A long time ago, there was an Emperor who told his horseman that if he could ride on his horse and cover as much land area as he likes, then the Emperor would give him the area of land he has covered.
Sure enough, the horseman quickly jumped onto his horse and rode as fast as possible to cover as much land area as he could. He kept on riding and riding, whipping the horse to go as fast as possible. When he was hungry or tired, he did not stop because he wanted to cover as much area as possible.
Came to a point when he had covered a substantial area and he was exhausted and was dying. Then he asked himself, "Why did I push myself so hard to cover so much land area? Now I am dying and I only need a very small area to bury myself."
The above story is similar with the journey of our Life. We push very hard everyday to make more money, to gain power and recognition. We neglect our health, time with our family and to appreciate the surrounding beauty and the hobbies we love.
One day when we look back, we will realize that we don't really need that much, but then we cannot turn back time for what we have missed.
Life is not about making money, acquiring power or recognition. Life is definitely not about work! Work is only necessary to keep us living so as to enjoy the beauty and pleasures of life. Life is a balance of Work and Play, Family and Personal time You have to decide how you want to balance your Life. Define your priorities, realize what you are able to compromise but always let some of your decisions be based on your instincts. Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of Life, the whole aim of human existence. So, take it easy, do what you want to do and appreciate nature. Life is fragile, Life is short. Do not take Life for granted.
Live a balanced lifestyle and enjoy Life!
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Twenty Something
Being a twenty-something
It is when you stop going along with the crowd and start realizing that there are many things about yourself that you didn't know and may not like. You start feeling insecure and wonder where you will be in a year or two, but then get scared because you barely know where you are now.
You start realizing that people are selfish and that, maybe, those friends that you thought you were so close to aren't exactly the greatest people you have ever met, and the people you have lost touch with are some of the most important ones. What you don't recognize is that they are realizing that too, and aren't really cold, catty, mean or insincere, but that they are as confused as you.
You look at wat u r studyin or ur job... and it is not even close to that you thought you would be doing, or maybe you are looking for a job and realizing that you are going to have to start at the bottom and that scares you.
Your opinions have gotten stronger. You see what others are doing and find yourself judging more than usual because suddenly you realize that you have certain boundaries in your life and are constantly adding things to your list of what is acceptable and what isn't. One minute, you are insecure and then the next, secure.
You laugh and cry with the greatest force of your life. You feel alone and scared and confused. Suddenly, change is the enemy and you try and cling on to the past with dear life, but soon realize that the past is
drifting further and further away, and there is nothing to do but stay where you are or move forward.
You get your heart broken and wonder how someone you loved could do such damage to you. Or you lie in bed and wonder why you can't meet anyone decent enough that you want to get to know better. Or maybe you love someone! but love someone else too and cannot figure out why
you're doing this because you know that you aren't a bad person.
Getting wasted and acting like an idiot starts to look pathetic. You go through the same emotions and questions over and over, and talk with your friends about the same topics because you cannot seem to make a decision. You worry about loans, money, the future and making a life for yourself... and while winning the race would be great, right now you are scared just to be a contender!
What you may not realize is that every one reading this relates to it. We are in our best of times and our worst of times, trying as hard as we can to figure this whole thing out. Send this to your friends... maybe it will help someone feel like they aren't alone in their state of confusion...
Its called "Quarter-life Crisis." nothing is constant......except change ;-)
Whats life without a few risks? keep playing the game !
It is when you stop going along with the crowd and start realizing that there are many things about yourself that you didn't know and may not like. You start feeling insecure and wonder where you will be in a year or two, but then get scared because you barely know where you are now.
You start realizing that people are selfish and that, maybe, those friends that you thought you were so close to aren't exactly the greatest people you have ever met, and the people you have lost touch with are some of the most important ones. What you don't recognize is that they are realizing that too, and aren't really cold, catty, mean or insincere, but that they are as confused as you.
You look at wat u r studyin or ur job... and it is not even close to that you thought you would be doing, or maybe you are looking for a job and realizing that you are going to have to start at the bottom and that scares you.
Your opinions have gotten stronger. You see what others are doing and find yourself judging more than usual because suddenly you realize that you have certain boundaries in your life and are constantly adding things to your list of what is acceptable and what isn't. One minute, you are insecure and then the next, secure.
You laugh and cry with the greatest force of your life. You feel alone and scared and confused. Suddenly, change is the enemy and you try and cling on to the past with dear life, but soon realize that the past is
drifting further and further away, and there is nothing to do but stay where you are or move forward.
You get your heart broken and wonder how someone you loved could do such damage to you. Or you lie in bed and wonder why you can't meet anyone decent enough that you want to get to know better. Or maybe you love someone! but love someone else too and cannot figure out why
you're doing this because you know that you aren't a bad person.
Getting wasted and acting like an idiot starts to look pathetic. You go through the same emotions and questions over and over, and talk with your friends about the same topics because you cannot seem to make a decision. You worry about loans, money, the future and making a life for yourself... and while winning the race would be great, right now you are scared just to be a contender!
What you may not realize is that every one reading this relates to it. We are in our best of times and our worst of times, trying as hard as we can to figure this whole thing out. Send this to your friends... maybe it will help someone feel like they aren't alone in their state of confusion...
Its called "Quarter-life Crisis." nothing is constant......except change ;-)
Whats life without a few risks? keep playing the game !
Zen Commandments - Osho
My first request or invitation is Don't let your doubt die.
That is the most precious thing you have got, because it is doubt that oneday is going to help you discover the truth.I would like it to be my firstrequest to you: doubt until you discover. Do not believe until you come toknow yourself. Once you believe, you will never be able to know on yourown.Doubt, and go on doubting until you come to a point that you cannotdoubt anymore. And you cannot doubt anymore only when you come to knowsomething on your own. Then there is no question of doubt, there is no wayto doubt. So this is my first request.
My second request: Never imitate
The mind is an imitator, because imitation is very easy. To be someone isvery difficult. To become someone is very easy -- all that you need is tobe a hypocrite, which is not much of a problem. Deep down you remain thesame, but on the surface you go on painting yourself according to someimage,this is not in the very nature of the universe. It only createsunique beings. It has no idea at all of carbon copies, duplicators,cyclostyled material; existence has no idea -- just the original. And eachindividual is so unique and original. Anything original has beauty,freshness, fragrance, aliveness. Anything that is imitated is dead, dull,phony, plastic.So the second request is: Don't imitate. If you want to know who you are,please avoid imitation, that's a way of avoiding knowing yourself
My third request is: Beware of knowledge
So the third thing is to beware of knowledge, to be so alert that wheneveryou want, you can put your knowledge aside and it will not block yourvision. It will not come between you and reality.Knowledge is a barrier to life.Put aside your knowledge! And then look withempty eyes...and life is a constant surprise. And I am not talking aboutsome divine life -- the ordinary life is so extraordinary. In smallincidents you will find the presence of God -- a child giggling, a dogbarking, a peacock dancing. But you can't see if your eyes are covered withknowledge. The poorest man in the world is the man who lives behind acurtain of knowledge.The poorest are those who live through the mind. Therichest are those who have opened the windows of no-mind and approachedlife with the no-mind.
The fourth thing... I will not say "pray" because there is no God to prayto.
My word for prayer is love. Forget the word prayer, replace it withlove.Love is not for some invisible God. Love is for the visible -- humanbeings, animals, trees, oceans, mountains. Spread your wings of love as farand wide as you can.
The fifth thing I would like to say to you: Live moment to moment.
Go on dying every moment to the past. It is finished. There is no need evento label it good or bad. The only thing to know is: it is finished, it isno more. It is going to be no more... gone and gone forever; now why wastetime about it?
Never think of the past, because you are wasting the present, which is theonly real thing in your hand. And never think of the future, because nobodyknows how tomorrow is going to be, what tomorrow is going to be, how it isgoing to turn out, where you are going to land -- you cannot imagine.
Remain in the moment, true to the moment, utterly here now, as if there hasbeen no yesterday and there is going to be no tomorrow -- only then can yoube here now totally. And that totality of being in the present joins youwith existence, because existence knows no past, no future. It is alwayshere now. Existence knows only one tense that is the present tense. It islanguage which creates three tenses, and creates three thousand tensions inyour mind. Existence knows only one tense, and that is present: and it isnot a tension at all, it is utterly relaxing. When you are totally here, noyesterdays pulling you back and no tomorrows pulling you somewhere else,you are relaxed.
To me, to be in the moment is meditation, to be utterly in the moment. Andthen it is so beautiful, so fragrant, and so fresh. It never gets old. Itnever goes anywhere.
It is we who come and pass; existence remains as it is. It is not time thatpasses, it is we who come and pass. But it is a fallacy: rather than seeingthat we are passing, we have created a great invention, the clock -- timepasses. Just think, if there is no man on the earth will there be any timepassing? Things will be all there, the ocean will still be coming to thebeach, crashing its waves on the rocks. The sun will rise, the sun willset, but there will be no morning, there will be no evening. There will beno time as such. Time is a mind invention, and basically time can existonly with yesterdays and tomorrows; the present moment is not part of time.When you are simply here, just now, there is no time. You are breathing,you are alive, you are feeling, you are open to everything that ishappening all around.
When your every moment starts becoming meditation, you are religious.
That is the most precious thing you have got, because it is doubt that oneday is going to help you discover the truth.I would like it to be my firstrequest to you: doubt until you discover. Do not believe until you come toknow yourself. Once you believe, you will never be able to know on yourown.Doubt, and go on doubting until you come to a point that you cannotdoubt anymore. And you cannot doubt anymore only when you come to knowsomething on your own. Then there is no question of doubt, there is no wayto doubt. So this is my first request.
My second request: Never imitate
The mind is an imitator, because imitation is very easy. To be someone isvery difficult. To become someone is very easy -- all that you need is tobe a hypocrite, which is not much of a problem. Deep down you remain thesame, but on the surface you go on painting yourself according to someimage,this is not in the very nature of the universe. It only createsunique beings. It has no idea at all of carbon copies, duplicators,cyclostyled material; existence has no idea -- just the original. And eachindividual is so unique and original. Anything original has beauty,freshness, fragrance, aliveness. Anything that is imitated is dead, dull,phony, plastic.So the second request is: Don't imitate. If you want to know who you are,please avoid imitation, that's a way of avoiding knowing yourself
My third request is: Beware of knowledge
So the third thing is to beware of knowledge, to be so alert that wheneveryou want, you can put your knowledge aside and it will not block yourvision. It will not come between you and reality.Knowledge is a barrier to life.Put aside your knowledge! And then look withempty eyes...and life is a constant surprise. And I am not talking aboutsome divine life -- the ordinary life is so extraordinary. In smallincidents you will find the presence of God -- a child giggling, a dogbarking, a peacock dancing. But you can't see if your eyes are covered withknowledge. The poorest man in the world is the man who lives behind acurtain of knowledge.The poorest are those who live through the mind. Therichest are those who have opened the windows of no-mind and approachedlife with the no-mind.
The fourth thing... I will not say "pray" because there is no God to prayto.
My word for prayer is love. Forget the word prayer, replace it withlove.Love is not for some invisible God. Love is for the visible -- humanbeings, animals, trees, oceans, mountains. Spread your wings of love as farand wide as you can.
The fifth thing I would like to say to you: Live moment to moment.
Go on dying every moment to the past. It is finished. There is no need evento label it good or bad. The only thing to know is: it is finished, it isno more. It is going to be no more... gone and gone forever; now why wastetime about it?
Never think of the past, because you are wasting the present, which is theonly real thing in your hand. And never think of the future, because nobodyknows how tomorrow is going to be, what tomorrow is going to be, how it isgoing to turn out, where you are going to land -- you cannot imagine.
