Words of wisdom

This in-fact was my last letter in previous company I worked, i.e. Dell.
Dated: 21st Dec, 2012

Statutory warning- All characters displayed below are checked through Oxford dictionary & bear no resemblance to polar bears. {There’s no logic in it}

Very few knew till last century about what Mayan’s had predicted & I’m sure many of us got to know post the Hollywood’s “2012”, apparently me too. {That’s something Logical, but don’t expect more below}

So if we go by the Mayan’s prediction of doomsday, the world is ending today for me as I’m separating from Dell. The journey at dell has even better than “Journey to the center of earth”, “Avatar”, “Titanic”, “Life of Pi” (please consider all in 3D or Imax for better visual experience) and “Hangover I/II”… wait, why Hangover… Oh yes, they also had journey which was unforgettable. {in all of the above listed stories, please consider me the HERO, as I don’t want to be a character of the ultra-sharp imagination capacity of most of you}

When I joined dell on the fateful day of May, 2006, I was a boy {like Rocky-I 1976 and Sylvester Stallone} & today I depart as a Gentleman{don’t think of Rocky Balboa 2006, I still look young}. During this journey I had so many Mickey’s & Apollo Creed’s who helped me to become the “Karate Kid”. To be honest, it has been a great learning experience every moment from the “league of the extraordinary gentleman” @ Dell.

To all my Inspirers, Distant admirers & Partners in Crime, hope not to see you again in the life… oops… Typo… will miss each n everyone of you & please remain in touch J J

P.S.Y.(Gangnam Style)- To all Borrowers, my info is given below to keep in touch & don’t miss the opportunity this festive season as you may get lucky for instant cash-back or earn extra-mile points. Many surprises for the early-birds. And to all lenders, please ignore my info below & even if you call, it may get diverted to our PM, who’ll never answer anything.

Before Michael announces it formally, let me personally bid adieu to all.

Hasta-La-Vista & Hasta-La-Win8

MJ

Is Asom a new "Kashmir" in-making??

Something terrible is happening as this column is being written, in the North Eastern part of India.  This is not just a “routine” riot between two groups fighting each other, but much more impacting the nation in the long run. This is because of where it is happening, why it is happening and why it was not prevented. The question which comes to our mind, "is Asom a new Kashmir in-making?"

What happened?
In Asom (Assam) state’s Kokrajhar district, a bloody riot broke out 5-6 days back. 42  people have died, 100s are injured, over 1,70,000 have fled homes to save lives, nearly two dozen trains stopped or attacked, 10s of 1000s of passengers are stranded and 100s of villages have seen burning or vandalizing of homes/buildings. As with any riot, more damage might get uncovered as things become more clear. This is an extremely serious situation and still no signs of things coming under control.


How effective was Indian media?
For any riot or violence, the fourth pillar of democracy is the most key eye. If they don’t cover or tell properly, most people would not know the intensity of devastation. In this case, for the first few days, there was hardly any mention. Even where there were feeble mentions, terms like “clash between tribes”, or “ethnic clash” was used. Majority of Indians would not have understood what was going on and who were involved.

But fortunately, most of the foreign media covered the real issue quite openly as they probably had no stake in suppressing the truth like most of the Indian mainstream TV or papers. BBC World has courage to tell that Kokrajhar violence is due to “Muslim Bengali Migrants” to Asom.  Euro News told that Kokrajhar riot involves “Muslim Settlers”, something that India’s own government doesn’t openly talk about as to who are these “muslim settlers”. Bangkok Post in Thailand showed the pictures  of helpless Bodo women leaving homes in Kokrajhar, unlike their Indian counterparts. Europe’s Irish Times showed pics of an injured lady Purnima Das and her fear-filled child from Kokrajhar, but not any Indian TV! The German paper Duetsche Welle had pics of Indian women suffering due to illegal Bangladeshis, which Indian papers censored as “ethnic” clashes. And kudos to IBTimes which gave the most clear headline, “Rioting In Assam Underscores Deepening Crisis Of ILLEGAL Migration From Bangladesh to India“.  Unlike Indian journos who hid the “other party” in riots, even a Pakistani paper openly called them “Muslim settlers”!  In India, only a very small section of the press, like the tiny Karbi language paper talked openly with a gory picture and on web, Firstpost which published some images.

