HV2008

HV2008 Message

2008-12-17T00:47:02Z

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17th December 2008
Prof. G. C. Asnani, M.Sc., Ph.D. (United Nations Service, Retd.)
822, Sindh Colony, Aundh,
Pune 411 007 (HINDUSTAN, INDIA)
Tel: 91-20-25880347
E-mail: i) asnanigc@yahoo.com, ii) gcasnani@vsnl.com iii) gcasnani@hinduvoice.net

Israel,

The

Vedic

Gospel

India

Scientists

BJP

E-mails

Afghans

Fed

Terrorism:

Bluffing

Wafa

Premature

Dynamite

Iraqi

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Tirukural

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News and Views 17th December 2008

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Criminal

HV2008 Message

2008-12-17T00:40:00Z

17th December 2008
Prof. G. C. Asnani, M.Sc., Ph.D. (United Nations Service, Retd.)
822, Sindh Colony, Aundh,
Pune – 411 007 (HINDUSTAN, INDIA)
Tel: 91-20-25880347
E-mail: i) asnanigc@yahoo.com, ii) gcasnani@vsnl.com iii) gcasnani@hinduvoice.net

Homepage : www.hinduvoice.net

Reader of Hinduvoice.Net Bulletin, in case you are not able to open the links, please go to the following link and click on HV2008 for reading the articles of the bulletin listed below:

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News and Views 17th December 2008

Criminal Legal System in India- CBI looks up to its masters in every politically sensitive case. When I read News/ Article: CBI looks up to its masters in every politically sensitive case, in times of India dated 16th December, 2008, written by Special Legal Correspondent in Supreme Court of Times of India Mr. Dhananjay Mahapatra, by which he draw a correct picture of Indian Legal System, according to me which is fully responsible for the growth of various types of crimes in India. (milap_choraria@yahoo.com) (G.C.A: People in general have lost respect for politicians who have substantially contributed to increasing crime in India and people’s confidence in our Constitution. But, writers like the present one Mr. Milap should be encouraged for success of our Democratic system. Speak out, Boldly ! )

Israel, a Godly Process or Just another Country? The majority of the world, and a great many Jewish leaders, inside and out of Israel, were opposed to the idea. We had no trained army and were overwhelmingly outnumbered by our Arab neighbors who sought our destruction. The only thing that has changed since those days is the fact that we did become a state and we have been growing in quality and quantity ever since, in spite of our (mis)leaders (By Gary M. Cooperberg)

The Master Course - Lesson 248: The most important sacrament of adulthood is the vivaha samskara, or marriage rite, preceded by a pledge of betrothal. A boy's or girl's coming of age is also consecrated through special ceremony in the home. Aum. We do not look upon all that happens to us as unreal. That is a misconception. It is real. Life is real. It is through life that we progress. Life is the means provided by the Primordial God for finding Reality (Kauai_Hindu_Monastery@jnanadana.com)

Vedic Verses for 12/16/08. The wealth which I use for trading, seeking, O Gods, wealth to accrue to my wealth-- in this may Indra, Prajapati, Savitri, Soma, and Agni grant me renown! (Kauai_Hindu_Monastery@jnanadana.com)

Tirukural - Chapter 97: Honor. Shun any actions that will diminish honor, even if they are vital for the preservation of life. Better to die right where you stand, the saying goes, than to live running after those who despise you. (Kauai_Hindu_Monastery@jnanadana.com)

Gospel of Jesus: Did Jesus advise to Divide, to Kill, and to Rule? Was he a Terrorist? Who can believe this?

India shouldn't rule out military option: former Army Chief General V P Malik (newindexpress.com)

Scientists find hole in Earth's magnetic field (www.hindustantimes.com)

BJP pledges support to creation of National Investigation Agency. We have always felt that special investigative machinery must have strong teeth. (http://dailypioneer.com/)

E-mails after Mumbai terror attack was sent from Pak (http://dailypioneer.com/)

Afghans explain how mounting civilian casualties are aiding Taliban recruiting (http://www.guardian.co.uk/)

Fed Cuts Key Rate to a Record Low. WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve entered a new era on Tuesday, lowering its benchmark interest rate virtually to zero and declaring that it would now fight the recession by pumping out vast amounts of money to businesses and consumers through an expanding array of new lending programs (http://www.nytimes.com/)

