COKE AND PEPSI ALTER ADDITIVE TO AVOID CANCER WARNING

COKE & PEPSI CHANGE MANUFACTURING
PROCESS TO AVOID CANCER WARNING

www.bbc.co.uk - Coca-Cola and Pepsi are changing how they make an ingredient in their drinks to avoid being legally obliged to put a cancer warning label on the bottle. The new recipe for caramel colouring in the drinks has less 4-methylimidazole (4-MEI) - a chemical which California has added to its list of carcinogens. The change to the recipe has already been introduced in California but will be rolled out across the US. Coca-Cola says there is no health risk to justify the change.  Spokeswoman Diana Garza-Ciarlante told the Associated Press news agency they wanted to ensure their products “would not be subject to the requirement of a scientifically unfounded warning”. The chemical has been linked to cancer in mice and rats, but there is no evidence that it poses a health risk to humans, said the American Beverage Association. Coca-Cola and PepsiCo account for nearly 90% of the US fizzy drink market, according to Beverage Digest.

Earlier this week, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a U.S. watchdog group, said it found unsafe levels of the chemical in cans of Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola, Dr Pepper and Whole Foods Markets Inc’s 365 Cola. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said at the time it was reviewing the group’s petition but stressed that the drinks were still safe. An FDA spokesman said a person would have to drink “well over a thousand cans of soda a day to reach the doses administered in the studies that have shown links to cancer in rodents”. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) claims a person would need to drink more than 1,000 cans of Coke or Pepsi a day to take in the same dose of the chemical that was given to the animals in the lab test. The companies say changing their recipes across the whole of the US, not just in California, makes the drinks more efficient to manufacture.

Coca-Cola Co and PepsiCo Inc are making changes to the production of an ingredient in their namesake colas to avoid the need to label the packages with a cancer warning. The change is meant to reduce the amount of a chemical called 4-methylimidazole, or 4-MI in order to meet the requirements of a California ballot initiative aiming to limit people’s exposure to toxic chemicals linked to cancer in animals. If we don't control our senses and avoid unnecessary things we will remain stick to the materialistic way of life.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Our senses are uncontrolled. This morning, while I was walking on the beach, we found so many things, the capsule of the Coca-cola, cigarette butts and so many other things. So what is the necessity of this Coca-cola? You don’t find all these things in our society. We don’t drink Coca-cola. We don’t drink Pepsi-cola. We don’t smoke. So many things which are selling in the market in huge quantity by advertisement, by victimizing the poor customer... But they are called unnecessary things. There is no need of such things.  But adanta-gobhij, because the senses cannot be controlled, they are making business. They are making business, unnecessary thing. So we have to control the senses. If we really want spiritual life, if we really want to be free from these material clutches, then we have to learn how to control the senses. That is wanted. That is the purpose of human life.

Śrīla A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda :
Lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.5.30
Mauritius, October 2, 1975
"Complete Works of Srila Prabhupada"
Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International

HOLI FESTIVAL IN INDIA

GREAT FESTIVAL OF COLORS
HOLI CELEBRATES SPRING

www.huffingtonpost.com - Holi (also known as Dol Jatra, Basantotsav) is the Hindu festival of colors. It is celebrated at the end of the winter season, on the last full moon day of the lunar month Phalguna. In 2012, Holi was celebrated on March 8.  Holi celebrations are particularly riotous in India as social rules are relaxed. Colored water is squirted on passers-by, and people are dunked into muddy water. Many people consume bhang, an intoxicating drink made from the female cannabis plant. Social barriers are broken as people of all ages, genders, castes, and wealth gather together and celebrate the festival. In fact, it is said that one can get away with almost any kind of behavior on the day of Holi by saying “bura na mano holi hai,” or, “don’t mind, it is Holi.” In addition to the boisterous nature of the festival, this is a time for family members to get together, give gifts, eat special foods and decorate their homes.

