God is every where

God is every where http://blogs.fullhyderabad.com/showblog.php?blogId=44 We can see god in all living beings bhattathiri 2023-08-16T09:11:51Z Is Handshake Un-Indian ? http://blogs.fullhyderabad.com/showblog.php?op=ViewArticle&articleId=849&blogId=44 I am a practising Feng Shui Consultant from Mumbai, and have some strong (or weak!) views on the custom of handshake.  The hands and soles of the feet have practically all the nevers of the body ending there and they are very good energy points.  Su-Jok and Accupressure therapies depends on the Hands and Feet respectively for treatment for the same reasons.   I have found my own theories (Isaac Newton style) that why do we touch & wash the feet of saints and elderly people and they bless us with their hand. What I guess (and damn good, it should be right) is that while we bow down and touch their feet, they express their wish through the hands by placing on our head - thus completing one full cycle (like electricity).  Morarji Desai (he is my mentor) is right, because Indian Custom of Holding the hands together so as not to lose our own energy on the wrong people.  Western Customes of Shaking Hands, Kissing, Hussing (like Arabs) can pass on our positive energy to others (undeserving) or can get negative energy from others (avoidable).   Though I have had some fair knowledge of Sanskrit, I am not able to translate what Sugriva had said.  However I feel "paaninam" etc. are meant to clasp other's hands in one's hand (and not shaking other's hands), like we do in marrriages the bride and bridegroom holding the hands.  May be the wise old people know that by shaking hands on marriage day makes the hushands shaking his confidence later.   Can we have a debate (no hands barred!)   Chittur Venugopal, <a href="mailto:venugopalcm@yahoo.co.in">venugopalcm@yahoo.co.in</a>   General 2004-08-29T15:53:44Z bhattathiri Hinduism is the mother of all religion http://blogs.fullhyderabad.com/showblog.php?op=ViewArticle&articleId=847&blogId=44 HINDUISM  <div>  OM GANESAYA NAMH </div>< ?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p> Hinduism is the mother of all religions and it is individual's (jeevatma) association with the Supreme (Paramatma), and the ultimate objective of religion is realization of Truth. Forms which symbolize Truth are only indications; they are not Truth itself, which transcends all conceptualization. The mind in its efforts to understand Truth through reasoning must always fail, for Truth transcends the very mind which seeks to embrace it. (Tatwamasi)<o:p></o:p> It is unique among the world's religions. We may boldly proclaim it the greatest and oldest religion in the world. To begin with, it is mankind's oldest spiritual declaration, the very fountainhead of faith on the planet. Hinduism's venerable age has seasoned it to maturity. It is the only religion, to my knowledge, which is not founded in a single historic event or prophet, but which itself precedes recorded history. Hinduism has been called the "cradle of spirituality," and the "mother of all religions," partially because it has influenced virtually every major religion and partly because it can absorb all other religions, honor and embrace their scriptures, their saints, their philosophy. This is possible because Hinduism looks compassionately on all genuine spiritual effort and knows unmistakably that all souls are evolving toward union with the Divine, and all are destined, without exception, to achieve spiritual enlightenment and liberation in this or a future life. <o:p></o:p> Any religion in the world is considered as a mind stratum within people  It is a group of people who think consciously, subconsciously and subsuperconsciously alike and who are guided by their own superconsciousness and the superconsciousness of their leaders which make up the force field which we call a religion. It does not exist outside the mind. People of a certain religion have all been impressed with the same experiences. They have all accepted the same or similar beliefs and attitudes, and their mutual concurrence creates the bonds of fellowship and purpose, of doctrine and communion. <o:p></o:p> The people in Hinduism through a shared mind structure can understand, acknowledge, accept and love all the peoples of the world, encompass them within their mind as being fine religious people. The Hindu truly believes that there is a single Eternal Path, but he does not believe that any one religion is the only valid religion or the only religion that will lead the soul to salvation. Rather, the Eternal Path is seen reflected in all religions. <o:p></o:p> The will of God or the Gods is at work in all genuine worship and service. It is said in Hindu scripture that "Truth is one. Paths are many." The search for Truth, for God, is called the Sanatana Dharma, or the Eternal Path because it is inherent in the soul itself, where religion begins. This path, this return to his Source, is ever existent in man, and is at work whether he is aware of the processes or not. There is not this man's search and that man's search. And where does the impetus come from? It comes from the inside of man himself. Thus, Hinduism is ever vibrant and alive for it depends on this original source of inspiration, this first impulse of the spirit within, giving it an energy and a vibrancy that is renewable eternally in the now. <o:p></o:p> The Hindu feels that his faith is the broadest, the most practical and effective instrument of spiritual unfoldment, but he includes in his Hindu mind all the religions of the world as expressions of the one Eternal Path and understands each proportionately in accordance with its doctrines and dogma. He knows that certain beliefs and inner attitudes are more conducive to spiritual growth than others, and that all religions are, therefore, not the same. They differ in important ways. Yet, there is no sense whatsoever in Hinduism of an "only path." A devout Hindu is supportive of all efforts that lead to a pure and virtuous life and would consider it unthinkable to dissuade a sincere devotee from his chosen faith. This is the Hindu mind, and this is what we teach, what we practice and what we offer aspirants on the path. <o:p></o:p>  To the Hindu, conduct and the inner processes of the soul's maturation are more essential than the particular religion one may be by the accidents of birth, culture or geography. The Hindu knows that he might unknowingly disturb the dharma of the individual if he pulls him away from his religious roots, and that would cause an unsavory karma for them both. He knows, too that it is not necessary that all people believe exactly the same way or call God by the same name. <o:p></o:p> Hinduism is also extremely sectarian, altogether dogmatic in its beliefs. Its doctrines of karma and reincarnation, its philosophy of nonviolence and compassion, its certainty of mystical realities and experience and its universality are held with unshakable conviction. Perhaps this is due to the fact that Hinduism is a religion more of experience than of doctrine. It prefers to say to its followers, "This is the nature of Truth, and these are the means by which that truth may be realized. Here are the traditions which have withstood time and proved most effective. Now you may test them in your own life, prove them to yourself. And we will help as we can." It will never say, "You must do or believe thusly or be condemned." In Hinduism it is believed that none are eternally condemned. That loving acceptance and unremitting faith in the goodness of life are another reason I boldly say that Hinduism is the greatest religion even though not the largest in the world. <o:p></o:p> Within Hinduism, as within every religious system, are the practical means of attaining the purity, the knowledge and the serenity of life. Each Hindu is enjoined to attend a puja every day, preferably at a certain and consistent time. He must observe the laws of virtue and the codes of ethics. He must serve others, support religion within his community. He should occasionally pilgrimage to sacred shrines and temples, and partake in the sacraments. If he is more advanced, an older soul, then he is