Remain in the moment, true to the moment, utterly here now, as if there hasbeen no yesterday and there is going to be no tomorrow -- only then can yoube here now totally. And that totality of being in the present joins youwith existence, because existence knows no past, no future. It is alwayshere now. Existence knows only one tense that is the present tense. It islanguage which creates three tenses, and creates three thousand tensions inyour mind. Existence knows only one tense, and that is present: and it isnot a tension at all, it is utterly relaxing. When you are totally here, noyesterdays pulling you back and no tomorrows pulling you somewhere else,you are relaxed.
To me, to be in the moment is meditation, to be utterly in the moment. Andthen it is so beautiful, so fragrant, and so fresh. It never gets old. Itnever goes anywhere.
It is we who come and pass; existence remains as it is. It is not time thatpasses, it is we who come and pass. But it is a fallacy: rather than seeingthat we are passing, we have created a great invention, the clock -- timepasses. Just think, if there is no man on the earth will there be any timepassing? Things will be all there, the ocean will still be coming to thebeach, crashing its waves on the rocks. The sun will rise, the sun willset, but there will be no morning, there will be no evening. There will beno time as such. Time is a mind invention, and basically time can existonly with yesterdays and tomorrows; the present moment is not part of time.When you are simply here, just now, there is no time. You are breathing,you are alive, you are feeling, you are open to everything that ishappening all around.
When your every moment starts becoming meditation, you are religious.
Grasshopper
OLD VERSION...
The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long building his house and laying up supplies for the winter. The grasshopper thinks the ant's a fool and laughs & dances & plays the summer away. Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed. The grasshopper has no food or shelter so he dies out in the cold.
MODERN VERSION
The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter. The grasshopper thinks the ant's a fool and laughs & dances & plays the summer away.
Come winter, the shivering grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while others are cold and starving.
NDTV, BBC, CNN show up to provide pictures of the shivering grasshopper next to a video of the ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food.
The World is stunned by the sharp contrast. How can this be that this poor grasshopper is allowed to suffer so? Arundhati Roy stages a demonstration in front of the ant's house.
Medha Patkar goes on a fast along with other grasshoppers demanding that grasshoppers be relocated to warmer climates during winter.
Amnesty International and Koffi Annan criticize the Indian Government for not upholding the fundamental rights of the grasshopper.
The Internet is flooded with online petitions seeking support to the grasshopper (many promising Heaven and Everlasting Peace for prompt support as against the wrath of God for non-compliance).
Opposition MP's stage a walkout. Left parties call for "Bharat Bandh" in West Bengal and Kerala demanding a Judicial Enquiry. CPM in Kerala immediately passes a law preventing Ants from working hard in the heat so as to bring about equality of poverty among ants and grasshoppers.
Lalu Prasad allocates one free coach to Grasshoppers on all Indian Railway Trains, aptly named as the 'Grasshopper Rath'.
Finally, the Judicial Committee drafts the Prevention of Terrorism Against Grasshoppers Act [POTAGA]", with effect from the beginning of the winter.
Arjun Singh makes Special Reservation for Grass Hopper in educational Institutions & in Govt Services.
The ant is fined for failing to comply with POTAGA and, having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes, his home is confiscated by the Government and handed over to the grasshopper in a ceremony covered by NDTV.
Arundhati Roy calls it "a triumph of justice". Lalu calls it'Socialistic Justice'. CPM calls it the 'revolutionary resurgence of the downtrodden' Koffi Annan invites the grasshopper to address the UN General Assembly.
Many years later...The ant has since migrated to the US and set up a multi billion dollar company in Silicon Valley. 100s of grasshoppers still die of starvation despite reservation somewhere in India.
The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long building his house and laying up supplies for the winter. The grasshopper thinks the ant's a fool and laughs & dances & plays the summer away. Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed. The grasshopper has no food or shelter so he dies out in the cold.
MODERN VERSION
The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter. The grasshopper thinks the ant's a fool and laughs & dances & plays the summer away.
Come winter, the shivering grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while others are cold and starving.
NDTV, BBC, CNN show up to provide pictures of the shivering grasshopper next to a video of the ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food.
The World is stunned by the sharp contrast. How can this be that this poor grasshopper is allowed to suffer so? Arundhati Roy stages a demonstration in front of the ant's house.
Medha Patkar goes on a fast along with other grasshoppers demanding that grasshoppers be relocated to warmer climates during winter.
Amnesty International and Koffi Annan criticize the Indian Government for not upholding the fundamental rights of the grasshopper.
The Internet is flooded with online petitions seeking support to the grasshopper (many promising Heaven and Everlasting Peace for prompt support as against the wrath of God for non-compliance).
Opposition MP's stage a walkout. Left parties call for "Bharat Bandh" in West Bengal and Kerala demanding a Judicial Enquiry. CPM in Kerala immediately passes a law preventing Ants from working hard in the heat so as to bring about equality of poverty among ants and grasshoppers.
Lalu Prasad allocates one free coach to Grasshoppers on all Indian Railway Trains, aptly named as the 'Grasshopper Rath'.
Finally, the Judicial Committee drafts the Prevention of Terrorism Against Grasshoppers Act [POTAGA]", with effect from the beginning of the winter.
Arjun Singh makes Special Reservation for Grass Hopper in educational Institutions & in Govt Services.
The ant is fined for failing to comply with POTAGA and, having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes, his home is confiscated by the Government and handed over to the grasshopper in a ceremony covered by NDTV.
Arundhati Roy calls it "a triumph of justice". Lalu calls it'Socialistic Justice'. CPM calls it the 'revolutionary resurgence of the downtrodden' Koffi Annan invites the grasshopper to address the UN General Assembly.
Many years later...The ant has since migrated to the US and set up a multi billion dollar company in Silicon Valley. 100s of grasshoppers still die of starvation despite reservation somewhere in India.
Dialogues (Bollywood)
20. Bhaiya !!!!!!!!!!
19.Nikal jaa mere ghar say...!!!!!! !!!!
18. khabardaar joe mujhay haat bhee lagaya...... .....warna mein apni
jaan de dongi.
17. gurkha, ise dhakke maarke bahar nikal do.
16. Ab hum kisi ko muh dikhane ke layak nahin rahe
15. (hero/heroine opening their eyes on a hospital bed) Main kahan
hun?
14. Kya isi din ke liye tujhe paida kiya tha?
13. "Maa......!! !! main B.A.first class first pass ho gaya hu"
followed by the "jug jug jiyo beta. aj tere pita hote to kitna
kush hote"
12. Ye aap kya kah rahe hai bhai-sahab.
11.Thakur daya karo.......Ghar mein do jawan betiya hai.
10. Kuttay, Kameenay.... .....!!!! !!! mai tumhe jaan se maar doonga
9. Mai tumhara ehasaan zindagi bhar nahin bhuloonga
8. Itnay paisay tum kahan se laaye....... ...?????
7. Main tumharay bina mar jaa-oongi.
6. Bacchhhaaaaaooooo. .....
5. Chhodiye na.......... ......!!! !!!!! log kya kahenge
4. Bataoo, heeray kahan hai......... ..????
3. Tum mere liye mar chuke ho.
2. Police meeray peechay lagi hui hai.
And there is a tie for number one dialogue .......
1. Mai tumharay bachhe ki maa ban-nay waali hoon.
or
1.Use hath lagane se pehle tumhe meri lash par se gujarna hoga
or
1."Humare yah nanha mehman ane wala hai" followed by "Sach"
19.Nikal jaa mere ghar say...!!!!!! !!!!
18. khabardaar joe mujhay haat bhee lagaya...... .....warna mein apni
jaan de dongi.
17. gurkha, ise dhakke maarke bahar nikal do.
16. Ab hum kisi ko muh dikhane ke layak nahin rahe
15. (hero/heroine opening their eyes on a hospital bed) Main kahan
hun?
14. Kya isi din ke liye tujhe paida kiya tha?
13. "Maa......!! !! main B.A.first class first pass ho gaya hu"
followed by the "jug jug jiyo beta. aj tere pita hote to kitna
kush hote"
12. Ye aap kya kah rahe hai bhai-sahab.
11.Thakur daya karo.......Ghar mein do jawan betiya hai.
10. Kuttay, Kameenay.... .....!!!! !!! mai tumhe jaan se maar doonga
9. Mai tumhara ehasaan zindagi bhar nahin bhuloonga
8. Itnay paisay tum kahan se laaye....... ...?????
7. Main tumharay bina mar jaa-oongi.
6. Bacchhhaaaaaooooo. .....
5. Chhodiye na.......... ......!!! !!!!! log kya kahenge
4. Bataoo, heeray kahan hai......... ..????
3. Tum mere liye mar chuke ho.
2. Police meeray peechay lagi hui hai.
And there is a tie for number one dialogue .......
1. Mai tumharay bachhe ki maa ban-nay waali hoon.
or
1.Use hath lagane se pehle tumhe meri lash par se gujarna hoga
or
1."Humare yah nanha mehman ane wala hai" followed by "Sach"
Ego - Osho
I have told you a story that I love.... A Japanese king went to see Master Lin Chi. He touched the feet of the master and before he could say anything, Lin Chi said, "You idiot! You don't know even manners."
The king completely forgot for what he had come. He pulled out his sword, and Lin Chi laughed. He said, "You have forgotten your question. Now I remind you" -- because the king had sent his prime minister before him to inform Lin Chi that he is coming and his question is, "What is hell and what is heaven?" Now, when the sword was just about to fall on his neck, Lin Chi said, "Wait a minute! This is the door of hell."
The king was shocked. His hand stopped. He put back the sword in the sheath, and Lin Chi said, "That is the door of heaven. You had forgotten your question, but your prime minister told me. It was good that he told me before, otherwise you would have killed a poor man unnecessarily, and you would have suffered hell -- because hell is not anywhere else but in your ego. When I said, `You idiot!' what was the trouble? Why did you become so angry? Who was hurt? It is your ego that was hurt."
If you don't have any ego, it doesn't matter whether somebody says you are an idiot or somebody says you are a genius. It does not matter... they are their opinions. You know who you are -- you don't depend on other people's opinions. Your ego depends. Your ego keeps you a slave of the society in which you live. Ordinarily people think that their ego is something very precious. It is nothing but their slavery.
A man becomes independent and free and individual only when he has dropped his ego, when he is just a silent being, without any idea of "I" -- just a pure silence... THIS silence. And if in this silence you look inward, you will not find any "I," any ego, any self, but just a pure space.
This pure space is your spirituality. This pure space is your enlightenment. This pure space is your ultimate ecstasy.
The ego is preventing everything. Ego is making you a beggar, while you are an emperor of a great empire. Of course, that empire does not belong to the outside world; it is in your own being, but its vastness is as big as the universe itself. Your ego is keeping you encaged, imprisoned. Don't nourish it... and I am saying it because I know it is everybody's possibility not to nourish the ego and to get out into the open sky. Nivedano, learn to laugh at your own ego. The moment you are gripped by your ego, relax and have a good laugh.
And don't be worried... and I know you are crazy, you will not be worried what people think about you. But if you can laugh at your ego, that is the best way to kill it. Don't be serious about your ego, because that is very nourishing food for the ego. That's why all egoists are serious people.
The people who can laugh and enjoy and be playful are never egoists. It is on this particular point that I disagree with all the religions of the world. They have made people's egos very strong by teaching them to be serious about life.
My effort is to erase the tremendous impact of millions of years of religious training. On the one hand they say, "Drop the ego," and on the other hand they don't allow the childlike playfulness.... On the one hand they go on insisting, "Drop the ego," and on the other hand they don't have any sense of humor.
No religion in the world has accepted a sense of humor as one of the fundamental religious qualities. I accept it, and I want that no religion can possibly exist in the future unless it has as a fundamental quality the sense of humor. A religion without laughter... a God who cannot laugh and dance and sing is not worthy of being God. Send him to hell!
