WORLD TICKS CLOSER TO ‘DOOMSDAY’

DOOMSDAY CLOCK MOVES ONE
MINUTE CLOSER TO CATASTROPHE

www.news.cnet.com - The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists announced Tuesday that it has moved its “Doomsday Clock” to five minutes to midnight. The group says inadequate progress on stopping the spread of nuclear weapons and continuing inaction on climate change are the reasons for the move.  The clock had been set at six minutes to midnight for the past two years. It previously was set at five minutes to midnight from 2007-2010.  “It is five minutes to midnight. Two years ago, it appeared that world leaders might address the truly global threats that we face. In many cases, that trend has not continued or been reversed. For that reason, the BAS is moving the clock hand one minute closer to midnight, back to its time in 2007.”

In pushing the hypothetical hands of time one minute closer to our proverbial destruction, the BAS blamed the lack of progress in reducing nuclear arms and addressing the issue of climate change. The group says in a statement that two years ago, there was reason for optimism “that world leaders might address the truly global threats we face. In many cases, that trend has not continued or been reversed.” “The world still has over 19,000 nuclear weapons, enough power to destroy the world’s inhabitants several times over,” said Jayantha Dhanapala. Further, the world has fallen behind in adopting climate change agreements designed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by requiring coal producers to capture their CO2 and encouraging the world to invest more heavily in alternative energy sources, such as solar and wind power.

The Doomsday Clock, which represents just how close the world is to a global catastrophe, has been moved closer to midnight (destruction) due to the proliferation of nuclear weapons and continuing inaction on climate change.  Unless societies begin building alternatives to carbon-emitting energy technologies, the world is doomed to a warmer climate, harsher weather, droughts, famine, water scarcity, rising sea levels, loss of island nations, and increasing ocean acidification.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

It is practical, to destroy the water, to destroy the air, to destroy the ground, with pollution, nuclear waste, very realistic is it not? ... What is the cause of all these problems? One thing. There is one cause for all of these problems in the world if you examine properly: People are discontent. The more they have, the more discontent they become. ... The scientists and the technologists are thinking, if only we can make a very, very luxurious type of lifestyle, then everyone will be content. Now we have our big skyscrapers and people are jumping off to commit suicide. Now we have our big, big airplanes and the terrorists are putting their bombs in them. We have our rocket ships and they are exploding in mid air. Spending billions of dollars of tax payer’s money, for what, looking for some contentment, some peace in life. Who has found it?

Śrīla Radhanath Swami Mahārāja :
Class on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 8.19.21
“Vamandev Begs Forgiveness from Bali Maharaj”
http://www.radhanathmaharaj.net/content/vamandev-begs-forgiveness-bali-maharaj-radhanath-swami
http://www.radhanath-swami.net/  -  http://radhanathswami.info/

WHAT MYSTIFIES DR. HAWKING? WOMEN

ONE LAST MYSTERY FOR PROF
STEPHEN HAWKING: WOMEN

msnbc.com - As famed physicist Stephen Hawking turns 70, the subject that most occupies his thoughts is not how the universe arose from nothing, or how he’s been able to live with neurodegenerative disease for so long. Here’s what he thinks about most: “Women. They are a complete mystery.”  That’s the bottom line from New Scientist’s interview with Hawking, timed to coincide with this weekend’s birthday celebration at Cambridge. The theorist is almost completely paralyzed due to his decades-long struggle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, and had to provide his answers by laboriously twitching his cheek to operate a computerized speech-translation system. 

But it’s his brief comment on women that attracted the most attention: How could it be that a scientist who has plumbed the deepest mysteries of the cosmos finds himself mystified by women? Like the real-life Einstein, Hawking has had an active romantic life, marked by two marriages. (Einstein’s second marriage ended with the death of his wife and cousin Elsa; Hawking’s ended in an ugly divorce.) Hawking’s disease does not affect his sexual ability or his potency, and the fact that he’s fathered three children is evidence of that.  Even as he approaches the age of 70, Hawking seems to have kept his playful, pleasant, mischievous character. That may help explain his latest comment about the mystique surrounding women, as well as his own mystique.