expected, expects of himself, to undertake certain forms of sadhana and tapas, of discipline and asceticism. <o:p></o:p> Though it is broad and open in the freedom of the mind to inquire, Hinduism is narrowly strict in its expectations of devotees--the more awakened the soul, the higher the demands and responsibilities placed upon him. And though other systems of belief are fully acceptable mind structures within the structure of the higher mind, there is no way out of Hinduism. There is no excommunication. There is no means of severance. There's no leaving Hinduism once you have formally accepted and been accepted. Why is that? That is because Hinduism contains the whole of religion within itself. There is no "other religion" which one can adopt by leaving Hinduism, only other aspects of the one religion which is the sum of them all, the Eternal Path, the Sanatana Dharma. <o:p></o:p> It can be said that, if it lacked all the qualities of open-mindedness and compassion and tolerance just mentioned, that Hinduism would be the greatest religion on the basis of its profound mysticism alone. No other faith boasts such a deep and enduring comprehension of the mysteries of existence, or possesses so vast a metaphysical system. The storehouse of religious revelation in Hinduism cannot be reckoned. I know of its equal nowhere. It contains the entire system of yoga, of meditation and contemplation and Self Realization. Nowhere else is there such insightful revelation of the inner bodies of man, the subtle pranas and the chakras, or psychic centers within the nerve system. Inner states of superconsciousness are explored and mapped fully in Hinduism, from the clear white light to the sights and sounds which flood the awakened inner consciousness of man. In the West it is the mystically awakened soul who is drawn to Hinduism for understanding of inner states of consciousness, discovering after ardent seeking that Hinduism possesses answers which do not exist elsewhere and is capable of guiding awareness into ever-deepening mind strata. <o:p></o:p> The various scriptures written thousands of years ago explain how we should live, and saints and rishis and seers throughout the ages have told us that it is impossible to live that way. So, Hinduism has a great tolerance for those who strive and a great forgiveness for those who fail. It looks in awe at those who succeed in living a life according to its own strict ethics. In Hinduism we have many, many saints. You don't have to die to be acknowledged a saint in our religion, you have to live. The Hindus, perhaps beyond all other people on the earth, realize the difficulties of living in a human body and look in awe at those who achieve true spirituality. <o:p></o:p> Hindus believes in reincarnation. He believes that he is not the body in which he lives, but the soul or awareness which takes on a body for a definite purpose. He believes he is going to get a better body in a better birth, that the process does not begin and end in a single life, that the process is continuous, reaching beyond the limits that one life may impose on inner progress. Of course, his belief in karma assures him that a better birth, that progress inwardly, will come only if he behaves in a certain way. He knows that if he does not behave according to the natural laws, to the Hindu ethics, that he will suffer for his transgressions in a future life, or future lives, that he may by his own actions earn the necessity of a so-called inferior birth, earn the right to start over where he left off in the birth in which he failed. <o:p></o:p>  This belief in more than a single life brings to the Hindu a great sense of peace. He knows that the maturity of the soul takes many lives, perhaps hundreds of lives. If he is not perfect right now, then at least he knows that he is progressing, that there will be many opportunities for learning and growing. This eliminates anxiety, gives the serene perception that everything is all right as it is. There is no sense of a time limit, of an impending end or an ultimate judgement of his actions and attitudes. This understanding that the soul evolves gives the Hindu remarkable insight into the human condition and appreciation for all men in all stages of spiritual development. <o:p></o:p>  Within it there is a place for the insane and a place for the saint. There is a place for the beggar and for those who support beggars. There is a place for the intelligent person and plenty of room for the fool. The beauty of Hinduism is that it does not demand of every soul perfection in this life, a necessary conclusion for those who believe in a single lifetime during which human perfection or grace must be achieved. Belief in reincarnation gives the Hindu an acceptance of every level of humanity. Some souls are simply older souls than others, but all are inherently the same, inherently immortal and of the nature of the Divine. <o:p></o:p> In Hinduism it is believed that the Gods are living, thinking, dynamic beings who live in a different world, in an inner world in the microcosm within this world in which there exists a greater macrocosm than this visible macrocosm. For the Hindu, surrender to the Divine Will, that created and pervades and guides the universe, is essential. The Hindu believes that these beings guide our experiences on earth, actually consciously guide the evolutionary processes. Therefore, he worships these beings as greater beings than himself, and he maintains a subjective attitude toward them, wondering if he is attuned with these grand forces of the universe, if his personal will is in phase with what these great beings would have him do. This gives birth to a great culture, a great attitude, a great tolerance and kindness one to another. It gives rise to humility in the approach to life. Not a weak or false humility, but a strong and mature sense of the grand presence and purpose of life before which the head naturally bows. <o:p></o:p> There are said to be millions of Gods in the Hindu pantheon, though only a few major Deities are actually worshipped in the temples. That God may be worshipped as the Divine Father, or a Sainted Mother or the King of Kings is one of the blessings of Hinduism. It offers to each a personal and significant contact, and each Hindu will choose that aspect of the Deity which most appeals to his inner needs and sensibilities. That can be confusing to some, but not to the Hindu. Within his religion is monism and dualism, monotheism and polytheism, and a rich array of other theological views. <o:p></o:p> God and Goddess in Hinduism is accepted as both transcendent and immanent, both beyond the mind and the very substratum of the mind. The ideal of the Hindu is to think of God always, every moment, and to be ever conscious of God's presence. This does not mean the transcendent God, the Absolute Lord. That is for the yogi to ponder in his contemplative discipline. That is for the well-perfected Hindu who has worshipped faithfully in the temples, studied deeply the scriptures and found his guru. For most Hindus, God means the Gods, one of the many personal devas and Mahadevas which prevail in our religion. This means a personal great soul which may never have known physical birth, a being which pervades the planet, pervades form with His mind and Being, and which guides evolution. Such a God is capable of offering protection and direction to the followers of Hinduism. The Hindu is supposed to think of God every minute of every day, to see God everywhere. Of course, most of us don't think of God even one minute a day. That's the reason that each Hindu is obliged to conduct or attend at least one religious service, one puja or ceremony, every day in his temple or home shrine. This turns his mind inward to God and the Gods. <o:p></o:p> Hinduism is an Eastern religion, and the Eastern religions are very different from those of the West. For one thing, they are more introspective. Hinduism gave birth to Buddhism, for Buddha was born and died as a  good Hindu. And it gave birth to other religions of the East, to Taoism, to Jainism, to Sikhism and others. <div>There are three distinct aspects of Hinduism: the temples, the philosophy