FINDING EARTH’S TWIN

36 LIGHT-YEARS FROM HERE,
NEW HOPE FOR EARTH-LIKE PLANET

www.msnbc.msn.com - More than 50 new alien planets - including one so-called super-Earth that could potentially support life - have been discovered by an exoplanet-hunting telescope from the European Southern Observatory (ESO).  The newfound haul of alien planets includes 16 super-Earths, which are potentially rocky worlds that are more massive than our planet.  One in particular has captured astronomers’ attention because it orbits at the edge of its star’s habitable zone, suggesting conditions could be ripe to support life.   The planet, known as HD 85512b, is about 36 light-years from here, in the constellation Vela, circling its star at the right distance for liquid water to exist on its surface - and thus, perhaps, to host life, as we narrowly imagine it.

  A super-Earth is a planet with a mass between one and 10 times that of Earth. The super-Earth classification refers only to the mass of the planet, and does not imply anything about its surface conditions or habitability.  The first super-Earths, two exoplanets with masses four times that of Earth, were found in 1992.  Dozens more super-Earths have since been discovered, with masses as low as 1.9 Earth masses.  
Super-Earths might be more geologically active than our planet, and may experience more vigorous plate tectonics because of thinner plates that are under more stress. Those engaged in the search for alien life get excited about super-Earths because of the possibility that they could be rocky, and possibly habitable, unlike the gas giants.

After thousands of years of searching and facing the possibility that the Earth and its sister planets might be alone in the universe, the first extra-solar planet - a planet outside our solar system - was discovered and its existence confirmed.  The Vela planet is one of the 50 new exoplanets - as planets around other stars are called.  We, as living being conditioned by material nature, should not pursue happiness somewhere in this material world, no matter what planet we want to achieve, because these are only temporary.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Conditioned souls seek after perpetual happiness in all places - not only on this earth but also on other planets throughout the universe - because constitutionally a spiritual spark, as he is, can travel to any part of God’s creation. But being conditioned by the material modes, he tries to travel in space by spacecraft and so fails to reach his destination. The law of gravitation is binding upon him like the shackles of a prisoner. By other processes he can reach anywhere, but even if he reaches the highest planet, he cannot attain that perpetual happiness for which he is searching life after life. When he comes to his senses, however, he seeks after Brahman happiness, knowing it for certain that unlimited happiness, which he is seeking, is never attainable in the material world.

Śrīla A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda :
Śrīmad Bhāgavatam - Canto 1: “Creation”
Chapter 11: “Lord Krishna’s Entrance into Dvārakā”
Bhaktivedanta VedaBase

ISRAELIS OPTIMISTIC IN START OF JEWISH NEW YEAR

JEWISH NEW YEAR 5772
BEGINS WEDNESDAY EVENING

By Linda Rubin - “Rosh Hashana is the Jewish New Year, a time in which we’re called to reflection and introspection. And it’s a time during which we measure how successfully we are functioning in our relationships to other people and also to God,” said Rabbi Alan Benson, back in the Valley to lead Beth Meier Congregation in Studio City after a three-year sojourn in the east.  In preparation for the holidays, during the current Hebrew month of Elul, Jews traditionally begin the process of reflection and transformation by apologizing to their families, friends and colleagues for any betrayals or slights, whether done consciously or unaware. We are directed to seek forgiveness diligently, asking three times for exoneration if it is not readily granted.

Toward the end of the month, the last Saturday before Rosh Hashana, we observe the service of Selichot where we begin to ask God (or the universe or the inner voice) to absolve us for the “sins,” misdirection, or errors of the last year. “This work of reflection and improvement [is what] in Hebrew we call teshuva,” Benson explained.  Rosh Hashana, which begins at sundown Wednesday, is considered the birthday of the world. Benson says this is an opportunity for Jews to acknowledge and be grateful to be part of this creation and that we have obligations to everyone else and everything with whom we share the world.

