Please read and think about it:
…Although we often behave as if we’re the only ones who live here, we depend on other organisms in all manner of ways.
Some of these are obvious. We hunt fish to eat them; we grow cows for meat, milk and leather. We cultivate silkworms to make clothes. We grow a large number of plants for diverse purposes – to eat, or to use as drugs, timber or paper. But much of our dependence is less obvious. Worms, fungi, insects and microbes consume dead bodies and fallen branches. Some organisms consume dung; others move seeds. Many organisms make soil richer and more fertile. Plants around streams and rivers filter the water and make it cleaner. Plants also take carbon dioxide from the air, and thus affect the composition of the atmosphere; their roots help prevent soils from washing away. Some bacteria may play a role in making clouds; the list goes on.
By and large, we do not pay for any of this: our economics does not, for the most part, include paying for nature. But we pay when it is lost. Less fertile soils make it harder to grow crops. Dirtier water is more expensive to make fit for human consumption. The collapse of fisheries leads to unemployment. The loss of mangroves increases the impact of tsunamis. The loss of animal species increases the risk that humans will catch diseases such as Lyme disease. Again, the list goes on… For we must start cherishing our fellow life forms, and treating them well: we need them, in more ways than we probably imagine. Their loss makes the planet – and ourselves – poorer. So please be up-standing, raise your glasses and join me in a toast to: “Other Life Forms!” And let’s make sure that in the years ahead, we don’t need to change it to “Absent Friends’’
An excerpt from:
A wild celebration
By Olivia Judson

On the 2nd Oct 2009 I was invited to the Harmony Hall, Nehru Centre by Dr Anand and his charming wife Asha to be a part of the release of 'Himmat' a book on series of selected articles which were published between 1964 and 1981 during which period the Emergency was imposed...
Dignitaries who attended: Ms Kalpana Sharma (Indian Express) Mr Azim Lala (Author of Biography of JRD Tata and 'Thread of God in my Life', Mr Ketkar (Loksatta)

Point which stuck to my mind: Gandhi's, the Harijan had hardly any circulation perse...There was no tv radio as such during those days, but it is ideas in these small tabloids which go on to become history...

I was happy to meet Ms Bhanu Athaiya, the Award Winner for Costume designing of 'Gandhi'

Last night I saw:

Sammy! The word that broke an empire The following material is from the Internet, but I have read that during a man's lifetime various corridors open up full of opportunities...Most of the time we do not enter into those corridors and so we miss out on fulfilling our life's plan!
Gandhiji listened to his 'inner voice' and took the plunge...and the rest as one says is history!


Sammy was a play in two acts by
Partap Sharma

Directed by
Lillete Dubey

Primetime Theatre Company, Mumbai

From man to Mahatma
Sammy! is the incredible story of Mahatma Gandhi, told by an ensemble of actors in a modern and exciting manner. Led by a lively debate between Mohandas, the man, and the irrepressible Mahatma in him, the play highlights Gandhi's relationships and how he changed everyone he touched.
It traces the transformation of the young Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi from a naive, tongue-tied lawyer into a shrewd politician and finally a Mahatma and recounts his story from his earliest days in South Africa to his final assassination.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was an extraordinary man about whom Einstein once said Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one once walked upon the earth! The play aims to bring alive a man whose influence changed politics forever (and set in motion the journey of others like Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King). With its dynamic style of presentation it hopes to straddle a large cross section of audiences, especially younger ones, who know him only from dusty textbooks!
The play is important not just as a powerful piece of theatre, but is specially relevant because of the times we live in, where the Mahatma's creed of non materialism and non violence is sorely needed in an age of terrorism and consumerism.
The title of the play is easily explained and becomes clear in the early part of the action. The word Sammy, along with the word coolie, was used as a derogatory term by the whites in South Africa to insult Indians and other coloured people. It originates from the word swami, which actually means master or guru. When he first hears an angry mob in Durban shouting the word as an insult to describe him, the young Mohan smiles and ventures the hope that he may, some day, be able to live up to it.
Sammy! is the result of several years of research on Mahatma Gandhi by Partap Sharma.

