கேள்வியும் பதிலும்-4: "எது என் கவிதை? கவிஞர் மு.மேத்தா"

Book of the day-4: ‘Autobiography of a Yogi’ by Paramahansa Yogananda

This book has been chosen as one of the best 100 Spiritual Books of the 20th century. This acclaimed autobiography of Sri Sri Paramahansa Yogananda is now available in a new attractive hardbound edition, in a larger format, with more photographs. It is priced at Rs.125/-

First published in 1946 and enlarged by Paramahansa Yogananda in 1951, this book has been translated into twenty one languages including Hindi, Bengali, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya, Tamil and Telugu.

Published by Yogoda Satsanga Society of India (Paramahansa Yogananda Path, Ranchi-834001, Jharkhand, India) and distributed by Jaico Publishing House and Motilal Banarasidass.

Free online edition is available at

:

http://www.crystalclarity.com/yogananda/

Brief Biography of Paramahansa Yogananda from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paramahansa_Yogananda

Book of the day-4: ‘Autobiography of a Yogi’ by Paramahansa Yogananda

This book has been chosen as one of the best 100 Spiritual Books of the 20th century. This acclaimed autobiography of Sri Sri Paramahansa Yogananda is now available in a new attractive hardbound edition, in a larger format, with more photographs. It is priced at Rs.125/-

First published in 1946 and enlarged by Paramahansa Yogananda in 1951, this book has been translated into twenty one languages including Hindi, Bengali, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya, Tamil and Telugu.

Published by Yogoda Satsanga Society of India (Paramahansa Yogananda Path, Ranchi-834001, Jharkhand, India) and distributed by Jaico Publishing House and Motilal Banarasidass.

Free online edition is available at

:

http://www.crystalclarity.com/yogananda/

Brief Biography of Paramahansa Yogananda from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paramahansa_Yogananda

கேள்வியும் பதிலும்-4: "எது என் கவிதை? கவிஞர் மு.மேத்தா"

Letters-2: A Letter from Srimat Swami Turiyanandaji Maharaj(Excerpt)

Dear Sridhar,

….It is avidya, or ignorance, which is the field of lust and anger. Patanjali defines avidya as follows: “To regard the non-eternal as eternal, the impure as pure, the painful as pleasant, and the non-Atman as the Atman – this is ignorance.”

In other words, it is ignorance which makes one perceive the unreal world as real, the impure body as pure, happiness in painful sense enjoyments, and to consider wife and children – none whom is really one’s own – as one’s own. These false perceptions are caused by ignorance. This avidya is without beginning: there is no way of ascertaining when it originated. It is also without end in the sense that until one attains illumination by the grace of God, it remains and is not destroyed. This ignorance does not allow us to move towards God. So Krishna said in the Gita, “Those who take refuge in me alone shall cross over this maya.” Our duty is take refuge in Him and lead a God-centred life.

What Swami Vivekananda said is true: “Devotion to God is dormant in everyone. It manifests itself when the veil of lust and gold is removed.” The attempt to remove that veil is called sadhana, or spiritual disciplines; and when this veil disappears, the kundalini awakens. Nothing will be achieved if you scatter your mind in all sorts of things. Hold on firmly to your chosen path and resolve that you will attain liberation and devotion through it; then only will you succeed.

I wrote to you more than once: “He who is full of faith and zeal and has subdued his senses obtains knowledge; having obtained knowledge, he soon attains the supreme peace.” (Gita, IV.39). But “The man who is ignorant and without faith and always doubting goes to ruin. Not this world nor the world beyond nor happiness is for the doubting soul.” (Ibid, IV.40) – These are the words of God. Now, do as you please.

With love and best wishes

Swami Turiyananda

(a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and a brother-disciple of Swami Vivekananda)(Excerpt)

Letters-2: A Letter from Srimat Swami Turiyanandaji Maharaj(Excerpt)

Dear Sridhar,

….It is avidya, or ignorance, which is the field of lust and anger. Patanjali defines avidya as follows: “To regard the non-eternal as eternal, the impure as pure, the painful as pleasant, and the non-Atman as the Atman – this is ignorance.”