Israelis welcomed the Jewish New Year with optimism.  Rosh Hashana, which began at sundown Wednesday, ushers in 10 days of Jewish soul-searching - known as the “Days of Awe” - capped by Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.  “Rosh Hashana is the days on which we are called do the serious work of correcting and improving our relationships,” said Rabbi Alan Benson.  The holy season culminates with community prayer, reflection and resolution to grow and change.  Many studies point that Jews are a branch of the Vedic Family.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

The ancient Jews were descendants of the Aryas. Their beliefs were the same of those of Aryas. The Primeval Man, whom they called Adam, was Brahma, the originator of mankind. The Hebrew name is derived from “Atma-Bhu”, one of the epithets of Brahma. In the beginning of Creation ‘Brahma gave names to all objects and beings’, and so did Adam according to Jewish tradition; ‘and whatsoever Adam called every living creature that was the name thereof’.  In later times the Jews forgot their ancient history and ancestry and became narrow in their outlook. They considered themselves to be the oldest of all races. … Hence a majority of the modern Jews and the dogmatic Christians and especially many professors of Sanskrit found it hard to reconcile themselves to the view that any race or civilisation could be older than the date of Adam accepted by them. 

Vedic Knowledge Online :
“Western Indologists: A Study in Motives”
Written by Purohit Bhagavan Dutt
http://www.veda.harekrsna.cz
http://www.veda.harekrsna.cz/encyclopedia/indology.htm#3

BIRTHDAY FESTIVAL OF LORD GANESHA

THIS MONTH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION
FOR LORD GANESHA HAS TAKEN PLACE

By Angela Nilsson - Days ago, during this month, the ten-days festival Ganesh Chaturthi, (also known as ‘Vinayak Chaturthi’ or ‘Vinayaka Chavithi’), was celebrated by Hindus around the world as the birthday of Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed son of Shiva and Parvati, who is believed to bestow his presence on earth for all his devotees in the duration of this festival.  Lord Ganesha is worshiped as the god of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune. He is the Lord of success and destroyer of evils, vanity, selfishness, pride and obstacles and is also worshipped as the god of education and knowledge.  Ganesha is the personification of material universe in all its various magnificent manifestations.  The devotees of Ganesha are known as ‘Ganapatyas’.

Normally, the festival is observed in the Hindu calendar month of Bhaadrapada, starting on the Shukla Chaturthi (fourth day of the waxing moon period).  The date usually falls between 20 August and 15 September. The celebrations last for 10 days, ending on Anant Chaturdashi (fourteenth day of the waxing moon period).  While celebrated all over India, Ganesh Chaturthi is most elaborate in Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, Orissa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.  Outside India, it is celebrated widely in Nepal and by Tamil Hindus in Sri Lanka.  In the evening as the sun sets in Hindu communities around the world, thousands of clay images of Ganesha are taken in procession to be immersed in the ocean in countries across the diaspora.

Ganesha Chaturthi, one of the most colourful national festivals of India celebrating the birth of this joyful deity, was observed this month.  After rituals, chanting and prayers, thousands of clay images of Ganesha are taken out in joyous processions in the streets before being immersed in the ocean in a rite called Visarjna.  “When the clay dissolves in the water, the energy of Ganesha is spread all over, floating across the oceans to bless the entire universe,” says Dr. Uma Mysorekar, president of the Hindu Temple Society of North America.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

Ganesha Chaturthi is the most important of all Mumbai and Pune festivals and is celebrated with great aplomb amongst Marathi community worldwide. On the occasion of the Ganpati festival, a large number of deities are made of all possible sizes and people buy them to keep in their houses as a divine guest for one and a half, five, seven or ten days or twenty one days in exceptional cases after which the image is taken out ceremoniously and disposed of into the river, sea, or well for immersion (Visarjan).  The pooja can be a simple one performed by the head of the family and witnessed by family members, close friends, involving a priest who would come home and perform the pooja. The people gather around chanting Sanskrit shlokas when the deity is installed.  Modak is the most famous and most typical food preparation of Ganesha Chaturthi celebrations.