The king completely forgot for what he had come. He pulled out his sword, and Lin Chi laughed. He said, "You have forgotten your question. Now I remind you" -- because the king had sent his prime minister before him to inform Lin Chi that he is coming and his question is, "What is hell and what is heaven?" Now, when the sword was just about to fall on his neck, Lin Chi said, "Wait a minute! This is the door of hell."
The king was shocked. His hand stopped. He put back the sword in the sheath, and Lin Chi said, "That is the door of heaven. You had forgotten your question, but your prime minister told me. It was good that he told me before, otherwise you would have killed a poor man unnecessarily, and you would have suffered hell -- because hell is not anywhere else but in your ego. When I said, `You idiot!' what was the trouble? Why did you become so angry? Who was hurt? It is your ego that was hurt."
If you don't have any ego, it doesn't matter whether somebody says you are an idiot or somebody says you are a genius. It does not matter... they are their opinions. You know who you are -- you don't depend on other people's opinions. Your ego depends. Your ego keeps you a slave of the society in which you live. Ordinarily people think that their ego is something very precious. It is nothing but their slavery.
A man becomes independent and free and individual only when he has dropped his ego, when he is just a silent being, without any idea of "I" -- just a pure silence... THIS silence. And if in this silence you look inward, you will not find any "I," any ego, any self, but just a pure space.
This pure space is your spirituality. This pure space is your enlightenment. This pure space is your ultimate ecstasy.
The ego is preventing everything. Ego is making you a beggar, while you are an emperor of a great empire. Of course, that empire does not belong to the outside world; it is in your own being, but its vastness is as big as the universe itself. Your ego is keeping you encaged, imprisoned. Don't nourish it... and I am saying it because I know it is everybody's possibility not to nourish the ego and to get out into the open sky. Nivedano, learn to laugh at your own ego. The moment you are gripped by your ego, relax and have a good laugh.
And don't be worried... and I know you are crazy, you will not be worried what people think about you. But if you can laugh at your ego, that is the best way to kill it. Don't be serious about your ego, because that is very nourishing food for the ego. That's why all egoists are serious people.
The people who can laugh and enjoy and be playful are never egoists. It is on this particular point that I disagree with all the religions of the world. They have made people's egos very strong by teaching them to be serious about life.
My effort is to erase the tremendous impact of millions of years of religious training. On the one hand they say, "Drop the ego," and on the other hand they don't allow the childlike playfulness.... On the one hand they go on insisting, "Drop the ego," and on the other hand they don't have any sense of humor.
No religion in the world has accepted a sense of humor as one of the fundamental religious qualities. I accept it, and I want that no religion can possibly exist in the future unless it has as a fundamental quality the sense of humor. A religion without laughter... a God who cannot laugh and dance and sing is not worthy of being God. Send him to hell!
Aztecs
The Aztecs/Mexicas were the Native American people who dominated northern México at the time of the Spanish conquest led by Hernan CORTES in the early 16th century. According to their own legends, they originated from a place called Aztlan, somewhere in north or northwest Mexico. At that time the Aztecs (who referred to themselves as the Mexica or Tenochca) were a small, nomadic, Nahuatl-speaking aggregation of tribal peoples living on the margins of civilized Mesoamerica. Sometime in the 12th century they embarked on a period of wandering and in the 13th century settled in the central basin of México. Continually dislodged by the small city-states that fought one another in shifting alliances, the Aztecs finally found refuge on small islands in Lake Texcoco where, in 1325, they founded the town of TENOCHTITLAN (modern-day Mexico City). The term Aztec, originally associated with the migrant Mexica, is today a collective term, applied to all the peoples linked by trade, custom, religion, and language to these founders.
Fearless warriors and pragmatic builders, the Aztecs created an empire during the 15th century that was surpassed in size in the Americas only by that of the Incas in Peru. As early texts and modern archaeology continue to reveal, beyond their conquests and many of their religious practices, there were many positive achievements:
the formation of a highly specialized and stratified society and an imperial administration
the expansion of a trading network as well as a tribute system
the development and maintenance of a sophisticated agricultural economy, carefully adjusted to the land and the cultivation of an intellectual and religious outlook that held society to be an integral part of the cosmos.
The yearly round of rites and ceremonies in the cities of Tenochtitlan and neighboring Tetzcoco, and their symbolic art and architecture, gave expression to an ancient awareness of the interdependence of nature and humanity.
The Aztecs remain the most extensively documented of all Amerindian civilizations at the time of European contact in the 16th century. Spanish friars, soldiers, and historians and scholars of Indian or mixed descent left invaluable records of all aspects of life. These ethnohistoric sources, linked to modern archaeological inquiries and studies of ethnologists, linguists, historians, and art historians, portray the formation and flourishing of a complex imperial state.
Clockwise, the days of the Aztec Calendar are as follows:
Twenty Days of the Aztec Month
Snake - Coatl
Lizard - Cuetzpallin
House - Calli
Wind - Ehecatl
Crocodile - Cipactli
Flower - Xochitl
Rain - Quiahuitl
Flint - Tecpatl
Movement - Ollin
Vulture - Cozcacuauhtli
Eagle - Cuauhtle
Jaguar - Ocelotl
Cane - Acatl
Herb - Malinalli
Monkey - Ozomatli
Hairless Dog - Itzquintli
Water - Atl
Rabbit - Tochtli
Deer - Mazatl
Skull - Miquiztli
________________________________
Aztec Gods
Religion was extremely important in Aztec life. They worshipped hundreds of gods and goddesses, each of whom ruled one or more human activities or aspects of nature. The people had many agricultural gods because their culture was based heavily on farming; also they included natural elements and ancestor-heroes. These gods included:
CENTEOTL, the corn god.
COATLICUE - She of the Serpent Skirt.
EHECATL, the god of wind.
HUEHUETEOTL, "the old, old deity," was one of the names of the cult of fire, among the oldest in Mesoamerica. The maintenance of fires in the temples was a principal priestly duty, and the renewal of fire was identified with the renewal of time itself.
HUITZILOPOCHTLI, (the war/sun god and special guardian of Tenochtitlan) the deified ancestral warrior-hero, was the Mexica-Aztec patron par excellence. His temple (next to that of Tlaloc) on the Main Pyramid was the focus of fearsome sacrifices of prisoners captured by Aztec warriors. Victims' heads were strung as trophies on a great rack, the Tzompantli, erected in the precinct below.
MICTLANTECUHTLE, god of the dead.
OMETECUHLTI and his wife OMECIHUATL created all life in the world.
QUETZALCOATL, (the god of civilization and learning) "quetzal (feather) serpent," had dozens of associations. It was the name of a deity, a royal title, the name of a legendary priest-ruler, a title of high priestly office. But its most fundamental significance as a natural force is symbolized by the sculpture of a coiled plumed serpent rising from a base whose underside is carved with the symbols of the earth deity and Tlaloc. The image of the serpent rising from the earth and bearing water on its tail is explained in the Nahuatl language by a description of Quetzalcoatl in terms of the rise of a powerful thunderstorm sweeping down, with wind raising dust before bringing rain.
TEZCATLIPOCA, (god of Night and Sorcery) "Smoking Mirror" (obsidian), characterized as the most powerful, supreme deity, was associated with the notion of destiny. His cult was particularly identified with royalty, for Tezcatlipoca was the object of the lengthy and reverent prayers in rites of kingship.
TLALOC, the rain deity, belonged to another most memorable and universal cult of ancient Mexico. The name may be Aztec, but the idea of a storm god especially identified with mountaintop shrines and life-giving rain was certainly as old as Teotihuacan. The primary temple of this major deity was located atop Mt. Tlaloc, where human victims were sacrificed to fertilize water-rocks within the sacred enclosure. In Tenochtitlan another Tlaloc temple shared the platform atop the dual Main Pyramid, a symbolic mountain.
TONATIUH, the sun, was perceived as a primary source of life whose special devotees were the warriors. The warriors were charged with the mission to provide the sun with sacrificial victims. A special altar to the sun was used for sacrifices in coronation rites, a fact that signifies the importance of the deity. The east-west path of the sun determined the principal ritual axis in the design of Aztec cities.
TONANTZIN, "honored grandmother," was among the many names of the female earth-deity.
TEZCATLIPOCA, an all-powerful god; Tonatiuh, the sun god.
XILONEN, "young maize ear," and Chicomecoatl, "seven serpent," were principal deities of maize representing the chief staple of Mesoamerican peoples.
XIPE TOTEC, the god of springtime and regrowth.
XIUHTECUHTLE the fire god.
________________________________
The following is a list of Aztec Emperors:
NAME TRANSLATION DATES SERVED
TENOCH TUNA DE PIEDRA 1325-1375
ACAMAPICHTLI MANOJO DE CANAS 1376-1396
HUITZILIHUITL PLUMA DE COLIBRI 1397-1417
CHIMALPOPOCA ESCUDO HUMEANTE 1418-1427
ITZCOATL SERPIENTE DE OBSIDIANA 1428-1440
MOCTEZUMA ILHUICAMINA EL FLECHADOR DEL CIELO 1441-1469
AXAYACATL CARA DE AGUA 1470-1481
TIZOC PIERNA ENFERMA 1482-1486
AHUITZOTL PERRO DE AGUA 1487-1502
MOCTEZUMA XOCOYOTZIN EL SENOR VALEROSO 1503-1520
CUITALAHUAC EXCREMENTO SECO 1520-1521
________________________________
CUAUHTEMOC
(He who decends like an eagle.)
1520-1521
{koo-ow-tay'-mawk}
Cuauhtemoc, c.1495-1525, became ruler of the AZTECS in 1521, during the siege of TENOCHTITLAN, and led the final desperate resistance of that city against the Spanish conquistadors. After weeks of street fighting, he surrendered to Hernan CORTES. This act marked the end of the Aztec empire and the beginning of Spanish dominion in Mexico.
Cuauhtemoc was first treated kindly by the Spanish, then imprisoned and tortured, and finally hanged during Cortes's march to Honduras, on a charge of plotting treachery. A tomb below the church at his birthplace, Ixcateopan in Guerrero, is said to contain his remains, but not all scholars accept this attribution.
________________________________
Aztec Books, Documents, and Writing
Aztec Bibliography <mailto:web@PageGetter.com?subject=Press send to receive the page you requested - Automated request for webpage&body=http://www.public.iastate.edu/~rjsalvad/scmfaq/aztecbib.html>
Berdan, Frances F., and Anawalt, Patricia, eds., The Codex Mendoza, 4 vols. (1992)
Berdan, Frances. Aztecs of Central Mexico: An Imperial Society. Holt, 1982. Ethnographic reconstruction of preconquest Aztec culture.
Carrasco, David, ed., To Change Place: Aztec Ceremonial Landscapes (1991)
Caso, Alfonso. The Aztecs, People of the Sun. Oklahoma, 1978. Trans. Lowell Dunham. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1958. Contends that Aztecs were primarily religious people and lived accordingly.
Castillo, Bernal Diaz, The Discovery and Conquest of Mexico, trans. by A. P. Maudsley (1956)
Chimalpain's " Diferentes Historias Originales de los Reinos de Culhuacan y México y de Otras Provincias "
Clendinnen, Inga. Aztecs: An Interpretation. Cambridge, 1991. Describes the lives of "ordinary" Aztecs.
Cortes, Hernan, Letters from Mexico, trans. by A. R. Pagden (1971)
Cortez, Hernando ' "Cartas de Relación " (a series of five letters written by the conqueror to king Charles V, published in Spanish by Porrúa Hermanos and in English by Norton & Co. as translated by J. Bayard Morris)
Davies, Nigel. The Aztecs: A History. Oklahoma, 1980; 1986. Political history spanning 400-year empire before Spanish conquest.
del Castillo, Berná Diaz. Discovery and Conquest of Mexico. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Cudahy, 1956.