He may be one of the world’s most eminent scientists, but one thing remains a mystery to Professor Stephen Hawking - women.  When asked what he thinks most about during the day the physicist, who has recently turned 70, said: “Women. They are a complete mystery.” Prof Hawking made his comment about women in an interview with New Scientist.  Originally, family system in Hindu society protected women. They always knew that someone loved and cared for them.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

In the Hindu scripture Manu Shastra, it is recommended that a woman always remain under the protection of a man. As a child, she may be under the supervision of her father; after marriage, her husband may protect her; and if she becomes widow, she must live with her son. This has been resisted by some as a sign of weakness and inferiority of women, but such a practice may also provide much-needed security for weak and vulnerable females - this was especially so in the ancient times, when hard manual work was required for daily existence. ... Women were considered too precious and too vulnerable to be left alone. Even today, Hindu society generally abhors the idea of women living on their own. Yet the tragic reality is that the injustices and humiliations of both the lower caste and the female sex did continue for thousands of years - human weakness prevailed.

Dr. Hiro Badlani:
“Hinduism - Path of the Ancient Wisdom”
Chapter 9: “Vedas through the Passage of Time”
http://hinduismpath.com/
http://hinduismpath.com/book-contents/chapter-9/

ANOTHER TEENAGER CYBERBULLIED TO DEATH

BULLIED TEEN GIRL KILLED
BY BUS HOLDING SUICIDE NOTE

www.examiner.com - On January 6, 2012, mourners flocked to St. Ann’s Church to pay final respects to 15-year-old Amanda Diane Cummings.   According to relatives, she was a popular girl bullied by a group of mean girls at high school.  While some family members knew she was being tormented, the bullying was not reported to school officials at the teen’s urging.  
After a recent breakup with a boyfriend and constant bullying, the pretty high school sophomore walked into the path of an oncoming city bus at about 7:30 P.M. on December 27, 2011.   According to reports, a suicide note was found on her person.  She succumbed to her injuries six days after the incident, on January 2, 2012.

 While friends and family say she was kind to everyone and always had a smile on her face, hundreds of hurtful and hateful messages and images continued to be posted on her Facebook page not only while she was alive, but while she was in a coma fighting for her life and even they are still being published after her death!  Like traditional bullying, cyberbullying is a serious issue that can result in low self-esteem, anger, depression, absenteeism, bad grades and as in this case, suicide.  As electronic bullying continues to increase, perhaps more states will finally enact tough anti-bullying laws that will protect children from online and offline bullies? It was reported in 2010 that one out of five middle-school students claim that they were victims of cyber bullying in the USA.

Amanda Cummings, 15, died after being struck by a bus as she was carrying a suicide note.  She was a sophomore at High School, where she was being bullied by her classmates.  The bullies were posting inappropriate and cruel things on her Facebook wall, even while she was in the hospital.  Cyber bullying is a great danger if social networking sites turn into areas for insults and taunts.  Sometimes an intense hatred awakes in the soul, so we see others as enemies and we want to see them suffering.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Attracted to maya, the soul becomes bewildered. Then he is not attracted to pure spirit. ‘It is ‘I’ and ‘It is mine’ are the two conceptions maya thrusts upon the soul. Then the soul thinks, ‘This material body is mine’ and ‘I am this body’. In this condition the soul loves persons who bring pleasure to his material body and hates persons who thwart the bringing of pleasure to his material body. Thus the bewildered soul becomes a slave of love and hatred. The bewildered soul thinks others are either his friends or his enemies in three ways: 1. saririla (in relation to material bodies), 2. samajika (in relation to society and social groups), and 3. naitika (in the context of ideas).  That condition of life is called samsara (enslavement in the world of repeated birth and death).