Holi commemorates the miraculous story of Prahlada, a young boy and a devoted follower of the Hindu god Vishnu. According to Hindu texts, Prahlada was born to Hiranyakashipu, the king of demons. Unable to tolerate Prahlada’s devotion to Lord Vishnu, Hiranyakashipu attempted to kill his son several times by poisoning him, throwing him from the top of a mountain, etc. but failed each time. Finally, he ordered his son to sit on a pyre on the lap of his demoness sister, Holika, who was protected from fire burning her. Prahlada accepted his father’s command and survived unharmed from the fire while Holika burned to death. The burning of Holika gave rise to the tradition of lighting bonfires on Holi eve. Holi also celebrates the immortal love of the divine couple, Radha and Krishna. And Holi immortalizes the story of Kama, the Hindu god of love, his incineration to death by Lord Shiva, restoration and his love and sacrifice for all. These are three of the most popular stories, and as with most Hindu festivals, the stories vary slightly in different parts of India.

Holi is observed with great fanfare by Hindus all over the world. Holi celebrations begin on the eve of the festival with bonfires and prayers. On the day of Holi, people throw colored powder and liquids at each other. A common greeting during this time is, “Happy Holi.” The celebration of Holi is one of the most spirited and beloved festivals of the Hindu calendar and it is recounted in Hindu sacred texts and stories that have passed from generation to generation.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Hindus celebrate their religious occasions with great enthusiasm and revelry. The Hindu calendar, panchang, is based on the movement of moon around the earth. The dates of the festivals are determined in accordance with this system and therefore vary from the official Common Era calendar. Holi is the festival of colors, which Hindus celebrate as an event of divine incarnation of their most cherished god, Lord Krishna. It is a state festival, with the president and prime minister taking part in this game of throwing pigment colors and getting covered in many different hues. The gaiety and mirth of this festivity is unique, as no other ethnic group in the world has anything similar to this event. It is a celebration signifying the joy and mirth of the community.

Dr. Hiro Badlani:
“Hinduism - Path of the Ancient Wisdom”
Chapter 54 “Hindu Festivals”
http://hinduismpath.com/
http://hinduismpath.com/book-contents/chapter-54

VAISHNAVAS CELEBRATED GAURA PURNIMA

WORLDWIE CELEBRATION OF
GAURA PURNIMA ON 8TH MARCH

www.goldcoast.com.au - Yesterday, Krishna devotees celebrated the Gaura Purnima festival 2012.  Hundreds of devotees made their way to the Hare Krishna farm near Murwillumbah yesterday to celebrate one of the movement’s major festivals of the year. The festival of Gaura Purnima - also known as the Golden Full Moon - celebrates the birthday of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in West Bengal some 500 years ago, whom followers believe to be the reincarnation of Krishna, appearing as His own devotee. Sri Caitanya introduced the practice of devotional chanting which has been made famous by the Hare Krishnas in recent times as a means to enlightenment. Malini Durr, spokeswoman for the Hare Krishna farm at Eungella, which is home to around 70 people, said after a day of fasting and chanting, followers would gather at the main temple to celebrate before eating at moonrise.

The festival is observed annually (usually in February or March) by Krishna devotees all over the world - especially in the area of Mayapur, India, the place where He appeared in the year 1486.  “We fast until moonrise and have spent all day preparing through bhakti yoga,” Malini said.  Farm resident Nrsimha Kavaca Dasa, the global movement’s most senior priest who travels around the world training and inspiring its 5000 priests, said the festival was of great importance to followers. “This is a great day, it’s like New Year’s Day for us,” Nrsimha said. “Lord Caitanya taught us the process of spiritual realisation through chanting. It is an easy process which anyone can do. It is the process of this age, where people are more materially-centred.” Also in attendance as a speaker was Mukunda Goswami, one of the original members of the Hare Krishnas who became a disciple of the movement’s in New York in the mid 1960s.

