Manthan

n 1975, half a million dairy farmers in Gujarat donated two rupees each to help make a movie on their lives. The film was called Manthan and it was directed by Shyam Benegal. When a young Benegal went to Verghese Kurien with the idea of Manthan, he flatly refused stating that his co-operative organisation is not in the business of funding Hindi movies. But Benegal convinced him that a Hindi film would convert more farmers outside of Gujarat to join the milk cooperative movement and make it far bigger than what it currently was. But Kurien was unimpressed. So Benegal and Kurien came up with the idea of crowdfunding Manthan by requesting Rs.2 donation from each of the 500,000 milk farmers. The farmers were excited that a Hindi film was being made on their lives and readily agreed. Manthan raised Rs.10 lacs in less than a week and Benegal shot the movie in 45 days with actors like Naseer, Smita Patil, Girish Karnad and Amrish Puri, who lived in the villages of Gujarat like commoners. When Manthan was released, the same 500,000 farmers and their families paid for the tickets and watched the movie in makeshift tents and single screen theatres across Gujarat making it a huge hit. Not just this, Kurien distributed the film for free to teach more farmers about starting cooperatives, sending teams with the movie reels and projectors to 100s of villages. Millions of farmers watched Manthan and the idea of milk cooperatives spread like wildfire across India. What is special about Manthan? Manthan is the first-ever crowdfunded movie in the world. Today crowdfunding is a commonly used funding mechanism for making films, music albums and documentaries. Shyam Benegal started this revolution. From 500,000 farmers, India today has 18 million farmers associated with milk cooperatives, supporting over 80 million rural households with jobs and incomes. Manthan was not just a film, it was a movement that led to transforming India into the largest milk producer in the world with a whopping 31% market share. Shyam Benegal is not a filmmaker, he is a legend. #ShyamBenegal #Manthan #milk #SmitaPatil #NaseeruddinShah #VergheseKurien #gujarat #farmer #cinema #movies #CinemaForChange

DEALING WITH THE NEGATIVE

Good Morning!!! DEALING WITH THE NEGATIVE Around the Year with Emmet Fox December 29 What is meant by negative thinking? A negative thought is any thought of failure, disappointment, or trouble; any thought of criticism, or spite, or jealousy, or condemnation of others, or self-condemnation; any thought of sickness or accident; or, in short, any kind of limitation. In practice you will never have any trouble in knowing whether a given thought is positive or negative. Even if your brain tries to deceive you, your heart will whisper the truth. Second, you must be quite clear that what this scheme calls for is that you shall not dwell upon negative things. It is not the thoughts that come to you that matter, but only such of them as you choose to entertain and dwell upon. Many negative thoughts will come to you all day long. Some will be given to you by other people, or you will hear disagreeable news. These things, however, do not matter so long as you do not entertain them. An analogy is furnished by the case of a man who is sitting by an open fire when a red-hot cinder flies out and falls on his sleeve. If he blows that cinder off at once, without a moment’s delay to think about it, no harm is done. But if he allows it to rest on him for a single moment, under any pretense, the mischief is done, and it will be a troublesome task to repair that sleeve. So, it is with a negative thought. “Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.” Acts 8:22 People often find that the starting of this seven-day mental diet seems to stir up difficulties. It seems as though everything begins to go wrong at once. This may be disconcerting, but it is really a good sign. Suppose your whole world seems to rock on its foundations. Hold on steadily, let it rock, and when the rocking is over, the picture will have reassembled itself into something much nearer to your heart’s desire. Do not tell anyone else that you are on a diet. Remember that your soul should be the Secret Place of the Most High. When you have secured your new mentality, then tell the story to anyone else whom you think is likely to be helped by it. “Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation” Joel 1:3

Message from an Internet Army friend Rtd 3 star general Interesting info:

Message from an Internet Army friend Rtd 3 star general Interesting info: Since Yesterday Media has been agog on China Building a dam on Tsang Po or Yarlung Zangbo or Brahmaputra as it called in India. Tragedy of Indian Media is its refusal to read history or venture out of big cities to do some hard work. I know for instance that since 1992, China has been threatening to build a mega dam on Brahmaputra. For the uninitiated, Brahmaputra starts from Near Mansarovar and is mainly Snow fed river since monsoon cannot cross the high mountains. Average rainfall in Tibet is 100-350 mm, making it a virtual desert. Tsang po is a piddly river like Yamuna and water content is approximately the same without benefit of the monsoon. Brahmaputra aquires the ‘Vikraal Roop’ when it enters Arunachal Pradesh. Lohit, Dibang, Subansri, Tipaimukh, etc join Brahmaputra. I had the good fortune to cover most of north east when I was handling Hydro projects in Ministry of Power. Government had approved gigantic projects on Dibang and Subansri- over 20000 mw on Dibang and 12500 on Subansri. Of course the large submergence led to lowering of the size of the projects and both are now under construction. A cursory look at topography of the Tibet region would reveal the foolishness of the project which China wants to make. They can make a run of the river project and generate power. Storage dam for transferring water to China would require humongous amount of electricity needed to pump up water by 5000-10000 feet and a distance of 2000 km.. China keeps playing these mind games to engage India and our media falls into the trap and has been for many years. The hydrology of Tsang Po will show this. Annual precipitation in the Tsangpo River basin varies from 200 mm upstream to over 2,000 mm (In Arunachal) downstream . Most of the precipitation falls between June and September. Discharge The average annual discharge of the Tsangpo River is about 5.76 × 1010 m3 downstream. More than 70% of the annual discharge occurs between June and September, and snowmelt contributes about 25%. Tsangpo River basin passes through three climate zones: arid, semi-arid, and humid. The average elevation of the Tsangpo River is 4,621.3 m. Now any sensible person can google this and Chill, rather than carrying such news on front pages. Obviously Chinese Embassy may have issued a press note or whispered in ears of willing tools.

THE PATH OF LOVE

Sun, 29 Dec 2024, 20:38 (3 days ago) to Good Morning!!! THE PATH OF LOVE Around the Year with Emmet Fox December 30 All the old traditions tell us that there is more than one path to the great Goal. Just as there is more than one road up every great mountain, and yet all roads meet at the top, so, in the spiritual quest there are several roads, all of which lead in due season to the one great End. There is the path of knowledge. True knowledge of divine things is one of the appointed paths to attainment; but that path is by no means for everyone. And there is the pathway of action— of organized activity— and the world needs this too; but this again usually calls for a special gift, and special circumstances in which to apply it. And there are others. The shortest and the easiest pathway of all is the pathway of Love. It is the one pathway that is open to all, irrespective of what their personal conditions or circumstances may be. For everyman, everywhere, the true attainment awaits through the yoga of Love, for yoga means union and it is our union with God that makes the attainment possible. “There is no fear in love; but Perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment…...” 1 John 4:18 “God is Love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.” 1 John 4:16

YOUR DEDICATION

Mon, 30 Dec 2024, 21:08 (2 days ago) to Good Morning!!! YOUR DEDICATION Around the Year with Emmet Fox December 31 The way of Love, upon which you may step at any moment— at this moment if you like— requires no formal permit, has no entrance fee, and no conditions whatever. You need no expensive laboratory in which to train, because your own daily life, and your ordinary daily surroundings, are your laboratory. You need no reference library, no professional training; no external acts of any kind. All you need is to begin steadfastly to reject from your mentality everything that is contrary to the law of love. You must build up by faithful daily exercise the true Love Consciousness. Love will heal you. Love will comfort you. Love will guide you. Love will illumine you. Love will redeem you from sin, sickness, and death, and lead you into your promised land. Say to yourself: "My mind is made up; I have counted the cost; and I am resolved to attain the Goal by the path of Love. Others may pursue knowledge, or organize great enterprises for the benefit of humanity, or scale the austere heights of asceticism; but I have chosen the path of Love. My own heart is to be my workshop, my laboratory, my great enterprise and love is to be my contribution to humanity" “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God” Romans 8:28