Terrorism: The folly of failure. For years we have lived a life of fear under the umbrella of secularism. It has only brought us Islamic fundamentalists’ disdain. We have shown ourselves to be a nation without a backbone, a people perennially afraid of being called communal, and have gone out of our way to appease the so-called minorities without the slightest justification. We have become the laughing stock of Islamic terrorists. Full details of all the planning that the Lashkar-e-Taiba went through over months have long been known and they are mind-boggling. Having said all this, the question arises: where do we go from here? By M.V. Kamath (organiser.org)

Bluffing on terror, shielding criminals. The British nearly gave up war in Afghanistan recently and instead wanted dialogue with Al-Qaeda. Washington termed it defeatist and subsequently London rescinded the suggestion. The stalemate in the war on terrorism continued. The breed of Inherently Helpless Indians tells me repeatedly that “even the West led by America could not smash the terrorists in Afghanistan and Iraq, how can a country like India win?” Untrue. With the right strategy this war can be won decisively. (organiser.org)

Wafa Sultan: "Is it not a duty for each one of us to view Islam not frivolously but in a most serious manner?" If we consider the Islamic texts, their content and the devotion that so many Muslims - including in America - attach to them; if we consider the tragic upshot of these teachings in terms of our current world’s security, is it not a duty for each one of us to view Islam not frivolously but in a most serious manner? (jihadwatch.org)

Premature Detonation Syndrome kills three jihadists in Afghanistan (jihadwatch.org)

Dynamite found at Paris department store on Tuesday, 16th December 2008 (cnn.com)

Iraqi doctor Bilal Abdulla found guilty of UK airport bomb plot in June 2007 (cnn.com)

'Thousands made slaves' in Sudan’s Darfur region (news.bbc.co.uk)

=======================

Criminal Legal System in India- CBI looks up to its masters in every politically sensitive case. When I read News/ Article: CBI looks up to its masters in every politically sensitive case, in times of India dated 16th December, 2008, written by Special Legal Correspondent in Supreme Court of Times of India Mr. Dhananjay Mahapatra, by which he draw a correct picture of Indian Legal System, according to me which is fully responsible for the growth of various types of crimes in India. (milap_choraria@yahoo.com) (G.C.A: People in general have lost respect for politicians who have substantially contributed to increasing crime in India and peoples confidence in our Constitution. But, writers like the present one Mr. Milap should be encouraged for success of our Democratic system. Speak out, Boldly ! )

2008-12-17T00:26:12Z

From: milap_choraria@yahoo.com
To: rti-times@lists.riseup.net
Subject: [rti-times] Criminal Legal System in India
Date: Wednesday, December 17, 2008 6:45 am
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Criminal Legal System in India

When I read News/ Article: CBI looks up to its masters in every politically sensitive case, in times of India dated 16th December, 2008, written by Special Legal Correspondent in Supreme Court of Times of India Mr. Dhananjay Mahapatra, by which he draw a correct picture of Indian Legal System, according to me which is fully responsible for the growth of various types of crimes in India. About 9 years ago I have also written a similar article in Hindi, which was published in several Hindi Newspapers, mentioning therein that in case Bill Clinton could have been Indian and Mr. P. V. Narsimha Rao could have been as an American then what would have been result of respective Cases, against them. Indian Evidence Act is not as strong as it can ensure justice in criminal cases. Even after more than 60 years of independence, transfers of the Police Officers are taking place without any regulations resulting thereby transfers of the Police Officers are routine part of the political acti
vity, to effect the investigations. Similarly misuse of the CBI is another important part of our political system. These are the main reasons to withholding the Police Reforms in India. Times is ripping out to constitute a People’s “Constituent Assembly” consisting people form each and every part of India and each segment of the society to frame out a concrete suggestion to overhaul the entire system to save and strengthen the Indian Democracy keeping away all types of wrong doers.

Aforesaid article of Mr. Dhananjay Mahapatra, is quoted below:

Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich must be ruing his luck for being born in the US. Had he been in politics in India, he probably could have got away or pulled a string or two to avoid FBI from arresting him on the charge of trying to sell President-elect Barak Obama's vacant Senate seat.

