Janamashtami (Lord Krishna's Birthday falls on the 1st of September. I remember when I first met my Guru Ma Indira Devi, she said "To most people, Krishna is made of stone, to me, everyone is made of stone, only He is real!". She believed that the Lord is more or less a theory, for most people, but for her, He was an intimate reality. Her love and faith for the Lord was contagious. She passed a small measure of it to me. I hope I am able to pass some on to you, through these words.
Click:
http://www.dalsabzi.com/Language_Festivals/janmashtami.htm

Dharma in Hindu parlance is not really religion nor duty. It is to do what is for the greater 'right' no matter...hence if you have been forgiving and meek all your life, it may be time to fight for what is rightfully yours. A sanyasi may give up but a soldier needs to fight, the Geeta says...but not to concentrate on fruits.....Besides there are times assigned. When you child is small it is your dharma as a mother to nurture, and when your chid reaches adulthood, it is time to let him go...

Mantra for Victory over mind


VI/25 Ch 6 Verse 25

Shanais shanai ruparamet budhyaa dhiriti griheetaya
Aatma samsham manah kritwaa na kinchidapi chintayet

Little by little let him attain to quietude by the intellect held firmly;
Having made the mind establish itself in the Self,
Let him not think of anything.

Point to ponder upon:
Through the practice of meditation ‘establishing itself in the self’ one becomes ‘thoughtless’…But that happens ‘little by little’ (One has to persevere in ones practice)

A lot of people complain that they cannot meditate…I believe that initially one has ‘to attain quietude’ Just sit in a conducive place…Rather that chase away the thoughts…watch the thoughts.

Engage your senses…Watch the Murti of the Beloved Lord…or a rose or a sunset…Whatever can engage your eyes…
Smell the incense or the flowerd…
Touch the Mala
Chant your Mantra and
Hear the chanted Mantra…

Raksha Bandhan this coming tuesday. Read about it, click:

http://www.dalsabzi.com/Language_Festivals/Raksha_Bandhan.htm

It is the Parsi New Year. Wonderful people. did not waste their time whining but as promised mixed like milk with sugar.
So did the Sindhis...and look at how we progressed. Sindhis lost so much but today they have given back to Society in the form of colleges, hospitals... Parsis ka kya kehna as to what a great name they have made for themselves!
Happy New Year to our Parsi brethren!

Click:

http://www.dalsabzi.com/Language_Festivals/parsi_new_year.htm

I received the following by email, if anyone knows the author would be happy to give due credit


Don’t cry for me, India,

Let me cry for you today,

I have abused you and misused you,

Let you down and,

Never been proud of you.



You were conceived

As a welfare state,

But I made the rich get richer,

and the poor poorer,

Nothing for them, no social schemes,

Everything for those with money,

Don’t cry for me, India,

Let me cry for you today.



I forgot the old heroes, the freedom fighters,

The true martyrs who,

Lived for you and died for you,

Except for a garland,

And perhaps a forgotten statue,

Their ideals meant nothing to me,

Don’t cry for me, India,

Let me cry for you today.



Netaji Subhas and Bhagat Singh,

Chandrasekhar Azad and Ashfaqulla,

Khudiram Bose and Surya Sen,

Udham Singh and Ramprasad Bismil,

Benoy, Badal, Dinesh and many martyrs,

Will you ever forgive me for forgetting you,

Don’t cry for me, India,

Let me cry for you today.



Even before independence,

I sold you to the British,

A title, a piece of land,

A few coins and a handshake,

Of the colonial masters

Were more important than your prestige,

Don’t cry for me, India,

Let me cry for you today.



I taught my children,

The art of making money,

But I forgot to teach them,

Ethics, values, principles,

Patriotism, courage and morality,

I thought money was all,

Don’t cry for me, India,

Let me cry for you today.



I sent the brightest of my children,

To the IITs and the IIMs,

And hoped they would get some,

Plum postings abroad,

I never bothered to save

The best brains for you,

Don’t cry for me, India,

Let me cry for you today!



I ran away from you,

To distant shores seeking

My personal wealth.

Only to come back when

I had nothing more to give you,

Except my old age and ill health,

Don’t cry for me, India,

Let me cry for you today.



I burnt your forests and killed your animals,

By encroachment and poaching,

I looked away when I should

Have been protecting your wealth,

I was happy as long as I was rich,

I did not bother to keep you safe,

Don’t cry for me, India,

Let me cry for you today.



Even as a teacher,

when I should have been

educating the young,

I made them resentful,

By caning the boys and

Molesting the girls,

Don’t cry for me, India,

Let me cry for you today.



I never followed your rules,

But made my own,

You meant nothing to me,

Except just a country,

Where I happened to be born,

Yes, I did let you down,

Don’t cry for me, India,

Let me cry for you today.



