November 27,2012.Day 16. Srimad Valmiki Ramayan - The First Epic Poem Of India. (Continued)

Book I : Bala Kanda - Book Of Youthful Majesties : Chapter 1(Continued)

सर्व शास्त्र अर्थ तत्त्वज्ञो स्मृतिमान् प्रतिभानवान् |
सर्वलोक प्रियः साधुः अदीनाअत्मा विचक्षणः || १-१-१५

15. sarva shaastra arthaH tattva j~naH = all, scriptures, their meaning, their essence, knower of; smR^itimaan = one with excellent memory;pratibhaanavaan = a brilliant one; sarva loka priyaH = all, worlds, esteemed by; saadhuH = gentle; a diina aatmaa = not down, hearted [level-headed even in severe trouble]; vichakSaNaH = clear-headed [in discriminating and distinguishing.]

"He is the knower of the meaning and essence of all the scriptures, excellent at memory thus brilliant, and an esteemed one in all the worlds, gentle, level-headed and clear-headed in discriminating and distinguishing... [1-1-15]

November 27,2012.Day 95. BHAGAVAD GITA - As It Is Original by His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada. Chapter 2. (Continued) TEXT 52.

Chapter 2. Contents of the Gita Summarized

 TEXT 52

 yada te moha-kalilam 
buddhir vyatitarisyati 
tada gantasi nirvedam 
srotavyasya srutasya ca

   SYNONYMS

         yada--when; te--your; moha--illusory; kalilam--dense forest;buddhih--transcendental service with intelligence; vyatitarisyati--surpasses; tada--at that time; ganta asi--you shall go; nirvedam--callousness; srotavyasya--all that is to be heard; srutasya--all that is already heard; ca--also.

TRANSLATION

         When your intelligence has passed out of the dense forest of delusion, you shall become indifferent to all that has been heard and all that is to be heard.

 PURPORT

        There are many good examples in the lives of the great devotees of the Lord of those who became indifferent to the rituals of the Vedas simply by devotional service to the Lord. When a person factually understands Krsna and his relationship with Krsna, he naturally becomes completely indifferent to the rituals of fruitive activities, even though an experienced brahmana.Sri Madhavendra Puri, a great devotee and acarya in the line of the devotees, says:

sandhya-vandana bhadram astu bhavato bhoh snana tubhyam namo 
bho devah pitaras ca tarpana-vidhau naham ksamah ksamyatam 
yatra kvapi nisadya yadava-kulottamasya kamsa-dvisah 
smaram smaram agham harami tad alam manye kim anyena me

"O Lord, in my prayers three times a day, all glory to You. Bathing, I offer my obeisances unto you. O demigods! O forefathers! Please excuse me for my inability to offer you my respects. Now wherever I sit, I can remember the great descendant of the Yadu dynasty [Krsna], the enemy of Kamsa, and thereby I can free myself from all sinful bondage. I think this is sufficient for me." 
The Vedic rites and rituals are imperative for neophytes: comprehending all kinds of prayer three times a day, taking a bath early in the morning, offering respects to the forefathers, etc. But, when one is fully in Krsna consciousness and is engaged in His transcendental loving service, one becomes indifferent to all these regulative principles because he has already attained perfection. If one can reach the platform of understanding by service to the Supreme Lord Krsna, he has no longer to execute different types of penances and sacrifices as recommended in revealed scriptures. And, similarly, if one has not understood that the purpose of theVedas is to reach Krsna and simply engages in the rituals, etc., then he is uselessly wasting time in such engagements. Persons in Krsna consciousness transcend the limit of sabda-brahma, or the range of theVedas and Upanisads.

