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Sunday, May 16, 2010
What is Yoga?
By spiritual experience throughout the centuries it has been granted by men that life has a goal. According to the teachings of Veda, Upanishads, epics the goal is to realize God or to realize one's perfect nature. Four major methods are described to achieve this goal of life which are called as yoga or the paths of realization. One of the four aspects of human nature dealt with each of the four yogas. we all have three inner faculties of thinking, feeling and willing. The yogic condition arises when three faculties of our inner self not working properly or actively. So these are the four possible states of mind; the mind thinking, the mind feeling, the mind willing and the mind in its quiescent form. Based on these views there are four yogas :jnana yoga, bhakti yoga, karma yoga, and raja yoga respectively. So anything connects or joins us to the lord or the ultimate reality is to be considered as yoga.
Vishada yoga or the yoga of dejection is described in the first chapter of Bhagabat Gita. We must think that how dejection be a yoga. Dejection pushed Arjuna into a search for the higher reality and into surrender to the Lord. Gita is all about the Kurukshetra war in which two opposing partys of a same family standing against each other to fight. Arjuna was a commanding general of one side, but on the other side his own brothers and friends. So he was very much depressed about what to do. Krishna was Arjuna's charioteer, so Arjuana asked him , "I am getting confused . What shall I do?" Then Arjuna continued "O Lord I am your disciple. I take refuge in you. Please guide me." In response Krishna gave the whole teachings of the Bhagabat Gita. So the conclusion is that anything that pushes a man towards, first, a deeper search, and then, deeper realization is a Yoga. There may be some other varieties of Yoga but the basic yogas are four. All other yogas can be put under one or another of these four.
Vishada yoga or the yoga of dejection is described in the first chapter of Bhagabat Gita. We must think that how dejection be a yoga. Dejection pushed Arjuna into a search for the higher reality and into surrender to the Lord. Gita is all about the Kurukshetra war in which two opposing partys of a same family standing against each other to fight. Arjuna was a commanding general of one side, but on the other side his own brothers and friends. So he was very much depressed about what to do. Krishna was Arjuna's charioteer, so Arjuana asked him , "I am getting confused . What shall I do?" Then Arjuna continued "O Lord I am your disciple. I take refuge in you. Please guide me." In response Krishna gave the whole teachings of the Bhagabat Gita. So the conclusion is that anything that pushes a man towards, first, a deeper search, and then, deeper realization is a Yoga. There may be some other varieties of Yoga but the basic yogas are four. All other yogas can be put under one or another of these four.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Detail application lists of Apple iphone.
1. HeyWay – HeyWay uses GPS to locate your current position to share or send it to your friends through Push Notification. Which mean you don’t need to have the application running all the time.
2. Video Downloader iWoopie Lit – iWoopie Lite can search global video portals (Youtube/DailyMotion and match more), watch and download videos to your iPhone.
3. Trapster – Trapster will notify you of red light cameras and speed cameras around you. It also stores location where Police Often Hide. As you drive, it will notify you by voice when you are approaching any of those camera or police hide out location. Pretty cool application, just imagine your mobile telling you that you are moving towards speed traps 
4. Bloomberg – Nice application for checking shares price, it has around 20 minutes delay. Its features include short term and long term graph, the graph stretch in landscape mode on iPhone. Nice one. It also has related news for each share. Commodity, oil price and also indices.’
5. Joost – Watch over 46000 videos from Joost on your iPhone or iPod touch with this free app Store app download from Joost.
6. Metro Melbourne and Metlink Melbourne – Living in Melbourne and catching public transportation to and from work each day, make this application very useful. It stores timetables of train lines, tram and buses. Ability to setup Favourites points (could be train stations, tram stops or bus stops) makes it very user friendly.
7. Currency – As you would probably guessed, currency converter. Useful for quickly checking currency exchange rates.
8. Free Photo Filters – Free photo filters app provides filters include Lomography Filter, Poloarizing Filter, Black and White Filter, Retro Effect Filter and more.
9. Facebook – Connect with your friends on Facebook, everywhere with 3G connection.
10. Zynga Live Poker – Play poker live with other IPhone on the train. Users are able to connect and use their Facebook account to play. Few rounds and you are home. Time flies…
11. Twitterrific – It is a twitter client. I keep myself up-to-date with latest news and updates on Silverlight. I also follow updates from Kevin Rudd our PM and opposition leader Malcolm Turnbull.
12. Palringo – Messaging / chat clients, it works with Yahoo! Messenger, MSN and etc.
13. Read It Later Free – Read It Later, a cross-platform browser extension for saving online articles for later reading, has just debuted their newly updated iPhone application. This latest version introduces a number of useful features for voracious mobile readers including support for articles spanning multiple pages, support for sites requiring logins (like WSJ or NYT), new sharing features, and a lot more.
14. Puri! Lite - Puri! Lite is a photo sticker booth that you canbring with you everywhere. With the latest update, you can show off your great photos to your friends on Facebook with a click of a button!
15. Skype – This feature brings the popular Web-based calling service to the iPhone. Use it to make free Skype-to-Skype calls, landline calls, free instant messaging and more.
16. SugarSync – This is a companion app of the SugarSync desktop app letting you sync your Mac and PC files to your iPhone so that you can access them anywhere. To use this app, you need to install the SugarSync desktop first.
17. Excuse Generator – With a touch of a button, this app generates the perfect excuse to skip out on school, work or the undesired activity of your choice.
18. FedEx Mobile for iPhone – FedEx Mobile for iPhone provides up-to-date shipment tracking information. Simply input your FedEx tracking number, and you can quickly retrieve the status of your shipment. You can also personalize your view by nicknaming shipments, adding notes or creating a watch list for monitoring important shipments.
19. Files Lite – Take documents with you wherever your iPhone or iPod touch goes, view them and transfer them easily to any compatible Mac or PC.
