PRICELESS TREASURES OF HARYANA'S RAKHIGARHI

RAKHIGARHI, 8,000 YEARS OLD

VILLAGE IN HARYANA, INDIA

www.hinduismtoday.com - Rakhigarhi is a cluster of two sprawling villages - Rakhikhas and Rakhi Shahpur - in Haryana, around 106 miles from Delhi, India. That Rakhigarhi was a large Harappan town was known in 1963, when the area was first surveyed. What archaeologists are finding out now is that it is the biggest ever Harappan city, larger and more extensive than the massive Mohenjo Daro. "It's in critical condition because of encroachment and construction," says Vasant Shivram Shinde, professor of archaeology and joint director of the Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute, Pune. 
About 40% of the Rakhigarhi site is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) - which translates to a fenced boundary wall and a guardroom with no guard. The wall is broken in several places, and the protected area is used by the villagers as a place to dry cow dung.

The unprotected areas have houses and farmland. The ancient Harappan city lies buried under. "People pick up Harappan objects from their fields and sell them for as little as Rs.100," says local villager Wazir Chand Saroae. "They don't mean to do anything illegal; it's just that they have little awareness about it." However, all of this is set to change. The Global Heritage Fund (GHF), a non-profit organization based in the US that works to preserve the world's most endangered heritage sites, put Rakhigarhi on its project in 2012. 
This makes the Harappan site one of GHF's 13 projects worldwide. GHF will not only coordinate an ambitious excavation and conservation project at the site, led by Prof. Shinde, beginning this month, it will also work with the local community to develop home stays, train tour guides, and establish an on-site lab and museum with the help of the ASI, Deccan College, and other government agencies to turn Rakhigarhi into a heritage tourism hot spot.

Even though the Harappan or Indus Valley Civilization is one of the three oldest urban civilizations, along with Egypt and Mesopotamia, it is the least understood. Its script is yet to be deciphered, and the knowledge of social structures and life during that period is scant. Rakhigarhi promises to change this too. It is one of the few Harappan sites which has an unbroken history of settlement starting with the early Harappan farming communities from 6,000 to 4,500 BC, to the mysterious collapse of the civilization around 1,800 BC. There is no evidence of an Aryan homeland outside of India. Scholars and indologists have consistently proved that Vedic Culture is indigenous because existing cultural continuity in the Vedic literature from the early Harrapan civilization up to the present day India.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

It can be scientifically proven that the Vedic Culture is indigenous, through archaeology, the study of cultural continuity, by linguistic analysis, and genetic research. For example, the language and symbolism found on the Harappan seals are very Vedic. We find the Om symbol, the leaf of the Asvatta or holy banyan tree, as well as the swastika, or sign of auspiciousness, mentioned throughout the Vedas. Om is mentioned in the Mundaka and Katha Upanisads as well as the Bhagavad Gita. The Holy Asvatta tree is mentioned in the Aitareya and Satapata Brahmanas as well as the Taittiriya Samhita and Katyayana Smrti. ... Other archaeological finds are culturally consistent, such as the dancing girl, whose bracelets are similar to those worn by women of Northwest India today as well as the three stone Siva Lingas found in Harappa by M. S. Vats in 1940. The worship of the Siva Linga is mentioned in the Maha Narayana Upanisad of the Yajur Veda and is still ardently practiced today.

Śrīla Bhakti Bhavan Vishnu Mahārāja :
“Scientific Verification of Vedic Knowledge”
“The Vedic Culture is indigenous to India”
http://gosai.com/ashrama/swami-bb-vishnu
http://gosai.com/writings/science-of-the-sacred

Published by dasavatara das - "Vedic Views on World News"
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CHINESE MILLIONAIRE CLEANS STREETS TO SET EXAMPLE

CHINESE MILLIONAIRE WORKS

6 DAYS A WEEK AS STREET CLEANER

www.ibtimes.co.uk - A Chinese millionaire has worked as a street cleaner for 15 years in order to set a good example for her two children. Yu Youzhen came from a poor background as a vegetable farmer to make her millions in property. So her son and daughter would learn the value of money, Yu took a job as a sanitation worker for the Wuchang district authorities in the city of Chengguan. She gets paid £130 a month. She gets just one day off a week and has to arrive for work at 3am every morning. "I want to set an example for my son and daughter," she explained. "A person can't just sit at home and eat away a whole fortune."
In her job, Yu is responsible for 3km (1 mile) of streets and works six hours a day. She and her husband worked night and day to save money for a house. They became the first family to build a three-storey private house in their village of Huojiawan.

