Sunday, September 30, 2007

GRIEVING FOR THE LIVING OR FOR THE DEAD

The wise grieve neither for the living nor for the dead. There has never been a time when you and I and the kings gathered here have not existed, nor will there be a time when we will cease to exist. As the same person inhabits the body through childhood, youth, and old age, so too at the time of death he attains another body. The wise are not deluded by these changes.

-Bhagavad Gita 2:12-13

ELIMINATION OF POOJA YADAV

ELIMINATION OF POOJA YADAV



It was indeed unfortunate that a real talent Pooja Yadav emerged from the poor-most background in society was eliminated from Zee TV’s ‘Saa Re Ga Ma Pa challenge’ mainly because of SMS system of voting by public. Otherwise also, one of the judges on the show rightly suggested for separate such programmes for girls and boys because voices of girls and boys are distinctly different. Organisers of such shows on various channels should follow advice of experts, judges including the unmatched melody-queen Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar for abolishing SMS system of voting because such SMS voting are many times biased on basis of region and other aspects. Union railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav should be reminded for his promised job for Pooja Yadav in Indian Railways.



MADHU AGRAWAL

(Guinness Record Holder for letters in Newspapers)

1775 Kucha Lattushah

BUDDHIST WISDOM

Do you want to know what my body is? My body is the same as the whole earth.

Do you want to know what my mind is? My mind is the same as space itself.

Do you want to know what my vision is? I see there is nothing to see.

Do you want to know what I hear? I hear the unheard.

Since I have been seeing and hearing, why then do I speak of the unheard? "If you listen with your ears, after all you cannot understand; when you hear through your eyes, only then will you know."

-Ssu-hsin

SHORTEST DISTANCE

Today's Quote

Laughter is the shortest distance between two people.

-Victor Borge

Saturday, September 29, 2007

ATTITUDE - WE HAVE THE CHOICE TO LIVE FULLY

We have the choice to live fully

Attitude

Jerry is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!" He was a unique manager because he had several waiters who had followed him around from restaurant to restaurant. The reason the waiters followed Jerry was because of his attitude. He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Jerry was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.

Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Jerry and asked him, “I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?" Jerry replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, Jerry, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood. I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life. "Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested. "Yes it is," Jerry said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live life." I reflected on what Jerry said.

Soon thereafter, I left the restaurant industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it. Several years later, I heard that Jerry did something you are never supposed to do in the restaurant business...he left the back door open one morning and was held up at gun point by three armed robbers. While trying to open the safe, his hand, shaking from nervousness, slipped off the combination. The robbers panicked and shot him. Luckily, Jerry was found relatively quickly and rushed to the local trauma center. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body.

I saw Jerry about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins. Wanna see my scars?" I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place. "The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door," Jerry replied. "Then, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or I could choose to die. I chose to live." "Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked. Jerry continued, "...the paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine.

But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man.' I knew I needed to take action." "What did you do?" I asked. "Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me," said Jerry. "She asked if I was allergic to anything. 'Yes' I replied. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'BULLETS!' Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead'." Jerry lived thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully. Attitude, after all, is everything.

NOT NOW - MEDITTION

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NOT NOW - Meditation

"NOT NOW " A meditation power-tool - Sampuran Singh.Reality comes at us like ten thousand speeding bullets, riddling our mind with requests for attention. It sometimes seems that this will never stop. Other times we may suddenly notice that our attention was focused for a prolonged time on something simple and we know a relaxation over all of our body that feels ever so peaceful. Meditation is the act of experiencing that deep sense of relaxation. It is not the only way. But it is a way to cultivate this most desirable of skills.Learning to meditate is much like learning any other skill. You probably won’t be able to do it well the first time. It takes time, practice and diligence. The first time we may find ourselves frustrated; expecting a level of proficiency, which we may not, as of yet, earned. And, like any other skill, we begin to know a deep satisfaction as we begin to experience our first levels of success.The first time we try to sit and be quiet we may notice a preponderance of disconcerting activities keeping us from knowing the stillness we seek. We fidget, squirm, itch, hurt and may feel like someone just closed the lid on our coffin. We notice so many things that we ought or should have been doing. We remember the gas stove we left on, the water still running in the bathtub and that phone call we have yet to return. Some of it seems so terribly important that we know we must stop this sitting still and go take care of it.As you experience this sense of busyness there is only one thing to do. Watch it. Allow yourself to begin to separate from these thoughts, to watch them, to witness the way you feel and think and are moved by impulse. Get behind them. No matter what, stay with your stillness and watch the bright loudness of your own thinking.Now, because there truly are idiots in the world, I have to make a disclaimer at this point and say there are certain life-threatening situations of which you might want to take permanent note and act upon. This might include the smell of your hair burning, the rattle of automatic machine gun fire or the flight attendant patiently asking you to either open the emergency exit or get out of the way. There, that now said, everything else you can just watch. If you ever experience "bright" pain, well, then, STOP! An ache here or there is okay. A bright pain means that something is very unhappy and needs to have your attention for healing right away.So you watch. You feel the tickle at the end of your nose and you really want to scratch it. Your right foot is going to sleep or your back is beginning to ache. Stay with it. It will pass.If you would like to interact a bit with these thoughts you can begin to speak to them by saying "Not Now". You watch the itch, the thought, the concern or the bright new idea you just can't wait to write down. Then you speak to it. Very gently, with great respect, you approach your thought or feeling and say simply but firmly "Not Now". And then you watch them fade away, slipping off your palette of reality like the wake of a ship disappearing into the big blue ocean.The conscious mind, that part that gets you here and there and talks and walks and allows you to do things, loves to be busy. So, like a three-year-old sitting at a restaurant table, we must give it something to do. Watching your own thoughts is one way to do this. The rational mind creates these thoughts like some great prolific bubbling spring. You can't really stop it. But you can redirect it. You allow the thoughts to happen but you are not your thoughts. They are something that your spring of thoughts is bubbling up. You allow them to flow downstream and away - letting them go, just watching.This exercise of "Not Now" is a beautiful way to begin to relate to your thoughts. It reverses your life's polarity by having you control your thoughts rather than your thoughts driving you forward. You stand like a serene statue being pelted by rain droplets of thoughts. They peck away at you, trying so hard to make you wet, but you couldn't absorb them even if you wanted to.So often in our lives we are pushed along by our thoughts like a baby in a stroller, propelled along at what seems like lightning speed, never in control and driven by an unseen power we are forced to trust and with which we have no seeming influence. Or, at other times, wanting peace for a few minutes, we are pulled along by our thoughts like a ten-year-old drags a new puppy towards a direction it seeks not to endure. Either way, we feel terrible. Out of control, out of sync, and powerless. Harnessed thus to our thoughts we become their beast of burden and quietly submit to a fate we can neither enjoy nor escape. We cannot know any real sense of responsibility because we know only another's power. We quietly, desperately yearn for a freedom that seems farther and farther away from our diminishing sense of hope."Not now" begins to allow us to establish the center of our power as somewhere different and separate from our thoughts. We begin to discover that who we are and where we are is a different place than where our thoughts reside. Our identity emerges at a place inside us that is centered, powerful and bright with possibility. Like a King in charge of his Kingdom we can direct, label, and control whatever the oilrig of thoughts is bringing up.After telling a friend about my discovery of "Not Now" she began to use it late in the evening. Like many of us she found that when she would lie down at the end of the day to go to sleep, her head was still busy with so many things remaining to do and history to review. Slowly, she watches each thought, identifies it and greets it back with "Not Now". Like a conductor giving a soldier a train ticket, she sends it on its way over the edge of her consciousness. Better than counting sheep, you become a shepherd to your thoughts and open the gate for their exit. Because this is using part of the conscious mind to control another part of the conscious mind, it soon grows weary of its fruitless game and shuts off. The mind stills and she is on her way to the restful bliss of a well-deserved sleep.Another friend tells me of yet another interesting way to employ "Not Now". She has been struggling with her body image, her weight, and her sense of consumption for most of her life. Now she employs "Not Now" as the tool with which she addresses the things, which feel, outside of her control. She'll look at a desert, a potato, or a beautiful fresh piece of bread she really could enjoy, acknowledge its attraction and gently respond with "Not Now". It becomes a philosophy that remains gentle while recognizing strength and yet somehow takes control by understanding TIME as a key component to the creation of ourselves. We are not saying we will never eat this or that or think about this or that. We are simply saying "Not Now" as a timeframe that it is just not invited.It reminds me of the circumstances of when someone we really love; a friend, a child or a parent, calls and wants to talk to us while we are on the way to an important engagement. We don't say "No", we don't say "we don't love you", we don't say "You are terribly unattractive and I don't want you in my life for who I want to be!" We just simply respond with "I would like to know you, to spend time with you, but 'Not Now'. Maybe later.So what a great way to approach the things that we love so much that we bring them into our lives perhaps a little too much. We can begin to have a place in our life that says these are marvelous things and I have to have the place and time for them. We continue to define ourselves not only by what we are but also by what we are not.."Not now" moves from being a gentle directional device to a simple mantra. By saying it over and over and over again the mind grows tired of using it as a tool and instead the words become a soothing rhythm that gently rocks the rational mind to sleep. When this happens, if you are not lying down but rather in a deliberate posture for meditation, you begin to meditate. You may or may not still be thinking, but those thoughts have been reduced to a very small television screen way off in the corner of your mind's room. What is left is the rest of you, the you that isn't thinking. It is all of you and it is watching and listening to the profound stillness that is at your core.You are still breathing.You are still flowing your blood.You are still growing your hair, your toenails and ten thousand other things.As you realize your "thoughts" are only one of the things you do, you become not only bigger, you become lighter.Because who you really are is what is doing all of this.It is like slowly moving from the outside diameter of a spinning wheel toward the wheel's axis. As you reach the axis you will discover that its job, its purpose, is to be the stillness upon which all of the motion of the Universe may turn. It is as necessary to motion as "up" is to "down". To spend a little time with your center is to know your own balance, your own power and your own completeness.This simple phrase "Not Now" can empower you to be strong with all ten thousand bullets being shot at you every moment. You can begin to learn the skill of knowing reality on your own terms, of creating your own balanced sense of time, and of responding on your own schedule. Time becomes less the ticking clock you race to outwit and more a pace of your own making. You will discover that you are the great magician. That you are creating and doing all of that which you formerly thought was just happening to you. You can begin to know a focus of your own choosing. And as you know your focus the angels will appear. You will smile and know that Magic is the gift that runs through you.

