U.N. MEET’S FOCUS ON POVERTY

“2010 STAND UP, TAKE ACTION”
GLOBAL CAMPAIGN AGAINST POVERTY

(AFP) - The world’s conflicts, crises and diplomatic dramas - from stumbling efforts to cut poverty to Iran’s nuclear drive and Pakistan’s flood disaster - will be debated and disputed by global leaders from Monday at the annual U.N. summit. Presidents Barack Obama of the United States and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran and China’s Premier Wen Jiabao will be among about 140 Heads of State and Government attending a Millennium Development Goals (MDG) summit and then the U.N. General Assembly. World leaders will have a hard time convincing doubtful aid agencies that they are serious about meeting the eight big development goals that were set at the Millennium summit in 2000 with a target date of 2015. They will try at a review summit from Monday to Wednesday. Targets such as cutting abject poverty by half, child under-five mortality by two thirds, halting the spread of AIDS and empowering women are all looking too ambitious, according to experts. But none of the leaders is yet admitting defeat.

The “Stand up, Take action, End poverty” is a campaign co-ordinated globally by the UN Millennium Development Campaign and Global Call to Action Against Poverty. “I know there is scepticism but this MDG is a promise, a blueprint, by the world leaders to lift billions of people out of poverty. This must be met and delivered,” U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told AFP in an interview ahead of the summit. “World leaders are heading toward an extraordinary collective failure unless they deliver an urgent rescue package to get the MDGs back on track, ensuring that nobody goes to be hungry and even the poorest can take their children to a doctor when they are sick,” said Oxfam spokeswoman Emma Seery.


For the poor of the world, global economic and financial crisis has been heightened in recent times due to rising food and fuel prices, plus the loss of jobs that led to a decline in money remittances from overseas which workers usually send to their homes, plus the fact that many of them are being expelled from the countries where they had gone to seek work. Poverty is cruel but the worst poverty is the lack of love and compassion towards others.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

From Madre Teresa’s tender voice emerged the words of her heart: “The greatest problem in this world is hunger. Not hunger of the stomach but hunger of the heart. All over the world both the rich and the poor are suffering. They are lonely, starving for love.” Her gaze opened Radhanath Swami’s heart to her every word. “Only God’s love can satisfy the hunger of the heart. There is no other solution.” She waved her hand in dismissal of her own work as meager. “Feeding the stomachs of the poor is not so difficult. Feeding the starving hearts of humanity with God’s love - that is the great challenge. You see, our hearts must be pure to give that love.” Her dedication to the mission of Jesus Christ was like an ocean, her every expression like a wave in that ocean. She continued, “Poverty is not only lack of a piece of clothing, but a lack of human dignity and the beautiful virtue of purity. Poverty is a lack of respect for one another.”

Śrīla Radhanath Swami Mahārāja :
“Radhanath Swami Meets Mother Teresa”
http://www.radhanath-swami.net/
http://www.radhanath-swami.info/Radhanath_Swami_Meets_Mother_Teresa.php
http://radhanathswami.blogspot.com/2010/06/secret-of-mother-teresas-enthusiasm-to.html

POPE BENEDICT XVI HAS MADE HISTORY

BENEDICT XVI FIRST PONTIFF TO
STEP FOOT INSIDE LAMBETH PALACE

www.telegraph.co.uk - Pope Benedict XVI joined Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams for the highly-symbolic ecumenical service at Westminster Abbey. In what marked the first visit by any pope to the Abbey, the pontiff was presented to the Rev Dr Jane Hedges, canon steward of Westminster Abbey. The campaigner for women bishops joined a gathering of the Abbey’s chapter to greet the Pope as he arrived for the hour-long prayer service. Dr Hedges was also one of those leading prayers during the service, praying for the Queen, Government, elected representatives and community leaders. The introduction of women bishops in the Church of England, which moved a step closer this summer, has been opposed by the Vatican as a ‘‘break with apostolic tradition’’ and a ‘‘further obstacle’’ to any efforts at dialogue between the two churches. To add to the tensions, in July the Vatican listed the attempted ordination of a woman, just as sexual abuse of a child by a priest, as one of the gravest crimes for the Catholic Church.

Members of the 2,000-strong congregation started arriving at the Abbey hours before the service. Among their number were representatives from all churches in England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. The Pope spoke of the need for Christians to talk about their faith even though society had become “increasingly indifferent or even hostile”, and also about the successful efforts to unite the Christian communities since the Edinburgh Conference’s appeal for Christian unity 100 years ago. “In a society which has become increasingly indifferent or even hostile to the Christian message, we are all the more compelled to give a joyful and convincing account of the hope that is within us and to present the Risen Lord as the response to the deepest questions and spiritual aspirations of the men and women of our time.”