20. Comic Touch Lite – Make your photos come alive by giving them the Comic Touch. Add balloon to give your subjects thoughts and words
21. Free Translator – This application provides an interface to the free Google Translate API for many languages including Chinese, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Spanish and Vietnamese.
22. TripIt – Another useful travel-related iPhone app, TripIt is a great travel organizer. It lets you send your travel confirmations email to the TripIt.com site and a master itinerary for your trip will be automatically generated. This itinerary will contain flight information, hotel bookings, car rental information, maps, driving directions and even the local weather conditions. It does, however, require membership at the TripIt site.
23. Holy Bible – Get multiple version of bible translations and languages on your IPhone. You able to choose either to store it locally or access it online. Bookmarking and the highlighting feature is quite cool as well. Highlight a verse in your bible to store it for later viewing or email it to your family / friends. Simply one of the best iPhone application.
24. Linked in – Network with your ex-colleagues, employment agencies and your co-workers.
25. AIM (Free Edition) – This is the free version of AIM’s social networking app for the iPhone. It lets you connect with your friends through Wi-Fi, EDGE or 3G networks. This version features multiple screen configurations and optional SMS notification when you receive messages. You can stay logged in 24-hours a day, view expressions and update your status.
26. AllRecipes.com Dinner Spinner – This is the iPhone version of the popular food site Allrecipes.com, putting thousands of quick and easy recipes in the palm of your hand. It contains reviews from food experts and high-res photos. Search for recipes based on the occasion, the ingredients, or the cooking time.
27. Backgrounds - This app gives you a daily dose of cool backgrounds for your iPhone. You can search through more than 5,00 background wallpapers with new ones added daily. Choose from over 30 categories such as: Movies, Cars, Funny, Animals, Christmas, Models, Guys, Space, Cute, Sports, Games, Beaches, Water, Messages, Night, Hearts, Swirls, Explosions, Buildings, Cities, Fantasy, Sunsets, Technology, Flowers and many more.
28. Balance – This is an electronic version of a paper-based checkbook register. The app lets you monitor your account balances by entering transactions on your phone. The app features password protection and the ability to export transactions to your computer.
29. BBC Reader – This app lets you browse BBC News stream by category. The reader loads fast, and provides an image slide show of top stories. You can access the reader even if you’re iPhone is not online or you’re in a low 3G reception spot.
30. Bump - This app was the billionth downloaded from Apple’s App Store. It’s a simple app that lets you transfer contact information from one iPhone to another iPhone by slightly bumping two iPhones together.
31.
Dictionary.com -The free Dictionary.com app delivers world-class reference content from Dictionary.com and Thesaurus.com including more than 275,000 definitions and 80,000 synonyms. The app also features audio pronunciations, similarly spelled words and Dictionary.com’s popular Word of the Day that is enjoyed by more than a million users.
32. Discover – Discover is a mobile file manager application that allows you to manage, store, view and transfer files with other computers or iPhones, within the same Wi-Fi network. It also allows you to access local or public servers on the Internet, both within or without Wi-Fi connections.
33. Dictionary – It’s very handy to have a dictionary app on iPhone. I don’t need to open my browser anymore. It has a thesaurus and voice feature.
34. A Personal Assistant – Need an assistant to manage your personal online accounts? This app lets you monitor banking, credit card transactions, investment accounts, and cell minutes among other tasks. The app supports accounts from Bloomberg, Chase, Bank of America, United, and others.
35. Action Method – This is another task management app, which lets you delegate or receive tasks on your iPhone. Tasks entries get synched automatically on your desktops. The app also lets you manage your contacts and organize tasks into groups.
36. Dog Whistler – Dog Whistler is a free iPhone or iPod touch app that has been ranked in the top 10 free apps. This free, useful dog whistle can be used to teach your dog new tricks and to get his/her attention at any time!
37. EasyWriter – This app is particularly useful when composing emails. It provides an alternative typing interface in the iPhone’s landscape view. It also allows you to pinch and zoom text to adjust its size and keeps track of your text when incoming call or text message comes in.
38. Free Wi-Fi Finder – JiWire’s iPhone App Makes It Easy to Find Wi-Fi Wherever You Go. With more than 200,000 locations in 135 countries, JiWire’s Wi-Fi Finder makes it easy to search for free- and pay-access Wi-Fi hotspots wherever you are or plan to be.
FuzeLite – This is a robust app featuring SSL secure instant messaging through Windows Live Messenger, AIM, Yahoo!, Google Talk and Jabber. The app offers a free personal phone conference bridge number, and a free online meeting account.
39. iFirstAid – This app could save lives. It provides all the basic information you need for handling an emergency situation and applying first-aid properly. The app was developed in cooperation with the White Cross Rescue Association, so know the information is reliable.
40. iReference – Both simple and useful, this app offers three reference tools – a thesaurus, dictionary and proverb search. It contains more than 140,000 thesaurus and dictionary words and more than 1,000 proverbs. You can also bookmark results to view them later.
41. iSpreadSheet - There are several spreadsheet apps for the iPhone, but most require a fee. This is your best choice for a free spreadsheet tool. It has loads of features including Google Docs integration, online and offline worksheet management, portrait and wide-screen landscape views, complex formulas and more.
42. New York Times – The NYTimes iPhone application allows you to enjoy the high-quality journalism of The New York Times on your iPhone, wherever you are. Specifically designed to utilize the features and navigation of the iPhone, this application syncs and downloads the latest news directly to the device.
43. Note Me – I don’t know about you, but I find the default iPhone Notes app a little low on features. Note Me is a more powerful app letting you create notes and assign tags for easier searching later. You can even color code those tags for better note organization.
