SCHOOL MEAL KILLS 22 CHILDREN IN INDIA

CONTAMINATED SCHOOL MEAL
KILLS 22 INDIAN CHILDREN

www.reuters.com - At least 22 Indian children died and dozens needed hospital treatment after apparently being poisoned by a school meal, sparking violent protests and angry allegations of blame. The children aged four to 12 fell ill on Tuesday after consuming a lunch of rice, soybean and lentils in the impoverished eastern state of Bihar.
The school, at Mashrakh village in the district of Chapra, provided free meals under the Mid-Day Meal Scheme, the world's largest school feeding program involving 120 million children.Medical teams treating the children said they suspected the food had been contaminated with insecticide, but “we will have to wait for forensic reports,” they said.

The school headmistress fled after the deaths became known and was dismissed, P.K. Shahi, Bihar's education minister, told a news conference. “In spite of the cook's complaint (over the smell of cooking oil used for the food), the headmistress insisted on its use and the cook made the food. The children had also complained about the food to the cook,” Shahi said. The cook, who also fell ill after eating the food and was hospitalized, told Reuters television it had looked as if there was a layer of residue at the bottom of the oil jar.
Opposition parties accused the Janata Dal party-led government of acting too slowly to hospitalize the children and dozens of people took to the streets to protest, television channels showed.

At least 22 children have died and another 35 are being treated in hospital in India after eating a contaminated school meal. The children fell sick after eating their free school lunch of rice and lentils in the village of Marakh in the Saran district in the eastern state of Bihar. The meal was prepared at the school. The poisoning is believed to have been caused by insecticides in the food. Hundreds of people demonstrated outside a local police station in Marakh, demanding that measures be taken against the school administration. Bihar, bordering Nepal, is one of the most impoverished states in India. It is necessary to rise the levels of food hygiene and enhance the quality of the school meals to protect the innocent children and avoid future food poisoning cases.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

In the glorious days, or before the advent of the age of Kali, the brāhmanas, the cows, the women, the children and the old men were properly given protection. ... The protection of children gives the human form of life its best chance to prepare the way of liberty from material bondage. Such protection of children begins from the very day of begetting a child by the purificatory process of garbhādhāna-samskāra, the beginning of pure life. ... The killing of the above-mentioned innocent creatures is totally forbidden because even by insulting them one loses one's duration of life. In the age of Kali they are not properly protected, and therefore the duration of life of the present generation has shortened considerably.

Śrīla A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda :
Śrīmad Bhāgavatam - Canto 1: “Creation” 
Chapter 8: “Prayers by Queen Kuntī and Parīkshit Saved”
Verse 5 - Bhaktivedanta VedaBase

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

TO THE READERS OF VEDIC VIEWS ON WORLD NEWS

NOTICE

To the readers of Vedic Views on World News blog:

My name is Dasavatara das and I want to inform you that yesterday the doctor - who made the new surgery on my right ankle last Friday - has done the first post-surgery cure and he told me that the wounds are healing satisfactorily and that at the end of next week he will remove the stitches.

Thanks to the Lord's blessings and your prayers, the surgery has been successful.

So now I'm back to my house, and while waiting for future treatments, I will resume my service of posting worldly news with a Vedic views. 

Tomorrow, if Lord allows it, I will post news on the "Vedic Views on World News" blog.

Thank you very much for your prayers.

Hare Krishna.

 

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

TO THE READERS OF VEDIC VIEWS ON WORLD NEWS

NOTICE

To the readers of Vedic Views on World News blog:

My name is Dasavatara das and I inform you that tomorrow, in a few hours, doctors will be practicing a new surgery on my right ankle.

Last year, in the month of April, I had a very serious accident, I was on my bike when a vehicle that ran very fast, hit me and then fled.

As a result I was six months in bed with a multiple bone fracture in "minutes" (the bones are crushed into small parts).

Months later I have been walking on crutches and now with a cane due to prosthesis and screws that hold the tibia and fibula bones in my leg.

I have not walk normally, and every day is very difficult to move and go to work.

Tomorrow the doctors will try to fix again the reconstruction of the foot due to fracture by traffic accident.

I inform this to you asking to pray for me and be patient for a few days if there is no fresh news posted on the blog.

Thank you for your prayers.

Hare Krishna.