The Ecumenial Celebration at Westminster Abbey "reminded of how greatly the Christian faith shaped the unity and culture of Europe and the heart and spirit of the English people," the Pope said. As Vaishnavas, we must mantain nice relationships with other religious people and always be lovingly and generously disposed towards all others.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

The interreligious ecumenical development in the world is very positive. But it requires a lot of rethinking. For example, a big picture of devotees doing harināma was hanging in a Catholic monastery in Rome, showing their respect for the activities of the Vaishnavas. All these apparently open-minded approaches nevertheless, are interrupted by sectarian backlashes that easily get dangerous if we do not maintain very nice relationships with the other religions. ... The fact that today on interreligious forums the transcendental truth on Vaishnavism can be exposed and will be listened to by serious practitioners of other religions, is a revolutionary platform. Of course it also means that we must be ready to listen to their theological understandings. Practically there are interreligious forums all over the world now. It would be nice if the Vaishnavas make contact and participate in their functions ... needless to say, such devotees should be well prepared and unconditionally friendly.

Śrīla Bhakti Aloka Paramadvaiti Mahārāja :
“Vishva Vaishnava Raj Sabha - WVA”
“A Study about the Past, Present & Future of the World Vaishnava Association”
“What is the purpose of the Interreligious Communication Committee?”
http://bhaktipedia.org/espanol/index.php
http://www.vina.cc/stories/BRHATMRDANGA/2002/12/wva_book.html

SMOKING BANS HELP CHILDREN WITH ASTHMA

SMOKING BANS HELP CURB
KIDS’ SEVERE ASTHMA ATTACKS

ATLANTA - New research shows that smoking bans spare many children with asthma from being hospitalized, a finding that suggests smoke-free laws have even greater health benefits than previously believed. Other studies have charted the decline in adult heart attack rates after smoking bans were adopted. The new study, conducted in Scotland, looked at asthma-related hospitalizations of kids, which fell 13 percent a year after smoking was barred in 2006 from workplaces and public buildings, including bars and restaurants. Before the ban, admissions had been rising 5 percent a year in Scotland, which has a notoriously poor health record among European countries. Earlier U.S. studies, in Arizona and Kentucky, reached similar conclusions. But this was the largest study of its kind - and offered the strongest case that smoking bans can bring immediate health improvements for many people.

About 40 percent of American children who go to hospitals because of asthma attacks live with smokers. “The effects of smoke-free laws are way bigger than you would expect,” said Stanton Glantz, a University of California-San Francisco researcher who specializes in the health effects of smoking. Cigarette smoke is a trigger for asthma attacks. So researchers reasoned that tracking severe cases was perhaps the best way to measure a smoking ban’s immediate effect on children. Smoking bans have become increasingly common in the United States, where 35 states and the District of Columbia have laws that bar smoking in workplaces or restaurants and bars, or both. And more than 3,100 cities and towns have their own restrictions, according to the American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation.

“Acute asthma is the tip of the iceberg,” more easily tracked than less severe breathing problems, ear infections and other problems seen in children that have been linked to a caregiver’s smoking, said Terry Pechacek of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s office on smoking and health. Smoking is one of the unwanted things which are known as anarthas. If you simply chant the Holy Names, Krsna Himself will cleanse away your anarthas.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

There is still these anarthas in the heart and these anarthas are acting as magnets and they are attracting raja-guna and tamo-guna to cover us because when I have an anartha, when I have something unwanted, means it is illusory and I can’t get something illusory fulfilled if I am in the light of the truth by definition. ... Everyone here has experience of giving up some anartha and finding, “Why didn’t I do that a long time ago? It is wonderful!” You feel clean and refreshed like you just took a bath in a clear lake. ... So to get that courage that we can submit ourselves one has to develop some attachment to Krishna. One has to meditate on how wonderful Krishna is, how charming he is, how beautiful He is, how strong He is. Here we have descriptions of Him in the material world on how powerful He is. And if you can’t do that meditate on Him in water and light, gravity. How wonderful He is and after a while you will think, “I will do anything to get Him, whatever it takes. Kill me on the battlefield or whatever.”

