Everyday in the morning , one can see hundreds of devotees chanting the mantras
and offering water to the Sun god in India. Since ages, Hindu society
follows morning ritual of offering water to sun at Sun rise. I have
tried to ask lots of experts from different places and fields to know
rationale behind it. There are numerous articles on internet suggesting
Benefits of giving water to Sun. All of them agreed on benefits, nobody
has the answer for actual benefits. I went through many authorized
experts and books like.
Aditya-Hridayam (The meditation of Sun in the heart )
Brihata Hora Shastra
NASA website
Few Health related website
Few Astrologers
Few Brahmana
A Physicist
Two Astronomists
Google
Foremost Vastu Shastra Expert. Dr Jessie J Mercay
Surya Sidhanta
Who is Sun? Rigveda says, it is sun that wakes one up from sleep. It is due to the Sun that all can work and are active.
As per Vedic Sciptures, He is the very embodiment of all Gods. He is
self-luminous and sustains all with his rays. He nourishes and energizes
the inhabitants of all the worlds as well as the host of Gods and
demons by his Rays.
He is the Brahma (the creator), Visnu (the Sustainer), Shiva (the
destroyer), Skanda (the son of Siva), Prajapati (progenitor of human
race), the mighty Indra (king of heaven), Kubera (the god of wealth and
lord of riches), Kala (eternal time), Yama (the Lord of death), Soma
(the moon god that nourishes), and Varuna (the lord of sea and ocean).
Indeed, he is Pitris (ancestors, manes), the eight Vasus, the
Sadhyas, the twin Aswins (physicians of Gods), the Maruts, the Manu,
Vayu (the wind God), Agni (the fire God), Prana (the Life breath of all
beings), the maker of six seasons and the giver of light.
Students and scientists are aware of nuclear reactions happening at
surface of sun. For us, it’s the only source of energy. Imagine a world
without Sun. what will we do to survive? Being the source of light and
warmth, he has the ability to control the seasons and the power to grant
or withhold the ripening of the crops. An old man giving water to SunAs per Ancient Vedas
Water offered to Sun in the evening converts the
drops of water to stones that kill the demons. For humans, most likely
demons are like all sicknesses like typhoid TB, pneumonia etc. When a
devotee takes water in his hands while standing in front of or facing
the sun and drops water on the ground the rising direct Sunʼs rays fall
from the head to feet of the devotee in a uniform flow. This way water
heated by Sun rays and its colors penetrates every part of the body.
This is the reason why the Vedas direct the devotee to offer water when
the Sun is about to set. As per Astrology
Astrology is totally based on light. All colors represent a
particular planet. Human being is made up of five elements as Water,
Air, Ether, Earth and Fire. Every planet in our horoscope represents a
relation. A person with a weak Sun or afflicted Sun might have not warm
relations with father or he might have lost him also. For such persons,
It is a recommended Vedic remedy to offer water to Sun . As per Scientists “Solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation has been used
since ancient times to treat various diseases. This has a scientific
background in the fact that a large number of molecules (chromophores)
in different layers of the skin interacts with and absorbs UV. …Phototherapy is a valuable option in the treatment of many
psoriatic and nonpsoriatic conditions, including atopic dermatitis,
sclerosing skin conditions such as morphea, scleroderma, vitiligo, and
mycosis fungoides. Phototherapy is the treatment of certain skin
disorders with UV radiation which can be produced by the sun,
fluorescent lamps, short arc lamps with UV filters and lasers. Depending on the shape of the spectrum of radiation emitted by
the source, phototherapy can be divided into broadband UVB (290-320 nm),
narrow band UVB (310-315 nm), monochromatic UVB (308 nm from an excimer
laser), broadband UVA (320-400 nm) and UVA-1 (340-400 nm). …Traditionally, broadband UVB phototherapy has been used to treat
psoriasis, which is an inflammatory skin disease, characterized by
keratinocyte hyperproliferation with 1-2 percent prevalence in the
general population. However, now more often narrowband UVB or
monochromatic UVB are used for the clearance of psoriasis. Narrow-band
UVB clears psoriasis faster and produces longer remissions than
broadband UVB. Action spectra for UV-induced erythema, DNA damage,
photoimmune suppression, squamous cell carcinoma and vitamin D synthesis
are very similar, all in the UVB spectral region of 280-310 nm. Narrowband UVB do not contain the most erythemogenic and carcinogenic wavelengths. As per Health and Nutrition experts
New evidence presented in the April-June issue of Dermato-Endocrinology
confirms that exposure to the sun in appropriate and measured
timeframes has a number of health benefits unrelated to vitamin D
production, such as:
Enhancing mood and energy through the release of endorphins
Protecting against and suppressing symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS)
Treating skin diseases, such as psoriasis, vitiligo,
atopic dermatitis, and scleroderma. UV radiation also enhances skin
barrier functions
Inducing nitric oxide (NO), which helps protect your
skin against UV damage and offers cardiovascular protection, promotes
wound healing through its antimicrobial effect, and has some anti-cancer
activity
Melatonin regulation through the “third eye” of the pineal gland photoreceptors
Relieving fibromyalgia pain
Standard treatment for tuberculosis 100 years ago, long before the advent of antibiotics
Treating neonatal jaundice
Can be used to sterilize your armpits and eliminate the cause of most body odor
Treating Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
Synchronizing important biorhythms through sunlight entering your eye and striking your retina
Regulating body temperature
Protecting against melanoma and decreasing mortality from it
May be effective in treating T Cell lymphoma
Surya DevtaVastu Shastra
The earth has a flow of energy that is called “the grid.” This flow
of energy is related to the earth’s rotation at the equator.It flows
North and South in alignment with true north rather than magnetic north.
When a house or structure is aligned precisely with “The Grid” the effects of Vastu are realized.
Another value of using the grid is that solar energy
flows east to west as the sun moves across the sky. When a home is
properly aligned with the north/ south grid , it is automatically
aligned with the east west grid. Grid lines in a built space are
carriers of energy values and qualities. Of properly designed, The micro
space, in our house is foetus, Garbha or Bindu.
This micro abode is the repository of light and sound. The free space
is Light and the Light is Moolam or source of the universe and
universal forms. Light is Brahman, Atman, Vastu Brahman .
Our body is also manifestation of energy. As per Vastu shastra , it is also governed by direction and all universal laws What happen when we offer water to Sun?
Sun light is carrier of energy and it penetrates our body’s energy
circle known as aura. As sun light passes through water, it divided into
seven colors as shown in picture below.
No human being is perfect. Any deficiency in our personality is
related to some missing energy. Ayurveda talks about this imbalance as
Dosha. Astrology see it as a deficiency in any house horoscope.
It is recommended in the water offering ritual to keep the vessel
above chest. When these refracted lights enters human body. The surface
area of our chest is highest in human body, so chest can absorb maximum
refracted light.
There is no known evidence or study to see, how it affects our energy
aura. There is no available documented study over the same. It’s a
matter of individual practice and realization.
I hope , i am able to provide you enough foundation to prepare your
belief as per your own perspective . Either you have faith on scriptures
or You trust scientific facts. Obeisance to Lord Sun Salutations to the Lord, who creates heat by his brilliant rays.
He alone creates, sustains and destroys all that has come into being.
Salutations to Him who by His rays consumes the waters, heats them up
and sends them down as rain again.
Two days back, Saturn came into Zodiac
sign Scorpio. I can Imagine, how astrologers all around world have
minted millions out of naïve people out of their fear and most Media
propaganda.
In India, lots of news Channel gives
Astrological prediction between 8 am to 9.30 am. Astrologers say
anything to anybody there, Poor people buy it. Many cancel their
meetings, Few avoid travel and so much of superstition. On Another
channel, you will see Vedic remedies. One Pandit ji will keep on
shelling many complicated mantras. Other will give you , how to make
money on this and this day.
You read any newspapers , anywhere in
world. There is a special place for daily forecast based on zodiac
signs. Is it possible to give forecast for every human being? Sheer
Nonsense. They give stupid lines like “You will have a profitable
proposition today” or “Chance to meet soul mate”. Tell these lines to
people in IRAQ and Somalia, they will kill such a so called astrologer. I
mean, how can somebody do such generalized forecast. Worrying part is ,
People read them everyday. They feel it might help them in giving that
elusive word, HOPE.