She danced like a fairy and she is physically challenged

I had a most interesting 'Friday, the 4th of December':
In the morning I was invited to SEC celebrating 50 years...What is SEC? It is the Society for the Education for the Crippled...Are they really crippled? You should have seen them dance and praise the Nation and Thank the Lord...Makes one feel embarassed to complain when you see the less priviledged so joyful! I believe that some of them were trained by Shiamak Daver, God bless his soul!
Actually I was invited by my cousin sister Manju who is also challenged, but what a useful life she has led...I love her and I am sure those who know her are inspired by her life!

In the afternoon I attended a session of Celebrating Life where we were taught a Dance Movement Therapy by Dilshaad Patel...We were asked to think and Dance 'Water' I imagined the Ganga flowing from the tresses of Lord Shiva...and then felt beautiful Ganga tripping on pebbles and bypassing boulders, just like you do in Life...

In the evening was invited to the Prince of Wales Museum(Is it also called Chhatrapati Shivaji?) by Vimla Patil ...I listened enthralled to Mr McGill who showed us slides of paintings/photographs/artifacts that proved that the Ramayana was an intrinsic part of the life and culture of the people of Rangoon...and Vimla Patil adds that:

Indian religion and culture
influenced all Asian countries for centuries and
Ramayana was a major vehicle. Thoug many of the
countries are now Islamic states (Indonesia, Malaysia)
these countries under the Asean Group meet every so
often and the entertainment on this occasion is the
performance of Ramakien or Ramayan irrespective of the
religion
of the participants. It is therefore sad that the
people of India, irrespective of our religious
background, cannot venerate this epic which is the
heritage of all Indians.

'The lecture-slide show was
presented by Mr. Forrest McGill, curator of the Museum
of Asian Art, San Francisco, USA. It was on the theme
of how Hinduism, Buddhism and other Indic religions had
influenced the Siam and Burmese culture with motifs and
sculptural styles repeating themselves in the
construction of temples, in creating art objects and in
the art of music and drama. The Ramayana is one of the
major influences on many Asian countries which have
their own versions of this epic. For instance Thailand
(Siam) has Ramakien which is also done as a dance
drama'

You must get to know Dattatreya. He made 24 Gurus... His Jayanti (Birthday was celebrated on the 1st of December
Do click:
http://www.dalsabzi.com/Books/In_touch_with_masters/prologue_and_blessings.htm

Giving Thanks

Gratitude connects us to others and feeling gratitude allows us to be our
best selves--in good times and in hard times. When we are truly grateful, we
can count on living the life we want. Excerpted from Giving Thanks

Do you know that happiness, the sheer joy in being alive, is within your
reach? All you need is an attitude of gratitude. Gratitude creates happiness
because it makes us feel full, complete; it's the recognition that we have
all we need, at least in this moment.
Recent scientific research has begun to indicate that positive emotions,
such as gratitude and love, strengthen and
enhance the immune system, enabling the body to resist disease and recover
more quickly from illness, through the release of endorphins into the
bloodstream. Endorphins are the body's natural painkillers.

Among other effects, they stimulate dilation of the blood vessels, which leads to a
relaxed heart.What this means is that the more we experience a sense of
gratitude, we literally bathe ourselves in good hormones and feel happier
and more content with our lives. Like most great spiritual truths, gratitude
is stunningly simple. This is not to say it's necessarily easy to practice.

All kinds of distractions, and negative attitudes from our
upbringings may get in the way. But all you really have to do to receive
gratitude's gifts is make a commitment to be thankful on a daily basis, and
the world will be suddenly transformed into a beautiful wonderland in which
you are invited to play.

I am grateful for my health, my husband, my children, my amazing friends! Hugs!

I got the above from an email fwd...but I would like to add that whenever we do Reiki we have to have an attitude of gratitude and so I may safely add that if one would like to manifest miracles in ones life it is important to cultivate the habit of being thankful
Shakun

Click on the picture and you will be able to read in short what it means to live in a state of surrender...
My way of putting it is 'Do your best and leave the rest'
Then 'flow'
If you do not like a chipped tile in your room, you have 3 choices:
Replace it
Ignore it or
accept it...but joyfully
After you have taken responsibility for your life and decisions...Go your way rejoicing...