But he could still qualify as a student of Indian politics for refusing to resign despite the humiliation of being arrested and virtually ostracised in US political circles.

Similar allegations were made recently by Margaret Alva that tickets to contest MP and MLA elections were being sold. It got "I told you so" grins from everyone. But no one, not even the Opposition, stood up to seek an inquiry. For, they must be aware of the spread of the malaise and felt that any surgical treatment could affect their own limbs.

In this "I scratch your back and you scratch mine" politics in India, the investigating agency, especially the image-conscious CBI, gets treated like a pawn and is made to do flip-flops every now and then. We all know how CBI would have loved to step into FBI's shoes and bring to book Blagojevich clones in India.

This predicament of CBI was gauged by the Supreme Court in its famous Vineet Narain judgment in Jain hawala case. It said, "Inertia was the common rule whenever the alleged offender was a powerful person. The Constitution and working of the investigating agencies revealed the lacuna of its inability to perform whenever powerful persons were involved."

It talked about a simple remedy: "Everyone against whom there is reasonable suspicion of committing a crime has to be treated equally and similarly under the law and probity in public life is of great significance."

Will this ever happen in India? Take, for example, the CBI cases against BSP supremo Mayawati and SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav. Their parties always had a sizeable number of MPs. Big parties, whenever short of majority, have naturally vied for their support. And the CBI has always been used as a weapon with both Mayawati and Mulayam -- to either wreck vengeance for their refusal to play ball or to oblige them for their support.

Mayawati had her time immediately after being elected to power. Her good equations with the Centre paid rich dividends. She was let off in the Taj Heritage Corridor scam by the UP governor, who refused to grant sanction to CBI for her prosecution.

But she knew that nothing is permanent in politics. Her refusal to side with the UPA government saw CBI filing an affidavit in the SC seeking her prosecution in a disproportionate assets case.

When she was in the Centre's good books, Mulayam was not. The Centre egged on the CBI to pursue his alleged disproportionate assets in the SC, which had refused to do so against Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi on the ground that courts should not be political battlefields.

After the SC directed a CBI probe, the agency on the basis of evidence collected through a preliminary inquiry sought the top court's permission to register a case against him and his kin. Mulayam also knew that nothing is permanent. He bided his time for a change in equation with the UPA government. After saving the UPA in the trust vote, it was time to demand his pound of flesh. The CBI moved another application seeking to withdraw its earlier brave stand in the DA case against him.

If Mayawati and Mulayam had their share of joy and sorrow at the hands of CBI, there are many who reaped the benefits of being close to power. Bofors case, Babri Masjid demolition case, DA case against Lalu and Rabri, Shibu Soren, Ajit Jogi... the list is endless.

Again, the solution to this could be found in Vineet Narain judgment. The SC had said, "A scheme giving the needed insulation from extraneous influences, even of the controlling executive, is imperative." Till then, the CBI cannot step into the FBI's shoes and arrest corrupt politicians like Blagojevich.

Israel, a Godly Process or Just another Country? The majority of the world, and a great many Jewish leaders, inside and out of Israel, were opposed to the idea. We had no trained army and were overwhelmingly outnumbered by our Arab neighbors who sought our destruction. The only thing that has changed since those days is the fact that we did become a state and we have been growing in quality and quantity ever since, in spite of our (mis)leaders (By Gary M. Cooperberg)

2008-12-17T00:25:38Z

A Voice from Hebron
P.O. Box 1444, Kiryat Arba-Hebron, Israel 90100
Tel. 972-2-996-3761 Fax 972-2-996-1778
Email: gary@projectshofar.org - Website: http://www.projectshofar.org

December 16, 2008

When I speak to visitors to Israel I always tell them, if you are looking for logic, you came to the wrong country. We don’t have any. The modern state of Israel defied logic just by getting established. The majority of the world, and a great many Jewish leaders, inside and out of Israel, were opposed to the idea. We had no trained army and were overwhelmingly outnumbered by our Arab neighbors who sought our destruction. The only thing that has changed since those days is the fact that we did become a state and we have been growing in quality and quantity ever since, in spite of our (mis)leaders.