Yes, Astrology can give Hope. Hope is
the most powerful force in world, which can bear most powerful negative
energy in world “FEAR”.
On the contrary, there are millions who
see Astrology as “Hopeless”. Its right also. There are more than 98%
astrologers , who are at learning stage. Everybody is learning or
faking. The smart ones are making money out of this faking. There are
numerous in every corner of the world.
The modem world has a mixed approach to
astrology. There are many persons who consider it superstition and
fraud. They believe that technological advancements enabling mankind to
explore the unlimited expanse of the stellar realm could reveal all
dimensions of life to them.
Ancient times
In Vedic civilization, astrology was the
very basis of daily life. In order to harmonize their daily lives with
the laws of nature, the ancient seers revealed the nature of
extraterrestrial influences on everyday life. In ancient China, the
belief in an intelligent cosmic order found expression in correlation
charts that juxtaposed natural phenomena with the activities and fate of
man. For a long time, it was a universal practice there to have a
horoscope cast for each newborn by a professional astrologer. These
horoscopes were consuited and interpreted at all decisive junctions of
life, particularly on the eve of a marriage.
Today, Situation is very different in Kaliyuga.
Maharshi Parasara, father of Maharshi
Vyasa, wrote a treatise on Jyotisha shastra just before Kali yuga
started. He referred in it a few times to the “intellectual pygmies of
Kali yuga” and gave techniques suitable for astrologers of Kali yuga.
Thus, he was conscious of impending Kali yuga and that was on his in
mind as he taught. In the chapters on remedial measures to overcome
karmic problems (as represented by planets and horoscope), he basically
referred to various kinds of homas. Though some people may insist on
japam (meditation) today, Parasara only referred to offering mantras in
homam fire. He was specific on the mantras to be offered in fire for
various deities.
Mantras are for protecting mind (from its enemies, i.e. one’s
weaknesses like ego, pride, attachment, lust, anger etc). Imagine one’s
mind to be a person. Imagine one’s weaknesses to be enemies charging at
the person aggressively. Imagine mantra to be a weapon (stick or stone
or gun) in the hands of the person.
Present scenario
A lot of our astrological understanding
of today is based on weak philosophical foundation. Understanding the
philosophy of individual consciousness as explained in scriptures and
mapping it to Jyotish factors can enhance our understanding of Jyotish
in the long run.
A good astrologer is supposed to guide
you on spiritual journey. He will never frighten you. he is like a big
brother , a part of family, who is caring for you.
Why Trouble, Stress and problem comes in life ?
Nature works on the principle of “equal
reaction to every action”. You engaged in an action using your own free
will and nature has to somehow find a way to give the equal reaction to
that action. God is there to implement the rules of nature. The
circumstances faced by you are decides by nature based on the previous
actions exerted by your free will. Within the limitations imposed by
those circumstances, your free will decides one particular action among
several possible actions. That gets added to the list of your actions
and nature pays back for it in future by creating different
circumstances for you to operate under.
An individual is guided by his own
karma. Whatever he has done in his past will come back to him during the
course of his future incarnations. Reincarnation, in fact, is the other
side of Karma. Karma and reincarnation taken together control and guide
the individuals to their future destiny. That is why the course of
future life is so much predetermined.
Bad or God karma or Situations
A planet is neither a malefic nor a
benefic as such. Similarly, no event of life can be considered good or
bad without relating that to any specific goal. When a planet is
malefic, it only attempts to dangle the individual between his material
thirst and spiritual aspirations so that when there is any material
deprivation, then over a series of lives he realises the futility of
worldly attainments in satisfying some inner cravings and also the
transience of all worldly possessions. Once this realisation dawns on
the individual, the limitations of material bonds will begin to weaken and he begins to lead a different kind of life.
How to avoid the fake ones ?
Who can stop thinking of the famous
Kohinoor or The blue sapphire story of Amitabh Bachhan, Does these
things works ? Well, they do, but not for everyone. You need a very
competent astrologer, who can help you for that. Rest all are making
money out of you selling gems . A lot of them are evening selling fake
stones in the name of Gems.
Fake astrologer will always get you into FEAR mode. He will be
frightening you in subtle tones. They use words like Sadesatti ,
Kalsarpa Yoga and so many ..
It is not easy, especially when there
are just a few grains in the middle of a big pile of chaff. Astrology is
useful but not that much. Astrologer’s mind, which makes the final
judgments, works based on his/her prejudices and secret beliefs.
Astrology knowledge that we have on earth today is insufficient to give
perfect guidance.
Cant avoid Astrologers, what to do ?
Astrologers keep recommending remedies
to people who are materially inclined and want temporary relief
(so-called) from temporary troubles (so-called). But, it is also a good
idea to increase devotion that makes people not distinguish between
pleasure and sadness.
Don’t run away from your chosen path. Do
you think Bill gates chant Laxmi Mantra everyday ? Please don’t be so
superstitious. Listen to your heart in adversity and keep on working
hard. Don’t take haste decision in bad situations. Do exercise to keep
frustration out of mind. Your mind needs more oxygen in such situations,
so have few laps in pool or play a quick game of tennis. There is day
after night, so just hold on yourself tight in bad times.
Your destiny follow you everywhere. Its your Danapaani , which takes you places, beside your Hard work.
Recent reports from National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), India suggest:
15 suicides are committed per hour
371 suicides committed per day
Approximately 37% victims commit suicide by hanging
Approximately 29% victims commit suicide by consuming poison
Human being is a complex organism .
Human emotions are intricately linked to the events that are occurring
around. This is a continuous process. It is natural for us to feel sad
when things aren’t going our way. But this sadness can easily turn to
joy when favourable events occur. In today’s fast life, This is a see
saw situation. Can every person adapt to such fluctuations in same
manner?
Remember the scene in the Harry Potter
movie, Prisoner of Azkaban, where the Dementor comes close to Harry and
tries to remove all the positive emotions from Harry’s body? To quote a
character from the Harry Potter Series, Remus Lupin, Dementors
are”…among the foulest creatures to walk this earth. They infest the
darkest, filthiest places, they glory in decay and despair, they drain
peace, hope and happiness around them…Get too near a Dementor and every
good feeling, every happy memory will be sucked out of you.” If Remus
Lupin were a physician, he could well have been talking about
depression.
Although sadness is very much part of a
normal life, with its ups and downs; being sad for a long time,
regardless of the situations around, is what is known as depression.
When a person is depressed, He/she is in a state of prolonged sadness.
Depressions can be of different types, medically speaking, but they are a
disorder of a mind and they have to be acknowledged and treated as
would any physical injury or disorder, without any sense of shame.
Sometimes, a painful event has such an
impact on the human brain that it goes into a shell, covering itself
with feelings of prolonged sadness and excessive guilt. Such a condition
is called “depression.”
Seek friendly relationships – Don’t
be lonely. Turn to your trusted friends and relatives. It is important
in life to invest time and emotions to build good relations. They might
not be able to get you out of your depressed state of mind all by
themselves. But the feeling, that you are not alone in your time of
crisis and you will be helped and supported, gives you a major boost.
Get some exercise – Any
physical activity releases “happy hormones” in your body. They
invigorate the mind and make you feel good. No strenuous workouts are
required. Just a brisk walk in the park daily can do wonders. Practice
yoga. Pranayama, Cycling ,Swimming, Badminton or breathing exercises,
work like miracles.
Challenge your brain –
Set a daily routine. Don’t let the days go by just like that. Learn
something new, maybe a language or origami or even cooking. When you are
learning new things, the brain releases powerful chemicals that can
create wondrous self-confident feelings. Don’t expect yourself to be
perfect. Cut yourself some slack. Set small, achievable daily targets
and then move on to bigger ones. Try to play chess. It’s a wonderful
antidote.
Eat right – Healthy
eating is absolutely vital during depressions. Overeating and resorting
to junk foods can compound the problem and can create new ones. Foods
rich in the B vitamins, Vitamin D, antioxidants, magnesium and folic
acid are known to be naturally antidepressant. Eat complex carbohydrates
(whole wheat bread, oats, and baked potatoes) and absolutely avoid
refined flours and cut down drastically on your sugar intake.