Copyright © 1999-2007 Google

Friday, September 28, 2007

THE TREASURE WHICH CANNOT BE LOST

By charity, goodness, restraint, and self-control men and woman alike can store up a well-hidden treasure -- a treasure which cannot be given to others and which robbers cannot steal. A wise person should do good -- that is the treasure which will not leave one.

-"Khuddhaka Patha"
From "Teachings

Thursday, September 27, 2007

MAY THE LORD BLESS YOU AND MAMA MARY TOO...

Subject: fw: a premarriage test


My wonderful girlfriend and I had been dating for over a year, and so we decided to get married.

There was only one little thing bothering me. It was her beautiful younger sister. My prospective sister-in-law was twenty-two, wore very tight mini skirts, and generally was bra-less.

One day 'little sister' called and asked me to come over to check the wedding invitations. She was alone when I arrived, and she whispered to me that she had feelings and desires for me that she couldn't overcome. She told me that she wanted to make love to me just once before I got married and committed my life to her sister. Well, I was in total shock, and couldn't say a word.

She said, 'I'm going upstairs to my bedroom, and if you want one last wild fling, just come up and get me.' I was stunned and frozen in shock as I watched her go up the stairs. When she reached the top she pulled off her panties and threw them down the stairs at me.

I stood there for a moment, then turned and made a beeline straight to the front door. I opened the door, and quickly headed straight towards my car.

Lo and behold, my entire future family was standing outside, all clapping!

With tears in his eyes, my future father-in-law hugged me and said, we are very happy that you have passed our little test... we couldn't ask for a better man for our daughter. Welcome to the family.'

And the moral of this story is: Always keep your condoms in your car.

MAY THE GOOD LORD BLESS YOU AND MAMA MARY KEEP YOU IN HER LOVING CARE.

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

What should we eat for snack - try bhune hue chane

No doubt we usually eat an apple, or some cucumber or tomatoe etc.when we want to eat something between meals. However, for a snack we like to eat something crunchy. Have we forgotten the childhood snack we used to eat so often and savour. I am talking about the bhune hue chane, i.e. roasted chick peas. Just buy a pound or two of them from an Indian shop and you can eat some of them, preferably without salt, i.e. unsalted whenever you feel like eating something. They have least number of calories.

It is better to eat them with skin. If you don't like the stony chanaa which may come ;in between your eating the chanaa whole, or if you prefer, you may grind these chanaa in a grinder. Then you make it a sattoo and can mix it with dahi and eat it; if you are alright with sugar put a little sugar; if not, put some stevia or other type of sweetener.

Not only it has the least amount of calories, it has many other benefits as it is very helpful for the stomach, etc.

Any questions or comments?

What should we eat for snack - try bhune hue chane

No doubt we usually eat an apple, or some cucumber or tomatoe etc.when we want to eat something between meals. However, for a snack we like to eat something crunchy. Have we forgotten the childhood snack we used to eat so often and savour. I am talking about the bhune hue chane, i.e. roasted chick peas. Just buy a pound or two of them from an Indian shop and you can eat some of them, preferably without salt, i.e. unsalted whenever you feel like eating something. They have least number of calories.

It is better to eat them with skin. If you don't like the stony chanaa which may come ;in between your eating the chanaa whole, or if you prefer, you may grind these chanaa in a grinder. Then you make it a sattoo and can mix it with dahi and eat it; if you are alright with sugar put a little sugar; if not, put some stevia or other type of sweetener.

Not only it has the least amount of calories, it has many other benefits as it is very helpful for the stomach, etc.

Any questions or comments?

Monday, September 24, 2007

SOME RANDOM EXTRACTS FROM EAT, PRAY, LOVE

by Elizabeth Gilbert

"What would I do if you never came here?"

But I was ALWAYS coming here. I thought about one of my favorite Sufi poems, which says that God long ago drew a circle in the sand exactly around the spot where you are standing right now. I was never not coming here. This was never not going to happen.


to continue, Hari Ichcha

Mr. Iranian in the US

Ahmadinejad questions 9/11, Holocaust

By NAHAL TOOSI, Associated Press Writer 22 minutes ago

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad questioned the official version of the Sept. 11 attacks and defended the right to cast doubt on the Holocaust in a tense appearance at Columbia University, whose president accused the hard-line leader of behaving like "a petty and cruel dictator."

Ahmadinejad smiled at first but appeared increasingly agitated, decrying the "insults" and "unfriendly treatment." Columbia President Lee Bollinger and audience members took him to task over Iran's human-rights record and foreign policy, as well as Ahmadinejad's statements denying the Holocaust and calling for the disappearance of Israel.

"Mr. President, you exhibit all the signs of a petty and cruel dictator," Bollinger said, to loud applause.

He said Ahmadinejad's denial of the Holocaust might fool the illiterate and ignorant.

"When you come to a place like this it makes you simply ridiculous," Bollinger said. "The truth is that the Holocaust is the most documented event in human history."

Ahmadinejad rose, also to applause, and after a religious invocation, said Bollinger's opening was "an insult to information and the knowledge of the audience here."

"There were insults and claims that were incorrect, regretfully," Ahmadinejad said, accusing Bollinger of falling under the influence of the hostile U.S. press and politicians. "I should not begin by being affected by this unfriendly treatment."

During a question and answer session, Ahmadinejad appeared tense and unsmiling, in contrast to more relaxed interviews and appearances earlier in the day.

In response to one audience, Ahmadinejad denied he was questioning the existence of the Holocaust: "Granted this happened, what does it have to do with the Palestinian people?"

But then he said he was defending the rights of European scholars, an apparent reference to a small number who have been prosecuted under national laws for denying or minimizing the Holocaust.

"There's nothing known as absolute," he said.

He reiterated his desire to visit ground zero to express sympathy with the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks, but then appeared to question whether al-Qaida was responsible.

"Why did this happen? What caused it? What conditions led to it?" he said. "Who truly was involved? Who was really involved and put it all together?"

Asked about executions of homosexuals in Iran, Ahmadinejad said the judiciary system executed violent criminals and high-level drug dealers, comparing them to microbes eliminated through medical treatment. Pressed specifically about punishment of homosexuals, he said: "In Iran we don't have homosexuals like in your country."

With the audience laughing derisively, he continued: "In Iran we do not have this phenomenon. I don't know who's told you that we have this."

Bollinger was strongly criticized for inviting Ahmadinejad to Columbia, and had promised tough questions in his introduction to Ahmadinejad's talk. But the strident and personal nature of his attack on the president of Iran was startling.

"You are either brazenly provocative or astonishingly uneducated," Bollinger told Ahmadinejad about the leader's Holocaust denial.

During his prepared remarks, the Iranian president did not address Bollinger's accusations directly.

Suzanne Maloney, a foreign policy fellow at the Brookings Institution, said Ahmadinejad's softer tone on Israel in this speech may reflect backlash in his own country.

"There's been widespread commentary in Iran, even on the far-right, that Ahmadinejad's position on Israel has hurt the country's diplomatic relations," said Maloney. "The fact that he was frankly unwilling to go as far as he has in the past suggests there may have been some consequences for him at home."

President Bush said Ahmadinejad's appearance at Columbia "speaks volumes about really the greatness of America."

He told Fox News Channel that if Bollinger considers Ahmadinejad's visit an educational experience for Columbia students, "I guess it's OK with me."

Other American officials were less sympathetic.

On Capitol Hill, conservatives said Columbia should not have invited Ahmadinejad to speak. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said "there is a world of difference between not preventing Ahmadinejad from speaking and handing a megalomaniac a megaphone and a stage to use it."

Sen. Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., said he thought Columbia's invitation to Ahmadinejad was a mistake "because he comes literally with blood on his hands."

Thousands of people jammed two blocks of 47th Street across from the United Nations to protest Ahmadinejad's visit to New York. Organizers claimed a turnout of tens of thousands. Police did not immediately have a crowd estimate.

The speakers, most of them politicians and officials from Jewish organizations, proclaimed their support for Israel and criticized the Iranian leader for his remarks questioning the Holocaust.

"We're here today to send a message that there is never a reason to give a hatemonger an open stage," New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn said.

Protesters also assembled at Columbia. Dozens stood near the lecture hall where Ahmadinejad was scheduled to speak, linking arms and singing traditional Jewish folk songs about peace and brotherhood, while nearby a two-person band played "You Are My Sunshine."

Signs in the crowd displayed a range of messages, including one that read "We refuse to choose between Islamic fundamentalism and American imperialism."

____

MORNING LAUGH

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: CRISPIN CATALAN
Date: Sep 24, 2007 11:54 AM
Subject: Fw: Morning Laugh
To: Undisclosed-Recipient



Subject: Morning Laugh

A soldier ran up to a nun. Out of breath he asked, "Please, may I hide under your skirt. I'll explain later."

The nun agreed. A moment later two Military Police ran up and asked, Sister, have you seen a soldier?"

The nun replied, "He went that way." After the MP's ran off, the soldier crawled out from under her skirt and said, "I can't thank you enough Sister. You see, I don't want to go to Iraq ."

The nun said, "I understand completely."

The soldier added, "I hope I'm not rude, but you have a great pair of legs!"
The nun replied, "If you had looked a little higher, you would have seen a great pair of balls. I don't want to go to Iraq either."







--
SHER SINGH AGRAWAL
Please see my blog at
HTTP://agrasen.blogspot.com

SUCCESS OF SHRI PREMJI AND failure of OTHER MOSLEMS saluting HMV IN INDIA, carrying out terrorist activities

Yaroslav Trofimov at yaroslav.trofimov@wsj.com1


No doubt the general muslims are themselves to blame because of their HMV attitude and saluting their SAUDI ARABIAN masters whose first priority is to convert every non-Moslem to moslem religion, if necessary by terrorism. That's where the root cause lies in their slavish mentality and poverty of the moslemmasses in India who follow Saudis for the handouts they give from their unlimited oil wealth to these uneducated masses to learn qoran by cramming and for carrying out terrorism, all over the world. I wish these Moslems will convert back to Hinduism (the original religion of their forefathers from which they were forcibly converted to Islam) or Buddhism, both peaceful and non-violent religionsand live a happy life like everyone else and leave everyone else alone.

SOME JOKES, WHY NOT

Funny Joke - Jolly Uncle
A man got 2 wishes from GOD. He asked for the Best wine and Best Woman. Next moment, he had the Best Wine and Mother Teresa next to him.

