Ajay0

Being a criminal is a bad idea when there are good systems for maintaining law and order, progress for all and justice. In such a case it is one's vices that is prompting one to crime and erroneous conduct which deserve punishment and correction. However, when there are no good systems for the same , and one is unable to satisfy one's basic needs ( as opposed to desires) inspite of all one's efforts in this regard, then one can exercise one's judgement to being a criminal for the greater good. Robin Hood was a robber and thief, but he is not considered and vilified as a criminal . Instead he is commended and applauded as a hero in popular consciousness. The enlightened sage Meher Baba states in this regard...

Indian and Hindu philosophy has a tradition of atheism and materialism through the Charvaks, and this has seen a revival in recent times. There had been debates and dialogues between the Charvaks and other Indian philosophical sects in ancient times. Scientific materialism and rationalism is also on the upswing in India denying anything outside of sensory perception. I used to adhere to these philosophies myself till I read, heard and even witnessed events refuting the same. I am not against these philosophies myself as they help in creating a rational and scientific temperament which is necessary in religion and spirituality too, and helps to get rid of superstitions. There are some who consider Sadhguru's teachings on consciousness and spirituality as unscientific and irrational, and seek to debate and harass Sadhguru on such points. However science and technology are not in itself capable of creating a utopia on its own. Imho, modern science and technology can even become an evil when it is handled by the wrong state of consciousness. As Wervner von Braun stated, "Science does not have a moral dimension. It is like a knife. If you give it to a surgeon or a murderer, each will use it differently." The problem lies not with science but with its handler's state of consciousness, and thus it should be given the relevant emphasis and importance it warrants instead of hiding it under the carpet.

I like Stoicism and has recommended Stoic philosophy to my friends. There is a lot of wisdom in it, and I would say understanding the stoic philosophy will help one better understand the Bhagavad Gita. Stoicism teaches the development of self-control to overcome destructive emotions. Krishna also emphasizes self-control, and states that the disciplined self is one's best friend and the undisciplined self is one's own enemy. There are a lot of teachings on self-control and disciplining the mind, so you can say Krishna is an eastern stoic philosopher as well. So, I would say stoicism is a commendable western philosophy that should be learnt by all, but I would not say that of nihilism and existentialism which I consider to be half-baked philosophies as they consider all values and virtues to be mere abstract contrivances which does not have any relevance of its own. The nazis and communists have used nihilist reasoning to support their vicious excesses in the form of indiscriminate human rights violations and genocides. It is possible that scientific materialists may also be using the same reasoning while conducting unethical experiments on human subjects in their labs. Eastern philosophy states that adherence to values and virtues are potent on their own to attain higher states of consciousness and enlightenment, and that virtuous conduct is synonymous with meditation itself. I had created a thread on a modern female enlightened sage named Rajini Menon who attained Buddhahood through adherence to virtuous conduct...

This is not an excuse. India's famous rocket scientist A.P.J.Abdul Kalam started working at ten delivering newspapers to augment his family income and to pay for his school fees. He realized his dream of becoming a rocket engineer and later became the Indian president. Dada Lekhraj, founder of the spiritual institution of the Prajapita Brahmakumaris, started working at eight as an orphan selling wheat to households, and later as a apprentice in the jewellery industry. He later became one of the richest men in India as a jewellery entrepreneur. A young Indian porter used the wifi at the railway station to learn his online lessons from a cellphone and tablet and later cleared the civil services exam recently after a couple of attempts and got a job in the government services. Napoleon Bonaparte in his childhood and youth led a poverty-stricken life , eating only once a day to save money and spend most of his time in the library and was a diligent student. He considered poverty , privation and want as the school of the good soldier. You seems to have had a good lifestyle because of affluent parents, and could have lost drive and focus in the process. It is important to fix tangible goals and self-motivate yourself to achieve them.

@Ramanujan Do a swot analysis of your talents, interests, strengths and weaknesses, and choose a career based on your strengths and interests. In this way you will enjoy the work you do and will tend to excel in it. If you cannot afford a degree, try to get a short course with a certificate or diploma , and then develop your skills in it through self-education and associating with experts in the field. If you cannot get the job you enjoy doing, get other jobs that can provide the money to pursue learning opportunities in your chosen field and thereby build your career. Your namesake, the famous Indian mathematician Ramanujan, who is considered to be on the same league as Euler and Jacobi by modern mathematicians, had no formal training in mathematics and learnt much of what he knew from borrowed books and libraries, self-education and independent research. He got a job as a clerk mainly to finance his research and studies.