Duran, Diego 's "Book of the Gods and Rites and the Ancient Calendar " (translated by Doris Heyden and Fernando Horcasitas in a 1971 edition by the Univ. of Oklahoma Press)
Hassig, Ross. Aztec Warfare: Imperial Expansion and Political Control. Oklahoma, 1988. An examination of the Aztec Empire in terms of its own goals and objectives.
Karen, Ruth. Feathered Serpent: The Rise and Fall of the Aztecs. Four Winds, 1979. The origins of the civilization, brutal cultural organization, and military conquest by Spaniards.
Leó, Miguel. The Aztec Image of Self and Society. Ed. J. Jorge Klow de Alva. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1992.
Leon-Portilla, Miguel. Aztec Image of Self and Society. Utah, 1992. "An Introduction to Nahua Culture" (subtitle).
Leon-Portilla, Miguel, ed. The Broken Spears: An Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico. Beacon, 1962. Translations of a selection of indigenous accounts of the conquest.
Leon-Portilla, Miguel's "Aztec Thought and Culture " (Univ. Oklahoma Press, 1963; several printings), A classic analysis of the Aztec mind, a translation of the author's 1956 Spanish original: "La FilosofíaNahuatl " (UNAM, Mexico City).
Matos Moctezuma, Eduardo. Aztecs. Rizzoli, 1989. Draws on both archaeological and ethnohistorical evidence.The Mighty Aztecs. National Geographic, 1981. Illustrated overview of their short-lived glories.
Moctezuma, Eduardo Matos. The Great Temple of the Aztecs. Trans. Doris Heyden. New York: Thames and Hudson, Ltd., 1988.
Soustelle, Jacques's "La Vida Cotidiana de los Aztecas en Vísperas de la Conquista " (1956, Fondo de Cultura Económica, Mexico City, many printings), a translation from the original French work published in 1955.
Tezozomoc, Fernando Alvarado 's "Crónica Mexicayotl " (1975, UNAM, Mexico City).
Townsend, Richard F., The Aztecs (1992)
Weaver, Muriel Porter. The Aztecs, Maya, and Their Predecessors Archeology of Mesoamerica. New York: Seminar Press, 1972.
Fearless warriors and pragmatic builders, the Aztecs created an empire during the 15th century that was surpassed in size in the Americas only by that of the Incas in Peru. As early texts and modern archaeology continue to reveal, beyond their conquests and many of their religious practices, there were many positive achievements:
the formation of a highly specialized and stratified society and an imperial administration
the expansion of a trading network as well as a tribute system
the development and maintenance of a sophisticated agricultural economy, carefully adjusted to the land and the cultivation of an intellectual and religious outlook that held society to be an integral part of the cosmos.
The yearly round of rites and ceremonies in the cities of Tenochtitlan and neighboring Tetzcoco, and their symbolic art and architecture, gave expression to an ancient awareness of the interdependence of nature and humanity.
The Aztecs remain the most extensively documented of all Amerindian civilizations at the time of European contact in the 16th century. Spanish friars, soldiers, and historians and scholars of Indian or mixed descent left invaluable records of all aspects of life. These ethnohistoric sources, linked to modern archaeological inquiries and studies of ethnologists, linguists, historians, and art historians, portray the formation and flourishing of a complex imperial state.
Clockwise, the days of the Aztec Calendar are as follows:
Twenty Days of the Aztec Month
Snake - Coatl
Lizard - Cuetzpallin
House - Calli
Wind - Ehecatl
Crocodile - Cipactli
Flower - Xochitl
Rain - Quiahuitl
Flint - Tecpatl
Movement - Ollin
Vulture - Cozcacuauhtli
Eagle - Cuauhtle
Jaguar - Ocelotl
Cane - Acatl
Herb - Malinalli
Monkey - Ozomatli
Hairless Dog - Itzquintli
Water - Atl
Rabbit - Tochtli
Deer - Mazatl
Skull - Miquiztli
________________________________
Aztec Gods
Religion was extremely important in Aztec life. They worshipped hundreds of gods and goddesses, each of whom ruled one or more human activities or aspects of nature. The people had many agricultural gods because their culture was based heavily on farming; also they included natural elements and ancestor-heroes. These gods included:
CENTEOTL, the corn god.
COATLICUE - She of the Serpent Skirt.
EHECATL, the god of wind.
HUEHUETEOTL, "the old, old deity," was one of the names of the cult of fire, among the oldest in Mesoamerica. The maintenance of fires in the temples was a principal priestly duty, and the renewal of fire was identified with the renewal of time itself.
HUITZILOPOCHTLI, (the war/sun god and special guardian of Tenochtitlan) the deified ancestral warrior-hero, was the Mexica-Aztec patron par excellence. His temple (next to that of Tlaloc) on the Main Pyramid was the focus of fearsome sacrifices of prisoners captured by Aztec warriors. Victims' heads were strung as trophies on a great rack, the Tzompantli, erected in the precinct below.
MICTLANTECUHTLE, god of the dead.
OMETECUHLTI and his wife OMECIHUATL created all life in the world.
QUETZALCOATL, (the god of civilization and learning) "quetzal (feather) serpent," had dozens of associations. It was the name of a deity, a royal title, the name of a legendary priest-ruler, a title of high priestly office. But its most fundamental significance as a natural force is symbolized by the sculpture of a coiled plumed serpent rising from a base whose underside is carved with the symbols of the earth deity and Tlaloc. The image of the serpent rising from the earth and bearing water on its tail is explained in the Nahuatl language by a description of Quetzalcoatl in terms of the rise of a powerful thunderstorm sweeping down, with wind raising dust before bringing rain.
TEZCATLIPOCA, (god of Night and Sorcery) "Smoking Mirror" (obsidian), characterized as the most powerful, supreme deity, was associated with the notion of destiny. His cult was particularly identified with royalty, for Tezcatlipoca was the object of the lengthy and reverent prayers in rites of kingship.
TLALOC, the rain deity, belonged to another most memorable and universal cult of ancient Mexico. The name may be Aztec, but the idea of a storm god especially identified with mountaintop shrines and life-giving rain was certainly as old as Teotihuacan. The primary temple of this major deity was located atop Mt. Tlaloc, where human victims were sacrificed to fertilize water-rocks within the sacred enclosure. In Tenochtitlan another Tlaloc temple shared the platform atop the dual Main Pyramid, a symbolic mountain.
TONATIUH, the sun, was perceived as a primary source of life whose special devotees were the warriors. The warriors were charged with the mission to provide the sun with sacrificial victims. A special altar to the sun was used for sacrifices in coronation rites, a fact that signifies the importance of the deity. The east-west path of the sun determined the principal ritual axis in the design of Aztec cities.
TONANTZIN, "honored grandmother," was among the many names of the female earth-deity.
TEZCATLIPOCA, an all-powerful god; Tonatiuh, the sun god.
XILONEN, "young maize ear," and Chicomecoatl, "seven serpent," were principal deities of maize representing the chief staple of Mesoamerican peoples.
XIPE TOTEC, the god of springtime and regrowth.
XIUHTECUHTLE the fire god.
________________________________
The following is a list of Aztec Emperors:
NAME TRANSLATION DATES SERVED
TENOCH TUNA DE PIEDRA 1325-1375
ACAMAPICHTLI MANOJO DE CANAS 1376-1396
HUITZILIHUITL PLUMA DE COLIBRI 1397-1417
CHIMALPOPOCA ESCUDO HUMEANTE 1418-1427
ITZCOATL SERPIENTE DE OBSIDIANA 1428-1440
MOCTEZUMA ILHUICAMINA EL FLECHADOR DEL CIELO 1441-1469
AXAYACATL CARA DE AGUA 1470-1481
TIZOC PIERNA ENFERMA 1482-1486
AHUITZOTL PERRO DE AGUA 1487-1502
MOCTEZUMA XOCOYOTZIN EL SENOR VALEROSO 1503-1520
CUITALAHUAC EXCREMENTO SECO 1520-1521
________________________________
CUAUHTEMOC
(He who decends like an eagle.)
1520-1521
{koo-ow-tay'-mawk}
Cuauhtemoc, c.1495-1525, became ruler of the AZTECS in 1521, during the siege of TENOCHTITLAN, and led the final desperate resistance of that city against the Spanish conquistadors. After weeks of street fighting, he surrendered to Hernan CORTES. This act marked the end of the Aztec empire and the beginning of Spanish dominion in Mexico.
Cuauhtemoc was first treated kindly by the Spanish, then imprisoned and tortured, and finally hanged during Cortes's march to Honduras, on a charge of plotting treachery. A tomb below the church at his birthplace, Ixcateopan in Guerrero, is said to contain his remains, but not all scholars accept this attribution.
________________________________
Aztec Books, Documents, and Writing
Aztec Bibliography <mailto:web@PageGetter.com?subject=Press send to receive the page you requested - Automated request for webpage&body=http://www.public.iastate.edu/~rjsalvad/scmfaq/aztecbib.html>
Berdan, Frances F., and Anawalt, Patricia, eds., The Codex Mendoza, 4 vols. (1992)
Berdan, Frances. Aztecs of Central Mexico: An Imperial Society. Holt, 1982. Ethnographic reconstruction of preconquest Aztec culture.
Carrasco, David, ed., To Change Place: Aztec Ceremonial Landscapes (1991)
Caso, Alfonso. The Aztecs, People of the Sun. Oklahoma, 1978. Trans. Lowell Dunham. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1958. Contends that Aztecs were primarily religious people and lived accordingly.
Castillo, Bernal Diaz, The Discovery and Conquest of Mexico, trans. by A. P. Maudsley (1956)
Chimalpain's " Diferentes Historias Originales de los Reinos de Culhuacan y México y de Otras Provincias "
Clendinnen, Inga. Aztecs: An Interpretation. Cambridge, 1991. Describes the lives of "ordinary" Aztecs.
Cortes, Hernan, Letters from Mexico, trans. by A. R. Pagden (1971)
Cortez, Hernando ' "Cartas de Relación " (a series of five letters written by the conqueror to king Charles V, published in Spanish by Porrúa Hermanos and in English by Norton & Co. as translated by J. Bayard Morris)
Davies, Nigel. The Aztecs: A History. Oklahoma, 1980; 1986. Political history spanning 400-year empire before Spanish conquest.
del Castillo, Berná Diaz. Discovery and Conquest of Mexico. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Cudahy, 1956.
Duran, Diego 's "Book of the Gods and Rites and the Ancient Calendar " (translated by Doris Heyden and Fernando Horcasitas in a 1971 edition by the Univ. of Oklahoma Press)
Hassig, Ross. Aztec Warfare: Imperial Expansion and Political Control. Oklahoma, 1988. An examination of the Aztec Empire in terms of its own goals and objectives.
Karen, Ruth. Feathered Serpent: The Rise and Fall of the Aztecs. Four Winds, 1979. The origins of the civilization, brutal cultural organization, and military conquest by Spaniards.
Leó, Miguel. The Aztec Image of Self and Society. Ed. J. Jorge Klow de Alva. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1992.
Leon-Portilla, Miguel. Aztec Image of Self and Society. Utah, 1992. "An Introduction to Nahua Culture" (subtitle).
Leon-Portilla, Miguel, ed. The Broken Spears: An Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico. Beacon, 1962. Translations of a selection of indigenous accounts of the conquest.
Leon-Portilla, Miguel's "Aztec Thought and Culture " (Univ. Oklahoma Press, 1963; several printings), A classic analysis of the Aztec mind, a translation of the author's 1956 Spanish original: "La FilosofíaNahuatl " (UNAM, Mexico City).
Matos Moctezuma, Eduardo. Aztecs. Rizzoli, 1989. Draws on both archaeological and ethnohistorical evidence.The Mighty Aztecs. National Geographic, 1981. Illustrated overview of their short-lived glories.
Moctezuma, Eduardo Matos. The Great Temple of the Aztecs. Trans. Doris Heyden. New York: Thames and Hudson, Ltd., 1988.