Another illogical thing is the fact that, today, when we have one of the best armies in the world, we are afraid to use it and prefer to surrender conditionally to those who would destroy us. This is called “peace negotiations”. Clearly, although our leaders may genuinely seek peace, the results of our “negotiations” have accomplished nothing other than to weaken us militarily and politically.

Election day is coming up soon. I think it was Albert Einstein who said, “Insanity is when someone performs the same experiment, over and over, expecting different results.” I suppose that defines Israeli voters as certifiably insane. It doesn’t matter who wins. The Israeli population always loses. We do not have a democracy here. We have the right to elect the dictator of our choice and then to accept whatever he decides to do, regardless of any campaign promises.

Yitzchak Rabin said, in reaction to a demonstration by a quarter of a million citizens, “They can spin around like pinwheels for all I care.” And Binyamin Netanyahu, Mister Democracy himself, waited until after the results of internal elections and arbitrarily changed the results to rid the list of those he considered undesirable. He justified his actions by telling the press that he is the leader of his party and he will make the critical decisions. Clearly, should this fellow get elected to be Prime Minister, he will hold the same warped belief that, regardless of the will of the people, he is the leader and he will decide what is best. This is the man who gave away 80% of Hebron to Arafat and did nothing to stop the tragedy of giving Gaza to the PLO. And now he promises to continue “negotiating” with those who seek our destruction.

A friend suggested to me that, although he agreed that we have no good choices for leadership, at least we can choose the lesser of two evils. I replied that I am not that smart. I really have no way to know which candidate is worse. He reminded me of the time when Bibi ran against Shimon Peres. I reminded him that no one elected Shimon Peres, but he is still in a position of power! “So,” he asked, “Who are you voting for?” I told him that I am voting for the Creator of the Universe. I will abstain from voting and trust that G-d will provide us with the leader we deserve. I certainly will not participate in the sham we call “democracy”.

Clearly all of the above are very negative and might suggest that we just give up on this lost cause called “The State of Israel”. Many people feel this way. But they are all wrong. Quite to the contrary. All of the insanity by leaders who make every mistake possible; all of the efforts to make “peace” at the expense of our very existence, have failed to accomplish the logical result, the destruction of this country. This is the best proof possible that the Living G-d of Israel will never let us destroy ourselves, and certainly not let others destroy us. This is not because we are worthy of His help, rather because it is His desire that Israel become the greatest of nations and lead the entire world to knowledge of Him. Nothing can prevent Divine Destiny from continuing unto completion.

Project Shofar is sounding the alarm to all who will listen. It is not we who control this world. G-d has an unstoppable plan which is already beginning to unfold before our very eyes. We can choose not to look at it. We can even choose to try to change it. But doing so will only bring needless suffering. Instead we must do whatever we can to recognize and support the Divine Process. For the Jew it means leaving, what still may be, a pleasant Exile to come home to a fragile Israel... just to show our faith in G-d and Jewish Destiny. For the Gentile it means standing with the underdog, the tiny Jewish State, against overwhelming odds, for Biblical, not political reasons. This too is a demonstration of faith in the One G-d of Israel. This is the only peace plan that will work.

The Master Course - Lesson 248: The most important sacrament of adulthood is the vivaha samskara, or marriage rite, preceded by a pledge of betrothal. A boy's or girl's coming of age is also consecrated through special ceremony in the home. Aum. We do not look upon all that happens to us as unreal. That is a misconception. It is real. Life is real. It is through life that we progress. Life is the means provided by the Primordial God for finding Reality (Kauai_Hindu_Monastery@jnanadana.com)

2008-12-17T00:25:08Z

From: Kauai_Hindu_Monastery@jnanadana.com
To: asnani@giaspn01.vsnl.net.in
Subject: The Master Course - Lesson 248
Date: Tuesday, December 16, 2008 2:10 pm
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The Master Course
The lesson of the day from Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami's trilogy: Dancing with Siva, Living with Siva and Merging with Siva

Lesson 248
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Lesson 248

Sloka 93 from Dancing with Siva
What Are the Sacraments of Adulthood?
The most important sacrament of adulthood is the vivaha samskara, or marriage rite, preceded by a pledge of betrothal. A boy's or girl's coming of age is also consecrated through special ceremony in the home. Aum.

