INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY: 
MORE THAN JUST A COVER STORY

www.theguardian.com - If it weren't for the colour of the veil, this could be any other popular glossy aimed at women getting married. But in place of the traditional white, the beautiful young girl staring from the cover wears a black veil and, instead of a smile, she wears a look of pure fear. Child Bride is one of three spoof magazine covers produced by Catapult, a US-based crowdfunding site, as a way of suggesting that International Women's Day on 8 March is more than just a "cover story". 
It is brilliant not just for raising awareness about victims of sex trafficking, slavery and child marriage, but for inverting the typical media approach to International Women's Day, where inspirational women make magazine covers promoting a good cause, or even just themselves. Role models are all well and good, of course, but sometimes the reality of so many female lives is better.

Spoofs can be tricky to pull off – forced marriage and child sexploitation not in general being a barrel of laughs – but these are funny because they look so real at first sight. I particularly like the headlines “He's how old? 60? 70? and other questions not to ask”, “50 RECIPES WE LOVE – So easy an illiterate child could make them” and “Go on … STRESS LESS! Because life's too short to do anything yourself”. Good Slavekeeping, Thirteen and Child Brides are spoofs of the similarly named glossies – Good Housekeeping, Seventeen and Brides – and, indeed, all women's magazines,and cleverly exploit the way they look. 
Maz Kessler, Catapult's founder and creative director, says: “Thankfully, these are fake magazines. Unfortunately, these are real problems.” The campaign was launched to stress that International Women's Day is “more than just a cover story.”

Even in 2014, the rights of women and girls are severely threatened by sex trafficking, slavery, child marriage and other violations around the world. International Women's Day (IWD), observed annually on March 8, continues to spread awareness and garner support — and change — for women across the globe. Catapult, a crowdfunding site dedicated specifically to the advancement of women and girls, has released a startling new visual campaign. Maz Kessler, Catapult's founder says raising awareness through the media isn't enough. She set up Catapult to provide a direct link between donors and projects supporting girls and women. Next to each cover story, a button asks readers to "Do Something About It". Not a bad aim for international women's day. Srila Prabhupada has taught us about the true value of women as heads of households and as a representation of spirituality and Motherhood. They are Laksmi Devi - the Goddess of Fortune - at home, and they worth adoration. However, in many countries million girls are married; robbed of their childhood, denied their rights to health, education and security. In supposedly very advanced materialistic societies, such as New York City, the average age at which a girl first becomes a victim of commercial sexual exploitation is 13. Violence ranges from female genital mutilation, forced labor, sexual exploitation, rape as a weapon of war, domestic violence and even honor killings. Our spiritual master has taught us that these kind of sentiments about men being superior to women, is born from a mind of competition and from an inferiority complex. It is really very far from Krishna consciousness. (Editor's note).

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

If we truly believe, even theoretically, that we “are not this body,” then why do we care whether our bodily duties are “higher” or “lower” than someone else’s?  Such things are temporary, external, and don’t touch the real self. If doing a “lower” duty will please Krishna and Prabhupada and help us fix our minds on the glorious holy name, why for the sake of pride will we reject it? ... Most difficulties with understanding the position of women can be solved if we understand that all of us have two duties: material and spiritual.  The spiritual duties, the nine processes of devotional service, are equally available to every human being regardless of age, gender, race, intelligence, health, etc. etc. ... Why not just accept the body we have for this life, and work with it so as to please Krishna and make our life peaceful, so that we can concentrate our time and energy on what’s truly important-loving and remembering Krishna.