Soustelle, Jacques's "La Vida Cotidiana de los Aztecas en Vísperas de la Conquista " (1956, Fondo de Cultura Económica, Mexico City, many printings), a translation from the original French work published in 1955.
Tezozomoc, Fernando Alvarado 's "Crónica Mexicayotl " (1975, UNAM, Mexico City).
Townsend, Richard F., The Aztecs (1992)
Weaver, Muriel Porter. The Aztecs, Maya, and Their Predecessors Archeology of Mesoamerica. New York: Seminar Press, 1972.
Vegetarianism
50 Reasons to be a Vegetarian
There are many reasons to abstain from real animal products. Here are fifty of the best reasons I can think of, all abstracted from The Lumen Book. -- G.J. Caton
Environmental / Ecological
Conservation of Fossil Fuel. It takes 78 calories of fossil fuel to produce 1 calorie of beef protein; 35 calories for 1 calorie of pork; 22 calories for 1 calorie of poultry; but just 1 calorie of fossil fuel for 1 calorie of soybeans. By eating plant foods instead of animal foods, I help conserve our non-renewable sources of energy.
Water Conservation. It takes 3 to 15 times are much water to produce animal protein as it does plant protein. As a vegetarian I contribute to water conservation.
Efficient Use of Grains. It takes up to 16 pounds of soybeans and grains to produce 1 pound of beef and between 3 and 6 pounds to produce 1 pound of pork, turkey and egg. By eating grain foods directly, I make the food supply more efficient and that contributes to the environment.
Soil Conservation. When grains and legumes are used more efficiently, our precious topsoil is automatically made more efficient in its use. We use less agricultural resources to provide for the same number of people.
Saving Our Forests. Tropical forests in Brazil and other tropic regions are destroyed daily, in part, to create more acreage to raise livestock. By not supporting the meat industry I directly reduce the demand to pillage these irreplaceable treasures of nature. Since the forest land "filters" our air supply and contains botanical sources for new medicines, this destruction is in many ways irreversible.
Aesthetics. Decaying animal parts, whether in a freezer case or served in public restaurants can never be as aestheically pleasing to the senses as the same foods made from wholesome vegetable sources. Only habit can allow one not to perceive this; a change in diet makes this self-evident.
Personal Health
No Deficiencies. There is no nutrient necessary for optimal human functioning which cannot be obtained from plant food.
High Fat Plus Cholesterol. Animal foods are higher in fat than most plant foods, particularly saturated fats. They contain cholesterol; plants do not.
Carbohydrate Deficient. Meat is deficient in carbohydrates, particularly the starches, which are so essential to proper health.
Vitamin Deficient. Except for the B-complex, meat is largely deficient in vitamins.
Agricultural Chemicals. Being higher on the food chain, animal foods contain fat higher concentration of agricultural chemicals than plant foods, including pesticides, herbicides, etc.
Exposure to Livestock Drugs. There are 20,000 different drugs, including sterols, antibiotics, growth hormones, and other veterinary pharmaceuticals that are given to livestock animals. I consume these drugs when I consume animal foods. The dangers therein, particularly in secondary consumption of antibiotics, have been well documented.
Pathogenic Micro-Organisms. There are a host of bacteria and viruses, some quite dangerous, that are common to animals. When I eat meat, I eat the organisms present in the meat. Micro-organisms are present in plant foods, too, but ther number and potential danger to human health is by no means comparable. This is because animals are so close to us both anatomically and physiologically.
Worms and Other Parasites. Also common to animals. The same argument applies here as that for Pathogenic Micro-Organisms.
Shelf-Life Differential. Plant foods "last" longer than animal foods. Try this experiment: leave out a head of lettuce and a pound of hamburger for one full day. Which one will make you sick?
Organoleptic Indications of Pathogens. Plant foods tend to give tell-tale signs of "going bad" much sooner than animal foods. Did you ever hear of somebody getting sick from "bad broccoli"?
Heart Disease. Meat-eating increases the risk of heart disease, the No. 1 killer in the U.S. The correlation is an epidemiological fact.
Cancer Prevention. Of all the natural cancer prevention substances found: Vitamin C, B-17, hydroquinones, beta-carotene, NDGA -- none has been found to be animal-derived. Yet most meats, when cooked, produce an array of benzenes and other carcinogenic compounds. Cancer is infinitely easier to prevent than to cure. Soybeans, for one, contain protease inhibitor, a powerful anti-cancer compound. You won't find it in useful quantities in animal food.
Disease Inducing. The correlation between meat consumption and a wide range of degenerative diseases is well-founded and includes...
Osteoporosis. Strong correlation.
Kidney Stones and Gallstones. Strong correlation.
Diabetes. Strong correlation.
Senile Dementia. Meat-eaters are up to three times as likely to suffer from dementia in old age; in addition, there's a strong correlation with multiple sclerosis.
Arthritis. Strong correlation.
Gum Disease. Compelling correlation.
Acne. Aggravated by animal foods.
Obesity. Vegetarians tend to be thinner than meat-eaters, and studies contain it. Obesity is considered by many doctors to be a disease in itself.
Intestinal Toxemia. The condition of the intestinal flora is critical to overall health. Animal products putrefy in the colon.
Transit Time. Wholesome food travels quickly through the "G.I. tract," leaving little time to spoil and incite disease in the body. Animal products uniformly have longer transit times.
Fiber Deficient. Fiber absorbs unwanted, excess fats; cleans the intestines; provides bulk and aids in peristalsis. Plant food is high in fiber content; meat, poultry and dairy products have none.
Body Wastes. Food from animals contain their waste, including adrenaline, uric and lactic acid, etc. Before adding ketchup, the biggest contributors to the "flavor profile" of a hamburger are the leftover blood and urine.
Excess Protein. The average American eats 400% of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for protein. This causes excess nitrogen in the blood that creates a host of long-term health problems.
Longevity. To increase one's risk of getting degenerative disease means decreasing one's chance to live a naturally-long, healthy life. Huzas and other peoples with large centenarian populations maintain lifestyles that require little or no meat.
Well-Being. I just feel better since "giving up" meat and becoming a vegetarian.
Personal Finances
Health Care Cost. Being healthier from a vegetarian diet means spending less on health care.
Food Costs. Vegetarian food tends to cost less than meat-based items.
Ethics
Love of Animals. I love animals myself. I have no desire to kill them or cause them harm, just as I have no desire to have someone kill or harm me.
Stance Against Factory Farming. I cannot make a statement about the inhumanity of factory farming if I, myself, eat animals.
Respect for Sentient Life. I show gratitude to my Creator by eating as low on the food chain as possible.
"Economic Vote." I support the meat industry and the way they operate when I purchase and use their products. I do not wish to do this.
Small Sacrifice. The sacrifice I make is nothing compared to the poor animal's.
Spirituality
God-Given Diet. Our hands, teeth, feet, intestinal tract... even our body chemistry is that of an herbivore. As it states in Genesis: "Behold I have given you every fruit of every seed... and to you it shall be for meat."
Reciprocity. As you sow, so shall you reap. If I partake of the slaughter of animals, I will have to repay my contribution to that act.
"Protecting the Temple." "Whatever affects the body has a corresponding effect on the mind and soul." (E.G. White)
I Believe in Non-Violence. There is nothing non-violent about the senseless slaughter of animals, when more nutritious protein foods are available in their stead.
World Peace. There can never be peace among men while men are declaring war on other highly developed life forms. This, too, is the Law of Return, and I prefer to contribute to World Peace.
Clear Conscience. I know I'm doing right. I feel good inside about my decision to remain "meatless."
Example. To live in this way is to project the underlying spiritual values to those around me.
Easy Substitutes. There is now a vegetable-based substitute for every meat product imaginable, which brings us to...
The Whole Earth Vegetarian Catalogue!
There are many reasons to abstain from real animal products. Here are fifty of the best reasons I can think of, all abstracted from The Lumen Book. -- G.J. Caton
Environmental / Ecological
Conservation of Fossil Fuel. It takes 78 calories of fossil fuel to produce 1 calorie of beef protein; 35 calories for 1 calorie of pork; 22 calories for 1 calorie of poultry; but just 1 calorie of fossil fuel for 1 calorie of soybeans. By eating plant foods instead of animal foods, I help conserve our non-renewable sources of energy.
Water Conservation. It takes 3 to 15 times are much water to produce animal protein as it does plant protein. As a vegetarian I contribute to water conservation.
Efficient Use of Grains. It takes up to 16 pounds of soybeans and grains to produce 1 pound of beef and between 3 and 6 pounds to produce 1 pound of pork, turkey and egg. By eating grain foods directly, I make the food supply more efficient and that contributes to the environment.
Soil Conservation. When grains and legumes are used more efficiently, our precious topsoil is automatically made more efficient in its use. We use less agricultural resources to provide for the same number of people.
Saving Our Forests. Tropical forests in Brazil and other tropic regions are destroyed daily, in part, to create more acreage to raise livestock. By not supporting the meat industry I directly reduce the demand to pillage these irreplaceable treasures of nature. Since the forest land "filters" our air supply and contains botanical sources for new medicines, this destruction is in many ways irreversible.
Aesthetics. Decaying animal parts, whether in a freezer case or served in public restaurants can never be as aestheically pleasing to the senses as the same foods made from wholesome vegetable sources. Only habit can allow one not to perceive this; a change in diet makes this self-evident.
Personal Health
No Deficiencies. There is no nutrient necessary for optimal human functioning which cannot be obtained from plant food.
High Fat Plus Cholesterol. Animal foods are higher in fat than most plant foods, particularly saturated fats. They contain cholesterol; plants do not.
Carbohydrate Deficient. Meat is deficient in carbohydrates, particularly the starches, which are so essential to proper health.
Vitamin Deficient. Except for the B-complex, meat is largely deficient in vitamins.
Agricultural Chemicals. Being higher on the food chain, animal foods contain fat higher concentration of agricultural chemicals than plant foods, including pesticides, herbicides, etc.
Exposure to Livestock Drugs. There are 20,000 different drugs, including sterols, antibiotics, growth hormones, and other veterinary pharmaceuticals that are given to livestock animals. I consume these drugs when I consume animal foods. The dangers therein, particularly in secondary consumption of antibiotics, have been well documented.
Pathogenic Micro-Organisms. There are a host of bacteria and viruses, some quite dangerous, that are common to animals. When I eat meat, I eat the organisms present in the meat. Micro-organisms are present in plant foods, too, but ther number and potential danger to human health is by no means comparable. This is because animals are so close to us both anatomically and physiologically.
Worms and Other Parasites. Also common to animals. The same argument applies here as that for Pathogenic Micro-Organisms.
Shelf-Life Differential. Plant foods "last" longer than animal foods. Try this experiment: leave out a head of lettuce and a pound of hamburger for one full day. Which one will make you sick?
Organoleptic Indications of Pathogens. Plant foods tend to give tell-tale signs of "going bad" much sooner than animal foods. Did you ever hear of somebody getting sick from "bad broccoli"?
Heart Disease. Meat-eating increases the risk of heart disease, the No. 1 killer in the U.S. The correlation is an epidemiological fact.
Cancer Prevention. Of all the natural cancer prevention substances found: Vitamin C, B-17, hydroquinones, beta-carotene, NDGA -- none has been found to be animal-derived. Yet most meats, when cooked, produce an array of benzenes and other carcinogenic compounds. Cancer is infinitely easier to prevent than to cure. Soybeans, for one, contain protease inhibitor, a powerful anti-cancer compound. You won't find it in useful quantities in animal food.
Disease Inducing. The correlation between meat consumption and a wide range of degenerative diseases is well-founded and includes...
Osteoporosis. Strong correlation.
Kidney Stones and Gallstones. Strong correlation.
Diabetes. Strong correlation.
Senile Dementia. Meat-eaters are up to three times as likely to suffer from dementia in old age; in addition, there's a strong correlation with multiple sclerosis.