Bhashya
As puberty dawns, the ritu kala home-ceremony acknowledges a girl's first menses, and the keshanta kala celebrates a boy's first beard-shaving. New clothing and jewelry fit for royalty are presented to and worn by the youth, who is joyously welcomed into the young adult community. Girls receive their first sari, boys their first razor. Chastity is vowed until marriage. The next sacrament is the betrothal ceremony, called nishchitartha or vagdana, in which a man and woman are declared formally engaged by their parents with the exchange of jewelry and other gifts. Based on this commitment, they and their families begin planning a shared future. In the marriage sacrament, or vivaha, seven steps before God and Gods and tying the wedding pendant consecrate the union of husband and wife. This sacrament is performed before the homa fire in a wedding hall or temple and is occasioned by elaborate celebration. The Grihya Sutras pronounce, "One step for strength, two steps for vitality,
three steps for prosperity, four steps for happiness, five steps for cattle, six steps for seasons, seven steps for friendship. To me be devoted." Aum Namah Sivaya.
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Lesson 248 from Living with Siva
The World as Our Teacher
The Hindu also wants to improve conditions in the world, in the physical world. We do not look upon all that happens to us as unreal. That is a misconception. It is real. Life is real. It is through life that we progress. Life is the means provided by the Primordial God for finding Reality. True, it is maya. But it is maya in the form of mind, in the form of form. Maya, or form, or mind, is created for a purpose, to help man evolve, not to bind him in illusion. The Hindu understands this. We want to help humanity, and simultaneously we know that we may well return in another physical body. So we are working not only for ourselves, but for our loved ones, not only now, but in the future as well. We are improving the world for future generations in which we will play a part.

Through our knowledge of reincarnation, we have a great love and understanding for every human being, for they have been our mothers, our fathers, our sons and daughters, our grandparents and companions in many past lives, or perhaps will be in a future incarnation. This expanded knowledge of the interrelatedness of humanity brings with it a deepened appreciation, helping us to understand why it is that some people seem so close to us though we hardly know them and others are strangers or even enemies after years of close association. To the Hindu, everyone younger is his brother or sister. Everyone older is his mother or father, and he maintains a deep respect for others. We have this knowledge by having lived through many hundreds of lives on this planet and having been associated with many thousands of people. We know that in our current pattern in this life we often attract those to us whom we have been with in past lives. So we have a great joy and happiness in meeting t
hem again and a deep knowledge of our relationships, our psychic relationships, with them in past lives.

The Hindu believes in the law of karma, the ability to earn one's rewards as well as punishments. All this we can do ourselves with the help of our Gods and our personal relationship with our Ishta Devata, the individual God that we have chosen, or rather that God who has chosen to love, guide and protect us through an incarnation.

In Hinduism there is no priest standing between the devotee and God. The priest is a servant of the God, just as is every other devotee. Even the satguru, the spiritual teacher, does not stand between the disciple and God, but seeks instead to strengthen the devotee's direct experiential relationship with the Divine. The Hindu thus finds a great joy in his relationship with God and the Gods. It is his relationship, and he alone is able to perpetuate it. No one can do this work for him or on his behalf. There is a great happiness there between the devotee and the God resident in the Hindu temple, which is the communication point with the God, as is the sacred home shrine.
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Sutra 248 of the Nandinatha Sutras
...obey Your Guru
Siva's devotees trustingly heed their satguru's counsel without even subtly attempting to change his mind. If he declines to give blessings for an endeavor, they accept that as his blessing and proceed no further. Aum.
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Lesson 248 from Merging with Siva
Working It Out On the Inside

A third way that past actions are re-enacted is through the actual intense reactionary experience and working with yourself, conquering inner desires and emotions. When something happens to you that you put into motion in a past life or earlier in this life, sit down and think it over. Do not strike out. Do not react. Work it out inside yourself. Take the experience within, into the pure energies of the spine and transmute that energy back into its primal source. In doing so, what happens? You change its consistency. It no longer has magnetic power, and awareness flows away from that memory pattern forever. You could remember the experience, but your perspective would be totally detached and objective. This is the most common way karma is resolved, in day-to-day experiences. By living an inner life, you stop creating uncomplimentary karma and can therefore consciously face the reactions of the past without the confusion of additional day-to-day reactions.