They rented out spare rooms in the house and saved enough money to build more properties, working their way up to three five-storey buildings. In 2008, the land she had built on was requisitioned for redevelopment. As compensation, she was given 21 apartments by the government. She sold off four off them to finance further investments. According to the South China Morning Post, Yu is the proud owner of many apartments worth more than 10 million yuan (approximately $1.5 million). Her co-workers say they cannot understand why Yu would come to work every day. "Mrs Yu's family is so rich, yet still she comes to put up with this suffering," one said. 
Yu's plan to set a good example appears to have worked. She told her children: "If you don't work, I'll donate the apartments to the country." As a result, her son works as a driver earn about £200 per month while her daughter works in an office on £300 a month.

Yu Youzhen, 53, who lives in the Chinese city of Wuhan, has become a symbol of hard work and determination in China. Yu is wealthy, but she does something most rich people do not. Six days a week she wakes up and goes to work as a sanitation worker for the city. Yu has kept her job, which involves scrubbing the streets and emptying trash cans, since 1998, and grew up in poor circumstances. When she came into the ownership of the expensive apartments in the city in 2008, she was determined not to become lazy like many others who came into ownership. "I want to be a role model for my son and daughter. Her children are following in her footsteps, with one son working as a driver and a daughter working in another job. This is an example to imitate. The sublime occupation is to render service to God, and one must follow the example of the great saints conscious of God who have served the Supreme with their respective skills.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

"Whatever action a great man performs, common men follow. And whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues". 
People in general always require a leader who can teach the public by practical behavior. A leader cannot teach the public to stop smoking if he himself smokes. Lord Caitanya said that a teacher should behave properly before he begins teaching. One who teaches in that way is called ācārya, or the ideal teacher. Therefore, a teacher must follow the principles of śāstra (scripture) to teach the common man. The teacher cannot manufacture rules against the principles of revealed scriptures. The revealed scriptures, like Manu-samhitā and similar others, are considered the standard books to be followed by human society.

Śrīla A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda :
Bhagavad-gītā As It Is - 3.21
Chapter 3: Karma-yoga - Verse 21.
Bhaktivedanta VedaBase Network

Published by dasavatara das - "Vedic Views on World News"
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WORLD'S HARVEST FESTIVALS

HARVEST FESTIVALS

AROUND THE WORLD

www.boldsky.com - We became humans from apes only when we learned to grow our own food. When we started planting crops and harvesting them, we became farmers from hunters and gatherers. That was the beginning of human civilisation. Even today, after so many scientific advancement, the system of sowing crops and harvesting them still exists. Human beings are basically agrarian by nature, that is why, most of the religious rites and festivals have grown around the system of farming. These are some of the biggest harvest festivals of the world. 
Thanksgiving: One of the most celebrated American holidays, Thanksgiving, is originally a harvest festival. It dates back to 1642 when the Puritans displaced from England and landed on the American soil. So, Thanksgiving is not just about a juicy roast turkey. It is a harvest festival in its roots.

Indian Harvest Festivals: As we all know, India is very diverse country with many different languages cultures and traditions. Almost every state in India has its own harvest festival. Tamil Naduu has Pongal, Kerala has Vishu and Maharashtra has Gudiparva to name a few. 
Sukkot: This Jewish festival is celebrated with much splendor in Israel. Sukkot is a festival that lasts for 7 days during which the faithful pray at the Temple of Jerusalem (now the Wailing Wall). Crop Over: The Caribbean islands are not just famous for their beer and the beaches. They also have something very unique to offer the world and that is sugarcane. The harvest of the sugarcane crops are celebrated grandly in the island of Barbados. Timoleague: Nobody values a good harvest more than the Celts. Ireland has seen some of the worst famines in history, so Timoleague as a harvest festival has a very special significance for them.