Get a good sleep –
Although this is easier said than done, it is vital to get at least 8
hours of sleep every night. Don’t nap during the day. Set a fixed time
to go to bed. Slowly your brain will respond. Understand that the brain
is also an organ which requires professional, medical care when it is
not functioning properly.
Distract Yourself:
Panic attacks are common during a depressive state of mind. Understand
when a panic attack hits you. Try to distract yourself by doing
something, walking, or simply jumping up and down and concentrating on
the physical effort. Once the phase has passed, calm yourself down by
some deep breathing. Don’t sit there. Do some activity. Go make yourself
a cup of tea or coffee. Take a bath. This has a calming effect on the
brain.
Don’t Blame Yourself:
When depression hits a person, he/she finds it difficult to perform even
the basic chores. This can exacerbate into a feeling of blame for
oneself. Don’t blame yourself for your depression. It is a mental
condition affecting probably everyone during some or the other time in
their lives. So you are not unique to the “Depression Club.”
Calm Your Senses Through Meditation and Spirituality:
Turning your focus and energies towards spirituality can be a much
needed mental boost. Meditation is an excellent way to calm the senses
and bring peace to your troubled mind. If you thought that meditation is
performed only by ardent yogis, think again. You only need 15 minutes
to half an hour everyday to practise it. If you are a religious person,
visit your place of worship more often. These are the most peaceful
places and have a vibrant energy around them which is contagious.
Step Outdoors: Try to
spend as much time outside the house as possible. A depressed person can
easily tend to become a reclusive house-worm and this compounds the
problem. Scientifically, too, staying outsides in the sun makes sense,
because of elevated Vitamin D levels in the body due to exposure to the
sun. Vitamin D is an excellent “feel-good” vitamin.
Laugh Out Loud:
Watching funny movies and TV shows is also an excellent way to create a
joyous state of mind. Laughing helps release hormones that soothe your
brain and make you feel at peace with yourself. Tom n Jerry , still
works….
Visiting religious places: You
can visit temple or church. They do help. Try alternative therapies to
achieve mental peace. Sound therapy is simple and very effective. There
are innumerable ways to practice it. One way is the Tibetan sound
therapy. You can buy a bowl and mallet from a Tibetan store (or even
online). The mallet when rubbed on the rim creates soothing sound waves.
These in conjunction with the chanting of certain mantras help relax
the mind.
Finally, the human will is, arguably,
the strongest entity in Creation. The will to come out of depression is
by far the best way to battle it. Rest assured, the will wins, if it is
fuelled by determined efforts. If a lowly cell, through Evolution, can
make it thus far into becoming what a human body is today, depression
really doesn’t stand a chance.
The will to come out of the depressive
state of mind is a huge motivator. This will itself guides one to help
oneself achieve freedom from depression. There’s always the option of
seeking medical help and taking medications to aid other efforts. Life
is too short to wallow on guilt, blame and sadness. There are greater
things to accomplish. Fly on.
I was watching this movie’ What women
want” few days back. Been always fond of movies. Can watch 24 hours. So
this movie inspire me to ask friends to share things , which guys wants.
I talked for around more than 100 friends and there are others, whom I
am not friends.
It is right that guys want to meet their “Biological need” first. Fine, we are grown up . Let talk the other things.
I know so many Guys, who don’t share
much. Its rare that they have friends. Its truth with most of the guys.
They don’t have friends. After that rush of “Biological need ” is over,
though they never admit, but they are looking for a friendship from a
woman, With whom they can share. See “Pyaar ka panchnaama”.
Every guy wants her wife to make food
like his mother do. It seems quite ok also, as a guy who has developed a
certain taste right from his childhood, its not possible to forget
that. The texture, amount salt , tenderness of the chapati , that
perfect mix….. No offense ladies, but its one of the things which every
guy wants
.
Most of the guys are tired of the Image
hey have to live up with. When a guy grows up, he gets an image to live
up to. There are so many expectations. Not everyone can win the race.
Imagine the guys, who are left behind. Somewhere deep down, they wanted
to share what they really want. Most of them don’t get a chance ever to
build a new image. They have to live up with that image” Boys don’t
cry”.
Guys want to take rest but they seldom
gets. Its not physical, but mentally, their DNA works 24 hours. Ever
wonder , they get more heart attacks than women. They hardly gets a
chance to open up their mind . You wonder, why they drink so much? If
your friend, guy, bro , hubby or son is too much into drinking, then
don’t preach him to stop drinking. He needs someone to talk. He cant
talk with you on certain things, so guys go out.
If you teach a person cycling, he can do
it after 50 years also. All women have this complaint of women, that
they don’t understand them. Guys don’t understand women, because they
don’t know it. The way, they are brought up, most of them don’t know
this alien language of listening. Guys want you to tell them the ways ,
in a nice way , one at a time, and not in a preachy way. Signals are
enough. Its like a training.
Its with almost most of the guys, they
have to think a lot about money part. Its like male ego and they don’t
want to talk about the money part. They just don’t.
Guys don’t talk to their mother a lot.
Why ? Its not that they don’t want to. They don’t get a chance to. They
really never get a chance..That ambiance is not there in most of the
homes.That is why they make lots of friends. Most of them are just
acquaintances, not friends.
A guy always wants to have own set of
friends, activities, and passions. Of course they just expect you to be
supportive of everything . Mostly their is no communication and rule
are not set. Its just that every guy wants to hold on to his own
identity.They forget to communicate that.
Well , Research is going on…more tips tomorrow. Got to take my kid from school. c ya.
Why USA is a great country? I Compiled these answers from people, who
went to USA from different countries. I wont name them. See, what we
can learn from them…
Mr A is from India
I am from India and moved to the US 6 months back for my graduate
studies. For me some things were a revelation. Many things I found
surprising in addition to the many things mentioned in other answers
are:
The respect for rules. Even at 2 in the morning if a motorist sees a
STOP sign he will stop his car for a moment look around then proceed.
Unbelievable! Back in India when I watched this episode of Modern Family
Door to Door (Modern Family)
I really did not get it. I was wondering, why was Claire so determined
to get a STOP sign? What difference does it make? In India we have STOP
signs everywhere and nobody cares! But after coming here I realized that
being caught not stopping at a STOP sign can cost dearly. Same holds
for every other rule.
The amazingly polite nature of people. It is natural for strangers to greet you and you are expected to greet them back.
The amazing system of freeways and interstates. If you own a car you
can simply decide to drive at a short notice to any destination no
matter how far anywhere in the US. I’ve known people who prefer to drive
to far away places than take a flight.
It is also surprising that no matter how remote the area is, the road signs will all be in place and proper.
A surprising thing is that a one way intercity train ride is much more expensive than a round trip flight ticket most times..!
How courteous and helpful people sometimes are. I went to a post
office during peak holiday season. Even though there was a long line the
person behind the counter patiently explained to me all the available
options for an international shipment and even suggested to me an
inexpensive way of getting it shipped. What is more, he himself provided
me an envelope and also wrapped up my package. I never can imagine this
happening in any post office back home in India!
The seemingly opposite scheme of things. Air travel is preferred and
is cheaper than a train journey. Automatic transmission is the default
on most cars. The manual transmission, referred to as the “stick shift”
here is a premium and a car with a “stick shift” is more expensive than
automatic transmission! In fact I am willing to bet that most americans
will not be able to drive if given a stick shift car.
There are vast amount of areas in the US which do not have any human settlement for miles at a stretch…!
How parking and driving is a breeze. You simply do not have to break
your head over finding parking spots when you go for shopping as mostly
there is ample space! And more over parking is FREE! Yes I’m talking to
you Delhi-ites and Bangaloreans!
How “well behaved” motorists are during peak hours and when there
are traffic snarls. No impatient honking or trying to cut lines
ruthlessly..! Again learn something Delhi & Bangalore!
It is absolutely surprising how rarely you will ever hear anyone honk on the roads.
How pedestrians are respected and have the right-of-way in most places!