Arthritis. Strong correlation.
Gum Disease. Compelling correlation.
Acne. Aggravated by animal foods.
Obesity. Vegetarians tend to be thinner than meat-eaters, and studies contain it. Obesity is considered by many doctors to be a disease in itself.
Intestinal Toxemia. The condition of the intestinal flora is critical to overall health. Animal products putrefy in the colon.
Transit Time. Wholesome food travels quickly through the "G.I. tract," leaving little time to spoil and incite disease in the body. Animal products uniformly have longer transit times.
Fiber Deficient. Fiber absorbs unwanted, excess fats; cleans the intestines; provides bulk and aids in peristalsis. Plant food is high in fiber content; meat, poultry and dairy products have none.
Body Wastes. Food from animals contain their waste, including adrenaline, uric and lactic acid, etc. Before adding ketchup, the biggest contributors to the "flavor profile" of a hamburger are the leftover blood and urine.
Excess Protein. The average American eats 400% of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for protein. This causes excess nitrogen in the blood that creates a host of long-term health problems.
Longevity. To increase one's risk of getting degenerative disease means decreasing one's chance to live a naturally-long, healthy life. Huzas and other peoples with large centenarian populations maintain lifestyles that require little or no meat.
Well-Being. I just feel better since "giving up" meat and becoming a vegetarian.
Personal Finances
Health Care Cost. Being healthier from a vegetarian diet means spending less on health care.
Food Costs. Vegetarian food tends to cost less than meat-based items.
Ethics
Love of Animals. I love animals myself. I have no desire to kill them or cause them harm, just as I have no desire to have someone kill or harm me.
Stance Against Factory Farming. I cannot make a statement about the inhumanity of factory farming if I, myself, eat animals.
Respect for Sentient Life. I show gratitude to my Creator by eating as low on the food chain as possible.
"Economic Vote." I support the meat industry and the way they operate when I purchase and use their products. I do not wish to do this.
Small Sacrifice. The sacrifice I make is nothing compared to the poor animal's.
Spirituality
God-Given Diet. Our hands, teeth, feet, intestinal tract... even our body chemistry is that of an herbivore. As it states in Genesis: "Behold I have given you every fruit of every seed... and to you it shall be for meat."
Reciprocity. As you sow, so shall you reap. If I partake of the slaughter of animals, I will have to repay my contribution to that act.
"Protecting the Temple." "Whatever affects the body has a corresponding effect on the mind and soul." (E.G. White)
I Believe in Non-Violence. There is nothing non-violent about the senseless slaughter of animals, when more nutritious protein foods are available in their stead.
World Peace. There can never be peace among men while men are declaring war on other highly developed life forms. This, too, is the Law of Return, and I prefer to contribute to World Peace.
Clear Conscience. I know I'm doing right. I feel good inside about my decision to remain "meatless."
Example. To live in this way is to project the underlying spiritual values to those around me.
Easy Substitutes. There is now a vegetable-based substitute for every meat product imaginable, which brings us to...
The Whole Earth Vegetarian Catalogue!
Warren Buffet
There was a one hour interview on CNBC with Warren Buffet, the second richest man who has donated $31 billion to charity. Here are some very interesting aspects of his life:
1) He bought his first share at age 11 and he now regrets that he started too late!
2) He bought a small farm at age 14 with savings from delivering newspapers.
3) He still lives in the same small 3 bedroom house in mid-town Omaha, that he bought after he got married 50 years ago. He says that he has everything he needs in that house. His house does not have a wall or a fence.
4) He drives his own car everywhere and does not have a driver or security people around him.
5) He never travels by private jet, although he owns the world's largest private jet company.
6) His company, Berkshire Hathaway, owns 63 companies. He writes only one letter each year to the CEOs of these companies, giving them goals for the year. He never holds meetings or calls them on a regular basis.
7) He has given his CEO's only two rules. Rule number 1: do not lose any of your share holder's money. Rule number 2: Do not forget rule number 1.
8) He does not socialize with the high society crowd. His past time after he gets home is to make himself some pop corn and watch television.
9) Bill Gates, the world's richest man met him for the first time only 5 years ago. Bill Gates did not think he had anything in common with Warren Buffet. So he had scheduled his meeting only for half hour. But when Gates met him, the meeting lasted for ten hours and Bill Gates became a devotee of Warren Buffet.
10) Warren Buffet does not carry a cell phone, nor has a computer on his desk.
11) His advice to young people: Stay away from credit cards and invest in yourself.
1) He bought his first share at age 11 and he now regrets that he started too late!
2) He bought a small farm at age 14 with savings from delivering newspapers.
3) He still lives in the same small 3 bedroom house in mid-town Omaha, that he bought after he got married 50 years ago. He says that he has everything he needs in that house. His house does not have a wall or a fence.
4) He drives his own car everywhere and does not have a driver or security people around him.
5) He never travels by private jet, although he owns the world's largest private jet company.
6) His company, Berkshire Hathaway, owns 63 companies. He writes only one letter each year to the CEOs of these companies, giving them goals for the year. He never holds meetings or calls them on a regular basis.
7) He has given his CEO's only two rules. Rule number 1: do not lose any of your share holder's money. Rule number 2: Do not forget rule number 1.
8) He does not socialize with the high society crowd. His past time after he gets home is to make himself some pop corn and watch television.
9) Bill Gates, the world's richest man met him for the first time only 5 years ago. Bill Gates did not think he had anything in common with Warren Buffet. So he had scheduled his meeting only for half hour. But when Gates met him, the meeting lasted for ten hours and Bill Gates became a devotee of Warren Buffet.
10) Warren Buffet does not carry a cell phone, nor has a computer on his desk.
11) His advice to young people: Stay away from credit cards and invest in yourself.
Halloween
Halloween is synonymous with pumpkins, Jack-o'-lanterns, goblins, ghouls, black cats, trick-or-treat, bonfires and candy. Some of the most memorable pictures are taken on this day when people dress up in the most whimsical clothes and become stars of their favorite stories for one night – the night of Oct 31 st.
The history of Halloween goes back more than 2,000 years. The Celtic people, who lived in the area that is present day Ireland, UK and Northern France celebrated Nov 1st as a holiday called 'Samhain'. This day marked the end of summer and start of cold and dark time in that region. The Celts believed that on the night before Samhain, the line between living and the dead was blurred and allowed the ghosts and spirits to intermingle with the living. There was also a belief that all those who had died the previous year, came back on this night to possess the living bodies for the next year. People therefore dressed up as demons and ghosts on this night to scare the evil spirits away. By A.D 43, Romans had conquered most of the Celtic territory and gradually assimilated some of their traditions. During this time, two Roman autumn festivals were combined with Samhain and a more modern festival of 'Halloween' was born.
Millions of European immigrants came to the United States in the late 1800's and brought with them the tradition of Halloween. The way Halloween is celebrated has evolved from the time it first came to America. Today, Halloween is the third largest party occasion in America next to Christmas and New Year's Eve. Parades, masquerade parties and other boisterous public celebrations take place on this day.
People not only wear scary costumes but also humorous outfits inspired by popular culture. Schools organize various activities like dances, games and poetry/story writing for children. Newspapers and magazines are filled with Halloween trivia – funny jokes, scary stories and messages. In addition to all the fun and frolic, a number of Halloween charity fundraisers are also held around this time.
In short, no matter what the age, Halloween is a day of celebration for everyone.
The history of Halloween goes back more than 2,000 years. The Celtic people, who lived in the area that is present day Ireland, UK and Northern France celebrated Nov 1st as a holiday called 'Samhain'. This day marked the end of summer and start of cold and dark time in that region. The Celts believed that on the night before Samhain, the line between living and the dead was blurred and allowed the ghosts and spirits to intermingle with the living. There was also a belief that all those who had died the previous year, came back on this night to possess the living bodies for the next year. People therefore dressed up as demons and ghosts on this night to scare the evil spirits away. By A.D 43, Romans had conquered most of the Celtic territory and gradually assimilated some of their traditions. During this time, two Roman autumn festivals were combined with Samhain and a more modern festival of 'Halloween' was born.
Millions of European immigrants came to the United States in the late 1800's and brought with them the tradition of Halloween. The way Halloween is celebrated has evolved from the time it first came to America. Today, Halloween is the third largest party occasion in America next to Christmas and New Year's Eve. Parades, masquerade parties and other boisterous public celebrations take place on this day.
People not only wear scary costumes but also humorous outfits inspired by popular culture. Schools organize various activities like dances, games and poetry/story writing for children. Newspapers and magazines are filled with Halloween trivia – funny jokes, scary stories and messages. In addition to all the fun and frolic, a number of Halloween charity fundraisers are also held around this time.
In short, no matter what the age, Halloween is a day of celebration for everyone.
99 Club
Once upon a time, there lived a King who, despite his luxurious lifestyle, was neither happy nor content.
One day, the King came upon a servant who was singing happily while he worked. This fascinated the King; why was he, the Supreme Ruler of the Land, unhappy and gloomy, while A lowly servant had so much joy. The King asked the servant, "Why are you so happy?"
The man replied, "Your Majesty, I am nothing but a servant, but my family and I don't need too much - just a roof over our heads and warm food to fill our tummies."
The king was not satisfied with that reply. Later in the day, he sought the advice of his most trusted advisor. After hearing the King's woes and the servant's story, the advisor said, "Your Majesty, I believe that the servant has not been made part of The 99 Club."
"The 99 Club? And what exactly is that?" the King inquired.
The advisor replied, "Your Majesty, to truly know what The 99 Club is, place 99 Gold coins in a bag and leave it at this servant's doorstep."
When the servant saw the bag, he took it into his house. When he opened the bag, he let out a great shout of joy... So many gold coins!
He began to count them. After several counts, he was at last convinced that there were 99 coins. He wondered, "What could've happened to that last gold coin? Surely, no one would leave 99 coins! "
He looked everywhere he could, but that final coin was elusive. Finally, exhausted, he decided that he was going to have to work harder than ever to earn that gold coin and complete his collection.
From that day, the servant's life was changed. He was overworked, horribly grumpy, and castigated his family for not helping him make that 100th gold coin. He stopped singing while he worked.
Witnessing this drastic transformation, the King was puzzled. When he sought his advisor's help, the advisor said, "Your Majesty, the servant has now officially joined The 99 Club."
He continued, "The 99 Club is a name given to those people who have enough to be happy but are never contented, because they're always yearning and striving for that extra 1 telling to themselves: Let me get that one final thing and then I will be happy for life."
We can be happy, even with very little in our lives, but the minute we're given something bigger and better, we want even more!
We lose our sleep, our happiness, we hurt the people around us; all these as a price for our growing needs and desires. That's what joining The 99 Club is all about.
One day, the King came upon a servant who was singing happily while he worked. This fascinated the King; why was he, the Supreme Ruler of the Land, unhappy and gloomy, while A lowly servant had so much joy. The King asked the servant, "Why are you so happy?"
The man replied, "Your Majesty, I am nothing but a servant, but my family and I don't need too much - just a roof over our heads and warm food to fill our tummies."
The king was not satisfied with that reply. Later in the day, he sought the advice of his most trusted advisor. After hearing the King's woes and the servant's story, the advisor said, "Your Majesty, I believe that the servant has not been made part of The 99 Club."
"The 99 Club? And what exactly is that?" the King inquired.
The advisor replied, "Your Majesty, to truly know what The 99 Club is, place 99 Gold coins in a bag and leave it at this servant's doorstep."
When the servant saw the bag, he took it into his house. When he opened the bag, he let out a great shout of joy... So many gold coins!
He began to count them. After several counts, he was at last convinced that there were 99 coins. He wondered, "What could've happened to that last gold coin? Surely, no one would leave 99 coins! "
He looked everywhere he could, but that final coin was elusive. Finally, exhausted, he decided that he was going to have to work harder than ever to earn that gold coin and complete his collection.