The reason all those examples were given is because it is not like Indian media does not cover riots. Ask anyone about 2002 and you will remember how Indian print and electronic media were chest-beating 24*7. They are still doing it after 10 long years in some circles. Someone aptly asked on the social media to sum things up regarding the media kangaroo courts we have seen for years. So in Kokrajhar riots are going on unabated the 4th day now. 60,000 have fled homes, but YOU (directed at media) complained Modi didn’t act soon in Gujarat? Infact one of the leaders among Indian media talking about Gujarat riots, that is NDTV, had no Asom riots on the 4th day among the top stories, where even “Ramadan receipes” was there! Rajdeep Sardesai, one of India’s most senior media person, went to ridiculous extent of saying that not “enough” people died in Asom for full scale coverage!

Even print journalists like Prasantha Mazumdar thought their readers were idiots by using “a religious minority group” term. If one watches the videos that finally came out after 5 days, rioters in some footage surely fit the “Muslim settlers” profile of foreign media. Not only in some videos  you can see them rioting, you can also see them filming their ‘proud’ destruction.

We were wondering, when just 5% or so of Asom’s population are Bodo tribe people, the one party in this violence, while 30-35% of Asom population is Muslim, why Indian media calls Muslims as “minority”? Tough to understand the logic. Much more tough to understand the large scale suppression of coverage of these riots during the initial days. The same media, which blared Gujarat riot 24*7 forgot that the worst case displaced people count for 2002 Gujarat riots was 2,00,000. As of day 5, Asom riots had displaced 1,70,000 people. Hope they realize the scale now and give the due coverage.

Why it happened?
To understand why it happened, we need to touch a bit of history here. Everything can be traced back to the large illegal migration of Bangladesh people into India, mostly Muslims, in search of employment and other economic benefits. Since Bangladesh is a primarily Islamic nation, there is no way they are fleeing their nation fearing any persecution.

Watch these two videos to understand the gravity of situation. They are lengthy, but simply outstanding in giving you a spine-chilling account of how much danger illegal immigration or infiltration presents to India.

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq9-D9-d778

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqXNfKatvCs

Unlike the repeatedly failed (west) Pakistanis, Bangladeshis have captured Indian land for 15-20% of their population without firing a single bullet!

Noted journalist Swapan Das Gupta said once.
“When enemies attack,we bury our heads & hope problem goes away. So national bird should not be a peacock, but an Ostrich”

Robin Sharma of HS commented once:
“15% of Bangladeshis live in India illegally. It’s fair for India to demand 15% of Bangladesh land to be handed over”.

The main ill effect of illegal immigration or migration or infiltration happened on Poschim Bongo (West Bengal) state and Asom state. Per 2001 census, 12 out of 18 districts of Poschim Bongo had 20% or more Muslim population. – Imagine the 2012 situation then! Bangladesh’s per capita income is $848 and India’s is $1527. Bangladesh’s population density is 1150 per sq.km, while in Asom across the border, it is 397 per sq.km.  This is a perfect recipe for intrusion. The 1970 population of East Pakistan was 7.5 crores. In 1974 it was reduced to 7.14 crores. Yes reduced! At 3.1% yearly growth around that decade, at least 60,00,000 went “missing”. Even considering war & deaths, it is certain that almost all the ‘missing’ ended up in India.  To make it worse, in a sensitive border state like Asom, the then Indian PM Indira Gandhi did not push for census in 1981, considering disturbances. Since the creation of Bangladesh in 1971, the population growth in Asom over the next 20 years was like this; Muslim 77.42%. Hindu 41.89%. Doesn’t need anymore explanation as to what exactly happened.

For more information, please research into terms like “Greater Bangladesh” and “Lebensraum theory”. They would explain the causes of impending Asom Riots better. At a high level, Poschim Bongo’s Muslim to Hindu Population ratio in 1951 was 1:4, which became 1:3.5 by 1981 and by 2001, 1:2.8 . It might be more alarming for Hindus now. 20 years back by a retired IPS officer Baljit Rai even went to the extreme extent of screaming.. “Wake up DUMB Hindus! How Bangladesh will destroy India” in his book. Warning signs for both Asom and Poschim Bongo were clearly there.

