendental person. According to Srimad-Bhagavatam, there are twelve mahajanas, or great souls, and these are: (1) Brahma, (2) Lord Siva, (3) Narada, (4) Vaivasvata Manu, (5) Kapila (not the atheist, but the original Kapila), (6) the Kumaras, (7) Prahlada, (8) Bhisma, (9) Janaka, (10) ffice:smarttags" /><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comBali</st1:place>, (11) Sukadeva Gosvami and (12) Yamaraja. According to the Mahabharata, there is no point in arguing about the Absolute Truth because there are so many different Vedic scriptures and philosophical understandings that no one philosopher can agree with another. Since everyone is trying to present his own point of view and reject others, it is very difficult to understand the necessity for religious principles. Therefore it is better to follow in the footsteps of the great mahajanas, great souls; then one can achieve the desired success. Lord Caitanya’s teachings are just like nectar, and they hold whatever is needed. The best way is to take to this path and follow it. ########################################################## In the Bhagavad-gétä the Lord explains His personal rays (the brahmajyoti), the dazzling effulgence of His personal form, in this way: “I am the basis of the impersonal Brahman, which is immortal, imperishable and eternal and is the constitutional position of ultimate happiness.” Brahman, Paramätmä and Bhagavän are three aspects of the same Absolute Truth. Brahman is the aspect most easily perceived by the beginner; Paramätmä, the Supersoul, is realized by those who have further progressed; and Bhagavän realization is the ultimate realization of the Absolute Truth. This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gétä where Lord Kåñëa says that He is the ultimate concept of the Absolute Truth: mattaù parataraà nänyat. Therefore Kåñëa is the source of the brahmajyoti as well as the all-pervading Paramätmä. Later in the Bhagavad-gétä (10.42) Kåñëa further explains: “But what need is there, Arjuna, for all this detailed knowledge? With a single fragment of Myself I pervade and support this entire universe.” Thus by His one plenary expansion, the all-pervading Paramätmä, the Lord maintains the complete material cosmic creation. He also maintains all manifestations in the spiritual world. Therefore the Lord is addressed as püñan, the ultimate maintainer.

Advaita Vedanta is a sub-school of the Vedanta (literally, end or the goal of the Vedas, Sanskrit) school of Hindu </ST1:Pphilosophy [metaphysical analysis of creation and its component 'elements']. Actually there are 4 advaithas : 1. Kaivala advaitha (By Sri Sankara) [impure Monoism] 2. Suddha advaitha (By Sri Vishnuswami) [Pure Monoism] 3. Vishista advaitha (By Sri Ramanujacharya) [Qualified Monoism] 4. Dvaita advaitha (By Sri Nimarkacharya) [Dualistic Monoism] The very essential core belief of Advaita Vedanta is that you, physical manifestations, the universe and beyond are who you are, you are that, and thus you are your own Guru. You are the source of all knowledge, because you are knowledge itself.> Other major sub-schools of Vedanta are Dvaita and Visishtadvaita. Advaita (literally, non-duality) is a monistic system of thought. "Advaita" refers to the identity of the Self (Atman) and the Whole (Brahman). [Vishishtadvaitam, Dvaita and Advaita are two of the three major traditions of Vedanta alive to this day. The first two are Vaishnava traditions and the latter is a Smarta tradition.] Jnana yoga —the yoga of knowledge; Dvaita — an opposing philosophy that accepts duality; (dualism). Vishishtadvaita — an opposing philosophy that propounds "qualified nonduality". [Above Data is from Wikipedia & Forum postings by Gokulkr & matarisvan] :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: The Secret learnings of the Hare Krishna Maha-Mantra chanting students of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami: Foolish interpreters unnecessarily tackle the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam when they have no access to the subject matter. There is no use in nondevotees’ meddling with the two topmost Vedic literatures, and therefore Sankaracarya did not touch Srimad-Bhagavatam for commentation. In his commentation on the Bhagavad-gita, Sripada Sankaracarya accepted Lord Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but later on he commented from the impersonalist’s view. But, being conscious of his position, he did not comment on the Srimad-Bhagavatam. According to Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Sripada Sankaracarya preached the Mayavada philosophy for a particular purpose. Such a philosophy was necessary to defeat the Buddhist philosophy of the nonexistence of the spirit soul, but it was never meant for perpetual acceptance. It was an emergency. Thus Lord Krsna was accepted by Sankaracarya as the Supreme Personality of Godhead in his commentation on Bhagavad-gita. Since he was a great devotee of Lord Krsna, he did not dare write any commentary on Srimad-Bhagavatam because that would have been a direct offense at the lotus feet of the Lord. Lord Siva, speaking to Parvati-devi, foretold that he would spread the Mayavada philosophy in the guise of a sannyasi brahmana just to eradicate Buddhist philosophy. This sannyasi was Sripada Sankaracarya. In order to overcome the effects of Buddhist philosophy and spread Vedanta philosophy, Sripada Sankaracarya had to make some compromise with the Buddhist philosophy, and as such he preached the philosophy of monism, for it was required at that time. Otherwise there was no need for his preaching Mayavada philosophy. At the present moment there is no need for Mayavada philosophy or Buddhist philosophy, and Lord Caitanya rejected both of them. This Krsna consciousness movement is spreading the philosophy of Lord Caitanya and rejecting the philosophy of both classes of Mayavadi. Strictly speaking, both Buddhist philosophy and Sankara’s philosophy are but different types of Mayavada dealing on the platform of material existence. Neither of these philosophies has spiritual significance. There is spiritual significance only after one accepts the philosophy of Bhagavad-gita, which culminates in surrendering unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Generally people worship Lord Siva for some material benefit, and although they cannot see him personally, they derive great material profit by worshiping him. The name Sambhu means Lord Siva. His disciplic succession is also known as the Visnusvami-sampradaya, and the current Visnusvami-sampradaya is also known as the Vallabha-sampradaya. The current Brahma-sampradaya is known as the Madhva-Gauòiya-sampradaya. Even though Lord Siva appeared to preach Mayavada philosophy, at the end of his pastime in the form of Sankaracarya, he preached the Vaisnava philosophy: bhaja govindam bhaja govindam bhaja govindam muòha-mate. He stressed worshiping Lord Krsna, or Govinda, three times in this verse and especially warned his followers that they could not possibly achieve deliverance, or mukti, simply by word jugglery and grammatical puzzles. If one is actually serious to attain mukti, he must worship Lord Krsna. That is Sripada Sankaracarya’s last instruction. According to Mayavadi philosophers, Vedanta refers to the Sariraka commentary of Sankaracarya. When impersonal philosophers refer to Vedanta and the Upanisads, they are actually referring to the commentaries of Sankaracarya, the greatest teacher of Mayavadi philosophy. After Sankaracarya came Sadananda-yogi, who claimed that the Vedanta and Upanisads should be understood through the commentaries of Sankaracarya. Factually, this is not so. There are many commentaries on Vedanta and the Upanisads made by the Vaisnava acaryas, and these are preferred to those of Sankaracarya. However, the Mayavadi philosophers influenced by Sankaracarya do not attribute any importance to the Vaisnava understandings. There are four different sects of Vaisnava acaryas—the Suddhadvaita, ViSistadvaita, Dvaitadvaita and Acintya-bhedabheda. All the Vaisnava acaryas in these schools have written commentaries on the Vedanta-sutra, but the Mayavadi philosophers do not recognize them. The Mayavadis distinguish between Krsna and Krsna’s body, and therefore they do not recognize the worship of Krsna by the Vaisnava philosophers. Thus when the Mayavadi sannyasis asked Lord Caitanya why He did not study the Vedanta-sutra, the Lord replied, “Dear sirs, you have asked why I do not study Vedanta, and in answer to this I would speak something, but I am afraid that you would be sorry to hear it.” “We shall be very much pleased to hear You,” all the sannyasis replied. “You appear just like Narayana, and Your speeches are so nice that we are taking great pleasure in them. We are very much obliged to see and hear You. Therefore we shall be very glad to hear patiently and accept whatever You say.” The Lord then began to speak on Vedanta philosophy as follows: Vedanta-sutra is spoken by the Supreme Lord Himself. The Supreme Lord, in His incarnation as Vyasadeva, has compiled this great philosophical treatise. Since Vyasadeva is an incarnation of the Supreme Lord, he cannot be likened to an ordinary person, who has the four defects which arise due to contact with material existence. The defects of a conditioned soul are: (1) he must commit mistakes; (2) he must be illusioned; (3) he must possess the tendency to cheat others; and (4) all his senses must be imperfect. We must understand that the incarnation of God is transcendental to all these defects. Thus whatever has been spoken and written by Vyasadeva is considered to be perfect. The Upanisads and Vedanta-sutra aim at the same goal: the Supreme Absolute Truth. When we accept the import of Vedanta-sutra and the Upanisads directly as they are stated, we become glorified. The commentaries made by Sankaracarya, however, are indirect and are very dangerous for the common man to read, for by understanding the import of the Upanisads in such an indirect, disruptive way, one practically bars himself from spiritual realization.