PavanPutra

PavanPutra · Follow Shri Rama Chandram Sharanam Prapadye 🙏🏼🪔🦚🕉️🌸9mo Which are the most powerful bows in Hindu mythology? Here are the top 3 bows 1) Sharanga - The mighty bow of Narayana. This bow is known to destroy opponents easily. It was wielded by Narayana, Parashurama, Rama and Krishna. It never failed to decimate its opponents to nothing. He eliminated Mahishasur with this bow and also revived him back to maintain the respect of Brahma dev’s boon. Skanda Purana, Maheswara Khanda, On being injured and struck by those (missile-charged) arrows, Mahiṣa who resembled a mountain, fell down and died. Half of his body rolled down. On seeing Mahiṣa fallen down, Hari resuscitated his life and said to Mahiṣa: “O Dānava, you do not deserve death from me. You are to be killed by a woman as mentioned by the Lotus-born Lord himself. Get up. You have been released by me. Go quickly from this great battle.” On being told thus by Hari, the Asura went away from that spot. He killed crores and crores of demons by this bow. Skanda Purana Maheshwara Khanda They fought with sharp-edged spears, threshing rods, barbed missiles, maces and iron lances and bars. They fought with arrows of very sharp points, discuses and javelins. With arrows comparable to the flames of fire, Janardana who took perfect aim split into a hundred pieces each one of those volleys of missiles discharged by them. The infuriated Janārdana killed crores and crores of them. It is described as indestructible in the Valmiki Ramayana Valmiki Ramayana Bala Kanda named after Him as 'Vishnu's bow..' this is an indestructible and enemy-citadel conquering longbow and this is identical in its efficacy with Rudra's longbow.That shattering of the bow is wonderful and unthinkable. On hearing this, I have come here, with another auspicious bow. This is the great Vishnu bow received from Jamadagni and it is terrible in form. String it and affix a bow. Show me your own strength. I will witness your strength in your ability to string this bow. even Lord Narasimha had this bow Mahabharata Harivamsa Parva I bow to the lord who conquered the three worlds with his valiance, who has unlimited valiance, the great man-lion, the one who has four arms, the one who holds shrI and the weapons sharanga (bow), chakra (sudarshana), sword (nAndaka) and the mace (kaumodaki), the best among men. He could defeat Lord Shiva in the archery contest with this bow. Valmiki Ramayana Bala Kanda. Once, all the gods were asking the Grandparent, Brahma, as to who is powerful and who is less powerful among the blue-throated Shiva and Vishnu, but the Grandparent Brahma on inferring the intent of gods started to create adversity among those two, Shiva and Vishnu, for the Grandparent is the best adherer of truthfulness, as truth cannot be demonstrated on hearsay evidence. Owing to their animosity then occurred a fierce and hair-raising war among Shiva and Vishnu, as each aspired victory for himself. By the 'hum' sound of Vishnu that ruinously overpowering longbow of Shiva is broken, and the triple-eyed God, Mahadeva, is frozen. Then gods along with the assemblages of sages and celestial carana-s have come together and appealed to those two for appeasement in the matter of wielding authority, and then those two superior gods, Shiva and Vishnu, went into a state of amity. On seeing the bow of Shiva rendered inert by the mettlesomeness of Vishnu, from then on the gods along with the assemblages of sages deemed Vishnu to be the paramount. 2. Pinaka - The bow of mighty Lord Shiva. This bow is just as excellent as the Sharanga. It is the bow of Pashupati himself. Arrows released by this bow strike like thunderbolts. Mahabharata Sabha Parva Vaisampayana continued,--".... In thy dream, O king of kings thou wilt behold towards the end of this might the blue throated Bhava, the slayer of Tripura, ever absorbed in meditation, having the bull for his mark, drinking off the human skull, and fierce and terrible, that lord of all creatures, that god of gods, the husband of Uma, otherwise called Hara and Sarva, and Vrisha, armed with the trident and the bow called Pinaka, and attired in tiger skin. And thou wilt behold Siva, tall and white as the Kailasa cliff and seated on his bull, gazing unceasingly towards the direction (south) presided over by the king of the Pitris ......'" The Pinaka bow was created by Bhagwan Shiva only. Mahabharata Shanti Parva When the fierce-armed and puissant Mahadeva of immeasurable energy had thus bent his lance into the form of a bow, that weapon came to be called from that time by the name of Pinaka. The lord of Uma, beholding Bhargava thus brought upon the palm of his hand, opened his mouth. it is the very bow that annihilated the three cities Mahabharata Drona Parva Formerly, the valiant Asuras had, in heaven, three cities Each of those cities was excellent and large. And Mahadeva made Gayatri and Savitri the reins, the syllable Om the whip, and Brahma the driver. And making the Mandara mountains the bow, Vasuki the bowstring, Agni the arrow-head, and Vayu the two wings of that shafts, Yama the feathers in its tail, proceeded for the destruction of the triple city. Valmiki Ramayana says that he gave Meghanad his Pinaka bow and even here it is called invincible. After this, your son has obtained a boon from Pashupati himself. He has obtained a divine chariot that can travel in the firmament at will. He has obtained the maya named tamasi. He has also obtained a quiver filled with inexhaustible arrows and an extremely invincible bow. O amiable one! He has also got a powerful weapon that can crush the enemy in a battle. O Dashanana! Your son has obtained all these boons. 3. Gandiva - It is originally the bow of Lord Brahma dev which was used by Lord Shiva for some time and eventually used by Sarvasresht Dhanurdhar Mahabaho Arjuna in the Mahabharata. Its glories are well known. A mere twang of the bowstring instilled fear in the minds of the enemies Mahabharata: Adi Parva And taking up that celestial and first of bows created by Brahma of old and called Gandiva, Arjuna was filled with joy. And bowing unto Hutasana, Partha endued with great energy, took up the bow and strung it forcibly. Those who heard the noise that was made while the mighty Pandava strung that bow, quaked with fear. Mahabharata Karna Parva The string of his bow is celestial, and the two large quivers of his are inexhaustible.His driver is Govinda. I have none like him. His is that celestial and fore most of bows, called Gandiva, which is irrefragible in battle Mahabharata Adi Parva describes the power of the Gandiva Varuna then gave Arjuna that wonderful jewel of a bow{Gandiva} that was endued with great energy. That bow was the enhancer of fame and achievements, and was incapable of being injured by any weapon. It was the chief of all weapons, and the grinder of them all. And it was the smiter of hostile armies and was alone equal to a hundred thousand bows. It was the multiplier of kingdoms, and was variegated with excellent colours. It was well-adorned, and beautiful to behold, and without a mark of weakness or injury anywhere. And it was always worshipped both by the celestials and the Gandharvas. Mahabharata Adi Parva describes Gandiva to not be destroyed even by Devas or Asuras Varuna also gave two inexhaustible quivers, and he also gave a car furnished with celestial weapons and whose banner bore a large ape. Yoked unto that car were steeds white as silver of the fleecy clouds, and born in the region of the Gandharvas, and decked with golden harness, and resembling in fleetness the wind or the mind. And it was equipped with implement of war, and was incapable of being vanquished by the celestials or the Asuras. Its splendour was great and the sounds of its wheels was tremendous. It delighted the heart of every creature that looked at it. Om Namo Narayanaya🙏🏼🦚🪔🕉️ Om Namah Shivaya 🙏🏼🔱🕉️🪔 Jai Gandivdhari Arjun🙏🏼🚩🏹

I am a Miracle

Good Morning!!! Here’s Wishing You and Your Loved Ones A Very Happy & Prosperous New Year!!! Wish You All the Best for 2025!!! God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change; Courage to change the things I can; and Wisdom to know the difference. Thy will, not mine, be done. *~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~* January 1, 2025 I am a Miracle The central fact of our lives today is the absolute certainty that our Creator has entered into our hearts and lives in a way which is indeed miraculous. He has commenced to accomplish those things for us which we could never do by ourselves. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 25 This truly is a fact in my life today, and a real miracle. I always believed in God, but could never put that belief meaningfully into my life. Today, because of Alcoholics Anonymous, I now trust and rely on God, as I understand Him; I am sober today because of that! Learning to trust and rely on God was something I could never have done alone. I now believe in miracles because I am one!

LIBERATION

arun Tue, 31 Dec 2024, 22:05 (14 hours ago) to Good Morning!!! Here’s Wishing You and Your Loved Ones A Very Happy & Prosperous New Year!!! Wish You All the Best for 2025!!! LIBERATION ‎ Around the Year with Emmet Fox January 1 There exists a mystic Power that is able to transform your life so thoroughly, so radically, so completely, that when the process is completed your own friends would hardly recognize you, and, in fact, you would scarcely be able to recognize yourself. It can lift you out of an invalid's bed, and free you to go out into the world to shape your life as you will. It can throw open the prison door and liberate the captive. This Power can do for you that which is probably the most important thing of all in your present stage: it can find your true place in life for you, and put you into it. This Power is really no less than the primal Power of Being, and to discover that Power is the divine birthright of all men. “the kingdom of God is within you” Luke 17:21 “seek ye first the kingdom of God. . . and all these things shall be added...” Matthew 6:33

Why wasn't Krishna visible to everyone while providing an endless saree to Draupadi?

Why wasn't Krishna visible to everyone while providing an endless saree to Draupadi? In the Mahabharata, when Draupadi was being disrobed by Dushasana in the royal court, Lord Krishna provided her with an endless saree to protect her dignity. However, Krishna's intervention was not visible to everyone present in the court. Only a few select individuals, including Draupadi, the Pandavas, and some righteous minds, could see Krishna's divine intervention. The reason for this selective visibility lies in the nature of Krishna's divine power and the spiritual receptivity of the individuals involved. Krishna's power is described as "Divya Drishti" or divine vision, which is only accessible to those with a pure heart, faith, and spiritual insight. Those who possess these qualities can perceive Krishna's divine interventions, while others may remain unaware. In this specific instance, Krishna's intervention was a testament to his unwavering commitment to protecting the righteous and upholding dharma. By providing the endless saree, Krishna not only saved Draupadi's dignity but also exposed the wickedness of the Kauravas. The selective visibility of Krishna's intervention serves as a reminder that spiritual truths and divine interventions are only accessible to those who possess the requisite spiritual receptivity and purity of heart. Thank you. Jay shree Krishna. ….!

*Boone satsang, December 24, 2024*- Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

*Boone satsang, December 24, 2024* *Christmas and Hanukkah message* The world is full of glitter. Enjoy but don't get lost in it. You lose your center. Every celebration is to enjoy without losing your center. Hold onto the wisdom and celebrate. Bring celebration to others too. Q. Mind repeats conversations of past and actions of future. Good that mind is aware. Don't fight. Keep that awareness and that conversations will diminish. Pranayam, meditation and dispassion will all help surpass this. Q. Ego is soul that survives death? Mind, memory and ego form a capsule and stay with soul like a balloon. When we are satisfied while leaving then there is no compulsion to come back. That is nirvana. Q. Time limit to find life partner? Don't be too choosy. You make yourself so centered and charming. Automatically you'll find. But if you come from space of want it'll take time. Only one who is full is invited to the party. Q. Anything that we need to do to move from scenery to seer other than grace? Little bit of both. Anything in life is combination of self effort and grace. Sun comes up on its own, but drawing the curtain is upto you. Thick curtain covering the window or opening curtain at night are of no use. Q. Demanding corporate job, mind busy analysing and thinking. Am I living in the present moment or missing out on something? That's ok. Know that you have talents. If you can't do, smile and say you can't. If you are scared of losing the job, you don't behave normal. You be strong and do what you can. Demanding boss is good; will bring out talents from within you. Speak up, be straightforward and be friendly. They'll understand. But don't say you can't always. No point of having pressure in your head all the time and suffer. Then they'll fire you. What is yours will always comes to you inspite of all odds. This is practical wisdom. Infact when you can't do and say you can, then they'll fire you and not trust you. Many are straightforward but rude. People run away from them. But best is to be straightforward, diplomatic, friendly and calm - people want to be with you. Q. Manipulation and deceit from family members? All this happens. See the bigger picture that one big mind is acting that way. They act based on their sattva, rajas and tamas. You get embroiled and upset. Understand in this ocean of happenings not all is right, good and suits you What can you do to stop it? No one can claim they can stop all this. Like the hurricane came and went and caused destruction. See what you can do in your capacity. No brooding over what happened. Meteoroid comes and hits the planet, what can you do? Instead of getting caught up in happenings, do your purusharth (what you need to do). Q. Unseen world of the devis? That's what I've been talking. You are the most unseen thing in this creation. You have no idea how wonderful you are. You get caught up in non sensical things. One person who is upset pulls others too in their aura. There are so many trying to pull you in many directions. Biggest tapasya is to be centered and not get affected by all this. Dr Nanda showed Gurudev the bacteria in the water. All bacteria and fungi help our healthy existence. 40 trillion cells in our body and there 10 times more of these microbes. The dinosaurs, birds that lifted the elephants. Those souls are immortal and are still here. Don't think dinosaurs are cruel and out to eat you. Only when absolutely needed they eat. When you are hungry and walk into garden, you pick an apple and eat. Not destroy the whole garden. There was a herd of elephants that destroyed a whole banana plantation in Kerala. They didn't destroy just one plant. People found that birds had built their nest and laid eggs. There is ample compassion. There is friendliness in nature; open your eyes and see. Friendliness is harmony. If you inject yourself with all these COVID vaccines, you are violating the laws of nature. One doctor said that children who were vaccinated are more prone to COVID. Zinc depletion happens. We are training farmers in natural farming. It's a myth that only if you apply chemical fertilizers then the produce will be more.