In other words, it is ignorance which makes one perceive the unreal world as real, the impure body as pure, happiness in painful sense enjoyments, and to consider wife and children – none whom is really one’s own – as one’s own. These false perceptions are caused by ignorance. This avidya is without beginning: there is no way of ascertaining when it originated. It is also without end in the sense that until one attains illumination by the grace of God, it remains and is not destroyed. This ignorance does not allow us to move towards God. So Krishna said in the Gita, “Those who take refuge in me alone shall cross over this maya.” Our duty is take refuge in Him and lead a God-centred life.

What Swami Vivekananda said is true: “Devotion to God is dormant in everyone. It manifests itself when the veil of lust and gold is removed.” The attempt to remove that veil is called sadhana, or spiritual disciplines; and when this veil disappears, the kundalini awakens. Nothing will be achieved if you scatter your mind in all sorts of things. Hold on firmly to your chosen path and resolve that you will attain liberation and devotion through it; then only will you succeed.

I wrote to you more than once: “He who is full of faith and zeal and has subdued his senses obtains knowledge; having obtained knowledge, he soon attains the supreme peace.” (Gita, IV.39). But “The man who is ignorant and without faith and always doubting goes to ruin. Not this world nor the world beyond nor happiness is for the doubting soul.” (Ibid, IV.40) – These are the words of God. Now, do as you please.

With love and best wishes

Swami Turiyananda

(a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and a brother-disciple of Swami Vivekananda)(Excerpt)

Poem of the day-7: ‘The Wish’ by Abraham Cowley

WELL then! I now do plainly see
This busy world and I shall ne’er agree.
The very honey of all earthly joy
Does of all meats the soonest cloy;
And they, methinks, deserve my pity
Who for it can endure the stings,
The crowd and buzz and murmurings,
Of this great hive, the city.

Ah, yet, ere I descend to the grave
May I a small house and large garden have;
And a few friends, and many books, both true,
Both wise, and both delightful too!
And since love ne’er will from me flee,
A Mistress moderately fair,
And good as guardian angels are,
Only beloved and loving me.

O fountains! when in you shall I
Myself eased of unpeaceful thoughts espy?
O fields! O woods! when, when shall I be made
Thy happy tenant of your shade?
Here ‘s the spring-head of Pleasure’s flood:
Here ‘s wealthy Nature’s treasury,
Where all the riches lie that she
Has coin’d and stamp’d for good.

Pride and ambition here
Only in far-fetch’d metaphors appear;
Here nought but winds can hurtful murmurs scatter,
And nought but Echo flatter.
The gods, when they descended, hither
From heaven did always choose their way:
And therefore we may boldly say
That ’tis the way too thither.

Hoe happy here should I
And one dear She live, and embracing die!
She who is all the world, and can exclude 35
In deserts solitude.
I should have then this only fear:
Lest men, when they my pleasures see,
Should hither throng to live like me,
And so make a city here.

– Abraham Cowley. 1618–1667

Wikipedia article on “ABRAHAM COWLEY”:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Cowley

Grateful thanks to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Poem of the day-7: ‘The Wish’ by Abraham Cowley

WELL then! I now do plainly see
This busy world and I shall ne’er agree.
The very honey of all earthly joy
Does of all meats the soonest cloy;
And they, methinks, deserve my pity
Who for it can endure the stings,
The crowd and buzz and murmurings,
Of this great hive, the city.

Ah, yet, ere I descend to the grave
May I a small house and large garden have;
And a few friends, and many books, both true,
Both wise, and both delightful too!
And since love ne’er will from me flee,
A Mistress moderately fair,
And good as guardian angels are,
Only beloved and loving me.

O fountains! when in you shall I
Myself eased of unpeaceful thoughts espy?
O fields! O woods! when, when shall I be made
Thy happy tenant of your shade?
Here ‘s the spring-head of Pleasure’s flood:
Here ‘s wealthy Nature’s treasury,
Where all the riches lie that she
Has coin’d and stamp’d for good.