Gaura-purnima means “Golden Full Moon”, a reference to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.  It is a Gaudiya Vaisnava festival that occurs in March celebrating the divine appearance of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu who is Krishna Himself, appearing as His own devotee, to teach people that we can gain full enlightenment simply by chanting the holy names of the Lord.  One who sees Lord Caitanya to be different from Krishna is under the illusory energy of the Lord.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Vrajanatha: What is the final destination of the soul who is a devotee of Lord Gaura-kisora (Lord Chaitanya)?
Babaji: Krishna and Gaura-kisora are not different. They are both shelters of the feature of sweetness (madhurya-rasa). They do have one difference. Madhurya-rasa (the Lord’s sweetness) has two features: 1. madhurya (sweetness), and 2. audarya (mercy). When sweetness is prominent, Lord Krishna is manifested. When mercy is prominent, Lord Gauranga is manifested. The spiritual world of Vrindavan is divided into two abodes: 1. the abode of Lord Krishna, and 2. the abode of Lord Gaura. The eternally perfect and eternally liberated souls who have sweetness first and mercy second reside in Lord Krishna’s abode. They are Lord Krishna’s associates. The eternally perfect and eternally liberated souls who have mercy first and sweetness second reside in Lord Gaura’s abode. They are Lord Gaura’s associates. ... This truth: that Lord Gaura and Lord Krishna are simultaneously one and different from each other, is a very confidential secret.

Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Thakur :
Jaiva-dharma (The Universal Religion)
Ch. 17: Nitya-dharma O Sambandhabhidheya Prayojana
Eternal Religion and Sambandha, Abhidheya and Prayojana
(The Souls Free From Maya’s Prison)
http://bvml.org/SBTP/index.htm  -  http://bvml.org/SBTP/JD/index.html#17

CELEBRATE TODAY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY SHOULD
REMIND US THE STRUGGLE ISN’T OVER

www.thespec.com - Just when some women mistakenly think that there is no need for us to fight for women’s equality, we are quickly reminded that it is not so. Last year, as International Women’s Day marked its 100th year, Toronto newspaper columnist Margaret Wente declared the fight for equality is over. She is not the only one who thinks so. But this is far from the truth. Women in these parts of the world have won the battle of being legally equal but the struggle for gender equality is hardly over.  This week, Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, published, a special press release on gender equality for International Women’s Day. It states the proportion of women at risk of poverty or social exclusion is higher than for men in all EU member states. Today marks the 101st International Woman’s day. We have indeed come a long way. But those who think that the job is done are simply deluding themselves.

For example, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and UN Women urged the Government of Afghanistan to fully and promptly implement the law on Elimination of Violence against Women.  “As long as women and girls in Afghanistan are subject to violence with impunity, little meaningful and sustainable progress for women’s rights can be achieved in the country,” said Director of Human Rights for UNAMA. Enacted in 2009, the landmark Elimination of Violence against Women (EVAW) law criminalises child marriage, forced marriage, selling and buying women for the purpose or under the pretext of marriage, baad (giving away a woman or girl to settle a dispute), forced self-immolation and 17 other acts of violence against women including rape and beating. In spite of these legal protections, violence against women and girls remains pervasive in Afghanistan with an inconsistent response from Afghan authorities.

Today marks the 101st anniversary of International Women’s Day. It’s a day when people around the world host events with the goal to inspire women. Some will observe the day by attending seminars on women’s health, making donations to causes that aid women around the world or celebrating the accomplishments of notable women from the past and present. For instance, the Upanishads tells about two female scholars, Maitreyi and Gargi, who pose demanding questions to the learned sages.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

All ancient and even not so ancient societies, both religious and secular, have looked similarly upon women in ways that today’s society does not. The reason is largely because of the obvious fact that women are no less intelligent, no more lusty, etc., than men. Other religious traditions, such as Christianity, have for the most part moved on from the Bible’s traditional description of the role of women to embrace the times that are with us, in which women are involved in every aspect of society. ... Now they can vote, have a say as to what the world needs, and thus share the loving nature you attribute to them by investing it in determining world leaders. Nor is there any evidence that women are now less caring at home. The equality that women have gained has also caused many men to become more caring.

Śrīla Bhakti Vedanta Tripurari Mahārāja :
“Women And The Reality Of Our Times”
Sri Caitanya Sanga - January 31, 2001, Vol. III, No. 4
http://www.swami.org/pages/sanga/
http://www.swami.org/pages/sanga/2001/2001_4.php

HEART OF DUBLIN’S PATRON SAINT STOLEN FROM CHURCH

SAINT’S ANCIENT HEART STOLEN FROM
DUBLIN CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL

Dublin (AP) - Somewhere in Ireland, a burglar has the heart of a saint. Officials at Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin said Sunday they’re distraught and perplexed over the theft of the church’s most precious relic: the preserved heart of St. Laurence O’Toole, patron saint of Dublin. O’Toole’s heart had been displayed in the cathedral since the 13th century. It was stored in a heart-shaped wooden box and secured in a small, square iron cage on the wall of a chapel dedicated to his memory. On Saturday someone cut through two bars, pried the cage loose, and made off with the relic. “I am devastated that one of the treasured artifacts of the cathedral is stolen,” said the Most Rev. Dermot Dunne, the cathedral’s dean. “It has no economic value but it is a priceless treasure that links our present foundation with its founding father.” Pope Honorius III canonized O’Toole in 1225 on the weight of many claims of miracles at his original grave site.