Everyone lives an inner life. When you are thinking over that film that you saw last week, that is inner life. When you are deeply involved in a reactionary area because of something that has happened or is happening to someone else, you are living inwardly the same experience that you think they are going through.

In your life, someone you love has gone through an experience, and you have shared it with him. You felt his suffering and began to live it through dramatically. Actually, that same experience under a different set of conditions would have been happening to you, but it was happening to you in an indirect way through observation. You were able to vicariously work through this karma.

Perhaps your friend is destined to lose his leg in this life because he caused someone else to lose a leg in a past life. If he is living as an instinctive being, with all the energies flowing through the first two chakras, memory and reason, and through the passive physical forces, that experience will come to him in full force. However, perhaps he has his energies flowing through aggressive intellectual forces. Even if he is not consciously on the path of enlightenment, but is kindly and subdues his instinctive reactions by his intellect, that karma would still come back to him, but he would experience it in a different way.

One morning he may pick up the newspaper and read about an automobile accident in which someone has lost a leg. This news jars him. His solar plexus tightens. His reaction is so severe that he cannot eat his breakfast that morning. He does not know why, but all day he lives and relives every experience the article describes. He wonders, "What if this had happened to me? What would I do? How would I face it? How would I adjust my consciousness to it?" At work he imagines himself going through life with one leg--the therapy, the family concern, the emotional adjustment. It may take him three or four days to work his awareness out of that reaction. He does not know why that particular article in the newspaper impressed him so much. It seems foolish to him to think so much about the event and he tries to forget it. Soon thereafter, while hiking in the mountains, he stumbles and falls, cutting his thigh on the jagged rocks, tearing a few ligaments. The full force of the karmic exp
erience comes, but because of his present goodness and previous blessings earned through control of his intellect, he receives the experience as a minor wound and an emotional reaction to another's losing his leg. This seed karma is worked through within himself in this way. He does not have to lose a leg, as he would if he were living in the instinctive mind of fear, anger and jealousy.

Vedic Verses for 12/16/08. The wealth which I use for trading, seeking, O Gods, wealth to accrue to my wealth-- in this may Indra, Prajapati, Savitri, Soma, and Agni grant me renown! (Kauai_Hindu_Monastery@jnanadana.com)

2008-12-17T00:24:39Z

From: Kauai_Hindu_Monastery@jnanadana.com
To: asnani@giaspn01.vsnl.net.in
Subject: Vedic Verses for 12/16/08
Date: Tuesday, December 16, 2008 5:06 pm
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vedic Verses
A daily collection of verses from the Vedas, Hinduism's revealed scripture
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Vedic Verses for 12/16/08

My pile of gold for my trading, seeking wealth through wealth, may it ever increase and not dwindle! By this offering to the Gods, O Lord, check and frustrate those who would spoil our profit.

Atharva Veda III, 15, 5

The wealth which I use for trading, seeking, O Gods, wealth to accrue to my wealth-- in this may Indra, Prajapati, Savitri, Soma, and Agni grant me renown!

Atharva Veda III, 15, 6

To you, O Lord, the Priest Beloved of all men, we bring our praise with reverence. Keep watch over our children and ourselves, we pray. Guard both our lives and our cattle.

Atharva Veda III, 15, 7

Thus, steadfast and firm as a horse, we shall offer you praises, Omniscient Lord, forever. Replete with food and with riches, being close to you always, may we never suffer reverses!

Atharva Veda III, 15, 8

This is your appointed origin. From here once born, you shine. Knowing this, O Agni, arise and cause our wealth to increase!

Atharva Veda III, 20, 1

Tirukural - Chapter 97: Honor. Shun any actions that will diminish honor, even if they are vital for the preservation of life. Better to die right where you stand, the saying goes, than to live running after those who despise you. (Kauai_Hindu_Monastery@jnanadana.com)

2008-12-17T00:24:09Z

From: Kauai_Hindu_Monastery@jnanadana.com
To: asnani@giaspn01.vsnl.net.in
Subject: Tirukural - Chapter 97: Honor
Date: Tuesday, December 16, 2008 5:06 pm
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tirukural
A daily chapter from South Indian saint Tiruvalluvar's Tirukural, "Holy Couplets."
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Chapter 97: Honor

