Festival of Chariots, Ratha-yatra

Ratha-yatra, or the Festival of Chariots, is a joyous event celebrated for thousands of years in the Indian holy city of Jagannatha Puri, and more recently by Hare Krishna devotees in cities around the world. Another name for Krishna, Jagannatha refers to the ecstatic form of the Lord with large eyes and rugged features who is carried on a gigantic chariot during this festival (and worshiped in an ancient temple at the center of Jagannath Puri.)

As the story goes, Lord Krishna once overheard a conversation about how His dearest devotees, the cowherd maidens of Vrindavana, were lamenting in His absence. When He heard these accounts of overwhelming love in separation, the Lord’s hair began to stand on end, His eyes opened wide and filled with tears, and His arms and legs contracted as He went into a state of spiritual ecstasy. Seeing Lord Krishna in this condition, His elder brother, Balarama (Baladeva), also began to feel ecstatic symptoms and displayed similar features. When Their sister, Subhadra, arrived at the scene, she too became consumed with ecstatic joy. Thus the sublime deity forms of Jagannatha, Subhadra, and Baladeva represent this sweet pastime.

The festival of Ratha-yatra represents Lord Jagannatha’s longing to reunite with His dear devotees in Vrindavana, foremost among them, Srimati Radharani. According to tradition, the Lord gets lovesick once a year just prior to the festival. To cheer him up, His servants arrange for Him to go on a lavish procession to meet up with His devotees. Lord Jagannatha rides on a grand, three-story-high chariot, accompanied by thousands of onlookers and marching bands with scores of drummers, singers, and dancers. India’s colonial British rulers coined the term “juggernaut” from the large, heavy chariot used to celebrate this festival in the city of Jagannatha Puri.

Five hundred years ago, Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the combined incarnation of Radha-Krishna, encouraged all of His followers to celebrate Ratha-yatra with great enthusiasm. His biographies (such as Chaitanya Charitamrita) list many anecdotes surrounding the Ratha-yatra festival. It is said that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu got down on His hands and knees to scrub the Gundicha temple where Lord Jagannatha would stay at the end of the Ratha-yatra parade.

Srila Prabhupada, the founder of the Hare Krishna movement, was very fond of Ratha-yatra. As a child he began celebrating Ratha-yatra when he was five years old, using a small home-made cart and pulling it around the neighborhood with his friends. Later in life, from 1967 until his passing, Srila Prabhupada joined thousands of disciples in cities around the world as they celebrated elaborate Ratha-yatra chariot festivals in the streets of London, Paris, Sydney, Tokyo, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and on New York’s prestigious Fifth Avenue.

Today, Hare Krishna devotees hold Ratha-yatra parades in many cities, usually culminating in a “Festival of India” set up in a city park, with festival tents, entertainment stages, free-feast booths, and a variety of cultural displays and exhibits. Contact your nearest Hare Krishna temple to find out about Ratha-yatras in your area.

Ratha-yatra signifies the Lord’s love for His devotees. He personally comes to visit His devotees and the public who welcome Him in the streets. Befitting the sentiment of its origins, Ratha-yatras in the Hare Krishna movement also serve as reunions for devotees who come from far and wide to participate, meeting up with old friends around their common goal of serving Lord Jagannatha, Sri Krishna.

Teachings - Krishna

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Father's Day

The idea for creating a day for children to honor their fathers began in Spokane, Washington. A woman by the name of Sonora Smart Dodd thought of the idea for Father's Day while listening to a Mother's Day sermon in 1909.

Having been raised by her father, William Jackson Smart, after her mother died, Sonora wanted her father to know how special he was to her. It was her father that made all the parental sacrifices and was, in the eyes of his daughter, a courageous, selfless, and loving man. Sonora's father was born in June, so she chose to hold the first Father's Day celebration in Spokane, Washington on the 19th of June, 1910.

In 1926, a National Father's Day Committee was formed in New York City. Father's Day was recognized by a Joint Resolution of Congress in 1956. In 1972, President Richard Nixon established a permanent national observance of Father's Day to be held on the third Sunday of June. So Father's Day was born in memory and gratitude by a daughter who thought that her father and all good fathers should be honored with a special day just like we honor our mothers on Mother's Day.

The excert below is from the Silver Anniversary Book on Father's day published in 1935. I would like to thank William Jackson Smart's great granddaughter, Bonnie, for sharing this with me.

"This year, 1935, the Silver Anniversary of Fathers' Day is being observed. Thirty-seven years ago, in the Big Bend hills of Washington, the day had its nativity in a lonely farm dwelling. There Sorrow ministered amid the moaning of the March winds.

A father sat with bowed head in his aloneness. About him clung his weeping children. The winds outside threw great scarfs of powdered snow against the window panes, when suddenly the last born tore himself from the group and rushed out into the storm calling for his mother. Yet even his baby voice could not penetrate the great silence that held this mother.

Hurriedly, the father gathered him back to his protection and for more than two decades, William Jackson Smart, alone, kept paternal vigilance over his motherless children.

This poignant experience in the life of Mrs. John Bruce Dodd of Spokane, Washington, who was then Sonora Louise Smart, was the inspiration for Fathers' Day which materialized through the devotion of this father and the father of her own son, John Bruce Jr., born in 1909. Through the observance of the love and the sacrifice of fathers about her everywhere, her idea of Fathers' Day crystallized in 1910, through a formal Fathers' Day petition asking recognition of fatherhood."

Father - Morning Glow

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Parable of Butter Hidden in Milk

The young daughter had gone to her village home for the first time from her city-dwelling. At night before retiring to bed, her mother opened a pot in which there was good cow's milk and poured a little buttermilk. The girl asked her mother: "Mother, that was butter milk; and why have you mixed it with milk? The milk may get spoiled!"

"Child!", answered the mother, "that is the way to prepare the milk in order that we might get butter out of it."

"But where is butter in it, mother?"

"It is in every drop of the milk, dear; but you can't see it now. I will show you in the morning."