 

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

HISPANIC EMPLOYEES SUE TARGET FOR DISCRIMINATION

TARGET SAYS SORRY FOR 'MULTI-CULTURAL'
TIPS USED IN NORTHERN CALIF. WAREHOUSE

www.bbc.co.uk - After three Target employees sued the company for discrimination, including the distribution of “multi-cultural tips” noting the “differences among Hispanic employees,” the company says it never meant to offend. The three employees who filed suit, Robert Gonzalez, 58, Bulmaro Fabian, 58, and Pedro Garcia-Ayala, 36, worked at a Target Distribution Warehouse in Woodland, Calif., about 15 miles northwest of Sacramento. 
The three men are of Mexican descent, according to the lawsuit, and were employed as warehouse workers “in manual labor positions, while Caucasian employees held nearly all management positions.” Ilija Cvetich, the attorney for the plaintiffs, declined to comment on behalf of his clients.

The three men seek unspecified punitive damages for harassment, failure to prevent harassment, age and race discrimination and retaliation. According to the suit, “The Caucasian Target managers regularly used racial slurs while addressing plaintiffs and other Hispanic employees on the warehouse floor, including, but not limited to: “You got to be Mexican to work like this.” - “What the hell, I'm already sweating like a Mexican.” - “Only a Mexican can work this hard,” and “Only a 'wet-back' can work this hard.” 
They also allege the company provided its distribution warehouse managers with a four-page document that describes “demographics of the Hispanic community” and their “cultural differences,” according to an exhibit in the lawsuit.

Three former Hispanic employees are suing Target Corp. for discrimination and retaliation, citing a training document reminding managers that not all Hispanics eat tacos and burritos, dance to salsa or wear sombreros. The lawsuit alleges that Caucasian managers at a warehouse in Woodland regularly used racial slurs when addressing Hispanic workers. It cites a document featuring common stereotypes and tips on how to manage Hispanic workers. A Target spokeswoman wouldn't comment on the lawsuit itself but says the company was sorry for the content of the document. This whole world does not belong only to certain race of people but to human society at large. Actually, we are all guests on this planet because everything belongs to the Supreme Being.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

As previously explained, in the materialistic state of consciousness one thinks, “I am an American or Russian, Catholic or Protestant, white or black. I am loyal to my country and countrymen. I work for my homeland. Everyone else is different.” This type of consciousness is established in the individual to the degree to which he or she is in the bodily concept of life. The bodily concept of life, thinking one is the body, means to focus on these designations. But real life, seeing beyond the illusion that we are only bodies, is to be without designations. When we realize that we are all spiritual beings, that our souls are all the same in nature, character, quality and identity, then we will begin reaching a level of reality. This is the only way there can be any real unity between us all.

Dr Stephen Knapp (Śrīpad Nandanandana dasa) :
“Toward World Peace: Seeing the Unity Between Us All”
http://www.stephen-knapp.com/toward_world_peace_ebook.htm
http://www.stephen-knapp.com  -  http://www.stephenknapp.info/

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

THROUGH DEATH VALLEY IN 129-DEGREE HEAT

A GUY IN A DARTH VADER
SUIT RAN ACROSS DEATH VALLEY

http://io9.com - This past June 30th, as part of the Darth Valley Challenge - an insane annual event where people run through Death Valley in their favorite Star Wars costume - Jonathan Rice ran a mile in 6 minutes and 36 seconds. It was 129 degrees at the time, so that might actually be a world record! For the past four years, Rice and his friends have gotten together in their Star Wars regalia and made “a completely pointless” mad dash from from the Badwater Junction to Furnace Creek Ranch.
But this year's run was unique in that the National Weather service recorded a temperature of 129 degrees (53 Celsius) at precisely 4:00 p.m. - the exact time that he ran the mile.

Rice hopes that Guinness World Records will recognize it as the hottest verified run. Now, it's starting to draw a crowd. In addition to Greenfield's Leia, a handful of other runners and fans show up as R2-D2, Yoda or some other denizen of a galaxy far, far away. This year's support driver even dressed as the hairy Chewbacca - a costume that works only when you're sitting in the air-conditioned car.
If it sounds crazy, Rice would agree. His own website warns imitators that they do so at their own risk, and those risks include dehydration, heatstroke, heart attack, “death, death, more death and getting a purple face.” “This is a ludicrously dangerous endeavor,” he warns on the website. “I don't support you doing it. I don't even really support me doing it.”