44. Pandora Box – This app will let you to stay up on the other iPhone apps hitting the iTunes Apps Store every day. You can view apps that have discount offers or paid apps that just became free. Use it to create your own list of favorite apps, track apps you need most, and search for apps by name.
45. QuickVoice Recorder with Free Voicemail – One of the most popular voice recorders for the iPhone, this app is very useful for recording ideas, to do lists, lectures, classes and more. It features one-touch recording, one-touch stopping and hours of recording space.
46. Wall Street Journal - This app is the online version of WSJ. It provided an updated news stream from the online version of the paper. This is great as long as you don’t mind the mobile ads.
47. Wikiamo – This is a nice Wikipedia viewer designed for your iPhone. It’s fully customizable even allowing you to view cached articles offline.
48. Y! Music – If you’ve been using Yahoo LaunchCast powered by CBS, you’ll want this iPhone version. The app lets you listen to various radio stations around the country including Yahoo’s 150 stations. Since it’s streaming radio, the sound quality can’t compare to the iPhone’s iPod app.
49. Yahoo Messenger – Fans of Yahoo Messenger rejoiced when this app was released. It brings the same robust interface of the Web-based YM to the iPhone.
50. BeamCatcher – BeamCatcher is the free app that lets your friends and family wirelessly share photos with you.
51. Private Pics – The perfect application for anyone who wants to keep people from accidentally seeing their private pictures.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Benefits of Kundalini Yoga.
Kundalini yoga is a form of physical and meditative yoga that comprises of various techniques using the mind, body and our senses. The Kundalini energy is often represented as a snake coiled at the base of the spine. This yoga gives special consideration to the role of the spine and the endocrine system – both essential parts for yogic awakening. The Kundalini is untapped spiritual energy at the base of the spine that can be drawn up through the body awakening each of the seven chakras of the body. Full enlightenment occurs when this energy reaches the Crown Chakra (topmost). Kundalini is one of the more spiritual types of yoga. It goes beyond the physical performance of asanas with its emphasis on breathing, meditation, mudras and chanting. However, it can be very physically intense and appeals to those who are up for both mental and physical challenges. Here are some of the benefits one can derive from Kundalini yoga. - Kundalini yoga helps in the better functioning of the digestive, glandular, cardiovascular, lymphatic and nervous system. - It has a direct bearing with the glandular system and hence can enhance the ability to look and feel great. - It heightens the senses. So, your ability to taste, smell, feel and see with sensitivity are increased. - It helps eliminate and get rid of habits such as smoking and alcohol addiction. - Kundalini yoga helps to enrich your sense of well-being and confidence that comes from the process of self-discovery of your inner self and reaching a relaxed state of mind and body. - It also helps overcome negative feelings and encourages positive attitude and feelings. - You can experience better sense of self-control and, overcome anger and resentment to find inner calm and mental peace. - It strengthens the immune system too and helps you fight off several diseases and keep them at bay. A positive mind is a great weapon against all of them.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Benefits of Surya Namaskar
The simple Surya Namaskar that has been practiced in India for years has recently found a whole lot of takers. And if you want a good start to your day, what better than the Surya Namaskar, which is known to have a host of health benefits. There are 12 different poses to do in a Surya Namaskar and you’re known to have finished a complete round when you’ve performed two consecutive sets. - You don’t need to be doing yoga regularly in order to practice the Surya Namaskar. If performed correctly, this exercise does not strain or cause injury. If performed in the morning, it relieves stiffness, revitalises your body and refreshes the mind. Do it during the day and it will instantly boost you up, practice it after sundown and it helps you unwind. - Not only does the Surya Namaskar give you a great stretch and keep you fit physically (it is extremely beneficial for your joints, ligaments and improves flexibility and posture), but is also does wonders for your mental and emotional health. - Surya Namaskar stimulates almost every system in your body - the cardiovascular system because it keeps the heart strong and, the digestive system as well as the nervous system. - It also makes endocrinal glands like the thyroid, parathyroid and pituitary glands, function normally. - Practising the Surya Namaskar regularly is also known to ease stress and give you peace of mind besides increasing your levels of concentration. - If you have trouble sleeping at night, the Surya Namaskar will help you fall asleep without using any external stimulants.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Contrubution of Spirituality in improving quality of life.
" Bahujana hitaya , Bahujana sukhaya " that every thing should be done for the good of many people; one's llfe should be sacrificed for the happiness of many people. Normal people want to succeed in life but the idea of success changes; success in the physical field, monetary field, intellectual field, aesthetic field and then success in the spiritual field. So success has got an unlimited area. Thats give a sort of a special value; the quality of life increases. Veda and Upanishads teaches that realizing the spiritual nature is the ultimate goal of life. Spirituality gives a sort of direction to life, a sort of value to life, a type of meaningfullness to all our activities. It brings as a result a type of stability in life. Egocentricity, self consideration is the main criterion for the goodness or the badness of a thing. The moment when we bring God into our life, our center of attention shifts from the ego to something higher, something deeper, something more permanent. This is the special service that spirituality gives in life, even in the quality of one's life doesn't change soon. Society salutes a man who sacrifices himself for the sake of the society. Spirituality represents unselfishness, truthfulness, consideration for the other man and a higher goal in life. As a result, as byproducts many of the virtues will be there in society. And through that our quality of life, our standard of life will be better, and our life also will go gradually, stage by stage, towards the higher realization - the realization of God, which is the ultimate goal of life. Without that life has really not much meaning. There is meaning for some years of life but there is no real meaning unless God comes to our lives. This is the major contribution of spirituality to the improvement of quality of life which is the goal of all of us.
Monday, April 26, 2010
What should be our duty for the society?