Śrīmati Urmila devi dasi :
“Prabhupada's Views on Women” 
http://urmila.me.uk/
http://www.chakra.org/discussions/WomenNov29_02.html

Published by dasavatara das - “Vedic Views on World News”
http://www.vedicviews-worldnews.blogspot.com.ar/

HALLOWEEN 2013

COSTUMES AND HISTORY OF ONE OF 
THE FAVORITE HOLIDAYS IN THE US

http://news.nationalgeographic.com - Halloween 2013 should be less scary in the United States than last year's holiday, when the monstrous Hurricane Sandy savaged parts of the U.S. Northeast. Despite the storm, 2012 featured record participation and spending that, even with a small 2013 downturn, show Halloween's steady growth as a prominent date on the American social calendar. Today's mix of parties, pranks, and profit is a far cry from Halloween's ancient origins. Over the centuries the celebration has seen a lot of changes. 
Halloween's origins date back more than 2,000 years. On what we consider November 1, Europe's Celtic peoples celebrated their New Year's Day, called Samhain (SAH-win). On Samhain eve - what we know as Halloween - spirits were thought to walk the Earth as they traveled to the afterlife.

Fairies, demons, and other creatures were also said to be abroad. In addition to sacrificing animals to the gods and gathering around bonfires, Celts often wore costumes - probably animal skins - to confuse spirits, perhaps to avoid being possessed. By wearing masks or blackening their faces, Celts are also thought to have impersonated dead ancestors. Young men may have dressed as women and vice versa, marking a temporary breakdown of normal social divisions.
In an early form of trick-or-treating, Celts costumed as spirits are believed to have gone from house to house engaging in silly acts in exchange for food and drink - a practice inspired perhaps by an earlier custom of leaving food and drink outdoors as offerings to supernatural beings.

Celtic's Samhain celebration was later transformed as Christian leaders co-opted pagan holidays. In the seventh century Pope Boniface IV decreed November 1 All Saints' Day, or All Hallows' Day. The night before Samhain continued to be observed with bonfires, costumes, and parades, though under a new name: All Hallows' Eve - later “Halloween.” European immigrants brought Halloween to the United States. Halloween is always big business, it is considered that an Average American is spending $75 on Halloween in 2013 and the total expenditures for the holiday in the US, should reach $6.9 billion. In today's society, everyone, to some extent, pays tribute to the Market God. The festivals, like Halloween, is another example. We use our ability to buy in order to pacify the uncontrolled desires and thus we increase consumerism, without inquiring about the origin of these celebrations. One reason for this loss of control of desires is that we live dominated by our own mind, which delights itself in torturing us again and again. At every moment the mind wants something new, and when we get it, the mind tells us it does not want that thing anymore. Then, it starts wanting something else. Such is the alienation caused by the desire to buy and own material goods that we have lost the ability to distinguish between what is necessary and useless. We should pacify the mind and occupy it in the service of God. We must use our energy to enthuse others to control their desire to consume and search for the shelter of the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord. Only then we will feel true satisfaction. (Editor's note).

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

The year is full of holidays and special events unrelated to spiritual life. Even in India, where Janmashtami, the anniversary of Krishna’s divine birth, is a general festival, many other days are dedicated to the country or some ordinary, materialistic person. Outside of India, festival days sometimes even focus on demonic beings such as witches. ... If we wish to raise our children to be absorbed only in thoughts of Lord Krishna, how should we treat these secular holidays? One approach is, as far as possible, to ignore them. ... A second approach, therefore, is to find a way of relating nondevotional celebrations to Krishna. ... For example, one year on Halloween some of my high school girls dressed up as male devotees and went door to door selling Srila Prabhupada’s books. ... If we decide to have our children celebrate mundane occasions in the same way as the materialists, we greatly risk raising children whose idea of happiness is materialistic.

Śrīmati Urmila devi dasi :
“Observing Secular Holidays”
http://www.krishna.com/observing-secular-holidays
http://urmila.me.uk/

Published by dasavatara das - “Vedic Views on World News”
http://www.vedicviews-worldnews.blogspot.com.ar/

INDIA TO BE WORLD'S MOST POPULOUS COUNTRY BY 2028

INDIA TO BECOME WORLD'S MOST 
POPULOUS NATION AROUND 2028

www.bbc.co.uk - India's population is forecast to continue to grow until 2050, according to the United Nations. India looks set to overtake China as the world's most populous country from 2028, according to the United Nations. At that point, both nations will number 1.45 billion people each. Subsequently India's population will continue to grow until the middle of the century, while China's slowly declines. 
The UN also estimates that the current global population of 7.2 billion will reach 9.6 billion by 2050. That is a faster rate of growth than previously estimated. The UN said the reason for the increase in its projection is largely new information on fertility levels in certain high birth rate countries.