Why was it not prevented?
In the simplest term, an open acceptance of illegal immigration is missing in most cases, thanks to pseudo secular vote bank politics.

20 years back when on 10 April 1992, the then CM Hiteshwar Saikia had said -  “30 lakh Bangladeshi illegal migrants are there in Asom“, but exactly 2 days later, made a U-turn on 12 April 1992, stating “There are no illegal Bangladeshis in Asom”. That must be a world record as 30,00,000 illegals became “legal” in 2 days! In April 2011, we heard that “Narendra Modi said he’ll free Asom from Bangladesh.  I say, even if 1000 Modis come, they can’t. All these people are Indian citizens” from Tarun Gogoi the CM of Asom.  When a CM can confidently say that “There are no Bangladeshis in Asom” , then we can ask why Kokrajhar riots are even happening?  With such irresponsible cover ups by folks who should be in the forefront of fight against illegal aliens, what can India expect? To put things into perspective,  in 2003, the then Defence Minister of India, George Fernandes had said that there were 2,00,00,000 illegal Bangaldeshis in India. In 2005,  Asom’s Governor Ajai Singh said that up to 6,000 Bangladeshis illegally enter the region every DAY! Even the Prime Minister in 1992, PV Narasimha Rao had remarked in July 1992 that “The influx of Bangladeshis is a national problem and is the root of Asom’s instability“. So certainly there is a huge disconnect between certain CMs and the rest of responsible leaders who talked about the same serious topic. How can there be a difference of 2 crore? India needs an answer.

If acceptance is half the problem, then indifference towards the North East is the second part of the problem. Even when such a grave situation exists in Asom, India’s Prime Minister, who is also an MP from Asom, was feasting on Monday and Tuesday night with the new President for political formality. Compare that to United States where the entire country lowered the flag to half mast last week, when 14 people died due to a Colorado movie theater shooting. When will Indian leaders learn to respect losses of lives and behave in a mature way?

What can be done?
First, accept the geographical sensitivity of the issue. Kokrajhar for instance is a very key connecting point from ‘main’ India to its North Eastern states. If this district along with the one immediately south of it, Dhubri are taken over by illegal foreigners, then the safety and security of over 4,00,00,000 Indians in 7 states is in grave danger. Note, due to the unscientific partition of India, there is NO sea link to the North East of India, resulting in 1000 to 2000 KM of journey some people need to take to reach Kolkata port, when the nearest sea coast is hardly 100 to 200 KM from Mizoram and Tripura states of North East.

In 2001, 6 out of 22 districts in Asom had more than 50% Muslims.  14 out of 22 had over 20% Muslims.  Considering the decade trends before that, things must be more stalked against Hindus as of 2012.

One thing to make it clear here. The focus is on Bangladeshi illegal migrants, who mostly happen to be Muslims.

Time to learn from Gujarat, Punjab on the western border of India. Gujarat shares 202 KM border with Pakistan. Asom shares 262 KM border. Illegal immigration to Gujarat is Zero. But in Asom? See what’s happening in Kokrajhar. Fencing of the border in Punjab started in 1988 and completed in just three years by 1991. In Asom, fencing was decided in 1985 and God knows when it will be complete.

Shun votebank politics, like what happened in Poschim Bongo in 1998. 3000 Bongos stopped deportation of 34 Bangladeshis from Maharashtra. Indian politicians should stop sick pseudo-secular fight for Bangladeshi illegals, like in 1998 when Bangladeshis were being deported. From 1993 to 1998, BSF handed over 39,746 illegal migrants to Bangladesh Rifles. Bangladesh accepted only 9.253 and refused to accept 30.493. India should put lots of international pressure to make Bangladesh take back these illegals. Politicians and Media should focus on some in-depth analysis points like this and ask serious questions. How did it get to this position? What can be done?

Three Things that we suggest must be done:
There are lot many things that can be done, but regular folks like you and me should focus on three things.

a) Put pressure on politicians to act against illegal immigration. Against those waiting to cross over to India, and against those who are already in India. India belongs to legal resident Indians!

b) Educate friends and families for making (a) a reality.

c) Immediately join hands with those helping the lakhs of people who have lost homes temporarily or permanently.  One such initiative is happening on the social network Twitter with the hash tag -> #HelpAssamRiotVictims . Join them, show your support to the victims and make them feel that they have help.