Kural 961
Shun any actions that will diminish honor,
even if they are vital for the preservation of life.
Kural 962
Those who honorably pursue glory never act ingloriously,
even if glorious fame is to be gained.
Kural 963
Cultivate modesty in the midst of good fortune,
but in times of adversity preserve your dignity.
Kural 964
Honorable men fallen from high status
are like useless hair fallen from the head.
Kural 965
Unworthy acts, though mustard-seed small, will bring down
a man, though he towers like a mountain.
Kural 966
It offers neither Earth's renown nor Heaven's refuge,
so why do men run after and stand by those who revile them?
Kural 967
Better to die right where you stand, the saying goes,
than to live running after those who despise you.
Kural 968
Will any medicine preserve the body of the high-born man
whose honor has already perished?
Kural 969
Shorn of its hair, the yak will refuse to live.
Such men do exist who prefer death to the loss of honor.
Kural 970
The world will extol and exalt honorable men
who exult in death rather than endure dishonor.

Gospel of Jesus: Did Jesus advise to Divide, to Kill, and to Rule? Was he a Terrorist? Who can believe this?

2008-12-17T00:23:41Z

i) Holy Bible - New Testament, Luke 12; 51-53: Jesus said:
"Do you suppose that I came to bring peace to the World? No, not peace, but division. From now on a family of five will be divided, three against two and two against three. Fathers will be against their sons, and sons against their fathers; mothers will be against their daughters and daughters against their mothers; mothers-in-law will be against their daughters-in-law, and daughters-in-law against their mothers-in-law."
ii) Holy Bible, New Testament, Luke 20; 27: Jesus said: “for those enemies of mine who did not want me to be their king, bring them here and kill them in my presence.”
iii) New Testament, MATHEW 16; 18-19: Jesus said, "Peter: you are a rock, and on this rock I will build my Church, and not even death will ever be able to overcome it. I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven; what you prohibit on Earth will be prohibited in Heaven, and what you permit on Earth will be permitted in Heaven."

India shouldn't rule out military option: former Army Chief General V P Malik (newindexpress.com)

2008-12-17T00:23:16Z

NEW DELHI: With Pakistan in the denial mode in the wake of the Mumbai attacks, former Indian Army chief General V P Malik Tuesday advised the government to keep the military option open and former national security adviser Brajesh Mishra suggested that New Delhi should persuade Washington to cut off aid to the Pakistani Army.

"We should not say we are ruling out the military option. At least, there should not have been a public statement," Malik said at a discussion on India's options vis-à-vis Pakistan in the wake of the Mumbai attacks.

He was referring to Defence Minister A K Antony's remarks Tuesday ruling out the military option.

"Like the Kabul attacks, the ISI had a hand in the Mumbai attacks. The ISI is the creation of the Pakistani Army," he said while underlining that the Mumbai attacks could not have happened without "official conspiracy or complicity".

Malik, however, said that before considering military action the government has to hold a "politico-military discussion" and forge "political consensus" to ensure that the military action hurts the Pakistan government without dragging India into a nuclear war or ground war with Pakistan.

According to Malik, the military option could consist of air strikes on terror camps without collateral damage and commando raids on military installations close to the border. India may also consider a naval blockade that will hurt Pakistan's economy and affect supplies for NATO troops, generating international pressure on Pakistan in the process, he said.

The success of the military action will depend on how the Indian government manages international opinion, he said. Such a limited confrontation for which India has the capability will convey a strong warning to Pakistan, he said.

Former prime minister I K Gujral, however, struck a cautious note saying that it should not be forgetten that both India and Pakistan are nuclear powers. Recalling his conversation with former US ambassador to Pakistan Robert Oakley, he said the American envoy told him that Pakistan would use nuclear weapons against India as its first and last option in a case of war.

The diplomatic options, according to Malik, will include putting international pressure on Pakistan to bring the ISI under civilian control and keeping "minimal engagement with Pakistan" by putting a "freeze" on any new confidence-building measures.

Mishra agreed with Malik about bringing the ISI under civilian control, but took the argument a step further saying Pakistan's military should be reined in as the ISI was its creation.

"There are options available which can make the US, the UK and other major powers look at the problem from the point of view of India," Mishra said while advocating a more focused approach to bringing meaningful international pressure on Pakistan that will force it to dismantle terrorist infrastructure.