Interesting article on the components of proper communication necessary for good relationship management. https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/7-38-55-rule-57-years-old-secret-exceptional-emotional-intelligence.html?utm_source=pocket-newtab-en-intl

Informative article by Sister Shivani of the Brahmakumaris on using willpower to overcoming negative sanskars (habitual tendencies) into positive ones. Sanskar is an Indian word meaning subconscious impressions that determines a habitual tendency. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/books/features/using-willpower-means-exercising-our-power-to-choose-and-to-do-what-we-want-bk-shivani-in-the-power-of-one-thought/articleshow/102537823.cms?from=mdr

There was an Indian enlightened sage in the late nineteenth century named Sreenarayan Guru, who during an intense period of austerity and meditation, lived in cave for an year or two in an isolated region. His expert knowledge of Ayurveda and herbal medicine, enabled him to create a nutritious concoction of easily available herbs which he used to eat along with nearby tubers and roots. This period of austerity and meditation resulted in his enlightenment later on, after which he returned back to society and performed a role as a spiritual master, healer and social reformer. Dada Gavand lived similarly in a small hut on top of a hill for silence and solitude with his books and stove, and a villager used to provide him with rice and vegetables at regular intervals of time. His austerity and meditation for a period of six months or so, resulted in his enlightenment. The positives of such dwellings are silence, solitude, beautiful and unpolluted natural surroundings which are rich in prana or chi, and facilitates faster spiritual growth. However it is important to do one's due diligence and research before going for such options.

Website on the teachings of Dr. Frederick Lenz, also known as Zen Master Rama (1950 - 1998) ... https://ramaquotes.com/ https://www.zenmasterrama.com/

The ISRO delayed Chandrayaan 3 launch by 4 seconds to adjust its trajectory after detecting space debris in its flight path. https://www.indiatoday.in/science/chandrayaan-3/story/isro-chandrayaan-3-space-debris-collision-satellite-space-vikram-pragyaan-2533016-2024-04-29

I remember Bertrand Russell saying that we need a science to save us from the dangers of science, as in wmd. Hopefully people will give more weight and attention to this wise statement of his.

You might find this article informative as well.. https://www.usnews.com/news/healthiest-communities/articles/2020-01-29/mindfulness-grows-as-treatment-for-addiction

Around a decade back it cost just around rs 40 or so, that also in a good saloon. Today, I think it would cost just around 60-70 bucks perhaps. I think the guy was not aware of the market rates. When I was stressed out, I used to have such massages which I found relaxing.

Brazil overtook Turkey in October 2023 to become the largest buyer of Russian oil with trade amounting to around 9 billion dollars. https://www.ft.com/content/7ebb679e-099e-49ac-a750-73ca46538dee

You might find this article informative... ABC News anchor Dan Harris has credited meditation and mindfulness with recovery from drug addiction and drug-induced panic attacks... https://nextbigideaclub.com/magazine/conversation-how-meditation-helped-this-news-anchor-recover-from-addiction/17678/

Prajnanam Brahma - "Brahman is pure consciousness." (Aitareya Upanishad 3.3 of the Rig Veda) As per the Hindu philosophy of Advaita Vedanta and enlightened masters like Ramana Maharshi , the multiverse in its fundamental essence is pure consciousness, and all matter, energy, space, time and causation are its diverse manifestations of this pure consciousness or Brahman. This is perceptible from the vantage point of enlightenment, and many enlightened masters throughout the world have described the same in this regard. Here are some sayings by female enlightened masters Anandamayi Ma and Shivayogini Matha in this regard...