ACCEPTING SUCCESS OR FAILURE

Good Morning!!! God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change; Courage to change the things I can; and Wisdom to know the difference. Thy will, not mine, be done. *~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~* December 26, 2024 ACCEPTING SUCCESS OR FAILURE Furthermore, how shall we come to terms with seeming failure or success? Can we now accept and adjust to either without despair or pride? Can we accept poverty, sickness, loneliness, and bereavement with courage and serenity? Can we steadfastly content ourselves with the humbler, yet sometimes more durable, satisfactions when the brighter, more glittering achievements are denied us? TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 112 After I found A.A. and stopped drinking, it took a while before I understood why the First Step contained two parts: my powerlessness over alcohol and my life’s unmanageability. In the same way, I believed for a long time that, in order to be in tune with the Twelve Steps, it was enough for me to carry this message to alcoholics. That was rushing things. I was forgetting that there were, a total of Twelve Steps and that the Twelfth Step also had more than one part. Eventually I learned that it was necessary for me to practice these principles in all areas of my life. In working all the Steps thoroughly, I not only stay sober and help someone else to achieve sobriety, but also, I transform my difficulty with living into a joy of living.

Eternal Wisdom of Sundar Kand

https://www.dailypioneer.com/2024/columnists/the-eternal-wisdom-of-sundar-kand.html

A Christmas Story

A Christmas Story🌲🎁... GRANDMA & SANTA CLAUS I remember my first Christmas adventure with Grandma. I was just a kid... I remember tearing across town on my bike to visit her on the day my big sister dropped the bomb: "There is no Santa Claus," she jeered. "Even dummies know that!" My Grandma was not the gushy kind, never had been. I fled to her that day because I knew she would be straight with me. I knew Grandma always told the truth, and I knew that the truth always went down a whole lot easier when swallowed with one of her "world-famous" cinnamon buns. I knew they were world-famous, because Grandma said so. It had to be true. Grandma was home, and the buns were still warm. Between bites, I told her everything. She was ready for me. "No Santa Claus?" she snorted..."Ridiculous! Don't believe it. That rumor has been going around for years, and it makes me mad, plain mad!! Now, put on your coat, and let's go." "Go? Go where, Grandma?" I asked. I hadn't even finished my second world-famous cinnamon bun. "Where" turned out to be Kerby's General Store, the one store in town that had a little bit of just about everything. As we walked through its doors, Grandma handed me ten dollars. That was a bundle in those days. "Take this money," she said, "and buy something for someone who needs it. I'll wait for you in the car." Then she turned and walked out of Kerby's. I was only eight years old. I'd often gone shopping with my mother, but never had I shopped for anything all by myself. The store seemed big and crowded, full of people scrambling to finish their Christmas shopping. For a few moments I just stood there, confused, clutching that ten-dollar bill, wondering what to buy, and who on earth to buy it for. I thought of everybody I knew: my family, my friends, my neighbours, the kids at school, the people who went to my church. I was just about thought out, when I suddenly thought of Bobby Decker. He was a kid with bad breath and messy hair, and he sat right behind me in Mrs. Pollock's grade-two class. Bobby Decker didn't have a coat. I knew that because he never went out to recess during the winter. His mother always wrote a note, telling the teacher that he had a cough, but all us kids knew that Bobby Decker didn't have a cough; he didn't have a good coat. I fingered the ten-dollar bill with growing excitement. I would buy Bobby Decker a coat! I settled on a red corduroy one that had a hood to it. It looked real warm, and he would like that. "Is this a Christmas present for someone?" the lady behind the counter asked kindly, as I laid my ten dollars down. "Yes, ma'am," I replied shyly. "It's for Bobby." The nice lady smiled at me, as I told her about how Bobby really needed a winter coat. I didn't get any change, but she put the coat in a bag, smiled again, and wished me a Merry Christmas. That evening, Grandma helped me wrap the coat (a little tag fell out of the coat, and Grandma tucked it in her Bible) in Christmas paper and ribbons and wrote, "To Bobby, From Santa Claus" on it. Grandma said that Santa always insisted on secrecy. Then she drove me over to Bobby Decker's house, explaining as we went that I was now and forever officially, one of Santa's helpers. Grandma parked down the street from Bobby's house, and she and I crept noiselessly and hid in the bushes by his front walk. Then Grandma gave me a nudge. "All right, Santa Claus," she whispered, "get going." I took a deep breath, dashed for Bobby's front door, dropped the present down on his step, pounded his door and flew back to the safety of the bushes and Grandma. Together we waited breathlessly in the darkness for the front door to open. Finally it did, and there stood Bobby... Fifty years haven't dimmed the thrill of those moments spent shivering, beside my Grandma, in Bobby Decker's bushes. That night, I realized that those awful rumours about Santa Claus were just what Grandma said they were -- ridiculous. Santa was alive and well, and we were on his team. I still have that Bible, with the coat tag tucked inside: $19.95...That store clerk was one of Santa's helpers, too!😊 May you always have LOVE to share, HEALTH to spare and FRIENDS who care. And may you always believe in the magic of Santa Claus

Why does Sri Krishna dislike eggplants

Why does Sri Krishna dislike eggplants so much so that he doesn't go near people who consume it regularly as per Sri Haribhaktivilasa? Haribhaktivilasa was a compilation of quotes from numerous disparate sources made by Sanatana Goswami and Gopala Bhatta Goswami. The only source it cites for this teaching is Skanda Purana - infamously the single most interpolated and altered of all the Puranas. It also doesn’t give any chapter or verse number, only “Skanda Purana”, so I don’t know if it really says that somewhere in this enormous work. Perhaps it does, or did within a certain variant manuscript that came into the hands of Sanatana Goswami or Gopala Bhatta Goswami. Regardless, I cannot accept this teaching as true. Even in the Gaudiya Sampradaya which produced Haribhaktivilasa, Chaitanya himself consumed eggplants regularly. So did many other Gaudiya Gurus, including Prabhupada. So I don’t think this line should be accepted as authoritative

Why did Karna get defeated by Gandharvas while Arjuna defeated them quite easily?

Why did Karna get defeated by Gandharvas while Arjuna defeated them quite easily? Karna got defeated because he got overpowered by the sheer number of the Gandharvas and was incapable of countering their Maya. Arjuna on the otherhand had trained for 5 years in Swarga and had became skilled in countering even the Maya of Nivatakavachas which was coveted by the likes of Ravana. Fighting Nivatakavachas and Kalakeyas, Arjuna was also experienced in fighting against giant armies single handedly. Karna says about his defeat While you looked on, I was worsted by all those gandharvas. My own army was routed and I was incapable of ensuring that they remained there. I was sorely wounded by the arrows and hard-pressed. I ran away. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! I think it is extraordinary that I see you here, without harm and without injury, and with all your wives, riches and vehicles. 533 (236), Ghosha Yatra Parva, Mahabharata. Karna admitted to being defeated by Gandharvas. He admitted that his army got routed. Karna admitted that he was severly wounded ( proving that the Kavacha Kundala doesn't protect anyone from wounds). He admitted that he ran away. Karna doesn't make any excuses like he was drunk to justify his flight. If that was a reason for his defeat, Karna would have surely mentioned it. Arjuna was an expert in countering Maya. He countered the Maya of Nivatakavachas which was so powerful that Ravana stayed with them to learn it Arjuna said, “Invisible, the daityas fought me with maya. With the power of invisible weapons, I continued to fight with them. The shafted arrows from Gandiva, empowered with mantras, sliced off their heads, wherever they were. At that, thus killed by me in battle, the nivatakavachas suddenly withdrew their maya and retreated into their city again. The daityas having fled and everything visible again, I saw the dead danavas there, in hundreds and thousands. There were shattered weapons and ornaments. 466 (169), Yaksha Yuddha parva, Mahabharata. Reference to Ravana learning Maya from Niivatakavachas Then again, lord, you waged war for a year against those powerful and indestructible danava heroes, with their powerful boons, and relying solely on your own might, brought them under your sway, tamer of your foes. And there you also acquired many powers of illusion, lord of the Rakshasas. 6 (7), Yuddha kanda, Valmiki Ramayana. So Arjuna was capable to countering the Maya of Nivatakavachas which was covered by Rakshasas like Ravana. So what match was Gandharva Maya against him ? Gandharvas tried attacking Arjuna the same way they did against Karna. But Arjuna repulsed them. Just as the gandharvas had shattered the chariots of Karna and the sons of Dhritarashtra into a hundred pieces, they attempted to do it again. O king! Hundreds of gandharvas attacked them in that battle and the tigers among men repulsed them with many showers of arrows. Repulsed by showers of arrows in all the directions, those travellers of the sky could not approach near the sons of Pandu. On seeing that the gandharvas were angered, Arjuna used great and celestial weapons against them. In that war, insolent about his strength, Arjuna used his agneya weapon to send a million gandharvas to Yama’s abode. O king! With his sharp arrows, Bhima, the great archer and supreme among strong ones in battle, killed hundreds of gandharvas. O king! Insolent of their strength, Madri’s two sons fought and captured and killed hundreds of enemies. When the gandharvas were thus killed by the great-souled ones with celestial weapons, they took to the sky and took the sons of Dhritarashtra with them. But Kunti’s son, Dhananjaya, saw them arise. He surrounded them on all sides with a great net of arrows. Having been tied down by that net of arrows, they were like birds in a cage. They angrily hurled showers of maces, spears and swords at Arjuna. But Dhananjaya pierced the bodies of the gandharvas with bhallas. Heads, legs and arms fell down from above like a shower of rocks and the others took fright. When the gandharvas were being killed by the great-souled Pandava, who was on the ground, they showered down arrows on him from the sky. But Savyasachi, the energetic scorcher of enemies, repulsed all of them with his own weapons and began to pierce the gandharvas. Arjuna, the descendent of the Kuru lineage, unleashed his weapons—sthunakarna,
indrajala,
soura, agneya and soumya. The gandharvas were burnt up by the arrows of Kunti’s son. They were in supreme despondence, like the daityas at Shakra’s hands. When they tried to escape upwards, his net of arrows restrained them. When they tried to slither away, Savyasachi restrained them with his bhallas. 531 (234), Ghosha Yatra Parva, Mahabharata. It's clearly stated that the Gandharvas attacked Arjuna the same way they did against Karna and Kauravas but got repulsed by Arjuna. Now Chitrasena personally was a friend of Arjuna. Arjuna learned dance and music from him during his stay in Swarga When Partha became skilled in the use of all weapons and the right time had come, Shakra told him, "O Kounteya! Now learn singing and dancing from Chitrasena. Learn the music that is only known to the gods and is unknown in the world of men. O Kounteya! If you learn this, it will bring your own welfare." Purandara then gave him to Chitrasena as a friend. Partha lived happily with him, free from all disease. 342 (45), Indralokabhigamana parva, Mahabharata. So it's likely that Chitrasena himself wasn't fighting Arjuna with his full power. But that doesn't mean that Chitrasena could have defeated Arjuna. Arjuna had already defeated the Gandharvas on 3 seperate occassions. In Adi parva, the strongest Gandharva, named Chitraratha was easily defeated by Arjuna with a single Agneyastra Having said this, the angry Pandava unleashed the blazing agneya weapon at the gandharva and it instantly burnt down his chariot. Knocked unconscious from the energy of the missile, the immensely powerful gandharva fell face down, dislodged from his chariot. Dhananjaya seized him by the hair on his head, which was adorned with garlands, and dragged the one knocked unconscious from the missile towards his brothers. 158, Chaitraratha parva, Mahabharata. During Khandava Daha, Gandharvas allying with other beings attacked Arjuna and Krishna but were crushed At that, the gods, the gandharvas, the yakshas, the rakshasas and the serpents rose up, uttering loud roars and desiring to fight. They were armed with iron clubs, chakras and bhushundis, with lightning in them. They were intent on killing Krishna and Partha, their great energy benumbed by their anger. Though they unleashed a fearful shower of weapons, Bibhatsu churned their upper limbs with his sharp arrows. The immensely energetic Krishna, destroyer of enemies, then wrought a great slaughter of daityas and danavas with his chakra. Pierced by arrows and struck with the force of the chakra, many powerful ones were pacified, like waves that reach a shore. 218, Khandava Daha parva, Mahabharata. Similarly, when Arjuna went on Digvijaya, he subduded all the Gandharvas in the north and extracted tribute On reaching Manasa, the lord Pandava conquered the regions around Hataka, protected by the gandharvas. As tribute, he obtained from the city of the gandharvas supreme horses that were the colour of partridges and speckled, with eyes like those of frogs. 250 (25), Digvijaya parva, Mahabharata. So even if anyone make the excuse that Chitrasena was fighting mildly, we have considerable proof that Arjuna was more than capable of defeating Gandharvas who were fighting seriously against him. Serious or mild, the Gandharvas were never any threat to Arjuna. Karna also seemed to improved his skills as later on he took on the Maya of Ghatotkacha on 14th night.

