SPIRIT OF ONAM PERVADES KERALA

RECREATING THE MAGIC OF ONAM
FLOWERS AND FEAST CELEBRATION

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com - The spirit of Onam once again prevailed in the city as residents both Malayalees and non Malayalees joined in the celebrations on the auspicious Thiru Onam day on Wednesday in Coimbatore. While some preferred to invite friends and relatives for the traditional Onam feast at their residence, hotels and eateries witnessed a huge rush especially during the lunch hours. Their patrons were mostly private firm employees who celebrated Onam and exchanged greetings over lunch. The city based associations of Keralites including the Coimbatore Malayalee Samajam had organised special cultural events and the traditional Onam food fare on occasion of the festival. “We had a good turnout this year. We had organised some cultural programs including traditional Kerala dance forms,” said K Rajagopal, President, Coimbatore Malayalee Samajam. Onam fever had gripped even the IT sector where employees donned the traditional garb, the white sari and dhoti. Food courts at the IT firm campuses had arranged for special Kerala cuisine, the vegetarian lunch with payasam on Wednesday.

Onam, is a combination of the Kerala new year and the harvesting festival. Traditional food varieties including avail, sambhar, upperi and pachchadi were in great demand, favoured over the usual masala dosa, fried rice and noodles. “Almost the entire office was in traditional attire and all of them made it a point to partake in the traditional Onam feast. A huge floral carpet was also made in the morning,” said Malini Pollekkad, employed with a major IT firm in Keeranatham near Saravanampatti. Some city restaurants had also come up with 'Thiru Onam lunch kits' especially for those who did not want to spend their Onam sweating in the kitchen but still wanted to savour the spirit of the festival with their dear ones. Apart from natives of Kerala, some local residents also joined in the celebrations. It was a day to relax from their hectic schedule and meet friends and relatives. “Since it is a holiday we decided to have a small family get together and cook an Onam lunch at our residence. It was a good experience,” said L Mahesh Priya, a lecturer at a private college in Coimbatore. Keralites believe that they have to appear as happy and prosperous as they were in the days of Mahabali, the benevolent king, who returns to Kerala once a year to see his subjects. This was a boon he received from the Supreme God himself, Vishnu.

Onam is the most important festival of Kerala. This regional festival is celebrated every year to honor the demon-king Maha Bali and his reign. During the festival, homes are decorated with floral designs, boat races are organized, and family gatherings are held with festive dinners.  The great Emperor Mahabali was the grandson of Prahlada Maharaja. Unlike any other demon, Mahabali was a very good king and a great devotee of Lord Vishnu, too. During the reign of Mahabali, the world was like heaven and everyone was praising him in the three worlds. Lord Vishnu came as Vamana (the dwarf) to get rid of the pride of him.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

In the Vedic/Hindu tradition, there are many festivals that are observed throughout the year. There are major festivals and numerous minor ones, as well as those that are celebrated on a local or regional basis, which are celebrated differently according to the location, or even named differently. There are different festivals to celebrate the various incarnations of God, as well as those that honor the seasons, harvests, relationships, and certain principles of the Vedic culture. One of the major festivals is Onam: This festival marks the day on which the great devotee of Lord Vishnu Emperor Maha Bali, the grandson of Prahlada (the great devotee of Lord Narasimha), received benediction and liberation with the blessings of the Lord, who had assumed the form of Vamanadeva, the dwarf incarnation. Onam is celebrated in August-September, and especially in Kerala. Onam is a ten-day festival marked by women creating beautiful floral patterns in front of their houses, pujas for Lord Vishnu, feasting and boat races.

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

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

REPEAT ABORTIONS LINKED TO PREMATURE BIRTH

ABORTIONS INCREASE RISK OF HAVING
PRETERM OR LOW-BIRTH WEIGHT BABIES

www.bbc.co.uk - The more abortions a woman has before her first child, the more likely she is to give birth prematurely, a study has suggested. Data from all 300,858 first-time mothers in Finland between 1996 and 2008 was analysed. The study showed women were three times more likely to have a very premature baby, born before 28 weeks, if they had had three or more abortions. The report was published in the journal Human Reproduction. The overall risk was still low, the study suggested. Being born too soon is linked to higher risks of infection, hypothermia and death. The study showed there would be three babies born before 28 weeks for every 1,000 women who had never had an abortion, four per 1,000 who had had one abortion, six in those who had had two abortions and 11 if the woman had had three or more abortions. There were similar figures for babies born before 37 weeks and for low birth weight. However, only 0.3% of women in the study had had three or more abortions before their first child. Researchers cannot say for certain that abortions result in premature births, merely that they had spotted a link between the two. However, they suggest that surgical abortions could increase the risk of infection, which could affect future pregnancies.