Running around in Death Valley's 129-degree heat is peculiar in its own right, but doing it dressed up as Darth Vader is sheer lunacy. Jonathan Rice, a 'Star Wars' series fan, has been heat running in California's Death Valley since 1996 as an endurance test. Now he decided to add the heat-attracting black Star Wars costume to heighten the challenge and the chance of danger. Heat running, also known as hot weather running, can result in a bevy of health concerns including dehydration, heatstroke, and cardiovascular risks like a heart attack. Our human life is very valuable, and it is not advisable to put our health in such threatening risks only to test the limits of physical endurance.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Good skiers can go down a mountain at the same speed of an automobile on a highway. Falling down a mountain at such a rapid pace is certainly exhilarating, but there is an inherent risk involved. Just one small slip up, one mistake, and you can be part of a serious accident. ... We have no control over the events of nature, but how do people react to these near-death experiences if they do occur? Do they give up skiing as a result? Do they give up snowboarding? On the contrary, people still take to these dangerous activities knowing full well the risks that are involved. ... Why does this happen? Why do we repeatedly perform activities that we know are bad for us? ... Harmful behavior can only be eradicated if we have a higher engagement. ... Devotional service is a full-time engagement which involves dovetailing all our activities for the benefit of the Supreme Lord Shri Krishna, or God.

Krishna'sMercy.org - Jai Shri Krishna :
“Dangerous Behavior” - Posted on July 17, 2010
http://www.krishnasmercy.org/dotnetnuke/
http://krishnasmercy.wordpress.com/2010/07/17/dangerous-behavior/

 

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

BOMB BLASTS AT BUDDHIST MECCA IN BIHAR, INDIA

BOMB BLASTS AT MAHABODHI TEMPLE
WHERE BUDDHA ATTAINED “MOKSHA”

http://india.blogs.nytimes.com - Nine low intensity bombs went off within fifteen minutes early Sunday morning inside the Mahabodhi temple complex, a Unesco World Heritage site, and one of the holiest sites associated with the life of Buddha in Bodh Gaya in the northern Indian state of Bihar. Four explosions occurred inside the temple complex, three others shook a nearby monastery and an eighth exploded near a statue of Buddha. Two other bombs were defused, said authorities.
The blasts injured two Buddhist monks, one from Myanmar and the other from Nepal. The injured monks are being treated at a local government hospital, according to the local authorities.

Around 200 people were on the temple premises when the blasts took place in succession around the complex, according to local residents. No deaths have been reported. “After the first blast, the temple was engulfed in black smoke,” said Rakesh Kumar, who runs a coffee shop outside the temple complex. “I saw such a panic near the temple for the first time,” Mr. Kumar added. “It was really terrifying. I am grateful that Lord Buddha saved us.”
The Mahabodhi temple complex is the site where Buddha is believed to have found enlightenment under a peepul tree, several years after leaving his kingdom and meditating in the forests of Gaya area. Hundreds of thousands of Buddhist pilgrims visit Gaya every year from Japan, China, Myanmar, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and several other countries.

We had already warned about it in our post of June 30, 2013. And the authorities feared that this would happen. A series of small bomb blasts rocked the world famous Mahabodhi Temple premises in Bihar, India’s spiritual town of Bodhgaya Sunday, injuring at least two monks. Mahabodhi Temple is the place where Lord Buddha, is understood to have attained “moksha” (enlightenment). In 2002, the temple was declared as a world heritage site by UNESCO. Bodhgaya attracts hordes of pilgrims from China, Japan, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and other South Asian nations. Insofar as intolerance grows, these facts will occur again and again.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

As we look back through history, there have been so many fights and wars between people of different cultures. There have been divisions drawn between Hindus and Muslims, Catholics and Protestants, Jews and Arabs, blacks and whites - the focal points of fierce battles.  In this way, due to some feeling of patriotism to a country, idea, concept, or race, one may think that a certain group of people are “my people,” or “my group or class,” based on the relationship with the body and family and national traditions.  However, as long as there is this feeling that those related to this body are “my kinsmen, my blood relatives, my countrymen,” that everyone else is a foreigner, or inferior, that I do not care for those people; then there cannot be unity or peace in the world.