Almost every culture in the world has some sort of harvest festival. Anwesha - the author of the article - mentions only some of the biggest festivals of the world's crop. Regarding Thanksgiving, she says that the Puritans adopted the tradition of Native Americans to thank the gods for a bountiful harvest. The Sukkot - "Feast of the meeting" in Hebrew - is an agricultural festival mentioned in the Old Testament of the Bible. The end of the harvest is also very famous for its music, song and dance. The festival of Timoleague is celebrated in the month of August each year. The Vedas tell us about the simple agrarian society of the Indus-Saraswati civilization, in which Mother Earth was the symbol of fertility.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Hindu scripture does acknowledge evolution, both the evolution of consciousness and the evolution of matter in conjunction with the evolution of consciousness. ... Those who consider kindness a fundamental virtue of cultural progress realize vegetarianism as the diet of the most evolved human species. Kindness also implies greater complexity, for one has to think not only of how to survive, but how to survive while avoiding harm, both physical and emotional, indicating that when a human being shifts from hunting and gathering to a nonviolent agrarian culture, he or she is evolving positively. Intellect governed by true spirituality fosters divine kindness through which humanity can realize its highest potential. On the other hand, intelligence devoid of spirituality and ruled by sensual demands leads to a society governed by greed, which can be an even more violent society than that of hunter-gatherers.

Śrīla Bhakti Vedanta Tripurari Mahārāja :
“Beginningless Karma”
Sri Caitanya Sanga - October 21, 2007, Vol. IX, No. 8
http://www.swami.org
http://swamitripurari.com/
http://swamitripurari.com/2007/10/beginningless-karma/

Published by dasavatara das - "Vedic Views on World News"
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NARENDRA MODI PLEADS FOR INDIAN SPIRITUALITY

SOLUTION TO GLOBAL WARMING
LIES IN INDIAN SPIRITUALITY

www.indianexpress.com - Hailing Indian spirituality for having solution to problems such as global warming and terrorism, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today said the world was yet to realise its full potential. "The world has accepted the power of our youth in information technology, but it has yet to realise India's power of spirituality. Solutions to so many global problems such as global warming lie in the path shown by our saints, through our spirituality," he explained. Modi said this at the closing ceremony of the 60th Youth Anniversary celebrations of the Aksharpurshottam Swaminarayan Sanstha here today. 
"At present, humankind is struggling to thwart the environmental crisis created because of global warming. Who has the capacity to show a way out of it? Our country is the place on earth where our saints had given the status of 'mother' to nature," he said.

"As soon as the world realises the message of our saints and spiritual leaders, it will find solutions to all crises," he said and added that, "in the philosophy of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' lies the answer to terrorism". The grand finale of Bochasanwasi Shri Aksharpurushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha's 60th anniversary celebrations was held in Ahmedabad at the Sardar Patel Stadium here where more then 25,000 youth from all over India, USA, Canada, UK, East Africa, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Dubai had assembled. 
Pramukh Swami Maharaj, who is not in good health, blessed the gathering through his video message and congratulated them for "upholding satsang and service to parents as well as country". The celebrations was themed on six values portrayed through colourful dances, dramas, parades and more than 1,600 children and youth performed on stage.