Religion have popularized the idea that life has a higher goal. By limitation of ego the acheivement of a higher goal is possible. For society the egocentricity of man is necessary. Ego is a source of energy, source of effort and striving. But it is also a source of conflict. You are a happy man when you have a successful ego. But for one ego to succeed ten egos have been bypassed. What about those ten egos? Most of the people have hard feelings if they do not succeed. But it is the nature of things that all people can not be equally successful in the same measure. So there will have to be some compensation. The compensation is that you raise your standard or drive it to some other direction. So life acquires a value if there is a mission in life.
Vedic literature teaches us to think each one of us that " I am not an ordinary person; I am somebody great or I am striving for something great. I will sacrifice for the sake of the country, I will sacrifice for God and I will undergo suffering. If suffering is a part of life and if society needs that suffering; I shall willingly endure it. The moment we have endured it, it will no more a suffering for us. We should think that it is our duty. Life acquires a special meaning when we bring a spiritual ideal, which encourages cultivation of higher virtues. Religion teaches us to work in three fields. First one is for the betterment of individual or satisfaction of Individual. A higher goal of life come only after the satisfaction of individual. Second aspect is social which is beneficial for the society. But the ultimate goal of life lies in realizing one's spiritual nature, realizing God which brings us permanent joy. A spirutual person also lives the normal life as the most selfish person. But a spiritual person brings in the spirutual idea: I do this for the sake of the good of the society, the good of the world or for pleasing the Lord.I shall share the goods of life for the greater good of the society.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Hey where are you (Hey WAY)
Hey Where Are You (HeyWAY)
is a new location service that lets you keep track of where friends, family and colleagues are. Send alerts with your current location to your followers, or send "Hey, Where Are You?" alerts requesting their location. Because HeyWAY uses Apple's brand new Push Notification Service, your alerts are delivered even when the application is not running.
HeyWAY is perfect for keeping in touch with:
- Your spouse or partner: is he still at work? Nearly home? At the pub? Get back his actual location.
- Teenage children: rest easier by having them check in with their actual location when they're out late. Easier and more reliable than assurances sent over SMS, and much less intrusive than voice calls.
- Field employees or colleagues: get a quick fix on delivery drivers, sales associates or other field employees or colleagues who are constantly on the move.
HeyWAY is written specifically and exclusively for Apple's new iPhone System Software version 3.0, and uses a rich set of new 3.0 functionality, including Push Notifications, embedded map views, in-application email composition (for authorizing others), and peer-to-peer communication over Bluetooth (for authorizing others when they are nearby). Please note, Bluetooth pairing is only available on iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS and 2nd generation iPod Touch devices.
HeyWAY is available now for iPhone and iPod Touch devices running system software version 3.0 or later. Write to info at niftybrick dot com with questions; customers, please write to support at niftybrick dot com.
Sacrifice
In the development of civilization three important principles works such as :- competition in the animal level, co-operation in the human level, consecration at the spiritual level. Now competition is a way of life, competition gives energy but it also brings sufferings if not for all but for the majority .If other people suffer there is a today or tomorrow we will suffer. So on the human level co-operation must come. Gradually the idea of co-operation came from the agricultural society. If someone alone cultivate there is less efficiency. If more people join together it is better for all. So co-operation comes at the human level. Normal human behavior is based on mutuality. If you love me I love you and if you don't love me, I don't care for you. That is the normal idea on the human level. In this society everyone are not same in nature. Some people for some reason or other do not behave well. So to balance these people another group of people have to sacrifice. If they willingly do it better if not they will be made to do it by force. In a family as long as the parents are there all the children including the grown up live together. In joint families as long as the father is alive, the family is together because all the money is with him. But when the father goes the mother remains and the family stays together because of her love. She tries to solve all the difficulties and keep the family together. So some sacrificing element must be there in life to balance the people who are selfish. In spite of all training all preaching some people will remain selfish. To balance some body else will have to give up. If love comes that giving up becomes easier. Love sweetens the sacrifice. It is not all sacrifice, all suffering. If somebody unwillingly gives, of course all sacrifices becomes pain. But if he willingly gives it is no more pain. Self sacrifice is a higher ideal which is necessary for the society.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Spirituality and competition.
Failures are as much as necessary in life as successes. There could not be any successes without failures. Success and failures are always judged by comparison. When failures come, frustration comes. In day to day life or in social life a hundred percent success is impossible. It is not in the nature of things. Limitations are there. If I want to enjoy a little more somebody else stops me. That is competition,limitation. So the competition that is the basis of normal life has to be shifted to some higher goal. A traffic signal glows and everybody has to stop this for safety but a limitation to our freedom. Human nature is such that it defies too much limitations. Due to the rapid development of science and technology, in the mental science men will specialize because the physical aspect is limited. So there is a search for freedom and once we raises our ideal of life from the merely physical to something intellectual we have a wider vista. And from this intellectual if we raise it to the spiritual a still wider field is there where there is no competition. Competition brings frustration because there are still higher goals.
A non competitive goal is posited by the spiritual urge, spiritual aspiration, a spiritual goal of life. There is no competition in goodness. There is competition in acquiring wealth. If some have more health then someone has to have little less. With any physical acquisition there is competition and there is limitation. Only in the spiritual realm there is no competition. Anybody can advance as much as possible that will not limit the others progress. Spirituality brings a goal in life that we should be a better human being. We should have a higher goal of life.
A non competitive goal is posited by the spiritual urge, spiritual aspiration, a spiritual goal of life. There is no competition in goodness. There is competition in acquiring wealth. If some have more health then someone has to have little less. With any physical acquisition there is competition and there is limitation. Only in the spiritual realm there is no competition. Anybody can advance as much as possible that will not limit the others progress. Spirituality brings a goal in life that we should be a better human being. We should have a higher goal of life.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Importance of spirituality in our life.
We all lives a life. But our aspiration is to live the life with some standard of quality. Some people argue that we can manage without religion, which is true. We can manage without education also.For thousand of years we have managed without education but after this discovery of education can we manage without education? Thus the quality of life increases when we add another dimension to our life. This another dimension is spirituality.