Dr Stephen Knapp (Śrīpad Nandanandana dasa) :
“Toward World Peace: Seeing the Unity Between Us All”
http://www.stephen-knapp.com/toward_world_peace_ebook.htm
http://www.stephen-knapp.com  -  http://www.stephenknapp.info/

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

VEGETARIANS AND VEGANS BECOME POPULAR

GOING VEGAN GETTING
EASIER, MORE POPULAR

www.foxnews.com - Actress Alicia Silverstone added a dose of star power to the vegan cause more recently with “The Kind Diet,” a No. 1 best-seller. Vegan diets also have been touted by other celebrities, including Emily Deschanel in “Bones” and Lea Michele of “Glee.” Veganism has been buoyed by the same health-conscious wave that has drawn Americans in unprecedented numbers to low-fat, vegetarian and organic foods. The idea of eating lower on the food chain is especially attractive to environmentally conscious consumers, since large-scale meat production is a major source of greenhouse gases.
Veganism also provides a safe harbor for the growing number of people concerned about where their supermarket meat comes from. 

Critics of industrial-scale food processing like writer Michael Pollan have been gaining a wider audience in recent years. And - sign of the times - some famous guys are eating vegan now, too. Bill Clinton, known for his burger-loving ways when president, has credited his trim build at his daughter Chelsea's wedding this summer to a “plant-based diet” (though he eats a little fish sometimes). Even former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson has talked up his vegan diet.
Tracye McQuirter, a vegan for 23 years and author of "By Any Greens Necessary," a vegan guide aimed at black women, said things were different until about a decade ago. "People did not know what it meant," McQuirter said, but that's changed today.

Abstaining from animal products is an ancient practice found in cultures worldwide. But veganism never got traction in meat-loving America; however, today the new tendecies are on the rise. More than half the 1,500 chefs polled by the National Restaurant Association for its new "What's Hot in 2011" list included vegan entrees as a hot trend. There is evidence of veganism making inroads beyond urban strongholds like New York City and Los Angeles. Some chain restaurants like Souplantation and Pizza Fusion even mark vegan items on their menus. For some, this is not just a change on their dietary habits, but veganism is a moral imperative.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

In its 1996 position paper on vegetarian diets, the American Dietetic Association reported that vegan and vegetarian diets can significantly reduce one’s risk of contracting heart disease, colon and lung cancer, osteoporosis, diabetes, kidney disease, hypertension, obesity, and a number of other debilitating conditions. ... Vegan foods, such as whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and beans, are low in fat, contain no cholesterol, and are rich in fiber and nutrients. Vegans can get all the protein they need from legumes (e.g., beans, tofu, peanuts) and grains (e.g., rice, corn, whole wheat breads and pastas); calcium from broccoli, kale, collard greens, tofu, fortified juices and soymilks; iron from chickpeas, spinach, pinto beans, and soy products; and B12 from fortified foods or supplements.

Stephen Knapp (Śrīpad Nandanandana dasa) :
“Health and Nutrition” - “Is a Vegan Diet Healthy?”
http://www.stephen-knapp.com/ - http://www.stephenknapp.info/
http://www.stephen-knapp.com/frequently_asked_questions_about_veganism.htm

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

THE EGYPTIAN CRISIS

EGYPT IN CRISIS: 
VOICES FROM THE STREETS

www.bbc.co.uk - Egyptians are reacting to the fast-moving developments in their country, after the army ousted President Mohammed Morsi and put him under house arrest. The top judge of Egypt's Constitutional Court, Adly Mahmud Mansour, has been sworn in as interim leader, saying that fresh elections were “the only way” forward, but gave no indication of when they would be held. Here, Egyptian readers give their reaction to Mr Morsi's removal.
Reem Shalan, Cairo: “There were so many people out on the streets on Wednesday night and the atmosphere was so patriotic. There were patriotic songs and fireworks. There were small kids, old men and women, people of all ages and from all backgrounds. A couple of months ago, people were skeptical of the army. However, we have now seen our faith restored. This is not a military coup, as many are saying. Muslims, Coptic Christians, the rebel movement - we all wanted Morsi removed.”

Islam Hawala, Giza: “This is a full-blown military coup. The military are using the people as an excuse to remove a democratically elected president. They have pushed the people to the streets so that they can gain power. I can't accept it. I can't live in a country where my voice is not heard because of the military. I will continue to protest against this. We don't have a democracy anymore. I have been to many pro-Morsi protests over the past few days. There were many people there and they have been peaceful. The people who wanted Morsi removed have their right to protest too, but protesting doesn't mean overthrowing the president. This is not democracy. 
It is anti-democratic to fight the system. When Morsi came to power I thought he would be able to change many things, but he didn't. But what we need to remember is that he was elected democratically.”