In the morning the daughter saw that what was liquid the night before had become solid overnight. Mother put a churning rod into it and started churning the curd vigorously. Butter began to float on the surface of the curd. Then she gathered it all up and presented it to the astonishment of the daughter. The mother explained: "The addition of the buttermilk curdles the milk. Milk is transformed into curd. Then you have to churn it. By this process the butter which was all-pervasively hidden in the milk is obtained. At first you were not able to see it; it was hidden. From where has it come now? Only from the milk. Therefore, you understand now that it was there all the time. It awaited the process of churning to reveal itself to your great joy." The daughter, too, followed the same process and got the butter, for herself.

Similarly, a worldly man approaches a Mahatma and asks him: "O Sadhu, why have you renounced the world, and poured this new element of 'Vairagya' and 'Tyaga' into your life? Why don't you let the life take its natural course?"

The Sadhu replies: "Brother, I do so in order to realise God?", "Where is God?", "He is all-pervading." The worldly man does not see and is not convinced. The Sadhu then explains how the inner personality, which is fickle and outflowing should be made solid and firm. Then the churning rod of one-pointed concentration and meditation should be taken hold of, and this solid 'Antahkarana' should be very well churned. Then God is realised. He is all-pervading, in every atom of creation. But He is not visible to the naked eye nor is He realisable by a man except through this process called 'Sadhana'.

Just as a mother was necessary for her daughter to learn that butter exists in milk and that churning will bring it out, even so a Guru is necessary for a man to know that God is, that He is all-pervading, and that He is attained through Sadhana. If the aspirant follows the Guru's instructions, he too, can realise God.

Parables Of Sivananda - The Divine Life Society

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Karna: A Life Of Sacrifice

The moon illumines the night

The sun illumines the day

Dharma illumines the three worlds

A good son is the light for his lineage

It is the moon that sheds light during the night. During the day the sun gives light and shows the way. For the three worlds the illumination comes from Dharma (Righteousness). A good son is not only a beacon for his family, he is the light for his entire community (Jaathi).

Education is the means of unfolding the moral and spiritual potentialities of man. Education reveals to man what is right and what is wrong.

For a good son, who is a student, five things are essential. First, right education (Vidya). Vidya means that which expels darkness (the darkness of ignorance). Second, Vijnaano (discrimination). This refers to the power to discriminate between the permanent and the transient, the true and the false. Third is discipline (Kramasikshana. Discipline is not got from books. Fourth is nationalism, love of one's people and country. Fifth is good character (Sathseelam). Only the person endowed with these five qualities can be regarded as a man of virtue.

Students should recognize these five qualities as their five life-breaths (pancha pranas). It is only a virtuous son endowed with these five qualities who lends luster to his family and his nation.

The social scenario and the educational system today are riddled with many defects. Education today is concerned with imparting worldly knowledge, with no place for ethics or spirituality. It does not equip the student with competence or capability. It is essential to carry out a total, radical change in the educational system. What is needed is a total revolution. Only then the value of education will become apparent.

In this context, a change in the student's attitude is also necessary. There should be a change in the student's approach to the educational process. Only then he can secure true education. All along education has remained an exercise in acquiring bookish knowledge. What is needed today is practical knowledge.

Every student should acquire a good character, moral values and develop a spiritual bent of mind. These three constitute true learning. These three have been held in high esteem from ancient times. Unfortunately from the beginning of the modem era, morality has disappeared from the scene. Righteousness and spirituality have vanished. Neither the teachers nor the educational authorities have shown any concern for these vital elements.

Indian culture is sublime. The Vedas, Upanishads, the Puranas and the great epics are veritable oceans of supreme wisdom. The sun every day turns into vapor vast quantities of water from the ocean and gives it back to the earth in the form of rain to sustain nourishing crops for mankind. Although the amount of water vaporized by the sun is immense, the ocean's depth does not diminish. Nor does the level of the ocean rise even by a little despite the inflow of waters from the rivers. The immensity of Bharatiya culture is like the ocean which neither swells nor goes down.

From days of yore, the sages of India absorbed this culture and propagated it among the people and ennobled their lives. Bharatiyas today have not attempted to understand the greatness of their cultural heritage. On the other hand, many people in foreign countries have explored the treasures of this vast reservoir of knowledge and benefited from it in many ways. The Russians and the Germans made ample use of the Rig Veda and Atharvana Veda to promote their national interests. The Atharvana Veda is a source of valuable knowledge regarding the arts and weapons of war. In India today no one seems to bother about the Atharvana Veda.

GREATNESS OF SAMSKRIT

Bharatiya culture is entirely based on Samskrit. All Bharatiya students should recognize Samskrit as the mother of all Indian languages. Without a knowledge of Samskrit one cannot understand the elements of Bharatiya culture.

Recognizing the value of Samskrit, Russia, Germany, Japan, Malaysia and other countries are introducing the study of Samskrit in their educational curriculum.

The intimate relations between foreign countries and Bharat from ancient times have not been understood by most Bharatiyas even today.

INDONESIA'S EXAMPLE

You may be aware from your study of books or from other sources that Indonesia has named its airlines as Garuda Airways. (Garuda is the divine bird which is the vehicle of Vishnu, according to Indian mythology.) The banks in Indonesia are named after Kubera (the Hindu deity representing wealth). While Bharatiya culture is surviving so prominently in overseas countries, it is not so well appreciated in Bharat itself.

The first President of Indonesia was Dr. Sukarno. His father was a great student of the Mahabharata. Admiring the great qualities of Karna as a warrior and a magnanimous donor, who never refused anything which a supplicant sought from him, the father named his son Sukarno (though he was a Muslim). In this manner, foreigners cherish what is great in Bharatiya culture.

But Bharatiyas, oblivious to the glory of their culture, are imitating occidental practices.

It would be good to remember the supreme sacrificing spirit of Karna. Although because of his association with some evil-minded men his name got tainted, no one can equal the spirit of sacrifice of Karna.