According to Vedic literature there are four goals in life for all people. The natural desire of all is to enjoy. The first desire is just to live.Then to live a little better, here the idea of enjoyment comes. But enjoyment requires money. So the second goal of life is to have wealth. The social fabric gets disturbed when people are given too much to enjoyment. So a third consideration was added called "DHARMA", the consideration for other man. But there is a fourth goal of life. The average man's life may be finished with these three, but unless life acquires a deeper meaning, a deeper significance, something to hope for life really does not have much of the glorious aspect of living. This is called the idea of "MOKSHA"---the liberation,salvation,realization of God, realization of one's spiritual nature.
Spirituality brings added value to life by positing an enduring goal of life. Chandogya Upanishad says man can not be satisfied with some thing limited,some thing circumscribed. Most of the enjoyments and goals of our life are centered around things or people. So unless and until we have touched the infinite power we can not be permanently satisfied.
According to Vedic literature there are four goals in life for all people. The natural desire of all is to enjoy. The first desire is just to live.Then to live a little better, here the idea of enjoyment comes. But enjoyment requires money. So the second goal of life is to have wealth. The social fabric gets disturbed when people are given too much to enjoyment. So a third consideration was added called "DHARMA", the consideration for other man. But there is a fourth goal of life. The average man's life may be finished with these three, but unless life acquires a deeper meaning, a deeper significance, something to hope for life really does not have much of the glorious aspect of living. This is called the idea of "MOKSHA"---the liberation,salvation,realization of God, realization of one's spiritual nature.
Spirituality brings added value to life by positing an enduring goal of life. Chandogya Upanishad says man can not be satisfied with some thing limited,some thing circumscribed. Most of the enjoyments and goals of our life are centered around things or people. So unless and until we have touched the infinite power we can not be permanently satisfied.
Friday, April 16, 2010
What should be our goal in life?
The great contribution of Vedanta is that it teaches us that life has an ultimate goal,and each one of us is destined to realize that goal. In terms of an ideal the man of spirit can only live. Vedanta is not just a philosophy, it is also a religion. We have to realize its teachings. To realize God is the one goal of life. We must light a match instead of cursing the darkness. We must find the way which leads to God and should make a bridge of humanity for this way. we should understand that this is the life goal of each one of us and destiny of mankind --this is the end towards we all consciously or unconsciously are moving. This goal is the same for all men and women to realize the oneness of all things ..to realize God within us and to see God in everything. The path leading to this goal are many. Rig Veda tells us that " Truth is one, sages call it by various names". We must admit that religion is one though there are hundred separate versions. At this time one of the greatest problem is that we are uncertain about the ultimate goal. Each one of us should have a short term goal which will unite humanity.To build a system of values the chief value of a life goal is that it gives the foundation for it. We need to have some understanding of the ultimate goal before we can appreciate the eternal values of life.
Due to non cohesive and transcendent goal of unity the degeneration of society continues. The major blockade for a unifying vision is selfishness and lack of concern among us. Unselfishness and the willingness to make personal sacrifices in the service of others are natural consequences of the Vedantic vision of unity. The present crisis is essentially a spiritual crisis and most of us are searching for spiritual light. We require the light of truth which will guide our steps and show the way out of the forest of inner darkness. Veda's gift to the world has always been spiritual light. This light is manifest in vedic literature. Thus the confusion of life goal and the lack of purpose that gives rise to conflict, selfishness, and a sense of despair in the life of modern man can be dispelled by the gradual promulgation of vedic princeples and the supreme destiny of man, the realization of God, will become visible to all.
Due to non cohesive and transcendent goal of unity the degeneration of society continues. The major blockade for a unifying vision is selfishness and lack of concern among us. Unselfishness and the willingness to make personal sacrifices in the service of others are natural consequences of the Vedantic vision of unity. The present crisis is essentially a spiritual crisis and most of us are searching for spiritual light. We require the light of truth which will guide our steps and show the way out of the forest of inner darkness. Veda's gift to the world has always been spiritual light. This light is manifest in vedic literature. Thus the confusion of life goal and the lack of purpose that gives rise to conflict, selfishness, and a sense of despair in the life of modern man can be dispelled by the gradual promulgation of vedic princeples and the supreme destiny of man, the realization of God, will become visible to all.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
What is the essence of Vedanta?
The word Vedanta denotes the Upanishads, the ancient scriptures of India and the teaching of Vedanta describes philosophy and religion. The philosophy is presented in the form of universal principles of spiritual life. Vedanta provides the key to understanding the inner significance of Indian culture and literature. The recognition of the divinity in man is the essence of Vedanta. Vedanta teaches us there is one reality and each soul is identical with that reality. All the infinite powers of the world are with in the human soul. According to the Mundaka Upanishad:-- "Brahman is supreme, He is self luminous, he is beyond all thought. Subtler than the subtlest is he, farther than the farthest, nearer than the nearest. He resides in the lotus of the heart of every being.
Vedanta tell love your fellow beings as yourself. But we do not know why it would be good to love other beings as ourselves. It is possible when we will be able to understand that the whole world is one---the oneness of the universe is the solidarity of life----that in hurting anyone I am hurting myself, in loving anyone I am loving myself. Vedanta tells us to build in all people a faith in themselves. We have to struggle to manifest the perfection and divinity with in through the practice of yoga. This is the key to inner transformation and to change the world around us. We have to rediscover our own divine nature and help others to do the same. The Veda teaches us " Basudeva Kutumbakam " which means the total world is a family. Here we strive to enclose little spaces and exclude outsiders. So our aim should be to wipe out these little enclosures, to widen the boundaries until they are lost sight of.