and the guru. It is very fortunate that in the last decade Hindu temples have nearly circumferenced the world. There are temples in Europe, in the United States, in South America, in Africa and throughout Southeast Asia. The Hindu temple and stone images in it work as a channel for the Deity, for the Gods, who hover over the stone image and in their subtle etheric forms change people's lives through changing the nerve currents within them through their darshan. People come to a sanctified temple and go away, and in that process they are slowly changed from the inside out. They have changed because their very life force has changed, their mind has been changed and their emotions have undergone a subtle transformation. The temples of Hinduism are magnificent in their immensity and in their ability to canalize the three worlds, the First World of physical, outer existence and the inner Second and Third Worlds. Hindu temples are not centered around a priest or minister, though there may be a holy man associated with a temple whose advice is cautiously and quietly sought. There is no sermon, no mediator, no director to guide the worship of pilgrims. The temple is the home of the Deities, and each devotee goes according to his own timing and for his own particular needs. Some may go to weep and seek consolation in times of sorrow, while simultaneously others will be there to rejoice in their good fortune and to sing God's name in thanksgiving. Naturally, the sacraments of name-giving and marriage and so forth are closely associated with the temple. One has only to attend a Hindu temple during festival days to capture the great energy and vitality of this ancient religion. </div> In its second section, of philosophy, Hinduism has influenced the deep religious thinkers of all cultures through known history. It is not a single philosophy which can be labeled "Hinduism." Rather, it is a network of many philosophies, some seeming to impertinently contradict the validity of others, yet on deeper reflection seen as integral aspects of a single radiant mind flow. In the area of philosophy must be included the enormous array of scripture, hymns, mantrams, devotional bhajan and philosophical texts which are certainly unequaled in the world. In the natural order of things temple worship precedes philosophy. It all starts with the temple, with this sacred house of the Deities, this sanctified site where the three worlds communicate, where the inner and outer mesh and merge. It is there that devotees change. They become more like the perfect being that lives in the temple, become the voice of the Deity, writing down what is taught them from the inside, and their writings, if they are faithful to the superconscious message of the God, become scripture and make up the philosophies of Hinduism. The philosophies then stand alone as the voice of the religion. They are taught in the universities, discussed among scholars, meditated upon by yogis and devout seekers. It is possible to be a good Hindu by only learning the philosophy and never going to the temple, or by simply going to the temple and never hearing of the deeper philosophies. <o:p></o:p> Hinduism has still another section within it, and that is the guru--the teacher, the illuminator, the spiritual preceptor. The guru is the remover of darkness. He is one who knows the philosophy, who knows the inner workings of the temple, and who in himself is the philosopher and the temple. The guru is he who can enliven the spirit within people. Like the temple and the philosophy, he stands alone, apart from the institutions of learning, apart from sites of pilgrimage. He is himself the source of knowledge, and he is himself the pilgrim's destination. Should all the temples be destroyed, they would spring up again from the seeds of philosophy, or from the presence of a realized man. And if all the scriptures and philosophical treatises were burned, they would be written again from the same source. So Hinduism cannot be destroyed. It can never be destroyed. It exists as the spirit of religion within each being. Its three aspects, the temple, the philosophy and the guru, individually proficient, taken together make Hinduism the most vital and abundant religion in the world. <o:p></o:p> Hinduism has a grand diversity among its many sects. That diversity is itself strength, showing how broad and encompassing Hinduism is. It does not seek to have all devotees believe exactly alike. In fact, it has no central authority, no single organized institution which could ever proclaim or enforce such sameness. There is an immense inner unity, but the real strength and wisdom of Hinduism is its diversity, its variety. There are so many sects within Hinduism that you could spend a lifetime studying them and never begin to assess them all. More is there than any single human being could assimilate in a single lifetime. Hinduism, therefore, has the magnetism to draw us back into its immensity life after life. Each sect may be said to be a full religion in its own right, with all the increments of faith, with no necessary part missing. Therefore, each sect works for the individuals within it completely, and each tolerates all the other sects. It does not totally divorce itself from the other sects, denying their beliefs, but simply separates to stress or expound a limited area of the vast philosophy, apart from all others, to be understood by the limited faculties of man. <o:p></o:p> These various sects and divisions within Hinduism all spring from a one source. Most Hindus believe in the transcendental God as well as the personal Lord or God, and yet there is within the boundaries of the faith room for the nonbeliever, for the atheist or for the agnostic who is assessing and developing his beliefs. This brings another unique asset to our religion--the absence of heresy. There is no such thing as a heretic in Hinduism, for there is no single right perspective or belief. Doctrine and sadhana are not considered absolutes, but the means to an absolute end, and they can be tailored to individual needs and natures. My Guru would say that different prescriptions are required for different ailments. <o:p></o:p> In Hinduism there is no person or spiritual authority who stands between man and God. In fact, Hinduism teaches just the opposite. The priests in the temples are the servants of the Deity, the helper, the keeper of the Gods' house. He prepares and purifies the atmosphere of the temple, but he does not intervene between the devotee and his God--whichever of the many Gods within our religion that he may be worshiping. Without a mediator, responsibility is placed fully upon the individual. <o:p></o:p> There is on one to intercede on his behalf. He is responsible for his actions, for his thoughts, for his emotions, for his relationship with his God. He must work out his beliefs from the inside without undue dependence upon external influences. Of course, there is much help, as much as may be needed, from those who have previously gone through what he is now going through. It is not enough that he adopts an authorized dogma. He must study and bring the teachings to life from within himself. <o:p></o:p> Within the philosophy each philosopher proclaims that God can be found within man if man practices the proper precepts of yoga and delves within himself through his kundalini force. The guru himself teaches the awakening of that force and how God can be realized in His transcendental as well as His personal aspect within the sphere of one's own personal experience in this very lifetime if he but pursues the path and is obedient. <o:p></o:p> Hinduism is unique because God and man, mind and God, instinctive mind, intellectual mind and superconscious mind, can merge as one, according to the evolution of the individual. Each one, according to his own self-created karma, has his own fulfillment. Those in the first stages of evolution, whose interests and experiences are basically instinctive, who possess little intellect or mental prowess are guided by their emotions and impulses are generally fearful. They have a personal experience of the Deity in the temple, but it is generally a fearful experience. They