Pride and ambition here
Only in far-fetch’d metaphors appear;
Here nought but winds can hurtful murmurs scatter,
And nought but Echo flatter.
The gods, when they descended, hither
From heaven did always choose their way:
And therefore we may boldly say
That ’tis the way too thither.

Hoe happy here should I
And one dear She live, and embracing die!
She who is all the world, and can exclude 35
In deserts solitude.
I should have then this only fear:
Lest men, when they my pleasures see,
Should hither throng to live like me,
And so make a city here.

– Abraham Cowley. 1618–1667

Wikipedia article on “ABRAHAM COWLEY”:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Cowley

Grateful thanks to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Health Tips-19: "Beware of Synthetic Milk"

Milk is a staple food for the children and the infirm. Of late, there are reports that a synthetic product is passed off as ‘milk’. The ‘synthetic milk’ simulates the creamer or dairy whitener added to tea or coffee for persons to whom milk is contra-indicated for allergic or other reasons. Dairy whitener is composed of fat (commonly hydrogenated fat or derivative of palm oil) and emulsifier (synthetic or natural). Emulsified fat in water is milky. Soaps and detergents are capable of emulsifying oil or fat in water. The mixture becomes an oil-in-water emulsion. The synthetic emulsifier used in creamer is approved for food purposes. Soaps and synthetic detergents are not of food grade. Detergents are made up of petroleum jelly. The ‘synthetic milk’ sold is an emulsion of an oil in water with the aid of soaps or detergents, thickened by addition of urea. True milk contains protein (casein), sugars (lactose) and minerals (calcium). Urea, though a nitrogenous compound is not protein, neither it is edible. In fact, it could be toxic. Urea is a product of protein metabolism in animals and is excreted in urine. Synthetic milk can be easily detected. First of all, soap or detergent in water is alkaline due to hydrolysis. A litmus (red to blue) or pH paper (orange to green) test will indicate this behaviour when the strip is dipped in the liquid. Urea is detected by adding an ureas tablet into a sample of milk. Ureas is an enzyme, which decomposes into ammonium carbonate, which may be identified by its characteristic ammoniacal smell or alkaline nature by pH indicator. These qualitative tests are fairly simple and can be performed even by an untrained person.

– From a ‘Letter to the Editor, from N.J.M.Yadav, Thanjavur (Name of Newspaper not given)

Health Tips-18: Burn Those Calories Away

The most optical fat-burning exercise is aerobics. Any exercise that utilizes oxygen for a sustained activity of 12 minutes or more qualifies as aerobic exercise. Walking, jogging, cycling, swimming etc are all activities which use the large muscles of the body, moving your limbs freely and continuously without resistance, and your breathing is then rapid, but comfortable. While doing this exercise, should be able to carry on a conversation, but in brief words only not in lengthy sentences. If you are too much out of breath and are gasping, you have gone beyond the aerobic zone. Bring down the intensity of the exercise so that you are in an optimal state of burning fat.

Excerpt from ISTE Newsletter (Other details not available).

Grateful thanks to ISTE Newsletter.

A Thought for Today-125: October 27, 2007

Cruel and cut-throat competition is the nature to be found in the lower order. To be cooperative with fellow beings is of mediocre order. To dedicate oneself for the welfare of fellow beings is of the high order – Prof.K.Subrahmanyam (Values in Education)

Make Your Home a Sanctuary of Love

* Be available, so as to keep family ties strong. Do things together as family.

* Set aside time for your family. Young people measure their parents’ interest in them in proportion to the time they spend with them.

* Kindness is the oil that smoothens the many rough spots you come across in child-rearing.

* Children like to see a good example in their parents, practising what they preach.

* Teach your children to have sympathy for the poor.

* Develop each child’s personality, mainly by teaching them to take responsibility. Don’t hand them everything ‘on a platter’.

* Understand the true meaning of discipline. Let your authority be motivated by love. Be considerate but firm when you have to be.