How huge the US is in terms of the total land area. There are states
like Wyoming, Montana, New Hampshire, ND,SD where I am told there are
no human settlements for miles and miles together. List of U.S. states by population density
How the division of some states have simply been done on some
elementary lines. Most often the division of states has been a vestige
of the civil war or it has simply been done by rivers! Yes rivers! Gosh
how Indian states could be divided like that!
How most state capitals are not the same as the most
populous/largest city in the state. i bet most foreigners don’t know
that the capital of Illinois is not Chicago but Springfield. The most
surprising one is the capital of the state of New York is not New York
city but Albany!
How irritating it is for us to get used to the non metric system of
units. President Reagan had a chance to subvert this and get the US on
the metric system of units but unfortunately that never materialized. Metric Commission
How resource rich the US is…
Of course the return policy. No questions asked!
In the academic context, the lesser obsession with grades and more
emphasis on learning what has been taught. Most courses in the
university level are oriented around this theme and the professors
actually take an interest in teaching and take pains to make sure the
students have grasped the concepts.
It is also very surprising that how aloof and sheltered most
americans are from the harsh realities prevailing over most countries in
the world. One of my friend who was a TA for a Biology course told me
that most students in his class had never heard of a disease named
Malaria!
How swift and effective law enforcement is!
How expensive healthcare is!
How heavily people depend on debit/credit cards to pay. I survived
for 4 straight months without a single penny in my wallet. This would be
unthinkable in India!
How complex the “tipping” scenario is!
How healthy market competition has brought some otherwise expensive
technologies to the masses. For instance, phones with contracts deliver
more services as compared to prepaid ones at almost the same price.
It is amazing how credit based the entire society is. People are
encouraged to purchase stuff on credit. Thats why every retail entity
worth its salt has its own credit card..!
How important your credit history is and how difficult it is to start afresh if you have somehow managed to screw it up.
The level to which retail has reached here is just unbelievable. All
things from electronics to frozen food is available under one roof!
Just visit any Target or WalMart and you will be bowled over with the
variety of things on sale!
Mr B is also from India
First the negative things about USA 1) No one walks or uses public transport: I really thought that public transport should be ubiquitous and the most basic thing in the US (I blame this on wikipedia.org Captain Planet).
Worse, there is no option of public transport outside of big
metropolitan areas. Apart from the really big cities, the public
transport system is basically a pointless mess of buses and trains,
which are sparsely used and not punctual at all. Coming from a city in
India where I was used to getting a train every 5 minutes, this came as a
shock. I initially thought this was only in Atlanta (where I went to
grad school), but I saw this in more and more cities as I traveled more.
My ignorance about public transport to be blamed for this. 2) Not every city has skyscrapers like New York City or Chicago: Well, most cities fit this one. Too much Hollywood I guess. Too much suburban sprawl for my liking. 3) Gas is ridiculously cheap for the standard of living of an average American: Seriously, consider this:
Average per capita income in India = $1000 per year
(http://www.financialexpress.com/…)
Average gas price in India per liter = Rs 75
That comes out to Rs 277 (approx $5.5) per gallon.
And here in the US, the per capita income even is way higher and gas
prices are cheaper. Yes, I do know that people here use cars more. But
then, why don’t we use public transport…because it’s not good
enough….vicious circle. 4) Cabs are expensive: Here, cabs are expensive
enough to be called only when you don’t have a car/cannot get a ride/no
public transport. In India, a cab was public transport and cheap enough
to use for everyday commute (no, I do not come from a rich family). 5) There is a lot of poverty in the US: More
shockingly, good young Americans are completely ignorant about it.
There’s way too much economic segregation in terms of neighborhoods and
school districts. 6) School districts: WTF is this? I came from a
background where I anyone can go to any school (at least middle and high
school) as long as it was based on merit (and you had the money if it
was a private school). This led me to interact with people richer than
the last 10 generations of my family as well as with people who lived on
$100 a month. The school was tax subsidized and there was no school
district segregation. 7) A receipt for everything: God save the trees. I do not need a copy of my bill and then a customer copy + merchant copy for every meal. 8) Medical/Education costs: After food, clothing and
shelter, I thought medicine and education would be the most important
basic needs for man. These should be cheap and readily available. How
wrong was I? 9) Unlike most countries, corruption can legally take place (lobbying): Isn’t
this a no brainer? I know lobbying is good for a lot of good reasons,
but hey, it’s an easy way for the rich/corporations to get their point
across and legally get things done. 10) Guns: There are people who believe that having
guns is good for reducing crime (yes, statistics prove this too). I
understand the argument that for example, break-ins will reduce since
thieves will know that home-owners have a gun and can shoot the thief.
But I cannot imagine what the social fabric will be if everyone has a
gun. How can anyone feel safe to, let’s say, send their kids outside to
just go to a store or to go and stroll in the park, with the knowledge
that the person next to me has a gun? 11) Biased media: Political bias, economic bias,
geographic bias, etc. Clear misuse of freedom of speech. If all I hear
is inaccurate news, my perception of the world will be grossly
inaccurate. How hard is it to realize this? 12) Economics of a few products/services: $15 for a
haircut, waiters get paid only $2.13 per hour or some sub-minimum wage
amount, bottled water worth $2, etc. It didn’t make sense to me at
first. 15-20% tips at restaurant is a norm… Shouldn’t I have the freedom
to choose the amount based on the quality of service and my own
financial condition? Sewage bill… What? Moving on to the pleasantly surprising things: 1) American kids in grad school are smart: Not all kids sit in front of tv/play video games/party all night. I thoroughly enjoyed studying with them. 2) Virtually every business has a website: Including my apartment leasing office. 3) Sports: I enjoy watching football and basketball.
The fan following for national leagues is something I had expected, but
college sports is very good. 4) The speed at which new technology is adopted: Twitter is faster than an earthquake? 5) True for Silicon Valley at least: Very hard working people. Open-minded and innovative people. It is a pleasure to work with such people. 6) Mixture of cultures: Never short of new restaurants to try. I love this. 7) The opportunities to do volunteer work: Insane number of opportunities…almost overwhelming 8) Bike lanes and sidewalks: Despite the fact that I
could be the only person walking or biking in a mile, there are plenty
of bike lanes and sidewalks. I wish more people would use them though.
Mr C is an Indian Sikh guy
Just a few observations when I came here. I know a lot more about
these now and can imagine why things are as they are. I’ll try to add my
observations based on my travel experience:
Pay for incoming calls and messages (Yes, I mean domestic calls as well) ! When I first got a mobile plan, I confirmed this twice at the AT&T store
Certain dangerous pockets co-exist in seemingly safe places: It
was my 2nd day in SF. In the evening, I got off a bus and started to
roam around. And then…without knowing where I was heading to, I happily
started walking towards the Tenderloin. One random dude came up to me
and the conversation went something like this:
> Random dude: Hey man, where you from?
> Me: Umm..India
> Random dude: Do you know where you are going to? That’s the Tenderloin man, you might not return to India if you go there
> Me: My guts shaking, I thanked the random dude (and thought to
myself, it would have been quite a story, getting shot or mugged on my
2nd day in the US)
This is just one of the experiences that I recall. I generally
believe there are a lot of areas that someone can merely stumble upon
without knowing how unsafe is that place
‘Most’ people are open-minded: America is truly the
melting pot of so many different cultures from around the world. People
are generally respectful and believe in ‘live and let live’. However,
like any other country, there are a few people who are conservative and
close minded. I had an unpleasant experience while travelling in a bus
which runs on the strip in Vegas. Looking at my turban, a middle-aged
woman came to me and started shouting, “What the fuck is he doing in
America?”. (She looked a me like I was a terrorist and I’m ready to bomb
Vegas any moment ! :D) There were a lots of ohhhhhhhs and other muffled
reaction sounds that I heard on the bus while I stared at the woman’s
face. I was also taken aback as I had not said anything disrespectful to
her. I decided to remain silent while she walked away. Then a random
guy came up to me and said, “I am very sorry for what she said. Not
everyone in America is like that”. I generally disregard this experience
when I frame my opinion on the openness and acceptance of America. Most
people I know are tolerant like the random guy that I met in the bus.
