STUDY: GRILLED BURGERS AND AIR POLLUTION

AIR POLLUTION FROM BURGER
JOINTS WORSE THAN TRUCKS

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com - A University of California-Riverside study found that commercially cooked hamburgers cause more air pollution than diesel trucks. 
The study, which focused on commercial charbroilers found in burger restaurants, said the equipment generates grease, smoke, water vapors and combustion products, which emit a large amount of particulate matter into the air. 
“For comparison, an 18-wheeler diesel engine truck would have to drive 143 miles on the freeway to put out the same mass of particulates as a single charbroiled hamburger patty,” said Bill Welch, the principle engineer. Researchers at UCR, who found few regulations for the restaurant emissions, said they’re developing a contraption to trap the particulates. “Our goal is to find something cost-effective and technically feasible to reduce the smoke,” said Welch.

The study also said grilled burgers produce less particulates in the air than charbroiled ones. Customers at a Hesperia burger joint said you can’t compare diesel emissions with hamburger smoke. “Either way, we’re living in a world (where) we’re still going through pollution. But the difference is we are getting some type of benefit from (the burger),” said Maria Segura. The UCR study is co-funded by the South Coast Air Quality Management District and the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. 
“While the primary focus of this new study was on emissions from commercial charbroilers, this comparison clearly illustrates the significant improvements from clean diesel technology on California’s air quality.  In fact, the study also found that the particulate matter (PM) inventory from commercial cooking is more than double the inventory from heavy-duty diesel trucks,” said Allen Schaeffer, the Executive Director of the Diesel Technology Forum.

A UC Riverside study found that cooked hamburgers emit more particulate matter than 2007-2010 model year clean diesel trucks. The study said that commercially cooked hamburgers, like the ones used in fast food restaurants, emit a large amount of particulate matter into the air and cause more air pollution than diesel trucks. Researchers also found few regulations for the restaurant emissions. The Indic environmental ethos declares that all aspects and phenomena of nature belong together, so it is time to stop eating meat and all the problems that entails.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Side by side with the exploration of outer space, there is the continuing pollution of lakes, rivers and vast parts of the oceans, out of human ignorance and misunderstanding. There is a great danger that future generations will not know the natural habitat of animals; they may not know the forests and the animals which we of this generation know to be in danger of extinction. “We are the generation with the awareness of a great danger. We are the ones with the responsibility and the ability to take steps of concrete action, before it is too late.” The spiritual, ethical, individual and collective dimensions of human life constitute a continuum, encompassing the whole of the Indic heritage and transcending all segments and fragments. The Vedic, Upanishadic, Jain and Buddhist traditions perceived this and together built an enduring spiritual, intellectual and cultural foundation for an environment-friendly value system and a balanced lifestyle.

RH. E. Dr Laxmi Mall Singhvi :
Former President of the World Congress on Human Rights
“The East is green” - August 1996.
“The Interdependence of Nature”
http://www.ourplanet.com/imgversn/82/singhvi.html
http://www.hinduwisdom.info/Nature_Worship.htm

Published by dasavatara das - "Vedic Views on World News"
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FAKE HEINZ KETCHUP FACTORY DISCOVERED

HUNDREDS OF EXPLODING FAKE
HEINZ KETCHUP BOTTLES DISCOVERED

http://abcnews.go.com - A warehouse in Dover, N.J. (USA) was discovered to have hundreds of crates purported to be Heinz ketchup, which officials said may have been repackaged to sell for a profit. Other tenants who rent the space in a 7,000-square-foot warehouse noticed that bottles of ketchup were exploding. Heinz said fake ketchup bottles were labeled as Heinz's “Simply Heinz,” its premium brand that uses sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup, which is found in its traditional version. 
A 32 oz. bottle of “Simply Heinz Ketchup” and a 36 oz. bottle of Heinz Ketchup each have a suggested retail price of $2.99. Dover Public Safety Director Richard Rosell told the Star-Ledger newspaper in New Jersey that the ketchup's sugars, mixed with acid from tomatoes and vinegar, had fermented in the heat and exploded. Tenants noticed the mess and city officials and Heinz were eventually contacted. 