are afraid of God. Alongside of them during a puja is a great rishi who has had many hundreds of lives on this planet. He has his own personal experience of God, but it is an experience of love, of oneness and of union. There they are, side by side. Each experience of God is as real to one as to the other. There is no one in-between, no arbitrator of the experience to compel the one to see God exactly as the other one does. <o:p></o:p> Hinduism is as broad as humanity is, as diverse as people are diverse. It is for the rich and the poor, for the mystic and for the materialist. It is for the sage and the fool. None is excluded. In a Hindu temple one can find every variety of humanity. The man of accumulated wealth is there, supporting the institutions that have grown up around the temple, seeking to spend his abundance wisely and for its best purpose so that good merit may be earned for his next life. The pauper is there, begging in hopes that perhaps he will eat tomorrow and the God will inspire some devotee to give Him a coin or two. So a Hindu temple is a reflection of life, set in the midst of the life of the community. It is not making an effort to be better than the life of the village, only to serve that life and direct it to its next stage of evolution. The same Hindu mind which can consume within it all the religions of the world can and does consume within it all of the peoples of the world who are drawn to the temple by the shakti, the power, of the temple. Such is the great embracing compassion of our religion. <o:p></o:p> The greatness of Hinduism cannot be compared with other religions. There is no basis for comparison. Hinduism has no beginning, therefore will certainly have no end. It was never created, and therefore it cannot be destroyed. It is a God-centric religion. The center of it is God. All of the other religions are prophet-centric. The center of those religions is a great saint or sage, a prophet, a messenger or messiah, some God-Realized person who has lived on earth and died. Perhaps he was born to create that particular sect, that particular religion, needed by the people of a certain part of the world at a certain time in history. The Hindus acknowledge this and recognize all of the world's religious leaders as great prophets, as great souls, as great incarnations, perhaps, of the Gods, or as great realized beings who have through their realization and inward practices incarnated themselves into, or transformed themselves into, eminent religious leaders and attracted devotees to them to give forth the precepts of life all over again and thus guide a tribe, or a nation or a race, into a better way of life. <o:p></o:p> The Hindu mind can encompass this, appreciate it, for it is firmly settled in a God-centric religion. The center of Hinduism is the Absolute, the timeless, formless, spaceless God who manifests as Pure Consciousness and as the most perfect form conceivable, the Primal Soul. He radiates out from that form as a myriad of Gods and Goddesses who inhabit the temples and bless the people, inspire the scriptures, inspire the spiritual leaders and uplift humanity in general. It is a one God in many forms. <o:p></o:p> There are nearly sixtyfive crores Hindus in the world today. Hinduism attends to the needs of each one. It is the only religion in the world today that has such breadth and depth. Hinduism contains the Deities and the sanctified temples, the esoteric knowledge of inner states of consciousness, yoga and the disciplines of meditation. It possesses a gentle compassion and a genuine tolerance and appreciation for other religions. It remains undogmatic and open to inquiry. It believes in a just world in which every soul is guided by karma to the ultimate goal of Self Realization, or moksha. It rests content in the knowledge of the divine origin of the soul, its passage through one life and another until maturity has been reached. It offers guidance to all who take refuge in it, from the nonbeliever to the most evolved rishi. It cherishes the largest storehouse of scripture and philosophy on the earth, and the oldest. It is endowed with a tradition of saints and sages, of realized men and women, unrivaled on the earth. It is the sum of these, and more, which makes us boldly declare that Hinduism is the greatest, even though not the largest, religion in  the entire world. <o:p></o:p> People in other religions may question the sanctity of idol worship and we can say it is only due to ignorance.<a name=190> </a>God is all-pervading formless Being. <o:p></o:p> The divinity of the all-pervading God is vibrant in every atom of creation. There is not a speck of space where He is not. Why do you then say that He is not the idols? The idol is a support for the neophyte. It is a prop of his spiritual childhood. A form or image is necessary for worship in the beginning. It is not possible for all to fix the mind on the Absolute or the Infinite. A concrete form is necessary for the vast majority for practicing concentration. Idols are not the idle fancies of sculptors, but shining channels through which the heart of the devotee flows towards God. Though the image is worshipped, the devotee feels the presence of the Lord in it and pours out his devotion unto it. The idol remains an idol, but the worship goes to the Lord. To a devotee, the image is a mass of Chaitanya or consciousness. He draws inspiration from the image. The image guides him. It talks to him. It assumes human form to help him in a variety of ways. Idol worship is not peculiar to Hinduism. The Christians worship the Cross. They have the image of the Cross in their mind. The Mohammedans keep the image of the Kaaba stone when they kneel and do prayers. The mental image also is a form of idol. The difference is not one in kind, but only one of degree. All worshippers, however intellectual they may be, generate a form in the mind and make the mind dwell on that image. Everyone is an idol worshipper. Pictures and drawings are only a form of idol. A gross mind needs a concrete symbol as a prop or Alambana; a subtle mind requires an abstract symbol. Even a Vedantin has the symbol < ?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place>OM</st1:place> for fixing the wandering mind. It is not only pictures or images in stone and wood that are idols. Dialectics and leaders also become idols. Many Hindu texts are presently available at reasonable prices all over the world from many sources. One does not lose any thing by going through these books and trying to understand what they actually mean. These books definitely help one to gain an insight into the basics of Hindu religion and help one to develop a correct attitude towards ones religion. At least we will be able to know correctly what is the right of way of living. Let us remember that in other religions, scriptures do occupy the central part. These religions are more organized because an understanding of the basic scripture is fundamental to the practice of religion. While there are hundreds of Hindus who have never read a Veda or Upanishads, it is difficult to come across a Christian or a Muslim who has never gone through his or her holy book. Many carry them to their places of work or keep it in their houses for regular or occasional study. It is wrong to presume that Hinduism does not prescribe study of religious scriptures. In fact it is an essential and integral part of a person's education and religious life. The purpose of this article is not to advocate blind faith or blind following, but to make us understand the need for a judicious exercise of choosing what is right and what is wrong for one not in complete and total freedom but in accordance with the scriptures (external dharma) and one own inner nature or internal dharma. An individual has freedom in Hinduism to chose what is right for him or her, but only after careful examination and analysis of a given situation. One can always use one buddhi or intelligence to know what is right and appropriate in any given situation, without rationalizing ones inactivity, lack of interest and indifference.   