"It Is Necessary To Ask Questions That Have No Answers"
--J. Krishnamurthy
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"ऐसे प्रश्न पूछें जिन का कोई उत्तर नहीं हो "
--कृष्णमूर्ती
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Dec 26, 2008
A Shared Thought Ripple
A good friend (a monk from Sivananda Ashram, Rishikesh) was kind enough to share this beautiful thought with me....and I pass it on for everyone to benefit....
A thought ripple manifested - I share with You.....
Time is the best Chronicler of Events. It's our actions in the past, which becomes instrumental in helping the world adjudge us, as the Best, the Better, the Good or yet still the Unwanted. Nobody lives eternally to defend his/her actions. So silence is our only justification to every action that we perform, while the world passes its judgment on us. Moreover, on the sand dunes of time, thought and word leave their footprints in the form of actions.
Therefore, Act, so that the world may judge you tomorrow, when you are not there – but Act such, that You do not Repent.
Date – 25.12.2008
Swami Vijnanananda Saraswati
Dec 25, 2008
Life and Mortality
"Instead of thinking we are born to die, why don't we assure ourselves that we are born to become immortal?"
..so said Vallalar, the saint of South India, that supposedly attained the Golden Body of Light (not the physical death). This State has been mentioned in the Rg Veda and, notably, the Taittreya Upanishad and aptly supported by Sri Aurobindo.
..so said Vallalar, the saint of South India, that supposedly attained the Golden Body of Light (not the physical death). This State has been mentioned in the Rg Veda and, notably, the Taittreya Upanishad and aptly supported by Sri Aurobindo.
Dec 23, 2008
'Honey' yourself this winter
Since Honey is warming to the body, it is excellent to take throughout the cold season.
Mixed with different herbs and spices like ginger, tulsi, black pepper, long pepper etc, it wards off the common colds due to excess Kapha accumulation in the body.
Despite being sweet in taste, the overall effect of honey is primarily due to it's astringent properties, thereby reducing heaviness/mucus from the body
It should not be heated or boiled, but added to prepared teas/dishes/recipes after sufficient cooling down.
http://mapi.com/newsletters/maharishi_ayurveda/august_2008/honey_in_history.html
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Mixed with different herbs and spices like ginger, tulsi, black pepper, long pepper etc, it wards off the common colds due to excess Kapha accumulation in the body.
Despite being sweet in taste, the overall effect of honey is primarily due to it's astringent properties, thereby reducing heaviness/mucus from the body
It should not be heated or boiled, but added to prepared teas/dishes/recipes after sufficient cooling down.
http://mapi.com/newsletters/maharishi_ayurveda/august_2008/honey_in_history.html
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Ashtavkra Gita : Chapter X1 : SELF AS PURE INTELLIGENCE
My Dear Husband does a lot of heavy reading, and happily likes to discuss things which he finds worth contemplating on!
He saves me a lot of reading hours by giving me a gist of his learnings:
Here is one such lesson, hope you will enjoy it as much as I did
:)
Ashtavkra Gita : Chapter X1 : SELF AS PURE INTELLIGENCE
I.
He who has understood with certitude (nishchaya) that change in the form of existence and destruction is inherent in things, he becomes unperturbed and free from this pain - and easily finds peace.
II.
He who has understood with certitude that God (Self) is the Creator of all, and there is none else here, becomes calm with all his inner desires melted away. He is no longer attached to anything whatsoever.
III.
He who has understood with certitude that misfortune and fortune come in their own time, thru the effects of past actions, becomes ever contented and has all his senses well under-control. He neither desires nor grieves.
IV.
He who has understood with certitude that happiness and sorrow, birth and death, are all due to the effects of past actions, does no more seek after the ordinary goals of life. He becomes free from care. He is not attached (tainted) even though engaged in action.
V.
He who has understood with certitude that it is anxiety and nothing else that brings sorrow in the world, becomes free from it and is happy and peaceful everywhere - with his desires melted away.
VI.