To mark the 60th anniversary of its youth wing (Yuvak Mandal) the BAPS Swaminarayan Sansth held an event in the city of Ahmedabad, India. Indian Chief Minister Narendra Modi was present at the event that consisted of various acts, traditional dance performances and speeches by senior BAPS sadhus. “Spirituality is important not only for an individual’s life, but because it has an answer for all,” Modi said, adding that issues like global warming and even terrorism could be solved by spirituality as soon as the world realizes its full potential. “India is the only country with 65% youth and hence it becomes important to guide them in a right direction and BAPS Youth Wing is active in doing this,” CM Modi stated.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Sahajanand Swami (1781–1830), a saint of highest spiritual caliber, who later was known as Bhagwan Swaminarayan, developed a large following in Gujarat. His devotees established the Swaminarayan sect in 1907. Swaminarayan temples are famous for their grandeur and elegance. This institute also has done great service to the society by assisting in various community projects. It also opened its gates to the lower castes that had been barred from such places. Pramukh Swami (1921–) is the present head of the major division, named BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha. He has personally led the organization to very lofty heights and has established hundreds of temples all across the world. The temples at Ahmedabad, New Delhi, London, Houston, Chicago, and many other places are very grand and attract thousands of devotees each day, including non-Hindus, who often visit to admire the artwork and architecture of the temples.

Dr. Hiro Badlani :
“Hinduism - Path of the Ancient Wisdom”
Chapter 41: "Hinduism in the Modern Era"
"Spiritual Masters of the Recent Period"
http://hinduismpath.com/
http://hinduismpath.com/book-contents/chapter-41/

Published by dasavatara das - "Vedic Views on World News"
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SICKENING FINDING IN HONG KONG

THOUSANDS OF SHARK FINS
DRYING ON HONG KONG ROOFTOP

www.grindtv.com - The number of shark fins set out to dry like the morning laundry on a Hong Kong factory building rooftop is staggering. To look at the accompanying images and video, revealing perhaps 10,000 fins, and to grasp that sharks are being slaughtered at a furious pace so their fins can be used to make soup, one cannot help but wonder how many years will pass before at least some shark species are banished to extinction. Shark conservation movements are growing, especially regarding the cruel practice of finning, but the striking imagery supplied by photojournalist Alex Hofford illustrates that conservation efforts, while they have made progress, have a long away to go toward stemming the killing of sharks for their fins. Though it's not illegal to posses and sell fins in China, most traders keep their operations at least somewhat private to avoid bad publicity.

Asked how he was able to obtain his vantage point Hofford responded, via email: "Evading security guards, running up and down dusty stair cases, climbing up rusty ladders, and general low-level paranoia!" The photojournalist blogged: "The front line in the war against the shark fin trade has shifted from the sidewalks to the roof tops. The theory goes that after being exposed at street level, they have now sought to move their activities out of the public eye to avoid further backlash." Shark finning, which involves the removal of fins from captured sharks and the tossing of shark carcasses overboard, is increasingly under fire. The practice is illegal in some areas, including the U.S., and many U.S. states have banned the sale and possession of shark fins. But scientists estimate that up to 70 million sharks are killed each year, solely for their fins. Most of them end up in China, where shark-fin soup is a delicacy enjoyed mostly by the affluent. It's not clear whether the fins in Hofford's images were from sharks killed only for their fins, but it's easy to draw that conclusion.

Environmentalists are outraged after approximately 18,000 shark fins were discovered drying out on a rooftop in Hong Kong, hidden from public view. The images represent a fraction of the expected 75 million sharks killed each year to keep up with the demand for the fins. Hong Kong is one of the world’s biggest markets for shark fins, which are used to make soup that is an expensive staple at Chinese banquets. The delicacy, often used in soup, and consumed mostly by rich people, is very popular in China. But the practice of fisherman removing the animal's fin and throwing it back into the sea to die, and the over-harvesting of sharks, has begun to change public opinion. We should reject anything that cause pain to other creatures or is harmful to our health and general health of the planet.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Life is also present within the nonhuman species, and it is no less qualified than the human position, but in the course of the evolutionary movement of the soul, it is thrown into such a condition as the result of karma. Wherever life is present, the soul is there within. ...  Jesus told them, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." That is also good. But not only is the soul present there; God is also there, and everywhere. The lower species are also feeling pain and pleasure. In animals it is quite clear that when they are killed, they feel pain. So, there is life. The vibration of pain is there, consciousness is there, and the soul is a unit of pure consciousness. But the persons to whom Jesus preached were not so qualified as to extend their knowledge that far. They are not prepared for such a great amount of sacrifice in their practices.