O’Toole’s heart had been the last surviving part of his remains. His bones were re-interred in an English church yard in 1442 but were dug up and disappeared during the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century. Ireland’s national police force, the Garda Siochana, said the thief may have hidden overnight in the cathedral and fled with the heart when its doors opened Saturday. Worshippers didn’t spot that the relic was missing until Saturday afternoon. Nobody was arrested. Nuala Kavanagh, the cathedral’s director of operations, said whoever stole it appeared to have no interest in financial gain, since several nearby objects made of gold and other precious materials were not touched. “It’s completely bizarre,” she said. “They didn’t touch anything else. They wanted the heart of St. Laurence O’Toole.”  Ireland’s churches have suffered a spate of such robberies of irreplaceable, but also hard to sell, religious artifacts.

The preserved heart of Dublin's patron saint - St. Laurence O'Toole - which had been on display in Christ Church Cathedral for 800 years, was stolen days ago. The relic was kept in a heart-shaped wooden box in a chapel dedicated to the saint; money boxes and other valuables, such as loads of silver in the cathedral were untouched.  Insanity in the Age of Kali progresses and many things that were sacred in ancient times - such as the veneration of relics - are desecrated now.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

French historian Alain Danielou had noticed as early as 1950 that “a great number of events which surround the birth of Christ-as it is related in the Gospels-strangely reminded us of Buddha’s and Krishna’s legends.” Danielou quotes as examples the structure of the Christian Church, which resembles that of the Buddhist Chaitya; the rigorous asceticism of certain early Christian sects, which reminds one of the asceticism of Jain and Buddhist saints; the veneration of relics, the usage of holy water, which is an Indian practice, and the word “Amen,” which comes from the Hindu (Sanskrit) “OM.” Another historian, Belgium’s Konraad Elst, also remarks “that many early Christian saints, such as Hippolytus of Rome, possessed an intimate knowledge of Brahmanism.” Elst even quotes the famous Saint Augustine who wrote: “We never cease to look towards India, where many things are proposed to our admiration.”

Stephen Knapp (Śrīpad Nandanandana dasa) :
“Christianity’s Similarities with Hinduism”
http://www.stephen-knapp.com
http://www.stephen-knapp.com/christianity%27s_similarities_with_hinduism.htm

GORED SPANISH BULLFIGHTER MAKES COMEBACK

SPANISH MATADOR RETURNS BULLRING
AFTER GORING LEFT HIM BLIND IN 1 EYE

Olivenza, Spain (AP) - A Spanish bullfighter who lost sight in one eye and has partial facial paralysis after a terrifying goring returned to the bullring Sunday, five months after his injury. On Oct. 8, a bull’s horn ripped into Juan Jose Padilla’s lower jaw and caused his left eyeball to protrude as spectators screamed in horror. Padilla was seen getting up shouting, “I can’t see, I can’t see anything,” his face gushing blood as assistants distracted the bull. Now, wearing an eye patch and speaking with a lisp, Padilla fulfilled what he describes as an unquenchable desire to once again face massive 1,100-pound (500-kilogram) fighting bulls with the aid of only a cape and sword. The 38-year-old Padilla, the star attraction at the southwestern town of Olivenza’s annual taurine festival, said he was returning to the ring because of a need “to win, to triumph, to be a better man.”