Śrīmati Urmila devi dasi :
Live from Sri Mayapur Candrodaya Mandir
Class on the Srimad-Bhagavatam - Verse: 3.33.3
Date: February 24th, 2010
http://urmila.me.uk/
http://www.prabhupada.org/krishna/?cat=204
http://www.dandavats.com/?p=8218#more-8947

MALE HAIR MICRO-TRANSPLANT

HAIR IMPLANTS, THE BOOM
MALE COSMETIC SURGERY

www.elpais.com - 80% of men who consult a surgeon seeking to reverse baldness, the natural results obtained, and the now affordable costs generated a strong increase in demand of this type of surgery. 50% of men age 50 have some degree of baldness. This can manifest itself in different forms: prominent entries, receding hair line above it (the front of the forehead) and loss of hair on the back, forming a “ring” in which the scalp is visible. “Hair loss is due to androgenetic (hereditary) causes in more than 90% of cases - though not all have the same sensitivity to this genetic inheritance. The other 10% of cases of hair loss has various causes: from extreme stress to hair burns or injury to the scalp,” said the specialist in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Dr. Roberto Martinez Rinaldi. What was once taboo, is now a widespread and accessible option that allows reversing a process which seems to be irreversible by other ways. Today, a middle class man can access this type of surgery. The implants are becoming more natural and it is now nearly impossible to detect who has opted for this method of surgery.

The specialist said “out of the search for a more youthful appearance, there is now a strong social pressure to those who suffer from baldness. This has a clear psychological impact on the person. In recent years the man was progressively losing their time to openly discuss their possible step under the knife for aesthetic. In fact, liposuction and facial surgery are becoming more common currency. Currently, 80% of male patients who go under the knife are subject to micro-transplant hair,” said the doctor. Nowadays the cost of capillary is lower and due to the refinement of surgical micro-follicular techniques, the demand has increased.


The ‘boom’ of the implant capillary to reverse baldness is mainly because in recent times man growing concern to improve their physical appearance and for that resort to cosmetic surgery, hair implants, makeup and shoes with heels, among many other things. All this emphasizes the attachment to the material covering of the spirit soul and so the conceited man goes away from the path of spiritual progress.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

Being materially advanced means taking birth in an aristocratic family and possessing great wealth, an education and attractive personal beauty. All materialistic men are mad after possessing all these material opulences, and this is known as the advancement of material civilization. But the result is that by possessing all these material assets one becomes artificially puffed up, intoxicated by such temporary possessions. Consequently, such materially puffed up persons are incapable of uttering the holy name of the Lord by addressing Him feelingly, "O Govinda, O Krishna." It is said in the śāstras that by once uttering the holy name of the Lord, the sinner gets rid of a quantity of sins that he is unable to commit. Such is the power of uttering the holy name of the Lord. ... The principle of life should be to decrease the degree of material intoxication which leads one to be more and more illusioned about the aim of life. Grossly illusioned persons are quite unfit for entrance into the kingdom of God.

Śrīla A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda :
“The Śrīmad Bhāgavatam”
Purport in Canto 1 - Chapter 8 - Verse 26.

McDONALD’S TARGETED IN US HEALTH AD

UNHAPPY MEALS: ‘I WAS LOVIN’ IT’
TELEVISION AD ENRAGES McDONALD’S

NEW YORK (AFP) - In a television advert that could kill your appetite, an overweight, middle-aged man is seen lying dead in a morgue holding a half-eaten hamburger as a woman weeps over the linen-clad body. McDonald’s ubiquitous golden arches then trace the dead man’s feet with the text “I was lovin’ it,” a stinging pun on the fast-food chain’s long-running slogan “I’m lovin’ it.” A voiceover says, “high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart attacks. Tonight, make it vegetarian.” Produced by Washington-based health lobby Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), the commercial is set to be aired in Washington DC during the popular The Daily Show with Jon Stewart on Thursday. This PCRM, a non-profit research organisation that promotes preventive medicine, is launching the ad on local television in the US capital in a direct attack on McDonald’s - the world’s largest restaurant chain - and other fast food outlets. They said the commercial will air in other US cities with high rates of heart disease over the following months.

Even the first lady, Michelle Obama, is leading a campaign to encourage physical fitness and improved diets, particularly among American children, a third of whom are overweight. The PCRM said its survey showed that Washington has more McDonald’s, Burger King, and KFC outlets per square mile than eight other cities with similar population sizes. But the ad enraged McDonald’s. “This commercial is outrageous, misleading and unfair to all consumers. McDonald’s trusts our customers to put such outlandish propaganda in perspective, and to make food and lifestyle choices that are right for them,” spokeswoman Bridget Coffing said. McDonald’s has nevertheless seen its earnings grow in recent months despite the global economic crunch, as it has wheeled out a range of alternatives to its famous burgers.