Śrīla Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Mahārāja :
"The Search For Sri Krsna - Reality The Beautiful"
Chapter 7 : "Do Unto Others" Includes Animals"
1989 - Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math
http://www.scsmath.com/books/Search_Sri_Krishna.pdf

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INDIA: MORE SEX CRIMES AGAINST WOMEN

INDIA: WOMAN JUMPS
FROM TRAIN TO ESCAPE RAPE

www.eurasiareview.com - A young woman is in hospital in critical condition after throwing herself off a moving train in an attempt to escape molestation. It’s the latest in a number of incidents that have exposed the vulnerability of women in India. The 25-year-old woman jumped from the carriage of a moving train after allegedly being molested by a soldier. 
The attack occurred while the train was en route from Darjeeling to Delhi. The man groped her after she had visited the lavatory. After pushing him back, the woman jumped from the Brahmaputra Mail line train. The mother of two is being treated in hospital in the city of Patna. “Her condition continues to be critical. A team of doctors is treating her. She has suffered injuries to her head and legs,” authorities said. A member of the Assam Rifles paramilitary force has been arrested and charged in connection with the incident. 

It comes just weeks after a 23-year-old medical student was gang-raped on a bus in Dehli, while her male companion was severely beaten. She later died from her injuries in hospital. In the immediate aftermath of the rape, no one responded to their cries for help. Police and passersby left the mortally injured female student lying naked and bleeding for almost an hour. Her case has resonated with the population as hundreds of thousands took to the streets to voice their anger over the attack and the lack of police response. The rapists have been arrested. Five of the men detained have been indicted with gang rape and murder, and are likely to face execution. 
People demanded new laws to protect Indian women. In an effort to provide more protection on transport routes and deter gangs operating on trains, the railway police have stepped up patrols. In 2012, police apprehended nearly 15 gangs and recovered 15 weapons from trains.

The problem of sexual violence against women appears to touch all levels of Indian society, as on Thursday the ruling Congress party in Assam state suspended a politician accused of rape a woman at the village of Santipur. The villagers later attacked the politician and captured the footage on tape. New Delhi has an infamous reputation as India’s rape capital, seemingly confirmed by a report in the Hindustan Times that documents more than 20 rape cases in the city since December 16th, the day of the rape and brutal murder of the 23-year-old medical student. In every society, there is frustration, there is depression, there is loneliness. The mind is simply not satisfied and having more and more sex or commiting sexual crimes to gratify desires is like putting gasoline in the fire.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

So much progress. So on every level people’s lives are longer than they were ten years ago, twenty years ago. The life expectancy of all the nations of the world that are developing medically, technologically is raising, raising, raising. Economically, so much progress has been made. ... So with all this progress why the greatest medical problem is mental health, mental disease, depression. This is a serious problem today, depression and it’s not the problem is not amongst just the poor people. It’s the upper class, the aristocrats as well as the middle class. So much depression. Insanity, frustration, suicide; just people minds just burst with craziness, they just go on rape people, shoot people. ... People are turning to alcohol, drugs. Why? Because they are frustrated, they are lonely. People need happiness, but unfortunately, in society today people do not know what happiness is.

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

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US CONGRESSWOMAN TAKES OATH ON BHAGAVAD GITA

FIRST US CONGRESSIONAL LEADER
TAKES OATH ON BHAGAVAD GITA

www.chakranews.com - Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), the first Hindu elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, was sworn in yesterday. Gabbard took her oath on the Bhagavad Gita, a sacred Hindu text, as she joined the 113th Congressional class. The oath was administrated by House Speaker John Boehner, who held the Gita for Gabbard. Gabbard said the copy she chose for her swearing in ceremony was one which she read nearly every day while serving as an officer in the Hawaii National Guard during the Iraq War as well as during her tenure as a State Representative and Honolulu City Councilwoman. 
“I chose to take the oath of office with my personal copy of the Bhagavad-Gita because its teachings have inspired me to strive to be a servant-leader, dedicating my life in the service of others and to my country. My Gita has been a tremendous source of inner peace and strength through many tough challenges in life, including being in the midst of death and turmoil while serving our country in the Middle East,” explains Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard. 