The word ‘Nanak’ means fire in Persian

WHERE EVER I LOOK, YOU ARE THERE

The word ‘nanak’ means fire in Persian and significantly, Guru Nanak brought heavenly fire to kindle the lamp of divine light in the heart of humanity. It was the light of divine love wherefrom sprang his doctrine of holy deed above bookish creed, spiritual illumination above illusive ego and saintly life above external indications. Hence he proclaimed, “Truth is higher than everything, but higher still is true living,” which consists of continuous meditation, sincere work and sharing the proceeds. Therefore continuously focus on essential divinity, work sincerely and give something generously away to others.

A mystic experience of ‘Alakh Niranjan’ – the Invisible One, without a second beyond all dualities of delusion and shaped his ideals and precepts. The ultimate reality is sagun, possessing all attributes, as well as nirgun, beyond all attributes and all-pervading. Hence he sings, “You are the ocean, all-knowing, all-seeing. How can I, a fish, perceive your limits? Wherever I look, there you are.”

The ephemeral world owes its existence to cosmic will and it reveals the Omnipresent. He is also revealed through shabad or cosmic vibration, the Onkar. Hence chanting forms an important part of his teachings as it is divine expression through which truth is revealed. We find in him a perfect synthesis of dualism of bhakti with absolute non-dualism reflecting essential singularity of the ultimate Being.

From this depth of realisation sprang his non-sectarian creed, “No one is Hindu; no one is Muslim.” He stood for the essential divinity expressed through humanity. Sectarian beliefs and rituals create manmade barriers and unending hypocrisy, he pointed out. He spread divine humanism with all-embracing love.

The time of his advent witnessed quarrels over religious trifles and deviation from the true spirit of religion. He advised all to dwell at the feet of the Lord in love. As non-sectarian he said, “God is neither Hindu nor Muslim.” His mystic communion with God was through the language of heart. When priests at Haridwar asked him about his caste he gave a poignant reply, “My caste is the caste of wood and fire.” And he advised the Muslims also to make mercy their mosque, sincerity their prayer-carpet and justice their Holy Quran. 

Nanak said that the human mind follows either of the two directions, manmukh or gurumukh. Manmukhi or following dictates of the mind cultivates self-pride or egoism associated with lust, anger, craving, jealousy and delusive materialism. While gurumukhi or follower of the teachings of the guru lives life with deep, divine anchorage, protected from delusive reality. Hence he stressed the need for awareness to overcome the ocean of delusion.    

Innate simplicity characterises the keynote of his teachings.  He advised to take the name of Akal Purukha, the Eternal On, repeatedly with utmost devotion and live a life of service and sacrifice with sincere humility.  For him the soul is the bride and God is the bridegroom and our brief life is intended to make a union of the two.

He wanted his disciples to grow in meditation with japa which involves eightfold sadhana of purity, silence, concentration, realisation, patience, faith, satsanga and living the mantra in daily life. He said, “I belong to no sect and adore but one God, I see Him in earth below and heavens above and in all directions and all are my brethren in One Beloved.

By: M N Kundu 

The Four Great Journeys

Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, was born in a small town near Lahore in the year 1469; this town is now called Nankana Sahib in present-day Pakistan. The Guru’s place of birth is marked by a beautiful monument called Gurdwara Janamsthan. Nanak demonstrated a spiritual bent of mind from an early age. As a child, he would gather other kids of his village and get them to meditate on God’s name. At the age of six, in the village school, his teacher was astonished by his knowledge of the Divine. Rai Bular, the local landlord, and Nanak’s sister, Bibi Nanaki were the first people to get convinced about his Divine Powers.

Guru Nanak attained enlightenment when he was around 30 years of age. One day, while bathing in the river Kali Bein, he disappeared and was presumed to have drowned and died. However, he reappeared after three days and announced, “I am neither Hindu nor Mussalman, I walk the path of truth which is God’s path.” Guru Nanak said that he had been summoned to God’s court and had been instructed to wean people away from the path of ignorance and superstitions and connect them to the sublime name of  God. A gurdwara called Ber Sahib stands at this spot; it also has a ber tree that was planted by the Guru himself.