A capacity crowd of about 5,400 people, including die-hard connoisseurs, fashion models and well-known personalities, had packed into this town’s historic bullring, which was built in 1854. The matador, who is also known by his professional name of “the Cyclone of Jerez,” wore a glittering matador’s “suit of lights” outfit that had been made for the occasion in gold braid and olive green, “for hope,” according to his tailor, Justo Algaba. Stitching on the suit traced the shape of laurel leaves because “they were used to crown the brows of audacious combatants and great heroes,” Algaba said. Padilla was greeted with loud cheers and enthusiastic hand-clapping as he walked into the ring to the traditional “pasodoble” brass band music, before having two unaccompanied flamenco style “saeta” songs dedicated to him, an honor rarely accorded to bullfighters. Padilla was awarded one ear for each of his two kills. The maximum accolade a matador can achieve is two ears and a tail for each bull slain.

The Spanish matador who lost his left eye in a horrific goring made a remarkable return to the ring.  Juan José Padilla, dubbed The Pirate because of the eye-patch he now wears, showed little trouble killing his first bull in front of a crowd of 5,400.  He was given one of the highest accolades by his fellow bullfighters. The desire to keep fighting in spite of the drawbacks is admirable, but doing so at the expense of suffering and sacrifice of animals for the mere pleasure of killing them is an abomination.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Ramesvara: ... Even today, actually, all the entertainment in America and the Western world is based on violence. They have bull fighting. They want to see the bull tortured and killed. And they have chicken fighting and they have...
Prabhupada: Dog fighting.
Ramesvara: And even the most popular sport in America now is football. It is more popular than baseball, and it's based on men jumping on each other. While one team is carrying the ball, every... A very violent sport.
Hari-sauri: And boxing also. So many different sports.
Ramesvara: They are fascinated by pain and fighting.
Prabhupada: Torture. They like to see that somebody is tortured by another.

Śrīla A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda :
“Room Conversation” in Bhubaneswar
January 21, 1977 - Conversations - 770121r3.bhu
Complete Works of Srila Prabhupada

SEX AND DRUGS ‘RIFE’ ON COSTA CROCIERE CRUISE SHIPS

CLAIMS OF SEX, BOOZE AND
DRUG ABUSE IN COSTA FLEET

www.theaustralian.com.au - An investigation into the Costa Concordia disaster includes claims that officers were seen snorting cocaine and getting drunk. Leaked documents from the investigation contain allegations that officers were seen taking drugs and drinking on two of the operator’s ships, La Stampa reported days ago.  “The officers and crew were very often drunk,” a former employee who worked on the Costa Concordia for two months in 2010 before quitting, said in one testimony published by the paper which could not be independently verified. “We often asked ourselves at parties: ‘Who would save the ship if there was an emergency?’,” she said. She was also quoted as saying by the daily that she had been sexually harassed by a crew member “who was completely high on drugs.” Costa Crociere says it implements zero tolerance anti-drugs rules on board and carries out regular checks.

Another testimony was from a former nurse who worked in 2010 under captain Francesco Schettino on board a different ship, the Costa Atlantica. The nurse said she had seen “corruption, drugs and prostitution” on board. “I saw with my own eyes officers taking cocaine,” she said. Captain Schettino - dubbed “Captain Coward” by the tabloid press - is at the centre of a criminal inquiry over the Costa Concordia. He is accused of multiple counts of manslaughter as well as abandoning ship. Eight other people are under investigation, including three executives from Costa Crociere which is part of world cruise giant Carnival Corporation.  The Costa Concordia crushed into the island of Giglio off the shores of Tuscany on January 13  with 4229 people on board just as passengers were settling down to the supper on the first day of their cruise.  Thirty-two people lost their lives in the disaster.

The Costa Concordia and other vessels in the cruise ship's fleet were hotbeds of sexual harassment, drinking and drug abuse, former crew members have claimed. Former Costa Cruises staff have claimed to prosecutors that drug and alcohol abuse and the hiring of prostitutes, took place among crews aboard the company's liners. Let us be responsible in our studies, jobs and occupations; we must try to serve our brothers and sisters and not just want to enjoy selfishly.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

We are responsible as human beings. ... We are supposed to try to control our mind and senses. Gambling feverish, people feverishly going to a gambling situation and it brings greater and greater fever. It is intoxicating. Intoxication, illicit sex, gambling, meat eating these four principles constitute basic human morality. Honestly, truthfulness these are very very important. Why? Because they do not further thrust contaminations upon the mind ... There is frustration, there is depression, there is loneliness. The mind is simply not satisfied. The mind will never be satisfied no matter how much you money you make, no matter how much sex you have, no matter how much power you have, no matter how much position you have, no matter how much land you own. The mind will never be satisfied.