Egypt woke up to yet another new ruler today after President Mohamed Morsi, the democratically-elected Islamist president, was ousted in a military-led coup. After days of growing protests across Egypt, the military has removed embattled President Morsi and suspended the country's constitution, paving the way for an interim government ahead of early presidential elections. Mr Mansour, Egypt's new interim head of state, has promised fresh elections and he has offered an olive branch to the Muslim Brotherhood, saying that “nobody will be excluded” from building the nation again. In our pursuit to attain peace, the real struggle is to find a harmonious relationship between enjoyment and renunciation.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Though the vocation of each individual is different, everyone’s goal is the same - the attainment of peace. If we ignore the Emperor of Peace and simply devote ourselves to worldly duties or to our work, thinking that peace will come to us through material learning, wealth or riches, then we are destined to fall into the pit of misery. The consequences of this attitude are clear - people are becoming more and more selfishly oriented and thus actually ignoring the interests of their society and country. They have forgotten that the struggle for enjoyment or renunciation is not the essential struggle in life. We achieve real enjoyment by renouncing our own selfish interest in favor of higher purposes like society, country and God.

Śrīla Bhakti Bibudha Bodhayan Mahārāja :
“Sanatan Hindu Dharma - The Way to Harmony”
http://www.gopinathmath.com/book/export/html/53
http://www.gopinathmath.ru/katha/Sanatana%20Hindu%20Dharma%20way%20to%20harmony.pdf

 

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

SCANDAL IN PERU

15 YEARS OLD GIRLS RAFFLED
IN SEXUAL GAME “QUINERIFAS”

www.larazon.com.ar - Televisions, food baskets,  tickets to travel, are common in sweepstakes prizes. However, in Peru, it was introduced a controversial innovation: they raffle girl of fifteen. So, with social networks like scenario, the girls are offered for “Quinerifas” game in which the good luck will give men the possibility of intimacy with them. "We can give them a night of satisfaction or what they want," revealed to the news media one of the girls involved in this kind of lottery of sex.. And make it clear: “Old men are Not accepted”. By purchasing many tickets, the greater the chances that the contestant “wins” the “prize”. If the buyer is a frequent shopper, he has the option to choose the girl you want to share an intimate sexual encounter.

The winner will be among a small group of young people; this lucky guy will have sex (or whatever he prefers) with one the girls, according to what one interviewee told the local program “The night is mine,” Frequency America. Each raffle is sold with a base of 50 Soles, or about $ 18 and everything is published on the Internet: the call to the raffle and who will rise to the award, which is a sort of covert prostitution in which many 15 year old girls are being sold for money. And worse, the game involves both minor and major.
Meanwhile, leaving aside considerations on the awareness about sexually transmitted diseases, teenage pregnancy, alcohol and drugs, we have to think, last but not least, about the lack of love of self and the others and the care for the body and health.

This sex game, which is an activity close to child prostitution, is starring girls that do not exceed 15 years old who are offering their bodies in the social network Facebook to the highest bidder, for “tickets” whose minimum price is $ 18. Unfortunately, this practice adds to others that have appeared today in Latin America, such as "sexual roulette", widespread in Medellin, Colombia, which is that young people form a round while they dance and have sex with teenagers, but when one ejaculates, he loses the game and must leave the circle. The Vishnu Purana states that in Kali Yuga union between men and women will be based on passion alone and women will be mere objects of gratification.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

The Bhagavatam (1.16.21) explains that  women and children are left unhappy and forlorn by unscrupulous men who often search for young girls with whom they might have illicit sex.  ... Thus, all moral and religious principles are lost and good population in human society disappears, along with all hopes for peace, prosperity, happiness, and spiritual progress. As unwanted population increases around the world, there will be greater risks of community unrest - crime, rape, war, disease, and pestilence. Gradually the world will be filled with chaos. ... By the time this takes place in Kali-yuga, child pornography, rape, and other sexual crimes will be out of control.

