DEVOTEES THRONG SIVA TEMPLES IN LARGE NUMBERS

SIVA DEVOTEES CELEBRATED
SIVARATRI WITH GREAT FERVOUR

The Hindu - Times of India - Last week, Mahasivaratri was celebrated with piety and religious fervour at various Saivite shrines in many places of the world. The Chittoor district boasts of over a dozen important temples dedicated to Lord Siva, the prominent one being Srikalahasti, revered as ‘Dakshina Kashi’. As is the age-old practice, several devotees took a holy dip in the Swarnamukhi river and offered prayers with wet clothes at the Srikalahasti temple. Many women preferred to perform ‘Angapradakshinam’ (bodily rolling around the temple). 
The deities of Lord Sri Kalahastheeswara and Goddess Gnana Prasunambika were taken in a colourful procession respectively on ‘Indra Vimanam’ and ‘Chapram’ in the morning and on Nandi and Simha Vahanams in the evening. The famous ‘Lingodbhavam’ was performed at the next day.

Also last week, Siva temples across Visakhapatnam district came alive with teeming devotees offering special prayers for Maha Sivaratri. In the Port City, a gigantic Sivalingam made of 1.08 crore small Sivalingams, set up at the RK Beach drew thousands from all parts of the city and its surrounding areas. The Sivalingam was installed by the TSR Seva Peetham as part its 28th Maha Sivaratri Kumbhabhishekham. Another major attraction was a eight pushpa-lingam (made of flowers) put up at the Viswapriya Function Hall on Beach Road by the Brahma Kumaris. 
The ancient temples of Lord Siva at Draksharamam, Rajahmundry, Pithapuram, Kotipalli, Raali and Samalkot in East Godavari district, Kotilingeswara Swamy temple and Sri Mukhalingam in Srikakulam district, Ramatheertham and Punyagiri in Vizianagaram district and Vysakheswara temple, Appikonda and Lova in the district also saw a large number of devotees gathering to celebrate Sivaratri.

Last week, Maha Sivaratri was observed with religious fervor across all the world with various thousands of devotees thronging many Siva temples since the wee hours. The crowd of devotees swelled towards the evening when special alankaram and poojas were performed. Devotees patiently waited for hours together to have a glimpse of the Lord and also witnessed the alankarams. People offered milk and tender coconuts for the abhishekam. Sivaratri is the most important festival and it is believed that a devotee who sincerely worships Lord Siva on this auspicious day will be absolved of his or her sins. The day is also marked by fasts and prayers to the Lord who is also known as Mrityunjaya - the bestower of the boons of sound health, long life, prosperity, wealth contentment and peace. 

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Mahasivaratri is the most important festival dedicated to Lord Siva. This holy day is observed by millions of Hindus all over the world. It is one of Hinduism's most esoteric holy days, when yoga practices, mantras and meditation take the devotee closer to God's essence within the core of himself. Hindus typically fast, maintain silence and stay up all night to perform spiritual practices, such as worshiping, chanting and singing. ... Staying awake through the night is a sacrifice and a break from life's normal routine, a time out of time to be with God within, to reach for the realization of our true, immortal Self. Siva is known as Abhisheka Priya, “He who loves sacred ablutions,” and thus many temples and home shrines have water always dripping on the Sivalinga. On this special night, Sivalingas are bathed with special substances, sometimes several times. Mahasivaratri occurs on the night before the new moon in February/March.

Hinduism TODAY :
“Festivals: Mahasivaratri”
Magazine Web Edition  -  April/May/June 2010 
http://www.hinduismtoday.com/
http://www.hinduismtoday.com/modules/smartsection/item.php?itemid=5082

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

WHY MEAT HAS A DRUG PROBLEM

PIG MANURE REVEALS REASONS
TO WORRY ABOUT ANTIBIOTICS

http://science.time.com - Back in 2005 I spent more time than I care to remember in the backyard chicken farms of Asia. This was the time of the H5N1 avian flu, which broke out regularly in chickens and occasionally (with fatal effects) in human beings, and which always seemed to be one click of the genetic lock away from threatening the entire world. To prevent that mutation from happening - one of that would have allowed the deadly H5N1 virus to spread easily from person to person, like a human flu virus - health officials in affected countries would do their best to track and eradicate outbreaks as they occurred in animals, often by simply culling an afflicted flock.
But there was always one country where that plan never quite worked: China. Chinese chicken farmers had an unfortunate habit of prophylactically dosing their birds with Tamiflu, the only antiviral drug that showed any effectiveness against H5N1.

