Beyond Vegetarianism « Stephen Knapp

• Beyond Vegetarianism « Stephen Knapp

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  •  By Stephen Knapp
  •             On the spiritual path those who are the most inclined to lead a peaceful existence that respects the value of all life often adopt the vegetarian lifestyle. For some people this is a very big step. This is in accordance with the yogic principle of ahimsa, which is to observe nonviolence and abstain from injuring any being in any way. However, many people ask what about the plants that are killed in the process of cooking vegetarian foods. Don’t they suffer? And don’t we get reactions for that?
  • If we merely cook for ourselves, we become implicated in karma or the reactions if we cause the harm of any living being, even plants. The vegetarian lifestyle surely causes less karma than the unnecessary slaughtering of innocent animals. However, the system of first offering food to the Lord and then taking prasadam becomes the perfect yoga diet and frees us from such karma.

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हमारा खत्री समाज: 'फूल' या 'सखा' बनाया जाना समाज के विभिन्‍न वर्गो के मध्‍य परस्‍पर सौहार्द लाने वाली पद्धति थी ??

• हमारा खत्री समाज: 'फूल' या 'सखा' बनाया जाना समाज के विभिन्‍न वर्गो के मध्‍य परस्‍पर सौहार्द लाने वाली पद्धति थी ??

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  • प्राचीन भारत में भले ही आनेवाली पीढी को अपने पेशे में अधिक पारंगत बनाए जाने के ख्‍याल से अपनी बिरादरी में ही शादी विवाह किए जाने की प्रथा थी , पर सभी बिरादरी के लोगों का आपस में बहुत ही स्‍नेहिल संबंध रहा करता था। इस संबंध को और मजबूत बनाए जाने के लिए हर आयु वर्ग के लोग या दो परिवार के लोग आपस में एक विशेष रिश्‍ते से जुडते थे। पूरे भारत वर्ष की बात तो मैं नहीं कह सकती , पर झारखंड और बिहार में एक दूसरे बिरादरी के अपने दोस्‍तो और सहेलियों को पूरे नियम के साथ 'सखा' और 'फूल' बनाए जाने की प्रथा थी।
  • 'सखा' और 'फूल' अपनी बिरादरी के बच्‍चों को नहीं बनाया जाता था। दूसरी बिरादरी के जिन दो किशोर या युवा बच्‍चों या बच्चियों के विचार मिलते थे , जिनमें प्रगाढ दोस्‍ती होती थी , उनके मध्‍य ये संबंध बनाया जाता था। एक आयोजन कर इस संबंध को सामाजिक मान्‍यता दी जाती थी और दोनो परिवारों के मध्‍य पारस्‍परिक संबंध वैसा ही होता था , जैसा अपने समधियाने में होता था।आजीवन मौसम के सभी त्‍यौहारों में  उनके मध्‍य अनाज , फल फूल और पकवानों का लेनदेन हुआ करता था।
  • इस संबंध को बनाते समय उसके स्‍तर को भी नहीं देखा जाता था। इसके अलावे लोग ऐसी व्‍यवस्‍था करते थे कि अधिक से अधिक बिरादरी और धर्म के परिवारों से अपने संबंध मजबूत बनाया जा सके। पारस्‍परिक सौहार्द बढाने में इस व्‍यवस्‍था के महत्‍व को आज भी समझा जा सकता है।

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Draupadi: The Heroic Princess of the Mahabharat, by Aparna Garg | Tattva

• Draupadi: The Heroic Princess of the Mahabharat, by Aparna Garg | Tattva

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  • A personification of shakti (strength) and bhakti (devotion), Draupadi was one of the bravest and strongest characters in the Mahabharat. Despite being both born and wed into powerful royal families, Draupadi went through countless hardships. She nevertheless emerged victorious and will always be remembered as a valiant woman who stood for the protection of Dharma.
  
  • A Source of Inspiration for the Pandavas
  
  

  • In her resolve to protect Dharma, Draupadi kept the Pandavas motivated and inspired to fight. She vowed to keep her hair unkempt (which was considered undignified at that time) until she had washed her hair with Dushasan’s blood. This was a constantly reminder to the Pandavas to defeat those who had wronged her. She kept her vow and tied up her hair only after Bheem had killed Dushasan.

    During their years in exile, there were several times when the Pandavas lost their motivation to fight for Dharma, particularly Yuddhishtir. During these times, Draupadi recounted the horrendous acts committed by the Kauravas and reminded them of their duty. Throughout the thirteen years of exile, Draupadi did not let her husbands forget how she was dishonored and how they were deceitfully deprived of their kingdom.

  
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  • Sought Revenge, but not for Herself
  • Draupadi is sometimes criticized for being too self-centered in terms of her desire for revenge. However, a closer look at her actions shows that this is not the case. She did not encourage the war because she was trying to carry out her own personal vendetta against the Kauravas; rather, she knew that the Kauravas had to be defeated for the protection of Dharma. Evil acts were flourishing under the Adharmic rule of the Kauravas. When even the queen could not find safety in her kingdom, how could any ordinary citizen hope for protection? Duryodhana was a menace to society, and it was for this reason that Draupadi, Krishna, and others sought war. As a counterexample to this, after the war, when Ashwatthama cowardly killed Draupadi’s five sons in their sleep, Draupadi did not allow the Pandavas to kill Ashwatthama. She argued that in this case, killing Ashwatthama would not be for any greater cause but simply for personal revenge.
  • Draupadi also demonstrated her selflessness after the dice game. Furious at all those who silently watched as she suffered, Draupadi was ready to curse everyone in the court. She exercised self-control at the request of Queen Gandhari; at this point Dhritirashtra, fearful of Draupadi’s power to curse him, finally spoke up. He offered her as many wishes as she wanted, but she asked only for her husbands’ freedom and for their weapons. She said that if she asked for anything more, she would consider it greedy. With their freedom, the Pandavas would be able to get back all they needed by their own karma.
  • Because of her virtuous nature, Draupadi is considered one of the panchakanya, a group of five women who are especially venerated in the Hindu tradition. The other four are: Kunti, the mother of the Pandavas and an accomplished scholar of the Atharva Veda; Tara, the wife of Vali who was instrumental in reconciling Rama with Sugreev; Ahalya, Sage Gautam’s wife who was given a blessing of purity from Shri Ram; and Mandodari, the virtuous wife of Ravan who had the courage to speak out against her husband when he abducted Sita. Simply remembering these virtuous women destroys great sins.
  • Aparna is an undergraduate student at Boston University, studying economics and journalism. You can contact her at aparnaggarg@gmail.com.

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Was the tsunami a godsend for some? « Janamejayan’s Weblog

• Was the tsunami a godsend for some? « Janamejayan’s Weblog

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  • Was the tsunami that struck the Tamil Nadu coast and wreaked havoc five years ago a godsend for some NGOs? Going by the whispers within the NGO community and the police cases filed in recent times against some individuals charging them with embezzling funds, it looks like the moment of grief for thousands of people helped unscrupulous ‘social workers’ mint money.

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Job quota in government for Kashmiri Pandits

• Job quota in government for Kashmiri Pandits

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  • In a first major step aimed at the return of the Kashmiri Hindu migrants to their homes in the Valley, Jammu and Kashmir’s migrant youth were Wednesday approved reservation in 3,000 government jobs.
    The move was approved by the cabinet ministers Wednesday. A cabinet meeting scheduled for Tuesday evening was postponed as Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi Wednesday.

    Sources in the cabinet told IANS that the government has given formal approval for absorbing 3,000 Kashmiri Pandit youths in government service in the Valley. The jobs have been reserved at the district and divisional level.

  • “Those availing reservation in jobs would have to permanently station themselves in the Valley and even a single day’s unauthorised absence from duty would cost them their jobs,” an official told IANS.

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.