SUIT UP AND SHOW UP

Good Morning!!! God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change; Courage to change the things I can; and Wisdom to know the difference. Thy will, not mine, be done. *~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~* December 28, 2024 SUIT UP AND SHOW UP In A.A. we aim not only for sobriety – we try again to become citizens of the world that we rejected, and of the world that once rejected us. This is the ultimate demonstration toward which Twelfth Step work is the first but not the final step. AS BILL SEES IT, p. 21 The old line says, “Suit up and show up.” That action is so important that I like to think of it as my motto. I can choose each day to suit up and show up, or not. Showing up at meetings starts me toward feeling a part of that meeting, I can talk with newcomers, and I can share my experience; that’s what credibility, honesty, and courtesy really are. Suiting up and showing up are the concrete actions I take in my ongoing return to normal living.

WATCH AND WORK

Good Morning!!! WATCH AND WORK Around the Year with Emmet Fox December 28 To train yourself in the habit of thought selection will be difficult for the first few days, but it is the most interesting experiment that you could possibly make. You will be amazed at the things that you will learn about yourself. This week may be the most significant week in your whole life; not only will you be able to face your present difficulties in a better spirit, but the difficulties will go. You cannot change conditions directly— you have often tried to do so and failed— but go on the seven-day mental diet and conditions must change for you. This then is your prescription. For seven days you must not allow yourself to dwell for a moment on any kind of negative thought. You must watch yourself for a week and must not under any pretense allow your mind to dwell on any thought that is not positive, constructive, optimistic, kind. This discipline will be so strenuous that you could not maintain it consciously for much more than a week, but a week will be enough, because by that time the habit of positive thinking will begin to be established. Some changes for the better will have come into your life, encouraging you enormously, and then the new way of life will be so attractive that you will find your mentality aligning itself almost automatically. "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" Matthew 26:41

Sundar Kand

https://www.dailypioneer.com/2024/columnists/the-eternal-wisdom-of-sundar-kand.html

*The Anatomy of Peace*

*The Anatomy of Peace* War is sadly a Vulture’s prophecy, Believing it a destiny is no less hypocrisy, Raging egos foster a ruinous fantasy, Raze, rubble and ravage sucks all ecstacy. Kings order the war for peace, Generals set the goals with ease, Knights merrily join the rage, Vultures welcome all with great amuse. Roaring conches stir the combat fever, Galloping Horses neigh with valour, Mighty elephants trumpet colossal fervor, Scorching arrows arouse horror, Fiery Spears steer the rear. Sheaths beget the brutal swords, That jolt the conscience of the opposing lords, Bravehearts sprint ahead braving all odds, To live in the ballads of the folklore bards. Arms maker makes merry of the grief, Trader feeds on the scarcity of the strife, While Dalal catalyses the great mischief, Envoy sets out an impossible relief, All in the name of peace is no disbelief. Widow knows the agony of the child, While pain of the limbless is no mild, Blood soaked mud paints the nature wild, Wolves roam around the dead bodies piled, Hapless poor awaits God with life derailed, Peace is the only thing that gets availed. Saying “war changes with times” is not fair, As it only spread from the land to the air, King is rechristened to be the Premier, Only to add proverbial democratic flavour, Power never rusts with the change of chair, As the bloody sword never rests in despair, Mind of the warmonger is very clear, To tell all that delay will make peace dear. Kings live in palaces basking in glory, Heroes live in ballads donning their own story, Victors wine and dine with ceaseless merry, Nobles feast on the swollen treasury, Countryfolks die of living in endless misery, All await another war amidst peaceful mockery!! *Why is peace so short-lived and war-prone?* War is not about the arms as its backbone, Rather, it's hunger for power that we adorn, When the man was in the wild alone, The malady of ‘self’ was yet to be grown, As nothing important was of his own, And not scared of loosing and bemoan. Soon had the greed for the land, Lines were drawn to have a free hand, Lost no time to muster men at his command, Held sway over it calling it the homeland, Colour, race, region, religion and what not ! No symbols left unused to keep his flock tight, Bound the emotions with morals of the right. When veiled peace calls for a narration, The clergy said it is the religion, The patriots said it is the nation, The Facists said it is the racial origin, Countless many said nothing with suffocation, Does coronation of power care for confirmation? In the endless game of power, Peace is the best bait, War sets the things straight, And keeps the slavery forever tight, Who knows the promised peace the best, Maybe those who are laid to rest !! ✍️ Ram.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Surrender is about the past. You are pure in the present moment. Honour the purity without ascertaining it, and you can lead the world with equanimity.

Comfort is the worst addiction.

Comfort is the worst addiction. It is your worst enemy. Peace of mind is a beautiful gift, which only we can give to ourselves just by expecting nothing from anyone. Our days are happier when we give people a bit of our heart rather than a piece of our mind. Waking up early is always beneficial, whether it's from sleep, ego or misunderstanding. You have two of the best doctors in the world - your left leg and your right leg. Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather, The world’s greatest achievers have been those who have always stayed focused on their goals and have been consistent in their efforts

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

A good chef is needed to make good food, a good driver to take you where you want to go, and a master to make your mind happy. So, I have come here to take away all your worries, concerns, and fears. You give them to me—I want you to be happy. Go back with a smile, and if you have desires or ambitions, don’t worry. They will all happen; they will be taken care of. It’s not a big deal. When there is a connection with the master and you surrender your desires, you will see the results. Connectivity is important. When you are connected to the main power, the sound comes, the light comes, and everything flows. Similarly, if your phone is connected to the network, it starts receiving messages. But if your phone is not connected to universal energy or the network, will it work? Only the clock will work, and time will tick, but no messages will come in, and no calls will go out. In the same way, you need to feel connected to the universe.

The Golden Chariot Express

https://epaper.thedailyguardian.com/view/1751/the-daily-guardian/14

Doing Sadhana the Scientific Way

https://epaper.thedailyguardian.com/view/1756/the-daily-guardian/15

Your Time Will Come !

Good Morning ... One of the best messages I have read in recent times : Your Time Will Come ! New York is 3 hours ahead of California but it does not mean that California is slow, or that New York is fast. Both are working based on their own "Time Zone." Some one is still single. Someone got married and 'waited' 10 years before having a child. There is another who had a baby within a year of marriage. Someone graduated at the age of 22, yet waited 5 years before securing a good job; and there is another who graduated at 27 and secured employment immediately ! Someone became CEO at 25 and died at 50 while another became a CEO at 50 and lived to 90 years. Everyone works based on their 'Time Zone', People can have things worked out only according to their pace. Work in your “time zone”. Your Colleagues, friends, younger ones might "seem" to go ahead of you. May be some might "seem" behind you. Don't envy them or mock them, it's their 'Time Zone.' You are in yours! Hold on, be strong, and stay true to yourself. All things shall work together for your good. You’re not late … You are not early ... you’re very much On time! 😊👍 Stay blessed. You Are In Your Time Zone...