Stephen Knapp (Śrīpad Nandanandana dasa) :
“Hindu Festivals”
http://www.stephen-knapp.com/hindu_festivals.htm
http://www.stephen-knapp.com  -  http://www.stephenknapp.info/

WANGARI MAATHAI, NOBEL LAUREATE, DIES AT 71

NOBEL PEACE PRIZE LAUREATE AND
ENVIRONMENTAL CAMPAIGNER DIES

Nairobi, Kenya - Wangari Maathai, the Kenyan environmentalist who began a movement to reforest her country by paying poor women a few shillings to plant trees and who went on to become the first African woman to win a Nobel Peace Prize, died here on Sunday. She was 71 and the cause was cancer.  Dr. Maathai, one of the most widely respected women on the continent, played many roles - environmentalist, feminist, politician, professor, rabble-rouser, human rights advocate and head of the Green Belt Movement, which she founded in 1977.  Its mission was to plant trees across Kenya to fight erosion and to create firewood for fuel and jobs for women.  Dr. Maathai was as comfortable in the gritty streets of Nairobi’s slums or the muddy hillsides of central Kenya as she was hobnobbing with heads of state. She won the Peace Prize in 2004 for what the Nobel committee called “her contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace.” 

Wangari Maathai taught her countrywomen to plant trees.  Her Green Belt Movement has planted more than 40 million trees in Africa and has helped nearly 900,000 women, according to the United Nations, while inspiring similar efforts in other African countries.  In presenting her with the Peace Prize, the Nobel committee hailed her for taking “a holistic approach to sustainable development that embraces democracy, human rights and women’s rights in particular” and for serving “as inspiration for many in the fight for democratic rights.”  
Former Vice President Al Gore, a fellow Peace Prize recipient for his environmental work, said in a statement, “Wangari overcame incredible obstacles to devote her life to service - service to her children, to her constituents, to the women, and indeed all the people of Kenya - and to the world as a whole.”

Nobel Peace Prize laureate and environmental campaigner, Wangari Maathai, has died in Nairobi, Kenya, at the age of 71.   Maathai was the founder in 1977 of Kenya’s tree planting initiative – the Green Belt Movement, which has planted an estimated 45 million trees around Kenya.  Maathai mobilized communities to argue for conservation and sustainable development over destruction.  Her Movement aims to empower women and improve the quality of their lives through better access to clean water and firewood for cooking, while conserving the environment. 

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

Long before ecology became the refrain of the global song at Stockholm and Rio, the ancient Indic heritage had already provided a spacious spiritual home for the environmental ethos. In the West, the term ‘ecology’ was coined only in the latter half of the 19th century from the Greek word Oikos, meaning ‘home’. But India has, throughout trackless centuries, provided an ample expanse of friendly space for an open and ongoing discourse of ideas. The Jain, Vedic and Buddhist traditions established the principles of ecological harmony centuries ago - not because the world was perceived as heading for an imminent environmental disaster or destruction, nor because of any immediate utilitarian exigency, but through its quest for spiritual and physical symbiosis, synthesized in a system of ethical awareness and moral responsibility.

H. E. Dr Laxmi Mall Singhvi
Former President of the World Congress on Human Rights
“The East is green” - August 1996.
http://www.ourplanet.com/imgversn/82/singhvi.html
http://www.hinduwisdom.info/Nature_Worship.htm

‘FLEXITARIANS’ - PART-TIME VEGETARIAN GROWING TREND

STUDY: ‘FLEXITARIANS’ DRIVING GLOBAL
MOVE AWAY FROM MEAT CONSUMPTION

United Kingdom (The Independent) - Sales of meat have slowed to a crawl around the world, thanks in part to the growing number of ‘flexitarians’ - that murkily-defined group of part-time vegetarians - and public health warnings outlining the perils of red meat consumption.  According to an August report from Euromonitor International, meat was one of the worst performers over the 2005 to 2010 period, with sales growing less than 14 % over the six-year period.  Only vegetables fared slightly worse, with a growth rate of 11 %.  The global trend is a reflection of the growing movement away from meat consumption, the report pointed out.  Red meat in particular has been getting a bad rap from scientists, public health authorities and governments around the world. 