Stephen Knapp (Śrīpad Nandanandana dasa) :
 “The Vedic Prophecies: A New Look into the Future”
Vol. 3 - “Changes During Kali Yuga”
“The Depravity in Family Life ind Relations Between People”
http://www.stephen-knapp.com  -  http://www.stephenknapp.info/

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

TEMPLES IN BIHAR TO HAVE CCTV CAMERAS

PLANS TO INSTALL CCTV CAMERAS AT
MAHABODHI AND VISHNUPAD TEMPLES

NI Wire (New Delhi) - Bihar's pride and Buddhism's holiest shrine, 1,500 year old Mahabodhi temple and famous Hindu temple of Vishnupad in Gaya would soon get CCTVs in their premises, Bihar's Urban Development Minister Prem Kumar said. The move has been taken following a threat of a terrorist attack at these places. "I have instructed to install CCTVs at Mahabodhi temple and Vishnupad temple soon for security reasons. CCTVs will not only keep a watch on suspicious activities, they would also record everything as proof", Kumar said. 
The temple at Bodh Gaya was built at the place where Buddha attained enlightenment 2,550 years ago. It has been declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2002.

Vishnupad temple, which is a temple of Hindu god Vishnu and visited by thousands of Hindus from India and abroad every year is on the hit list of terror groups. An annual fortnight-long Pitrapaksh, during which Hindus make ritualistic offering called "pindadan" for the salvation of their forefathers, takes place at the temple. Priests called Gaywal-pandas perform the prayers at Vishnupad temple. Moreover, it is believed that Lord Rama and his wife Sita performed this religious rite for King Dasharath, Rama's father, at this place.
Kumar said authorities at both the temples have been asked to identify the locations for the installation of CCTVs, including at points of entry and exit.

In India, thousands of Hindus from every part of the country and even from abroad gather in Bihar, about 100 km from state capital Patna. In this town there are two important sacred places: the Buddhism Mahabodhi temple and the Hindu Vishnupad temple. For security reasons, due to a threat of a terrorist attack at them, authorities are planning to install CCTVs. Since earlier last year, security of the Mahabodhi temple was handed over to the Special Task Force (STF) of Bihar Police. It's a shame that by visiting such sacred places one has to fear for his own safety and be worried about a possible terrorist attack instead of being totally dedicated to render devotion to the Lord.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

"Thereafter, in the twenty-first manvantara at the beginning of Kali-yuga, the Lord will appear as Lord Buddha, the son of Anjana, in Kikata Pradesa (the province of Gaya-Bihar), just for the purpose of deluding those who are envious of the faithful demigods." - (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.24) ... Gaya Region: This is famous as Bodha Gaya or Buddha Gaya. This is the most important pilgrimage place of Buddhists. This place was famous even before the time of Christ. The remains of the Mahabodhi Temple and the Stupa (monument), built by King Ashoka, are evidence of its fame and antiquity. The Pippala tree (ficus religiosa), under which Buddha attained enlightenment, is still there today. In the journey diary of the Chinese traveler, Fahiyan, a description of the Mahabodhi Temple of Uruvilva has been provided. 

Śrīla Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Mahārāja : 
“Dasavatara - The Ten Manifestations of God”
Chapter 9.  “Sri Buddha Avatara”
Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Math
http://www.gokul.org.uk  -  http://www.sreecgmath.org

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

HUNDREDS LEARN SANSKRIT

MANY PEOPLE IN FIJI LEARN
SANSKRIT LANGUAGE IN 7 DAYS

www.fijitimes.com - Hundreds of people around the country (Fiji) are taking the time to learn the Sanskrit language in seven days.
The free online encyclopedia, Wikipedia, describes Sanskrit as a historical Indo-Aryan language, the primary liturgical language of Hinduism and a literary and scholarly language in Buddhism and Jainism. Sanskrit is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India, and it is an official language of the State of Uttarakhand. It also holds a prominent position in Indo-European studies.
On the invitation of the Fiji Sevashram Sangha, world renowned Sanskrit scholar Prof. Gajendra Punda is now taking classes in Labasa before doing the same in Lautoka.

Swamy Sanyukta Nanda of the Fiji Sevashram Sangha said classes in Suva were well attended and participants numbers had to be restricted to 55.
"The way this course was run was easy to understand and it captured the participants' interest and enthusiasm on the first day and they were compelled to take time every evening for classes," Swamy Nanda said. Participants who attended classes in Suva, agreed that the Fiji Sevashram Sangha had provided an opportunity to get them to better understand and learn conversational Sanskrit.
Many said they never imagined they would be able to speak a word of Sanskrit in their life. While closing the course, Swamy Nanda acknowledged Prof Punda's "selfless" efforts to promote Sanskrit.