In conclusion what we can say is that we should be proud to be a Hindu. <st1:place>OM</st1:place> TATSAT General 2004-08-29T15:30:00Z bhattathiri Brahmagupta (A.D.628):The great Indian http://blogs.fullhyderabad.com/showblog.php?op=ViewArticle&articleId=846&blogId=44 <div>Brahmagupta (A.D.628): Brahmasphutasiddhanta Input by Takao Hayashi, 18 June 1993. Based on S. Dvivedin's edition, Benares 1902. Revised 29 June 1993. The Brahmasphutasiddhanta consists of 24 chapters, but this digitalized version contains mathematical chapters only, that is, 1. Chpater 12 (ganita), 2. Chapter 18 (kuttaka), 3. Chapter 19 (sanku-chaya-vijnana), 4. Chapter 20 (chandas-citi-uttara), and 5. jna-prakarana (stanzas 17--23) of Chpater 21 (gola). <a href="http://www.sub.uni-goettingen.de/ebene_1/fiindolo/gretil/1_sanskr/6_sastra/8_jyot/brsphutu.htm">http://www.sub.uni-goettingen.de/ebene_1/fiindolo/gretil/1_sanskr/6_sastra/8_jyot/brsphutu.htm</a></div> General 2004-08-29T15:26:33Z bhattathiri Holy Gitas relevence today http://blogs.fullhyderabad.com/showblog.php?op=ViewArticle&articleId=845&blogId=44 Mind is very restless, forceful and strong, O Krishna, it is more difficult to control the mind than to control the wind ~ Arjuna to Sri Krishna Introduction One of the greatest contributions of < ?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:country -region><st1:place>India</st1:place></st1:country> to the world is Holy Gita.  Arjuna got mentally depressed when he saw his relatives with whom he has to fight. The Bhagavad Gita is preached in the battle field Kurukshetra by Lord Krishna to Arjuna as a counseling to do his duty while multitudes of men stood by waiting . It has got all the management tactics to achieve the mental equilibrium and to overcome any crisis situation. The Bhagavad Gita can be experienced as a powerful catalyst for transformation. Bhagavad gita means song of the Spirit, song of the Lord.  The Holy Gita has become a secret driving force behind the unfoldment of one's life. In the days of doubt this divine book will support all  spiritual search.This divine  book will contribute to self reflection, finer feeling and deepen one's inner process. Then life in the world can become a real education Religion 2004-08-29T15:25:08Z bhattathiri Todays Stories: http://blogs.fullhyderabad.com/showblog.php?op=ViewArticle&articleId=715&blogId=44 1. UK Hindu Temple Building Center for Elderly 2. White Rainbow--A Film On Hapless Widows Of Vrindavan 3. Hindu Heritage Camp 2004 Organized In Richmond, Texas 1. UK Hindu Temple Building Center for Elderly <a href="http://www.harrowtimes.co.uk/news/localnews/">http://www.harrowtimes.co.uk/news/localnews/</a> display.var.514701.0.hindu_temple_to_build_day_centre_for_elderly.php KENTON, UK, August 2, 2004: The Swaminarayan Hindu temple in Westfield  Lane, Kenton, has been granted planning permission for an extra story.  The application received unanimous approval at Harrow Council's  development control meeting on Wednesday last week. The additional  floor will provide accommodation for a day center for elderly members  of the community. It will include a reading area, meditation areas,  library, dining room, kitchen and an office. The application was  praised as an "excellent and well though out scheme" by members of all  parties. Councillor Marilyn Ashton (Conservative) said: "The temple is  a wonderful landmark and an integral part of the community. "The extra  community facilities were desperately needed and the new floor will  mean there will be proper space for these vital projects. "I wish the  people involved every success." Councillor Navin Shah (Labour) said: "I  welcome this application as it will bring a great benefit to the  community." HPI adds: Our founder, Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, long advocated  that Hindu temples in the West establish just such elderly centers at  the temple, and even housing facilities nearby. 2. White Rainbow--A Film On Hapless Widows Of Vrindavan <a href="http://sify.com/movies/tamil/interview.php?id=13536679&cid=2408">http://sify.com/movies/tamil/interview.php?id=13536679&cid=2408</a> NEW DELHI, INDIA, August 5, 2004: Dharan Mandrayar is thespian Sivaji  Ganesan's brother V.C. Shanmugham's son. Dharan has just completed a  project that is very close to his heart at the moment--White Rainbow,  which was premiered recently in New Delhi where it was well received,  says this article. White Rainbow is being produced for a global  audience, by Dharlin Entertainment, in partnership with Sivaji films  and Prabhu Movies. "White Rainbow deals with a societal issue, an  anathema still prevalent in India, particularly in Vrindavan. I have  dwelled into the callousness of a society that metes out gross  injustice to the widows, and the sad part is that most of us hardly  know the extent of the atrocities committed on the hapless widow of  Vrindavan," said Dharan in an interview with Sify.com. "Vrindavan is  often referred to as the 'City of Widows.' The epithet may sound  disconcerting, but the veracity cannot be ignored. The widows in  Vrindavan, young and old are sexually exploited and physically abused  in every way possible. Shorn of the last vestige of dignity and  ostracized as an 'inauspicious' presence in the family, many of them  are brought to Vrindavan and abandoned. They are illiterate and have no  trained skills to support themselves," Dharan added. The film is  scheduled for release in September. It had a special screening in New  Delhi and also screened at the Mill Valley (U.S.) Film Festival. 3. Hindu Heritage Camp 2004 Organized In Richmond, Texas <a href="mailto:akhilc@starpipeproducts.com">akhilc@starpipeproducts.com</a> TEXAS, USA, July 25, 2004: This years Hindu Heritage Camp took place  from July 20-25 at the Gordon Campsite in Richmond, Texas. Here is a  summary of the report sent to HPI: Summer camp is probably one of the most popular activities kids pursue  in their months off from school; attending such camp gives them the  chance to escape from what can sometimes be boring and unproductive  summer days and participate in activities they enjoy. Hindu heritage  Camp is one specifically for the children of the Houston Hindu  community. The youth-organized HHC is a place where Hindu youths can  integrate with one another and learn about their religious and cultural  values.The Hindu Heritage Camp, sponsored by Vishwa Hindu Parishad of  America and Hindu Students' Council has been giving back to the  community in this way for over 20 years. The results delivered by the  camp -- an interest in Hinduism and desire to interact with Hindu peers  -- has kept parents sending their kids back to the camp year after  year. Hindu Heritage Camp is a great environment and a great atmosphere  to get away from daily life, television, cell phones and cars. At the  camp everyone is kept busy and can learn how to get in touch with your  religious side. Camp incorporates a variety of activities such as Holi,  Garba-Rass, Shakha, Surya Namaskar, bhajans, a talent show, skits,  crafts and educational discussion session. HHC truly encompassed all  the aspects of Hinduism into a single week of continual fun. The camp provides an amazing opportunity for Hindu children to explore  and connect to their culture and heritage in all of its various  aspects. Attending the Hindu Heritage Camp also gives youth an  opportunity to meet others with the same upbringing, giving many  campers some of their closest friends in life. This year the main goal  was to teach campers practical use of Hinduism in daily life. Some of  the main topics discussed were: Ayurvedic practices, vegetarianism,  karma, Hinduism in American literature, misconceptions of Hinduism,  marriage rituals, ahimsa, Hindu symbols, and the value of education. ----------- HINDU PRESS INTERNATIONAL A daily news summary for breaking news sent via e-mail and posted on  the web for media, educators, researchers, writers,  religious leaders  worldwide and Hinduism Today magazine subscribers, courtesy of Hinduism  Today editorial staff Visit our archives at <a href="http://www.HinduismToday.com/hpi/">http://www.HinduismToday.com/hpi/</a> Please send us URLs to super Hindu web sites that inspire you. Some source URLs cited in HPI articles are only valid on the date the  article was issued. Most are invalid a week to a few months later. When  a URL fails to work, go to the top level of the source's website and  search for the article. News from Hinduism Today is Copyrighted by  Himalayan Academy. Content may be reproduced, provided proper credit is given to <a href="http://www.HinduismToday.com/">http://www.HinduismToday.com/</a>.  