McDonald's fast food is graphically linked to health problems in this ad from a doctors' group urging viewers: 'Tonight, make it vegetarian '. Despite the world’s biggest restaurant chain is furious over the ad, studies show that people who consume fast food are at a higher risk for obesity, a contributing factor to heart disease. We must learn to maintain and restore health through proper nutrition according to the needs of each one.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

The ideal diet is the one which is healthy balanced and vegetarian, suitable to our body and our particular way to be and that is consistent with the climate in which we live. The energy released from digested food should be of high quality, in order to form new healthy cells, to feel happy, active and energetic. ... There is no universal balanced diet, as it should be adapted mainly to the characteristics of each individual, but the vegetarian diet strictly excludes meat, eggs and fish. It is high in fiber, low in cholesterol and saturated fats and low in nitrogen and uric acid. The vegetarian diet prevents all types of physical, mental and spiritual illness. This diet consists of pure, simple, fresh and natural food. Simple meals aid the digestion and assimilation of foods and this promotes health. Eating freshly picked food, coming from nature of fertile lands (preferably organic food, free of chemicals and pesticides), and having high level of prana, help us to gain a better contribution to our nutritional needs.

Yoga Inbound :
“Health Inbound”
“Nutrition Inbound - Ideal Diet”
http://www.yogainbound.org/ws/salud-inbound
http://www.yogainbound.org/ws/salud-inbound/21-nutricion-inbound/39-dieta-ideal

SMOKELESS TOBACCO WON’T HELP SMOKERS QUIT

RESEARCHERS SAY SMOKELESS TOBACCO
ISN’T A SAFE ALTERNATIVE TO CIGARETTES

www.webmd.com - Smokeless tobacco products - whether chewed or used as dry or moist snuff - may increase the risk of heart attack, fatal stroke and certain cancers, says the Journal of the American Heart Association. “No tobacco product is safe to consume. Smokeless tobacco products are harmful and addictive – that does not translate to a better alternative,” Mariann Piano, PhD, professor in the department of behavioral health science at the University of Illinois at Chicago, says. Piano says that smokers trying to kick the habit might want to try nicotine-replacement therapy, by chewing nicotine gum or using a nicotine patch that can be attached to the skin, rather than using smokeless tobacco products. Dr Piano tells WebMD that most people who use nicotine-replacement therapy do so for short periods of time, and it doesn’t appear to be as addictive as smokeless tobacco “because of slower absorption, lower doses of nicotine, greater cost, lack of flavoring, sociocultural influences” or a combination of such factors. She notes that as smoke-free air laws have become increasingly common, smokeless tobacco products have been marketed as a pleasurable substitute.

Dr Piano says most health professionals feel that people switch from smoking to nicotine-replacement therapy are better off, even if they have difficulty throwing away nicotine gum and patches, “because they are not exposed to tobacco carcinogens and oxidants.” On the other hand, recent research has found that smokeless tobacco products may slightly increase the risk of a fatal heart attack and fatal stroke in long-term users, and these products have also been linked to an increased risk in oral cancer.


Switching to “smokeless tobacco” if you are trying to stop using cigarettes is not a safe alternative. A single 2 g dose of “snus” gives the user a boost in blood nicotine concentration of around 15 ng/ml within 30 minutes. While smokeless tobacco may be safer than cigarettes, smokeless tobacco hasn’t been shown to help you stop smoking, because it also creates addiction. In fact, you may end up using both cigarettes and smokeless tobacco.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

Sinful activity really means anything that will keep us bound in the material world. According to Vedic philosophy, we are all spirit souls, who are part and parcel of God. ... Committing sins really means performing activities that will cause us to be attached to the material world and to cause us to return as human beings or other species in our next life. ... Intoxication is one of the more obvious sinful activities because so many people develop addictions to it. Whether it be alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana, or caffeine, addiction to intoxication is very common. Considering the fact that our senses are impossible to satisfy, it is no surprise that many take to intoxication in an attempt to break free of the senses. Instead of trying to escape the senses, the Vedas tell us to purify them through practicing devotional service to God, or bhakti yoga.