* Spur the creativity of your children. Give them chances to dream dreams, to unlock their imagination, to awaken their internal and external senses to the people around them, and to wonders of Nature.

* Instruct your children to lead constructive lives.

Source: Not available

Little Nuggets-43:

Love has inspired many wonderful literature throughout the world in all languages and love has been the dominating theme in innumerable novels, poems, short stories, movies, drama etc. Love sustains one in the face of insurmountable difficulties, despair, sorrow and unbearable suffering. For the sake of love, people have sacrificed even their lives. Selflessness is a divine quality and love makes one selfless. This ennobling and elevating quality of love has been the central theme of many successful writings – Source: Unknown

Little Nuggets-42:

Love’s nature is to grow, to expand, to extend to infinity, to eternity, to immortality. When impure, it is limited, narrow and body-centred. But as it expands, it transcends all narrowness and impurities – Prof.K.Subrahmanyam (Values in Education)

Little Nuggets-41:

Buddha attained perfection by becoming unselfish. So is every savant. The sure way of becoming unselfish is through LOVE, the gift of God to humanity. It is God Himself seated in the heart of each person – Prof.K.Subrahmanyam (Values in Education)

Little Nuggets-40:

Knowledge is Power: Love is No Less. When love and knowledge of the right kind combine and harmonize, the result is something marvelous, miraculous. It is the elixir of life and philosopher’s stone compounded into one. It enlivens and ennobles, delights and divinizes all that comes into its field and fold. It stirs up compassion in the heart, invests compassion with reverence, and imparts dignity to service. It reveals itself in unconditional giving and service, it is the awakening of wisdom without disturbing faith.

Excerpt from ‘The Life of Swami Vivekananda’ by His Eastern and Western Disciples

Short Story of the Day-7: "Making Haste Slowly, a Tale from the Philippines"

MAKING HASTE SLOWLY, A TALE FROM THE PHILIPHINES

A trader bought a large number of coconuts at a village, and loading them on to his horse cart set off for home. Encountering a boy, a little later, he asked him how long it would take to reach the main road.

“Go slowly, and you will reach it in ten minutes,” replied the lad, “but if you go fast, it will take you half an hour or more.”

“Fool!” shouted the trader, and drove away at breakneck speed. Fifty metres down the road, one of the wheels struck a stone. The jolt sent the coconuts flying in all directions. It took the man a long time to gather all the coconuts and put them back in the cart. Afterwards, he climbed back wearily into the driver’s seat, and with the boy’s words ringing in his ears, drove slowly and cautiously the rest of the way.

Little Nuggets-39:

Life is to be fortified by many friendships. To love and to be loved is the greatest happiness – Sydney Smith

Little Nuggets-38:

Kindness is the insignia of a loving heart – Anonymous

Short Stories-7: "Making Haste Slowly, a Tale from the Philippines"

A trader bought a large number of coconuts at a village, and loading them on to his horse cart set off for home. Encountering a boy, a little later, he asked him how long it would take to reach the main road.

“Go slowly, and you will reach it in ten minutes,” replied the lad, “but if you go fast, it will take you half an hour or more.”

“Fool!” shouted the trader, and drove away at breakneck speed. Fifty metres down the road, one of the wheels struck a stone. The jolt sent the coconuts flying in all directions. It took the man a long time to gather all the coconuts and put them back in the cart. Afterwards, he climbed back wearily into the driver’s seat, and with the boy’s words ringing in his ears, drove slowly and cautiously the rest of the way.

Memorable Passages-2: From ‘A Train to Pakistan’ by Khushwant Singh

India is constipated with a lot of humbug. Take religion. For the Hindu, it means little besides caste and cow-protection. For the Muslim, circumcision and kosher meat. For the Sikh, long-hair and hatred for the Muslim. For the Christian, Hinduism with a sola topee. For the Parsi, fire-worship and feeding the vultures. Ethics which should be the kernel of a religious code, has been carefully removed.