Earlier this year, a groundbreaking study found a direct link between the consumption of red meats and processed meats and the increased risk of colorectal cancer.  The findings prompted public health authorities in the UK to advise cutting meat consumption to 70g a day.  Celebrity-led crusades championing animal welfare and environmental advocates have also made an impact on the meat market, the report said, as a growing number of consumers have either adopted a vegetarian diet or significantly reduced their meat intake - a population of semi-vegetarians also known as ‘flexitarians.’  While 1 % of US citizens described themselves as vegetarians in 1971, that percentage grew to 3.4 % in 2009.  Vegetarianism was also found to be fairly common in Taiwan, Brazil, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Israel and the UK.

The “Meatless Mondays” movement - very popular among health and eco-conscious consumers - and celebrity chefs like Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall in the UK were identified as influential chefs and food personalities who have been able to change consumers’ eating habits by raising public awareness on animal welfare issues.  India has the largest non meat-eating population in the world with an estimated 31 % of that country’s largely Hindu population described as lacto-vegetarians: they consume milk and honey, but no other animal-derived products. 

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

Recently a group of eminent doctors called the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), themselves members of the American Medical Association, have decided to change the US consciousness on human nutrition, particularly among the medical community.   Armed with decades of nutritional research data, the PCRM - which is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. consisting of doctors and laypersons - frankly says:  “The fact is, it is very easy to have a well-balanced diet with vegetarian foods. Vegetarian foods provide plenty of protein. Careful combining of foods is not necessary.  Any normal variety of plant foods provides more than enough protein for the body’s needs. ... A diet focused on beans, whole grains and vegetables contains adequate amounts of protein without the ‘overdose’ most meat-eaters get.”

“What Is Hinduism?” :
Chapter 43 - “The Meat-Free Life”
“Five Reasons to Be a Vegetarian & Ten Arguments Against Eating Meat”
Hinduism Today Magazine  
http://www.himalayanacademy.com/resources/books/wih/

FIGHT MOSQUITOES THE AYURVEDIC WAY

AYURVEDIC NON-TOXIC REPELLENT
TO KEEP MOSQUITOES AWAY

http://ibnlive.in.com/news - Even as people of Kerala have no other option but to use a mosquito repellent if at all they want to sleep, the toxicity of the repellents is a constant worry.  A fully ayurvedic non-toxic repellent developed by the Asha Workers in Udayamperoor panchayat seems to be the answer to that problem.  The repellent contains herbs, which, when fumed in coconut shells or earthen pot kill mosquitoes instantly, but is believed to be toxic free. “The fumes of this unique mix have no health hazards. It is safe for even those suffering from diseases like acute asthma,” said M K Anilkumar, ward member of 19th ward Udayamperoor panchayat.  The kits are being distributed free of cost in his ward.  “We are planning to distribute the mix to other parts of the panchayat also through Asha workers,” the government official said.

The Kochi Corporation and Tripunithura municipality are engaged in routine fogging which is not enough to control mosquitoes.  Also, the highly toxic fog is considered hazardous to health.  “The method of fogging is quite unscientific and can create many health problems,” said Harish CG, who was forced to stop his morning walk because of the fogging in the early hours.  
It is against this backdrop that the Health and Hygiene Committee of Udayamperoor panchayat has come out with the ayurvedic solution.  Dr P Prabhakaran, an ayurveda doctor, inaugurated the mission against mosquitoes by giving the medicinal kits to the residents.

