It is the dream of every citizen that we should have a corruption free society in our country. But the corruption is so deep rooted that every transaction is involved in covert or overt corruption. Every transaction with any govt. department is soaked in corruption. Politicians, bureaucracy and even judiciary is accused of this evil habit. Million crores or even billion crores of rupees are stacked by influential Indians in foreign banks in Germany, Switzerland and in many off shore islands. This money is generated either due to tax avoidance, or any illegal activity. The govt. know about this but they dont take any action. Now it is said that the maximum amount deposited in these foreign banks are from Indians. Anna Hazare, a social worker from Pune, India wanted to start a campaign to introduce a system which will curb the corruption and creation of black money. Many eminent social workers joined his team. But the govt. was ignoring his campaign. He started a fast(satyagraha) in Delhi and thousands of people thronged the place and pledged their support to his campaign. Govt woke up and called him for negotiations. It was decided that a team is to be constituted with ten members of which five will be the nominees of Anna Hazare and five from the side of the govt. Their aim was to draft a legislation for the establishment of a body called JanLok Pal who will exercise authority to identify areas of corruption, find the culprits and punish them. They wanted to exercise their authority on the PM and the Judiciary. This was objected to by the govt. representatives. When this controversy was going on another social worker and yoga teacher/ayurved physician called Baba Ramdev launched his own campaign against corruption and black money deposited in the foreign banks. When baba Ramdev arrived at New Delhi in a chartered flight, he was received by the DyPM, and three senior ministers of the Govt. promising him that all his issues will be discussed and settled by them. Baba was also to start his satyagraha soon. He was called to a hotel and they started negotiation with him. Ministers during the course of negotiations promised Baba that 90% of his issues are agreeable but he should stop his proclaimed satyagraha. Baba agreed and later he came to know that the govt. played a trick on him and ministers were not very serious in their promises. Baba too went back on his promise of stopping the satyagraha. A contingent of more than 60000 people gathered in the Ramlila grounds in Delhi and joined him in his satyagraha. Soon after midnight a contingent of more than 1000 policemen stormed into the pandal and lathicharged the sleeping satyagraphis and threw teargas shells on them They wanted to take Baba into custody. Baba fled. But he was caught and flown to Haridwar and left in his abode. In the lathi charge many women and children were injured. They ran helter skelter and dispersed before day break. The issue took a national dimension and it is being discussed in all the gathering. Baba has many followers all over the country and abroad. Anna Hazare lent his support and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar another spiritual leader also supported Baba. Govt wanted to play tough. They spread many rumors about Baba and his followers. Some of the statements of the ministers were clearly indicative of their opposition to any talk about stoppage of corruption. A public debate is going on in all the media about the attitude of the govt. its ministers etc towards corruption.
The world is like a mirror house. All the bodies are like the mirrors and your own true Self is reflected on all sides in the world. The king knew his own Self and, therefore, knew that it was the same Self reflected everywhere. The dog, however, did not know his own self and reacted violently. Ignorant people behave like the dog and say: “That man will eat me up, this man will destroy me.” Oh! How much jealously and fear is there in this world! The king knew it was his own self reflected that is reflected in the mirrors. Therefore, he felt no anger or jealousy. He was glad to see the reflections.
Ignorance is the cause of all differences and demarcations, fear, jealousy and associated sufferings. Ignorance of the Self causes the discriminations such as racial discrimination, religious discrimination, national discrimination, colour discrimination, etc. Realize your Self and you will then see your own Self reflected everywhere. You will then overcome all the barriers in life!
After elections to the state assemblies, the political scenario is these states have gone wild. In WB and Kerala, the new incumbents will be busy removing the photos of Marx, Angels, Lenin and Stalin from all govt. offices. New policy framework may have to be created aimed at good governance. Talk about party/polity conflict will no longer be heard in WB and Kerala. PB or the available PB will no more dictate terms. Corruption will be curbed or at least attempted to be curbed. Talk about the development will be heard in the power corridors. Power brokers will be jobless. Suitable persons will head the ministerial portfolios. Standing in the party will not be a criterion for becoming a minister. Manifesto will be referred to decide the future course of action. Proper representation would be given to the women candidates. New schemes and projects will be thrown in for public discussion. Democracy will be in action.
Yesterday the final for the World Cup tournament was held and defeating Srilanka, India won the World Cup. Till the last moment the game was full of tension and our team was not confident of winning. Finally Yuvaraj Singh and Dhoni jointly put forward a fight which finally brought us the world cup. We were watching the TV till 11.30 pm. Today the entire media was full of the news relating to the World Cup. The entire country rejoiced over the world Cup victory.
The industrious nature of the people of Kerala makes them to get engaged in any activity connected to their environment and make a living. One such very important industry is the coir industry. Coir fiber is an important ingredient of the coconut husk. Once the nut is removed the remaining husk is a waste product. They soak the husk in saline water and keep it like that for some days by then the fiber gets loosened and can be easily extracted. The pith is a waste product and can be used by proper treatment for manuring etc. The fiber then is subjected various processes. This is a natural product and can be put to hundreds of uses. they can be twisted and made into ropes. In Kerala these coir ropes are very much in demand. It has hundreds of uses in the household and in the agriculture. These ropes can be taken in many strands and woven into big ropes for industrial ropes, shipping ropes etc. The coir fiber can be dyed and made into door mats, mattresses. These mats and mattresses in different colours are an attraction to the drawing room and are greatly in demand. Though alternative materials are there in the market, such as cotton mats, jute mats, etc. coir mats are generaly accepted for their durability, cost, and design.