During the 16th century CE, the Indic region faced repeated incursions of foreign invaders. As a consequence, the polity was demoralised, confused and frustrated; ignorance and superstition pervaded everywhere. Guru Nanak was moved by the plight of the people and he embarked on a mission to spread the true word of God to all.

Guru Nanak undertook four major journeys during his life time, covering thousands of miles along with his companion, Bhai Mardana, a Muslim minstrel. The first of these journeys was to the east towards Bengal and Assam; the second was towards south as far as Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka; the third, north towards Kashmir, Ladakh, and Tibet, and the final tour west towards Baghdad, Mecca and Medina on the Arabian Peninsula. The Guru touched millions of lives in the course of his travels, imparting the message of love, compassion, forgiveness and tolerance.

After completing his travels, Guru Nanak returned home to Punjab. He settled down at Kartarpur in Gurdaspur district on the banks of river Ravi with his family and took up farming, Gurdwara Dera Baba Nanak marks this spot. Pilgrims came from far and near to seek the Guru’s blessings.The Guru set up langar (free kitchen) for the pilgrims.

The Guru was revered by both Hindus and Muslims in equal measure. Upon his passing away, Hindus wanted to cremate him and Muslims wished to bury him. There was an argument between the two factions as to how to conduct the last rites. When the sheet covering the body of Guru Nanak was lifted, it was found that his mortal body had disappeared and only a heap of flowers were there. Hindus and Muslims built two separate memorials to the Guru which still stand in the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur; this Gurdwara is two kilometres inside the Pakistan border.

By: Arvinder Singh Chopra

Meditational Yoga -- The Prerequisites

Hare Krishna ,

To practice yoga, one should go to a secluded place and should lay kusa-grass on the ground and then cover it with a deerskin and a soft cloth. The seat should neither be too high nor too low and should be situated in a sacred place. The yogi should then sit on it very firmly and should practice yoga by controlling the mind and the senses, purifying the heart and fixing the mind on one point. (Bhagavad Gita Chapter 6, Verses 13-14)
Today yoga has become fashionable and popular in big cities. However what goes on in modern so-called yoga studios has nothing to do with the real yoga system. In this Sixth Chapter ofBhagavad Gita Krishna, after explaining to His friend Arjuna the importance of controlling the mind, is explaining the meditaional yoga system as a way for him to control his mind.

The yoga system Krishna is teaching Arjuna is the pure and original form of what we know today as Hatha Yoga or Astanga Yoga. However from this introduction by Krishna we can understand that meditaional yoga can not be performed in a group. It is solitary engagement. One has to go to a sacred secluded place and make a sitting place by laying kusha grass on the ground and then covering it with deer skin and a soft cloth. Then the yogi must sit on this asana, or sitting place, and practice yoga by controlling his mind and senses, purifying his heart and fixing his mind on one point.

"Sacred place" refers to places of pilgrimage. In India the yogis, the transcendentalists or the devotees all leave home and reside in sacred places such as Prayaga, Mathura, Vrndavana, Hrsikesa and Hardwar and in solitude practice yoga where the sacred rivers like the Yamuna and the Ganges flow. But often this is not possible, especially for Westerners. The so-called yogasocieties in big cities may be successful in earning material benefit, but they are not at all suitable for the actual practice of yoga. One who is not self-controlled and whose mind is not undisturbed cannot practice meditation.

One should hold one's body, neck and head erect in a straight line and stare steadily at the tip of the nose. Thus, with an unagitated, subdued mind, devoid of fear, completely free from sex life, one should meditate upon Me within the heart and make Me the ultimate goal of life. (Bhagavad Gita Chapter 6, Verses 13-14)

Here Krishna is informing us an important prerequisite for practicing yoga is one must be completely free from sex life. Most modern so-called yoga societies teach the exact opposite, generally they teach that by practicing yoga one can improve his sex life. But the mind can never be peaceful if it is hankering after trying to satisfy the senses. So one who is still addicted to sex life can not have a peaceful mind and therefore can not practice yoga.