The world's 49 least developed countries are projected to double in size from around 900 million people in 2013 to 1.8 billion in 2050, whereas the population of developed regions will remain largely unchanged. Large developing countries, such as China, India and Brazil, have seen a rapid fall in the average number of children per woman, but in other nations, such as Nigeria, Niger, Ethiopia and Uganda, fertility levels remain high.
The population growth will be mainly in developing countries, particularly in Africa, the UN says. “Although population growth has slowed for the world as a whole, this report reminds us that some developing countries, especially in Africa, are still growing rapidly,” said Wu Hongbo, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs.

The ONU's report says India is expected to become the world's most populous country, passing China around 2028, when both countries will have populations of 1.45 billion. After that, India's population will continue to grow and that of China is expected to start decreasing. The report says the world's population will hit 7.2 billion next month and is projected to reach 10.9 billion by 2100. In view of all this, proponents of contraception claim it solves many social problems. However, a family who raises children dedicated to God is blessed with spiritual growth and satisfaction.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Many people will argue that without birth control, families will have a dozen or more children. Yet in societies where birth control isn't practiced, the average number of children per family is six. Six children per family may seem too many for the earth, but the entire present world population could fit in France or in the state of Texas, with 1,500 square feet per person. ... All the world's scriptures urge us to have many children, and describe children as a blessing. The only burden on the earth mentioned in the Vedic scriptures is that of a large population of sinful people who live lives of crime and deceit. The Lord, Sri Krishna, is unlimitedly wealthy and can easily provide adequately for all His obedient children.

Śrīmati Urmila devi dasi :
“Birth Control Myths”
Less of a Population Burden on the Planet?
http://urmila.me.uk/
http://www.vaisnavafamilyresources.org/content/birth-control-myths

 

Published by dasavatara das - “Vedic Views on World News”
http://www.vedicviews-worldnews.blogspot.com.ar/

BOY WHO THREATENED SUICIDE SAVED BY LETTERS FROM STRANGERS

BULLIED TEEN WHO THREATENED
SUICIDE GETS SUPPORT FROM STRANGERS

http://itsybitsysteps.com - Tired of persistent cyberbullying, a seventh-grader turned to Instagram to announce his planned suicide, prompting thousands of strangers to send notes of support and encouragement. On January 26, Noah Brocklebank posted a photo of his cut arm on Instagram with the message, “Day of scheduled suicide, February 8th, 2013, my birthday.” “I just felt like everything was worthless,” Noah later told CBS News. “My life was terrible. I had no one.” Alarmed by her son’s post, Karen Brocklebank took Noah to the doctor where he was hospitalized for depression and anxiety. While there, she decided to start a Facebook page to ask for people’s help and support. 
“Noah needs to know that he matters and that it does get better. So many people have been asking me how they can help. Well, this is how,” she wrote on the page, requesting for  letters of encouragement for Noah.

“Noah has been dealing with bullying for the past year,” Karen also added. “He has been feeling alone and left out, ostracized from old friends and a misfit among new kids. Things begin to get better, and then another setback. He was once the life of the party among his friends; big man on campus at his first elementary school. Now his self esteem has disappeared.” After starting the page, she opened a PO Box with the expectation that they will get a few letters for Noah. Instead, within the month, Noah received thousands of letters of encouragement from all across the globe. 
“It has restored my faith in humanity,” Karen later told CBS. “I was focused on the bad side of the people, like the bullies,” Noah added. “Then I realized there are caring people out there that can be my friends.” The family later launched a website called LettersForNoah.com which continues to receive countless of messages for support for Noah and victims of cyberbullying.