Śrīla Saccidananda Bhaktivinoda Thākura :
“Jaiva-dharma” (The Universal Religion)
Chapter Three: Naimittik Dharma Asampurna, Heya, Misra O Acirasthayi
http://bvml.org/SBTP/index.htm
http://bvml.org/SBTP/JD/index.html#3

SRILA BHAKTI KUMUD SANT MAHARAJ´S DEPARTURE

ONE MORE STAR OF THE GAUDIYA
SKY FADED FROM MUNDANE SIGHT

www.sreecgmath.org - Most Revered Siksha Guru Sri Srimad Bhakti Kumud Sant Goswami Maharaj leaves His dear disciples, associates and followers in separation grief yesterday. This is a great loss not only to the Gaudiya Vaishnavas but to the entire world. He took His last breath at 1.05 AM IST yesterday in a private nursing home.  Earlier Srila Maharaj was admitted to the hospital as He had problem in respiration due to severe cold few days ago. Doctors also diagnosed that He had fever, sugar and liver problem. These external things just became apparent cause but ultimately it was His desire to be part of the mid-night eternal pastimes of the Lord. 

He is the last disciple of Nitya-lila Pravista Om Vishnupad 108 Sri Srimad Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur Prabhupad, the Founder of world-wide Sri Chaitanya Math, Sri Gaudiya Math and Sri Gaudiya Missions to leave this planet.

At 9.45 AM IST Srila Maharaj’s transcendental body was brought to the Math in Behala, Kolkata and was placed in front of the Deities. He was performed Arati, Pushpanjali. Countless devotees of various organizations visited the math and offered flowers to His body. Later He was shifted to the bhajan kutir in the 2nd floor where devotees stood in queue to get their turn to have darsan of His transcendental body. 
The grief of the devotees cannot be phrased and expressed in any language of the world.

His service to the Vaishnava literature is also worth, with His books like “Samlape Shiksha”, “Patre Upadesh”, “Geeta Siddhant Sar”, “Sant Vani”, “Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhur Jiveni”, “Sadhan Kan”, “Damodar Vrat Mahatmya”, “Bhakti Geeti” and “Diksha” which have been casting divine light on the royal path of pure devotion.

One of the brightest stars in the Gaudiya sky, Srila Bhakti Kumud Santa Goswami Maharaj took His last breath yesterday in a private nursing home in Calcuta, India.  His transcendental body will be taken to Narma near Medinipur where He appeared. From there He would be taken to Sri Chaitanya Ashram in Kharagpur. Later He would be taken to Keshiari where He established Sri Gauranga Math and the final samadhi will take place there.  Santa Maharaja’s glories will be heard all over.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Srila Santa Maharaja was an outstanding preacher through his life. He was very dear to his godbrothers and to his Spiritual Master. Srila Santa Maharaja left the world in Calcutta where he had spending the last years in his bed, deeply absorbed in the welfare of all living entities. Despite of his state of being absent minded from the mundane affairs, he still received thousands of visitors and even initiated many new sannyasis into the preaching invitation his gurudeva made to the whole world. … Srila Bhakti Kumud Santa Maharaja has established many beautiful mandirs in India and also traveled around the world preaching the glories of Lord Caitanya in England, Germany and USA. … He joined Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur Prabhupada’s Mission when he was still a young boy and, as he told me personally, Srila Bhakti Pramode Puri Maharaja had been a tutor for him in his early stages of math’s life.

