Hanuman: The Spiritual Journey to Lanka

Hanuman: The Spiritual Journey to Lanka

Hanuman is the typical example of one who has control over the breath, the one who has obtained all the Siddhi powers after mastering the mind using the breath control. Therefore, he was called as the ‘son of the wind’.

Monkey represents a wandering animal and symbolizes thoughts of the mind, which are wavering or ‘chanchal’.

When the monkey army under the control of Sugriva (intellect) was in trouble and did not know how to look for Sita, Jambvan reminded Hanuman about his hidden spiritual powers at that time. And then Hanuman traveled the ocean and reached Lanka.

The whole process represents the process and the steps of breathing pranayama and breathing meditation.

The Ocean represents the ‘wavering mind’. The reminder to Hanuman represents the INTENTION to meditate. Using Hanuman (breathing) makes it easier to cross the Ocean and attain a controlled state of mind.

While doing breathing pranayama in the initial process, one is bound to face obstruction or obstacles to the breathing sadhna. The same is represented by hanuman encounters with Mainaka Mountain, Sarasa or ‘sursa’ the mother of snakes, and Singhika or Simhika the demon.

The spiritual obstacles are the tendencies to rest (tamas), the ego and the desires. ‘MainakaMountain’ represents the tamas, ‘Sursa’ the ego and ‘Simhika’ the desires.

Initially, Hanuman is obstructed by theMainakaMountainand asked to rest. But Hanuman willfully avoids it and continues the journey, signifying that tamas has to be willfully controlled by the mind during Sadhna.

Next, the mother of the snake ‘the Sursa’ obstructed him. Snake in Vedantic language represents the uncontrolled mind or the ego. Ego becomes bigger and bigger if you try to defend it and can only be controlled by humility. This is what Hanuman did. Till he was trying to fight ‘sursa’ by expanding his size, she was reciprocating by increasing her size. But when Hanuman became small (humility) and came out of her mouth, she lost the battle.

The last obstacle was ‘Simhika’ the demon. She had the power of catching flying creatures’ by holding their shadows in the water. Desires have to be killed and this is what Hanuman did to her.

While meditating on the breath one gets tendencies to sleep (tamas), and gets disturbed with the ego or desires (rajas). The same should be tackled before one attains control of the mind. The process involves concentrating on the breath and giving preference to the breath over the disturbing thoughts.

Vegetables & fruits lower chances of getting some cancers

Vegetables & fruits lower chances of getting some cancers

Vegetables and fruits help lower your chances of getting head, neck, and breast, ovarian and pancreatic cancers. Even one additional serving of vegetables or fruits could help lower the risk of head and neck cancer. The more fruits and vegetables you can consume, the better.

Quoting an International Study from National Cancer Institute, Padma Shri & Dr. BC Roy National Awardee, Dr. KK Aggarwal, President Heart Care Foundation of India & National Vice President Elect IMA said that those who eat six servings of fruits and vegetables per 1,000 calories have a 29% decreased risk relative to those who have 1.5 servings. In the study, after adjusting the data to account for smoking and alcohol use – known head and neck cancer risk factors – the researchers found that those who consumed the most fruits and vegetables had the lowest risk for head and neck cancers. Vegetables appeared to offer more cancer prevention than fruits alone did. Adding just one serving of fruit or vegetables per each 1000 calories consumed daily resulted in a 6% reduction of risk.

In another study, broccoli and soy protein were found to protect against the more aggressive breast and ovarian cancers. When consumed together, digesting broccoli and soy forms a compound called di-indolylmethane (DIM). In lab experiments, the researchers found that DIM could affect the motility of breast and ovarian cancer cells, which could help keep cancers from spreading. Soy, acts like estrogen and is a nutritious, healthy food, and should be eaten in moderation.

Yet another study compared intake of flavonols to their risk of pancreatic cancer. Flavonols are protective compounds found in fruits and vegetables, such as onions, apples, berries, kale and broccoli. Those who had the highest consumption of flavonols reduced their risk of pancreatic cancer by 23%. The benefit was even greater for people who smoked. Smokers with high levels of flavonols reduced their risk of pancreatic cancer by 59%.

Earth Day celebrated

 22^nd April Monday New Delhi 2013:

Heart Care Foundation of India and World Fellowship of Religions in association with Ministry of Earth Sciences Govt. of India and Delhi Public School Mathura Road observed World Earth Day 2013 by organizing inter school competitions on the theme ‘Future Earth’. More than 15 schools from different parts of Delhi participated in these competitions.

 Speaking on the occasion, Padma Shri and Dr B C Roy National Awardee Dr K K Aggarwal, President Heart Care Foundation of India said that Environmental Education among school children is an important step towards ensuring a sustainable and safer future. We need to keep on motivating them to think positively about the atmosphere they live in and have to live and how they can help in sensitizing their parents and other members of society about the same.

The activities included painting and slogan writing competitions. The best paintings and slogans would be submitted to Ministry of Earth Sciences as entries for their national competition on painting and slogan writing.

Ministry of Earth sciences organizes competitions amongst the winners of these competitions held earlier by NGOs on World Earth Day in the country. The winners are awarded Prizes and certificates.

 The activities will continue on Tuesday with a walk and other competitions.