9 Ways To Go Bankrupt It may seem obvious, but anyone who continuously spends more than they are making will be facing bankruptcy in no time - but there are some other ways to become flat broke. Here we'll examine 9 habits that can put you in the poorhouse. Obtaining Too Many Credit Cards Credit card abuse is one of the leading causes of consumer indebtedness. After obtaining a first credit card, you may find that they multiple rapidly; soon your wallet holds a card for every store you've ever been to. The general consensus is that credit cards are necessary in order to achieve a better credit rating, but unfortunately, 20 credit cards will not give you a 20 times better credit rating. In addition, these cards add to the temptation to purchase unnecessary items that would not otherwise be affordable. This will inevitably lead to a dire financial situation. To learn more, see Take Control Of Your Credit Cards. Paying Credit Debt With Credit Cards Most people who hold a credit card will receive offers from competing credit card companies or banks for a balance transfer with introductory rates as low as 0%. All this will do is extend the deadline for payment on your bill and put you in a worse situation where you can assume even more debt. Furthermore, most balance transfers charge transfer fees, and their low introductory rate will often skyrocket after a few months. This new interest rate could be much higher than what you had with the original card. For more, see Expert Tips For Cutting Credit Card Debt and 6 Major Credit Card Mistakes. Buying Too Much House When it comes to buying a home, bigger isn't always better. On top of the mortgage, taxes, maintenance and utilities will take a significant chunk out of your monthly budget, and homeowners who buy more house than they can afford can quickly become overwhelmed. Furthermore, certain types of mortgages, such as adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs), allow homeowners to purchase an expensive home with lower mortgage payments for a certain period of time. However, when short-term interest rates rise, homeowners with ARMs feel the squeeze as lenders raise their rates. For more, see ARMed And Dangerous and American Dream Or Mortgage Nightmare? Putting All Your Eggs In One Basket Another way to lose your money is to put all of your eggs in one basket by investing in one company or industry. For example, if your portfolio holds only airline stocks and it is publicly announced that all airline pilots are going on an indefinite strike and all flights are canceled, share prices of airline stocks will drop. Your portfolio value will decline considerably. However, if you diversify into stock from other forms of transportation, like trains, you will see a less noticeable decline. If you invest in stocks from companies across a variety of sectors, you will be reducing your risk even more. For more see The Importance of Diversification. Not Building An Emergency Fund Living life on the edge can involve filling your life with exciting (and sometimes dangerous) activities such as surfing and skydiving, or it can involve being on the brink of bankruptcy. If losing your job would mean being evicted from your apartment, defaulting on your mortgage, or having your utilities shut off, you are living too close to the edge. Putting three to six months' worth of your income in the bank so that you have it on hand should you need it is a great way to give yourself some breathing room if your paychecks come to a temporary halt. To get started, read Build Yourself An Emergency Fund and Are You Living To Close To The Edge? Ignoring Identity Theft Tactics According to the Federal Trade Commission, approximately 10 million Americans are victims of identity theft each year. You can help protect your credit rating and finances by educating yourself about identity theft and safeguarding your personal information. For example, shredding any documents containing social securities numbers, bank account numbers and other personal information prevents would-be thieves from obtaining your information through dumpster diving. Get insight into how the perpetrators do it in Identity Theft: How To Avoid It. Getting A Divorce Before April 2005, bankruptcy was often used during divorce proceeding by an ex-spouse who was looking to avoid alimony and other family obligations. In April 2005, President George W. Bush signed the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 (BAPCPA). The BAPCPA limits bankruptcy abuses by classifying divorce, separation and domestic support obligations under non-dischargable debts. However, for divorcées who are unable to adjust to receiving a single income, filing for bankruptcy is still possible provided that certain conditions are met. For more, see Changing The Face Of Bankruptcy. Failing To Address Your Current Financial Situation The worst thing to do when facing rising debt is to ignore the situation completely. If debt-collection agencies are calling you, instead of avoiding their calls, negotiate with them. Even if you owe a lot, a creditor will often settle for something rather than nothing. Using Risky Short Selling Strategies Short selling can be a risky investment strategy with limited gains and potentially unlimited losses. The riskiest short selling position is naked shorting; however, in 2007 the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) amended Regulation SHO to limit naked shorting by removing loopholes that existed for some broker/dealers. Under Regulation T, investors must hold 150% of the value of the short position in a margin account at the time of the short sale. The funds held in the margin account serve as collateral should the price of the stock underlying the short position skyrocket instead of decline. For more, see our Short Selling Tutorial. Avoiding Bankruptcy Most financial experts strongly suggest that clients in financial distress should do everything in their power to avoid filing for bankruptcy. The repercussions of this action can last for 10 years on your credit score, and bankruptcy proceedings are fairly complicated. There are other ways to come out of debt without the financial consequences of a bankruptcy claim. For more, see: · What You Need To Know About Bankruptcy · Debt Consolidation Made Easy · Digging Out Of Personal Debt

10 Retirement-Wrecking Moves Retirement should be a time to relax and enjoy the fruits of a lifetime of labor. Unfortunately, for many people bad decisions push the retirement horizon out of reach. As such, it is imperative that individuals understand the effects of these bad choices and take steps to avoid them. Let's examine 10 mistakes that can sabotage your retirement plans. Procrastination Many individuals are forced to postpone retirement because their nest eggs are not sufficient. This can be avoided by starting to save early. The amount you will need to contribute each year depends on how soon you start your savings program. Even in instances where you can't afford to add the maximum amount that projections determine you need to save for the year, adding what you can afford can go a long way toward reaching your goal. For more, see Compound Your Way To Retirementand Why is retirement easier to afford if you start early? Thinking it's Too Late to Get in the Game Some of the common reasons for starting to save for retirement late in the game include pure procrastination, having to start over after a divorce, and getting the opportunity to contribute to a retirement plan for the first time after immigrating to the country at an advanced age. Regardless of the reason, thinking that it's too late will only compound the issue. Instead, you should look for ways to start saving. This may mean doing without many items that are not basic necessities. It is possible for individuals to achieve their post-work goals, even if retirement is just around the corner. For more tips, see Can You Retire In Five Years? Missing Opportunities While saving can be challenging, there are many opportunities that make it easier. Unfortunately, many people overlook these opportunities and miss out on the benefits. Big mistake! For example, employers that offer benefits under a 401(k) or SIMPLE IRA often include matching contribution features. However, many employees fail to receive this benefit because of a lack of awareness and understanding. Don't let opportunities to increase your savings pass you by. Not Considering Healthcare Needs The need for heathcare increases with age. This includes the need for more frequent check-ups and preventative healthcare, as well as the need for long-term