The great Mahabharata war come to a close on the seventeenth day with the fall of Karna. The Pandavas were celebrating their great victory over Karna. The Kauravas felt utterly hopeless as Karna was their greatest warrior. The Pandavas rejoiced in the fall of their most powerful opponent. But, Krishna was sitting apart and appeared to be immersed in sadness. Arjuna went to him and asked why he was feeling sad on a day when they should be rejoicing over their victory. Krishna told him that Bharat had lost its most heroic warrior that day. The hero who had brought glory and good name to Bharat had fallen. "I feel immensely sad because the country is losing such a great hero."

On hearing these words, Arjuna looked at Krishna with a feeling of amused surprise. He said: "Krishna! To ensure the victory of the Pandavas you chose the role of charioteer. Because of that, the Pandavas won their victory. Instead of rejoicing over this victory, why are you feeling sad over the fall of our enemy?".

KARNA'S GREATNESS AS WARRIOR AND DONOR

Krishna replied: "Karna is the very embodiment of sacrifice. Sacrifice is a synonym for Karna. In the entire world you cannot find one other man equal in the spirit of sacrifice to Karna. In weal or woe, triumph or defeat he could not forget the quality of sacrifice. Have you got that spirit of sacrifice? No. Krishna then asked Arjuna to follow him.

Darkness had enveloped the battlefield. Krishna was proceeding with Arjuna. In His sweet voice, Krishna was exclaiming: "Karna! Karna!" Karna was gasping for breath in his last moments. He cried: "Who is calling me? I am here." Following the direction from which the words came, Krishna went near Karna.

KRISHNA'S TEST TO KARNA

Before approaching Karna, Krishna assumed the form of an indigent Brahmin. Karna asked him: "Who are you, Sir?" Karna was nearing his last breath. Even at that moment, without any hesitation or faltering in his voice, he put that question to the stranger. Krishna (as the poor Brahmin) replied: "For a longtime I have been hearing about your reputation as a charitable person. You have acquired fame as Daana Karna (Karna the great giver). Today, not knowing about your plight, I came to ask you for a gift. You must give me a donation." "Certainly. I shall give you whatever you want", replied Karna. "I have to perform the marriage of my son. I want a small quantity of gold", said Krishna.

"Oh what a pity! Please go to my wife, she will give you as much as gold as you need", said Karna. The Brahmin broke into laughter. He said: "For the sake of a little gold have I to go all he way to Hastinapura? If you say you are not in a position to give me what I ask, I shall leave you." Karna declared: "As long as breath remains in me, I will not say no to anyone." Karna opened his mouth, showed the gold fillings for his teeth and said: "I shall give this to you. You can take them". Assuming a tone of revulsion, Krishna said: "What is it you suggest? Do you expect me to break your teeth and take the gold from them? How can I do such a wicked deed? I am a Brahmin."

KARNA'S PRAYER TO KRISHNA

Immediately, Karna picked up a stone nearby, knocked out his teeth and offered them to the "Brahmin". Krishna in his guise as Brahmin wanted to test Karna further. "What? Are you giving me as gift teeth dripping with blood? I cannot accept this. I am leaving", he said. Karna pleaded: "Swami, please wait for a moment." Even while he was unable to move, Karna took out his arrow and aimed it at the sky. Immediately rain dropped from the clouds, Cleaning the teeth with the rainwater. Karna offered the teeth with both his hands. Krishna then revealed His original form.

Karna asked: "Who are you, Sir?". Krishna said: "I am Krishna. I admire your spirit of sacrifice. In any circumstance you have never given up your spirit of sacrifice. Ask me what you want. "Beholding Krishna's beauteous form, Karna said with folded hands: "Krishna! Aaapadbaandhava! (Oh! Reliever of troubles!) Lokarakshaka! (Protector of the world!) Oh Lord, who holds the Universe in your palm, what can I seek from you? At this moment of my passing, to close my eyes gazing on your Divine form, this is my greatest blessing. This is boon enough for me. To have the vision of the Lord before one's passing is the goal of human existence. You came to me and blessed me with your form. This is enough for me. I offer my salutations to you".

LESSON FOR ARJUNA

Arjuna was observing the whole scene. Krishna turned to him and said: "Are you prepared for this kind of sacrifice?" Arjuna bowed his head in silence. The Lord praised the greatness of the quality of sacrifice in man. Of all kinds of sacrifice, the greatest is the sacrifice made for God.

"Oh Lord! That heart which you gave unto me. I am offering to you. What else can I bring to offer at your lotus feet? I prostrate before you. Please accept my offering." This was the prayer addressed by Karna to Krishna.

Man forgets his true nature because of attachment and egoism. Man should develop firm faith in God. Faith should be like your life-breath, which goes on inhaling and exhaling at all times without respite. Respiration goes on whatever work you may be doing and whatever the state of your mind.

Likewise, in all situations and at all times, your faith in God should never leave you. It should not change according to whether your desires are fulfilled or not. Like your life-breath, your faith should remain steady, though joy and sorrow, loss and gain, pain and pleasure.

Treat whatever happens as good for you. Have that sense of fortitude. When you have faith in the self, even wild animals will be gentle towards you.

Every man should recognize that the body has been given to him to render service to others. You must use the body for promoting the welfare of society. Of what use is the endless study of books if you do not use your knowledge for the good of others? A mind that is not utilized for imparting joy to others or a body that is not used for the service of others are totally useless.

The best way to love God is to love all and serve all. Students should imbibe this ideal. Man should strive to become good and virtuous. Only when a man is filled with good thoughts and good feelings and performs good deeds will his life become meaningful. These good qualities will serve to make a better man of you. That is the purport of the saying: "A good son illumines his lineage" (Suputro Kuladeepakah). As good sons all of you should pledge yourselves to serve and protect the nation.

Students! Your secular studies will help you in worldly life, but will not promote your spiritual progress. Without spirituality, all worldly accomplishments are worthless.

AVOID BAD COMPANY

With all his prowess, why did Karna come to a bad end? Because of his association with the evil-minded Duryodhana. If he had not made common cause with Duryodhana, Karna would have become an effulgent star in the firmament.