*A beautiful story... Must Read.*

*A beautiful story... Must Read.* A Merchant wanted to purchase a gorgeous camel in the market and after spotting one began to setlle for it with the seller! There was a long bargain between the merchant and the camel seller, and finally the merchant bought the camel and took it home! On reaching home, the merchant called his servant to take out the camel's kajava (saddle) ..! Under the Kajave, the servant found a small velvet bag which upon opening revealed him to be full of precious diamond gems ..! The servant shouted, "Boss, you bought a camel, but look what came with it for free!" The Merchant was also surprised, he saw diamonds in his servant's hands which were shining and twinkling even more in the sunlight! The Merchant said: "I have bought a camel and not the diamonds, I should return it immediately!" The servant was thinking in his mind "how stupid my boss is ...!" He Said: "Nobody will know who the owner is!" However, the merchant did not listen to him and immediately reached the market and returned the velvet bag to the shopkeeper. The camel seller was very happy, said, "I had forgotten that I had hidden my precious stones under the Kajave! Now you choose any one diamond as a reward! The Merchant said, "I have paid the right price for the camel so I do not need any gift and prizes!" The more the merchant was refusing, the more the camel seller was insisting! Finally, the merchant smiled and said: In fact, when I decided to bring back the bag, I had already kept two of the most precious diamonds with me! After this confession, the camel seller was infuriated and he quickly emptied the bag and began to count his diamond gems! But after his counted with a heavy sigh of relief, he said "These are all my diamonds, so what were the two most precious ones that you kept?" The Merchant said: ... *"My honesty and my self-respect."* The seller was dumb-struck! We have to look within ourselves to find out if we possess any of these 2 diamonds. *Anyone who has these 2 diamonds, HONESTY AND SELF-RESPECT, is the richest person in the world.*

*Tracing lineage: Muslims in eastern UP village use ‘Brahmin’ surnames.*

*Tracing lineage: Muslims in eastern UP village use ‘Brahmin’ surnames.* NAMITA BAJPAI at Lucknow on 11/12/2024 DEHRI, a nondescript village, 35-40 km away from Jaunpur district headquarters in eastern UP, is in the limelight for a rare phenomenon. A predominantly Muslim village, Dehri has over 7,000 Muslims and 5,000 Hindus living together in harmony for ages. Suddenly, a new trend is emerging in the village. Around 70 Muslims of the village have added ‘Brahmin’ surnames to their names. However, they claim that have not reconverted to Hinduism. Naushad Ahmad of this village in Kerakat tehsil has drawn attention when he mentioned his name as Naushad Ahmad ‘Dubey’ on the wedding card of his daughter. In the same village, lives Pande ji - Irshad Ahmad Pandey - who is just two houses away from Naushad Ahmed Dubey. Many others like Naushad and Irshad are following the same practice by adding the surnames ‘Mishra, Pandey, Tiwari’ to their names. “We started this practice two years back when we came to know about our ancestry. We got to know that we all were Hindus who got converted generation ago,” says Naushad Ahmad. He adds that he came to know his forefathers especially Lal Bahadur Dubey had converted to Islam eight generations back. “As people use to address senior members of my family as ‘Panditji’, I was curious about my ancestry. My great grandfather told me that eight generations back our ancestor Lal Bahadur Dubey of Rani ki Sarai, had arrived Dehri and purchased a ‘zamindari’ from Hazari Singh. When he came here, he had already converted to Islam,” says Naushad mentioning that his quest to know the condition under which Lal Bahadur embraced Islam is on. “After getting the info about my ancestry, I decided to put my original surname ‘Dubey’ with my name”, says Naushad. However, no one else in his family has added Dubey surname. Similarly, Ehtesham Ahmed of the same village claims that he also has the Hindu lineage. “My ancestors were also Brahmin but I have not added their surname to my name yet,” he says, adding that many Muslim men have started using other Brahmin surnames. Dehri village head Farhan says he traced his ancestors four generations back and found out that they were Hindus. Similarly, Abdullah Shaikh is now Abdullah Sheikh Dubey, Mohammad Gufran is now Thakur Gufran and those with Sayyad as surnames are now Shandilya. They all follow the Islamic practices but go to temple as well to pay obeisance to Hindu deities.

Gukesh Dommaraju's parents are both doctors:

Gukesh Dommaraju's parents are both doctors: Dr. Rajinikanth An ear, nose, and throat (ENT) surgeon who gave up his practice to support his son's chess career. He traveled with Gukesh to tournaments around the world. Dr. Padma Kumari A microbiologist who managed the household while her husband was away. She provided emotional support for Gukesh, sharing motivational stories and quotes from famous people. Gukesh's parents' decision to support his chess career was unconventional and challenging. Padma says that her husband's sacrifice was the biggest a father could make, and that he helped Gukesh reach his level.

*Interesting 🧐 Information!!*

*Interesting 🧐 Information!!* *Glass* takes one million years to decompose, which means it never wears out and can be recycled an infinite amount of times! *Gold* is the only metal that doesn't rust, even if it's buried in the ground for thousands of years. *When a person dies* hearing is the last sense to go. The first sense lost is sight. *Your tongue* is the only muscle in your body that is attached at only one end. *The tooth* is the only part of the human body that cannot heal itself. *If you stop getting thirsty* , you need to drink more water. When a human body is dehydrated, its thirst mechanism shuts off. *Zero* is the only number that cannot be represented by Roman numerals. *Kites* were used in the American Civil War to deliver letters and newspapers. *The song Auld Lang Syne* is sung at the stroke of midnight in almost every English-speaking country in the world to bring in the new year. *Drinking water* after eating reduces the acid in your mouth by 61 percent. Drinking a glass of water before you eat may help digestion and curb appetite. *Peanut oil* is used for cooking in submarines because it doesn't smoke unless it's heated above 450F. *The roar* that we hear when we place a seashell next to our ear is not the ocean, but rather the sound of blood surging through the veins in the ear. The seashells work as amplifiers. *Nine out of every 10* living things live in the ocean. *The Banana* cannot reproduce itself. It can be propagated only by the hand of man. *Airports* at higher altitudes require a longer airstrip due to lower air density. *The University of Alaska* spans four time zones. *In ancient Greece* , tossing an apple to a girl was a traditional proposal of marriage. Catching it meant she accepted. *Warner Communications* paid 28 million for the copyright to the song Happy Birthday, which was written in 1935! *Intelligent people* have more zinc and copper in their hair. *A comet’s tail* always points away from the sun. *Caffeine* increases the power of aspirin and other painkillers, that is why it is found in some medicines. *The military salute* is a motion that evolved from medieval times, when knights in armor raised their visors to reveal their identity. *If you get into the bottom* of a well or a tall chimney and look up, you can see stars, even in the middle of the day. *In ancient times* strangers shook hands to show that they were unarmed. *Strawberries and cashews* are the only fruits whose seeds grow on the outside. *Avocados* have the highest calories of any fruit at 167 calories per hundred grams. *The moon* moves about two inches away from the Earth each year. *The Earth gets 100 tons* heavier every day due to falling space dust. *Due to earth's gravity* it is impossible for mountains to be higher than 15,000 meters. *Mickey Mouse* is known as "Topolino" in Italy. *Soldiers* do not march in step when going across bridges because they could set up a vibration which could be sufficient to knock the bridge down. *Everything* weighs one percent less at the equator. *For every extra kilogram* carried on a space flight, 530 kg of excess fuel are needed at lift-off. *The letter J* does not appear anywhere on the periodic table of the elements. *And last but not least:* This is called 'Money Bags .' So send this on to 5 people and money will arrive in 5 days. Based on Chinese Feng Shui, the one who does not pass this on will have money troubles for the rest of the year. _Superstitious or not, I passed this along because it is interesting information!!!_

Transforming Organisational Behaviour

https://www.dailypioneer.com/2024/columnists/transforming-organisational-behavior.html

*Lipid Profile*

*Lipid Profile* 🤔😲🥱👍👏👌🙏 A renowned doctor shared a beautiful story explaining lipid profiles in a unique way. Imagine our body is a small town. The main troublemakers in this town are _Cholesterol_. They have some accomplices too. The main partner-in-crime is _Triglyceride_. Their job is to roam the streets, causing chaos, and blocking the roads. The _Heart_ is the city center of this town. All roads lead to the heart. When the troublemakers increase in number, you know what happens. They try to disrupt the heart's function. But our body-town has a police force too. _HDL_ is the good cop who arrests the troublemakers and puts them behind bars (the liver). The liver then throws them out of the body through the drainage system. However, there's a bad cop too, _LDL_, who's power-hungry. LDL releases the troublemakers from jail and puts them back on the streets. When the good cop (HDL) is outnumbered, the town becomes chaotic. Who likes living in such a town? *Do you want to reduce the troublemakers and increase the good cops?* Start walking!_ With every step, the good cops (HDL) will increase, and the troublemakers (Cholesterol, Triglyceride, and LDL) will decrease. Your town (body) will regain its vitality. Your heart the city centre will be safe from the troublemakers' blockades (heart block). And when your heart is healthy, you'll be healthy too. *So, start walking whenever you get the chance!*🚶‍♀️

KINDNESS

KINDNESS 1.When I was a fresh mom with two under three my card got declined in the checkout line. The baby was in the car seat, the two-year-old was asking for bubble gum and chocolate bars. I felt like I could just melt into the floor. Without missing a beat, the man behind me in line handed the cashier his card. ‘I’ve got it.’ He said. That was ten years ago, and I will never forget it. When I worked at a coffee shop, we had someone buy their own coffee and then anonymously buy the next person in lines coffee just saying, ‘pay it forward’. The next person was shocked to hear their coffee was covered and said, ‘well I want to buy the one for the next costumer’. The pay-it-forward lasted most of the afternoon with people buying other people’s drinks. My friend at the cash register was near tears by the end of her shift. 2.I won’t ever forget that day and I doubt she has either. One time in the Target line a mom with a brand-new infant and two littles who were crying and clinging to her legs asked if I might hold her baby for a minute. I took that baby and rocked her in my arms until she stopped fussing. I bet that mom remembers that day, I know I do. When my toddler was somewhere between threenager and fournado she threw I giant tantrum in a shopping center. I held her on a park bench while she screamed like I was her kidnapper. A couple older ladies stopped and said, ‘You’re doing an AMAZING job mama, hang in there!!’ 3.I will never ever forget them or their words that day. In a train depot in France we were lost and confused trying to figure out where to go. An older man sitting near us accidentally dropped some cash on the ground. My daughter who was six found it and returned it to him. He and his friend loaded us up with snacks from their bags and then in broken English asked if we needed help. They ended up walking us all the way to our next train and riding it with us for a while just to make sure we didn’t get lost. We won’t ever forget those two men. One time on a family road trip we stopped at a roadside cafe to get lunch. When we went to pay, we found out that another couple had already bought it saying that we had a ‘sweet family’. 4.You better believe we will remember that forever. Kindness is so powerful. It can be such a little thing like buying someone’s coffee or giving an encouraging word to someone who could use it. You just never know the impact it might have. My guess is that most of us remember the times that someone stepped out of their own life just to bless ours.”

