Nectar drops

                                   Nectar drops

• The art of living is just the right balance between work, achievement and play.
• The greatest failure in life is to live unhappily.
• The secret guide line to success is simply to remove your worries, and find ways to enjoy your life.
• Turn a nature walk into a treasure hunt.
• Listen to all the teachers in the woods. Watch the trees, the animals and all the living things. You'll learn more from them than books.
• The six virtues that doctors have to possess since a doctor is expected to work with compassion. The six virtues are - generosity, ethics, tolerance, perseverence, concentration and intelligence.
• The decision making skills are what makes a man great.
• If we take any action that is not geared toward a goal, we are wasting time.
• Anger is a great force. If you control it, it can be transmuted into a power which can move the whole world .
• Once we discover. how to appreciate the timeless values in our daily experiences, we can enjoy the best things in life .

Why do Indian women apply vermilion on the forehead and on their head at the partition ot the hair after marriage?

   
                         Why do Indian women apply vermilion on the forehead and on their head at the partition of hair after marrige ?

          It is pointed out in the Puranas that no ritual like worship of the deity, sacrifice  or others can be performed without this. Vermilion is considered to be very auspicious by Indians and thus used for various purposes on special occasions like wedding and festivals.
Vermilion is not just used by womenfolk of India. Even men, boys , girls and little children apply a dot of this powder kept in the temples in India when they visit a temple or attend  some religious function. However, for married Indian woman, it is almost compulsory to apply kumkum ( vermilion)  on the forehead and in the parting of their hair every day. Vermilion is applied with index finger or ring finger. It is applied in between the eye brows.
Traditional authentic kumkum or vermilion of India is made by grinding the dried turmeric to a powder. A few drops of lime are added to this yellow powder, which changes its hue to a bright red. Turmeric is the best source of cleansing of skin and the Ayurveda recognizes its therapeutic utility. Hence this red color purifies skin,and a natural binder of all mental faculties.
The spot between the eyebrows is called ' Agya chakra' and is very significant in the spiritual field. It is the centre of all the activities of the body. The sage Yajnavalkya considers this place of Shiva's eye as sacred. This is also known as the ' Third eye '. Application of vermilion at this spot gives coolness and peace. It helps to maintain the balance of hormones like Serotonin and Beta endorphin which destroys stress. Mind becomes pure and leads to good works. Self-confidence gets boosted up.
Vermilion holds a great degree of significance for especially married women. Applying vermilion by women on the head is an indication that the lady is married. It creates reverence for her in the society. In addition, it adds to her beauty. During the marriage ceremony the groom applies sindoor on the forehead and his bride's hair for the first time. From that day onwards, Indian women apply vermilion on their forehead and the parting of hair at the head for the long life of their husband. It is also one of the sixteen adornments specified for married women.
Liberation while living is considered in Indian life to be the highest experience , a fusion of the individual with the universal. The purpose is to search for the whole truth within, so that one may realize one's inner self, unfolding the basic reality of the universe. The individual consciousness, called Kundalini Shakti exists in latent form, not in every human being but in every atom of the universe. The object is to awaken or arouse the feminine energy Kundalini and cause it to unite with Shiva, the pure consciousness pervading the whole universe. This is done through recitation of mantras and meditation
.The Kundalini or feminine energy is the vast potential of psychic energy, the body's most powerful thermal current. Even music and dance can arouse the Kundalini's dormant force and direct it to higher planes, until its perfect unfolding and our conscious awareness of its presence within us is realized. In fact any fine art, if practiced with dedication and enjoyed properly, the joy arising  from that is considered akin to Bliss from realization of the Supreme. This Kundalini lies at the of the spine. When she is aroused, she ascends above to the crown of the head to unite with Shiva, the pure consciousness, whose manifest energy she is, through the psychic centers, the chakras that lie along the axis of the spine as conscious potentials. All the chakras are repositories of psychic energy and they govern the whole condition of being. The chakras are supposed to be six starting from the base of the spine as Muladhara, Svadhishthana, Manipura, Anahata, Vishuddha, Ajna ( between the eye brows ). Sahasrara, the seventh, the transcendent chakra, is situated four fingers' breadth above
the top of the head.
The Sahasrara chakra is said to be the region of Shiva, the Pure Consciousness, while Muladhara is the seat of Shakti, whose form here is Kundalini. Through meditation and certain prescribed discipline the Kundalini Shakti rises through the psychic centers until it reaches its full flowering that is fusion with the Absolute in Sahasrara as Kulakundalini generating Bliss Comsciousness ( ananda )
from the union of Shiva Shakti