care, both at home and in nursing homes. Individuals who fail to implement contingency planning to cover health-related expenses could find that a large percentage of their savings must be used to cover these costs. Prevent this by ensuring you have adequate health insurance. For related reading, see Failing Health Could Drain Your Retirement Savings. Spending Too Much Too Soon or Too Late Those entering retirement are often faced with the fear of spending too much too soon and, as a result, may hoard their savings to the point of just barely getting by. While caution should be exercised to ensure that your nest egg lasts throughout retirement, living on a diet of bread and water takes caution too. On the other hand, individuals who decide to splurge during their early retirement years without any regard for the future may find their bank accounts running dry. For more, see Enjoy Life Now And Still Save For Later. Making Ineligible Rollovers to Your IRAs Ineligible rollovers can mean having to pay severe penalties to the IRS. In addition, any taxable portion of the amount rolled over to your IRA must be included in your income for the year the distribution occurred. To ensure that this doesn't happen to you, you need to know which assets are not rollover eligible. For example, a common mistake is to assume that the RMD amount can be taken after the rollover is made. This is not the case because the first amount withdrawn during a year for which an RMD is due includes the RMD amount. For more see Common IRA Rollover Mistakes. Making Excess Contributions to Your IRA IRA contributions are limited to the lesser of 100% of eligible compensation or the contribution limit for the year. Should you contribute more than the allowable limit to your IRA, you must remove this excess amount from your IRA by the applicable deadline. Similar to ineligible rollovers, failure to remove the excess amount by the deadline will result in you owing the IRS a penalty of 6% of the amount for each year it remains in your IRA. To learn more, see Correcting Ineligible (Excess) IRA Contributions. Making Ineligible Roth Conversions A roth conversion is viewed by many as a good financial planning move because earnings accrue on a tax-deferred basis, while distributions are tax-free if qualified. However, not everyone is eligible for a Roth conversion - certain income limitations apply. If you make an ineligible Roth conversion, it can be corrected as a recharacterization. Should you fail to recharacterize an ineligible conversion on a timely basis, the amount will be treated as ordinary income from your Traditional IRA and an excess contribution to your Roth IRA. Therefore, not only would you lose the tax-deferred status of your IRA assets, but you would also owe a 6% penalty for each year the excess contribution remains in the Roth IRA. Failing to Distribute Your RMD You must begin taking RMDs from your Traditional, SEP and SIMPLE IRAs, qualified plan, and 403(b) accounts the year you reach age 70.5. Exceptions apply to qualified plan accounts and 403(b) accounts if you are still employed and your employer allows you to defer beginning RMD from such accounts until after you retire. Failure to distribute your RMD by the applicable deadline will result in you owing the IRS an excess accumulation penalty of 50% of the RMD shortfall. You may apply for a waiver of the penalty, but you are generally required to pay the penalty first and request the waiver thereafter. See Missed Your RMD Deadline? Engaging In Prohibited Transactions You are prohibited from using your IRAs in certain transactions. For example, your IRA cannot be used as a loan, serve as security for a bank loan, or be used to invest in collectibles. Engaging in these transactions could result in loss of tax-deferred status for the assets involved in the transaction and, in some cases, loss of tax-deferred status for the entire IRA. Learn more about avoiding prohibiting transactions in IRA Assets And Alternative Investments. Estate Mistakes "In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes." -Benjamin Franklin Poets rage against it, daredevils defy it, undertakers depend on it, but the end comes for all of them in turn. Still, as ffice:smarttags" /><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com<st1:place w:st="on">Franklin</st1:place></st1:City> observed, the problem is death and taxes. While facing your own mortality isn't pleasant, proper estate planning can save you - well, not exactly you, but those you leave behind - a lot of trouble. Avoiding these common mistakes is a good start. Dying Without A Will Dying without a will is like asking your family to hand-dig your grave without the benefit of shovels - things get messy, mud gets thrown and everybody just wants it to be over. Assuming this isn't the impression you want to leave your loved ones with, a will is essential. There are many things to consider, such as what to do if you end up on life-support, who will care for minor children, and so on. Resolving these issues will give you peace of mind now, and keep the family peace later. (See Getting Started On Your Estate Plan for more information.) The Devil Is In The Details There are lots of small details to take care of in estate planning. Some of these are obvious, like finding a guardian for living dependents and setting funeral arrangements, but others are more subtle. For example, you need to make sure that the beneficiaries on your retirement plans (IRAs, 401(k)s, RSPs, etc.) are up to date, and that you choose a reliable executor and set up durable power of attorney to direct assets and investments. The Gracious Dead Waiting to die before dispersing your wealth raises the likelihood of a big tax bill. By taking advantage of tax-free gifts to family and friends each fiscal year, even the largest estate can be whittled down to a manageable size before the cut-off date. It is important to keep abreast of any changes in the annual gift-tax amount as well as overall changes in federal estate taxes. Changes in the latter will help you decide how much you need to give away to get within the tax-exempt estate limits. Besides, giving now will probably be more personally satisfying than giving posthumously. Inadequate Insurance Life insurance is vital to single-income and lower income families. If your estate doesn't amount to enough to replace your income in terms of supporting your family, then the death benefit from a life insurance policy may be the only way to provide for your loved ones. Calculating how much yearly income you will need to replace will determine how much life insurance you need to carry, but you need to make sure those calculations are redone when your financial/personal situations changes, such as if your beneficiary predeceases you or your mortgage is paid off. To learn more, read How Much Life Insurance Should You Carry? Thinking Inside The Box One the easiest slip-ups to make is not looking into alternatives. Gift giving is one example, but there are many ways to avoid a traditional estate transfer with the accompanying taxes. Revocable living trusts, joint ownership, gift splitting, credit shelter trusts and many more alternatives exist for people facing large post-mortem tax bills. With the ever-changing exemption limits on estate taxes, more and more alternatives are bound to pop-up. (See Tax Efficient Wealth Transfer for more ideas.) The Long Goodbye In addition to having accurate life insurance, you will need to pay careful attention to your medical coverage. If you are not covered in the case of long, terminal illness, you may find yourself out of pocket for medical expenses. The costs of an extended stay in a hospital, long-term care, new treatments, or a home nurse can make the distribution of your estate a moot point. Having a dread disease rider on your policy or catastrophic illness insurance can reduce the risk of losing your nest egg to medical costs. (To learn more, read Let Life Insurance Riders Drive Your Coverage and Long-Term Care Insurance: Who Needs It?) Time Is On Your Side The fact that you're reading this suggests that even if you've made one or more of these estate planning mistakes, it isn't too late to reverse the damage. Withdrawing life support, funeral arrangements, and who gets what are very personal decisions, but there are professionals to help once you have the basics done. Consulting with your accountant or estate lawyer may be necessary if you have a complicated estate involving many tax issues (how to transfer the family business, etc). To get started, check out our Estate Planning tutorial.