Life has its way of bringing us into contact with people who challenge us with their differences.
We tend to gravitate toward people who are the most like us, at least in the ways that make us feel comfortable. But life has its way of bringing us into contact with people who challenge us with their differences. It may be an obvious difference reflected in their outward appearance or an invisible but powerful philosophical stance, but even in our closest circle of friends and family, there are those that confront us with their different ways of experiencing and expressing life. We can choose to resist , but we can also choose to learn from them and appreciate that they too have a place in the kaleidoscope of life.
As much as we may say that we want peace and quiet and a life without struggle, the truth is that human beings are, at this time, thriving in a world of dualities and challenges. It is how we choose to approach these hurdles that determine if we sail over them, confirming our agility, or trip and end up face down in the dust. And each of us absolutely will and must stumble, and then get up, brush the dust off and carry on. This is how we learn and grow, developing depth of character and shades of understanding. In a world of dualities, we have trouble defining ourselves without something opposite, and can’t discover who we are. Without challenge, there is nothing to do and nothing to discover. That leaves us either in a state of non-being or the state of pure spirit, but as humans, we are spiritual beings experiencing the physical world in all of its startling contrast and beauty.
No matter how spiritual we are, our lives will have challenges. We will always run into people that are different that we are, but the true challenge may be in finding ways to be at peace with this process. Rather than give in to the fight or flight response that comes from our animal nature, we can find new ways to evolve together into higher more beautiful expressions of ourselves, realizing, embracing and celebrating the beauty of diversity and the strength it offers for the future.
If you find yourself missing an old habit or pattern, know this is normal and acknowledge the feeling.
Whenever we make the effort to free ourselves of an addiction or a habit we no longer need, we are often surprised to find ourselves missing the old pattern as we would a familiar friend. This sounds counterintuitive, because we think we should instinctively gravitate toward that which is good for us. And yet, it makes a lot of sense when you consider that we humans are creatures of habit. This is why we gravitate to people and places—and patterns of behavior–that make us feel comfortable. Therefore, many of the habits we form are not conscious and are based instead on learned behavior from role models who were not always making the healthiest decisions.
Most addictions begin as a way of avoiding feelings that are extremely uncomfortable, so it makes sense that stopping the addiction means, for a time, a fair amount of discomfort. The same, of course, is true of habits that we have developed over time that we are ready to release. Just knowing that this is hard, and having compassion for ourselves as we work through this process, can help us to stay the course when we feel the urge to backtrack. It’s also helpful to remember that in time we will establish new, healthier patterns, and the yearning for the old ones will disappear. Eventually, we will instinctively reach for things that are good for us, and the longing for positive change may form the basis of a new habit.
The only way to get to this new place is to endure a time of difficulty, which is a challenge we can confidently handle, if we remember that it will lead to the change we seek in our lives. Our bodies, hearts, and minds always need time to adjust to a new way of doing things, but they will adapt, and even become our allies, if we remain true to our vision of a new way.
A horse was once involved in a fight with a stag. The stag stabbed him with his antlers. The hose appealed to a hunter for help. The man said “I can help you; I have arrows in my hand. Take me on your back and I will destroy your enemy”. The man rode on the horse’s back and went into the forest and killed the snag. The horse was very happy. The horse thanked the man and said:” Dear Sir, I thank you. Now I want to leave you”. The man came up and said “Oh horse, where do you want to do? Now that I have come to know how useful you are, I will not let you go. You have to become my servant; you have to be my slave.” The horse was saved from the menace of the stag, but he had lost his freedom, he was bound permanently. So it is with man. He seeks a solution externally. His outward success gives rise to a new problem. A man or a woman seeks solace in marriage for the problems they go through as an unmarried person. However, after the marriage, they are saved from many problems, but if they do not have the right attitude towards married life, if they do not know the technique of right relationship, marriage can get them into permanent problem! Saved from one problem, but got into permanent problem! It is like the treatment that the horse received at the hands of man. Changing outside factors for your internal problem often can become creation of new problem. Samuel Johnson has brought out the idea thus: “The fountain of content must spring up in the mind and he who hath so little knowledge of human nature as to seek happiness by changing anything but his own disposition will waste his life in fruitless efforts and multiply the grief he proposes to remove”
Rains continue. Roads are all in bad shape. Elections to the local bodies were conducted and congress party won the majority in Kochi Corp. Tommy Chammani is the mayor. Let us see what he will do for the betterment of the city.
Ayurvedic treatment centers are growing up very fast in every town. Of course local people may go for treatment or for rejuvenation from trustworthy centers.It may not be easy to identify such important trustworthy centers easily. You may have somebody closely known to the people who can vouchsafe for their bonafides. The treatment consists of massage of the whole body after profusely applying medicated oil. The oil is specially made and once used it will not be reused. The messieurs are two in numbers. There may be gent messieurs for men and lady messieurs for lady patients. Depending upon the seriousness of the ailment the number of days the oil massage is required may vary. During the treatment period, there is strict restriction of food and movement. They have different types of treatment for different ailments, say Oil is poured over the forehead in a steady stream, different oil is used for massaging the muscles over the back and extremities. Some food items may be prohibited form being in cluded in the diet.