The Vedas have stated the equality and fraternity of all human beings. The large percentage of the vedic sages belonged to the lower economic groups. The caste system came up later on as a social feudal system in order to preserve, consolidate and develop knowledge systems of each profession. Universities were not wide-spread in ancient times, and it was easier for the father to teach his sons and nephews the technical details of his profession. This enabled a certain specialisation of culture and disciplines. For example, mathematics as in the numeral system, zero and basic mathematics used around the world commonly were developed in India. I am not an advocate of the caste system as it is obviously obsolete in today's world, but it had its relevance in ancient times as a practical system. In todays world however, you can choose any profession, and the best universities in the world teaching that course by virtue of enhanced transportation and logistics. The caste system continues at present by mere tradition alone as an extended family and social security system, much like tribal affiliations. Yes, the castes of Brahmana (saint-intellectual), Kshatriya ( warrior-administrator), Vaishya (businessman) and Shudra ( manual work and services) are there in every society. But it is not necessarily of a biological order. Newton was the son of a farmer while Gauss was the son of a bricklayer.

All life is yoga, and under the right conditions kundalini rise can come up serendipitously as well, which is why some people stumble upon the unitary perception , also known as samadhi or satori on their own. Kundalini awakenings are accompanied by heavy sexual energies which ought to be channeled to the upper chakras. But most people dissipate it uselessly through masturbation or sex. Swami Vivekananda had himself stated of this phenomenon... Mother Radha had also reported on the same ... Knowledge of this process of kundalini is important as it can shed light on monks or religious practicioners in many religions getting involved in sexual issues frowned upon by society. It is just an inability to understand the kundalini awakening process or control it properly. The energies properly channeled without dissipation can lead to higher states of consciousness. . Such sexual energies can be trasmuted to higher states of consciousness if the yogi is well-trained and disciplined and have a good personal regimen of daily sadhana and exercise.

Informative article on cancer rates increasing in young people and possible reasons... https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/24093360/early-cancer-young-adults-colon-stomach-research

It is an enlightened sage named Lahiri Mahasaya who had these abilities. There were no video cameras or cell phone cameras to record it then. There are similar sages with such abilities in today's time as well, and I have personally witnessed such stuff. Sri M or Madhukar in his autobiography had also testified to such abilities he witnessed in advanced yogis. However these are not considered that important with respect to spiritual development and enlightenment. For the unenlightened yogi, it becomes an ego trap, and so the Buddha and Ramakrishna had warned their disciples against cultivating such abilities. These abilities are safe only in an enlightened sage as a rule. He gave up his body through mahasamadhi while standing, and also stated the same to his disciples as well prior to the event as he felt that his life mission was coming to an end.

A major cause is that most of the the food we consume contains microplastics. https://www.delish.com/food-news/a46362671/microplastics-in-food/ Research has shown a correlation between plastic and high cancer rates. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/29/plastics-cause-wide-ranging-health-issues-from-cancer-to-birth-defects-landmark-study-finds https://www.thecancerspecialist.com/2023/10/28/what-is-the-link-between-plastics-and-cancer/

But it still keeps winning the last time I checked the western news reports. https://www.politico.eu/article/why-ukraine-losing-russia-war/ Here you keep under-assessing Russian economy. Russia is the largest country on earth and obviously it is bound to have extensive mineral resources that can make it wealthy on its own. Just their oil and gas ensure self-reliance and sales to the rest of the world is enough to keep it going for a long, long time . Their human resources with ingenuity in science and technology is also bound to bring productivity and wealth to the country. Without the Russian bad boys and jets, American movies like Top gun series and Rambo would have to close shop and run out of business due to lack of formidable villains. How is this not a terrible result. China can adopt the latest Russian technologies to get in par with western technologies. China already has the third largest number of nuclear warheads and is expected to attain parity with the US and Russia in a few years at its current rates of expansion. https://time.com/6323059/us-china-russia-nuclear-threat/ Also China seeks a weaker US , so providing Russia with military and economic resources to continue the war is a strategic objective on its part and that is what it is doing at the moment. This can ensure Taiwan slipping to its hands comfortably in the future with the US looking elsewhere and stating that it does not consider Taiwan to be independent from China as usual.

An interview with Dr. Brian Weiss ... https://omtimes.com/2013/12/brian-weiss-md/#google_vignette

An insightful interview with Dr. Brian Weiss on the subject of reincarnation... https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/spotlight/we-are-all-immortal/articleshow/16990083.cms

This is a good panacea for all social and international issues if universally applied and can create a heaven of earth. The fact that we are not able to do so means that humanity is more unconscious than aware, and prone to conflict with the neighbor rather than harmony. "We are each our own devil, and we make this world our hell. " - Oscar Wilde