And, let’s hope there’s mercy from Bhagawan to those in deep suffering right this hour. The scale of suffering is huge and unfortunately, lots of geo-political things and politics have played a role into bringing them this suffering.

Posted by Kiran KS

(courtesy indiawires.com)


~MJ

Internet- The life without it

Wondering why would someone write something online on a subject of Life Without Internet. Well, Well, Well, let me share an experience which will help in understanding the reach of internet.
Recently I had been to a remote place in Rajasthan Desert, Western India. The place was wonderful & to see sun-rise/sun-set it was even more then achieving your dreams. What a Lovely scenery it was to see sun setting down at the horizon in the golden sand.
You must be thinking am I writing something about the Internet or some Trip. But I'm coming back to that point by bringing some texture in it. Other then the awesome looks there was not much water (obviously I'm in the Desert), nominal shelter (Coz it gets too HOT), acute variety of food (No water, less production of food) & ample sand (That's the treasure). However there was a internet browsing hut nearby {I didn't bring my notebook with me (kept in the hotel room) thinking that where will I find a power source to charge (forget about the browsing part)}. This browsing center had high speed broadband connection with all old CRT monitors & might be P3-4 procs.
I was so astonished with the fact that where else in the world would I expect Internet. The owner of the browsing hut was using facebook (not that I was keen to know about him, just overlooked). He had all possible equipments to do a voice chat, scan, print all possible things you need in that desert, except Water (in fact there was a bit).
This showed me the way where our life is heading. There’s nothing without the internet nowadays. We are so addicted to internet, may it be through Banking, Social websites or video streaming for entertainment. Earlier if we need to know something we had our elders or friends to ask for, today I’ve Google to answer everything I need. People are becoming Globally social with internet, but I think we are moving away from the word of being social.

That’s it, too much of gyan, now I’m gonna check my FB account & watch some youtube videos. It’s been more than 30 mins since I’ve checked my FB status.

Healthy Eating :: Healthy Living

Healthy Eating: Why is Fiber so Fabulous?

The best known health benefit of dietary fiber is prevention of constipation. But fiber can do much more that ensuring regular bowel movements. Here is a closer look at this brilliant food component that works wonders for your health.

Types and Sources of Fiber

Fiber is a type of carbohydrate present in your food that isn't fully digested by the body. It is of two types, insoluble fiber and soluble fiber. The popular notion of fiber pertains to insoluble fiber or roughage. Soluble fiber is the lesser known type of fiber. It is a viscous substance that dissolves in water. Soluble fiber has been shown to have positive effects on blood cholesterol and blood sugar and lower the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Both soluble and insoluble fiber is found in plant foods such as cereals, beans, nuts, fruits and vegetables. Animal foods such as meat, poultry, eggs and dairy do not provide any fiber. Good sources of insoluble fiber are:

• Whole grains.
• Brown rice.
• Wheat bran.
• Vegetables such as carrots, cucumbers, zucchini, and leafy greens.

Good sources of soluble fiber are:

• Beans, peas, lentils.
• Oatmeal and oat bran.
• Fruits such as apples, pears, mangoes, plums, kiwi, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, peaches, citrus fruits, dried apricots, prunes, and figs.

Health Benefits of Fiber

• Fiber (particularly the insoluble type) prevents constipation by adding bulk to stool.
• Fiber prevents other colon problems such as diverticular disease (formation of pouches in colon).
• A high fiber diet prevents obesity and promotes weight loss since it is low in calories and discourages overeating by making you feel full for a longer time.
• Soluble fiber has been shown to reduce the level of LDL (bad cholesterol) in blood by retarding the absorption of cholesterol from food.
• Higher intake of fiber has been shown to reduce the risk of atherosclerosis or the buildup of cholesterol filled plaque in arteries.
• A high fiber diet has been associated with reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.
• Several studies have found a lower risk of heart disease in people who take a fiber rich diet.
• Some studies have shown a lower risk of colon cancer in people taking high fiber diet. Though the results could not be conclusively substantiated, experts think that increasing fiber intake could have a role in cancer prevention.