Krishna's Mercy - Jai Shri Krishna :
“The Four Regulative Principles” - Posted on Feb 15, 2009
http://www.krishnasmercy.org/dotnetnuke/
http://krishnasmercy.wordpress.com/2009/02/15/the-four-regulative-principles/
http://www.krishnasmercy.org/dotnetnuke/Teachings/FourRegulativePrinciples/tabid/85/Default.aspx

BIBLE OR KORAN - WHICH BURNS BEST?

AUSTRALIA LAWYER ‘SMOKES’
KORAN AND BIBLE HOLY PAGES

SYDNEY (AFP) - An Australian lawyer tore pages from the Koran and the Bible and smoked them on YouTube, days after a US pastor’s threat to burn Islam’s holy book triggered deadly protests and global condemnation. In a 12-minute clip entitled “Bible or Koran - which burns best?” Alex Stewart, who belongs to an atheist group, holds up the Christian and Muslim holy books before tearing out pages and smoking them. At one point he lights what looks like a joint rolled from a page from the Bible, leans back after inhaling heavily and says “Holy”. Stewart appeared in the video wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the words 'I'm an atheist, Thank God' . The video, which has been deleted, was posted on YouTube over the weekend, coinciding with the ninth anniversary of the September 11 attacks. Stewart’s employer, the Queensland University of Technology, said the research lawyer is on leave following a meeting on Monday. “The university is obviously extremely, extremely unhappy and disappointed that this sort of incident should occur,” vice-chancellor Peter Coaldrake told reporters.

Stewart’s video, in which he describes the Bible and Koran as “just books”, is deeply hurtful to Muslims, said Sheik Muhammad Wahid, president of the Islamic Association of Australia. “There is no need for this kind of thing, just to create disunity and disharmony among people living in Australia,” Wahid told Australian news agency AAP. In comments to Brisbane’s Courier Mail, Stewart , an assistant organiser with a group called Brisbane Atheists, defended his right to freedom of speech. “The video was a joke video, of course,” he told the paper, adding that he was smoking grass clippings rather than marijuana.


Stewart - who belongs to an atheist group from Australia - as he smokes part of a page from the Koran, he ponders: “I wonder what Mohammed would have thought about this. Is this profanity, is it blasphemy? Does it really matter?” ... “basic freedoms, such as freedom of speech, should not be threatened simply because someone might be offended,” he said. To believe in God and respect the sacred, or not do it, is not just a matter of opinion, but a deep personal experience.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

In the history of humanity there is a long standing debate on theism vs. atheism. Better thinkers than you or I have pondered this issue reaching different conclusions. From this it seems that there is sufficient logic in support of the spiritual reality, at least as much as there is in support of atheism. Beyond logic lies the realm of spiritual experience. ... And we can proceed to experience ourselves. If you like the experiences you get from your practice, continue the practice, as there is no other proven method by which one can get such experience. Furthermore, the method prescribed by the saints for attaining spiritual experience involves becoming an ideal person, whose actions (karma) are integrated with knowledge (jñana), making one fit for a balanced emotional life (bhakti). ... Spiritual life is about being an ideal person. It is a daunting task but there is no greater challenge. Strive for it by any means.

Śrīla Bhakti Vedanta Tripurari Mahārāja :
“Difficulties on the Path: In the Hands of God”
“Q & A with Swami B. V. Tripurari”
Śrī Caitanya Sanga - Vol. II, N° 38 – November 2, 2000.
http://swami.org/
http://swami.org/pages/sanga/current.php

YAMUNA STILL ABOVE DANGER MARK

THOUSANDS EVACUATED IN NEW DELHI
YAMUNA BREACHED THE DANGER LEVEL

NEW DELHI (NDTV) - Flood fears in Delhi abated to some extent as the Yamuna started receding by the hour, though it is still flowing above the danger mark. However, a new cause for worry is the incessant rain that’s lashing the Capital. Heavy rains led to waterlogging and slowed down traffic in some areas. As per the Meteorological Department, the downpour is likely to continue throughout the day. On Saturday evening, the water level had risen as more water was released from Hathanikund barrage in Haryana. The Yamuna, Delhi’s main river, crossed the danger mark by more than 2 meters - 206.78 meters (678 feet) - as the flood-hit neighboring state of Haryana released water into the river, said D.P. Singh, the officer in charge of flood control. The danger level in the capital is 204.83 meters. The rising Yamuna flooded several parts of the Capital on Saturday as the water level climbed two metres above the danger mark, threatening to submerge more low-lying areas.