Śrīla Bhakti Aloka Paramadvaiti Mahārāja :
“Srila Bhakti Kumud Santa Maharaja”
VINA - Vaishnava Internet News Agency
Sunday, January 8, 2012
http://vinacc.blogspot.com/2012/01/srila-bhakti-kumud-santa-maharaja-by.html
http://harekrishnaworldnews.blogspot.com/2012/01/srila-bhakti-kumud-santa-maharajas.html

THE INFLUENTIAL UK VEGETARIAN SOCIETY

THE VEGETARIAN SOCIETY, ATTRACTS
VISITORS FROM ALL OVER ENGLAND

UK (messengernewspapers) - A Victorian mansion just off leafy Dunham Road in Altrincham is home to an organisation whose appeal is so far and wide, it gets more hits on its website from overseas than it does at home (England). It is the Vegetarian Society - a 165-year-old charity which has always had its roots in Manchester since forming in 1847, but has been in its current home for the past 43 years.  The society’s patrons include the doyen of vegetarian cookery Rose Elliot and Paul, Stella and Mary McCartney.  It employs 30 staff - none of whom eat meat - and has an annual turnover of 1.3 million pounds sterling (US$ 2 million).  “There are vegetarian societies all over the continent, but we’re the oldest and the biggest,” said CEO Dr Jon Green. 

“We’re an educational charity and make information available so people constantly contact us asking for advice. We don’t preach to people, that would be counter-productive. I personally believe the world would be a better place if we didn’t eat meat - but our role is to show what it means to be vegetarian, how to eat vegetarian food and how great it is to eat as a vegetarian.”  As well as receiving funding from all the usual sources such as membership and legacies, it also receives a fee for underwriting vegetarian cuisine in supermarkets - you will find the logo on 8,000 products.  Today there are two million vegetarians in the UK, with the society having 12,000 members.  75 % of those members are women and most - according to a recent survey - cite animal welfare as the main reason for abstaining from eating meat.

“Vegetarianism was a bit different back in the 1800s as people’s religious views played a part as well as concern for animal welfare, health and the environment. However, the basic principles are the same today - eating as a vegetarian is good for us and the environment and causes minimal damage to the animals we share the planet with,” said CEO Dr Jon Green from The Vegetarian Society, in Altrincham England.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Until around the mid-twentieth century, most of us were taught that meat contains essential amino acids that could not be obtained in vegetarian foods. It was thus implied that a vegetarian diet was inferior and incomplete. But now the tables have turned - without any controversy, medical opinion now favors a vegetarian diet. Meat is often considered a relatively toxic substance for human consumption. Health authorities worldwide agree that heart attacks, cancers, and many other diseases are more prevalent in the meat-eating population than in the vegetarian population. ...  Vegetarian food is considered a complete diet, especially if there are sufficient dairy products and nutrient foods like soya in the diet.

Dr. Hiro Badlani:
“Hinduism - Path of the Ancient Wisdom”
Chapter 48: “Vegetarianism”
“The Compassionate Way of Living”
http://hinduismpath.com/
http://hinduismpath.com/book-contents/chapter-48/

 

THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS AND EPIPHANY

THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS
ENDS ON THREE KINGS DAY

www.examiner.com - On January 6, many religious people still celebrate the Epiphany or Three Kings Day which is the 12th day of Christmas. This is the day in which the biblical three wise men reached baby Jesus, Mother Mary and earthly father, Joseph, in the Bethlehem manger.  Epiphany is the climax of the Advent/Christmas Season and the Twelve Days of Christmas, which are usually counted from the evening of December 25th until the morning of January 6th. The essence of Epiphany is the revealing of God to the Gentiles. In the incarnation, God's light shines on all persons and all nations. Today, is no ordinary day, but the day baby Jesus was visited by three kings bearing gifts to the newborn King; the gifts were Frankincense, Myrrh, and Gold. The three kings, Melchior, Gaspar, and Balthasar follow the star which appeared in the night sky not knowing where this journey would take them.  During their travels they encounter danger and many difficulties along the way. 

The three kings discover that they must each give up what they hold most dear.  The star leads the Magi to a shelter house for animals in the town of Betlehem in Judea.  There they find the newborn King, baby Jesus, lying on straw in a manger.  They return home joyful and eager to share the truth with others.  This is the story of the Epiphany.  
The term epiphany means "to show" or "to make known" or "to reveal."  These 12 days give us time to meditate on the true meaning of Christmas and give thanks for the blessings that the holiday season brings. It is a time to reflect on Christmas memories of family, children, traditions, holiday foods, and special gifts.  There is something special about a lit-up Christmas tree in an otherwise darkened room, while pondering the wonder of our Lord Jesus Christ born in a manger.