The idea that one can satisfy the senses is false. The actual substance, the actual bliss, is not there in any sort of material sense gratification. Even if there is some momentary pleasure the soul is not looking for momentary pleasure. Our soul is hankering after eternal pleasure. We can not reach the platform of eternal pleasure without making the mind peaceful and the mind can not be peaceful if we are trying to satisfy our senses.

Therefore the greatest enemy of the yogi is sex desire. Sex desire is the most bewildering aspect of maya and it is the shackles or chains that bind us to the material world and force us to take birth and die over and over and over again... The endless cycle of samsara that we can never escape from without become free from the sex desire.

Another important point we learn from Krishna is the object of meditation in yoga. Modern yogaschools are very vague about this. But here Krishna clearly says "one should meditate upon Me within the heart and make Me the ultimate goal of life." So the object of mediation for a yogi is Krishna who is present within his heart as the Paramatma or Supersoul. And the perfection of yogais to come to the platform of Krishna consciousness.

The goal of yoga is to know Krishna, who is situated within the heart of every living being as Paramatma, the four-handed Visnu form. The yoga process is practiced in order to discover and see this localized form of Visnu, and not for any other purpose. The localized visnu-murti is the plenary representation of Krishna dwelling within one's heart. One who has no program to realize this visnu-murti is uselessly engaged in mock-yoga practice and is certainly wasting his time. Krishna is the ultimate goal of life, and the visnu-murti situated in one's heart is the object of yogapractice.

To realize this visnu-murti within the heart, one has to observe complete abstinence from sex life; therefore one has to leave home and live alone in a secluded place, remaining seated as mentioned above. One cannot enjoy sex life daily at home or elsewhere and attend a so-calledyoga class and thus become a yogi.One has to practice controlling the mind and avoiding all kinds of sense gratification, of which sex life is the chief. In the rules of celibacy written by the great sage Yajnavalkya it is said: "The vow of brahmacarya is meant to help one completely abstain from sex indulgence in work, words and mind--at all times, under all circumstances, and in all places." No one can perform correct yoga practice through sex indulgence.

Brahmacarya is taught, therefore, from childhood when one has no knowledge of sex life. Children at the age of five are sent to the guru-kula, or the place of the spiritual master, and the master trains the young boys in the strict discipline of becoming brahmacaris. Without such practice, no one can make advancement in any yoga, whether it be dhyana, jnana or bhakti.

One who, however, follows the rules and regulations of married life, having sexual relationship only with his wife (and that also under regulation), is also called brahmacari. Such a restrained householder brahmacari may be accepted in the bhakti school, but the jnana and dhyana schools do not admit even householder brahmacaris. They require complete abstinence without compromise. In the bhakti school, a householder brahmacari is allowed controlled sex life because the cult of bhakti-yoga is so powerful that one automatically loses sexual attraction, being engaged in the superior service of the Lord. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said: "Whereas others are forced to restrain themselves from sense gratification, a devotee of the Lord automatically refrains because of superior taste. Other than the devotee, no one has any information of that superior taste."

Krishna also stresses that to practice yoga one must be fearless. One cannot be fearless unless one is fully in Krishna consciousness. A conditioned soul is fearful due to his perverted memory, his forgetfulness of his eternal relationship with Krsna. The Bhagavatam says that Krishna consciousness is the only basis for fearlessness. Therefore, perfect practice is possible for a person who is Krishna conscious. And since the ultimate goal of yoga practice is to see the Lord within, a Krishna conscious person is already the best of all yogis. The principles of the yogasystem mentioned herein are different from those of the popular so-called yoga societies.