0
Naughty Joke - Jolly Uncle
Two kids are arguing over whose father is the biggest scaredy-cat. The first kid says, "My dad is so scared that when lightning strikes, he hides underneath the bed." The second kid replies,"Yeah? mY DAD IS SO SCARED THAT WHEN LIGHTENING STRIKES HE SLEEPS WITH THE NEIGHBOR'S WIFE.

0
Naughty SMS - Jolly Uncle
No call.. No sms.. No letter.. No khabar.. No miss call.. Zoo walon ne phir se pakad liya kya??? ...


0
Is Duniya mein...
Is Duniya mein sab kuch bitka hai, Phir judai hi rishwat kyu nahi leti. Marta nahi koi kisi se juda hokar, Bas yaad hai joh jeene nahi deti! ...


0
Rote rote...
Rote rote mere chehre pe ek lakeer bann gayi, joh na thi meri kismat bann gayi, maine toh yuhi pheri thi ret pe unguliya, na jaane kab Jiten ki tasveer bann gayi. ...
[submitted on Sep 24, 2007 01:25:02 by rksheth ]

0
Yaad...
Yaad aane wale yaad aa rahe hai. Meri kyayalo ki duniya par chha rahe hai. Hum kuch keh rahe hai par woh chup hai, bas mujhe yaad karke muskura rahe hai! ...

mesg
Ye aarzoo nahi ki kisi ko bhulaye hum,na tamanna ki kisi ko rylaye hum.Par dua han us rab se,jisko jitna yaad karte han,usko utna yaad aaye hum. ...


0
mesg
why do Girls look Beautiful? is it real or due to makeup? All false....................... Girls look Beautiful because Boys had good Imaginations.. ...

0
mesg
wo meri mohabat se yu beiman ho gaye,o kabi apne the aaj Anjan ho gaye,Unki berukhi ki inteha to dekhiye,kambakt lekar meri jaan,kisi aur ki jaan ho gaye. ...

LIFE'S BALANCE SHEET

BALANCE SHEE OF LIFE





Our Birth is our Opening Balance !

Our Death is our Closing Balance!
Our Prejudiced Views are our Liabilities

Our Creative Ideas are our Assets

Heart is our Current Asset

Soul is our Fixed Asset

Brain is our Fixed Deposit

Thinking is our Current Account

Achievements are our Capital

Character & Morals, our Stock-in-Trade

Friends are our General Reserves

Values & Behaviour are our Goodwill

Patience is our Interest Earned

Love is our Dividend

Children are our Bonus Issues

Education is Brands / Patents

Knowledge is our Investment

Experience is our Premium Account

The Aim is to Tally the Balance Sheet Accurately.

The Goal is to get the Best Presented Accounts Award.


Some very Good and Very bad things ...

The most destructive habit......................Worry

The greatest Joy...............................Giving

The greatest loss................Loss of self-respect

The most satisfying work...............Helping others

The ugliest personality trait.............Selfishness

The most endangered species.........Dedicated leaders

Our greatest natural resource...............Our youth

The greatest "shot in the arm"..........Encouragement

The greatest problem to overcome.................Fear

The most effective sleeping pill........Peace of mind

The most crippling failure disease............Excuses

The most powerful force in life..................Love

The most dangerous pariah..................A gossiper

The world's most incredible computer........The brain

The worst thing to be without................... Hope

The deadliest weapon.......................The tongue

The two most power-filled words..............."I Can"

The greatest asset..............................Faith

The most worthless emotion..................Self-pity

The most beautiful attire......................SMILE!

The most prized possession................Integrity

The most powerful channel of communication.....Prayer

The most contagious spirit.................Enthusiasm

The most important thing in life..................GOD

i PROMISE - VERY TOUCHY

Just for this morning, I am going to smile when I see your face and laugh when I feel like crying.

Just for this morning, I will let you choose what you want to wear, and smile and say how perfect it is.

Just for this morning, I am going to step over the laundry and pick you up and take you to the park to play.

Just for this morning, I will leave the dishes in the sink, and let you teach me how to put that puzzle of yours together.

Just for this afternoon, I will unplug the telephone and keep the computer off, and sit with you in the backyard and blow bubbles.

Just for this afternoon, I will not yell once, not even a tiny grumble when you scream and whine for the ice cream truck, and I will buy you one if he comes by.

Just for this afternoon, I won't worry about what you are going to be when you grow up, or second guess every decision I have made where you are concerned.

Just for this afternoon, I will let you help me bake cookies, and I won't stand over you trying to fix them.

Just for this afternoon, I will take us to McDonald's and buy us both a Happy Meal so you can have both toys.

Just for this evening, I will hold you in my arms and tell you a story about how you were born and how much I love you.

Just for this evening, I will let you splash in the tub and not get angry.

Just for this evening, I will let you stay up late while we sit on the porch and count all the stars.

Just for this evening, I will snuggle beside you for hours, and miss my favourite TV shows.

Just for this evening when I run my finger through your hair as you pray, I will simply be grateful that God has given me the greatest gift ever given.

I will think about the mothers and fathers who are searching for their missing children, the mothers and fathers who are visiting their children's graves instead of their bedrooms.

The mothers and fathers who are in hospital rooms watching their children suffer senselessly and screaming inside that little body

And when I kiss you goodnight I will hold you a little tighter, a little longer. It is then, that I will thank God for you, and ask him for nothing, except one more day.............

http://www.stephen-knapp.com

SEVERAL BOOKS ON VEDAS,WHAT THEY SAY AND FUTURE PROPHECIES, ETC., MAKES A VERY INTERESTING READING.

Sunday, September 23, 2007

HOW CAN A BROKEN HEART LEAD TO A FULLER HEART?

How can a broken heart lead to a fuller heart?

There's a line from Leonard Cohen, and he has this wonderful song that says, "There's a crack in everything—that's where the light gets in." And I think that's the probably best encapsulation of how a broken heart can lead to a bigger heart. The light causes the expansion.

There's also this wonderful adage that says you can't push out darkness. You can only bring in light. If you're in a closet and it's black, there's no way to sweep darkness out. The only thing you can do is ignite, illuminate somehow. And the only way to get into a darkened miserable heart is to break it.

RAM VIDROHI

Ishwar Prasad Khandelwal
to Abhay, A, me, anu, Ashok, Vijay, B, Shiv, Vimal, Venkatanarayan., Vinay, Dhawal, Anil, Dr

show details
1:34 pm (41 minutes ago)

24.09.2007
BY REG. POST A/D/U.P.C

To

SHRI. S. S. BARNALA,
Hon’ble Governor of
Tamilnadu, Raj Bhavan,
Chennai- Tamilnadu.

Sir,

Reg. : Permission for prosecution against Shri.
Karunanidhi (Chief Minister) of State Tamilnadu
for his misconduct of derogatory statements
against lord Ram.

I the above named applicant would like to draw your kind attention on the following points –
1. I say that, I am Indian inhabitant and residing at the abovementioned address with my family. I am Hindu by religion and having my deep faith and belief in lord “RAM”.

2. I say that on September 21, 2007, I had seen one statement of Shri Karunanidhi (Chief Minister) Tamil Nadu, published in daily local English News paper “Mumbai Mirror” on page no. 13 with the head lines “VALMIKI SAID RAM WAS A DRUNKARD” , “A HINDU MEANS A THIEF” and “HINDU SAM IS NOT A RELIGION”. I shocked and felt hurt by the said statements of Shri Karunanidhi and ideology of DMK Party against Lord Shri RAM and HINDU SAM. A x.c. of said News article is annexed herewith.

3. I say that, aforesaid statements of Shri Karunanidhi is absolutely derogatory and had given deliberately and knowingly to outrage religious feelings of 100 crore of Hindus of which I am one by insulting our religion and religious beliefs. Therefore, such act of Shri Karunanidhi is an Criminal offence and he is liable to be prosecute according to the provisions of law.

4. Sir, Karunanidhi is a public servant and being a Chief Minister, yourself as the Governor of the State has to accord sanction for his criminal prosecution in the court of law. Your kind attention is respectfully invited to articles 25, 26 of the Constitution of India to be read with Section 295 and 295-A of Indian Penal Code as also Section 197 and Section 196 of the Criminal Procedure Code, further details in support of the allegations are recorded by the undersigned with the concerned Police Station, of which a Xerox Copy is also annexed to this request send to you as per law. Therefore, the prosecution section against Shri Karunanidhi Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu be granted.

5. I say that, the same is self explanatory and the consider as part of this request of the under signed with respects to you and hoping that, you will serve act to do what is your one of the legal duties. I repeat my regards.

Yours truly,

-SD-
(I. G. Khandelwal)
enclosed – 1. X.C. of News Paper “MUMBAI
MIRROR”
1. X.C. of Police Complainant.
2. Copy of Print out of statement of Mr. Prakash Karat and Mrs. Karat.











24.09.2007

BY REG. POST A/D/U.P.C

To

The Officer In Charge,
Bhayandar Police Station,
Bhayandar (W).

Sir,

Reg. : Complainant against Karunanidhi, C.M of
Tamilnadu State, and Mr. Prakash Karat of
Communist party of India residing in New Delhi
for criminal offence committed by him.

I the above named applicant would like to draw your kind attention on the following points –

1. I say that, I am Indian inhabitant and residing at the abovementioned address with my family. I am Hindu by religion and having my deep faith and belief in lord “RAM”.
2. I say that in Bhayandar on September 21, 2007, I had seen one statement of Karunanidhi (Chief Minister) Tamil Nadu, published in daily local English News paper “Mumbai Mirror” on page no. 13 with the head lines “VALMIKI SAID RAM WAS A DRUNKARD” , “A HINDU MEANS A THIEF” and “HINDU SAM IS NOT A RELIGION”. I shocked and felt hurt by the said statements of Shri Karunanidhi and ideology of DMK Party against Lord Shri RAM and HINDU SAM and Shri Prakash Karat and Smt. Binda Karat also supported the said statements of Karunanidhi.

3. I say that, aforesaid statements of Shri Karunanidhi is absolutely derogatory and had given deliberately and knowingly to outrage religious feelings of 100 crore of Hindus of which I am one by insulting our religion and religious beliefs. Therefore, such act of Shri Karunanidhi and Mr. and Mrs. Prakash Karat is misconduct so grace and an Criminal offence they must face the law and deserve to be jailed for the offence committed by them hurting the entire community of 100 crores of Hindus.

4. Sir, section 295 and 295-A of Indian Penal code be read with article 25 and 26 of constitution references is also made to the settled law by the Hon’ble supreme Court reported in AIR-1958-SC-1032 by which the law of the land declared by the Supreme Court should be applied against Shri Karuna Nidhi Chief Minister of Tamilnadu state and also against Mrs. and Mr. Karat.