The two spots connected with the vermilion are Ajna chakra and Sahasrara.
Ajna chakra - Two currents of psychic energy flow through Ida and Pingala from the base of the Spine, spiralling in opposite directions around the Sushumna meet the Sushumna channel in the region of Ajna chakra ( between the eye brows ). This is called third eye. It controls the various states of concentration realized through meditation and commands one's whole personality . This chakra is associated with various cognitive faculties of the mind. Both mental images and abstract ideas are experienced at this level.Its deity is Paramashiva, as in the Sahasrara, he is represented in this chakra in the form of a bindu ( dot ), symbolizing the inseparable Shiva-Shakti, the cosmic unity whose self-luminous consciousness is all pervading, all -unifying.
Sahasrara meaning ' thousand ' is ' The Lotus of the thousand petals ' located four finger breadths above the crown of the head. Also called Brahmarandhra, it is the meeting place of Kundalini Shakti and Shiva.
It is the center of quintessential consciousness where integration of all polarities is experienced and the Bliss is experienced and this is represented in the form of a bindu. Here the Kundalini merges with Shiva in the midst of eternal Bliss and nectar.
In Ajna chakra, there is still the experience of a self apparently different from the Supreme but in Sahasrara, it is not different. There is no object, no God, there is nothing but the Supreme. There is no
Experience because it is one, it is without a second.
According to Indian tradition, marriage is the eternal union of female and male energy. It is apt that the bridegroom applies vermilion on the bride's forehead between the eye brows and on the parting of hair on her head during the marriage ceremony. It is symbolic. In women, application of vermilion on the forehead protects her from hypnotism and mesmerism by others as this spot is very sensitive, thus her loyalty to her husband is safeguarded.
The spot on the parting of her hair is the point where Shiva resides. This point is more delicate in women than in men. Vermilion protects her from evil  and skin problems.
Application of sindoor on the forehead and in the partition of hair cools both the spots. The young girl assumes the role of a wife, daughter-in -law, sister- in - law and mother after the marriage. Vermilion not only adds charm to her personality but reminds her and gives her mental coolness to carry out the new responsibilities cheerfully.

Surrender of Ego

   
                                        Surrender of  Ego





    Once a rich man's son was studying in the hermitage of a sage. When he completed his education he wanted to pay something as a taken of gratitude to his master. In those days students used to stay in the house of the teacher in the outskirts of the city and complete their education. After the studies were over only, they would pay fee or anything whichever the teacher asked for. This was known as Dakshina. As per the custom, the boy expressed his wish to pay the dakshina. The teacher was very wise. He asked the student to give him that thing which was of no use at all. The boy went in search of finding out the useless thing. When he touched the soil thinking it was of not any use, the soil screamed, "  You consider me as useless ! All the riches of this earth comes out from me only."
Heraing these words, he went ahead. He saw a pile of garbage. The foul smell emanating from that was very disgusting.  He decided that it must be the most useless thing in the world. So he extended his hand towards that, immediately there arose a voice from that, " What ? can you get a better natural and rich fertilizer than me on this earth ? All crops get the best and natural nourishment only from me." Then the truth dawned on him that every thing created by God is useful in way or the other. It is the ego of man which categorises things into useful and useless. He realized that useless is one who considers others as useless. What else can be that except one's own ego?
The student returned, apologizing himself, told the teacher that he could not find anything worthless except his ego. So he had come to surrender his ego as a token of gratitude to the teacher. The master was very happy and said , " Now only you have gained the real knowledge. Because knowledge is fruitful only when ego is given up. Humility is the ornament of knowledge."
It is aptly said,
 Knowledge gives humility, from it comes worthiness, from worthiness one does good deeds, and from good deeds comes the real joy.