Vedanta tell love your fellow beings as yourself. But we do not know why it would be good to love other beings as ourselves. It is possible when we will be able to understand that the whole world is one---the oneness of the universe is the solidarity of life----that in hurting anyone I am hurting myself, in loving anyone I am loving myself. Vedanta tells us to build in all people a faith in themselves. We have to struggle to manifest the perfection and divinity with in through the practice of yoga. This is the key to inner transformation and to change the world around us. We have to rediscover our own divine nature and help others to do the same. The Veda teaches us " Basudeva Kutumbakam " which means the total world is a family. Here we strive to enclose little spaces and exclude outsiders. So our aim should be to wipe out these little enclosures, to widen the boundaries until they are lost sight of.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Importance of Ethics and Religion.
Religion is the most important of all the forces that have worked and still working to change the destinies of human race. Religion has always taken a prominent role in the history of man. System of morality and ethics emerge with the rise of civilization. Three most important ideas have been working in the world: competition, co-operation, consecration. Among sub-humans and primitive men competition is predominant while in human level co-operation is common. The selfishness of some has to be balanced by the unselfishness of others. So therefore an important law of life is consecration. To achieve consecration a spiritual view of life is necessary. It is impossible to create a peaceful society with totally egotistic members. Thinking sacrifice is painful so average person is afraid of it. But Veda shows us a number of examples of monks and beggars those who have sacrificed their entire life for the benefit of mankind.
Conviction, Zeal and love are necessary to perform an unpleasant work with proper attitude. Without passion and enthusiasm nothing great in the world accomplished. A philosophy of oneness is essential to develop ethical consideration. Without faith in God and the immortality of soul building up of proper conduct is difficult. The foundation of strength of every race lies in its spirituality. When materialism gains ground and spirituality wanes the declining trend of that race begins.With the rapid development of science and technology our traditional values are declining . Materialism has indeed gained ground in our present day. So science and technology can not give us the guidance but it can be found in the traditional wisdom of mankind such as Veda and Upanishad.
Conviction, Zeal and love are necessary to perform an unpleasant work with proper attitude. Without passion and enthusiasm nothing great in the world accomplished. A philosophy of oneness is essential to develop ethical consideration. Without faith in God and the immortality of soul building up of proper conduct is difficult. The foundation of strength of every race lies in its spirituality. When materialism gains ground and spirituality wanes the declining trend of that race begins.With the rapid development of science and technology our traditional values are declining . Materialism has indeed gained ground in our present day. So science and technology can not give us the guidance but it can be found in the traditional wisdom of mankind such as Veda and Upanishad.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Can Veda able to change today's destiny?
Man's destiny whether individual or collective depends on his conduct. For making a good conduct tradition and culture plays a vital role. History needs centuries and centuries of history makes tradition. Today's world is changing rapidly. Majority are in a way of material progress. We are moving towards a new age. Externally we are rich in material possessions and technological advancements. But internally the darkness is dense on our own heart. We all feel a spiritual emptiness and inner poverty.
Veda and Upanishads have a great part to play in bringing the whole mankind true education and find out a remedy for the present crisis. Today we are faced with many problems globally such as; nuclear arm race, poverty, crime, drug abuse, complicated health issues, global warming, pollution etc. These problems threatens quality and the future of life on Earth. We must admit that some scientific achievements spell grave danger for the whole of mankind. Today the world stands on a great height of destruction and at any moment could fall from a great height to a great depth.
World leader's trying to solve these problems through adjustments of the external environment. For quality of life they are trying to manipulate the social and political environment. More laws and treaties are introduced for new social programs. But all these are ineffective for controlling the rising tide of problems. Veda and Upanishads have the solutions to eradicate all these problems effectively. Veda shows us the root causes. Upanishad teaches us that all these man's present problems arise not directly from external conditions, but from his inner weakness. So in our inner nature all these social, political and economic problems grounded. The external world is a reflection of mind, heart, and character of man and due to turmoil inside we see conflict and confusion outside. The real crisis of today constitutes of the inner turmoil of man, his moral and spiritual emptiness, his weakening of character, his loss of values.
We are trying to change the society instead of changing our own nature. We are advocating for banning nuclear weapons, eliminating racism, safe environment, eliminating world hunger, poverty, assuring basic rights for all. But without inner transformation of man all these things never be accomplished. To cure all the evils lf life we must clean our inside and require to change our soul. Teach yourself and everyone to his real nature; call upon the sleeping soul and see how it awakes. Power, glory, goodness, purity and everything excellent will come when this sleeping soul is roused to self conscious activity.
Veda and Upanishads have a great part to play in bringing the whole mankind true education and find out a remedy for the present crisis. Today we are faced with many problems globally such as; nuclear arm race, poverty, crime, drug abuse, complicated health issues, global warming, pollution etc. These problems threatens quality and the future of life on Earth. We must admit that some scientific achievements spell grave danger for the whole of mankind. Today the world stands on a great height of destruction and at any moment could fall from a great height to a great depth.
World leader's trying to solve these problems through adjustments of the external environment. For quality of life they are trying to manipulate the social and political environment. More laws and treaties are introduced for new social programs. But all these are ineffective for controlling the rising tide of problems. Veda and Upanishads have the solutions to eradicate all these problems effectively. Veda shows us the root causes. Upanishad teaches us that all these man's present problems arise not directly from external conditions, but from his inner weakness. So in our inner nature all these social, political and economic problems grounded. The external world is a reflection of mind, heart, and character of man and due to turmoil inside we see conflict and confusion outside. The real crisis of today constitutes of the inner turmoil of man, his moral and spiritual emptiness, his weakening of character, his loss of values.