Even as a politician,

When I should have been upholding your name,

I let you down for my personal gains,

For your honour meant nothing to me,

Parliament was just another,

Money making playground for me,

Don’t cry for me, India,

Let me cry for you today.



When friends asked me,

Which country I would prefer,

To be born into in the next life,

I chose the US or Europe,

Your name never came to my lips,

For you were never important to me,

Don’t cry for me, India,

Let me cry for you today.



I made my money,

On your benevolence,

Used it for my own benefit,

And not a penny for those,

Who had no shelter over their heads,

Nor a full meal in a day,

Don’t cry for me, India,

Let me cry for you today.



I made patriotism an old fashioned word,

And ‘foreign returned’ a fashionable one,

I aped the west and forgot the rest,

Your culture, your traditions,

Became foreign to me,

As I became a foreigner in my own land,

Don’t cry for me, India,

Let me cry for you today.



But you never did mind,

Never any sign of reaproach,

You took everything in your stride,

And continued to give more of you,

Welcomed me whenever I returned,

Consoled me whenver I needed,

For you were the mother,

Always giving, never asking,



On this day, 63 years ago, you became free,

Free from slavery, free from despair,

A beautiful country, forever free,

I promise today, on this independence day,

To never make you cry again,

For you are my most beloved mother,

Don’t cry for me, India,

Let me cry for you today.

Was reading 'Invading the Sacred' An analysis of Hinduism Studies in America...I have faith in Hinduism. We do not believe in fighting for wrong interpretations of our symbols, our Ishta Devtas and Scriptures. The Truth will always shine, but having said that you read the book and decide.

Happy Independence Day!

Here is a poster from Karmayog that you can use this Independence Day:
http://www.karmayog.org/redirect/strred.asp?docId=30591

You can download and print the poster in B/W or colour for display in your society, office, school, college, vehicles, etc. You can also use the poster at any programme or event that you are conducting. You can also use the image as a screen saver on your computer or print the poster in your magazine / newsletter, etc.

The poster has been designed with some blank space for you to write your NGOs name, contact details, or any other information that you would like to convey through the poster. Biswajit De has designed the poster for Karmayog.

Do send us your feedback on ways in which you can use such images to spread the message about different issues that we are all involved in.

Regards,

Vinay
www.karmayog.org/freeposters

Naag Panchami will be celebrated on the 14th of August

Ancient Egyptians worshipped Apophis and Set. Sumerians revered Ningizzida, In America, the rattlesnake was believed to give fair winds or cause tempests.

Snakes are believed to be living in their own world 'Nagaloka or 'Patala' As such they are regarded custodians of the netherworlds.

There is many an 'old' story which mentions humans as marrying snakes or/and their progeny.

Indians (Hindus) worship snakes as their Benefactor Deities.

Snakes help good harvest because they eat pests.

Nagas were/are considered symbols of sexual energy and are guardians of wealth.

Read more, click;
http://www.dalsabzi.com/Language_Festivals/naag_panchami.htm

R. Sridhar writes;

The concept of sacrifice is woven into the Hindu way of life...But sacrifice as written in the scriptures is about the sacrifice of the ego. The concept of giving up and letting go was paramount. According to the Vedic Scriptures, the simplest sacrifice was to abstain from food once a week. This was not only seen as a sacrifice but was also meant to purify the body. Less food means less production of blood. An empty stomach also aids in meditation...Unfortunately, over a period of time, it came to be interpreted as 'sacrifice of blood' Man's ingenuity led him to find ways to sacrifice blood instead of him sacrificing a meal! This led to animal sacrifice and then unfortunately to human sacrifices as well...Adi Shankara, the spiritual guru par excellence was instrumental in ensuring that this undesirable practice was discontinued at many spiritual centres...the coconut was chosen as a suitable substitute by people who did not want to give up the practice of 'bali' or sacrifice of animals and humans...

Why was the coconut chosen?

The coconut resembles the human head in many ways. The coir outside resembles the human tuft of hair. The hard nut, the skull, the water inside the blood and the kernel is akin to the mental space. Another interpretation equated the outer shell to the human being’s gross physical body and the kernel to the subtle body… A coconut is quite like the human womb. The inner kernel is protected from outside influences and chances of getting polluted are very minimal...

Someone sent me this link:

Pictures of Sadh Belo Temple in Sindh



To view open the link



http://www.flickr.com/photos/99444759@N00/sets/72157600338204850/detail/

Deepak Chopra writes in his book 'Jesus': Eve angered God (by giving the apple to Adam) and our innocence was taken away. Jesus smiled: Women have mysterious powers but I doubt they could destroy what God created, We have only fallen in the mud, the mud can be washed off...'
Exactly a Hindu theory. We believe that we fell into the arms of 'Maya' and forgot our Divine True Nature...But it is only dirt that has got attached to us...all we need to do is clean up...