As a result, it became that much more difficult for health officials to track H5N1 outbreaks, because Tamiflu-dosed chickens could still get infected and spread the virus, but without showing the symptoms that would set off medical alarm bells. And overusing Tamiflu also eroded its effectiveness, as over time the H5N1 virus was able to develop a resistance to the drug. Had an H5N1 human pandemic ever occurred, we may well have been helpless. It’s no secret that Chinese farmers use high levels of antibiotics in animal feed. 
The question for researchers is whether that might be a direct cause of increasing antibiotic resistant infections in humans. For the PNAS paper, researchers actually sifted through the manure-enriched soil found near three large-scale Chinese pig farms, searching for the presence of antibiotic-resistant genes. Since the manure is often sold as fertilizer or washes downstream into rivers, those antibiotic-resistant genes can spread to other forms of bacteria, decreasing the overall effectiveness of the drugs in human beings.

Scientists try to connect the heavy use of antibiotics in animals with antibiotic resistance in people. However, according to Bryan Walsh (a senior editor at TIME), Chinese farmers are hardly alone in their reliance on drugs. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stated that in 2011, 29.9 million lbs. of antibiotics were sold in the U.S. for meat and poultry production - nearly four times the amount sold to treat sick people. "In China and in the U.S., drugs are likely to remain a part of commercial meat production - and the rest of us may pay the price," he warned. Undoubtedly, eating meat is very bad for health. 

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

The animals that are being raised for meat in the United States are diseased. The livestock industry attempts to control this disease by feeding the animals antibiotics. Huge quantities of drugs go for this purpose. Of all antibiotics used in the U.S., 55% are fed to livestock. But this is only partially effective because the bacteria that cause disease are becoming immune to the antibiotics. The percentage of staphylococcal infections resistant to penicillin, for example, has grown from 13% in 1960 to 91% in 1988. These antibiotics and-or the bacteria they are intended to destroy reside in the meat that goes to market. ... U.S. meat and pharmaceutical industries gave their full and complete support to the routine feeding of antibiotics to livestock, turning a blind eye to the threat of disease to the consumer.

Hinduism TODAY :
"How to Win an Argument with a Meat Eater"
Magazine Web Edition - July 1993 
http://www.eatveg.com/argument.htm
http://www.hinduismtoday.com/modules/smartsection/item.php?itemid=1044

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

VEGETARIANS CUT HEART RISK BY 32%

VEGETARIANISM: REDUCE

RISK OF HEART DISEASE

www.bbc.co.uk - (United Kingdom) Ditching meat and fish in favour of a vegetarian diet can have a dramatic effect on the health of your heart, research suggests. A study of 44,500 people in England and Scotland showed vegetarians were 32% less likely to die or need hospital treatment as a result of heart disease. Differences in cholesterol levels, blood pressure and body weight are thought to be behind the health boost. The findings were published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 
Heart disease is a major blight in Western countries. It kills 94,000 people in the UK each year, more than any other disease, and 2.6 million people live with the condition. The heart's own blood supply becomes blocked up by fatty deposits in the arteries that nourish the heart muscle. It can cause angina or even lead to a heart attack if the blood vessels become completely blocked.

Scientists at the University of Oxford analysed data from 15,100 vegetarians and 29,400 people who ate meat and fish. Over the course of 11 years, 169 people in the study died from heart disease and 1,066 needed hospital treatment - and they were more likely to have been meat and fish eaters than vegetarians. 
Dr Francesca Crowe said: "The main message is that diet is an important determinant of heart health. "I'm not advocating that everyone eats a vegetarian diet. The diets are quite different. Vegetarians probably have a lower intake of saturated fat so it makes senses there is a lower risk of heart disease." The results showed the vegetarians had lower blood pressure, lower levels of "bad" cholesterol and were more likely to have a healthy weight. Tracy Parker, from the British Heart Foundation, said: "This research reminds us that we should try to eat a balanced and varied diet - whether this includes meat or not.