Today, January 6, is Epiphany also known as Three Kings Day. The ‘12 Days of Christmas’ you have heard sung about in Christmas songs are commonly known as the days that it took for the three wise men to travel to see the baby Jesus and presented Him with gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh. In this story there is a clear parallel to baby Krishna who was also presented with gifts that included sandalwood and perfumes - about three thousand years earlier in Vrindavana, India.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

The native land of the three saints has frequently been placed in the Arabian area or, as the attribute of origin ‘from the East’ rather leads one to expect, in the Indo-Iranian region. The Indian thesis of their origin is nowadays steadily gaining adherents. ... But where did the Magi come from? What is East, seen from Jerusalem? ... It was perfectly natural for the rishis from India offer the traditional gifts of gold, incense and myrrh.” Vedic custom is to offer presents to a newly born child. See SB 10.5.10, etc. Later, during anna-prasana samskara (rite of passage, “first grains”) at six months of age, children are offered various items like rice, gold, coins and books to choose from and thus show their inclinations in future life.

Vedic Knowledge Online - Vedic Connections
“Ancient Vedic World - Christianity”
“3 Wise Men of Bible were from India”
http://www.veda.harekrsna.cz
http://www.veda.harekrsna.cz/connections/Christianity.php#6

TAPPING SPIRITUALITY TO RESET CORPORATE GOALS

MANAGEMENT EXPERTS TO HOLD
SPIRITUAL MEETING IN BANGALORE

www.dnaindia.com - The global economic meltdown, for which corporate greed in the developed world is blamed, seems to be prompting management experts to bank on spirituality to reset goals for businesses. More than 100 management experts from about 60 countries will meet in Bangalore next week to “address for the first time (in India) the spiritual side of corporate management,” Ramnath Narayanswamy, economics professor at the Indian Institute of Management-Bangalore (IIM-B), has said. The management experts and practitioners will be attending the three-day conference, titled The International Spirituality Conference, which starts on January 9. IIM-B and the Journal of Management, Spirituality and Religion (JMSR) are organising the programme.

Narayanswamy and Yochanan Altman, professor of management and JMSR founding-editor, are the conference directors. The conference is supported by BEM Bordeaux Management School, France, the Institute of Labor Studies, Barcelona, and the Business and Design Lab of the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.  On the role of spirituality in management, the JMSR says: “The remarkable explosion of scholarship in the field of management, business, organisations and work provides the opportunity for more specialised interest areas.” “Two areas whose time has come are that of spirituality and religion, and their role in shaping organisations,” the journal said. The Bangalore gathering is the second such conference after the one held in Vienna in December 2010.

The conference will discuss the role management plays in shaping an organisation’s decision-making models and managing resources efficiently in the context of spirituality and religion. ‘Spirituality is intimately connected with ‘purpose’ and ‘meaning’, not so much ‘religion’, and corporate work can be fulfilling if steeped with purpose. Meanwhile there is also an urgent need for businesses to be ethical, inclusive, compassionate and moral,’ Narayanswamy said.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

In Vedic times, it used to be the intellectuals who understood spiritual knowledge and the Absolute Truth, and had direct experience of it. Such people had the practical knowledge to give direction and bring stability to society; to give society a brain. A brainless society is without real direction. In such a society, everyone works in any way possible for economic development, acquiring whatever superficial prizes and heights that mean the most, while being ignorant of the true goal of life. ... This is the materialistic form of consciousness. This easily leads to activities that may pollute the earth and its atmosphere, not only environmentally but also morally, economically, politically, and in so many other ways. ... Thus, in some way, the whole world becomes affected.

