Yet another study linking red meat with cancer

Red and processed meats have been linked to an increase in colorectal cancer and now a possible link has been noted to esophageal and stomach cancers according to a new study by US researchers. Amanda J. Cross, PhD., from the National Cancer Institute, and colleagues have published their findings in the latest issue of the American Journal of Gastroenterology.

Please read the whole story here.

Hare Krishna

"Coffee talk" Krishna

Many times, I have seen that people are forthcoming in discussions about Krishna. They acknowledge His Supremacy so on and so forth. But when it comes to accepting Krishna into their day-to-day world, they start to push back. In other words, people in general like to keep discussions on Krishna or God at a coffee-table level. Lets have a cup of tea and perhaps discuss albeit intensely on the "reality" of Krishna. Once the tea cup empties so is my energy to discuss. Krishna says in the Gita that as one approaches me accordingly I return. In other words, if we want to keep Krishna at a distant just at the coffee table, then Krishna kindly reciprocates our gesture. He will not be a real person but simply a symbolic representation of "a truth" among the many. He will not appeal to us in a manner that will invoke within us a desire to seek Him in truth. A desire strong enough to change my world to fit Krishna's world. My world which consists of career, family life, entertainment, friendship, civic responsibilities etc will not accommodate the world of Krishna. We will see and think that because both worlds are clashing at some point, let me give up Krishna on the grounds of "impracticality" to continue mine.

This very idea that Krishna is a topic for philosophy and scholarly debate only but otherwise not is the reason we cannot attain the favor of Krishna in a real way. Who in their right minds will reject such a favor coming down from a sublime source? A source that is filled with unlimited happiness and freedom. The very ideologies we are desperately trying to achieve in this temporary relative world. For such unfortunate souls who limit Krishna to "coffee talk" will never understand the proximity of Krishna and the happiness one can derive. The reasons can be various for our "coffee-talk" tendency such as laziness, fear of change, just don't like to accommodate Krishna in my life that personally, no faith that Krishna will make any difference, not want to give up my position for Krishna or can be a combination of the above.

I guess when we are fed up searching after happiness and freedom in this world is when we will get rid of the inertia and intentionally try to change our world to fit in Krishna. When this happens, we will see how Krishna Consciousness is simply not philosophy and scholarly but that Krishna is a real person who has unlimited possibilities. Possibilities that can give us unlimited energy to serve Him in different capacities according to our eternal nature. The eagerness to understand Krishna in truth as a Supreme person is directly proportional to our eagerness to give up our conditional inertia.

The choice is ours - to keep Krishna at arms length always (coffee talk Krishna) or open our hearts to actually let Him in and experience a relationship with Him. When we allow Him into our hearts in a real way adjusting the existing furniture, Krishna is no more a symbolic icon of a culture or past with no practical meaning to my life but becomes a real person with feelings.

Hare Krishna

One eternal Instruction

Chanting the Names of God is the recommended process for uninterrupted happiness in this age of quarrel and hypocrisy. Yet we face barriers to even start chanting or sustain chanting. Embedded within the concept of chanting is the concept of change. In order to embrace chanting as an eternal principle in our lives, we have to be ready to change the way we think, feel and desire.

Chanting cannot sustain and grow into pure vibration without a constant desire to change the way we perceive people, and its concomitant life incidents. Therefore our first step to chanting is to cultivate a mood of internal reflection based on the instructions of pure self-realized masters and the Vedas such as Bhagavad Gita. Unless we aspire to understand, digest and practically apply the words of a pure master under all trying circumstances, chanting Hare Krishna will simply be an esoteric concept or at best a facet of my religious formality.

Therefore, Mahaprabhu says, to chant without cessation requires humility of heart, tolerance of mind and universal respect, all this, without even a tiny tinge of selfishness. Universal humility, tolerance and respect can be invoked within our hearts only if we open ourselves to it and constantly correct our wrongs internally and externally and strive on changing my selfish approach towards people, and life incidents under all circumstances.

As we strive for constant internal change from selfish desires to selfless desires, our desire to chant and associate with Krishna through His names will only continue and increase.

Chanting is not another religious formality.
Chanting is my life
Chanting is my soul

I will go to any lengths to chant the Names of Sri Krishna and glorify Him in that process. This should be my prayer and my desire. This is the one eternal divine instruction reverberating within the heart of all pure masters and all pure words.

Aspire to change
Aspire to chant

Chant Hare Krishna

Hare Krishna

Life-after-death is ancient wisdom

I was reading this article on "near-death" experiment and its progressive evidence supporting the same. But what is astonishing and in fact narrow is how scientists simply dismiss previous literature on after-life as valid. The Bhagavad Gita has most lucid explanation of body, mind and soul (consciousness) there is and yet scientists reject it as something "religious". This, in my opinion, is foolish. Why would one want to reject knowledge in the name of "religion"? Knowledge is knowledge regardless of the label one gives. If the Gita can provide literary evidence to body-soul concept and now the scientists are able to prove it empirically...then why not accept the Gita as an authentic source of knowledge?