"I am not the body, nor is the body mine, I am Pure Intelligence" - he who has understood this with certitude, does no longer remember what he 'has done' or what 'he has-not-done', as if he has attained the state of aloneness (Kaivalya).
VII.
"I am indeed in everything from the Creator down to a tuft of grass" - he who has understood this with certitude becomes free from all thought-oscillations; pure and serene he withdraws from what is attained and what is not attained.
VIII.
He who has understood with certitude that this manifold and marvelous universe is nothing (unreal), becomes desire less and Pure Intelligence. he finds peace - as if nothing exists.
...translated by Swami Chinmayananda
He saves me a lot of reading hours by giving me a gist of his learnings:
Here is one such lesson, hope you will enjoy it as much as I did
:)
Ashtavkra Gita : Chapter X1 : SELF AS PURE INTELLIGENCE
I.
He who has understood with certitude (nishchaya) that change in the form of existence and destruction is inherent in things, he becomes unperturbed and free from this pain - and easily finds peace.
II.
He who has understood with certitude that God (Self) is the Creator of all, and there is none else here, becomes calm with all his inner desires melted away. He is no longer attached to anything whatsoever.
III.
He who has understood with certitude that misfortune and fortune come in their own time, thru the effects of past actions, becomes ever contented and has all his senses well under-control. He neither desires nor grieves.
IV.
He who has understood with certitude that happiness and sorrow, birth and death, are all due to the effects of past actions, does no more seek after the ordinary goals of life. He becomes free from care. He is not attached (tainted) even though engaged in action.
V.
He who has understood with certitude that it is anxiety and nothing else that brings sorrow in the world, becomes free from it and is happy and peaceful everywhere - with his desires melted away.
VI.
"I am not the body, nor is the body mine, I am Pure Intelligence" - he who has understood this with certitude, does no longer remember what he 'has done' or what 'he has-not-done', as if he has attained the state of aloneness (Kaivalya).
VII.
"I am indeed in everything from the Creator down to a tuft of grass" - he who has understood this with certitude becomes free from all thought-oscillations; pure and serene he withdraws from what is attained and what is not attained.
VIII.
He who has understood with certitude that this manifold and marvelous universe is nothing (unreal), becomes desire less and Pure Intelligence. he finds peace - as if nothing exists.
...translated by Swami Chinmayananda
Beautiful pics from our Galaxy....
Every day, for the next few days, a new photo will be revealed here from the amazing Hubble Space Telescope.
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/12/hubble_space_telescope_advent.html
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http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/12/hubble_space_telescope_advent.html
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Dec 14, 2008
About 1 in 9 U.S. kids use alternative medicine
There has been increasing awareness regd. the use of CAM in the USA.
the irony of the situation is that what we call CAM here (Complimentary and Alternative medicine) is actually the Traditional mainline medicinal healing systems of some civilizations, e.g Indian, Chinese, native american, African, Inca/Mayan and so on....; tested and tried for thousands of years with much benefits and little/no side effects .....
funny, isn't it , for us to call it CAM? But at least we are opening up to try them now.....4/10 adults and 1/9 children have tried CAM in the last one year :) keep up the good stuff!
http://www.globalgoodnews.com/health-news-a.html?art=122914187312788053
The CDC report: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs
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the irony of the situation is that what we call CAM here (Complimentary and Alternative medicine) is actually the Traditional mainline medicinal healing systems of some civilizations, e.g Indian, Chinese, native american, African, Inca/Mayan and so on....; tested and tried for thousands of years with much benefits and little/no side effects .....
funny, isn't it , for us to call it CAM? But at least we are opening up to try them now.....4/10 adults and 1/9 children have tried CAM in the last one year :) keep up the good stuff!
http://www.globalgoodnews.com/health-news-a.html?art=122914187312788053
The CDC report: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs
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Dec 7, 2008
Ayurveda and Yoga: The common Foundations
An interesting writeup about the common foundations of Ayurveda & Yoga in this article. (Article was published in Punarnava Ayurveda's Rishikesh Conference Souvenir) and is available for free download through their website at:
http://punarnava-ayurveda.com/article_det.asp?artid=38&act=free
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http://punarnava-ayurveda.com/article_det.asp?artid=38&act=free
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Dec 4, 2008
Inspiring quotes
I see God walking in every human form. When I meet different people, I say to myself, "God in the form of the saint, God in the form of the sinner, God in the form of the righteous, God in the form of the unrighteous."- Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa (1836-1886)
Let us also try to maintain the awareness of the presence of God in every being!