Consciousness of the bad is an essential prerequisite to the promotion of the good. It is no use trying to build a second storey on a house whose walls are rotten. It is best to demolish it. It is both cowardly and foolhardy to kowtow to social standards when one believes neither in the society nor in its standards. Their courage is your cowardice and your cowardice is their courage. It is all a matter of nomenclature. One could say it needs courage to be a coward. A conundrum, but a quotable one.

(From ‘A Train to Pakistan, by Khushwant Singh)

Memorable Passages-2: From ‘A Train to Pakistan’ by Khushwant Singh

India is constipated with a lot of humbug. Take religion. For the Hindu, it means little besides caste and cow-protection. For the Muslim, circumcision and kosher meat. For the Sikh, long-hair and hatred for the Muslim. For the Christian, Hinduism with a sola topee. For the Parsi, fire-worship and feeding the vultures. Ethics which should be the kernel of a religious code, has been carefully removed.

Consciousness of the bad is an essential prerequisite to the promotion of the good. It is no use trying to build a second storey on a house whose walls are rotten. It is best to demolish it. It is both cowardly and foolhardy to kowtow to social standards when one believes neither in the society nor in its standards. Their courage is your cowardice and your cowardice is their courage. It is all a matter of nomenclature. One could say it needs courage to be a coward. A conundrum, but a quotable one.

(From ‘A Train to Pakistan, by Khushwant Singh)

Self-Improvement-6: "A to Z Tips for Success"

Arrive a little early for every date or appointment.
Be enthusiastic in everything you do.
Complete every assigned task.
Do a little more than is required.
Express yourself after you know the facts.
Feel comfortable in every situation by acting yourself.
Go all out to please your friends.
Help others as you would have them help you.
Identify yourself by accomplishments rather than words.
Join in and help when you are needed.
Keep a level head.
Listen more, speak less.
Make the most of what you have.
Never say never.
Open your heart to those less fortunate than you.
Please yourself by pleasing others.
Quickly respond to an emergency.
Remember business plus quality equals profit.
Study, study, study to excel.
Take advantage of any opportunity.
Use your spare time intelligently.
Value your health.
Work at your work.
Xit any quality leading to failure.
You are your most important asset.
Zestfully meet any challenge.

– Abhishek (Details not available)

Self-Improvement-6: "A to Z Tips for Success"

Arrive a little early for every date or appointment.
Be enthusiastic in everything you do.
Complete every assigned task.
Do a little more than is required.
Express yourself after you know the facts.
Feel comfortable in every situation by acting yourself.
Go all out to please your friends.
Help others as you would have them help you.
Identify yourself by accomplishments rather than words.
Join in and help when you are needed.
Keep a level head.
Listen more, speak less.
Make the most of what you have.
Never say never.
Open your heart to those less fortunate than you.
Please yourself by pleasing others.
Quickly respond to an emergency.
Remember business plus quality equals profit.
Study, study, study to excel.
Take advantage of any opportunity.
Use your spare time intelligently.
Value your health.
Work at your work.
Xit any quality leading to failure.
You are your most important asset.
Zestfully meet any challenge.

– Abhishek (Details not available)

இன்றைய சிந்தனைக்கு – அக்டோபர் 26, 2007

இன்றைய சிந்தனைக்கு – அக்டோபர் 26, 2007

Health Tips-17: A/c Room and Respiratory Problems

People who work in air-conditioned offices suffer more than twice as many respiratory problems as those who work in naturally-ventilated buildings, according to a study by a French Medical Research agency. The study could help explain the ‘sick-building syndrome’, widely reported in air-conditioned offices in Europe. The researchers say that the recirculated air carries bacteria and fungi that spread the infections.

Courtesy: The Hindu, October 30, 1997.

Grateful thanks to The Hindu.

Health Tips-16: Clap Your Way to Good Health – PTI

Clapping is no child’s play, especially for 82-year-old Kishan Chandra Bajaj, who claims to have got cured of glaucoma, a degenerative eye disease, all because of clapping.

