Laws of Karma

“Karma” literally means “deed” or “act” or “action” and more broadly names the universal principle “cause and effect”, action and reaction, which Hindus believe governs all life on this planet.

A cause is something that makes something else to happen. That ’something else’ is the effect (Result) of the cause. Out of two events, cause is the event that happens first and effect follows. If a ball is kicked off, it starts moving. The ‘kick’ is the cause and the movement of the ball is the effect.

In physics Newton’s third law of motion says: ”For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.” Every cause has its effect like every action has its reaction. But the law of motion – action and reaction is well defined with its magnitude. Whereas Hindu philosophy of ‘Karma’ is similar to the law of motion but can not be measured. However, ‘the return or the ‘effect’ what we get as a result of ‘Karma’ can be seen or felt or experience in our life which may be ‘good’ (positive) or ‘bad’ (negative). So the ‘reaction’ or ‘effect’ of ‘Karma’ has two components and it depends on the “Karma” (“Cause”) done by the individual. If your Karma is Good the ‘reaction’ (the fruit) will be good and vice versa.

According to the Vedas, if we sow goodness, we will reap goodness; if we sow evil, we will reap evil. As you sow so you reap” This is the Law of Karma.

Interestingly, both science and religion meeting at a point where both agree to the law of Karma.

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The City of Joy turned to City of Violence

Kolkata, the city of joy, has seen an unprecedented violence on 21 Nov 2007 and it reached to a riot like situation. Since the agitation was staged by a group of supporters of All India Minority Forum, a Muslim organization, there was every possibility to take a shape of communal riot due to all short of rumors spread in the city. The immediate deployment of Army has saved the city from a riot and saved many lives.

That day all of a sudden an agitation was started with the issue of Nandigram and totally unrelated issue of the Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen – her Visa should be cancelled and she should be asked to leave the country.

School students were trapped in the violence and were stuck till evening. The mob hurled bricks at buses packed with passengers, school buses and ambulances. Journalists were dragged out and beaten up. Over 40 vehicles were burnt or wrecked in this aimless vandalism. People were stuck while retuning from their office as most of the transport was lifted from the road. Only Metro (Tube) rail was running normal and help people return home.

Many schools are there in that affected area. Schools were closed but students were not allowed to go out without their parents. Parents could not reach to them. Naturally they were traumatized. Can you imagine what trauma the kids have undergone that moment? The vandalism was to such extend.

Army arrived at Bridge no. 4, Park circus.

So called leaders who may not be the true representative of the minorities have staged such a meaningless, issueless agitation which started with road blockade at Park Circus ’seven points’ crossing and later it turned to a uncontrolled violence which city has not seen in the recent past. After 15 long years the army was called that day so imagine the scale of violence.

In contrast, few days back city has seen, peaceful processions of intellectuals, without any political color, in protest of the same “Nandigram” issues and the impact was more than any political violent agitation, because that was supported by people from all walk of life. The political parties who have no base, are trying to take the advantage of the situation to make an identity. But they do not know, this type of aimless directionless agitation, vandalism actually expose their character and show their real face. They lose the public support.

Taslima has been living in exile for the last 13 years after a fatwa was issued against her in Bangladesh for her writings criticising Islam. Taslima is a writer and a writer or artiste should have the freedom of expression. She expresses her opinions in her writings which may not be liked or agreed to by all. Difference of opinion or expression, always exists in any writing, it does not mean one has to be beheaded for that. That can be debated at the most.

A person in distress, seeking refuge, can any civilized society deny it to her or him? The political leaders who wants her to go from the city, have forgotten the pain of being a refugee. She is a refugee. During partition of India, many Hindu fled to this side from East Pakistan (Now Bangladesh) as refugee and all are well settled here. Today one ‘Refugee’ can’t be accommodated in this vast land just because she is a Muslim? I am sorry to say, that it is because for narrow political gain, the minority Vote Bank, by making them happy with a decision fabourable to them. Humanity has no place in politics. Political leaders, irrespective of color, can even forget the tradition, culture of the land for simple political gain. But surrendering to the demands of such activists or fundamentalists is a shame on the part of the Government, so called a secular Government and this act of surrendering will only encourage fundamentalism and there will be no end of it. In my opinion, Government and main political parties should think twice, wisely and come out of narrow political gains. Let your conscious respond to humanity.