On Friday, Delhi’s Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit had assured residents that the situation was “under control” and all mechanisms to deal with the potential flooding had been put into place. A bridge was closed down as a precautionary measure and several trains were canceled. The Yamuna flood has also affected several trains. Rail traffic has come to a halt over the Old Yamuna Bridge affecting the arrival and departure of trains from the Delhi Junction. According to a Railways spokesperson, 23 trains have been cancelled and 37 trains have been diverted. The Railways has also changed the origin destination of 42 trains in order to avoid further congestion.

The rising Yamunā flooded several parts of the Indian capital - New Delhi - on Friday. As the water level climbed two metres above the danger mark, threatening to submerge more low-lying areas, thousands of residents were moved to higher ground. By only naming the Yamunā River, comes to mind when the Lord Krishna took action against the black serpent Kāliya, who was polluting the waters of this river.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

Within the river Yamunā there was a great lake, and in that lake the black serpent Kāliya used to live. Because of his poison, the whole area was so contaminated that it emanated a poisonous vapor twenty-four hours a day. If a bird happened to even pass over the spot, it would immediately die and fall down in the water. ... As soon as the residents of Vrindāvana saw that Krishna was in the river Yamunā enveloped by the serpent Kāliya and that all the boys and cows were lamenting, they simply began to think of Krishna’s friendship, His smiling face, His sweet words and His dealings with them. Thinking of all these and seeing that their Krishna was now within the clutches of Kāliya, they at once felt that the three worlds had become vacant. ... Nanda and all the other cowherd men, who had dedicated everything, including their lives, to Krishna, were ready to enter the waters of the Yamunā, but Lord Balarāma checked them because He was in perfect knowledge that there was no danger.

Śrīla A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda :
“Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead”
Chapter 16: “Subduing Kāliya”

THE NINTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SEPT. 11

TENSION MARKS THIS YEAR’S 9/11
REMEMBRANCE OF ATTACKS OF 2001

www.bloomberg.com - Nine years after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Americans prepared Saturday to come together in somber memorials and peace rallies - and to confront one another in protests over a proposed mosque and Islamic center two blocks from Ground Zero. For the first time, bitter passions over religious tolerance and partisan politics threatened to overshadow an anniversary that previously passed mostly as a quiet day of national mourning and sober reflection. President Barack Obama, marking the ninth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, said Americans should remember the national unity and the “human capacity for good” that followed the nation’s worst act of terrorism. In his weekly address on the radio and Internet, Obama said the lesson to be drawn from the attacks is that the nation is bound by “a set of common ideals” that can be exemplified by service.

This year’s commemoration of the deadliest terrorist attack in U.S. history has become entangled in controversies about plans to build an Islamic center near the site where extremists slammed two hijacked airliners into New York City’s World Trade Center and a Florida pastor’s threat to burn the Muslim holy book on the anniversary. Obama, in his address, said he recognized that the country is going through “a time of difficulty” and warned against divisiveness. “It is often in such moments that some try to stoke bitterness,” he said, without mentioning the mosque site or the Florida pastor. “But on this day, we are reminded that at our best, we do not give in to this temptation.” “On this day, we also honor those who died so that others might live,” Obama said. “In acts of courage and decency, they defended a simple precept: I am my brother’s keeper; I am my sister’s keeper.”


President Obama called this day of remembrance, unity, reflection and renewal. He said the mission is to strengthen relations between the Western and Muslim world, and confront the things that have polarized relations between the Muslim and non-Muslim trough multireligious and multinational efforts. The real solution is to serve and please Śrī Hari, and then everyone will become satisfied, for all are in Him and He is in all.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

The nations of the world, irrespective of race and religion, can only be truly united in love and harmony by following the path of prema-bhakti (love of God) as laid down by Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Love (prema) is even greater than the concept of non-violence (ahimsa). To 'not harm others' is a negative; that is to say, it means to refrain from doing something rather than doing it. On the other hand, love or prema is a positive action; it is the effort to do good towards others. In reality, all talk about non-violence is in fact quite superficial, for in this life none can exist without harming another. True non-violence is possible only when the self is totally surrendered to doing that which is for the welfare of all living creatures. ... Since we are all infinitesimal parts of the One Supreme Entity, our true happiness lies in union, in the completion of the incomplete.

Śrīla Bhakti Dayita Madhava Mahārāja :
"Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and International Peace"
Lecture at Religious Convention at Balaji Bhavana
in Hyderabad from August 5 through 7, 1961.
http://www.sreecgmath.org/scgmtimes/scgmsbdm.php
Bhaktivedanta Memorial Library - www.bvml.org/SBDMM/