Please go to <a href="http://www.HimalayanAcademy.com/copyright.html">http://www.HimalayanAcademy.com/copyright.html</a> to be sure you meet all  legal requirements. For more information, or to see HPI on the web, please go  to <a href="http://www.HinduismToday.com/hpi/">http://www.HinduismToday.com/hpi/</a> Contact us at: <a href="mailto:hpi@hindu.org">hpi@hindu.org</a>. ------------------------------------------------------------- This message is sent to you because you are subscribed to   the mailing list <<a href="mailto:hpi_list@hindu.org">hpi_list@hindu.org</a>>. To subscribe, E-mail to: <<a href="mailto:hpi_list-on@hindu.org">hpi_list-on@hindu.org</a>> To unsubscribe, E-mail to: <<a href="mailto:hpi_list-off@hindu.org">hpi_list-off@hindu.org</a>> Send administrative queries to  <<a href="mailto:hpi_list-request@hindu.org">hpi_list-request@hindu.org</a>> General 2004-08-06T21:18:01Z bhattathiri Four Real Problems of Life http://blogs.fullhyderabad.com/showblog.php?op=ViewArticle&articleId=542&blogId=44 Four Real Problems of Life: Birth, Old age and Disease Death. All want to knowwhat is life? Is life full of happiness and misery? Generally sorrow and happiness make the life very active. Is it merely the act of breathing or respiration or digestion or excretion or the acts of metabolism, anabolism, catabolism, the constructive or destructive changes that ever go on in the physical organism or human body or economy of nature? Is it mere thinking or planning or scheming to earn money or name and fame? Is it the act of procreation to keep up the line? Is it the sum-total of all these processes? Or is it the movement of the protoplasm in the unicellular organism, amoeba, with its single nucleus? Scientists and biologists have a very different conception of life. Philosophers like Sri Sankara have quite a different conception of life. Life is of two kinds, viz., life in matter and life in the Atman or the Spirit or Pure Consciousness. Biologists, physiologists and psychologists hold that life consists of thinking, feeling, knowing, willing, digestion, excretion, circulation, respiration, etc. This kind of life is not everlasting. This is attended with dangers, pains, fear, cares, anxieties, worries, exertion, sin, birth and death with their concomitant evils, viz., old age, diseases, etc. Therefore, sages and seers, Rishis, prophets and saints who have realised their inner Self by discipline of the mind and the organs, by Tyaga and Tapas, by Vairagya and Abhyasa, by leading a life of self-denial, self-sacrifice and self-abnegation, have emphatically, without a shadow of doubt, like an Amalaka fruit in the hand, declared that a life in the Atman or pure Spirit alone can bring everlasting peace, infinite bliss, supreme joy, eternal satisfaction and immortality. They have prescribed various definite methods for Self-realisation according to various temperaments, capacities and tastes of individuals. Those who have implicit faith in their teachings, in the Vedas and in the words of the Guru or spiritual preceptor march fearlessly in the field of spirituality or Truth, and obtain freedom or perfection or salvation. They do not come back to this Mrityu Loka (mortal world). They rest in Satchidananda Brahman or their own Svarupa. This is the goal of human life. This is the highest aim of life. This is the final destination which bears various names as Nirvana, Parama Gati, Param Dhama and Brahma-Sthiti. Self-realisation is your highest duty. This does not mean, however, that we should ignore the life in the physical plane of matter. Matter is the expression of God or Brahman for His own Lila. Matter and Spirit are inseparable like heat and fire, cold and ice, and flower and fragrance. Sakti (power) and Sakta (he who possesses power) are one. Brahman and Maya are inseparable and one. A life in the physical plane is a definite preparation for the eternal life in Brahman. World is your best teacher; the five elements are your Gurus. Nature is your mother and director. Prakriti is your silent master. World is the best training ground for the development of various divine virtues such as mercy, forgiveness, tolerance, universal love, generosity, nobility, courage, magnanimity, patience, will-power, etc. World is an arena for fighting with the diabolical nature and for expressing divinity from within. The central teaching of the Gita and the Yoga-Vasishtha is that one should realise his Self by remaining in the world. General 2004-07-17T01:33:52Z bhattathiri Ageing http://blogs.fullhyderabad.com/showblog.php?op=ViewArticle&articleId=540&blogId=44 <div> <table width="100%" align=Justify border=0 Colspec="L20 L20 "> <tbody> <tr> <td> <center>AGEING</center> </td></tr> <tr> <td><img src="http://www.fishponds.freeserve.co.uk/where_we_stand/space.gif" border=0/></td> <td>It is widely recognised that the average life-span in contemporary western society is increasing dramatically, largely as a result of advances in medicine, nutrition and working conditions. This has led gerontologists to speak in terms of a "grey population explosion". For the Jewish population, in Great Britain and elsewhere, these trends are even more pronounced than in the general population, due to such factors as a relatively low birth rate and delayed marriages related to the pursuit of higher education. Such societal patterns may call for us, and for other Jewish communities as well, to re-examine the allocation and priorities of our resources, be they financial, personnel or programmatic. Row often we hear that our children and our youth represent our future and must, accordingly, be given the very highest consideration. But we would do well to consider also those on the other end of the age spectrum, who represent not only an increasing proportion of our population, but also personify our history, our tradition and our collective memory, upon which the Jewish faith has always relied. Biblically and theologically, Judaism perceives old age as the natural outcome of the divine scheme of human life. The commandment to "Honour your father and mother" (Exodus 20:12) was understood by Jewish tradition as calling for honour and deference toward all older adults. This general attitude is most clearly enunciated in the holiness code of Leviticus, which exhorts us to "rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old" (19:32). The venerable title of zekenim or "elders" was based on the concept that with age there will often arise the practical wisdom that emerges only from experience. It is also apparent from a variety of biblical passages that the elders of ancient Israelite society were often among its prophets, judges and other leaders. The expressly stated longevity of the patriarchs and Moses was meant to exemplify the benefits and superiority of age as a qualification in sound leadership. However, in spite of that ideal, the Hebrew Scriptures also include the recognition that old age may be accompanied by physical infirmities. In this connection, the imagery of Ecclesiastes (12:1-5) is noteworthy: "Remember your creator in the days of your vigour, Before the evil days come, And years approach of which you will say, 'I have no pleasure in them'; Before the sun becomes dark, And the light, and the moon, and the stars; And the clouds return after the rain; On the day when the guardians of the house tremble, And the strong men are bent. And those that look out shall be darkened in the windows. And the sound of the bird is faint. And the terrors are on the road. Because man is going to his eternal home . . ." In so speaking, the author of Ecclesiastes recognised such physical infirmities as loss of vision, hearing impairment, propensity to falling, and tremors in the limbs, which sometimes afflict the aged. The psalmist's fear of loneliness and