British English: I wholeheartedly agree that its
quite unusual for Americans to hear a word which is not part of their
usual lingo. As Indians, we’ve inherited the Queen’s English but my
generation and younger folks are heavily influenced by American music
and TV shows. I had a hilarious experience, when I told my American
manager (AM) to schedule one of my recurring meetings fortnightly.
Here’s how the conversation went:
> Me: Lets schedule a catch-up fortnightly
> AM: Fortnightly, what’s that? Sounds Shakespere-ish
> Me: Fortnightly is once in every two weeks
She was quite amused by this and we shared a good laugh later as well while recalling this incident
Exorbitant serving sizes of meals: I was amazed by the serving sizes of meals in the US. Having a meal in US meant one of the two things for me:
i) I felt drowsy and did not feel like doing anything
ii) I would skip the next meal or deliberately choose to eat only a small portion of the normal meal serving
Your experience in US depends to a great extent on which place(s) you visit: Apart
from the general observations, I truly believe someone’s experience in
the US can be really dependent on the places someone visits. For
instance, people in the Bay Area seem really helpful to someone new.
This might be in stark contrast to what happens in NYC, where nobody
gives a fuck and life moves on
The prevalence of immigrant population which form the American culture: On
my first day in SF last year, I enjoyed a good time celebrating
St.Patricks Day. I realised how every eat-out and bar that day were
flooded with Green
I was also amazed by the Mexican influence in LA (in language, people,
culture etc). Needless to say, I’ve met numerous people from India,
Pakistan and other Asian countries ranging from cab drivers, college
students, people working in the technology sector etc who are settled in
the US and making a livelihood as a hard-working American !
Shoddy public transportation system: Whether I talk
about the caltrain/MUNI in SF or the NYC subway, the quality of public
transportation was no where close to the quality of the Delhi Metro back
home in India. I would say the Delhi Metro ranks higher on almost all
parameters: cleanliness, connectivity, speed etc.
Mr D is not from India
Tipping, it’s just exotic.
Not any bargains.
The sky is unbelievably blue.
Entry fee charge by car, not by the headcount. Not even heard of it before.
Refills and the return policy. Q: Why would one go for a large cup?
No vodkas before 21, but all of a sudden alcoholics all around.
Some must think that drinks are more dangerous than guns ( 21 > 18 ).
And gun access looks strange enough.
Car is like necessity here.
Their kids are on their own after grown up.. exotic.
Women change their family names after marriage.
Vegetables are not cheaper (than meat)? (still don’t get it)
The Government could shut himself down (partially), like some fictional plot.
Where is the traffic police? Cops handle everything.
Legal system, culturally happy about suing all sorts of stuff.
Some obsess with the gym in strong contrast with the obesity problem.
Customers need to pump gas on their own. Wait, no service in a service kingdom?
Washing a car doesn’t involve any human labor.
An excellent higher education system on top of a strangely leisure K-12.
Schools gives out kids condoms, so hilarious.
Ok, pots can be legal, it’s extremely strange.
Well.. ridiculously rich.
Mr E is from Europe
I ‘m English and have been living in Seattle for a couple of months. Here’s some observations Groceries are incredibly expensive.
Everyone I spoke to in England assumed everything was dirt cheap in
the US. But fresh food and groceries are at least twice the price of
middle of the road shops in the UK. The US makes waitrose look cheap. People handing over credit cards in bars.
In bars I’ve been in the situation where everyone hands over their
credit cards and the bar staff keep track of how much everyone has spent
and will hand you back a bill at the end of the night. This doesn’t
happen anywhere else. In England you’d not trust the bar staff to do
this at all – they’d probably steal your card. Credit cards using signatures/magnetic strips
Everywhere in Europe uses chip and pin. Some places are going towards
contactless payment. In the US you use a magnetic strip on your card
and have to sign for everything. It’s about ten years out of date
compared to everywhere else. The standard of driving
Americans all seem to be really awful at driving. Oddly it seems as
though teenagers go through hours and hours of learning to pass a test
and then instantly forget everything as soon as they’ve passed. “Jaywalking”
You’re not allowed to just cross the road when it’s safe? Crazy.
You’d get nowhere in a city like London if you had to follow the rules
you do in the US. No one believes you can get arrested for crossing the
street. Driving everywhere..
I walk around a mile to get to work. A lot of people in the office
are amazed about this and often insist on giving me a ride home (despite
it taking longer than walking). In theory everyone knows this is the
case from movies/tv series/etc. But no one quite believes that it’s
true. The huge choice yet small range in grocery stores
Go to a grocery store. Pick a category of product (like pasta sauce).
There’ll be ten types of pasta sauce from five different manufacturers
to make an overall choice of 50 types of pasta sauce. But there won’t be
any pesto.
There’s a huge range of choice in a narrow category. For just about everything. How low taxes are
Everyone in America whinges about how high their taxes are. They
aren’t. Taxes are incredibly low. No one from Europe will understand why
Americans are complaining. Taxes are stupidly complicated
Until you get to America no one realises just how complicated taxes are.
In England it goes like this: “Do you have any reason not to be on
the normal tax code? No? Here’s £10k in non taxable allowance and we’ll
sort everything out automatically.”
In America it seems like this: “Are you single, married or the head
of a household (without defining what a household is)? Oh, and have you
had any deductions (here’s a list of a thousand things that you could
add on)? By the way, please prove these deductions are real. And get an
accountant to look over everything otherwise we’ll come down on you like
a ton of bricks”. It’s stupid and over complicated and people outside
America don’t know how bad it is. The price of petrol
Petrol is around $9 a (US) gallon in England. No one from England can
believe how cheap fuel is in America. Stop complaining when it’s $3.50 a
gallon. Entr´ees
In the rest of the world entr´ee means “starter”. I was shocked at
the portion sizes and was wondering where the menu for the main course
was when I came over here. Black Friday/Cyber Monday
People buy things they don’t need and just because everyone else is
buying stuff. And then there’s riots and shootings because people want
to buy things they don’t need? Are you all crazy? New hobbies
A lot of Americans seem to take up a new hobby, buy all the gear, use
it once and then leave it lying around in a cupboard. What a waste of
money. Parks
A block of grass with a few trees isn’t a park. It’s just a patch of
grass. When it starts to get to a few acres then perhaps we can call it a
park. Cheques (or checks)
You still use these things? They’ve been obsolete for years in Europe. Small boxes of cereal
An odd one, but considering portion sizes its always a surprise to
find that boxes of cereal are so small in America. You can get 1kg boxes
of cornflakes in England but in the US 500g is considered to be a large
box. Everyone is friendly
According to most americans at work Seattle people are actually quite
rude, which I find odd because everyone I’ve spoken to here has been
incredibly friendly compared to the vast majority of places in England. Drinking age
An intern at work was saying he couldn’t go to the pub with us. I
assumed it was because he was allergic to something or religious or
something. It turns out he wasn’t 21. So you can vote, get married and
serve in the military but can’t have a beer? Seriously? Imperial measurements
Even England doesn’t use this nonsense any more (except for road
signs where it’d cost too much to change them all to km and pints of
beer (where a pint is a real pint and not the mini pint you get in the
US)). Just get over it. Metric measurements are just *better*. Tipping
It seems odd that staff in restaurants don’t earn enough without
tips. That just makes no sense. Also, in England (and Europe) you
wouldn’t tip unless you were in a restaurant and then you might give
about 10%. In the Us you’re expected to tip *everywhere*, even to
someone selling you a pint of milk in a shop.
Guys, there is so much information here. It is not researched by me.
Lots of content is from WEB. I am not responsible for any wrong info, as
I never went there.
“I am neither male nor female, nor am I sexless. I am the Peaceful One, whose form is self-effulgent, powerful radiance.”
“There is but One God, His name is
Truth, He is the Creator, He fears none, he is without hate, He never
dies, He is beyond the cycle of births and death, He is self
illuminated, He is realized by the kindness of the True Guru. He was
True in the beginning, He was True when the ages commenced and has ever
been True, He is also True now.”
“Burn worldly love,
rub the ashes and make ink of it,
make the heart the pen,
the intellect the writer,
write that which has no end or limit.”