A new study has shown that vegetarians have a 32% less chance of being admitted to a hospital or dying from some form of heart disease compared to people who are meat or fish eaters. The new study performed in Britain found that the risk difference is most likely caused by the effects on the level of cholesterol along with blood pressure, and underscores how important the role of an individual’s diet is in preventing heart disease. But be careful, While vegetarians are less likely to die from heart disease, vegetarian meals can contain large amounts of salt and saturated fats. So, even if you are a vegetarian you should consume in moderation foods high in sugar and refined grains and take a balanced and healthy diet.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Heart attack is the most common cause of death in the U.S., killing one person every 45 seconds. ... The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) - a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. - stated in their 1991 literature, "A vegetarian diet has been advocated by everyone from philosophers, such as Plato and Nietzsche, to political leaders, such as Benjamin Franklin and Gandhi, to modern pop icons such as Paul McCartney and Bob Marley. Science is also on the side of vegetarian foods. A multitude of studies have proven the health benefits of a vegetarian diet to be remarkable." PCRM literature lists a host of health benefits of a vegetarian diet, including the following: Preventing cancer, heart disease and lowering blood pressure; preventing and reversing diabetes; preventing and alleviating gallstones, kidney stones, osteoporosis, and asthma.

Hinduism TODAY :
"How to Win an Argument with a Meat Eater"
Magazine Web Edition - July 1993 
http://www.eatveg.com/argument.htm
http://www.hinduismtoday.com/modules/smartsection/item.php?itemid=1044

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

MORE MALAYSIANS GOING GREEN

INCREASINGLY HIGH NUMBER OF
MALAYSIANS BECOME VEGETARIANS

http://news.asiaone.com - Malaysia has one million vegetarians and the numbers are growing, steadily. Most Malaysians who become vegetarians opt either for the lacto (who take dairy products), lacto-ovo (dairy and eggs), vegan (no dairy products, eggs, onions or garlic), raw food or even the fruitarian diet. 
Malaysian Vegetarian Society president Dr P. Vythilingam says many Malaysians are also becoming vegetarian for religious and health reasons. “By going green, Malaysians are realising that they can stay healthy. Vegetarians are also not worried whether they are getting a balanced diet or enough proteins because studies have shown that we can get plant proteins from soy and legumes,” he says. Countries that are seeing a surge in vegetarianism include Taiwan, Singapore, America and Indonesia. Asia's economic powerhouses India and China, combined, have hundreds of millions of vegetarians.

Dr Vythilingam, who is converting to veganism, says compared with 20 years ago, vegetarian food is easily available in Malaysia but more could be done to have eateries serving a good mix of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. “Eateries should be sensitive to the needs of the vegetarian and must serve a decent variety of vegetarian dishes”, he says.
Mother of three Bina Patel, was born and bred a vegetarian. “My husband who is a vegetarian has become a vegan and we have followed suit. I want my children to grow up healthy and as parents, we want to give them the best, she says. The government also should promote vegetarianism because it is good for the body to consume less meat and eat more greens and fruits. Malaysia has three cabinet ministers who are vegetarians but the awareness is still not up to par as many countries in this region.” The three cabinet ministers are Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam and Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri G. Palanivel.

The South East Asian nation of Malaysia is a haven for vegetarian delicacies. Its inhabitants  have been waving the vegetarian flag for centuries now. Alternative medicine practitioner Dr Happy Tong Chan Wah, who was once a meat lover and now a vegan for 20 years, has no regrets converting to veganism. “I feel a lot lighter and healthier. Of course in the early years it was hard because there were not many places that served vegetarian food but today, it is a different story because even in a restaurant that serves meat and seafood, they will make vegetarian dishes upon request. Vegetarian food is also the healthier choice because it digests fast and is low in fat and calories. As vegan, we eat smaller but regular meals and it is good for our digestive system,” he explains.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