I most respectfully prays that-

a) the complaint be registered against Shri. Karunanidhi chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and matter be investigated to respect the law and constitution of India.

b) Any other or further action against the aforesaid to maintain public order.
Yours truly,
-SD-
(I. G. Khandelwal)
enclosed – 1. X.C. of News Paper “MUMBAI MIRROR”
3. X.C. of letter written by me to Governor of T.N.
4. Copy of Print out of statement of Mr. Prakash Karat and Mrs. Karat.

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE I REALLY REALLY PRAYED AND GOD ANSWERED

Hearing the Voice of God on the Bathroom Floor
For the first time in my life, I really, really prayed. And I got an answer. By Elizabeth Gilbert

Print Page

Reprinted from the national best-seller "Eat, Pray, Love" by arrangement with Penguin Books. Copyright (c) by Elizabeth Gilbert, 2007.

Watch Beliefnet's exclusive interview with Elizabeth Gilbert.

Of course, I've had a lot of time to formulate my opinions about divinity since that night on the bathroom floor when I spoke to God directly for the first time. In the middle of that dark November crisis, though, I was not interested in formulating my views on theology. I was interested only in saving my life. I had finally noticed that I seemed to have reached a state of hopeless and life-threatening despair, and it occurred to me that sometimes people in this state will approach God for help. I think I'd read that in a book somewhere.
What I said to God through my gasping sobs was something like this: "Hello, God. How are you? I'm Liz. It's nice to meet you."

That's right—I was speaking to the creator of the universe as though we'd just been introduced at a cocktail party. But we work with what we know in this life, and these are the words I always use at the beginning of a relationship. In fact, it was all I could do to stop myself from saying, "I've always been a big fan of your work ..."

"I'm sorry to bother you so late at night," I continued. "But I'm in serious trouble. And I'm sorry I haven't ever spoken directly to you before, but I do hope I have always expressed ample gratitude for all the blessings that you've given me in my life."

This thought caused me to sob even harder. God waited me out. I pulled myself together enough to go on: "I am not an expert at praying, as you know. But can you please help me? I am in desperate need of help. I don't know what to do. I need an answer. Please tell me what to do. Please tell me what to do. Please tell me what to do ..."

And so the prayer narrowed itself down to that simple entreaty—Please tell me what to do—repeated again and again. I don't know how many times I begged. I only know that I begged like someone who was pleading for her life. And the crying went on forever.

Until—quite abruptly—it stopped.

Quite abruptly, I found that I was not crying anymore. I'd stopped crying, in fact, in mid-sob. My misery had been completely vacuumed out of me. I lifted my forehead off the floor and sat up in surprise, wondering if I would see now some Great Being who had taken my weeping away. But nobody was there. I was just alone. But not really alone, either. I was surrounded by something I can only describe as a little pocket of silence—a silence so rare that I didn't want to exhale, for fear of scaring it off. I was seamlessly still. I don't know when I'd ever felt such stillness.
Then I heard a voice. Please don't be alarmed—it was not an Old Testament Hollywood Charlton Heston voice, nor was it a voice telling me I must build a baseball field in my backyard. It was merely my own voice, speaking from within my own self. But this was my voice as I had never heard it before. This was my voice, but perfectly wise, calm and compassionate. This was what my voice would sound like if I'd only ever experienced love and certainty in my life. How can I describe the warmth of affection in that voice, as it gave me the answer that would forever seal my faith in the divine?

The voice said: Go back to bed, Liz.

I exhaled.

It was so immediately clear that this was the only thing to do. I would not have accepted any other answer. I would not have trusted a great booming voice that said either: You Must Divorce Your Husband! or You Must Not Divorce Your Husband! Because that's not true wisdom. True wisdom gives the only possible answer at any given moment, and that night, going back to bed was the only possible answer. Go back to bed, said this omniscient interior voice, because you don't need to know the final answer right now, at three o'clock in the morning on a Thursday in November. Go back to bed, because I love you. Go back to bed, because the only thing you need to do for now is get some rest and take good care of yourself until you do know the answer. Go back to bed so that, when the tempest comes, you'll be strong enough to deal with it. And the tempest is coming, dear one. Very soon. But not tonight. Therefore:

Go back to bed, Liz.

In a way, this little episode had all the hallmarks of a typical Christian conversion experience—the dark night of the soul, the call for help, the responding voice, the sense of transformation. But I would not say that this was a religious conversion for me, not in that traditional manner of be-
ing born again or saved. Instead, I would call what happened that night the beginning of a religious conversation. The first words of an open and exploratory dialogue that would, ultimately, bring me very close to God, indeed.

Friday, September 21, 2007

ATAL BIHARI VAJPYEE

ATAL ONLY MASK FOR BJP?



It is self-insult for a national party BJP which happens to be country’s second largest party that it finds an aged and ailing Atal Bihari Vajpayee as its only acceptable mask to face voters! Undoubtedly he has been world’s best orator of his times, but in last days as country’s premier he often used to forget even names of his close associates while talking to reporters. Age and ailment have since badly weakened his memory-cells, and any effort to seat him as Prime Minister again may be against interest of party and the nation. Can’t BJP emerge consensus on some other face to face voters rather than following footsteps of most regional parties which are personality-based rather than being ideology-based?



MADHU AGRAWAL

(Guinness Record Holder for letters in Newspapers)

1775 Kucha Lattushah

Dariba DELHI 110006 (India)

IN GUJARAT, RAMAYAN BRINGS HINDUS, MUSLIMS TOGETHER

In Gujarat, Ramayan brings Hindus, Muslims together

IANS



Published on Friday , September 21, 2007 at 15:20 in Nation section

Tags: Ram Setu, Sethusamudram Project , Ahmedabad
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Ahmedabad: While the debate over the existence of the Hindu god Ram gets uglier, thousands of Hindus and Muslims will on Saturday gather at a Sufi shrine near the Pakistan border for a nine-day narration of the Ramayan - aimed at building bridges not just across two countries but also two communities.


The man behind the initiative is spiritual guru and Ramayana narrator Morari Bapu. With Manas-Mohabbat (mind and love) as the theme, the Ram katha, or the story of Ram, the traditional nine-day narration of the epic, will be held from Saturday at Hajipir Dargah, in the border district of Kutch, 450 km from here.


"At a time when terrorism and communal tensions are prevailing all over the world, we hope this unique Ram katha will disseminate the message of love and brotherhood," said president of the Hanumant Seva Samiti Pradip Dave.


"The event will also provide an opportunity to create a bridge for communal harmony within India and better relations among people of the two countries," Dave said.


Organisers expect an audience of about 15,000 people, with equal representation from both communities.





"When we did the bhumi pujan (ground purification) ceremony there on Sep 12, about 100 Muslims from nearby villages participated. Muslim families joined us in Hindu rituals," Dave said.


"The dargah is located close to the border, and there's little human habitation there in the Kutch desert. But we have made arrangements for 7,000 people to stay there for the nine days," he added.


Many worshippers from Pakistan visit the Hajipir Dargah. Hindus along with Muslims from both countries participate in the Urs held there every year.


While Pakistani people may not be able to attend the katha, a contingent of artists from the neighbouring country will be there to present cultural performances in the evenings after every session.


Programmes planned include Ustad Gulfam Ahmadkhan presenting rabab sufi songs on Sunday and Pakistani artists Husain Baksh, Chand and Suraj singing thumri, dadra and ghazals the next day.


There are other programmes lined too - like mimicry and folk songs by Gujarati artists Harsul Gadhavi and Mayabhai Aahir and qawwalis by Rakesh Pandit.


For the 60 something Gujarati preacher, this is just another novel idea.


Morari Bapu, who has led a number of initiatives aimed at communal harmony in the aftermath of the sectarian strife in Gujarat in 2002, earlier held Katha sessions in Kailas Mansarovar in Tibet and Amarnath in Kashmir - as well as aboard a plane and a steamer.


He has been the brand ambassador for a campaign to save the whale shark spearheaded by the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and the International Fund for Animal Welfare. His message to fishermen in the Saurashtra coast has given an impetus to the campaign.

WHAT IS GOD'S WISH

Khandelwalji,

What is the use of venting your anger against these dharmdrohi. The only consolation seeing from all what is happening is that IF BHAGWAN RAM AND KRISHN WANTED THESE PEOPLE WILL NOT BE WHERE THEY ARE. ALSO WHATEVER BHAGWAN WANTS HAPPENS. SO WE HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE WHAT IS HIS WISH WHICH IS SUPREME. I am hoping against hope that Bhagwan will save India from becoming a non-Hindu state!
- Hide quoted text -


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Ishwar Prasad Khandelwal
Date: Sep 21, 2007 5:47 AM
Subject:


- Hide quoted text -
"HARAM KHORO AND ILLEGITIMATE CHILDREN OF KARUNANIDHI"

We had seen the statement of Tamil nadu Chief Minister Karunanidhi who is Rascal and illegtimate child of "Ravana", constently making statement against Lord Ram and asking for the evidance, from where, Lord Ram got the degree of engineer to built Ram Setu? I want to ask that Rascal Karunanidhi himself, from where your father got the training to co-habit with your mother? in the encient time no any qulification needed to do any traditional work. Idiot karuna nidhi is a chief minister of a state which is intergal part of India and abid by the its constitution. Making any statement against any calss of persons with the intention of insult or hurt the religios feeling of such class of person is an offence and the present Rom Raj may not punish karunanidhi but Ram will punish him definately. Earliar he also was assulted by tamil nadu police and again he may assulted by the Public. yesterday I had seen a dream of Lord Ram he said me that bastered Karuna nidhi is not diserves to live, and date of his death is fixed, allready decided by lord Ram and Ram will kill him soon. No any security guard or z security can save him. Every one knows he is gurdian of LTT, who is terrerist organization and the peoples of Ram engage LTT to kill karunanidhi this is words of lord Ram stated me in the Dream. I APPEAL TO EVERY ONE WHO BELIVE IN RAM TO PRAY FOR DEATH PUNISHMENT OF KARUNANIDHI BY RAM.

From I.G.K. the Chief lashkar-e-hind

SHORT BUT SWEET

What is physical activity?


Physical activity simply means movement of the body that uses energy. Walking, gardening, briskly pushing a baby stroller, climbing the stairs, playing soccer, or dancing the night away are all good examples of being active. For health benefits, physical activity should be moderate or vigorous and add up to at least 30 minutes a day.