Uplifting thoughts

                                Uplifting thoughts

• The genuine beauty of acquiring knowledge is that you can learn at any time
• Chasing after the impossible you lose what is possible
• Most problems are really the absence of ideas.
• Making excises does not hurt anybody but yourself.
• Accepting responsibility is accepting challenge.
• Truth and False are attributes of speech, not of things. And where speech is not, there is neither Truth nor Falsehood.
• If you want to be a success, display enough courage to welcome failures
• When you read a classic you do not see mote in the book than you did before; you see more in you than there before.
• The world is charged with grandeur of God.
• Noble be man,

           Helpful and good !
          For that alone
           sets him apart
        From every other creature on Earth.

Relax and enjoy for a while

   
                          Relax and enjoy for a while

• Classic is a book which people praise and don't read.
• No matter what your age, you should keep learning- for in learning you stay curious, interested, involved and engaged.
• With true friends, even water drunk together is sweet enough.
• Bread feeds the body, indeed,but flowers feed also the soul.. 
• Time is really the only capital that any human being has, and the only thing he can't afford to lose.
• Lose an hour in the morning and you will be looking for it the rest of the day.
• Plenty of people miss their share of happiness, not because they never found it, but because they did not stop to enjoy it.
• The most pleasant and useful persons are those who leave some of the problems of the universe for God to worry about.
• Vote for the man who promises least; he 'll be the least disappointing.
• Retirement is the transition from who's who to who's He.

Essence of Religion

 
                                     Essence of Religion

Once there was an international conference on ' Religion ' was going on in the outskirts of a city. All reputed scholars representing different religions from all over the world were participating. During the lunch hour, enjoying their food in the open garden, the scholars were thrashing out the minute details of their religion to one another trying to assert the superiority the superiority of their religion. At a short distance from there there was an old well and green fields wete nearby. A low voice was coming from the well ' please help me, is some one there ?'
Though the scholars heard a mild cry, they were so busy in their discussion they ignored it. A farmer was crossing by that side with a bundle on his head. He did not even look at the scholars there, but concentrated on the mild voice calling for help. He looked around and came near the well. He looked into the well and saw a man struggling to come out. The farmer put his bundle down, took out a long rope from it. He dropped  the rope into the well and pulled out the man from it. Seeing this, all the scholars immediately rushed towards the farmer with their cameras and asked him as to which religion he belonged. Every one was eager to know his religion. The farmer replied , " I do not know any religion. I do farming and earn my livelihood. My parents taught me to be contented  in life and help others in need. So I love Nature, my work and doing service to others with love and devotion."

Religion did not create man, but man created religion. The greatest impulse in a man's life is his love for Freedom from miseries ,or the longing for the Infinite and inner joy. Man pursued his inner urge and found out the goal and the world named the path as religion.
It is interesting to note how the same urge and hankering in all parts of the world finds different channels of expression or takes to different paths to reach the ultimate destination. Again it is an interesting factor to note that all religions and their founders preach the same qualities of human spirit
such as  love and compassion, patience, tolerance, forgiveness, contentment, a sense pf responsibility, a sense of harmony which bring happiness to both self and others. It is the followers who distort the principles  out of ignorance, selfishness, greed for power exploit the society in the name of religion. In fact, spirituality is the soul of religion. Once it is missed, all quarrels are always over the husks only.
This story clearly illustrates that an individual can develop such qualities without recourse to any religious belief. In fact, a man's inner resources are so rich that can provide the ability to rise above everyday experience. Under the circumstances, doctrinal imperatives  become unnecessary.
All beings are from the same creator or Same power of Nature. So it is rightly said,
Human beings are members of a whole,
In creation of one essence and soul,
If one member is afflicted with pain,
other members uneasy will remain,
If you have no sympathy for human pain,
the name of human you can't retain.
This is the essence of religion.

Thoughts from Great minds

     
                                Thoughts from Great minds


       

• One father is more than a hundred school masters.
• If we all did the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves.
• Life is n't about finding yourself. Life's about creating yourself.
• Insist upon yourself. Be original. 
• If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
• Money won't buy happiness, but it will pay the salaries of a large research staff to study the problem.
• Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.
• Big dictionaries are nothing but store rooms with infrequently visited and dusty corners.
• A gentle man never eats, he breakfasts, he lunches, he dines, but he never eats.
• I was angry with my friend; I told my wrath, my wrath did end.