 Recycle your e-waste

• Electronic waste, or “e-waste,” is a term used to describe any electronic device that is outdated, obsolete, broken, donated, discarded, or at the end of its useful life. This includes cell phones, computers, laptops, PDAs, monitors, televisions, printers, scanners, and any other electrical device.
• With the rapid expansion of technology, combined with the relatively short shelf life of many present day electronic devices, more and more e-waste is generated each year. Often, these discarded devices end up in landfills or are incinerated, which can cause major environmental problems in our communities.
• Many of the materials found in electronic devices are extremely hazardous. These include lead, mercury and cadmium. When these electronics end up in landfills, many of these chemicals leach into the soil during rainfall or are released into the atmosphere when burned. These chemicals can have dangerous impacts on the health of plants and animals and when inhaled can lead to serious respiratory problems. Fortunately, the simple solution to limiting the dangerous effects of careless e-waste disposal is safe and responsible recycling. 
• Each year, the United States alone produces up to 50 million tons of e-waste. Of this, only 20-25% is recycled safely and responsibly. The other 75% ends up in landfills. As a direct consequence, hazardous materials found in this waste routinely contaminate our air and water supplies. By safely and responsibly recycling your e-waste, you can help protect your community and the ecosystem from these dangerous chemicals.
• Everyone should collect all old electronic materials and take them to an e-waste recycling facility to make sure they are properly handled. 

Sword, Dragger and Discus in Mythology

Sword, Dragger and Discus in Mythology

Out of nine forms of Goddess Durga, Chandraghanta, Katyayani and Kalratri are shown to carry a sword. Kushmunda, Siddadatri holding discuss and Kalratri holding additional Dragger (Bhala). All have mythological significance.

Durga powers represent feminine powers in all of us. The mythological weapons represent our inherent mental powers to fight to live in this world.

Sword power (non moving astra power) s indicate sharp intelligence and relates to straight forward resistance.  For example, if you are not happy with somebody’s answer, you stub him on the spot and prove him wrong, is like using your sword power.

On the contrary, Discuss power (moving shastra power) is your indirect power to make the other person realize his mistake and come back and withdraw.

Dragger or Bhala is in between the two. It is both atsra and shastra ( moving and non-moving weapon). It is much more sharper and powerful than the sword.

All three of them are three human qualities used by a person in three different situations. For example, there is a theft in your house and you are suspecting your servant. You can use the sword power and confront him directly till he says yes or you can keep mum for the time being, look for evidence and, if found, now you confront him with much more force using your Dragger power and, lastly, you can create circumstances by using your discuss power and make the servant realize his mistake and come back to you to admit his mistake and seek pardon.

Heart disease starts in youth

Heart disease starts in youth

Autopsy studies of young people who died in accidents have shown that by the late teens, the heart blockages, the kind of lesions cause heart attacks and strokes are in the process of developing.

Quoting a study published in the journal Circulation, Dr Aggarwal said that it is never too early to start protective measures against heart disease.

The best opportunity to prevent heart disease is to look at children and adolescents and start the preventive process early. More than a third of children and adolescents are overweight or obese.

The first signs that men are at higher risk of heart diseases than women appear during the adolescent years despite the fact that boys lose fat and gain muscle in adolescence, while girls add body fat.

Between the ages of 11 and 19, levels of triglycerides, a type of blood fat associated with cardiovascular disease, increases in the boys and drops in the girls. Levels of HDL cholesterol, the “good” kind that helps keep arteries clear, go down in boys but rise in girls.

Blood pressure increases in both, but significantly more in boys. And insulin resistance, a marker of cardiovascular risk, which is lower in boys at age 11, rise until the 19.

Any protection that the young women have for cardiovascular protection can be wiped out by obesity and hence obesity in girls at any cost should be handled on priority.

Lotus the essence of the Gita

Lotus the essence of the Gita

Bhagavad Gita again and again emphasizes that one should cultivate an attitude of non-attachment or detachment (detached attachment). One should live like water on a lotus leaf.

Krishna says that “One who does actions, offering them to Brahman and abandoning attachment, is not tainted by sin as a lotus leaf is untouched by water”—V.10.

brahmany adhaya karmani
sangam tyaktva karoti yah
lipyate na sa papena
padma-patram ivambhasa

In nine forms of Durga, in most forms she is seen sitting on the lotus (Sahilputri, Chandraghanta, kushmanda, Skandmata (two lotuses), Katyayani and Sidddatri. Only the Brahmacharini, Kalratri and Mahagauri lotuses are not seen.

Goddess Saraswati is also shown sitting on lotus. Both Saraswati and Skandmata depicts motherly attitude and the same is incomplete without learning detached attachment.

Lord Vishnu is also shown holding a lotus in the left lower hand.

Lord Brahma is also shown sitting on the lotus meaning thereby creativity is incomplete without detached attachment. According to some Brahma (creator)  is self-born out of a lotus flower which grew from the navel of Vishnu ( doer) again depicting that for creativity in doing one need to become like a lotus.

Attachment is due to infatuation and a sub quality of Rajas. Detachment is born of Sattva. The former is demoniacal and latter a divine attribute.

Attachment is born of ignorance, selfishness and passion and detachment is wisdom and brings with it freedom.

The practice of detachment is a rigorous discipline.  Failures are not stumbling-blocks but steppingstones to success.

Detachment can be practiced willfully with exercises (bali, sacrifice, donation) or can be experienced in meditation.

Attachment to the Lord is a potent antidote to annihilate all worldly attachments.Krishnaagain says by performing action without attachment man reaches the Supreme”—III.19.

Lotus feet is the other term used for GODS and signifies again extreme degree of detached attachment.

Problems faced by consultants in the city of Delhi

Problems faced by consultants in the city of Delhi

There was a time when smaller nursing homes were flooded with top consultants of the city but now most of them either are not opting for or have left the smaller medical establishments.

Most of them are opting for bigger private establishments to survive as the smaller nursing homes are unable to provide them with the latest infrastructure facilities. Consultants prefer to do their procedures in bigger hospitals.

Most of the nursing homes, which are running are single consultant nursing home owned and run by the specialty of the owner.

In a bigger setup, there is a great disparity in salary structure. Most of the corporate hospitals cater to only 1% of the population, which can afford treatment at these hospitals.