Despite knowing about age-old therapies like yoga, reiki and acupressure, Bajaj decided to try a novel “clapping yogasana“, when he lost his eyesight suddenly, a decade ago. “If a person claps in a correct way he an help maintain a good health and cheerful mind. It is not at all tiring,” he adds.

“Our palms have pressure points for the whole body, which get stimulated during clapping and benefit people,” says B.B.Mittal, honorary senior consultant at Jaipur Golden Hospital.

According to Bajaj, forceful clapping warms blood and increases its circulation, cleans the blood vessels of cholesterol and reduces chances of heart ailments. While the increased temperature of blood kills germs thus preventing various diseases. He claims to have clapped for at least one crore times in a duration of two and a half years! Bajaj has his name in Limca Book of Records-1997 for his special ability to “clap 9,500 times in an hour”, the sound of which could be “heard a kilometre away”.

Bajaj says clapping is no child’s play but needs will power and faith to reap its benefits. Clapping in correct way can cure stammering also, he says giving his own example.

He discovered the positive effects of ‘clapping yogasana’ after he learn about it in a discourse.

People in airconditioned offices do not sweat but this exercise helps circulae warm blood and opens pores to cleanse body.

(Source and other details not available)

Health Tips-15: Calcium, a safe-deposit – Devika Murthy

Milk, greens and dhal are some of the food that contain a high quantity of calcium. It is the calcium content that determines the physique and also gives the body resilience.

What oxygen is to the lungs, calcium is to the bones. A component of skeletal mass and shell, calcium(Ca) – a silvery white metal – is an intrinsic part of our body, a kind of safe deposit that is built up during one’s growing years, and it is important to see that one has stored enough of it so that when one grows older the bones are still strong.

It is the calcium content that, besides heredity, determines physique and gives the body its resilience. A shortage of it leads to lack of stamina and brittle bones, which in later years results in osteoporosis.

Teeth, which are also wholly calcium-based can turn problematic and painful in periods of deficiency. That is why calcium fluoride, a water-insoluble crystalline mineral is used as a decay preventive in dentrifices. The assuring thing about calcium is that it is readily available in a host of everyday consumables and is just as easily assimilated: Milk – literally awash in calcium – cheese, fresh fruits and yogurt are unfailing suppliers. Leafy vegetables can also take pride in their calcium stock; generous helpings of all locally-grown varieties help boost the body’s reserves. So children should be made to understand that shunning greens could end up slowing or stunting their growth.

For lack of calcium, aggravates leaching from bones into the bloodstream, as blood too requires – an infinitesimal but indispensable quantity of – calcium to help produce hormones, aid nerve conduction, regulate heartbeats, draw essential nutrients from food and facilitate myriad physiological functions. Dried dates, rich in calcium as well as apricots are things that most children love; so too til and groundnut laddoos bound with jaggery, which turn into lip smacking treats are filled with calcium.

For Indians, an advantage is the range of dals that we use in our daily meals; all the regulars such as toor, channa, rajma and moong offer respectable levels of it.

Regular exercise stabilises inflow and outflow of calcium, so it is both necessary and advisable. Avoiding aerated drinks, alcohol and nicotine, meats and controlling stress check calcium erosion.

There is truly no dearth of items that provide all the calcium that we can use. The only requirement is that we be aware of the sources and include them in a healthy and tasty diet.

Courtesy: Young World, Supplement to The Hindu, August 28, 1999.

Grateful thanks to The Hindu.

Health Tips-14: Key to Brain Aging

Onset of the dreaded Alzheimer’s disease which becomes apparent in a patient’s 60’s or 70’s is due to midlife breakdown of myelin, a fatty insulation coating of the brain’s internal wiring say UCLA neuroscientists.

A model identifying this process has been reported in Neurobiology of Aging. As the brain develops, cholesterol levels increase. This promotes production of a toxic protein that attacks myelin. This eventually leads to the brain-destroying tangles visible years later in Alzheimer’s patients. Increasing iron levels in the middle age also degrade myelin. Intake of cholesterol and iron-lowering and anti-inflammatory medications may prevent the disease.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, January 1, 2004.

Grateful thanks to The Hindu.