We are trying to change the society instead of changing our own nature. We are advocating for banning nuclear weapons, eliminating racism, safe environment, eliminating world hunger, poverty, assuring basic rights for all. But without inner transformation of man all these things never be accomplished. To cure all the evils lf life we must clean our inside and require to change our soul. Teach yourself and everyone to his real nature; call upon the sleeping soul and see how it awakes. Power, glory, goodness, purity and everything excellent will come when this sleeping soul is roused to self conscious activity.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
What Veda says about Strength?
The Upanishads are the great mine of strength.There in lies strength enough to invigorate the whole world; the whole world can be vivified,made strong,energized through them.They will call with trumpet voice upon the weak,the miserable and the downtrodden of all races,all creeds and all sects to stand on their feet and be free. Freedom_physical freedom,mental freedom and spiritual freedom are the watchwords of the Upanishads.
What makes a man stand up and work? strength. Strength is goodness, weakness is sin. If there is one word that you find coming out like a bomb from the Upanishads; bursting like a bombshell upon the masses of ignorance, it is the word fearlessness. And the only religion that ought to be taught is the religion of fearlessness. Either in this world or in the world of religion,it is true that fear is the sure cause of degradation and sin. It is fear that brings misery, fear that breeds evil and what causes fear? Ignorance of our own nature.
Man are taught from childhood that they are weak and sinners. Veda tells that they are all glorious children of immortality,even those who are the weakest in manifestation.Let positive, strong, helpful thoughts enter their brains from very childhood. Let yourselves open to these thoughts and not to weakening and paralyzing ones. Say to your own minds " I am He, I am He"Let it ring day and night in all minds like a song and at the point of death declare "I am He" that is the truth, the infinite strength of the world is Yours.
Take of the evil of hypnotism which you have cast upon the world, send not out thoughts and words of weakness into humanity. Know that all sins and all evils can be summed up in that one word weakness. It is weakness that is the motive power in all evildoing; it is weakness that makes men injure others, it is weakness that is the source of all selfishness, it is weakness that makes them manifest what they are not in reality.
What makes a man stand up and work? strength. Strength is goodness, weakness is sin. If there is one word that you find coming out like a bomb from the Upanishads; bursting like a bombshell upon the masses of ignorance, it is the word fearlessness. And the only religion that ought to be taught is the religion of fearlessness. Either in this world or in the world of religion,it is true that fear is the sure cause of degradation and sin. It is fear that brings misery, fear that breeds evil and what causes fear? Ignorance of our own nature.
Man are taught from childhood that they are weak and sinners. Veda tells that they are all glorious children of immortality,even those who are the weakest in manifestation.Let positive, strong, helpful thoughts enter their brains from very childhood. Let yourselves open to these thoughts and not to weakening and paralyzing ones. Say to your own minds " I am He, I am He"Let it ring day and night in all minds like a song and at the point of death declare "I am He" that is the truth, the infinite strength of the world is Yours.
Take of the evil of hypnotism which you have cast upon the world, send not out thoughts and words of weakness into humanity. Know that all sins and all evils can be summed up in that one word weakness. It is weakness that is the motive power in all evildoing; it is weakness that makes men injure others, it is weakness that is the source of all selfishness, it is weakness that makes them manifest what they are not in reality.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
The divinity of Man and Oneness in Existence
Svetasvatara Upanishad says:
"tvam stri tvam puman asi tvam kumara uta va kumari
tvam jirno dandena vancasi tvam jato bhavasi visvato mukhah"
You are the woman, you are the man, you are the boy and you are the girl. You are the old man tottering on his stick. You have taken birth facing every direction. Dvaitins, Visistadvaitins or Advaitins recognize the basic divinity of the soul in theistic terms or absolute terms.
" samam sarvesu bhutesu tisthntam paramesvaram
vinasyatsy avinasyantam yah pasyati sa pasyati
samam pasyan hi sarvatra samavasthitam isvaram
na hinasty atmanatmanam tato yati param gatim"
He truely sees who sees the Supreme Lord dwelling equally in all beings, deathless is dying. For seeing the Lord equally existent everywhere, he injures not Self by Self, and so goes to the highest goal. Advaita Vedanta teaches the Supreme Brahman and the innermost self are one and the same, it follows that there can not be a plurality of selves, it is one and the same self or Atman, which dwells in all beings, and that self is none other than the Supreme Lord. Thus the doctrine of the oneness of existence gives the logical corrollary of the divinity of the soul.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Rig Veda
Of all the four Vedic Samhitas the Rig Veda Samhita is the oldest and has a pre-eminent place in the Vedic literature. The topic dealt with in the Rig Veda Samhita fall roughly into three groups. The first group deals with the deities like Agni, Indra, Varuna and others. The second group is concerned with philosophical speculations like the origin of universe and the real nature of human beings. The third group deals with several secular subjects like marriage, wars of kings, ecology of generosity and so on.
The mantra in which the well known statement " EKAM SAT VIPRAAH VAHUDHAA VADANTI" Truth is one sages call it by various names sums up the spirit of the entire Rig-Veda. The concept of "VASUDEVA KUTUMBAKAM" or Universal oneness was propounded by Rig Veda. In the Rig Vedic period Varna ( caste- system ) had already taken roots. Monogamy, Polygamy and Swayamvara system ( that of a bride choosing her husband ) all existed side by side. Agriculture and animal husbandry were the chief means of livelihood. Civilization was well developed and fine arts was encouraged. Priests and kings were powerful. Satya ( truth ) and Dharma ( Righteousness ) were extolled. Social life was permeated by spiritual consciousness.
The mantra in which the well known statement " EKAM SAT VIPRAAH VAHUDHAA VADANTI" Truth is one sages call it by various names sums up the spirit of the entire Rig-Veda. The concept of "VASUDEVA KUTUMBAKAM" or Universal oneness was propounded by Rig Veda. In the Rig Vedic period Varna ( caste- system ) had already taken roots. Monogamy, Polygamy and Swayamvara system ( that of a bride choosing her husband ) all existed side by side. Agriculture and animal husbandry were the chief means of livelihood. Civilization was well developed and fine arts was encouraged. Priests and kings were powerful. Satya ( truth ) and Dharma ( Righteousness ) were extolled. Social life was permeated by spiritual consciousness.
