Ajay0

I have seen some videos of Mosab Hassan Yousef, also known as the 'green prince' and a son of the founding leaders of Hamas. He is anti-hamas for its terrorist stand and inclined to liberalism, rationalism and democracy in the middle east. His explanation and analysis of the crisis in the Middle East is incisively logical and crystal clear . He appears to be a well-educated and intelligent man who had utilised the learning resources available to him in his travels around the world, which enabled him to think outside the box and figure out the bigger picture. Similalry other Palestinian youngsters should similarly educate themselves, think critically and be self-aware, so that they will not end as unconscious puppets of the dysfunctional and regressive Hamas leadership.

The Indian Catholic bishops’ media institute in New Delhi, India, has celebrated “Rakshabandhan” (bond of protection), the festival of siblings with a group of Brahma Kumaris. https://mattersindia.com/2023/08/church-media-institute-celebrates-festival-of-siblings-with-brahma-kumaris/ Rakshabandhan is a popular Hindu rite or ceremony where sisters of all ages tie a talisman or amulet called the rakhi around the wrists of their brothers. The rakhi is also tied by women and girls to boys and men who are not blood relatives, cutting across lines of class and religion, accepting them as brothers and to foster social harmony and cohesion. The above event is an example wherein the ceremonies and festivals in a religion can be used to initiate inter-faith harmony and brotherhood, mutual understanding and social well-being.

Elephants forcibly trained to paint to attract tourists is not artistic excellence or creativity, imho. It does showcase their cerebral abilities, but I am not sure they are enjoying the process.

Insightful article by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on asanas and the mental stability it brings... https://www.artofliving.org/nl-en/yoga/patanjali-yogasutra/knowledge-sheet-84 This advice have helped me a lot, and upon experiencing mental agitation or confusion due to proliferation of mental stimuli or thoughts-emotions, I used to sit down in the lotus position or padmasana, and found my mind becoming more stable and calmer effortlessly and pretty quick. This helped me to calm the mind, bring mental clarity and sort out any issues at hand better. I also find sitting in padmasana more useful for meditation and contemplaton than sitting in a chair or sofa. Other techniques that help in this regard are observation of the breath and trataka.

'Mindfulness in Plain English' by Ven. Henepola Gunaratana (Buddhist author and monk from the Theravada tradition) https://www.vipassana.com/meditation/mindfulness_in_plain_english.html

'The Miracle of Mindfulness' by Thich Nhat Hanh ( (Buddhist author and monk from the Mahayana Thien tradition) https://terebess.hu/zen/mesterek/Thich Nhat Hanh - The Miracle of Mindfulness.pdf

Russia enjoys a lot of support from most of the second and third world, who had bitter relations with the West due to past colonialism and interference. With their vast resources, Russia can keep going for a very long time. They enjoy China's formidable political and financial support too, as China knows that they are next on the list and wants Russia to fight their war as well without backing down. Russia submissive to U.S-Nato can change from an ally at present to an opponent in the future , so China's support for Russia is firm and unwavering. I think the U.S-NATO failed to take this into account.

Research suggests that being more mindful in our everyday lives can protect our health as we age—and even help us live longer. It also suggests that mindfulness meditation could be good for the mental health of ageing or elderly people. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/five_ways_mindfulness_helps_you_age_better?utm_source=pocket-newtab-en-intl

True love will result in Self-awareness, which brings detachment from the temporal objects, events and people of the world which are of an impermanent nature. Suffering arises because of inordinate attachment to the impermanent elements of the world which is bound to change.

Insightful article on the Buddhist view on capitalism and consumerism... Wealth destroys the foolish; but it cannot destroy those who seek the other shore (i.e., Nibbana/enlightenment). By his craving for wealth the fool destroys himself, as he would destroy others. ~ Buddha (Dhammapada Verse 355) Here Buddha states that wealth earned by righteous means with the goal of enlightenment is conducive to human well-being and wisdom, while craving for wealth (for the mere satisfaction of desires) is bound to be destructive to himself and others and is of the nature of foolishness. Joan Tollifson had also written on the relationship between capitalism and addictive behaviors, which had been put in this thread...

Article on Amy Weiss, a social worker and daughter of Dr. Brian Weiss, delving on her past life as an old man in the Middle Ages who was persecuted due to prejudice. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2336088/Immediately-I-saw-body-old-man-long-white-hair-living-Middle-Ages-Woman-relives-spooky-experience-past-life-regression.html

The 9 day Navratri festival is being celebrated by Hindus around the world from last week onwards, and is from 15-10-23 (Sunday) to 24-10-23 (Tuesday). The Navratri festival is conducted in reverence of the Mother Goddess Durga. As per Shakta philosophy of Hinduism, all women are manifestations of the Divine Mother and reverence towards them results in auspiciousness and strength. https://www.brahmakumaris.com/navratri/

I disagree with this. We are only in a position to change the present and consequently the future, not the past. But the future is still in question. You can work hard for a project and still fail in it due to new variables unaccounted for. This is expressed in the phrase, "Life is what happens when you are making other plans. Karma is cause and effect, and rigorous logic is needed to understand this sequence. To think that failure is business is because of something one did as a nine-year old or theft is delusional thinking and will not determine the karmic sequence. Knowing my past lives was a great help for me to understand my present habits and patterns, and this understanding helped me to relax and work on my shortcomings better . Reincarnation was also a part of early Christianity before it was eliminated by the councils of Constantinople in 553.A.D.. Here is a thread I created on reincarnation ... https://www.actualized.org/forum/topic/96135-interview-with-dr-brian-weiss-on-reincarnation/