The lead researcher Dr Reija Klemetti, from the National Institute for Health and Welfare in Helsinki, said: “Our results suggest that induced abortions before the first birth, particularly three or more abortions, are associated with a marginally increased risk during the first birth. However, the increased risk is very small, particularly after only one or even two abortions, and women should not be alarmed by our findings.” Andrew Whitelaw, a professor of neo-natal medicine at the University of Bristol, said: “While pre-term birth before 37 weeks' gestation exposes an infant to a modest but definite increased risk of a range of serious problems including brain injury and death, birth before 28 weeks exposes the infant to a hugely increased risk of death, brain injury and permanent disability. Thus an increase, after three or more abortions, of nearly threefold in the odds of having an infant born before 28 weeks is worrying. The steadily increasing survival of very pre-term infants should not be interpreted as a solution to the problem of pre-term birth. Increased survival of infants under 28 weeks is at the cost of increased survival of infants with disability.”

While abortion and women's rights is still a hotly contested topic in modern politics, researchers are doing their part to inform the public on the clinical dangers of the abortion for both the mother and any future offspring she may have. While It has already been proven that one or more abortions affects a women's fertility rate, now researchers have shown that women who had had three or more abortions have a higher risk of some adverse birth outcomes, such as delivering a baby prematurely or with a low birth weight. In general, society does not raise his voice in defense of unborn babies, and this is the demonstration of the spiritual crisis ​​in which we live.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

The idea of abortion shows the depth of the crisis of values found in our so-called “modern society”. The government tries to protect the interests of consumers, industrial people, pensioners, etc. Could it be that these creatures have no rights just because they can talk about their needs and express their desire to live? How to be denied protection to them? The legalization of abortion will be the burial of the grace and dignity of man and the politician class, too. ... Ignoring the law is no excuse to transgress it although abortion was legalized, it would be a violation of the laws of nature (Law of Karma: Justice infallible. Eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth) in other words action and reaction, both individually and collectively. Earthquakes in Popayan or Mexico are reactions, they are not coincidences. We are responsible for what we do and what we fail to do, too. ... We must strive to achieve the purification of our existence by wholeheartedly promoting compassion, truthfulness, internal and external cleaning, in realizing our eternal life.

Śrīla Bhakti Bimala Harijan Swami Mahārāja :
“Industrialization of Abortion”
http://bhaktivimalaharijanswamiconferencias.blogspot.com.ar/
http://bhaktipedia.org/espanol/index.php?n=harijan_bv.harijan_bv
http://bhaktipedia.org/espanol/index.php?n=harijan_bv.industrializacion_aborto

Published by dasavatara das - "Vedic Views on World News"
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YOGA STRESS RELIEF FOR SOLDIERS

YOGA REDUCES COMBAT STRESS
AND PTSD IN U.S. SOLDIERS

www.huffingtonpost.com - Faced with the highest army suicide rates in at least 30 years, U.S. military officials are examining ways to help treat psychologically wounded soldiers. A small 2012 study published in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy found yoga reduced symptoms of combat stress and PTSD. The study was conducted among U.S. active duty military personnel deployed in Iraq. U.S. researchers administered nine sessions of the "Yoga Warrior method" to 35 U.S. air force and army personnel for three weeks, and this group was compared to another group of 35 personnel who did not receive any therapy. Tests assessing emotional responses and daily journals were obtained from the participants. 
The Yoga Warrior method, developed by yoga and occupational therapists, includes Hatha yoga and sensory-based occupational therapy techniques. The researchers found the yoga group had significantly greater improvement in mental health and quality of life than the control group. Furthermore, the yoga participants reported sleep improvement, increased feelings of calm, and reduced anger.

"The results support using sensory-enhanced Hatha Yoga for proactive combat stress management," the study authors conclude. A very small pilot study conducted at Walter Reed Army Medical Center reports that Yoga Nidra relieved PTSD symptoms in soldiers returning home from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Integrative Restoration (iREST) program was created by Dr. Richard Miller, a clinical psychologist and co-founder of the International Association of Yoga Therapists and the Institute for Spirituality and Psychology. 
Yoga Nidra, also known as yogic sleep, is a meditative practice that brings calmness and deep relaxation. The researchers found that PTSD symptoms including anxiety decreased and feelings of being in control increased among the participants. "As a result of these findings, Walter Reed Health Deployment Clinical Center has integrated Yoga Nidra protocol (now called 'Integrative Restoration, or iRest) into its treatment program for soldiers rotating through the Clinical Center," the study authors write. "Soldiers receive 12 iRest sessions during their three-week rotation through the clinic."