Mosquitoes are vicious in Kerala and municipality routinely fog to keep mosquitoes away, and one must use a mosquito repellant in order to sleep.  However the toxicity of these methods is a constant worry, so a herbal ayurvedic repellent has now been developed.  For many centuries it has been known that fumigating the house with smoke of dried neem leaves, in evenings for 1-2 minutes, is also an excellent ayurvedic method.  In this material world we have three sources of affliction, and mosquitoes and other venomous insects are included in one of them.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

No one can claim that he is not suffering. That is not possible.  In this material world, there are three kinds of suffering: adhyātmika, adhibhautika, and adhidaivika.  These are miseries arising from the material body and mind, from other living entities, and from the forces of nature.  We may suffer mental anguish, or we may suffer from other living entities - from ants or mosquitoes or flies - or we may suffer due to some superior power. There may be no rain, or there may be flood.  There may be excessive heat or excessive cold.  So many types of suffering are imposed by nature.  Thus there are three types of miseries within the material world, and everyone is suffering from one, two, or three of them.  No one can say that he is completely free from suffering.

Śrīla A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda :
“The Science of Self-Realization”
2. “Choosing a Spiritual Master”
2.1 “What is a Guru?”

SEX SLAVES KIDNAPPED FROM KARAOKE BARS RESCUED

CHINESE MAN FORCED “SEX SLAVES”  
TO ACT IN PORN SHOWS, PROSTITUTION

Zhengzhou (Xinhua) - A Chinese man who kept six “sex slaves” in his basement prison, forced the women into prostitution and to feature in porno videos posted on the Internet to make money, police investigators said Saturday, a day after the case was exposed and shocked the nation.  Li Hao, the 34-year-old married suspect who has a son, told police investigators in Luoyang, central Henan Province, that he dug the basement two years ago wanting to enter the lucrative business of running porno websites.  Six girls were forced against their will into the basement, where Li repeatedly raped them and forced them to perform porn shows and prostitution, police said.  Two girls who fought back were tortured, and eventually killed, police added.

Their bodies were found on September 3 when police raided the basement on a tip off from relatives of one of Li’s “sex slaves” who managed to escape.  Police freed three other girls and arrested Li.   According to media reports, Li spent about two years digging two small rooms 4 meters beneath a basement before abducting the women, who all worked at nightclubs and karaoke bars.  The horrific nature of the case has shocked the nation, prompting local authorities to launch an overhaul of entertainment venues - beauty parlours, karaoke halls, saunas, and Internet cafes, while boosting an “online cleansing” campaign to crack down on porn websites.

In China, a man kidnapped 6 women who worked as hostesses at karaoke bars in Luoyang city.  He then locked them in two small rooms - hidden behind 7 iron doors - he had dug 4 metres under his rented basement.  Li regularly raped the women and would give them food only once every two days to keep them physically weak.  Two sex slaves were killed.  He only let the women out when he wanted them to perform sexual services for other men to earn money for him.  On one of these outings, a young woman escaped and went to the police.  The Age of Kali is progressing. 

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

In Kali-yuga it is seen that women become stronger, bolder, and  more independent. In some cases, women are forced to become strong and independent due to being mistreated or left unprotected by men of little character. The Bhagavatam (1.16.21) explains that  women and children are left unhappy and forlorn by unscrupulous men who often search for young girls with whom they might have illicit sex. ... The Vishnu Purana (Book Four, Chapter 24) also confirms this, stating that union between the sexes will be based on passion alone, and women will be mere objects of gratification.  ... By the time this takes place in Kali-yuga, child pornography, rape, and other sexual crimes will be out of control. Politicians and law officers will be bribed into impotence, some even participating in  and profiting from these perverse activities.