Although Hinduism has many sacred texts, the Bhagavad Gita is amongst its most well-known and widely read. Framed as a dialog between Lord Krishna, an incarnation of God, and the warrior prince Arjuna, the Gita is a 700 verse treatise on the nature of both the Divine and man, selfless service, and duty. Over the course of 18 chapters, Lord Krishna expounds the concepts of dharma (righteousness), moksha (liberation), and the four yogas, or paths to spiritual life and liberation, including karma yoga (righteous action), jnana yoga (knowledge), raja yoga (meditation and austerity), and bhakti yoga (loving devotion to God).
The Bhagavad Gita is part of a larger Sanskrit epic, the Mahabharata, which at over 100,000 slokas, or verses, is about ten times the length of the Iliad and Odyssey combined, according to some counts. “It’s exciting that this session we will have the opportunity to work with the first and only Hindu in Congress,” said Jay Kansara, HAF (Hindu American Foundation) Associate Director of Government Affairs.

Tulsi Gabbard, the first Hindu ever elected to the US Congress, took her oath of office on the Hindu scripture the Bhagavad Gita. “I asked Gabbard how this teaching might apply to politics. She replied that the Gita teaches her to try ‘to maintain my equilibrium in either success or failure’,” says Stephen Prothero, professor in Boston University’s religion department. “She then turned to Mahatma Gandhi: ‘The world’s most famous Hindu, Mahatma Gandhi ... worked tirelessly for the welfare of his country and all of humanity without any thought of personal gain, leaving his ultimate success or failure in God’s hands.’ She said that the central topics of the Gita are enlightenment, love for God, selfless service, and how each of us can succeed in our struggle on the ‘battlefields’ of life,” explains professor Prothero. The Mahabharata is one of the world’s great epics and the Bhagavad-gita is one of its chapters.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

The Bhagavad-gita, which means the song of Bhagavan, or God, is a part of the Mahabharata, appearing in the middle of it. Many consider the Bhagavad-gita as the most important of the Vedic scriptures and the essence of the Upanishads and Vedic knowledge. Anyone interested in the most important of the Eastern philosophy should read the Bhagavad-gita. If all the Upanishads can be considered as cows, then the Bhagavad-gita can be considered as milk. ... The Gita has an answer to every problem a man may face in his life. It never commands anyone what to do. Instead it discusses pros and cons of every action and thought. Throughout the Gita you will not come across any line starting or ending with “Thou Shalt Not”. That is the reason why the Gita is the darling of millions of seekers of truth throughout the world.

Stephen Knapp (Śrīpad Nandanandana dasa) :
“Vedic Culture
Hinduism: A Short Introduction”
http://www.stephen-knapp.com  -  http://www.stephenknapp.info/
http://www.stephen-knapp.com/vedic_culture_hinduism_a_short_introduction.htm

Published by dasavatara das - "Vedic Views on World News"
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RUSSIA FACES ‘10 DAYS OF HELL’

RUSSIA’S TOP DOCTOR WARNS OF
‘10 DAYS OF HORROR’ FOR CITIZENS

http://en.ria.ru/russia - The 10-day New Year holidays that begin in Russia on Sunday will be “ten days of hell,” the country’s top public health official warned on Thursday. “Most of our citizens will be left to their own devices. And there is no worse enemy for a Russian than himself,” Gennady Onishchenko told journalists. Russians finish work on December 29 to prepare for New Year and do not go back to work until January 9. The period invariably sees an increase in public drunkenness and fires. 
Onishchenko predicted rampant alcohol consumption and gluttony leading to an “unhealthy atmosphere” in households across the nation over the festive period. He urged Russians with children not to drink on New Year’s Eve. “You will be greeting the New Year with your family and, as head of the family, you will be setting a bad example,” he said. “Or are you not happy to be with your family?”. 