The increased risk of suicide among U.S. army members is linked to combat service and mental health problems like post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).  Approximately 18.5 % of returning soldiers from Iraq or Afghanistan have PTSD which is an anxiety disorder that may occur after exposure to a traumatic event such as military combat, violence or a natural calamity. To 2011, the military has diagnosed 78,000 cases of PTSD, but the Veteran's Administration says the real number is closer to 800,000. Research reports that Yoga practice can help relieve PTSD symptoms like psychological distress, anxiety and sadness. Now the U.S. military is successfully turning to Yoga to help manage combat stress and decrease the risk of PTSD and suicide.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Regular practice of Yoga has become essential for every person today. Good health is unimaginable without it. Patients get vital life energy and good health with regular practice of yoga and pranayama. A diseased person can become healthy and strong and enjoy good longevity if he takes up Yoga.  Asanas can be classified into several categories. The patient should choose the Asana depending on their illness to get best results. Meditative Asanas: Siddhasana, Swastikasana, Padmasana, Vajrasana - Relaxing Asanas: Shavasana, Makarasana, Balasana -  Strengthening Asanas: Pavanmuktasana, Naukasana, Sarvangasana, Matsyasana, Halasana, Chakrasana, Bhujangasana, Shalabhasana, Dhanurasana, Ardhamatysendrasana, Gomukhasana, Mandookasana, Ushtrasana, Sputa Vajrasana, Ekpadagreevasana, Paschimottasana, Akarna Dhanurasana, Yogamudrasana, Tolangulasana, Sinhasana, Parvatasana, Tadasana, Katichakrasana, Trikonasana, Vrikshasana, Garudasana, Utkatasana, Padhastasana, Gorakshasana, Bakasana, Shirshasana, etc.

Remedy Spot.com
“Practice Yoga and be Healthy”
Health, Ayurveda, Yoga and Natural Healing
Posted by The Editor - Published on 11-23-2010
http://www.remedyspot.com/articles/138-practice-yoga-healthy.html
http://www.remedyspot.com/articles/section/117-yoga-pranayama.html

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

BRIDE DROWNS WHILE MODELLING WEDDING GOWN

QUEBEC BRIDE DROWNED DURING
‘TRASH THE DRESS’ PHOTO SHOOT

http://news.nationalpost.com - The bride who died during a photo shoot in Quebec last week when her wedding dress became heavily soaked in a river, dragging her into the water and causing her to drown, was participating in growing trend called “trash the dress.” Maria Pantazopoulos, 30, had married in June and wanted to immortalize her wedding dress with Friday’s photo shoot, family friend Leeza Pousoulidis told the Montreal Gazette. “Trash the dress” is a style of post-wedding photography that features the bride in her dress in an unconventional setting, often using water or other environmental factors that effectively ruin the garment. “She’s a really fun girl, and she just didn’t want her wedding dress sitting in a box in the closet,” Pousoulidis told The Gazette. “She said ‘I want to have fun with my wedding dress. I want to have great pictures and memories of me in my wedding dress.’” Wedding photographer Louis Pagakis was taking photos of Pantazopoulos in the Ouareau River in Rawdon, 75 kilometres northeast of Montreal, when the weight of her dress pulled her into the current.

The photographer's girlfriend, Anouk Benzacar, added that the bride wanted a picture of herself floating in the water, so she moved out to a deeper part of the river where she couldn't touch the bottom. Pantazopoulos' photographer, Louis Pagakis, told CTV News that the woman knew how to swim, but that the weight of her soaking wet dress dragged her down. The photographer and his assistant were unable to lift her out - she was pulling him under with her - and she was swept away by a strong current. “I tried to save her. I jumped in…I was screaming, yelling. Somebody else came…We tried our best to save her but we couldn't save her,” Pagakis told CTV Montreal. “When she let go, he freaked,” Benzacar said. “He dove to try to find her, but he couldn't.” The dress, saturated in water, would have weighed at least 100 pounds, provincial policeman Jean-Michel Masse told QMI Agency. “It was like an anvil,” Masse said. Pantazopoulos had been married on June 9th. Her husband, Billy, was not at the photo shoot. Two police officers arrived on scene and jumped into the water but could not find her. A scuba diver who heard about the accident arrived on scene and found her body two hours later.