Noah Brocklebank, a seventh-grade boy, who threatened suicide in a post on Instagram has received thousands of letters from strangers telling him not to give up hope. He thought no one in the world cared about him, but he soon discovered just the opposite. His mother, Karen, explained: “Cyberbullying is not something you can just turn off. It is another far-reaching tool in the bully’s arsenal.” Today, more than ever, parents and teachers need to be vigilant against the alarming rise of bullying in schools. This story ended well, but each day someone else is victim of ridicule and discrimination because of their appearance or way of being. Say NO to bullying!.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

The sage Canakya, whose proverbs Srila Prabhupda would often quote, tested a person’s education by three questions - questions of character and ethics. ... “atmavat sarva-bhutesu”: an educated person sees other living creatures as he sees himself. Following the golden rule, he treats others as he wants to be treated. “Others” does not mean just one’s own family, one’s fellow citizens, or even just other human beings. ... Krishna defines a learned person as one who sees all living beings spiritually as part of Him. And Krishna says that ultimately a wise person surrenders to Him, seeing Him as all there is. Unfortunately, in this Dark Age of Kali thousands of schools award diplomas without considering the ethical and spiritual character of their students.

Śrīmati Urmila devi dasi :
“Real Education” - Sep 29 2006
http://www.dandavats.com/?p=1481
http://urmila.me.uk/

Published by dasavatara das - "Vedic Views on World News"
http://www.vedicviews-worldnews.blogspot.com.ar/

CHINA CRACKING DOWN ON DOOMSDAY GROUP

CHINA SEIZES OVER 500 IN
DOOMSDAY CULT CRACKDOWN

http://shanghaiist.com - China has detained over 500 members of an “evil cult” preaching the imminent end of the world, after the group allegedly attacked police and cheated multiple victims out of thousands of yuan. The latest arrests were made in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, where eight people were detained for spreading the group’s message door-to-door and in public. Meanwhile, four members of the group were also arrested in Inner Mongolia. Police were alerted by a man who said that proselytisers had convinced him and his wife to give nearly 3,000 yuan as a sacrifice to escape the coming doomsday, Xinhua reported. 
“They are telling everyone that on Friday the sun will rise in the west and then disappear for three days and then there will be 72 days of terrible natural disasters starting from January 1, 2013,” one 24-year-old former cult member whose 50-year-old mother is still an adherent told the Financial Times. 

“They’ve also told all members to withdraw their money from the bank in preparation for the end of the world,” he said. Members of the group, which calls itself the Church of Almighty God, organized a large-scale procession in Shaanxi last week, unfurling banners declaring that the coming cataclysm could only be survived by believing in Almighty God. Photos posted on a website dedicated to monitoring the group appeared to show violent clashes between believers and police, with images of battered police cars at the scene of the demonstrations. 
The group, also known as Eastern Lightning, has existed in China since the early 1990s, and by some estimates boasts over a million adherents. Incorporating many elements of Christianity, the church preaches that a Chinese-born messiah will overthrow the Communist Party and save believers from eternal damnation.

More than 500 members of Almighty God group have been arrested in China. They had been distributing apocalyptic literature and sending text messages throughout China preaching the end of the world and urging people to launch a “decisive battle” to slay the “big red dragon” of the Communist government. The Communist Party, particularly sensitive to the rise of any religious or quasi-religious organisation, launched a savage campaign against the Falun Gong spiritual movement in 1999. China has no established religion, and these rumours that the world is about to end, lays bare the Communist Party's obsession with social stability and maintaining its tight grip on power. Atheistic Communism collapsed in the Soviet countries, but is strong in China and North Korea. However, both those living in the Communist or Capitalist style of life, are still unhappy and their desire to know about God has increased.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

The goal was a nation of atheists. Over three generations - seventy years - the government had an explicit, determined policy to create such a nation. As in the other Soviet Republics, atheistic propaganda permeated education and social life in Armenia. Any slight practice of devotion to God, in any religion, whether public or private, often met with swift, brutal consequences. ... Decades of government-induced atheism in the Soviet bloc simply increased people’s hunger for spiritual life. Now that a consumer culture has been introduced, people have become frustrated on both sides. They know that both communism and capitalism are cheating, because material happiness has not increased. To find lasting and expansive happiness that the soul seeks, one must go to the reservoir of pleasure, the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna.