All his native good qualities turned into ashes because of bad association. Your company determines your character. Hence, from the outset cultivate the company of godly men. Without it, all other things are useless.

Today wherever you turn in Bharat you see only disorder, violence and fear. What is the reason? People have lost their faith in the Self. They are fostering attachments to worldly objects. They are forgetting that true bliss is derived from the Divine.

Students! Develop broad-mindedness. Cultivate unity. It was because of lack of unity Bharat came under the rule of a small nation like the British, though it did not lack great warriors, scholars, and administrators. Today the nation is afflicted with two bad qualities: lack of unity and insatiable greed. Education should be pursued for the sake of wisdom and virtue, and not for securing jobs.

Develop the spirit of sacrifice like Karna. Honor the plighted word. Dedicate all your actions to God.

As alumni of our Institute you should stand out as ideal students and as examples to the world. Realize that there is no greater quality than Truth. Truth is God. Dharma is His ornament. Adhere to these two as the highest attributes of humanness. Students! Your hearts are tender and unsullied. From this age itself you must foster pure thoughts. Plant the seed of love in your pure hearts. From that tree of love you will have the fruits of forbearance, compassion and kindness. Always be smiling. Face every situation in life, including death, with a smile.

Bhagavan - 19 Jan 1997, Prashanti Nilayam

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5 Mysteries That Will Never Be Solved (Pt.3)

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DIE?

This is the big question. The one that has puzzled humankind since we have been able to contemplate such things.

Is there life after death? Where do we go? Is there a literal Heaven and Hell? Do we go to another dimension? Another planet? Or do we just blink out and cease to exist?

There is no hard, scientific evidence for life after death. But there is a great deal of anecdotal evidence that our spirits – our energy, our souls, or whatever it is that makes us who we are – survive death in some other plane of existence. There are the thousands upon thousands of ghost reports, recorded since the beginning of human history, the most compelling of which are the encounters with recently deceased loved ones who appear to relatives to assure that they are well and happy in their new lives.

Then there are the near-death experiences in which people who have clinically died are revived. They report having been transported through a tunnel of light to another existence where they meet loved ones who have passed on, as well as, in some cases, religious figures. Did they experience life after death firsthand?

And there are the many remarkable cases of reincarnation. Are they evidence for life after death?

Why we may never know. As compelling as we may find the reports of ghosts, near-death experience and reincarnation, we must admit that they are not proof. We can consider the sheer number and consistency of them as evidence, but they are not conclusive proof.

The only way we’ll know is…. When we die. And it’s inevitable – we’ll all find out sooner or later.

Stephen Wagner - Paranormal Basics/Info

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5 Mysteries That Will Never Be Solved (Pt.2)

THE PHILADELPHIA EXPERIMENT

The Philadelphia Experiment is like the Roswell incident in that it may have been a secret military operation that because of its secrecy has generated a whole shipload of conspiracy theories, contradictory stories and outrageous tall tales.

According to the legend, if we can call it that, in 1943 the US Navy conducted an experiment that involved the destroyer USS Eldridge. The secret experiment wired the Eldridge with powerful electromagnetic equipment that when switched on would render the ship invisible. Not just invisible to radar, like a stealth ship, but invisible to sight. The theory was that the strong electromagnetism would bend light around the ship, effectively making it disappear.

Did it happen? The vacuum created by the Navy’s lack of documentation about the experiment (whatever it was) was filled with creative stories. Not only was the Eldridge rendered invisible, one story goes, it was actually briefly teleported from the naval shipyards in Philadelphia to a naval base in Norfolk, Virginia! Not only that, the unfortunate crew was affected in horrendous ways, from going stark raving mad to finding their bodies embedded in the steel bulkhead of the ship!

Such tales fire the imagination and, by some crazy sense of logic to some, are so outrageous that they must be true. That military is always up to something! A more plausible explanation about the experiment is that the goal was to degauss the ship, so that it would not be so attractive to mines and torpedoes. Or that it was to be invisible only to radar. Or that the equipment was intended to heat the air and water around the ship to create a fog in which the ship could hide.

Why we may never know. There is far less credible evidence – circumstantial, anecdotal or otherwise – for the most fanciful claims about the Philadelphia Experiment than there is for the Roswell incident. There are few witnesses who claim the stories are true, but then the conspiracy theorists say that the rest of the witnesses have been threatened or brainwashed to conceal the truth. And, of course, the Navy is just covering it up. Like most such cases, you can’t prove that it didn’t happen, even though there’s virtually no evidence that it did.

The only way we’ll know is…. Only full disclosure by the US Navy will put the matter to rest. But if they haven’t done so sixty years after the fact, will they ever?

CROP CIRCLES

Will we ever get to the bottom of crop circles? Are they all manmade? Or are there other unexplained forces involved in their creation?

I suspect that most crop glyphs are probably manmade. The so-called circlemakers have demonstrated quite convincingly that they can stomp down amazingly intricate patterns in crop fields using simple tools and detailed planning. So people can make them. Even long-time crop circle researcher Colin Andrews admitted that he believes 80 percent of crop circles are manmade.

What about that nagging 20 percent, however? There are qualities of some crop glyphs that seem to defy the manmade explanation:

• Huge, complicated glyphs are formed in an impossibly short span of time.
• Enigmatic changes in the plants, which cannot be accounted for simply by stomping them down, including: elongated and blown-out nodes; increased plant size and crop yield; cellular changes; and altered seeds.
• Other strange effects have been reported within “genuine” crop circles, including: effects on equipment; unusual electromagnetic measurements; unexplained sounds; drying out and changes to the soil; dizziness and other physiological effects claimed by researchers.

So if some are not manmade, who or what is making them? Extraterrestrials have been blamed, of course, although no compelling explanation has been offered for what the aliens' intention might be. The Earth itself is creating them, some contend, as a way of trying to communicate with humans that they are not being good caretakers of the planet. If so, Earth’s symbolic message is unclear at best.