"Unless their strategy is affected by your action, they will not act in your favour," he said.

"If you want the Pakistani Army to give up jihadi groups, you have to apply material pressure on them. They can't survive without support of the US," he stressed.

Alluding to the resurgence of the Taliban in Afghanistan, Mishra said that the US must be made to realise that Pakistan wants the Taliban to succeed in Afghanistan. "If it goes on like this, there could be a division of Pakistan and Afghanistan," he said.
Former foreign minister Jaswant Singh linked up terrorism in South Asia with the failure of the US policy in the region.

"The Taliban was a creation of the US. It was established by Pakistani Army with the assistance of the US," Singh said. "The consequences of their policies are being felt in the region. We are paying the price for it," he said.

Scientists find hole in Earth's magnetic field (www.hindustantimes.com)

2008-12-17T00:22:39Z

Date: 17.12.08

Recent satellite observations have revealed the largest breach yet seen in the magnetic field that protects Earth from most of the sun's violent blasts, researchers reported Tuesday.

The discovery was made last summer by Themis, a fleet of five small NASA satellites.

Scientists have long known that the Earth's magnetic field, which guards against severe space weather, is similar to a drafty old house that sometimes lets in violent eruptions of charged particles from the sun. Such a breach can cause brilliant auroras or disrupt satellite and ground communications.

Observations from Themis show the Earth's magnetic field occasionally develops two cracks, allowing solar wind _ a stream of charged particles spewing from the sun at 1 million mph (1.6 million kph) _ to penetrate the Earth's upper atmosphere.

Last summer, Themis calculated a layer of solar particles to be at least 4,000 miles (6,400 kilometers) thick in the outermost part of the Earth's magnetosphere, the largest tear of the protective shield found so far.

"It was growing rather fast," Themis scientist Marit Oieroset of the University of California, Berkeley told an American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco.

The research was funded by NASA and the National Science Foundation.

Scientists initially believed the greatest solar breach occurs when the Earth's and sun's magnetic fields are pointed in opposite directions. But data from Themis found the opposite to be true. Twenty times more solar wind passed into the Earth's protective shield when the magnetic fields were aligned, Oieroset said. The Themis results could have bearing on how scientists predict the severity of solar storms and their effects on power grids, airline and military communications and satellite signals.

Earlier this year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that the first sunspot of a new 11-year cycle has appeared in the sun's northern hemisphere. Jimmy Raeder, a physicist with the University of New Hampshire, predicted a more intense solar cycle. That's because the Earth's and the sun's magnetic fields will be in sync at the cycle's peak, expected in 2012, that will cause an influx of solar particles, Raeder said.

The Themis satellites were launched to find the source of brief powerful geomagnetic disturbances in the Earth's atmosphere.

BJP pledges support to creation of National Investigation Agency. We have always felt that special investigative machinery must have strong teeth. (http://dailypioneer.com/)

2008-12-17T00:21:56Z

Date: 17.12.08

PTI | New Delhi

Main Opposition BJP on Tuesday pledged its support to the "reluctant" move of the Government to create a National Investigation Agency (NIA).

"Being a nationalist party, we will support even an reluctant and incomplete step like this (NIA) as long as it is a step against terrorism," party leader Arun Jaitley told reporters in New Delhi on Tuesday.

He said that some of its provisions fell short of the party's expectations and that it was a "reluctant step" on the part of the Government.

"The Government's step towards NIA is also a reluctant admission by the UPA of the long standing campaign of the BJP to have a tough stand against terror elements," Jaitley said.

"We will examine the bill in detail and offer our comments later, we have always felt that special investigative machinery must have strong teeth," he said.

Jaitley said that while terrorist offences have been redefined in the bill and the bail provisions made tough to some extent, but some other expectations of the party like the admissibility of confessions have not been addressed.

It seems that the efforts of the Home Ministry have not succeeded in the cabinet, Jaitley said.

"We will support the bill and at the same time certainly voice our concern for the left out provisions and lacunae and fight for its inclusion," he said.

Gearing up to fight terrorism in a more effective manner, Government on Tuesday introduced in Lok Sabha a Bill to set up a National Investigation Agency (NIA) and another legislation to strengthen the law against terror.