From this article, clearly, there is something that conventional wisdom has failed to reveal and yet modern science is so stubborn (I am sure due to political reasons) to acknowledge the ancient wisdom of the Gita. The entire Vedic knowledge is built on the fundamental aphorism that "we are not this material body". While a whole culture is formed based on this idea, yet, scientists are treating this "after-life" phenomenon as something no human being has studied before or encountered.

This biased neglect is hypocrisy. The last paragraph of the article says "The self, the soul, the psyche—throughout history, we've never managed to figure out what it is and how it relates to the body," he says. "This is very important for science and fascinating for humankind". This statement reveals the ignorance of the primary researcher Dr. Parnia. To say "we've never figured out throughout history" and generalize this fascination for all humankind is purely insular, ridiculous and hypocritical. It undermines all the great work great philosophers have done in the past. They may not have given statistical information but nevertheless they have shed immense knowledge on this subject.

The entire Vedic culture for the past 5000 years was based on the concept of body and soul. One can find remnants of this culture still present today in different parts of the world especially in the Indian sub-continent. This phenomenon is not new or fascinating. It is an age-old phenomenon which modern man is simply blind towards.

Unfortunately, from whatever I have read and heard, modern science and scientists simply represent a western world view and clearly this is neither scientific nor representing humankind.

The article can be read here.

Hare Krishna

"I" am BIGGER!

Happy Meal always happy!

Any difference between the two pictures...visibly NO!

This is a project done by a person for art. She bought a McDonalds Happy Meal and kept it on her kitchen counter for 6 months. She found no visible decomposition. The first picture was taken on the day of purchase and the second after 6months.

Even the micro fungi and bacteria molds reject eating McDonalds type fast-food garbage. Normally fresh foods go stale with blue and green molds growing on it if not consumed within 3 to 5 days what to speak of 180? I am simply amazed how a human can gorge on this what is called as "food". Basically, eating in McDonalds means we lower our standards below micro-organisms. Imagine how long this will sit in the intestine. No wonder meat eaters have a high probability of colon cancer.

In the name of advancement and civilization, we kill animals and consume their flesh when there is ample vegetables, grains and fruits to eat. A civilization cannot sustain on bloodshed, eventually, everything will come falling down.

This happy meal is always happy!

Hare Krishna

random chance and the Supersoul

Modern day science is based on evidence followed by rigorous tested research. The research, then, is reviewed for quality till it is finally published. Research is operationalized through statistical testing and modeling. This is true for most research if not all. Therefore statistical modeling occupies the most significant aspect in modern science and in fact determines the quality of the findings and evidence.

Statistics, at the fundamental level, tries to average out data and report trends etc. In one sense, statistics completely negates the concept of the supersoul. What we call “directive action” conducted by supersoul is called “random action” directed by chance or freak of nature. The unknown that the scientists cannot explain is easily “covered” up as chance or random. This unexplained mystery called “chance” or “random” event underlines all major theories of modern science from the Big Bang to quantum science. The universe just after the big bang explosion randomly combined to form heavy metals from gas form. Another example, through random mutation over time what was soup become cellular organism which later evolved into human beings. In quantum physics particles at the sub-atomic level randomly position itself in relation to the nuclei that can be measured only in clouds called the theory of uncertainty. So like this, the fundamental assertions of modern science of origins, life and creation are filled with stories that are founded on chance occurrences and random variations.

The vedic science, however, completely rejects such an idea. That which is taken seriously as knowledge- random chance-among modern scientists is actually seen as ignorance among the vedic seers. The Bhagavad Gita clearly indicates the position of the supersoul in relation to practical affairs. Nothing is random or by chance. The supersoul directs all actions, origins, life and creation. All good and bad things happening are grandly orchestrated by the supersoul. The supersoul cannot be seen with the naked eye. It is located in the region of the heart within every living entity (fauna and flora alike). The supersoul can be seen through yoga and meditation. The supersoul or Paramatma in sanskrit has blue color body with four arms, bedecked with jewels in His crown, chest. He has flower garland over His neck and different paraphernalia in all His four arms - as described by yogis and pure devotees who have seen Him. Realizing and seeing the supersoul is a goal of life for some. But for others, serving the supersoul in devotion is the goal.

That supersoul who is present in all beings within this creation is called Krishna. If we can understand who Krishna is in truth, then, we can be happy in all conditions of existential life. That is also my goal – to know and understand Krishna in truth and ultimately be happy in all conditions of life.

Hare Krishna