From that day, the servant's life was changed. He was overworked, horribly grumpy, and castigated his family for not helping him make that 100th gold coin. He stopped singing while he worked.
Witnessing this drastic transformation, the King was puzzled. When he sought his advisor's help, the advisor said, "Your Majesty, the servant has now officially joined The 99 Club."
He continued, "The 99 Club is a name given to those people who have enough to be happy but are never contented, because they're always yearning and striving for that extra 1 telling to themselves: Let me get that one final thing and then I will be happy for life."
We can be happy, even with very little in our lives, but the minute we're given something bigger and better, we want even more!
We lose our sleep, our happiness, we hurt the people around us; all these as a price for our growing needs and desires. That's what joining The 99 Club is all about.
MDLC
Marriage Development Life Cycle (MDLC)
How to get a nice wife!!! – Guide for all the bachelors and advice for all the married people
There are times in a person's life when he needs to take crucial decisions on his own. Marriage is one of them. Believe me, the decision on whom to marry is the most important decision a person will make in his life. After marriage, your wife is the most important person in your life. She can make or break your life. The mere thought of this is very frightening.
Some of the questions that crop up are
a.. What sort of a girl do I marry?
b.. Will she adjust in my family?
c.. How can I decide on a girl by just meeting her for a few times?
d.. When should I get married?
e.. This is my life. So, I should choose the girl I marry, but then what if I make a mistake? .. so on and so forth.
I will try to address these & many more questions in the following sections.
The Rules of Arranged Marriage
Rule 1 - Magic No. 26,27,28In an ideal scenario, a girl goes to college at the age of 18. By the time she graduates, goes for her post graduation and/ or works for 1-2 years, she will be about 23- 24. This means that she has spent about 5 years away from her home. In the 5 years period, she would meet many smart guys at college or during her first few years on job. So, in all probability it would be difficult to find a good girl older than 24 yrs. Secondly, in Indian families there is lot of pressure on the girl's to get married by the time they become 24-25.Statistics says that there is a generation gap after every 5 years. So, in such scenario, one would prefer to marry a girl who is about 3-4 years younger to you. Thus, working backwards, an ideal age for a guy to get married is by 28. Earlier the marriage, the better it is.Well, as we all know, in the current market scenario, there will never be stability in our career. So, I believe there is no such thing as, "I will marry when I settle down".
Rule 2 - Subset of Marriage-able GirlsAt times you hear statements like, "I am not getting the right match, I will look after 3 months, I will find a better match then". Well the truth is otherwise. The subset of unmarried girl looking for a match is fixed. >From this subset, there would be girls who would get married & there would be new girls added who would be looking for a match. The net result is that at any given time, the variety & numbers of marriage-able girls are fixed.
Rule 3 - Competition for GirlsLike all other facets of life, there is lot of competition for good girls . So, if you are looking for a girl who is post graduate, has done her Engg, is working, very beautiful, smart, from a good family etc. etc, just think again. There are other guys who are also looking for similar girls & probably they are better off than you in terms of career, looks personality etc. Given a choice every guy would like to marry Aishwarya Rai. So, set your expectations accordingly.
Rule 4 - Understanding GirlsYou would have met a lot of people during your life. As we all know, it's difficult to judge a person based on a few meetings. I am sure you would agree with me that in case of girls it is even more difficult to understand them in a few meetings. I know people who are still trying to understand their wife. ;-).. Understanding your spouse is a life long assignment. So, then how do you select a girl based on a few meeting? This is where you need to take the help of your parents/friends & latest technologies like email/chat to choose your girl.
Rule 5 - Society ExpectationThe selection process is tough on every one who is involved in the process. In arranged marriage, involvement of family & society is pretty high. You can't meet a girl 3-4 times & then say no to her. It is bad for her future. So, you should have a good short-listing criterion. Meet only a few girls & be sure what you are looking for. It is for the benefit of everyone involved.
Rule 6 - Marriage Between EqualsUnlike love marriage, in arranged marriage you also marry into the girl's family. In arranged marriages, family support plays a major role in ensuring a successful marriage. This is where the compatibility of social status, family values & caste/religion plays a major role. It's important to note that in case there is a perfect match between the two families, the marriage is destined to succeed.
Rule 7 - Know YourselfUnlike love marriage, in arranged marriage you first marry a person & then fall in love. So, it's very important that you do a self-assessment on the kind of person you would love. They say, "Opposite attract", while they also say, "Bird of same feather flock together". So, you take a call on what sort of person you like. Take a pen & paper; write down the kind of attributes you are looking for in a girl. Say, she should ideally have the looks of Sonia, the style of Monica, the voice of Sheena, the patience of Rashmi. You will certainly not find the perfect girl , but then you would have a good idea of what you are looking for. The secret here is to set some minimum criteria for selection . Don't forget rule no.3 here.
Rule 8 - Girl's BeautyA girl's looks attract, but then no one wants to end up marrying a dumb. It is like buying your bike. When you initially buy it, you are crazy about the looks, but later on you love it for its reliability, fuel economy & comfort level. Similarly, a girl's looks are important, but then it should not be the most important criteria. Later on in life, you will get bored of her looks. It is then that her personality & behavior will make all the difference to your marriage . I am sure your parents will be able to advice you a lot better on this topic .
Rule 9 - Taking AdviceAs I have mentioned in the next rule, it's very important that the final decision on whom to marry must necessarily be yours. However, don't do the mistake of isolating yourself from the world while planning your marriage. Discuss with your parents & very close friends on this issue. They are your well wishers . Secondly, in such important matters it's necessary that you analyze all possibilities. Remember, I am not suggesting that you follow others' advice, but don't forget to take their advice.
Rule 10 - Own DecisionAll said & done, it's your marriage & your life that is at stake. Once you are married, you & your wife are the only persons who will be facing the music. Don't marry a girl just because your parents or friends asked you to do so. After marriage, if things don't work out & you end up saying, "It's because of my friends or my parents that I married you", then your marriage is destined for disaster. If the girl is of your choice, it is you who will be responsible for whatever happens. That's when the marriage works out perfectly. So, ensure that you marry the girl of your choice.
How to approach the selection process?
From the day, a person decides to get married; the selection process takes a minimum of 3 months. The whole process needs a lot of patience & commitment. The ideal steps to be followed are:
A. Definition PhaseDefine the minimum criteria for the kind of life partner you are looking for in terms of education, physical appearance, social status, family values, future career plans. Remember the Rule 3 here.
B. Lead Generation PhasePlace ads in various newspapers, magazines, websites, through friends, family friends, family societies & association etc. You need to exhaust all possible means of getting bio-datas at one go. Remember the Rule 2 here.
C. Short Listing PhaseBased on your selection criteria, short-list the interesting bio-datas. The general process followed for correspondence is as follows:
1. The initiator sends a one page profile of himself/herself.
2. Based on the profile, the receiver sends his/her one page profile along with request for detailed profile, photo, and horoscope.
3. The initiator then sends the requested information along with a request for similar information.
4. The receiver sends similar information.
5. If the bio-data is selected, it is passed over to the next phase.
D. Casual Interaction PhaseBased on short listing, about 7 to 10 bio-datas are taken forwarded to this phase. The next step to follow here is to exchange email/ chat ids. The guy & the girl then interact for 10 - 15 days to try & judge mutual compatibility through email/chat.
E. Family Interaction PhaseBased on the earlier phase, about 5 leads are taken for consideration in this phase. During this phase, the parents get involved & check the background information about the families to find mutual compatibility.
F. Dating PhaseBased on the earlier phase about 3 leads are taken forward to this phase. During this phase, the guy & the girl interact by going out alone for 2-3 times. The guy needs to prepare a set of simple questions like who is your favorite star, what are your hobbies? He needs to use his judgment to analyze the girl based on her responses.
G. The D-day PhaseFinally, the D-day comes when the guy has to select the girl he wants to spend his life with. If the process if followed systematically, there will be no ambiguity in deciding who should be your life partner.Finally, my dear friends, marriage is all about compromises. In spite of all the planning that you do, there are a lot of uncertainties in a marriage. In fact this is the best part about marriage. Just remember that the person you marry must be of your choice. In such case, there would be no going back for both of you.A few words of advice: To make your marriage a success; just believe in the age-old virtue , "Never do anything to others that you don't like for yourself?
How to get a nice wife!!! – Guide for all the bachelors and advice for all the married people
There are times in a person's life when he needs to take crucial decisions on his own. Marriage is one of them. Believe me, the decision on whom to marry is the most important decision a person will make in his life. After marriage, your wife is the most important person in your life. She can make or break your life. The mere thought of this is very frightening.
Some of the questions that crop up are
a.. What sort of a girl do I marry?
b.. Will she adjust in my family?
c.. How can I decide on a girl by just meeting her for a few times?
d.. When should I get married?
e.. This is my life. So, I should choose the girl I marry, but then what if I make a mistake? .. so on and so forth.
I will try to address these & many more questions in the following sections.
The Rules of Arranged Marriage
Rule 1 - Magic No. 26,27,28In an ideal scenario, a girl goes to college at the age of 18. By the time she graduates, goes for her post graduation and/ or works for 1-2 years, she will be about 23- 24. This means that she has spent about 5 years away from her home. In the 5 years period, she would meet many smart guys at college or during her first few years on job. So, in all probability it would be difficult to find a good girl older than 24 yrs. Secondly, in Indian families there is lot of pressure on the girl's to get married by the time they become 24-25.Statistics says that there is a generation gap after every 5 years. So, in such scenario, one would prefer to marry a girl who is about 3-4 years younger to you. Thus, working backwards, an ideal age for a guy to get married is by 28. Earlier the marriage, the better it is.Well, as we all know, in the current market scenario, there will never be stability in our career. So, I believe there is no such thing as, "I will marry when I settle down".
Rule 2 - Subset of Marriage-able GirlsAt times you hear statements like, "I am not getting the right match, I will look after 3 months, I will find a better match then". Well the truth is otherwise. The subset of unmarried girl looking for a match is fixed. >From this subset, there would be girls who would get married & there would be new girls added who would be looking for a match. The net result is that at any given time, the variety & numbers of marriage-able girls are fixed.
Rule 3 - Competition for GirlsLike all other facets of life, there is lot of competition for good girls . So, if you are looking for a girl who is post graduate, has done her Engg, is working, very beautiful, smart, from a good family etc. etc, just think again. There are other guys who are also looking for similar girls & probably they are better off than you in terms of career, looks personality etc. Given a choice every guy would like to marry Aishwarya Rai. So, set your expectations accordingly.
Rule 4 - Understanding GirlsYou would have met a lot of people during your life. As we all know, it's difficult to judge a person based on a few meetings. I am sure you would agree with me that in case of girls it is even more difficult to understand them in a few meetings. I know people who are still trying to understand their wife. ;-).. Understanding your spouse is a life long assignment. So, then how do you select a girl based on a few meeting? This is where you need to take the help of your parents/friends & latest technologies like email/chat to choose your girl.
Rule 5 - Society ExpectationThe selection process is tough on every one who is involved in the process. In arranged marriage, involvement of family & society is pretty high. You can't meet a girl 3-4 times & then say no to her. It is bad for her future. So, you should have a good short-listing criterion. Meet only a few girls & be sure what you are looking for. It is for the benefit of everyone involved.
Rule 6 - Marriage Between EqualsUnlike love marriage, in arranged marriage you also marry into the girl's family. In arranged marriages, family support plays a major role in ensuring a successful marriage. This is where the compatibility of social status, family values & caste/religion plays a major role. It's important to note that in case there is a perfect match between the two families, the marriage is destined to succeed.