"Each soul is potentially divine. The goal is to manifest this divinity" - Swami Vivekananda
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Let us also try to maintain the awareness of the presence of God in every being!
"Each soul is potentially divine. The goal is to manifest this divinity" - Swami Vivekananda
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Benefits of Meditation
Conditions In Which Meditation Has Been shown to be beneficial:
The list is NOT all inclusive.
Anxiety (Kabat-Zinn & Massion, 1992; Miller et al., 1995)
Asthma (Wilson, Hansberger, Chin, & Novey, 1975)
Carotid atherosclerosis (Castillo-Richmond et al., 2000)
Cancer (Carlson et al, 2004; Speca et al, 2000 )
Chronic pain (Kabat-Zinn & Massion, 1982; Kabat-Zinn, Lipworth & Burney, 1985)
Coronary artery disease (Zamarra, Schneider, Bessaghini, Robinson, & Salerno, 1996)
Coronary care units (Guzzetta, 1989)
Depression (Teasdale et al, 2000)
Diagnostic procedures (Frenn, Fehring, & Kartes, 1986)
Drug abuse (Shafii, 1973)
Fibromyalgia (Astin et al, 2003)
Headache (Benson, Klemchuk, & Graham, 1974)
HIV/AIDS (Robinson et al, 2003)
Hypertension (Schneider et al., 1996)
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (Keefer et al, 2002)
Organ Transplantation (Kreitzer et al, 2004)
Psoriasis (Kabat-Zinn et al., 1998)
Psychotherapy (Bogart, 1991)
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Anxiety (Kabat-Zinn & Massion, 1992; Miller et al., 1995)
Asthma (Wilson, Hansberger, Chin, & Novey, 1975)
Carotid atherosclerosis (Castillo-Richmond et al., 2000)
Cancer (Carlson et al, 2004; Speca et al, 2000 )
Chronic pain (Kabat-Zinn & Massion, 1982; Kabat-Zinn, Lipworth & Burney, 1985)
Coronary artery disease (Zamarra, Schneider, Bessaghini, Robinson, & Salerno, 1996)
Coronary care units (Guzzetta, 1989)
Depression (Teasdale et al, 2000)
Diagnostic procedures (Frenn, Fehring, & Kartes, 1986)
Drug abuse (Shafii, 1973)
Fibromyalgia (Astin et al, 2003)
Headache (Benson, Klemchuk, & Graham, 1974)
HIV/AIDS (Robinson et al, 2003)
Hypertension (Schneider et al., 1996)
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (Keefer et al, 2002)
Organ Transplantation (Kreitzer et al, 2004)
Psoriasis (Kabat-Zinn et al., 1998)
Psychotherapy (Bogart, 1991)
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Change is constant!
....everything else just 'changes'
I have been pondering over this thought over the last few days a lot.......observing things both outside; and the thoughts and the emotions produced inside due to them
:)
BTW, The 'self' alone is not changing...It is part of Sat-chit-ananda....the timeless, blissful conciousness....that is what is constantly observing the whole play of changes, and registering them as changes
More to follow.......
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I have been pondering over this thought over the last few days a lot.......observing things both outside; and the thoughts and the emotions produced inside due to them
:)
BTW, The 'self' alone is not changing...It is part of Sat-chit-ananda....the timeless, blissful conciousness....that is what is constantly observing the whole play of changes, and registering them as changes
More to follow.......
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Vitamin B12. for vegetarians
We were dining out with friends, when one of them raised the discussion about the vegetarian diet and pros/cons.....definitely the pros list was way ahead of the cons, but there are a couple of things to be careful about being a veg*n (vegetarian/vegan)
Vitamin B12.