“Even Kings and emperors with heaps of wealth and vast dominion cannot compare with an ant filled with the love of God.”
“Dwell in peace in the home of your own being, and the Messenger of Death will not be able to touch you.”
“He who has no faith in himself can never have faith in God.”
“Death would not be called bad, O people, if one knew how to truely die.”
“Those who have loved are those that have found God”
“I am neither a child, a young man, nor an ancient; nor am I of any caste.”
“I am neither male nor female, nor am I sexless. I am the Peaceful One, whose form is self-effulgent, powerful radiance.”
“Owing to ignorance of the rope the rope appears
to be a snake; owing to ignorance of the Self the transient state arises
of the individualized, limited, phenomenal aspect of the Self.”
“The world is a drama, staged in a dream”
“There is but One God, His name is Truth, He is
the Creator, He fears none, he is without hate, He never dies, He is
beyond the cycle of births and death, He is self illuminated, He is
realized by the kindness of the True Guru. He was True in the beginning,
He was True when the ages commenced and has ever been True, He is also
True now.”
“For each and every person, our Lord and Master
provides sustenance. Why are you so afraid, O mind? The flamingos fly
hundreds of miles, leaving their young ones behind. Who feeds them, and
who teaches them to feed themselves? Have you ever thought of this in
your mind?”
“Whatever kind of seed is sown in a field,
prepared in due season, a plant of that same kind, marked with the
peculiar qualities of the seed, springs up in it.”
“Your Mercy is my social status.”
“Even kings and emperors, with mountains of
property and oceans of wealth – these are not even equal to an ant, who
does not forget God.”
“Dwell in peace in the home of your own being, and the Messenger of Death will not be able to touch you”
“Speak only that which will bring you honor.”
“Nanak, the whole world is in distress. He, who believes in the Name, becomes victorious.”
“There is but one God. True is His Name, creative
His personality and immortal His form. He is without fear sans enmity,
unborn and self-illumined. By the Guru’s grace He is obtained.”
Writing about Guru Nanak Devji, Swami Vivekananda
wrote: “Guru Nanak was born in the sacred land of India. He gave a
message of love and peace of the whole world and preached the same
through his teachings. He was full of affection for everyone and his
arms were always outstretched as if to embrace the whole world…”
On an auspicious day like Guru Nanak Devji’s birth anniversary, the
Guru’s teachings& preachings need sincere listening to and
contemplation upon, in order to commemorate the blessing of his birth –
because a Guru is ultimately known for his teachings. A spiritual
opportunity would be missed if the Guru’s words are not fully understood
and just ritualistically chanted.
Guru Nanak was the greatest teacher of
the world who brought forward true knowledge and made no compromises in
his principles. Guru Nanak Devji’s teachings are a way of life to
millions of people all over the world. Among the many philosophical
foundations laid by Guru Nanak, his characterization of God is most
recognizable. It forms the opening lines of Guru Granth Sahib. The
translation is as follows:-
There is but One God, The
Supreme Truth; The Ultimate Reality, The Creator, Without fear, Without
enemies, Timeless is His image, Without Birth, Self Created, By His
grace revealed.
Guru Nanak’s main teachings are:-
Naam japo: Chanting the Holy Name and thus remembering God at all times (ceaseless devotion to God).
Vund chako: Share and care, especially with those who are in need
Kirat Karo: Earn an honest living by ensuring that no action leads to cheating or exploitation.
The crux of his teaching was “Equality of Humans”
without distinction of caste or creed. Guru Nanak preached against
discrimination and prejudices due to race, caste, status, etc. He didn’t
only preached these concepts he also took practical steps to achieve
it.
Nanak put the greatest emphasis on the
worship of the Word of God (Naam Japna). One should follow the direction
of awakened individuals (Gurmukh or God willed) rather than the mind
(state of Manmukh- being led by self will)- the latter being perilous
and leading only to frustration.
Guru Nanak believed in equality of men and women. He had great reverence for women; and elevated the position of women by spreading this message: “From
woman, man is born; within woman, man is conceived; to woman he is
engaged and married. Woman becomes his friend; through woman, the future
generations come. When his woman dies, he seeks another woman; to woman
he is bound. So why call her bad? From her, kings are born. From woman,
woman is born; without woman, there would be no one at all. O Nanak,
only the True Lord is without a woman.”
Guru Nanak scorned those who considered women to be evil and inferior to men by asking:
Why should we call her inferior, when it is she who gives birth to great persons?
. The Sri Guru Granth Sahib(SGGS) the
scripture of the Guru’s followers has 5894 hymns of which 976 hymns
(17%) are composed by Guru Nanak Devji. Of the many teachings through
his hymns, the “Japji” revered as the ‘Japji Sahib’ appears at the very beginning of the SGGS.
The Japji Sahib comprises spiritual vision and insights of Guru
Nanak. It contains the essence of his spiritual experiences in 38 verses
(pauris), The ‘mool mantra’ is the preamble outlining Guru’s intuitive
spiritual experience. It ends with a ‘shloka’. The “Japji Sahib”
is recited every morning by the Sikh-faithful and is considered as a
concise summary of his teachings. The compilation of Japji Sahib
consists of the famous Mool mantra. The Mool mantra ‘Ik-Onkar’ is the first series of truth-affirmations and is considered the essence and basis of Sikh panth.
All religious scriptures of Indian origin have “Mool mantras”
which hold the essence of the entire scripture. Mool means ‘root’.
Every tree has roots without which it cannot exist. The tree is
sustained and nourished through these roots. They constitute the very
foundation of the tree from which it grows and expands. In the same way,
mool mantra means ‘that mantra in which lies the very essence of the
Scripture’, the entire Scripture being an elaboration, expansion or
explanation of that mantra”.
Revealing and expounding on the Truth enshrined in this mantra is the entire “Japji Sahib”, and the elaboration of the “Japji Sahib” is the entire SGGS.
The translation of the Mool Mantra ~ Ik-Onkar with the instruction ‘Jap’ at the end which means ‘repeat and contemplate’ is as:
Ik Onkar: The One, the Reality, Om Sat Naam: Of Name ever True and Eternal Kartaa Purakh: The Prime doer, the Creator Nirbhau: Fearless Nirvair: Without enmity Akaal Moorat: Of Eternal Form Ajuni: Without birth, Uncaused Saibangh: Self-existent and Self-illuminating Gurparsaad: Known by the Grace of the Enlightened Teacher
Guru Nanak points out that the road to
the abode of God is long and arduous. There are no short cuts for rich
people. Everyone must undergo the same discipline. All human beings must
live according to the will of the Lord without grumbling or murmuring.
The best way to find God is to make His will your own. Be in tune with
the Infinite. The first stage in making the divine will one’s own is
attained through prayer for divine grace or favor. Guru Nanak attaches
very great importance to prayer. He says that nothing can be achieved by
man without divine favor. He says: “Approach God with perfect humility.
Throw yourself on His mercy. Give up pride, show and egoism. Beg for
His kindness and favor. Do not think of your own merits, abilities,
faculties and capacities. Be prepared to die in the pursuit of His love
and union with Him”.
The beautiful composition of mystic poems uttered by Nanak is
contained in ‘Japji’. It is sung by every Sikh at daybreak. In ‘Japji’,
Guru Nanak has given a vivid description of the stages through which man
must pass in order to reach the final resting place or abode of eternal
bliss. There are five stages or Khandas.
The first is called Dharm Khand or
“The Realm of Duty”. Everyone must tread the path of righteousness.
Everyone will be judged according to his actions.
The next stage is Gyan Khand or “The Realm of Knowledge” where the
spirit of divine knowledge reigns. The aspirant does his duty with
intense faith and sincerity. He has the knowledge now, that only by
doing his duty in a perfect manner, he can reach the abode of bliss or
the goal of life.
The third stage is Sharam Khand. This is “The Realm of Ecstasy”.
There is the spiritual rapture here. There is beauty. The Dharma has
become a part of one’s own nature. It has become an ingrained habit. It
is no more a mere matter of duty or knowledge.
The fourth stage is Karam Khand or “The Realm of Power”. The God of
power rules over this realm. The aspirant acquires power. He becomes a
mighty hero. He becomes invincible. The fear of death vanishes.