“Trash the dress” photography sessions can include dangerous situations for brides. Some brides set their gowns on fire. Others go for a swim. Some hop rickety fences, others explore garbage dumps and abandoned buildings in order to have artistic photos taken of the wedding gown being destroyed in this joyous but potentially risky celebration. Another photographer, Mario Michaud told CTV Montreal, “Brides think they're getting a beautiful picture, but they don't realize how heavy a wet wedding dress can be.” Michaud cautions brides to ensure they're not risking their lives for the perfect shot, because “the alluring beauty of the spot belies its potential for danger.” Our human life is valuable and we ought not to risk losing it by just looking for fun.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

The average lifetime of a human being consists of many days and nights, so major scares are bound to come up every now and then, incidents which bring a person to the verge of death or some other major calamity. If one is lucky enough to survive these scares, they should take every opportunity to prevent them from reoccurring. Some things such as accidents and natural disasters are more or less unavoidable, but other scares come about through choices that are made. ... Harmful behavior can only be eradicated if we have a higher engagement. Simple abstention is not enough since it is the nature of the human spirit to be active. We need to be doing something at all times, even if it involves passive activities such as watching television or sitting on the couch. ... So what can be done? The Vedas, the ancient scriptures of India, tell us that the living entities need a higher engagement, something which transcends all other activities. ... Due to our constitutional makeup, we are already inclined towards this activity. This discipline is known as bhakti-yoga, or devotional service.

“Krishna'sMercy.org - Jai Shri Krishna :
“Dangerous Behavior” - Written by: Keshava - Posted on July 17, 2010
http://www.krishnasmercy.org/dotnetnuke/
http://krishnasmercy.wordpress.com/2010/07/17/dangerous-behavior/

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

IN A STARVING NATION, LUXURY FOR A FEW

N KOREA’S FIRST LADY SPORTS DIOR PURSE
DESPITE NATIONWIDE FOOD SHORTAGES

http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com - The South Korean news media, which scrutinizes every photo of the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, zeroed weeks ago on one particular photo released by the North’s state-run news agency. It shows Mr. Kim watching an art performance by soldiers during a military visit, the first reported in the North Korean media since he fired the top army leader, Vice Marshal Ri Yong-ho, on July 15. But the photo also showed his wife, Ri Sol-ju, with something most North Korean women have never heard of, much less owned: a Christian Dior handbag. South Korean journalists did not take long to identify Ms. Ri’s handbag and, assuming it is genuine, its going price in Seoul: 1.8 million won, or $1,600. That is about 16 times the average monthly wage of a North Korean worker in the Gaeseong industrial park, a joint venture between North and South Korea that provides some of the best-paying jobs in the impoverished North. Ms. Ri has drawn international attention since she began accompanying her husband in public early last month. Her expensive-looking designer suits stand out among the North Korean elites, who typically wear olive-colored military uniforms and drab Mao suits.

Some outside analysts even consider her appearance as a sign of potential change in leadership and even lifestyle that Mr. Kim could bring about as a youthful leader who studied in Europe as a teenager. (Recent visitors to Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, reported seeing miniskirts, high heels, Nike hats and Hello Kitty cellphone accessories.) But Ms. Ri’s fashionable style magnifies how disconnected the ruling Kim family remains from the public. A famine in the 1990s killed numerous North Koreans and drove many others to flee to China and South Korea. The regime still cannot feed its own people and needs outside aid. But the Kim family has lived in style. The United Nations reported in June that two-thirds of North Koreans still faced grave food shortages. Last week, it began supplying urgent humanitarian aid after the North reported that nearly 200 people were killed and vast tracts of farmland damaged by flooding. During his latest visit to a military unit, Mr. Kim was quoted as saying, “It is good to regularly provide every soldier with at least 200 grams of beans every day,” according to the North’s state-run Korean Central News Agency.

Ri Sol-ju, wife of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, was spotted sporting a luxury Christian Dior purse weeks ago. The bag, identified as a Lady Dior Clutch, retails for about $1,600 in South Korea, which is roughly the equivalent of an average North Korean worker’s annual salary. The extravagances of Kim and his recently unveiled wife have come under intense scrutiny as North Korea continues to suffer from chronic food shortages. In June, the U.N. warned that two-thirds of North Korea’s population would face critical challenges in staving off starvation. The impoverished country continues to be one of the most closed and tightly controlled in the world. Though it seems it makes exceptions for Christian Dior imports.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

In the Vedas there are definite instructions defining how a king, commander-in-chief, soldier and citizen should behave. Unfortunately there are many so-called philosophers in the present age who give instruction without citing authority, and many leaders follow their unauthorized instruction. Consequently people are not happy. The modern theory of dialectical communism, set forth by Karl Marx and followed by communist governments, is not perfect. According to Vedic communism, no one in the state should ever starve. Presently there are many bogus institutions which are collecting funds from the public for the purpose of giving food to starving people, but these funds are invariably misused. According to the Vedic instructions, the government should arrange things in such a way that there will be no question of starvation. ... The Supreme Lord supplies the necessities of life to everyone, and there is no question of starvation. If anyone starves, it is due to the mismanagement of the so-called ruler, governor or president.