Stephen Knapp (Śrīpad Nandanandana dasa) :
 “The Vedic Prophecies: A New Look into the Future”
Vol. 3 - “Changes During Kali Yuga”
“The Depravity in Family Life ind Relations Between People”
http://www.stephen-knapp.com  -  http://www.stephenknapp.info/

POPE WARNS GERMANS ABOUT EVILS OF POWER

POPE WARNS GERMAN LAWMAKERS
NOT TO ABUSE POWER AT PARLIAMENT

Berlin (AP / AFP) - Pope Benedict XVI addressed Germany’s Parliament in the historic Reichstag building yesterday, warning that politicians must not sacrifice ethics for power and evoking the Nazi excesses of his homeland as a lesson in history.  Amid scattered protests outside and a boycott by some lawmakers, Benedict began his first state visit to Germany in a bid to stem the tide of Catholics leaving the church while acknowledging the damage caused by the clergy sex abuse scandal.  The pope spoke for 20 minutes in the Reichstag, which was torched in 1933 by Hitler. “We Germans know from our own experience what happens when power is corrupted”, Benedict said, describing Nazis as a “highly organized band of robbers, capable of threatening the whole world and driving it to the edge of the abyss.”

The Bavarian-born pontiff also urged all Germans not to ignore religion.  “Even today, there is ultimately nothing else we could wish for but a listening heart - the capacity to discern between good and evil, and thus to establish true law, to serve justice and peace,” he said.  Benedict also voiced strong support for Germany’s ecological movement, calling it “a cry for fresh air which must not be ignored or pushed aside.” After the speech, he met with a 15-member Jewish delegation, noting that it was in Berlin that the annihilation of European Jews was organized.  “The supposedly ‘almighty’ Adolf Hitler was a pagan idol, who wanted to take the place of the biblical God,” Benedict said according to a prepared text.

In a speech to the German parliament, Pope Benedict has warned German lawmakers not to abuse power, referring to excesses in Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany as a lesson in history.  On his state visit to his native country, the pope said Germans know from experience what happens when power is corrupted. He described Hitler as a pagan idol and Nazis as a “highly organized band of robbers capable of threatening the whole world and driving it to the end of abyss.”  The concept of the Aryans as a race and its right to abuse others was part of the ideology of German nationalism.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

After Hitler and the Nazi atrocities, most people, especially Europeans, are understandably reluctant to be reminded of the word (Aryans) . But that was a European crime; Indians had no part in it. The real Aryans have lived in India for thousands of years without committing anything remotely resembling the Nazi horrors. ... the notion of the Aryans as a race (...) finds no support in Indian literature or tradition.  In fact, the authoritative Sanskrit lexicon (c. 450 AD), the famous Amarakosa gives the following definition: “An Arya is one who hails from a noble family, of gentle behavior and demeanor, good-natured and of righteous conduct.”  And the great epic Ramayana has a singularly eloquent expression describing Rama as “Arya, who worked for the equality of all and was dear to everyone”.  The Rigveda also uses the word Arya something like 36 times, but never to mean a race. The word “Arya” in Sanskrit means noble and never a race. 

VINA - Vaishnava Intenet News Agency
“Aryan Invasion - History or Politics?”
Written by Dr. N.S. Rajaram 
Published on 20 November 2006.
http://www.vina.cc/news/index.php/Philosophical/Aryan-Invasion-History-or-Politics.html

DISRUPTING GANG OF PEDOPHILES GRANDPARENTS

THREE OLD MEN WERE ARRESTED
FOR PAEDOPHILIA IN ARGENTINA

Buenos Aires (Télam) - Pergamino City Police, from province of Buenos Aires in Argentina, broke up a paedophile ring, comprised of three elderly men, who are charged for the crimes of “repeated sexual abuse seriously outrageous and corruption minors.”  According to the official report, the arrests were in Pergamino city, developed after several raids on different houses in that city. The accused, 70, 71 and 80 years were investigated for about 6 months, when the first complaint against them was made. Apparently, the suspects had sex with minors, in exchange for money.  Months ago, the mother of a girl of 6 years old denounced the three old men for sexually abusing her daughter and another girl of 11.