11 Things You May Not Know About Your IRA IRAs have built-in flexibilities. Here are some little-known features that will help you get the most out of your contributions. The most important part of your individual retirement account (IRA) is the fact that it is "individual". You can customize when you make deposits, take withdrawals and pay taxes on distributions. You can even control what happens to it after you die. Want to take advantage of all that your IRA has to offer? Read on for some little-known features that will help you get the most out of your contributions. 1. You can contribute to more than one IRA. It is possible to end up with more than one IRA for a number of reasons. For example: · You had an existing Roth account and then rolled an old 401(k) into a Traditional IRA. · Your adjusted gross income (AGI) rose to the point where you were no longer eligible to contribute to your Roth IRA, so you opened a Traditional IRA. · You inherited an IRA from a loved one, but you already had one of your own. · You maintained your Roth account and opened a Traditional IRA to take advantage of tax deductions. Contribute to as many IRAs as you want, but the total deposited in all IRAs is limited to the annual maximum amount. For example, the annual maximum contribution for 2008 is $5,000. So, if Bob deposits $2,000 into his Traditional IRA, he can also contribute $3,000 to his Roth account during the same year. 2. All IRA contributions must be made in cash. This limitation may be irritating if you're rolling over an account and you don't want to liquidate the assets. Cash contributions force a new basis for investments inside the account. The basis of the IRA is important because when you take a distribution from a Traditional IRA, you pay taxes on the gains and income from your investments, but not on the basis. 3. IRA losses may be tax deductible. One of the main advantages of an IRA account is the ability to defer taxes on gains and investment income. But you can't use losses inside the IRA to offset gains. This is because the IRS gives you a reprieve after you liquidate the account: If the total distributions from your IRA are less than your basis in the account, you can deduct the loss after all assets are distributed from the account. . You control your required minimum distributions. Traditional IRA owners must begin taking distributions by April 1 of the year after they turn 70.5 years old. The minimum amount distributed is based on the balance of the account on December 31 of the previous year and the owner's life expectancy. For each year thereafter, the required minimum distribution (RMD) must be withdrawn. If you have multiple Traditional IRAs, you don't have to take RMDs from all of them. You can combine the total balances from the end of the previous year to calculate your total RMD and actually take the distribution from one account or a combination of accounts. For example, you may prefer to liquidate the investments in one account over the investments in another account. 5. All beneficiaries are not created equal. One of the benefits of owning an IRA is the ability to transfer funds directly to beneficiaries without going through probate. This is because spousal beneficiaries can claim inherited IRAs as their own. This flexibility allows the spouse to control new contributions and distributions. Non-spousal beneficiaries cannot treat inherited IRAs as their own. They can't add to them and they must completely liquidate the account within five years of the death of the owner. Keep this in mind if you plan to leave IRA assets to your children or grandchildren. 6. A basis is needed for IRA transfers, but not rollovers. It is common for individuals to move accounts from one financial institution to another. If you just decide to maintain the same type of IRA account with a different company, that's considered a "transfer". All assets are moved "in kind" (as they are), without liquidating anything. In this case, it's your responsibility to retain the original basis on the account; the receiving institution will request a copy of a statement proving the basis. You need to have an accurate basis amount for Traditional IRAs, because distribution amounts above the basis are taxable. IRA assets above the basis can be rolled into other types of retirement accounts, but the basis must be maintained in the IRA, or it will be considered a taxable distribution. A rollover involves moving your money from one type of retirement account to another. For a rollover, you must liquidate the previous holdings to move cash into the IRA, so the basis becomes irrelevant. 7. You can deduct IRA fees from your taxes. Financial services firms may charge annual fees on top of transaction fees for the purchase or sale of investments. You may be able to deduct these fees using 1040 Schedule A. 8. Your annuity can act like an IRA. Your annuity can operate under the same rules as an IRA. The benefit is that annuity policies were designed to provide retirement income for life. Some annuities also offer optional features not available in regular IRAs. The downside is that annuity premiums, which contain insurance payments, can be higher than other investments. 9. IRAs are non-fiduciary accounts. Brokerage accounts allow you to give your financial advisor written authorization to make investing decisions and routine transactions without notifying you first. Often, a flat fee is charged for managing the account. This type of fiduciary activity is not allowed for IRAs. 10. The IRS and/or your financial institution may limit the kinds of investments you can hold in your IRA. The IRS limits which investment types can be held in an IRA, but your financial institution may have additional asset restrictions. For example, the IRS allows some gold and silver coins, but most financial institutions will not. Also, some mutual fund companies may not allow individual stocks to be held in their IRAs.

"Oh how things have changed regarding hospitals and doctors in ISKCON"—??? "so immature and arrogant" —??? :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: What is your point? You may want to re-state that. Prabhupada was a pharmasist IN INDIA (land of ayur-veda)—if he had hesitations, then he had good reason to avoid whatever he claimed for himself. Hospital are Dirty filthy hepatitis riddled places ['HOSPICE'–place to die] is a theme I didn't even know was on the radar back in 1977. Check out GARY NULL for the latest world-class up-to-date data on medical standards vs the interests of the public welfare. Below is the status quo for hospital fame for 'cleanliness': ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Deaths from hospital blunders soar 60% in two years as NHS staff 'abandon quality of care to chase targets' 06th January 2009 The number of patients killed by hospital blunders has soared by 60 per cent in just two years, the Daily Mail can reveal. Official records show that 3,645 died as a result of outbreaks of infections, botched operations and other mistakes in 2007/08. That was up from 2,275 two years before. Critics say quality of NHS care has suffered as doctors and nurses come under pressure to meet Government waiting time targets. The sharp rise is also down to the fact that more trusts have started to record medical errors - revealing a death toll which in previous years remained hidden under the carpet. But experts say the true toll is certain to be even higher, because many hospitals still do not record all of the 'patient safety incidents' - meaning that lessons which could have been learned are lost. In October last year, the Patients Association warned that one in every 300 NHS patients were killed because of medical blunder. The latest figures, uncovered by the Liberal Democrats, show that 385 died last year due to botched operations and 156 because scans were read wrongly or patients incorrectly diagnosed. Some 309 died from infection control incidents related to hospital superbugs and 14 due to problems with documentation and records. Another 54 were killed by wrongly-administered drugs and 40 by faulty medical equipment. There were 171 cases of deaths following simple accidents, usually falls. On top of this, 22 died as the result of abuse by hospital staff or visitors, and 135 died because they were not transferred properly between wards or hospitals. Another 487 killed themselves on hospital premises when their depression should have been spotted by doctors. A range of other blunders brought to total toll to 3,645. The figures are certain to rise as hospitals get round to reporting mistakes which took place between April 2007 and March 2008 to the National Patient Safety Agency. 'These statistics are stark and the trend is shocking,' said LibDem health spokesman Norman Lamb. 'There needs to be a change of culture at the heart of the NHS. We have got far too many targets and there is a real risk that, although they are very effective at addressing a specific issue, they mean trusts do not see safety as a priority.' Roger Goss of pressure group Patient Concern said: 'This news is shocking. Patients are already extremely nervous when they have to go to hospital, so they need this news like a hole in the head.' Peter Walsh of pressure group Action Against Medical Accidents, said many incidents are not reported in official 'patient safety' figures. He added: 'We need to make patient safety a much higher priority. Staff need training and there needs to be an overhaul of surgical practice, where many avoidable errors happen. 