The practical problem for a would-be yogi in this age of Kali is hardly anyone has an undisturbed and controlled mind and very few people can go to a sacred and secluded place and live there alone to practice yoga and it is very difficult to find anyone who is free from sex desire... And one who is not self-controlled and whose mind is not undisturbed cannot practice meditation. Therefore, in the Brhan-naradiya Purana it is said that in the Kali-yuga (the present age) when people in general are short-lived, slow in spiritual realization and always disturbed by various anxieties, the best means of spiritual realization is chanting the holy name of the Lord.

harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam 
kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha

"In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy the only means of deliverance is chanting the holy name of the Lord. There is no other way. There is no other way. There is no other way."

So the perfection of yoga, and the only practical yoga system for this age of Kali yuga is the chanting of the Hare Krishna maha mantra:

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare 
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra can be performed anywhere, in any place and at any time. There are no hard and fast rules in regard to this. And the Hare Krishna maha-mantra is so powerful that a sincere chanter can get all the results of yoga very quickly by this simple method. Sochant Hare Krishna and be happy!Madhudvisa dasa

November 26,2012.Day 15. Srimad Valmiki Ramayan - The First Epic Poem Of India. (Continued)

Book I : Bala Kanda - Book Of Youthful Majesties : Chapter 1(Continued)

रक्षिता स्वस्य धर्मस्य स्व जनस्य च रक्षिता |
वेद वेदाङ्ग तत्त्वज्ञो धनुर् वेदे च निष्ठितः || १-१-१४

14. svasya dharmasya rakshitaa = of his own, righteousness [self-righteous, champion; sva janasya ca rakshitaa = his own, people's [adherents', welfare,] also, he is a champion of; veda veda aN^ga = in Veda-s, Veda's, ancillaries; tatvaj~naH = scholar in essence of [Veda-s]; dhanur vede ca = in the science of archery, also; niSTitaH = an expert.

 

"He is the champion of his own self-righteousness and also champions for adherent's welfare in the same righteousness, and he is a scholar in the essence of Veda-s and their ancillaries, too. He is an expert in dhanur Veda, the Art of Archery... [1-1-14]

These are the ancillary subjects of Vedas called anga part and upa anga sub-part. The main parts of Veda-s are siksha ritual rigor vyakarana grammar chandasprosody jyotish astroloj~n nirukta recital rules kalpa procedure rules. This apart, the dhanur veda science of archery, itself is treated as 'an exclusive Veda taught to warriors...' The danur Veda is not to be construed as simple bow and arrow and 'shooting the target' education. It is a 'scripture on missiles' that existed in those ages.

Down the memory lane, O. A.Vijayan, the eminent Indian journalist has reflected in The Illustrated Weekly of India, that the Soviet scholar Dr. A. A. Gorbovsky said in his article with heading Ancient India may have had N-arms , in the Statesman, with dateline Moscow, Sept. 8, 1986. Among other things, the scientist observes by the stanzas that describe the disaster caused by such astra-s, now loosely termed as a well crafted bow and sky rocketing arrows, as below:

'A blazing shaft which possessed all the effulgence of smokeless fire was let off... all directions were enveloped by darkness... the very elements seemed to be perturbed... the sun seemed to turn... the universe, scorched with heat, seemed to be in fever... the survivors lost their hair and nails... for years the sun and sky remained shrouded with clouds...'

Thus the narration goes on. This is the account of Brahma astra, as in Maha Bharata, the other Epic of India. Thus the Dhanur Veda may be taken as the canon of missile sciences, which fortunately has not been handed over to the successive generations, lest everything would have been annihilated by now. In Ramayana too, which is much earlier to Mahabharata, there are elaborate accounts of such astra-s in the coming chapters. Sage Vishvamitra, who is well-versed in warfare, gives many such weapons to Rama. For now, these bow and arrow references may not be taken as those of Robin Hood.

November 26,2012.Day 94. BHAGAVAD GITA - As It Is Original by His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada. Chapter 2. (Continued) TEXT 51.