Jessica Jackson, a spokeswoman for Heinz North America, said the company “has not discovered any information that leads us to believe that the illegally repackaged product is on the market.” “Based on our preliminary investigation, it appears that the unauthorized operation purchased traditional Heinz ketchup and then repackaged the product illegally,” Jackson said in a statement. 
“As a company dedicated to food safety and quality, Heinz will not tolerate illegal repackaging of our products and we will prosecute to the fullest extent of the law anyone who engages in such illicit behavior,” Jackson said. “As the world's leading manufacturer of ketchup, Heinz has stringent manufacturing and packaging practices in place to ensure the safety of consumers. Our quality assurance systems also ensure traceability to the factories where Heinz ketchup is manufactured and packaged.”

Officials discovered the fake ketchup factory after tenants complained about flies and rotten odors coming from a warehouse in Dover, New Jersey (USA). They found thousands of plastic bottles labeled Heinz Ketchup, many of which had exploded after being abandoned in the hot building. It is said someone bought large containers of regular Heinz Ketchup and poured it into bottles labeled "Simply Heinz," a higher-priced product. Needless to say, the warehouse was not the most sanitary of places, and there's no way to know if anything else was added to the ketchup. This ketchup counterfeiting operation should make consumers think twice about what they're putting on their food. In their effort to profit by deception, counterfeiters threaten all population's health.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

We are labouring under a deception, we are deceivers who are not just deceiving ourselves but the world as well. Everyone - all the baddha-jivas are more or less cheaters.   That is our position and we must be relieved of such misunderstanding, self-deception and environmental cheating if we are to be placed in our proper position.  ... A proper understanding of one’s own self as well as the environment is proper education. That education must be Vedic. The standard must be drawn from outside this area of maya - this area of misunderstanding; the standard must be drawn from the perfect realm through Veda - revealed Truth.  We must accept revealed Truth and bid farewell to so-called scientific knowledge and other kinds of perceptions that are all erroneous - based on false experience and false information. ... And what’s more, we must not only get relief from this misconception, from misunderstanding the external waves, but we must attain a positive position - to learn to understand the wave, the vibration of Goloka.

Śrīla Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Mahārāja :
“The Standard Comes From Outside”
http://bvml.org/SBRSM/tscfo.html
Bhaktivedanta Memorial Library

Published by dasavatara das - "Vedic Views on World News"
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CYBER-BULLYING: AMANDA TODD SUICIDE

AMANDA TODD: BULLIED TEEN
MADE VIDEO BEFORE HER SUICIDE

www.people.com - Amanda Todd's mother Carol thought the 15-year-old had finally rounded the corner. After three years of relentless cyber bullying, the Vancouver, B.C., teenager had enrolled in a new school, found a group of supportive friends and appeared to have put her pain-filled past behind her. But Carol's optimism was shattered on Oct. 12 when her daughter's body was discovered at their home after she apparently took her own life. Amanda's death came just weeks after she had posted a wrenching YouTube video detailing her struggle with suicidal feelings and depression after being ostracized at school and tormented on Facebook when a stalker began distributing topless pictures of her online. The tenth-grade cheerleader doesn't speak in the 9-minute video, but holds up a series of papers on which she has hand-printed her story. “In 7th grade I would go with friends on webcam,” read the card. She quickly reveals that online strangers began telling her how beautiful and stunning she looked. “They wanted me to flash. So I did one year later,” another card detailed. 

Not long after that, she received a Facebook message from a stranger who threatened to post her topless pictures unless she revealed more of herself. Police eventually showed up at her house, informing her that the photographs were being distributed on the Internet. “I then got really sick anxiety major depression and panic disorder. I then moved and got into alcohol and drugs,” she wrote on another card. Despite switching schools multiple times, Amanda was shunned by other students and even beaten. Her cyber stalker followed her even when she changed schools and tried to turn other students against her. Amanda once attempted suicide by drinking bleach, began cutting herself and was rushed to the hospital on several occasions after overdosing. Her last card read: “I have nobody. I need someone. My name is Amanda Todd.” Amanda's mother says she doesn't know what finally pushed her daughter, who underwent treatment and counseling at a hospital in September, over the edge. But the answer may be contained in a video message she left on her phone shortly before her death.