'Double- checking that you've got the right patient, that you're operating on the right side might seem obvious, but we know that it isn't routinely done at many hospitals. 'Resources and staffing are also an issue. It's no surprise to find that more things go wrong at weekends and at night.' Concerns around the safety of many surgical operations carried out on the NHS are so serious that the all-party Commons health select committee is looking into the issue, and will report in April. Clare Bowen, whose five-year-old daughter Bethany died as a result of mistakes made during routine surgery in 2006, said: 'I have no doubt these figures will continue to rise unless hospital trusts, and surgeons in particular, are prepared to learn from their mistakes.' Miss Bowen, whose story is told in today's Good Health section, added: 'Nobody should be afraid to go into hospital. 'But equally, no one should be afraid of asking questions that will make the doctors in charge of their care think carefully about how they behave.' The rise in avoidable deaths mirrors recent rises in NHS pay-outs for blunders. Around 6,000 cases go to court each year, and compensation to injured patients rose by 18 per cent last year, to £382million. A spokesman for the Department of Health said: 'The NHS sees a million people every 36 hours. Unfortunately, as in any health service, mistakes and unforeseen incidents will occasionally happen. 'Only a tiny number of errors put patients at serious risk and the quality and safety of healthcare is improving all the time.' http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1106074/Deaths-hospital-blunders-soar-60-years-NHS-staff-abandon-quality-care-chase-targets.html ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: In Hospital Deaths from Medical Errors at 195,000 per Year -- <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com<st1:place w:st="on">USA</st1:place></st1:country-region> 09 Aug 2004 An average of 195,000 people in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">USA</st1:place></st1:country-region> died due to potentially preventable, in-hospital medical errors in each of the years 2000, 2001 and 2002, according to a new study of 37 million patient records that was released today by HealthGrades, the healthcare quality company. The HealthGrades Patient Safety in American Hospitals study is the first to look at the mortality and economic impact of medical errors and injuries that occurred during Medicare hospital admissions nationwide from 2000 to 2002. The HealthGrades study applied the mortality and economic impact models developed by Dr. Chunliu Zhan and Dr. Marlene R. Miller in a research study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) in October of 2003. The Zhan and Miller study supported the <st1:place w:st="on"><ST1:PInstitute of <ST1:PMedicine </st1:place>(IOM) 1999 report conclusion, which found that medical errors caused up to 98,000 deaths annually and should be considered a national epidemic. The HealthGrades study finds nearly double the number of deaths from medical errors found by the 1999 IOM report "To Err is Human," with an associated cost of more than $6 billion per year. Whereas the IOM study extrapolated national findings based on data from three states, and the Zhan and Miller study looked at 7.5 million patient records from 28 states over one year, HealthGrades looked at three years of Medicare data in all 50 states and D.C. This Medicare population represented approximately 45 percent of all hospital admissions (excluding obstetric patients) in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> from 2000 to 2002. "The HealthGrades study shows that the IOM report may have underestimated the number of deaths due to medical errors, and, moreover, that there is little evidence that patient safety has improved in the last five years," said Dr. Samantha Collier, HealthGrades' vice president of medical affairs. "The equivalent of 390 jumbo jets full of people are dying each year due to likely preventable, in-hospital medical errors, making this one of the leading killers in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region>" HealthGrades examined 16 of the 20 patient-safety indicators defined by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) - from bedsores to post-operative sepsis - omitting four obstetrics-related incidents not represented in the Medicare data used in the study. Of these sixteen, the mortality associated with two, failure to rescue and death in low risk hospital admissions, accounted for the majority of deaths that were associated with these patient safety incidents. These two categories of patients were not evaluated in the IOM or JAMA analyses, accounting for the variation in the number of annual deaths attributable to medical errors. However, the magnitude of the problem is evident in all three studies. "If we could focus our efforts on just four key areas - failure to rescue, bed sores, postoperative sepsis, and postoperative pulmonary embolism - and reduce these incidents by just 20 percent, we could save 39,000 people from dying every year," said Dr. Collier. The HealthGrades study was released in conjunction with the company's first annual Distinguished Hospital Award for Patient SafetyTM, which honors hospitals with the best records of patient safety. Eighty-eight hospitals in 23 states were given the award for having the nation's lowest patient-safety incidence rates. A list of winners can be found at http://www.healthgrades.com. Study Highlights Among the findings in the HealthGrades Patient Safety in American Hospitals study are as follows: -- About 1.14 million patient-safety incidents occurred among the 37 million hospitalizations in the Medicare population over the years 2000-2002. -- Of the total 323,993 deaths among Medicare patients in those years who developed one or more patient-safety incidents, 263,864, or 81 percent, of these deaths were directly attributable to the incident(s). -- One in every four Medicare patients who were hospitalized from 2000 to 2002 and experienced a patient-safety incident died. -- The 16 patient-safety incidents accounted for $8.54 billion in excess in-patient costs to the Medicare system over the three years studied. Extrapolated to the entire <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region>, an extra $19 billion was spent and more than 575,000 preventable deaths occurred from 2000 to 2002. -- Patient-safety incidents with the highest rates per 1,000 hospitalizations were failure to rescue, decubitus ulcer and postoperative sepsis, which accounted for almost 60 percent of all patient-safety incidents that occurred. -- Overall, the best performing hospitals (hospitals that had the lowest overall patient safety incident rates of all hospitals studied, defined as the top 7.5 percent of all hospitals studied) had five fewer deaths per 1000 hospitalizations compared to the bottom 10th percentile of hospitals. This significant mortality difference is attributable to fewer patient-safety incidents at the best performing hospitals. -- Fewer patient safety incidents in the best performing hospitals resulted in a lower cost of $740,337 per 1,000 hospitalizations as compared to the bottom 10th percentile of hospitals. The complete study, including the list of AHRQ patient-safety indicators, can be found at http://www.healthgrades.com. "If the Center for Disease Control's annual list of leading causes of death included medical errors, it would show up as number six, ahead of diabetes, pneumonia, Alzheimer's disease and renal disease," continued Dr. Collier. "Hospitals need to act on this, and consumers need to arm themselves with enough information to make quality-oriented health care choices when selecting a hospital." Distinguished Hospital Awards and Findings In addition to its findings on patient safety, HealthGrades today honored 88 hospitals in 23 states with the Distinguished Hospital Award for Patient Safety, the first national hospital award to focus purely on hospital patient safety. The award was designed to highlight hospitals with the best records of patient safety in the nation and to encourage consumers to research their local hospitals before undergoing a procedure. HealthGrades based the awards on a detailed study of patient safety events in hospitals nationwide from 2000 to 2002, using the list of patient-safety incidents developed by AHRQ. "Best" hospitals were identified as the top 7.5 percent of the hospitals studied and had significantly different patient-safety incident rates and costs compared to hospitals that were average or in the bottom 10th percentile. Among the "best" hospitals, the lower number of avoidable deaths and in-patient hospital costs were directly related to their lower overall patient-safety incident rates. "If all the Medicare patients who were admitted to the bottom 10th percentile of hospitals from 2000 to 2002 were instead admitted to the "best" hospitals, approximately 4,000 lives and $580 million would have been saved," said Dr. Collier. About HealthGrades Health Grades, Inc. (OTCBB: HGRD) is the leading independent healthcare quality company, providing ratings, information and advisory services to healthcare providers, employers, health plans and insurance companies. HealthGrades works with healthcare providers to help assess, improve and promote their quality. HealthGrades provides consumers access to information about healthcare providers and practitioners through its Web site and provides liability insurers, employers and payers with critical information about healthcare quality. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Territorial expansion Direct archaeological evidence of a Kushan rule of long duration is basically available in an area stretching from Surkh Kotal, Begram, the summer capital of the Kushans, Peshawar the capital under Kanishka I, Taxila and Mathura, the winter capital of the Kushans.<SUP id=cite_ref-Rosenfield.2C_p._41_6-0>[7]</SUP> Other areas of probable rule include Khwarezm (Russian archaeological findings)<SUP id=cite_ref-Rosenfield.2C_p._41_6-1>[7]</SUP> Kausambi (excavations of the Allahabad University),<SUP id=cite_ref-Rosenfield.2C_p._41_6-2>[7]</SUP> Sanchi and Sarnath (inscriptions with names and dates of Kushan kings),<SUP id=cite_ref-Rosenfield.2C_p._41_6-3>[7]</SUP> Malwa and Maharashtra,<SUP id=cite_ref-7>[8]</SUP> Orissa (imitation of Kushan coins, and large Kushan hoards).<SUP id=cite_ref-Rosenfield.2C_p._41_6-4>[7]</SUP> The recently discovered Rabatak inscription tends to confirm large Kushan dominions in the heartland of <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>. The lines 4 to 7 of the inscription describe the cities which were under the rule of Kanishka, among which six names are identifiable: Ujjain, Kundina, Saketa, Kausambi, Pataliputra, and Champa (although the text is not clear whether Champa was a possession of Kanishka or just beyond it). Northward, in the 2nd century CE, the Kushans under Kanishka made various forays into the Tarim Basin, seemingly the original ground of their ancestors the Yuezhi, where they had various contacts with the Chinese. Both archaeological findings and literary evidence suggest Kushan rule, in Kashgar, Yarkand and Khotan.<SUP id=cite_ref-Rosenfield.2C_p._41_6-5>[7]</SUP> As late as the 3rd century CE, decorated coins of Huvishka were dedicated at Bodh Gaya together with other gold offerings under the "Enlightenment Throne" of the Buddha, suggesting direct Kushan influence in the area during that period.<SUP id=cite_ref-12>[13]</SUP>

The Kushan Empire (c. 1st–3rd centuries) was a Bactrian state of Ancient India that at its cultural zenith, circa 105–250 CE, extended from what is now Tajikistan to Afghanistan, Pakistan and down into the Ganges river valley in northernIndia. The empire was created by the Kushan tribe of the Yuezhi confederation, believed to have been an Indo-European people<SUP class=reference id=cite_ref-metmuseum.org_1-0>[2]</SUP> from the eastern Tarim Basin, China, possibly related to the Tocharians. They had diplomatic contacts with Rome, Persia and China, and for several centuries were at the center of exchange between the East and the West. Chinese sources describe the Guishuang i.e. the "Kushans", as one of the five aristocratic tribes of the Yuezhi, also spelled Yueh-chi, a loose confederation of supposedly Indo-European peoples.<SUP id=cite_ref-metmuseum.org_1-1></SUP> The Yuezhi are also generally considered as the easternmost speakers of Indo-European languages, who had been living in the arid grasslands of eastern Central Asia, in modern-day Xinjiang and Gansu, possibly speaking versions of the Tocharian language, until they were driven west by the Xiongnu in 176–160 BCE. The five tribes constituting the Yuezhi are known in Chinese history as Xiūmì, Guishuang, Shuangmi, Xidun, and Dūmì. Historian John Keay contextualizes the movements of the Kushan within a larger setting of mass migrations taking place in the region: Chinese sources tell of the construction of the Great Wall in the third century BC and the repulse of various marauding tribes. Forced to head west and eventually south, these tribes displaced others in an ethnic knock-on effect which lasted many decades and spread right across Central Asia. The Parthians from Iran and the Bactrian Greeks from Bactria had both been dislodged by the Shakas coming down from somewhere near the Aral Sea. But the Shakas had in turn been dislodged by the Yueh-chi who had themselves been driven west to Xinjiang by the Hiung-nu. The last, otherwise the Huns, would happily not reach India for a long time. But the Yueh-chi continued to press on the Shakas, and having forced them out of <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com<st1:place w:st=" /><st1:country-region w:st="on">Bactria</st1:country-region>, it was sections or clans of these Yueh-chi who next began to move down into <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region></st1:place> in the second half of the first century AD." The Yuezhi reached the Hellenic <ST1:Pkingdom of Greco-Bactria, in the Bactrian territory (northernmost <st1:country-region w:st="on">Afghanistan</st1:country-region> and <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Uzbekistan</st1:country-region></st1:place>) around 135 BCE. The displaced Greek dynasties resettled to the southeast in areas of the Hindu Kush and the Indus basin (in present day <st1:country-region w:st="on">Pakistan</st1:country-region>), occupying the western part of the Indo-Greek Kingdom. Early Kushans Head of a Kushan prince (Khalchayan palace, Uzbekistan). Some traces remain of the presence of the Kushan in the area of Bactria and Sogdiana. Archaeological structures are known in Takht-I-Sangin, Surkh Kotal (a monumental temple), and in the <st1:place w:st="on"><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:PlaceType w:st="on">palace</st1:PlaceType> of Khalchayan. Various sculptures and friezes are known, representing horse-riding archers, and significantly men with artificially deformed skulls, such as the Kushan prince of Khalchayan (a practice well attested in nomadic <st1:place w:st="on">Central Asia</st1:place>). On the ruins of ancient Hellenistic cities such as Ai-Khanoum, the Kushans are known to have built fortresses. The earliest documented ruler, and the first one to proclaim himself as a Kushan ruler was Heraios. He calls himself a "Tyrant" on his coins, and also exhibits skull deformation. He may have been an ally of the Greeks, and he shared the same style of coinage. Heraios may have been the father of the first Kushan emperor Kujula Kadphises.</st1:place> A multi-cultural Empire In the following century, the Guishuang (Ch: 貴霜) gained prominence over the other Yuezhi tribes, and welded them into a tight confederation under yabgu (Commander) Kujula Kadphises. The name Guishuang was adopted in the West and modified into Kushan to designate the confederation, although the Chinese continued to call them Yuezhi. Gradually wresting control of the area from the Scythian tribes, the Kushans expanded south into the region traditionally known as Gandhara (An area lying primarily in Pakistan's Pothowar, and Northwest Frontier Provinces region but going in an arc to include Kabul valley and part of Qandahar in Afghanistan) and established twin capitals near present-day Kabul and Peshawar then known as Kapisa and Pushklavati respectively. The Kushan writing system used the Greek alphabet, with the addition of the letter Sho. The Kushans adopted elements of the Hellenistic culture of Bactria. They adapted the Greek alphabet (often corrupted) to suit their own language (with the additional development of the letter Þ "sh", as in "Kushan") and soon began minting coinage on the Greek model. On their coins they used Greek language legends combined with Pali legends (in the Kharoshthi script), until the first few years of the reign of Kanishka. After that date, they used Kushan language legends (in an adapted Greek script), combined with legends in Greek (Greek script) and legends in Pali (Kharoshthi script). The Kushans are believed to have been predominantly Zoroastrian and later Buddhist as well. However, from the time of Wima Takto, many Kushans started adopting Hinduism. Like the Egyptians they absorbed the strong remnants of the Greek Culture of the Hellenistic Kingdoms, becoming at least partly Hellenised. The first great Kushan emperor Wima Kadphises have embraced Hinduism, as surmised by coins minted during the period. The following Kushan emperors represented a wide variety of faiths including Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, and Hinduism. The rule of the Kushans linked the seagoing trade of the Indian Ocean with the commerce of the Silk Road through the long-civilized Indus Valley. At the height of the dynasty, the Kushans loosely oversaw a territory that extended to the Aral Sea through present-day Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan into northern India. The loose unity and comparative peace of such a vast expanse encouraged long-distance trade, brought Chinese silks to Rome, and created strings of flourishing urban centers.