Chapter 2. Contents of the Gita Summarized

  TEXT 51

  karma-jam buddhi-yukta hi 
phalam tyaktva manisinah 
janma-bandha-vinirmuktah 
padam gacchanty anamayam

   SYNONYMS

         karma-jam--because of fruitive activities; buddhi-yuktah--being done in devotional service; hi--certainly; phalam--results; tyaktva--giving up;manisinah--devotees who are great sages; janma-bandha--the bondage of birth and death; vinirmuktah--liberated soul; padam--position;gacchanti--reached; anamayam--without miseries.

TRANSLATION

        The wise, engaged in devotional service, take refuge in the Lord, and free themselves from the cycle of birth and death by renouncing the fruits of action in the material world. In this way they can attain that state beyond all miseries.

   PURPORT

        The liberated living entities seek that place where there are no material miseries. The Bhagavatam says:

  samasrita ye padapallava-plavam 
mahat-padam punya-yaso murareh 
bhavambudhir vatsa-padam param padam 
padam padam yad vipadam na tesam 
(Bhag. 10.14.58)

"For one who has accepted the boat of the lotus feet of the Lord, who is the shelter of the cosmic manifestation and is famous as Mukunda or the giver of mukti, the ocean of the material world is like the water contained in a calf's hoofprint. Param padam, or the place where there are no material miseries, or Vaikuntha, is his goal, not the place where there is danger in every step of life." 

     Owing to ignorance, one does not know that this material world is a miserable place where there are dangers at every step. Out of ignorance only, less intelligent persons try to adjust to the situation by fruitive activities, thinking that the resultant actions will make them happy. They do not know that no kind of material body anywhere within the universe can give life without miseries. The miseries of life, namely birth, death, old age and diseases, are present everywhere within the material world. But one who understands his real constitutional position as the eternal servitor of the Lord, and thus knows the position of the Personality of Godhead, engages himself in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. Consequently he becomes qualified to enter into the Vaikuntha planets, where there is neither material, miserable life nor the influence of time and death. To know one's constitutional position means to know also the sublime position of the Lord. One who wrongly thinks that the living entity's position and the Lord's position are on the same level is to be understood to be in darkness and therefore unable to engage himself in the devotional service of the Lord. He becomes a lord himself and thus paves the way for the repetition of birth and death. But one who, understanding that his position is to serve, transfers himself to the service of the Lord, at once becomes eligible for Vaikunthaloka. Service for the cause of the Lord is called karma-yoga or buddhi-yoga, or in plain words, devotional service to the Lord.

Osho: Being Happy Is Ordinary, Being Miserable Is Extra Ordinary

When the shoe does fit

Life is fulfilling, but you are not in contact with life. Old contact is lost, new has not been made. You are in a transmission, hence you are so dull, hence life looks so mediocre, sad, boring -- even futile. Says Jean-Paul Sartre: Man is a useless passion -- futile, impotent passion, unnecessarily making much fuss about life, and there is nothing in it. . . meaningless is life. The more you become enclosed in yourself, the more life becomes meaningless. Then you are miserable. Then misery has some other payoffs.

When you are happy you are ordinary, because to be happy is just to be natural. To be miserable is to become extraordinary. Nothing is special in being happy -- trees are happy; so are birds, animals and children. What is special -- it's the usual thing in existence. Existence is made of the stuff called happiness. Just look! Can't you see these trees, so happy? Birds are singing. Happiness is a very ordinary thing. To be blissful is to be absolutely ordinary. The self, the ego, does not allow that.

That's why people talk so much about their miseries; they become special by doing so. People go on talking about their illness, their headache, their stomach, their this and that. All people are in some way or other hypochondriacs. And if somebody does not believe in your misery, you feel hurt. If somebody sympathises with you and believes in your misery -- even your exaggerated version of it -- you feel very happy. This is something stupid, but has to be understood. A miserable man can have a more concentrated ego than a happy man.

A happy man really cannot have ego, because a person becomes happy only when there is no ego. The more egoless you are, the more happy; the more happy, the more egoless. You dissolve into happiness. You cannot exist together with happiness; you exist only when there is misery. In happiness there is dissolution. Have you ever seen any happy moment; watched it? In happiness, you are not. When you are in love, you are not. If love has ever made its abode in your heart, even for a few moments, you are not.