Śrīmati Urmila devi dasi :
“Two Seeds that Grew in Iron”
March/April 2008
http://urmila.me.uk/
http://www.krishna.com/two-seeds-grew-iron

Published by dasavatara das - "Vedic Views on World News"
http://www.vedicviews-worldnews.blogspot.com.ar/

MORE RACISM CLAIMS OVER PUPIL’S RED STRING

CHILDREN SUFFER RACIAL DISCRIMINATION
VERBAL ABUSE DUE TO WEARING RED STRINGS

Johannesburg (iol news) - Parents of several pupils at Parkdene Primary School in Boksburg assert their children have suffered racial discrimination and verbal abuse because they wore red strings around their wrists, as part of their Hindu religion. For years parents had been afraid to speak out, from fears of retaliation against their children. 
One third-grade boy's parents overcame that fear and objected to the principal, claiming his music teacher had shouted racial and derogatory slurs at him because he was wearing a red string around his wrist which is used by Hindus before the beginning of religious ceremonies and is part of their culture. They claim their son was ordered to take off the string and called a “coolie” several times in front of his classmates by his teacher - a racism hell that this student has endured since Grade 1, when that teacher first noticed the string and ordered him to remove it. But despite several such complaints, nothing had been done. The parents were told their son should wear a jersey to hide the red string. 

Desperate to get help for their son, who has been refusing to go to school, the couple took the matter to Gauteng Education MEC Barbara Creecy. The department is now investigating the matter. Other parents have since come forward, saying the problem has persisted for over two years, and other children are being threatened and verbally abused by the same teacher - the only teacher in the school that has a problem with the red string. The principal apologized to the parents, saying the matter had been sorted out and the pupil could wear his red string; he would not have to cover it with a jersey. 
But this response, coming only after intervention by authorities, does not satisfy the angry parents, who say he is not fit to be a principal, nobody using abusive language and name-calling should be allowed to teach, and no child should be made to hide his cultural or traditional beliefs.

Authorities from South African Department of Education are investigating alleged racial and religious discrimination at a Primary School in Boksburg, near Johannesburg. This follows complaints against a teacher who has been accused of harassing a Grade 3 pupil for wearing the sacred Hindu red string (Mauli or Kavlava) around his wrist. Only after the authorities' intervention the principal apologised for the discrimination the child has had to endure. One of parent wrote in an e-mail, “I know full well that this issue has been ongoing for over two years and many parents at this school did not come forward because they are scared of their children being victimised. Why must a child be made to hide his cultural or traditional beliefs? This teacher has no traditional values.” Social Sectarianism should have no place in modern societies.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

It is fashionable in modern secular societies to regard sacred literature as the mythological musings of undeveloped people. Schools teach that with our current understanding of physics, medicine, psychology, democracy, and so on, we have little use for such writings except as literary art. Those who take scripture literally are pegged with pejorative terms such as “fundamentalists.” ... Certainly it is true that many stories in sacred writings seem fantastic to our scientific world. But many current technological wonders seemed fictional and implausible only a few decades ago. It is not, therefore, implausible that former societies could have had abilities and expertise unavailable today. ... Also, if a “religious” system claims that other genuine methods and scriptures are sinful, it should be abandoned as small-minded sectarianism.

Śrīmati Urmila devi dasi :
“Esteem for Sacred Writings”
http://urmila.me.uk/
http://www.krishna.com/esteem-sacred-writings

Published by dasavatara das - "Vedic Views on World News"
http://www.vedicviews-worldnews.blogspot.com.ar/

NYC HALLOWEEN PARADE 2012 CANCELLED

NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY POSTPONE
HALLOWEEN PARADE DUE TO SANDY

www.dailymail.co.uk - Ask any New Yorker or New Jerseyites what day today is and they might say Halloween - and they'd be dead wrong. Both the Big Apple and The Garden State have postponed their ghoulish festivities by decree of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who both declared the parades and trick-or-treating be moved to a later date when emergency responders have had a chance to secure their respective locales. Meanwhile, New York City initially cancelled their annual event, but today the Mayor announced it would be moved to next week. 
Halloween looked likely to be an uncharacteristically somber affair as up and down the East Coast people come to terms with Sandy's aftermath. Across New York and Westchester, around 811,000 people were without power - with that number reaching a staggering eight million along the Eastern Seaboard. The outages in Manhattan have been attributed to a huge explosion at an electrical substation, which blew up when it was apparently overwhelmed by floodwater. 