Kanishka stupa From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The Kanishka stupa was a monumental stupa established by the Kushan king Kanishka during the 2nd century CE in today's Shah-ji-Dheri on the outskirts of Peshawar, Pakistan. The stupa was described by Chinese pilgrims in the 7th century as the tallest stupa in all India. Archaeologists have examined the remains of the structure and determined that it had a diameter of 286 feet. Ancient Chinese manuscripts tell of Buddhist pilgrims reporting that the stupa had a height of 591–689 feet (The measurements they stated were in Chinese units, which were 600–700. This height was equal to about 180–210 meters or 591–689 feet. Three Chinese reports are known (by Faxian, who travelled between 399–412 CE, Sung Yun who arrived in India in 518 CE, Xuanzang who went to India in 630 CE). Sung Yun describes the stupa in the following terms: <DL><DD>"The king proceeded to widen the foundation of the Great Tower 300 paces and more. To crown all, he placed a roof-pole upright and even. Throughout the building he used ornamental wood, he constructed stairs to lead to the top....there was an iron-pillar, 3-feet high with thirteen gilded circlets. Altogether the height from the ground was 700 feet.” </DD></DL>The stupa was discovered and excavated in 1908–1909 by a British archælogical mission, and led to the discovery in its base of the Kanishka casket, a six-sided rock crystal reliquary containing three small fragments of bone,<SUP class=reference id=cite_ref-0>[1]</SUP> relics of the Buddha (which were transferred to Mandalay, Burma for safekeeping, where they still remain), and a dedication in Kharoshthi involving Kanishka.<SUP class=reference id=cite_ref-1>[2]</SUP> According to Buddhist the building of the stupa was foretold by the Buddha: <DL><DD>"The Buddha, pointing to a small boy making a mud tope….[said] that on that spot Kanishka would erect a tope by his name." Vinaya sutra <SUP class=reference id=cite_ref-2>[3]</SUP> </DD></DL>The same story is repeated in a Khotanese scroll found at Dunhuang, which first described how Kanishka would arrive 400 years after the death of the Buddha. The account also describes how Kanishka came to raise his stupa: <DL><DD>"A desire thus arose in [Kanishka to build a vast stupa]….at that time the four world-regents learnt the mind of the king. So for his sake they took the form of young boys….[and] began a stupa of mud....the boys said to [Kanishka] ‘We are making the Kanishka-stupa.’….At that time the boys changed their form....[and] said to him, ‘Great king, by you according to the Buddha’s prophecy is a Sangharama to be built wholly (?) with a large stupa and hither relics must be invited which the meritorious good beings...will bring." <SUP class=reference id=cite_ref-3>[4]</SUP> </DD></DL>

Another day, another epoch: Yamaraja: Ok R_A_J, lets see what it says in your book . . . hmm . . . ok . . . ok . . . Well, it seems that after 33 earth years of wakefullness you've accomplished a rather mediocre acchievements in your life-- R_A_J: Is that bad or good-- Yamaduta: Be quite and listen! Yamaraja: No. No. It's ok. Your life is nothing to be ashamed of, you are not alone. If fact you are in the majority. Anyway let see again what else it says . . . nine of of ten commandmants . . . not bad . . . above average-- R_A_J: That's good right-- Yamaduta: Be quite and listen! Yamaraja: No. No. It's ok. Your life was . . . Ha, You worked industriously and contientiously . . . but the liberties for your animal-eating must earn you some demerits-- R_A_J: No one warned me-- Yamaduta: Be quite and listen! Yamaraja: No. No. It's ok. All you must do is pay back the cost(s) of the liberty of the animal's 'life-time' as restitution for impeding another living entities life . . . and then every thing will return to a more preferable status for you. R_A_J: But I was just following orders! But I was just following the other school-of-fish-- Yamaduta: Ok, let's go. Yamaraja: We'll see you in a flash, when all this is sorted out. R_A_J: Oh my G--{BLOOP}<BLOOP> Yamaraja: Next! ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: REMEMBER: "Ignorantia juris non excusat" --Ignorance of the law is no excuse [but it may garner some simpathy --but not on a busy case load day]. REMEMBER: Manu-samhita says that the animal, with the least amount of karmic debt, for flesh eaters, is Birds. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< ---- >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 'UPNEXT, THE NIGHTLY NEWS' -- It's 155 Trillion earth years since Brahma was born, do you know where you karma will take you?

Sir kimfelix, I must confess that I simply am ENVIOUS! For that I beg your indulgences, and ask for your pardon. In my mind's eye I preceive an elegant and bit victorian-like clutered library with your books behind glass encased bookshelves [do you have dessicant packettes scattered about?] with windows overlooking tea plantations; with noon visits by a genuine 10th generation brahmana carrying maha-sweets for your due patronage of his family mandir etc etc etc. Can you berate me if I am ENVIOUS of you--and thus I loose control of my speech? Sorry. Please carry on. Hurrah! Harreh! bhaktajan

For a person such as myself, that lived in New Vrindavan, this seems a eerily reminiscent: _____ Obama: 'obviously charismatic' "Listen, the man's obviously a charismatic person ... and the man is able to persuade people that they should trust him. And he's got - he's got something - he's got a lot going for him" —Bush, 12/01/2009 Washington<FONT face="Times New Roman"> - <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com<font face=" /><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">US</st1:country-region></st1:place> <FONT size=3>President George W. Bush said he likes his successor Barack Obama, praising him as "engaging" in an interview broadcast on Sunday. <FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=3>Bush had nothing but compliments for Obama when asked about his impressions of the president-elect on Fox News on Sunday. <FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=3>"I liked him," said Bush, who met with Obama as recently as Wednesday when former presidents gathered for a historic lunch at the White House. <FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=3>"Listen, the man's obviously a charismatic person ... and the man is able to persuade people that they should trust him. And he's got - he's got something - he's got a lot going for him," he said. <FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=3>Bush, who will step down on January 20, praised Obama for placing a high priority on his family and said he was "impressed" by how president-elect had handled his transition to the White House. <FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=3>He said that Obama had "showed decisiveness" in his choices and "has picked people that are capable and competent people". <FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=3>::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: <FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> <FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=3>This is not a speech about Kirtananada or Bhavananda from 1978? <FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=3>—Listen, the man's obviously a charismatic person <FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=3>—the man is able to persuade people that they should trust him. <FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=3>—And he's got - he's got something - he's got a lot going for him <FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=3>—placing a high priority on his family <FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=3>—"impressed" by his transition. <FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=3>—"showed decisiveness" in choices and "picked people that are capable and competent". <FONT face="Times New Roman"> <FONT face="Times New Roman"> <FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: <FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Or <FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: <FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Maybe we just can't believe anything Bush says?

Thank you moderator for deleting my post [#20] --so that I may stay aloof and ready to capture all the first-reel-releases on my video recorder-- between, "now a word from our sponsors". :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: "...The very notion of Palestinian people and Palestinian homeland is equally as ambiguous as the Jewish people and a Jewish homeland..." The First Temple was built by King Solomon [not Sulayman] in seven years during the 10th century BCE, culminating in 960 BCE. This First Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians in 587 BCE. The re-building of the [2nd temple] was begun in 537 BCE; after a hiatus, work resumed 520 BCE, with completion occurring in 516 BCE and dedication in 515. As described in the Book of Ezra, rebuilding of the Temple was authorized by Cyrus the Great and ratified by Darius the Great. It was subsequently destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE (see The Siege of Jerusalem in 70 CE). This second Temple had been desecrated by Pompey, when he entered it after taking Jerusalem in 63 BCE Five centuries later, this Second Temple was renovated by Herod the Great in about 20 BCE. The ffice:smarttags" /><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comTemple</st1:City> <ST1:PlaceType w:st="on">Mount</ST1:PlaceType> <ST1:PlaceName w:st="on">Site</ST1:PlaceName> of Solomon's <st1:place w:st="on"><ST1:PlaceName w:st="on">First</ST1:PlaceName> <ST1:PlaceType w:st="on">Temple is now the site of </ST1:PlaceType></st1:place>The Muslem "Al-Haram-al-Sharif" the Dome of the Rock and The Muslem "Al-Aqsa Mosque": The Dome of the Rock, also known as the Mosque of Omar, is one of the most recognisable and iconic buildings in the world and was built by Muslim ruler Abd el-Malik between 688-691. The original Al-Aqsa Mosque was built by the Umayyads, an early Islamic dynasty, in 710 CE on the south side of the Temple Mount. PS: El Escorial, in Spain, was constructed from a plan based on the descriptions of Solomon's temple.