How to Get Your Daily Fiber

The recommended fiber intake is about 25 grams per day for women and 38 grams per day for men. The fiber content of some common foods is shown in Table 1. In general, a diet rich in plant foods such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables would ensure optimum fiber intake. Simple changes such as taking fruits instead of fruit juice and adding beans to your soups and salads can increase your daily fiber intake.

Table 1: Fiber Content in Some Common Foods

Beans (most varieties), cooked	½ cup	6-9 gm
Peas and lentils, cooked	½ cup	5- 8 gm
Brown rice, cooked	½ cup	1.5 gm
Whole-wheat pasta cooked	½ cup	3 gm
Whole wheat bread	2 slices	4 gm
Almonds	1 ounce	3.5 gm
Broccoli, cooked	1 cup	4.5 gm
Sweet potato	1 medium	4 gm
Cauliflower, cooked	1 cup	3 gm
Spinach (raw)	100 gm	2.5 gm
Carrot (raw)	100 gm	4.4 gm
Onion (raw)	100 gm	2.5 gm
Apple with skin	1 small	3.3 gm
Berries (blueberries, blackberries, raspberries)	½ cup	1.75-4 gm
Pear	1 medium	5.1 gm
Banana	1 medium	2.8 gm

Can too much fiber cause side-effects?

• Excess fiber can cause bloating, cramps and gas, particularly if your body is not used to it. For this reason it is recommended to increase your fiber intake gradually.
• It is important to consume enough water in order to get maximum benefits of fiber and avoid side effects.
• Rare cases of intestinal blockage have been reported in people taking fiber supplements. It is advisable to check with your doctor before using a fiber supplement on a long-term basis.

(Courtsey Health Care Magic)

Truth or Myth: Spicy Food Causes Stomach Ulcers

Super spicy food can make your eyes water, nose run and tongue burn. It is perhaps natural to think that eating spicy food very often will cause stomach ulcers. But scientific evidence shows that stomach ulcers cannot be attributed to spicy food. The culprit behind most cases of stomach ulcers is either infection with a bacterium called Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) or overuse of pain medications such as aspirin and ibuprofen, often known as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Spicy food, coffee, tea, alcohol and excessive stress can worsen ulcer symptoms hence ulcer patients are often advised to abstain from them. If you are experiencing ulcer symptoms such as stomach pain, bloating, vomiting, feeling full soon during a meal, it is advisable to contact your doctor. Modifying your diet may temporarily suppress ulcer symptoms but is unlikely to cure it. Most H. pylori-related ulcers can be cured with a course of antibiotics. Your doctor can also prescribe medicines to treat ulcers caused by overuse of painkillers.
(Courtsey- Health Care Magic)

Veg v/s Non-Veg Food- A Spiritual Thought

1. An introduction to a spiritual perspective on vegetarian versus non-vegetarian diet

There is a wide debate as to whether it is better to be a vegetarian or a non-vegetarian. People in either camp have pretty much dug their heels in swearing by the benefits of being a vegetarian or a non-vegetarian respectively. There is, however, a worldwide trend of more and more people crossing over and becoming vegetarians. In this article we explore the issue from a spiritual perspective.

2. Spiritual purity of food

In our article on Sattva, Raja and Tama, the three subtle components of the universe, we explained how everything in the universe at a subtle level is made up of these three subtle components.

Food is no exception and at a subtle level, it too is made up of the Sattva, Raja and Tama subtle components. The proportions of these subtle components vary depending on the type of food. Sattva stands for purity and knowledge while tama denotes ignorance and inertia. Anything that has a higher Sattva component assists our spiritual journey and anything that is Tama predominant has a tendency to diminish or obstruct our spiritual practice.
Through spiritual research we obtained the subtle component readings for vegetarian and non-vegetarian food.