Śrīla A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda :
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (Bhāgavata Purāṇa) SB 4.22.45
Canto 4: "The Creation of the Fourth Order"
Chapter 22: Pṛthu Mahārāja’s Meeting with the Four Kumāras
Text 45 - http://vedabase.com/en/sb/4/22/45

Published by dasavatara das - "Vedic Views on World News"
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MARRIAGE DRIVES WOMEN TO DRINK

STUDY SHOWS AFTER MARRIAGE:
MEN DRINK LESS, WOMEN MORE

www.upi.com/Health_News - Men who drink tend to stem their alcohol use once they marry, while women tend to increase their drinking after marriage, U.S. researchers found. Corinne Reczek of the University of Cincinnati, Tetyana Pudrovska of Pennsylvania State University, Deborah Carr of Rutgers University and Debra Umberson of the University of Texas at Austin found married men reported consuming the lowest number of drinks compared with single, divorced and widowed men. 
Researchers analyzed survey data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study to explore population trends in the relationship between marriage and alcohol. They also analyzed data from two in-depth interview studies, the Marital Quality Over the Life Course Project, conducted from 2003 to 2006, and the Relationships and Health Habits Over the Life Course Study, conducted from 2007 to 2010. They also found no matter what marital category the men were in - single, married, divorced or widowed - men drank more than women and had a higher proportion of drinking-related problems.

However, recently divorced men reported consuming a significantly greater average number of drinks than men in long-term marriages. Women who were recently divorced or had been divorced for a long time reported more drinking-related problems. Despite the stress of a break-up: divorced women generally drank less than those still with their husbands. “Our qualitative results suggest this occurs because men introduce and prompt women’s drinking, and because divorced women lose the influence of men’s alcohol use upon dissolution,” they concluded. 
“Additionally, our survey results show that continuously married men drink less than men in all other marital status groups, especially recently divorced men.” Researchers gauged alcohol consumption by total number of drinks consumed in a month. Overall, women tended to drink more after marriage because they were keeping up with their husbands, but married people tend to drink less than non-married people, the study said. The findings are scheduled to be presented at the 107th annual meeting of the American Sociological Association in Denver.

Sociologists from the University of Cincinnati (USA) found that married women generally drink more heavily than single women, widows or divorcees. By contrast, men who are happily married drink less than their bachelor friends and significantly less than divorced men. After divorce, men are much more likely than women to turn to alcohol. The reason: while women can help keep their husbands’ drinking habits under control, men are simply a bad influence on their wives. “This occurs because men introduce and prompt women’s drinking, and when divorced women lose the influence of men’s alcohol use upon dissolution.” As women have less tolerance to alcohol than men, beware of the bad influence you receive from your partner and look for a relationship with a view to a peaceful and virtuous life.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

The Grihastha ashram is marriage life based on God-conscious service and based on elevating principles such as truthfulness, cleanliness, austerity, charity, and compassion. On the opposite side is grhamedhi life, which means family life that is not based on these principles and is minus God as the center. ... In order to have successful, spiritually satisfying marriages, we need to cultivate healthy attitudes and have realistic expectations. And we want to avoid unreasonable ideas or undue negative attitudes about what marriage will be and what it will do for us. We should be aware that although marriage in this world will have challenges, it is a great chance to develop loving relationships by serving each other in Krsna consciousness. Setting appropriate goals and having a long-term vision and commitment is important in every Grihastha family. As part of this vision, when possible, support from elders should be sought after and appreciated.

Śrīmati Krsnanandini devi dasi, ACBSP :
"Positive and Realistic Vision"
Vaisnava Family Resources
http://www.vaisnavafamilyresources.org/
http://www.vaisnavafamilyresources.org/content/positive-and-realistic-vision

Published by dasavatara das - "Vedic Views on World News"
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CHINA FREES WOMAN DETAINED FOR FIGHTING RAPE CASE