This should serve as a model of inspiration for ourselves [can it work for us too?]: 'Nun Fund' Directs Investment to Socially Responsible Companies Paris 30 July 2003 Two decades ago, a Roman Catholic order of nuns helped create <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com<st1:place w:st=" /><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">France</st1:country-region></st1:place>'s first ethical investment fund - requiring that stock market investments go to companies following strict social and environmental criteria. Today, these socially responsible investments have become popular in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">France</st1:place></st1:country-region>, and elsewhere. It was not divine inspiration, but worldly need that drove Sister Nicole Reille to seek salvation in the stock market. The year was 1983, and Sister Reille's international order - called Notre Dame - had few options for financing its work and the nuns' retirement. The sisters needed to make some investments, but they were not interested in just any investments. Instead, they created a special fund that funneled their francs into the convictions they preached - to companies with good records regarding the environment, how they treat their employees and how they operate in developing countries. The nuns drafted a list of 20 funding criteria - ranging from whether companies hire handicapped or immigrant workers, to whether they encourage economic development in poor countries. At the time, Sister Reille admitted, many French financial experts raised their eyebrows at the nuns' foray into the stock market. Skeptics considered the sisters idealists, whose ethical investment strategy would not survive the cold, hard realities of the business world. Companies would send representatives to the nuns to talk about possible investments, but only, she believes, out of politeness. Today, few people are questioning the nuns' methods. After their first fund, New Strategy 50, the sisters launched a second called Ethical Action, in 1998. The two funds have grown at the very respectable rate of roughly eight percent a year - although both suffered during the recent stock market downturn. Some 80, mostly female, Christian orders have since joined the funds, along with a sprinkling of lay people. Last fall, Sister Reille's order sent her to <st1:City w:st="on">Rome</st1:City>, where she preached the virtues of ethical investment to other branches of the Roman Catholic Church, and to the <st1:place w:st="on">Vatican</st1:place> bankers. But she said she did not get the response she expected. The French sister said her counterparts from other congregations were not interested in talking about investment. The <st1:place w:st="on">Vatican</st1:place> bankers told Sister Reille they already knew all about ethical investments, and said they were not interested in her suggestions. <st1:place w:st="on">Vatican</st1:place> bankers did not reply to requests for an interview for this report. But Sister Reille assessed the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Vatican</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s criteria for socially responsible investments as rudimentary. Elsewhere, the advice of Sister Reille, and like-minded French nuns, is being taken more seriously. Sister Reille travels regularly overseas to meet with bankers and religious orders about ethical investments. And in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">France</st1:place></st1:country-region>, financial analysts like Laurence Loubieres say it was Sister Reille and her colleagues who helped launch a nationwide interest in socially responsible investment. Ms. Loubieres firm, Meeschaert Bank of <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Paris</st1:place></st1:City>, manages the nuns' two funds. She says popular concerns about global warming, deforestation and poverty in developing countries, helped fuel French investment in these ethical funds. Other experts say recent scandals regarding mismanagement in major international firms like Enron also pushed many French investors to funnel their money into companies with good ethical records. Today, roughly 100 funds claiming to be socially responsible exist in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">France</st1:place></st1:country-region>, most founded by banks and other non-religious institutions. Many companies have also hired ethics specialists, who promote their firms' good qualities. Still, the ethical investment movement in <st1:country-region w:st="on">France</st1:country-region> is modest compared to those in the <st1:country-region w:st="on">United States</st1:country-region> and <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region>. But experts say the trend is gathering pace. Eighty percent of the ethical funds in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">France</st1:place></st1:country-region> were created between 1999 and 2002. That includes a fund started three years ago by a prominent French relief group, the Catholic Committee Against Hunger and for Development. The Catholic Committee's finance director, Bernard Mazzaschi, said the group's first ethical fund has fallen roughly 30 percent in value since it was launched in the midst of the world economic slowdown. But Mr. Mazzaschi said, new Catholic congregations are still joining the fund. He said their investments are for the long term - and he predicts that sooner or later, the fund will begin earning a profit. One of the goals of ethical investments is to pressure companies to adopt more ethical business practices. The success of that effort is the subject of some debate. In addition, there are disagreements over what constitutes an ethical investment. The concept can be used as a political tool, as some groups call on investors not to put money into countries whose policies they do not like. Still, Sister Reille said the emergence of new ethical rating agencies in the 1990s has forced companies to worry about their social standards. The rating agencies now report on the ethical behavior of every company on the French stock market. And Sister Reille is working with professional investment experts to develop a set of guidelines for ethical investment she hopes will be adopted by investors throughout Europe, including those at the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Vatican</st1:place></st1:country-region>.

One of the five topics of the Gita is, "jiva, aka atma or soul". For some the soul is a void hole in space temporarily manifest as a subjective being —for others the soul is the transcendent life-force searching for personal permanence. The personalities in the puranas are all cousins sharing a common family tree back to maha-pita-ma Lord Brahma. These personalities in the puranas are the same jivas in a temporal material body living in celestial opulence are known as the devata superintendents of cosmic affairs. In the puranas, we are made privy to the lives of those in the royal court of the demigods and similarly we are made privy to the lives of saints who advised and inspired great personalities of antiquity--only made known to us mortal readers herein by way of contemporary saints emerging from out of Bharata-varsa. The Family Tree of all the personalities of the Veda As found in the Bhagavata-purana There is an actual family tree described in approximately 563 Slokas. These Slokas delineate the family lineages starting with Brahma [including all the Prajapatis, Manus, the Soma & the Surya Dynasties] up until the 11th Century C.E.. Approximately 2,500 names [including wives are listed] Avataras and their family lineage is included too—which brings us to the Puranas and before that to the various Vedic Books that re-tell ancient events among the Devas in their youth. In the Bhagavata-purana the family tree Starts with & proceeds as follows: 1) Brahma's Birth [155 Trillion B.C.] — Brahma's children — Brahma's Daughter-in-law & Son-in-laws — Brahma's grandchildren — Brahma's great-grandchildren 2) Brahma's first 50 years of his life have already passed — 3) Brahma's awakes afresh at the start of the Present Day (kalpa) — the first Manu (svayambhuva) is born — Kasyapa & his cousins re-populate the Universe (prajapatis) 4) The first to 6th Manus born, live and pass. 5) The 7th Manu is born 3) At the end of the 1st Maha-yuga of the 7th Manu— Mother Revati leaves to seek Husband (and 27 Maha-yuga later arrives to marry Balarama). 4) We are here now in the 28th Maha-yuga epoch [out of 71] of the present 7th Manu. 5) The family tree continues until the 11th Century CE. The watch word for being given this data from Vyasadeva, IMO, is a matter of "Orientation" —as in finding our way in and around a forest and knowing where our cousins and Uncles homes are to be found. The reason for various seemingly contradictory statements in the Vedas, and also, in seemingly contradictory statements in the Puranas about pastimes of persons mentioned in different puranas etc is: The events happened in vastly different epochs and vastly different places —attended by a few most famous personalities and also attended by mutitudes of Sadhus, rishis and celestial near-do-wells —therefore the re-counting of Vedic events of antiquity contain points-of-view from sources that witnessed the same events from different vantage points. Also, the Demigods are prone to mistakes, bad-manners, momentary lapses of judgment, lust pursuits etc —so eventhough their behavior is exemplary it contains all the variety of Celestial Soap-Operas [novellas] that spring from the Human-condition [Demigod-condition]. Remember, Daksha, Durvasa and what to speak of Big-Big Asuras who made mistakes when they could have enjoyed the good life into their dotage years. Why would Indra not recognize the advent of Vishnu's origin incarnate, <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comKrishna</st1:place>? Because of supreme conceit. But the Devas are not self-hating soul killers —they live a polished life of opulence with their duties to perform for the good of all sentient beings and also for the maintenance of the physical structure of the cosmos.