Perhaps it’s the military that’s responsible again. Perhaps they have the ability to create these complex patterns via high-intensity microwaves beamed down from computer-controlled satellites. Maybe, but again – why?

Why we may never know. Human circlemakers can certainly prove that they have created glyphs that they have been involved with, if they wanted to. But can they prove that they have created all of them? If the Earth or aliens are responsible, they’re not likely to admit it. And if it’s the military, they are unlikely to reveal the technology.

The only way we’ll know is…. I’m not sure how we’ll ever know, unless the circlemakers really do document every glyph they make and perhaps explain how all the anomalies occur. Or unless the military conducts a public demonstration of that satellite.

Stephen Wagner - Paranormal Basics/Info

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5 Mysteries That Will Never Be Solved (Pt.1)

WE CONSIDER a great deal of paranormal phenomena and mysteries of the unexplained here. There are many such mysteries that have puzzled us all. Through ongoing research, however, we are likely one day to understand many of them. Quite conceivably we will understand how telepathy and precognition work. Bigfoot could be captured next year. We might even discover an explanation for ghost and haunting phenomena. But there are some enduring mysteries to which we may never get the answers:

HOW THE PYRAMIDS WERE BUILT

The astonishing pyramids of Giza, Egypt stand as monuments of ancient man’s remarkable engineering skills. Yet, no one is sure exactly how they were built. Their method of construction has been one of the most enduring mysteries of human achievement. There is no conclusive evidence in ancient Egyptian writing or carvings that tell us how they were built. This lack of record has spawned dozens of theories, from the practical to the fantastic.

Traditionalists contend that they were built over decades by massive numbers of laborers, pulling the enormous blocks of stone on wooden sleds up a series of earthen ramps. Again, there is no definitive proof for this theory.

Others who stand in awe of these remarkable constructions say that no amount of human labor could have hauled these massive stones – some weighing several tons – to such great heights and fitted them together with such impressive precision. The Egyptians must have possessed some technology that has been lost to history, they say. Perhaps they knew how to levitate the great stones with anti-gravity devices. Or perhaps they had help from extraterrestrials.

A relatively recent theory is that some of the large blocks, mainly the ones used at the higher levels, were actually poured in place using a kind of limestone concrete.

Why we may never know. We have no definitive evidence. The secret of the pyramids may be lost to history.

The only way we’ll know is…. The debate about how the great Egyptian pyramids were built will rage indefinitely. The only way the mystery will be solved is if some ancient writing or artifact from the period of their construction is unearthed that unambiguously depicts the method of building.

THE ROSWELL UFO CASE

Something crashed on William “Mac” Brazel’s ranch in June or July of 1947. Exactly what it was is still unknown for sure. Many UFO researchers are fairly certain that it was a flying saucer – a vehicle piloted by extraterrestrials. The U.S. military insists it wasn’t; it was something of theirs.

The Roswell case – arguably the most famous UFO incident of all time – is too convoluted to be detailed here. An Internet search will bring you a wealth of information. But what is known for certain is that something did crash there in the summer of 1947 and that the military, led by Roswell Army Air Field Major Jesse Marcel, arrived to clean it up. What made anyone think that it was a UFO? Well, that’s what the military itself initially stated it was! In a press release dated July 8, the Army said: “"The many rumors regarding the flying disc became a reality yesterday when the intelligence office of the 509th Bomb group of the Eighth Air Force, Roswell Army Air Field, was fortunate enough to gain possession of a disc through the cooperation of one of the local ranchers and the sheriff’s office of Chaves County.”

Of course, the military later recanted and admitted that it was just a downed weather balloon. But then in the 1990s they said it was actually debris from the top-secret Project Mogul – balloon-borne equipment designed to detect Soviet nuclear tests.

Research by investigators such as Stanton Friedman and others, which included interviews with Mac Brazel, Jesse Marcel and his family, and many others in the Roswell area, led them to conclude that not only did an extraterrestrial craft crash there, but that the bodies of the aliens were recovered – one of whom may have survived.

Why we may never know. The Roswell incident has become so mired in rumor, questionable “eyewitnesses,” hyperbole, deception, and the military’s multiple and contradictory explanations that we may never know the truth. The problem is, no hard evidence has yet been presented. There is intriguing circumstantial evidence and some compelling anecdotal evidence, not the least of which is the Army’s initial claim that it was indeed a flying saucer.

The only way we’ll know is…. At this point, the only resolution to the mystery will probably have to come from the US military. They have come up with so many stories about Roswell so far that it’s hard to believe them… but if they can produce the wreckage of the saucer and the alien bodies, we’ll know for sure.

Stephen Wagner - Paranormal Basics/Info

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Scientists Unveil Missing Link In Evolution

Scientists have unveiled a 47-million-year-old fossilised skeleton of a monkey hailed as the missing link in human evolution. The search for a direct connection between humans and the rest of the animal kingdom has taken 200 years - but it was presented to the world today at a special news conference in New York. The discovery of the 95%-complete 'lemur monkey' - dubbed Ida - is described by experts as the "eighth wonder of the world". They say its impact on the world of palaeontology will be "somewhat like an asteroid falling down to Earth".

Researchers say proof of this transitional species finally confirms Charles Darwin's theory of evolution, and the then radical, outlandish ideas he came up with during his time aboard the Beagle. Sir David Attenborough said Darwin "would have been thrilled" to have seen the fossil - and says it tells us who we are and where we came from. "This little creature is going to show us our connection with the rest of the mammals. This is the one that connects us directly with them," he said.

"Now people can say 'okay we are primates, show us the link'. The link they would have said up to now is missing - well it's no longer missing."

A team of the world's leading fossil experts, led by Professor Jorn Hurum, of Norway's National History Museum, have been secretly researching the 1ft 9in-tall young female monkey for the past two years. And now it has been transported to New York under high security, and unveiled to the world during the bicentenary of Darwin's birth. Later this month, it will be exhibited for one day only at the Natural History Museum in London before being returned to Oslo.