Moderate physical activities include:
Walking briskly (about 3 ½ miles per hour)
Hiking
Gardening/yard work
Dancing
Golf (walking and carrying clubs)
Bicycling (less than 10 miles per hour)
Weight training (general light workout)
Vigorous physical activities include:
Running/jogging (5 miles per hour)
Bicycling (more than 10 miles per hour)
Swimming (freestyle laps)
Aerobics
Walking very fast (4 ½ miles per hour)
Heavy yard work, such as chopping wood
Weight lifting (vigorous effort)
Basketball (competitive)

Some physical activities are not intense enough to help you meet the recommendations. Although you are moving, these activities do not increase your heart rate, so you should not count these towards the 30 or more minutes a day that you should strive for. These include walking at a casual pace, such as while grocery shopping, and doing light household chores.

Thursday, September 20, 2007

RANI LAXMI BAI

Every Indian women is RANI LAXMI BAI in her life.
RANI - Before marriage.
LAXMI - After marriage.
BAI - After children

ROWDY MOLESTERS AT BELUR MATH

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Devendra Singh
Date: Sep 20, 2007 6:30 AM
Subject: [prohindu] Muslim molesters at Belur Math
To: hindiusa@yahoogroups.com, prohindu@yahoogroups.com

Muslims are usually a number game. If they feel they have enough number strength,they will always take law in their hand. This is why it is very important to give them option;leave Bharat or behave themselves. Bharat is no democracy right now and it does not make any sense to project this country as such. Muslims must be treated for what they are. If they are poor,it is because of their stupid thinking and behavior. Giving them special rights adds fuel to fire because this largess simply empowers them more to continue to do the wicked things. It's like giving a gambler more money so he can continue to gamble. Spritualism is antithetical to islam.

Hindus do stupid things too,but they don't indulge in misbehaving with cops. Media in Bharat needs to shore-up some courage and call a spade a spade. The headline of this news should have included 'Muslim' to get easy attention of the readers. In Assam,they publish news items such as "Hindi-Speaking people were beaten". It's a clear bias against Hindus by their own people and it is not a good sign for the country. As I mention yesterday in the parrot story,Hindus seem to be oblivious of the dangers to them. They feel if they are reciting Hanuman Chalisa there cannot be any harm to them. This mentality provides false sense of securuty. Reading like parrot does not help in anyway. The key is right action and that's where Hindus are inept.

Devendra

Eve-teasers beat up cops in Kolkata
19 Sep 2007, 0243 hrs IST,TNN



http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com//Cities/Kolkata/Eve-teasers_beat_up_cops_in_Kolkata/articleshow/2381635.cms

KOLKATA: Two plainclothes policemen, who tried to rescue three girls from a gang of eve-teasers, were beaten up in Howrah’s Bally on Tuesday night. Three rowdies have been arrested.

The girls were walking down GT Road near Belur Math around 9 pm when the gang started stalking them. In front of Shramjibi Hospital, the girls panicked and tried to run, but the boys circled them.

SI Swapan Saha and constable Chandan Sardar, who were patrolling the area on a bike, were alerted by their screams. The duo belongs to the plainclothes team of Bally police station.

They rushed to the spot to tackle the youths. Saha even revealed his identity, but the gang was not to be thwarted. They started mocking the cops and assaulted them. One of them even tried to snatch the SI’s rifle. The duo fought back but as more local boys joined the gang, the cops were heavily outnumbered. Finally, they ran for cover within the hospital premises and called up Bally police station for a bigger force.

"We had to lock the hospital gate to keep out the rowdies. We also treated the policemen," said Phani Bhusan Bhattacharya of Shramjibi Hospital.

Police later arrested Id Mohammad, Mohammad Siraz and Giasuddin Sheikh, local rowdies who were part of the gang. Raids are on to track down the rest.

"The two policemen were part of our mobile team doing rounds of crime-prone areas. The boys, who were teasing the girls, are from Bally. During the melee, the girls managed to flee, but we are trying to trace them. Their statements will help us frame a strong case against the offenders," said Howarh SP Neeraj Kumar Singh.


__._,_.___

HINDU UNIT6Y - THE IDEA of whichTIME HAS COME

----- Original Message -----
From: Yashwini1@aol.com
To: media_monitor5@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, September 18, 2007 4:34 PM
Subject: [prohindu]

http://www.organiser.org/dynamic/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=202&page=18
Hindu Unity: The idea whose time has come
From Narain Kataria

Dr Frank Morales, now re-named Shri Dharma Pravartaka Acharya, president of International Sanatana Dharma Society and the keynote speaker of the occasion, spoke on the subject of “Dharma Ascending: Restoring Hinduism as a Global Force.”
The American Hindus, with origin from various global countries, had assembled in the spacious auditorium of Ganesh Temple in Flushing, New York last month. The unusual occasion was the mass celebration of the Hindu Sangathan Divas, a tradition of the Metropolitan City now going into its thirteenth year.

The rare event that carried great historical significance for Hindus of the world was jointly organised by Hindu Temple Society of North America and Indian American Intellectuals Forum and wholeheartedly supported by other 47 big and small Hindu groups.

Commemorating the coronation of brave Hindu king 333 years ago
The prestigious auditorium was full to the capacity. The expression of enthusiasm and jubilation of the audience was seen to be believed. For more than 1000 Hindus to assemble at one place to reaffirm their deep pride in their Hinduness, in itself, was a powerful commentary on the surge of Hindu renaissance around the world.
The enthusiasm, energy and excitement of the audience was clearly evident as they proceeded to commemorate the coronation, 333 years ago, of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the brave and courageous Hindu King who successfully demolished the Islamic domination in India and once again established the Hindu rule in the country.
The energised audience was addressed by Chief Guest Dr Subramanian Swamy, the former Commerce and Law Minister and the president of Janata Party in India. In his eloquent and thought-provoking speech Dr Swamy reminded the assembled people how the Hindus in India were being systematically targeted in the Jammu & Kashmir and mercilessly killed in various bomb blasts in places like Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Varanasi, Coimbatore and Kerala.

Hindus under siege in their own country
Dr Swamy pointed out that the Hindus, actually, were under siege from all directions by the jehadi Islamic elements and the fanatic Christian groups. Hindus had already become a minority in their own country in states like Kashmir, Kerala and in the North-Eastern corridor.
Dr Swamy continued that in the circumstances, the Hindu unity had become the crying need of the hour. Right now, it was not enough to have a mere Hindu Ekta (unity). What we really needed badly was the Viraat Hindu Ekta… for the very survival of India as the Hindu nation.
Chiding those who label Hinduism as a religion practicing casteism, Dr Swamy gave examples galore from the Hindu history refuting the baseless and motivated charges that Hinduism condoned the discrimination on the basis of caste. Learned leader reminded that Sage Valmiki who wrote Ramayana was not a Brahmin. Sage Vishwamitra described as the rishi of rishis, Mahakavi Kalidas, Ved Vyasa who wrote the epic Mahabharata—all these were not the Brahmins. Lord Ram was not a Brahmin but a Kshatriya, Lord Krishna was a Yadav. Yet, Hindus worship all these saints, intellectuals and heroes with equal reverence.

Stop vilification and demonisation of Sanatan dharma
After India’s Independence, an anti-Hindu cult has emerged in the country that seeks to rubbish our gods, damn our scriptures, belittle our saints, demonise and vilify the Hinduism as a whole. “Unite and jettison these atheists and their fellow travelers,” thundered Dr Subramanian Swamy. We need new Hindu leaders with mission and vision that can work to safeguard our dharma and society.
Dr Frank Morales, now re-named Shri Dharma Pravartaka Acharya, the president of International Sanatana Dharma Society and the keynote speaker of the occasion, spoke on the subject of “Dharma Ascending: Restoring Hinduism as a Global Force.”
Sanatana dharma is at a crucial point in its history. Having withstood over a 1000 years of brutal oppression and battering, the Sanatana dharma today finds itself rising from the ashes and reconstructing from the scratch. It is facing several challenges— both internal and external. Of these, it is the internal ones that is in most dire need of being met.

Hope for all Hindu temples in US to celebrate such Sangathan Divas
Dr Uma Mysorekar, president of Hindu Temple Society of North America, reminded the gathering that Hinduism necessarily believes in the non-violence and tolerance. Only Hinduism has the capability to bring peace in the world. She expressed hope that the day was not far when all the temples in US would celebrate the Hindu Sangathan Divas; the first one among them to join hands was the Maha Vallabh Ganpathy temple in New York.
Dr Mysorekar expressed an urgent need to save the temples in India from the clutches of the vote-bank politicians. She urged Hindus to send their children to temples so as to enable them to learn more about their ancestral dharma and heritage. Shri Narain Kataria, president of Indian American Intellectuals Forum (IAIF) and Shri Arish K. Sahani, its senior vice president, also spoke on the occasion.
Five prominent American Hindu leaders, Rajan Zed, who led the Hindu prayer at the US Senate in July, Nathir N. Lalchandani, Prof. M.G. Prasad, Gopinathan Pillai and Pabitra Chaudhuri, were honored for their valuable and untiring contributions to the service of Hindu society.
Three resolutions were also unanimously passed by the assembly by a voice vote. In first resolution the American Hindus resolved to call upon the Government of India to immediately cease the destruction of Ram Sethu.
In second resolution they called upon the Government of India to scrap the Hindu Charitable and Religious Endowment Act in force today. This Act is being systematically abused by numerous state governments across the country to encroach upon and sell away the temple lands. This land has been the property of Hindu temples since ages and is meant for the sustenance of temple priests and the Hindu devotees.
In third resolution they solemnly observed silence for two minutes for thousands of innocent Hindus killed in numerous Islamic jehadi attacks and other religious cleansing of Hindus carried out all over the country.

Monday, September 17, 2007

BE DOING SOMETHING REAL RATHER THAN INVOLVING YOURSELF IN STUPID SPECULATION

Today's Quote

If you observe a really happy man you will find him building a boat, writing a symphony, educating his son, growing double dahlias in his garden. He will not be searching for happiness as if it were a collar button that has rolled under the radiator.

-W. Beran Wolfe

SALMAN KHAN IN GANESH VISARJAN

Subhash Madhu
to Undisclosed-Re.

show details
Sep 16 (19 hours ago)

SALMAN KHAN IN GANESH VISARJAN



Nation should be grateful to Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak who propagated celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi in Maharashtra as biggest cultural function in the state rather than being restricted as religious occasion for Hindus only. It was heartening to note that celebrity film-star Salman Khan was at his best to devote himself fully to Ganesh Visarjan by dancing and even organising Ganesh-aarti at his residence by denying consumption of alcoholic drinks and non-vegetarian food in days of Ganesh-puja.