All Hindu scriptures extol nonviolence and a meatless diet as being crucially important in the  successful practice of worship and yoga. Most Hindu monastic orders are vegetarian. For centuries,  Hindu temples and ashrams have served only vegetarian food. ... Vegetarianism, called Shakahara in Sanskrit, is an essential virtue in Hindu thought and practice. It is rooted in the spiritual aspiration to maintain a balanced state of mind and body. Hindus also believe that eating meat is not only detrimental to one’s spiritual life, but also harmful to one’s health and the environment. Most Hindus  strive to live in the consciousness that their choice of foods bears consequences, according to the law of karma. Even the word “meat,” mamsa, implies the karmic law of cause and effect. Mam means “me” and Sa means “he,” intimating that the giver of pain will be the receiver of that same pain in equal measure.

Hinduism Today :
“Vegetarianism and Meat-Eating in 8 Religions”
By Jane Srivastava, South Carolina
April/May/June 2007  - http://www.hinduismtoday.com/

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

WORMS IN KFC FRIED CHICKEN SANDWICH

KFC OUTLET SHUT IN INDIA
AFTER WORM IN CHICKEN COMPLAINT

www.bbc.co.uk - Authorities in the Indian state of Kerala have shut down a restaurant of fast-food giant KFC after a customer complained that he had been served a chicken meal containing live worms. KFC said that it was “investigating the incident” but the “likelihood of it happening was almost close to negligible”. Authorities say they found worms in the chicken when they inspected the eatery. Fast-food restaurants have become immensely popular in India.
The incident was reported at KFC's restaurant in the state capital, Trivandrum, which opened recently and has been doing brisk business. 
Though the restaurant staff sought to prevent the officials from conducting searches, they had their way. They took samples of various dishes served in the hotel for detailed examination and analysis. KFC denied the allegation, saying such a thing was not possible.

Kerala's food safety authorities ordered a “temporary closure” of the restaurant last week after receiving the complaint from a customer, who came to the restaurant with his family. “We came here after we received a complaint from a customer who said he found live worms in his chicken. When we inspected the place, we found worms in the fried chicken,” said Sivakumar of Kerala's Food Safety Authority. 
It is believed to be the one of the first times such an incident has been reported from a foreign fast-food chain in India. In a statement sent to the BBC, KFC said it was “aware of a recent inspection conducted by the local authorities at our restaurant in Trivandrum”. 
The complaint was made by Shaiju, an NRI, who had come to the busy eatery along with his wife, son and two relatives. Shaiju was overcome by nausea and vomited as soon as he saw the dead worm in the chicken served to him.

The ghost of the past came to haunt Kentucky Fried Chicken or KFC when officials from the Food Safety Department in Kerala (India) raided a Thiruvananthapuram outlet last week following complaints of worms in the chicken served. Authorities seized some chicken that was allegedly as much as five months old. They are also investigating nearby branches, out of fear that the worms got into the food at a central plant in the region. Food experts say that the issue of worms in chicken is likely to hit the brand hard as consumers are likely to be cautious now when they walk into a KFC outlet. It is very important that India return to its glorious past that includes Vegetarianism which is known in Sanskrit as Shakahara. Vegetarianism was for thousands of years a principle of health and environmental ethics throughout India.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

All of our actions including our choice of food have karmic consequences. By involving oneself in the cycle of inflicting injury, pain and death, even indirectly by eating other creatures, one must in the future experience in equal measure the suffering caused. Food is the source of the body's chemistry, and what we ingest affects our consciousness, emotions and experiential patterns. If one wants to live in higher consciousness, in peace and happiness and love for all creatures, then he cannot eat meat, fish, shellfish, fowl or eggs. By ingesting the grosser chemistries of animal foods, one introduces into the body and mind anger, jealousy, fear, anxiety, suspicion and a terrible fear of death, all of which are locked into the flesh of butchered creatures. For these reasons, Shakaharis live in higher consciousness and Mansaharis abide in lower consciousness.

Hinduism Today :
“How to Win an Argument with a Meat Eater”
“Five Reasons to Be a Vegetarian”
http://www.eatveg.com/argument.htm
http://www.hinduismtoday.com/

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