Śrīla Radhanath Swami Mahārāja :
“Conquering The Greatest Enemy”
http://www.radhanathmaharaj.net/content/conquering-greatest-enemy-radhanath-swami
http://www.radhanath-swami.net/ -  http://radhanathswami.info

TODDLER ONLY FAMILY MEMBER TO SURVIVE TORNADO

TORNADO MIRACLE: CHILD SURVIVES
TORNADO THAT KILLED FAMILY

http://abcnews.go.com - In a field outside of a flattened home rescuers found a young child laying among the bodies of her family who were killed by a powerful tornado. The unidentified 2-year-old girl was found in New Pekin, Ind., and taken to Kosair Children’s Hospital in Louisville, Ky., where she is in critical condition. The girl has one family member, who was not identified, with her at the hospital as she recuperates from her injuries, said Cis Gruebbel, chief of nursing at the hospital. Washington County Sheriff Claude Combs told ABC News that the girl was discovered near the bodies of her 21-year-old mother and two younger siblings, ages 2 years and 2 months old. The body of a 20-year-old male was also recovered from the field. It was unconfirmed whether the man was the girl’s father. In Chelsea, Ind., a mother clung to her 4-year-old son, but the force of the tornado ripped the boy from her arms as the two huddled in the cellar.

The child and his great grandparents, who were upstairs during the twister, were found dead in a field behind their home. “We lost a very good farmer, a good neighbor and his wife their great grandbaby,” Tony Williams, owner of the Chelsea General Store told ABCNews.com. The 4-year-old boy was identified as Davlin Terry Jackson. Williams said the child’s mother, Amanda Jackson, had surgery Friday night and is in the hospital.  The deadly string of tornados turned tight knit rural communities into apocalyptic war zones. At least 38 people were killed Friday in Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Georgia and Alabama. Search crews fanned out as the sun came up this morning looking for survivors and injured people.  Schools were reduced to rubble, businesses were destroyed and families were left homeless by the disaster. In many towns, a person could travel for miles without seeing an intact house.

Friday’s violent storms touched down in at least a dozen states from Georgia to Illinois in the USA.  At least 40 people were killed, but a 2-year-old girl was somehow found alive and alone in a field near her Indiana home. The girl’s mother, father, 2-month-old sister and 3-year-old brother all died when the storms devastated southern Indiana.  Who lives and who dies in a mass casualty event? The Lord is all-powerful, and therefore He can both save and kill as His will.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

In the great assembly of respectable citizens, friends, relatives, brāhmanas, sages, ksatriyas and vaisyas, in the presence of all, including his brothers, King Yudhisthira directly addressed Lord Krishna as follows: “... The verdict of the Vedic wisdom is that You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead. ... You are equal to everyone; that is Your declaration. You cannot be partial to one and not interested in others, for You sit in everyone’s heart as the Supersoul and give everyone the respective results of his fruitive activities. You give every living entity the chance to enjoy this material world as he desires.” ... Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is omnipotent, and if He wants to kill someone, no one can save that person. Similarly, if He wants to save someone, no one can kill him.

Śrīla A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda :
“Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead”
Chapter 72 - “The Liberation of King Jarāsandha”
Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International

BARRICK GOLD: POLLUTION AND DISEASE

LIVING NEAR THE BARRICK GOLD
PEOPLE WORTH LESS THAN GOLD

www.hoy.com.do - In the Dominican Republic, the people of the communities Pueblo Viejo, La Laguna, La Cerca, Laguna Arriba and other villages surrounding Barrick Gold, in the province Juan Sanchez Ramirez, reported that since the international mining company began to operate one of the world's largest open-sky mining gold exploitation, the evils in this area have been multiplied. They cited, among others, the water pollution of rivers and the spread of disease by the dust raised by trucks transporting materials to and from the mine. Alejandrina Perdomo said people in the area are not consistent with the mining for the damage that is causing to people. She said that before they use to take water from the taps or directly from the river, but now it only serves to mop. "All women are getting sick and weakened with itchy in their bodies due to water," she lamented. Barrick Gold "has done nothing for the good of the community, although it has given employment to a few people," she said.