“The mother of the girls had noticed odd behavior in their daughters. After undergoing them to the Gesel camera and make several psychological studies, it was found that the girls had been subjected to some form of abuse,” authorities said.  After other medical checkups and taking statements to the children, the filming, surveillance and undercover work began, and as a result of it, the identity and current addresses of the defendants was discovered.  They were finally arrested yesterday, at their homes in the city of Pergamino, accused of being part of a paedophile ring. They are a retired man of 80 years, who owns two nursing homes, and two other accomplices, of 70 and 71 each.  It was learned that even one of paedophiles would have discovered just at the precise moment when he was in bed with a small child.

Three retired men of 80, 71 and 70 years old were arrested yesterday in Pergamino, Argentina, accused of being part of a pedophile ring. They are accused of abusing young girls in exchange for giving them some money to buy themselves things. The girls assured the police that they had gone voluntarily to the elderly home where they were sexually touched by the senior men.  Most other material attractions can usually be given up or outgrown, but the fascination for sex can hinder the spiritual advancement and remain with a person for many lifetimes.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

We should always remember Nrsimhadeva.  Nrsimhadeva kills Hiranyakasipu. Who is Hiranyakasipu?  “Hiranya” means wealth and “kasipu” means bed - sexual desire.  So “Hiranyakasipu” means “those who have desire for wealth and sex; and also for name and fame”.  Such persons cannot get Krishna.  So, Hiranyakasipu is within us. Externally, we may see a demon, but that demon is also residing within ourselves.  That demon should be killed! Then you can go to Krishna.  There is also one-pointed, causeless, eternal devotion residing within our real selves. That is called “Prahlada”.  There is Prahlada, Nrsimha Bhagavan and bhakti.  Nrsimha Bhagavan will remove all ulterior motives from our hearts.  He will kill Hiranyakasipu and enhance Prahlada.

Śrīla Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Mahārāja :
“Golden Saying” - 1/19
Published on May 31, 2002
http://www.sreecgmath.org

 

CELEBRATE WORLD PEACE DAY

ON PEACE DAY, AFGHANS BURY
MURDERED PEACE COUNCIL HEAD

(AP, AFP, Reuters) - Today and every September 21st is International Day of Peace aka World Peace Day.  The world is commemorating this day to try and bring harmony to the world, which as we know is full of conflict.  The U.N. says the day provides an opportunity for individuals, groups and nations to conduct practical acts for peace every Sept. 21.  It was unanimously adopted by the United Nations as Peace Day in 1981, the release continued, adding that it is internationally accepted as an invitation to all people and nations to cease hostilities for the day. The 2011 Peace Day theme is “Let Your Voice Be Heard.”  However, Word Peace Day is celebrated amid increased political violence in many countries.  For instance, former Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani was killed Tuesday evening by a man who had claimed he was a Taliban leader wanting to reconcile with the Afghan government.

The man who assassinated Rabbani insisted on meeting face-to-face with the ex-president and waited in Kabul for days to talk with him about brokering peace with the Taliban.  Mohammad Ismail Qasemyar, the international relations adviser for the peace council, said the suicide bomber, identified as Esmatullah, had approached several council officials, telling them that he was an important figure in the Taliban insurgency and would only speak directly with Rabbani.  The bomber stayed at a house used for guests of the peace council while waiting for Rabbani to return from a trip to Iran.  On Tuesday, the two met and the attacker went to shake hands with Rabbani at his home, bowing his head near the former president’s chest and detonating a bomb hidden in his turban, Qasemyar said.