Photo source : times of India

 

Sexiest Asian Woman : 2007

Bollywood wow girl Bipasha Basu (Bips) was named the sexiest Asian Woman in the world on Friday by Britain’s largest selling Asian newspaper. This is the second time for Bipasha Basu who won the title. She was also the winner in 2005.

She said: “I am glad I got the crown back and will try to hold onto it this time. I think sexiness goes beyond just looks and is a total package, from your personality to the way you carry yourself in your everyday life.” She further added – “sexy is not a dirty word. Indians have used the word ‘sexy’ confusedly. Society changes with time and so do definitions. The term sexy has gone beyond a beautiful body. Today it encompasses talent, screen presence, personality and intelligence too.”

Congrats Bips. Wish you many more crowns in future.

Source: Times of India 20/11/07)

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Another reason why men like Curvy women

It is a known fact that curvaceous women live longer and that men find them more attractive but the new research suggests that they are also cleverer and give birth to brainier children.

According to a new study by Scientists, found that the women with a curvy figure are brighter and give birth to brainier kids. That’s why the men find curvaceous women more attractive?

The study also discovered that curvaceous women give birth to more intelligent children because hip fat contains polyunsaturated fatty acids (Omega-3) critical for the development of the fetus’s brain. They suggest that the fat around fuller hips and thighs contains higher levels of Omega3 fatty acids, which are essential for the growth of the brain during pregnancy.

The researchers believe that the results shed light on why many men find curvy women more alluring. Researchers found that those women with a greater difference between the waist and hips scored considerably higher on the tests, as did their children. The researchers say that the ideal ratio for an intelligent curvy woman lies between 0.6 and 0.7.

The team said that their findings may also explain why children born to teenage mothers do worse in cognitive tests – because their mothers may have had deficient stores of the best fatty acids. The study noted, however, that children born to teenage girls with traditional hourglass figures seemed to be protected from this phenomenon and fared better in tests.

Several scientific studies have shown that men find women with a greater waist-hip differential the most attractive. However, no study so far has yet been able to elucidate this.

So far, it was not known that Omega-3 fatty acids are stored under the ‘curves’ of the women. man too never knew why they are attracted so much to curvier women. Nature guides us correctly, for right kind of things in life. The secret is out now, so select a curvy life partner for brighter kids and the girls, you too try to be curvy for being mom of brainy children tomorrow.

Have your say- are the curvier women really more intelligent?

 

Free Radicals & Antioxidants

During festive season we have enjoyed good foods (?) to satisfy our craving of tasty spicy foods without thinking about nutritional values. Even we take sufficient junk foods during festivals. Festive season is over, now lets see what we should take and what not. Sir Robert McCarrison one of the best known nutritionists said : “The right kind of food is the most important single factor in the promotion of health and the wrong kind of food is the most important single factor in the promotion of disease”.

Most of the health-enhancing nutrients in fruits and vegetables are bright colored like red, yellow, orange and green. Dark and intensely-colored plant foods usually contain more chemically active Antioxidant pigments than the pale ones.

‘Your food shall be your medicine’ – said by Hippocrates, one of the famous Greek physicians. Hippocratic philosophy was that – the Nature has an innate power of healing, and that diseases are closely linked to the physical environment.

FREE RADICALS : Normally, the molecules of body cells are balanced; they have an even number of electrons. A Free Radical is a molecule that has lost one of its electrons leaving it with an odd number of electrons. Environmental factors like pollution, Sunlight, X-rays, smoking and eating junk foods also create free radicals. It need to be arrested by means of intake of sufficient Antioxidants (fruits and vegetables). Human body is composed of many different types of cells, which are the building block of the human body. Human body is multi cellular. Free Radicals damage the molecular structures of the cells leading to unstable, unbalance and damaged. In this process the cellular damages lead to diseases or even become malignant causing cancer. Intake of Anti-oxidants can balance the molecules or stop further damaging of cells and may keeps the diseases away.

Let me illustrate it further with an example for easy understanding. Let us assume that you entered into a temple or church or a mosque, with others, leaving shoes at the entrance. There will be a heap of shoes. A thieve arrived there and he stolen one of your shoes (only one piece, not the pair). Now, with one shoe you became unstable, unbalanced and can’t walk. You became unbalanced and will remain unbalance till one shoe is supplied or you steal one shoe of someone. So you became like a unbalance cell- that’s free radical. So having no other way you just picked up a single shoe of someone and became balanced and walked away. You got yourself repaired. Next man also did the same thing and thus started a chain reaction of stealing one shoe of someone. As long as shoes are available, things are managed but the last man will be left with one shoe only. That last man is like a “unbalanced, unstable & damaged cell” which is called a Free Radical. The cell molecule has lost one of its electron from its orbit and has become unbalanced & unstable like that man. Antioxidant has an extra electron which is donated to that unbalanced molecule and the “electron stealing” chain reaction is stopped and the cell became stable. This is how a Free Radical is neutralized by Antioxidant. Antioxidants are stable in either (odd or even electron) form. Therefore it does not become Free Radical by losing one electron.