Dr Stephen Knapp (Śrīpad Nandanandana dasa) :
“The Vedic Prophecies”
Chapter 3: “The Beginning of Kali-yuga”
“The Basic Pattern of Events for the Future in Kali-yuga”
http://www.stephen-knapp.com/
http://www.stephen-knapp.com/vedic_prophecies.htm

MERCURY AMALGAM: ENVIRONMENTAL POISONING

GOLD RUSH IN PERU LEADS TO
MERCURY CONTAMINATION CONCERNS

www.pbs.org - In collaboration with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, PBS special correspondent in Peru, Steve Sapienza, reports about environmental concerns over mercury contamination at extensive gold mining operations in the remote regions of the Peruvian Amazon. Sapienza says: “Recent spikes in gold prices have lured 10 to 15 million people worldwide into the business of small-scale gold mining.  But rising global demand for gold has also fueled demand for a far less prized metal, mercury. The toxic metal is used by millions of miners every day to separate and collect gold from rocks and soil. Miners say mercury is easy to use, readily available, and cheap.  The United Nations Environment Program estimates that small-scale miners use up to 1,350 tons of mercury each year, making it the single largest use of mercury worldwide. In south-eastern Peru, the gold rush has attracted some 20,000 small scale miners to the pristine rain forest and rivers of the Madre de Dios region.”


“The devastation caused by widespread mining is easy to spot, with huge swathes of the forest turned to barren desert, but the damage caused by the heavy use of mercury is harder to detect. Mercury from small-scale mines travels widely, settling in sediments and moving up the food chain into fish, fish-eating wildlife and humans. Scientists and medical researchers only recently started to measure the impact of mercury here. Mota is a very popular fish around the region. You will find it on a lot of dinner tables, a lot of restaurant menus. This fish is at the top of its food chain. And what that means is it consumes a lot of smaller fish. And a lot of these small fish have mercury in them. And through a process known as biomagnification, this fish accumulates a lot of mercury. In fact, if a person consumes two servings of this fish per week, they’re getting seven-and-a-half times the safe limit of mercury, according to the World Health Organization,” Sapienza explains.

Gold-mining operations in remote regions of the Peruvian Amazon have stirred major environmental and health concerns over mercury contamination in fish, fish-eating wildlife and humans. Miners mix the soil with mercury, often using their hands and feet, creating a clump of amalgam that contains gold. And yet most miners are unaware of the dangers posed by mercury to the environment and to their own health.  We are part of the earth, and she is part of us, so we should live a natural life.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

The biological well-being of our Mother Earth, along with the character of mankind, are becoming ruined by the materialistic way of life. Still, as the current residents of this planet, we are the ones responsible for establishing solutions for the future. ... Humanity has tried everything in the last few thousand years. Every economic and political system, as well as the industrialized, technological information age has failed to improve the human character and create a just environment. ... Change is unavoidable. We always want to be progressive and successful. Now is our last chance to do the right thing. In theory it is easy. Accept a spiritual way of life which does not allow those who follow this path to do any harm to others.

Śrīla Bhakti Aloka Paramadvaiti Mahārāja :
“Vaishnava Ecology”
http://www.vrindanews.com/wisdoms/index.html
http://www.vrindavan.org/English/about/VaishnavaEcology.html

LET A CLEAN YAMUNA FLOW INTO BRAJ

FIGHT FOR THE YAMUNA RIVER
REACHES INDIAN PARLIAMENT

Delhi (ISKCON News) - After a whole year of active protesting and lobbying by sadhus, devotees, and environmentalists, it looks like the fight for the Yamuna River is finally reaching its peak, with the issue snowballing its way into Indian Parliament on December 18th. Major TV stations in India broadcast a heated three-hour debate in which fifteen to twenty members of Parliament challenged the government as to what it was going to do about the sacred river, declared ‘dead’ by the Ecological Department of India. The outraged politicians included former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav.  There’s been widespread public anger for the past year due to the fact that while the Yamuna emerges clean from Yamunotri, its source in the Himalayas, there is barely a drop of the original sacred river left by the time it reaches Braj, Lord Krishna’s birthplace.