Alex Watts - Sky News Online

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Madurai: 'Athens of the East'

The ancient southern Indian city of Madurai that has earned the sobriquet, 'Athens of the East', is a place of great historical importance. Said to be the oldest city in South India, Madurai stands on the banks of the sacred river Vaigai, eternalized in Lord Shiva's exploits in the 'Halasya Purana'.

Madurai's fame rests almost entirely on the famous temples dedicated to goddess Meenakshi and Lord Sundareswar.

History of the Meenakshi Temples:

The shrine of Meenakshi at Madurai, popularly known as the Meenakshi Temple, was built during the reign of Chadayavarman Sundara Pandyan in the 12th century. The imposing 9-storey tower was built between the 13th and 16th century. During the 200-year reign of Nayakka rulers, many Mandapams (covered structure with pillars) were constructed in the temple premises, like the Hall of Thousand Pillars, Puthu Mandapam, Ashta Sakthi Mnadapam, Vandiyoor Theppakulam, and Nayakkar Mahal. The temple, as it stands today, was built between 12th and 18th century.

The Majestic Entrance:

Many majestic towers (gopurams), small and big, beckon one and all to this historic temple. As it is a common practice to worship Devi Meenakshi first and then Lord Sundareswarar, devotees enter the temple through the Ashta Sakthi Mandapam on the eastern street, named after the figures of eight sakthis represented on the pillars on two sides. At this Mandapam, one can see the vivid scriptural representation of Devi Meenakshi's wedding with Ganesha and Subramanya on either side.

The Temple Complex:

Crossing over, one comes to the extensive Meenakshi Naickar Mandapam, named after the builder. This Mandapam has five aisles separated by six rows of stone pillars on which are carved holy sculptures. At the western end of the Mandapam is the massive Thiruvatchi containing 1008 brass oil lamps. Adjacent to the Mandapam is the holy golden lotus tank. Legend has it that Indra bathed in this tank to rinse out his sins and worshiped with the golden lotus from this tank.

Expansive corridors surround this holy tank and on the pillars of the northern corridor the figures of 24 poets of the third 'Tamil Sangam' are etched. On the walls of the northern and eastern corridors exquisite painting depicting scenes from 'Puranas' (ancient scriptures) can be seen. The verses of are inscribed on marbles slabs on the southern corridor.

The Meenakshi Shrine:

A three-storied 'gopuram' stands at the entrance of the shrine and on the outer sanctum, the golden flagstaff, Thirumalai Nayakar Mandapam, brass images of Dwarapalakas, and shrines of Vinayaka can be seen. The Maha Mandapam or the inner sanctum can be reached through the doors in Arukal Peedam where the shrines of Ayravatha Vinayakar, Muthukumarar, and the celestial bedroom is extant. In the shrine, Devi Meenakshi is depicted as the fish-eyed goddess who stands with a parrot and bouquet, emanating love and grace.

The Sundareswar Shrine:

Dwarapalakas, which are twelve feet in height, stand guard at the entrance to the swamy shrine. On entering one can see the 'arukal peedam' (pedestal with six pillars) and two brass covered Dwarapalakas. There are shrines dedicated to Sarawathi 63 Nayanmars, Utsavamoorthi, Kasi Viswanathar, Bikshadanar, Siddhar and Durgai. On the northern corridor is the holy Kadamba tree and the Yagna shala (large fire altar).

The Shiva Shrine:

In the next sanctum is the shrine of Lord Nataraja where the Lord is worshiped in the dancing pose with his right foot raised. Adjacent to it is the sanctum of Sundareswarar, which is supported by 64 boothaganas (ghostly hosts), 8 elephants and 32 lions. The Sivalinga, which bears the names of deities such as Chokkanathar and Karpurachockar, inspires deep devotion.

The Hall of Thousand Pillars:

This hall is a testimony to the excellence of Dravidian architecture. The hall has 985 pillars and is so arranged that from every angle they appear to be in a straight line. At the entrance is the equestrian statue of Ariyanatha Mudaliar who built this consortium of art and architecture. The 'chakram' (wheel of time) engraved on the ceiling denoting the 60 Tamil years is truly spellbinding. The images of Manmatha, Rathi, Arjuna, Mohini, and the Lady with a flute are nonetheless awe-inspiring. There is a unique exhibition of rare artifacts and idols in this hall.

The Famous Musical Pillars & Mandapams:

The Musical Pillars are near the northern tower, and there are five musical pillars each consisting of 22 smaller pillars - carved out of a single stone - that produce musical notes when tapped.

There are numerous other Mandapams, small and big, in this temple, like the Kambathadi, Unjal and Kilikoottu Mandapams - all of which can marvelous specimens of Dravidian art and architecture.

Manoj Sadasivan - Madurai and the Meenakshi Temples

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Theemithi, The Fire-Walking Celebration

Like Kavadee and Sword-Climbing, Theemithi (Fire-Walking) is observed by Tamil Hindus and is characterised by rigorous fasting and penance. It is observed by the very young as well as by the very old, by men as well as by women.

The festival is generally held in December and January. The month and the date are fixed according to the Tamil calendar in consultation with the officiating priest of the temple. Sometimes a few ‘temple-regions’ may hold it in March or some other month. This is for the sake of keeping continuity with a regional practice that has become well-established.

Ten days preceding the festival, a flag-hoisting ceremony (‘kodi-etram’) is held in the temple. For this purpose a flag depicting a lion (‘singam’) is raised on the flag-post (‘kodi maram’) amidst chanting, recitation of prayers and shouts of ‘arogara’ (Hail to God or to Amman). The flag is then worshipped with offerings of sandalwood, coconut, fruit and burning of camphor, with devotees all the while reading appropriate verses from sacred books. The presiding deity of the temple can be one of the forms of ‘Amman’ (the Mother) — Kaali Amman, Maari Amman, Draupadee Amman, or Durga Amman — after whom the temple has been named. The ‘Amman~ is ceremoniously bathed and lavishly adorned. Devotional songs are intoned praising the various attributes of the Mother. Devotees throng to recite the ‘maari amman thaalaatu’ or the ‘lullaby song of the Mother’. Discourses are held to explain the meaning, significance and attributes of the Mother. ‘Prasadam’ (consecrated offerings).