Traveling around the city remains difficult as it would still be four to five days before limited operation could begin on the New York subway, according to Bloomberg, with some reports estimating it might take as long as 21 days for service to become fully functioning. Halloween at the White House was all out cancelled due to Sandy. After three straight years of passing out goodies to area students and military children in the White House driveway, President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, broke their Halloween tradition this year because of superstorm Sandy that walloped the East Coast. 
Hundreds of treat bags containing White House M&Ms, an orange-frosted, pumpkin-shaped sugar cookie, jelly beans and some dried fruit were be delivered to the White House Military Office and to school districts in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia that would have participated in the celebration. Pumpkins used to decorate the White House will be donated to area shelters.

It’s Halloween, that wonderful day when people get to consume large amounts of candy and go to parties dressed up in costumes; however this year it is not so happy. The traditional Halloween parade of ghouls, ghosts and monsters in Greenwich Village in New York City, which attracts thousands of visitors and NYC residents every year, has been cancelled for the first time in 39 years after widespread flooding brought on by Hurricane Sandy. When mundane Holidays involve simply sense enjoyment - which for a child can mean games, presents, fireworks, and special food - we are indirectly teaching our children that we are living for material pleasure.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

If we wish to raise our children to be absorbed only in thoughts of Lord Krishna, how should we treat these secular holidays? One approach is, as far as possible, to ignore them. ... But sometimes even when a child’s parents are fully convinced that observing devotional holidays is sufficient, avoiding materialistic celebrations is difficult. ... A second approach, therefore, is to find a way of relating nondevotional celebrations to Krishna. ... For example, one year on Halloween some of my high school girls dressed up as male devotees and went door to door selling Srila Prabhupada’s books. ... On Halloween night in the United States, children dress in costumes and go from house to house collecting candy and other treats. If we decide to have our children celebrate mundane occasions in the same way as the materialists, we greatly risk raising children whose idea of happiness is materialistic.

Śrīmati Urmila devi dasi :
“Observing Secular Holidays”
http://urmila.me.uk/
http://www.krishna.com/observing-secular-holidays

Published by dasavatara das - "Vedic Views on World News"
http://www.vedicviews-worldnews.blogspot.com.ar/

POPE LAMENTS ‘AMNESIA’ ABOUT GOD DURING SPAIN TRIP

POPE LAMENTED “AMNESIA” ABOUT GOD,
A DENIAL OF THE TREASURE OF OUR FAITH

Madrid (AP) - Pope Benedict XVI lamented Friday what he called modern society’s “amnesia” about God as he traveled to a famed Spanish monastery on the second day of his four-day visit for the church’s world youth festival.  Several hundred young nuns cheered, waved flags and performed the “wave” at El Escorial monastery as they waited for Benedict inside a courtyard of the 16th-century complex, a UNESCO world heritage site.  Benedict told them their decisions to dedicate their lives to their faith was a potent message in today’s increasingly secular world.  “This is all the more important today when we see a certain eclipse of God taking place, a kind of amnesia which albeit not an outright rejection of Christianity is nonetheless a denial of the treasure of our faith, a denial that could lead to the loss of our deepest identity,” he said.

As he arrived Thursday, Benedict offered words of encouragement to young people facing precarious futures because of the economic crisis, calling for policy makers to take ethical considerations that look out for the common good into account when formulating economic policy.  Benedict’s main priority as pope has been to try to reawaken Christianity in places like Spain, a once staunchly Catholic country that has drifted far from its pious roots.  He has traveled here three times as pope, an indication that he views it as the key battleground as he tries to remind Europe of its Christian heritage and the place he believes God should still have in everyday life.  Later Friday, he will have lunch with a dozen young volunteers of World Youth Day.