The main source of this vitamin in most diets is red meat, organ meats, eggs and milk and milk products like yoghurt. Small quantities are found in soybeans, green beans, beets, carrots and peas.
Other foods such as barley, malted syrup, sourdough bread, parsley, shitake mushrooms, Organic Fermented soya products ,tofu and soybean paste, seaweeds (Nori etc) and algae such as spirulina also have some B-12 in them.
Vitamin B12 is important in the formation of red blood cells and the maintenence of a healthy nervous system. When deficiency does occur it is more likely to be due to a failure to absorb B12 from the intestine than a dietary deficiency. Only very small amounts of dietary vitamin B12 are needed because our bodies do a fabulous job of recycling this essential nutrient, even in vegetarians. Human vitamin B12 deficiency is very unlikely to occur in such a setting. B12 is stored in the liver and muscles for many years. The Dietary reference intake for an adult ranges from 2 to 3 µg (micrograms) per day. The total amount of vitamin B-12 stored in body is about 2,000-5,000 mcg in adults. Around 80% of this is stored in the liver.
For vegetarians concerned regd. supplementation, (but without a deficiency) a single sublingual B12 tablet (250-500 micrograms), once a week or every two weeks, should be sufficient to maintain most individual’s serum B12 levels and body reserves. Vitamin B-12 can be supplemented in healthy subjects also by liquid, strip, nasal spray, or injection and is available singly or in combination with other supplements.
Vegans can obtain B12 from a wide range of foods which have been fortified with the vitamin. These include certain yeast extracts, veggieburger mixes, breakfast cereals, and organic soy milks. You should check the packaging to see which individual products are fortified with B12.
For long term vegans, a multivitamin containing B12, a fortified breakfast cereal, or organic fortified soy milk, or fortified meat substitutes in small quantities, Some forms of nutritional yeast containing adequate amounts of B-12 are recommended.
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Vitamin B12.
The main source of this vitamin in most diets is red meat, organ meats, eggs and milk and milk products like yoghurt. Small quantities are found in soybeans, green beans, beets, carrots and peas.
Other foods such as barley, malted syrup, sourdough bread, parsley, shitake mushrooms, Organic Fermented soya products ,tofu and soybean paste, seaweeds (Nori etc) and algae such as spirulina also have some B-12 in them.
Vitamin B12 is important in the formation of red blood cells and the maintenence of a healthy nervous system. When deficiency does occur it is more likely to be due to a failure to absorb B12 from the intestine than a dietary deficiency. Only very small amounts of dietary vitamin B12 are needed because our bodies do a fabulous job of recycling this essential nutrient, even in vegetarians. Human vitamin B12 deficiency is very unlikely to occur in such a setting. B12 is stored in the liver and muscles for many years. The Dietary reference intake for an adult ranges from 2 to 3 µg (micrograms) per day. The total amount of vitamin B-12 stored in body is about 2,000-5,000 mcg in adults. Around 80% of this is stored in the liver.
For vegetarians concerned regd. supplementation, (but without a deficiency) a single sublingual B12 tablet (250-500 micrograms), once a week or every two weeks, should be sufficient to maintain most individual’s serum B12 levels and body reserves. Vitamin B-12 can be supplemented in healthy subjects also by liquid, strip, nasal spray, or injection and is available singly or in combination with other supplements.
Vegans can obtain B12 from a wide range of foods which have been fortified with the vitamin. These include certain yeast extracts, veggieburger mixes, breakfast cereals, and organic soy milks. You should check the packaging to see which individual products are fortified with B12.
For long term vegans, a multivitamin containing B12, a fortified breakfast cereal, or organic fortified soy milk, or fortified meat substitutes in small quantities, Some forms of nutritional yeast containing adequate amounts of B-12 are recommended.
.
Dec 1, 2008
Processed food and us
a trailer to show how processed our food ( and finally we) have become....
http://www.processedpeople.com/trailer.htm
http://www.processedpeople.com/trailer.htm
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