The ‘kodi-étram’ signifies the start of a ten-day fast and prayers for all who take part in the ‘theemithi’ ceremony. Every evening devotees and members of their family gather at the temple to pray and to chant the glory of the ‘Amman’. During this period the penitent submits himself to a rigorous regime abstaining from fish, fowl meat, alcohol, cigarettes and other sensual gratifications. He sleeps on a mat spread on the floor at home. In this manner the penitent is purged of impurities. The removal of passion and desire helps him attain ‘one-pointedness’. Either theofficiating priest or someone competent is called upon to read from the ‘Mahabaratham’, the sacred Hindu epic. The appropriate chapter,‘Arjuna’s Penance’ (Arjuna’s thavam) is recited. Nowadays this is being replaced by devotional group singing by younger devotees.

On the day of the festival, devotees gather on the bank of a river close to the locality. After the ritual bath they put on the turmeric-coloured dresses in the traditional manner and smear the religious symbol of ‘pattai’ or three-fingered horizontal white marks on the forehead, shoulders, arms and torso. The females apply the ‘pattai’ to the forehead only. A small lemon is tied to the loins of each devotee. They now form themselves into a procession and leave the river bank and make for the temple by a pre-determined route. The ‘urvalam’ (procession) is headed by the officiating priest, who carries on his head a decorated brass pot (‘karagam’) and dances with joy at his meeting with the Mother. He is preceded by a group of youths with short sticks in their hands which they strike together rhythmically while another group provide the singing and music. This is called ‘kolaattam’. There is often a second group doing the ‘kummi’ by clapping their hands rhythmically. The young girls are clad beautifully in the traditional ‘paavaadai’. In the procession, individuals read out from ‘maariamman thaalaatu’ amidst shouts of ‘arogara’ (glory to God).

Slowly the procession reaches the temple yard where a pit generally 13 to 15 feet long and 5 feet broad, filled with glowing embers 6 inches deep has been prepared. The priest performs a ritual ceremony first to ward off any evil spirit that may disturb the ‘theemithi’ and then he tosses the garland from his neck into the pit to seek permission from the Mother to walk on her ‘saree’. satisfied, he first steps into the pit (‘kuzi’) amii chanting and shouts of ‘arogara’. He then sign to the other devotees. One by one each devot walks barefoot on the ‘thee’ (fire) in single fi Very often a woman devotee will walk the smoi dering path with her child in her arms. It reported that Mother Draupadee spreads out h ‘saree’ (vestment) over the glowing embers ai the devotee walks across the pit as on a woolli carpet. The ‘pit’ represents the ‘saree’ of tI ‘Amman’. In the case of Draupadee, the ‘Mah barata’ relates how Duchadhana tried to undraj her at the bidding of Druyodhana and how Loi Krishna came to her rescue.

Hindus - Think Quest

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Between The Miles

Because existence can become severe

In one day,

Just sense me and I'll be there.

In the minds eye,

I'm not so far away.

If you hold out your hand,

In the whispers,

I'll become the zephyr.

And besiege you.

If your eye's upon the stars,

In the crystalline darkness,

I'll become the moon.

And the light shall guide you.

If you rest upon the ground,

In the warmth,

I'll become the grass.

And embrace you.

If you turn outside,

In the wetness,

I'll become the rain.

An upon your forehead, kiss you.

If you free the air,In the light of day,

I'll become the sun.

And smile for you.

Between the miles-

If you need me.

If you need a friend.

Let me be the friend,

I want to be.

Heather Stoop - Friendship Poem

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Teachers' Day In Malaysia

The date 16th of May has been chosen as Teachers’ Day because it was during this date in 1956 that the Federal Legislative Council gave its approval for the proposals in the Education Committee Report to be endorsed as the national education policy of this country. The document is also known as the Razak Report and has since been the National Education Policy.

Teacher’s Day Objectives

• Emphasize on teachers’ role in nation building (including integration and unity), national development and community service.


• Draw the attention of parents, students and the public to the pertinent role of teachers in our Malaysian community.


• Foster the feelings of professional unity and goodwill amongst teachers.


• Enhance the teaching profession and stature in the community.


• Provide opportunities for teachers to further develop their competence through seminars, conferences and other similar meetings organized for Teachers’ Day.


• Assess objectively the role of teachers based on Malaysian landscape and undertake measures that ensure the role will be effective.

When we stride or stroll across the frozen lake,

We place our feet where they have never been.

We walk upon the unwalked. But we are uneasy.

Who is down there but our old teachers?

Water that once could take no human weight-

We were students then- holds up our feet,

And goes on ahead of us for a mile.

Beneath us the teachers, and around us the stillness.

Teacher's Day - MOE

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Pride, Ego & Arrogance

"Hypocrisy, pride, self-conceit, wrath, arrogance and ignorance belong, O Partha, to him who is born to the heritage of the demons.” ~ The Gita, XVI. 4

While pride harms only the proud, arrogance due to overbearing pride brings contempt for others. An arrogant man is often rude and very fond of offending his friends, relatives, colleagues and everyone else who comes in contact with him.

Pride

Pride rears its head even in the most unsuspected corners. One man may be proud that he is proud, and another, proud that he is not proud. While one may be proud that he is a non-believer in God, another may be proud of his devotion to God. Learning may render one man proud, and yet ignorance can also be the source of pride for another man.

Ego

Ego is nothing but pride in its inflated form. For example, an arrogant man is unduly or excessively proud of his wealth, status, learning, etc. He shows ego in spirit of conduct. He is unwarrantably overbearing and haughty. His head is swollen like the swelling caused by dropsy. He thinks very highly of himself and poorly of others. He claims much for himself and concedes little to others.

Arrogance

Arrogance is an absorbing sense of one’s own greatness. It is a feeling of one’s superiority over others. In the presence of superiors, overweening pride manifests itself as arrogance. Pride is too self-satisfied to care for seeing the good in others and in praising them.