Fifteen-year-old Amanda Todd was harassed, bullied and allegedly blackmailed until she slipped into a battle with depression and anxiety. This ultimately led to her committing suicide. “Amanda Todd’s video was a cry for help for her and for her generation, and saying, you know, 'Look at me. We need help. We need help in dealing with how to be in technology, how to use these technologies and even to come back to common values on how to be with each other,” says cyber bullying expert Julia Hengstler. While you're reading this - again - a child or teenager is being abused by his or her classmates or by internet. Say NO to bullying!

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

The alarming rise of bullying in the schools ... inspired me to address bullying with an educationally-based yoga program during the school-day curriculum to teach ahimsa - nonviolence to self and others. I set up a pilot study to determine if yoga would result in a decrease in bullying. And it did. ... There is a huge need for this type of education for kids. With the constant advancement in technology, kids and teens are continually bombarded with external stimuli. ... Students of all ages love yoga. It is fun and very relaxing. The CK system teaches children how to balance their lives and how to communicate effectively. Students do not ask for asanas (yoga postures); they do ask for relaxation, concentration or conflict resolution scenarios. It is the lifestyle of yoga that sparks their interest. Yoga is an enjoyable way to learn self-reflection, introspection, and relaxation, which most children greatly appreciate. It helps them to counterbalance their reaction to the busy world they live in.

Ms Dee Marie, MA :
“Bullying Can Be Stopped With Yoga”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rob-schware/yoga-bullying_b_1867274.html
CK - Calming Kids - Creating a Non-Violent World
www.calmingkidsyoga.org  -  facebook.com/calmingkidsyoga

Published by dasavatara das - "Vedic Views on World News"
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MORE MALAYSIANS GOING GREEN

INCREASINGLY HIGH NUMBER OF
MALAYSIANS BECOME VEGETARIANS

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

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

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

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

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

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

Published by dasavatara das - "Vedic Views on World News"
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SCIENCE AWAKES TO BENEFITS OF YOGA

YOGA IS EFFECTIVE FOR OLDER
PEOPLE WITH INSOMNIA, STUDY

www.theage.com.au - Practising yoga is just ahead of Australian rules football in the list of the most popular physical activities among the citizens of this country - at least according to surveys. Researchers have also found that yoga and meditation can assist a range of health problems and medical conditions, including chronic pain, lower back pain, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, while also reducing the need for pain-relief medicines. New research at RMIT University has found that yoga can help older people overcome insomnia and improve their mental and emotional health. 
The study found that practising yoga for at least 25 minutes a day for 12 weeks improved the sleep patterns of the volunteers taking part and enhanced their psychological and emotional wellbeing. The RMIT study was unusual because most of the research was carried out in Israel and involved 74 Israelis aged from 60 to 87. 

Professor Marc Cohen, foundation professor of complementary medicine at RMIT who supervised the research, says the findings show yoga is an effective, affordable and safe exercise for older people with insomnia. Insomnia is a debilitating problem and one of the most frequent health complaints among the elderly. “We wanted to explore this because insomnia impairs daily function, reduces quality of life and is a risk factor for other health issues for older people. Drugs used to help treat this condition are only recommended for short-term use and have limited effectiveness,” Professor Cohen says. 
“Regular yoga practice may have multiple benefits to the individual and to the community, and may reduce the burden on the healthcare system due to associated lifestyle choices such as vegetarianism, non-smoking, reduced alcohol consumption, increased exercise, reduced stress, and other mental and physical health benefits,” say researchers.