Sama Veda
The Sama Veda ( knowledge of chanted hymns ) in a way stands between the poetic vedas and the ritualistic vedas. Sama stands for love of God and consists of hymns of devotion. The verses are traditionally chanted on different ceremonial occasions. In content and form it is a poetry of the highest order. While in arrangement and purpose it is ritualistic. Mostly the selections are made from the Rig Veda and grouped together and arranged for rutualistic purposes. The Sama Veda contains 1875 verses of which only 75 are not found in Rig Veda. The rest are virtually the repetitions of the Rig Vedic verses. The Sama Veda is said to have had one thousand recentions but only three of them are now preserved and they are ranayaniyasakha, kantumasakha and jaiminiyasakha.
Atharva Veda
Atharva Veda is also known as Brahmaveda. The contents of this Veda ranges from diseases and their cure, building construction, trade and commerce, statecraft, penances and propitiatory rights. High philosophical ideas much nearer to those of the Upanishads are also found. The Athrvaveda has 6077 mantras spread over 20 kandas. The Veda designates God as the absolute not only as Brahman but also by some intersting names like Skambha, Ucchista and Vraatya. The whole universe has emerged out of him due to his will and is established in him. He is the lord of the whole creation.
This work gives us an intersting picture of the society of its time. The land in which the people lived extended from Gandhara ( Afghanisthan ) to Magadha ( Bihar ) and Vanga ( Bengal ). The Varna ( caste ) system had been well established. Trade and commerce were prosporous though agriculture was the mainstay of the people. The cow was highly venerated and godaana ( gift of a cow ) was considered meritorious. The three well known Upanishads the Prasna the Mandaka and the Maandukya belongs to this Veda.
This work gives us an intersting picture of the society of its time. The land in which the people lived extended from Gandhara ( Afghanisthan ) to Magadha ( Bihar ) and Vanga ( Bengal ). The Varna ( caste ) system had been well established. Trade and commerce were prosporous though agriculture was the mainstay of the people. The cow was highly venerated and godaana ( gift of a cow ) was considered meritorious. The three well known Upanishads the Prasna the Mandaka and the Maandukya belongs to this Veda.
Yajur Veda
It is a collection of Yajus the mantras in prose which are specially useful to the adhvarya priests during sacrifices. The Yajurveda samhitaa is in two major forms the krishna and the shukla meaning the black and the white. Though the krishna yajurveda samhitaa is said to have had 85 saakhaas or recensions, only four are available now. 1. Taittiriya 2. Maitraayaniya 3.Katha 4. Kapishala.
Associated with the Taittiriya samhitaa are the Taittiriya bhahmana, Taittiriya aranyaka and the Taittiriya Upanishad. The well known Kathopanishad also belongs to the krishna yajurveda, but to the katha recension. The shukla yojurveda samhitaa, also known as the Vaajasaneyi samhitaa is said to have been collected and edited by famous sage Yajnavalkya.
Associated with the Taittiriya samhitaa are the Taittiriya bhahmana, Taittiriya aranyaka and the Taittiriya Upanishad. The well known Kathopanishad also belongs to the krishna yajurveda, but to the katha recension. The shukla yojurveda samhitaa, also known as the Vaajasaneyi samhitaa is said to have been collected and edited by famous sage Yajnavalkya.
Veda
The word Veda literally means knowledge, the knowledge par excellance or supreme knowledge. The Hindus consider the Vedas as the original and prime source of their cultural life. The thinking and feelings of Hindus are regulated by the Vedas. It is almost impossible to perceive and fully understand the ethos of spiritual and cultural lives of Indians without having an insight into Vedas. Most of the Indian scholars consider the Harappa-Mahenjodaro culture (4000 BC) to be a later phase of the Vedic culture. This places the date of the Rig Veda the earliest of the Vedas around 10,000BC. For centuries the Vedas have been handed down to the posterity by oral tradition. Hence the name sruti what is heard.
The great sage Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasa or Veda Vyasa is said to have effected whis division by collecting all the mantras exant during his time and editing them into four groups : Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva. He taught them to his four disciples: Raila ( Rig Veda ) Vaisampayana ( yajur veda ) Jaimani ( sama veda ) and Sumantu ( Atharava veda ). This is how the four Vedas took place.
The great sage Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasa or Veda Vyasa is said to have effected whis division by collecting all the mantras exant during his time and editing them into four groups : Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva. He taught them to his four disciples: Raila ( Rig Veda ) Vaisampayana ( yajur veda ) Jaimani ( sama veda ) and Sumantu ( Atharava veda ). This is how the four Vedas took place.
Woman in Vedic society.
In Manu samhitaa Manu says " where woman are respected there the Gods delight; and where they are not, there all the works and efforts come to naught". There is no hope of rise for that family or country where there is no estimation of woman, where they live in sadness.
Vedic or Upanishedic age Maitreyi, Gargi and other ladies of revered memory have taken the place of Rishis through their skill in discussing about Brahman...Since such ideal woman were entitled to spiritual knowledge. Without Shakti ( power ) there is no regeneration for the world. Mother had been born to revive that wonderful Shakti and making her the nucleus, once more will Gargis and Maitreyis be born into the world.
Vedic or Upanishedic age Maitreyi, Gargi and other ladies of revered memory have taken the place of Rishis through their skill in discussing about Brahman...Since such ideal woman were entitled to spiritual knowledge. Without Shakti ( power ) there is no regeneration for the world. Mother had been born to revive that wonderful Shakti and making her the nucleus, once more will Gargis and Maitreyis be born into the world.
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