In Fiji, hundreds of people are learning conversational Sanskrit language in seven days. Participants are of all age groups and from all walks of life such as academics, workers and retired senior teachers. Rakesh Kumar, author of the article, says that Swamy Nanda reminded participants that every nation's progress was measured by its sampati (wealth) and sanskriti (culture), saying "sadly people are accumulating wealth but losing their culture." He said Sanskrit was the symbol of Hindu culture and heritage and Hindus should revive it. Swami Nanda thanked Prof. Punda for traveling to Fiji at his own expense to provide Fijians the opportunity to better understand and learn Sanskrit.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Sanskrit is the oldest and richest language in the world, and recorded history shows the study of Sanskrit has continued for over five thousand years. The oldest known form of this language is found in the Rgveda. In Vedic culture, the language was used in the public domain and was called bhasa. It later passed through a process of reform or purification, it became known as Sangskrta (Sam -kr + ta). ... Panini's Astadhyayi is the main Sanskrit grammar book. In a later period, Astadhyayi became even more authoritative through the contributions of Vartikakara Vararuchi (or Katyayana) and Bhasyakara (the commentator) Patanjali. So the complete Astadhyayi is called Trimunivyakarana (contribution of three grammarians).

IndiaDivine.org :
Articles on Hinduism - Sanskrit
Posted by Editor
Published on 02-19-2012
http://www.indiadivine.org/content.php/113-Articles-on-Hinduism

 

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

GOD'S BATHTUB: A LAKE UNTOUCHED BY TIME OR CLIMATE

FOR 7,000 YEARS, BLUE LAKE HAS BEEN
UNAFFECTED BY ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES

www.mnn.com - Officially it's known as Blue Lake, but to the scientists studying it, it has taken on a new name: God's Bathtub. Blue Lake sits on North Stradbroke Island in the Australian state of Queensland. The tiny lake with crystal-clear waters was already known as one of the country's most beautiful sites, but new research reveals something even more remarkable: the lake has been relatively unaffected by changes in climate or the effects of humans for more than 7,000 years. 
"Blue Lake is one of those rare, beautiful lakes in Australia," said Dr. Cameron Barr of the University of Adelaide. "It's unusual because it's more than 10 meters deep, but it's so clear you can see to the bottom." 

Barr looked at records kept about the lake for the past 117 years as well as fossil information about pollen and algae. By looking at photographs and other data, he came to a remarkable conclusion: the depth and water chemistry of Blue Lake has remained almost unchanged for millennia. The research was published in the journal Freshwater Biology. Barr explained that the freshwater system of Blue Lake is unique. It is refreshed by an aquifer and it drains into a nearby swamp, a process that completely replenishes the lake every 35 days or so.
This constant system of refreshment allows the lake to remain consistent in size, depth and chemistry regardless of changes in climate around it.

Australian scientists have discovered a lake that has been untouched by climate change for the past 7,500 years. Researchers have found that Blue Lake's body of water has been in the same chemical state for thousands of years. Cameron Barr, of the University of Adelaide, and his team studied Blue Lake’s water quality, fossil pollen and algae and found that the lake is unaffected by climate change. "It's like God's bathtub," says Barr. "It is beautiful. It is absolutely beautiful."This shows how wonderful is God's creation and it proves that the biological wellbeing of our earth is being ruined by the materialistic vision of society.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Nature is one of the manifestations of God; if we mistreat the environment, if we live irresponsibly, in any moment we will be sucked into an abyss. God is in each tree, each plant. The waters of the Earth are the veins of the Lord. We should proceed with absolute compassion and responsibility, because by not taking care of other living beings, our present planet will become a complete desert. ... The indigenous cultures didn't think that the Earth or the Sun were God, but they saw the kindness of God toward us represented in them. All the elements created by the Lord are different representations of His powers, and the combination of all the components produces food for us, the conscious beings.

House of Wisdom :
Eco conscience - Recommendations
http://www.houseofwisdom.org/english/
http://www.houseofwisdom.org/english/services_eco_conscience1.htm

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

http://www.vedicviews-worldnews.blogspot.com.ar/