An interview with Dr. Brian Weiss from 2011... https://hayhouseoz.wordpress.com/2011/02/07/an-intimate-interview-with-dr-brian-weiss-brian-l-weiss/

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/415-million-people-exited-poverty-in-india-in-15-years-un-report/articleshow/101678289.cms?from=mdr https://www.livemint.com/news/india/india-registers-remarkable-reduction-in-poverty-415-million-people-out-of-poverty-level-in-just-15-years-un-11689055801549.html A total of 415 million people moved out of poverty in India within just 15 years from 2005/2006 to 2019/2021, the UN said on Tuesday. With this data, the UN highlights the remarkable achievement by the world's most populous nation. There are many cases of young entrepreneurs of poverty stricken families striking it rich as well through entrepreneurship, so it is not just the rich getting richer. https://yourstory.com/2023/05/rags-to-riches-inspiring-tales-of-indian-entrepreneurs https://www.theceo.in/success-stories/rags-to-riches-stories-of-indian-entrepreneurs

Too much is made of India's poverty over here. As per Forbes, India was the richest nation in the world in the 16th century and became one of the poorest nations on earth under incompetent British administration, till they left. The Indian ocean is the only ocean on earth named after a nation, due to the heavy commercial traffic and shipping that took place in the Indian ocean by the countries of the world seeking to trade with India. The north and southern american continents were discovered by Colombus and others seeking an alternative trade route to India. At present India is the fastest growing economy on earth, minting billionaires and millionaires (in dollar terms), with each passing day. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/indicators/india-to-be-fastest-growing-economy-for-next-three-years-sp-global-ratings/articleshow/101276724.cms?from=mdr It has also replaced the UK as the fifth largest economy on earth at the moment. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/09/india-uk-fifth-largest-economy-world

It may look simple enough but it is a hard task because of the habitual thinking and emoting of the mind. Any random memory or thought can pull one out of present moment awareness and deceive one to live in the past through memory or future through imagination. When the misery of such incessant thinking and emoting becomes highly painful leading to psychological suffering, those who are aware of this process, can immediately anchor themselves in the present moment , meditate or observe their breathing, and thereby stabilise their mind reducing psychological pain effectively. Those who are not aware of this process, however will have to suffer a lot incessantly from anxiety and psychological pain, as they do not know how to switch off their runaway mind. This can eventually result in mental illnesses and also bodily illness through psychosomatic suggestion.

It's sad that the Saudi-Israeli talks leading to a formal diplomatic relationship are now disrupted, possibly permanently. Israel should look at the bigger picture, ensure the safety of its citizens, neutralize the hostiles and at the same time ensure that the peace talks go on schedule. Responses should be regulated and excesses by it will eliminate any goodwill it enjoys from the world at the moment, as well as effectively disrupting the strategic Israel-Saudi talks and undermine its other diplomatic achievements. I believe that Israel should have anticipated this attack considering the anniversary of the Yum Kippur war between Israel and Arab states, exactly around 50 years back. They had unfortunately lowered their guard due to the festival season it seems.

India successfully launched the Aditya mission to study the sun on September 5,2023. https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/science/aditya-l1-launch-live-updates-isro-first-solar-mission-aditya-l1-to-be-launched-today-8919603/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagrange_point

There is a Reality which is Indivisible, One, Alone, the Source and Being of all; not a thing, nor even a mind, but pure Spirit or clear Consciousness; and we are That and nothing but That, for That is our true Nature; and the only way to find It is to look steadily within, where are to be found utmost peace, unfading joy, and eternal life itself. ~ Douglas Harding We are all more or less ill till we find by Self-enquiry our Oneness with everyone else. ~ Douglas Harding

Research has shown that hatha yoga is useful for countering trauma. https://kripalu.org/resources/how-yoga-helps-heal-trauma-qa-bessel-van-der-kolk https://www.healthline.com/health/trauma-informed-yoga#poses Trauma-informed yoga is a teaching system designed to understand the trauma of the patient and teach appropriate yogic practices that would be useful in countering it effectively.

Informative article on Dr.Brian Weiss and his evolution from a conservative and skeptical psychiatrist to a believer in reincarnation. https://lifestyle.inquirer.net/165945/skeptical-psychiatrist-finds-proof-of-reincarnation/

Nihilism is a product of western philosophy, which claims that all values and virtues are but mental abstractions without relevance of their own. This philosophy has been used by the nazis and serial criminals to justify their excesses. Ancient eastern philosophy on the other hand considers values and virtues as significant in expansion of consciousness and attaining enlightenment or Buddhahood. Western philosophy is not ancient and time-tested, and consequently lacks in maturity and wisdom that comes with age, It has never produced a Buddha or enlightened being. In modern times, there has arose a female enlightened sage named Rajini Menon who had credited virtuous conduct and behavior with expansion of consciousness, and her eventual enlightenment. I had created a thread of her over here... Some sayings of eastern sages to ponder in this regard ...

There is a saying by a Maxime Lagace I found on the net which was insightful.. “Fools read fast. Geniuses reread.” I think you need to reread the book a couple of times to get enough intellectual capital out of it. This has been my observation and experience as well. Contemplation on that which is read can also provide more points than the matter alone.

It is very interesting and insightful. Craving for power actually agitates the mind, and mental agitation is synonymous with inauspiciousness in eastern religious philosophy. By renouncing all cravings for power, mental equanimity is attained, and this state is ironically considered auspicious and attracting all that is worth having.