Rule 7 - Know YourselfUnlike love marriage, in arranged marriage you first marry a person & then fall in love. So, it's very important that you do a self-assessment on the kind of person you would love. They say, "Opposite attract", while they also say, "Bird of same feather flock together". So, you take a call on what sort of person you like. Take a pen & paper; write down the kind of attributes you are looking for in a girl. Say, she should ideally have the looks of Sonia, the style of Monica, the voice of Sheena, the patience of Rashmi. You will certainly not find the perfect girl , but then you would have a good idea of what you are looking for. The secret here is to set some minimum criteria for selection . Don't forget rule no.3 here.
Rule 8 - Girl's BeautyA girl's looks attract, but then no one wants to end up marrying a dumb. It is like buying your bike. When you initially buy it, you are crazy about the looks, but later on you love it for its reliability, fuel economy & comfort level. Similarly, a girl's looks are important, but then it should not be the most important criteria. Later on in life, you will get bored of her looks. It is then that her personality & behavior will make all the difference to your marriage . I am sure your parents will be able to advice you a lot better on this topic .
Rule 9 - Taking AdviceAs I have mentioned in the next rule, it's very important that the final decision on whom to marry must necessarily be yours. However, don't do the mistake of isolating yourself from the world while planning your marriage. Discuss with your parents & very close friends on this issue. They are your well wishers . Secondly, in such important matters it's necessary that you analyze all possibilities. Remember, I am not suggesting that you follow others' advice, but don't forget to take their advice.
Rule 10 - Own DecisionAll said & done, it's your marriage & your life that is at stake. Once you are married, you & your wife are the only persons who will be facing the music. Don't marry a girl just because your parents or friends asked you to do so. After marriage, if things don't work out & you end up saying, "It's because of my friends or my parents that I married you", then your marriage is destined for disaster. If the girl is of your choice, it is you who will be responsible for whatever happens. That's when the marriage works out perfectly. So, ensure that you marry the girl of your choice.
How to approach the selection process?
From the day, a person decides to get married; the selection process takes a minimum of 3 months. The whole process needs a lot of patience & commitment. The ideal steps to be followed are:
A. Definition PhaseDefine the minimum criteria for the kind of life partner you are looking for in terms of education, physical appearance, social status, family values, future career plans. Remember the Rule 3 here.
B. Lead Generation PhasePlace ads in various newspapers, magazines, websites, through friends, family friends, family societies & association etc. You need to exhaust all possible means of getting bio-datas at one go. Remember the Rule 2 here.
C. Short Listing PhaseBased on your selection criteria, short-list the interesting bio-datas. The general process followed for correspondence is as follows:
1. The initiator sends a one page profile of himself/herself.
2. Based on the profile, the receiver sends his/her one page profile along with request for detailed profile, photo, and horoscope.
3. The initiator then sends the requested information along with a request for similar information.
4. The receiver sends similar information.
5. If the bio-data is selected, it is passed over to the next phase.
D. Casual Interaction PhaseBased on short listing, about 7 to 10 bio-datas are taken forwarded to this phase. The next step to follow here is to exchange email/ chat ids. The guy & the girl then interact for 10 - 15 days to try & judge mutual compatibility through email/chat.
E. Family Interaction PhaseBased on the earlier phase, about 5 leads are taken for consideration in this phase. During this phase, the parents get involved & check the background information about the families to find mutual compatibility.
F. Dating PhaseBased on the earlier phase about 3 leads are taken forward to this phase. During this phase, the guy & the girl interact by going out alone for 2-3 times. The guy needs to prepare a set of simple questions like who is your favorite star, what are your hobbies? He needs to use his judgment to analyze the girl based on her responses.
G. The D-day PhaseFinally, the D-day comes when the guy has to select the girl he wants to spend his life with. If the process if followed systematically, there will be no ambiguity in deciding who should be your life partner.Finally, my dear friends, marriage is all about compromises. In spite of all the planning that you do, there are a lot of uncertainties in a marriage. In fact this is the best part about marriage. Just remember that the person you marry must be of your choice. In such case, there would be no going back for both of you.A few words of advice: To make your marriage a success; just believe in the age-old virtue , "Never do anything to others that you don't like for yourself?
Love
Initially I thought of giving the title as unconditional love.
Then I thought that isn't love always unconditional by default.
Rather, when it comes to love, does the word "conditional" exist?
A True story from "somebody"..... here it goes....
My wife called, 'How long will you be poring over that newspaper?
Will you come here and make your darling daughter eat her food?'
I tossed the paper away and rushed to the scene.
My only daughter Sindu looked frightened.
Tears were welling up in her eyes. In front of her was a bowl filled to its brim with Curd Rice.
Sindu is a nice child, quite intelligent for her age. She has just turned eight.
She particularly detested Curd Rice. My mother and my wife are orthodox, and believe firmly in the 'coolingeffects' of Curd Rice! I cleared my throat, and picked up the bowl. 'Sindu, darling, why don't you take a few mouthful of this Curd Rice?Just for Dad's sake, dear. And, if you don't, your Mom will shout at me'I could sense my wife's scowl behind my back.
Sindu softened a bit, and wiped her tears with the back of her hands.
'OK, Dad. I will eat - not just a few mouthfuls, but the whole lot of this.
But, you should...' Sindu hesitated.
'Dad, if I eat this entire curd Rice, will you give me whatever I ask for?'
Oh sure, darling'.
'Promise?'
'Promise'.
I covered the pink soft hand extended by my daughter with mine, and clinched the deal. 'Ask Mom also to give a similar promise', my daughter insisted. My wife slapped her hand on Sindu's, muttering 'Promise', without any emotion.
Now I became a bit anxious. 'Sindu dear, you shouldn’t insist on getting a computer or any such expensive items.
Dad does not have that kind of money right now. OK?'
'No, Dad. I do not want anything expensive’.
Slowly and painfully, she finished eating the whole quantity.
I was silently angry with my wife and my mother for forcing my child eat something that she detested.
After the ordeal was through, Sindu came to me with her eyes wide with expectation.
All our attention was on her.
'Dad, I want to have my head shaved off, this Sunday!' was her demand.
'Atrocious!' shouted my wife, 'A girl child having her head shaved off?
Impossible!'
'Never in our family!' my mother rasped.
'She has been watching too much of television.
Our culture is getting totally spoiled with these TV programs!'
Sindu darling, why don't you ask for something else?
We will be sad seeing you with a clean-shaven head.'
'No, Dad. I do not want anything else', Sindu said with finality.
'Please, Sindu, why don’t you try to understand our feelings?' I tried to plead with her.
'Dad, you saw how difficult it was for me to eat that Curd Rice'. Sindu was in tears.
'And you promised to grant me whatever I ask for. Now, you are going back on your words.
Was it not you who told me the story of King Harishchandra, and its moral that we should honor our promises no matter what?'
It was time for me to call the shots. 'Our promise must be kept.'
'Are you out your mind?' chorused my mother and wife.
'No. If we go back on our promises, she will never learn to honor her own.
Sindu, your wish will be fulfilled.'
With her head clean-shaven, Sindu had a round-face, and her eyes looked big and beautiful.
On Monday morning, I dropped her at her school.
It was a sight to watch my hairless Sindu walking towards her classroom.
She turned around and waved.
I waved back with a smile.
Just then, a boy alighted from a car, and shouted, 'Sinduja, please wait for me!'
What struck me was the hairless head of that boy.
'May be, that is the in-stuff', I thought.
'Sir, your daughter Sinduja is great indeed!'
Without introducing herself, a lady got out of the car, and continued,’ That boy who is walking along with your daughter is my son Harish.
He is suffering from... ... leukemia.' She paused to muffle her sobs.
'Harish could not attend the school for the whole of the last month.
He lost all his hair due to the side effects of the chemotherapy.
He refused to come back to school fearing the unintentional but cruel teasing of the schoolmates.'
Sinduja visited him last week, and promised him that she will take care of the teasing issue.
But, I never imagined she would sacrifice her lovely hair for the sake of my son!
Sir, you and your wife are blessed to have such a noble soul as your daughter.'
I stood transfixed. And then, I wept.
'My little Angel, you are teaching me how self-less real love is!'
Then I thought that isn't love always unconditional by default.
Rather, when it comes to love, does the word "conditional" exist?
A True story from "somebody"..... here it goes....
My wife called, 'How long will you be poring over that newspaper?
Will you come here and make your darling daughter eat her food?'
I tossed the paper away and rushed to the scene.
My only daughter Sindu looked frightened.
Tears were welling up in her eyes. In front of her was a bowl filled to its brim with Curd Rice.
Sindu is a nice child, quite intelligent for her age. She has just turned eight.
She particularly detested Curd Rice. My mother and my wife are orthodox, and believe firmly in the 'coolingeffects' of Curd Rice! I cleared my throat, and picked up the bowl. 'Sindu, darling, why don't you take a few mouthful of this Curd Rice?Just for Dad's sake, dear. And, if you don't, your Mom will shout at me'I could sense my wife's scowl behind my back.
Sindu softened a bit, and wiped her tears with the back of her hands.
'OK, Dad. I will eat - not just a few mouthfuls, but the whole lot of this.
But, you should...' Sindu hesitated.
'Dad, if I eat this entire curd Rice, will you give me whatever I ask for?'
Oh sure, darling'.
'Promise?'
'Promise'.
I covered the pink soft hand extended by my daughter with mine, and clinched the deal. 'Ask Mom also to give a similar promise', my daughter insisted. My wife slapped her hand on Sindu's, muttering 'Promise', without any emotion.
Now I became a bit anxious. 'Sindu dear, you shouldn’t insist on getting a computer or any such expensive items.
Dad does not have that kind of money right now. OK?'
'No, Dad. I do not want anything expensive’.
Slowly and painfully, she finished eating the whole quantity.
I was silently angry with my wife and my mother for forcing my child eat something that she detested.
After the ordeal was through, Sindu came to me with her eyes wide with expectation.
All our attention was on her.
'Dad, I want to have my head shaved off, this Sunday!' was her demand.
'Atrocious!' shouted my wife, 'A girl child having her head shaved off?
Impossible!'
'Never in our family!' my mother rasped.
'She has been watching too much of television.
Our culture is getting totally spoiled with these TV programs!'
Sindu darling, why don't you ask for something else?
We will be sad seeing you with a clean-shaven head.'
'No, Dad. I do not want anything else', Sindu said with finality.
'Please, Sindu, why don’t you try to understand our feelings?' I tried to plead with her.
'Dad, you saw how difficult it was for me to eat that Curd Rice'. Sindu was in tears.
'And you promised to grant me whatever I ask for. Now, you are going back on your words.
Was it not you who told me the story of King Harishchandra, and its moral that we should honor our promises no matter what?'
It was time for me to call the shots. 'Our promise must be kept.'
'Are you out your mind?' chorused my mother and wife.
'No. If we go back on our promises, she will never learn to honor her own.
Sindu, your wish will be fulfilled.'
With her head clean-shaven, Sindu had a round-face, and her eyes looked big and beautiful.
On Monday morning, I dropped her at her school.
It was a sight to watch my hairless Sindu walking towards her classroom.
She turned around and waved.
I waved back with a smile.
Just then, a boy alighted from a car, and shouted, 'Sinduja, please wait for me!'
What struck me was the hairless head of that boy.
'May be, that is the in-stuff', I thought.
'Sir, your daughter Sinduja is great indeed!'
Without introducing herself, a lady got out of the car, and continued,’ That boy who is walking along with your daughter is my son Harish.
He is suffering from... ... leukemia.' She paused to muffle her sobs.
'Harish could not attend the school for the whole of the last month.
He lost all his hair due to the side effects of the chemotherapy.
He refused to come back to school fearing the unintentional but cruel teasing of the schoolmates.'
Sinduja visited him last week, and promised him that she will take care of the teasing issue.
But, I never imagined she would sacrifice her lovely hair for the sake of my son!
Sir, you and your wife are blessed to have such a noble soul as your daughter.'
I stood transfixed. And then, I wept.
'My little Angel, you are teaching me how self-less real love is!'
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