When you see the beautiful sun rising, a silent lake,or a flower, suddenly, you are not. When there is beauty, when there is love, you are not. Hearing someone, if you feel there is truth, you simply disappear in that moment. You are not, truth is. Whenever there is something of the beyond, you are not; you have to make space for it. You are only when there is misery, when there is a lie, when there is something wrong. You are only when the shoe does not fit. When the shoe fits perfectly, you are not.

Then you forget the feet, you forget the shoe. When there is no headache there is no head. If you want to feel your head, you will need a headache; that is the only way. To be is to be miserable. To be happy is not to be. When a person learns to read, difficulties arise; now the self is rising. In villages, people are happy. They are closer to trees and nature than in London or New York. Trees have disappeared; there are only asphalt roads, concrete buildings, all man-made. The farther away you go from nature, the farther you are from happiness.

The right way to eat fruits By Sumitra Nair,

You love your bowl of strawberries and yogurt after dinner or prefer your melon wrapped in ham. But can you really have fruit any way you want to?

Is it enough to eat them frequently, or is there a right way to eat fruits? Is it okay to eat fruits as dessert right after a meal? Nutritionist, Naini Setalvad tells us what the right way to eat fruits is.

When should I eat fruits? The best time to eat fruits is first thing in the morning after a glass of water. Eating fruits right after a meal is not a great idea, as it may not be digested properly. The nutrients may not be absorbed properly either.

You need to leave a gap of at least 30 minutes between a meal and a fruit snack. Ideally, one should eat fruits an hour before the meal or two hours after, if they have diabetes or any other digestive problem like acidity. This is because, sometimes, diabetes is accompanied with digestive problems.

Can I mix fruits with other foods? You can mix fruit with yogurt or salt as long as you do not have any digestive problems like indigestion or acidity. You can also mix fruits like pineapple, oranges, melons or pomegranate with salads if you like. There is no harm in mixing berries and dry fruits with cereals either.

Shelf-life of common fruits

Banana: Three-four days
Apple: Up to a week
Pears: Five-six days
Papayas: Two-three days (depends on how ripe the papayas are to begin with)
Chickoos: Two days (depends on the ripeness)

Most other ripe fruits have a shelf life of up to three days if stored in the refrigerator. 

A call for a Silent Revolution By: Guruji Krishnananda

This is a call for a Silent Revolution.

 

The world is in turmoil today. There are protests and demonstrations in countless places all over the world. People are protesting against economic failure, corrupt governments and many injustices. Most of these protests are by the ordinary citizens, and are either crushed by force or rendered ineffective by blocking their publication in the mainstream media.

 

The common man can only vote once in many years to elect the politicians in countries with democracy. The power is transferred from the common man to the politicians. After that the citizen has no say in the way the country is governed. Democracy has failed to ensure quality of life to people.

 

When people feel helpless, they resort to protests and demonstrations because there seems to be nothing else that they can do. Though protests are sometimes necessary, there is another way that is more effective. There IS something that the common man anywhere in the world can do right from his or her home. And that is the Way of the Light.

 

A Silent Revolution by Light is possible. All it takes is for people to channel Light to the world in large numbers. The world may not change overnight, but there will be gradual and definite changes.

 

Fill the world with Light. The Light is the Source of everything and has the Power and Intelligence to transform our world. Though the Light is everywhere, we need to consciously channel and spread it to our world. By channelling Light in large numbers, we will be choosing Light collectively.

 

Imagine an Ocean of Light above you. Imagine that a beam of Light comes down and enters you. Then, imagine that the Light comes out and spreads to the whole world for at least seven minutes daily. If possible, channel Light in groups. (To watch the animation, please click here.)

 

Please spread this message freely to empower the citizens of our world and help strengthen the Silent Revolution by Light.