MADHU AGRAWAL

(Guinness Record Holder for letters in Newspapers)

1775 Kucha Lattushah

Dariba DELHI 110006 (India)

KISSING MY ASS

There was a married couple who were in a terrible accident. The woman's face was burned severely. The doctor told the husband they couldn't graft any skin from her body because she was so skinny. The husband then donated some of his skin...however, the only place suitable to the doctor was from his buttocks. The husband requested that no one be told of this, because after all this was a very delicate matter!

After the surgery was completed, everyone was astounded at the woman's new beauty. She looked more beautiful than she ever did before! All her friends and relatives just ranted and raved at her youthful beauty!

She was alone with her husband one day & she wanted to thank him for She said, "Dear, I just want to thank you for everything you did for me! There is no way I could ever repay you!!!

He replied, "Oh don't worry, Honey, I get plenty thanks enough every time your mother comes over and kisses you on your cheek!!

Sunday, September 16, 2007

A KISS OR A DOOR BELL

One night a guy dropped his girlfriend at her home.


As they were about to wish each other goodnight at the front door, the guy started feeling a little in the mood. With an air of confidence, he leaned with his hand against the wall and smiling, he said to her
" Honey, would you give me a kiss ?"


Horrified, she replied, "Are you mad? My parents will see us!"


" Oh come on! Who's gonna see us at this hour ?"
He asked grinning at her.


" No, please. Can you imagine if we get caught?"


"Oh come on!


There's nobody around, they're all sleeping!".


" No way, it's just too risky!"


"Oh please, please, I love you so much?!?".


" No, no, and no. I love you too, but I just can't!".


"Oh yes you can. Please?"


" No, no. I just can't" " I'm begging you ... "


Out of the blue, the light on the stairs went on, and


The girl's elder sister showed up in her pajamas, hair dishevelled,
And in a sleepy voice she said,


" Dad says to go ahead and give him a kiss, or I can do it. Or if need
Be, mom says she can come down herself and do it, but for God's sake and all of ours....


TELL HIM TO TAKE HIS HAND OFF THE DOOR BELL ........

Saturday, September 15, 2007

DELHI FIDDLES WHILE NE BURNS

Delhi fiddles while the Northeast burns
September 07, 2007, Tarun Vijay
http://ia.rediff.com/news/2007/sep/07tarun.htm

Visiting Nagaland makes you feel different. You have to procure an inner line permit to enter. The permit demands to know why I am going there, where I shall stay and to be sure about my credentials I needed a guaranteer to vouch for me, my safe conduct and return within the stated period. Issued by the deputy commissioner's office this permit is governed under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation Act 1873. Yes, 1873.

The British left India in 1947. We are celebrating the 60th anniversary of that freedom obtained after our motherland's division and the massacres that followed. Still, I needed a permit, something that the British began to isolate these regions in the name of 'protecting' the local indigenous people. The same procedure is also in vogue in Arunachal Pradesh.

So, we, legitimate Indians, are required to obtain a permit -- another name for a 'visa' -- but these states are reeling under the heat of illegal Muslim infiltrators from Bangladesh, who, obviously do not need to get an permit to enter, buy land, marry local girls and become so dominant that even the state authorities feel afraid to oust them.

Arunachal Pradesh's student bodies recently compelled Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu to
take action against the Bangladeshis. So what did he do? He pushed a couple of thousands to Assam and the matter ended. In Assam it created a furore. The Muslim bodies, specially the All Assam Minorities Students Union, threatened to oust Hindus from Muslim majority districts like Dhubri, Goalpara and Barpeta, so Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi 'certified' that all those ousted by the Arunachal Pradesh government are Assamese and shall be accommodated in Barpeta!

The situation is so serious and Delhi's apathy so mindboggling that the people have lost all hope. The All Assam Students Union, which spearheaded an unprecedented movement in the 1980s to oust Bangladeshi infiltrators, has in utter desperation said that in the next ten years Assam may have a Bangladeshi chief minister. Strong and alarming words indeed.

But neither the media nor the political parties paid any attention.

Assam has been transformed beyond recognition. The state's cultural identity is symbolised by the great reformer and rejuvenator Srimat Sankar Dev. His birthlace in Dhing, near Bardowa, is a must-visit pilgrim centre for every Assamese Hindu. Now the Dhing assembly constituency has 90.02 percent Muslims. No prizes to guess how this Hindu pilgrim centre became a Muslim majority town because of the Bangladeshi influx.

Assam's latest political star is Maulana Badruddin Ajmal, a perfume tycoon, who formed a new political party, the United Democratic Front, in 2005 and won 10 seats in the 2006 assembly election, surprising everyone. Previously he used to remote control other secular parties. Now he has taken the reins in his hands.

Assam and other northeastern states have become more volatile than Kashmir, but Delhi's page three media and corrupt polity don't see beyond their immediate concerns.
After Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, it is Nagaland's turn now. Bangladeshi jihadi factories supplying men and material are creating havoc from Itanagar to Kohima and Hyderabad.

They are there before everybody's eyes, yet no government has shown a steely resolve to identify them and send them back. Aliens are turned into voters for political gain. The lines dividing traitors and patriots are getting blurred. Patriotic people need permits, they are made to live a refugee's life, but aliens feel quite confident and vocal to aggressively enter our country, bomb it and yet find sympathies in the corridors of power.

In Nagaland, people are sandwiched between the insurgent groups and the Bangladeshi influx. The headquarters of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Issac-Muivah group) is in Hebron, 30 odd kilometres from Dimapur. Everywhere, while going to Kohima one can see posters demanding 'quick results of peace talks' and a greater Nagalim which they want in the name of Christ -- a separate independent country. According to government sources there are about 75,000 Bangladeshi Muslims in Nagaland today.

I had come to attend a seminar organised by a daring tribal organisation, the Janajati Vikas Samiti, which had invited about 80 participants from the northeastern states. Nagaland Home Minister Thenucho inaugurated the conference. Former state secretary C M Chang headed the organising committee. It was incredible to see so many tribal leaders engrossed in what can be termed a free discussion on the problems Nagaland faces -- Bangladeshi infiltration being the foremost.

Minister Thenucho was forthcoming and said this problem has to be seen as a demographic invasion. 'The Naga people may be soon reduced to miserable sufferers by these infiltrators, who may appear as an asset for providing cheap labour and easily available hands for menial jobs. But look what they have done elsewhere and there is no guarantee that they will not do the same here. Today they work as labourers; tomorrow Nagas will have to work for them, if we do not stand up and say no to them,' the minister said. He was serious.

The only problem is the Centre does not share their anxieties. Nothing that binds Naga society with the rest of the country has ever been encouraged and strengthened. Natwar Thakkar started his Gandhi ashram in Mokukchang but could never expand his mission of spreading Gandhi's sublime thoughts beyond that.

To be in Kohima is still considered a matter of fear, pregnant with life and death questions. There is no icon of India that can be seen here. In the early 1980s a Gandhi statue was installed in Kohima, only to be desecrated and destroyed soon. 'Nagaland doesn't need any Indian's statue' was the decree issued by the insurgents.

Almost everyone, from IAS officers to traders and teachers, have to cough up a part of their earnings to the insurgents. Their 'freedom days', 'republic days' are celebrated in full public view with the media from Kolkata and Delhi in attendance. Presently there is a ceasefire between the NSCN (IM) and the Indian Army, but rumours are afloat that this period has been better utilised by the insurgents to reinforce its battalions with new recruits, procure better weapons and resources to press for its demand for an 'independent 'Nagalim', which seeks to 'add' parts of Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh to its fold.

This has enraged Manipuri and Arunachali tribals and a tribal war cannot be ruled out if the Naga insurgents' demand is given any sympathy.

The press is lively but cocooned in its own world. "We have never been invited to join any prime minister's party on his foreign visits, Delhi and Kolkata papers reach us very late, after a day or two, that too the dak edition,' said Geoffrey Yaden, editor of the Nagaland Post, the main daily newspaper in the state. "They don't understand us properly, they write to please their egos. Nobody has the time and interest to understand our people or to make serious efforts to create bridges and strengthen national feelings here. Are politicians sitting in Delhi are bothered about us or the nation?" he lamented.

I know it is very difficult to have a Delhi leader or social activist or cultural tsar to find time for a northeast visit. How many of us would go to Manipur or Nagaland or Arunachal for a family trip? Do we know that the most scintillating lakes, mountains, rivers and forests are in the northeast, bettering even Kashmir's panorama? Unfortunately the northeast has yet to register in our minds as markedly as Hardwar, Manali, Goa [Images] or Rameshwaram.
Corruption to the northeast's politicians is 'taught' by politicians in New Delhi. Even to get a central grant released for these states, central ministers and their durbaris have to be suitably 'pleased'. The grants that go to the northeast finally come back in large parts to the Delhi durbar through traders, contractors, commission agents and sanctioning ministers.

The rest is divided amongst local 'beneficiaries', including the insurgents.

In view of the infiltration threat faced by Nagaland and other northeastern states, an observation by E Ramamohan, the former director general, Border Security Force, who was with me in Kohima, should be an eyeopener. He warns about the insurgent groups' long-term planning for 2015 -- "Today there are several Islamic fundamentalist insurgent groups in Assam, all created with the help of the Director General Forces Intelligence of Bangladesh and Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence. The main groups are the Muslim United Liberation Front of Assam, the Muslim United Tigers of Assam and the Islamic Liberation Army of Assam... what is most interesting that these Islamic fundamentalist groups have not started operations so far. Interrogations of the suspects and intelligence reports have revealed that they are in a preparation phase. Motivating and recruiting cadres, training them in Pakistan, stockpiling arms and explosives for the insurgency is their present strategy. The target is (to launch an assault) in 2015."

Why can't we understand that India shrinks from every inch that is occupied by Bangladeshi infiltrators in our territory? In less than 100 years India has shrunk like no other nation on earth.

We lost Taxila, Karachi, Dhaka. Post independence, we lost 1.25 lakh square kilometres of land to Pakistan and China. Beijing [Images] still eyes Arunachal Pradesh.

Then Indians lost lands and homes in the Kashmir valley and became refugees for the 'sin' of supporting India. Now, jihadis, Maoists and church-supported insurgents want their share.