Today the world celebrates the World Peace Day.  Through different kind of events, many organizations around the world appeal people of different ages and races to revive the principle of peace in the world and embody the true meaning of brotherhood and co-operation.  While this was happening a suicide bomber - disguised as a Taliban who wants to reach peace - waited days to meet and kill the former Afghanistan president using explosives concealed under his turban.  All of us need to contribute to a world more peaceful than the one we live in.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

Though the vocation of each individual is different, everyone’s goal is the same - the attainment of peace. If we ignore the Emperor of Peace and simply devote ourselves to worldly duties or to our work, thinking that peace will come to us through material learning, wealth or riches, then we are destined to fall into the pit of misery. The consequences of this attitude are clear - people are becoming more and more selfishly oriented and thus actually ignoring the interests of their society and country. They have forgotten that the struggle for enjoyment or renunciation is not the essential struggle in life. We achieve real enjoyment by renouncing our own selfish interest in favor of higher purposes like society, country and God.  The real struggle in life is to find a harmonious relationship between enjoyment and renunciation. ... If we do this, we can make our lives successful. 

Śrīla Bhakti Bibudha Bodhayan Mahārāja :
“Sanatan Hindu Dharma - The Way to Harmony”
http://www.gopinathmath.com/book/export/html/53
http://www.gopinathmath.ru/katha/Sanatana%20Hindu%20Dharma%20way%20to%20harmony.pdf

GUNMEN ATTACK SHI’ITE PILGRIMS IN PAKISTAN

AT LEAST 26 KILLED IN ATTACK ON 
SHIITE PILGRIM BUS IN PAKISTAN

(AP) - Suspected Sunni extremists have opened fire on Shi’ite Muslim pilgrims travelling by bus through southwest Pakistan on their way to Iran, killing 26 people.  Sunni militants with ideological and operational links to al-Qaeda and the Taliban have carried out scores of bombings and shootings against Shi’ites in recent years, but this attack was especially bloody.  At least eight attackers in a pick-up truck blocked the path of the bus as it travelled through Baluchistan province on Tuesday and forced the passengers off, said Khushhal Khan, the driver of the vehicle.  The passengers tried to run away, but the gunmen opened fire, killing 26 people and wounding six others, he said.  The attackers then drove off, leaving the dying and wounded where they lay.

It was nearly an hour before rescue teams arrived, he said. There were around 40 people on the bus.  Local television footage showed rescue workers loading the dead and wounded into ambulances to take them to the main southwestern town of Quetta, about 55km to the north.  Iran and neighbouring Iraq are home to many important Shi’ite shrines.   Vehicles carrying Shi’ite pilgrims are usually provided with protection as they travel through Mastung, but authorities weren’t notified about this bus, said authorities.  Most Sunnis and Shi’ites live together peacefully in Pakistan, though tensions have existed for decades, but in recent years Sunni attacks on Shi’ites have been far more common.

At least 26 Shiite pilgrims have been killed after gunmen opened fire on their bus as it was traveling through western Balochistan province in Pakistan.  This attack, which was the deadliest targeting Shiites after a suicide bomb attack on a Shiite rally in Quetta in September 2010 killed at least 57 people.  Sectarian violence has been energised by al-Qaeda and the Taliban, which are also Sunni and share the belief that Shi’ites are infidels, and it is permissible to kill them.  It is crucial to avoid sectarian dogmas and opinions and violence towards others.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

There are Eighteen Obstacles in the way of this exquisite consummation of bhava which belongs to Vraja.  ... The Sixth Obstacle has the forms of cruelty and violence. This is the demon Aghasura. It is possible for love to suffer gradual decay by the absence of kindness for all animate beings. This must be so in as much as kindness can never be a different principle from love for Krishna. There is no substantive difference between love for Krishna and kindness to individual souls. ... The Eleventh Obstacle has the form of intra-communal discord.  It is comparable to the wild forest-fire. The disposition bred by narrow sectarianism rendering its victim unable to recognize as Vaishnava one who does to assume the external marks of the theistic community, multiples the obstacles on the path of attainment of the bone fide Guru and the actual companionship of the true devotees.

Śrīla Bhakti Vaibhava Purī Mahārāj:
“Sri Krishna : The Supreme Godhead”
“Chapter 3: The Highest Worship of Sri Krishna”
Bhakti Vigyan Nityananda Book Trust
Śrī Krishna Chaitanya Mission - http://www.purimaharaj.com/