Pope Benedict XVI has said modern society is suffering “amnesia” about God on the second day of his four-day visit to Madrid for World Youth Day events.  Benedict denounced the profit-at-all-cost mentality that he says is behind Europe’s current economic crisis and said morals and ethics must play a greater role in formulating economic policy in the future.  Addressing the nuns, Benedict said “In a world of relativism and mediocrity, we need that radicalism to which your consecration, as a way of belonging to the God who is loved above all things, bears witness.”  Unless one practices celibacy, advancement in spiritual life is very difficult.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

Celibacy is such an important part of Vedic education that the Sanskrit word for student is brahmacari (“celibate”).  The pressure to give up celibacy begins, of course, in adolescence, the most dangerous age and often the turning point of one’s life.  Young adults need guidance before and during the teenage years to recognize and follow the right path.  Celibacy trains adolescents for self-restraint, whether they stay single or get married.  It develops their inner strength, self-control, and good character.  It also fosters good health and a fine memory.  Without celibacy we can never realize that we are spirit soul, distinct from the body.  Sex reinforces the illusion that we are these bodies.  Sexual attraction and its extensions in family and society are the main knots that bind us to material identification. Vedic education aims to free the child from these knots so the adolescent can act on the spiritual plane.

Śrīmati Urmila devi dasi :
“Teens and Celibacy”
http://urmila.me.uk/
http://www.brahmacarya.info/2010/03/teens-and-celibacy/

UNPLANNED CHILDREN DEVELOP MORE SLOWLY

CHILDREN BORN AFTER UNPLANNED
PREGNANCY ARE SLOWER TO DEVELOP

www.foxnews.com - Children that are the result of unplanned pregnancies tend to experience developmental delays, according to a new study published by the British Medical Journal.  The study found that other factors, like disadvantaged socioeconomic situations, also limit the child’s vocabulary and spatial abilities.  Those pregnancies that are unplanned are also less likely to make it to childbirth.  In the UK, where the study was conducted, nearly 30 to 40 percent of pregnancies that continue through childbirth are not planned.  It is already known that children born after a prolonged time to conception or assisted reproduction are at greater risk of poor health outcomes, such as preterm birth, low birth weight, and congenital anomalies, and some researchers have reported lower cognitive (mental) scores in such children.  So a team of UK researchers set out to investigate in 12,000 children how pregnancy planning, time to conception, and infertility treatment influence a child's cognitive development at three and five years old. 

The study looked at how pregnancy planning, time to conception and infertility treatment affect cognitive development.  Researchers looked at whether the pregnancy was planned, the mother’s feelings at the beginning of her pregnancy, the time to conceive and infertility drug use.  Children were tested for verbal, non-verbal and spatial ability.  Results originally showed that kids born from unplanned pregnancies were four to five months behind planned children in verbal abilities, while those kids born after assisted reproduction were three to four months ahead. 
Though, these findings were later attributed to the children’s disadvantaged home situations.  The study also said that there are no adverse effects of infertility treatment on the children.

Young children born after unplanned pregnancies tend to have a smaller vocabulary and poorer non-verbal and spatial abilities than other children; however, these problems are actually due to socioeconomic factors, a new study suggests.  The differences in verbal abilities - between children born after an unplanned pregnancy and planned children - disappeared when the researchers took into account the socioeconomic circumstances of each child.  Beyond the results of this study we should understand that respecting the link between sex and reproduction is part of a foundation upon which one can exhibit real love.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

If we ask, “Why are so many children today not raised with love in a stable home?” and “Why do people use birth control?” the answers will be practically the same: the parents think sex is for pleasure only, not for reproduction. ... Those who try to prevent pregnancy - through surgery, devices, chemicals, or unnatural sexual practices - develop a mentality of seeing their body as meant for their own purposes, rather than seeing both their body and the bodies of their children as gifts from God to be engaged in His service. The contraceptive users so much despise Krishna’s plan for the human body that they alter its natural function. They come to hate the responsibilities integral to their own bodies. When those responsibilities take the form of children, they may resent the children as well.

Śrīmati Urmila devi dasi :
“Birth Control Myths”
“All Children Raised With Stability and Love?”
http://www.vaisnavafamilyresources.org/content/birth-control-myths
http://urmila.me.uk/