  

Please note: These readings are an average across each food category. Fish is included in non-vegetarian food and has marginally less Tama component than white and red meat. The food within a category differs marginally from each other. For example mutton and chicken in the non-vegetarian category differ marginally from each other in terms of their Sattva, Raja and Tama components.
The reason for the increased Tama in meat after the animal dies is because of the extent of suffering when it is being killed. Also the thoughts of anger and revenge in the animal are far more pronounced as compared to a plant which has a rudimentary mind and intellect. This is the main reason for the increased Tama component.
As you can see from the above table a vegetarian diet would have a higher proportion of the subtle Sattva component. As a result of the Tama predominance in meat, the act of eating non-vegetarian food is a taamasik activity.

2.1 Subtle picture of meat

The picture below shows what a seemingly healthy piece of meat looks like when seen through sixth sense vision. The picture has been drawn by
Mrs.Yoya Vallee (Paris, France).

2.2 Subtle picture of a banana

The picture below shows what a saattvik fruit like a banana looks like when seen through sixth sense vision. The picture has been drawn by
Mrs. Yoya Vallee (Paris, France).

Due to the higher sattvikta in fruit, it is offered to God in ritualistic worship.

^ Top

2.3 Effect on meat from the treatment of animals in farm factories

2.3.1 Treatment of animals prior to slaughter

In factory farms around the world, animals are very often treated as commodities just to be exploited for profit. In animal agriculture, this attitude has led to institutionalised animal cruelty, massive environmental destruction and resource depletion, and animal and human health risks. The following is a video from Farm Sanctuary which shows abuse of animals.

From a spiritual perspective it is a sin to ill-treat and slaughter animals. Refer to section 3.3.

2.3.2 Does the method of slaughter have any spiritual impact on the meat?

Some customs and religions in the world require that an animal be slaughtered in a particular way else it is not permitted to be eaten by that community. In slaughter houses it is common practice to stun animals with an electric shock or by use of a captive bolt pistol. This renders the animal unconscious prior to the body being hauled down a processing line where the carotid artery and jugular vein are severed with a knife. This action causes the blood to drain out and the animal dies through exsanguination.
In some communities however one of the requirements while slaughtering animals is that the arterial vein be cut without stunning the animal so that the animal bleeds to death. Only then is the meat permitted to be eaten. This bleeding to death can last for upto two minutes. Animal rights groups protest against this method as they say it is cruel and the animal feels a lot of pain. Spokespeople for these communities argue otherwise saying that there is no difference in the level of pain. They maintain that cutting the main arterial vein results in a sudden and quick hemorrhage. Due to a quick loss of blood pressure the brain is instantaneously starved of blood and there is no time to start feeling any pain. (Ref: BBC.com 2003)
When we did spiritual research into this issue we found that:

• When an animal dies it feels as much pain as humans do when killed. There may however be a difference in the comprehension of that pain depending on the evolvement of the mind and intellect of the animal. An animal’s life is mostly limited to food and sex, however a human being has many more aspects in life to which they have attachment, and hence human pain is much more.
• When slaughtered in the way that is required for the above-mentioned communities, the suffering of the animal has a significant increase. On a scale of 1 to 100, if 100 units is the pain experienced by an animal when it is killed slowly by cutting off parts of its' body, then,
  
  • 30 units is the pain experienced by the animal when slaughtered by the normal method in slaughter houses.
  • 50 units of pain is felt by animals slaughtered in accordance with the customs of the above-mentioned communities.
• As a result of the increase in pain, the subtle Tama component goes up in the meat. This is also partly caused by the animal having increased thoughts of anger towards the people killing it in a manner that is required by these communities.

The paradox is that while these communities slaughter animals in this method so that it is permissible as per their faiths, the spiritual impurity of the meat infact goes up and they ingest higher Tama predominant meat. The following subtle readings obtained through spiritual research indicate the same.

From the above readings we can see the increase in the tama component with a concomitant decrease in the Sattva component.

2.4 Don’t plants also experience pain when killed?

Yes, plants too experience pain when killed or when parts of it are severed. The comprehension of pain however is less than for animals. This is because the mind and intellect of a plant is rudimentary as compared to that of an animal. However, if a fruit or vegetable is plucked when it is fully ripe or has fallen from a tree, there is relatively no pain to the plant.