rejection also continues to have poignant meaning for some in our own day, namely, "Cast me not off in the time of old age; when my strength fails, forsake me not" (Psalm 71:9). In the classical rabbinic literature, we also find evidence of great respect for the aged. This regard, held by the early rabbis, was not only for the learned elderly, but also for those who were not learned; not only for the Jew, but also for the non-Jew. For example, the Talmud relates that Rabbi Yochanan used to rise up before the non-Jewish aged, saying, "How many troubles have passed over these old people!" (Kiddushin 33a). In the midrash to the Book of Genesis, B'reshit Rabbah (63:6), it is asserted that: "He who welcomes an elder, is as if he welcomed the divine presence." Even those whose intellectual faculties have deteriorated were to be treated with the same dignity as an elderly scholar. Thus, Berachot 8b: "Be careful to honour the old who have forgotten their learning because of advancing years. Remember that the broken fragments of the first tablets were also kept in the Ark of the Covenant alongside the new tablets." On a sadly realistic note, the Talmud includes this observation: "People often say, 'When we were young, we were considered adults in wisdom, but now that we are old, we are considered as babies"' (Baba Kamma 92b). Today there is a distinct need for revision of attitudes which should include our returning to the attitude of the Torah toward the elderly. In the very first chapter of the Book of Genesis the essential goodness of human nature is posited, of man and woman in God's image (1:27). Nowhere does the Torah suggest that that essential goodness, that divine image, is in any way diminished with age. Nor should we. In Exodus 19:5, God promises Israel that "You shall be my own treasure from among all peoples; for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation." In the very next verse, we are informed that the first of the people to hear of their covenantal role were none other than the zekenim, the elders. In our own day, that function of Moses must be ours. We, too, must assure our older adults of their enduring, treasured status, irrespective of age or infirmity. We must minister to them and, whenever possible, encourage them to minister to others and to us. The synagogue has a long and proud history as a genuinely caring institution. What might we, as Liberal Jewish congregations, offer to enhance the quality of life for our older members? Here is a suggested action list: <ol> <li>Formulate a statistical profile of the age groupings of your membership, with a view to determining the percentages of those who are over sixty, over seventy, and over eighty. </li><li>Support your synagogue's current programming for older adults, such as Friendship Clubs. </li><li>Sensitise your membership to the array of emotional and spiritual needs that may be experienced by those who are no longer young or working in a society that places so much value and emphasis on youth and work. Implement ways of affirming the ageing process in your congregational life. For example, special events and worship services may be held honouring older members; public blessings may be offered in celebration of retirement or grandparenthood; and oral history projects, involving your members of longstanding, may be organised, pertaining to their reminiscence about the earlier years of your synagogue or of Jewish life as it used to be. </li><li>Promote a more inclusive attitude to all of your synagogue's activities. Roles can be found for your older members in many ways, such as: teaching in the religion school; helping with the synagogue library or office; as committee or council members; with the choir; helping to arrange transport to synagogue functions for those who require it; and as friendly visitors to other older adults who are home-bound or hospitalised. Recognise the vast potential of this resource of time and talent. </li><li>Organise adult education seminars on: retirement planning; making the home safer as you grow older; how those who live alone can obtain personal emergency alarm buttons. </li><li>Assess your synagogue's facilities for those who may have need of: audio induction loop systems for the hearing-impaired; large-print prayerbooks for the visually-impaired; ramps for wheelchair access and toilets for the disabled. Some grants are available to congregations towards such facilities for the disabled and/or elderly from the ULPS as a result of a legacy from the late Gertrud Cohn. </li><li>Synagogues should have the necessary information to provide referrals to: caregiver respite services and support groups (including the Alzheimers Disease Society), day care centres, hospices and appropriate agencies (such as Jewish Care). With this in mind, the Directory of Jewish Social Services should be kept on hand in every synagogue office. </li><li>Publicise the two Progressive Jewish supportive care homes for older adults: the Lily Montagu House, 36 Orchard Drive, Edgware, Middlesex (sponsored by the Harrow & Wembley Progressive Synagogue) and the Peggy Lang House, 178 Walm Lane, London, NW2 3AX (sponsored by the Liberal Jewish Synagogue). Consider whether your synagogue might sponsor a similar supportive care home. </li></ol> Technology has added years to life. It is up to us to add life to years for our grandparents, our parents and perhaps, some day, for ourselves. </td> <td><img src="http://www.fishponds.freeserve.co.uk/where_we_stand/space.gif" border=0/></td></tr></tbody></table></div> General 2004-07-16T23:48:20Z bhattathiri Jesus Prayer: http://blogs.fullhyderabad.com/showblog.php?op=ViewArticle&articleId=539&blogId=44 <div> Jesus' Prayer: We of the five great religions, attending God above us and True Parents horizontally, pledge and proclaim that we will go the way of absolute obedience, in order to correct all of the wrongs committed throughout history. I report this in the name of Jesus, of a central blessed family. Amen, Amen, Amen. The written resolution by representatives of the five great religions: 1. We resolve and proclaim that God is the Parent of all humankind. 2. We resolve and proclaim that Reverend Sun Myung Moon is the Savior, Messiah, Second Coming and True Parent of all humanity. 3. We resolve and proclaim that the Unification Principle is a message of peace for the salvation of humanity and the gospel for the Completed Testament Age. 4. We resolve and proclaim that we will accomplish the peaceful unification of the cosmos through "living for others" while transcending religion, nationality and race, centering on true love. 5. The representatives of the five great religions resolve and proclaim that we will harmonize with one another, unite and move forward, in order to bring about the nation of God and world peace, while attending True Parents. This is resolved and proclaimed by Jesus, the leading representative of the group of representatives of the five great religions, Christianity, Confucianism, Buddhism, Islam and Hinduism, at noon on December 25, 2001.</div> Religion 2004-07-16T23:46:37Z bhattathiri Youth http://blogs.fullhyderabad.com/showblog.php?op=ViewArticle&articleId=538&blogId=44 <div> <h1> <div align=center>Youth are not useless, they are used less. Youth are not careless, they are cared less.</div></h1> <script language=JavaScript> /* One Time Popup Script By Website Abstraction (http://www.wsabstract.com) and Java-Scripts.net (http://www.java-scripts.net) Over 200+ free scripts here! */ //number of days the cookie should //last (0 will cause it to always pop up) var expDays = 1; //url of the page you want to popup var page = "http://www.012guestbook.com/cgi-bin/guestbook.pl?a=50947"; var windowprops = "width=650, height=500, location=yes, toolbar=no, menubar=no, scrollbars=yes, resizable=yes"; function GetCookie (name) { var arg = name + "="; var alen = arg.length; var clen = document.cookie.length; var i = 0; while (i < clen) { var j = i + alen; if (document.cookie.substring(i, j) == arg) return getCookieVal (j); i = document.cookie.indexOf(" ", i) + 1; if (i == 0) break; } return null; } function SetCookie (name, value) { var argv = SetCookie.arguments; var argc = SetCookie.arguments.length; var expires = (argc > 2) ? argv[2] : null; var path = (argc > 3) ? argv[3] : null; var domain = (argc > 4) ? argv[4] : null; var secure = (argc > 5) ? argv[5] : false; document.cookie = name + "=" + escape (value) + ((expires == null) ? 