CHINA FREES WOMAN DETAINED
FOR PROTESTING DAUGHTER'S RAPE

www.globalpost.com - After a woman was sentenced to a labor camp for protesting leniency for her daughter's rapist, Chinese authorities bent to public pressure and released her. When her 11-year-old daughter was kidnapped, raped and forced into prostitution in 2006, Tang Hui (a pseudonym being widely used in the media) was irate with the way the case was handled. After Tang found her daughter in a strip club and took her home, she reported the kidnapping to the authorities, who did nothing. She protested against the government's leniency for her daughter's rapists by standing in the streets of Hunan Province's Yongzhou city, blatantly flouting laws against protesting. She allegedly “blocked cars and the entrances of the buildings and shouted out loud” according the police statement and the Daily Beast. She “seriously disturbed social order” and “caused extremely bad social influences” and was arrested and sentenced - without a formal trial - to 18 months at a labor camp for reeducation. The case brought a flurry of criticism from citizens on the internet, as well as in mainstream, state-run media, and China has apparently acquiesced today, releasing Tang after reviewing her appeal.

According to an AP report from Beijing, China's official news agency has said the woman was released after the labor camp decided she was needed to care for her daughter, who is now 17. GlobalTimes, a Chinese news agency that was extremely critical of the situation in an op-ed on Tuesday, also noted that the Hunan Provincial Higher People's Court sentenced seven of the accused rapists in the case. Two of the defendants received the death penalty, four were given life sentences and another one received a 15-year term. It's good news for Tang, but when it comes to forced disappearances, China still has a long way to go to maintain the rule of law and get up to par on international human rights standards. Had it not been for a very public outcry against this case by the media and the internet (GlobalTimes reported that nearly 700,000 posts on Weibo expressed outrage and sympathy for Tang), she might have faced the same fate as countless other "criminals" or "troublemakers" China seeks to make disappear every year. Nicholas Bequelin, a Hong Kong-based senior researcher for Human Rights Watch said to the Daily Beast, “The police have a very expedient system for making people they consider troublesome disappear without any kind of due process."

A woman who had been sent to a labor camp in China's Hunan Province after petitioning for justice for her daughter - who was raped and forced into prostitution at age 11 - was released weeks ago. Tang Hui was sent to the Reeducation Through Labor Center for "seriously disturbing social order and exerting a negative impact on society" after she protested in front of local government buildings asking for justice to her daughter. "The Chinese government routinely uses state security charges against perceived critics and dissidents, and the incidence of enforced disappearances has sharply risen in recent years," said Human Rights Watch. The abuse of power and lack of justice are characteristic of the Age of Kali.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

The age we are living in now is the age of kali, which is compared to the winter season. ... The people and civilizations of this present age, Kali yuga, have actually diminished in good qualities as confirmed in the Shrimad Bhagavatam, “O learned one, in this iron age of Kali men have but short lives. They are quarrelsome, lazy, misguided, unlucky and, above all, always disturbed.” (S.B. 1.1.10) This is a quotation by Saunaka rishi to the sages of Naimisharanya. ... When the Personality of Godhead, Lord Krishna, left this earth planet in His selfsame form, from that very day Kali, who had already partially appeared, became fully manifest to create inauspicious conditions for those who are endowed with a poor fund of knowledge. Maharaja Yudhisthira was intelligent enough to understand the influence of the age of Kali, characterized by increasing avarice, falsehood, cheating and violence throughout the capital, state, home and among individuals.

“Summary Study of the Great Epic, Mahabharata”
Commentaries to the Adi Parva and Mahaprasthanika Parva.
http://philosophy.ru/library/asiatica/indica/itihasa/mahabharata/eng/gbmb01xt.html
http://philosophy.ru/library/asiatica/indica/itihasa/mahabharata/eng/gbmb17xt.html

Published by dasavatara das - "Vedic Views on World News"
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THE NATURAL LAWS OF GOD

WHO ENFORCES THE LAWS
OF NATURE IN THE UNIVERSE?

www.elnuevodiario.com.ni - Why the universe is subject to compliance with laws of nature? Scientists still can not completely understand natural laws because there is no logical necessity for the universe has to obey laws and far less laws governed by mathematical rules. Why the speed of light is always 300,000 kilometers/second? We tend to ignore these facts because we take them for granted, but things could have been quite different or even not have existed at all. The laws "are rules or regulations established by a higher authority to rule, ban or regulate anything." If God is not that "higher authority" in the universe, then who or what could be responsible for enforcing these laws? 
The origin of the universe requires the creation of energy. Creating energy can not occur by natural means. Therefore, the origin of the universe could not have occurred by natural means. Energy can not be created! The energy is transferred from one form to another. We can ask: Where was this energy before the Big Bang? What or who had that energy that was later transferred to the creation of the Universe?