That’s because eighty-five per cent of it is held back by an irrigation dam in the state of Haryana, while 3.6 billion liters of Delhi City sewage and industrial waste is emptied into it every day.  Back on April 15th this year, one thousand protestors finished a month-and-a-half long march at the common protest ground of Jantar Mantar in Delhi, where they were joined by another 19,000, some of whom went on a six-day hunger strike to get the government’s attention.  The protest was led by sadhu and environmentalist Ramesh Babaji and members of his Maan Mandir organization; Bhanu Pratap Singh, head of the 100,000 strong Bhartiya Kisan Farmer’s Union; and ISKCON devotee and businessman Radha Jivan Dasa. Now, with Parliament finally taking notice of the issue, worshippers of Yamuna Maharani are seizing the opportunity with both hands and can be able to save Lord Krisna’s beloved river.

What flows by the name of “Yamuna Ji” in Braj-Vrindavan today is none but the sewage of Delhi drain and other polluted drains. The protestors have a clear demand: Let a clean Yamuna flow into Braj.  They are requesting Delhi to build a 22 kilometer canal for its waste, which can then be cleaned for irrigation, rather than using the Yamuna. Million of pilgrims take their holy sip and dip in this “water” and Braj’s Deities are being bathed with it; so, if you agree with this protest, please sign "Save Yamuna Petition" here : http://www.saveyamuna.org/sign-yamuna-petition

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Many of the Lord’s transcendental, spiritual activities relate to water. ... Sometimes a flood devastates the universe, and Krishna assumes the form of a golden fish to play in the water. Tied to a horn on His head is a boat carrying sages, Vedic knowledge, and seeds to replenish the world after the flood. During this pastime, Krishna enjoys His play within the water as well as His loving relationship with the great sages.  Krishna in His original form often sports in water with His friends and beloveds. For His water pastimes He chooses rivers such as the Ganges and Yamuna, who are also goddesses pure in love for Him. Krishna also plays in lakes and ponds filled with lotuses and swans and surrounded by jeweled pavilions. These bodies of water are persons, devotees of His, alive with love and bliss.

Śrīmati Urmila devi dasi :
“Water - A Meditation”
“Water Pastimes” - July/August 2008
http://urmila.me.uk/
http://www.krishna.com/water-meditation

TORTURED AFGHAN GIRL TO GO TO INDIA FOR TREATMENT

15-YEAR-OLD TORTURED AFGHAN GIRL
SENT TO INDIA FOR MEDICAL TREATMENT

Kabul (AP) - A 15-year-old Afghan girl severely tortured for months by her in-laws in an attempt to force her into prostitution will be sent to India for medical treatment. Sahar Gul’s mother-in-law and sister-in-law were arrested and her husband was being sought, an Afghan official said Tuesday.  The case has shocked Afghanistan, though rights activists say serious abuses against women and girls in the conservative society are common. President Hamid Karzai has said that whoever used violence against Gul will be punished.  According to officials in north-eastern Baghlan province, the in-laws kept Gul in a basement for six months, ripped her fingernails out, tortured her with hot irons and broke her fingers. Police freed her last week from a basement at her husband’s home last week after her uncle called the local police.

“Her nails were pulled out, she has injuries in all parts of her body, there are signs of burning on her body, she was suffering from different kinds of injuries,” spokesman for the provincial police chief said.  Her mother-in-law and other members of the family were reportedly involved in what he described as “criminal activities,” which he said included selling alcohol and prostitution.  
According to reports, “they tried to force her into prostitution and she did not agree. This was one of the reasons that they detained her in the basement for six months,” the spokesman said. The public health and women's affairs ministers visited Gul at the hospital.  Women's rights in Afghanistan remain a problem area in a country with a strict patriarchal culture.