At least come 2015, the government will crack down on smokers and “those who worship the pagan deity Bacchus,” Onishchenko said, referring to a Roman god of wine. A harsh anti-smoking law was filed in the Russian parliament earlier this year, and legislation aimed to curb alcohol consumption is also in the works. Some 23,000 people die of alcohol poisoning annually in Russia, while another 75,000 die of alcohol-related diseases, according to official statistics. Russians were the world’s fourth heaviest drinkers in 2011 with annual consumption of 11 liters of pure ethanol per every citizen older than 15 years, according to the World Health Organization. Only Moldova, the Czech Republic and Hungary drank more. 
The “ten days of horror” will also see most of the public turned into couch potatoes by “mindless” TV programs, Onishchenko said. Onishchenko, 62, who has held the post since 1996, has made a name for himself by being able to find a public health angle in almost any public event.

“Ten days of horror.” That’s what Gennady Onishchenko, Russia’s chief health inspector, calls the traditional holiday period in the country, which encompasses New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, and Orthodox Christmas on January 7. He’s referring to Russians’ penchant for imbibing mass quantities of alcohol during the festive season. And not just during the holidays. “There is no worse enemy for a Russian than himself,” says Onishchenko. Russians can claim the fourth-highest rate of alcohol consumption per capita in the world, according to the World Health Organization. The WHO says that 1-in-5 Russian men will die due to alcohol abuse. The world we live in is likened to a dream, and in our effort to achieve happiness we increase the illusion by alcohol or drugs; but unfortunately it will increase our miseries.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

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. ... The easiest way to refrain from these activities is to always keep yourself engaged in God’s service wherever you are and whatever you may be doing. Keep chanting “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare” and you will be guaranteed of success.

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

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TOP HEALTH RESOLUTIONS FOR NEW YEAR

NEW YEAR HEALTH RESOLUTIONS
WHICH IS BETTER NOT TO BREAK

www.boldsky.com - It’s  New Year. Thus, it is the time to make some resolutions. We all make many types of resolutions however, there are very few who consider health as a major concern. The only health resolution that people take on New Year is to lose extra weight and quit some bad habits in the process. As the New Year has started today, why not take some health resolutions for a healthy and active you? Here are the top 6 health resolutions of New Year that you must take today itself.
Look at the diet: This doesn't mean that you need to go on a crash diet. If you are on a weight loss plan, you need to exclude some high calorie and fatty foods from your diet. Green leafy vegetables, fruits, salads, soups and healthy snacks like nuts must be included in the diet. Workout: We all take this health resolution every New Year. You can try any type of exercise. If you do not get time, try some walking, climbing stairs and running. These are simple aerobic exercises that can keep you fit and healthy. 

Sleep: To stay healthy, we must take the resolution this New Year. Stop watching late night movies and grab some sleep. It will help you get over stress and also relax your mind and body. Other health problems like indigestion and sleeplessness can be troublesome. Quit bad habits: Smokers and drinkers take this resolution every New Year. However, it is very difficult to quit some bad habits. But, nothing is impossible. 
Drink healthy fluids: Instead of drinking alcohol, go for some healthy fluids like juice, soups and most importantly, water. It keeps you hydrated, flushes out toxins from the body and also keeps you fit. Fight stress: These days, stress has become a major concern among people. To avoid mental disorders like depression, meditate regularly and try to stay happy. These are the 6 health resolutions that you must make this New Year. Apart from these, you should stay happy. Keep smiling and be satisfied.

New Year’s resolutions are common commitments to lose weight, do more exercise, eat healthier, quit smoking, stop drinking, organize your time and spend more time with family. Amrisha Agarwal, author of this article, pointed that New Year resolutions are always broken as it becomes very difficult to keep for the whole year, so she mentions few health resolutions that you must stick to as health is a primary concern. Health hazards have increased due to a raise in stress levels and keep bad habits, so if you want to have healthy years ahead, do exercises to keep you fit, include healthy and nutritious foods in your diet and quit smoking and drinking. Most resolutions are things we resolve to do and others not do. Our gurus advice two primordial things to do’s and don’ts - always remember God (Krishna) and never forget Him.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Do not waste your time. A whole year has passed, have you seen how quickly it passed? 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. We should have much confidence in the mantra; the mantra is everything to us. We do everything in order to chant, since sankirtan is the dharma for this age. Then this meditation is very important, so that we can serve from our heart. Well, let’s not forget our responsibility for the world. Krishna expects much from us. He expects everything. He has chosen us; we don’t know why, but it is so. Now there is nothing else remaining than to help and try to please our gurus.