Of all the possible causes of the energy source, the supernatural is the most credible. The explanations which say that energy came from nothing or "something by natural means" are not possible due to conflicts with the laws of physics. The unbelievers most likely say that this conclusion would only be made by ignorant people. However, they prove to have a greater ignorance because they defend something that is scientifically impossible. The explanation that the energy was originated on supernatural basis does not suffer the dilemma of natural contradictions. 
As we can see, scientists are still trying to shape theories to impose almost a duty to science in order to defend illogical theories without support of something that is likely. Fortunately, the idea that "everything came from nothing" is not only discarded by believers, but it is being questioned by reputable scientists, too. Christians are being mocked due the fact they have faith in God, but who have more faith, the ones who believe in God - to whom everything is possible -, or those who believe in impossible events?

The author of this nice article, Andrea Morales Bolaños, who has a degree in International Relations and Politics, says "God revealed to us through His word that He exists and that it is infinite, and now, centuries later science indirectly reveals the attribute of that infinite being through the energy that He Himself transferred to us." From time to time, there seems to be a need amongst scientists to develop a version of universal creation that leaves no room for a Supreme Creator, and thus many materialistic and even atheistic creation stories are presented. Scientists should be less arrogant and boastful and study the ancient scriptures which describes the cosmic manifestation as a Divinely guided process.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

The most recent (creation theory), called the Big Bang Theory, has gained wide acceptance by numerous scientists and scholars, but is now also running into problems. To explain it far too briefly, this is the theory that creation started from a single explosion or expansion of a condensed particle of matter, or a single kernel of energy as it has been called, a seed, smaller than an atom. The Vedic version of the universal creation is that it was created by the guidance of the Supreme Being and, indeed, has been steadily expanding. But this does not imply an unnatural Big Bang from which everything appeared. ...  In science you cannot go outside the creation to find its cause. However, the Vedic version does indeed take us to the point before there was anything at all in the cosmic creation. That is the difference. The Vedic version points out that the cause of the creation is indeed outside the universe, just as an architect for a building may be living outside the building, someplace else rather than within it. Science still owes a lot to religion.

Stephen Knapp (Śrīpad Nandanandana dasa) :
"Another Creation Theory Bites the Dust"
http://www.stephen-knapp.com  -  http://www.stephenknapp.info/
http://www.stephen-knapp.com/another_creation_theory_bites_the_dust.htm

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

EATING EGG YOLKS AS DANGEROUS AS SMOKING

NO YOLK: EATING THE WHOLE
EGG AS DANGEROUS AS SMOKING

http://kplr11.com (CNN) - A new study suggests eating egg yolks can accelerate heart disease almost as much as smoking. The study published online in the journal Atherosclerosis found eating egg yolks regularly increases plaque buildup about two-thirds as much as smoking does. Specifically, patients who ate three or more yolks a week showed significantly more plaque than those who ate two or less yolks per week. It may seem harsh to compare smoking with eating egg yolks, but lead study author Dr. David Spence says researchers needed a way to put it into perspective since both eating cholesterol and smoking increase cardiovascular risks – but the general public believes smoking is far worse for your health. 
The issue is with the yolk, not the egg, says Spence, who is also a professor of neurology at the University of Western Ontario’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry. “One jumbo chicken egg yolk has about 237 milligrams of cholesterol.” Keeping a diet low in cholesterol is key, says Spence. Even if you are young and healthy, eating egg yolks can increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases later.

“Just because you are 20 doesn’t mean egg yolks aren’t going to cause any trouble down the line,” Dr. Spence says. For those patients with increased coronary risk, such as diabetics, eating an egg yolk a day can increase coronary risk by two to five-fold, he adds. Atherosclerosis, also called coronary artery disease, occurs when plaque builds up in the blood vessels leading to the heart, specifically the inner arterial wall, and limits the amount of blood that can pass through. Using data from more than 1200 people in London, it appeared those who ate three or more egg yolks a week had significantly more plaque in their arteries than those who ate less. 
The study confirms what doctors already know about eating cholesterol and cardiovascular disease, says Dr, Gordon Tomaselli, chief of cardiology at John Hopkins University School of Medicine and the former president of the American Heart Association. “Cholesterol intake should be limited to 300 milligrams a day, particularly in people who have underlying heart disease,” he says.