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'0' : '') + mytime; if(myday == 0) day = " Sunday, "; else if(myday == 1) day = " Monday, "; else if(myday == 2) day = " Tuesday, "; else if(myday == 3) day = " Wednesday, "; else if(myday == 4) day = " Thurday, "; else if(myday == 5) day = " Friday, "; else if(myday == 6) day = " Saturday, "; if(mymonth == 0) { month = "January ";} else if(mymonth ==1) month = "February "; else if(mymonth ==2) month = "March "; else if(mymonth ==3) month = "April "; else if(mymonth ==4) month = "May "; else if(mymonth ==5) month = "June "; else if(mymonth ==6) month = "July "; else if(mymonth ==7) month = "August "; else if(mymonth ==8) month = "September "; else if(mymonth ==9) month = "October "; else if(mymonth ==10) month = "November "; else if(mymonth ==11) month = "December "; } function writeit(){ setali(); flasher = !flasher; if (flasher == true) semion = ":"; if (flasher == false) semion = " "; document.all.message.innerHTML= " <center>-" + ampmhour + semion + myminutes + ampm + " | " + day + month + myweekday + ", " + year + "- <img src='" + image_name + "'/> " + text_message + "</center> "; setTimeout("writeit()", 1000); } writeit(); </script> <div align=center></div></center></div> General 2004-07-16T23:44:52Z bhattathiri Amalaki ? the wonder fruit of Ayurveda http://blogs.fullhyderabad.com/showblog.php?op=ViewArticle&articleId=537&blogId=44 <table height=68 cellSpacing=0 width="100%" border=0> <tbody> <tr> <td vAlign=top bgColor=#fbe6d5 height=21><span lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Times New Roman; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt"> <span lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: maroon; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt"> </td></tr> <tr> <td vAlign=top height=21> Amlaki (Sanskrit) or Amla (Hindi) in English - Emblica myrobalan or Emblica officinalis - is a medium-sized deciduous tree -  which sheds or loses foliage at the end of the growing season. Its botanical name is Phyllanthus emblica or Emblica officinalis and it belongs to the plant family Euphorbiaceae. It is also known as Aonla, Aola, Dharty and Indian Gooseberry.  The tree is native to tropical southeastern Asia -Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Malayasia, southern China and the Mascarene Islands. In India, Amla grows in the plains and sub-mountain areas 200 to 1500 meters above sea level, particularly in the central and southern regions. It is commonly cultivated in gardens throughout India and grown commercially as a medicinal fruit.   The bark of Amla is grayish -green in color and peals off in flakes in irregular patches. Its feathery leaves, which smell like lemon, are of linear oblong shape and are from 10 to 12 mm in length and 3 to 6 mm wide. Its flowers are monoecious - unisexual with the organs or flowers of both sexes borne on a single plant (as in corn and pines) and are a greenish yellow color. They grow in auxiliary clusters and start appearing at the beginning of the spring season.   The Amla fruit - a depressed globular shape - has six vertical furrows. The fruit starts developing by the middle of spring and ripens towards the beginning of autumn. The color of the fruit is pale yellow. Amla fruit is one of the three "myrobalans," a term deriving from Greek. Dried Amla fruit is used in Ayurvedic and Unani systems of medicine for various ailments like fever, liver disorders, indigestion, anemia, heart complaints and urinary problems. It is a rich source of vitamin C which gets assimilated in the human system easily and quickly and is, as such, utilized for treating pulmonary tuberculosis, etc. Raw Amla fruit is also used for making pickles and preserves (morabbas). It is also used in making quality inks, ordinary dyes, hair dyes and shampoos and is used in the tanning industry. Amla fruit paste is a major ingredient of Chavyanprash, a popular Ayurvedic tonic.   The wood of the Amla tree is small in size and red in color. It is close grained and hard in texture. It warps and splits when exposed to sun or excessive heat. However, in an under-water situation it is fairly durable. It weighs nearly 20 kg per cubic foot and is generally utilized for making small agricultural implements. Amla wood is also used as firewood as it makes excellent charcoal.   Amla is regarded as a sacred tree in India. The tree was worshipped as Mother Earth and is believed to nurture humankind because the fruit is very nourishing. Kartik Mahatma and Vrat Kaumudi order the worship of this tree. The leaves are offered to the Lord of Shri Satyanarayana Vrata, Samba on Shri Shanipradosha Vrata and Shiva and Gowri on Nitya Somvara Vrata. The fruit and flowers are also used in worship. In Himachal Pradesh the tree is worshipped in Kartik as propitious and chaste.   A research team discovered that when Amla is taken regularly as a dietary supplement, it counteracts the toxic effects of prolonged exposure to environmental heavy metals, such as lead, aluminum, and nickel. These metals are prevalent in the environment of industrialized countries. In the studies the pro-oxidant or oxygen radical scavenger qualities of Amla suggest that it is also very effective in lowering the risk of many cancers. Other studies indicate that it is much more effective than Vitamin C alone in reducing chromosomal abnormalities. Amla juice has twenty times more vitamin C than orange juice, and the natural tannins prevent oxidation of the vitamin content in a dry condition ? in other words, it is heat stable. Studies indicate that the naturally occurring vitamin C is easier for the body to absorb than synthetic vitamin C. This and other studies indicate that naturally occurring vitamin C may be ten times more beneficial to the body than synthetic vitamins. The Vitamin C content of Amla is between 625 mg ? 1814 mg per 100 grams!   Other studies show that Amla increases the red blood cell count and hemoglobin percentages, in patients who start their anabolic phase (metabolic processes involved in protein synthesis) sooner. The dried fruit reduces cholesterol levels, indicating that Amla is safe to consume on a long term basis.   Amla reduces unwanted fat because it increases total protein levels; this is due to its ability to create a positive nitrogen balance and it also significantly reduces the levels of free fatty acids. In addition, Amla, in a raw or natural form, reduces cholesterol and cholesterol induced atherosclerosis (Obstruction of the arteries), making it a useful natural product to fight obesity. One study shows that it prevented atheroma (degeneration of the artery walls due to fat and scar tissue). Furthermore, Amla has exhibited considerable effect in inhibiting the HIV virus which ultimately results in the disease AIDS.   Therefore, one can draw the conclusion that Amla is good for almost everyone on a regular basis. It reduces or eliminates the risk of environmental pollutants, normalizes cholesterol, reduces unwanted fat, cures ulcers, reduces or prevents cancer, has the highest content of vitamin C of any natural source, detoxifies the body, regulates digestion, has inhibiting effects against the HIV virus, promotes metabolic function and can produce these results when taken in a dried, natural, unprocessed form. The only thing that could possibly be better than Amla for a daily herbal supplement, is the Triphala formula, of which Amla constitutes one third. ========================================================================== Dr. Ramin Mobasseri is a physician from Frankfurt/ Germany, specializing in natural medicine. He has studied Ayurveda at an advanced level at the Chakrapani Global center for Training & Research in Ayurveda Jaipur, India in order to deepen his knowledge of this ancient science. He can be contacted at <a href="mailto:raminoanh@gmx.de">raminoanh@gmx.de</a>.</td></tr></tbody></table> General 2004-07-16T23:42:59Z bhattathiri