Normally, bonds don’t split in a way that leaves a molecule with an odd, unpaired electron. But when weak bonds split, free radicals are formed. Antioxidants are nutritional compounds in whole foods that have an extra electrons. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals by donating that extra electron, ending the electron-”stealing” chain reaction. The antioxidant nutrients themselves don’t become free radicals when they “donate” an electron because they are stable in either form (i.e. odd or even).

Our body has a mechanism to combat free radicals, but if antioxidants are inadequately supplied to our system, or if the free-radical production is excessive, damage can occur. Free Radicals accelerates the ageing process. It may be noted here that “Free Radical Damage” accumulates with age. This is why the people who can not afford to take nutritional foods, may appear older than they actually are.

Source of Anti-oxidants : Some of the best bright colored fruits and vegetables are listed below which are rich in Antioxidant pigments :

Mango, Papaya, Pumpkin, sweet potato, Fresh corn, Tomatoes, Grapes (Blueberries), Watermelon, Strawberries, Carrots, Oranges and other Citrus fruits, Sweet peppers (all colors), Kale, Spinach (dark greens). Go for bright coloured vegetables and fruits.

However, faulty cooking and prolonged storage destroy these valuable nutrients to some extent. Most of the vegetables and fruits are, therefore, best consumed in their natural raw state in the form of salads or half boiled.

 

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Darker side of ‘Festival of lights’

Today’s the ‘Festival of Lights’ all o’er;
a joyful day for minds and hearts and souls;
And people throng the Temples to offer,
Prayers, resolving to take roles.

And most of them are richly clad and clean,
and eat such dainty foods and sweets with mirth;
Whilst noisy crackers burst, their lights are seen,
It seems to be a happy day on Earth!

But are there not hearts woe-filled, very sad?
Denied of laughter, smiles for days;
Today’s the triumph of Good over bad;
But what about the wastage in much ways?
True joy is when you see someone else smile!
True charity gives joy in Heav’nly style.

~ John Celes

Acknowledgement : times of India

 

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Festival of lights : Deepavali or Diwali

Diwali or Deepavali, the festival of lights has no religious boundary to celebrate it. Though it is a Hindu festival but nowadays, people of all the religions celebrate this festival. It has crossed all the physical boundaries of the country and has reached far off countries. In the age of Globalisation, Indian festivals too are globalised. Soon Diwali will be a International festival.

NASDAQ salutes festive spirits of India – 2006

Last year, US administration recognized the Indian festival and as a part of that the NASDAQ (National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations), which is the American stock market, saluted the festive spirit of India on the occasion of Diwali by decorating the building with Indian tricolour by lights.

This year the house of representatives of US has for the first time passed resolution recognizing the “Religious and historical significance” of Diwali. It’s a great honour for the Indian festival.

Some section of the society observes Deepavali as two days festival and for some it is a three day festival. It starts with the Dhan-Teras, on the 13 day followed by Narak Chaudas (the 14^th day) and by Deepavali on the 15^th day of the dark half (Krishna Paksha) of “Kartik” (October-November) month.

There are various origins attributed to this festival. Some part of India celebrates it as the marriage of Goddess Lakshmi with Lord Vishnu. In Bengal, the festival is dedicated to the worship of Goddess Kali. In some parts it is also celebrated to commemorates the day on which Lord Rama returned to ayodhya with His wife Sita after defeating Ravana. This is the historical significance of the festival.

Little clay lamps are lit as an offering to God to ward off evil spirits and to usher prosperity. This is also to welcome the new year on the following day, when businessmen start their new account books. Families visit relatives and friends and exchange gifts and sweets. It is an auspicious day for new beginnings. This is a festival of brotherhood, peace and harmony too because people from all religions are celebrating Deepavali in India.

On this auspicious occasion, I wish you all a very happy Deepavali. Hope you have a wonderful year up ahead. May this festival of light brings all brightness, happiness to your life.

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