Insomnia is recognised as a major cause of morbidity in the elderly and is associated with diminished mental and physical health and reduced quality of life, along with increased likelihood of nursing home placement and increased risk of accidents and falls, says Dr Jonathan Halpern. The studies that have been done showed yoga did improve some subjective sleep quality and quality of life measures of older people, explains Dr Halpern. Sedative-hypnotic drugs are currently the main form of treatment for insomnia, but these have a limited effect and are associated with various side-effects, including daytime drowsiness, that further increase the risk of accidents and falls. On the other hand, many studies have shown that yoga provides various physical and mental health benefits including reduction of stress, anxiety, depression, somatic and mental hyper-arousal.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Regular practice of Yoga keeps the physical and mental organs active and maintains their natural condition. Needless to say that natural functioning of organs is the main mantra for a healthy living. The life dependent on artificial organs cannot be stable. Over medication, especially allopathic medicines finish the chances of rejuvenation of physical organs in their natural form leaving aside their sensitivity. A medicine taken to cure a particular disease, gives rise to a new disease. These physical diseases finally give birth to mental diseases. ... It is necessary to strengthen the muscles and nerves in order to keep the body healthy. Posture and exercise strengthen the muscles and nerves. Exercise plays a very important role in supplying the nourishment to different parts of the body obtained through food. Absence of exercise gives rise to imbalanced body. The therapists are using different yogasanas in the successful treatment of various diseases.

Remedy Spot.com - “Yoga and Pranayama”
“Transformation of the Body through Yoga”
Health, Ayurveda, Yoga and Natural Healing
Posted by Acharya Balkrishna - Published on 11-01-2011
http://www.remedyspot.com/articles/244-transformation-body-through-yoga.html

Published by dasavatara das - "Vedic Views on World News"
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WORMS IN KFC FRIED CHICKEN SANDWICH

KFC OUTLET SHUT IN INDIA
AFTER WORM IN CHICKEN COMPLAINT

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

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

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

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

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

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

Published by dasavatara das - "Vedic Views on World News"
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OUT OF THE DARKNESS COMMUNITY WALK

WALK WILL RAISE MONEY
FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION GROUP

http://blogs.fredericksburg.com - Every 15 minutes, a person in the United States dies by suicide, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. More than 36,000 lives are claimed annually, and suicide is the second leading cause of death for teens and young adults in the nation, according to the AFSP. For the past four years, Fredericksburg area residents have participated in Out of the Darkness Community Walks to raise awareness and money to prevent suicides.
Sarah Adams and other Courtland High School students started the Spotsylvania chapter of Out of the Darkness in 2008 after three of their classmates committed suicide within a year and a half. Adams said she and a friend approached a guidance counselor about starting the chapter after the tragedies, and school officials were very supportive. This year, the 5k local walk at Spotsylvania Courthouse Village will take place Oct. 20.

This local Out of the Darkness walk is one of more than 200 taking place across the nation this fall. Proceeds from the walks go to the AFSP, a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to funding scientific research, increasing education and awareness of mental health disorders, promoting policies and legislation that impact suicide prevention and providing support programs for those affected by suicide. Since 2000, the AFSP has given more than $10 million in grants to scientific research on the neurobiological, genetic, epidemiological, clinical, psychological and sociological aspects of suicide, says the AFSP website.
Although a financial donation is not required to participate in the walk, Adams said the goal is to have 300 participants in the local walk and to raise $20,000 for the AFSP. The organizers already have surpassed their goal for participants, with 338 registered as of Oct. 12.  Adams said the community and local businesses have responded well to the cause over the past five years.

“We would walk a million miles to see you smile one last time,” 
read a T-shirt of an attendant in the community walk.