Why did Krishna killed only shishupal

Why did Krishna killed only shishupal on abusive words of shishupal? Didn't shakuni, duryodhan or any other person said bad about Krishna earlier or afterwards during war? Lord Krishna didn't just punish Shishupala for his abusive words. Shishupala was also punished for his various crimes against the Yadavas. A. Krishna describes Shishupala’s crimes - This wretch of cruel deeds, you kings, hearing that we had gone to the city of Pragjyotisha, came and burnt Dwaraka, although he is the son of my father’s sister. While king Bhoja was sporting on the Raivataka hill, this one fell upon the attendants of that king and slew and led away many of them in chains to his own city. Sinful in all his purpose, this wretch, in order to obstruct the sacrifice of my father, stole the sacrificial horse of the horse-sacrifice that had been let loose under the guard of armed men. Prompted by sinful motives, this one ravished the reluctant wife of the innocent Vabhru (Akrura) on her way from Dwaraka to the country of the Sauviras. This injurer of his maternal uncle, disguising himself in the attire of the king of Karusha, ravished also the innocent Bhadra, the princess of Visala, the intended bride of king Karusha. Section XLIV, Shishupala Vadha Parva, Mahabharata. 1. While Krishna was away fighting Narakasura, Shishupala set fire to Dwaraka. 2. Ambushed King Bhoja and enslaved his attendents. 3. Stole the Ashwamedha horse of vasudeva. 4. Raped the young wife of Akroora. 5. Raped Bhadra, the bride of king Karusha.

Arjuna

On the battlefield, when Arjun began to feel despondent thinking about the possible outcomes of his actions, Krishna gave him teachings of Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, and Jnana Yoga, and thus the Bhagavad Gita was born. Krishna said to Arjun, “You have the right to perform your duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions.” Most people do not act without expecting results. When you cook rice, you put the rice in water and then place it on fire, because you know that this action will give a result. Results depend on actions. You think, ‘I cooked the rice, I put it on the fire.’ No, rice followed the law. If you, or anyone anywhere, put rice in water and place it on fire, it will be cooked. But you think that you did it. You cannot do anything that is against the law. Acting is within your control, but even then, you can only influence it indirectly, not directly. Constantly thinking about the fruits of your actions weakens you. The one who focuses 100% on their actions alone is free. If you are participating in a race, you should have no interest in looking at who is running faster than you. Your focus should be on your track and your run. When you give 100% in any task, even if you lose, you feel satisfied that you used your full potential and performed your best. When you compete with yourself, you progress in life, but when you compete with others, you weaken yourself. So, move forward in life with focus. The Bhagavad Gita teaches us to maintain equanimity irrespective of circumstances. Experiencing unity within not only sharpens your intellect but also enriches your emotions. Until you are emotionally calm, how can happiness be possible in your life?

*Smile*

*Smile* _(Inspired by a delightful poem by Spike Milligan)_ Laughter spreads like ripples in a pond that’s freshly stirred. A grin exchanged by chance today can echo without a word. I smiled at some strangers as I wandered down the lane. They caught the spark, their face lit up, and passed it on again. It struck me then, how far it goes— this simple, fleeting spark. A tiny act of joy can bloom and brighten up the dark. So when you feel a smile arise, don’t let it slip away. Share it wide, let it ignite a brighter, kinder day. Rajiv 17th December 2024

*Some Known & Unknown Facts about the 1971 India-Pakistan War*

*Some Known & Unknown Facts about the 1971 India-Pakistan War* -- Col Ashwani Sharma (retd), Editor-in-Chief, "South Asia Defence & Strategic Review" It was *September 2007*. I had just left the Army and moved to Delhi to take over as the Editor of "South Asia Defence & Strategic Review". *Rajan Arya*, a dear friend and owner of *Pentagon Press* handed me a CD one day and asked me to examine the contents. It was a script written by one Pakistani Ambassador *Arshad Sami Khan*, former PAF Sqn Ldr decorated with a 'Sitara-i-Jurat' during the 1965 Indo-Pak War. He had the unique distinction of having served with three Presidents (namely Ayub, Yahya and Bhutto) of Pakistan, as their ADC before side-stepping to the Pakistan Govt's Foreign Service. The copious notes made by him during this eventful period in Pakistan’s history formed the script of what was handed over to me. Once I opened the CD, I remained glued to my computer for hours together. It was a revealing and fascinating account of the Presidential personalities, political dramas, games played behind the scenes in the highest echelons of power in Pakistan and palace-intrigues (read Presidency) in Pakistan. It also reflected, at places on global personalities including some from India. That is what a young PAF officer observed, noted and perceived - the mind-boggling happenings around him at the very top. It was a 'potboiler' and I instantly agreed to edit the script and give it the shape that it needed. The book – *"Three Presidents and an Aide"* was released in Delhi by Capt Amarinder Singh in *2008*. Somehow it never received the due publicity and scrutiny it deserved, either in Pakistan _for obvious reasons,_ and in India too, for lack of adequate publicity and other events overwhelming the public scenario at that time. A few days ago I pulled out the only copy left with me to recount certain facts on 71 Operations, from a Pakistani viewpoint. And what a revelation it is! Specific to Bangladesh, *Sami Khan*’s account clears many a doubt. This piece on East Pakistan in its final days and the creation of Bangladesh draws heavily from Sami Khan’s book. *16 to 20 Nov 1971* The *Battle of Garibpur* in close proximity to Jessore, was the harbinger of Bad News. It led to the *Declaration of Emergency* in Pakistan and the setting up of an *Emergency Council*. A hurried civilian government was put together with the aeged *Nurul Amin* from the East as the *Prime Minister*, and *Zulfikar Bhutto* (Friend to a Foe, to Friend again) as the *Dy PM* cum *Foreign Minister*. Bhutto had earlier supported the *Imposition of Martial Law in East Pakistan*. After that - he was side-lined, to be brought back again to salvage the situation at the political level. Concerned at the imminent War and limited international support from its Allies, Yahya decided to despatch a *secret delegation* to Pakistan’s "all-weather friend" *China*. *Bhutto* was selected to lead the delegation accompanied by Yahya’s confidants, *Lt Gen Gul Hassan* and *Air Marshal Rahim Khan*. The latter two were added overtly to discuss the military situation, but _covertly_ *for the purpose of keeping an eye on Bhutto* and report back the true picture to President Yahya. They met Chinese Premier *Chou Enlai* and Foreign Minister *Chen Ye*, who assured them China’s full support to Pakistan. *China also advised Pakistan to avert war till the spring of 1972*, when the Himalayan Passes would open up for possible military intervention, if required. It was here that *Bhutto hatched a conspiracy to mislead Yahya*....... *China had clearly expressed its inability to assist Pakistan militarily during the winter months*, but Yahya was made to feel secure by his trusted Delegation Members saying that the superbly trained Chinese Special Forces Divisions alteady positioned in Tibet & Sinkiang can intervene even during the Himalayan winters...... As per Sami Khan, *there was no guarantee that India would have fallen for any 'ruse' to wait for the winters to pass*, but this deliberate "misinformation" emboldened Yahya, *who accepted the advice to launch the offensive during the peak winters in December 1971*. *The End Game: Last few weeks and the Machiavellian Moves within Pak Establishment* *10-20 November 1971*. President Yahya Khan, an eternal 'optimist' would at times get riled at the number of Fronts he had to deal with, East & West Pakistan; Martial Law; deteriorating Political, Economic and Diplomatic situations – _and hardly ever any Good News!_ Yet he was hopeful that he will pull things off, fix East Pakistan, avert War and settle scores with his Pakistani Political Opponents to continue on as the President. This false hope to a large extent was the result of 'sycophants' surrounding the President. Interestingly, one evening the ‘spirited’ President picked up two balloons after a Party and kicked them in the air and said, “here goes *Bhutto*, and here goes *Mujib*”. Little did he know that they were about to burst in his face, with full force just a few weeks later. *The 'D' Day* On *02 Dec 1971*, Yahya received a long signal from *Gen AAK Niazi*, GOC and Martial Law Administrator, East Pakistan, about *Jessore* being under imminent Threat. This was in line with earlier communications of increasing military pressure from the Mukti Bahini and Indian Army. Yahya hurriedly convened a meeting of the entire top military brass at the GHQ the next day, *03 Dec 1971*. Briefing the top military leadership, the *Chief of General Staff*, *Lt Gen Gul Hassan* recommended War against India, reminding Gen Yahya of his public pledge not to lose an inch of territory. To a concerned Yahya, all the top-ranking officers of the Pakistan Armed Forces nodded their heads in unison! *Air Marshal Rahim Khan* took over from then on, and laid out the *Pre-Emptive Air Strikes Plan* to immobilise the numerically superior IAF. The other two Services would open their offensives simultaneously. Young Sami Khan was worried. Having been privy to the build-up leading up to the D Day, he had serious reservations about the outcome of the War. The 'end-game' had begun. *3 to 9 Dec 1971* PAF launched the Pre-Emptive Strikes on India's forward Airbases all along the border in a bid to achieve surprise and inflict maximum damage. The damage was however limited due to IAF having learnt the Lessons from the 1965 War and also from the Israeli-Arab War of 1967 to not park any aircrafts in the open but only in bombproof concrete shelters, and thereafter the IAF responded with a massive riposte. Yahya was pleased with the initial actions in the West, but that euphoria vanished soon as the Indian Armed Forces seized the initiative on all Fronts and the push-back was strong. On *09 Dec*, Governor *Malik* from East Pakistan spoke with the President on the secure 'Sacraphone' channel and painted a gloomy picture. Gen *Niazi* too sought a quick political solution, before the Pakistani military in the East gets decimated. *Yahya then authorised Malik and Niazi to take actions as deemed necessary, to save the Armed Forces garrisons and Pak administration in East Pakistan*. *09-13 Dec 1971* Pakistan’s long-held strategic belief that "East Pakistan’s security lay in the West", was crumbling quickly. Defences in East Pakistan were crumbling like a house of cards. Pakistan’s Offensives in the West had been blunted, and the Indian Army, Navy and Airforce were all on the offensive, with the IAF hitting targets deep inside and the Navy striking the oil storage tanks at Karachi. A panic-stricken *Yahya wanted a UN-supervised Ceasefire at the earliest*. With the USSR solidly 'vetoing' all such moves at the UN, *Yahya dispatched Bhutto to the UN* on the advice of *Lt Gen Gul Hassan* and *Air Marshal Rahim Khan*. His charter was to find a diplomatic solution to end the War, and allow Pakistan to work out a domestic political solution. *13 Dec 1971* After repeated attempts by Yahya, *President Nixon* finally returned the call at around *2 AM* Pakistan time. Yahya literally jumped out of his bed to take the call, and instructed Sami Khan to hold the parallel line, lest the precious call gets disconnected. *Nixon promised full support to Pakistan* and intimated Yahya that he had ordered *Task Force 74* of the *7th Fleet* in the Pacific to steam into the Bay of Bengal and rescue the beleaguered Pakistan Army in East Pakistan. An ecstatic Yahya woke up his *COS Lt Gen Hameed*, recounted the conversation and finally said “Haam, you tell Niazi to hold on to East Pakistan. The Americans are on their way.” That was the first and the last message on the 7th Fleet, which never really showed up, as Pakistani hopes kept sinking deep into the depths of the Bay of Bengal! *15 Dec 1971 (Military Situation)* *Gen AAK Niazi* ("Tiger Niazi" to his colleagues), under severe military pressure and incessant offensive from the Indian Armed Forces and isolated from all directions, approached the *US Consul General* in Dhaka seeking *an immediate "Ceasefire", Protection of all Pakistani Forces in East Pakistan, and an assurance by the Indian Army for their protection and no Reprisals*. In Rawalpindi, upon receiving the signal from Niazi, Yahya addressed the nation on TV and radio and acknowledged the ‘unfortunate temporary setback’. He also conveyed his resolve to continue fighting on the Western Front till *complete victory* was achieved. The Emergency Council and the Military Leadership of Pakistan, however was increasingly aware of the dangers of prolonging the War as they realised that India was capable of inflicting grave damage to its military infrastructure and economic centres in West Pakistan, especially as the entire weight could be shifted to India's Western Theatre. They now unanimously advised that the President would have to rethink his resolve. *15 Dec 1971 (Diplomatic Situation)* With the Soviets voting against US-sponsored UN Resolutions for an immediate Ceasefire, Pakistan was running out of *Options*. But literally "out of the blue", a *Poland*-sponsored resolution for an Immediate Cease-Fire was moved at the *UN General Assembly*. President Yahya and his staff learnt about this Resolution through media reports the next day! Yahya, furious with his Foreign Office, tried to contact *Bhutto* in *New York* to instruct him to accept the Resolution forthwith. Bhutto, however, *was incommunicado*, (either pretending to be too sick with 'influenza' or too 'drugged' to talk, or simply *not available* at the Hotel! Unable to contact his Foreign Minister, a frantic Yahya then got hold of *Agha Shahi*, Pakistan’s permanent envoy at the UN and ordered him to accept the Polish Resolution without delay. Bhutto then finally emerged from his room in *Hotel Astoria* on the morning of 15th Dec. It was Bhutto’s turn to speak at the *UN Security Council*, convened at Pakistan’s request to discuss the situation. Bhutto walked up to the podium and in a fiery address blamed the International Community for inaction while his country disintegrated, then he dramatically tore up the notes in his hand, and soon walked off the stage stating *“I am not a rat; inflict what you may, I shall go back and fight.”* In place of garnering the badly needed support, Bhutto in fact had antagonised the General Assembly, _hardly an effective way to counter the world’s largest democracy_. *India accepted the UN Resolution for a Cease-Fire on 16 Dec*. *16 Dec 1971* Lt Gen AAK Niazi, Martial Law Administrator *Zone 'B' & GOC East Pakistan Armed Forces in East Pakistan signed the *Instrument of Surrender* and handed it over to Lt Gen JS Aurora, GOC-in-C, Indian Army's Eastern Command. India also accepted the Polish Resolution at the General Assembly and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi unilaterally declared *"Ceasefire"* and ordered cessation of all hostilities in both the Theatres of War. *17 Dec 1971* The scene at the Pakistan Presidency was one of disbelief and despondency. Yahya had vowed to continue the War. There was public outrage at the serious reverses on both Fronts. Bangladesh was a reality. And the public was yet to be informed of *90,000 POWs* and a loss of approx. *2000 sq Kms* in the West. Pakistan military’s top brass met at the Presidency to decide on the future course of events. *Suddenly the news of revolt by the 6 Armoured Division Artillery Brigade* was conveyed by *Gen Gul Hassan*. Its highly-regarded Commander, *Brig FB Ali* had decided to arrest the *GOC* of *6 Armoured Division* on charges of cowardice in battle! *The brigade was also supposedly on the move to Islamabad*, heading for the Presidency. Yahya was alarmed – revolt in the Army was the last thing he wanted to hear. It could snowball into a general revolt and the public’s ire would be difficult to contain. A couple of hours later into the evening, a visibly tired *Yahya declared his intention to resign* and hand over the reins to the elected civilian leader of West Pakistan *Z A Bhutto*.