The fifth or the final stage is Sach Khand or “The Realm of Truth”.
The formless One reigns here. Here the aspirant becomes one with God. He
has attained Godhead. He has transmuted himself into Divinity. He has
attained the goal of his life. He has found out his permanent resting
place. Now ends the arduous journey of the soul.
“Vahe Guru” is the Guru Mantra for the followers of Guru Nanak.
Nanak describes the dangers of egotism (haumai- “I am”) and calls upon devotees to engage in worship through the word of God. Naam,
implies God, the Reality, mystical word or formula to recite or
meditate upon (shabad in Gurbani), divine order (hukam) and at places
divine teacher (guru) and guru’s instructions)[20] and
singing of God’s qualities, discarding doubt in the process. However,
such worship must be selfless (sewa). The word of God, cleanses the
individual to make such worship possible. This is related to the
revelation that God is the Doer and without God there is no other. Nanak
warned against hypocrisy and falsehood saying that these are pervasive
in humanity and that religious actions can also be in vain. It may also
be said that ascetic practices are disfavoured by Nanak, who suggests
remaining inwardly detached whilst living as a householder.
Reforms that occurred in the institution
and both Godhead and Devotion, are seen as transcending any religious
consideration or divide, as God is not separate from any individual.
Guru Nanak’s Divine Journeys
Nanak was moved by the plight of the people of world and wanted to
tell them about the “real message of God”. The people of the world were
confused by the conflicting message given by priests, pundits, qazis,
mullahs, etc. He was determined to bring his message to the masses; so
in 1499, he decided to set out on his sacred mission to spread the holy
message of peace and compassion to all of mankind.
Most of his journeys were made on foot
with his companion Bhai Mardana. He traveled in all four directions –
North, East, West and South. The founder Sikh Guru is believed to have
traveled more than 28,000 km in five major tours of the world during the
period from 1500 to 1524.
According to the Puratan Janamsakhi,
which is one of the oldest accounts of the life history of Guru Nanak,
the Guru undertook five missionary journeys (udasiya) to the far away
places of Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Mecca, Baghdad, Kamroop (Assam), Tashkand
and many more. The Guru travelled far and wide to spread the word of
Gurbani and covered most of India, present day Bangladesh, Pakistan,
Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, South West China, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Saudi
Arabia, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan,
Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan.
Although the exact account of his itinerary is disputed, he is widely
acknowledged to have made four major journeys, spanning thousands of
kilometres, the first tour being east towards Bengal and Assam, the
second south towards Sri Lanka, the third north towards Kashmir, Ladakh,
and Tibet, and the final tour west towards Baghdad, Mecca and Medina on
the Arabian Peninsula.[21]
Nanak crossed into Arunachal Pradesh and
visited most of the part. First while going to Lhasa (Tibet) he passed
through Tawang after crossing from Bhutan and entered Tibet from
Samdurang Chu. He returned from Lhasa and went to the famous monastery
Samye and entered Pemoshubu Menchukha in Arunachal Pradesh. He meditated
for some time at this location. From Menchukha he went back to Tibet,
brought the residents of Southern Tibet and got them settled in
Menchukha. Thereafter through Gelling and Tuiting he proceeded to Saidya
and Braham-Kund, before entering the state of Assam again.
To write about such an enlightened soul is not possible. Forgive me for Any mistake
All the planets shine with the reflected
light of the Sun; they represent different solar rays. Hence there is
only real one light, which is the Sun, which is all lights, and is
inwardly the light of the mind.
In Vedic astrology, therefore, the Sun
is the principle of light, life and love, our true will and perception.
It is the most important factor for determining the spiritual life and
potentials of the individual. It represents the soul, the causal body or
reincarnating entity, whose will is behind our fate. It is also the
mind or the mental principle on a lower level as reason, discernment,
clarity and illumination.
A well-placed Sun gives intelligence,
perception, strength of will and character. It affords endurance,
stamina, vitality, positive spirit, direction, courage, conviction,
confidence, leadership, independence and straight-forwardness. Without
it whatever we may do or accomplish in life will not be ours and will
not give us inner strength or peace.
An ill-placed Sun gives lack of intelligence, poor perception, weakness
of will and character. It creates lack of endurance, low vitality,
melancholy, fear, dependency or servitude, deviousness or dishonesty.
An overly strong but malefically
disposed Sun creates pride, arrogance, tyranny and control. It creates
much of the same problems as Mars (or Saturn) when too strong. It can
give a deceptive charisma and a dominating personality. When the Sun is
strong we outshine everyone else for good or ill; depending on whether
its disposition is benefic or malefic, conscious or unconscious.
A weak but spiritually disposed Sun
makes us receptive, wanting to do good and self-effacing. We may lack in
confidence and come under the rule of other people. We will seek to
sacrifice ourselves but may not know what to give ourselves over to.
The Sun rules the heart, the organ of
circulation and vitality, and a weak Sun gives problems here. Inwardly
the heart is the organ of intelligence that regulates the life, breath,
aspiration and perception. The nature of the Sun in the chart shows who
we really are in our hearts. The Sun shows who we are in ourselves, as
an individual, as apart from how we appear or what roles we take. It
shows how we are with ourselves, in ourselves and by ourselves.
The Sun is our sense of self and
indicates the level of our self-manifestation. On the lower level, the
Sun represents the ego. It shows our impulses towards power, prestige,
fame, honor, respect, authority and control–all the things that give
value and preeminence to our separate self and personal power. It shows
where we shine, how we shine and in what we shine, how we illumine
ourselves and our own lives.
On the higher level, the Sun represents
our soul as our power of direct cognition. It shows our aspirations, our
creativity, our seeking for light and for truth, our integrity, our
capacity to transcend external conditionings and be a light unto
ourselves. The Sun is who we really are, and with the Sun in the chart
is the problem of identity, the search for our true Self, the great
enquiry “Who am I”. It is this inner search that is the real basis for
the psychology of astrology.
The Sun directs us towards the yoga of
knowledge for the revelation of our inner being. In terms of family
relationships, the Sun represents the father. We can read through it the
life of our father, our relationship to him and his influence upon us.
It is the role of the father to shape our sense of self, to provide us
with direction and self-worth in life. It is the absence, weakness or
failure of the father in modern culture that is behind the many ego,
identity and self-image problems so many of us today possess. The son
needs a beneficent father to give him a sense of self-strength,
self-mastery and capacity to function capably in the world. The daughter
needs a good father to give her the sense of self-worth, integrity and
the capacity to be her self in the world. We can judge this by the Sun
in the chart.
The Sun shows the kinds of authority and
the values which shape our lives. The Sun represents the king, the
president, the political leader. It can indicate the government in
general and whatever favors or promotions may come through it. It
represents law and order on lower or higher levels, rule and reason.
The Sun can represent spiritual
authority and along with Jupiter help us understand the nature of the
guru or the spiritual teaching we are most likely to follow. It shows
our guiding light, principles, values and precepts.
The inner purpose of the Sun in the
chart is to aid in our transcendence. It takes us beyond things,
negating their limitation. It may raise us to a high level outwardly in
life but will inwardly push us beyond that. It operates to negate all
things into the self. The Sun tends to deny the ordinary activities of
life but only to command the extraordinary, the highest, the best.
The Sun will further us in the highest
or most grandiose human strivings. It will give the power of
independence, the capacity to become a value or a light unto ourselves
and will promote the growth of intelligence. While destructive of form
and expression, it elevates the being and the intrinsic worth of things.
It does not always give abundance but does give quality. It gives
power, fame, mastery and glory but not always wealth or emotional
happiness.
In Sanskrit, there are innumerable names
for the Sun. Most commonly he is called “Surya”, which means the
father, progenitor, enlivener, impeller, the source of will, energy,
motivation and inspiration, like the Greek Sun god Apollo.
In a cerebral discipline like chess, bravado sometimes
serves as a surprise weapon. If the rival happens to be the game’s
strongest player in a World title-match, there is always a strong
likelihood of the ploy backfiring.