In the United States, a person dies by suicide every 15 minutes and it is estimated that an attempt is made every minute. AFSP is urging the state Legislatures to adopt a bill that would require suicide-prevention training for teachers and other school personnel. “Out Of The Darkness Community Walk” event is held in many places across the USA to bring awareness to the problem with suicide. At the walk, attendees could put photos or name tags of loved ones on a commemorative wall. Some photos featured young people in graduation robes or parents with children in better times. “We want to measure their lives by how they lived, not by how they died,” said Ms. Wallace, an event organizer. Today, more than ever, we should go into Spirituality which can provide inner joy and free us from frustrations and suicidal tendencies.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared that mental diseases - stress, depression, addiction and psychosomatic problems - will be the greatest health hazard of the current century. Worse still, WHO statistics show that over one million people commit suicide every year. This is more than the total annual deaths due to wars and crimes combined. And this figure is only the reported number of suicides. Mental disease in general and suicide in particular has many causes. But the common origin is frustration in achieving one's goals, whatever they may be. When this frustration rises to an acute and hopeless degree, one feels one's very existence to be an agony. And the ending of one's existence appears to be the only solution to that agony. It is then that the person commits suicide. ... Spirituality is not just a part of our life; it is the essence of our life. Stephen Covey, well-known author of the Seven Habits series, aptly remarks, “We are not human beings on a spiritual journey. We are spiritual beings on a human journey.”

Śrīpad Chaitanya Charan das :
“The Spiritual Scientist”
“When Science Points To Spirituality”
Vol 3 Issue 1 - http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/
http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/2011/12/when-science-points-to-spirituality/

Published by dasavatara das - "Vedic Views on World News"
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RELIGIOUS SIGNIFICANCE OF SWASTIKA

SYMBOL OF SWASTIKA
ACCORDING TO HINDUISM

www.boldsky.com - Swastika has become the symbol of genocide and ethnic cleansing in the 21st century. It was the symbol of Hitler's Nazi party that exterminated 6 million people under its banner. 
In the midst of all the persecution and violence, the true meaning of this religious symbol was lost. Symbols are silent speakers. They communicate without words. But the present meaning that we derive from the swastika is not its original meaning. 
This religious symbol pre-dates Hitler, Jews and even the Roman empire. There is no specific date when people started using this symbol but its references have been dated back to 3000 years. The ruins of Troy and the Indus valley civilisation have also yielded artefacts with this symbol on them. 
Whether its purpose was purely decorative or it had some cultural significance is not clear. 
In Hinduism, this religious symbol represents many different things. 

Here are some of its most important meanings. 
1. Stability & Firmness: The 4 blades of the swastika point to the 4 different directions. That is why it has a feeling of all-encompassing presence. 2. The Sun's Rays: The sun is a very important symbol in Hinduism. It is the source of light and life in the Universe. 3. Lord Vishnu's Symbol: Vishnu, the Preserver of the Universe is represented by 108 different symbols. The swastika is on those 108 symbols.  
4. Peace & Prosperity: It is one of the 'holier than thou' symbol in Hinduism because all religious scriptures begin with it. It is used as a symbol of peace and prosperity in household. 5. Two Parts Of Swastika: According to Hindu dictum, every energy comes coupled pairs. If there is light there has to be dark. So even the sun has a shadow. The right side or the male side of this symbols thus, represents the suns' path of rotation. The left side or the female side represents the Dark Mother, Goddess Kali.

Nowadays, the Swastika is the symbol of Nazi war crimes against humanity, but in India or other parts of Asia it represents prosperity, auspiciousness and “good luck.” According to Hinduism, there are many other interpretations of the symbol of Swastika - This symbol aptly represents the sun with its rays shooting in all the directions. It represents stability and a sense of being rooted. That is why swastika is very important for weddings and other Hindu rituals. You would find the swastika drawn with vermilion in front of houses, under the Tulsi plant and as a decoration on hot metal pots or kalash that are used in Hindu rituals.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

In ancient antiquity the Swastika, as a religious and harmonious symbol, was popular in the east as far as China and Japan and in the west its use spread from Persia [Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey] across Europe and even reached the Americas. Thus the Swastika is known to have been in use across the ancient [and modern] world as a benevolent symbol. But there is a movement in Western Europe to ban the use or display of the Swastika throughout the European Union. .... However, most people would be surprised to learn that in western countries, prior to World War II, the most popular symbol for prosperity, wealth, health, safety, auspiciousness and good luck was the Swastika. ... The Swastika was also widely circulated by the Boy Scouts of America as an honor badge for meritorious deeds and achievements and was also distributed door-to-door across America as a fundraiser. ... In essence, in early 20th century America, the Swastika symbolized for the Boy Scouts, all that a man can be. Quite a twist from how Americans and Europeans look at the Swastika today.