A 15-year-old Afghan girl, Sahar Gul, was brutally tortured by her husband’s family. She was burned with cigarettes and had chunks of her flesh cut out with pliers in an attempt to force her into prostitution.  Running away from an abusive husband or a forced marriage are considered ‘moral crimes,’ for which women are now imprisoned in Afghanistan.  This is one of the worst cases of violence against Afghan women.  All women are mothers, ill-treatment to women is great disrespect to Lakshmi Devi.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Goddess Lakshmi is the consort and shakti, or potency, of Lord Vishnu. Lakshmi, or Sri when she is especially known as the goddess of beauty (though sometimes considered to be separate entities), is the Goddess of fortune, wealth, power, and loveliness. Wealth means not only money, but also the higher values and qualities of life. The power of the mind and intellect is also a must if one wants to be truly wealthy, which includes spiritual wealth. ... As the spouse of Lord Vishnu, she appears whenever He does in each of His appearances, such as Vamana, Parashurama, Rama, or Krishna. In each of these appearances, she appeared as Padma or Kamala, Dharani, Sita, and Rukmini respectively. They are inseparable.

Dr Stephen Knapp (Śrīpad Nandanandana dasa) :
“Lakshmi, The Goddess of Fortune”
http://www.stephen-knapp.com/
http://www.stephen-knapp.com/lakshmi_goddess_of_fortune.htm

GREAT CELEBRATIONS TO WELCOME 2012

TO WELCOME NEW YEAR 2012
CELEBRATIONS AROUND THE WORLD

http://www.bbc.co.uk - A multi-million dollar firework display heralded in the New Year in Sydney, while the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, was illuminated in colours in a similar display in Dubai.  Celebrations have also been taking place in Europe, with crowds gathering in many cities to count down to 2012.  In London, around 250,000 gathered to watch fireworks over the River Thames.  Revellers in Spain greeted the New Year by eating 12 grapes in time with the chimes at Madrid’s central Puerta del Sol clock in a national tradition, while hundreds of thousands partied in Berlin to live music in the landmark Brandenburg Gate. In Tokyo, people released helium balloons in front of the Tokyo Tower at midnight with notes attached listing their hopes for 2012.

Many wished for a better year, following the earthquake and tsunami that brought devastation to the north-east of Japan in 2011.  A downbeat tone was reflected in the new year’s message of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who said 2012 would be more difficult than 2011, but hoped Europe’s debt crisis would bring its member states closer.  In France, President Nicolas Sarkozy, issued a similar warning, but tried to remain upbeat.  Thousands of people gathered in Red Square in Moscow to witness a firework display at midnight.  In Madrid, thousands of people gathered at six indoor “macro-parties” the authorities had organised in big venues across the Spanish capital.  In Brazil, revellers enjoy a fireworks display on the beaches of Rio de Janeiro, while hundreds of thousands gathered at New York’s Times Square for the ceremonial ball-dropping at midnight.

A New Year can be a time for new beginnings. New Year’s resolutions are one way to make changes in our life; however, proclaiming a resolution for the upcoming year is something many of us do but very few of us stick with.  Some experts say resolutions are worth it if you make them realistic and have an action plan to stick with them.  So, cheers to you and best wishes for a Happy New Year full of service to the Lord which will allow you to keep and renovate your vows.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

We use the pretext of the New Year to take new energy in the service, since the devotee is always renewing his vows. In fact, in each moment he does so, because frequently the mind proposes to him to leave his vows. Therefore there is continuous renovation of vows.  This is a special moment that we use for singing more Hare Krishna. ... So now it is about having a heart. We still have not developed it yet, but Bhakti is for this. It is like people who go to the gym to develop muscles, or who go to the stock market to get more money, but we perform Bhakti to get more heart.  Well, my greetings and my best wishes. A big hug to all of you, and thank you very much for being occupied in your service which bless my life and the whole world.

Śrīla Atulananda Ācārya :
“Resolutions for a New Year”
http://www.atulanandadas.cl/
http://vrindanews.com/chat/newyear.html