Eggs are typically considered a ‘superfood,’ full of protein, vitamins and fatty acids.  However, a new study suggests the cholesterol in egg yolks is almost as dangerous as smoking cigarettes. Researchers found that eating egg yolks regularly increased the thickness of arterial plaque approximately two-thirds as much as smoking would. This warns that for those over 40, the number of egg yolks consumed per week accelerates the thickening of arteries almost as severely as does cigarette smoking. In addition, eggs are products of cruel unnecessary violence on the poor hens performed daily in factory farms.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Spoon Revolutionaries reject all that is harmful to our health and the health of the planet in general ... We have the right to know what we eat, where it comes from, who produces it and what consequences it brings. We have to know and can choose what suits us. If our diet makes others suffer needlessly we are committed to change it and make more people aware of it. The Truly Revolution begins at your plate.. A member of the Spoon Revolution is a 100% vegetarian and he or she does not take the lives of any animals including birds and fish and even does not eat eggs that are the product of the most terrible concentration camps that exist in the world for hens . All that is on your plate should represent the ideals of the Spoon Revolution, and in that way you will be a True Revolutionary, otherwise you will be a hypocrite. It is impossible to consider a person who feels responsible for the environment and is still eating corpses.

Śrīla Bhakti Aloka Paramadvaiti Mahārāja :
"Manifesto of the Original Kingdom"
http://originalkingdom.com/
http://www.vedic-wisdom.org/
http://www.larevoluciondelacuchara.org/quienes_somos/manifiesto.htm

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

EX-TEACHER GETS 5-YEAR PRISON TERM FOR STUDENT SEX

FORMER HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER GETS 5
YEARS AFTER GROUP SEX WITH STUDENTS

www.foxnews.com - A former Texas high school teacher was convicted Friday after having sex with five 18-year-old students at her home. The Tarrant County jury decided on the sentence for Brittni Nicole Colleps, 28, of Arlington after nearly three hours of deliberation. It took jurors less than an hour to find her guilty earlier in the day of 16 counts of having an inappropriate relationship between a student and teacher. The second-degree felony is punishable by two to 20 years in prison per count. She showed little emotion as the guilty verdict was read. The teacher had sex with five of her students at her home over two months in 2011, authorities said. Colleps is married and has three children. 
She turned herself in after a cellphone video of one encounter that involved multiple students emerged. That video was shown a trial. Three former students who testified Thursday said that they did not consider themselves victims and did not want to see their former English teacher prosecuted. The three were football and track athletes. Arlington police Detective Jason Houston testified that charges were filed because "18 or not, it's a crime" for a teacher to have sex with her students.

Two former students told jurors their relationships with Colleps began with the exchange of text messages that quickly turned sexual. A 19-year-old testified that he had gone to Colleps' home twice with friends and they all engaged in sexual conduct. A former student who is now 20 testified that he engaged in group sex and recorded his last encounter on a cellphone. He said initially the students spoke of the importance of keeping their activities quiet because they didn't want their teacher to get in trouble. The 20-year-old also said when school officials called him into the office to question him in May 2011, he denied the trysts at first because "I was trying to save her." 
Colleps' husband was serving in the military overseas at the time of the encounters. Christopher Colleps said Friday that he is mad at his wife, but stands by her "because 'til death do us part means 'til death do us part." Putting her in jail would punish him and their children for something they had no control over, he said. He said he was very angry and hurt by his wife's actions, but admitted the two of them have had group sex with other consenting adults in the past. He also said people who call him an idiot for wanting to remain married to her just don't understand.

An ex North Texas High school teacher, Brittni Nicole Colleps, 28, was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison for having sex with five 18-year-old students at her home. Jurors found Colleps, married and mother of three, guilty of having inappropriate relationship between a student and teacher, regardless of age. Despite the accusations against his wife, Christopher Colleps is choosing to stand by her side. He said he was very angry but admitted the two of them have had group sex with other consenting adults in the past. Lust creates uncontrollable sexual urges which destroy the intelligence of a person. Lust is like a blazing fire, never leaving a person with any peace.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Lust is the source of all kinds of sexual drives. While regulated sex is necessary for procreation, lust tends to create uncontrollable sexual urges within a person. While modern media - and practically the entire modern society - portrays passionate lust as a gateway to unlimited bodily pleasures, such a conception is in reality short-lived and treacherous; it is individually frustrating and socially disastrous. Enamored by erotic fantasies, a person tries to enjoy in newer ways and with newer partners. But each successive experience leaves him increasingly disappointed - and craving for more. For the highest pleasure the body can offer is heartbreakingly brief. Frustrated in his quest for erotic enjoyment, such a person turns in despair to perverted sources of pleasure like smoking, drinking and drug abuse. As far as the family is concerned, uncontrolled lust in either or both of the spouses wreaks havoc in the lives of both of them as well as of their children.

Śrīpad Chaitanya Charan das :
"The Spiritual Scientist" - Vol 1 Issue 12
"Guided Missiles & Misguided Men"
http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/2011/12/men/

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