Śrīla Bhakti Gaurava Narasingha Maharaja :
“Swastika and Cross”
Jul 27 2008 - Krishna Talk 80
Sri Narasingha Chaitanya Ashram
http://gosai.com/writings/swastika-and-cross

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PAKISTANIS PRAY FOR RECOVERY OF GIRL SHOT BY TALIBAN

TALIBAN REITERATE VOW TO KILL
PAKISTANI GIRL IF SHE SURVIVES

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com - The police said on Friday that they had made several arrests in connection with the Taliban's shooting of Malala Yousafzai, a 14-year-old education activist who was critically injured, but militant commanders in northwestern Pakistan reiterated their intention to kill the schoolgirl or her father. After Friday prayer, Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf visited Yousafzai's family at a heavily guarded military hospital in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, where doctors were considering whether to send her abroad for treatment. “The next 48 hours will be critical,” Ashraf told reporters. 
Extremists targeted Yousafzai, who was shot in the head while riding in a school bus on Tuesday in Mingora, because, he said, “they were scared of the power of her vision.” “She is the true face of Pakistan,” he added. The interior minister, Rehman Malik, said the authorities had identified the two gunmen behind the shooting, but they had not been captured.

The fate of Yousafzai, who has become a symbol of defiance of the Taliban's extremist ideology, has gripped Pakistan. Television stations have provided intensive coverage of her medical treatment, and leaders from across the nation's political and religious spectrums have united in condemning the attack. A senior official from Jamaat-e-Islami, the country's largest religious party, accompanied Ashraf to the hospital. So did the parliamentary leader of the secular Muttahida Qaumi Movement, which dominates Pakistan's largest city, Karachi. 
In an interview with CNN on Thursday, the foreign minister, Hina Rabbani Khar, described the attack as a traumatic “wake-up call” that could prove to be a turning point in Pakistan's war against extremism. The shooting embarrassed the army because it had claimed to have largely eliminated the Taliban from the Swat Valley after a major military operation in 2009. The army is directing efforts to save Yousafzai, who is on a ventilator. Government officials have estimated her chances of survival at 50 to 70 per cent.

Millions of students in Afghanistan have participated in nationwide prayers for the recovery of Malala Yousafzai, the 14-year-old girl shot and gravely wounded this week by the Taliban in Pakistan's Swat Valley. Sirajuddin Ahmad, the spokesman for the Taliban in the Swat Valley, said that Yousafzai became a target because she had been “brainwashed” into making anti-Taliban statements by her father, Ziauddin Yousafzai. “We warned him several times to stop his daughter from using dirty language against us, but he didn't listen and forced us to take this extreme step,” he explained. Both father and daughter remain on the Taliban's list of intended victims. Malala's crime? She had spoken out against the group and its attempts to ban education for girls. And for that she got a bullet in the head and neck. Violence against innocents based on religious or political hatred can only be stopped if we develop the consciousness of universal brotherhood of all living being.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Lord Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu propagated the cult of all-embracing Divine Love which brings universal brotherhood on a transcendental plane. According to Him forgetfulness of our eternal relation with the Supreme Godhead, Sri Krishna, is the root-cause of all afflictions. Sri Krishna is God of all gods, Supreme Persona having All-Existence, All-Knowledge and All-Bliss. Beginningless yet the Beginning of all and Prime Cause of all causes. The word “KRISHNA” means One Who attracts all and pleases all by His Wonderful Enchanting Beauty, Majesty, Munificence and Supremacy and this denotes the highest conception of Godhead with all perfections. ... So, remembrance of Sri Krishna or God is the Divine Panacea of all evils. The easiest and most effective way of remembering God is chanting the Holy name which can be practiced by all, irrespective of caste, creed, age, health, economic, social and educational status at any place or time.