Santo Torres, another resident said he did not feel good in the community because they lost the peace that there was because the trucks are working 12 hours continuously and that the noise and dust have put them in distress. He explained that the things that most concern them is that the Barick Gold has dozens of bombs along the rivers Yagal, Naranjo, Arroyo Vuelta and Maguaca, extracting water to take to their mines. Leocadio Lima complained that the water they usually consume has been inspected by laboratories and it was found high percentages of lead, mercury and other heavy metals in it. He argued that people are suffering from stomach pains and an outbreak of skin diseases such as the so-called instep and several spots on different parts of the body. When water is stored in containers, at the next day you can pick up a black mud at the bottom. Despite this, many people who do not have money to buy drinking water has to consume the contaminated one. Up to communities like Laguna Arriba, La Cerca and Pueblo Viejo, benefits announced by the ad campaign for the international mining have not reached yet.

According to the government, the mining industry benefits the Dominican economy because it increased the country's gross domestic product (GDP) due to the rising of the prices of gold, silver, copper and nickel. However, the economic benefits are distributed among investors, the State and municipalities, providing a minimum compensation for the serious inconveniences caused to the farmers who own the land.  The reason for this is greed and ambition for gold, we should instead aspire to become devotees of God.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Śrīla Rupa Gosvami has written this song: “If you still desire to amuse yourself with your friends, you should not go to Vrndavana. And if you go to Vrndavana, you should especially not go to Kesi Ghat. There is a danger lurking there. What is that danger? It is Sri Hari, Krishna Himself, who has taken the form of Govinda, Govinda vigraha dhari. The danger is that if you go there and see Him, if you have a vision of Govinda, you will not be able to return to the customary amusements of your ordinary household life.” ... Unfortunately, we go to Vrndavana and still come back. We do not have such devotion. If anybody truly had the greed for Govinda, he could not return to his mundane life. His worldly relations would be destroyed. Greed for devotion is developed by associating with the pure devotees of the Lord. By their grace it becomes possible for us to attain Krishna prema, divine love for God, the ultimate goal of life.

Śrīla Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Mahārāja :
“True greed for Govinda” 
May 16, 2003 - Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Math
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sreecgmath/message/161
http://www.sreecgmath.org

PASSENGERS EXPERIENCE ‘HELL’ ON SHIP

COSTA ALLEGRA PASSENGERS RECOUNT
EVENTS ON BOARD THEIR DISABLED SHIP

www.theaustralian.com.au - The Costa Allegra docked in the Seychelles on Thursday, three days after a fire broke out in the ship’s generator room, leaving passengers without working toilets, running water or air conditioning in a region of the Indian Ocean where pirates are known to prowl. Cabin temperatures reached up to 43 degrees, forcing passengers to sleep on deck chairs. “Things became very primitive,” a passenger said, a far cry from what the couple had expected when they embarked on the multi-week cruise. The blaze came just six weeks after another luxury liner, the Costa Concordia, capsized off Italy, leaving 32 people dead, a fact that was on many passengers’ minds. Both ships were operated by Costa Crociere SpA, which is owned by Florida-based Carnival Corp. When the ship’s alarm sounded, passengers knew it wasn’t a drill. The short-short-long wail meant to prepare to disembark.

Passengers couldn’t see the fire, but they could smell and see smoke. Crew members extinguished the blaze within an hour, but the alarmed continued to wail for two more hours. Some passengers panicked, shouting out family members’ names. An emergency generator not involved in the fire failed, leaving the ship with only six hours of battery power.  That brought an end to any semblance of the good cruise life. There were no more hot meals, only cold sandwiches. The water used to extinguish the fire flooded the galley between the first and second decks. The toilets couldn’t be flushed, blanketing the bathrooms in stench. The average age of the 627 passengers on board was 55, said Guillaume Albert, head of Creole Travel Service. Many of the older passengers in particular had trouble with the sweltering heat. The waters off East Africa are Somali pirate territory; the attacks crippled the Seychelles tourism industry after wary cruise companies stopped coming to the island paradise in 2009.