Some background. Even in GM play, a chess game can be separated into three phases:
•The Opening, or the first 10-15 moves of the game
•The Middle Game, when the players looks for
opportunities to develop advantages, capitalise on a better opening
position, or engage in tactical forays intended to lead to checkmate and
avoid…
•The Endgame, when most of the pieces have come off
the board, often including the queens, and the players try to
outmaneuver each other to convert slight edges into wins, or in some
case, to “hold” a draw
Interestingly, from an intellectual standpoint, endgames can be the
most demanding part of a game. They have all been extensively studied
and, unlike the middle game (where tactics can come to the fore) or the
opening (where extensively prepared lines of play can be critical), the
endgame demands precision. One bad
— One! — move can literally be the difference between a win, a loss, or a draw.
Trailing by a point and needing to at least hold Magnus
Carlsen to a draw in Game 7, Anand boldly chose an opening that had
backfired in Chennai last year. Anand looked fine into the middle game
but Carlsen pushed him hard for the next five hours.
Anand eventually found the drawing continuation on the
70th move. Carlsen, however, kept the challenger busy by searching for
more options. Anand, with less time on the clock, held firm.
Fabiano Caruana, the World No.2, seemed to have read it
early; he tweeted: “Seems like people are overestimating white’s
chances. The ending looks pretty drawish to me.” But it needed precise
continuation from Anand to survive.
After suffering a loss with black pieces on Saturday,
Anand was expected to prepare a suitable response to Carlsen for the
crucial game.
Anand’s choice, if executed correctly, usually leads to a
draw. Given Anand’s abilities to defend and Carlsen’s end-game skills,
the game was fought for 122 moves though the result became clear much
earlier.
Eventually only the two kings and Carlsen’s knight were left on
the board.
Carlsen would have been somewhat pleased with Anand
choosing to repeat the Ruy Lopez Berlin seen in Game 2. After ending up
losing that game, Anand was not expected to invite Carlsen to play the
position again. But Anand seemed to back himself to get into Carlsen’s
territory and come out unhurt; pulling it off would earn him a
psychological point under the given circumstances.
When talking about his approach against Carlsen
last year, Anand had said: “I made a decision not to avoid long games;
well, not to be scared of them. If a long game happens, I should be
ready to face a long battle, and if I make my point and confront him
there, at his strongest point admittedly; if I can play a good long game
and defend well, then it takes the pressure off me for everything
else.”
Perhaps, Anand entered Monday’s game in a similar
mindset. The fact that both players reeled off the first 23 moves
rapidly, needing less than a minute per move, showed they were still in
their home-preparation.
Until Anand’s 24th move, the position was identical to
the one seen between Anish Giri and Teimour Radjabov this year in
Tashkent. That game ended in a 52-move draw.
For the second successive day, the early queen-exchange
dislodged Anand’s king. It did not matter since Anand looked prepared
and was ready to get into the laborious Berlin endgame, with fewer
pieces.
The first signs of worry for Anand came to the fore when
he took nearly 28 minutes to respond to Carlsen’s knight move on the
28th turn. In comparison, by this time, Carlsen had consumed only 25
minutes.
In fact, Anand’s chosen move — bringing his knight to
the centre of the board — only made things fractionally better for
Carlsen. With plenty of time on his hands, Carlsen spent nearly 25
minutes to respond.
Thereafter, Anand did play with an extra pawn in the
middle game but never really held any advantage. Once Carlsen exerted
pressure from the kingside, Anand sensed trouble and sacrificed his
bishop for a pawn.
Though white looked objectively better placed to win,
Anand forced a position of his choice and, with it, kept the interest in
the contest alive.
As it turned out, Carlsen and Anand played one of the longest games
in the history of the World Chess Championship (two more moves and it
would have been the longest).
It was a strange endgame, in that Carlsen perhaps hung in there it to
deplete Anand for the rest of the match — but there were points when
Anand looked as if he might be able to do
Courtesy :- Website of Hindu and business insider, Australia
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Mukunda, why don’t you get an astrological armlet?”
“Should I, Master? I don’t believe in astrology.”
“It is never a question of BELIEF; the only scientific attitude
one can take on any subject is whether it is TRUE. The law of
gravitation worked as efficiently before Newton as after him. The cosmos
would be fairly chaotic if its laws could not operate without the
sanction of human belief.
“Charlatans have brought the stellar science to its present state of
disrepute. Astrology is too vast, both mathematically and
philosophically, to be rightly grasped except by men of profound
understanding. If ignoramuses misread the heavens, and see there a
scrawl instead of a script, that is to be expected in this imperfect
world. One should not dismiss the wisdom with the ‘wise.’
“All parts of creation are linked together and interchange their
influences. The balanced rhythm of the universe is rooted in
reciprocity,” my guru continued. “Man, in his human aspect, has to
combat two sets of forces−first, the tumults within his being, caused by
the admixture of earth, water, fire, air, and ethereal elements;
second, the outer disintegrating powers of nature. So long as man
struggles with his mortality, he is affected by the myriad mutations of
heaven and earth.
“Astrology is the study of man’s response to planetary stimuli. The
stars have no conscious benevolence or animosity; they merely send forth
positive and negative radiations. Of themselves, these do not help or
harm humanity, but offer a lawful channel for the outward operation of
cause−effect equilibriums which each man has set into motion in the
past.
“A child is born on that day and at that hour when the celestial rays
are in mathematical harmony with his individual karma. His horoscope is a
challenging portrait, revealing his unalterable past and its probable
future results. But the natal chart can be rightly interpreted only by
men of intuitive wisdom: these are few.
“The message boldly blazoned across the heavens at the moment of
birth is not meant to emphasize fate−the result of past good and
evil−but to arouse man’s will to escape from his universal thralldom.
What he has done, he can undo. None other than himself was the
instigator of the causes of whatever effects are now prevalent in his
life. He can overcome any limitation, because he created it by his own
actions in the first place, and because he has spiritual resources which
are not subject to planetary pressure.
“Superstitious awe of astrology makes one an automaton, slavishly
dependent on mechanical guidance. The wise man defeats his planets—which
is to say, his past−by transferring his allegiance from the creation to
the Creator. The more he realizes his unity with Spirit, the less he
can be dominated by matter. The soul is ever−free; it is deathless
because birthless. It cannot be regimented by stars.
“Man IS a soul, and HAS a body. When he properly places his sense of
identity, he leaves behind all compulsive patterns. So long as he
remains confused in his ordinary state of spiritual amnesia, he will
know the subtle fetters of environmental law.
“God is harmony; the devotee who attunes himself will never perform
any action amiss. His activities will be correctly and naturally timed
to accord with astrological law. After deep prayer and meditation he is
in touch with his divine consciousness; there is no greater power than
that inward protection.”
“It is only when a traveler has reached his goal that he is justified
in discarding his maps. During the journey, he takes advantage of any
convenient short cut. The ancient rishis discovered many ways to curtail
the period of man’s exile in delusion. There are certain mechanical
features in the law of karma which can be skillfully adjusted by the
fingers of wisdom.
“All human ills arise from some transgression of universal law. The
scriptures point out that man must satisfy the laws of nature, while not
discrediting the divine omnipotence. He should say: ‘Lord, I trust in
Thee, and know Thou canst help me, but I too will do my best to undo any
wrong I have done.’ By a number of means−by prayer, by will power, by
yoga meditation, by consultation with saints, by use of astrological
bangles−the adverse effects of past wrongs can be minimized or
nullified.
“Just as a house can be fitted with a copper rod to absorb the shock
of lightning, so the bodily temple can be benefited by various
protective measures. Ages ago our yogis discovered that pure metals emit
an astral light which is powerfully counteractive to negative pulls of
the planets. Subtle electrical and magnetic radiations are constantly
circulating in the universe; when a man’s body is being aided, he does
not know it; when it is being disintegrated, he is still in ignorance.
Can he do anything about it?
“This problem received attention from our rishis; they found helpful
not only a combination of metals, but also of plants and−most effective
of all−faultless jewels of not less than two carats. The preventive uses
of astrology have seldom been seriously studied outside of India. One
little−known fact is that the proper jewels, metals, or plant
preparations are valueless unless the required weight is secured, and
unless these remedial agents are worn next to the skin.”