Vanity

Another by-product of pride is vanity, which intensely craves admiration and applause. It is undue assumption of self-importance. It often results in open and rude expression of contempt and hostility. It quickly takes for granted superiority and privilege, which others are slow to concede.

Why is it Difficult to Ward Off the Ego?

However, if you think pride or ego is easy to get rid of, think again! The play of the ego pervades our whole life. The ego does not go away by merely substituting some set phrase for “I”. As long as the body is alive and the mind functions in and through the body, what is known as the ego or the personality will arise and exist. This ego or pride is not a permanent and unquestionable reality. It is a temporary phenomenon; it is ignorance that invests it with permanency. It is a concept; it is ignorance that elevates it to status of reality. Only enlightenment can bring you this wisdom.

The Underlying Paradox

How does enlightenment arise? How does the realization “God is the real doer and we are just His means” get instilled in our hearts? I am sure you will agree that until this realization arises in our minds and inner intelligence, we cannot get rid of the ego. One may very easily say, “Practice Karma-Yoga and the ego will disappear.” Is practicing Karma-Yoga as simple as these words sound? If, for instance, you proudly say or claim that you have been a Karma-Yogi, i.e., doing your duties and not looking for rewards, for years and years and years, then you become so vain and arrogant that the ego waxes gloriously inside you, instead of being eliminated. The argument is that if you are established in the practice of Karma-Yoga, your heart is purified, and then in that pure heart divine grace dispels the darkness of the ego. Possibly! But before you get to that stage, the ego becomes so great that the earlier philosophy is completely forgotten.

May God Bless You!

So, what should we do to exorcise the devil of pride (ego) and arrogance? In my opinion, only by the grace of God one can be watchful of the presence of pride in all our actions. How does one earn God’s grace? You cannot earn it because that will again involve your ego.

In the Bhagavad-Gita, Lord Krishna says: “On account of pure compassion I bestow knowledge on My devotee. I give it out of compassion, not because he deserves it.” Mark the Lord’s words, “My devotee.” Who is His devotee? He, whose heart all the time cries, "My God, what am I going to do? I can’t get rid of my ego. I cannot deal with my pride” — in the hope that one day by the miraculous grace of God someone, probably a Guru will come in your life, who will switch on the enlightenment and put off the pride. Until then all you can do is to keep praying.

Gyan Rajhans - How to Kill Pride, Ego & Arrogance

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World Hypertension Day

World Hypertension Day has been established to highlight the preventable stroke, heart and kidney diseases caused by high blood pressure and to communicate to the public information on prevention, detection and treatment. Each year, May 17th is designated World Hypertension Day.

High Blood Pressure Is A Global Epidemic

Over 1.5 billion people worldwide suffer from high blood pressure (or hypertension). Hypertension is the biggest risk factor for heart disease, stroke and kidney disease.

High blood pressure is the biggest single risk factor for death worldwide, causing strokes, heart attacks and kidney disease.

Salt Is A Major Factor In Raising Blood Pressure

High salt (sodium) consumption is the cause of hypertension in about 3 in 10 adults. Hypertension is the major risk factor in cardiovascular diseases, accounting for 64% of strokes and 49% of coronary heart disease. Reducing sodium reduces blood pressure.

Globally, 7 million die every year because of high blood pressure. Many of these deaths could be prevented by eating less sodium. Sodium is a part of table salt but up to 80% of the sodium we consume comes from processed or packaged food and food eaten at restaurants.

World Hypertension League Organisation

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Sadhus: Hindu Holy Men

The sadhus are something like India's answer to the social security system. They are renunciates who have left behind all material and sexual attachments and live in caves, forests and temples all over India. The word comes from the Sanskrit ‘to practice’ and the practice of meditation is supposed to be what they’re about, more or less.

There are around 4 or 5 million sadhus in India today and they are still widely respected, revered and even feared. No one wants the curse of a sadhu upon them. It is also thought that the austere practices of the sadhus helps to burn off their karma and that of the community at large. Thus society donates money and food to feed them.

There are so many kinds of sadhus it’s hard to get a grip on the whole subject. Some live in the mountains alone for years at a time, eating only a few bananas. Others walk around with one hand in the air for decades until the fingers withdraw into a stump. And some just smoke plenty of charas and look for god in the smoke.

There are naked Naga sadhus with thick dreadlocks who carry swords and there are Agora babas who may eat dog shit or flesh from human corpse and keep company with ghosts in their holy path. Everything has a place in India and there are thought to be infinite paths to God.

Becoming a sadhu is not for everyone. It is supposed to be the fourth phase of a Hindu’s life, after studies, being a father and a pilgrim but for most it’s not a practical option. There are some who fake holy status to gain respect but they are soon found out by any real baba.

Becoming a sadhu is no easy option either. You have to die onto yourself and may be required to attend your own funeral before following a guru for many years. You carry his stuff, you make the fire, you bring the water and so on until you have enough experience under your belt to strike out on your own.

It’s been suggested that the obligatory 4am early bath is enough deterrent for many would-be renunciates – especially in the mountains where the water is freezing. Then sadhus will gather around the dhuni, the holy fireplace and begin with their prayers and meditation for the day.

Some sadhus may go in for black magic or herbalism and will dispense cures to the local community, remove evil eyes or bless a marriage. They’re a walking reminder to the average Hindu of Divinity. They’re generally allowed free passage on the trains and are a closely-knit organisation. Some were even military in the old days and even now the Naga babas carry their swords with them. 40 years ago the Naga babas found their path to the River Ganges blocked by other devotees so they chopped off around a dozen heads and hundreds more died in the panicked stampedes.

The big gathering of the sadhus is the kumba mela and it takes place every four years at various points along the holy River Ganges. Here every kind of sadhu in India comes out of the woodwork to meet up with old friends and put on a few shows. There are yogis who bury themselves underground, men who have held their hands in a fist for so long their nails now grow out the other side. One friend told me how proud he was to see his guru pull a bus along with a rope attached to his penis.

Religion & Soul - RoadJunky

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