Where will this all lead to? All the power, position, money and glitter weigh nothing before the question of the nation's sovereignty and territorial integrity. At least in the northeast, people feel nobody listens to their woes in Delhi.

Friday, September 14, 2007

A LAUGHING MTTER

Today's Joke: Arrested for laughing!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is from an actual trial in the UK : A young woman who was several months pregnant boarded a bus.

When She Noticed a young man smiling at her she began feeling humiliated on Account of her condition. She changed her seat and he seemed more amused. She moved again and then on her third move he burst out laughing...... She had him arrested.

Then the case came before the court, the young man was asked why he acted in such a manner.

His reply was: When the lady boarded the bus I couldn't help noticing she was pregnant.. She sat under an advertisement, which read: 'Coming Soon: The Gold Dust Twins'.

I was even more amused when she sat under a shaving advertisement, which read: 'William's Stick Did The Trick'.

Then I could not control myself any longer when on the third move she sat under an advertisement, which read: 'Dunlop Rubber would have prevented this accident.'

The case was dismissed!

THE REAL DIAMONDS ARE NEVER FROM THE OUTSIDE, THEY ARE RIGHT INSIDE YOU

Excerpt from Chapter 7: The Song of Sound and Silence (talk of 17 April 1977) of OSHO BOOK: The First Principle (Talks on Zen)

... I have heard a very beautiful legend. The legend is, there was a great Master in India, the twenty-seventh successor of Gautam the Buddha; his name was Hanyatara. A king in south India requested him to come to his court. The king himself came, bowed down to Hanyatara, touched his feet, and said, "Please, come to my court, to bless us. And this has been my desire, to listen to some sutras of Gautam the Buddha by a man who is a Buddha himself, so I have been avoiding scholars, pundits, professors. I have been avoiding, I have been waiting, because those sutras that Buddha uttered are so pregnant that only a man who has attained to that consciousness will be able to give expression to them."

Hanyatara came to the court with an attendant. The king was thrilled; it was his dream for his whole life one day to have a Buddha in his court, in his palace. The whole palace was decorated, the whole town was decorated; the whole capital was celebrating. It was a great day of celebration. But the king was puzzled, a little bewildered: Hanyatara sat silently, not saying a single word, and the attendant recited the sutra. Now, this was not the purpose at all. The king could have found better people to recite the sutra than the attendant. He was just an attendant who looked after Hanyatara, just used to do small errands, a very ordinary man, not even a great scholar. His grammar was faulty, his pronunciation was not exactly as it should be. He was an ordinary man.

Just out of respect, the king kept silent. When the sutra was finished, he touched the feet of Hanyatara and said, "Sir, enlighten me about this; otherwise I will remain puzzled. Why did not you recite the sutra?"

And Hanyatara said, "What, I did not recite the sutra? Then what else was I doing the whole time here? You fool!"

The king was even more puzzled, because he had kept quiet, he had not said a single word. The king said, "Please, explain it to me. I don't understand. I am an ordinary, ignorant person. I may not know the ways of the Buddhas."

And Hanyatara said, "I sat silently, breathing in, breathing out. That was my sutra. What else is there in life? Breathe in, breathe out. Be alert, aware. When I breathed in, I was aware; when I breathed out, I was aware. It was all awareness! What else is a sutra? Awareness. If you had listened to the rhythm of my breathing you would have understood. I have recited it! Words are one way to recite it. Breathing silently, but with full awareness, is another way to recite it - and far better a way. I have been very expressive today, as I have never been before. Thinking that you have been waiting for so long, I thought,'Why not give the real thing?' "

The king was thrilled, seeing the compassion. Now he felt there was a certain rhythm in his silence. Now he became aware, retrospectively of course, that this man was not silent in the ordinary way. He had seen silent people; sometimes he himself had sat in silence. This was a different silence. There was a song, certainly there was a song. There was a fragrance around this man. There was a vibe of a different quality; he was vibrating. Strange it was, but now he remembered, yes, it was there. And the way he was breathing was no ordinary way. Not that he was doing anything special in the breathing: his breathing was pure, natural, like a small baby.

When you breathe, your breathing is never natural. If you are a little angry, your anger changes your breathing. If you are full of passion, lust, your lust changes your breathing. If you are greedy, your greed is reflected in your breathing. Continuously your mind mood infiltrates breathing and changes it. You can watch it. When you are angry, try not to disturb the breathing, and you will be completely unable to be angry. Just try not to change the breathing. Let the breathing remain as it was before you became angry, and then try to be angry. It will be impossible. The breathing has to change first. Through the breathing the body changes; the mind first affects the breathing. When you are in a moment of lust, watch, keep the breathing natural, and you will suddenly find the lust has disappeared, the moment came and passed.

By and by you will be able to see each mood is reflected in your breathing, so your breathing is never natural, because there is some mood or other. The natural breathing means there is no mood: that means there is no mind - neither anger nor greed nor lust nor jealousy nor love nor hate. No-mood means no-mind. In that state of no-mind the breathing is natural. Then there is a song to it, then there is a totally different quality to it. Then it is pure life. Then the flame is without smoke.

Yes, the king remembered, there was something strange, something was happening. He had missed it. He started crying. He said, "I have missed it. Why didn't you tell me before? Now I know there was something, and I had even felt it, but my consciousness is not so developed, so I could not understand what was happening. And I was too concerned about that foolish sutra. I was continuously thinking about why you were not reciting the sutra and why this attendant was reciting the sutra. I was so much concerned about the sutra that I missed.

"But I am grateful that you showed such compassion, that you showed your being so naked, so true, so authentic."

He presented a great diamond, the most valuable he had, to Hanyatara, and then he said to Hanyatara, "I have three sons. Sir, be kind enough. I will call them. Bless them."

Thinking that young people are young people, and the youngest was only seven, they may disturb the sutra reciting, he had not called them to participate before.

The three young princes came in.

Rather than blessing them, Hanyatara showed the diamond that the king had presented to him to the first prince, the eldest. He must have been somewhere near fifteen. The prince looked at the diamond and said, "A great diamond, of the finest water, purest water. Where could you get it? It is rare. It is no ordinary diamond." Yes, his understanding about the diamond was perfectly true. It was a rare diamond, of the most perfect water. Even Hanyatara had never seen such a thing.

Then he called the second prince, who must have been near about ten, and the second prince looked at the diamond, and he said, "Not only the finest, not only the best, it is certain that it belongs to my father because in this kingdom nobody can have such a diamond. It is rare. Sir, it does not belong to you, it cannot. To protect this diamond you will need a great army, otherwise you cannot have it. Just this attendant won't do." Yes, his understanding was also very correct.

And then the third son was called. He was only seven. He looked at the diamond, looked at Hanyatara, and laughed and said, "What? Do you want to befool me?" He was only seven, and he said, "Do you want to befool me? You cannot! Because the real diamonds are never of the outside. And what are you trying to show me? You have the real diamond within you. I can see it! This is just a stone that you have in your hand. Throw it, sir!"

And it is said that Hanyatara hugged this small boy. This boy's name was Bodhitara, and Hanyatara changed his name to Bodhidharma. He became the twenty-eighth successor of Buddha; he was the first patriarch of Zen in China, this small boy Bodhitara, whose name Hanyatara changed to Bodhidharma.

Hanyatara said, "This boy has looked into the deepest reality anybody can look into. Dharma means 'the ultimate reality'. He has penetrated to the ultimate reality." He said to the king, "Even you could not see who I am. That's why you missed my sermon, my silent sermon. That's why you missed my silent song. I was singing here but you missed. But this boy, yes, I cannot befool him. This boy is going to be my successor."

... The legend is of tremendous value. First, the silent sermon. Yes, sometimes a mystic can be silent - but he is not silent! His silence is a very telling silence. He may not do anything, he may not even move his eyes, he may not move any of his limbs, but still his presence goes on doing a thousand and one things. Just to be in his presence, just to breathe with him in the same rhythm, and something is transferred: his song, his silence, his dance. You will never be the same again.

Truth is not hidden, from the very beginning. Truth is unhidden; only your eyes are closed. Truth is being preached from every tree and from every bird and from every rock and from every star; just your eyes, your ears, your sensitivity is not there. You are deaf. Truth is not dumb; you are deaf. And truth is not hiding anywhere.

A man came to a Zen Master and asked, "Sir, where should I go to find the truth?" And the Zen Master said, "You just keep looking in front of your nose and go on, and you will find it."

It is just in front of your nose! Truth is just in front of you. In fact, wherever you look it is truth, you just need to know how to look for it. But you are looking for other things; that's why you go on missing...

This... sermon, of Hanyatara to the king, was even more subtle... He was just breathing in and out, a natural breathing, an ordinary breathing, unaffected by the mind. And truth was there and the sutras were recited there through his breathing, but the king missed.

You may have come across a Buddha in your life... but you have missed because you were not sensitive enough to feel that vibe. That vibe is subtle. You were not aware enough to move to that height, to feel the presence.

Be a little more alert. The sermon is preached constantly. From everywhere God is speaking to you. Even when everything is silent He is speaking through silence. His song is eternal.

Zen says, "Truth is not hidden, from the very beginning, so you are not to uncover truth, you are only to uncover your eyes." You just have a curtain on your eyes. Just pull your earplugs out. Your ears are plugged; hence you cannot hear.

How to unplug the ears? How to open the eyes? How to drop barriers that don't allow you to become sensitive enough? What is the way? The way is immediacy. Be immediate, be in the moment.

Otherwise Buddhas can go on shouting from the housetops, and you will not hear - or you will hear something which has not been said at all...

Truth is all around, but your interpretations are your interpretations. God is speaking all the time, but you hear not, or even if you hear, you hear something else. You hear according to you, your mind comes in, and hence you go on missing.

Unless the mind is dropped you will not be able to know what truth is. Truth cannot be discovered by mind; mind is the barrier. It is because of the mind that you have not been able to discover it. It is not a question of how to train the mind to know the truth. The more the mind is trained and becomes capable, the less is the possibility to know the truth. The more skilled a mind, the farther away you are from the truth.

Mind is the barrier. No-mind is the door.

How to attain to no-mind? The only way - the only way - is to be in the present. The only way is not to think of the past, not to think of the future. And you cannot think of the present. That is the whole secret: you cannot think of the present; there is not space enough for thought to move. Thought needs room to move. Can you think anything right now? If you think it, either it will be of the past or of the future.