A Young Boy

One day, a young boy came into the monastery and asked the Chief Monk, to give him some work and also food. The Chief Monk asked him: What have you read? What work can you do? What do you know? The boy replied: I have not read in school. I have no proficiency in any work excepting some stray jobs like washing food plates, cleaning up the cottage etc., I do not know anything else. The Chief Monk asked Are you sure you do not know anything else? The young boy replied: Oh, yes, Sir, now I remember. I can play good Chess The Chief Monk said: Oh that's good. Now I shall test you in your game. He asked another monk to come with chess board and coins and asked a table to be placed so that the game could start. Before start of the game, the Chief Monk said: Now see, I have a sword on my hand. If any one is defeated, his nose will be severed The boy became nervous. However, without any other way to go, he agreed. The game started. Initially, the boy made some mistakes in moves. His position on the board became almost hopeless. He then concentrated completely on the game and improved the position to a winning level. Then he looked at the monk sitting opposite and playing. He was not quite nervous but obviously disturbed a little. The boy then thought, "I am a useless fellow in life. Nothing will change the world if I lose the game and lose my nose. But this monk, is well read person, doing meditation and is sure to attain Buddha Hood Why should he lose? So the young boy deliberately made a wrong move, so that the monk sitting opposite could take advantage and win the game ! The Chief Monk suddenly flashed his sword on the table. All the coins flew into different directions. He then said: The game is over. Oh boy you are IN. You will be with us in the monastery hereafter. The boy did not understand. The Chief Monk explained: "I did not ask you to play chess to find out your caliber in the game. But I was looking for two essential qualities that are necessary for Self realization. One is *Maha Prajna*. The Great Awareness. I found that in you. When your game became positionally bad, you put your entire concentration and attention on the game and improved your game. This is Maha Prajna. The second is *Maha Karuna* The Great Compassion. I found that also in you. When your opponent was about to lose the game, you looked at him with great compassion and deliberately made a wrong mistake so that he could win. These two qualities are adequate to do _sadhana_ and make the life *Meaningful*. *YOU ARE IN.* Life isn’t about winning or losing there is nothing to win and nothing to lose.

Raga

Why did Rahul Gandhi go & requested the Speaker of Lok Sabha Om Birla to expunge from the records about the allegations of Soros connection made against his mother Sonia Gandhi and himself⁉️ He has met the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla along with Venugopal & Jairam Ramesh & requested him to delete the allegations against him & his mother about their connection with Soros-deep state-OCCRP. However, the Speaker has rejected their request. *Why did the Speaker reject their demand❓* It is not allegations against them, but it is truth armed with evidence & the proof is being openly presented inside Parliament by Nishikant Dubey, Sudhansu Trivedi & Sambit Patra. Remember all of them are sitting MPs & they’re aware of their responsibilities of making allegations. Rahul & his Italian mother are caught red handed & they can’t escape the law of the land now. This is so serious that they will never come out of it & there are chances of sending them to jail based on evidentiary reasons available against them. *What happens when their request is denied❓* Sambit Patra has called Rahul as “Traitor of the highest order” & such things cannot be bevelled against a LOP without proof. This shows there is solid evidence against the Italian family, therefore, the remarks of Traitor & Soros connections will be on record in the parliament permanently. This means if not today or tomorrow, one day they could be prosecuted under law on sedition charges Nishikant Dubey has openly demanded answer for 10 questions from Italian Family inside the Parliament, but the Italian family has so far remain silent. It looks like the Italian family is in trouble now more serous than ever before. Forget about National Herald case or Rahul’s citizenship status. This is the reason why Rahul went to request the Speaker to expunge the Truth from the records.. 🇮🇳 ⛳

THE DEVIL’S LAST DITCH

Good Morning!!! THE DEVIL’S LAST DITCH Around the Year with Emmet Fox December 19 When you have driven the devil out of every other corner of your heart, his last refuge is to take shelter in negative analysis. He will say, “You prayed before and nothing happened,” or, “You have been praying so long for that …” Or perhaps he will say, “There is no way that it can come about.” When this kind of thing comes into your thought, do not be discouraged but rather rejoice, for this means that Satan is positively in his very last ditch, and now is the time to clear him out; and if you will be loyal to God it will not be difficult. Now is the time to know the Truth quietly, and to hold to it in spite of false appearances. Now is the time to witness to the faith that is in you. No finer opportunity for a great step forward spiritually, can ever come to you than this one. So, take advantage of it and rejoice in your good fortune. It is not when things are going well that we make our progress. It is not even when things are going wrong and yet we feel sure that we can handle them with prayer, that we advance. It is when, smitten by the temptation to discouragement or even despair, we yet stand for what we know is the Truth, and say with Job, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him” Job 13:15

LIFE IS LIKE THAT

Good Morning!!! LIFE IS LIKE THAT Around the Year with Emmet Fox December 20 You form certain beliefs, for one reason or another— and then you have to live with them. When you were growing up, well-meaning people told you many negative things by way of warning, thereby implanting fears; and these fears are with you today, consciously or subconsciously. Other problems you brought here with you when you were born. You meet your fears dramatized. The things that we fear in our hearts have a way of coming to us in the guise of other people’s acts; of business conditions; of a breakdown in some part of the body. Thank God it is not necessary as a rule to delve into the recesses of the subconscious and dredge for these things. In the spiritual teaching, as given in the Bible, we learn that by beating the symptoms spiritually (not, of course, covering up symptoms, but beating them) the fear or false suggestion that caused the symptom disappears too, and the patient is free. “Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace” Job 22:21

The Cost of a Miracle

The Cost of a Miracle A little girl went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from its hiding place in the closet. She poured the change out on the floor and counted it carefully. Three times, even.. The total had to be exactly perfect.. No chance here for mistakes. Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap, she slipped out the back door and made her way 6 blocks to Rexall's Drug Store with the big red Indian Chief sign above the door. She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention, but he was too busy at this moment. Tess twisted her feet to make a scuffing noise. Nothing.. She cleared her throat with the most disgusting sound she could muster. No good. Finally she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter. That did it! 'And what do you want?' the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice.. I'm talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven't seen in ages,' he said without waiting for a reply to his question. 'Well, I want to talk to you about my brother,' Tess answered back in the same annoyed tone. 'He's really, really sick....and I want to buy a miracle.' 'I beg your pardon?' said the pharmacist. 'His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So how much does a miracle cost?' 'We don't sell miracles here, little girl. I'm sorry but I can't help you,' the pharmacist said, softening a little. 'Listen, I have the money to pay for it. If it isn't enough, I will get the rest. Just tell me how much it costs.' The pharmacist's brother was a well dressed man. He stooped down and asked the little girl, 'What kind of a miracle does your brother need?' ' I don't know,' Tess replied with her eyes welling up. I just know he's really sick and Mommy says he needs an operation. But my Daddy can't pay for it, so I want to use my money..' 'How much do you have?' asked the man from Chicago . 'One dollar and eleven cents,' Tess answered barely audible. 'And it's all the money I have, but I can get some more if I need to.' 'Well, what a coincidence,' smiled the man. 'A dollar and eleven cents---the exact price of a miracle for little brothers.' He took her money in one hand and with the other hand he grasped her mitten and said 'Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let's see if I have the miracle you need.' That well-dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon, specializing in neuro-surgery. The operation was completed free of charge and it wasn't long until Andrew was home again and doing well. Mom and Dad were happily talking about the chain of events that had led them to this place. 'That surgery,' her Mom whispered. 'was a real miracle. I wonder how much it would have cost?' Tess smiled. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost....one dollar and eleven cents...plus the faith of a little child. A miracle is not the suspension of natural law, but the operation of a higher law.

Wishing My Dear Reading Corner Family Friends the most wonderful next 24 hours

Wishing My Dear Reading Corner Family Friends the most wonderful next 24 hours Excuses feel good for the present but lead to regret later. Progress > Perfection. Don’t sit at tables where they talk about others, because when you get up, you are the topic. Our life won't change until we change. Successful people are lifelong learners. Master your emotions. Master your life. You have two ears and one mouth. Follow that ratio. Listen more, talk less.

Was Duryodhana truly a superior warrior to Bheema, or is it a myth? What does the original Mahabharata say?

Was Duryodhana truly a superior warrior to Bheema, or is it a myth? What does the original Mahabharata say? Duryodhana was superior to Bhima in technique while Bhima was physically stronger than him. Krishna summed up the strengths of both during their mace fight.. Vasudeva said, "The instruction received by them hath been equal. Bhima, however, is possessed of greater might, while the son of Dhritarashtra is possessed of greater skill and hath laboured more. If he were to fight fairly, Bhimasena will never succeed in winning the victory. If, however, he fights unfairly he will be surely able to slay Duryodhana. This Suyodhana had broken and fled. All his troops had been killed. He had entered the depths of a lake. He had been defeated and, therefore, he had desired to retire into the woods, having become hopeless of retaining his kingdom. What man is there, possessed of any wisdom, that would challenge such a person to a single combat? I do not know whether Duryodhana may not succeed in snatching the kingdom that had already become ours! For full thirteen years he practised with the mace with great resolution. Even now, for slaying Bhimasena, he jumpeth up and leapeth transversely! If the mighty-armed Bhima does not slay him unfairly, the son of Dhritarashtra will surely remain king! Krishna told Arjuna thus Both Duryodhana and Bhima got equal instruction. They were trained by Drona and then by Balarama. Bhima posessed might While Duryodhana got skills. Duryodhana practiced harder than Bhima. For thirteen years,Duryodhana practiced with mace..and with firm resolve to defeat Bhima. The way Duryodhana jumps and leaps show his amazing skills in mace fight. Krishna rightly pointed out the fact that Bhima did not labour hard with mace while Duryodhana practiced with single minded dedication for 13 years. Duryodhana had nothing to lose while Pandavas had kingdom at stake if Bhima loses to him. Krishna said that Bhima has to win Duryodhana through unfair means only.. By all means Duryodhana was a better mace fighter than Bhima ….Krishna judged them thus.. Kisari mohan Ganguli English Translation Salya Parva Section 58

Rediscover Happiness

https://www.dailypioneer.com/2024/columnists/rediscover-happiness.html

“Where do you come from?”

"If you zoom out on the question, “Where do you come from?”, you might point to your ancestors who lived centuries ago. Zooming out further, you could look back on the evolution of Homo sapiens in Africa some 300,000 years ago, or the first vertebrates to crawl out of the ocean 370 million years ago, or life first forming on Earth several billion years before that. The well known astronomer Carl Sagan wrote in 1973. “We are made of star-stuff.” *So if you really take the long view, you’ll see that humanity’s story was already taking shape even before our planet existed. All of the rocky and metallic material we stand on, the iron in our blood, the calcium in our teeth, the carbon in our genes were produced billions of years ago in the interior of a red giant star. It took the death of a star to create life.*

As an army officer

As an army officer, I never stopped marvelling at the gullibility of our countrymen to be provoked with alacrity into virulence in the name of religion. I have never heard the word 'secular'during all my service & yet, the simple things that are done simply in the army make it appear like an island of sanity in a sea of hatred. In the army, each officer identifies with the religion of his troops. In regiments where the soldiers are from more than one religion, the officers & indeed all jawans attend the weekly religious prayers of all the faiths. How many times have I trooped out of the Battalion Mandir & having worn my shoes, entered the battalion church next door? A few years ago, it all became simpler, Mandirs, Masjids, Gurudwara's & churches began to share premises all over the army. It saved us the walk. Perhaps it is so because the Army genuinely believes in two central 'truths' oneness of God & victory in operations. Both are so sacred that we can not nitpick & question the basics. In fact, sometimes the army mixes up the two! On a visit to the holy cave at Amarnath a few years ago, I saw a plaque mounted on the side of the hill by a battalion that had once guarded the annual Yatra It said, 'Best wishes from -....- Battalion. Deployed for Operation Amarnath. In another instance, I remember a commanding officer ordered the battalion Maulaviji to conduct the proceedings of Janamashtmi prayers because the Panditji had to proceed on leave on compassionate grounds. No eyebrows were raised. It was the most rousing & best- prepared sermon on Lord Krishna I have ever had the pleasure of listening to! On the Line of Control, a company of Khemkhani Muslim soldiers replaced a Dogra battalion. Over the next few days, the post was shelled heavily by Pakistanis, & there were a few non-fatal casualties. One day, the Junior Commissioned Officer of the Company, Subedar Sarwar Khan walked up to the Company Commander Major Sharma & said, "Sahib, ever since the Dogras left, the mandir has been shut.Why don't you open it once every evening & do aarti? Why are we displeasing the Gods?" Major Sharma shamefacedly confessed he did not know all the words of the aarti. Subedar Sarwar went away & that night, huddled over the radio set under a weak lantern light, painstakingly took down the words of the aarti from the post of another battalion How many of us know that along the entire border with Pakistan, our troops abstain from alcohol & non- vegetarian food on all Thursdays? The reason: It is called the Peer Day, essentially a day of religious significance for the Muslims. In 1984, after Operation Bluestar, there was anguish in the Sikh community over the desecration of the holiest of their shrines. Some of this anger & hurt was visible in the army, too. I remember the first Sikh festival days after the event, the number of army personnel of every religious denomination that thronged the regimental gurudwara of the nearest Sikh Battalion was the largest I had seen. I distinctly remember each officer & soldier who put his forehead to the ground to pay obeisance appeared to linger just a wee bit longer than usual. Was I imagining this? I do not think so! There was that empathy & caring implicit in the quality of the gesture that appeared to say, "You are hurt &we all understand." We were deployed on the Line of Control those days. Soon after the news of disaffection among a small section of Sikh troops was broadcast on the BBC, Pakistani troops deployed opposite the Sikh battalion yelled across to express their 'solidarity' with the Sikhs. The Sikh Havildar shouted back that the Pakistanis had better not harbour any wrong notions. "If you dare move towards this post, we will mow you down." *Finally, a real, & a true gem.... Two boys of a Sikh Battalion were overheard discussing this a day before Christmas.* *"Why are we having a holiday tomorrow?" asked Sepoy Singh.* *"It is Christmas," replied the wiser Naik Singh.* *"But what is Christmas?"* *"Christmas," replied Naik Singh, with his eyes half shut in reverence & hands in a spontaneous prayer-clasp, "It is the Gurupurab of the Christians."* Have not read a piece better than this ! Our reverence, hope, faith and belief in righteousness are abiding in every facet of our activity. *Forwarded as received*

RECOVERY, UNITY, SERVICE

Good Morning!!! God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change; Courage to change the things I can; and Wisdom to know the difference. Thy will, not mine, be done. *~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~* December 23, 2024 RECOVERY, UNITY, SERVICE Our Twelfth Step — carrying the message — is the basic service that AA’s Fellowship gives; this is our principal aim and the main reason for our existence. THE LANGUAGE OF THE HEART, P. 160 I thank God for those who came before me, those who told me not to forget the Three Legacies: Recovery, Unity and Service In my home group, the Three Legacies were described on a sign which said: “You take a three-legged stool, try to balance it on only one leg, or two. Our Three Legacies must be kept intact. In Recovery, we get sober together; in Unity, we work together for the good of our Steps and Traditions; and through Service – we give away freely what has been given to us.” One of the chief gifts of my life has been to know that I will have no message to give, unless I recover in unity with A.A. principles. ********************************************** Those Other People "Just like you, I have often thought myself the victim of what other people say and do. Yet every time I confessed the sins of such people, especially those whose sins did not correspond exactly with my own, I found that I only increased the total damage. My own resentment, my self-pity would often render me well-nigh useless to anybody. "So, nowadays, if anyone talks of me so as to hurt, I first ask myself if there is any truth at all in what they say. If there is none, I try to remember that I too have had my periods of speaking bitterly of others; that hurtful gossip is but a symptom of our remaining emotional illness; and consequently, that I must never be angry at the unreasonableness of sick people. "Under very trying conditions I have had, again and again, to forgive others--also myself. Have you recently tried this

THE LOST COROT

Good Morning!!! THE LOST COROT Around the Year with Emmet Fox December 23 There is a quaint old legend that is firmly believed in the artists’ colony in Paris. It appears that many years ago a poor struggling artist was so hard up that he did not have even enough money to buy a piece of canvas upon which to paint what he felt sure would be a masterpiece. Going along the quays he saw an old daub selling for a few sous, frame included. It was supposed to represent Napoleon III in full dress uniform, and doubtless had adorned some wall in the days of the Second Empire. That artist decided that he could clean off the picture and use the canvas for his own work. Arrived home, he proceeded to remove Napoleon III, not a difficult task, and to his astonishment found that there was another picture underneath. The last artist had not even removed the original but simply worked over it. When the last traces of Napoleon III had disappeared, the student was amazed to discover what looked to him like a very fine Corot. He promptly submitted his find to the experts and it was pronounced a genuine Corot. Of course, his days of poverty were ended. Whether this story be truth or fable, it is a perfect allegory of the nature of man as we know him. Outside we find the “marred image” showing limitation, sin, sickness, and inharmony— the unskilled daub; but underneath is the masterwork of the Great Artist, and our prayers act by clearing away the false accretions— the “many inventions” of the carnal mind— that the already existing Truth and harmony may appear. “Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions” Ecclesiastes 7:29