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

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

WORLD GREETS NEW YEAR'S 2013

NEW YEAR'S 2013: WORLD GIVING
ENTHUSIASTIC WELCOME TO NEW YEAR

www.huffingtonpost.com - In New York, as the world rang in 2013 with spectacular fireworks displays and showers of confetti, the specter of economic uncertainty and searing violence dimmed some festivities and weighed on the minds of revelers hoping for a better year. Revelers with New Year's hats and sunglasses boasting “2013” packed the streets in the 35-degree cold to watch the crystal ball drop in Times Square. Security in Times Square was tight, with a mass of uniformed police and plainclothes officers assigned to blend into the crowd. 
The celebrations on the West Coast took place nearly 24 hours after lavish fireworks displays lit up skylines in Sydney, Hong Kong and Shanghai. In Myanmar, about 90,000 people gathered in a field to watch a countdown for the first time, according to organizers. The reformist government that took office in 2011 in the country, long under military rule, threw its first public New Year's celebration in decades. 

In Russia, spectators filled Moscow's Red Square as fireworks exploded near the Kremlin. In Rio de Janeiro, revelers dressed head-to-toe in white as dictated by Brazilian tradition flooded onto Copacabana beach for a concert. In Rome, Pope Benedict XVI celebrated with a vespers service in St. Peter's Basilica to give thanks for 2012 and look ahead to 2013. In the United Arab Emirates city of Dubai, multicolored fireworks danced up and down the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa.  
In London, the chimes of the clock inside the Big Ben tower counted down the final seconds of 2012 and fireworks dazzled the sky above Parliament Square. Streamers shot out of the London Eye wheel and blazing rockets launched from the banks of the River Thames. Festivities were canceled across New Delhi, the Indian capital, amid days of mourning and reflection about women's safety after a rape victim died on Saturday.

World cities from Sydney and Hong Kong to Dubai and London rang in the New Year with spectacular fireworks. The huge celebrations marked the start of the New Year on Tuesday Jan. 1, 2013.  Spectators watch a fireworks display at the Singapore financial district, the New York's Times Square, the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia, along Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, near Malaysia's landmark Petronas Twin Towers, while Japanese people released balloons to celebrate the New Year's during an annual countdown ceremony produced by the Prince Park Tower Tokyo. As the world enters a New Year, we also wish all of you that this "New Year" brings us new strenght to change our old behaviours that take us away from the realm of spirituality.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

The Vedic wisdom explains that each one of us is a sentient, eternal and blissful spiritual personality having inherently the nature of befriending and loving God and all living beings. The Vedic scriptures also wish us a genuinely felt “Happy New Year.” ... The Vedas agree with the common understanding that to become happy something “new” has to be done. But the understanding of new as given in the Vedic wisdom is significantly different from the general understanding. ... Love of God is our original and real nature, but due to prolonged and excessive contact with matter, it has become completely obscured and is now misdirected towards various material objects. All genuine spiritual practices are meant to revive this love of God, which is presently dormant in our hearts. And God being infinite is eternally new (nitya navanavayamana) and so loving Him is an eternally new and happy experience. Thus revival of our love of God is the ultimate fruition of the wish “Happy New Year!”

Śrīpad Chaitanya Charan das :
“The Spiritual Scientist” - Vol 1 Issue 1
“Happy New Year and the Old Cycle”
http://ebooks.iskcondesiretree.info/pdf/Spiritual_Scientist/Spiritual_Scientist_-_Happy_new_year.pdf

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