^ Top

2.5 Method of cooking meat

When grilling meat there are 3 generic ways of cooking it, i.e. rare, medium or well done. Rare is close to raw meat. It has a reddish centre and is cooked on the outside. On the other end is meat that is ‘well done’ that is charred on the outside, thoroughly brown and chewy on the inside.
People who like their steaks rare are more likely to be taken advantage of or possessed by ghosts (demons, devils, negative energies, etc.). This is because meat that is raw is the meat of preference by the demon type of negative energies. Steaks that are well done have less of the Tama subtle component in it as compared to steaks that are cooked ‘rare’ to ‘medium’.

2.6 How long does the effect of the increased tama component last?

When Tama predominant food is ingested on a regular basis the body is burdened with an excess of the Tama component. A rise in Tama component in a person has many negative side effects. This Tama component can only disintegrate if one is doing spiritual practice that is aligned to the six basic principles of spiritual practice. However, since most people do not do spiritual practice, this Tama component accumulates in a person’s body, mind and intellect.

 

If a person of an average spiritual level were to give up meat eating and become a vegetarian, it would take him approximately 30 years to overcome the effects of the higher subtle Tama component due to ingesting a Tama predominant non-vegetarian diet.
Even if a person is doing spiritual practice that is aligned with the six basic principles of spiritual practice, it would on average take him 5 years to overcome the ill-effects created by ingesting a Tama-predominant diet. This is if he gave up a non-vegetarian diet immediately and did spiritual practice (as per the six basic principles) of 4-5 hours a day. If he were to gradually give up a non-vegetarian diet it would take him 10 years to overcome the ill-effects of ingesting the higher Tama-predominant meat diet.

2.7 Are canine teeth in humans not meant for consumption of meat?

The function of canine teeth for human beings is to tear food. Proponents of a non-vegetarian diet maintain that God has given us canine teeth for a meat-based diet. This is no argument. It is like saying just that because we have nails we should scratch others as animals do. Just because humans have canines it doesn’t mean that they should eat meat.
From a spiritual perspective the purpose of a human birth is to attain God Realisation. The key difference between human beings and animals is that only human beings have developed minds and intellects that can be channeled towards saattvik activities to propel themselves towards God-realisation. Accordingly, it is spiritually recommended that people do not copy what carnivorous animals do and eat.

2.8 A spiritual perspective on eating garlic and onions

Some communities refrain from having onions and garlic. What is the spiritual perspective on this? Onions and garlic have a higher proportion of the subtle Raja component. It is for this reason, as per the science of Ayurveda, that a diet with garlic and onions is recommended to improve a person’s appetite. The increased Raja component from eating onion and garlic in moderation is very quickly overcome by the increase in Sattva component of a person doing medium (4-5 hours) to intense spiritual practice (10-12 hours).

2.9 A spiritual perspective on milk, curd and cheese

• Cow’s milk, when consumed, helps to increase a person's Sattva component. Out of all types of milk, the milk from a cow is the most saattvik.
• Curd and butter milk are less saattvik than milk
• When other items are prepared from milk (especially through the process of spoiling milk such as in the making of cottage cheese) it starts reducing the Sattva component and increasing the subtle Tama component.

^ Top

3. Effects of diet on man

3.1 At a physical level

By eating a non-vegetarian diet, since there is an increase in Tama component, it is more likely to cause various diseases.

3.2 At a psychological level

The increase in the Tama component from a non-vegetarian diet leads to an increase in thoughts relating to various desires and other taamasik thoughts such as sexual thoughts, greed, anger, etc.

3.3 At a spiritual level

• The higher proportion of Sattva component in a vegetarian diet is conducive for spiritual practice.
   
  Example: Matthew is at the 30% spiritual level. He begins to do 4-5 hours of spiritual practice on a daily basis as per the 6 basic principles. All factors being equal, if he were to choose to be vegetarian, he would reach the spiritual level of 40% 20 years faster than if he consumed a non-vegetarian diet.
  For God Realisation, we need to transcend the 3 subtle components. Therefore through spiritual practice we have to go beyond our likes and dislikes, as they are made up of the 3 subtle components. This happens for all practical purposes beyond the 90% spiritual level. After this level what one ingests makes no difference to the proportion of the 3 subtle components in us.
• By having a higher Tama predominant non-vegetarian diet, a person is more prone to attacks by ghosts (demons, devils, negative energies, etc.). All things being equal, a person who eats meat is 20% more likely to be possessed by ghosts than a vegetarian. The reason is that meat is a food group that is liked by demonic forces. Seekers who, as their spiritual practice, serve to spread Spirituality in society, are even more prone to being affected when ingesting non-vegetarian food. This is because higher-level ghosts take advantage of the increase in the Tama subtle component to trouble them.