This moment of silence. If you think, "Yes, this is a moment of silence," it is already past. Or you say, "How beautiful!" It is already past. Utter a word "beautiful," and it is already past. You cannot think. Thinking stops when you are in the present. So that is the only key, and it is a master key; it unlocks all the doors of being. Immediacy, that is the whole insistence of Zen...

FROM THE ACTOR PLAYING DOCTOR IN M*A*S*H

Who would you say inspired you most in your life?

Well, I think my wife [Arlene] has the most. I know this sounds sentimental, but it’s really true that I think I have three birthdays. I have the one I was born on. Then when we got married, that began a new life for me. And my life with her has been far richer, more humanizing than it would’ve been if we hadn’t.

And you’ve been married a long time.

For 50 years this year. And the third birthday I celebrate is October 19th when I was brought back to life in Chile.

JAPAN LAUNCHES FIRST LUNAR PROBE

Japan launches first lunar probe
The orbiter was launched by one of Japan's H-2A rockets
Probe blasts off
Japan's space agency has successfully launched its first lunar probe on a mission to explore the moon.

A rocket carrying the orbiter blasted off from the space centre on the remote southern island of Tanegashima.

Over the course of a year, the orbiter will gather data on the moon's origin and evolution.

Japanese scientists say it is the most complex lunar mission since Nasa's Apollo programme in the 1960s and 70s, when astronauts walked on the moon.

"We successfully launched the rocket and released the orbiter from the rocket," said Eriko Sunada, a spokeswoman for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Jaxa) said.

Three satellites

The three-tonne probe is called Selene, the Selenological and Engineering Explorer.

It has been nicknamed Kaguya, after a princess in a folk story who ascended to the moon.

The probe will orbit the Earth before travelling the 380,000km (237,500 miles) to the moon.

There the main orbiting unit and two smaller satellites will be positioned 100km (60 miles) above the surface of the moon.

They will collect data on its geology, topography and environment, Japan's space agency said.

The launch is four years behind schedule due to launch failures and technical glitches.

Jaxa has been trying to expand its activities and is aiming to achieve manned space flight.

But its programme suffered a setback in 2003 when it had to scuttle a satellite after a rocket failed to separate from its booster.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/6994272.stm

Published: 2007/09/14 03:16:01 GMT

Thursday, September 13, 2007

IN INDIA THERE ARE SUCH PEOPLE TOO

Maharani of our Park

I know the editor of a magazine, he is the ablest of his breed and probably the highest paid in the country. I admired him, envied his success but did not warm towards him till one of his minions casually mentioned his daily routine.

He works long hours in office and is usually the last to leave. At the gate a dozen street urchins and stray dogs await him. His chaprasi fill pots with milk for the dogs; he hands over a hundred rupee note to the eldest boy to buy sweets or ice-creams.

When I learnt that he does this every evening, my heart melted. It does so towards anyone who makes this kind of activity a part of his daily life. That is the reason of my affection for my next-door neighbour Reeta Devi. While working with Mother Teresa, she married Rajkumar Bhim Varma of Cooch Bihar, nephew of Rajmata Gayatri Devi of Jaipur.

They moved from Kolkata to Sujan Singh Park, New Delhi. Every evening Bhim sets out from his flat, his car loaded with packets of buffalo meat cooked with rice and spends a couple of hours feeding street dogs. He did this without fail till the last day of his life.

His wife took on where her husband had left. And with redoubled zeal. She handed over the running of the hospital she built in Guwahati (she is Assamese) to the Missionaries of charity.

She set up the Ila Trust to render free medical services to the poor. She continued to feed dogs as well as cats in her neighbourhood. Four years ago Kapil Sibal gifted her a mobile clinic. She had two doctors, a nurse, X-Ray and other diagnostic implements to run it. It started going out to distant parts of the city. Kapil hoped she would give priority to his Parliamentary constituency. She bluntly refused to do so. Charity must not be selective or result-oriented. Kapil agreed and let her do things her own way.

The Prime Minister’s wife Gursharan Kaur periodically gives her shirts, sweaters, and mufflers to distribute among the needy.

Last year the famous singer Sir Elton John gifted Reeta Devi with a bigger mobile clinic. Now she operates two of them with a team of doctors and nurses. On average they treat around 300 patients per mobile clinic every morning. Ranbaxy and Cipla have donated medicines in the past. She needs much more: medicines, biscuits, blankets, clothes etc. She is desperately in need of money and medicines. She does not even have space to park her two mobile clinics.

My feelings towards Reeta Devi are a mixture of awe, admiration and affection. She has an imperious temper; everyone in the neighbourhood is scared of her. Everyone knows what she is doing; so everyone admires her. Whenever she steps out of her apartment, cats and dogs gather round her, rubbing their bodies against her legs or licking her hands. She looks like the Queen of Sheba with her retinue of slaves following her.

THE ORANGUTAN IN PERIL

The orangutan - an icon in peril... like so many other species

In pictures
Gorillas, orangutans, and corals are among the plants and animals which are sliding closer to extinction.

The Red List of Threatened Species for 2007 names habitat loss, hunting and climate change among the causes.

The World Conservation Union (IUCN) has identified more than 16,000 species threatened with extinction, while prospects have brightened for only one.

The IUCN says there is a lack of political will to tackle the global erosion of nature.

Governments have pledged to stem the loss of species by 2010; but it does not appear to be happening.


The rate of biodiversity loss is increasing
Julia Marton-Lefevre
"This year's Red List shows that the invaluable efforts made so far to protect species are not enough," said the organisation's director-general, Julia Marton-Lefevre.

"The rate of biodiversity loss is increasing, and we need to act now to significantly reduce it and stave off this global extinction crisis."

One in three amphibians, one in four mammals, one in eight birds and 70% of plants so far assessed are believed to be at risk of extinction, with human alteration of their habitat the single biggest cause.

Critical list

The tone of this year's Red List is depressingly familiar. Of 41,415 species assessed, 16,306 are threatened with extinction to a greater or lesser degree.


RED LIST DEFINITIONS
Extinct - Surveys suggest last known individual has died
Critically Endangered - Extreme high risk of extinction - this means some Critically Endangered species are also tagged Possibly Extinct
Endangered - Species at very high risk of extinction
Vulnerable - Species at high risk of extinction
Near Threatened - May soon move into above categories
Least Concern - Species is widespread and abundant
Data Deficient - not enough data to assess
The main changes from previous assessments include some of the natural world's iconic animals, such as the western lowland gorilla, which moves from the Endangered to the Critically Endangered category.

Numbers have declined by more than 60% over the last 20-25 years.

Forest clearance has allowed hunters access to previously inaccessible areas; and the Ebola virus has followed, wiping out one-third of the total gorilla population in protected areas, and up to 95% in some regions.

Ebola has moved through the western lowland gorilla's rangelands in western central Africa from the southwest to the northeast. If it continues its march, it will reach all the remaining populations within a decade.

The Sumatran orangutan was already Critically Endangered before this assessment, with numbers having fallen by 80% in the last 75 years.

But IUCN has identified new threats to the 7,300 individuals that remain. Forests are being cleared for palm oil plantations, and habitat is being split up by the building of new roads.


Governments know they are going to fail to reach that target
Jean-Christophe Vie
In Borneo, home to the second orangutan species, palm oil plantations have expanded 10-fold in a decade, and now take up 27,000 sq km of the island. Illegal logging reduces habitat still further, while another threat comes from hunting for food and the illegal international pet trade.

So fragmented have some parts of the Bornean forest become that some isolated orangutan populations now number less than 50 individuals, which IUCN notes are "apparently not viable in the long term".

Straight to zero

The great apes are perhaps the most charismatic creatures on this year's Red List, but the fact they are in trouble has been known for some years. Perhaps more surprising are some of the new additions.

"This is the first time we've assessed corals, and it's a bit worrying because some of them moved straight from being not assessed to being possibly extinct," said Jean-Christophe Vie, deputy head of IUCN's species programme.

Galapagos coral. Image: Cleveland P Hickman Jr
The first formal assessment of corals shows many are at risk
"We know that some species were there in years gone by, but now when we do the assessment they are not there. And corals are like the trees in the forest; they build the ecosystem for fish and other animals."

IUCN is now embarking on a complete assessment of coral species, and expects to find that about 30% to 40% are threatened.

The most glaring example of a waterborne creature failed by conservation efforts is probably the baiji, the Yangtze river dolphin, which is categorised as Critically Endangered, Possibly Extinct.

This freshwater species appears to have failed in its bid for survival against the destructive tides of fishing, shipping, pollution, and habitat change in its one native river. Chinese media reported a possible sighting earlier this year, but the IUCN is not convinced; with no confirmed evidence of a living baiji since 2002, they believe its time on Earth may well be over.

If so, it will have become a largely accidental victim of the various forces of human development. Not so the spectacular Banggai cardinalfish; a single decade of hunting for the aquarium trade has brought numbers down by an astonishing 90%.


Baiji. Image: Stephen Leatherwood

Last rites for river dolphin
Many African vultures are new entrants on this year's list. But birds provide the only notable success, with the colourful Mauritius echo parakeet making it back from Critically Endangered to Endangered.

Intensive conservation work has brought numbers up from about 50 to above 300.

But the gharial, a crocodilian found in the major rivers of India and Nepal, provides a cautionary tale of what can happen when conservation money and effort dry up.

A decade ago, a programme of re-introduction to the wild brought the adult population up from about 180 to nearer 430. Deemed a success, the programme was stopped; numbers are again hovering around 180, and the gharial finds itself once more on the Critically Endangered list.

Climate of distraction

IUCN says that it is not too late for many of these species; that they can be brought back from the brink.

It is something that the world's governments have committed to, vowing in the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity "to achieve by 2010 a significant reduction of the current rate of biodiversity loss at the global, regional and national level".


Female and infant mountain gorilla (Image: WildlifeDirect)

Conservation is not enough
"Governments know they are going to fail to reach that target," said Jean-Christophe Vie, "and not just in terms of a few species - the failure is really massive.

"We know that it is possible to reverse the trend, but the causes are so huge and massive and global, and there is still a lack of attention to the crisis that biodiversity faces."

Many in the environmental movement argue that too much money and attention has gone on climate change, with other issues such as biodiversity, clean water and desertification ignored at the political level.

IUCN's assessment is that climate change is important for many Red List species; but it is not the only threat, and not the most important threat.

There are conflicts between addressing the various issues, with biofuels perhaps being the obvious example. Useful they may turn out to be in reducing greenhouse gas emissions; but many conservationists are seriously concerned that the vast swathes of monoculture they will bring spell dire consequences for creatures such as the orangutan.

Richard.Black-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk