THE ULTIMATE TEST- WHO CAN FLY ?

The early selection of young parachutist recruts by the juvenile section of the Indian Air Force

VEG ART VII

REIKI MEDITATION

An Article from THE SPEAKING TREE IN TIMES OF INDIA

Contact:svn.mittal@gmail.com
THE SPEAKING TREE


Doing Meditation The Reiki Way



V N Mittal



Regular practice of the simple two-way technique of Reiki meditation can not only help you improve your focus and awaken you spiritually, but also can amplify your innate healing abilities to help you achieve holistic health
Maintaining a high level of life force energy, prana, is a prerequisite for holistic health, achieved through practice of various techniques that can generate balance between body and mind, such as yoga, Tai Chi, Quantum Touch, or Reiki, to name just a few. All of them employ one or the other form of meditation as an important component for treatment at the physical, mental and emotional levels.
The two-in-one Reiki meditation technique deftly combines the healing powers of both meditation and Reiki. The benefits accruing from them increase manifold as a consequence of synergy generated by blending them together. What keeps Reiki meditation apart from other meditation forms is its unique ability to strengthen the innate healing capability of the practitioner.
Mikao Usui revived the ancient art of tapping into the universal life force energy for healing known as Reiki. He was once asked by a pupil, "I have practised meditation for a number of years, why do i need to learn Reiki to help me learn to meditate?" Meditation is an integral part of Reiki. In his Reiki practice and teachings, Usui practised meditation as an important constituent. In fact, he often used Gassho (hands held in prayer position) meditation as a means to pass the ability to channel Reiki to the practitioner. Also, Osho Rajneesh who developed Osho Neo Reiki 20 years ago included powerful meditations for a faster healing.
After Usui, a number of forms of Reiki meditations have found their way in Japan and other countries. One of the simplest but effective forms involves the following steps:
1. Sit quietly with closed eyes in a Sukh Asana or upright in a chair, with both hands held in front of your chest in prayer ‘Gassho’ position and the soles of the feet joined together.
2. Connect to Reiki by simple intent or by drawing distant healing symbol.
3. Draw the power symbol with your hand in front of you and say it three times. Visualise white light emanating from your fingers.
4. Visualise the symbol in the third eye chakra and meditate on it.
5. Now allow the symbol to float up as a brilliant light above your crown. Return your awareness to the third eye chakra.
6. When finished, relax and release your all thoughts. You feel fully energised with the healing energy

For those who do not possess the ability to channel Reiki, the Gassho meditation can be performed in this way:
1. Hold your hands a little above the chest in prayer position in such a way that your exhaled breath can be felt at a point where the top of the middle fingers representing fire element meet the hands joined together.
2. Now focus your attention at that point and try to release stray thoughts by focusing at the point repeatedly. Do not try to chase stray thoughts. Return your focus to the point by pressing the two middle fingers against each other.
Practise Reiki meditation for 20 minutes a day or as long as you feel comfortable. Reiki meditation deftly combines the usual healing effects of simple meditation techniques with Reiki and works in more ways than one.
The writer is a Reiki Sensei based in Dehradun. E-mail: vn.mittal@ gmail.com

THE BRONZE GALLERY OF THE GOVERNEMENT MUSEUM - CHENNAI- EGMORE

The bronze gallery features has the finest collection of almost 700 bronzes from South India, mainly from the PALLAVA & CHOLA period (9th - 13th century). They have been saved and retrieved from temples and sites in the region There are many very expressive and impressive of Nataraja (SHIVA) performing the cosmic dance of creation. Other bronzes show Shiva and Parvati. But also Vishnu, Rama,Ramanraya, Sita and Ganesh are shown in differnt positions with their holistic attributes

STREETDOG'S COMPLAINT- FROM BRINDLE

Brindle
Woof! I’m Brindle, the street dog who adopted Bunnylady and Jugfellow some years ago. The reason i’m writing this is because Jugfellow is too upset to write his column himself. Why? Because, once again, some misguided residents of the National Media Centre, the cooperative housing society near Gurgaon where we live, have started off on the so-called ‘stray dog menace’. This happens with unfailing regularity, not just in the NMC but also in that macrocosm of the NMC that we call India. From Kochi to Kolkata, Bagdogra to Bangalore, someone or the other will bring up the stray dog menace, causing a whole lot of innocent, perfectly harmless street dogs to be rounded up and, more often than not, put to death in the most inhumane and cruel manner.
People never seem to understand that the Indian street dog (please don’t call us strays) are hardy, intelligent, affectionate creatures, often much more so that their pedigreed, imported counterparts, who have been viciously inbred by exploitative breeders. Street dogs have to be all these things in order to survive. Far from harming people, they are – when properly vaccinated against rabies and other diseases – man’s best pals, to coin a phrase. They act as excellent guards for the neighbourhood, alerting everyone to the intrusion of strangers by barking. Yet people keep on wanting to get rid of them. Not realising that nature abhors a vacuum and if you get rid of one lot of street dogs, another lot will inevitably take their place.
There is no such thing as a ‘stray dog menace’. There is only a ‘stray human menace’. Who is it that has strayed from the straight and narrow of God’s plan (and please don’t tell me that God is dog spelt backwards, because if i’ve heard that once i’ve heard it for the umpteenth time)?
Is it dogs, who live together amicably in the casteless, creedless democracy of doggydom, who have strayed? Or is it humans, with their caste conflicts and their religious wars, their whites and their blacks, their Hindus and Muslims and Sikhs and Christians, their Maoists and their monarchists, their Indias and their Pakistans, their terrorists and their victims, who are the real strays? And the real menace. Not only to each other, but to all of the rest of creation as well.
It wasn’t dogs who created 9/11, and 26/11, and al-Qaeda, and the Sri Lankan civil war, and the Taliban, and not one but two world wars. All these are human creations. And what wondrous creations. Can you imagine a dog creative enough to devise 65,000 nuclear warheads capable of killing every living creature on this planet a hundred times over? No. Only humans are creative enough to have done that. Though they have yet to prove themselves creative and clever enough to find a cure for the common cold. Or AIDS, or cancer, or a score of other killer diseases.
Humans have been too busy doing other things. Like polluting the planet and destroying its environment. The world’s forest cover has been thinned from 7.6 billion hectares in the pre-industrial age to 2.8 billion hectares. And that’s fast disappearing. Between 1700 and 1900, thanks to human activity, more than 20,000 species of plants, 593 species of birds, over 400 species of animals and 209 species of amphibians became extinct. Today, humans wipe out one species every day on an average. Tell me about the ‘stray dog menace’.
Unlike humans, who think the universe and everything in it was created only for their benefit to do with as they will, we dogs believe in the co-fraternity of all living things. And that includes cats. Cats? Oh, lor, what have Bunnylady and Jugfellow done? They’ve let Himal into the place. And Himal is a cat! Who insists on literally rubbing shoulders with me. Yuck. So, while there’s no such thing as a stray dog menace, if you were to talk about a stray cat menace, you might get me to agree. Or maybe not. For the basic dharma that doggydom teaches is to live and let live. Which means cats too. Where’s that damn Himal gone to…?

Web Linkshttp://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/jugglebandhi/
Contactsjug.suraiya@timesgroup.com

Printed without the permission of Jug Surai... I admire a lot and would like to recommend his books like JUGGLING ACT as compensation

CATOLIC CHENNAI

According to the legend Sant Thomas ( the doubting Thomas), came to South India via Cranganore in AD 52 and spent the next 12 years along the Malabar coast converting the local population. He gradually moved eastwards and finaly settled in Mylapore (is nowadays the old city-centre of Chennai. He spent the last years of his live in a cave on a small hill (on top is nowadays a chappel)from which he would walk each day to the beach. It is said that one day preaching on the Mount of Saint Thomas , he was killed by means of a lance. His body was brought to San Thome, where he was burried in nthe small crypt he had build. This is today the Basilica of San Thome (see pictures). The Portuguese colonized Mylapore in the early 16 the century , lured by the 13 the century Venetian traveller Marco Polo who had visited the earlier Nestorian chapel.The saint holds a special place in the hearts of the Indians and was decreed the Apostle of India in 1972

INDIAN SLEEPING ATTIDUTES & SOME GENERAL CONCERNS

Most homes in India have cots or beds but a sizable proportion do not have a mattress, as the khatiya (rope cot = just the frame of a bed and some belts in between.
According to the recently released INDICUS CONSUMER HANDBOOK a majority of Indians sleep on the floor as the average home area is small ND THERE IS NOT MUCH SPACE FOR ADDITIONAL FURNITURE. Consequently the beds are put for alternative uses, sometimes just used as sofas sometimes as communication centre at family assemblies.

Data collected from various governmental surveys shows that
 86 % of Indian homes have cots or beds
 75 % of the urban homes have a mattress to sleep on.

Contractor to the projected boom, most homes at the country side have no telephone connection and only 36 % of urban homes posses a mobile phone.

And despite the entry of the NANO, the humble bicycle still continiu to be the preferred mode of transportation. ONLY 3 % of Indians have a car!!!

But all this is not a problem at all since Indians are sexualy very active and fertile it is their goal to populate the overall world with small Indians ... London is already taken, the others will come soon. And don't forget once Indian in the next 10 generations you will find merits in the Indian newspapers even if in the mean time you are indian- irish- scottish- polish spanian.... India will welcome you as a king as soon as you might have been able to hit a ball in public, thrown by some proffesional ball thrower ( they call it cricket)

INDIA AT HIS BEST- SODEMIAN LAWS AND GAY MARRIAGES

Based on Mansi Choksi | TNN Article in TIMES OF INDIA of today ( without permission, I deeply regret)


Last week, Durban-based sales advisor Joe Singh and his partner Wesley Nolan solemnized their relationship at a ceremony by an Hindu priest. In the Singh living room, Wesley tied a necklace with a Ganesha pendant around Joe’s neck. The couple, now honeymooning in Mauritius, chose the Ganesha instead of garlands because both of them are “staunch Hindus’’ and wanted the Elephant God to “ward off evil and remove obstacles from their path’’.
The grooms had sent out shimmering wedding invitations weeks in advance, had hand-embroidered shervanis shipped all the way from India, and took their vows before a havan or sacred fire. They spent 18 months preparing for their big day and Joe’s mother Rita Govender said the family had been extraordinarily supportive.

A year ago, a Mumbai based IT professional married his white boyfriend of five years in a boisterous ceremony in Seattle. They too had the shervanis and havan. Roughly 450 people attended, many of them uncles and aunts from Mumbai. The boy’s parents initially had reservations about making their son’s sexuality public. “But by the end of it, his mother was in mother-in-law mode,’’ says one of the guests.

These happy stories may sound unbelievable given the many accounts of social hostility to gay people. But the fact is that same-sex marriage ceremonies have been performed in Indian households, rich and poor, and in cities and small towns alike. The nuptials may not have legal validity but the ritual is remarkable in a country where homosexuality is still considered a criminal act and punishable by up to 10 years in the clink. Ironically, the police cannot bust a same sex marriage because a ceremony cannot prove homosexuality as defined by Section 377 of the IPC.
An activist from Gay Bombay confirms that there are reports of unions every week, be they a lesbian couple in Punjab or Kerala or gay men in Gujarat or Delhi. Ashok Row Kavi, who opened the closet in India, says he knows several gay couples who tied the knot. “There’s one big plus-point about Hindu priests,’’ says Kavi with a straight face. “They’ll forget about everything if you show them a few bucks.’’

While the ‘havan’ nuptials may not have legal standing, the ritual is remarkable in a country where homosexuality is still considered a criminal act punishable by up to 10 years’ in the clink. Ironically, the police cannot bust a same-sex marriage because a ceremony cannot prove homosexuality as defined by Section 377.

Legal status
Homosexual relations are legally still a crime in India under an old British era statute dating from 1860 called Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code which criminalises 'carnal intercourse against the order of nature.' The vague nature of the legislation has resulted in it being used against a wide range sexual behaviour like oral sex (heterosexual and homosexual), sodomy, bestiality, etc. The punishment ranges from ten years to lifelong imprisonment.
The relevant section reads:
Whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.[32]

None of the major Indian political parties have endorsed gay rights concerns into their official party manifesto or platform.



A Mumbai activist from Gay Bombay confirms that there are reports of marriages every week, whether it is a lesbian couple in Punjab or Kerala or gay men in Gujarat or Delhi. Ashok Row Kavi, who pioneered the opening of the closet in India, says he knows several couples who have tied the knot. “There’s one big plus-point about Hindu priests,” says Kavi with a straight face. “They’ll forget about everything if you show them a few bucks.”

The marriage can be solemnized but the sodomanian act as to be proved, the bestialities maybe obvious but no police man is able to observe.

Same-sex marriage ceremonies are not an entirely new phenomenon, although they’ve largely stayed under the radar.
Arvind and Ashok were married in an Indian ceremony complete with ‘dhotis’ and ‘agni’. “Ashok and I are very sentimental people; we thought it was a great idea,” he says. It was Arvind’s mother, who had once rejected his sexuality, who came up with the idea. “When my family realised that what I had with Ashok was not ‘timepass’, they accepted us. He is very special to my family.”
Activists say that the same-sex marriage movement has emerged independent of the other issues in the gay rights movement. Most gay activists in India weren’t really pushing for marriage because they believed that homophobia and HIV were more pressing battles. Ashok Row Kavi is one of the more vociferous opponents of marriage, which he calls an “oppressive heterosexual institution”. Yet, say activists, it’s a need that can’t be wished away. “It’s the number one question we get from guys in the gay community: How can I find a man to marry?” says a Gay Bombay activist.

ANGER CAUSES STRESS

By recognizing that we are responsible for our own anger and the stress resulting due to it, we can decide to let it go. This can be done when we are inwardly calm, says Brahma Kumaris

One of the key causes of stress is anger which gets built up inside us in our day-today interactions with certain individuals and from real life situations. The inculcation of the innate virtues of the soul — compassion, forgiveness and tolerance — not only in our words and actions but also at the level of our thoughts, helps us relax.

Breathing exercise for stress management

Sit comfortably upright in your chair. Make sure you are in a position to breathe easily
Allow your breathing to slow down… gently out… and in… with your own natural rhythm
Think of a situation when you were angry with another person and follow these words. Pause for 1 complete breath after each step
As I breathe out I release my anger… as I breathe in I fill myself with compassion…
As I breathe out I let go of resentment… as I breathe in I fill myself with tolerance…
As I breathe out I release feelings of revenge… as I breathe in I gain understanding…
As I breathe out I let go of all worries… as I breathe in I experience peace…
See the other person and send good wishes and feelings of compassion to him/her… to the situation… to all involved (pause for 10 seconds)
Breathe easily. Be calm… at peace… Experience the qualities of forgiveness and tolerance

Benefits

The key to dealing with anger is that we acknowledge that it is our anger and not caused by someone else. When we are angry we blame something or someone. Yet we are the ones experiencing anger; we have the choice to change how we feel and respond. By recognizing that we are responsible for our own anger and the stress resulting due to it, we can decide to let it go. This can be done when we are inwardly calm and reflect on the anger. The above breathing practice helps us in this process.



http://www.bkwsu.org/

THE WHITE BABA'S

In her long journey from Amarkantak in Madhya Pradesh to the Gulf of Cambay, the Narmada traverses 1,312 kilometres dotted with temples. Like the Ganga, this ancient river has thousands of devotees, many of them from far-off lands. They are the ‘gora babas’ or white sadhus who lead the ascetic life — of meditation, a frugal diet and the occasional chillum. None of them came to India to become ascetics. So what happened? A shrug, a smile and two words explain it all: “My guru.” Many of them have applied for Indian citizenship. As their applications remain caught in red tape, they wait — for that piece of paper. And for salvation.

Narmada Shankar, 44
Originally from Austria
Clad in an ochre loincloth, his matted hair coiled high, Narmada Shankar greets us with an Om Namoh Shivai. He lives in a one-room dwelling, surrounded by the many fruit-bearing trees he has planted. His chelas or disciples run errands for him and help cook his meals. Exactly what he did some 20 years ago for his guru, Brahmachari Raghunathji Maharaj.
Stockl Erwin was training to be a priest in Austria when he set out on a journey to find an answer to the eternal mystery — death. Travelling across Greece, he changed course and landed up in Omkareshwar, where he met his guru. His parents tried to take him back to Austria but failed. And made their peace with him when, on a trip to India, his father found Narmada Shankar giving first aid to poor villagers at the ashram. “My father was so happy. He said, ‘Eighteen years ago, I told your mother our son was a loser, I can now tell her he is a hero’.”

In 1993, Narmada Shankar undertook the Narmada Parikrama, circumnavigating the river on foot without once crossing it. “It
took me three years. I would start at sunrise and stop at sunset, carrying my
meagre belongings on my head and eating whatever I was given in ashrams and homes on the way,” he recalls. His one wish is “to die on the banks of the Narmada”.

Omkarpuri Baba, 52
Originally from France
At the Juna Akhada in Omkareshwar, sitting in vajrasana pose, Omkarpuri Baba recalls how he came to India 22 years ago, went to the Kumbh Mela in January 1989, met his guru, Srimahant Kalyanpuri Baba, and stayed on to be his disciple for life. “So much love. Guruji ne bahut prem diya — apne bachhe jaisa (he gave me as much love as he would his own child),” he says, taking a drag of the chillum. Like the other disciples, he swept and cooked for his guru until his death. “Aur namoh narayan bas (And prayer; that’s all),” he adds.

He refuses to tell us his real name, but does say he worked in the Navy and was an only child. “Forget about the foreigners who have made this land their home. Write about the way this land is going to be destroyed in the next two decades,” he instructs me, pointing to the overflowing gutter snaking its way into the river and a heap of discarded plastic and other waste.

Pujari Ram Das, 53
Originally from Italy
Ram Das, born Oscar Spill in the harbour city of Ancona in Italy, came to India in 1975 as part of a team to research India’s holy men. The team split over whether to go north or south. Spill decided to go his own way, found his guru, Raghuvir Dasji, on the banks of the Narmada and stayed with him for 20 years. “After he passed away I roamed the country till I reached Janki ghat in Varanasi and learnt the puja rituals from priest Ram Palak Das. I then served as the pujari in a temple in Ayodhya before the trustees of the Hanuman temple asked me to come to Indore,” he says.

Pujari Ram Das wakes up at 3.30 am and meditates for an hour before cleaning the temple, bathing and dressing the deity, and preparing the prasad for the gods. Does he occasionally offer a prasad of pasta? The lines around his eyes deepen as he laughs, “No, only Indian fare.”