Passengers disembarked from the stricken Costa Allegra cruise ship and described the three days of "hell" in horrific conditions on board. As the luxury liner finally made it to shore, tourists expressed disgust at the way they had been treated. They faced with a lack of air-conditioning, running water, functioning toilets, and cabin temperatures which reached more than 40 degrees. Like the journey of the jiva in the material world, what at the beginning began as a luxurious pleasure trip became a nightmare.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

When a living entity is conditioned by material nature, he is exactly like a person haunted by a ghost. Forgetting the words ‘In my perfect state I am servant of Krishna’, he serves maya for a long time. Sometimes he is a king. Sometimes he is a citizen. Sometimes he is a brahmana. Sometimes he is a sudra. Sometimes he is sad. Sometimes he is happy. Sometimes he is a tiny insect. Sometimes he is in Svargaloka. Sometimes he is in the earthly realms. Sometimes he is in hell. Sometimes he is a demigod. Sometimes he is a demon. Sometimes he is a servant. Sometimes he is a master. Sometimes he is a servant. Thus he wanders in the material worlds. When he attains the association of devotees, he can understand the truth about himself. When he understands the truth about himself he no longer wishes to stay in the material world. Then he laments, ‘Why did I serve maya for so long?’.

Śrīla Saccidananda Bhaktivinoda Thākura :
“Jaiva-dharma” (The Universal Religion)
Chapter Seven - Nitya-dharma O Samsar
“Eternal Duties, Household Life, and the Material World”
http://bvml.org/SBTP/index.htm  -  http://bvml.org/SBTP/JD/index.html#7

MYANMAR PRESIDENT VOWS MORE DEMOCRATIC REFORM

MYANMAR PRESIDENT THEIN SEIN PROMISED
TO CONTINUE REFORMS TO DEMOCRACY

Naypyitaw, Myanmar (AP) - Myanmar President Thein Sein said Thursday that his government will build on the sweeping reforms it has begun over the last year, and will work hard to convince skeptics at home and abroad that it is truly committed to democratic change. The Southeast Asian leader made the comments in a speech to Parliament that came nearly one year after he took office as head of a new, nominally civilian government that replaced a long-ruling military junta but remains dominated by retired military officials following elections widely regarded as neither free nor fair. Since then, Thein Sein has overseen a wave of dramatic change that has shocked even some of the nation's fiercest critics. Those changes include freeing political prisoners, signing cease-fires with armed rebel groups, easing restrictions on the press and opening a dialogue with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

"There are many more steps to be taken," Thein Sein says, and those steps include strengthening the rule of law, boosting private sector businesses and improving the impoverished country's basic infrastructure, which lags far behind much of the rest of Asia.  Myanmar was controlled for nearly half a century by the army, which turned the country into a pariah state and ruled with an iron fist, confining Suu Kyi to 15 years of house arrest and jailing thousands of critics. Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace laureate, is likely to win a parliament seat in the by-election, which many see as a test of the government's commitment to reform.  Suu Kyi has said she fears that the military could undo the reforms, but has confidence in Thein Sein.  "I think that the President is perfectly sincere when he said that he wanted to bring true democracy to Burma and he wanted to make all efforts possible toward achieving it," she told.

Due conflicts between government forces and ethnic minority rebels which have simmered in the former Burma for decades, Myanmar's transition from military to civilian rule had been met with skepticism, but Thein Sein's government wants to shown it was committed to raising living standards, creating jobs and fighting corruption and courting investment. Whether in monarchy or democracy, there must always be someone in control and that person must have high qualities.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Rāja means king or the ruler. Here is also regulative principle. Why a king is accepted? Why a governor is accepted? Why a president is...? Even in this day of democracy - we have abolished the system of monarchy - but still, they select somebody to become a monarch, a king, or to occupy the post of the king. That is called president. Why? Because unless there is one head, or on the head of the government, who can actually control ... Therefore a certain man, qualified man, who is, who enjoys the confidence of the people, he is accepted as the king. This is the position. So such president, king, or the executive head, must be a saintly person. Therefore here it is said, parīksin nāma rājarsih.  Rājarsi means those who are on the top of the government, he must be rsi, saintly person.

Śrīla A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda :
Lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.16.36
Given in Tokyo, January 30, 1974
740130SB.TOK - Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International