Śrīla Bhakti Dayita Madhava Mahārāja :
“Realistic Solution for Diverse Humanity”
Speech at a ‘Spiritual Summit Conference’ - 1968, Calcutta, India.
Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Math -  www.sreecgmath.org
http://www.sreecgmath.org/scgmtimes/scgmsbdm.php

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

EUROPEAN UNION WINS 2012 NOBEL PEACE PRIZE

EUROPEAN UNION WINS NOBEL PEACE
PRIZE FOR FOSTERING PEACE, DEMOCRACY

http://ibnlive.in.com - The 2012 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the European Union (EU) for contributing to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe for over six decades. An hour before the official announcement, Norway's NRK public radio had said that the EU will win the award. The prize, worth $1.2 million, will be presented in Oslo on December 10. The decision by the five-member panel, led by Council of Europe Secretary-General Thorbjoern Jagland, was unanimous. “We have had confirmation from people whom we trust who say that it is the EU that will get the prize,” NRK radio had said, an hour before the prize announcement. It is not often that the winner’s name gets leaked in advance. Founded with the Treaty of Rome in 1957 with a community of six nations seeking greater economic integration, the bloc has expanded to 27 including east European states added since the Cold War.

But the EU is mired in crisis with strains on the euro, the common currency shared by 17 nations. The prize was a surprise, especially given the EU's current woes. And many Norwegians are bitterly opposed to the EU, seeing it as a threat to the sovereignty of nation states. Norway, the home of the peace prize, has voted “no” twice to joining the EU, in 1972 and 1994. The country has prospered outside the EU, partly thanks to huge oil and gas resources. The award comes as European unity is being threatened by the debt crisis that has stirred deep tensions between north and south, caused unemployment to soar and sent hundreds of thousands of its citizens into the streets to protest austerity measures. The surprise decision by the Norwegian Nobel Committee prompted a lively discussion online. Posts on Twitter showed that Europeans may be struggling with the constraints of austerity, but they can still loosen their belts to enjoy a belly laugh - or vent their spleen. Some voices even praised the decision. But not many in Norway.

For fostering peace on a continent ravaged by war, the 27-nation European Union won the Nobel Peace Prize. The award was hailed at EU headquarters in Brussels and by pro-EU government leaders. But it was derided by “euroskeptics” who say the EU is an elitist superstate that strips citizens of their rights and erodes national identities. With so many tyrants to resist, so many heroes to support, the Nobel Committee decided to ignore all of that and grant the Nobel Peace Prize to this large bureaucratic political alliance, so many think that the Nobel Committee's decision is a gag and it is a little late for an April Fool’s joke. So, who can bring real peace in this world?

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

The Supreme Lord Krishna Caitanya is at the centre of all spiritual and material phenomena. At that central point harmony shines eternally with her all-beautiful Lord, “the Absolute Truth”. His injunctions are universally true at all times and must be universally relied upon. They are embodied in the Vedas, the Gita, the Upanisads, Srimad-Bhagavatam and other satsastras, which must be accepted as the only evidence in spiritual affairs. Fortunate and blessed persons hear and obey them. They are not intended for any particular sect, caste or creed, but for all beings and all souls, be they animal, human or celestial. These injunctions are not based on partial or apparent truth, but on the absolute or unchallengeable truth. If brought to this platform by the grace of the Almighty, persons of conflicting interests and different sentiments become peaceful and live in eternal association with that Transcendental Being, a life of continuous joy, peace and success in this world and the next.

Śrīla Bhakti Saranga Mahārāja :
“God-realization” - “The Spiritual Guide”
Rays of the Harmonist – Nº 13 Karttika, 2003
http://bvml.org/SBSGM/gr.html

Published by dasavatara das - "Vedic Views on World News"
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