I was angry with my foe; I told it not, my wrath did grow.

       

The web of greed

           
                                  The web of greed


There was a king. He was new to the throne. He was very ambitious , conquered many countries and collected a lot of wealth. Once a saint visited the king. The king asked the saint, "  Noble soul ! what service should I do for you ?  I have enormous wealth to give." The saint had a small bowl and extending the same to the king told him to fill it.
The king said, " Respected Sir ! I will get this small bowl of yours filled with rare precious gems, gold and silver so that there will not be any dearth of money for the rest of your life."
At the order of the king, the treasurer started filling that bowl with rare precious gems. But the bowl was not full, with all the riches remaining at the bottom only. Soon the royal treasury itself became empty. There was nothing left there to add. The king was surprised and bowed before the saint, " Noble soul ! This bowl is made up of which material ? The entire treasury has been emptied still this small bowl is not full."
The saint smiled and replied, " Oh king, this bowl is made up of the bones of human skull. It is insatiable in nature. The human brain works all the time to fulfill its desires and desires know no limit."
Hearing this, the king was startled and asked the saint politely, " Noble Sir, your words have aroused my curiosity. Please explain to me in detail."
The saint explained, "  Oh king, the greed is a deep pot which can never be filled up by the gems and the riches pf the entire earth. This greed makes a man dance like a monkey, makes him roam here and there like a dog, makes him blind like an owl even during Sunlight. Like a fish he gets into a bait of greed and caught in the web of endless difficulties."
Hearing these words, suddenly the king woke up. He realized that all along what he experienced was in his dream. But he was happy to learn a  lesson from that.

The story is symbolic. In the Bhagavadgita, Arjuna asks Lord Krishna, " Impelled by what does a man commit sin involuntarily, as though driven by force."
The Lord says, it is the desire. It is insatiable like fire, so wicked and deludes the man. Man should have control over the senses, mind and intellect to conquer this. This internal conquest is a must for a ruler.
Desire itself is not bad. But when it crosses beyond limits,it results in greed, an enemy of man. It is the duty of the king to protect his subjects from external and internal enemies and give them peace and happiness. The country should also be made prosperous but not at the cost of other countries.
The natural tendency of power to corrupt. So the king should not be elated by his riches and power. Like a philosopher he should set a moral standard for people to follow.

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Gleanings from Ancient Wisdom - Betel nuts- quid

                                 Gleanings from Ancient Wisdom - Betel nuts- quid


       In India, betel plays an important role since ancient times. It is valued for its medicinal properties.
Manasollasa  written by king Someshwara describes pancha sugandha as a Thambula with five aromatic ingredients, namely the cardamom, clove, nutmeg, mace and camphor, a truly royal concoction. Apart from its significance in stimulating saliva and gastric flow after a meal, Paan is also regarded as an auspicious symbol of hospitality and was offered as a moral and even legal commitment when an agreement was drawn up. The goddess  Lakshmi is believed to reside in the forepart of the betel leaf, Jyeshtha ( the older sister of Lakshmi and she is the remover of misfortue ) at the back, the goddess of speech on the right, Parvati on the
left, Vishnu inside, the Moon outside, Shiva in all the edges and Manmatha ( Cupid ) everywhere; Yama, the lord of death resides in the stalk, which is therefore pinched away and discarded before the leaf is used (  Shivatattvaratnakara).
   The quid kulpavida was made up of  10-12 betel leaves and must have been very large, in addition to the usual filling of betel nuts, slaked lime, and kattha, it also contained cardamom,nutmeg, almonds, pistachio and coconut shreds.
Muslims when they came to India, quickly took to chewing paan. Ibn battuta ( fourteenth century CE ) describes how it was served in the Delhi Sultanate at the end of elaborate palace meals.