• Do we incur a sin by eating non-vegetarian food? The answer is yes, we incur a sin when we kill anything be it animals or plants. Also, we inadvertently become party to the sin of any ill-treatment of animals in factory farms and slaughterhouses by eating their meat. People who eat the meat become party to that sin, albeit not as much as the person doing the ill-treating and the killing. People who work in factory farms incur 70% of the sin while the people who eat the meat incur 30% of the sin. In many cases people who work in slaughterhouses are possessed by ghosts and this is one of the reasons for their callous attitude towards animals. The workers get possessed by ghosts because their jobs are in alignment with the preferences of ghosts (demons, devils, negative energies, etc.).
  The sin in killing plants is much less than in killing animals, as the plants' comprehension of pain is far less due to their rudimentary mind and intellect.
  However, if we are doing medium to intense spiritual practice (as per the six basic principles of spiritual practice) we nullify this sin by our daily spiritual practice. Since almost all people do not do spiritual practice in the true sense of the word, these sins do not get nullified. The sin incurred in killing plants and animals is however much less than killing human beings. The reason is that humans have the potential to realise God, and by killing them we take away that opportunity. Among all animals the cow is the most sattvik and the sin incurred when killing animals is maximum when killing a cow.
• When a person grows to the spiritual level of 60%, whether his diet is non-vegetarian or vegetarian makes much less of a difference. This is because, from a spiritual growth perspective, the value of his ability to chant with spiritual emotion far outweighs what his diet is. As per spiritual science, when we compare the two factors on a relative scale, for a person at the 60% spiritual level:
  
  • The subtle Sattva component of a person eating vegetarian food increases by 0.0001 %.
  • However, if one chants with spiritual emotion then the subtle Sattva component increases by 5%.

However what happens is that as a person’s spiritual level grows they become more Sattva predominant. Concurrently they are more sensitive and averse to the tama component in non-vegetarian food. As a result, people at higher spiritual levels are generally vegetarian as they feel distress when eating non-vegetarian food.

4. Some do’s and don’ts with regard to non-vegetarian food 

• If one is unable to give up meat it is recommended that at least during the following times one must abstain from it. The various times are sunrise, sunset, during an eclipse, at night, two days before and after and during full moon and new moon days. At all these times ghosts are more active and can take advantage of the heightened Raja-Tama in the environment. (We have included sunrise even though it is considered a saattvik time as there is still some influence of the darkness which is Tama predominant.)

• If one is serious about one’s spiritual practice, it is recommended that one only have a vegetarian diet.

(Courtsey- Spiritual Research Foundation)

The new Era of Social Media

Wondering, since when we have moved so eagerly to social media & how important is it in today's era.
If we go back to the time when advertising on Radio or Newspaper was so "cool", never wondered if a small businessmen could go beyond the street or a stretched region. The boundaries were not so far. But if I look back today on marketing front, it's no longer a marketing business, it has transformed itself to community business. When we say community, it can refer to, most obviousely the new world or the new space or the new galaxy (whatever you name it), it is the Internet Community.

This community is so huge, may it be Facebook, Twitter, You Tube, G+, Chatter, Myspace etc. It's the "awesome" thing nowadays to have 100+ followers on twitter, it's the "flattering" thing to have 100+ fans on one of your page on facebook. You make friends you don't even know, but you wish them on every occassion. Different culture yet it's unite. As we call it, Unity in Diversity. It can even create revolutions. That's the power it holds.

Considering the fact that it has got such mass involved in it, why can't there be a business. A whenever there's a plan for a Business, you have Marketing involved. That's where today's world is focusing on. It reads it's customer's mind from their profile, their likes-dislikes etc. Once read, the right approach gets you there.

It's all about making money at the end of the day. And I still remember a quote that reads, "The money never stays, it floats". Well Well Well, does it really happen, let's try to strike it with Social Media Marketing.