Gleanings from Ancient Wisdom - Banana

     
                        Gleanings from Ancient Wisdom     - Banana
 

     It is a fact that traditional knowledge had been tested over years. Many folklores are based on the practices prevalent in the society.People of ancient times might not know the technical terms as prevalent now due to the advancement of science and technology. They lived with and amidst Nature and their observations were very accurate, so they took care of everything according to the needs.
The reason why the plantain bears fruits without pollination is described in a very interesting folklore in India.
Long ago, there were five sisters. When the girls came of age, their father wanted to find matches for the children according to their choice. The youngest girl named Kadali expressed her desire that she wanted only children, no husband. And also added that she wanted to grow old soon, while the older ones, all the four, wanted husband and children.
The older sisters got married and bore so many children that their husbands, seeing so many children ran away in sheer fright. These girls in their next life were born as Mango, Tamarind, Fig and Berry trees and bore many fruits symbolizing the children they had in their previous birth. Kadali, the youngest girl did not marry but produced children and grew old. Kadali turned into a Banana tree in her next birth. That is till today the plantain bears fruit without pollination and the fruits do not bear any seed. On the fruition , the entire plant dries up and is cut. New one starts afresh from the rhizome underneath the soil. It is a scientific fact proven today that cross- pollination is not needed in the fruition of banana stems whereas most of the fruit trees require cross- pollination for fruition of them.
The plantain is a sacred plant which is tied to poles at the corners of any sacred altar. The entire tree with its green leaves, purple flower along with the bunches of  green plantains hanging down are used as a gateway at the main entrance of the marriage ceremony as it is a symbol of fertility and prosperity for which marriage is celebrated. Furthermore, the greenery of the leaves is considered as an antidote for evil eye. The leaves are considered sacred and used in all religious ceremonies.
In India, the plant is worshipped in the month of Kartik ( Oct-Nov ) by women desirous of having male progeny.
Thursday is the day of Jupiter, who grants happiness and progeny. Girls and women water the Banana trees on Thursday as the plant is believed to be the incarnation of  Goddess Parvati and Lakshmi. It is believed that Parvati, a deity of conjugal love and Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity would confer their blessings on the devoted worshipper.
The yellow banana fruit is considered auspicious as its deity is Lord Vishnu and is an essential one offered to deities. Even in religious ceremonies, a priest is offered Dakshina ( fees) on the betel leaves with betel nuts and banana fruit on it.
In the Caribbean, where they are a major crop, bananas are particularly lucky fruit. A wish made while cutting a slice from the stalk end of a banana is bound to come true, if a Y- shaped mark is revealed.
All parts of the banana tree are useful. The leaves are used as plates. They are very hygenic. Food items do not stick to the leaves . Wrapping foods in leaves and baking them in the ashes , is one of the oldest forms of human cooking. It has two advantages, the material cheap, natural and available in places where they are grown , almost in most of the places in the world and it preserves much of the flavor and substance. The most common wrapping materials are large leaves, especially the banana. Wrapped foods are also commonly steamed and the leaves contributing to the flavor of the dish. The leaves can be easily disposed without spoiling the atmosphere.
The inner core of the stem, flower and green bananas are used as vegetable in cooking various recipies. These have the properties of cooling the stomach. It is believed that stems cure kidney stones.
Because of its availability and cheap price, the banana fruit is known as poor man's fruit.
The most delicious, seedless fruit has gained the status of the staple food of millions around the world, so much so that the soft ripe banana is the first solid food given to the babies. It serves as a filling and staple food for adults.
The ripe fruits are easily digested and the nutrients are absorbed well. Its high potassium content benefits the muscular system.
Research studies have shown that its high potassium and low in salt lowers blood pressure.
Research studies have proved that ripe banana taken at bed time induces good sleep due to the release  of serotonin- a happy - mood brain neurotransmitter.
An interesting thing about banana is that it is good both for constipation as well as diarrhoea  as it stimulates the growth of friendly bacteria in the bowels and helps normalize bowel movements.
Cough can be treated by mixing one- fourth teaspoon black pepper powder with a mashed banana and     taking it twice or thrice a day.
White flesh under the banana skin is used as a poultice for wounds.
Banana flesh and peels are used as face mask. Thus it serves as a beauty aid.
A man however great he may be, can't produce a single banana equivalent to Nature's.
Banana is just a small gem from the vast treasure - chest of bountiful Nature. Mother Nature does not discriminate her children as good and bad, rich or poor, but showers her bounty equally on all. Why we human beings, supposed to be the supreme among the created beings can't understand and reciprocate her generosity by not hurting her physically by spoiling and exploiting her rich resources and mentally by our artificial divisions, mutual hatred, selfishness, greed and false ego.